as Christ himselfe saith Mat. 6 If you do not forgiue men their trespasses neither will your heauenly father forgiue you your trespasses Now if this be the propertie of Gods children not to requite euill for euill we may easily conceiue in what number those Caualliers and fool-hardie fellowes are to be reckoned all whose courage and manhood consisteth in offering and reuenging injuries who also vpon euerie occasion are readie to quarrell and fight But let these men know First that all priuat reuenge is vnlawfull and that if euerie priuat man might be his owne caruer the magistrat should carrie the sword in vaine Secondly that all fighting vnlesse it be in lawfull battell is murther in the sight of God Thirdly that he which taketh the sword viz. not deliuered vnto him by warrant from God as it is to the magistrat to the souldier in lawfull battell to the priuat man in case of present necessitie shall perish with the sword Fourthly that it is a most fearfull thing either to kill or to be killed as oft it happeneth in priuat fight for he that killeth is a murtherer who so polluteth the land with bloud as that it cannot be purged but by his owne bloud Not to speake of that which euerie man knoweth that manslayers haue none inheritance in heauen but shall be excluded out of the heauenly Ierusalem and shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death in the meane time who is able to vtter what horror of conscience vsually accompanieth those who are guiltie of murther Neither is their case better who are slaine in fighting a priuat quarrell For if as the tree falleth so it lieth how fearfull may we thinke their estate to be after death who in thirsting after another mans bloud do shed their owne bloud and in a desire to murther another are murthered themselues Wherfore whē we are stirred vp to fighting or reuenge let vs remember the Apostles aduice Ephes. 4 Not to giue place to the diuell for vndoubtedly they are inspired with a fatanicall spirit who breath out reuenge Wherefore Dauid when Abishai stirred him vp to reuenge Shemai answered What haue I to do with you ye sonnes of Zeruiah that this day you should be vnto me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in stead of Satan But to returne to my purpose This is a common thing to all them that are not citisens of heauen that so oft as either they can or dare they are readie to requite euill for euill and verie manie proceed further who not only do euill to them that haue deserued ill but manie times also either through hatred or hope of gaine doe ill to those who are innocent neither haue deserued euill at their hands Yea manie there are who render euill for good and seeke to harme them of whom they haue receiued good Seeing then all other men who be not the sonnes and heires of God are so accustomed to euill doing it cannot be hoped that they should vse to practise the affirmatiue in doing good For may we thinke that those who vse to do euill not onely to them that deserue ill but also to the innocent and those that deserue well that they will be readie to do good offices to them that deserue not and to requite euill with good Or is it credible that those who are carelesse of their owne saluation should be carefull for others to winne them to Christ Nay the greatest number are affected as Cain was who being demaunded by the Lord concerning his brother asked if he were his brothers keeper Yes verily we are all appointed keepers of God to obserue one another To stirre vy one another to loue and to good workes for loue seeketh not her owne things but is also carefull for others And those which be the children of God are also members of one and the same bodie among whom is the communion of Saints But others are so farre from promoting the saluation of their brethren that by all meanes they seeke to hinder the same whiles either by prouocation counsell or example they bring them into sinne which is the cut-throat of the soule so become murtherers not of mens bodies but which is more grieuous of mens soules Wherefore seeing this Innocencie agreeth to all the sons and heires of God and onely to them it is of good right reckoned among their proper notes not onely in this place but elsewhere also in the scriptures as Ps. 24 Where to the like question Who shal ascend into the mountaine of the Lord c. the like answer is shaped He that hath Innocent hands and a pure heart c. And as the Psalmist in this place affirmeth that he which doth none euill to his neighbour shall neuer be remoued but shall rest in the holy mountaine of God so the Prophet Esay pronounceth that man blessed who keepeth his hand from doing any euill It remaineth therefore that euerie one should apply this note to himselfe for howsoeuer all men almost will affirme that they neuer did harme to their neighbor yet it is to be feared lest this Innocencie can be found but in a few especially of those who would seeme more wise and politicke than others for such is the generall wickednesse of these times that none but fooles are counted Innocent And therefore those which would be citisens of heauen they must be content to be esteemed fooles in the world that they may be wise to God Now followeth the sixt note in these words And receiueth