bee sinners that in the mean time we forget them to be men and brethren I answer This were to dash the first Table against the second whereas they are conscious of both alike A charitable heart even where it hates there it wisheth that it might have cause to love his anger and indignation against sin is alwayes joyned with love and commiseration towards the sinner as is lively set out Mark 3. 5. and Philippians 3. 18. where S. Paul tells us of them weeping thaâ— are enemies to the crosse of Christ and Mar. 3. 5. That our Saviour while he looked upon the Pharisies angerly mourned for the hardness of their hearts Zeale is a compounded affection of love and anger When Moses was angry with the Israelites and chid them sharply at the same time he prayed for them heartily And Ionothan when he was angry with his Father for vowing David's death did still retain the duty and love both of a Sâ—n to his Father and of a subject to his Soveraign A good man cannot speak of them without passion and compassion yea they weep not so much for their own sins as we doe according to S. Chrysostome's example O that our prayers and teaâ—es could but recover them Those that are truly gracious know how to receive the blessings of God without contempt of them who want and have learned to be thankful without overliness knowing themselves have been or may be as wretched and â—ndeserving as S. Augustine speaks A true Christian can distinguish beâ—ween persons and vices offenders and offences and have no peace with the â—ne while he hath true peace with the other love them as men hate them â—s evil men love what they are not what they do as God made them not â—s they have made themselves not so hate as to be a foe to goodnesse not so â—ove as to foster iniquity It is a question whether is worst of the two to be vices friend or vertues enemy Now saith Augustine He is not angry with his brother that is angry with the sin of his brother yea if we hate the vices of a wicked man and love his person as the Physitian hateth the disâ—ase but loveth the peâ—son of the diseased there is nothing more praise worthy as saith the same Father And another It is the honest mans commendation to contemn a vile person And another I know no greaâ—er argument of goodnesse then the hatred of wickednesse in whomsoever it resides yea David makes it a note of his integrity Psal. 31. 6. and 139. 21. 22. and 26. 4. 5. and in Psa. 15. He is bold to ask the Lord this question Who sâ—al dwel in thy tabernacle who shal rest in tâ—y holy mountain the answer he receives is this 1. He that walketh uprightly and worketh rightousness 2. And speaketh the truth from his heart 3. He that sâ—andereth not with his tonguâ— nor doth evil to his neighbour nor receiveth a false report against his neighbour But the fourth is Hee in whose eyes a vile person is contemneâ— while hee honoureth them that fear the Lorâ— and he cannot be sincere who doth not honour vertue in rags and loath 〈◊〉 though in a robe of State So that as the Prophet asked Ichosophat 2 Chron. 19. 2. wouldst thou help the wicked and love them that hate the Lord it may be demanâ—ed â—hould Christians be friends with them who are enemies to the Cross of Christ no no And yet to the men separate from their manners we have no quarrel but with them better then they either wish to us or to themselves Indeed it we should contemn them as they think we do it were but a just recompâ—nce of their folly and wickednesse for as one speaking of the poverty of the puâ—se saith that poverty is justly contemptible which is purchased by following of vice so may I of the poverty of the mind that poverty of wit and gâ—ace is justly contemptible which is purchased by a wilfull rebellion against God and the great means of knowledg and grace which we enjoy To conclâ—â—e this point we think it 's better to leave them and be thought proud wrongâ—ully then stay with them and be known bad certainly §. 34. AGâ—in some will alledg we givâ—offence to them that are without which is contrary to the Apostles precept who saith Give none ofâ—ence neither to the Jews nor to the Gâ—ecians nor to the Church of God 1 Cor. 10. 32. as they will make a crooked staffe serve to beat a Dog when a streight 〈◊〉 â—â—nnot be â—ound Nothing but ignorance is guilty of this scruple for the offence is only taken 〈◊〉 given and herein they pervert the Apostles words touching offences as Pharaoh's seâ—vants did the same word when they said unto their Master concâ—â—ning Moses How long shall he be an offence unto us Exodus 10. 7. for 〈◊〉 meaneth in that place only such offences as are contrary to the doctrine of the Gospâ—l as he hath expounded his own meaning Rom. 16. 17. And if nothing might be done whereat wicked men are offended then the word of God must not be preacht nor his holy and divine precepts walked in yea Christ must not have come into the world to redeem it for he was to the Iews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness 1 Cor. 1. 