The Cause and Cure of Ignorance, Section 55 – Section 58
SECT. 55.they woul… …our us ou… of our faith
Qu. BVt to speak really, and as the truth is, why doe they use all these discouragements?
An. Their onelyonly aime is, to make us square our lives according to their Rule; as that Gya…t did proportion the bodies of all his guests, to the bed of his Harlot; Yea, if they would give their tongues liberty to acquaint us with their hearts and consciences, they must needs confesse, that they use that odious nickname (devised by Satan himselfe) for no other end, but to slout men out of their faith and holy profession, and to bring the very truth of Religion, and power of godlinesse into contempt and scorn.
And indeed, whom not heroicall in fortitude (the case standing as it doth) would it not discourage and beat back to the world?And effect the same did not God support us, But thanks be given to God, his Spirit herein so hardneth and steeleth his servants, that their faces are like flint, and themselves like brazen walls, and defenced Cities, though otherwise soft in affection, and true professors of meeknesse.
Yea, undoubtedly, he must be more then man (that is,To be a Christian requires fortitude. more spirit then flesh) that can contentedly make himself contemptible to follow Christ, be pointed at for singularity, endure so many base and vile nicknames, as are every where cast upon the conscionable (for there is scarce a house, but is haunted with these kinde of spirits, familiars, visible and carnall Devills, soule-murtherers) have his religion …udged Hypocrisie; his Christian prudence, cra…t and policy; his godly simplicity, sillinesse his zeale, madnesse▪ his punctuall obedience to Gods Laws, rebellion to Princes▪ his contempt of the world, ignorance: his godly sorrow, dumpishnes, &c. For these and the like as unseasonable fro…s, nip all gracious offers and beginnings in the bud, and as much as in them lyeth, with Herod labour to kill Christ in young professors Yea, the censures and scoffs of these Atheists and Worldlings, like the blasts of Rams-hornes before the wals of Iericho, lay al the strength of a young beginners vertues levell at one utterance: yea, it is the only Remora & greatest cause of arrest, if any looke heaven-ward,Good men will hold their profession though they lose their lives. that makes them recoyle.
True, a wise man will not be scoft out of his money, nor a just man be flouted out of his faith▪ Yea, like Iohn Baptist, hee will hold his profession, though hee loose his head for it. If Christ have but once possest the affections, there is no dis-possessing him againe. The league that Heaven hath made, Hell wants power to breake. If the sweet doctrine of Christ be once gotten into the heart, it cannot be got out againe by all the torments which wit and cruelty can devise, as we see in the Martyrs.
If we cannot concoct evill words, we would nev…r endure blowes.Neither would hee ever endure a blow, who cannot concoct a foule word. Hee that is discouraged and made returne with an Ishmaelitish persecution of the tongue: how would hee endure a Spanish Inquisition, or those Marian times? Hee that is so frighted with a squib, how would he endure the mouth of a Cannon? But to proceed.
For a man to bee scoft out of his goodnesse,To be scoft out of our goodnesse how rediculous by those that are lewd, is all one, as if a man that seeth should blind-fold himselfe, or put out his eyes, because some blind wretches revile and scoffe at him for seeing: or as if one that is sound of limbs, should limpe, or maime himselfe, to please the Criple, and avoid his taunts. For my part, I had rather live hated of all men for goodnes, then be beloved of al for vice; and rather please one good man, then content a thousand bad ones; his single authority being sufficient to countervaile the disdain of a whole Parish of sensualists.
Yet experience shewes,The most will doe as he most to, That divers are content to be misled with the multitude, rather then be an obiect of their scorne and derision. Yea thousands hold it the best and safest way, in differences of religion, without further question, to take the stronger part; that so doing as the most doe, they may have the fewest to finde fault with them, and al through base cowardlinesse. Which bashful devill never leaves a great many, so long as they live; whereby with the rich man, Luke 16. they never thinke of heaven,Satan gets more by subtilty than by violence. till tormented in the flames of hell.
