Secondly, for confutation of sundry sorts in Religion, in these unhappy days of Civill war, as naturally producing them as mud and filth do toads and vermin. Some there are that quite abrogate the Law, which Christ came to fulfil, and so make the gate of Heaven wider then ever our Saviour made it, by admitting lawless persons into it. Holy Bradford was of another mind, who was wont to say, that the gate of Heaven was so strait, that he which halted ⟨image 4⟩could not enter into it; and the way so narrow, that he which reeled could not walk in it. Others there are, when though they do not wholly destroy the law, yet they cast it into a dead sleep, thinking it unlawful in the children of God to be sorry, or to mourn for sin, contrary to the Doctrine of the primitive Fathers, teaching this lesson, Semper doleat paeniten•; & de dolore gaudeat; Let the penitent person always mourn, and rejoice in that mourning; agreeing with the rule of our Saviour, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Nay, I lately heard it not without horror; that some men, in outward appearance of great sanctity, do hold an opinion, that it is a fault in godly men to pray for pardon of sin, (all sins being pardoned in Christ before they pray) contrary ⟨image 5⟩to the prayer of our Saviour, Forgive us our trespasses. Neither Mr Peacock, nor any of those godly Divines that came to comfort him, knew this kind of Doctrine; neither we, nor the Churches of God, till within these few late unhappy days.
What will become of our reformed Religion, streaming down to us in the blood of so many Martyrs, if God by a miracle of mercy should not shorten these our miserable days? For whiles some are taking from us the Ten Commandments, others, the Lords Prayer, there is scarce any thing left us of Christianity but our Creed, and how long we shall enjoy this, the Lord in Heaven knows. For so long as the civill sword of war devours so much Protestants blood from without, and a worse civill war of sin and separation, destroys so ⟨image 5⟩many Protestant souls from within, we may justly fear that we shall either want sound Orthodox Protestants to maintain it; or we shall want a Creed for them to maintain.
Secondly, for confutation of sundry sorts in Religion, in these unhappy dayes of Civill warre, as naturally producing them as mud and filth doe toads and vermin. Some there are that quite abrogate the Law, which Christ came to fulfill, and so make the gate of Heaven wider then ever our Saviour made it, by admitting lawlesse persons into it. Holy Bradford was of another minde, who was wont to say, that the gate of Heaven was so strait, that he which halted ⟨image 4⟩could not enter into it; and the way so narrow, that he which reeled could not walk in it. Others there are, whe though they doe not wholly destroy the law, yet they cast it into a dead sleep, thinking it unlawfull in the children of God to be sorry, or to mourn for sinne, contrary to the Doctoine of the primitive Fathers, teaching this lesson, Semper doleat paeniten•; & de dolore gaudeat; Let the penitent person alwaies mourn, and rejoyce in that mourning; agreeing with the rule of our Saviour, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Nay, I lately heard it not without horrour; that some men, in outward appearance of great sanctity, doe hold an opinion, that it is a fault in godly men to pray for pardon of sin, (all sinnes being pardoned in Christ before they pray) contrary ⟨image 5⟩to the prayer of our Saviour, Forgive us our trespasses. Neither Mr Peacock, nor any of those godly Divines that came to comfort him, knew this kinde of Doctrine; neither we, nor the Churches of God, till within these few late unhappy dayes.
What will become of our reformed Religion, streaming down to us in the blood of so many Martyrs, if God by a miracle of mercy should not shorten these our miserable dayes? For whiles some are taking from us the Ten Commandements, others, the Lords Prayer, there is scarce any thing left us of Christianity but our Creed, and how long we shall enjoy this, the Lord in Heaven knowes. For so long as the civill sword of warre devoures so much Protestants blood from without, and a worse civill warre of sinne and separation, destroyes so ⟨image 5⟩many Protestant souls from within, we may justly feare that we shall either want sound Orthodox Protestants to maintain it; or we shall want a Creed for them to maintain.
