The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Introduction
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• The Divine Feudal Law Represented
• §1.
• §2.
• §3
• §4
• §5
• §6
• §7
• §8
• §9
• §10
• §11
• §12
• §13
• §14.
• §15
• §16
• §17
• §18
• §19
• §20
• §21
• §22
• §23
• §24.
• §25
• §26
• §27
• §28
• §29
• §30
• §31
• §32
• §33
• §34
• §35
• §36
• §37
• §38
• §39.
• §40
• §41
• §42
• §43
• §44
• §45
• §46
• §47
• §48
• §49
• §50
• §51
• §52
• §53
• §54
• §55
• §56
• §57
• §58
• §59
• §60
• §61
• §62
• §63
• §64
• §65
• §66
• §67
• §68
• §69
• §70
• §71
• §72
• §73
• §74
• §75
• §76
• §77
• §78
• §79
• §80
• §81
• §82
• §83
• §84
• §85
• §86
• §87
• §88
• §89
• §90
• §91
• §92
• §93
• §94

§14.

Some differ in the whole System.But among those whom meerly difference in Principles does divide, without the Intervention of any Emolument, some dissent in the whole System of their Divinity, and notoriously Deny even Fundamental Articles of the Faith. Others again dissent in some Points of Faith, but so that the Divinity of both may be deduced from the same Principles, and brought into one and the same System; to the former Rank we refer the Socinians, and those who come nearest to them: And the most of the Tribes of Anabaptists, the Quakers, and those that deserve the Name of Phanaticks, who deny or wrest those Articles which the Protestants hold as Principal ones, and expound them so as to take away the Kernel, and leave nothing of them but a meer Shell. So that the System of Theology which they have form’d, departs manifestly from ours; and there is hardly any Agreement among them about any thing else, but what may be known by the Light of Natural Reason, and what belongs to the Regulation of Mens Manners. I think it altogether unprofitable, and next to Madness, to go about the reconciling them with us, so long as they will hold to their own Hypotheses. And that which is rather to be endeavour’d with respect to them, is that the Gangrene of their Errours be withheld from spreading by a solid Confutation of them. Especially when ’tis very pleasing and agreeable to profane Men to teach, that nothing should be propos’d to our belief, but what our Reason can easily comprehend; and nothing more should be requir’d of Men, than what is requisite and necessary to our living peaceably and quietly in Societies. From whence it also follows, that they have mightily forsaken their Reason who have attempted a Reconciliation of these Sects also, which have been mention’d with the Protestants; and who to that end have propos’d either the Apostles Creed, or some other loose Form; as if it might suffice to an Ecclesiastical Concord to consent in those Things, and have left it indifferent what every one should believe concerning any Articles not contain’d within that Form, and determin’d that such dissent shall not be any prejudice to the Peace. For if a Form of Concord or Agreement should be compos’d so loosely, as that it might please every one of the Sects mention’d, it would produce a Divinity very jejune and maim’d and which would retain little of true and solid Christianity, all Things being plainly thrown out of it which do contain in them any thing of Mystery.