Whereas Satan formerly assaulted the Church by violence, now he doth it by deceit: and certainly the devill gets more by such discouragements, and the reproaches that are cast upon religion, then he did formerly by fire and Faggot; for then the blood of the Martyrs was found to be the seed of the Church, others (Phoenix-like) springing out of their ashes, wheras now multitudes of souls are scoft out of their religion by wicked men. But I grieve to see how they wrong themselves, in thus wronging others: for in that wicked men do so mock and deride such as are in love with heavenly things, it is hard to say whether they doe most offend in hindering the honor of God thereby, or their neighbours wel-fare, or their own salvation.
Some will better abide a stake than others a mock.Alas, some men will better abide a stake, then some others can a mocke. Zedikiah was willing to hearken to the Prophets councell, but that this lay in his way, the Chaldeans would mock him, Ier. 38.10. it was death to him to bee mock'd. A generons nature is more wounded with the tongue, than with the hand: yea, above hell there is not a greater punishment, then to become a Sannio, a subject of scorne: as Sampson, I doubt not, found. Alcibiades did professe, That neither the proscription of his goods, nor his banishment, nor the wounds received in his body, were so grievous to him as one scornfull word of his enemy C…esiphon.
Thou thinkest not tongue-taunts to be persecution, Tongue-taunts in G…ds account is per…ecution.but thou shalt once hear it so pronounced in thy bill of inditement, Ishmael did but flout Isaack, yet Saint Paul saith, he persecuted him, Gal. 4.29. God calls the scorning of his servants by no better a name, then persecution. And what ever thou conceivest of it, let this sault be as far from my soule, as my soule from hell.
And thus you see, That nothing but goodnesse is the whet…on of their malice;None but the desperately wicked wil malice an other for goodnesse. which being so, are not we heathenish Christians? What honour of Christ is there among us, wher Religion makes one contemptible? Is this Christian-like? Such men may bee Christians in shew, or name, but they are devills indeed (however they flatter themselves) resembling the high Priests, Scribes, & Pharisees, who called themselves the Church: while they went about to kill the head of the Church: who the same night that Christ instituted the Sacrament, and consulted how to save them, did consult how they might destroy him: yea, let any indifferent stander by, …udge whether thou beest not bottomlessely ill, who doest malice goodnesse in others, who art displeased with us, because we please God, and murmurest like the Scribes and Pharisees at the same things, whereat the Angels rejoyce: for none but a Caine, or a Devill in condition, will envy, because his owne workes are evill, and his brothers good. They are desperately wicked, that cannot indure so much as the sight of godlinesse: as he was fearefully idle, that Seneca speaks of, whose sides would ake to see another worke: Neither couldest thou doe so if the Devill were not in thine heart. And so much touching the third difference betweene the seed of the Serpent, and the seed of the woman.
SECT. 56
4 They are wroth with us becu…se we fare better then they4 FOurthly, as they hate and persecute the godly, because they doe well: so likewise, because they fare well, and are accepted before them. As why was Caine wroth with his brother Abel, and after slew him, as affirmeth the holy Ghost, but because, The Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering: but unto Cain and his offering, he had no respect? Gen. 4.4, 5. Why did Esau hate Iacob, and purpose to kill him, but because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him? Gen 27.41. Isaacs blessing bred Esaus hate. Again, Wherefore did the Philistines and Abimelek envy Isaac, Of which many examples.stop up his wells, and banish him from them, but because the Lord so abundantly blessed Isaac, as appeares, Gen. 26 12. to 18. Wherefore did Iosephs brethren hate him, not being able to speake peaceably unto him, and after sell him into AEgypt, but because his father more favoured him, and they feared he should reigne over them? Gen. 37.4. If Ioseph be his fathers darling, he is his brethrens eye-sore. Wherefore did Saul persecute David, and pursue after him from place to place to take away his life, but because he was so praised and preferred of the people before himselfe, and, The Lord was with David, and prospered him in every thing he tooke in hand, 1 Sam. 18.12, 13, 28, 29. Davids successe is Sauls vexation: yea, he findes not so much pleasure in his Kingdome, as vexation in the prosperity of David. And lastly, (for I passe by the elder brothers envy in the Parable against his younger brother, when his father so royally entertained him at his return, Luk. 15.28. which is meant of the Iewes envying the Gentiles conversion; and many the like instances.) Why was Eliab wroth with his younger brother, 1 Sam. 17.28. but because he should bee more exalted? And I doubt me, whether Davids brethren were more glad, that Goliah was slaine, or angry that hee was slaine by their brother:The good mans honour, the envious mans torment. for envy is sicke, if her neighbour be well; and the good mans honour, is the envious mans torment: as it fared between Haman & Mordecai as hereafter the glory of Christ shall adde to these reprobates confusion, when they are driven to confesse, This is he, whom we once had in derision.
