doâ— liâ—t up my soul Psal 25. 1. when their soules aâ—e no sitter to mount â—p in meditation 〈◊〉 heavenly thingâ— then a Cow is â—iâ— to fly Againe they cry out As the Hart br â—yâ—th for the Rivers of waâ—â—r so pâ—â—â—eth my soulâ— after thâ—e O God Psal 4â— 1. Thâ— word is more sweet â—nto my mouth thâ—n the hoâ—y and the hony comb c. Psal 119. when they moâ—e regard the gâ—tting of five shillings in mony then the Joy of the holy Ghost or the peace of Conscience and more prize the fâ—lling of thâ—ir Baâ—â—s and Bâ—llies then the bread and water of life or the light of Gods countenance Sâ—ct 83. Again if Authority commands a Fast to bee kept they will obseâ—ve it with the rest of their neighbours yea like those hypoâ—â—itâ—call Jews Isay 58. 5. they will hang downe thâ—â— heads like bâ—lrâ—sâ—es when yet their hearts stand upright enough And â—ast they will from meat by all means which is but the shell oâ— out sâ—de but not from sinne the Kernell or soule of fasting Yea they will hold out that whole day that they may be able afterwards to bragge how many sermons they heard and how many houres each Minister was in praying Yea so pious are they that they daâ—e not passe through Pauls with their hatts on or out oâ— it before they have kneeled downe to a pillar though they be in hast and their company waiâ—e the while I need not tell you how zealous this blind and superstitious swarme are for the Booke of Common prayer The Apocrypha the Crosse Surplice the Ring rails c. Holy dayes procâ—ssion and the like rites and superstitious Customs for experience shewes that they will loose their Lawes Liberties râ—ligion and dearest blood rather then their goddesse Diana shall not still be worshipped and had in honour Againe observe them at home they can upon occasion â—epeat so much of the sermon as concerns their wives children and â—ervants if it make for their owne ends what was spoken against Idlenessâ— Wastfulnes Stubbornesse Lying and the like though all the â—est of the sermon goes in at one eare and out at the other so pointing to them the right way of living well while by their practice they lead them the cleane contrary As that Actor in the Coâ—edy said with his mouth O Coelum but with his finger pointed to the Earth Yea they give their Children such ill â—xample that not seldome of parents to their bodies they become murtherers of their soules as Barnard observes For notwithstanding all this their profesâ—ion no generation of men are more notoriously disâ—olute for they are as prophane as very Turks notorious Drunkards Common Adulterers Quotidian swearers and Cursers Malicious scoffers at religion and accusers of the Godly and indeede what not For no place but hell it selfe can yeeld worse creatures then these And yet no people under Heaven thinke better of themselves For as Micah could dotingly say Now I know that the Lord will be good unto me seeing I have a Levite to my Priest Judges 17. 13. Or as those hypocrites Jâ—r 7. 4. injoying the Oracles of God and having received the cognizance of Circumcision could boastingly cry out the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord when they even hated the Lord of that Temple so these thinking themselves sanctified by some outward works and priviledges Isay 66. 3. 4. will boast that they were borne of Christian parents have been washed with holy water and are dayly fed with the spirituall Maâ—na of the word and sacraments c. though in effect they renounce their Christendom and are become profest enemies to the Crosse of Christ and persecuters of his members Sect. 84. True as the pretended Mother that stole away the live child 1 Kings 3. 16. to 28. professed before King Solomon as great love to it and pleaded as hard for it as the naturall mother could do and yet so little did she care for it that she was content to have it devided which shewed plainly that love of strife and envie to the true mother prevailed more with her then true affection to the thing striven for so these men pretend as great love to the true religion as her best and truest friends but when it comes to the tryall she hath no greater enemies For for matter of Religion they are much like the Romans whom a sensualist would suspect to be very religious and conscionable for they allowed of the service of all gods and to that end built a Temple to all gods calling it Pantheon yet it was evident they were not because they would never admit of the true God to wit Iehovah So these men and indeed all the former are very religious for they will conforme to any religion the State shall establish were it popery it self resembling shel-fish that increase when the moon increaseth and decrease as it doth Where note by the way that onely dead fish are carried away with the stream As when superstition and idolatty were re-advanced in England by Queen Mâ—ry what was mens greatest care but to serve the times were not nineteen or rather ninety nine parts of the land ready to say as once Hushai to Absalom Nay but whom this people and all the men of Israel chose herâ— will I be and of her religion will I be of 2 Sam. 16. 18. Or as Naomi to Ruth Thy people shall be my people and thy God my God Râ—th 1. 