Discourse of Excuses, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. The Cauſes and Reaſons of Excuſes.
THus have I wearied the Reader, and my ſelf too, in ſeeking to hunt out this ſubtile Soul-Deceiver out of his Subterſuges and Lurking-holes. If we could catch thoſe Foxes that marr our Vines, and bind this Deſtroyer of our Country as they call'd Sampſon) it were time well ſpent. We will ſit down now, and ſee if we can diſcover the Reaſons of thoſe ſo many and various Excuſes: Them we ſhall reduce to two heads, 1. Enquiring the Cauſes, whence they come. 2. The Ends, why they are taken up.
1. For the firſt, If we enquire whence Cauſes of Excuſes.they come, it will lead us back as far as Original Sin; there, then, thence they had their Original: They came in with the firſt Sin. As Satan was a Deſtroyer and Murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the Truth; ſo was this Sin a Deceiver 1. Man's Fall, Cauſa prima.and Lyer from the beginning; when Integrity went out, Excuſes came in: An old Date, and memorable Year. Primo mundi, The firſt year of the Conqueſt: Anno libertatis deperditae, The firſt year of man's ſlavery under Satan; And as with a Conqueror many new Uſages are brought in, ſo is it here. God made man upright, there was none of theſe in his prime Conſtitution; but man faln, ſought Eccl. 7. ult.out many Inventions. This was Cauſa prima, The firſt Cauſe: There and then did this Black Art commence, which ever ſince the Children of men have ſtudied and improved. The ancienteſt Art or Science in the World, and moſt practiſed; Young and Old, Learned and Unlearned, all verſt in it; no need of theſe in Integrity. He that Joh. 3. 20, 21.doth good cometh to the light, but he that doth evil flyeth it, leſt his deeds ſhould be made manifeſt. Then did Adam and Eve lay their heads together, to cover their Bodies with Fig-leaves, and their Sin with Excuſes. The harmleſs Fowls of the Air build their Neſts on the tops of Trees, in the ſight of the Sun; but the Beaſts of Prey have their Dens, Caves and Holes, wherein they hide themſelves, and ſteal not out, but in the dark.
2. The ſecond is▪ near akin; A primà 2. A Prima orta, Our Corruption by the Fall. Jam. 1. 13.orta. Original Corruption (Peccatum Originatum) flowing thence, hath filled the World with Excuſes ever ſince. Now is man led aſide of himſelf and enticed, now is every Imagination of the Heart evil from his youth. And man buſieth himſelf about Gen. 6. 5.theſe two Imaginations chiefly, 1. How to deviſe and contrive Evil. 2. How to conceal and cover it. As the Fox and Badger firſt earth themſelves under ground, then do what they can to ſtop up the mouths of their Dens, that they may not be diſcovered. Thus doth man buſie his Brains night and day how to defend Sin, and to prove Darkneſs to be Light.
3. Nor could the World be ſo full of 3. Cauſae aſſiſtentes. 1. Priacipal, Satan.Excuſes as it is, if there were not ſome aſſiſting Cauſes to ſet them forward; Of which there be two ſorts. The one Principal, viz. Satan, and he, to be ſure, is never far off to lend his aſſiſtance. And hence you may ſee with wonder how prompt and ready ſome are at this Art, as if they had been trained up in Loyola's School, that you may know whoſe Children and Schollars they are, by their Language and Evaſions: He that is the Father of the Lyer, is the Father of the Excuſe-maker: He that taught man to lye, taught him to make an Excuſe; He that taught Eve to entice, and Adam to ſin, taught both to make excuſes. The Devil firſt put into Judas heart to betray his Maſter, then taught him to wipe his mouth, and ſay, Is it I? He firſt taught Ananias to tempt the Holy Ghoſt, then puts Acts 5.a lye in his mouth to excuſe it. Know therefore Man, or Child, when thou telleſt a lye to make an excuſe, the Devils ſtands at thy Elbow: Speak the truth, and ſhame the Devil.
2. The ſecond and leſs principal, is Man, 2. Secondary.Father, Maſter, or what ever other: It is not poſſible elſe that many ſo young ſhould be ſo dexterous, and ready at this Art, if they had not been taught. Parents ſometimes put a lye into the Childs mouth, and bid him ſay, He is not at home. Thus the High Prieſts inſtructed the Souldiers to ſay, Chriſt was ſtollen out of his Sepulchre Mat. 28. 13while they ſlept; and they would take it upon them. Profound Caſuiſts (the Jeſuits Predeceſſors) who have ſince ſo improved See the myſtery of Jeſuitiſm.this Art to ſuch a perfection, that they muſt be acknowledged the only Maſters of it; who can find a cover for every Diſh, and an excuſe for every Sin.
