The Mystery of Self-Deceiving, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
The deceitfull iudgement of the heart in censuring our actions already done, and more specially the shifts it vseth for excusing of sinfull actions.
NOW it is deceitfull not onelyonly in the sentence it passeth vppon euill actions, but also vponupon 2. In cēsure, ofgood.
1. For good actions, two waies, first by condemning the innocent, and accusing vsus for them, as if we 1. Good. 1. condemning.had sinned; as when an Anabaptists conscience accuseth him for swearing before a lawful magistrate, lawfully exacting it, when a Papists for eating an egge in Lent. 2. by setting the good, we hauehave done at so high a rate, making a great deale of nothing.2. Ouerprizing them.
2. For euill actions, the iudgement of our hearts is deceitfull two waies.2. Euill, by
First, in iustifying the guilty, acquitting vsus for them as if wee had done well; as those our Sauiour speaketh of, that should iudge of the murther of the 1. iustifying them. Iohn 16, 1.Apostles, as of good seruice performed to God. And this deceit is the stronger, if the sinne bee happie in successe. Then vile wickednesse shal be graced with the name of vertue it selfe. Dionisius after his spoile of an idols temple, finding the winds fauourable in Foelix scelus virtus vocatur. Tullius de diuin. l. 2.his nauigation: lo, saith he, how the gods approue of sacriledge. Hee blessed himselfe in his supposed sacriledge, because of the good successe that insued. This was likely also to be Ieroboams deceit, that his calues were not so euill, when he saw how the Prophet, 1. Kings, 13, 2. 24, 33.which so thundred against them, was afterward slaine of a Lion. This also was the deceite of those wiues in Ieremie, that iustified their idolatrous in censing to the Queene of heauen, by the plenty and peace then enioyed in regard of that scarcenesse, Ierem. 44. 18.which followed the leauing of that idolatry. Like as many of the Israelites, when they were brought into the desart, where was want of all things, in regard of that which was in Aegypt, they preferred Aegypt; as now many, blinded with the same deceit, prefer poperie in the same respect, before the Gospell. But for the deliuering of our selues from this deceit, wee must know, that we must iudge of the goodnesse of the successe, by the goodnesse of the action, not contrarily of the goodnes of the action, by the goodnes of the successe.
Neither is this deceit, of iudging our sinfull actions, lawfull, and good, proper onelyonly to the blinde worldlings, but incident also to those, that hauehave some knowledge, and sense of religion, yea often to the truely godly themselues. Dauid cries out, who Psal, 19. 12.knoweth the errours of his waies? How many secret sinnes hauehave the best, which they are so farre from accounting sinnes, that they beare themselues out in them, as iust and warrantable? Of this kinde was the Polygamy of the Patriarchs, whose liuing and dying in that sinne, without speciall repentance for it, is to be imputed to this deceitfulnesse of heart, wee now speake of. And so no doubt is it still with vsus, that many sinnes goe current with vsus, without the least checke, in regard of the generall sway of the times. But this deceit is farre more grieuous in some, who being something like true Christians, (but indeede are not) are often fouly illuded by Sathan. So that as once Ioseph tooke the conception of the holy Ghost to Math. 1. 19.be an adulterous seede; so these men contrarily take adulterous conceptions, that is some thoughts and affections which spring from pride, and vaineglory, to be spirituall conceptions of the holy Ghost, and to come from zeale, and piety; and as once Eli & those mockers Acts 2. imputed the true worke of the spirit to drunkennesse: so these through the deceitfulnes 1. Sam. 1, 14.of their hearts, father vponupon the spirit certaine motions and actions, that are indeede the fruite of a certaine kind of drunkennesse and giddinesse of intoxicated minds.
