The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…

3. If it be below any good man, to be guilty of such a ⟨p. 138⟩forgery as aforesaid, we can much less suspect that any good Angel could be guilty of it.

4. And if no bad man could do so much good, we can much less imagine that any Devil or bad spirit could be the author of it. The Devil who is the worst in evil, could never so much contradict his nature, and overthrow his own Kingdom, and say so much evil of himself, and do so much against himself, and do so much for the sanctifying and saving of the world: He that doth so much to draw men to sin and misery, would never do so much to destroy their sin. And we plainly feel within our selves, that the spirit or party which draweth us to sin, doth resist the Spirit which draweth us to believe and obey the Gospel; and that these two maintain a war within us.

5. And if you should say, that the good which is in Christianity, is caused by God, and the evil of it by the Father of sin, I answer, either it is true or false: If it be true, it is so good, that the Devil can never possibly be a contributor to it: Nay, it cannot then be suspected justly of any evil. But if it be false, it is then so bad, that God cannot be any otherwise the Author of it, than as he is the Author of any common natural Verity which it may take in and abuse; or as his general concourse extendeth to the whole Creation. But it is somewhat in Christianity, which it hath more than other Religions have, which must make it more pure, and more powerful and successful, than any other Religions have been. Therefore it must be more than common natural truths: even the contexture of those natural truths, with the supernatural revelations of it, and the addition of a spirit of power, and light, and love, to procure the success. And God cannot be the Author of any such contexture, or additions, if it be false.