. 353 withkind'lookes, Qod ·.giues them fome countenance, and rnaintainesthem in rhis··wicked' courfe.Ic is the proper tie of a foole .to belceue,euery thing, as hath bee.n fl1ewed: but a wife man mufl not .be fo light ofbeleefe. Indeed in matters pertaining to our good, that Gf)d hath fet downe· in his Word~thequicklier,and the eafieronecan beleeue themjthe better ids: but for thefe idle tales, that tend to nothing but to breede vncharita.ble conceiu againft our brethren, let them haue no entertainment, vn!dfe they come guarded wfih found and .good reafons, andproofes. For wee fay of rhefc,The receiuer makes the theefc: fo ia it alfo in this cafe, The receiuer makes the liar. For ifche liarcould haueno·vc"!' teranceofhis ware, and no man would dealewith him in . fuch trafficke, but lhake him vp with tharpe reproofcs, hee would foone -bee wearie of his trade. But novv bccaufe his waregoes away fo faft, and hee can baue good fale, and fo manychapmen, he is in very good liking with his old occu– .pation,and gities himfelfe Hill to hii wontedcoyning.Thus this Comm.andement is.broken ,in receiuing liesconcerning anothtr• .Jt is tranfgrdfed alfo, whenone rece.iues lies concerning ·himfelfe,-whether in flatterie, or accufation. In the forme·r~ Herodfaultcd,-Acti z. The foolifr1 people he~ri ng 1is elo- ·.quent oration, and fedng his pompe and glory, would ·needs make a god of~im :And theygiue him the applaufe, -crying, The voyce of God) and not of lllan: now hec fits downe by it, and was verywell content idhould be.fo fpoken. It was a bafe and abieCt thing for them to go fo farrei~ ·fl at terins : and it wai as great amadndfe in him, to take it to bimfclfe, and bee glad ofit. They played the fooks to~ ·tnuch ingiuing fuch falfe andblafphemouspraife : and hee played the foole farre more, in receiuing of it. So comes 7'ertull1U toFelix the gouernour,who(becaufe hewouldcur- Ate.)4;,~ tie fau<:>ur vvid. himj& baue him ferue his turnc) reckons vp ·V€rtucsgood flore,and will fet him vp high enough, faying: ~Stthwe·hflueQ/Jtain~dgrtat tJ Nittnes throHgfg thee,al4dtbt~t m~- ·"Jworthy things t7redone t.m! f) this nat·ten throughthyprouidec~, 7\Ve ackgow/edge it moft. nflbleFelix,witbANthanks.And thus be 1 , Z 4 glofeth.
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