The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 1 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. The fourth Symptome, reſpecting the Ordinances. Dead preaching. Dead hearing. Dead praying. Dead Faſts.
4. Hypocrites uſe the Ordinance in a dead manner.THere is one other Symptome that I will conſider under this head, that ſuch meanes of grace as Hypocrites apply themſelves unto, they uſe in a dead manner. Dead preaching, dead hearing, dead praying, a dead uſe of the Sacraments. They performe but the out-ſide of duties.
I named preaching firſt, and that I will begin with, Dead preaching.the ſaving Ordinance, the ſoul-feeding Ordinance, the great buſineſſe of declaring the ſweet mercies of God in Chriſt, of tranſacting the actuall reconciliation of ſinners unto God. Alas, that ſuch men who have ſo great a matter entruſted unto them, ſhould any of them be brought in ranke with theſe whom we are now dealing with. Yet 'tis too too evident, there may and is ſometimes hypocriſie in preaching. The matter of moſt mens Sermons is good; 'tis but now and then that you ſhall heare one ſo impudent, as to publiſh his owne ſhame, in patronizing any notorious evill, in laſhing of, and ſnarling againſt godlineſſe and mens zeale in religion. I make no queſtion but Judas and Demas and Diotrophes did preach well and had good words. But ſome preach out of envy, as thoſe at Philippi, That preached Chriſt of envie and ſtrife, of contention, not ſincerely, Phil. 1.15, 16.ſuppoſing to adde aſſliction unto St Pauls bonds. Saint Chryſoſtome underſtood it of the Gentiles, who that they might worke more miſchiefe to St Paul, and kindle Nero more againſt him, made as if themſelves alſo were Preachers of the Chriſtian Faith. Some others too underſtand it of the Gentiles, who perceiving what fame Paul got by the preaching of the Goſpell, increaſt the fame on purpoſe that Nero's Court might ring of it, and by that meanes Paul might be more ſeverely proceeded againſt, as the chief broacher of that doctrine. But the ſenſe that ſatisfies me is this, They ſaw that St Paul had many diſciples; now that they might not ſeeme inferiour, they would alſo open a ſchoole and call in auditours, and meaſuring Paul by themſelves, thought it would vexe him, and make his chaines lie more heavy upon him, when he ſhould heare, that as one naile drives out another, now the new Preachers had robbed him of his fame and eſtimation among the people, and that as he had bin before, now they were the only men. And 'tis well, if one Pulpit envy not another, and Lecture be not preached againſt Lecture out of contention and to winne the croud. A full Aſſembly I confeſſe is an incouragement to the ſpeaker, and he that is very ſincere may more chearefully caſt down his net, where he ſees moſt ſtore of Fiſh; and upon the other ſide. I muſt alſo confeſſe that the people of Chriſt, when they heare the voice of a good Shepheard will flocke unto him, as the people of Alexandria did unto Orthodox Athanaſius, Theodor. Hiſt. l. 4. c. 19, 20.and declined the Arrian Biſhop, whom the Governour placed among them. A ſincere Preacher may be followed by the people, but if he be popular, I doubt whether he be ſincere. It was Chriſts ſpeech, directed eſpecially to his Diſciples whom he appointed to be Preachers; Woe unto you when all men ſhall ſpeake well of you, Luk. 6.26.for ſo did their Fathers to the falſe Prophets. It ſeemes then the falſe Prophets were the popular men; they had the peoples good word, when the true Prophets were deſpiſed.
Againe, 'Tis apparent in too many woefull inſtances, that ſome Preachers are hypocrites, Greenh Com. pl. p. 273.when they give the lie at home to that which they ſaid before the people. Such as Mr Greenham ſaid, That get up into the Pulpit to hew timber out of the thicke trees, but by an evill life breake downe the carved worke as with axes and hammers. How many have thus ſet us to fight the Lords battles againſt ſinne, but themſelves are but as Heralds to ſet us together, and then they quit and leave the field, See Mr Fuller, Holy warre.like Peter the Hermite that drew many againſt the Turke, but then himſelfe run away. Theſe Bells that call us, but ſtirre not themſelves; theſe files that make us ſmooth, but remaine rough themſelves, what are they but egregious hypocrites. And what ſhall we ſay or thinke of ſome bitter ſpirited men, whoſe continuall practiſe is to throw ſquibs and crackers and fire-brands, up and downe out of their pulpit; men conſtant it may be in preaching, but like Candles made of ſalt-tallow, they burne and give light, but never reſt spetting and ſparteling ſo long as they burne. 'Tis to be doubted there's ſomewhat of ſelfe in a man, that makes him ſo virulent, ſo unquiet. H. Bullinger. Epiſt. ad Zanc. inter Zanc. Ep. l. 2. cp. 6. 1 Pet. 3.4.When P. Mart. was dead and Bullinger wrote to Zanchy to come to Tigure to ſucceed him, he tels him it was a chiefe care of their Church to have a quiet minded man. And no wonder the quiet ſpirit is ſo acceptable to godly men, for even in the ſight of God it is of great price, as the Apostle ſpeaketh, though he give the inſtance of women.
Adde to theſe ſuch as make the Pulpit a ſtage of Sedition; I have ever ſuſpected thoſe that unneceſſarily tell the people of the diſtempers of the State, and the miſtakes of government; for cui bono? To what purpoſe is it that the people muſt needs be made acquainted with their obſervations. Little comfort will ſuch men have, when they get home, and are alone, and bethinke themſelves how they have anſwer'd their commiſſion, which was to preach faith and repentance, and to tell the people preſent of their ſinnes. 'Tis indeed highly commendable, when God brings a Preacher to ſtand before Princes, to take courage, and in Gods name to reprove what is amiſſe. T'was baſe and ſordid flattery and hypocriſie, in that learned, but halting Biſhop of Spalato, to deliver it, That the faults of Princes may not be taxed in publike. Nay let men ſpeake reverently, honourably of abſent Magiſtracy, but freely and faithfully, and with Apoſtolicall courage when in preſence. Five words ſo ſpoken are better then the largeſt declamations which are out of the hearing of them that are concerned. Such a ſhort Sermon as this Robertus de Licio made; Eraſm de ratio. concion l. 3.who being prepared to preach another matter before the Pope and his Cardinals; when he ſaw them come into the Church with much noiſe and pompe, the Pope carried upon ſix mens ſhoulders, and all the Cardinals their trains held up and richly attended; he only when all were quiet and expected the beginning of the Sermon, looks on every ſide of him, crying out, Fie St Peter, Fie St Paul; got him out of the Pulpit, and ſaid no more; having in thoſe few words ſaid much againſt the pontificiall pride.
But above all others, their baſeneſſe is moſt odious, who preach after the humour of their Patrons, and according as they receive direction from thoſe upon whom depends their maintenance. I have ever cheriſhed an higher eſteeme of Dr Andrewes in that particular, MS Supply to Goodwins Catalogue to the Y. 1608.ſince I read one paſſage of him, in a MS. History written by Sr John Harrington. His Patron (ſaith mine Authour) that ſtudied projects of policy, as much as precepts of piety, hearing of his fame, and meaning to make uſe of it, ſent for him and dealt earneſtly with him, to hold up a ſide, and to maintain certain points that he named unto him. But he that had too much of the foreign in him to be ſcared with a Privie Councellours frowne, or blowne a ſide with his breath, anſwered him plainly, That they were not onelyonly againſt his learning, but his conſcience. The Councellour ſeeing this man would be no Fryar Pinkey (to be taught in a cloſet what he ſhould ſay at St Pauls) diſmiſt him with ſome diſdain for the time, but afterwards did the more reverence his integrity and honeſty.
I will not further inlarge about this diſcovery, having occaſion in ſome other Symptomes to ſcatter here and there ſome other experiments and obſervations concerning this ſort of men. Let us next examin the Auditory. I will mention but one particular more, that wheras all the ambition of a Preacher ſhould be to gain ſouls to God, there are ſome that deſire to preach out of an ambition to be ſeen in publick and great Auditories, Cone. babita in Templ S. …ar. Oxon. ſuper Deut. 32.7.and to have their elaborate labours taken notice of. Which To by Mathews (as then they ordinarily called him, afterwards Arch-biſhop of York) in his Concioad clerum at Oxford, took notice of in Edmund Campian, then of the Ʋ niverſity, that rather then he would not preach a Sermon that he had made that ſmelt of the lampe at the publick Act there; he took an Oath againſt the Popes primacie, contrary to his Conſcience.
They heare not ſo as to live by the Word they heare, Dead hearing.or ſo as a man fals to his meat that muſt worke hard. They heare without care of edifying by it. They praiſe the Preacher, but ſhew no fruit of their pains. For here is indeed the tryall, as Cauſſin ſaid of ſome Ladies, H. Conct Tom. 3, max. 9.When was it that a dozen of Communions have taken from them one haire of vanity? Are they leſſe pompous, leſſe powdred, leſſe frizled, more reſerved, more chast, more diſcreet? So I ſay, yee heare much and oft, but what do ye get by the means? Where are your gains? When yee heare Chriſts letters read, are ye attent to them as being concerned in them. We know there's much difference between the hearing a Letter of news, and a Letter of ſpeciall buſineſſe. Many men come to Church, but as we goe to the Exchange, to heare the newes; they come to heare the new points, the new notions, the new Expoſitions; and apply not themſelves cordially to the meanes. 1 Sam. 21.7. foreign Incluſerat ſe anle tabernaculü, ut ſtudio legis occuparetur.Doeg comes to heare, he was detain'd before the Lord, he ſhut himſelfe up before the Tabernacle, that he might ſtudy the Law, yet you know he was an hypocrite.
