the Christian Society As Colledges have their Statutes and other Companies and Societies their particular Orders This is an Order for all that are of Christ's School And without renouncing Self we cannot rightly depend on Christ without forsaking Self we cannot follow Christ without crossing Self we cannot comply with the Will of Christ without denying self we cannot be ready to confess Christ we cannot be willing and prepared to die to suffer for Christ How easily are Men brought to deny the Faith and Truth to deny God and Jesus Christ that have not learnt to deny themselves Will Lovers of themselves will Self-seekers stick to Christ and his Truth when put upon trial whether indeed they are content to sell all for the Pearl of price Whether they can forsake all for Christ When the Cross shall follow those that follow Christ will not such flinch from him then Yea before any such Trials come all that have not learnt to deny themselves have denied God and Christ already in their Hearts and are daily denying him in their Works and Lives Though Men have a form of Godliness yet while they deny the power thereof so far they deny God And to deny the power of Godliness is a sad preparation and introduction to the grossest and most shameful denial of God and Christ when a Temptation thereunto shall come No wonder therefore that Christ says here Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him utterly deny himself The simple Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as to deny that with this Preposition added it seems to signifie more to deny with an Emphasis to deny with contempt and abhorrence of ones self Quest But what is it to deny our selves Answ 1. In the Negative 1. We must not deny our selves to be what indeed we are as we must not feign our selves to be what we are not As the Prophet Ahijah said to the disguised Wife of Jeroboam Why feignest thou thy self to be another It is one thing to disguise and another to deny our selves The Hypocrite that seems to be what he is not and would not appear to be what he is is yet far from that Self-denial Christ calls us to he deceives himself and others while he does not deny himself So likewise many a sensless Sinner when admonished of his Faults will not acknowledg that he is the Man whom such a repoof concerns He will justifie himself though his Lips prove him perverse and though it may further provoke the Lord to plead with him as Jer. 2.35 To deny the Truth here is quite opposite to Self-denial Again Some there are in another Extream For whom God hath done much yet being clouded with Melancholy c. they cannot see so clear as otherwise they might and thereupon soon question yea deny any good wrought in them The condition of these is far better than the others spoken of before Yet they are to be pittied and such an Humour not to be fed or encouraged It is one thing to deny our selves and another to deny God's goodness to us It is no way contrary to Self-denial for a Christian to say with the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.10 By the Grace of God I am what I am Some go further yet and charge themselves more deeply than there is just cause As some poor troubled Spirits will not down with it but that they have sinned the unpardonable Sin c. But though we are not to deny our selves we are not falsly to accuse our selves 2. We are not to deny our selves in that sense wherein it is said that God cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 He abideth faithful he cannot deny himself He is ever as good as his Promise constant to his Word We may not in this sense deny our selves may not go back from lawful promises made either to God or Men. We should not use lightness yea and nay 3. We are not to renounce the use of our Reason That is no piece of Self-denial intended or required here That would be to make the Christian Religion unreasonable And how great a reproach would that cast upon Religion What is Man but Animal rationale or Ens ratione praeditum a Creature endued with Reason That it is as natural to him as congruous to that form and kind of being which his Creator has given him that he should use his Reason as that the Sun Moon and Stars should shine and give forth their light And it is certainly the highest and noblest use our Reason serves for to help us in the discovery of Truth and to direct us in the choice of Good Therefore no doubt we may be the Servants of Christ upon more Honourable terms than Nahash would have put upon the Men of Jabesh-Gilead Christ never required his Followers in this sense to put out their right Eyes though we must part with our dearest Lusts which have been as our right Eyes yet when these are pluckt out we should see never the worse But it is the way of Antichrist to perswade Man to an implicit Faith and to blind Obedience It is the drift and design of the Synagogue of Satan to get Men hood-winkt that they may be content to see with the Eyes of their Rulers and Leaders and follow them which way they please But we should be ready always to give an