Temptatiow takenfrom the ekillitsesofMiniflersAnfivered.3 57 thinkeall Gofpell which the Miniflers teach, that all truth comineth from their mouthes, and that there is not amore cafe way of attaining to euerlaíling life, then that which they thewveto thee?why,dobut Tooke vpon themfelues,and thou íhalt find their hues farre di%nant from their words, that whilefl they exhort thee to firicktnes,they take their li- bertie,whileíl theydiffwade thee from taking thy pleafure, affeSing honors,fetting thy heart vpon riches, themfelues in themeane time arc as voluptuous,ambitious,and couctous as any other ; and whilefi they indeuour to make (inne toap- pearevnto theeas\blackeas hell,themfelues imbrace it with pleafure and delight as though it were the ioy of heauen. Who therefore can imagine that they thinkas they fpeake,or that they are perfwaded that heauen gate is fo ílrait, and the way fo troublefome and hard tofind,as they go about to perfwade thee,fceing themfelues take the leá1 paines inwal- king in thisway which theyprefcribevino others?Or ifit be the truth which they teach,then furcly they are not worth the hearing,who in their hues deny this truth which in their words theyprofeffe;for what hopecaníl thouhaue that it wil be powerfull to workegrace in thee, feeingit hathno power toworke it in themfelues ? or thatthey can perfwade thee to that holines,to which themfelues arenot perfwaded ? And thus doth Satan fecke tokeepe men fromhearing of Gods word,thatfobeingweakned and hungerílarued, for want ofthis heauenly Manna,hee may vanquifh them at the Ertl onfet,and leade them captiuevntoal finne;andbeing flit hoodwink t with the thickvaile ofignorance, he may leade them the dire&wayto hell andvtter deflruaion : and there- fore it behoueth cuery one to arme'thetnfelues, that fo they maybeate back the violence ofthis temptation. Firíi there- fore,whereas hee faith that the minif1ers fpeake not as they thinkc,bccaufe they do not as they ipeak;weare to knowfor the anfweringofthis temptation;thatminiflers arc fubie& to the fame corruptions and infirmities whichare incident veto other men, and though theyare called in the fcripturesAn- gels,in refpe& that they are Gods meffengers to bring and publifh the glad tidings ofthcGofpell, yet are theynot An- A a 3 gels
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