the more impofing. The more any man's religion is his own, the more he is concerned for it, but cool and indifferent enough for that which is God's.

I will give you a few inftances to fhew you the truth of this: that the more falfe any man's religi on is, the more furious he will be in maintaining it, Acts xxiii. 12. We read of fome men, that out of their great zeal for the mosaical law, banded together and bound themselves with an oath, that they would neither eat nor drink, till they had killed Paul. And I Kings xviii. we read of Baal's priefts, how that they cut themselves after their manner, with knives and lances, till the blood gufhed out upon them, and cryed from morning to evening, O Baal, hear us, &c.

In like manner, we read of the worshippers of Diana, Acts xix. that they were full of wrath and confusion, crying out, Great is Diana of the Ephefians. Also, we read of Balaam, the false prophet, Numb. xxiii. how he built altars, and offered facrifice from one place to another, thinking by these to bribe God; and at laft, built feven altars, and prepared feven bullocks and feven rams, hoping, by these to effect his defign: fo likewise we read of those that burnt incenfe to the queen of heaven, Jer. xliv. 17. They confess this practice of burning incense to the queen of heaven, and ferving other gods, whom neither they, nor their fathers had known and these furious zealots do fuch things in pursuit of their devotion, that the reafon of mankind condemned. They made a religion to themfelves, and then did fuch things in pursuance of

their wild and bloody devotion, as the very reafon of mankind startled at; as you may see, Jer. xxxiì. 35. They made their fons and their daughters to pafs through the fire unto Molech; a thing which God commanded them not, neither came it into his mind, Ezek. viii. 13, 14. You read of feveral a bominations committed by the children of Ifrael, which were reprefented to the prophet, in the dark. These men even spoiled the good nature they were born with, by cruel practice, and they became the worfe for their religion.

I do conclude, that far better is nature alone, take. it as it is, than that religion which is infincere and falfe. I fay it again, better nature alone, though debafed, abused and neglected, the very refufe of God's creation, than that religion, which is falfe and infinçere. For, Ariftotle, who is credible in matters of nature, and reafon, he hath obferved, that man, by his nature and conflitution, is a mild and gentle creature, fitted for converfe, and delighting in it. Certainly, were I to take an estimate of christianity, either from popery, or any of the grofs fuperftitions of the world, and the affected modes of perfons, I would return to philofophy again, and let christianity alone. For philofophy, fo far as it goes, is fincere and true, and attains, good effects: it mollifies mens fpirits, and rids them of all barbarity. True indeed, it is fhort of fupernatural revelation, and these things the princes of the world did not know; (as we read, I Cor. ii. 14.) because they are spiritually difcerned, that is, (according to the sense of the text) they are known only by reve

lation from God. For he there doth give an account, that as no man knows the things of a man, but the fpirit of a man which is in him ; so no man knows the things of God, but the Spirit of God: that is, the refults of the divine will are not known, unless they be revealed by the Spirit of God. This is the true meaning of this text; and it is ill brought, to prove that a man in the use of reason and natural light, cannot understand ought that belongs to his falvation, or the sense of any text of scripture. I am very confident, the apostle never fays, nor means any fuch thing. But as the secrets of a man are known only to the man himself, till he doth reveal them; To the fecrets of God are known only to God, till God reveal them, and till then we are not charged with them; for negative infidelity damns no man, But those that are acted by the fpirit of popery, do corrupt the word of God, as the apoftle fays, 2 Cor. ii. 17. They make the word of God to ferve ends and purposes, as the apoftle faith, 2 Pet. ii. 3. They make merchandife of the word of God, and make gain their godlinefs: that is, they gain power and wealth, and live in pomp ; these are the ingredients that make up their religion. But fince they do ufurp upon us, we will put in these few material exceptions against them, and will shew wherein the popish and reformed church differ.

First, They impose upon our belief, things contrary to reafon; felf-inconfiftent and incongruous. Secondly, What of truth they acknowledge, they make void and elude, by qualifications, explications, limitations and diftinctions.

Thirdlys

Thirdly, They fuperadd to religion, things unlike ly to be true, difhonourable to human nature, and without all warrant from God.

Fourthly, and laftly, they fruftrate the effects of real religion, by their pretence of power and privilege.

First, They confound the reason of our minds, by abfurdities, incongruities, and impofing upon our be lief things impoffible and inconfiftent. Thefe are ftrange things to be faid of any religion : yet I will make it evidently to appear, and go no farther than the monstrous doctrine of transubstantiation, which if we do admit, we must bid farewel to all our natu→ ral fentiments. Reafon must then be laid afide, and fhall be no judge hereafter. We must then give the lie to the report of our fenfes. And if we do this, how fhall we think that God made our faculties true? But if God did not make my faculties true, I am abfolutely discharged from all duty to God, and regard to his commands, becaufe I have no faculty that can refolve me that this is of God. Now if I may not believe the reason of my mind, in conjunction with three or four of my fenfes, how fhall I know any thing to be this or that? And if I do not know any thing to be true or good, I am not obliged, as to practice. And if God do require duty of me, he useth power against right, and calls me to give an account, when it was not poffible for me to know his mind in any thing. Therefore, I say, tranfubftantiation doth confound the reafon of our mind, by abfurdities, and impofing upon our beliefs, things that are impoffible, and repugnant to our fenfes. Secondly,

Secondly, They make void, what they themfeves acknowledge to be true, by distinctions, evasions, limitations, gloffes, comments, explications. And to make this out, I will inftance in fix things.

Ift. Their doctrine of probability. If a man can find any doctor among them that held fuch an opinion, it makes that doctrine probable.

2dly. The point of mental refervation. You cannot know their minds by what they fay, because you do not know what they reserve in their minds. So that what they say may be but half what they

mean.

3dly. The trick of directing the intention. By this they may murder a man, fo they do not intend to murder him, but to rid themselves of an enemy. They may declare that which is falfe, and deny that which is true, because they intend the credit of their church and religion : and this intention fhall excuse them from downright falfhood.

4thly. The practice of equivocation is too well known among them.

5thly. Their way of evasion, by having a double fenfe. Whereas, no man ought to use wit or parts to impose upon another, or to make a man believe that which they do not mean. In treating, one with another, we ought to take care that there be a right understanding between both parties, and that each do understand one another's meaning; and in cafe there be a mistake herein, we ought to release one another; for the agreement is only in what we meant and intended, not in that wherein they did not consent and agree.