Anthropolatria; or The sinne of glorying in men, especially in eminent ministers of the gospel. Wherein is set forth the nature and the causes of this sinne, as also the many pernicious effects which at all times this sinne hath produced, and with which the church of Christ is still infected. With some serious disswasives from this sinne, and directions to prevent the infection thereof. A discourse usefull, and in these times very seasonable. / By John Tombes, B.D. and preacher of Gods word at the Temple.

§ XIII.

In a discovery of this evill, as still in festing the Church of Christ.

THe first use hereof is to endite those that are guilty of this sin of glorying in men, of a breach of a Statute of Christ against his Crown and dignity, and the peace of his Church. In the Apostles time you see the Corinthians found guilty of it, and condemned as carnall. 1 Cor. 3. 4. for while one saith, I am of Paul, and another I am of Apollo, are ye not carnall? but the sin died not with them. After ages have yeelded us woefull fruits of this evill roote, chiefe∣ly in the Papacie: The glorying in the first Roman Bishops who were most of them holy Martyrs for Christ, begat such an high e∣steeme of that See, that other Bishops and Churches began to e∣steeme too much of their counsels and orders, as if they were a rule for them to follow; which caused them quickly to take too much on them, and the Christian Emperours and people to ascribe too much to them; insomuch that quickly from a parity with other Bishops, they got above them to a Patriarchate, and from a parity with other Patriarkes, to a Precedency, and at last mounted up to the throne of universall Episcopacy▪ whence it is that at this day they that subject themselves to the Bishop of Rom, are become the most deepely guilty of the sin of glorying in men of any that ever were; for they ascribe an infallibility to him, a Power above Councels, so that his determination is to be held as certaine, though a generall Councell of all the Pastours of the Christian world should gainesay it, his decrees and decretals are held as or••cles equall to the holy Scriptures, a power to interpret Scriptures un∣erringly, to declare points of faith, to canonize Saints, to pardon sins, to deliver out of Purgatory fire, with many more, whereby he is exalted above all that is called God, or is worshipped, as was fore∣told, 2 Thes. 2. 4. nor doe they blush at the name of Papists being derived from the Pope of Rome, but defend it, as Bellarmin. de Nat. Eccl. cap. 4. And as all Papists in common are guilty of this

sin, so in speciall the severall sects of Schoolemen and Friars, Franciscans, Dominicans, Nominals, Reals, some glorying in Sco∣tus, some in Aquinas, some in Occham; and that with so much pertinacie and devotion, that they will not swerve in the least point from their chiefe Master; insomuch, that as I remember Bannes the Dominican disputing about an article in Philosophy, Com. in Arist. de gen. & corrup. expresseth his dislike of one that dissen∣ted from Aquinas, saying that he was not a Thomist, but an Anti-thomist. Nor doe Protestant Divines dissemble, but com∣plaine of this malady among themselves, as being the cause of that miserable rent, which hath been, and is still continued between those Pastours and Churches which are distinguished by the names of Lutherans and Calvinists, which although it be disavowed by the chiefest Writers of the reformed Churches, and by the Chur∣ches in their publike confessions, yet it is not denied, but that it hath tainted too many in them. Zanchius complaines against this evill, calling it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a worshipping of men, and relates with indignation the speech of one at Geneva, who being asked why he would not sometimes heare Viret a worthy Preacher there, answered, that if Paul should preach at the same time with Calvin, he would heare Calvin; and another complaines in his Epistle to Calvin, of a certaine person that was so affected to Luther, that he thought his very shooes should be adored. I would to God such exorbitancies had kept beyond the seas, and that this sin of glorying in men had not crept into this Land, into this City. The signes and symptomes of it are too manifest, disparaging some Prea∣chers injuriously, extolling others immoderately, disdainefully withdrawing from some without just cause, inordinately running after others without sufficient reason; swallowing downe the dictates of some without chewing, loathing the wholesome food which others present, without tasting. And have not the fruites been among our selves, evill divisions, janglings, evill censuring, and such like? scoffing, contempt, hardning of themselves among our adversaries? Brethren, if there be any guilty of this sin here pre∣sent, let him now know it to be his sin, and that no small one, and let him be humbled for it, and repent of it, that he may obtaine pardon: possibly some godly persons may have fallen into it, not knowing it to be a sin, but sure I am, no one that feares God, will dare to allow himselfe in it being convicted that it is his sin.

Application 2. In a serious disswasive from this sin in these times, with some directions to prevent the infections thereof.

