-g-6z Brotherly Adrl!onition. fm,u Oj: fuddain Paffion.or Temptation, unlefs ic be a Sin of Cufrdrn, or tbar which /mm. ca;ries with it fome fignal Aggravation, chat r:enders it confiderable as well in the Scandal as in the Guilr. le will be fufficiemto pafs by rhe reft, dnly with a brief Animadverfion upon them, enough to put him in mind that he forgot himfelfin fuch andfuch Paft'ageso And fo leave the farther Reproof to his own Confcience, which will better do it forleffer Sins,; than poffibly we can. To reprove fmall Faults with great vehemence, is always as ridiculous, and may fometimes prove as deftru~ive a pi_ece~f Officioufi1efs~ as his who cook up a huge Beetle, and fir_uck wtth all hts M•ghr, only ro kill a Fly he faw flicking upon his Friend's Forehead. We muft nor thr.ufi the Pro~e deep where che Wound is bur fhillow : Nor be paffionately concern'd ac oul'Brother's lighter Fallings; bur fo govern our felves as fiill eo referve the more fharp and fevere Reproofs, for the)~ore foul and fcandalous Offences. For they that will prcfemly upon every flender occafion fly out into Exclamations, Dete!tat ions, and all paffionace Exaggerations of Rhecorick, will but lavHhly fpend the v:gour of their .Zeal, and leave themfelves1no Arc, no Methods to exprefS their greater abhorrence for blacker Crimes. , 4 . Fourth/.;~ We are not to Repr/Ytle chafe whom we have reafon to believe are fuch Ielro~fnot defpe'rate Wretches, that our Reproofs wou\d but exafperate them to fin the to be ll_'tltn more for a Reproof. To chefe, fuch would be no Ath of Love and Charity, bur :':i:ee;:frather a Defign to deftroy their Souls, and to heap more and heavy loads of teratt. Wrath and Vengeance upon their Heads.Cercainly if we have any Senfe ofGod's Glory, any Tendernefs and Compaffion for our Brother's Soul, we ought to beware that we do not inrage him the more, eo difhonourthe one, or to wound the other, by the ~iftaken Charity of our Reproofi. And therefore Sr. Aujfin fpeaks wen, (De Civitate Dei, Hb. I. cap. 9·) Si propttre~ '"ripitndis malt agentiblt~ parcit, 'J_Uia opp~rttmum tempus Yttjuirit, · vel iifdem ipjiJ mettlit ne deteriortJ ex hoc efficiantur, videtur t][e conciliumChari.tatM. It is Charity not to reprove thofe who we believewill be chewcirfeforour RepnJof~· Alas, how many arc there in the World, who when rhey are reproved (and that very jullly) for their Sins, prefemly"fall a blafpheming and curfing, railing at Piety, and all that profefS it, violate the good N'ame of their Rep_rtYVtrsJ and can hardly abftain from offering Violence to their Perfons. Now fuch as thefe are paft Reproof, when once they turn Reproof it felf into an Occafion of further finning. The gceaceft exercife of Charity to thefe is to let them alone, and not to increafe their Damnation, by ftirring up the Virulency and Rancor of their Spirits. ' RtprotJ[is Spiritual PhJftck for the Soul. Now as it is an. imprudent Courfe to adminifter fuchPbJftck to the Body, as will irritate, and not expel the peccant Humours: So likewife it is very imprudent and unfafe, to adminifier fuch Reproofi as we know cannot cure the Offender, but will onl¥ irritate his Corruption, and render it the more rurbulent,and him much worfe than he was before. And therefore fomearethemfelvesto be reproved, who with an imprudent Zeal reprove others, without ever confidering what Effects their Rtyroofi are }jkely to produce: who, as foon as a Sin is committed, think themfelves obliged in Confcie.o.ce, infiamly eo rebuke them foric, although not only they themfelves may be reviled, but rheName of God moll horribly blafphemed upon this very Gat.4 . 1s. Occafion. It is indeed good to be 'Ztaloufll affiEied always in a good Matter. But yet withal know, that as Zealand Charity ought to be the Motive, fo Chrifiian Prudence ought to be the Meafure of all our Rcproofi. And if you take not the Advice ofDifcretion, your Zeal for God's Glory may but occafion his DHhonour; and your Charity to the Souls of others, occafion their furer Ruin and Damnation. Certa inly we are not obliged eo reprove where we have reafon eo a fufpect we fhall rather do Hurr rhan Good. It would be bur a cruel Charity, eo poyfon our Brother in hisPhyjick, and to kill him in his Cure.. And t~erefore both Solomon and a greater than Solomon, our Saviom Chrift hJmfelf, have forProv.g.J. bidden us to mifplace Reproofs upon thofe who are defperace. Solomon tells us, · He thai reproveth a Scorner, getteth to himfelf Sh~Jme; and he that refmketh a wicked Man, getteth unto himfil[ a Blot. And again, Reprove not a Scormr, leff he hate Mar.7. '·thee. And fays our Sav10ur, Gi'tle not that which is Holy unto DogJ, neithtr cafl ;e your Pearls before Swine, lefl thq trample them :mder their Feet, mu/ turn ng11in •nJ rent 7'"· Where it is very plain from the preccdem Vcrfes, chat he . . ~m
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