Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 53
§ 53.
FIfthly, 5. Neither is reaſon a… now it is clouded with the miſts of originall nor ruption.that reaſon, together with good intentions, is no certain rule for us to walke by, is eaſily proved: for firſt, reaſon, as now it is clouded with the miſts of originall corruption; is but a blind guide; for beſides that faith is above reaſon, there is no one reaſon but hath another contrary unto it, ſaith the wiſeſt of Philoſophers. Solon being importuned, not to ſhed teares for the death of his ſonne, for that they were vaine and booteleſſe; anſwered, for that very reaſon I may the more juſtly ſhed them, even becauſe they are booteleſſe and vaine. Socrates his wife exaſperated her griefe by this circumſtance; good Lord, quoth ſhee, how unjuſtly doe theſe bad Judges put men to death? what replyed Socrates, wouldeſt thou rather they ſhould deſerve death? If my inferiour, of whom I have deſerved well, ſhould ſtrike mee a box on the eare; one reaſon would ſtep in, and bid me give him another, leaſt he be thought the better man; a ſecond, would croſſe that, and ſay, ſet not your wit to his, eſteeme it all one as if an Aſſe had kick't you; a third would reply, if you put up this, your patience, like a pully, will draw on more ſuch injuries; a fourth, noe, the beſt remedy in a cauſeleſſe injury is contempt, for this puts ill will out of countenance, and blunts the point of an enemies malice; a fifth, doe, or you will be eſteemed a coward; a ſixth, doe not, for it is greater fortitude to overcome your owne paſſions, then to vanquiſh a City; a ſeventh, doe, or it will be a diſcredit unto you; an eighth, noe, it is the glory of a man to paſſe by an offence; a ninth, thou may'ſt doe it by the rules of juſtice; a tenth, but thou may'ſt not by the rules of charity; an eleventh, doe, or many will laugh at thee; a twelfth, doe it not, and wiſe men will commend thee; a thirteenth, doe, for it was in the ſight of many; a foureteenth, doe it not, for then you'le be ſeene by ten times as many; a fifteenth, then take the law of him; a ſixteenth, doe not, for ſuch a remedy is worſe then the diſeaſe; a ſeventeenth, doe, for thou haſt not deſerved this from him; an eighteenth, doe not, for thou haſt deſerved more from others, eſpecially from God, who, it may be, appointed him to doe this; a nineteenth, why then be angry with him for his ill condition; a twentyeth, no, rather rejoyce, becauſe thou art of a better condition; a twentie one, but forgive him not, becauſe hee is unworthy to be forgiven; a twenty two, yes doe, for though he is unworthy to be forgiven, yet Chriſt is worthy to be obeyed, vvho hath commanded thee to forgive him; a tvventy three, at leaſt let it grieve you, to bee ſo ill requited; a tvventy foure, no, let it not grieve you, for vvhy ſhould you vex your ſelfe becauſe he hath vexed you? And ſo in many the like, one reaſon croſſing another; vvhichwhich ſhevves, that Reaſon yeeldeth appearance to divers effects, it is a Pitcher vvith tvvo eares, vvhichwhich a man may take hold on, either by the right or left hand.
I deny not but Reaſon to Religion, is as the Apocripha, to the Bible: which if good, may be bound up, and read with it; but muſt be rejected, when it croſſes the text Canonicall, as in many caſes it will. For although Reaſon was ſo cleare in Adam before the fall, that he could ſee good from evill perfectly; yet ſince it hath caught a fall, as Mephiboſheth did, and ſo halteth, that it is not wholly to be relied upon; how be it, becauſe it is of the blood Royall, it is worthy to be made off; but not worthy to ſit in the throne of judgment, which belongs onelyonly to Chriſt our David, whoſe word is trueth it ſelfe. But to goe on.
There is no man commits ſo foule a fact, though ſhallow brain'd in other things, but hee hath piouſible Reaſons to make it good, as Abſolom, for lying with his fathers concubines, in the ſight of all the people, having helpe from Achitophel 2 Sam. 16.21. and Haman, in procuring that bloody decree againſt all the Iewes; for hee makes many glorious pretences, Eſter. 3.8.9.
Neither was ever any vertue performed ſo ſplendent and glorious, but there hath beene Reaſon brought to prove it faulty, at leaſt, in appearance; witneſſe our Saviours caſting out Devills, which the Scribes and Phariſees gave out, was done through Beelzebub, Mat. 12.24. yea, hee was made, by them, the greateſt offendor, that offended not once in all his life.
