The Drunkards Character, Section 192
§ 192.
VVHichWhich being so,VVe should read their words backward. namely, that their judgements are directly opposite to the Word of God, that they read practicall divinity with the Devills spectacles, just as Schollers doe Hebrew, backwards; either taking the conceptions of the Holy Ghost to be an adulterous seede, as once it fared with Ioseph, touching Marie's being with child, Matth. 1. 19. or contrarily, the conceptions of Sathan, viz. thoughts and affections, which spring from Pride, Lust, Ignorance &c. to be the spirituall conceptions of the Holy Ghost, and to come from zeale and piety, as once Ely, 1 Sam. 1. 14. and those mockers, Acts, 2. imputed the true worke of the Spirit to drunkennesse; who would not rather be dispraised, then commended by them? For to be praised of evill men (saith Bion) is to be praised for evill doing: so the better they speake of a man, the worse, and the worse, the better: you shall have them maintaine with incredible impudence, accompanied with invincible ignorance, that if a man will not sweare, drinke drunke, &c. that he is over precise; though they may as soone finde Paradise in Hell, as any Text in Scripture, which makes for loosenesse, or against circumspect walking. Yea, who would dreame that so grosse blockishnesse should find harbour in any reasonable soule, as to thinke that God should like a man the worse, for his being the better, or for having a tender conscience, or looke for lesse feare, reverence, and obedience from his servants, then we doe from our servants: and yet the same men will grant, that a servant can never be too punctuall in his obedience to his Masters lawfull commands: but you see the reason, they are of a reprobate judgement, Esay., 5. 20. and so speake, thinke, and doe altogether by contraries, like Heliogabalus, who wore shooes of gold, and rings of leather: or the Blackmores, who judging of beauty by contraries, paint the Angells blacke, and the Devills white: or the Iewes, who preferred Barrabas, a theife, a murtherer, a seditionary, infamous for all, odious to all before Christ, that came to save them.
Wherefore, if we be wise, we will read their words backward, But those prove deep wounds to weake Christians which are balme ond physicke unto abler judgmentsunderstand them by contraries, count their scoffes and reproaches our glory, which they take to be our shame; so imitating the Christians in the primitive Church, who (seeing the Infidells, never met them, but they would make the signe of the Crosse, in derision of their Christianity, for that the God, whom they worshipped, was hanged on a Crosse) to shew that they were so farre from being ashamed thereof, that they gloried in nothing more; then in that which their enemies cheifly derided, would not only make the sign of the Cross upon their childrens foreheads, the most open and eminent place, at the time when they were baptized, but would frequently doe the same, in the presence of the said Infidells, as occasion was offered. However, I pray God keepe me from being an honest man according to their description.
Besides, no wise man, that observes their life and practise, but will thinke their dislike of him an honour, and apply to them, what once the Orator spake to S…llust, it cannot be, but he who lives thy life, should speake thy language: yea, a very Heathen would chose his religion by such mens enmity, for it is the honour of Religion and goodnesse, that it hath drunkards, swearers, &c. for her scoffing adversaries: as Tertullian thought much the better of Christianity, because Nero persecuted it. However, the faith of the righteous cannot be so much derided, as their successe in the end will be magnified, Wisdome, 5. 1. to 22.
But this is the misery, those prove deepe wounds to weake Christians, which would be balme and Physicke unto abler judgements: and admit some have the wit to discerne their dispraise, an honour; their praise, a dishonour; yet wanting courage, and being afraid to displease, they even suffer themselves to be brutishly driven with the drove, and, like nailes in a wheele, turne, as they are turned, without either conscience of sinne, or guidance of reason. But if we live, like them that are reserved to judgment; how should we not thinke our selves to be reserved with them?
Indeed, if, with Demas, He would never endure blows who cannot con…ct evill words.thou wilt needs forsake Christ, to embrace this present world, it is well thou givest over so soone, leavest off befor thou dost begin, never settest thy hand to the plough, doest not disgrace religion by professing it, for thou wouldest never hold out to the end; he would never endure a blow, who cannot concoct a word: he is not like to overcom astrong & potent enemy, who cannot vanquish himselfe: he that is discouraged and made returne with an Ishmaelitish persecution of the tongue, how would he endure a Spanish Inquisition, or those Marian times? he that is so afrighted with a Squib, how would he endure the mouth of a Canon.
But heare one thing before thou goe…. It is a shrewd signe that the Lord is departed from a man, when he is thus basely afraid of those that cannot hurt him: for when the Lord was departed from Saul, he began to be afraid of David, never before, 1 Sam. 18. 12. true faith looking upon the Preserver and reward, never feares to doe well, nor to reprove those that doe ill; and such cowardly Souldiers, as will turne their backes for a few foule words, are not for Christs standart: yea, wat you what, they shall stand in the forefront of them, that shall be cast into that lake of fire and brimstone, Rev. 21. 8. they have beene most backward to goodnesse, therefore shall be formost in vengeance.