CHAP.I.13. 266 Minillers mull notreprooue todifgrace me"; perlons but mens linnet. Hearers mua not miaake their miniaers in their re. proofes. Exod.at4. A fearful I thing to reprooue men lot aiming at founan<ffe in the faith. cíßCommentarie vpon the the one is an ordinary cenfure,the other very extraordinary and rare;the one agaiuft thofe whomay be friends of the Church, the other ()Defy a- gainl defperate enemies,and open andobfìnare Apot}ates,euen fuchas Iulian,whom theChurch iudgeth to haue finned the fin again(}theholy Ghoft,and therefore execratethand accurfeth. So as that placenothing impeacheth the truth of the doEtrine. Pre. r. Much more ought Minigers in their fharpefl rebukes aime at the conuerfion ofmen : what a ( harpereproofewas that of Peter to Si- monMagus, A61.8.2I.2 ç. Thy money perJh with thee, and thorn art euen in thegall of bitternefe: and yet he addeth, repent therefore, and pray vnto the Lord, &c. So is it thepart ofall Peters fucceffors towhome the care of theLords flock is committed,fo to reprooue,notas chofe who would thamemensperlons, but difgrace their fnnes; neither as intuitingouer mens euills, not delighting in their falls ,nor defpairing of their riling; but as imitatinggood Surgeons, who while('~ they feare or cut off, (fill (hew compaf(ìon, and gently entreate the patient, euer perfwading him that this rough courte will make to his health and foundnefí'e. 2. WhileMinitlers thus difpenfe Chrifian feueritie, in their reproofes and denunciationofiudgements, the hearersmuff not miffake them (as ma- ny doe) and much lefl'e fayvnto them, as Comb and hiscompany toMo- fes and Aaron;yee take toomuch vponyou: or as theEgyptian to Mofes, whomade thee a iudge ? who bane you the keyes of heauen to open and (hut it vpon whome you pleafe ? whendid God make you of his coun- fell to foretell my damnation, Etc. conceiuing that in our menacies and threatning, we quitecut them off from all hope of mercy, and that wee takevpon vs to (hut the doore of grace vpon them, and to (horten the arme of the Lord, that he cannot fane them. Whereas the truth is,while we thunder out damnation againfi the firmer ( which very many defpe- rately rufh into,while they auoidc themention of it in our mouthes)it is not that we defpaire ofyour faluation, or would haueyou fo todoe; nor we doe not admonifhyou to fhameyou, but you muff ifyou will bee fa- ced by the word we preach, conceiue withvs,thac we delireyour found - ties of faith: and therefore we deale with you , as with fickemen, who commonlywill take nothing to doe them good, but what is forced vp- on them; which ifyou do not,we arenot inyour hearts the Surgeons of your foules,but rather your executioners. 3. This reprehendeth r.thofe whole rebukes rendaltogether to difcouragegodly cowries in their peo- ple, andbring them from foundnes in the faith, making heauiethe hearts of them, towhom the Lord fpeaketh peace. a. Thofe that malirioufly thunder their bolt of excommunication again(] thofe that profeffe Chrift fincerely. Thus did the Iewes excommunicate whofoeuer durfi confefl'e
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