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Suspicion,
as it is commonly taken is, as it were, a looking under a hidden thing,
with an inclination to judge it evil and amiss.
It sets the person suspected in a kind of middle state, but
something bended the worse way, and neither quit because he is suspected;
nor condemned, because he is but suspected.
He that should deal by all persons and things, as Caesar did by his wife,
whom he put away, because she was suspected of uncleanness [Suetonius],
though solemnly cleared in judgment; should leave himself neither friend,
nor wit, nor honesty neither: for all these, and whatsoever else he hath
that good is, are subject to unjust suspicion, by others.
Suspicion indeed, how unjust soever is a blemish, and so may justly
occasion refusal, where there is free liberty, but not rejection in way of
punishment; this is to right a former wrong, by a second greater.
Some suspect all men, and some none: both are in fault; the former in the
most sinful fault, the latter in the most honest, but more dangerous to
themselves. And yet even for
that, there want not, who by causeless suspicion teach their servants,
friends, yea wives, and children also to deceive them [Seneca]. For many respecting more their credit with men, than a good
conscience before God, by being suspected, though causelessly, grow
desperate; yea think themselves half privileged to deceive them that
suspect them; seeing that by so doing, they but become that, which they
are deemed to be before. It
is best therefore, first not to suspect without good cause; next, not to
betray our suspicion, except we have great hope to overawe thereby the
suspected person.
There are many, unreasonably though not altogether unoccasioned,
transported from the one of the extremes formerly mentioned to the other:
who being at first credulous, and light of belief, and thereby oft
deceived, at length come to trust none; but would burn, as they say, their
shirt, if they thought it knew their secrets: and therefore set it down
for a rule, to have all men in jealousy.
Such overwise men are like the fool, that because the sieve
deceived him, and let his drink run out, would not trust his dish with it
afterwards. Howsoever things
fall out, it is best to keep our bias always on the right side; and to
incline still to a better, rather than to a worse opinion of men, than
they deserve. For though it
be best of all, to judge of others just as they are: yet seeing, that is
always hard and sometimes impossible, we shall less offend God in judging
of men too well, though sometimes to our own damage, than too ill, with
certain injury to them, and sin in ourselves, in the violation of the law
of charity, which “is not suspicious.”
1 Cor. xiii.5.
The general cause of suspicion is the want of this true love, whose
property is to believe all things, and to hope all things, which with
reason, can be believed, or hoped for; and so men are in danger to presume
of, and promise to themselves more good of their wives and children and
friends, whom they entirely love, than there is cause, rather than
otherwise. Notwithstanding, a
very inordinate, and doting affection also breeds causeless jealousy. Another general cause of suspicion is the knowledge and
consciousness which persons have of their own inability, and weakness any
way. Of beasts and birds,
hares and cover, and such impotent, and unarmed creatures; and of men and
women; the childish, weak, silly and decrepit are most given to suspicion,
as being most subject to be circumvented and oppressed.
So it hath been observed, how the Scythians, and other barbarous
nations have labored to supply their defects of wisdom for prevention of
hurt from enemies, by excess of suspicion [Bodinus].
It is true, that this disease sometimes befalls very wise men; but
this arises from another and worse cause, to wit, an evil conscience.
Men muse as they use, and suspect others by themselves; as is
common with all lewd persons. He that is good himself, does not easily suspect another to
be evil: nor the evil, that another is good [Chrysostom].
Besides, an evil conscience accusing men and women, that they in
truth deserve not love, nor respect, nor credit, easily persuades them,
that they are not loved, nor respected, nor credited by others.
Lastly, it is often a punishment from God, that as a man in debt,
suspects that every bush which he sees, is sergeant to arrest him; so they
which are without true grace, and assurance of the pardon of their sins
from him, should be suspicious, that every one would deceive, or hurt them
otherwise. It was God’s
curse upon Cain, when he had killed his brother Abel, to suspect and fear
that every one that he met with, would kill him.
Gen. Iv.8. Notwithstanding
all these things; sometimes God sends a spirit of jealousy upon interested
persons, Numb. V.12, &c, for the discovery of evils in others formerly
hidden; which out of probably suspicion come to be searched into, and by
searching are found out. And
always we must strive for that discretion and wisdom, as not to take our
marks amiss, by censuring any rashly, as Eli did Hannah for drunkenness,
because her lips went, and her voice was not heard: nor yet to be so
fondly charitable, as not to see the spots of men’s leprosy breaking out
in their foreheads.
We are not only by innocency
to prevent just blame; but withal, by Christian care, and wisdom, to
provide that we hurt not our good name by coming under colorable suspicion
of evil. We provide things
honest before God by preserving innocency; but before men, by giving no
probably cause of their suspecting us.
And so doing, if yet God by his providence, so ordered, that we
come under it; we must bear it patiently, as a burden laid upon us by him,
either to prove us; as it was not the least trial upon Job, to be
suspected by his friends and others of hypocrisy: or, it may be, to warn
us to take heed of some sin, of which we are in danger, though not guilty
of: it may be, for our present peace and safety, as it happened to David,
by being suspected of the lords of the Philistines; or, it may be, for
their just punishment, by whom we are unjustly suspected; as in the same
David’s case, in being suspected by king Saul of affecting the kingdom,
to his own great harm in wanting him, and the worthies with him in the
battle with the Philistines.
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