Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred…

§. 5 On the other hand there lieth a rock of far greater danger. And this consists in the accommodation of the Laws, Precepts and Institutions of God, unto the lusts, with the present courses and practices of men. This evil we have had exemplified in some of late, no less conspicuously than the fore-mentioned was in them of old. A mystery of iniquity unto this purpose hath been discovered not long since, and brought forth to light, tending to the utter debauchery of the consciences and lives of men. And in it lies the great contrivance, whereby the famous sect of the Jesuits have prevailed on the minds of many, especially of Potentates and great men in the earth, so as to get into their hands the conduct of the most important affairs of Europe. And this abomination, as it is known, hath lately been laid open by the diligence of some, in whom at once concurred a commendable care of Christian Morality, and an ⟨p. 418⟩high provocation in other things, by them who endeavoured to corrupt it. A search hath been made into the Writings which that sort of men have published, for the Direction of the consciences of men in the practice of moral duties, or unto their Disciples, for their guidance upon confessions. And a man may say of the discovery, what the Poet said upon the opening of the House of Cacus:

§. 5 On the other hand there lyeth a rock of far greater danger. And this consists in the accommodation of the Laws, Precepts and Institutions of God, unto the lusts, with the present courses and practices of men. This evil we have had exemplified in some of late, no less conspicuously than the fore-mentioned was in them of old. A mystery of iniquity unto this purpose hath been discovered not long since, and brought forth to light, tending to the utter debanchery of the consciences and lives of men. And in it lyes the great contrivance, whereby the famous sect of the Jesuits have prevailed on the minds of many, especially of Potentates and great men in the earth, so as to get into their hands the conduct of the most important affairs of Europe. And this abomination, as it is known, hath lately been laid open by the diligence of some, in whom at once concurred a commendable care of Christian Morality, and an ⟨p. 418⟩high provocation in other things, by them who endeavoured to corrupt it. A search hath been made into the Writings which that sort of men have published, for the Direction of the consciences of men in the practice of moral duties, or unto their Disciples, for their guidance upon confessions. And a man may say of the discovery, what the Poet said upon the opening of the House of Cacus: