The Hypocrites Ladder, Treatise · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Contains the firſt Ladder, and is divided into four Sections; The firſt Section contains five ſteps.
1 THe hypocrite may bee one of a moſt ſweet nature. The good nature as the world calls it, and the Divine nature as the Scripture calls it, do differ 2 Pet. 1. 4.very much, toto coelo differunt. All men are not alike viciouſly diſpoſed by nature, as not all beaſts; there are gentle Lambs among the beaſts, as well as cruel Lions, fierce Wolves. Among the Fowls there are the innocent Dove, the amorous Turtle, the affectionate Stork, and Pelican; as there are the ravenous Vultur, and miſchievous Kite, ſo among men all are not furious Lamechs, dogged Doegs, churliſh Nabals. There are ſome meliore luto, as Titus the ſon of Veſpatian, who was called amor & deliciae gener is humani, Mans delight, and man-kindes darling for his courteſie, ſweetneſs, and affability, who never ſent any ſad from his preſence whatſoever his ſuit was, but ſaid, It becomes not a Prince to let any go from his preſence otherwiſe than rejoyeing and cheered. But this is the loweſt ſtep, Good nature.
2 Hee may have very vertuous and religious Education to better nature. Good nature, and the beſt nurture may meet together: But Education is one thing, and Regeneration is quite another thing. Education may make the Schollar, Regeneration makes the Chriſtian; Education breeds the Gentleman, but it is Regeneration which makes the Good man, but the meaneſt new-born Good man, is better than the High-born Nobleman, or beſt bred Gentleman. Education indeed may take a rough ſtone and poliſh it, and make it uſeful for the building, but it is a ſtone ſtill; Regeneration turneth the ſtone into fleſh; Education may make fit for humane ſociety, onelyonly Regeneration fitteth for fellowſhip with God. Education is a great bleſſing, and may by Gods gracious concurrence turn to ſalvation; How eminently gracious were Joſhua and Eliſha, who Miniſtred to Moſes and Elijah, brought up by them? But ordinarily it reacheth but the outer man, it takes a Thorn out of the Garden, or Vineyard, and removes it, ſets it in the hedge, where it is of uſe, but it is a thorn ſtill, Grace, and Regeneration graffe another Syen into it, and it beareth other fruit, then it is a thorn no longer. Who queſtions, but Iſhmael and Eſau had moſt Religious Education in Abrahams and Iſaacks family, yet what were they the better? Joaſh trained up from his childehood under pious Jehoiada, 2 Chron. 24. 2. Paul had a pious father, 2 Tim. 1. 3. was after committed to a choice Tutor, yet till hee was powerfully regenerated; hee was not onelyonly a rotten Phariſee and Hypocrite, but a turbulent and bitter perſecutor, and might then juſtly bee called, to the Church a peſtilent fellow, foreign. Act 24. 5.or a very Peſt, as Tertullus after called him falſely and maliciouſly.
3 Hee may bee kept free from groſs and ſcandalous ſins even from his youth, as that young man, Matth. 19. who could ſay, All theſe have I kept from my youth up; hee could ſay more (and in truth haply) then many a true Saint and beleever before his converſion, that hee had never diſobeyed and rebelled againſt his parents, &c. So fair hee was, that it is ſaid, Chriſt looked on him, and loved him, yet Mar. 10. 21.did he lack the main. Negative righteouſneſs, is not enough, Vaeetiam laudabili vitae, ſaid Auſtin.
4 Hee may bee exact in all ſecond Tableduties, and morally righteous; hee may give weight and meaſure to ſuch as buy and ſell with him, keep his day and word with ſuch as truſt him. Thus did the young man juſtifie himſelf. This is indeed a part of religious righteouſneſs, but the ſecond, not the firſt part. It was the whole Divinity and Religion of the Heathens, it had need bee a part, not the whole of Chriſtians; If this bee wanting, Heathens will get into the Kingdome of God before us, but if this bee all, wee are as much without hope, as they, who were for Temperance, Patience, Juſtice, Equity, Moderation, fidelity to friends, love to their Country, and Self-denial in reſpect of the Publick, fit patterns even to Profeſſors. Ariſtides, Regulus, Cato, Seneca, and ſuch others, may ſhame many a Chriſtian. There may bee civility, where there is no ſanctity, though no ſanctity without civility. Deſpiſe not civility, ſaid Mr. Perkins, good conſcience, and good manners, ſhould go together. Reſt not in civility, for civility and ſanctity may bee far aſunder.
