he would therefore try if possibly he hath been somewhat proud or vain of his authority, or respect amongst them, of their knowledge, orderly carriage, or dependence on the Ordinances, especially if he have any way affected such a thing, and hath withal slighted the trying of their spiritual estate, and bettering of it, or if he hath been neglective to pray for them, and for their stability in the truth; if he hath been defective to warn or to keep up the authority of the Ordinances, and of a Ministry among them; if he hath been too familiar and trivial in his carriage with them, and such like; also, if he hath been affected with zeal for Gods honour, when other Congregations have been infected, if he hath sympathized with such Ministers, and born burden with others in such cases; or, if on the contrary, he hath been careless, or, it may be, puffed up because himself was free: these and such like sins would be searched, because their is a Justice, and, if I may say, a congruity in Justice, in punishing such sins with such a rod; for its often when the husband men are sleeping that the enemy doth sow such tares. 4. He would try if he hath had any sinful influence on such evils, as if he hath not been full and diligent in grounding them in the fundamental truths, and clearing to them the Doctrines of the Gospel, as well as preaching duties, cases, and such like, or if he hath needlessly fostered curiosity in starting any questions, or in giving people way to follow them, if he hath made a sport of some errors publicly or privately, if he hath laughed at, or lightly spoken of, the errors and miscarriages of others, before them, if he hath not been faithful to admonish and reprove the first gadings, or if he hath fed the people with empty notions and ⟨p. 213⟩wind, and builded hay and stubble upon the foundation, and hath not seriously discovered to them their guiltiness, and hath not put them to the exercise of Repentance for their corrupt inclinations, thereby to press humility, fear, watchfulness, diligence, &c. that so their hand might be filled with a more solid work, and Christ by them employed to preserve them, even from this tentation. These, I say, and such like, would be tried, because where they are, the Minister wants not accession to their sin, as if in some respect he had combined with these seducers.
he would therefore try if possibly he hath been somewhat proud or vain of his authority, or respect amongst them, of their knowledge, orderly carriage, or dependance on the Ordinances, especially if he have any way affected such a thing, and hath withall sleighted the trying of their spiritual estate, and bettering of it, or if he hath been neglective to pray for them, and for their stability in the truth; if he hath been defective to warn or to keep up the authority of the Ordinances, and of a Ministery among them; if he hath been too familiar and triviall in his carriage with them, and such like; also, if he hath been affected with zeal for Gods honour, when other Congregations have been infected, if he hath sympathized with such Ministers, and born burthen with others in such cases; or, if on the contrary, he hath been carelesse, or, it may be, puffed up because himself was free: these and such like sins would be searched, because their is a Justice, and, if I may say, a congruity in Justice, in punishing such sins with such a rod; for its often when the husband men are sleeping that the enemy doth sow such tares. 4. He would try if he hath had any sinfull influence on such evils, as if he hath not been full and diligent in grounding them in the fundamentall truths, and clearing to them the Doctrines of the Gospel, as well as preaching duties, cases, and such like, or if he hath needlesly fostered curiosity in starting any questions, or in giving people way to follow them, if he hath made a sport of some errours publickly or privately, if he hath laughen at, or lightly spoken of, the errours and miscarriages of others, before them, if he hath not been faithfull to admonish and reprove the first gadings, or if he hath fed the people with empty notions and ⟨p. 213⟩wind, and builded hay and stubble upon the foundation, and hath not seriously discovered to them their guiltinesse, and hath not put them to the exercise of Repentance for their corrupt inclinations, thereby to presse humility, fear, watchfulnesse, diligence, &c. that so their hand might be filled with a more solid work, and Christ by them imployed to preserve them, even from this tentation. These, I say, and such like, would be tryed, because where they are, the Minister wants not accession to their sin, as if in some respect he had combined with these seducers.
