The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 1 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Thirdly, Symptomes of Hypocriſie reſpecting Profeſsion. The firſt of theſe Symptomes. Vndnſwerableneſſe to Profeſsion. Goodly Fronts. A forme, a name of godlineſſe. Inſtanced in Monkes. Nunn's. Ieſuites. The Pope. Popular Preachers. Common Profeſsours.
HYpocrites are not anſwerable to the Profeſſion they make: Hypocrites not anſwerable to their profeſſionit carries not proportion with their practiſe, but beares a larger meaſure. They are courſe cloath with a fine liſt. And as reverend Mr Greenham ſaid of them: Greenh. Com. pl. p. 18…, 435.If ye talke of Religion, ye ſhall have many that will hold yee talke a whole dinner time, or halfe a day, and yet looke into their lives, and they will falſifie whatſoever they have ſaid. Mat. 7.21.Theſe ſay, Lord, Lord, but they are workers of iniquitie. They looke white like ſilver, but they draw blacke lines. They have a faire out-ſide, but ſtuft within with malice, worldlineſſe, intemperance; like window-cuſhions made up of velvet, and perhaps richly imbroidered, but ſtuft within with hay: Or like ſome houſes that are built high with loftie Turrets that are preſently in the Travellers eye, and if they draw nearer to view, they find them built with ſtately porches, neate gate-houſes, fine ſtair-caſes, curious Galleries; but never a faire chamber or convenient for lodging. They have much to entertaine the paſſenger and the viewer, they will entertaine you with fine Notions, choyce Diſcourſes, but if yee dwell with them, yee ſhall find ill Accommodations, They anſwer not your expectation. Yee ſhall heare of them, as yee ride thorough the Countrie, they have the name among Profeſſours, they carry it away from others: but ye ſhall experience it, that they are not ſuch as they are ſpoken, they are not furniſhed indeed to be hoſpitable to the wearie Chriſtian, they cannot cloſe with your godly ſpirits; Prov. 13.7. foreign Qui fiegit ſe divitem. Rom. 2.20.ye ſhall not find the ſpirit of grace and of mortification, and of a ſweet, humble, quiet mind to be there. There is that maketh himſelfe rich (ſaith Solomon) yet hath nothing. The Originall is, He faineth himſelfe to be rich. He hath a forme of Knowledge and of the Truth in the law; as the Apoſtle ſpeakes. He is as if he had and wore the Rationale, the Breast-plate of Ʋ rim and Thummim, Knowledge and Truth: for it may be the Apoſtle here alludes to that, to convince their vanity of boaſting; as in the following verſes he diſcovers their unanſwerableneſſe, and concludes in the two laſt verſes of that Chapter: Rom. 2, 28, 29.He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumciſion which is outward in the fleſh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumciſion is that of the heart in the ſpirit, and not in the letter, whoſe praiſe is not of men, but of God. A Jew (in St Pauls ſenſe in that place) is a Profeſſour of the true Religion, and Circumciſion is the wearing of the badge of that Profeſſion. Now in that ſenſe, there are many Jewes outwardly in propatulo, that are not true Jewes, foreignJewes inwardly; for the foreign, here mentioned by the Apoſtle, is inward Piety and Juſtice, to which theſe are Strangers. Iſa. 48.1, 2, 4.They are