5 Hee may bee a great hearer of the word; the three bad grounds, high way, ſtony, thorny, were all great hearers, heard as much, heard the ſame Miniſters, and were ſown with the ſame ſeed with the good ground, yet not two in a field, one taken, the other left, but one taken, and three left; and it is well if of four ſitting in the ſame Church pew, there bee not one taken, and three or four left. The houſe built upon the ſand was a great hearer too, Matth. 7. 26. Not the hearers of the Law, but the doers are juſtified, Rom. 2. 13. ſaith the Apoſtle.
SECT. 2. Containing five ſteps more.
6 Hee may ſhew much external reverence and devotion in matters of Religion, come diligently, frequently, and devoutly to ſee to, into Gods preſence; hee may bee as conſtant a Church-man as any other in the Pariſh, and yet live and dye a wicked man, as Solomon obſerves, Eccleſ. 8. 10. I ſaw the wicked buried, ſaid hee, who had come and gone (many a time) from the place of the holy. They may come, ſit down, and hear attentively as the best people uſe to do, Ezek. 33. 31. Yea for matter of outward reverence, and religious deportment in Geniculations, compoſed countenances, and comely behaviour, outſtripping many truly godly. Thus did the young man, ſpoken of in the Goſpel, hee came to our Saviour with more Cap and Knee, with more Ceremony and Courtſhip, with more expreſſions of reverence, piety, civility, humility, and obedience in words and geſtures, than ever did any mentioned in Scripture who came with better hearts, and were ſent away with more comfort. Hee comes running, and kneeling, and ſaying, Good Maſter, &c.Mark. 10. 17
Behold, 1. His forwardneſs, hee came hee was neither called, as all Chriſts Diſciples were, nor ſent as Johns Diſciples Matth. 11. 2.were, but hee came of his own accord.
2 Behold his haſte, hee came runing.
3 His Devotion, hee came and kneeled to him.
4 His good Language, Good Maſter, what good thing, &c. Never did any come on better, few went off worſe. That woman noted for a ſinner, Luke 7. 38. came indeed more penitently. The woman in her bloody iſſue more beleevingly, yet tremblingly, Mar. 5. 28. The woman of Canaan more importunately, Matth. 15. 22. The heathen Centurion more humbly, Matth. 8. 8. The ſad Father more dolefully, and mournfully, Mark. 9. 24. All of them more ſucceſsfully, but never a one of them all ſo reverently to ſee to, as hee.
Saul of whom it was ſaid in three 1 Sam. 16. 14, 15. & 18. 10. & 19. 9.places before, that hee was troubled or poſſeſſed with an evil ſpirit from the Lord, yet when hee was at Naioth in Ramah at the Prophets exerciſes, hee out-ſtripped all the Prophets, hee had the affections, the extaſies, the revelations, the ſpirit above them all. Behold his behaviour, hee ſtripped off his cloaths, and propheſied alſo before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day, and all that night too, and as in admiration of all, they uſed this Proverb, Behold Saul among the Prophets.
7 Hee may bee a great, and forward Profeſſor, Tit. 1. 16. Matth. 7. 23. They may ſay much of their profeſſion, and Chriſt ſtands up, and diſclaimes all, and enters a Proteſtation againſt them & ſaith, I except againſt ſuch a one, hee is no ſound Profeſſor. It is ſad here to ſee Profeſſor ſtanding up againſt Profeſſor; but what will it bee when the great Friend and Saviour of Profeſſors, ſhall caſhiere and disband ſuch a Profeſſor, and make a Profeſſion againſt Profeſsion? Verily I know you not, I tell you. They lay hold on Chriſt his Skirt, as Saul did on Samuels 1 Sam. 19. 27, 28mantle, hee turns away in diſlike, his skirt rends, and hee tells them, ſo hath God rent the Kingdome of heaven from them, and given it to their neighbour a better profeſsor than they are; they catch faſt hold of Chriſt his garment, as if they would force and overcome him, but hee leaves his garment with them, as Joſeph his in the hands of his Miſtreſs, and ſaith, Let them have my Garment, they ſhall have none of my Company, let Gen. 39. 12them, and their profeſſion go together. Many are not aſhamed of profeſſion, that are a ſhame to profeſsion, and they hope Religion ſhould honor and preſerve them when they diſhonor and wound it.
