Who ought to take this examination?
Let a man examine himselfe, saith Paule, for, 1. No body can better and more certainely iudge, whether hee bee in the Faith, then euery one himselfe. 2. Neither doth the vnworthinesse of others condemne vs, but our owne. 3. Neither doth any man know, what is in our heart, or what our affections are towardes God, more than we our selues. 1. Cor. 2.11. Finally the saying of the Apostle is emphaticall, that euery one may know that this he must doe, least any man should dreame that the faith 'which they call implicite or folded in, is onely required, or that we should de∣pend vpon an other mans faith.
And truely, the Apostle saith, let euery man examine himselfe, but not his neighbour, least any should be busied in iudging his neighbour, or should thinke that, the vnworthinesse of another may be danger to himselfe. For euery one shall giue accounte of him∣selfe to God Rom. 14.12.
Which thing notwithstanding doth not hinder the examination & instruction of Pastors, wherby the Pastors, in the Doctrin of pi∣etie, doe make tryall of their hearers profiting, which are helped, if neede be, with familiar instruction, counsell and comfort. For this latter examination doth serue for the former. And euery one is bound to confesse the faith, and to shewe their Pastors what they think of the Doctrin taught, like as Peter commandeth, that VVe should be ready alwaies to giue an answere to euery man that as∣keth a reason of the hope that is in vs. 1, Pet. 3.15.
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