A61386:151
An antidote against distractions, or, An endeavour to serve the church, in the daily…An antidote against distractions, or, An indeavour to serve the church, in the daily…
An antidote against distractions, or, An endeavour to serve the church, in the daily case of wanderings in the worship of God by Richard Steele M.A. and minister of the Gospel.An antidote against distractions, or, An indeavour to serve the church, in the daily case of wandrings in the worship of God by Richard Steele M.A. and minister of the Gospel.
London: printed for Elizabeth Calvert, 1667
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
SECT. I.
1WE shall now proceed unto the more Practical part of this Subject, namely to find out and sum up the causes of this Epidemical Disease, which is the Sixth Point to be handled.
1VVE shall now proceed unto the more Practical part of this Subject, namely to find out and summ up the causes of this Epidemical Disease, which is the Sixth Point to be handled.
- 1§. 1.
The First Cause of Distractions in Gods service is, Secret Atheism*. There is an Atheism of the Head, Atheism of the heart, and Atheism of the Life. In the first, The Fool hath said in his Head, There ⟨p. 65⟩is no God, Psal. 14.1. Mark, it is not, He hath thought in his heart, but says it by rote to himself; rather as what he would have, than what he doth believe. And of him this is truly said, That the speculative Atheist is the greatest Monster in the world, except the Practical. And our late Divisions, by the help of our corrupt Natures, have proselyted a considerable number to this desperate Opinion: As if the different opinions about the ebbing and slowing of the Sea, should render it doubtful whether the Sea did ebb and flow; or the disputes about the manner of Vision, should call our Sight it self into question: You would think it a fond conclusion to say, Because Philosophers argue much about the sensitive and vegetative Faculties of the Soul, that there is no rational Soul at all, in that these very velitations and debates do argue a rational Soul, by and with which these points are disputed: even so it is notorious madness to conclude, from the variety and diversity of Opinions about Religion and Government, that there is no God; seeing you are supported by him, while you dispute and argue about him.