his belief be true, yet the very truth he holds, becomes his herefie. There is not any burden that fom would gladlier poft off to another, then the charge and care of their Religion.. There be, who knows not that there be of Proteftants and profeffors who live and dye in as arrant an implicit faith, as any lay Papist of Loretto. A wealthy man addicted to his pleasure and to his profits, finds Religion to be a traffick fo entangl'd, and of fo many piddling accounts, that of all myfteries he cannot skill to keep a stock going upon that trade. What fhould he doe? fain he would have the name to be religious, fain he would bear up with his neighbours in that. What does he therefore, but refolvs to give over over toyling and to find himself out fom factor, to whofe care and credit he may commit the whole managing of his religious affairs; fom Divine of note and eftimation that must be. To him he adheres, refigns the whole ware-house of his religion, with all the locks and keyes into his cuftody; and indeed makes the very perfon of that man his religion; efteems his affociating with him a fufficient evidence and commendatory of his own piety. So that a man may fay his religion is now no more within himself, but is become a dividuall movable, and goes and comes neer him, according as that good man frequents the houfe. He - entertains him, gives him gifts, feafts him, lodges him; his religion comes home home at night, praies, is liberally fupt, and fumptuously laid to fleep, rifes, is faluted, and after the malmfey, or fome. well spic❜t bruage, and better breakfasted then he whofe morning appetite would have gladly fed on green figs between Bethany and Ierufalem, his Religion walks abroad at eight, and leaves his kind entertainer in the fhop trading all day without his religion. Another fort there be who when they hear that all things fhall be order'd, all things regulated and fetl'd; nothing writt'n but what paffes through the cuftom houfe of certain Publicans that have the tunaging and the poundaging of all free fpok'n truth, will ftrait give themfelves up into your hands, mak'em & cut 'em out what religion ye please; there be delights, there be recreations. and jolly paftimes that will fetch the day about from fun to fun, and rock the tedious year as in a delightfull dream. What need they torture their heads with that which others have tak'n so strictly, and fo unalterably into their own pourveying. Thefe are the fruits which a dull eafe and ceffation of our knowledge will bring forth among the people. How goodly, and how to be wifht, were fuch an obedient unanimity as this, what a fine conformity would it ftarch us all into? doubtles a ftanch and folid peece of frame-work, as any January could freeze together. Nor Nor much better will be the confcquence ev'n among the Clergy themfelves; it is no new thing never heard of before, for a parochiall Minifter, who has his reward, and is at his Hercules pillars in a warm benefice, to be eafily inclinable, if he have nothing else that may roufe up his ftudies, to finish his circuit in an English concordance and a topic folio, the gatherings and favings of a fober graduatfhip, a Harmony and a Catena, treading the conftant round of certain common doctrinall heads, attended with their uses, motives, marks and means, out of which as out of an alphabet or fol fa by forming and tranfforming, joyning and dif-joyning varioufly a little book-craft, and two hours |
