well-governed State but if the Counsell be shallow and corrupt and the foole more knave then foole thence they collect the weaknesse of the State Your soule-state cannot be safe if ye hearken to the foole and to rotten counsell that follow private Interests Those counsels will destroy a man D. The Mori Vtopia l. 1. though they have the shews and colors of profit as Sr T. More in his pleasant and witty fiction makes his friend Raphael discourse concerning those counsels that are given to Princes to enrich themselves by the enhanching and imbasing of coynes questioning upon old and forgotten penall Statutes selling of licenses for Monopolies and the like They will make the people poore first and then afterwards the Prince too Gods counsels are counsels of equity and righteousnesse and enriching and establishing counsels Walke therefore after the word credit it esteeme the wisdome of it honour the Soveraigntie and Royalty of it set up no law against that law maintaine not a close counsell to contradict the results of this counsell keepe in your bosomes the Aviso's of this holy and wise boord locke up the maximes of the Scripture in your breasts See my Exercit. on Mal. Digres on Ch. 4.4 Remember the Law of Moses delight and meditate in it It will advise you against the consultations and preserve you from warping to the corruptions of the Malignant as David found it in his experience Psal 119.23 Princes did sit and speake against me but thy servant did meditate in thy Statutes Let your secret meditation exceed your table-talk discourses You shall praise your counsell best by following his advise Believe not the prating-sollicitor who takes you off from the course prescribed by your learned counsell as if he had found out a more compendious and expedite accommodation assure your selfe he will gull you and leade you a great way about The straitest way is the nearest way I mean the equall and upright way and all Gods wayes are equall If Jacob had been content to have kept that way and kept his honesty he had sooner and more easily obtain'd the blessing which he was like to have lost through too much haste and greedinesse to catch it He hearkned to his mothers counsells and it would have had a desperate issue but that God was carefull of him and turned all to the best CHAP. XII The second Medicament The right knowledge of God and believing in him 2. LEarne to know God aright To know God aright cures hypocrisie Heb. 11.2 6. and to believe in him Faith will marshall and order every action and affection By it the Elders obtain'd a good report without it it is impossible to please God for he that commeth to him must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him As they say there is no service to the Kings be assured there is none like to that of God Be perswaded of and get as many experiments as ye may of the Divine Providence Isal 75.6 Could men believe that promotion comes neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South but that God the Judge putteth downe one and setteth up another That life it selfe for which all promotions are sought depends not on nature but is in Gods hand this would take them off from all servile dependances and respects and make them professe his name boldly and evenly and without halting Faith being seated in the heart would cleanse the whole heart and diffusing it's vertue as a leaven would season every affection alter the taste of every appetite strengthen every propension to good fortifie the soule against all evill Nothing else will be able to doe so much worke Opinion let into the understanding may be against one sinne a fancie taken against another a customary life against a third but haply all this while while one sinne is shut out another may be let in perhaps vanity may be banished but in the place of it covetousnesse imbraced The Phylosopher when he would perswade his King to settle his Court and place of habitation in the heart of his dominion laid before him a Bull-hide ready tanned upon which when he stood upon any one side of it and so kept downe that the other side would rise up when he removed to the side that rose up and kept downe that then the side which he came from would rise as high but when he stood in the middle he kept downe all alike So is a King whose Court is in some reasonable equality of distance from all the confines of his dominions Faith is this King which dwelling in the heart makes provision against every rebellion keeps downe every mutiny Ulric ab Hutten eques in Epist ad Card. Episc apud Wormuciam Faith will carry men thorough duties with courage and chearfulnesse stopping their ears against allurements and guarding their hearts against terrours Which appeared in that resolute Germane Knight who undertook Luthers cause who among other things thus writes to the Cardinals and Bishops assembled at Wormes against Luther I will go thorough with what I have undertaken against you and will stirr up men to seeke their freedome Such as yeeld not to me at the first I will overcome with the importunity of my wholesome admonitions I neither care nor feare what may befall me being prepared for either event either to ruine you to the great benefit of my Country or my self to fall with a good conscience Therfore that yee may see with what confidence I contemne your threats I doe professe my selfe to be your irreconcileable enemy while yee persecute Luther or such as he is No power of yours no injury of fortune shall alter this mind in me Though yee take away my life yet this well deserving of mine toward my Countries liberty shall not die Yee may hinder my designe for the present and prevent it for the future but ye cannot hinder but I shall be remembred unto posterity I know that my endeavour to remove such as you are and to place worthy Ministers in your roome is acceptable unto God And in the last judgement I trust it will be safer for me to have offended you then to have had your favour With much more of such language as this he goeth on in his large Apologeticall letter for Luther against the Pontificall Clergy Faith sings the same note in all estates When David was in the Cave whither he fled from Saul Psal 57.7 he sung the 57th Psalme which he then composed My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise And afterwards when he tryumphed over Hadadezer the King of Zobah he composed the 108th Psalme and sung the same words O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Psal 108.1 Faith taught him the same Song in the Cave and upon the throne still in those so much different conditions My heart is fixed O God
l. 2. c. 5. who being of a contrarie Faction but dissembling it and putting a good face upon the matter all the way that hee rode with them was yet notwithstanding all his counterfeiting discovered unto them by his often trembling Whereas the sincere may march ever with his head aloft with face and heart open Mont. l. 3. c. 1. as he speakes CHAP. IV. Another Prognosticke The seventh The first part of it The Hypocrite hated of men bad and good 7. Hypocrites hated of evill men HYpocrisie is a prognosticke of hatred both from God and man It is odious to both 1. Hypocrisie is odious unto other men 1. Even to Heathen men wicked men yea to hypocrites themselves Non tu desines virtutis stragula pudefacere When the Cynick Phylosopher saw one that he knew to be a coward weare a Lions skin he cried out against him as if he had dishonour'd vertue it selfe by presuming to weare her livery Reason will teach a man thus much without any farther light Plut. Parall in vita Solon To 1. mihi p. 134 D. Solon was a meer Ethnicke but what a detestation doth he expresse against dissimulation for when Thespis the Tragedian first brought into Athens the use of Stage-playes and acted some dissimulations Solon cals him and askes if he were not ashamed to bring forth such stuffe before the people when Thespis answered such things might be spoken and done in play The old man striking his staffe angrily upon the ground But shortly said he those lyes which we laugh at in play will be brought into use in our contracts and serious affaires But most remarkably doth this appeare in that famous and well knowne instance of Constantius father to the great Constantine who being no Christian himselfe yet accounted those most odious that were not sound Christians The Story is related both by Eusebius and Sozomen Euseb de vita Const l. 1. c. 11 Sozom. Hist l. 1. c. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of them cals it an incredible and very admirable fact He made this tryall of his Courtiers that such Christians among them that would sacrifice to his idols should continue with him and enjoy their honours and offices otherwise they should be banish'd his presence and the Court. Some resolved to forsake all and to loose their places but many complied with the conditions he propounded and preferred their offices before their Christianitie But then he discovering himselfe commended the sincere though in profession differing from himselfe but the others the base hypocrites who had deserted their faith for him he deserts them and banishes them the Court telling them they would not be true to him that had been false with God Tit Liv. l. 1. Dec. 5. The Reader may find in the Roman History to this purpose how much the Senate condemned the dealing of one of their own order who gave them an account at his returne how he had entertained Perseus of Macedon under pretext of peace and had fed him with faire words I might be plentifull in other examples that the light of nature hath dictated to the soules of Infidels to hate all manner of deceit I might adde also some instances of this loathsomenesse of hypocrisie in the eyes of the very enemies of the truth Melch. Adam in vita Bulling p. 498. I will content my selfe with one of the Cardinall of Lorraine a bitter enemy to Geneva and the Reformed Churches who yet when that hypocrite Bernard Ochin us meeting him began basely to insinuate into him and to offer his service to write against the Reformed Churches he slighted him and gave him cold entertainment 2. Hypocrites haced of good men Psal 101.6 7. If hypocrisie be thus odious even to evill men no wonder that it appeares loathsome to such as are good and godly David professeth he could not endure an hypocrite in his sight or to be in his house Mine eyes saith he shall be upon the faith full in the land that they may dwell with me he that walketh perfect in the way he shall serve me He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sight David would not suffer hypocrites to come into his house The Apostles it seemes would not come into an hypocrites house if they knew or suspected him to be such Me thinkes we may gather it from that speech of Lydia the Shop-keeper Act. 16.15 but an excellent woman she besought the Apostles saying If yee have judged me to be faithfull to the Lord come into my house and abide there She constrained them but it was surely because they judged her faithfull else they would not have been her guests for what the Apostolicall spirit was appeares plainly enough in the cases of Ananias and Saphira Act. 5. Act. 8. and of Simon Magus We shall see the same spirit of indignation against the unsound in other godly men I will produce testimony out of the ancient and moderne story In the ancient Church we reade Socrat. Hist l. 4. c. 29. that a people of the Saracens being newly converted to Christianity Mavia their Queene desired one Moses a man of an Heremiticall life but of remarkable holinesse to be Bishop of them He being brought out of the Desert but very unwillingly to Alexandria to be ordain'd he would not suffer Lucius the Bishop there so much as to lay his hands upon him and said openly I am unworthy of this office but if I be forced to take it I will not endure Bishop Lucius to conferre Orders upon me Lucius being much moved told him that he being but a new convert ought of him to be instructed in the right faith But Moses answered him roundly 't was true he profest himselfe a Christian Bishop but shewed himself no Christian by his persecuting and banishing the Orthodox and that he talkt of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrat. Sozom. l. 6. c. 38. but for his part he would have faith that might be seene rather then heard Sozomen relates his words somewhat larger As for these latter times in which I suppose there have been many experiments of that same zeale and indignation against the unsound among others Calvin is a pertinent example in regard of his sharp sightednesse and resolute opposing of a notable hypocrite a kind of wandring fellow that came to Geneva where he pretended much sanctity of life and was cried up by many as a great holy man as we find the passage in Beza's relation of his life CHAP. V. The seventh prognostick The other part of it Hypocrites very odious to God 2. VVE have seen how odious hypocrisie is unto men Hypocrites hated of God it is more odious and hatefull unto God Though he beare much with them that are sincere as the husband doth with the frowardnesse and peevish humours of his wife whom he knows to be chast and faithfull to him yet he
THis choicely learned and accurately laboured Treatise I cannot let passe with a bare Imprimatur but must adde I am confident that as it will serve most seasonably both to correct the licentious surfets of the Presse by its example and uncheate the masquery of the times by its use so can it not but much delight the Reader with its variety both of story and conceipt Charles Herle THE HYPOCRITE DISCOVERED AND CVRED The Definition Of Hypocrisie The Kindes Of Hypocrisie The Subject Of Hypocrisie The Symptoms Of Hypocrisie The Prognosticks Of Hypocrisie The Causes Of Hypocrisie The Cure Of Hypocrisie A DISCOVRSE FVRNISHED With much variety of Experimentall and Historicall observations and most seasonable for these times of happy designe for Reformation In two Bookes By SAMUELL TORSHELL With an Epistle to the Assembly of Divines about the discerning of spirits 1 JOH 4.1 Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God 1 COR. 12.10 To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another discerning of spirits ORdered Novemb. 24 1643. that this Booke be printed for Iohn Bellamie IOHN WHITE Imprimatur Edm. Calamie London Printed by G. M. for John Bellamy at the Signe of the three golden Lyons neare the Royall-Exchange M.DC.XLIV TO THE REVEREND AND LEARNED Prolocutor the Assessors and the rest of the Reverend Divines in the Honorable and Reverend Assembly now sitting by the Ordinance of our High Court of PARLIAMENT I Have ventured forth a tender piece which is not likely to escape the censure of such as are guilty whom perhaps it may make to smart and therefore it will need the patronage of such as are very discerning and very sincere Such I esteem you and from my very soule doe blesse God for you and have hopes that God hath in it his thoughts to refresh this poore and torne nation and the Churches because he hath given courage to so many able and godly Divines to meet together though threatned with Proclamations to the contrary and being met a sweet agreement in common principles and the love of the truth though prophecied of by ungodly wanton and prophane witts that they would presently breake asunder through variety of opinions Truely if you had brought with you that pride and pomp which we were wont to see in our former mock-Synods and Convocations we might have expected that before this time you should have been the dirision and scorne of the Prelaticall and Atheisticall party But for ever blessed be the name of God for that sweet condescension for that humble and resolved subjection unto light for that diligent and holy pursuit of truth which all-together doe promise an happy issue of your meeting Goe on with your prudent and holy debates and the Lord so blesse them and crown them that your advice being lay'd before our great and high Court they may under God settle upon us the glory of all the Ordinances of Christ and remove every burthen which the tyranny of abused Episcopacie had layd upon us I call their courses tyranny and their Impositions burthens as having had thorough the happinesse of these late times better meanes and opportunity to discerne and weigh them for let me speake freely and as becomes us now that the hand of God is so much out against the nation let me speake humbly I confesse my thoughts were heretofore more favourable as walking according to those principles I had received in my education The truth is though I never thought Episcopacie to be of Divine-right as it was proudly chalenged yet I looked upon it as the most antient and most prudentiall way of government and so obeyed it and spake well of it though not its mad and furious wayes for I ever protested against their Altars and their cringes their suppressing of faithfull and painfull Preachers their discouraging and undermining of the power of godlinesse their wanton and profane abuse of the high and dreadfull censure of excommunication yet in a generall conformity to such things as I conceived were by law established I obeyed it as thinking it to be a sin not to have done so I will not be ashamed to put those charitable thoughts I had for so I will call them and so my own conscience after I examined it doth call them among the errata of my life The reading of Cyprian first made me stumble in the point of Episcopacie but afterwards when I met with Mr Whites learned and serious Speech against it in Parliament which was afterwards printed to the great good I believe of the Kingdom as no doubt inviting many to look into that point which they had not formerly studied I was fully convinced of the inconveniencies and mischiefes of it among us It may be the wisedom of this generation will account it an unwary and imprudent part in me to expresse my self so freely and so nakedly in a time when all the religious endeavours of our Parliament run such a dangerous hazard and when the violent Popish Counsels drive on with such advantage and I confesse that in such a throng of accidents and occurrances wherein a man may easily lose himselfe and misse the times he would faine meet and comply with it were better to stand still till the times found and came up to him but give me leave to breath out a sad thought or two I much doubt we shall not meet those good times we look for for as some Declarations of Parliament and some other Books formerly and of late have made it manifest that there is a designe for the readvancement of Popery so I feare the counsells of God are that way for our tryall I meane the word of prophecie in the eleventh chapter of the Revelation concerning which thing I professe I have not seen Mr Mead's argument satisfied That that slaying is yet to be expected I should with all my heart say Amen to the contrary opinion and should be glad to be found in an error in this thing and I hope I am in one Howsoever this opinion is so far from weakening and disengaging of me that it carries me on more effectually and resolvedly in the good liking of all the present attempts for Reformation for by comparing the Prophecie with the late and present motions of Ireland of the Kings-Army and of some Princes abroad I have collected that whosoever runs all along to the end of the course with the Court-Counsels and Armie must be a Papist at last whatsoever he be now or whatsoever his thoughts be yet Upon these considerations I had once resolved to have brought my Hypocrite before the Parliament-barre and in an humble Dedication to have Indicted it before them the grandstate-Hypocrisie I had drawn up some Articles of Impeachment to that purpose but this very weeke while I was thinking of it there came abroad besides Mr Prinnes Book The Favourite another Discourse to my apprehension very cleare serious and weighty I meane The Mysterie of Iniquity whereby
a combe-case nor a peece of ribboning but all is hung forth all is spread abroad Rich Christians golden Christians often times their worth is not seene but these Dasies grow every where and will be in your eye Nay they will call upon you rather then be look'd off 2 Kin. 10.15 26. yee must needs see their zeale and know all Come saith Jehu and see my zeale Yet we know well enough what manner of man Jehu was for all his bragging to Jonadab Is thy heart right as mine is As bright as he burnt it was the oyle of glorie that fed his lampe it was this winde of glorie that did drive his Mill. CHAP. VIII A second of those Symptomes from the end of Hypocrisie Religion pretended to serve other ends A cover for Vndutifullnesse Vncharitablenesse Hatred of Godlinesse Revenge Ambition 2. ANother Symptome of Hypocrisie is Religion pretended to serve other ends that hypocrites pretend Religion to cover other ends Herod could make use of Religion to hide his cruell intentions when he meant to slay Christ he promiseth devotion Mat. 2.8 Goe saith he to the Wise-men and learch diligently for the young child and when yee have found him bring me word againe that I may come and worship him also But 't was a cruell bloudy worship he meant not to have acknowledged Christ to be his God but to have made Christ the Sacrifice and his mothers lap the Altar The Pharisces who endeavoured to bring the wealth of the people into their owne nests as the religious orders of Fryars in the Romish Church doe now found out a way to teach their Disciples to be uncharitable even to the necessities of their owne Parents pretending that what was once religiously consecrated might not be converted to any other use and so they were freed from any duty they ought to doe for their father or mother See how directly our Saviour discovers this hypocrisie Moses said Mar. 7.10 11 12. Honour thy Father and thy Mother Now one dutie included in that precept is That we must relieve our aged Parents if they want See how they avoide this But yee say If a man shall say to his Father or Mother it is Corban that is to say a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me He shall be free And yee suffer him no more to doe ought for his Father or Mother The Originall in this place is very concise and hath troubled Expositors but I have given the sense which our last Translation leades me unto which Translation and the supply that it makes to cleare the sense of the Originall Vide etian ludru Capel Diat in â—a Mat. 15.5 ad fin Camer Myrothec stands now allowed and backed by the most excellent Criticks John Coch of Breme Dan. Heinsius Ludovicus de Deiu and others That the Pharisees taught them this forme of speaking for this is observed to be the expresse forme used by the Jewes and to say that what they now possessed being entered into the profession of Pharisaisme vvas now no more their owne but Corban Gods proprietie Gods gift assigned over to God and not at their dispose And may we not find out some other hypocriticall pretences for uncharitablenesse Religion a cover for uncharitablenesse When a man shuts his hand against the cries of the poore and saies 'T is not fit to encourage and maintaine wandring beggars in their lazie trade and that it is a sin to give to such as eat the sweat of the poore is it not possible I say that here vvhere a case of conscience is pretended it may be but a cover and the true reason be because he hath not an heart to give It may be the Priest and the Levite that passed by the wounded man had some such thing to say for themselves but it may be also they were hypocrites in it and I am sure the good Samaritan deserved the most commendation The very hatred of Religion is sometimes shrouded under the cloake of Religion Hatred of Religion under cover of Religion Ezra 4.2 Such were those hypocrites that we reade of in the booke of Ezra they which delighted in the ruines of the Temple and had indignation against Zerubbabels endeavours to re-build it to that end that they might hinder the worke they offer their service to promote it Let us build with you for we seeke your God as yee doe We have a pertinent place to this purpose in the Prophet Isaiah Isa 66.5 Heare the word of the Lord yee that tremble at his word your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my names sake said let the Lord be glorified When they execute their censure upon you out of malice and hatred they pretend pure zeale for God and the glorifying of his Justice I might be plentifull in other instances but I will confine my selfe to foure others upon which I will insist when Religion is pretended to cover Revenge Ambition Sedition Covetousnesse 1. Religion a cover to revenge We sometimes find that hypocrites have made use of Religion to cloake their Revenge When Shechem the sonne of Hamor had defiled Dinah the daughter of Jacob her brethren specially two of them her brothers of the same wombe Simeon and Levi whose hearts meditated revenge contrive it this way Gen. 34.14 To offer conditions of Religion to the young Prince and his City that they should receive the Sacrament of Circumcision and that Shechem should receive the ravished Dina for his wife but they meant it a deceitfull marriage and a bloody Sacrament for when the men of the City were sore 1 Sam. 18.17 they and their complices came upon them and slew them Saul had nothing in his mouth but fighting the Lords battels but his designe was that Davià might be made food for the Philistines sword Abner never thought of the word of the Lord or of observing the will of the Lord till his heart was full of revenge against weake and forsaken Ishbosheth for a sorry word which that poore Prince had spoken which the boysterous Captain could not brooke and then and not till then purposing to revolt to David and to bring about the Army with him he will needs have them think forsooth that it was only tendernesse of conscience that wrought upon him and then having communication with the Elders of Israel he said 2 Sam. 3 18. Yee sought for David in times past to be King over you now then doe it for the Lord hath spoken of David saying By the hand of my servant David will I save my people Israel c. Which examples are true experiments of that observation made by the authour of Ecclesiasticus There is an exquisite subtilty and the same is unjust Ecclus 19.25 26. and there is one that turneth aside to make judgement appeare There is a wicked man that hangeth down his head sadly but inwardly he is full of deceit Such an one was Herod
is it but he comes short of Profession It was * Salvian de Gubern Div lib. 4. mihi p. 134 135. lib. 3 ad fin Speaking of injurious dealing he saith Quo fit ut etiam nos qui nos Christianos esse dicimus perdamus vim tantâ— nominis vitio pravitatis Omnino enim nihil prodest nomen saretum habere sine morthus quia vita a professione discordans abrogat illustris tituli honorem per indignorum actuum vititatem Hoc ipso per nomen Sacratissimum rei simus qui a Sancto nomire discrepanus Nam ideo plus sub religionis titulo Deum ludimus quia positi in religione peccanus Vide etiam Ad Cathol Eccles. l. 1. mihi p. 330. Sed longe major insania si de veritate evangelij non dubites vivere tamen quast de ejus falsitate non dubitares Pic. Mirand in Epist Salvians complaint of old that they had Christ in their mouth 's but to no purpose that they abused him under the bearing of his Name And how justly may we take up that of that Noble Mirandula against many It were a great madnesse not to beleeve the Gospell now that it is every where believed yet a greater madnesse it is not to doubt of the truth of the Gospell and yet to live so as if without doubt it were false Oh how is Gods name dishonoured by those who professe his name As the Apostle to the Jewes Thou that saist a man should not commit adultery dost thou commit adultery Thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledge Thou that makest thy boast of the Law through breaking of the Law dishonourest thou God Rom. 2.22 23 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you We know who said it If a man be an hearer of the Law only he is not just before God Yet how many are there that are hearers only Evangeliophori it is Erasmus his word Gospell-carriers Bible-bearers only I cast not this Title upon godly persons as profane men doe in scorne and derision of their necessary and commendable profession But if any man obey not that word which he heares and talks of but lives dissolutely then I say to him Erasm Colloq cui Tit. Cyclops as he in Erasmus Quid Polyphemo cum Evangelio What hath a lewd wicked man to doe with the Gospell And as he observes many carry their Bibles as the Franciscans hang the rule of their Order at their girdles but mind not to observe it They take care to adorne their Bibles to guild and string them richly but no care that the Bible shall adorne their hearts He tells us pleasantly of the Souldier that beate a blasphemer with his Bible and so defended the Gospell with the Gospel and broke his pate with it and yet for all his zeale was no way such a man as the Gospell requires Such are profane defenders of the Reformed Religion yet are no way reformed They will storme against the Papists if they blemish our Religion and yet themselves never regard the very rules of Christianity which as Eusebius speakes are Modestie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide coetera quae sequuntur ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Hist l. 1. c. 4. p. 11. edit Christophers Justice bearing of the Crosse constancie in the professing of godlinesse and true worship In which sense he saith Abraham and the old Patriarks among the Jew's might not improperly be called Christians Well all these are as the common Translation of the Psalms hath it strange children and dissemble with God or as it is in the Margin of our last Translation Psal 18.44 They yeild fained obedience or lye unto God St Cyprian a very godly Bishop it seems was much troubled with such as these men that made so open and forward a profession that they suffered some things in the cause of Christ and according to the phrase of that time were reckoned among and usually called Confessors Vt honorem sui nominis servent ut qui gloriosi voce suerint sint mortbus gloriosi Cypr. Epist 6. in Edit Pam. Doleo enim quando audio quosdam improbe insolentér dâ—scurrere adineptias vel ad discordias vacare c. Hortamur tamen per communem fidem per pectoris nostri veram circa vos simplicem cbaritatem c. Epist 7. yet as it appeares men of evill conversation In his sixth Epistle he urgeth them that they would keep up the honour of their name It is manifest then they lived below their profession He wisheth that he were among them for he was then in secessu because of the persecution that he might perswade them ad servandam gloriam suam to keep up the honour of their holinesse For I grieve saith he when I heare that some wickedly and presumptuously follow their sports and that some are all for contentions and will not be ruled by the Presbiters and Deacons He is the true and glorious Confessor of whom the Church may have cause to boast but not to blush And in his seventh Epistle writing to Rogatian and other Confessors he saith The Bishops portion of joy is greater then others in the fruit of the people And then he bespeakes them sweetly gravely holily We beseech yee saith he by our common faith by that true and pure love that is in our heart towards you that yee who in your first conflict have overcome the Adversary would maintain your reputation by continuance and abiding in good c. We may wonder that in such times of Persecution any should be unsound That they which must professe unto the Stake and the Scaffold should keep up any lust against Christ Yet so it was that the men Christians were covetous voluptuous malicious c. the women Christians froward vaine proud fashionable Timeo cervicem ne margaritaruÌ„ smaragdorum laqueis occupata locum Spathae non det Tert. de Cult Faem cap. 13. Tertullian tooke notice of it and he lived in the bitterest times He told them That he was afraid those necks would never be stretch't forth handsomely and couragiously to receive the stroake of the sword which they decked and hung so with Chaines and Pearles and Emeralds We then will now leave to wonder at it when we see such pride and vanity and costlinesse among our Professors but yet we will suspect they are not sound not right for they professe a Gospell of mortification of humility of self-deniall which they have no regard to answer like those Sarrabaits whom St Augustine describes Aug. Serm. 11. ad frat in Eremo a sort of hypocriticall Monks in Aegypt of whom it seems St Hierome had written and complained to him that were Angels to see to but Wolves in their conversation We learn then by all this not to be led by shewes or to esteeme a Pharisee any thing the holyer for the deepnesse of his fring or to beleeve that
speaking of the orders of the Capuchins Franciscans c. cals it Religiosam insaniam a religious folly that I may English him in his best sense Because the nailes pierced the hands and feet of Christ because the whip lashed his blessed sides because on the crosse his sacred body was stretch'd Therefore the Papists will worship these things but hath it so much as a shew of wisdom is it not Religiosa insania Truly I know not whither in any thing hypocrisie doe more discover it selfe then in multiplying inventions about Religion and Gods worship And those blacke and foule brats of their owne they doe more hug and esteeme then the truly beautifull Ordinances that are from God and as a reverend Divine said to How the troublesome Sectary When they have made and set up a Calfe they Will dance about it Devotion is subject unto many illusions Men through the abundance of idlenesse pride of parts love of their owne conceits desire of novelty and the like multiply inventions and make many golden Calves and as the Lacedemonians drest up their gods after the fashion of their City so they will dresse up devotion after their owne humour Some are all for the artificiall cast of the eye Relat. of Engl. Fugit and the thumping of the breast and as that notable Relation of the estate of the English fugitives written in the yeare 1595. speakes of one sort of those pretenders to Religion and liberty of conscience that goe over into Flanders That the furthest drift of their Religion is to say the Pope is a good man and to thumpe their breasts hard when they come to Church So I have observed a devotion in some of our English Protestants who take themselves to be marvellous religious if they have got by heart the Responsals of the Church Liturgie and can say them with a good grace after the Minister and kneele demurely at the Sacrament when they come to it which is but seldom I have taken notice of some who were profane persons yet out-go the soundest Professors in their Reverentiall gestures I commend the most humble and most trembling manner of Receiving for 't is a Royall table and though a comfortable yet a dreadfull presence Yet notwithstanding something I have discerned in some kind of men that makes me believe they have some strange conceits and apprehensions about the Sacrament in which they are devout but in nothing else so but in all their course of life carelesse and mindlesse of the power of godlinesse I could never yet understand the meaning of a phrase that the Country people have in some parts of the Kingdome That they come at Easter to receive their Rights or Writings as some pronounce it But sure they have some Devotion in it built up by their owne blind imagination Some others there are that affect an indiscreet and immoderate austerity in some rigorous observations Cassian col 2. de Discret That old Hermite that Cassian speakes of that threw himselfe into a pit would not be perswaded but he did well I remember what a religious Lady a woman eminent for rich parts of nature and gifts of grace once told me of her selfe that at her first setting out in the way of Religion she had like to have been lost through an illusion That no fat person could get to Heaven So that she almost had spoiled and wasted her body thorough too excessive and immoderate Fasting an ordinance above and beyond Gods ordinance Others have wayes of Devotion to joyne God and pleasures together Aug. de Haeres cap. 7. like Marcellina who hung Christs picture with Pythagoras's they thinke it much Religion to decke a Chappell make a litter-shop of Trinkets curious pictures candle-sticks pulpit-altar cloaths beades curiously cut Crucifixes neatly Wrought Bibles richly guilt cover'd and strung I will spare other instances but this we may observe that people are carried with most affection to these their owne imaginations For matter of cost Thucyd. Hist lib. 2. as Thucydides tels us the Image of Minerva at Athens had 9000lb. in golden ornaments about it so we reade that the women parted with their jewels and earerings to make their Calfe Exod. 32.3 Nothing takes so much with many as novelty in Religion The yeare before Luther began to preach Sebast Franc. Chronic. Tom. 2. ad an 1516. one Balthasar Hubmeyr stirr'd up the Magistrates of Ratisbon in his Sermons to pull downe the Jewes Synagogue there and to build a Church in the place of it to St Mary the faire Which being built and a report of some miracles given out 't is incredible what a concourse of people of all conditions and sexes was from all parts unto it so that neglecting their trades their wives their estates the care of their families there flockt so many thither that that large City was not sufficient to containe them So that at last the Sonate was forced to hinder their comming by decree So farre had the perswasions of the Priests wrought in the people concerning the great power of healing in that their new goddesse CHAP. XVI The fourth Symptome respecting the Ordinances Dead preaching Dead hearing Dead praying Dead Fasts 4. Hypocrites use the Ordinance in a dead manner THere is one other Symptome that I will consider under this head that such meanes of grace as Hypocrites apply themselves unto they use in a dead manner Dead preaching dead hearing dead praying a dead use of the Sacraments They performe but the out-side of duties I named preaching first and that I will begin with Dead preaching the saving Ordinance the soul-feeding Ordinance the great businesse of declaring the sweet mercies of God in Christ of transacting the actuall reconciliation of sinners unto God Alas that such men who have so great a matter entrusted unto them should any of them be brought in ranke with these whom we are now dealing with Yet 't is too too evident there may and is sometimes hypocrisie in preaching The matter of most mens Sermons is good 't is but now and then that you shall heare one so impudent as to publish his owne shame in patronizing any notorious evill in lashing of and snarling against godlinesse and mens zeale in religion I make no question but Judas and Demas and Diotrophes did preach well and had good words But some preach out of envy as those at Philippi That preached Christ of envie and strife of contention not sincerely Phil. 1.15 16. supposing to adde assliction unto St Pauls bonds Saint Chrysostome understood it of the Gentiles who that they might worke more mischiefe to St Paul and kindle Nero more against him made as if themselves also were Preachers of the Christian Faith Some others too understand it of the Gentiles who perceiving what fame Paul got by the preaching of the Gospell increast the fame on purpose that Nero's Court might ring of it and by that meanes Paul might be more severely proceeded
bred and brought up to another profession so now many entertain the faith because they are born to it and because it is a profession accompanied with riches and prosperity and countenanced by publike Laws and the favour of Princes and because 't is the fashion and profession of the Country they draw their first breath in Thus many have no more ground for their profession of faith Vide Tho. Campanel Atheism Tryumph ch 1. vide etiam praesat ejus then a Turke hath for his who is bred up in the reverence of Mahomet and is therefore zealous for him The greatest number of men are Papists or Protestants upon these tearmes without tryall or examination of the difference of faiths So that their faith is not choyce but a kind of hap not an acquisition but a kind of inheritance that they enter upon in succession after their fathers And certainly he that is of the faith of Christ for neighbourhood for birth-sake for custom for conformity with others for the priviledg of publike liberty ease enjoyment of places and offices and the like would as easily be of another faith upon the like tearms or forsake this Well ye professe the Christian faith in distinction to Jewes and Turks and the Christian Protestant faith in distinction to Papists and the Christian Protestant holy faith in distinction to Protestants at large But what operation hath it upon you No faith argues one good and sound unlesse the goodnesse of it worke upon the heart and make it sound and good Acts 15.9 For true faith is a worker out of hypocrisie it purifies the heart Now it may be more safe to professe the faith then it was in the primitive times for then persecutions reproaches confiscations imprisonments martyrdoms attended the faith the front of the Battel was against them But yet now 't is as hard to be sincere in the faith as then for if men professe the faith according to Christs rule in opposition to the corrupt customs and practises of evill men he makes himselfe a prey and meets with those dangers that they did of old and hereby it is that many discover the faigning and counterfeiting of faith that they run the same course in their lives with the most evill and profane Again what doe men talke of faith when they are partiall and unsound in obedience for true faith equally respects all the Commandements It is the soul of obedience the reason or internall law of the mind which sets all on worke and presents unto men the whole royalty of the Law James 2.8 it breaks inordinate passions it rebates and turns the violence of contrary inclinations it perswades above all oratory it takes men captives and delivers them into the hand of Christ that they become a ruled people and walke after his Law And these are the men that doe firmely believe Gods mercy in Christ There are many dreamers that have strange phantasies They are sure