nourishing him with the cup of pleasure and feeding him with the bread of Heaven I would fain know how he could better have express'd the Care of his Government what greater Tenderness could he possibly shew them than by Respecting them so much in this Life as to allow them a sort of Anticipation of the Blessedness hereafter X. But perhaps it will be answer'd here that 't is true that a long time ago God was thus careful of Mankind but now a days he do's not at all trouble himself with it Pray how come we to be of that Opinion Because it may be we are not every day fed with Manna as they were then when we are provided with plentiful Crops of Corn Because the Quails do not fly in our Faces to be catch'd when we are supply'd with all sorts of Birds Beasts and Cattle Because we drink not Water flowing from hardest Rocks when we have Cellars Stor'd with choisest Wines Beside I am confident that even we our selves who think they were so much the Care of God and that we are neglected by Him should he instead of what we now enjoy give us those Things they had would certainly refuse the Offer We would never part with what we have at present to be possess'd of what they had not that we have better Things now than that People then enjoy'd but because they who were thus daily fed by the hand of God and Heaven preferr'd their former Gluttony to their present Provisions grew sullen and afflicted with the base Remembrance of fleshly Dyet and lewdly hanker'd after Leeks and Onions not that their former Food was any whit the better but because they were just in the same Condition that we are now They abhorr'd what e're was present and lusted for what was not We commend the Things of that Age more than of our own not that we had rather have them if 't were put to our Choice but 't is a Vice common to Mankind our Desires are always roving after what we have not As one says well Other Men's Goods please us and â— Syrus ours please other Men. Beside 't is almost universally true of us All that there 's not one of us but is guilty of Ingratitude toward God and 't is a kind of Original Sin which taints us all we are still lessening God's love and goodness lest we should own our selves too much his Debtors But enough of this 't is time to return where I left off altho' I doubt not but I have sufficiently prov'd my Proposition yet I shall add somewhat more because I judge 't is safer to use more Proofs than what are barely needful than to destroy a Cause perhaps by being short in using too few XI The Israelites having been some time deliver'd from the Yoak of Pharaoh revolted at Mount Sinai and are forthwith corrected by the Lord for their Folly For so it is written And the Lord plagued the people because Exod. 32. they made the Calfe which Aaron made v. 35. How could God Almighty execute a more evident Judgment on the Offenders than that Punishment should immediately follow the Transgression But why since all the Congregation were guilty was not Sentence pass'd alike on all Because the God of mercy drew his Sword of Judgment against some that others might amend by their Example and that he might shew at once to all his Justice in destroying and Mercy in preserving 'T was Justice that chastis'd them and 't was Mercy that spar'd them altho' both in a different manner for Mercy here had greater share than Justice Because the Lord being always most compassionate is ever more inclind to Mercy than to Vengeance and altho' at that time in punishing part of the Jewish Host the Divine Justice made use of Judgment and Severity yet at that very time his Mercy saved by far the greater part and that out of meer Compassion to their mighty Numbers lest the Punishment should have destroy'd all whom the Guilt had infected However we read that God's Justice is inexorable toward some Persons and Families as in the Case when the People rested on the Sabaoth-day he who presum'd Numb 15. to gather Sticks was order'd to be slain v. 36. For altho' the Act it self was innocent yet the Day on which he did it made it Criminal So in the Case of two contending Parties one who blasphem'd was put to death For thus 't is written Behold the Son of an Israelitish Levit. 24. Woman whose Father was an Aegyptian v. 10. went out among the Children of Israel And this Son of the Israelitish Woman and a Man v. 11 of Israel strove together in the Camp And the Israelitish Woman's Son blasphem'd the Name of the Lord and cursed and they brought him unto Moses And a little after And they put him in ward that the mind of the Lord might be shewed v. 12. them and the Lord spake unto Moses saying Bring forth him that hath cursed without the v. 13. Camp and let all that heard him lay their hands v. 14. upon his Head and let all the Congregation stone him Is not here a plain and manifest Judgment of God and a Sentence in a heavenly Tryal pass'd according to the form of Humane Examinations For first the Offender is seis'd in the next place he is brought before the Judgment-seat then he is accus'd then sent into Prison and last of all punish'd by a Sentence from above And not only punish'd but condemn'd in a Tryal by Witnesses that it might appear that 't was Justice that convicted him and not meer Power that the Example might contribute to the Amendment of all that no one in after-times should dare to do those things that all the People had punish'd in one This is the Method and the Justice with which God does both now act and with which he ever has acted that the punishments inflicted on single Persons may tend to the Amendment of all So it was in the case of Nadab and Abihu both of the Priesthood Numb 26. v. 61. when they were consum'd with Fire in whose destruction God had a mind to manifest not only his common Judgment but a 1 Chron. 24. v. 1 2. very present sudden and unexpected one For thus saith the Scripture That when fire came out from before the Lord and consumed Levit. 9. v. 24. upon the Altar the Burnt-offering Nadab and Abihu the Sons of Aaron took either of them his Censer and put fire therein and offer'd Levit. 10. strange fire before the Lord which he commanded v. 1. them not And there went out fire from the Lord and devour'd them and they died before the Lord. v. 2. By this God would shew that his hand is always stretch'd over us and that the Sword of Vengeance hangs over our heads since we see that he punish'd the Sin of these Men in the very Act The Fact of these
Sinners was scarce committed before the Penalty reveng'd the Sin but that is not the only remarkable Thing in this Affair since there are many others For in these Men it was not so much a wicked Heart as a too rash and unadvised Easiness that was punish'd which is a Declaration from God himself of what punishment those are worthy who dare Sin in open Contempt of the Divine Majesty when these Men are thus smitten who offended meerly for want of Consideration And how heinous a Guilt they would contract who should act expressly against God's Commands when these were so severely scourg'd who wanted nothing but a Command for their Actions Further by this God provides for our Amendment setting before us so wholesome an Example by which all of the Laiety may undestand how greatly they ought to dread the Wrath of God since neither the Merits of the Father could deliver nor the Privilege of the sacred Ministry free even the Sons of the High-Priest from immediate Punishment But why do I speak of the Inconsiderateness of these Men which in a manner affected God himself and tended to the lessening his Honour Miriam Numb 12. v. â— speaks against Moses and is punish'd and not only barely so but in a Judicial way For in the first place she is summon'd to appear in Judgment Then she is convicted and in the last place punish'd In the Reproof given her there was the force of a Sentence in her Leprosie she was put in the State of a real Offender and this Censure did not only humble Miriam but Aaron also For tho' it was not meet that the High Priest should be deform'd by Leprosie yet nevertheless the Chastisement of the Lord was upon him and not only so for Aaron as Partaker in the Crime is chastis'd in that very Punishment which Miriam suffer'd for the punishment is laid upon Miriam that Aaron may be confounded with the Guilt But that we may further understand how inexorable God is in his Judgment in some cases we shall see that he will not hearken to the Intercession even of the offended Party Thus we read that the Lord said unto Aaron and Miriam Wherefore Numb 12. v. were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses And the anger of the Lord was v. 9. kindled against them and he departed And behold Miriam became Leprous white as Snow v. 10. And Moses cry'd unto the Lord saying Heal v. 13. her now O God I beseech thee And the Lord said unto Moses if her Father had but spit in v. 14. her face should she not be ashamed seven days Let her be shut out from the Camp seven days and after that let her be receiv'd in again What I have said on this head and part of my