The mischiefs of self-ignorance and the benefits of self-acquaintance opened in divers sermons at…

4. Judge also how well men know themselves, when you have observed, what different apprehensions they have, of their own faults and of other mens: and of those that are suitable to their dispositions, interests or examples, and those that are against them. They seem to judge of the actions by the ⟨p. 68⟩persons, and not of the persons by the actions. Though he be himself a sensualist, a worldling, drowned in Ambition and Pride, whose heart is turned away from God, and utterly strange to the mystery of Regeneration and a heavenly life, yet all this is scarce discerned by him, and is little troublesome, and less odious then the failings of another, whose heart and life is devoted unto God. The different opinions, or modes and circumstances of worship, in another that truly feareth God, is matter of their severer censures and reproach, then their own omissions, and averseness and enmity to holiness, and the dominion of their deadly sins. It seems to them more intolerable for another to pray without a Book, then for themselves to pray without any serious belief, or love, or holy desire, without any feeling of their sins, or misery or wants; that is, to pray with the lips without a heart; to pray to God without God, even without the knowledge or love of God, and to pray without prayers. It seemed to the Hypocritical Pharisees, a greater crime in Christ and his Disciples, to violate their Traditions, in not washing before they eat, to break the Ceremonious rest of their Sabbath by healing the diseased, ⟨p. 69⟩or plucking ears of corn, then in themselves to hate and persecute the true believers and worshippers of God, and to kill the Lord of life himself. They censured the Samaritans for not worshipping at Jerusalem: but censured not themselves for not worshipping God, that is a Spirit, in Spirit and in Truth. Which makes me remember the course of their successors, the Ceremonious Papists; that condemn others for Heretics, and fry them in the flames, for not believing that Bread is no Bread, and Wine is no Wine, and that Bread is to be adored as God; and that the souls of dead men know the hearts of all that pray to them in the world at once; and that the Pope is the Vice-Christ, and Sovereign of all the Christians in the world; and for reading the Scriptures and praying in a known tongue, when they forbid it; and for not observing a world of Ceremonies;