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§. II.
Treating the best habit of mind in order to the finding a rectified Religion.
ME thinks Religion and Devotion may be fitly resem∣bled to the Body and the Soule in Humanity: The first of which, issues from an orderly procession of nature, by a continuing virtue imparted all at once to mediate causes, the last is a new immediate infusion from heaven, by way of a creation, continually iterated and repeated. So Re∣ligion at large (as some homage rendred to a supreme relati∣on) flows into every mind, along with the current of natural causes: But Devotion is like the Soule, produced by a new act of grace, directed to every particular, by speciall and ex∣presse infusion, and in these respects also the analogie will hold, that as Religion hath the office of the body to containe Devotion, so Devotion hath the function of the soule, to in∣forme and animate Religion: And as the soule hath clearer or darker operations, according as the body is well organized or disposed, so Devotion is the more zealous or remisse pro∣portionately to the temper and constitution of the Religion that containeth it: Sutable to the Apostle Saint James his in∣timation to us, that Pure Religion keeps us unspotted from the world. * 1.1
I shall not take upon me the spirituall Physitian to consult the indispositions and remedies of differing Religions, but re∣lying more upon the Testimony of confessed experiments then the subtilty of that litigious art, I shall prescribe one receipt to all Christian tempers, which is to acquire the habit of Piety and Devotion, for this in our spirituall life, is like a healthfull aire and a temperate diet in our naturall, the best preservative of a rectified faith, and the best disposition to recover from an unsound Religion; for the Almes and Prayers of the Centurion were heard and answered, when they spoke not * 1.2