Discourse is sufficient for it would be endless to enlarge upon all when the very naming them would be sufficiently tedious without staying to make Discourses upon them However I shall add somewhat more XII The Israelites repent that they left Aegypt they are smitten for it they murmur at the great Fatigue of their Journey they are afflicted for it They long for Flesh and are scourg'd for it Being weary of feeding every day on Manna they desire to glut themselves with Dainties their craving Appetites are gratify'd to the full but whilst their Bellies are cramm'd they are tormented For while says the Scripture the meat was yet in their mouths the heavy Wrath of God came upon Psal 78. v. 30 31. them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen Men of Israel Og rebels against Deut. 3. v. 3. Numb 26. v. 9 10. Moses and is destroy'd Core reproaches him and is overwhelm'd Dathan and Abiram murmur and are swallow'd up For the Earth open'd and swallow'd up Dathan and cover'd the Congregation Psal 106 v. 17. of Abiram Two hundred and fifty Principal Men likewise as the Scripture testifies who were by name call'd to Council Numb 16. v. 2. made an Insurrection against Moses And at the time of their withstanding Moses and Aaron they said it is sufficient for us that alâ— the Congregation are holy every one of them Wherefore then lift you up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord And what followed v. 3. Why fire came out from the Lord and v. 35. consum'd the two hundred and fifty Men that offer'd Incense But after all these mighty Things they receiv'd no Advantage from Heavens care they were often under the Rod but still without Amendment For as we at this time are every day scourg'd yet are nere the better so they under all their Chastisements continued still the same For what says the Scripture The day following the whole Congregation murmured v. 41. against Moses and Aaron saying Ye have killed the People of the Lord. And what then Fourteen thousand and seven hundred Men were destroy'd in a trice by Fire from Heaven But how comes it since all the People had transgress'd that they di not all likewise share in the Punishment especially considering that in the Rebellion of Corâ—h beforementioned not a Soul escaped How comes it to pass that in that case God would destroy the whole Body of the Offenders but in this only some part of them Because God is plentiful both in Mercy and Justice and of his Essential goodness forgives many times as well as exercises Severity in Vindication of his Justice And therefore in that Case his Justice took place that by punishing all the Offenders it might tend to the Reformation of all that saw or heard it But in this he exercises Mercy lest a whole People should be destroy'd And yet when he had used them with so much Compassion and saw the often repeated Scourging of a part only of the offending Multitude had so little Success at the last he utterly destroy'd them all The Consideration of which should both make us tremble and spur us on to Amendment lest we who neglect to reform our selves from their Example come to the same miserable End that they did For what became of them is plain beyond all doubt for seeing that the Chief Design of bringing the Children of Israel out of the Land of Aegypt was purely that they might possess the Land of Promise only two holy and good Men of all that vast Body entred into it For thus says the Scripture The Lord spake unto Moses Numb 14. v. 26 27. and Aaron saying how long shall I bear with this evil Congregation which murmur against me As truly as I live saith the Lord as you have V. 28. spoken in mine ears so will I do unto you your Carcasses shall fall in this wilderness And afterward But your little ones which you v. 31. said should be a Prey them will I bring in and they shall know the Land which ye have despised But as for you your Carcasses they shall fall in this wilderness And what
of this present time we know thy ears are shut up and baritaded to such Prayers so as thou canst not hear them all that we desire is that thou wouldest be favourable to us after death in the World to come Suppose now such a Prayer as this were pertinent and useful yet how would it consist with Reason and good Sense For if God has sequestred himself from all manner of regard of the Affairs of this World and shut his ears against all Petitioners whatever certainly he who does not hear us when we pray for present good things does not hear us when we crave those that are future unless we imagine that according to the difference of the Petition Christ does either afford or refuse his ears that is that when we desire the good Things of this Life he shuts them and opens them when we beg the future But no more on this head because all these Pretences are so very srivolous and foolish that we had need take care that we do not affront the Divinity whilst we are endeavouring to rescue and preserve his Honour The Reverence and Regard we owe the Divine Majesty is so awful and tremendous that we ought not only to detest whatever is spoken against his Religion but also to take all the Care that may be that what we our selves offer in it's defence be done with the greatest Caution and Circumspection imaginable Well then if it be folly and wickedness to think that the Divine Goodness despises all Care of Humane Affairs for that reason 't is plain that he does not disregard them if he does not disregard them then he directs them If he directs and orders them for that very Reason 't is manifest that he judges them for 't is not possible to suppose a Government where the Governour is not invested with a Power of Judging VI. But after all these Proofs from Reason The Rebellions of Pharaoli and the works of Moses may seem to some to be of little moment unless we likewise confirm it by Examples Let us take a view then of God's Government of the World from the beginning and thence we will shew that he has ever so govern'd all things that we may inform you that he has at the same time likewise pass'd Judgment on them For what says the Scripture And Gen V. 7. the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breath'd into his nostrils the breath of life And after He placed him in the garden V. 16. of Eden Then He gave him a Law Precepts to instruct him and Discipline to direct him And what was the consequence of all this Man transgress'd God's Commandment has Sentence Gen. 3. pass'd upon him loses Paradise and is punish'd for his Transgression Who is so blind as not to see God acting both as Governour and Judge in this whole Affair For when he plac'd Adam in Paradice he was innocent when he expell'd him guilty In the placing of him he exercis'd Government in his expulsion Judgment when he put him in the place of Pleasure he dispos'd of him by his Power but when for his Guilt he expell'd him he judg'd him This was the Case of the first Man that is the Father let us see how it far'd with the Second that is the Son In process of time it came to pass says the holy Gen. 4. Scripture That Cain brought of the fruit of the â— 3 4 5. ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel he also brought of the firstlings of his slock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering but unto Cain and his offering he had no respect Before I speak of the more manifest Judgment of God in this Matter I must take notice that in what I have now repeated there seems to me a sort of passing of Sentence For in this particular that God accepted the Sacrifice of the one and rejected that of the other he did most evidently declare the Righteousness of the one and the Iniquity of the other But this is the least of the Case When therefore Cain in order to accomplish his design'd Villany had drawn his Brother abroad he committed the Fact in the most lonely place in this equally impious and foolish that could imagine he might perform the detestable cursed Deed if he avoided humane Eyes and yet durst murder his Brother in the face of the Almighty which makes me believe that he was of the opinion that many are now a days that God does not at all regard things here below and so does not see the Naughtiness of cruel and ungodly Men and one can't doubt it by his Management when after the horrid Deed being call'd upon by God he deny'd that he knew any thing at all of his Brother's Murder he thought God Almighty knew so little of the Matter that he might conceal the unnatural Fact with a Lye But he found the contrary to his cost For he who when he committed the Murder thought God did not see was made sensible that he did see when he was condemn'd for it I desire therefore to be satisfied in this place by those who deny that Humane Affairs are either regarded govern'd or adjudg'd by God whether what I have at present urged proves the contrary or no It seems to me that he who is present at a Sacrifice is not absent from it and that he shews the Exercise of Government who after such Sacrifice inflicts a Punishment upon Cain that he