they shall be saved I once met with a man in such a dreame he was full of assurance I that knew him very well and knew nothing that could make him so confident dealt with him as I saw most convenient for his estate and endeavoured to prick his bladder that he might vent that wind and urged him with that of the Apostle Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure and with that other place Worke out your salvation with seare and trembling He was startled and at length told me I acted the Devills part against him to make him despaire Beloved the deceit is dangerous 'T is not so easie to believe mercy as men dreame Beliefe answers in proportion to fidelity to Gods commandments So much sincere faithfullnesse so much beliefe For faith is an obedientiall affiance an obsequious confidence 2. Neither is the hope that many have or pretend to have Sandy hope of hypocrites any founder then their faith If there were a true hope of the coming of Christ there would be a true preparation to give him meeting a sighing and longing after him even with the very languishing of the heart according to that of Solomon Prov. 13.12 Rom. 8. Hope deferred makes the heart sick a groaning within our selves waiting for the redemption for our bodies But hypocrites think themselves well here and care not for changing there would be a sweet joy in the soule Rom 5.2 a rejoycing under the hope of the glory of God a rejoycing with joy unspeakeable and full of glory but hypocrites rejoyce here and have contentment enough if the world smile upon them There would be an endeavour after holinesse according to that of St John He that hath this hope purifieth himselfe even as God is pure 1 Joh. 3 2. But hypocrites wallow in their impurity and have no regard to be like Christ or fitted for those holy Heavens into which no uncleane thing must enter There would be unweariednesse in labouring and fortitude in suffering for Christ Phil. 3.13 Heb. 11.25 a pressing forward to the things that are before with Paul a choosing to suffer affliction with the people of God with Moses But hypocrites languish in their undertaken wayes and are diven back with the crosse and shame There would be a forgetting the things that are behind and blunting of the edge of sharp affections to the world But hypocrites hunt for the world desire the world with all earnestnesse hug and embrace the world as the Mistresse and Lady of their pleasures There would be a sollicititude to promote all the meanes of attaining this expectation a diligence to remove all that might be impediments But hypocrites hope to come to Heaven and yet set on the journey in the way of life There would be an establishment of the heart in all the fluctuations and changes of this life a bearing up in all the blustring and windie weather of affliction Job 8.11.13.14 but the hypocrites hope is a shaken rush a weake flag his trust is a spiders web his hope shall perish and be cut off 3. Pretended love of hypocrites The hypocrite pretends much love to God and flatters him with his lips but his unfaithfullnesse unto him many wayes appeares Those that keep not promise with God how can they say they love him Jude 16.15 as Delilah to Sampson How canst thou say I love thee when thine heart is not with me Thou hast mocked me these three times Those that cannot endure Christs ministery how can they say they love him They will not be intimate with Christ in his ministery they give his Gospell the faire entertainement of a stranger It may come into the parlour and discourse but it must not step with them into the closet and see and know all as a privado Those that nourish secret dislikes and indignation against Gods people how can they say they love him Can ye love the person and yet not endure to looke upon the picture Those that have a
hated Christ their stomacks rise against the Jewes and the Romans that hated Christ and put him to death and yet which yee would wonder at these men may be found to be haters of Christ as much as they for they hate his will and are offended with his Law because it crosseth their lusts which is as offensive unto God as the despite which was done unto him by the Jewes or Romans Many detest the memory of Annas and Caiphas and so did they detest the memory of Corah Dathan and Abiram Yet they resisted Christ as those others before them had resisted Moses Observe what our Saviour speakes of some people in his own time who as we reade of Clodovaeus the first Christian King of France when Remigius Bishop of Rhemes being about to baptize him read the Gospell of Christs passion and the Jewes treachery and malice broke out into these words Siego cum FraÌ„ cis meis inibi affuissem ejuâ— injurias vindicassem Almon. If I had been there with my French-men I would have revenged him upon them built the tombes of the Prophets and garnished the Sepulchers of the righteous and said If we had been in the dayes of our Fathers we would not have beene partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets But notwithstanding all this shew of indignation against their Fathers cruelty yet Christ cals them hypocrites Mat. 23.29 30. and â—o indeed they were as Christ proves against them because they that pretended so much respect to Moses that was dead and to the dead Prophets shewed none to him that was a living Prophet among them and a teacher of the same things that Moses and the Prophets taught Joh. 5.46 Had yee beleeved Moses yee would have believed me Many that speake much of their love to Christ would yet hate him if he were now againe in the forme of a servant and should come and preach against their particular corruptions CHAP. XIX The sixth Symptome continued The eighth head The weeping Hypocrite The ninth stage-Mortification 8. LEt us in the next place cast our eyes upon the Weeping Hypocrite and view him in his sorrowing for and confession of sinnes There are some that are sorry for sin and chide themselves for sinne and yet keepe it and cherish and maintain it and put themselves upon the occasions of the practising of it Like some indulgent and foolish father who blames and chides an unthrifty darling and yet gives him still mony to spend and so feeds that lust which he reproves him for I knew a Minister scandalous this way as much as in the sin it self whose course was after his drunken riots to whine and lament Yea even in the Pulpit too and yet presently with the Swine returned to wallow in the same mire and haunt the same company and follow the same sin and that in as constant a course as men attend their Trades I know there are no eyes more lovely in Gods sight Pili oculorum ejus ex jugifletu ceciderunt In vita Par. par 2. Sect. 153. then the eyes that are full of teares Arsenius in the ancient History is famous for a weeper The broken tender spirit is most acceptable unto God it is his Sacrifice But most abominable before God it is with tears and sighings for what is past to fetch out as it were a new licence to sin a fresh Concerning the confessing of sin these things among others I have observed 1. That in publick some will spend a long time halfe an houre an houre it may be more in a methodicall Confession of sins in order against all the 10. Commandements and yet no compunction to be discerned in the breasts of them that make that Confession or as I should rather say that repeate it for such a confessing is but the worke of memory and wrought out like an other Discourse whereas me thinkes that man confesseth best to God that feeles the weight of every particular sin and when every acknowledgement fetches some blood from the heart with it and is delivered with a trembling lip with a face covered with shame though haply the words be not laid in so good an order nor so many things remembred nor so much time dully spent 2. That in private in discourse there are some that confesse and complain of smaller faults and defects when 't is but to be thought tender and open-sighted and that they may hide and cover greater errours Like the patient in Plutarch that complained to his physitian of his finger when his liver was rotten You shall have some complain of their weake memory their want of understanding and I know not what when alas the fault lyes in the badnesse of their hearts their want of delight and affection to spirituall things 3. I will adde unto these Mr Culverwels observation It 's hypocrisie in publike to dispraise ones selfe seeking thereby a secret praise And if we be desirous to search into the manner of Popish Confessions Holy Court Tom. 3. max. 9. Caussin will enforme us of the ceremonialnesse formality and sleightnesse of some of their devotes who after they have told all the tales of the City to their Confessours and made them loose their patience in attending their confession doe spin out other discourses and hold them with eternall prattle 9. Stage mortificâ—tion Because sorrow and confession are among the signes of mortification as I have shewed the deceit of those I shall thinke fit to adjoyne the Symptome of pretended mortification for this is one of the great Master-peeces of the hypocriticall Art to win opinion of being mortified persons dead to the world and dead to sinne Some abstain indeed from sin but 't is because they are under a constraint somewhat it may be controules them as a Dogge snatches not a morsell that he would faine devoure but he sees and feares the cudgell and the hand that is over him or as some patients that forbeare a dish they love because they know it will encrease their disease upon them and cause an after paine These men dislike not the sinne they are bowles that have a strong Bias to it but some rub or unevennesse of a hillocke casts them a side and makes them run the other way In others you shall not perceive the power and force of their lusts because it may be they have met with no provocations and therefore they run smoothly like a river that makes no noyse nor roaring till it meet with the Arches of a bridge or a damme or some high stones that resist the waves It may be great sinnes appeare not yet doth it not follow that they are mortified a smaller sinne may governe them 'T is not the largenesse of the Dominions of Spain and both the Indies that makes Philip more a King then one that hath soveraigne dominion in a small Island But to omit other particulars are not they mortified persons who after the practise of the Church of Rome doe
