teach the will doth euer follow the last iudgement and conclusion of the practicke reason and that which the minde by the aduise of reason iudgeth and determineth to be acted that must the will endeauour to act As if the minde resolue that our chiefest happines consisteth in the plentifull possession and fruition of all earthly profits and pleasures then will the will and affections be wholly set vpon earthly things but if it resolue that our highest happinesse and our chiefest good consisteth in our communion with God and in the cleere manifestation of his loue in Christ then will our hearts be lifted vp to God and fixed on Christ and settled vpon heauen and heauenly things For as Saint Austine saith free-will is a seruant to sinne or to grace An euill minde maketh an euill will a minde indued with grace communicateth grace to the will For doth folly set all things Mala mens malus animus out of frame and doth not wisedome frame and order all things aright Doth darknesse cause men to stumble and fall Iohn 11. 9. Heb. 3. 12. and doth not light keepe men vpright and preserue them from falling Doth infidelity withdraw mens hearts from God and corrupt their wils and affections and doth not faith ioyne men neerely vnto God and sanctifie their wils and affections with all manner of diuine and heauenly graces Wherefore as all carnall Gospellers and loose Libertines so our Romane Catholikes are greatly deceiued in that they thinke that a sauing and iustifying faith may stand with raigning sinnes for then should the selfe-same persons at the selfe-same time be the children of God in respect of their mindes sanctified with the knowledge of the truth and with sauing faith and the children of the Deuill in their wils being polluted with dominering sins but where sauing faith getteth the sure and safe possession of the minde it not only expelleth infidelity out of the castle of the vnderstanding but also casteth out all sinne and iniquity out of the forts of the will and affections that they shall no longer rule and raigne there For sauing faith doth regenerate vs and make vs the sons of God Gal. 3. 26. as the Apostle affirmeth and so reneweth vs to his image in holinesse and crue righteousnesse and therefore will not suffer vs to giue place to wilfull and raigning sinnes and presumptuous transgressions Whosoeuer saith Saint Iohn is borne 1 Iohn 3. 9. of God sinneth not for his seed remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God that is whosoeuer is borne of God committeth no such sinnes whereby the Word of God is choaked and extinguished in him because it is an immortall seed which liueth and indureth for euer where it is 1 Pet. 1. 23. once rooted and settled neither can hee sinne because hee is borne of God That is sinne which is the worke of the Deuill cannot so farre forth preuaile as to annihilate his regeneration which is the worke of God because God is stronger then the Deuill and will maintaine his owne proper worke in his owne children against the malice and mischiefe of Satan For let the Deuill set his chiefest instruments on worke to draw Gods children from their faith and obedience to God yet they shall not finally preuaile against them So Saint Iohn Little children ye are of God and haue ouercome them for 1 Iohn 4. 4. greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world For albeit they be little and weake in themselues yet they are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and are enabled thereby to stand against all the assaults of the Deuill Ephes 6. 10. And verily he that truly beholdeth and duly considereth what this great dignity is to be translated out of the bondage of Satan into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God he cannot with purpose of heart serue sinne any longer and enthrall himselfe againe vnto the tyranny of Satan but he will resigne himselfe wholly ouer to God How can we saith the Aposte Rom. 6. 2. that are dead to sinne liue any longer therein When Ioseph that of a poore slaue being made chiefe ruler ouer all Gen. 39. 