3. If Reason persuade you not, do but ask experience it self, Whether ⟨p. 210⟩in all ages, men that Profess the same Religion with zealous godly men, have not been their persecutors, and oft-times more cruel then Infidels themselves? The Arians that called themselves Christians, were as cruel to the true Believers as the Heathens. The Papists profess the same Christianity as we, and take the whole Scripture as the Word of God: And yet none of the Heathenish Persecutions do match or come near to their French Massacres, and Spanish Inquisition, and the cruelty that in Ireland, England, and their part of the Christian world, they have exercised upon the sheep of Christ. The many Ministers that were silenced in Germany, and some imprisoned, and many Families undone, was by the Lutherans, against men that were Protestants as well as they. And they that cast out so many Learned, holy Ministers ⟨p. 211⟩in England, and occasioned the expulsion of so many thousand persons fearing God, were Professed Protestants as well as we. And that there may not be the appearance so much as of a difference in Ceremonies to cover their proceedings, abundance of conformable men are troubled and undone as well as others, and they gave out that [none were worse then the conformable Puritans.] It was a holy observation of the Lords day, and opposition to the abuse of it by Dancings, and it was hearing Sermons, and instructing mens families, and praying together, that were the things enquired after, that occasioned our troubles. And (who ever was in the right or wrong) you all know that the late miserable wars among us, was between men that professed themselves to be of the same Religion, not only as Christians, but as Protestant, ⟨p. 212⟩and Reformed (in the main.) To this day you see among our selves in Towns and Countries, that those that do not only dwell with us, and come to the same Assemblies with us, and profess themselves of the same Protestant Reformed Religion, have yet many of them a secret malignity against the godly, that will not be as loose and negligent as they, and will not as madly cast away their souls:
3. If Reason perswade you not, do but ask experience it self, Whether ⟨p. 210⟩in all ages, men that Profess the same Religion with zealous godly men, have not been their persecutors, and oft-times more cruel then Infidels themselves? The Arrians that called themselves Christians, were as cruel to the true Believers as the Heathens. The Papists profess the same Christianity as we, and take the whole Scripture as the Word of God: And yet none of the Heathenish Persecutions do match or come near to their French Massacrees, and Spanish Inquisition, and the cruelty that in Ireland, England, and their part of the Christian world, they have exercised upon the sheep of Christ. The many Ministers that were silenced in Germany, and some imprisoned, and many Families undone, was by the Lutherans, against men that were Protestants as well as they. And they that cast out so many Learned, holy Ministers ⟨p. 211⟩in England, and occasioned the expulsion of so many thousand persons fearing God, were Professed Protestants as well as we. And that there may not be the appearance so much as of a difference in Ceremonies to cover their proceedings, abundance of conformable men are troubled and undone as well as others, and they gave out that [none were worse then the conformable Puritans.] It was a holy observation of the Lords day, and opposition to the abuse of it by Dancings, and it was hearing Sermons, and instructing mens families, and praying together, that were the things enquired after, that occasioned our troubles. And (who ever was in the right or wrong) you all know that the late miserable wars among us, was between men that professed themselves to be of the same Religion, not only as Christians, but as Protestant, ⟨p. 212⟩and Reformed (in the main.) To this day you see among our selves in Towns and Countries, that those that do not only dwell with us, and come to the same Ass•mblies with us, and profess themselves of the same Protestant Reformed R•ligion, have yet many of them a s•cret malignity against the godly, that will not be as loose and negligent as they, and will not as madly cast away their souls:
