A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many useful questions and cases of conscience are…A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many usefull questions and cases of conscience are…

That as we are too prone of our selves to wickedness, so when we enter into confederacies with wicked ⟨p. 185⟩men, we are but seeking new temptations, and as it were a bellows to blow up our own corruptions, as wine being mixed with water loseth of its spirits, and white being mixed with black, loseth much of its whiteness: so the people of God, if once mixed with wicked enemies, shall certainly loss of their purity and integrity. Thirdly, as these unlawful confederacies draw us both into great judgements and great sins, so into a great security and stupidity under these great plagues and sins, which will make the estate of such to be yet worse, Hos: 7, 9, after Ephraims mixing himself among the people, tis added, Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not, yea, grey hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth it not: although his confederates have distressed him, and not strengthened him, and although there may be observed in him diverse signs of a decaying dying condition, yet he knows it not, nor takes it to heart; The same thing is insisted upon vers: 11. Ephraim also is like a silly Dove without heart; They call to Egypt, they go up to Assyria. He is as void of understanding as a silly Dove, whose nest being spoiled, and her young ones taken from her (which the Chaldee paraphrase addeth for explications cause) yet she still returneth to those places where, and among those people by whom she hath been so spoiled; So Israel will still be meddling with those that have done him great hurt. Fourthly, we find that such confederacy or association either with idolaters or known impious persons, is seldom or never recorded in the book of God, without a reproof, or some greater mark of Gods displeasure put upon it. If it were like the Polygamy of the Patriarchs, often mentioned and not reproved, it were the less marvel to hear it so much debated. But now when God hath so purposely set so many Beacons upon those rocks, and Shelves that we may beware of them, O why shall we be so mad, as still to run upon them? It was reproved in the time of the Judges, Judg: 2, 1, 2, 3. It was reproved ⟨p. 186⟩in the time of the Kings; Ahab's Covenant with Benhadad, Asa's Covenant with Benhadad, Ahaz his confederacy with the Assyrian; Jehoshaphat's association, first with Ahab, then with Ahaziah: Amaziah's association with those 100000.

That as we are too prone of our selves to wickednesse, so when wee enter into confederacies with wicked