And when the Clergy are once made hateful to them, I have told you that the scandal tendeth to make them think hardly of their doctrine, and at least to run into some contrary extreme, if not to dislike Religion it self. I have seldom observed any extreme in Heretics or Schismatics, which was not notably caused by the Clergies contrary extreme. Antinomianism rose among us from our obscure Preaching of Evangelical Grace, and insisting too much on tears and terrors. Arminianism rose from mens profane abuse of the Doctrine of Election, saying, If I am elected, I shall be saved, whatever I do; and when God will give me grace, I shall have it; and till then, it is not in him that willeth or runneth. The Quakers arose from the pride and vanity of Religious people, from which they fled into the sordid extreme. And Separatists have almost always risen from the ignorance, ungodliness, the shameful disabilities, idle negligence, pride, covetousness, or cruelty of the Clergy. This is true, as the experience of all ages telleth us. The insufficient and naughty Clergy make Separatists. At this day the superstitious think they can scarce go too far from men that they account so ungodly, malignant and cruel: And the ungodly, and infidel, and cruel sort of men, do think they can scarce go too far from the superstitious. If you would read and learn of such reprovers, as Gildas, and Salvian, and Nazianzen, and Hilary, and Alvarus Pelagius Planct. Eccles. and Acontius, and such like, you need not have so many thousands flying from your Churches, as from an house on fire, or infected with the Plague; nor reporting your Crimes, as the Parliament-Centuries, or the Gloucester-Cobbler, or your groaning Ichabod have done.
And when the Clergy are once made hateful to them, I have told you that the scandal tendeth to make them think hardly of their doctrine, and at least to run into some contrary extream, if not to dislike Religion it self. I have seldom observed any extream in Hereticks or Schismaticks, which was not notably caused by the Clergies contrary extream. Antinomianism rose among us from our obscure Preaching of Evangelical Grace, and insisting too much on tears and terrors. Arminianism rose from mens prophane abuse of the Doctrine of Election, saying, If I am elected, I shall be saved, whatever I do; and when God will give me grace, I shall have it; and till then, it is not in him that willeth or runneth. The Quakers arose from the pride and vanity of Religious people, from which they fled into the fordid extream. And Separatists have almost always risen from the ignorance, ungodliness, the shameful disabilities, idle negligence, pride, covetousness, or cruelty of the Clergy. This is true, as the experience of all ages telleth us. The insufficient and naughty Clergy make Separatists. At this day the superstitious think they can scarce go too far from men that they account so ungodly, malignant and cruel: And the ungodly, and infidel, and cruel sort of men, do think they can scarce go too far from the superstitious. If you would read and learn of such reprovers, as Gildas, and Salvian, and Nazianzen, and Hilary, and Alvarus Pelagius Planct. Eccles. and Acontius, and such like, you need not have so many thousands flying from your Churches, as from an house on fire, or infected with the Plague; nor reporting your Crimes, as the Parliament-Centuries, or the Gloucester-Cobler, or your groaning Icabod have done.
