Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	false_a	true_a	worship_n	4,780	5	7.8086	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93799	A holy life here, the only way to eternal life hereafter. Or, A discourse grounded on these words, The weapons of our warfare, &c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. Wherein among other things set down in a following index this truth is especially asserted; namely, that a holy life, or the habitual observing of the laws of Christ, is indispensably necessary to salvation. Whereunto is added an Appendix, laying open the common neglect of the said laws among Christians, and vindicating such necessity of observing them from those general exceptions that are wont to be made against it. By R.S. B.D.	Stanwix, Richard, 1608-1656.	1652 (1652)	Wing S5252; Thomason E1276_1; ESTC R210586	123,869	304

either to the power of those carnal weapons or to the weaknesse of these spiritual ones as if they were unable to p●●●erve what once they had gained but only to the neglect and disuse of them men began before this apostasie to lay aside those weapons of zeal and patience and meeknesse and contempt of the world by the use of which the Apostles themselves had been so victorious and like the men of this world imployed their thoughts and set their mindes upon the things of it eagerly contesting about them and willingly using what strength it could afford though apparently inconsistent with these weapons for securing to them the enjoyment of the said worldly things and so plainly thereby expressed a greater zeal for this world then for the next and so long as it was so what marvel if this alteration follow seeing things are to be preserved by the same means by which they are at first gott so that I say it is plain it was not through the strength of these other carnal weapons or weaknesse of those spiritual ones but meerly through the disuse of the latter that those things have so come to passe 2. The weaknesse of those appears in this that they are utterly unable to effect that which by these hath been and is still in part effected in the world namely to plant or preserve religion in mens hearts and this the very name that belongs to them implies namely that they are called carnal Religion is in its nature a spiritual thing nothing else in the general but a voluntary unconstrain'd dedication of the soul and affections to God and an answerable outward worship and obedience of him proceeding thence for the begetting and guiding of both which something must of necessity be originally derived from God who is a Spirit himself and can only show us the way of his own worship Now all these forementioned weapons being carnal it must needs be beyond their power to work or produce such a spiritual thing as religion is that which is of the flesh is flesh John 3.6 nothing can act beyond its own Sphear 1. All those discourses which Orators and Philosophers have used or which are in the power of men by the light of nature to continue are but results of flesh and blood bare humane discoveries which therefore must be held ineffectual either to shew us perfectly how and wherein God is to be worshipped or to make that impression upon our spirits as to confirm or quicken us in his service 2. Those other sort of carnal weapons are farre more improper for this end namely to make use of worldly terrours as Bonds imprisonments and confiscation of goods for planting or preserving Religion in men for this very way of planting or preserving it is that which directly overthrowes it and makes that which is so planted none at all Religion being a voluntary thing a free offering and dedicating a mans self to God T is true indeed this way of planting and maintaining Religion is and hath been much used in the world and may seem to have been very prevalent and powerful in respect of those great and numerous multitudes that are professours of such religions as among the Mahumetans and Papists especially in Spain and Italy where a man is not suffered to professe any other manner of worshipping Christ then what the Pope professes and allows without the hazard of his liberty or life But as it is certain that such planting or preserving of religion hath nothing to support it from the doctrine of the Gospel or examples of the Apostles so is it no lesse certain that such way of planting what ever shew it makes is altogether ineffectual for such ends its true it must be acknowledged there are many great and numerous multitudes in those places which by means of those carnal weapons chiefly are kept in the profession of the outward form and worship of God which is there professed and maintained but their doing thus is not properly to be called nor accounted Religion that being as I have already said a voluntary thing and so far only to be accounted Religion as it is so Whosoever professing any Religion true or false out of fear so as thereby to avoid those losses and hazards which are threatned to the non-professors that person by such a profession is to be accounted to act rather a matter of policy then of religion to take care rather for providing for his outward tranquillity and profits in this world then for his inward peace of conscience and salvation in the next Indeed the doctrine or religion of the Papists as it is for so much of it wherein it differs from ours and which makes it Popery to be accounted no other but the doctrine and traditions or inventions of men such as have no foundation at all in the word of God so the means which are taken by them for preserving the credit and profession thereof with men as penalties and imprisonments c. are to be esteemed no other but dictates of carnal wisdom or worldly policie the ends