Divine Characters in Two Parts, Part 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The PREFACE, Shewing the Argument, Neceſſity, Ʋtility, Difficulty, and Project of this Work.
THat great Saint Auguſtine, Aug. de Civit. Dei, Initio.with ſingular judgement faſhioneth his admired defence of the Chriſtian faith, againſt the calumnies of Heathens, in a delineation of two oppoſite Cities; the one heavenly, the other of the earth; the one the City of God, the other of Satan: Upon the enmity of theſe two Cities and and citizens thereof, a great part of the Scripture diſcourſeth, as being a perpetual Comment upon that firſt GoſpelaGen. 3.15 delivered in Paradiſe immediately after the fall, declaring the effects of that hoſtility in the ſucceſſive encounters of the ſeed of the woman with the ſeed of the Serpent. Whereof Saint John in his Revelation (the laſt book of Scripture) ſeemeth to give account, thus deciphering the ſtate of the latter times;bRev. 12 17 Then the Dragon was wroth with the woman, and went and made warre with the remnant of her ſeed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the Teſtimony of Jeſus Chriſt: An enmity, not only between their perſons; but alſo and more frequently between their courſes and qualities. A war waged not only in ſet battels, under banners diſplayed, as betweencExod 17. fin. Iſrael and Amaleck; or in ſingle encounters, as betweend1 John 3.12 Abel and Cain, eGal. 4.29Iſaac and Iſhmael; but more commonly, and with no leſſe fury, in the confines of divine vertue and vice; where both the wicked uſurp upon the portion of the godly, and the children of God (through infirmity) partake with the men of this world; and as the Pſalmiſt ſaithfPſalme 73.10 turne hither; to ſee theſe oppoſites as it were in the middle of conflict, mixed pell mell one among another, it were no very eaſie thing to diſtinguiſh them; But to ſee them, as in a time of truce, paſſe too and fro out of the one Camp into the other, yea, and that in the arms and abiliments each of other (yet with hearts as farre aſunder, as if they were in the skirmiſh;) here to diſcerne between Chriſts party and Satans, is worth the while, but this is not a task for every looker on. For their ſakes therefore, who deſire to underſtand the difference between theſe parties, in their neereſt approaches and reſemblances, I have taken in hand this work. Wherein, leaving the apparent contrarieties of vertues and vices (ſo evident in the examples of holy and of wicked men) I propound to my ſelf nicer differences, concerning the ſeeming vertues of the wicked, and the infirmities of Gods children. Here we ſhall ſee how the wicked at their beſt, come ſhort of true goodneſſe; and how Gods children, at their worſt, are exempted from reigning wickedneſſe.The ſum of the whole. Here the mock-vertues of wicked men are propounded for our caution, and the infirmities of the faithful for our conſolation.Divided into two parts. But, firſt we will compare the hypocrite in his beſt ſhews, with a regenerate man living according to his rule; to fruſtrate the wicked mans incroachments on the lot of the righteous: and after (in another part) we will compare the childe of God in his infirmities with the wicked man living under the power of ſinne; that we may diſtinguiſh the weakneſſes of Saints, from the wilful wandrings of the ungodly;hHeb 6.3 and this will we do if God permit.
Let no man think this a needleſſe or unſeaſonable argument; ſay not, theſe are days wherein none will be hypocrites,The neceſſity of this Argument. for what ſhall they get to diſſemble? Hypocriſie hath more irons in the fire then one; and even they, who boaſt of plain dealing, and greateſt ſincerity, are many times the greateſt diſſemblers. Never, I am ſure, was there more need to diſcerne, and divide our ſelvesiNumb. 16.26 from the Tabernacles of wicked men; for now thekZ…ch. 5.8 Ephah of wickedneſs is full and overfloweth. Never more cauſe for them thatlMal. 3.16 fear the Lord, to ſpeak in his behalf every one to his neighbour, becauſe iniquity never ſtood more boldly in competition with goodneſſe, nor hypocriſie more gaudy in the colours of ſincerity: Indeed evil dayes can ill brook differences, and the worſe, the leſſe. For they that are vile in Gods eyes, are always precious in their own, and therefore whatever diſcovers, offends. But our warrant is beyond exception. The Lord that put the enmity between the ſeed of the woman, and the ſeed of the Serpent, hath commanded, not only Paſtors in preaching, if they will bemJer. 15.19 after his mouth, but alſo private Chriſtians, as many as willnPſalme 15.4 dwell in his holy hill, to put a difference between the precious and the vile, to deſpiſe the one, and honour the other.
