The gentile sinner, or, Englands brave gentleman characterized in a letter to a friend both as he is and as he should be.

§. 7. A fourth Motive from Honour and Reputation.

The other mark to which I would gladly perswade the Gentleman to turne his eye, is that which he pretends to aime at most; his Honour or Reputation; things (If you'l believe him) whereof he is more tender then his life; but let us see how he will endea∣vour to make this good, for I cannot be∣lieve he values much, what he takes to pains to preserve.

The main Character of an Honourable per∣son, is a great care in him, never to doe any thing below his Name, or which may re∣flect upon his Progenitors or his Family with shame and disparagement. He therefore can admit no emploiment which is base or low, but as his Honour was at first raised, so he studies to maintain it at that height, by some noble and Gallant atchievement. But how truly tender is he of his Honour, who thus (as we have said before) is willing to degrade himselfe into a Beast, and to trample

upon his Dignity and humanity at once? He that can bend his proud neck to the most galling Yoak which Sathan can put upon him; and patiently kneeles him down to re∣ceive so many loads of Dirt upon his back? who scornes not to drudg for the Worst and Basest of Masters, and that in his meanest and most Beggarly service, when he sends him out (with the Young Prodigall) into the field of Carnall pleasures, there to feed a few swi∣nish lusts: and all this too, upon hopes of the slenderest reward here, a few deceitfull Husks, and in dayly fear and expectation of the most dreadfull punishment hereafter, that of Endlesse torments.

The Gentleman that values his honour, will be sure not to mix with any Company, but such, from whom he may reap both Credit and profit; such as will be no lets to him in his vertuous progresse, nor blemish to his desired Reputation. But alas how little do those Gentlemen reguard either of these, who indeed care for no Companions but such as have made themselves altogether the Creatures of their vices, and the neerest Pan∣dors of their Lusts.

The truly Honourable Gentleman, is al∣waies

most faithfull and punctuall in the performance of his promises, and showeth himselfe to be as Good as his word, esteeming no disgrace like that of deserving the Lie. Every promise he makes, he pawns his Ho∣nour and Reputation, to secure the perfor∣mance; and looks upon no disrespect as com∣parable with that, of not being thought a person fit to be trusted. But how little care do our Gentlemen take to maintain this sup∣port of their Credit; who swear so frequent∣ly to, they know not, or heed not what, that they cannot possibly so much as remember, much lesse discharge one third part of their Oaths. These upon every slight or no oc∣casion they send out in such Volleyes, and with so much Inconsideration and temerity, that they cannot have time to Consider whether one halfe of what they swear be true or false. Nay there is one solemne Vow, and that the most sacred one that ever they made, and to a person with whom it most Concernes them to be punctuall and deal faithfully, I mean that at their Baptis∣me; which, alas, they so well performe, as that they hardly ever call to mind, or can believe there was any such thing done by

them: Was it not this that then they pro∣mised, to Forsake the Divell and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the World, with all the Covetous desires of the same, and all the Carnall desires of the flesh, so that they would neither follow nor be lead by them? In which, the engagement of their Honour would not serve the turne, but they brought their sure∣ties and Bondmen, who promised (as much as in them lay) to see all made good; I trem∣ble to think how this vow has been fulfil'd by all those persons who would be thought so sensible of Honour, that their bare word might at any time serve for their Bond. What they vow'd to forsake, they with all earnestnesse follow; and that whereby they would not be led, they sweat to Outgoe. Hugging and embracing those temptations they promised to abandon, and making the Vaine Pomp and Glory of the World the onely Gods they dare love and adore. If the Gen∣tleman be thus carelesse in maintaining his Credit, thus false in his promises to God and his Soul, I hope he will not think it strange, if others be so scrupulous and weak-faith'd, as not to believe him to be a Gentleman upon his own bare word.

