Dod - Houston-Packer Collection BV4655 .D63 1600z

349 ~ .ntmeof6nne,and the diudl come in his owne c:ol<?~rs, the ma·uervvould bee fo plaine_,that nonewould bee deceiucd; arid foodious,that all men would hate it. l1ut when euill is c.~lled good, and Satan comes like an angell oflight, th~n men giue him fome entcrcainement, and he furp rife, them at vnwares.. And when cuill mf7n beegarnifhed with falfe commendations,theycan clofely. conuey ,;h~ir wi~ked in– tents,more eafily to effeel their .diue1li01 purpofc£, bec~ufe they are leife fufpe&ed. As in one.exampie may appeare, in vngodly and illlfuffident mini!lers: If they c~n get fome great mans letter to commend them, th~n they (in whom there is no werth,-and whodfe01ould-neuer baue been ad.. ini,tted to the office of the minHlery)areprefentfy fet ouer the Lords people, without any further inquirie intothem~ And when tHeyare once entred inby the(e ill meanes, their whole pro(:eeding is agreeable to this .corrupt beginning: For they either !hrue,or poyfon the people committed to their charge. So for matters in ciuill Hate, when places of charge and importance are (through falfe commendations) committed to naughti~ and wicked perfons,ordinarily they grow to be hurtfull to Church2nd Common-wealth,being infolent and burdenous toall that liue vnder them. So that, th~fe foolHh 41nd falfe praifes are but to get fome credit to . the wolfe,that be may the more freely deuour and wafle the flocke :And al this mifchiefearifeth from the vnaduifed ex– tolling of vnworthie pcrfons. Therefore .as one mufi not fpeakeofhis neighbours fault, but in loue, difcretion, and vpon geod proofe:foneither mull he fP-eakeio hiscommen-, datios,butin wifdom,andwhe it is grounded·on kt1oyvlcdge and iudgemet.And thus much for giuingout falfe fpecchcs. .· . . Nowfollowes forreceiuing;which i~ a grie.uous fin before !re;.,~1~1:c~ .God as well as the former. For,he is not ondie inJfault that pores. · inuents lies of his owne head, but hee 3lfo that receiues them,andgiues credit to them>and isbold t <' ground his report to othcrs,vpon them.And that both concerning others, andalfo coJ1cernitJg himfelfe. To giu<! eare toa fahe report concerning another, doth bewray a great want of loue andgood affeelion to thename ofour brother, and an ill · .Z 3 difpo-

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