Gods Husbandry, Sermon 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. Of the diuers ſorts of Hypocrites.
AND of hypocrites within the Church,Of hypocrites there are two kinds, the groſſe hypocrite, and the cloſe hypocrite. we ſhal find two kinds; the greater hypocrite, & the leſſer hypocrite: the groſſe hypocrite & the cloſe hypocrite; both well called hypocrites, becauſe in both, that vice preuayleth; and yet the one diſtinguiſhed from the other by the names of greater and leſſer, or groſſer andleſſe groſſe, becauſe the degree of preuailing in one; is farre higher and fuller than in the other. As euen of Leapers, ſome were not ſo much leprous as others; though both leapers & vncured. And of diſeaſes, ſome are more vehement than others, though both mortall? And of wounds, ſome are deeper and broader than others, though both deadly.
Now a groſſe hypocrite is he, in whom hypocriſie ſo farre preuaileth,The groſs hypocrite is he, that knowes himſelfe but to diſſemble, and yet cares not for it. that he knowes himſelfe but to make a ſhew of goodneſſe, for ſome ſiniſter reſpect, and yet cares not for it, out of the moſt exceeding ſtory-hardneſſe of his heart. This hypocrite hides himſelfe from the world, but not from himſelfe; he couſens others, but himſelfe doth not deceiue himſelfe: for hee is full well acquainted with his owne intentions, and perfectly priuy to the windings of his behauiour; in very deed ſometimes, euen ſmiling to thinke, how he beguiles the world with a certaine fineneſſe of outward carriage, and ſeeming. Many a man maketh a ſhew to be religious, by doing diuers good things, in the meane ſpace knowing full well, that he doth not in heart regard any of theſe things, but alone that hee thinkes it fit ſo to wooe the times, or to fiſh for the fauour of ſome particular man, or to compaſſe ſome or other of his owne earthly, and ſelf-reſpecting proiects. Many a pariſhioner commeth to Church vſually each Sabbath, and receiueth the Sacrament commonly when his neighbours doe, who doth in his heart no more eſteeme of Church nor Sacraments than a very Pagan; and ſo much hee doth know by himſelfe too, and yet is neuer touched with any remorſe of heart, for his ſo palpable, and to-himſelfe-euident diſſembling. Yea, it is to be feared, that many a Diuine ſtudies hard, preacheth (not learnedly alone, but) holily (too for matter and words); and yet in his owne ſoule maketh no more account of preaching, than of a play-booke, but that hee ſeeketh by this meanes to liue in the world, and to attayne a Benefice. Many a ſonne and ſeruant of a godly father or maſter, will hearken diligently at Sermon, and bring home (by memorie of writing) all the ſubſtance of the Sermon; yea, and be diligent at prayers in the family, and perhaps alſo pray himſelf, with very good and commendable petitions and words; when as all this while he is guiltie to himſelfe, of making no reckoning of any goodneſſe; and in truth careth for, nor thinketh of any thing elſe, but winning the fauour of his parent or maſter, or credit and reputation with thoſe amongſt whom hee liueth: and yet his ſoule is no more moued with ſorrow, for this his moſt groſſe guile, then if he were the trueſt hearted perſon vnderunder heauen. For in truth, of all ſinnes in the world, nothing doth bring a greater extremitie of deadneſſe, and ſenſeleſneſſe vponupon the ſoule, then this abominable hollowneſſe, when it preuaileth in this degree, that now I am intreating of. Such hypocrites as theſe were Abſolon and Achitophel. Did not Abſolon know, that hee regarded not the religion of a vow? Did not Achitophel know, that he made nothing of Gods houſe and the ſacrifices: but (euen as a ſtaule) the better to attaine the fauour of Douid, and his owne aduancement? Doubtleſſe they were well enough ſeene in their owne purpoſes and proiects, and could not but confeſſe at the barre of their owne conſcience (but that they would not conſider of it), that in very truth they did but ſerue themſelues (and not God) in all their ſeeming religiouſneſſe. Such hypocrytes alſo were the greater number of the Phariſies, which made our Sauiour Chriſt, ſo tart and earneſt againſt them at all times; for well did hee ſee, that they did all their good workes to be ſeene of men; and that their formes of pietie and godlineſſe were meere paintings, and that they regarded nothing, but to make themſelues great in the earth, and euen vnderunder colour of long praying, ſought onelyonly to deuoure widowes houſes.Phil. 1.15.16 Such alſo were thoſe Preachers, of whom the Apoſtle affirmeth, that they did teach Chriſt not purely, but of contention, as it were to put downe Paul, and to winne the Garland from him, and ſo to adde affliction to his bands. And theſe be groſſe hypocrites.
Now there are a ſort of diſſemblers,The cloſe hypocrite, is hee which is an hypocrite, and yet doth think himſelfe vpright. not ſo notorious nor ſo groſſe as theſe, and yet ſtill vnderunder the power and dominion of guile; who thinke themſelues to bee true Chriſtians, and make account, that they hauehave that religion and piety, which they ſeeme to hauehave, and yet in very truth hauehave it not; but (as S.Iames 1.22: Iames ſpeaketh) deceiue their owne ſelues, as well as others, though the worſt for them is, they cannot deceiue God. There are a number of profeſſors of Religion in the Church, of whom all that know them, hauehave a very good opinion: ſuppoſing them to be moſt worthy Chriſtians; yea, which in their owne hearts doe verily thinke of themſelues, that they bee indeede the ſonnes and daughters of God, and that they ſerue him, and not themſelues; when as in very deede, they doe nothing elſe but couſen themſelues, and the whole world; for within, they alſo are very rottenneſſe, and ſerue themſelues alone, and not the Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Such an hypocrite was the Apoſtle Paul before his calling, who was ſtrict in all the Legall obſeruations,Philip. 3.6. and vnrebukeable before men,Acts 22.3. and zealous of the Law, and (as he thought) earneſt for the God of his fathers; yea,Rom. 7.9. who was aliue before the Law came (in his owne eſteeme) and made full account to goe to heauen; and yet for all that, hee was but a whited tombe, and a rotten carkaſſe; a Iew without before men, not within before God, as himſelfe afterwards did know, how (euen by experience of his owne caſe) to diſtinguiſh.
