The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 1 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. The ſixth Symptome continued under other heads. The fourth. Fained Humility. The fifth. Polluted chastity. The ſixth. Holy deſires counterfeited. The ſeventh. Pretend hatred of vices and errors.
4. AMong other graces, Fained humility of Hypocrites. Mr. George Herberts Poems, p. 62.the hypocrite is moſt ſolicitous in his Courtſhip of Humilitie, that ſweet and lovely, that amiable and winning grace, that grace that wept upon and wet and ſpoil'd the Peacocks plume for which the other graces ſtrove; That rich grace that takes the loweſt roome, but advanceth him that hath her above the lofty knowers, Lord Brook Nature of Truth, c. 9. p. 63.and is the only way to keep the poore creature in a conſtancie of ſpirituall health. This grace wins ſo much reſpect, that to win reſpect, even all ſorts of hypocrites have laboured to reſemble her, by ſtudying her poſture, a demure and lowly gate, Iſa. 58.5.by imitating her looke with dimiſſe and cast downe eyes, and learn as the Prophet ſpeakes, to hang down their heads like bull-ruſhes: But all this, only thereby to work their ends, being content with the Monks of Thebais to lye upon the threſhold of the monaſtery for all that goe in and out to tread upon them; and to ſtoop low that they may through the wicket or little portall of Humilitie, enter into the large and high-built Temple of honour; or like that Monk in the ſtory, who looked downwards towards the earth like a Mortified perſon, but 'twas only to find the keyes of the Abbey. Many that demeaned themſelves humbly in a low and mean eſtate, diſcover that it was but a ſtudyed carriage by their lofty and ſupercilious lookes when they attain unto preferment, ſo that one had need write for them, Raban de Inſtit. Cleric. Herman. Contract. in Chron. ad an. 1011.what Wiligiſus Biſhop of Mentz wrote in his own dining-roome, Wiligiſe, Wiligiſe, quis fueris non obliviſcere; Oh forget not, forget not, what you were, and from whence you came.
There are others that fain humilitie, in pretending unwillingneſſe to accept of preferment, that like a coy Virgin they may more earneſtly be ſollicited; 'Tis thought that was Cardinal Pooles humour when he was in election to be Pope. Thoſe that purchaſe a Biſhoprick, yet learn to ſay No, no, no, at their conſecration; moſt unlike in this to Nicholas de Farnham, Goodw. Catal. ad an. 1239.ſometime Biſhop of Durham, who herein gave a ſingular proof of his unfaigned humility. Being choſen to the See of Lichfield he abſolutely refuſed, giving this reaſon, that ſuch a charge was a burden too heavy for him. When after this the Covent of Durham elected him; he refuſed that likewiſe with more earneſtnes, adding then this other reaſon, That if he ſhould accept it, men would ſay, the hypocrite refuſed a poore Biſhoprick under colour of conſcience to ſtay for a better. And in this mind he continued, till the famous Grofthead of Lincoln reprehended him ſharpely for his backwardneſſe, and in a manner forced him out of conſcience to take it. And there may be a denying of preferment, not out of humilitie, but from ends of policie, as the Jeſuits have a rule in their Order, Eſtate of Engl. Fug.not to receive any higher office or dignity, wherein as one obſerveth, of all other things they have the greateſt policie, for otherwiſe their old politicians ſhould be from them advanced to higher promotions, which would be a great diminution to their dignity, which as they now order the matter, is of ſuch credit, that they take the name of Jeſuit, not to be any whit inferiour to the title of a Biſhop. There may haply be the ſame policie in ſome others, who find it more for their profit to be poore Lecturers (as they would be thought) then fat Parſons. The heart is deceitfull above all things.
But to omit other particulars, whatſoever is pretended, it appears that there is little humility among men, becauſe there is ſo little peaceableneſſe; their contentiouſneſſe, ſingularity of opinion, ſchiſme and faction, prejudice, ſurmiſings, cenſoriouſneſſe and uncharitableneſſe, being all of them the fruits of pride; whence it is alſo, that there is ſo little communion in the graces, ſuch an envious viewing of the guifts of others. And what is it but pride in thoſe envious perſons, who under a ſeeming modeſty and reſervedneſſe refraine diſcourſe, leſt their diſcoveries and notions ſhould be vented and diſcovered under anothers name, and ſo they loſe the glory of their invention?Polluted chaſtity. In the third head of Symptoms, Symp. 1.
