are in him He that saith he abideth in him OUGHT HIMSELF ALSO SO TO WALK EVEN AS HE WALKED The Second Passage very pertinent to this present matter is in the next Chapter My little Children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth And hâ—reby we know that we are of the Truth and shall assure our Hearts before him For if our Heart condemn us God is greater than our Heart and knoweth all things Beloved if our Heart condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God and whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight And this is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son JESUS Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandment The Third and last Passage which I shall mention on this Account is in his fourth Chapter of the same Epistle viz. And we have seen and do testifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God And we have known and believed the Love that God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Herein our love is made perfect that we may have Boldness in the Day of Judgment because AS HE IS SO ARE WE IN THIS WORLD These are the Holy Fruits of all that love God and believe in Christ that are the Family of the Faithful regenerated and redeemed from the Earth Where-ever two or three of them are met together Christ is in the midst of them they neither Ask nor Hope in vain With this Character let us take a View of all Persons and Societies of Christians throughout the World not forgetting our selves let us hereby try their Faith and Religion and our own if it be of God the Father it is Pure and Undefiled it leads them that have it to Visit the Fatherless and Widow in their Affliction and to keep themselves Unspotted from the World Is this our Case If it be Objected Which way shall we obtain this like Precious Faith I answer They must take diligent Heed to the Light and Grace that comes by Jesus that Candle of the Lord which he has set up in our Souls we must bring our Deeds to this Light see if they be wrought in God or no For this gives us to discern betwixt the Precious and the Vile the one gives Joy the other brings a load of Guilt upon the Soul do we not know that we Do the things we ought not and that we Leave undone the thinâ—s we ought to do this will be our Judgment For therefore Men are Condemnable because they knon These therefore that would obtain this precious Faith that overcomes the World must embrace the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ by which this Faith is begotten and they who believe not in this Grace nor receive it in the love of it nor give themselves up to be taught and led by it can never be said truly to believe in him from whom it comes any more then the Jews may be said to believe in God when they rejected him that came from God his Beloved Son He that denyes the Measure can never own or receive the Fulness John bears Record that he was Full of Grace and Truth and that of his Fulness they received and Grace for Grace for the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ So that 't is utterly Impossible for a Man to believe in Christ and not to be taught by the Grace that comes from him and by him 'T is a Common saying of People in these dayes We are not under the Law but under Grace who are in Truth under Sin and the Law of Death Subjects to the Prince of the Power of the Air who reigns in the hearts of the Children of Disobedience and their Lives show it No those are under Grace that live the holy Life of it For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation saith the Apostle Paul Tit. 2. ii 12. hath Appeared to All Men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World These are the People that believe in Christ unto the saving of the Soul This is that Blessed Light which shines in the hearts of those that believe and gives them the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ the Ancients walk'd in it and found Eternal Life by it I am the Light of the World said Christ he that follows me shall not walk in Darkness but have the Light of Life The Saints Armed themselves with it against the fiery Darts of Satan and by the Vertue and Power that is in it were enabled to overcome Temptation And this will be the Condemnation of Disobedient Men that they see but shut their Eyes know the Light but rebel against it Christ by his holy Light in the Conscience shews Men their Danger warns them of it before it comes upon them no Man on Earth can plead either Ignorance or Surprise 'T is true the Candle of the Wicked is often put out But that it implies 't is often lighted and that men Sin against Conviction against Sight and Knowledge 't is wilfull and that 's dangerous No Faith in Disobedience will do no Faith without holy Fruits holy Works will save Men must be born again if ever they will enter into the Kingdom of God there is no Fellowship between Christ and Belial People must part with their Vile Affections and Inordinate Desires or they are no Company for Christ they have no Share in him What part can Pride have in Humility Wrath in Meekness Lust in Self-denial Revenge in Forgiveness To pretend to believe in Christ and not to be like him is a Contradiction This is the Message said the Beloved Disciple which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all If we say that we have Fellowship with him and walk in Darkness we lye and do not the Truth The Truth is all such Faith and Profession are a Lye in the Right Hand a Cheat upon a Man's Self But says he if we walk in the Light as God is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from ALL SIN If we say that we have no Sin to be cleansed from we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us But if we confessour Sins he is Faithful and Just to forgive us our Sins and to CLEANSE us from ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS To Conclude Christ Jesus the Son of God and Saviour of the World is Holy Harmless and Undefiled and so must his Followers be he is no Head of a Corrupt Body nor Master
