A Christian Directory

§. 25. Direct. 3. Also you must be persons who value your own souls, and are diligently exercised in ¹saving them from temptations: or else you are very like to be scandalizers and tempters of the souls of others. And therefore when such a man is made a Church Governor as is unacquainted with the renewing work of grace, and with the inward Government of Christ in the soul, what Devilish work is he like to make among the sheep of Christ, under the name of Government! What corrupting of the Doctrine, Worship or Discipline of Christ! What inventions of his own to ensnare mens Consciences? and driving them on by armed force to do that which at least to them is sin, and which can never countervail the loss, either of their souls, or of the Church by such disturbances! How merciless will he be when a poor member of Christ, shall beg of him but to have pity on his soul? and tell him, I cannot do this, or swear this, or subscribe this, without the guilt of a deliberate sin! and I cannot sin without displeasing God, and hindering my salvation. He that dare wilfully sin himself, and make it his deliberate choice, and dare play away his own salvation, at the poorest game that the Devil will invite him to, and will sell his own soul at the basest price, even for a little pelf or pleasure or high titles for so short a time; certainly this man is unlike to be very tender of the souls of others, or to stick at scandalizing and ensnaring them, or to care any more to murder souls, than a Butcher doth to kill a Hog: Judas's heart, will make them sell their Lord or his flock at Judas's price; and prepare themselves for Judas's reward. And hence it is that the Carnal seed even within the Church, hath ordinarily persecuted the spiritual seed. For saith Paul, As he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now, Gal. 4. 29.

§. 25. Direct. 3. Also you must be persons who value your own souls, and are diligently exercised in ¹saving them from temptations: or else you are very like to be scandalizers and tempters of the souls of others. And therefore when such a man is made a Church Governour as is unacquainted with the renewing work of grace, and with the inward Government of Christ in the soul, what Devilish work is he like to make among the sheep of Christ, under the name of Government! What corrupting of the Doctrine, Worship or Discipline of Christ! What inventions of his own to ensnare mens Consciences? and driving them on by armed force to do that which at least to them is sin, and which can never countervail the loss, either of their souls, or of the Church by such disturbances! How merciless will he be when a poor member of Christ, shall beg of him but to have pity on his soul? and tell him, I cannot do this, or swear this, or subscribe this, without the guilt of a deliberate sin! and I cannot sin without displeasing God, and hindering my salvation. He that dare wilfully sin himself, and make it his deliberate choice, and dare play away his own salvation, at the poorest game that the Devil will invite him to, and will sell his own soul at the basest price, even for a little pelf or pleasure or high titles for so short a time; certainly this man is unlike to be very tender of the souls of others, or to stick at scandalizing and ensnaring them, or to care any more to murder souls, than a Butcher doth to kill a Hog: Iudas's heart, will make them sell their Lord or his flock at Iudas's price; and prepare themselves for Iudas's reward. And hence it is that the Carnal seed even within the Church, hath ordinarily persecuted the spiritual seed. For saith Paul, As he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now,