ment; when as God is in his judgment so benign, patient, and merciful toward us, who is not extreme to mark what we do amiss; is not forward to seek or find faults, but rather waiteth to be gracious,

is, how intolerably bold and arrogant, how sacrilegiously injurious and profane art thou, to climb up into God's tribunal, and thence to pronounce doom upon his subjects? By rash judgment in matters not sub-hideth his face from our sins, and passeth ject to our cognizance (as when we pronounce concerning the secret thoughts and intentions of men), we proudly and perversely do arrogate to ourselves the incommunicable perfections of God, who alone can know such things, and determine rightly in such cases; who therefore hath reserved them to himself, commanding us to judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come."

by our transgressions; doth not aggravate our offences, but rather doth excuse them, remembering that we are flesh; is not glad of occasion to punish, but delighteth in mercy, and doth not afflict willingly, or grieve the children of men;" is not severe, but punisheth us less than our iniquities deserve, and in his wrath remembereth mercy. And are we not impious if we do so ill requite him, and so little resemble him, in being rigorous and harsh toward our brethren, when they offend, or seem to do so?

In fine, censuring is impious, as involving the violation of those great commandments, of exercising, in all our demeanour and dealing, humility, meekness, piety, and mercy, toward our brethren; of pursuing and promoting peace among them.

2. Censuring, in respect to our neighbour, is an unjust practice. It is unjust to meddle in affairs with which we have nothing to do; to draw those persons under our jurisdiction who are not subject to it, but are liable to render their account at another bar; to punish those who in their reputation or interest, over whom we have no just authority, who have their own master, to whom they must stand or fall.

By passing sentence about the state of our neighbour, we do anticipate God's judgment, and by pre-judging strive to frustrate it. We take upon us to purge his floor, to sever the chaff from the corn, and the tares from the wheat, to discriminate the goats from the sheep; which to perform will be the work of God's infinite wisdom and justice at the great day. By censuring our brethren causelessly, for not complying with our conceits, humours, or practices, we lay hold upon and appropriate to ourselves God's legislative power; we subject his law to our fancy and pleasure; we, in effect, condemn his law of error and imperfection; we do at least make ourselves sharers with him in the enacting laws, and dispensing justice. He (saith St. James) that speaketh against his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law; that is, he opprobriously doth imply the law to be defective, until he doth complete or correct it; making it a guilt not to satisfy his will or conceit, besides the plain intent of the law the dispensation of justice is not sufficient, unless he partake therein, taxing whom and why he pleaseth; God, without him is not a perfect lawgiver or judge. We are also very ingrateful in not being favorable towards our brethren in judg-cernments depend thereon, disposing of them as we please, to his disadvantage and prejudice.

Matt. iii. 12, 13; xxv.32. Quantus arrogantiæ tumor est, quanta humilitatis ac lenitatis oblivio, arrogantiæ suæ quanta jactatio, ut quis aut audeat aut facere se posse credat, quod

nec apostolis concessit Dominus, ut zizania a frumento putet se posse discernere, aui quasi ipsi paleam auferre, et aream purgare concessum sit, paleas conetur a tritico separare?Cypr. Ep. 52.

1 Cor. iv. 5.

▾ James iv. 11.

It is most unjust to judge any man without competent means of knowing, or skill to determine his case; to condemn him without diligent trial, without certain proof, without full conviction of his fault; to punish him without just cause, or beyond due measure.

It is very unjust to usurp an interest in the goods which are to our neighbour most proper and dear, his credit and con

It is also very unjust, when as we do need the candid judgment, the forbearance and pardon of others, for many

Psal. cxxx. 3; Isa. xxx. 18; Psal. li. 9; Mic. vii. 18; Psal. lxxviii. 39; ciii. 14; Lam iii. 33.

* Ezra ix. 13; Hab. iii. 2.

things faulty and offensive that we commit, to refuse the like to others.*

It implieth also, that we little consider how our escaping any faults, which our neighbour slippeth into, is nowise imputable to any worth or virtue in us, so much as the good providence and merciful.

3. Censuring is also a very uncharitable practice, and so, contrary to the principal duty of our religion: it is so eminently in all cases wherein it is un-grace of God, guarding or rescuing us just; for charity doth virtually contain justice, and transcendeth it; it is so peculiarly whenever it is harsh or rigorous, when it is affected, when it is needless or unprofitable; for charity disposeth us to be gentle, meek, patient, and merciful in all our dealings; it engages us to hide and smother, to diminish and excuse, to pass by and pardon offences: Charity seeketh no evil, it covereth all things, it beareth all things; it tendereth our neighbour's good and advantage of all kinds (his credit, his interest, his convenience, and pleasure;) it therefore will inflict no more evil than reason and necessity shall indispensably require.t

A censurer is indeed unjust and uncharitable, not only toward those whom he censureth, but also toward those into whom thereby he doth infuse ill opinion, and ill will toward their neighbour; he is guilty of their injustice and uncharitableness, a mischief more irreparable than his own.

4. Censuring is a very foolish and vain practice in manifold respects; as arguing great ignorance and inconsiderateness, as producing grievous inconveniences and mischiefs, especially to the practiser of it.‡

It signifieth that we do not well understand or not well consider the natural impotency and frailty of mankind; how liable others are to mistake and slip, and how prone we ourselves are thereto; how as St. James saith, in many things we offend all; did we observe, or would weigh this, we should not be so forward to censure, or vehement and bitter in it; we should see failing and tripping in many things to be a common case, rather demanding commiseration than censure.

from them: if we did apprehend and reflect on this, it would appear our duty rather to bless God for our being protected from miscarriages, than censoriously to insult over those who seem to fall into them. It signifieth we have no sight or sense of our own defects; for did we clearly see, did we humbly resent them, that would damp our heat and earnestness to censure. It declares a fond self-conceit, that we deem ourselves superior to our neighbour in wisdom, and less obnoxious to blame, and therefore fit to be his judges; whereas, according to a sober esteem of ourselves, we should appear more fit to stand at the bar than to sit upon the bench; and should thence more dread the one than affect the other.

