Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 52
§ 52.
FOurthly, 4. The beſt and holieſt men, no certaine rule to walk by.that the example of the best and holieſt men, is no certaine rule for us to walk by, is plain: for if eueryevery act of the holieſt perſons ſhould be our rule, we ſhould have but crooked lives: for then becauſe Noah was drunk; Lot committed inceſt; Abraham lied; David committed adultery, and murther; Peter forſwore his Maſter, &c. we ſhould do the like; which no man with a reaſonable ſoule can affirm; (though ſome infatuated and incorrigible ſinners, would faine juſtifie their abominable wickedneſſe, by the falls of Gods children recorded in holy writ;) for every action that is reported, is not ſtraight way allowed. Yea, God hath given us rules whereby wee may examine the examples of the beſt Saints, and as well cenſure the bad, as follow the good: which made S. Augustine anſwer ſome Hereticks, who alledged for themſelves, the authority of Saint Cyprian, I am not bound to S. Cyprians authority, any further then it is Canonicall.
The juſt Saints are to bee followed, but onelyonly in their juſtice and ſanctity: we are not bound to be good mens Apes; let us follow ſuch as excell in vertue, Pſalm. 16.3. in ſuch vertues wherein they excell, as every Saint excells in ſome vertue; one, excells in knowledge; another, excells him in faithfulneſſe; a third, excells them both in zeale; a fourth, excells all in humility; a fifth, excells the reſt in that Chriſtian vertue, yea, Chriſts vertue, forgiving of wrongs; and yet a poore man may out goe them all in an admirable patience, 1 Corinthians 12.31.
Now as when Paul had propounded many raregraces, hee concludes with deſire you earneſtly the best gifts, 1 Cor. 12.31 ſo take the beſt of every man, and ther wht make up an excellent man. As the Italians got up all the excellent pictures in the world, that out of them all they might make one maſterpeece, or moſt excellent picture: (for the ſweetnes of all the beſt flowers make moſt ſweet and excellent honey) ſo learne of this man, zeale; of another, knowledge; of another, patience; &c. follow David, where hee followed Gods heart; not where hee followed his own heart; if he turn toward luſt, blood, idleneſſe, let us leave him there: let us follow Peters confeſſion, not his abnegation; be ye followers of me, ſaith S. Paul, even as I am of Christ, 1 Cor. 11.1. We muſt not imitate every one, but ſuch as Paul, Philip. 3.17. nor Paul in every thing, but wherein he followes Chriſt: the great Apoſtle injoyneth our imitation, but gives a limitation, doe not yee follow after me, unleſſe you ſee the tract of Chriſt before me, imitemur bonos, ſed in bonis, let us follow good men, but onelyonly in what they are good: for otherwiſe no motion can want a pretence, as calling for fire from heaven, to conſume ſuch as diſpleaſe us; Elias did ſo, and why not we? Offering our children in ſacrifice; Iephta (did ſo as ſome thinke) and why not we? Marying of many wives, and putting away ſuch as they did not like; the Fathers did ſo, and why not we? Borrowing, but never paying againe; the Iſraelites did ſo by the Egyptians, and why not wee? Murthering of Princes, Ehud did ſo, why not we? &c.
Yea, there is nothing more perilous, then to draw all the actions of holy men into examples. Actions are not good or evill, becauſe done by good or evill men; but becauſe commanded or forbidden by God: now they, perhaps in many caſes, may have had peculiar warrant ſigned from heaven, whether by inſtinct or ſpeciall command, which we ſhall expect in vaine; therefore much caution muſt be uſed in our imitation of the beſt paternes, whether in reſpect of the perſons, or things; els we ſhall make our ſelves Apes, and our acts abſurdities. So that as Demoſt henes was wiſely wont to ſay, in civill matters, wee live and rule by lawes, not by examples: ſo ſay I in divine, precepts muſt be our guides, and not patterns, except the patterne of our Saviour Chriſt.
And to imitate him is the marrow of all Religion, and the true worſhip of God; for then are our actions and intentions warrantable, and praiſeworthy, when they accord with his, (and what Painter would not rather make his picture by the living face, then by any other picture) wheras to ſquare our lives by other mens lives, without reſpect to his; is to ſet our Clocks by others Clocks, without looking to the Sun, which is the readieſt way to have them go wrong; for many times, hee that is moſt unfit to obſerve man, is the moſt fit to ſerve God. The Sybar…tes deſirous to know from Apollo, how long their proſperity ſhould laſt; were anſwered, that ſo ſoone as they began to prefer men before God, their ſtate ſhould bee deſtroyed: and the ſame vve may apply to our ſelves.
Wherefore let us honour good examples, but live by good precepts; and for ſuch as are contrary minded, let them knovv, that that gold vvhichwhich dreads the touchſtone, is but counterfeit; that fellon who doth refuſe his tryall, and labours to ſuppreſſe the evidence which is brought againſt him, doth but confeſſe himſelfe guilty.