Reason. But what is the reason of it ? Not to stand long upon the point, you know there be two seeds in the world, the seed of the serpent and the Beed of the woman ; and the enmity between them is the true ground, and the antipatlw in the hearts of carnal men to goodness. There is a light shineth in the life of them that be good, and them that be ill hate the hght, as discovering themselves to themselves, and to the woi'ld, not to be that they seem to be. There is a saltness in the truth. It is savoury, but it is tart, whether in the word preached, or howsoever truth layeth open what is cross to corruption. And hereupon pride and self-love in carnal men studieth how to overcast all they can the names of those that be better than themselves with a cloud of disgrace. It is the property of vile men to make all others vile, that they may be alike. Men cannot abide dis- tinctions of one from another. The Scripture distinguisheth the ' righteous man, more excellent than his neighbour,' Prov. xii. 26 ; but they will not have that. The hatred of distinction is the cause they make all as bad as they can. And hereupon it is that good things were never clothed in the right habit, nor ill things neither, but do pass under a veil. Take away the true garment of grace and holiness and goodness, and put a false veil upon it, it passeth not under that that it is in this world, because wicked men will not sufier it, but will raise up the credit of other things, of empty learning, or empty things, or vain courses, and cry up the credit of worldly things, that they may seem to be wise, and not fools, that are carried to those things. The best things had never the happiness to pass under their own names ; but they had other coverings. Truth goeth always with a torn and scratched face ; it is a stranger in the world, and hath strange entertainment.
Use 1. If this be so, we ought to take heed of lai/intj a scandal or re- proach upon religion. Salvian complains in his time that wickedness had gotten that head, that those that were good and honourable, mall esse vohmt, ve a mails ahhorreantur (7), they that were good studied to be vile, that they mjght not be vilified of others. ' Oh,' saith he, ' how much is Christ be- holden to the world, that those that own him, and own goodness, and own his cause, should be therefore base, because they be his friends.' Take heed of taking scandals.
Use 2. We had need be wise, that we be not taken in this snare of Satan, I0 mistake error for truth, and good for evil. Satan and his agents make things pass under contrary representations. Superstition goeth for religion, and religion for superstition, schism, and heresy. It hath always been so. Therefore seek wisdom to discern aright. The devil hath two properties, he is a liar and a murderer ; the one makes way for the other, for he could not murder unless he did lie. The devil himself will not be an open mur- derer if he can help it. The fraudulent persecution is worse than the vio- lent. If he can bring to hell by fraud and lying, he will never do it by \'iolence. He is a liar, that he may be a murderer ; for when he can raise an imputation upon the church and children of God, that they be rebels, enemies of state, then he may cum privUegio be a miu'derer. When he hath tainted God's people in the conceit of the world, then they find that
490 THE MAEEIAGE FEAST [SeRMON VI.
entertainment not -whicli they deserve, but which they be apprehended to deserve, when the conceit of other men towards them is poisoned. ' Oh, this sect is spoken against everywhere,' say they to Paul, Acts xxviii. 22. Therefore we had need be wise ; for if the instruments of Satan, led with his spirit, had not hoped that slanders should take, they would never have been so skilful in that trade. But they know they shall find some shallow fools that will believe them, without searching into the depths of them, and take up persons and things under prejudice. It is enough for them that this is said of them. They have neither wit nor judgment, nor so much patience, from following their lusts, as to examine them ; and that makes them so mad as they are. Calumniare audacter, aliquid liccrehit, slander stoutly, something will stick, they are sure of it. That which hath raised and ruined many a man, is that of Haman's casting of jealousy upon those that are better than themselves. That w^as Haman's trick, and so will be the practice of the wicked, as it bath been from the beginning, so to the end of the world. * Thou art not Cfesar's friend,' say they, and it is enough to Pilate, John xix. 12. Thus it has been, and will be to the end of the world. Therefore we had need to be wise, that we be not misled. Men will never leave to speak ill till they have learned to speak better, till the Spirit of God hath taught them.