The Cure of Misprision, Section 20
Sect. 20.
Therefore, though they will not condemne a man for one ſingle act, or ſ…dain accident, yet i… they ſee the m…in… … and courſe of his life to b… wholely vicious and ſinfull, they will and may boldly cenſure him a wicked man. As for example. If we know a man to be a common Drunkard▪ Iſay 5. 22. Heb. 2. 15. Joel 1. 5. Or a con…inuall Sweater. Pſal. 10 7. Jer. 23. 10. Exod. 20. 7. … 5. 12. O… …n … companion of Ha…lo…s▪ Pro. 7. 10. 1 Cor▪ 6▪ …5 Or a… …c…ſtomary Deceiver, Pro. 1. 13. and 20. 17▪ and 2… ▪ 6. Or a frequent Slanderer of his neighb…r D…ut. 27. 24. Pſal. 101. 5. Or an open Sabbath b…e…k…r, (for God hath given the Sabbath as a …ig…e between him and his, in point of Sanctification, Exod. 31. 13▪ to 18. So that he who cares not to propha…e the Sabbath, by that ſigne, is knowne to be none of Gods people.)
Againe, If we heare a man boaſt of ſinne and miſchi…fe, or defend it. Pſal. 52. 1. If we perceive that a man makes no conſcience of prayer, reading the word, &c. in his fami…ie, Pſal. 14 4. and 79. 6. Jer. 10. 25. If we find one to be of a reprobate judgement, touching actions and perſons, eſt…eming good evill, and evill good P…o. 17▪ 15. and …9. 27. Iſay 5. 20. Or …h…t … … h… brother▪ …or doing that which i… good▪ as …ai… did Ab…ll, 1 Joh… 3. 12. Or to be an affected Scoffer at r…ligion. Gen. 21. 9. 10. 2 Sam. 6. 16▪ 20. 21. 22. 23. Pſal. 1. 1. Or to lay plo…, or conſult … others againſt th… godly, Pſal. 83. 2 to 10 Mat. 26. 4. ma…ke the 3 6. Or to be an accuſ…r of them: Revel. 12, 10 Levit. 19. 16. Pro. 16. 28. If we heare one …ejoyce at the ſecr…t infirmities of the godly, or open ſcandals of Hypocrites P…o. 11. 13. for none doe ſo but Gods enemies, as is plaine by 2 Sam. 12. 14. becauſe our brothers fall, is the Devils victory.
Againe, If we heare one carp, and fret againſt the word▪ refuſing to heare it, John 6. 66. and 8. 47. 2 Cor. 2. 15. 16 Pro. 29▪ 1. Or to withſtand the preaching of it: … Tim. 3. 8. Acts 13. 10. Or laſtly, If we heare a Miniſter in his preaching, to diſgrace or revile the godly: So making ſad the hearts of the righteous: Or to …aſtifie the wicked, ſo ſtr…ng…hning them in their evill …ou…ſes, by preaching unto them p…, Eze. 13. 22▪ Pro 24▪ 24. VponUpon any of theſe grounds, we may boldly cenſure him a wicked man, and for the preſent in a damnable condition.
And this is warranted by the word of God, for beſides that they are ſufficiently marked out, and branded by the Holy Ghoſt for ſuch▪ in the places before quored. The word elſe where gives two infallible ru…s whereby to know and judge of a wicked man. The one is by his …orkes, the other by his words, the which will be more d…monſtrative, if we take this received Axiom along with us, as a ground whereon to build our inſuing diſcourſe… ▪ Namely, that
Every particular man, is either in his ſinnes, unregenerate in the ſtate of nature, and ſo a wicked man, or elſe he … the ſtate of grace a beleever, and ſo the child of God▪ For there is not a mean betwixt them, Every ſoule ſaith Chryſoſtome▪ is either the ſp…uſe of Chriſt, or the A…lt…ſſe of the ▪Divell. We are either a branch ſp…g from Adams ſtock▪ which drawes ſap from that curſed …oote of death, or elſe we are tranſplanted into the vine Christ, and d…aw our ſap from him.
Now if we draw ſap from this vine Chriſt, its impoſſible but we ſhould beare the f…uits of the ſpirit: which are love, ioy, peace, long ſuffering, gentleneſſe, goodneſſe, faith▪ me…keneſſ…, temperance, recknoed up by the Apoſtle, Gal. 5. 22. 23. And ſo on the contrary, if we draw ſap from nature, and bring forth the fruits and workes of the fleſh, which are manifeſt, as Adultery, uncleaneſſe, Idolatry▪ witch-craft, hatred, varience, emulations, wrath, ſtrife, ſeditions, heriſies, invyings, murthers, drunk…nneſſ…, revilings and ſuch like, verſe 19 20. 21▪ Its impoſſible but we ſhould be the children of the Divell, for he that committeth ſinne, ſaith our Saviour (meaning conſtantly and greedily) i… of the Divell, 1 John 3▪ 8. Which maketh him ſay to the Jowes, Yee are of your father the Divell, and the luſts of y…ur father yee will doe, John 8. 44. And againe, verſe 34▪ 39. Where the point is further amplified. And to this St. Paul gives teſtimony, Rom. 6. Saying, Know yee not, that to whom yee yeeld your ſelves, ſervants to obey▪ his ſervants yee are to whom yee obey: whether of ſinne unto death, or of obedience unto righteouſneſſe. verſe 16.
Whence it is, that our Saviour warning us to beware of wicked men; ſaith, Yee ſhall know them by their fruits, Mat. 7. 16. Do …n gather grapes of thorns, or ſigs of thiſtles ſaith he: Even ſo every good tree, bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree, bringeth forth evill fruit▪ verſe 17. 18. And in verſe the 20. he tells us againe, repeating the ſame words, that by their fruits we ſhall know them. Yea, we may know them by their want of fruit: we more then ſuſpect want of ſap in the root of a tr…e, if we find barrennes▪ in the branches. If either it have bad fruit, or no fruit, it is but a dead faith. And the true method of grace is, ceaſe to doe evill, learne to …oe well. Iſay 1▪ 16. 17. for as grace enters into the heart▪ ſin goes out, like …re out a veſſell, when wine is powred in. Or as it fares with Women, that having once conceived cannot admit of a ſecond conception, untill they be delivered of the firſt. They▪ Saith St. Paul, that ar… Chriſts have …ru…ified the fleſh, with the affections and luſts, Gal. 5. 24. But more fully to the point i… hand, is that 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth ſure, and hath this ſeale: the Lord knoweth who are his [and that we may know likewiſe who are his, it followeth excellently] Let every one that calleth on the name of Christ, depare from iniquiti… … Words and actions expreſſe our hearts to men: thoughts to God.
So that this is one infallible rule, which the word of God hath ſet downe whereby in many caſes, one man may know and judge of another: for the tree is knowne by his fruit. Mat. 12. 33.