Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. The Reaſons of the afflicted eſtate of Gods people, from the malice of the Devil and wicked men.
BUt what are the reaſons why it muſt needs be, that the eſtate of Gods people muſt be an afflicted eſtate?Queſt.
Firſt, as long as there is a Devil in the world it muſt needs be; he in his inſtruments is that red Dragon, Anſw. 1.red with fury and rage; he is that old Serpent, full of poyſon and deadly malice. Pliny ſpeaks of the Si videris iliquando perſecutorem tuum nimis ſaevientem ſcito quia ab aſcenſore ſuo daemone er urgetur. Ber. de Inter. domo c. 52.Scorpion, that there is not one minute, wherein it does not put forth the ſting, as being unwilling to loſe any opportunity of doing miſchief. He is called Satan, an adverſary, the deſtroyer, roaring Lyon, he infinitely hates God, and ſins that ſin, that is the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt, every moment: he hates the holineſs of God, and the glory of God, (which eſpecially ſhines in his Saints) with deadly hatred: he is caſt out himſelf, and therefore envies and vexes at the Salvation of any: as one that had committed the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt ſaid, he wiſhed that his wife, and children, and all the world might be damned together with him: hence he is reſolved, that if any be ſaved, it ſhall be with as great difficulty as he can procure.
Secondly, the poyſon of this old Serpent, ungodly men have ſucked up, they ſwell with it, and by it are 2.enraged againſt godlineſs. It is reported of Tygers, that they enter into a rage upon the ſcent of fragrant ſpices; ſo do ungodly men at the bleſſed ſavor of godlineſs. I have read of ſome barbarous Nations, who when the Sun ſhines hot upon them, they ſhoot up their arrows againſt it; ſo do wicked men at the light and heat of godlineſs. There is a natural antipathy between the ſpirits of godly men, and the wicked; Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity between thy ſeed, and her ſeed; Prov. 29. 27. An unjuſt man is an abomination to the juſt, and he that is upright in the way, is an abomination to the wicked. Now the contrariety of antipathy is:
Firſt, deep rooted, in the very natures of the things: a contrariety of act is not ſo much, as a contrariety 1.of nature; two ſheep may oppoſe one another, but there is not that oppoſition between them, as between a wolf and a ſheep.
Secondly, it is an active oppoſition, that will preſently ſtir at the firſt appearance; the wicked will preſently 2.diſcern a godly man, and their hearts do quickly riſe up againſt him.
Thirdly, it is a ſtrong vehement oppoſition.3.
For firſt, it breaks all bonds of nature, the bond between father and childe, between brother and brother; and all bonds of love and kindeneſs: we have a remarkable example for this, Numb. 22. 3, 4. Moab was irked becauſe of Iſrael, or did fret and vex, ſo the words; the ſame with that, Exod. 1. 12. There was no cauſe for the Moabites thus to fret, they were allyed to Iſrael, for Moab was of Lot, to whom Abraham was Uncle: Iſrael paſſed by them in peace, and by the ſlaughter of the Amorites they had freed them from evil Neighbors, which had before taken away part of their Land, and were likely in time to take away more; yet being of a different Religion, malice breaks all theſe bonds. The like ver. 4. of the Midianites, who came of Abraham, Gen. 25. 1, 2. The Iſraelites had freed them from Sihons yoak, and yet they conſpire againſt them, and ſeek their ruine.
Secondly, it is mighty bitter where it is: Pſal. 7. 13. it is ſaid, that God hath ordained his arrows againſt the perſecutors; the word ſignifies, ſuch as burn in danger and malice againſt the godly; and the word tranſlated ordained, ſignifies God hath wrought his arrows: he doth not ſhoot them at random, but he works them againſt the wicked. Illiricus hath a ſtory, which may be a Commentary upon this Text, in both the parts of it. One Felix Earl of Wartenburg, one of the Captains of the Emperor Charls the fifth, ſwore in the preſence of divers at ſupper, that before he dyed, he would ride up to the ſpurs in the blood of the Lutherans; here was one that burnt in malice, but behold how God works his arrows againſt him: that very night the hand of God ſo ſtruck him, that he was ſtrangled and choaked in his own blood; ſo he rode not, but bathed himſelf, not up to the ſpurs, but up to the throat, not in the blood of the Lutherans, but in his own blood before he dyed. Saint Paul, Acts 26. 11. ſays of himſelf before his converſion, that he was exceeding mad againſt the Saints of foreign.God; this bitter malice that is in the hearts of wicked men, againſt the godly, puts them upon ways of oppoſition againſt all reaſon and common ſence. After John Huſs was burnt, his adverſaries got his heart, which was left untouched by the fire, and beat it with their ſtaves. St. Paul in 2 Theſſ. 3. 2. deſires the brethren to pray, That they might be delivered from unreaſonable and wicked men; the word is, abſurd foreign.men. The malice of wicked mens hearts againſt the godly, makes them break all bounds of humanity, and go againſt Laws or any thing, in way of oppoſition againſt the ſervants of God. In the Hiſtory of the perſecution of the Merindolians, we read of the Biſhop of Aix, being full of rage againſt them, when the Preſident Caſſaneus would have allayed it a little, telling him that the arreſt of Merindol was not definitive, and that the Laws and Statutes of the Realm did not permit the execution thereof without further proceſs; then ſaid the Biſhop, If there be either Law or Statute that do hinder or let you, we carry in our ſleeves to diſpenſe therewithal: the Preſident anſwered, It were a great ſin to ſhed innocent blood; then ſaid the Biſhop, The blood of them of Merindol be upon us, and upon our ſucceſſors; then ſaid the Preſident, I am very well aſſured, that if the arreſt of Merindol be put in execution, the King will not be well pleaſed to have ſuch deſtruction made of his Subjects: the Biſhop anſwered, Although the King at the firſt do think it evil done, we will ſo bring it to paſs, that within a ſhort ſpace, he ſhall think it well enough, for we have the Cardinals on our ſide, and eſpecially the moſt reverend Cardinal of Tournon. We read likewiſe of the unreaſonableneſs of the malice of wicked men againſt Gods ſervants, in the Hiſtory of the Waldenſes: they petitioning, that ſeeing it was permitted to the Turks, Saracens, and Jews, (who are mortal enemies to Chriſt) to dwell peaceably in the faireſt Cities of Chriſtendom, that pity and compaſſion might be ſhewed to them, who have their whole Religion founded upon the Goſpel, and worſhipping the Lord Jeſus; and that they might be ſuffered to live quietly in deſolate Mountains, and deſarts, and valleys, proteſting that they would live in all fear and reverence of God, with all due ſubjection and obedience to their Lord and Prince, and to his Lieutenants and Officers; and yet this Petition could not be granted. We read likewiſe, that when that worthy Servant of God, John Frith, who was a learned and godly Miniſter, was burnt at the ſtake, together with one Andrew Hewet; that one Doctor Cook a Parſon in London, openly admoniſhed all the people, that they ſhould in no wiſe pray for them, no more then they would for a dog. O what bitterneſs and rage is there in the hearts of wicked men, againſt Gods ſervants! No marvel then, ſeeing they live amongſt them, they ſuffer ſo much affliction as they do. The Lord tells Ezekiel, that he lived amongſt bryars and thorns, and that he dwelt amongſt ſcorpions. Ezek. 26.Thus all Gods people, living with the men of the world, may be ſaid to live amongſt bryars and thorns, and to dwell amongſt Scorpions; no marvel then though they be ſo torn and ſtung as they are; ſome have onelyonly ſnarling, wrangling, railing ſpirits, and there is all they can do; the worſt is but to prick and tear the fleſh, as a bryar and thorn; but others are ſcorpions, able to do a great deal more miſchief.
Fourthly, this oppoſition of wicked men againſt 4.the godly, is an univerſal oppoſition.
As firſt, oppoſing all that do belong unto the ways of godlineſs: as Luke 9. 53. it is ſaid of the Samaritans, that they would not receive Chriſt, becauſe his face was as though he would go to Jeruſalem; their hearts were againſt any inclination, againſt any thing that tended that way.
Secondly, if they can have advantage againſt any one, who makes any ſhew of Religion, they let flye againſt all, they rage againſt all, as Haman againſt the whole people of the Jews, when he was provoked againſt Mordecai.
Yea thirdly, they even hate their children after them, they ſhall fare ſomething the worſe for the forwardneſs of their Parents.
Fifthly, it is a ſecret oppoſition, for ſo Antipathies 5.are, there can be no reaſon given for it, but as he ſaid, This onelyonly can I ſay, I do not love thee, but I cannot Non poſſum dicere quare: hoc tantum poſſum dicere non am… te. Bonus vir Caius Seius, ſed Chriſtianus.ſay wherefore: they are convinced that they are better then themſelves, in their moſt ſerious thoughts, they wiſh to dye their death, to be in their condition, and yet their hearts do riſe againſt them: as they were wont to ſay of Caius Seius, he was a good man, but he was a Chriſtian. But it may be ſaid, there is a reaſon for our oppoſition, we do not oppoſe them for their goodneſs, but becauſe they oppoſe Laws, and we would ſee the Laws to be obeyed; we do not oppoſe them for their godlineſs, but for their hypocriſie. For anſwer, the Devil never oppoſed Religion, but under ſome colour. Pharaoh cryes out of the people of Iſrael that they were idle. Haman ſays, that it was not for the Kings profit to ſuffer the Jews. Tobiah and Sanballat cryes out of them, that they were enemies to Kings and Government. Saint Paul was accuſed of ſedition. But ſurely it is not for the execution of Laws, that mens hearts do ſo riſe againſt ſuch as are forward in the ways of Religion, for in other things they count men too buſie, when they ſeek the execution of Law. It was Tertullians appology in the behalf of the Chriſtians againſt the Gentiles, who objected the ſame thing againſt them; O ſays he, there Tertul. Apol. ad verſus gentes. c. 6.are other Laws more for the good of the Commonwealth, that you do not execute; as he inſtanceth in Laws that were made to reſtrain men from ſumptuouſneſs in feaſtings, and in apparel, and houſholdſtuff, and in their exceſſive coſts about their Shows and Games, yea, and many ancient Laws about Religion they regarded not. And as for that plea of hypocriſie, take this one evidence, that it is not that which is oppoſed, but Religion it ſelf: if it were hypocriſie that were oppoſed, then the better they did grow when they were in their moſt ſerious moods, the more they would oppoſe it; for that which is evil muſt needs be ſo much the more oppoſed, by how much the more any grows better; but it is apparent, that howſoever men in the heat of their pride and luſts, ſet themſelves againſt the ſervants of God, under that name of hypocriſie, by which they blinde their own conſciences; yet when at any time they are in any ſerious mood, and their hearts grow into any better diſpoſition, then they are not ſo ſet againſt them as before; whereas if it were evil that they hate them for upon their ſick beds, and death-beds, they would hate them moſt of all; but we know it is not ſo.
Sixthly and laſtly, the oppoſition that comes from 6.Antipathy, is an irreconcileable oppoſition; it may be curbed and reſtrained a little, and for a time, but reconciliation can never be made, except one of the natures be changed; no arguments, no perſwaſions, no means can do any good here, it is onelyonly change of nature that can help. Now then ſeeing that there is ſuch an antipathy between the people of God, and the men of the world, with whom they live, how is it poſſible but that while they live with them, they muſt needs be afflicted by them?