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

In City and Country this soundeth forth to my reproach. I should take it for an act of clemency to have been smitten professedly for nothing, and that it might not have been thought necessary to afflict me by a defamation, that so I might seem justly afflicted by a prohibition to preach the Gospel. But indeed is there in these words of ours so great a crime? Though we doubted not but they knew that our Assertion made not Every evil accident, to be such as made an Imposition unlawful, yet we expressed this by word to them at that time, for fear of being misreported: ⟨image 28⟩and I told it to the Right Reverend Bishop when he forbade me to preach, and gave this as a reason: And I must confess I am still guilty of so much weakness, as to be confident that some things not evil of themselves, may have Accidents so evil, as may make it a sin to him that shall command them. Is this opinion inconsistent with all Government? Yea I must confess my self guilty of so much greater weakness, as that I thought I should never have found a man on earth, that had the ordinary reason of a man, that had made question of it; yea I shall say more then that which hath offended, viz. that whenever the commanding or forbidding of a thing indifferent is like to occasion more hurt than good, and this may be foreseen, the commanding or forbidding it is a sin. But yet this is not the Assertion that I am chargeable with, but that [some Accidents there may be that may make the Imposition sinful;] If I may ask it without accusing others, how would my crime have been denominated if I had said the contrary? Should I not have been judged unmeet to live in any Governed society? It is not unlawful of it self to command out a Navy to Sea: But if it were foreseen that ⟨image 29⟩they would fall into the enemies hands, or were like to perish by any accident, and the necessity of sending them were small, or none, it were a sin to send them. It is not of it self unlawful to sell poison, or to give a knife to another, or to bid another do it: but if it were foreseen that they will be used to poison or kill the buyer, it is unlawful; and I think the Law would make him believe it that were guilty▪ It is not of it self unlawful to light a candle or set fire on a straw;

In City and Country this soundeth forth to my reproach. I should take it for an act of clemency to have been smitten professedly for nothing, and that it might not have been thought necessary to afflict me by a defamation, that so I might seem justly afflicted by a prohibition to preach the Gospel. But indeed is there in these words of ours so great a crime? Though we doubted not but they knew that our Assertion made not Every evil accident, to be such as made an Imposition unlawful, yet we exprest this by word to them at that time, for fear of being misreported: