EpiflleofS.Paulte rima. CHAR1.7. Obiea. But why fhouldmen Rand vpon fuch precifepoints? fuch f'ei- lowlikemen maintaine good company, and win the hearts of their peo- ple ? . i f. It is toRand vpon points for aMinifler not to drinkeand quaffe till he knowes not where he Rands, or how toRand : but fuch as Rand not vpon fuchpoints,Iknowwhere ( without repentance) they Chall Rand in the day of iudgement: they haue beene good fellowes in finne, and fo are they likely to be in damnation:they hauekept côpany fo long together,as now they (hall not part companies, but be call together to hel:they haue feen the bottome offo many cups together,that now they may ngt part till they haue drunke oncemore,euen thecup of the wrath of God to the very lees andbottome. Obiett.But I drinkc not todrunkennes,I would beloath to take more then I can well carrie away.Anf.But it istoomuch for a Minil er to lie bezelling in thedelight ofhis tall ;in beholding the colour,and remThring themixiug;and yet much more tobe mighty to drinke, and firong to powre in firongdrink:and though ttou be not fo dead drunk,that thou cana not Randon thy legges;andbe thou neuerfo able tocarrie drinkc, . and layothers vnderboard;yet (halt thounot efcape the woe proclai- medagainn thee; feeingnot onely drunkennes, but drinking; are con. demned as one ofthe wayes ofthevnconuerted,a.Pet.4.3. ObieEt. But it feemeth no fuch great matter; honed men are fome- tinaesouertaken, many mens brainesare weaker then other, and fuch infirmities the Lordwill nor be fo nraite in. Anf, True it is , that (as in Germanic, fo) with vs the cutlotne of the fin bath taken away the fence of it :.but yet the leffe it cryeth out in the caresofinens confciences,the morenoife maketh it in the cares ofGod. And can that be a frnall finne inany man (and muchmore in a Miniger) which the Lord vfüally fo fearefully reuengech, both here, andhereafter,and that with the fharpen arrowesofhis quiver, and thegreaten plagues that the treafure of his wrath can afford? for it is plagued withmany attendant finnes, men the violenceofthe whole lawof God. For r. it Reales away the heart from God, andhis worfhip:for where the cupps areattended,there can be no cate offan6ifying his name, obferuing theSabbaths; but the mouth is filled with oathcs,the heart with lewd things , and the whole man with profanes. a. It kills the body againn the fixt Commandement; weak- neth the memorie,corrupteth the fences,enflarnes the liner, annoies the Romacke,fuffereth neither head nor feete to doe their duties: it is full of quarrells and delperate nrokes,beating out ofdooresferuants,children, and her whome he fhould laie in his bofoine. 3. It fitteth and enfla- meth all manner ofluns againn the feauenthcommandement:it defroi- eth 143 Pro.ng.gs. Ifa.5.23. Many snowsoff Gods wrath fhot againR this Gan:. 1 2 3
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