shall haue Summumius Extreame right extreame wrong and though some times like the moone they are full of blots and imperfections yet according to the prouerbe they will looke beyond the moone and complaine against the least moat they behold in the Sunne yea wee shall finde the most wicked men that liue like barren rocks and mountaines complaine of a fruitfull and fertile soyle because here and there springes vp a thistle and a weed and the cause is men are giuen more to see into the faultes of others then their owne For euery man saith Aesop hath a wallet hanging vpon his shoulders the one halfe hanges vpon our breast and the other halfe vpon our backe the former is full of other mens faults which we continually behold that part which is behinde and loaden with our owne offences wee neuer regard nor cast an eye towards it by this meanes wee become vnmercifull towards others too sparing to our selues Therefore to moue vs to pittie and commiseration in our reproofes to our brethren let vs consider that either Aut sumus 〈…〉 vel possâ—â—â—â— esse quod hic est wee haue beene are or may bee as bad as they that sinne The third circumstance in the manner of reprouing Now the third and last circumstance 3 Circumstance in the manner of reprouing is Courage to be considered in the manner of reproofe is Courage and magnanimitie as well as wisdome and gentlenesse we must haue the Oare of loue and the Oare of feare to worke in the delinquent by the impartiall Remum amâ—ris remum â—imoris Plut. courage of a wise reprouer Herein wee must be like the Bee which is not all hony it hath a sting also and our reproofe must be tempered according to the riddle of Fortiter sâ—aâ—is sâ—aâ—iter fortis Iudg. 14 14. Sampson both strong in sweetnesse and seet in strength otherwise we shall finde but little profit redownd to our labours for although loue faire meanes winne and recall some yet there are others that wee must Iude. 23. saue with feare pulling them out of the fire these must bee handled roughly as Hagar was for as all men sleepe not alike so neither are Prodâ—cero â—â—â—ra Prâ—ducere verbera they to be wakened alike to some we must giue the breast to others the rodde otherwise by sparing we spill Our Courage must consist in two Two things to be considered in courage things Frst that we spare to reproue the person of no man when we haue authority to reproue Secondly that we let passe no sin in the party reproued First we must shew our true zeale 1 Property of courage and courage in reprouing whomsoeuer wee see sinne Herein we are bound to say as Nathan to Dauid Thou art the man as Elias to Ahab 2 Sam. 12 7. 1 Kings 18. 18. 2 Chr. 26. 18. It is thou and thy fathers house that trouble Israel Azaria rebuked vzziah It partaineth not to thee to burne incense Asa reproued his mother 1 King 15. 13. Yea wee must reproue Father Luk. 14 26. and Mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters be they neuer so deare or neere vnto vs by the bonds of loue or relation Let vs not doe as many pusillanimous effeminate spirits who dare aduenture to check an inferior but to a man in power they dare not say as Iohn Baptist to Herod it is not lawfull for Mat. 14. 4. thee they will aduenture perhaps to throw a stone at a Dogge but to looke but a Lyon in the face they dare not Some againe will not sticke to bee couragious in their reprehensions but their rebuke shall fall rather vpon vertue then vpon vice Dat veniam corâ—is â—â—raâ— censura columbas lunen sâ—t 1 and so reproue where they should cherish maintaine this is as mettell in a blind horse doth endanger both his owne life and the life of him who should be his guide It is necessary that our reproofe should be setled vpon a right obiect and then let it be in vs as powder to the bullet to offer violence vpon the face of any sinner and like the flaming sword in the Cherubims hand to keepe him from forbidden fruit Though a sinner swell with pride contempt as Behemoth with Iordan Iob. 40. 23. if he be Agag let him suffer as well as the poorest Amalakite Let vs not sticke to touch the hole of the Aspe and to lay our handes vpon the den of the Cockatrice then shall wee shew our true valour indeed euery coward dares set his foot vpon a poore silly worm because it hath no power to resist but hee is the best man that dares encounter where greatest opposition is Secondly as wee must know our 2 Property of true courage courage in sparing the person of no man so likewise in sparing the sinne of no person we must deale as Saint Paul with the Corinthians who nominates their sinne to them It is reported 1 Cor. 5. 1. commonly that there is fornication amongst you wee must deale with our friends as the Painter dealt with Alexander who painted him out curiously yet with his scarre in his face and Clitus that loued him best condemned and reproued his quaffing though for the manner he did it so vnaduisedly as it cost him his life Thus must we spare no sinne wee see in others but discouer and make it manifest Imitating the skilfull painter who shadoweth a man in all his partes and giueth euery peece his iust proportion thus in our reproofe we must decipher out and shew euery humour in the kinde as the Chirurgion that maketh the Anatomie sheweth as well the muscles in the heele as the veines in the heart So in our reprouing we must faithfully and fully set downe the faultes of the party offending that he may both see them and shunne them Let vs not bee fearefull to offend Mat. 10. 