The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

But it seems we have not as yet got a sound definition of faith; the reverend Mr. Daniel Rogers hath put in one thing which creates much trouble to Christians, as you may see in the Epistle to the Reader. Mr. Shepherd, though he speaks not the same words, yet speaks the same sense, in his Sincere Convert, p. 123. where inviting the Soul to take hold of Christ, he thus speaketh, Go to him, and take hold on him, not with the hand of presumption, and love to thy self, to save thy self, but with the hand of faith and love to him to honour him. His ninth and last way that he numbers among the nine easy ways to Heaven (as men think) all which lead to Hell, seems fully to speak the same thing with Mr. Rogers, which you may compare with him in the beginning of this book. Ninthly, ¹The way of self-love, whereby a man fearing terribly he shall be damned, useth diligently all means whereby he shall be saved: here is the strongest difficulty of all, to row against the stream, and to hate a mans self, and then to follow Christ fully. Here he hath left the Reader in the dark sadly, not telling him, what he meant by rowing against the stream, hating self, following Christ fully; but withal, here is enough to sink a poor Christian, that if a man feareth terribly he shall be damned, and useth diligently all means whereby he may be saved, this is but a way of self-love, and a way to Hell; self must be hated. These two places fully agree with Mr. Rogers. One head more he hath, which needs an Interpreter: The pining and devout Hypocrite, ²that being pursued with the fear of hell, labours for just so much holiness, as will save him only, and carry him to heaven at last. If he labours for it, and attains so much holiness as carries him to heaven at last, I am confident he shall not be condemned for an Hypocrite. What, or how much is that just so much holiness as will carry a man to heaven?

But it seems we have not as yet got a sound definition of faith; the reverend Mr. Daniel Rogers hath put in one thing which creates much trouble to Christians, as you may see in the Epistle to the Reader. Mr. Shepherd, though he speaks not the same words, yet speaks the same sense, in his Sincere Convert, p. 123. where inviting the Soul to take hold of Christ, he thus speaketh, Go to him, and take hold on him, not with the hand of presumption, and love to thy self, to save thy self, but with the hand of faith and love to him to honour him. His ninth and last way that he numbers among the nine easie wayes to Heaven (as men think) all which lead to Hell, seems fully to speak the same thing with Mr. Rogers, which you may compare with him in the beginning of this book. Ninthly,