Sin Stigmatized, Part 2 · Section 192
§ 192.
VVHichWhich being ſo, namely, that their judgements are directly oppoſite to the Word of God, VVe ſhould read their words backward.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, But thoſe prove deep wounds to weake Chriſtians which are balme ond phyſicke unto abler judgmentswe will read their words backward, underſtand them by contra…ies, 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 Salluſt, 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 blow… who cannot concoct evill words.thou wilt needs forſake Chriſt, to embrace this preſent world, it is well thou giveſt over ſo ſoone, leaveſt off be for 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 lik 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 goeſt. 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.