others may fear;' that is in a manner apt to make impression on the minds of the hearers, so as to scare them from like offences. And to Titus he writes, Rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.' And, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins,' saith the Lord to the prophet. Such are the charges and commissions laid on and granted to his messengers.

Thus may we observe that God's prophets of old, St. John the Baptist, our Lord himself, the holy Apostles did in terms most vehement and biting reprove the age in which they lived, and some particular persons in them. The prophets are full of declamations and invectives against the general corruption of their times, and against the particular manners of some persons in them. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that are corrupters!' 'They are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men; and they bend their tongues like their bow for lies.' Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come before them.' 'The prophets prophecy falsely, and the priests rule by their means.' ' As troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent, and commit lewdness.' Such is their style commonly. St. John the Baptist calleth the scribes and pharisees 'a generation of vipers.' Our Saviour speaketh of them in the same terms; calleth them an evil and adulterous generation,'' serpents,' and 'children of vipers;' 'hypocrites,' 'painted sepulchres,' ' obscure graves,' (μνημεῖα ἄδηλα,) ‘blind guides,' 'fools and blind,' ' children of the devil.' St. Paul likewise calleth the schismatical and heretical teachers, 'dogs,' 'false Apostles,' ' evil and deceitful workers,' ' men of corrupt minds,' 'reprobates and abominable.' With the like colors, do St. Peter, St. Jude, and other the Apostles, paint them. Which sort of speeches are to be supposed to proceed, not from private passion or design, but out of holy zeal for God's honor, and from earnest charity toward men, for to work their amendment and common edification. They were uttered also by special wisdom and peculiar order; from God's authority and in his name: so that as God by them is said to preach, to entreat, to warn, and to exhort; so by them also he may be said to reprehend and reproach.

3. Even private persons in due season, with discretion and temper, may reprove others, whom they observe to commit sin, or follow bad courses, out of charitable design, and with hope to reclaim them. This was an office of charity imposed anciently even on the Jews: much more doth it lie on Christians, who are obliged more earnestly to tender the spiritual good of those who by the stricter and more holy bands of brotherhood are allied to them. Thou shalt not hate thy brother: thou shalt in anywise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin on him,' was a precept of the old law: and, νουθετεῖν ἀτάκτους, ' to admonish the disorderly,' is an evangelical rule. Such persons we are injoined to shun and decline: but first we must endeavor by sober advice and admonition to reclaim them; we must not thus reject them till they appear contumacious and incorrigible, refusing to hear us, or becoming deaf to reproof. This, although it necessarily doth include setting out their faults, and charging blame on them, (answerable to their offences,) is not the culpable reproach here meant, it being needful toward a wholesome effect, and proceeding from charitable intention.

4. Some vehemency (some smartness and sharpness) of speech may sometimes be used in defence of truth, and impugning errors of bad consequence: especially when it concerneth the interest of truth, that the reputation and authority of its adversaries should somewhat be abased or abated. If by a partial opinion or reverence toward them, however begotten in the minds of men, they strive to overbear or discountenance a good cause, their faults, so far as truth permitteth and need requireth, may be detected and displayed. For this cause particularly may we presume our Lord (otherwise so meek in his temper, and mild in his carriage toward all men) did characterise the Jewish scribes in such terms, that their authority (being then so prevalent with the people) might not prejudice the truth, and hinder the efficacy of his doctrine. This is part of that ἐπαγωνίζεσθαι τῇ πίστει, that duty of 'contending earnestly for the faith, which is incumbent on us.

5. It may be excusable on particular emergent occasions, with some heat of language to express dislike of notorious wickedness. As our Lord doth against the perverse incredulity and stupidity in the pharisees, their profane misconstruction of his words and actions, their malicious opposing truth, and obstructing his endeavors in God's service. As St. Peter did to Simon Magus, telling him, that he was in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.' As St. Paul to Elymas the sorcerer, when he 'withstood him, and desired to turn away the deputy, Sergius, from the faith.' 'O,' said he, stirred with a holy zeal and indignation, 'thou full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?" The same spirit, which enabled him to inflict a sore punishment on that wicked wretch, did prompt him to use that sharp language toward him; unquestionably deserved, and seasonably pronounced. As also, when the high priest commanded him illegally and unjustly to be misused, that speech from a mind justly sensible of such outrage broke forth, 'God shall smite thee, thou whited wall. So, when St. Peter presumptuously would have dissuaded our Lord from compliance with God's will, in undergoing those crosses which were appointed to him by God's decree, our Lord calleth him Satan; Ὕπαγε, Σατανᾶ, ‘Avaunt, Satan, thou art an offence unto me; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that are of men.'

