Queſt. MAy a man, to hide himſelfe from the Plague, for ſake his place, his calling, and remove himſelfe and his?

Anſw. M. Calvin anſwereth this queſtion in one of his Epiſtles thus: A queſtion riſeth from the ſtupiditie of men without ſenſe of humanitie, Whether wee may not avoyd the Plague? They would have no man change aire, nor avoid contagious and poyſoned places, nor delight in any pleaſing proſpect, &c. Faceſſant paradoxa hujuſmodi, querum uſus eſt nos exuere omni ſenſu. But, this anſwer being too ſhort for ſuch as deſire to walke by rule, wee muſt conſider, firſt, the perſons; ſecondly, the reaſons; thirdly, the cautions; fourthly, the objections.

Firſt, publick perſons, whom, by vertue of their ſpeciall calling, the Church, or Common-wealth, or the Familie, cannot want, may not flee, unleſſe they by others may competently ſupply their owne abſence.

But private perſons, whoſe Calling the Publick may for a time want, may avoid the danger: for,

Reaſon 1 Firſt, all manifeſt perils ought to be avoided, if without impietie wee can ſhun them.Pſal. 91.It is lawfull to avoid an arrow cōming upon us; and not to avoid it if we can, makes us acceſſary to our owne death. But this is an arrow comming on us, and by good meanes to be avoided: it cannot be leſſe lawfull, than to avoid fire, or ſword, or poyſon.

Reaſon 2 Secondly, God hath given us ſpecial cōmandement for the care & preſervation of our own lives, & to uſe al good means of preſervation, & hath ſanctified preſervatives & phyſick to this purpoſe. He that hath charged us with the care of our brethrens lives, much more hath charged us without owne.

Reaſon 3 Thirdly, David uſed many caves and hiding places: in a ſhort time he fled from Saul into twelve ſeverall hiding places; To King Achis, to the King of Moab, and to the King of the Philiſtims, into the cave of Adullam, the Grove of Hareth, the Deſert of Ziph, of Maon, of Engedi, of Paran, &c. Yea, Chriſt and his Diſciples fled oftentimes from danger: and why not we till our houre alſo be come, that in the meane time we may be the more ſerviceable to God and his Church? Nay, God himſelfe bids Elias goe flee and hide himſelfe from perſecution by the Brook Cherith. He could haue kept him ſafe from Ahab and Iezabel without his fleeing, in the midſt of them; but he teacheth us what godly men may doe in the like caſes.

Ob. But this is to avoid the ſword of man; but ſpeaketh not of the Plague, the hand and ſword of God.

Anſw. What wee may pray the removall of, we may lawfully avoid: but David prayed the removall of the plague, 2 Sam. 24.1 Kings 8. If thou ſend a Plague and peſtilence, and thy people pray in this houſe, then heare out of heaven, &c. Num. 16.48.So Aaron prayed, and ſtood between the living and dead, and the plague ceaſed.

Reaſon 4 The fruit of faith is the uſe of ſuch meanes, as which God hath appointed for the effecting of his own decrees; & the more faith, the more uſe of means: whereof this is one,Acts 27.31. Not to converſe with the infected, and to depart from the infected place ſo far as ſalva conſcientia & charitate wee may. Paul beleeved none ſhould periſh in the ſhip, according to the word of God, yet muſt they not be ſaved unleſſe they abide in the ſhip: for there muſt be ſhipmen to guide and governe the ſhip to land, as it came to paſſe.

Thirdly, the cautions or conditions in fleeing the Plague.

Caution 1 Firſt, ſee no prophaneneſſe be in the flight, or impietie, as if we would or could avoid the hand of God: we muſt not intend to flee from God; for whither ſhall we flee from his preſence? but firſt flee unto God. For as we muſt not neglect the means of our ſafetie: ſo we muſt not truſt in them, but in Gods bleſſing, who muſt watch and hide, or elſe all comes to nought.

