Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 108
§ 108.
THis alſo is the ſole cauſe, They ſtrive to be ſupar lative in ſinne.why they ſtrive ſo after perfection of evill, (if it be a digreſſion, either pardon it, or paſſe on to Section 113) they being the Divels children, muſt imitate him in all things, yea, partaking of his curſed nature, they can doe no other: as the children of God, partaking of the Divine nature, can not but reſemble God, and in nothing more, then in being holy, as he is holy, and in ſtriving after perfection of holineſſe.
Abundance of men giving the raines to their wicked nature, and wanting both the Bit of Reaſon, and the Curb of Religion, more then imitate Iehu; for as Iehu ſaid in diſſimulation, Ahab ſerved Baal a little, but Iehu ſhal ſerve him much more: ſo theſe, in the uprightneſſe of their hearts, ſeeme to ſay, ſuch and ſuch a wicked wretch ſerves the divel a little, but I wil ſerve him much more. Yea, knowing the divel is like that King, wch Montaigne ſpeaks of, with whom that Souldier only, wch in one, or diverſe combates, hath preſented him with ſeven enemies heades, is made noble; many of them count it the greateſt honour to commit the greateſt ſinnes, and are ſorry they cannot commit a ſinne unpardonable, and without, or beyond a preſident; imitating Aristides of Locris, who dying of the biting of a Weaſell, was grieved, that he had not beene bitten by a Lion. I have heard a cauteriſed Gallant, boaſt of his lying with women of all conditions, ſave Witches; and proteſt that ſhould be his next attempt: but what doe I mentioning ſuch a novice, or ſpeaking of that, which was only heard by a few.
I would faine know, Many examples of mon sters and ſuperlative ſinners.I ſay, how men in this and other ages before us, could wholly imploy their time, and ſtrength, and meanes; how they could take ſuch paines, and be at ſuch coſt, to commit robberies, rapes, cruell murthers, treaſons, blow up whole States, depopulate whole Towns, Cities, Countries, ſeduce millions of ſoules, as Mahomet and the Pope have done, make open war againſt the Church of God, as Herod, Antiochus, and others did; perſecute the known truth, as Iulian the Apoſtate did; invent all the new vices they can, and deſtroy the memory of all ancient vertues, as Heliogabalus did; make it their trade to ſweare and for-ſweare, if any will hire them, as our poſt-Knights do; not unlike thoſe Turkiſh Prieſts, called Seitie and Cagi, who for a Ducket will make a thouſand falſe oathes before the Magiſtrate, and take it to be no ſinne, but a worke deſerving praiſe, by lies, ſwearing, and forſwearing, to damnifie Chriſtians what they can; did they not ſtrive tooth and naile (as wee uſe to ſay) to imitate their father the Divel?
O that our Land had not ſuch monſters, who, upon an howers warning, can lend Iezabel an oath, to rob poore Naboth of his life and Vineyard! that we had not ſuch Vultures, irreligious harpies, that have conſciences like a Barne-doore, and ſeldo…e wake, but to doe miſchiefe! ſome men and women that will bee bauds to their owne wives and daughters! O that the Sunne ſhould ſhine upon her, that will ſell for gaine unto hell, that body which ſhe brought forth with ſuch pains to this earth! certainly, there was never woman more deſerved to bee called the Divells damme then ſhee: ſome that dare the day to witneſſe their ungodlines, and doe their villanies, as the Phariſies gave their almes, and ſaid their prayers, to be ſeene of men! who (Zimry-like) dare bring whores to their Tents openly; yea, like Abſ…lom, dares ſpread a Tent on the top of the houſe, and goe in to their Concubines in the ſight of all men! yea, Gallants, that in a bravery, will aſſemble themſelves to their Minions by companies, (I muſt not ſay they are harlots houſes) and there commit their adulteries in the preſence of each other! not much unlike Diogenes the Cynick, an impudent fellow, who would openly commit filthineſſe even in the ſtreets.
And when their bodies have beene the Organs of unrighteouſneſſe, their mouths ſhall after be the Trumpets to proclaime it: much like thoſe ſavage womenwhich (as Montaigne relates) for a badg of honour, weare as many fringed toſſells faſtned to the skirt of their garment, as they have lyen with ſeverall men: you ſhall often heare old men glory in their fore paſſed whoredomes, boaſt their homicides, &c. yea, perhaps, if it be poſſible, make themſelves worſe then ever they were: yea, rather then men will want matter of oſtentation, they will boaſt of the fowleſt vices, as Ageſilaus bragd of his ſtumpt foote, Sertorius of his one eye, and Rathrond of his ſcabs; for their excrements they account ornaments, and make a ſcarf of their halter; but this is a curſed commemoration.
