Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX. The condition of Gods people is a reproached condition.
HAving now to handle this Doctrine, concerning Point 1.the reproaches that are caſt upon Gods people, before I ſpeak a word concerning the point, I deſire to put this caveat, That none upon hearing the eſtate of Gods people being reproached, ſhall think to waſh away all juſt reprehenſion and accuſation, and think to anſwer whatſoever they are accuſed of with this, That all Gods people have been reproached, and therefore think their condition to be but the ſame that uſually Gods people have been.
Firſt, if that were enough to anſwer any accuſation 1.upon this, then there ſhould never be any reprehenſion and accuſation, the Church of God ſhould never proceed againſt any for any evil.
Secondly, ſuch as think to put off juſt reprehenſions 2.and accuſations thus, have their conſciences reproach them more then others do or can reproach them.
Thirdly, it is not for all to make uſe of this that I am ſpeaking of, but onelyonly ſuch, whoſe conſtant 3.and general way is gracious, and inoffenſive; now if they meet with unjuſt accuſations, and reproachful ſlanders, they may have the benefit of this, to think it is the uſual condition of Gods people to be reproached; but if any have been offenſive, and evils break out, they cannot have the benefit of this point, for more evil may be in them then appears; and thus I lay this caveat to pull up evil weeds, before I ſow good ſeed. And now to the Point.
The condition of Gods people is a reproached condition. They have been a people ſubject to all maner of evil ſpeaking of them. This the Church of God complains of in Pſal. 79. 4. they were not onelyonly a reproach, but God himſelf gave them over to be a Pſ. 44. 13.ſcorn and reproach. Iſaac that was the ſon of the promiſe, we know how he was reproached and contemned by Iſhmael: and it is obſervable, when the Apoſtle ſpeaks of the reproach of Iſaac, in Gal. 4. 29. it is ſaid, Iſhmael perſecuted Iſaac; now that perſecution was nothing but his mocking and reproaching of Iſaac. We read of Job, a holy man, how lyable he was to reproach and contempt, Job 16. 9, 10. there you may read of the bitter reproaches he had from the abjects, ſuch as he would not ſet with his dogs, that had not bread to eat, and were driven from men to live among buſhes and nettles. In Pſal. 35. 15. David complains, the abjects of the people made a ſcorn of him; the baſeſt wretches that are, can finde a taunt, and mock at Religion; reproachers are the moſt baſe ſpirits. In Nehemiahs time, thoſe that ſought to build the Temple were ſcorned; in Nehem. 2. 19. it is ſaid, Tobiah the ſervant, one that had been but a ſlave, a baſe wretch, he comes and laughs them to ſcorn. And ſo in great mens houſes, if the Maſters do ſcorn at the godly, the baſeſt ſervants will do ſo too.
David hath many bitter complaints of the reproach he ſuffered, I was a reproach among all my enemies, Pſa. 31. 1.but eſpecially among my neighbors. Now the reproaches of profeſſors one againſt another, are the bittereſt, and moſt vile reproaches: and the reaſon of it is this, becauſe uſually reproach ariſes from ſome conteſtation about excellency: for a Prince that is The reproaches of Profeſſors the bittereſt.a great deal above another, hath not conteſtation with beggers, he does not reproach them, nor they him, for this diſtance is too great; but reproach is between equals, when one ſtands in the light of the other; or from inferiors, who have others by them who are above them, and their excellency ſtands in their light, and they caſt dirt upon their excellency, that theirs may appear the brighter. Now thoſe that have a conteſtation about Religion, have a conteſtation about the greateſt excellency, and where their hearts are unſavory, their reproaches will be the bittereſt reproaches. In Pſal. 109. 25. I became alſo a reproach unto them, when they looked upon me, they ſhaked their heads; and in other places the drunkards made ſongs of him. David was a man of ſuch an admirable ſpirit, the ſweet ſinger of Iſrael, and God had bleſt him with all things that might make him honorable, and had he not been religious, it were impoſſible that ſuch a man as he ſhould have endured ſuch reproaches.
And we have the Church complaining in Lam. 3. 30. He giveth his cheek to him that ſmiteth him, he is filled full of reproach. So all the Prophets that were the moſt eminent were reproached, as Iſaiah; in Iſa. 28. Precept upon precept, line upon line, that was a ſcoff they put upon Iſaiah; we have nothing but line upon line, and precept upon precept; the very ſound of the words as they are in the Original, carries with them a taunting, reproachful expreſſion, Zan la Zan, Kan la Kan, manda remanda, manda remanda; as ſcornful people by the tone of their voice, and ryming words, ſcorn at ſuch as they deſpiſe. And ſo Jeremy complains in the bitterneſs of his ſpirit, that Ier. 20. 28.the word of the Lord was made a reproach to him. And Ezekiel, ſee how he was ſcorned, Ezek. 33. 30, 31, &c.
