Body of Divinity, Book 4 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Of Deceit, Distrust, Divination, Division, Drunkenness.
DECEIT.
DEceit is when we make shew of one thing and do another.Est propriè per dolum in verbis, per fraudem in factis.
It is that vice by which men are apt to make shew of good they intend not, and again to hide the shew of that evil they do intend, or by which men cover over bad purposes with fair pretences, that they may the moreAll the Latine Lewis the eleventh would have his Son Charls the 8th to learn, was this, Qui nescit dissimulare nescit regnare. Fraus oritur ex similitudine. Alchimy is like gold. The Italians have a Proverb, He that deceives me once, its his fault; but if twice, its my fault. easily accomplish them, as in Saul to David, whom he desired to thrust upon his own ruine in fighting with the Philistims, and his pretence was to honour his valour by making him his sonne in law. Iacobs sons used it against the Sichemites, Iudas against Christ, he came with a kisse when he meant nothing but mischief.
It is a great sinne, David blameth this fault in Doeg, Psal. 52. See Psal. 5. 6. it is a sinne condemned by nature, for no man can choose but complain if he meet with it in others; and by Scripture more, Mark 7. 17. Rom. 3. With their tongues they have used deceit, Rom. 1. 29. 1 Pet. 2. 1. Deceitful men shall not live out half their days, David. The bread of deceit shall be gravel in the belly, Salomon, The deceitful man shall not rost what he took in hunting. Of all vices it takes up most of the lodgings about us, 1. Our spirits, Psal. 2. 2. 2. Our thoughts, Psal. 38. 12. 3. Our hearts, Prov. 12. 20. 4. Our mouths, 1 Pet. 2. 22. 5. Our lips, Psal. 34. 12. …6. Our tongues, Psal. 15. 3. 7. Our bellies, Iob 15. 35. 8. Our feet, Iob 31. 5. All our members, Acts 13. 10.
There is fraud in bargaining and conversing; Davids whole carriage to Achish was nothing but a pack of fraud, Abraham helped himself by deceit, saying of his wife, She is my sister. Isaac practised the same deceit with lesse probability or shew of truth. Plain Iacob was drawn by his mother to use deceit to get the blessing.
Reasons.
1. The causes of it are want of the fear of God, and of charity to men: a Christians faith and love must be foreign without dissimulation, S. Paul saith it twice of both.
2. It is an abuse of a good gift, yea one of the best natural gifts, wit, reason and understanding, Corruptio optimi pessima.
3. It overthrows the welfare of humane societies, and is contrary to charity, equity, and all well-ordered laws.
Distrust.
It is a kinde of shaking or loosnesse of the heart for want of something to stay upon for attaining of good or avoiding evil, Isa. 7. 2.
1. We must not distrust God, as Ahaz did in Isa. 7. and Sarah when she heard of her having a son, and the Israelites when they murmured in their tents, and said, They should perish in the wildernesse; and David, I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul.
2. We must not distrust men without cause, thinking they will not do such things as they have promised or undertaken, or as they seem willing to do, which was the fault of Saul, who distrusted the loyalty both of David and of the people, onelyonly because they in their Song ascribed to David ten thousand, and mistrusted Ionathan also as if he had been disloyal.
3. We must moderately distrust our selves and our own wit and sufficiency, as Salomon did, saying, I am but a childe, and I cannot go in and out before this great people: And Paul when he said, I am not sufficient to think any thing as of my self. We must not so distrust our selves, as to be disheartned from attempting to do our duties, which was Moses his fault, that because he was not eloquent refused to go to Pharaoh, but alone in such measure, as to make us seek more earnestly to God for his help and assistance.
Divination.
Divination is quaedam praenunciatio futurorum, saith Aquinas. In general is aDe divinationis nomine nolim multum contendere. Tantum dico, divinationis nomen mihi quoque videri impropriè Astrologicis praedictionibus tribui, quoniam is verè dicitur divinare, qui interno quodam impulsu, non autem ex causis aliqua praedicit. Beza Epist. 29. Augurium est divinatio quae ex avium volatu, cantu aut pastu capitur, diciturque augurium quasi avigerium, quia ex gestu avium sumebatur, inde tamen transfertur ad quamlibet divinationem▪ Cornel. a… Lap. in Num. 23. Modu… quo exequuntur has divinationes ineptus est, & meritò à maximis ingeniis etiam inter tenebras derisus: per garritus aut volatus avium, per pastum pullorum, per exta animantium, per stridorem soricum, per voces temere jactatas. Lod. Viv. de verit. Fid. Christ. l. 2. c. 13. Vid. Thom. Aquin. 2…, 2ae Quaest. 95. Artic. 1, 2, 3, &c. course, way or proceeding to effect strange and unwonted effects by means not allowed or ordained by God, either in the course of nature, or any special institution; as for example, to finde out secret and hidden things, who did this or that, where such a thing is which is lost, what shall become of such a man in such a businesse, and to hurt a man and strike him with a disease, or to help another and cure him of a disease, or the like.
