A Christian Library, Part 1 · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI. Because it is for our credit to be evill spoken of by them, and would be a disparagement to have their good word.
3. Reasons joyntly respecting our selves and our enemies are two.
1 Because it Were a disparagement to have their good word.
2 Because it Is the greatest praise to be dispraised of them.
THese two Reasons being neer of kin, in speaking of them, I will cast both into the similitude of a Y, which is joyned together at one end, brancht in the middle. And first to joyn them both together.
The condemnation and approbation of wicked men, is equally profitable and acceptable to good men: for every word they speak of the conscionable, is a slander, whether it be good or evill: whether in praise or dispraise, his very Name is defiled by coming into their mouthes ▪ or if this do not hold in all cases, yet (as a Reverend Divine saith) it is a praise to the godly, to be dispraised of the wicked; and a dispraise to be praised of them: their dispraise is a mans honour, their praise his dishonour: so that when deboished persons speak ill of a man, especially their Minister, the worse the better; for to be well spoken of by the vicious, and evill by the vertuous; to have the praise of the good, and the dispraise of the bad, is all one in effect, as Salomon sheweth; They that forsake the Law (saith he) praise the wicked; but they that keep the Law, set themselves against them, Prov. 28.4.
Thus much of both Reasons joyntly, now of each severally; and first, That it is a disparagement to a godly man to be well spoken of by the wicked.
When it was told Antisthenes, that such an one who was a vicious person, spake good words of him, he answered, What evill have I done, that this man speaks well of mee? To be praised of evill men (saith Bion the Philosopher) is as evill, as to be praised for evill doing: For such like Garlick, suck only the ill vapours from all they come neer. Out of which consideration, our Saviour Christ rejected the evill spirits testimony, which though it were truth, yet he would not suffer the Devill to say, Thou art the Christ the Sonne of God, or that holy One; but rebuked him sharply, and enjoyned him to hold his peace, Luk. 4.35. No he would not suffer the Devils at another time to say, That they knew him, Vers. 41. And good reason, for he knew that the Devils commendations would prove the greatest slander of all. Neither would St Paul suffer that maid which had a spirit of Divination, to say, he was the servant of the most high God, which shewed them the way of Salvation, Acts 16.17, 18. well knowing that Satan did it to this end, that by his testimony and approbation, he might cause them (which formerly beleeved his doctrine) to suspect him for an Imposter and deceiver, and that he did his miracles by the help of some Familiar spirit. And indeed, if the good report of wicked men, who are set on work by Satan, did not derogate from the godly, or from the glory of God, Satan should be divided against himself: and if Satan be divided against himself, saith our Saviour, how shall his Kingdom stand? Now we know he seeketh to advance his Kingdom by all possible means, and consequently in this.
Wherefore if we enjoy any wicked mans love, and have his good word, we may justly suspect our selves are faulty in one kinde or other; for it's sure he could not do so, except he saw something in us like himself. If every thing were unlike him, how is it possible he should love us? Difference breeds disunion, and sweet congruity is the Mother of love. This made Aristotle when a Rakeshame told him, he would rather be hanged by the neck, than be so hated of all men as he was, reply, And I would be hanged by the neck, ere I would be beloved of all, as thou art: And Phocion, to ask, when the people praised him, What evill have I done? It was a just doubt in him, and not an unjust in any that are vertuous like him; which occasioned Luther to say, I would not have the glory and fame of Erasmus; my greatest fear is the praises of men▪ Yea, their reproaches and evill speeches are to me, matter of great joy. And another, Their hatred I fear not, neither do I regard their good will.
Secondly, A wicked mans tongue, is so farre from being a slander, that it makes for our credit, to be evill spoken of by them. To be evill spoken of by wicked men, saith Terence, is a glorious and laudable thing: And another, It is no small credit; with the vile, to have a vile estimation. As a wicked mans glory is in his shame, so the godly mans shame (for doing good) is his glory: and to be evill spoken of for well-doing ▪ is peculiar to good men; as Alexander used to speak of Kings. Yea, saith Epictetus, It is the highest degree of reputation, for a man to hear evill when be doth well. And Iob is of his judgment, which makes him say, If mine adversary should write a book against me, would I not take it upon my shoulder, and binde it as a Crown unto me? Yes, I would, &c. Iob 31.35, 36, 37. And who having the use of Reason (especially sanctified) will not conclude, that Religion and Holinesse must needs be an excellent thing, because in hath such enemies as wicked men, and wicked spirits? What saith that Ethnick in Seneca, in this behalf? Men speak evill of me, but evill men: It would grieve me if Marcus Cato, if wise Laelius, if the other Cato, or either of the Scipioes, should speak so of me, but this as much comforts me: for to be disliked of evill men, is to be praised for goodnesse.
