Cain and Abel malignity that is, enmity to serious godliness, that is, to an…

14. And why is it that they that know them best can see none of the wickedness which you accuse them of, (beyond those humane infirmities of which they most accuse themselves). As I have oft done, I again solemnly profess, as one that cannot be far from my account before the judge of all the the World, that having now lived to the 68th year of my age, and been most familiar ⟨p. 105⟩since the age of sixteen or seventeen, with that sort of men whom the Vulgar then called Puritans (described by Mr. Bolton and such other Conformists) though I have met with many that had their mistakes and frailties, and troublesome differences in lesser things, and some Hypocrites intruded among them, yet I never knew any other sort of men comparable to them in Christian Knowledge, Faith, Obedience to God, Hatred of sin, Care of their duty to God and man, Sobriety, Temperance, Chastity, Truth, Heavenly desires, endeavours and hopes: And that they so far excelled the rest of my acquaintance, as made their grace amiable to me, and confirmed my belief of the Sacred Scripture: Yea more, if I had not had the happiness of knowing such a sort of men that in holiness, Justice and Love excelled the rest of my acquaintance, or at least credibly heard of such, I could not have believed in Christ, as a Saviour of men whom he made no better than Turks and Infidels; Nor could I have believed a Heaven for men no better prepared for it. And that now near my end, I see so great a difference in Holiness, Justice and Charity, between those commonly reviled for worshipping God but as the Apostles did, and those that hate and persecute them, as greatly helps me in believing that there is a Saviour and Sanctifier, and Heaven for the faithful, and a Devil ⟨p. 106⟩that deceives the rest, and a hell that will receive them; which is even visibly begun on Earth.

14. And why is it that they that know them best can see none of the wickedness which you accuse them of, (beyond those humane infirmities of which they most accuse themselves). As I have oft done, I again solemnly profess, as one that cannot be far from my account before the judge of all the the World, that having now lived to the 68th year of my age, and been most familiar ⟨p. 105⟩since the age of sixteen or seventeen, with that sort of men whom the Vulgar then called Puritans (described by Mr. Bolton and such other Conformists) though I have met with many that had their mistakes and frailties, and troublesome differences in lesser things, and some Hypocrites intruded among them, yet I never knew any other sort of men comparable to them in Christian Knowledge, Faith, Obedience to God, Hatred of sin, Care of their duty to God and man, Sobriety, Temperance, Chastity, Truth, Heavenly desires, endeavours and hopes: And that they so far excelled the rest of my acquaintance, as made their grace amiable to me, and confirmed my belief of the Sacred Scripture: Yea more, if I had not had the happiness of knowing such a sort of men that in holiness, Justice and Love excelled the rest of my acquaintance, or at least credibly heard of such, I could not have believed in Christ, as a Saviour of men whom he made no better than Turks and Infidels; Nor could I have believed a Heaven for men no better prepared for it. And that now near my end, I see so great a difference in Holiness, Justice and Charity, between those commonly reviled for worshiping God but as the Apostles did, and those that hate and persecute them, as greatly helps me in believing that there is a Saviour and Sanctifier, and Heaven for the faithful, and a Devil