Jewish Hypocrisy, Chapter 16
CAP. XVI.
1. A Caution; the reaſon why theſe ſins were more deſtructive then others. 2. Further cleared. 3. The reaſon why men are more apt to be inclined to zeal for religious duties, then for juſtice and mercy. 4. A further reaſon of the ſame thing. 5. This zeal may make men take injuſtice it ſelf to be a juſt thing. 6. It concerns us therefore to look well to our ſelves in theſe matters. 7. And Judah ſhould be a warning to England.
1. BUT that this diſcourſe may not be liable to any miſtakes, I ſhall a little farther open the ſenſe of what hath been ſaid, whereby likewiſe it will become more uſefull to the Reader, if he pleaſe to attend it. I do not affirm either of theſe two things; firſt that theſe are the only ſins that undo a Nation; or ſecondly that theſe were more heinous in themſelves then the Idolatry whereof the Jewiſh Nation were alſo guilty. No, let me not be ſo underſtood as if I thought that denying of God, blaſpheming of his name, worſhipping of Idols, and ſuch like ſins as are more immediately againſt the Deity, were not waſting ſins, & more horrid then the other: But the truths that I aſſert are theſe. Firſt, that the ſins of injuſtice, fraud and cruelty are and have been enough to deſtroy a Nation without the other; and Secondly, that they commonly prove the moſt dangerous and ruinating to a people of any elſe, becauſe they are overlooked when they reform, though being duties toward our Brother whom we continually ſee, one would think they ſhould be in our eyes above all other. When men reform impieties againſt God, they think themſelves to have done him ſuch high ſervice, and are ſo much in thoſe upper ſpeculations, that they take no notice of theſe things under their feet, and make no reckoning how they deal with men, ſo they be but zealous and fierce for that which is due to God. Or they be content to be religious & given to devotion, ſo they may but retain their unlawfull gains, pleaſures and ambitious ends; yea their very religion and forwardneſs for reformation in ſuch matters may give them a better advantage more colourably to practiſe theſe iniquities; and their unmortified affections will eaſily put them in mind to make uſe of ſuch opporunities.
2. Hence I ſay it is that theſe ſins do more commonly ruine thoſe Nations that know God, then corruption in his worſhip doth; not becauſe that is not deſtructive, but becauſe men will a great deal ſooner reform in that then in theſe other; for a fair correſpondence with God in all the outward duties of his worſhip is a great deal more eaſie then this denyal of mens ſelves in their covetous, malitious, ambitious, and other fleſhly deſires. And beſide it is more apt to get a man a great name among others, if it be in any good meaſure of fervency and heat, and likewiſe to beget in himſelf a comfortable opinion that he is mightily beloved of God, ſeeing he doth thoſe things that are moſt highly reputed of. So much hypocriſie therefore and deceit being in mens hearts, and they being ſo willing thus to put a cheat upon themſelves; I hope it will not by any be deemed unſeaſonable that I have treated of this matter, rather then of the other. And if any will be ſo cenſorious as to ſay that I have not preſſed the matters of religious worſhip ſo much as I ought; they had beſt take heed that they do not bring our Saviour himſelf under their laſh. For when the Ruler asked him (Luk. 19.18.) what he ſhould do to inherit eternal life; He doth not ſay one word concerning the duties of the firſt Table, but only of the Second, in which it ſhould ſeem they were more negligent then in the reſt. And when the man anſwered that he had done all thoſe things that he ſpoke of: Our Saviour doth not Catechiſe him how he had kept the Sabbath, and abhorred Idols, and ſuch matters; but he deſires him only to be careful of this one thing further, which was that he would wholly take his heart off from covetouſneſs, and the love of the world.
3. If any ask how it comes to paſs that men ſhould be ſo very zealous and forward in pious duties when they are ſo cold in the other; I have already given him an anſwer to this purpoſe. Firſt the religious ſervices in their greateſt outward purity do not find the nature of man ſo averſe unto and abhorrent from them, but that they may be very forward to do them. And (Secondly) They make alſo a great ſound and dinn in the world, and have ſuch a glorious appearance, that by the doing of them he may be reputed, and alſo take himſelf for a Saint. And (Thirdly) Then he may be ſo pleaſed with this fine perſwaſion, and ſo inwardly tickled with the ſweetneſs of ſuch thoughts, that he is engaged to mind with all his power the promoting of ſuch matters as have gained him the credit of an holy perſon, without denying his worldly luſts; which may rather have a freer liberty under ſuch a brave and ſplendid Maſter as ſtands not upon Punctilio's of honeſty and equity between one man and another. But (Fourthly) if we turn our eyes the other way, we ſhall find that juſtice and mercy, pitty and compaſsion, forgiveneſs and doing good to others (eſpecially to thoſe who have wronged us) will fall out ſometimes with a mans worldly intereſt and carnal deſires, and will put him to learn that hard leſſon of ſelf-denyall; and beſides, they make no ſuch great noiſe in the world, but muſt be content to paſs with many men for a piece of dull morality. It was moſt truly ſaid by a wiſe and a great Maſter,Ren. Des Cartes. Nulli facilius ad magnam pietatis famam perveniunt, quam ſuperſtitioſi & hypocritae. None ſooner obtain a great fame for piety, then ſuperſtitious perſons and hypocrites. One reaſon I conceive of it may be, that men who have nothing elſe to ſhew for their ſanctity but their religious performances, will be moſt nice, exact, and even ceremonious about them; and do them with a greater pang of zeal then many cordial Chriſtians. And this eaſily obtains for them the name of holy and devout perſons among men; when honeſty, mercy, and a ſober religion and piety cannot prevail for ſo much credit, becauſe they make not ſuch a buzzle in the world.