9. Fixum etenins quicu ique geret noâ— hunc â—go nolle crediderim Christo cum mâ—ricate mori Coster that great estate which his master was possessed withall was tempted by his lewd mistrisse to defile his masters bed How can I said he doe this wickednesse and sinne against God How much more then will all such as are indued with true Christian faith resolue and say when they duly consider their great dignity in that of the bondslaues of Satan they are made the sonnes of God and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen How can we giue ouer our selues to wilfull and presumptuous sinnes to the great dishonour of our louing and most gracious God who hath aduanced vs to so great dignity and honor Vndoubtedly they cannot but thus resolue with themselues their sure beleefe of so great a fauour throughly settled in their hearts will not suffer them to giue themselues ouer to the seruice of sinne but will cause them fully to resolue to continue and perseuere in constant and continuall obedience vnto God And in this respect the estate of all such as are reconciled vnto God by Christ albeit it be subiect to many infirmities is farre more happy then Adams was in his absolute and perfect purity For as Saint Austine saith the first liberty was a Aug. de corrept grat cap. 2. possibility not to sinne but ours is much greater being such as that we cannot possibly sinne that is giue our selues ouer to be bondslaues to raigning sinnes For to Adam was giuen grace to persist in grace if he would but to vs it is giuen that we be made willing and that by our will we conquer our concupiscence to him was giuen ability if he himselfe would haue vsed it but to vs is giuen not only to be able but also to be willing to vse our ability For the will of the Saints is so forcibly mooued by the Spirit of God that therefore they are able because they will and therefore they will because it is God that worketh in them that they be willing For if in so great infirmity wherein perfect vertue was requisite for the suppressing of pride they were left to their owne will that by the helpe of God they might persist if they would themselues and that God himselfe did not worke in them the very will that they would among so many and so great tentations the will by reason of her weaknesse would soone relent and giue ouer A remedy therefore was prouided for the infirmity of mans will that it should be so mooued by diuine grace that it should neuer decline or separate it selfe from the same and therefore albeit it were weake yet it should neuer vtterly faile Now that Saint Austine did
by us the nature of man is greatly disgraced in that wee teach that men are become brutish without reason and as dead stocks and stones without sense and life because we teach that by nature they haue not liberty list nor life vnto any thing that is truly and religiously good And why doe they not bring in the same inditement against the bookes of the Canonicall Scriptures which teach that euery man is a beast in his owne knowledge and that our hearts are stony vntill Ier. 10. 14 Ezek. 36. 26. Eph. 2. 1. they be made flesh and that we are starke dead in trespasses and sinnes and therefore haue no sanctified will sense nor life vntill Christ doth quicken vs by his holy Spirit and raise vs vp to an holy life Our doctrine then herein is none other then the very doctrine of the Holy Ghost neither doe we hereby disgrace the nature of man but shew how man by his owne fault hath disgraced himselfe and into what misery he is fallen by his owne folly And this wee teach only concerning the estate of the naturall man before he be renewed by the Spirit of God Whereas the Church of Rome forbiddeth the faithfull theÌ„selues Rom. 15. 4 to search the Scriptures which yet were written for their learning and keepeth them from them vnder the locke key of an vnknown tonâ—ue and in her diuine seruice readeth them vnto them in a strange language and inioyneth them to receiue their Fatih vpon their Preachers word and credit without all examination and try all commanding them to beleeue blindfully as the Church beleeueth Yea a great Cardinall is bold to avouch that it belongeth no more to thâ— people to aske a reason of their teachers doctrine then it doth to an house to know Cusan exercit 6. pag. 547. why his Master turneth his head this way or that way Wherefore it is the Church of Rome that maketh the very Faithfull themselues like to the horse and mule in whom there is no vnderstanding contrary to the precise commandement of the Holy Prophet it is the Church of Rome by forceing the Psal 32 9 people to pray in an vnknowne tongue that causeth them to offer vp to God the lips of calues and to patter like pyes and parrets yea whereas by nature all men being degenerate and turned into lions beares wolues and tigres are not recouered out of this their wretched estate but by the sanctified knowledge of the diuine Writers of the most powerfull Gospell of Iesus Christ the Church of Rome keeping theÌ„ from the same keepeth them from that whereby they should be recouered out of this their miserable brutish condition And for the iustifying of her doing so there is alleaged by some of her followers this Commandement of Christ Giue not holy things to dogs nor cast pearles before swine Mat 7. 