Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

That the compante *pricked worldling: it tote auoided. 1 S t and of fauing them from their finites ; whereas wee being -full ofthe corrupt humours of finne,and of the feedes of all wickedneffe, are apt to receiue the outward infeelion ; nei- ther can wee purely without the mixture of our corruption, propound fuch good ends to our workes and a6bons; yet firing it was done by our Sauiour ChrifLit is not abfolutely vnlawfull in vs ; fo that we endeuour to do it in his manner, and to the fame ends, vfing all good meanes to preferue our felues from hurt, whilefl wee labour after others good. For feeing by the rule of charitie wee are bound to loue our neighbours as our felues, it followeth that we may lawfully hazard a flippe or foyle (in the meane time vfing all good meanes whereby we may be enabled to (land vpright) if we haue any hope that by our helpe our brother may be pulled back from the guile of deflru6lion whereinto he is falling. Howbeit in this cafe circumfpeetion is to be vied, left whi- lcflwee labour to raife others vp,wee our felues doe catch a downfall,andwhilefl wee endeuour to cure their difeafes, we our felues be tainted and infected with their contagion. For fuch is our pronenes to fall into this Gcknes ofthe foule, that vnlefie wee vfe all good prcferuatiues,they will not bee bettered, and wee fhall become much work, and bring our felues into grieuous,but yet vnpitied,difeafes.For as the fon ne of Syrach faith,who lbtll hauepttie oft he charmer that is Fajen., S. _flung of the ferpent ?or of filch as come were the kea fls(to tame their wildneffe ?) fo is it with him that keepeth comparte teith a wicked man,and wrappeth him fel fe in his fin: es. And thus haue I (hewed in what cafes the companieof4.Seci.S. worldly and wicked men is lawful and warrantable; where - to what cafes by alto it is ease to gather in what rcfpe61 it isvnlawfull the companie of and condemned; namely,when it is vfuall and familiar, vo- mic1tedworld. luntarie and not of any neceflìtie, or vrgent occafion, raflt tings is to be and defperatc,withoue vfing anytneanes whereby we might condemned. be preferued from being corrupted by their focietie. And finally, when as wee doe not in vprightnes ofconfcience, propound as our maine end their tpirituall good, and con - uerfionvnto God, but our ovine worldly ends: as for 'ex- ample, when wee aime by our familiar acquaintance with L them,