1vtrf 14. the 1..Chttp.ifthe7{eve/, i~7 anditisl<1yeddowne inthisfimiliru.de; As Ba.:. I A oflfratl, :md cOuld nOr 1i1e giuc Bfflac cotmf~Ii laam the falfe Prophet taught Bal•cro put to vfe meanes to caufe them eo finnc. At hls a !hunbling blocke before the children oilfracouniCll BalM f~nt foorth the mofl bcautifull cl, to caufc: rhem eo ca:rc of things facrific_cd to \.\•omen in his kingdome into the campc of If:.. Idols, and to commit fornication; fo this rael,to inticc them tO the fc:t·uice oftheir ldb!s; Church maintained among therii Nichol:tita'ns, and to banquet with them at their Idol fql!s, who taught, it was lawful! to cat things facti.; th:tt fo theymight drawe them eo fornication; ficed at Idol fcaHs, and to cormmt fornic:ttion, whereunto the Hi-aelites condeiCendtd, :md fo The fir£! part of this fimilitudc is ln the end of finned again£\ God.Thus much ofth~ meaning this '4•verfc :which tanght Balac toput aftumofthe words. blingblock!, &c. Thefccondparc i•inthc '1• Fir£\; here obferue a fpcciall ptopmie. of Thevft: vcdc. faffc U!achcu , namely, to cafl: offences bcfo1·c Touching the doCtrine of Baiaamwe arc tO men; eo caufe tht ro fall in the '"'ay that lcadeth obfcruc thrccttoints: Firfi, VVhar a fiunibling. I to faluation. l!y this Chri(\ imendcth to make. block,or an o c::ncc is.Sec6dly,what lt is to eaU knownc ~nto this Chutch the falfc dotbne of a l\umbling blocke. Thirdly, by what mcancs Bfllaam. Paul in his Epil\les • calleth the do- • .i.;lm.i.f.! king Ba/ac did call a llumblin~ blocke before l! thine of the Gofpell ,; tmrh according togodltl"it t.J, the children oflfrad. For the rll, a fiu)T•bling n~i: bC'catJfC: the jmciltof rhc::Gbfpd i!i,taleade blocke is properly any thing,as wood,or fionc, men 111 trftegod/i,rejfo. On the c<;>nrrark,the do.: b:.Thclf.i~ or fuch like, that lS cafi in amans way, tO hiuchine ofAntichtil! is called b tlu myjhrie ofindc::r him in his rcatc ,.and to caufc: him to trip or iquiri!; becaufc: the !cope thercofis, to d1:a"Vt fall: And by re cmblance in this place,a~1 offC:ce men to 211 iniquitie an'd abhoniination. Here is any thin~ that caufc:th a man to Mnnc: againft then we hauc arule , whereby wee may iudge' God, and 1o to !lip ·or f•ll, octo goe out of his bctwccnc true doCtrine and talfe, e~cn by loo..: waythatleadeth to life. Further, an offence is king into the end& [cope r~ercof: ifir ayme at twofold; either•giu-cn., or taken. An offence true piety and fincere obcdi'cntc;V\·Cnla:f iodgC :giuen is any fpccch or decde, whereby •.man it to be good; but ifit tend to dra\>\'C men to i: is prouokcd to fin ne: and fo \\~as Peter an dolarric and finnc:, then it is afallt doCtrine. offence vnto ChrHl, though he tooke it nor, Thus we n•ight fcan alLfalfe religions, as ~he· Mmh. 16. •3· An offence taken, is when religion ofthe Turke and !ewe :it thfs day.But any man takc:th occafion tO (all and finne, becaufe wee are more troubled with the do-· by that which is well done by others : fo Chine of Popcric among our comnloil: pcof>lc; were the Pharifies offended'at the facred prea- c who call itThe oldereligion, therefore kt vs a ching of our Sauiour Chrifl. H. Point. The little examine rhc fame by this rule. · calling or putting of a (\umbling blocke, or The cnde of Poperie is to pull dowlie the' giuing an offence, is the doing orfaying ofany kingdome ofChrill,and to difanullhis !awes; thing,wl)ercby aman is occafioncd to finne; as will appc:arc by-atbort viewe in cucrie corn.. and this is done, cithtr about things cuill in maundcmc:nt: and therefore it cannot bee the themfelucs, or in things indi·ffc:.rent. Things etrue religion. Thelir!\ commaunde'meil't iea-.: uill•re fuch as God• word forbiddeth:anil they chcth vs, To choo[eAnaack.•owlcdgtthetrHe GoiJ . arc twofold, either pcrf'v\'afions , or exatnples. forow Godalone. But the Church of Romttea.< Bad perfwafions '3rc falfe docrrinc, and euill chcth to make more gods then one, and to at..1 coun.fel.Bad example is alfo a giuing ofoffence knowledge the creatutc to bee God; for by becaufc it doth embolden cuill men 'in ·their their doCtrine men are to pray vmo Saints 1 finne, and ·drawe the godly to euill. Ag:\inc,in V<heteby they make them gods in giuing rhis· things indiffcrcnt,ns mcate, drinke, apparcll 1 diuinc propcrtievnto them to know the he:i'rt. · &'c. may offence bee giuc:n, when as they arc Their dolhine alfo afcribeth vnto Saims,por,...r vfcd vn(eafonably,not in fittime a!\dplacc,and tomtrit; which is apropcnie of God :for-none · before fit perfons. And of 1hisPanllj>eakcth, D d. merit buthe that is god.Thc humane nature faying; IJI~uMe myeAttngdid ojfoHd my hY'- ofChrill could nothaue merited any thing,vnther,IwoHidnot eate fofh wh;!e thew11rldftandeth. lclfe it had bctn ioyncd to the godhead. Yea, The offence here fpokenof was an offence githcymakcthe wood of.the crolfe ro bee god, ucn in cuill things ,·forit was an eui1l :tft:done for in their malfe booke at this day they call byBalaam, and accordingly receiued and ta- (not Chrifl <rucificd on the· crolfe) but the ken of the Ifraditrs, tor he vfed outward provcrie croffc it .fdfc, ouronef) hope: yea, thc;Vir. uocations to aHure them vnto finne. I I I: gine Mary, who is but acreature, tbefpf::~~c Point. The meanes whereby king iialaedid as ~cne in hcauen, giuing --her power ouc? call a llumbling blockc before the chil. ChriJl to comm3nd him mth~ matterof f:ilua..: drcn of Ifrael, is fet downc in thccnd ofthe tion, •nd fo they difannull the 6rf! comno!Jid~- vcrfe, hyprouolz!ng them·ta eat •f thmf[acrificed mcm. The fccondcomm.<:!.Undement they•rc.- to fdo/J, And to commitfwnicat-ion."i at we may uokc, in teaching it tO be Jawfull to r.i:take vndcrfland this fully, r<ade Numb. • 5. The images of the Trinitie , according as they fumme of the hifioric is this: When B.:lanm lhewed rhcmfducsin the old and newe Tc'flahad affaicd fundry wayes to curfe the children rnent :the father H~e an old man, the forme :ts .. , ,, D~dt . ~
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