Works of Joseph Hall, Section 14
SECT. XIV.
BVT let vsus grant theſe faculties ſo fixed vponupon any Nation, that all our water muſt neceſſarily bee fetcht at their Well; and adde vntounto theſe a few waſte complements, and mimicall courteſies, which muſt needs bee put into the match of our ordinarie trauell: and now let vsus ſet downe, and ſee what we paid for this ſtock, & count our winnings: What muſt our compleat Traueller ſtake downe for this goodly furniture of his Gentrie? If not loſſe, danger; danger of the beſt part, if not all: a double danger; of corruption; of religion, and deprauation of manners; both capitall: And can we thinke theſe endowments ſo precious, that they ſhould be worth fetching vponupon ſuch an hazard? Will any man (not deſperate) run into an infected houſe, to rifle for a rich ſuit? Will any man put his finger into a fiery crucible, to pull out gold? It is wittily taken of Chryſoſtome, when our Sauiour ſaid, Ne exeatis in eremum; that he ſayes not, Go forth into the deſart and ſee, but beleeue not; but giues an abſolute prohibition of going forth at all, that they might be out of the danger of misbeleefe. Tuſh, idle and melancholicke feares, ſay ſome of our Gallants; wherefore ſerues diſcretion, but to ſeuer good from ill? How eaſily may a wiſe man pull a Roſe, and not pricke his hand? How freely may he dip in this ſtreame, and not be drowned? Little doe theſe peremptorie reſoluers know, either the inſinuatiue power of euill, or the treacherie of their own heart in receiuing it, or the importunitie of deceiuers in obtruding it. They are the worſe for their trauell, and perceiue it not. An egge couered with ſalt, as our Philoſophers teach vsus, hath the meat of it conſumed, whiles the ſhell is whole: many a one receiues poyſon, and knowes not when he tooke it. No man proues extremely euill on the ſudden. Through many inſenſible declinations doe we fall from vertue; and at the firſt are ſo gently ſeazed by vice, that we cannot beleeue our accuſers. It is miſchiefe enough, if they can bee drawne to a leſſe diſlike of ill; which now by long acquaintance is growne ſo familiar to their eyes, that they cannot thinke it ſo loathſome, as at the firſt view. The ſocietie of wilfull Idolaters will now downe with them, not without caſe; and good meanings begin to bee allowed for the clokes of groſſe ſuperſtition. From thence they grow to a fauourable conſtruction of the miſ-opinions of the aduerſe part, and can complaine of the wrongfull aggrauations of ſome contentious ſpirits: and from thence (yet lower) to an indifferent conceit of ſome more politike poſitions, and practiſes of the Romaniſts. Neither is there their reſt. Hereupon enſues an allowance of ſome of their doctrines, that are more plauſible, and leſſe important, and withall a cenſure of vsus that are gone too far from Rome. Now the mariage of Eccleſiaſticall perſons begins to miſlike them: the daily and frequent conſignation with the croſſe is not to no purpoſe: The retired life of the religious (abandoning the world forſooth) ſauours of much mortification; and Confeſſion giues no ſmall eaſe and contentment to the ſoule. And now by degrees, Popery begins to be no ill religion: If there cannot be a falſe fire of miſ-deuotion kindled in them, it is enough, if they can be cooled in their louelove of truth; which how commonly it fals out amongſt vsus, I had rather experience ſhould ſpeake, than my ſelfe. Some there are that by a ſpirituall Antiperiſtaſis hauehave growne hotter in their zeale, by being encompaſſed with the outward cold of irreligion, and error, who as they owe not this grace to themſelues, ſo are they more for wonder than imitation. If Daniel found a guard in the Lions den, ſhall another put himſelfe thither for ſhelter? And if Peter walk't vponupon the pauement of the water, did the reſt of the Diſciples ſtep forth and follow him? That valiant Champion of Chriſt (ſince we are fallen vponupon his name) who durſt draw his ſword vponupon a whole troupe, after all his proteſtations of his inſeparableneſſe from his Maſter, was yet infected with the aire of the High Prieſts Hall: and whiles he but warmed himſelfe at that fire, cooled in his reſpect to his Sauiour. Although perhaps this cogitation working (as it commonly doth) remiſſely, cauſeth not any ſudden alteration in our Traueller, but (as we ſay of Comets and Eclipſes) hath his effect when the cauſe is forgotten. Neither is there any one more apparant ground of that lukewarme indifferency, which is fallen vponupon our times, than the ill vſe of our wandrings: for our Trauellers being the middle ranke of men, and therefore either followers of the great, or commanders of the meaner ſort, cannot want conuenience of diffuſing this temper of eaſe, vntounto both.