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V
E
R.
8.
Epbefians,Chap.i.
indeed I
confeffe
I
have no knowledge
:
But
whatthen
Why
then,out
of
thine own mouth thou
fhalt
be
judged , and
by
thine own words thou
(halt
be condemned.
Becaufe
thou
haft no
knowledge, therefore
thou
haft no faith, neither
that
of
miracles, hi-
ftoricall, nor
any at
all:
for the common nature
of
all faith
is,to give
affent
unto
the
Word
of
God
; now
this
affent
cannot be
where
the
Word
is
not known.
Thou
then being ignorant
of
the
Word,
art
al-
together unfai:hfull,
and
without faith.
Nay,
in this
refile f
thou haft
leffe
faith then the devil
himfelf;
for he
beleeves hiftorically
that
which thou
neither knoweft nor beleeveft,
as
having
it
confirmed
un-
to
him by daily and infallible experience.
Nay
further,
I tell thee
plainly
,
that
if
thou dye
in
this thine ignorance and blindnef
e,
there
is
of
the
two,
more
hope
of
the
devils falvation then
of
thine.
But
to
paffe
by thefe,
and
come unto
a
certain religious
perron,
who
I warrant you
is
wholly devout,
and can
good
skill
in his
Creed,
ac-
knowledge every Article,
though
not
in
the
fame fenfe
as
the holy
Ghoft teacheth it, but
as
the Church teacheth it.
Would
you
know
whom
I
mean
a
Why,
it
is
an
holy Catholike
(as he terms
himfelf)
of
an
ancient
houle,
whole whale
defcent lyes in gilded veloped
Parchments,
and
unwritten Verities
;
one
that
can his
Creed
verbs.
tim
in
Latin
, (as
we do
in
Englifh)
yet
I
muff tell
you that
re ip(a,
the
very fame perfon
razeth many
a
fundamental Article.
To
give
you
inftance in
one
or
two
for
all
:
They
fay
they
beleeve in
Chris,
and
yet joyn works
in
the matter
cf
their
falvation
;
and
as
for
Chrift,
the
Sirname
of
our
bleffed Saviour,
they cut him
fhort
of
his
three
offices, King,
Prieft,
and
Prophet, by
their tyrannous
Pope,
Merits and
Traditions,
putting
again
a
Reed
in his
hand,
clothing
him
in
Purple, crying,
Hail King of
the Jews,
and
yet
crucifie
him.
They
fay
they beleeve
Remiffion
of
fins, and
yet teach
that
a
man
may not be
affured
of
his
own
falvation,
though
it
be included
in
eve-
ry
Article
of
our Faith.
What
fhould
I
Rand
here to rip up
thepanch
of
all
their abominable
Herefies
e
By
thefe you may judge
of
the
reff,
and fafely
conclude, they have no Faith
at
all;nay
in
this
refped,
letfe
then the
devil
himfelf, who
Paid,
lefus
I
acknowledge,
and Paul,
hut who
are ye
?
Ats
19.
But here comes a
third
perfon
to be examined,
one
that
comes
near to
a
Puritan,
(as
the
common Atheifts
of
this age term
them)
but yet
not
a
Puritan;
he
it
is,
that
beleeveth all
the
Articles
of
Faith)
confenteth
to
them,
profeffeth
them,
yea (and which makes him
dif-
ferent
from
all
the former)
he
doth
inwardly rejoyce,
and
is
affedted
with them
in
fume mcafure.
Would
you have me
point out this man
unto you
who
it
is
why,it
is
he
that
caufeth
the Gofpel
of
God
to
be
evill
fpoken
of,
hecaufe men
in
truth
take him
to
be
him, whom
in-
deed he
is
not. Very devout
on
the Sunday,
(as
they
call it)
but
as
prophane
as
the
worft on Monday.
This
man,you
(hall fee
him fome-
time very devout, and
to look towards
heaven
with
his eyes as
a
peni-
a.