A17218:54
Look from Adam, and behold the Protestants faith and religion evidently proved out of…Looke from Adam, and behold the Protestants faith and religion evidently proued out of…
Look from Adam, and behold the Protestants faith and religion evidently proved out of the holy Scriptures against all atheists, papists, loose libertines, and carnal gospellers: and that the faith which they profess, hath continued from the beginning of the world, and so is the true and ancient faith. Herein hast thou also a short sum of the whole Bible, and a plain manifestation, that all holy men who have pleased God, have been saved through this Christian faith alone.Looke from Adam, and behold the Protestants faith and religion evidently proued out of the holy Scriptures against all atheists, papists, loose libertines, and carnall gospellers: and that the faith which they professe, hath continued from the beginning of the world, and so is the true and ancient faith. Herein hast thou also a short summe of the whole Bible, and a plaine manifestation, that all holy men who have pleased God, have beene saved through this Christian faith alone.
London: printed by John Haviland for Thomas Pavier, 1624London: printed by Iohn Haviland for Thomas Pavier, 1624
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Now like as in Abel there is set forth unto us an example of Gods seed, and of a regenerate true faithful Christian man.1 So is Cain a seed of the Serpent, a child of the Devil, which despised the inspiration of God, and harkened to the deceitful ⟨p. 23⟩Serpent. And in these two brethren we may see what God meant, when he said: I will put enmity between the seed of the woman and thy seed. As though he would say: There shall be two manner of people, the one shall cleave unto Christ, the blessed seed, the other shall cleave unto the Devil. And these two generations shall in no wise agree, but be at variance in faith and religion. I will endue my seed, that they shall cleave only unto me, fear me, honour and worship me, seek all salvation in me through the blessed seed, live virtuously, honestly, and soberly. Then shall the Serpent tempt their seed with hypocrisy, not to love me nor serve me aright, not to hold of me as they should, not to trust in me, but to love the world, and to follow the lusts and temptations thereof: All this find we here in these two brethren, in whom beginneth the first difference of true and false believers.2 For Abel was simple, godly, and of a constant faith in God. And in as much as he took God for his refuge, he brought him gifts of his best substance, no doubt because he had first given over his soul and all his power unto God, at whom alone he sought all good without any hypocrisy. He was also innocent, virtuous and friendly, and followed not his own tentations. And for this faiths sake did his sacrifice please God: but Cains pleased him not, for his heart was not right with God: he was a dissembler, greedy and unfaithful person, which set his heart and mind upon earthly things, alway despising Gods word, and following his own tentation. Which thing was evident in this, that he having ⟨p. 24⟩no cause (only of a wilful heart, and through the temptation of the serpent) murdered his own brother: Whereby he hath obtained to be the Arch-father of all murderers, which persecute and murder the seed of God (that is to say, the true believers) only for their faiths sake. Thus became Abel the first martyr and instrument of God and of Christ in the holy Church.