The Victory of Patience, Chapter 30
CHAP. 30. That they are patient in suffering of wrongs, for Gods glory.
THe childe of God is patient in suffering of wrongs, for Gods glory; lest Philosophy should seem more operative in her Disciples, than Divinity in hers; lest nature and infidelity should boast it selfe against Christianity.
It is a saying of Seneca, He that is not able to set light by a sottish injury, is no Disciple of Philosophy. And the examples before rehearsed shew, that Socrates, Plato, Aristippus, Aristotle, Diogenes, Epictetus, Philip of Macedon, Dion of Alexandria, Agathocles, Antigonus, & Caesar, were indued with rare and admirable patience; whereunto I will adde foure other examples: Philip of Macedon asking the Embassadours of Athens how he might most pleasure them, received this answer, It were the greatest pleasure to Athens, that could be, if you would hang your selfe; yet was not moved a jot, for all his might was answerable to his patience: why? he cared not so much to revenge the evill, as to requite the good.
Polaemon was not so much as appalled at the by ting of a Dog that tooke away the brawne or calfe of his leg; nor Harpalus, to see two of his sons laid ready drest in a silver Charger, whē Astiages had bid him to supper. And lastly, when it was told Anaxagoras (as I take it) that he was condemned to die, & that his children were already executed, hee was able to make this answer, As touching, said he, my condemnation, nature hath given like sentence both of my condemners & me; and as touching my children, I knew before that I had begot mortall creatures. But what of all this? Let every naturall man know, that a continued patience may be different from what is goodnesse: yea, let the vertues of all these Philosophers be extracted into one essence, and that spirit powred into one man, this Philosopher must be acknowledged to fall short of a compleate Christian guided by the Spirit of God. Or if you wil gather out of Histories the magnanimity of Hector, of Alexander, of Caesar, of Scipio, and of Scaevola, put them to the rest; yet for patience and constancy, they come not neere that one president laid downe in the example of that holy man Iob, & other servants of God in succeeding ages; and that in five maine particulars.
1 One notable difference betwene the patience of a Philosopher and a Christian is, They lacked a pure heart, which is the Fountaine of all well doing.
2 Whatsoever they did, was either out of pride to purchase fame to themselves, thinking their patient suffering a kinde of merit, or for some other by respect: whereas the childe of God doth it in obedience to the Commandement, and thinkes when he hath done that, he fals far short of performing his duty.
3 The aime and end of a Christians patience is Gods glory; of a Philosophers, nothing lesse: for how can they aime at his glory, whom they doe not so much as know? And vertues are to be judged, not by their actions, but by their ends.
4 The one doth it in faith, which only crownes good actions; the other without. The want of which, made all their vertues but Splendid… peccata, shining and glistering sins, sins, as it were, in a silken Roabe.
5 The Philosopher, and so all civill and morall men, can forbeare; the Christian forgive; they pardon their enemies, wee love ours, pray for them, and returne good for evill. And if not, we no whit savour of Heaven: For if you love them which love you (saith our Saviour) what thankes shall you have, for even the sinners doe the same? (such as see not beyond the clouds of humane reason) But I say unto you which heare, Love your enemies, doe well to them that hate you, Luke 6.27, 32, 33. shewing, that if wee will ever hope for good our selves, we must returne good for evill unto others. And the better to teach us this lesson, he practised it himselfe, adding example to precept; for when the Iewes were crucifying of him, be at the same time (though the torments of his passion were intolerable, incomparable, unconceiveable) solliciteth God for their pardon, Luke 23.34. And this likewise is the practise of the Saints, who strive to imitate their Master in all things which he did as man: S. Stephen, at the instant while his enemies were stoning of him, kneeled downe and prayed, Lord lay not this sin to their charge, Acts 7.60. Where is one thing very remarkable; he stood when he prayed for himselfe, but kneeled when he prayed for his enemies; hereby shewing the greatnesse of their impiety, which easily could not be forgiven, as also the greatnesse of his piety. It were easie to abound in examples of this kinde; how often did Moses returne good unto Pharaoh for his evill, in praying and prevailing with God for him, to the removall of nine severall plagues, notwithstanding his cruell oppression? And David, what could he have done for Saul, that he left undone, notwithstanding he so cruelly persecuted him, and hunted after his life. But what doe I tell them of these transcendent examples? when I never yet heard or read of that Philosopher, which could parallell Doctor Cooper, Bishop of Lincolne, in an act of patient suff…ring, who, when his wife had burnt all his Noates, which he had been eight yeares a gathering, lest he should kill himselfe with overmuch study, (for she had much a doe to get him to his meales) shewed not the least token of passion, but onelyonly replied, Indeed wife it was not well done, so falling to worke againe, was eight yeares more in gathering the same Notes, wherewith he composed his Dictionary: which example, I confesse, more admires me, than any that ever I heard of from a man not extraordinarily and immediately inspired and assisted by the Holy Ghost: and …ure he that could indure this, could indure any thing, whether in body, goods, or good name. I know there are some men (or rather two legged Beasts) that esteeme no more of Bookes and Notes, than Esops Cocke did of the Pearle hee found; and these accordingly will say, this was nothing in comparison of what they suffer; as when once a Hot spur was perswaded to be patient as Iob was, he replyed, What doe you tell me of Iob? Iob never had any suits in Chauncery. And thus you see in the first place, that Nature hath but a slow foot to follow Religion close at the heeles; that grace and faith transcends reason, as much as reason doth sense; that patience (rightly so called) is a Prerogative royall, peculiar to the Saints. It is well if Philosophy have so much wisdome, as to stand amazed at it.
2 That it is not true Christian patience, except it flow from a good heart. Secondly, Be done in obedience to Gods command. Thirdly, That we aime at Gods glory in our sufferings. Fourthly, That it bee done in faith. Fifthly, That we forgive, as well as forbeare; yea, love, pray for, and returne good to our enemies for their evill: which being so, what hath the hot-spur to say for himselfe? And what will become of him, if he repent not, who can afford no time to argue, but to execute? Yea, what hath the more temperate worldling to say for himselfe, who hath some small peece of reason for his guide? arguing thus, I would rather make shew of my passions, than smother them to my cost, which being vented and exprest, become more languishing and weake; better it is to let its point worke outwardly, than bend it against our selves; and in reason, Tallying of injuries is but justice. To which I answer, it is not reason, especially carnall reason, but Religion, which all this while hath beene disputed of, which is Divine and supernaturall; and that teacheth how good must be returned for evill, and that we should rather invite our enemy to do us more wrong, than not to suffer the former with patience; as our Saviours words doe imply: If (saith he) they strike thee on the one cheeke, turne to him the other also; If they sue thee at the Law, and take away thy Coate, let him have thy Cloake also, Matth. 5.39, 40.
Indeed, the difficulty of the duty, the seeming danger and want of faith in carnal men, weakneth the force of the strongest reasons; for no more among Ruffins …ut a word and a blow, among civill men a word and a Writ can you expect. But as thrice Noble Nehemiah said to that false Belly-god betraying-Priest Shemaiah, should such a man … …lee? So the true Christian will encounter all discouragements and frightning Alarums thus; should such a man as I feare to doe that which my Master, King, and Captaine, Christ Iesus hath commanded me, which is of more necessity than life it selfe.
Here also, if it were as orderly as pertinent, I might take occasion to shew another peculiar & proper adjunct belonging to the patience of a Christan, which a Philosopher may sooner envie than imitate; yea, it must put him besides his reason, before hee can conceive it possible, namely, That a Christian rejoyceth in his sufferings: We rejoyce in tribulation (saith Saint Paul,) knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, &c. Rom. 5.3. Yea, S. Iames goeth yet further, and saith, My brethren, count it exceeding joy, when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth patience, and let patience have her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect and intire, lacking nothing, Iames 1.3, 4. But because this path leads from the way of my intended discourse, come we to the sixteenth Reason.