eye-sore of our enemies and let envy looke herselfe blinde And so much of the first Cause SECT 59. Quest. WHat is the second Cause why ungodly men hate and persecute the religious Answ. Their ignorance of God of Christ and the Scriptures Quest. How is that proved Answ. By Testimonies Examples Reason and our own Experience 1. First by Testimonies They shall hate and persecute you yea they shall excommunicate and kill you for my Names sake saith our Saviour to his Disciples because they have not knowne the Father nor me John 16.2 3. and 15.21 And again they are an offence unto us because they understand not the things which are of God but the things which are of men Matth. 16.23 And are deceived because they know not the Scriptures neither the power of God Matth. 22.29 Luke 19.42 2. Secondly by Examples and Reason This the Apostle confesseth to have been the cause of his persecuting the Church 1 Tim. 1.13 Who so soon as he was inlightned with the saving knowledge of the truth changed his note with his name and preached that faith which before be persecuted It s worth the noting how he was no sooner informed but he was reformed Now if we looke upon him as Saul wee shall see what we are by generation if wee looke upon him as Paul we shall see what we are or should be by regeneration Neither is it strange that the world through ignorance should hate and persecute the members of Christ for upon the same ground they even crucified Christ himselfe Father forgive them saith he of his murtherers for they know not what they doe And why have the Kings of the earth in all ages banded themselves together against the Lord and against his Christ Psal. 22. But because they knew him not John 15.21 For if the Princes of this world had knowne they would not have crucified the Lord of glory as the holy Ghost speakes 1 Cor. 2.8 Alas poore ignorant soules they did but imitate Oedipus who killed his Father Laius King of Thebes and thought he had killed his enemy And what do the Cavaliers now in killing the Saints But as if one with his Hatchet should cut off the bough of a tree upon which hee standeth For they are beholding to the Religious for their very breath Neither is their great plot any other peece of policy then as if the Sodomites should make hast to turne out Lot and his Family that fire and brimstone may make hast to destroy them For as when Noah and his Family were once entred the Arke the Flood came and destroyed the first World Gen. 7.11 13. So the number of Christs Church being accomplished fire shal come down to destroy the second World at which time the Devill and all Reprobates shall be laid up in hell Oh the wickednesse and witlesnesse of our Malignants Methinkes the Parliament may justly twit their unnaturall Country as Themistocles once did his Athenians with these words Are yee weary of receiving so many benifits by one Assembly And certaynly if ever it shal be dissolved without their consent which God forbid it would faire with the causers of it mens eyes being opened as it did with the Authors of Socrates his death which I finde thus reported After that Socrates was put to death at Athens Arastophones rehearsed a Tragedy of his concerning Palamides at the hearing whereof the people were so moved that they presently fel upon the Authors of Socrates his death and drew them forth to punishment But to return to what we intend If we consider it rightly we shall find that ignorance is the cause of all sin Sin indeed at the first was the cause of ignorance but now ignorance is the cause of sin Swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring abound saith the Prophet because there is no knowledge of God in the land Hos. 4.1.2 It is a people that doe erre in their hearts saith God why because they have not knowne my wayes Psal. 95.10 SECT 60. 3 THirdly Experience proves that none are so farre transported with a mad and supertitious zeale against the religious as the rude rabble who can yeeld no other reason or confession of their faith if they be asked then this that they are no Puritans or that they hate a Puritan from their soules when as the devill himself who hates the Puritan they mean most of any can make as good a confession of his faith as this For who are the greatest censurers and the violentest opposers of goodnesse are not the ignorant fry who have more rage than reason and the more fottish still the more insolent As reprove one of them for swearing or drunkennesse or unjust dealing or for prophaning the Lords day for Atheisme and the like you are sure to be branded with the odious title of Puritane yea you are factious and schismaticall if ye will not be drunke and every whit as lewd as they are It is worth a large smile to observe what a clamour the blundering rabble will make against the people of God if one in their company but mention the word Puritane or tell them how scrupulous and precise such an one is O what a number of sharp and deadly arrows will each of them shoot both at the good and goodnesse maugre all admonition For each being stung with the Gad-slie of mis-governed zeale as Paul was before hee knew Christ they presume to affirm with incredible impudence accompanied with invincible ignorance that there are not worse men in the world then the religious Wherein it is hard to say whether ignorance or malice doe more abound whether it be more out of the strength of will or weaknesse of judgement It is the nature of ignorant and carnall men that walke after the flesh in the lusts of uncleannesse whom Saint Peter calls bruit beasts led with sensuality to speake evill of the things they understand not 2 Pet. 2.12 Especially in judging acts of zeale and piety their opinion still lights upon the worst sense like them in the sâ—cond of the Acts who mocked the Apostles when they were filled with the holy Ghost and hearing them speak languages which they understood not cried out These men are drunke with new wine Untill we be borne againe we are like Nicodemus who knew not what it was to be born again Iohn 3.4 Untill we become zealous our selves wee are like Festus who thought zeal madnesse Acts 26.24 Untill we be humble our selves we are like Michal who mocked David for his humility and thought him a foole for dancing before the Arke 2 Sam. 6.16 Yea to such as shall perish or are for the present in a perishing condition all religion seemes foolishnesse 1 Cor 1.18 And thus you see in grosse that Ignorance is a main cause of hatred and persecution Wee shall more clearly discerne how it comes to be so if we note The Root Ignorance The Stem Suspition or