shews Care and Regard who demands an account of the Slain at the hands of the Murderer and that he exercises Judgment who passes a righteous Sentence on the wretched Aggressor From all which it is very natural to make this Observation that we should not by any maans think it strange that good Men now a days suffer Hardships since at that time Heaven permitted the first Saint on Earth to be Barbarously murdered But for what reason it was permitted the shortness of a humane understanding will never be able to reach neither is it my Business at present to enquire It is sufficient to my purpose that I prove that such Occurrences as these come not to pass without the knowledge or notice of God Almighty but that they are permitted so to be in his Providence and Wisdom Neither can we by any means esteem that thing to be unjust in which we cannot deny the Sentence of Heaven to have passed because whatsoever is the will of God must of necessity be the perfection of Justice It is not for us to Censure God's doings as unjust Man's Understanding was never design'd to comprehend the Compass of Divine Justice But to return whence we digress'd VII We see then by what has been said The World 's drowned that in the Instances I have given that nothing of them came to pass thro' the Disregard of the Almighty but that the Divine Providence order'd and appointed some of them
sent to Gen. 19. Sodom they go they enter the Place are kindly receiv'd by the good People are abus'd and injured by the Bad. The Wicked are struck with Blindness and the Righteous saved Lot with his righteous Inclinations is taken out of the City the City with its unrighteous Inhabitants is burnt to Ashes I desire to be inform'd in this place whether God according to his righteous Judgment destroy'd the Place or whether he did it without Judgment Whoever says God punish'd the Sodomites without passing Sentence makes him to be unjust But if he did pass Sentence in the Destruction of the Wicked then he judg'd them and truly he judg'd them at present as tho' it were at the future Judgment For it is most certain that Hell-fire burns for the Punishment of the Wicked hereafter and Sodom with it's neighbourning Cities were destroy'd by fire from Heaven So that by this present one God seems to declare the Dreadful future Judgment when upon a most unrighteous People he sent a sort of Hell from Heaven Even as 2 Pet. 2. v. 6. the Apostle also says And turning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemn'd them with an overthrow making them an Example unto those that after should live ungodly And yet even what was done there had more of God's Mercy in it than of his Severity For 't was a piece of very great Mercy that he deferr'd the Punishment of them so long as it was of Justice that he did some time punish them And therefore by his sending Angels to Sodom he would shew us with what unwillingness it is that he punishes Sinners So as that when we read what the Angels suffer'd from the Sodomites and consider the excessive Greatness of their Villanies the Deformity of their Crimes and the Nastiness of their Lusts God does by that shew his unwillingness to destroy them if they themselves had not extorted their own Destruction from him The Rebellions of Pharaoh and the Works of Moses IX I could produce innumerable other Examples but that I fear I shall seem to write an History whilst I am endeavouring fully to prove the Thing I have undertaken Moses in the Desart feeds a Flock sees the Bush burning hears God out of the Bush receives Commands Exod. 3. from him is exalted with Power is sent to Pharaoh goes to him speaks with him is rejected and yet gains his Point Aegypt is sinitten Pharaoh is scourg'd for his Disobedience and that by more ways than one that the greater Criminal might be wrack'd with variety of Punishment And what then Why after all he rebels ten times and is as often scourg'd What say you to that Why I think you may perceive in this whole Affair that God does both take care of and judge Affairs here below As for Instance in Aegypt where there appears not only one single One but variety of God's Judgments For as often as he smote those who rebell'd against him in Aegypt so often he judged them But what follow'd after Israel is sent out celebrates the Passover spoils the Aegyptians departs with Riches Pharaoh repents draws together his Army overtakes the departed Encamps is parted by the Cloud the Sea is dry'd up Israel passes through is deliver'd by the kind sufferance of the friendly Waves Pharaoh pursues the Sea rowls upon him and he is overwhelm'd in the Waters I think in this whole Affair there does appear the manifest Judgment of God and not only his Judgment but also his Long-suffering and Forbearance For 't is an Argument of great forbearance that the wicked Aegyptians were often smitten as 't is of Judgment that the Perverse and Impenitent were at length destroy'd Well after this Series of Things and Actions Israel being Conquerour without a Battle enters the Wilderness travels without a Journey sojourns without a Road God his Leader the Host of Heaven his Fellow-Soldiers and heavenly Bodies his Guides following the moving Pillar cloudy by Day and fiery by Night changing its Colour and Complexion as fitted best the change of either Season that it might set off the brightness of the Day by it's shady Obscurity and enlighten the darkness of the Night by it's shining Splendour To these add Fountains made on a sudden add Medicated Waters either newly given or else transmuted remaining the same in Kind tho' chang'd in qualities the tops of Mountains open'd with Rivers bursting from them and Sandy Desarts watred with new unusual Streams thousands of Fowls brought to the Travellers Camps Heaven by the tenderest Love indulging not only their Necessities but even their Wantonness the Stars afford them daily Food for forty Years the Heavens still dewing down the luscious Meat did pour it forth not only for Subsistence but for Pleasure too Besides the Men felt not in any Limb the alterations or decays natural to Humane Bodies Their Nails ne're grew they lost no Teeth their Hair still of one length their Feet nere fretted their Garments always whole their Shoes nere torn their Honour was so great in all respects that even their poorest Cloathing shared in the advancement To this add God himself descending purely to instruct them and the Son of God appearing visible to the eyes of Mortals the mighty Numbers of the common Sort admitted to be familiar with their God and honour'd with his Friendship To these add Thunders Lightnings the dreadful Sounds of heavenly Trumpets the fearful Crackling of the troubl'd Air Heavens Axes growning with the sacred Sounds Fires Darkness Clouds all full of God the Lord conversing face to face the Law resounding from the mouth of God Letters cut by God's finger pages hewn from the Quarry arccky Volumn a People learning and Great God their Teacher and even one School for Heaven and Earth made up of Men and Angels For thus says the Scripture that when Moses had related the Words of the People unto the Lord the Lord said unto him Lo I come unto Exod. 19. v. 9. thee in a thick Cloud that the people may hear when I speak with thee And a little after v. 16. There were Thundrings and Lightnings and a thick Cloud upon the Mount And again And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai on the top of the Mount And afterward He did talk Exod. 33. with Moses the whole Congregation beholding that the Pillar of the Cloud stood at the door of v. 9 10. the Tabernacle and they themselves stood and worshipped at the door of their Tabernacles God v. 11. talked with Moses face to face as a Man speaketh to his friend Things being thus in fact pray does God seem to take care of Man or no when he heaps so many Benefits upon him and does such mighty Things for him when he admits so contemptible a Creature to converse with him and to be even in some sense a sort of Companion to him when he opens those hands for him that are crowded with immortal Treasures