8 Hee may bee as forward to make ſolemn Covenants, and Proteſtations as the beſt, Deut. 5. 27. Whatſoever the Lord ſhall ſay to thee, wee will hear, and do it, Jer. 42. 5, 6. They binde it with an oath, and ſay, The Lord bee witneſs between us, if wee do not even according to all things which hee ſhall ſend thee to us for, be it good or evill, wee will obey. They are excellent Affliction-men as can bee, or for a ſpurt, as the pale green ſickneſs after a little ſtirring, looks ruddy and lively for a while till they cool, then it grows dead and pale again, or as the cold water over the fire, and the cold iron while in the fire, are both fire hot, take off the one, take out the other, they are both as cold again as ever. Thus did Pharaoh, and Iſrael, many times play faſt and looſe Pſal. 78. 34 Jer. 34.with God, they had a hot fit, and a cold, one good day, but many bad dayes before and after it. Pharaoh was a great Promiſer, Foelix a great Purpoſer, Balaam Num. 22. 18.a great Profeſſor, Johanan a great Proteſter, Jer. 42. 5, 6. Zedekiah a great Covenanter, Jer. 34. 8. The carnal hypocrite, a great prayer, Eſ. 26. 16. Jehojakin a very gracious man when pangs upon him; pangs of pain beget often pangs of devotion, Jer. 22. 23. And Ahab a great Penitentiary, and Jehu a great Zelot and Reformer. But a packe of Hypocrites all.
9 The hypocrite may bee ſound and orthodox in all Doctrinals, and Articles of the Creed: No Heretick, Sectary, Antinomian, Matth 23. 2, 3 Gal. 2Anabaptiſt, &c. Thus far Satan goes, hee beleeves well, but doth ill. The Phariſees beleeved and taught well; their ſin was as Tertullian ſaid of that act of Peter in ſymbolizing with the Jews, vitium converſationis, non praedicationis, but they lived ill. They were blinde, not ignorant, Joh. 9. 40. Their ſin was the more. Their Leproſie was not in their head, Lev. 13. 44. But they had blew ſpots in their breaſts, and defiled hands and actions.
To hold the truth in unrighteouſneſs, is a greater ſin than to bee held in error, or unrighteouſneſs through ignorance. And to know the Maſters will, and not do it, will bring more ſtroaks, than neither knowing or doing. I am no pleader for Errors and Hereſies, yet I beleeve in ſome errors of judgement, ſome may bee ſaved, when in errors of practiſe, others will bee condemned: I am no friend to Popery, Anabaptiſme, &c. yet I had rather bee a conſcientious Anabaptist, yea Papiſt, or Turk or Pagan than an unconſcientious Proteſtant, and Profeſſor; a looſe formal Proteſtant is worſt of all. It is true that non bene vivitur ubi male creditur, there is no good life, where is bad beleef; and as true, non bene creditur ubi male vivitur, they beleeve not well, who live not well. The Anabaptist, or other Sectary falls upon a looſe Proteſtant, and they wound each other, whoſe part ſhall wee take? but part them, and blame both. Thou wilt not joyn with an Anabaptiſt, becauſe hee hath no Baptiſme, to make him a Chriſtian, nor hee with thee, becauſe thou haſt nothing but Baptiſme, thou falleſt out with, and condemneſt him becauſe hee hears not, and hee thee, becauſe thou practiſeſt not: Thou calleſt him Sectary, hee thee Prophane; Thou ſayeſt hee liveth in error, hee that thou liveſt in ſin, how wilt thou anſwer him? I cannot plead for ſuch; thy good words and arguments confute him not, but thy ill deeds confirm him: Both are to blame, Iliacos intra muros peccatur & extra. As thy Creed alone will not ſave thee, if thou doſt throw away the Lords Prayer and Ten Commandements; ſo the Lords Prayer and Ten Commandements will not ſave him, if hee caſt away the Creed. So I may ſay of the Antinomian, as the practical Chriſtian is better than the notional, ſo the practical Antinomian is worſe than the doctrinal, and would to God it were as eaſie to convert the one, as to confute the other. To turn Grace into wantonneſs in the Pulpit, is not ſo bad as to do it in thy life; for as in good the Uſe is better than the Doctrine, ſo in evils the uſe is worſe; he makes the worſe doctrine, and may bee lives better; thou heareſt better doctrine, and makeſt worſe uſe. Divines ſay (wee hope in charity) that the Antinomians ſome of them follow not the abſurd conſequences and impious inferences in their life, which their Tenets lead to, and ſo they may bee ſaved, and our fear is, thou liveſt not up to thy good doctrine, and thy ſin is, that thou followeſt it not in all the inferences and conſequences. In a word, if thy faith were Apoſtolical, thy doctrine Evangelical, and thy knowledge Angelical, if thy heart bee hypocritical, and thy acts Diabolical, as Judas was, thy condemnation will bee the greater.
