2. who mocked the Apostles when they were filled with the Holy Ghost and hearing them speak languages which they understood not cried out These men are drunk with new wine Until we be born again we are like Nicodemus who knew not what it was 〈◊〉 be born again Joh. 3. 4. Until we become zealous our selves we are like Festus who thought zeal madness Act. 26. 24. Until we be humble our selves we are like Michal who mocked David for his humility and thought him a fool for dancing before the Ark 2 Sam. 6. 16. Yea to such as shall perish or are for the present in a perishing condition all Religion seems foolishness 1 Cor. 1. 18. CHAP. XV. THirdly They therefore speak evil of us and do all the evil they dare to us Because we will no longer run with them to the same excess of riot as the Apostle acquaints us 1 Pet. 4. 4. When our affections like wild and mad horses are violently galloping to Hell if the Spirit of God by repentance as with a bridle suddenly gives a jerk and turns them another way yea sets them going as fast in the narrow path towards Heaven presently those our companions in the broad way stand marvelling at us that we break off company and envy to see themselves cashiered The Israelites were never set upon by Pharaoh and all his Forces until they were got out of his land So long as S. Paul joyned with the High Priests and Elders to make havock of the Church he was no whit molested by them but when he became a convert and preached in the name of Jesus none so hated and persecuted as he That great Dragon the Devil and his subjects wicked men make war and are wroth with none but the Woman that is the Church and the remnant of her seed which keep the Commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revel 11. 17. The Accuser of the Brethren makes choice of wicked men to traduce those whom he cannot seduce as he desireth as we may plainly see in our Saviours example who notwithstanding he fulfilled all righteousness and did all things well for in his mouth was found no guile nor fault in his manners nor errour in his doctrine Which of you said he can rebuke me of sin Yet the world traduced him for a Samaritan a Blasphemer a Sorcerer a wine-bibber an enemy to Caesar and what not Thus they deal with the godly as sometimes a lustfull person will do by a chaste womâ—n when he cannot take away her honesty he will take away he credit brag of effecting his will with her when yet he could never have admittance into her company Besides how should those enemies of holiness work their will upon us if they did not thus cast aspersions upon and accusâ—us How should Naboth be cleanly put to death if he be not first accused of blasâ—phemy 1 Kings 21. 13. and the like of Joseph Eliah Jeremiah Susann Paul Stevon and our Saviour Christ himself Alas they well know and their Consciences spare not to tell them that the men whom they nick-name and asperse are honester men and more righteous then themselves as Pharaah was forced to confess touching Moses Exod. 10. 16 27. And Saul touching David 1 Sam. 26. 21. yea I know they are perswaded well of them even when they speak most to the contrary we know Pilate judged Christ guiltlesse but yet he put him to death And Festus acknowledged that Paul was without crime yet he left him in prison I dare say Tertullus knew that he lyed when he called Paul a pestilent fellow c. his conscience could not chuse but answer him thou lyest in thy throat Tertullus Paul is an honester man then thy self and the like of our accusors at this day but malice regards not how true any accusation is but how spightful I grant that in many cases they think as ill of us as they speak and the reason is when they want evidence their manner is to judge of us by themselves as it fared with Nero who verily beleeved that all men vvere Libidinists because himself was such an one and indeed their own guiltinesse is a main and usual cause of their censuring and slandring us for most commonly suspition proceeds from a self defect and a bad construction from a bad mind Deceitfull ever will mistrustfull be But no distrust is found in honestie And it is a rule which seldome fails That as Chara was worse then Noaâ— whom he derided and Ishmael worse then Isaac whom he mocked and Saul worse then David whom he persecuted and Jezabel worse then Naboth whom she defamed and murthered and Herod worse then John Baptist whom he beheaded So they that are wont to slander jeer and persecute others have themselves more cause to be jeered and judged by others Experience sufficiently acquaints us what they are and the examples before rehearsed And will any wise man stumble at Religion for such mens scoffs and reproaches CHAP. XVI FOurthly Another Reason is They know their glory and credit with the world is greatly eclipsed by such as excell in vertue Their vitious lives are plainly reproved and their persons most grievously shamed by the holy conversation of good men And this makes them smut the