had all Circumstances considered that is rashness or temerity in Judging and when it is on the worst side to condemn any Person it is now usually called rash Censure Of the first of these there is no Degrees or Differences but it is perpetually in all Persons at all times forbidden For if there appear no Reason at all to us why we should judg one or t'other way we are to suspend our Judgment That which is usually exprest by saying we do not know we cannot tell it may or it may not be so indeed if we apprehend the possibility but whether it be or be not we are Ignorant In our Judgments concerning some things we may sometimes follow our Inclinations both without and contrary to some smaller Reasons but then they must be very strong such as are natural and born with us and which we cannot oppress or hinder by our wills though we would and we do not find they proceed from any Insincerity any secret desire or inclination to gratifie any Lust but that we are possest with a serious and upright unmixed desire to know the truth in order to Goodness And this indeed seems to be a sign of great reason for that Judgment viz. Of this inclination being Impressed by God and consequently he being Good that it is true and useful Such are Mens strong inclinations notwithstanding all appearance of reason though but such and and real deceits to the contrary which may be brought by Cavilling men to believe God's Existence his Justice to punish and reward Immortality of Souls distinction of Actions right and wrong universal Goodness our great perfection and ultimate Self-love contrary to the truth of our Senses c. these God hath anticipated us withal But in our Judgments concerning Persons no such inclination is to be followed by no means which notwithstanding is extraordinary frequent but always from some secret passion of hatred displeasure against the Person not for any reason but some bodily temper which is called Antipathy and oft-times past offences c. Of the other viz. Judging without sufficient reason there is variety that which may be sufficient reason to one Man or at one time in one thing may not be to another One Man may be more capable and able to examine a thing further than another and yet both may be ought to pass their Judgment As if one Friend should for very good ends ask the judgment of some other concerning the Qualities or Actions of a third So sometimes the time for Deliberation or Information may be necessarily shorter in one affair than in another and yet the Judgment is then to be passed too and not neglected And so the Judgment concerning one thing of less moment and yet enough to deserve and require our Opinion too may be with less reason or probability than another of greater Importance And here this rash Judgment is not to be allowed on either side as well to the advantage as disadvantage of the Person concerning his good or his ill-qualities or actions We are not to judg Men better than they are as well as not worse and consequently falsly and foolishly admire and approve of what they say or do without reason only because we will and as we say we imagine so not with that sufficient Reason as we ought to have Though the extream of Judging Men rashly better than they are being less frequent or hurtful I suppose the other is here principally intended viz. The Judging Men rashly worse than they are and censuring them This Imperfection very often proceeds from Ultimate and therefore Inordinate Self-pleasing our selves by meer Activity of this kind We must be passing Judgment of every thing we see or that appears to us and as soon and as fast as may be we cannot stay so long as to call to mind or examine Reasons This is too troublesome to most and would spoil the pleasure of it Oft-times Men make it their Diversion but imprudently chosen to be at any rate wantonly Judging and Discoursing of Persons in general Oftentimes also the Cause or Principle is Self-pleasing again by the exercise and sense of our ability and sufficiency of Wit or Understanding we much pleasing our selves that we can observe what others do and judg and discern whether they are good or bad do well or ill especially what the most considerable Men do and here most because it is a sign of a greater Comparative ability that we see Imperfections and Defects even in the Wiser and Better sort of Men which they do not as we think see in themselves The first of these Causes is more ordinary the second in those most often who really are of considerable ability These are more innocent Causes as not arguing so much of Self-Love in opposition to the good of others or to Charity as the other of Malice Hatred Revenge Pride Affectation of Superiority and thence secret Envy which are but too frequent Sect. IV. 4. The Fourth thing forbidden is false Judgment which although it may be more hurtful in effect yet it may be and often is more innocent in the principle or end than the former For a Man may often judg false and out of Charity and Duty too and with as sufficient reason as he could find or observe But yet a Man having first seen he may or ought to pass his Judgment ought to adhibit the greatest care that it be true This