do those things which God forbids we tread his Commandments under our Feet and therefore it is very wickedly done of us to accuse God of dealing Severely by us in our Calamities we should only blame our selves For when we commit those Faults which are the occasion of our Distresses 't is we our selves that are the Authors of our Misfortunes Why then do we cry out of the Sharpness of our Punishment Every one of us is his own Tormentor so that that of the Prophet is said to all of us Isai 50. v. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with Sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled For all Mankind run headlong into eternal Torment in the way here describ'd by the Scripture first of all they kindle a fire then they add more fuel and force to it and afterward enter into the flame theâ— have provided When therefore do's a Man first of all kindle Everlasting Fire for himself Why when he do's first of all begin to sin But when do's he add Force to the Fire When he heaps one Sin upon the head of another And when do's he enter into Everlasting Fire When by an overplus and superfluity of daily Sinning he hath fulfill'd the remediless Summ Total of his Iniquities as our blessed Saviour said to the Great Men of the Jews Fill ye up Matt. 23 v. 32 33. then the measure of your Fathers ye Serpents ye Generation of Vipers They were not far from the Complement of their Sins to whom our Lord thus spoke that they should fulfil their Iniquities and doubtless for that Reason because they were not worthy of Salvation they might compleat their wickedness in order to their Destruction So in the old Law when it makes mention that the Iniquities of the Amorites were fulfill'd it tells us that the Angels spoke thus to Lot Whosoever thou hast in this City bring them out of Cer. 19. v. 12. 13. this place for we will destroy this place because the Cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it That most profligate People had for a long time lighted the Fire by which they perish'd and therefore when they had fulfill'd their Iniquities they roasted in the Flames of their own Crimes for they had so very highly offended God that they endur'd that Hell in this world which is to be felt in the other IX But some one may say there are none who deserve to be destroy'd as they were because there are none guilty of the Impurities they were Perhaps that may be true But what shall we make of that which our Saviour says that all they who despise his Gospel are much worse than them For thus he says to the People of Capernaum If the mighty works Luk. 10. v. 12 13. had been done in Sodom which have been done in thee it might have remain'd unto this day But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable in the day of Judgment for Sodom than for thee He says here that the Sodomites are less Culpable than those who neglect the Gospel and therefore this is a most plain Reason why we who do neglect it in many Instances ought to dread something worse especially considering that we will not now be satisfied with the usual and familiar Vices The customary ways of Sinning are not sufficient for many now They are not contented with Brawlings Calumnies Rapine Drunkenness Rioting Cheating Perjury Adulteries Murders no nor all of them together altho' most barbarously Inhumane yet in Fact most injuriously inflicted on many unless in the height of their Fury they lay their Blasphemous hands even on God himself For as the Scripture says of the ungodly Psal 73. v. 9. v. 11. They set their mouth against the Heavens and their tongue walketh thro' the Earth And they say how doth God know and is there knowledge in the most High And in another place Psal 94. v. 7. The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it And to such as these we may very aptly apply that of the Royal Prophet Psal 53. v. 1. The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God For they who affirm that God sees nothing had as good at the same time take away his Subsistence and when they say he has no Sight they had as good say he has no Being For altho' no very wicked Action can be consonant to right Reason because Reason and Sinning are inconsistent yet in my Opinion there is no wickedness so very wild and unreasonable as this For what can savour more of Frenzy than that a Man should acknowledge God to be the Creator of all Things and yet to deny that he governs them that he is the Former and Maker of all Things and yet that he neglects his own Handywork As tho' the Chief End and Design of making them was purely â— How God is the giver of all things and his love towards us who merit nothing but death to disregard them Now on the contrary I assert that he had so Great Care of all his Creatures that I will prove that he exercis'd it even before the Creation The very Thing it self shews it plainly For he had never made any thing unless he had some Thoughts of it beforehand for we do not see any part of Mankind so very dull to undertake or go through with any thing that he may never mind it when he has done it For he who cultivates his Field do's it for that End that he may preserve it in that order He who plants a Vineyard do's it with Design to keep up the Plantation He who begins to raise a Flock do's it with Design to take care of their Increase So he who builds a House or lays the Foundation of one altho' at that time he has not a Dwelling ready for him yet he undergo's the Charge and Pains of Building in hopes and prospect of his future Habitation But why do I mention this in Man since even the smallest Insects direct their Actions with the Instinct of what is to come Thus the Ants in their subterranean Cells lay up what various Fruits they can and gather all their Stock in order to preserve their Lives So Bees when they lay the Foundation for their Honey-Combs or gather that which comes from the Flowers to what end do they desire the Thyme but with desire and hope of Honey or fly from Flower to flower but out of love to their future young Ones Hath God then who hath implanted in the least of Creatures such Affections for their own works depriv'd only himself of the love of his Creatures especially since all the Passion we have for good things descends to us from his good Love alone For he is the Fountain and Original of All things 't is in him as the Scripture
by the Name of Christ they take themselves bound most religiously to commit the Sin I will tell you what lately happen'd to my self Not long since being mightily press'd by a certain poor Man to speak to a rich Neighbour of his to desire him not to take away the poor Creature 's Estate and Goods that he would not carry off the Salary and Income that Maintain'd him in that low Station To which he whose Ravenous Desires gap'd after the Man's Estate and who had already in his Mind devour'd the Man and Goods looking Sternly upon me as one that thought I was taking from him what he had not yet taken from the other Answer'd that he could not by any Means grant my Request as positively as if it had been some of the greatest Duties he was performing and which could not by any means be dispens'd with When I desir'd to know the Reason why the Thing could not be done he gave me the most Convincing and Vrgent one and which was not by any means to be gain-said I have says he sworn by Christ to take all from him and pray do you consider whether it be in my Power now to leave undone what I have sworn by that holy Name to do At which I for what more could I say when he had so just and holy a Pretence walk'd off when I had heard the Reason of so Religious a piece of Villany XVI I would now desire to know of all Of how great a Sin it is In causing others to Blaspheme by our loose living and by despising things we know must be done those who are as yet in their Wits whether ever any one could possibly think that the Impudence of Men's covetous Desires could go so high in affronting their Maker as to assert that they do those things out of Reverence to Christ's Name which yet are the greatest Disrespects that could be done him This is unaccountable and prodigious Wickedness To what Baseness will not Men's wicked Inclinations draw them They arm themselves for Pillaging and Plunder by the Name of Christ and make even God the Author of their Crimes and when Christ is the Prohibitor and Punisher of all Wickedness whatever they tell you they commit it purely for Christ's sake And do we complain of the Iniquities of our Enemies and accuse Heathens and Barbarians of Perjury With how much less Fault do they forswear by their Doemons than we by our Lord How much less a Crime is it to play and trifle with the name of Jupiter than that of Christ In that case there is only a dead Man who is sworn by But in the other 't is the living God who is forsworn by In that there 's not so much as a meer Man but here the Almighty God In our case there 's a Renunciation of the greatest Oath and therefore of necessity the greatest Guilt and Perjury In their's since there 's as good as no Oath there can be no Perjury For since it is not a God by whom they swear it cannot be Perjury when they chance to break it But whoever has a mind to know the Truth of this let him hear the holy Apostle St. Paul delivering the same Doctrine that I do now For thus Rom. 2. he says We know that whatsoever the Law says it speaks to those who are under the Law And Rom. 4. v. 15. again Where no Law is there is no Transgression In these two Sentences he has plainly rank'd the two Parts of Mankind those without the Law and those who live under it Who are they therefore who are now under the Law Who should they be but the Christians such as the Apostle was who says of himself I am not without the Law of God but am under Rom. 7. the Law of Christ Who are therefore without the Law of Christ Who but Pagans who know not the Law of Christ And therefore it is of these he says Where no Law is there is no Transgression By which one