The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…

I have considered of the characters of a Christian in the twenty particulars before expressed in this Chapter, (§. 10.) and I have examined my soul concerning them all; and as far as I am able to know my self, I must profess, in humble thankfulness to my Redeemer, that there is none of them which I find not in me: And seeing God hath given me his testimony within me, to the truth of the Gospel of his Son, I take it to be my duty in the profession of it, to give my testimony of it to unbelievers. And I must as solemnly profess, that I have had acquaintance with hundreds, if not thousands, on whom I have seen such evidences of a holy heavenly mind, which nothing but uncharitable and unrighteous censure could deny.¹ And I have had special intimate familiarity, with very many, in all whom I have discerned the Image of God, in such innocency, charity, justice, holiness, contempt of the world, mortification, self-denial, humility, patience and heavenly mindedness, in such a measure, that I have seen no cause to question their sincerity, but great cause to love and honour them as the Saints of God: yea, I bless the Lord that most of my converse in the world, since the 22d year of my age, hath been with such; and much of it, six years sooner. Therefore for my own part, I cannot be ignorant that Christ hath a sanctified people upon earth.

1. 1Cum dilectione fidem Christiani: sine dilectione fides daemonum: Qui autem non credunt, pejores sunt quam daemones. Aug. de Charit. Hypocrita ut sine fine crucietur, vivere sine fine compellitur: ut cujus vita hic mortua fuit in culpa, illic ejus mors vivit in poena. Greg. Mor. l. 2.

Object.¹ But how can one man know another's heart to be sincere?

1. 1Nihil prodest aestimare quod non fis: & duplicis peccati ress es, non habere quod crederis, & quod habueris simulare. Hieron. ep. ad fil. Maurit.