And as they did the Prophets, ſo Chriſt, and the Apoſtles; when they were filled with the Spirit of God, they mocked them, and ſaid, they were filled with new Wine; And Chriſt tells them, they ſhall revile them, and ſpeak all maner of evil unto them. And ſo St. Paul, a man of moſt admirable parts, yet he ſays of himſelf, and of the other Apoſtles, 1 Cor. 4. 13. Being defamed, we intreat; the word tranſlated defamed, ſignifies blaſphemed. We are made as the filth of the world, and are the off-ſcouring of all things to this day. We are made the filth of the world, as if we were ſcraped out of the filth of the filth of the world; There is an emphaſis in that word, the filth of the world; why the world lies in filth, is even nothing elſe but filth, as in 1 John 5. 19. the whole world lieth in wickedneſs, as a carrion in the ſlime of it; to be accounted the filth of ſuch a filth, is a moſt vile eſteem of one indeed, that filthineſs muſt needs be great. Mundus hath the name à munditie of cleanneſs, but as lucus à lucendo, as mons à monendo, quia minimè lucet, minimè monet, ſo quia minimè mundus eſt. And further, the off-ſcouring of all things; to be the off-ſcouring of ſome things, is not ſo vile, but of all things, the moſt baſe, and contemptible things, how vile is that? The word ſignifies the dungcart that goes through the city, into which every one brings his filth, and caſts in: every one had ſome filth to caſt upon Paul and the reſt of the Apoſtles.
And in the Primitive times, the people of God were then a people under great reproach: What ſtrange things does Tertullian tell us they reproached them withal; as that in their meetings they made Thyeſtes ſuppers, who invited his brother to a ſupper, and preſented him with a diſh of his own fleſh; they charged them with uncleanneſs, becauſe they met in the night, (for they durſt not meet in the day) and ſaid, they blew out the candles when they were together, and committed filthineſs: they reproached them for ignorance, ſaying, they were all unlearned; and therefore the Heathens in Tertullians time uſed to paint the God of the Chriſtians with an Aſſes head, and a book in his hand, to ſignifie, that though they pretended learning, yet they were an unlearned ſilly people, rude and ignorant. Biſhop Jewel in his Sermon upon Luke 11. ver. 15. cites this out of Tertullian, and applyes it to his time: Does not our adverſaries do the like, ſaith he, at this day, againſt all thoſe that profeſs the Goſpel of Chriſt? O ſay they, who are they that favor this way? they are none but Shoomakers, Taylors, Weavers, and ſuch as never were at the Univerſity. They are the Biſhops own words. He cites likewiſe Tertullian a little after, ſaying, that Publici hoſtis.The Chriſtians were accounted the publike enemy of State. And Joſephus tells us of Apollinaris, ſpeaking concerning the Jews and Chriſtians, that they were more fooliſh then any Barbarian. And Paulus Fagius reports a ſtory of an Egyptian, concerning the Chriſtians, who ſaid, They were a gathering together of a moſt filthy leacherous people; and for the keeping of the Sabbath, he ſays, they had a diſeaſe that was upon them, and they were fain to reſt the ſeventh day, becauſe of that diſeaſe. And ſo in St. Auguſtines time he hath this expreſſion, Any one that begins to be godly, preſently he muſt prepare to ſuffer reproach from the tongues of adverſaries: and this was their uſual maner of reproach; What ſhall we have of you, an Elias? a Jeremy? And Nazianzen in one of his Orations, ſays, It is ſo ordinary to reproach, that I cannot think to go free my ſelf. And ſo Athanaſius, they called him Sathanaſius, becauſe he was a ſpecial Inſtrument againſt the Arrians. And Cyprian, they called him Cyprianus, Co prianusCoprian, one that gathers up dung, as if all the excellent things he had gathered in his works were but dung.
