The Cure of MISPRISION Or Selected Notes upon sundry questions in controversie of main concernment Betwen The Word and The World Tending to Reconcile mens judgements and Unite their affections Composed and Published for the common good as being A probable means to Cure Prejudice and Misprision in such as are not past Cure by R. Junius Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you for so did their Fathers of the false Prophets Luke 6. 26. LONDON Printed by Tho. Paine for Benjamin Allen and are to bee sold at his shop in Popes-Head Alley 1646. To the Reader COurteous Reader The disease to which this Cure is applyed is epidemicall The hearts of men beeing anatomized it will bee found that the grand cause of their alienation from and opposition unto the waies of God is a secret obstruction arising from that which as the seed of it the Author calls Misprision This Book describes the disease very lively in the Symptomes of it and prescribes the Cure in a very artificiall method laid downe in great variety of matter and elegancy of conveyance The receipt is made up of well chosen ingredients strong and therefore likely to be operative sweet thereby inviting the patient to take it If the Jaundies be removed out of thy eye wherby the things of God have been represented to thee in a false colour Let the chief Physitian have all the glory of thy recovery which is all the reward the confectioner expects for his paines THO GOODVVIN JO. ARROVVSMITH RICHARD VINES To all such as speake evil of the Way of Truth and of the things which they understand not 2. Pet. 2. 12. by way of Preparative WEc desire to heare of thee what thou thinkest for as concerning this Sect wee know that every where it is spoken against Acts 28. 22. They cal evil good and good evil put darknes for light light for darknes bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter They iustifie the wicked and take away the righteousnes of the righteous from him Isay 5. 20. 23. By honour and dishonour by evil report and good report as deceivers and yet true 2 Cor. 6. 8. They think it strange that ye runne not with them unto the same excesse of ryot therefore speake they evil of you 1 Pet. 4. 4. These things will they do unto you for my names sake because they have not known the Father nor me Job 15. 21. and 16. 3. We speake the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdome which God ordain'd before the world unto our glory which none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 7. 8. Because they received not the love of the truth thaâ— they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a ly that they all might be damned who beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnes 2 Thes 2. 10 11. 12. And this is the condemnation that Light is come into the World and men loved darknesse rather then Light because their deeds were evil For every one that evil doth hateth the light least his deeds should bee reprooved John 3. 19 20. Should men hold their peace at thy Lyes and when thou mockest others shall none make thâ—e ashamed Job 11. 3 We would have Cured Babylon but shee would not be cured Jerm 51. 9. This peoples heart is waxed fat and their ears are dull of hearing and their eys they have closed leâ—t they should see with their eyes hear with their eares and should understand with their hearts and should bee converted and I should heale them Matth. 13. 15. Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things 2 Tim. 2. 7. The Cure of Misprision or selected Notes upon sundry questions in controversy of main concernment between the Word and the World tending to reconâ—ile mens judgements and unite their affâ—ctions Section 1. Question WHy is there so much jarring and discord so little love and peace amongst us since wee all professe our selves men the best of creatures Christians the best of men Protestants the best of Christians Answer It proceeds primarily from the variousnesse of our dispositions for since the fall there is not more variety of faces voyces hand-writings c. then of humors As take twenty men where you please as they dwell or passe the streets there will not be two of them conditioned alike as were David and Jonathan yea goe into the same Church be it in City or Country where is a mixt audience of men seeming to professe the same Religion and cull out the like number may it not be said of them Quot homines tot sententia so many men so many mindes or may they not be stiled or described much after this manner the Rich worldling the Civill Justiciary the Loose libertine the Temporary beleever the Opinionist the Formalist the Weake Christian the Experimentall Christian the Atheist the Papist the Moderate man the Common Protestant the Newter the Ignorant Man the Prudent Man the Proud Man the Persecutor the Profound humanist the Cunning polititian the Cauterized drunkard c. And are these likely to agree in all poynts of Religion which are infinite when the same sermon shall be admired by one slighted by another deeply censured by a third yea when a fourth shall weepe at it a fâ—â—tlcoffe and jeere at it a sixt tremble at it a seventh curse and blaspheme both at it and the messenger our Saviours own case John 7. which yet is no wonder since some are as deeply in love with vice and error as others are with vertue and truth But secondly What hope is there that we should all agree when the holy Ghost who best knowes our rame compares severall men to almost every several rall creature in the universe purposely to shew that the Epicure is not more like a Swine the lustfull person a Goat the â—raudulent man a Fox the backbiter a barking Dog the slanderer an Aspe the oppressor a Wolfe the persecuter a Tyger the Church-robber a wild Boar the seducer a Serpent the traytor a viper c. then every one of them is unlike another Which yet is not all for let carnall men be at never so much ods one with another yet they will concur and joyne against the â—odly as for example Edom and Ishmael Moab and the Hagarius Gobal and Ammon Amaleck and the Philistins the men of Tyre and Assur had all severall Gods yet all conspire against the true God Psal 83. 5. to 9. Manasses against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasses but both against Judah Hâ—rad and Pilate two enemies will agree so it be against Christ they will fall in one with another to fall out with God the Sadduces Pharises and Herodians were sectaries of divers and adverse factions all differing one from another and yet all these joyne together against
it selfe More I could say for him and as much for the rest who doe not so manifestly against their consciences as thou doest who art convinc'd of a deitie but I list not to be tedious Wherefore Sect 78. 3. In the third place to bring the Polititian another opponent to this tryall If he be an hypocriticall puritan whoâ—e profession and practice is contrary then he is also a grosse hypocrite For though this beast like that other beast Rev. 13. 11. be a verâ— dragon in condition yet he hath horns like the Lamb when they may stand him in stead for be his actions never so divelish he can speak aswell as the best and how should men be hypocrites if they had not good tongues Perhaps he is not so much noted for hypocrisie as others that make lesse use of dissembling but his owne conscience tells him that he hates Religion in his heart at least that Lisander like he makes no conscience or reckoning of it but when it may prove profitable but though he will not admit it in him yet to further his own ends he will sometimes put it on and adorn himself therewith Religion shall serve him as a canopy to shroud the putrifaction of his divelish plots being like one that lookes a squint for while he seems to cast his eye on goodnes his sight is fixed on wickednes and may fitly be resembled to those women divels who employ holy and sacred words about witchcraft and magicall effects Yea it is grown the highest maxime in mundane policy to seem not be religious And there is scarce a man who sometimes to serve his own turn will not seem devout resembling that Roman Wolfe who useth to talk of Religion and piety when he means policy But principally and more specially there are two sorts of Polititians who do play the hypocrites and abuse religion for their own ends viz. Covetuous persons and Cruel men Sect. 79. As for the first of these how many Courtiers Lawyers Gentlemen and Tradesmen are there who make Religion serve them as a stalking horse or mantle that under pretence of it they may deceive the world both unseen and unsuspected like Judas who pretended a religious care of the poor when he would have the precious oyntment spared when he intended nothing but to fill his owne bag as the holy Ghost witnesseth John 12. 5. 6. Or Gehazi who pretended the children of the Prophets when he aimed onely at his own benefit Or the Scribes and Pharisees who devoured widdows houses under a colour of long prayers Matth. 23. 14. Or Vespasian the Emperour who erecting places to receive the urine pretended the Cities wholesomnesse and sweetnes when he onely aimed at the sweetnes of gain in the augmenting of his tribute as Suetonius observes Whose publique spirit is now growne so common that every man of every profession can say as much Not a Souldier either in the Kings or Parliaments Armie but will say that he fights for religion lawes and liberties when God knowes and many of their owne consciences know that no motive is so powerfull with them as the name of commodity as neither sighting for God Religion nor Country but gold the hope of which makes them prodigall of their skin and blood Yea let a common thief by the high way but light into true meaning company he will talke of sincere dealing and uprightnes against robbery and oppression and have many semblances of Religion till he spies his opportunity and then his hands shall manifest that his heart