The Silent Soul, Objections · Objection 9
Object. 9. Oh! but I am falſelyaccuſed, and ſadly reproached, and my good name, which ſhould bee as dear or dearer to mee than my life, is defamed, and flye-blown, and things are laid to my charge that I never did, that I never knew, &c. and how then can I bee ſilent? how can I hold my peace? I cannot forget the proverb, oculus & fama non patiuntur jocos, a m…ns eye and his good name can bear no jeaſts, and how then can I bee mute to ſee men make jeaſts upon my good name? and every day to ſee men lade it with all the ſcorn and contempt imaginable, that they may utterly blaſt it? &c. To this I ſay,
Firſt, That it muſt bee granted, that a good name is one of the choiceſt Jewels in a Chriſtians Crown; though a great name many times is little worth, yet a good name is rather to bee choſen than great riches, it is better to have a good name abroad, than ſilver or gold laid up in a cheſt at home. A good name is better than precious ointment, Eccleſ. 7. 1. Precious ointments were greatly in uſe, and highly eſteemed of among the Iſraelites, in thoſe Eaſtern parts; theyIſa. 39. 2 A good renown is better than a golden girdle, ſaith the French Proverb. were laid up among the moſt precious things even in the Kings treaſury. Sweet ointments can but affect the ſmell, and comfort the brain, and delight the outward man; they reach not the beſt part, the noble part, viz. the ſoul, the conſcience of a Chriſtian; but a good name doth both; what is the perfume of the noſtrils, to the perfume of the heart?
I have read, that in ſome Countries they have a certain Art of drawing of Pigeons to their Dovehouſes in thoſe Countries by anointing the wings of one of them with ſweet ointment, and that Pigeon being ſent abroad, doth by the fragrancy of that ointment dequoy, invite, and allure others to that houſe where it ſelf is a domeſtick; ſuch is the fragrancy of a good name, that it draws other men after the ſavour thereof. Among all ſorts and ranks of men in the world, a good name hath an attractive faculty; it is a precious ointment that draws hearers to attend good Preachers, Patients to attend Phyſicians, Clients to attend Lawyers, Scholars to attend School-maſters, and Cuſtomers to attend Shopkeepers, who with Demetrius, 3 Joh. 12.hath a good report of all good men: Let a mans good name bee but up, and hee cannot eaſily want any thing that men or mony can help him to; a good name will bring a man into favour and keep a man in favour with all that are good; therefore ſaith the Moraliſts,
Omnia ſi perdas, famam ſervare memento,
Qua ſemel amiſſa poſtea nullus eris.
Whatſoever commodity you loſe, bee ſure yet to preſerve that Jewel of a good name; a Chriſtian ſhould bee moſt chary of his good name, for a good name anſwers to all things, as Solomon ſpeaks of mony, Ego ſi bonam famam ſervaſſo, ſat dives ero; if I may but keep a good name, I have wealth enough ſaidPlaut. the Heathen; a Chriſtian ſhould rather forgo gold, than let go a good name, and hee that robs a Chriſtian of his good name, is a worſe thief, than hee that robs him of his purſe, and better deſerves a hanging than hee, &c. But
Secondly, It muſt bee granted, that a good name once loſt, is very hardly recovered again, a man may more eaſily recover a loſt friend, a loſt eſtate, than a loſt name; a good name is like a Princely ſtructure, quickly ruined, but long a rearing; the Father of the Prodigal could ſay of his loſt ſon,Luk. 15. ult. This my Son was loſt, but is found, hee was dead, but is alive; but how few Chriſtians can ſay, this my good name was loſt, but is found, it was dead, but now it lives. As when Orpha once left Naomi, ſhee returnedRuth 1. 14 no more to her: ſo when once a good name leaves a man, it hardly returns to him again; a crack'd credit will hardly bee ſodered anew; new Wine is rarely put into old bottles; a man ſhould ſtand upon nothing more than the credit of his conſcience, and the credit of hisAct. 24. 16 name.
In Japan the very children are ſo jealous of their reputation, that in caſe you loſe a trifle, and ſay to one of them, ſirrah, I beleeve you have ſtollen it, without any pauſe the boy will immediately cut off a joint from one of his fingers, and ſay, Sir, if you ſay true, I wiſh my finger may never heal again: Three things a Chriſtian ſhould ſtifly labour to maintain, 1 The honour of God. 2 The honour of the Goſpel. 3 The honour of his own name; If once a Chriſtians good name ſets in a cloud, it will bee long before it riſes again.
