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

And on the other side, many are very sensible of the need of spirituality and seriousness in Religion, and of the evil of hypocritical formality and imagery, and of usurpation of the prerogatives of Christ, and of the plague of persecuting Pride and cruelty, who yet have little sense at all, of the good of Unity, and of the mischiefs of divisions in the Church. Yea many are so careful to be found exact in their obedience to God, that they build very much for duties and against sins, upon dark and very far-fetched consequences, and upon a few obscure and doubtful passages in Scripture, when there is no express words, or clear text at all, to bear them out: And doubtless the darkest intimations of the will of God, must not be disregarded. But on the other side, we cannot bring them to lay to heart, some duties and sins, which are over and over, an hundred times, and that with vehemency, expressed and urged in the plainest words.

And on the other side, many are very sensible of the need of spirituality and seriousness in Religion, and of the evil of hypocritical formality and imagery, and of usurpation of the prerogatives of Christ, and of the plague of persecuting Pride and cruelty, who yet have little sense at all, of the good of Unity, and of the mischiefs of divisions in the Church. Yea many are so careful to be found exact in their obedience to God, that they build very much for duties and against sins, upon dark and very far-fetcht consequences, and upon a few obscure and doubtful passages in Scripture, when there is no express words, or clear text at all, to bear them out: And doubtless the darkest intimations of the will of God, must not be disregarded. But on the other side, we cannot bring them to lay to heart, some duties and sins, which are over and over, an hundred times, and that with vehemency, exprest and urged in the plainest words.

And because all Christians pretend to submit to the word of God, I will try whether it be not thus with you in the present case, and will cite many plain expressions of Scripture, for Christian Unity and Concord, that you may either better perceive you duty, or plainly show your great partiality.

And because all Christians pretend to sbmit to the word of God, I will try whether it be not thus with you in the present case, and will cite many plain expressions of Scripture, for Christian Vnity and Concord, that you may either better perceive you duty, or plainly shew your great partiality.