As it is more to do truth, Joh. 3. 21. than to ſay truth, and to walk in the truth, 2 Joh. 4. & 3 Joh. 3, 4. is more than to hold, or profeſs the truth; ſo to do evill, is worſe than to hold an ill, and unſound opinion. To bee the truth, was the glory of Chriſt, and wee muſt endeavour to come as near him as wee can. I am the truth, ſaith hee, q. d. I am all Joh. 14. 6.truth.
1 In my Judgement, I hold nothing but truth.
2 In my Doctrine, teach nothing but truth.
3 In my heart, am all truth, the ſame I hold and teach.
4 And my life agrees with my heart, all is truth, otherwiſe to ſay I hold truth, in profeſſion and doctrine, and not to bee truth in the heart, and do truth in the life, makes mee more like Satan, than Chriſt. I ſpeak the more of this, becauſe I obſerve how on the one hand the erronious reſteth in his unſound opinions, taking offence at the prohaneneſs of ſome, that hold the truth which they oppoſe; and on the other hand, many formal Proteſtants reſt in this, that they are no hereticks, ſectaries, or miſ-beleevers, but hate ſuch; ſtudy to convince ſuch by a better life, not to harden them by thy evill language, and worſe converſation. Hee ſees thou art more ſhye of him, though humble and peaceable (if any bee ſuch) than of one openly prophane, where is thy equal hatred of all evill in the mean time? Thou wilt not drink with a man of a different judgement, yet wilt with a Drunkard, nor bee converſant with a man that holds an odd opinion, yet wilt bee familiar with him that will ſwear and ſwagger. It was a witty ſpeech of Sir Tho. Moor that hee loved not to hear a vicious Prieſt recite his Creed, it made him ſuſpect his own faith, when ſuch a Prieſt ſaid his was the ſame. Give not thou occaſion to the adverſary to ſpeak reproachfully, becauſe a good profeſſion is not adorned with a holy and unblameable converſation.
The hypocrite is therefore no better friend to the Church and Truth, than the Heretick or Infidel; the Infidel diſputes againſt the truth, the hypocrite lives contrary to it, Infidelis contra ſcripturam diſputat, hypocrita vivit. The Heretick doth unica ſcriptura errare. The hypocrite doth toto coelo errare. The Heretick doth wreſt ſome one Scripture, the hypocrite doth reſiſt the whole Scripture to his own deſtruction.
In a word, ſome Heretick doubtleſs may bee ſaved, no hypocrite ever ſhall, yet am I ſo far from that (not ſo charitable, as looſe) opinion, that men may bee ſaved in all Religions, that I ſhall ſtraiten that very Poſition, Extra Eccleſiam nulla ſalus, no ſalvation to bee had out of the Church, and ſay, Intra Eccleſiam nulla ſalus hypocritis & impiis, to hypocrites and ungodly ones, though orthodox, and living in the beſt Church, no univerſal ſalvation.
I have been the longer upon this, becauſe I ſee, as it is the manner of all Opinioniſts to ſleight truth, ſo it is the practiſe of too many Profeſſors of truth to ſleight holineſs. Unity and verity ſhould not bee parted: Purity and verity muſt not bee parted.
