Eo1v far Man is to be pleafed, and hotv far not. us for (omeindiffcrent thing, we mufi as far as we can lawfully remove the caufc of his prejudice and diilike (Though he that hatcth us for obeying God,. mufi not be cured by our difobeying him): we are fO far from being obliged to difpleafe men by furlinefl and miJro.fity that w~ are bound to pleafing gcntlene~c:~. and brotherly kindnetS, and to all that carriage which is neceffuy to cure their tinful hatred or d,fl,ke. . 9· 7 . f• We mull: _n?t be felf-conceited, a.nd p.rcfer a weak unfurnilhed JUdgement_of cu.r own .. bdorc the. greater Wlfdom of another ; but m honor mull: prefer each other; and the1gnor:mr muJt h,mour rhe knowledgeand parts of others that excel them, and n~t be fiiffin their own opinion, nor wi(e in their own eyes, nor undervalue another mans re.afohs or Judgement, bur be glad eo learn bf any that can reach them, in the humble ackn~wledgCmenr ?f their ~wn. infuffiCiency. 9· 8. 5· Efptcially we mull reverence the judgement of our able fauhful Ttachm, and not by pride fet up Ollr weaker ju~gement againlt them, :m~ re~~\ the tru1h which they ddiv~:r to ~us from God. Neither rnufi we fct bght by the cenfurcs or admonmons of the lawful Paltors of the Church: When they are agreeable to the word and judgement of God, they are very dreadful: As' TerurlliaJt c 3 1. ). 10~ faith, If any fo offend tU to bt banijhed from commmtion of pr.;y~r, and a.f{embly and a~ holy commerce, · 1 Cor. 5. it ;1 a judgement foregoi1tf, #he great itu!gement to .come. Yea. 1f th~ Otlicers of Chnft fhould wrong you in their cenfures by pallion or m1Uake, wh1lc they ad m ·tf1etr own ~harge about matters be~ longing to their c0gnifance and judgement,. you mull. refpeCtfully and pauently bear the wrong, fo as not to difhonour and •contemn the amhomy and office fo abufcd. §·IT· 6. If fober godly pa{ons that are well acquainted with us, do firongly fufp,.ot us to be fa,uhy wherc ·we difcern H not our felves; It fhould make us the more fufprltoUs and fearful; and 1f JUdJ~ cious perfons fear you tO be Hypocrites, and no fOund Chrifiians, by ~bfetving y~ur .remprr and courfc of life, it fhould make you fcatch with the greater fear, and not·to ddl-rgard their JUdgemcnr. And if judicious perfons, efpecially Minitlers, O~all tell a poor fearful doubting Chriftian; that they verily think their !late is faie, it may be a great llay to them, and mufi not be fleighted as nothing, though it cannot give them J: certainty of their cafe. Thtrs far mans judgement mufl be valued. ' 9· to. 7· Agood natne among men, which is the np(ltarion of out' imegriry is not to be neglected as a· thing of naoghr; for it is a mercy from God for which we mull: be thankful~ and it is a ufeful means to our fuccesful ferving an~ honouring God : And tlie more eminent ·we Jrc , and t~e more the honour of God and. Religion is j6yned with ours, bl the good 6f thens fouls dependcth Quicqu'd de on our ·reputation, the rrtore careful we lhould be of it ; and it .mar, be a duty fometlmc:s to vihdi~ te P.rob!b~tur care it by the Magifirate5 jufiice, igaintl a fiander. Efpccially Pttachers, ( whofc fucccfs for the fa~ {;pore ~;e ving of their hearers depends much on their good name ) mull rtor ddpifc lr. dtvir~11:r 3 Hif· · ro11. ad Ncpat. Non folum veritli in hac pnne fed etilf\1 opinio fiuJiofe qu:rrcrtd:~. eH, l:t re bypocrium agere interdum rn:n·me Pctn:reat, faid on: h.uihly enougb to Aco{l4 m li. 4· c. 17. p. 413. r §. 11; 8. T~e cenfurers of the moll petulanf, and the [corns of CJlCmies; are ndt to be rriade Jjght of as they are their fins, which we mull lament; nor as lhey OlJy ptovoke us to a more diligcm fearch, and careful watchfullnefs over our waies. Thus far mans judgen'rl!nt' iS: rtgardable. · §. u. But I · \Ve mull: know how frail and erroneous and ur:conll:ant a rhing man is: and therefor« not be too bigb in our cxpeftationt from man: We_ m:rll fuppol{ that men will miftake us, and wrong us, and flandcr us through ignorance, paffion, prCJUdJce or felf.,.interell ! And when this .dY l:)efals us, we mull: not account it Orange and un(xpeCb:d. §. 13. 2. We mull confider how far the enmity that is in lapfed man to holinefs, and the igno.. . ranee, prejudice and paffion or the ungodly, will carry them to defpife, and [corn, and fland'er all 'uch I Per. 4 I:, as fetioufly ~nd zcal?ufly ferve God, and crofs them in their carnal .inter,ell : _And rhcr~for.e if for the 1 Cor. ~~~~c. fake of Chnfi and r1ghtcoufnefs, we are accounted as the fcorn and off..fc'ourmg of all rhmgs, and as •3· feftilent fellows, and movers of (edition among the ptople, and fuch as ate unwOrthy to live, and ABs :n. :.:. have all manner of evil fpoken. of u~ faffiy, it mufi not fee~ fhangc or ~mtxpcded to us, nor call: ~~:.1t1r~,~;, us ~own, but we mull bear It pattently, yea and exceedmgly reroyce m hope of our reward in u. Heavlltl , 9· 14• 3· Confidering what remnants of pride and fdf-conctitedncfs remain in many rhat have true grac~, and how many Hypocrites are in the Church, whofe Religion conllfterh in Opinion! and their fCveral modef of worjhip, we muft expeCt to be reproached and abufed. by fuch "as in Opiniant, and Mo<fc~, ~nd Circumjfanca do differ from us, and,take us ~herefore as their .advcrfaifes : A gre'at deal of mJulbce, fomemne by lhn?ers or reproach, and (ometJmes by gre,a~er VIolence, mutt be expected fro'm contentious profdfors of the fame Religion with our felves: efp€cially when the interefi of thei; faGl:ion or caufe rcquireth it: and efpecially if we bring any truth among•thern, which feemerh new to them, or crofftth the opinionr which arc there in credir, or would be RdOrmtJs of them in any thing chat is amit~. j5. 1 S· 4· No men mul1 be I)leafed by fin; nor their favom preferred lxfore the plcafing of God: ~Jns fav(,l!r as agair.ft God, is to be de!pifcd, and their difpled{urc nHde lit,ht or·. It doing o!.lr duty will di(pleafc:: thun, ler them be difpleakd ; we can but pitty them. 9· 16. 5· \Vc mul1 place none of our happinefs in the favbr or approbation of men~ but account it as to our felves to be a matter of no great motnent; neither worth any great care or cnd"eavour ra obtain it, or grief for loling it. \1\'e muff 110t only contemn it as compared to tht: approba.tion. a11d favour of God, but we mufi value it but as other tra11fitory things, in it fclf conlidered ; efii~ mat in~
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