The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

For first of all, how can it blemish God, or Religion, or good men, because some that seemed to be good and were not good, do discover their rottenness, and unsoundness by their falls? What kind of blemish was it to the holy Apostles, and to the believers in the Primitive Church, that some that were amongst them did go out from them? What kind of blemish was it to the twelve Apostles, that one whom Christ kept familiar company with, and was conversant with the Apostles as brethren, did prove a hypocrite? Was Judas his desperate fall, a sign that the Religion and Preaching of Christ were naught, and the other Disciples hypocrites? None dare say so; and if it were not, then why should it now be a sign? They that do fall away, they do therefore fall away, because they are not religious, and not because they are religious. They therefore fall away, because they did not observe the rules of that religion they profest, and not because they profest it.

For first of all, how can it blemish God, or Religion, or good men, because some that seemed to be good and were not good, doe discover their rottenness, and unsoundness by their falls? What kind of blemish was it to the holy Apostles, and to the beleevers in the Primitive Church, that some that were amongst them did goe out from them? What kind of blemish was it to the twelve Apostles, that one whom Christ kept familiar company with, and was conversant with the Apostles as brethren, did prove a hypocrite? Was Judas his desperate fall, a sign that the Religion and Preaching of Christ were naught, and the other Disciples hypocrites? None dare say so; and if it were not, then why should it now be a sign? They that doe fall away, they doe therefore fall away, because they are not religious, and not because they are religious. They therefore fall away, because they did not observe the rules of that religion they profest, and not because they profest it.

And as it argueth thus an ignorance in people, so further, if so be that the world were acquainted with the Gospel, and works of God, they would know that the Lord hath decreed from all eternity, that in all ages of the Church, some that have been eminent in profession should fall away. There must be offences and scandals given, the Lord Jesus Christ