onelyonly called by the name of Iſrael, and ſweare by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Iſrael, but not in truth nor in righteouſneſſe. They call themſelves indeed of the holy City, and ſtay themſelves upon the God of Iſrael; but they are obſtinate, and their necke is an iron ſinew. Iſa, 58.1, 2.They ſeeke God daily and delight to know his waies (they take a pride in it) as a Nation that did righteouſneſſe and forſook not the ordinance of their God (as if they were the only people that held up Gods ordinances) they aske the ordinances of God, they take delight in approaching unto God, (they miſſe not a Sermon) yet they are ſuch whoſe tranſgreſſions muſt be cried againſt with a voice like a trumpet. 2 Tim. 2.5. Lord Brooke Nat. of Epiſco. pag. 93.They have a forme of godlineſſe, but deny the power of it. A Text which my Lord Brooke gives a notable interpretation of, and underſtands it properly of the Antinomians, Grindletonians, and Family of Love; who deſpiſing learning, and bragging of the ſpirit, are yet traitors, high-minded, heady, &c. They have a forme: they receive a ſlight marke, but refuſe a deepe ſtampe and impreſſion. St James tels us what the Marke is, Jam. 1.26, 27.A ſeeming to be religious; and what the deepe ſtampe is; the brideling of the tongue, the viſiting of the fatherleſſe and widdowes in their affliction, and continuing unſpotted from the world. But unto theſe, and the like good works, they have no mind, Tit. 1.16.as the Apoſtles word is; They profeſſe that they know God, but in workes they deny him. (They will be his ſervants, but they will chooſe their labour) being abominable and diſobedient, Revel. 3.1. Revel 3 9. Non ſolum in falſis verbis, ſed in ſimulatis operibus mendaciú eſt.—Chriſtianum ſe dicere, & opera Chriſti non facere, mendacium eſt. Ambr. Serm. de Abrah. Hoſ. 11.12. Pſal. 78.34, 35, 36, 37. Lu 10.25, &c. Mat. 3.7, 8. Jer. 42 20. Ezek. 33.30, 31, 32. Iſa. 29.13. Mat. 7.22, 23. This Symptom inſtanced in Monkes. Nuns. Jeſuites.and unto every good worke reprobate; of no judgement, or of no mind. Theſe have a name that they are a live, but are dead. The Synagogue of Satan, which ſay they are Jew's and are not, but doe lye. There is a lie in workes too as well as in words, as St Ambroſe obſerves. And it is agreeable to that of the Prophet Hoſeah, Ephraim compaſſeth me about with lyes, and the houſe of Iſrael with deceit. And the Prophet Jeremy fits us with a direct inſtance, Jer. 2.20, 21, 22, 23. and we have another in the Pſalme; When God ſlew them, they ſought him, they returned and enquired early after God; they remembred that God was their rocke, and the high God their Redeemer (good words, faire ſignes of Repentance and Faith) nevertheleſſe they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lyed unto him with their tongue, for their heart was not right with him. So then, the lie was in their heart; and in their unanſwerable converſation too; for it followes: Neither were they ſtedfaſt in his Covenant. The Lawyer mentioned by St Luke, ſeemes to have been ſuch an one as I have deſcribed; and ſuch were the Phariſe's and Sadduces that came to Johns Baptiſme. But we have expreſſe examples in Johanan and Jezaniah, in Ezekiels hearers, in the Jewes, and in the people that our Saviour ſpeakes of.
