CASES AND DIRECTIONS AGAINST CENSORIOUSNESS AND UNWARRANTABLE JUDGING.
_Tit. 1. Cases of Conscience about Judging of Others._
_Quest._ I. Am I not bound to judge truly of every one as he is?
_Answ._ 1. There are many that you are not bound to meddle with,
and to pass any judgment at all upon. 2. There are many whose faults
are secret, and their virtues open; and of such you cannot judge as
they are, because you have no proof or evidence to enable you: you
cannot see that which is latent in the heart, or done in darkness. 3.
You neither ought on pretence of charity, nor can believe an evident
known untruth of any man.
_Quest._ Doth not charity bind me to judge men better than they
are?
_Answ._ Charity bindeth you, 1. Rather to observe the best in
them, than the worst. 2. And, as I said, to judge of no man's faults
uncalled. 3. Nor to judge of that which is not evident, but out of
sight; and thus consequently it bindeth you to judge some men to be
better than they are; but not directly.
_Object._ Then a man is bound to err and believe an untruth.
_Answ._ No: you are not bound to believe that it is certainly
true, that such a man is better than he is; because you have no
evidence of its certain truth. But you are bound to believe it a thing
probable or verisimile, likely to be true, by an opinion or fallible
human faith; and this is not a falsehood; for that is likely and
probable to you, which hath the more probable evidence, and more for
it than against it: so that the thing which you are to believe
immediately is this proposition, There is more evidence to me to prove
it likely that this man is sincere than contrary: and consequently you
believe this, and believe not the contrary, because the contrary hath
no evidence. But you are not to take it as a certain thing, that the
contrary hath no latent reality.
_Quest._ II. How far may I judge ill of one by outward appearances, as
by the countenance, gestures, and other uncertain but suspicious
signs?
_Answ._ There are some signs which are not so much as probable,
but a little suspicious, and which men are very ordinarily mistaken
by: as those that will judge of a man at the first look by his face;
and those that will judge a studious, serious person (a lawyer, a
judge, or a divine) to be morose or proud, because they are not
complimental, but of few words; or because they have not patience to
waste precious hours in hearing an empty vessel sound, an ignorant,
self-conceited person talk foolishly. Such censures are but the
effects of injudiciousness, unrighteousness, and rash haste. There
are other signs which make it probable to a wise and charitable
person, that the man is bad (e. g. proud, or covetous, or a
hypocrite). If with these, there are as great sins to make the
contrary probable, we must rather incline to the better than the
worse. But if not, we may fear the worst of that person, but not
conclude it as a certainty; and therefore we may not in public
censures, proceed upon such uncertainties, nor venture to divulge
them; but only use them to help us for due caution, and pity, and
prayer, and endeavour for such a one's recovery and help.
_Quest._ III. How far may I censure upon the report of others?
_Answ._ According to the degree of the credibility of the
persons, and evidence of the narrative; not simply in themselves, but
as compared with all that is to be heard on the contrary part; else
you are partial and unjust.
_Quest._ IV. Doth not the fifth command oblige me in honour to
parents and princes, to judge them to be better than their lives
declare them to be?
_Answ._ You are gradually to honour them more than others, and
therefore to be more afraid of dishonouring them, and must not sit in
judgment on them, to believe any harm of them, which evidence doth not
compel you to believe. But you are not to judge any sin the less,
because it is theirs; nor to judge contrary to evidence, nor to call
evil good, nor to be wilfully blind, nor to flatter any in their sin.
_Quest._ V. Whom must we judge for sincere and sanctified
christians?
_Answ._ 1. All those that profess to be such, whom you cannot
disprove. 2. But as there are several degrees of evidence and
probability, so must there be several degrees of your good opinion of
others. Of some who give you the highest probability, you may have the
strongest confidence short of certainty: of others you may have less;
and of some you may have much more fear than hope. 3. And yet in
matters of church rights and public communion, your fears will not
allow you to use them as no christians; for their profession of faith
and repentance is certain; and as long as your fears of their
hypocrisy or unsoundness are but uncertain, it must not (on that
account) prevail to deprive another of his right.
_Quest._ VI. But is not my error my sin, if I prove mistaken, and
take that man for a sincere christian who is none?
_Answ._ If you judged it to be certain, your judgment and error
was your sin; but if you only judged him a professor of christianity,
and one that on that account you were bound to have church communion
with as if he were sincere, because you cannot prove the contrary,
this was no error; or if you erred for want of sufficient evidence to
know the truth, this error is not in itself a sin.
