. 4 f 8 Chap... Of Sujpitian, dc. Corr. 9. r, concerning men to conclude upona mans meaning,as if theyknew his heart.Therefore Chry- tbe knowledge foftome upon that of the Apoflie, 9qt es ui,&c.v'ho art thou that judgeflanother mans ofthe heart. fervant ? faith, My heart is noneof your fervant, only God muff judge it, Sul pition muff never go to a mans thoughts. 2.The.£ri of 2. We mull not raife fufpitions upon the alts of Gods Providence, or draw Iispro.witnec. conclufions thereupon : as thofe that from 4 ouxr7a, as Nmianzen calls them, Ecclef.9.2. things whichbefall all men alike,as profperity and adverlity,gather falfe conclu , fions, as if from mans afiéfion or adverlity,one concludehim to be a greater firmer then others ; as thofe that faw the Viper on Pauli hand and concluded him to be a murtherer. When as it is molt certain that outward thingshappen a- like toall, as the Wife man fpeaks : and therefore faith Nazianzen, . pJmd tatiawa; John 9.2. tii+ eltYta av w;ezc ; thus ifa man be born blind, either he or bis parents have finned. Thus they concluded againflGodsProvidence,thatthe children fuffered for their Ezek. r .a, parents fins. Thefathers have eatenfowregrapes, and the children: teeth arelet on edge, when as his Providence is a great deep, which cannot be fearched out.So they in M21.3,14. Malachy conclude,that it is in vain toferve the Lord,becaufe there is fometimes no prefent vifible reward. If lohn Baptifh lofe his head, or S. Paul his life, fome will fay, this theyhave for the ferviceof God. 3,Aboat things 3. About future things ; men are apt topronounce judgment, when as God future, onlyknows what (haft come to pafs. If one be call down, or out of Gods fa- vour, he can never recover again ; if men have once forfeited of the world,it is impoffible for them to awake, oredormirecrapulam r but the Apolfle teaches o a rim 2, 25. therwife, he wouldhaveus wait, ifGod will et any time give them repentance. Multi [tent inmu lupi (faith S. Augufline) multi forisoves, there are many wolves within, andmany deep (for the prefent) without : and multi font rami inferti diffringendi, ér ramidiliraai inferendi, there are many branches graffed in , which may be broken off, and many brokenoff, which may be graffed in. We mutt not then conclude in this manner, for Gods hand is not shortened, but hispower is the fame (till. 2. Concerning 2. Concerningmen; wherein men judge amifs, either of the ahions, or the enen,judging, perfons of others. r. ThezíEon. a. Of the a&ions, Men often judge amifs ; and in this cafe,when a man doth judicare de re, without good ground, hehurts none but himfelf,and therefore we should labour to know the truth of things beforewe judge them. 2, The pertn. 2. Of the perfon ; Men by judging amifs may wrong the perfon whom they judge, hereby they make him contemptible andodious; as on the contrary ,when be is abfolved, he. gets credit. If I condemnhim being an innocent,I do an inju- ry, not to himalone, but to others. I condemn the generation of the juft,as the Pfalmift (peaks whereas, if I judge well of him, when he deferves ill, this is but 2 Cor.i5.5. error infingularibsu, and the fafer way, for the Apoftle faith, that Charity ù not fufpitiou4, nor thinketh evil. 2. Concerning 2:If there be nodetermination,but a prefuppoling,the rule is,a man may fup- fupp ¡lion, pofe the worfì:for the prevention of evil ; as if I am to cure a Gn,it is better to fuppofe it worfe then it is, then tomake it lefs then it is, left I apply too weak a plailler, which will not heal it. A gentle plaifter may heal a wound or fore for a while,which after a while will break out again.The Evangelic faith of Chrift, john 2. 24. that though many believedon bu name, yet he would not commit himfelfto them,,becaufehe knewwhat Win man: but we mull not, becaufe we know not what is in man. It is good to fuppofe the worff, for the prevention of fin. 3.'t:cncuning Now further, in our determinations we are toconfider, that either the cafe d:reiminaoion: is plain, and then there is violenta fufpicio, a violentfufpition, and here we may conclude; or elfe it is doubtful, and maybe taken.in a good fence ; for moralist fortiunturfpeeiem áfzne,moral allions are diffinguilhed by their ends : now in this cafe it is dangerous to conclude againft one in a doubtful cafe, for dubia in melio- rem partem interpretanda, doubtful things muff be. taken in the bell fence. The lac rule in this cafe is,that we mull not be toohaflyor rath in judgment, for preeipitatio noverça jufiitie, rafhnefs is the ftepmother to juflice. God teaches the contrary by his own example, though he knew the matter before , yet be > n'3.9. proceeds judicially , Vbies Adam? Adamwhereere' thou! and in the cafe of Sodom,
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