6 Now then let all indifferent men iudge who maketh men beasts whether the Professors of the Gospell of Christ or the followers of the Church of Rome And let all such persons labour both to vnderstand and put in practise the diuine mysteries of Faith and godlines who will not be condemned by God himselfe to be brutish and vnreasonable Creatures CHAP. III. The meanes whereby we are to come to the right vnderstanding of the Word of God is the light of true reason for the opening of the truth whereof these propositions following are explained QVAEST 1 2 3 c. 1 All Questions humane and diuine are to be determined by the rules of reason 2 The testimony of no Author humane or divine is farther to be approued then as it agreeth with the grouÌ„ds of right reason 3 The holy Scriptures doe declare the greatest mysteryes of godlinesse by arguments and reasons 4 The Law the Gospell are founded vpon most forcible reasons yea the permission by God of the fall of Adam being the occasion of the strange meanes of man's recovery which is opened in the Gospell is grounded vpon most forcible reasons 5 The Professors of euery Religion alleage reasons for the iustifying of their severall devotions 6 The soundnes substance as it were the very quintessence of all divine reason is most plentifully to be found in the Canonicall Scriptures 7 No truth in Philosophy is contrary to any truth in Divinity 8 Testimonies may bee taken out of Philosophy to giue witnes vnto truths in Divinity reasons may be produced out of the booke of Nature to cleare the doctrines of the booke of Grace 9 Where there is no reason that may perswade to faith there ordinarily is no faith 10 Where there is a clearer apprehension of the reasons that perswade to faith there is a more setled assent a more strong faith 11 The doctrines of faith and godlines are often repeated the reasons that perswade thereunto are vrged and inculcated againe and againe in the bookes of the old new testament that we may thereby vnderstand that the clearer and fuller apprehension of them doth beget a clearer and fuller faith 12 We may by supernaturall reason ascend aboue the reach of naturall reason 13 That faith is not the best and strongest that hath the lesse number of reasons and the lesse perspicuous arguments to stay it vp but rather that which hath the greater number and the more perspicuous WHereas the Word of God profiteth not vnlesse it bee Heb. 4. 2 mingled with Faith that is vnlesse it being rightly vnderstood procure a wise and a settled assent it standeth all in hand to seeke out the true meanes whereby they may come to the right vnderstanding thereof if that they desire to reape any benefit thereby The truth is that the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists being the Lord's Secretaries or Registers to set down in writing all diuine and heauenly doctrines necessary to saluation were instructed by the immediate revelation of the Spirit of God that so they might be freed therin from all errour But for any other person to challenge the same priuiledge were but a phantasticall and an Anabaptisticall illusion For euen the Bishop of Rome himselfe who is magnified by his followers as the only man that hath all diuine and humane Lawes locked vp in his brest and is by them accounted the only vnerring Interpreter of holy Scripture and the infallible Iudge of the right sense and meaning thereof yet is by his chiefest Vpholders restrained to the meanes without the which he must not looke to attaine to the right and true vnderstanding thereof The high Bishop saith Bellarmine must not expect revelations but vse Bellar. de concil l. 1. c. 11. Canus locor theolog l. 5. c. 5. ordinary meanes For as Canus affirmeth the holy Writers only set downe Catholick doctrines by the immediate revelation and inspiration of God and therefore needed not outward helpes thereunto Whereas it behoueth Bishops to vse the ordinary course by weighing of reasons and by imploying their diligence Yea Cameracensis
the case of iustification and saluation For it is recorded that after the question had beene debated among them with great disputation and discourse the Apostle Saint Peter determined the same and that not without the allegation Act. 15. 7. of many arguments and reasons As Saint Iames caused some clauses to be added thereto but not without the producing of iust grounds for the same So when the people of God were to be carried into captiuitie among the heathen how did the Lord fore-seeing that they should be intised to Idolatry strengthen them in the Faith and Seruice of the true God and arme them against all contrary perswasions but by deliuering vnto them such reasons as whereby they might be fully perswaded that their owne God was the onely true God Ier. 10. 11. and that the gods of the Heathen were but titularie gods that Isa 41. 