The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 2 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Prognosticks of hypocriſie. The firſt. It threatens the decay of gifts. The ſecond. It prepares the way to Hereſie.
I Have dwelt long upon the examination of the Hypocrite, and have admitted what evidences I could meet with againſt him, but his caſe is ſo intricate, that haply it may be neceſſary that a Melius inquirendo goe out againſt him. I have thus long been enquiring after him, and have told his marks, it may be he hath ſome other, but thoſe will ſerve turne to make him known to ſuch as meet him. I will now lay open the bill againſt him, and ſhew his vileneſſe, baſeneſſe, harmfullneſſe, and the danger to which he is expoſed; which is the next buſineſſe according to the method I propounded, to ſpeake of the Prognosticks of hypocriſie; foreign. Fernel. de Symptom. l. 2. c 7. Hypocriſie prognoſticates the decay of gifts.which are ſignes alſo, but as the Symptomes are ſignes demonſtrative that tell what is; theſe are ſignes that foretell what will befall.
1. Hypocriſie is a prognoſtick of the decay of gifts. It eates out a mans gifts, at leaſt the ſpirit and livelineſſe of them. Nothing hinders ſpirituall growth and flouriſhing more then that doth. Sincerity is a fat and yeilding ſoyle wherein all graces take root and grow proſperouſly. God is ſtrong with the upright. Nicodemus though he were timerous was ſincere, and came on miraculouſly. He was a weake and tender ſprig when he was firſt planted, he grew in the ſhade, he came to Jeſus by night. But he grew up, and feared no ſcorchings, no froſts, no winds. This timerous diſciple, becomes a confident profeſſor. When Chriſt was deſpiſed of all, and hung upon the Croſſe among thieves, he comes boldly, and beggs the body of Jeſus. But the hypocrite growes weaker and weaker, and loſes all. Boner was once a good Preacher, Mr. Fox, Acts and Mon.but at laſt himſelf confeſſed he had loſt his gift of preaching. Trembling Sanders, ſincere Sanders, proves a brave glorious Martyr; but bold Pendleton, that preſumptuous and bragging hypocrite becomes a baſe Apoſtata, and to ſave his fat carcaſſe from frying at a ſtake which hee formerly vaunted of, hee carried a leane and ſtarved ſoul to Hell, unleſſe God gave him repentance afterwards, which is more then we find of him. So truly is that of the Pſalmiſt verified, A little that a rightcous man hath, Pſal. 37.16.is better then the riches of many wicked. That little encreaſeth to a rich ſtock, for ſincerity is a great improver; but that riches is blown away and comes to extreame poverty. The hypocrite is fit for no duty. He is a cup with an hole in the bottome, he can hold nothing, he is fit for no uſe, but to be lay'd by or thrown in a corner. An hypocrite cannot pray. He can ſpeake confeſſion and petition, and with good words too it may be; for words are the worke of invention, which he may ſtill hold, God lets out theſe common grounds to wicked men, and they may till them: but he wants an heart, and 'tis the heart that prayes. And prayer is the holding of acquaintance with God, to whom the hypocrite is a ſtranger; and the driving of a trade with God, who will not deale with hypocrites, or truſt out any of his ſpeciall graces to them.
