banish'd by the former Particular which requir'd all sincerity uprightness and integrity in our behaviour towards others I have given these Instances only to shew how much people are in love with Humility in the carriage of others towards themselves since the very shadows and resemblances of it have been of so noted influence and how much on the other side they hate Pride and Insolency in others to themselves since a few rough and harsh words and answers have been able to effect so much mischief So that if we will deal with others as we desire they should deal with us 't is certain we shall learn from hence the Practice of Humility SECT VIII THirdly This Rule trains us up to an universal Innocency that we do wrong to no man but in the Language of the Apostle Phil. 2.15 Be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke though in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation Now wrong we may do to others either in their Persons or Relations or Possessions or Good Names and Reputation and in reference to each of these we are taught Innocency that Innocency or Negative Justice Pythagorean Justice which as Hierocles Hierocl defines it consists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In abstaining from what is anothers and not hurting of another nor raising ones own Profit and Gains from anothers Misery and Calamities First We must not wrong or injure the Person of our Neighbour because we would not that any other should wrong or injure ours Now a Mans Person you know consists of these two parts Soul and Body in either of which he is capable of receiving wrong and injury and therefore in reference unto both we are obliged by this Rule before us to preserve and maintain Innocency 1. Then we may not wrong and injure the Soul of another And that we do aither in the natural sense as often as we grieve and offend anothers mind occasion the trouble of his thoughts and the disquiet and discomposure of his spirit that sorrow of heart whereby as Solomon speaks Prov. 15.13 the spirit is broken or in the spiritual sense as often as we make others to sin whereby they wrong their own Souls in the highest degree and hazard their eternal loss and punishment We must not where we may avoid it vex and disturb the mind of our Neighbour give our selves to cross and displease others for we would not that others should do so to us Thus to do is an apparent wrong and injury for when once the mind is broken with grief and vexed with disquiet the man is exposed to great temptations and unfitted for the chearful serving of God or enjoyment of himself 'T is a chief part of our happiness to be at ease within our selves contented and pleased in our own minds tranquil and calm in our thoughts and this we rob another of by wilful offences 'T is a devilish piece of malice and spite of which we can give no tolerable account to delight our selves in the affliction and trouble of anothers Soul We are not willing others should provoke us we should not therefore as the Apostle speaks provoke one another Gal. 5.26 But the chiefest sort of Offences is when we cause others to sin This is that scandal which the Holy Scripture denounceth so heavy and severe a Woe against the Authors of Wo be to that man by whom such offences come Sin is indeed the greatest injury of the Soul the disease and the death of the Soul the spiritual death and torment of that which can never undergo a natural death or destruction the eternal undoing of that which can never cease to be 'T is sin only which separates the Soul from God the Fountain of Life and Happiness 'T is sin only which breeds the Worm that dieth not and kindles the Fire which cannot be quenched And therefore the greatest hatred we can shew to another is to be a means either of his committing sin or continuing in it unrepented of as I noted also before from Leviticus 19.17 True it is in propriety of speech we cannot make another man to sin we cannot force any man to sin Sin as it is the greatest wrong unto the Soul so it is also at the sinners choice whether he will admit of it or no. Voluntas non cogitur And so in this case Nemo laeditur nisi à seipso Every sinner stands accountable for the injury he doth himself But yet we may be capable of doing very much towards the determining of his choice towards the tempting of him into sin or the encouraging of him in it And whenever we do that willingly upon the occasion whereof our Neighbour is drawn and moved to consent unto sin or continue in it we are so far guilty of his sin We bring the guilt of anothers sin and of the wrong redounding to him by it so far upon our selves as we are Authors or Accessaries for here as in case of High-treason both Principal and Accessary are deemed alike guilty Now many are the ways Divines reckon up whereby we may become accessary to the sins of others reputed authors and occasions of their sins If we are Superiours in Authority over them by commanding them to sin by decreeing of unrighteous Decrees Isa 10.1 in the language of the Prophet Isaiah Thus was Nebuchadnezzar guilty of the Peoples Idolatry Dan. 3.4 5 6. by commanding that a Golden Image should be set up and that all at the sound of a Trumpet should fall down and worship it 1 Sam. 22.18 Thus was Saul guilty of killing the Priests whom Doeg slew at his command 3 Sam. 11.15.12.9 Thus David of Vriah's death by commanding Joab on purpose to put him in