It showeth likewise, that we do not rightly conceive the nature, or worthily esteem the consequences of this practice: we know not, or regard not, the value of our neighbour's reputation, which by censure we do mean to ruin or impair: we perhaps by no means would rob him of his substance, or of his life; yet we scruple not by grievous censure to bereave him of his good name; which he, the best prizer of his own goods, may esteem beyond his estate or his life itself: we think it nothing, or a slight matter to carp at him; but he feeleth it very painful, and deeply resenteth it.

It argueth in us an untamed fierceness of mind and discomposedness of passion, which can never consist or cohabit with wisdom; for a well-ordered, calm, and free mind, will be slow in conceiving offence or dislike, moderate in estimating things, reserved in expressing its sentiments, not easily transported into extremity or excess; it consequently hardly will suffer a man to break forth into rash or harsh censure." So many signs and arguments of incogitancy and blindness this practice doth involve.

5. Furthermore, this practice will pro

a Prov. xii. 16,-A fool's wrath is presently cer-known; but a prudent man covereth shame. Prov. xxix. 11,-A fool uttereth all his mind; but a wise man keepeth it till afterwards.

stand at the judgment-seat of Christ: that is, why do any of us judge others, seeing we must all be judged ourselves? It is not seemly, it is not expedient, for those who soon must be arraigned, and put to answer for themselves, to be busy in questioning and prejudging others; but rather to spend their care and pains in preparing for their own account.*

man; this St. Paul seemeth to imply, 6. Hence, I say, it is, that commonly when he thus argueth: Why dost thou the best men are the most candid and genjudge thy brother, or why dost thou settle, and they are most apt to blame others at nought thy brother? We shall all who deserve worse themselves; that the sharpest tongues and foulest lives do usually go together; that they who are the strictest judges of their own, are the fairest interpreters of other men's actions; and they who will least pardon others, do most excuse themselves; that they who are strangely acute in descrbing other men's faults are stark blind in discerning their own. Our Saviour, therefore, chargeth such persons with hypocrisy: Thou hypocrite; first cast the beam out of thine own eye; implying, that they do but falsely pretend a respect for goodness and zeal against sin, seeing in their own practice they indulge it; that it is indeed rather pride, peevishness, idleness, spleen, or selfish design, that actuateth them.

5. Nothing indeed more causeth us to neglect our own case, nothing more engageth us to leave our own faults unobserved and uncorrected, than this humour.t It is easy to observe, that as they who are most sparing and gentle in censure are usually most exempt from blame (for that carefully reflecting upon their own infirmities and defects, spending their heat and activity of spirit upon 7. In fine, the censorious humour, as it amending their own errors and faults, argueth ill-nature to be predominant (a they have less time, less concernment, vulturous nature, which easily smelleth less mind, to search out and scan the im-out, and hastily flieth toward, and greediperfections and misdemeanours of others; ly feedeth on carrion), as it signifieth bad they do find less reason also, and therefore have less will to be fierce or severe toward them), so the most censorious are usually the most stupid in discerning, and most careless in retrenching, their own faults. And needs it must be so; for the actions of other men devour their leisure, take up the intention of their spirits, employ the keenness of their passions upon them, so that they cannot and will not attend to themselves; they are so much abroad, they are so very busy otherwhere, that they little know or care what is done at home; while they are spying and pulling out motes from their brother's eye, they consider not the beam that is in their own eye, although never so gross and obvious.

conscience; for he that knoweth evil of himself is most prone to suspect, and most quick to pronounce ill concerning others, so it breedeth and fostereth such ill dispositions; it debaucheth the minds of men, rendering them dim and doltish in apprehending their own faults, negligent and heedless in regard to their own hearts and ways; apt to please and comfort themselves in the evils, real or imaginary, of their neighbours; which to do is a very barbarous and brutish practice.

These considerations may, I hope, suffice to persuade the observance of this precept, by the help of God's grace, to which I commend you, and conclude.

Now the God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Chsist, to whom he glory for ever and ever. Amen.

ἀγαθοῦ, ὁ ἀγαθὸς δὲ οὐδὲ τοῦ κακοῦ ῥαδίως. Naz.

Orat. 21.

Ego mi ignosco, Manius inquit, Stultus et improbus hic amor est, dignusque notari. Hor. Serm. 1. 3.

OF QUIETNESS, AND DOING OUR OWN
BUSINESS.

1 THESS. iv. 11.-And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business."

As frequently between neighbouring states there do rise dissensions and contests about the just limits of their territories; so doth it frequently happen between virtue and vice, right and wrong, duty and miscarriage in practice; for although the extreme degrees, and even the middle regions of these things are very distant; yet the borders of them do lie very close together, and are in a manner contiguous; a certain ridge of separation running between them, which commonly, being very narrow, thin, and obscure, it is not easy to discern. So it particularly falleth out in the matter before us, wherein our text is concerned. Duty and offence do nearly confine, and almost indiscernibly differ one from the other; for there are about this case precepts which seem to contradict; there are duties appearing to thwart one