Iealousie The Sap Hatred The Fruit Persecution severally and apart for ignorance causeth Suspition and Suspition Hatred and Hatred Persecution But I cannot stand upon these SECT 61. Qu. IF Ignorance be such a generall cause of hatred and persecution as you have shewre What is the reason that so many great Scholers and wise men do also hate and persecute the godly Ans. Great scholers they may bee and wise men also in the worlds esteeme but in the maine and in Gods account they are nothing so for admit they have inlightned heads sufficient to leave them without excuse yet because they withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse and doe not glorifie God with their knowledge neither are thankfull but become vain in their imaginations their foolish hearts are darkned and so while they professe themselves to be wise in changing the truth of God into a lie they become fools and expresse it by thus hating God and his children Romans 1.18.21.22.25.30 So that Ignorance is the cause even in them also And indeed if they were wise they would foresee the torments of hell and prevent them as Bernard speakes Or if they knew God they would keep his commandments for hereby saith Saint Iohn is it knowne that wee know God if we keep his Commandements 1 John 2.3 but he that saith I know him and yet keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and there is no truth in him Ver. 4. Yea these have sworne to keepe the commandements and to deny the world and yet are not content with their owne disobedience unlesse they cast aspersions upon them that obey Againe thirdly if they knew Christ they could not but love him and loving him they must needs love his members not persecute them for it is the very first part of our conversion to love them that love God 1 Joh. 3.14 and 4.7.8 and Joh. 13.35 But so many as are enemies to the crosse of Christ shew that they never knew God in Christ. As for their wisdome and learning you must know that men may be â—xquisitely wise and incomparably learned in the worlds opinion and yet very fooles in Gods account 1 Cor. 3.19 As sharp-eyed as Eagles in the things of the earth and yet as blinde as Beetles in the matters of heaven And knowledge consisteth not so much in the quantity as in the quality not in the greatnesse but in the goodnesse of it For as a little precious stone is of more worth then many other stones of greater bulke so one drop of wisdome guided by the feare of God is more worth then all humane learning One sparke of spirituall experimentiall and saving knowledge is worth a whole flame of secular wisdome and learning One scruple of holinesse one dram of faith one graine of grace is more worth then many pounds of naturall parts But learning and grace doe not alwayes keep company together Yea O Lord how many are there that have a depth of knowledge yet are not soule-wise That have a Library of Divinity in their heads and not so much as the least Catechisme in their consciences no rare thing for men to abound in speculation and be barâ—en in devotion to have full braines and empty hearts cleare judgements and defiled affections fluent tongues and lame hands Yea you shall heare a flood in the tongue when ye cannot see one drop in the life For example I might instance in Balaam whom the holy Ghost stiles a foole 2 Peter 2.16 And Iudas Mat. 27.3 4 5. And Paul before his conversion who even while hee was a persecuter like these men was eminent among the Pharisees for wit and learning but a very Ideot among the Apostles And lastly the Priests Scribes and Pharisees who were matchlesse for their wisdome and learning as wanting nothing that either nature or Art could inrich them withall yea and they were chiefly learned in the Scripture Gods Oracles which will make a man wise or nothing and yet our Saviour who could not bee deceived calls them foure times in one Chapter blinde and twice fools Mat. 23.16.17.19.24.26 Because they wanted faith and holinesse which are the sinewes and nerves yea the soule of saving knowledge inlivening feeding and strengthening the same for in the dialect of the Scripture a fool is a naturall man and a wise man a man sanctified Alas God regards not lip-learning and tongue-wisdome and braine-knowledge except it ceize upon the heart also and lead captive the affections to the government of the Gospel whereby wee are changed and transformed into new men after the image of Christ 1 Cor. 2.12 Eph. 4.20 to 25. Col. 3.10 except we digest our knowledge into practise and imploy our wisdome to his glory that gave it our neighbours good and the furthering of our owne salvation For with him wickednes is folly and the greatest sinner is the greatest foole and he most wise that is most religious and that offends least Prov. 1.7 Iob. 28.28 Prov. 9.10.12 and 11.3 Deut. 4.6 Hosea 14.9 Iames 3.13.17 2 Tim. 3.15 And he that is truly wise thinks that to be wisdome and folly which God thinks so Neither is that worth the