10 They may live ſo well, as to gain high eſteem and applauſe of men. Many excellent things may bee done by them, as is ſaid of Felix. They may bee famous in the Congregation, men of renown, ſo were Act. 24 2 Num. 16. 2Corah, and his complices. Highly eſteemed amongſt men, when they are abomination to God looking into their hearts, and thoughts, Luke 16. 15. They may receive allowance from the Pureſt Church to be entertained to Church-fellowſhip, and admitted to partake of all Ordinances as Magus, Act. 8. yea to bee ſet a part for the higheſt offices and imployments in the Church, as Nicholas choſen to bee a Deacon, Demas a Paſtor, Judas an Apostle.
SECT. 3. Containing five other ſteps.
11 Hee may bee really and totally converted as to Paganiſme, and Prophaneneſs, yet are perverted and intangled in damnable errors; for there are the doctrines of Devils, as well as the works of the Devil, 1 Tim. 4. 1 1 Joh. 3. 8 2 Pet. 2. 1 Mat. 23. 15and damnable hereſies, as well as impieties, they may bee as the Phariſes Diſciples were Proſelites from Paganiſme, and unbeleef, to Phariſaiſme and miſbeleef, then hee is no better, but worſe than before, double the childe of hell, to what hee was before. Epiphanius ſaid not untruly, foreign, misbeleef is worſe than unbeleef. How many in theſe dayes are hooked in by thoſe who lye in wait to deceive, and preſently of prophane and ignorant ſots are become Opinioniſts, deſpiſers of Miniſters, and Ordinances, eſcaping the Nuſquam facilius proficitur quam in caſtris Rebellium (hareticorum intelligit) ubi ipſum eſſeillic promerer… eſt, Tertul. de praeſc.fear of the Pit, are taken in the ſnare; they were not worſe before, nor better now, onelyonly now more ſcornful, obſtinate, petulant, as if they had left the way of ſinners to ſit in the ſeat of the ſcornful. Alexander the Copperſmith bred Paul more miſchief and oppoſition, when a perverted profeſſor, than Demetrius the Silverſmith, when an Idolater.
12 Hee may bee a man of conſcience even from his youth all his life long. So 2 Tim. 1. 3Paul even before his converſion could ſay, hee had walked in all good conſcience before God all his life, Act. 23. 1. and that hee and his fathers had ſerved God with a pure conſcience: yet had hee dyed then, hee had been in an ill condition, out of Chriſt, and without hope.
1 There is a natural conſcience, ſuch as was in Abimelech, hee calls it Integrity and uprightneſs of heart, and ſtands much upon it, and God calls it Integrity too, he acted according to the principles Gen. 20. 5of his natural conſcience, hee did as hee knew, had hee known better, hee had done better.
2 There is an erronious conſcience ſuch as that in Herod, who would not break Matth. 14. 9his raſh oath, and ſuch was Pauls, and many other mens, who follow as blinde men, the blinde guide, an erring conſcience, and both fall into the ditch. They do thus, and thus, becauſe their conſcience bindes them, and the more they obey conſcience thus, the more they ſin, and they ſay ſometimes they dare not do thus and thus, as others do, ſtrayning ſometimes at a gnat, and ſwallowing a whole Camel.
3 There is a conſcience half enlightned in an hypocrite, which ſhews him ſome ſins, not all, and tells him ſome part of his duty, not all; in ſome things hee doth well, no man better; in others ill, no man worſe: Thou abhorreſt Idolls, and committeſt ſacriledge, and both out of conſcience; thy ſemi-blinde, and half-ſighted conſcience miſ-leading thee, in the one it ſhews thy duty, in the other it ſhews thee not thy ſin. An hypocrite may follow a natural, erroneous, or half enlightned conſcience to hell.
13 The hypocrite way run well a great while, go far, and hold out long in his profeſſion; Gal. 5. 7 1 Cor. 9. 24To bee a Profeſſor of ſo many years ſtanding; the ſtony ground ſet out well, the Thorny held out well a great while; perſecution and fear did not daunt it, but at laſt the poyſonous love of the world infected it, then hee dyed an old Profeſſor, a young ſtar, an old clod, a young heavenling, an old worldling. The fooliſh Virgins ſure held it out long. And they who were called the firſt hour, held it out long to abide the brunt and heat of the day, when yet the laſt commer was before them, and they who were firſt at firſt, were laſt at Matth. 20laſt.