Knâ—wing this that our Old Man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be Dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. As if he had said The End of Christs Coming is to turn People from their Sins and that those who persist in their Disobedience resist the Benefits that come by him Let not Sin therefore reign in your mortal Body that ye should obey it in the Lusts thereof Neither yield ye your Members as Instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin but yield your selves unto God as those that are Alive from the Dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteousness For when ye were the Servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness What Fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the End of those things is Death But now being made Free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your FRUIT UNTO HOLINESS and the End Everlasting Life For the Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. To Conclude nothing can be more apparent then that Freedom from Actual Sinning and giving Newness of Life to the Souls of Men was the great Reason of Christs Coming and the End for which he hath given us out of his fulness of Grace and Truth and Grace for Grace and that to be under Grace and not under the Law is not to have Liberty to do that now which ought not to have been done before as the Ranters interpret it but to be Freed from the Condemnation of the Law First through Remission of the Sins that are past upon Faith and Repentance and next by Fulfilling the Righteousness of the Law in receiving and obeying the Light and Grace that comes by Jesus Christ Very pertinent is that Passage of the Apostle Paul to Titus to our present purpose for it seems to comprehend the End of Christ's Coming the Faith and Duty of his people which our Great Selden after all his Painful Readings and Curious Inquisitions said but a little before his Death was the Most-Weighty Passage of the whole Bible to him as the Bible was the best of Books in the World viz For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World looâ—ing for that Blessed Hope and the Glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from ALL INIQUITY and purify unto himself a peculiar people Zealous of Good Works In which Comprehensive Passage we find the End of Christ's Coming to be Our Redemption from all Iniquiquity both to blot out our Sins that are past to purify our Hearts from the Sin that remains We have the means that works and brings this Salvation into our Souls which is the Grace and the Way by which this Grace doth accomplish it is by Teaching us to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World Which has this great Encouragement joyned to it that those who so live have only right to look for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ I will add the Testimony of his Beloved Disciple John who has defined to us the End of Christ's Coming thus Whosoever committeth Sin Transgresseth also the Law and ye Know that he was manifested to take away our Sins And to shew that this is understood not only of the Guilt of Sins past but of the Nature and present Power of Sin in Man observe what follows Whosoever abideth in him Christ SINNETH NOT. As if this Apostle had foreseen the present Mischief Christianity labours under both on the side of Evil Men and but too many Mistaken Professors he adds Little Children let no Man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous he that committeth Sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinned from the Beginning Now comes his most express Passage to the Matter in hand For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might DESTROY the Works of the Devil Which is more than the Remission of Sins that are past here is the DESTRUCTION of the Power and Kingdom of Satan They that know not this know not Christ for as we so our Lord is known by his Fruits by the Works which he works in us therefore it is said that His own Works praise him He therefore that lives in Sin denyes Christ by denying the End of his Coming The Fool did not say with his Mouth but in his Heart There is no God yet but too many now adays plead with their Tongues and Pens for Sin Term of Life by endeavouring to shew the Impossibility of overcoming Sin But what saith this Apostle further of the Business Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother But if you walk in the Light as God is in the Light we have fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Again