Gods Husbandry, Sermon 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Shewing the deſcription and ſorts of hypocrites.
NOw it is very requiſite, that wee make a plaine and ſound explication of it, to the intent, that eueryevery man may diſcerne of himſelfe, and of his owne eſtate, whether himſelfe be an hypocrite yea or no. Wee will therefore doe our beſt to lay the matter open clearely, that it may bee euidently diſcouered (to them that will take the paines of inquiring about the point) who is guilefull? who without guile? and for this purpoſe it is neceſſary to ſtand vponupon theſe foure heads: Firſt, to ſhew what an hypocrite is: ſecondly, to ſhew the diuers ſorts, or rather degrees of hypocrites: thirdly, to ſet downe ſome generall notes of difference betwixt the true-hearted and the hypocrite. Laſtly, to declare more particularly the agreement & diſagreement of them both, in foure principall and maine graces, whereof the one hath alone the ſhadow, the other the ſubſtance; that is, firſt, in knowledge; ſecondly, in faith; thirdly, in repentance; fourthly, in good life, or in obedience.
Firſt then, for the deſcribing of an hypocrite,What an hypocrite is; viz; we muſt make vſe of a neceſſary rule of Logicke, which bids vsus to define the concrete by the abſtract as they terme it, as no man can poſſibly declare what a white thing is, but by conceiuing and expreſſing what is whiteneſſe; nor what a prowd man is but by vnderſtanding what pride is; nor what an hypocrite is, but by knowing what is hypocriſie. And againe we muſt vnderſtand, that vertues and vices do not denominate their ſubiects, vnleſſe they be in them in ſo high a degree, as to preuaile and be predominant ouer their contraries: as nothing is called white, but that in which whiteneſſe ſo preuaileth, that it partaketh more of white, than of any other colour: and if a thing doe ſo pertake of whiteneſſe, we call it white, though it faile much of the whiteſt whiteneſſe that may be. So is hee called a proud man, in whom pride preuaileth; an infidell, whom infidelitie ruleth; a reuengeful man, in whom reuenge doth beare ſway; and a couetous man, in whom couetouſneſſe raigneth. And ſo muſt wee likewiſe conclude in the preſent matter, that hee is an hypocrite, in whom hypocriſie preuaileth and beareth rule.
To the making of an hypocrite therefore, three things muſt concurre:A proſeſſor of Chriſtian religion, in whom hypocriſie ruleth. firſt, a fit ſubiect; viz. ſuch an one as doth (at leaſt in appearance) profeſſe himſelfe to be a Chriſtian, and to beleeue in Chriſt. As nothing can bee called an vnfruitfull branch, if it bee not a branch; ſo neither can any man bee termed an hypocrite, vnleſſe at leaſt externally he bee in Chriſt: in this meaning, as wee now take the word hypocrite, in oppoſition to a ſound member of Chriſt. Secondly, there muſt be in that ſubiect an adiunct, that vice of hypocriſie: and thirdly, this vice muſt bee in that ſubiect, in ſuch degree as to beare to rule; and to bee, as they terme it, predominant. Wherefore for our further information in this matter (which is moſt exceeding needfull to be very diſtinctly knowne and conceiued of) wee muſt ſearch into the nature of that crooked,What hypocriſie is, viz. ſelfe-couering and ſelfe-couſening vice of hypocriſie, about which wee neede not goe farre, but alone turne our thoughts to the Apoſtles deſcription of it,2. Tim. 3.5. viz. that it is a forme of godlineſſe, without the power thereof. It a falſe fained goodnes, a goodneſſe alone painted, and put on, and counterfeited. In plaine words thus you may deſcribe it; A corruption of the will,A corruption of the will, inclining it ſelfe to doe ſome good, & leaue ſome euill for ones owne ſake. whereby it inclineth it ſelfe to ſeeme good, by doing ſome good, and leauing ſome euill for ones owne ſake. For eueryevery man is naturally deſirous to hauehave other men eſteeme him good, and to eſteeme of himſelfe alſo, as of one that is good; and becauſe, neither will his neighbours conceiue ſo of him, neither can hee ſo conceiue of himſelfe, without ſome ground for ſuch conceit; he is therefore willing to doe ſomething that may worke in others, and in himſelfe ſuch an opinion of him, and to auoyde ſome other things, that might procure the contrary opinion. Yea, eueryevery man naturally is willing to be happy, and willing to think, that he ſhall be happy, yet becauſe this thought cannot be maintained, without ſome colour of reaſon, hee is alſo willing to doe ſome things, that he may thinke will further his happynes, and auoyde ſome other things that will hinder it. Now when a man that liueth in the Church, out of theſe naturall deſires, that are inſeparably vnited to his reaſonableneſſe, doth incline himſelfe in ſome things, to yeeld to the Doctrine of Religion, that ſo he may ſerue his owne turne, in fulfilling his owne deſires: this is falſe goodneſſe, goodneſſe alone to the eye; it is called goodneſſe, as a falſe ſhilling is called a ſhilling, becauſe it looketh like a ſhilling, hauing the ſame ſtampe, and a little filuer at top, though in ths middeſt it be nothing but braſſe, or ſome ſuch baſe and vnworthy matter. If a man (I ſay) be moued for his owne credit or eaſe ſake, yea, or for his owne faluation ſake, to be willing to do ſome good, that God in his word commandeth; and to forbeare ſome euill in the ſame Word condemned, and not to be willing to doe all good commanded, and auoyde all euill forbidden; this is but guilefull hollow, imperfect. diſſembled goodneſſe, ſo eſteemed by men, and ſo appearing to