Armor of Proof 2, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
FIfteenthly, Zoylus-like they cenſure, and ſpeak evill of us: becauſe they cannot otherwiſe hurt us.
They dare not ſmite us on the mouth as the High-Prieſt ſerved Paul: therefore they ſmite us with the mouth: as Zedekiah the falſe Prophet ſerved Michaiah: which is as bad or worſe. For deal they not with the godly, as the daughters of Heth did by Rebecca, Gen. 27. who made her weary of her life, and forced her to cry out in the bitterneſſe of her ſoul, What availeth it me to live: verſ. 46. In which they imitate their Father the devil: who when his hands are bound, vomits out a floud of reproaches with his tongue. Rev. 12.15.
I confeſſe they were wont, Maximinus like, to ſpeak evil of us; that ſo they might perſecute us with the more ſhew of reaſon: accuſe us to the Prelats, as the Jews did Paul to Agrippa: charging us with many things, but proving nothing, neither could they well undo us, if firſt they did not falſely accuſe us: as it fared with Iezabel touching Naboth, and the wife of Potiphar touching Ioſeph.
Though a little information would ſerve: for malice regards not how true any accuſation is, but how ſpitefull. And theſe prelats, were ſo far from diſcerning or deſiring to diſcern truth from ſlander, that to the grief of many good hearts; no muſick could be ſo ſweet to their ears, as to hear well of themſelves, ill of the religious. And they were as ready to yeeld their aid as the other to ask it; being men of the High-Prieſts humour; who ſeeing none offer themſelves ſet on work certain vile perſons, to accuſe Chriſt of hainous evils: that ſo they might crucifie him by a Law: Yea our reverend Biſhops and their bandogs dealt with a poor Miniſter or Chriſtian, juſt as the ſouldiers did by our Saviour: Firſt blinde him, then ſtrike him, and laſt ask him, who was it that ſmote thee? and he might anſwer the beſt of the three; It was thou O mine Enemy, thou waſt an an Achitophel in the one, a Doeg in the other, a Belial in both.
Sixteenthly, They cenſure, and in cenſuring ſlander us: that they may incite and ſtir up others to do the like: Reſembling thoſe ancient enemies of the Goſpel, who clad the Martyrs in the skins of wilde beaſts: to animate the dogs to tear them.
It is the nature of ignorant and ill-bred people, who walk after the fleſh in the luſt of uncleanneſſe, whom St Peter calls bruit beaſts, led with ſenſuality, and made to be taken and deſtroyed, to speak evil of the things which they underſtand not, 2 Pet. 2.12. And what one doth is a Law to the reſt. As if one in their company but mentions the word Puritan, or tells them how ſcrupulous and preciſe ſuch an one is: all the reſt will ſtrive who ſhall be forwardeſt in ſpitting out his ſpleen againſt all the godly. As what a number of ſharp and deadly Arrows will each of them ſhoot; both at the good and goodneſſe.
Nor are they ſo ſatisfied: but every one runs away with the cry: and barks out the term againſt every honeſt man he meets, whence it is that we are cenſured, and laught to ſcorn by the greateſt number: that we are made the common Butt of every ones malice, and the ſubject of all their diſcourſe.
Which yet is no diſparagement to us: for theſe are a generation of men; that (for matter of religion) can ſcarcely diſcern between their right hand and their left: as it fared with thoſe ſixſcore thouſand Ninevites, Jon. 4.11. I might heap up inſtances to prove how ſtrongly and ſtrangely example prevails, to the committing of evil with ignorant perſons, who are Ceſterns to ſin, Sives to grace. As in the Sodomites, Gen. 19.4. to 12. In Korah and his 150. followers: In Demetrius and his fellows, Acts 19. &c.
But it is too well known, how many do cenſure and blaſpheme the Godly, becauſe they hear others do ſo.
Nor is it the common peoples caſe alone: who enquire no farther but beleeve at firſt: for then I ſhould no whit wonder. But even our grave Biſhops and Fathers of the Church did not long ſince go thus by hearſay, and perſecute the conſcionable, becauſe drunkards and deboiſhed perſons did ſo: cenſuring them in their High Commiſſion, and other Courts Eccleſiaſticall; as the other did on their Ale-benches.
It may ſeem above beleef, and yet it was ſo, only thoſe barking Currs did theſe great Maſtifs wake: Whom we may liken to noyſome Flies, which ſting while they live, and ſtink when they are dead; though bleſſed be God we are now rid of them.
I need not tell you how many of their Lordſhips and their Creatures have come to their great preferments by being bitter Malignants againſt the beſt men: for no knowing man can thereof be ignorant.
Thus I migh… go on in giving you other reaſons of their cenſuring and ſlandering us; as one in regard of Satan, who loſeth ſo many of his Subjects or Captives as turn beleevers: for every repentant ſinner is as a priſoner broke looſe from his chains of darkneſſe,
And another in regard of the World, which loſeth a limb or member: When a convert will no longer accompany them in their wicked cuſtoms. And ſhew you, that it fares with all beleevers as it did with Paul, who ſo long as he joyned with the High-Priests and Elders to make havock of the Church was no whit moleſted by them; but when he became a convert and preached in the name of Ieſus, none ſo hated and perſecuted as he.
I might alſo make it appear, that atheiſme or unbelief is another cauſe, ſpeaking of truth another, breaking off ſociety with them another, the ſerpentine preaching of ſome Miniſters another, the ſcandalous lives of ſome profeſſors another, flocking after Sermons another, as they make them: but theſe I'le paſſe, and give you but one more, with which I will conclude this diſcourſe.