The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…

Now as there are these degrees and differences in the truly godly,¹ so there are peculiar and proper duties required of them. The spiritual man, he is first to be charitable and indulgent to those that are weaker, not to despise and contemn them, for they are those whom Christ also thought not his blood too dear for. Thus Rom. 14. speaking of the weak and the strong, he bids him, receive the weak, [Greek or Hebrew], into his bosom, as it were, with much pity and compassion; he is to be the good Samaritan, to pour o•l in his wounds, Gal. 6.1. Ye that are spiritual, restore such an one with compassion▪ as we do rejoynt dislocated parts of the body. It's far from the Spirit or Christ to contemn those that are weak in parts or graces. Christ did not, he would not break the bruised reed, Matth. 12.20. How patient and condescending was he to his Disciples, notwithstanding all their dullness and corruptions? Therefore that opinion of some Anabaptists is full of pride and arrogancy, that say, The Church should consist of none, but those that are as perfect as Angels As Jacob drove the sheep great with lamb, with much tenderness and ease: So art thou to have great care of those weak Christians, who have burdens upon them, how thou puttest them beyond their strength, and so they despair.

Now as there are these degrees and differences in the truly godly,¹ so there are peculiar and proper duties required of them. The spiritual man, he is first to be charitable and indulgent to those that are weaker, not to despise and contemne them, for they are those whom Christ also thought not his blood too dear for. Thus Rom. 14. speaking of the weak and the strong, he bids him, receive the weak, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, into his bosome, as it were, with much pity and compassion; he is to be the good Samaritan, to pour ol in his wounds,