21. is gods in name and not in deed It is a truth confessed euen by some of the chiefe pillars of the Church of Rome that all the greatest mysteries of Faith that are necessary to saluation are plainely set down in the Canonicall Scriptures Now I would demand whether these doctrines there deliuered are treated and discoursed of there verbally and in bare words onely or really with sufficient waight of sound reason And verily how can any one reason without reason and discourse without discourse That there is but one true God euen the God of Abraham Isaac and Israel the Prophets Isay and Ieremy proue by most sound and sufficient arguments in the places cited a little before That this one God is distinguished into three persons The Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost why may it not be both iustified and illustrated and made euident by sound and sufficient arguments and reasons For whereas God is essentially good yea goodnesse it selfe seeing it is the property of that which is good to communicate it selfe to other why Bonum est sui communicativum Pro. 8. 22. Ioh. 5. 26. Ioh 16. 15. Ioh 15. 26. may it not be beleeued as an vndoubted truth that God the Father gaue his aeternall essence to God the Sonne begotten of him before all worlds and that God the Father and the Sonne gaue their aeternall essence to God the Holy Ghost proceeding from them both from all aeternity Hath God giuen to some of his mortall creatures power to beget things of the same essence and substance with themselues And may not the aeternall God beget an aeternall Sonne of the very selfe-same essence and substance with himselfe And hath God giuen to some other of his creatures as to graine of all sorts this power that things of the same essence and substance doe proceed from them And hath not the aeternall Father and the Sonne power that an aeternall Spirit of the same essence and substance should proceed from them both from all aeternity Is not this world with the creatures therein contained a most liuely glasse wherein the most glorious Creator is shadowed out vnto vs And euery good thing that hath a reall and an absolute being in the creature hath it not a reall existence in God For God is most absolutely and fully perfect and therefore the perfection of all good things is in God in the highest degree of absolute and full perfection And therefore seeing that paternitie and siliation and procession are good things in the creature why may they not rightly be said to be in God in whom is the fulnesse of all good things Of all the creatures of this inferiour world the soule of man is most principall as the Sunne is the chiefest of all those goodly lights that are planted aboue in the heauenly spheares and therefore they are the fittest among all the noble creatures in some sort to resemble vnto vs the glorious Trinâ—tie The reasonable soule of man hath a reasonable substance which begetteth a reasonable vnderstanding from which proceedeth a reasonable will and yet this is but one soule So Anima mundi est Deus God the soule of the world and the life of all things being aeternall begate his aeternall vnderstanding and wisedome before all worlds from whom proceedeth from all aeternity the holy Spirit with whom and by whom they will and worke all things and this aeternall soule wisedome and will is but one God So in the Sunne there is a most singular pure substance and a most excellent lustre and brightnesse begotten thereof and residing in the same and glorious beames issuing from both So in the most glorious Deity wee may behold God the Father the Father of Light God the Sonne the Iac. 1. 17. brightnesse of his Fathers glory God the Holy Ghost by whose beames the Light of the Gospell is made manifest Heb 1 3. vnto vs and yet this Father of Light this brightnesse of his Fathers glory and this glorious beame issuing out of both 1 Cor. 2. 10. is but one and the selfe-same God This euen the greatest mystery of our Christian profession was in part knowne vnto very Heathens themselues For they auerred that Minerua the Goddesse of Wisedome was begotten of their great God Iupiter without the helpe of Iuno which came in all likelihood from this vndoubted truth that the second person of the Trinity the essentiall wisedome of God was begotten of the true Iehovah before all worlds Now if any one being of a moâ—e metaphysicall apprehension desireth to see concerning that high mysterie other reasons that are more metaphysicall let him repaire to the Lord of Plessis in his bookes of the truth of Christian Religion Zegedine in his Common places and to Reckerman in his Systema Theologicum But if any one on the contrary side iudge that these few are too many I would request him to pardon me herein seeing if I had produced no reasons for the opening of this truth I had failed in the chiefe point of this Treatiâ—e wherein is auouched that all quaestions humane and diuine may be cleared iustified with arguments and reasons And that the truth of this assertion may yet further appeare let vs proceed to the quaestion concerning the resurrection of the dead which is also supernaturall and take a view how by great variety of arguments and reasons the Spirit of God doth open the same in the Diuine Scriptures The Doctrine of the Resurrection is strange absurde and almost yea altogether incredible in the iudgement of the naturall man but most wise and reasonable vnto the Christian Act. 17. 