'i'he 1lia)'CS of Sot~tmurderillg,. ofChrifi as the Godly arc, .and have_ their fins forgiven, becaufe they arc partakers of the f•me Holy S•cramenrs. ( Not knowmg the difference between the Church rnyfiical and vifiblc, nor between the judgement ofminijlers and of Chrift himfrlf. ) ~· 6 6. Parcn~s negl(~. of inftruct:i~g C?ildrc:n, and other parrs of holy education, is one of the t;reatcll caufcs of the perd1t1on of mankmd, m all the World: But of this clfc:where. ~· 7 . 7· MJgifirates perfecut~on or oppoficion eo Religion, or difcoumcmncing thofc that preach it, or mofi fcrioutly pra&ife it, tcndeth to~eccivc fomc, who over-reverence the jud!5cment of fuperi– ours and to affright others from the obcd!ence of God. 9: g, 8. Yea the negligence.of Magifirares, Mafters and other Superiours, o~icting the due re– buke offinners, and due concCbon ~fthe offenders, and tbe due encouragement of the good, is a great cau[e of the wickcdnefs <~.nd damnation of the World. 9· 9 . 9 . B.u~ above·all, w~cn they m~ke L~w1 f~r (in! or for the contc~pt, or difhonour or fup· prdlion ot Rd1gt0n, o~ the f~nou~ pra1~hce of tt, th1s bu1ldeth up S.~.~ans Kmgdom mofi dfcdually, and turneth Gods Ordnunce agamlt h1mfclf: Thoufands under lnhdd and ungodly Princes, are conducted by Ob~dienct to damnation; and their Rulers damn them as honourably as the Phylicion kill'd his Patients, who boafied that he did it fecundum artem, according to the rules of art. 9· 10 • IO· The vulgar ex:zmple of the mrtltitude of the ungodly, is a great caufc of mens impiety :and damnltion. They mufi be well refolved for God and holincfs, who will not yield to the major Vote, nor be carryed down the common fiream, nor run with the rabble tO excelS of ryot. when Chrit1ianity is a SeCt which is e.very whcle (pokcn ag1inll, it provcth fo 1 arro.w a way that Aa. 2 S.! few ha.ve a mind wwalk in it. Men think that they are at lcaft excufable, for nor being wifn and better chan the muhhude. Singularity in honour or riches or Hr..:ngth or health, is accounted no crime; but fingularicy ingodii;afs is, at leaft thought unnecdfuy. [ Whar! will you be wifer, than all the Town, or thm fuch and fuch fupcriours? ] is thought a good reprthenfiunof Godlintfs, where it is rare> Even by tht.m who hereby conclude theirjuperiour1, or a'D the Town to be wifcr than God. 9· 1 I· Il· AltO the vulgar!. fcorning and detiding Godline{s, is a common caufc of Murdering fouls: Becaufe th" Devil knoweth, that there cannot one Word of folid Reafon, be brought againlt the Reafon of God) and fo 3gainH a Holy life, he therefore teo~.chcth men to u[e fuch weapons as they have 1 AQog hath teeth, and an Adder hath a fii ng, though they luve not the Weapons of a man; Afool can Jaugb, and jeer and rai~; and rher~is no great wit or learning nccdf.1ry, to fmile, or grin, or call a man a Puritan, or precihan, or Hereuck or Schi!matick, or any name which the malice of the age fi1all newly coin. t:Ar· Robcr: Bolton largely !hewcth how much the rnalignity of his age, did vent it felf agaiP.fi Godlmcfs, by the rcproJchful ufe: of the word, Puritan. WhenRe..fon can be bribLd to take the Devils part (either natural or literate rcafon ) he will hire it at any nrc : But' when it carmot, he will make: ufe of fuch as he can get ! Bark,J.ng or hilfing may ferve turn, where talking and difputing cannot be procured. Drum a.nd Trumpets in an Army, fcrve the turn inllead of Oratory, to animate cowards, and drown the nojfe of dying mens complamrs and groans. Thou· fands have been mocked out of their Religion and falvation at once, and jeered into Hell; whonow know whether a[corn, or the fire of Hell, be the grea.rer futf.:ring. As Tyrants {hink that the Greauft and Ahleft and wlfeft men, mut1 either be drawn over to their par:y or. dclhoyed ; fo the' Tyran{ of Hell who rulcth in the Children of difobcdicnce, doth think that if Reafon, Learning and wit can– not be hired ro difpute for him againfi God, they arc to be[upprrffrd. ji/wced and difgraced ; which the noifc of rude: clamours, and foolifh jeers is fit enough to perfQfm. 9· 12· 12. Alfo idlefenflefs prating againil Religion as a necdleCS thing 1 doth fe1ve turn to de· ceive.the fimple: Ignorant people who conver[e with, no wifcr men, an: ordinarily taken with the illly cavils of a drunken fat, who hath but a little more volubility.or loofencfs of tongue than his companions. It would make ones hc:ad and heart toake 1 tol1ear with what n.:verend non-fcnc~, one . of· them will tall< igainfi the dot'.trines or pncticesof Godlinefs, and how fubmiffivdy the trat'.tJblc herd receiveeh and conffnteth to his documents! §. 1 3. "13. Alfo it tendeth much to <he helping of Satan, and mude~ing of fouls, to keep up the reputarion of the mofl ungodly, and to keepdo~n the rq~utationof the good. The Devil knoweth that fin it tflf is fuch a thing as fc:w men can love ban:.faced, or commend : And that. GoodmjJ o[ Holine{1 is fuch a thing, as fc:w men can hate, or at leaft condemn, in its proper name and colours. TherdOrc: he fcekc:th to make the reputation of the PerfonJ fcrvt·, to promote or hinder the C1ufe which he is for or again(f. He that is a{hamcd ro fay of Dmnkcnncfs or Whoredom, that they arc good and honcfi prat'.tices, dare yet fay of Dnmkuds and Whoremongers [Thry are very honell men J: And by thcirrcputation, ta$eo.ff fome of the odiuufizefi of the fin, and rec-oncile the hearers to it. And he that cannot for flume fay,of the f,rbearing of fin, and living a holy life, in Hta– venly contemplation, prayer and obedience, that [1hrfe are hypocrifie, fchi{m or [edition, covctoufmfj, deceil and pride. J Yet dare fay of the perfon who pnCtifcth them, th.at [ He is as Covetous, deccir– fnl, proud, hypocritical, fchifmaticalor ftdirious, as any others who make no profeilion of religion. J And the Devil knoweth, that though good dod:rine hath no mixture of Evil, nor Chrifi hirnfdf any hlcmiili or fpot, yet the befi perfOns are fo faulty or defedible, that an ill report of th<;m, is lcfs incre– dible, there being roo much matter to raife a fufpiWJn on. And through their tides, it is c:afietf to wound thedoGlrine or holinrfr which they proftfs. ~· 14· 14 Alfoperjwadi11g fi.nm:rs w do c:vil, ~nd diffwading them from a Godly life, is :inother way ot murdering tOuts. Tne Devils Temptations ;nc mofi by in(humcnrs. He hath his Preachers as well asChnfi: And it were wtH if they did not overgoc us in c:arnef\ncfs, frequency and conN n nnnnn fiancy.
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