But now here our Sauiour seales our Commission , sets vs vpon the Bench ; allowes vs the act , but takes order for the manner , we may iudge , we may not iudge according to the appearance ; we may be Iudges ( whether {αβγδ} , or {αβγδ} ) the one to condemne , the other to absolue , we may not be ( {αβγδ} ) Iudges of euil thoughts ; and we shal bee euill thoughted Iudges , if we shall iudge according to the appearance . Not only Fortune and Loue , but euen Iustice also is wont to bee painted blindfold ; to import that it may not regard faces . God sayes to euery Iudge as he did to Samuel , concerning Eliab , Looke not on his countenance , nor the height of his stature : Is an outragious rape committed ? Is bloud shed ? looke not whether it be a Courtiers or a Pesants , whether by a Courtier or a Pesant ; either of them cryes equally loud to Heauen : Iustice cannot be too Lyncean to the being of things , nor too blinde to the appearance .

The best things appeare not , the worst appeare most ; God , the Angels , soules both glorified and encaged in our bosomes , grace , supernaturall truths , these are most-what the obiects of our faith , and faith is the euidence of things not seene ; Like as in bodily obiects , the more pure and simple ought is ( as aire and etherall fire ) the more it flyeth the sight ; the more grosse and compacted ( as water and earth ) the more it fils the eye ; Iudge not therefore according to appearance .

It is an vsefull and excellent rule for the auoiding of errour in our iudgement of all matters whether Naturall , Ciuill , or Diuine .

Naturall ; what is the appearance of a person , but the colour , shape , stature ? The colour is oft-times bought or borrowed , the shape forced by Art , the stature raised ( to contradict Christ ) a cubit high ; Iudge not therefore according to appearance . What are the collusions of Iuglers and Mountebanks , the weepings and motions of Images , the noyses of miraculous cures and dispossessions , but appearances ? Fit aliquando in Ecclesiâ maxima deceptio populi in miraculis fictis à sacerdotibus ; There is much cozenage of the poore people by cogged miracles , saith Cardinall Lyranus ; these holy frauds could not gull men , if they did not iudge according to appearance . Should appearance be the rule , our haruest had bin rich ; there was not more shew of plenty in our fields , than now of scarcity in our streets . This dearth ( to say truth ) is not in the graine , but in the heart ; If the hearts of men were not more blasted with couetousnesse and cruell selfe-loue , than their graine with distemper of aire , this needed not ; The Barnes and Granaries are full , the Markets empty ; Authority knowes how to remedy this euill , how to preuent a dearth in abundance , that men may not affamish whom God hath fed ; and that when God hath giuen vs the staffe of bread , it may not be either hid , or broken , shortly , that our store may not be iudged by the appearance .

Ciuill ; Wisemen and statesmen especially may not alwaies looke the same way they would goe ; like skilfull Sea-men , they sometimes lauere , and ( as the winde may stand ) fetch compasses of lawfull policies to their wished point . That of Tiberius was fearefull ; of whom Xiphiline , ( {αβγδ} ) That he sayled euer against the winde of his words : But sometimes a good Constantius , or Anastasius , will wisely pretend what he intends not : As our Sauiour made as if hee went further , when he meant to turne into Emaus : The hearts of Kings are as deepe waters ; we may not think to draine them in the hollow of our hand : Secret things to them of whom God hath said , Dixi Dij estis ; things reuealed to vs and our children . Euen we meane ones would be loth to haue alwayes our hearts read in our faces ; Iudge not therefore according to the appearance .

Diuine ; In these our speech must dwell ; If we should iudge according to the appearance , we should thinke basely of the Sauiour of the world ; Who that had seene him sprawling and wringing in the Cratch , flitting to Aegypt , chopping of chips at Nazareth , famishing in the Desert , transported by Satan , attended by Fishermen , persecuted by his Kindred , betrayed by one Seruant , abiured by another , forsaken of all , apprehended , arraigned , condemned , buffeted , spat vpon , scourged to bloud , sceptred with the reede , crowned with thorne , nailed to the Crosse , hanging naked betwixt two Theeues , scorned of the beholders , sealed vp in a borrowed graue , could say other , than , He hath no forme nor beauty , when wee shall see him , there is nothing that wee should desire him ? Who that should haue seene his skinne all dewed with pearles of bloudy sweat , his backe bleeding , his face blubbered and besmeared , his forehead harrowed , his hands and feet pierced , his side gushing out , his head bowed down in death , and should withall haue heard his dying lips say , My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken me ? would not haue said , Hee is despised and reiected of men , yea ( in appearance ) of God himselfe . Yet euen this while , to the cutting of the sinewes of those stiffe-necked Iewes , the Angels owned him for their Lord , the Sages adored him , the Star designed him , the Prophets foreshewed him , the Deuils confest him , his Miracles euinced him , the earth shooke , the Rocks rent , the Dead lookt out , the Sun lookt in , astonished at the suffrings of the God of nature ; Euen whiles he was despised of men , he commanded the Deuils to their chaines : whiles base men shot out their tongues at him , Principalities and Powers bowed their knees to him ; whiles he hanged despicably vpon the tree of shame , the powers of hell were dragged captiue after the triumphant chariot of his crosse ; the appearance was not so contemptible , as the truth of his estate glorious . Iudge not therefore according to the appearance .