By applying this Symptome, we may firſt notoriouſly diſcover this diſeaſe of Hypocriſie to be deeply grounded in the Fryars of the Romiſh Church, who make profeſſion of ſtrict vowes of povertie and chaſtitie; but unanſwerable to their vow of poverty, they endeavour to get all into their Covents. Like Ravens they croake over the beds of dying men, and attend them, not ſo much to afford them ghoſtly counſell, but to be put into their laſt wills and procure good legacies, It will appeare that I doe not wrong them to any that ſhall take notice of the Order preſcribed for the making of Wills, Manuale ſeu Rituale ſec. uſum Sarum. pag. 164.in the Rituall of Sarum (as it is called) where the Prieſt is to direct the ſicke perſon to bequeath. 1. To his Pariſh Church. 2. To the Curate. 3. To the Vicar. 4. To the Clerke. 5. To ſuch or ſuch (other) Churches. 6. To Hoſpitals. 7. To ſuch or ſuch Covents. And laſtly to their children and kindred. Other practiſes of theirs for gaine, I have before in part noted, beſides what I might mention out of late diſcoveries of their cunning and active ſeducing of women with great portions, and rich mens ſons. And concerning the vow of chaſtity, they pretend unto much, they would ſeeme Angels. Sanders, Hon. of Imag. ch. 15.What a tender nice ſtomacke had Dr Sanders, who in ſtead of other matter to object againſt our reverend Jewell, condemnes him to be a man given over to a lewd mind, that his booke was full of bawdy Images. And what might be the reaſon of this noyſe? Forſooth, becauſe the Printer of Biſhop Jewels booke, had put a naked boy in ſome Anticke ſhape at the end of ſome Tractates in that Impreſſion which Sanders ſaw. Sure ſuch men as theſe that can't endure to looke upon an harmeleſſe Anticke, are miracles of chaſtity. Bale lives of Engliſh votaries.But John Bale hath paied them home. And our Hiſtories are full of the luſts and uncleanneſſes of Cuthbert and Dunſtan, and others their glorious Saints and forwardeſt againſt Prieſts marriages. But becauſe our Bale might be thought partiall; I will alleadge the teſtimony of one they have not that exception againſt, namely Alvar: Pelagius, who tels us, That Drunkenneſſe, wantonneſſe, Crapulae, chrietati, & incontinentiae, (quod eſt corum vitium commune) intendunt Clerici, & pleri que vitio contra naturam. Contraſanctam caſtitatem quam Domino promiſerunt, ſic offendunt continuò, etiam publicè, &c. Alvar. Pelag. de planct: Eccleſ. lib. 2. circa an. 1340.and unnaturall ſinnes, were the Clergies continuall practiſe, and that they had Brothels within their Cells, yea in the Churches. And that I may not neglect the holy Siſters too, though it be an ordinary point, and in which I might be large in thoſe teſtimonies that may be had from their owne Stories; I will by the Readers good leave, inſert a paſſage, though it be a little light and pleaſant, out of Monſieur de Balzac's letter unto the Biſhop of Marſeilles, where naming a Nunnery, he ſaith; They paſſe their time merrily there, and of two hundred, calling themſelves Virgins, I verily thinke there is not one who ſpeakes truth, if ſhe have not recovered her maiden-head. It may be their intention is not ill, and that in ſuffering themſelves to be courted, they have no other deſigne then to raiſe ſervants unto God, &c. I could ſay more upon this argument, but I ſpare the Readers modeſty; and I ſhall meet with this point more opportunely hereafter. All times have taken notice of theſe religious orders, Tacco de collegiis pro ſoemineo ſexu (quem Gregorius magnus devotum appellavit) inſtitutis: utinam ſexus ille Deo dieatus, qui de Chriſti patrimonio delicatè paſcitur, ſeipſum non aliquando, de ſtupro & adulterio, proliſ que partu ſuſpectum redderet, at que infamem Ʋtenam non herbis, non quarundam inc…ſione venarum, non lurtdis potiombus, non lotionibus pedum exquiſitis, vel aborium procuraret, vel ſaetum praeſocaret. Iac. Whimpheling. in Chron. Potho Presb. Promienſis, de ſlatu Domus Dei. lib 3. in Bibl. Patr. To 12.that they doe be-lie their profeſſion. Among others, we find a very graphicall deſcription of their hypocriſie by one Potho a Presbyter almoſt 400 years ſince, which would be too long to infert. But all the characters are exactly found in the late Order of the Jeſuites, a Sect or Society of Jeſus, but they gave