The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…

And so there may from variety of passions of the mind, through a diversity of bodily temperatures: One that is naturally fearful is apt to apprehend a thousand things as terrible, and consequently to be filled with scruples, and to run away from doctrines and practises as dangerous, where another doth apprehend no danger. And one that is dark, or incredulous, or rash or stupid, or hardened by any sinful course, is apt to conceive that he is safe in every dangerous way, and to sleep quietly at the brink of death and hell, and to laughed at them that tell him of his peril: As men sit under the same instructions with variety of affections, of fear or hope, of Love or hatred, of joy or sorrow, so variously are they disposed to apprehend what they hear, seeing recipitur ad modum recipientis.

And so there may from variety of passions of the mind, through a diversity of bodily temperatures: One that is naturally fearful is apt to apprehend a thousand things as terrible, and consequently to be filled with scruples, and to run away from doctrines and practises as dangerous, where another doth apprehend no danger. And one that is dark, or incredulous, or rash or stupid, or hardened by any sinful course, is apt to conceive that he is safe in every dangerous way, and to sleep quietly at the brink of death and hell, and to laught at them that tell him of his peril: As men sit under the same instructions with variety of affections, of fear or hope, of Love or hatred, of joy or sorrow, so variously are they disposed to apprehend what they hear, seeing recipitur ad modum recipientis.

And variety of Gods disposing providences must needs also have some such effect. While one is rich and another is poor; one hath crosses of divers sorts, and another hath prosperity; one is full and another is hungry; one is observed, admired and honoured, and another is taken little notice of, or is vilified and despised; One hath many friends and another many enemies: One hath friends that are kind and constant, and ⟨p. 351⟩the other such as are unkind and mutable; One is preferred by Rulers, and the other is ruined or oppressed; All these will occasion variety of apprehensions: As it was with the Lady who coming in very cold, in a frosty day, pitied the naked beggars at the door; but when she was well warmed chid them away: We all find that our apprehensions are very apt to vary in sickness from what they were in health; and in poverty from what they were in plenty; and when we are angered, displeased or abused, from what they were when we were pleased: Yea when we have but read a lively book, or heard a lively Sermon, from what they were before our affections were so excited.