A30122:329
The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor showing…The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor shewing…
The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor showing that the day of grace may be past with him long before his life is ended : the signs also by which such miserable mortals may be known / by John Bunyan ; to which is added his Exhortation to peace and unity among all that fear God.The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor shewing that the day of grace may be past with him long before his life is ended : the signs also by which such miserable mortals may be known / by John Bunyan ; to which is added his Exhortation to peace and unity among all that fear God.
London: printed for J. Robinson, 1688
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
where we read, That those Disciples which had been discipled and baptized by John, were yet ignorant of the Holy Ghost, and knew not (as the Text tells us) whether there were any Holy Ghost or no; though John did teach constantly, That he that should come after him, should baptize with the Holy Ghost and Fire. From hence we may easily and plainly infer, that Christians may be ignorant of many Truths, by reason of weak and dull Capacities, and other such-like Impediments, even while those Truths are with much plainness delivered to them. Again, We read, Heb. 5. 13. of some that were unskilful ⟨p. 8⟩in the Word of Righteousness, who nevertheless are called Babes in Christ, and with whom Unity and Peace is to be inviolably kept and maintained.
where we read, That those Disciples which had been discipled and baptized by John, were yet ignorant of the Holy Ghost, and knew not (as the Text tells us) whether there were any Holy Ghost or no; though John did teach constantly, That he that should come after him, should baptize with the Holy Ghost and Fire. From hence we may easily and plainly infer, that Christians may be ignorant of many Truths, by reason of weak and dull Capacities, and other such-like Impediments, even while those Truths are with much plainness delivered to them. Again, We read, Heb. 5. 13. of some that were unskilful ⟨p. 8⟩in the Word of Righteousness, who nevertheless are call'd Babes in Christ, and with whom Unity and Peace is to be inviolably kept and maintained.
2. As this Unity and Peace may consist in the ignorance of many Truths, and in the holding some Errors, so it must consist with (and it cannot consist without) the believing and practising those things which are necessary to Salvation and Church-Communion; and they are, First, Believing that Christ the Son of God died for the Sins of Men. Secondly, That whoever believed, ought to be baptized: The third thing essential to this Communion, is a holy and a blameless Conversation.