Now if any man demand,The cloſe hypocrite accoū teth himſelfe vpright alone out of ignorance, or for want of ſearching into himſelfe. how it ſhould be poſſible for a man ſo farre to beguile himſelfe, as to thinke, that he hath that vertue indeede, which he hath alone in ſhew? The anſwere is; that children and fooles, will eaſily take a guilded copper ring, for a ring of gold; and ſo blindneſſe and want of vnderſtanding is the cauſe, that many men doe ſo farre miſ-take themſelues. And againe, the anſwer is, that many a man thinkes himſelfe a great ſcholler, whoſe learning yet doth nothing excell his neighbours: becauſe hee compareth himſelfe with himſelfe, and doth not prooue himſelfe by exerciſes of learning, and by comparing himſelfe with others: and ſo, many a man eſteemes his eſtate to be very good, when indeed hee is a plaine banquerout, and oweth more than he is worth; onelyonly becauſe hee is ſlacke and careleſſe in caſting vp his reckonings: euen ſo the cloſe hypocrite is an hypocrite, and yet knowes it not; becauſe out of his aboundant ſelfe-louelove (which makes him giuegive ouereaſie way to a good perſwaſion of himſelfe), hee is loath to beſtow paines, in ſearching and examining his owne heart. Would a man bee frequent and carefull in trying himſelfe; he could not be an hypocrite, and not know it? but often a thing lies hid, for want of due ſeeking, that with a little carefull ſearching, would ſoone be brought to light. So hypocriſie ruleth, and yet is not perceiued to rule, becauſe men will not enquire much after it; and the nature of it is, to be craftie in hiding it ſelfe. And theſe be the two moſt remarkable ſorts of hypocrites, whereof yet it muſt be conſidered, that there is a great difference to be made.
The groſſe hypocrite is to God,The groſſe hypocrite is as loathſome to God, as the moſt notorious ſinner, not ſo the cloſer hypocrite. the moſt hatefull of all the ſonnes of men: no kind of ſinners are more loathſome to God, than thoſe that ſet themſelues wittingly to ſerue their owne turnes with a bare ſhew of religion, when in their hearts they do quite and cleane neglect it. Theſe men are more grieuouſly to be puniſhed, than any the moſt notorious and infamous ſinners amongeſt men. A thiefe, an whore, a murderer, a witch, ſhall not receiue a more bitter damnation, than this moſt palpable diſſembler: for hee doth moſt extreamely abuſe and diſhonour God, and his moſt ſacred ordinances, dallying and mocking with him to his face, and euen ſcorning and deriding him to his teeth (as men vſe to ſpeake) and trampling vnderunder feete the richeſt and faireſt of all his pretious treaſures of goodneſſe. But it is not ſo with the cloſe or leſſer hypocrite, that is an hypocrite, and knowes it not: he is not ſo bad either in Gods account, or in the account of wiſemen, as the notorious and open offender, neither ſhall his caſe be ſo hard, as the caſe of ſuch vile wretches, becauſe his ſinne is leſſe wilful, and therefore alſo leſſe odious in Gods eies.
And from this difference it commeth to paſſe, that the groſſe hypocrite is ſo ſeldome conuerted, as a man may well make a queſtion, Whether any man, hauing any while continued in ſuch palpable diſſembling, were euer truly turned yea or no. But the cloſe hypocrite many times becomes true hearted: many a man (being by education, or by caſuall falling into ſome good family, brought alone to a forme of pietie, and yet not wilfully ſetting himſelfe to be guilefull) is after ſome time truely ſanctified, and becommeth vpright-hearted before the Lord.A cloſe hypocrite by the growth of his hypocriſie, may ſoone become a groſſe hypocrite. But a cloſe hypocrite hardning himſelf againſt the Word often, will at the laſt become a groſſe hypocrite, looſing euen theſe ſhadowes of goodneſſe, which at firſt he had, and wherewith he did for a time beguile his owne ſoule. Iudas (in all likelihood) was at firſt a cloſe hypocrite, not thinking himſelfe to diſſemble, nor of purpoſe making a ſhew to reſpect Chriſt for hope of future aduantage by him (in his heart meane while making no more account of him, than of another man), but becauſe he hardned himſelfe in his ſinne of theft and couetouſneſſe, at length hypocriſie grew ſtronger in him, and hee became as palpable a diſſembler as euer was, when hee durſt betray his Maſter (that Sonne of man) with a kiſſe. For ſinne will eaſily grow from a ſmaller quantity to a greater, and from leſſer degrees to more fulneſſe and largeneſſe. And this diſtinction of hypocrites into two kindes, is of ſingular vſe in the examination of our ſelues, and ſerueth excellently to diſcouer men vntounto themſelues, which elſe would eaſily thinke too well of themſelues. Many a man, becauſe he knoweth himſelfe to be none of thoſe, that do wittingly play the hypocrites, therefore imagineth, that the name of hypocrite ſhould not be giuen to him: but now the knowledge of this difference, muſt make vsus more wary ouer our owne hearts, and ſtirre vsus vp to take heed, leſt happily wee be found in the latter kinde, though not in the former: for the truth is, neither of them both can be ſaued, vnleſſe they reforme themſelues.