The Drunkards Character, Section 108
§ 108.
THis also is the sole cause,They strive t… be sup…rlative in sinne. why they strive so after perfection of evill, (if it be a digression, either pardon it, or passe on to Section 113) they being the Divels children, must imitate him in all things, yea, partaking of his cursed nature, they can doe no other: as the children of God, partaking of the Divine nature, can not but resemble God, and in nothing more, then in being holy, as he is holy, and in striving after perfection of holinesse.
Abundance of men giving the raines to their wicked nature, and wanting both the Bit of Reason, and the Curb of Religion, more then i…itate Iehu; for as Iehu said in dissimulation, Aha… served Baal a little, but Iehu shal serve him much more: so these, in the uprightnesse of their heart…, seems to say, such and such a wicked wretch serves the divel a little, but I wil serve him much more. Yea, knowing the divel is like that King, wch Montaigne speaks of, with whom that Souldier only, wch in one, or diverse combates, hath presented him with seven enemies heades, is made noble; many of them count it the greatest honour to commit the greatest sinnes, and are sorry they cannot commit a sinne unpardonable, and without, or beyond a president; imitating Aristides of Locris, who dying of the biting of a Weasell, was grieved, that he had not beene bitten by a Lion. I have heard a cauterised Gallant, boast of his lying with women of all conditions, save Witches; and protest that should be his next attempt: but what doe I mentioning such a novice, or speaking of that, which was only heard by a few.
I would faine know,Many examples of monsters and superlative sinners. I say, how men in this and other ages before us, could wholly imploy their time, and strength, and meanes; how they could take such paines, and be at such cost, to commit robberies, rapes, cruell murthers, treasons, blow up whole States, depopulate whole Towns, Cities, Countries, seduce millions of soules, as Mahomet and the Pope have done, make open war against the Church of God, as Herod, Ant…ochus, and others did; persecute the known truth, as I…lian the Apostate did; invent all the new vices they can, and destroy the memory of all ancient vertues, as Heliogabalus did; make it their trade to sweare and for-sweare, if any will hire them, as our post-Knights do; not unlike those Turkish Priests, called Seitie and Cagi, who for a Ducket will make a thousand false oathes before the Magistrate, and take it to be no sinne, but a worke deserving praise, by lies, swearing, and forswearing, to damnifie Christians what they can; did they not strive tooth and naile (as wee use to say) to imitate their father the Divel?
O that our Land had not such monsters, who, upon an howers warning, can lend Iezabel an oath, to rob poore Naboth of his life and Vineyard! that we had not such Vultures, irreligious harpies, that have consciences like a Barne-doore, and seldome wake, but to doe mischiefe! some men and women that will bee bauds to their owne wives and daughters! O that the Sunne should shine upon her, that will sell for gaine unto hell, that body which she brought forth with such pains to this earth! certainly, there was never woman more deserved to bee called the Divells damme then shee: some that dare the day to witnesse their ungodlines, and doe their villanies, as the Phari…ies gave their almes, and said their prayers, to be seene of men! who (Z…mry-like) dare bring whores to their Tents openly; yea, like Absalom, dares spread a Tent on the top of the house, and goe in to their Concubines in the sight of all men! yea, Gallants, that in a bravery, will assemble themselves to their Minions by companies, (I must not say they are harlots houses) and there commit their adulteries in the presence of each other! not much unlike Diogenes the Cynick, an impudent fellow, who would openly commit filthinesse even in the streets.
And when their bodies have beene the Organs of unrighteousnesse, their mouths shall after be the Trumpets to proclaime it: much like those savage women which (as Montaigne relates) for a badg of honour, weare as many fringed tossells fastned to the skirt of their garment, as they have lyen with severall men: you shall often heare old men glory in their fore passed whoredomes, boast their homicides, &c. yea, perhaps, if it be possible, make themselves worse then ever they were: yea, rather then men will want matter of oftentation, they will boast of the fowle…t vices, as Agesilaus bragd of his stumpt foote, Sertorius of his one eye, and Rathro…d of his scabs; for their excrements they account ornaments, and make a scarf of their halter; but this is a cursed commemoration.
Againe, men there are, who (like them of Gibeah, I…gd. 19. and the Sodomites, Gen. 19.) are not content with the common way of sinning, but are mad with a prodigious and preposterous lust, bring forth the men that wee may know them, verse 5.
And hath not this age some, whoequall Lycaon, that was turned into a Woolfe by Iupiter, for his cruelty? who seeme to have beene suckled with the milke of Woolfes, as it is reported of the first founder of Rome? who, through custome, have made sinne so familiar unto them, that the horror of it is turned into a pleasure? who being inured to blood, make killing of men but a sport, as it fared with Abner, who called it playing, when every one thrust his sword into his fellowes side? 2 Sam. 2. 14. 16. some you shall haver hazard land, life, soule, (yea, more, if more could bee) on the fortune of a Rapiers point, when but aske whence the cause of that contention ariseth, they cannot tell you without blushing, so vaine, and so frivolous is the occasion: many men had rather see a combate fought, wherein one man kills another, then heare a Sermon, or partake of a rich banquet; being of Hannibal's humour, who seeing a ditch swim with mans blood, profest never to have seene a fight which more delighted him: or of Herods, who thinking hee could not shed blood, and bee cruell enough while hee lived, and to make the lewes sorry for his death, whether they would or no, commanded, and made sure that they should slay all the Noble-mens children in Iury, as the breath went out of his body: some resemble Cajus Caligula, who, amongst other tyrannies, caused at his meales ordinarily one to cut off before him the heads of poore prisoners, wherein hee tooke great pleasure: or Nero and Domitian, who studied strange deaths, to afflict the Saints, and to suppresse the Gospell: or Iustinian, who, being restored againe to his Empire, as oft as hee moved his hand to wipe the filth from his nose, which was cut off, he commanded one of his enemies, or some of their allies to be put to death: or lastly, the Numantines, who being besiedged by the Romanes, and brought to great misery, made a vow, no day to eate meat, unlesse the first dish might bee of a Romans flesh; nor drinke any drinke, unlesse their first draught were Romans blood.
Againe, are there not some as blasphemous, as impudent Pharaoh, who being bloodied with his unresisted tyranny, could belch out defiance in the face of heaven (who is God?) thinking he might be bold with heaven, because he was great on earth: or Nicanor, who being perswaded from cruelty upon the Sabboth day, in that God had appointed it holy, answered, if God be m…ghty in heaven, I am also mighty on earth; though the same tongue that spake it, was cut into little peeces, and flung to the Fowles, and the hand that smote, was cut off and hung before the Temple: or lastly, Pope H…ldebrand, who asked the Sacrament of Christ's body, before all the Cardinalls, how he should destroy Henry the Emperour? and having no answer, flung it into the fire, saying, could the Idol gods of the Heathens tell them what should succeed in al their enterprises, and canst not thou tell me? And many the like; for the time would be too short for me to speake of all I might, who being past feeling, have given themselves to worke all kinds of wickednesse, even with greedinesse, Eph. 4. 19.
Besides, I cannot (without red cheeks) name the things that are commonly done by them, not in secret, but openly, and that without blushing, yea, not without boasting; and the report of sinne, is oft as bad as the commission; I am …oth, I say, to speak of that, whereof the very speech is lothsome. Wherefore to shut up with a word of application.
Do we not know, or have we not heard of such as these, who are indifferent in nothing but conscience? I would there were none such to be knowne, or heard of, or, at least, I would they were thrown out of Christ's Crosse-row, but if there be, and ever hath beene such, let any reasonable man judge, whether they could bee thus desperately wicked, if they did not emulate I ate Sathan, strive after the perfection of evill, to be superlative in sinne, to h…ve, as it were, the lowest place in hell, and who should come there first; as Gods people desire to imitate God, strive after perfection of holinesse, and to have a greater degree of glory in the Kingdome of Heaven.