The Cry of a Stone, Section 19
It is no ſtrange thing for Chriſtians to be perſecuted of Chriſtians.
BUt this is a very grievous thing, when a man ſhall not onelyonly be SECT. 19.oppoſed and cruelly dealt withall at the hands of ignorant and Object. 8 vaine men, but when many wiſe, Religious and godly men ſhall ſet themſelves againſt one, and be inſtruments of ones ruine and deſtruction? Me thinketh it cannot be, that ſuch good men ſhould be deceived and miſled as they are if I be right?
I anſwer, firſt, Did not good Aſa put faithfull Hanant in priſon? Anſwer 1 Did not godly David diſpoſſeſſe true hearted Mephiboſheth of his lands? 2 Chro. 16. 10. 2 Sam. 16. 4. 2 Chron. 24. 23. Gen. 37. 28. Iob. 19. 2. 5.Did not reforming Ioaſh, cauſe zealous zachariah to be ſtoned? Did not Ioſephs fellow Patriarches ſell him into Egypt? Did not Iobs wife and godly friends, vex and torment his ſoule more than all his other croſſes? Was not the holy Saint of God, Paul, deſpiſed and derided, even of his ſpirituall ſonnes? yea, ſometimes Manaſſes eateth Ephraim, 1 Cor. 4. 3. 10. 15.and Ephraim Manaſſes, and therefore it is no ſtrange thing, to ſee one Iſai. 9. 20. 21.Chriſtian abuſed, reviled, & cruelly handled at the hands of another.
Yea, and if it were ever in any age, it muſt needs be in ours, ſince greater ſtrictneſſe and cenſoriouſneſſe was never found againſt one another, then is now, and no oppoſition or contrary opinion can be endured, but there muſt be a uniformity, even to the ty…hing of Mat. 22. 23.mint and annis.
And if men be not borne all in one day, and brought up all in one Schoole, or enured to one Preacher, or that one man have learned a little faſter or ſlower then his fellowes, and begin to ſpeake either more plainly, or more darkely than ordinary, he is by and by diſtaſted and talked with, to ſee if he be not ſome Arian, Anabaptiſt, Familiſt, Browniſt, Puritane, &c. and if any one of his allegations looke towards The image of our times.any of theſe Sects (as it were marvell if ſome ſhould not) then the opponent hath ſomewhat to buſie himſelfe and his friends about, and there is a rare piece of worke done, an infected ſheepe diſcovered, and now he muſt be worried, and hunted, and where ſhall the inſtruments be had to chaſe this creature? not from the rules of Divinity or logicke, except once or ſo, for recreation; but the weapons muſt be fetched out of the Cutlers ſhop that muſt cut the throat of thoſe errors, ad bring this Irregular fellow to a non plus, and the next newes A notable wcapon to repreſſe errors.he hears there is a purſevant at his back to carry him before authority, but when he comes there, ſome informers, (richer in clothes than in grace) have beene before him, and told his tale for him, ſo as there is nothing for him to ſay, except he will ſweare hee knowes not wherefore, and make anſwer hee knowes not to what, and after ſhort worke the man with the keyes muſt become his Hoſt, and with him he muſt eat hard meat, till either his withered Carkaſſe fall in the duſt, or be drawne upon a hurdle to Tiburne.
And thus hath many a worthy Chriſtian been ſerved, and brought Many good Chriſtians abuſed, and loſe their lives for trifles.to his end, and what ſound and zealous Chriſtian is there more, which can ſay he is ſure he ſhall not be ſo ſerved? For though the things they hold have a good ground, and an honeſt intent, and the differences are rather about formes of words, than matters of weight; yet we live in ſuch a ſtrict and zealous age as will have a conformity, even betwixt the tips of mens tongues, and amongſt ſuch notable wiſe men, that can ſpy a fault where there is none.
It is reported of Biſhop Grindall, that though his love to honeſt and zealous Preachers was ſuch as that for favouring of them, himſelfe Biſhop Grindal.was ſuſpended from his Biſhoprick before his death; yet even in the middeſt of this his large love and lenity, by the inſtigation, and foreſtallings of ſome Paraſites & idle bellied Prieſts; he put to ſilence, one of Mr. Strood.the moſt famous & worthieſt Preachers that ever was in that Dioces.
I have alſo heard of a very excellent Preacher in Canterbury, who was both a lover of goodneſſe and good men, and yet (partly by his Maſter T. W.owne miſtaking, partly by others provocation) hee perſecuted an honeſt religious man, and one of his Pariſh, cauſing him to be put from his office which he had in the City, then to be deprived of worke G. G.or any reliefe from honeſt men, afterwards cauſed him to be impriſoned, where he lay above a yeere, till himſelfe, his wife and children were almoſt ſtarved; and had ſtarved but for ſome ſecret courſe, by A lamentable example.which they were relieved, and afterward comming out of priſon, he cauſed him to be baniſhed the City, and often threatned him with fire and faggot, and all for a triviall controverſie▪ wherein there was ten times more heat of blood than weight of difference.
And untill our Preachers and Profeſſors have better learned the The true cauſe of cruelty for Religion.doctrine of forbearance which hereafter God willing, I will treat of, and have made their Canons for uniformitie a little larger, but eſpecially till they better know themſelves, and are affected with their owne ignorances, errors and miſtakings, they are fitter to Lord it over their brethren, then bearing their burthen to ſerve them in Love, 1 Cor. 1. 24.and can with more eaſe ſet themſelves to butcher one another, Gal. 6. 2.then to informe, cherriſh and comfort one another, and untill this ſpirit is abated, and this inordinate zeale quenched, wee muſt looke Iudg. 8. 3.for afflictions and perſecutions at the hands of thoſe that are partakers of the ſame grace with us, and wait for the comming of the Lord Ieſus from heaven as well as we.
But what ſhall we ſay? even this the Lord doth, that hee may try us every way, that not onelyonly Infidels and prophane wretches may revile, accuſe and wrong us, but even our familiars and knowne friends, which have familiarly and ſweetly borne us company in Gods worſhip; and Pſal. 55. 13, 14.even they which ſhould be comforters are tormentors. They which are begotten by one word, & quickned by one ſpirit, cruſh one another to hell, and this is no ſmall triall; for that there ſhould be continuall enmity and ſpirituall warre betwixt the ſeed of the woman, and the ſeed Gen. 3. 15. 16.of the Serpent is no wonder, ſeeing they are as contrary as light and darkneſse, but that even the ſeed of the woman ſhould be at ſuch enmity 2 Cor. 6. 14. 15.amongſt themſelves is ſtrange and wonderfull, and ſheweth the greatneſſe of Satans malice, the ſtrength of mans corruption, and All worketh for the beſt.the marvellous operation of Gods grace, which prevaileth even in ſpight of all miſorders, and bringeth great light out of the blackeſt darkneſſe.