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

The wrong that Christ receiveth from hypocrites and scandalous Christians (of all ranks and places) is not to be estimated. These are the causes that Christianity and Godliness are so contemptible in the eyes of the world! that Jews, and Heathens, and Mahometans, are still unconverted and deriders of the Faith: Because they see such scandalous tyranny and worship among the Papists, and such scandalous lives among the greatest part of professed Christians in the world: whereas if the Papal Tyranny were turned into the Christian Ministry, (Luke 22.25, 26, 27. and 1 Tim. 5.17.) and their irrational sopperies, and historical hypocritical ⟨p. 178⟩worship were changed into a reverent, rational and spiritual worship; and the cruel, carnal, worldly lives of men called Christians, were changed into Self-denial, Love and Holiness. In a word, if Christians were Christians indeed, and such as I have here described from their Rule; what a powerful means would it be of the conversion of all the unbelieving world? Christianity would then be in the eye of the world, as the Sun in its brightness, and the glory of it would dazzle the eyes of beholders, and draw in millions to enquire after Christ, who are now driven from him by the sins of Hypocrites and scandalous Believers.

The wrong that Christ receiveth from hypocrites and scandalous Christians (of all ranks and places) is not to be estimated. These are the causes that Christianity and Godliness are so contemptible in the eyes of the world! that Jews, and Heathens, and Mahometans, are still unconverted and deriders of the Faith: Because they see such scandalous tyranny and worship among the Papists, and such scandalous lives among the greatest part of professed Christians in the world: whereas if the Papal Tyranny were turned into the Christian Ministry, (Luke 22.25, 26, 27. and 1 Tim. 5.17.) and their irrational sopperies, and historical hypocritical ⟨p. 178⟩worship were changed into a reverent, rational and spiritual worship; and the cruel, carnal, worldly lives of men called Christians, were changed into Self-denial, Love and Holiness. In a word, if Christians were Christians indeed, and such as I have here described from their Rule; what a powerfull means would it be of the conversion of all the unbelieving world? Christianity would then be in the eye of the world, as the Sun in its brightness, and the glory of it would dazle the eyes of beholders, and draw in millions to enquire after Christ, who are now driven from him by the sins of Hypocrites and scandalous Believers.