In theise thinges to
vse the vnbeleauers / or to minister vnto them / ys not
vnlawfull.
Thus and in thys manier / yt ys lawfull for a priuate man / which
is lerned / and constant in godds truithe / being in that place
wher no man ys compelled to be partaker of wicked
supersticions / to dwell together / and vse familiar
conuersacion with the vnbeleuers and vnfaythfull / as theise
named Rules and condicions / do appoint and suffer. And so haue
ye this proposicion declared and opened / The same ys confirmed /
by the example of Christ our Sauiour. He dyd resorte to the
dyners / and feastes / where scribes and pharisees / publicanes
and synners were / to thys ende onlie / euen to teache them and
to winne them vnto the Gospell. So saieth hierom.
[[Hiero in Matt. cap. 9.]]
The lorde dyd go vnto the feastes of synners / that he mighte
haue occasion to teache them and that he mighte gyue spirituall
meates to them which dyd bydde hym: and after speaking how
christe went ofte to feastes / Theare ys (saithe he) no other
thinge reported / but what he dyd / and what he taughte there.
That bothe the humblenes of the lorde in goinge to synners / and
the power of hys doctrine in conuertinge the penitents / mighte
be declared.
After the same maner / the prophetes in the olde tyme were
conuersaunte with the Idolatrous people. So were the Apostles
famyliarlie conuersaunte with the vnbeleuinge Iues / and went
also emongest other vnbeleuing nations and men.
[[Act. 17.]]
S. Paule when he came to Athens / dyd not thinke skorne so
famyliarlie to behaue him selfe that he went in to the temples
of their Idolls / and verye curiouslie searched the corners of
the same / he dyd viewe their altars / the titles and
inscriptions of ther altars / so that he founde owte that
title / _Ignoto Deo_ which was an altar dedicated vnto the
vnknowen God / wherof he dyd take occacion to make that same hys
sermon in which he preached Christe vnto them euen as yt were
owt of their own bokes.
And thus / I thinke / that this our proposition / (which of yt
owne selfe ys plaine and euident ynoughe) ys sufficientlie
proued. Namelie thys / that a priuate man / learned / and
constaunte in the truithe / beinge in that place where no man ys
compelled to communicate with wicked supersticions / maye be
familiarlie conuersante with the vnbeleuers / so longe as in hys
conuersation he doth obserue and kepe / the conditions before
mencioned.
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