Sectaries haveperfecnted others. 25/ lawful ; and to return ,him a publick counterfeit thanks for blood- thed; yea.for the blood'oÑthou (ands; and the blood of confeffed godly men: When the crime which they would have forced us to `had we been fo duóile as toobey them ) was no lefs than prdblick hjpocrifie and omning Inch blood-gailtinefs ; and the penalty no lefs thanfc p.¡ration from cur flocks and !niblick; maintenance (though not f lencinó.) I fpeak not any of this to trample upon thofe whomGod in juflice bath cart down. (A thing which I fo abhorred that I have avoided it to the great difpleafureof others) But if you are of the mind, either that Gods juftice fhould not be ob- ferved or juftified ; ör that you fhould not be 'called to repentance; ór that you thould be fuf fered quietly to forget your fin, and die impeni- tently ; or that the nation thould forget the efp fees of religious pride and fa&ion ; and fo 1of4 the warningwhich they have had from God at fo dear a rate, and be tempted again into the fame fin and calamity, fár fear of offending the ears of theguilty ; I am in all this as far from your minds,. as I was in the a&ing of thefe crimes: And can nö more confent toyou, than I should have done. to have had all the Ifraelites murmurings, idolatry and unbelief; and the fins of Noah, Lot, David, Solomon, Peter, &c. forgotten, and the l iflory of them never mentioned in the Bible. Bat (I pray you mark it) the ir4yof God is to jhanne the fnner, how good f oev`r in other refpec`fs that thefin way have the greater 'halm, and Religion may not befhanned as ifit alloyed men tofin , nor God the d thor of ReligsoN¿e difhoneaared ; nor ether: be Iv ). V too,
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