A Preparative to Contention, Book · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Many men are diſtracted in the conſideration of the diſorders of this worlde. Men are euen in theſe our dayes ingratefull to ſuch as do them any good. The neceſsitie of inſtructions and good admonitions.
MOreouer, for that all things bee ſo hard, as a man is not of abilitie to expreſſe them: and he is accounted happy, that knoweth the cauſes of things, the mē of this world are moſt wonderfully afflicted in their owne imaginations: ſo farre, that ſome of them hauehave euen conſumed away with ſpitefull anger,Ariſtotle died with anger. as Ariſtotle the Peripatike was ſaid to do, for that he could not find out the cauſe of the ebbing and flowing of the ſwelling riuer Euripis: and others hauehave bin throughly diſtracted as was Aratus the Aſtronomer:Aratus was deſtracted. Saul. Mithridates. Achab. Brutus. ſome hauehave bin diſcomfited, as was king Saul, Mithridate, & Demoſthenes, though ſome others hauehave promiſed themſelues victorie with Achab, and happie ſucceſſe with Brutus, either by force, or fortune, with a vaine expectation.The confuſion of worldly things.
2 But when with all theſe things, that vgly Ataxie the diſorder and manifold confuſions of this life do concurre, beyond all the reſt, this heauy conſideration,Pſal. 73. Iere. 12.1. Abac. 1.3. Iob. 21.7. and 24.12. Eccles. 3.16. and 4.1. that (not only as Socrates, but alſo as Dauid ſaid) The wicked and euill diſpoſed hauehave oftentimes the moſt abundance of worldly goods and riches, when the better ſort want them: that the godlie and wicked be preferred, and liue in long proſperitie: that the vnrighteous do vnrighteouſly, & God (as Iob ſaith) doth not charge them with follie, or plague them: that iniuſtice and oppreſsion is ſeene in the place of iudgement: that religion often languiſheth, and Atheiſme and prophanitie doth flouriſh: that the gouernment either Eccleſiaſticall or Politicall, or Oecomicall, little auaileth to correct, redreſſe and perfect that which is amiſſe: that many noble men, and wiſe men, hauehave periſhed togither with the ignomious and fooliſh: that Alexandria, Corinth, Ieruſalem, Sparta, Athens, Thebes, & many other famous cities hauehave bin made deſolate. That Chaldaea, Babylō, Perſia, Graecia, & other mightie Monarches of the world, hauehave altered their turnes,The confuſion of things occaſion ſome an argue want of power in God, &c. and chaunged their faces: and that all men be conſtrained to beare with the ingratefull world, howſoeuer it be, becauſe No man can ſtriue with him that is mightier then himſelfe, and things that are bowed, no man can make ſtraight. The common ſort of men do argue of the want of power and force in God,Nat. deorum lib. 3. (as Cicero ſayth, reporting the wordes of Diogenes) and the rather, for that neither Iupiper Olympius, nor Aeſculapius, (as hee ſayde) plagued the Tyraunt Dionyſius, for diſpoyling them of their Treaſures:Read Iob. cap. 24.12. and for that manie other wicked men are not puniſhed by GOD himſelfe, by and by with ſome horrible plagues for theyr horrible deedes: yea, and manie great and famous perſonages alſo hauehave conſented to that ſaying of him in the Tragedie:Melan. in Epiſt. praefix. operibus graec. Xenophon. Vitam regit Fortuna Dea: The Goddeſſe Fortune guideth euerie mans life. And if it bee ſo, then, to what ende (ſay they) ſerue all thoſe precepts of wiſedome deliuered vntounto vsus in the worde, and in Hyſtories? For if mans life be guided, neither by the counſailes of wiſe men, nor by God himſelfe, why then is doctrine propoſed? And ſo the greateſt part of all people, in the gouernment of great matters, direct not their counſailes to any certaine rule and doctrine: but hoyſe vp ſailes to be carried whither ſoeuer the winde ſhall driue, or blind Fortune permit them.
