Jewish Hypocrisy, Chapter 20
CAP. XX.
1. Of falſe pretences to Inſpiration. 2. Whence theſe ſwellings in the head do ariſe, and how you may know them. 3. Concerning the Kingdom of Chriſt ſo much talkt of. 4. How loth they are to ſubmit to Chriſts government, who think they wait for his Kingdom. 5. Oppoſition to Antichriſt, a falſe token of mens being on Chriſts ſide. 6. For they may have the very ſpirit of Antichriſt in them.
1. BUT there are a company of more glorions profeſſors then theſe, who pretend ſuch love to Jeſus Chriſt, and take themſelves to be ſo beloved of him, that they are lifted up into an imagination of receiving Revelations from him. Their Religion is to look after news from heaven, to raiſe themſelves into raptures, and dreams of Prophetical inſpiration. They talk of extraordinary light: Glorious diſcoveries, manifeſtations, illumination of the Holy Ghoſt, are the words that adorn their diſcourſes. And ſo St. Peter tells the Jewiſh Chriſtians, (for to them he wrote, being the Apoſtle of the circumciſion) that there ſhould falſe Teachers ariſe among them,2 Pet. 2.1. as falſe Prophets had done antiently among their forefathers. By theſe I nothing doubt he means ſome that boaſted of Inſpirations, and further Revelations from God, which the Jews might be moſt forward of all others to pretend unto, becauſe they took themſelves to be beloved of God beyond all the people of the earth. And St. Jude calls them expreſly foreign, (v. 8.) which we render filthy dreamers; but it ſignifies ſuch as were carried with dreams. There were you know ſeveral wayes of Gods revealing himſelf of old to his Prophets, whereof Dreams and Viſions were moſt uſual; Now theſe perſons had a ſtrong fancy that they received ſome impreſſions from God, and were divinely moved in their dreams; when they were but the vapours and reeks of their own fleſh which their aſpiring minds agitated them withall. And Epiphanius applies the place to the Gnoſticks, whoſe fables and dotages the Apoſtle (he ſaith) reproves, which were more like the talk of a man in a dream, then well awake.
2.Cap. 17. n. 7. And it is likely that both the Jewiſh and Chriſtian dreamers have faln into this ſpiritual phrenſie by that ſame heat which I before ſpoke of, whereby they perſwaded themſelves too early that they were Saints; When this meets with a melancholy temper and a ſelfiſh diſpoſition, it is no hard matter to beget in them an opinion of near converſe with God or Angels. For when that fierce humour works and boils up, all experience tells us that it puts men into high and big conceits, if they be of a proud nature: And then their religious inclinations and affections determine the workings of this melancholy fancy to matters concerning God, and his Son, and Holy Spirit. Theſe motions they may take to be from a divine power, becauſe they are ſo great, and becauſe they are ſo much different from what they feel when in their ordinary temper. And this ſelf-love may make them conceit likewiſe that none are like to receive from God ſuch inſpirations ſooner then themſelves; who have ſuch a love to him, and preſuppoſe that they are ſo much in his affections. Now I hope there are not many at this time of this conplexion in Religion; but when there are, you have two remarkable characters given of them by Saint Jude in that verſe; They are given to the groſſeſt ſenſualities, and are likewiſe turbulent and ſeditious perſons. By which they make it plainly appear, that Chriſt is not in them, who was holy, meek and peaceable, and makes all thoſe to be ſo on whom his Spirit breaths.
3. But there are others of a lower form, who confidently talk of the mind of God likewiſe made known to them, and are altogether buſied in their fancies about the glorious times that are enſuing. The Jews do not more expect their Meſsiah, and think to be made great men by him, then theſe wait to ſee Chriſt come to reign, or at leaſt themſelves advanced to ſit upon thrones to govern the Nations. They take themſelves to be the candles that are to enlighten all the darker places of Holy Writ. They are as familiarly acquainted with Daniel, as others are with the Proverbs of Solomon. They underſtand St. Johns Revelation as well as they do his three Epiſtles. And I ſhall not much disbelieve them in this particular; for their Religion hath nothing to do with that love and ſweetneſs, that charity and humility which he commends. While they fancy themſelves Kings with Chriſt, they neglect his government in their ſouls, which ſhould keep under all their head-ſtrong paſſions, quell their rebellious affections, tame their wild natures, and reſtrain their brutiſh deſires, which would indeed make that new world of things which all good Chriſtians pray for. They conceit a gorgeous pompous ſcene of things, a ſecular and worldly greatneſs, an overflowing tide of proſperous events, while they neglect that poverty of ſpirit, that lowlineſs of mind, that meekneſs, patience, long-ſuffering, and ſuch like Royal graces as make Chriſtians conquerours over the world, and victors of all their enemies. And therefore they are to be accounted among thoſe whoſe religion is only words, and great brags ariſing from an high conceit of favour with God; who loves thoſe that will be guided by his will, and ruled by his Laws; better then thoſe that would fain fulfill prophecies, and pour out ſome of his vials upon the earth.
