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Meehan,
taken
from
teffrmónies
o
fScripture;'rnfn
ered
7
2
fuffer
themfelues
after they
haue bin
inf1rue`ced
in
the
know.-
ledge ofthe truth,and
haue
made
Phew
of
fome
outward re-
formation
in
their hues, to
be
feduced
by
falfe
teachers, and
to
bee
intanglcd againe
in
the world,
and in the
lufts
of
their
flefh.And this appeareth
firf}
by
the whole
drift
of
the
Apof}le
in
this chapter, which
is
to
inueigh againft
fuch falfe
teachers
as
(educe
the
vnftable
out
of
the
way
of
truth
into
the
bypaths
oftheir
owne
errors.
And
after they haue been
conuertedby the
preaching
ofthe
Gofpell from the
groffe
errors
ofpaganifme,vnto the knowledge
and acknowledge..
ment
of
Gods truth,and
haue
been
purged
from
fome
out-
ward
enortniòus
fitmes,are
againeby their
falfe
doctrine cor-
rupted,andfo
plunged againe
into
their old
errors in
do-
étrine,and
enormious
crimes
in their hues.
Secondly,
the
Apoftle
doth not here
defcribe
a
true beleeuer, by
fetting
dovene
any notes
proper
and
peculiar vnto him, feeing
whatfoeuer
is
here fpoken
may
belong to
a
temporizing
by
Vcd,
t
8.
pocrite
:
for
fuch
an
one may
be
cleane efcaped
from the' er-
rors
of
pagans and
heretikes, and
not
onely
know,
but
alto
acknowledge
Gods truth
inwardlie in his
judgement,
and
outwardly
in
his
profeffion;
and
yet
in
the meane time
re-
maine
deftituteofa
liuelyfaith,andofthe
inward-fandtifica-
tion
ofthe
heart
:
mien
as
a man
may
difauow
the
errors
of
Poperie,
and
yet continue vnregenerate and
without the
power ofgodlines.He
may,after he
hath attained the know-
ledge
ofGod
andChrift, haue
efcaped
the
filthinefí'e
of
the
world,
that
is,
he may haue
his groffe
faults, and
the
external
ñlthineffe
ofthe worlditi
partreformed(as
wemay
fee
in
the
example
of
Herod,
who heard
Iohn
gladlie,
and did manic
Maik.6.
m.
things
according
to
his
doetrine)and
yet
nourifh fecret cor-
eruption in his
heart,-which will
afterwardsburft
out
into
his
workes
and actions. He may
cafe
his
heart
and
confcience
for
a
time,
by
cafting vp
his
grofeft
finnes,
as
it
were
in his
vomit,but
becaufe
he-is
not throughly
purged
from the
cor-
rupt
humours
offin,nor hath
his
hart
found and
vpright
be-
fore
God,
the
corruptions
will
gather againe,like
bad
hu-
mours
in
the ftomacke
ill difpofed,
the
fickneflie
ofhis
foule
will be renewed,
and he
will
return
to
his
fanner
wicked
A
as
courfes,