Judas ran well a great while, miſcarried at the laſt; Joaſh was a Profeſſor many years, at laſt Apoſtatized, and became 2 Chron. 24. 2a perſecutor. Lots wfe an old Profeſſor, at laſt looked back and periſhed: How ſad is it that many who came out of Egypt, and followed the Ark thirty eight, Deut. 2. 14or forty years, yet came not into Canaan. The Spies who were picked out of all Iſrael, the onelyonly men of their ſeveral Tribes, all but two miſcarried, and they had been eminent Profeſſors a long time. It is not hee that holds out twenty, thirty, or forty years ſhall bee ſaved, but hee that endureth to the end; ſo that I fear if many of us look a little more narrowly, Matth. 24. 13wee may finde an hypocrite nearer than wee are aware, and finde him in an old decayed Profeſſor. There are two gallant men in Scripture with whoſe ſtory I am much affected, and cannot but bewayl their concluſion. Johanan the ſon of Kareah is the one, read his ſtory, Jer. 40. 41, 42, 43. Chapters, you will ſee what a gallant man he was, the great ſervice he did for the poor people of God, how forward hee was to make a ſolemne proteſtation, at laſt hee is among the forwardeſt of the proud men that oppoſed Jeremy, and ſo continued, Jer. 43. 2. 4, 5. And Joab the ſon of Zerviah is the other, who after many gallant ſervices performed to David, and Iſrael, from Davids firſt coming to the Crown, againſt the houſe of Saul, againſt Edom, Ammon, and other forreign Nations, ſtood right in all rebellions, as that of Abſalom, and that of Sheba the ſon of Bichri, yet at laſt was taken tardy in that conſpiracy of Adonijah, and proclaimed a Delinquent, all his good ſervices forgotten, his hoary head, muſt not go to the grave in peace.
14 Hee may bee a man of ſtrict life (ſuch were ſome of the Phariſees, ſo was Paul, Act. 26. 5.) and full of zeal hee may bee to promote his Religion, and act for God, and his Church (as hee conceives) Luther Act. 12. 3ſaid hee was Papaciſsimus, hee was not cold and ice, as Eckius, and ſome other Papiſts, who pleaded for Popery, for their own bellies ſake, but hee was an eager Papiſt out of zeal, looking for no other thing but ſalvation. There is a zeal that is numbred among the works of the fleſh, Gal. 5. 20. There is a zeal of God, which is not according to knowledge, Rom. 10. 2. and there are zealouſly affected, who are not the well-affected with St. Paul, Gal. 4. 17, 18.
15 Go ſo far as to ſuffer perſecution, loſs, reproach, &c. Gal. 3. 4. Have ye ſuffered ſo many things in vain? Alexander had Act. 9been a ſufferer, ſtood up in that Tumult, and ran a great hazard to ſecure Paul, yet after a bitter perſecutor, againſt whom Paul prayed more than againſt any other. The Circumcillions and Donatiſts had ſufferers (they called them Martyrs, but they were mad Martyrs, that were ſo far ſhort of the peaceable and holy carriage of Saints.) And the Anabaptiſts have had them that have ſuffered ſufficiently, if they had not ſuffered as evill doers, and for their turbulency and ſeditions. Sufferings as well as Miracles are no note of ſound doctrine. It is good doctrine which pleads for them, and makes them good, and not they which make a doctrine or an opinion good. Non poena ſed cauſa. Again Auſtin ſaid well, Tell not mee what it is the man ſuffers, tell mee what the man is that ſuffers. Non refert qualia, ſed qualis quis patitur.Shew mee not the ſufferings, ſhew mee the man. The Theeves had their Croſſes of like faſhion and make with our Saviours, they ſtood on the ſame ground, but they had not the ſame title written on their Croſſes.
SECT. 4. The five laſt ſteps of the first Ladder.
