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

Thus many troubled unquiet souls, either know not •ound Doctrine and Teachers from deceit, or else will not be at the pains or patience, to wait on God in the use of the right means; or most commonly spoil the Remedy offered them, by their own misapplications; and then for ease they hearken to any ignorant Sectary, that will fiercely cry out against •ound Teachers, and revile all that are wiser than himself, as if he knew more than all the Ministers in the Country. O saith the deceiving Papist, you will never have settled comfort while you follow these Ministers, and till you come to us, who are the true Church—Saith the Anabaptist, you will never be well settled while you follow these Preachers: They have not the Spirit, but speak only by the book: Come to us and be baptized, and you will have peace. And thus saith the Quaker, the Familist, and other Sects.

Thus many troubled unquiet souls, either know not •ound Doctrine and Teachers from deceit, or else will not be at the pains or patience, to wait on God in the use of the right means; or most commonly spoil the Remedy offered them, by their own misapplications; and then for ease they hearken to any ignorant Sectary, that will fiercely cry out against •ound Teachers, and revile all that are wiser than himself, as if he knew more than all the Ministers in the Country. O saith the deceiving Papist, you will never have setled comfort while you follow these Ministers, and till you come to us, who are the true Church—Saith the Anabaptist, you will never be well setled while you follow these Preachers: They have not the Spirit, but speak only by the book: Come to us and be baptized, and you will have peace. And thus saith the Quaker, the Familist, and other Sects.

I have known some that have lived long in doubts and fears of damnation, who have turned Anabaptists, and suddenly had comfort: And yet in a short time they forsook that Sect and turned to another. I have known those also that have lived many years in timorous complaints, and fears of Hell; and they have turned to the Antinomians, and suddenly been comforted: And others have turned Arminians, which is clean contrary, and been comforted: And others have but heard of the Doctrine of perfection in this life, and suddenly been past their fears, as if hearing of perfection had made them perfect: And from thence they have turned Familists, and at last showed their perfection by fornication and licentiousness and mere Apostasy; who yet lived very conscionably and blamelessly, as long as they lived in their fears and troubles.