Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
act_n call_v church_n elder_n 2,418 5 9.9805 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A94758 The hypocrite discovered and cured. The definition the kindes the subject the symptoms of hypocrisie. The prognosticks the causes the cure of hypocrisie. A discourse furnished vvith much variety of experimentall and historicall observations, and most seasonable for these times of happy designe for reformation. In two bookes. / By Samuell Torshell. With an epistle to the Assembly of Divines, about the discerning of spirits. Ordered, Novemb. 24, 1643. that this booke be printed, for Iohn Bellamie. Iohn White. Imprimatur, Edm. Calamie. Torshell, Samuel, 1604-1650. 1644 (1644) Wing T1938; Thomason E80_11 165,295 186

There are 4 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

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 't is 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 CHAP. II. Other prognosticks of hypocrisic The third Atheisme The fourth Hypocrisie works much mischiefe to the Church 3. Hypocrisie is a prognostick of Atheisme An Hypocrite in the way to Atheisme They have both the same Originall There is but a graduall difference between them He that mocks God as the hypocrite doth knows not nor acknowledges God and is an Atheist in another dresse He cares not for holinesse and therefore when he hath his ends he cares not for the shew of holinesse Hence hypocrites breake forth ordinarily at length into loosenesse and profanenesse And no wonder seeing as the Apostle intimates hypocrisie is attended with a feared conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4.2 consciences hard and brawny dull and without feeling for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to seare with an hot iron But it signifies also to cut off with searing as Chirurgions doe rotten members and then the Apostle speakes of men that have no conscience left men of no conscience at all Dan. Heins exerc ad loc or men of stigmatized consciences as Heinsius would have it flagitious branded hypocrites no wonder that they fall into all profanenesse Hierom Bolsec who had been a Carmelite at Paris Beza in vita Calv. cast off his Cowle but kept his Monkery and came to Geneva where he practised physick where being of no esteem in that faculty he would needs try what he could doe in Divinity and vented some points which were strange and sounded ill in the ears of that Church Calvin first dealt mildly with him but when all would not serve the Senate expel'd him At length he counterfeited great penitence and desired to be reconciled and received back into Geneva which they were enclined to doe but in the mean time perceiving some troublesome times towards Geneva he falls to the Papists rayles bitterly against the Protestant-Religion and ran into such profanenesse that he prostituted his own wife to the Canons regular of Augustoduvum in whose filthy stable he set up I could fit this story with some others but I have it in designe to undertake the Atheist in a particular Treatise Exercit. on Malach. p. 66. which promise I have once before intimated and will performe if God give opportunity and quiet times the encouragement of study and that I be not prevented by some abler pen which I rather desire as being a piece of work which though I have hung upon the warpe-wall I despaire almost of putting it into the loome as knowing my own want of skill to weave so fine and curious a peice 4. Hypocrites are mischievous Acts 20.29 Hypocrisie prognosticates much hurt to the Church St Paul in his exhortation to the Elders at Miletum speaking of such men calls them grievous wolves I know this that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock He speakes of slye and hypocriticall seducers who as open tyrants are called wolves in regard of their cruell forcible ravenings so these are said to be wolves because of their craftinesse to get the prey Some Naturalists say that wolves will cry like wounded men that so they may deceive and call forth the Shepheards and by that meanes steale an opportunity to invade the flock and that they will come against the wind that the doggs which tend the fold may not sent them Nay there is yet a further craft then this In some Countries where they goe together in great numbers to assaile a flock of sheep by night they set one or two of their company in the wind-side of the fold afarre off who by their sent may cause the doggs and Shepheards to
mul tos vidit Anaxagoras Ezcit ●3 10 Ier. 6.14 These base spirits will be any thing with any people and for that cause will be religious with the religious Some are so grosse men may see their meaning without spectacles Some spi● finer write in smaller hand Ezekiel speakes of an Art of dawbing and Jeremy of an art of skinning I know nothing nearer of blood to hypocrisie then flattery The trencher flatterer what will he not speake or practise that he may be fed The Psalmist cals them hypocriticall mockers in feasts Rehum the Chancellor and Shimshai the Secretary are not ashamed that they were tied by their teeth to Artaxerxes because of his table Ezra 4.14 Because wee have maintenance from the Kings pallace or as it is in the Chalde because we are salted with the salt of the pallace therefore have we sent and certified the King And are there not some that will deliver new and nice doctrines and so become Preachers to a Sect or a partie for the same cause The Apostle plainly speakes of such and that they serve not our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 16.17 18 but their owne bellie and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple The Councell-table flatterer what will he not allow of or consent unto when the Kings disposition is his Pole-starre When King Hen. the 8th cast off the tyrannous authority of the Pope who more forward then many of his Nobles that I speake not of Stephen Gardiner and some other Bishops who yet as the saying is had every one a Pope in his belly Right Memucans that will be sure to find good reason for the Kings will Est 1.26 Mat. 22.16 17 18. The Case of Conscience-flatterers as I may call them how they will insinuate we may reade in the example of the Herodians and others that came to Christ Act. 23.4 Act 24.1 2. Laudavit niveas corvi vulpecula penna● Io. Geminian de exemplis l. 5. c. 43. 