will not endure the flye and flattering insinuations of a false and an adulterous wanton Sinceritie hides many imperfections it is the girdle of truth Ephes 6.14 which like the Souldiers broad and studded belt covers all the chinks and unseemly joyntings in the armor but God sees all that is unsightly in the hypocrite he hath no girdle no belt to cover them Psal 119 1◠The sincere is perfect as the troopes of Zebulon that came to David are described to be being not of an heart and an heart but the hypocrite is an imperfect creature and how then can the perfect God but abhorre him Yea how can he but abhorre him who is so directly contrary to his nature Hab. 1.13 Mat. 5 8. Psal 73.1 for God is pure he blesseth the pure he is good unto the pure but the hypocrite is adulterate and mixed wickednesse is woven into the texture of his heart his scumme is sodden into him and throughly mingled Ezek. 24.12 Mat. 6.22 God is single and delighteth in a single eye but the hypocrite hath a double eye and a doubld heart God is perfect but hypocrites are like faire Apples rotten at the core like cups without a bottom like the people in the Prophet who turned not to God with their whole heart Ier. 3.10 There is no likenesse between God and such men a straight and crooked measure will never meet and joyn in all the parts They are vile persons such as Gods soule will hate Isa 32.6 The Prophet Esay calls them so The vile person will speake villany and his heart will worke iniquity to practise hypocrisie Ier 23.11 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Polluti sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ier. 23 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nubes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nebulosus hinc Nebuto Hebr. Canaph velatua est nubilus est Hence some derive our english A Knave Isa 57.3 Mat. 12 39. Putrida tabes hypocrisis Bern. I. Abern Physick for soul c. 12. Prov. 10.20 Aelian l. 1. c. 37. and in the Prophet Jeremie they are cal'd profane In my house have I found their wickednesse both Prophet and Priest are profane or polluted as the Septuagint turne it From the Prophets of Jerusalem is profanenesse gone forth in all the Land in the Margin there it is Hypocrisie in the Septuagint Pollution So then the hypocrite is profane and polluted a black cloudy fellow Both the holy tongues expresse this In another place of the Prophet Esay they are termed The sonnes of the sorcerer the seed of the adulterer and the whore To which our Saviour seems to allude when he calls them an adulterous generation They are foul diseased persons one calls hypocrisie a rotten impostume And Abernethy who gives severall titles to other sins as pestilent self-love the Tympany of pride the Gangrene of haeresie he disgraceth this by terming it putrid hypocrisie He is a thing of nothing of little worth according to that of Solomon The tongue of the just is as choyce silver the heart of the wicked is little worth There is a choycenesse and excellencie in the righteous but these are worthlesse perhaps their houses and lands and rents may be of good worth but they themselves are of none at all like Foxes whose skinnes are better then their flesh And if they have any good gifts or parts hypocrisie blemisheth all in them and takes away the lustre of them There are some men like the Lampreis a fish of most delicious tast and highly esteem'd among the Antients but it hath a sting of poison running quite through them They have excellent parts but this sting of hypocrisie marrs all and makes them dangerous It embaseth mettals and turns gold into leade If a man be a Magistrate a Preacher a sufferer if he be active if he be eloquent if he be couragious yet hypocrisie marrs the beauty of all The Priest at the high-Altar in his most solemne ministration if he be an hypocrite is lesse glorious then the poore dore-keeper at the porch in the meanest office if he be sound I called Lydia a Shop-keeper once but she was glorious in the meane way of Shop-keeping and Judas inglorious in the high office of Apostleship God takes pleasure in nothing that the hypocrite doth but he helps the very infirmities of the sincere 'T is sweetly exprest by Mr Herbert Mr. Herberts Sacred Poems p. 163. My joy my life my crown My heart was meaning all the day Somewhat it faine would say And still it runneth muttering up and down With only this My joy my life my crown Yet slight not these few words If truely said they may take part Among the best in art The finenesse which a Hymne or Psalme affords Is when the soul unto the lives accords He who craves all the mind And all the soul and strength and time If the words only rime Justly complains that somewhat is behind To make his verse or write an Hymne in kind Whereas if th' heart be moved Although the verse be somewhat scant God doth supply the want As when the heart sayes sighing to be approved O could I love and stops God writeth loved The Compositions of hypocrites are harsh in Gods eare they cannot make a smooth verse they cannot make an acceptable prayer He is taken with the humble and broken oratory of his servants Oh my dove saith he let me see thy countenance Cant. 2.14 let me heare thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely But an affected dove-like mourning voice he likes not a counterfeit face of sorrow and devotion he will not endure to looke upon A painted Jezabel of the two is better then a painted Pharisee Homil. 6. in Math. It is St Chrysostoms observation That she that paints teares and blubbering is worse then a wanton woman that paintes to seeme faire Joh. 9.31 Iam 4.8 Iob 13.16 Iob 27.3 He heareth not these sinners he will not draw nigh to these foule handed corrupt hearted double minded sinners An hypocrite shall not come before him God will not heare his cry when trouble comes upon him I doe but point at things that might be enlarged I know not which way to bring in all the testimonies of Gods hatred of hypocrites They during that condition are out of the proclamation of pardon We have heard it oft how it runs Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven Isal 32.1 2. whose sinne is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile He then in whose spirit guile is found partakes not of this blessednesse hath nothing to doe with this pardon They can have no hope Iob 27.8 Ier. 7.4 They trust but in lying words They shall have no reward for they have all here Verily I say unto you they have their reward Mat. 6.16 saith Christ concerning hypocrites Receperunt They have received they are to looke
have company they are better pleased but if not yet they will goe alone rather then goe wrong But the most follow the multitude Hier. Ep ad Iulian Animalia gloriae popularis aurae vilia mancipia St Hierom calls them Creatures of glory Slaves to popularity How will some of the wiser and sober Heathens condemn these men and rise up in judgment against them One of them said One is to me instead of the people and the people to me are but as one man Another when his friend asked him why he used so much exactnesse in composing a discourse that would come into few hands A few said he will serve one will be enough no matter if there be none that see it Another to his friend Senec. Ep. 7. I write not this for many but for thee we are a great audience to one another Seneca that recounts these would be now adayes esteemed a strange kind of man who in another Epistle writes thus to his friend Epist 32. Thou enquirest what it is that pleases me most of those things which I heare concerning thee It is this that men doe not talk of thee at all and that when I ask after thee most men know not what thou dost Our times are of another temper men would faine be the Town-talke and doe somewhat that may be carried down into the Country every where by the runningpost 3. Hypocrites Ambitious Another corrupt affection to which while men are indulgent they lose their integrity is ambition Where that boyles in a mans heart it will make him any thing for his ends Optaâ— Milev adv Parâ—â— l. 2. verâ— fin Optatus layes it to the charge of the Donatists as rigid as they were that they were ambitious and gaped after preferments Jacob will put on his elder brothers clothes to get the blessing This is right Macciavellisme as they call it They say one of his principles was That the appearance of virtue is only to be sought because the use of it is a trouble but the credit of it an helpe Cardinall Granvell assured the Prince of Parma in his letters that N. Prince of N. Fam Strada de Bel. Belg l. 2. Dec 1. was much addicted to the reading of that Authour If he were so and suckt such principles as these from him he could not be sound in religion Asterius the Sophister was perfect in them Athanas Orat. 2. contra Arrian he pretended himself a Christian but in the tenth and last persecution he sacrificed to the Idols to save his skin when peace was restored he againe became a Christian but still minded his game to rise and therefore after Constantines death Niceph. Hist l. 8. c. â—3 he upholds the Arrians side in hope by their means to get some rich Bishoprick He would be any thing for a fat preferment 1 Cor. 13.7 Ambition is the ape of charity and beareth all things it can stoope and drudge and comply to rise Petrus Blesensis Petr. Bles Ep. 4. an Arch-Deacon that was sometime Chancellour of Canterbury but being a Court-chaplain had occasion there to attend and observe writes to his friend the miseries of expectants and the base and sordid way 's taken for preferment right hypocrites ready to act any part yea the part of slaves that they may come to rule Vt dominetuâ— alijs prius servit curvatur obsequio ut â—â—nore donetur Within a few yeares after the Church enjoyed peace and wealth there were so many allurements to religion that no marvaile if many unsound men joynd themselves to that profession especially to get the favour of Princes and the dignity of an Episcopall-chaire for indeed they soon turn'd it from a burthen into a dignity and coveted Lordly titles Even in Tertullians time Bishops gate the title of Chiefe Priests Tert l. de Bapt. Optat. adv Par. l 1. Cod. Can Afric Can. 39. in Optatus Princes of Priests So that the Councells of Africk were forced to decree against them But no Canons or Coercive Laws were ever able to restraine the violence and rage of this humour It hath taught men to abuse religion it selfe and the pretenses of tendernesse Hubert Walter Archbishop of Canterbury Goodw Catal. of Bishops in Hubert An. 1133. and at the same time Lord Chancellour and Lord chiefe Justice places very inconsistent and improper to be joyn'd together in one man pretended a wearinesse under that double burden and that the charge of his Church was sufficient but it was saith mine authour because he thought the King could not