16 They may bee ſo Cock-ſure, and ſo confident in their own way, as that they fear not to condemn all others that joyn not with them, preſuming themſelves onelyonly to bee in the right, Joh. 16. 2. They ſhall put you out of the Synagogues, and when they kill you, think they do God, and the Church, good ſervice, and ſay when they have done, Let God bee glorified, Iſa. 66. 5. Thus had Paul done as himſelf relates, I verily thought with my ſelf, that I ought Act. 26. 9, 10, 11. Non audet ſtygius Pluto tentare quod audet, effrenis Monachus, &c.to do many things contrary to the name of Jeſus, which I alſo did, and many of the Saints I ſhut up in priſon, and when they were put to death, I gave my voyce againſt them, and I puniſhed them oft in every Synagogue, and compelled them to blaſpheme, &c. Wicked Pilate was a Saint to the High Prieſts, when hee was ſqueamiſh of having a hand in the blood of Chriſt, and called for water to waſh his hands from ſuch blood, they would waſh their hands in his heart blood, and deſperately ſay, His blood bee on us, &c. Wee thirſt after it, Iſa. 66. 5. They dare unchurch, unchriſtian, and excommunicate as Antichriſtian, ſuch of their godly brethren as diſſent from them. They caſt you out, hate you for his names ſake, and ſay, Let God bee glorified.
17 They may bee ſo confident in their way (the fool rageth, and is confident) as to offer open diſputation, and to debate their cauſe by all wayes of trial, you can deſire.
1 If you will try it out by humane reaſon, and natural Philoſophy, they are for you, ſo they of the School of Alexandria, Act. 6. 9, 10the Libertines, Cyrenians, and thoſe of Cilicia and Aſia, roſe up clamorouſly againſt Stephen, and when they could not refiſt the Spirit, and the Scripture authorities which hee brought, they would try it out by force and dint of Argument. So was Paul once accoſted and ſurrounded with a company of learned Sophiſters at Athens, Philoſophers of the worſt, and beſt kinde, the Epicureans Act. 17. 1…(the moſt bruitiſh of all Sects) and the Stoicks the moſt Divine for their morality (as Herod, and Pilate once) agreed to encounter him, and to ſee what a Schollar hee was, and what hee could ſay to an Argument. So our Socinians now ſay, Let reaſon judge, if you can by reaſon prove three to bee one, and one three, I will beleeve a Trinity, if you can tell mee in reaſon how God and man ſhould bee one perſon, I will beleeve the Deity of Chriſt; but where is the diſputer, ſaith the Apoſtle? Philoſophy is the bane of Divinity. Wee read of Satan diſputing Philoſophi hareticorum patriarcha, Tertu. Jude v. 9 Matth. 4once with Michael, another time with Chriſt himſelf.
2 By Scripture (abuſed and miſ-interpreted) Thus moſt Hereticks of old, and at preſent, the Familiſts, Libertines, Anabaptiſts, Antinomians, and all unlearned and unſtable ones, wreſt and pervert the 2 Pet. 3. 16Scriptures to the eſtabliſhing of their opinions, but deſtruction of their ſouls as Peter ſaith, and they will bee teachers of the Law, and underſtand, not what 1 Tim. 1. 7the Law and Goſpel is, What they ſay, and what they affirm.
3 By Antiquity (corrupted) as the Papiſts if they go to firſt Antiquity, or (corrupt Antiquity) if they go to the later part of Antiquity, after the firſt ſix hundred years, ſo they with Jeremy, they make a ſhort, and freſh Antiquity, that of their late Fathers, not of the old Prophets, to bear down Jeremy withall, Jer. 44. 17. and Joh. 4. 20. This was the Samaritan womans Logick and Divinity; Thus did our Fathers. Our Fathers worſhipped in this Mountain, &c.
4 Yea by ſuffering, ſo the Baalites would out-cry, and out-cut Elias, ſo the Papiſts as Campian ſpeaks of their many Martyrs, Pſeudo-martyrs, ſuch as Tho. Becket and the like.
5 By bold Appealls to God himſelf, and Num. 16they will refer it to the immediate determination of God himſelf, ſo audacious Num. 16.was Korah and his company, and ſo was Saul alſo when hee was moſt guilty, and cryes, Let God give a perfect 1 Sam. 14. 41.Lot, I deſire no more.
