Another cause of Fear may be Conscience of evil and guiltiness of mind, which like mud in water, the more it is stirred, doth the more soul1 and thicken: For wickedness, when it is condemned of it's own witness is exceeding timorous, and being 2pressed with conscience, always forecasteth terrible things; and as the Historian speaketh of Tyrants, so may we of any other wicked men, Si recludantur merits, posse aspici laniatus & ictus, their minds with lust, cruelly and unclean resolution, being no less torn and made raw, then the body flight ⟨p. 207⟩with scourges: Every vicious man hath a double flight from God, a flight from the Holiness, and a flight from the Justice of his will. Adam first eats, and next he hides: as soon as he hath transgressed the Covenant, he expects the Curse, and therefore we shall still observe that men are afraid of those whom they have injured. *Al biciades having provoked the Athenians, was afraid to trust them, saying, It is a foolish thing for a man when he may fly, to betray himself into their hands from whom he cannot fly. And therefore they who would have us fear them, desire nothing more then to be privy to our guilts, and to know such crimes of us, as by detecting of which, they have it in their power to bring either infamy or loss upon us.4
Another cause of Feare may be Conscience of evill and guiltinesse of minde, which like mud in water, the more it is stirred, doth the more soule1 and thicken: For wickednesse, when it is condemed of it's owne witnesse is exceeding timorous, and being 2pressed with conscience, alwayes forecasteth terrible things; and as the Historian speaketh of Tyrants, so may we of any other wicked men, Si recludantur mentes, posse aspici laniatus & ictus, their mindes with lust, cruelly and uncleane resolution, being no lesse torne and made raw, then the body flight ⟨p. 207⟩with scourges: Every vicious man hath a double flight from God, a flight from the Holinesse, and a flight from the Iustice of his will. Adam first eates, and next he hides: as soone as he hath transgressed the Covenant, he expects the Curse, and therefore wee shall still observe that men are afraid of those whom they have injured. *Al biciades having provoked the Athenians, was afraid to trust them, saying, It is a foolish thing for a man when he may flie, to betray himselfe into their hands from whom he cannot flie. And therefore they who would have us feare them, desire nothing more then to be privie to our guilts, and to know such crimes of us, as by detecting of which, they have it in their power to bring either infamie or losse upon us.4
- 1•isd. 17. 11.
- 2[…]. Anal. lib. 6.〈…〉. Anal. lib. 6.
- *Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 13. c. 38.
- 4Inven. S•tyr. […] erit verri qui verrem tempore qu• valt. Accusare p• test, &c.Inven. S•tyr. 〈…〉 erit verri qui verrem tempore qu• valt. Accusare p• test, &c.
