taken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a 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." The Pharisee that seeth not the beam of mortal formality and hypocrisy in his own eye, is most censorious against the motes of tolerable particular errors in his brother's eye. None more uncharitable against the real or supposed errors or slips of serious believers, than hypocrites that have no saving, serious faith and knowledge, but place their religion in opinion and outside shows, and wholly err from the path of life. 13. It is ignorance of themselves that makes men divide the Church of Christ, and pertinaciously keep open its bleeding wounds, and hinder concord, and disturb its peace. How far would self-acquaintance go to the cure of all our discords and divisions! Is it possible that the Pope should take upon him the government of the antipodes, even of all the world, (and that as to spiritual government, which requireth more personal attendance than secular,) if he knew himself, and consequently his natural incapacity, and the terror of his account for such an usurped charge? Self-acquaintance would depose their inquisitions, and quench their flames; and make them know what spirit they are of, that inclineth not to save men's lives, but to destroy them. (Luke ix. 55, 56.) Did they know themselves, the Papists durst not multiply new articles of faith, and ceremonies, and depart from the ancient simplicity of the Gospel, and turn the Creed or Scripture into all the volumes of their councils, and say, All these decrees or determinations of the church are necessary to salvation; and so make the way of life more difficult, if not impossible (had they indeed the keys) by multiplying of their supposed necessaries. Did they but know themselves aright, it were impossible they should dare to pass the sentence of damnation on the far greatest part of the Christian world, because they are not subject to their pretended Vice-Christ. Durst one of the most leprous, corrupted sort of Christians in the world unchurch all the rest that will not be as bad as they, and condemn all other Christians as heretics or schismatics, either for their adhering to the truth, or for errors and faults, far smaller than their own? Did they know themselves and their own corruptions, they durst not thus condemn them selves, by so presumptuous and blind a condemnation of the best and greatest part of the Church of Christ, which is dearest to him, as purchased by his blood. If either the Protestants, or the Greeks, or the Armenians, Georgians, Syrians, Egyptians, or Ethiopian Churches, be in as bad and dangerous a case, as these usurping censurers tell the world they are, what then will become of the tyrannous, superstitious, polluted, blood-thirsty Church of Rome? What is it but self-ignorance that perverteth the unsettled among us, and sends them over to the Roman tents? No man could rationally become a Papist, if he knew himself. Let me prove this to you in these four instances. 1. If he had but the knowledge of his natural senses, he could not take them to be all deceived, (and the senses of all others as well as his) about their proper object; and believe the priests, that bread is no bread, or wine no wine, when all men's senses testify the contrary. 2. Some of them turn Papists because they see some differences among other Christians, and hear them call one another by names of contumely and reproach; and therefore they think that such can be no true Churches of Christ: but if they knew themselves, they would be acquainted with more culpable errors in themselves, than those for which many others are reproached; and see how irrational a thing it is to change their religion upon the scolding words or slanders of another; or, which is worse, upon their own uncharitable censures. 3. Some turn to the Papists, as apprehending their ceremonious kind of religion to be an easier way to heaven than ours: but if they knew themselves, they would know that it is a more solid and spiritual sort of food that their nature doth require, and a more searching physic that must cure their diseases; and that shells and chaff will not feed, but choke and starve their souls. 4. All that turn Papists, must believe that they were unjustified and out of the catholic church before, and consequently void of the love of God and special grace: for they receive it as one of the Romish articles, that out of their church there is no salvation. But if these persons were indeed before ungodly, if they knew themselves, they would find that there is a greater matter necessary, than believing in the Pope, and turning to that faction; even to turn to God by faith in Christ, without which no opinions or profession can save them. But if they had the love of God before, then they were justified, and in the church before; and therefore Protestants are of the true church, and it is not confined to the Roman subjects: so that if they knew this, they could not turn Papists without a palpable contradiction. The Papists' fugitives tell us, we are no true ministers, nor our ministry effectual and blessed of God. What need we more than imitate Paul, when his ministry was accused, and call them to the knowledge of themselves, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith? Prove yourselves: know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" If they were ungodly, and void of the love of God, while they were under our ministry, no wonder if