SECT. 57.
Application first to unhollowed Ministers.BUt to apply what hath been collected out of the Word. See whether these examples sute not with some, and not a few in our times. As,
First, why doe a sort of Ministers (none of the best) I meane such as live ill and viciously, or preach ill and unprofitably, or both live ill, and preach ill, maligne, hate and traduce, yea, promote against such as preach more faithfully and powerfully, and live more holily and unblameably, but because God honours their Ministery with the conversion of soules, and their words are with such power, that the people flocke after them, as they were wont after Christ ▪ while in the meane time themselves are neglected and dis-esteemed, being as they suppose far greater scholers (for if a Minister preach profitably, they will give it out hee is no scholer, neither can they doe Satan a greater pleasure) and their Sermons more elaborate, for they will be as long in the conception and breeding of them, as an Elephant is of her young; which being borne onelyonly amazeth the hearers, and makes them at their wits end with admiration, their owne bosomes will tell them, that I speake truth.
They cry up practise to cry down preachingAgaine, why doe these men inveigh and preach against preaching? As, what needs so much preaching, say they (and all stupified sensualists) it was never a good world, since so many Lectures were set up: there was more love, and charity, and plainedealing among our fore-fathers (they meane in time of Popery) who were only verst in the Lords Prayer, Creed, and ten Commandments; one Sermon well remembred, and put in practise, is better then ten; yea, quoth a Minister in the pulpit, that preacht (himselfe) once in six weekes, that hee might silence his Parishioners, who complained for want of their daily food, you will finde this Sermon more then you will be able to practise this two months; and no question, spake out of feeling; for he having lived already above five ages, could never yet put those five words of his text into practise, viz. Repent and beleeve the Gospel. But the reason of this their murmuring is easie: Carnall worldlings cry up practise, to cry downe knowledge, as you may see by their own practise: even as cunning Papists will extoll Saint Iames, onelyonly to disparage Saint Paul.
This point would be further applied,This sore will not endure rubbing. but let conscience doe it; for it is a sore that will not endure rubbing: onelyonly this, if any man be vexed at his brother, because he fares better, and is better accepted, because he is favoured and respected of God and good men, while himselfe is neglected and disesteemed of both; much more, if hee belch out his spleene against the religious, because they are praised and preferred before himselfe; let him know, that this could not be if hee were not full of the venome of the serpent, Psal. 112.10. Pro. 14.30.
SECT. 58.
SEcondly,Application thereof to the rabble. this may be applied to people of the looser sort. As, why doe their hearts rise against every holy man they see? as some stomacks, rise at sweet-meats. Why doe all drunkards and vicious livers hate the religious, and so belch out their enmity and spleene against them, in raising and spreading of slanders as they doe; but although, partly to rescue themselves from contempt, and procure a contrary esteeme, by putting a foule and ugly vizard upon vertue, and decking up vice in a gorgeous and comely attire; yet chiefly, because they are precious in Gods sight, his peculiar, and chosen people out of all the world, the children of God, and members of Christ, temples of the holy Ghost: yea, chiefly, because they partake of the Divine Nature, and are one with the Father and the Sonne? Iohn 17.14, 21, 22. 2 Cor. 6.18.
This is the eye-sore of our enemies and let envy looke herselfe blinde.
And so much of the first Cause.