A09376:315
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, it is the opinion not of the Turk alone in his Alcoran, but of many other as ill, that every man shall be saved by his own religion, if he be devout therein; be he Turk, Jew, or Christian, Papist or Protestant. But this is a ground and rule of Atheism, and appears here to be most false; for, no salvation without pleasing of God, and without faith it is impossible to please God: therefore no religion can save a man, but that which teacheth a man rightly to believe in Christ, and consequently to please God. But every religion teacheth not to believe in Christ, some not at all; and some not aright, and therefore it is impossible for such a religion to save a man. Again, be a man what he can be, unless he be within the covenant of grace, he cannot be saved: But he cannot be within the covenant, but by faith: therefore ⟨p. 74⟩no man can be saved by any means, but by true faith; nor in any religion, but that which teacheth true faith.
Thirdly, it is the opinion not of the Turke alone in his Alcaron, but of many other as ill, that euery man shall be saued by his owne religion, if he be deuout therein; be hee Turke, Iewe, or Christian, Papist or Protestant. But this is a ground and rule of Atheisme, and appeares here to be most false; for, no saluation without pleasing of God, and without faith it is impossible to please God: therfore no religion can saue a man, but that which teacheth a man rightly to beleeue in Christ, and consequently to please God. But euery religion teacheth not to beleeue in Christ, some not at all; and some not aright, and therefore it is impossible for such a religion to saue a man. Againe, be a man what hee can be, vnlesse he be within the couenant of grace, he cannot be saued: But hee cannot be within the couenant, but by faith: therefore ⟨p. 74⟩no man can bee saued by any meanes, but by true faith; nor in any religion, but that which teacheth true faith.
Here therefore not only Turks and Jews are excluded: but this also showeth many Papists, and many carnal Gospellers in our Church, how short they come of that religion which must save their souls. For this is the conceit of the most men, that if they do some good works, which carry a fair show to the world, as liberality to learning, or charity to the poor; straight they think they have leave to live as they list, and God is bound to forgive their sins, and to give them heaven: and this they imagine, though they know not what it is to believe in Christ, or to repent of their sins. One of this religion came to the Prophet Micah in his days, and asked him this question (uttering that plainly which all such men think in their hearts) Wherewithal shall I come before the Lord,