and tongue did but dissemble Sect. 80. Secondly touching cruel and bloody minded men How â—suall is it with our Lordly Prelates and State Polititians to imitate Iehu who pretended zeale for the Lord of Hosts when his project was for the Kingdom Yea how many of them will pretend with Herod religiously to worship Christ when they intend wolvishly to worry him It is no hard matter to find a Judas in the Church or a Joab in the State that will seem to kisse Christ in his Ordinances while they seek only to betray and murther him Yea I wish there were not Commanders in both Armies that resemble Galba who assembled togetter the people of 3. Towns in Spaine under colour to treat of something for their wealth and having so done caused 7000. suddenly to be murthered amongst whom was the flower of all their youth as Valerius relates For as in former ages so now every Machiavilian Atheist will sometimes make a shew of Religion and honesty though in their hearts they laugh at it Even Iezabel that her divelish plot may take the better proclaims a fast before the murther And Saul plotting to take away Davids life by the hands of the Philistins sayes to him Be a valiant Son to me and fight the Lords battayls So Simeon and Levi cloak their purposed massacre of the Sechamites with the conscience of Circumcision And Absalom his treason with the religion of his vow yet these forsooth are neither puritanes nor hypocrites in the apprehension of our blind sensualists because their spleene is onely against the religious against whom they never leave barking out these names Yea admit one shall upon every occasion and in every company be a severall man and of a severall Religion to day a papist to morrow a precisian and between whiles a Protestant at large as shall best fit the affairs he is to negotiate though his constant religion be according to the statute as many such there be both in Church and State resembling an Actor on the stage who sometimes playes the part of Agamemnon sometimes of Achilles sometimes of their enemy Hector sometimes taking one mans person upon them sometimes another Or Water fowle that for food and relief go on the land with beasts and swim in the water with fishes and fly in the ayre with birds Or Protius who changed colour upon every remove Or the Camelion that can turn to all colours but white the symbole of purity can be any thing but innocent Or Stython Caneus and Tyresias who as they listed would be either men or women Or the Nazarens who were with the lews circumcised and baptized with the Christians and so as Ierome writes were neither Iews nor Christians yet these are no hypocrites c. But the truth is the world affords not arranter hypocrites then those she most acquits of hypocrisie of whom these are chief For as Christ to deceive the divel took man upon him so these to deceive men take the Divel upon them like that Dominick Fryer who poysoned Henry the seventh County of Luysenborgh with the Sacrament Noâ— does the Divel ever so deceive as when hee appears like an Angel of light 2. Cor. 11. 14. Our state Polititians are like those Serpents spoken of by Solinus that wound as many as they wind into their imbraces Nor do these Serpents ever sting so deadly as when they bite without any hissing The skill is to know and beware of them For
them a murtherous Cain Of eight soules in the Arke a figure of the Church was not one an impious Cham Was the house of Ely without Hophny and Phineas sons of Belial Was not Saul among the Prophets And Judas among the Apostles Were there not five foolish Virgins aswell as five wise Was there not one Guest at the Lords Table who had not on his wedding garment Is not the church compared in the scripture to a field of wheat mingled with Tares To a draw net cast into the Sea which gathereth of all kind of Fishes good and bad c. How then can it bee expected that the Visible Church now should be without hypocrites in it who pretend to worship God when they intend noâ—hing lesse 2. Againe is it any more then the holy Ghost hath abundantly foretold and forewarned us of to the end we might not bee offended at the same Gal. 2. 4. Matth 7 15. and 24. 24. 2 Cor. 11. 13. Rev. 2. 2. Rom. 16 18. Titus 1. 11. 1 Tim. 6. 3. 4. 5 Yea our saviour sheweth that there should bee such hypocrites and so many of them that if it were possible they should turne the very elect out of the way as now they have done thee Sect. 33. 3. But admit the scriptures were silent herein What is the Theefe to the honest man or what is the hypocrite to the true religion which he professeth Because such a party hath offended thou wilt slander his religion and all that professe it This argues that thou dost it in meer spight and malice against God against the children of God and against religion it self to make it loathed and abandoned even as those hardned Jews did who spake evil of the way of truth before the multitude to the end they should not receive the doctrine which Paul preached Act. 19. 