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

Woe to the Land and People that can multiply sin and cannot Repent! And woe to them that pretend Repentance, and love to be flattered in their sin, and cannot endure to be admonished, but take all the discoveries of their sin to be injurious reproach? among the profane we take this to be a deadly sign of impenitency? And is it so bad in them, and good in us? It is part of my office to cry with holy Bradford, REPENT O ENGLAND; and to say after Christ, Except ye Repent, ye shall all Perish, And can I call men to Repent, when I must not dare to tell them of what? Nor to mention the sin which is most to be repented of? I use all this preface because I know that Guilt and Impenitency are touchy and tender, and galled, and querulous, and such will bestow the time in backbiting their Monitor, which they should bestow in lamenting their sin. But shall I therefore forbear, and betray their souls, and betray the Land through cowardly silence? Must I show that I ha•e Professors by not admonishing them, (Lev. 19. 17.) when I must show that I love the looser sort by my sharp reproofs? Must I not fear them that can kill the body? and must I fear to displease a professed Christian, by calling him to Repentance in a time of Judgments.

Woe to the Land and People that can multiply sin and cannot Repent! And wo to them that pretend Repentance, and love to be flattered in their sin, and cannot endure to be admonished, but take all the discoveries of their sin to be injurious reproach? among the prophane we take this to be a deadly sign of impenitency? And is it so bad in them, and good in us? It is part of my office to cry with holy Bradford, REPENT O ENGLAND; and to say after Christ, Except ye Repent, ye shall all Perish, And can I call men to Repent, when I must not dare to tell them of what? Nor to mention the sin which is most to be repented of? I use all this preface because I know that Guilt and Impenitency are touchy and tender, and galled, and querulous, and such will bestow the time in backbiting their Monitor, which they should bestow in lamenting their sin. But shall I therefore forbear, and betray their souls, and betray the Land through cowardly silence? Must I shew that I ha•e Professours by not admonishing them, (Lev. 19. 17.) when I must shew that I love the looser sort by my sharp reproofs? Must I not fear them that can kill the body? and must I fear to displease a professed Christian, by calling him to Repentance in a time of Judgments.