4. There be other Cauſes Concomitant, 4. Deficient cauſes. 1. Not conſidering God's Omniſcience.which I may call Cauſae deficientes, Deficient, or defective Cauſes, 1. Want of due ſenſe and conſideration of God's Omniſcience, Omnipreſcence, Purity, and his other Perfections, of ſearching the Heart, weighing the Spirit, that he is a ſtrict Obſerver of all our Actions; a ſevere Diſcoverer, Detecter and Deteſter of all Deceit; and that will bring to light all the hidden works of Darkneſs; otherwiſe they would ſtop and ſay, Will not God find this out? They conſider not, ſaith the Lord, that I remember all Hoſ. 7. 2.their wayes, how their own doings have beſet them about, they are before my face. They forget how he fetcht out Adam out of his Thicket, and ſingled out Achan from the Croud. Jacob knew his Fathers ſight was bad; and the Wife of Jeroboam, that Ahijah's 1 Kings 14. 4.Eyes were ſet; or he would not have been ſo bold to deceive his Father; or ſhe to diſguiſe her ſelf, to amuſe the Prophet. Had Gehazi known his Maſters ſpirit had gone along with him, and that he ſhould have been ſo immediately examined, and taken tripping in his Tale, he would have let Naaman and his two Bags alone. If the Prophet knew what the King of Syria did in his Bed-Chamber; The Lord that revealed that to him, knows all thou doſt in the Chambers of thy Imagery: He compaſſeth thy Bed and thy Path, knoweth Pſal. 139. 3.thy down-lying and up-riſing, and is throughly acquainted with all thy ways.
2. A ſecond deficient Cauſe is Men conſider 2. Or the extent of the Law.not the latitude, extent, purity and ſpiritualneſs of God's Law, That it requireth truth and ſincerity in the Worſhip, Service and Obedience, which we do perform to to God. The word of God is quick and Heb. 4. 12.powerful,—piercing to the dividing of the Soul and Spirit, and is a diſcerner of the thoughts and intents of the Heart: Now did men believe, and were ſenſible of the quick and lively Power, the Majeſty and Authority of the Word, and did remember thoſe Rules to walk with God and be upright; In all our wayes to acknowledge him; That whatſoever we do, we ſhould do it as to the Lord, and not to Men: and Col. 3. …3.withall conſider That by this word we ſhall be judged in the laſt day; It is not poſſible Joh. 12. 48.they ſhould ſtudy ſuch ſhifts, and flatter themſelves in them; for there would be no more need of them, then for the man that doth well to hide his head, and fly from the light, when he can make out his Joh. 3. 21.works to be wrought in God.
3. Very few have heard the ſound of the laſt 3. Or the day of Judgment. Mal. 3. 17.Trumpet ſounding in their Ears; nor do they believe there is a Book of Remembrance written before God. And that a dreadful day of account is coming, when theſe Books ſhall be brought forth, and that Rev. 20. 12.then God will ſet all in order before the Sons of men, with all the circumſtances of their evil Actions; and then bring every Secret to light, and reward all according to their Works: For did they ſo, it is not poſſible there would be ſo much baſe dealing and wickedneſs in the World, making Lyes their Refuge; as if they had made an Agreement with Hell, and a Covenant with Death. But there is a world of Atheiſm in Chriſtendom, and of Infidels among Chriſtians, that ſeek …o dig deep to hide their Counſel from the Lord; and their Works are in the dark, and they ſay, Who ſ…eth us? and who knoweth us? They turn things up ſide-down, ſaith the Prophet, turn a fair ſide outward, and a Eſay 29. 15, 16.foul ſide inward.
4. In the fourth place, There is little 4. Want of Conſcience.of that we call Conſcience in the World; and the want of it is a main deficient, or efficient I may ſay of Excuſes. There is much talk of Conſcience every where, but where is it to be found almoſt? Right Conſcience is Cordis ſcientia, ſaith Bernard; Or cum Deo ſcientia, ſay others; not Scientia ſimplicis Intelligentiae▪ as I may ſay, a bare ſpeculation, but an active, practical and uniform Concurrence of Breaſt and Brain, of Profeſſion with Practiſe; yea, of Man with God: when words & deeds agree with the heart, and the heart with God. But alas, there is much of Science in the World, little of Conſcience; much Head-knowledge, little Heart-knowledge; much ſtudying men, little minding of God. Were there more of this in the World, there would neither be carrying on of Deſigns, nor ſtudying Excuſes; but Acts 24. 16.a ſerious and ſincere endeavour to be without offence both before God and before men.
