A godly and learned exposition vppon the Prouerbes of Solomon: written in French by Maister Michael Cope, minister of the woorde of God, at Geneua: and translated into English, by M.O.

24 Hee that hateth, wil counterfaite with his lippes: but in his heart he layeth vp deceit.

When they which conceiue any hatred against their neighbors, doe thinke to haue a iust cause to hate them: if they feele thēselues strong ynough for to hurt and to bring damage, they wil not gladly dissemble it, but doe openly assault their enemie: as Saule making himselfe beleeue that Dauid was his enemie, did pursue him with∣out dissimulation. The enemies of the trueth, which thinke to doe seruice vnto God for killing of the disciples of Iesus Christ, doe boldly pronounce without dissimulation, sentence of death against them. Euen so they which are not ashamed to shewe their euil minde, doe nothing at al feare to declare themselues enemies to

them which please them not. These are not they whereof Solomon speaketh, when he saith,

He that hateth, &c. But of them which shal knowe in their consciences that they doe wrongfully hate their neighbours, and yet wil not cease their hatred, the which they wil dissemble with sweete woordes, and wil secretly deuise in their heartes sodainely to take them whome they hate, and to hurte them by deceit, that they may not take heede and auoide them. The captaine of such people is * 1.1 Caine: The brethren of Ioseph are so in likewise. The traytour Iu∣das doeth wel deserue to bee set in the same order. Likewise the Scribes and Pharisees, and al those which hate the trueth, which knowe and make a faire shewe vnto them, whome they pursue, that they may finde meanes to destroy them. Nowe wee must carefully take heede that wee doe not become like vnto the first haters, who are proude: for then wee shal not onely haue men for our aduersa∣ries, but God also who resisteth the proude. And wee must also take heede from being like vnto them, of whome Solomon nowe spea∣keth: for then shoulde wee bee cruel and hypocrites sinning against our owne consciences and of set malice. Hypocrisie is noted and knowne by the fayning of the lippes: and crueltie is discerned by the dissimulation which lyeth hidde within: and the malice prepen∣sed in them both: to wit, in the dissembling of their lippes, and in the couering of the disceit. But wee may take heede of them both, so that wee suffer not ourselues to bee ouercome by the sweete wordes of such as hate vs, and that wee giue credite vnto the ad∣monition folowing.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gene. 4. 8. & 37.