ts x.) who being _a devout Man, and one that fear'd God
with all his House, and gave much Alms to the People, and pray'd to God
always_, was so far accepted by God, that he was graciously pleas'd to
provide Means for his further Instruction in his Duty, and sent _Peter_
to instruct him. Whereby he has plainly pointed out to us the way by
which he would have us seek for the Knowledge of him, _viz_. by applying
our selves to such as he has appointed to teach his People. Accordingly
we find that _Cornelius_'s Alms and Devotions, and incessant waiting
upon God, did neither advance him to the _Beatifick Vision_, nor so far
as to have those Truths presented to him by way of Object,
_immediately_, which were necessary to be believ'd by him in order to
his Salvation; neither is he at all encourag'd to look for or depend
upon _Vision_ or _Intuition_, but is sent to a Man like himself, to hear
with his outward Ears, those things which concern'd his Eternal Welfare.
Whereas, if God had ever granted to Mankind a Power whereby he might, by
due Application and Attention, attain to a sufficient Knowledge of God,
and Things necessary to Salvation; or, if such a Privilege, though
deny'd before, had been purchas'd by Jesus Christ; there is no question,
but Persons so extraordinarily well qualified as these two good Men,
_Cornelius_ and the _Eunuch_, were, would have enjoy'd the Benefit of
it; and then the Event would have been, that by their constant attending
upon God, and unwearied Diligence in meditating and practising good
Things, they would have increas'd in Spiritual Knowledge, and made
nearer Approaches to God, till they had attain'd to Perfection. But we
find nothing like this, but that on the contrary they were oblig'd to be
instructed by the same means which God had appointed for other Men.

Sec. 15. And then as to matter of _Vision,_ the whole Tenor of the
Apostle's Doctrine runs counter to it. S. _Paul_ tells us, that all
those noble Actions which were perform'd by the Ancient Worthies (_Heb_.
xi.) were done thro' _Faith_; which as himself defines, is (_v_.i.) is,
_The Substance of Things hoped for, the Evidence of Things not seen_. It
is an Assent which we give to Things as true, which we can neither
apprehend by our Senses, nor demonstrate by our Reasoning; so that the
only Objects of our Faith are such Things as we receive upon the Credit
of another; which, how far it is from _Vision_, is evident to common
Sense. And the sa