Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 55 – Section 56
§ 55.
VVHerefore looke to it in time, Vſe and application of the former doctrine.and if thou meaneſt not to meet vvith deſtruction by the vvay, keepe out of the vvorlds road: you ſee this your reaſon is ſapleſſe, and vvants vveight to bee received; yea, vvee may ſay of this common objection, as Ierom ſaid of the Pelagian Hereſies, even a repetition of it, is a ſufficient refutation of it; neither needs it any other confutation, but deriſion and a meer hiſſing at. You ſee that al vvho follovv example, vvhether of the greateſt number, or the greateſt men, or the greateſt Schollers, or the beſt men, or reaſon, or good intentions, are miſerably deluded; and that things ought to bee judged by Law, and not by examples; that Gods precepts, muſt be our only preſidents; and that this onelyonly evidences a good conſcience, vvhen the maine vveight vvhichwhich ſets the vvheeles on vvorke, is the conſcience of Gods Commandement.
As for thy tranſlating and laying the fault of thy drinking upon others, that is but a meere pretence; it faring vvith thee, as it did vvith Harpaſte a blind vvoman in Seneca's family, vvho mindles of her ovvn infirmity, complained that the houſe vvas darke vvherein ſhe vvas; or as it did vvith another, ſpoken of by the ſame Seneca; vvho having a thorne in his foot; imputed the cauſe of his limping to the roughneſſe of the vvay; for if thine ovvn heart vvere not vile and vvicked, cuſtome and evill example could no more ſvvay thee, then it doth ſome other men, vvho ſhine as lights in the midſt of this crooked generation; yea, thou vvouldeſt therfore redeeme the time, becauſe the dayes are evill, Epheſ. 5.16.
Alaſſe! no man that hath grace in his heart, vvill make the badnes of the times a cloak to excuſe his conformity in drinking and vvaſting of his precious hovvres vvickedly; but rather a ſpur to incite him, to be ſo much the more carefull not to be ſvvayed with the common ſtreame.
Happy is that man, who makes anothers vices ſteps to climbe to heaven by; and ſo doth every wiſe and good man. Even the mud of the world, by the induſtrious Hollander, is turned to an uſefull fuell: and the Mariner that hath Searoome, can make any winde ſerve to ſet him forward in his wiſhed voyage. And good reaſon have they to make this uſe of the corruption of the times; for if the aire be generally infectious, had wee not need bee ſo much the more ſtrict in our diet and carefull in the uſe of wholeſome preſervatives?
Generallity of aſſent is no warrant for any act: we that are Chriſtians muſt not live by prophane examples, but by Gods holy precepts. Indeed, common errors carry away many, who inquire not into the reaſon of ought, but the practice; and judge of truth, not by weight, or value of voices, but by the number. But what ſayes the Proverbe, of bad cuſtomes, bad opinions, and bad ſervants, They are better to hang then to keepe.
I confeſſe, where the Law written doth faile, we ought to obſerve what is approved by manners and cuſtome: but though, in this caſe, cuſtome be of great authority, yet it never brings prejudice to a manifeſt verity: and there are other caſes, wherein ſingularity is not lawfull only, but laudable; when vice groweth into faſhion, ſingularity is a vertue; when ſanctity is counted ſingularity, happy is he that goeth alone, and reſolves to be an Example to others; and when either evill is to be done, or good to be neglected, how much better is it to goe the right way alone, then to erre with company? Yea, moſt happy is he that can ſtand upright, when the world declines, and can endeavour to repaire the common ruine with a conſtancy in goodneſſe; that can reſolve with Ioſhuah, what ever the world doth, yet I, and my houſe will ſerve the Lord, Ioſh. 24.15.
It was Noah's happineſſe in the old world, that he followed not the worlds faſhions; he beleeved alone, when all the world conteſted againſt him; and he was ſaved alone, when all the world periſhed without him. It was Lot's happineſſe that he followed not the faſhions of Sodom. It was Abraham's happineſſe, that he did not like the Chaldeans. Daniel's happineſſe, that he did not like the Babylonians. It was good for Iob, that he was ſingular in the land of Vzz: good for Tobias, that he was ſingular in Ninive: good for Annanias, that he was ſingular in Damaſco: good for Nichodemus, that he was ſingular among the Rulers, as now they all finde to their great comfort, and exceeding great reward.
Yea, it was happy for Ruben, that he was oppoſite to all his brethren: happy for Caleb and Ioſhua, that they were oppoſite to the reſt of the ſpyes: happy for the Iewes, that their cuſtomes were divers and contrary to all other people, though Haman was pleaſed to make it their great and heynous crime, Eſter. 3.8. happy for Luther, that he was oppoſite to the reſt of his country.
