A Preparative to Contention, Book · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
The former argument is continued. Men being at peace vnderunder a peaceable Prince, waxe wearie of well doing: contemne Religion, and liue wickedlie, neither will they take heede by other mens plagues.
MOſt men, when they heare tell of Laiſh, Iud. 18.17.which being waxen fat and wealthy, was ſecure, and feared no misfortune, vntill that misfortune ouerwhelmed her: they do without mouth condemne the careleſſe ſecurity of Laiſh, Men can condemne the fooliſhneſſe of others, and yet not apply their examples to themſelues, being within the ſame predicament.& laugh at her deſtruction. So do they likewiſe, when they heare of Moab, which had reſted long on her lees, and neuer thought of any rolling, till time ſhe ſo ſauoured, that ſhe needed to be changed from out of one veſſell into another. Alſo they wonder at the famous Citie of Hieruſalem, which had forgotten the Lord, and all his benefits, and pampered vp her ſelfe much like vntounto Sodom, not knowing the time of her viſitation, vntil the day came, wherin the daughters of Hieruſalē were forced to weep bitterly for themſelues and their children. This and ſuch like fearfull examples men can read of, and heare to be recorded in the holy Scriptures, and daily talke of them: howbeit, the whiles they hauehave not the grace to applie theſe & ſuch like things, ſo as therof they may make to themſelues a benefit, with this conſideration, that theſe examples are made perpetuall to inſtruct all men in the poſteritie, that the like ſinnes do euer deſerue, and hauehave cōmonly the like plagues, without timely repētance. And herein they be much like vntounto thoſe Iewes, whō the lord reproued for that they ſaid: Surely, if we had bin in the dayes of our fathers, Mat. 23.then would we not hauehave partaked with them in the blood of the Prophets; when yet themſelues ceaſſed not to fulfill the meaſure of their fathers in their bloody perſecution of the Prophets & of the wiſe men which God ſent vntounto them: for theſe men ſay, if we had beene of Laiſh, or of Moab, or of Ieruſalem, we wold not hauehave bin ſo careleſſe, ſecure, & vnthankfull to God for his bleſsings: we would hauehave conſidered from whence came all our peace and proſperitie; we would hauehave knowne the day of our viſitation, & what belonged to our eaſe, and bin prouident and wiſe: but behold, whiles they bee excellent in the obſeruing of other men and their caſes, they neglect thēſelues, & conſider not that thoſe examples of yore are made perpetual for the poſteritie, which therby may be happie, if they can be made warie. Men, for ye moſt part, in this caſe do near counterfeit that couetous Euclio, Plaut. Euclio laugheth at the caſe of Tantalus. Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur.who, hearing the Poet to tell of Tantalus, that was thirſtie in the midſt of ye water, was moued to laugh at his folly, whē notwithſtāding, if he had but changed his name, he ſhuld hauehave perceiued that ye fable pointed at himſelf, being indeed poor in the midſt of his welth. It is no mean furtherāce to helth for a mā to know himſelf ſicke, & with what infirmity he is touched: for he wil theron repair to ſuch a phiſitiō as (he is perſwaded) can do him good, and not before that: for the whole hauehave no neede of the Phyſitian, and they that be righteous already in their own cō ceits, thinke themſelues to hauehave no need of Christ.
