2 The Crucifying of the world, their inful defrgns and ends, or any d.minith their honaua with men, you may pofibly find that you had buta flippery (landing in their efteem. Even godly men in paflion may offer you as bale indignities as others, and may tread downyounde- fired reputation the more fuccefsfully,by howmuch their credit is ftronger thenother mens, to carry on their reports. For if one that is deemed godly do accule you,the molt will think they are obliged to believe it;& to fay,( Such orfilch agodly per/on fpcke i:1 doth feem to many enough to warrant the fpreadingof the ffife4 reports to your difgrace. Or if it beyour honour in the eyes of Miniflers and learned men, that you inordinatelyregard , perhaps you may find from forne of them that their learning doth but make them the more skilful in abufingyou, and the keener inftruments to prick you ro the heart , and to cut in pieces that reputation which you over- valued :, YouThallbe reproached more learnedly by them then by others,and flandered a great deal more cunningly, and fo with more fuccefs. They may perhaps differ from you in fame points of judgement ; and fo may think that they do God fervice by proclaiming you to be erroneous or hereticall ; and their own errours mayperfwade them that it is their duty to defame you and accule youof the guilt which is indeed their own : Like a man that hath a flinking breath, and thinks it is not his own bu: his companions, and therefore runs out of his company,and tells him he cannot abide his breath. Its poflible alto that their Interefls and yours may claeh , and they may be tempted to tread your reputation in the dirt, as a neceffary means for the maintainingof their own : Efpecially if in a faítion, they find you ofa party which they are engaged againi} , whatever you are your felves , you muffbear the re- proaches of your party; and it will be crimeenough to be one of that fide which they abhor. And its likely they will not want engines to execute their wrathful zeal. Perhaps they will have fome nick-nameof reproach for you, and joynyou with this or that Herefie,which they perceive to be odiouswith thofe they fpeak to : and fo they will domore by reproachful) names and titles , then they could do by plain argument, or any ingenuous courfe. At leafl its likely they will not be wanting in the bitreerft cenfures behind your back : And the hearers will think, be it never .
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