§. X.
It falls out then, that as Darkness, and the great Apostasy, came not upon the Christian World all at once, but by several Degrees, one Thing making way for another; until that thick and gross Veil came to be overspread, wherewith the Nations were so blindly covered, from the seventh and eighth, until the sixteenth Century; even as the Darkness of the Night comes not upon the outward Creation at once, but by Degrees, according as the Sun declines in each Horizon; so neither did that full and clear Light and Knowledge of the glorious Dispensation of the Gospel of Christ appear all at once; the Work of the first Witnesses being more to testify against and discover the Abuses of the Apostasy, than to establish the Truth in Purity. He that comes to build a new City, must first remove the old Rubbish, before he can see to lay a new Foundation; and he that comes to an House greatly polluted and full of Dirt, will first sweep away and remove the Filth, before he put up his own good and new Furniture. The dawning of the Day dispels the Darkness, and makes us see the Things that are most conspicuous: But the distinct discovering and discerning of Things, so as to make a certain and perfect Observation, is reserved for the arising of the Sun, and its shining in full Brightness. And we can, from a certain Experience, boldly affirm, that the not waiting for this, but building among, yea, and with, the Old Popish Rubbish, and setting up before a full Purgation, hath been to most Protestants the Foundation of many a Mistake, and an Occasion of unspeakable Hurt.The more full Discovery of the Gospel reserved to this our Age. Therefore the Lord God, who as he seeth meet doth communicate and make known to Man the more full, evident, and perfect Knowledge of his everlasting Truth, hath been pleased to reserve the more full Discovery of this Glorious and Evangelical Dispensation to this our Age; albeit divers Testimonies have thereunto been borne by some noted Men in several Ages, as shall hereafter appear. And for the greater Augmentation of the Glory of his Grace, that no Man might have whereof to boast, he hath raised up a few despicable and illiterate Men, and for the most Part Mechanicks, to be the Dispensers of it; by which Gospel all the Scruples, Doubts, Hesitations and Objections above-mentioned are easily and evidently answered, and the Justice as well as Mercy of God, according to their divine and heavenly Harmony, are exhibited, established, and confirmed. According to which certain Light and Gospel, as the Knowledge thereof has been manifested to us by the Revelation of Jesus Christ in us, fortified by our own sensible Experience, and sealed by the Testimony of the Spirit in our Hearts, we can confidently affirm, and clearly evince, according to the Testimony of the Holy Scriptures, the following Points: