The case may be opened by this similitude. A Physician cometh to a populous City in an Epidemical Plague: There is none can scape without his help: he is a stranger to them, and they have received false informations and apprehensions of him that he is but a mountebank and deceiver; though indeed he came of purpose in love and compassion to save their lives, having a most costly receipt which will certainly cure them. He offereth himself to be their Physician, and freely to give them his Antidote, and to cure and save them, if they will but consent, that is, if they will take him for their Physician, and thankfully take his medicine; His enemies dissuade the people from believing in him, and tell them that he is a Deceiver, and that if they will but stir themselves, and work, and use such diet and medicines as they tell them of, they shall do better without him; and a third party that seem to be friends, tell them, though you do take him for your Physician yet must you work your self to health, and take those other medicines as well as his, if you will be cured. But the Physician saith, its only your trusting in me that can cure you. Now here we are at a loss in the interpreting of his conditions. Some say, that they must be cured barely by believing or trusting in him, and not by taking his person in the full relation of a Physician, or at least, not by taking his medicine, which they abhor, nor by exercising or sweating upon it, or observing the diet and directions which he giveth them. But I rather interpret him thus; in requiring you to take him for your Physician, it is implied, that you must take his medicines, how bitter soever, and that you must order your selves according to his directions, and must not take cold, nor eat or drink that which he forbiddeth you; for though it be only his precious medicine that can cure you, yet if you will take those things that are destructive to you, it may hinder the working of it, and an ill ⟨p. 121⟩diet or disordered life may kill you. The working therefore that he excluded, was not this implied observance of his directions, but your own Receipts and Labourings, as above-said.
The case may be opened by this similitude. A Physitian cometh to a populous City in an Epidemical Plague: There is none can scape without his help: he is a stranger to them, and they have received false informations and apprehensions of him that he is but a mountebank and deceiver; though indeed he came of purpose in love and compassion to save their lives, having a most costly receipt which will certainly cure them. He offereth himself to be their Physitian, and freely to give them his Antidote, and to cure and save them, if they will but consent, that is, if they will take him for their Physitian, and thankfully take his medicine; His enemies disswade the people from believing in him, and tell them that he is a Deceiver, and that if they will but stir themselves, and work, and use such dyet and medicines as they tell them of, they shall do better without him; and a third party that seem to be friends, tell them, though you do take him for your Physitian yet must you work your self to health, and take those other medicines as well as his, if you will be cured. But the Physitian saith, its only your trusting in me that can cure you. Now here we are at a loss in the interpreting of his conditions. Some say, that they must be cured barely by believing or trusting in him, and not by taking his person in the full relation of a Physitian, or at least, not by taking his medicine, which they abhor, nor by exercising or sweating upon it, or observing the dyet and directions which he giveth them. But I rather interpret him thus; in requiring you to take him for your Physitian, it is implyed, that you must take his medicines, how bitter soever, and that you must order your selves according to his directions, and must not take cold, nor eat or drink that which he forbiddeth you; for though it be only his precious medicine that can cure you, yet if you will take those things that are destructive to you, it may hinder the working of it, and an ill ⟨p. 121⟩dyet or disordered life may kill you. The working therefore that he excluded, was not this implyed observance of his directions, but your own Receipts and Labourings, as above-said.
