Ten Sermons Upon Matthew 6:1-4, Sermon 6
THE VI. SERMON.
MATH. 6.2.
As the hypocrites do.
THE next sort of hypocrites to be vncased are, secret vnderminers of the truth, in shew defenders, but in deed destroyers of the Church: such are called in Cant. 2.15. foxes which destroy the Vine, that is the Church, who by their grating at the roote of the Vine, do cause the same to bring forth but small grapes, that is, the Church cannot thriue in religion, and good workes because of them: these are called foxes for their craftinesse, and their cruelty. Such a one was Herod, who craftily sent for the wise men to enquire where Christ was borne, pretending a mind to worship him, when his purpose was to kill him. Such are all close Church-papists, and time-seruers, who to please men do as the most do: but in the meane time by all crafty deuises do vndermine the Church, the Preachers, and cause them to be troubled for toyes & trifles in comparison, to stop the course of the Gospell & in the meane time pretend a care of the obseruation of lawes, which thēselues break as freely as any other, and regard as much as the horse or mule, whose mouthes must be holden in with bit and bridle. Such also are those that come to the Sermon, in shew very deuoutly, and to be edified; but in deede only to watch and catch, at a word and a halfe, taking only what will serue their turne (like the diuell himselfe) to intangle thereby the preacher, if they like him not. You shal hauehave many of these come orderly, and marke attentiuely, as if they would latch eueryevery word with their mouthes, but as it was with the Prophet Ezechiels auditors, so is it with them, their harts runne another way, and they meane not to follow any thing that is giuen in charge: and therefore when they are gone, with their mouthes they make iestes of the Sermon. And to the Minister of Christ commonly their answer is: you do well sir, to tell vsus our dutie, and to tell eueryevery man his owne: well fare your heart, you do well sir, you do well to discharge your conscience: and if we do not as you bid vsus, that is our fault, we must answer for it: and though we do as our honest neighbourt do, yet we hope God is a good God, & will hold vsus excused, he is not so hard as many would make men beleeue. The last sort of open hypocrites that are not yet vncased, are common cauillers, & deprauers of the truth, and of those that teach the same. Some carpe and cauil at that which they vnderstand but like not, as the Lawyer in Luke 14. Maister in so saying thou puttest vsus to rebuke also, when Christ touched Lawyers: and as the couetous Iewes, which mocked Christ when he preached against couetousnesse. Luke 17. Some cauil at that which they vnderstand not, as the Iewes which called Paules preaching babling and new doctrine, when he preached the resurrection.
Obiect.Oh but (will some say) he reuengeth his owne priuate quarrels and grudges in the pulpit: yea he speaketh of malice: and therefore we cannot regard that which he preacheth.Answer. Doth he so? verily the greater is his sinne, if he doth so. But if those be Gods quarels which thou callest his quarrels, and if that be spoken in the euidence of the Spirite, & with plaine demonstration of the truth, which thou sayest is in malice against thee, then is it euident that thou hast played the grosse hypocrite, so vncharitably to accuse, so rashly to iudge, and so wrongfully to condemne the Minister of the truth: and pretendest thou carest not what: and all to put by the blow of Gods sword, that so thy sinne might not be launced, and yet in the meane time be a professour of religion. And what art thou oh man (sayth the Scripture) that thou iudgest another mans seruant, whose heart is knowne to his God, and not to thee, and to God he either standeth or falleth, and not to thee? Alas this is an old obiection and slaunder of great antiquity, common to all the true Preachers of the word: and it hath euer bene the common practise of all hypocrites, which meant to liue and dye in their sinnes, when they knew not what to say for themselues, and fearing that the truth would choke them if they should swallow it, to cast it vp againe: saying, that it was spoken of malice and reuenge. So played king Achab, who had sold himselfe to worke wickednesse: he could not deny but that Micaiah was a true Prophet, a plaine dealing man, but yet he could not away with him: and why so? forsooth because he doth not prophecie good but euill vntounto me: that is, he speakes that that likes me not: so many cry now adaies, he hath not the good-wil of his hearers: and why? because he doth not seek to please them, he is too tart, he hath a bitter spirite, he doth not heale but wound: they do not complaine that he hath a flattering spirite, or a lying spirite, or a soothing spirite, or a fearefull spirite, or a pleasing spirite: for all this hypocrites can away withall well inough, because such a spirite is toothsome: but that he hath a quicke and