name of knowledge which may be heard only and not seen Good discourse is but the froth of wisdome the pure and solid substance of it is in well framed actions What saith the Scripture Keepe the Commandements of God and doe them for this is your wisdome and understanding before God and men Deut. 4 6. And again He that is a wise man and indued with knowledge will shew it by his conversation in good works Iames 3.13 For SECT 62. RIghtly a man knows no more then he practiseth It is said of Christ 2 Cor. 5 21. that he knew no sinne because he did no sin in which sense hee knows no good that doth no good And certainly they who wander in the by-paths of sin and errour declare themselves ignorant of the right way of salvation Rom. 3.17 Saving knowledge of the truth works a love of the truth knowne it is an uniforme consent of knowledge and action Iob 28.28 He onely is wise saith Solomon that is wise for himself Prov. 9.12 He whose conscience pulleth all he hears and reads to his heart and his heart to God who turneth his knowledge to faith his faith to feeling and all to walke worthy of his Redeemer he that subdues his sensuall desires and appetite to the more noble faculties of the soule Reason and Understanding and makes that understanding of his serve him by whom it is and doth understand hee that subdues his lust to his will submits his will to reason his reason to faith his faith his reason his will himself to the will of God this is practicall experimentall and saving knowledge to which the other is but a bare name or title For what is the notionall sweetnesse of honey to the experimentall taste of it It is one thing to know what riches are and
as the chiefe Iewes told Paul in his time Acts 28.22 And that so soone as men become religious and conscionable they are made a by-word of the people Iob 17.6 A song of the drunkards Psal. 69.12 And generally hated of all Math. 10.22 Answer Know yee not saith St. Iames that the Amity of the World is the Enmity of God And that whosoever will be a friend of the World maketh himâ—elfe the enemy of God James 4.4 A wicked man saith Solomon is abomination to the just and be that is upright in his way is abomination to the wicked Pro. 29.27 There is a naturall Enmity and a spirituall Antipathy betweene the men of the World and the Children of God whence it is that the holy Ghost who can give most congruous Names to Natures useth in the Scripture Gods Dictionary not only to call wicked men Adders Alpes Cockatrices Serpents Dragons Lyons Tygers c. Psal. 10.9 74.13 80.13 140.3 Esay 14.29 Dan. 7. Zeph. 3. Math. 23.33 which are the mortallest Enemies to mankind that live but most frequently Wolves and the godly Sheep Behold saith our Saviour to his Apostles I send you forth as sheep in the midst of Wolves Mat. 10.16 between whom there is a strange contrariety and antipathy living and dead as both Naturalists and Lutinists observe It is an everlasting rule of the Apostles He that is borne after the Flesh will persecute him that is borne after the Spirit Gal. 4.29 not because he is evill but because hee is so much better then himselfe 1. Iohn 3.12 because his life is not like other mens his wayes are of another fashion Wis. 2.15 for therefore speak they evill of you because yee will no longer run with them to the same excess of ryot 1. Pet. 4.4 SECT 2. Quest. BVt are not many discouraged and others beaten off from being Religious through the daily scoffes and reproaches which in every place the Godly meet withall for refusing to do as others do with whom they are conversant Answ. Yea millions there being no such rub in the way to Heaven as that generall contempt which the Devill and the World have cast upon Religion and the practisers of Piety which makes our Saviour pronounce that man blessed that is not offended in him Math. 11.6 For hereby it is growne to that that men feare nothing more then to have a name that they feare God and are more ashamed to be holy then prophane because holiness is worse intreated then prophaneness with Peter we are apt to deny our Religion when we come in company with Christs Enemies and with David to dissemble our Faith when we are amongst Philistims Like those white-livered Rulers Iohn 12.42 who loved the praise of men more than the praise of God we choose to conceale our knowledge of and love to Christ lest we should be mockt have so many frownes and frumps and censures and scoffes be branded with that odious and stigmaticall name of an Hypocrite c. True with Nicodemus we owe God some good will but we dare not shew it because of this we would please him yet so as we might not displease others nor our selves Like the young man in the Gospell we will follow Christ so Christ propound no other conditions then what we like of but what will be the issue our Saviour saith expresly That he will be ashamed of such at the latter day who are now ashamed for his sake to beare a few scoffes and reproaches from the World Mark 8.38 A sad saying for all such which considered seriously would alter the case with many as it fared with Vstbazanes an old Noble man and a Christian that had been Sapores the King of Persias Governour in his minority Who when Sapores raised a great persecution against the Christians was so terrified that he left off the profession But sitting at the Court Gate when Simion an aged holy Bishop was led to Prison and rising up to salute him the good Bishop frowned upon him and turned away his face with indignation as being loth to look upon a man that had denied the faith whereupon Vsthazanes fell a weeping went into his Chamber put of his Courtly Garments and brake out into these words Ah! how shall I apeare before God and my Saviour whom I have denied when Simion a man will not indure to look upon me