Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	body_n	good_a	virtue_n	3,593	5	6.2058	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81905	A case of conscience concerning ministers medling with state matters in or out of their sermons resolved more satisfactorily then heretofore. Wherein amongst other particulars, these matters are insisted upon, and cleared. 1 How all controversies and debates among Christians ought to be handled regularly, and conscionably to edification by those that meddle therewith. 2 What the proper employments are of Christian magistrates, and Gospel-Ministers, as their works are distinct, and should be concurrent for the publick good at all times. 3 What the way of Christianity is, whereby at this time our present distractions, and publick breaches may be healed : if magistrates and ministers neglect not the main duties of their respective callings. Where a ground is layed to satisfie the scruple of the Demurrer, and of the Grand Case of Conscience. / Written by John Dury, minister of the Gospel, to give a friend satisfaction: and published at the desire of many. Octob. 3. Imprimatur, Joseph Caryl.	Dury, John, 1596-1680.	1649 (1649)	Wing D2836; Thomason E579_1; ESTC R206157	157,053	200

others to teach them or observe them being taught and imposed worship God in vain Matth. 15. 9. 16. That the greatest honour and priviledge that can befall to a Magistrate as being a Christian is to become a Member of the mystical Body of Iesus Christ and so to be under the spiritual inspection and care of the Ministery of the Gospel and the dispensation of the mysteries and graces of the Kingdom of Heaven 17. That a Christian Magistrate being a fellow-Member of the Body of Christ is obliged not only as a Magistrate to oversee them in outward things for their good but as a Professor and Brother to watch over their soules considering them in love to provoke them and stir them up to all good works 18. That a Magistrate being a Christian although he is set over all men in respect of the outward and visible Government of the society yet in respect of the inward and spiritual Charge of soules committed to the Ministers of Christ he is under their care and inspection to be watched over that he should walk worthy of God in the Heavenly profession 19. That although a Magistrate as a Christian is thus under the inspection of the Ministerial function as to his personal behaviour and walking in the holy profession and may lawfully be admonished in case he doth any thing contrary to the rules of his profession yet his Magistratical function is not under the inspection of the Ministers of the Gospel for their line doth go no farther than their Stewardship and their Stewardship doth go no further than the Mysteries and the house of God therefore as the Ministers are not set to oversee and direct him in his Magistracy So he is not accountable to them of his proceedings in State-matters 20. That although the Ministers of the Gospel depend not upon the Authority of any men in the duties of their spiritual function yet they are accountable not only to the civil and Christian Magistrate of the reason and manner of all their proceedings in their administrations but to any other that shall desire to know what their way and purpose of walking is in any thing belonging to their profession because 2 Cor. 4. 2. 1 Iohn 1. 7. they are bound to reject all the hidden things of darknes to walk in the light and approve their wayes unto the Consciences of all men as in the sight of God 21. That a Concurrence of the Christian Magistrate with the Ministery by way of Councel and cooperation of countenance protection in all things belonging to the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ is not only lawful but very expedient and commendable and a concurrence of the Ministery with the Magistracy to teach both them and their Subjects the duties which God hath Commanded all of them towards one another is necessary because it is a part of that Charge which God hath given to the Ministery Tit. 3. 1. 2. 22. That the Councels the Resolutions the Lawes and the executions of State-Government which are the proper works of the Magistrate whereupon according to his best understanding he doth attend ought not publickly to be controuled by any of his Subjects or in a privat way resisted 23. That the conjunction of endeavours in the Magistracy and Ministery ought to be only for the publick good either of Church or Common-wealth or of both and by each of them his work is to be done distinctly in the way of his own Calling wherein Christ hath set him and not otherwise 24. That the Ministerial Function and Stewardship of the Mysteries of God which Christ hath appointed to be dispensed for spiritual and eternal concernments in foro interiori may not be employed for bodily and temporal and State designments as subordinate thereunto in foro exteriori 25. That Ministers as private men and living as Members in a State may and ought to contribute their natural Talents to further the publick good thereof in subordination to the Magistrates lawful desires and to give example to others of their duty 26. That Magistrates professing Christianity if they make a faire shew and pretence to advance a publick good but in effect be found manifestly to seeke nothing but their own private ends in their places they may and ought discreetly to be admonished of their duty and warned of the danger of Hypocrisie whereunto their passions their pride and their covetousnes may lead them 27. That Ministers as they ought not to refuse lawful employments wherein as Members of a Commonwealth they may be called to do the publick some service so they may not entertain that employment after such a manner as to be taken off thereby from their spiritual Function or to confound and mix the use and end thereof with matters of a different nature to serve and please themselves or other men thereby for if I sought to please men saith Paul I should not be the Servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. 