Armor of Proof, Section 32
§. 32.
OB. But here some of them will reply. That we lay the saddle upon the wrong horse, when we tax them for want of peace, love, and friendship; in that the religious only shew inconstancy, by bidding farewell to their old friends and acquaintance, so soon as they embrace religion.
Answ. To this is answered. First that constancy, except it be in the truth and in a good cause, is impudency: change in the vicious is as great a vertue, as constancy in the vertuous. The Almaines were praised for changing their …stomes, which were found to be but bad before, as Tacitus affirmeth. Constan… in things ill, is so far from b…ing a vertue, that it is an abs…lute vice. Of …ings imperfect, change is the way to per…ect them. The Gentiles became be…evers, the Iewes In…idels, Zach…us turnes from the world, Demas turns to …e world, Paul turns an Apostl…, Iudas an Apostate: I would fain know, whe…her change in the Gentiles, Zacheus and Paul, was not as great a vertue, … it was a vice in the Iewes, Demas, and Iudas?
Saint Paul was in constant indeed; for to day (as it were) he breathed out …reatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of Christ and to morrow he …reacheth Christ in the Synagogue: what then? Will any (not debauc…ed) cen…ure him of ficklenes…e for it? nay, wil not all wise men think it a great honour to …im, and commend him forshaking hands with the high Priests, and his fellow …ursevants, when once hee heard that voice from Heaven? Act. 9. 4.
There is not any so near unto us, but i… he fall from God, wee may fall from …im. It merits the name of wilfulnesse, when we will not admit of a lawful …hang to the better.
As Philocrates sported with D…m…sthenes: you may not marvell Atheni…ns, that D…mosthenes and I do differ, for he drinks water, and I drink wine: … some laugh at us for being sober with Rhenis; and we as much pity them, or being drunk with Canary. Again, they censure us of inconstancy; we them …f Impudency. Now in this case …hen that is reputed ridiculous by one, which …s accounted sage by another as wise; what shall we do, but make Gods Word …he umpier? Wherefore, in all changes, I will have regard to these three things, God's approbation, mine own bene…t, and the not harming of my neighbour; …nd then where the change is not a fault, I will never think it a disgrace, though …he great exchange, the World, should judge it so.
Even modesty, in some, is a vi…e; when out of a weak flexibility of nature, man hath not courage enough, to deny the request of a seeming friend.
If a man never abandoneth evill, until he abandoneth evil company, it is …igh time to take courage: yea, the longer wee have been with them, the more need have we to hasten out of them. If this satisfie not, as the Emperor Frade…ick said to certain of his Minions, that we…e importunate to get into their …ands the ancient demeasn of the Empire, that he would rather be accounted of small liberallity, then p…rjured! even so had we, in this case rather be ac…ounted inconstant, then b… unconscionable.
To the second part of the objection, I answer. That true love and friend…hip is only among good men. The wicked may talk of it, and one drunkard …ay professe to another that he loves him as well as himself; and therein speake …ruth, for, saith Augustine most elegantly, to such an one, thou lov…st thy self, so as thou wilt destroy thy self; and thou wilt destroy him whom thou lovest as …hy self; yea, better then themselves; for you shall have one Russian salute ano…her, with, God save you Sir, but after some strange attestations, swear away …imself with, God damn me Sir: now how can any wise man think him a friend, …hat is his own enemy? hee that is evill to himself, to whom will he be good?
But see the depth of such a mans love, and whether it be not to damn thy bo…y and soul everlastingly. S. Ambrose tels us of one, who solicited a godly woman to incontinency, saying, he infinitely loved her: she answers, if you lov… me so well as you seem, put one of your fingers into the flame, till your fles… be burnt off: he rep…ys, that was no part of love in her to require it: yes▪ said she, if yours be love, to cause both my body and soul to be burnt in he… fire, for ever, which by conseque…ce will follow, if I yeeld to your request, and take your counsel. Oh that thou hadst the wit to answer the drunkard, when he tempts thee, thus.
