And indeed there is little hope of the Reformation that is now in hand,1 that ever we should see it come to the full beauty and perfection of it until even God himself,2 either by some extraordinary hand of his should root out those superstitious principles that there are in many men, or at least by his own hand root out those that have such superstitious ⟨p. 203⟩and Idolatrous principles rooted in them. We wonder that men cannot be taken off from superstitious ways, Oh! they are deeply rooted, it's not an easy matter to eradicate those ways and vile words of theirs; it's a blessed thing to take sin betimes,3 and you that are young that have not other wickedness, and especially superstition rooted in you, you are those that it's like God will make use of for the bringing this Reformation to perfection, you shall see the glory of it, it may be when others are gone and dead you shall come to see what God intended in all these stirs that have been among us, we find by experience the fruit of this in the hearts of men, what a deal of stir was there to take them off at first? Oh! but the root abides still in mens hearts, and there's this experiment of it, of the depth and root that superstition take, in mens hearts, That though men be content not to practice those superstitious ways that they did before, because now the times do not favour them, yet this we find, that men cannot be brought to leave off those things as sinful, but as inconvenient, they will be content to forbear the practice of them, but you have but few men, I had almost said but few Ministers, but so far I may be bold to say, that many Ministers,4 but especially those who were any thing forward in superstitious ways, such as did not before account them a burden, those though they do leave them off at this time, yet not as things that are sinful, they never could be brought to that, to acknowledge them to be sinful, and so to charge themselves in sinning against God, but they are content to leave them off as things that are inconvenient and as may be burdensome to other men; but the leaving them off after such a way is no other, but if the times should favour them again there is a principle retained in their hearts, so as they would be in readiness to submit to them again, and to do them as formerly, this bitter root of Superstition abides in their hearts;
And indeed there is little hope of the Reformation that is now in hand,1 that ever we should see it come to the full beauty and perfection of it until even God himself,2 either by some extraordinary hand of his should root out those superstitious principles that there are in many men, or at least by his own hand root out those that have such superstitious ⟨p. 203⟩and Idolatrous principles rooted in them. We wonder that men cannot be taken off from superstitious waies, Oh! they are deeply rooted, it's not an easie matter to eraditate those waies and vile words of theirs; it's a blessed thing to take sin betimes,3 and you that are young that have not other wickedness, and especially superstition rooted in you, you are those that it's like God will make use of for the bringing this Reformation to perfection, you shall see the glory of it, it may be when others are gone and dead you shall come to see what God intended in all these stirs that have been among us, we find by experience the fruit of this in the hearts of men, what a deal of stir was there to take them off at first? Oh! but the root abides still in mens hearts, and there's this experiment of it, of the depth and root that superstition take, in mens hearts, That though men be content not to practice those superstitious waies that they did before, because now the times do not favor them, yet this we find, that men cannot be brought to leave off those things as sinful, but as inconvenient, they will be content to forbear the practice of them, but you have but few men, I had almost said but few Ministers, but so far I may be bold to say, that many Ministers,4 but especially those who were any thing forward in superstitious waies, such as did not before account them a burden, those though they do leave them off at this time, yet not as things that are sinful, they never could be brought to that, to acknowledg them to be sinful, and so to charge themselves in sinning against God, but they are content to leave them off as things that are inconvenient and as may be burdensom to other men; but the leaving them off after such a way is no other, but if the times should favor them again there is a principle retained in their hearts, so as they would be in readiness to submit to them again, and to do them as formerly, this bitter root of Superstition abides in their hearts;
- 1Use.
- 2Englands reformation ▪Englands reformatiō ▪
- 3Our young ones may see.
- 4Ministers that counted the things now laid aside, only inconvenient, will take them up again.