want him and would entreat him to hold those Offices still A man can hardly be sincere that hath aspiring thoughts 'T is the contented man that probably is most incorrupt Bolton Quâ—tuor Noviss p. 165. Such an one as Justice Nicols was whom K. James would usually call The Judge that would give no money The man of high thoughts will give money and conscience too rather then loose the place Some that have no money to give buy preferment with zealous preaching loud invectives against the sinnes of the times pretended sufferings for conscience Jerard Ruff a Sorbonist was so hot in the Pulpit that the Papists pul'd him out of it But it appeared he had an eye to his advantage out of it By this suffering he wrought himself deeper into the liking of the house of Navarre He saw a better dore open then to languish away in the Sorborn Colledg and goes over to Calvins side but when he had got an Abbey and afterwards a Bishoprick he had what he gaped for and then grew remisse in his former course Beza in vita Calv. as Beza notes and forsook the part of the Queen of Navarre his old Lady and Mistresse he had then gotten belike a better Master 4. Love of riches a cause of Hypocrisie Mar. 10.17 c. I have but one instance more and that is that the corrupt affection of a worldly mind or the love of riches is in many the cause of hypocrisie There is one that we reade of that was very forward to come to Christ and to enquire after Heaven He came running and kneeling to Christ asked him Master what shall I doe that I may inherit eternall life But for all this forwardnesse and this questioning he was no fit man to make a Disciple of for he had a worldly mind he was all for what he could get how to inherit but would not part with what he had One thing is lacking goe sell that thou hast and give to the poore But he would not heare of such a religion A religion that a man may gaine by shall have many followers But talke of parting with and he is gone He went away sorrowfull for he had great possessions Rich Christ many are willing to follow and him it is that the Popish Monks serve whatsoever pretense they make of a vow of poverty This the Monks saw in one another though
my heart is fixed or prepared And so was Luthers heart fixed by faith not to be shaken with those threats and troubles which made Melancthon tremble for which he friendly but yet very roundly chides him in his Epistles In private troubles I am weaker and thou art stronger Epist ad Melan An. 1549. Thoudespisest thy own life but fearest the publike cause but for the publike I am at rest being assured that the cause is just and true yea that it is Christs and Gods cause I am well nigh a secure spectator of things and esteeme not any thing these fierce and threatning Papists I beseech thee by Christ neglect not so the divine promises and consolations where the Scripture saith Cast thy care upon the Lord waite upon the Lord be strong and he shall comfort thy heart And in another Epistle I much dislike those anxious cares An. 1530. which as thou writest doe almost consume thee 'T is not the greatnesse of the danger but the greatnesse of thy unbeliefe John Hus and others were under greater danger then wee And if it be great he is great that orders it Why doe you afflict your self If the cause be bad let us renounce it but if it be good why doe we make him a lyar who bids us be still As if you were able to doe any good by such unprofitable care I beseech thee thou that in other things art valiant fight against thy self thine own greatest enemy that putst weapons into Satans hand I might adde more out of him but I am too long in a particular faith is of generall virtue to order the whole life in holinesse 1 Co. 1.30 Christ is thereby made unto us Sanctification our corruptions are thereby mortified the strong walls of Jericho fall down before it Heb. 11.30 Isa 40.31 Faith fetcheth assistance from God for all duties these waiters upon the Lord renew their strength they mount up with wings as eagles they run and are not wearied they walk and doe not faint Faith inables us to use all the holy ordinances for our strengthening lively and profitably The word profiteth when 't is mixed with faith in them that heard the Sacraments comfort and confirme and make us to grow when they are received in faith 'T is weaknesse that makes hypocrites but faith feeds us with both these breads Acts 15.9 They are foule humours that breed hypocrisie but faith purifies our hearts Faith keeps a watch and a guard upon the soule that foule and diseased things enter not It is folly and blind conceit that makes hypocrites they childishly think 't is good to have two strings to the bow two stooles to sit upon two friends to trust in faith shews us the fullnesse of God the fullnesse of his promises This it is we must labour for to believe matters of salvation that is to assent unto them as good as necessary as worthy to be embraced not only considered in themselves and without encombrance but while compared with present losse of sensuall good or present infliction of any sensible evill Then we shall not faint as hypocrites doe thorough the want of this cleare assent but though our outward man perish a Cor. 4.16 18. yet the inward man is renewed day by day while we looke not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporall and these are the things that work upon the weake and poore thoughts of hypocrites but the things which are not seen are eternall and the sight of these things will make us sincere CHAP. XIII The third Medicament Resolution for God and the truth 3. BE throughly resolved for God Resolution an help against Hypocrisie and for the truth which ye take up to professe Let resolution chaine ye as Vlisses was to the mast of the ship that he might be secured from the chauntings and enticings of the Syrens 'T is because men are not tyed to God that they leape over-boord so often being fondly allured to leave God and hasten to the embraces of seeming beauties Remember therefore frequently the vow made in Baptisme A triple cord that was which would not be easily broken if men would tye it hard upon them Ye then were bound to faith to obedience to renounce the Devill the world and the flesh Tit. 2.12 The Gospell calls upon you to doe it again The grace of God which hath appeared unto you teacheth you to deny ungodlines and worldly lusts to looke as strangers upon them to shake hands with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be of a denying behaviour and to say no to all such like provocations Renew covenant often with God get stronger ropes and tye them with a sure knot that they may not slide We bind men because their words are not to be trusted Hypocrites doe breake their words They are full of proffers and professions of love and honour and service They offer as Zarah did but they draw back their hand Gen. â—8 28 29. yea though a scarlet thread be tyed about them though there hath a sensible notice been taken of them Be so resolved as to take an oath upon it Psal â—19 106 with David I have sworne and will performe it that I will keep thy righteous judgements See how solemnly they lift up an oath in Ezra's time Let us make a covenant with our God according to the counsell of my Lord Ezra 10.3 5. and of those that tremble at the commandement of our God and let it be done according to the law And they sware But if as that profane man said oathes may be played with as children doe with chuckstones then there must be some signall ratification We make a sure covenant and write it and our Princes Levites and Priests seale unto it Be resolved be of Luthers mind to goe thorough howsoever or else you will be driven in with the next storme and run away at the sight of the first enemie Be ballasted with resolution and then ye may endure the beating waves Resolution keeps Ruth with her mother Orpah is the hypocrite that complements with God but likes Moab better where she saw a certaintie Resolution makes a man a rock that beats back the darts of tentation shot against him a rocky promontory that washes not away though the surges beate upon him continually What a strong rock was St Basil the great when the Emperour Valens had brought over many Bishops to Arrianisme partly by faire words and preferments partly by imprisonments and others terrours only Basil would not turne He sent a great Courtier to him who advis'd him to yeild to the time and not sleight the friendship of the Emperour nor the greater preferments he might have Socrat. Hist l. 4. c. 26. Sozom. l. 6. c. 16. Theod. l. 4. c. 19. To that Basil answered That 't was for children to be wonne with such toyes and as for the
Emperours friendship it was not to be accounted of if it must be bought with impietie The great man being moved began to threaten him with banishment tortures and death Basil answered the earth is the Lords and the fullnesse thereof as for tortures what can they doe upon such a poore thinne body as mine nothing but skinne and bone Another time Eusebius Governour of Pontus being much enraged against this same Basil told him he would teare his very liver out of his bowells Truely said St Basil You shall doe me a very good turne in it to take out my naughty liver which inflames and diseaseth my whole body And this resolvednesse is much fortified by vowes which bind men strongly as we see in the case of the Gibeonites Iosh 9.19 20. and of the Benzamites because vowes or oaths made before God Iud. 21.2 6 7 14 19 20. which may not wilfully be broken without incurring Gods great displeasure and the judgments under which he that sweares layes himself in case he breaks his oath for vowes are deliberate and resolved promises according to the definition of them which we find in the Casuists Fred. Balwin de Cas l. 2. c. 8. Azor. To. 1. Instit l. 11. c. 14. That they are promises made to God out of the judgment of reason and purpose of the will So that these three things are in a vow deliberation purpose and a promise they doe therefore most strongly bind such as enter into them There are some that have doubted whether we may vow at all to God because God loves and requires a free service not necessitated by vows because men unnecessarily by them put themselves into a further snare because we owe all to God without vow But though we owe duty we are many times slow in performance and we may with Jacob quicken our selves by vowes Gen. 28.21 neither doe they hinder us from performing a free service for they are to be made ex proposito voluntatis with our own will neither are we further insnared by them then by the precepts of God when we make them