and I desire it may not savour of too much presumption to tell the hopes of our hearts the supporters of our State, the expectation of our best thoughts, yea and the very life of our Souls, how that the eternal comfort and well-fare of this Kingdom, consists in the suppression of the spreading growth of those and the like extremes, wheresoever apparent, by any impudent carriage or disorderly behaviour; So shall you be a•l glorious within, when you so sweetly sing of mercy and judgement: having no less discretion to free the guil•lesse, then justice to punish the Delinquent; otherwise so much liberty is assumed (in those divided times) by factiously turbulent and disorderly Spirits, as will at last threaten a confusion; then what values it i• a ship be sunk with a small leak or a great, and where is our remedy if by avoiding surfeiting we kill our selves with abstinence; how vain alas! are the attempts of those men which are drunk with the strength of their own wits, and guided by what-soever their appetites ⟨p. 22⟩do most affect; like Machiavills they stumble at a Straw, but for their own advantage leap over a block, their seeming devotion wants a Saint-like sincerity, their profest conscience an expressed feeling, yea where their faith is so voided of works, let them never so much bless for Israel• ▪ I know they can curse for Balack; let them never so much plead for order, they desire to live without it, let their lives seem never so holy their hearts alas are too too hollow; and though they draw near the Lord with their mouth, and boast of nothing but Religion yet do they live without the power thereof, but pulling down with one hand while they build with the other, they will at last by their dangerous slights, unruly passions, and impetuous attempts, so far express their ill disposed affections, (though with never so much gravity in their behaviour, so much Gospel in their mouths, and so much paintednesse in all their actions) as to appear *like counterfeit Glo-worms and rotten wood, or like high hanged Mills which make much noise, but grind but little, or as▪ shallow streams raging furiously when they carry least water; O how doth it stand with the refining of our Religion, (as to pluck down Idolatry even to the least rag or Relic of superstitious inventions & humane traditions, (o) to avoid that dangerous Rock of faction and Schisms;
and I desire it may not savour of too much presumption to tell the hopes of our hearts the supporters of our State, the expectation of our best thoughts, yea and the very life of our Soules, how that the eternall comfort and well-fare of this Kingdome, consists in the suppression of the spreading growth of those and the like extreames, wheresoever apparent, by any impudent carriage or disorderly behaviour; So shall you be a•l glorious within, when you so sweetly sing of mercy and judgement: having no lesse discretion to free the guil•lesse, then justice to punish the Delinquent; otherwise so much liberty is assumed (in those divided times) by factiously turbulent and disorderly Spirits, as will at last threaten a confusion; then what valews it i• a ship be sunke with a small leake or a great, and where is our remedy if by avoyding surfetting we kill our selves with abstinence; how vaine alas! are the attempts of those men which are drunke with the strength of their owne witts, and guided by what-soever their appetites ⟨p. 22⟩doe most affect; like Machiavills they stumble at a Straw, but for their own advantage leape over a blocke, their seeming devotion wants a Saint-like sincerity, their profest conscience an exprest feeling, yea where their faith is so voy'd of workes, let them never so much blesse for Israel• ▪ I know they can curse for Balack; let them never so much pleade for order, they desire to live without it, let their lives seeme never so holy their hearts alas are too too hollow; and though they draw neare the Lord with their mouth, and boast of nothing but Religion yet doe they live without the power therof, but pulling down with one hand while they build with the other, they will at last by their dangerous slights, unruly passions, and impetuous attempts, so far expresse their ill dispos'd affections, (though with never so much gravity in their behaviour, so much Gospell in their mouthes, and so much paintednesse in all their actions) as to appeare *like counterfeit Glo-wormes and rotten woode, or like high hang'd Mills which make much noyse, but grinde but little, or as▪ shallow streames raging furiously when they carry least water; O how doth it stand with the refining of our Religion, (as to pluck down Idolatry even to the least rag or Relique of superstitious inventions & humane traditions, (o) to avoyd that dangerous Rock of faction and Schismes;
- *• Tim. 3. 5. 6.
