er; either the idol of general imagination, or ele he will do as fools and conceited perfons, worship theidol of their own particular fancy. Then the temptation to modesty, and the advantage that we give to community and common-fenfe, will oft put a good man to it; and make him afk himself this queftion and thus to reafon with himself; How come I to depart from the community of others? Why do I imag-. ine that the holy Spirit did leave the community and join it felf to me? So that, he will have a disadvantage from his own good difpofition. And then we fee that the reason of many men agreeing together is one of the best things in the world. And vox populi, is vox Dei.

A fourth accidental prejudice is this; a great conceit and fuppofition that it is fo: this poffeffing the minds of men that it must needs be so, makes them confident, and neglective of fearch, and enquiry. And, when reafon cannot over-rule imagination, no good is to be done. For many men are fo tranfported with imagination, that no man's reafon can have admiffion. And under this, fome men have lain all their days, and by reason thereof were never in a difpofition of enquiry.

A fifth, There is a mighty difadvantage to truth in fome; from their bodily temper. Melancholy tempers, and difpofitions, are many times, great hindrances to the truth. And if you would relieve their minds, you must mend their bodies by medicine. These men are highly to be pitied, and to be dealt with long patience and supplied day by day with rational fuggeftions. For it is a hard matter in this

cafe,

cafe, where the bodily temper is a rule to the fentiments of the mind to do any good by the dictates of 'reafon.

A fixth difadvantage, is weakness of parts. Thus we find, 'tis eafier to convince a man of the nobleft fpirit, of the highest parts, and moft refined morals, and the most perfected intellect, than one that is weak and conceited; for it is rare but weak and wilful is the compofition. But he that hath any perfection, he loves to hear, and to be better instructed, and to have things fairly propofed. The nobleft fpirits, and noft tractable and teachable, they fooneft apprehend, and most ingenuously and impartially confider. The weakeft do moft hardly lay down an opinion, Wherefore the apoftle bids us, that we should not admit thofe that are weak in the faith, to any doubtful difputations.

Now all these are excufable things; and men that do fall fhort of truth, or are in mistake upon any of these fix accounts, there is pity due to them, and much chriftian moderation and forbearance; and they are to be relieved by our prayers and good fuggeftions day after day; now a little and then a little; now a hint, and then a hint offered to them, as they can bear it.

But I must fuperadd one more: and indeed, I am afhamed to speak thereof; for it is quite out of the way of ingenuity and fincerity, and doth not belong to any one that is a lover of truth; and it is fo bad, that I cannot fo far fail in charity, as to fasten it upon any particular perfon; but yet it doth take place among men ; and that is affectation of fingu

larity,

larity, and worldly intereft. When a man would be the head of a party; when a man thinks if he goes the common way, he fhall be but one of many, and not regarded; and then he is tempted to be fingular in fomething, that fo he may be look't upon as a fingular person, and of greater understanding than the rest of men. But this is not the spot of God's children. Deut. xxxii. 5. This man truly is in a faction: this is unduly to practise upon truth; and quite out of the way of religion and fincerity, and I have no apology for this man: for I cannot think any man fincere in his way, or to have a good confcience to God or love of truth in his heart, unless he do verily believe that to be true, that he doth pretend to; and that he doth believe it upon a competent fearch, at least a true endeavour to be informed in the difference between true and false, right and wrong. But for a man to practise upon truth, or any concernment of religion, to fubject it to worldly policy and worldly ends; this is so unworthy a thing, that nothing can be more. For our religion is too noble and worthy a thing to be a mean to any other thing than the honour of God, and the falvation of our fouls, and the good of the community,