in Gods strength and expectation of his grace to assist and but for a time and in things lawfull and possible unto us We had need to fortifie our selves strongly because of many assaults against our sinceritie to set our foot fast because of the many shuffles the world will put upon us And that we may resolve for God and truth labour with good judgment to see reason to choose that side and then to rest in the choice made Be not alwaies in choosing pitch some where And what is more lovely more worthy of choice then God and his truth Let our desires therefore be towards God and his name and then even dangers themselves will not remove us from him or make us unfaithfull as we heare the Church speaking in the Prophet Isa 26.8 9. Yea in the way of thy judgments have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee with my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Let our by as be to God The hypocrite when he makes faire towards God runs against by as All outward acts of approaches and addresses to God may be made by hypocrites there is no externall thing but a Painter may draw it and colour it with his pencill But love unfeigned love which will bind stedfastly and make the soul cleave unto the Lord with full purpose is above and beyond the art of painting Cant. 8 7. Many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned See God worthy to be preferred and love him truly and that love will keep you true to him so that if the world doe offer her self with her rich dowrie and shew you her beauty and her wealth she shall not be able to entice you from him or winne away your love and your hearts David made this choice Psal 73.28 2 Sam. 6.22 It is good for me to draw neare to God And he kept to this choice though he were scoft at for it If this be vile to serve and honour God who advanced me I will yet said he be more vile then thus He was not he would not be ashamed of his zeale I will only remember the carriage of another Prince to beare him company who ran thorough greater discouragements then flouts that he might hold to his choice I meane John Duke of Saxonie Cyriac. Spangenberg in Chron. Mansfield ad An. 1531. who to use my authours words might have had all that the world could afford if he would not have been a Christian but not respecting many calamities yea the danger of death it self he heroically defended the sincere religion against all the Devils and the Pope in three puhlike Imperiall assemblies And when it was told him he should loose the favour of the Pope and the Emperour and of all the world if he stuck so fast to the Lutheran cause Here are two wayes said he I must serve God or the world and which of these doe ye think is the better And so put them off with this pleasant indignation Neither would he be ashamed to be seen which way he chose to goe for when at the publike assembly of the States of the Empire It was forbidden to have any Lutheran Sermons he presently prepared to be gone and profest boldly He would not stay there where he might not have liberty to serve God He was resolved for God And I brought the example for a probatum est upon this Medicament that resolution will keep us close to God CHAP. XIV The fourth Medicament The thorough feare of God 4. GEt Gods feare planted in your hearts The feare of God vvill cure Hypocrisie 2 Cro. 19.9 There is nothing more effectuall then that for the present cure King Johoshaphat knew that this would preserve his Officers in their uprightnesse and startle them if they were not so Those whom he set for judgment and for controversies he charged them Thus shall ye doe in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart Salomon knowing this the most necessary point of all his Sermons to be remembred delivered it in the end of all because he would have it to dwell in the freshest thoughts of men Eccles 12.13 Psal 112.1 Psal 128.1 Let us heare the conclusion of the whole matter fear God and keep his Commandements They are well joyned together for that blessed man that feareth the Lord will delight greatly in his Commandments and will walke in his wayes it is the beginning of wisedom that wisedom which is in obedience which the Psalmist calls A good wisedom or understanding Psal 111.10 The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedom a good understanding have all
they that doe his Commandments Pro. 8.13 It is that which will nourish and encrease an hatred of sin The feare of the Lord is to hate evill It kept Joseph from wronging his Master and made him faithfull concerning the Kings store-houses and treasure Iob 31.21 22 23. It held him within the bounds of righteousnesse where he had strength and opportunity to breake thorough It hinders the delighting in sin by which the integrity of some men is lost Delight cannot dwell with feare It makes men despise other feares whereby some men are terrified from their constancie Jeremiah was not dismayed at the faces of the Princes Ier. 1.17 18. Priests and people because Gods feare made him a defenced citie and an iron pillar and brasen walls against the whole land This cuts off base and unworthy complyings he will not say a confederacie to whom the people say a confederacie Isa 8.12 13. nor feare their feare who sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and take him for their feare and their dread A greater feare will swallow up a lesser Christ improves this argument upon his hearers Mat. 10.28 that they should not feare him that can kill the body and that is all they can doe and the worst of their spight but that they should feare him that can cast body and soul into Hell fire The Asse a dull and slow creature feares the spur or the whip and will drive on roundly but if it come to a fire he feares that so much that the spur may fetch blood and the whip be spent and worne with lashing yet he will not be forced to goe forward Here is feare conquering feare You feare men they frown and threaten and beare a sword but offend not God to please them for in his frown is death his sword is sharper and his arrows ready Ecclus 1.15 16 17 18. This is finely urged by an Apocryphal authour They that feare the Lord will not disobey his word and they that love him will keep his wayes They that feare the Lord will seek that which is well pleasing unto him and they that love him shall be filled with the Law They that feare the Lord will prepare their hearts and humble their fouls in his sight saying we will fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of men for as his Majesty is so is his mercy The force of this feare the receipt that I am now commending Antonin Ep. Florent Hist Til. 26 part 2. c 4. §. 3. I shall thinke fit to manifest in one experiment The Emperour Henry the third had a Chaplain who one might entertained an Harlot into his bed the Emperour by some meanes knew of it but making as if he knew nothing he commanded him the next morning to officiate in the holy servica The Chaplain it seems having remorse and daring not so highly to profane the name of God being conscious to himself of his sinne refused to doe it The Emperour urged him much it was it seems to try him thoroughly But he still refusing the Emperour said he should either doe it or be banished He obeyes the sentence and leaves the Court. The Emperour sends after him and his officers bring him back bound as a delinquent and ready to suffer rather then to pollute the service of God as he esteemed But the Emperour took him and highly commending his honesty that he feared Gods wrath more then his presently bestowed a choice Bishoprick upon him and held him ever after very deare unto him This feare is in other phrases called in the Scripture The setting of God before one or the walking with God And that will make a man sincere Gen. 17.1 Walke before me saith God to Abraham and be upright And thus it was that Enoch walked with God Gen. 5. We are sure his wayes were sincere for the Scripture testifieth that they pleased God This will crush the first risings of hypocriticall thoughts Heb. 11.5 God sees shall I then dally shall I mock God We would not doe many things that we doe if but a child saw us and shall we not respect Gods eye or doe we think God is blind The Church in the Psalme observes this effect to her selfe of this medicine Psa 44.17 c. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way But how came she to be thus healthy It follows If we have forgotten the Name of our God or stretched out our hands to a strange god shall not God search this out for he knoweth the secrets of the heart This had a right operation in the Apostles 2 Cor. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are not as many which corrupt the word of God or which deale deceitfully with the word but as of God in the sight of God speake we in Christ We consider that our commission is from God and that our worke is done and discharged in his eye And in the same manner the Apostle speakes to the Thessalonians Our exhortation was not of deceit 1 Thes 2.3 4. nor of uncleanenesse nor in guile But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospell even so we speake not as pleasing men but God which trieth our hearts Even idle and wastfull servants when their Masters come home compose themselves and are double diligent But our Master is never absent Pro. 5.21 The wayes of a man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Therefore David like a good servant bestirred himself at all times I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies Psal 119.168 for all my wayes are before thee And no wonder that Paul and David have been thus wrought upon for we find this physick to have prevailed with the strong constitution and tough humour of Heathen men Senec. Ep. 10. Sic vive cum hominibus tanquam Dâ—us vldeat sic loquere cum Deo tanquam bomines audiunt Ep. 32. Seneca gave it among his advises to his friend Lucillius That he should live with men as if God saw him and pray to God as if men heard him And in another Epistle live thou so saith he as if I were by to heare and see all that thou dost Truly 't is much that some men will doe and much that they will forbeare and restraine themselves in because some men are by whose presence they regard I knew one who was said to be an extraordinary swearer and yet in diverse moneths together when he had occasion to live under the same roofe I never heard him sweare an Oath And so it is with many ordinary drunkards and wantons they will curbe themselves most strangely in the company and presence of the good I have sometimes been thinking that this may be a reason why many retired godly grave