Again,3 a sin against the Gospel, is unfruitfulness under it: When men shall have the blessed influence of the Gospel, the Soul-saving Truth, the good Word to be long among them; and to be as barren under it, as if they were Pagans: For the Gospel to have no more power over our souls, then if we had no Gospel at all: That there is no difference between us and Heathens, in regard of our conversations: To go no further then they; nay, not so far in honesty, and justice, and sobriety: Let us take heed of these and the like sins against the Gospel. And I say, it should be a ground of labouring the conversion of those that be Savages, be they never so barbarous, to labour to gain them to Christ.2 There are indeed some hinderances: there be Jannes and Jambres among them, instruments of the Devil, to keep them in blindness and ignorance; and then custom, that they are bred in, (which prevails most with the sorriest people) for ignorant people, that have their wits determined to one way ⟨p. 136⟩they are so strong in it, as they are not to be untaught; as it is hard to teach a Beast, because he is taught to go one way, for want of variety of conceptions, being void of reason: now, people by nature are little better then Beasts; therefore they are so fixed and determined in that way they are brought up in, and are so settled by the Devil and those Priests among them, and by the tyranny of those that have come among them, the Spaniards, &c. that hath hindered their conversion much: yet take them as bad as they can be, God hath a time for them. What were we of this Nation sixteen hundred years agone? There is a fullness of the Gentiles to come in; and certainly, it is not yet come, fully: For, it is probable, nay, more then probable, that there are some people that never had the Gospel; and the fullness of the Gentiles must come in, before the other Mystery of the calling of the Jews. I speak it, to encourage those that have interest that way, not to take violent courses with them. There is nothing so voluntary as Faith; it must be wrought by persuasions, not by violence: and there is a ground of encouragement hence, that since the coming of Christ, there is a liberty for all Nations to come in, Christ must be preached to the Gentiles.
Againe,3 a sinne against the Gospel, is unfruitfulnesse under it: When men shall have the blessed influence of the Gospel, the Soule-saving Truth, the good Word to be long among them; and to be as barren under it, as if they were Pagans: For the Gospel to have no more power over our soules, then if we had no Gospel at all: That there is no difference betweene us and Heathens, in regard of our conversations: To goe no further then they; nay, not so farre in honestie, and justice, and sobrietie: Let us take heed of these and the like sinnes against the Gospel. And I say, it should be a ground of labouring the conversion of those that be Savages, be they never so barbarous, to labour to gaine them to Christ.2 There are indeed some hinderances: there be Iannes and Iambres among them, instruments of the Devil, to keepe them in blindnesse and ignorance; and then custome, that they are bred in, (which prevailes most with the sorriest people) for ignorant people, that have their wits determined to one way ⟨p. 136⟩they are so strong in it, as they are not to be untaught; as it is hard to teach a Beast, because he is taught to goe one way, for want of varietie of conceptions, being void of reason: now, people by nature are little better then Beasts; therefore they are so fixed and determined in that way they are brought up in, and are so settled by the Devill and those Priests among them, and by the tyrannie of those that have come among them, the Spaniards, &c. that hath hindred their conversion much: yet take them as bad as they can be, God hath a time for them. What were wee of this Nation sixteene hundred yeeres agone? There is a fulnesse of the Gentiles to come in; and certainely, it is not yet come, fully: For, it is probable, nay, more then probable, that there are some people that never had the Gospel; and the fulnesse of the Gentiles must come in, before the other Mysterie of the calling of the Iewes. I speake it, to encourage those that have interest that way, not to take violent courses with them. There is nothing so voluntarie as Faith; it must be wrought by perswasions, not by violence: and there is a ground of encouragement hence, that since the comming of Christ, there is a libertie for all Nations to come in, Christ must be preached to the Gentiles.
- 3Unfruitfulness.Vnfruitfulnes.
- 2Hinderances to the conversion of Pagan.
