Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

Fourthly, They who desire to be helpful in promoting the entertainment of the Gospel, must not, unnecessarily provoke, and exasperate those, whom they would win over to it. Moses refused to permit the Israelites, to sacrifice to the Lord, before the faces of the Egyptians, lest they should be enraged thereupon, and stone them, Exod. viii. 25, 26. They must not, indeed, forbear to do that, which, under all due circumstances, God hath made to be their present duty. Yet even, in such cases, they should remember my Text, [Walk in wisdom, toward them that are without.] And learn what that meaneth, I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice. They must declare against their idolatry, and endeavour to convert them to the true God, as Paul did, Acts xiv. 15. We preach to you, that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God. And his success therein was wonderful, as Demetrius testifies, Act. xix. 26. Moreover, ye see, and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded, and turned away much people, saying that they be no Gods, which are made with hands. But this must not be done with revilings, reproaches, and insultations: but with judgment, tenderness, and meekness, 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.] We may conclude then, that it is none of Gods way, (from whomsoever men have learnt it,) to convert Heathens by robbing them of their Goods, and Estates, and butchering their Persons, which was the method that the Spaniards took to Gospellize the Indians, or to send Dragoons as Missionaries, to torment those, whom they call Heretics, thereby to reduce them to their Catholic Church. That's the fourth Obstruction.

Fourthly, They who desire to be helpful in promoting the entertainment of the Gospel, must not, unnecessarily provoke, and exasperate those, whom they would win over to it. Moses refused to permit the Israelites, to sacrifice to the Lord, before the faces of the Egyptians, lest they should be enraged thereupon, and stone them, Exod. viii. 25, 26. They must not, indeed, forbear to do that, which, under all due circumstances, God hath made to be their present duty. Yet even, in such cases, they should remember my Text, [Walk in wisdom, toward them that are without.] And learn what that meaneth, I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice. They must declare against their idolatry, and endeavour to convert them to the true God, as Paul did,