Armor of Proof 2, Chapter 26 – Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVI.
SIxtly, Since we can expect no peace from the Serpents ſeed; let as many as are of the womans ſeed and of Chriſts ſide, unanimouſly hold together and joyn againſt their common enemy. Baſil and Euſebius are much to be commended, who when they perceived the Arians to improve a difference between them, to the prejudice of the Orthodox; ſoon reconciled themſelves, and united their forces together againſt the common enemy. O that all godly and orthodox Chriſtians, whether Presbyterians or Independents, would joyn together againſt Atheists and Papiſts; and not ſo croſſe, contradict and aſperſe each other, if they never ſo little differ in judgement about circumſtantials. As let but two maſtiffs be jarring between themſelves; when the Bear comes, they forget private ſtrife to aſſoil their common Enemy. And certainly they might be as firm friend… to truth, although they were not ſuch bitter enemies to peace. For a… the caſe ſtandeth, it is hard to determine whether they more intend to do God ſervice; or really do the devil and his inſtruments ſervice.
Seventhly, If the Lord have put this enmity between us and the wicked: here is warrant in oppoſing, comfort in ſuffering. If the ſeed of the woman fight on Chriſts ſide, and they have Gods word for their warrant, they are ſure to have him aſſiſt them, and prevent their enemies. And is not that God we fight for able enough to vindicate all our wrongs?
Eighthly, If a Chriſtian in reſpect of his hard ſtraits between Gods Law on the one ſide, and the malignant world on the other; may fitly be compared to the Gibbionites: who, if they made not their peace with Joſhu… muſt die by ſtrangers; and if they did make their peace with him; they muſt die by neighbours. Or to Suſanna who if ſhe did yeeld unto the two Elders muſt loſe her chaſtity, and hazard her ſoul; and if ſhe did not yeeld, ſhe muſt looſe her life. For we have a Wolf by the ears which we can neither ſtay nor let go with ſafety. If we ſeek to pleaſe God by a holy life we diſpleaſe the world, and that will hate and vex us: If we ſeek to pleaſe the world we diſpleaſe God, and he will hate and condem… us: for their commands are diametrically contrary, Act. 4.18, 19. The… of two evils let us chooſe the leaſt; let us not tun into the fire to avoi… the ſmoak. It is better to have the mocks and flouts of men on earth then the grinning mocks and laſhes of the devils in hell. Let us not b… like thoſe white-livered Rulers, John 12. that loved the praiſe of men mo… then the praiſe of God. Nor like Peter, who denied his Lord, and curſe… himſelf, to get credit amongſt a curſed crew: For what are their word… other then as a boys-ſquib, that only flaſhes, and cracks, and ſtinks, b… is nothing. And thoſe that hang their faith on ſuch mens lips, do b… like Ixion embrace a cloud inſtead of Juno. Yea, well may he claim … Boat-ſwayns place in Barkleys Ship of ſools, that will ſell his ſoul for … few good words from wicked mens tongues.
But what will ſome object: For many with Nicodemus do owe Go… ſome good will, but they dare not be known of it: like Nicodemus th… would ſteal to heaven, ſo no body might ſee them; they would pleaſe God, yet ſo as they might not diſpleaſe others nor themſelves. Like the young man in the Goſpel; they would follow Chriſt, ſo Chriſt propounded no other conditions to them then what they like of. And theſe will be ready to ſay, what need we publiſh our ſelves or our faith: cannot men ſerve God in ſecret, whereby they may avoid the worlds taunts.
Anſw. Profeſſion can no more be ſeparated from the truth of Religion then light from the Sun, Rom. 10.9, 10, 11. True fire (not painted) cannot but heat, break forth, and aſcend, That which is not gold, may gliſter, but that which is gold cannot chooſe but gliſter. The fruit will ſhew what the Tree is: It is but a dead faith which hath no works, Jam. 2.17.20, 26. Pſal. 37.30, 31.