whereof are not to provide for mens spiritual interests or the salvation of their souls but only for their worldly quietnesse and advantage and some other things especially belonging to their bodies it being not possible that true Religion which is a voluntary thing should be planted in mens mindes by any worldly force or fears nor consequently that the good of mens souls which wholly depends thereon should be any thing advanced by any such means as are made use of in that way so as either to begin or preserve in men such a profession of it This then shews partly the folly and partly the crueltie of all such Polititians for so they account themselves and there are many such in the world others as well as Papists that make use of these weapons of worldly terrours or penalties in case of Religion so as thereby to ingage men in such or such a profession or in holding such opinions as they themselves approve of for the religion or opinion that is by this means attempted to be perswaded on others must be necessarily either true or false 1. If the Religion or opinion be indeed true which is thus attempted to be fastned upon others the party on whom this attempt is made must be supposed hereupon either to embrace it or still notwithstanding these penalties that are used to stand out and oppose it If the former be supposed then considering those means can have no force at all to convince his judgement or better his understanding it must needs be conceived that his embracing such a religion or opinion hereupon is only an act of carnal fear making him to professe that as true which though true in it self is false in his judgement and apprehension and so such a professing though it be of the truth is a doing of a thing against his conscience and so an act of hypocrisie and consequently that which

instead of bringing him nearer unto Heaven which is the onely end of all true religion and profession of it sets him further off the way to Hell a place peculiarly designed amongst others for all hypocrites If the latter be supposed Mtatt 24.51 namely that the party still notwithstanding such penalties stands out and opposes then considering the inclination that is in men to think well of that cause for which they see others willingly to suffer hardship rather then desert the profession of it there will be probably hereby begot in mens mindes especially those that are religiously disposed proportionable to their sufferings a better opinion of that though false which they see so maintained and so consequently a weaker affection to the truth which will thereby appear to be so zealously opposed For we are to conceive a great deal of difference betwixt mens sufferings in this kinde and the sufferings of those that are punisht for murder or theft c. These latter are clearly things evil in themselves and so accounted and condemned by the consciences of those that suffer for them and therefore though some may be inclined to pitty the persons suffering especially if their sufferings be extream yet none will be hereby inclined to think the better of these things or think these persons examples imitable but in matters of Religion or opinions about Religion it is not so that which is true and seems true to one may seem false to another and while it so seems the person that suffers for opposing it or for denying to professe it does not that which his conscience condemns him for neither gives others just cause to think so of him but contrarily suffers for that which in the judgement of his own conscience is good and right choosing rather to do so then offend his conscience Now whiles he does so and gives others occasion to think so of him there is danger rather that that for which he so suffers though false in it self should gain credit hereby with others then that truth which he thus opposes should by this means any thing be advantaged So true is that of Tertullian In Apolog. Exquisitior quaeque crudelitas illecebra magis est sectae 2. But secondly if the truth which this person opposes be a great fundamental truth such as the denying or opposing of it excludes a man from salvation and if as in some places it is used he shall have therefore the extremest that he can suffer inflicted upon him namely some violent death which rather then he will consent to the profession of he willingly undergoes will not the inflicting of death in this case when there is no other cause of it be extream cruelty can there be any thing more against Christian Charity then to destroy as much as is in man a mans body and soul at once and is not this to do so to take away a mans life from him for holding such an errour or opinion in Religion with which it is believed a man cannot be saved does not charity and reason it self direct us that in this case we should use prayers and arguments and perswasions and if all these prove ineffectual yet since God hath limited no time wherein they should take effect to leave the person to Gods tribunal rather then to inflict any such judgement upon him 2. If the religion or opinion which a man is perswaded to by the force of these worldly penalties be false then likewise we are here to suppose that hereupon either he doth imbrace it or notwithstanding the said penalties still stand out and deny his consent if the former be supposed then the persons that do so hereby are doubly the Children of Hell as both professing a Religion false in it self and doing it against their consciences and so their condemnation must needs be the heavier if the latter be supposed then they that so stand out shew themselves to be truly vertuous and godly and what thing can be more unjust then to afflict and persecute such persons to punish men because they will not professe or