The Renewal of the Evangelical Spirit

of good will perish c for lack of understanding or knowing in detail what a true Christian must do: since (often) d those who claim to have faith, to be baptized, and to bear the name of Christians, are in fact true Anti-Christians, directly opposed in their deeds, in their morals, and in their actions to the doctrine and practice of Jesus Christ, who alone is the model of the true Christian, e the only way and the only truth that leads to salvation, outside of which one cannot reach eternal life.

But before engaging in the detailed account original: "deduction" — in this historical context, it refers to a systematic unfolding or exposition of an argument. of these things, it seemed very appropriate to show you a letter that I wrote to a person who considered themselves among the number of true Christians, or those who deem themselves virtuous or regenerated persons: so that through this letter written to a friend, you might see the deceitfulness of the human heart, f and how its fancy or imagination has been spoiled by sin; so that g its righteousness and its virtue are nothing but imaginary or fantastic The author uses "fantaſtiques" to mean "illusory" or "existing only in the imagination," rather than the modern sense of "wonderful." things, by which man deceives himself and also deceives others. This you would not be able to understand, CHILDREN OF GOD, unless you see in practice the specific behavior and actions of this person, who was esteemed by men as very virtuous, just as he wished to believe himself. But having come to live near me, I immediately discovered the deceit, and what resided at the bottom of his soul, namely, a great