_Quest._ VII. Whom must I judge a visible member of the church,
with whom I am thus bound to hold communion?
_Answ._ 1. If you are the pastor of the church who are made the
judge, at his admission by baptism, or afterwards, you must so judge
of every one who maketh a credible profession of true christianity,
that is, of his present consent to the sacramental covenant: and that
profession is credible, which is, 1. Understood by him that maketh it.
2. Deliberate. 3. Voluntary. 4. Seemingly serious. 5. And is not
disproved by valid evidence of the contrary. These are the true
measures of church communion; for every man, next God, is the judge of
his own heart; and God would have every man the chooser or refuser of
his own mercies.
2. But if you are but a private member of the church, you are to
judge that person a visible member of the church, whom the pastor hath
taken in by baptism, and not cast out again by excommunication; except
the contrary be notorious: and even then you are oft obliged for order
sake to carry yourself towards him as a visible member, till he be
regularly cast out.
_Quest._ VIII. Whom must I judge a true worshipper of God, and
whom not?
_Answ._ Him that professeth true christianity, and joineth in
true worship with a christian church, or privately (when hindered)
acknowledgeth the true God in all his essential attributes, and
heareth his word, and prayeth to him for all things necessary to
salvation, and praiseth him accordingly, not giving the worship proper
to God unto any creature; and doth all this as a sinner redeemed by
Jesus Christ, trusting in his merits, sacrifice, and intercession, and
giveth not his office to any other. And he is a false worshipper who
denieth any essential attribute of God, or essential part of the
office of Christ, or giveth these to any other; or refuseth his word,
or excludeth in his prayers any thing essential to christianity, or
absolutely necessary to salvation. But _secundum quid_, in lesser
parts, or in circumstances, or measures, every man on earth is a false
worshipper, that is, he offereth God a worship some way faulty and
imperfect, and hath some sin in his worshipping of God; and sin is a
thing that God requireth not, but forbiddeth even in the smallest
measures.
_Quest._ IX. Which must I judge a true church of Christ, and
which a false church?
_Answ._ The universal church is but one, and is the whole society
of christians as united to Christ their only Head; and this cannot be
a false church. But if any other set up a usurper as the universal
head, and so make another policy and church, this is a false church
formally, or in its policy; but yet the members of this false church
or policy may some of them as christians be also members of the true
church of Christ: and thus the Roman church as papal is a false
catholic church, having the policy of a usurper; but as christians
they may be members of the true catholic church of Christ. But for a
particular church which is but part of the universal, that is a true
church considered merely as an ungoverned community, which is a true
part of the catholic, prepared for a pastor, but yet being without
one: but that only is a true political church, which consisteth of
professed christians conjoined under a true pastor, for communion in
the profession of true christianity, and for the true worshipping of
God, and orderly walking for their mutual assistance and salvation.
_Quest._ X. Whom must we judge true prophets and pastors of the
church.
_Answ._ He is a true prophet who is sent by God, and speaketh
truth by immediate supernatural revelation or inspiration. And he is a
false prophet who either falsely saith that he hath divine revelations
or inspiration, or prophesieth falsehood as from God. And he is a true
pastor at the bar of God, who is, 1. Competently qualified with
abilities for the office. 2. Competently disposed to it, with
willingness and desire of success; and hath right ends in undertaking
and discharging it. 3. Who hath a just admission, by true ordination
of pastors, and consent of the flock; and he is to be accounted a true
pastor _in foro ecclesia_, in the church's judgment, whom the
church judgeth to have all these qualifications, and thereupon
admitteth him into possession of the place, till his incapacity be
notoriously or publicly and sufficiently proved, or he be removed or
made uncapable.
_Tit. 2. Directions for the Cure of Sinful Censoriousness._
_Direct._ I. Meddle not at all in judging of others without a
call. Know first whether it be any of your work; if not, be afraid of
those words of your Judge, Matt. vii. 1-5, "Judge not, that ye be not
judged; for with what judgment ye judge, you shall be judged," &c. And
Rom. xiv. 4, "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his
own master he standeth or falleth." And verses 10, and 13, "But why
dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy
brother? We shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.--Every
one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge
one another any more." 1 Cor. iv. 3-5, "But with me it is a very small
thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment--Therefore
judge nothing before the time till the Lord come, who both will bring
to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the
counsels of the hearts--." Col. ii. 16, "Let no man judge you in meat
or in drink, or in respect of any holy day, or of the new moon, or
sabbath."