Secondly, 6 Neither are good and holy intentions enough.neither will good and holy Intentions warrant what wee doe, unleſſe they are backed with a Precept. A good meaning, can no way juſtifie an evill act; for then any action, be it never ſo wicked, might be made good. The very Gunpowder Traytors made conſcience of their doings, meant well, and hoped it would make much for Gods glory, and the Churches good, if their purpoſe had taken effect. So Nadab and Abihu, when they offered ſtrange fire, meant well, no queſtion, and had ſome good and holy intention in it; yet they were burnt with fire from Heaven for their labour; becauſe God had flatly forbidden it, Levit. 10.1, 2. As for Vzza, when the Arke of God was ſhaken in the Cart, there is no queſtion to be made, but he had a ſolid reaſon to yeeld, why he held it from falling, and that his intent was good, none will queſtion; yet becauſe he did it without warrant from the Word, the Lords wrath was kindled againſt him, and hee was ſmitten dead 1 Chro. 13.19.10. Peters intents were very good, and I could furniſh him with reaſons, for his perſwading of Chriſt from his paſſion, yet nevertheleſſe he had this anſwer, get thee behinde mee Sathan, Math. 16.22.23. never any man meant better then Gideon in his rich Ephod; yet this very act ſet all Iſraell on whooring, Iudg. 8.24. to 28.
When the wit of man will be pleaſing God with better devices then his owne, it turnes to madneſſe, and ends in miſchiefe, as our Papiſts will one day finde, to whom ſuperſtition dictates, that it is pleaſing to God, to Deifie the Bleſſed Mother of our Lord, to helpe their devotions with a crucifix, Images, &c. in great humility to make the favourites of Heaven, their mediators; and thoſe Judges, Jurors, and Arbitrators, who take it for a pious and charitable worke to eſteeme a poore man in his cauſe, when God hath charged them expreſſely, Thou ſhalt not favour the perſon of the poore, nor honour the perſon of the mighty, but thou ſhalt judge thy neighbour justly, Levit, 19.15. Exod. 23.3.
Yea, ſuppoſe wee doe that which God commands in ſubſtance; yet if wee faile in the intention and end, namely, in ayming at the glory of God, and the good of our neighbour; if wee doe it for any private reſpects, and not in obedience to the commandement; God rejects it and reckons it no better then ſin and iniquity; for many ſhall ſay unto Chriſt at the day of judgement, Lord, Lord wee have pro…heſied in thy name, and in thy name caſt out Devills, (then which no worke can be greater) and in thy name done many wonderfull workes, yet Christ ſhall anſwere them, I never knew you, depart from mee yee that worke iniquitie, Math. 7.22.23. Many yeares did Saul raigne over Iſrael; yet God computes him but two yeares a King, 1 Sam. 13.1. That is not accounted of God to be done, which is not well done, both in ſubſtance and circumſtance.
And as in committing that which is forbidden, ſo in omitting that which is commanded, it is no leſſe dangerous, how good ſoever our meanings bee. Saul in a good intent ſhewed mercy, in ſaving Ag…g the King of Amaleck; yet becauſe hee did not therein obey the voice of the Lord, it was no better then Witchcraft, for which he was rejected of God, and his Kingdome taken away, 1 Sam. 15.23. And how much better is the pardoning of a murtherer; when the Lord hath ſaid, who ſo ſheddeth mans blood, by man ſhall his blood bee ſhed, Geneſis 9.6. I perſwade my ſelfe, hee who refuſed to ſmite the Prophet, and fetch blood of him upon his owne intreaty, though hee did wonderous well, if not merit, in denying his requeſt; but what was the iſſue? becauſe thou haſt not obeyed the voice of the Lord, ſaith the Prophet to him, behold, as ſoone as thou art departed from mee, a Lyon ſhall ſlay thee, and ſo it fell out, 1 Kings, 20.35.36. Not to ſmite a Prophet, when God commands, is no leſſe ſinne, then to ſmite a Prophet, when God forbids: when hee commands, even very cruelty is obedience; as Abraham's killing of his onelyonly Son, had bene the moſt heroicall and religious act, th…t ever wee read of. Why was Sacrifice it ſelfe good, but becauſe it was commanded? What difference was there betweene ſlaughter and Sacrifice, but obedience? The violation of the leaſt charge of a God, is mortall: no pretences can warrant the tranſgreſſion of a divine command; which made Nehemiah (and ſhould have done that man of God alſo, 1 King. 13.) not onelyonly diſtruſt a Prophet, but reject his counſell with ſcorne, that perſwaded him to the violation of a law, Nehemiah, 6.10.11.12. One prohibition is enough for a good man; God as he is one, ſo doth he perfectly agree with himſelfe; if any private ſpirit croſſe a written word, let him be accurſed.
Wherefore have a better warrant for thy practiſe, then either Reaſon, or good intentions, or thou maiſt goe to Hell notwithſtanding; for there is nothing more dangerous, then to mint Gods ſervices in our owne braines.