Thirdly, Though all this bee true, yet it hath been the portion of Gods deareſt Saints and ſervants to bee ſlandered, reproached, vilified,Mat. 5. 10, 11, 12 1 Pet. 3. 14. ch. 4. 14 Pſal. 69. 7 Gen. 39. Pſal. 52. 2 Sam. 16. 11, 12. 6. 13. 15. ch. of Job. Jer. 51. 51 and falſely accuſed, Pſal. 31. 18. Let the lying lips bee put to ſilence, which ſpeak grievous things proudly, and contemptuouſly againſt the righteous: How ſadly and falſely was Joſeph accuſed by his wanton Miſtreſs; David by Doeg and Shimei, Job of hypocriſie, impiety, inhumanity, cruelty, partiality, pride and irreligion? Job 22. Was not Naboth accuſed of ſpeaking blaſphemy againſt God and the King? did not Haman repreſent the Jews to theEſth. 3. King as Refractories and Rebels? was not Elias accuſed to bee the troubler of Iſrael, and Jeremy theJer. 20. 7, 8, 9. Rom. 3. 8 2 Cor. 6. 8 1 Cor. 4. 12, 13 trumpet of rebellion, the Baptiſt a ſtirrer up of ſedition, and Paul a peſtilent incendiary? were not the Apoſtles generally accounted deceivers and deluders of the people, and the off-ſcouring of the world? &c. Athanaſius and Euſtathius Act. & Mon.were falſely accuſed of Adultery; Adultery, Hereſie and Treaſon were charged upon Cranmer, Parricide upon Philpot, ſedition upon Latimer. As the primitive perſecutors uſually put Chriſtians into Bears skins, and Dogs skins, and then baited them: ſo they uſuallyAs Tertullian, Minutius, Faelix, and others declare. loaded their names and perſons with all the reproach, ſcorn, contempt and falſe reports imaginable, and then baited them, and then acted all their malice and cruelty upon them. I think there is no Chriſtian, but ſooner or later, firſt or laſt, will have cauſe to ſay with David, Pſal. 35. 11. Falſe witneſſes did riſe up, they laid to my charge things that I knew not; they charged me with ſuch things whereof I was both innocent and ignorant. It wasHippias. the ſaying of one, that there was nothing ſo intollerable as accuſation, becauſe there was no puniſhment ordained by Law for accuſers, as there was for theeves, although they ſtole friendſhip from men, which is the goodlieſt riches men can have. Well Chriſtians, ſeeing it hath been the lot of the deareſt Saints to bee falſely accuſed, and to have their names and reputes in the world reproached and flie-blown; do you hold your peace, ſeeing it is no worſe with you, than it was with them of whom this world was not world? TheKimchi. Rabbins ſay, that the world cannot ſubſiſt without patient bearing of reproaches. But
Fourthly, Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt was ſadly reproached, and falſely accuſed; his precious name (that deſerves to bee alwaies writ in characters of gold, as the Perſians uſually write their Kings) was often eclipſed, before the Sun was eclipſed at his death; his ſweet name, that was ſweeter than all ſweets, was often crucified before his body. Oh the ſtones of reproach that were frequently rowled upon that name by which wee muſt bee ſaved, if ever wee are ſaved! Oh the jears, the ſcoffs, the ſcorns that were caſt upon that name that can onelyonly bleſs us. The name of Jeſus (ſaith Chryſoſtome) hath a thouſand treaſures of joy and comfort in it. The name of a Saviour (ſaith Bernard) is hony in the mouth, and muſick in the ear, and a jubile in the heart; and yet where is the heart that can conceive, or the tongue that can expreſs how much dung and filth hath been caſt upon Chriſts names? and how many ſharp arrows of reproach and ſcorn have been, and daily, yea hourly, are ſhot by the world at Chriſts name and honour? Such ignominious reproaches were caſt upon Chriſt and his name in the time of his life, and at his death,It is a fooliſh thing, ſaith Cato, to hope for life by anothers death; the world practically ſpeaks as much every day. that the Sun did bluſh, and masked her ſelf with a cloud, that hee might no longer behold them, Mat. 11. 19. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they ſay, behold, a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and ſinners: but was hee ſuch a one? no; wiſdome is juſtified of her children: Wiſdomes children will ſtand up and juſtifie her before all the world. Mat. 27. 63. Saying, Sir, Wee remember The Greek word ſignifies one who doth profeſs an Art of couzening people to their faces.that that deceiver ſaid, while hee was yet alive, after three daies I will riſe again; but was hee a deceiver of the people? no; hee was the faithful and true witneſs, Rev. 1. 5. chap. 3. 14. John 7. 20. The people anſwered and ſaid, thou haſt a Devil: who goeth about to kill thee? chap. 8. 48. Then anſwered the Jews, and ſaid unto him, ſay we not well that thou art a Samaritane, and haſt a Devil? ch. 10. 20. And many of them ſaid▪ he hath a Devil, and is mad, why hear ye him? It was a wonder of wonders that the earth did not open and ſwallow up theſe Monſters, and that God did not rain Hell out of Heaven upon theſe horrid blaſphemers, but their blaſphemous aſſertions were denied and diſproved by ſome of wiſdomes children, verſ. 21. Others ſaid, theſe are not the words of him that hath a Devil: can a Devil open the eyes of the blind? The Devil hath no ſuch power, nor any ſuch goodneſs as to create eyes to him that was born blind.
