Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor

Direct. 2. When you have (to spare time) spoken thus to them, all, take then the persons one by one, and deal with them as far as you can in private, out of the hearing of the rest; For some cannot speak freely before others, and some will not endure to be questioned before others, because they think that it tendeth to their shame, to have others hear their answers; and some persons that can make better answers themselves will be ready when they are gone to twattle of what they heard, and to disgrace those that speak not so well as they; and so people will be discouraged, and backward persons will have pretences to forbear and forsake the work, and say, they will not come to be made a scorn or a laughing stock. You must therefore be very prudent to prevent all these inconveniences. But the main reason is, as I find by experience, people will better take plain close dealing about their sin and misery and duty when you have them alone then they will before others; And if you have not opportunity to set it home and deal freely with them, you will frustrate all. If therefore you have convenient place, let the rest stay in one room, while you confer with each person by themselves in another room, Only for the necessary avoiding of scandal, we must speak to the women, only in the presence of some others; and if we do lose some ⟨p. 427⟩advantage by it of the success of our instructions, there is no remedy: Its better do so, then by giving matter of reproach to the malicious, to destroy all the work. Yet we may so contrive it, that though some other be in the room, yet what passages are less fit for others observance, may be spoken submissâ voce that others may be no hearers of it; and therefore they may be placed at the remotest part of the room. Or at least let none be present but the members of the same family, that be more familiar, and not so likely to reproach one another. And then, in your most rousing examinations and reproofs, deal most with the most ignorant, and secure and vicious, that you may have the clearer ground for your closest dealing, and the hearing of it may awaken the standers by, to whom you seem not so directly to apply it. These small things deserve observance, because they be in order to a work that is not small: and small errors may hinder a great deal of good.

Direct. 2. When you have (to spare time) spoken thus to them, all, take then the persons one by one, and deal with them as far as you can in private, out of the hearing of the rest; For some cannot speak freely before others, and some will not endure to be questioned before others, because they think that it tendeth to their shame, to have others hear their answers; and some persons that can make better answers themselves will be ready when they are gone to twattle of what they heard, and to disgrace those that speak not so well as they; and so people will be discouraged, and backward persons will have pretences to forbear and forsake the work, and say, they wil not come to be made a scorn or a laughing stock. You must therefore be very prudent to prevent all these inconveniences. But the main reason is, as I find by experience, people will better take plain close dealing about their sin and misery and duty when you have them alone then they will before others; And if you have not opportunity to set it home and deal freely with them, you will frustrate all. If therefore you have convenient place, let the rest stay in one room, while you confer with each person by themselves in another room, Only for the necessary avoiding of scandal, we must speak to the women, only in the presence of some others; and if we do lose some