Secondly, Unleſſe a man keep his lips alwaies ſeal'd up; he muſt either diſſemble, or elſe his language will bewray what countreyman he is. Neither can he avoid telling it, for admit a man be in adverſe company, they will ſo beſet him with queſtions, and draw him on, and pick it out of him, that without an abſurd ſilence he muſt ſhew an inclination one way. Or if he do not, they will gather as much by his ſilence as by his ſpeech. Or
Thirdly and laſtly, A man cannot diſſent from their wicked cuſtoms, he cannot refuſe to run with them to the ſame exceſſe of riot, in drinking, ſwearing, prophaning the Lords day, and the like; much leſſe can he admoniſh them, and ſo diſcharge his conſcience; but he makes too great a ſhew, and his profeſſion troubles them.
Beſides, As this cannot be, ſo it ought not to be; and that for many ſolid reaſons and grounds taken out of Gods word, as I have largely proved in my Cure of Miſpriſion, and as you may ſee Deut. 6.7, 8, 9. Matth. 5.16. and 10.32, 33. Mark. 15.43. Joh. 12.42, 43. 1 Pet. 2.9, 12. Phil. 2.15. Luk. 11.33. and 12.8. and 8.38, 39. Pſal. 50.15. and 71.17, 18. and 51.14. and 119.171. and 22.22. and 35.18. and 119.46. Rom. 9.33. and 10.9, 10. 2 Tim. 1.16. Exod. 12.13. Rev. 21.8. Acts 4.20.
Which being ſo; namely, that there is no pleaſing God nor being ſaved, without being holy and religious; nor no being religious, but it will appear to the world, and ſo occaſion its enmity and perſecution. Let us in no wiſe forbear good actions nor admonitions, be the malignant world pleaſed or diſpleaſed with it: yea, let us ſhine as lights in the midſt of a naughty and crooked generation, by a blameleſſe and pure life and converſation: thereby to win others among whom we live, Phil. 2.15. Let our light ſo ſhine before men, that they may ſee our good works, and glorifie our Father which is in heaven, Matth. 5.16. Let us ſhew forth the praiſes of him, who hath called us out of darkneſſe into his marvellous light, 1 Pet. 2.9. And ſo much the rather, for that our Saviour ſaith expreſly, Whoſoever ſhall be aſhamed of me and of my words among this adulterous and ſinfull generation; of him ſhall the ſon of man be aſhamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels, Mark 8.38. Matth. 10.33. Not only not to deny, but not to confeſſe the truth is dangerous; as holy David, Pſal. 39.1, 2. and the Prophet Jeremy found by experience, Jer. 20.8, 9, 10. Not to declare our faith is to deny it, ſaith Fulgentius. The Merozians oppoſed not, they denied not, they only ſtood ſtill, did nothing, ſaid nothing, yet were they curſed, Judg. 5.23. He who had not his dore poſts ſprinckled with the bloud of the Paſchall Lambe, was ſure to ſuffer by the deſtroying Angel, Exod. 12.13. And the fearfull ſhall go firſt and before other ſinners, into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the ſecond death, Rev. 21.8. They had bee… moſt backward to all good, and therefore ſhall be the formoſt, and have the precedency in ſuffering all evill. Wherefore if we love either Chriſt or our own ſouls, let us never be aſhamed of our Maſters ſervice, what ever we ſuffer by waring of his livery. Be not, ſaith Paul, aſhamed of the teſtimony of our Lord, neither of me his priſoner; but be partakers of the afflictions of the Goſpel, according to the power of God, 2 Tim. 1.8.
No matter what Judas ſaith touching Maries anoynting our Saviours feet, ſo long as Chriſt himſelf approves of it. Our Saviour did not forbear to heal, and do good on the Sabbath day: though the Scribes and Phariſees took it ill; but rather did it the more, Luk. 6.1, to 12. and 13.31, 32. when Peter and John were charged to ſpeak no more in the Name of Jeſus, their anſwer was, we cannot but ſpeak that which we have heard and ſeen, Acts 4.20. Let the ſame reſolution be ours ſince the caſe is the ſame.