Should appearance be the rule , how scornefully would the carnall eye ouer-looke the poore ordinances of GOD ? What would it finde here but foolishnesse of preaching , homelinesse of Sacraments , an inky Letter , a Priests lips , a sauorlesse message , a morsell of Bread , a mouth full of Wine , an handfull of Water , a slander-beaten Crosse , a crucified Sauiour , a militant Church , a despised Profession . When yet this foolishnesse of preaching is the power of God to saluation ; these mute Letters the liuely Oracles of God , these vile Lips the Cabinets of Heauen to preserue knowledge ; this vnplausible Message , Magnalia Dei ; this Water , the Water of Life in the midst of the Paradise of GOD : ( {αβγδ} ) this Bread the Manna of Angels , this Wine heauenly Nectar , this Church the Kings Daughter , all glorious within , this dying Sacrifice the Lord of life , this Crosse the Banner of Victory , this Profession Heauen vpon earth . Iudge not therefore according to appearance .

Should appearance be the rule , woe were Gods children , happy were his enemies . Who that had seene Cain standing masterly ouer the bleeding carkasse of Abel , Ioseph in his bonds , his Mistresse in her dresse , Moses in the Flags , Pharaoh in the Palace , Dauid sculking in the Wildernesse , Saul commanding in the Court , Elias fainting vnder his Iuniper tree , Iezebel painting in her closet , Michaiah in the prison , Zidkijah in the presence , Ieremy in the dungeon , Zedekiah in the throne , Daniel trembling among the Lyons , the Medean Princes feasting in their Bowers , Iohns head bleeding in the Platter , Herods smiling at the Reuels , Christ at the Barre , Pilate on the Bench , the Disciples scourged , the Scribes and Elders insulting , would not haue said ; O happy Caine , Potiphars wife , Pharaoh , Saul , Iezebel , Zidkijah , Zedekiah , Median Princes , Pilate , Herod , Elders , miserable Abel , Ioseph , Moses , Dauid , Eliah , Michaiah , Ieremy , Daniel , Iohn , Christ , the Disciples : Yet we know Caines victory was as wofull , as Abels martyrdome glorious ; Iosephs yrons were more precious , than the golden tires of his Mistresse ; Moses Reedes were more sure than Pharaohs Cedars ; Dauids Caue in the Desart more safe than the Towers of Saul ; Eliahs Rauen a more comfortable purueyor than all the Officers of Iezebel : Michaiahs prison was the gard-chamber of Angels , when Ahabs presence was the counsell Chamber of euill spirits ; Ieremies Dungeon had more true light of comfort than the shining state of Zedekiah ; Daniel was better garded with the Lions , than Darius and the Median Princes with their Ianisaries ; Iohns head was more rich with the Crowne of his martyrdome , than Herods with the Diadem of his Tetrarchate ; Christ at the Barre gaue life and being to Pilate on the Bench , gaue motion to those hands that strucke him , to that tongue that condemned him , and in the meane while , gaue sentence on his Iudge ; The Disciples were better pleased with their stripes and wales than the Iewish Elders with their proud Phylacteries . After this , who that had seene the primitiue Christians , some broyled on Gridirons , others boyled in Lead , some rosted , others frozen to death , some flead , others torne with horses , some crashed in peeces by the teeth of Lions , others cast downe from the rocks to the stakes , some smiling on the wheele , others in the flame , all wearying their tormentors and shaming their Tyrants with their patience , would not haue said , Of all things I would not be a Christian ? Yet , euen this while were these poore torturing-stocks higher ( as Marcus Arethusius bragged ) than their persecutors ; dying Victors , yea Victors of death ; neuer so glorious as when they began not to be ; in gasping crowned , in yeelding the ghost more than Conquerours ; Iudge not therefore according to appearance .