23. But all which God hath commanded must be done and all which he hath left indifferent may be done and none may or ought to censure the doing of it The precept is plain one believeth that he may â—at of all things and another which is weak â—ateth herbs saith the Apostle and what followes let not him that â—ateth despise him that â—ateth not anâ— let not him that eateth not condemn him that eateth for God hath received him Rom. 14. 2. 3. If I know the thing to be good and that I do it to a good end what care I for their idle misconstruction morally good actions must not be suspended upon danger of causelesse scandall in things indifferent and arbitrary it is fit to be oveâ—-ruled by feare of offence but if men will stumble in the plain ground of good let them fall without our regard not without their own peâ—ill Now that the Cuckoe may acknowledg this for her own egg notwithstanding the hath laid it in the Doves nest let the men of the world know that it is not an offence given by us but taken by them yea they first give an offence to us by their ungodliness and after take the just reward of the same namely to be excluded our society for an offence wherein they imitate Athanagoras who as Tully reporteth would alwayes complain of his punishment but of his fault he would say nothing or Adam who was ashamed of his nakednesse but not of his sin wicked men are neither sensible of doing injury nor patient in suffering for it It 's a rule of justice that what men deserve they should suffer yea in this particular case Gods
do I am sure it is a pardonable fault to do lesse good to our selves that we may do more good to and for others But suppose we offend them not this way yet we shall another if we keep them company The naturall man conceits of himself far beyond what another esteems him and in â—ase he finds he is undervalued will flye in your face and perhaps do you more mischief then can easily be repaired as that was done in one quarter of an hour by our first Parents which tended to the ruin of them and all mankind It is usual with drunkards to kisse when they meet and kill when they part Dâ—unken Alexander killed Clytus for whom sober Alexander would have killed himself The Danes and Norwayes once purposing for England fell drunk on shipboard and so slasht one another that there was an end of their voyage Out of their gallant disposition you shall have one kill another upon the interpretation of a word a manifest confession that their life is not much worth sith they will sell it so good cheap yea there are not wanting of them that resemble Fimbria of Rome who meeting a Citizen that he hated gave him a deadly thrust into the body with his sword and the next day entred an action against him that he had received but part of his blad into his body and not all as he meant it Yea perhaps they may make you to do that which you never dreamt of like Herod who cut off Iohn Baptist's head only to answer the expectation of the standers by Matth. 14. 9. As for flattery it never wants welcome while self-love is at home but the plain dealing man cannot live among these Vipers and not be stung by them yea he lives most in trouble that most seeks to have peace with them by a familiarity Well then if they are so offensive to the stomack of our company that they will not let us be at peace our best way will be to spew them out to deal with our old vicious conâ—orts as the Fox in the Fable did by his Flees who wading backward into the water by degreâ—s drew them all into a lock of Wooll which he â—ad in his mouth and then left it swimming even leave them without taking leave of â—hem or if you like not to tear friendship asunder upon the sudden you may unsow it by little and little He that would not continue a friend may 〈◊〉 neglect him and have his aym §. 31. Oâ— But I hear none boast so much of peace as the ungodly nor none 〈◊〉 with contention as the religious 〈◊〉 Bâ—ast of it they may but it is apparent that the way of peace they have not so much as known indeed they have some kind of agreement among 〈…〉 so have Serpents and Beares and Wolves it is a rare thiâ—g to see one Wolf devour or fight with another yea they have made a covenant with death and are at agreement with Hell Isai. 28. 15. and yet as therâ— is no peace to the wicked Isa. 57. 21. so there is no peace among the 〈◊〉 foâ— every combination in evil is rebellion and not peace rather a conspiraâ—y 〈◊〉 a concord like the agreement of Absalom and Aâ—hitophel 〈…〉 against David or of Herod and Pilate conspiring against Apostles plotting against Paul so meeting in malice to do 〈…〉 dissention is better then such a wickeâ— peace Neither can any wonder that wicked men do so conspire in evil that there is such 〈◊〉 in the broachers abbettors of it if he but take notice of those 〈◊〉 which bâ—ing many in substance were yet one in name action habitation even a whâ—le Legion in one man Mark 5. 9. all the praise of concord is in the 〈◊〉 if that be holy the consent is angelicall if sinfull develish true 〈…〉 with God war with our lusts Rom. 5. 1. and 7. 22. 23. 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 war with vice whereas they have peace and are at league with 〈…〉 but are at war witâ— Gâ—d and good men all at once but a just war is a 〈…〉 better then such an ill conditioned peace yea it no way deserves tâ—e name of peace except we be at enmity with the Serpent at unity 〈…〉 so to be at peace with men as that we do not war with God and his graces peace must be followed with holinesse Heb 12. 