Josephs Party-Colored Coat, Part 4
And I partly beleeve it.
That is, I beleeve some of you are guilty of this fault, though others be innocent.
Generall censures condemning whole Churches are altogether uncharitable.Doct. Angle out the offenders by themselves, but take heed of killing all with a Drag-net: And grant many, yea most to be faulty, yet some may be guiltlesse. Wickednesse was not so generall a Rule in Sodome, but that righteous Lot was an exception from it. See Obadiah (as a Iewell in the head of a Toad) Steward of Ahabs wicked houshold. Yea, seeing Impiety intrudes it selfe amongst the thickest of Gods Saints, (even drowning Cham in Noahs Arke) just it is that God should have some names even where the trone of Satan is erected.
Let us therfore follow the wary proceedings of Iehu, 2 King. 10.23 who being about to kil Baals Priests, caused a strict search before to be made, Search and look that there be here with you, none of the servants of the Lord, but the servants of Baal only. So when wee are about with censuring, to murder the credits of many together, let us take heed that there be not some Orthodoxe amongst those whom we condemn al to be Hereticks; some that desire to bee peaceable in this our Israel, amongst those whom wee condemne for all factious Schismaticks.
But these words [I partly beleeve it] may thus also be expounded, as wel of the faults, as of the persons, as if he had said, I beleeve these accusations only in part, and hope they are not so bad, as they are reported.
Doct.When Fames are brought unto us from good hands, let us not be so incredulous, as to beleeve no part of them; nor so uncharitable as to beleeve all; but with Saint Paul partly beleeve it. The good man carrieth a Court of Chancery in his owne bosome, to mitigate the rigour of common reports, with equall and favourable interpretations.
Rea 1.Because Fame often creates something of nothing, alwayes makes a great deale of a little. 'Tis true of Fame what is said of the Devill: It has beene a Lyar from the beginning. Yea, and sometimes a Murderer. Absalom slew one of Davids sonnes, and Fame killed all the rest, 2 Sam. 13.30.
2Because men in reporting things often mingle their own interests and ingagements with their Relations, and making them bettter, or worse, as they themselves stand affected: Water resembleth both the taste and colour of that earth, through which it runneth, so reports rellish of their Relators, and have a blush and a smack of their partiall dispositions, and therfore such Relations are not to be beleeved in their full latitude, extent, and dimension.
It confutesThose that will beleeve nothing of what they heare reported,1 though warranted by never so good witnesses. Though they be perswaded, they will not be perswaded, and will not credit any accusations though never so just. Yea, sometimes are so farre from trusting the tongues of others, that they wil not trust their owne eyes: I beare them witnesse these men have charity, but not according to knowledge.
But where too much charity hath slaine her thousands,2 too little hath slaine her ten thousands. More men there be who take all reports upon the credit of the Relators, and never weigh them in the scales of their owne judgements, to see if they bee too light or no: Yea, some are so excessive in this kind, their beliefe out-stretcheth the report; what is told them to be done out of ignorance, they beleeve to be out of knowledge, what is told them to be done out of infirmity, they beleeve to bee done out of presumption; they need not say with the man in the Gospel, Lord I beleeve, helpe my unbeleefe; But Lord pardon my too much beliefe, pardon my over-credulity; in that I beleeve all, and more than all reported. To conclude, let not our beliefes be altogether of clay to receive any impression, nor altogether of Iron, to receive none at all. But as the toes in the Image of Nebuchadnezzars Dreame were partly iron, and partly clay: So let our beliefes be composed of charity, mixt with our credulity, that when a crime is reported, wee may with Saint Paul partly beleeve it.
VERSE 19. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved, may be made manifest among you.
HEre Saint Paul argueth a minore ad majus, being the more easily induced to beleeve there might be divisions among them, because also there must be Heresies.