A Treatise of the Cohabitation Of the Faithful with the Unfaithful | Page 7

/ and disposicions of the same / ther is such
a common passion and suffering / that the infection doth easily go from
them that be infected / vnto the other. And though they which do not
take heede and keape them selues from that infection / do not presently
feale the poyson and force therof / yeat inasmutch as by lytill and litill
the infection / and poyson receyued doth growe / not long after they ar
sure to feale the force and strenghthe of it. Seing this is so / and eich
man maye worthily and godly take heede to auoide the diseases of the
bodie / mutch more diligent heede is to be taken of all men / that they
do not from ony man or place gett vnto themselues infecting vices of
the minde. Our Nature / and disposicion through our naturall and birthe
syn is now so corrupt / (as both the holy scripture doth warn vs / and
infinite examples of dayly experience do teache vs) that we neade not

to dowt at all / but that we shall easily receyue the poison / and
infection of other mens synnes / if we do not fle farr from them: And as
with no great labour they will cleaue vnto vs / so after they be ons crept
and roted vnto vs / then hardly and not without great payn and labor /
will they be thrust out agayn.
[[In Ioemm. hom. 56.]]
Wherefor Chrisostom in the afore named place semith to say well. If
(saithe he speaking of the vnbeleauers and wicked) we coulde make
them better / and not hurt our selues / all thinges wer to be doone: but
when we can not profite them / bicause they be incurable / and such as
will not be amended / and yet we hurt our selues / they ar vtterly to be
cutt of. And to the end that he might the more strongly confirme his
saying / he alledgith that sayinge of Paul:
[[1. Cor. 5.]]
Put awaye the euell from among yowe. Which wordes of Paule ar not
to be vnderstonded of the synne / for the greke word is in the
masculyne gendre / +ton pone:ron+ / and therfor he meanith by it / the
wicked man. The same wordes I will now sumwhat bend / vse / and
turn / vnto the profite of you that be weake / and thus saye vnto yowe.
Put awaye your own selues from the euell men that ar emongst you: for
seing ye ar but priuate men / and vnlearned / and therfor can not put
away the euell from among you / yet your selues ye may ridd / and
conuey awaye from being emongst the wicked / and the euell men.
Morouer it happeneth that whilest the weake and vnlearned do thus
familiarly accompanie the vnbealeuers / They can not chose but they
must heare many subtill reasons and see many other thinges which do
mutch make against the true religion that they do profes: Which thinges
when they se and be not able to disproue and confute / They do it not:
And so they ronne into two mischeifs. The furst is / That they ar as it
wer witnesses of the blasphemie / and of the reproche that the
vnbeleauers do to the truthe: the seconde / that they maie happ to haue
summe stinge left sticking in their concience / with which they shalbe
longer / more greuusly and daungerusly tormented / then either they

thincke of or do feare. Let vs heere therfor the wise man which doth
saye.
[[Eccles. 13.]]
Who so touchithe pitche shalbe fyled ther with all / and he that is
familiar with the proude / shall become lyke vnto hym: Take not a
burthen vppon the / aboue thy poure / neither ioyne thow thi self to
hym that is more honorable / and ritche then thiself. These words of the
wiseman / do for two causes belong to our purpos. Furst / bicause that
they do teache / that other mens synnes ar lyke vnto pitche / which doth
stycke vnto the fingars and garments of them that do touche it. Agayn /
that eich man shuld well trie and consider his own poure and strenghth.
Vppon which cowncell / I do gather two thinges. Furst / that the infirme
and weake must not ioyn themselues in familiaritie with the wicked /
for wickednes will then cleaue vnto them: Secondly that eich man must
so well consider / and iustly trie his own poure and strenghth / that he
doth not ouermatch himself.
The churche of godd in all ages hath felt by experience that mutch euell
hathe happened through this familiar