16 And indeed men that scoffe at the power of godlines are for any religion so they may enjoy their immunities Let them have the favour of great ones and gain well by it any religion shall serve their turn for you shall never know them to suffer for a good conscience No they will rather worship a calf with the Israelitâ—s Exod. 32. 4. Or a golden Image with the Caldeans Dan. 3. 7. Or a filthy strumpet with the people of Rome wâ—o worshipped dame Flora a common harlot for a goddesse because she made them her hair of a great sum of money which she had got by common bawdery Yea if the divel himselfe should but say unto these men as he did once to our Saviour Matth. 4. 9. all this will J give thee they would straightwaies fall down and worship him Nor can you wonder at this their indifferency for notwithstanding they have enjoyed the meanes this 20. 30. or 40 years they are still as ignorant of God of themselves and all saving truths as the very heathen if ye doubt it do but ask them a reason of their faith their own tongues will tell you I speak but the truth And the reason is this they perform holy duties in formality onely and out of custom without reverence and feeling Ezâ—k 33. 31. which by little and little does cauterize their consciences and blind their minds Sect. 85. I confesse many of them are honest infidels harmlesse beasts or if you will good negative christians or second table
The Cure of MISPRISION Or Selected Notes upon sundry questions in controversie of main concernment Betwen The Word and The World Tending to Reconcile mens judgements and Unite their affections Composed and Published for the common good as being A probable means to Cure Prejudice and Misprision in such as are not past Cure by R. Junius Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you for so did their Fathers of the false Prophets Luke 6. 26. LONDON Printed by Tho. Paine for Benjamin Allen and are to bee sold at his shop in Popes-Head Alley 1646. To the Reader COurteous Reader The disease to which this Cure is applyed is epidemicall The hearts of men beeing anatomized it will bee found that the grand cause of their alienation from and opposition unto the waies of God is a secret obstruction arising from that which as the seed of it the Author calls Misprision This Book describes the disease very lively in the Symptomes of it and prescribes the Cure in a very artificiall method laid downe in great variety of matter and elegancy of conveyance The receipt is made up of well chosen ingredients strong and therefore likely to be operative sweet thereby inviting the patient to take it If the Jaundies be removed out of thy eye wherby the things of God have been represented to thee in a false colour Let the chief Physitian have all the glory of thy recovery which is all the reward the confectioner expects for his paines THO GOODVVIN JO. ARROVVSMITH RICHARD VINES To all such as speake evil of the Way of Truth and of the things which they understand not 2. Pet. 2. 12. by way of Preparative WEc desire to heare of thee what thou thinkest for as concerning this Sect wee know that every where it is spoken against Acts 28. 22. They cal evil good and good evil put darknes for light light for darknes bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter They iustifie the wicked and take away the righteousnes of the righteous from him Isay 5. 20. 23. By honour and dishonour by evil report and good report as deceivers and yet true 2 Cor. 6. 8. They think it strange that ye runne not with them unto the same excesse of ryot therefore speake they evil of you 1 Pet. 4. 4. These things will they do unto you for my names sake because they have not known the Father nor me Job 15. 21. and 16. 3. We speake the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdome which God ordain'd before the world unto our glory which none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 7. 8. Because they received not the love of the truth thaâ— they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a ly that they all might be damned who beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnes 2 Thes 2. 10 11. 12. And this is the condemnation that Light is come into the World and men loved darknesse rather then Light because their deeds were evil For every one that evil doth hateth the light least his deeds should bee reprooved John 3. 19 20. Should men hold their peace at thy Lyes and when thou mockest others shall none make thâ—e ashamed Job 11. 3 We would have Cured Babylon but shee would not be cured Jerm 51. 9. This peoples heart is waxed fat and their ears are dull of hearing and their eys they have closed leâ—t they should see with their eyes hear with their eares and should understand with their hearts and should bee converted and I should heale them Matth. 13. 15. Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things 2 Tim. 2. 