The Soul's Conflict with Itself

1. As we must take heed that we account not our imaginations to be religion; So we must not account true religion, ¹and the power of godliness to be a matter of imagination only; as if holy men troubled themselves more then needs, when they stand upon religion and conscience, seeking to approve themselves to God in all things, and endeavouring (so far as frailty will permit) to avoid all appearances of evil. Many men ²are so serious in vanities, and real in trifles, that they count all, which dote not upon such outward excellencies as they do (because the Spirit of GOD hath revealed to them things of a higher nature) to be fantastics and humorous people, and so impute the work of the spirit to the flesh, Gods work to Satan, which comes near unto blasphemy: ⟨p. 213⟩they imagine good men to be led with vain conceits, but good men know them to be so led. Not only St. Paul, but CHRIST himself, were counted besides ³themselves, when they were earnest for God and the souls of his people. But there is enough in Religion to bear up the soul against all imputations laid upon it: the true children of ⁴wisdom are always able to justify their Mother, and the conscionable practise of holy duties is founded upon such solid grounds as shall hold out when heaven and earth shall vanish.

1. As wee must take heed that wee account not our imaginations to be religion; So we must not account true religion, ¹and the power of godlinesse to bee a matter of imagination onely; as if holy men troubled themselves more then needs, when they stand upon religion and conscience, seeking to approve themselves to God in all things, and indeavouring (so farre as frailty will permit) to avoid all appearances of evill. Many men ²are so serious in vanities, and reall in trifles, that they count all, which dote not upon such outward excellencies as they doe (because the Spirit of GOD hath revealed to them things of a higher nature) to be fantasticks and humorous people, and so impute the worke of the spirit to the flesh, Gods worke to Satan, which comes neare unto blasphemy: