Sin Stigmatized, Part 2 · Section 204
§ 204.
OB. Objections anſwered.But here ſome of them will reply. That we lay the ſaddle upon the wrong horſe, when we tax them for want of peace, love, and friendſhip; in that the religious only ſhew inconſtancy, by bidding farewell to their old friends and acquaintance, ſo ſoone as they embrace religion.
Anſw. Change in the vicious were a rare vertue.To this is anſwered. Firſt that conſtancy, except it be in the truth and in a good cauſe, is impudency: change in the vicious is as great a vertue, as constancy in the vertuous. The Almaines were praiſed for changing their cuſtomes, which were found to be but bad before, as Tacitus affirmeth. Conſtancy in things ill, is ſo farre from being a vertue, that it is an abſolute vice. Of things imperfect, change is the way to perfect them. The Gentiles became beleevers, the Iewes Infidells, Zacheus turnes from the world, Demas turns to the world, Paul turns an Apoſtle, Iudas an Apoſtate: I would faine know, whether change in the Gentiles, Zacheus and Paul, was not as great a vertue, as it was a vice in the Iewes, Demas, and Iudas?
Saint Paul was inconſtant indeed; for to day (as it were) he breathed out threatnings, and ſlaughter againſt the Diſciples of Chriſt and to morrow he preacheth Chriſt in the Synagogue: what then? will any (not debauched) cenſure him of fickleneſſe for it? nay, will not all wiſe men thinke it a great honour to him, and commend him for ſhaking hands with the high Prieſts, and his fellow Purſevants, when once hee heard that voice from heaven? Act. 9.4.
There is not any ſo neare unto us, but if he fall from God, wee may fall from him. It merits the name of wilfulneſſe, when we will not admit of a lawful chang to the better.
As Philocrates ſported with Demoſthenes: you may not marvell Athenians, that Demoſthenes and I do differ, for he drinks water, and I drinke wine: ſo ſome laugh at us for being ſober with Rheniſh; and we as much pity them, for being drunk with Canary. Againe, they cenſure us of inconſtancy; we them of impudency. Now in this caſe when that is reputed ridiculous by one, which is accounted ſage by another as wiſe; what ſhall we doe, but make Gods Word the umpier? Wherefore, in all changes, I will have regard to theſe three things, God's approbation, mine owne benefit, and the not harming of my neighbour; and then where the change is not a fault, I will never think it a diſgrace, though the great exchange, the World, ſhould judge it ſo.
Even modeſty, in ſome, is a vice; when out of a weake flexibility of nature, Even modeſty in ſome is a vlce.a man hath not courage enough, to deny the requeſt of a ſeeming friend.
If a man never abandoneth evill, untill he abandoneth evill company, it is high time to take courage: yea, the longer wee have beene with them, the more need have we to haſten out of them. If this ſatisfie not, as the Emperor Frederick ſaid to certaine of his Minions, that vvere importunate to get into their hands the ancient demeaſne of the Empire, that hee would rather be accounted of ſmall liberallity, then perjured: even ſo had vve, in this caſe rather be accounted inconſtant, then be unconſcionable.
To the ſecond part of the objection, True love and friend ſhip only among good men.I anſvver. That true love and friendſhip is only among good men. The vvicked may talke of it, and one drunkard may profeſſe to another that hee loves him as well as himſelfe; and therein ſpeake truth, for, ſaith Augustine moſt elegantly, to ſuch an one, thou loveſt thy ſelfe, ſo as thou wilt deſtroy thy ſelfe; and thou wilt deſtroy him whom thou loveſt as thy ſelfe; yea, better then themſelves; for you ſhall have one Ruffian ſalute another, with, God ſave you Sir, but after ſome ſtrange atteſtations, ſweare away himſelfe with, God damn me Sir: now how can any wiſe man thinke him a friend, that is his own enemy? he that is evill to himſelfe, to whom will he be good?
But ſee the depth of ſuch a mans love, and whether it be not to damn thy body and ſoule everlaſtingly. S. Ambroſe tels us of one, who ſolicited a godly woman to incontinency, ſaying, he infinitely loved her: ſhe anſwers, if you love me ſo well as you ſeeme, put one of your fingers into the flame, till your fleſh be burnt off: he replys, that was no part of love in her to require it: yes, ſaid ſhe, if yours be love, to cauſe both my body and ſoule to be burnt in hell fire, for ever, which by conſequence will follow, if I yeeld to your requeſt, and take your counſell. Oh that thou hadſt the wit to anſwer the drunkard, when he tempts thee, thus.
