Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

Ofa good name. well doing. True itis,a manmay be accufed to haue this orthat purpofe inhisdoings, ail- though he haue done ehe thing in the fiinplicitie of his heart. But when a man through examination lochfinde hisheart vpright, then he receiueth great comfort Vie : then may commend lrimfelte vitto theLord,and his taufe intohis hands.For theLord utaintai- neth goodtongues and hearts, but he will cut out the tongues of them that fpeakelycs. Hewill caufe the righteoufrreffe of the righteous to thine as the noose day, and as the Pfalm.; .1te, Sunne after a cloude : but thewicked (hall be coucred with their owue confufion as with a doake. This !hall the godly fee and reioycetherein, butthe mouthes of thewicked than be llopped.Thus wehaue runne through the things wherebya good name may fre gott eni andnot onelythat, but allo whereby a man may be prefcrued ina good name and credit and thereforefinely the moreto be obferued and regarded of vs. For fielt of all,:ve fee what force thegood continuance of theChurches beyond theSeas ]lath to perfwade men toembrace the truth,andhow Toone fortemen will be mooed to continue ftedfait, when they fee the ftedfaft contlancie ofgood menirr all kinde of godlinefle. Againe, weknave whatgreat offences aregiuen tothe weake, when wholeChrrches,or borneparticular per- offeacer. funs of Come good placeand credit,doe not Rand in that credit, nor maintaine by good- nes theirgood name,which they had gotten by great verrues ? The very Heathen did fee Non minoreft tirts,ond therefore tircy laid tirat it was as great apraileto keepepraile, as to get it : yea, sirrur huam andwhen they lawwhat great inconuenienceswould arife when men did notfàtisfie the expeaation ofthe people,they thought., itmuch better neuer to haueany good report a_ rarueri. mongfl men,then to lofe it after it had been gotten. Therefore to Mtnvp this whole mat- ter in one word,rfanyman,if any houfehold, if any towne, if any countrey, becareful' to hauean Ponefl report a:nongfl men,tbenmull theyefchue euill and doe good, then malt they leekepeaceand purlae it: and ifoncehauing gotten a good nante,they would gladly keepe it,then they mull vfe thefame mcanes, fo hallwe haue it both ofGodand :Wars. Now becanfe men doefuller very much difcredit, and arevery ill reportedofautongft men,it (hall be good to con lider what profit and vfe wemay make of luck reproches and eaill reportes. And this (hall wedo the better, if weknow vpon what grounds thole re- proches do arife. Firft thereforewe Inuit learne, that torn may. be euill reported of, ey- Evareport. ther for cudl,orfor well doing. When men therefore are ill fpoken of, theyuntil firlttrie r whether it be for mill or for good : and ifirbe foreuill , then Inuit theygota degree fur- s ther,to findewhether it be for fomecoin worke whichthey haue committed, or for forte occafion which they havegiuen.When a man iseu ill reported offor loneeuill deed which he bathdone, that atiltdeede of his iseither manifefllyknowtte, or eífe it is vnknowite. And Purely it is a thing moltcommon amongit even to fullerdifcredit for openandgroffe finnes,yetvery few doe rightlyprofit by it:forTomeare fhameleffe and carenot whatmen fay of them, and therefore indeed they arevnfit to receiue any profit by fuck reproches. , Therefore after themolt fharpe and fcuere cenfureof theChurch,rhey tnuft be committed to the hand ofche Magiílrate, tobepunished in thepurfe and in the body. And yet fitrely Theyareffi,me fuck are their whorishfaces,that thereis finals hope oftheir amendement: for it dothoften calfemet chick come toME; that theywhichwill not profit by theChurch, cannot trenncprofit by the rereretehoe Magitlrate.Tlterefore after all tiristhey muff beleft veto the Lord,toworke if it be his will teà o f p by Tomeextraordìnarie tneanes,vpon their hearts whichare exceedingly hardened. Otherfonte therebe,who beingput to open fhame, are forrowfull (ndeede: but this is becaule theyhaue lìtllaiaed open fhame,rather thenbecanfe they haste finned agaivathe Lord. Tilde are is: fornedegree better then the former,and yet theygotnot fofarre as they elAlyfer _ ought todoe: for the diuell hauing bewitched them,dothperfwade them it is no Itchmat- ,ozze, ter as men would make them beleeueit is, and that as awonder laltethbut nine dayes, fo this fhall be ofno long continuance. Titus they are hatted, fo that the fhame cannot enter into theirhearts, there toworke godly forrow which may bring forth vnfained repen- tance. This is daily feene in whores and themes, and lucir like malefactors, who although theymake large pronriles of amendement,yet thepunilhntcnt being palfed,they fall into the like filthines againe. Some thinke that they doe diffentbleand dealt deceitfully : but I thinke that they thinkeas theyfpeake,and 1peake with furrowand griefe.For will atheefe Td x purpofe

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