L. 1. offic.

ebrifiians {hould (irive one with ano¬ ther in duties, of humanity.
fpecch be courteous and fea Toned with prudence. Wherefore in Bifhops and Mimliers of the Church, he requires gentlcneffe and lenity, and will not chat they (hall reprehend others with braw¬ ling words, or to handle them too ruggedly. Since therefore Saint Paul in alla&ions of life, in words anddteds, requires and mea- fures all things by the rule of honefty and deccncy,and that intem¬ perance in out words, befides backbiting and evil (peaking, befides reproaches and contumelies, may infect pure minds with obfccne and filthy words, he takes care to root up chcfe vices, alfo out of mens minds.
So when heframes thcTongues of the Ephefians, and compo- feth their minds. Let, faith he, no filthy communication proceed out of your mouth , but that which is good to the ufi of edifying, that it may mu nifter grace unto the hearers that is, that it may inltru cours, and bring fome fruit and profit unto them. And becaufe all vices ^re joyned together, and one grows out from another, that no mifehief may remain in mens minds. Let (faith he) all bitt erne fie , and math, and anger, and clamour, and evillfpeaking be put away from you with all malice , and be ye kind one to another, tender-heart¬ ed, for giving one another , even as God for Chrifl his fake hath forgiven you. Alfo he prefleth the fame duty at large unto the Romans, and commands them. Let love be without d/jsimulation, abhor that which is evil , be kindly afiebt toned one toward another , with brotherly love , in honour preferring one another, that is, fuccouring and affcfting one the other, and that one (hould overcome the other in duty. To ap¬ ply themfeives to the time, that they firengthen themfdvcs in hope, and fpeak well of them that perfecute them, and (hould not curfe or wKhany ill unco them. That they be of the fame mind one toward another, not thinking proudly of chemfelves, not re¬ warding evil] for evil!, that they (hould not give place to wrath, nor revenge thcmfelves. That they may (o overcome their enemies with duties of piety, that they may inflame him to love them again. For this is to burn the adverfary, and to heap up coals of fire upon his head. Wherefore amongftother things which he mentions at large, lie thinks it fitting that every man fhould lhew all officcs"of humanity to other men, & fhould be ready to do good to all. For affability and pleafing fpeech, doth much reconcile man to man, as Cicero teft ifies ; and obfequioufncfle, and ftudy to deierve well of others, procures a man a ftable and continued friendfhip, which being it maintain’d mutual good will amongft the Heathens, it ought to be more ardent in thofe who ate united in the Covenant ol Chrift.
CHAP.
Chap.jS, 3?.
Hypofrify.it deleft Me.
35?
CHAP. XXXV III.
*■ L , ' . , j J- 1 1 i. ' ^ K * * * . * * ' ,»
Hypocrifie and dijjimulation in words, and any action of a mans life
■is odious and deleft able .
LEarn alwaiesto fpcak the truth; for, to lye, or fpcak perplex¬ edly, intricately confufedly, doubtfully, and to deceive, is iervile and unworthy of a freeman. Wherefore the Apoftle Paul Mil. 4. doth greatly andfeverely admonifh the Philip pi ans, thus; trhatfo- nkoLjomlx* ever things are true , what fever things are honefl , what fever things are hortatio.u jujf,whatfever things are pure , whatsoever things are lovely , what fever things are of good report ; that is, whatfoever things are fit to main¬ tain love and friendfhip ; whatfoever are of good repurt, that is,
-get a man a good name, and to be wellcfteemed, if there be any vercue, if there be auy praife, think on thefe things ; that is, if there be any thing in vercue that is praife-worthy, lay it to your heart, and continually remember and chink upon it, fet fuch things al- yvaies before your eyes, faften them deeply in your minds, and fi rive with all the force you have to attain thereto, and to expteffc the fame in your lives and manners, and the God of peace lhali bcwichyou. For, as the fame Apoftle fpeaks, fall turn to Rom. 9, tie beft for them who love Gm 5 chat is, they fhall have a good end.
—
CHAP. XXXIX.
Phiiautia ,thdt is, a blind love of a mans f If muft bi laid afide, and
an empty perfwajion cf knowledge .
Olnce too fudden an opinion of learning doth hot a little hurt to j3-ur ftudies, and hinders us in the progrefleof them ; care muff he had that nor in humane learning or any Art which thou purpo- feft to attain unto, thou conceive fuch an opinion in thy mind, "that thou fhouldeft think that thou haft already obtained it, when as thou arc far from it, and many things arc yet unknown to thee and not examined and proved. Now there are many who are fuch lovers of thcmfelves, who Haccer and applaud thcmfelves for their learning, and think that they want nothing to be perfect in know- Icdg and piety, and tlrat they are come to the end of the race, when as they have fcarce come half way. HcnCe it is that many fa¬ mous wits, defigned for higheft matters, never corhe to the top. Wnich Fabiws finding to be true, he chiefly required this of fuch as profefte thcmfelves. to be fo ; that they fhould either be fo in¬ deed, or not think thcmfelves to be fo. For thefe is nothing worfe than chofe men, who being got but a little beyond the firft Ele¬ ments of Learning , take up a falfe perfwafion of knowledge.
’ ’ For
The opinion of
Learning mu (l
be abolijhed out of ear winds.