2. Hypocriſie is a prognoſtick of erroneous opinions, Hypocriſie a prognoſtick of Hereſie.yea boyled up to the conſiſtencie of Haereſies. They love not the truth, and therefore cannot keep it; it dwells and remaines with thoſe that affect it heartily. 1 Tim. 1.19.I charge thee (ſaith St Paul to Timothy) warre a good warfare holding faith and a good conſcience, they muſt be kept in company, he that holds not a good conſcience cannot hold faith. Part with your uprightneſſe and the truth will be gone too. As it follows in that place, Which good conſcience ſome having put away, concerning faith have made ſhipwrack. He inſtanceth in Hymeneus and Alexander. Hymeneus is mentioned againe by St Paul in his other Epiſtle to Timothy. 2 Tim. 2.14, 16, 17.It ſeems he was a Preacher full of oſtentation, that regarded more the praiſe of his wit and ſubtilty, then the edification of the hearers. He was a ſtriver about words to no profit, a profane and vaine babler, a man whoſe words did eate like a Canker or a Gangrene, as we may gather his character out of that text. With him he joyns Philetus. No wonder that ſuch men ſhould looſe the faith; as they did in a main point, they denied the reſurrection. Chryſoſt. in loc.They caſt away the feare of judgement, and the expectation of immortall life. Of Alexander, if he were the Jew that we reade of in the Acts of the Apostles, Acts 16.33.as Baronius is of opinion, Baron. Annal. Tom. 1. ad an. 57. foreign, Theoph. Euſ. Hiſt. l 5. c. 17. l 6. c. 31. Et alibi Epiphan, haer. 24. Funccij Chron. ad an, 141. Iſa. 19.13, 14. Vide Abrah. Scult…ti. Ideum. in Ieſu. ad loc.we find that he was once a forward man in the Apoſtles cauſe, and ventured himſelf for the appeaſing of the uproare againſt Paul, and allaying their fury, not that himſelf was any way accuſed, as Theophylact obſerves: But it ſeems he was not ſound, but right of Hymeneus his temper, a good ſpeaker 'tis likely becauſe the reſt thruſt him forward to try his Oratory with the rabble; but one whoſe ambitious eloquence, or I know not what elſe, carried him into hereſie. If the reader conſult Euſebius and Epiphanius, and others, he ſhall find this obſervation plentifully confirmed, That moſt haereſies have had their birth, from foule luſt, avarice, ambition, or ſome other unſound humour that have maſtered ſuch as have been otherwiſe the owners of good parts, as Valentinus was who fell into his hereſie becauſe he miſt a Biſhoprick, ſaith Funccius, whom God hath juſtly given over to blindneſſe, as the Lord threatned it againſt hypocrites, in the Prophet Iſaiah, Foraſmuch as this people draw neare me with their mouth, and with their lips doe honour me, but have removed their heart farre from me, Therefore I will adde to doe a marvellous work among this people, The wiſedome of their wiſe men ſhall periſh. Which agrees with that of the Apoſtle, 2 Theſ. 2.10, 11.Becauſe they received not the love of the truth that they might be ſaved, for this cauſe God ſhall ſend them ſtrong deluſion that they ſhould believe a lye. He that hath already denied the power of Religion, will it be any wonder if he after deny the forme of it? He that will not leave his ſin for his Religion ſake, will eaſily be perſwaded to leave his Religion for his fins ſake. When once the conſcience can ſwallow down wicked practiſes, it will digeſt wicked opinions; when once the Ship leakes, the lading is in danger both to ſink or ſwimme together, neither is it poſſible that a pure faith can be preſerved in an impure conſcience, as Mr Pemble ſpeakes in one of his wholſome Sermons. The root of Apoſtaſie, p. penult.Zanchy being to treat of the Doctrine of the Trinity which was ſo much nibled at by ſo many of the old hereticks, begins with reckoning up the cauſes of hereſies, and among others he placeth Hypocriſie, Zanch. de Tribus Elohim. Tom. 1. mibi p. 380.and ſayes he could produce many examples of his own time, but ſpared them becauſe they were living, hoping that God might give them repentance, to the acknowledging of the truth. And who is he that takes any notice of the progreſſe of truth, but hath obſerved ſome examples of the fearfull Apostacie and the doting errours into which ſome unſound men have fallen. I will only produce one. Bernardinus Ochinus made a faire ſhew in the Church, and was well thought of among good Divines; and was deare to Bullinger, but he was unſound as appeared. Vita Bulling. p. 498.He firſt fell into the defenſe of polygamie in ſome dialogues which he publiſht in Italian. The Senate of Tigure hereupon baniſht him, and Bullinger denied him his commendatory Letters. He went to Baſil, and after that into Poland, where he broached other hereſies about the holy Ghoſt. After this he went into Moravia, and joyned himſelf unto the Anabaptiſts there, among whom he dyed inglorious.