sharpe spirite, and his reproofes are sensible and bitter, this is wholesome, but not toothsome, and therefore not to be brooked of hypocrites. But now let vsus consider my brethren whether this will go for currant payment in the day of the Lord or no: Why hast thou cast my word behind thy backe, will the Lord say? Our aunswer will be, because we did not louelove him that deliuered it. But why did you hate him? Because he did not please vsus. Not please you, why? did he preach errours and lyes? No, we could not find any fault with his doctrine, that is sound: but yet we cannot away with him, he was too plaine and round with vsus. Too plaine? why that was for your good, if planè and sanè, if both plaine and sound. Oh but Lord we like not his life, he was couetous, and hard, and proud, and had no louelove in him, he was not sociable, no good companion, not one of his neighbours do louelove him. Well shall the Lord say, thine own conscience thou hypocrite, shal giuegive euidence against thee, and conuict thee of false witnesse bearing against many of my seruants in these respects, & if I now do acquite them, what are they the worse for thy bad constructions and hard words? And if thy conscience do now proue to thy face that all these allegations were but counterfeit deuises to couer thy sinne withall, what art thou the better though all thy neighbours take thy part, for thou knowest: and I know it much more, that many of my seruants hauehave sought peace at thy hands, and then hast thou prepared thy selfe to warre: they hauehave vsed all good meanes to procure thy louelove and good liking in the truth, and thou hast then construed eueryevery thing in the worst part against them that thou couldest imagine: to their faces thou hast spoken faire words, and behind their backes thou hast vsed all lying & slanderous speeches, wherby thou hast made them odious in the world: & when they would hauehave taken al paines to do thy soule good, thou hast complotted by al waies and meanes to discourage them, and to greeue and quench my spirite in them. So doe hypocrites which louelove not the pure light of truth, and so hast thou done. And admit that all this were true which thou pretendest, yet so long as they came in my name vntounto thee, & with my message, reuealed in my word, which thou couldest not disproue, but carpe at, yet oughtest thou to hauehave heard them, & to beleeue them, and to feare at my word comming out of their mouthes, & in charity to hauehave iudged the best of their affections, or praied for thē: knowing that I which am the searcher of the hart, would surely call them to reckning for their affections, if they were not vpright in my sight: but now in that thou hast deuised mischiefe of thine owne head, and put it before thee as a stumbling blocke of purpose to fall vponupon, and to cause others to fall with thee: & seeing as thou hast through my seruants sides, euen pierced my name, & my glory, and not stayed there, but pearked vp Lucifer-like into my seate, to sit as a peremptory Iudge ouer the hearts & affections of my seruants, when thou hadst no list to yeeld to the truth, to confesse thy faults, & amend thy life, how canst thou deny but that thou art guilty of most saucy and insolent hypocrisie? Moreouer, when thou likedst not the plaine & simple vtterance of my truth, & the confirmation thereof by the sacred testimony of my seruants the Prophets & Apostles, it hath pleased thee ô hipocrite to count my seruāts no scholers, but vnlearned & ignorant fooles, as though my booke contained nothing in it but ridiculous matter for thee to make thy selfe merry withall. So hath it alwayes bin with all hypocrites since the world stood: my wisedom hath bin counted foolishnesse, & mans folly high wisedome, but thou shalt know, that they were truly learned which had learned Christ aright, & they were fooles who in the swelling words of mans wisedome hauehave sought onelyonly to feede thy eares and not thy conscience. Furthermore, I forget not thy hypocriticall shew of maintaining false louelove, and vnitie, and peace with the wicked, vnderunder pretence that the Preachers whom I hauehave sent vntounto thee, hauehave bin condemned by thee and thy consort, for troublesom & contentious persons, when they hauehave disquieted thy sin. But let not my seruants be discouraged in my businesse for all this, saith the Lord, For so did they vse my Prophets before them. Ieremy was counted but a babler,Mat. 5. Ier. 20. Eze. 33. Act. 16. Mat. 22. & a contentious person. Ezechiels Sermons were but as the songs of a minstrell, & matter to iest at. Paul was accused of sedition by Dianaes siluer-smithes. My own son who was wisedom it self frō euerlasting with me, he was counted an enemy to Caesar: & the wicked hypocrites turned away whatsoeuer he spake with a ieast. And let no man thinke himself better then these, or too good to pledge thē in that cup of contempt and bitter reproch that they hauehave begun to them in.
