alter their nature, or render that dishonourable and SERM. odious, which in itself is most excellent, most ami- LXVI. able, most venerable, most useful and profitable?

Is it not indeed a commendation of virtue, which should encourage us the more to like it, to honour it, to embrace it, that vain, wild, dissolute persons, "Av. distempered in their minds, notoriously void of discretion, of integrity, of sobriety, do pretend to vilify 2 Thess. iii. and disgrace it f?

As their commendation is of no worth, so their reproach is less considerable.

Dost thou not disparage thine own judgment by heeding theirs, or suffering it to be of any consideration with thee in the conduct of thy life &?

Dost thou take them to be serious in this, or to speak in good earnest, when they reproach virtue, and slight the plain dictates of reason, the clear light of natural conscience, the express commands of God, the apparent concerns of their own soul? they who are sober in nothing, how can they be serious in this, why should they seem judicious in such a case h?

Is it not evidently better to be slandered by giddy, lewd, ungodly wretches, who mind not what they

• (Οὐ γὰρ δοκεῖν ἄριστος, ἀλλ ̓ εἶναι θέλω. Τὸ δοκεῖν οὐδὲν πρὸς ἡμᾶς, wσTTEρ oi'de övap änλóтpov. Greg. Naz. Orat.-de sede Const.) Ant. viii. §. 1.

Malis displicere, laudari est. Sen. Excerpt.

Non potest bonus non esse, qui bonis placet; nec minus validum argumentum mihi videtur, quod bonus sit si malis displiceat. Bern. Ep. 248.

8 Quanta dementia est vereri ne infameris ab infamibus? Sen. Ep. 91.

h Moverer si judicio hoc facerent, nunc morbo faciunt. Sen. Exc.

I

Ατοποι.

2.

Ant. iii. §.

4.

SERM. say, nor care what they do, whose judgment thereLXVI. fore can signify nothing; than really to deserve re

proof, and thence certainly to incur blame, from all staid, sober, considerate, wise, and virtuous persons, who judge advisedly and uprightly about thingsi?

Is it not better to undergo their severest censure and most biting scoffs, than to be condemned of folly and baseness by thy own mind, and reviled by thy own conscience?

Is it not infinitely better to be unjustly defamed by men, than to be disreputed by God, exposed to most disgraceful condemnation at his bar, and thrown Dan. xii. 2. into that state of everlasting ignominy?

Is it not more tolerable to hear such language, than, having violated our duty and broken God's commands, one day to hear that dismal sentence, Matt. xxv. Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire?

41.

It is a glorious infamy which one sustaineth for the sake of righteousness1.

Even heathens, with whom glory was the most ample reward and sweetest fruit of virtue, yet do enjoin that we should prefer conscience before it; Ant. v. §.3. and that we should rather gladly embrace infamy than forsake virtue m.

xi. 16. ix.

18.

It is the lot of all good men (for probation, exercise, and improvement of their virtue) to be persecuted, at least in some times, as when St. Paul said, i Ego cum a nostro Catone laudabar, vel reprehendi me a cæteris facile patiebar. Cic. de Orat.

k Tu ergo plus opprobria times quam tormenta? &c. Bern. Ep. 108.

1 Equissimo animo ad honestum consilium per mediam infamiam tendam, &c. Sen. Ep. 81.

m Non vis esse justus sine gloria? at mehercle sæpe justus esse debebis cum infamia. Sen. Ep. 113.

LXVI.

12.

22.

All that will live godlily in Christ Jesus must SERM. suffer persecution: and surely he that sincerely loveth God would even desire occasion of suffering 2 Tim. iii. somewhat for his sake, in testimony of his faithful Acts xiv. affection but what more tolerable persecution, what Heb. xii. 6. more easy martyrdom could we wish, than to be lashed by a scurrilous tongue: or rather to observe the ears of others to be infested with the buzzes of detraction? what is this but a little air stirred in vain, but a mere sound or blast of wind, importing nought to him that doth not mind it, or will not be affected with it? the which surely to a sound heart and pure conscience cannot be very sensible; a Quid stulman must have a froward temper, or a tender ear, verba metuwhom a little such creaking or grating noise doth much vex; all its force is broken, all its mischief is remedied easily, by neglect or contempt.

It is in a manner more commendable to suffer for being good, than for being a Christian; a truer martyrdom to suffer for the temper, than for the name of Christ; for doing well, than for professing truth.

Who indeed had ever been good, in any notable degree, if some had minded the opinion or the discourse of such men, whom in all times the great adversary of goodness and maligner of our welfare hath excited to deter men from virtue by thus abusing it? hath it not ever been the portion of good men to suffer in this kind"?

Was not our Lord himself, were not his apostles, were not all the prophets of old, were not all the heroes in goodness of all times thus pursued with obloquy? what vile imputation, what name of re

n Jer. xx. 7. Psal. xliv. 16, 17. lvii. 3, 4. cxix. 51. lxix. 10. Job xii. 4. Wisd. v. 3.

tius homine

ente?

Sen.Ep.91.

SERM. proach can be devised, wherewith the spiteful world did not besmear them°?

LXVI.

Ονειδισμοῖς καὶ θλίψεσι θεατριζό

μενοι.

Heb. x. 33.

2 Cor. xii.

10.

Yet were they much disturbed at it? were they Org anywise discouraged or scared by it from their duty? No; they rather did find satisfaction and delight in it; it rather did heighten their mind and strengthen their resolution; it begat a gallant and triumphant disdain of such injuries, enlivening and animating them in their career of duty; they did embrace reproach for righteousness not only with content, as their proper lot and portion from God's providence, Acts v. 41. but with joy, as their special glory and happiness from divine goodness; feeling it most true what our Master taught: Blessed are ye, when men shall Matt. v. 11. revile you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Blessed are ye, when men-shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. And, according 1 Pet. iv. 14. to St. Peter, ei vedieobe, If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, (that is for conscionably discharging any Christian duty,) happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth on you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Εὐδοκῶ ἐν

ὕβρεσιν

Luke vi.

22.

In fine, it is all reason, and it is the express command of God, that in such cases we should not regard the censures or the reproaches of any mortal; it is a part of duty to despise obloquy, to expose and lose Is. li. 7, 8. reputation for God's sake. For, Hearken, saith he, unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For

• Εμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων πεῖραν ἔλαβον. Heb. xi. 36. xii. 3. ̓Αναλογίσασθαι. 2 Cor. vi. 8. Διὰ δόξης καὶ ἀτιμίας.

the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the SERM. worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteous- LXVI. ness shall be for ever, and my salvation from gene

ration to generation.

5. Men commonly decline the public practice of duty out of affectation thereby to be deemed more honest and sincere, or to decline the suspicion of being hypocritical.

As this is the most obvious and usual calumny wherewith dissolute people do charge good men; so to men of generous disposition it is of all censures most poignant, as most crossing their temper; according to which as they hate to be, so they can hardly endure to be counted or called dissemblers; whence often they choose rather to seem indifferent to goodness, than zealously affected to it; they rather wave some points of duty, than, for the performance of them, expose themselves to that imputation.

But this proceeding is very unreasonable: for,

What can be more absurd, than to be really and notoriously bad, (as whoever omitteth his duty is,) to prevent a surmise of being such? or to be truly worse than we should be, that we may not be deemed worse than we seem?

How can we more gratify the enemy of our salvation, than by approving ourselves in truth to be what he would falsely challenge us to be, mockers of God, and traitors to our own soul?

Is it not a vain thing to regard that kind of censure which it is impossible for any man to escape, upon other terms than of being very naughty? for wicked men will never fail to load those with this charge, who will not comply with their follies, and