bes finne Of Peters Dcma11. Ser mutt be auoidcd. X39. ler, for Eueproceededwith inticenients and flatteries, andAdam fuffr..dhim- ! felfe to be ouercome, Xfeontriftaret delitias, Leftbefhoteldgrieuehis Lone. But this woman (faith SaintAuguftine)proceededwith thieatnings ; nowawoman isve- ry powerful! in matter of allurements, inticings, .dalliance, and deceiuing through profeflionofloue:but in matteroffeare(as SaintGregorie bath obferued) fire is veryweake. A woman triumphed ouerSampfon,Daleid,Salomon,sifera,and Halophernes, bymaking loue,and vfingdeceit: but hereamaid,withonlyabunch ofkeyes hangingat her girdle, triumphedouerPeter, by feare. Thefourthoccafion was,Saint Petersoffering to thruftintothePallace. lofeph could not auoid theoccafion,becaufehisMittreffe called himvnro her;Daleiddid caft his eyeafide bychance : butPeter didfeeke occafion, Amihe that louesanger (hallperifh by it.Heclothnot fäy,He that loueswarre or vidorie,but he that loues danger.Many ofthe childrenofIfrael did cut offthe thumbs from their fingers, becaufe theywouldexcufe rhemfelues from prophanation, by finging the fangs of Sion ; andbeigimportunedthereunto; Singvntovs oneofthefangsof Sion; Theyanfwered, HovJhallwefsngone ofthe Lordrfongs in a ftrangeland, &c. ofe faith, to vocable mevitraBaalim,fedvocable me vsr melee. Baalim isthefame, as Fir mein, But becaufe therewasan Idol that was called Baalim, God raid, Doe not call meBaalim ; to the end that nomanmay prefumethat thouyet beareft Baalim (tillin thymind, or for totakeall occafionfrom thee;of thinking thereof anymore. OnGodspart there are likewifeverygood rearons. The firft !hall beof Saint Grcgorie. Saint Peter beingtobee aPallor, it was fit that he fhould fall intofo foulea fault, leaft that afterwards he fhouldbe fcanda- lized byothermens offences, andcarry too fharpeandhardahand towards fin- ners. Saint Auguftine touches vpon the fame reafon, inhis bookesde CiuitateDei, perfuading theBifhops of Galilea , That Clemencie fhould fway more with them,than feueritie ; loue, thanpower ; foftneffe,than fharpneffe ; for, thereis noman thathueswithout finne.And ifourSauiour Chriftfhouldhaue cenfured Peterafter his firft deniall, he would not hauereapt from thence fomuch fruir,as nowhe did. The fecond (hallbe ofSaint Auguft. who(ayes, That it isawholefome medi- cine for aproudman, to fuf er him to fall into forregrieuousand manifeft finne ; to the end, thatthe fouleneffeofthat fault may abate hispride.Saint Peterwas fo peremptorieand foprefumptuous, that hedid preffethis point with fuch a deale ofconfidenceandboldneffe,that he toldhis Mafter,Tbough thatallmen!hallbeof- fendedby thee, yet will newer beeoffended. And Chrift then telling him that hee fhoulddenie him thrice, he prelèntly reply'd thereupon; Though I fhould dye with thee, yet will I not deniethee : but you feehow this his courage wasafter- wardscooled. Which prefumptionofhis, whenhefaw his great weakneflè, he humbly bewailed with manyabitter reare, which turned tohis exceedinggreat goód. And this reafon is confirmedbySaint Chryfoftome, who faith, That God permittedPeterto denie hisMafter,that he might thereby learne to relie more vpon God, than himfelfe. Saint Petergaueleflè credit toChrifts words,than his owne refolution : but the fucceflè thereofdid put himout ofhis errour. Leothe Pope faith , That Goddid fullerPeter thus to fall, that the holieft might take heed not totrait too much to their owne ftrength. Euthimiue further addeth, thatthis negationofhis, was as it wereaFiador, or furetie,againftanieboftingor glorying inthofe fo many miracles, which wereafterwards tobee wrought by - Peter. Saint Padfaith ofhinsfelfe,Thatthe pricksthathehad in hisflefh,did feaue a 6ra Manbya fight of his owne weaknefle is taught to pity an others. ReaIons why Chrift fuffe- red Peter to denyhim. Mnt.t6.
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