100 THE FORM Of THE GOSPEL. the various causes or occasions, whence different apprehensions of men about these things may arise : And here we shall find poor frail weak mankind, almost universally born and brought up in prejudices to some party or other, encompassed with a thousand things that tend to influence the judgment, and incline it insensibly toward some particular opinion so that a whole scheme of doctrines built upon a pure and zealous and laborious search after truth, without any manner of bias or corruption on any side, is scarce to be found in human nature. There is no man alive free from these weaknesses. Happy the mind that has the fewest of them. "Nam vitiis nemo sine naseitur, optimus Hie est Quimiuimis urgetur." lion. It maybe these ministers themselves, who differ in opinion, are of very different natural complexions and tempers, and this bath a secret influence in swaying their mind, their stu- dies, their judgment and ministry one way or the other ; though all those who agree in natural temper, are not always of the same opinion. Or it may be, they had an education under teachers and tutors of different sentiments, or have met with books of different principles and opinions, which have made a strong and lasting impression upon their minds, and engaged them betimes into one party, before they had strength of judgment to determine their opinions upon just arguments. Some persons in order to settle their judgments in these points, have studied more and prayed less, and some have prayed more and studied too little ; and some onboth sides have studied hard, and prayed much, and sought earnestly the instructions of the blessed Spirit, and yet have fallen into different ways of thinking in those parts of christianity which are not of necessity to salvation, and .havebeen suffered to follow different forms of speech for wise purposes in the providence of God. Some little accident or occurrence of life, or some sudden start of thought, while the balance of the judgment was in suspense, has perhaps given it a turn to one side or the other, and perhaps determined it for their'whole lives. Some have happened to form their set of doctrines at first more by their own reasoning powers, and drawn their schemes of religion from what they imagine the most natural connection, the necessity or congruity of things, and they call the bible only to their assistance, and seekproper texts to confirm their own system : Others draw the whole scheme of doctrines from a con- stant and intent application to the holy scripture, and call in rea- son to their assistance only inorder to understand and methodize those doctrines: And though the first way of studyin matters
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