He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himself also so to walk even as Christ walked A little lower in the same Chapter he says I have written unto you Young Men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have OVERCOME the Wicked One I will add one Scripture-Testimony more in the present Case and it is this Herein saith John is our Love made perfect that we may have Boldness in the Day of Judgment because as he is so are we in this World Behold now the true End of Christ's Coming viz. To SAVE FROM SIN and to purge us from all Iniquity that he might present us to God without Spot or Blemish Let us not then Flatter our selves for we shall be the Loosers neither let us make the Impossibility through our Infidelity which a Grain of Sincere Faith can make not only Possible but Easie What has been may be again nay in this Case must be Did the First Christians overcome the VVicked one so must the Last Christians too were those Ages led by the Holy Spirit and taught by the Grace of God to live God-like or like God in the World so must we of these Latter Ages too if we will be blessed forever that having put off the Old Man the Devil and his Works we may put on Christ the new and heavenly
the Hypostatical Union in fine the Athanasian Creed and other Articles of Faith or Rites of your Church not so clearly express'd in Scriptures and not easie to be apprehended or assented to will not this poor Creature be look'd upon either as Infidel or Heretick renounced all share in Christ and Christian Fellowship because his Weakness or Understanding will not allow him to come up to the full Inventory of Articles believed and imposed by you Certainly you must either be partial and give him that Liberty you deny to Persons of equâ—l Tenderness or else you mustafter your present streightness conclude him Infidel or Heretick But I would beseech you that we may consider if this bears any Proportion with the Wisdom and Love of God in sending Christ into the World to save you and me The Apostle became All unto all to win some but this is becoming All unto none to force all he thereby recommends the Utmost Condescention that can be lawful but this use of Humane Authority about Faith seems to make it unlawful to Condescend As if Force were better than Love and Conformity how ever it become at it than Christian Condescention The Blessed Apostle had his Eye to the Good Intention and Sober Life of the Weak and used an holy sort of Guile to catch them he seems as if he â—…ssembled the Knowledge of those Averse Opinions which they held or the necessity of their embracing those Doctrines which as yet they might not believe He fell not to Debate and Canvass Points in Difference between them which instead of Union would have enflam'd the Difference and rais'd Contention No no He became all unto all that is He stoop'd to all Capacities and humbled himself to those Degrees of Knowledge that men had and valued that which was good in all and with this Sweetness he practised upon them to their further proficiency in the School of Christ These Allurements were all his Injunctions nay in this Case he makes it an Injunction to use no other Let us therefore says he as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be OTHERWISE minded God shall reveal even this unto you You shall not be impos'd upon stigmatiz'd or excommunicated for Want of Full Satisfaction or because you do not Consent before Conviction for God shall REVEAL it to you you shall see and know what you do and to God you shall owe your Knowledge and Conformity and not to Humane Authority and Imposition your Faith shall not be implicit nor your Obedience blind the Reason of your Hope shall be in you Pray let us compare this with the Language of our own Times where People cannot come up to the Prescriptions of men but plead the Liberty of Dissent though with never so much Sobriety and true Tenderness of Conscience they are upbraided after this manner Are you Wiser than your Superiours Were our Fore-Fathers out of the Way Did no body know the Truth till you came Are you Wiser than all our Ministers and Bishops and your Mother the Church Can't it content you to believe as she believes Is not this Pride and Presumption in you a Design to make and head Sects and Parties with the like Entertainment Now this is that which you your selves at least in the Persons of your Ancestors have stiled POPERY yea POPERY in the abstract the Sum-Total of that Mystery its great Master piece to wit IMPLICIT FAITH and BLIND OBEDIENCE If so then say I let us also have a care of Popâ—ry in Protestant guise for that Popery is likely to do us most Injury that is least suspected I beg you by the Love of God and Truth and as you would lay a sure Foundation Piece here and eternal Comfort to your own Souls that you would consider the Tendency of upbraiding and violently over ruling the Dissent of Conscientious and Peaceable People For if you will Rob me once of the Liberty of my Choice the Use of my Understanding the Distinction of my Judgment no Religion comes amiss indeâ—d it leads to No Religion 'T was the Saying of the Old King to the then Prince of Wales and our present King Make the Religion of your Education the Religion of your Judgment which