o/REPE NTAN c & 1 Sermon6, proper nAmeforthofe, whom the Lati?Je terme Hrflriones, and we in Eogli/h st"ge. players: Suchas in difguifed attire and haire prefent thcmfelves on a lbge,a,;d there oft rcprefe t rhofe; whom (G o a knowes) they are farre from ; but yer, outward. ly take upon them theirperfons, as ifthey were. , ' And the ground ofthe worp is, they are therefore calledHypocrit£, for that, to give atrue judgement ofthem',youmuft .:,,.,,.,"'judge them(not by their Player'scoat above, but) by that, they arermderneatlr in their ownc, when theirgorgeotu andgaJ ttttire is oft: That, may be gallant andbrave: they themfelves are,it skils not what· Peradventure, he that plai'd theSou!dan, but aSo•vtcr, ' ·' The word (inthe tongue CuR I s T fpake) is as much to fay, as one inavi– zour, A([umens vultum, aface-taker; one thathath got him a taken.onjace, which is none of his owne, nor nothing likeit ;as in1'/ayesand~hewes, the manner is. But,we hold us to the wordHypocrit.t. The native fenfc of the word you fee: and it is, asif He had faid in plaine Englilh ; When yte f ajl, be not like tbefefame Stage-players. So,\t fignifics at the firfi:.And at the fecond hand,allothers,which doe offofrheftage,that which they doe upon it ; and inCourt, Citie, orCormtrey, carry themfelves with other faces than their owne, as thefe doe on theStage, at Play-houfu. The Heathen man long fince obferved, that M rmdtU, Jct~<a; that, in his conceit ' the world, for all the world, was like aftage, or theat"; fcarce atmeface in it : alli~ amannerpcr(onate. And rhe aflions in the world, not much unlike to their ac1ingof their parts in th~ <.Afls and Scenes of a Stage-play. But our Saviour CH R. I st, he goes further: he tells us here, of a ftranger matter. That, there want nor, that makeHis'Cht~rch a. very Stage; andpl~y with Religion, andplay Religionand every part ofit: So carrymg themfdvesmthrngs perrammg to Go o, as rfthey had fome Play or Pageantin hand. Iris but too true, this. Ifyouwillfet up aftage, I will finde you Aflors for it enow. Will you fee <.Almes play'd? Out comes I11d1U fagely, with a fentenceinhis • 'Matth. >6.3. mouth, •Vt q11idperditio h.tc ?Alas, it would hAve beenebetter beftowed, upon ama· lohnll.!· nyofpoorepeople: whyjhot~ldtherebe fr~chwaftespon CHRIsT's head? righr, theSt~pplicationofbeggm. · Will you fee Prayerplay'd? Looke upon thePlayers in the XXIII. Chttpter alter, bMat• • 3 . '•· that, under colour ohalongprayer, now and thenprey ttponthe horefes and goods ofa fort offedt~,·edwiddowes: and make asgoodgaineoftheir Prayers, asludaqvould have done ofhisA!mes. But,Sermonsgoe away with it now: TheChurch is, then,full:and (Goo knowes) tt few tme hearers :the reft are but a fort of Sermon-Hypocrites. The Scene is in rhe £uk.lH0 • 33• ofEzekiel: olet tUgoe hea~e the Word: and theProphet addes, Sow.u the f4hron 3 '· lhen,andforfajhion, it was. And thither they come, and when they are come, here ve~rc;L fit they, but their heart iselfe-where, wandring where it will. Either they attend. not: or, if they doe,it is to 'nakejefls. Or,at the beft,it is but,as they heare afongofone Veefep. that bath apleafing voice; and no more comes of theSermon than of the (ong. Or, •M•rlb.6.~o. ifyou love the New Teftamentberter,therehaveyou(inthe6. of Marke) ' Herod bVerfnd. fending for Jo hn Baptijl ofr, and hearing him full devoutly, till(fora b 'l{gnlicet tihi, in one of his ·Sermons) hee madehisHeadflyoff his Shoulders. And in very cG<n. 34 . •l· deed, the Marriageat' Sichem, and the Circremcifionfor it; d tJbfaloms vow; c Iehtls «• S~m. 'l·7· facrijice,what were they but veryplayes,meere makes,imitations ofhim that is Ro(&i. "Kmg.,o.IS tU in (cenJ-, the Majler Hypocrite of all, who (inthe Old Teftament)gpt him ona. f•S,nuS.q. mttntle,andplayed 1 Sam11el at Endor: and (in theNew) gor himwing~,and brightraJ· g.Cor.u. •.,. mcnt, and cam~ forth g transformedintoan<.Angellof light. Towhofe companie h Tim. 1 . 1 . they belong,andwhofethey are,that get them h St. Paul's~<iPf~"''"""'""'' thevizor,or ! ,l'cr.u~· m~~&keof godlineffe; andmake ofit i Saint Peter's"""""'"~·~,..,!.,, ac!okeo: cover, for every bad intent. They doe no better, but e•;enplAy reltgton. And of this Scenrcall, theatrical! hijlrionicaUgodlineffi, there is good llore abroad in the world: Goo grant it be not found in Ifrael. Be n.ot then likejiAge·players, when about any religio"f ail; Nor, when about any. Bur,
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