Indeed there is a kind of agreement, which is ſtrengthened by ſinne it ſelfe: as if one fee the keeper of a wench, his ſecrecy is bought for ever. But all this while, if one call another, friend, it is but to give him a nick-name, whereof hee is not guilty: for true friendſhip is ſo ſacred, holy, and pure, that it will not be uſed in evill: which made Pericles, when hee was deſired by a friend of his, to aide him with falſe witneſſe, anſwere, that hee would befriend him as farre as the Altar, meaning ſo farre, as ſtood with piety and religion, or his duty to God, but no further; and Phecion refuſe to help his ſon in law Cariles in judgement, being accuſed for bribery, ſaying withall, that hee had made him his friend and allie in juſt and reaſonable matters, and in them only; and this likewiſe made Papinian, a Pagan, (being commanded by the Emperor Caracalla, whoſe Steward and familiar he was) refuſe to defend an unjuſt cauſe, (as Marcellinus records) and thus it fares with all that are truly religious. There is not any one (quoth the ſincere Chriſtian) either in blood, or otherwiſe ſo neare unto me, but if he fall from God, I will fall from him: why? our Saviour Chriſt hath taught me, both by precept and example, that I ſhould acknowledge none (ſo as to be led by them) for my brother, ſiſter, or mother, but ſuch as do the will of my Father, which is in heaven, Matth. 12.46. to 51.
Whereas on the contrary, Nothing rivils hearts ſo cloſe as religion.in things lawfull, nothing rivits hearts ſo cloſe, as religion: it unites them together as glew doth boards together: it makes a knot, even betweene ſuch as never ſaw one anothers face, that Alexander can not cut: yea, Tyrants will ſooner want invention for torments, then they with tortures bee made treacherous. How many have choſen rather to embrace the flames, then to reveale their companions, and brethren in Chriſt? There is no friendſhip like the friendſhip of faith. There is Amor, among Beaſts; Dilectio, among Men; Charitas, among Chriſtians, that is their peculiar: nature, makes husband and wife but one fleſh; grace makes them even one ſpirit: and it is a queſtion, whether naturall Parents are to be loved above ſpirituall: we know that Christ preferred his ſpirituall kindred, to that of the fleſh: and major eſt connexio cordium, quàm ſanguinum, ſaith Beza. Why ſhould wee love them more, that brought us into this ſinfull and miſerable world; then thoſe, that bring us into a better world, where is neither ſinne, nor miſery? why them, that live with us on earth but a while; equall to them, that ſhal live with us in heaven for ever?
But to goe on. Surely, as grace in her ſelfe is farre above nature: ſo is ſhe likewiſe in her effects; and conſequently, unites in a farre more durable bond. Chriſtians hearts are joyned one to another, with ſo faſt a glew, that no by reſpects can ſever them: as you may ſee in that paire of friends, Ionathan and David: none had ſo much cauſe to diſaffect David, as Ionathan; none in all Iſrael, ſhould be ſuch a looſer by David's ſucceſſe, as he; Saul was ſure enough ſetled for his time, only his ſucceſſor ſhould forgoe all that which David ſhould gaine; ſo as none but David ſtands in Ionathan's way to the Crowne; and yet all this cannot abate one dramme of his love. As alſo in Ruth and Naomy, whom nothing, but death, could part, Ruth. 1. If you will ſee other examples, looke Rom. 1.10, 11. 1 Theſ. 2.17, 19.20. Galathians 4.18, 19. Act. 20.37, 38. and 16.15. Luke 4.42. 2 Kings 2.4.9. and 4.9, 10. As grace is the greateſt attractive of love; ſo is it the ſureſt bond; it is like varniſh, that makes ſeelings not onle ſhine, but laſt. Where God uniteth hearts, carnall reſpects are too weake to diſſever them; ſince that which breakes off affection, muſt needs be ſtronger then that which conjoyneth it, and why doth S. Iohn uſe theſe words, once to the elect Lady, 2 Iohn 1.2. and againe to Gajus, 3 Iohn 1. whom I love in the truth, but to ſhew, that to love in the truth, is the only true love? Indeed, religion is the ſureſt cement of all ſocieties: the loſer joynts of all naturall and civill relations, are compacted and confirmed by the ſinewes of grace and religion: and ſuch a loſe joynted friendſhip cannot hold long, which wants the nerves of religion. Wherefore give mee any foe, rather then a reſolved Chriſtian: no friend unleſſe a man truly honeſt.