Long peace is enemie to good maners, not of it owne nature, but of the corrupt nature of mā, which as the water not moued will ſoone ſmell.2 It is true, that as proſperitie maketh men wantons: ſo long peace (as Iuuenal ſaide) is an enemie to good maners, and maketh bad ſouldiours: not that the fault is in that proſperitie and peace, but in ſuch fooliſh people, as abuſe the ſame: for The foole (as ſaith Salomō) being full, cannot meaſure himſelf. Not only the heathē which know not god, but alſo the very Chriſtians in name, whō the Lord hath enriched and bleſſed euerie way, farre beyond the heathen, being growne fat and reſtie, do kick with the heele, as vnbrideled colts agaynſt God, and degenerate frō their former fauour through their abuſe of the creatures,Epheſ. 6. Iude. 7.3. Rom. 13. and their manifold abhominations. Inſomuch that when the Lord preſſeth them foorth to fight for him, and Gedeon, that is, in the Lordes warres, they want the Armour of Chriſtian ſouldiours: they bee feeble, they bee faint hearted, they lappe water as Dogges, they can neither go wiſelie, nor walke honeſtlie, nor ſtande worthilie, but by their cowardly cowching, and reuolting from their profeſsiō, they ſhew forth the fruits of their long peace which they hauehave abuſed, and decipher themſelues (in a kinde of rebellion) to bee the very enemies of the Croſſe of Chriſt, whoſe enſignes ſometimes they had diſplayed. VVould to God, that neither my ſelfe, nor anie other man coulde iuſtlie include any of our Engliſh Proteſtants within this predicament, that ſo, they might bee well able to pleade for themſelues againſt eueryevery one that would either condemne or accuſe them of ſuch a fault! But I am right ſorie, becauſe I may ſay, that it toucheth manie of them ſo neare, that they cannot bee excuſed, nor cleared, though that Demoſthenes, and Cicero, were theyr Oratours to pleade for them: nor can they eſcape the deſerued iudgement, if God awarde them execution, though Noah, Iob, and Daniel, dwelt in the midſt of their Cittie, except that they repe….
3 In whatſoeuer coaſt they ſtande now,A degeneration from vertue. this is moſt apparant, that too manie of them hauehave againe admitted him into their houſes, whome it pleaſed God in his merciemercy, ſometimes to caſt out: whereby their laſt beeing worſe then the beginning, they ſhall neuer bee able to ende with the righteous, (as Balaam deſired that hee might) except they remember from whence they bee fallen, and repent. Though they hauehave made ſhewe of a good commencement and beginning, yet beholde, they go ſlowlie forward: yea, rather as wearie of doing wel they hauehave fainted and made ſhipwrack of faith, and a good conſcience, which aboue all things they ſhould hauehave retained. The nearer they came to the goale, the ſwifter ſhould their courſe hauehave bin, and from one vertue they ſhould hauehave proceeded vntounto another, vntill they had been perfect men in Chriſt: but alas they hauehave ſlugged, they hauehave left the goale of eternal life, they hauehave declined from the ſtrength of faith, vntounto the weakneſſe of mans carnal conceits. They are worſe nowe in their age, then they hauehave bin in their childhood. In this they are verie much like the Indian Pandora, The Pandora of India.a kinde of people which in their youth hauehave white hoar heads, as old men, and in their elder age, they hauehave blacke haire, as young men. For when they were but yong, and tender as babes in knowledge, they expreſſed ſome tokens of chriſtianitie & grauitie: but now when they ſhould hauehave put from them childiſhnes, by reaſon of riper yeares, and the longer vſe of the word of God, they vtter more notes of childiſh wantonneſſe, then euer they did before. Neither are they vnlike the Tarſen Hermogenes, Hermogenes was in his old age as a child.who when he was but fifteene yeares old, was reported of, to be an approued Sophiſt, that Marcus Antonius much affected him, and enriched him with many noble gifts: howbeit in proceſſe of time (whether it were through the great abundance of his wealth, or worldly pleaſures, or ſicknes, or want of exerciſe) he did vtterly loſe the habit of his facultie:Antiochus Sophiſta. of whom therefore the Sophiſt Antiochus was wont to ſay: Hermogenes in pueritia Senex, & in ſenectute puer: that is, Hermogenes is become in his olde age a childe, who in his childhood was an old man. And no maruell (for as it ſeemeth to me) they hauehave quite forgotten the vow and promiſe made in their baptiſme to the Lord, & thoſe principles of religion wherein they ſeeming expert vnderunder their cathechizers, hauehave bin confirmed: I pray God, that they do not alſo with Demas forſake Paul in the open field for the louelove of this preſent worlde, and that ſo, with Alexander, Himmeneus, Caine, Eſau, and Iudas, they make not ſhip-wracke of altogither in the ende.
