We may observe it a very ordinary thing in controversies and polemical writings, that both parties will often charge one another with their fancies and their imaginations, that there is no such thing in Scripture or in reason, but a figment in the brain; Yea the Pelagians and Socinians call this very Doctrine of original sin, Augustini figmentum, Austin's fancy, as if it were an evil imagination to hold, That the thoughts and imaginations of the heart are only evil, and that continually. Thus you see in what confusion we are in, when sometimes the solid Doctrine of the Scripture is traduced for a mere imagination; And again, mere fancies applauded and earnestly contended for, as fundamental pillars of Religion and Piety. Seeing then our imaginations are so apt to get into the chair of the understanding, and as Athaliah destroyed the seed royal, that she might reign; so fancy bolteth out all solid reasons and arguments, that it alone may do all, it behoveth us the more to watch over our hearts in this respect, and to be sure they are the solid works of faith, and not the fickle motions of the fancy that do guide thee, and the rather, because it is the perpetual custom of wicked and ungodly men, to brand and stigmatize both the true faith and all solid piety with the reproach of a mere fancy. Do not Papists, Arminians, Socinians, and the like, exclaim against the Protestant Doctrine, as if it were but an Idol of Calvins and Luther's making, when they condemned the blessed Martyrs to burn at the stake, they concluded such suffered but for their fancies and their humours. It being ⟨p. 359⟩therefore the constant charge by all enemies to truth, that it is not thy faith thou pleadest for, thou sufferest for, but thy mere fancy, it behoveth thee to be the more diligent in Scripture knowledge, and to pray, that the Spirit of God may thereby quicken thee up to a found and sure faith: Thus also it is in practicals, Let a man set himself to the power of godliness, walk strictly, in opposition to the looseness and profaneness of the world; Let his soul mourn for sin, and his heart grieve for his evil ways, what do carnal people presently say, This is your fancy, these are your melancholy conceits, they judge it to be some distemper in your imagination, that it is a kind of a madness.
We may observe it a very ordinary thing in controversies and polemical writings, that both parties will often charge one another with their fancies and their imaginations, that there is no such thing in Scripture or in reason, but a figment in the brain; Yea the Pelagians and Socinians call this very Doctrine of original sinne, Augustini figmentum, Austin's fancy, as if it were an evil imagination to hold, That the thoughts and imaginations of the heart are only evil, and that continually. Thus you see in what confusion we are in, when sometimes the solid Doctrine of the Scripture is traduced for a meer imagination; And again, meer fancies applauded and earnestly contended for, as sundamental pillars of Religion and Piety. Seeing then our imaginations are so apt to get into the chair of the understanding, and as Athaliah destroyed the seed royal, that she might reign; so fancy bolteth out all solid reasons and arguments, that it alone may do all, it behoveth us the more to watch over our hearts in this respect, and to be sure they are the solid works of faith, and not the fickle motions of the fancy that do guide thee, and the rather, because it is the perpetual custome of wicked and ungodly men, to brand and stigmatize both the true faith and all solid piety with the reproach of a meer fancy. Do not Papists, Arminians, Socinians, and the like, exclaim against the Protestant Doctrine, as if it were but an Idol of Calvins and Luthers making, when they condemned the blessed Martyrs to burn at the stake, they concluded such suffered but for their fancies and their humours. It being ⟨p. 359⟩therefore the constant charge by all enemies to truth, that it is not thy faith thou pleadest for, thou sufferest for, but thy meer fancy, it behoveth thee to be the more diligent in Scripture knowledge, and to pray, that the Spirit of God may thereby quicken thee up to a found and sure faith: Thus also it is in practicals, Let a man set himself to the power of godliness, walk strictly, in opposition to the loosness and profaneness of the world; Let his soul mourn for sinne, and his heart grieve for his evil wayes, what do carnal people presently say, This is your fancy, these are your melancholly conceits, they judge it to be some distemper in your imagination, that it is a kind of a madness.