If he frown how will God behold me when I come before his Tribunall c. For this Phisick so wrought with him that he recovered not only health but such spirituall strength that he went boldly to the King profest himselfe a Christian and dyed a Martyr gloriously SECT 3. BVt secondly it so forestaleth such as are without with Prejudice against goodness and circumspect walking that they resolve never to be Religious so long as they live As how many not only stumble at Christ the living and chief corner stone elect of God and precious but quite fall as at a Rock of offence yea â—tterly disallow of the things that are excellent only through the contempt which is cast upon Religion 1 Pet. 2.7.8 What such mens thoughts are we may heare from the damned in Hell We fooles thought their lives madness c. Wisd. 5.3.4 And experience shewes that they will hate a man to the death though he have nothing to condemne him but his being holy Yea where Satan hath once set this his porter of Prejudice though Christ himselfe were on earth that soule would stumble and be offended at his very best actions as we see in the Scribes and Pharisees who made an evill construction of whatsoever he did or spake For when he wrought Miracles he was a Sorcerer When he cast out Devils it was by the power of Devils When he reproved sinners he was a seducer When he received sinners he was their favourer When he healed the sick he was a breaker of the Sabbath c. Iohn 8. Nor can the highest eloquence of the best Preacher ever reclaime such For first words are vagabonds where the admonâ—shed hath an evill opinion of the Admonisher Secondly they are resolved against yeelding Thirdly let them be convinc't by strength of argument the thought of those things presently passes away like the sound of a Bell that is rung O this is a difficult Devill to be cast out even like that which we read of Math. 17.16 For as all the Disciples could not cast out that Devill no more can all the Preachers this for the Cure of prejudice alone in one man is more then to cure the seaven deadly sins as the Papists tearme them in another Nay if I may speak it with reverence what meanes can God use that shall be able to convert such an one The nine plagues shall not prevaile with Pharaoh the graves opening the dead arising the vayle of the Temple renting the light of the Sun fayling the Centurion confessing c. will do no good upon the
Scribes and Pharisees Yea though Ahab be told from the Lord that if he go to War he shall perish yet be goeth and speeds accordingly SECT 4. Quest. BVt how should weak Christians know the mystery of this iniquity shake off this slavish yoke of bondage and feare in which Satan for the present holds them Answ. Search the Scriptures and they will so cleare your judgement and cure your Prejudice that in some measure you shall be enabled to quench those fiery darts Ephes. 6.16 I meane the reproaches of those evill tongues which are set on fire from Hell Iames 3.6 for Virgil most excellently and profoundly couples the knowledge of cause and the conquest of all feares together First for the informing of your judgement our Saviour Christ and his Apostles hath abundantly foretold the same Of a multitude of predictions I 'le only instance three or foure All that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3.12 Not some but all and what all but even all that will live godly Now methinkes if there were no other texts in the Bible but this one it were omnisufficient to take away Prejudice and wonder touching the Worlds hatred and calumny but the Scriptures are full of the like Ye shall be hated of all men and Nations saith our Saviour for my names sake Math. 10.22 24.9 Not of a few but of all Men and Nations that is all naturall men or the greatest part of men in all Countries and Nations yea and for no other cause but for professing of Christs Name Neither is Christ a signe to be spoken against of many in Babylon or Assyria but of many in Israel Luke 2.34 where Religion is profest publickly Yea when sincerity is wanting the nearer the line with any opposition the greater Eclips The Gadereans but besought Christ to depart his own Country men drave him out and cast him down headlong Luk 4.29 Yea who was his greatest enemy but his greatest friend even one of his houshold-Chaplains And who but Ieremies familiars watched for his haulting Againe saith our Saviour The servant is not above his Master Iohn 15.20 But Christ having suffered so much if we should rest the Servant were above his Master which were senslesse to thinke For could not his wisdome innocency and holinesse fence him from these scornes and can thine fence thee Besides that ancient prediction must bee fulfilled I will put emnity between the seed of the Serpent and the seede of the Woman Gen. 3.15 But if there bee no war betweene the men of the World and the children of God if they should not hate and persecute us this Prediction were not fulfilled Yea all the former predictions of Christ and many that I omit should bee false which were blasphemy once to thinke Wherefore marvell not my bretheren though the world hate you as Saint Iohn speakes 1 Iohn 3.13 Neither count it strange as Saint Peter hath it concerning the fiery tryall which is among you to prove you as though some strange thing were come unto you 1 Pet. 4.12 for Christ and his crosse are unseparable Luke 14.27 Whence that definition of Luther that a Christian is a crosse-bearer Againe search the whole Bible over and you shall not finde one holy man mentioned without mention of something hee suffered from ungodly men as it were easie to instance how Abel Lot Noah Righteous men Abraham the Father of the faithfull Isaac Iacob Ioseph Patriarches and Fathers of the Church meek Moses upright Samâ—â—l