turbulency, to contention, to pragmatical curiosity, to all such exorbitant behavior, whereby the right of others is infringed, their peace disturbed, their just interest or welfare any wise prejudiced. This quiet is a calm, steady, regular way of proceeding, within the bounds and measures prescribed by reason, justice and charity, modesty and sobriety: such a motion as the heavenly bodies do keep, which so move that they seem ever to stand still, and never disturb one another: in fine, what a quiet is meant, the subsequent words and the context do show it followeth,

And pάooε rà idia, to do our own business,' or to act things proper and pertinent to us; things which suit to our condition, our station, our vocation; whereby we may discharge our own duties, and supply our own needs; may work benefit to others, or however avoid being anywise burdensome or troublesome to them; an instance of which practice is immediately subjoined ; 'to work with our own hands—that we may have lack of nothing;' in another place St. Paul calleth it perà ἡσυχίας ἐργάζεσθαι, to work with quiet, opposing it to περιepyȧ2c00aι, being over-busy, or pragmatically curious, and to walking disorderly; that is, beyond the bounds of our calling, or the rules of our duty; so as to incroach on the rights, or molest the quiet of others.

The words then, as they do imply an obligation lying on us to be industrious in our own business, so they chiefly design to prohibit our meddling with the concernments of others; but how to settle the limits between this quiet minding our own business, and a culpable neglect of the duties concerning others; how to distinguish between meddling innocently, from being blameably meddlesome, hic labor, hoc opus est; this is that hard task which I am to undertake, but cannot hope thoroughly to perform. However, the method toward it, which I shall observe, is this: first, I shall touch some cases, in which it is allowable or commendable to meddle with the affairs of others: then I shall propound some general rules, according to which such meddlesomeness is commonly blameable in the next place, I shall assign some directions proper to some chief and most obvious kinds of meddling: and, lastly, offer some considerations to dissuade men from this pragmatical humor.

1. Superiors may intermeddle with the business of their inferiors, (that is, of such as are subject to their care and charge,) in all matters relating to the needful execution of their office. Magistrates may inspect the carriage, may examine the doings, may reprehend and punish the offences of their subjects: parents may advise, rebuke, and correct their children: spiritual guides and pastors may admonish and reprove their flock. These things, while with due prudence, equity, and moderation, they perform, they do indeed #ρáoσei rà idia, 'do their own business;' it is their proper work, to which God hath designed them, and which reason exacteth of them; they are appointed, to use St. Paul's expression, to attend continually on this very thing;' their proceedings therefore are not to be charged with culpable pragmaticalness.

2. In any case, wherein the honor and interest of God is much concerned, we may interpose in vindication and maintenance of them. If any man dare to blaspheme God's name, we may and ought to stand up in its defence; if any man disparageth religion, we should strive to clear its repute; if any man impugneth any divine truth of moment, we should endeavor to assert it; if any man notoriously transgresseth 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 commission, but an obligation; is indeed by his allegiance bound to serve God in maintaining the honor and interest of his empire: it is foul disloyalty, it is pitiful baseness to forbear meddling in such cases. Thus have good men, without fear or shame, defended religion and truth against the mightiest powers and most dangerous oppositions that could be: thus 'stood up Phineas, and executed judgment,' not only checking, but avenging that heinous scandal: thus Elias maintained the true worship of God against all the corrupters of it, the kings and whole nation of Israel : 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: so our Saviour censured the superstitious and hypocritical scribes, and he chastised the profaners of God's house: so, in fine, the

holy Apostles resolutely did assert God's truth against all the world.

3. When the public weal and safety are manifestly concerned, we may also intermeddle to support or secure them : so may we rebuke him that slandereth 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 soldier against traitors and enemies of his country; every man is born with a commission 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 schismatics, for the law against lawless transgressors, for common peace against those who outrageously disturb it: duty to our superiors, justice and charity to mankind, just regard to our own welfare, allow and oblige us to such meddling.