Oh but me thinks now the hypocrite being thus vncased, beginneth to pleade hard for himselfe, saying, that though he come not at those troublesome fellowes, & vnlearned, yet he heareth others and maketh much of thē too, so that he is wrōgfully charged, if men say that he cares not for the word of God, that he is not religious, that he cānot abide to hauehave his sins reproued, &c. Surely this at a blush is good fruit, but in truth no better thē an apple of Sodom, faire in shew, but being touched, it turneth into ashes. For nothing is either more easie or vsuall amōgst hypocrites thē to do so: that is to say: First, in way of reuenge, to disgrace one whō they like not, by gracing another, & to discountenāce one by countenācing some other. And yet in the mean time pretēd another matter, & that is to be better edified, & I wot not what: & that they may seeme notwithstāding both religious & iudiciall, they will highly cōmend the one, & deeply cast downe the other; but why, or vpō what good groūds they cannot well tell. There be in diuerse places of the world, especially in great cities & other popular places, running auditories, or as one calleth thē Circumcellions, wheelers about hither & thither, hearing now one thē another, & then a third, & eueryevery one, & indeed neuer a one lōg, like one that hath a giddy braine, who being whirled into eueryevery place, is truly said to be of no place. These humorous hearers of al mē cōmonly cannot away long with their own Pastors teaching, though he teach the truth neuer so soundly, nor so profitably. Except it be between man and wife, I do not know so neare a coniunction of any thing, as is by the ordinance of God, betweene the Pastor & the flocke. Now as nothing ought to separate man & wife, but fornication or adultery: so nothing ought to make the flocke leaue their Pastor, but false doctrine & heresie, if he be a teacher. And surely there is no sincere harted Christiā but maketh a conscience of this duty: that is, they dare not leaue the Ministery of their owne ordinary Pastours, by whom they hauehave sound any profit or spirituall comfort: they dare not so much as yeeld to any such changes, for feare they should not onelyonly be troubled with the spirituall itch of the eare, a disease (where it once rooteth) altogether incureable, but also discourage and make sad the Spirite of God in their faithfull teachers, whereby they may in time be giuen vp of God to flatterers and seducing teachers, fit for their humorous veine & vaine humor. And surely whosoeuer doth duly consider the offence that groweth therby, & the hurt that foloweth also therupō, both to the whole body of the Church in general, & to their own soules in special, they dare not (but in the feare of God) make great cōscience of it.Mat. 18.6. Christ pointing to childrē said, That whosoeuer should offend one of these litle ones, it were better that a milstone were hanged about his necke, and he cast into the bottome of the sea. How much more may that be spoken to those that take a felicity in scandaling & offending, in disgracing & discouraging, by their fantastical rouing abrode the greater ones, that is, the Pastors and builders of the Church?
I speake not this, as though we were the worse for your giddie gadding and stragling, but to let you vnderstand, that you are the worse that giuegive such bad examples, and that you must answer your contempts vntounto our Lord and Maister Christ Iesus. This humorous course of giddy braines and itching eares is both schismaticall, childish, and vnprofitable. Schismaticall, because they go about to make a rent in the Church of God,1. Cor. 3. and to deuide Christ among them. This disease raigned in Paules time, and it raigneth in our time. I hold of Paul, saith one: I am of Apollos, saith another: and Cephas shall go for my money, sayth a third. But neuer a one of those hold of Christ soundly and substantially. But what is this but to deuide Christ? as the Apostle saith, is Christ deuided? as if he should say, you all would be counted Christs, and to hold of Christ: if you do so, why then do you not regard all his Ministers alike, and heare all alike? Paule as well as Apollos, and Apollos as well as Cephas, and Cephas as well as either of the other: for euerie one of them preacheth Christ, though eueryevery one after his seuerall gift and measure of knowledge, and vtterance, and eloquence. &c. Though one be milder then another, and one sharper then another; yea though one mans gift please your humour better then anothers, yet eueryevery one hath Christ for you. But now as if one had Christ and another not, ye will heare one and not another, and so you deuide Christ which is but one: this is not: well are you not carnall? nay are you not Schismatikes?
