The Christian Governor in the Commonwealth and Private Families, Exposition 1 · Part 20
Ver. 7.There shall no dissembling person dwell, &c.
THE persons against which the Prophet maketh a further promise to proceed, are Dissemblers and Lyars, and their qualities, deceipt, and lying. Before, hee said that hee would entertaine faithfull persons, and persons that walke in the perfect way, or way of truth: here he promiseth to put from him and from all affaires vnderunder him … those who practise deceit, and tell lies. For the first of the two, which is a diss…mbler, and the propertie in him, which is dissimulation; by a dissembling person, wee must vnderstand a deceiuer and hypocrite in vvord and deed, and by dissimulation, falsehood and guile in both. The Scripture calleth it the guile of heart, or, the sinne of a double heart, contrarie to integritie and faithfulnesse, fruits of a simple heart, and properties of plaine men, simple-hearted. Now the Prophet saith that no such persons, and that no persons of such parts shall dwell in house with him: his meaning is, that so farre as hee could know them, they should not tarry in his seruice, nor continue seruants in his house: which hee speaketh as Master in a Familie, and as chiefe Magistrate in a kingdome. From whence the point taught, is; that all Gouernors should hauehave an eye vntounto, and proceede against all dissemblers and dissimulation publikely, and in their priuate gouernement. Saul, an hypocrite had an eye on Dauid, 1 Sam. 18.9. where he needed not, but where is need, eueryevery Dauid should hauehave an eye of suspicion on all hypocrites, such as Saul was, in a Countrie or great house. Elisha had a dissembling and bribing seruant; a Gehazi vvho would runne after a reward, where his Master would take none: but his eye went with him, and hee watched his hypocrisie vvhen he vvent from him, 2 Kin. 5.26. Shebna was a dissembler, and Chancellour to Hezekiah: therefore, vvhen the King sent him to the parle with Rabshakeh, hee sent two good men with him to vvatch him, euen Eliakim the steward of his house, and Ioab the Recorder. For, Hezekiah, for his hypocrisie and ill deser…, had lately, at the commaundement of the Lord, taken one great place from him, and giuen it to his fellow, that was better then hee, though hee durst not disrobe him all together, and leaue him without all place, le…t his ambition mounted before vponupon the wings of two so great honours in the kingdome, should, furthered also vvith too great discontentment (if both his w…gs had beene cut) hauehave beene set vponupon reuenge and disloialtie: therefore, he would put no great trust in him, but sent him vnderunder guard: and (as it vvere) with two Superintendents to the King of Ashurs Lieutenant, then before the wall, to watch him that hee might not bee lift vp to do… euill a…sa. 36.11.22..
And thus Eliakim and Ioab, two great men were sent vvith him to be bridles to his ambition, that hee might not take head against his Master. There was little confidence to be put in Ioab: Dauid durst not trust him, and could neuer master him, and therefore giueth a great charge to Salomon his sonne to looke vntounto him, 1 King. 2.5. Shim… (also) dissembled and could co…nterfait: that Dauid knew; and therefore gaue a like charge to his sonne concerning him, ver. 9. Ananias, that hypocrite, and Saphirae his Wife as very an hypocrite (both of them great dissemblers and lyars to GOD) were striken by the hand of God, in the Ministery of Peter. Peter could not abide them in his sight, and they fell downe dead at his feet, Act. 5.5.10.
The Reasons.
First, dissembling taketh away the vse of speach, vvhichwhich should be the Key to the minde to open it. For, the vse of speech is to expresse the meaning of the heart, or to be the hearts I…terpreter. But the dissembler corrupteth this vse of speech and end of talke by a deceitful tongue; nay, ouer-turneth all humane societie and dealings betweene man and man, by vttering with the tongue what was neuer conceiued by the heart. And is he to be suffered among men who laboureth to destroy the fellowship of men? Secondly, the dissembler is not only false in tongue but in deed: and dissimulation, as it maketh a diuorce betweene the tongue and the minde, so doth it betweene the tongue and the hand; and so he that is a dissembler, is false tongued, and left-handed. But, he that is such shall be knowne, that is, made an example, that he may be knowne. Prou. 10.9. And, who shall make this example of him, but Magistrates, and such as are in authoritie? Thirdly, a dissembler is like a couered pi… in the fellowship of men: the simple fall into it. For, hauing crept into the seruice or fauour of persons of countenance by flatterie, and keeping in by falshood; what is he not able to doe against the innocent by a smooth & glosing tongue? How priuily vvill hee accuse him? and vvhat protestations vvill hee make to be beleeued against him? Such a tongue, as a dangerous rocke, hidden vnderunder a calme Sea, is to be found in the mouth of the dissembler. One flattering word, in the mouth of such, can doe more harme in an houre, then a good Preacher shall be able to doe good in many Moneths. And should not good Gouernours looke vntounto such, least they be made by them, a sharpe sword to the righteous, and a strong buckler to flatterers. Fourthly, a deceitfull person (such as Achan) may bring vponupon a family, yea, vvhole Prouince, great wrath and destruction. Ios. 7.5.12. And lastly, it vvell becommeth a great house to hauehave all the seruants of the same, suteable, as in Lineries, so in goodnesse. For, as it is euill in nature to compound fire and water, and hurtfull in policie to nourish peace and warre, and impious in Religion to beare with two Religions: so is it dangerous in a house to keepe faithfull persons in it, and dissemblers.
Vses.
Heere (then) wee see what an odious sinne the sinne of dissembling is,Vse. 1. seeing that good Gouernours are bound so (as hath beene shewed) to hauehave an eye vntounto it, and to proc…ede against it. The contrarie to it is plainenesse and Christian simplicitie, which should be as precious to vsus, as the other is vile to God. But where are the plaine-hearted Iacobs, and simple-hearted Nathaniels of elder times: Is not simplicitie called folly, and are not simple-men counted fooles? nay, is not simplicitie so much hated, that the name it selfe is had in reproach? and to be a simple man and a foole … are they not now, in our dialect and language, synonima, that is, names of one thing and signification? Is not truth fallen in the streetes? And doth not he who refraineth from euill, make himselfe a prey? Esa. 59.14…15. Our plaine Fathers, vvho loued faithfulnesse more then wealth knew not what this meant: He that cannot dissemble, cannot liue; and their vvord vvould be taken, where our bond vvill not. Therefore, that vvhichwhich should be odious, is now precious, and which should be hated and had in reproach, is now commended, and made of. So contrarie is this age of our… to the dayes of our plaine Fathers. And here, the Papists figure of aequiuocation in Oathes, halfe in the lippes, halfe in the heart and conscience, is argued of irreligious periurie, and odious opposition to Christian plainenesse. Which is a protestation with a mentall reseruation in a thousand windings and turnings, all conceiued in the minde, and no way expressed in the speech of him that protesteth or maketh faith. Which (yet) they with the faces of Sodome and Gomorrha, defend to be lawfull and godly in Catholikes when they come to answere before Protestant Iudges.
But,Vse. 2. should dissemblers be watched ouer by good Gouernours? then good Gouernours must watch ouer dissimulation in themselues. They must take heed of dissembling persons, and that they (themselues) be no dissemblers. They must not endure nor countenance a bribing Seruant, nor (themselues) louelove gifts. They must not beare with a deceitfull person, nor lay waite (themselues) as he that setteth snares. They must not cherish those that ouerthrow the right of the poore, nor (themselues) make pittes to catch men. Ier. 5.26. They must punish others for lying, and (themselues) be no liars. They must teach others, and hee that will teach another, must teach himselfe. Rom. 2.21.
