168 The Secret southfayer, or external letter and rule of Chrift which thefe men call -COD L.INE S S E ; As our Saviour told the Jews, John 8. Te are ofyour father the Devil, and his works ye will doe; Beleeve it, this was very orange and barfh Marine to fuch great and learned, and eminent Profeffors and Teachers of Religion : but henot onelyfaithbutproves that they are of their Father the Devil, for all their greet thews and external ffritïneffe: for (faith he) there is no truth in him, he was a lyar from the beginning, and the father thereof, and fo conti- nues ; he doth nothing but lye in all his Religiow fèrvants, for they will take up any formofReligion, and are as con- formable asmay be, as though they were the truefervatits of Chrift ; but in all this theydo but lye and diffemble, and inchant and delude. And my brethren, is not the Devil as fair in hispretences now adayes, in taking up forms,du- ties, conformity, itri&neffe, and following the mind of Chrift ? many fay theywill do nothing, but they will have the rule of the word for it : and they will undertake to open the Scriptures, and give out the mind of Chrift. Thefe Ser- vants of Satan come not on the account of prophaneß, or ig- norance, but profeflingKnowledge, ,and Religion, and Lear- ning, and they are thegreatfearcbers into all knowledge, and think themfelves not ignorant of any thing, but 'obedr ent inall things : and indeedwho more knowing, or obedi- ent according to the external Letter then they 1 Thefe are very high and fair pretences : yet who were more learned and Ìknowing,& morefeemingly zealous then the Pharifees?whole abilities were í}i11 manifefted in their marvailous cunning catching queflions to intrapJefus Chrift : thefe men though they knownot the wifdome and the`knowledge of God or Chrift, yet they are notable Apes and Imitatours ofthem ; though they knownot the truth, they will pretend theydo and think verily they do : and they will frame themfelves and their notions as near as man can to underftand.theScrip- tures, by his learning, wit, and induflry : but alas, while they make aPhew ofknowledge, and yet are ignorant of the Truth and theMyffery : all this is nothingbut a lye, and tis no o- ther but the Language ofthe Beafi : For mans busket.can roc. ver
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