N00800:155
The peril of the times displayed. Or The danger of mens taking up with…
The peril of the times displayed. Or The danger of mens taking up with a form of godliness, but denying the power of it. Being the substance of several sermons preached: / by Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. N.E. ; [One line from Augustine in Latin]
Boston: printed by B. Green, 1700
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. This is also to sin against the Rule ⟨p. 147⟩of Christian Charity. We observed, that Charity is the very bond of Christian Communion in this World. Now the proper nature of Charity is to think the best of others, so far as we may have any encouragement so to do; surely then, when we see men to be zealous for the Ordinances of Christ, and careful in doing according to his commands therein, and therein showing a respect to all his Precepts; this bespeaks in our Consciences that they do well: and unless we have reason from their other conversation among men, to condemn them, we ought to judge them sincere; nor are the common infirmities incident to the Children of God in this life, to weaken our Charity on this account. If we are mistaken in this, it will do us no hurt, and to their own master they must stand or fall; but if we wrong them in our censures of them, we bring guilt upon our selves, and provoke Gods just displeasure against us.
3. This is also to sin against the Rule ⟨p. 147⟩of Christian Charity. We observed, that Charity is the very bond of Christian Communion in this World. Now the proper nature of Charity is to think the best of others, so far as we may have any encouragement so to do; surely then, when we see men to be zealous for the Ordinances of Christ, and careful in doing according to his commands therein, and therein shewing a respect to all his Precepts; this bespeaks in our Consciences that they do well: and unless we have reason from their other conversation among men, to condemn them, we ought to judge them sincere; nor are the common infirmities incident to the Children of God in this life, to weaken our Charity on this account. If we are mistaken in this, it will do us no hurt, and to their own master they must stand or fall; but if we wrong them in our censures of them, we bring guilt upon our selves, and provoke Gods just displeasure against us.
3. Have a care that you do not take up with, and rest in a form of Godliness; and it concerns us all to take great heed to our selves on this account, and that upon these three considerations.