But what! is notoNumb 16.3 all the Congregation holy? yea every one of them; I grant,pJerem. 2.3. Iſrael is an hallowed thing, but herein are found many unhallowed ones: not only the world ſwarmeth with Gods enemies, but even the Church viſible is too ſhamefully fruitful of a wicked and adulterous ſeed. Many borne in marriage, but not of marriage;qEſay 57 3. they call the Church their Mother, but are not of that Fatherhood, of which are all the ElectrEph. 3.15 both in heaven and earth. No ſuch enemies to him that is borne of the Spirit, as they, who in the ſame Family, are borne after the fleſh. It cannot be (ſaith our SavioursLuke 13.33 Aug. in Apoc. hom. 14. that a Prophet ſhall periſh out of Jeruſalem; that is (as Saint Auguſtine interpreteth) that good Chriſtians ſhould ſuffer any perſecution, but from evil Chriſtians. Wherefore not only the wilde boars muſt be chaſed, but we muſt alſo draw thetCant. 2.15. foxes out of their earths; even the little foxes, which though they turne not up the roots, yet they alſo are ſpoilers of the vines, ſeeing our vines have tender grapes.
The utility.Hypocriſie is a crime, concerning which, moſt men are apt to abuſe themſelves; and the worſt men, others: Themſelves in diſcharging, others in charging: For, of this ſinne every wicked perſon ſecurely diſchargeth himſelf, and with this he boldly chargeth his neighbour And it is a ready ſalve for a non-plus (recommended by the practiſe of SatanuJob 1.9.) and ſerveth every mans turne that is worſe then other. For an hypocrite, by ſuch a mans definition, is he that preſumeth to be better then I. The not ſeeing of hypocriſie in themſelves, is the chaine whereby Satan holdeth ſeduced ſouls to the ſtake of ſinne; and the reproach of hypocriſie from others, is his hook in their noſtrils, to keep them from true piety. It will therefore be, I am ſure a charitable,Lethargici excituntur phrenetici ligantur, ulceroſi ſecantur uruntur, & tamen amantur, Aug. in Pſ. 34 and I hope an acceptable aid to ſuch as deſire to know themſelves, and to be comely in the eyes of Chriſt, to hold out this true glaſſe unto them, though the proud deformed of the world abhor to look into it. Chriſt hath two Dyets of judgement, the firſt of diſtinction, in the preaching of the Goſpel, the latter of retribution in the final day of doom. The judgement of diſtinction, if we ſubmit unto it, ſhall give us aſſurance of favour in the judgement of retribution. And it is no ſmall comfort in this confuſed mixture and Chaos of men, whenwGeneſis 1.2 darkneſs is upon the deep, to ſee yet the Spirit of God moving upon the waters, making a diſtinction between the City and citizens of Sion, and of Babel, and to borrow of the Poet, Secretóſqúe pios, his dantem jura Jehovam. That ſeeing we cannot ſeparate in body from wicked men, for the time of this world, we may ſo much the rather ſever our ſelves from them in manners, that we be not hereafter joyned with them in puniſhment. Every man hath two things to look unto more then all the world beſides; a body, and a ſoul: For the one, every one is either a foole or a Phyſician; for the other, either a Devil or a Divine; a Divine, I ſay in this point eſpecially, that he may be able to approve himſelf thexPſalme 32.2 …leſſed man, to whom the Lord imputeth not his ſinne, and in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile. Unto bleſſedneſs therefore is required the judgement and hatred of hypocriſie, whereto I here endeavour to lend a willing, though a weak hand.