holy David wise Solomon all the Lords Priests Prophets Apostles yea the harmlesse Babes and our Saviour Christ himselfe did severally suffer from wicked and ungodly men yea never man came to Heaven but first hee passed through this Purgatory God had one Sonne without sinne but never any one without suffering which makes our Saviour say Woe be to you when all men speake well of you that is when evill men speake well of you for so did the Iews of the false Prophets Luke 6.26 Whereas hee pronounceth them blessed which heare ill for well doing Mat. 5.11 Which leads mee to the second point SECT 5. SEcondly For Scriptures to confirme comfort and strengthen weake Christians against the worlds hatred and calumny these would be applyed which follow Blessed are they saith our Saviour which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5.10 And againe Bâ—essed are yee when men shall revile you and persecute you anâ— say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and bee exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you ver 11.12 And Saint Peter Rejoyce inasmuch as yee are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed yee may bee glad also with exceeding joy for if yee be reproached for the name of Christ happy are yee for the spirit of glory and of Goâ— resteth upon you Which on their part is evill spoken off but on your part is gloryfied 1 Pet. 4.12 13 14. Loe here is reward enough for all that men or divills can do against us And what will not men undergoe so their reward may be answerable This hath made thousands even ambitious to imbrace the flames Your cruelty is our glory said the Martyrs in Tertullians time to their persecutors for the harder wee are put to it the greater shall our reward bee in heaven It is to my losse said Gordius the Martyer if you bate mee any thing of my sufferings But yet further what saith Saint Paul In nothing feare your adversaries whose malice is to them a token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God Phil. 1 28. Yea in the same Chapter ver 29. He preferreth the gift of suffering before the gift of beleeving And in his Epistle to the Church of Thessalonica peremptorily concludeth that they are elect of God from this ground That they received the word in much affliction with joy in the holy Ghost They that dwell where Sathans seate is holding fast Christs name without denying his faith are Protestants indeed Revel 2.13 Examine these Scriptures againe and againe for every word of them is ponderous and consider of whom and by whom they were spoken then certainly thou wilt confess that if their be any Nectar in this life 't is in sorrows wee indure for Righteousnesse And methinks when I heare goodnesse calumniated I beare it the easier because the servants of vice do it SECT 6 Quest. WHat is the original ground of the worlds hatred Ans. That Proclamation which God himselfe made in Paradise Gen. 3.15 where hee saith unto the Serpent I will put enmity between thee and the woman and betweene thy seedâ— and her seed hee or it shall bruise thine head and thou shalt bruise his heele Quest. As to the building of an house it is needfull first to lay a good
commonnesse of this sin hath taken away the sense of it This counted no sin and yet worse then all his fellows 3 They reject all meanes of being bettered 4 Because they will not imbrace the truth they are given up to beleeve lyes 5 The Prince of darkenesse blindes them Satan prevailes most by desception of our reason We mistake good for evill and evill for good Sathan desires no more then to beheard speake He will put a faire coulour upon the foulest sin and make the best action odious He hath perswaded millions that they doe wel in persecuting the saitus If Sathan shewed the hooke as well as the bâ—ite his Kingdom would not be so populous Sathan more servants here then God Few compared with the multitude shall be saved The difficulty of entring the strait gate 1 Pet. 4.18 Yet most live as if they had no soules The foolish ingratitude of ungodly men Want of application on the cause of al impiety All performances abominable except they proceed from right ends and a heart sanctified Tryall of a Christian by the fruites of his faith Morrall men count zeal madnesse and Religion foolishnes They so hate holinesse that they will hate men for it They persecute us out of zeal Which is the case of not a few All hated for religion or haters of reigion They have so hardened their hearts that we were as good admonish a stone The reason why al are not beaten off by their sâ—offes How to have our â—udgments cleared and our prejudice cured Occasion of writing upon this subject All ineffectual except God give a blessing The religious hated and spoken against of all and every where A secret enmity antipathy betweene the wicked and Godly Millions beaten off from being religious by the scoffs reproaches of wicked men The miseâ—â—ble â—ondition of cowardly Christians A remarkable example The contempt of Religion makes many resolve against goodness They will make an evill construction of what soever we do or speak No reclayming such as are forestaled with preiudice Meanes to cleare our Iudgments touching the worlds hatred Religion most opposed by formall professors Christ his crosse inseparable All the saints have been hated and persecuted Meanes to confirme comfort strengthen us against the worlds hatred Their malice a good signe we belong to God The originall of the worlds hatred Gen. 3 15 opened explained An enmity proclaimed and what it is The Author proclaiming The Captaines and Souldiers between whom All wicked men are the Serpents seed What is meant by the Woeman and her seed Severall uses of instruction 1. Vse 2 Use 3 Use The certainty of this War Lessons of Instruction from hence 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson Originall sin the origâ—nall of this disâ—cord The end why â—hreefoâ—d God the Author without being the Author of sin 1. Reason 2 Reason The same further cleared The distinction of adversiâ—ties The time when this warr was proclaimed 2. The time that it is to continue 3. The time more strictly in regard of the subiect and obiect A Vse of comfort The manner of their venting this enmity The circumstance of place three-forld What will be the issue who shall get the Victory What is meant by brusing the head What by bruising the Heele This text an epitomy of the whole Bible Order and distribution of the whole booke The continuance of it in all Ages 1 It was before the Flood 2 After the Flood before the Law 3 After the Law before Christ. 