14 Wherefore 〈◊〉 joyneth â—aith peace and truth together Zach. 8. 16. and St. Paul peace and righteousness peace and edification peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. 19. 20. c. Thus the Scripture sets us our bounds for peace which we may not passe and shews that ungodly men are not guilty oâ— this grace that they do but talk of peace not practise it But suppose we could enjoy peace in their company yeâ— we can never expect to have 〈◊〉 loves for dâ—unkards only love drunkards and one wicked man another but care not a rush for any that are good being like Phalaris the Tyrant who would never grant any request except it were to a dissolute woman but such he never denied Likeness we know is the cause of love and lovâ— the cause of likeness whereas the believer and the unbeliever are altogether unlike the one being crucified and dead to the world Gal. 6. 14. but madâ— alive in Christ 1 Cor. 15. 22. The other being spiritnally dead even while they alive 1 Tim. 5. 6. We seldome see different dispositions entirely loving for hence growes the height of friendship when two similary souls do blend in their commixions and hence it is that two friends are said to come into Vulcan's shop to beg this boon of him that he would either beate them on his Anvile or melt them in his Fornace both into one the which he granted I'ts likeness that makes the true love knot of friendship when we find another of our own disposition it appears the same soul in a divided body Natuâ—e that makes us love our selves makes us with the same reason love those that are like us A friend is a more sacred name then a Brother Pro. 18. 24. For what availes it to have the bodies from the same original when the souls within them differ And yet some Râ—hoboam-like passing over the religious will joyn themselves with ungodly persons like as some put away honest wives and go to harlots wherein they deal as wisely as if a man should cast away his fleshly leg and set on another of wood Causa patrocinio non bona pejor crit Or admit thou shouldst enjoy a wicked mans love it is but mercenary base and inconstant and so not worth the having Indeed there was never such abject and servile prostitutions of presentations as life soul devotion adoration servant slave c. as there is now amongst our drunkards and roarers and what love they expresse to one they professe to all every one they know or salute is their friend but friendship so distracted like as the River
Ganges was by Cyrus into 365. brooks both looses her name and nature a lover of so many never loves any Or admit a drunkard do love thee either he loves thee for his own sake because he hath some pleasure or profit or credit by thee as prosperity procureth friends no lesse then adversity proveth them which is with Craterus to love the King rather then with Ephaestion to lâ—ve Alexander now I do not hold him worthy thankes that profesâ—eth mee kindnesse for his own ends Or secondly he loves only thy body or natural parts which is but the worst peece of thee and love to the body is but the body of love the soule of love is the love of the soule Neither doth he truly love that loves the body more then the mind and soul or common gifts before saving graces this love as it is never long liv'd so it is of but feigned as you shall have drunkards and dissembling polititians salute one anotheâ— with God save you at their meeting and wish one another hanged at their parting Italian-like they will be glorious and complemental in their invitations but if you accept of their offer they will hate you for it ever after A drinking fâ—iendship is but a drunken friendship and beleeve it thou wilt find those friends firmest that thy vertues purchase thee these will love thee when thy wealth is gone whereas those that be won without desert will also be lost without a cause you need but be an Arbitrator between two such friends to make them both your enemies things that differ in their end will surely part in their way now thy end is to gain him his end to make a gain of thee for let the passage of profit be stopt his love is likewise at a stand 〈◊〉 you deserved never so well from him the deniall of one favour nay aâ— health shall drown the memory of many fore-performed ones which is all onâ— as if for the abortion of one child a man should kill all the former issue whereas the good mans thanks for old favours lives even in the blows of injury or can you not feed these vermine as you have done away they go like a Suâ— Dial you shall be no longer regarded then you are shined on by prosperity yea Rats run not faster away from an house on fire nor lice from a dead body then they from poverty and if ever it be your misery to stand in need of them look for no other requitall then Iob had of his friends whom he compares to a deceitful Brook which in winter is hard frozen with cold in Summer dried up with heat between winter and Summer passing away alwayes deceitful never of use Iob 6. 