Armor of Proof 2, Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
THe main and moſt materiall cauſe why wicked men ſo mortally hate the godly, and which breeds ſo many quarrels, is the contrariety of their natures, as I briefly hinted in the thirteenth reaſon; being as contrary one to the other as are God and the devil, the one being the children of God, and partaking of the divine nature, as being one with the Father and the Son, 1 Cor. 6.18. Gal. 3.26. Joh. 1.12. & 17.14, 21, 22. 2 Pet. 1.4. being like God in holineſſe, 1 Pet. 1.15. Bretheren of, and heirs annexed with Christ, Rom. 8.17, 29. Members of his body, 1 Cor. 12.27. Bone of his bone, and fleſh of his fleſh, Eph. 5.30. having his spirit dwelling in them, Rom. 8.9, 16. and being Temples of the holy Ghoſt, 1 Cor. 6.19. Jam. 1.18. Joh. 1.13. & 3.5, 8. 1 Joh. 3.9.
And the other being the ſeed of the ſerpent and children of the devil; and ſo partake of his nature, as is plain by 1 Joh. 3.8.10, 12, 14. Joh. 6.70. & 8.44. Matth. 13.38, 39. 2 Cor. 4.4. 2 Tim. 2.26. Gen. 3.15. & 5.3. Epheſ. 2.2, &c. Which being ſo, how is it poſſible they ſhould ever agree; although God had not proclaimed an enmity between them? For there can be no amity where there is no ſimpathy; no reconciling of the wolfe and the lambe, the winds and the ſea; No neighbourhood, no alliance, no conjunction, is able to make the curſed ſeed of the ſerpent, and the bleſſed ſeed of the woman ever agree. For fire and water, light and darkneſse, Heaven and hell are not more contrary.
One bloud, one belly, one houſe, one education, could never make Cain and Abel accord, Jacob and Eſau, Iſaac and Iſhmael at one. Yea though they be man and wife, parent and childe, yet if they be not like they will not like. 2 Cor. 6.14, 15. And indeed what is the corporall ſimpathy, to the ſpirituall antipathy? Can there be ſuch a parity between the parent and the childe, the husband and the wife, as there is a diſparity between God and Satan? no certainly.
A wicked man can agree with all that are wicked, be they Papists, or Turks, or Atheiſts; Prophane or Civill men: for all theſe agree with him in blindeneſſe and darkneſſe: but with ſincere Chriſtians and practiſers of piety he can never agree; the religious ſhall be ſure of oppoſition, becauſe their light is contrary to his darkneſſe, grace in the one is a ſecret diſgrace to the other.
Yea let wicked men be at never ſo much ods one with another, yet they will concur and joyn againſt the godly. The Libertines, Cirenians, Alexandrians, Celicians and Aſians, differ they never ſo much, will join in diſpute againſt Steven, Act. 6.9. The Saduces, Phariſes and Herodians, were ſectaries of divers and adverſe factions, all differing one from another; yet all join together againſt our Saviour, Matth. 22. Herod neither loved the Jews, nor the Jews Herod, yet both are agreed to vex the Church. Yea Herod and Pilate, two enemies will agree ſo it be againſt Chriſt: they will fall in one with another, to fall out with God. Nature will give a man leave to be any thing ſave a ſound Chriſtian; and agree with all others, be their opinions never ſo contrary; provided they agree in the main, are all ſeed of the ſame ſerpent: but let the naturall man meet with one that is ſpirituall, they agree like heat and cold, if the one ſtayes the other flies; or if both ſtay, they agree like two poiſons in one ſtomach, the one being ever ſick of the other be they never ſo neer allied. As how many a wife is ſo much the more hated, becauſe a zealous wife? how many a childe leſſe beloved, becauſe a religious childe? how many a ſervant leſſe reſpected, becauſe a godly ſervant? And no marvell, for though they dwell in the ſame houſe, yet they belong to two ſeverall Kingdoms: and albeit they both remain upon earth, yet they are governed by two ſeverall Laws, the ones Burguſhip being in heaven, Phil. 3.20. and the other being a denizon belonging to hell; as Iriſh men are dwellers in Ircland, but donizens of England, and governed by the Statutes of this Kingdom.