Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 103 – Section 104
§ 103.
1 Firſt, The ſame prooved by Scripture.the word of God witneſſeth the ſame, as looke but, Rev. 13. and you ſhall find it foretold by the Holy-Ghoſt, that ſo many ſhould be killed, as would not worſhip, and give honour to the Image of the Beaſt, that man of ſin, that man of pride, that oppoſeth and exalteth himſelf above all that is called god, or that is worſhipped, 2 Theſ. 2.4. and our Saviour foretelleth, that we ſhall not onelyonly be hated of all men and Nations for his names ſake, but be killed and put to death, Mat. 24.9.
Yea, he affirmeth expreſſely, that we ſhould not onelyonly receive this hard meaſure from ſtrangers and enemies onelyonly, but from our deereſt and neereſt friends; that the Brother ſhould betray the Brother to death, the Father the Sonne, and that children ſhould riſe up againſt their Parents, and cauſe them to dye, even for his names ſake, Math. 10.21.22. meaning, when they are not reſtrained by godly Kings, and their wholeſome Lawes.
Neither doe we want examples to make good theſe teſtimonies, for by whom was upright Abel perſecuted and flaine, but by his owne Brother Caine? Who ſcoffed at righteous Noah, but his owne Sonne Cham? By whom was that vertuous and religious Lady Barbara put to death, for embracing the Chriſtian faith, but by her owne Father Dioſcorus? And laſtly, by whom was our Saviour Chriſt betrayed, but by his owne Diſciple Iudas?
2 But to goe on; experience, 2 By experience of former ages.as well as the Scripture, proves it. In the time of the tenne perſecutions, it was no more, then ſacrifice, or dye. In the time of Queene Mary, the Martyrs muſt either deny their faith, diſclaime their pure Religion and ſervice of God, worſhip that bloody whore of Rome, according to her damnable traditions, or be chained to a ſtake and burnt; either part with their faithes, or part with their lives; if they would not obey them, rather then God, they had a Law, by which men ought to dye.
Yea, at this preſent, although we (bleſſed be God, and our Gracious Protector for it) endure little, but the laſh of evill tongues, which is the moſt favourable perſecution, yet in Spaine, and other places, our brethren doe groane under a mercileſſe Inquiſition. Oh the quinteſſence of cruelty that they have wrung out unto them! the rehearſall whereof would make a mans eares to tingle, and his heart to tremble. For as in the time of the ten perſecutions, it would coſt a man his life, to profeſſe himſelfe a Chriſtian, the Heathen Emperors making it death by their Edicts; and as in the time of Queene Mary, if one profeſt himſelfe a Proteſtant, he was ſure to be burnt: ſo in Spaine, at this day, ſome have beene burnt, and others put into an agony of ſeven yeares continuance, which is worſe, for having a Teſtament about them in the Engliſh tongue, or a Bible in their houſe, or declaring their faith ſome other way. And can any doubt, but drunkards would deale as cruelly with us, if they might be permitted?
It is eaſie to gueſſe how cruell their hands would be, in caſe the Law reſtrained them not, who even draw blood with their tongues: as how will drunkards ſhoot their ſhafts up to the feathers, in the diſgrace of ſuch as will not humor them, and never give over, ſo long as they have an Arrow in their Quiver; to heare them would even make a man think they were generated out of the Dragons tooth, as Orpian is ſaid to be made by Pallas.
