The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…

It is an Atheistical ungodly world, that knoweth not its Maker; or forgetteth, contemneth, and wilfully disobeyeth him, while in words it doth confess him: and yet an hypocritical world, that will speak honourably of God,¹ and of virtue and piety, of justice and charity, while they are neglecting and rejecting them, and cannot endure the practice of that which their tongues commend: almost all sorts will prefer the life to come in words, when indeed they utterly neglect it, and prefer the fleshly pleasures of this life: They cry out of the vanity and vexation of the world, and yet they set their hearts upon it, and love it better than God and the world to come: they will have some Religion, to mock God, and deceive themselves, which shall go no deeper than the knee and tongue, in forms, or ceremonies, or a dissembled affection and profession. But to be devoted absolutely to God, in self-resignation, obedience and love, how rare is it even in them who cannot deny, but the Law of Nature it self doth primarily and undeniably oblige them to it? Their Religion is but self-condemnation, while their tongues condemn their hearts and lives.

It is an Atheistical ungodly world, that knoweth not its Maker; or forgetteth, contemneth, and wilfully disobeyeth him, while in words it doth confess him: and yet an hypocritical world, that will speak honourably of God,¹ and of vertue and piety, of justice and charity, while they are neglecting and rejecting them, and cannot endure the practice of that which their tongues commend: almost all sorts will prefer the life to come in words, when indeed they utterly neglect it, and prefer the fleshly pleasures of this life: They cry out of the vanity and vexation of the world, and yet they set their hearts upon it, and love it better than God and the world to come: they will have some Religion, to mock God, and deceive themselves, which shall go no deeper than the knee and tongue, in forms, or ceremonies, or a dissembled affection and profession. But to be devoted absolutely to God, in self-resignation, obedience and love, how rare is it even in them who cannot deny, but the Law of Nature it self doth primarily and undeniably oblige them to it? Their Religion is but self-condemnation, while their tongues condemn their hearts and lives.

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