themſelves the name, God never gave it them. He gave it Chriſt, for Humiliavit, a vertue they little regard; for he that doth but ſmell of it, is eo ipſo, not meet to be of that company, Andr Serm in Phil. 2.9.as Dr Andrewes ſpeakes. Who is there that preſents a fairer and demurer out-ſide then the Jeſuite doth? They ſay his long cloake, and broad hat, and grave garbe and faſhion as he walkes in the ſtreets of Paris, procures him reſpect and reverence before all the other Orders, who trucke up and downe there in their habits. It was ſomewhat that cauſed that wiſe Prince Henry the 4th of France to ſay of them (if he ſpake as he meant) That they were Timothies at home, Chryſoſtomes in the Pulpit, Hiſt. of Conc. of Trent. Engl. pag. 799.Auſtins in diſputation. But whatſoere he ſaid or thought of them, the world thinkes the contrary, that they profeſſe poverty, and yet poſſeſſe more lands and revenues then many Princes; that they teach others to faſt, and play the gluttons themſelves; that they vow virginity, and yet are notorious letchers; that they are Monkes by profeſſion, but indeed a Macchiavellian rout intereſſed in all eſtates; that they pretend peace, yet are compounded of envy, hate, malice, ambition, Vid. Daven. Determ. qu. 17. Whitak. de Scrip. Epiſt. Dedic. p. 4. Mont. Appar. vij. 16. R. Thomſ Elench Refut. Tortur. c. 2. p. 22. Sedes Stercoraria. P…al 113.7, 8.and are the Incendiaries of Chriſtendome. We ſee then the Brethren of the ſeverall Orders are all like one another, and all of them are as like as may be to their father. The Pope is a grand hypocrite, and is to practiſe it even by an Order at the ſolemnitie of his creation. The Prior and Canons of Lateran bring him to the Marble-ſeate, called the Dungchaire, wherein he ſits ſo, and ſo low, as if he lay along; Then come the Cardinalls and lift him up honourably, uſing to him the words of the Pſalme; He rayſeth up the poore out of the duſt, and lifteth the needy out ef the dunghill, that he may ſet him with Princes. After this he riſeth, and taking out of his Chamberlains boſome an handfull of Braſſe-money, throwes it among the people, ſaying, Acts 3.6. Lib. Cerem. Sect. 12. c. 4 Tit. 15,Silver and Gold have I none, but what I have, give I unto you. With what ſhews of humility and poverty is this buſineſſe carried? Yet who more lofty and more rich then he?
But enough, if not too much of theſe. Hypocriſie notorious in popular preachers.We may apply the character neerer. Whereas preaching ought to be to no other end but for the gaining of ſoules, what ſhall we ſay to thoſe that preach only for oftentation and to gain applauſe? Nay, what may we not ſay againſt ſuch, who make a ſolemne prayer before Sermon, for the aſſiſtance of the holy Spirit of God in the deliverie of the Word; and yet truſt not at all to the aſſiſtance of Gods Spirit but to their own wit and eloquence, and come to declaime and vent their neate compoſitions, in the ſtudy and framing of which, they never ſought God, nor ſent up a prayer for direction?
But alas; This Hypocriſie notorious in common profeſſors.not to inſtance the Clergy only, who is it but he comes ſhort of Profeſſion, It was *Salvian de Gubern. Div lib. 4. mihi, p. 134, 135. & lib. 3 ad fin. Speaking of injurious dealing, he ſaith; Quo fit ut etiam nos, qui nos Chriſtianos eſse dicimus, perdamus vim tant… nominis, vitio pravitatis. Omnino enim nihil prodeſt nomen ſaretum habere ſine morthus, quia vita a profeſſione diſcordans abrogat illuſtris tituli honorem, per indignorum actuum vititatem. Hoc ipſo, per nomen Sacratiſſimum rei ſimus, qui a Sancto nomire diſcrepanus. Nam & ideo plus ſub religionis titulo, Deum ludimus, quia poſiti in religione peccanus. Vide etiam, Ad Cathol Eccles. l. 1. mihi. p. 330. Sed longe major inſania, ſi de veritate evangelij non dubites; vivere tamen, quaſt de ejus falſitate non dubitares. Pic. Mirand in Epiſt.Salvians complaint of old, that they had Chriſt in their mouth's, but to no purpoſe; that they abuſed him under the bearing of his Name. And how juſtly may we take up that of that Noble Mirandula againſt many: It were a great madneſſe not to beleeve the Goſpell now that it is every where believed; yet a greater madneſſe it is, not to doubt of the truth of the Goſpell, and yet to live ſo as if without doubt it were falſe.