18. The Apostle Saint Paul in the fifteenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians proueth the same by many arguments Fides Christianorum resurrectio mortuorum and reasons As first Christ is rison from the dead therefore there is a Resurrection Now that Christ is risen he prooueth it first for that his Psal 16. 10. Rom. 9. 6. resurrection was fore-tolde in the word of God the which that it should not take effect it
mercy the glory of Gods goodnesse and loue he being neuer more glorious then in the same with open face in respect of the reuelation thereof made in former times vnder obscure types and shaddowes and by this cleere fight of the Lords most glorious loue in Christ we are renewed into his image in righteousnesse and true holinesse according as it pleaseth the Lord to begin the same by his Spirit and to inlarge it also Now concerning the other effect of faith the Apostle describeth true faith by it also saying faith is the ground of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene That is faith is such a gracious gift as enableth the faithfull euidently to behold the inuisible things of God and especially his vnspeakable goodnesse and loue and giueth them also in him a sure ground-worke for the assurance of their full glorification which as yet they inioy but in hope Now in this Chapter we are to intreate of the definition of faith and of the singular effects in the two next following Assent doth follow apprehension and therefore as a slight and a light apprehension begetteth opinion which is an vnsettled and an vnstable assent so a sure and certaine assent of the mysteries of godlinesse ingendereth faith that is a resolute and settled perswasion For a settled assent proceeding from a well grounded knowledge is all one with sauing faith and diuine wisedome As it may appeare in that when the Word of God is said either seuerally to giue the knowledge of saluation to the Lords people Luke 1. 77. or to giue faith Rom. 10. 17. or to giue wisedome vnto the simple Psal 19. 7. or ioyntly to bring to the vnity of faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God Ephes 4. 13. Tit. 1. 2. Iob. 6. 60. 7 8. 1 Ioh. 4. 16. or to bring the vnderstanding of wisedome and knowledge Prou. 1. 2. 9. 10. Col. 1. 9. Iac. 3. 13. or to make wise to saluation by faith in Christ Iesus 2 Tim. 3. 15. one and the selfe-same effect is deliuered vnder these diuers names Which may also further appeare in this that the Spirit of God which calleth this diuine gift the full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. calleth it also the full assurance of the vnderstanding Col. 2. 2. The minde and the vnderstanding is the eye of the soule and a sure and settled knowledge of the mysteries of godlinesse or sauing faiâ—h or diuine wisedome is the right sight of this eye And hereof it is that our blessed Sauiour not onely in his owne person calling men to repent and to beleeue the Gospell is said to preach recouering of sight to the blinde Luke 4. 18. But also sending out his Apostles to goe into the whole world and to preach the Gospell to euery creature is said to send them out to open their eyes that they might turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that they Act. 26. 18. might receiue remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in him And therefore the opening of the eyes of the faithfull whereby they truly apprehend the mysteries of godlinesse is called Vision as the Spirit of God which worketh this vision is called Prou. 19. 18. Iohn 2. 20. 1 Sam. 9. 9. an eye salue and as the Reuealers of this doctrine in old time were called Seers And verily the true fight apprehension and knowledge of the Couenant of grace and of all other diuine doctrines of the word of God is as Origen saith a speciall gift of God proper to such onely as are predestinated to this euen to walke Orig. lib. 7. cont Celsum worthy of God who hath made himselfe knowne vnto them To theÌ„ only it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen to others it is not giuen For they seeing do see and Matth. 