3 And although the Heathen Orator ſayd:Cicero de Nat. decrum lib. 3. Mala & impia conſuetudo contra Deos diſputandi, ſiue ex animo id fit, ſiue ſimulate: It is an euill custome to diſpute agaynst the goddes, The godlie themſelues do often murmure.whether it bee done of ſet purpoſe, or by ſimulation: yet manie of the godlie themſelues alſo, are by theſe and ſuch like ſpectacles, mooued to expoſtulate agaynſt the Lorde GOD of Heauen, as Ieremie did:Iere. 12.1. Iob. 24.1. VVherefore proſpereth the way of the wicked? Why dooſt thou (O God) ſuffer the vngodlye to liue in the VVorlde, to hurt and oppreſſe thine owne children? what iuſtice? what reaſon? what wiſedome is there in God that permitteth it? And ſhould not the Iudge of all the world do iuſtice? And they cannot denie, but that this deepe conceit hath alſo touched them ſo farre, that they hauehave beene mooued (with Dauid) to ſay:Pſal. 73.2. My feete were almost gone: my ſteppes were well nigh ſlipt: For I freatted at the fooliſh, when I ſawe the proſperitie of the wicked. Eccles. 4.2.Therefore (with Salomon) they commende the deade before them that liue, and, in the ſuddaine paſsion of their afflicted ſpirites they imagine him that is not yet borne, to bee in better caſe then anie of them both. And not a fewe (as deſperate of GOD,VVhat is god, prouidence? and of the diuine prouidence, which is the reaſon that the Lorde God vſeth in the ordering and directing of things to their right endes) in this profound conſiderations, do conſent with Cladianus, thus:
Saepe mihi dubium, &c.This mad conceit vntounto my doubtfull minde, is often brought:
VVhat? hauehave the high caeleſtiall powers, on worldly matters thought?
And is there any God aboue, that guideth all? or no?
Or do th' affaires of wordly men, by chaunce, vncertaine go?
How to expell this imagination of fleſh and blood. Sap. 2.22.4 This vaine imagination being deepely rooted in the heart of the naturall man, which is blinded with his owne malice, which vnderſtandeth not the myſteries of the ſpirit of God, nor hopeth for the reward of righteouſnes, nor regardeth the worſhip that the holy Saints ſhall hauehave at the reſurrection of the iuſt: can very hardly be remoued and expelled, and therfore doth require the daily and diligent vſe of that Armour of light, which Paul would,Rom. 13. wee take vp againſt all the deedes of darkeneſſe. And yet it cannot be denied, that not onelyonly Moſes the ſeruant of God, and the holy Patriarkes, and the Prophets, and the Apoſtles hauehave preached and taught, and Chriſt who came from the boſome of his father, hath witneſſed, and God himſelfe from heauen declareth, but alſo the meere heathē do by the works of the Creation, and the operation of Nature acknowledge and confeſſe, that the God of heauen by his prouidence ordreth and ruleth all theſe things, Howſoeuer they appeare confuſed and without order to them that vnderſtand not the cauſes and reaſons thereof.
5 Such (indeede) be the painefull trauailes wherwith the men of this life hauehave beene ſo long time burthened, and yet lie yerking vnderunder the intollerable tight of the ſame. And that becauſe through the malice of the Diuell,The cauſe of thoſe troubled minds. the malice of man is great on the earth, and al the thoughts of his heart are onelyonly euill eueryevery day, wherof there be procreated a thouſand moſt deſperate imaginations, and eager diſcouragements to Religion, dutie, and right. Yea, and ſo much the more lamentable is the cauſe and condition of man,Some of theſe maladies be remedileſſe: and ſome hard to be cured. by how much thoſe his maladies bee ſo remedileſſe and incurable: for whoſoeuer will endeuour and take on him the ſame to correct, and thorowly to purge, be he neuer ſo wiſe, ſo learned, ſo iuſt, ſo ſtrong, ſo rich, hee ſhall but waſh the Ethiope, cleanſe the Leopard of ſpots, and vexe his ſpirit in vaine. Beſides that, as touching thoſe matters which are curable, and to bee remedied in time and place, who ſeeth not how perilous and vneaſie it is, for any man to aſſay to eaſe that which may bee eaſed, to aduenture to ſalue that, which may be ſalued? for notwithſtanding that Siſinnis the Gouernour of Coeloſyria, 1. Eſdr. 7.1.and Phenice, and Sathrabouzanes and theyr aſſociates, (obeying at length the Princes commandement) are perſwaded to aſſiſt the holy worke diligently, labouring with the auncients and Gouernours of the Sanctuarie, and the holy worke proſpereth by the miniſtrie of Haggaeus and Zacharias the Prophets: yet behold, the ingratefull and diſcontented, find