Babington - Houston-Packer Collection BV4655 .B23 1615

t .111p4table Expofition do areugthé our faith in cófortetíer to reft vpon theLord,&the cótrary(which is When we pray rn,a ftrange tongue) Both weakenthe fame, & rob vs of that com- fort that groweth by esperieuce,therefore it isp rofi table to pray in the one, and molt dangerous to pray in the other. Againe, is not the remembrance of Caligu- lac, fad in this refpeft molt fit, and pretlech any honeftwinde .in the worldwith fight of fruitletle labour in fuch kinds ofpraiers ? Caligula the Emperor let goul- denloaues before his guefts, and all other feruicesin forme ofineatesófbeaten gold,and bad them Bate. But their dainties were to hard and for al that glorious thew they role an hungred. And. doth not this.romifh praétife in very like fort fet before the people ofGod,wholeConies are deere tothe Lord that made them, a gltderingferuiceinHebrew ,Greeke, &Latin, and bid them feed ? But alas what lhould they feed evpon : A godly thew there is to air vp wonder and aftonilhmét in the people, but to receiue or tail of, either to moue them to rcpentanc,or to comfort and quiet their confcience they hailing nothing. And howpalfing well `Dedotiri- fpeaketh Auften in like cafe, .R.Isid prodeflclaseisaurea,f,aperirequadvolúmurnonpo- na (lrrßia- tefl ?gut 04 °,641 lignea,fi hoc potèfl? quando nihil qu erim,uni f patere, quad claufum e_ ,ta: Li. 4. rat ? What auailet(i a golden key, if it cannot open that wee wouldhaue opened e Gap. n. Or what hurtethawoodden key, ifitbe able toopeü ?feingwedelire nothing but that the thing that is lhut maybe opened?The wrong is apparant to the Church of God,though I fay no more,but it palTeth.a frente for men andwomen in their private prayers to deale thus with themfelues. For I trult to refrefh their hungry bodies they wouldfet no filch hard meat as gold before themfelues: and fkilleth it not how it feedeth thefoule that lhould feed it, to it be glorious tothe (hew ? O confider it,&whpfoeuer feeke to flame vs,let vs not be guilty dour own fpiritnal death our felues. Againe,ifthe brute beaks or birds difcouer this follie, let vs not refufe them.l f they cold fpeake,as Democrirns the Philofopherfometime thoghts and as LallantiusaChrif tian writer feemeth partly to fay, they doo: yet beeing birds and beads and void of reafon, they would not fpeake they knew not what. Thevery fenfe ofnaturethere:ore is againd this follie. But let their fou nd bee a found without fenfe and vnderllanding,as `Phinies rauen that could fay Aim Ca- (èr Imperator, Al haile Emperor Cxfar, or the Cardinals Popiniay that cold pro- nounce diaindtly all the Articles of the Creede, and yet knew not what they fayd: !ham; we not to be like them? Hauing the gift of reafon giuenvs of God aboue al the creatures that he made, todiainguithvsfrom them in the rule of all our ac- tions ? Let the old Father Saint a4uguftine fpeake both for the caufe and for this InPfa1. ¿S. reafon., uidhocft wood precatifumsu, inte lligeredebemrts,vt Mamma ration, non quaff Expoftt. auiuv voce cant em uu.Num & meruli,&pfutaci,& eorui,& Pica, huiufmodi voht_ ores, f epe ab haminibya dacentur fonare, quad nefciunt. Scienterauremcm:tare miaow loo- minis &mina vollintate coneeffnm ejt. What this is that we haue praied, wemudvn- elerdád, that we may fing with reafon agreable to,a man, & notchatter with voice as birds do. For Owfels,& Popiniaies,&Rauens, & Pies,& fuch like birds are ate taughtofmen to pronoúce that which they do not vnderdand. But to fingwith knowledge is giuen bygod to mans nature. What tedimony plainer, or reproofe more waightie may there be? But I forgot my felfe,& purpofingbut to touch mat - ters,make toolong abode in this thing.Cdelude we then withan effettualthought in our hearts as men & womé that are not (worn againft the Lord,& pad all reco- uery,whether euer any perfon its this world dared, or wee our (clues durit fpeake to an earthly man for a lute ofwaight belonging vnto thisbody in this world,and know not what we fay? O our care in the one,& carelefneffe inthe other,our feare in the one euen ouer titles& fillables,& our want of feeling in the other ,in largo fpech,what awitnetTe will it Beare againd ourfoules before the Lord in that dread full day ifweetake not warning, and leaning betimes the waiegod códemned,man mifliketh, reafon reproueth,&very nature abhorreth, make choice of the other which inaltheferefpeEtsiscómended, and by no sneanscan euer doe harmeà To

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