The Pulpits Patronage Against Unordained Usurpation, Part 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Being the INTRODƲCTION.
THoſe that attempt the cure of prejudice, or the removal of diſaffection, by Expoſitions and Apologies, do play an aftergame, and ſhall encounter many difficulties; for they ſhall finde their hearers and Readers, prepoſſeſt, and their intentions and affections ſo ingaged, that it will be hard to finde acceſſe, and get any competent entertainment, in any of their better rooms; for he that is firſt in his own cauſe, ſeemeth juſt, (a)Prov. 18. 17.(and we ſay) one tale is good till another be told. And if by importunity, we do break in as he did, (b)Luk. 11. 8we ſhall be ſure to finde our Judge a party, and our ſelves at ſuch a loſſe and diſadvantage, as poor men are, when they come to borrow money of their richer Neighbours; for the poor uſeth intreaties, but the rich anſwer roughly, (c)Prov. 18. 23.perit judicium, cum reo tranſiit in affectum, you may perhaps have good words, and be fairly told impoſſibilities; but the effect and iſſue will bewray unwillingneſſe: non velle in cauſa eſt, poſſe non praetenditur.
And therefore, ſome have thought, that in ſuch a caſe, the beſt addreſſe is ſitting ſtill, and the moſt eloquent oration, ſilence: according to that Rule, contra contemptum, remedium optimum eſse quieſcere; when men are in the dark, their ſafeſt way, is for to ſit ſtill, as they did, (d)Exod. 10. 23.until God, by ſome beam of providence, be pleaſed to ſhine upon them: (e)Iſa. 50. 10who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his Servant, that walketh in darkneſſe, and hath no light, let him truſt in the name of the Lord, and ſtay upon his God: he may be a Child of light, and yet may walk in darkneſſe: as Joſeph in the priſon, ſtrikes not fire, though he had a good brain, but waits till it come down from Heaven, in the Butlers dream unto him.(f)Gen. 40. 14, 15.
Diſguiſed perſons, ſuch as your Maskers and Mummers are, uſe not to ſpeak. Our Saviour Chriſt when by his Robe and Crown, he was expoſed to their ſcorn, would not make anſwer in his own defence, but was a mute: (g)John 19. 9. 10.for he knew, whatſoever then was anſwered, would but excite, and exerciſe the adverſaries inſolency, and give them matter of inſulting and tryumphing: as good therefore never awhit, as never the better: as good give them leave to uſe their wit, and vent their ſpleen and malice, as let them take it: quiſquis volet tibi contumeliam facere, faciat. Whoſoever will ſmite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other alſo: (h)Mat. 5. 39 2, 3, 4.whoſoever will not bear a little injury, ſhall have a great one laid upon him; but if a little weight ſubdues, and ſilenceth him, they will not add unto it: where there is power, if you are not willing to allow them victory, they will extort it, and leave upon you Characters of Conqueſt. For at ſuch a time, the matter is not ſo much heeded as the man, the ſpeech as the ſpeaker: non defuit quod reſponderetur, ſed qui daret reſponſum: Queen Eſther makes not her own Apology, till ſhe had warmed the Kings affections to her, at a double banquet: (i)Eſth. 7. 2, 3, 4:our lives in that condition, muſt be our language, and our hands and feet muſt ſpeak, and not our tongues. Ego ſic vivam, ut nemo eis credat; (k)i Pet. 5.for ſo is the will of God, that with well doing, you may put to ſilence the ignorance of fooliſh men: when Saul was ſlighted by thoſe Sons of Belial, that refuſed to acknowledge him, he doth not preſently aſſert his call, and make them feel his power, but held his peace: (l)1 Sam. 10. 27.he knew thoſe prejudiced, and prepoſſeſſed perſons could not be cured and taken off, with Expoſitions and Apologies; but when in the following Chapter, he had commanded well, and by relieving Jabeſh Gilead, had given proof of his abilities: the people were ſo much his Servants, that they would have made thoſe murtherers a ſacrifice unto his worth and valour, if modeſty and wiſdom in him had not reſtrained them.(m)1 Sam. 11, 12, 13.
