r / being delighted
with the commodities and pleasures of their houses / feildes and
traffique of merchandize / did abide still amonge the chaldees:
Which men how sharpely they wer reproued of Esdras / Nehemias /
Zacharias / and other prophetes / it dothe playnly appeare in
the scripture to them that liste to seake and knowe it. How the
Israelites wer infected throughe that conuersacion which they
hadd with the Egiptians / it appearith playnly by this / that
whilest they wer in the desert / when as yet the wonderfull
benefites of godd wer euen before ther eyes / they did fall from
the lord their dilyuerer vnto Idolatrie / and vnto that kinde of
Idolatrie / which they wer acquaynted withall in Egipte. Ther
they hadd seene howe the Egiptians worshipped an Oxe /
[[Exod. 23.]]
they therfor violently trauailed with Aaron when Moses was
absent / that he shuld make them a calf to worshipp: which when
he hadd doone / then began they ioyously to crye: Theise ar the
godds / O. Israell / which brought the out of the lande of
Egypt. Agayn / when by the desert wild and barren places /
[[Numer. 25.]]
they wer comme to the coastes of the Moabites / and began to
waxe more familiar with them then became the poeple of godd /
through that familiaritie they wer brought to this / that not
only they did committ most vile whordom with thos beastly women /
but also that they sacrificed vnto their most shamefull Idoll /
Baalpeor / and suffred themselues to be coupled vnto his
sacrifices. for which they suffred many miseries and calamities.
[[Math. 26.]]
Peter likewise / when he camme into that wicked court of the
cheif prest and was ther conuersant emongst thos damsels and
vngodly seruantes / most miserablie did he denie and forsweare
his master christe our Sauiour: which his fault / after he
departed from thence / he did bewaile with abundaunce of teares.
By these histories ye may playnly see / what happenith vnto the
weake through that familiar conuersacion which they haue with
the vnfaithful.
[[Esaiae 6.]]
Esaye the prophet / when he did se the lorde sitting vppon his
seate of glorie / with his Angels about hym most purely
publishing his prayse / though he semith not to thincke hymself
greatlye gyltie of ony notable cryme or fault / yet cryeth he
out / O wo is me / &c. I dwell amonge a poeple that hath
vncleane lyppes. This man of godd truly did thincke / that he
hadd gotton no small corruption and infection / b
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