Prototypes, or, The primary precedent presidents out of the book of Genesis showing, the…Prototypes, or, The primarie precedent presidents out of the booke of Genesis shewing, the…

¹The first fault of Abraham was that in which he lived before his calling by God out of Ur of the Chaldees, for it is manifest in the 24. of Josh. v. 2. that the Fathers in old time, even Terah the Father of Abraham and of Nahor, and consequently the sons themselves, being so brought up of their Fathers, served other gods. Here then is a sin in Abraham, that he took up the religion of his Fathers without making any diligent inquiry into the matter, whether the religion and gods were true or not. And this is a fault common to all mankind, they take their religion on trust, serving those gods which they find in the places where they dwell to be worshipped and served, and labour not to find out and serve the true God alone, who is only worthy to be served, yea if it fall out that the true God be served amongst them, they cleave not to him out of judgement and well grounded knowledge, that he is the only true God, but alone out of common custom, because all men do so, and this their religion becometh but a vain religion, and is of no force to their salvation. Indeed it was not so strange a thing that Abraham should be thus carried away after false gods, according as he was led by the common example, seeing at that time they had not the word of God written by Prophets and Apostles, to direct and guide them in this matter. But for us whom God hath so far favoured as to give us the clear light of his holy word, it is a most grievous sin to be led wholly by custom and example, and not to build and ground our selves upon that light which God hath ministered unto us. And the true cause, why men do follow such false guides in matter of Gods worship, is the blindness of their minds, and carnallnesse of their hearts, and the secret atheism which is in them, by which they are not thoroughly and certainly persuaded, that there is a God at all, and therefore ⟨p. 115⟩care not to find out and serve the living God, as if it made no great matter, so they served one which they served.

¹The first fault of Abraham was that in which he lived before his calling by God out of Vr of the Chaldees, for it is manifest in the 24. of Iosh. v. 2. that the Fathers in old time, even Terah the Father of Abraham and of Nahor, and consequently the sonnes themselves, being so brought up of their Fathers, served other gods. Here then is a sinne in Abraham, that he tooke up the religion of his Fathers without making any diligent inquiry into the matter, whether the religion and gods were true or not. And this is a fault common to all mankind, they take their religion on trust, serving those gods which they find in the places where they dwell to be worshipped and served, and labour not to find out and serve the true God alone, who is onely worthy to be served, yea if it fall out that the true God be served amongst them, they cleave not to him out of judgement and well grounded knowledge, that he is the onely true God, but alone out of common custome, because all men do so, and this their religon becommeth but a vaine religion, and is of no force to their salvation. Indeed it was not so strange a thing that Abraham should be thus carried away after false gods, according as he was led by the common example, seeing at that time they had not the word of God written by Prophets and Apostles, to direct and guide them in this matter. But for us whom God hath so farre favoured as to give us the cleare light of his holy word, it is a most grievous sinne to be led wholy by custome and example, and not to build and ground our selves upon that light which God hath ministred unto us. And the true cause, why men do follow such false guides in matter of Gods worship, is the blindnesse of their mindes, and carnallnesse of their hearts, and the secret atheisme which is in them, by which they are not thoroughly and certainely perswaded, that there is a God at all, and therefore