answer to every Man that asketh us a Reason of our Faith 1 Pet. 3.15 And can we give a Reason of our Faith without using our Reason And how oft doth the Lord reason with Men about Matters of Religion See Isa 46. from ver 5. to ver 9. Then would he not have Men use their Reason here Yea how does he upbraid Men that they used their Reason no better that they did not shew themselves Men See Isa 44.19 Chap. 27.11 It is a People of no understanding And it is plain the Scriptures that are a Rule for our Faith and Practice could not be rightly applied and made use of without putting forth our Reason Mat. 22.29 31 32. Where Christ telleth the Sadducees that denied the Resurrection Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures No Man could discover the Resurrection of the Dead in that Scripture brought for it without the use and exercise of Reason And farther We must have Reason to convince those who as yet believe not the Divine Original and Authority of the Scriptures How else should Heathens Infidels be convinced and converted Would we have them change their Way and Opinions without seeing any Reason for it And while Hereticks and Men of unsound Minds abuse their Reason setting it against the Truth should not we use and improve our Reason in defence of the Truth Can we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confute Gain-sayers without using our Reason And the Apostle would have Christians not as Children but Men in understanding 1 Cor. 14.20 And that is a weighty passage which some have laid down who have written to good
1. I say how dark are such a ones apprehensions of the Sun compared with ours who enjoy its Light Spiritual Minds are for such an experimental Knowledg of God and Jesus Christ Yea they are for an appropriating Knowledg The more they know of God the more earnestly they desire and endeavour to discover their special propriety in God They cannot be satisfyed till they know him to be their God The more they know of Jesus Christ the more they long to know that he is their Jesus and their Lord. 2. Spiritual Minds are for knowing more of themselves There can be no Sound Knowledg without Self-Knowledg Nil prosunt lecta nec intellecta nisi teipsum legas intelligas Let a Man Read Study Understand never-so-much all his Knowledg is vain and unprofitable without an application of it to himself Job 5.27 Hear and know thou it for thy good In the Hebrew it is know thou for thy self or with thy self Many hear as for others are more ready to apply the Word to others than to themselves Such are not likely to get good by what they hear are no better for what they know The Word is compared to a Glass And it concerneth every one to look his Face in this Glass Yea it is not enough to look with a sudden Glance and so away again but we must continue therein to know what manner of Persons we are and ought to be Jam. 1.23 24 25. And Spiritual Minds are for Self-Acquaintance Spiritual Knowledg will put Souls upon and help in examining and proving themselves that they may know themselves 3. Spiritual Minds would know all the Counsel of God so far as concerneth them and especially they are for knowing what most nearly concerneth them Knowledg without Wisdom as one says is usually curious Dr. Manton on Jam. 3.13 p. 384. and censorious Sound Minds would be acquainted with the Word of God pro or con They are ready to receive it whether it make for them or against them And so The Ear that heareth the reproof of Life abideth among the Wise He that heareth reproof getteth Vnderstanding Prov. 15.31 32. See also Prov. 19.25 What a strict charge did Eli lay on Samuel not to hide any thing from him that the Lord had told him 1 Sam. 3.17 And when he was told of the evil determined against his House he did not fret and fume but said It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good So Hezekiah 2 King 20.19 But how few that would like to hear of their Sins or are willing to hear of the Judgments God has denounced against them in his Word Such Knowledg is too painful for the most They had rather sleep on in their Sins than be so disquieted God's Messengers are accounted their Enemies and Tormentors when they tell them the Truth Alas we can meet with but few in comparison that are for right things that will endure sharp reproof though needful to set them Sound But few that would have their Sores touch'd But a Sound Mind would hear and know the worst of it self It is the Prayer of such a one Make me to know my Transgression and my Sin What I see not teach thou me and wherein I have done Iniquity I would do so no more Search me O God and prove me and see if there be any way of Wickedness in me and lead me in the Way Everlasting Such would know their Sins to be humbled for them and to turn from them So likewise Sound Minds would know more of their Duty to discharge it These would be more knowing not only in matters of Faith but as well in matters of Practice Prov. 10.8 The Wise in Heart will receive Commandments The Wisdom of the Prudent is to understand his way In the