The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 1 · Chapter 2 – Chapter 3
CHAP. II. The Definition of Hypocriſie. The Originall words that expreſſe it. The Genus. The Differentia in the definition.
WHat Hypocriſie is, The definition of Hypocriſie. Aquia Summ: 22ae. qu 111. art 1. Iſid: Aetymol. lib 10 lit. H. Aug de Serm. Dem in Mont.we all better know, then how to avoid it. Aquinas defines it to be, That Simulation whereby one feignes the perſon of another. Wherein he followes Iſidore, That the name of Hypocrite is drawne from them that come diſguiſed upon the Stage, their faces and habits ſo coloured and altered, that they ſometimes appeare to be men, ſometimes women, ſometimes old, ſometimes young, &c. And ſo St Auguſtine had expreſt it, as players faining other perſons, act the parts of ſuch as themſelves are not, for he that acts the part of Agamemnon is not Agamemnon, but counterfeits him: So in the Church and in the whole life of man, The originall words that expreſſe Hypocriſie.he that would ſeeme to be what he is not, is an hypocrite. This Definition doth moſt rightly anſwer the ſenſe of the Originall word in the Greeke text, foreign, which is derived of foreign, a word ſignifying to counterfeit or feigne: And ſo the word is rendred in our Engliſh Tranſlation, Luk. 20.10. foreign. Ʋid Cael Rbodig Lect. Antiq. lib. 2. cap. 8. Alſted paratit. in verb… Hyp. Mat. 23.33.They ſent forth ſpies, which ſhould faine themſelves just men. And it hath been obſerved, that among Greeke Authours, from whom the uſe of this word was borrowed, an Hypocrite is conſtantly uſed for an Actor. And to this purpoſe alſo among the Hebrewes, Hypocrites are called foreign, Facies, Faciales ſive perſonati. But in the Originall text they are expreſt by other words, ſometimes they are called, foreign died or coloured men, of foreign to colour or ſtaine, which perhaps may be one reaſon why our Saviour cals Hypocrites, a Generation of Vipers, which are named in Hebrew foreign, becauſe of their various colours. Sometimes and moſt ordinarily they are called Chanephim counterfeiters, The genus and difference of Hypocriſiz. Reginald prax. fori l. 17. c. 22. n 212. Tollet Inſtit. Sacerd. l. 8. c 9.of foreign to diſſemble, counterfeit, or hide. So that all theſe words expreſſe what we have in Aquinas his large definition.
In the ſtricter and applied ſenſe and uſe of the word, as it is commonly taken by Eccleſiasticall Authours; it is thus defined by the Caſuiſts. That it is, Simulatio virtutis ſeu ſanctitatis, a counterfeiting of vertue or holineſſe. In which definition, as Tollet obſerves, Simulatio is the Genus, but the forme or difference is, that it is, Simulatio virtutis. For every counterfeiting is not Hypocriſie, in our preſent uſe of the word, but when virtue is counterfeited where it is not. And it is called the counterfeiting of holines or virtue, becauſe, though as Aquinas ſpeaks, Barth Fum. Armil. Aur. Verb. Simul.it is directly oppoſite to the one Virtue of Truth, for every diſſimulation is a kind of lye; Yet indirectly (as other Caſuiſts obſerve) it is oppoſed to every virtue.
We muſt needs take notice of this difference, for every and all kind of Hypocrifie is ſin, but ſo is not all kind of ſimulation. I will inſtance this in ſome particular Caſes.
1. A man may hide and diſſemble his affections and paſſions, and that without ſinne. Prov. 12.16.A fooles wrath (ſaith Solomon) is preſently known, but a prudent man covereth ſhame. The prudent man keeps in his anger and hides it, which elſe would be his ſhame. Which haply may be the meaning of that other ſentence of his; A foole uttereth all his mind, Prov. 29.11.but a wiſe man keepeth it in till afterwards. Saul was a commendable example of this, who when the ſonnes of Belial deſpiſed him, and brought him no preſents, 1 Sam. 10.27. See, Pſal. 38.13, 14.who when yet he held his peace; or as the Margin of our laſt Tranſlation doth finely expreſſe it, He was as though he had been deaſe.
2. A man may in ſome caſes diſſemble his condition, Of which we have an example not condemned, that I find, by any Interpreter, Gen. 42.7. foreignin Joſeph, who when he ſaw his bretheren, made himſelfe ſtrange unto them, or, fained himſelfe to be another man; which was the better to try them, Alierum ſe firxit. Iob. Alſted. Theot Caſ. c. 21. n. 14, 15.and worke out ſome good ends he had in deſigne. Alstedius reſolves it in ſome other inſtances; that a Preacher in place of perſecution, may faine himſelfe a Merchant; That a man may put on a womans apparell to eſcape unjuſt captivity.
3. Joſeph alſo is an example of ſome other caſes wherein a man may diſſemble his intentions: which will appeare in his dealing and contrivances with all his bretheren, and particularly afterward with Benjamin, for bringing his old father into Egypt. Gen. 42.9, &c. 25. Gen. 44.1, 2, &c. 1 King. 3.So alſo Solomon when he called for a ſword, had no intention to kill and divide the child, though his action carried ſuch a meaning to the ſtanders by, but to diſcover thereby the true mother.