7. The Cure of Misprision or selected Notes upon sundry questions in controversy of main concernment between the Word and the World tending to reconâ—ile mens judgements and unite their affâ—ctions Section 1. Question WHy is there so much jarring and discord so little love and peace amongst us since wee all professe our selves men the best of creatures Christians the best of men Protestants the best of Christians Answer It proceeds primarily from the variousnesse of our dispositions for since the fall there is not more variety of faces voyces hand-writings c. then of humors As take twenty men where you please as they dwell or passe the streets there will not be two of them conditioned alike as were David and Jonathan yea goe into the same Church be it in City or Country where is a mixt audience of men seeming to professe the same Religion and cull out the like number may it not be said of them Quot homines tot sententia so many men so many mindes or may they not be stiled or described much after this manner the Rich worldling the Civill Justiciary the Loose libertine the Temporary beleever the Opinionist the Formalist the Weake Christian the Experimentall Christian the Atheist the Papist the Moderate man the Common Protestant the Newter the Ignorant Man the Prudent Man the Proud Man the Persecutor the Profound humanist the Cunning polititian the Cauterized drunkard c. And are these likely to agree in all poynts of Religion which are infinite when the same sermon shall be admired by one slighted by another deeply censured by a third yea when a fourth shall weepe at it a fâ—â—tlcoffe and jeere at it a sixt tremble at it a seventh curse and blaspheme both at it and the messenger our Saviours own case John 7. which yet is no wonder since some are as deeply in love with vice and error as others are with vertue and truth But secondly What hope is there that we should all agree when the holy Ghost who best knowes our rame compares severall men to almost every several rall creature in the universe purposely to shew that the Epicure is not more like a Swine the lustfull person a Goat the â—raudulent man a Fox the backbiter a barking Dog the slanderer an Aspe the oppressor a Wolfe the persecuter a Tyger the Church-robber a wild Boar the seducer a Serpent the traytor a viper c. then every one of them is unlike another Which yet is not all for let carnall men be at never so much ods one with another yet they will concur and joyne against the â—odly as for example Edom and Ishmael Moab and the Hagarius Gobal and Ammon Amaleck and the Philistins the men of Tyre and Assur had all severall Gods yet all conspire against the true God Psal 83. 5. to 9. Manasses against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasses but both against Judah Hâ—rad and Pilate two enemies will agree so it be against Christ they will fall in one with another to fall out with God the Sadduces Pharises and Herodians were sectaries of divers and adverse factions all differing one from another and yet all these joyne together against
Luthers story speakes of the Church of Rome in generall His words are these under pretence saith hee of Peters Chair they exercise a Majesty above Emperours and Kings under the Vizard of vowed Chastity raigns adultery under the Cloake of professed Poverty they possesse the goods of the temporality under the title of being dead to the world they not only raigne in the world but also rule the world under the colour of the keys of heaven to hang under their girdle they bring all the Estates of the world under their girdle and creep not only into the purses of men but into their consciences also they heaâ— their confessions they know all their secrets they dispence as they are disposed and loose whom and what and where they list And wherein did our Lordly Prelats who have alwaies made Gods people under the colour of puritans the onely object of their cr uelty come short of the Papists Did they not under a colour pretence of being fathers of the Church by their usurped government dethrone Christ the head of the church and under the colour of Religion take away the vigour and power of Religion And while they calld themselves the chiefe priests were they not Christâ— chief enemies certainly none will now when they are so well discovered deny it that have eyes in their heads and open But I hasten to acquit the innocent whom all these guilty persons do most unjustly and maliciously accuse and stigmatize for the sole and only puritans and hypocrites In whose tryall two things are principally to be examined and enquired of First What profession they make and how agreable that is to the rule of Gods word Secondly What their practice is and how agreeable that is to their profession Sect. 88. Ob. Now as touching the first they are much found fault withall as what needs so much profession faith the sensualist when his spight is at Religion cannot men serve God in secret but they must blow a trumpet and hang out a flag for others to take notice of it Answ To the which that I may make a full and satisfactory answer pardon the prolixety of it First Such are to know that profession can no more be separated from the truth of Religion then light from the Sun If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve with thine heart thou shalt be saved for with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation And whosoever beleeveth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 10. 9. 10. 11. True fire not painted cannot but heat breake forth and ascend We cannot carry musk in our bosome but the sent will disperse it self There cannot be a candle in the house but it will appear at the window every fountain hath it streams by which it may be known Three things saith the Spanish proverb cannot be kept in Fire love and the cough it may as truly be said of grace If Christ the Paschall Lamb be in the House of the soul the sprinkling of his blood will be seen without by sanctification and holines of life Whosever is indeed good shall and must also seem good for first his works will praise him whether he will or no his fruits will shew what tree he is Indeed profession may be without grace as leaves may be without fruit but grace cannot be without profession as fruit cannot be without leaves That which is not gold may glister but that which is gold cannot chuse but glister We read of Wolves that come in sheeps cloathing but never of sheep that come in wolves cloathing Many harlots will put on the semblances of chastity never the contrary It is no trusting those who wish not to appeare good Good men in Scripture are compared to good and fruitfull trees the heart is the root grace the sapp good works the fruit profession the leaves and blossomes Now if there be sap in the root of a tree and fruit grow on the branches its impossible but some blossoms and leaves will shew themselves Nor can it be expected that eveiy such tree like the mulbery should first bring forth fruit and then blossoms For even repentance and good works are but the fruites of faith and the usuall method is First the roote then the tree then the leaves and blossoms and last of all the fruit Sect 89. Indeed there is a dead faith spoken of Iam. 2. 17. 20 26. which cannot be seen which resembles the Ebone tree that bears neither leaves nor fruit But a true and lively faith is operative and works by love Gal. 5. 6 Yea it constrains thereunto for the heart and mind having begot holy thoughts the lips will not fail to bring them forth witnesse the thiefe upon the crosse If the law of God saith David be in a mans heart his mouth will speak of wisdom and his tongue will talk of judgement Psal 37. 30. 31. The soul that hath received fuâ—l confirmation from God in the assurance of its salvation cannot but bow the knee and by all gestures of body tel how it is ravished whence it is that many at their first conversion are held by their carnal friends to be mad or beside themselves as our Saviour was by his kinsfolk Mark 3. 21. Ioh. 10. 20. Secondly Vnlesse he keep his lips alwaies sealed up he must either dissemble which is cowardly and base Or else his language will bewray what countryman be is For if he speak like the vertuous woman in the Proverbs he opens his mouth with wisdome and the law of grace is in his tongue And while the door of his mouth is open the standers by may behold as it were in a temple the goodly similitudes and images of the soul Neither can he avoid speaking for admit he be in adverse company they will so beset a man with questions and draw him on and pick it out of him that without an absuâ—d silence he must shew an inclination one way even as a ballance cannot stand still but falleth to one side or other or if he do not they will gather as much by his silence as by his speech For in this case carnall men are very apprehensive for as the paynter Protogenes knew Apelles by the draught of one line though he had never seen him before so will they a gracious soul by his very silence Or lastly a man cannot dissent from their wicked customs he cannot refuse to run with them to the same excesse of ryot in drinking swearing prophaning the Lords day and the like much lesse can he admonish them and so discharge his conscience as who having but a spark of the spirit of God in him can choose but he makes too great a shew and his profession troubles them Sect. 90. Indeed they name profession but their spight is against your religion for be but as prophane as they their quarrel is at an end yea it is only your holy religious conversation
their knowledge of and love to Christ then to bee put out of the Synagogue for confessing of him Joh. 9. 22. Their hearts were not so faulty as their tongues But had their faith been right and straight they would have profest him living and pronounc'd him dying even as the Martyrs in the midst of the flames Sect. 99. 3. The Third and principall reason is cowardlynesse and want of fortitude which was Peters case when he denyed and foreswore his Master There is such a spirit of Cowardize possesseth many that they are loath to do ought appertaining to religion that might difference them from the multitude or make them noted for singular They ow God some good will but they dare not be known of it like Nicodemus they would steale to heaven if no body mighâ— see them But let such mind what the scripture speaks I lay in Syon a stumbling stone meaning Christ and a Rock to make men fall and every one that beleâ—veth in him shall not bâ— ashamed Rom. 9. 