The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved

2.— As he must take heed that himself be faultless, so he must be sure that his Brother be faulty; For otherwise it is not to reprove him, but to reproach him; and so instead of doing a Christian duty, a man commits a devilish sin; he becomes an accuser of the Brethren instead of a Reprover of the Brethren, Gal. 2.11. And here are likewise two things considerable; 1. It must be a truth that thou reprovest him for. 2. It must be a sin that thou reprovest him for.

2.— As hee must take heed that himself bee faultless, so hee must be sure that his Brother bee faulty; For otherwise it is not to reprove him, but to reproach him; and so instead of doing a Christian duty, a man commits a devilish sin; hee becomes an accuser of the Brethren instead of a Reprover of the Brethren, Gal. 2.11. And here are likewise two things considerable; 1. It must bee a truth that thou reprovest him for. 2. It must bee a sin that thou reprovest him for.

1. It must not be a conjecture, or imagination, or jealousy, or rumour, or hear-say that's ground sufficient for Reproof: for all these may be false, and the Rule of Charity is, quisquc praesumitur esse bonus nisi constat de malo — but verily the guise of the world is far otherwise; we deal with our Brethren as the persecuting Pagans did with the Primitive Christians put them into Lions skin, and into Bear skins and then bait them, and tear them to pieces. Alas! the poor Christians were harmless, meek Lambs, but they disguised them, and so abused them. Thus 'tis now, Christians are apt and ready to put their poor Brethren into I know not what kind of monstrous, ugly shapes, of their own imagining, and devising, or else of other mens traducing and reporting, and without more ado, they fall soul upon them; This is not to imitate our Saviour, Isa, 11.2, 3, 4. — Not from rumours — but with righteousness and equity, as God said in destroying of Sodom, so should we say in reproving our Brethren,