4. This religion is indeed Filia vocis (as the Jews called their laſt kind of Revelation) the daughter of a voice; yet not of Gods, but of their own. They thunder and rattle in the world, as if they would bring the heavens about our ears, and pour down the clouds upon us; but it is a tempeſt of their own raiſing, and a ſtorm which their bluſtering paſſions and boiſterous affections make in themſelves. No whiſper, nor thunder neither, from heaven, nakes men irreligious, proud, contemptuous, diſobedient, bitter, cruel and full of black zeal. Theſe are the breathings of the evil ſpirit, the belches of the bottomleſs pit. Theſe inſpirations ſmell of Sulphur, they ſtink of fire and brimſtome. The true Religion leads a man to a ſolicitous enquiry after that which God hath revealed for the reforming of himſelf, and erecting the Government of Chriſt in his ſoul: And the ruling over himſelf, keeping dominion over his luſts, is more deſirable to him, then reigning in pomp and ſtate a thouſand years upon the earth. The power of Religion makes a man to know the certainty of thoſe words of truth which lead him to the life of God but never makes men talk like infallible Prophets, what ſcene of things muſt next take its turn, and what piece of the Revelation muſt next come upon the ſtage. All theſe pretences to expounding Revelations, and Propheſies, and Secrets of Providence may be but a fancy, and the licouriſh deſire that is in men to be medling with them, may be but ſuch a thing as Eves appetite to the Tree, viz the fruit of Pride and curioſity. But the Doctrine of Chriſt, is plain full and certain; and the deſire in a mans ſoul after the knowledge of it, and being acquainted with it, muſt be the fruit of the good ſpirit of God, which leads a man to the life and power of godlineſs, giving him a great command over himſelf, and all worldly affections, making him to be good, not in word and notion, but in deed and truth.
5. But it is time to leave this ſort of men who are meer talkers of God, and who only give him their good word (as we ordinarily ſpeak) commend him, and ſpeak well of him, but care not to be ſo well acquainted with him, as to be made like him: who complement with him and ſpeak him fair to his face, who pretend to friendſhip with him, and to be of his ſecrets, and will be as near him as he pleaſeth, ſo be it that he will do them no good, nor make any alteration in their ſouls. Let me only annex to this, another Falſe Religion very near of kin to it, which conſiſts in a great out-cry againſt Antichriſt and all his adherents. This word Antichriſt is of that nature, that it may be preſt to ſerve any deſign, and it is become ſuch a Mormo to vulgar people, that their hairs ſtand up an end, and they run away from the face of it as if they were out of their little wits. The more too blame they, who upon every occaſion fright them with it, as unadviſed people do their children with bugbears; which makes them of ſuch a timerous nature, that they fear all things which they never ſaw before, though never ſo good and neceſſary for them. But in the ordinary ſenſe of the word, people underſtand by it the Pope of Rome, and imagine they are the friends of Chriſt, becauſe they hate his enemies; and that they are good Proteſtants, becauſe they are againſt the Papal incroachments. But many are beholden to their education for the planting this enmity in them, and it is too apt to degenerate into a poiſonous & venemous Weed of rancour and cruelty againſt the perſons of thoſe whoſe vices only we ſhould hate. And others are taught by invective Sermons againſt Antichriſt which they happen to hear, to bear a great ſpleen againſt him, though they know not who he is: The natural ſeeds of piety which are in us towards a Deity, growing into this or that ſhape according to the ſoil in which they are, the natural temper which men are of: and according to the manuring and husbandry that is uſed about them, the diſcourſes which they ordinarily hear for the cheriſhing of piety.
6. And though all men of this ſpirit think they hate Antichriſt as they do the Devil, and therefore judge themſelves good Chriſtians; yet if you look narrowly into them, you ſhall find that they have the very character of Antichriſt upon them, and the mark of the Beaſt in their forehead, whereby we may know how far they are from true Religion. For if you look into 2 Theſ. 2. you ſhall find that the ſpirit of Apoſtacy did not conſiſt ſo much in Ignorance, or meerly in holding this or that Speculative Opinion, as in Wickedneſs, Pride, Self-exaltation and Tyrannie. He that the Apoſtle ſpeaks of, is called the man of ſin, v. 3. the wicked one, v. 6. he that hath the myſterie of iniquity, v. 7. and comes with all deceivableneſs of unrighteouſneſs, i. e. with all fine devices to allure men to a fleſhly life, ver. 10.
Let it be conſidered therefore how they brand themſelves with the name of Antichriſt, who fiercely declaim againſt him, but live in ſin, do unjuſtly, exalt themſelves above all that are called Gods in this world, love to domineer over others, are full of hatred and contempt of their betters; and in ſhort, let them remember that it is no ſmall note of him, that they count all Antichriſtian but themſelves. I ſhall conclude this with thoſe words of the beloved Apoſtle who wrote againſt ſuch conceited people as juſtified themſelves, though unrighteous, and condemned all others that were good. Little children, Let no man deceive you; he that doth righteouſneſs, is righteous, even as he is righteous. In this the children of God are manifeſt, and the children of the Devil: Whoſoever doth not righteouſneſs, is not of God, neither he that loveth not his Brother, 1 John 3.7, 10.