2:8 Theftrfl Commandemtnt. · r.h:hes aboue meafure~and fets his hart vponearthly thin&s,. is one oftheworH fort ofldolaters. In like manner, pleafure, and what other thing foeuer a man hunts after, more than after Gods gl<?rie, is another · God vnto him. As the Apo{Ue fpeakes offame volttptuous-. Phil·3·19· perfons, who would haue thought it an iniurie,ifonehad· told them that they wortbipped not God, but theit beliie:– for they, no doubt, tooke themfelues to beprofdfours of _Religion,and feruams ofGod, as well as the bell; howbeit theApoHle faith in plaine words,that theymade their belly their God. For though theydid not kneele downe,and hold vp their handes to their belly, yet they fee themfelues more earnellly to fcede themfelues, than to glorifie God; and .were mere grieued,if they were pin-ched in a· matter ofvi– tl:uals and good chear~,than to fee the name ofGod ditho– noured,and blafphemed,or any l1nne committed. S·o.thofe that giue themfelues wholly to Hunting, Hawking, Dicing, . Carding,or any fuch vaine pra6t.ifes, th~y make there things their God. For ·they- are more glad when thefe things are -effected according to their dc£1re, than if any thing bee brought'topaffe for Gods honour: and iftheybe cro!fed i_n any ofthefe things, theyare more ve'ked and troubled with it;than for fwearing,or Healing,or breach ofthe Sabb~tb,or . lying,or any thiagwhereby Gods law is violated. So ler.17· 5... to truH inany flefhly thing is idolatrie ::for, faith he, Cur– fod'lie he thaft mak§thjlefh hu arme. · Whymay he not doe fo, and ferue God tov? No, faith he, ·hewithdraw~thhu heart from qo.d. So th~t looke how much any one relieth vpon earthly things,fo much he forfakes God; and in what mea– fure he placeth his confidence in any thing el~e, in.that meafure he remoues it from God. . . All thefe vngodly men then bee worlhippers of falfe Gods, a.nd tnake thoie vaine things Idols..to themfelues. !t.S.an:M.t-9 So:euen Elt was faid tohonour his fonnes,more · th~n God. ' I Though hewere a good,andholy tnan,y~tbeing too indul– g-~nt t.o his. children, in that he contented himfelfe onely1 t6· haue admonHhed them for their faults, and did not proceed· t~P,_unilh· them>yvhen admonition would not pr.euaile~ (as. · be.c:ame:·
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=