9. Or if it be not so then where as now thou resemblest Orchanus who caused his daughter to bee buried alive because Apollo had ravished her hence forward thou wilt cast the reflex of thy malice upon those few only who are indeed hypocrites and not upon righteous men with him who hate his conditions honestly as much as thou dost him maliciously Upon such a mans person and not upon his profession for it is not because they are religious but because they are not religious enough that men play the hypocrites Their profession and purity is not the cause of their wickednesse but their wickednesse the cause of such their counterfeiting profession For the more deformed any act is the fairer vizard it still seeketh and the worse any thing is the better shew it desires to make It is a usuall thing for Rebels to make their Proclamations in the name of the King And for Pirates when they intend to robbe Marchants to hang out the flags of other nations both to scandall them and conceale themselves The Infidels in the Primitive Church would raise mutinies and up roares and then Father them upon the Christians The Powder Traitors decreed to blow up the State and then lay it upon the Puritans And good reason have they so to Cloake their Villany for hereby the thief passes unsuspected while the honest man is hanged in his steed For the Divel so blinds wicked men that if an Atheist can but steal Christs livery from one of his servants and take a purse in it they will raise Hue and Cry to attach all that wear the same Cloath without any knowledge of the person that weares it Yea so far as they dare their tongues shall be open against the master whose livery it is But how just and equall this is let any wise man determine Thou hast heard of or seene some Wolf put on sheeps cloathing to the end he might do the more mischiefe therefore thou wilt ever after judge all sheep to be wolves What can bee more sottish and unjust for to reason thus such and such a professor of religion is naught therefore all professors are so is all one as if thou shouldest say such and such a Gentleman hath the pox therefore all Gentlemen have it Yea thou maist as well and as justly condemne all societies and callings as all the whole quire of Angels because Lucifer was an Angel The whole fellowship of the Prophets because Balaam was a Prophet The whole company of the Apostles because Judas was an Apostle All Philips converts because there was one Simon Magus among them All the Christians in the Primitive Church because there was one Nicholas an heritick of them Then which nothing could be more ridiculous or divelish Will any wise man condemne the Protestant religion because there are divers Drunkards Theeves and murtherers who professe themselves Protestants Will any judicious person condemne the Art of Physick because some Mountebancks will needs practise it Or the Art of Navigation because some that professe it have made shipwrack Wil any man that is in his right sences conclude a great heap of Gold and Silver to be base mettle and counterfair come because he finds one bad peece in it Or cast away a Baâ—ne full of good Graine because 't is mingled with some offall I think not Why wilt thou then bee so devilish as to force a Rape on vertue and adulterate the chast bosome of spotlesse simplicity and sincerity in calling all professors of religion and practizers of piety hypocrites and puritanes because thou hearest of some few that are so Sect. 34. 4. But to come nearer in shewing thee thy folly and madnesse suppose other men should be of thy wicked mind and so fore stall themselves with prejudice as thou doest What would become of religion and piety Or if this had been their argument in former times how many should have stumbled and falâ—e off from the true religion When David fell into his Adultery and murther How many at Christianty when Judas one of Christs Apostles play'd the Theefe betrayed his master and hang'd himselfe the Gospel being then but a planting How many at Peters denying and forswearing his Master And so at the like in every age of the Church Would not the issue be this God and reigion should bee utterly forsaken and the whole World become subjects to Satan and Citizens of Hell Wherefore while thou hast time take heed and know that the Divel first puts out wicked mens eyes and then layes blocks in their way to make them stumble and fall that so they may dash themselves in peeces Or rather God himselfe in justice suffers these scandals to be given or these stumbling blocks to be laid that thou and such others as thou art mayst stumble at them to thy destruction and break thy soules neck as 't is Ezek. 3. 20. For when God seeth that nothing will better men but to Hell they will goe and damned they will be let his ministers and people mercies and judgements do what they can he enters into a resolution to make sure work with them as If the Lord should
