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

Lastly (not to run into any more causes) there is an universal lamentable cause of differences, that almost all people naturally are apt to be very confident of all their own apprehensions, And very few have any due suspicion of their own opinions; or an understanding submission to wiser men. Yea boys (that are once past their Tutors dictates) and the weakest women, are usually as confident that they are in the right, as the most learned and experienced persons. Yea none are so apt to be too doubtful and di••ident of their own understandings, as the Learned who are next the highest form: For they have knowledge enough to know what can be objected against them, and to see an hundred difficulties, which the ignorant never saw. So that the more weak & worthless and erroneous any ones judgment is, usually the more furious are they in their prosecution of it, as if all were most certain truth which they apprehend: These are the boldest both in schisms and persecutions; as being so sure ⟨p. 358⟩that their conceits are right, that they dare censure or separate or scorn or despise, or afflict dissenters.

Lastly (not to run into any more causes) there is an universal lamentable cause of differences, that almost all people naturally are apt to be very confident of all their own apprehensions, And very few have any due suspicion of their own opinions; or an understanding submission to wiser men. Yea boyes (that are once past their Tutors dictates) and the weakest women, are usually as confident that they are in the right, as the most learned and experienced persons. Yea none are so apt to be too doubtful and di••ident of their own understandings, as the Learned who are next the highest form: For they have knowledge enough to know what can be objected against them, and to see an hundred difficulties, which the ignorant never saw. So that the more weak & worthless and erroneous any ones judgment is, usually the more furious are they in their prosecution of it, as if all were most certain truth which they apprehend: These are the boldest both in schisms and persecutions; as being so sure ⟨p. 358⟩that their conceits are right, that they dare censure or separate or scorn or despise, or afflict dissenters.