The Cure of Misprision, Section 7 – Section 11
Sect. 7.
Secondly, Let a Miniſter come to any ignorant worldling (and ſuch are all that are not Religious) and queſtion withthem upon their death-beds, about their eſtate; or ask them how their ſoules fare, and what peace they have; What is their manner, of anſwering? (eſpecially if they have not been notorious offenders) are they a whit troubled for ſinne, either originall, or actuall? or will they acknowledge themſelves to be in a loſt condition without Chriſt? no▪ their conſciences are at quiet, and they are at peace with themſelves, and all the world; and they thank God no ſi…ne troubles them; they have been no m…r…herers, no Adulterers, no common drunkards, neither have they been oppreſſours: yea will ſuch an one ſay, I doe not know that I have wronged man, woman, or child, I have been a Proteſtant, and gone to Church all my dayes: &c.
The middle ſort of Chriſtians (ſo called) have a notable way to delude their owne ſoules▪ and to put of all reproofes, and threatnings; namely by comparing themſelves with ſuch as are worſe then themſelves, counting none wicked, but ſuch as are notorious for wickedneſſe; as for example, becauſe they are not ſo drunke as Nabal, they thinke themſelves ſober: becauſe not ſo proud as Haman, therefore they be humble: becauſe not ſo bloodily minded as Doeg, therefore they are mercifull: becauſe not ſo trecherous as Judas, therefore loyall: becauſe neither Gallowes nor pillory can take hold of them; therefore they are honeſt and ſquare dealers.
Nor can there be a more plauſible deceit; for as the ſwarthy compared with the Blackmore, thinkes himſelfe fair, ſo civi…l men looking upon the prophane, admire their owne holineſſe. But ſuch ſhould do well to mind what our Saviour …a…h, Matth. 5. Except your right…ouſneſſe exceeds the right…ouſneſſe of the Scribes and Phariſees, ye ſhall in no caſe enter into the kingdom… o… heaven verſ. 20.
Alaſſe Tamar was more righteous then Judah, yet was Tamar ſinfull enough: and that Juſticiary Luk. 18 was not a publican▪ but he was a phariſee (like thee) which was worſe: wherefore compare not thy ſelfe with the worſt▪ to ſee how far thou art beyond them …or the thick …ar…d hear well …o the ſtarke deaf, and the Pigmies wonder at his ſtature, whom wee eſteem a dwar…e, but compare thy ſelf with the beſt, and ſee how far thou art …hort of them; the Moone is glorious to a candle, but pale to the Sun, the Lillie white to the wool, but ſhort of the ſnow▪ &c.
Wherefore thou that thinkeſt thy ſelfe charitable and juſt, compare thy ſelfe with Zacheus, after thy fourefold reſtitution, haſt thou given halfe thy goods to the poore? Thou that holdeſt thy ſelfe zealous in a cold Generation, conſider David: The zeale of thy houſe hath eaton me up: thou that art humble, meditate on Paul▪ yeelding to them that hated him. That art ſober, thinke of the R…chabites, that chaſt looke upon Joſeph, tempted and ſolicited by his honourable m…ſtris.
Though thou mayeſt be free from many ſins, without being beholding to thy ſelfe: As what wonder is it, if a dumbe man be no ſwearer? an Evenuch no Adulterer? a Beggar no Broker? where is no aſſault there can be no victory.