to me is of the Nature of an Appeal from his Education to his Judgment about the Truth of his Religion And that Religion which is too tender to be examin'd is unsound Prove all things and hold fast that which is good lies an Impeachment against Imposition deliver'd upon Record by the Apostle Paul in the Name of the Holy Ghâ—st 'T was the same Apostle that commended the Bereans of Old for that they diligently searched the Scriptures whethâ—r those things delivered by the Apostles concerning the Messiah were true Nay Christ himself to whom all power was given in Heaven and in Earth submitted himself to the Test he did not require them to believe him because he would be believed he refers them to the Witness that God bore to him If I bear Witness of my self my Witness is not true He also sends them to the Scriptures pleads the Truth of his Authority from that of his Doctrine and Miracles If I had not done among them the Works which none other Man did And finally challenges them to convince him but of one Sin Which of you convinceth me of Sin and if I say the Truth why do ye not believe me He offers to reason the Matter and submit himself to Truth and well he might who was Truth it self But an IMPOSING CHURCH bears Witness of her self and will be both Party and Judge it requires Assent without Evidence and Faith without Proof therefore false Christian Religion ought to be carried on only by that way by which it was introduced which was PERSWASâ—ON If any man will be my Disciple let him take up his Cross and follow me and this is the Glory of it that it does not destroy but fairly conquer the Understanding I am not unacquainted with the Pretences of Romanists to Abâ—egation to a Mortified and Self denying Life and I do freely acknowledge that the Author of the German Theology Taulerus and Thomas a Kempis and others of that sort of Men in their Communion have written Excellent Practical Things but there is scarcely any thing of this Violent Popery in those Tracts On the contrary the very Nature and Tendency of them is Diametrically Opposit to the present Constitution of that Church and all others that practise Imposition in Religion And as it is one great Mark of the False Church to pervert the right End of True Doctrine so hath she excelled in the Abuse of that Excellent Word SELF-DENYAL For she hath translated it from Life to Understanding from Morals to Faith Subjugare intellectum in Obsequium fidei to subject the Understanding to the Obedience of Faith is the perpetual Burden of their Song and Conclusion of their Conferences But what is this Faith that
it were revived yet ought not any man thus to think That he ought to examin whether the Gospel hath lost any of that Purity whereunto it had at this time arrived he ought rather to look again and again whether some Corruption do not yet remain whether it be not in some part as yet not sufficiently restored to its ancient Purity and Lustre and confidently perswade himself That he cannot be that I may so speak sufficiently superstitious in rejecting every word which is not in the Scriptures Forasmuch as man will ever 〈◊〉 more Wise and Wary than the holy Spirit and can very hardly forbear to mingle somewhat from his own head so that whatever comes from man can never be sufficiently suspected And because a thing will be so much the better preserved by how much the greater is the number of those that keep it the people ought often to be put in mind That both the reading of the Scriptures and the Care of Religion belongs not to the Pastors of the Church only but that every one that would be saved ought to make diligent search whether any Corruption be already or is for the future like to be introduced and this to do no less carefully then if he were perswaded that all beside himself were asleep and whatsoever is wont to take the common people off from such studies Care must be taken that that thing be wholly taken away Concerning which matter we shall more conveniently discourse anon Now forasmuch as the profit will be small if some private man shall observe that an Error is introduced unless he discover the said Error and lay it open there must of necessity be some way how this may conveniently be done Now there cannot be a more fitting way then that which the Apostle propounds to the Corinthians Let two or three Prophets speak and let the rest judge and if any thing be revealed to him that sits by let the former be silent For ye way all prophecy one by one that all may learn and all may be exhorted If some one person shall alwayes speak in the Church and no man at any time may contradict him it will be a very strange thing if that one man be not puffed up if he do not fall into such a Conceit of himself as to think that he is the only man that he only hath understanding he alone is wise that all the rest are a company of brute Animals as it were who ought to depend only upon him and to do nothing but learn of him And if any man shall think that himself likewise hath some ability to teach he will account that man an hainous offender But what says the Apostle to this Did the Word of God come from you or came it unto you only If any seem to be a Prophet or Spiritual let him acknowledge what I write unto you to be the commands of the Lord. But