point of his Duty here he would not be to seek Such have little time to spend have little Heart to spend time about such Notions though true that have little or no influence on the Heart and Life Others study those things most that do least concern them And are taken up with by-matters neglecting the main But wholsom words and the Doctrine of Godliness agree best with Sound Minds As the Psalmist says Psal 119.104 Through thy Precepts I get Vnderstanding And prayeth ver 27. Make me to understand the way of thy Precepts And again ver 73. Give me Vnderstanding that I may learn thy Commandments As John's hearers came and asked What shall we do What shall we do Luk. 3.10 12 14. Serious Minds make little account of that Knowledg which hath no influence on is not reducible to practice Now the Lord grant that we may be filled with the Knowledg of his will in all Wisdom and Spiritual Vnderstanding that we may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and encreasing in the Knowledg of God HEB. 10.39 But of them that believe to the Saving of the Soul SAving Faith is omnium virtutum radix Fundamentum as the Foundation in the Spiritual Building as the root of other Graces What Glorious things are spoken of Faith in Scripture Where is the Christian that will not acknowledg that doth not in some measure understand the usefulness excellency and the necessity of Faith A Christian could not live without it nor can he perish with it But the Question is How Saving-Faith may be known And wherein it is differenced from other Faith that is not Saving Indeed there is an Historical or Dogmatical Faith and there is a practical Faith there is a dead Faith and a living Faith there is a temporary Faith and a grounded and permanent Faith there is a counterfeit Faith and unfeigned Faith It ought to be our great care that we take not Leah for Rachel that we take not up with a Fancy instead of Faith Here first I shall shew what it is not 1. True Faith is not a blind implicite Assent to one knows not what Not a believing as the Church believes I grant as there is a general Repentance and humiliation so a general Faith As there is an Humiliation for unknown Sins when a Man is humbled and heartily grieved to think that he is more vile and sinful than he sees himself to be and to think that he is guilty of a multitude of Sins more than he is able to find out and discover in his Heart and Life whereby he is disposed to a particular Repentance for any of those unknown Sins as he cometh to a knowledg of them so there is a general and implicite Faith or Assent to Divine Truths contained in God's Word such as one hath not yet attained to the knowledg of when a Man believeth that whatsoever God saith in his Word is most certainly true and would yeild his Assent readily to any Truth which at present he has no knowledg of as soon as he sees the Scripture for it But this general implicite Faith and credence of the Word of God is
quite different from that implicite Faith and credence of the Churches Testimony which some Popish Doctors so much commend And that this is not true Faith is very plain and evident For 1. The Popish implicite Faith is but the belief of an humane Testimony And can that be a Divine Faith which resteth on an humane Testimony 2. It prepares Men for receiving and drinking in abundance of Errors contrary to the Word contrary to Sound Faith They must believe as the Church believeth and therefore may not question much less deny any thing the Church holdeth how contrary soever to the word of Truth 3. It fostereth a Multitude of their poor deluded People in most lamentable Ignorance Yea indeed it seemeth to have been devised to put out Mens Eyes that so they might lead them even which way they please Notwithstanding many of their Writers cannot but grant that this implicite Faith hath no place about the necessary Articles of Faith but that these must be explicitely believed Only they say it is sufficient for the common People to believe with an implicite Faith those points which are besides the necessary Articles of Faith yet it is famously known that the Ruling part of their Church have even denied the common People the use of the Holy Scriptures in their own Tongue where they well could and have been also for imposing on them Service in an unknown Tongue whereby People commonly understand not either what is said by the Priest or what themselves say Of which Sr. Europae Speculum Quarto p. 8. Edwyn Sandys sayes well Their Service is no other than as a Lamp put out which bringeth no Light at all to the Understanding nor can bring any due warmth to the Affection And thus notwithstanding the fair Comment that some of their Doctors School-men and Casuists put upon their implicite Faith their common practice would teach us to take it in a worse sense scil as an Engine contrived to keep People in Ignorance and in blind Obedience and fast subjection to their Prelates 4. It is a great Absurdity Their Implicite Faith is no Faith but a meer Cloak for Ignorance As * Arch-Bishop of 〈…〉 on 〈…〉 p. 