thoroughly to perform. However, the method toward SERM. it, which I fhall obferve, is this: Firft, I fhall touch fome XXI. cafes, in which it is allowable or commendable to meddle with the affairs of others: then I fhall propound fome general rules, according to which fuch meddlesomeness is commonly blameable: in the next place, I fhall affign fome directions proper to fome chief and most obvious kinds of meddling: and lastly, offer fome confiderations to diffuade men from this pragmatical humour.

1. Superiors may intermeddle with the bufinefs of their inferiors, (that is, of fuch as are subject to their care and charge,) in all matters relating to the needful execution of their office. Magiftrates may infpect the carriage, may examine the doings, may reprehend and punish the offences of their fubjects: parents may advise, rebuke, and correct their children: fpiritual guides and pastors may admonish and reprove their flock. These things while, with due prudence, equity, and moderation, they perform, they do indeed párre Tà dia, do their own bufinefs; it is their proper work, to which God hath defigned them, and which reafon exacteth of them; they are appointed, to use St. Paul's expreffion, to attend con- Rom. xiii. tinually upon this very thing; their proceedings there-6. fore are not to be charged with culpable pragmaticalnefs.

2. In any cafe, wherein the honour and intereft of God is much concerned, we may interpose in vindication and maintenance of them. If any man dareth to blafpheme God's name, we may and ought to ftand up in its de-. fence; if any man disparageth religion, we should strive to clear its repute; if any man impugneth any divine truth of moment, we should endeavour to affert it; if any man notoriously tranfgreffeth God's law, we may discountenance his presumption, and reprove him for it: every man in such cases, as God's subject, hath not only a commiffion, but an obligation; is indeed by his allegiance bound to serve God, in maintaining the honour and intereft of his empire: it is foul disloyalty, it is pitiful base

SERM. nefs to forbear meddling in fuch cafes a. Thus have good XXI. men, without fear or fhame, defended religion and truth, against the mightiest powers and most dangerous oppofiPf. cvi. 30. tions that could be: thus food up Phineas, and executed judgment, not only checking, but avenging that heinous fcandal: thus Elias maintained the true worship of God against all the corrupters of it, the kings and whole nation of Ifrael: thus the Prophets did not forbear to tax the wicked manners of the princes, the priests, and the people in their times: thus St. John Baptist did not stick to reprove king Herod for his unlawful practice: fo our Saviour cenfured the fuperftitious and hypocritical scribes, and he chastised the profaners of God's houfe: so, in fine, the holy Apoftles refolutely did affert God's truth against all the world.

Tertull.

3. When the public weal and fafety are manifeftly concerned, we may alfo intermeddle to fupport or fecure them fo may we rebuke him that flandereth or reproacheth our prince; we may check him that would break the peace, we may impeach him that violateth the laws, conducing to public welfare': every man is a foldier against traitors and enemies of his country; every man is born with a commiffion to defend the public against those which plot its ruin or harm; every man is a party for his prince against rebels, for the church against schifmatics, for the law against lawlefs tranfgreffors, for common peace against those who outrageously disturb it: duty to our fuperiors, justice and charity to mankind, just regard to our own welfare, allow and oblige us to fuch meddling.

4. We may also meddle for the fuccour of right against palpable wrong and outrage: we may help an honeft man against a thief afsaulting him; we may guard the

• Κοινόν ἐει τὸ ἔγκλημα, δημόσιον τὸ ἀδίκημα· ἔξεσιν ἑκάσῳ τῶν βελομένων κατη yogui. Chryf. 'Avdg. a'.

Κἂν ἀκέσῃς τινὸς ἐν ἀμφόδῳ, ἢ ἐν ἀγορᾷ μέση βλασφημῶντος τὸν θεὸν, πρόσελθε, ἐπιτίμησον· κἂν πληγὰς ἐπιθεῖναι δέῃ, μὴ παραιτήσῃ; ῥάπισον αὐτοῦ τὴν ὄψιν, σύν τριψον αὐτῷ τὸ τόμα, ἁγίασον σε τὴν χεῖρα διὰ τῆς πληγῆς, &c. Chryf. ibid.

life of any man against an affaffin; we may vindicate the SERM. reputation of an innocent perfon afperfed by a flanderous XXI. tongue; as Mofes,-feeing one of his brethren fuffer wrong, A&ts vii. 24. defended him; and avenged him that was oppreffed, and fmote the Egyptian; as the penitent thief rebuked his Luke xxiii. companion, unjustly railing upon our Saviour: the common interest of justice and charity do not only excuse, but commend meddling in fuch cafes.

40.

deramine

5. We may likewife meddle with the proceedings of others, when our own juft defence requireth it: we may repel those who attack our fafety or peace, who invade or Cum morifle our goods, who traduce our good name; we may inculpata endeavour to defeat their plots, and to restrain their vio- tutela. lence. This is indeed doing our own business; for to preferve our life with its conveniences and comforts, to maintain our right and juft intereft, to keep our honour and reputation clear from fcandal, is incumbent upon us; we are naturally the patrons, advocates, and guards of thofe confiderable goods affigned or entrusted to us by Providence.

