A care-cloth

This I may do, when indeed thou mayest not do it. Know now, that both these are by-paths, both are out-strayings, and that in the wilderness of this World, thou mayest as quickly, and well-near as dangerously wander in the one of these ways, as the other; and therefore be thou as careful and desirous, not to step awry in the one, as in the other path. I press this the rather, because I have observed in experience, that many men become irreclaimable, in regard of this scrupulousness, out of a conceit they have, that there is little or no danger in it. But they are deceived; A man may hurt himself, offend his brethren, dishonour God, trouble the world, and cast himself to hell, by straining at Gnats, as well as by swallowing Camels. To do a thing, in many cases is no sin, neither is it a sin to forbear; but to condemn a thing not worthy to be condemned, to stretch ones wits, to make a lawful thing seem wicked, and to be stiff in such a forbearance, this is always naught, and always dangerous. What mischief hath come into the world, by making marriage a sin to some men, to whom it was no sin? How hath the world bin pestered with troubles and contentions about things of no moment, because some men would not, or could not see, that lawful things were lawful? In a word, I know not whether the Church of God do not as much smart and bleed, by the wounds that scrupulousness gives her, as by ⟨p. 11⟩those which unconscionableness gives her. Oh that once she might be cured of both at once!

This I may do, when indeed thou mayest not do it. Know now, that both these are by-paths, both are out-strayings, and that in the wildernesse of this World, thou mayest as quickly, and wel-neere as dangerously wander in the one of these wayes, as the other; and therfore be thou as carefull and desirous, not to step awry in the one, as in the other path. I presse this the rather, because I haue obserued in experience, that many men become irreclaimeable, in regard of this scrupulousnesse, out of a conceite they haue, that there is little or no danger in it. But they are deceiued; A man may hurt himselfe, offend his brethren, dishonour God, trouble the world, and cast himselfe to hell, by strayning at Gnats, as well as by swallowing Camels. To doe a thing, in many cases is no sinne, neither is it a sinne to forbeare; but to condemne a thing not worthy to be condemned, to stretch ones wits, to make a lawfull thing seeme wicked, and to be stiffe in such a forbearance, this is alwaies naught, and alwaies dangerous. What mischief hath come into the world, by making marriage a sin to some men, to whom it was no sinne? How hath the world bin pestered with troubles and contentions about things of no moment, because some men would not, or could not see, that lawfull things were lawfull? In a word, I know not whether the Church of God doe not as much smart and bleed, by the wounds that scrupulousnesse giues her, as by