Men wane in holineſſe, and become barren as the ſhe wolfe.4 Thus is it not onelyonly apparant how they hauehave forgotten that which before they had learned in the word of God: but alſo how they with the Moone wane and ſlide backward in godlines and wax barren of the woorkes of Charitie and Chriſtianitie, wherein they be neither ſo full, nor ſo forward, nor ſo fruitfull, as they were wont to be. But how neare do they follow the propertie of the ſhee woolfe, which (beſides manie euill qualities) hath a yearlie defect in procreation? Surely as neare as may bee: for as the firſt time ſhe beareth fiue, the ſecond time but foure, the third time but three, the fourth time but two, the fifth time but one, and then after that ſhee remaineth euer barraine: So, whereas, in the firſt age of our peace they employed (as it were) fiue Talents, and yeelded thereof the increaſe, in the ſecond age or yeare, they contented themſelues with foure, in the thirde age with three, in the fourth age with two, in the fifth age with one, in compariſon with the former, and ſo are become meere barraine, for the moſt part. For though the worde of God bee preached plentifullie, and the bleſsings of God doo abounde, wherewith men might bee mooued to praiſe him in an holie life: yet there is a complaint vttered, and a Citation ſent foorth from him that hath a controuerſie with the Inhabitants of the lande: becauſe,Hoſe. 4.1, 2. There is no truth, nor merciemercy, nor knowledge of God in the land: but ſwearing, and lying, and killing, and ſtealing, and whoring, and blood toucheth blood, & yet none may rebuke them, nor reproue them, they cannot abide it, but will rebuke the Prophets, the Preachers and miniſters, whoſe office is to crie out againſt them and their ſinnes. So little care they to fight the good fight with fayth and a good conſcience: ſo deuoid of counſell be they, & without all vnderſtanding in the word of god,Deut. 32.28. and 44. through yt which they might prolong their daies in ye land wherin the Lord hath planted them, and liue if they would.
5 Herehence is alſo diſcried, that daungerous ſin which hurteth mans ſoule with a deſperate wound: vz. A deepe diſtruſt of the diuine Prouidence, A diſtruſt of Gods prouidence.by faith in the which, men hauehave a chief comfort in this life, and without the which, they run into a labyrinth of errors.Diagoras. Diagoras the Atheiſt hath within his Schoole manie ſhrewd Schollers, though Cleanthes the Philoſopher,Cleanthes. by the verie operation of nature, confirmeth the mightie woorking of the high God in all worldlie things: yea, though the Lord teſtifieth in his word plainly,Abac. 1.5. Act. 13.41. and we do ſee it euidently, that the almightie God worketh a worke in our dayes: yet ſay they, Magiſter dixit: Our maiſter hath ſaid, and we will beleeue him.VVhen men do diſtruſt God, they flie to their owne deuiſes. Now vponupon this ſuggeſtion, Adam deſireth a more pleaſant place then Paradice to liue in: Lot deuiſeth a ſafer towne then Zoar to dwell in: Peter for feare what wil folow, denieth his maiſter: Annanias and Zaphira, deale deceitfullie to eſchew beggerie. The Gergeſites deſire Chriſt to depart from their coaſts for the ſafetie of their ſwine: Demas ioyneth hands with the world in hope of fauor: and the Protestant is nothing ſcrupulous to pertake with the Peripatike, the Stoicke, the Epicure, the theefe, the murtherer, the periurer, the bragging Thraſo: yea, and (though it bee certaine, that Dagon cannot ſtand neare the Arke of God,1. Sam. 5, 3, 4 and the Iſraelites bee cōmāded to depart frō the tent of Corah, & to touch nothing of his,Proteſtants do halt betweene two as luke-warme. leaſt they periſh with him: yet) a thouſand of them which go vnderunder this title, ſhame not to halt between God and Baal, betweene Moſes and Corah, betweene Chriſt and Belial, for their worldly reſpects; and ſo, as it be for their aduantage and filthie lucre, let their trafficks and dealings be either with the Papiſt, or the Turke, or the Barbarian, or the diuell, they nothing regard; nor remember they what the holy Scripture ſayth vntounto the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans, and to them of that Church, which were neither heat nor cold, Apoc. 3.16.but luke-warme.
