The Drunkards Character, Section 105
§ 105
NOw of this their savage disposition,5 Reasons of their savage disposition. there are five maine reasons to be rendered.
1. First,They must doe the workes of their father the Devill. because they would doe the workes of their Father the Devill; he is a murtherer, and so his children are given to blood, Iohn, 8. 44. and what can the Lambe expect of the Butcher, but killing? yea, and so given to it, that often times it contents them not to shed the blood of others, except also they shed their owne blood: as Nero, who was so artificiall in cutting of throats, that at last he runnes upon his owne sword, saying, I have lived dishonourably, I will dye shamefully: and Saul, who being blooded against David and the Priests, became as unmercifull to himselfe, by wreaking his teene on his owne bowells: and ludas that was so cruell against the innocent blood of his Master, became as cruell against the nocent blood of himselfe: and I wonder how the murtherer can expect any other doome, that either heares how many have done the like, or reades, Gen. 9. where God saith, who so sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God hath he made man, vers. the 6. The meditation whereof, if it did throughly sincke into mens hearts, would make them more cautious; how much more, if they did read and understand, Gen. 4. 10. where God indit…ing Cain for murthering his Brother, saith, What h…st th…u done? the voice of thy Brothers blood cryeth unto me from the earth. In which place the Originall hath it in the plurall number, bloods, and so signifieth, the voice of the blood shed, and of all the blood which might have come of that blood, if it had not beene shed; which being so, implyes that a man may kill a thousand, in killing of one.
Secondly,2 That the…r deeds of darknes may not come to l…ght. that their deeds of darkenesse might not come to l…ght. Vriah must be put to death, least Davids Adultery be discovered, and himselfe disgraced: a living Curre, you know, will doe more harme then a dead Lyon. The Genealogies of the Iewes must be burnt, that Herod may be taken for a lew, and one of the blood royall: and it's a sure rule, that of eggs fryed in the pan, come no ill Chickens.
3. Thirdly,3 otherwise they cannot follow their sinnes so freely nor so quietly. the wicked through malice would seeke by all meanes to cut off the godly, because their wicked and sinfull lives are reproved by their godly conversation; neither can they follow their sinnes so freely as they would, nor so quietly, without detection or check; now if Abel's good workes reprove Cain's evill deeds, let Cain but take away the cause, kill Abel, and the effect shall not follow.
4 Fourthly,4 VVhat they cannot make good by arguments of reason they would by arguments of steele …nd iron. whereas the Godly are too hard for them in disputing (take Steven for an instance) they would be even with them by casting of stones, stop their mouthes with brickbats, fetch Arguments from the Shambles; and this they are sure would doe, when all other hopes and healps faile, they would not stand to argue the case with us; for let the accused plead what he could for his owne innocency, the Wolfe would answer the Lamb, indeed, Thy cause is better then mine, but my teeth are better then thine, I will devoure thee; so they would put off the Fox, and put on the Lyon, and make their party good, if not with Argument… of reason, yet with Arguments of steele and Iron; but this is a very hard way of confuting.
5 Fiftly and lastly,5 Their glory and … edit is e…lipsed. their glory and credit with the world is eclipsed by suffering those which excell in vertue. We know the Moone hath so much the lesse light, by how much it is nearer the Sunne, yea, so long as the Sunne shines above the Horizon, the Moone is scarc…ly s…e…e: which made Adrian and Nero to kill all such as eclipsed their glory by any demerit: and for this cause Mercine was murthered of her fellowes, because she did excell the res… in beauty.
Yea, this hath made wicked men, in all ages, to deale with the godly, as I…lia… the Apostate did by our Saviour Christ; who tooke downe his Image in contempt, that he might set up his owne in the same place, and have the people worship it; which he knew they would never doe, so long as the other was reverenced.
You know Herod thought he could not be King, if Christ should raigne; yea, as though he had beene of the race of the Ottom…ans, he thought he could not raigne, except, the first thing he did, he killed all the Males in Beth…m from two yeares old, and under; and the Pharisees, that they should be despised, if Christ were regarded; and hereupon they put the old Carinthians Law in execution, that hang'd a man in the forenoone, and sate in judgement on him in the afternoone.