on or defire to plead for any faation, disobedience, irregularity, or hypocrifie much less to palliate herefies or odious crimes that are cloaked with the name or profeffion of Religion. It is the Hypocrite that I am all this while detecting. But I must say that it hath been the highest brand or character of Hypocrifie and impudent profaneness conjunct, and one of the moft crying tranfgreffions of this Land, that men baptized into the Name of Chrift, have made a fcorn at the diligent ferving of him, and lived in the hatred of that. Religion in the life and practice, which themselves profefs. And that if upon some small circumftantial differences, any of their fuperiours have but encouraged them, to use any nickname of reproach against their most consciencious brethren, they have been glad of the occafion, and used thofe thofe reproaches against the ferious practice of Religion, which others pretend to use only against mens different opinions, which they account their exorbitancies or mistakes. How the names of [Zealots, Precifians, Puritans,] and fuch like, have been used in this Land, and what fort of peo ple have been made thereby (and by the discountenance of thofe that fhould have cherished a diligent holy life) to be the common fcorn; and how great a hindrance this hath proved to the falvation of many thousand fouls, is a thing that's much more fad to mention, then difficult to prove. And when one nickname is grown out of ufe, the ferpentine enmity watcheth for the opportunity that's afforded by differences and difcountenance of the times, to take up another that may have a fharper fting. The dead form of Religion, and and as much as you will of words and fhews, they can reverence or endure: But Life, and Seriousness, and Practice is the thing they hate. Juft like a Bear or other ravenous creature, that will let their prey alone while it feems dead and firs not: but if it ftir, they leap upon it, and tear it into pieces. And therefore it is that the diligent zealous exercife of Religion among the Papifts, by Images, and Tautologies, and lifeless Ceremonies and forms is not half fo much hated or reproached by the vulgar, as the ferious exercise of unqueftionable duties, that all are in words agreed in, is here with us. To pray in our families; to inftruct our children and servants in the neceffary points of faith and duty, to exhort a drunkard, a. fwearer, a covetous perfon, or other ungodly ones to repent and to give up themselves to a holy life, to take up any serious speech of death and judgement, and the life to come, and the neceffary preparations thereto; thefe and fuch like are the odious marks of a Zealot, a Precifian, or Puritan with the ungodly rabble: fo that ferving the great and glorious God is with them become a matter of fcorn, while ferving the Devil is taken for their glory, if they can but do it in the plaufible lefs difgraceful mode. But because fome of the chief accufers of the Brethren, would needs perfwade men, that the ordinary ufage of the forementioned Nicknames hath been lefsimpious and more juftifiable, against a fort of people only whom they feign to be unfit for humane fociety, I fhall only appeal now to the Godly Biops and conformable Ministers that mention it. Bishop G.Downame (who though he x he hath written fo much for Bifhops, hath written as much to prove the Pope to be the Antichrift) in his Sermon called, Abrahams Tryal, p.72. faith [And even in thefetimes, the godly live among Such a generation of men, as that if a man do but labour to keep a good confcience in any measure, though he medale not with matters of fate, or Difcipline, or Ceremonies (As for example, if a Minifter diligently Preach, or in his Preaching Jeek to profit, rather then to please,&c. Or if a private Chriftian makes confcience of fwearing, fanctifying the Sabbath, frequenting Sermons, or abstaining from the common corruptions of the time) he shall ftrait may be condemned for a Puritan, and confequently be lefs favoured, then either carnal Gospeller or a clofe Papift, &c.] Such were the times then. Dr. Robert Abbot, publike Profeffor |