A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
That their expectation may not bee answered.
3. BBcause he will not answer his enemies expectation; in which kinde he is revenged of his enemy, even while hee refuseth to revenge himselfe. For as there is no such griefe to a Jester or Jugler, as when he doth see that with all his jests, tricks, and fooleries, hee cannot move mirth, nor change the countenances of them that see and heare him; so there can be no greater vexation to a wicked and malicious enemy, than to see thee no whit grieved nor moved at his malice against thee; but that thou dost so beare his injuries, as if they were none at all. Yea, he which makes the tryall, shall find that his enemy is more vexed with his silence, than if he should returne like for like.
Dion of Alexandria was wont to take this revenge of his enemies; amongst whom there was one, who perceiving that by injuring and rev…ling of him he could not move him to impatience, whereby he might have more scope to raile; went and made away with himselfe, as Brusonius reports. And Mount …els us of a Citizen that having a Scould to his …ife, would play on his Drum when shee brawled, and rather seeme to be pleased with it, than angry; and this for the present did so mad her, that she was more vexed with her selfe, than with him: but when shee saw how it succeeded, and that this would not prevaile, in the end it made her quite leave off the same, and prove a loving wife, that so shee might overcome him with kindnesse, and winne him to her …ow, by bending as much the other way; that so, like a prudent Wife, she migh command her Husband by obeying. And whosoever makes the tryall, shall finde, that Christian patience, and magnanimious contempt, will in time either draine the gall out of bitter spirits, or make it more overflow to their owne disgrace.
At least it will still the barking tongue, and that alone will be worth our labour.
Satan and his instruments cannot so vex us with sufferings, as we vex them with our patience. It hath been a torment to Tyrants, to see that they were no way able, either with threats or promises, kindnesse or cruelty, to make the Christians yeeld: but that they were as immoveable as a Rock; it being true of them which is but …ained of Jupiter; namely, that neither Juno through her riches, nor Mercury through his eloquence, nor Venus through her beauty, nor Mars through his threats, nor all the rest of the gods, though they conspired together, could pull him out of Heaven. Neither feared they to dye, knowing that death was but their passage to a state of immortality. But to goe on, you cannot anger a wicked man worse than to doe well, yea, he hates you more bitterly for this and the credit you gaine thereby, then if you had cheated him of his patrymony with you… owne diseredit: nor doe they more envy our grace, then they rejoyce to see us sinne: For what makes God angry, makes them merry. And they so hunger and thirst after our diseredit, that should we through passion but overshoot our selves in returning like for like, or in doing more than befits us, they would feed themselves with the report of it: for like flesh-flyes our wounds are their chiefe nourishment, and nothing so glads their hearts, or opens their mouthes, with insolency and triumph.
Besides what is scarce thought a fault in other men, is held in us a hai…ous crime: When they could not accuse Christ of sinne, they accused him for companying with sinners, and doing good on the Sabbothday. When the Rulers and Governours could …inde no fault in Daniel concerning the Kingdome, hee was so faithfull, they aleadged his praying to God, and brought that within compasse of a Premunire, Dan. 6. 4, 13.
The World is ever taxing the least fault (yea no fault, or rather the want of faults) in the best men, because one imaginary cloude in a just man, shall in their censure darken all the starres of his graces; yea, the smallest spot in his face, shall excuse all the sores and ulcers in their bodyes: so that by answering their expectation, or by returning like for like; we shall both wrong our selves, and pleasure them; which is like the setting of a mans owne house on fire through carelesnesse, in which case he not onelyonly bares the losse, and scorches himselfe in it, but must give five pounds to the Sheriffe also, if it be in London. So that the best answer is either silence, or laughter; or if neither of these will doe, a Cudgell. The best answer to words of scorne and petulancy, saith learned Hooker, is Isaac's Apologie to his brother Ismael, the Apologie which patience and silence make, (no Apologie) and we have our Saviours president for it: for when false witnesses rose up and accused him falsely before the Priests, Scribes, and Elders, it is said, that Jesus hold his peace: that infinite wisdome knew well, how little satisfaction there would bee in answers, where the Sentence was determined; where the Asker is unworthy, the Question captious, words bootlesse, the best answer is silence. Let our Answer then to their Reasons be, No; to their scoffes, nothing. And yet, when the sla…ders which light on our persons, rebound to the discredit of our profession, it behoveth us not to bee silent in answering truly, when as our adversaries are eloquent in objecting falsely; an indignity which onelyonly toucheth our private persons, may be dissembled; as Austin replyed to Petillian, Possumus esse in his eopiosi pariter, sed nolumus esse pariter vani. But in the other case, the retorting of a poysoned weapon into the adversaries owne breast, is laudable.
It is the weaknesse of some good natures (the more is the pitty) to grieve and to be angry at wrongs received, and thereby to give advantage to an enemy. But what would malice rather have, than the vexation of them whom it perse…utes? We cannot better please an adversary, than by burting our selves: and this is no other than to humour envie, to serve the turne of those that malig… us, and draw on that malice, whereof we are already weary: whereas carelesnesse puts ill will out of countenance, and makes it with-draw it selfe in a rage, as that which doth but shame the Authour, without hurt of the Patient. In a causelesse wrong, the best remedy is contempt of the Author.