May 011e contribute to mwtbers fin without fi11 ? 1.-~amily, Chmch or ~ingdom f1:om ever finnillg: •It i; nor in tLeir own power fo far to reform them– felves: Much lefs m a Ruler fu far tQ reform them: Even as to our fdves P·rfdiio'i: is but d'fi d in thls life, bur not attained: Much lt.fs for others. ' ' e ltt _ 3· '''hen the principal caufes co-operate not with us, and we are but fubfervient Moral Caufes; ~e can but perl~adc men to Repent, ~elieve, and Love God and goodnefs. we cannot fave men wtthout and agamtt thern_felves. The1r hearts ate om of our reach: Therefore in all rhdc cafes we are naturally unable tl) hmder fin~ I I. 1t is not in our power to do any thing which God forbiddeth us. That which is finful is to be ~ccountrd out of ~ur powtr in c~is fen(f. To cure the fin of a Wife, by fuch crucity or harllmefs as IS contrary to our ConJugal Relat;otJ, and to the office of neceffary Love is out of om power becaufe forbidden, as contrary to our dUly; and fo of other. ' ' I_ I I. Theft: adions are out of CIUr power, which are ads of higher authority than we have. A fubjtd- c•tmor rdo• m by fu.ch ~dio~s as are proper to the Soveraign, nor a Lay-man by actions pro– per.ro the Pallor, for want ot Authoruy. So a Schoohnalter cannot do that which is proper to a PiltJCnt: Nor the MaAer of a family that which is proper to the Magifirate ( as to punifh with dtath, &c.) I V. We have not power to do that which a Supniour power forbiddeth us ( unlefs it be that which God indifptntibly commandeth us) The Wife may not correct a Child or Sernnr, or turn him away, when the Husband forbiddeth it. Nor the Maficr of a family fo punilh a fin, as the Kin!I and Laws forbid on the account of the publick intere!l. V. We have not Por:pcr to do that for the cure of fin, which is like to do more hurt than good; yea, perhaps to pn.vc a pernicious rnifchief. If my correcting a ft:rvant, would make him k.i\1 me. or kc t~y honfc on tire, I may not do it. If my lliarp reproof is like to do more hurt, ot lefs ~ood rhan milder dealing. If I luvc reafon to believe that correction will make a fervant worfc, l am not !o ufc ir ; bccau(t: we havt our power to edihcation, and not to deHrud:ion. God hath not tyed us Jull to fpcak fuch and fuch words, or to ufe this or that correction, but to ufe reproofs and corre– ctions only in dut time\ meafurc and manner as true reafon telleth us, is 1ikefl: to attain their end. To do it if it ~ould do never fo much butt, with a fiat Juftitia etfi pereJt MtmdJU, is robe Righ~ teous overmucu. Yea, great and hcynous fins may be endured in families romctimes, to avoid a greater hurt, and becaufe there is no other means to cur_e them. For infiance, AWife may be guilty ot notorious Pcide, and of malignant deriding the excrcifes ofReligion, and of railing, lying\ flandering, back·biting, covctollfilefs, fwcaring, curling\ &c. and the Husband be necelfirared to bear ir , not fo far as not to rt:prove it\ but fo far as nor ro correct her, much lefs cure her; Divines u!C to fay, that it is'unlaw– tUl for a man to beat his Wife. But the reafon is nor, that he wantcth Authorily to do it: But, I. Becaufe he is by his relation obliged to a Li~e ofLove: with her ; and therefore :rnufi fo Rule, as tendcth not to ddtroy Love: And 2· Bccaufe it may often do othcrwife more hurt to her felf aml the family than good. Jr may make her furious and dc:fperate, and make her conremptiblt in rhe family, and diminilh the reverence of infcriours, both to Wife and Husband , for living fo uncomcly ali~ . Qucfl. But i1 there a1ry cafe in wbich a man m>Jy filently bear·the fint of a Wife, or other in[trioHr witbou• reproo}; or u~-gi11g tlum to amend? Anfiv. Yes: In cafe, 1. That Reproof bath been tryed to the utmofi: 2. And it is moll <vident by full experience, thar ir is like to de a great deal more hurt than good. The Rule giv~n by Chrill, extcndcth as well to families, as to others; not tu cafl Pearls before "lat\h. 7· 6. Swine, nor to give that which is holy to dogs; becaufe it is more to the difcornpofure of a mans own peace, to have a T?ifetttnt again, and aUto rtnd him, than a {hanger. As the Church may ccaie admoni01ing a finncr aftt:r a certain time of ob!\inacy, when experience ha(h ended thtir pre· fent hopes of bringi11~ the perfon to Repentance, and thereupon may excommunicate him : fo a Bus· band may be brought to the fame defpair with a Wife, and may be difobliged from ordinary reproof, though the ne.rncfs of tho Rc!Jtion forb:d him to ejeCt her. And in fuch a cafe where the fan!ily andmighbourbood knowcth the intraCbblencfs and obfl:inacy of the Wife, it is no fcanda], nor hgn Pf.tl. s 1 • u. of approbation or neglect: of duty, for a man to be filent at her fin ; Becaufe they look upon her &r:. .,. as at p~efent incorrigible by that means: And it is the fharpeft Reproof to fuch a one, r? be tt~rrRev.,n.• to, 1 r· prvvcd, and to be lee alone in her fin ; as it is Gods greatefi judgement on a finne~, to leave h1m to him~ Prm '''" 4 '' 5 ' !elf, and fay, Be filthy fliU. , And there arc fomc Women whofe Phantafies and PajJiom are naturally fo fl:rong, as tha~ It fcem~ eth to me that in many cafes they have not fo much as Natural Frre-will or po~er ro refiram them_: but if in all other cafes they acted as in fame, I fhould take them for rnrer BruHes that !1ad no .ttuc: rea(on : They feemnawrally necrffitated to do as they do. I have known the long profefhon.of p1ety, which in other refpeti::s harh feemed fincere, to confift in a Wife, with fuch unmatlered fuuous P_lffi– on, that !he could not before firangers forbear throwing what was in he\ han.d in her Husbands.face, or rhrufiing the burning Candle into his face; and flandering him of the filth1efi fins; and. when the P. allion was over <onfcfs all to be falfe and her rage to be the reafon of her fpeech aud achons: And ' , the
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