2. But if indeed I shall know less of things below, it will be because that the knowledge of them is a part of Vanity and Vexation, which hath no place in Heaven. So much knowledge of good and evil in lower matters, as came to us by sin, is unworthy of our fond tenaciousness, and fear of losing it? Surely the sad tidings which we have Weekly in our News Books, our lamentable notices of Heathen and Infidel Kingdoms of the overspreading prevalency of Barbarousness, Idolatry, Ignorance and Infidelity; of the rage and success of cruel Tyrants; of the bloody Wars of proud, unquiet worldly men, of the misery of the oppressed desolate Countries, the dissipated Churches, the persecuted innocent Christians, are no such pleasing things as that we should be afraid to hear of such no more. To know or hear of the poor in Famine, the rich in Folly, the ⟨p. 111⟩Church distracted, the Kingdom discontented; the godly scandalous by the effects of their Errors, imperfections and divisions, the wicked outrageous and waxing worse, the falseness or miscarriages or sufferings of Friends, the fury or success of Enemies, is this an intelligence which I cannot spare? What is the daily tidings that I hear but of bloody Wars, the undone Countries, the persecuted Churches, the silenced, banished, or imprisoned Preachers, of the best removed in judgment from an unworthy World by Death, and worse succeeding in their rooms, of the renewed designs and endeavours of the Churches Enemies; the implacable rage of the worldly and unquiet Clergy, and the new divisions of self-conceited Sectaries, and the obloquy and backbitings of each Party against the other? How oft hear I the sad tidings of this Friends sickness or Death, and that Friends discontent, and of another's fall, and of many, very many's Sufferings? My Ears are daily filled with the cries of the poor whom I cannot relieve, with the endless complaints of fearful Melancholy despairing Persons; with the wranglings of the ignorant and proud Professors, and contentious Divines, who censure most boldly where they are most Erroneous or dark: Or with the troublesome discontents of those that I converse with: And should I be afraid of the ending of so sad a Tragedy, or of awaking out of such an unpleasant dream. Have I not many times thought of the Privilege of the deaf, that hear not these troublesome and provoking things;
2. But if indeed I shall know less of things below, it will be because that the knowledge of them is a part of Vanity and Vexation, which hath no place in Heaven. So much knowledge of good and evil in lower matters, as came to us by sin, is unworthy of our fond tenaciousness, and fear of losing it? Surely the sad tidings which we have Weekly in our News Books, our lamentable notices of Heathen and Infidel Kingdoms of the overspreading prevalency of Barbarousness, Idolatry, Ignorance and Infidelity; of the rage and success of cruel Tyrants; of the bloody Wars of proud, unquiet worldly men, of the misery of the oppressed desolate Countreys, the dissipated Churches, the persecuted innocent Christians, are no such pleasing things as that we should be afraid to hear of such no more. To know or hear of the poor in Famine, the rich in Folly, the ⟨p. 111⟩Church distracted, the Kingdom discontented; the godly scandalous by the effects of their Errours, imperfections and divisions, the wicked outrageous and waxing worse, the falseness or miscarriages or sufferings of Friends, the fury or success of Enemies, is this an intelligence which I cannot spare? What is the daily tidings that I hear but of bloody Wars, the undone Countreys, the persecuted Churches, the silenced, banished, or imprisoned Preachers, of the best removed in judgment from an unworthy World by Death, and worse succeeding in their rooms, of the renewed designs and endeavours of the Churches Enemies; the implacable rage of the worldly and unquiet Clergy, and the new divisions of self-conceited Sectaries, and the obloquy and backbitings of each Party against the other? How oft hear I the sad tidings of this Friends sickness or Death, and that Friends discontent, and of anothers fall, and of many, very many's Sufferings? My Ears are daily filled with the cryes of the poor whom I cannot relieve, with the endless complaints of fearful Melancholy despairing Persons; with the wranglings of the ignorant and proud Professors, and contentious Divines, who censure most boldly where they are most Erroneous or dark: Or with the troublesom discontents of those that I converse with: And should I be afraid of the ending of so sad a Tragedy, or of awaking out of such an unpleasant dream. Have I not many times thought of the Priviledge of the deaf, that hear not these troublesom and provoking things;