And if we look into the ways of Gods permiſſive providence in theſe latter times; what reproachful, and ſcornful blood hath run in the veins of wicked men, and what horrid things hath been invented upon the moſt famous perſons of our latter times? As Luther, this report came to him, he being yet alive, That Luther upon his death-bed had recanted, and he deſired the Sacrament, and after he was dead, there was a fearful Earthquake that ſhook the place where he lay, and they ſaw the Hoſt he had taken, hanging in the Ayr, and when he was put into the Grave, they heard a great noiſe, but they ſaw nothing, but a filthy ſtink aroſe, and his body was taken away. And ſo of Calvin; though he had a ſweet death, yet was it ſaid by the Popiſh Party, that he was eaten up with worms, (as thoſe ſaid of David, An evil diſeaſe cleaves faſt to him:) and then when he was to dye, he called upon the Devil, and blaſphemed the name of God. And ſo Oecolompadius, that he ſlew himſelf; and others reported, that the Devil ſlew him. It were endleſs to name the reproaches that we finde of the ſervants of God that were moſt eminent. Yea, I remember Seneca hath Nondū foelix es ſi nondū te turba deriſerit. Si beatus vis eſſe hoc cogita primū contemnere ab aliis cō temni. Sen. lib. de moribus.ſuch an expreſſion concerning Philoſophy; ſays he, You are not yet happy, if the rout of people do not deride you; if you will be happy, prepare your ſelves to contemn being contemned. And an other Philoſopher ſays, If one does but begin to ſet himſelf to the ſtudy of Philoſophy, he muſt expect to be ſcorned and derided. Now if this be the wickedneſs of mens hearts, as they cannot ſo much as endure moral Philoſophy, much more if a man begins to walk according to the rule of God. This is that which many fear, and they bring it to keep others from Gods ways, and ſay, If you embrace Religion, you will be derided at, and ſcorned: and by this many are kept from the good ways of the Lord; and therefore I being faln upon this argument, I ſhall labor to take away this ſtumbling block, that it may not hinder any. Thus you have ſeen the thing it ſelf, that it is ſo, that Why Gods people are ſo reproached …n the world.Gods people are a people under reproach. Now the reaſons for it:
Firſt, becauſe the men of the world look upon the ſervants of God, as having very poor low ſpirits; now thoſe are men that are liable to contempt and reproach. Gods people are not for the braveries of the world, and the glory of the world; and when they ſee their hearts are taken off from that which they count the bravery of the world, they contemn them.
Secondly, they look upon their ways as irrational: 2.There is no reaſon why men ſhould be ſo afraid of the leaſt ſin, they are ſtricter then they need, and do more then they need: ſo that the more earneſt Gods people are upon their way, the more wicked men will ſcorn them, becauſe they ſee them earneſt upon that which they ſee no reaſon for.
Again, they think the ways of Religion are but imaginary things, and notions, and there is no certainty 3.in them, and think it ſtrange men ſhould ſuffer for things that are to come they know not when, and are they know not what: and therefore one gives that reaſon, why Cyprian was called Coprian, becauſe he gathered ſuch fables and tales, (meaning the Goſpel) as they termed them, which they ſaw no reaſon for.
But eſpecially it does proceed from the pride and 4.malice of wicked men; from pride, and ſwelling, and Euſeb. eccl. hiſt. l. 4 c. 13.envying one at another; a proud and envious man will ſeek to caſt diſgrace upon that excellency that himſelf wants, as Licinius who was joyned with Galerius in the Empire, being ignorant himſelf, not being able ſo much as to write his own name, he was an enemy to learning, and as Euſebius reports of him, he called the liberal Arts, A publike poyſon and peſtilence. What was the reaſon that ſhould cauſe Sanballat and Tobiah to make ſuch a ſtir to reproach Nehemiah? Certainly the ground was this, Sanballat and Tobiah were in Samaria with a mixt people, and they had got a Temple, and endeavored to magnifie that; Now they thought that the Temple of Nebemiah would darken the glory of their Temple, and therefore they ſought to caſt diſgrace upon them, to bring them into contempt. And the malice of mens hearts, when it cannot vent its ſelf by open perſecution, then it will vent its ſelf by the perſecution of the tongue; malice makes men very watchful, to obſerve any thing whereby it may gain matter of reproach, and malice will make men exceeding inventive to finde out ſtrange ways of reproach, and exceeding bold in venturing upon reproaches.
For the firſt, that place is remarkable in Proverbs 16. 27. An ungodly man diggeth up evil, and in his lips there is a burning fire; if things be not plain and fair enough, becauſe he hath an evil ſpirit, he will dig up evil, if he can dig up any old buſineſs to reproach them for.