is a great instance of Justice which as every Man at all times is bound to so then especially when he undertakes to be a Judg. The most general Instances of rash and false Judgment concerning Persons Qualities and Actions and perhaps which comprehend all others are these 1. When we Judg imperfections defects faults of any kind or sort to be in Men when they are not 2. When we Judg those to be much greater imperfections than indeed they are compared with others we mistake in the quality The first again is First Either when we judg Imperfections to be in Men one or more when either there is none or not so many When we mistake in respect of the Number Secondly When we Judg more of that which is a greater Degree and a greater Constancy of these Imperfections which really are in the Persons to be in the Persons than there is we mistake in the Degree and in the Continuation or Duration And thus on the contrary also we often judg as rashly and falsly of our selves or any we favour or who are Friends to us We judg perfections and good qualities to be in our selves and them and more of these Perfections in number and them to be greater and more of each of them in Degree and Frequency or Constancy than indeed there is when all this is a mistake and oft a silly or wilful one and on the contrary judg ours and our Friends Imperfections and and their degrees of Intention and Frequency fewer and the Imperfections less than indeed they are and
we to that purpose conceal connive at forget them willingly even to our own Consciences and our best Friends and this out of ultimate and foolish mistaken Self-love A thing often to be observed in sick and dying Persons very backward to take notice of their sins and faults and the degrees of them and to reckon them up all and to make a frank acknowledgment to their own Consciences or their Friends A sign too of no very great degree of Repentance or a Conversion from sin In the first we multiply and magnifie the Imperfections Infirmities Defects ill-Qualities of others Here the good ones Surely much the better extream as to its Effects as it seems even when it proceeds from ultimate Self-love as well as the other extream which is too often and not out of Charity A more particular and very useful Instance of the First General is when we Judg the Actions of Men to proceed from worse Principles Ends Designs and Qualities in them than indeed they do A thing the more diligently and carefully to be avoided because of very mischievous and evil consequences and yet extraordinary frequent and easie to be fallen into Thus often we accuse and condemn Men of Covetousness Pride Unconscientiousness or the like from some actions which really were the effects much of a wise and discreet Virtue and had very little mixture if any of these Vices A thing very often especially happening in refusal or denying the Cravings and Desires of others Thus we accuse Men often of great Wilfulness when it is Weakness of Wickedness or Evil-disposition of Will when it is Ignorance and Imprudence of deliberate Mischievousness when it is a sudden Surprize How often shall you hear Men fiercely accuse one another of Malice Hatred Revenge Pride than the first of which nothing more devilish and worse can be thought or said of a Man though I wish it were not so often true when there is no such matter but an impartial and upright Justice that is Charity to the Publick or at worst ignorance mistake Mens not attending forgetfulness or the like This is very often seen in the behaviour of Sects and Parties one towards another Where the Inconsistency of Opinions with good Conscience is often fiercely affirmed too universally before it is known what Advantages they have had for Information Though I acknowledg too there may be oft very sufficient signs for a very probable Judgment This rash and false Judgment in these or the like Instances being so mischievous and yet frequent is as I said when it is on the false side diligently to be avoided and rather let the defect the rashness and the mistake be on the other hand which usually argues much of Wisdom and Charity good Nature and a great freedom from ultimate and inordinate Self-love and especially when it is towards Adversaries And therefore it is a lovely and amiable thing it is called good Interpretation and Candour When one judgeth most favourably and putteth the best sense and meaning upon Actions and external appearances when there is equal probability on both sides or there is none at all of either appearing and when it is constrain'd to judg worse it is with pity According to that invaluable 13th Chap. of the first Epistle to the Corinthians to be written in the most deep and lasting Characters in our Souls and to be read every morning nay as oft as may be verse 5. Charity as it beareth all things so it believeth and hopeth all things Sect. V. 5. The Fifth thing forbidden is too great a Proneness and Aptness to pronounce to declare and make known our Judgment and Opinion concerning others especially on the bad side To be always talking thereof though to no visible good effect nor out of any good Principle And to be in pain as it were till they have