33. where it is plaine that he who is ashamed to professe his name did never truly beleeve in him howsoever hee may flatter himselfe As what probability is there These Cowards can be bold enough to do any evil but they are afraid and ashamed to doe or so much as seem good And so measuring our foot by their own Last they censure us for silly or proud in doing that which they dare not Reall and Hearty Christians will both speak and if that will not serve no lesse smart for Christ otherwise be we never so vicelesse vertuous wee cannot be Sect. 100. And so you have the necessity of profession with six reasons for it and three against it if you would make a right use thereof I will give mine advice in a few words Hath God inseparably joyned these two together Profession and beleeving And is the same back'd with so many solid reasons drawne from the word Which is sufficient to decide all controversies Then let us not separate what he hath joyned Let us not closely dissemble or conceale that grace which we have either for feare of danger as Peter did his zeale and affection to Christ or for shame of being taken notice of like Nicodemus when he stole to Christ by night untill his love and fervour brake forth and could no longer bee suppressed But let our light shine before men so God shall have praise we comfort others profit Yea admit we are rebuked for the same as the blind man was for calling after Christ Luke 18. 39. Or as the two blind men were for crying O Lord the Sonne of David have mercy on us Matth. 20. 31. Let us no more forbeare then they did Yea though we suffer for it let us never be ashamed of our masters service Bee not saith St. Paul ashamed of the testimony of our Lord neither of me his prisoner but be partakers of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God 2 Tim. 19. No matter what Judas saith touching Maries ointment so long as Christ himself approves of it Did our Saviour Christ forbeare to heale on the sabbath day Because the Scribes and Pharisees took it il No but rather did it the more Luke 6. 11. And the like Luk. 13. 31. 32. When Peter and John were charged to speake no more in the Name of Jesus their answer was wee cannot but speake that whieh wee have heard and seene Acts. 4. 20. Let the same resolution be ours since the case is the same Yea let us goe a straine higher and the Holy Ghost will beare us out in it Namely when we are dispised for professing the Name of Christ Let us do it the rather When Michael scoft at David for dancing before the Arke and called him Foole his answer was I will be yet more vil'd and will bee low 〈◊〉 mine owne sight Yeelding two reasons for it First it was that wherewith God was wel pleased Secondly hee should be had in more honour with the same maid servants in whose eyes shee supposed him to be uncovered as a Foole. Hee knew that nothing coâ—ld be more Heroicall then this very abasement And it is our very case every scoffing Michael for none else will do it derides our holy profession but with God and the gracious we shall bee had in honour Yea our malicious and scoffing adversaries shall honour us by deriding us For when vicious men think to tax and traduce us they do in truth commend us their dispraise is a mans honour their praise his dishonour Yea Terence a heathen could say that to be evil spoken of by wicked men was a glorious and Laudable thing And another that it is no small credit with the vile to have a vile estimation which being so let us with Job take their reproach upon our shoulders and hinde it as a Crowne unto us Job 31. 35. 36. At least let us immitate St. Austen who feared the praise of Good men and detested that of the evil And so much of the first generall namely how that profession which the world so condemnes and cryes out upon is agreeable to the word I come now to shew that their practice is in an acceptable measure answerable to their profession of which in the next division or second part this finding no worse acceptance then the former treatise In the meane time to satisfie the desire of many who are pleased to enquire after my former Collections I have adventured to publish The Cure of Prejudice The Benefit of Affliction The Victory of Patience A Counterpoyson or Soveraigne Antidote against all griefe Sinne Stigmatized with an addition Compleat Armour against evil society Cordiall Counsell Characters of the kindes of Preaching Gods goodnesse and mans ingatitude A hopefull way to cure that horrid sinne of swearing in two sheets of Paper Some of which are sold only by Iames Crumpe a Booke binder in Little Bartholmews Wellyard Imprimatur JOH DOVVNAME FINIS Of him and through him and for him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Rom. 11. 36. The Table A. WE are bound to vindicate the Absent 125. Both good and well must in our Actâ—ons meet pag. 103. Sensuallists judge of the Action by the successe 77. They will accuse the Godly for their vertues and Graces 81. He that accuses another must be free himself 70. Advice to the Godly 128. The Godly may and ought to agree in affection though they differ in judgement 5. Different dispositions can never agree 2. 4. Be men never so opposite they wil agree against the good 3. Carnall men apply what they heare to others 153. B. The Beggers Character 150. C. Several cases wherein they censure the Godly hypocrites 123. As for one single act of impiety 52. Yea for common infirmities 57. Yea for sins before conversion 51. Yea for any disaster 77. or naturall defect 78. Yea for things indifferent 79. Yea for their vertues 81. or their best actions 99. Yea