When thou lookst about , and seest on the one hand , a poore conscionable Christian drouping vnder the remorse for his sinne , austerely checking his wanton appetite , and curbing his rebellious desires , wearing out his dayes in a rough penitentiall seuerity , cooling his infrequent pleasures with sighs , and sawcing them with teares ; on the other hand ruffling Gallants made all of pleasure & Iouiall delights , bathing themselues in a sea of all sensuall satieties , denying their pampered naturenothing vnder heauen , not wine in bowles , not strange flesh , and beastly dalliance , not vnnaturall titillations , not violent filthines ; that feast without feare , and drinke without measure , and sweare without feeling , and liue without God , their bodies are vigorous , their coffers full , their state prosperous , their hearts cheerefull : O how thou blessest such men : Loe these ( thou saist ) these are the dearlings of heauen and earth ; Sic ô sic juvat vivere : Whiles those other sullen mopish creatures are the ( {αβγδ} ) offscouring and recrements of the world ; Thou foole , giue me thy hand , let me lead thee with Dauid into the sanctuary of God : Now what seest thou ? The end , the end of these men is not peace . Surely ô God thou hast set them in slippery places , and castest them downe to desolation : how suddenly are they perished , and horribly consumed ! Woe is me , they doe but dance a Galliard ouer the mouth of hell , that seemes now couered ouer with the greene sods of pleasure ; The higher they leape , the more desperate is their lighting : Oh wofull , wofull condition of those godlesse men , yea those epicurean Porkets , whose belly is their god , whose heauen is their pleasure , whose cursed iollity is but a feeding vp to an eternall slaughter : the day is comming , wherein euery minute of their sinfull vnsatisfying ioyes shal be answered with a thousand thousand millions of yeeres frying in that vnquenchable fire ; And when those damned Ghosts shal forth of their incessant flames see the glorious remuneration of the penitent and pensiue soules which they haue despised , they shal then guash and yell out that late recantation ; We fooles thought their life madnes , and their end without honour ; now they are counted among the children of God , and their portion is among the Saints , ours amongst Deuils : Iudge not therefore according to appearance .

Should we iudge according to appearance , all would be Gold that glistereth , all drosse that glistereth not : Hypocrites haue neuer shewed more faire , than some Saints foule . Saul weepes , Ahab walkes softly : Tobias and Sanballat will be building Gods walls ; Herod heares Iohn gladly ; Balaam prophesies Christ , Iudas preaches him , Satan confesses him ; When euen an Abraham dissembles , a Dauid clokes adultery with murder , a Salomon giues ( at least ) a toleration to idolatry ; a Peter forsweares his Master , briefely , the prime disciple is a Satan ; Satan an Angell of light . For you : How gladly are we deceiued in thinking you all such as you seeme ; None but the Court of Heauen hath a fairer face . Prayers , sermons , sacraments , geniculation , silence , attention , reuerence , applause , knees , eyes , eares , mouths full of God ; Oh that ye were thus alwaies ! Oh that this were your worst side ! But if we follow you from the Church , & finde cursing and bitternesse vnder your tongues ; licentious disorder in your liues , bribery and oppressionin your hands ; If God lookeinto the windows of your hearts , and finde there be ( intus rapinae ) we cannot iudge you by the appearance ; or , if we could , What comfort were it to you to haue deceiued our charity with the appearance of Saints , when the righteous Iudge shall giue you your portion with Hypocrites ; What euer we doe , he will be sure not to iudge according to the appearance .

If appearance should bee the rule , false religion should be true , true false . Quaedam falsa probabiliora quibusdam veris , is the old word ; Some falshoods are more likely than some truths : Natiue beauty scornes Art : Truth is as a matrone ; Error a curtizan : The matrone cares only to concile loue by a graue & graceful modesty ; the curtezan with philtres and farding We haue no hierarchy mounted aboue Kings , no pompous ostentation of magnificence , no garish processions , no gaudy altars , no fine images clad with Taffataes in summer , with veluets in winter , no flourishes of vniuersality , no rumors of miracles , no sumptuous canonizations , we haue nothing but ( {αβγδ} ) the sincerity of Scriptures , simplicity of sacraments , decency of rare ceremonies , Christ crucified . We are gone if yee goe by appearance : Gone ? alas , who can but blush & weepe , and bleed to see that Christian soules should ( after such beames of knowledge ) suffer themselues to be thus palpably cozened with the gilded slips of error , that after so many yeares pious gouernment of such an incomparable succession of religious Princes , authority should haue cause to complaine of our defection ?

Deare Christians ( I must bee sharpe ) are we children or fooles , that we should bee better pleased with the glittering tinsell of a painted baby from a Pedlers shop , than with the secretly rich and inualuable Iewell of diuine Truth ? Haue wee thus learned Christ ? Is this the fruit of so cleere a Gospell ? of so blessed scepters ? For Gods sake be wise and honest , and yee cannot be Apostates .

