26 Diflimutarion ufevillisnot fo bad as dif- fimulation of good. The deceitfulneffe of mans heart. thy art thou of the grace of God, who offereff and fo God himfelte, fovile an indignity'? Ifit be flume among men, for a childe, though never Co much advanced above his poore father, to be afha- med of him in regard of his meares; what then for us to be athanied ofour heavenly Father,fo full of glory and Majeffy ? If le were a fhame for David to play the naturall foole ; much more for a Chri- ftian to play the prophane Poole, to make Chew of wickedneffe. Surely yet of the two deceits this is farre the worfe, to make men beleeve we are not religious when we are, than contrarily. True in -, Prov.ig.7, deed, The lip ofexcellency doth not become a foole: it is naught when wicked men will be ufnggracious fpeech, to feeme religious : but much let loth lying befeeme a worthy man : It is farre woríe when good men will ufe the fafhion of the wicked. For in the diffembling of vice, & faining ofgodlines, though we do hurt to our (elves, yet we may doe good to others by our example; caufing them to doe that in truth, which our(elves doe onelyin hypocrifìe :As oftentimes ftage- players,by faired mourning,wring forth true teares out of the fpectators eyes. But in the diffembling ofour grace,and makingfenablance fi of wickedneffe, as we hurt our owne, fo allo the autem opera fouler of many others,flefhing and hardning them - rnala fatiat,ma. duo eft. Tho., . 4.5 7$t.3 ary.r. Nulles pore (i fr- mulare; fe malñ, quia per opera Cona nsrllus j7 mulat fe ma'ù felt in finne, by our example. But here, haply tome will fay, that it is impoG fible for any to faine hienfelfe to be wicked ; foral. much as none can counterfeit wickedneffe by doing that which is good : and he that cloth that which is evill, is no counterfeit, but a wicked man indeed.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=