Four treatises tending to dissuade all Christians from four no less heinous then common…Foure treatises tending to disswade all Christians from foure no lesse hainous then common…

25.11.¹ A word spoken in his place, or fitly and in season, is like apples of gold and pictures of silver: that is, precious and delightful, sweet and profitable. It is not therefore sufficient for the well discharging of the work of the Ministry, that we are able to speak a word of comfort; unless we have discretion to utter it in time of need, for the raising up of those who are cast down; and for the refreshing of the faint and weary: for this were nothing else but to give a potion to a healthy man, and to lay a sovereign plaster upon the whole skin. It is not enough that we are Boanerges, the sons of Thunder, to bruise and batter stony hearts, and beat down sin by denouncing Gods fearful judgments; if we do not apply our speech to persons and times, and inveigh against those sins with which the people unto whom we speak are most tainted and corrupted.² For if speaking to the people we declaim against the sins of the Magistrates, or preaching to Englishmen, we inveigh against the peculiar sins of the Turks or Indians; or reprehend prodigality among the ⟨p. 79⟩covetous, or pride among the sordidous, or superstition among the profane and irreligious; this is not to reprove, but to backbite sin; to fight valiantly in the absence of the enemy, and with a strong arm to beat the air, and to contend against a shadow; which may sprain a joint, and for reward move scornful laughter, rather then admiration of any true valour; yea in truth this is nothing else but to nourish vice with the milk of virtue, by religious reproofs to strengthen men in their sins, and to make them flatter themselves with a conceit that they are sufficiently virtuous, when they are not alike vicious to other men; and to lie securely wallowing in those sins which are extreme and contrary to those which are reproved. The consideration whereof, made me, who am bound in conscience of my calling to speak and write against sin and wickedness, to ponder with my self what sins were most fit to be spoken against, as needing in our times and country most reproof:

25.11.¹ A word spoken in his place, or fitly and in season, is like apples of gold and pictures of siluer: that is, precious and delightfull, sweete and profitable. It is not therefore sufficient for the well discharging of the worke of the Ministerie, that we are able to speake a word of comfort; vnlesse we haue discretion to vtter it in time of neede, for the raising vp of those who are cast downe; and for the refreshing of the faint and wearie: for this were nothing else but to giue a potion to a healthie man, and to lay a soueraigne plaister vpon the whole skinne. It is not enough that we are Bonarges, the sonnes of Thunder, to bruise and batter stonie hearts, and beate downe sinne by denouncing Gods fearfull iudgments; if we doe not applie our speech to persons and times, and inueigh against those sins with which the people vnto whō we speake are most tainted and corrupted.