_Quest._ But when have I a call to judge another?
_Answ._ You may take the answer to this from the answer to quest.
x. chap. xxiii. tit. 1. 1. If your office and place require it as a
magistrate, pastor, parent, master, tutor, &c. 2. If the safety of the
church or your neighbour do require it. 3. If the good of the sinner
require it that you may seek his repentance and reformation. 4. If
your own preservation or welfare (or any other duty) require it.
_Direct._ II. Keep up a humble sense of your own faults, and that
will make you compassionate to others. He that is truly vile in his
own eyes, is least inclined to vilify others: and he that judgeth
himself with the greatest penitent severity, is the least inclined to
be censorious to his brother. Pride is the common cause of
censoriousness: he that saith with the Pharisee, "I fast twice a week,
and pay tithes of all that I have, I am no adulterer," &c. will also
say, "I am not as other men, nor as this publican:" when the true
penitent findeth so much of his own to be condemned, that he smiteth
on his own breast and saith, "God be merciful to me a sinner." The
prouder, self-conceited sort of christians are ever the most
censorious of their neighbours.
_Direct._ III. Be much therefore at home in searching, and
watching, and amending your own hearts: and then you will find so much
to do about yourselves, that you will have no mind or leisure to be
censuring others; whereas the superficial hypocrite, whose religion is
in externals, and is unacquainted with his heart and heaven, is so
little employed in the true work of a christian, that he hath leisure
for the work of a censorious Pharisee.
_Direct._ IV. Labour for a deep experimental insight into the
nature of religion, and of every duty. For no men are so censorious as
the ignorant who know not what they say; whilst experienced persons
know those difficulties and other reasons which calm their minds. As
in common business, no man will sooner find fault with a workman in
his work, than idle praters who least understand it. So is it commonly
in matters of religion: women and young men that never saw into the
great mysteries of divinity, but have been lately changed from a
vicious life, and have neither acquaintance with the hard points of
religion, nor with their own ignorance of them, are the common, proud
censurers of their brethren much wiser than themselves, and of all men
that are more moderate and peaceable than themselves, and are more
addicted to unity, and more averse to sects and separations than
they. Study harder, and wait till you grow up to the experience of the
aged, and you will be less censorious and more peaceable.
_Direct._ V. Think not yourselves fit judges of that which you
understand not: and think not proudly that you are more like to
understand the difficulties in religion, with your short and lazy
studies, than those that in reading, meditation, and prayer have spent
their lives in searching after them. Let not pride make you abuse the
Holy Ghost, by pretending that he hath given you more wisdom in a
little time, and with little means and diligence, than your betters
have by the holy industry of their lives: say not, God can give more
to you in a year than to others in twenty; for it is a poor argument
to prove that God hath done it, because he can do it. He can make you
an angel, but that will not prove you one. Prove your wisdom before
you pretend to it, and overvalue it not: Heb. v. 11, 12, showeth that
it is God's ordinary way to give men wisdom according to their time
and means, unless their own negligence deprive them of his blessing.
_Direct._ VI. Study to keep up christian love, and to keep it
lively. For love is not censorious, but is inclined to judge the best,
till evidence constrain you to the contrary. Censoriousness is a
vermin which crawleth in the carcass of christian love, when the life
of it is gone.
_Direct._ VII. Value all God's graces in his servants; and then
you will see something to love them for, when hypocrites can see
nothing: make not too light of small degrees of grace, and then your
censure will not overlook them.
_Direct._ VIII. Remember the tenderness of Christ, who condemneth
not the weak, nor casteth infants out of his family, nor the diseased
out of his hospital; but dealeth with them in such a gracious
gentleness, as beseemeth a tender-hearted Saviour: he will not break
the bruised reed: he carrieth his lambs in his arms, and gently
driveth those with young! He taketh up the wounded man, when the
priest and Levite pass him by. And have you not need of the tenderness
of Christ yourselves as well as others? Are you not afraid lest he
should find greater faults with you than you find in others; and
condemn you as you condemn them?
_Direct._ IX. Let the sense of the common corruption of the
world, and imperfection of the godly, moderate your particular
censures. As Seneca saith, To censure a man for that which is common
to all men, is in a sort to censure him for being a man, which
beseemeth not him that is a man himself. Do you not know the frailty
of the best, and the common pravity of human nature? How few are there
that must not have great allowance, or else they will not pass for
current in the balance! Elias was a man subject to passions: Jonah to
peevishness: Job had his impatience: Paul saith even of the teachers
of the primitive church, "They all (that were with him) seek their
own, and not the things of Jesus Christ." What blots are charged on
almost all the churches, and almost all the holy persons, mentioned
throughout all the Scriptures! Learn then of Paul a better lesson than
censoriousness: Gal. vi. 1, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a
fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of
meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one
another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Let every man
prove his own work, and then he shall have rejoicing in himself
alone," &c.
_Direct._ X. Remember that judgment is God's prerogative (further
than as we are called to it for the performance of some duty, either
of office, or of private charity, or self-preservation): and that the
Judge is at the door! and that judging unmercifully maketh us liable
to judgment without mercy. The foresight of that near universal
judgment, which will pass the doom on us and all men, will do much to
cure us of our rash censoriousness.
_Direct._ XI. Peruse and observe all the directions in the last
chapter against evil-speaking and backbiting, that I may not need to
repeat them: especially avoid, 1. The snare of selfishness and
interest. For most men judge of others principally by their own
interest. He is the good man that is good to them, or is on their
side; that loveth and honoureth them, and answereth their desires:
this is the common false judgment of the corrupted, selfish world; who
vilify and hate the best, because they seem unsuitable to them and
their carnal interest. Therefore take heed of their judgment about any
man that you have a falling out with: for it is two to one but you
will wrong him through this selfishness. 2. Avoid passion; which
blindeth the judgment. 3. Avoid faction; which maketh you judge of all
men as they agree or disagree with your opinions, or your side and
party. 4. Avoid too hasty belief of censures, and rebuke them. 5. Hear
every man speak for himself before you censure him, if it be possible,
and the case be not notorious.
_Direct._ XII. Keep still upon your mind a just and deep
apprehension of the malignity of this sin of rash censuring. It is of
greatest consequence to the mortifying of any sin, what apprehensions
of it are upon the mind. If religious persons apprehended the
odiousness of this as much as they do of swearing, drunkenness,
fornication, &c. they would as carefully avoid it. Therefore I shall
show you the malignity of this sin.
_Tit. 3. The Evil of the Sin of Censoriousness._
1. It is a usurpation of God's prerogative, who is the Judge of all
the world: it is a stepping up into his judgment-seat, and undertaking
his work; as if you said, I will be God as to this action. And if he
be called the antichrist, who usurpeth the office of Christ, to be the
universal monarch and head of the church, you may imagine what he
doth, who (though but in one point) doth set up himself in the place
of God.
2. They that usurp not God's part in judging, yet ordinarily usurp the
part of the magistrate or pastors of the church. As when mistaken,
censorious christians refuse to come to the sacrament of communion,
because many persons are there whom they judge to be ungodly, what do
they but usurp the office of the pastors of the church, to whom the
keys are committed for admission and exclusion, and so are the
appointed judges of that case? The duty of private members is but to
admonish the offender first secretly, and then before witnesses, and
to tell the church if he repent not, and humbly to tell the pastors of
their duty, if they neglect it: and when this is done, they have
discharged their part, and must no more excommunicate men themselves,
than they must hang thieves when the magistrate doth neglect to hang
them.
3. Censoriousness signifieth the absence or decay of love: which
inclineth men to think evil, and judge the worst, and aggravate
infirmities, and overlook or extenuate any good that is in others. And
there is least grace where there is least love.
4. It showeth also much want of self-acquaintance, and such heart
employment as the sincerest christians are taken up with. And it
showeth much want of christian humility and sense of your own
infirmities and badness; and much prevalency of pride and
self-conceitedness. If you knew how ignorant you are, you would not be
so peremptory in judging: and if you knew how bad you are, you would
not be so forward to condemn your neighbours. So that here is together
the effect of much self-estrangedness, hypocrisy, and pride. Did you
ever well consider the mind of Christ, when he bid them that accused
the adulterous woman, John viii. 7, "He that is without sin among you,
let him first cast a stone at her?" Certainly adultery was a heinous
crime, and to be punished with death, and Christ was no patron of
uncleanness; but he knew that it was a hypocritical sort of persons
whom he spake to, who were busy in judging others rather than
themselves. Have you studied his words against rash censurers, Matt.
vii. 3, 4; "And why beholdest thou the mote in thy brother's eye, but
considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou
say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and
behold a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite! first cast out the
beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out
the mote which is in thy brother's eye." I know well that impenitent
sinners do use to pervert all these words of Christ, against any that
would bring them to repentance for their sin; and account all men rash
censurers, who would make them acquainted with their unsanctified
hearts and lives. But it is not their abuse of Scripture, which will
justify our overpassing it with neglect. Christ spake it not for
nothing; and it must be studied by his disciples.