A ſubject of no ſmall difficulty;The difficulty For we do not now lead men through the known regions of vertues and vices, but rather attempt the diſcovery of an unknown world, and when we have all done we ſhall leave a large Terrâ incognitâ for the exerciſe of after comers. We do not compare Jacob and Laban, as it were chiding yGeneſis 31and oppoſing; but, we undertake to ſever them in their meer ſtones and confines. Here evil muſt be diſcovered under the ſhew of good, and grace muſt be diſcerned under the cloud of infirmity. As good doth not always appear in the ſame beauty and brightneſſe, being partly clouded with corruption, partlyzCant. 1.6 Sun-burnt with affliction: No more doth evil alwayes ſhew her ſelf in her native loathſomneſſe, but as an old Jezabel fills up her wrinkles with artificial dawbery. It is not of every judgement to diſcerne good when it is tainted with evil; or evil, when painted with the colour of good; to ſee grace, ſanctifying grace in Gods child falling, lying, ſowning; to ſee ſin, reigning ſinne in the hypocrite profeſſing, praying, repenting; deformity is hardly known under a viſor, or beauty under a mask. Solomon himſelf entring into the inqueſt of wiſdome and folly, found it very hard and troubleſomeaEccleſ. 7.28; if he (a horſeman in compariſon) could not attaine unto it, what can we promiſe, who are faine to walk on foot; or rather, to creep? When two men ſtand out one againſt another at the ſwords point, what need of ſenſes exerciſed? half an eye can ſee that they are enemies; but fraud in fellowſhip, enmity under brotherhood, is not ſo eaſily deſcryed. In matter of faith, ſome deny the Sonne of God, and dene him; not admitting the letter of the word. Infidels reject both the Old Teſtament and the New: Jews deſpiſe the New, retaining the Law, but not with reference to the Goſpel. The Turks make the New Teſtament Old, and Chriſt, as it were, a Moſes unto their Mahomet. In theſe, who ſeeth not the contrariety; But there are others, who divide Chriſt rather then deny him; admit him in name and profeſſion, but overthrow him in his offices; receive the Word in the letter and volume, but deny it in the proper and ſpiritual ſenſe; in theſe it is more difficult to diſtinguiſh. Likewiſe in matter of manners: ſome profeſſedly abandon all goodneſſe, and delight to be accounted of the prophane and damned crew. Their anſwer unto Chriſt is,bMatth. 21.24 I will not: who ſeeth not their wickedneſſe? Other hide their ſinne under the vizar of obedience: They ſay,cIbid. verſe 30 I will Sir, yet ſtir never the more: The former are black devils, theſe are white, yet devils too; but becauſe they are white, not ſo eaſily diſcerned. Nay, they will plead for the price of religion with the moſt ſincere hearted Chriſtians, as the falſed1 Kings 3. Harlot with the true Mother for the living childe.
Wherefore he that will give true judgement,Remedies againſt that difficulty muſt diſcover the Mother by the affection; which he ſhall the better do, if he bring affections of his own to the enquiry. Love and hatred are ſharp ſighted in their proper objects. Let us therefore alſo bring love unto ſincerity, and ſo ſhall we the better acknowledge it;1. To ſharpen our ſight with love of goodneſs and hatred of evil. and hatred to hypocriſie, ſo ſhall we the better detect it.
But becauſe it is hard diving into the hearts of other men; leaſt we ſhould rove in our diſcovery, or draw immaginary models, and landskips, wherein a man ſees ſomewhat, but learns nothing;2. To uſe the helps afforded, which are, 1 The light of Scripture we muſt make uſe of ſuch helps as the Lord hath afforded for the furniſhing of this card of navigation.
Firſt, we have the lively and operative Word of God, who perfectly ſeeth the heart of man, and diſcovereth in his Word much of that which he ſeeth. He made us ſuch as we were, and now diſcerneth what we are; and revealeth both unto them that will ſearch for both in his Word. There is the map of this Microcoſme of ours. The rule and the aberration go together.eAriſt. Rhet. lib. 1. cap. 1 Verum & veriſimile ad eandem pertinent facultatem. Reaſon can diſcover no more but the Coaſts of this Countrey; but Chriſt can let us ſee the inland, for hefJohn 2.25 knoweth what is in man: Moon-light or candle-light will not diſtinguiſh colours, diſtances, paintings; by that light all is gold that gliſtereth:Eſay 8.20 OnelyOnly day-light diſcovers counterfeits; only the morning light of the Word enableth us to detect this impoſture of hypocriſie. As thoſe therefore who work in mines under ground, ſo muſt we labour to bring our light from above.