6 They dare contend by ſignes and miracles, as Jannes, Jambres, and the other Magicians did with Moſes and Aaron.
7 By a Spirit of immediate Revelation, and prediction which they pretend to, a higher ſpirit than the ordinary Prophets and Miniſters have: So did the pretended Prophet perſwade the true Prophet out of his name, as wee ſay, by pretending to a later Revelation, 1 King. 13. 18. ſo would Zedekiah have Ahab and Iſrael 1 King. 13. 18. 1 King. 21. 11. 24.know that Micajah ſpake not by the Spirit, hee onelyonly could ſay, The word of the Lord is thus, hee was onelyonly a man wedded to his humor, ill affected to the preſent Government, but himſelf had the Revelation; ſo Hananiah inſulted over Jeremiah, as a man full of ſullenneſs, Jer. 28. 2. 8▪ 10, 11.and morofity, but hee had the Spirit for what hee ſaid.
8 They are ready to depoſe for matter of fact, as they who came in againſt our Saviour Chriſt, and his firſt Martyt Steven, and had their witneſs and evidences to make good their charge againſt them, why they ought, and that juſtly to bee condemned by all good men.
18 Hee may have at other times many ſcruples in his ſpirit. Many ſuch the Phariſees Matth. 19. 3. Matth. 22. 17. Mar. 7. 8. Joh. 18. 28. Matth. 27. 6, 7. Matth. 27. 24. Matth. 14. 9.troubled Chriſt withall, about Divorces, Tribute to Ceſar, waſhing of hands and cups, ſo they ſcrupled the going into the Praetorium the day before the Paſsover, the putting of Judas his mony into the holy Corban or Cheſt. Weighty matters! But Pilate had a real ſcruple upon his ſpirit, it went wholly againſt his conſcience to condemn ſo good a man. And Herod had a jar, and quarrel in his conſcience; if hee ſhould kill John, that was murder, but if hee did not, that was perjury (which hee reckoned worſe) hee knew not what to do hee was ſo perplexed; So wee read of many other hypocrites making inquiries, and deſiring private conferences for their ſatisfaction. as Zedekiah, Jer. 38. 14. Johanan, Jer. 42. 1, 2.
19 They may go to the Rounds of all duties (this is a high ſtep) publick duties and private, ordinary and extraordinary; hee may pray, hear, receive the Sacraments conſtantly. They ſeek mee Iſa. 58. 2.daily, and delight to know my wayes, as a Nation that doth righteouſneſs, and forſook not the Ordinance of their God, they ask of mee the Ordinances of juſtice, they take delight in approaching to God. This is very much, to ſeek God daily, and to delight to approach to him; yea they may bee frequent in extraordinary duties; in Faſts often, Matth. 9. 14. Twice a week as the Phariſee ſaid, Luke 18. 11.
Hee may do for matter all that which is good in the eyes of the Lord, 2 Chron. 25. 2.
20 The twentieth and laſt Round of this firſt Ladder, Hee may dye penitently, and have that happy hour which is all the heaven that many wiſh for here, to cry Lord, Lord, Lord have mercy on mee. Hee hath it, hee doth ſo, but what is he nearer the bleſſing than Eſau, who cryed with many a bitter cry, yet the bleſſing was gone, hee was rejected? Hee may repent dying, and dye repenting, a death-bed repentance, is but a dead repentance. Then his ſin leaves him, not hee that; hee flyes from burning, not ſinning. God will reject all ſuch, and ſay, Go cry to the gods that you have preferred before mee, where are the gods, which did eat the fat of your ſacrifices, and drank the wine of your drink-offerings, let them ariſe and help you, Deut. 32. 38. Conſider thoſe many dreadful Scriptures, Prov. 1. 28. Job 27. 8. Jer. 2. 28. Judg. 10. 14 Hoſ. 5. 6. They ſhall ſeek him with their flocks and herds, but the Lord is not then to bee found.
It was once demanded of Austin, what hee would ſay of a wicked man, who dyed penitently, &c. To whom hee replied, what would you have mee ſay, That hee is damned? I will not, for I have nothing to do to judge him; ſhall I ſay, That hee is ſaved? I dare not, for I would not deceive thee. What then? Why this, Repent thee out of hand, and thou art ſafe, whatever is become of him.
Thus have wee brought one hypocrite to his end, and you have ſeen him go up to the top of his Ladder, and there hee is turned off to execution; before wee go to the next, pauſe a while, Reader, and ſee, if theſe hypocrites have not out-gone thee already, then where art thou?