Prov. 23. 23.
Gregor. Homil.
Chrysost. sup. Math.
3. He that conceals the truth that he knows, for fear of the censures of others, must needs have little of Christianity in him, for we are commanded to buy the truth, and not to sell it; but for a Christian to conceal the truth, and not to dare to declare and defend it, for fear of the vain and perishing censures of men, is to make absolute sale of the truth, and that for the worst of all prises that can be. For what a weightless and worthless prise are the judgments and opinions of vain man, whose breath is in his nostrils, and whose life is but a vapor, that a Christian should, for fear of such vain censures, be afraid to declare or defend the truth? Therefore let the subtil Politicians and Machiavillians of this Age, who have in a manner turned the truth of the Christian Religion, and the most certain Rules of Providence into Atheism, and becom’d vain Idolaters, to sacrifice to the falsely adored and deified fancies of their own craft and cunning, think or say what they please, yet the rule of pious Gregory will ever hold true: Ille veritatis defensor esse debet, qui quum rectè sentit, loqui non metuit, nec erubescit. And that of Chrysostom ought never to be forgotten by a good Christian, and one that fears God, who saith: Non solùm proditor est veritatis, qui mendacium pro veritate loquitur: sed qui non liberè pronuntiat veritatem, quam pronuntiare oportet, aut non liberè defendit veritatem, quam defendere oportet. But as there have been some that have been affrighted with the feigned Bugbears of malevolent mens censures and scandals; so there have been others, to whom Nature hath given greater Magnanimity, who were better principled in their Morals, and better rudimented in the Christian Religion, that have scorned and undervalued those censures as vanities and trifles, and these were those
——Quos Jupiter æquus amavit,
Et meliore luto finxit præcordia Titan.
These were those that for the advancement of Truth and Learning, and the benefit of Mankind durst undertake
Ire per excubias, & se committere Parcis.
And feared not the tempestuous storms of venemous tongues, or malicious minds, of which we shall here enumerate a competent Catalogue.
Præf. in Harvæi Exerc. Anat.