Babington - Houston-Packer Collection BV4655 .B23 1615

6. petition. upon the Lords Prayer. ,;q Seethatyedelÿife not one of there little ones , ForI/ayvntoyou,thatinHeauenrhryrAn- gelsalvayesbeholdthefaceofmyFatherwhkhisrnHeanen. What greater con tempt,tilath.ts,to. then to thinke that Publican is not like me: I am ieformed,I am fanCt fled, i haue receiuedthe holy GhoPt , others haue not, and thefe by name haue not fo. O take heede. fudge not thus rafhly another mans tenant. All is not golde that gldle- reth,neitherall bowers oftheyr knees toBaall, that are yet fo thought to bee, e_ uen of a prophet. Lally,we 4t. old lifte vp our Heads, and open our Eyes in a louingheart,a lit- tlewider,that wee may fee the Prophets of the Worde, and the gracious mercies of the Lord to any Church euer, and with as hungrie a heart , delight to difcerne the graces of men, as the faultes of men. Yca much more. And if w et fee many fuperllìtions banifhed, many abstfes amended , many fea- red confliences, and fettered foulcsenlaiged, true lout of diners !good things, q.He rrfor_ and true hatred of diuces euill thtùgs wiought : Ougly,and often Oaths in Ina_ r- nic decayed , KnDwledge both in Youth and Age increafed, the hearing of the matron of word,wtth Prayers & Sacramets diligently frequented, private regarde of Fami- many Chur- lies,in the gouernom s of them greatly amended,Dyet and Appareil tempted, the rhos, yet rud- poorerelicued, Princes obeyed, peace maintained, &c. To conféffe then, to the ged not refor- due glory of a gracious God, that this is fomething and this meafure fmne, al- '14r all. though not all. Loue fpycth any good, where it loueth, and lone couercth many things that are notwtll. Surclj,it cloth not for wants derye the good neyther for force, condemne all. And thus, if wee should looke at Churches, and children of the Churches, no doubt,no douhr,fathans combe would be cut,touching this temptation Ifany man WI fay,ihew me thefe reformed and gco J c n:s in Clinches: What an(weretha learned Father? ,Quid hacre opts ell ? finnan fatisrft ear anEccl-fiaeffe. ,, uamobremcúmipraeommtmtanemhabetorgmanere inEcclefta, &ad/àcrarcattu & fa- cramenta ,quemadmodumoporret,accedrtè. Etiamfienimmulti impuri, & pultutpeccato- re, non mundati,In ea fnt, eamen.vos ab tllit non polluemtan, non mazit quàm Apofl olos ludai pollueront. ,Quin potina videre no oì vobis set polluamini, proptera quòd multi vobis trtbur- t t,iudicatts omnes,& plurimü vobis placetis. Itag, ftiritualafuperhta & contempt tat mmsu veFlrieanim-ttnfidet.That is: What needeth this? Sufi-leech it net that they art in the Church ? Wherfore with the Church Joe you communicate,abtde yet in her,and come yee as ye ought vnto the affemblies and Sacraments. For although there he many impure ones,and publike offenders,not reformed in the fame, yet (half not you be defiled by them,no more then the Apoflles were defiled of the lever. Ra- ther take you heede that yee be not defiled of your felues,bccaufe yee attribute fo much to your (clues, yee fudge all men,and vet y much pleafeyour (clues. mere- -fore fpirituall pride and contempt ouermuch refieth in yourmindcs, Thus doe we lee the wordc of God againfi this temptation,teaching flrength. 111 Ihould adioyne the witnefres of this truth from time to time,I might be I cog, A little let me doc it,though not much, becaufe I haue berne fo long alreedie. Cyprian fpake thus in his time full earnelkly, Etti vtdenturin Eccle/ia tctanra,&e. Although there be Tares frene in the Church,and impure vefle Is ofdt0ionour,yct is there no caufe why wee (horrid depart from the Church : onely let vs indeuour Lib.t.Epal.f: that we may be wheat ourfelues,andveffcls ofgolde or filuer vnto honour. And as for the earthen ve(fels,ic is the Landes proper office and prerogatiuc to brcake them , that hathoncly the non barrel. Neyther may any man challenge ro him- fclfe that which is peculiar to the Sonne onely, namely, to be able to make cleane theßoore,and to purge away the chaffe, and all Tares by mans iudgemcnt. For proude is this obílinacie,and facrilegious is this prefumption,w Inch wicked mad - nes tak eth to it idle, eAullen in his time thus : There were many good men in the olde Church pa,o, before Chrill. `Die mshi, psi tdint tuflorum jejunum fbi a4/tare ? n 3 Tell

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