Will you yet ſee more ſcorn, dirt and contempt caſt upon the Lord of glory? why then caſt your eyes upon that, Luk. 16. 14. And the Phariſees alſo who were covetous, heard all theſe things, and they derided him; or as the Greek reads it, They blew their noſes at him, in ſcorn and Exe mukterizon. Read that, Mark 15. 19. Iſa. 57. 4. Mat. 27. 28, 29.deriſion. The Phariſees did not onelyonly laugh, flear and jear at Chriſt, but they gave alſo external ſigns of ſcorn and deriſion in their countenance and geſtures; they blew their noſes at him, they contemned him as a thing of naught. And in ch. 23. 35. both people and Rulers blew their noſes at him; for the original word is the ſame with that in the forementioned chapter, John 19. 12. hee is accuſed for being an enemy to Caeſar. Now, who can ſeriouſly conſider of the ſcorn, reproach and contempt that hath been caſt upon the name and honour of our Lord Jeſus, and not ſit ſilent and mute under all the ſcorn and contempt that hath been caſt upon his name or perſon in this world?
Fifthly, To bee well ſpoken of by them that are ill ſpoken of by God, to bee in favour with them,The tongues of wicked men are like the Duke of Medina, Sidonia's ſword, that knew no difference between a Catholick and a Heretick, the laſhes of lewd tongues is as impoſſible to avo…d, as neceſſary to contemn. who are out of favour with God, is rather a reproach than an honour to a man. Our Saviour himſelf reſtifieth that in the Church and Nation of the Jews, they that had the moſt general approbation and applauſe, they who were moſt admired and cried up, were the worſt, not the beſt men; they were the falſe, not the true Prophets. Luk. 6. 26. Woe unto you, when all men ſhall ſpeak well of you; for ſo did their Fathers to the falſe Prophets. Auſtin feared the praiſes of good men, and deteſted the praiſes of evil men. I would not, ſaith Luther, have the glory and fame of Eraſmus, my greateſt fear is the praiſes of men. Phocion had not ſuſpected his ſpeech, had not the common people applauded it. Antiſthenes miſtruſted ſome ill in himſelf for the vulgar commendations. Socrates ever ſuſpected that which paſt with the moſt general commendations. To bee praiſed of evil men (ſaid Bion) is to bee praiſed for evil doing; ſo the better they ſpeak of a man, the worſe; and the worſe, the better. The Lacedemonians would not have a good ſaying ſullied with a wicked mouth; a wicked tongue ſoils all the good that drops from it; it is a mercy to bee delivered from the praiſes of wicked men; wicked mens applauſes oftentimes becomes the Saints reproaches: the Heathen could ſay, Quid mali Socrates.feci? what evil have I done, that this bad man commends mee? there is a truth in that ſaying of Senica, Recti argumentum eſt, peſſimis diſplicere. The worſt men are commonly moſt diſpleaſed with that which is beſt. Who can ſeriouſly dwell on theſe things, and not bee mute and ſilent under all the reproaches and ſcorn that is caſt upon his name and credit in this world?