Luthers story speakes of the Church of Rome in generall His words are these under pretence saith hee of Peters Chair they exercise a Majesty above Emperours and Kings under the Vizard of vowed Chastity raigns adultery under the Cloake of professed Poverty they possesse the goods of the temporality under the title of being dead to the world they not only raigne in the world but also rule the world under the colour of the keys of heaven to hang under their girdle they bring all the Estates of the world under their girdle and creep not only into the purses of men but into their consciences also they heaâ— their confessions they know all their secrets they dispence as they are disposed and loose whom and what and where they list And wherein did our Lordly Prelats who have alwaies made Gods people under the colour of puritans the onely object of their cr uelty come short of the Papists Did they not under a colour pretence of being fathers of the Church by their usurped government dethrone Christ the head of the church and under the colour of Religion take away the vigour and power of Religion And while they calld themselves the chiefe priests were they not Christâ— chief enemies certainly none will now when they are so well discovered deny it that have eyes in their heads and open But I hasten to acquit the innocent whom all these guilty persons do most unjustly and maliciously accuse and stigmatize for the sole and only puritans and hypocrites In whose tryall two things are principally to be examined and enquired of First What profession they make and how agreable that is to the rule of Gods word Secondly What their practice is and how agreeable that is to their profession Sect. 88. Ob. Now as touching the first they are much found fault withall as what needs so much profession faith the sensualist when his spight is at Religion cannot men serve God in secret but they must blow a trumpet and hang out a flag for others to take notice of it Answ To the which that I may make a full and satisfactory answer pardon the prolixety of it First Such are to know that profession can no more be separated from the truth of Religion then light from the Sun If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve with thine heart thou shalt be saved for with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation And whosoever beleeveth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 10. 9. 10. 11. True fire not painted cannot but heat breake forth and ascend We cannot carry musk in our bosome but the sent will disperse it self There cannot be a candle in the house but it will appear at the window every fountain hath it streams by which it may be known Three things saith the Spanish proverb cannot be kept in Fire love and the cough it may as truly be said of grace If Christ the Paschall Lamb be in the House of the soul the sprinkling of his blood will be seen without by sanctification and holines of life Whosever is indeed good shall and must also seem good for first his works will praise him whether he will or no his fruits will shew what tree he is Indeed profession may be without grace as leaves may be without fruit but grace cannot be without profession as fruit cannot be without leaves That which is not gold may glister but that which is gold cannot chuse but glister We read of Wolves that come in sheeps cloathing but never of sheep that come in wolves cloathing Many harlots will put on the semblances of chastity never the contrary It is no trusting those who wish not to appeare good Good men in Scripture are compared to good and fruitfull trees the heart is the root grace the sapp good works the fruit profession the leaves and blossomes Now if there be sap in the root of a tree and fruit grow on the branches its impossible but some blossoms and leaves will shew themselves Nor can it be expected that eveiy such tree like the mulbery should first bring forth fruit and then blossoms For even repentance and good works are but the fruites of faith and the usuall method is First the roote then the tree then the leaves and blossoms and last of all the fruit Sect 89. Indeed there is a dead faith spoken of Iam. 2. 17. 20 26. which cannot be seen which resembles the Ebone tree that bears neither leaves nor fruit But a true and lively faith is operative and works by love Gal. 5. 6 Yea it constrains thereunto for the heart and mind having begot holy thoughts the lips will not fail to bring them forth witnesse the thiefe upon the crosse If the law of God saith David be in a mans heart his mouth will speak of wisdom and his tongue will talk of judgement Psal 37. 30. 31. The soul that hath received fuâ—l confirmation from God in the assurance of its salvation cannot but bow the knee and by all gestures of body tel how it is ravished whence it is that many at their first conversion are held by their carnal friends to be mad or beside themselves as our Saviour was by his kinsfolk Mark 3. 21. Ioh. 10. 