39. One that had been well acquainted with them Verily for any Man to say I believe that which another Man believeth is as much as if he said I see that which another Man seeth though my own Eyes be shut What rare learned Doctrine was that of Altenstaig That an implicite Faith availeth so much Dictionar in verbo credere that if any one having it should think falsly moved with his natural reason that the Father was greater than or before the Son or that the three Persons were locally distant from one another or the like yet he is not an Heretick he sinneth not whilst that he doth not pertinaciously defend his errour and believeth this because he believeth the Church doth so believe What a rare device is this that would keep an Arrian a Nestorian an Audian or Anthropomorphite from being an Heretick But how absurd is it to hold that a Man believeth Non tantum qui actu ut loquuntur non assentit Panstr tom 3. p. 377. §. 13. sed etiam qui actu dissentit as learned Chamier notes who not only doth not actually assent but also actually dissenteth But enough of that 2. True saving-Saving-Faith is not a bare Historical or Dogmatical Faith The Papists quarrel with the term Historical But by Historical Faith our Divines do not mean a Faith confined to the Historical part of the Scriptures but such a Faith which though it taketh in the whole Word of God for its object yet assenteth no otherwise unto it than as a Man may give credit to an History of things that nothing concerneth him This Historical or Dogmatical Faith which is their Fides informis formless Faith they hold to be one and the same with the Faith which is Justifying and Saving That Faith whether it be joyned with or separated from Charity hath all that is essential to Faith only the conjunction of Charity with Faith makes it Living and Saving But if Historical Faith was the same with Justifying Faith Thes Theol. in Folio p. 3. §. 11. vid. §. 12. then whosoever had Historical Faith hoc ipso he should have Justifying Faith as Le Blanc argues And then all that have Historical Faith having all that is essential to Faith should be saved For he that believeth shall be saved The Scripture cannot be broken which hath entailed Salvation upon all true Believers Either Faith necessarily includeth more than a bare Assent to the Truth or all that assent to the Truth are saved Indeed we have some that hold Faith to be only an Assent of the understanding a giving credit to the Word of God as true As to believe a thing is to assent to the truth of a Proposition for the Authority and Testimony of him that speaks it And this they would confirm by Scripture As that Text is urged Joh. 11.26 27. In which words says one we see Hobs Philosoph Rudiments c. 18 p. 349. that the Question Believest thou in me is expounded by the Answer Thou art the Christ To believe in Christ therefore is nothing else but to believe Jesus himself saying that he is the Christ So Mat. 16.16 and 1 Joh. 4.2 is likewise alledged here But it is certain the Scripture doth not take the words Faith and Believing in so strict a sense as a Philosopher would take them but more largely And so as others have noted the expressions alledged are not to be taken exclusive Vid. Ames Medul c. 3. §. 20. Shepherd Sound Believer p. 159 160. but inclusive not as excluding other Acts of Faith which other Texts of Scripture expressively attribute unto it but as including and supposing them And there was a special reason why Faith should be described then as a believing that Jesus was the Christ the Son of the Living God and a believing that Jesus Christ was come in the Flesh Because this was a new Article of Faith necessary to be believed and was in those times a main point in question and by the Men of the times strongly I mean violently opposed Thus it was a greater matter to believe and confess Jesus to be the Christ at that time than for us to assent to this Truth when it is generally owned and professed As one well noteth We must distinguish times Dr. Manton on Jam. 2.19 p. 305. The Truths of God then Suffering under so many prejudices c. The Wind that bloweth on our Backs blew in their Faces and that which draweth on many to assent to the Gospel was their discouragement But to prove that a bare intellectual Assent is not true Saving-Faith we need look no further than that Text Jam. 2.19 Thou believest that there is one God thou dost well the Devils also believe and tremble The Apostle instanceth in this
