Divers practical cases of conscience satisfactorily resolved ... to which are added some counsels…

Rule IV. To be merciful to others failings, and very severe to our own. The noble Roman Cato could more easily forgive any then himself: To aggravate our own evils, and to have an excuse ready for our brothers; to censure our selves freely, and to come with the mantle behind us to cover our brother; this is to do more than others. The hypocrite is a severe censurer abroad: he is ⟨p. 6⟩like the eye that can see any thing but it self: he can discern a moat in his brothers eye, but not a beam in his own. But the servant of God rebukes others with meekness, but falls out easily and bitterly with himself.

Rule IV. To be merciful to others failings, and very severe to our own. The noble Romane Cato could more easily forgive any then himself: To aggravate our own evils, and to have an excuse ready for our brothers; to censure our selves freely, and to come with the mantle behind us to cover our brother; this is to do more than others. The hypocrite is a severe censurer abroad: he is ⟨p. 6⟩like the eye that can see any thing but it self: he can discern a moat in his brothers eye, but not a beam in his own. But the servant of God rebukes others with meekness, but falls out easily and bitterly with himself.

Rule V. To suffer rather then to sin: This was Moses choice: But the hypocrites is quite contrary: he chooseth iniquity rather then affliction: To go so far with Christ as our way lies together, is to do no more then an unsound Professor may reach to: The trial is when Christs interest and ours do cross; and we must either baulk our duty or our safety and advantage. The famous Martyr under Julian, would not give one half-penny towards the building of the Idols Temple, though he was offered his life by the Emperor on those terms. The godly High Priest Eleazer when the Nobles persuaded him to eat other meat under colour of swines flesh, and they would persuade the King Antiochus that he had eaten swines flesh, would die rather then stain his profession with the appearance of evil. When a man shall lie in outward misery and have a door of deliverance open, if he will but sin, and yet he will not accept it, as those worthies in Paul's Martyrology; this is to do more then others,