And no leſſe happy ſhall wee bee, if, with the Deere, we can feed againſt the winde of popular applauſe; if, with the Sturgion and Crab-fiſh, we can ſwimme againſt the ſtreame of cuſtome and example; if, with Atticus, we can cleave to the right, though loſing ſide; or if we doe not, we ſhall miſſe of the narrow way, and conſequently faile of entring in at the ſtraite Gate; for the greateſt part ſhuts out God upon earth, and is excluded from God elſewhere, Math. 7.13, 14.
But the graciouſly prudent, will (in things not indifferent) rather doe well alone, then let it alone, and thinke it no diſparagement to be ſingular among the vicious: yea, they know, if the cauſe be good, the more ſtiffe and conſtant the mind is, ſo much the better. If Jeſus Chriſt, and his twelve Apoſtles be of their ſide; they care not, though Herod and Pontius Pilate, and all the Rulers, and the whole nation of the Iewes, together with a world of the Roman faction be againſt them.
And indeed, if thou wert not a foole, thou wouldeſt thinke it better to be in the ſmall number of Chriſts little flocke, which are to be ſaved, then in the numerous heards of thoſe Goates, which are deſtinated to deſtruction. And ſo your excuſes are taken away, and all proved vaine coverings, even no better then Figleaves, which though they may ſeeme to cover thy nakedneſſe from ſuch as thy ſelfe, yet they will ſtand thee in no ſteede another day.
Wherfore drink not without thirſt here, that you may not thirſt without drink herafter. Lu. 16.24.25. Play not the foole, as Lyſimachus did, who being in battell againſt the Scythians, for the ſatisfying of his appetite onelyonly, and to procure a little drinke to quench his thirſt, gave himſelfe over into his enemies hands; and when he had drunke his fill, and was haled and leading away captive into perpetuall miſery, while he ſaw his countrimen returne home with joy, began to acknowledge his folly, in theſe words, O, ſaid he, for how little pleaſure, what great liberty, what ſweet felicity have I loſt and forgone? Yea, turne your laughter into ſorrow, your feaſting into faſting; be revenged of your ſelves, of your luſts, and meete your God, and make your peace while now we call, and you heare; yea, the Lord of his mercy awaken men out of the dead ſleepe of this ſinne, that ſo ſeeing their danger, they may be brought to confeſſe and forſake it, that ſo they may be ſaved, Pro. 28.13.
§ 56.
BUt what doe I admoniſhing, That drunkards have no faith in the Scriptures.or ſpeaking ſence to a drunkard? this is to make him turne the deafe eare; and a ſtone is as capable of good counſell, as hee: beſides, they have no faith in the Scriptures, they will not beleeve what is written, therefore they ſhall feele what is written. Wherefore politicall phyſicke the fitteſt for them.In the meane time it were very fit, if it pleaſed Authority, they were debarred both of the blood of the Grape, and the ſpirit of Barley; a juſt puniſhment, for conſuming the countries fat: for even cleere rocke water were good enough for ſuch Gormundizers, except we had the water of Clitorius, a Well in the midſt of Arcadia, which cauſeth the drinker of it to loath wine for ever after.
I doe not wiſh them ſtoned to death, as God commanded ſuch ryoters and drunkards to be under the Law: Deut. 21.20.21. nor baniſhed the land, as the Romans did all vicious and voluptuous perſons, that the reſt might not be endangered; and Lycurgus all inventers of new faſhions (leaſt theſe things ſhould effeminate all their young men) for then I thinke the land would be much unpeopled.
Indeed, I could wiſh there were Peſthouſes provided for them in all places, as there are for infected perſons; or that they were put by themſelves in ſome City, (if any were big enough to receive them all) as Philip King of Macedon built a city of purpoſe, and peopled it with the moſt wicked, graceleſſe, and irregular perſons of all his ſubjects; and having ſo done, called it Poneropolis, that is, the City of wicked perſons. And certainely, if it were conſidered how many Brokers of villany, which live onelyonly upon the ſpoyles of young hopes, every populous place affords, whoſe very acquaintance is deſtruction, the like meanes of prevention would be thought profitable for our times.
Yea, this were marvelouſly expedient, conſidering the little good they doe (being as ſo many looſe teeth, in the Mandible of the Common-wealth, which were better out, then in) and the great hurt by their ill examples, by devouring the good creatures of God, which they never ſweat for, by diſturbing the peace of the Church and Common-wealth, by pulling downe heauy judgments upon the land; and conſidering how ſmall hope there is of their amendment, if any at all.