Shortly , for it were easie to be endlesse : If appearance might be the rule , good should be euill , euill good ; there is no vertue that cannot be counterfetted , no vice that cannot be blanched ; we should haue no such friend as our enemy , a flatterer ; no such enemy as our friend that reproues vs. It were a wonder if ye great ones should not haue some such burs hanging vpon your sleeues ; As soone shall corne grow without chaffe , as greatnes shal be free from adulation : These seruile spirits shal sooth vp all your purposes , & magnifie all your actions , and applaud your words , & adore your persons : Sin what yee will , they will not check you ; Proiect what you will , they wil not thwart you ; say what ye will , they wil not faile to second you ; bee what yee will , they will not faile to admire you ; Oh how these men are all for you , all yours , all you ; They loue you as the Rauens doe your eyes . How deare was Sisera to Iael , when she smoothed him vp , & gaue him milke in a lordly dish ; Samson to Dalilah , when shee lulled him in her lap ; Christ to Iudas , when he kissed him ; See how hee loued him , would some foole haue said , that had iudged by appearance .

In the meane time , an honest plaine dealing friend is like those sauces which a man praises with teares in his eyes : like a ches-nut , which pricks the fingers , but pleases our taste ; or like some wholsome medicinall potion , that distastes and purges vs ( perhaps makes vs sicke ) that it may heale vs. Oh let the righteous smite mee , for that is a benefit , let him reproue me , and it shall be a precious oyle that shall not breake my head ; Breake it ? no , it shall heale it , when it is mortally wounded by my owne sinne , by others assentation : Oh how happy were it , if we could loue them that loue our soules , and hate them that loue our sinnes . They are these rough hands that must bring vs sauory dishes , and carry away a blessing ; truth is for them now , thankes shall be for them hereafter , but in the meane time they may not bee iudged by the appearance .

Lastly , if we shall iudge friendship by complement , salubrity by sweetnesse , seruice by the eye , fidelity by othes , valor by brags , a Saint by his face , a deuill by his feet , we shall be sure to be deceiued : Iudge not therefore according to appearance .

But ( that yee mistake not ) though we may not iudge only by the appearance , yet appearance may not bee neglected in our iudgement . Some things according to the Philosopher ( {αβγδ} ) seeme and are , are as they seeme : Semblances are not alwaies seuered from truth ; Our senses are safe guides to our vnderstandings . We iustly laugh at that Scepticke in Laertius , who because his seruant robbed his Cup-bord , doubted whether he left his victuals there : What doe we with eyes if we may not beleeue their intelligence ? That world is past , wherein the glosse Clericus amplectens foeminam praesumitur benedicendi causâ fecisse ; The wanton imbracements of another mans wife must passe with a Clarke for a ghostly benediction ; Men are now more wise , lesse charitable : Words and probable shewes are appearances , actions are not ; and yet euen our words also shall iudge vs ; If they be filthy , if blasphemous , if but idle , wee shall account for them , wee shall bee iudged by them : Ex ore tuo ; A foule tongue shewes euer a rotten heart ; By their fruits yee shall know them , is our Sauiours rule ; I may safely say , No body desires to borrow colours of euill : If you doe ill , thinke not that we will make dainty to thinke you so ; When the God of loue can say by the Disciple of loue , Qui facit peccatum ex diabolo est ; He that committeth sinne is of the deuill : Euen the righteous Iudge of the world iudgeth ( secundum opera ) according to our works ; we cannot erre whiles we tread in his steps . If we doe euill , sinne lyes at the doore ; but it is on the streete side ; Euery Passenger sees it , censures it ; How much more he that sees in secret ? Tribulation and anguish vpon euery 〈◇〉 ●●le that doth euill : Euery 〈…〉 here is no exemption by ●●itnesse , no buying off with ●●ibes , no bleering of the eyes with pretences , no shrouding our selues in the night of secrecy ; but , if it be a soule that doth euill , Tribulation and anguish is for it ; Contrarily , If wee doe well , shall we not be accepted ? If we bee charitable in our almes , iust in our awards , faithfull in our performances , sober in our carriages , deuout in our religious seruices , conscionable in our actions ; Glory , and honour , and peace to euery man that worketh good ; wee shall haue peace with our selues , honour with men , glory with God and his Angels : Yea that peace of 〈…〉 passeth all vnderstanding ; 〈…〉 ●●nour as haue all his Sai●●● 〈…〉 incomprehensible glory 〈…〉 God of peace , the God of Sa●●●● and Angels ; to the participa●●● whereof , that good God th●● hath ordained vs , as mercifully bring vs for the sake of his deare Sonne Iesus Christ the iust : To whom with thee O Father , and thy good Spirit , one infinite God , our God , be giuen all praise , honour and glory now and for euer . Amen .