So that all these courses are there joined together, as they hang all on one string, and they are all alike prohibited and condemned by God, as being practises that gpollute all that use them, if not in body, yet hin soul; and that make them abominable, if not in mans eye, yet in Gods sight. So saith the text expressly. iFor all that do such things are abomination to the Lord thy God: who will knot therefore suffer any of his to do so. What could be more plainly or pregnantly spoken for the condemning of these courses, and for the removing of that objection, which men commonly make? to wit; What hurt is there in these things? What evil is there in a spell or a charm, as long as there is nothing but good words in it? or what harm can there be, in casting of Lots, or in drawing of cuts, or in pulling an arrow out of a quiver, in holding a sieve between two hands, making a child run between two fires, breaking a bone between twain, and the like? Yea but, saith God, these be courses that I utterly abhor, when they are used to these ends; and all that so use them, or have dealing with them, by causing such things to be done by others for them, are not abominable only, but even abomination it self in my sight. That which should be a sufficient argument to us, to make us *if we do sincerely love him, to hate and abhor them, albeit we could see no hurt or harm at all in them.
So that all these courses are there ioyned together, as they hang all on one string, and they are all alike prohibited and condemned by God, as being practises that gpollute all that vse them, if not in body, yet hin soule; and that make them abominable, if not in mans eye, yet in Gods sight. So saith the text expressely. iFor all that doe such things are abomination to the Lord thy God: who will knot therefore suffer any of his to do so. What could bee more plainely or pregnantly spoken for the condemning of these courses, and for the remouing of that obiection, which men commonly make? to wit; What hurt is there in these things? What euill is there in a spell or a charme, as long as there is nothing but good words in it? or what harme can there be, in casting of Lots, or in drawing of cuts, or in pulling an arow out of a quiuer, in holding a siue betweene two hands, making a childe run betweene two fires, breaking a bone betweene twaine, and the like? Yea but, saith God, these bee courses that I vtterly abhorre, when they are vsed to these ends; and all that so vse them, or haue dealing with them, by causing such things to be done by others for them, are not abominable onely, but euen abomination it selfe in my sight. That which should be a sufficient argument to vs, to make vs *if we do sincerely loue him, to hate and abhorre them, albeit we could see no hurt or harme at all in them.
- gJevit. 19.31.Ieuit. 19.31.
- h2. Cor. 6.14, 15, 16, 17. & 7.1.
- iDeut. 18.12.
- kDeut. 18.14.
- *Psalm. 97.10. Amas illum? debes odisse, quod odit. Aug. ibid.