single Passage he shews that only the Christians when they sin are the Transgressors of the Law but the Heathen who know nothing of the Law do sin without Transgression Because no one can be a Transgressor of that Thing which he do's not know We therefore are the onely Transgressors of the Divine Law we who as the Scripture says read the Law but do it not and so by that means our Knowledge is nothing else but our Fault since we have known the Law to no other End but to break it with greater Aggravation Because what we have known by Reading we have contemn'd and despis'd by our Pride and Lusts And therefore that of the Apostle is most truly said to every Christian Thou that Rom. 2. v. 23. makest thy boast of the Law through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God For the Name p. 24. of God is Blasphem'd among the Gentiles thro' you Hence may be seen what Crime it is the Christian are guilty of since they give occasion to the Blaspheming the Name of God And when we find in the Scriptures that we should do all things to the Glory of God we on the contrary 1 Cor. 10. v. 31. do every thing we can to disgrace him And when our Saviour every day calls to us That our light should so shine before Men that they Matt. 5. v. 16. may see our good works and glorifie our Father which is in Heaven We on the contrary live so as that Men may see our evil Works and so by that means blaspheme our Father which is in Heaven XVII Since Matters are thus we have great Reason on my word to sooth our selves with the great Advantage we have of being call'd Christians since we act and live at such a rate as that we are a Scandal to Christ by the bearing of his holy Name But on the other side what like this can be said of any of the Heathen Can it be said of the Huns See what sort of People these are who are called Christians Can it be said of the Saxons or Franks Behold the Actions of those who stile themselves the Worshippers of Christ Is our most holy Law blam'd for the bruitish Carriage of the Moors Do the barbarous Rites of the Scythians and Gepids cause the Name of our Lord and Saviour to be evil spoken of and blasphem'd Can it be said of any of these where is the Catholick Law which they believe Where are the Precepts of Piety and Chastity which they learn They read the Gospels and yet are lewd they hear the Apostles and yet are Drunkards they follow Christ and yet love Rapine they lead a wicked Life and yet Brag of the Goodness of their Law Can such Things as these be said of any of those Nations no not by any means 'T is of Us and only us of whom they are truely said 'T is in us that Christ is ubraided 't is through us that the Christian Law is
solid Good You should says he be defended by Love and good Will and not by Arms. You are therefore mistaken in your Notions the Baseness of your blind and deprav'd Understanding deceives you If you would be blameless Powerful and truly Great you should surmount all others in vertuous Actions not in Oppression and Injustice I have formerly read in some place or other No one is a bad Man but who at the same time is a Fool for if he were wise he had much rather be good Do you then if it be yet possible for you to return to your right Wits leave off your ill Doings if ever you hope to attain true Wisdom For if ever you desire either to be really wise or in your right mind you must-entirely change and put off your self Remove your self then from your self that you be not rejected by Christ Cast off your self that you may be receiv'd by Christ Destroy even your self to prevent your perishing For whosoever says our Saviour will lose Luke 9. v. 24. his Life for my sake the same shall find it Fall in love then with this so wholesome Perdition that you may thereby obtain the true Salvation For you must never expect to be saved by God unless you first of all condemn your self SALVIAN of GOD's Government c. BOOK VI. How One Man's Crime hurts and wounds many Of barbarous Sights which difile the Minds of Beholders Of the Impurity of the Theatres when we may be merry and how far it is lawful Of Sin how offensive it is to God Of the Devil's Enchantments How God sometimes chastises us with Hardships and sometimes he indulges us with Tranquility and Ease I Have been discoursing a long time to How one Man's Crime hurts and wounds many particular Persons and may seem to have exceeded the Bounds of a regular Disputation For whosoever reads these Papers if yet there be any one who for Christ's sake will read what I have writ out of Love to Christ he do's undoubtedly perhaps think or say of me Since the Cause that he handles is a General one what does it make to his purpose to have said so much of particular Parties Granting that he of whom he spoke is such a one as he took him to be Does one Man's Fault wound another's Innocence or which is much more valid is the Cause of all hurt by the personal Crimes of one Man I could shew by plain Examples that it do's suffer by it For Achan Joshua 7. long since took privily away somewhat of the cursed Thing and the Sin of this one Man was punish'd upon all David commanded that the People of Israel should be numbred 2 Sam. 2. and the Lord severely chastis'd the Fault with the Slaughter of the whole People Rabshakeh Isa 36. spoke some things to the dishonour of God and he slew a hundred eighty five thousand Men because the maâ—apert Tongue of one prophane Wretch had blasphem'd And therefore 't is with good Reason that the blessed Apostle St. Paul orders the corrupt Person to be cast out of the Church and gives a Reason when he says Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole Lump And hence we plainly 1 Cor. 5. v. 6. see that one wicked Man has often been the Destruction of many others And thus my Reader may please to understand that it was not to no purpose that I had said so much above of one wicked Person seeing we read that the divine Vengeance has been very often kindled by the Offences of one But I am not so strait lac'd as to stick upon this For it is not at all necessary to suppose that any one Man in this Case injures all when all injure each other alike It is not fit I should think that All are endager'd by One when all of their own accord run singly into Danger For all hurry to Destruction or at least to speak in milder terms almost all And what good is it to the Christians that the Number of the Bad was less or at least the same with that of the Good This is a miserable Business and to be extreamly bemoan'd and lamented How unlike are Christian People now even to themselves that is from what they have been formerly Then St. Peter the Chief of the Apostles with a word slew Ananias and Saphyra Acts 5. for telling of a Lye And the blessed St. Paul threw out of the Church an incestuous Person least by his nearness he might infect 1. Cor. 5. many But now we are satisfied to have an equal Number of both among us But what do I say satisfied We ought rather to triumph and leap for Joy if we could but once arrive to that Equality Behold to what a pass we are come how low we are dropp'd after that Purity of Christianity Behold we are reduc'd to that that we should judge the Church happy if it had only so many good People in it as it has bad ones For how should we not esteem it happy if we had but one half innocent since we now bemoan the sinfulness of almost All So that indeed seeing Matters are thus 't was to little purpose that I said so much before of one wicked Person 't was in vain that I lamented the Iniquities of a single Party For either all or almost all are to be bemoan'd and lamented For most are either such or certainly which is as culpable desire to be such and labour as much as they can by their evil Actions not to be thought behind them and for that Reason altho' they commit lesser Ills because their Abilities are less yet they are not at all the less wicked because they would be as great as the others if it were in their Power So that they do what is in their Power and are as bad as the others in Desire Will and good Wishes and as far as their Fortunes will admit endeavour to out-do them For there is the same Emulation altho' in quite different things between these Men as there is between good Men for as the Good desire to overcome all others in the Rectitude and Honesty of their Minds so these covet to master all others in the Irregularity and Wickedness of theirs And as it is the Glory of all good Men to become daily better and better so it is the Pride of all bad ones to become worse and worse and as the best Men covet to ascend the highest Pitch of all manner of Vertues so the worst Men desire the Prize of being Victors in all manner of Vices But all this is to our Damage to ours who are Christians who as I have said before take Wickedness for Wisdom and of whom God speaks in an especial manner I will destroy the wisedom of the wise and will bring to nothing the 1. Cor. 1. v. 19. Vnderstanding of the Prudent And when the Apostle cries If any man among you seemeth 1. Cor â— v.
