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

Nothing is more experienced, than the power which the converse of chosen familiars hath upon the minds of the injudicious and unsettled. Which maketh education and the converse of our youth, to have so great a hand in choosing mens opinions and Religion: And is the cause that Religion is as Languages are, diversified by the territories or bounds of Countries. They that are bred among such as use to speak of dissenters, as odious, as hypocrites, as heretics, as schismatics, as ungodly, as proud fanatics, are very like to be possessed themselves with the same spirit of malice and detraction. The words of those whom you respect, especially when you hear them not confuted, will make you believe that it is so indeed, and that the persons are as mad or as odious as they make them. And thus, the Papists think odiously of the Protestants, and the Lutherans of the Calvinists; and the Arminians and Anti-Arminians, the Diocesans and ⟨p. 152⟩the Presbyterians, the Paedobaptists and Anabaptists of one another: because they converse only with such as paint them in an odious shape. And thus if you use only or chiefly to converse with the censorious Separatists, you shall hear so many invectives against them that are truly Catholic, and sober, as will make you think that Love and Peace and Catholic Communion, are some sinful and mischievous things. Sometimes they will deride them as ridiculous; and sometimes they will call them temporizers, formalists, or luke-warm hypocrites, who will do any thing in compliance with their own commodities, and for the saving of their flesh. And sometimes they will thunder out some terrible threatenings against them and their way, as heinously sinful. And this language will form the belief and affections of ignorant Christians, into its own uncharitable mould; as a necessary part of Christian zeal. As it was the common way of the success of the Quakers, to come into Christian assemblies, and in a prophetical strain, like men commissioned from heaven, in the name of the most high God to denounce his judgements against the faithfullest Pastors and their flocks, and pronounce them condemned enemies of the light; and so by the very terror of their words, they frightened many women and boys into their sect, before they understood at all what it was that they were against or for:

NOthing is more experienced, than the power which the converse of chosen familiars hath upon the minds of the injudicious and unsetled. Which maketh education and the converse of our youth, to have so great a hand in choosing mens opinions and Religion: And is the cause that Religion is as Languages are, diversified by the territories or bounds of Countries. They that are bred among such as use to speak of dissenters, as odious, as hypocrites, as hereticks, as schismaticks, as ungodly, as proud fanaticks, are very like to be possessed themselves with the same spirit of malice and detraction. The words of those whom you respect, especially when you hear them not confuted, will make you believe that it is so indeed, and that the persons are as mad or as odious as they make them. And thus, the Papists think odiously of the Protestants, and the Lutherans of the Calvinists; and the Arminians and Anti-Arminians, the Diocesans and