acknowledge an infallibility of the event which is only necessitas consequentis ex hypothesi all things being necessary when they exist and what is future being present and existing to the all-seeing eye of God there being no priority or posteriority in eternity 4. Though there be not this necessitation yet it is agreed That God worketh by his Grace I confesse about the Resistibility or irresistibility they differ irresistibly saith one not irresistibly say the other yet even these agree thus far that God worketh so effectually on those whom he hath ex beneplacito appointed to salvation in ordering the means occasions and opportunities with such congruity to that end as that (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 5. Sect. 9. de facto it is not finally resisted o that though it be possible for the free will of man to resist the calls of God yet in those that believe and are saved the Grace of God works so sweetly and effectually that the will doth not resist but freely and willingly closeth with it 5. That the whole of what we do amisse must be left unto ourselves our sin and condemnation is from our selves and the glory of all the good we do and of all the blessings we receive both in this life and that to come must be given only to Gods grace and love Sect. 21 Yet again Consider the whole series of the acting and Providence of God in reference to man from his creation to his final conclusion see if there be not a perfect accord in all these things 1. That God did create man after his own image in perfect righteousnesse and holinesse and full liberty of will as a Rational creature either to obey God and continue as he was created or to sin and fall away having a power to either and by this we conclude that God decreed to make him so Sect. 22 2. That man thus created and left to himself did yield to the temptations of Satan and by perfectly voluntary disobedience fall away from God and cast himself and so was all mankind brought into a state of sin and misery under the bondage of Satan without all power or possibility yea or so much as desire to recover himself out of that wretched condition This it is evident God did permit for he could have hindred it if he pleased and therefore from all eternity decreed to permit a purposing to make use thereof for the further manifestation of his power wisdom justice and goodness Sect. 23 3. That God out of his infinite compassion to miserable man which he shewed not to fallen Angels that Satan might not finally triumph in such a Conquest if all Mankind should perish did immediatly after the Fall promise a Saviour and in due time did send and therefore from all eternity decreed to send his dearly beloved and only begotten Son Jesus Christ into the World to undertake our Redemption to satisfie Divine Justice for our sin and to make peace by the blood of his Cross and to deliver us from that state of sin and misery Sect. 24 4. That all Mankind which was lost by the fall of the first Adam is restored to a capacity and possibility of salvation through the mercy of God and merits of Jesus Christ the second Adam The merits of the second Adam being as fully sufficient to save the World as the sin of the first to destroy the World So that it is not any want of mercy in God or of merit in Christ if any particular person perish or that the whole Mass of Mankind is not saved and this being so evidenceth the eternal Decree that it should be so Sect. 25 5. That the way for us actually to partake of this salvation of which through Christ all Mankind is made capable is the performance of the conditions of the New and Evangelical Covenant which expresly are sincere repentance from dead works a lively faith in Christ new and holy obedience and perseverance in the same This being the only way wherein God hath expresly said in the Gospel that he will infallibly save men This is that Doctrine which he sends forth his Ministers to preach (d) Mark 16.15 16. Luk. 13.3 5. Acts 3.19 Rom. 2.7 8 9 10. and many more his Heralds to proclaim remission of sins and everlasting life upon the performance and only upon the performance of these conditions So that whether we say or say not there was an intuition or foresight of these things in this or that man antecedent to the Decree to save him yet here is an evident agreement as to the event That God did decree to give salvation to none but such as should persevere in faith and obedience and to deny it to none but the finally impenitent and disobedient There was no Decree ever to save any that should not or to condemn any that should so repent believe and continue obedient That howsoever with God the number of all the saved and damned be infallibly and unchangeably certain yet it is unquestionably true and may and ought to be assured to this to that to any to every particular man that though now he be sinful rebellious a child of wrath and in a state of damnation yet if he repent return and sincerely believe and receive Christ as he is offered to us in the Gospel viz. as his Lord and Saviour he shall be saved Or though now he do believe and be righteous and so in state of salvation yet if he Apostatize to Infidelity or Disobedience and continue in that Apostacy and Rebellion in his sin he shall dye and perish for ever Sect. 26 6. That God in the Gospel doth make real tenders and offers of this remission of sin and eternal life to all and doth seriously