The vanity of this mortal life, or, Of man, considered only in his present…

Yet (if herein we will take upon us to pass a judgment upon other men) it will be no way ingenuous or just, that in smaller and disputable matters, we make our own apprehensions a measure and standard to them. They are commonly aptest to do so, who have least studied the matter, and have nothing but their ignorant confidence to entitle them to the Dictator's Chair; where, however, having placed themselves▪ they liberally bestow their censures and reproaches on all that think it not fit to throw away ⟨p. 100⟩their own eyes, and see with their bad ones. And conclude them to have no Conscience, who go not according to theirs. And that they cannot but have some base design, who in any thing presume to swerve from their judgment, especially if the advantage, in any temporal respect, happen to lye on that side from which they dissent.

Yet (if herein we will take upon us to pass a judgment upon other men) it will be no way ingenuous or just, that in smaller and disputable matters, we make our own apprehensions a measure and standard to them. They are commonly aptest to do so, who have least studied the matter, and have nothing but their ignorant confidence to intitle them to the Dictator's Chair; where, however, having placed themselves▪ they liberally bestow their censures and reproaches on all that think ir not fit to throw away ⟨p. 100⟩their own eyes, and see with their bad ones. And conclude them to have no Conscience, who go not according to theirs. And that they cannot but have some base design, who in any thing presume to swerve from their judgment, especially if the advantage, in any temporal respect, happen to lye on that side from which they dissent.

Nothing can indeed so comport with the spirit and design of one who believes himself made for another world, as a brave and generous disdain of stooping to the lure of present emolument, so as thereby to be drawn into any the least thing which he judges not disensible by the severest Rules of Reason and Religion; which were to quit a serene Heaven for mire and dirt.