'Dire8iom for yom!& ("rijlians. Mr. Tfl'ifi,Jm Fcn1tcr of Wilful fmpenitency, Mr. Hotch~ of Forgivenefs of Sin. To plfs by many ether excelicnt ones, that I may not name too many. . ?· 4 . To a very judicious able Reader, who is fit to cenfu~e a11 he ~cads, rher~ rs no·gr~at danger in the reading the Books ofany Seducers : It doth but fhcw h1m how little and rhm a cloak rs ufed, ro cov;:r a b:td c.tuft·. Buolls, young S::>uldiers, not ufed to fuch Wars, are fiartled at a very So~ phifin, or Jt a trrriblc rhrearningot dammtion to difTenters, (which ~very ccnforious Sect cm ufe_) or ar every contident triumphant boafi, or at every thing that hath a fa1r pretence of truth or godh– nefs: tnjudiE:ions pcrfonscan anfwer almofi no deceiver which t~ey hear: a~d when t~ey cann~t anfwcr chcm, they chink they rnufi yield, as if the fault were not m them, but m the CJUie, and a~ 1f Chrift had no wifer followers~ or berrer defenders of his truth chan they. Meddle not therefore wah poyfOn, tiH you better know how to ufC it, and may do it with.lefSdanger; as long as you have no need. 9· 5· As for Play-books, and Komances, and idle Tales, I have already fhewed in my Bool;_",fStlf– dwy:J.l, how pernicious they arc, efpecially to y.outh, and to frothy, empty; 1_dle wHS, that ~now not J'tlhat a m.Jn ir; nor what he hath eo do in the world. They are powerful baas of the Devll, to keep more ncctlfJ.ry things out of their minds, and better Books out of their hands, and to poy[on the m~nd fo much the more dangerouily, as they are read with more delight and pleafure: and to fi!l the minds of fenfual people with fuch idle fumes, and intoxic:uing fancies, as m1y divert rhem from rhe ferious thoughts of their falvation: And (which is no fmalllofs) to rob them ot abun.. d:ance of that precious time, which was given them for more important bufinofs; and which they will wifh and wi(h ;~gain at lall, that they had [pent more wifely. I know the fanrafiicks will fay" thlt thLfe things are innocent, and may teach men much good ( like him th:lt muH g'1 to a \Vhore.. houfe to learn ro hare uncleannefs, and him that would go out with Robbers to learn to hate Thee.. very ) : But I fhall now only ask them as in the prefence of God, •· Whether they could fpend thlt time no better? 2· Whether better Books and practices would nor edihe them more. 3· Whether the grcatefi Lovers of Romances and Piayes be the greateft Lovers of the Book of God, and of a holy life? 4· Whether they feel in thern[dves that the Love of rhefe vlnities, doth increa[e their love to the Word Qf God, and kill their fin, and prepare thtm for the life to come? or clean contrary? And I would defirc men not to "Prate againfi their own experience and reafc>n, nor to difpute themfelves into dam· nablc impenitcncy, nor to befool their fouls by afew filly words, which any but a fenfualifi mly perceive to be meer deceit and fallhood. If this will not fcrve, they fi~>ll be fhonly convinced and anfwered in anether manner. ' 6t Direct. 1 7· TA'<.e bad th.Jt yo11 rcuive not a VoBrine of Libertinifm M from the Ga{ptl; nor con· V· ll 7 . cd~e of Chrijl ar ·an encourager of ji11 ; nor pretendfrt~ gr.2ce for y.our carn:zl [ecurity lre • J • or Jloth: For tbu u but ta [et up another G1}cl, and anotiJtr Chrift, or rathir the Dotirine 4 nd work_r ofrhe Devil t~gainjl Chrijf and the Go{pel, and to turn the GraceofGod into wantonnrfr~ 9· r. Becaufc the Devil knowcth that you will not n-ceive his doChine in _his ownName, his ufu., s· . !l h al method is tO propound and pre1ch it in the name ofChrill, which he knoweth you reverence and r~6~1rs/mim~~ regard~ l'~or if Satan concealed not his own Name and Hand in every temptation, it would fpoil his stque h~c ' go; me: And the more excellent and fplendid is his pretence, the mQre powerful the temptation is. indole v}rtutis They that gave heed to Jcducing Spirits and DDl1riner of Dt1.:ih, 1)0 doubt thought better of the Spirits 2 ; contmen· and the Dotlrinu, efpecia11y fceming ftrill (for the Devil hath his jtritlncffir ) ar jiJY'bidding to marry, ~~~~tu~~~~s and abftintnce from me:ztr which Gad bath created to be received with thankrrriving I Tim. 4• r, 3• But :oluptate5, the ftrillnrffu _of the Devil, are alwayes intended ,to make men Ioofe. Th~y {hali hf;: firict as the Pha~ o~nemqne , rifees in Traditions and vain Ceremonies, and building the Tombs of the Prophet.s, and garoiOting vnx fuz cur. ~he ~e~ukhre_s of the Righ_teou.s, that ~hey may hate and ~urder the livin~ Saint~ that worChip God ~~~p~~~:~~que mSpmt and m truth. Ltcer-ttoufiu[r IS the proper DoCtrmc of the Devil, whJCb , all his firiCl-neiS in 3 nim 1 con– tendeth to promore. To receive fuch principles is pernicious: but to father them upon Chrifi and the tentione con· Gofpd, is blafphemous. ficiar, _quem . . ' . . . .• . . . ~~~~~e~0~on 2'qull1Um rud,:., non t~d!, no.n convma ?e1~8am; mm] m vtu exretendum puret ni!i q~d elf cum bule &: !tonorecoajunawn ; hunc ffi{';l fmcent~:l. d:VU\h \;utbufd:mt bonn tn!lrudum :~.tque ornJtum puto. Cic. pro C1l. , • ~· 2. The Libe~tinc~, An~ir.omians, and Au~onomians of this age, have gathered you t~o many mfiances. The L1hertme fatth, [ 1he _Heart u the m:J.n; tiJtrcfore you may dt~ tht trmb witb)our toH[_Jtt~, }'DU mdy be p;e.(tnt at falfo Worflnp, (as at rhe Maji,) you uted not foffer to avoid the {petJ.k.jng ofa word, or fubfcrzhJng to 4n untruth or error, or dving {ome Iiule thing; bt~t IJs long at yort J?..~tp your htartt to God, andmean weU, or ~ave an homft menta! re{trv.uion; and 11re forced tOjt by nth.ers; rather than j u.Jfc:, )OU mayfay~ or {ubfcribe, (Jr {R'tar any thing whic.h JOII can your {elver prtt a fa~·. ful fen[e upon t1t ;•our own mmdr, or comply wtth any outward aliJoHs or cuftoms to avoid offence an/. fave )'our feivCJ. J The Anrinornians tdl you, that [ 1he Moral Law Is abrogated, and thJt the GofPtl is no L•"' ; (and if tbere be no Law, there uno Govtrnour nor Government, n6 dmy, no jin, no jHdgemtnt, nopuJtijhmenr, no reward );
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