The crucifying of the world

Yea our own selves, souls or bodies considered as the workmanship of God, must not be thought or spoke contemptibly of. For so by all that we say against the work, we do but reproach and dishonour the work-man. In all our self-accusations and condemnations, we must take heed of accusing or condemning our Creator. Our Naturals therefore must be honoured, while our Corrupt Morals are vilified. We must disgrace nothing that is of God, but only that which may be truly called our own: Nor in the accusation of our Own, must we by reflections and consequences accuse that which is Gods, as if the fault in the Original were his. By giving us our Natural free-will, which is a self-determining power, he made us capable of having somewhat in Morality which we may too justly call our own: And our loss and want of Moral freedom, (which is but our right Dispositions and Inclinations) were not to be charged ultimately on our selves, if the foresaid Natural freedom did not make us capable ⟨p. 7⟩of such a culpability. Its a strange way that some men have devised, of magnifying the Creator by v••ifying his works: and its a strange conceit that all the praise that is given to the creature is taken from God; They would not do so by man: The praise of an House is taken to be no dishonour to the Carpenter: Nor the commendation of a watch a dishonour to the watch-maker. God did not dishonour himself, when he said, his works in the beginning were all Good▪ He would never have been a Creator, if all the Good which he made and Communicated had been to his dishonour: When there was nothing but himself in being, there was nothing but himself to be commended: but doubtless God intended his Glory by his Works; and all that is in them proceeding from himself▪ the praise of them redoundeth to himself. In a word, we must be very careful of Gods interest in his creatures, and take heed of any such contempt or vilifying of them, which may reflect upon himself.

Yea our own selves, souls or bodies considered as the workmanship of God, must not be thought or spoke contemptibly of. For so by all that we say against the work, we do but reproach and dishonour the work-man. In all our self-accusations and condemnations, we must take heed of accusing or condemning our Creator. Our Naturals therefore must be honoured, while our Corrupt Morals are vilified. We must disgrace nothing that is of God, but only that which may be truly called our own: Nor in the accusation of our Own, must we by reflexions and consequences accuse that which is Gods, as if the fault in the Original were his. By giving us our Natural free-will, which is a selfdetermining power, he made us capable of having somewhat in Morality which we may too justly call our own: And our loss and want of Moral freedom, (which is but our right Dispositions and Inclinations) were not to be charged ultimately on our selves, if the foresaid Natural freedom did not make us capable