Now the ways of invention, that malice hath to 1. Malice is fruitful in inventing reproaches.reproach upon the ways of God, are many: As the ſtraining of any word to the utmoſt, and putting gloſſes, and falſe interpretations upon words; and thus it is eaſie to make any man a tranſgreſſor for a word, yea, for any word, as it was with thoſe, Iſa. 29. 21. They make a man an offender for a word, and lay a ſnare for him that reproveth in the gate.
A ſecond way is, by caſting out doubtful 2.ſpeeches; they will not accuſe one directly, becauſe it will be a ſhame to them, if it be falſe, but they caſt out doubtful ſpeeches, they know ſome will turn them the worſt way, and if they be examined, they can turn them another way, to ſave themſelves.
Another invention, is ſome ſecret intimations that others may gather, and it cannot be ſaid they ſpake 3.any thing, but by ſome geſture or the like, others may gather ſomething.
Fourthly, to ſpeak things as from others, and not 4.from themſelves, and in the ſpeaking of them to ſay, I believe ſuch things are not true, and yet they ſpread the report.
Another way is to ſpeak evil, and yet ſo, as to manifeſt 5.a great deal of grief and ſorrow for ſuch reports, and ſecretly deſire that they may ſpread, and take where they come.
Sixthly, when they want apparent matter for reproach, 6.they will pretend ſome love to get matter for reproach: ſo you may read in Ezra 4. 1, 2. when the adverſaries of Judah could not reproach them apparently, they pretended love, and this and that, they ſought the ſame God they did, and would ſacrifice to him, and therefore would build with them. So Sanballat and Tobiah deſired to meet lovingly with Neh. 6. 7.Nehemiah to take counſel together, but in this they intended his reproach.
Yea ſometimes, to ſpeak ſome truths with reproach, to make it to be believed the more. It is ſaid, 1 John 7.2. 21. that there is no lye of the truth, theſe men make the truth to be ſerviceable to a lye, they raiſe the ſtrength of a lye, even out of the truth. We might be abundant in ſhewing the ways of invention that malice hath, to caſt dirt and ſhame upon thoſe that it hath an evil eye upon.
Eighthly, if there be any ſhew of ſuſpition of evil, to 8.make it a certainty, and ſo to carry it in the report, as if it were ſurely ſo, this is a great wrong; for every man is in poſſeſſion of his good name, until the contrary Iudubiis melior eſt conditio poſſeſſoris.be made out, and in doubtful things the poſſeſſor hath the advantage, but in this way of malice, this his priviledge is taken away?
Ninthly, if there be any thing conceived evil, that 9.hath any nearneſs or likeneſs to that which is done, malice will faſten that evil upon what is done, as if it were that; as appears notably in the example we have Ezra 4. of Rehum the Chancellor, and Shimſhai the Scribe, and the reſt of their companions, as the holy Ghoſt calls them, ver. 9. in their reproachful accuſation of the people of God; whereas the Text ſpeaks onelyonly of their building the Temple, yet they accuſe them for building the rebellious City, that thereby they might free themſelves from ſubjection to the King. Thus while Gods people ſeek to build the Temple, to ſet up the Ordinances of Chriſt, they are accuſed for diſturbing the Commonwealth; becauſe they cannot do as others do, becauſe they cannot ſubject their conſciences to men, therefore they are reproached and accuſed, as diſturbers of the State, enemies to Government, &c.
Tenthly, Malice will teach men to draw conſequences 10.a great way off from the premiſes, that it may faſten reproach upon thoſe they have an evil eye upon, although in truth there be no dependance of that which they affirm upon that which they draw it from: As in the former example, Ezra 4. ver. 16. Certifie the King, that if this City be built again, and the walls thereof ſet up, by this means thou ſhalt have no portion on this ſide the River; It was a conſequence that they could not conclude from what they affirmed of them. Thus it is with many in their reproaches and accuſations of Religious men, if they be ſuffered to have their way in that which they pretend is for conſcience, they will grow Rebels, they will not live under government: ſurely there is no dependance of rejecting government upon Religion, upon ſubjection to the truth in a conſcientious way. And as it is inventive, ſo it is bold to venture ſtrangely upon ſuch things that men know they may be eaſily found in. It was the ſpeech of the Jeſuit Campian, Reproach Fortiter calumniare aliquid haerebit.valiantly, ſomewhat will ſtick, though it may be eaſily anſwered by thoſe who know the matter, yet the noiſe will go further then the examination, and much will ſtick by it.