5. Concerning the next grace that I propounded to conſider, which is Chaſtity; I have none that ſtand in my eye to point at for hypocrites, but the popiſh Votaries. I have ſpoken ſomewhat to this point formerly; but not fully. The Doctrine of forbidding to marry was brought in by hypocriſie. 1 Tim 4.1, …. Mr. Meade, A. poſtaſie of la times, p. 136. Vid. Chriſt. Iuſtel. Cod. Cau. Eccl. Afri Tit. 3.4, 38. Bale, The lives of our Engliſh Votaries. Guil. Bailij Catech. Contro. l. 1 q. 23. Andr. Rivet. Cath. Orthod. l. 1. q. 23. Biſhop Hall, Honour of the Married Clergy.Mr Meade obſerves that the holy Ghoſt intended in that place of Timothy, to decipher unto us the Doctors of Monkery. For prohibition of Marriage is an inſeperable character of Monasticall profeſſion, and is common to all that crew of hypocrites (as he calls them) whether Solivagan Hermits, or Anchorit's which live alone, or Caenobites which lived in ſocietie. This conceit prevailed betimes in the Church, they thought God could not well be ſerved at his Altar by married perſons. Hiſtories are full of the pure and chaſt pretenſes of thoſe that have been the great patrons of Monkery and the Caelibate of the Clergy; but withall they are full of the lewd pranks of thoſe egregious hypocrites. Our Chronicles tell us of a Roman Legate that after he had in Synod at London ſpoken gloriouſly of chaſtity, was the ſame night after to his great ſhame taken in bed with an whore. But if the reader would have plenty of examples to this purpoſe, let him reade Biſhop Bale, for I ſpare to cite them. Bayly a french Jeſuit, beſtows much foule language upon our Proteſtant Married Miniſters, and calls them Stallions, rutting Bucks, and Salacious Boares. But beſides the Learned Rivet who hath undertaken him, we have that cauſe ſufficiently and learnedly vindicated by one of our own writers. We have much that we can ſay againſt them, and truly too, from the teſtimony of their own men, how little they have anſwered their vow. Let St Bernard aIn Cant. ſer. 66., Alvarez Pelagious bDe planctu. Eccl. l 2 arr. 24., St Briget cPreph. l. 4. c. 33., Gerſon the Chancellour dTr. de Deſect. Eccl., Peter Alliac eLib. de Reform. Eccl., Palingenius fZodiac. vitae, lib. 9., the Italian Poet, Eſpeuſeus that learned and ingenious French Biſhop gIn Epiſt. ad Tit. c. 1., Cornelius Mus, the famous Preacher in the Trent Councell hOrat. habita ab Epiſc. Bipat, in Conc Trid. … Seſs. 1. Aen. Silv Ep. 15. Theodoric a Niem. Poggius in Facetijs., be the witneſſes to be produced, and let the reader examine their evidences at leiſure: And for the Jeſuits Tute Mores Vicias, the Anagram of Secta J…ſuitarium, (Cat…chiſ. Jeſuit. c. 15.) and proved againſt them, is evidence enough againſt them, and a Sop for the mouth of that Cerberus. What ſhould I ſpeake of ſuch as brag of their ſin, as Aeneas Silvius did in a profane Letter to his father: Or of thoſe Biſhops in Ireland and Norway, (that an Hiſtorian ſpeakes of) that were not aſhamed to carry their Concubins about with them to all the Churches in the Viſitation of their Dioceſſe: Or of that hypocrite in Florence, Who pretended his frequent luſts to be for mortification. So that (as he ſaid of the Croſſe upon the garments of the Teutonick Knights) I may ſay of the Monks Cowle, Joh Wolf. Lect Memor. Tom. 2. p 429.that it is the enſigne and badg of all filthineſſe and uncleanneſſe. The buſineſſe is too apparent to require more words. I will only content my ſelfe with the confeſſion or preſentment of the Cardinals appointed for Reformation by Pope Paul the third, which came to light unhappily, the copy being got and publiſhed againſt their wills. Concil Delect. CardinIn this City (ſay they) ſpeaking of Rome, Whores, as if they were honeſt Matrons walk the ſtreets, are carried upon their Mules, accompanied even at noon-day with Cardinals ſervants and Clergy-men. Nay I reade the Cardinals themſelves carry them in their Coaches. Conc. Hyber. an. 450 Can. 9. apud D. H. Speim foreign. Iuſtel. Codex Tit. 38. Henr. Salmuth Notae, ad Lib 1. Guid. Pancirollae de Deperditis, c de habitu Imper. Holy deſires counterfeited. Numb. 23.10.I am ſure this is farre from that ſtrict old Canon of an Iriſh Councel held by St Patrick, that a Monk and a Woman might not dwell together, nor travell together occaſionally from one Town to another in the ſame Wagon; nor ſo much as talk together but where ſome Clergy men were preſent or ſome grave Chriſtians, as the old African Canon required. But I have ſaid more then needs of theſe Monaſticall hypocrites, for I ſuppoſe the world takes them for ſuch; and according to the cenſure of Salmuth, that ther's no kind of men more luxurious, more libidinous.
