An Apology for the Nonconformists Ministry, Treatise · Part 1 · Objection 10
10 Obj. Your pretended Piety is but Pharisaical hypocrisie: you are the successors of the Pharisees, whom Christ spoke hardlier of, than of Publicans and Harlots: And the vicious and debauched are more tolerable than you, whose Religious and zealous Villanies are of greater danger to the publick safety; and whose Piety is but pride, in counting your selves Holier, and better than your Neighbours, and saying, I thank thee, God, that I am not as other men, nor as this Publican.
Ans. 1. It is a shrewd suspicion that their Cause is not good, who are put to uphold it by accusing their adversaries of heartsins, as Hypocrisie is, which are quite out of the sight of men. Either you mean that it is Hypocrisie latent, or Hypocrisie detected by a wicked life. If the former, I confess you have us at an advantage; For as you pretend to be as Gods in knowing the heart; so we who confess our selves but men, have no way of defence against heart-accusations, but denial, and calling for your proof: And our Denial were not enough, if you knew the heart indeed. Our judgment is, that Hypocrisie is a most hateful sin; and (as I have declared my opinion at large, in a Discourse called The Formal Hypocrite) we think that all men (except the professed Atheists and Infidels, who have multiplied since the Ministers were silenced) among us in England, are either Saints or Hypocrites; For all that profess true Christianity, according to their Baptismal-Covenant, do profess Sanctity: And therefore we suppose, that the more any mans life is contrary to his profession, the more notorious Hypocrite he is. For the difference lyeth not in the Materials of our Profession: For we profess nothing as our Religion, but Christianity: If any go further, we renounce their profession. And all of you that stand to your Baptism, profess Christianity, the same Christianity as we. The question therefore is, Whose lives do most contradict their profession? I doubt not but you will confess (for you cannot deny it), that a proud, domineering, worldly, covetous, drunken, gluttonous, malicious, persecuting Christian, is an Hypocrite. If you prove any among us guilty of these, you were best name the men, unless you think that Nonconformity to Oaths and Subscriptions, make all that are endued with it, eat and drink too much. As for these other zealous Villanies which you charge upon us, they are to be spoken of by themselves. We are content, that if the Nonconformists lives do contradict their Christian profession more than the Conformists (proportionably) that you write in Capital Letters, the name [Hypocrite] upon every ones back and breast, that the people may know them as they go along the streets; and may gratifie the Politician, by hating them more for their hypocrisie, than they admired them for their pretended Saint ship.
But, if you will hear a person whom you so much dislike, I will tell you how this may be best discovered. Do not perswade our Rulers any more to make Laws to eject men for not taking those Oaths, Subscriptions, &c. for then men will think (whether you will or not) that you had no greater fault to prove them Hypocrites by: But get them to make a Law, that all Rebels, Traytors, swearers, drunkards, fornicators, gluttons, covetous persons, pluralists, non-residents, soul murdering idle Teachers shall be cast out, whether they subscribe and declare, or not: And then those that are flagitious will be the sufferers; and if it fall upon the present Nonconformists, let them bear it, and spare not. Again we intreat you to get us such Laws against all Vice, except those that are made vices by the wills and interests of differing Factions, and execute them as severely as you will. And then if we be proved criminal, name the Vices which you think proveth men Hypocrites, and it will sound better to accuse them of these, than of hypocrisie; or at least to prove their hypocrisie by those, than by presumptions, and general unproved accusations. Let him have his portion with Hypocrites; who by living most contrary to the Christian profession, doth most convincingly prove himself an Hypocrite.
I confess, since I have still observed from my youth, that the most vicious enemies of godliness have used to call those Hypocrites, who do but seem to be no Hypocrites, that is, to be serious in the Christian profession, and seriously to mind, and mention, and seek the life to come; I have been constrained when I heard a man called an Hypocrite, and no more (especially by a vicious man, or an adversary), to suspect that there is some more than ordinary excellency in that person: For I must suppose it is some great good which he is thought to make a cloak for evil: If long praying had not been good, it had not been a fit pretence for oppression in the Pharisees. If praying and alms-deeds had not been good, it would have disgraced the Hypocrites, Matth. 6. to have made ostentation of them. When you call us Hypocrites, and dissembled Saints, you tell the world, that we have the profession, and outward appearance of good: And whether we corrupt it by a deceitful heart, remaineth to be proved, as well as asserted. Mr. Robert Bolton was no Nonconformist (as to the old Conformity) who noteth it to be the use of the world, to charge the soundest Christians with Hypocrisie, because then they talk of the secrets of the heart, which we cannot open for our own vindication.