Further yet, he that desires to be truly Honourable, and esteem'd soe; Will so pro∣vide for his Honour, that the world may have no just cause to throw the miscarria∣ges and sins of his Country upon his shoul∣ders, or that all the Miseries thereof should be found the Daughters of his Vices. But whether or no we have any reason to blame the English Gentleman for the Calamities of his Nation, I appeal to himselfe, let his Conscience determine it. To whom shall we impute the Blindnesse, the Ignorance, the Giddinesse of the People, but to him that pre∣tends to be the eye and the head? We know it is the Lightnesse of the head, which often makes the heels stand uppermost; And when we see a Drunkard reel and staggar, we all know it is the Giddinesse of his head which causes his uneven motion. It were happy for us, if all those who would be thought the Heads of this Headlesse Nation, would daily consider their office; and how much of the Crazinesse and Distemper of this Infa∣tuated people, is to be imputed to the unset∣lednesse of their own Brains, and want of a due Government of themselves. O that the World might no longer have just cause to

say (as now many are apt to doe) that the sad disease of this poor Kingdome, wherein it has well nigh Cough'd out it's very heart, proceed from a cold it has taken in the Noblest members of its Body: and that in∣deed is Atheisme.

If therefore our Gentlemen ever intend to deserve that honour, they so egerly de∣sire, let them learn to be and Act like them∣selves, so shall they assure themselves of true Honour both before God and amongst men. Let them pluck up their Courage, and make it appeare to the World, that they have yet something of a Noble and Gene∣rous Spirit within their breasts; that they dare yet own a God, in despight of Atheisme and Blasphemy, and stand up for his Church in opposition to Tyranny and Sacriledg: that they have Spirits above the reach of Swords, and Souls not to be out-braved by the terrours of the Grave; nor blown out of their bodies with the proud and threatning breath of those that can but seem mighty. Let it once be seen that they have espoused a Religion which has a Majesty enough to Daunt a Nebuchadnezar with the hottest furnace in his Mouth: and an Holy zeal,

which (as the Brighter Sun beams doe upon the fainter light of a Candle) can prey upon, and Consume to nothing, the most scorching flames of Persecution. When they have learn'd to take the roaring Lion by the Iawes, and pull out his teeth; when they can (with the stout Champion of Israel) defend the endanger'd Church against that great Go∣liah of Atheisme, which now or never ap∣peares with the Weaver's Beam in his hand; when they have once got the Courage, to slight and pitty all the Cursing Shimeahs and railing Rabshakahs of the land; to scorne the Barkings of reproach; and not to be a∣fraid of the teeth of Poverty; when they dare goe with Abraham to sacrifice their lesse lovely Isaacks at the Mountain of the Lord: In a word, when they dare be good without fear of Shame or Want, and Reli∣giously Loyall without dreading either Beg∣gary or Death: Then shall they have Ho∣nours without stain or Blemish; and Names venerable in the Mouthes of all men: then shall they set their feet upon the Necks of the Mighty, and Tyrants shall bow down un∣der them, and they shall be set up on high with the Rulers of the People: then shall

they have the acclamations of the Saints, and the Bended knees of the poor at the throne of Grace, for their long life and Happinesse; Then shall they be fear'd by their enemies, and loved by their friends; They shall have the Motherly Blessing of the Church, the joyfull welcome and plaudite of Angels, and the Bountifull reward and Euge of their God and Father; a Glorious Robe, an immar∣cessible Crown, a perpetuall kingdome: for in∣deed this Honour have all his Saints.

I am really ashamed, and heartily sorry, that either the Gentleman's unnaturall Behaviour, that strange Meander of all vices, or the sad and deplorable condition of this poore Church and Nation, to which in all Reason, Honour, and Conscience, he ought to show a more filial respect and Affection, have pro∣voked me to this unusuall length of a Let∣ter: But the Copiousnesse of the Theme, which you first proposed to my thoughts, will I know be my sufficient excuse; though the unpleasantnesse of it, together with those ma∣ny other businesses which are never wanting to You, but now incumbent upon me, might afford you an opportunity of being more profitably imploy'd and me more suitably to

my present calling, then in reading or writing of what here I send you. I shall therefore in a very few lines more, give you a Brevi∣ate of what I have allready said, or have more to say concerning the Mix'd theme of this letter.