Ingested-The Surreption II-320.zip
THis of Correption (saith Gerson) is by Christ's precept become our duty, whensoever these 6. Conditions do concur. 1. That I have a certain knowledge of the brothers sin, a suspicion being not ground sufficient for so doing. 2. That I use all mildness or mansuetude in admonishing, the angry passionate correption being apt rather to provoke than to amend. 3. If on consideration I discern not that some other is fitter for that performance than my self; i. e. either more familiar with him, or els his superiour, that may have some authority over him (as for a third consideration, whether some body els be not more pious, or better qualified, I shall not put that into the scheme, lest the most pious men being also the most humble, should by that [...], judge themselves superseded from thar duty:) Yet this also with this limitation, that if all other do appear to neglect that performance, then it must devolve to me again, and as far as concerns that condition, become my duty, if all the other [Page 93] conditions do concur with it. 4. If I have any probable ground of hope that he will be reformd or betterd by my Correption: whereas on the other side, if there be no such hope, but rather that he will he provoked, inflamed, and grow worse, I am not then bound to contribute thus to his deeper condemnation. 5. That the matter of the sin be of some weight: and again, that it were done upon advice and deliberation, not out of surreption, sudden motion, or imperfect consent. And lastly, if there be not hope of springing some happier opportunity for this performance at some other time which may make it prudent and charitable to defer it till then. The concurrence of these conditions is that which makes the exercise of this duty necessary, and neglect a sin: and the concurrence of at least so many of them, as may give me hope of the designed success (that unto which the first mention of it by Christ was ordered, to save that which was lost:) the reforming any lapst trespasser, lays it upon me as a most excellent work of Christian mercy: the usefulness of which to my poor brother, is able to commend it to every Christians practice, though there were no obligation, or precept lying on him. Read the whole Treatise.
Ingested-The Surreption II-320.zip
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