A Christian Directory

§. 1. Ignorance and ungrounded or ill-grounded persuasions in matters of Religion, are the cause that abundance of people delude themselves, with the empty name and dead profession of a Faith and Religion which they never were indeed possessors of. I know there are low degrees of knowledge comparatively in many that are true believers: and that there may be much Love and Holiness, where knowledge is very small or narrow, as to the objective extent of it: And that there is a knowledge that puffeth up, while Charity edifieth: And that in many that have the narrower knowledge, there may be the fastest faith and adherence to the truth, which will conquer in the time of trial. But yet I must tell you, that the Religion which you profess, is not indeed your own Religion, if you know not what it is, and know not in some measure the true Grounds and Reasons why you should be of that Religion. If you have only learnt to say your Creed, or repeat the words of Christian Doctrine, while you do not truly understand the sense, or if you have no better Reasons why you profess the Christian faith, than the custom of the Country, or the command of Princes or Governors, or the Opinion of your Teachers, or the example of your Parents, friends or neighbours, you are not Christians indeed. You have a humane belief or opinion, which objectively is true; but subjectively in your selves you have no true divine belief. I confess there may be some insufficient, yea, and erroneous Reasons, which a true Believer may mistakingly make use of, for the proof of certain fundamental truths: But then that same man hath some other Reason for his reception of that truth, which is more sound▪ and his faith is sound because of those sound infallible principles, though there be a mixture of some other Reasons that are unsound. The true Believer buildeth on the Rock, and giveth deep rooting to the holy seed, Matth. 7. 24. & 13. 5, 8. Though some deluded men may tell you, that Faith and Reason are such enemies, that they exclude each other as to the same object, and that the less Reason you have to prove the truth of the things believed, the stronger and more laudable is your faith; yet when it cometh to the trial, you will find, that Faith is no unreasonable thing;

§. 1. IGnorance and ungrounded or ill-grounded perswasions in matters of Religion, are the cause that abundance of people delude themselves, with the empty name and dead profession of a Faith and Religion which they never were indeed possessors of. I know there are low degrees of knowledge comparatively in many that are true believers: and that there may be much Love and Holiness, where knowledge is very small or narrow, as to the objective extent of it: And that there is a knowledge that puffeth up, while Charity edifieth: And that in many that have the narrower knowledge, there may be the fastest faith and adherence to the truth, which will conquer in the time of tryal. But yet I must tell you, that the Religion which you profess, is not indeed your own Religion, if you know not what it is, and know not in some measure the true Grounds and Reasons why you should be of that Religion. If you have only learnt to say your Creed, or repeat the words of Christian Doctrine, while you do not truly understand the sense, or if you have no better Reasons why you profess the Christian faith, than the custom of the Countrey, or the command of Princes or Governours, or the Opinion of your Teachers, or the example of your Parents, friends or neighbours, you are not Christians indeed. You have a humane belief or opinion, which objectively is true; but subjectively in your selves you have no true divine belief. I confess there may be some insufficient, yea, and erroneous Reasons, which a true Believer may mistakingly make use of, for the proof of certain fundamental truths: But then that same man hath some other Reason for his reception of that truth, which is more sound and his faith is sound because of those sound infallible principles, though there be a mixture of some other Reasons that are unsound. The true Believer buildeth on the Rock, and giveth deep rooting to the holy seed,