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

I conclude as I began: that the consciousness of our own ordinary and lamentable infirmities, and the greatness of the Churches sufferings thereby, in all fore-going ages and in this, will condemn us of impudent self-ignorance, if Ministers be not compassionate and tender towards the weaknesses of the people, who cannot be expected to equal them in knowledge. Alas, Brethren, what are we (even after so many years study & preparation) that we should be supercilious and cruel to the infirm! what difficulties puzzle us? what a loss are we at in our ordinary studies? How weakly do we preach and pray and write? How easily do we see this in one another, as our mutual censures and severities show? Who troubled Paul and the first Churches, but erroneous Teachers? Who prated maliciously against John, and cast out the brethren, but a Diotrephes? Who brought in the errors of the Millenaries, the corporeity of Angels, the errors of the Arians, Eunomians, Nestorians, Eutychians, ⟨p. 429⟩Macedonians, and almost all the rabble ine Epiphanius, Augustine and Philastrius, but Bishops or Presbyters? Who have caused and kept open the wounds of the Churches of the East and West so long? Who introduced all the errors (about praying for & to the dead, &c.) that are in most of the Liturgies of the Churches in East and West? And all the errors that are found in so many Councils and Confessions of Churches; and in so many Volumes of Controversy as are extant? Who set up the Roman Usurpation and Tyranny? Who set up the Papal power above Princes; and determined in the Lateran Council for their power to depose them and alienate their dominions? Who set up Usurpers and raised wars against Emperors and Kings upon these grounds? Who brought in Transubstantiation with the rest of the Roman absurdities? Who have been the Masters of the bloody Inquisitions? And who hindereth the preaching of the pure doctrine of the Gospel in all the Romanists dominions? Is it not an erroneous Clergy?

I conclude as I began: that the consciousness of our own ordinary and lamentable infirmities, and the greatness of the Churches sufferings thereby, in all fore-going ages and in this, will condemn us of impudent self-ignorance, if Ministers be not compassionate and tender towards the weaknesses of the people, who cannot be expected to equal them in knowledg. Alas, Brethren, what are we (even after so many years study & preparation) that we should be supercilious and cruel to the infirm! what difficulties puzzle us? what a loss are we at in our ordinary studies? How weakly do we preach and pray and write? How easily do we see this in one another, as our mutual censures and severities shew? Who troubled Paul and the first Churches, but erroneous Teachers? Who prated malitiously against Iohn, and cast out the brethren, but a Diotrephes? Who brought in the errours of the Millenaries, the corporeity of Angels, the errours of the Arrians, Eunomians, Nestorians, Eutychians,