delivered themselves and this usually comes too from the Inordinate love of Activity of doing somewhat of Restlesness which is called Busibodiness and sometimes from the other worse Qualities so often mentioned Malice Pride Envy Revenge c. and mostly from a mixture of more of them together With all which too as in all other Actions of Men insincere as most are I doubt some small mixture sometimes there may be of Justice that is of a kind of common Charity This too great Proneness or Inclination considered without its Principle or End as I have told you before admits of Variety Some Men ought to have more as all Governours and Overseers of others Manners or in general of their good Qualities Those also that find the good effects of good Instruction Self-amendment kindly and laudable Emulations Pity an endeavour for the good of the faulty and of others to amend or prevent the same else-where Others on the contrary who are private Persons in a private Capacity or Condition apt to gratifie thereby their Envy Pride Hatred Contempt of others Self-conceit affectation of Superiority will have seldomer sufficient reasons to pass or declare their Judgment and when they have the good effects are not so considerable in them as in the former Persons Consequently they must nourish a lesser Proneness and Inclination thereto These Men also who find they can better discern choose govern and Instruct themselves in all Circumstances of declaring their Opinion concerning Persons such as I have before mentioned of the Persons judged the Persons before whom c. These also may be more free and allow themselves more of this Proneness Those on the contrary who may and ought to observe themselves forgetful unable to take notice or discern the fittest Circumstances or not to be able to moderate or govern themselves when they do but what they have in their mind it must come out those who are thus dull and weak ought to lay aside this Proneness and Inclination to subjugate or weaken it so far forth and to betake themselves more to mind their own affairs immediately In General of which more hereafter the declaration of this our Judgment must always be done with all the signs and with the best effects we can of Charity in doing Good and consequently Self-denial Charity I say sometimes more immediately respecting the Person of whom we judg sometimes our selves it may be as in the case of sin when we ought to vindicate our selves sometimes some others By-standers sometimes altogether Be sure let there not appear any the least sign of doing it out of ultimate respect to our selves in any kind nor let the effect be only such with a neglect of or in opposition to the good of the Person or others And a great many signs there are of this which may better come in in another place Sect. VI. 6. And lastly And above all is here forbidden the undue end of our Judging others viz. Self-pleasing ultimately and that several ways by others hurt or mischief positive or privative These are Malice Hatred Pride Envy Revenge Flattery and base Fear Busibodiness Curiosity c. This
Manners and Instructors and Teachers of good Manners and to Friends whose care and industry for the good of those whom they thus judg it will excite to those that would free themselves from too partial an admiration of Persons to those who have a mind and design to be more accurately good in things of more great and publick Concernment and in many other Circumstances which every ones private prudence must determine Much less still is the contrary commanded or indulged viz. To judg that good and laudable which is bad and to be condemned to judg falsly on the best and favourable side for to judg falsly is ever forbidden and to judg according to Truth when we do judg is always commanded and enjoyned We are not neither to think well of all Persons and all in Persons to praise speak well of all things We may and ought when Charity and Prudence are the reasons of our using our Judgments to think of things as they are to think that bad or faulty which is so as near as we can be informed and to say so too as it follows in the next particular Sect. V. Fifthly Nor in the next place is it here universally forbidden to declare and make known our Judgments and that on the worst side But there are many Circumstances in which it is of much better effect so to do Sometimes to reprove always with Charity and Discretion to be sure the Guilty or Faulty and to let him know our Opinion concerning any Actions or Temper or Quality in him may be of excellent use and be a means to amend the Persons and to prevent the like for the future Sometimes to admonish others lest they imitate or do the like we may make known our Judgment to them especially when the faulty Person is Incorrigible or to prevent some fraud or hurt or mischief that otherwise might be done by one to another We are not always to hold our Tongue nor conceal all signs of our Opinions be Meal-mouth'd for fear of displeasure or the like causes which as it may be in the effect very mischievous so it proceeds usually from Treachery or Cowardize Much less still is it commanded or permitted here to signifie a contrary Judgment