Captivity and having the Fear of Death upon us burst into Laughter You would think all the Romans were satiated with the Herbs of * A proverbial saying for a foolish laughing with sorrow in the end Sardinia They die Laughing And therefore almost in all Parts of the World Tears follow our Laughter and even at present that Saying of our Lord is come upon us Woe unto you that laugh for you shall Luk. 9. weep II. But it may be since I have spoken so Of Gods Goodness in desiring nothing that is either heavy or burthensome for his peculiar favour 's conferred upon us long of the publick Sports and Uncleannesses some one may be apt to think that we are worse than the Barbarians only in this because they do no such things and 't is only we that do them but as to the wickedness of Carnal Lusts and the filth of Abominable Fornication that we are not by any means so Bad. Let us if you please compare the Romans in this Particular with the other People And really I cannot tell whether they can be more rightly compar'd to any than to those whom God having plac'd in the very heart of the Commonwealth has made Lords and Masters of the Roman Soil But altho' nothing can be argu'd of the Judgment of God yet seeing he has taken away from us a great Part of our Possessions and given them to the Barbarians let us consider whether what he has taken from us and given to them he can be thought to have done by a just Judgment Every one knows that the Aquitanes and the * The inhabitants of what is now call'd Gascoine and Guienne in France Novem-Populi had the very Marrow of almost all Gaul and the Breasts of all its Plenty and not only of Plenty but of what is sometimes preferr'd before it of Delight Pleasure and * People of Languedock and Gascoine Beauty The whole Country there was so intermixt with Vineyards and curious flowry Meads chequer'd with various Tillage planted with Orchards or the pleasantest Groves water'd with Fountains or flow'd between by Rivers or cover'd all over with Harvests plenty so that the Possessors and Owners of that Country seem'd not so much to enjoy that Portion of the Soil as the very Resemblance of Paradise And what after all this Undoubtedly they ought to be more dutiful toward God whom he had thus in a peculiar manner enrich'd with such an Abundance of His Favours For what is more rational and fitting than that they whom God by His Blessings seem'd particularly willing to oblige should likewise in an especial manner endeavour to please him by Honour and religious Service especially considering that God requires nothing that is heavy or burdensome from us God do's not call us to the Plow or the Spade not to Till the Earth nor to Dig and Delve in the Vineyard nor do's he require so much of us as we do from our Servants For what says he Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give Matt. 11. v. 28 c. you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your Souls For my yoke is Of what God requires of us easie and my burden is light Our Lord therefore do's not invite us to Labour but to Refreshment For what does he require of us what does he command us to perform but only Faith Chastity Humility Sobriety Mercy Holiness all which do not burden but beautifie us And not only so but they do therefore adorn this present Life that they may much more adorn that which is to come O the Goodness Loving-kindess and inestimable Mercy of God who gives us in this present Life the Blessing of Religion for that very End that he may hereafter reward the very Things that he gave us Such certainly without all question the Aquitanes ought to have been And truly as I said in a more especial manner because they receiv'd more especial Favours from the hand of God But what after all these What follow'd What but every thing the quite contrary For as they were the richest in all Gaul so they were the most Vicious For there was no where greater Voluptuousness no where lewder Lives nor no where more corrupt Discipline This Return they made the Lord for His heavenly Favours that as much as He by His loving kindnesses endeavour'd to draw them to him that he might have mercy upon them so much on the other hand by their detestable Actions they labour'd to exasperate Him III. But it may be this is false and is rather Of the vices of the Aquitanes spoken invidiously than truly I shall not make use of any far-fetch'd Proof as Orators and others in their Causes are us'd to do by producing to justify it only some few and those strangers and not legal Witnesses I will only ask the Parties who have done the Fact I have told an untruth if they deny it For they confess it and which is worse they own it so as not to shew the least Sorrow in the Confession For they have the same Mind now in the Confessing it as they had before in the Acting it As then they were not ashamed to commit the Wickedness so neither now do they in the least repent that they had done those Wicked things Excepting however some very few Holy and Eminent Men who as one of their Number says Redeem'd their Crimes by scattering their Coin Excepting I say those I speak of whom in that Universal Stanch and Filth of Vices I believe only to have been guilty of the lesser Crimes since they deserv'd to be reform'd by Heaven For he does not in every Respect offend his Lord for whóm Mercy is reserved And in short I am of Opinion that he had always his Eye upon God in the midst of his Mistake who could obtain the Blessing from Him that he might continue no longer in it But the rest and Most and Richest were almost all the same their Guts were almost one bottomless Pit And all their Lives one continued Brothel-house But what do I mention the Brothel-houses I take the Bawdy-house to be much less faulty For the Harlots who are there never knew the Bond of Marriage and so they do not pollute what they never knew They do indeed deserve to be punish'd for the Sin of Unchastity but yet they are not guilty of the sin of Adultery Beside there are not many Brothels and there are very few Queans who have damn'd themselves to that cursed way of Living But among the Aquitanes what City was there in the Richest and Noblest part of it which was not like a perfect Stews Where was there a Rich Man of Power who did not live in the filth of Lusts Who did not plunge himself in the nasty stinking Jaques Who was true to his Bed Nay as far as lying with
should seem to have spoke only of the Gauls And have not the same or it may be greater Vices destroy'd the Provinces of Spain Which altho' the Divine Vengeance has indeed deliver'd to some other Barbarians yet the Foes of Purity have suffer'd Punishments equal to their wicked Deserts But there is this over and above to manifest the Condemnation of Unchastity there that they should be given into the hands of the Vandals that is to chaste Barbarians God by that Captivity of the Spaniards had a mind to shew by two several ways both how much he hated the Lust of the Flesh and how much he lov'd Chastity when he both put the Vandals over them purely on account of their Modesty and put the Spaniards under them purely on account of their Immodesty For what were not there in all the World to be found more stout Barbarians to whom the Spaniards might have been deliver'd Yes many doubtless nay unless I am mistaken all of them But he therefore deliver'd up all to the weakest Enemies that he might shew that it is not so much Strength which prevails as the Cause nor that we were at that time overthrown by the Valour of our Enemies but were vanquish'd by the Uncleanness of our Vices only So that that Saying which our Lord uses to the Jews is fully come upon us According to Ezek. 39. v. 24 their Vncleanness and according to their Transgressions have I done unto them and hid my face from them And in another place to the same Ezek. 26. v. 11. People The Lord shall bring upon thee a Nation from afar and with the Hoofs says he of their Horses shall they tread down all thy Streets and they shall slay thy People with the Sword All things therefore which the Scripture hath