Article as Estius says because in it especially the Jews differed from Pagans or because it is the first Article of our Faith But he might questionless have added other Articles which the Devils as well believe and are convinced to be certain Truths They believed Jesus to be the Son of God Mat. 8.29 And that he was the Christ Luk. 4.41 The Devil that puts others upon questioning whether there be a God Or whether the Scriptures be the Word of God hath no doubt of these things himself He that would have Men Atheists or Infidels is far from being either himself Atheism and Infidelity are Sins which the Devil cannot be guilty of An Atheist or an Infidel is in that respect worse than the Devil himself Now certainly that Faith which the Devils have cannot be true Saving-Faith But the Devils have such a Faith as this they are clearly convinced that the Scriptures are the Word of God and that what God's Word holds forth is certainly true How absurd and irrational is it to suppose that the Devils that are Damned have that same Faith for the nature of it which the Scripture calls precious Faith and which it maketh the condition of Salvation And yet mistake me not I grant a Dogmatical Faith is included in Saving Faith As the Vegetative Soul is included in the Sensitive or as both these are included in the Rational Soul So a believing that there is a Christ that he is come in the Flesh and a believing the Word of Christ is included in our believing in him And indeed they that believe not what is spoken of him in the Gospel that believe not the Son of God his taking Mans Nature on him uniting it to his Person that there was such a one as Jesus Christ that was born of a Virgin that suffered was crucified at Jerusalem and rose again from the dead and ascended up to Heaven according to the Scriptures they that allegorize the true Christ out of Doors and only acknowledg a Christ within them they do not believe in that Jesus whom Paul preached whom all the Apostles preached whom the Father sealed I further grant that to believe with a Dogmatical Faith is part of Man's duty It is a setting to our Seal that God is true Joh. 3.33 And he that believeth not God hath made him a Lyer 1 Joh. 5.10 Think what an heinous Sin it is to give God the Lye If you deny his Truth you deny him to be God If he were not the God of Truth he were not the true God And further we must grant that the Word is a great gift of God that it is a wonderful favour that he is pleased thus to reveal his Mind and Will and make himself known to the Sons of Men. And that it is a work of the Spirit though but a common work which such may have as shall not be saved to bring Men to assent to the Truth All this is granted But yet though we know the Truth and cannot but assent to it in our Judgments if we do not embrace it with suituble Affections if we do not heartily cleave to it and sincerely submit to it our simple belief of the Truth is so far from being a Saving work that it will increase our Condemnation as our guilt is increased by it 3. True Saving-Faith is not a meer perswasion that my Sins are pardoned that I shall be Saved Some have gone this way Believe that your Sins are pardoned for Christ's sake and they are pardoned and you justifyed Believe that you shall be saved by Christ and you shall be saved A short cut to Heaven But how little need is there to teach Men Presumption or to encourage it But to shew you the Vanity of this conceit 1. All that hear the Gospel are bound to believe in Jesus Christ But all such are not bound to believe that they are pardoned justifyed and shall be saved 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ And what Duty is more pressed in the Gospel But where doth the Gospel command all to believe that they shall be saved How many alas that are in their Sins that are such as the Word of God condemneth Know ye not that the Vnrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Such as the Apostle speaketh of 1 Cor. 6.9 10. believe contrary to the Gospel if while such they believe that they are pardoned and shall be saved The Gospel calleth us to repent that our Sins may be blotted out And we have no ground to believe or hope that our Sins are pardoned till we repent When we find unbelief spoken of as the great condemning Sin we must not take it so as if Sinners were condemned because they would not believe that their Sins were pardoned Nor is it the sense of that Article in our Creed I believe the Remission of Sins that I believe my Sins are remitted Too many lay down this Conclusion that yet stand condemned by the Sentence of God's Word All impenitent Sinners are bound to believe that at present they are in a state of Wrath Heirs apparent of Hell that except they repent they shall perish they cannot be saved 2. Are we not justifyed by Faith Deny that and you deny plain Scripture Now we cannot be justifyed by Faith if we are first of all to believe that we are pardoned and justified Le Blanc Thes Theol. p. 212. §. 103. Quomodo enim possemus justificari per actum qui justificationem jam factam praesupponit Must we believe our Sins are pardoned that they may be pardoned Must we believe we are Justifyed that we may be Justifyed What can be more absurd Then we must believe what is not that it may be as we believe If the first Act of Faith be to believe that I am pardoned and justifyed then Remission and Justification must needs go before Faith The Act supposeth the Object In order of Nature Faith is before Justification otherwise we are not justified by Faith and in order of Nature at least we must be justified before we can truly believe that we are justified Therefore we cannot be justified by believing we are so It is a plain contradiction to say that we believe before we are justified and yet are justified before we believe 3. It cannot be the first Act of Faith to believe I shall be saved except instead of the Word some special Revelation besides the Word be the Ground of my Faith This is plain because it is not at all credible to me according to the Word that I shall be saved till I know I have Faith such a Faith as hath Salvation annexed to it by promise such a Faith as purifieth the Heart worketh by Love c. According to the Word only he that believeth with such a Faith shall be saved That I cannot believe according to the Word that I shall be saved till I find such a Faith