20. Secondly Vnlesse he keep his lips alwaies sealed up he must either dissemble which is cowardly and base Or else his language will bewray what countryman be is For if he speak like the vertuous woman in the Proverbs he opens his mouth with wisdome and the law of grace is in his tongue And while the door of his mouth is open the standers by may behold as it were in a temple the goodly similitudes and images of the soul Neither can he avoid speaking for admit he be in adverse company they will so beset a man with questions and draw him on and pick it out of him that without an absuâ—d silence he must shew an inclination one way even as a ballance cannot stand still but falleth to one side or other or if he do not they will gather as much by his silence as by his speech For in this case carnall men are very apprehensive for as the paynter Protogenes knew Apelles by the draught of one line though he had never seen him before so will they a gracious soul by his very silence Or lastly a man cannot dissent from their wicked customs he cannot refuse to run with them to the same excesse of ryot in drinking swearing prophaning the Lords day and the like much lesse can he admonish them and so discharge his conscience as who having but a spark of the spirit of God in him can choose but he makes too great a shew and his profession troubles them Sect. 90. Indeed they name profession but their spight is against your religion for be but as prophane as they their quarrel is at an end yea it is only your holy religious conversation
bid Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Which is the portion of all wicked men Matth. 25. 41. They above all other sinners shall have a double weight or portion of vengeance the lowest and deepest place in Hell As is plaine Matth. 23. Where our saviour not only pronounceth Woe to you hypocrites but repeats it eight times in one Chapter saying Woe Woe Woe to you hypocrites for you shall receive greater damnation vers 14. The hypocrite strives to loade Christ with manâ— sinnes therefore Christ loads him with many woes and curses Though the maine ground is from the nature of this sinne For nothing more greatens any sinne then simulation of holinesse Nor is any mischiefe so divelish as that which is cloaked with piety The better vice shews the worse it is and the worse it is the better it desires to shew Yea the better colour is put upon any vice the more odious it is both in the sight of God man For as every similitude adds to an evil so the best adds most evil The face of goodnesse without a body is the worst wickednesse Cloath an Ape in Tissue and both the beauty of the Robe and the resemblance which hee carrieth of a man does but add more scorne to the beast And without contradiction an ill man is the worst of all creatures save the Divel himselfe an ill Christian the worst of all men and an ill professor the worst of all Christians Professed Curtizans if they bee any way good it is because they are openly bad And it shall be easier for theeves and Adulterers at the day of judgement then for hypocrites Mat. 21. 31. Wherefore if thou beest unsound within soil not the glorious Robe of truth by putting it upon thy beastlines To bid thee repent and strive for Sincerity were to small purpose for which is strange in all the Scriptures wee never reade of an hypocrites repentance And a notable reason may be given Wickednesse doth most rankle the heart when it is kept in and dissembled And thus far our opinions jumpe Sect. 75. But touching the next query our judgements are as diametrially opposite as the two poles For who are these verball orrall occular professors Those who are called puritans or those that terme and repute them so this is the main question and it would be throughly examined We say they are the only men guilty of this crime they say the like of us but the tryall is all and how shall wee try it surely by bringing each side and every of their actions to the rule And first to bring them to the tryall who call all professors of Religion puritans and raile against them under pretence that they are not as they seeme If hee be an hypocrite who is much in profession and nothing or clean contrary in his practice then there are none greater hypocrites then Protestants at large viz. Prelaticall and Scandalous Ministers Civil and Morall Men. Prophane and Ignorant Persons Cunning Polititians who joyne all together in crying downe and barking against profession I know the assertion will seeme strange Yea the grossest hypocrite of them all will presume that hee can Herod like wash his hands of this sin And with David touching Nathans parable which made him passe sentence against himselfe think that this foule evil does no way concern him Or as Ahab thought of the Prophets parable when his own mouth condemn'd him for letting Benhadad go free 1 Kings 20. 