The Holy State, Book 5 · Chapter 8
CHAP. 8. The Hypocrite.
BY Hypocrite we understand such a one as doth (Isaiah 32.6.) practise hypocrisie, make a trade or work of dissembling: For otherwise, *Hieronym. lib. 2. contra Pelag. & August in eadem verba, Serm. 59. de TemporeHypocriseorum macula carere, aut paucorum est aut nullorum. The best of Gods children have a smack of hypocrisie.
Maxime 1.An Hypocrite is himself both the archer and the mark, in all actions shooting at his own praise or profit. And therefore he doth all things that they may be seen: What with others is held a principall point in Law, is his main Maxime in Divinity, To have good witnesse. Even fasting it self is meat and drink to him, whilest others behold it.
2In the outside of religion he out-shines a sincere Christian. Guilt cups glitter more then those of massie gold, which are seldome burnish'd. Yea, well may the Hypocrite afford gaudy facing, who cares not for any lining; brave it in the shop, that hath nothing in the ware-house. Nor is it a wonder if in outward service he out-strips Gods servants, who out-doeth Gods command by will-worship, giving God more then he requires, though not what most he requires, I mean, his heart.
3His vizard is commonly pluckt off in this world. Sincerity is an entire thing in it self: Hypocrisie consists of severall pieces cunningy closed together; and sometimes the Hypocrite is smote (as Ahab with an arrow, 1. Kings 22.34.) betwixt the joynts of his armour, and so is mortally wounded in his reputation. Now by these shrewd signes a dissembler is often discovered: First, heavie censuring of others for light faults: secondly, boasting of his own goodnesse: thirdly, the unequall beating of his pulse in matters of pietie, hard, strong and quick, in publick actions; weak, soft and dull, in private matters: fourthly, shrinking in persecution; for painted faces cannot abide to come nigh the fire.
Yet sometimes he goes to the grave neither detected nor suspected. 4If Masters in their art, and living in peaceable times wherein pietie and prosperity do not fall out, but agree well together. Maud, mother to King Henry the second, being besieged in *Cambd. Brit. in Hantshire.Winchester castle, counterfeited herself to be dead, and so was carried out in a coffin whereby she escaped. Another time being besieged at *Matth. Paris in Anno Dom. 1141.Oxford in a cold winter, with wearing white apparell she got away in the snow undiscovered. Thus some Hypocrites by dissembling mortification that they are dead to the world, and by professing a snow-like purity in their conversations, escape all their life time undiscerned by mortall eyes.
By long dissembling piety he deceives himself at last: 5Yea, he may grow so infatuated as to conceive himself no dissembler but a sincere Saint. A scholar was so possessed with his lively personating of King Richard the third, in a Colledge-Comedy, that ever after he was transported with a royall humour in his large expences, which brought him to beggery, though he had great preferment. Thus the Hypocrite by long acting the part of piety, at last believes himself really to be such an one, whom at first he did but counterfeit.
God here knows, 6and hereafter will make Hypocrites known to the whole world. Ottocar King of Bohemia refused to do homage to Rodulphus the first, Emperour, till at last, chastised with warre, he was content to do him homage privately in a tent; which tent was so contrived by the *Pantaleon in vita Rodulph. Imperat. lib. de Illustrib. Germ. part. 2.285.Emperours servants, that by drawing one cord, it was all taken away, and so Ottocar presented on his knees doing his homage, to the view of three Armies in presence. Thus God at last shall uncase the closest dissembler to the sight of men angels and devils, having removed all veils and pretences of piety: no goat in a sheepskin shall steal on his right hand at the last day of judgement.