to what we really have in our Breasts to speak or otherwise so to behave our selves as if we thought well of approved and liked that which we do not To do this out of the self-end of preventing any evil or procuring any good from a Person is called Flattery We are not to say That evil is good or darkness light We are not either for fear or favour to Commend and Praise what in our Judgment and Conscience we condemn But when we think our selves obliged to declare and make known our Opinion and Judgment concerning any Person or Actions it must always be with Truth although it be to disapprove or condemn But then to be sure let this be always done with a sincere inward Charity and all the just signs of it and of freedom from any Self-design and especially that which is in such a case most ordinary and suspected viz. from Pride and Imperiousness and therefore with Modesty with great Discretion and Prudence that is a discerning and fore-seeing when it may and when it may not be of good use and effect to do or not do it Of which hereafter under another Head Here is to be noted that as these Actions of Judgment are not prohibited so not all Inclinations thereto CHAP. IV. We proceed to the Fourth General Head viz. Sect. I. TO Instance in some of the Causes of these prohibited Judgments here those especially which are more Proper Immediate Frequent and most in our own power to prevent We must run them over again And First Of too much Proneness to judg in general the Causes some of them may be 1. Too much Idleness By which I mean not a Man's doing nothing for that cannot be every Body is always employ'd his Thoughts are always taken up about somewhat but a Man 's not having any destined or set-purposed-Employment which one should always chuse as that in which he can best serve God and the World do most good in his Generation A neither designing nor purposing to pursue always or at least but when any extraordinary occasion happens any particular nor his General calling as is usually distinguished neither that which he with some others employ themselves about nor that which all Men should such as Reflection upon ones own Actions the end design the event or effect of them the having respect to the pleasing of God and doing good some way or other to our Neighbour to the Publick and the performance of some general Duties to God and our Neighbour which all are constantly obliged to perform Men's not having I say constantly such designed purposed and set-employment gives their Mind leave le ts them at liberty to wander about any where to be employed about any thing that shall from any cause be thrust upon them or shall occur Now this is far more usually others Persons and Actions than themselves partly because they are far more the object of our External Senses which affect Men generally more strongly and frequently than any thing from within themselves and then what we have proposed or objected to us we naturally and laudably are prone to be judging somewhat or other concerning them or appertaining to them But Men that have any set constant Calling to employ themselves in and besides perform their general Duties to God their Neighbour and themselves are not so much at leasure to mind and attend to what others are and do and consequently to judg Just for Example as Idle wandring Beggars who as we say are never out of their way and have no certainly designed Place or Business turn to every By-House to see who dwells there They look upon observe talk to or talk of every Passenger they meet when the Man that hath some designed Affair or Business with certain time and place in his Journey hardly observes or minds or but very little and passingly the Company upon the Rode nor any way diverts or stops himself Such was the fault of the younger Widdows which Saint Paul bids Timothy to advise They learnt to be Idle wandring about from House to House and then They were Tatlers and Busiebodies speaking things which they ought not 1 Tim. 5. 13. This is a privative Cause Sect. II. Secondly The Love of Activity meerly ultimately to no better end but only to please themselves therein Themselves are too little a Sphere there is more variety of things to be observed and judged in all others who they know than only in themselves whence they do it with greater life and vigour Men think it a dull thing and that 's their only reason to mind principally themselves and things appertaining to them and it may be the same things too for the most part to live in a round not always but so much
