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

And the Popish devise, to make a disparity, by keeping the people in ignorance, is the basest and most pernicious plot of all. When the Pastors instead of excelling the people, would keep down the people from increasing in their knowledge and expression, this is so notorious a discovery of envy, pride and malignity conjunct, that the people presently fly from such Pastors, as supposing them to be ministers of the Devil, because they see them bear his image. What do we teach them for, if we would not have them learn and profit? What greater honour can a Teacher have, than to make his Scholars as wise and able as himself? Every one who is a child of Light, and believeth in him who is the Light of the world, will suspect that man to be a Minister ⟨p. 329⟩of the Prince of darkness, who is a malicious adversary of Light. This is that brand of the Roman iniquity, the hindering men from the reading of the Scriptures, and magnifying ignorance, which maketh men so commonly think them to be the Ecclesia malignantium and the Antichristian brood. Thus Cardinal Wolsey declaimed against the Art of Printing, as that which would take down the honour and profit of the Priesthood, by making the people as wise as they. It is not by keeping them down, or envying their abilities, that we must keep our distance from the people; but by rising higher our selves, and excelling them in all ministerial gifts. Else why should we be thought any fitter to be their Teachers and Guides, than they to be ours?

And the Popish devise, to make a disparity, by keeping the people in ignorance, is the basest and most pernicious plot of all. When the Pastors instead of excelling the people, would keep down the people from increasing in their knowledge and expression, this is so notorious a discovery of envy, pride and malignity conjunct, that the people presently flye from such Pastors, as supposing them to be ministers of the Devil, because they see them bear his image. What do we teach them for, if we would not have them learn and profit? What greater honour can a Teacher have, than to make his Schollars as wise and able as himself? Every one who is a child of Light, and believeth in him who is the Light of the world, will suspect that man to be a Minister ⟨p. 329⟩of the Prince of darkness, who is a malicious adverstry of Light. This is that brand of the Roman iniquity, the hindering men from the reading of the Scriptures, and magnifying ignorance, which maketh men so commonly think them to be the Ecclesia malignantium and the Antichristian brood. Thus Cardinal Wolsey declaimed against the Art of Printing, as that which would take down the honour and profit of the Priesthood, by making the people as wise as they. It is not by keeping them down, or envying their abilities, that we must keep our distance from the people; but by rising higher our selves, and excelling them in all ministerial gifts. Else why should we be thought any fitter to be their Teachers and Guides, than they to be ours?