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1 The losse of their sheep, of whom they are to give an account. which is a sad evill, though it may not seeme so; as it is worse, to loose what is another man's, then what is mine own. All the Beasts of the field come to devoure, yea all the beasts in the forrest they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogges, they cānnot bark, &c. Isa, 56. 9. 10. It is able to break a man's heart, to think how many poore ig∣norant
silly soules by reason of the blind∣nesse or carelessenesse of their teachers are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (as the Apostles word is) like so many sheep made a prey of, and taken cap∣tive alive by the Divell at his will.
Secondly, Removall from their places. Be∣cause thou hast rejected knowledge; I will also reject theee, that thou shalt be no Priest to mee, Hos. 4. 6. This is thought to be spoken to those, who were unlawfully made Priests by Jeroboam, being of the lowest of the peo∣ple, and not of the sonnes of Levi, 1 Kings 12, 31. And therefore let men look to it, who doe not only reject a calling (and so truly take upon them the Ministers office) without which they should not undertake it: but doe also reject knowledge, without which they cannot discharge it.
3 God's forgetting their children: as it followes in the same verse. Seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children. I know not what the main fault is; but (that which the Papists attribute to the unlawfulnesse of their marrying) it hath been generally observ••d, that Ministers are very unhappy in their children; either for wickednes, or poverty; either they forget God only, or else God forgets them too. The sinnes of the Priests (under the Law) were lookt upon as farre greater, then the sinnes of or∣dinary
men: and therefore their offering was to be no ordinary offering; and the ceremo∣nies used about it, no ordinary ceremonies: the offering was to be a Bullocke, and the blood thereof to be sprinkled seven times before the Lord, &c. Lev: 4. 3. 6. So no doubt Ministers sinnes are greater then others, and and shall be more severely punished.
2 Tim. 2. 26.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Heb. 5. 4.