flocks furniſhed for theyr purpoſe, to oppugne the Truth, to reſiſt the Princes proceedings, and to oppreſſe the defenders thereof, in like ſort as the Sodomites forced iuſt Loth, Gen. 19.9.when they compaſſed his houſe rounde about of all forces, from all quarters: by whoſe ſiniſter deuiſes and Satanicall practiſes, eueryevery good and godly worke is either reiected or hindred by all meanes: and eueryevery good Counſaile and godly aduiſe is conſtrued with great partialitie and groſſe corruption, inſomuch that hee (whoſoeuer hee bee) that aduentureth to admoniſh either the higheſt, or the loweſt, the Princes or the people, the Prophets or the Prieſtes,Homer. the Court or the Countrey, hee is either welcomed as Amos was to Bethel, or aunſwered as Halitherſes Mastorides was at the Gate of Vliſſes: and if hee finde better cheare, hee may account it as ſo much gayned beyonde his expectation,Amos 7.12. and bee thankfull for it. But howe was Amos welcomed? hee was taken for a plaine ſotte of the Countrey, and vnmeete for the Courte, and therefore Amaſiae the Courtly Prieſt, expelled him thence with this ſaying: Go, gette thee hence into the land of Iuda, and there eate thy bread, and Propheſie there: but Propheſie not at Bethel, Halitherſes.for it is the Kings Chappell. And howe was that Halitherſes aunſwered? the Poet Homer telleth, that when the olde man, who was both wiſe and well experienced in worldly affayres,Eurimachus the ſonne of Polybus. Odiſ. 6. would hauehave perſwaded Eurimachus the ſonne of Polibus (who was a long ſutor for Penelope) to departe from the houſe of Vliſſes, and not to trouble himſelfe any further in thoſe matters, for feare of ſuch an inconuenience as afterwarde enſued. Eurymachus thinking himſelfe wiſer then the gray head, continued his ſuite, and reiected him in theſe words:
Get home (olde foole) and to thy Children, there preſage good ſpeed:
That future falles they flie: for we excell thee farre in Reed.
Though many birds beneath the Sunne-beames, flie on euerie ſide:
Yet do not all pronoſticate to men, what ſhall betyde.
Againe.
In that thou multiplieſt thy words, thou getteſt nought therefore:
But in the ſame thou giu'ſt vsus cauſe to hate thee yet the more.
A miſerable kind of people6 This is a Kind of people of all others to bee lamented, as ſuch as without hope, who knowing nothing, will not for all that vouchſafe to liſten to them which are beſt able, and moſt willing to inſtruct them, then whom, they euer eſteeme themſelues more learned, more wiſe, & better furniſhed euerie way: for they put away from themſelues the holy graces of God, being profered them, and willingly ſell themſelues to death and extreme miſerie.Pſal. 58.4. The Pſalmiſt rightly likeneth thē to the deaffe Adder that ſtoppeth his eare againſt the voyce of the Inchaūter, though he be moſt expert in charming. For they be ſo corrupted with the venome of the ſpiritual Serpent, and ouerthrowne with madde furie, that they either flie from euerie one that would wiſely admoniſh them, or ſo cloſe their eares againſt their words,The Iewes ſtopped theyr eares. Acts 7. that no power of wholſome admonition and counſaile can moue them. Thus the Iewes ſtopped their eares (though not their mouthes) againſt Stephen and his words: and ſo at this time (I ſay) many are deaffe (with the Adder and thoſe malitious Iewes) when rather they ſhould liſten to the word of God and holy and wholſome inſtructions, whereof the preachers and miniſters of the word, hauehave cauſe to complaine now, as Iſayah did in his time:Iſa. 53.1. Lord who hath beleeued our report? and to whom is the arme of the Lord reueiled? And are worthily occaſioned to lament the great vanitie & miſerie of man, no leſſe then Ieremy and Eſdras were moued in their dayes to be wayle the ſinnes of the people, and the diſtreſſe of the holy land, and the ruine of the Citie and Temple of God: and many ſay nowe as Hezekiah did: The Child is come to the place of byrth, and there wanteth power of deliuerance. Neither would the Lorde himſelfe (if he were now on the earth) refuſe to weepe ouer the people, as he did ſometimes ouer Hieruſalem, and to admoniſh them alſo to weepe for themſelues and for their Children. Surely, the very conſideration thereof, is able to daunte and diſcourage him that is moſt willing and forward to tender aide, (and not a few are therby diſcouraged indeed) diſpayring of any fruite to bee gathered from thoſe ſtony places, thoſe high wayes, and thoſe pricking thornes, into the which they had caſt the ſound and wholſome ſeede.
7 Neuertheleſſe, as long as it is ſaide, to day,VVe muſt not be diſcouraged to do good. Rom. 8. and during the time of our courſe, wee giuegive not ouer, nor vtterly diſpayre of the fruits of our labours: but we vrge on, in hope, though not of our owne will, but by the reaſon of him who hath ſubdued vsus vnderunder hope, and be yet the more diligent in our duties, to do that good which may be done in our places to his glorie, who hath prepared vsus thereunto. And wee continue yet praying and calling vntounto God, that it would pleaſe him yet further to furniſh, to fortifie, to encourage, and to perſwade by his louing Spirit, the builders and repayrers of his owne houſe, to be diligent, able and willing to ſtrengthen that which remaineth, to fortifie the weake handes and feeble feete, to comfort the faint heart & weake wits, which in the bitter taſte of theſe extremities are readie to periſh, ſo farre forth, as hope emboldneth, poſſibilitie perſwadeth, and the word of God warranteth: and this ſhall hold vsus excuſed and diſcharged before the Lord, howſoeuer the ſucceſſe of our labours and deſires ſhall appeare to be, the which we muſt commend to the wiſedome, will, and power of God. And, as this is the beſt way for vsus,Eccles. 12. ſo it ſhall be not onelyonly good and profitable, but alſo moſt needfull for all perſons to yeelde themſelues obedient to the wordes of the wiſe, as Salomon admoniſheth: without the which, it is as impoſſible for a man to walke in the way of the Lorde towardes the cheefe good and higheſt happineſſe, as it is for a blind man to walke in a tedious way without a guide.
8. Therefore hauehave they beene much commended,They hauehave beene eſteemed for good men, who hauehave liſtned to the word of them that inſtructed thē in good. as the men of all others, neereſt to wiſedome and a godly life, who hauehave willingly liſtned to the leſſons of wiſe teachers. The verie Heathen hauehave thought reuerently of ſuch perſons: and among others of that kind, the Greeke Poet Heſiode thus writeth:
Right good is hee that liſtneth well,
To him who giues him good Counſell.
Seneca.And that reſpecting Seneca, counſailed thus: Moneberis libentur, &c. Thou oughteſt gladly to take admonition, and bee patient when thou art prouoked. If a man chide thee deſeruedly, knowe this, that it maketh for thy good: and though without deſerte, yet thinke this, that hee woulde profitte thee. Feare not bitter wordes, but rather feare obſequies and fayre ſpeeches.Pythagoras. And thus ſayde Pythagoras in his Precepts: Hee that (beeing aſhamed to bee taught) will not ſubmitte himſelfe to diſcipline and nourtour for a little time, ſhall bee conſtrayned to continue in the obloquie and ſhame of fooliſhneſſe for euer. This is confirmed by the ſentence of Salomon: The Eare that hearkeneth to the correction of life, Pro. 15.31.32.ſhall lodge among the wiſe: but he that refuſeth inſtruction, deſpiſeth his owne ſoule: but he that obeyeth correction, getteth vnderſtanding.
Dauid, Iehoſophat, Aaron, and other good men, hauehave well conſidered this, and could be well pleaſed to bee admoniſhed: yea, and that ſliding by an occaſion, they hauehave patiently borne a gentle correction, repented theyr ſinnes, and amended their liues. And ſurely, herein the right Chriſtian findeth no little comfort and contentation. For when hee ſeeth howe the Lord pacifieth the rage and rigour of the world, with that powerful word which he ſpake to the winde and the ſeas, ſaying: Peace and be ſtill: hee knoweth well how he gently allureth him, as a father doth his childe: and as hee perſwaded Iaphet at the requeſt of Noah, to enter into the Tabernacle of Shem.
In that ſort he entreateth his Children, by his holy Apoſtle Paul: I beſeech you Brethren (ſayth hee) by the mercies of God, that yee giuegive vppe your bodyes a lining ſacrifice, holy acceptable vntounto God. Neither will hee neglect, nor lightly regarde this grace (as they that receiue it in vaine) but hearken diligently, and embrace willingly the wordes of the wiſe, retaine that Grace among them that wayre for redemption in Iſrael, and ſo ſerue God in reuerence and feare, in good contentation. And this alſo are they made the more able and readie to performe by godly and faythfull inuocation of the name of God in Ieſus Chriſt. For, as the former giueth them light, and the right knowledge of the diuine will: ſo this miniſtreth vntounto them ſufficient abililitie to follow and performe the ſame, through the Graces of his ſpirit, the which hee beſtoweth on them that aſke the ſame of him, and the which hath his effectuall operation in the true vſe thereof. For hereof is that liuely and fruitfull faith engendred in the heart of the elected, by the which they be iuſtfied and made fruitfull in all good works.