As it is a carnall and schismaticall practise, so is it also childish: for so do children that go to schoole, being once held in to their bookes, and restrained of their libertie, they are weary of that Maister, and desire to go to another, or else no more to schoole: so hypocrites when they are required to take a setled course for their profiting in religion, and are restrained of their liberty, in sinne, in vanity, in riot, in pride; and are pressed with the doctrine of mortification and truth of heart, they are weary of such a teacher, and must go to another, or else come no more at schoole: so that it appeareth that they hauehave no more gouernement of themselues, nor strength of the Spirite, nor stayednesse of affections then little children hauehave. As it is both schismaticall and so danderous, and childish and so ridiculous: so it is also vnprofitable. For they that leaue the ordinary and standing Ministery of their owne Pastour (and none (certaine) gather here a peece and there a peece, but neuer lay any sound foundation, nor make any orderly building, as they do that tye themselues to one man, who keepeth an orderly proceeding, laying all the principles of religion one after another, and one by another, and euerie one in order till all be finished.
I deny not, but that vponupon some special occasions a man may be somtime drawne away from his ordinarie teacher, as trauelling from home, or being requested by our faithfull friends of another congregation, to answer for their children (as they call it) at their Baptizing, or to accompanie some of our friends or our Magistrates departed out of this world, vntounto their graue, and such like: if Christ be preached there, that we may follow him: otherwise I see no great necessitie to enforce a man to leaue his ordinarie teacher, to go to a bare reader for a ciuill dutie performing: but rather to remember what our Sauiour Christ answered to one that sayd he would follow Christ, but first he would go and burie his father:Mat. 8.22. Let the dead burie the dead (saith he) follow thou me. To shew that those that hauehave no list to follow Christs doctrine, are no better then dead men, as touching the life of the spirite in the soule, and they may serue for such a purpose well inough, it is pitty to interrupt those that are better disposed, and deuoutly addicted to the heauenly doctrine of the Gospell. And further I hold it a thing very expedient and fit, that there be sometimes also an entercourse of Ministers labours: that is, that other Ministers be sometimes admitted, yea procured also to exercise their gifts in their brothers charges; both for the confirmation of doctrine, as also for the quickening of the auditorie: for consent of teachers, is a great confirmation of the truth, in regard of our weakenesse and vnbeleefe, otherwise the truth is strong inough of it selfe, and will preuaile against all the world. And as variety of meates sometime doth make a man hauehave a better appetite to his ordinarie diet, euen so is it not amisse that sometime our ordinarie auditours should hauehave change of teachers, that so they tasting that varietie of Gods gifts and graces which is in diuerse men, they may hauehave a better spirituall appetite vntounto the ministerie and doctrine of their ordinarie pastours and teachers. But to runne hither and thither, and commonly to leaue our ordinary teachers, onelyonly either of a fanstasticall desire to heare new things, or of a loathing the plaine & simple maner of deliuery of the truth, or of stomach, in contempt and way of disgracing, and discouraging those that God hath set ouer vsus, because they hauehave more sharply reproued their sinnes, or more neerely applied the doctrine to their consciences then others do: (a blessed fauor of God indeed, if men had grace so to take it) this is it that I say is both carnal, schismatical, childish, and altogether vnfruitfull: and further it is flatly repugnant to the commandement of Christ deliuered by his Apostle, in the 1. to the Thessalonians the 5. Chapter,1. The. 5.12.13. and 12. verse, where he beseecheth the Thessalonians to know them that labour among them, and are ouer them in the Lord, and admonish them; and that they hauehave them in singular louelove for their workes sake. And lastly is the practise of such as neuer professed the Gospell of Christ in sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart, with an humble spirite, and a holy desire to hauehave both their iudgement informed, and their liues reformed by the word of truth. But on the contrarie, in palpable and damnable hypocrisie, with shewes, shadowes, and flourishes, to be seene and well esteemed of men, as hypocrites do.