Yet it muſt not be a ſullen, unadviſed ſilence, ariſing from a diſcontented indiſpoſedneſſe to action: we muſt not hide our ſelves, and come away from duty, as Jonas did; (n)Jonas 1. 3.but if God call us, we muſt be vowels: if providence ingage and order us, to make our own defence, we muſt not boggle and refuſe; for Miniſters are men of honour, (o)1 Tim. 5. 17.and their reputation ought to be as dear unto them, as their lives: negligere enim quid de ſe quiſ que ſentiat, non arrogantis modo eſt, ſed etiam diſſoluti. He muſt have a good report of them that are without, leſt he fall into reproach, and the ſnare of the Devil: (p)1 Tim. 3. 7.and a great name is like a great houſe, not eaſily maintained and repaired: a man muſt alwayes be doing ſomething to it, be mending ſomething, ever and anon, famam famâ plutegite, ne perfluat. And becauſe we often are too dull and backward in repairs, the Landlord takes occaſion to remember us, and mind us of it: (q)John 8. 48.ſay we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and haſt a Devil, they try how he could bear plain dealing, in that tender part of his good name and credit: ſo Joſephs modeſty is dreſſed and arrayed in the garb and habit of proſtitute and bold incontinency: (r)Gen. 39. 17, 18.the Hebrew ſervant, which thou haſt brought unto us, came in to me to mock me: Pauls innocency ſo overwhelmed, that he ſaw no light; but only at the dividing temper and diſpoſition of his enemies. (s)Act. 23. 6.Mordecai ſo ſhut up and obſcured, when the decree was ſigned againſt the Jews, that he ſaw no light but at the little crevice, of Eſthers honour and advancement in the Court, and accordingly is very careful to improve and mannage that for their repair and reſcue: ſo when the Chriſtians, in the primitive Church, were ſlaughtered and condemned, for the title only of their cauſe, without examining the truth, becauſe they were Chriſtians, without conſidering what a Chriſtian was: yet for ſome time they ſat ſtill, and made no applications unto Authority, becauſe they had no Candle to direct and go before them, till at the laſt, God moved ſome to write Apologies and Expoſitions to the preſent powers in their defence, wherein by Gods bleſſing, they were victorious and ſuccesful.
Yet it is not ſafe in our own caſe, to be too buſie with Apologies; for its well ſaid, omnis apologia habet in ſe aliquid turpitudinis: Apologies have ſomething in them of abaſement and unſeemlineſſe; for they ſuppoſe the writers at a loſſe, and behind-hand in the world, in point of reputation, wanting good Neighbours to be their advocates, and plead their cauſe before their adverſaries; for that for the moſt part, cannot be done well, without putting ſome greater price and valuation upon their actions, without improving and aſſerting of their worth and merit, which would become another better then themſelves: proprio laus ſordet in ore, non alieno: let another prayſe thee, and not thine own mouth, a ſtranger, and not thine own lips, (t)Prov. 27. 2▪our prayſe becomes anothers mouth, but not our own.
Yet ſometimes, there may be a defence, without a commendation, when their innocency only is to be opened and aſſerted without additionals of prayſe, as a Diamond found in the dirt and dunghil, needs not be painted, but only waſhed clean: as Joſeph doth not make mention of his skill and knowledge in interpreting and opening dreams and riddles; but only tells the Butler, he was an innocent, (u)Gen. 40. 14. 15.and in ſuch a caſe, none are ſo fit to do it as our ſelves, nemo te, niſi tu, exprimere poteſt, none can be better acquainted with our innocency, then our ſelves, nor have more aſſurance to be ſuccesful: the Jews had a Tertullus to be their Orator; but Paul ſpeaks for himſelf: (w)Act. 24. 10.ſo John and Peter, when they were queſtioned about a good work, (x)Act. 4. 9. 10.needed no Lawyers to open and aſſert their cauſe, but do it boldly and willingly themſelves: and in ſuch a caſe, Martyr and Confeſſor have been much alike: when Chriſt our Saviour ſpake to Pontius Pilate in his own defence, and for his life, (y)Joh. 18. 36. 37.yet he is ſaid by the Apoſtle, (z)1 Tim. 6. 13.to have witneſſed a good Confeſſion, as in caſes of the Common-wealth, the party wronged gives in evidence, becauſe the wrong is not ſo much his own, as the States and Common-wealths.