2. Wherefore in the second place, give me leave to admonish you, that you take heed of it. It is an evill that usually doeth follow those Churches to which God bestowes excellent gifts, and worthy Teachers; and doubtlesse the Lord hath inriched this City with this most desireable kind of riches above all places of the earth; so that this City may be said in this respect, to be si∣tuated under the line, and the inhabitants here to be without sha∣dow. Great and many lights God hath given to you, and that in many successions a long time, uno avulso non deficit alter, when one is removed, God supplies you with another. But to what end is it? not that you should magnifie them, but use them to bring you nearer unto God, not to glory in the gift, but to rejoyce in the giver, reverence and make use of them, but reserve to their Lord his owne prerogative: may not you justly feare that God will take them away from you, when you give his due to them? we blame not a father if he remove a servant from his child, when a child doeth inordinately affect him, to the deminution of his re∣spect to the father; nor can we God, if he subtract a good thing which we abuse: the best way to have good things continued by God, is to use them for God, and to esteeme them for his sake; but to set our hearts only on him that gave them. Besides doth not our glorying in men bring us into bondage to them? doth it not insensibly draw upon us an adherence to their errours, if God for our triall suffer them to slip into any, or if they have none, to a dangerous and unsound disposition to receive them if they hap∣pen. We stand much for our Christian liberty, and there is great cause we should, it is a pretious thing dearely bought, and is it not one part of our Christian liberty, that we be not the servants of men, 1 Cor. 7. 23. It concernes us then much, that we labour to get such a firme constitution of soule, that neither through weak∣nesse of understanding, nor through foolish affection we endan∣ger our selves to hang on men, and so to bring our consciences in bondage to them. We account the yoake of Bishops to have been a grievous yoake, and that justly; if Hierome be not mista∣ken, it was first occasioned by this sin of glorying in men; and it may be feared least this sin may occasion the keeping it on our

necks: for is it not alleadged, take them away, men will follow whom they please, so many schismes will be as Preachers? Any of these reasons, much more all of them, should be a sufficient caveat unto you to warne you of this. I might presse this mo∣nition further, from the nature, causes and effects of this sin before shewed; but I will hasten to shut up all with a few directions to prevent it.

1. Endeavour to have ample thoughts of Christ, his eminency, his fullnesse; the more high thy thoughts be of Christ, the lower will thy conceits be of men, the larger comprehension thou hast of him, the lesse wilt thou doate on his servants. A Courtier when he is by himselfe drawes mens eyes after him, but when he is with the King he is scarcely observed. If thou behold Christ as the great Prophet of the Church, in whom are hid all the trea∣sures of wisedome and knowledge, Christ will only be gloried in his servants only respected as his instruments and attendants. Remember that he is made to us of God, wisedome, righteous∣nesse, and sanctification, and redemption; that as it is writ∣ten, he that glorieth might glory in the Lord, 1 Cor. 1. 30, 31.

2. Have a right esteeme of all true Pastours and Teachers as the Ministers of Christ, so the Apostle requires, 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man account of us as Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the mysteries of God, neither make more of them nor lesse. Heare them as messengers from Christ, not for their singular abilities, but for their message sake; respect them not only for their ex∣cellent wit and elocution, but for their faithfullnesse: note and retaine not only fine speeches, but every solid truth, that is from God, least while thou taste the dainty sawce, thou neglect the so∣lid nourishment of thy soule; whoever he be that preacheth Christ truly, heare him gladly, and receive him respectfully for his Masters sake.

3. Make a fruitfull use of the gifts of every true Teacher, get somewhat by all, and then thou wilt not glory in some, and dis∣parage others; if thou didst profit by them, God should have glory and every Minister due esteeme. It is in truth the vanity of the hearers minds, their fullnesse that makes them slight Mannah, and cry for Quailes, that they cannot affect a good Teacher if he be not excellent; the despising of the Teacher, is commonly us'd as a cloake of their owne unteachablenesse and disobedience,

get an hungry soule after the word, and then every wholesome truth will be welcome to thee: Remember that every gift of the Spirit is given to profit withall, and should be received to that end.

4. Lastly, Be well grounded in knowledge, and constant in pra∣ctise of what thou hast learned: Have thy senses exercised in the word of righteousnesse, that thou mayest be able to discerne both good and evill, Heb. 5. 14. and so thou shalt be fitted to profit by every godly Preacher, and inslave thy selfe to none, nor glory in man, but in the Lord.

FINIS.

Notes

• Applic.
• He teacheth in his book a∣gainst K. Iames under the name of Tor∣tus, and in his apology for it, that all are bound by an implicit oath in Baptisme to the Pope as Christs Vicar.
• Epist. ad Ant∣verp. praefat. tom. 7. operum.
• Calvin Epist. 289. us{que} adeo 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 est ut vel cre∣pidas ejus ado∣randas putet.
• Com on Tit. 1.