Of these strange effects some are plainly diabolical, which are done by a manifest, direct and personal concurrence of Satan and association with him, such as all Sorcerers, Conjurers and Witches use, and those which have familiar Spirits, who raise up the Devil himself to appear in likenesse to them, and answer and do things for them, and such as were used of old in Oracles, where the Devil disguised himself under the appearance of a god.
2. Mixtly natural and diabolical, when Satan is not directly consulted withall, but certain natural things are imployed to the end whereto in nature they serve not to cover the Devil from mens eyes, and so to work more secretly, as in all those which are termed curious arts, Act. 19. 19. such as are the use of charms, and spels, and divinations of all sorts, and the casting of figures, and observation of heavenly bodies, out of them to pick the knowledge of contingent events, which because they have no certainty in their nature, therefore cannot be collected out of these natural things, upon which alone certain and necessary things do follow. This Art of Divination and all the rest are nought, for they came from Satan and serve to set him up in mens mindes, and to quench the respect and fear of God.
Division.
All creatures in their natural estate are severed and divided one from another.Primum bonum summae Trinitatis est indivisio. The Unity in the Trinity is the chiefest thing, and the Devil among the vulgar is known by his cloven foot. The Pythagoreans have set a note of infamy upon the number of two, because it was the first that durst depart from unity, Numerus binarius infamis est, quia primus ausus est discedere ab unitate, elegantly; for nothing is so diabolical as division, nothing more divine than unity. Dr Stoughto…s Happinesse of peace, p. 5.
1. They are divided from God the only and chiefest good.
2. From the Angels, 1 Cor. 11. 10.
3. One from another, Isa. 19. begin.
4. From themselves. We are joyned to Satan and comply with the Idols of our own hearts, Ezek. 14. begin.
1. The nature of this division is not only local, as that of Reuben▪ Judg. 5. 15, 16. by the river Iordan, or in externals, but spiritual which is the worst, as spiritual union is the best. This makes the difference in mens mindes, judgements, wils, consciences, Acts 26. 9. Iohn 16. beg. divided in the very ends they propound, and the means that lead to those ends, and the rule.
The causes of it are sad, the lusts and sins of our own hearts, the just indignation of God.
These sins especially,
1. Idolatry, Iudg. 5. 8.
2. Covenant-breaking, Levit. 26. 25.
3. Pride, Ier. 13. 9. compared with 14.
4. Hypocrisie, Isa. 10. 6.
5. Apostasie.
Arguments against division and falling into parties:
First, Divisions are a judgement of God upon a Nation, Zech. 13. 14.
Secondly, Consider the several sins that falling into parties puts men upon.
1. It puts them on great thoughts of heart, Iudg. 5. 15.
2. Men break forth into bitter censuring and reviling of those which are not of their own party, Prov. 21. 24. Iames 4. 11. they set up their own will in opposition to God.
3. It causeth men to be glad to hear evil one of another, and take up any report for truth, Nehem. 6. 6. and glad of any mischief that shall befall them, Ezek. 25. 6.
4. This layes upon men a necessity of joyning with any to oppose that party, though they be never so contrary in religion or affection.Studium partium est maxima pars studiorum.
Thirdly, Falling into parties is a certain way of ruine.
1. In the just judgement of God, Hos. 10. 2.
2. In the nature of the thing, Iudg. 5. 5.
In cause of religion every subdivision is a strong weapon in the hand of the contrarySee Isa. 9. 21. Ierusalem was destroyed by division of them into parties. Iosephus. Dum singuli pugnant universi vincuntur. Tacitus. part, Hist. of Councel of Trent. lib. 1. pag. 49.
