for imposing of Humane Inventions to the neglect of
what all profess'd to believe God indispensibly requir'd of them. The
which _Mystery of Iniquity_, tho' it _already worked_, in the Apostles
Days, yet could not be reveal'd even 'till the power of Heathen _Rome_
was taken out of the way: And Christianity had Civil as well as
Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, by their Religions, becoming that of the
Empire: Which, when it did, Antichrist soon appear'd in his full
Dimensions; and the Christian World became a very Aceldama; A History
of which (sad as it is) might perhaps, with some pleasure, be perus'd,
were those Tragedies now at an end; or the Reformed part of
Christendom had no share in the Guilt.

We generally indeed exclaim against the Cruelties of the _Roman_
Church exercis'd over Men, on account or pretence of Religion: And it
is true, that they have excell'd herein; yet all Parties among us,
proportionally to the extent of their Power, have practis'd the same
thing; and the _Best_, when restrain'd from it by the Civil
Magistrate, make it evidently appear, that they bear that restraint
uneasily.

But whilst the first Spring, which moves such _Animosities_ is a
desire in _ambitious_ and _ill_ Men or _Dominion_; well-meaning
ignorant People are misled by these from the Truth of the Gospel, to
such Zeal for some distinguishing Tenets or Forms as if the stress of
Christianity lay in those things: And that our Religion consisted not
in such a Faith in Jesus Christ, as to receive him for our King,
becoming his obedient Subjects; but in the belief of Opinions, which
have no influence upon our Practice, to the making us live more
vertuously; or in Worshipping God after some peculiar Mode or Fashion.
And thus among us Christians, as heretofore in the Heathen World,
_Vertue_ and _Religion_ are again distinguish'd; and Religion as
something more excellent (and, to be sure, more easy) does still, as
formerly it did, eat out Vertue.

Among our selves it is true, that those of the Establish'd Church do
generally dislike a distinction often made by some others of a _Moral_
and a _Religious_ Man; Nor, usually, are our Divines wanting to
represent from the Pulpit the necessity there is of a good Life to
render Men acceptable to God. But many who condemn such a Doctrine as
separates Religion from Morality, do yet in their practices make the
like distinction, which may well be presum'd to have been one great
cause of their having prea