The Cause and Cure of Ignorance, Section 59 – Section 60
SECT. 59.
A second cause is ignoranceQuest. WHat is the second Cause, why ungodly men hate and persecute the religious?
Answ. Their ignorance of God, of Christ, and the Scriptures.
Quest. How is that proved?
Answ. By Testimonies, Examples, Reason, and our own Experience.
1. First,Proved 1. by testimonies. by Testimonies: They shall hate and persecute you, yea, they shall excommunicate and kill you for my Names sake, saith our Saviour to his Disciples, because they have not knowne the Father, nor me, John 16.2, 3. and 15.21. And again they are an offence unto us, because they understand not the things which are of God, but the things which are of men, Matth. 16.23. And are deceived, because they know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God, Matth. 22.29. Luke 19.42.
2. Secondly, by Examples and Reason. This the Apostle confesseth to have been the cause of his persecuting the Church,2 By examples. 1 Tim. 1.13. Who so soon as he was inlightned with the saving knowledge of the truth, changed his note, with his name, and preached that faith, which before be persecuted, Its worth the noting, how he was no sooner informed, but he was reformed. Now if we looke upon him as Saul, wee shall see what we are by generation; if wee looke upon him as Paul, we shall see what we are, or should be, by regeneration. Neither is it strange, that the world through ignorance, should hate and persecute the members of Christ: for upon the same ground, they even crucified Christ himselfe, Father forgive them, saith he of his murtherers, for they know not what they doe. And why have the Kings of the earth, in all ages banded themselves together against the Lord, and against his Christ, Psal. 22. But because they knew him not. John 15.21. For if the Princes of this world had knowne, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, as the holy Ghost speakes, 1 Cor. 2.8.
Wicked beholding to the godly for their lives.Alas poore ignorant soules, they did but imitate Oedipus: who killed his Father Laius King of Thebes; and thought he had killed his enemy. And what do the Cavaliers now, in killing the Saints? But as if one with his Hatchet, should cut off the bough of a tree; upon which hee standeth. For they are beholding to the Religious, for their very breath. Neither is their great plot, any other peece of policy; then as if the Sodomites, should make hast to turne out Lot and his Family: that fire and brimstone may make hast, to destroy them. For as when Noah, and his Family were once entred the Arke, the Flood came and destroyed the first World, Gen. 7.11, 13. So the number of Christs Church being accomplished fire shal come down to destroy the second World, at which time, the Devill and all Reprobates shall be laid up in hell.
Oh the wickednesse,Malignants as witlesse as wicked. and witlesnesse of our Malignants! Methinkes the Parliament, may justly twit their unnaturall Country: as Themistocles once did his Athenians, with these words: Are yee weary of receiving so many benifits by one Assembly. And certaynly if ever it shalbe dissolved without their consent, (which God forbid) it would faire with the causers of it, (mens eyes being opened) as it did with the Authors of Socrates his death: which I finde thus reported.
After that Socrates was put to death at Athens; Arastophones rehearsed a Tragedy of his, concerning Palamides: at the hearing whereof, the people were so moved: that they presently fel upon the Authors of Socrates his death, and drew them forth to punishment.
But to return, to what we intend: If we consider it rightly, we shall find, that ignorance is the cause of all sin. Sin indeed at the first was the cause of ignorance, but now ignorance is the cause of sin: Swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and whoring abound, saith the Prophet, because there is no knowledge of God in the land, Hos. 4.1.2. It is a people that doe erre in their hearts. saith God, why? because they have not knowne my wayes, Psal. 95.10.
SECT. 60.
3 THirdly, Experience proves, that none are so farre transported with a mad and supertitious zeale against the religious,3 By experience. as the rude rabble who can yeeld no other reason, or confession of their faith, if they be asked, then this, that they are no Puritans, or that they hate a Puritan from their soules; when as the devill himself, who hates the Puritan they mean, most of any, can make as good a confession of his faith as this. For who are the greatest censurers, and the violentest opposers of goodnesse, are not the ignorant fry, who have more rage than reason and the more fottish still, the more insolent.
As reprove one of them for swearing,The more ignorant the more malicious. or drunkennesse, or unjust dealing, or for prophaning the Lords day, for Atheisme, and the like, you are sure to be branded with the odious title of Puritane, yea you are factious, and schismaticall, if ye will not be drunke, and every whit as lewd as they are.
It is worth a large smile, to observe what a clamour the blundering rabble will make against the people of God, if one in their company but mention the word Puritane, or tell them how scrupulous and precise such an one is. O what a number of sharp and deadly arrows will each of them shoot, both at the good and goodnesse, maugre all admonition! For each being stung with the Gad-slie of mis-governed zeale, as Paul was before hee knew Christ, they presume to affirm with incredible impudence, accompanied with invincible ignorance, that there are not worse men in the world then the religious.
Wherein it is hard to say, whether ignorance or malice, doe more abound: whether it be more out of the strength of will, or weaknesse of judgement.
It is the nature of ignorant and carnall men (that walke after the flesh in the lusts of uncleannesse,They allwaies make the worst construction of things whom Saint Peter calls bruit beasts, led with sensuality) to speake evill of the things they understand not 2 Pet. 2.12. Especially in judging acts of zeale and piety, their opinion still lights upon the worst sense, like them in the s…cond of the Acts, who mocked the Apostles when they were filled with the holy Ghost, and hearing them speak languages, which they understood not, cried out, These men are drunke with new wine.
Untill we be borne againe, we are like Nicodemus who knew not what it was to be born again, Iohn 3.4. Untill we become zealous our selves, wee are like Festus, who thought zeal madnesse, Acts 26.24. Untill we be humble our selves, we are like Michal, who mocked David for his humility, and thought him a foole, for dancing before the Arke, 2 Sam. 6.16. Yea, to such as shall perish, or are for the present in a perishing condition, all religion seemes foolishnesse, 1 Cor 1.18.
ignorance causeth su…pition su…pition hatred, &c.And thus you see in grosse, that Ignorance is a main cause of hatred and persecution. Wee shall more clearly discerne how it comes to be so, if we note
The Root, Ignorance,
The Stem, Suspition, or Iealousie,
The Sap, Hatred,
The Fruit, Persecution.
severally, and apart; for ignorance causeth. Suspition; and Suspition, Hatred; and Hatred, Persecution. But I cannot stand upon these.