Serra. i6. when grofly defam'd, fo as the publick is thereby refle&ed on ; ought fairly to vindicate their integrity fo far at lean, that thofe that imploy them, and the publike fuffer not thereby. And laxly, when thy ferving the publick, and confcquently the publick good is thereby hindred. How ample is the Apoltle Paul in his own vindication againit the falfe Apoftles defamation of him, in his Second Epifl_le to the Corinth!, which is much of it Apologetical. And good reafon, for where the perfon is traduced, his employment is not likely to be much effe&ual, or advantageous to the Publick,and his Example lefs ; as intilian, L.z.Inftit, c.;. and many others, yea, conftant experience tells us. In thefe cafes thou muff do thy Pelf juftice, but fo moderately as not doing to others in -, juftice thereby. In all other meerly perfonal wrongs and injuries , when they are confiderable in them felves,or their ifTue to thee,provided thou canft no other wayobtain righr,thou rnayea publickly profecute thine Injurers, Oppreffors, publike Defamers, and the like wrongers of thy Eflate, Reputation,and other thy temporaul good things; in charity and ac- cording to Equity, equally feeking thy own right and good , not thy neighbours wrong, much lets ruine and defirudton. And thus for mo- deration towards others in Civil matters. In Religions matters. Although I have fpoken in the opening the nature of moderation, and the general Obj, -a, that which might ferve to dire& us herein : Yet Id i I be miflaken and thence any of you miflcake your duty ; I {hall further open this particular ObjeEt, by fpeakìng to it negatively about what moderation is not to be pra &tfed , and pofitively wherein it mua. Negatively. t. Not in matters of faith. For the believing thefe being not onely absolutely required of every Chriftian, and in that meafure that we cannot fully come up to, in regard of the great truth and re- ality of fpiritual objeds and their revelation, ( the bell being (aas ! ) miferably {port and defficient herein t) but al fo internal , (the profef- fìon of thefe being matter of pra &ice) Moderation cannot poffibly here have any place, much lefs that which refpeds others. 2 Nor in matters ofmoral praffice,fuch as the Moral Law requires,and grace and virtue {üould perform.For in thefe can be no excels either in degree or duration.We cannot love God roo much,nor with grace our neigl.bour, nor too conlfantly. Confider Iather,Mother, Wìfe, Chil- dren as moral Objeas, fo we exceed not, as natural goods,,and fo ha the exercife of natural affe &ion, we frequently (as is Paid before ; do ex- F ee ccçd, and in what not ? 397
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