In briefe (for I might be endleſſe in the proſecution of this) take one example, 3 By the experience of our Saviour, who ſuffered twenty two wayes onelyonly for his goodneſſe.which might ſerve inſteed of all that hath beene ſpoken. What was the reaſon our Saviour Chriſt the Maſter himſelfe was envied? Math. 26, 15? contemned? Math. 12.24. and 13.55? rejoyced at in his miſery and diſtreſſe? Math. 27.29. hated? Iohn, 7.7. murmured againſt? Luk. 15.2. had his Doctrine withſtood and contraried? Luk. 5.21. Math. 9.34. his actions miſconſtrued? Math. 11.19. tales carried of him? Math. 12.14. deviliſh counſell given to Pilate and the people againſt him? Math. 27.20. ſcoft at? Math. 27.42. nick-named? Math. 13.55. rayled on? Luk. 23.39. ſlandered? Math. 28.13. which ſlander is beleeved amongſt the Iewes unto this day, ver. 15. curſed? Gal. 3.13. threatned? Iohn, 11.53. undermined in talke, that they might accuſe him? Math. 22.15. why did they uſe diſdainefull geſtures before him? Math. 27.29.39. combine together, and lay deviliſh plots to deſtroy him? Math. 12.14. take him Priſoner? Math. 26.57, ſmite him? Luk. 22.64. hurt and wound him? Mat. 27.29. Iohn, 19.34. and laſtly, put him to death, even that curſed death of the Croſſe? Math. 27.35. Not for any evill they found in him; for their owne words are, he hath done all things well, Mark. 7.37. He hath done, ſuch was his power; all things, ſuch was his wiſdome; well, ſuch was his goodneſſe; and yet crucified, and abuſed every way, he muſt be; it was onelyonly indeed for his zeale, purity, and holineſſe, and becauſe his life and practice was cleane contrary to theirs, his Doctrine too powerfull and pure for ſuch carnall hearts to embrace, or endure; ſo that it's plaine, and all men may ſee, who are not dead in ſenſe, how it would fare with us, might our enemies, Drunkards, Swearers, &c. have their wills.
§ 104.
VVHen Politicians Rhetorick once failed, But they cannot doe as they would though their puniſhment ſhall be the ſame as if they did it.Carters Logicke ſhould doe the feate; their Arguments ſhould be all Steele, and Iron, they would ſpeake Daggers points, as Ioab diſcourſed with Amaſa in the fift rib; or as Zedekia diſputed with the Prophet, a word and a blow, yea, a blow without a word; for he ſmote him firſt, and ſpake to him afterwards.
Every wicked man, eſpecially a drunkard, is like Iulius the ſecond, who threw St. Peter's keyes into the River Tiber, proteſting, that thence forth he would uſe and helpe himſelfe with St. Peter's ſword; if reaſon ſhould faile, and rayling would doe no good, they would come to Plow-mans Logick, Gun-powder arguments, open violence, they would take up ſwords to ſtrike, or ſtones to caſt at us.
But our comfort is, they cannot do as they would, though their puniſhment ſhall bee never the leſse. For as the will to doe God acceptable ſervice, is accepted, as if it were ſervice indeed: ſo the intent and offer of wrong, ſhall be judged for wrong in that Court of Juſtice; good and evill thoughts and deſires, in Gods account, are good and evill workes; and hee which in good, accepts the will for the deed; condemnes the will for the deed, in evill: now theſe men in their hearts, and Gods account, are murtherers, and for murtherers they ſhall be arraigned at the great day of accounts; for they would kill us, if they durſt, they doe kill, ſo farre as they can.
It were no living for godly men, if their enemies hands were allowed to bee as bloody as their hearts; if they were not ſtinted by a divine and ſupreame power: but for our comfort as men and divels are under the reſtraint of the Almighty; ſo bleſſed bee God, and bleſſed bee our Gracious Soveraigne (the very breath of our noſthrills) feare of authority ſwayes thouſands, who are not guilty of a conſcience.
Alaſſe! if lewd men ſhould not feare the Magiſtrate, more then they feare God, or the Devill, there were no living among them.
Beſides, how often are they curbed by a Divine hand? How often doe the Angells (thoſe miniſtring Spirits, ſent forth for the good of the Elect) reſiſt their Actions, even in thoſe ſinnes which their hearts ſtand to. It is no thanke to lewd men that their wickedneſſe is not proſperous: whence is it that the world is not over-runne with evill, but from this, that men cannot be ſo evill, as they would?
It is with theſe men, as it was with Zoilus, that common ſlanderer, who being demanded why he ſpake evill of ſuch, and ſuch anſwered, becauſe I cannot do them evill, or elſe like another Pariſian Vigils, we ſhould feele their ſwords, before we heard their alarums.
Wicked men have courage above their ſtrength, and their dareing is above their skill; they have courage to attempt much more then their ability is to performe; not like David, who did as much as he undertooke, in killing Goliah. When the Devills hands are bound, he vomits a flood of reproaches with his tongue, Rev. 12.15. The Maſter keepes the Maſtive chain'd up from hurting his friends, yet ſets him on the theife, if he ſee cauſe: ſo God doth by Sathan, it is not that Maſtives fault, that he tares not all in peeces; wherefore we may be glad we ſcape ſo as we doe, as a Iuſtice, upon the Bench, told a condemned perſon at the Barre, who ſued to him for mercy.