Againe, men there are, who (like them of Gibeah, Iugd. 19. and the Sodomites, Gen. 19.) are not content with the common way of ſinning, but are mad with a prodigious and prepoſterous luſt, bring forth the men that wee may know them, verſe 5.
And hath not this age ſome, who equall Lycaon, that was turned into a Woolfe by Iupiter, for his cruelty? who ſeeme to have beene ſuckled with the milke of Woolfes, as it is reported of the firſt founder of Rome? who, through cuſtome, have made ſinne ſo familiar unto them, that the horror of it is turned into a pleaſure? who being inured to blood, make killing of men but a ſport, as it fared with Abner, who called it playing, when every one thruſt his ſword into his fellowes ſide? 2 Sam. 2.14.16. ſome you ſhall haver hazard land, life, ſoule, (yea, more, if more could bee) on the fortune of a Rapiers point, when but aske whence the cauſe of that contention ariſeth, they cannot tell you without bluſhing, ſo vaine, and ſo frivolous is the occaſion: many men had rather ſee a combate fought, wherein one man kills another, then heare a Sermon, or partake of a rich banquet; being of Hannibal's humour, who ſeeing a ditch ſwim with mans blood, profeſt never to have ſeene a ſight which more delighted him: or of Herods, who thinking hee could not ſhed blood, and bee cruell enough while hee lived, and to make the Iewes ſorry for his death, whether they would or no, commanded, and made ſure that they ſhould ſlay all the Noble-mens children in Iury, as the breath went out of his body: ſome reſemble Cajus Caligula, who, amongſt other tyrannies, cauſed at his meales ordinarily one to cut off before him the heads of poore priſoners, wherein hee tooke great pleaſure: or Nero and Domitian, who ſtudied ſtrange deaths, to afflict the Saints, and to ſuppreſſe the Goſpell: or Iuſtinian, who, being reſtored againe to his Empire, as oft as hee moved his hand to wipe the filth from his noſe, which was cut off, he commanded one of his enemies, or ſome of their allies to be put to death: or laſtly, the Numantines, who being beſiedged by the Romanes, and brought to great miſery, made a vow, no day to eate meat, unleſſe the firſt diſh might bee of a Romans fleſh; nor drinke any drinke, unleſſe their firſt draught were Romans blood.
Againe, are there not ſome as blaſphemous, as impudent Pharaoh, who being bloodied with his unreſiſted tyranny, could belch out defiance in the face of heaven (who is God?) thinking he might be bold with heaven, becauſe he was great on earth: or Nicanor, who being perſwaded from cruelty upon the Sabboth day, in that God had appointed it holy, anſwered, if God be mighty in heaven, I am alſo mighty on earth; though the ſame tongue that ſpake it, was cut into little peeces, and flung to the Fowles, and the hand that ſmote, was cut off and hung before the Temple: or laſtly, Pope H…ldebrand, who asked the Sacrament of Chriſt's body, before all the Cardinalls, how he ſhould deſtroy Henry the Emperour? and having no anſwer, flung it into the fire, ſaying, could the Idol gods of the Heathens tell them what ſhould ſucceed in al their enterpriſes, and canst not thou tell me? And many the like; for the time would be too ſhort for me to ſpeake of all I might, who being past feeling, have given themſelves to worke all kinds of wickedneſſe, even with greedineſſe, Eph. 4.19.
Beſides, I cannot (without red cheeks) name the things that are commonly done by them, not in ſecret, but openly, and that without bluſhing, yea, not without boaſting; and the report of ſinne, is oft as bad as the commiſſion; I am loth, I ſay, to ſpeak of that, whereof the very ſpeech is lothſome. Wherefore to ſhut up with a word of application.
Do we not know, or have we not heard of ſuch as theſe, who are indifferent in nothing but conſcience? I would there were none ſuch to be knowne, or heard of, or, at leaſt, I would they were thrown out of Chriſt's Croſſe-row, but if there be, and ever hath beene ſuch, let any reaſonable man judge, whether they could bee thus deſperately wicked, if they did not emulate Sathan, ſtrive after the perfection of evill, to be ſuperlative in ſinne, to h…ve, as it were, the loweſt place in hell, and who ſhould come there firſt; as Gods people deſire to imitate God, ſtrive after perfection of holineſſe, and to have a greater degree of glory in the Kingdome of Heaven.