not an euill report against his neighbour The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth an opprobrious speech or as the Septuaginta translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reuiling and slanderous speech a sinister or euill report tending to the infamy of our neighbour The verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 admitteth diuerse significations The first and principall is to take vp and so a slaunder may be taken vp either in the mind to thinke or deuise it or in the tongue to vtter it or in the eare to harken or to giue eare to it all which Gods children are to auoid For as touching the first howsoeuer many men thinke their wicked thoughts to be free yet notwithstanding the Scriptures teach vs that they are repugnant to charitie for as the Apostle saith Charitie thinketh none euell that they are sinnes for the wicked thought of a foole is sinne that they are not onely forbidden for so the Prophet Zacharie saith Let none of you imagine euill in your heart against his neighbour but also punished for the holy Ghost doth note that the Lord destroyed the world by the vniuersall deluge Because the thoughts of mens hearts were continually euill that they are an abhomination to the Lord and consequently that we are to bewaile them and craue pardon for them and also to repent vs of them Let the
both God and man do in the end beguile themselues And therefore not vnworthily is hypocrisie in the Scriptures tearmed guile And first they foolishly goe about to deceiue God the searcher of the heart when they hope by a counterfeit semblance of religion to blear his eyes and by vaine shewes to please him whiles they securely abound with more hidden and secret sins which seemeth to haue been the hypocrisie of the Israelits reprooued by the Prophet Esay chap. 58. After this maner doe they offend first when they pray with fained lips pretending such things in their prayer as they do not intend asking such things with their lips as they do not desire with their heart promising such things as they mean not to performe and bearing the Lord in hand with the Pharisie Luke 18. that they be such persons as indeed they are not for these men after the example of the Israelits whose heart was not right within them goe about to deceiue the Lord with their mouth and with their tongue they lie vnto him Secondly when as they either commit secret sinnes that God may not see them or hauing sinned doe seeke to conceale their sinnes from God that he may not know them for such is the folly of hypocrits that because they wheÌ„ they hide themselues see not God they imagine that God seeth not them like to the silly woodcocke which when she hath so hid her head that she seeth no body she imagineth that no body seeth her Thirdly whereas the whole course of their life is leaud and dissolute they will seeke to pacifie God with some outward obseruations and those perhaps deuised by themselues And this is the ordinarie practise of Papists who when they haue fearefully sinned against God they will make him a plaster of their owne satisfactions But the most vsuall practise of hypocrits is to deceiue men to whom they desire especially by outward shewes to approoue themselues pretending a profession of religion both to their worldly and their wicked respects To their worldly respects when as vnder the profession of religion they seeke the world and the things which are in the world subordinating religion to their worldly desires and professing Christianitie in a secondarie respect so farre foorth as it standeth with the obtaining or retaining of their worldly desires c. To their wicked respects when they make religion a cloke for their wickednesse Thus heretiques to countenance their errours prepretend holinesse Thus the Pharisies vnder a pretence of long prayers deuoured widdowes houses Thus Iudas couered his couetousnesse vnder a pretended care for the poore Thus Iesabell when she intended the murder of Naboth proclaimeth a fast Absolon when he intended treason against his father pretended the keeping of a vow Hâ—rod professed to the wise men that he would goe and worship Christ when he meant to kill him Againe the hypocrite seemeth to sinne with an high hand against the light of his conscience detaining the truth in vnrighteousnesse seeing the better things and following the worse And therefore Hierome sayth That in comparison of two euils it is lesse to sinne openly than to faine holinesse But hypocrisie as it is double iniquitie and therefore most odious vnto God so is it extreame folly for the hypocrite whiles he seeketh to deceiue not onely man but God also who cannot be deceiued he beguileth himselfe For he that would seeme religious and hath not learned to refraine his tongue but letteth loose the reines to his vnbrideled tongue as hypocrites vse to doe in censuring backbiting and slaundering their brethren such an one deceiueth his owne heart his religion is vaine Likewise he that is an hearer of the word but no doer of it that is to say an hypocrite such a one deceiueth himselfe and is indeed that foolish man who as our Sauiour sayth doth build vpon the sand Those that content themselues with the shining lampe of an outward profession wanting the