Now you all know how ready men are to ſtickle for that which draws the eyes of all men to it, and if you do not, the Apoſtle will tell you how ſoon this diſeaſe began in the Chriſtian Church. For that which St. Paul reproves in the Corinthians, was this, that they made moſt ſtir about that which brought them the greateſt glory and moſt credit; preferring gifts of tongues before prophecy; and prophecy before love and charity.
4. And beſides you muſt conſider further how fair an occaſion men have to be diſhoneſt when others rely ſo much upon their credit, that they will thank them even when they deceive them; and think they have uſed them very kindly (becauſe they ſay ſo) when they have dealt very hardly with them. This makes many dreſs themſelves up religiouſly, becauſe it is a more cleanly way of catching the prey, when the Wolf puts on the Sheeps skin. He may devour a ſilly Lamb in a corner, and wipe his mouth, and none can ſay that he hath done any harm. The well minded people flock very innocently and ſimply to a man who is famed for piety; and now if he be a beaſt of prey, there is no ſuch opportunity as this to devour and raven, becauſe he is taken for one of the ſheep of Chriſt. And therefore it was anciently obſerved, that no man could ſo ſecurely commit all wicked actions as he who had gained the repute of an honeſt man. Which made the Poet in Plutarch adviſe this as a piece of craft,Plut. De aud. Poetis.
foreign,
foreign.
Do all thou canſt to be accounted juſt, and ſpare to do nothing whereby thou maiſt be a gainer. But then (that I may come nearer to our diſcourſe) what may not, what will not he do that hath ſecured not only other mens opinion but his own alſo of his honeſty and piety, though he hath none, and yet hath very gainfull opportunities! This man may ſpoil and devour with a good conſcience, becauſe he takes himſelf to be a ſheep. And having arived to a conceit of his godlineſs without theſe paultry vertues of juſtice and mercy, he cannot take it to be any part of his godlineſs to maintain them. If it be a great piece of that policy whereby the Devil rules the world for a man ſo notably to counterfeit piety, that even when he doth moſt deſtroy it, he ſhall be counted pious (as it was ſaid of Tereus,
— Ipſo ſceleris molimine Tereus
Creditur eſſe pius; —
He was cryed up for a Saint even when he was committing the greateſt villany) What a notable piece then it is of the Devils craft, ſo to perſwade and inflame a zealous man in religious duties, that he ſhall paſs in his own judgement for a Saint? How certainly will he ruine both himſelf and others? in what a ready way is he to commit all injuſtice when he is out of all danger of having his own conſcience ſecretly reprove him of hypocriſie and ſimulation, which the other had not ſo ſecured? When out of Conſcience perhaps he is forward in ſome things, which make ſuch a noiſe that they quite drown the voice of conſcience in other matters; how eaſie is it for him to commit all other wickedneſs with ſafety, though it be no leſs dangerous then that which he avoids?
5. But there is an higher ſecret in this hypocritical godlineſs then hath been yet named; and that is, when even injuſtice it ſelf is accounted but a piece of zeal for God. When men are ſo hot that they will even ſin againſt their conſcience for Gods ſake, they take themſelves you muſt needs think to have highly merited at his hands. Thus ſome Greek Chriſtians in Creet did once handle the poor Jews; getting their riches from them by falſe and ſlanderous accuſations of them before the Magiſtrate, and thinking that they did God good ſervice in ſo doing: In ſo much that their Patriarch Metrophanes was fain to write to them to forbear ſuch violence and injuſtice, under pain of being excommunicated and caſt out of the Church.C…ſ. Turcograec. L. 4. In which letter he hath this remarkable paſſage worthy of the conſideration of all fiery Zealots, Let no man think he is excuſed of his injuſtice by ſaying foreign, that he did not wrong the godly, but a fellow that was not Orthodox. For our Lord Jeſus Chriſt in the Goſpel ſaid, Luke 3.14. Do violence to no man. Where he makes no difference of perſons, nor permits any man for any cauſe foreign, to do wrong to thoſe that are of a wrong belief, or not of our opinion. You ſee with what abſurd fancies a falſe godlineſs inſpires mens hearts. When they are once intoxicated with an high conceit that their religious affections have made them Gods darlings, they think that all the world ſhould be theirs, & that nothing is too good for them, but that others deſerve to be turned out of all. It eaſily ſwells them into this fierce belief, that it is no wrong to take from thoſe that love not Jeſus Chriſt, eſpecially ſeeing it is to be given to themſelves. Yea it lifts them up even to a throne it ſelf, & makes them think it no injuſtice to thruſt another out, that one of Gods beloved children may ſit in the place. And though you ſhall hear nothing more in ſuch peoples mouths, then Juſtice, Juſtice, yet by that they mean nothing elſe but to have that done which is agreeable to their own deſires which are the only rule of right and juſtice.
