The Christian Armory, Book 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Of the Plague or Pestilence.
Question.
IS the plague and pestilence of our time, contagious & infections?
A. Yes, questionlesse: for first as the leprosie amongst the Iewes infected not onelyonly mens persons, but also their garments, and their very habitations: so doth the plague, as experience proueth it.
2. Sam. 24.17.Secondly, although the plague bee Gods speciall hand, and his destroying Angell, yet it commeth not immediately by the sensible touch of an heauenly Angell; for if it did so come, it were extreame vanity, and madnes it selfe, to shunne the infected persons and places; but (ordinarily) by outward means and occasions: this to bee true, experience teacheth, that very many by declining the infected places and persons, hauehave béen saued and preserued.
Thirdly, sundry persons not infected, hauehave béene so kept by physicke preseruatiues; and many infected persons hauehave béene cured by medicines and plasters; but if God had immediately strucken thē from heauen,2. Sam. 24.15 (as he did 70000. of Dauids people) they had all died without recouery.
Q. But why are not all tainted and infected that liue amongst the visited parties and persons?
A. First, all persons are not (by reason of their naturall constitution▪) apt to take the infection. Secondly, God so ruleth and restraineth the plague, that it shall touch none, nor in any further degrée then God hath appointed. Lastly, the execution of charitable duties about the visited, preserueth many, and feruent prayer deliuereth sundry persons.
Q. Is it lawfull for any man to flee the infection?
A. Yes: for albeit Magistrates, necessary officers, and they that are pastors of the visited congregatiōs may not flee, yet they that eyther are fearefull, or freed from their ordinary calling, (for they are not bound, being in no publicke, and necessary office) may lawfully flee: for first a man may preserue himselfe by flight, so that he nothing hurt another, A man may shun dangers of the like nature as warre, famine, waters, fires, and why not then this iudgement?
Thirdly, there is lesse danger of infection, when the concourse of people is abated and diminished.
1. Obiection. They that flie cannot but distrust Gods watchfull prouidence.
A. The fault is not in the action, but in the person, because he distrusteth.
2. Obiection. Ob. But it is offensiue for a man …o flee.
A. The offence is taken and not giuen.
3. Obiection. Ob. Whatsoeuer is against the rule of charity is vnlawfull: but to flee, and so forsake our neighbour, is against the rule of charity, ergo.
A. Our neighbour is not forsaken so long as he wanteth the helpe neither of Magistrate, nor of kinsfolke, and other friends.
4. Obiection. Mat. 25. v. 43.Ob. But we are to visite the sicke, & that by Gods commaundement.
A. Leprous persons were excepted amongst the Iewes, and why not then the plaguie persons in our dayes? seeing that this disease is no lesse contagious.
Q. What is the duty of them that flee?
A. First, they must seriously repent of their sins, else God wil correct them in some other kind (if not in this).
Secondly, they must earnestly entreat the Lord by praier to stay his heauy hād, and to be mercifull to the visited.
Lastly, they must willingly contribute money to the visited.
Q. What is the duty of them that abide at home?
A. They must not bee secure and desperate (for oftentimes, Gods most excellent seruants are not onelyonly tainted & infected with, but also die of the plague) but humble themselues vnderunder Gods hand, and endeauour by prayer & repentance to pacifie and put away Gods displeasure.
Secondly, they ought not censoriouslie to condemne, but charitably to iudge of them that flie from infected places and persons: for, many of them are not tied to be resident by any speciall calling, and many (specially those that liue by their labours and by their trades) hauehave no sufficient meanes at home to maintaine them and theirs withall.
Q. Why doth God sometimes in one Country, or other, cut downe and destroy so many thousands of men, by the sword of plague and pestilence?
A. First, if God, now and then should not take this strict course, the number of men, (especially amongst Turkes, Papists, Pagans,) would exceed: for ordinarily men are faster borne then they die, and heereupon God thrusteth in his reaping hooke, and cutteth down certaine thousands, when the places where they liue and are resident, could not otherwise well containe, much lesse maintaine them.
Secondly, to snib and controll the pride and presumption of such, who (with Dauid when he numbred the people) glory and rest in their multitudes & millions:2. Sam. 24. v. 1. & 15. hereupon he to represse their vaine confidence, and to cure generall and desperate sinnes, abateth and lesseneth those numbers and multitudes.
Q. What meditations are meete for to comfort Gods children in the time of a generall infection by the plague or pestilence?
A. First, the plague is not casuall & contingent, but is from God and in his disposition, so that none die and depart this life, sooner or latter, in greater or smaller number then God permitteth and hath preordaianed.
Secondly, in the time of the old Testament, in the time of the Apostles, and in eueryevery age since, (in one place, part, prouince or other) Gods dearest seruants hauehave felt the contagion and noisomnesse of it, and sundry of them hauehave died of this visitation.
Thirdly, it is a more milde, gentle, and sufferable chastisement, then either warre or famine: for in the beginning, progresse and disposition of it, God rather worketh by himselfe then vseth the ministry of men, and who in iudgement remembreth mercy; but men when they are made the instruments to chastise vsus, so follow the violent streame of their owne corrupt affections, that they shew themselues destitute and depriued of all mercy and moderation.
Fourthly, when God doth by the plague correct vsus, he will trie and proue our faith in his powerfull and gracious prouidence: our tender compassion towards our distressed brethren, and our thankefulnesse towards them that either by publike authority, or, of their charitable disposition attend vponupon vsus, and that minister to our necessities.
Fifthly, God doth in the greatest infection when the plague most rageth, preserue very many, and especially those that are imploied about charitable offices which concerne the visited.
Lastly, Gods children that die by this visitation are as blessed as they that … by the common course of nature; for the Angels carry their soules into Abrahams bosome.
Q. What duties are the visited persons to performe?
A. First, they must commend themselues to God, who will for Christ his sake, be mercifull vntounto them.
Secondly, they must (whiles that there is any hope of life, and whiles they hauehave opportunity) vse preseruatiues, medicines, physicke, restoratiues, (for so did Ezechias:) but if they perceiue the fatall houre to be come, they must willingly, and confidently commend their spirits into Gods hands.
Thirdly, if they be parents and masters of families, they must exhort their children, kinsfolke and seruants, to the profession and practise of godlinesse and vertue: for the last words that such vtter, doe (commonly) leaue the deepest impression in the harts and minds of their chlidren, friends and seruants.
Lastly, it they recouer of the plague, they must bee thankfull vntounto God,Psal. 66. v. 14. pay vntounto him the vowes which their lips hauehave promised and their mouth hath spoken in affliction; and for the time to come they must feare afterclaps, and beware lest a worse thing doe heareafter befall them.