face that is fairer blemish honest mens fame by their censuring and â—spersions that they may mittigate their own shame with others discredit like Potiphars wife they pretend we are guilty that themselves may be taken for innocent And have they not reason so to do Yes for the â—hiter the Swan is the more black is the Crow that is by her and how is a vitious person discredited and made contemptible by the vertuous life of an holy man We know straight lines help to shew the crooked And it is easie to guesse that Pharaohs faâ— Kinâ— made the lean ones more ill favoured A swarthy and hard featured visage loves not the company of clear beauties It s a plain case if the Gospel should rise sin and error must go down Herod thought he could not be King if Christ should reign And the Pharisees knew that they should be despised if Christ were regarded And this makes them watch for our halting and withall as sharp sighted as Eagles to spy faults in us Briefly They put their own faults in that part of the Wallet which is behinde them but ours in the other part or end which is before them Indeed self-examination would make their judgements more charitable Fifthly They delight in censuring and slandering us because Satan who is their God 2 Cor. 4. 4. and their Prince Joh. 14 30. and works in them his pleasure Eph. 2. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 26. is ever prompting them thereunto Acts 5. 3. Rev. 12. 10. For it is Satan that speaks in and by them as once he did by the Serpent It is his minde in their mouth his heart in their lips Mat. 16. 23. And they being his Sons Servants and Subjects thirst to
this enmity so manifested it self not only in the Gentiles but in the Jews Gods own people who first raised those persecutions against Christ and his members that having beheaded John Baptist his harbinger and crucified himself the Lord of life We read that of all the twelve none died a natural death save only S. Iohn and he also was banished by Domitian to Patmos and at another time thrust into a Tun of seething oyl at Rome as Tertullian and S. Hierome do report See Acts 7. 51 to 60. and 12. 1. to 5. Rom. 8. 36. Iohn 21. 18 19. Fifthly After the Apostles if we consider the residue of the ten Persecutions raised by the Romans against the Christians which was for three hundred years till the coming of godly Constantine we finde that under Dioclesian seventeen thousand Christians were slain in one moneth amongst whom was Serena the Empress also Yea under him and nine other Emperers there was such an innumerable company of innocent Christians put to death and tormented that S. Hierom in his Epistle to Chromatius and Heliodorus saith There is no one day in the year unto which the number of five thousand Martyrs might not be ascribed except only the first day of Ianuary Yea there was two thousand suffered in the same place and at the same time with Nicanor Acts and Monuments page 32. who were put to the most exquisite deaths and torments that ever the wit or malice of men or devils could invent to inflict upon them and all for professing the faith of Christ and being holy which makes S. Paul cry out I think that God hath set forth us the last Apostles as men appointed to death 1 Cor. 4. 9. CHAP. VI. SIxthly From the Primitive times and infancy of the Church hitherto the Turk and the Pope have acted their parts in shedding the blood of the Saints as well as the Jewes and Roman Emperours touching which I will refer you to the Book of Acts and Monuments and Râ—vel 17. The whore of Babylon was drunk with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus ver 6. Which in part was fulfilled in England under the reign of Queen Mary and in France where before many late bloody Massacres there were more then two hundred thousand who suffered Martyrdom about Transubstantiation See Ecclesiastical History lib. 6. cap. 4 5 16. But Seventhly To come to these present times wherein we live Is it possible for a man to live a conscionable and unreproveable life abstain from drunkennesse swearing prophaning the Lords day separate himself from evill company be zealous for the glory of God admonish others that do amisse c. without being traduced calumniated hated slandered and persecuted for the same no it is not possible for if our righteousnesse doe but exceed the righteousness of a swearer or a drunkard we are sure to be persecuted for our righteousness as Abel was persecuted of Cain because his Sacrifice was better then his If a man walke according to the rule of Gods Word he is too precise if he will be more then almost a Christian he is curious phantastical factious and shall be mocked with the Spirit as if the Spirit of God were a Spirit of dishonour and shame Yea in these times not to be an Atheist or Papist is to be a Fanatick as how common a thing is it to wound all holiness under the name of Fanatick a name so full of the Serpents enmity as the egge of a Cockatrice is full of poison What should I say the World is grown so much knave that 't is now a vice to be honest O the deplorable condition of these times Even the Devil himself durst not have been so impudent as to have scoft at holiness in those ancient and purer times but now I could even sink down with shame to see Christianity every where so discountenanced Our very names come into few mouths out of which they return but with reproaches Amongst the rest of our sins O God be merciciful to the contempt of thy Servants Eightly For the time to come It is like not only to continue but the last remnants of time are sure to have the most of it because as in them love shall wax cold Matth. 