Priuate hypocrites.Besides these publike and open hypocrisies, there be also many other lurking in priuate corners, which deserue to be vncased, as in housholds, where betweene man and wife many times much louelove is counterfeited, onelyonly before men, and in heart much bitter malice and hatred maintained against each other, which betweene themselues breake out in open and bitter extremities, and behind each others back into foule adulteries, and cursed vndoing of the whole family: such an hypocrite is the harlot that Salomon vncaseth in the 7. of the Prouerbes.Pro. 7. Who when her husband is from home, calleth in her louers and companions to lewdnesse, and coloureth her villany by prating and telling him of her peace offerings, and vowes that she hath performed that day, that is, by talking of religion. I say nothing of those that in shops and markets selling wares, will pretend great louelove, saying; If it were not to you I would not sell it so: another should not hauehave it so, &c. when for the most part all this is but meere cunning, and counterfeiting. I also let passe those that spying a bargaine that they hope to reape a great benefit by, will earnestly protest and pretend vntounto the partie with whom they meane to deale, great care that they hauehave of his good and his ease, rather then of their owne benefit: too many such there be in the world. Well, God will pull off their visour one day, and lay them open to the world. What should I say of those, that being to followe and further mens suites with great persons, or otherwise at law, hauehave still one tricke or other to delay the time withall? pretending great care to do their friendes businesse, and to followe their clients causes in the best manner that may be, and for their best aduantage, when all their doing is but a cunning kind of fishing for more money, like Felix who often sent for Paule before him, hoping that some bribe would hauehave bene giuen him to hauehave enlarged Paule. And a thousand more such partes are played in the world, which men in continuall practise, and conuersing one with another in Church and common-wealth, abroad and at home, shall hauehave occasion to meete withall.
But for the vncasing of the hypocrite at this time, this shall suffice. Those that feare God vnfainedly, and detest this vgly beast the hypocrite, will make of that which hath bene sayd: as for those that say, they could make good vse of it if it had come out of another mans mouth, hauing layed of purppse a heape of preiudicate conceipts and vnchristian surmises before them, as so many stumbling blockes, and erected a number of proud and disdainfull opinions, and euill constructions of eueryevery thing, as rampiers or bulwarks against the truth, because they meane not yet to forgo their sins, nor to part with their painted visor, I cannot tell what to say vntounto them, but euen leaue them to the Lord, their hypocrisie I will not censure: it is like the darkenesse of Aegypt that might be felt: I am sorry to heare that any should hauehave the word of God in respect of persons, contrarie to the rule of Saint Iames, pretending to regard it, if one man speake, and professing a contempt of the same, because another man hath spoken it whom they hate: as Achab did hate Micaiah for no other cause, but because he prophesied not good but euill vntounto him, that is, he did not flatter him in his sinne, as others did, and therefore he hated him: these men shew with what good deuotion they come to the preaching of the word of God. If they might chaunge their Minister, they thinke that they should chaunge affections, but they are deceiued: for as the Poet could say, and that truly, so say I, Coelum non animum mutant qui transmare currunt, they change the aire and not their nature, which go beyond the sea: as appeareth by those that hauehave separated themselues from our Church assemblies in England: Schismatikes they were here, and so they are there. In like manner hypocrites which hauehave the word in respect of persons, Non mentem sed ministrum mutant, they may well change their Minister, but their mind they change not: their sinnes they leaue not: it is no part of their meaning, what shewes soeuer they make, except God of his great mercy worke a wonderfull alteration.
It seemeth that such persons are of that opinion that Diues was of in hell, who thought that his brethren which were aliue would repent, if Lazarus might hauehave bene sent vntounto them from heauen, he was well acquainted with their humour, for belike when they were all liuing together on earth, neuer a one of them cared for their ordinary teachers, but (saith the holy Ghost) they hauehave Moses and the Prophets amongst them, if they wil not heare them, let them pretēd what they list, neither would they repent though one should come from the dead vntounto them.
Many will tell vsus, that another man hath sayd as much, and more then such and such, whom the people mislike, and it is well taken▪ Such a one may say any thing (say they) and no offence will be taken against him: we maruell that they should take it so ill from one more then another: to these we answer.
1 How well soeuer they take it, from one or from another, nothing is reformed, they will giuegive all the hearing: but see if any reformation follow from one more then another.
2 The cause why they do not so breake out against one man for the same doctrine, aswell as against another, is because his time is not yet come, as Christ sayd in Luke 22.53. When I was daily in the Temple with you, you layed no hands on me, but this is your houre, and the very power of darkenesse. EueryEvery man hath a time appointed him of God, a time to be promoted, and a time to be persecuted: a time to be regarded, and a time to be reiected: a time to be made much of, and a time to be set at naught: and when the date of the one is expired, then the other taketh place.