exhort all men to whom this Evangelical Covenant or Gospel is made known to accept the proffer to perform the conditions And this he doth sincerely cordially without all fraud or collusion wooing with the most compassionate love and most endearing expressions perswading by the most pathetical Motives and convincing by most demonstrative Arguments and calling heaven and earth to witness the sincerity of his intentions towards them and his earnest desire to shew them mercy and has no delight in their destruction and that he hath done all on his part that now they need not perish if they are willing to be saved From hence it followeth also and herein all sides agree That Sect. 27 7. There is in the Gospel a sufficiency of grace given to all to whom the Gospel is given for I speak not now of the Heathens or Pagans designing in these papers only peace among our selves to leave them inexcusable and whereby they might have been saved were it not for their own voluntary putting off life from themselves so that none can make an excuse for his disobedience by pleading a want of power to obey there being still with the Word and the outward tender of grace by the Word
in asserting the Absolute Decree will yet not allow the Pelagian Manichee Anabaptist Epicure any plea from any necessity to sin that men are bound in by any decree of God For (h) Calv. Instit l. 3. c. 23. Sect. 8. Sic eorum pendet perditio ex Dei praedestinatione ut cansa materia in ipsis reperiatur Cadit Pgmo Deo sicordinante sed sag vitio cadit saith he Mans perdition so dependeth on Gods pred stination that yet the matter and cause of it is only in themselves And a few lines after Man falleth indeed God so ordering it or possibly in his sense ordaining it but he falls through his own fault (i) Gen. 1.31 God pronounced all that he made very good Whence then saith he became man wicked c. that it may not be thought to be from God or his Creation God gives this elogie and approbation to all that came from him It was very good Propriâ ergo malitiâ saith he Man by his own wickedness corrupted that nature which he received pure from God and by his fall brought all mankind into destruction with himself And in another place proving against the Novatians and Anabaptists that there is yet mercy with God for all sorts of sinners though their sins be never so great and after Baptism also if they sincerely return to God hath these words (k) Caiv. Instit l. 4. c. 1. Sect. 25. Et sanè non allus potest esse affectus ejus qui affirmat se nolle mortem peccatoris sed magis ut convertatur vlvat There san indeed be no other affection in Him i.e. in God who hath said (l) Ezek. 18.13 32. Sect. 37. He hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner but rather that he return and live 3. Again The highest Arminian I suppose will grant to the Calvinist That All the Decrees of God are in a proper sense Absolute That is taking 1. Decrees as Decrees in God and not as the event decreed Viz. that what God hath determined to do he hath absolutely determined to do as he hath absolately i.e. peremptorily and immutably decreed to save all believers and this particular believer and so absolutely decreed to condemn all finally impenitent and this such an one in particular Yea and 2. Taking Absolute as opposed to any thing without God himself any cause that should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from without moving him so to decree for nothing could move him to send Jesus Christ to redeem the world and to bestow upon sinful miserable man salvation upon his faith and constant obedience nothing could move him to decree salvation upon so easie terms but his own free love the Beneplacitum or good pleasure of his Will So that whatsoever we have it is of Grace si gratia quomodo non gratuita it must be every way free If of Grace (l) Rom. 11.6 then non ex operibus not of works sc nec praestitis nec praevisis neither done nor foreseen This I think even these will grant that though as to the decree of this particular mans salvation there was an intuition of his faith and obedience yet the foresight of God that men would return from their sinful estate was not the cause that God decreed to send Christ to save them but out of his own love he freely being moved by this alone to compassionate the misery of man in whom there was no good at all until he was pleased anew to impart to him decreed this viz. to send Christ to enter into a new Covenant with man and so to save whosoever of mankind shold believe in him and to emancipate their wills and endue them with such supernatural abilities that if they would not be wanting to themselves they might return and be saved Sect. 38 4. On the other side the most rigid Calvinists will yield to the Arminian that in this particular No decree of God is absolute taking 1. Absolute for irrespective to all conditions and 2. Decree for the event decreed the thing to be given according to this decree So that though in their sense God did absolutely decree to save such and such persons and to prepare effectual grace for them and so to bring them infallibly to salvation and as absolutely decree to leave the rest of the world though not without sufficient means to save them if they would not be wanting to themselves to the liberty of their own corrupt wills resolving not to give them that certain portion of Grace which would infallibly save them but to leave them to