6. For the Lords ſake therefore, for your own, and the Nations ſake, mind theſe things that have been ſaid more ſeriouſly. And do not look upon theſe as matters of a leſs moment and inconſiderable nature, which need not be ſo much preſſed upon mens practice, nor the Pulpits ſo much ſound of; leſt by this means the Prieſt and the People ſhould both periſh together. Hear the Prophet Iſaiah ſpeak once more, and if you liſſen well to what he ſaith, it may make you fear leſt the tongues of the Prophets among us have been too ſilent and ſparing in calling for theſe things: Note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever; that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the Law of the Lord, which ſay to the Seers, ſee not; and to the Prophets, prophecy not unto us right things: Speak unto us ſmooth things, propheſie deceits; Get ye out of the way, turn aſide out of the path, cauſe the holy One of Iſrael to ceaſe from before us, &c. Iſa. 30.8, 9, 10, &c. They would not have the Prophets ſpeak to them of things that were right and honeſt, which had too much of ſeverity and rigidneſs in them, for ſuch dainty darlings as they took themſelves to be, but deſired ſome ſoft and ſleek, ſome flattering and delicate, though deceitfull doctrines to be preached to their tender ears. They wiſhed that they would cry Peace, Peace, foreign (as Kimchi there notes) do according to your hearts deſire, and it ſhall be well with you; and when they thus lull'd them aſleep and abuſed them, then they applauded them for good men and excellent Preachers. They could not endure that they ſhould run in the old beaten way, and preach ſo much ſtrictneſs of righteouſneſs to them: No, they ſay find ſome new ſmooth path wherein we may go without out any rub to our own luſts; Cauſe the Holy one of Iſrael to ceaſe from before us; i. e. Let us hear nothing of the holy one any more; or do not preſs holineſs ſo earneſtly and frequently upon us. But what will God do with ſuch a people, or what is his judgement of them? Can he be content to let them go whither they will, and follow after them ſtill with his love? The 12, 13. and 14. verſes will give you an anſwer to this. Thus ſaith the HOLY ONE, becauſe you deſpiſe this word (i.e. becauſe you like not to hear of the HOLY ONE) and truſt in oppreſsion and perverſneſs, and ſtay thereon (i.e. hoping to fare well enough, and by your mony to hire the Aegyptians to help. you) Therefore (and mark good Reader what the Holy one the righteous God that hates iniquity ſaith) This iniquity ſhall be to you as a breach ready to fall, ſwelling out in an high wall, whoſe breaking cometh ſuddenly at an inſtant, &c. i.e. Though you have built high confidences to your ſelves, yet they will all deceive you: And juſt as you ſee a lofty wall doth ſwell ſometime and burſt on a ſudden; and beſides that it falls down upon thoſe that are under it, who dream of no ſuch thing, it alſo crumbles into duſt or little bits that can be put to no uſe at all; Such ſhall your ruine be. Firſt total, becauſe you ſhall be all broken in pieces and nothing of your City remaining; and Secondly inevitable, becauſe unexpected and not believed through the deceit of your hearts and your falſe confidences in other things, while you remained guilty of oppreſſion and ſuch like ſins.
7. And then you ſhall find in the 17th verſe of the ſame chapter, that he ſaith, they ſhall be left as a beacon on the top of a mountain, and as an enſign on an hill. The Vulgar Latin renders it, as the Maſt of a Ship on the top of a mountain, and ſome give this ſenſe of it; They ſhould be as a Sea-mark to them that ſail, that they may hold a right courſe, and not ſplit themſelves on thoſe rocks that others have done. I pray God that Judah and Iſrael may be ſo to England, and that all men would look upon them, and beware how they touch upon their ſins, which will daſh us in pieces, and make this Iſland to become the like ſign to all the Nations round about us. And the Lord open every mans eyes that he may ſee how far he is concerned in any of theſe Truths, that he may paſs ſentence on himſelf, if he love not Holy Sermons, and prevent the condemnatition of the Lord: Who hath ſet his throne for judgement, who will judge the world in righteouſneſs, and miniſter judgement to the people in uprightneſs. His eyes behold, his eye-lids try the children of men. The Lord tryeth the righteous; but the wicked and him that loveth violence, his ſoul hateth.