Rodes how to denle with wicked Mea, Sixthly, You muff not be partiall in your hard language ; you (hall have many that a -e carnal( and wicked men, that if a profeflor of Religion doe any thing ami,fe , o what hard and bitter language will they give.againfl him,But let one of their Companions doe that which is worfe , they give no revi- ling fpeeches to him, but a p, oretfor of Religion they will be fure to lay (Dade upon him ; now .hat's a ligne that thou doeft not reprove according to the way of Chrill,when thou art par- tiall in thyReproofes. Seventhly, You mull be fure riot to give harder language then the matter will beare, (that's a reviling;) and not to ob- ferve the Rules that before we let. Eighthly, The manner of our fpirirs mutt be obferved, it mull not bepaifionate, that is, manifeft that we are in a beate, but when we fpeak of the evils of others, we had need have as quiet a fpirit as at any time in the world. Now we know whence comes reviling ; when men and women are put into a heate, they care not what they fay .; but if you come to exa- mine, you fpake fuch and fuch things , and you fay they doe deferve fo and fo,and they are guilcy;what then ? why, it's not for you paflionately to reprove them , but your fpirits.mufl be. quiet at that time, and you muff labour to hill alipaTion when you are about the reprehenfion of your Brethren. Nin, hly , You mull not doe it revengefully ; It's not e- nough ~o fay, That they doe deferve it, but you may revenge your . -e4ve to fpeaking that that is but right : perhaps they are guilty of fuch things I but you may charge them with it, not our of a hatred to their fin, or doing -hem good, but out of a fpirit of revenge to thy felfe. Shimei (whom we named be- fore ) he did revile, though the thing were true he faid ; why, becaufe he did it out of a fpirit of revenge But certainly fome there are, that fharp fpeeches does tend more to doe them good ,thofe that are Cretcans that the Scri.-ture fpeaks of: The cutting ipeeches to aCretian, is more futable, and tends to hi- good rather then another fpeech. T nchly , We fhould obferve whether they be of fuck na- tures, that loft wayes will doe them good rather then harfh Puff wayes 485
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