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

The very noise of their impertinent talk and business, and the great ado that they make in doing nothing, is a great diverter of those that are about them, from serious business and sober consideration: They keep men so busy about their vanities, that they can find no leisure to remember that they are men, or to think what business they have in the World, nor where it is that they must dwell for ever. And when their folly and selfishness hath set them all together by the ears, they must needs draw or drive others into the fire of contention with them; They cry, Who is on my side? who? And he that will not be of one party or other, but will keep his peace, shall lose it by the enmity of all: And no man shall be taken for orthodox or honest, that will not be of that Faction whose commendation he desireth: And when he hath humoured them, he shall go for a knave or a reproached person, with all the rest: A peaceable man shall hardly find the peace which he desireth to himself; but it's ten to one but he loseth his labour if he would make peace between others; especially, if he have an honest ambition, of extending that blessing to Parties and Countries, or any great and considerable numbers. If by tyranny and cruelty, by prisons, and torments, and death, they cannot affright men from honesty and the obedience of God, at least they will vex them in their way, and be as thorns and briars to them in this Wilderness.

The very noise of their impertinent talk and business, and the great adoe that they make in doing nothing, is a great diverter of those that are about them, from serious business and sober consideration: They keep men so busie about their vanities, that they can finde no leisure to remember that they are men, or to think what business they have in the World, nor where it is that they must dwell for ever. And when their folly and selfishness hath set them all together by the ears, they must needs draw or drive others into the fire of contention with them; They cry, Who is on my side? who? And he that will not be of one party or other, but will keep his peace, shall lose it by the enmity of all: And no man shall be taken for orthodox or honest, that will not be of that Faction whose commendation he desireth: And when he hath humoured them, he shall go for a knave or a reproached person, with all the rest: A peaceable man shall hardly finde the peace which he desireth to himself; but it's ten to one but he loseth his labour if he would make peace between others; especially, if he have an honest ambition, of extending that blessing to Parties and Countreys, or any great and considerable numbers. If by tyranny and cruelty, by prisons, and torments, and death, they cannot affright men from honesty and the obedience of God, at least they will vex them in their way, and be as thorns and bryars to them in this Wilderness.