And Luther the like: I rejoyce, saith he, that Satan so rages and blasphemes: It is likely I do him and his Kingdom the more mischief: whence Ierom told Austin, It was an evident sign of glory to him, that all Hereticks did hate and traduce him. Indeed, to hear that a good man speaks evil of us (as its possible (though rare) for him to credit a false report, and so crediting it, to report it too) goes to the very heart, and fetcheth from thence tears into the eyes, and into the mouth, words of passion and admiration: As when Caesar saw that Brutus was one of them that helped to stab him with bodkins in the Senate house, he cry'd out, And art thou there my Son! but if a hundred other men do the same, if wise, we value it not. Why? O happy art thou, saith Pious Mirandula, who liv'st well amongst the bad; for thou shalt either win them, or silence them, or exasperate them: if thou win them thou shalt save their souls, and add to thine own glory: if thou silence them, thou shalt diminish of their torment, and prevent the contagion of their sin: if thou exasperate them thereby to hate and traduce thee for thy goodnesse, then most happy; for thou shalt not only be rewarded according to the good which thou do'st, but much more according to the evill which thou suffer'st. And St Peter, If any man suffer as a Christian (that is, for righteousnesse sake,) let him not be asham'd, but let him glorifie God in this behalf, 1 Pet. 4.15, 16. The reason is given by St Austin, with whom this speech was frequent, They that backbite me, &c. do against their wils increase my honour both with God, and good men. Alas, the durty feet of such Adversaries, the more they tre…d and rub, the more lustre they give the figure graven in gold; their causelesse aspersions do but rub our glory the brighter. And what else did Iudas, touching Mary, when he depraved her in our Saviours presence, for powring that precious oyntment on his feet? Joh. 12. which was the only cause, that in remembra…ce of her it should be spoken to her praise, wheresoever the Gospel should be preached throughout the whole world, Mar. 14.9. O what a glorious renown did the Traytors reproach occasion her? like as the treason of Pausanias, augmented the fame of Themistocles.
Yea, their evill report may possibly enrich a man; A friend of mine came to preferment by being reproached for his goodnesse, in the presence of a religious Gentleman.
And this is the hurt which lewd men do to the godly, if they are godly wise that hear them; when they think to tax, and traduce; they do in truth commend us: and we may say of their words, as he said of good fellowes, the better the worse, and the worse the better.
Indeed, swinish men may beleeve their misreports, because they are Iudges which for the most part will enquire no further, but beleeve at first: but the wise know their tongues to be no slander; yea, they will either smell out the Serpents enmity in the relator, or spy out in his lyes one lame leg or other; as lyes are rarely without. And indeed, if ill tongues could make men ill good men were in a bad taking.
Now to make some use of this point: If the language of wicked men must be read like Hebrew, backward, and that all good men do so for the most part, it being a sure rule, that whosoever presently gives credit to accusations, is either wicked himself, or very childish in discretion; then let us count their slanders, scoffs and reproaches, the most noble and honourable badges and ensignes of honour and innocency that can be: And in case we are told that any such person doth rail on us; let our answer be, He is not esteemed, nor his words credited of the meanest beleever, which understands any thing of Satans wiles.
Secondly, Care not to have ill men to speak well of thee, for if thou w…rt worse; thou shouldst hear better; if thou wouldst be as lewd as they are, thou shouldst never hear an ill word from them.
Thirdly, Look not to have every mans good word, since some are as deeply in love with vice, as others are with vertue: Besides, a man may as well draw all the aire into his mouth with a breath, and keep it; as purchase every mans good word ▪
Indeed, if a man were able, and willing to be at the charge; he might stop their mouthes with money: for Philip of Macedon having given a great reward to one that spake evill of him, was after that highly praised by him; which made him conclude, that it lieth in our selves, and in our own power, either to be well, or ill spoken of; but this is not a remedy of Gods prescribring: besides, a man had better endure the soar, than be at such cost for a plaister. And thus we see, that a man of a good life, needeth not fear any who hath an evill tongue, but rather rejoyce therein; for he shall be praised of Angels in Heaven, who hath, by renouncing the world, eschewed the praises of wicked men on earth.