spoken are fulfill'd in us and the Punishment of All of us declares the Force of the Oracles from above VIII But yet since almost all the Barbarous Nations have drunk the Roman Blood and all have torn our Bowels how comes it that our God hath given the greatest Riches of the Commonwealth and the wealthiest People of all that bore the Name of Romans into the Power chiefly of those we formerly reckon'd the most Cowardly of our Enemies To what other End but that we should acknowledge as I said before that this was the Fruit of their Deserts and not the Effect of their Valour and that this very Thing is fall'n upon us to our Confusion and our Punishment that we should be deliver'd to the most Cowardly and so might acknowledge the Stroke of the Divine hand in it since we are not conquer'd by the Valiantest of our Enemies but by the most Cowardly For so we read that if God would have it at any time observ'd that some Mighty Things are done by Himself the Things are brought to pass either by a few or by weak Persons lest the work done by God's right-hand should be ascrib'd to any Humane Judges 4. v. 21. Power So Sisera the Captain of the Host whom the Army of Israel dreaded was vanquish'd by a Woman The Hand of a Judges 9. v. â—3 Judith 13 v. 7 8. Woman likewise smote Abimelech the Great Assaulter of Cities and the Harness'd Armies of the Assyrians perish'd by the Assistance of a Widow-woman And to mention some others beside Women would not the Lord have it so that Benhadad the King of Assyria whom 1 King 20. many thousands of People follow'd and who had thirty and two Kings and their Armies that serv'd him would not he have him vanquish'd by a few Princes of the Provinces that it might be perceiv'd who was the Author of such a Victory So likewise Gideon is commanded with a few to fight against the Madianites Judges 7. who as the Book of Judges relates the Story had fill'd all places like Locusts not that he had not many in his Army but he is forbidden to lead out many to the Battle lest by their Number they might claim to themselves a Share in the Victory So that when he had gather'd together thirty Thousand Armed Men the Lord spoke thus unto ver 2. him The People that are with thee are too many for me to give the Madianites into their hands And what follow'd VVhy he left this Man who was to engage against very many thousands of strange People only three hundred Men. And he order'd his Army to be reduc'd to that slender Number that the fewness of them might not be able to usurp to themselves any thing of the Victory bestow'd on them from above But why the Lord was pleas'd to do thus he declares most plainly when he says Lest Isracl vaunt themselves against v. 2. me saying mine own hand hath saved me Let all Wicked and Presumptuous Men I say hear this let all the Men of Power and all Mankind in general hear what God says Lest Israel vaunt themselves against me saying mine own hand hath saved me IX Let all I say hear this who blasphemously boast the contrary let those who put their trust in Man hear this God says that all they who presume they can be deliver'd by their own Strength do speak against him But where is there one of the Romans who does not speak so who does not think so Who is he of our side who does not almost always Blaspheme in this particular That the Commonwealth has now no Strength left is what every Man knows and neither by that do we acknowledge to whose loving-kindness we owe that we are even yet alive For if at any time beyond our hopes and desert God does bestow upon us some little Prosperity one ascribes it presently to Fortune another to Chance one to the good Conduct of the Officers another to prudent Council some to their Master others to their Patron but no body to God And yet we wonder if Heaven does not do something for us when we diminish every thing we receive from it For what else do we when we ascribe the good things we receive thence either to casual Events or to the Valour of the Leaders or to any other frivolous Matters For by as good reason we ought to give Thanks to the Earth because we gather our yearly Fruits and to the Vineyard for our Vintage and to the Sea that we catch Fish to the Woods that we cut Timber from them to the Sheep for our Cloaths and to the other Cattle that we are cramm'd with Flesh For what reason is there that we are thankful to Him for other Favours when we Rob Him of the Thanks due for His greatest Benefits What Man is there of our own Condition who is content that any one should own the having receiv'd some small Kindness from him and yet should stifle or Diminish some greater Obligation So we altho' we do not give God Thanks in any particular as we ought yet it is very pitiful if we are only thankful barely for the
Good as well as the Bad because the whole is thro'ly Evil. So that the Integrity of their former Natures being excluded their Vices seem in some sort to have made them another kind of Natures XIV For excepting a very few Servants of God what was the whole Territory of Africa but one Family full of Vices Like that Pot of which the Prophet speaks Wo to the bloody Ezek. 24. v. 6. City and the Pot in which there is rust it shall not go out of it because blood shall not go out of it He compar'd the City we see to a Pot and their Iniquity to Blood That we might know that Iniquity of the People in a City is like Blood boyling in a Pot. Not much unlike this is that other place of Scripture All Ezek 22. v 18 19. the House of Israel is to me become mixt with Copper and Iron Tin and Lead and in the midst there is Silver Wherefore say thus Thus saith the Lord because you are all become one mass I will blow upon and melt you in the fire of mine anger Here the holy writ mentions Metals of very different kinds And how can such different things be refin'd in the same Furnace Why because in these different kinds of Metals is meant a diversity of Men. And so even Silver that is a Metal of a Nobler make is put into the same fire because the best Parts and noblest Nature by a degenerate life are condemn'd Thus also we read that the Lord spoke by the Prophet concerning the Prince of Tyre Son of Man take up a lamentation upon the King of Tyrus and say unto him thou sealest up the scum full of Wisdom and perfect in Ezek. 28. v. 12. Beauty thou hast been in Eden the Garden of God Every precious stone was thy covering v. 13. the Sardius and the Topaz and the Emerald And again With silver and gold thou hast v. 4. 5. filled thy Treasures by the multitude of thy Trafick thou hast fill'd thy Ware-houses All which seem as if they were spoken of the Africans in particular For where were there greater Treasures where greater Trading where fuller Store-houses With gold says he thou hast fill'd thy Treasures by the multitude of thy Trafick But I say farther that Africa was formerly so Rich that the abundance of her Merchandising seem'd to me to fill not only her own Treasures but those of the whole World And what follows Thy Heart says v. 17. he was lifted up because of thy Beauty for the multitude of thy sins I have cast thee to the ground How does this agree to the Powerful State of Africa or how does she seem to be thrown upon the Ground How Why when she lost the height of her antient Power she parted with almost a sort of Coelestial Dignity And I will bring forth says he a fire from the midst of thee it shall devour thee What can v. 19. have more truth in it than this For from the midst of their Iniquities the fire of Sin is gone forth which has consum'd all the Happiness of the former times And all says he who knew thee among the Nations shall v 19. mourn over thee Let us not think that this agrees to them if the Destruction of Africa is not the grief of all Mankind Thou art made says he a perdition and shalt not be any more for ever 'T is manifest enough that all things are brought to Destruction there What remains is that the continuation of Eternal Torments may not follow these punishments of their present Evil Deeds XV. But God out of His loving-kindness and Mercy cannot suffer