ny,

fome of you who wear his Livery: Turks and Hea-
thens are more gentle to true Chriftians, and have
fhed leffe of their blood than Hypocrite Chriftians
have done. The Zeal of the Pharifees confumed ma-
whom the Clemency of the Romans would elfe
have spared. Be it known to all the Infidel World,
who deteft Christianity because of your wickednesse,
you,
that you are none of us; Chrift renounceth
Matth. 7. 22, 23. and we renounce you. They may
as well hate Philofophy because some vagrant Sots
have called themselves Philofophers, or have failed
with Ariftotle or Plato in the fame ship: They may
as well hate Phyfick, because many ignorant Women
and Mountebanks have profefs'd it? They may as
well reproach us for Loyalty to our King, because
there are fecret Traytors, that call themselves his sub-
jects? What are you to Chriftians, that we should
be reproached for your Villanies ? O you Turks and
Heathens, rather reproach us because there are mic-
ked perfons of your felves; for you are not fo cruel
Enemies to Chriftians, as many of thefe Hypocrites
are. Nullus enim Chriftianus malus eft, nifi hanc
profeffionem fimulaverit. Athenagor. Leg. pro Chrift.
pag. 3. Nemo illic (in Carcere) Chriftianus, nifi
planè tantùm Chriftianus: aut fi aliud, jam non
Chriftianus. Tertull. Apol. c. 43. fed dicet aliquis
etiam de noftris excedere quofdam à regulâ difci-
plinæ. Defunt tum Chriftiani haberi apud nos:
Id. ib. c. 46. Leg. Twill. Vind. Grat. l. 3 E. 8.◊.
6. p. 75. and my 5th Difp. of Sacraments. If any
man have not the Spirit of Chrift, the fame is
none of his, Rom. 8. 9. Luk. 14. 26, 33. They
are Spies in his Army: They are Abfaloms, Chanis
and Judas's in his Family. Try them by the Cha-

racter

1

1

racter that Chrift hath given of his true Difciples: and if they be fuch, then tell us of their Lives and Spare not. They are not of us, while they are among us. 1 John 2. 19. They are more of your party than of ours, If the Minde, Heart, and Life, be more of the Man, than the tongue and knee. What if a Celfus, or Porphiry, or Epicurus had called himself a Chriftian? Muft Chrift be answerable for him? Is it not enough that they abuse him by their hypocrifie, and living contrary to his Laws, but he must be accused for their Crimes, which he fo strictly forbiddeth, and for which he will caft them into Hell for ever? would you have him do more than this is to difclaim them? Were they indeed Chriftian Princes, Barons, Priests and People, of whom Abbas Urfpergenfis fpeaketh, Chron. pag. 32. Ut omnis homo jam fit perjurus & prædictis facinoribus implicatus; ut vix excufari poffit, quin fit in his ficut populus, fic & Sacerdos Et p. 321. Principes terrarum & Barones, arte Diabolicâ edocti, nec curabant Juramenta infringere, nec Fidem violare, & jus omne confundere? were they Chriftian Knights that Erafmus Speaketh of, Colloqui Pap. 485. Ni fis bonus aleator, probus Chartarius, Scortator improbus, potator ftrenuus, profufor audax, decoctor & conflator æris alieni, deinde scabie ornatus Gallicâ, vix quifquam te credet equitem. It was Cotta's proof, that there are Atheists, in Cicer. de natur. Deor. li. 1. [ What fhall we fay of the Sacrilegious, Perjured, and Ungodly? If Carbo, &c. had thought, that there are Gods, he had not been fo PERFU RED and UNGODLY.] What more necessary to ungodly men (whatever they call themselves)

( ၁ )

than

than to convince them that there is a God, and Life to come? Chrift will not care for their Image of Religion, or deceitfull Promifes and Profeffions: All wife men are of Solon's minde [Probitatem jurejurando certiorem habe] Laert. in Sol.

Believe it, Hypocrites, your fornications, gluttony, drunkenneffe, idleneffe, covetousnesse, Selfishneffe, or pride, will finde no Cloak in the day of Judgement, from the Chriftian name. You might better cheap have been fenfual and wicked at a further distance, than in the Family or Church of God. Nihil prodeft æftimari, quod non fis: Et duplicis peccati reus es; non habere quod crederis ; & quod non habueris fimulare: Hieron. Ep. ad fil. Maur. Or Suppose your Lives are more civilly and smoothly carnall? To do no harm, is too little to prove you Chriftians: Much more to do evil with fome bounds. Nullum eft aliud latronum beneficium, nifi ut commemorare pofsint, iis fe vitam dediffe quibus non ademerint. Cicer. Phil. 2. Non eft bonitas pessimis effe meliorem. Senec. My reasonable demand is, that you will be what you call your felves, or call your felves as you are. I am not inviting you to a new Religion, nor to a sect; but to be really and seriously what you are nominally, and what have vowed and profeffe to be: Jeft not with God, and Heaven and Hell. You may mock your felves, but God will not be mocked. At last turn back, and study what that Religion is which you profeffe: Review your Baptismal Covenant; and be true to that, and I have done. And cast out of your way the common block of hating those whom you should imitate. Ita comparatum eft, ut virtutem non fufpiciamus, neq; ejus imitandæ studio corripimur,

you

corripimur, nifi eum in quo ea confpicitur, fummo honore & amore profequamur. Plutar, in Cat. Utic. It was one of the Roman Lawes of the 12 Tables, [Impius ne audeto placare donis iram Deorum.] Repent and pray, was Peters Counsel to one of your Predeceffors, Act. 8. 22. Judas hath a Kifs for Chrift; but it is hearty love, and a fober, righteous, godly life, which must be your evidence. I have faithfully warned you; The Lord have mercy on you, and convert you.

Cujus aures claufe Veritati funt, ut ab amico verum audire nequeat, hujus falus desperanda eft. Cic. Rhet. I.

Prov, 28. 9. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law, even his Prayer shall be abo

mination.

Antifthenes civitates tunc interire aiebat, cum bonos difcernere nequeunt à malis. Laert. in Antifth. John 3.8. He that committeth fin, is of the Devil: For the Devil finneth from the beginning: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil.