They both set themselves to Fast and Pray, they searched the whole Scripture, read over the Statute-Book, and all the Common Law-Books and Cases, that they could get, and all the History of our ancient Government, and of our late Transactions; they read what was said on both sides, and one saw all as clear as the light go for the King against the Parliament, wondering that any should make a doubt of it; and the other, though still not fully certain, was more confirmed in his old apprehensions the other way; yet both learned, able, judicious, godly, and truly desirous to know the truth, and many and many years begged it of God, and unweariedly followed on the search; and no carnal interest I am fully persuaded made the difference. And what then, shall we ascribe it all to immediate operations of God, without any more ado? No; as far as I could perceive the difference arose from hence: One of them was first deeply possessed with the sense of Gods late Judgments Spiritual and Corporal on the Religious party which adhered to the Parliament; and thought these Judgments indicated their sin: Their Scandal, Divisions, Confusions, Mutual Censures, and Errors were still before his eyes; and the Laws of Order and Government, and Obedience, and Patience, lay in greatest power on his heart. The other looked all abroad the world, to Infidel, Heathen, ⟨p. 176⟩Mahometan, and Popish Kingdoms, and thought that tyranny was the grand sin on the earth, which kept out the Gospel, and consequently, Godliness and Salvation from the generality of mankind; that kept up Popery, and kept out Reformation; that silenced powerful Preachers, 1and kept up Ignorance; that most served Satan, and fed the jaws of Hell. He thought of all the inhumane consequents of unrestrained Tyranny: He read Politics more than the other, and read more of the Greek and Roman History, and regarded more the Judgment of the several Parties and Religions among mankind: and he fell upon Bilson and Hooker the chief Prelatists; and he thought that Gods Judgments consequential to those Wars had been incomparably less than the mercies and benefits, and that there were now proportionably multitudes more of Godly Ministers and People than there were before the Wars: And these different pre-conceptions and pre-possessions, made them have quite different Interpretations of all the Scriptures, the Statutes, the Law Books, &c.
They both set themselves to Fast and Pray, they searched the whole Scripture, read over the Statute-Book, and all the Common Law-Books and Cases, that they could get, and all the History of our ancient Government, and of our late Transactions; they read what was said on both sides, and one saw all as clear as the light go for the King against the Parliament, wondering that any should make a doubt of it; and the other, though still not fully certain, was more confirmed in his old apprehensions the other way; yet both learned, able, judicious, godly, and truly desirous to know the truth, and many and many years begged it of God, and unweariedly followed on the search; and no carnal interest I am fully perswaded made the difference. And what then, shall we ascribe it all to immediate operations of God, without any more ado? No; as far as I could perceive the difference arose from hence: One of them was first deeply possessed with the sense of Gods late Judgments Spiritual and Corporal on the Religious party which adhered to the Parliament; and thought these Judgments indicated their sin: Their Scandal, Divisions, Confusions, Matual Censures, and Errors were still before his eyes; and the Laws of Order and Government, and Obedience, and Patience, lay in greatest power on his heart. The other lookt all abroad the world, to Infidel, Heathen, ⟨p. 176⟩Mahometan, and Popish Kingdoms, and thought that tyranny was the grand sin on the earth, which kept out the Gospel, and consequently, Godliness and Salvation from the generality of mankind; that kept up Popery, and kept out Reformation; that silenced powerful Preachers, 1and kept up Ignorance; that most served Satan, and fed the jaws of Hell. He thought of all the inhumane consequents of unrestrained Tyranny: He read Politicks more than the other, and read more of the Greek and Roman History, and regarded more the Judgment of the several Parties and Religions among mankind: and he fell upon Bilson and Hooker the chief Prelatists; and he thought that Gods Judgments consequential to those Wars had been incomparably less than the mercies and benefits, and that there were now proportionably multitudes more of Godly Ministers and People than there were before the Wars: And these different pre-conceptions and pre-possessions, made them have quite different Interpretations of all the Scriptures, the Statutes, the Law Books, &c.
- 1Suffrag. Theol. Britt. in Synod. Dord. art. 3. & 4. Sunt quaedam effecta interna ad conversionem praevia quae virtute verbi spiritusque in nondum justificatorum cordibus excitantur; qualia sunt notitia v•luntatis divinae, sensus peccati, timor poenae, cogitatio de liberatione, spes aliqua veniae. Quos Deus mediante verb• per spiritum s•um hunc in modum afficit, eos ad fidem, conversionemque vere & serio vocat & invitat. Quos ita afficit Deus non deserit, nec desistit▪ in vera ad conversionem via praemovere, priusquam ab illis per neglectionem voluntariam art hujus gratiae initialis repulsam, deseratur.