Sixthly, There will come a day when the Lord will wipe off all the duſt and filth that wicked men have caſt upon the good names of his people; there ſhall be a reſurrectionIſa. 65. 15. ch. 61. 7 Pſa. 68. 13 Mal. 3. 17, 18. of names, as well as of bodies, their names that are now buried in the open ſepulchres of evil throats ſhall ſurely riſe again; their innocency ſhall ſhine forth as the light, and their righteouſneſs as the noonday, Pſal. 37. 6. Though the clouds may for a time obſcure the ſhining forth of the Sun, yet the Sun will ſhine forth again as bright and glorious as ever. The Righteous ſhall bee had in everlaſting remembrance. Though the malicious ſlanders, and falſe accuſations of wicked men, may for a time cloud the names of the Saints, yet thoſe clouds ſhall vaniſh, and their names ſhall appear tranſparent and glorious: God will take that care of his peoples good name, that the infamy, calumnies, and contumelies that is caſt upon it ſhall not long ſtick.Mat. 27. ult. ch. 28. 2. The Jews rolled a ſtone upon Chriſt to keep him down, that hee might not riſe again, but an Angel quickly rolls away the ſtone, and in deſpite of his keepers, hee riſes in a glorious triumphant manner: So, though the world may roll this ſtone, and that of reproach and contempt upon the Saints good names, yet God will roll away all thoſe ſtones, and their names ſhall have a glorious reſurrection, in deſpite of men and devils: That God that hath alwaies one hand to wipe away his childrens tears from their eyes, that God hath alwaies another hand to wipe off the duſt that lies upon his childrens names: wronged innocency ſhall not long lve under a cloud; dirt will not ſtick long upon Marble, nor ſtatues of Gold. Well Chriſtians, remember this, the ſlanders and reproaches that are caſt upon you, they are but badges of your innocency and glory. Job 31. 35, 36. If mine adverſary ſhould write a book againſt mee, Surely I would take it upon my ſhoulder, and binde it as a Crown to moe. All reproaches are pearls added to a Chriſtians Crown. Hence Auſtin, Quiſquis volens detrahit famae meae nolens addit mercedi meae, hee that willingly takes from my good name, unwillingly adds to my reward; and this Moſes knew well enough, whichHeb. 11. 25, 26 made him prefer Chriſts reproach before Pharaohs Crown. That God that knows all his children by name, will not ſuffer their names to bee long buried under the aſhes of reproach and ſcorn; and therefore hold thy peace; the more the foot of pride and ſcorn tramples upon thy name for the preſent, the more ſplendent and radiant it will bee. As the more men trample upon a figure graven in gold, the more luſtrious they make it; therefore lye thy hand upon thy mouth. But
Seventhly, The Lord hath been a ſwift and a terrible witneſs againſt ſuch that have falſely accuſed his children, and that have ladedIſa. 41. 11 Jude 15. their names with ſcorn, reproach and contempt. Ahab and Jezabel that ſuborned falſe witneſs1 King. 22. 1. 22 2 King. 9 againſt Naboth, had their bloods licked up by Doggs. Amaziah, who falſely accuſed the Prophet Amos to the King, met with this meſſageAmos 7. 17 from the Lord. Thy wife ſhall be an harlot in the City, thy ſons and daughters ſhall fall by the ſword, and thy land ſhall be divided by line, thou ſhalt dye in a polluted land. Haman, who falſely accuſed the Jews, was one day feaſted with the King, and theEſth. 7. 10. ch. 9, 10 next day made a feaſt for Crows. The envious Courtiers, who falſelyDan. 6. 24. accuſed Daniel, were devoured of Lions. Let mee give you a taſte of the Judgements of God upon ſuch perſons out of hiſtories.
Caiphas the High Prieſt, who gathered the Council, and ſuborned falſe witneſſes againſt the Lord Jeſus,Euſeb. was ſhortly after put out of office, and one Jonathan ſubſtituted in his room, whereupon hee killed himſelf. John Cooper a godly man being falſely accuſed in Queen Maries Act. & Mon.daies, by one Grimwood, ſhortly after the ſaid Grimwood being in perfect health, his bowels ſuddenly fell out of his body, and ſo hee died miſerably.
Narciſſus a godly Biſhop of Jeruſalem, was falſely accuſed by three men, of many foul matters, who ſealed up with oaths and imprecations their falſe teſtimonies; but ſhortly after that, one of them withEuſeb. his whole family and ſubſtance was burnt with fire: another of them was ſtricken with a grievous diſeaſe, ſuch as in his imprecation hee had wiſhed to himſelf; the third terrified with the ſight of Gods judgements upon the former, became very penitent, and poured out the grief of his heart in ſuch abundance of tears, that thereby hee became blinde.
A wicked wretch under Commodus Niceph.the Emperour, accuſed Apollonius a godly Chriſtian to the Judges, for certain grievous crimes, which when hee could not prove, hee was adjudged to have his leggs broken, according to an antient Law of the Romans.
Gregory Bradway falſely accuſed one Brook, but ſhortly after through terrours of conſcience, hee ſought to cut his own throat, but being prevented, hee fell mad.
I have read of Socrates's two falſe accuſers, how that the one was trodden to death by the multitude, and the other was forced to avoid the like by a voluntary baniſhment. I might produce a multitude of other inſtances, but let theſe ſuffice, to evidence how ſwift and terrible a witneſs God hath been againſt thoſe that have been falſe accuſers of his people, and that have laded their precious names with ſcorn and reproach; the ſerious conſideration of which, ſhould make the accuſed and reproached Chriſtian to ſit dumb and ſilent before the Lord.
Eighthly and laſtly, God himſelf is daily reproached; men tremble not to caſt ſcorn and contempt upon God himſelf; ſometimes they charge the Lord that his waies are not equal, that it is aEzek. 18. 25. ch. 29. 33. 17. 20, 29. Jer. 2. 5, 6. wrong way hee goeth in; ſometimes they charge God with cruelty, My puniſhment is greater than I am able to bear, Gen. 4. 13. Sometimes they charge God with partiality, and reſpect of perſons, becauſe here hee ſtroaks, and there hee ſtrikes; here hee lifts up, and there hee caſts down; here hee ſmiles, and there hee frowns; here hee gives much, and there hee gives nothing, here hee loves, and there hee hates; here hee proſpersRom 9 Pſal. 50. 21 It were very ſtrange that I ſhould pleaſe a world of men, when God himſelf doth not give every man content. Salv. one, and there hee blaſts another. Mal. 2. 17. Where is the God of judgement? i. e. no where; either there is no God of judgement, or at leaſt not a God of exact, preciſe and impar…ial judgement, &c. Sometimes they charge God with unbountifulneſs, that hee is a God that will ſet his people to hard work, to much work, but will pay them no wages, nor give them no reward, Mal. 3. 14. Yee have ſaid, it is in … to ſerve God: and what profit is it, that wee have kept his ordinances, and that wee have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hoſts? Sometimes they charge God, that hee is a hard Maſter, and that hee reaps where hee hath not ſown, and gathers where hee hath not ſtrowed, Mat. 25. 24, &c. Oh the infinite reproach and ſcorn that is every day, that is every hour in the day caſt upon the Lord, his name, his truth, his waies, his ordinances, his glory! Alaſs! all the ſcorn and contempt that is caſt upon all the Saints, all the world over, is nothing to that which is caſt upon the great God every hour, and yet hee is patient. Ah! how hardly do moſt men think of God? and how hardly do they ſpeak of God? and how unhanſomely do they carry it towards God? and yet hee bears: They that will not ſpare God himſelf, his name, his truth, his honour, ſhall wee think it much that they ſpare not us, or our names? &c. ſurely no. Why ſhould wee look that thoſe ſhould give us good words, that cannot afford God a good word from one weeks end to another? yea from one years end to another? why ſhould wee look that they ſhould cry out Hoſanna, Hoſanna, to us, when as every day they cry out of Chriſt, crucifie him, crucifie him. Mat. 10. 25. It is enough for the Diſciple that hee bee as his Maſter, and the ſervant as his Lord; if they have called the Maſter of the houſe Beelzebub (or a Maſter-flye, or a dung-hill god, or the chief Devil) how much more ſhall they call them of his houſhold? It is preferment enough for the ſervant to be as his Lord; and if they make no bones of ſtaining and blaſpheming the name of the Lord, never wonder if they flye-blow thy name; and let this ſuffice to quiet and ſilence your hearts, Chriſtians, under all that ſcorn and contempt that is caſt upon your names and reputations in this world.