An exposition of the prophecy of Hosea begun in divers lectures upon the first…An exposition of the prophesie of Hosea begun in divers lectures vpon the first…

Conscience indeed would have me speak, but I shall trouble my self, and what will they think of me on the other side, where there are so many able and godly men? surely I shall be thought a conceited fool, and therefore I were as good hold my peace, and sleep in a whole skin, and be quiet.

Conscience indeed would have me speak, but I shall trouble my self, and what will they think of me on the other side, where there are so many able and godly men? surely I shall be thought a conceited fool, and therefore I were as good hold my peace, and sleepe in a whole skin, and be quiet.

Thus because they have so much self-respect, and love their own quiet, and cannot endure to suffer any trouble, they will leave the truth to suffer, and their consciences to be pleading with in against themselves; rather then thus to plead for the cause of God.

Certainly they that are charitable should rather take things in the better part then in the evil. It is true, it is possible that men may through pride of spirit be pleading with others (I shall speak a word of that by and by) but yet you may perceive it in the carriage of such a one, in the general course of his way. Now if in the general course of the way of a man, he doth carry himself humbly and submissively, that you see him yieldable as much as ever he can in all lawful things, and then when he cometh to plead against an evil he is not sudden, he is not rash, and he pleads not against every light evil neither, but when he comes he comes with a great deal of trouble in his spirit, and carrieth it with all quietness and humility, It is your rigidness, and that spirit which doth not beseem a Christian, that is not the spirit of Christ in this thing, for to judge of this to be pride. For certainly under this false judge meant the cause of God hath suffered exceeding much.¹