“The Holy Spirit would lead us to think much about our own sins. It is a dangerous thing for us to dwell upon the imperfections of others. There are many in our congregations, who ‘quench the Spirit,’ by complainings and hard speeches about communicants of the church. The natural effect of this is just to dispel conviction of sin. ‘I am as good as many who belong to the church.’ If that declaration is true, it is utterly deceptive to the man that makes it. It leads him to think his sin and danger less than they are; it blinds his conscience. I never heard of any mortal, on the bed of death, apologizing for his irreligion by mentioning the faults of Christians.” — Ichabod S. Spencer, A Pastor’s Sketches (Second Series) (1853), pp. 324-325