More proofs of infants church-membership and consequently their right to baptism, or, A second…

§. 1. IT was one of the old Characters of the Heretics in the Apostles days, To speak evil of the things that they understood not.

§. 1. IT was one of the old Characters of the Hereticks in the Apostles dayes, To speak evil of the things that they understood not.

And that may well be their Character in which they contradict the three great constitutive parts of Christianity, and all Religion, and true honesty, viz. TRUTH, HUMILITY and LOVE, by Falsehood, Pride and Malignity, (called commonly Uncharitablness.)

And that may well be their Character in which they contradict the three great constitutive parts of Christianity, and all Religion, and true honesty, viz. TRUTH, HUMILITY and LOVE, by Falshood, Pride and Malignity, (called commonly Ʋncharitablness.)

§. 2. The Root of this is, when Reigning, an unsanctified heart in which these vices remain unmortified, covered from the owners knowledge, by a form of Godliness, and especially a zeal for the ways of some Party, more honoured in the persons eyes for wisdom, or piety than others: In others there is a great measure of the same vices mixed with true Grace, where an evil and a good cause are conjoined as to some effects: They love God and his Truth, and they hate all that they think against him, they would promote piety in the world, and repress what they think against it; And being persons whose wits and studies were not such, as exactness and largeness of knowledge do require, but yet lovers of knowledge, truth, and Scripture, they have ⟨p. 289⟩more knowledge than profane sots, but little, alas, little, in comparison of that which is necessary to a methodical, accurate understanding of the matters which frequently fall under controversy; And so knowing but little they know not what they are ignorant of, nor what others know beyond them; And it being the common vice of mans understanding, to be hasty in judging before they hear or know one half that is necessary to a true and faithful judgement, and so to be confident before they understand, these men hereby are led to confidence in many an error: And an erring judgement first telleth them that Truth is falsehood, and falsehood truth, that Good is evil, and evil good, that Duty is sin, and sin is duty; and then a good cause and a bad, the Love of Truth and a perverse and partial zeal concur, to put them on in the way of error. Ignorance and error set them on a wrong cause, and a mixed affection or zeal, partly good and partly evil spurreth them on. And in these the Error and Heresy and consequent sins, are no more predominant than the cause; and God will have mercy on those that in ignorance, with good meanings, oppose many truths, and do much evil.