4 In the time of Christ and his Apostles What a multitude have suffered for professing Christ. 5. After the Apostles in the time of the tenne Persecutions 6 From the primitive times hitherto Formall Christians the greatest persecutors of true Christians 7 In the times wherein we live A holy life cannot escape persecution This enmity makes them forget all â—â—turall affection 8 It will continue so long as time continues Application of the point Twenty two signes or properties of this enmity 1 They envy the Godly Envy the Devills cogniâ—ance as love is Christs 2 They contemne them which is not for 〈◊〉 of ignorance 3 they reioyce at our supposed evill estate But most if they see us sin 4 They hate the godly Their hatred extends to the whole generation of the Godly But they have not so much authority as malice Though their punishment shall be never the lesse 5 They murmure against the godly and God himselfe For being better then them selves They have a great advantage of the godly Their miserable condition 6 They sensure our actions and mis-consture our inteutions Preiudice blindes them They traduce whoÌ„ they cannot seduce They condemne others that themsâ—lves may be justified They iudge others by themselves 7 They carry tales of us to the Rulers Charge us with many things but proove nothing They passe over our good partes They will coyne matter to accuse us How to heare the tale-bearer No musick so sweet as to heare well of themselves ill of the religious The tale-bearers end 3 They give divelish councel against us They dazell mens eyes with false accutions Their matchlesse malice in slandering us The Prelates more ready to yeeld their ayd then the rude rabble to aske it 9. They flout and scoffe at the godly They so hate righteousnesse that they hate men for it They think us mad we know them to be mad They are zealous against all that are zealous They scoff at us God laughes at them Their punishments No greater Argument of a foule soule 10. They use to nick-name the godly It is the Devill that speakes in and by them Nothig hath proved more successfull to Satan then lies Wicked men think to grace themselves by disgracing the godly 11 They revile and raile on the godly Because the Law bindes their hands they smit with their tongues They speak evill of us because they cannot do evil to us How fitly they are termed dogs Their words are to bee â—lighted Foule mâ—uthed men and women are devills in the Scripture phrase Satans heart in their lips 12. They raise slanders of the godly Evill reports both make and increase iealousies and disable us from discerning the truth Slanderers Satans best servants Great wits not apter to raise slanders then othes to beleeve them A slander once raised never dyes At least it leaves a scar of suspition behinde Wise men will examine before they beleeve Their policy in slandering us The theef most forward to cry stop theefe 13. They will curse the godly Wicked men lye when they speake the truth As they belong to hell so thâ—y speak the language They that curse us would kill us if they durst They curse those that least of all deserve it They curse us that they may discourage us Though they curse yet God will blesse How miserably cursers shall be cursed 14. They use to threaten the godly No living for the godly if their enemies hands were alowed to be as bloody
58. chap. and 66.3 1 John 3 12. Matth. 7.22 23. Againe doe you pay God his dues also doe you repent and beleeve the Gospell precepts and menaces as well as promises doe you declare your faith by your workes doe you pray by the power of the spirit and with the understanding also 1 Cor. 14.15 doe you receive the word with good and honest hearts reade conferre and meditate upon it and also bring forth the fruits of it in your lif and conversation doe you sanctifie his Sabbaths and see that all under you doe the same love his children promote his glory and strive to gaine others to imbrace the Gospell instruct your children and servants and teach them to feare the Lord doe you feare an oath hate a lye c love zeale and devotion in others make conscience of evill thoughts vaine and unprofitable words grieve for your unprofitablenesse under the meanes of grace for the evill which cleaves to your very best actions and for sins of omissions c No you may bee good morrall honest men but none of these graces grow in the Gardens of your hearts You have a forme of godlinesse but you deny the power of it and are reprobate to every good worke 2 Tim. 3.5 Titus 1.16 Yea have you not strange conceits and base thoughts of the best men doe you not deeply censure condemne the generation of the just and thinke the worse of a man for having of a tender conscience doe you not envy hate scoffe at nick-name raile on and slander the people of God and mis-consture their actions and intentions watch for their halting and combine with others against them doe you not with Festus account zeale madnesse and religion foolishnesse