perish in their own voluntary rebellions Yet that God never decreed that any of these persons elected should be saved without intuition of that faith and obedience which he also decreed should be the only way to salvation He never decreed to save them but upon this condition that they believe in Christ obey the Gospel and persevere in so doing to the end Nor did he ever decree to condemn any person but with an intuition of sin and impenitence previous and antecedaneous to his condemnation Sect. 39 Now consider all these and we must needs see that even both parties do agree in all the main particulars and the substance of that Doctrine which is abundantly enough for us to preach to the people for their information and instruction enough abundantly to set forth the glory of Gods Grace Justice Goodness and Holiness and to quicken us to Repentance Faith Obedience to shew us that none can be saved but by Grace and Mercy to (m) Rom. 3.27 exclude our boasting and that none can be saved without Repentance Faith a sincere constant and persevering Obedience to rowse our security and quicken us to action and to leave us inexcusably guilty of our own perdition if we continue in sin and miscarry Sect. 40 The whole substance of this hath our Church excellently comprised concisely yet fully in that (n) Fourth Collect after the Communion short Collect. Prevent us O Lord by thy goodness there is acknowledged a necessity of preventing grace for a foundation And further us by thy continual help there a necessity of exciting and assisting grace to stir us up and help us in action without which we could do nothing That all our works being begun continued snd ended in thee there the necessity of holy constant uniform sincere and persevering obedience and the practice of good works through that grace We may through thy mercy obtain everlasting life there is the reward expected not of Merit but of Grace and Mercy and all this only Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Here is the foundation of all the love of God to us and of our expectations from God all through Christ and for his sake Sect. 41 I know there are many passages in the writings of several men of each side which may clash with some of these particulars wherein they are said to agree and consequences drawn that do indeed
of God who then looks as with a full eye upon them do then tremble and acknowledge their unworthiness to appear before the presence of so Glorious and to ask and expect any thing of so Righteous a God themselves being so vile as they are and do then especially see themselves to be This made Peter when by the great draught of Fishes he saw the print of Christs Deity cry out (o) Luk. 5.8 Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord And holy Job (p) Job 42.5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye hath seen thee therefore I abhor my self in dust and ashes It was this that made the poor Publicans (q) Luk. 18.10 prayer to be accepted when seeing his own vileness and confessing his sin he stands afar off as not daring to approach and begs mercy Lord be merciful to me a sinner when the proud Pharisees is rejected who presumptuously drew near in conceit of his own merits and came not to beg mercy but to brag of his own righteousness God I thank thee I am not c. Sect. 26 2. The other thing required to an effectual prayer is Faith and confidence whereby we having a certain warrant from the Word and being assured that what we ask is according to Gods Will and the Subject of his Promises the Soul is now poured out in earnestness and with an holy confidence grounded upon the mercies of God and merits of Jesus Christ is encouraged to hope for and expect a gracious return Thus saith St. James (r) Jam. 1.6 Let him that prayeth pray in faith and it is (s) Jam. 5.15 16. the prayer of faith which is effectual The Promises made to our prayers still require this condition in the Petitioner (t) Mat. 21.22 If ye believe And as men (u) Rom. 10.14 cannot call on him on whom they have not beleeved So when they believe they have encouragement enough to pray and may come with boldness and confidence when they pray and grounds enough of confident hopes we have from the rich goodness and inconceivable mercies of our God and the infinite and invaluable merits of our Lord and Saviour So that as (x) Joh. 15.5 without Christ we can do nothing nothing acceptable to God (y) Rom. 8.26 nor then can we pray as we ought neither can we come to God (z) Joh. 14.6 but by him who only is the way so (a) Phil. 4.13 through Christ we can do all things and through faith we have an interest in him to him (b) Joh. 6.35 we come by believing and now (c) Eph. 3.12 in him we have boldness and access with confidence even by faith in him Christ (d) Heb. 10.19 20 22. hath opened a way through the vail for us to enter into the Holiest of all to the Throne of Grace and now we may draw nigh with a true heart in full assurance of faith The soul now sends up her prayers to Heaven with such strength of Adhesion and fulness of considence as a Ship tears up and flies with full Sails to its Haven And he that before being sensible of his own weakness and vileness and trembling before the Majesty and Purity of the most High and Holy God durst neither speak not pray now through this faith in Christ hath his tongue loosed his lips opened and can draw nigh with confidence (e) Psa 116.10 I believe