oyle of grace in their hearts are by our Sauiour Christ compared to the foolish virgins For seeing it is better to be good than to seeme so and worse to be euill than to seeme so is it not extreame folly in hypocrites to chuse to be euill rather than to seeme euill and to seeme good rather than to be good The folly of these men therfore is worthily noted by Chrisostome Hypocrit saith he if it bee good to be good why wilt thou seeme to be that which thou wilt not be If it be euill to be euill why wilt thou be that which thou wilt not seeme to be If it be good to seeme good it is better to be so if it be euill to seeme euill it is worse to be so Wherfore either seem to be that which thou art or be that which thou seemest to be Againe is it not extream folly for a man that he may haue with theÌ„ of Sardis the name that he liueth to be content to be dead that he may seem to be in the number of theÌ„ that shal be saued willingly to be in the number of theÌ„ that shall be coÌ„demned Lastly hypocrisie is pernicious to him that is infected therewith because it is a sinne which the Lord doth grieuousâ—y punish both in this life in the world to come in this life first by defection consequently by detection For those which be in the Church but not of it they are subiect to defection or falling away theÌ„ the Lord suffereth to fall away that their hypocrisie may be detected as the apostle Iohn sheweth For the hypocrit is he which hath receiued the seed into stony ground therfore wanting moisture root is not able to indure the Sun of teÌ„ptation but is like the rush without water or like the grasse on the house top which withereth before it be plucked vp Vpon triall therefore the hypocrite faileth and by his failing his vnsoundnesse is detected And this is the reason wherby the sonne of Syrach dissuadeth from hypocrisie for God saith he will discouer thy secrets cast thee down in the middest of the congregation because thou camest not in truth vnto the feare of God but thine heart is full of guile And likewise our Sauiour Beware saith he of the leauen of the Pharisies which is hypocrisie For there is nothing couered that shal not be reuealed neither hid that shall not be knowne And as touching the life to come there is such assurance of the hypocrites damnation that our Sauiour Christ when hee would signifie that the wicked seruant Math. 24 should certainely be condemned he saith He shal haue his portion with hypocrits where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth For as the vpright or pure in heart are blessed because they shall see God so are the hypocrites accursed for they shall not see him Againe so pernicious is hypocrisie to the double minded
a one eate not that is haue no priuat familiaritie with him for although we are not to forsake their company in respect of publicke communion either in the Church for then should we also forsake the assemblies of the Saints as the maner of some is or in the common-wealth for then should we be wanting in our dutie towards our countrie and leaue the managing of matters to the wicked onely yet are we not priuatly to accompanie with them for the reasons aforesaid Againe if it be the propertie of the godly to contemne the wicked then doth he not in any wise flatter the wicked in his sinne For flatterie whether it be for the flatterers profit it is a base sinne or whether it be for the harme of him that is flattered it is a most odious sinne The former kind which more properly are called parasits like dogges doe fawne vpon a man for his meat howsoeuer in the end like Acteons dogs they deuour their maister the latter are like Scorpions which when they fawne vpon a man will sting him with their taile the former are fitly resembled by the Iuie which embraceth the oke to sucke out his moisture the latter like to conycatchers when they flatter their neighbour they spread a net for his steps wherefore the Cinicke Philosopher being demanded of all beasts which was most noysome he answered of wild sauage beasts a tyrant of tame beasts a flatterer Neither was it vnfitly said of another That it is better for a man to fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for crowes do prey vpon the dead but flatterers on the liuing Those then that are giuen to flatterie may easily discerne how farre they are from the behauiour of the godly For as Salomon saith They that forsake the law praise the wicked but they that keepe the law set themselues against them And againe He that sayth to the wicked as flatterers vse to doe thou art righteous him shall the people cursse and the multitude shall abhorre him but to them that in steed of flattering rebuke him shall be pleasure and vpon them shall come the blessing of goodnesse Now followeth the other part of the opposition concerning those that honour God But he honoreth those which feare the Lord. The godly by a Synechdoche he calleth such as feare God For the sanctifying graces which are the seuerall branches of godlinesse as faith loue feare c. they are so linked together as it were in a golden chaine that where any one of them is in truth there the rest be in some measure and for that cause some one of them is sometimes put for all Seeing therefore the feare of God is a principall part of pietie in which sence Psal. 111 it is called caput sapientiae the head or chiefe point of wisdome that is true godlinesse it is no maruel though many times it be put for all religion as Deu. 6. 