Not to yccld to vniuft ac111 Catioas. 3;6 _ 'ThtninthCommandemtnl. much for rec~iuing o~thofe fa lfe te(li~onies concerning· ones felfe,whtchcome tn theway ofpratfe~ndextolling. Now, for thofe which come in tf.le~ayof acculino and: deprctling..As one mull not yeeld to the Batteries ofothers: fo neither muG hee ye.cld to the-ir falfe accufationsagainfl· himfelfe, that tend to make him thinke worfe of himfdfe then indeed he -ought, and to difable him to doe that good which he fhould, and alfe hath l1bcrtie to do. So[,{, would not-accord to thefayings ofhis friend·sin thiscafe.Althouo.b they charged -him"to be an hypocrite, and that hce ha-d n~t . ;lob 11·S · an vpright heart, yet would not IoiJ confent vnto the:m, bee wouldnot while he liued forfake his innocency, and let go theequitie ofhis caufe, nor thinkc a whit the worfe ofhis former life, or ofhis prefent ellate, for all their proofe5and reafons,that they did (alfely applyagainfl him.For,heknew that hee had many daies and times before, made all e– .uen betweeneGod and himfelfe, andhad many times caR "ouer his accounts,and foundhimfelfeacquitted ofall before ·-God, that no debt remained to beelaid to his charge. For, howfoeucr no man whiles his life endures, ·lhall bee freed ·-from the dregs offtn,and the fpots ofcorruption; yet when b.e, ina fight ofhisfaults, comes to repent, and be forry for them~ and ·topray toGod for pardonfor them, and tobe... Jeeuc that God.for .ChriGs fake will forgiue thetn ; bee isas free thenfrom the.·guilc andpunilhment-ofall his f1m1es, as ifhe·had neuer cotnn1itted them. · . · Now lobknew·,that he had ..ofien afrer thisfort fet all rec.. ·· :konings right betwixt Godand ·himfelfe; and that no fault · didha n g ~vpon the fcore -vnrepented,o~vnpardoncd.There– fote all their pcrfvva!ions could not withdraw-him from his .faith, nor make him doubt ofhis , ,prighttles.:For, what cuer -th~y faid -; yet his owneworks, and God, andhis owne con– .fcienc~ fai d, that he wa'i [rue, 6ncere, andguilclcfleofthat -crime which the.y .fo lharpd ycharged -vponhim.Wherefore hee f et them all at defiance, that would. offer to m·ake cha1enge tohisinnoccncy. Though hfs.. wealth was gone, his .children deAd, his <:attle flollcnan.d kild~ :his feruants flaine, :ttil4 his friends allB,on~ backe fraxn·him.; yet his inno.cency . . ·~
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