Now to conclude: if any man thinke that I hauehave dealt too seuerely against hypocrites, or that I might hauehave caried a lighter hand toward them then I hauehave done: seeing as there is no man but is stained with some hypocrisie, much or little, in the sight of God at the least, or that in the applicatiō of any point of doctrine in the vncasing of the hypocrite I hauehave too particularly, and directly aimed at some, and namely at the partialities, and wilfull winking at grosse abuses, by Churchwardens, and other Ecclesiasticall officers with them, contrary to their oath and a good conscience, whereby God is dishonoured, and his worship is contemned, his Sabbaths are polluted, his Church vnreformed: and whereby the wicked are strengthened, and the godly despised: whereby his blessings are restrained, and his iudgements hastened vponupon vsus: then this is my answer. That in both (as I take it) I hauehave had my warrant from the word of God, which is a sufficient stay vntounto my conscience, howsoeuer amongst the vnregenerate and wicked hypocrites, it is a matter of least waight, and therefore with them of all authorities least regarded. And for the first, hauehave I dealt more seuerely against hypocrites then the Scripture, and namely our Sauiour Christ? or hauehave I handled it worse then it deserueth? Hath the hypocrite any wrong, to hauehave no more but the truth sayd and proued against him? Or what? is his seruice so well pleasing to God, or the Church of God so much beholding vntounto him for his shewes and shadowes, or rather his trecheries and cousinages, that he of all other may not be vncased? I speake not now of secret hypocrisie, whereof euen the regenerate & faithfull are guilty in their best actions before God, and for which all of vsus must desire mercy at Gods hand in the bloud of Christ: but of that hypocrisie which raigneth in the wicked, and of such hypocrites as are professed hypocrites, professed I meane in their owne hearts, whose desire is nothing else but to be seene of men, and nothing lesse then to approue themselues and their doings in the sight of God.
EueryEvery one is stained with some lust: which is adulterie before God, & with some malice, which is murther before God: and with some enuie, which is theft before God: and with some couetousnesse, which is idolatrie before God: and yet eueryevery one is not to be called an adulterer, nor a murtherer, nor a theefe, nor an idolater: because those grosse sinnes are not the studie, nor the profession of the regenerate; but they studying & professing, and indeuouring to serue the Lord in sinceritie, truth and vprightnesse of heart, and to deale with men in all good conscience, are called sincere, and iust men, as Iob was:Iob. 1.1. and being in Christ Iesus, through his righteousnesse imputed vntounto them, they are iust before God. Hypocrisie properly is a sinne against the third Commaundement: for none more then the hypocrite doth take the name of God in vaine, who still for the most part, maketh religion a cloke for all maner of iniquitie: which cloke of theirs, when it is once espied or taken from them, they cry out, and rage as men vtterly forlorne and vndone. For take away their clokes, their signes, and their shewes, and then are they naked, and ashamed both before God and man: and as sinceritie graceth the godly before God: so hypocrisie graceth the wicked before men: which is all that they desire or delight in. GiueGive me the substance of religion, saith sinceritie, and me the ceremonie, saith hypocrisie: giuegive me the bodie of Christianitie, saith sincerity, and me the shadow, saith hypocrisie: let me hauehave praise of God, saith sinceritie, and me the praise of men, saith hypocrisie: let not me lack the thing without which I cannot serue the Lord, saith sinceritie, and me to serue the time, and my owne turne, saith hypocrisie: giuegive me a good conscience before God saith sinceritie: tush, conscience was hanged long ago, giuegive me goods and worldly riches saith hypocrisie: giuegive me vertue and honestie saith sinceritie: and let me borrow their clokes to play my part in, and that shall serue my turne saith hypocrisie: giuegive me peace with God, saith sinceritie: and me with my honest neighbours, saith hypocrisie, as for God I shall do well inough with him. Handle the matter castè, that is purely, saith sinceritie: cautè, that is, warily, saith hypocrisie. Take heede, for God seeth thee, saith sinceritie: nay take heede that the world see thee not, and then good inough, saith hypocrisie. It is against the word of God saith sinceritie, therefore leaue it: tush so long as he can hauehave no vantage against me by law, I care not, saith hypocrisie. Qui vadit planè vadit sanè: that is, he that goeth plainely to worke, goeth safely to worke, saith sinceritie: Qui nescit dissimulare, nescit viuere: that is, he that cannot tell how to dissemble, cannot tell how to liue, saith hypocrisie. You see then the difference between the nature of sinceritie, and the nature of hypocrisie. The one you see is like a rich King in a beggars cote amongst