13. 11. do not perceiue and hearing do heare and not vnderstand lest they should returne so be healed The vaile of corrupt opinions 2 Cor. 3. 14. is not taken from their eyes but onely from theirs which are effectually called and turned to Christ by the preaching of the Gospell For they all bohold as in a mirrour the glory of God with open face the vaile or couer being taken from their eyes Now if the faithfull be those vnto whom God hath reuealed Iohn 9. 39. himselfe and hath opened their eyes and hath made them to see by giuing to them a true faith then faith is a true sâ—ght apprehension and knowledge of God and of his goodnesse and loue in Christ and of all other diuine verities which are necessary to the saluation of a faithfull man And so was Faith defined by the ancient Fathers both Greeke and Latine as Doctor Benfield testifieth in his third Chapter concerning sauing Faith The Deuils and all obstinate and impenitent sinners as they haue neither sauing Faith nor diuine wisedome so neither haue they any such sight apprehension and knowledge of the diuine verities of Gods most holy Word as causeth them to yeeld a sure and certaine assent thereunto The Deuils in their creation were Angels of light and were sanctified with the cleere knowledge of all diuine verities but now they haue lost Iohn 17. 17. Chrys hom 19. in Psal 118. sanctity by falling away from God the Father thereof and from truth the mother and nurse of the same The Deuill saith our Sauiour abode not in truth but is a liar and the father of lies he made choice to misconceiue of God that he Iohn 8. 44. was vniust hard and cruell and he is so blinded and hardened therein that he cannot nor will not be remooued from the same As it may appeare in that he refused to stand to the censure of our Sauiour Christ laying euer to his charge iniustice and cruelty saying What haue we to do with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to torment vs before the Matth. 8. 29. time And verily from that which preserued at the first and still preserueth the elect Angels as Isidore testifieth that is from the vision and contemplation and settled perswasion of all those diuine perfections that be in God especially of his infinite and endlesse goodnesse and loue the reprobate Angels fell and wholly depriued themselues thereof and therefore doe not now know and acknowledge that God is righteous gracious and good nor honour him by ascribing vnto him these glorious perfections Now as the old Serpent hath thus inuenomed himselfe so hath he with the same poison infected the nature of Adam and Eue of al vs which by ordinary generation descend from theÌ„ For he perswaded our first parents not only that God was not good vnto them for that he forbad them the vse of the fruit of one of the trees of Paradise and withheld from them the knowledge of good and euill lest thereby they should become as Gods but also that
he was not righteous and true and that the euils wherewith he threatned them if they brake his Commandement should not come vpon them By which misse perswasion they misconceiuing of Gods goodnesse and righteousnesse were hardened with all their posterity in this misconceit In so much that now by nature there is none that vnderstandeth and seeketh after God there Rom. 3. 10. is none that beleeueth his goodnes and imbraceth the meanes whereby they may be made partakers thereof nor feareth his iustice and ceaseth to stirre vp his indignation and wrath They beleeue not Gods goodnesse but scorne the faithfull as the wise man testifieth that doe the same thinking it to be a thing impossible that any can haue the assurance of Gods fatherly loue They beleeue not Gods iustice for then they Sap. 2. 13. would auoid sinne if it were but to escape the dreadfull execution of Gods vengeance due to the same Our conscience saith Saint Cyprian would be afraid if it did beleeue but because it Cypr. de simpl Praelatorum beleeueth not therefore it feareth not If it did beleeue it would take heed and if it did take heed it would auoid both the euill of sinne and the punishment thereof Wherefore as saith Saint Ambrose the wicked goe hence to hell that there they Am. in 1. ep ad Thess cap. 4. may learne that to be true which here they would not The persons indued with a temporary faith draw nearest to such as haue obtained a true sauing and iustifying faith For they come gladly vnto the holy assemblies and heare the word willingly and incontinently with ioy receiue the same but this they doe vpon some sinister respect as for curiosity of knowledge or for vaine-glory or for profit and preferment and while they obtaine thereby their desires they will seeme to be zealous and seruent professors but when they are crossed in their purposes then their zeale draweth cold and the heat thereof is vtterly extinguished whereas they that are endued Luke 8. 