How, then, if God should cast you into Turkey, where Mahomet reigns as lord? it is but reckoning that it is the religion and custom of the country, and that which is authorized by the power that is there; wherefore, it is but sticking to your dictates of human nature, and remembering that coming to God by Christ is a thing of an indifferent nature in itself, and then for peace’ sake and to sleep in a whole skin, you may comply and do as your superior commands.  Why? because in Turkey are your first sort of fundamentals all found; there are men that have human nature and the law of morals written in their hearts; they have also the dictates thereof written within them, which teach them those you call the eternal laws of righteousness:  wherefore you both would agree in your essential and immutable differences of good and evil, and differ only about these positive laws—­indifferent things.  Yea, and Mahomet also for the time, because by a custom it is made convenient, might be now accounted worshipful; and the circumstances that attend his worship, especially those of them that clash not with the dictates of your human nature, might also be swallowed down.

Behold you here then, good reader, a glorious Latitudinarian, that can, as to religion, turn and twist like an eel on the hook; or rather like the weathercock that stands on the steeple.

Changing sins.

Dost thou profess the name of Christ, and dost thou pretend to be a man departing from iniquity?  Then take sufficiency of divine revelation before human reason and speculation, and to acknowledge with humble gratitude the rich rewards of an earnest and prayerful study of the English Scriptures. heed thou dost not deceive thyself, by changing one bad way of sinning for another bad way of sinning.  This was a trick that Israel played of old; for when God’s prophets followed them hard with demands of repentance and reformation, then they would “gad about to change their ways.”  Jer. 2:  36.  But behold, they would not change a bad way for a good, but one bad way for another; hopping as the squirrel from bough to bough, but not willing to forsake the tree.  Many times men change their darling sins, as some change their servants; that which would serve for such a one this year, may not serve for the year ensuing.  Hypocrisy would do awhile ago, but now debauchery.  Profaneness would do when profaneness was in fashion, but now a deceitful profession.  Take heed, professor, that thou dost not throw away thy old darling sin for a new one.  Men’s tempers alter.  Youth is for pride and wantonness; middle age for cunning and craft; old age for the world and covetousness.  Take heed, therefore, of deceit in this thing.