72. The Consistorie-Court-flatterer will be sure to be of the same mind with the prime Lords of the Commission as we see in St Pauls triall And we may joyne Tertullus the Barre-flatterer with them I might instance other particulars they are all alike they answer not their seemings but most commonly like some druggs hot in the mouth but cold in operations These base men are compared by some Fryars that were at leisure to examine the resemblances to Crocodiles Panthers Canker-wormes Butter-flies to field-mice Foxes and the like which I thinke not worth my time now to declare CHAP. VIII The sixth cause of Hypocrisie Hypocrites are indulgent to their corrupt affections Envie Popularitie Ambition Love of riches 6. Hypocrites indulgent to lust THe maine cause of Hypocrisie is Indulgence to corrupt affections This is the common root both of Hypocrisie and Atheisme In the generall the carriage of Johanan and his confederates related in the 42. Chapter of Jeremy to the 7th verse of the 43. Chapter is an example of this observation When men have not learned to deny themselves they make Selfe the supreame Law to which the very will of God must yeeld and for the maintenance of which they will shuffle any way Such men as have not made over all their interests in life or whatsoever else is dearest unto them unto God there will be no holding of them to any resolution Necesse est honestum fit ei vile cui cerpus charum est Senec. Envy makes Hypocrites but they will breake with any profession or vow for the advantage or safetie of those interests and thus Selfe being deare unto them honesty will be cheape and they will part with it easily I descend to particulars 1. Envy makes hypocrites We see it in the Preachers at Philippi whom Envy thrust into the Pulpit This made Licinius partner in the Empire with Constantine to dissemble with him in matter of Religion and granting liberty to the exercise of Christian Religion He saw that all mens mouthes were full of graciousnesse and lenity of Constantine To me it seemes that it was Envy which brought him on as it was Envy which tooke him off againe which he was not so wise as to conceale for when he recalled some Edicts for liberty he gave this reason Because the Christians prayed for Constantine not for him Euseb l. 8. c. 23. l. 10. c. 8 14. or more then for him But this Envy appeares in none more then in Oratours and Writers We have many that in pleadings and Sermons and writing of Bookes aime not at the search of truth but to contradict the opinion that hath gotten the start of fame Alex. ab Alex. Ge. l. 1. c. 23. Such was he that Alexander Neopolitanus speakes of who was wasted and pined in himselfe at the Lectures of Francis Philelphus and therefore took a small a no-occasion to contend with him Some cannot endure that what is spoken or writ should come off fairely and with cleare allowance Hence some study the Art of making eminent men to clash with one another a conjuring Art to raise up the spirits as we may say of the dead against the fame of the living or to blurr the reputation of such as died with fame which practise Philip Pareus observes to have been used by some who to blemish his father publish'd some posthume Epistles of Joseph Scaliger In this like that paltry fellow that Pausanias speakes of Narrat Hist de vita D. Parei p. ult who being never able to get the Mastery in his life time of one Theagenes a famous wrastler came many a night after he was dead and scourged his Statue which was erected in honour of him It is out of the same corrupt envious disposition that others who would be held great reverencers of the Ancients doe yet find somewhat to say against that which is spoken by men of their times though it be the same matter and in the same words It was an handsome policie in that Preacher who being to speake I thinke it was against wanton dances only englished St Chrysostome to the Auditory Another Preacher objects against the Sermon as savouring of Puritanisme and new invented precisenesse and rigidnesse contrary to that latitude of liberty which Christ had left unto us But had no more to say when St Chrysostomes Homily was shewed unto him Esse quid hoc dicam vivis quod sama negatur Et sua quod rarus tempora lector amat Hi sunt Invidiae nimirum Regule mores Praeferat antiques semper ut illa novis Martial l. 5. Epigr. 10. and that his words had been onely translated without the least alteration The truth is this partiall and perverse judgement springs not so much from a due respect to the Ancients as from an envious disesteeming of the present Put a moderne name upon the title of one of St Pauls Epistles and haply it shall scarce goe for sound St Paul had experience of
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 't is 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 'T is 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 'T is 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 'T is 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him to be scared with a Privie Councellours frowne or blowne a side with his breath answered him plainly That they were not onely 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 Vniversity 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 CHAP. XVII 6. Some Symptom's of Hypocrisie from seeming graces The first The second The third Vnsound faith Sandy hope Pretended love 6. THe next head that I propounded is to discover the seeming and but seeming graces of hypocrites and here I am again in a wild field and have much businesse to doe to shew the unsoundnesse of their faith hope love humility chastity holy desires hatred of errour sorrow and confession mortification zeale These are the furroughs that I am now to plow and turne up I will set in upon the first of them their unsound faith 1. Unsound faith of hypocrites 1 Tim. 1.5 2 Tim. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Scripture speaking of a faith unfaigned or without hypocrisie implies that there is an hypocriticall and fained faith Many have unripe and ungrounded perswasions that they have faith and so doe themselves much hurt All men that are Christians are accounted and are in some sense believers They are baptis'd into Christ and professe Christ and so are of the Christian faith But herein is a great deceit For as the Heathen at first refused Christ because of his meanenesse and because they were