the front of the Battel Or else by toleration permission or connivence at others sins not restraining of them when we may 1 Sam. 3. Thus Eli became guilty of his Sons wickedness because he restrained them not And the wicked Kings we read of in the Old Testament of the Peoples Idolatry who destroyed not their High-places those Nests of their Idols But all men may become partakers instruments and means of others sins by counselling advising provoking urging perswading alluring or enticing them to sin by assisting and helping them in their sins by giving their consent and furtherance by going before them with a bad example by undue silence and not reproving men for sin as we have opportunity by commending and pleading for their sin by justifying of or flattering them up in their sin by bringing up an evil report on the ways of Religion and affrighting others from Goodness and Vertue by threats or reproaches I should be over-large in giving you particular Instances of all those Heads and Methods whereby directly or indirectly we may become the causes of other mens sins of their profaneness and irreligion of their drunkenness and uncleanness of their Sacrilege and Idolatry of their Schism and Disorder c. of
of them and we our selves I am sure would not like that other men should cherish and countenance any who so injure us 5. We should not harbor evil surmizes and suspicions of others without cause much less judge rashly of them and pronounce unadvisedly upon them determine of their thoughts and intentions which we know not construe doubtful matters to the worst without regard had of circumstances or be ready and forward to believe our selves and hand down to others every slanderous accusation we have at any time heard concerning them For we would not have other men think evil of us without ground or reason we would not have them judge boldly and severely of our thoughts and intentions we would not have them make the worst of all our actions we would not have them believe every flying report concerning us we would not have them report with confidence what they chance to hear at any time of us whereby our interest in others good opinions our Good Name and Reputation may be endamaged We are therefore in all these cases indispensibly obliged to preserve the same innocency towards other men Were this Rule practised as it ought to be there would be no prophane Chams Gen. 9. taking pleasure in the disclosing of their Fathers nakedness There would be no blaspheming Shimeis railing at 2 Sam. 16. and cursing others to their face There would be no traducing Hamans Esther 3.8 accusing others falsly behind their backs There would be no informing Zibas 2 Sam. 16. to steal away the good affections and esteem of any from their truest friends by sinister and unworthy suggestions There would be no slandering Sanballats to disperse abroad defamatory Letters concerning the innocent Neh. 6.6 There would be no cursed Doegs Psal 52. whose tongue deviseth mischief and loveth words that may do hurt There would be no libelling Jehoashes 2 Kings 14.9 to lessen the worth and repute of others by Parables and Comparisons Had this Rule been observed John the Baptist for his Abstinence had never been censured to have a melancholy Devil within him S. Mat. 11.19 nor our Blessed Saviour for his eating and drinking S. Luke 7.34 to be a wine-bibber and friend to Publicans and sinners Act. 28.4 S. Paul had not been thought a murderer because the Viper cleaved to his hands nor yet the suffering Galileans S. Luke 13.1 or those on whom the Tower in Siloe fell upon that score onely sinners above the rest In a word There cannot be a better protection against the injuries of a false or malicious Heart or Tongue than this And thus now I have declared the third Particular somewhat largely that we are trained up by this Rule to an universal Innocency towards others not to do them any wrong or injury in any capacity in their Persons Souls and Bodies in their Relations in their Goods and Possessions or in their Credit and Good Name Thus he that loveth another as himself and consequently doth to another as he would be done by himself hath fulfill'd the Laws that require this Innocence from us For this saith S. Paul Rom. 13.9 10. Thou shalt not commit Adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness Thou shalt not covet and if there be any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying namely Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Love worketh no ill unto his Neighbour therefore Love is the fulfilling of the Law Fourthly In case of wrong and injury done unto another as who is there that in all points and at all times preserves innocency this Rule enjoyns us to make as we are able Restitution or Reparation Amends and Recompence for the wrong and injury we have done for so we all desire and expect that others should do to us Where the Party is disabled to make a real satisfaction there is yet a reparation due by humble and penitent confessions and acknowledgments but where the Restitution may be in kind or value these alone will not suffice Zacheus his resolution is fit for our imitation If I have wronged any man by cozenage S. Luke 19.8 forgery and falshood I will restore four-fold at least I will restore according to what I have wronged him of It were not difficult to shew that there is no true repentance without this and consquently no forgiveness of the wrong and injury done to be look'd for at Gods hand according to S. Augustine's saying Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum But the Motive I have now to urge is because every one looks and desires that this restitution be made unto himself that there be a satisfaction and amends for the wrong and injury done him and this satisfaction must be according to the wrong done If therefore thou have wronged thy Neighbours spirit by wilful vexation and grieving of him thou art bound to make him the amends of an acknowledgment and the supplies of what comfort thou art able to administer If thou have wronged his soul by enticing him to sin or being a means of his continuance in sin thou art obliged to make him reparation according to thy power by provoking him to repentance and using all those good methods of inviting him to Vertue and Goodness which are fittest to countermine the ill methods and arts of sinning thou hast formerly prescrib'd him If thou hast prejudiced him in his Body or any part or member thereof thou art obliged to make him satisfaction according to the value of that loss he hath thereby sustained If thou hast taken away his Goods thou art obliged to restore them If the spoil of the Church the Inheritance of Widows and Orphans the Hire of Labourers be in thine hand thou art obliged to part with it If thou hast spread false reports of thy Neighbour thou art bound to unsay them If thou hast blasted his reputation thou art engaged to do what thou canst to set him right again in the esteem of others c. He that hath wronged and injured another and makes him not some amends for the wrong done declares that he is still of the same disposition and likes and approves well enough of the wrong and injury that he hath done him He that withholds any thing that is anothers from the right Owner thereof which he had unjustly gotten and procured from him justifies himself in his unrighteous usurpation and theft and whoever doth any of these things deals not with others as he is desirous to be dealt with Some injuries there are which admit not of a restitution which cannot be undone again Sometimes also the Offender is utterly disabled for making any competent and real satisfaction and there the wrong doer stands obliged to a supply of confessions and acknowledgments repentance and godly sorrow Sometimes the person wronged is not in being and then the restitution is due to the Heirs of his Body and Fortunes or if
Princes having a charge from God to provide for the welfare and security of the People and that charge clogg'd with many difficulties in the performance of it with many an interruption to their private ease and quiet with many an hazard of their Life and Persons they would certainly learn to think the Obedience of Subjects highly reasonable and whereas an upstart Generation hath been very eager to snatch from their Prince all manner of Power about the ordering of Religion they would questionless be of another mind Religion is the chiefest Policy in order to a Kingdoms happiness Religion is the chiefest means of God's Honour in the World Nothing moves men so violently as Religion doth Nothing therefore can do more harm and mischief than false perswasions about Religion false Doctrines spread abroad under the colour and pretence of Religion How then can any Prince give account of himself to God whose Minister he is in the World or how can he secure the Honour of God and the Interest of his People yea the Crown upon his own Head where the Power of Commanding and forbidding in Matters of Religion is denied him or taken from him Certainly no considering Subject would be willing to this were he in his Princes place What good Parent would not take it ill to be abridged of the Power of Religiously Educating his own Children What good Master would not take it ill to be restrained from this in his Family And yet the furious Zealot will deprive his Prince of that poor degree of Authority which himself is willing to usurp as a Father or Master nay it may be where himself is neither Father nor Master in his Princes Dominions The conscientious Rebel such I mean who pleads Conscience for his Obstinacy and Rebellion labours to salve all by the distinction of Civil and Religious Obedience Obey his Prince he will in Civil Matters though here too sometimes 't were well if he were more civil in his Obedience but in the Matters of Religion saith he what hath the Prince to do to command Every one must follow the light of his own Conscience A most dangerous Principle that tends to the undermining and subversion of all Order in Societies And 't is very observable that the most eager Asserters of this universal and unbridled Liberty to Private Spirits in Matters of Religion whensoever themselves have mounted into Authority have seen a plain necessity of curbing and restraining it by Laws and Power If then Subjects were once disposed to do to their Princes as themselves were they in their room and stead would desire to be done unto they would questionless approve themselves most ready and dutiful not only in Civil Obedience as 't is call'd to the expence both of their Blood and Fortunes for the Publick welfare upon their Princes commands but in a Religious Obedience also welcoming and observing the Publick Orders for God's Worship and Honour which are not plainly contrary to some Divine Command they would stick at the doing nothing enjoyned them but that the doing whereof were apparently sinful the transgression of some known Law of God and were the matter it self doubtful they would judge it equal for the weight of Publick Authority to turn the Scale they would determine that in such matters where they must venture to err on the one side or on the other 't were best for them to take the surer side that side I mean which besides the equality and probability of Reasons to counterbalance such as are laid against them hath the overweight of Authority requiring Obedience by vertue of God's general Command in all things that are not manifestly sinful For certainly the Publick Peace and Quiet cannot be upheld and provided for with a more limiting determination The same Rule obligeth inferior Magistrates to be as truly obedient to the Supreme as they expect the meanest Subject should be to them Inferior Magistrates stand in a double capacity the one of Governours the other of Subjects Governours they are according to the extent of Power communicated to them over those that are under their Charge and Jurisdiction but Subjects they are themselves still in reference to the Higher Powers by whom they were sent and from whom they receive their Commission and Authority 'T is in an Army no less a Crime for any Officers to oppose and disobey their General than for Common Souldiers to oppose and disobey their respective Officers and 't is no less a Crime for the General himself to oppose and disobey his Prince from whom he hath his Commission than for any of his Officers to oppose and disobey him Nay the crime of disobedience is still the higher according to the eminency of the Authority disobeyed and opposed And the truth is that which aggravates the contempt shewn to the meanest Officer in a Kingdom is the violation of some or other degree of Authority communicated from the highest though through divers hands unto him There is no man but expects as much to be obeyed himself by the Officers whom he commissions and employs as they can do by any over whom some measure of Authority is delegated to them A Noble-man justly looks for as true observance from the Steward of his Houshold as he doth from the meanest Servant under him Were this Lesson therefore of doing as we would be done by inwardly digested there would be no danger at all of the Rebellion of Subordinate Powers against the Supreme and Sovereign nor indeed of any Subjects against the Subordinate Powers sent and placed by the Supreme over them 4. My next instance shall be in the Authority of Priests and Ministers over their People Spiritual Pastors over their Flocks the Congregations committed to their care inspection and government And here I will not meddle with that share of Authority which is derived purely from the Supreme Magistrate to them wherein yet they are as dutifully to be obeyed as any other Officers commissioned and employed by the Prince but with that spiritual Obedience which is due unto them by vertue of their spiritual Authority derived from Christ himself Such as that which S. Paul commends in his Corinthians towards Titus and which endeared Titus his affections unto them 2 Cor. 7.15 His inward affection saith he is abundant towards you whilst he remembreth the obedience of you all how with fear and trembling you received him viz. out of reverence to his spiritual Function Power and Authority 'T is not now an external Reverence I am pleading for the Cap and Knee courteous Salutations good words an outwardly respectful demeanour towards Gods Clergy 'T is usual with People to suspect such Pleas as the issue of their Author's pride and ambition and he is of a poor mean and unworthy spirit who sets any great value upon those trifles and formalities Buâ— the thing I aim at is more substantial and weighty something without which our Office loseth much of its proper effects and success in the
World somewhat by the denial of which our People offend God and wrong their own Souls transgressing these and the like plain Commands and Exhortations of Holy Writ 1 Thes 5.12 13. We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake Hebr. 1â— 17 Obey them which have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Mal. 2.7 The Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God I might add as Embassadors of Christ for so the Apostle elsewhere 2 Cor. 5.20 Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead Be the person of the Minister what it will his Authority is to be considered and reverenced That of our B. Saviour extends to the very worst S. Mat. 23.2 3. The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses Seat all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do but do not ye after their works for they say and do not The Vices of their Persons you must beware of but the Authority of their Place and Function is still to be heeded by you It hath been almost the ruine of the Protestant Church upon a deadly dislike of Popish Tyranny to cast off this yoke of Châ—istian Obedience and it was several years since considerately pronounced by a grave and reverend Divine now with God That an open Dr. Jackson l. 2. c. 9. malapert scoffing disobedience to all Ecclesiastick Power professed by the meanest and countenanced by many great ones of the Laity is a sin that to all that know Gods Judgments or have been observant to look into the days of our Visitation cries loudest in the Almighties ears for vengeance on this Land We I confess of the Clergy do sometimes by our vain and sinful lives too much forfeit our credit and Reputation among the People and expose our Authority to the contempt and despising of the disobedient when we live in such sort as he on whom Sir Thomas More jested That he would not for any good hear him say the Creed lest he should take it for a lie coming out of his mouth But whatever be as hath been said our personal miscarriage that will not absolve our People and Hearers from the guilt of their disobedience in contemning or disobeying that Authority from whence we have our Commission and in the Name whereof we propound Divine Truths to them Thus far at least they ought to obey to believe what he delivers in the Name of God for a Divine Truth as such unless they know the contrary or till they have taken the pains to examine it to set about the Duties which he calls them to and to shun and avoid the Sins he warns them of remembring that he is to them the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts the Embassador of the living God speaking in Christ's stead and so the contempt of their slighting of and disobedience unto him will be interpreted as done unto Christ himself for so he hath said of and to his Ministers S. Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me 'T is ordinary for People here to make the Exception against their Teachers Life or to pretend that he may go beyond his Commission or to alledge that they are not convinc'd there is any express command from God for such things as he delivers and presseth on them in God's Name c. But 't is well replied here Vide D. Jackson ut ante l. 2. c. 9. That although a man should know a Constable or some greater Officer pretending Commission from the King to be a notorious lying Knave or treacherous Companion yet were it not the safest way to tell him that he lied when he charged him to obey him in the King's Name nor to make a scoff of his Authority or to reply he would not believe he had any because he might abuse himself and it at other times If so he do at this time he may answer it before his Betters hereafter but in the mean while it were best for the Party commanded to obey him till he be certain that he did either feign Authority where he had none or else abuse it in this particular And if Officers should not be obeyed in the King's Name until men sought out the truth whether they had a lawful Commission or but a counterfeit one or whether they did not exceed and go beyond their Commission the King's Majesty would want a great deal of necessary Service and the Common-weal be at an ill pass for the continuance of Publick Peace Now as my Author excellently adds did most men fear God as much as men or the Son of Man the Judge of quick and dead as much as earthly Judges they would not so often withdraw their neck from the yoke of Christian Obedience being charged to undertake it in Christs Name and as they will answer it at that dreadful day upon such silly exceptions as they do Be the Minister as they list to make him for his life it hath pleased God to make him his Messenger his Officer to demand Obedience of them and shall it serve their turn to say We will not believe that God sent him with this Message or sure he goes beyond his Commission when they know nothing to the contrary but only will take occasion from his Person to discredit his Doctrine if it controul them in the pursuit of worldly affairs or cross and gainsay their humours and pleasures Thou repliest it may be thou seest no evidence that Christ commands thee But dost thou absolutely and infallibly know that he doth not call thee at this time to try thy Obedience in this particular If not how wilt thou answer thy Judge when thou shalt appear before him why thou out of the stubbornness of thy heart didst more respect thy private gain or humour than his heaviest displeasure Should thy answer stand for good when thou shalt say to his Messenger 't is more than I know that Christ commands me then should the damned be justified at the day of Judgment when they shall truly reply they knew not that ever Christ did supplicate to them sub formâ pauperis Lord when saw we thee an hungred or a thirst or a stranger c. Most of them questionless had less probabilities to believe this in their life time then thou hast now to perswade thee of this particular For
may possibly be referr'd to the peformance of our Contracts and Oaths or the payment of our Debts or that Obedience I spake before of as due to our Superiors And therefore I will add no more of it SECT XII SEventhly To draw towards a Conclusion We are by this Rule obliged to all the acts of Love and Charity unto others this I shall demonstrate as I have done the foregoing by several Instances that are most properly to be referr'd unto and ranked under this Head And 1. I will begin with the common act of Love and Charity I mean Pity and compassion towards sympathy and fellow-feeling with the afflicted and distressed a due consideration of and being affected with the sufferings and calamities of others Heb. 13.3 Remember them who are in bonds saith the Apostle as bound with them and them which suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body i. e. as being your selves Members of the same Body and dwelling in like manner in a Body subject to the very same evils and calamities So remember them therefore in their bonds and adversity as you would desire your selves in a like case to be remembred 'T is natural for us in the time of affliction to covet and be pleased with the pity and commiseration of others the yearning of their bowels and expression of their compassion towards us is as a Cordial to our spirits and easeth us in a great measure and degree of our burden But on the contrary 't is a vexation and trouble sometimes beyond other troubles not to be regarded and sympathized with In such cases we are ready to sigh forth the Churches Lamentation Lam. 1.12 Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by the way Behold and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger We are apt to cry out with Job Jod 19.21 Have pity upon me have pity upon me O my friends for the hand of God hath touched me Nothing cuts and wounds more than when others in stead of condoling our state add affliction to our affliction by their cruel hard-heartedness neglects disdains and derisions We then complain with the Psalmist Psa 69.20 21 Reproach hath broken my heart and I am full of heaviness and I looked for some to take pity but there was none and for comforters but I found none They gave me also gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink i. e. vexation where I expected comfort That was the great aggravation of Job's tryals Job 19.13 14 15. He hath put my brethren far from me and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me my kinsfolk have failed me and my familiar friends have forgotten me they that dwell in mine house count me for a stranger I am an alien in their sight We bear those common desires of being pitied by others in our calamities and sufferings about us which will upbraid and reprove us if we do not in like manner take pity upon others Such was the sympathy of S. Paul's spirit with all the Churches of Christ that he said of himself Who is weak 2 Cor. 11.29 and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not Quae Ecclesia adfligitur ego non adfligar Grot. in loc Quis est cui offensa objicitur in viâ pietatis ut non ego urar What Church is afflicted so as I am not afflicted for and with it Who is there scandalized in the way of Piety and I am not extremely troubled for it for so the word burn is taken figuratively pro animi cruciatu for vexation of spirit Vro hominem in Terence is as much as I vex or nettle the man The good Courtier Nehemiah was very inquisitive after the state of his Brethren the Jews left in Captivity Neh. c. 1. and of Jerusalem c. 2. and however he was himself of a chearful temper for he had not been before-time sad in the King's presence as he saith of himself yet when he heard of their great affliction reproach and misery his heart was sorrowful and his countenance changed and he sate down and wept and mourned certain days and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven These were the manifestations of his compassionate disposition But they are inhumane with a witness who in stead of sympathizing and condoling with deride and make a mock of others sufferings as if it were an accession to their joy that others were troubled Rejoyce not Prov. 24.17 18. saith Solomon when thine enemy falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth lest the Lord see it and it displease him 2. The Apostle saith Rejoyce with them that rejoyce Rom. 12.15 as well as Weep with them that weep And the same Rule will train us up to both as well to delight in Bonis proximi congaudere de tristibus dolere and be glad of the happiness of others as to commiserate them in their afflictions for we therefore condole the misery of others sincerely because we wish them well and whom we wish well unto we shall take pleasure proportionably in the well-doing of we shall be glad to hear the tidings of their felicity Thus most certainly we would have other men to do to us S. Luk. 15. The man in the Parable that found his lost Sheep not only laid it on his shoulders rejoycing but when he came home call'd together his friends and neighbours saying unto them Rejoyce with me for I have found my Sheep which was lost The woman also that had found her lost piece of Silver called together her friends and neighbours saying Rejoyce with me for I have found the piece which I had lost The Father in like manner of the Prodigal after his return commands his servants to bring the fatted Calf and kill it and Let us eat saith he and be merry for this my Son was dead and is alive again was lost and is found So far would we have others from envying and repining at our happiness that we desire they should congratulate and rejoyce together with us for it Did we therefore regard other men as our selves their happiness would be esteemed by us as part of our own after the same sort as each Member shares in the health and welfare of any one in the Body 1 Cor. 12.25 26. Unius corpoporis membra ut intelligamus nos ipsos accepisse beneficium cum beneficium praestitimus proximo nos laesos cum nocitum est fratri Erasm Enchir. Mil. Christ p. 145. That 's S. Paul's observation The members should have the same care one for another and whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member be honoured all the members rejoice with him The practice of this Rule would put out the envious eye and rid the world of those many discontents and murmurings which