Againe, Hypocrites are loath to heare all; loath to ſearch ſome things too farre; they decline ſome truths, leaſt they ſhould be unwillingly convinced. Ahab was loath to enquire Gods mind of Michaiah. There are ſome Preachers they cannot reliſh, they pretend ſomewhat elſe, but the truth is, becauſe they come too cloſe, too home, deale too ſtrictly with the intellectuall ſinnes. Wolfgang Capito in vita Oecolam.Oecolampadius in his younger yeares was bred up in a Monaſtery, and when the light ſhone upon him, divers of the Monkes ſeemed to be delighted with his Sermons and the light: But at length there hapned this very tryall, that I am ſpeaking of. One time in a Sermon he admoniſhed them brotherly of their ſticking too faſt to humane inventions. Whereupon they brought him the Booke of the Rules of their Order, and deſired him freely to re-view it, and to note what he could find in it againſt Gods Word, and promis'd they would be ready to reforme it. He undertooke the buſineſſe, but when he had indeed faithfully diſcovered unto them, what a foule ſinke of errours was in it, they ſoone began to change their note, to raile at him and traduce him, and in concluſion he was in St Pauls caſe, he became their enemy for telling them the truth, and could ſtay with them no longer with ſafety, and ſcaped from them not without much hazard. There are many of the ſame generation, See D. Iackſon. Juſt. faith, c. 6. p. 66, 67, 70, 71, 72. Tho. Campanel: Atheiſm. Tryumph, c. 1. Rom. 1.18.who heare quietly, till they be netled and ſtirred, but if ye diſquiet them, ye ſhall find them like a waſpes neſt.
Many are willing to be ignorant of ſome part of Gods truth, for ſelf-reſpects, leaſt the knowledge of it ſhould diſadvantage them. This is that which the Apoſtle cals, the with-holding the truth in unrighteouſneſſe. They ſuppreſſe the truth, they ſuffer it not to goe at liberty, they ſhut it up, foreign, in carcere iniquitatis, in cloſe priſon where their owne unrighteouſneſſe is the Goalor. They with-hold the truth in the cuſtody or the hand of unrighteouſneſſe. Some will not underſtand, that oppreſſion is a ſinne; ſome will not underſtand, that the glorifying of God with the outward eſtate, in maintenance of the Miniſtery, in contributing to the neceſſities of the Saints, and the like, is a duty. All Gods words doe good to him that walkes uprightly; Mic. 2.7.but hypocrites thinke not ſo, they make him ſmart; at leaſt ſome of Gods words doe; and therefore they pull them off, or ſhift them off, as the Apoſtles phraſe is; Hebr. 12.25. foreign. Dead praying.See that yee refuſe not (or ſhift not off) him that ſpeaketh; yee ſhall not eſcape if ye turne away from him that speakes from Heaven.
And ſo as they heare, in like manner they pray, dully, coldly, and ſometimes as St Auguſtine before his converſion, without deſire of being heard, without indeavour to worke out that ſinne that they pray againſt. They ſinne and then they pray, and ſinne again and pray againe; Souls Humil. p. 68.this Mr Hooker cals, The Mill of prayer. And truly many there are, that keepe a courſe, goe on in the round, keepe up the cuſtome of Family-prayer, but breake not off any of their ſinnes, but goe that round alſo, as well as the other.
Let me joyne with theſe, Mock-faſts.ſuch as keepe Mock-faſts, that faſt without true Humiliation, without Reformation; A.L. Specul. Belli ſacri. c. 34. p. 209.that as one ſpeakes of the Hollanders and French-Proteſtants in their publike faſts, they had need to ſend for mourning women that by their cunning may teach them to mourne. There is a Faſting which is not to the Lord, as the Prophet ſpeakes, Zach. 7.5.When ye faſted and mourned ſaith the Lord, did ye at all faſt unto me, even to me? that is, ye did not. Iſa. 58. Hoſ. 7.14.The Prophet Iſaiah deſcribes theſe hypocriticall faſts; and the Prophet Hoſea calls them Howlings. Nothing pleaſanter in Gods eares then humble complaints, nothing more diſrelliſhes him, then hypocriticall howlings. H. Maſon, Epicures faſt. c. 2, 3, 4.How farre the Roman Church is guilty of this hypocriſie in Phariſaicall mock-faſts, I referre the reader to find in Mr Maſons learned diſcourſe.