Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace…

3. But the seeming Christian is either a mere temporizer, that will be of that Religion whatever it be which is most in fashion, or which the higher powers are of, or which will cost him least: Or else he will run into the other extreme, and lift up himself by affected singularities, and by making a bustle and stir in the world about some small and controverted point, and careth not to sacrifice the peace and safety of the Church, to the honour of his own opinions. And as small as the Christian Church is, he must be of a smaller society than it, that he may be sure to be amongst the best; while indeed he hath no sincerity at all, but placeth his hopes in being of the right Church or Party, or Opinion: And for his Party or Church, he burneth with a feverish kind of zeal, and is ready to call for fire from Heaven; and to deceive him, the Devil sendeth him some from Hell, to consume those that are not of his mind: Yet doth he bring it as an Angel of light to defend the Truth and Church of Christ: And indeed when the Devil will be the Defender of Truth, or of the Church, or of Peace, or Order, or Piety he doth it with the most burning zeal: You may know him by the means he useth. He defendeth the Church by forbidding the people to ⟨p. 151⟩read the Scriptures in a known tongue, and by imprisoning and burning the soundest and holiest members of it, and abusing the most learned faithful Pastors, and defendeth the flock by casting out the Shepherds, and such like means; as the murders of the Waldenses, and the Massacres of France and Ireland, and the Spanish Inquisition, and Queen Mary's Bonfires, and the Powder-plot; yea and the Munster, and the English rage and frenzies, may give you fuller notice of: He that hath no Holiness, nor Charity to be zealous for, will be zealous for his Church, or Sect, or Customs, or Opinions. And then this zeal must be the evidence of his piety: and so the Inquisitors have thought they have religiously served God, by murdering his servants; and it is the badge of their honour to be the Devils hang-men, to execute his malice on the members of Christ; and all this is done in zeal for Religion by irreligious Hypocrites. There is no standing before the malicious zeal of a graceless Pharisee, when it riseth up for his carnal interest, or the honour, and traditions, and customs of his Sect, Luk. 6.7.

3. But the seeming Christian is either a meer temporizer, that will be of that Religion whatever it be which is most in fashion, or which the higher powers are of, or which will cost him least: Or else he will run into the other extream, and lift up himself by affected singularities, and by making a bustle and stir in the world about some small and controverted point, and careth not to sacrifice the peace and safety of the Church, to the honour of his own opinions. And as small as the Christian Church is, he must be of a smaller society than it, that he may be sure to be amongst the best; while indeed he hath no sincerity at all, but placeth his hopes in being of the right Church or Party, or Opinion: And for his Party or Church, he burneth with a feverish kind of zeal, and is ready to call for fire from Heaven; and to decieve him, the Devil sendeth him some from Hell, to consume those that are not of his mind: Yet doth he bring it as an Angel of light to defend the Truth and Church of Christ: And indeed when the Devil will be the Defender of Truth, or of the Church, or of Peace, or Order, or Piety he doth it with the most burning zeal: You may know him by the means he useth. He defendeth the Church by forbidding the people to