Caution 2 Before thou avoid the effect of Gods anger, ſee thou avoid the cauſe of it, and that is thine own ſin: elſe can no dens, caſtles, or caves hide thee. Iohn Baptiſt wiſheth men, by fleeing the cauſe, to flee wrath to come:2 King. 14.19.otherwiſe, Amaziah flees to Lachiſh; but death flees after him, and overtakes him, becauſe he fled not from ſin the cauſe of his miſery. For it is not change of place, but of minde; not of bodies, but vices, which is the true refuge and ſanctuary. In returning conſider, that faith and repentance muſt be your reſt. No, ſay they, we will flee upon horſes.Eſa. 30.15.Yea, but your enemies horſes ſhall be ſwifter than yours: no flight ſwift enough to ſave him that will carry his ſinnes with him. The firſt ſtep in fleeing, muſt be to flee thy ſelfe.

Caution 3 In fleeing from infection, be ſure thou beeſt as beneficiall abſent as preſent, in things ſpirituall, temporall. 1. Faile not by ſound humilitie and godly ſorrow to bewaile thy ſins, which have provoked the wrath of God, and aſwell abſent as preſent ſeek to appeaſe God, and avert his ſtroke from thy ſelfe and others. Even abſent thou muſt put thy ſelfe into their miſery, as one that hath provoked that diſpleaſure. 2. Omit no dutie of charitie and beneficence: if thy perſon be removed, leave thy purſe behinde thee, & thy beſt help, as one that knoweſt thou art not looſed from the common law of neighbourhood; but art charged ſtill to ſee no needfull thing wanting to the poore and needy, whether ſick or ſound.

Caution 4 In fleeing looke to thine affections, that no exceſſive feare of death moove thee: for thou muſt ſtill keep a deſire to be diſſolved, and ſtand as Sarah in the doore of the Tent to entertain that meſſenger, and be ready for death whenſoever the houre is come: nor yet incredulitie or weakneſſe of faith force thee. But let faith lead thee forth, and let it be no loſer. Noah by faith went into the Ark, and ſtaid, yea, till God led him out.

Ob. 1 The plague is not contagious, nor comes from man; but an immediate hand of God, and ſo is not to be avoyded.

Anſw. 1. It follows not, becauſe it is the hand of God, that it is not contagious. Was not the leproſie a rod & ſcourge of God? and yet was it not infectious? 2. It follows not, becauſe it is the hand of God, wee muſt not uſe lawfull meanes to avoid it: for ſo is famine, ſword, fire, warre, the hand of God; and yet who can deny we may uſe lawfull means to avoid them all? Beſide, it was the law of God moſt carefully to avoid the Leproſie, and not to come neere perſons infected? and why not the plague or other contagious diſeaſes? Balaam's Aſſe, ſeeing the drawne ſword of the Angell, will ſhun it.

Ob. 2 But none can reſiſt the providence of God. Hee hath numbred whom he will ſmite with the plague, and who ſhall not be touched: and none of them whom he hath appointed to fall, ſhall eſcape?

Anſw. 1. The providence of God, being the firſt cauſe, takes not away the ſecond cauſes, but ſtabliſheth them, becauſe he ſtabliſheth and executeth his decrees by means and ſecond cauſes: and it were a tempting of God, to refuſe the lawfull and allowed meanes of preſerving life, by which God ordinarily ſaveth whom he will ſave. 2. God indeed knows how many ſhall be ſmitten: and if we knew the ſecret will of God concerning our ſelves, then were our wils to be ſurrendred to Gods will: and an heart affected with Gods glory, will be readier for death than life, if God reveale to it, that to die is better than to live. But not knowing this, we are not looſed from the uſe of lawfull means for the preſervation of our lives, till we ſee our houre to be come. 3. God knows and hath decreed how many ſhall fall by the ſword in war, and yet who will ſay it is unlawfull to uſe weapons to defend our ſelves, and fight for our lives? So God knows how many ſhall fall by famine, in time of dearth and ſcarcity: but is it therefore unlawfull to buy food to preſerve our lives? Did not he command Iacob to goe and buy food in Egypt, whom he could have preſerved without meanes, but would not, becauſe meanes were then, though far off.

Ob. 3 But the plague is good to the good, ſo not to be avoided.

