The vses hereof are manifold and most comfortable.
* 1.11 Vse. We must learne hence, neuer, (no not in the most dead, desperate and declining state of the Church) with Elias, rashly to condemne it: for if the most Eagle-eyed & sharpe-sighted Prophets haue beene deceiued herein, much more may wee, that are in so many respects so farre behind them and inferior to them.
2 Vse We must not bee daunted and disheartned, much lesse despaire of Gods Church and the preseruation of a seed and remnant, when the Godly are diminished, yea and sometimes non inuenti sunt, and the wicked braue it out, tyranize ouer the Church and are exceedingly mul∣tiplied; for many that seeme good are but hypocrites and dissemblers and the Godly themselues (albeit liuing amongst vs) are not alway knowne vnto vs.* 1.2 It is proper to God onely, to know the heart and to know his. 2. Tim. 2 19. and God in the corruptest estate of a Church that can bee immagined, reserueth a remnant to himselfe.
3 Vse In this case wee must walke by faith and not by sight, and iudge not by the outward apparence wherein the wisest and the best may be, and are oft deceiued, but iudge by the written word and where that determineth not, to suspend our opinion and reserue secret iudgement vnto God, who wil further manifest the truth in his good time. Deut 15.15.