/wrf. '4· 1-- 12:\.htt.JS. )"'' I b Matt•..S~8 the1..Cbap.ojthe'R.,evel. /le~~ tothem (faith ChrHl) that giSitt ojft11ces ~ if ! A at wllJ,Rrc lnafarrcrrlorc dangerOus tnfc ln tC.;. wereJ,etter:. rhat a huge milj/one ( fuch as an affe ' pclt of finnc,thCn othe-rs; vnlcffc God vouch.:. can but turne abour, as the ·word impdrt.s)wert fafc vmo them fpcci:ill grate to W3tch ag,.inll tied 4bollt hU necliJ, and that hee we;·e cttjl into t~efcplc3fing tt:mptations. This made §ddlf tht f'd, The rea[on is, becaufe when a man by lob 'To fm11iftr hu chzldrtn rutry ddj whrii any mcanes g1ucth hts b1 other offencc;hc doth thq fe4fcd each·other dt riJnr h(}Nft: ledj} any as much as in hunlyeth, to plunge hiS brothers on< rhrn jhou/d haut bl•JPht111td God In hr'< Coule uno the pit of dellru6hon, and the<efore I hrart. Bccaufe bee knew the dcuill by pleawe mullfAte offc11cesas hell it fclfe; yea rather furcs would loonell vdnde himfelfe into thdt on the cOntraric, we mull hclpe our·hr~thttn I hearts. · . _ . . . ··.. forw~rd tit the way offaluatton, and rcmoout I 1aflly, note the order ofthefe fiunes:l"irlt', &om'thcm all !tumbling blockes thu -caufe they arc dt'awne td fit at idol fC:afis,and then tO them to fall. If thts dntic were ptael?fcd, our I , commit adulteri~: where we. fet chat thefe'tWO Churth·would abound" tth grace>' and godltI goetogethet,Sptrittialladulieri<,tbat i•,lddhl• ndfe: buethtsdutic: ts \'•ammg, and hence tt . tt1e;' &bodilyadultery, one-is thepltigu~ Snd comesrhat we hauc fo fmall mcreafc aftC"r long ;B punilhment of theolhcr; that ·people ·whiCh labourin preaching,.fer e'<ampl<& ~uill coun- -giue themfelu<'oto Idolatry, will God -giuevp fell do quench the graces !'f the fpiril in mens wbodily adultery. As this w:is·tntc in thcfc.Jt< heartsJ · · · " 1'~clices, fois itt<1befecricamong·che Turkes', Thirdlt, herebywemulflc~rfte toll~ue fpe• ' 3iill with the Papills at thi,.day;Who niaintaine ciall cue againfl otfCntt-s·gi'ucn·by .eUill counfornication, in c6lct:ttlng fie~'es,zndrfurthet it fell, or bad example. ~or >fit be theproP,et·til! much bytne·ir vow of'lingl~ lire, ;yhercwith ofa falfe'Ptophetto'caflllumblitog bhlck'sbe- · 'hey blnd the confcienco, tho~gh lhc p~rri~ fore ot~crs;thcn it is a·da'ngerous thing to fall 'want the sift of continencie. . . Yponthcmwhentheyarelaid,befotevs.While . ' v. i5. Euen fo hafl .t.h. o'u we liue in this world we fhal fa many offences giuen: but we mull take heed we:iake-rhem them that ml1intaine the t/(J~ nOt, And therefore Chrill biddeth 'vs b If tllJ ·,r,' ".i: .. foote offmd thu, or thin< ha•J, &Nt it off, or 'I flrine 0; ' ot(JC· :{\(icho/aJtttnJ; thinr q<, plt«~itolit: Teaching vstoforgoe C, 'tPhichthin~ !t ''at'". , ·, thcdurcfi:thi:lgtliatcanbe"Yntovs,ifitwould 0 } · fJ "' caufe vsto tinne againft God, And to mooue , I Here follb.weth the fecond pate ofthe cO'm• vs hereto, marke the Ifraelites exam'pfdn the 1 1'parifon , \ vhcre Chrill fcrteth downe t\~o wildernelfe: while they kept a go.od. confcithings: Ffrll-;whaichc Nic!,o!altans wer~.se.. <nee, ind obferued the true worfhip ofGod, ~ -condly, ho\v bee wao atfe.;led towarMthem, all Balaamt cutfes were wmed intobldlings; What thoy were is exprcffed_in the firft word9 1 but when i11ey fell to Idolatrie andfornic3tion E«m fo, which is a: note ofrefcmblarrce cjcotn• with the Moabitifh women, thtn was Gods parifcin, hauing reference to the wordtgoing wrath kindled againll them , and his plague before. They may be thus dtfcribed : J:he 'f'!r• fciied vpon them, Eue11 fo, if otir·Church be cholait"'" w~rc afeCI in the ChurchclP<tM• , careful! to kcepe it {elfe to the 'tt'lle religion, mus, thacmamtamed two damnable'opi n'lons .' whtch by Gods merde we inioy, "'nd Withal! <O<Cording to the do.:lrine of BalaAm, 1. Th~t · haue care to keep a goodconfclencc in becomit was lawfull ro cat rh'ingsofft.rcd to idols in mmg apenitent & obedient people vnti:> God; I the honour ofidols,litting i11 the idols temple, then may Ba!aam cur(c, and all our enemies i I. that fornication was no finne: bur that 1 fpit their venom, yet we {hall be fafe. But ifwe man might lawfully commit it. It lilay fccirle let goe t'ue religion and good confoi~nce, and D . llrange, that in the d•ics of the Apollles !h~ro fall to finne then wemullloo~e for·Gods hea- .lhouldbemen profcffing the name ofChrifl;& uie iudgemen" to fall vpon vs tn ~tswrath, as yet hold fiteh damnable opinions;but the truth they did vpon his owne pcoplc.Fourtb!y,when .is hereby euident, that there wtre fuch in thr• Bal.lams curfing w_ould not prcuatle, ihen did Church. And that we doe not conceiue aJilting faire wotnen, ana banquc:ungdrawthc:m to ofthcirwickcdopinions, lee vs cxaminctbdr idolatric and fornication.Hcncewc lcarnc:,th?-t rcafons., whcrtupon they might feeme to hec temptationson the right hand, that is, taken grounded. . from profits, pleafures, and preferments, are Forthe eating ofthings facrlficed to1dols• moll dangerous, and fooncll preuaile to draw they would plead thus. I. Ftom the dotlrirteof men from God. The llate ofachrillian,is like a Chrifiian Iibmie, Thingf indijfrrent mtfj bu ?cficged citic; when a huge armie cannot fack i-J•Il; vfid. Thingsojftrrd ro Idols are thingr Jt, then filuer and golrl will open the gatrs indifferent~ m mr~~ttt,and dr,ink!r: and thrrtfOYt thereof: cucn fo,when ~duerlitie canot make a inaJ !awful!z ~u.vfod. Anf.:M<':itsand drinks,if man to forlakc ~c.l1gion :and good confcicncc, they be ,ol]dercd in themfelues;~re thingS ifl..- thcn by profpcrtttc, cafe, and pleafure bathth~ different, and m:tyhtwfullY' bevfed: ypaft<r deuill !\ol!en away his heart, Thof,c therefore they hauc beenc offered to !do)s,ifth<y be (eld that hanc cafe,pleofurc, and outwar:d bldlings in the market, they may &c lawfully odllg~t and • Mlf.
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