if any one be ignorant let him be ignorant Wherefore Brethren labour that ye may Prophesie and forbid not to speak with Tongues let all things be done decently and in order It is exceedingly to be lamented That this custom and the practice of this command of the Lord is not again restored into the Churches and brought into use But some men may say Such is the rastness of this Age of ours such the boldness such the impudence That if it were allowed to every one to speak in the Congregation there will be no end of Brawls and Contention Why so Is a man another kind of Creature now then what he was of Old Thou wilt say he is For mankind hath continually degenerated grown worse and worse and seems now to have attained the top of Corruption Is it so indeed But suppose it to be so Thou that art the Teacher of the people art not thou also thy self made of the same Mold Art not thou born in the same Age Inasmuch as this ordinance principally was intended to keep Pastors within the bounds of modesty that they may understand That they are not the authors of the Word of God that they have not alone received the Spirit by how much the more mankind hath degenerated by so much the greater need is there thereof for that there is now more rashness Arrogance Pride then of Old this is true as well of the Pastors and Teachers as of the rest of the people Art thou a Prophet hast thou any portion of the Spirit If thou hast not so unfitting it is that thou alone shouldst speak in the Congregation that there will hardly be found any that desires rather to be silenc't then thy self But if thou art a Prophet if thou hast the Spirit mark what the Apostle sayes Acknowledge quoth he that those things which I write are the Commandments of the Lord. Go to then On the one side we have the judgment of our Lord willing that Prophecy for this is a Word that we are oblieged to use should be common to all and that not for the Destruction but the Salvation of the Church On the other side we have thy Judgment who fearest lest that may breed Contentions and Confusion whose Judgment now ought we rather stand to If thou shalt conceive we must stand to thine consider what thou assumest unto thy self and what will become of thy modesty Our Lord it should seem understood not what a kind of Creature man was he wanted thy wisdom belike to admonish him of the danger or haply he thought not upon that Corruption which should befall mankind whereby such a Liberty might prove unprofitable But Paul answers thee That God is not the author of Contention but of Peace Who well knowing what might move Contentions what beget Peace and not loving nor willing to have Contention but Peace willed that this liberty of Prophecying should be in the Church What canst thou say to the contrary what hast thou to object against God himself wilt thou accuse him of indiscretion No man hath so wicked a Tongue as to dare to do it Yet if thou shalt diligently search thine Heart thou shalt find there a certain disposition ready to contend even with God himself Which motion of thy Heart must by no means be hearkned unto but sharply repressed and wholely subjected to the Spirit of God It may seem peradventure an absurd thing That after some very learned person hath spoken some contemptible person shall be allowed to contradict him Can such a person so do without great rashness and temerity Were I to speak according to the judgment of man verily I could not deny it But if we be really perswaded That the knowledge of matters Divine ought not to be attributed to our Watching Studies Wits but to God and to his Spirit wherewith he can in a moment endue the simplest person in the World and that with no more labour or difficulty then if he were to give him to one that had spent Nestor's Age in study What reason is there
to Youthful Lusts flee them by all means for they draw to Strife to Heats Animosities Envy Hatred and Persecution which unbecome the Man of God for says the Apostle He must not STRIVE but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient be their Rank Notion Opinion or Faith what it will he must not be fierce nor censorious much less should he persecute or excite Caesar to do it for him no such matter he must be apt to teach and inform the Ignorant and in case it succeed not he ought not to be outragious or go about to whip or club it into him he must be patient that is he must not think to bend things to his own Will or Time but commit his honest Edeavours to God's Blessing that can raise of the Stones of the Street Children unto Abraham The Want of this Patience has been the Undoing of all But some will object O but it is not Ignorance 't is Obstinacy and Opposition Hardly judg'd my Friend but admit it were so here 's a Recipe for the Malady too and that of the Apostle's prescribing Observe the following words In MEEKNESS instructing those that OPPOSE themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth Then not Fining Plundering Beating Stocking Imprisoning Banishing and Killing even OPPOSERS themselves for Religion unless there is a Way of doing these things with Gentleness Patience and Meekness which I confess I and I think no Body else ever heard of But as the Apostle gives Timothy another Method then is now used by the Sons of