4. We may also meddle for the succor of right against palpable wrong and outrage: we may help an honest man against a thief assaulting him; we may guard the life of any man against an assassin; we may vindicate the reputation of an innocent person aspersed by a slanderous tongue; as Moses, seeing one of his brethren suffer wrong, defended him; and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian;' as the penitent thief rebuked his companion unjustly railing on our Saviour: the common interest of justice and charity do not only excuse, but commend meddling in such cases.

5. We may likewise meddle with the proceedings of others, when our own just defence requireth it: we may repel those who attack our safety or peace, who invade or rifle our goods, who traduce our good name; we may endeavor to defeat their plots, and to restrain their violence. This is indeed doing our own business; for to preserve our life with its conveniences and comforts, to maintain our right and just interest, to keep our honor and reputation clear from scandal, is incumbent on us; we are naturally the patrons, advocates, and guards of those considerable goods assigned or intrusted to us by Providence. 6. When the life or welfare, either spiritual or temporal, of

our neighbor is deeply concerned, and cannot otherwise than by our aid be supported or relieved, we may lawfully interpose to yield it if we see him exposing his life to any great hazard, or engaging his soul into any great sin, we may in any fair way, (by admonition, advice, reproof, politic device, harmless force,) without any invitation or licence, with or against his will, presume to reclaim or restrain him. We may stop him in his career to ruin or grievous mischief, we may withhold him from running into a snare, or tumbling down a precipice, or drinking in poison; we may, as St. Jude speaketh, ‘snatch him out of the fire.' In such cases we may reasonably suppose that our neighbor, being himself, will allow us to meddle, or will not be displeased therewith; if he hath not his wits about him, we may supply him with ours in such exigence: his present consent and approbation are not then requisite, be not being in condition to yield them; he needeth guardians, and opportunity constituteth us in that office: extreme and evident need will not only excuse the liberty we shall assume, but it obligeth us to use our power to save him; in case of neglect, that surly answer, Am I my brother's keeper?' will not serve our turn. We may, we should, it is not only innocent, but just and laudable for us to be watchful over our neighbor's concernment and deportment, if we do it out of pure charity, in a discreet, quiet, and gentle manner.

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7. In fine, if any signal opportunity of doing our neighbor considerable good, especially to his soul, doth offer itself, we may lawfully, we should in charity embrace it: we may then even obtrude on him our direction and succor; if he be so blind as not to discern our good-will, so peevish as to dislike our proceeding, so ingrateful as not to thank us for our pains, yet our good intent will justify us before God, and at the bar of reason; 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 these and the like cases we may, without offending, intermeddle; in doing so we may indeed truly be said to be quiet, and to do our own business; because there is no exorbitancy or disorder in such proceeding, because God's law and sound reason have appropriated these things to us, and made them

our concernment. There is no business more proper or pertinent to us than that wherein we labor to promote the glory of God, or to procure the good of men; this is the principal design of our being, and therefore employment therein cannot misbecome us: but we must however in such cases take heed that our pretences are real and well grounded, that our proceedings are regular and fair: we must not take or use such liberty maliciously; we must never, out of hypocritical pretence to the maintenance of God's honor, of public good, of justice, truth, or peace, be irregularly pragmatical or turbulent: this is to be doubly bad, adding to the irregularity of offence, the wickedness of fraud and malice.

1. We should never, out of ambition, covetous desire, or selfconceit, so meddle as to invade any man's office, or to assume 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 censure about political affairs or occurrences. A layman should not intrude himself to administer the sacred functions of authoritative teaching, of dispensing the sacraments, of exercising spiritual censures, of defining theological controversies, which are committed to the guides and pastors of the church. No man should set himself on the tribunal to judge, or undertake, without licence or invitation, to arbitrate the causes of others: doing thus is to incroach on God, and to usurp on man: we incroach on God, assuming to ourselves powers not derived from his order, and deserting the station assigned us by his providence we usurp on man, exercising authority over him, which he is not bound to stoop unto.

2. We should not, without call or allowance, meddle with our superiors, so 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 respect: it is indeed a worse fault than assuming the ensigns of their dignity, or counterfeiting their stamps; for that is but to borrow the semblance, this is to enjoy the substance of their authority.