196 1 C!/Jn Expojition ofChrifls l A1atth.]. . v. t. ---I' dccdc or fometimc good, bccing concciucd on a good ground, and retained for a,good cndc; as to bcw::rcofchcpartkzmdofhise– J'Uill: but when they arc·concciucd vpon light I caufcs,and for fomc finiltcr rcfpcCt(asrhc cOm– mon praCtiCe is, vpon no good ground w con– cciuc moll badly) thi<; is rafi1 iudgcmcnt. IV. When 'A'C fee any want tn our neighbours fpcc.(h or bchau;our, to make it worfc then it '-\·as meant, or chzn indccdc it is. V. When we fprcad abroad and publifh the wants of men, ro defame them, which might better be conccalcd,and in confcicncc aud charity onpht 1fo to be. V I. When we fpcake nothing but 1the: truth of another, but yet withall doe infi ... t nuacc: thereby fomc cuill of the panic: into the : hc;trtS of the hearers. T hisr praCl:ifc is as pcfii– ' lem and dangerous, ;~s any ofthe former.Thus Doeg told SaH! of the f;;.C\: of Abimdcc vnto Dauid, howhe,gauehimvt£fuals, and the[word of Go!Utb, which w3s true: but \\'i1haU he did 1 therein infinuonc 1 that E>auid and Abimelec in1 tended confpiraCic ~gainfl Sau!. And this tc:l– hng of the truth in that fort, coil the liue> of . fourefcore 4nd Jiu per[otu, that 'll'tlare the !inm Ephod, as we may read, J .Sam. 21. 7,COVlp41rcd with the :z.chap. v. 9 :nd 18. V I I. When in hearing the \'~lord preached 1 and finnes rcproo– ,ucd in the congregation, fomc hearers mifap– plie t:hc fame: as for example, the miniHer rc– prooucs the fi.nnc offwcaring, ofdrunkennes, or any fi1ch finne; then fomcone guiltic here.. of,doth not oncly furmife ,but alfo break fonh into this fpcach, ~Vow thepreach" 11-uane.r muo; huJPeak!! rhu of mee: he ccnfuru m; faf:l! and [peaches; hereupon fol!owcs fpite and malice againfr the per(on of the miniOcr,:md aifo rafh cenfuring and condemning of his minifieric. They a!fo finne in this kind, that >pplie th< Ie• proofcs <e>f finne to the pardon of others; as when they fay, '{ow fuchatme isto1sched: there i.a good leffon for foch aone if hccwo~<td lcarnc it: yea others goe further and fay,now the prea– eltrrm~dlteJ fochaman; noJvhe fpeai{s.r againft foch~wr4n: but this alfo is rafh iudgcmcnt in hearing of thC '"ord: they mifconceiuc ofthe purpofc ofthcminitlcr, for his manner is not wktn lu lhnderh in the roomc of Cod, "' rippc vp the fccretSand hues of fomc particu– lar hearers;but to dcliuer the will ofGod con– ccrni~g fuch and fuch finnes vmo all : it is the power of the word, not the mind ofthe prea– cher, -thit C3ufcth it to touch thy confcicnce: and therefore cucry one ·ought to applicthe word vmo his ownc hearr,and not to lay it vp– on others, or clfc take it to be fpokcn of him– fdfc for his difgr>ce: for it isto mi[.,pplie the word, and to iudgc amiffc of the prcacner;and this is a common fin ne, which is the caufc why many men reap< fo little pro~t by the word preached as they doe. The V I I I. prac!ife of raf'h indJ!emcmis, when in rowncs and cities fomc pcrfons arc wrongfully rrputcd and ta– ken for Witches : this is as common a finne - ---- A throughout thcworld as anyofthe former:one man will fay, fltch a oneU R IYitch~buauft lu in (onfcimce ls pcrfwadcd, and yet the ground of this pcrfwafion is nothing but his bare con– ceit, Another man faith, foch a on( is aWircb, bcct~ufe a wife man or n. wife JPoman htithfo r(– portedof h1mor her: and yet this tcHimonic is but the tefitmonie of ~~c· dcuill, whoUa 'Jar, and thej'lthc1· thcr~of: 1f he tell truth,·itis with I purpofe to rl~ceiue. Againc, another is iudgcd to be a Wicch, becasife comming to a mm:s houfe to borrow fomething, and buing denied 'i thereof, hetofJk.!it vnkjnd':J, and thereupon gauc thefc or{iteh !ilt._e thrcatning Wordsj it had 6cene A4 good;ou had /em it mr,or ,I will mutewithJOt/; and hereupon fomc one in the familie fdl B fickc,or fon.c cattdl dicd,and other things did mifcarie. It IS noquefiion, but \-Vitches be too rife among vs, and ought to be fought out 2nd fcuerely punifhed; and there be lav .. ·full waics ofconuincing 3 witch~but vpon thefc bare pr~fumptions to iudge any one to be a Witch, is an vnchnltian praClifc·of ra01 iudgcmcnt: for >Yhy may notthe hand of God befall thee in viliting fame one in thy family, or in the·dc:"~th of thy cattcll, :lS well as the annoyance ofthe witch, ~reer fame hard ij>ccches of:mother. A witch therefore muH firfi be lawfully conuinced,and then iudged to be a witch,and not be1 fore.This thing cfpeciallylllrers ought to looI. C , vmo;clfc ifrheyhouc but thr ordinary difcretion ofcotnmon pcop1e,to iudgc ono for a "''itch I vpon thefe prefumptiolls,they may eafily. defile their handJ with inndccm blood. Thus much I for the finnc ofrafh iudgr-mcm, and the pra~ , lbfes thereof, which are condemned and for... bidden in this place. · ~ 1c Now bccaufe iris fo· common a firlne in all places, & ""irh mofl mrn .counted ~o finne:f~~ the common ralkc in all meetings is of other men, and frlfdouc makes the heart glad to hcarc other mCs faults ripped vp; yea this finne. will take hold when other flnnes lcaue a man,~ which eaufed ChrHl to forwarne his Difdplcs hncof in thi'i place: therefore it is OJ.!r.dutic to labour 2nd flriue the more carnefily to be purged from this cuil1 mindc, and prc(erucd from D thcfe cuill praclifes of ralh iudgcment, for which cnde let vs Jay ro our eonfcienCcs the reafons f4liowing. L.Thc pratlifc ofr:::~ iudg- I ~,~~~~;ili· mcnt c:mnot !land wnh G1m(ltan cqanue: for • fudgemnt. charitic binds a man to walkc in louc, and 1 folic fiifP•chrhnot <Ui!l, butthinkcs the bdlolwales, and ifit be poflible,thinks V\' ell ofal. I!. When thou feel! aman !peakc or proclifc ony euii,for ''1hich thou beginncfito thinke hardly of him, then confider well ofchine owne fclfc, 1 how thou hall both that and all other finncs in thee, if we regard d1c rootc of finne, an~ therefore doe not ralhly condemnc him for his focr, becaufe thou thy fclfc hall done the like hcrctoforc;or cls in time to come maifi doe the Jikc or worfc then he hath done whom thou now condcmncll I I!. Con[ldcr t!m Go
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