2. The knowlege of our ſelves.Secondly, we muſt ſearch diligently into our own hearts; that, as Phyſicians know other mens bodies, ſo we may know the ſtate of other mens ſouls the better, by ſtudying our own, making uſe of the Wiſe mans Aphoriſme gProv. 27.19As in water face anſwereth to face, ſo the heart of man to man. If we ſay with Solomon, I and mine hearthEccleſ. 7.25. compaſſed; we ſhall be able to ſay with David, iPſalme 36.1wickedneſſe ſaith to the wicked man, in my heart there is no fear of God before his e es.
3. Inſpection of examples.Thirdly, we muſt take view of examples recorded, as of Anatomies, wherein by the diſſection of ſome, the diſpoſition of all men is diſcovered.
4. Collation of contraries. Eccleſ. 7.25Fourthly, as contraries make one another more manifeſt (for which cauſe Solomon, with the ſtudy of wiſdome, joyneth the ſearch of folly) ſo here ſincerity being compared with hypocriſie, either part will help us the better to underſtand the other. Hypocriſie ſerving as a foile to the luſtre of vertue; and grace as a candle to lighten the dark corners of ſin.
5. Diſcoveries of former travailers.Fifthly, we may not diſavow the help of other labours, who have profitably touched upon this ſubject; though none (that I know) in this order, or ſo fully. Howſoever, I have been content to come behind, either as a gleaner, or as he that bindeth up the ſheaves.
6. Prayer for ſpiritual illumination.Unto all, and above all we muſt adde fervent prayer unto Chriſt (who only is able to take away both ſcales and miſt) that he would vouchſafe once and again to touch our eyes, that we may ſee, not as he, who ſaw men like trees, confuſedlykMar. 8, 24, 25; but that,lPhil. 2.9, 10 abounding in knowledge and all judgement, we may diſcern of things that differ; and under the moſt deceivable appearances, diſtinguiſh between good and evil.
Advertiſemēts touching the work.Laſtly, to give ſome account of my paines and project in this work; though there be no want of books in in this lettered age, wherein Scribimus indecti may ſerve for a common Apology: yet books of this nature, which teach a man to try and know himſelf, ſure I am, there are not too many; wherefore as I haſted not unto the Preſſe, but rather preſſed my talent at home to another, and another year; ſo I held it no charity to ſuppreſſe it.Underſtand this of the time wherein he firſt drew this draught, not of this time of publiſhing of it. After two and twenty years employed in the Miniſtry, wherein many things have been ſet to the account of conſcience; at laſt I adventured to commit ſomewhat to the charge of memory. Writing is that voice whereby many a faithful witneſſe being dead, yet ſpeaketh; as Elijah m2 Chr. 21.13after his death prophecied to Jehoram. For though the living confer not to the dead, yet the dead do thus communicate to the living. I held it time therefore for me to make up my fardels, and to ſee if any thing were found worthy to be made, over to the uſe of poſterity.
Aug. Epiſt. 1. ad voluſ.If any man think the book too large, it is in his own power not to overcharge himſelf: conſidering that (as Saint Auguſtine writeth to Voluſian) that which is written is alwayes at hand to be read, when the Reader is at leaſure. Neither is that a burden, which a man may take up when he pleaſeth, and lay down when he liſt. Whereto alſo the diviſions and variety of h…ads (not depending one on another) will afford commodity. I have endeavoured b…evity as much as might be, without affectation or obſcurity; the one odious to my ſelf, the other prejudicial to the Reader. Indeed I preſume a Reader ſomewhat entred into the Art and myſtery of godlineſſe; and who, having laid the foundation of ſaving knowledge, deſires to be led forward to perfection.nHeb. 6.1
If ſome things paſſe the weaker underſtandings, yet the ſubſtance may be conceived. If moſt, or all, come ſhort of judicious apprehenſions; yet even they happily may take occaſion to ſet awork their more accurate judgements. If I have abounded, I hope it is in the matter, not in the ſtile; for I would be loath to ſet words on horſeback, and let matter lacquey by on foot. Yet ſome care of words was requiſite for their ſakes, who affect not the matter for it ſelf. For as he ſaith, Pauca meo Gallo, ſed quae legat ipſa Lycoris, &c. So to the cauſe of piety ſomething is due, but it had need be ſuch as captious impiety cannot juſtly contemn. Once it ſhall content me, that I have not given words to the world, nor ſerved the Lord and his Church, with that which coſt me nothing. They that finde lack of words for explication, may do well to think there is both an hint for meditation, and place left for a ſecond reading. As pictures made by Art optique, do only ſeem to preſent the image in bulk, but with the help of the glaſſe, diſcover many particularities: So theſe deſcriptions, though they may ſeem a rude draught, being viewed through the glaſſe of meditation, will happily diſcover more traces of truth, and tracks of errour then were at firſt ſight apprehended.
