Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 158
§ 158.
SEcondly, they are wiſer then the moſt cunning Politician that lives. 2. Wiſe… the… the moſt cunning policia….For to judge aright, the greateſt Politician is the greatest foole, for he turnes all his religion into hypocriſie, into ſtatiſme, yea, into atheiſme making Chriſtianity a very footſtoole to policy.
Indeed, they are wiſer in their generation, then the children of light, and are ſo acknowledged by the Holy Ghoſt: Luk. 16.8. But why? not that there is a deficiency of power in the godly, but will: for could not David go as far as Ach tohpel? could not Paul ſhew as much cunning as Tertullus? yes, ſurely if they would. But becauſe their Maſter Chriſt hath commanded them to bee innocent as Doves, they have vowed, in an Heroicall diſpoſition, with Abraham, Gen. 14.22. that the King of Sodome ſhall not make them rich; no crooked, or indirect meanes ſhal bring them in profit, they will not be beholding to the King of Hell for a Shoo-tye; and hereupon, the Foxes wiles never enter into the Lions head.
But take theſe Politicians as they are in their owne Element, and it may peremptorily bee ſpoken of them, as one ſpeakes of women; that in miſchiefe they are wiſer then men, neere upon as that old Serpent the Divell; yea, they are ſo arted in ſubtilties, through time, and practiſe, that they will have trickes in their ſconces to over-reach the Divell himſelfe: indeed, he hath one trick beyond all theirs, for like a cunning fencer, hee that taught them al their tricks, kept this one to himſelfe, namely, how to cheat them of their ſoules.
But to go on. Theſe are not wiſe as Serpents, according to our Saviours counſell, but wiſe Serpents, that is, wiſe in evill, not wiſe in that which is good; or, if you will, wiſe in goods, not wiſe in grace. For as that old Serpent ſeemed to boaſt, that he was richer then Chriſt, when he ſaid, all theſe are mine: ſo the politician may truly ſay, for the moſt part, I am wiſer then my plain dealing neighbour, by five hundred pounds, but ſee their wiſdome diſplayed.
They are ſuch cunning diſſemblers, that like Pope Alexander the ſixth, what they think, they never ſpeake: why is this caſt away? ſaith Iudas, crafty cub! he would have had it himſelf: as the Fox would diſſwade other beaſts from that booty, wch hee meanes to make his owne: or like a fellow that rides to the pillory, they go not the way they looke; they will cut a mans throat under colour of curteſie: as Vlyſses by gold and forged letters, was the means of ſtoning Palamedes, even while he made ſhew of defending him: and then, to wipe off all ſuſpicion from themſelves, their geſture and countenance ſhall be like Iulius Caeſar's, who ſeeing Pompie's head, fel a weeping, as if he had beene ſorry for it, when by his onelyonly meanes it was cut off; ſo, like Rowers in a Boat, whilſt, in their pretence, they looke one way, in their intent, they go the quite contrary.
It is obſerved of the Fox, that he will ſtand by the river and let his taile play in the water, till the Fiſh come flocking about it; and then with a jerke, he ſwoopes them out with his paw: theſe are ſuch Foxes, they will not looke towards the booty they ayme at; yea, they are ſo politicke, that no man ſhall be able to determine, either by their geſture, vvords, or actions, vvhat they reſolve; for their vvords, like an Italian Torch, vvill prove your bane, vvhen they ſeeme to give you moſt light, and beſt direction; they vvill ſay, as Eliſha to the Syrian Army, follow me, and I will lead you to the man whom yee ſeeke, vvhen they lead you into the lap of your enemies, 2 Kings 6.19. And ſutable to this is their geſture and actions, for like Acco, they will evermore ſeeme to refuſe, what they moſt deſire; and to deſire, what they moſt deſpiſe.
