258 ARenowned andPerpetuated .Name to be denied. come after : Nay the precious truths and caufe ofGodmay be molt dangeroufly wronged and d fadvantaged by it ; and get fuch a blot and difhonour by their difhonour, that any that (hall feek the promotingof it hereafter may be greatly hindered and difadvantaged thereby : For it will feem enough to call off filch a doctrine for ever ' that by the difhonour of the maintainers it was once difhonourable and rejected as an error. And doubtlefs fome things have been thus made Herefies, and fo will be long rejected as He- r efies in many parts of the Chrillian world , becaufe they were once called by that name ; and that was becaufe the Per- fon that did own them had fome fuch difhonour or difadvan- tageas left his doarine open to this reproach. And there- fore you may here fee what a Potent inftrument Reputa- tion is in theDevils hand, to do his work ; and what abun- dance of advantage he gets by defaming Gods fervants. Prin- cipallyby this means did he long keep the world from the en- tertainment of the Gofpel, the fervants of Chrift being con- temptible in their eyes, and the preaching of the crofs but foolifhnefs to them. By this means did the Pharifees binder theJews from believing in Chrift : And by this means is Hear thenifm, Infidelity and Mahometanifm continued in poffeffion ofmoll of the world to this day. By this means it is that Po- pery keeps the common people in thraldom : as the volumi- nous lyes of Cochlatu, Bolfecus, and many others concerning Luther, Calvin, Zoinglita, andother of our Reformers and Writers, do fully teflifie. And by perfonal reproaches and difhonours it is that the doctrine of the Reformed Divines is made fo odious among the Ls/then/xi ; and the like infiances might be given in others. If now any weighty Chriflian Ve- rity fhould be afferted by any. Pallor of the Church , in a founder and a clearer manner, then is commonly known or owned, if the perfon that doth it, fhould but fall under any reproach (which he (hall be fure of if the Devil can procure it) its two to one but for his fake his docirine will be ftigma- tized with the name of error, and fo lie buryed for ever, till Divine Omnipotencycommands its refurreaion: And hence it is that there isnot one Inilrument that ever God raifeth up tp
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