24. 12. so as love groweth cold contention groweth hot More expresly the Holy Ghost foretells that in the last dayes the times shall be perilous and that toward the end of the world there shall be scoffers false accusers cursed speakers fierce despisers of them that are good and being fleshly not having the spirit they shall speak evill of the things which they understand not and that many shall follow their damnable ways whereby the way of truth shall be evill spoken of And that as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so these also shall resist the truth being men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith being before of old ordained to condemnation 2 Tim. 3. 1. to 13. 2 Pet. 2. 2. and 3. 3. Jude 4. 10. 16 18 19. And so much of the third particular CHAP. VII FOurthly It would be considered that what you suffer is far short of what others have suffered before you for whereas you suffer a little tongue-persecution your betters and such as the world was not worthy of have suffered cruel mockings and scourgings bonds and imprisonments were stoned sawn asunder tempted slain with the sword endured the violence of fire were rackt wandred about in desarts and mountains in dens and caves of the earth in sheep-skins and goat skins destitute afflicted and tormented Not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection Hebr. 11. 35 to 39. Yea turn â—…stical History and you shall finde that some of the Martyrs were stoned some crucified some beheaded some thrust thorow with spears some burnt with fire some broiled some brained with many the like and worse kinds of death for we read of no lesse then twenty nine several deaths they were put unto But to clear your sight I le give you some particular instances of the several wayes that the best of Gods people have suffered before you First You shall finde that it hath been the manner of wicked men out of this enmity to envy the vertuous and good estate of the godly as Cain envied Abel Gen. 4. 5. Secondly To contemn their supposed mean estate as Sanballat Tobiaâ— and Gershom with the rest of that crue contemned Nehemiah and the Jewes Nehem. 4. 1 2 3. Thirdly To rejoyce at their supposed evill estate as the Princes of the Philistins did at Sampsons blindness and bondage Judg. 16. 25. Fourthly To hate them as all carnal men hate the members of Christ Matth. 10. 22. Fiftly To murmure against them as the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron Numb 11. 1. and 14. 2 3. Sixthly To censure their actions and misconster their intentions as Eliah did Davids zeal for Gods glory in fighting with Goliah 1 Sam. 17. 18. and those wicked
mis-spend his time haunt Taverns play the good fellow and do as the rest do he shall have the approbation and good word of the greatest number Yea if none would be precise in their actions nor reprove others for their evill courses if they would but be prophane and wicked and make no bones of sin their malice would cease and we should not have a Roundhead or a Phaâ—â—tick in all the world Neither is Christ a sign to be spoken against of many in Babylon or Assyria but of many in Israel Luke 2. 34. where Religion is profest publikely Yea when sincerity is wanting the neerer the line with any opposition the greater eclipse The Gadarens but besought Christ to depart his own countrymen drave him out and cast him down headlong Luke 4. 29. And who was his greatest enemy but his greatest friend even one of his houshold Chaplains and who but Jeremics familiars watched for his halting Yea commonly vertue fares hardest from such as should and seem â—o uphold her for the chief Persecutors of Christ and his followers are not prefest Atheists or Turks or Jews but such as hold some great place in the Church And intruders upon other mens right can endure any man how bad soever rather to live by them then the servants of him whom they intrude upon as you may see Matth. 21. 