4 0 / he LIFE of the Part III he fpeaketh to the Nonconformifts in general ( though acknowidging fume fober Perilous to be among them) that which is nothing to the caufe of Nonconformi- ty ; and laboureth to prove that the Religionof the Non-conformifts is fool fh, ri- diculous, th'c. As if he fhouldhave' fought to prove the Religion of Cbr;Jtians, or Proteffanes foolifh, becaufe there are ignorant perfons among them. And in- itancing in things that concern not Non-conformity, but Prayer, and Preaching, and Difcourfe of Religion the Book did exceedingly fit the humours not only of the haters of the Non-confonniftss, but alto of all the prophane defpifers and de- riders of ferious Godlinefs s So that it was greedily read by all that defired mat- ter of Contempt and Scorn against both Non- conformity and Piety, and was greatly fitted to exafperate them to further Perfecutions, and to harden them in impenitchcy, who hadalready made filch doleful havock in the Church. It was as fit an Engine to deftroy Chriftian Love on both fides, and to engage Men in thofe ways which frill more deftroy it, as any thing of long time bath been pub- tifhed. It is true, that in many things theywere realweakneffes which he detefted, and that he knew more himfeif than molt of thofe whom he expofed to fcorn And it is true, that ninny of themby their cenforioufnefs of theConformifts, did too much inftigate fischMen: But it is as true, that while thrift's Flock confifteth of weak ones in their Earthly Stateof Imperfeftion and while his Church is an Hof - pital, and he the Phyficiass of- Souls, it ill becometh a Preacher of the Gofpel to teach the Enemies of Chrift and Holinefs to colt all the reproachof the Difea- fes upon the nature of Health, or on the Phyfician, or to expofe Chrit's Fa- mily to fcorn for that weaknefs which he pittieth them for, and is about to cure ; if he had firft told us where we we might find a better fort of Men than there faulty Chriftians, or could prove them better who meddle with God, and Heaven, and Holinefs, but formally and complimentally on the by, he had dorre fomething. And it is certain that nothing fcarce hardened the faulty perfons more in their Way and weakneffes, than his way of reprehending them. For My part I fpeak not out of partiality ; for he was plcafed to fingle me out for his Commendations, and to exempt me from the Accufations. But it made my Heart to grieve to perceive how the Devil only was the gainer, whilft Truth and Godlinefs was not only pretended by both parties, but really intended. § 89. Yea it would have grieved the heart of any fober Chriftian to ob- ferve how dangeroufly each party ofthe Extremesdid tempt the other to inipeni- tenitency and further Sin ! Even when the Land was all on a Flame, and we were all in apparent danger of our ruin by our Sins and Enmities, the unhap- py prelates began the Game, and cruelly raft outs 800 Minifters : and the peo- ple thereupon efteenting them Wolves , and malignant profecntors, fled from them as the Sheep will do from Wolves, not confsdering, that notwith- ftanding their Perfonal Sin, they frill (outwardly) profeffed the fame Prote- Rant Religion ; and when any Prelatift told the Seftaries- of their former Sin (Rebellionsor Divifions) they heard it as the words of an Enemy, and were mere hardened in it againft Repentance than before , yea, were ready to take that for a Vertue which filch Men reproached them for, when as before they had begun from Experience to repent : And on the other fide, when the Prelatifts faw what Crimes the Army-party of the Seftaries had before committed which they aggravated from their own Intereft, they noted alfo al the weakneIlés of ,Judgment and Expreflion inPrayer, which they met with, not only in the weak- ' .er fort of Minilters, but of the very Women, and unlearned People alfo, and turned' all this not only to the reproach of all the Seftaries, but (as their Patti- on , Intereft,and Faftion led them) of all the Non-confornifts alfo, of whom the far 'Ireateit part were much more innocent than themflves. § 9es. And foSubtil is. Satan in ufing his Inttruments that by their wicked folly cryingout malicioufly for repentance, hehindered alnoft all open Confeffionand Pro- fef ion of repentance, on both fides. For thefe felf Exalters did make their own Intereft and Opinions to pars with them for the fire Expofitor of the Law of God and Mau And they that never truly nuclei-flood the old Difference between the King and Parliament, did Rate the Crime according to their own fhailow paffronate conceits, and then in every book cryed out, . Repent, Repent Repent of all your Rebel-. lionsfromfrJt to late ; you. Presbyterians began the War, and Fought theKing's head to the block, tho the Independents cut it off : And as they put in Lies among fome truths, fo
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=