5. Censoriousness is injustice, in that the censurers would not be so
censured themselves. You will say, Yes, if we were as bad, and did
deserve it. But though you have not that same fault, have you no
other? And are you willing to have it aggravated, and be thus rashly
judged? You do not as you would be done by: yea, commonly censurers
are guilty of false judging; and whilst they take things hastily upon
trust, and stay not to hear men speak for themselves, or to inquire
thoroughly into the cause, they commonly condemn the innocent; and
call good evil, and put light for darkness; and take away the
righteousness of the righteous from him, when God hath cursed such
with a woe.
6. And false censuring is the proper work of the devil, the accuser of
the brethren, Rev. xii. 10, "who accuseth them before God, day and
night;" And christians should not bear his image, nor do his work.
7. Censoriousness is contrary to the nature and office of Jesus
Christ: he came to pardon sin, and cover the infirmities of his
servants, and to cast them behind his back, and into the depth of the
sea, and to bury them in his grave; and it is the censurer's work to
rake them up, and to make them seem more and greater than they are,
and to bring them into the open light.
8. Censoriousness causeth uncharitableness and sinful separations in
the censurers: when they have conceited their brethren to be worse
than they are, they must then reproach them, or have no communion with
them, and avoid them as too bad for the company of such as they: or
when they have usurped the pastor's work in judging, they begin the
execution by sinful separation.
9. Censoriousness is an infectious sin, which easily taketh with the
younger and prouder sort of christians, and so setteth them on
vilifying others: and at this little gap there entereth all
uncharitableness, backbitings, revilings, church divisions, and sects,
yea, and too often rebellious and bloody wars at last.
10. Censoriousness is a sore temptation to them that are censured,
either to contemn such as censure them, and go on the other hand too
far from them; or else to comply with the errors and sinful humours of
the censurers, and to strain their consciences to keep pace with the
censorious.
And here I must leave it on record to posterity for their warning,
that the great and lamentable actions, changes, and calamities of this
age have arisen (next to gross impiety) from this sin of censoriousness
producing these two contrary effects, and thereby dividing men into
two contrary parties: the younger sort of religious people, and the
more ignorant, and many women, having more zeal than judgment, placed
too much of their religion in a sharp opposition to all ceremonies,
formalities, and opinions which they thought unlawful; and were much
inclined to schism and unjust separations upon that account; and
therefore censured such things as antichristian, and those that used
them as superstitious and temporizers; and no man's learning, piety,
wisdom, or laboriousness in the ministry could save him from these
sharp, reproachful censures. Hereupon one party had not humility and
patience enough to endure to be so judged of; nor love and tenderness
enough for such peevish christians, to bear with them in pity, as
parents do with froward infants; but because these professed holiness
and zeal, even holiness and zeal were brought under suspicion for
their sakes; and they were taken to be persons intolerable, as unfit
to lie in any building, and unmeet to submit to christian government;
and therefore meet to be used accordingly. Another sort were so
wearied with the profaneness and ungodliness of the vulgar rabble, and
saw so few that were judiciously religious, that they thought it their
duty to love and cherish the zeal and piety of their censorious weak
ones, and to bear patiently with their frowardness, till ripeness and
experience cured them (and so far they were right). And because they
thought that they could do them no good, if they once lost their
interest in them, (and were also themselves too impatient of their
censure,) some of them seemed (to please them) to be more of their
opinion than they were; and more of them forbore to reprove their
petulance, but silently suffered them to go on; especially when they
fell into the sects of antinomians, anabaptists, and separatists, they
durst not reprove them as they deserved, lest they should drive them
out of the hive, to some of these late swarms. And thus censoriousness
in the ignorant and self-conceited drove away one part to take them as
their enemies; and silenced or drew on another party to follow them
that led the van in some irregular, violent actions; and the wise and
sober moderators were disregarded, and in the noise of these tumults
and contentions could not be heard, till the smart of either party in
their suffering forced them to honour such, whom in their exaltation
again they despised or abused. This is the true sum of all the
tragedies in Britain of this age.
