The arraignment of errorThe arraignment of errour

2. A second ground of this overmuch credulousness, is the benign and fair aspects which an opinion carries. It may be you hear of an opinion, and it is comely dressed, it carries such fair and benign aspects, it looks so lovely that we are ready to receive it, and give entertainment to it without any more examination. Thus the Devil beguiled Eve at the first, the Apostle tells us she was deceived; and what deceived her? it was the benign aspects which the fruit carried; you read it, ⟨p. 74⟩Gen. 3.6. And when she saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, here were the benign aspects, the lovely looks of it; and what follows? she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and did eat her death in it, too; so here when we look upon the benign and fair aspects, which an opinion may seem to carry, we are ready to receive it, and give entertainment to it, without further trial: This is to work upon the understanding by the affections, which is a preposterous and a dangerous way, because the affections are blind, coecae potentiae, and those gained, they win the understanding to them, by enticement, not by demonstration, they inveigle, they do not inform the understanding, they persuade by enticing, and not by evidence and reason. A man may well suspect those opinions which are wrought upon the understanding by the affections, and not by demonstrations; the affections often inveigle the understanding, sometime enforce it; sometime they bribe, sometime they threaten the understanding into an opinion; its dangerous for the affections to work upon the understanding: The less the understanding hath to deal with the affections in judgement of truth or error, and the less the affections with the understanding, the safer and clearer is the judgement. A man may well suspect those opinions which are wrought upon the understanding by persuasions, and not by demonstrations. The Philosophers used to say, that to win the understanding by gaining first into the affections, is to woe the Mistress by the maid. Affections are to attend and serve the understanding, and not to enforce it, they are not to tell what is truth, but to follow the understanding with love and delight, in the embracing of it. Suspect that for truth that you are threatened or bribed into. And so much for the second ground.

2. A second ground of this overmuch credulousnesse, is the benigne and faire aspects which an opinion carries. It may be you heare of an opinion, and it is comely drest, it carries such faire and benigne aspects, it lookes so lovely that we are ready to receive it, and give entertainment to it without any more examination. Thus the Devil beguiled Eve at the first, the Apostle tells us she was deceived; and what deceived her? it was the benigne aspects which the fruit carried; you reade it,