believe that which they are bound not to do namely that which is false Thus you see every way the unreasonablenesse and injustice of using carnall weapons in matters of Religion how not only ineffectual they are for planting any Religion at all truly and properly so called in mens mindes but also how the using of them plainly manifests the folly and cruelty of all such Polititians as do so their folly using that which is no way proper for the end for which they pretend to use it and their cruelty in doing that which either tends to further men in the broad way to Hell or to molest and disquiet them because they will not turn out of the right and narrow way which only leads to Heaven Thus far touching the weaknesse of carnal weapons in matters of Religion I am now to speak of the mightinesse of these other weapons the Apostle here means though something hath already been by the way shown concerning this but now I shall more expresly treat hereof and therefore declare which I have not yet done what we are to understand by these weapons touching this then we are to conceive that the Apostle may have a double reference or meaning 1. So as to understand some weapons that were peculiar to himself and the other Apostles and some extraordinary persons and so limited to that time they lived in 2. So as to understand such as were common to him and them with us and so which are to be extended to all times The former were of two sorts 1. Respecting those within the Church 2. Respecting Those without By the former I mean that extraordinary power which the Apostles had of inflicting some divine remarkable punishment on such persons as were very contumacious or scandalous professours of the truth which power that S. Paul particularly had there are many passages to prove in these two Epistles to the Corinthians as 1 Co. 4.21 shall I come unto you with rod or in love and in the spirit of mecknesse 1 Cor. 4.21 compared with the three verses immediately going before and in 2 Cor. 10.6 having in readinesse to revenge all disobedience and verse 8th though I should boast somewhat of our authority which the Lord hath given us for edification and not for your destruction and after at the 13. Chapter and second Verse If I come again I will not spare and verse 10. I write these things being absent lest being present I should use sharpnesse according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification and not to destruction Now to this kinde of punishment that delivering unto Satan which we read of 1 Cor. 5.5 1. Tim. 1.20 rightly belongs concerning which we are to conceive that the persons who were thus delivered up were after a manner put into the hands and power of the devil to be vexed and molested by him in such a

belief of the Christian Faith so they were necessarily then required for procuring credit to the Gospel and for working the world to a submission to it The Gospel was then in respect of the most material parts of it a thing quite new and unheard of before and it is the fashion of men to entertain new things in this kinde with some prejudice withall to expresse such a love and reverence to things they have been long accustomed to as not to suffer themselves easily to be removed from them Besides the world was then generally possest with many false religions and corrupt idolatrous worships which being as contrary to the Gospel as darknesse is to light could not but make their mindes more enraged and opposite to the entertainment of it And further besides all this many such things are affirmed therein namely in the doctrine of the Gospel as exceed humane reason and understanding and some things hereby are required to be taken away which were known before either to have been appointed or at least allowed of by God and which to that time had remained without any change or alteration so that in all these respects that power of miracles was then requisite that it might fully appear against all these grounds of prejudice that what the Apostles preached to the world had indeed as they affirmed God for the Author of it And upon the same grounds we are to ●onceive that now there is no need of ●hese miracles nor any just reason why ●ny should expect them or imagine any ●ecessity to have had them continued ●ntil these times for besides that the Gospel is no longer new 1. There are extant still permanent ef●ects of the former miracles wherewith ●t was at first confirmed as namely the ●ontinuance of the profession of it in most ●arts of the world notwithstanding the ●anifold persecutions that have been ●uccessively used against those who pro●essed it the readinesse that hath been in many and still is and may be supposed in some to seal such profession with their blood Besides we see the real accomplishment of such things as were divinely therein foretold as the destruction and dispersion of the Jews and the spreading of Chri●an Religion into all parts which we read not of any other Religion that either at present is or ever hath been in the world So that the former miracles thus remaining in their effects there can be no need of nor cause why any should now desire other miracles that is still to have new ones 2. It could have been no way convenient that the power of doing miracles should have been perpetually continued in the Church of Christ for such continuance would rather have indeed thwarted with the nature of Religion and been a hinderance to the right exe●cises of it then truly advanced either it or these it would have detracted from the worth or merit as some speak of faith neither would there hereby have been left any difference betwixt those that are inclineable to vertue or that are by opposite considerations seasonably suggested to them to be