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

They may as well hate Philosophy because some vagrant Sots have called themselves Philosophers, or have sailed with Aristotle or Plato in the same Ship: They may as well hate Physic, because many ignorant Women and Mountebanks have professed it? They may as well reproach us for Loyalty to our King, because there are secret Traitors, that call themselves his Subjects? What are you to Christians, that we should be reproached for your Villainies? O you Turks and Heathens, rather reproach us because there are wicked persons of your selves; for you are not so cruel Enemies to Christians, as many of these Hypocrites are. Nullus enim Christianus malus est, nisi hanc professionem simulaverit. Athenagor. Leg. pro Christ. pag. 3. Nemo illic (in Carcere) Christianus, nisi planè tantùm Christianus: aut si aliud, jam non Christianus. Tertull. Apol. c. 43. sed dicet aliquis etiam de nostris excedere quosdam à regulâ disciplinae. Desunt tum Christiani haberi apud nos: Id. ib. c. 46. Leg. Twiss. Vind. Grat. l. 3 E. 8. §. 6. p. 75. and my 5th Disp. of Sacraments. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the same is none of his, Rom. 8.9. Luk. 14.26, 33. They are Spies in his Army: They are Absaloms, Chams and Judas's in his Family. Try them by the Character ⟨image 13⟩that Christ hath given of his true Disciples: and if they be such, then tell us of their Lives and spare not. They are not of us, while they are among us. 1 John 2.19. They are more of your party than of ours, If the Mind, Heart, and Life, be more of the Man, than the tongue and knee. What if a Celsus, or Porphyry, or Epicurus had called himself a Christian? Must Christ be answerable for him? Is it not enough that they abuse him by their hypocrisy, and living contrary to his Laws, but he must be accused for their Crimes, which he so strictly forbiddeth, and for which he will cast them into Hell for ever? would you have him do more than this is to disclaim them? Were they indeed Christian Princes, Barons, Priests and People, of whom Abbas Urspergensis speaketh, Chron. pag. 32. Ut omnis homo jam sit perjurus & praedictis facinoribus implicatus; ut vix excusari possit, quin sit in his sicut populus, sic & Sacerdos— Et p. 321. Principes terrarum & Barones, art Diabolicâ edocti, nec curabant Juramenta infringere, nec Fidem violare, & jus omne confundere? were they Christian Knights that Erasmus speaketh of, Colloqui Pap.