The anatomy of secret sins, presumptuous sins, sins in dominion, & uprightness. Wherein divers…

The schoolmens observation is sound and true that a particular deficiency is sufficient to mar a good, morally considered, but an universal concurrence of circumstances, is required to make the action good. Look, as in reading of Hebrew, leave out but one tittle, one point, you mar the sense, or as in a dosis of Physic, leave out one ingredient you spoil all. Soe our actions if one circumstance be left out, if the Right and genuine end, be not eyed, it is enough to blanch them with hypocrisy, though for substance they may be commanded to pray, and to give alms, no man will question that these duties substantially considered, are good, and such which the upright person doth perform. But then if a man prays, or gives alms to be seen of men, Christ tells him that he plays the Hypocrite; If in the performance of any piously external duty we set our selves as the end, if all these things be done, and with very much fervency and Assiduity, yet only to play the Merchants for our selves, to make a bridge over to our own estimation to blow up our names; This is but Hypocrisy, and I fear a kind of Idolatry, we fall down and worship our selves, like the men of Shechem who would admit of circumcision, shall not their cattle, and all that they have be ours; The like indifferentnesse may be found in men forward for outward duties, shall not profit be ours, preachers good opinion ours, The Glory and Credit ours, this is a gross Hypocrisy?

The schoolmens observation is sound and true that a particular deficiency is sufficient to marre a good, morally considered, but an vniversall concurrence of circumstances, is required to make the action good. Look, as in reading of Hebrew, leave out but one tittle, one point, you mar the sense, or as in a dosis of Physick, leave out one ingredient you spoyle all. Soe our actions if one circumstance be left out, if the Right and genuine end, be not eyed, it is enough to blanch them with hypocrisie, though for substance they may be commanded to pray, and to give alms, no man will question that these duties substantially considered, are good, and such which the upright person doth performe. But then if a man prayes, or gives almes to be seen of men, Christ tells him that he playes the Hypocrite; If in the performance of any piously externall duty we set our selves as the end, if all these things be done, and with very much fervency and Assiduity, yet only to play the Merchants for our selves, to make a bridge over to our own estimation to blow up our names; This is but Hypocrisie, and I fear a kind of Idolatry, we fall down and worship our selves, like the men of Shechem who would admit of circumcision, shall not their cattle, and all that they have be ours; The like indifferentnesse may be found in men forward for outward duties, shall not profit be ours, preachers good opinion ours, The Glory and Credite ours, this is a gross Hypocrisie?