that to be Tho' as far as appertains to the Merit of our Crimes the Matter is such that he may seem to suffer it For what Villanies are there which have not been always committed there I cannot speak of all because they are both uncommon and irregular and are so great that they cannot be either known or spoke of I only now mention the beastliness of their Uncleannesses and which is worse of their Sacrileges I pass by in any of them the greedy desire of having as a Vice common to all Mankind I shall say nothing of the inhumanity of their avarice which is an Evil peculiar to almost all the Romans I shall leave their Drunkenness undisturb'd as being common to both Gentle and Simple their Pride and loftiness shall be buried in Silence This is so reigning a Sin among the great Men that perhaps they may think they lose somewhat of their Right if any one should claim any parcel of it And in the last place I shall not touch upon the Catalogue of their Frauds Falsities and Perjuries No Roman City was ever without their Evils Altho' the Wickednesses seem more especially to belong to all the Africans For as all Dirt and Filth runs into the Sink or Hold of an high built Ship so as from all Parts of the World have Vices flown into their Manners For I know of no kind of Wickedness whatever which did not more than abound there when yet even the Pagan and unciviliz'd People altho' they have Vices peculiarly their own yet all things among them are not worthy of detestation The Goths are Perfidious but yet they are chaste The Alans are unchaste but then they are not so perfidious The Franks are Lyars but are Hospitable The Saxons are Cruel and Barbarous but are remarkable for their Continence So all Nations as they have some peculiar Vices so they have some Virtues But among almost all the Africans I do not know any thing that is not Evil. If inhumanity is blameworthy they are inhumane if Drunkenness they are Drunkards if Falseness they are most False if Deceit they are most deceitful if Covetousness they are most rapacious if Perfidy they are most perfidious But their Uncleanness and their Blasphemy are not to be joyn'd to all these For in those Evils beforementioned they have surpassed the Vices of other Nations but in these they have out-done even their own XVI And in the first place to begin with their Uncleanness who knows not that whole Africa has always burnt with the obscene Fire of Lusts that you would not take it for a Land or Habitation of Men but rather an Aetna of unchaste Flames For as Aetna rages with the intestine Heats of fermenting Nature so Africa always boils with the abominable Fire of Fornications I do not desire to be believ'd meerly for my asserting it Take evidence from all Mankind Who does not know that all the People of Africa are generally incontinent unless it may be they are converted to God that is are changed by Faith and Religion But that is as great a Novelty and Rarity as it would be to see one That John a Stiles should not be John a Stiles and John of Nokes should not be John of Nokes whose name was Gaius not to be Gaius and one whose name was
these in the monasteries they almost always with the Devil and these continually with Christ It was not then without cause that that as unhappy as ungodly people could scarce see within the Cities of Africa and especially within the Walls of Carthage any one cloathed in a long Robe of pale complexion and who having parted with his thick and curled Locks was clipp'd even to the Skin without taunting and detestation For if at any time any Servant of God either from the monasteries of Aegypt or the holy Places of Jerusalem or from some of the Sacred and Venerable privacies of the Desart came to that City on the business of his Sacred Office as soon as ever he appear'd to the People he receiv'd Reproaches Slanders and Abuses And not only that but he was Scourged with the most wicked Scoffs of unrighteous Men and the deriding Hisses of the mocking Multitude as with whips and lashes So that if any one who was a stranger to the matter should have seen it he would not so much have thought that any Man was abus'd and made a laughing Stock of as that some strange and unheard of Monster were expelled and driven out of the Place V. Loe here is the Faith of the People of Africa but especially of those of Carthage The Apostles might formerly with much more Safety enter the Pagan Cities the rude and uncivilis'd Crowds of those ungodly Infidels did much less abhor their first coming and appearance The People of Athens altho' extreamly addicted to Superstitions heard with Patience Acts 17. that holy Vessel of Election St. Paul the Apostle discoursing of the Majesty and Worship of one Onely God The Lycaonians also admir'd them so much that when they saw the Divine Excellencies that were in the Apostles they took them to be more than Men. Acts 14. v. 11. But in Carthage the Servants of God could scarce appear in either Streets or Lanes without Abuse and base Revilings This they do not think to be any Persecution because they did not likewise kill them High-way Men truly have such a Saying among them as that they have given such a Man his Life because they did not take it from him But in that City this was no Favour of the Inhabitants but of the Laws For the Laws of the XII Tables forbid that any man lose his Life who is not first Sentenced to it By which we may perceive in what Extraordinary Esteem our Lord's Religion was there where the Servants of God escape because they are secur'd by a Pagan Law from being knock'd on the Head by their Fellow-Christians And yet we wonder that they now suffer under the Barbarians when these holy Men suffer'd under Barbarians in suffering under them Righteous therefore Psal 1 9. v. 137. is the Lord and just are his Judgments For as the Scripture says What they have sowed Gal. 6. v. 7. that they reap So that the Lord seems to have spoke of the Wickedness of that People in Particular when he says Render unto her according Jerem. 50. v. 14 15. to her deeds as she hath done do unto her for she is lifted up against the Lord. We may wonder then or take it ill that they now endure some Evils But those they have before done against God are much greater if according to the difference of the Persons it be duly weigh'd both what they suffer and what they have done FINIS Some BOOKS of DEVOTION Printed for Samuel Keble at the Turks-head in Fleetstreet MEditations upon Living Holily and Dying Happily with suitable Prayers at the End of each Chapter Written in Latin by Daniel Senertâ—â—â— Physician A Weeks Preparation towards the Worthy Receiving of the Lord's Supper c. The Holy Days or the Feasts and Fasts as they are observ'd in the Church of England throughout the year explain'd And the Reason why they are yearly celebrated with Cuts before each day Preparations to a Holy Life Or Devotions for Families and private Persons also Meditations Prayers and Rules for the more pious observing the holy time of Lent By the Author of the Weeks Preparation to the Holy Sacrament The Spiritual Combat or the Christian Pilgrim Translated from the French Revised and Recommended by Richard Lucas D. D. Contemplations on the Love of God c. with a Devout Prayer suitable thereunto The Church of England mans private Devations be-being a Collection of Prayers out of the Common-prayer Book for Morning Noon and Night and other special Occasions By the Author of the Weeks Preparation to the Sacrament Death made comfortable or the way to die well By John Kettlewel A Companion for the Penitent and Persecuted consisting of Directions and Devotions for persons troubled in Mind By John Kettlewel Divine and Moral Discourses on divers Subjects The Mourner comforted or Epistles consolatory writ by Hugo Grotius Perused and recommended to the World by John Scot D. D. A Contemplation of the Mercies of God in several most Devout and sublime Thanksgivings for the same Published by the Reverend Dr. Hicks Rules for the more Devout behaviour in the time of Divine Service in the Church of England