Persons no such occasions of anger hatred contempt and envy by especially the declaration of a Mans Judgment or of what he knows of others to their disadvantage but to be very sparing in so doing and in general never to do it out of any worse Principle than a general Charity to Men and consequently love to what is just and right out of no selfishness no hatred or contempt of the Person in general but of love rather to him out of hatred or contempt of the particular Vice or Imperfection only and one would be glad it were otherwise And then as to our Prudence never to do it but when seeing the necessity thereof we are in Wisdom as well as Charity obliged to it Be not a Witness against thy Neighbour without cause i. e. Without some foreseen so good an effect as ought to be a cause thereof Prov. 24. 28. And ver 17. Rejoyce not when thine Enemy falleth Nor let thy Heart be glad when he stumbleth And hitherto is referr'd the telling stories to one Person of what another Person hath said of him or done towards him behind his back and again to the latter what the former hath said of him If this be frequent it is usually out of Talkativeness Busibodiness Hatred or Flattery either to do a Person an ill turn by ill disposing his Neighbour towards him setting him against him or to do ones self a good turn by getting the favour of the Person to whom we report as seeming so much concern'd for his Credit and good Reputation or other Good Though this may be done too sometimes out of a hearty sincere Charity and Prudence without any ultimate Self-end Where no Wood is saith the Wiseman there the Fire goeth out So where there is no Tale-bearer the strife ceaseth Prov. 26. 20. As Wood is usually conceived the cause of Fire so such Stories or Reports whether true or false of one to another are the cause of Strife and Contention And ver 22. The words of a Tale-bearer are as Wounds and go down into the innermost parts of the Belly That is Usually the stories of such Persons affect deeply their Minds to whom they are told with keen smart violent and piercing Passions of Vexation Anger Revenge And Prov. 16. 28. A froward Man sendeth forth strife and a Whisperer separateth chief Friends Such a Person by his frequent stories if he be believed puts Enmity not only between Strangers but Friends not Friends only but chief Friends for so probably the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may there signifie it otherwise signifying Excellency and Superiority A great many sayings you have in the Proverbs of the like nature Sect. VI. VI. The ill Consequences of judging out of Hatred Revenge Pride Envy Anger Contempt c. Are 1. The increase of these Passions and their Principles in our selves by use and in others by our example which in the degree or so far forth as they habitually possess our Souls render us unworthy of Life or Beeing For so far forth we do as much Mischief as in us lies and surely as far as we see 't were better than in that respect that we were out of the World And although Self-love and Fear may oft-times restrain and hinder us from being the Authors of such Mischief to our Neighbour whereby we may be Obnoxious to humane Laws yet there may be as much of these in our Hearts as may render us detestable to God whose Knowledg and Punishment we can neither conceal our selves from nor escape But there are infinite Mischiefs which we are capable of doing one to another which humane Laws cannot take notice of In so much that a Place Company or Society may be weary of us and yet cannot tell how to be rid of us These dispositions make us like Dragons and Basilisks that where ever we come we kill and and do mischief with our very Breaths and Eyes These are the Frenzie the Plague of our Souls which make every Body very reasonably shun and run away from us Finally some make themselves hereby Enemies both to God and Men and fit company only for the Infernal Spirits whom we are most like and by their being as bad as our selves their company will be a very sutable punishment for us Further one of the worst mischiefs of such Principles and Tempers is that by our example we infect others and make others like our selves we make to our selves company of the like nature to us and to one another We propagate it we give occasion to and stir up the same Lusts and wicked Inclinations in others we help to make them more common and ordinary and therefore the less shameful and the less suspected and believed to be so bad as they are 2. It exposeth us to the Hatred Anger Revenge and Contempt of others If these Qualities in us when but suspected as in our Judgment sometimes of the worst side were the occasion thereof how much more when they but too evidently appear to be the principles of our Judgments All prejudices of Judgment concerning others from ultimate Self-love render us generally contemned or hated more or◠less according to the degree thereof that appears at least pitied by the Best and Wisest Nothing generally more hated than Hatred it self Ill-nature Malignity Pride of which unreasonable and unjust Contempt is one sort I say it exposeth to their hatred and contempt sometimes justly when they judg truly of us most-what unjustly and more than we deserve Men seldom observe due measures in these Passions sometimes by way of Justice most what by way of Imitation or mixture of both And now when we are thus affected to Men our selves and they by our Example and out of Justice or Ill-nature or both are so affected to us again and to one another How innumerable are the Mischiefs which are consequent viz. Just all that we see in the World Men are properly the Causes and Authors of one to another All Mens mischievous Wills and Intentions one towards another proceed from want of Charity from Hatred in themselves or from the same ill Qualities in others really or supposed and presumed either because Men hate one another when it is not deservedly or when it is 3. But a more particular mischief of our judging others out of Hatred is their judging by way of Revenge untruly of us in general of our Qualities Principles or Actions Whence our Example in any thing that is Good in us is rendred ineffectual all our Actions though never so good are either not taken notice of neglected or interpreted in the worse sense that is those that come from never so good Principles and are very natural signs thereof will be deemed Signs of bad or meer Signs and Hypocritical It is true this will often happen thróugh Persons ill-nature and aptness therefore to judg on the worst side when there is no occasion or cause on our part given and then we being not able to
spoken disadvantagiously and to add to it too and aggravate it and thou art not to give them the occasion if there be no greater good to be had thereby not with a less Inconveniency to be procur'd Those too that are of an ill Temper and apt to be Envious and Proud will make ill use thereof and gratifie and augment those Vices in themselves and afterwards be generally contemptuous and ill-affected towards the Person thou discommendest It is more safely done and very profitably oft-times before Persons of a benign and generous Temper and those who are Discreet who make from thence profitable Observation of the Causes the mischievous Effects of the Defects Infirmities Faults and Vices of Humane Nature to Direct Govern and Moderate themselves to Advise and Counsel others with Reason and even the Person himself whose faults are noted if it comes fairly in their way Not to contemn or dispise the Person in general much less to hate him Sometimes this may be done unawares but oft-times it proceeds from an ill will to the Person judged and therefore from an intent and design to exasperate and incense his Adversaries against him more knowing they are apt easily to take fire Oft-times it comes more from Flattery to pick Thanks and ingratiate ones-self with him who is enemy to the Person judged whom they judg they please hereby being willing to hear of the others Faults and Infirmities to gratifie his Hatred or Pride or that he may have wherewithal to justifie his being so dispos'd against him that he might seem to be his Enemy with more Reason If it be not thus yet oft-times this will be suspected a Man will incur the suspicion of an ungenerous Revenge or Hatred or Ill-will or Flattery or at least the accusation of Imprudence That 's the 7th Rule Be more sparing in thy Judgment 1. Concerning Superiors 2. Friends 3. Enemies 4. Once or rarely Surprized 5. To and of wrathful and bashful Persons 6. Before much Company 7. Before Enemies or Ill-dispos'd Sect. VIII 8. Be apt and inclin'd rather to defer thy Judgment concerning others till thou art desired and that either by the Person himself or others who may be much necessarily concern'd to know another Persons Qualities or Conditions and then not to refuse it Some Reasons are because that hereby thou accustomest and usest thy self to Self-government and Direction to Act for certain Ends and by certain Rules particularly thou causest thy self to refrain thy self and to be free and averse from Busie-bodiness and impertinent and profitable medling with other Mens Matters and other bad Principles of Judgment partly by meer disuse partly by attending to this Rule and the good effects of it Again thy Judgment is then more likely to be true Further Thou securest thy self also from suspicion of Prejudice and consequently thy Judgment is more heeded and it being more likely to be true may be of good use to the Person desiring and the other concerning whom it is desired if known to advise and forewarn them of some Fault or Imperfection to be reformed or get rid of which otherwise would not have been minded or believed Further Thou doest a very good turn for and gratifiest him that inquires of thee It may be also an occasion of a good Turn and of a Kindness to the other Person thou passest thy Judgment of to remove some unjust Suspicions or Opinions concerning him It may be he was believed or suspected worse than he was Thou mayst rectifie some Mistakes Sect. IX 9. Thou mayst then more freely and frequently declare thy Judgment concerning one to another or to more when thou seest them deficient in Ability or Wisdom to take care of themselves and particularly when they are actually Ignorant of something in another Person which may be of great concernment to them or are deceived in their Opinion concerning him whence some great Detriment or Dammage may arise from one to the other Thus for Example If a Man knows or reasonably suspects a Man to be False and Faithless to be Fraudulent or to be Poor and Insufficient who yet would be bargaining with or borrowing of another or getting some interest in his Person or Estate of which he may be Ignorant or to perswade to some Actions and Opinions which may be childish foolish or hurtful a Man may advise the Persons concerned and give them his Judgment then unasked not out out of any Ill-will to the one but of Good-will