The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Other cauſes of Hypocriſie. The fourth. Hypocrites have not a right feare. The fift. Hypocrites are of a baſe ſpirit.
4. Hypocrites have not a right feare.A Fourth cauſe of hypocriſie is the want of Gods feare, and the too much feare of men. David ſaith of the wicked man, that the words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit, and he had given the reaſon before, There is no feare of God before his eyes. St Paul alleadgeth ſomething out of this Pſalme, Pſal. 36.1, 3.Their throate is an open ſepulcher, with their tongues they have uſed deceit; their ſpeech which is made by the helpe of the throat tends unto the ruine Rom. 3.13.of others; The poyſon of Aspes is under their lips; Inbiare aliorum exitio. Ptyas. foreign.they ſharpe their tongues and ſpet forth poyſon, like the Aſpes which are ſmall, and blind Serpents which yet do ſpet forth poyſon a far off, and have their name from thence, as ſome think. And he aſſignes the ſame reaſon that David doth, There is no feare of God before their eyes. It is by the feare of the Lord that men depart from evill: Prov. 16.6. Gen. 39.9.Joſeph would not ſinne in ſecret with his Miſtreſſe, though the doores were ſhut and none were in the houſe, becauſe he feared God. They that doe not ſo, will make bold with hidden and ſafe ſinnes, as is intimated by that law of God, Thou ſhalt not curſe the deafe, Levit. 19.14.nor put a ſtumbling blocke before the blind, but ſhalt feare thy God, I am the Lord: that is, I heare though the deafe cannot, though the blind cannot, yet I ſee. The not conſidering of this, brought that profane ſpeech into uſe and requeſt, Cautè ſi non caſtè, a rule more carefully learned and duly obſerved among the hypocriticall Monkiſh fraternities, then any rule of their order.
I adde to this the too much feare of men. Worldly feare prevailes with many for ſhews, as much as worldly ambitions. Eccluſ. 2.12, 13 P, Charron. of Wiſd. l. 3. c. 10. n. 6.It is the obſervation of the wiſe authour of the booke of Eccleſiasticus, Woe be to fearfull hearts and faint hands, and the ſinner that goeth two Wayes; Woe unto him that is faint hearted. And a great admirer of wiſdome hath ſeconded the ſame obſervation, That it is a cowardly and ſervile humour that makes men diſguiſe under a maske. Such an one was Menophantes Biſhop of Epheſus, who in the Nicene Councell began to defend Arrianiſme, Athan. 2. Apol.but being terrified by the joynt conſent of the Orthodox, he alſo ſubſcribed the Decree againſt Arrius, though againſt his mind, as it afterward appeared. Upon ſuch experiments as theſe, he ſpake yet more confidently, who ſaid, Tho. Campanel. Athe…ſ. Tryumph. c. 1. n. 3.It is impoſſible that a coward ſhould be an honeſt man or a true friend. And for my part I thinke he ſpake true, for preſent ſome terrour to ſuch a man, and he will relinquiſh his friend and honeſty to ſave his skin. And that Religion which he takes up upon feare, not examining the arguments adverſant to the faith he profeſſes, becauſe of the awe he ſtands in to the Sword and tribunall, to the inquiſition and penalty of Lawes; he will lay downe againe upon the like motives, without entertaining the weighty reaſons that might be for his continuance in it. Great fortitude is requiſite for the attaining of honesty. They are of no worth nor ſincere, who diſlike the matter, and yet ſubſcribe the petition, rather then diſpleaſe.
