Vert. i o, i i the Epiffle to the Romans. 58 r What Is meant by udging. liberty, which is the fcándall of the to theLord, and being the Lords in life weak, verf. 11 3. The laft reafon con- and death,) which fhewes that thefe Ro- cerns the ftrong, the two former both mans took upon them to determine weak and firong. what fhould be the end and death of T i M. In what form of heed) are the each others, and what fhould become reafonr propounded ? óf them, as if they were Lords one of L S IL.. By way of interrogation, anothers life and death , alto by menti- [Why doeji ahou, &c.] Which hath the oning the laft judgement, and afcribiag very force not only of a ftrongdeniall, the fame unto Chrift, it appears that [Thou oughtf}not, ] but alfo of a repre- they did ufurp his office in giving hea. henfion, as who fhould fay, Have you vie doom of each others deftru &ion: As at this day the Lutherans dú againft no more grace, wifdome, and charity, then to defpife and judge one another ? fuch Churches that differ from them in Whence we learn, that Minifters of the things indiffercnt,as about breakingthe word are to take care: tiot only of the .bread, in theCommunion : and Tome of matter, but of the very fhape and fafhi- our hot brethren at home, have had on of their fpeech: that they ufe a molt their finger too deep in this fault of piercing and moving form of words, as judging their brethren toorigorou(ly. circumftances may require : for there Is T r M.What it our inflrublionfrom hence? much force to make a thing gracious S s L.That it is not lawfull for Chri- and powerfull, in the very form of ftians to paffe their doom touching the words which be u fed. everlafting efiate of any man, of whom T s M. Now for the matter, what be the it is not apparent that he hath commit - ai7ionshere reproved? and upon what Reafons? ted that irremiffible fin : I. For we S I L. Two : one is [to defpife or know not what a day may bring forth. let at nought :] this was the fault of filch as had more knowledge of their Chriftian liberty, they efteemed vilely and lightly of the weaker fore, and dit- dained fuch as h left underftanding. The other anion 1ST udging,] which pertaineth to the weak in faith, and thereby is neither meant the publique fentence which the Magiftrate gives from the feat of juftice againft evil] do- ers, nor yet that private fentence which Chriftians paffe either againft a &ions fimplybad or good, or againft perlons already judged ofGod in the word, or with condition of their continuance in evil], (if they be not filch as theScrip- ture bath fore-judged ; ) but the rafh uncharitable judgement touching the finali eftate of Chriftians for middle anions as to pronounce peremptorily and abfolutely of any that they muff pe rifh, or be pall grace, or cannot be fa- ved, becaufe they are not of our minde in every thing. That this is the meaning ofthe word [Judge] there be two cir- cumftances in the Text which fully prove it : Firft, by that which went im- mediately before pf living and dying Alto we fee many wicked men fuddenly and mightily called and ehanged.Third- ly, we read of one landing in the Mar- ket, called at the eleventh hour to work in the vineyard. Alf() of the Thiefcon= verted at the inftance of his death. Fourthly, we are even brethren, one of us no better then another,and therefore we fhould not ufurp this fuperiority, as one to judge and condemn another. This is again ft brotherly charity, and Chriftian love, which hopes well of all men, fo far as there is any caufe or rea- fon to induce us.Finally,it is againft the honour and dignity of the Son of God, whomthe Father hath advanced to this honour,to be the Judge of us all. T I M. What life of this Marine? S I L. It cals to repentance, filch as have been too free and forward in judging others peremptorily, and ought henceforth to flay us from filch wicked - nefi'e. Secondly, it reproves filch as would take away from Chriftians all li- berty of judging, under this pretence, that we may not for mean things judge our brethren finally : for that which is utterly unlawfull in loose cafe, is, and Ddd 2 may
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