28. That all Conjunctions and Concurrences of the Magistratical and Ministerial Functions which are not undertaken for their own direct ends and uses respectively but either by the neglect of those ends or by indirect meanes or commixture of Relations tend to other ends are unwarrantable because they take away the boundaries and right uses of Christs Ordinances and so apply them not to his service 29. That if Ministers deal with a people of matters which are the proper concernment of their particular Magistrate with that people which is his Subject they do manifestly set themselves with him in his Charge and whether they meddle with his matters towards his Subjects willingly and in love to him or without love to him and that either unwillingly as by command and constraint or of their own accord as by jealousie and competition of interests which way soever this is done in all or any of these cases it is evident they apply themselves to their hearers not as spiritual men and Disciples of Christ to spiritual men and to Christs Disciples but as interessed men to men of interest in this world whether therefore the Magistrate be pleased or displeased as a service or disservice is done unto his Authority designes thereby the service of Christ Iesus in all this is not regarded The matters of disagreement how to be thought upon What they are in this controversie These Positions I hope will find no contradiction by any that I shall have to deal withall but if any of them be excepted against it may either be laid aside or regularly discussed by it self if it deserve to be handled by it self or if it hath any fundamental relation to the point of doubt it may be brought in as one of the particulars afterward to be decided when the Question is fully stated which now is to be done If then after all these material points of agreement there be any that to maintain the practice of some held at large that Ministers may meddle with State-matters in their

alone upon free grace if he doth help to persecute any in their bodies or states for outward relations and interests rather than study to addresse and convert their soules to God and if he doth set himselfe in a state-way either to gain power and authority in his own hand to share it with the magistrate or to subordinate his ministeriall imployment unto wordly ends of State-government to cover the tricks thereof with a cloke of Conscience and Religion that people should worship the Image which he sets before them if I say any man doth pervert the use of his ministery thus yet professing himselfe to be the servant of Christ he doth play the part of the false Prophet who doth work miracles before the great Beast and exerciseth all his power over men And the Rev. 13. 11 12 13 c. and chap. 19 20. greater the naturall and acquired parts and gifts of this man are and the more revealed and spirituall truths or mystcall shewes thereof he doth mix with this kind of service the more fire he doth cause to come down from heaven and the more deeply he doth deceive and therefore he shall accordingly receive also with the false Prophet so much the more of his reward if he repent not 5 If therefore such as are in power look upon religion onely as Jeroboam did in order to their owne interests and will suffer none to stand in places of employment but men of their own creating that will serve turnes towards the people and if ministers that are in places of employment look onely upon their Magistrate as the Jewish Priests did upon Pilate when they delivered Christ up to be crucified by him and affect him no further than he will act their designes whether they agree or disagree upon their matters together it is apparent that by so doing they conspire to make the people that are led by them miserable and desolate because neither of them follow either the true work or the right way of their employment neither towards the multitude or towards one another but if they doe openly disagree they conspire then by tearing them in pieces and setting them in factions against one another to make their misery and desolation sudden and without remedy For except God turn their hearts to a right course and set them upon the works of their calling wthout partiality and direct their counsels in a loving righteous and peaceable way as Christ hath appointed his Disciples to walk for his glory towards the good of those that are under their charge and for their own mutuall happinesse they shall never be able for feare of one another to intend or attend any other designes but such as are acted by power and violence whereupon the great Dragon their master in these courses doth set them and whieh for want of Christian love and compassion can end in nothing else but in mercilesse cruelties equally ruinous to each other and to the Common-wealths of humanesocieties Of the duties of Love Righteousnesse and Peace joyntly Hitherto we have seen both what the proper workes and wayes of the Magistracy and Ministery are as they relate unto the ends for which Christ hath ordained them and what the error and deviation is from those works and wayes And lastly also what this deviation doth produce in all societies where the duties of Love of Righteousnesse and of Peace are not thought upon to referre the whole state thereof unto Christ as Christians ought to doe Let us now come to the second point of our Disquirie which is to discover