The carnality of religious contention in two sermons preached at the merchant's lecture in…The carnality of religious contention in two sermons preach'd at the merchant's lecture in…

This is a sort of Evil, than which there is none more common, and none less observed; none wherewith the guilty are so little apt to charge themselves, or admit Conviction of it. For, I pray, do but consider; All the several differing Parties amongst us do with one voice pretend to be for Peace; but how, and upon what Terms? Why, that all the rest are presently to be of their Mind; and that is all the Peace that most are for. For where (scarce any where) is the Man to be found? Or how great a Rarity is he! that entertains the Thought that there may, for ought I know, be much to be redressed and corrected in my Apprehensions of things, to make me capable of falling in with that Truth which ought to be common to all. There is an Expectation with many, of a good time, and state of things, before this world end, when all shall be of one mind and Judgment: But the most think it must be by all men's becoming of their mind and Judgment. And of this Self-conceit it is usually a harder thing to fasten Conviction ⟨p. 72⟩upon Men, than of most other Evils. We have more hope in speaking against Drunkenness, Murder, or any the grossest kind of Wickedness: For there the Conscience of the guilty falls in, and takes part with the Reprover. But we can more easily and more frequently do (tho' not frequently enough) observe the Faults of the Inferior Faculties, or of our External Actions, than of the Faculty it self which should observe. Our Mind, which is naturally like our Eye, is, in this, too like, i. e. That it can see every thing but it self. It doth not, by using it, preserve it's peculiar, self-reflecting Power. Is blind towards it's self, beyond what naturally belongs to it. An Object may be too near our Bodily Eye to be seen. Our Mind is herein too bodily, too much carnalized, sunk too deep into Flesh. It is the next thing to it self; and here, not by it's Primitive Nature, (by which as an intellectual Sun it could revert it's Beams, and turn them inward upon it self) but by Depravation, it for the most part sees nothing; or doth worse, thinks it ⟨p. 73⟩self to see what is not to be seen, certain imaginary Excellencies, which make the Man his own Idol; an Object of a sort of Adoration to himself; and of Scorn and Derision (most probably) to every one else.

This is a sort of Evil, than which there is none more common, and none less observed; none wherewith the guilty are so little apt to charge themselves, or admit Conviction of it. For, I pray, do but consider; All the several differing Parties amongst us do with one voice pretend to be for Peace; but how, and upon what Terms? Why, that all the rest are presently to be of their Mind; and that is all the Peace that most are for. For where (scarce any where) is the Man to be found? Or how great a Rarity is he! that entertains the Thought that there may, for ought I know, be much to be redressed and corrected in my Apprehensions of things, to make me capable of falling in with that Truth which ought to be common to all. There is an Expectation with many, of a good time, and state of things, before this world end, when all shall be of one mind and Judgment: But the most think it must be by all men's becoming of their mind and Judgment. And of this Self-conceit it is usually a harder thing to fasten Conviction