A treatise of the passions and faculties of the soul of man With the…A treatise of the passions and faculties of the soule of man With the…

Now of all Hatreds, there are none more furious and unnatural than those which arise out of contrarieties in Religion; because as a Stone, the higher the place is from whence it falls, doth give the more dangerous blow: no wound's so mortal, as that of a Thunder-bolt: so of all other those Hatreds which make pretences unto Heaven, and which arise from motives of the highest Nature, are ever most desperate and mortal. And therefore our Saviour tells us, that in this case men would forget all the bonds of natural Obligation; insomuch that the Father would deliver his own Child, and the Children their Parents unto death. As we find that the bloody Hatred of Cain against Abel arose from the different acceptance of their Sacrifices. Neither is it any wonder if that enmity grow excessive, which hath Zeal to kindle it, and pretence of Religion to warrant it: For when that which should restrain and set limits to a Passion, is made a party to engage it, and fuel to foment it, no wonder if a Passion ⟨p. 154⟩which hath no bounds from Religion, do impose¹ none upon it self. And this occasion of mutual Hatred, we find observed even in the ridiculous superstitions of Egypt, when one Town would kill and eat the flesh of another in zeal to the Sheep, or Calves, or Dragons, which they did severally worship.

Now of all Hatreds, there are none more furious and unnaturall than those which arise out of contrarieties in Religion; because as a Stone, the higher the place is from whence it fals, doth give the more dangerous blow: no wound's so mortall, as that of a Thunder-bolt: so of all other those Hatreds which make pretences unto Heaven, and which arise from motives of the highest Nature, are ever most desperate and mortall. And therefore our Saviour tels us, that in this case men would forget all the bonds of naturall Obligation; insomuch that the Father would deliver his owne Childe, and the Children their Parents unto death. As we find that the bloudy Hatred of Cain against Abel arose from the different acceptance of their Sacrifices. Neither is it any wonder if that enmity grow excessive, which hath Zeale to kindle it, and pretence of Religion to warrant it: For when that which should restraine and set limits to a Passion, is made a party to ingage it, and sewell to foment it, no wonder if a Passion ⟨p. 154⟩