He is usually an ignorant,1 *proud, bold, unreverent enquirer and babbler about controversies, rather then an humble embracer of the known truth, with love and subjection; you may conjecture by his bold and forward tongue, and groundless conceitedness in his own Opinions, and slighting of the Judgments and persons of others, and seldom talking of the great things of Christ with seriousness and humility, that his Religion dwelleth in his brain, and not in his heart; where the wind of Temptation assaults him, he easily yieldeth, and it carrieth him away as a Feather, because his heart is empty, and not ballasted and stablished with Christ and Grace. If the Temptation of the Times do assault mens Understandings, and the sign be in the Head, though the little Religion that he hath lies there, yet a hundred to one but he turneth Heretic, or catcheth the Vertigo of some lesser errors, according to the nature and strength of the seducement: If the wind do better serve for a vicious conversation, a hundred to one but he turns a purveyor for the flesh, and then he can be a Tippler, and yet religious, a Gamester, a Wanton, a neglecter of Duties, and yet religious: If this mans Judgment •ead him the Ceremonious way, then doth he employ his chiefest zeal for Ceremonies, as if his Religion lay in Bowing, ⟨image 203⟩Kneeling, observation of Days, number, and form of words in Prayer, with a multitude of Traditions and Customs of his Forefathers. If his Judgment be *against Ceremonies, then his strongest zeal is employed against them, studying, talking, disputing against them, censuring the users of them, and perhaps fall into a contrary superstition, placing his chief Religion in Baptism, Church Combinations, and forms of Policy, &c. For having not his soul taken up with the essentials of Christianity, he hath only the Mint and Cummin, the smaller matters of the Law, to lay out his zeal upon. You shall never hear in private conference any humble and hearty bewailings of his souls imperfections, or any heart bleeding acknowledgements of his unkindnesses to Christ, or any pantings and longings after him, from this man,; but that he is of such a Judgment, or such a Religion, or Party, or Society, or a Member of such a Church, herein doth he gather his greatest comforts; but the inward and spiritual labours of a Christian he will not be brought to.
He is usually an ignorant,1 *proud, bold, unreverent enquirer and babler about controversies, rather then an humble embracer of the known truth, with love and subjection; you may conjecture by his bold and forward tongue, and groundless conceitedness in his own Opinions, and sleighting of the Judgments and persons of others, and seldom talking of the great things of Christ with seriousness and humility, that his Religion dwelleth in his brain, and not in his heart; where the winde of Temptation assaults him, he easily yieldeth, and it carrieth him away as a Feather, because his heart is empty, and not ballaced and stablished with Christ and Grace. If the Temptation of the Times do assault mens Understandings, and the sign be in the Head, though the little Religion that he hath lyes there, yet a hundred to one but he turneth Heretick, or catcheth the Vertigo of some lesser errors, according to the nature and strength of the seducement: If the winde do better serve for a vicious conversation, a hundred to one but he turns a purveyor for the flesh, and then he can be a Tipler, and yet religious, a Gamster, a Wanton, a neglecter of Duties, and yet religious: If this mans Judgment •ead him the Ceremonious way, then doth he imploy his chiefest zeal for Ceremonies, as if his Religion lay in Bowing, ⟨image 203⟩Kneeling, observation of Dayes, number, and form of words in Prayer, with a multitude of Traditions and Customs of his Forefathers. If his Judgment be *against Ceremonies, then his strongest zeal is imployed against them, studying, talking, disputing against them, censuring the users of them, and perhaps fall into a contrary superstition, placing his chief Religion in Baptism, Church Combinations, and forms of Policy, &c. For having not his soul taken up with the essentials of Christianity, he hath onely the Mint and Cummin, the smaller matters of the Law, to lay out his zeal upon. You shall never hear in private conference any humble and hearty bewailings of his souls imperfections, or any heart bleeding acknowledgments of his unkindnesses to Christ, or any pantings and longings after him, from this man,; but that he is of such a Judgment, or such a Religion, or Party, or Society, or a Member of such a Church, herein doth he gather his greatest comforts; but the inward and spiritual labours of a Christian he will not be brought to.
- 1Ephes. 4.14.
- *Confidentiâ astra petimus, ruimus in praecipitia. Albe•eric. Gentilis d Jur. Interpraet. lib. 4.
- *Facile cersuadeas senem ut sellam deserat, si baculum prius quo niti possit, in manum dederis; qui te alioqum nunquam auditurus est, sed insidiatorem potius judicaturus, ut qui cupias pronum ad silicem cranium frangere. Sic merits humanae ante omnia sunt ad infallibilem Dei cognitionem adducendae. quam ubi at••gerint jam facilè dimittent sallacia, &c. Zuinglius de vera & falsa Relig. pag. 406.Facile cersuadeas senem ut sellam deserat, si baculum prius quo niti possit, in manum dederis; qui te alioqum nunquam auditurus est, sed insidiatorem potius judicaturus, ut qui cupias pronum ad silicem cranium frangere. Sic mentes humanae ante omnia sunt ad infallibilem Dei cognitionem adducendae. quam ubi at••gerint jam facilè dimittent sallacia, &c. Zuinglius de vera & falsa Relig. pag. 406.
