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

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.

6. If it be said, that men that had some good, and some bad in them, did contrive it (such as those Fanatics, or Enthusiasts, who have pious notions and words, with pride and self-exalting minds) I answer, The good is so great which is found in Christianity, that it is not possible that a bad man ▪ much less an extremely bad man, could be the Author of it▪ And the wickedness of the plot would be so great if it were false, that it is not possible that any but an extremely bad man ⟨p. 139⟩could be guilty of it: Much less that a multitude should be sound at once so extremely good as to promote it, even with their greatest labour and suffering, and also so extremely bad as to join together in the plot to cheat the world, in a matter of such high importance. Such exceeding good and evil, cannot consist in any one person, much less in so many as must do such a thing. And if such a heated brain sick person as Hacket, Nailer, David, George, or John of Leiden, should cry up themselves upon prophetical and pious pretences, their madness hath still appeared, in the mixture of their impious doctrines and practices: And if any would and could be so wicked, God never would or did assist them, by an age of numerous open miracles, nor lend them his Omnipotency to deceive the world; but left them to the shame of their proud attempts, and made their folly known to all.