Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 8 · Part 31 · Subpart 18
Wicked Men compared to Foxes.
Luk. 12.32. Go tell that Fox, &c.
THe Lord Jeſus calls Herod a Fox, by reaſon of his treacherous Plots and Craft, whereby he privately contrived to intrap him. See Eraſmus, in his Paraphraſe upon the Place: Go and tell that Fox, who confides in human Craft, and believes that he can do any thing againſt the Majeſty and Counſel of God, &c.
A Fox is called in Hebrew Schual, and in Caldee, Thual; and therefore, Pſal. 61. where the Hebrew readeth Schuatim, there the Caldee tranſlateth it, Thealaia: The Arabians call him Thaleb, and Avicen calleth a Fox ſometimes Chabel, and alſo Chalchail; the Greek Septuagint, Alopehon, and vulgarly Alopex, and Alopon; the Latin, Vulpes; the French, Regnard, &c.
The Epithets expreſſing the Nature of the Fox, among Writers, are theſe, viz. Crafty, wary, deceitful, ſtinking, ſtrong-ſmelling, quick-ſmelling, tailed, warlike, or contentious, rough; the Grecians, fiery-coloured, ſubtil for Slaughter.
A wicked and ſubtil Perſecutor is, and may be fitly compared to a Fox, which we ſhall briefly open in the following Parallel.
| Metaphor. | Parallel. |
| A Fox is a crafty and ſubtil Creature, which appears in theſe reſpects following: (1.) In that he claps his Tail between his Legs, when he is purſued. (2.) When he perceiveth he cannot eſcape, he urines on his Tail, and whisks it on the Dogs, which hath an exceeding ſtrong Scent, inſomuch that the Dogs not enduring the Scent, are forced for a while to deſiſt. (3.) He will often, when he is in danger, and no avoiding of it, bite the Dogs on their hinder Legs, for that is the tendereſt part about them. (4.) Becauſe the Beaſt called the Urchin is too ſtrong for him, he taketh him by Craft: for when he caſteth himſelf down upon the Ground, he leapeth upon his Belly, and deſtroyeth him. (5.) The Fox (Naturaliſts obſerve) hath a ſubtil way to take Fiſh: Wandering by the Shore, he dippeth his Tail in the Water, and the little Fiſh immediatly entangle themſelves in it, and ſo are taken. (6.) By Craft, as Geſner obſerves, he gets the Badger's Den for his own uſe; and by laying in the mouth of the Wolfe's Den, an Herb called Sea-Onion, which is contrary to the Nature of Wolves, he frights away that Creature, ſo that he will not come near it. (7.) He is often troubled with Waſps in the Summer-time, but uſeth this Wile to deſtroy them: He hideth himſelf, but layeth his Tail out; the Waſps flie to his Tail, and when there are abundance in it, he runneth to the Wall, or to ſome Tree, and ſtriketh his Tail againſt the Tree, and rubbeth it againſt the Ground, and ſo he deſtroyeth all of them.Dr Frantzius. (8.) If he wanteth Food, and knows not where to get it,Dr Frantzius. he lieth upon the Ground, upon his Back, with his Legs ſtretched abroad, and ſo feigneth himſelf dead; the Birds ſeeing him lie in this manner, light on him, thinking he is dead; and when they are upon him, he taketh them, and deſtroyeth them. | SO ſome wicked Perſecutors are very crafty and ſubtil, as appeared in Pharaoh King of Egypt, and Herod. What Policy did the firſt uſe, to ſpoil and utterly deſtroy the Iſraelites! Come on, ſaith he, let us deal wiſely with them, &c. Many Tyrants, and curſed Perſecutors, have pretended much Kindneſs to the Saints, when they have in their Hearts utterly deſigned to deſtroy them. What ſaid Herod to the wiſe Men? Go, Mat. 2, 7, 8 ſearch diligently for the young Child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worſhip him alſo: Which was nothing elſe but a crafty Pretence, for his purpoſe was to kill him. What Policy did Julian the Apoſtate uſe to deſtroy the poor Chriſtians! Alſo what Devices have the Romaniſts invented, to ſpoil and utterly ruin the Proteſtants from time to time! contriving Helliſh Plots, and then caſting them upon ſuch whoſe Souls hate ſuch deteſtable Actions! It hath been the common Practice of theſe crafty Perſecutors, to put the Wolves Skins upon theſe harmleſs Sheep and Lambs of Chriſt, and then ſet the Dogs upon them, to hurt and worry them, &c. How have they charged them with Treaſon, Sedition, and Rebellion, from time to time, on purpoſe to render them odious to the common, and more unwary People. |
