P[e. 354 ' • : glofeth in die beginning, to winne him to (erue his Ol'vne turne. This was a feruile andcontemptible pracHfeJ to lie and dHfemble thus openly. Forjt waswell knowne, andhee , was not ignorant~ ' th:lt Felix wasamoH crueJJ, vniull,(and , filthie perfon. NowFelix fits by,is guiitie in confcience that he had bin a very wolfe, and an vngodly tyrant,and knowes all his praifes to be falfe ;;yet\the foolifh man fwaUowes all, an~ was verywilling t0 hearea·long catalogueoffalfC!' prai– fes: In doing \'J'hereof hee finned grieuouOy. Therefore a tnan mull bee content with that praifewhichGodsWord and his owne workes do giuc; and neither fecke for, nor re– ceiuc anymore. That which S~tlomon faith ofa vertuous wo– man, euery man mull obferue ofhimfelfe ; Let her workp.t praiftlur,faithSa/omon, Prou.•3I· 31. So mufl euery man bee .content with that praife thafhee defcrueth, and not fo. n1uch looke what other menJpeake, as what himfelfe hath done. The,refore this condcmnes the foolilhnelfe of thofe that wiH bring vp flatterers, and keepe company.with fuch Oa:.: uHl1 perfons, as will bee alwaies giuing them vndcfcrued commendations~ and that alfo before their face. For when· · thefe, enchauntcrs haue once bewitched them with their flatteries~telling them that they dealewifelyand take a good courfe, they play the goocJ husbands~ and prouide well for their family, and poHeriry: then let Gods MinHlers reproue them as long as they wiU, and their faith full friends admo- , uifh them as muchas they can: yet they b~are off all with, · this,Thuhowfoeucr we rcproue them:yet others commend and encourage them in their courfe; and therefore they fee no reafot} why they fi1ould nor goe forvvard in it, and hold them ·more prccife then wife that tnifllkc it. But whobe they . 'hat comrpend you? euen flattering fycophants, and dif:. femblillg claw-backs, that will fpeake any thing-for aduan– tage :.:ind any thingis good, if theyhope t<> get by it. And why willyou bee fo foolifh tobeleeue thofe that fpcake for your hurt, in that thing that your confcience either doth know,or mayknow.to be altogether falfe?This is that which hardens the heart.t this kecpes from rep-entance,. this makes one
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