39. to 43. But I shall make it appear that there are no greater hypocrites nor Puritans under Heaven then they who rail and cry out so much against hypocrisie and Puritanisme It faring with them as it did with Sabillus the Sicilian who slew the tyrant Cleander and was after found to bee a worse Tyrant then he Or as it did with that Pharisee in the Gospel who brake his neighbours head when he should with the Publican have smote his owne breast Oh that men would observe what I shall say but asmuch as it concerns them that they would well consider how Satan gulls them and how grosly they gull themselves But this is the gift of God alone for to plant and water is nothing except it receive blessing from above I will therefore do my utmost and leave the rest to him that can doe what hee will and will doe what is best Sect. 76. 1. And first let me examine such of the Ministery who altogether in their sermons enveigh against puritans for being one in their profession and shew to the world and another yea cleane contrary in their life and practice their consciences shall give evidence against them if they be not cauterized with continuall handling of holy things without feeling That whereas they call themselves by the generall name of Christians by the speciall and particular name of Christs Ministers and Ambassadors pretending they represent his person spend their whole times in reading and preaching Gods word receiving and administring the Sacraments in praying and visiting the sick get their whole livings under a shew of service done to Christ Yea their very garments forsooth must pretend holinesse and purity then which there can be no greater profession yet these men these great pretenders are the least of any obedient to his lawes Yea none greater enemies to Christ and his kingdome then they for either in their preaching they doe what they can to draw from Christ to the world his mortall enemy by discouraging the good and incouraging the evil by turning the truth of God into â—ly as it is Rom. 1. 25. A thing more frequent with Prelaticall preachers then most men have wit to observe I wish their admirers would reade their severall Characters in a late abstract and be better informed or that such unpreaching ministers were marked in their foreheads that their people might the better know and take heed of them I confesse it is strange that these Gehazies who receive in so much truth at their eares should not have one word of truth in their mouths Yea to an ordinary capacity it sounds above beleefe that they who are Gods mouth to the people should bee so wicked and false as out of the mouth of God to give not the judgement of God but of their owne wicked hearts stifned with the serpents enmity But consider the reason and the case is plain The hypocrite is a secret Athiest saying in his heart there is no God Psal 14. 1 and without controversie Thou art an Athiest for if thou didst beleeve there is a God thou durst not bee so bold as to withstand him to his face and with his word to wound his own people Or secondly if they doe preach the truth yet by their lives they confute their owne doctrine as their Rhetorick may bee prittie and their Lodgick wittie when their practice is naughtie Yea are there not many hundreds in this land some whereof the Parliament have sound out and cast out like Balaam then whom never Prophet
these Wolves come evermore in sheeps cloathing And the more foule their intent or project is the fairer shall their pretence be Sect. 81. Now the best way not to bee deceived is to try before you trust them And seeing mens hearts and tongues are not ever relatives beleeve not words alone for words of themselves are no good tryall of profession The worst men may speak well and actions have only the power to discry Hypocrites Yea when all a mans religion lies in his tongue and his hands either doe nothing or ill his profession is but wind as his words Yea the noyse which their tongues make in a formality of profession shall in the silence of their hands but condemn them for hypocrites And no better argument of an empty barrell then loudnes 2. Neither lâ—t outward shews overcome thee for an hypocrite is a thing fair to the eye pleasing to the eare harsh to the understanding resembling Alcibiades Tables which were fair without foule within And nothing more common then for men to pluck a fair glove upon a foule hand and under divers sutes to wear the same skin Yea over fair shews are a just argument of unsoundnes for no naturall face haâ—h so fair a white and cleare a redde as that which is painted And while wee see men notoriously zealous in some things remisse in others we may be charitably suspitious many a sorry Tapp house white limes and glasses the front towards the streete and setts out a costly painted signe when there is nothing in the inward parts but sticks and clay and ruines and cold earthen flowers and sluttery 3. Touching practice the best way is not to judge of men by this or that single action as ignorant worldlings do but by all together