perswaded to it and those that are obstinately averse from it and not by any such considerations to be wrought upon which difference of persons that there naturally is through the use or neglect of those commons helps which God affords universally to men not only experience testifies but also our Saviour himself implicitely confirms and that as where he puts this difference betwixt persons that were not yet seasoned with his doctrine that there was one sort that did evil and therefore hated the light and was not willing to come to him John 3.19 20 21. and that there was another sort that did the truth and therefore came to the light that is to partake and be guided by the light of his doctrine so by those other notes or titles wherewith he distinguishes the foresaid persons in affirming the one sort to be of God and of his sheep and therefore to heare his words John 8.47.10.27.28 and follow him and the other sort not to ●e of God nor of his sheep and therefore not to hear or follow him objecting not onely their not so doing but also their not being of God nor of his sheep which was the true cause thereof as their own proper crime against them Now this be●ng so I say that there is and always hath ●een such a difference among men in re●pect of a kind of naturall yet voluntary ●robity or improbity in them which are ●o be lookt upon as the immediate ●rounds of their admitting or rejecting ●he doctrine of Christ and so of their in●linablenesse or obstinate aversenesse to ●ertue and the exercises of it upon the ●pplication of seasonable and sufficient ●otives made to them this difference ●ould have been in effect by the conti●uance of miracles quite disanull'd and ●ken away for who would have been 〈◊〉 perverse if Christs doctrine or the reaching of it had had perpetually these miracles joyn'd to it which would have been as a kind of continued visible mani●festation of the arme and testimony o● God that at length would not have receiv'd it and set himself to practise th● duties requir'd in it yet not at all out 〈◊〉 a love to them or of the righteousnes● and holinesse therein prescribed but on●ly out of a certain hope of that incomp●rable great reward of immortality an● eternall blessednesse therein promised which all cannot but desire and which should have been by this means in a ma●ner made as unquestionable and undoub●ed unto all as the shining of the Sun 〈◊〉 when we behold it with our eyes at no● day It became therefore the wisdom of 〈◊〉 mighty God so to order things that t● preaching of the Gospel being as a thi● new and unheard of before and exce●ing in many things humane reason sho●● have for some time these miracles anne● to it that it might be thereby so fa● confirmed as might be altogether su●cient for working men that were in●nable to assent to the truth to the rec●ving of it but that the said mirac● should not be still continued lest othe● wise those that are wholly averse from the truth and utterly unwilling to forsake their sins by reason of the present pleasures or profits of them should be by this means as it were forced thereunto And we are further to conceive this to be the more reasonable in this respect namely that the very doctrine of Christ for both the parts of it which are his promises and precepts is of that perfection as to contain a certain impresse of divinity in it which as a kind of standing miracle speaks God to be the Authour thereof 1. The promise of eternal life and enjoying for ever unspeakable happiness and comforts with God himself in Heaven to which all the other promises of the Gospel are to be reduced savours truly of the majesty and infinite goodnes of Almighty God being a reward fully suitable to both these

not carnal that is as the word carnal so joyned notes 1. That which is destructive to the flesh 2. That which carnall wisdom invents or suggests p. 60. That they are not carnal in the first sence shown from three Reasons p. 60 That not carnal in the second sence shown from Pauls example p. 67. That both these sorts of carnal weapons are not mighty but weak in respect 1. Not able to refist the force of the other weapons here meant p. 70. 2. Not able properly to plaint or preserve Religion p. 70. That Religion which is so planted or preserved is rather Policie then Religion p. 75. The folly and cruelty of those that make use of these carnal weapons in this way p. 76. The Weapons of this warfare considered First limited to the first time and so they were of two sorts as p. 28. 1. Respecting those within the Church whereby is shown to be meant an extraordinary power of inflicting corporal punishment and particularly of delivering unto Satan the nature and end of which punishment is described p. 82. 2. Respecting those without the Church whereby meant the working of miracles touching which is shown p. 88. 1. That these weapons were 1. Effectual p. 89. 2. Necessary at that time 2. That the continuance of them now is Needful Convenient 90. Both these further manifested from that impresse of Divinity that is in both the parts of the Gospel p. 94. Hereupon the reason is assigned why miracles longer continued under the Law then under the Gospel namely the imperfection of that Religion in both the parts of it p. 96. And hence occasionally is shown that eternal life was not expresly promised under the law p. 98. That the corruption of Religion and defection under Antichrist does not make miracles necessary now as they were in the first planting of the Gospel in regard p. 104. 1. There are some common principles remaining universally received among all Christians to wit the Scriptures p. 105. 