33 to 39. where those farmers of the vineyard did not kill the theeves robbers and spoilers of the vineyard but the servants yea and the son too and the end of all was that they might take the inheritance And indeed it hath been the complaint almost of all that have written that they have suffered most from such as profest the same Faith and Religion with them And so much touching the main difference between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman CHAP. XIII I Might go on and shew you that as they hate and persecute the godly because they do wâ—ll so likewise because they fare well and are accepted before them As why was Cain wroth with his brother Abel and after â—lew him as affirmeth the holy Ghost but because the Lord had respect unto Abeâ— and to his offering but unto Cain and his offering he had no respect Gen. 4. 4 5. Why did Esau hate Jacob and purpose to kill him but because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him Gen. 27. 41. Isaac's blessing bred Esau's hate Again wherefore did the Philâ—â—â—ines and Abimâ—lech envie Isaac stop up his wells and banish him from them but because the Lord so abundantly blessed Isaac as appears Gen. 26. 12. to 18. Wherefore did Josephs Brethren hate him not being able to speak peaceably unto him and after sell him into Egipt but because his father more favoured him and they feared he should reign over them Gen. 37. 4 to 9. If Joseph be his fathers darling he is his brethrens eye-sore Wherefore did Saul persecute David and pursue after him from place to place to take away his life but because he was so praised and preferred of the people before himself and the Lord was with David and prospered him in every thing he took in hand 1 Sam. 18. 12 13 28 29. Davids successe is Sauls vexation yea he findes not so much pleasure in his Kingdome as vexation in the prosperity of David And lastly for I passe by the Elder Brothers envie in the Parable against his younger Brother when his Father so royally entertained him at his return Luke 15. 28. which is meant of the Jewes envying the Gentiles conversion and many the like instances Why was Eliah wroth with his younger brother 1 Sam. 17. 28. but because he should be more exalted And I doubt whether Davids brethren were more glad that Goliah was slain or angry that he was slain by their brother For envie is sick if her neighbour be well and the good mans honour is the envious mans torment as it fared between Haman and Mordecai as hereafter the glory of Christ shall add to these Reprobates confusion when they are driven to confess this is he whom we once had in deâ—ision Luke 13. 28. I might also apply all this to many in our times As why do many mens hearts rise against every holy man they meet as some stomacks rise at the sight of sweet meats Why do all drunkards and vitious livers hate the religious and so belch out their enmity and spleen against them in raising and spreading of slanders as they do but although partly to rescue themselves from contempt and to procure a contrary esteem by pâ—tting a foul and ugly vizard upon vertue and decking up vice in a gorgeous and comely attire yet chiefly because they partake of the divine nature and are one with the Father and the Son John 17. 14. 21 22. 2 Cor. 6. 18. I might I say be large upon this and many the like but I must only mention them CHAP. XIV SEcondly Another cause is their Ignorance They shall hate and persecute you yea they shall excommunicate and kill you for my Names sake saith our Saviour to his Disciples because they have not known the Father nor me John 16. 2 3. and 15. 21. And again they are an offence unto us because they understand not the things which are of God but the things which are of men Matth. 16. 23. And are deceived because they know not the Scriptures neither the power of God Matth. 22. 29. Luke 19. 42. This the Apostle confesseth to have been the cause of his persecuting the Church 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who so soon as he was enlightned with the saving knowledge of the truth changed his note with his name and preached that saith which before he persecuted Yea the most ugly and monstrous wickedness that ever was hatched or brought forth into the world calleth ignorance mother Had they known says the Apostle they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. Acts 3. 15 17. Father forgive them saith he of his murtherers for they know not what they do And why have the Kings of the earth in all ages â—nded themselves together against the Lord and against his Christ Psal. 2. 2. â—ut because they knew him not Joh. 15. 21. they see no more then the bark or outside of spiritual things 2 Sam. 6. 16. And the flesh Satans ready instrument will be ever sugesting to them strange surmises touching what the Reliâ—â—ous either say or do as is evident by what is recorded of Michal 2 Sam. 6. 16. of Nicodemus Joh. 3. 4. of Festus Act. 26. 24. and lastly of Paul before his conversion 1 Tim. 1. 13. It is the nature of ignorant and carnal men that walk after the flesh in the â—â—sts of uncleanness whom Saint Peter calls brute beasts led with sensuality to â—â—ak evil of the things which they understand not 2 Pet. 2. 12. especially in judging acts of zeal and piety their opinion still lights upon the worst sense like them in Act.