in enVleditations. ther,orwhenonemaketh choice ofanother,for tomeneererborid offriendlhip,affiniitie, orfuck hke.Andbecaufe thisbond cannotftand,butwherethere is agreat likenesof cow. situons and qualities, and it iscommonly feenethat the partiebetter affehhedis (boner changed: thereforeinthis placewe beadmonished to beware, leaft at anytimeweioyne our felues to thofethat are toolifh andvngedly.Not that it is altogether vnlawfull tohate commondu- any dealingwiththem: but that wemaynoc come tooneere vntothem. For toeate and ties evithgod- drinke with them,todwellin the fametowne bythem, and fuchother commonduties,be Winne. notvnlawfull. But to ioyneintnariagewiththem, tomakethem priuie to ourcounfels,or tovfe themas moreneere and fpeciall friends,this is vnlawfull,and this is hereforbidden. For little or no good atallcan begottenby them,theywill hardly or nor at alibebrought togoodnelfe, andfuch is theirfubtiltie that one of them is able toperuert thefaith, or at leaf} to corruptthe mannersof verymany. Goodcaufe therefore there is why wethould depart and getourfelues from them : on the contrary 'fidewe be taught,to feeke outgood companie, and toioyne our feinesto themas neerely asmay be, yet with thisfullpurpofe of heart, that wemay receiuefruite andprofit by them. Nature dot') call vpon vs todoe this ; the communionof Saints requires seat our hands, ourowneprofit fhould compel vs the examples of curryman ineach callingmay moue vs thereunto. For men doe delire tobe in companie oftheir betters : thefcholler would be in companie of him that is better learned: theworíhipfullmandelreththecompanieofthe noble man, and thehonorable delighted]much in thefauour of theprince.Yeain thebate&occupationsand handicrafts, mendoe frilldelire cobe iu the companie ofthem that aremolt skilfull. And all this isto obtaine theknowledge ofearthly thiugs,and thefauourofthemthat can helpethem ; how muchmorethen íhouldwe defierthe companieone ofanother, thatwe might behelpful! one toanother inheauenly things? Nay,how incite), Mould webe ioynedone to another, andreceiue good oneby another in allkind of goodneill? And yetmuff this bedone in great dilcretion : for the belt men haue theirfaults. Thereforewe molt bemolt carefull, asto receiue what good wecan by any, fo to receiuehurtorhinderance by none at all. le followeth. Verf.8. Thewifedome ofthe prudent is to vnderfland hisway : but the foolifhnesoffooksis deceit. True wirdome. Hat is truewifedome indeede,whichbeginningat knowledgedoth goe forwarde va to pra&ife,and beginningat faith doth furtherproceedevnto thefinites of faith. For vnleflè therebeprofitable vfeofknowledge, both in ourgeneral( andparticular callings, it bath neitherthe fenfe nor the fauour of heauenlywdedome. Thenwe be here adtnoni flied tolabourthat our knowledge maygrow vnto faith, and that the builde a godlylife vpon faith.Andthat wemay thisdoe,we mutt elpeciallytraueile that ourhearts may (}and in aweofGods word,andthat we mayhauea charitable and lotting heart vinomen. This ifwecan obtaine, then fhall we in feare and lone doe thegood duties which mayglorifie God,profitmen,and hauefarearguments themehauetruewifedome. But thefoohlhnesof fooles isdeceie.That is,they doe eithertakes wrongcourfeof life, orelfe ifthey take a right courfe, yet their hearts arenot aright : and thereforethey decetueboth themfeluisand o- thers.All this cotnmethtopaffe,becattfewith confciencethey doenot apply euerygeneral) poyntofdoétrine to theirparticular eftate, and labournot to makepraaife of it. We glue titles vetomen,and count themwifeand politikementhat can forelee and preuent world- ly difpleafure. But theholy Ghoft hash giuenfentence vpon fuck, that if they labour not to linegodly,they be butfooles : yeaand themore knowledgethey haue,fomuch thegrea- ter fooles they be, ifthey doe notfor confcience fake praétile the fame. Wefeethenwhat Greareft bole:, wemuff doe ifwe willoot becounted foolcs. Now all ofvs, be weneuer fo fimple witted, would be loath to becountedfooles, and in deede the name ismoft reprochfull, and will grieue a man at the very heart. Thereforeour Sauiour Chrift doth recite icamong thole Maths. wordsthat kill andniturther,raying: whofoeuer faithvetohit brotherthoufoole,fhallbeguiáie ofhellfire. But howfoeuergrituousitis, yet in truth we arefuch,ifltauíng knowledgewe doe
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