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

Secondly, And it is commonly the most ignorant sort of Ministers, who are the liberallest of their supercilious contempt of those, whose understandings and worth are above their censures. If a controversy be started, which they either never studied, or have only turned over the pages of a few books, to number the sheets, and never spent one year in the deep and serious search of the truth which is in question; Or if they have clumsy wits, that cannot feel so fine a thread, nor are capable of mastering the difficulties; None then are (usually) so ready to shoot their bolt, and pass a Magisterial sentence, and gravely and ignorantly tell the ignorant, what e• rours such or such a one maintaineth, as these that talk of that which they never understood. For as I have known many unlearned sots, that had no artifice to keep up the reputation of their learning, than in all companies to cry down such and such (who were wiser than themselves) for no scholars, but unlearned men; so many that are or should be conscious of the dullness and ignorance of their fumbling and unfurnished brains, have no way to keep up the reputation ⟨p. 404⟩of their wisdom, with their simple followers, but to tell them, O such a one hath dangerous errors, and such a book is a dangerous book; and they hold this, and they hold that; and so to make odious the opinions or practises of others, which they understand not: And this doth their business with these silly soles, who hear not what can be said against them, as well as if they were the words of truth and soberness.

Secondly, And it is commonly the most ignorant sort of Ministers, who are the liberallest of their supercilious contempt of those, whose understandings and worth are above their censures. If a controversie be started, which they either never studied, or have only turned over the pages of a few books, to number the sheets, and never spent one year in the deep and serious search of the truth which is in question; Or if they have clumsie wits, that cannot feel so fine a thred, nor are capable of mastering the difficulties; None then are (usually) so ready to shoot their bolt, and pass a Magisterial sentence, and gravely and ignorantly tell the ignorant, what e• rours such or such a one maintaineth, as these that talk of that which they never understood. For as I have known many unlearned sots, that had no artifice to keep up the reputation of their learning, than in all companies to cry down such and such (who were wiser than themselves) for no schollars, but unlearned men; so many that are or should be conscious of the dulness and ignorance of their fumbling and unfurnished brains, have no way to keep up the reputation