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

And many of them having not so far digested their Religion, as to see the evidences of it in themselves, are fain to take it upon trust from others: And they choose that party to cast this great trust upon, which they think to be most venerable. The Papist chooseth for number and worldly pomp and order: The carnal self-seeker chooseth the party, which may most further his preferment and honour in the world: The honester sectaries do choose the party, which seemeth to them to be the most illuminated or most strict: And some have the wit, to look most at those, that set as many of these together as may be hoped for. But among whomsoever they cast their lot, their way to preserve the reputation of Orthodoxness, and the peace of that conscience which made the choice, is to be liberal in reproaching those that differ in any thing from the sect which they have chosen. (For how much of the Christian world is now in sects, is a thing which requireth more lamentation, than proof.) As the Dominicans when they have written far much more than Calvin about predetermination, they ⟨p. 408⟩have no way to keep their honour with their sect (the Papists) but to rail at the Calvinists and belie them, and charge them with that which they abhor, that so they may seem sufficiently to differ from them.

And many of them having not so far digested their Religion, as to see the evidences of it in themselves, are fain to take it upon trust from others: And they choose that party to cast this great trust upon, which they think to be most venerable. The Papist chooseth for number and worldly pomp and order: The carnal self-seeker chooseth the party, which may most further his preferment and honour in the world: The honester sectaries do choose the party, which seemeth to them to be the most illuminated or most strict: And some have the wit, to look most at those, that set as many of these together as may be hoped for. But among whomsoever they cast their lot, their way to preserve the reputation of Orthodoxness, and the peace of that conscience which made the choice, is to be liberal in reproaching those that differ in any thing from the sect which they have chosen. (For how much of the Christian world is now in sects, is a thing which requireth more lamentation, than proof.) As the Dominicans when they have written far much more than Calvin about predetermination, they ⟨p. 408⟩have no way to keep their honour with their sect (the Papists) but to rail at the Calvinists and belye them, and charge them with that which they abhor, that so they may seem sufficiently to differ from them.