Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	article_n	church_n	fundamental_a	4,539	5	10.3758	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49463	The life of faith Wherein is shewed the general use of faith in all the passages of a Christians life. Together with a discourse of right judgment on Joh.7.24. By H. Lukin.	Lukin, H. (Henry), 1628-1719.	1660 (1660)	Wing L3477; ESTC R213826	80,145	275

41 c. but that Faith is necessary to the right use of it hath been the constant Judgement of the Church of England both in its former and latter constitution and that not only a dogmatical faith but a lively Faith in the mercy of God through Jesus Christ See not only the Confession and Catechism of the late Assembly but the Articles of the Church of England agreed upon 1562. Art 29. The Articles of Ireland Art 96. The Catechisme in the Book of Common-Prayer And if any should object that the Catechisme only saies that Believers are to examine themselves about their faith I answer the duty of examination is not required for it self but as a means to know whether we have this faith because as the forementioned Articles express it without this we cannot partake of Christ but eat and drink to our own condemnation I forbear to cite the Testimony of other Churches or Authors which would be both tedious and needless the thing being evident in it self For consider the Lords Supper as it represents to us spiritual things and we cannot without faith discern the Lords Body and though it may be discerned speculatively by a bare historical faith the fruit of tradition and common knowledge yet we cannot discern it practically so as to have the heart affected therewith but by a lively faith which is the substance of what is past as well as of what is hoped for that is we do by Faith as really apprehend or discern the Body and Bloud of Christ as if we had seen him upon the Cross and it is by faith alone that we appropriate to our selves what Christ hath done and suffered which is necessary to a due affecting of the heart therewith Gal. 2.20 Phil. 3.8 But consider the Sacrament as it offers and seal spiritual things to us and it is certainly of no use to us without Faith For as it is the eye of the soul whereby we see Christ so the hand whereby we receive him and the mouth whereby we feed on him and a dead man may as soon feed upon a banquet set before him as an unbeliever on the Body and Bloud of Christ Yea though this should be granted to be a converting Ordinance yet a concomitant faith is absolutely necessary to our receiving it with any benefit to our selves which is sufficient for my purpose to prove how necessary Faith is for the improvement of all means for the preserving and encrease of our spiritual life and considering this as a seal it is wholly useless to unbelievers the Seal confirming no more than is in the Covenants and they are wholly void and of none effect to those who fail of performing what is required of them therein I shall conclude this with answering a question which may arise from what I have before laid down If Faith be so necessary to a right receiving of the Sacrament how can those adventure to come thereto who doubt whether they have true faith or no This question hath already been discussed by others as Mr. Baxter on the Sacraments p. 191 c. Mr. Ford in his Treatise of the spirit of bondage and adoption 308. Wherefore I shall be more brief in the answer of it And first in Thest I may answer with Mr. Baxter that we must in such cases as these follow the smallest prevalent perswasion of our Judgement though far short of full assurance and as he truly saith if we must act only upon certainty we must sleep out most of our lives for besides the cases wherein he instanceth that we must forbear giving thanks for spiritual mercies as Justification Sanctification Adoption c. till we have attained full assurance it would be destructive to humane Society and discharge children of their duty to their Parents and in some cases and in some suppositions which are by many made all Inferiours from subjection to their Superiours in this case I may say with the Apostle 1 Joh. 3.21 If our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God Though we have not such a full perswasion as doth exempt us from all doubting if upon a due examination of our selves our heart do not accuse us of hypocrisie we may come with boldness to this heavenly banquet But now in Hypothesi if one should come to me and make it a case whether he should come to the Lords Supper or no I would know of him the ground of his question if it be any desire that he hath to come to this Ordinance If it be not I shall not trouble my self to satisfie his curiosity but if he do truly desire to come thereto this may help to answer his question I do not think indeed that every desire of coming thereto is an evidence of what may entitle a man to it or fit him for it for then we should have many more Believers amongst us than I can yet hope that we have and it is this which hath caused so many violent intruders and put Ministers to so much trouble to keep those who are unfit from these holy things Doubtless this desire in many proceeds partly from mens impatience of having their faith or sincerity questioned though they are more unwilling to be Believers indeed And partly from those Popish Principles which are so deeply rooted in many of the necessity and efficacy of the Sacraments as if there could be no Salvation without them and no fear of missing salvation if we receive them But I here speak of a true sincere well-grounded desire wherefore I would know of such what is the ground of their desire to come to the Lords Supper and if it be that they might partake of Jesus Christ and his benefits and a greater measure of his grace whereby they may be enabled to walk more worthy of their holy vocation this is sufficient ground for a judgement of charity in those who admit then and of confidence in themselves that they may come with boldnesse thereto and if they should still tell me they dare not come and fear they have no right thereto I should no more regard what they say than if a man should seriously tell me that he would fain utter his minde to me but he cannot speak And if they should further object that they fear though their heart do not at present condemn them yet they may be as the stony ground and in time of temptation fall away and so discover that their Faith was not true I should advise such to come to Christ in this Ordinance as the Campani of old applied themselves to the Romans when they were oppressed by the Samnites Liv. li. 7. their Envoie which they sent to them after a long speech useth these words Quandoquidem nostra tueri adversus vim atque injuriam justâ vi non vultis vestra certa defendetis c. Although you will not by lawfull power defend what belongs to us against injury and violence you will certainly defend what is your own

modo bonum as Camero speaks not as good or best in every respect but though it do in thesi judge this or that to be best in general yet pro hic nunc as we say at this time and as the case stands it may judge the contrary more elegible as a Drunkard may judge temperance to be better than excess but having an opportunity to satisfie his appetite and a strong desire thereto and thinking for this once he may take liberty so to do and easily obtain the pardon of it he thinks it best at present to be drunk Or else the minde is as a Master that is much from home or is careless and negligent and doth not look to his servants to keep every one to his task and so they grow idle and dissolute In like manner do the inferiour faculties usurp authority when the understanding doth not clearly and actually represent things to the will whence it comes to passe that there are as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lusts or wills of the flesh as of the minde Eph. 2.3 see Amyrald de lib. arbitr 110. As it is not every feeble wish or faint velleity of the will that can command the appetites but an earnest and resolute purpose thereof tantum quisque potest quantum seriò vehementer vult Camero 243. see Aug Confess l. 8. c. 9. and Mestrezat in Heb. vol. 2. 134. So it is not any habitual knowledg of the minde which indeed the Platonists would not account knowledg nor the weak and faint rayes thereof that can determine the will but the express clear actual dictates of it But for the more distinct and full handling of this matter I shall shew particularly wherein we are to judge righteous judgment for though Christ here speak either concerning his person or actions yet we may extend it further and it is necessary in respect of 1. Opinions 2. Actions 3. Persons 4. Things In all which respects I shall shew you how necessary a right judgement is and how we may make such a judgment First We must judg aright of Opinions or Doctrines Every Christian hath a judgement of discretion allowed him and as we are not to act ecstatically like the Energumeni which were acted of the devil but upon rational grounds knowing why we do what we do So neither must we believe irrationally but must judge for our selves It is not enough for us to follow the judgment of others for if the leader be blinde not only himself but he that follows him shall fall into the ditch Mat. 15.14 wherefore we had need have our spiritual senses exercised to discern good and evil Hebr. 5.14 A Christian indeed is not bound to determine every question that is disputed in the Schooles there are many hundred questions I believe in Aquinas and Scotus which many good Christians never heard of But yet it is necessary that all fundamental truths should be believed with an explicite faith and next to necessary that a Christian be able to make a right judgement of other Doctrines that are not fundamental 1. Because Error in judgement is so destructive to godlinesse corrupt Opinions being like vapours which being conde●●ed in the head by the coldnesse of the brain as in a still drop down upon the vitalls and corrupt them so they corrupt mens practises Yea as some humours when they abound in the brain do so obstruct the passage of the animal spirits that they cause an Apoplexie which deprives a man of all sense and motion So some Errours do so obstruct the workings of the Spirit of God that they deprive a man of all spiritual motion I will press that Caution of Austin Epist 107. but tenderly where he bids us take heed lest while we plead for freewill amongst men we do not lose the benefit of our prayers for I do not think all that hold freewill to be of Seneca's minde Ep. 31. that we need not weary God with our prayers but may make our selves happy Yet there are many corrupt principles which have a more malignant influence upon mens practises than they are aware of Some mens words eat as a gangrene destroying the very life of godlinesse 2 Tim. 2.17 18. They it seems as some of later times turned the Doctrine of the Resurrection into an Allegory interpreting it mystically and the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.33 speaking of this very thing bids them take heed of being deceived they could not think how soon such Doctrine would corrupt their manners he that thinks he shall die like a beast will soon be perswaded to live like a beast wherefore Tertullian complains that corruption in Doctrine was worse than Persecution for Persecution made Martyrs but Heresie Apostates Praescript adv Haer. c. 4. Secondly Corrupt Opinions do ordinarily disturb the peace of the Church It is commonly said indeed that opinionum varietas opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Difference of judgment should not breed discord but we too oft finde it otherwise The Apostle could easily believe that there were divisions amongst the Corinthians because he knew there must be Heresies amongst them 1 Cor. 11.18 19. men in maintaining their own Opinions against others proceeding for the most part to strife of words and so to envy railings evil surmisings perverse disputings c. 1 Tim. 6.4 5. Now that we may be able to make a right judgment in this case I shall first lay down some Cautions then give some Directions and I shall begin with the Caution which our Saviour gives us here in the Text Judge not according to the appearance There was a sort of Philosophers indeed of old which made appearance of the essence of truth but that was because they made man the measure of all things and every thing was true which appeared to any man so to be and so there were as many truths as men of different Opinions But most men are ready to judge that to be only true which seems so to them and let a man set off any Opinion with a few plausible words and many think presently it is as a King against whom there is no rising up Prover 30.31 It is with Opinions as with men that which is first in its own cause is just till another come and finde it out Prov. 18.17 Hence it is that most men are of the opinion of those that they converse most with and wonder that any should believe the contrary or not rise up to what they say they ordinarily hear their own Opinions urged home and the Opinions of their adversaries have but a partial hearing when on the other hand their adversaries having their own Opinions represented to the best advantage wonder as much that every body should not be of their minde The Papists are so carefull to conceal from the people the Arguments of the Protestants that Sr. Edwin Sands tells us in his Europae speculum that he could not set his eye on