what the naturall properties and proper acts are of true Love of Righteousnesse and of Peaceablenesse which Christians and chiefly their Leaders unto happinesse ought to intend towards all men but especially towards each other in the workes of their employment and above all in times of distresse Now to speak of these duties ingenerall as to commend their worth their necessity their usefulnesse and such like I conceive it needlesse for certainly it is not so much for want of knowledge of that which we ought to doe that we run into errors as by reason of our perturbation and of our by-respects which beget in us a disregarding of these and an observation of other matters and are begotten in us through partiality in our selves and fore-stalment of thoughts concerning others For it is by reason of these things that we play the hypocrites and lye against the Truth for which cause our sin is the greater For to him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sin saith the Apostle Jam. 4. 17. Of the duty of Christian love by it selfe Therefore as concerning the duty of Christian Love it cannot be supposed in probability that any in the Ministery or in any other charge amongst Christians should be ignorant of the nature therof because it is known to all that have been taught the first Principles of the knowledge of Christ that the duty of Christian love is two-fold First the affection by which we cleave to God as to our Father in Christ And next the affection by which we embrace our neighbour for Gods sake as Christ hath embraced us Now concerning our love to God and friendship to Christ it is evident that it stands onely in this That we keep the commandements of the Father and that we doe whatsoever Christ doth enjoyne us to performe John 15. 14. and 1 John 5. 5. whence it is further manifest that to neglect the known will of God and to set our selves in a course which is contrary to his commandements is openly to renounce Christs friendship and plainly to become a hater of God and hatefull to him And as for the commandement wherein God will have us to shew our love and Christ our friendship to himself it is known by all to be none other but the Law of Love whereof the whole substance hath been delivered unto us in the new commandement which Christ hath given us when he sairh John 13. 34 35. A new Commandement I have given you That ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if yee have love one to another The true evidence then of our love towards God is this That we love the Brethren For he that saith he loveth God and hateth his brother is a lyar saith the Apostle 1 John 4. 20 21. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen And this Commandement have we from him That he that loveth God love his brother also The end for this alwayes is to be lookt upon as that which doth manifest the nature and property of every thing of love is to seek the good of that which is beloved Now our goodnesse Psal 16. 2 3. 1 Cor. 10. 24. 1 Cor. 13. 5. cannot extend unto God therefore God hath appointed us

meaning in prescribing these Duties nor my scope in pressing the practise thereof as a cure to our spirituall distempers but the Apostles meaning and my scope is to shew that by these performances some new qualifications of the soul alterations of the frame of the Spirit are wrought in believers to fit them to the enjoyment of that which doth actually free them from all guilt both in Gods account and in their own Conscience For by these meanes our souls are qualified to become susceptible of the Grace which Christ hath purchased for us for whose sake alone we are delivered from the guilt of wrath in the Fathers account and the frame of our spirit is altered to inable us to perceive the remission of the guilt by the testimony of the Spirit of Adoption by which we cry Abba Father and finde effectually that God is in Christ reconciling us unto himself and not imputing unto us our sins for his sake I say these acts of Repentance and our performance of the same are necessary meanes to take away the guilt of our sinfullnes not as to the Justice of God for that is Christs work through the Redemption in his blood but as to the qualification and frame of our spirit to make it susceptible and sensible of the Redemption which is in the hand of Christ to be applyed unto every one who by the conviction of his Conscience is drawn over and doth yeeld himself obedient unto God in these duties For as long as we are impenitent and hardened in our way through the over-ruling deceitfulnes of sin we remain under the guilt of wrath and can have no confidence in God through Christ because the Promises are made unto none but unto those that repent and believe in the Gospel but when we change our course or are rather changed in our course upon the change of our minde with a new frame of heart towards God then the spirit of bondage which is to fear is removed and the free Spirit of Christ which testifieth unto our spirit our Adoption is given to us for till this be done the spirit of bondage doth stand with a flaming Sword between us and the way of the tree of life in Paradise that is between our soul and the Covenant of life in Christ by the Peace of a good Conscience Now the flaming Sword standing between us and the way to this tree is the evidence of Gods wrath as it is due to sin and of our owne guilt as we are liable to wrath and under sin it is then in this sense and by the dispensation of the grace of Repentance to this effect that the guilt is taken away and rest is given to the wearied soul The Remedy of the punishment of sinfulnes The fourth and last Duty doth tend to a full restitution of our estate by the enjoyment of al things pertaining