Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 48
§ 48.
BUt thou haſt yet to ſay, 4 That it is the uſuall cuſtome of the place and common practiſe of the people with whō they are co…verſant and by whom they live.for thou wilt excuſe thy exceſſive drinking by others example, and alledge, that it is the uſuall cuſtome of the place, and the common practice of the people among whom thou liveſt, yea, whom thou liveſt by, and art daily converſant withall; (as for the moſt part, that which is patronized by uſualneſſe, ſlips into the opinion of lawfulneſſe) and hereupon thou art (as thou ſuppoſeſt) the rather to be borne withall, if thou doe like other men, ſeeing ſingularity would make thee odious, and cauſe thee to be ſcorned and derided of all.
I anſwere, indeed cuſtome and example of the greateſt number ſayes much for it; but that much is nothing, for it is God's expreſſe charge, Exod. 23.2. thou ſhalt not follow a multitude to doe evill, and St. Paul's everlaſting rule, Rom. 12.2. faſhion not your ſelves like unto this world,
Beſides, if cuſtome of place, or multitude of people could authorize any ſinne, then every ſinne might ſtand upon it's iuſtification; yea, no fancy ſo mad can fall into humane imagination, that meets not with the example of ſome publique cuſtome, as I could eaſily prove, if it were needefull: yea, I can hardly forbeare to make a liſt of their ſeveralls, for there is no countrey without ſome cuſtomes, as ſtrange to others, as pleaſing to themſelves; and uſe brings the ſight of our judgements aſleepe; the barbarous Heathen are not more ſtrange to us, then wee are to them; ſubjects have divers luſtres, whence the diverſity of opinions is chiefly ingendred; one nation vieweth a thing with one viſage, and thereon it ſtayes; another with another. To bee briefe, if cuſtome and example could authorize drunkenneſſe, why could it not as well authorize that abominable ſinne of Sodomy? for Sodomy it ſelfe was once the common practice of a whole City; and ſo for Turciſme, Iudaiſme, Paganiſme, and Popery, for theſe take up nine parts of the world.
But tell me, were it a good plea, to commit a felony, and ſay that others doe ſo? or if never ſo many ſhould leape into the Sea, or caſt themſelves into the fire, or breake their owne necks, would this encourage any that are wiſe to do the like? why then wilt thou leape into Hell, and caſt away thy ſoule, becauſe others do ſo?
Alaſſe! although cuſtome and community commendeth that which is good, yet it mightily aggravateth that which is evill: a good thing the more common it is, the better it is; but an evill thing, the more common, the worſer: yea, custome grounded neither upon reaſon, nor Religion, is the worſt and moſt barbarous kinde of Tyranny: a common faſhion diſſonant from Gods word, is but a common ſinne, which often bringeth common and univerſall judgment; and therefore thou canſt not joyne with them in their ſinnes, and be disjoyned from them in their puniſhments.
But ſeeing there is no ſuch authority given to ſinne, as by example, and that this excuſe is ſo common in every offenders mouth, Others, or every one doth ſo and ſo, therefore why not I? or, every one is of this or that judgment, and are you wiſer then al? & conſidering that this is made a generall plea almoſt in all caſes, Do notſuch and ſuch the like, who are wiſer, and greater, and better men then your ſelfe? (for I have ever noted, that this one artleſſe perſwaſion of Others doe ſo, prevailes more with the world, then all the places of reaſon) I will anſwer it the more largely and fully, and prove, that example either of the greateſt number, or the greateſt men, or the greateſt ſchollers, yea, the beſt and holieſt men, let cuſtome and reaſon, (as it is now depraved) together with good intentions, be added thereunto, are but uncertaine, yea, deceitfull guides to follow, and that the beſt, or all theſe, will prove but a poore plea another day, God having given us his Word, which is a certaine and infallible guide to direct us, and rule to walke by, and ſquare all our actions, together with a ſtrait command, not to ſwerve therfrom either to the right or left hand.That wee ought not to follow the example either
Firſt, we ought not to follow the example of the greateſt number, for the greateſt number goe the broad way to deſtruction, and but a few the narrow way which leadeth unto life, as our Saviour witneſſeth, 1 of the greatest number, orMat. 7.13.14. yea, ſaith St. Iohn, the whole world lieth in wickedneſſe, the 1 Ioh. 5.19. whereas they whom Chriſt hath choſen out of it, are but a little flocke, Luk. 12.32. the number of thoſe whom Sa… than ſhall deceive is as the ſand of the Sea, Rev. 20.8. whereas they that beleeve the Goſpell are few in number, Iſai. 53.1. Rom. 10.16. the one may be compared to a little flocke of Kids; but the other, like the Arromites, fill the country: for beſides Turkes, Iewes, and Infidells, Hereſie hath one part, Hypocriſie another, Prophaneſſe a third, Lukewarmneſſe a a fourth, &c. 2 Cor. 4.4. ſo that God hath the leaſt part, that owes all, Lord thou haſt but a few names in Sardy, Re. 3.4.
