YOU see now in plain terms, from the word of God, who are the wicked, and who are the converted. Ignorant people think, that if a man be no swearer, nor curser, nor railer, nor drunkard, nor fornicator, nor extortioner, nor wrong any body in their dealings, and if they come to church, and say their prayers, these cannot be wicked men. Or, if a man that hath been guilty of drunkenness, swearing, or gaming, or the like vices, do but forbear them for the time to come, they think that th•• is a converted man. Others think, if a man that ha••• been an enemy and scorner at godliness, do but approve it, and be hated for it by the wicked, as the godly are, that this must needs be a converted man. And some are so foolish as to think that they are converted, ⟨p. 25⟩by taking up some new and false opinion; and falling into some dividing party, as anabaptists, quakers, papists, and such like. And some think, if they have but been affrighted by the fears of hell, and had convictions, and gripes of conscience, and thereupon have purposed and promised amendment, and take up a life of civil behaviour, and outward religion, that this must needs be true conversion. And these are the poor deluded souls that are like to lose the benefit of all our persuasions: and when they hear that the wicked must turn or die, they think that this is not spoken to them; for they are not wicked, but are turned already. And, therefore, it is that Christ told some of the rulers of the Jews, who were greater and civiler than the common people, that publicans and harlots do go into the kingdom of Christ before them, Matt. xxi. 31. Not that an harlot, or gross sinner, can be saved without conversion; but because it was easier to make these gross sinners perceive their sin and misery, and the necessity of a change, when the civiler sort do delude themselves by thinking that they are converted already, when they be not.
YOU see now in plain terms, from the word of God, who are the wicked, and who are the converted. Ignorant people think, that if a man be no swearer, nor curser, nor railer, nor drunkard, nor fornicator, nor extortioner, nor wrong any body in their dealings, and if they come to church, and say their prayers, these cannot be wicked men. Or, if a man that hath been guilty of drunkenness, swearing, or gaming, or the like vices, do but forbear them for the time to come, they think that th•• is a converted man. Others think, if a man that ha••• been an enemy and scorner at godliness, do but approve it, and be hated for it by the wicked, as the godly are, that this must needs be a converted man. And some are so foolish as to think that they are converted, ⟨p. 25⟩by taking up some new and false opinion; and falling into some dividing party, as anabaptists, quakers, papists, and such like. And some think, if they have but been affrighted by the fears of hell, and had convictions, and gripes of conscience, and thereupon have purposed and promised amendment, and take up a life of civil behaviour, and outward religion, that this must needs be true conversion. And these are the poor deluded souls that are like to lose the benefit of all our persuasions: and when they hear that the wicked must turn or die, they think that this is not spoken to them; for they are not wicked, but are turned already. And, therefore, it is that Christ told some of the rulers of the Jews, who were greater and civiler than the common people, that publicans and haerlots do go into the kingdom of Christ before them, Matt. xxi. 31. Not that an harlot, or gross sinner, can be saved without conversion; but because it was easier to make these gross sinners perceive their sin and misery, and the necessity of a change, when the civiler sort do delude themselves by thinking that they are converted already, when they be not.
