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

But (I pray you mark it) the way of God is to shame the sinner, how good soever in other respects that the sin may have the greater shame, and Religion may not be shamed as if it allowed men to sin, nor God the Author of Religion be dishonoured; nor others be without ⟨p. 258⟩the warning. But the way of the devil is, To hide or justify the sin, as if it were for fear of disparaging the goodness of the persons that committed it; that so be may thereby dishonour Religion and Godliness it self, and make men believe that it is but a cover for any wickedness, and as consistent with it as a looser life is; and that he may keep the sinner from repenting, and blot out the memory of that warning which should have preserved after ages from the like falls.

But (I pray you mark it) the way of God is to shame the sinner, how good soever in other respects that the sin may have the greater shame, and Religion may not be shamed as if it allowed men to sin, nor God the Author of Religion be dishonoured; nor others be without ⟨p. 258⟩the warning. But the way of the devil is, To hide or justifie the sin, as if it were for fear of disparaging the goodness of the persons that committed it; that so be may thereby dishonour Religion and Godliness it self, and make men believe that it is but a cover for any wickedness, and as consistent with it as a looser life is; and that he may keep the sinner from repenting, and blot out the memory of that warning which should have preserved afterages from the like falls.

Scripture shameth the Professors (though a David, Solomon, Peter, Noah, or Lot) that the Religion professed may not be shamed but vindicated. Satan would preserve the honour of the Professors, that the Religion professed may bear the shame; and so it may fall on God himself. When God turneth Lots wife into a Pillar of Salt, Satan is willing to seem so tender of the honour of the godly, as to take it down, that it may be forgotten. God saith to the Israelites, that when those that pass by shall ask why hath God done all this great vil against this people, the posterity shall recount their ancestors sins, and say, Because they sinned against the Lord their God, &c. But Satan could find in his heart to pretend more tenderness of the names and honour of the Church, so he might but undo the present age by impenitency, and after ages by taking Gods public warnings from before their eyes. On these terms he will be all for the honour of professors.