6 Further,A contempt of Religion. they proceede and thinke (ſo farre is impietie encreaſed) that it is lawfull for them to wreaſt all Religion to their owne commodities and gaine: the rather, becauſe the diuel perſwadeth thē, that Religion is nothing elſe but a certaine humane inuention and politike rule of mans wit: and that al the profeſſors of Religion are but ſchollers vntounto Numa Pompilius, and vaine triflers,Valer. max. li. 1. ca. 3. as Iulian the Apoſtate in that conceit, wickedly cenſured the Chriſtians, and ſcornefully caſt in their teeth the Croſſe of their maiſter. Therefore,Numa Pompilus a king of the Romanes, who to perſwade the people, faigned that the lawes he gaue them, was by the commandement of the goddeſſe Aegera, with whom he ſaide he had conferenced Iulian the Apoſtate. as they nothing bluſh to reſemble hm (ſcorning them that appeare zealous for their God) ſo handle they the moſt ſacred law of the Lord and the Goſpel, as *Neanthus.Neanthus handled the harp of Orpheos, when expecting the trees to dance, he did by his confuſed iangling thereon, cauſe the dogges to barke at him. They argue of Religion, as *Pilate. Macchiauile.Pilate did of the Truth, wherof when hee heard Chriſt to ſpeake, he ſaide (after a ſcornefull ſort) foreign. VVhat thing is truth? & ſo went preſently forth, not vouchſafing to abide the anſwere to his owne queſtion. Such an one was that Macchiauile, who perſwaded men to gouerne in this world, partly by fraud, partly by force, and partly by fortune: and not by the diuine prouidence, whereat hee ieſted: immitating therein, not onelyonly Iulian and thoſe prophane heathen,Pſal. 115. which ſaid of the Iſraelites, VVhere is now theyr God (making a mocke of theyr religion) but alſo (and that effectually) that cankred Serpent, which hearing that God had forbidden Adam and Heuah the Tree of knowledge of good and euill,Gen. 3. ſcoffed at Gods word, and ſaide: Tuſh, it is nothing ſo: yee ſhall not die, but ye ſhall be as Gods.
7 To be ſhort, there be too many of them that here hence reaſon with the Saduces, that there is neither Angell,Saduces. Act. 23.8. nor ſpirit, nor reſurrection, yea, with that ſenſeleſſe foole, that there is no God, howſoeuer they proteſt:The foole hath ſaid in his heart there is no God. for their liues and conuerſations, theyr wordes and manner of languages decipher the ſame. But if they bee induced to graunt the beeing of GOD, yet imagine they, that God is either of no regarde or deſire, or habilitie, to rewarde vertues with honours, or to defende the oppreſſed from theyr foes in this life, or to giuegive victorie in battaile, or to puniſh horrible ſinnes with horrible plagues, or elſe, that his merciemercy is ſo great that he will forgiue men all their ſinnes be they neuer ſo heynous: that hee is a patient rewarder, and will not bee reuenged on them that blaſpheme him moſt bitterly:The hereſie of the Origen…ſts yea, and that (as the Origeniſtes defende) the merciemercy of God pearceth into hell, ſo farre, that not onelyonly all men both good and badde, but alſo, the very Diuelles and damned Spirits ſhall at length be ſaued. Moreouer, hauing ſuch an vnreuerent opinion of God, and of his holy Religion,They that beleeue not well cannot liue well. they preſume with prophane Senacherib againſt the God of Iſrael: they ceaſe not, but with that atheiſticall Cyclops, (whome Euripides bringeth in) doo rayle againſt all diuine powers, againſt the Prophets, the Apoſtles, and Chriſt, whome (in an vnſauery compariſon amiddeſt theyr ſcurrilitie and carnal companions) they ioyne with Machomet and the Pope, An vnſauory compariſon.which three they ſay doo trouble the whole worlde. Therefore they ſweare, as though they had no ſoules to bee damned, they liue, as though they were very diuelles incarnate; neither is there any villanie and wickedneſſe, which they will bluſh to perpetrate and committe, without all feare of God or reuerence of man. What eares can but glow to heare this? what eyes can abide to ſee it? Howbeit, in deſpight of Gods iudgements, and in contempt of all men that yerne at theyr vngodlyneſſe,Sap. 2.6.7. they endeuour to cheere themſelues with themſelues, and with them that ſayde: Lette vsus enioy the pleaſures that are preſent: Let vsus fill our ſelues with good VVine and Oyntment: lette there no Flower of the time eſcape vsus: let vsus Crowne our ſelues with Roſe buds before they bee withered: let there be no fayre medow, but our luſt go through it: let eueryevery one of vsus bee partakers of our voluptuouſneſſe: lette vsus leane ſome token of our pleaſure in euerie place: for that is our portion, Lucillius.and this is onelyonly our lot. VntoUnto ſuch hayleth that moſt ancient Satyricall Poet of the Romanes, worthily ſcorning them thus: Viuite lurcones, comedones, viuite ventres.