4. A man may diſſemble and hide ſome of the truth. So Jeremiah dealt with the Princes by the adviſe of Zedekiah. Ier 38.27.And ſuch almoſt was St. Act. 23.5, 6, 7.Pauls dealing between the Phariſees and Sadduce's.
5. Theod Hiſt. l. 3. c. 1…. foreign.Laſtly, Concerning the Caſe of thoſe Chriſtian ſouldiers, who diſſembled or fained themſelves ſick, that they might not ſacrifice, I encline to favour them, becauſe it ſeems they were conſcious of their weakneſſe to hold out to martyrdome, and yet there was in their hearts a love (though a weaker love) to Chriſt. This Caſe is ſomewhat like that which P. P. Mart Loc. Com. cl 2. c. 13. ſ. 14. 14.Martyr handles upon Davids carriage before Achiſh, which let the Reader ſee how he determines: for I will not follow this path any farther, which is out of my preſent way, and in which I ſhould ſtay too long to behold the skirmiſhes of Divines obout divers of ſuch like facts, for in that very inſtance of David, Caſp. Brockm. Syſtem to. 2. pr… 64. Wigard Sy…t. to. 1. p 912. H. Maſon. New art of lying. ch. 5. Rev 3 1. 1 Tim. 5 6. Act. 23.3. Mat 23.27.they agree not; Brockmond defends it; Wigandus condemnes it. But the reader I ſuppoſe will be ſatisfied about this caſe of Davids, and many others recorded in the Scriptures, if he peruſe Mr. Maſons learned Booke againſt Equivocation. And therefore leaving theſe caſes, we reſt in the definition given above, that Hypocriſie is the counterfeiting of Holineſſe. This in Scripture phraſe, is, To have a name to be alive, and yet to be dead; or, To be dead while one lives; This is to be a whited wall; and a painted Sepulchre; a Deceitfull worker, transforming himſelfe into an Apoſtle of Chriſt,
CHAP. III. The Kinds of Hypocriſie. Vnknown. Known. Simple. Dipt. Double-dipt.
HAving found the Definition of Hypocriſie, The Kinds of Hypocriſie. Zanch. to. 4. in praec. 3. p 57…. Phil. 1 Dt. Taylor. Com. on Tit. 1.16.we are next to enquire after the Kinds of it. Zanchy (whom ſome of our Divines doe follow) makes two Kinds.
1. Such as know not themſelves to be Hypocrites, but think themſelves in a good eſtate and ſound enough. He inſtanceth in the Phariſec mentioned, Luk. 18. and in St. Paul before his converſion. Others inſtance it in Simon Magus ſpoken of in the Acts of the Apoſtles.Acts 8.
2. Such as know themſelves to be Hypocrites, that know they diſſemble in the things they ſpeake and doe. Such as were the groſſe hypocriticall Phariſe's.
Whether the firſt kind may be properly called ſo, I will not contend; but 'tis of the ſecond ſort I am to treate. And under this the Caſuiſts take notice of three ſorts.
1. Such as pretend and ſeeme to have holineſſe and virtue, Undipt.which they have not. Men free from groſſe corruptions and notorious vices, yet (withall) ſuch as ſtrive not for perfection, nor that put themſelves on to the true and right exerciſe of virtue, but are content to caſt a longer ſhadow, and to appeare more then they are or care to be, This is ſimple Hypocriſie, undipt, hypocriſie of the naturall colour, that which every man hath in him, more or leſſe.
2. Such as pretend vertue, Dipt.and yet will and live in the contrary vice. As if a man live in the act of wantonneſſe, in his luſts, and yet will ſeem and have the reputation of being continent and chaſt. This is Dipt-hypocriſie, hypocriſie of the firſt die, the firſt ſtaine.
3. Such as live in ſinne, and intend ſinne, and ſeeme holy to that end, that they may ſinne more freely. Reginald gives an inſtance, Double-dipt. Regin. Praxi…. l. 17 c. 22. n. … 13. Toll Inſtruct. Sacerd. l. 8. c. 9.of an Adulterer that ſeems chaſt, that a Virgin whom he deſires to vitiate, may be truſted to his care. Tollet gives another, of a man that ſeems holy and learned, that he may get a Biſhop-ricke or Benefice of which he is utterly unworthy, and in which he intends to live lazily, and to mind no more then the fleece. Another Caſuiſt gives a third inſtance, Bizozer. Sun. in 8. praec.in an Heretique that ſeems good and devout, more eaſily to ſpread his haereſies, and corrupt his hearers. This is Double-dipt-hypocriſie, hypocriſie of a ſcarlet-dye. Cajetan calls it, perfect-hypocriſie.
Theſe are the Kinds, or rather the Modi of hypocriſie, which yet I will not be curious to diſtinguiſh in the following diſcourſe.