10. be said Eccles. 12 to be the whole dutie of man which must teach vs that those which haue no feare of God haue no religion in them Now he is said to feare God who being truly persuaded both of the infinit power of God as also of his fatherly loue towards him in Christ aboue all things feareth to offend God that is he is afraid of nothing so much as to displease God whom he acknowâ—â—dgeth to be a gracious and mercifull father to him in Christ. And whereas by sinne God is displeased therefore he feareth more to sinne by sinne to offend God than to displease all men than to be depriued of all his goods friends and commodities of this life yea of life it selfe Wherefore he that feareth God departeth from euill yea the feare of the Lord is to hate euill and is therefore said to be a wel-spring of life to auoid the snares of death Those therefore that feare the Lord the Scripture doubteth not to call blessed as Prou. 28 Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes And Psal. 112. 128 Blessed is the man yea blessed is euerie one that feareth the Lord. Now the child of God being rightly informed out of the Scriptures concerning the estate and condition of the godly he reuerenceth and honoureth those that feare the Lord. And why First because he knoweth that howsoeuer they are contemned and dispised in the world as the scum of the world and ofscouring of all things notwithstanding they are happie and blessed and that they are in the world as gold among the durt Secondly he loueth and reuerenceth the godly because he knoweth that God honoreth those that honor him and that according to the Latine phrase he doth beare them in his eyes insomuch that whosoeuer hurteth them they seeme to hurt as it were the apple of his eye Thirdly because he vnderstandeth that those which feare God are the sonnes and heires of God the brethren and fellow heires with Christ the temples of the holy Ghost yea fellow members with themselues of that bodie whereof Christ Iesus is the head and therefore whosoeuer loueth and honoreth them in them loueth and honoreth Christ. Hereby it appeareth that vertue and true godlinesse make men true noble and honorable as contrariwise sin and vngodlinesse make men base and contemptible and therfore all that are louers of vertue and pietie they cannot but honor those who are vertuous and godly And as this agreeth to all the godly to loue reuerence and honour those that feare God and to performe all good offices of brotherly loue towards them so it agreeth to them alone For the world that is the vniuersall companie of those who are not citisens of heauen loueth only those who are of the world As for the rest who are not of the world but are chosen out of the world for that verie cause the world doth hate them as our Sauiour Christ doth testifie Seeing therefore this dutie of honoring the godly is proper and peculiar to the children of God it is not vnworthily made a note of the citizens of heauen For Iohn also in his Epistle wherein he setteth downe diuerse notes whereby men may discerne themselues to be the children of God he reckoneth this as one of the principall We know saith he that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren And so Obadiah that he might approue himselfe to Elias as one that feared God he alleadgeth that fauour and honour which he had vouchsafed to the Prophets and seruants of God in the time of Iezabels persecution Neither is there any more certaine way to testifie our loue towards God than by louing and honoring the children of God For our goodnesse cannot reach vnto God and therefore is to bee extended towards his Saints vpon earth Neither can it be that we should loue our brother aright vnlesse we loue God much more And therefore if we loue our brethren as we
counsell or example For he that loueth his brother abideth in the light and there is no scandale in him Nay they desire to be so farre from hindering the saluation of others as that they acknowledge it to be their dutie to further by all good meanes the saluation of their brethren and to win them to Christ and to that end obserue one another to stirre them vp to charitie and good workes They instruct the ignorant reclaime those that erre admonish those that are backward and exhort them reproue those that are fallen and restore them comfort the weake minded go before others in good example and by all good meanes desire to edifie them Neither are they hurtfull to them in temporall matters but labour as much as in them lieth to preserue the life the chastitie the goods and good name of their neighbour Neither doe they good onely to them that deserue well at their hands but also to those that deserue ill they requite good for euill striue if it be possible to ouercome euill with goodnesse For howsoeuer the wicked deserue ill of them yet they will not defile their hands with doing ill but with Dauid they will say according to the ancient prouerbe Let wickednesse proceed from the wicked but my hand shall not be vpon thee For if we be the true children of God