with Michal For men of the world think the Religious fooles and madde-men but the Religious know them to be fooles and madde-men Doe you not sharpen your tongues in gall and dip your pens in poyson to disgrace the graces of God in his children yea have you not beaten off many from being religious by your scoffes and reproaches and made them resolve against goodness and staggered others that have made some progresse in holinesse yes every place where you come and all that you are conversant withall can witnesse it Yea you hate zeale and devotion so invetterately that you can in no wise bear with it in others I speake not by rote for would I be so uncivill as you are or doe by you as you by others I could name hundereds of you though you will not confesse it when taken in the manner but justifie your so doing by many collourable pretences For poore soules you are so ignorant of Sathans wiles Ephes. 6.11 That with Saint Paul before his conversion you persecute the Church of God even out of zeale to the traditions of your fathers Gal. 1.13 14. Phil. 3.6 Which is the case almost of who not for this sinne is so epidemicall that take forty men where you please City or Country As they dwell passe the streets or sit in their pues and nine and thirty of them are malignants to the power of religion You will say it is a big word but I have warrant for it doth not our Saviour say you shall be hated of all men and nations for my names sake Matth 10.22 and 24.9 which infers that all who are not hated for religion are haters of religion Neither is Christ's name any where more spoken against then in Israel Luke 2.34 where all professe themselves to bee Gods people The like place you have Matth. 5.11 And what is meant by these words I will put enmity betweene the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman Gen. 3.15 but that all men living are either the womans or the serpents seed As for other sins one man is given to lust another to intemperance a third to swearing a fourth to cousening some to more than one some to all of them but who is not tainted with this sinne who is not an open or secret enemy to holinesse by reason of that generall contempt which is cast upon professors Yea who is there even of those that have resigned up their pride and their lust and their lying and their coâ—sening or what other sinnes they have beene prone to with whom this sinne doth not remaine as though they had a dispensation for this evill Yea and thinke they doe wondâ—rous well in it for they delude themselves with a multitude of misprisâ—ons and false surmises against the godly the soules of most men being drowned in their senses and carried away with weake opinions raised from vulgar mistakes and shadowes of things And which is worst of all they have so hardned their hearts and so seared their consciences with accustomary using it even from their infancy that a man were as good speake to a stone Ezek. 11.19 as admonish them of it having Pharoah's curse upon them an hard heart and a seared conscience And a bruit beast is as capable of good councel as they Yea braying in a Morter as Solomon speakes would not alter them Prov. 27.22 Neverthelesse though they resemble those Beasts that went into the Arke uncleane and came out againe uncleane yet it shall comfort me that I have done my best to plucke up this infectious weede out of mens hearts that I have hopefully ministred unto them whom I cannot cure And that I have brought water enough to wash these Blackamores white if it were in the power of water to do it Besides I did it as well for the godlies sake as for theirs I considered how my selfe was formerly forestalled with prejudice against goodnesse and how extreamly I mis-judged both actions and persons by reason of that generall contempt which was cast upon Professors which for many yeares hindred me from entering upon a religious course Yea when God of his free grace and good pleasure had brought me out of darknesse into his marvellous light and touched my heart with the load-stone of the Gospell that I was not beaten off againe from ever being religious through the daily scoffes and reproaches which in every place I met withall for refusing to doe as others with whom I was conversant no reason can be rendered but that of the Apostle whom he did predestinate them he also called and justified and saved Rom. 8.30 And O the depth Rom. 11.33 Wherefore when once my judgement was cleared and my prejudice cured by the sage councell of a friend and by pondering these few scriptures 2 Tim. 3.12 Mat. 10.22 23. c. and 24 9â—â— Luke 2.34 and 4.29 Iohn 15.20 Gen. 3.15 1 Iohn 3.13 1 Pet. 4.12 13 14. Luke 14 27. and 6.26 Mat. 5.10 11 12. Phill. 1.28 29. Both of them being driven home or set on by the rodde of affliction By Gods grace I not onely shooke off this slavish yoke of bondage and feare in which Sathan for the present held mee But probably