Two earthen pots floting with this Inscription, Si collidimur, frangimur, If weIt was Machiavels maxime, Divide & Impera▪ knock, we crack, were long ago made the embleme of England and the Low countries; but may now be extended to all Christians.
We shall finde in our English Chronicles, that England was never destroyed butSee Mr Calamies Sermon on Mat. 12. 25 There is no union or division like that in Religion. The breach between the ten and two Tribes began on a State-businesse, yet Ieroboam laid the foundation in Religion. when divided within it self, our civil divisions brought in the Romans, the Saxons, Danes and Normans.
Though our Civil and Ecclesiastical breaches be very great, Lam. 2. 13. yet God can and will heal all the breaches of his Saints.
1. Because he hath promised to do it, Isa. 2. 4. & 11. 6, 7, 8, 9, 13. & 30. 26. & 32. 18. & 33. 20. Ezek. 28. 24. Ier. 32. 39. Zeph. 3. 9. Zech. 14. 9.
2. Christ hath prayed for it three times in Iohn 17. viz. 21, 22, 23. verses.
3. Christ died to make his people one, Ephes. 2. from 14. to the later end. See 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 8. to the end.
There are some cementing or reconciling graces, faith, repentance, charity, Col. 3. 14. and humility.
There is much talk of peace and unity, peace with truth, or peace and holiness are joyned together in Scripture.Speciosum quidem nomen est pacis & pulchra est opinio unitatis: sed quis ambigat eam solam Ecclesiae atque Evangeliorum unitatem esse, quae Christi est? Hilarius adversus Arianos. Sect▪ in quas Iudaei divisi scindebantur, & quasi Scholae oppositae, tres olim ex…erant nomina…ssimae. Nam si quae erant aliae ab istis tribus▪ Inde velut propagines effloruere. Erant autem illae tres, Phari…aeorum prima, Sadducaeorum secunda, tertia Essenorum. Montac. Analect. Exercit. 3. Sect. 1.
We should pray to Christ to heal our divisions, that he would make us one, we should put on love which is the bond of perfectnesse, Col. 3. 14, 15. See Phil. 3. 14, 15.
Drunkennesse.Hos. 4. 11. Luk. 12. 45, 46. It is magna animae submersio. August. It is vitium maximae adhaerentiae, as the Schoolmen say, seldom left. Proverbium est in Sa…edri…, in…rat vinum, exit arcanum. D…u…. Adag. 9. Decur. 2. In vino veritas. Drunkennesse doth both make Imperfections and shew those we have to others eyes. D▪ Halls Contempl. The Spartans to make their children loath it, were wont to present to their view some of their vassals when drunk, that seeing their beastly demeanour they might learn to detest it. Plutarch. Drunkards live (like fishes) in liquido, in the water, they make the Tavern their Temple, Indian smoke their Incense, Sack their Sacrifice. I never heard other commendation ascribed to a drunkard, more then the well-bearing of his drink, which is a commendation fitter for a Brewers horse then for Gentlemen or Serving-men. L. Cecil to his Sonne. Germanorum bibere est vivere, in practice as well as in pronunciation. A Professor of Hebrew reproving another that was drunk, he answered to him, Ego ebrietate mea tantum meum caput turbo, tu ebrietate tua turbas Israelem. Arminius reproving Baudius a Professor of L…yden (who would be often drunk and sometimes rendred this as a reason why he could not read his Lecture that day, Prop…er …ster…am crapulam) he said thus, Baudi, tu dedecories reipublicae: & tu Ecclesiae, replied the other. Germania tota super ebrietate malè audit. Scalig. Orat. …. cont. Erasm. Germani possunt cunctos tolerare labores, O utinam possent tam benè ferre fitim. Vide Lansii Orat. cont. Germaniam.
Drunkennesse is a great sin, Isa. 28. 1. Deut. 32. 32. Prov. 23. 29, 30, 31.
The Scripture condemns it, Be not drunk with wine▪ saith the Apostle; Salomon forbids to keep company with a wine bibber; the Prophet denounceth a woe to the drunkards of Ephraim. Drunkennesse is one of the fruits of the flesh, and a drunkard one of those whom Paul excludes from heaven; Nature condemns it, it trampleth under▪ foot at once the whole Law and Gospel too.