6. When the life or welfare, either fpiritual or temporal, of our neighbour is deeply concerned, and cannot otherwife than by our aid be fupported or relieved, we may lawfully interpofe to yield it: if we fee him expofing his life to any great hazard, or engaging his foul into any great fin, we may in any fair way, (by admonition, advice, reproof, politic device, harmless force,) without any invitation or licence, with or against his will, prefume to reclaim or reftrain him. We may stop him in his career to ruin or grievous mifchief, we may withhold him from running into a fnare, or tumbling down a precipice, or drinking in poison; we may, as St. Jude speaketh, fnatch him out of the fire. In fuch cafes we may Jude 23. reasonably suppose, that our neighbour, being himself, Ο ἁρπάζοντες. will allow us to meddle, or will not be displeased therewith; if he hath not his wits about him, we may supply Invito non him with ours in such exigence: his prefent confent and tribuitur approbation are not then requifite, he not being in condi- que pro eo tion to yield them; he needeth guardians, and opportu-Reg. J.

ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς

quodcun

præftatur.

SERM. nity constituteth us in that office: extreme and evident XXI. need will not only excufe the liberty we shall affume, but

Furiofis nulla voluntas eft. R. J.

it obligeth us to use our power to fave him; in cafe of neglect, that furly anfwer, Am I my brother's keeper? will not serve our turn b. We may, we should, it is not only innocent, but just and laudable for us to be watchful over our neighbour's concernment and deportment, if we do it out of pure charity, in a discreet, quiet, and gentle man

ner.

7. In fine, if any signal opportunity of doing our neighbour confiderable good, especially to his foul, doth offer itself, we may lawfully, we fhould in charity embrace it: we may then even obtrude upon him our direction and fuccour; if he be fo blind as not to difcern our goodwill, fo peevish as to diflike our proceeding, fo ingrateful as not to thank us for our pains, yet our good intent will juftify us before God, and at the bar of reafon : and we have, to countenance us therein, the common example of good men, who, for doing thus, have worthily been accounted the friends and benefactors of mankind.

In thefe and the like cafes we may, without offending, intermeddle; in doing fo we may indeed truly be said to be quiet, and to do our own bufinefs; because there is no exorbitancy or diforder in fuch proceeding, because God's law and found reafon have appropriated thefe things to us, and made them our concernment. There is no bufinefs more proper or pertinent to us, than that wherein we labour to promote the glory of God, or to procure the good of men; this is the principal defign of our being, and therefore employment therein cannot misbecome us: but we must however in fuch cafes take heed that our pretences are real and well grounded, that our proceedings are regular and fair: we must not take or ufe fuch liberty maliciously; we must never, out of hypocritical pretence to the maintenance of God's honour,

• Μή μοι λέγε τὸ ψυχρὸν τᾶτο ῥῆμα· Τί δέ μοι μέλει; ἐδὲν ἔχω κοινὸν πρὸς αὐτ Tov, &c. Vid. Chryf. 'Avdg. 1. tom. ii. Or. 59. in Mat. Orat. 77, 78. in Jok. Or. 15. in Eph. Or, 19. Chryf. in Tit. O1. 5. in Hebr. Or. 30.

of public good, of justice, truth, or peace, be irregularly SERM. pragmatical or turbulent: this is to be doubly bad, add- XXI. ing to the irregularity of offence, the wickedness of fraud and malice.

1. We should never, out of ambition, covetous defire, or felf-conceit, fo meddle as to invade any man's office, or to affume the exercise of it. A private man should not presume to act the prince or the statesman, offering to control those who are not under him, to deliberate, debate, determine, or pass cenfure about political affairs or Occurrences. A layman fhould not intrude himself to adminifter the facred functions of authoritative teaching, of difpenfing the facraments, of exercising fpiritual cenfures, of defining theological controverfies, which are committed to the guides and pastors of the church. No man fhould fet himself upon the tribunal to judge, or undertake, without licence or invitation, to arbitrate the causes of others: doing thus is to encroach upon God, and to ufurp upon man: we encroach upon God, affuming to ourselves powers not derived from his order, and deserting the station affigned us by his providence; we ufurp upon man, exercifing authority over him, which he is not bound to stoop unto.

2. We fhould not, without call or allowance, meddle with our fuperiors, fo as to advise them, to reprehend them, to blame or inveigh against their proceedings; for this is to confound the right order of things, to trespass beyond the bounds of our calling and station, to do wrong, not only to them, but to the public, which is concerned in the upholding their power and refpe&t: it is indeed a worse fault than affuming the enfigns of their dignity, or counterfeiting their stamps; for that is but to borrow the semblance, this is to enjoy the substance of their authority.

Nothing in this bufy and licentious age is more ufual, than for private men to invade the office, to exercise the duties, to canvass and control the actions of their superiors; difcuffing what they ought to do, and prescribing laws to them; taxing what is done by them; murmuring