unto life godlines that we may attaine to the glory and vertue whereunto we are called by the profession of the Gospel And to come to this the Apostle doth shew that our way is to humble our selves in the sight of God which if we do the promise is that he will lift us up To humble our selves is to esteem meanly of our selves and to behave our selves as such as are low and mean in their own sense To humble our selves in the sight of God is in respect of God reflecting upon our selves to acknowledge our selves to be nothing at all and as to other men the least of all To be lift up by God is to be made something by his Grace for to the humble the Lord doth give Grace saith the Apostle ver 6. And those that humble themselves have a promise here that they shall be lift up If we see our want of Vertue and are sensible of it in the presence of God he will graciously supply our wants and exalt us to find what we are in him Now God doth lift up men from a low to a higher condition of Grace in three respects In respect of himself in respect of publick employments and in respect of other men 1. In respect of himself he lifts us up when he admits us unto a higher degree of favour and love with himself which is done by manifesting unto us the Love of Christ and making us sensible of his life For thereby he strengthens us with might in the inward man that we may have more and more Communion with him and he with us in Christ till we be filled with all the fulnes of God Eph. 3. 19. 2. In respect of publick employments he lifts us up when he sets our spirits upon the things that are most excellent to discerne and to affect them when he gives endowments sufficient to go about them and when he makes the undertakings glorious to himself and succesfull to the comfort of his Saints 3. In respect of other men he sets us up when he gives us a due place of love and esteeme in the thoughts of the best of them and makes his vertues by us manifest in the sight of all the rest so that they cannot but see his glory These favours are attainable at Gods hand but the way to attaine them is to become lowly as in the sight of God that is as looking upon God and minding our subordination unto him in all things we should unfeinedly esteeme our selves as of our selves to be nothing whether we reflect upon our state in Grace with reference unto God or upon our undertakings amongst men or upon our abilities to performe the same For in these three things our spirituall naturall pride doth commonly break forth and if herein we receive Grace truly to deny our selves in Gods sight and to be nothing in our selves the promise is that we shall be lift up here then the rule of humility is to be observed As concerning our state in Grace the Rule of Humility is That none think of himself more highly then he ought to think but should think soberly according as God hath dealt to every one the measure of Faith Rom. 12. 3. Now to live by Faith is to live by the Truth of God in his Word Concerning our abilities in reference to our selves the Rule of Humility is Be not wise in your own conceits Rom. 12. 16. and again Let no man glory in men 1 Cor. 3. 21. and concerning our undertakings in reference to men the Rule is Minde not high things but condescend to men of low estate Rom. 12. 16. And such as exercise themselves to walk by these Rules with reverence and godly fear as in the presence of God shall in due time be exalted by him unto the enjoyment of that glory and vertue whereunto they are called and appointed to come Who they are that should apply this cure to the spirit of Envy And what failing there is in the application This is the Cure which the Spirit of God doth offer to be applyed unto the spirit of envy that it

of Love of Peace and of Holinesse are to be applied as a remedy unto publick diseases and afflictions when Gods chastisement is upon us When we have set the positive remedies a-work we ought then also to be cautious lest the effect of all our endeavours be made void by reason of dangerous evils which may be incident to our state if we take not heed thereunto The most dangerous of all evils is to faile of the grace of God either by falling from the Truth or by losing the sense thereof for if this be lost or that be cast off nothing that is good can be found in us or remain with us Therefore this is the first evill which is to be prevented which we are directed to v. 15. Looking diligently lest any man faile of the grace of God Then the second is a consequence of this defection and therefore to be lookt unto in the second place that it may be observed and prevented namely the fructifying of our naturall corruption within our selves or others and the uncleannesse which doth spread it selfe abroad from thence whereof we are warned in the latter part of verse 15. Lest any root of bitternesse springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled As the former evill separates us from the life of God and the enjoyment of the meanes of salvation so this doth bring us under the power of Satan and the guilt of condemnation That doth relate principally to the truth of faith this to the power of godlinesse lest both first that and then this be lost amongst us whereupon the third evill which may in the last place follow is also to be prevented which is an open denying of the publick profession of Religion through love to the World of which we are taught to beware v. 16. Lest there be any fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for a morsell of meat sold his Birth-right Thus we have a briefe yet a very substantiall and full directory both in respect of matter and order for the regulating of all Christian but chiefly Ministeriall proceedings in the cure of