Gods three arrows plague, famine, sword, in three treatises. I. A plaster for the…Gods three arrovves plague, famine, svvord, in three treatises. I. A plaister for the…

§. 14. Of mis-judging a profession by outward judgements.

IT being so evident that famines befall pious polities, it ¹must needs be a perverse ground of censure, to question a Religion and the truth thereof by reason of such an event. Was there any true Church in the world, but the Church of the Jews, while that polity stood? Yet was there no external judgement from which that was not exempted. A Religion may be sound and good, though the Professors thereof (through their unworthy walking) pull many judgements upon their own heads: ^aThe Church of Corinth in the Primitive and purest time thereof, provoked God to judge them in this world. Yet was the Religion which they professed, taught them by an Apostle: the Religion I say, not their abuse thereof. There is a better touch-stone to try the truth of Religion by, then external events. ^bJudgement must begin at the house of God. ^cThe righteous shall be recompensed in the earth. Shall then that be accounted no Church where judgements are? Or they not righteous, who on earth are recompensed? ⟨p. 151⟩Well may we judge, that God inflicteth no judgement without a just cause. But a false Religion is not the only cause of judgement. Wherefore neither judge other Churches in their Religion because of famine, plague, or other like judgements befall them: nor think the worse of thine own profession, especially when thou hast evidences of the correspondency thereof to Gods Word, for such causes.