First, For the Law it violates each Commandment; The first, the drunkard makes his belly his god, he cannot exercise knowledge of God, love, fear, confidence, remembrance of sin, or any vertue. It breaks the second Commandment, it is a direct breach of our vow made in Baptism, and renewed in the Lords Supper, for this is one of the works of the Devil which we then renounced. Again it hinders a man from praying, reading, meditating, or doing any good and religious duty. It breaketh the third Commandment, because it is an abuse of one of Gods creatures, and so takes Gods name in vain, it causeth that one can neither see God in his works, nor do any works to his glory, nor shew forth thankfulness for benefits, nor patience in crosses, and because it fils the mouth full of foul and desperate oaths. The fourth, he is unfit to sanctifie the Sabbath▪ and if one be drunk on the Lords-day, it is a great prophanation of it, for it is farre from a holy work. The fifth, it makes one despise Parents, Magistrates, all Governors, it makes him abuse Wife, Children, Servants, and all his Inferiours, it makes him lift up himself above his equals, and despise all in comparison of himself. The sixth, it is a hurt to his own body, and breeds vile diseases, dropsie, fever, rednesse of eyes, makes him rail, revile, quarrel and kill, and commit all insolent injuries, and hazards himself to untimely death, Gal. 5. 21. The seventh, for it fils heart and tongue and all full of filthinesse, it inflames the body to lust, a drunken Lot will commit incest, Rom. 13. 13. The eighth, it is a wasting of time and goods, and a robbing of a mans self and family, it often enciteth to cozenage and beguiling, it is grosse injustice. The ninth, it makes him full of bragging and boasting and backbiting, his tongue is as full of vanity as his head of vapours. The tenth, it fils the minde full of leud imaginations, and exposeth him to Satans suggestions. Perkins on Revel. 2. 14. shews that Popery breaks every Commandment.
Mr Paget in his admonition touching Talmudique allegations, pag. 422. to 436. shews how the Jewish Rabbins break every Commandment.
It is against the Gospel, it oppresseth the heart and takes away reason, that a man grows hard-hearted, and fils men full of presumption.
There was a street in Rome called Vicus sobrius, the sober street, but is there a village in England that may be called Villa sobria, the sober village?
If a man (though he loaths drunkennesse) should (to symbolize with wicked company) drink immoderately, yet it is drunkennesse: it is true he is not ebriosus, an old soaking drunkard, yet he is …brius, he hath committed the sinne of drunkennesse.
There is a two-fold privation of reason:
1. Aptitudinal, when a man drinks so immoderately, that there is a disposition to disturb reason, yet because he is of a strong brain and constitution, he can bear it without any disturbance, and this hath a woe, Woe to those that are strong to drink, that have strong brains and bodies to carry their liquor away, and never cry out with him, Duos soles video.
2. Actual, either total and compleat, when reason is fully intercepted, and that isIsa. 5. 22. 1 Pet. 4. 3. See Hackwels Apol. p. 337, 339, 344. Wards Woe to drunkards. Ames. de consc. l. 3. c. 16. By Solons Law it was punished with death in every one though he were a Magistrate or Prince. No civil State but have made severe Laws against it. If Chrysostom were now alive, the bent of all his Homilies should be spent to cry down drunkennesse, as he did swearing in Antioch. Vide Aquin. 2a, 2ae Qu. 150. Artic. 1, 2, & 3. Aristotle said, Every drunkard was worthy of a double punishment, both because of his drunkennesse, and the evils afterward. In the Scripture we have two notable instances of Gods loathing this s…n, in Noah and Lot, Gen. 9. 21. & 19. 33. though many excuses might be brought. Consider 1. that the power of wine was not so well known. 2. Noah used constantly to drink water. 3. It was but once. 4. He was aged, Old men (saith Aristotle) are sooner drunk, because of the weaknesse of their natural heat, which is easily overcome by that of wine. Lot being sad and solitary took wine perhaps to refresh him. to be stark drunk, to be a vivum cadaver, as Chrysostome cals it well, a breathing carkasse; one cals them Ventri-d…mones, belly-devils, who like D…genes could live in a barrel all their life time.
2. Partial, when a mans fancy is not wholly disturbed, yet he is so farre tipled, that both his fancy and judgement are darkned, and the house runs round with him.
Means to avoid it:
1. Shun the company of drunkards, and all occasions.
2. Cry to God to help you against this vice, and consider the terrible threats against it, 1 Cor. 6. 9.
3. Get thy sensual appetite mortified.
4. Taste of Christs wine, the sweetnesse of having Communion with him, Ephes. 5. 18.