| II. The Fox is not only crafty, but cruel and blood-thirſty, a great Deſtroyer of innocent Creatures: He will ſeize upon Hares, Conies, Hens, Geeſe, Lambs, &c. and make a great Spoil of them. | II. So wicked Papiſts, and other Enemies of God's People, are not only ſubtil, but very cruel and blood-thirſty. Herod was called a Fox, partly without doubt upon this account: What barbarous Slaughter did he make in the Town of Bethlehem, of poor, harmleſs, and innocent Babes, that ſo he might craftily cut off the holy Child Jeſus among the reſt! And what cruel, bloody, (as well as crafty) Foxes have the Papiſts been! How many Thouſands, nay, Millions of Souls, have they deſtroyed, both of Heathens in America, and Chriſtian Proteſtants in moſt Kingdoms of Europe! See Foxe's Acts and Monuments. Sir Sam. Moreland's Hiſtory, and Mr. Clark's Examples, &c. |
| III. The Fox never goes ſtreight forward, but tortuoſis incedit anfractibus, or by crooked Windings. | III. So the Romiſh Foxes never walk in the ſtreight Path of the Goſpel,Guild. nor follow the even and ſtreight Rules thereof, but in crooked Windings, and By-Paths of Error and human Traditions, not leading to God by Chriſt, but by Saints and Angels; nor to his Merits only for Satisfaction, but to the Sacrifice of the Maſs, Pardons of their own, and to Purgatory, &c. uſing all Deceitfulneſs and Error to compaſs their own curſed Ends. |
| IV. The Time, eſpecially, when the Fox invades and ſeizeth his Prey, is in the Night, when all are aſleep, both Shepherd and Sheep. | IV. So in like manner do theſe Foxes break in upon a People, when they are ſecure; like the envious Man, that ſowed Tares among the good Seed, they watch the fitteſt Opportunities to ſpoil God's Heritage. |
| V. Foxes are a ſtinking Sort of Creatures, and in the Day-time hide themſelves in their Holes, and ſeldom look out. | V. So theſe Romiſh Foxes are a filthy and ſtinking ſort of Vermine in their Lives and Converſations, guilty of all manner of abominable Luſts, and horrid Pollution; and whilſt the Light of the Goſpel clearly and freely ſhines in a Kingdom or Nation, they hide themſelves; but when it begins to be Even-tide with a People, then they, as at this Day, begin to look out of their Holes. |
| VI. Foxes are ſaid to do much Miſchief to Vineyards; as Franzius and others obſerve. | VI. So Wicked Perſecutors and Seducers do great hurt and Miſchief to Chriſt's Vineyard, Take us the Foxes, Cant 2.15. the little Foxes that ſpoil the Vines, &c. |
| VII. The Fox, notwithſtanding all his Craft, is often caught and made a Spoil of, being much hated by all, for the Miſchief and Hurt he doth. | VII. So the Romiſh Foxes and ſubtile Enemies of the Lord's Heritage, notwithſtanding all their Craft and Helliſh Policy, are often taken in the Snare, and their Plots diſcovered, and they hanged for their Treaſon and curſed Contrivances, as former and latter times ſhew. |
Inferences.
THis may teach us to take heed of two ſorts of Men. Firſt, of a flattering and fawning Perſecutor. Secondly, of a cunning and ſubtile Seducer; for Foxes haunt not a Vineyard, or Flock of Sheep, more than theſe do the Church: (1.) By corrupting the Purity of her Doctrine. (2.) Obſcuring the Simplicity of Worſhip. (3.) Overturning the Beauty of Order, and bringing in confuſion, ſpoiling her Bond of Union, by extinguiſhing the Vigor and Life of Chriſtianity. (4.) By deſtroying her Children, and ſpoiling their Goods, and as much as in them lies ruining their Souls.
2. Therefore let us pray that theſe Foxes may be taken, like as the Foxes, that one way or other their Craft and Subtilty may be diſcovered, and they prevented, and hindered from doing more hurt to God's Church.