men. Because as Christ our head said of himselfe, when he liued poorely and contemptibly vponupon earth: My kingdome is not of this world, and I hauehave meate to eate that you know not of: so must Christs members say: we are poore and despised in this life, because our riches are not of this world, and we hauehave friends that the world know not of. The other is like a King in a play, who for the time maketh a braue shew, domineering ouer such counterfeits as himselfe is, hauing vponupon him cloth of gold, and with the same perhaps are couered a number of scurfe and scabbes, lice, and vermine: and when the Play is done, the poore beggarly fellow must be faine to returne home his borrowed coat againe to the right owner, and pay well for the hire thereof. Now you hauehave heard the difference, consider the matter, consult, and giuegive sentence, whether this honest man the hypocrite hath so plaied his part before God or mā, that he deserueth stil to go on without noting, and neuer to be vncased or no. And so much shall suffise for the vncasing of the hypocrite, and descrying of his nature. Now it remaineth that you see his reward: & by that time I hope you wil not greatly desire to be an actor in his Play: but of that in the next Sermon. Now as for those that thinke I hauehave too particularly applyed this doctrine: let them know that if Eliah did well in telling of Achab, that it was he that troubled Israel: and if Iohn Baptist did well in telling King Herod that he might not hauehave his brothers wife: and the Ministers of the Gospell hauehave the same authoritie that they had: then do we not amisse to make speciall application of our doctrine as they did. Againe, if the Apostle said well, when he said, Those that sinne openly, rebuke openly, that others may feare, 1. Tim. 2. then do not they well which find fault with vsus, for following the Apostles rule. For whom hauehave I admonished or reproued, but publike persons by office, and publike abuses and scandals by them committed and giuen, to the great dishonour of God, and hurt of this Church? Lastly, if a Preacher may speak to the Prince when he preacheth before the Prince, and to the Iudges of Assizes, and to the Iurours, and to the Lawyers particularly, and to the Bishops, and to Iustices, all being publike persons, and charge them in Gods name to looke to their office, and amend that which is amisse, and that safely without daunger, yea boldly with good warrant: then do not I see but that any Pastour by his pastorall authoritie may in his owne congregation speake particularly to a Churchwarden, or a Sideman, and tell them what they ought to do: yea more, and charge them to do their office faithfully too: yea and more then that, if they hauehave bene admonished priuately and friendly, and yet will not be admonished, but take vponupon them still to dispense with their oath, and suffer Gods Church (as much as lyeth in them to go to wracke) then to reproue them both openly and roundly, that themselues may repent, if they belong to God, or others may feare as the Apostle saith. And vntill the Maior of a towne, and the Churchwardens and other officers of a parish, can shew me by Scripture or common reason, that they be of greater state then Kings, Queenes and Princes be of, or then Noblemen, Iudges, and Bishops be of, or that they be more priuiledged and exempted from the reproofe and censure of the word, especially when their offences are publike and desperate, then others be whom I hauehave named before, and take to be farre aboue them: surely I must, and shall by Gods grace, both hold my former opinion, and as occasion shall serue, declare the same by practise: that is, by making of speciall application of the doctrine to the generall and publike offenders and offences of this congregation. Let him that hath an eare to heare, heare what I say: and let him that hath an heart sanctified consider well of it: and let him that hath grace from God, make a good vse of that that hath bene said. As for the rest, I say as Ioshua said: let them chuse what they will do, whether they will make a conscience of their dutie, or dispense with their oath as they hauehave done: I for my part will surely by Gods grace do that which belongeth to a true Pastor of Iesus Christ. And as Saint Iohn said: he that is filthie let him be more filthie, and he that is froward let him be more froward, and he that will be obstinate let him be more obstinate, and he that will be an hypocrite let him be more hypocriticall, that their sinnes may be full ripe against the day of Gods vengeance. But so many as feare the Lord in truth of heart, and are truly humbled to endure the sifting and triall of the word of God, and are desirous vnfainedly to yeeld obedience to the holy will of God: let vsus go on forward in our good courses without feare or fainting, and God our heauenly Father, in whom is our trust, will surely keepe vsus from finall falling away, and in his rich merciemercy will pardon all our sinnes in the merite of Christ his bloudy passion: blessed be his name for euer. Amen.
Now let vsus praise God.