A defence of the principles of love, which are necessary to the unity and…

Answ. Truly, brother, that man that would not have Professors of Religiousness in England humbled in these times, may find ⟨p. 130⟩in your book a greater help to cure his error,¹ than in the Debater, or the Eccles. Politician. 1. Your [not bad enough] is sure a hyperbole: For you can speak as bad as the Scripture doth; And if that speak not bad enough, you accuse it of deficiency or error.

1. 1Whether we can speak bad enough of nature.

2. But I suppose, you meant [not too bad.] What do you think then of such sayings as these following? If you speak truth, then, 1. Mans nature is not capable of grace, or of any amendment or renovation. 2. Nor is it capable mediately of Glory. 3. Mans nature is not Reasonable, nor better or nobler than a brute. 4. The argument would not be good against murdering of any but a Saint, Gen. 6. 9. Who so sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the Image of God made he man. 5. No man can grow worse than he is, if he never so much despise God and all his means of grace, and commit every day Adultery, Murder, Treason, &c. 6. Then there are no degrees of evil among natural men, nor is one any worse than another. 7. Then men on earth are as bad as those in hell, and as the Devils. 8. Yea, ten hundred thousand times worse than Devils, and the damned; for so bad you can call them. 9. Then mans nature hateth good formally as good, and loveth evil formally as evil. 10. Then there are in mans nature no testimonies for a deity, or the immortality of¹ the soul, nor no conscience of good or evil, nor no principles or dispositions to common ⟨p. 131⟩