Yea let us (with holy David) go a ſtrain higher: and when any Micholl ſhall ſcoff at us for our zeal, and call us fools; let us be more vile in being more zealous, and we ſhall be had in more honour by Chriſts friends: yea our malicious and ſcoffing adverſaries ſhall honour us by deriding us. For when vicious men think to tax and traduce us, they do in truth commend us: their diſpraiſe is a mans honour, their praiſe his diſhonour. Yea Terence a meer heathen could ſay, t…at to be evil ſpoken of by wicked men, was a glorious and laudable thing. And another, that it is no ſmall credit with the vile, to have a vile eſtimation: which being ſo, let us with Job take their reproach upon our ſhoulder, and binde it as a Crown unto us, Job 31.35, 36. At leaſt let us imitate St Auſtin, who feared the praiſe of good men, and deteſted that of the evil.
CHAP. XXVII.
NInthly, For a word of advice to the godly: If all naturall men are ſo apt to cenſure the religious, cauſe or no cauſe; And that they have ſo many reaſons to induce them to it: Let us for our Makers, and for our bleſſed Redeemers ſake take heed what we do: leſt we ſhame our profeſſion, and make the way of truth evil ſpoken of, 2 Pet. 2.2. Not that I expect their mouths ſhould be ſtopt; for faults they would finde in Chriſt himſelf, did he live amongſt them: neither can God pleaſe them, as you may ſee by their continuall murmuring at the ſeverall paſſages of his providence. Being like the Iſraelites who were never content, for when they had water they murmure for bread; when they had bread they complain for fleſh: as if they had boarded with God, and he were to provide them dyet: and they good men honeſtly paid for what they took. OnelyOnly let them have no juſt occaſion to cenſure and ſpeak evill … us: for though all true Chriſtians paſſe under their ſharp cenſures, and bitter reproaches: yet I cannot yeeld him a true ſervant of Chriſt that deſerves it.
Wherefore if we belong to Gods Family, let us ſhew what houſe …e come off: not onelyonly by our Livery, but by our living. The ſons of God muſt be pure, blameleſſe, and without rebuke, Phil. 2.15. And in the primitive times, a Chriſtian was known from another man, onelyonly by the holineſſe, and uprightneſſe of his life and converſation: as Tertullian reports.
And great reaſon there is for it: for firſt malice is very quick ſighted, to ſpye faults. Secondly, the Saints (like a Beacon upon an hill) have all eyes upon them. Thirdly, vertue or vice in them ſhall be ſure to be margined with a pointing finger. Fourthly, in pureſt things, the ſmalleſt ſpot is ſooner ſeen: then greater ſtaines in baſer ſtuffe: every little mote is ſeen, in a cleer glaſſe, which will not be diſcerned in an earthen pitcher. A ſmall spot, or wart, or freckle in the face; is a greater blemiſh, ſooner ſeen, and more noted, then an ugly skat, or botch in any other part of the body. Fifthly, the ſmalleſt ſpot in a religious mans face; ſhall excuſe all the ſores and ulcers in their bodies. Sixthly, in caſe they ſee our lives contrary to our profeſſion: they will even proteſt againſt our Religion; ſaying, if we did speak as we think, we would do as we ſpeak: if our Religion were true and good, ſuch as profeſſe it, would live thereafter. Seventhly, in caſe thy practice is not ſuitable to thy profeſſion; woe unto thee; for outward profeſſion, where there is want of inward truth, and real practice, doth but help to draw on and aggravate judgement. The Scribes and Phariſees had not heard of ſo many woes, but for their glorious pretences. Yea, had the Fig-tree in the Gospel, been utterly bare, and leave-leſſe: it had in all probability, eſcaped the curſe.
Hear this ye vain Hypocrites, that care onelyonly to be thought good: your fair out-ſide, ſhall be ſure to help you to a curſe. And it were better for you with Philoſophers, to have honeſty without Religion, then with wicked Chriſtians, to have Religion without honeſty.