13. with a true faith receiue the word with a simple honest and good heart and in all sincerity imbrace the Gospel for the Gospels sake euen because it openeth the way to true happinesse The Temporisers happinesse whatsoeuer outward profession he maketh to the contrary is to enioy earthly things and therefore he will forsake faith and a good conscience and God also rather then he will forsake them but such as be faithfull men indeed will not leaue the grant of Gods endlesse loue in Christ made ouer to them in the Gospell no not to gaine a vast world of glorie or to escape a whole hell of miserie And this commeth to passe for that the word of God is of the one but superficially receiued and therefore at the last withereth and dieth Whereas in the other it taketh deepe roote and therefore liueth and flourisheth in them continually In the one it possesseth as it were the vnfensed suburbes of their senses and the weake sconses of their phantasies but in the other it seateth it selfe in the well-defenced Cities of their soules and in the vnconquerable Castle of a good conscience In the one it is entertained as a passenger for a night or as a soiourner Acts 8. 37. Coll. 3. 16. for a season In the other it is receiued as an inhabitant and as an owner in his owne home In the one it is as the Ioh. 2. ep 3. Iude v. 13. Pro. 4. 18. 2 Pet. 1. 9. Ioh. 9. 39. Heb. 6. 3. Ioh. 6. 35. flashing of a falling Starre in the other it is as the light of the Sunne which shineth more and more vntill the perfect day In the one it is as the darke glimpse of a purblind eye in the other it is as the sight of the eye that is begun to be well cleared in good part made sound and whole Lastly in the one it is as the dainty dishes of a sumptuous feast tasted of but a little in the other it is as food so well chewed ruminated and digested that they which eate thereof neuer hunger after any other food of their soules but content themselues with this only And verily he that hath once found this pretious pearle Mat. 13. 46. Gen. 15. 1. will be ready to sell all to buy the same he will with Abraham the Father of the faithfull leaue his Countrey and kindred and all things else that he may haue God his buckler and his exceeding great reward yea in respect of the invaluable recompence of this inestimable reward he will with Moses refuse to be called the sonne of Pharaoh's daughter and chose Heb. 11. 24. rather to suffer adversity with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season and will esteeme the very rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt It is then a sound and certaine knowledge of the Gospell that breedeth a stable and a setled faith it is such a receiuing of the words of Christ as whereby we surely know that Ioh. 17. 18. Col. 3. 6. hee came from God and so beleeue that he was sent from him And hereof it is that as vnstaiednesse and instability is set Iac. 1. 6. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Rom. 14. 22. Col. 2. 5. 2 Pet 3. 15. Col. 2. 7. Eph. 2. 20. Heb. 6. 18. Eph. 6. 13. Gal 5. 1. 1 Cor. 15. 58. 16. 13. 1 Pet. 5. 9. Psal 81. 12. downe by the Spirit of God as a true note of an vnsound Faith so stability and stedfastnesse is deliuered as a sure token of a sound beliefe And therefore it is not without cause that the faithfull are so often exhorted to labour to be rooted and built vpon Christ and to lay sure Anchor-hold vpon him and to be stedfast and to stand fast in faith and to seeke to be established therein by the which so often inculcating of one and the same exhortation the Spirit of God laboureth to beat in throughly into our hearts this perswasion that a sure knowledge and a resolute assent to the doctrines of Faith maketh a true faithfull Christian Wherefore seeing the true Christian faith is a setled and stedfast assent to all diuine verities necessary to saluation proceeding from a right and wise apprehension of the arguments and reasons whereon they are grounded then the implicite vailed and blinde faith commended so highly by the Church of Rome is not the true Christian faith that proceedeth from God the Father of Light but Ioh. 11. 9. from the Diuell the Prince of darkenesse because it maketh men to fall into the pit of errour and sinne and so casteth Ioh. 12 35. them downe headlong into the dungeon of destruction CHAP. V. A sauing Faith is alwayes accompanied with all other sanctifying graces and namely with constancy and perseuerance as being the fruitfull mother and continuall nurse of them all THe blessed Apostle S. Paul describeth the faith of Gods Elect or sauing