2. There is that which doth hereon, yet farther increase a just suspicion of this pretended Guide. And this is the way of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of his Apostles under him and after him, unto whom that Conduct of our souls which the Pope and Church of Rome do now lay claim unto, was really committed by God even the Father. It is known that our Lord Jesus Christ himself, though in his Divine Person he was the Sovereign Possessor of Heaven and Earth, yet in that Ministry wherein he took the Guidance of mens souls, he obtained nothing, possess nothing beyond food and raiment, nor made the least outward Advantage by any good that he did, or by any miracles that he wrought. This state in general belonged unto his Humiliation, and was a part of his sufferings. But withal it was chosen by himself for this end, to convince and satisfy the souls of men, that he designed nothing in all his Instruction and Guidance of them, but the Glory of God in their eternal welfare; gaining nothing unto himself but reproaches, persecution, and the Cross. This he did as knowing that there was that Glory, Beauty, Power and Usefulness in the Truth wherein he instructed men, that nothing was outwardly needful to give it an effectual entrance into their minds, but only to deliver them from ⟨p. 21⟩prejudices, which all self advantages made by him would have given unto them. The Pope and Mahomet who have since pretended unto the same conduct of mens minds in Religion, which was entrusted originally with him whom the Father sealed, knowing that what they had to teach of their own, and to lead men into, had no Glory, Beauty, Evidence, nor Use in it self, have wisely betaken themselves unto the ways of fraud and force, to impose their Doctrine on the consciences of men, with this bait and allurement, that what profit and advantage they make unto themselves, by the conduct which they have assumed, others according to their proportion shall be sharers therein.
2. There is that which doth hereon, yet farther increase a just suspicion of this pretended Guide. And this is the way of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of his Apostles under him and after him, unto whom that Conduct of our souls which the Pope and Church of Rome do now lay claim unto, was really committed by God even the Father. It is known that our Lord Jesus Christ himself, though in his Divine Person he was the Soveraign Possessor of Heaven and Earth, yet in that Ministry wherein he took the Guidance of mens souls, he obtained nothing, possesse nothing beyond food and raiment, nor made the least outward Advantage by any good that he did, or by any miracles that he wrought. This state in general belonged unto his Humiliation, and was a part of his sufferings. But withal it was chosen by himself for this end, to convince and satisfie the souls of men, that he designed nothing in all his Instruction and Guidance of them, but the Glory of God in their eternal welfare; gaining nothing unto himself but reproaches, persecution, and the Cross. This he did as knowing that there was that Glory, Beauty, Power and Usefulness in the Truth wherein he instructed men, that nothing was outwardly needful to give it an effectual entrance into their minds, but only to deliver them from ⟨p. 21⟩prejudices, which all self advantages made by him would have given unto them. The Pope and Mahomet who have since pretended unto the same conduct of mens minds in Religion, which was entrusted originally with him whom the Father sealed, knowing that what they had to teach of their own, and to lead men into, had no Glory, Beauty, Evidence, nor Use in it self, have wisely betaken themselves unto the waies of fraud and force, to impose their Doctrine on the consciences of men, with this bait and allurement, that what profit and advantage they make unto themselves, by the conduct which they have assumed, others according to their proportion shall be sharers therein.