These sort of speeches, issuing from just and honest indignation, are sometimes excusable, oftentimes commendable; especially when they come from persons eminent in authority, of notable integrity, endued with special measures of divine grace, of wisdom, of goodness; such as cannot be suspected of intemperate anger, of ill nature, of ill will, or ill design.

In such cases as are above mentioned, a sort of 'evil-speaking' about our neighbor may be allowable or excusable. But for fear of overdoing, great caution and temper is to be used; and we should never apply any such limitations as cloaks to palliate unjust or uncharitable dealing. Generally it is more advisable to suppress such eruptions of passion, than to vent it; for seldom passion hath not inordinate motions joined with it, or tendeth to good ends. And however it will do well to reflect on those cases, and to remark some particulars about them.

First, we may observe, that in all these cases, all possible moderation, equity, and candor are to be used; so that no illspeaking be practised beyond what is needful or convenient. Even in prosecution of offences, the bounds of truth, of equity, of humanity and clemency are not to be transgressed. A judge must not lay on the most criminal person more blame, or contumely, than the case will bear, or than serveth the designs of justice. However our neighbor doth incur the calamities of sin and of punishment, we must not be insolent or contemptuous toward him. So we may learn by that law of Moses, backed with a notable reason: 'and it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed; lest if he should exceed, and beat him above those stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.' Whence appears, that we should be careful of not vilifying an offender beyond measure. And how mildly governors should proceed in the administration of justice, the example of Joshua may teach us, who thus examineth Achan, the cause of so great mischief to the public: My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done, hide it not from me.' 'My son;' what compellation could be more benign and kind? 'I pray thee;' what language could be more courteous and gentle? 'Give glory to God, and make confession;' what words could be more inoffensively pertinent? And when he sentenced that great malefactor, the cause of so much mischief, this was all he said, 'Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord will trouble thee;' words void of contumely or insulting, containing only a close intimation of the cause, and a simple declaration of the event he was to undergo.

Secondly, likewise ministers, in the taxing sin and sinners, are to proceed with great discretion and caution, with much gentleness and meekness; signifying a tender pity of their infirmities, charitable desires of their good, the best opinion of them, and the best hopes for them, that may consist with any reason; according to those apostolical rules: '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 :' and, we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves :' and more expressly, 'a servant of the Lord must not fight, but be gentle toward all, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.' Thus did St. Peter temper his reproof of Simon Magus with this wholesome and comfortable advice;' ' Repent therefore from this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.'

Thirdly, as for fraternal correption, and reproof of faults, when it is just and expedient to use it, ordinarily the calmest and mildest way is the most proper, and most likely to obtain good success: it commonly doth in a more kindly manner convey the sense thereof into the heart,† and therein more powerfully worketh remorse, than the fierce and harsh way. Clearly to show a man his fault, with the reason proving it such, so that he becometh throughly convinced of it, is sufficient to breed in him regret, and to shame him before his own mind: to do more, (in way of aggravation, of insulting on him, of inveighing against him,) as it doth often not well consist with humanity, so it is seldom consonant to discretion, if we do, as we ought, seek his health and amendment. Humanity requireth that when we undertake to reform our neighbor, we should take care not to deform him; (not to discourage or displease him more than is necessary;) when we would correct his manners, that we should also consider his modesty, and consult his reputation; Curam agentes, as Seneca speaketh, non tantum salutis, sed et honestæ cicatricis ; 'having care not only to heal

* Reprehensio contumelia vacare debet. Neque monitio aspera sit, nec objurgatio contumeliosa.-Ambros. de Offic. iii. 16.

† Prov. xvii. 10. A reproof entereth more into a wise man, than a hundred stripes into a fool.

† Ὁ ὁδηγὸς, ὅταν λάβῃ τινὰ πλανώμενον, ἤγαγεν ἐπὶ ὁδὸν τὴν δέουσαν· οὐχὶ καταγελάσας ἢ λοιδορησάμενος ἀπῆλθε· καὶ σὺ δεῖξον αὐτῷ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ ὄψει ὅτι ἀκολουθεῖ, &c.-Epict. ii. 12.

§ Sen. de Clem. i. 7. Vide Chrys. in Matt. ix. 8. Or. 29.