The Samaritan showing that many and unnecessary impositions are not the oil that must…The Samaritan shewing that many and unnecessary impositions are not the oyl that must…

1. The Weakness, Impotence, and Depravation of humane Minds. Methinks those that govern ⟨p. 44⟩the Churches of Christendom, seem to have very little sense of the common Calamity of Mankind; they seem to have forgotten the great and lamentable Imperfections of the whole posterity of Adam: Are not the Understandings of most men pitifully blind and dark? Are they not strangely impotent and weak, yea, unable to discern sometimes the clearest Evidence and Light? Are they not strongly influenced by Education, Company, Interest, and many other things? Do not mens Lusts and Passions very much influence and sway their Intellects? And are not their apprehensions of things very much formed by them? This I do acknowledge is a fault, but 'tis a common fault, and surely some consideration ought to be had of it, in the making and imposing Laws and Creeds, upon the Consciences of men.

1. The Weakness, Impotence, and Depravtion of humane Minds. Methinks those that govern ⟨p. 44⟩the Churches of Christendom, seem to have very little sense of the common Calamity of Mankind; they seem to have forgotten the great and lamentable Imperfections of the whole posterity of Adam: Are not the Understandings of most men pittifully blind and dark? Are they not strangely impotent and weak, yea, unable to discern sometimes the clearest Evidence and Light? Are they not strongly influenced by Education, Company, Interest, and many other things? Do not mens Lusts and Passions very much influence and sway their Intellects? And are not their apprehensions of things very much formed by them? This I do acknowledge is a fault, but 'tis a common fault, and surely some consideration ought to be had of it, in the making and imposing Laws and Creeds, upon the Consciences of men.

2. The very great Trouble, Tyranny, and Vexation of a scrupulous Conscience. They that have had to do with those kind of persons, know something of it, but none understand it fully but those that have had experience thereof. The burden, the trouble, the anguish, and the torment of it is not to be expressed; the severity of its Lashes, the rigour of its Rule and Dominion, is almost insupportable. Persons of this temper there have always been, and will be, and though some incompassionate men, (whose Bowels seem to be made of Brass) laugh at them, and ridicule their tenderness and scruples, yet I do believe that Church-Governors (who should be Fathers to