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

But I shall heartily join with any Brethren that will endeavour herein to save the Church, from that state of Imagery and dead Formality, which Papists and all Carnal Hypocrites have mortified Gods ordinances, and unspeakably injured the Churches by, and are still working every ordinance of God that way: All good men should labour to recover Religion and Christian profession to an understanding seriousness.

But I shall heartily joyn with any Brethren that will endeavour herein to save the Church, from that state of Imagery and dead Formality, which Papists and all Carnal Hypocrites have mortified Gods ordinances, and unspeakably injured the Churches by, and are still working every ordinance of God that way: All good men should labour to recover Religion and Christian profession to an understanding seriousness.

I will here insert the words of a most Learned and High Prelatist, to show you that whoever is against this Course in Practice, no sober men can deny it in principles: Eldersfield of Bapt. pag. 48. marg. [Upon score of like reason whereto, and for such after-trial, may have been taken up in the Christian Church that examination which did sift the Constancy or rather Consistency of those that had been taken in young, to their presumed grounds, that if they wavered, they might be known and discharged; Or if they remained constant, they might by Imposition of hands receive what the common name of that Ceremony did import, of their Faith (at least a sign of) Confirmation: Vasques hath from Erasmus (in the Preface to his Paraphrase on the Gospels) a word of most wholesome, grave, and ⟨p. 164⟩prudent advice, that those who were baptized young, when they begin to write Man, should be examined, An ratum habeant id quod in Catechismo ipsorum nomine promissum fuit? Quod si ratum non habeant, ab Ecclesiae jurisdictione liberos manere, in 3 part. Thom. Disp. 154. To. 2. C. 1. 2. If they did then stand to what their Sureties had presumed for them, If not, they should be discarded: Most necessary! and of unimaginable benefit; (But not if it be turned into cursory Imagery,) Such a scrutiny would shake off thousands of rotten hypocrites, and purge the Church of many such Infidel-believers (or professors,) upon whose dirty faces a little holy water was sprinkled when they knew not what it was; but they no more mind the true Sanctification appertaining, than Turks or Saracens, (who shall rise up in judgement against their washed filthiness,) Or than those of whom St. Peter, [It is happened unto them according to the true Proverb, The dog to his vomit, and the washed swine to wallow in the mire;] Such Discipline of awakened Reason is that which the World groans for, (And groan it may for any remedy that the formal Hypocrites will either apply or endure.) That men would become Christians! O that the truth of faith, and the power of true Christian belief might be seen in the hearts and lives of those, that knowingly put the neck in Christs yoke.] So far Eldersfield. See also Dr. Patrick of Baptism. Dr. Hammond's words I have recited after my Treat. of Confirmation; They