But how shall we expect charity towards others, when we are uncharitable to ourselves? Charity begins at home, is the voice of the world; yet is every man his greatest enemy, and, as it were, his own executioner.

Browne links outward benevolence to inward self-regard: if a person is harsh, punitive, or contemptuous toward himself, he will struggle to sustain genuine charity toward others. The proverb “charity begins at home” is invoked not to justify narrowness, but to insist that the first “home” is the self—one’s conscience and habits of judgment. Browne then sharpens the point with a paradox: although the world urges charity, each individual often becomes his own fiercest adversary, sabotaging peace through guilt, self-accusation, or excessive moral rigor. The image of being one’s “own executioner” suggests self-inflicted suffering—psychological, spiritual, or ethical—that undermines the very compassion one claims to practice.