The second thing, wherein the iudgement of the heart touching our sinnes shewes it deceitfulnes, is 2 Excusing them, bythis; That if the action bee so grosse, as that it cannot be excused in it selfe, yet to excuse it, as it was done by vsus. That though it cannot excuse it whollie, yet it will exceedingly extenuate it, making it to be in vsus, and as we did it, but a veniall, a petty and pardonable sinne. As the vniust steward in the Gospell for a hundred pounds set downe fifty, so deale we, nay farre worse, with our debts to God, that is our sins. Talents are made farthings: and farthings meere nothings. Great sins are made little sinnes: and little sinnes no sinnes. And heere especially doth the cunning deceitfulnesse of the heart excell. It doth so straine and stretch it wits, euen as it were on tenter hookes for to finde out excuses, as it were figleaues to couer our nakednesse, and thickets to lurke in, if it might be vnespied by God himselfe. This is that deceit Dauid meant when hee said, bessed is that Psalm. 32, 2.man in whose heart there is no Guile, namely to minse or mittigate the grieuousnes of his sinne, by the inuention of wittie and colourable excuses, and extenuations. And this, as it may seeme, he spake out of his own experience in that his grieuous sinne, in the matter of Vriah. For in this point the Scripture taxeth him for want of vprightnesse of heart, and therfore also himselfe at length, in his repentance, taking notice of it in himselfe, crieth out, O Lord thou Psal. 51. 6.louest the truth in the inward parts, therby implying, that in that sinne hee had discouered much deceit and want of trueth and vprightnesse; now in what more then in this, that he sewed cushions vnderunder his elbowes, that he might sleepe securely in his sinne, and after he had built the wall, he daubed it with the vntempered Eze. 13. 10. 20morter of his owne vaine and friuolous excuses; as that a King had equall authority ouer al his subiects, and therefore, since some must needs be exposed to more perill in the warres then others, hee might as well put Vriah to that hard lot, as another; that as long as Vriah was not slaine with his owne hands, but in the warres, hee was not guilty of his death, and diuers such like inuentions. And who shall not in some measure discerne this deceit? how busily will our hearts lay about them to finde some pretence or other for the lessening of our sins, to make them seeme lesse odious and vglie then indeed they are? So that, though, when wee come to giuegive iudgement, we cannot wholly free our selues, but must needes giuegive in the verdict against our selues, yet we will doe it as fauorablie, and with as great respect as may be. Like Dauid that when hee could not but send his subiects against Absalom, yet willed them to hauehave special care of not hurting him. But when our deceitfull hearts would vrge vsus to shew this fauor to our Absaloms to our darling sins, we should no more regard them then Ioab did Dauids charge concerning Absalom, but with stomacke and courage run them through with the two edged sword of the spirit, and not as vsually wee doe, Vitia nostra quia amamus defendimus, et malumus excusare illa quam excutere. Sen. ep 116. 1. Corruption of nature.onelyonly giuegive them a little pinch with our finger, or pricke with a pinne. But let vsus see the particularities of these deceitfull excuses.
The first is, to plead the corruption of nature. O say some, when they are iustly chaleng'd, we are but flesh and bloud, borne in sinne, our corrupt nature as a mighty streame carries vsus away violently. Wee are but weak fraile men; no Saints, no Angels. These see not that this is so farre from lessening, that it rather aggrauateth their sinne. For as the Philosopher saies of those that excuse their sinne by drunkennesse, Aristot. Eth. lib. 3. c. 5. foreign.that they deserue double punishment, first for the drunkennesse, then for the sinne committed in, and by their drunkennesse: so likewise is it heere. We deserue double dānation, first for this corruption of our nature, and then for the fruites of it, in our actuall transgressions; because as the drunkard is the cause of his owne drunkennesse, so wee likewise of our owne corruption of nature, for God made vsus holy and righteous, after his owne image, but we our selues in our first parents defiled & corrupted this holy nature. And therfore Dauid when in that penitentiall Psalme his repenting heart euen studied with it selfe, how to make his sinne out of measure sinfull, and to raise it vp to the highest degree of rebellion, he bringeth in the mention of his corrupt nature, as an amplification thereof, In sinne was I conceiued, and in iniquity brought forth. And least Psalm, 51. 5. 2. Examples of the godly sinning.it might be thought that he did cunningly alleadge it to lessen his sinne, he addeth, Thou louest the truth, no such deceitfull cloaking.
The second cloake are the examples of the faults of holy and godly men, specially those in the Scripture; as Dauids adultery, Peters deniall, Lots incest, Noahs drunkennesse, &c. How many are there that vponupon these examples, doe beare and boulster themselues out in the same or the like sinnes? But what a strange deceit is this, that that which increaseth sin, should be vsed as a diminution thereof? for by how much the person that sinneth is greater, by so much also is the sinne it selfe. Adultery by Dauids example was made so much the viler, by how much Dauids Audiant qui nō ceciderunt, ne cadant: qui ceciderunt, vt surgant. non cadēd… exemplū proponitur, sed, si cecideris, resurgendi, Aug. in Psal. 51.holines exceeded others. Againe what a grosse delusion is this, that that which indeede is an argument of feare, should bee made an argument of boldnesse in sinning: for who in his right minde would not reason thus with himselfe? Did Dauid, Peter, & other such worthies fall so dangerously, that had so excellent a measure of the spirit? oh then it standeth me in hand to looke to my selfe, whose feet are farre more feeble, and stand in far more slippery ground. Surely, if the Saints were aliue againe, and heere with vsus on earth, as there would bee diuers other matters of griefe vntounto them, so I thinke nothing more, then to see the horrible abuse, as of their vertues, so of their imperfections; of their vertues, when in that regard, they are defiled, by the superstitious idolater: of their infirmities & imperfections, when for them, they are made the patrones of hateful and shamefull deformities by the loose libertine. As it would grieue them to see those vertues, the weakenesse whereof made them to fal downe before God, in humiliation, to be raised vp to such an height, as to make others fal down to them in adoration: so also to see their sins, which wrought shame in themselues, to worke impudencie in others. If Dauid had committed adultery, as thinking it no such great matter, because of the example of some Prophet before him, there had bin some more colour in this excuse. But Dauid Ceciderat lapsu cupiditatis, non patrocinio sanctitatis. Correptus est per Prophetam, nō lapsus est in Propheta. Hec in t… amas quod Dauid in se od it? Aug. in Psal. 1. Heb. 1…. 1.fell, only through his own cōcupiscense, not vpō any patronage of holy mens examples: A Prophet with his words rebuked him for his sin. No Prophet with his deeds fleshed him in his sin: why doest thou louelove in thy selfe that which Dauid hated in himselfe?
To conclude this point; the examples of holy men in things imitable are compared by the holy Ghost to the Israelites cloud, that led them in the wildernesse. But their vnwarrantable examples are like the black part of the cloud, which whosoeuer shall follow, with these Aegyptians, together with them he is like to bee drowned in the sea of eternall destruction.
The third shift is their ignorance, and want of learning. 3. Ignorance.They say they are no schollers, nor book-learned. And therefore, howsoeuer these things they are accused of, would be scarse tolerable in others, yet in them they are very excusable. For the discouery of this deceit, we must vnderstand, that there is a twofold ignorance. A plaine & simple ignorance, & also a wilfull & affected. The plain & simple ignorāce, Excusat a tāto sed non a toto.though it may extenuate, yet it cannot altogether excuse. The ignorance of thy princes Lawes will not excuse thee in his Court, and thinkest thou that in Gods court, who is farre seuerer then any mortall wight, the plea of ignorance shall be heard? for as the Princes lawes are printed and published, & therfore may be knowne, vnlesse we bee either carelesse or wilfull; so also are Gods. Art thou then ignorant? the fault is thine owne, it cannot therefore saue thee harmles. No, the seruāt not knowing his Masters wil must be betē with some stripes, if he do it not, thogh Luc, 12. 47. 48.not with so many, as hee, that knowng it, does it not. But yet, if his ignorance, be the 2. kind of ignorance, wilfull, & affected, then he shall be beten with as many, if not more: for this kind of ignorance increaseth the sin rather, then any whit lessens it, & here, as in the case of drunkennes, dubble punishment is worthily deserued; because they do willingly shut their owne eies that they might not see, and do of set purpose, Auth. op. imperfect. in Math. hom. 44. nec potest eis esse excusatio condemnationis ignorātia veritatis, quibus fuit inueniendi facultas, si fuisset quaerendi voluntas.nuzzle themselues in ignorance, though the light on eueryevery side incompasse them, thinking therby to procure to themselues a liberty of sinning, without guiltinesse. But they are deceiued: heere truely hath place that saying, The ignorance of the truth can be no excuse to saue their condemnation, who had they had a will to seeke the truth, might easily hauehave had the skill to finde it. They double their guiltinesse, they twist the bonds of their iniquities stronger, and adde further weight to their sinne, when they think to make it lighter. To this purpose Thomas the schoolman speaketh very iudiciously, thus. Sometimes it happeneth that ignorance is directly, and in it selfe, voluntarie, 2ae. 2ae. q. 76. ar. 4. Contingit quando{que} quod ignorantia directe, et per se sit voluntaria, sicut cum aliquis sua sponte nescit, vt liberius peccet. Et talis ignorātia vt augere voluntarium et peccatum. Exintentione…n. voluntatis ad peccandum prouenit, quod aliquis vult subire ignorantiae dānum propter libertatem peccandi. 4. Translatiō vponupon others.as when one is willingly ignorant, that hee might sinne the more freelie. And such ignorance seemeth to increase our voluntarines, and so our sinne: for it proceedeth altogether from the intention of the will set vponupon sinning, that a man will willingly suffer the dammage of ignorance, to enioy the freedome of sinning.