_Tit. 4. Directions for those that are rashly censured._
_Direct._ I. Remember when you are injured by censures, that God
is now trying your humility, charity, and patience; and therefore be
most studious to exercise and preserve these three. 1. Take heed lest
pride make you disdainful to the censurer; a humble man can bear
contempt; hard censures hurt men so far as they are proud. 2. Take
heed lest imbecility add to your impatience, and concur with pride:
cannot you bear greater things than these? Impatience will disclose
that badness in yourselves, which will make you censured much more;
and it will show you as weak in one respect as the censurers are in
another. 3. Take heed lest their fault do not draw you to overlook or
undervalue that serious godliness which is in many of the censorious;
and that you do not presently judge them hypocrites or schismatics,
and abate your charity to them, or incline to handle them more roughly
than the tenderness of Christ alloweth you. Remember that in all ages
it hath been thus: the church hath had peevish children within, as
well as persecuting enemies without; insomuch as Paul, Rom. xiv.
giveth you the copy of these times, and giveth them this counsel,
which from him I am giving you. The weak in knowledge were censorious,
and judged the strong; the strong in knowledge were weak in charity,
and contemned the weak: just as now one party saith, These are
superstitious persons, and antichristian; the other saith, What giddy
schismatics are these! but Paul chideth them both; one sort for
censuring, and the other for despising them.
_Direct._ II. Take heed lest whilst you are impatient under their
censures, you fall into the same sin yourselves. Do they censure you
for differing in some forms or ceremonies from them? Take heed lest
you over-censure them for their censoriousness: if you censure them as
hypocrites who censure you as superstitious, you condemn yourselves
while you are condemning them. For why will not censuring too far,
prove you hypocrites also, if it prove them such?
_Direct._ III. Remember that Christ beareth with their weakness,
who is wronged by it more than you, and is more against it. He doth
not quit his title to them for their frowardness, nor cease his love,
nor turn every infant out of his family that will cry and wrangle, nor
every patient out of his hospital that doth complain and groan; and we
must imitate our Lord, and love where he loveth, and pity where he
pitieth, and be merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful.
_Direct._ IV. Remember how amiable a thing the least degree of
grace is, even when it is clouded and blotted with infirmities. It is
the divine nature, and the image of God, and the seed of glory; and
therefore as an infant hath the noble nature of a man, and in all his
weakness is much more honourable than the best of brutes (so that it
is death to kill an infant, but not a beast): so is the most infirm
and froward true christian more honourable and amiable than the most
splendid infidel. Bear with them in love and honour to the image and
interest of Christ.
_Direct._ V. Remember that you were once weak in grace yourselves; and
if happy education under peaceable guides did not prevent it, it is
two to one but you were yourselves censorious. Bear therefore with
others as you bear with crying children, because you were once a child
yourself. Not that the sin is ever the better, but you should be the
more compassionate.
_Direct._ VI. Remember that your own strength and judgment is so
great a mercy, that you should the easilier bear with a censorious
tongue. The rich and noble can bear with the envious, remembering that
it is happy to have that worth or felicity which men do envy. You
suffer fools gladly, seeing you yourselves are wise. If you are in the
right let losers talk.
_Direct._ VII. Remember that we shall be shortly together in
heaven, where they will recant their censures, and you will easily
forgive them, and perfectly love them. And will not the foresight of
such a meeting cause you to bear with them, and forgive and love them
now?
_Direct._ VIII. Remember how inconsiderable a thing it is as to
your own interest, to be judged of man; and that you stand or fall to
the judgment of the Lord, 1 Cor. iv. 3, 4. What are you the better or
the worse for the thoughts or words of a man; when your salvation or
damnation lieth upon God's judgment. It is too much hypocrisy, to be
too much desirous of man's esteem and approbation, and too much
troubled at his disesteem and censure, and not to be satisfied with
the approbation of God. Read what is written against man-pleasing,
part i.
_Direct._ IX. Make some advantage of other men's censures, for
your own proficiency. If good men censure you, be not too quick in
concluding that you are innocent, and justifying yourselves; but be
suspicious of yourselves, lest they should prove the right, and
examine yourselves with double diligence. If you find that you are
clear in the point that you are censured for, suspect and examine lest
some other sin hath provoked God to try you by these censures; and if
you find not any other notable fault, let it make you the more
watchful by way of prevention, seeing the eyes of God and men are on
you; and it may be God's warning, to bid you take heed for the time to
come. If you are thus brought to repentance, or to the more careful
life, by occasion of men's censures, they will prove so great a
benefit to you, that you may bear them the more easily.