346 OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. of all ,false worship and idolatry in the Christianworld, First. The mind and affections have been changed and tinctured with devotion by some of the means we have before insisted on. Herein they will one way or other be exercised about spiritual things, and are ready to receive impressions from any thing that superstition can impose upon them. Secondly. They are, by error and false information, set at liberty from the only rule of their actings and exercise, that is, the word of God. Men satisfied themselves that so their affections were engaged about things spiritual and heavenly, it was no matter at all, whether the way of their exercise was directedby the scripture or not. Having thus lost their guide and their way, every ignis fatuus, everywanderingmeteor, allures them to follow its conduct into foolish super- stitions. Nothing almost is so ridiculous, nothing so horrid and difficult, that theywill not embrace under the notion of things spiritual and heavenly. Thirdly. The carnal minds of men, having noproper distinct apprehensions and notions of spiritual things in their own nature, endeavor to represent them under such notions and images as may suit their carnal unre- newed affections. For it is implanted almost indelibly upon them, that the end of all knowledge of spiritual things is to propose them to the embraces of the affec- tions. It were easy to manifest, that from these three corrupt springs, arose that flood of idolatry and false worship which spread itself over the church of Rome, andwith whose machinations the minds of men are yet too much replenished. Fourthly. Where it is not thus, yet carnal affections variously debase spiritual things, to bring them into a conformity with themselves. And this may proceed
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