Jewish Hypocrisy, Chapter 18
CAP. XVIII.
1. The ſtory of the Jews in the New Teſtament to be minded as well as in the Old: and we find them great Profeſſors. 2. But their Religion was only talk. 3. And with ſuch windy Religion ſtill men deceive themſelves. Good words may move a mans affections, and ſo cozen him. 4. Others delight only in high-flown and obſcure language. 5. An high proficiency they take themſelves to have made if they dare leap into a Pulpit. 6. The ſins of ſuch men. A ſhort deſcription of True Religion in reference to this matter.
1. NOW for the more full diſcovery of the ſeveral kinds of this Hypocriſie, I think it will be beſt to examine the New Teſtament ſtory as I have done the Old, and ſee what the temper of the Jews was in our Saviours and the Apoſtles time: who will give us as perfect a character of this falſe ſpirit, as their fore-fathers did in their example. And the Apoſtle tells us in Tit. 1 … 6. that they of the circumciſion (for of them he ſpeaks, ver. 10.) did profeſs to know God, though in their works they did deny him. By their very name [they of the circumoiſion] we may learn that their Religion conſiſted in outward, not in inward things, and that it was in the fleſh and letter, not in the heart and ſpirit. But yet for all this they were great profeſſors of the moſt excellent skill in divine matters, and of the higheſt ſanctity and purity above all other men. For the word know ſignifies an inſight into the deepeſt myſteries, and alſo a piety beyond the common ſtrain: According as Clemens Alexanarinus often uſes the word foreign or knowers, for the moſt ſpiritual and holy perſons, in oppoſition to fleſhly and brutiſh men, and for perſons of more recondite and abſtruſe learning in ſacred writ, in oppoſition to thoſe that are but of a vulgar apprehenſion. In ſhort, they are in his language men of a perfect vertue and knowledge. Now this great and illuſtrious name many vile men arrogated to themſelves, taking upon them to be the moſt pure and refined of all other, whileſt they lived in a ſenſual manner. And ſome of the Jews it ſeems were of this party, who though they were like other of the people of Crete, lying, lazy and gutling ſots,Crete. (ver. 11.) yet they gave out that they above all others were acquainted with God, and had his ſecrets committed to them. Yea, ſo zealous they were, that they made a conſiderable party in the world, and by their clamour and noiſe decrying all others, they made many weak Chriſtians doubt whether they were not in the right way and maintained the beſt religion. For they were a very confident ſort of men, and thoſe that looked with a kind of diſdain and ſcorn upon the reſt of the world; ſo that the humble and meek ſervants of Jeſus Chriſt, leſt they ſhould be outbraved by impudence and taken for a company of ſilly ſneaks, were fain to rebuke them ſharply, (ver. 13.) and to uſe ſome ſeverity toward them. You may ſee this more plainly, if you read but Rom. 2.17, 18, 19, 20. where the Apoſtle tels us what the boaſts and braggs of the Jews were concerning their knowledge, and how they lookt upon all others as children and fools that muſt be taught by them.
2. But the beſt of theſe mens Religion was only big words and loud talk concerning God, as the Apoſtle tells us in the ſame Tit. 1.10. where he calls them Vain talkers. Though ſome of them knew much, yet they did nothing but tell others of it, with a mixture of their own idle dotages. And a great many of them knew the meaning of nothing they ſaid, but right or wrong, poured out Texts of Scripture as faſt as they could, 1 Tim. 1.7. and others amuſed the vulgar minds with a great deal of myſtical ſtuff, and Cabaliſtical conceits, which the Apoſtle calls Jewiſh fables, Tit. 1.14. Men of large imaginations and wide mouths, of quick fancies and nimble tongues; to the former of which their Religion owed its procreation and begetting, to the latter its birth and excluſion to the ſight of the world.
