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

It too oft falleth out that honest people are like straying sheep: If one leap over the hedge, the rest will crowd and strive to follow him: And therefore errors are like Languages and Fashions, that follow the Country where they are bred. The religious people in Sweden and Denmark have one sort of error; In Holland and Helvetia perhaps they have another: In France, and Spain, and Italy they have others: In Greece, and Armenia, and Ethiopia they have others. And it is an easy matter before we are aware, to fall into the common epidemical disease; and to think, This is best, because the best and strictest people ⟨p. 220⟩are of this mind. And indeed sin doth seldom get so great an advantage in the world, as when it hath won the major vote among the most religious sort of people: If but a Peter separate, Barnabas and many more will follow.

It too oft falleth out that honest people are like straying sheep: If one leap over the hedge, the rest will croud and strive to follow him: And therefore errours are like Languages and Fashions, that follow the Country where they are bred. The religious people in Sweden and Denmark have one sort of errour; In Holland and Helvetia perhaps they have another: In France, and Spain, and Italy they have others: In Greece, and Armenia, and Ethiopia they have others. And it is an easie matter before we are aware, to fall into the common epidemical disease; and to think, This is best, because the best and strictest people ⟨p. 220⟩are of this mind. And indeed sin doth seldome get so great an advantage in the world, as when it hath won the major vote among the most religious sort of people: If but a Peter separate, Barnabas and many more will follow.

And on the other side, sometimes the worser sort of men may hold fast the truth, and many ignorant persons are apt to reject it, because it is owned by men so bad. But if Truth be the Religion of their King and Country, or of their Ancestors in which they were brought up; or if their reputation or peace of conscience lie upon it; or if the defence of it show their wit or learning; or if they can take an advantage by it, against better men, who err in that one point: It is no wonder in all these Cases, if the worser sort of men defend the truth.