The better sort of people think of others as they are, and as they deserve themselves ; but others, because they are naught, they think others are so. Because they deserve ill, they think others have deserved an ill opinion of them. So many times it comes of guilt, because we are not as we should be.
Then again, it ariseth from a guilty conscience in another respect. We think, because men have cause, though they have no wrong to themselves ; yet because our own hearts tell us we are ill, we suspect them. So from an uncharitable disposition, and guiltiness of conscience, it ofttimes comes.
3. Then again, sometimes from the concurrence of prohahiUties, the suiting of circumstances that makes things somewhat probable, whereupon suspicion may be fastened. Sometimes when there is a concurrence of probabilities of the likelihood of things, their suspicion is prone to rise ; for suspicion is not a determining of a thing, it is but a slight kind of conceit. It is more than a fear, and less than judgment of a thing. It is more than fear ; for he that fears, suspects not. Suspicion is a degree to judgment. It doth not fully judge, for then it were not suspicion. It is more than fear ; suspects not, but fears. It conceives slightly that such a thing should be done, and yet he dares not say it is done.
■ ., Suspicion is nothing else but an inclination of the soul to think and imagine ill of another ; a looking curiously under a thing, or person. As we use to say, envy pries into things. An envious person searcheth. So, a suspicious person looks under to see if he can see matter of ill to fasten his ill soul upon. So it inclines the soul to think ill upon slight grounds. Now this ofttimes ariseth, and is fed with seeming probability. Christ
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conversed with wicked men. Here was some colour for them to conjecture him so.
We say, things have two hands, a ripjht hand, and a left. Now suspicion takes hold of the left hand always. If things will admit of a double con- struction, suspicion alway takes hold of the worst, suspicion takes hold of the ill part. That is the nature of a diseased soul, to take things by the wrong hand. We see then it is a disposition that we are subject unto naturally ; and it is cherished by Satan, and Satan's instruments, wicked men.
And why doth the de^dl so cherish suspicion, and a jealous disposition ?
Oh, it hath been wondrous instrumental to Satan ! I daresay, there is no disposition or frame of soul that hath been the occasion of more blood- shed, of more injustice in the church and state from the beginning of the world, than a jealous disposition, especially in great ones. Therefore the devil labours, as to breed jealousies of God, so of God's church and children from the beginning. Was it not ever the disposition of ill-minded men to put jealousies into the hearts, especially of those that were in authority concerning men far better than themselves ? Was it not Haman's policy ? when the Jews had angered him, oh, they are a people that care not for the laws, &c. Perhaps they were more obedient than himself. Had it not been the occasion of their ruin, if God had not been more merciful ?
Herod had a jealousy and suspicion, that Christ when he was born would turn him out of his kingdom ; and all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Mat. ii. 3. Alas ! Christ came to give a heavenly kingdom, and not to take away earthly ; yet this jealousy cost the lives of the poor infants.
So in the primitive church, there were wicked men put jealousies con- cerning the Christians, into the heads of the emperors, when alas ! they reverenced the emperors, next God, above all. Yet alway there were wicked instruments that sought to domineer, and have their own ends under the emperors. They conveyed jealousies ; and thence came so much bloodshed. In later times in popish countries, if a man read the stories, whence came that bloodshed ? This was one chief cause, jealousies, and suspicions cast into the heads of popish princes by wicked men about them, set on work by Satan himself. 0 ! they are such as will turn you out of yom* state ; a people that are rebellious, and unquiet.
This was the policy among us in former times. We may consider of later times ; to see the disposition of a man, that was a great statesman in his time, and a man of great parts and learning, but of a very fierce and cruel disposition ; I mean Stephen Gardiner.* The chief hurt that was done in that magnanimous prince's time,f it was done by him. And how ? By jealousies, as appears by his letters, &c. Oh, if these things prevail, this and that will come ! He cast such jealousies that did affright that great prince. Oh, other princes will fall out with you, if you maintain not these things, they will break with you ! And so upon his death-bed ; this doctrine of justification, if the people once know it, all is gone.