The arraignment of slander periury blasphemy, and other malicious sinnes shewing sundry examples of Gods iudgements against the ofenders. As well by the testimony of the Scriptures, and of the fathers of the primatiue church as likewise out of the reportes of Sir Edward Dier, Sir Edward Cooke, and other famous lawiers of this kingdome. Published by Sir William Vaughan knight.

LINEAMENT. IIII.

1

That Patience is policie in Detractions.

2

An exhortation to patience.

3

An obiection of the Detracted.

4

A confutation.

HE that is detracted can neuer anger his Detractour more, then when he holds * 1.1 his peace with patience, and answeres not againe his slanderous speeches. Time weares out the greatest scandall. Therefore wise politickes haue patiently dissembled backbitings, making as though they heard them not. For euen as fire vnder the ashes consumes away, but being stirred it kindles, and may doe harme as well as good: so let the man vvhich is deepely and without cause back-bited by the spirit of Detraction, and his lying crew take open notice, and noyse abroad the vndeserued slander, it may turne to his discredit, as well as to his credit, by reason that mens natures are so cor∣rupt, suspitious, and guiltie in themselues, that they will easily iudge the worst, and imagine all others to be like vnto themselues; but in processe of time they will be wea∣rie of one mans obiect, and therefore when other ca∣lumniations come in place the former are forgotten, and: (as fire couered with ashes) lie quite extinguished. If an Asse or Colt kicke thee, wilt thou recalcitrate and spurne him againe? Or if another doth torment thee, wilt thou torment thy selfe? The remembrance of iniu∣ries hurts a man more then the receiuing of iniuries. Therefore let not the Sunne goe downe vpon thine im∣patience. And though thou sufferest Sathan to looke in at the key-hole of thy heart, yet keepe him out from lodging there.

Let vs then beare with mens infirmities, if they be * 1.2

not too outragious, let vs blesse them that curse vs, and desire GOD to conuert their enmitie into amitie. I say, let vs endeauour to conuert them by conuerting their enmitie into a Chrisitan-like vse. By this meanes, we shal worke miracles, and cause the vnbelieueds hard∣ned heart to relent and receiue remorce in conscience. A Spanish homilist relates out of another Authour, whom he termes el gran Cassiano, a notable example tending to this purpose. An honest Hermite on a time being iniuried by an Infidell with this exprobration and blasphemous detraction against his Christian profession: Que milagros extraordina••ios hize esse tu Christo en el mundo? What extraordinarie miracles did this thy * 1.3 Christ so in the world? he answered, no es harto milagro, que tus blasfemias è iniurias no me offendan, ni me albore∣ten tus am••naeas? Is not this a sufficient miracle of his, that thy blasphemies and iniurics doe not offend mee, nor thy threatnings moue mee? The vtility vvhich we get by meditating on our Sauiour Christ is so admi∣rable, that the remembrance of his miraculous pati∣ence enduce vs to tolerate with humility the infirmities of our fleshly brethren. Wherefore let vs stop our itch∣ing eares from these Detractions, euen at the first bound, before they be throughly ingraffed in our hearts. For as there would be no theeues, if there vvere no recei∣uers: so there would not be halfe so many chattering mouthcs to detract, if there were not so many charmed eares to soke and suck them in.

But notwithstanding these pareneticall caueats of mine, thou stumblest againe on the plaine, exclaiming, * 1.4 that it is impossible for flesh and bloud to endure such scandalous detractions. Thou canst not tarrie the Lords leasure. The clouds hide him, that he cannot see, he walk∣eth in the circle of heauen. * 1.5

O crazed soule, vvhy deprauest thou his eternall * 1.6 knowledge? If thou be railed vpon for the name of Christ, * 1.7

blessed art thou: for the time is come, that punishment must begin at the house of God. If thou sufferest detractions by * 1.8 reason of worldly crosses', thou art worse then mad, if thou settest those things by thy heart, vvhich thou oughtest rather to set by thy heeles. Thou art not thine owne man nor at liberty, if thou makest such reckoning of transitorie accidents here on earth. It is no meruaile, that the dogges of this vvorld doe barke at thee, for what are we in it but strangers and Pilgrimes, expecting daily to be sent for. Seges altera in herba est. Here we haue no continuing ••itie, but we looke for one to come. We looke * 1.9 for an euerlasting Haruest, for an heauenly Ierusalem, the foundations of whose walls are garnished with precious * 1.10 stones, whose gates are pearles, whose street is pure gold, as shining glasse, which hath no neede of the Sunne, neither of the Moone to shine in it, for the greater light extinguish∣eth the lesser; the glory of God for euer lightens it, farre brighter then a thousand Sunnes & a thousand Moones. Into which euerlasting Citie no malicious Detractour, no lier, no impatient spirit, nor any other vncleane thing shall enter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1
• * 1.2

  2
• * 1.3

  Hernando San∣ctiago sobre E∣uangelios.
• * 1.4

  3
• * 1.5

  Iob 22.
• * 1.6

  4
• * 1.7

  Peter 4.
• * 1.8

  Ibid.
• * 1.9

  Heb. 13.
• * 1.10

  Apocap. 21.