Oh how is Gods name diſhonoured, by thoſe who profeſſe his name. As the Apoſtle to the Jewes; Thou that ſaist a man ſhould not commit adultery, doſt thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorreſt Idols, doſt thou commit Sacriledge? Thou that makeſt thy boaſt of the Law, through breaking of the Law, diſhonoureſt thou God? Rom. 2.22, 23, 24.For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you. We know who ſaid it; If a man be an hearer of the Law only, he is not juſt before God. Yet how many are there, that are hearers only, Evangeliophori, it is Eraſmus his word, Goſpell-carriers, Bible-bearers only. I caſt not this Title upon godly perſons, as profane men doe in ſcorne and deriſion of their neceſſary and commendable profeſſion. But if any man obey not that word which he heares and talks of, but lives diſſolutely, then I ſay to him, Eraſm Colloq. cui Tit. Cyclops.as he in Eraſmus, Quid Polyphemo cum Evangelio? What hath a lewd wicked man to doe with the Goſpell? And as he obſerves, many carry their Bibles, as the Franciſcans hang the rule of their Order at their girdles, but mind not to obſerve it: They take care to adorne their Bibles, to guild and ſtring them richly; but no care that the Bible ſhall adorne their hearts. He tells us pleaſantly of the Souldier, that beate a blaſphemer with his Bible, and ſo defended the Goſpell with the Goſpel, and broke his pate with it; and yet for all his zeale, was no way ſuch a man as the Goſpell requires. Such are profane defenders of the Reformed Religion, yet are no way reformed: They will ſtorme againſt the Papiſts if they blemiſh our Religion, and yet themſelves never regard the very rules of Chriſtianity, which (as Euſebius ſpeakes) are, Modeſtie, foreign. Vide coetera quae ſequuntur ad, foreign. Euſeb. Hiſt. l. 1. c. 4. p. 11. edit Chriſtopherſ.Juſtice, bearing of the Croſſe, conſtancie in the profeſſing of godlineſſe and true worſhip. In which ſenſe he ſaith, Abraham and the old Patriarks among the Jew's might not improperly be called Chriſtians. Well; all theſe are (as the common Tranſlation of the Pſalms hath it) strange children and diſſemble with God: or as it is in the Margin of our laſt Tranſlation, Pſal. 18.44.They yeild fained obedience, or, lye unto God. St Cyprian a very godly Biſhop, it ſeems was much troubled with ſuch as theſe; men that made ſo open and forward a profeſſion, that they ſuffered ſome things in the cauſe of Christ, and according to the phraſe of that time, were reckoned among and uſually called Confeſſors; Ʋt honorem ſui nominis ſervent, ut qui glorioſi voce ſuerint ſint & mortbus glorioſi. Cypr. Epiſt. 6. in Edit. Pam. Doleo enim quando audio quoſdam improbe & inſolentér d…ſcurrere adineptias, vel ad diſcordias vacare, &c. Hortamur tamen per communem fidem, per pectoris noſtri veram circa vos & ſimplicem cbaritatem, &c. Epiſt. 7.yet (as it appeares) men of evill converſation. In his ſixth Epiſtle he urgeth them that they would keep up the honour of their name. It is manifeſt then they lived below their profeſſion. He wiſheth that he were among them (for he was then in ſeceſſu, becauſe of the perſecution) that he might perſwade them, ad ſervandam gloriam ſuam, to keep up the honour of their holineſſe: For I grieve (ſaith he) when I heare that ſome wickedly and preſumptuouſly follow their ſports, and that ſome are all for contentions, and will not be ruled by the Preſbiters and Deacons. He is the true and glorious Confeſſor of whom the Church may have cauſe to boaſt, but not to bluſh. And in his ſeventh Epiſtle writing to Rogatian and other Confeſſors, he ſaith, The Biſhops