28. men whose breath is in his nostrills but let vs feare God who is able to cast both soule and body into hell fire least according to the old proverbe whilest we feare the frost we be ouerwhelmed with the snow for Qui timeâ—â— pâ—â—iâ—am irruet super eos â—ix Prov. 29. 25. as Solomon saith The feare of man bringeth a snare but who so puteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe Here then are all such to bee reproued who want courage in this christian duty Especially Ministers Magistrats who haue most authority to reproue It is a shame to see a Minister stand like Harpocrates the Aegyptian God with his fingers in his mouth when Babel is building and sinne reacheth vp to the heauens Shame it is that the Magistrate should not be such a man as Iethro Exod. 18. 21. counselled Moses to make choice of a man of courage fearing God and Rom. 13. 4. whereas he is stiled Goas sword bearer not to weare it
not his life so that a man may say to them as St Paul said to the Galathians Am I therefore become your enimie Gal. 4. 16. because I tell you the truth when we shall come to cast out Legions of fowle spirits out of their hearts they will reply what haue we to doe with thee Iesus thâ—â— sonne of the most high Mat. 5. 7. God yea let the reprouer bee Magistrate or Minister they will obiect malice as Ahab or pride ambition as Corah and his company yee take too much vpon you Or as Num. 16. 3. Exod. 2. 14. Act. 7. 27. one of the Hebrewes to Moses who made thee a Iudge Some goe farther with Ahab to imprison And some with Herod could find in their hearts to cut off Iohn Baptists head Mar. 6. 27. and take away their liues Yea most men we shall finde like Marcus Antonius wife who would haue worne Tullies tongue in her hat because he reproued the faults of her husband These are like the Horse and Mule Psal 32 9. without vnderstanding let a man feed them all his life time and no resistance is made but when their keeper comes to let them blood to drench them or meddle with their sores hauing no reason to apprehend their owne good they striue to mischiefe him that only aimes at their health and some horses there are againe which being trauelling if they be spurred they fling about them rather then mend their pâ—ce Thus wee shall finde many behaue themselues when they are reproued tell them of their faults and striue to restore them from the distemper of their soules and they wil inhumanely resist and brutishly oppose those good motions and exhortations which tend to the good of their soules For as Solomon saith He that hateth reproofe is brutish And correction is grieuous to him that forsaketh Prov. 12. 1. Prov. 15. 10. thy way These men deale with them that correct their faults and shew them their imperfections as the Ape with the looking-glasse who beholding therein his ilfauoured face and feature striues by all meanes to breake the glasse wherein he seeth himselfe A faithfull and wise reprouer is like a looking glasse wherein a man may see his spirituall faults and blemishes a disobedient and stubborne heart is like vnto the â—â—pe who striues not to mend his faults but labours to breake the glasse that is to mischiefe him that laieth his faults opeÌ„ before his face and this peruersnesse of mind sendeth many soules to hell For he that hateth reproofe shall dye How many Prov. 29. 1. then shall shake hands with death and destruction who being great in place estate are like vnto Mount Sinai which may not bee touched Psal 125. 1. but he that telleth them plainely of their faults is counted presumptuous he that calleth a waterish swelling the dropsie or an angry humour the Gout is thought now a daies vnmannerly as though men were born to feed the humours of great ones in reprouing men of inferiour ranck we shall finde reprehension like the flaying of a beast the skinne goes from the body with much ease and little labour but when wee handle great men wee shall finde reproofe sticke at the head and from thence the skinne of sinne as of a beast will hardly be drawne And this is the reason why great men are Venison in heauen a rare dish seldome seen The second Reproofe Here I may also cheâ—â—e another generation of people who if they looke to their owne carriages they respect not how others demeane themselues But are ready to say with Cain Am I my brothers keeper Gen. 4 9. And what haue I to doe with him Let him looke to himselfe if he will Whereas S. Paul wisheth vs to consider or obserue one another And Heb. 10. 24. Phil 2. 