The works of Ephesus explained in a sermon before the honourable House of Commons…The workes of Ephesus explained in a sermon before the honovrable House of Commons…

In the thirteenth of Deuteronomy, we have both senses expressed, in the case of Enticers to Idolatry. If thy ¹brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers, &c. Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken ⟨p. 37⟩²unto him, neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him. Here are the Negative Acts of Not bearing. The highest of the Affirmative follows in the next words, But thou shalt ³surely kill him. Not privately or without Judgment, That, were to commit murder in punishing of Idolatry. Thou shalt surely kill him, notes the Order of killing such, after public-Judgement, not the killing of them without Order and Judgement. As it is expounded in the next words, Thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. So was the Low of stoning to death; The hands of the witnesses shall be first ⁴upon him. And so much legality was observed in the stoning of Stephen, the Witnesses began. But to the point, ⁵David resolves as high: I will early destroy all the wicked of the Land, that I may cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord. His son Solomon directs as high: Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. Take away the wicked from the ⁶King, and his Throne shall be established in righteousness. Wicked men are dross, they have no good metal in them; they can never be made fit vessels to serve, or currant money to enrich, or jewels to adorn the Throne: For the taking this dross away, he doth not arm a hand of violence, but a hand of justice. The very dross about a Princes Throne must be removed with duty and respect. Saint Paul reproves the Church of Corinth for holding communion with an incestuous person; and charges them