Indeed they will in generall, or in groſſe acknowledge, that they are great ſinners, but come to particulars, they can hardly tell in what; they never brake the firſt Commandement, of having many Gods, for they are no Papiſts, nor Idolaters; they never brake the ſecond, for they worſhip God aright; nor the third, for they have been no common ſwearers, only a few petty oathes▪ not the fourth, for they have every Sabbath gone duely to Church; not the fifth, for they ever honoured their parents, and are as loyall Subjects as may be, not the ſixt, for (like the young man in the Goſpel) they dare juſtifie themſelves to Chriſts owne face, that they have kept it from their youth, for they never murthered any man, though others find that they never …oe without enmity and malice in their hearts, againſt ſuch as are more Godly and ſincere then themſelves, but to their unſeeing eyes this is no man▪ ſlaughter; not the ſeventh, for they perceive not how the luſt of the eye ſhould be a ſin, ſo long as they lie not with their neighbours wives, not the eight, for (though they have coſened a …dred indirectly, yet) they never ſtole in all their lives; not the ninth, for they make Conſcience of perjury, though none of backbiting and ſlandering their neighbours; As for the tenth, that indeed makes them at a ſtand, till they hear what is meant by thou ſhalt not covet. And ſo by conſequence, they prove that they did but lie and diſſemble, when they acknowledged themſelves ſinners: for indeed and in truth, they think themſelves no ſinners, or almoſt, for like that ruler, Luk. 18. they have kept all the commandements; verſ. 18. to 22. and therefore if they be not rancke puritanes, there are none alive. But,
Sect. 8.
Thirdly, admit you take them in the very act of ſin, that they cannot deny it (and yet I have heard ſundry of them, when reproved for ſwearing, deny that they did ſwear) they will either juſtify themſelves in it, like thoſe hypocriticall Iewes, Mal. 3. 8. 13. 14. 15. and Saul, 1 Sam. 15. 18, to 22. or ſecondly with Iephta, Judg. 11. 35. Ahab, 1 King. 18. 17. and the ſame Saul, they will ſhift it off to ſome others, 1 Sam. 15. 20 21. or as Adam ſhifted off his ſin to Eve, and Eve to the ſerpent, Gen. 3. 12. 13▪ and for want of better excuſe, their callings, the times, or their naturall inclination, and ſo covertly God himſelf ſhall bear the blame of their ſins, as Adam when he told God, the woman which thou gaveſt to be with me, ſhe gave me of the tree, and I did eate; ſo ſlylie and covertly laying the fault upon God. Gen. 3 12.
Fourthly, If their ſins be not ſcarlet, or gya…tlike ſins, they will by ſubtile diſtinctions make them …o ſins, at leaſt not worth repenting of, like the Scribes and Phariſees, who thought it lawfull to ſwear by the Temple, though not by the gold of the Temple: by the Altar, though not by the offring upon the Altar, &c. Matth. 23. 16. to 23. As for example, how many of your civill honeſt men, think they may ſwear by petty oathes? as faith, troth, and the like? ſo they ſwear… not bloody oathes, as damne me, &c. commit ſmall ſins, as tell a lye, deceive a little, drink as much as they can well carry a way, Requite an evill turn with the like, ſo it exceed not; to be charritable with their maſters goods, waſtfull with their parents, to rob the King of his cuſtomes, to compound with Creditours for ten ſhillings in the pound, when they are ablé to pay all; in bearing witneſſe, to ſpeake ſo much truth as may make for the Plaintiffe, though they conceale what makes for the defendant, ſpill their ſeed upon the ground like Onon, Gen. 38. 9. 10. (a common, but a moſt foule ſinne) ſo they commit not fornication in act, with a thouſand the like, which I reckon amongſt the number of ſmall ſinnes: not becauſe they are ſo▪ but becauſe blind worldlings are apt to count them ſo.
Sect. 9.
Fiftly; As for evill thoughts, vaine, and unprofitable words, for the evill which cleaves to their very beſt actions: Or for ſinnes of Omiſſion, as the want of Faith, and Love, and Repentance, want of the true feare of God, the neglect of preparation, and profitable hearing, of praying, and reading in their families, of inſtructing their Children and ſervants, of ſanctifying the Sabbath, and ſeeing that all under them doe the ſame, their unfruitfulneſſe under the meanes of grace, their not fearing of a lye, an oath, and a hundred the like: they thinke they neede not be humbled for. Yea, they account the care of theſe things, but as the tything of mint and cummine.
