Hale - BR120 H364 1684

(20) ligion, as is before'obferved in the Rbnnifh Church, :And: it ìseafily obfervable that Intereft, Profit,- and -Teni oral Ad- vantage have a ftrong by afs upon Mens Affections, and are dearer to them than theTruth of Religion, and carry men more vigoroufly in their upholding and maintenance,. than Religion it felf loth : And becaufe the prefence of zeal for Religion carries a fair Plaufibility with all men, therefore thole very things that are but Engines of Gain and Profit are Chriftned with the fpecious Name of Reli- gion. It was the making. ofSilver Shrines for Diana, the Art whereby the Artificers got their living, - that made the. Out-cry, Great is Diana of theEphefrans. 4. Again, it isvery certain that mankind lath a huge kindnefs and partiality for matters of their own Invention, and fet a greater rate upon them, thanupon other matters handed over to them by others : And hence it comes t6 pafs that a new Fancy or Opinion, a new Form of Worfhip, Difcipline, or Government that, any man bath inventedor ftudied out, is to fuck a man ordinarily of greater value and moment than it deferves, and íhall be maintained with greater zeal, Fervour and Animofity, than Points of grea- ter truth and moment, as if the greatmoment and weight ofReligion and Chriflianity lay in it, which is in truth nothing elfe but the Effea of Selflove and Self - conceit. s. Again, though by Nature Manbe a fociableCreature, yet there is in molt Men a certain Itch of Pride, which makes them affe& a Difcrimination from others, and to be- come a kind offeparatedParty. more refined-than the refit of the fame Common Profeflìon. Ido remember in the beginning of our late Troubles, the only Partythat vìfbly appeared, werefome that dejred fame Reformation in Church-matters : And when that Party had obtained, .under theNagle of the Presbyterian Party, in a very

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