The Deceit ofAppearance. !Jeavts,and fhn~s us ere we bt::awart.PitiavirtNtcsmt111iNrJtHr,fairhGrtgorit,Vice roo A oft makes amalke of thdkin ofVenue, and lookes lov<ly: Venue as oftencomes i fonh (like aMartyr in the Inquilit•on) with aSan-benit upon her back, and acap ' painted withDevils upon her head,tOmake her ugly to thebeho!ders;}Mdge wottlxr- / fore according to the a[pMr..,ce, The appearance or face,is ofthings, asofmen: We fee itatoncewitbonecafrof the eye, yet there are angles, and hils, and dales, which upon more earnefr view the eye (ees caufe ro dwell in: fo it iswith this appearance or face ofthings,whichhowever it fecmes wholly to appeare to us at the firfr glance, yet upon further fearch will defcry much matter of our inquiry: For every thing from the !kin inclulivdy to the bean, is the face; every thing befldestrue being, is appearan,e. All the falfe .,,,.·..,that ufe to beguile the judgementofman , hide themfelves under this appearance: Thefe reduce themfelves ro three heads;Prefumprions,falfe Formes,Evenrs: B Prefumptions mufl be diflinguifhed; for whereaStbere are three degreesofthem, firlt(levia Probahllia) light Probabilities, then faireProbabilities, and thirdly, lhoog Probabilities,which are called, }M die/ajuris, rhe two firfr are allowed by very Inquiflrcr,,bur as fufficient to caufe fufpirion, tO take infurma<ion, to attach rhe fufpecred, not enough whereon to ground rhe Libell or the rorrure, much leffe a final! judgement: Thus Elie fees Annatt lips goe,therefore !be' isdrunk:The Pharifes fee Chr!ll l!r with l!nners, he is afriend to their fins. Fa\fe formes areprefenred eitherro rhe eyeorrheeare. In rhe former, be(des fupernarurall deluGons, there is a deceit ofrhe l!ghr, whether through the indifpofltion of the Organ,or the difiance ofthe Object, or rhe mif-difpol!rion ofthemedium: So as ifwe lbould judge according to appearancc,theSun fhould double it felfe bythefirfi, throughthecrofnetTeoftheeye, it fhonld dimimlh it felfe by rhefe- c cond, and feem as big as a largeSive,or no large Carc-wheeleat the mofl: It lbonld dance in rhe rifln~, and move irregularly by rhe third. To the eare are mif-repom, and falfe fuggeflions, whether concerning rhe perfon,or thecauft.ln the former,the calumniating tongue ofrhe Detractor, is theJuglerrhat makes any ro'ns honefry or worth appeare ftlCh as hismalice lifieth: In the latter, rhe fmomh tongue of rhe fub- <ile Rhetorician is the lmpofrorwhich makes caufes appeare ro the unfettled judgemenr,fuch as hiswit or favour pleafeth: Events,which are ofr-timesasmnch againfi rhc inrenrion,aod above the remedie of rhe Agenr, as bel!des the natUre oftbeAll: There i• fomerimesa good <vent ofevill, as J•fo111 adverfarycured himin flabbing him;the lfraeliresthrive by opprdlir•n, the Field Pfthe Church yeeldsmofrwhen it is manured with blood: There is fomerimesan ill ewnr of fl.ood; A~imtlech gives Davia'the Shew-bread,and rheSword,heand hisfamrlydiesforit :Sapimtil tjl pufl•rt D ~lp•m 1 It is enough for awifeman ro wield the Act, the iffue he cannor: wifdome makes demollrativeSyllogifmes, 4 priori, from the caufes; folly Paralogifmes, .l pojle- .,;, from the fuccefJe. Careat focc.ffib•t opto,f••fit •· i# abeventu, &c. was ofo!d the ordofrheHeathen Poet. It therefore eithtr upon llight probabilities, or falfe ormes, or fobfequenr eventswe pafieour verdict, we doe what is here forbidden, Dudge according ro appearance. Had thecharge been only jotlge ,.,, and gone nofurrher, it had been very ulefull; and no orher than our Saviourgave in the Mounr: weare all ou ourway; Every man makes hirnfelfe aJullice Itinerant, and paffeth fentenceofall that comes before him, yea (beyond •11 commiff10n) ofall above him; and thatmany rimes nor wio:hout groflemif-confrroaion, as in rbecafe ofour late directions: Our very Judgesare ar our barre;Seerers ofCourt, ofCouocell, ofSrateefcape usnor, yea not rhofe ofrhe E moll refervedCabinet ofHeaven: !!J!!isteconJiil•it}•dicem?who made thee aJudge? as the Ifraelite(uhjullly)to Mofu: Thefearefawcy ufurpersof forbidden Chaires; and therefore iris jull with God, thar (according to rhe Pfalmill) fuch Judges !hould be cafrdownio frony places,yea, as irisin rhe0riginall,y7o ,,~ ,tll.JI:IJ rhar they r !hcu'dbe left in the handsoftherock (aUidant•r Petr.e ) that they !houldbe da!ht againll rherocks, ch~t will ~e failingwithcur Card orCornpaff•,in rhe vall Ocean of lGods Counfels, or h1s Anomted!. But
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=