A09376:174
A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon…A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon…
A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon the 11 chapter to the Hebrews preached in Cambridge by that godly, and judicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executors, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for Leo. Greene, 1607London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for Leo. Greene, 1607
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thirdly, did Cain offer as well as Abel? Hence we learn that the Church militant is a mixed & compounded company of men: not of one sort; but true believers & hypocrites mingled together: as here in the very infancy of the Church, here was a Cain worshipping in show, as well as Abel that worshipped in truth. So was it in the infancy, so in her perpetual growth, & so shall it be in the last age of the church: the good shall never be quite separated from the bad, until Christ himself do it at the last judgement. Goats shall always be mingled amongst the sheep, till Christ the great shepherd do separate them himself, Math. 25.34. And he that imagineth a perfect separation till then, imagineth a fancy in his brain, and such a Church, as cannot be found upon the earth.
Thirdly, did Cain offer as wel as Abel? Hence we learn that the Church militant is a mixt & cōpounded cōpany of men: not of one sort; but true beleeuers & hypocrites mingled together: as here in the very infancy of the Church, here was a Cain worshipping in shew, as wel as Abell that worshipped in truth. So was it in the infancy, so in her perpetual growth, & so shal it be in the last age of the church: the good shal neuer be quite separated frō the bad, vntil Christ himself do it at the last iudgement. Goates shall alwaies be mingled amongst the sheepe, till Christ the great shepheard do separate them himselfe, Math. 25.34. And he that imagineth a perfect separation till then, imagineth a fancy in his braine, and such a Church, as cannot be found vpon the earth.
This being so, let no man therefore be afraid to join himself to the visible Church: neither let any that are in it go out of it, because the bad are mingled with the good; for so it hath been always, & ever will be: he then that will go out of a Church, because there be hypocrites in it, must go out of the world, for such a Church is not found, but triumphant in heaven.
This being so, let no man therfore be afraid to ioyne himself to the visible Church: neither let any that are in it go out of it, because the bad are mingled with the good; for so it hath been alwaies, & euer wil be: he then that wil go out of a Church, because there be hypocrites in it, must go out of the world, for such a Church is not foūd, but triūphant in heauē.