The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 2 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. The ſecond Medicament. The right knowledge of God and believing in him.
2. LEarne to know God aright, To know God aright, cures hypocriſie. Heb. 11.2, 6.and to believe in him. Faith will marſhall and order every action and affection. By it the Elders obtain'd a good report; without it it is impoſſible to pleaſe God, for he that commeth to him muſt believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently ſeeke him. As they ſay, there is no ſervice to the Kings, be aſſured there is none like to that of God. Be perſwaded of, and get as many experiments as ye may of the Divine Providence. Iſal. 75.6.Could men believe that promotion comes neither from the East nor from the West, nor from the South, but that God the Judge putteth downe one and ſetteth up another; That life it ſelfe (for which all promotions are ſought) depends not on nature, but is in Gods hand; this would take them off from all ſervile dependances and reſpects, and make them profeſſe his name boldly, and evenly, and without halting. Faith being ſeated in the heart would cleanſe the whole heart, and diffuſing it's vertue as a leaven would ſeaſon every affection, alter the taſte of every appetite, ſtrengthen every propenſion to good, fortifie the ſoule againſt all evill. Nothing elſe will be able to doe ſo much worke. Opinion let into the underſtanding may be againſt one ſinne; a fancie taken againſt another; a cuſtomary life againſt a third; but haply all this while, while one ſinne is ſhut out, another may be let in; perhaps vanity may be baniſhed, but in the place of it, covetouſneſſe imbraced. The Phyloſopher when he would perſwade his King to ſettle his Court and place of habitation in the heart of his dominion, laid before him a Bull-hide ready tanned, upon which when he ſtood upon any one ſide of it, and ſo kept downe that, the other ſide would riſe up; when he removed to the ſide that roſe up and kept downe that, then the ſide which he came from would riſe as high; but when he ſtood in the middle, he kept downe all alike: So is a King whoſe Court is in ſome reaſonable equality of diſtance from all the confines of his dominions: Faith is this King, which dwelling in the heart makes proviſion againſt every rebellion, keeps downe every mutiny. Ulric. ab Hutten, eques in Epiſt, ad Card. & Epiſc. apud Wormuciam.Faith will carry men thorough duties with courage and chearfulneſſe, ſtopping their ears againſt allurements, and guarding their hearts againſt terrours. Which appeared in that reſolute Germane Knight, who undertook Luthers cauſe, who among other things thus writes to the Cardinals and Biſhops aſſembled at Wormes againſt Luther: I will go thorough with what I have undertaken againſt you, and will ſtirr up men to ſeeke their freedome: Such as yeeld not to me at the firſt, I will overcome with the importunity of my wholeſome admonitions. I neither care nor feare what may befall me; being prepared for either event, either to ruine you to the great benefit of my Country, or my ſelf to fall with a good conſcience. Therfore that yee may ſee with what confidence I contemne your threats, I doe profeſſe my ſelfe to be your irreconcileable enemy, while yee perſecute Luther or ſuch as he is. No power of yours, no injury of fortune ſhall alter this mind in me. Though yee take away my life, yet this well deſerving of mine toward my Countries liberty, ſhall not die. Yee may hinder my deſigne for the preſent, and prevent it for the future, but ye cannot hinder, but I ſhall be remembred unto poſterity. I know that my endeavour to remove ſuch as you are, and to place worthy Miniſters in your roome, is acceptable unto God. And in the laſt judgement I truſt it will be ſafer for me to have offended you, then to have had your favour. With much more of ſuch language as this he goeth on in his large Apologeticall letter for Luther againſt the Pontificall Clergy. Faith ſings the ſame note in all eſtates. When David was in the Cave, whither he fled from Saul, Pſal. 57.7.he ſung the 57th Pſalme which he then compoſed; My heart is fixed O God, my heart is fixed, I will ſing and give praiſe. And afterwards when he tryumphed over Hadadezer the King of Zobah, he compoſed the 108th Pſalme, and ſung the ſame words, O God my heart is fixed, I will ſing and give praiſe. Pſal. 108.1.Faith taught him the ſame Song in the Cave, and upon the throne, ſtill in thoſe ſo much different conditions, My heart is fixed O God, my heart is fixed or prepared. And ſo was Luthers heart fixed by faith, not to be ſhaken with thoſe threats and troubles which made Melancthon tremble; for which he friendly, but yet very roundly chides him in his Epiſtles; In private troubles I am weaker and thou art ſtronger; Epiſt. ad Melan, An. 1549.Thoudeſpiſeſt thy own life, but feareſt the publike cauſe; but for the publike I am at reſt, being aſſured that the cauſe is juſt and true, yea that it is Christs and Gods cauſe. I am well nigh a ſecure ſpectator of things, and eſteeme not any thing theſe fierce and threatning Papiſts. I beſeech thee by Chriſt, neglect not ſo the divine promiſes and conſolations, where the Scripture ſaith, Caſt thy care upon the Lord, waite upon the Lord, be ſtrong and he ſhall comfort thy heart. And in another Epiſtle, I much diſlike thoſe anxious cares, An. 1530.which as thou writeſt, doe almoſt conſume thee. 'Tis not the greatneſſe of the danger, but the greatneſſe of thy unbeliefe. John Hus and others were under greater danger then wee. And if it be great, he is great that orders it. Why doe you afflict your ſelf? If the cauſe be bad, let us renounce it; but if it be good, why doe we make him a lyar who bids us be ſtill. As if you were able to doe any good by ſuch unprofitable care. I beſeech thee thou that in other things art valiant, fight againſt thy ſelf, thine own greateſt enemy that putſt weapons into Satans hand. I might adde more out of him, but I am too long in a particular; faith is of generall virtue, to order the whole life in holineſſe; 1 Co. 1.30.Chriſt is thereby made unto us Sanctification; our corruptions are thereby mortified, the ſtrong walls of Jericho fall down before it. Heb. 11.30. Iſa. 40.31.Faith fetcheth aſſiſtance from God for all duties; theſe waiters upon the Lord renew their strength, they mount up with wings as eagles, they run and are not wearied, they walk and doe not faint. Faith inables us to uſe all the holy ordinances for our ſtrengthening lively and profitably. The word profiteth, when 'tis mixed with faith in them that heard: the Sacraments comfort and confirme and make us to grow, when they are received in faith. 'Tis weakneſſe that makes hypocrites; but faith feeds us with both theſe breads. Acts 15.9.They are foule humours that breed hypocriſie; but faith purifies our hearts. Faith keeps a watch and a guard upon the ſoule, that foule and diſeaſed things enter not. It is folly and blind conceit that makes hypocrites, they childiſhly think 'tis good to have two ſtrings to the bow, two stooles to ſit upon, two friends to truſt in; faith ſhews us the fullneſſe of God, the fullneſſe of his promiſes. This it is we muſt labour for, to believe matters of ſalvation, that is, to aſſent unto them, as good, as neceſſary, as worthy to be embraced; not only conſidered in themſelves and without encombrance; but while compared with preſent loſſe of ſenſuall good or preſent infliction of any ſenſible evill. Then we ſhall not faint (as hypocrites doe thorough the want of this cleare aſſent) but though our outward man periſh, aCor. 4.16, 18.yet the inward man is renewed day by day; while we looke not at the things which are ſeen, but at the things which are not ſeen; for the things which are ſeen are temporall, (and theſe are the things that work upon the weake and poore thoughts of hypocrites,) but the things which are not ſeen are eternall; (and the ſight of theſe things will make us ſincere.)