Yea, they can hardly be read, though, like Hebrew letters, you ſpell them backwards: for admit the ſtander by conceives their going to be like that of a Crab-fiſh, contrary to the way they looke, as our Saviour knew it fared with the Phariſees and Sadduces, Mat. 16.1.3. which made him conclude with, O Hypocrites! yet having not the ſpirit of diſcerning, he can but gueſſe at it, and ſo give over; onelyonly this he may be ſure of, that they doe not intend, what they pretend; like as in jugling feates, though we know not how they are done, yet we know well, that they are not done, as they ſeeme to be.
Now if they can any way advantage themſelves by anothers ruine, and doe it cunningly, as Ieſabel did, when ſhe kild Naboth, by ſuborning falſe witneſſe againſt him, and proclaimed a Faſt, before the murther; though all ſuch policy, be but miſery; and all ſuch knowledge, ignorance; yet, ô how wiſe they thinke themſelves, now they are able to blind the Devill with a Cuſhion: but they are groſſely miſtaken, for wherein doth this their great wiſdome conſiſt, but firſt, in being wiſe to deceive others, as the old Serpent did our firſt Parents; or, ſecondly, in the end to deceive themſelves, as the ſame Serpent did, which brought a curſe upon himſelfe for ſo doing, Gen. 3.
The crafty Fox hug'd himſelfe, to thinke how he had coſened the Crow of her breakfaſt: but when he had eaten it, and found himſelfe poyſoned with it, he wiſh't the Crow her owne againe. Wealth got by deceit, is like a peece of buttered ſponge, (an Italian tricke) it goes downe glib, but in the ſtomack ſwells, and will never be got out againe. The gaines a man gets by deceiving, at laſt, he may put in his eye, and yet ſee himſelfe miſerable. Sinne is the greateſt cheater in the world, for it deceives the deceiver.
That it is ſo with them, and all others, who goe to counſell, and leave the God of wiſdome behind them, let their caſe be viewed in other perſons. What ſaith Pharaoh to his deepe counſellers? Come, let us doe wiſely, when indeed he went about that which deſtroyed him, and his countrey. The Scribes, Phariſees, and Elders tooke counſell againſt Chriſt, as though they would moſt wiſely prevent their owne Salvation. Ioſeph's Brethren to prevent his having dominion over them, as his dreames imported, thought they had taken a very wiſe courſe, in ſelling him to the Iſhmalitiſh Merchants, which was indeed the only meanes to effect it. See here in theſe three examples, you have the depth & ſolidity of our great eſt and wiſeſt politicians; and yet lewd men, moſt abſurdly, and ridiculouſly, call wicked policies, wiſdome; and their ſucceſſe, happineſſe; but herein Sathan makes them of all Fooles the ſuperlative, in miſtaking villany and madneſſe, for the beſt vertues.
And what is the ſumma totalis of all, but this, Faux-like, they project other mens over-throw, purchaſe their owne: neither hath any man beene wiſe to doe evill, but his wiſdome hath had an evill end, as,
O the multitude of examples which are recorded, to give credit to this Doctrine! Was not the wiſdome of the Serpent turned into a curſe? the wiſdome of the Phariſees into a woe? the wiſdome of Achitophel into folly? the wiſdome of Nimrod into confuſion? the wiſdome of the unjuſt Steward into expulſion out of Heaven? the wiſdome of Ieſabel into a ſhamefull death? and ſhall not the deceivers wiſdome, the extortioners wiſdome, the ſorcerers wiſdome, the hypocrites wiſdome, the matchevilians wiſdome, and the perſecutors wiſdome have their ſeverall ends anſwerable? yes undoubtedly; for in the iſſue, their caſe will be but like the Spiders, that was weaveing a curious net to catch the Swallow, who when ſhe came, bore away both net, and web, and weaver too. Wherefore O God make me but ſoule wiſe, and I ſhall never enuy their knowledge, that pity my ſimplicity: yea, let me be weake in policy, ſo I may be wiſe to ſalvation. But to make it more manifeſt, that they are ſtarke Fooles, come we to particulars, though I'le give you but one of ten, being loth to ſurfet my Reader.