4. Id est ea quae pertinent ad vtilitatem aâ—â—râ— Aâ—â—elm in loc to looke not every man to his owne things but every man also on the things of others so farre forth as they concerne the good and benefit of our brother And so it falleth out often times that wee are more beholding to our foes and enimies then to our friends kindred who pretend much loue to our persons but are too sparing to our sinnes with them they will haue nothing to doe or if they haue it shall be rather to make and maintaine a vice to be a vertue like the Fox in Aesops Fables who said the Crow was a faire bird and had a pleasant note Yea this want of reproofe may bee condemned much in Magistrates and Ministers themselues especially if they should exercise this good office vpon such as haue relation to them or they that are any way a gaine and profit to them they can peradventure handle zealously the faults of inferiours or it may be the inferiour faults of great ones but if they should light vpon that sinne which chiefly liues and raignes in them then they growe remisse and flacke handed and rather sooth vp the same with faire words and sugered speeches These are like the fierce Mastiue that will barke and bay till his chaine cracke at a stranger and if he chance to come within his reach he will fly in the face of him but if it be his master that hee sees come then his barking is turned into fawning because he knoweth his master vseth to giue him crusts and bones to feed on Thus many will offend for a hit of bread Pâ—ov 28. â—1 and for feare of a checke or inconvenience from him that is reproued And wee shall also finde that couetousnesse is a great cause of this defect as well as feare because sometimes it falleth out that men are made rich by the sinnes of others and this makes them like the Fox hunting after his prey which wakes with his eyes shut they see not and yet see they are wilfully blinde having closed their eyes least they Act. 28 27. Gen. 38. 14. should see with Thamar they muffle their eyes and will not see and all because the sinnes of others bring advantage to them I would this fault were not too commoÌ„ amongst the Courts of this Nation and Magistrates of the Land who like vnmercifull Chirurgians keepe the wound raw which they might seasonably heale and all for their own gaine and advantage Yea I could wish that every man in his place would deale faithfully and plainely with the faults of others noâ— searing the person or face of any man I would men would condemne the sinnes of others as plainely as the Franciscan Frier did Pope Sixtus the fourth who came to be Pope froÌ„ the same order Who seeing the Frier shewed him a great treasure of mony and said vnto him Frier I cannot say as Peter did Silver gold haue I none No more can you say saith the Frier as Peter said to the man that was sicke of the palsie Arise and walke If wee durst thus behaue our selues
and that to the Act. 3. 6. greatest surely wee could not but bring forth some reformation from our good endeauours And for our better encouragement not to dissemble with any but to deale faithfully with all let vs consider the words of Solomon Hee that saith to the wicked thou art righteous him Prov. 24. 24. 25 shall the people curse nations shall abhorre him But to them that rebuke him shall be delight and a good blessing shall come vpon them CHAP. 5. Arguments to perswade vs to reproue the sinnes of others First Argument the guilt of Sinne. IF we reproue not sin in others 1 Argument to moue vs to reproue sinne in others we make our selues guilty of the same sinne for the neglecting any duty which is commanded displeaseth God as well as the committing of sinnes prohibited Curse yee Meroz saith the Angell of the Indg. 5. 23. Lord curse yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof not because they fought against the children of the Lord but because they did not assist the Lord against the mighty and we are as well liable to the curse of God for not helping the lord against sin as they that really transgresse the law vice vertue are contraries which haue no medium therefore in subiecto capaci the absence of the one must of necessity argue the presence of the other so theÌ„ he that hath authority to reproue sin is guilty of it if he strike it not vpoÌ„ the face with a seasonable rebuke and if a man neither lye nor sweare himselfe yet if he suffer it in others â—â—e sinne is Qui ferendi potestatem â—abet solus in culpa est si culpa non feritur Bâ—r. Amici vitia qâ—i serâ— facit sua his owne as in the Common wealth and our lawes the accessary is as well guiltie and lyable to punishment as the principall So in Gods Consistory the not corrector as well as the law-breaker is both guilty of the sinne and subiect to the same reward For if a soule sinne and heare Leuit. 5. 1. the voice of swearing and is a witnesse whether hee hath seene or knowne of it if he did not vtter it then he shall beare his iniquity and therefore the Lord admonisheth the watchman to blow the trumpet and Ezeck 33. 7. 8. warne the people from the Lord otherwise if hee warned not the wicked man from his way the wicked man should dye in his iniquitie but God would require his bloud at his handes Now euery one in this case must be a watchman ouer his brother to prohibit and rebuke sinne in him otherwise his brothers bloud shall be required at his handes And thus it was in ancient times amongst the Heathens themselues for the Lacedemonians vsed to punish him that did not reproue the fault of another with the same punishment that was due to the offender himselfe and thus wee see the sinne of another man by our silence may become our owne and therefore the word mum in English I take to be deriued from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 macula a fault or blemish so that in this kind to be mute or mum as wee say or to hold a mans tongue is a sinne and transgression in the sight of God and certainely shall not goe vnpunished Therefore if any man haue an eye to see sinne let him discouer it if he haue an hand let him plucke it vp otherwise other mens sinnes shall bee enrolled amongst ours and so with Ely wee shall not only breake the necke of the body but that of the 1. Sam. 4. 18. soule also and make the curse of another mans sinnes light heauy vpon our selues Second argument is charity towards the sinner Secondly the duty of loue and 2 Argument to moue vsto reproue sin charity wee owe one to another bindes vs to this good office In the old law we are commanded not to see Deut. 22. 1. our neighbours oxe nor his sheepe to goe astray and to hide our selues but in any case to bring them againe vnto our brother much more then are wee to reduce a straying soule into the waies of God and good reason for wee are all of vs fellow members of that body whereof Iesus Christ is the head now we know members of a body are helpefull to one another if the foot haue a thorne in it the head stoopes the handes helpe to pluck it out againe We are brethren as St Paule saith Brethren if any one bee ouertaken in Gal. 6. 1. a fault c. fraternall and brotherly affection must be a spurre to pricke vs on to shew our loue in this action which indeed is a sure tryall manifestation of the best loue and on Probatio dilectionis est exhibitio operis Greg. Insâ—liâ—â—â—iciâ—ia qâ—â— illum quam 〈◊〉 â—â—â—endo â—radit Diabolo the contrary it 's a cursed friendship and association which by a wicked taciturnitie and conniuence at finne giues vp the soule of the sinner into the handes of the Diuell Therefore in this kinde it is good wee should deale as one louing friend to another who beholding him dangerously and deepely affected with some disease or sicknesse hee will carefully prouide the Chirurgion or Physition for his cure and restauration to his former health thus let vs striue to haue as much spirituall loue as most men haue naturall affection that when wee see our brother euill affected with sinne which is the sicknesse of the soule wee may by wise and seasonable rebukes make vp and heale the sores and spirituall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 batteries of sinne and Satan in the hearts of our brethren The good Samaritan that found the maimed man in miserie that was fallen amongst theeues had compassion Luk. 10. 33. 34. on him and bound vp his wounds shall not wee then much more haue compassion vpon a Brother when wee see him lye vnder the hands of his spirituall enimies and bind vp the wounds of his soule by holy Godly rebukes Hauing reason from the law of equitie and consâ—ience more to commiserate the diseases of the soule then of the body Therefore as Solomon saith withhold not Prov. 23. 13. 14 correction from the child for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not dye thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliuer his soule from hell Thus if wee withhold not a seasonable rebuke when wee see our brother sinne we may happily deliuer his soule from death Satan therefore reproofe is called the correctioÌ„ of life because it tendeth and leadeth to life The eare that heareth the Prov. 15. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reproofe of life abideth among the wise let vs try therefore if by this meanes wee can conuert a man that is erring from the truth and we shall saue a soule from death and shall Auâ—is audieâ—â— increpationem vitarum Iâ—m 5. 19. 20. Mat. 18. 15. hide a multitude of sinnes I might fairely launch forth and with a prosperous gale set vp saile and away into an Ocean of reasons or arguments to moue vs to this duty as the honour of God or the ensnaring the sinner and the standers by who by our silence may halfe perswade themselues a sinne to be no sinne or else so small as not worthy a reprehension or that wee are such as they are and loue the sinne if wee reproue it not also by our reproofe See M. Boltonâ— directionâ— for walking with God pag. 122. sine wee may keepe out the infection contagion of sinne whereby our soules may bee poysoned but for breuities sake I will leaue them to the iudgement and amplification of the reader and him and them to the blessing of that holy spirit who giueth grace to the reprouer and reproued both how to speake and how to take a word of reproofe in due season FINIS