But they ſhall once know (and deerly pay for it eitherwith teares or torment) that only to refraine evill, unleſſe they hate it alſo, and doe the contrary good, is to be evill ſtill. For when the truth of obedience, and power of godlineſſe is wanting: what difference between an Iſeraelite, and an Iſhmalite, a circumciſed Hebrew, and an uncircumciſed Philiſtine; a baptized Engliſh man, and an unwaſhen Turke.
Chriſtians are bound to ſhine out as lights, by a holy converſation: To gloryfie God, and to winne others. To admoniſh their brother when he doth amiſſe, to be able to give a reaſon of their faith and hope 1 Pet. 3. 15. To grow in grace daily, for as he is a Cain that ſayes, Am I my brothers keeper: So he is an Eſau, who ſayes in reſpect of ſpirituall things▪ I have enough my brother, for not a child in Gods familie, leaves of growing in grace: till he is growne up into glory. And a ſtrange thing it is ſaith Chryſoſtome, that a Phyſitian, a Shooe-maker a Taylor, and generally every Artificer, is ready and able to render a reaſon in defence of his profeſſion and trade, and yet many Chriſtians, (even Parents and Maſters, and Magiſtrates) cannot give an account of their religion.
Sect. 10.
Sixtly, They are ſo farr from being convinc'd of the ſinfulnes of their ordinary evil thoughts, word… ▪ and actions (though a very thought, may be unpardonable: as Simon Peter intimates to Simon Magus▪ Acts 8. 22.) that they thinke they doe well; and deſerve praiſe for the fouleſt ſinne that can be committed: namely for perſecuting Chriſt in his members. Witneſſe Biſhop Laud, Wren, & their fellowes, when they have beene examined. Nor is this the caſe of a few, but of all naturall men. Nor of the meaneſt, ſimpleſt, or uncivill…ſt, but principally of the greateſt and wiſeſt, and learnedeſt Civilians, and Moraliſts. Yea who have beene ſo active and forwards, as ſome hundreds of Preachers, and Prelates in this land. And not only with tongue perſecution, in rayling upon, ſlandering, and nick-naming all godly Chriſtians, and preachers, even out of the pulpit, and that in words of Scripture, (which ſhewes a reprobate judgement) but even excommunicated, arraigned, impriſoned, whipt, ▪beggered, branded, baniſhed, diſmembred, and in the end, when all would not beate them off from Chriſt, and from keeping a good conſcience, killed them. Yea, how many of theſe Biſhops, and Clergie men, have been the incendiaries of this bloody, and worſe then ſalvage war, in all the three Kingdomes? meerly out of a mortall hatred, and enmitie which they beare againſt zealous Chriſtians? their ſincerity and the power of religion. In which they but fulfill thoſe words of our Saviour. Luke 21. They ſhall put you out of the Sinagogues, perſecute you, impriſon you, and kill you for my names ſake. verſ. 12. and in all, thinks that they doe God good ſervice. John 16. 2. So far are they from thinking the worſt of murthers a ſin. And no wonder, when St. Paul tells you, that it was his very caſe, ſo long as he was in his naturall condition. Acts 26. 9. and 1 Tim. 1. 13.
Sect. 11.
Seventhly, So far are naturall men, from ſeeing their ſinnes, or deſiring to ſee them, that if a Miniſter in diſcharging his duty, ſhall but deale plainly with them, in laying open their ſinnes, and declaring the judgements of God due unto the ſame. powerfully applying it to their conſciences, they will perſecute him for it, even to the death, as the Jewes ſerved our Saviour. John 7. 7. and all the Prophets before him, and Apoſtles after him. Pro. 15. 12. Amos 5. 10. Mat. 23. 37. Gal. 4. 16. 1 Theſ. 2. 16. Acts 4 17. 18. and 7. 27. and 19. 28. 1 Kings 22. 8. John 3. 19. 20▪ 21. And ſo you have it proved, that all naturall men juſtifie themſelves more or leſs, and thinke they are pure and without ſin.
But heare the reaſons of this their miſerable miſtake, and you will the leſſe wonder at it.