A20559:644
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
For so when they have broken forth openly into gross signs of wickedness, and all their life shows them to be profane, ungodly, covetous, and deceitful, and without the fear of God, come now and admonish that certainly they be wicked persons and have no true faith nor repentance, presently you shall have this first defence, Oh, GOD knows mine heart you must not judge, you must not search into a mans heart.
For so when they haue broken forth openly into grosse signes of wickednesse, and all their life shewes them to be prophane, vngodly, couetous, and deceitfull, and without the feare of God, come now and admonish that certainly they be wicked persons and haue no true faith nor repentance, presently you shall haue this first defence, Oh, GOD knowes myne heart you must not iudge, you must not scearch into a mans heart.
But a christian must judge wisely though not rashly, he may judge by the fruit, though not by the sap; if ones wickedness be hidden, then God would not have men censure, but if it break forth he would have men take heed and reprove also. As for example if one see a man that delights in ill company, is never well and as he would be, but when he is among drunkards and swearers, and blasphemers and such like vermin, one may justly and upon good ground without any sin suspect such an one, and say, surely, this man is a bad fellow, such as his mates are, such is he, for surely good men would be glad of the society of good men, and lambs will rejoice to be with lambs, and now he that doth take all his pleasure to be among ungodly persons, he hath pronounced sentence against himself, like company, like man that keeps the company. So if one ⟨p. 83⟩hear any vomit out filthy and unchaste speeches, & his tongue be full of uncleanness, his mouth is never empty of lewd and lustful words, now this is an infallible note and sure brand of a filthy, unchaste, unclean person, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks; look what ware comes into the shop, such is surely kept in the warehouse, and he that thinks thus of such a person doth him no wrong at all.