Vse. 3.An admonition to Gouernours to be diligent inquirers into the conditions and nature of the people, vvhom they keepe in seruice, or put in office vnderunder them. For, among some that be good, there may be such as will seeme and are not. Such as we reade of Iude 4. who are said to hauehave crept in, or to hauehave entred, not boldly, but by stealth. Such are the Popes Factors among vsus, vvho (as Serpents sent from Rome, or some of Romes Schooles) for want of the diligence, or by reason of the negligence of the householders of Counties and Corporations, hauehave gotten into some of the fairest Gardens of our Land, and there, hauing preuailed against Eue the woman, hauehave by her preuailed also against Adam the Man, turning both Man and Woman from GOD to Poperie. Gen. 3.1.5.6. 2 Tim. 3.6. Matth. 23.15. Also, Gouernours must, and the good will be awake in the causes that come before them. For, sometimes, as the woman of Tekoah, who was (her selfe) subtle, and instructed by subtle Ioab, to put on mourning apparell, and a mourning behauiour, spake vntounto the King, and falling downe before him, and doing obeysance to him, said, Helpe, O King: 2 Sam. 14.4.5. So some subtle man or woman, taught, as by some deceiuing Ioab, to put on mourning apparell and a sad countenance, may come vntounto them, and doing low obeysa…ce, may crie vntounto them, and say with a pittifull, but lying tongue: Helpe my good Lord, helpe, good your Honours, or as she; Helpe my Lord, O King. Sometimes (as we heard) a treacherous Ziba will not feare to accuse the innocent vntounto them, vvith a gift in the hand: 2 Sam. 16.1.2.3: therefore it standeth them in hand to obserue wisely, and to heare indifferently and iustly the truth of those cries, vvhichwhich are many times (causelesly) raised, and vvith false teares. Againe, in swearing in a matter, many will hauehave a fallacie in their Oath: and sweare with a double heart: These and such like shifts of faithlesse wretches, cannot be discerned, but by hauing a watchful eye ouer matters in iudgement. Therefore necessary it is that they should not sleepe in causes that would turne away, or auoyd the edge of dissimulation or dissemblers in them, which Dauid protested to doe, and which all carefull Gouernours will doe.
Vse 4.A reproofe to those who will keepe in their house, or in places vnderunder them Dissemblers, and wretched men, because they be their Kinsmen or Friends sonnes, or an old Seruant, or Seruant that they may not spare, and who cannot liue if they put him from them, though otherwaies hee be a common Drunkard, Whore-monger, Swearer, prophane person, and what not?
In the meane while what is become of our Sauiours admonition; If thy right hand offend thee, or cause thee to offend, rather cut it off, then suffer it to be a continuall offence vntounto thee, Mat. 5.30. Or, If thy right eye offend thee, rather pluck it out, then suffer it still to be an hinderance and scandall vntounto thee. Surely, nothing can be, for situation, more deare vntounto vsus, or, for vse, necessary, then our right eye, or that other member, our right hand; yet should we rather pull out the one, and cut off the other, then suffer them to offend vsus to damnation. And shall they, who are farther off, dwell in our house, though grimed with most black vices, though loathsome to God, and hurtfull to our selues, and though in bad nature and condition so lewd that hell hath better (saue that they in hell cannot repent, these may) because of kindred, & friendship, and seruice, and things that they can doe about vsus? Shall they take heart in a great persons liuery, as by a protection, to doe euill, who doe so much euill, and take such boldnes to offend daily, because they doubt not to be borne out by the credit of their great Master in any disorder? I speake not this with any suspition of you (bThe Lord Zouch then Lord President. my LORD) in place: for I can testifie truly before the Lord, that your Honour hath great care to purge both your owne Familie, and the whole Prouince from such loathsome spots. In your owne priuate charge (be it spoken to Gods glory, and your true iustification, against all tongues, specially such as oppose vntounto quicke, but necessary and sober gouernment) you hauehave giuen, and still giuegive good proofe of a good minde and will in you, to bring your whole charge to the discipline of the Gospell in things appertayning to saluation, when time shall serue: for you will keepe none in your house, that hath not, at least who pretendeth not to hauehave a care to serue God and your Honour in the way of Religion and obedience to lawes: which I speake not to giuegive titles, (fearing my Makers reproofe if I should so doe) but to stirre you vp farther, and the grace in you, to continue as you hauehave begun (as I doubt not but you will) and to prouoke others by so faire a precedent, to begin and continue as you hauehave done, hauing in your worthy selfe, so cleere a Piller of fire to goe before them. So much for that which the Prophet speaketh against dissemblers: that which is spoken against those who tell lyes, followeth.