therefore have I spoken Sect. 27 Thus must and do these twin graces Humility and Faith go hand in hand together in the faithfuls prayer when we are most humbled in regard of vileness and unworthiness in our selves we are yet to hope and we may with confidence trust in the mercies of God through the merits of Jesus Christ And when we are carried up with the strongest affiance and highest confidence in those saving mercies and all-sufficient merits we yet must as we have reason disclaim all confidence in any dignity excellency or worth in our selves Sect. 28 These things considered do clearly evidence the piety and prudence of our Church in composing and commending the use of these prayers to her Members wherein we are so excellently instructed in the matter of prayer and together taught the exercises of those necessary graces of Humility and Faith Consider what we are and what we need we are naturally as the Laodicean Angel (f) Rev. 3.17 miserable poor blind and naked and wanting all things we know not what we need and therefore (g) Rom. 8.26 know not what to pray for nor how to pray as we ought Here therefore we pray that God who knoweth our ignorance in asking and what things we have need of before we ask would give us those things which for our blindness we cannot ask Again we are persons guilty of much unthankfulness to God of many high provocations against God and let any man seriously consider and compare his own contemptible baseness with Gods glorious incomprehensible Majesty his own filthiness and impurity with Gods spotless purity and holiness his own frequent lapses yea rebellions with Gods most exact justice and righteousness And then say if when he hath nothing else to bottom his hopes and confidence upon his flesh do not tremble and his heart quake in the presence of God If such a worm of earth vile dust sinful wretches can dare to send up any request to such a Glory Here we must say Our conscience is afraid and our prayers dare not presume to ask But then let this poor penitent sinner set before him the long experienced mercies the inconceivable goodness and rich overflowing grace of God the meritorious sufferings and infinite merits of the blood of Jesus and his continual intercession for us Here shall he see a large door of hope and mercy opened his heart is now again enlivened and with an humble boldness he can pray and hope to speed Sect. 29 So that here is now no contradiction at all but an excellent harmony between our expressions and our real prayers in these Collects for When we consider our ignorance and blindness we see we cannot ask when our vileness and unworthiness indeed we dare not ask But God shall (h) Zech. 12.10 poure upon us a Spirit of grace and supplication and make us willing and able to pray When (i) Rom. 8.26 the Spirit it self helpeth our infirmities then indeed we can and when the heart is inflamed and the soul purified by the blood of Jesus when we come in the name of the Beloved who are in our selves loathed in him (k) Ephes 1.6 we are accepted When we consider our High Priest (l) Rev. 8.3 4. standing beside the golden Altar and perfuming the incense of our prayers with the precious odours of his own merits we are now bold to ask what before we durst not do Thus through Jesus Christ we ask for his sake and worthiness we
all the glory of it is to be referred only to Gods grace Viz. His preventing exciting assisting sanctifying grace So that even those who do (d) Dr. Ham. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 58. Sect 82. most earnestly contend that of two persons who are under the same means and have the same offers and tenders of grace yet that one is converted and saved the other not the Discrimination ariseth from the one mans resisting that sufficient grace which the other doth not resist but make use of and imputing this to that probity of heart the (e) Luk. 8.15 good and honest heart mentioned in the Parable that docible humble malleable and melting temper which is in the one but the other wanted Even these I say impute this humble malleable temper (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. Sect. 83. ibid. p. 45. Sect 63. not to the natural probity or free-will of man but to the preventing grace of God and grant farther that this probity or humility of heart this subactum solum or soyle mellowed is not any natural quality in man nor is the efficacy of grace to be imputed to those natural or moral preparations but to the grace of God and his supernatural operations that it is an Evangelical temper so far from being natural to any corrupt child of Adam that wheresoever it is it is a special plant of Gods own planting and a work of his preparing softening and preventing grace as much imputable to the operation of his holy Spirit as any effect of his subsequent or co-operating grace is according to those words of Christ (g) Joh. 6.37 All that my Father giveth me shall come unto me They are first fitted by God then given and (h) Vers 44. drawn to Christ by the Father then all these and none but these shall come unto him and that (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 48. Sect. 67.3 whatsoever good man shall ever advance unto it is by the strength of Gods sanctifying and assisting grace and he is to remember with the utmost gratitude how nothing hath been imputable to himself in the whole work but from the beginning to the end all is due to