Sycophancy is a Sin, Title page – Address
The Uncharitable INFORMER Charitably Informed, That SYCOPHANCY is a Sin, pernicious to all, but moſt of all to himſelf.
By Faithfull Teate, Miniſter of the Goſpel of Peace and Truth.
Thou didſt it ſecretly, but I will do this thing before all Iſrael and before the ſun.
Si accuſaſse ſufficiat, quis erit innocens?
DƲBLIN, Printed by WILLIAM BLADEN, by Order, Anno Dom. 1660.
TO THE Principal OFFICERS of the Engliſh Army Within theſe Three Nations.
NOthing, I think, but neceſſity and ſenſe of duty could have made my thoughts on this theme, publick at this time: I am ſenſible how critical both are and how apt, as he that did the wrong was to ask Moſes, Who made thee a judg? Exod. 2.13, 14.ſuch will be to demand, Who made me a Reprover? and to ſay (though perſonally unknown to, or unthought of by me) as the Lawyers did to Chriſt, when he reproved the Phariſees, Maſter, Luke 11.44, 45.thus ſaying thou reproacheſt us alſo. Yet finding Ireland replete with angry humors, and diſtempered with tongue-dyſenteries, having licence here for ſome time ad practicandum, I have reckoned my ſelf obliged (eſpecially conſidering that to that grand text againſt Tale-bearing, is immediately added,Lev. 19.16, 17. Thou ſhalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart, thou ſhalt in any wiſe rebuke thy neighbor, and not ſuffer ſin upon him) to offer ſomething to the cure; though expecting little thanks from the Patient, through the frowardneſs of his diſeaſe, and neceſſary harſhneſs of this phyſick; for when a Titus hath to deal with ill-tongu'd Cretians, Tit. 1.12, 13.he muſt be ſharp, that they may be ſound.
Now the reaſons that induced me to preſent this to your view, are
1. Becauſe there are temptations peculiar to ſeveral conditions and ſorts of men, and to whom thoſe of this kind are eſpecially incident, you may gather from John Baptiſt,Luk. 3.14. foreign. when the Souldiers ask'd him, And what ſhall we do? He ſaid unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuſe any falſly, or get nothing by ſycophancie. What that is, and the evil of it, is here diſcourſed.
2 Becauſe the grand accuſer (to whom all falſe and malitious Informers are ſo nearly related) hath the name foreign, which ſignifies moſt properly ſuch an Accuſer, as calumniates others before great Perſons,Rev. 12.10. as Satan the Accuſer before the Lord. And ſo the greater any of you are, the more in danger of being haunted by ſuch evil spirits, if they may have but your ear.
3.Pſal. 82.1, 6 Becauſe the Congregation of the mighty, may be read, the Aſſembly of the Gods, for God hath ſaid, You are Gods. Prov. 6.16, 17, 18, 19.Now there are ſix things that God hat…s, yea ſeven that are an abomination to him: and three at leaſt of thoſe ſeven do but make up the one thing that I plead againſt, A lying tongue, a falſe witneſs that speaketh lies, and one that ſoweth diſcord among Brethren
Laſtly, You all ſay you are for the healing of our breaches, and if truth may direct the way to peace, take away the Tale-bearer and the ſtrife will ceaſe.Pro. 26.20
I love not to run Diviſion, or to mention the uſual tricotomy, yet muſt ſay, Had the moſt paſſionate of one ſort been but more Independent on miſreports concerning their diſſenting brethren: and the moſt violent of another ſort as careful to keep off from the Backbiter, as to ſtand off from the Preſbyter; and all of a third ſort as great adverſaries to aſperſing as they are to ſprinkling, …our diſeaſe had not come to ſuch a dangerous Criſis as our wiſeſt Phyſicians both in Church and State take it now to be at.
Therefore whatever conſtruction this little Treatiſe do meet with abroad among men, my conſcience, I hope, will comfort me in this, that I deſigned it for the quenching our furious flames, though in medling therewith I ſhould burn my fingers. I would not aim to grate here or gratify there, I have not wittingly offered injury or abuſe to any text through the Treatiſe, nor I hope to any perſon. I would not rob Stateſmen of juſt and neceſſary intelligence, for the due tutelage of the publick weal; or make a ſport of hacking at the evil of Talebearing or hearing, a root of bitterneſs which I find too apt to spring up in my ſelf as in others;Heb. 12.15. nor yet would I feed a diſcontented humor in any that look upon themſelves as injur'd, and perhaps are ſo, by this evil: I know men may go wrong by not right ſuffering, as others may by wrong doing. I hope Preface and Poſtſcript will (to all that are candid though concerned) clear the charitable intent of him whoſe prayer for you is, That while many bend their tongues like their bows for lies, Ier. 10.3.you may be Valiant only for the Truth.
To the INFORMER.
THere was a Miniſter lately living not far from my habitation in England, who having, to his coſt, ſome skill in Phyſick, and ſo much charity as to make uſe of it for the good of his neighbors; putting his finger one day into a diſeaſed mouth, (though to do the man good) recieved ſuch a ſudden and unhappy bite, (the Patient being put to ſome pain) that the finger gangrening in a few days coſt the Phyſician his life.
My charity would hope that thou wouldſt not ſo ſerve me, if thou couldst; and my faith ſhould, that God will reſtrain thy wrath if thou wouldſt.
My conſcience bears me witneſs that what I have done, I have deſigned for thy good, though perhaps it doth not pleaſe thee that I ſhould be medling with the Diſeaſe of thy Mouth.Gal. 4.16. But am I therefore become thine enemy, becauſe I tell thee the truth? This little Looking glaſs doth ſhew thee how thy diſeaſe doth deform thee; thou knoweſt thou canſt form, conform, inform; and I have purpoſely perform'd this, to transform, if it may be, and to reform thee. The Lord but bleſs it to thee, and I am well aſſured, that when thou groweſt better thou wilt love the Phyſician, though whilſt thou art ill, 'tis like thou wilt diſlike, perhaps loath, the Phyſick.