If ſome things ſeeme more proper to another place or Treatiſe, know that I would not ſo abhorre from that which they call foreign, as to make a raw bone foreign of Art, conſiſting only of partitions; or like Procruſtes, to frame the body to the bed, not the bed to body. Many things ariſe out of the ſubject matter; many others fall in by the way of amplification, application, alluſion, &c.
If ſome things ſhall (as they are) appear defective, I have to plead for my ſelfe (beſides the difficulty before mentioned) the unintermitted courſe of my Miniſtry; which would not allow me that leaſure and vacancy, which had requiſite; ſo that the plough could not ſtand ſtill for the harrow; but I muſt at once, as it were, ſorbere & flare. Beſides; it was not a ſingle labour, firſt to fill the mould till it run over; then to pare away; firſt to weave, then to full; firſt to ſee what might be ſaid, and then what not to ſay.
If any ſhall think that divers other heads of hypocriſie might have been added as well as theſe; let him give one man leave not to ſay all. It is enough for me, that I have nailed up the counterfeits that came to my hands, and thoſe more by many then I at firſt diſcovered; this Hydra multiplying her heads in the very cutting off.
If any ſhall finde lack of application, let ſuch conſider, that the whole Treatiſe is a direction for the examination of our ſelves, whether, and how far forth theſe weeds are found growing in our gardens.Pſalm 110.3 And when we ſee on the one ſide true vertues, as the army of Chriſt marching in holy beauty, on the other ſide hypocriſie,1 Kings 9 the devils Jezabel with her painted viſage: Who can but think, that the Lord calleth, ſaying, Who is on my ſide, who? that if any belong to this, Jehu, (though before a ſervant to that ſtrumpet) he may put to his hand to throw her down to the ground.
Neither did I much travaile to bring confuſion into a method, being rather to binde thornes, then to lay bricks; and finding theſe hypocrites, in the driving, to be wilde things, like beaſts in a faire, many times one on anothers back. I have therefore ſo divided theſe heads, as to diſtinguiſh not men, but vices; or rather ſeveral acts and ſcenes of the ſame vice. Wherefore it is not to be wondred, though many of theſe characters be coincident to one and the ſame wicked man (as one Actor in divers habits, may play divers parts;) yea, ſundry of them in meaſure found in Gods deare children, in whoſe …pirit, though there be no guile harboured, yet there are reliques of hypocriſie (as of all other ſinnes) not throughly aboliſhed. All that I did as touching order, was for mine own eaſe; for which I was faine to make uſe of the ſtratagem of Horatius againſt the Curiatii, to ſingle out and encounter one enemy after another. For this cauſe I have caſt this former part into ſeveral ranks; referring unto one ſuch hypocrites as do erre in the whole kinde (as they ſay) miſtaking or ſuppoſing ſome other thing for Religion; and upon that ſo bearing themſelves, as if there were no need of Religion. Unto another, ſuch as lay claime to the vertues and graces that are in Gods children. Unto a third, ſuch as ſeem to partake, or rather juſtle with them in the practice of holy duties.
Here, which to deal with in the firſt place I greatly reckoned not; conſidering that it well enough befitteth a monſter to be borne into the world, and a carkaſſe to be carried out, with his heels forward. But at length it befel me, as to that noble Roman; the ſtrongeſt and beſt breathed enemy came firſt to the encounter; to wit, that pack of hypocrites, which foiſteth in ſome other thing in the ſtead of Religion; with whom I am now to joyne iſſue; but firſt, I hope it will not ſeem abſurd, if (after old Homers manner in deſcribing duels) I beſtow a few words upon the nation and pedigree of the enemy; that is, upon the nature of hypocriſie in general, and upon Satan the father of hypocrites.