That is,
O Spendthrifts, Toſpots, Bellygods,
liue ye, be luſtie.
So Salomon by an Ironicall ſpeech dirideth the folly of ſuch fooles: Be merrie thou luſtie ladde, in thy gallant yong dayes: and let thine heart cheere thee in thy youth: and walk in the wayes of thine heart: and according to the luſt of thine eyes. All this is moſt pleaſant for ſuch Brutes: but thereunto is added that which ſtriketh them dead. Yet knowe this (ſaith hee) that for all theſe things God will bring thee into iudgement. In the meane time,Reu. 2.22. Luke 16. Virgil. Aeneid. 6. there is for them prepared a lodging with the damned diuell in the burning lake of hell, and there be, which waite daily and hourely to bring them to their bedde, they that may go to their owne place, where burning with Diues, Diſcite Iuſtitiam, moniti, & non te nuere Dinos.& boyling with Phlegyas, they may with the one wiſh for water to coole their tongues, and with the other giuegive warning to theyr mates, that they learne righteouſneſſe, and not be ſo bold thenceforth, as to contemne God and the Saints. For hither muſt they come, walking as they doo, neither from this place ſhall they be freed either by theyr golde or ſiluer, or by their landes or reuenewes,4. Eſd. 9.12. or by their worldly fauour, ſtrength, wiſedome, and policie.
8 But this they foreſee not, vntill that (indeede) with Diues they feele their remedileſſe miſerie, and with Phlegyas their wretched condition,The vngodly man foreſeeth not his owne deſtruction. & be made rather examples for others, then inſtructions for themſelues.
In this point, they reſemble that fooliſh Ape, which hauing once caught an harpe, twanged thereon, daunced and leapt backwarde on the top of an high houſe, ſo farre, till at the length he ſprang ouer the ſame and brake his necke. So hauing ſome high conceite of themſelues, they little regard either their dutie to God, or their owne miſerable condition, and thinke not of the danger they fall into through their wicked apoſtacie. Therefore they compaſſe many things and build high Towers on ſundry foundations: with the Gramarians they recount the aduentures of Vliſſes, and the wandrings of Aenaeas: with the Mathematickes, they ſtare on the Sunne, Moone, and Starres, and make fleſhly reaſons for thoſe ſupernall things: howbeit, they hauehave no reaſon for their own looſe & filthy liues, and wandring wits. The former dayes they much commend, and greedily gape for things future: but the time preſent, with their preſent commodities they waſtefully conſume. To bee breefe, in their owne opinion they be the wiſeſt perſons in the world, and yet, how little foreſight they hauehave for themſelues, it is eaſily ſeene: when wanting wiſedome, they die the fearefull death. VntoUnto whom therefore may be aptly applyed the cenſure of Euripides (the which Cicero alſo vſed in the like caſe.)
Misô ſophiſtèn, ost is'ouch auto ſophòs.
That Sophiſt hate I, and eſteeme
of wit and wiſedome ſmall:
VVho for himſelfe (in time and place)
hath wiſedome none at all.