supernatural grace and that what freedome soever the will hath in this corrupt estate to other things and how fully soever furnished with ability to sin c. yet (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 54. Sect. 76. as for an uniform constant choyse of those things that do belong to our peace and spiritual end for the beginning of that and every step and motion through and perseverance in it its freedome and strength and every degree of life or action is wholly and entirely from Grace and then he that (l) Joh. 15.5 without Christ can do nothing now (m) Phil. 4.13 do all things through Christ strengthening him This that learned man makes his (n) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 56. Sect. 79. challenge and interest and not his concession only but requires it to be granted him 2. On the other side the Calvinists do as readily grant to the Arminian That The whole beginning progress and perfection of mans fall and perishing is imputable to none but to his own self through his own voluntary defection and rebeltion and that no decree of God necessitates any man to sin or to be damned Even the greatest assertors of Gods irrespective decrees do also as fully assert that God never forced allured or drawed any man to sin nor is there any force upon man from any decree to make him sin and perish That (q) Hos 13.9 mans destruction is wholly from himself because they cannot plead want of power and means to escape which God offered and they would not take (r) Fenner Wilful impenit the design of the whole Sermō See p. 82. Man's destruction is most just nor can he alledge severity or cruelty in God for He wilfully sinneth himself into Hell Christ presseth the Gospel of peace but they (s) Act. 13.46 put it off their destruction therefore inexcusable Nothing hath man to plead with God for he hath taken away all excuses from man he hath offered Christ Grace Life followed them with good motions counsels exhortations promises threatnings c. but they would not and must therefore be as (t) Mat. 22.12 the man in the Gospel mute and speechless The Prophets (v) Fenuer ib. p. 110. and Ministers of God have discharged their work done their duties they have called but men refused to hear they have called but men refused to return The (x) p. 111. Gospel hath delivered its message and errand hath freely offered life to all that will (y) Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely that it is evident those only perish who will not submit and take this life that is tendered (z) Fenn ib.p. 112. The blood of Jesus Christ hath done that which it was shed for it hath put man every man into a capacity of life it came to tender mercy upon easie terms to offer grace pardon peace salvation and Heaven freely if man will submit he may have it if mens (a) Mat. 23.37 houses be left desolate and they perish it is not because Christ would not gather them for he would but they would not be gathered And indeed though the Law did condemn even there where men could not obey for (b) 1 King 8.46 Eccles 7.20 who of the fallen sons of Adam was ever able to continue in every particular of the Law which yet (c) Gal. 3.10 if he did not he was under the curse yet we never sin against the Gospel but only in that wherein (d) Fenner ubi sup p. 115. we will not obey The Gospel requiring nothing of a believer but what it gives him This is the voice of the Gospel (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 7.17 If any man will let him come c. Now we never displease God but only upon our Will nots though through our weakness in this corrupt estate we cannot but sin in every thing we do yet this stains not our acceptance with God when (f) 2 Cor. 8.12 if there be a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to what he hath not And indeed it is the whole design of that tract of Mr. Fenners to lay all the fault of mans sin and destruction upon himself And the same doth another (g) Bishop Davenant anim on Gods love to mankind especially from p. 83. to 189. and in those Chapters where be shews that Sublaps oppose not the holiness justice or goodness of God Reverend Author as fully avow though expressly he be for Gods Absolute Decrees that yet God is not at all to be charged with the sin or destruction of man nor is man necessitated to either by any decree of God whatsoever Thus even Calvin himself who is so zealous
I can conceive to be liable to any exception and that no part of the matter of the Prayer but only a phrase or expression in the Preface viz. this Which dost make the minds of all faithful men to be of one will Now however if we should submit the phrase to the censure of some curious Criticks it might be thought better to express it otherwise yet here to contend is but a fruitless dispute about words and syllables when the thing is sound and the very thing which the Scripture requires in abundance of places as the duty of Christians and shews to be the affection of the faithful to be (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil 2.2 of one soul of the (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet 3.8 same mind to come together (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 1.14.2.1 46. 8.6.15.25 with one accord to (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.2 3.16.4.2 mind savour or affect the same things to be perfectly joyned together in the (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 1.10 same mind and in the same judgement that they may (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.6 with one mind and one mouth glorifie God And this do all the faithful as to the main concernments of Christianity they forget that they are Christians when they forsake that one Rule (m) Eph. 4.4 5. one Faith one Hope one Gospel which all are to be guided by They are brought by the Grace of God as to agree in one truth so to follow this (n) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.15 in love (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 4.32 in answer to that promise Jer 32.39 Ezek. 11.19 with one Heart And this is all that is said here Which makest the minds of men to be of one will i.e. to be as the Scripture requires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alike affected is indeed no more nor other than if it had been expressed in those Scripture-words Which makest all the faithful to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one soul or heart and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to mind savour affect and will the same thing viz. To love what God commandeth and desire what he doth promise as in the Prayer we Petition that they may So that though the words as they are expressed may not in our present English sound so well to a curious ear nor the Phrase be so exact to a Critical observer yet the thing is agreeable to the Holy Canon and therefore howsoever some may conceive a reason why the expression may be fit to be altered yet it cannot be unlawful to use it as it stands 6. The Collect for Trinity Sunday followeth viz. Sect. 13. Coll. for Trinity Sunday Almighty and Everlasting God which hast given to us thy servants grace by the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Vnity We beseech thee that through the stedfastness of this faith we may evermore be defended from all adversity which livest and reignest c. There are two main things considerable in this short Collect Answ but in neither of them can I see any thing that should be matter of just exception Sect. 14 1. The one is in the Preface a Confession of the true faith in that principal Article of Tri-unus Deus The Trinity of Persons in the Vnity of the Godhead (p) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg Naz. Three yet one Three really distinct in their modus subsistendi their manner of subsisting and operations ad intra yet really one in Essence not divided but all coessential coeternal and coequal in Power Divinity and Majesty As we are taught to confess clearly in the Athanasian Creed And is a truth evident in the Scriptures (q) 1 Joh. 5.7 There are Three that bear record in heaven and these Three are one This is unquestionable among all sound Orthodox and sober Christians Sect. 15 2. The other is a Petition through this faith to be defended And this also such as I cannot well imagine where it can be accounted faulty For 1. If by this faith we understand the Doctrine of faith the Fides quam credimus which we profess concerning the Trin-Vnity it is no more but this We pray that in this Profession we may be protected and defended by God from all things which may hinder our free and open Confession or may oppose our faith or interrupt our peace or disturb that quiet and joy of our souls which in and through faith we may and hope to have Sect. 16 2. If by faith we understand the Fides quâ credimus the Grace of faith by which we (r) Joh. 1.12 receive Christ as he is tendred to us in the Gospel i.e. as (s) Col. 2.6 Christ Jesus the Lord by which we believe receive and close with the whole revelation of Gods mind with affections suitable to the several revelations viz. His Threatnings and angry dispensations with fear trembling and reforming His Promises and Mercies with joy recumbency confidence and affiance His Commands and Precepts with reverence and obedience This is the Evangelical faith this is the faith whereby (t) Rom. 11.20 Heb. 10.38 39. we stand this is the faith (u) Eph. 6.16 whereby we are enabled to conquer all difficulties to go through all streights to scorn (x) 1 Joh. 5.4 5. the enticing allurements of honours pleasures and profits of the world and to despise and contemn the terrours whereby we are (y) 1 Pet. 1.6 7 8. supported in and carried through and delivered out of all tribulations are here enabled to go on with joy and are with courage strengthened to hold out to the end and at last (z) 1 Pet. 1.5 9. attain everlasting salvation This being by God appointed the work of a true faith is that which we pray for that we may have this lively and stedfast faith and through this be so upheld and defended here until we attain the end of our Faith The Salvation of our Souls Sect. 17 7. The Collect for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity is this God which hast prepared for them that love thee Coll. for the sixth Sunday after Irinity such good things as pass all mens understandings pour into our hearts such love towards thee that we loving thee in all things may obtain thy promises which exceed all things that we can desire through Jesus Christ c. This being in the Preface so agreeable to that of the Apostle Answ Sect. 18. (a) 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him and in the Petition begging of God that we may obtain what exceedeth all that we can desire so exactly answering that of the same Apostle glorifying God as