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

6. And this layeth a certain foundation for perpetual dissentions and divisions; when there are no certain terms of Concord: And there is no Union when we depart from Christs authority. And it is not in vain that Christ himself prescribed a form of Baptizing; And if all his Churches since the Apostles days, have brought us down that Creed or those Articles of Faith, and form of Baptizing used universally among them, New ways, and various ways, (even as various as mens degrees of prudence and charity) will never be the terms of the Churches Unity.

6. And this layeth a certain foundation for perpetual dissentions and divisions; when there are no certain tearms of Concord: And there is no Union when we depart from Christs authority. And it is not in vain that Christ himself prescribed a form of Baptizing; And if all his Churches since the Apostles daies, have brought us down that Creed or those Articles of Faith, and form of Baptizing used universally among them, New waies, and various waies, (even as various as mens degrees of prudence and charity) will never be the tearms of the Churches Unity.

7. And I am very much the more confirmed against this extreme by my long experience. Having made it much of my work to know the minds and lives of all the people of the great Parish where I lived, and since that, having conversed with many of the inferior rank, both for estate, and profession of piety, I have found that there is much more good in a great number of those, that are not noted openly for special Professors of Religiousness, than I did before believe. For no man is usually noted now for Religious, in this stricter sense, 1. Whose knowledge hath not some readiness of expression, in conference, and in prayer. 2. And who doth not come to private meetings, and associate himself with the stricter and forwarder sort of Professors. ⟨p. 167⟩But there are abundance of things which may hinder some serious weak Christians from both these. Dullness of natural parts, and want of good education, and use, and teaching, and company, may keep mens parts and utterance very low. And some young Christians for want of former use, at their first true Conversion, cannot speak sense, in the very fundamentals, which yet they have a saving sense and knowledge of, (but are like Infants,) and their prayers have little better expressions, than Abba Father, and the unutterable groans of the spirit.