Thirdly, This going too far from those whom we should win, doth not only lose our advantage to do them good, but greatly tendeth to harden them in all their prejudices against a religious life; and to hinder their conversion and to undo their souls. When they hear and see us place any of our Religion, in avoiding a lawful recreation, or a lawful use of words, or a lawful fashion of apparel, or a lawful gesture or circumstance in Gods worship, they will judge of the rest of our Religion by that part: And this is one thing that hath hardened thousands (especially of the rich who are inclined to excesses) in a scornful contempt of strictness in Religion, under the name of Puritans and Bigots and Precisians, and such like: They think they are but an ignorant humorous sort of people, who are almost mad with a pride of their singularity in Religion; And think that when you tell them of a Conversion, you would have them become such whimsical fanatics: And that the difference between their Religion and yours is but, whether such a form of prayer, or such a gesture, or such a fashion of apparel, or such music or other recreation, be lawful, or unlawful; In which they are confident that they are in the right? And what greater cruelty can you show to souls, than thus to harden them in their sin and misery? Little do such persons think, how many be in Hell, through these scandals and snares which they have set before them? And yet they take on them, that is because they would not encourage men in ⟨p. 228⟩sin, that they thus fly from them. When they do their worst to make all the world believe that strict religiousness, is but the whimsy of a giddy sort of people, who are almost out of their wits with pride. And what greater injury can men do to Christ and to Religion than this? To make it the scorn and contempt of the world?
Thirdly, This going too far from those whom we should win, doth not only lose our advantage to do them good, but greatly tendeth to harden them in all their prejudices against a religious life; and to hinder their conversion and to undo their souls. When they hear and see us place any of our Religion, in avoiding a lawful recreation, or a lawful use of words, or a lawful fashion of apparel, or a lawful gesture or circumstance in Gods worship, they will judge of the rest of our Religion by that part: And this is one thing that hath hardened thousands (especially of the rich who are enclined to excesses) in a scornful contempt of strictness in Religion, under the name of Puritans and Bigots and Precisians, and such like: They think they are but an ignorant humorous sort of people, who are almost mad with a pride of their singularity in Religion; And think that when you tell them of a Conversion, you would have them become such whimsical fanaticks: And that the difference between their Religion and yours is but, whether such a form of prayer, or such a gesture, or such a fashion of apparel, or such musick or other recreation, be lawful, or unlawful; In which they are confident that they are in the right? And what greater cruelty can you shew to souls, than thus to harden them in their sin and misery? Little do such persons think, how many be in Hell, through these scandals and snares which they have set before them? And yet they take on them, that is because they would not encourage men in ⟨p. 228⟩sin, that they thus flye from them. When they do their worst to make all the world believe that strict religiousness, is but the whimsie of a giddy sort of people, who are almost out of their wits with pride. And what greater injury can men do to Christ and to Religion than this? To make it the scorn and contempt of the world?