them, that can looke alone vponupon the bark and outer rinde of things, not ſo appearing to the pure eyes of God, nor ſo accounted in his true iudgement, that ſearcheth into the marrow, and pith, and depth of all things. For God himſelfe is the chiefe good, and in a manner the onelyonly good, neither is any thing good, but by participation from him; and ſo that goodneſſe which is not (as it were) deriued from him, as from the originall of it, nor directed to him, as to the ſcope and end of it, becauſe it hath nothing to doe with him, therefore indeede is not goodneſſe, whatſoeuer ſhew it may carrie to the world. So that as true goodneſſe, is will to bee good in all things for Gods ſake; ſo is falſe goodneſſe a will to ſeeme good in ſome things for ones owne ſake. Eaſe may moue a man to doe ſome good, and auoyde ſome euill, ſo may credit, ſo may profit. Now if any of theſe things doe chiefly and principally worke vponupon our wills, as the motiues and ends of our actions, then is that goodneſſe but hypocriſie and ſeeming goodneſſe; and that man who liuing in the viſible Church, ſuffers this vice (of being induced but to ſome good things, not all; and withdrawne but from ſome euill (not all) for his owne credite, profit, eaſe, or the like cauſe, not Gods ſake onelyonly or principally) to ſway and beare rule in him, he is an hypocrite.Hypocriſie ruleth where it is not ſeene and lamented. But when and in whom doth this vice preuaile? may ſome man ſay, I anſwere; euen then, and in that man, where and in whom it is not ſeene, oppoſed & reſiſted by the ſpirituall weapons of frequent confeſſions, hearty petitions, earneſt lamentations, and diligent application of the word of God againſt it for to beate it downe: for all vices muſt be diſtinguiſhed into two kindes: ſome are more fleſhly and groſſe (as I may terme them) that doe follow the temperature of the body, and their ſtrength and weakeneſſe doth much what depend vponupon the conſtitution thereof: ſuch are wrath and choller, gluttony and filthineſſe, and diuers other like. Now it is not of neceſſitie, that theſe vices bee actually in all the corrupt generation of Adam; alone they are in euerie one (as I may terme it) virtually, ſo that if the ſame ſoule were put into another body, whoſe temperature would fit the turne of thoſe vices, it would be as plentifull in them, as any other man is, or as it ſelfe is in any other vice. Now there are other vices of a more ſpirituall nature (as I may terme it), I meane more immediatly and principally flowing from the corruption of reaſon and of will, and from the natiue defilement of the ſoule, in its chiefe faculties; ſuch as are pride, vnbeliefe, forgetfulneſſe of GOD, vnconſcionableneſſe, and by name, this hypocriſie. And theſe laſt kind of vices are in all men indifferently ſince the firſt ſinne of Adam, by whom all became dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes; though it muſt not bee denyed, that in ſome they grow more head-ſtrong, than in others; and doe more manifeſtly and violently ſhew themſelues, according as they are more or leſſe nouriſhed with meanes and occaſions, and (as it were) ſoyled with helpes and opportunities fit for them. And as for all theſe vices, there doe they preuayle, and there they muſt be called predominant, where they are not obſerued, bewailed, acknowledged, oppugned, and that by ſpirituall weapons, and that conſtantly. For it is moſt vndeniable, that wherſoeuer any vice is, there it ruleth, vnleſſe it be mortified and crucified by the ſpirit: that is, by ſpirituall means and ordinances, faithfully vſed, wherewith Gods Spirit faileth not to worke; and it is as certaine, that this grand member, or lim rather, of the body of death, which we all bring into the world with vsus (I mean) hypocriſie is in eueryevery man; wherefore it hath dominion in him, vnleſſe it be, as was formerly ſpokē, diſcerned and oppugned. And therefore alſo it is great reaſon, that ſuch one ſhould receiue his name from hypocriſie; & be intituled an hypocrite. And ſo I would think,An hypocrite is a profeſſor of Chriſtianitie, that doth not ſee and reſiſt his hypocriſie. an hypocrite maybe fitly called a profeſſor of religion, that doth not ſee, bewaile, and fight againſt his owne hypocriſie, that is, his aptnes to make a ſhew of goodnes, by doing onelyonly ſome things that are commanded, and auoyding onelyonly ſome things that are forbidden for his owne ſake, not indeuouring to doe, and auoyd all ſuch things for Gods ſake.Not the hauing, but the not oppugning of hypocriſy, makes an hypocrite. And this thing is worthy to be diligently marked, that I ſpake of the predominancie of vice, becauſe it is of maruellous great vſe, for the true triall of our felues, according to thoſe things that afterwards ſhall be ſet downe for that purpoſe. For not eueryevery one that feeleth in himſelfe ſome of theſe ſignes, and effects of hypocriſie, that ſhall be named, is by and by an hypocrite: but he that hath them in him, and takes no care to find them out: or if hee muſt needes find them out, continueth not to make warre againſt them by prayers, and teares, & the ſword of the ſpirit, and the like weapons of our Chriſtian warfare. And of the deſcription of an hypocrite hitherto. I goe forwards to ſhew you the ſorts or kinds of hypocrites: for well may wee ſay, that a notable difference in degrees, may giuegive iuſt occaſion of diſtributing the things ſo differing, into diuers kinds, as the Scripture diuideth the heauenly Bodies into the greater light for the day, and the leſſer light to rule the night.