Indeed there is a kind of agreement, which is st…engthened by sin it self: as if one …ee the keeper of a wench, his secrecy is bought for ever. But all this while, if one call another, friend, it is but to give him a nick-name, whereof he is not guilty: for true friendship is so sacred, holy, and pure, that it will not be used in evill: which made Pericles, when he was desired by a friend of his, to aide him with false witnesse, answe…, that he would b…friend him as far as the Altar, meaning so far, as stood with piety and religion, or his duty to God, but no further; and Phocion refuse to help his son in law Cariles in judgment, being accused for bribery, saying withall, that he had made him his frien… and alli… in just and reasonable matters, and in them only; and this likewise made Papini… an, a Pagan, (being commanded by the Empe…or Car…alla, whose Steward and familiar he was) refuse to defend an unjust cause, (as Marcellinus records) and thus it fares with all that are truly religious. There is not any one (quoth the sincere Christian) either in blood, or otherwise so near unto me, but if he fall from God, I will fall from him: why? our Saviour Christ hath taught me, both by precept and example, that I should acknowledg none (so as to be led by them) for my brother, sister, or mother, but such as do the will of my Father, which is in Heaven, Matth. 12. 46. to 51.
Whereas on the contrary, in things lawfull, nothing rivits hearts so close, …s religion: it unites them together as gl…ws doth … together: it makes a knot, even between such as never saw one anothers face, that Alexander can not cut: yea, Tyrants will sooner want invention for torments, then they with tortures be made treacherous. How many have chosen rather to embrace the flams, then to reveal their companions, and b…ethren in Christ? There is no friendship like the friendship of faith. There is Amor, among Beasts; Dilectio, among Men; Charitas, among Christians, that is their peculiar: nature, makes husband and wi… but one flesh; grace makes them even one spirit: and it is a question, w…ether naturall Parents are to be…loved above spiritual: we know that Christ preferred his spiritua… kindred, to that of the flesh: and m…jor est connexio … quà… sanginum, saith Beza, Why s…ould we love them more, that brought us into this sinfull and miserable world; then those, that b…ing us into a better world, where is neither sin, nor misery? Why them, that live with us on earth but a while; equall to them, that shall live with us in H…aven for ever?
But to go on. Surely, as grace in her self is far above nature: so is she likewise in her effects; and consequently, unites in a far more …urable bond. Christians hearts are joyned one to another, with so fast a gl…w, that no by respects can s…ver them: as you may see in that paire of friends, Ionathan and David: non… had so much cause to disaffect David, as Ionathan; no…e in a…l Israel, should be such a looser by David's successe, as he; Saul was sure enough setled for hi… time, only his successor should forgo all that which David should gain; so a… none but David stands in Ionathan's way to the Crown; and yet all this can, not abate one dram of his love. As also in Ruth and Naomy, whom nothing, but death, could part, Ruth. 1. If you will see other examples, look Rom. 1. 10 11. 1 Thes. 2. 17, 19. 20. Galathians 4. 18, 19. Act. 20. 37, 38. and 16. 15. Luke 4. 42. 2 Kings 2. 4. 9. and 4. 9, 10. As grace is the greatest attractive of love; so is it the surest bond; it is like varnish, that makes …eelings not only …hine, but last. Where God uniteth hearts, carnall respects are too weak to dis…ever them; since that which breaks off affection, must needs be stronger then that which conjoyneth it, and why doth S. Iohn use these words, once to the elect Lady, 2 Iohn 1. 2. and again to Gajus, 3 Iohn 1. whom I love in the truth, but to shew, that to love in the truth, is the only true love? Indeed, religion is the surest cement of all societies: the loser joynts of all naturall and civill relations, are compacted and confirmed by the sinews of grace and religion: and such a lose joynted friendship cannot hold long, which wants the nerves of religion. Wherefore give me any foe, rather then a resolved Christian: no friend unlesse a man truly honest