Anſw. It is not ſimply good neither. It is not good in it ſelfe, nor as a cauſe; but as an occaſion of humilitie, repentance, feare of God: neither is it ſo, but by the work of the Spirit. But it will not follow, that it is not to be avoided. For our ſins are occaſionally good to humble us, and work in us feare of God, and yet are to be avoided. So all miſeries are turned to good to the good, but yet wee may lawfully avoid them.

Ob. 4 But we have callings in which we muſt abide, and we have promiſe of protection while we are in our way, and therefore muſt not avoid them.

Anſw. We muſt abide in our callings, unleſſe we be neceſſarily thruſt out: but this is no willing deſertion, but a ſuſpending of the exerciſe of it for a greater and higher reaſon. For if for ſome occaſions a man may leave his calling many moneths, as for health, profit, pleaſure; much more to ſave his life. 2. We have promiſes to be kept in our way: but promiſes make not men ſlothfull, nor fooliſhly raſh and temerarious, to thruſt themſelves into probable and certain danger; for that is not our way.

Ob. 5 But charity ſeeks not her own, but Gods, the Churches, and our neighbors: and by our flight or feare our brother may not periſh for whom Chriſt dyed.

Anſw. 1. Charity ſeeks not it ſelfe wholly or onely, but yet deſtroyes not it ſelfe. Ordinarie charity, in ſaving himſelfe, ſeeketh Gods glorie, and the Churches good, and not himſelfe onely. 2. Charity ſo reſpecteth the ſick, as the ſound be not neglected: to comfort one, we may not hazard many; nor ſo look forth, as forgetting our own home. 3. Charity ſeeks the good of ſeverall perſons, but ſo as it prefers the ſafetie of the Vniverſall. That is inordinate charity, when other good means may be uſed for the comfort of the afflicted: a man caſts himſelf into manifeſt danger, and with himſelfe, his family, if he be private, and the Church and Commonwealth, if he be publick.

This queſtion was excellently beaten out between Zanchius and a godly paſtor named Curienſis. This paſtor held it unlawfull to ſeparate from the Infected, or to leave the places infected; and commended M. Bullinger, who being ſent for by a woman infected, went to her, and brought home the infection into his family, and preſently loſt his wife and two daughters. Now M. Zanchie commended the charitie of M. Bullinger, but did not altogether approove his fact, becauſe the woman might have been otherwiſe comforted, than by his going to her bed ſide, and ſetteth downe ſome directions, after long debating. That good paſtor, being too ventrous, was taken with the plague; and when he was neare death, cried out, O utinam Zanchij conſilium ſecutus eſſem, Would to God I had followed M. Zanchius his counſell.

Queſt. But is every prudent man hid from the evill, as this Text ſeemeth to ſay? Come not all things alike to all men? Doth not judgement begin ſometimes at the houſe of God? and are not the godly wrapped ſometimes in the common danger of ſword, fire, plague? and who more afflicted than they?

Anſw. Godly men ſuffer evill with wicked men (for Abraham and Iacob are in the famine with the Canaanites. The good Iſraelites as well as the bad are under the oppreſſions of the Egyptians. Caleb and Ioſhua bare the ſinne of Iſrael fortie yeares with the murmurers. Elias was afflicted in the hard times procured by Ahab and Ieazhel,) but are ever hid. For, 1. Diſtinguiſh of puniſhments. Some are revenges; ſome, remedies, exerciſes of grace, vertues keepers, as Aquinas calleth them. The prudent are ever hid from the former: but it were not good to be free from the latter. 2. Diſtinguiſh of perſons puniſhed. Some are veſſels of wrath, to whom even benefits are plagues: ſome are veſſels of mercy, to whom all evils work to good. Theſe are ever ſo far hid, as that the Lord never hides his face from them, but for a moment, but that to imbrace them with everlaſting cōpaſſion. 3. Diſtinguiſh the manner of hiding. The prudent cannot ſo hide himſelfe, as to be free from feeling of trouble: but he is freed ſo, as that he ſhall not fall in them; or if he fall, God puts under his hand for a ſeaſonable deliverance. But how are they that are ſlain with the ſword, or dy of the plague, delivered?

Many are the troubles of the godly, and great: but the Lord delivers them out of all. But deliverance is threefold.