hold on by consent and affiance Or thus there is the primary and principal Object of Faith and the secondary and less principal Object The primary and principal Object of Faith are the fundamentals essentials and most necessary points of the Christian Religion Such Divine Doctrines Promises and Precepts without assent and consent unto which we cannot believe unto Salvation or be sound Christians Yet I shall not contend with those that make Christ the only Mediator and Saviour the principal Object of Faith forasmuch as I doubt not but we are agreed that the belief of all that is necessary to be known and believed of Christ doth suppose and include the belief of all other points that are absolutely necessary to Salvation And as he is the Chief and principal Means of bringing us to God the Scriptures have a chief reference and respect to Christ Luk. 24.44 Joh. 5.39 The secondary and less principal Object of Faith takes in other things contained in the Word that are of good use indeed Rom. 15.4 2 Tim. 3.16 But though all Scripture be of use and profitable yet all that is there written is not absolutely necessary to be distinctly known and explicitely believed And yet you may not hence infer that if you know and believe so much as is absolutely necessary to Salvation there needeth no more None are to stand at a stay in Religion All that are in the School of Christ must be making proficiency growin Faith and Knowledg We should diligently improve the means that the Word of Christ may dwell in us richly that we may be filled with the knowledg of his Will And further as a late Writer noteth there are points of Faith secondarily fundamental Fowler Design of Christianity p. 235. the disbelief of which cannot consist with true Holiness in those to whom the Gospel is sufficiently made known And all such Doctrines as are with indisputable clearness revealed to us the belief of these is absolutely necessary from an external cause though not from the nature of the points themselves viz. in regard of their perspicuity that nothing can cause Men to refuse to admit them but that which argueth them to be stark naught and to have some unworthy and base end in so doing or in the phrase of Scripture 2 Tim. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reprobate concerning the Faith Note one thing more touching the Object of Faith scil That more is taken into the necessary Object of Faith now under the Gospel than was necessary before The Mystery of our Redemption by Christ being more fully unfolded in the Gospel a more distinct explicite Faith in Christ is required of us than was required of those to whom less was revealed Revelatio est mensura Fidei Le Blanc Though Noah Abraham and all the faithful before Christ were justified and saved by Faith yet not by that special kind of Faith that such as live under the Gospel are saved by I mean there are new Articles of Faith relating to Christ his Office and Undertaking as Mediator essential to a Gospel-Faith that were not essential to Faith before the promulgation of the Gospel Nor did the Apostles themselves believe some of them till after Christ's Resurrection concerning whom excepting Judas we have no doubt but they were true Believers Next to shew you the special and proper Acts of Faith They speak much in a little that call Faith a practical Assent and a fiducial Consent I cannot exclude any of these three Acts Assent Consent and Affiance The two last are plainly expressed in the shorter Catechism and all three fully in the Confession of Faith forecited And so the learned and holy Bishop Vsher Body of Divinity p. 197. Edit 1648. to the Question What is true Saving-Faith Answereth It is such a firm Assent of the Mind to the Truth of the Word as flows into the Heart and causeth the Soul to embrace it as good and to build its eternal Happiness on it And it should not seem strange that so much is taken into the nature of true Faith As Divines now generally place it not in the Vnderstanding only or in the Will only but in both faculties conjunct if they be distinct faculties and not the very essence of the Soul disposed and acting differently towards the Object considered in a different notion and respect And methinks it is plain in Scripture that the Faith to which Salvation is promised doth not consist in one single