flood before the law 41 After the law before Christ. ib. In the time of Christ and his Apostles 42 After the Apostles in the time of the ten persecutions 43 From the primitive times hitherto 44 In the times wherein we live 46 It will continue to the worlds end 50 Application of the point 52 Twenty two signes or properties of this enmity 53 Foure mentall ib. Eleven verball 62 Seven actuall 98 Eleven causes of this enmity 130 First cause is contrariety ibid. This enmity makes them forget all naturall affection 49 Severall uses of their enmity 124 125 To informe us whether we be children of the devill or members of Christ. 125 Application of the point 52.168 They envy the godly because better then themselves 139 Application of the point 142 And because they fare better 166 Application first to unhallowed Ministers 168. Secondly to the rabble 171 The good mans honour is the envious mans torment 168 Envy the devils cognizance as love is Christs 54 Example of the multitude 239 Some of their excuses 151 Genesis the 3.15 opened and explained 14 F. Triall of a Christian by the fruits of his faith Ad. Aa Bb Naturall men feare visible powers not the invisible God 210 Morall men count zeale madnesse and Religion foolishnesse Ad. Cc. To bee a Christian requires fortitude 160 G. Wicked men manifest their enmity against the religious by their gesture 98 As the tongue speaks to the ear so the gesture speaks to the eye 99 Gods goodnesse aggravates our wickednesse 234 No living for the godly if their enemies hands were allowed to be as bloody as their hearts 93 Nothing more contemned then goodnesse 143 H. All naturall men hate the religious 2.60 The best men most hated and spoken against 1 All the Saints have been hated and persecuted 11 They so hate holinesse that they will hate men for it Ad. Cc All hated for Religion or haters of Religion Ad. Dd Originall of this hatred 14 They will hate a man to the death for being holy 6. Look persecution None but the desperately wicked will malice his brother for goodnesse 165 They will hate us because they have hurt us 104 Causes of the worlds hatred eleven 127 Many wives children and servants hated for being religious 135 Hatred for Religion the most bitter implacable c. 136 Their hatred extends to the whole generation of the godly 60 But they have not so much authority as malice 61 Though their punishment shall be never the lesse ibid. They will neither heare themselves nor suffer others 104 They come not to be caught by a Minister but to catch him 109 But are taken in the snare they spread for others 110 As they belong to hell so they speak the language 89 A holy life cannot escape persecution 47 We may appeale to themselves who are the honester men 145 An humble man will never bee an heretique 102 see pride They will hurt and maime the godly 115 I. Ignorance a main cause of hatred and persecution 172 Proved by testimonies 173 By examples ib. By experience 176 Ignorance the cause of all sin 175 The more Ignorant the more malicious 177 Ignorance ever makes the worst construction of things 178 Ignorance causeth suspition suspition hatred c. ib. Look wisdome knowledge Objection that great Schollers and wise men doe the same answered 179 They have inlightned heads but darke hearts 179 Their deeds prove them ignorant 180 That Indifferent to one that is not so to another 58 To be scrupulous no ill signe 159 In cases of a doubtfull nature best to take the surest side ib. It is well for the innocent that the wicked cannot keep their own counsell 94 They judge others by themselves 67 Look censure Meanes to cleare our judgements touching the worlds hatred 8 Men may doubt but the Devils beleeve a judgement to come 219 The worst of men can justifie and think well of themselves Ad. D. Five main reasons why they fight under Sathans banner and yet thinke themselves Gods servants Ad. N. 1 Their Ignorance of spirituall things ib. 2 Long custome of this sin hath taken away the sense of it Ad. O. 3 They reject all meanes of being bettered Ad. P. 4 Because they will not receive the truth they are given up to beleeve lies ib. 5 Sathan the Prince of darkenesse blindes them Ad. Q K. What knowledge is peculiar to the godly and what common to them with hypocrites 188 No attaining supernaturall knowledge by any naturall meanes 190 Saving knowledge such a jewell that God gives it to none but his children ib. Of which many instances 191 The same further amplified 192 See more of this in Wisdome and in Ignorance L. Were it not for the Law there were no living among wicked men 49 The first part of conversion is to love them that love God 180 Nothing hath proved more successefull to Sathan than lyes 79 Wicked men lye when they speak the truth 88 Look slander M. Carnall men think us mad but wee know them so 76 Malignants as witlesse as wicked 175 Wicked mens malice makes them like beasts or stocks 116 Their malice a good signe wee belong to God 13. Look hatred Mercy salvation not more promised to the repentant than damnation is threatned to the impenitent Ad. E Christ came not to be a patron for sin but to destroy sin in us and to sanctifie as well as to save us Ad. G. If we will not hear Christ now he will not hear us hereafter ib. A powerfull Ministery most opposed 101 Nor will they be appeased 103 Of Misprisson 239 Men mistake good for evill and evill for good Ad. R. Most men will doe as the most doe 163 They murmure against the godly 62 And against God himself ib. For being better than themselves 63 They would murther the Saints 117 Look cruelty Instead of arguments they take up armes ib. Are exceeding salvage and bloody 118 Of which five Reasons 119 N. Naturall men want both the light of the spirit and the eye of faith 189 All naturall men the devils chidren 131 Their manner is to nickname the godly 78 Number few compared with the multitude shall be saved Ad. X. The difficulty of entring the straite gate Ad. Y. Most men live as if they had no soules ib. O. We must obey God rather then great ones 153 But this they call great disorder ib. How far we fall short of primative Christians in our obedience 333 Occasion of writing upon this subject Ad. Gg. Where Christ comes there will be opposition 143 Order and distribution of the whole Book 37 Originall sin the originall cause of all discord 23 P. No peace to be expected between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman 21 Wicked men persecute the godly for being better than they 139 Of which many examples 140 And further amplified 142 Formall Christians the greatest persecuters of true Christians 145 Yet none think better of themselves 155 Tongue-taunts