2. As for self▪estimation, our judgment is, that Pride is one of the worst of sins, and Pride of Wisdom and Godliness is one of the worst sorts of Pride: and there are too many guilty of it in the world, and we would fain have leave to Preach against it: In the mean time we spare not by Writing and Conference, and such Preaching as we use, to do against it what we can. And we shall heartily thank you for any true help, to detect and mortifie it more in our selves. But remembring from my childhood, that the sots and drunkards of the Town and Countrey, where I lived, were used to speak the very same words with this Objection, against all serious godly Christians, how conformable soever; I presume to ask you these few Questions.
Q. 1. Are the Conformists more Godly or Holy, than all the ignorant, drunken, unchast, voluptuous, carnal rabble, or are they not? Q. 2. If not, why do they take it for a wrong to hear of much less? If they are (as I doubt not but very many are), do they so esteem themselves, or not? If not, why should they be angry with others for thinking of them, as they think of themselves? If yea, Q. 3. May they not take it for a greater mercy than all the riches of the World? If all are none of Christs, that have not his spirit, may not they give God thanks for it that have received it? Rom. 8. 9. Q. 4. And do you never give God thanks for his grace of Sanctification your selves? Q. 5. If you do, how shall a man know that you are not as very Hypocrites in so doing, as the Nonconformists? When they and you thank God for the same mercy, how shall we know but by the fruits, which of you is sincere? Q. 6. Do you know that there are any, or many among us, that live after the flesh, an ungodly, sensual, worldly life? If not, you are strangers to the Land which you inhabit? If yea, Q 7. Do you think all these are in a good and safe condition? If yea, give over Preaching against them: If not, do not better men differ from them? Q. 8. And must not our light so shine before men (though not for their applause), that they may see our good works, and glorifie God? Matth. 5. 16.
4. And seeing we are accounted the Pharisees, Come on, and let us recite the Pharisees Character, and see who is likest him?
1. The Pharisees were the chiefest members of the Sanhedrim, and Rulers of the Church, and so are not we, Act. 5. 34. Mat. 12. 14. & 23. 2. & 27. 62. John 7. 32 48.
2. The Pharisees were against the Scripture-sufficiency, for the customs and traditions of their ancestors, Mat. 15. 2.
3. They imposed these Traditions as Laws on others, and accused the Christians for not observing them, Mat. 15. 2.
4. They preferred these Tradition before the practice of some Moral duties, Mat. 15. 9. 5. 6.
5. They were so much for Ceremony, that they were precise and strict in the observance of their Ceremonies, Mat. 23. 5. 23. 25, &c. and for them neglected mercy and saith, Mat. 23. 23.
6. They were covetous, and sought after Riches, even by oppression, Mat. 23. 14.
7. They were proud and Lordly, and strove for preferment, the highest places, and the highest titles, Mat. 23. 6, 7, &c.
8. They wore a different sort of garments, which was openly to signifie their special holiness, Mat. 23. 5.
9. They were very zealous to make men Proselytes, and conformable to all their Ceremonies, Mat. 23. 15.
10. They foolishly and preposterously preferred small matters before great, v. 16, 17, &c.
11. They laboured to silence Christ and the Preachers of his Gospel, and forbad them with threatnings to Preach any more, Mat. 23. 13. Act. 4. 18, &c.
12. They persecuted Christ and his Apostles, and sought first to intrap them in their speech, and then to bring them into sufferings, Luke 6. 7, &c. If you know any that ever silenced or persecuted any faithful Minister, he is none of the men that I am speaking for.
13. They pretended Law for all their cruelties, John 15. 7. and accused them as breakers of the Law, Luke 6. 2. & 4. 3.
14. They urged Christ to decide State-Controversies about Caesars right, which he warily avoided, knowing they did but seek matter of accusation, Mat. 22. 17. Mark 12. 14.
15. Yet did they accuse him as an enemy to Caesar, and as guilty of disloyalty, even to his crucifixion, Luke 23. 2. John 19. 12. And were not contented to take away his life, unless they put on him the infamy of Treason.
16. They would not understand the meaning of the Law of Love, or I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, Mat. 9. 13.
17. They were stricter for Tything, and such Levitical Rights, than for the spiritual worshipping of God, Mat. 23. 23.
18. Their Righteousness was more in outside Religious pomp and bodily exercise, than in the inward part, and moral practise, Mat. 23 24, &c.
19. They pretended great veneration for the dead Saints, and built them Monuments for an honourable memorial, while they imitated those that murdered them, and persecuted the living Saints that imitated them, Mat. 23. 26, 27, &c.