2. These Scriptures are clear and so by all confessed to be in necessary matters p. 107. The differences of opinions among Christians does not contradict this p. 107. Whence the said differences do proceed p. 111. The great uncertainty and necessary inconveniency of going about to decide controversies in Religion by Councels or Fathers p. 113. Secondly these weapons considered as extended to all times whereby meant 1. That which in its use respects those within the Church viz. Excommunication p. 115. The several ends whereof are set down p. 118. And hereupon the constitution of our Church is bewailed as it is destitute of this weapon and of the true use of it p. 119. How the servants of God are to demean themselves under this defect p. 123. 2. Such as are requisite for subduing others without the Church unto Christ by which are meant those Christian vertues and exercises of them commended to us in the Gospel touching which are shown p. 124. That without these the former weapons of miracles in the Apostles hands would have been uneffectual p. 125 That we can only perswade others effectually unto Christ by the use of these weapons p. 128. SECT III. The third Section touching the strong holds whereby is shown to be meant carnal reasonings against the profession or power of Christian Religion Which are considered p. 138. 1. As common to all natural persons p. 139. 2. As peculiar to some certain sorts of persons such as wordly wise or learned or rich which persons are considered p. 144. 1. With reference to the Apostles times as wholly unconverted to so much as a profession of Christianity the reasonings of whom contained under two heads p. 145. 1. such as tend to uphold the credit of those false Religions they had before lived in p. 146. 2. Such as tend to discredit the Religion of that they were to be perswaded to p. 148. Both which sorts and particular wayes of reasoning the Papists are shown to make use of for upholding their own and overthrowing our Religion p. 154. Hereupon the injustice of such Protestants is pointed at who are not willing to have any opinion admitted or freely considered that is contrary to something long and generally received To which persons these following considerations are tendered as means for convincing them p. 158. 1. The example of Luther who opposed himself against the declared judgement and practise of all the Christian Churches in the world p. 148. 2. That it is very reasonable to imagine considering the acknowledged heap of corruptions that was in the Chuch when Luther attempted first a Reformation that there should be some left remaining for others after to discover and purge out p. 159. This showed to be reasonable to suppose from three grounds p. 160. 3. That this is probable also to suppose upon the consideration of common allowed sinfulnesse of Christians and of Gods way in giving men up to errours p. 164. That the former reasonings of both sorts were sufficiently invalidated by those miracles which were acted by the Apostles p. 166. These miracles of another nature then those which have been acted by some impostors p. 169. And far more effectual then the using of carnal weapons could have been in this kinde p. 172. The true reason why then not many wise men after the flesh c. called p. 157. 2 Secondly the former sort of persons considered with reference to our times as having a form of Religion but wanting the power of it and so having need still to be subdued unto Christ p. 180. Their reasonings proportionable to the former 1. Such as tend to uphold the credit of that empty formality wherein they live p. 183. 2. Such as tend to asperse the power of godlinesse whereunto they are exhorted p. 186. To both which is added as a main supporter of the said reasonings an inward perswasion of the unnecessarinesse of such a way of godlinesse and the sufficiency of the foresaid form p. 189. This of all other holds the most dangerous and first to be attempted p. 190. The way of demolishing it here pointed at after more fully shown and confirmed in the Appendix p. 190. That something is possible to be done by the servants of Christ towards working such persons to the power of godlinesse notwithstanding the former perswasion being in them upon two grounds p. 194. Hence it may be made appear to them 1. That without obedience they are but hypocrites p. 196. 2. That the going on of such numbers in that way wherein they live is not a mark of the goodnesse but of the badnesse and danger of it 3. That the meannesse of the persons who ordinarily limit themselves to a strict course of Religion cannot with Christians bee any true prejudice against such strictnesse p. 197. 4. That to account the way of godlinesse harsh or uncomfortable is to contradict our profession p. 199. 5. That to account any Christian duties and particularly that of meeknesse towards enemies dishonourable to practise is

and those that are made ordinarily in war for conquering them that stand out the latter usually are successful wholly against the wills of the attempted it being the glory of this war to constrain men by violence to submit themselves and become their captives but the former in respect of the nature of Religion Christ being King only of a willing people can be no further successful then the persons attempted yield themselves in some kinde to be wrought upon or at least do not wilfully and malitiously oppose themselves if they shew themselves towards these holy things these pearls laid before them like dogs or swine contemners or deriders of them if by their obstinate and resolute going on in evil they proclaim as the Jews did once that they judge themselves unworthy of eternal Life Acts 13.46 then they are to be turned aside from and not to expect any violence to force them to this submission this being that which would destroy the nature of it and make it no submission that is no voluntary unconstrained submission which is the only submission that Christ approves of But besides this general hold or reasoning of the flesh which seems common to all natural men there are to be conceived some other more particular holds in this kinde intended by the Apostle such as have a strength more then ordinary and are the peculiar fortresses of some certain sorts of persons of the highest repute in the world making their subduing that is their conversion unto Christ usually a harder work then ordinary and these are nothing else but those reasonings which worldly wisdom and learning and the enjoyment of great places or riches in the world suggest to men to keep them off from a through submission unto Christ or obedience to the Gospel Now such persons may be considered 1. Either as they were in the Apostles times wholly unconverted to so much as an outward profession of the doctrine of Christ 2. Or as they are now in our times being outward professours of it but for the most part denying the power thereof without which they are to be conceived in as bad an estate as the former that is persons that have need still to be subdued and brought into the way of salvation 1. Touching the former what their reasonings were in this kinde may be collected partly from what the Scripture either expressely testifies or implyes and partly from what we find recorded in the Ecclesiastical stories of the times immediately following the summe of both which may be reduced to these 2 heads 1. Such as immediately tend to uphold the credit of their superstitions and idolatrous worship and customes that they were to be subdued from 2. Such as tend to discredit or vilifie this doctrine of Christ that they were to be perswaded to 1. Touching the first head they alledge Antiquity that they were things that they had been long accustomed to of which the world had had a continued and long possession their fathers and fore-fathers for many generations before had been professors of them and why should not respect and credit be given to such antiquity why should not we tread in the steps of our fathers as they have happily done in the steps of them that went before them it cannot but be an arrogating to our selves more then is due and a detracting from them that which of right belongs to them yea an exposing them to scorn and disgrace to disallow and cast off that religion which they so long and close were addicted to and instead thereof entertain one so new as was never so much as heard of or mentioned in their dayes Lib. 10. ep 61. Thus Symmachus servanda est tot saeculis fides sequendi sunt nostri parentes qui secuti sunt feliciter suos sera est contumeliosa emendatio senectutis 2. These wayes of worship were generally and universally used they were not the practise and so grounded on the judgement and approbation only of some few persons or of one nation but all persons and nations generally did concur in the same judgement and practise Act. 19.27 This Diana saith Demetrius that Paul preacheth against all Asia and the world worshippeth Thus they had both antiquity and universality to plead for what they professed and to this adde a third taken from authority 3. They were not the professions of the vulgar or unlearned only who might perhaps be mistaken and deceived but of the greatest Statists of persons most learned and wise and exact in their judgments and such as were of most eminent account and place every where in the world Besides they had been so well things had so flourisht and thriven with them under this worship that great cause they had to have a reverent esteem of it and it would be no smal folly in them to change it for that which the world had little experience of and might think from that it had that it was more likely to cast them upon new miseries and troubles then any way better their condition These or the like we may conceive were the reasonings or strong holds whereby the Gentiles in the primitive times especially the great ones of them were confirmed in their love to and practise of their old superstitions and so consequently made more opposite to the doctrine and religion of Christ There are yet some other reasonings that served more directly to fortifie them in their opposition to this doctrine and they were nothing else but the prejudices and exceptions that they had against it as 1. That it was altogether a new worship a thing that the world had not been formerly acquainted with may we know said some at Athens to Paul what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest Act. 17.19 20 18. is for thou bringest certain strange things to our ears and in the former verse others said he seems to be a setter forth of strange gods because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection Is there any likelihood that that should be true and worthy to be believed that the world generally for so many ages together hath had no knowledge may not wee well think that if it were as is pretended a doctrine proceeding from God he would have long before this communicated it to others as well as to those persons that are now the first publishers of it 2. That the persons that were publishers abettors of it were but obscure ignoble persons such as were no way eminent in the world or equal for learning and authority to those that opposed it and so likewise those that submitted to it were generally only of the meaner sort ignoble and simple persons of the multitude who could not consider what was truly for their honour and therefore were easie to be perswaded to any thing but for them that were wise and knowing persons and knew how to value their credit in the world such as the rulers and the Pharisees Joh. 7.48 they