to and Care of the other For a Man ought to be a Friend to every Man and a Brother and not permit if he can any one to be dammaged or mischieved and to keep him from the commission of a Sin A Man may oft-times meet with Persons in the World who are innocent too and simple of no great prudence and foresight who are also rash and precipitate or dull and inapprehensive who therefore may be easily impos'd upon by others and made a Prey of by them Here it is a prudent piece of Charity to advise and fore-warn and to discover the Designs and Qualities of those who would and do abuse their Simplicity and imprudent well-meaning Honesty Some Reasons of this are the same with the former It is an exercise of Virtue and Prudence in our selves It is an act of more than ordinary Charity to the Person in danger to be deceived to lend him thus the use of thine Eyes for his safety and good It is a very seasonable making use of thy Judging that is it will do most good now when at another time perhaps it would do none atall or not so much Here in this case when a Man desires thy Opinion or Judgment thou removest his Solicitude and satisfiest him perhaps if he be Ignorant thou informest him whereas if thou givest thy Judgment unasked before thou art desired and where the Man is sufficient himself thou wilt do them no kindness nor will they so much mind thee nor thank thee for it for it may be they have none or not such need of thy Judgment just then and thou wilt be more suspected too of Busie-bodiness or Ill-will So also where thou art not desired by one Person to give thy Judgment concerning anoâ—her Person but unasked because of the Persons Insufficiency out of Charity thou doest it the effects most-what are very good and if therefore thou doest it thou art no less prudent than charitable And these are the most considerable Rules I have now thought of for the Mannagement and Government of our selves in judging others which in very few words for Memory sake I will reckon up again 1. Be sure it be never inconsistent with Charity but always done out of the prospect of some good end 2. With the exactest truth 3. Beware of all Passions before Judgment 4. Declare not thy Judgment when thou thy self art guilty Or 5. If thou dost first accuse and condemn thy self 6. It is better and safer generally not to declare thy Judgment of Persons 7. Be sparing in judging and declaring thy Judgment on the worst side concerning Superiors Friends Enemies Surprized Wrathful and Bashful Persons before much Company before Enemies and Ill-disposed 8. Defer thy Judging much till thou art desired or asked 9. Interpose it to them whom thou seest defective in their Ability or Care for themselves Many more by Experience may be taken notice of and observed Sect. X. 10. I have nothing more to do in this Argument now but only to remind you of the two general things I intended and aimed at in this Discourse principally to recommend to you and that is Charity and Prudence in a business that is very frequent and takes up a very considerable part of our Lives For it is very obvious and easie to observe that a great part of our Actions of Life are the thinking and judging and talking and discoursing of other Persons their Qualities and Actions The Charity is in the last of the six Particulars The contrary of which I here think principally prohibited which was to judg out of any nltimate Selfishness and therefore not out of Busi-bodiness Hatred Revenge Pride Affectation of Superiority Envy Contempt Anger Flattery or the like But if this bad Principle be prohibited than if ever Judging be permitted in any Case as sure it is the contrary of Charity is commanded for one of those Ends and Principles must be our Prudence is concern'd in the other five prohibited Judgments viz. to be too prone to judg in general to be too much inclined to judg on the worst side to judg rashly to judge falsly to be too forward in declaring our Judgments All the Causes Consequences Remedies and Rules I have mention'd are but more particulary Motives and Incentives to our Charity or Directions for our Prudence And now therefore I heartily exhort you to the Practice of what hath been spoken That you would adorn this part of your Conversation with the two most excellent Ornaments not only of our Souls but of the Divine Nature it self For our Charity and Prudence are but little imitations of God's infinite Wisdom and Goodness How beautiful lovely and pleasant a thing it is to see each one discreetly tender of his Neighbours good Name Reputution Interest or Concern How lovely a thing is generous Love And what a reverend thing is unaffected Prudence in all our Conversation and particularly here What unhandsome things are Rashness and Falsehood How ugly and contemptible Selfishness Hatred Malice Pride Envy Contemptuousness unguided Anger Busie-bodiness vain Curiosity Flattery c. Finally remember we are Christians and who it is viz. Our Master and Saviour Himself who hath here expresly forbidden these things Judg not that ye be not judged The same our Master and Saviour send down His gracious Influence to help us to do what He hath taught and commanded us Amen FINIS