14. to 19. Yea a man may say of such friends as a learned Antiquary said of Rumnâ—â— Marsh bad in Winter hurtfull in Summer never good nay this comparison falls short for thou hast sped well if such friends prove not dangerously hurtfull as well as helplesse Have I not known some of them resemble the Snake which when a kind Husbandman had taken out of the cold and cherished in his bosome and she had recovered her lively heate and was grown lusty singled out him ungratfully to trie her first sting upon or a Promotor that in Lent eats flesh at your table and yet is the first that accuseth thee to the Magistrate If Ziba be waxed great under Mophiboseth he will give him a lift foâ—â—ll he hath A promoted Begger hath not seldome renounced his advancer And what else can be looked for from them They cannot make conscience of civill duties who make none of divine If a man have cast off his God he will easily cast off his friend They that have broken their faith with him will keep no faith with us When Religion is once gone humanity will not stay long after I take leave of this point with a caution Reveal to such men no secrets for he that now loves thee dearly may come to hate thee deadly nor beleeve a word that they say for they are like Antigones who never denied any sute that was asked but withall never performed any thing that he granted for what they promise when they are drunk they forget when they are sober or like Saul who being perswaded of David's worth and loyalty sweares as the Lord liveth he shall not die 1 Sam. 19. 6. yet within four verses for all his oath he darts a Speare at him intending to nail him to the wall and in the next verse hee sends messengers to his house to kill him or like the Councell of Constance who made promise to Iohn Husse of a conduct and safe return yet like forsworn persecuters put him to death §. 32. OB But here some of them will reply That we lay the saddle upon the wrong horse when we tax them for want of peace love and friendship in that the religious only shew inconstancy by bidding farewell to their old friends and acquaintance so soon as they embrace religion Answ. To this is answered First that constancy except it be in the truth and in a good cause is impudency change in the vicious is as great a vertue as constancy in the vertuous The Almaines were praised for changing their â—â—stomes which were found to be but bad before as Tacitus affirmeth Constanâ—â—â— in things ill is so far from bâ—ing a vertue that it is an absâ—lute vice Of â—ings imperfect change is the way to perâ—ect them The Gentiles became beâ—â—evers the Iewes Inâ—idels Zachâ—us turnes from the world Demas turns to â—e world Paul turns an Apostlâ— Iudas an Apostate I would fain know wheâ—her change in the Gentiles Zacheus and Paul was not as great a vertue 〈◊〉 it was a vice in the Iewes Demas and Iudas Saint Paul was in constant indeed for to day as it were he breathed out â—reatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of Christ and to morrow he â—reacheth Christ in the Synagogue what then Will any not debaucâ—ed cenâ—ure him of ficklenesâ—e for it nay wil not all wise men think it a great honour to â—im and commend him forshaking hands with the high Priests and his fellow â—ursevants when once hee heard that voice from Heaven Act. 9. 4. There is not any so near unto us but iâ— he fall from God wee may fall from â—im It merits the name of wilfulnesse when we will not admit of a lawful â—hang to the better As Philocrates sported with Dâ—mâ—sthenes you may not marvell Atheniâ—ns that Dâ—mosthenes and I do differ for he drinks water and I drink wine â— some laugh at us for being sober with Rhenis and we as much pity them or being drunk with Canary Again they censure us of inconstancy we them â—f Impudency Now in this case â—hen that is reputed ridiculous by one which â—s accounted sage by another as wise what shall we do but make Gods Word the umpier Wherefore in all changes I will have regard to these three things God's
approbation mine own beneâ—â—t and the not harming of my neighbour â—nd then where the change is not a fault I will never think it a disgrace though the great exchange the World should judge it so Even modesty in some is a viâ—e when out of a weak flexibility of nature man hath not courage enough to deny the request of a seeming friend If a man never abandoneth evill until he abandoneth evil company it is â—igh time to take courage yea the longer wee have been with them the more need have we to hasten out of them If this satisfie not as the Emperor Fradeâ—ick said to certain of his Minions that weâ—e importunate to get into their â—ands the ancient demeasn of the Empire that he would rather be accounted of small liberallity then pâ—rjured even so had we in this case rather be acâ—ounted inconstant then bâ— unconscionable To the second part of the objection I answer That true love and friendâ—hip is only among good men The wicked may talk of it and one drunkard â—ay professe to another that he loves him as well as himself and therein speake â—ruth for saith Augustine most elegantly to such an one thou lovâ—st thy self so as thou wilt destroy thy self and thou wilt destroy him whom thou lovest as â—hy self yea better then themselves for you shall have one Russian salute anoâ—her