But, nevertheless, plain
common-sense people, such as most Englishmen are, are afraid of this
enthusiastical religion. They say, We do not pretend to feel this
rapturous love to God, how much-soever we may reverence Him, and wish to
keep His commandments; and we do not desire to feel it. For we see that
people who have talked in this way about God have been almost always
monks and nuns; or brain-sick, disappointed persons, who have no natural
and wholesome bent for their affections. And even though this kind of
religion may be very well for them, it is not the religion for a plain
honest man who has a wife and family and his bread to earn in the world,
and has children to provide for, and his duty to do in the State as well
as in the Church. And more, they say, these enthusiastic, rapturous
feelings do not seem to make people better, and more charitable, and more
loving. Some really good and charitable people say that they have these
feelings, but for all that we can see they would be just as good and
charitable without the feelings, while most persons who take up with this
sort of religion are not the better for it.
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