Violence for reclaiming Opposers so the Reason of the Counsel makes all other Wayes unlawful viz. If God peradventurâ— will give them Repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth I would hereupon enter the List with a Persâ—cutor Is Repentance in my own Power or is it in thine to give me the Apostle sayes neither 't is God's Gift alone If God peradventure will give them Repentance c. since Repentance then is in the Case and that God alone can give it of what use are Violent Courses which never beget Repentance on the contrary they have rarely fail'd to raise Prejudice and beget Hardness But was this the Evangelical Rule and Practice Yes that it was Oh then whence comes Imposition Force Cruelty Spoil of Goods Imprisonments Knocking 's Beatings Bruisings Stockings Whippings and Spilling of Blood for Religion What Church is that whose Officers are so far from clothing the Naked as that they strip the Clothed from feeding the Hungry that they take their Bread from them and those poor Widows and helpless Orphans too and so remote from visiting the Sick and Imprisoned that they drag away their Beds from under them and cast their Persons into Prison for Conscience sake Nay they haled away an Honest Man from a Meeting to Goal at Reading a while since not permitting him to TAKE LEAVE of his poor Wife newly delivered and in a DYING Condition though she much desired it and liv'd but just by the Meeting house whence they took him In fine what are they that for no other Cause pass such Dreadful Excommunications as render the Excommunicants little better then Outlawed Persons subjecting their Civil Natural Rights to their Pride Passion Interest or Revenge unless they will purchase their Enjoyment at the dear rate of giving their own Consciences the Lye For what else can be the Consequence of conforming to that I do not believe Is not this to destroy sincere Men and make and save Hypocrites Oh that such as are concern'd would soberly consider if any Thing is so Scandalous to True Religion as FORCE Who can think that Evidence Good that is extorted And what a Church is that which is made up of such Proselytes or that employes such Means to make them 'T is base Coyn that needs Imposition to make it current but true Mettal passeth for its own intrinsick value O where is that Christian Meekness Patience and Forbearance How many have been ruined that were never exhorted and Excommunicated before they were once admonished This is not to serve God but Worldly Interest it s quite contrary to Christ's Counsel and Doctrine He came to save and not to destroy Nature to magnifie his Grace You pretend to hate J. Calvin's unconditional Reprobation yet practise it If you say no Conformity is your Condition I answer that it s as unreasonable to require an impossibility as cruel to damâ— Men for not doing it For as you say his Doctrine makes Gâ—d to command them to repent that cannot repent and yet damn them if they repent not So you injoyn Men to relinquish their present Faith and Worship and conform to yours which is not in their power to do yet damn them in a temporal respect if they refuse it For you make such an unavoidable Dissent punishable with the Destruction of Mens Liberties and Estates You had better leave off valuing your selves upon the Mercy and Well-natur'dness of that Tenet of the Universal Love of God to Man kind till you love more then your selves and abomâ—nate that the Church of England should be such an Elect to the Civil Government as utterly reprobates the rest as you pretend to detest the like Injustice in J. Calvin's Notion of Election and Reprobation And the Truth of it is this helps on Atheism as much as any Enormity in the Land when Witty Men not willing to take Pains to examine after the Truth and Excellency of Religion behold Men that call themselves Christ's Ministers and the Apostles Successors and Followers to affect and seek Government and yet twice deny it when they go to receive it That some others grow Lordly live Voluptuously and watch after the biggest Preferments not being excited by most Service for God but Earthly Power and Wealth for themselves and at the same Time persecuting Men of more Self-denyal for Matsters of Opinion about Faith and Worship toward-God so that No Conformity to this Church No Protection from the State Which among Protestants is so much the more unreasonable First Because they by these Courses implicitly own and assume the highest Infallibility and Perfection and yet deny any such Thing For it supposes that nothing is Truer nothing Perfecter or else they both persecute Men to embrace a Fallible and Inperfect Religion and with cruel Penalties provide against any thing more true or Infallible and the greatest Injury to the World that can be for it is a plain Endeavour to frustrate all those excellent Prophecies and gracious Promises God has given and the holy Scriptures declare of the latter Days But Secondly It exposes you to the lash and scorn of the Papist unavoidably for at this rate you that with reason think it Ignorance and Irreligion in the Papist to imagin himself discharged in God's account by believing only as the Church believes conceive your selves at the same time justified by believeing only as a few of your own Doctors or else