248 That thefeearthly things abu(ed, become frogsTinto vs. ocularum,quod perience ofall timesbath fhewed ; in fo much, as whenbee fibiaperiri acn was to encounter ourSauiour Chrifl himfelfe, hee maketh ambiera; choiceofthefe,as ofhis mofi forcible and preuailingwea- gaed/eeri pons; inticing him to vie vnlawfull meanes to pleafe his poff'equoddew taf#e,and fatisfie his appetite,to getaname,and obtaine the efl credaderunt. riches and gloryof the world. The which, howfoeuer they Auguft.de fa- couldnot pearce orwound him ; in regard n that beewas de- lucar.docu- fended with the armour ofproofe, his p erfepuritie, and mentis.lib, , caps;, abfoluterighteoufneffe; yet he hath much preuailed with Matth.4. them againfkall others,foas not any path efcaped vnwoun- dcd,and.without foile out ofthe conflibt, but whilefi they haue laboured to defend themfelues from the force andvio lence ofone,they haue runne vpon thepoint ofanother,and haue expofed themfelues vnto danger, men whileff they thought ofauoiding and efcaping it. But asSatan hath al- walesherewith much preuailed,foneuer more then in thefe claies.; in which almofi all men are fo bewitchedwith the loue ofthefe earthly things,that theyare roadie toyeeldve- to any tentation, to negleél any dutie to God or man, and to commit any finne, foas theymayatraine vnto their worldly ends; and compaffe thefe earthly vanities which theyfo much dote vpon. Neither hath thispoifon only in- fe iedprofeffedworldlings,who greedily drinke itvpwith loueandadmiration ; butmien theprofeffours ofGods true religion,whohaue proclaimed their defiance againfl world- lie vanities,are fo tainted and corruptedwith their contagi- on,that they grow fliffe and benummed in performance of Chriflian duties; and readie to wound their confciences with finne, when as thefe plcafing orators perfwade them hereunto. 44e0.4. But how dangerousand pernicious thefe triple forces are, Honours plunge when they are united and conioyned, it may eauily appeare men ¡NOmoor ifweconfider, oftheir perillous flrength being fingled the dangeroiwten- one from the other. For firfs,how manifold anddangerous rations. are the tentations into which honours plungemen,when as they ouerualew, and immoderately affe& them ; making them to forget all duties' hich belong vnto God, and to negledall goodofficesnatural], ciuill, and religiouswhich they
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