And this the Scripture verifies of all ages: there could not be found eight righteous perſons in the old world, for one was an impious Cham; all Sodom afforded not ten; Eliah, ſpeaking of the outward viſible Church in his time, ſaith, I onelyonly remaine a Prophet of the Lord, but Baals Prophets are 450. 1 King. 18.22. and Mich… complaines of the multitude of the wicked in his time, and ſmall number of the faithfull, Micha. 7.2. Behold (ſaith Iſai.) I, and the children whom the Lord hath given me, are for ſignes, and for wonders in Iſraell, Eſai. 8.18. ſo few and rare, that they were gazed on as monſters, And though the number of the children of Iſraell be as the ſand of the Sea, yet but a remnant ſhall be ſaved, ſaith the Lord himſelfe, Eſai. 10.22. Rom. 9.27.
Neither hath it beene otherwiſe ſince the Goſpell; the whole City went out to ſend Chriſt packing; not a Gadarean was found, that either dehorted his fellowes, or oppoſed the motion, Mat. 8.34. when Pilate asked, what ſhall be done with Ieſus? all, with one conſent, cryed, crucifie him, Math. 27.22. there was a generall ſhout for Diana for two howers together, great is Diana, of the Epheſians, not one man tooke Paul's part; yea, the Iewes tell Paul, that his Sect is every where ſpoken againſt, Acts, 28.22. ſo that Vox populi is not alwayes Vox Dei, yea, for the moſt part, it is Vox Diaboli, for all bothſmall and great, rich and poore, free and bond, receive the marke of the beaſt in their foreheads, Revel. 13.16.
Neither is this the vote of Scripture alone, for the very Heathens could ſee the ſame to be a truth, even by the light of reaſon. Diogenes thought he ſhould doe beſt, when he did leaſt what the common people did. And Socrates ever ſuſpected that, which paſt with the moſt and generall commendations. Yea, of all the 288. ſeverall opinions which Philoſophers held, touching the chief good, reckoned up by S. Auguſtin. de civitate Dei, Lib, 19. Cap. 1. never any was ſo mad, as to thinke the way to attaine to it was by doing as the moſt doe; wherefore ſaith Seneca, regard not what the multitude do, for number is but an ill ſigne of a good cauſe, yea, it is the beſt note of the worſt way.
Yea, this is ſo cleare a truth, that even common ſenſe may ſee it: for look we upon the whole frame of nature, and every creature in the Univerſe, even from the Angels to the leaſt moats or atomes, and from ſubſtances to accidents, this rule holds good, that the baſeſt things are ever moſt plentifull. Then like no vice, though followed with a throng: for Who meaſures truth by voyces, doth it wrong. Follow the beſt, not the moſt, and what the example bates of multitude, will bee ſupplyed with magnitude.
Truth may not bee meaſured by the pole; it is not number but weight that muſt carry it with God; a ſolid verity in one mouth, is worthy to preponderate light falſhood in a thouſand: yea, therefore be more temperate and ſober, that ſo thou mayeſt not imitate, but rather reprove them; and bee more holy, becauſe in the midſt of a perverſe generation ſo ſhining as lights in a dark place; and follow not the worlds faſhion, eſpecially in this, for this is a faſhion that will one day bee waſh'd off with fire and brimſtone.