Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor

4. And as you must do thus when you come to hard points as Definitions or the like, so in all points where you perceive that they understand not the meaning and stress of your question? there you must first draw out their answer by an Equipollent or expository question, or if that will not do, thus frame the answer into your question, and demand but his Yea or Nay: yea if it be never so easy a point that you are upon, you must do thus at last in case by the first question you have an unsatisfactory answer. E. G. I have oft asked some very ignorant people, How do you think of your sins, so many and great sins shall be pardoned? And they tell me by their Repenting and mending their lives; and never mention Jesus Christ. I ask them further, But do you think that your amendment can make God ⟨p. 431⟩any amendt or satisfaction for the sin that is past? They will answer we hope so, or else we know not what will? A man would think now that these men had no knowledge of Christ at all, in that they make no mention of him; And some I find have indeed none and when I tell them over the history of the Gospel, and what Christ is, did and suffered and why, they stand wondering at it as a strange thing that they had never heard before; and some say; They never heard this much before, nor knew it, though they came to Church every Lords day. But some I perceive do give such answers, because they understand not the scope of my question; but think that I take Christs death as granted, and only ask them what shall make God satisfaction as their part under Christ (Though thus also they discover sad ignorance.) And when I ask them whether their deeds can Merit any thing of God? they say No; but they hope God will accept them. And if I ask further Can you be saved without the death of that? they say, No; And if I ask what hath he done or suffered for you? They will say He dyed for us; or shed his blood for us: and will profess that they place their confidence in that for salvation. Many men have that in their minds, which is not ripe for utterance; and through ill education and disuse, they are strangers to the expressions of those things which they have some Conceptions of. And, by the way you may here see the cause to deal very tenderly with the common people for matter of knowledge and defect of expression;

4. And as you must do thus when you come to hard points as Definitions or the like, so in all points where you perceive that they understand not the meaning and stress of your question? there you must first draw out their answer by an Equipollent or expository question, or if that will not do, thus frame the answer into your question, and demand but his Yea or Nay: yea if it be never so easie a point that you are upon, you must do thus at last in case by the first question you have an unsatisfactory answer. E. G. I have oft asked some very ignorant people, How do you think of your sins, so many and great sins shall be pardoned? And they tell me by their Repenting and mending their lives; and never mention Jesus Christ. I ask them further, But do you think that your amendment can make God