Also the Holy Ghost did much withdraw himself from
the church; so the doctrines, traditions, and rudiments of the world
took more hold there, and spread themselves more formidably over the
face of that whole church.
And this being the effect of light against light at first, is the
cause of what to this day we see in the church among the true
brotherhood. For as a cause produceth an effect, so oftentimes an
effect sets on foot another cause. Witness the jars, the
oppositions, the contentions, emulations, strifes, debates,
whisperings, tumults, and condemnations, that like cannon-shot have
so frequently on all sides been let fly against one another.
The godly all hold the Head; for there antichrist could never divide
them. Their divisions therefore are only about smaller things.
I do not say that the antichristian darkness has done nothing in the
church as to the hurting it in the great things of God. But I say,
it has not been able to do that which could sever their Head from
them. Otherwise, there appears even too much of its doings there.
For even as to the offices of our Lord, some will have his authority
more large, some more strait; some confine his rules to themselves
and to their more outward signification, and some believe they are
extended further; some will have his power in the church purely
spiritual, others again would have it mixed; some count his word
perfect and sufficient to guide in all religious matters, others
again hold that an addition of something human is necessary.
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