7. Consider, that your place and calling, maketh you the most successful servants of the Devil, and so the most bloody murderers of Souls, while you give your judgement against a strict and Heavenly life. For a Drunkard in an Ale-house to mock the Minister, and rail at serious Religion, is less regarded by sober men, and small advantage to ⟨p. 102⟩his Masters cause; nay the wickedness of his life, is so great a shame to his judgement, that it inclineth many to think well of those that he speaks against. But when a man that pretendeth to learning and understanding, and to be himself a Pastor of the Church, and Preacher of the Mysteries of Christ, shall make them odious, that are most careful for their Souls, and most exact in pleasing God, and shall make all serious diligence for Heaven to seem but intemperate zeal and self-conceitedness: and shall describe a Saint as if the formal lifeless Hypocrite, that giveth God but the leavings of the world, and never set his heart on Heaven, were indeed the man: what a snare is here for the perdition of the ignorant! They that are naturally averse from holiness, and are easily persuaded to think that to be unnecessary or bad, which seems so much above them, and against them, will be ⟨p. 103⟩much confirmed in their mistakes and misery, when they hear their Teachers speak without them, the fame that Satan by his suggestions doth within them. This turneth a trembling sinner, into a hardened scorner: he that before went under the daily correction of his conscience, for neglecting God, and omitting holy duties, and living to the flesh, grows bold and fearless, when he hears the Preacher disgrace the stricter purer way. By that time he hath heard a while the fear of God derided as preciseness, and a tender conscience reproached as a scrupulous foolish thing, his conscience grows more pliable to his lusts, and hath little more to say against them. When Gods own professed Ministers, that should be wiser and better then the people, are against this zeal, and industry for Heaven, the people will soon think, that at least it is tolerable in them. And they will sooner learn ⟨p. 104⟩to deride a Saint from a Sermon, or discourse of a Preacher or a learned man, then from the scorns or talk of hundreds of the ignorant. And wilt thou teach them to hate Godliness, who hast undertaken before the Righteous God, to teach them to practice it?
7. Consider, that your place and calling, maketh you the most successfull servants of the Devil, and so the most bloody murderers of Souls, while you give your judgement against a strict and Heavenly life. For a Drunkaod in an Ale-house to mock the Minister, and rail at serious Religion, is less regarded by sober men, and small advantage to ⟨p. 102⟩his Masters cause; nay the wickedness of his life, is so great a shame to his judgement, that it inclineth many to think well of those that he speaks against. But when a man that pretendeth to learning and understanding, and to be himself a Pastor of the Church, and Preacher of the Misteries of Christ, shall make them odious, that are most careful for their Souls, and most exact in pleasing God, and shall make all serious diligence for Heaven to seem but intemperate zeal and selfconceitedness: and shall describe a Saint as if the formal lifeless Hypocrite, that giveth God but the leavings of the world, and never set his heart on Heaven, were indeed the man: what a snare is here for the perdition of the ignorant! They that are naturally averse from holiness, and are easily perswaded to think that to be unnecessary or bad, which seems so much above them, and against them, will be ⟨p. 103⟩much confirmed in their mistakes and misery, when they hear their Teachers speak without them, the fame that Satan by his suggestions doth within them. This turneth a trembling sinner, into a hardened scorner: he that before went under the daily correction of his conscience, for neglecting God, and omitting holy duties, and living to the flesh, grows bold and fearless, when he hears the Preacher disgrace the stricter purer way. By that time he hath heard a while the fear of God derided as preciseness, and a tender conscience reproached as a scrupulous foolish thing, his conscience grows more plyable to his lusts, and hath little more to say against them. When Gods own professed Ministers, that should be wiser and better then the people, are against this zeal, and industry for Heaven, the people will soon think, that at least it is tolerable in them. And they will sooner learn ⟨p. 104⟩to deride a Saint from a Sermon, or discourse of a Preacher or a learned man, then from the scorns or talk of hundreds of the ignorant. And wilt thou teach them to hate Godliness, who hast undertaken before the Righteous God, to teach them to practice it?