5. Baſeneſſe of ſpirit in hypocrites. Pro. 2….23, 24. Prov 27.6. 2 Sam. 15.6, 12.It is ſomewhat like to this, which I will adde as a fifth cauſe, and that is, Baſeneſſe of spirit or flattery. Theſe potſheards covered with ſilver droſſe, will diſſemble with their lips, and lay up deceit within them. Their kiſſes of compliance are deceitfull. Yet often times theſe Abſoloms ſteale away the hearts of them that goe in their uprightneſſe or ſimplicity. I knew an ancient Gentlewoman of ſo right and ſound intentions her ſelfe, that was often beguiled this way by her children, who after their exorbitances and extreame riots, had learn'd to pretend remorſe and teares, which ſhe would call repentance and converſion, after one, two, three, it may be twenty times finding they did but inſinuate with her, that they might eate her bread. How ſucceſſefully then may ſuch a trade be followed by ſuch an one that was never knowne to breake; he may hold on with credit a long time among the godly and charitable minded. Mar. 14.45.Had not Judas carried it handſomely, that in the laſt Act he could be confident he was not yet diſcovered to be falſe. It ſeemes to me by that paſſage, of his running haſtily to Chriſt, and his vehement expreſſion, Maſter, Maſter, and his kiſſing of him; that it had been his cuſtome to keepe more adoe about Chriſt, and expreſſe more glavering obſervancie of him then the reſt. I knew a fellow that had ſome occaſions frequently to reſort to the family of a reverend Divine, where becauſe of his ordinary repairing he was admitted many times to prayers, and to partake in the private exerciſe of that Family about the Expoſition of Scripture; who would when all was done, come as he might, and kiſſe the Bible and a little Cuſhion, that the good man uſ'd to reſt upon, and be ready to be ſo officious as to have licked up the duſt under the feet of ſome godly in that houſe; who yet was diſcovered this while to keepe a queane, and ſoone after diſcovered himſelfe by his open leudneſſe. Dixit Anaxegoras atram eſſe nivem, Haec…aetas mul tos vidit Anaxagoras. Ezcit …3.10. Ier. 6.14.Theſe baſe ſpirits will be any thing with any people, and for that cauſe will be religious with the religious. Some are ſo groſſe, men may ſee their meaning without ſpectacles. Some ſpi… finer, write in ſmaller hand. Ezekiel ſpeakes of an Art of dawbing, and Jeremy of an art of skinning. I know nothing nearer of blood to hypocriſie then flattery. The trencher flatterer, what will he not ſpeake or practiſe, that he may be fed. The Pſalmiſt cals them hypocriticall mockers in feaſts. Rehum the Chancellor and Shimſhai the Secretary, are not aſhamed that they were tied by their teeth to Artaxerxes, becauſe of his table, Ezra 4.14.Becauſe wee have maintenance from the Kings pallace, or as it is in the Chalde, becauſe we are ſalted with the ſalt of the pallace, therefore have we ſent and certified the King. And are there not ſome that will deliver new and nice doctrines, and ſo become Preachers to a Sect or a partie for the ſame cauſe? The Apoſtle plainly ſpeakes of ſuch, and that they ſerve not our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Rom. 16.17, 18but their owne bellie, and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the ſimple. The Councell-table flatterer, what will he not allow of or conſent unto, when the Kings diſpoſition is his Pole-ſtarre? When King Hen. the 8th caſt off the tyrannous authority of the Pope, who more forward then many of his Nobles, that I ſpeake not of Stephen Gardiner and ſome other Biſhops, who yet as the ſaying is, had every one a Pope in his belly. Right Memucans that will be ſure to find good reaſon for the Kings will. Eſt. 1.26. Mat. 22.16, 17, 18.The Caſe of Conſcience-flatterers (as I may call them) how they will inſinuate, we may reade in the example of the Herodians and others that came to Chriſt. Act. 23.4. Act 24.1, 2. Laudavit niveas corvi vulpecula penna…. Io. Geminian de exemplis. l. 5. c. 43. & 72.The Conſiſtorie-Court-flatterer will be ſure to be of the ſame mind with the prime Lords of the Commiſſion, as we ſee in St Pauls triall. And we may joyne Tertullus the Barre-flatterer with them. I might inſtance other particulars. they are all alike, they anſwer not their ſeemings, but moſt commonly like ſome druggs, hot in the mouth, but cold in operations. Theſe baſe men are compared by ſome Fryars, that were at leiſure to examine the reſemblances, to Crocodiles, Panthers, Cankerwormes, Butter-flies; to field-mice, Foxes and the like; which I thinke not worth my time now to declare.