with God save you Sir but after some strange attestations swear away â—imself with God damn me Sir now how can any wise man think him a friend â—hat is his own enemy hee that is evill to himself to whom will he be good But see the depth of such a mans love and whether it be not to damn thy boâ—y and soul everlastingly S. Ambrose tels us of one who solicited a godly woman to incontinency saying he infinitely loved her she answers if you lovâ— me so well as you seem put one of your fingers into the flame till your flesâ— be burnt off he repâ—ys that was no part of love in her to require it yes said she if yours be love to cause both my body and soul to be burnt in heâ—â—fire for ever which by consequeâ—ce will follow if I yeeld to your request and take your counsel Oh that thou hadst the wit to answer the drunkard when he tempts thee thus Indeed there is a kind of agreement which is stâ—engthened by sin it self as if one â—ee the keeper of a wench his secrecy is bought for ever But all this while if one call another friend it is but to give him a nick-name whereof he is not guilty for true friendship is so sacred holy and pure that it will not be used in evill which made Pericles when he was desired by a friend of his to aide him with false witnesse answeâ— that he would bâ—friend him as far as the Altar meaning so far as stood with piety and religion or his duty to God but no further and Phocion refuse to help his son in law Cariles in judgment being accused for bribery saying withall that he had made him his frienâ— and alliâ— in just and reasonable matters and in them only and this likewise made Papiniâ— an a Pagan being commanded by the Empeâ—or Carâ—â—alla whose Steward and familiar he was refuse to defend an unjust cause as Marcellinus records and thus it fares with all that are truly religious There is not any one quoth the sincere Christian either in blood or otherwise so near unto me but if he fall from God I will fall from him why our Saviour Christ hath taught me both by precept and example that I should acknowledg none so as to be led by them for my brother sister or mother but such as do the will of my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 12. 46. to 51. Whereas on the contrary in things lawfull nothing rivits hearts so close â—s religion it unites them together as glâ—ws doth 〈◊〉 together it makes a knot even between such as never saw one anothers face that Alexander can not cut yea Tyrants will sooner want invention for torments then they with tortures be made treacherous How many have chosen rather to embrace the flams then to reveal their companions and bâ—ethren in Christ There is no friendship like the friendship of faith There is Amor among Beasts Dilectio among Men Charitas among Christians that is their peculiar nature makes husband and wiâ—â— but one flesh grace makes them even one spirit and it is a question wâ—ether naturall Parents are to beâ—loved above spiritual we know that Christ preferred his spirituaâ— kindred to that of the flesh and mâ—jor est connexio 〈◊〉 quà ◠sanginum saith Beza Why sâ—ould we love them more that brought us into this sinfull and miserable world then those that bâ—ing us into a better world where is neither sin nor misery Why them that live with us on earth but a while equall to them that shall live with us in Hâ—aven for ever But to go on Surely as grace in her self is far above nature so is she likewise in her effects and consequently unites in a far more â—urable bond Christians hearts are joyned one to another with so fast a glâ—w that no by respects can sâ—ver them as you may see in that paire of friends Ionathan and David nonâ— had so much cause to disaffect David as Ionathan noâ—e in aâ—l Israel should be such a looser by David's successe as he Saul was sure enough setled for hiâ— time only his successor should forgo all that which David should gain so aâ— none but David stands in Ionathan's way to the Crown and yet all this can not abate one dram of his love As also in Ruth and Naomy whom nothing but death could part Ruth 1. If you will see other examples look Rom. 1. 10 11. 1 Thes. 2. 17 19. 20. Galathians 4. 18 19. Act. 20. 37 38. and 16. 15. Luke 4. 42. 2 Kings 2. 4. 9. and 4. 9 10. As grace is the greatest attractive of love so is it the surest bond it is like varnish that makes â—eelings not only â—hine but last Where God uniteth hearts carnall respects are too weak to disâ—ever them since that which breaks off affection must needs be stronger then that which conjoyneth it and why doth S. Iohn use these words once to the elect Lady 2 Iohn 1. 2. and again to Gajus 3 Iohn 1. whom I love in the truth but to shew that to love in the truth is the only true love Indeed religion is the surest cement of all societies the loser joynts of all naturall and civill relations are compacted and confirmed by the sinews of grace and religion and such a lose joynted friendship cannot hold long which wants the nerves of religion Wherefore give me any foe rather then a resolved Christian no friend unlesse a man truly honest §. 33. BUt here it will be objected That we hate and contemn all who are not like our selves that we remember them so much to