Armor of Proof, Section 27
§. 27.
THirdly. Our entirenesse with wicked men …osses us, not only in their sins, but oftentimes in their punishments also; as it fared with the 36. men which were slain before Aye, for Achan's sake, Ioshua 7. where we see the innocencie of so many thousand Israchtes was not so prevalent, to expiate his one sin; as his one sin was, to taint and bring judgment upon all Israel. If the Stork be taken damagefeceant with the Cranes, …he is enwrapped in the same net, and cannot complain that she is surprised. He that walketh with the wise (saith Salomon) shall be wise; but a companion of fools, shall be afflicted, Pro. 13. 20. This Augustine well observes, speaking of the religious, taken amongst the rest of the Gothes, Iure amara… vitam sentire, quia …cantibus amari esse nolu…runt. And hereupon Moses separates Israel from …orah, Dathan, and Abiram, saying, depart from the Tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs; least ye perish with them; Num. 16. 26. And doth not God himself say to his people, touching Babylon, Go out of her, my people, that ye be not partaker of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues? Rev. 18. 4. Where sin is let in, punishment will not be kept out. Yea, if Lot had stayed in Sodom, he had been destroyed: if his Sons would have gone out, they had every man escaped.
Indeed, we cannot be too far off from such company; and it were happy if they were kept by themselves; for so long as the infected person is shut up, his plague doth not spread. And besides the benefit of our safety, wickedness would soon be ashamed of it self, if it were not for the encouragement of companions. Solitariness is the fittest Antidote for spiritual infection. It were happy for the wicked man, if he would be separated from himself. Antisthenes would often say, It was a great oversight, sithence they purged their Wheat from Darnel, and their warres from cowardly Souldiers, that they purged not their common wealth from lewd and wicked people.
Or if our persons escape scot-free, yet we may suffer in our estates, and be crost in our most weighty designes and determinations, only for joyning in league or friendship with Gods enemies. Because thou hast joyned thy self with Abaziah (saith Eleazar to Iehosaphat) the Lord hath broken thy works, and the Ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish, 2 Chro. 20. 37.
But admit they can not infeoffe us, eitheir in their sin or punishment: yet their society will be a shrewd vexation to us. As let a religious man fall into their company, as an honest man may fall into the hands of theeves, they will conspire how to afflict his eyes, with unchast visions; his ears, with fearful oaths, his unwilling appetite, with drunken healths; which even a civilized Pagan would abhor. We read that Clitemachus the wrestler (though a great company keeper, yet) if he had heard but one filthy word, would presently depart. How was just Lot vexed with the uncleanly conversation of his wicked neighbou…s? Sodom was worse then a Jaile to his righteous soule: and report lyes, if our Jailes be not much like to Sodom, the very dens of mischiefe, the Scholes of wickednesse: a Malefactor learns more vilany there, then ever he knew before: drunkenness and blasphemy, usurpe the place of mortification and humility.
Or lastly, if their society be not a vexation to our minds; at least it will be a great disparagement to our names: every one will conclude, almost infallibly, such as our company is, such is our disposition. The common Proverb is, like will to like. And, Birds of a feather, will flock together. When Iephthah was himself in banishment, there gathered to him idle follows, such as himself, Iudges 11. 3. When David was in trouble, and vexed in minde himself, their flockt unto him all those that were in trouble, vexed in mind, or that were in debt, even four hundred of them, to the Cave of Adullam, 1 Sa. 22. 2. Yea, our Saviour meets no less then ten Lepers in one knot. Fellowship is that we all naturally affect, though it be in Leprosie; even Lepers will flock to their fellows. where shall we find one spiritual leper alone? drunkards, prophene persons, hereticks, will be sure to consort with their matches. And hereupon the Lacedaemonians, when they would certainly be informed, what the disposition and behaviour of any one was, vvould vvisely inquire vvith vvhat persons, they vvere linked in fellowship. And indeed, he that makes himself a companion of all, sells his reputation very cheape: it being as great an indecorum, for a holy Christian to be in the company of gracelesse persons, as it is for a reverend Divine to sit upon the Stage in a publike Threator; or an old man to dance with little children in the streets.
Base company (saith one) kills both our fame, and our soules: it gives us wounds, which will never admit of healing. How many have irrecoverably lost their good names, by keeping company with suspected persons? and whether the report be true or false, it is no easie thing to disprove a slander, for like an unruly spirit once raised, 'tis hard to conjure down again. A mans good name is much easier kept, then recovered.
And thus you see, that evil company endangers our soules: or could our soules be free, yet our persons are in danger; or could our soules and persons both be safe, yet our estates are in jeobardy, or could our souls, bodies and estates be secure, yet our fame would suffer, and our good name lye at the stake. Wherefore, &c.