Page:The Pilgrim's Progress, the Holy War, Grace Abounding Chunk3.djvu/126

126 And in this his charge he often had disputes with scholars that came to Oppose him, as supposing him an ignorant person. And though he argued plainly and by Scripture, without phrases and logical expressions, yet he nonplussed one who came to Oppose him in his congregation, by demand ring whether or no we had the true copies of the original Scriptures; and another, when he was preaching, accused him of uncharitableness for saying "it was very hard for most to be saved"—saying by that he went about to exclude most of his congregation. But he confuted him and put him to silence with the parable of the stony ground, and other texts out of the thirteenth chapter of St. Matthew, in our Saviour's sermon out of a ship—all his methods being to keep close to the Scriptures, and what he found not warranted there, himself would not warrant nor determine, uness insuch cases as were plain, wherein no doubts or scruples did arise.

But not to make any further mention of this kind, it is well known that this person managed all his affairs with such exactness as if he had made it his study, above all other things, not to give occasion of offence, but rather suffer many inconveniences; to avoid being never heard to reproach or revile any, what injury soever he received, but rather to rebuke those that did. And as it was in his conversation, so it is manifested in those books he has caused to be published to the world; where, like the archangel disputing with Satan the body of Moses, as we find it in the Epistle of St. Jude, he brings no railing accusation,but leaves the rebukers, those that persecuted him, to the Lord.

In his family he kept up a very Strict discipline in prayer and exhortations being in this like Joshua, as that good man expresses it—namely whatsoever others did, as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. And indeed a blessing waited on his labours and endeavours, so that his wife, as the Psalmist says was like a pleasant vine upon the, walls of his