A fifth reaſon of the reproach of Gods people, is from the malice of the Devil, becauſe the Devil 5.knows there is no ſuch way to darken Religion, and to damp the hearts of people from embracing it. And therefore it is obſerved of Julian, he would not go the way that other Emperors did, to oppoſe Religion by open perſecution, but ſought all means to caſt reproaches and contempt upon Religion, and by that means many were drawn from Religion: and certainly, where we ſee that reproaches are caſt upon ſuch as are religious, this is the end, to ſuppreſs Religion, there the Devil hath a great hand, and hopes to prevail much.
Again, God (ſometimes) hath a ſpecial hand in 6.this. Why does God ſuffer this? ſometime for the The ſins of Gods people, oft puniſhed by Reproaches.correction of his people; ſometime for the good of his people.
Firſt, for the correction of his people: there are ſeven or eight ſins puniſhed in Gods people by reproaches that are caſt upon them.
Firſt, that they have not been ſo tender of the name of God as they ſhould have been, you have not been 1.affected with the wrongs that have been done to the name of God, and therefore God ſuffers you to ſuffer in your names.
Secondly, the inordinate deſire of a name, becauſe 2.we are ſo ready to deſire a name abroad, and to have eſteem in the world, and are more ſolicitous about credit with men, then credit in heaven, therefore God ſometimes croſſeth his people, and ſuffers filth and dirt to be caſt upon them, to correct this ſin.
Thirdly, it may be you have not done that good to others which you might have done, therefore God 3.uſes them as a ſcourge to you this way.
Fourthly, it may be it is becauſe you have not 4.been tender of the name of others, and therefore God ſuffers you to ſuffer in the ſame kinde. Says Si quid ſimile aliis tu unquam feciſti. Si libenter alios talia Aicentes audiſti, quod abſ que culpa eſſe non poteſt.Chryſoſtom, When you hear any reproach you, you ſhould think, have not I reproached others? Or, have not I heard the reproaches of others, and been delighted with them? or, not affected with them, to grieve as I ought?
Fifthly, God ſuffers this, becauſe many times you have taken ill the reprehenſion of your ſins by Gods Miniſters, and have thought your ſelves diſgraced, and therefore God may juſtly puniſh this, by caſting diſgrace 5.upon you, you ſhall be diſgraced indeed by the tougues of wicked men.
Sixthly, becauſe many times Gods people will put 6.fair colours upon evil actions, hence God ſuffers their enemies to put foul colours upon good actions: we are ready to ſay, Good Lord, that ever we ſhould ſuffer ſuch things, when we labor to walk ſo ſtrictly, and our conſciences witneſs ſo well for us, that yet there ſhould be ſuch aſperſions! God puniſhes this; you have done evil with fair pretences, and therefore now though your actions be never ſo good, you ſhall have foul colours put upon them; your evil actions you made ſeem to be glorious, now your good actions ſhall appear as if they were foul.
Seventhly, becauſe the people of God have not 7.been careful to finde out the ſecret evil and filth of their hearts, therefore God will caſt outward filth upon them, this is uſual.
Eighthly, though we be conſcious of a great deal of 8.evil between God and our hearts, we many times are not aſhamed of that, and therefore becauſe God will have us aſhamed of our filth, he ſuffers filth to be caſt upon us outwardly.
Secondly, God intends good to his people, that they 2.might know themſelves; and though the world have The benefit Gods people reap by reproaches.not ſufficient reaſon to accuſe them as guilty, it may be a ſlander from another, and yet I know my ſelf guilty; and though not guilty of that, yet by this I may be put to ſearch ſome other evil that I am guilty of that is as great.
Again, they may make them watchful for time to come; though they be not guilty now, they may be guilty of that evil afterward. Now what a mercy of God is this to ſtop our way, though it be by filth? If a man be ſtopped from falling into a dangerous pit, though it be by a heap of dirt, he accounts it a mercy.
Thirdly, they recover them out of much evil: So that I may compare the reproaches of Gods people 3.to the rags of Jeremy, when Jeremy ſtuck in the mire in the dungeon, he was pulled out by rags, and ſo theſe reproaches of wicked men are rags that may pull us out of evil.
Fourthly, God ſanctifies theſe to his people, to make them more fruitful; they may be compared 4.to the dung that husbandmen caſt upon their ground, they ſcrape up filth and dung together to lay upon their ground, whereby it is more fruitful; ſo God ſuffers wicked men to gather up all the filth that can be, and caſt upon his people, which is but as dung to make fat the ſoil, the hearts of Gods people, to make them to be more fruitful in their way; as indeed never do Gods people more thrive in the way of godlineſs, then when many enemies are ſet to watch them. And thus we have done with the Explication of the point.