The Cause and Cure of Ignorance, Section 1 – Section 3
SECT I.
Question.
HOw is it, The religious hated, and spoken against of all, and every where.that the practice of Christianity is every where spoken against, under the name of Schisme, as the chiefe Iewes told Paul in his time? Acts 28.22. And that so soone as men become religious and conscionable, they are made a by-word of the people, Iob 17.6. A song of the drunkards, Psal. 69.12. And generally hated of all, Math. 10.22.
Answer. Know yee not (saith St. Iames) that the Amity of the World, is the Enmity of God? And that whosoever will be a friend of the World maketh him…elfe the enemy of God? A secret enmity & antipathy betweene the wicked and Godly.James 4.4. A wicked man (saith Solomon) is abomination to the just, and be that is upright in his way, is abomination to the wicked, Pro. 29.27.
There is a naturall Enmity, and a spirituall Antipathy betweene the men of the World and the Children of God; whence it is that the holy Ghost (who can give most congruous Names to Natures) useth in the Scripture, Gods Dictionary, not only to call wicked men Adders, Alpes, Cockatrices, Serpents, Dragons, Lyons, Tygers, &c. Psal. 10.9. & 74.13. & 80.13. & 140.3. Esay 14.29. Dan. 7. Zeph. 3. Math. 23.33. which are the mortallest Enemies to mankind that live; but most frequently Wolves, and the godly Sheep, Behold (saith our Saviour to his Apostles) I send you forth as sheep in the midst of Wolves, Mat. 10.16. between whom there is a strange contrariety and antipathy living, and dead, as both Naturalists and Lutinists observe.
It is an everlasting rule of the Apostles, He that is borne after the Flesh will persecute him that is borne after the Spirit, Gal. 4.29. not because he is evill, but because hee is so much better then himselfe. 1. Iohn 3.12. because his life is not like other mens; his wayes are of another fashion, Wis. 2.15. for therefore speak they evill of you, because yee will no longer run with them to the same excess of ryot, 1. Pet. 4.4.
SECT. 2.
Quest. BVt are not many discouraged, Millions beaten off, from being religious: by the scoffs, & reproaches of wicked men.and others beaten off from being Religious, through the daily scoffes and reproaches, which in every place the Godly meet withall, for refusing to do as others do with whom they are conversant?
Answ. Yea millions, there being no such rub in the way to Heaven as that generall contempt which the Devill and the World have cast upon Religion and the practisers of Piety; which makes our Saviour pronounce that man blessed that is not offended in him, Math. 11.6. For hereby it is growne to that, that men feare nothing more then to have a name that they feare God, and are more ashamed to be holy then prophane, because holiness is worse intreated then prophaneness: with Peter we are apt to deny our Religion, when we come in company with Christs Enemies: and with David, to dissemble our Faith, when we are amongst Philistims. Like those white-livered Rulers, Iohn 12.42. who loved the praise of men, more than the praise of God, we choose to conceale our knowledge of, and love to Christ, lest we should be mockt, have so many frownes, and frumps, and censures, and scoffes, be branded with that odious and stigmaticall name of an Hypocrite, &c.
True, with Nicodemus, we owe God some good will, but we dare not shew it because of this, we would please him, yet so as we might not displease others, nor our selves.The mise…ble …ondition of cowardly Christians Like the young man in the Gospell, we will follow Christ, so Christ propound no other conditions, then what we like of: but what will be the issue, our Saviour saith expresly. That he will be ashamed of such at the latter day, who are now ashamed for his sake, to beare a few scoffes and reproaches from the World, Mark 8.38. A sad saying for all such: which considered seriously, would alter the case with many; as it fared with Vstbazanes an old Noble man, and a Christian, that had been Sapores the King of Persias Governour in his minority: Who when Sapores raised a great persecution against the Christians was so terrified, that he left off the profession: But sitting at the Court Gate when Simion an aged holy Bishop was led to Prison,A remarkable example. and rising up to salute him; the good Bishop frowned upon him, and turned away his face with indignation, as being loth to look upon a man that had denied the faith: whereupon Vsthazanes fell a weeping, went into his Chamber, put of his Courtly Garments, and brake out into these words; Ah! how shall I apeare before God, and my Saviour whom I have denied; when Simion a man will not indure to look upon me: If he frown how will God behold me when I come before his Tribunall, &c. For this Phisick so wrought with him, that he recovered not only health, but such spirituall strength, that he went boldly to the King, profest himselfe a Christian, and dyed a Martyr gloriously.
SECT 3.
BVt secondly, it so forestaleth (such as are without) with Prejudice against goodness and circumspect walking,The contempt of Religion makes many resolve against goodness. that they resolve never to be Religious so long as they live: As how many not only stumble at Christ, the living and chief corner stone, elect of God, and precious, but quite fall as at a Rock of offence: yea, …tterly disallow of the things that are excellent, only through the contempt which is cast upon Religion? 1 Pet. 2.7.8.
What such mens thoughts are we may heare from the damned in Hell, We fooles thought their lives madness &c. Wisd. 5.3.4. And experience shewes, that they will hate a man to the death, though he have nothing to condemne him, but his being holy.
Yea, where Satan hath once set this his porter of Prejudice, They will make an evill construction of what soever we do, or speak.though Christ himselfe were on earth, that soule would stumble and be offended at his very best actions, as we see in the Scribes and Pharisees, who made an evill construction of whatsoever he did or spake: For when he wrought Miracles, he was a Sorcerer: When he cast out Devils, it was by the power of Devils: When he reproved sinners, he was a seducer: When he received sinners, he was their favourer: When he healed the sick, he was a breaker of the Sabbath, &c. Iohn 8.
Nor can the highest eloquence of the best Preacher ever reclaime such.No reclayming such, as are forestaled with preiudice. For first, words are vagabonds where the admon…shed hath an evill opinion of the Admonisher Secondly, they are resolved against yeelding. Thirdly, let them be convinc't by strength of argument, the thought of those things presently passes away like the sound of a Bell that is rung. O this is a difficult Devill to be cast out, even like that which we read of, Math. 17.16. For as all the Disciples could not cast out that Devill, no more can all the Preachers this: for the Cure of prejudice alone in one man, is more then to cure the seaven deadly sins (as the Papists tearme them) in another. Nay (if I may speak it with reverence) what meanes can God use that shall be able to convert such an one? The nine plagues shall not prevaile with Pharaoh, the graves opening, the dead arising, the vayle of the Temple renting the light of the Sun fayling, the Centurion confessing, &c. will do no good upon the Scribes and Pharisees: Yea, though Ahab be told from the Lord, that if he go to War he shall perish, yet be goeth and speeds accordingly.