The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. The Subject of Hypocriſie. All men. Carnall. Regenerate. Every Age. Sex. Condition.
THe Subject of Hypocriſie is Man, every man. The Subject of Hyp. Pſal. 116.11.It is naturall to all. What the Pſalmiſt ſaid he ſpake in haſt, Omnis homo mendax, it ſeems by St. Pauls applying and confirmation of it, he might have delivered upon conſideration and with good leiſure: I ſaid in my hast all men are lyars: Rom. 3.4.Yea, ſaith St. Paul, Let God be true and every man a lyar. And may not we ſay, Omnis homo hypocrita? Iſa. 9.17.We have authority to ſay ſo, for they are the words of the Prophet, Every one is an hypocrite, and an evill doer. So true and right was that obſervation of the Emperour Frederick the third, who when one ſaid unto him, he would goe find ſome place where no hypocrites inhabited, he told him, He muſt travaile then beyond the Sauromatae and the froſen Ocean, and yet when he came there he ſhould find an Hypocrite, if he found himſelfe there. When the Lord complaines againſt Ephraim for their falſhood, he ſaith, Hoſ. 6.7.They dealt like men. They like men have tranſgreſſed the Covenant, there have they dealt treacherouſly againſt me. Like men, that is, like light and weake perſons, ſaith the Geneva margin, Zanch. in loc.like treacherous, inconſtant diſſemblers, as Zanchy obſerves. Adam himſelfe was ſo, and ſo are all his ſonnes and daughters. That all unregenerate and carnall men are ſo, needs no proofe; and that it remains ſtill in the regenerate, we have a proofe in St. Act. 2.11, 12, 13.Peter himſelfe and Barnabas. That the people of all qualities are the ſubject of it, we have it confirmed by many and wofull experiences; and concerning the Prieſts, beſides the frequent diſcoveries and complaints we find in the Prophets, and the Items and caveats which we have from our Saviours mouth and the Apoſtles, to warne and arme us againſt falſe Prophets gone out into the world; the obſervation hath been ſo ordinary in all ages, that at length Mylius (a Preacher mentioned by Joh: Wolf. Lect. Me nor To. 2. ad an. 1560.Wolfius) hit right upon the conceit, That when the Devill reſolved to match his daughters, and gave Pride to Rich-men, Covetouſneſſe to Merchants, Craft to Proud-men, Envy to Artificers, he married his beſt beloved Hypocriſie unto Prieſts. Pet. Charron. of Wiſdom. lib 3. ch. 10. nu. 10.Hypocriſie is the leſſon of both Sexes, (though as one obſerves, moſt naturall to women) of all ages, and conditions. It continues with age, it appeares in infancie. The wiſe and learned practiſe it, the dulleſt and moſt rude yet attain to this skill. All are not fit for the warres, learning muſt have the pick't and choyceſt witts, Arts muſt have leiſure and paines: but all ſorts are apt enough, and thrive in the myſtery of diſſembling. The whole throng of men is but an Horfefaire of cheaters, the whole world a ſhop of counterfeit wares, a Theatre of diſguiſings: That as the Phyloſopher ſaid, he could not but wonder, that when Aſtrologers, and Gipſies, and Mountebanks met together, they could refraine themſelves from laughing at one another, being acquainted with one anothers acts and tricks; ſo 'tis mervaile that every man turns not a Democritus, when he knowes his own cheatings, and converſeth with ſo many counterfeit creeples.
But yet, notwithſtanding all I have ſaid ſo generally, all are not properly to be ſo denominated. Hypocriſie is in all, but with ſo graduall a difference, that all are not to be called Hypocrites. But they that are ſo, and deſerve to be called ſo, are the ſubjects we enquire after for the moſt part, and indeavour to know: Which brings me to the fourth Head I propounded, The Signes or Symptomes of Hypocriſie.