3. Such a Wordy religion there is ſtill in the world, and it makes the greateſt noiſe of all others, becauſe it is a Sound. The men who profeſs it hold no gift greater then that of talking, and they had need be thankfull that they are not dumb; for if they were, there would appear no more of Religion in them then in an old Statue of ſome antient Saint. But though their religion be but wind, yet they are blown up with their own breath into a conceit of Sanctity. And though they have not ſo much as ſome Jews, viz. a foreign, a form of knowledge, (Rom. 2.20.) an exact draught of the Bible in their minds, yet theſe ſmatterers in Chriſtian Doctrine can make a ſhift to babble others and themſelves into a belief of their great attainments. It is ordinary to hear men talk ſo long of the beauty, and glory, & ſweetneſs, and preciouſneſs of Chriſt, that they beget in themſelves as well as their hearers a perſwaſion that they are mightily in love with him. There is nothing but glory, and luſtre, and ſplendor, and ſuch ſhining language, when they ſpeak of God; they gild him with beams and rayes, and have none but golden and ſilver, and other rich expreſſions concerning him; which makes them think that they are rapt in admiration of his excellencies. If they ſpeak of Chriſt, they paint him in Solomons language White and ruddy, the chiefeſt among ten thouſands, with a head of fine gold, Cant. 5.10, 11.locks buſhy and black as a raven, &c. If of the Church, you ſhall have a diſcourſe ſet with all the gemms, and pearls, and pretious ſtones that can be found in the twenty firſt chapter of the Revelation. If of communion with God, then you may hear of the bed of Solomon that is paved with love, Cant. 3.10.and covered with purple, and ſuſtained with pillars of ſilver for the daughters of Jeruſalem. Who would not be raviſhed that hears of all theſe delicate fine things? what heart can chuſe but be taken with all this beauty and bravery? And how can we think that it is not enough to tranſport the man himſelf into heaven, to ſee others ſo moved and drawn by him? And yet all the while this goodly do is made, the man may not know himſelf what he means by all theſe expreſſions. They make a fine noiſe, and run ſmoothly off the tongue, but they are little better, as they handle the matter, then nonſignificant expreſſions to themſelves and others. I ſhall not now add how many new words are minted and huddled together to ſupply the want of ſolid matter: Nor how many mens tongues are tipt with good words which they have heard from the diſcourſes of others: but ſhall only ſay this, that theſe men talk of God either in ſuch words as have no fulneſs of ſenſe in them, but are devoid and empty of all true life, or elſe in ſuch words whoſe ſenſe and life they have no feeling of in their ſouls.
4. And yet I have told you of the beſt that can be found of this ſort of religion. There are others that mind not ſo much this fluency and abundant language, but their greateſt care is to ſpeak ſo, that they may not be underſtood, but admired by the rabble as great Sophi's, and men of a more then ordinary elevation. I wiſh this had been the religion only of ſome in the firſt times, who made a great deal of ſtir about the foreign or the fulneſs, the foreign or the depth, and as Irenaeus ſaith, ſcraped up many Scripture phraſes, many holy words, foreign, that were ſcattered here and there, and made up a body of nonſenſe out of them. Alas! this is one of the diſeaſes of our Age alſo, wherein many men have affected unintelligible language, and believed they were Eagles that were courted to look upon the Sun, becauſe they could ſoar aloft into a cloud of words. When they had taken abundance of Prophetical expreſſions, and careleſly jumbled them into a confuſion, they ſeemed to themſelves like men inſpired and that ſpoke oracles, when they did but ſlaver out their own tranſcendent nonſenſe.
5. And if theſe men can but arrive to the confidence of prating ſaucily to their betters, this is reputed a ſingular gift, and they take themſelves to be indued with an extraordinary meaſure of zeal for God and his cauſe. But if they can perk. up into the Pulpit, and take the boldneſs to be Preachers and Inſtructers to others; this is an infallible mark, and now they cannot doubt but they are full of the Spirit of God. This is the thing that tickles them more then all the reſt; and their forefathers, the Scribes and Phariſees never loved more to ſit in Moſes his chair, (Mat. 23.2.) then their fingers itch to be laying the Law before the Ignorant people.
6. But let ſuch men who delight to hear themſelves talk, conſider (if they have not loſt that Faculty whereby we are men) that there may be twenty times more Religion in humble learning, then in this bold teaching of others; and that there is a thouſand times more in hearty doing of what men learn. To that let them bend their ſtudies, and obſerve how greedy they are of riches, how they ſcramble for high places, how worthy they think themſelves of what others enjoy, how they love to rule and command over them, how impatient they are of contradiction, how ambitious to be thought ſome body in the world, how cenſorious of their neighbours; how fiery & hot againſt diſſenters, how fierce and violent for their Opinion more then for Godlineſs: And then if they believe the Scriptures, let them judge whether the leaven of Hypocriſie have not ſowred them. And let us all remember, That true Religion is a transforming ſenſe of God; that which changes and alters the temper of mens ſouls; that which ſeaſons and leavens the whole man with Goodneſs: It is not a new Tongue, but a new nature: It conſiſts not in reformed language, but in a reformed life; Not in talking concerning God, but in an imitation of him, and being conformed to him. And then a well-ſeaſoned Heart will make all the words ſavoury and without affectation, though with good affection.