The Cause and Cure of Ignorance, Section 33
SECT. 33.
8. IT is their man…er to raise slanders of the godly,12.They raise slanders of the godly. as those wicked men slandered Naboth, saying, he hath blasphemed God and the King, confirming the same with an oath, 1 Kings 21. Thus the wicked slandered David, Psalm. 57.4. And the multitude Iohn Baptist, saying he had a Devill, Matth. 11.18.
It is Satans policy (because report both makes jealousies,Evill reports both make and increase iealousies, and disable us from discerning the truth. where there are none, and increaseth those that are) to abuse our eares in hearing, our tongues in speaking, and our hearts in beleeving lyes, to disable us from discerning the truth.
Yea, this stratagem of raising slanders upon good men, like a huge and mighty Polyphems, hath done such service to the uncircumcised, that examples thereof in Scripture are like moats in the Sunne: and it were easie to parallel former ages with this of ours, for well may we take up those words of the Psalmist,Slanderers Satans best servants The wicked bend their bow, and make ready their arrows upon the string, that they may secretly shoot at them which are upright in heart, Psalme 11.2.
Innocency is no shelter against evill tongues. Malice never regards how true any accusation is, but how spitefull.
And great wits are not more ready,Great wits not apter to raise slanders then othes to beleeve them. with the high Priests and Elders, Matth. 28.12, 13. to raise these slanders, then the common sort are apt to beleeve the same; as we see by our Saviours example, ver. 15. And how many particular persons know, to their smart, that a slander once raised will scarce ever dye; for comming once into the mouth of the vulgar, true or false, like wild-fire it can never bee quenched; for even death it selfe, which delivereth a man from all other enemies,A slander once raised never dyes. is not able to deliver him from this of the tongue. Whereas Truth hath much adoe to be beleeved, a lye runs far before it can be stayed.
However,At least it leaves a scar of suspition behinde. a man once wounded in his good name, is not cured without scarres of suspition. Yea, commonly, as a little ball rowled in the snow gathers it selfe to a great lump: so the report that is but a little sparke at first, proves a great flame, by that it hath past through many mouths.
But did not mens owne wickednesse blinde them, were they not absolutely turned fooles, they would thus argue: Not he that is accused, but he that is convicted is guilty,Wise men will examine before they beleeve. as Lactantius hath it. In the Chancery are many accusations they never meane to prove: Neither doth any Law condenme a man, till hee comes to his answer. Upright Cato was fifty times undeservedly indited and accused by his fellow Citizens, yet was every time acquitted and found innocent.
The Orator Tertullus, when hee would plead against Paul, sayes, Wee have found this man a pestilent fellow, Acts 24.5. But, if you marke it, this foolish Tertul…us mistooke the antidote for the poyson, the remedy for the disease: Indeed, he hath some wit in his anger, and so have his followers in slandering such as excell in vertue: for whereas formerly the splendor of the others vertues hath obscured the meannesse of their credit, as the lesser light of a candle is obscured by the greater light of the Sun: so now by clouding and depraving him and all his fellows, himselfe shall be judged vertuous, ve…y cheap, accounted a man of honesty and honour, though a Paricide or a sacrilegious person.
And is it not good policy for a swinish drunkard,Their policy in slandering us. or a beastly liver to fling durt in a holy mans face, when, first, any colour seemes the fairer, when as blacke is by? Secondly, when (being conscious of their owne defects) by this meanes they draw away mens thoughts, and consideration of the beholders, from climbing up into their faults, while they are fixed and busied upon a new object? One colour wee know, being laid upon another, doth away t…e former, and remains it selfe.The theef most forward to cry stop theefe. A Cut-purse in a throng, when he hath committed the fact, will cry out, my Masters, take heed of your purses; and he that is pursued will cry, stop theefe, that by this meanes hee may escape unattached.