The Malignity of deriding Godlintjs opened. 439 thcmfclvcs in profcffion about "'"Y DoChi~e.or Ceremony, yet they hate and fcorn them for do1'ing fi iwfly the fame which thcmfelves hypocntically profefs. . "§. 5 . 5 • Lallly I.Iote alfo, that this is not a dilfercnce of one SeCl: or Party or Church againn another, upon differing opimons; but H JS that wh1ch JS among all pa~t1es wHhln tbemfolvu? ~hen thc.re IS any Si quis v~'"? thing of feriomRtligian to be found. Even among the Pap1ils there arc: forHe fpmtuat fcr10us holy eorum. m1~tor, per£ons who are derided and oppofed by thepr~phane that are of their own Church. Yea among the ~.veruatt Heathe~s, Smeca-and.others tell us that ftritimfs in moral Vtrtt~e was made the fcorn of the rud_e ~nd ;r1d~i~t:;·~:i'Cnfual fort Qf men : But though the quarrel be but that whiCh was taken up from the begtnnmg demur, in between the Womans and the Serpents {ced, yet in all C6untreys where Church-dltTcrences ca'ufe con- hu_r.c<luali tcntion, this Serpentine Enemity doth with Serpenti~c fu~tilry creep i~ ~nd make adv~ntage of them, !;~~~:~';/~~: and take up the Nick. names, or tbarper Weapons wh1ch dJffcung Chufhans form agamfi each other, nia odi:a te.. to !hike at the heart of Chrifiianity it felf. bque fine ., . rclpc8:u con~ rorqueb:antur, &: omnia qu:x difp!icuetint, de<XJue pbruerint, ~quali_ flltem bnce--pe~eb~mur, fi n_on ~r:atiora fu"lfem dJfpli~enn~. Gildas. Quod autcm qux~a.m ~c il!o mhonefl:a_& nuhgnl J_a~amur, n_olo__nurem_: c_um {CJ,;u hoc dfe Ol-'U~ [e~per dil~ob, ut fcrvos Dei menlhCJO lacerer, & op1mombus f;llis glonofum nomen mf:tmet ; ur qut ConfCJcnttz fuz Jucc clarefcum, abctus rumonbus tordtdenrur. C]pria'l. Jt Corntl. Efifl· ad tWonian. H~c $<.nos nlimus aliquanJo. Tt'ltirli• §. 6. DireCl:. I· for thecure of thofcthat are already infcCl:ed with fo heynous a fin, thechiefDi- DJ;.ter. I• rettion is, to 7,1nd(rftand the greatneji of it, and the miforahleconfequmtl: as followerh. / §. 7 • 1 • Confider. what it u that tho~t dtrUfeJ! : Dot\ thou know againn what thou openen thy mouth ? 1. Thou dmdej! or oppo(tft men for Lovmg God mth aU thm he,;rt and frml and mrght : And dot\ thou notconfefs that this is the duty of all men living > and that he is not worrhy to be called a Chrifiian that Lovcth not God above all? Thou cann noc deny this. And yet wilt thou oppofe it? D eny it not ; for thif is t?e very thing th_at thou oppofeft : either mens Loving God, or jhe~iHg the!r Love tohim? If thou didn but Love him as much as they, thou wouldn feek, and [ervt him as di– ligently as they. Dot\ thou not know this thy felf, that if thou didn Love him with all thy Heartand foul and j!rength, thou wouldrl jieil_ and ferve and obey him with aU thy Heart and foul and j!rcngth l If the Godly do more than this, deride them and fpare not. If they Love God and ferve h!ln with more th:m aU the heart and {ottl and mtgbt, then call them Rtghtcom-overmuch. If thou know any one that Loveth God or ferveth him more than he dc[erveth, blame and oppofe that man and fpare nor. Thou knowen that what thou Lweft mon, thou art diligent thy fclf in feeking and remem– bring: Thou labouren for money b:caufe thoulovcft ir: And they !.bour in feeking and ferving God becaufe they love him ; And is it a work for any but a Devil, to oppofe or fcorn men for? tOr Loving or {hewing their Love to God ? §• 8. 2. Thou deriden men for delighting in that which is moft Delell•hle: For Delighting in hig~ and heavenly Knowledge, and in a Holy nate of foul and life, and for Ddighting in the Lazv of God and meditating io it day •nd night, Pfal. t. 2· and for delighting in holy Prayer, and the Praifes of their maker : and for delighting in the fore- thoughts and mention of eternal Joys, and making their Calling and EleCl:ion fure. What is it but the exercife of thefe holy defires and delightr which thou deridcn > And wouldil thou not be as ferioU< in Religion and holinefi as they, if thou hadll as much of thefe Delights as they ? Cann thou fit at thy Pots, or follow thy game or fports, or talk of vanity many hours together, becaufc thou Deliglmft in them ? and yet don thou deride thofe that Pray or hear Gods word opened rothem many hoursbccaufc it is tbeir delight. 0 poor fouls! how quickly and how terribly will God acquaint thee, whether their deli.ghu or thint were the more rational and juft? and whether their work.. or thimwas fitter to be derided. 9· 9• 3· Thou [cornej! me• [,.. p•ying bst what they owe to the God that Created and Redeemed them Are they not his own? and did he not give them atl their parts and powers ? And are not all their abi– litities and poffdlions hi< ? what have they which they received not of him > And is this thy juj!ice and bonefty to deride men for olfermg to pay their debtr ? and to give God his own. If thou know any one that giveth himmore than he owttb him, deride that fuperfiitious over-righteous man, and (pare not. But if menfhould not be derided for paying their deb11 10 thee, deride not men for paying their rkbtto God, and givmg him that whiCh IS his own. As we mun give to C.<far that which is C4ar<, fo mufi we give that to God aHo which is Gods. 9· ro. 4• Thou deriden fervantJ for obeying diligently their higheft maj!er l and for doing dili– gently the greaten, ben and needfulleft work io all the world? And is this a good example for thy own fervants? furc if a man fhould be mocked for ferving God, he fhould be mocked more for fl.!rving fuch a one as thee ? Dofi thou know where we may find a better mafter, whom we may ferve with better encouragement than God ? He bath made us his SttwarriJ, and trufied us with hiS goods, and don·thou fcorn us for being fairhf~l in our Stewardfhip? Thou deridcft hrs fubjt/1 1 for obeying the King of all the world ? And IS thiS a good example to the Kingt fubje/1 1 l fhould it be a rmtter of fcorn to obey the Kmg? or don thou thmk that Gods Authority is lefs 1 or obedience/ to him lefs commendable. 7 ~· 11• 5· Nay thou deriden men for doing but fomt part of their duty, arid difchatging but a littlt of his debt. For the holien man whom thou deride(! for doing too much, doth Jefl thari what he ought to do. Thou knowell that the ben of men do Love God and ferve him Jefs than he defnveth; and that the carefullet\eome fhort of the perfet.l: keeping of his Laws, And yet wilt Lll thou ,
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