we will doe as our Sauiour Christ exhorteth Mat. 5 Loue our enemies blesse them that curse vs do good to them that hate vs and pray for them which hurt vs and persecute vs resembling therein the disposition of our heauenly father who maketh his sunne to arise on the euill and on the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust This is the studie and indeuour of Gods children howbeit sometimes they faile through infirmitie contrary to their purpose But in the rest who are not Gods children this innocencie cannot be found for although all men almost are readie to alleadge that they neuer did any man hurt as though it were a very easie thing for a man to containe his hands from euill yet as Basill saith This is a dutie hard to be performed and requireth great diligence neither is it comon to the reprobat but peculiar to the childrē of God for as Iohn saith The whole world that is the whole company of the wicked lieth as it were buried in euill And as Paul testifieth This is the common corruption of all that are not regenerat by the spirit of God not to do good but euill Rom. 3 There is none righteous no not one all are gone out of the way they are become altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one c. And as in respect of Gods children that prouerbe is verified Homo homini Deus Man towards man resembleth the goodnesse of God so in respect of the rest that other is no lesse true Homo homini lupus Man is as a wolfe to man For that we may descend to particulars If any man receiue an injurie who either may or dares requite it he will neuer lightly vnlesse he be the child of God suffer it to go vnreuenged For not to reuenge the lest injurie that may be it is with most men esteemed cowardise For that which the children of God thinke to be a glorious thing namely to passe by an offence that the rest account to be ignominious The vnderstanding of a man maketh him long-suffering and it is his glory to passe by an offence Now the children of God abstaine from reuenging wrongs which the rest will neuer suffer to go vnreuenged for these causes First because they acknowledge Gods singular prouidence in all things and are assured that nothing can happen to them which the Lord himselfe hath not before ordained And therefore when wicked men do them any wrong they acknowledge them to be the instruments of God which being euill he vseth well to their either chastisement or triall and therefore they will not with the dogge snarle at the staffe neglecting the smiter but they wil looke vp vnto God and as Esay speaketh Turne vnto him that smiteth them Dauid when he was reuiled by Shemei acknowledged Shemeis cursed tongue which was set on fire from hell to haue bene the Lords instrument to correct him when Iosephs brethren feared lest he would reuenge the injurie which they did vnto him in selling him into Egypt he acknowledgeth that God by their meanes had sent him thither for the preseruation of the Church Secondly because they are indued with charitie towards all men and therfore if it be good that the injurie should be dissembled they are content to couer it and to burie it in the graue of obliuion For as hatred stirreth vp strife so loue couereth the multitude of offences But if it be not good either for their neighbour or for themselues or for the common wealth that the injurie should be put vp then flye they to the magistrat for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill or if the magistrat neglect his dutie in this behalfe then do they commit their cause to God who hath promised to reuenge it Thirdly because they know all priuat reuenge to be vnlawfull and condemned in the Scriptures as Leuit. 19 Thou shalt not auenge nor retaine a purpose of reuenge against the children of thy people but shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe I am the Lord. And Rom. 12 Deerly beloued auenge not your selues but giue place to the anger namely of God For it is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. But especially Math. 5 For when as the Pharisies had wrested that law Talionis of requiting like for like which the Magistrates were to obserue in punishing the offences of men committed against their neighbor vnto priuat reuenge Christ opposeth himselfe against this corruption Ye haue heard that it hath bene sayd saith he an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth But I say vnto you resist not euill but whosoeuer shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also Which words we are to vnderstād 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say comparatiuely or spoken by way of comparison For Christ would haue vs to be so farre from desire of reuenge that he would haue vs readie rather to receiue a second injurie than to reuenge the former And hereunto appertaineth that admonition of the Apostle 1. Thes. 5. See that none recompence euill for euill vnto any man but euer follow that which is good both towards your selues and toward all men Fourthly because they know that the Lord who is the God of reuenge hath threatned to auenge those that reuenge themselues And well is it said of the sonne of Syrach he that seeketh vengeance shall find vengeance of the Lord and he will surely keepe his sinnes For