these our evils If now I should give way to my affection to enter upon the distinct consideration of every one of the ingredients of this compound spirituall Antidote to shew what influence it hath to cure our distempers and how suitable it is to our present occasions I might be very large and easily engaged to shew that in the parts thereof if taken severally we have as it were a dispensatory of Receipts fit for all the Symptomes of our diseases and that in the whole if taken in the composition we have a most provident course of Physick or medicinall method prescribed for the regular prosecuting of the cure but I shall contract my thoughts and observe onely that which is mainly considerable and may be obvious to every ones capacity The duty of spirituall resolution First then in the duty whereby we are directed to order our selves towards the workes of our employment which is To lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees I observe this That the indisposition which most remarkably seaseth upon all mens spirits when they are brought under the rod of affliction is a faint-heartednesse which by reason of the astonishment of our thoughts and the dulnesse and flatnesse of our courage doth deprive us of resolution what to doe for our selves by which meanes our hands the instruments of action hang down in a lazy posture and our knees the supporters of the whole body for motion are loosned as it were out of joynt and without strength The hands and knees in the spirituall man are the moving and acting faculties of the soule which are the imaginative apprehending objects and the will and affections moving thereon these faculties hang down and are loosned from action when we are out of heart with businesses and discouraged to undertake the works of our employment This indisposition is very frequent in these our times upon all the unexpected changes and turnings of affaires wherein of a sudden men know not where to find themselves as being at a losse and the worst is that they who should by instructing many strengthen the weak hands and Job 4. 3 4. whose words should uphold him that is falling doe adde unto the discouragements by their complaints and scruples But against this faint-heartednesse and the grievous thoughts which some suggest unto drooping spirits the Apostolicall exhortation is in this place a Cordiall prescribing unto them a draught of resolution from above which will inable them if they receive it to lift up their heads their hands and their knees to the duties of their calling upon the consideration of the comfortable effects of their chastisements which is the peaceable fruit of righteonsnesse which it will yeeld unto them that are exercised thereby Wherefore saith he lift up your hands c. and be of good cheere and resolute because the end of your triall is for peace and righteousnesse onely be not wanting to your selves fall to the workes of your employment and raise your affections to be active therein for in so doing your duty there is hope your confidence and courage in well-doing is not to be cast away because it hath a great recompence of reward Heb. 10. 35. In the worst times of Israel when their Leaders caused them to erre and destroyed the way of their paths even then the Prophet was commanded to say unto the Righteous that it should be well with him because he should eat the fruit of his doing The worser the times are the work of courage in our Calling is the more commendable and the fruit thereof the more usefull pretious and glorious There be some that make it their work to make the times worse then indeed they are by prepossessing the spirits of the multitude against the constitution of the State and the wayes of their Rulers These men by their suggestions discourage the plain-hearted from the resolutions of walking chearfully in their wayes as bcometh Christians and set them out of their Sphere upon discontent and fearfulnesse Let such then who make themselves instrumentall to stagger the hearts and weaken the hands of their Brethren by disquieting their affections upon doubtfull considerations of things which are extrinsecall to the stations of private men and whereof they are no competent Judges look well to it that the evill which they occasion to procure unto the times overtake them not For in the same place where the Prophet Isaiah in evill times is commanded to comfort the righteous with promise he denounceth a heavy threatning to the wicked which is due to the practise of these men Wo saith he unto the wicked it shall be Isai 3. 11. ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him Such therfore as refuse to lift up their hands without wrath and doubting to God in prayer for the obtaining of publick mercies or in praises for the

acknowledging of blessings received such as by with-drawing sullenly their affections and concurrence from lawfull endeavours discourage the hearts and hands of others from the common duties of love and peaceablenesse and of righteousnesse and such as thereby seek to distract and perplex the government and obstruct the publick settlement of the Common-wealth in quietness if they repent not will at last assuredly receive that reward of their hands which will be a wo unto them and no matter of rejoycing This then will be our wisdome to behave our selves in these times as it becometh Christians I say Christians who are not to be shaken with the stormy changes of this world which passeth away but stand stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as we know that our labours of love of peace and of righteousness are not in vain 1 Cor. 15. 58. in the Lord. We ought then to shake off the spirit of drowsiness and like unto Wrastlers who set themselves in a posture of striving for Masteries to stirre up strength to raise our hands to confirm our knees and be in a readiness for the actions of our employment and all this should be intended so much the rather because the dayes are evill The duty of ordering our conversation aright This resolution thus taken will fit our mind for our undertakings and then the duty next to be laid to heart will fit the workes which we are to take in hand for our places and abilities whereof the Rule is this That we should make straight paths for our feet The feet of the soule are all the moving faculties thereof which carry it from one object to another as the feet of the body carry it from one place to another The paths of these feet are both the objects wherewith our soule is conversant and the steps of our proceeding in moving about the same The objects are all the affaires of a Religious Naturall and Civill property according to the severall relations in private publick wherein we are set The steps are the thoughts the affections and the outward actions by which we are carried from one object to another The straightnesse of these paths is the enemies both of the way wherin we walke and of our motion therein the enemies of the way is the lawfulness of the things themselves when the objects of our employment are none other but such as they ought to be in our proper stations when they are made free from crooked turnings and windings and laid in a direct line before us from their beginnings to their endings and when the rugged and unequall paths thereof are made smooth and plain that is the knotty circumstances of affaires taken off by equity The enemies of our motion in this way is the lawfulness of our proceeding and carriage in following a direct course neither turning to the right nor left hand till our journies end nor moving unequally one time too high another time too low as those that halt And to make these pathes straight our care must be of two things first to reflect upon the end of our work and then upon the meanes by which it is attainable for there be two parts of folly in our nature which pervert all our wayes the one is Childishnes when we consider not to what purpose we are busie the other is improdence when we consider not our work is to be carried on To avoid the first of these we must not suffer the faculties of our soule to walk at random about their objects but should determine the purpose of their motions by a known and undoubted Rule towards that which is manifestly good and to avoid the second branch of folly we must set our faculties and their motions a work in an orderly way without confusion and disproportion according to their places and properties in nature Thus then he that will fit his work in Righteousness to his proper place and abilities that it may not miscarry must forecast and consider his whole way with every thing belonging unto it and his own walking therein this forecast must contain two parts the one positive the other negative The positive forecast is that which hitherto we have mentioned concerning the end of our undertakings and the ordering of all the meanes and motions tending thereunto by a sure and known Rule without which we have no light in us and can do nothing but play the foole in every thing Therefore such as walk not by a known Rule and love not to come to the light thereof to approve unto all men but chiefly to those with whom they have to do their aimes and the meanes and wayes of their proceeding to gaine the same but cover their Councel deepe and hide these things from those that are concerned therein make no strait pathes for their feet and do not the truth and by this they are known that their works are not done in God whereas others who forecast without prejudice and partiality their affaires to proceed no further therein then they have a rule to warrant them love to discover themselves as in the presence of God before every one The Negative forecast is that which doth consider the impediments incident to the work of our employment how they may be removed for seeing the whole world doth lie in wickednes and we cannot avoid meeting with the crosse effects of wickednes either in the crookednes of our own nature or in others we cannot be said to have made straight pathes for our feet except some preparations be made to remove and obviat the same The impediments then which should be foreseen lie either in the objects of our work or in the working faculties the objects are either things or persons The impediments to be foreseen in things are the evil qualities thereof which by reason of the curse and bondage of corruption cleave to the whole Creation therefore to make our pathes straight in respect of things we ought to discerne their defects as well as their useful properties we ought to presuppose and suspect more defects in them than we are able to discerne and we ought not to venture upon their abilities further than the ordinary usefulnes of their natural activity is plainly discovered unto us The impediments to be foreseen in persons for no man can do any thing in this world without some relation towards other men ought to be considered as well with reference to those who are directly or collaterally concerned in the business we take in hand as with reference to those who are not concerned therein but yet are likely to take notice thereof as for those with whom we have to do our considerations should run chiefly upon the impediments which may fall in about the circumstances of our station and relation towards them and about the apprehensions and thoughts which they may have of our persons and proceedings in all which we should reflect upon the occasion of offence which may be incident