they turn Papists. For it is just with God, that those that "receive not the love of the truth that they may be saved, be given over to strong delusions to believe a lie." (2 Thess. ii. 10, 11.) But if they received themselves the love of God in our churches by our ministry, they shall be our witnesses against themselves. And it is others as well as Papists that would be kept from church divisions, if they did but know themselves. Church governors would be afraid of laying things unnecessary, as stumbling-blocks before the weak, and of laying the unity and peace of the church upon them; and casting out of the vineyard of the Lord, and out of their communion, all such as are not in such unnecessary or little things, of their opinion or way. The words of the great Apostle of the Gentiles, (Rom. xiv. 15,) so plainly and fully deciding this matter, would not have stood so long in the Bible, as, 'non-dicta,' or utterly insignificant, in the eyes of many rulers of the churches, if they had known themselves, as having need of their brethren's charity and forbearance. "Him that is weak in the faith receive you, but not to doubtful disputations: For one believeth that he may eat all things, another that is weak eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth, despise him that eateth not, (much less destroy him, or excommunicate him,) and let not him which eateth not, judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth; yea he shall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike: let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." (Ver. 13.) "Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block, or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." (Ver. 17.) "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Ver. 18.) "For he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approved of men." (Chap. xv. 1.) “We then that are strong, ought to bear with the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." (Ver. 7.) "Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us, to the glory of God." Self-acquaintance would help men to understand these precepts; and be patient with the weak, when we ourselves have so much weakness, and not to vex or reject our brethren for little or unnecessary things, lest Christ reject or grieve us that have greater faults. Self-acquaintance also would do much to heal the dividing humour of the people; and instead of separating from all that are not of their mind, they would think themselves more unworthy of the communion of the church, than the church of their's. Self-acquaintance makes men tender and compassionate, and cureth a censorious, contemptuous mind. It also silenceth passionate, contenticus disputes, and makes men suspicious of their own understandings, and therefore forbiddeth them intemperately to condemn dissenters. It also teacheth men to submit to the faithful directions and conduct of their pastors; and not to vilify, forsake and disobey them, as if they were above them in understanding, and fitter to be guides themselves; so that in all these respects, it is ignorance of themselves that makes men troublers of the church, and the knowledge of themselves would much remedy it. 14. And it is ignorance of themselves also, that makes men troublers of the state. A man that doth not know himself, is unfit for all society: if he be a ruler he will forget the common good, and instead of clemency and justice, will violently exercise an imperious will. If he be a subject, he will be censuring the actions of his rulers, when distance and dis-acquaintance makes him an incompetent judge. He will think himself fitter to rule than they, and whatever they do, he imagineth that he could do it better. And hence comes suspicions and murmurings against them, and Corah's censures, "Ye take too much upon you: are not all the people holy?" Were men acquainted with themselves, their weaknesses, their concernments, and their duties, they would rather inquire whether they obey well, than whether their superiors rule well; and would think the lowest place to be most suitable to them; and would quiet themselves in the discharge of their own duty, "making supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty; for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour." (1 Tim. ii. 1-3.) It would quiet all the seditions and tumults of the world, if men were well acquainted with themselves. I confess, seditions seem to rise from a too great knowledge and regard of ourselves, and of our own commodity. Aliquid commune tuum facere, est seditionis et discordiæ principium: to appropriate common benefits to ourselves, is the spring of discord and sedition. But here, as in other things, self-seeking cometh from self-ignorance, and tendeth to self-deceit and disappointment. The end of contendings answer not the promises that selfishness and passion make men in the beginnings. And then, Si æterna semper odia mortales agant -En quo discordia cives SENECA. Perduxit miseros, en queis consevimus agros. 15. Self-acquaintance would end abundance of controversies, and very much help men to discern the truth. In the controversy of freewill or human power; to know ourselves as we are men, would be to know that we have the natural power and freedom consisting in the self-determining faculty and principle. To know ourselves as sinful, would certify us how much we want of the moral power which consisteth in right inclinations, and the moral liberty, from vi |