Two treatises The first, concerning reproaching & censure: the second, an answer to Mr Serjeant's Sure-footing. To which are annexed three sermons preached upon several occasions, and very useful for these times. By the late learned and reverend William Falkner, D.D.

TO THE Most Reverend FATHER in GOD, WILLIAM By DIVINE PROVIDENCE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, HIS GRACE, Primate of all ENGLAND and Metro∣politan; and one of the Lords of His Majestie's Most Honourable Privy Council,

May it please Your GRACE,

I Humbly present to your Grace's Patronage, some Remains of an excellent Person, for whom Your Grace was pleased to express a great value while he lived, and whom You are still pleased, upon all occa∣sions, to mention with great kindness. Had he lived to have published any of these Discourses himself, he would have chosen no other Patron; and had he lived a little long∣er, he would have found, that he had needed no other. For since some may wonder, that so great a Man should go off

the Stage with no greater Character, than one of the Town-Preachers at Lyn Regis; it is fit the World should know, that Your Grace, who is the peculiar Patron of modest and neglected Worth, designed better things for him.

That great honour I have for Dr. Falkner's Me∣mory, to whose wise instructions I owe that little Knowledge I have attained to, would easily have per∣swaded me to have given the World a more particular account of his Life, which was adorned with as many emi∣nent Vertues, as I believe this last Age can shew in any one man. But though distance of place could not inter∣rupt our Correspondence nor our Friendship, yet it has for many years deprived me of the familiarities and intimacies of his conversation, which give the truest Character of any man; and I dare not undertake a work, wherein I can nei∣ther serve my Friend, nor satisfie the World.

As for these posthumous Treatises, he designed only the first of them for the Press, which concerns Reproaching and Censures; which he observed, was grown so common a fault, that it is generally thought to be none: and there∣fore in the first Part, he shews the great Evil and Sinful∣ness of it, and how irreconcileable it is with a true Christi∣an Spirit. But then he considered, that as men, who are most guilty of this vice, have no sense of it themselves; so they are very apt to charge those with it, who are not guil∣ty. Whoever has had the courage and honesty to reprove the Schisms and Factions, that are among us, and to censure the errors and miscarriages of the several Sects and Parties of Christians, have been branded with the ignominious name of Railers, and Revilers, and Accu∣sers

of the Brethren; and therefore in his Second Part, he shews, that such just and sober Censures as these, which are designed to convince men of their errors and mistakes, are so far from being a fault, that they are a necessary du∣ty. And because some men are transported with such an intemperate zeal, that they do not impartially consider, what is truly blame-worthy in those, who differ from them, but censure and condemn, at all adventures, whatever is said or done by men of such a Party or Character; He pro∣posed to himself, particularly to consider the several Sects and Professions of Christians, and what it is, which de∣serves reproof and Censure in them: which he has done with great Candour and Judgement, but did not live to perfect it. For we have no reason to doubt, but the Pres∣byterians should have had their share too, as well as the other Sects amongst us, but either that Part was not done, or it was lost, for no Remains could be found of it.

As for his Answer to Mr. Serjeant's Sure-Footing, that was written many years since, and designed by him for the Press; but by that time he had finished it, he found that work done to his hand by a very excellent Pen, which put an end to that Controversie, and therefore he laid it by without any intention to make it publick. But since his Death, some of his Friends have had other thoughts of it, and indeed, it is so useful a Discourse, that though there is no need of a new Answer to Serjeant, since the Publica∣tion of Dr. Tillotson's Rule of Faith, yet I believe it will not be unacceptable to Learned men.

He penn'd very few Sermons in long hand, which, I suppose, is the reason, why there are no more published.

These that are, besides the usefulness of the several Sub∣jects, may serve as a specimen of his plain and pious way of instructing the people.

My Lord, I should be very ungrateful, should I neg∣lect this opportunity to make my publick acknowledgements to Your Grace for those extraordinary favours I have so lately received from You; on which the ease and comfort of my life does so much depend, that I am for ever bound to implore the Divine Majesty to bless Your Grace with all happiness and prosperity in this life, and with the rewards of an exemplary Piety and Vertue in the next, which is the hearty Prayer of,

My LORD,

Your Grace's most dutiful Servant, William Sherlock.