not so evil an aspect as to fright him, and they who were injured have only gotten an argument of repentance. If acknowledgement bore no other fruit but this, that it disburthens the breast of a weight that would sink it, and makes men stand upon the same level with those who were before superior to them; that it makes the reproaches which were before due to them, turn afterwards to be guilt in the reproacher; it would be a full recompence for any pains in the performance, and would pay a great debt with a little money: but when the thoughts of the heart can only be known to the searcher of the heart, and there is an evidence due to men of the integrity of the heart, especially when the malice and corruption of it hath been too notorious; men owe it to themselves, to their reputation, to their peace of mind, to make their sorrow for what they have done amiss as manifest as the worst of their actions have been: and the more they are delighted with their repentance (as a greater joy and delight there cannot be in this world than in repentance,) the more delight they take in full and frequent acknowledgment to those whom they have offended. Repentance is not a barren tree, that bears only leaves for shadow and repose; but a tree that "brings forth fruit meet for repentance:" without such fruit it must "be hewn down and cast into the fire,"

(Matt. iii. 7, 8.) and acknowledgment is the least precious fruit it can bear. Nothing so common amongst persons of the highest quality and degree, when death approaches, whose very aspect files off all those rough and unsmooth appearances, and mortifies all haughty imagination of a faculty and qualification to do wrong, as for great men to acknowledge and ask pardon of their meanest servants, whom they have treated unkindly; and for princes themselves to confess injuries they have done, and to desire forgiveness of their poorest subjects. And without doubt, what becomes a man upon his death bed, would become him better in his full and perfect health; it may possibly do himself good then, but undoubtedly it would not have done him less before, and his example would have been much more beneficial to others.

As acknowledgment is necessary with reference to persons, so it is no less with reference to places; they who have taught and published any doctrine which they then thought to be true, and have since been convinced of the error and falsehood of it, are bound to declare in the same places, or as publicly, such their conviction; and to take as much pains to convince their auditory of the error, as they did before to lead them into it. And this is an ingenuity becoming an honest man, and inseparable from repentance; and the greatest charity that can

be shewed towards those who renounce such publication, is, to believe that they are not sorry, nor repent what they have done; and there can be no obligation in conscience upon any man to say he is sorry when he is not sorry; but to believe that he doth repent, and yet not think fit to acknowledge that he doth so, is impossible. They who have preached sedition, and thereby led men into unwarrantable actions by their authority; and they who have printed books, and by arguments from scripture or other authority, have imposed upon men's understandings, and persuaded men to believe what is contrary to scripture, and to that authority which they have alledged, and are in their consciences now satisfied that they were then in the wrong; cannot reasonably believe that the asking God forgiveness in private, and acknowledging their error to him, is enough to constitute a Christian repentance that works unto salvation. If it be reasonable to believe that the ill which we learn from corrupt masters, or in evil conversation, shall, though not excuse us, in a great part be put upon their account who have so corrupted us, it must needs concern those instructors and seducers, to do the best they can to undo the mischief they have done, by giving timely notice to their proselytes, that it is not safe for them to follow that advice they have given them. The examples of

great men, and the discourses of men eminent for learning and piety, have in all ages drawn many into the same actions and the same opinions, upon no other account than their submission to their authority and discourse; nor in truth can the major part of mankind propose a more perfect rule to walk by, than by following the examples of men reputed for persons of honour and integrity in their actions, and submitting their understandings, in matters of opinion, to the direction of those who are eminent for learning, judgment, and sanctity; and Reason (which is the goddess all men now sacrifice to) hath done its full office, when it hath convinced them that it is most reasonable so to do. They therefore, who find themselves possessed of this sovereign authority, though they do not af fect it, and have it only by the voluntary resignation of those who will be so governed, had need to take the more care what they say and what they do; and as soon as they know they have said or done amiss, they are obliged in conscience to make it known to those, who they have reason to believe were led by them. A man who hath heard a doctrine preached by a man whose learning he believed to be very great, and his integrity equal to his learning, or hath seen a sermon printed, and retains his reverence for him, which he hath reason to do after he is dead, and is as much swayed by his au

thority as if he were still alive; such a man is plainly betrayed, if this preacher changed his opinion, repented that he ever preached that doctrine, and kept his repentance to himself, and concealed it from any of those who were misled and seduced by him. Methinks, after St Austin's example, men should not be ashamed of retractions; nor could his example operate so little, if they were endued with his precious spirit of recollection and repentance.

There is another branch of repentance, which it may be is more grievous than that of acknowledgement, which is reparation; an inseparable ingredient and effect of repentance: which needs startle men the less, because conscience never obliges men to impossibilities. He that hath stolen more

than he is worth, is in the same condition with him who hath borrowed more than he can pay; a true and hearty desire to restore is and ought to be received as satisfaction: "If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live, he shall not die," (Ezek. xxxiii. 15.) Robbery and violence would be too gainful a trade, if a man might quit all scores by repentance, and detain all he hath gotten; or if the father's repentance might serve the turn, and the benefit of the transgression be transmitted as an inheritance to