6. I named in the next place, Holy deſires. Who was there ever ſo wicked, but deſired to be good, and to come to Heaven? Did not Balaam the hypocrite deſire to dye the death of the righteous, and that his latter end might be like his? But here is the diſcovery, they ſtick at the price that muſt be laid down for the accompliſhing and purchaſing of thoſe deſires. A man deſires a good Farme, and I will believe he is in earneſt, but he is loath to pay for it, the 500l. or the 1000l. that he muſt give for a fine, that he is loath to part with. What doe hypocrites talk of Heaven, when they will part with nothing for Heaven? what doe they languiſh in their deſires of grace, when they will not buy it with pains and ſpirituall diligence? Iuſt. Lipſ. de Conſtant. foreign. Iuſt Lipſ de Conſtan. l. 2. c. 5.When Charles Langius had excited Lipſius to the ſtudy of true wiſdom; My mind is to it, ſaid Lipſius, and then he falls to wiſhing. What ſaid Langius, art thou purpoſing, when thou ſhould'ſt be doing? 'Tis the vulgar faſhion and altogether vaine. You muſt not think, of a foole to become a wiſe man, as Caeneus in the Fable, of a woman became a man with a wiſh. You muſt endeavour together with Minerva. foreign, Col. 3.1.The deſire is not right, if it be not ſtrong, when other things are in competition with it. The Apoſtle hath told us, that there muſt be a ſeeking, as well as a minding of thoſe things that are above; and indeed both the words that he uſeth doe imply indeavour, Mat. 11 12.for foreign is to mind with the whole ſoule, and foreign is to ſeeke with the whole ſtrength. They are the violent, the men that crowde and thruſt forward, that take Heaven. And the old zealous primitive Chriſtians, minded the heavenly Kingdome ſo effectually, and talk'd ſo much and often of it, and almoſt of nothing elſe, that the Ethnicks began to be a little jealous of them that they affected the Romane Empire; when alas their ambition was of another, Iuſt. M…r. Apol. 2.an higher nature.
7. Among the affections, I propounded to diſcover, Pretended hatred of ſins and errours.how hypocrites may ſeeme to have a hatred of many vices, errours and opinions, and yet be ſtill in love with vice and errour. I ſuppoſe it may goe for a rule, that the hatred of an extreame, doth not preſently argue the love of that vertue that dwels in the middle. A man may hate nigardize, and yet not be liberall, but a Prodigall. The middle partakes ſomewhat of both extreames, as the liberall man is bountifull, but not profuſe; and the extreames have both of them ſomewhat of the meane, nigardize comes ſo farre neare Liberality that it is not profuſe, and prodigality agrees with it in this, that it is bountifull. Hence, the inwardly profane ſpirited man, may agree ſo farre with him that is truly godly, as to hate ſuperſtition, and to love the plaineſt dreſſe of Religion, eſpecially if he be alſo worldly minded and loath to be at any coſt. I will not therefore preſently believe that all they who deteſt Idols, who cry out againſt Popiſh Ceremonies, who are eager againſt the Reliques of Roman-worſhip, who ſpet at all things or perſons that they conceive to be Antichriſtian, are therefore truly and ſoundly religious; though in going ſo farre, they are ſo farre commendable.
There are others, who hate thoſe that hated Chriſt, their ſtomacks riſe againſt the Jewes and the Romans that hated Chriſt and put him to death; and yet, which yee would wonder at, theſe men may be found to be haters of Chriſt as much as they; for they hate his will, and are offended with his Law, becauſe it croſſeth their luſts, which is as offenſive unto God as the deſpite which was done unto him by the Jewes or Romans. Many deteſt the memory of Annas and Caiphas, and ſo did they deteſt the memory of Corah, Dathan and Abiram. Yet they reſiſted Chriſt, as thoſe others before them had reſiſted Moſes. Obſerve what our Saviour ſpeakes of ſome people in his own time, who (as we reade of Clodovaeus the firſt Chriſtian King of France, when Remigius Biſhop of Rhemes, being about to baptize him, read the Goſpell of Chriſts paſſion, and the Jewes treachery and malice, broke out into theſe words, Siego cum Frā cis meis inibi affuiſſem eju… injurias vindicaſsem. Almon.If I had been there with my French-men I would have revenged him upon them,) built the tombes of the Prophets, and garniſhed the Sepulchers of the righteous, and ſaid, If we had been in the dayes of our Fathers, we would not have beene partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets: But notwithſtanding all this ſhew of indignation againſt their Fathers cruelty, yet Chriſt cals them hypocrites, Mat. 23.29, 30.and …o indeed they were, as Chriſt proves againſt them, becauſe they that pretended ſo much reſpect to Moſes that was dead, and to the dead Prophets, ſhewed none to him that was a living Prophet among them, and a teacher of the ſame things that Moſes and the Prophets taught: Joh. 5.46.Had yee beleeved Moſes, yee would have believed me. Many that ſpeake much of their love to Chriſt, would yet hate him, if he were now againe in the forme of a ſervant, and ſhould come and preach againſt their particular corruptions.