2. For the ends which Excuſes are 2. Ends of Excuſes.made uſe of, 1. Many fly to them, as we ſay, For ſhame of the World, and Speech of 1. To avoid ſhame.the People; as did they who took up ſtones to throw at Chriſt, who plead…d, They did it not for any of the goods works John 10. 33.he had done (that had been too bad) but for Blaſphemy: Better a bad excuſe then none at all. People woud have cryed Shame on them, it they had not covered their Malice with ſome plauſible pretence. So again, when Pilate urged his Accuſers for Reaſon, Reaſon, as they cryed out to him for Juſtice, Juſtice; why? what Evil hath he done? I find no faule in him: They would have been thought inexcuſable, if they could not have ſaid, We have a Law, and by our Law he ought to die: But none could they name that he had ever violated. So wh…n the Scribes and Phariſees never John 19. 6, 7.left perſ…cuting Chriſt, John Baptiſt, and the Apoſtles, and all that were better then themſelves, People would have cryed ſhame on them for their Impiety; But when they could ſay, You ſee we Reverence the true Prophets, Moſes, Samuel, Jeremy, Daniel, &c. We Celebrate their Memorials, garniſh their Sepulchres, and for thoſe Mat. 23. 30.good men we lament their loſs; Had we been in our Fathers dayes, we would have Sainted …ot Slain them: But Jeſus and the Baptiſt we know not whence they are; The one hath a Devil, the other is a Wine-Bibber, a Samaritan, Heretick a Mover of Sedition, and what not? So that now they muſt not be thought any wayes ill affected to true Piety, but honoured as the Pi…lars of the Church, the zealous Aſſerters of Truth, Unity and Order; and the only Sappreſſors of Hereſie, Schiſm F…ction, Sedition and Novelty. Juſt ſo do the Papiſts St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Lawrence &c. we keep dayes in their Memory, preſerve their Reliques, pray to them, honour them with a kind of Worſhip, ſhew more Piety towards them then all you Proteſtants do. But if Luther, Calvin, Cranmer, Ridley, &c. teach the very ſame Doctrine that Peter and Paul, they ſhall be Anathematized, or burnt to Aſhes, if they can light of them.
2. A ſecond end, Is to gain a repute of 2. To gain a Repute of Religion.Religion: And ſuch is the luſter and beauty of Religion, that though few affect the power of it, yet all court the Name, and are ambitious of the Reputation of it. Thus Machiavel inſtructs his Prince to put on the Vizor of one Religious; yet to ſcruple nothing mean while, whereby he may more enlarge his Dominion, or drive on his Deſigns. Thus thoſe very Jews again John 10. 33.make their defence, We ſtone thee not for any Cures, or other good Works wrought, or thy ſhews of Sanctimony; but thy Blaſphemy and Arrogance; To make thy ſelf the Son of God, and equal to God, we cannot bear: Very pious Souls! Though many have been ſo wicked as to do it, none ever was ſo weak as to own it, that they hated Piety and Virtue for its own ſake: A fair Pretence is fitteſt to cover ſo foul a Diſpoſition. Thoſe that hated, and caſt out their Brethren of old, as the Prophet ſaid, for owning the Name of God (no other Crime) yet ſaid, Let God be magnified, Eſay 65. 5. All was done out of zeal to God's Glory, and the Churches Peace. What do the Papiſts and other Perſecutors pretend leſs?
3. A third end, Is to ſtop the mouth 3. To ſtop the mouth of conſcience.of Conſcience, and ſtill its Clamors: Conſcience would lead the man an unquiet life, and would be clamorous, if he had not ſomewhat to pretend. Therefore ſome grave ſhews of Religion, ſome form of Godlineſs, ſome Sins forborn, ſome good Works done, ſome Duties performed muſt bribe Conſcience to let them alone. Thus Mat. 23. 14.could the Phariſee devour a poor Widows houſe; yet keeping on his conſtant courſe of Prayer and Divine-Service, the noiſe of the Widows cry never troubled him. So they that crucified the Lord of Glory, when they had ſuch a pretence as had a face of Law, Habemus Legem, were not at all ſcrupulous and ſo ſquearniſh as Pilate, who called for water to cleanſe himſelf of that Blood; they never call for water to waſh their hands, but take his Blood, and all Pilate's guilt upon themſelves; His Blood Mat. 27. 24, 25.be no us and our Children they cry, without the leaſt remorſe. Only they muſt have it done before the Paſsover, and muſt not go into Pilate's houſe that day of Preparation, that they might not be defiled when they came next day to the holy Paſsover; which Jo. 1…. 28.they conſcientiouſly were preparing themſelves for.
4. This is a profitable way to ſave charges, 4. To ſpare pains.coſt, pains and trouble, about Religion and their own Souls. And what a wonder is it to ſee thoſe very men, who will ſpare for no coſt, pains or charge for their Bodies, Diet, Apparel, Phyſick, Recreations, or their Buildings and Furniture; yea, their Horſes, Dogs, Hawks, every thing; ſtick only to be at coſt and pains about their Souls! The eaſieſt and cheapeſt Religion is alway beſt: The ſhorteſt way to Heaven pleaſeth moſt. Now theſe Excuſes fit their turn for that, and nothing like them. For ſhould they be at charge to mind Religion (as ſome do) it would ask pains, ſtudy, care, diligence, fear, trembling; there muſt be reading, praying, meditating, reforming, repenting, and I know not what more. To what end all this waſt, ſaith the Sluggard. I have heard of a more compendious way, and I will venture upon it: A good excuſe will ſave all this labour. And he is a very poor man indeed that is to ſeek an Excuſe.
Theſe deal with their Souls, as many Thread-bare Gentlemen do with their Backs and Garments, who muſt be in the faſhion, and loth to be at charge of new inſide and outſide; buy ſome handſome faſhionable outſide, put a little Trimming on it, and care not what the inſide is; who can look into that? or as others, who get a long Veſt, or Cloak, to cover all, whereas to Subueula pexae trita ſubeſt Tunicae. Hor.have all new and good, would ask more coſt.