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Again, one preparing himself to sail, and about to pass through the raging waves, Calleth upon a piece of wood more rotten than the vessel that carrieth him.
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For verily desire of gain devised that, And the workman built it by his skill.
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But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: For thou hast made a way in the sea, And a safe path in the waves;
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Showing that thou canst save from all danger: Yea, though a man went to sea without art.
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Nevertheless thou wouldest not that the works of thy wisdom should be idle, And therefore do men commit their lives to a small piece of wood, And passing the rough sea in a weak vessel are saved.
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For in the old time also, when the proud giants perished, The hope of the world governed by thy hand escaped in a weak vessel, And left to all ages a seed of generation.
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For blessed is the wood whereby righteousness cometh.
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But that which is made with hands is cursed, as well it, as he that made it: He, because he made it: and it, because, being corruptible, it was called God.
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For the ungodly and his ungodliness are both alike hateful unto God.
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For that which is made shall be punished together with him that made it.
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Therefore even upon the idols of the Gentiles shall there be a visitation: Because in the creature of God they are become an abomination, And stumbling blocks to the souls of men, And a snare to the feet of the unwise.
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For the devising of idols was the beginning of spiritual fornication, And the invention of them the corruption of life.
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For neither were they from the beginning, neither shall they be forever.
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For by the vain glory of men they entered into the world, And therefore shall they come shortly to an end.
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For a father afflicted with untimely mourning, When he hath made an image of his child soon taken away, Now honored him as a god, which was then a dead man, And delivered to those that were under him ceremonies and sacrifices.
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Thus in process of time an ungodly custom grown strong was kept as a law, And graven images were worshiped by the commandments of kings.
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Whom men could not honor in presence, because they dwelt far off, They took the counterfeit of his visage from far, And made an express image of a king whom they honored, To the end that by this their forwardness they might flatter him that was absent, as if he were present.
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Also the singular diligence of the artificer Did help to set forward the ignorant to more superstition.
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For he, peradventure willing to please one in authority, Forced all his skill to make the resemblance of the best fashion.
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And so the multitude, allured by the grace of the work, Took him now for a god, which a little before was but honored as a man.
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And this was an occasion to deceive the world: For men, serving either calamity or tyranny, Did ascribe unto stones and stocks the incommunicable name.
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Moreover this was not enough for them, that they erred in the knowledge of God; But whereas they lived in the great war of ignorance, Those so great plagues called they peace.
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For while they slew their children in sacrifices, or used secret ceremonies, Or made revelings of strange rites;
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They kept neither lives nor marriages any longer undefiled: But either one slew another traitorously or grieved him by adultery.
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So that there reigned in all men without exception, blood, manslaughter, theft, and dissimulation, Corruption, unfaithfulness, tumults, perjury,
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Disquieting of good men, forgetfulness of good turns, Defiling of souls, changing of kind, Disorder in marriages, adultery, and shameless uncleanness.
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For the worshiping of idols not to be named Is the beginning, the cause, and the end, of all evil.
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For either they are mad when they be merry, or prophesy lies, Or live unjustly, or else lightly forswear themselves.
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For insomuch as their trust is in idols which have no life, Though they swear falsely, yet they look not to be hurt.
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Howbeit for both causes shall they be justly punished: Both because they thought not well of God, giving heed unto idols, And also unjustly swore in deceit, despising holiness.
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For it is not the power of them by whom they swear: But it is the just vengeance of sinners, That punisheth always the offense of the ungodly.