Such perſons be they! ſo liue they! and ſo die they! But (this notwithſtanding) as the fleſhly Epicure (which differeth nothing from a beaſt, cheefely,The Epicure would be taken for a Philoſopher. in that hee defineth all euill to be in the paine and affliction of this life, and all good to be in voluptuouſneſſe, and worldly, and fleſhly pleaſures) doth neuertheleſſe take vponupon him the perſon of a Philoſopher, and would bee eſteemed indeed: ſo thoſe fleſhly and Atheiſticall perſons, bluſh not to call and entitle themſelues Right Chriſtian Proteſtants, and would be angrie with all them who would not ſo take and eſteeme them. And though their kind of wiſedome be that which belongeth rather to Sophiſters, then well beſeemeth men (as did that of Euclides, whome therefore Socrates woorthily reprooued) yet with moſt impudent faces, they challenge to themſelues the higheſt wiſedome, they vſurpe on the beſt titles,The Romanes eſteemed none honourable but the vertuous, and therefore they builded the Temple of honour, adioyning to the Temple of vertue, with none other way to enter into the temple of honour, but through the Temple of vertue. and would be eſteemed honourable (if they might) though they yet neuer entred the Temple of Honour through the gate of vertue: by as good reaſon may the Aethiopian call himſelfe a right Engliſhman.
9 How neere they approach in theſe poynts vntounto him that (though hee be moſt foule and ougly) muſtereth foorth himſelfe as an Angell of Light, any man that hath wiſedome may eaſily diſcerne. With him (therefore) that they bee both reproued, iudged, and condemned, it is iuſt and right in equall cenſure, as ſuch to whome it is ſayde, O yee generation of Vipers, how can ye eſcape the fire of hell.
When the Iewes intitled themſelues the children of Abraham (notwithſtanding, that both in life and Religion they were wicked and abhominable) Saint Iohn the Baptiſt verye ſharpely reprooued them,Mat. 3.9. and ſayde, Bee ye not of ſuch mindes, that yee woulde ſay within your ſelues, wee hauehave Abraham to our Father. And the Lord himſelfe, ſeeing how much they graded on Abraham, when they were ſo farre eſtranged from him, and from all holy Religion, to ſtoppe their mouthes he plainely tolde them whoſe Children they were indeede, ſaying vntounto them: Yee are from beneath: Againe,Ioh. 8.23.44. Yee are of this world: Againe: Yee are of your Father the Diuell. And this hee prooueth by that they did the deedes of the Diuell, and obſerued his luſts, contemning the worde of GOD, deſpiſing Chriſt Ieſus, louing murther and lying, before louelove and trueth, and wallowing in all vngodlineſſe. For indeede when men doo neither well beleeue, nor liue well, and yet woulde bee taken for right Chriſtans, and Chriſtan Proteſtants, what doo they elſe but immitate the Diuell, endeuour to ſlaunder the Croſſe of Chriſt, to prophane Religion, and to anger the Lorde much more, then they doo, which beeing Heathens,Pſal. 50. Ioh. 16. Apoc. 3. doo yet ſo continue and declare themſelues, iuſtly moouing him by his Spirite to reprooue them, and threaten them with eternall damnation?
But lette vsus heare what Chryſoſtome ſayth vntounto thoſe kinde of peſons,In flor. doctor. and ſo conclude this Chapter. O thou Hypocrite (ſayth hee) If it bee a good thing to be good, why wilt thou only ſhew thy ſelf to be that which in truth thou art not? If it be an euill thing to bee euill, why wilt thou be that, which thou wouldeſt not appeare to be? If it bee a good thing to appeare good, it is better good to bee: If it be an euill thing to appeare euill, it is worſt euill to bee. Therefore either ſhew thy ſelfe that which indeede thou art: or elſe be thou that, which thou wouldſt ſhew thy ſelfe to be. Thus ſhuld men make the tree good and the fruit good, ſhew their fayth out of their workes, and by a good life declare themſelues the Seruants of Chriſt: Neither ſhould the diuell and this Angels either be found in Heauen, or preſume to ſhew themſelues as Angels of light, either in the Church, or in the Chriſtian-Commonwealth.