as wise Christians doe Observe what they are abroad and what at home for many of them are Angels abroad Divels at home at least in their own breasts and worse when Angels then when Divels compare the severall circumstances of their words and actions private and publique past and present considering that whiles the mettle is the same the form of each Cup may be divers And so doing thou shalt bee able to answer such an one as Alexander did Antipater Thou wearest a white garment but it is lined with purple thou art no more the man thou seemest then the fouler who under the shape and likenesse of an Ox lyeth in waite for Partridges that so hee may take and kill them is that simple creature which he would be thought to be And having once discovered him have no more to do with him Yea accept not of the greatest curtesie from him for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ nor seeke not thy good but their own profit and with fair speâ—ch and flattering gifts deceive the hearts of the simple Rom 16. 18. The Bird that accepts of the Fowlers meat buyes it full deetly with the losse of her owne life And Rat catchers use to mingle good Bread with Poyson that they may more easily deceive Wherefore when thou meetest with these Greeks play thou the Trojan who sayes I much doe feare the Greeks when they bring gifts Take their meaning from a similitude In leaping we use to go back that wee may leap the further and in striking wee lift up our hand the higher that our stroak may be the greater which is the guise of all Hypocrites and Polititians And so much touching this sort Sect. 82. 4. Fourthly To bring all ignorant persons I mean ignorance of the best things to this tryall who no lesse raile against Puritans then the wisest If hee bee a Puritan and an hypocrite whose profession and practice is contrary then are they also notorious hypocrites and Puritans For first if you mark them they not only professe religion in ordinary but in apearance they are extream devout I mean by their devotion superstition for as they call themselves Christians and true Protestants and Baptise their children as the children of beleevers which cannot well be justified so they duely frequent the house of God both Sundayes and Holy daies I do not mean beggers or the common sort of poore people for they as if they had no soules are without God in the world and scarce hear a Sermon in 7. years though these also have God Christ in their mouths more then any and are the surest to goe to Heaven because they have their Hell here Yea the summa totalis of their beleefe is that all rich men shall go to Dives all poore people rest with Lazarus in Abrahams bosome yea if there be prayers read in their parish Church every morning at 5. of the Clock your ignorant formall titular statute neighbourly and well meaning Christians will not goe to the Ale-house before they have beene in Gods house And then are they so blest that God wrongs them if they speed not the better for it all that day especially if they have a lucky hansel so soone as they come home the obligation is both sealed and delivered For thus heathnish and blindly superstitious are most men notwithstanding our so much meane of grace But admit they love their profit more then praying to God saying of such as goe to Church on the week dayes as Pharoah did of the Israelites they are Idle and as Judas of the Ointment what wast of time iâ— this Yet upon the Sabbath especially in the forenoone they never faile going to Church accompained with a great part of their Families where they are no sooner come but having first bowed and cringed to the Communion Table done reverence to the minister and the rest of their rich neighbours you shall see them down upon their knees and heare them say over all their Prayers bee the minister speaking from God to them or the people joyntly praysing God or praying to him Which being solemnly ended they joyn with the Congregation in praying singing and hearing and therein seeme more devout in lifting up their eyes elevating of their voyces sighing c. then ordinary And when they heare the name of Jesus read bee it but the son of Sirach they doff their Hats and scrape such a legge as shall disturbe the whole Parrish When the Gospel is read they stand up all the while but sit when they pray and so when the Creed is pronounced or rehearsed which denotes that they will bee ready to justifie stand to and maintain those cansins of their faith against all opposers And then with the like zealous confidence they proâ—â—sse in words that they beleeve in God c. when thâ—y aâ—â— as ignorant what God is as the child in the womb The sacrament of the Lords suppâ—r thâ—y so adore that the only receiving oâ— it upon their kâ—ees upon gâ—od Fryday or Easâ—er day and in theiâ— best â—â—oaths mâ—kâ—s thâ—m as holy as David though they dâ—â—fâ—r noâ—â—â—om beasts more thâ—n in speaking Anoâ—â—er while they sing in the words of the Psalmist