portion of joy is greater then others in the fruit of the people. And then he beſpeakes them ſweetly, gravely, holily. We beſeech yee, (ſaith he) by our common faith, by that true and pure love that is in our heart towards you, that yee who in your firſt conflict have overcome the Adverſary, would maintain your reputation by continuance and abiding in good, &c. We may wonder that in ſuch times of Perſecution any ſhould be unſound; That they which muſt profeſſe unto the Stake and the Scaffold, ſhould keep up any luſt againſt Chriſt. Yet ſo it was, that the men Chriſtians were covetous, voluptuous, malicious, &c. the women Chriſtians froward, vaine, proud, faſhionable. Timeo cervicem ne margaritarū & ſmaragdorum laqueis occupata, locum Spathae non det. Tert. de Cult. Faem. cap. 13.Tertullian tooke notice of it, (and he lived in the bittereſt times,) He told them, That he was afraid thoſe necks would never be ſtretch't forth handſomely and couragiouſly to receive the ſtroake of the ſword, which they decked and hung ſo, with Chaines and Pearles and Emeralds. We then will now leave to wonder at it, when we ſee ſuch pride, and vanity, and coſtlineſſe among our Profeſſors; but yet we will ſuſpect they are not ſound, not right, for they profeſſe a Goſpell of mortification, of humility, of ſelfdeniall; which they have no regard to anſwer; like thoſe Sarrabaits whom St Augustine deſcribes, Aug. Serm. 11. ad frat. in Eremo.a ſort of hypocriticall Monks in Aegypt, of whom (it ſeems) St Hierome had written and complained to him, that were Angels to ſee to, but Wolves in their converſation.
We learn then by all this not to be led by ſhewes, or to eſteeme a Phariſee any thing the holyer for the deepneſſe of his fring; or to beleeve that every one is a Gentleman that weares good cloathes and of the new faſhion; or to take all for wiſe Counſellours that goe in Ermines and weare long Beards. They that know the Country, tell us of a cuſtome among the Ruſſies, That the great Duke of Muſcovie ſelects men of the graveſt aſpects and countenance with reverend long beards, who ſit on each ſide of his Chamber of Eſtate, when forreigne Embaſſadours are entertained, as if they were his wiſe-grand-Councell; when indeed they are meane and unqualified perſons, and of no more ability then ſo many pictures in a faire wrought hanging, that ſerve only to cover a wall. 'Tis juſt ſo, even in the very buſineſſe of Religion; Many are only Wells without Water: 2 Pet. 2 17. foreign. Lucran. Dial. cui Tit-Alector.Apes in Purple: and like thoſe great Coloſſi and Images, that Lucian ſpeakes of, that in outward ſhew reſemble the ſhapes of Jupiter or Neptune, brave and comely, wrought over with gold and pearle; but within filled up with pieces of wood, pitch, mortar, and full of flyes, ſpiders and cobwebs. Yea ſome are directly contrary to what they appeare, if ye looke upon them one way; like a kind of double-pictures, (I know not what name they give them) which are framed ſo by the making up of the paper or cloath, in folds and pleat's, that if one looke one way upon them, they preſent one ſhape, if ye looke the other way, another. As I have ſeene ſome repreſent a faire-Woman the one way, the other way a Serpent; or a Philoſopher one way, the other way a fooles-head. Such there are, that if you view them one way, or at one time, or in ſome places and company, you ſhall ſee a Saint; but turne and looke after them in other places and company, at other times, and ye ſhall find a profane man, a ſcoffer at the power of godlineſſe, a drunkard, a wanton. But it is time to conclude this long Chapter, and this Symptome.