20. They had their set-days of formal fasting twice a week, turning even extraordinary duties and all, into form and ceremony, Luke 18. 2. And were inquisitive after them that conformed not herein, Mat. 9. 14. Mark 2. 18.
21. They counted it the folly and ignorance of the Law, in the common people, whom they took for cursed, to be such admirers of the preaching of Christ, John 7. 49.
22. They used long prayers, as a cloak for their oppression. Query, Whether they were a Liturgy or not? If yea, so let it pass in their Character. If not, then it is scarce like that there was any other Liturgy than the Scriptures in those times: else it is most like that the Pharisees would have used it.
For, 23. they went up into the Temple to pray, and sometime in other publick places (as Bishop Hall notably describeth the Hypocrite in his Characters, that he kneeling down behind a Pillar in the great Church, muttereth over certain words, praying to that God whom he all the week at home forgetteth and disobeyeth; and rising up, commendeth the devotion of our ancestors: He boweth at the name of Jesus, and sweareth by the name of God, &c. (This is the sense, for being separated from books I pretend not to recite verbatim): So did these Pharisees make ostentation of their prayers in the Temple; but we read not of their family or secret prayers, which Christ enjoineth to his Disciples, that they may differ from the Pharisees, Mat. 6.
24 They insulted over the followers of Christ as an accursed ignorant vulgar sort, when they were blind themselves, and knew not the Spirituality of Doctrine or Worship, Mat. 23. 26.
25. They were loose Expositors of the Law of God, and extended it not to those Internals, and necessary strictness which was the proper sense, but made it forbid no more than those notable external evils which themselves and their vulgar followers could spare, Mat. 5.
26. And with the forbearance of these outward sins, and the performance of their Ceremonies, they so contented themselves, and quieted their Consciences, that they wanted the true and spiritual Righteousness, absolutely necessary to Salvation, Mat. 5. 20.
27. They were the very leaders of all the malignant party that hated Christ and his Disciples, and more zealous against them than the very Heathen Roman Governours, who sometime saved the Preachers from the Pharisees rage.
28. They were so malignant that they envied the very good works, and healing miracles which Christ did, and repined and fretted that God should so much honour Christians, Joh. 11. 47.
29. They were so malignant that no course of the Servants of God could please them, or escape their obloquy. But John that lived austerely, they reproached as a melancholy Demoniack, or a crackt-brain'd man; and Christ that used a freer converse, they accused as not strict enough for them.
30. They were so malignant that they could not endure to have God acknowledged the owner and approver of Christianity, but would rather have the people take Christ for a deceiver, or his works to be done by the Devil himself, than that God should be known to be the author of them, as his attestation and seal to the Truth of Christ, Mat. 12. 24.
31. Being a Generation that never had done complaining of those that conformed not to their Ceremonies and outside Rites, and yet void of true Sanctification, Christ pronounced them a Plant that his Father had not planted, that were e're long to be extirpated, Mat. 15. 13. 12. 2. & 12. 2, 14.
32. They formally preached much good, as sitting in Moses Chair, and having a holy Law to speak of, but their own lives were covetous, proud, persecuting, and contrary to the Law, and to their own Doctrine; and yet their very Doctrine had much corruption, Mat. 16. 1, 6, 11. & 21. 45. & 23. 2. Luk. 16. 14.
33. Yet were these Pharisees of a much sounder judgment than the Atheistical Sadduces, and therefore thought highly of themselves; and some few among them had a secret favour unto Christ, as far as their reputation and the fear of their party would permit, Luk. 7. 36. Joh. 3. 1, 2. Act. 5. 34. & 23. 6, 7, 8, 9.
In all this I have but recited the Scripture Characters of the Pharisees, not daring to speak a word of the application; for I much doubt whether you will not think that I have drawn your picture, by the bare recitation of the Text; so much did I wonder at one of the last Sermons which I heard in publick (but just such as I have oft heard forty-five years ago) which was spent in likening the Puritan to the Pharisee; how the speaker avoided blushing, and remembering what the hearers would think when they should read the History of the Pharisees in the Bible; and whether they perceived what injury they did themselves, who used to call the people to such observations. For my part I would counsel them never to name the Pharisees more, left the hearers apply it otherwise than they imagin. At least never more to go about to make men think that the Puritan (who is so contrary to him) is like the Pharisee; for men never speed worse than by such monstrous undertakings. But yet it may be some of them believe themselves. For he that will needs make his own Creed, may make his own Faith; but if they make as large Creeds for others, and call them to subscribe them, and to swear to them, when they cannot make them a Faith proportionable, they will but multiply Nonconformists. And so much to your angry censure, which leaveth us room for no more argumentative a defence.