Gods husbandry

Now there are a sort of dissemblers,¹ not so notorious nor so gross as these, and yet still under the power and dominion of guile; who think themselves to be true Christians, and make account, that they have that religion and piety, which they seem to have, and yet in very truth have it not; but (as S.² James speaketh) deceive their own selves, as well as others, though the worst for them is, they cannot deceive God. There are a number of professors of Religion in the Church, of whom all that know them, have a very good opinion: supposing them to be most worthy Christians; yea, which in their own hearts do verily think of themselves, that they be indeed the sons and daughters of God, and that they serve him, and not themselves; when as in very deed, they do nothing else but cousin themselves, and the whole world; for within, they also are very rottenness, and serve themselves alone, and not the Lord Jesus Christ. Such ⟨p. 23⟩an hypocrite was the Apostle Paul before his calling, who was strict in all the Legal observations,³ and unrebukeable before men,⁴ and zealous of the Law, and (as he thought) earnest for the God of his fathers; yea,⁵ who was alive before the Law came (in his own esteem) and made full account to go to heaven; and yet for all that, he was but a whited tomb, and a rotten carcass; a Jew without before men, not within before God, as himself afterwards did know, how (even by experience of his own case) to distinguish.

Now there are a sort of dissemblers,¹ not so notorious nor so grosse as these, and yet still vnder the power and dominion of guile; who thinke themselues to bee true Christians, and make account, that they haue that religion and piety, which they seeme to haue, and yet in very truth haue it not; but (as S.