Act for there are these diverse Acts even now mentioned attributed to it 1. It is an Assent An Assent to the Truth of the Word in general and particularly to the Promise of Salvation by Christ Though I shewed before that Faith consists not barely in Assent that this is not the whole of Faith yet we cannot deny but this is part of it We find Faith thus described again and again that we must acknowledg it one Act of Faith It would be strange indeed if a belief of the Truth be no part of Faith Then Martha answered nothing to the Question Joh. 11.26 27. when she said yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ So see Rom. 10.9 But how does Faith assent to Divine Truth 1. Faith assenteth really not feignedly A true Believer doth not only profess or confess with his Mouth but believes in his Heart as he professeth to believe 2. Faith assents firmly not waveringly It riseth higher than opinion It is more than a Semi-perswasion of the Truth As they said We believe and are sure Not as Agrippa almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian I grant that as all Christians have not the same measure of Spiritual-Knowledg and as there are different degrees of Faith so all Believers have not the same degree of firmness of Assent And Faith does not wholly exclude all doubtings but overcometh them Indeed sometimes very horrid thoughts arise or are injected that would put the Soul upon questioning all but they are not entertained but ordinarily abhorred and rejected as they come As one says Herb. Palmer Paradoxes p. 64. §. 72. He is sometimes so troubled that he thinks nothing is true in Religion and yet if he did think so he could not be at all troubled It is true thus a Believer sometimes is sore shaken yet not quite taken off from all but rather put upon earnest Prayer and indeavours to be more rooted and grounded in Faith So these shakings are wont to end in his more firm establishment And take the weakest Believer out of such a swounding-fit and he has ordinarily a deeper sense of Divine Truths and a stronger assent to them than others whose Faith is unsound though these may have a far greater measure of Notional Knowledg even such an Assent that he dare venture his Soul and all his hopes and concerns deliberately upon them 3. Faith assents freely In this sense it is true that with the Heart Man believeth Some are convinced of the Truth but sore
purpose Of the concurrent judgment of Protestants concerning the Interest of Reason in matters of Religion The more the understanding of a Christian discerneth the Evidences Pag. 14. §. 24. and true Reason of all things in Religion the far greater advantage his Will hath for the love of it and fixed resolution never to forsake it and for seriousness and constancy in an holy Self-denying Life and for patience in Sufferings and joyful hopes of Heavenly Glory For Grace worketh on Man as Man That is as a rational free Agent whose Will must be guided by the light of his understanding So they And yet we must say that there are many Points in Religion which Mans Reason without Divine Supernatural Revelation could never discover as ver 9. the Mystery of the Trinity the Incarnation of Christ c. Though part of the Christian Religion be evident by the Light of Nature yet what is not of Natural Revelation the soundest and strongest Reason and Understanding of Man could never reach unto without the help of Supernatural Revelation As there is no seeing without Light so there is no Knowledge without some intelligible Evidence Again This we must not hold That what is Supernaturally revealed though in it self never so much above the reach of Natural Reason is not to be doubted of but must be concluded infallibly certain Though we may not take any thing to be the Word of God without Reason Mr. Baxt. of Self-denial pag. 280. yet when we have Reason to take it to be his Word we must believe and submit to all that is in it without any more reason for our Belief Since it is evident by many Infallible proofs that the Scriptures are the Word of God the God of Truth that cannot Lye we have good reason indeed to yield our ready and full assent to whatsoever is taught and held forth in the Sacred Scriptures And it is unreasonable not to believe the Word of God that God who is Omniscient and All-wise that he cannot be deceived and who is infinitely Holy and Good that he cannot deceive Thus those high Points of Faith which could never be cleared by natural proof or evidence yet we are to receive as unquestionable Verities upon account of God's Veracity they being revealed by him in his holy Word In such cases to acknowledg the short-sightedness of our imperfect understandings is but reasonable But to deny or question the truth of Divine Revelation is most unreasonable and impious Yet it must be noted That this no way befriendeth those who would impose new Articles of Faith upon Christians or put a false sense on any part of Scripture that it may be thought to favour their Errors and Absurdities Such are like the false Prophets of old Ezek. 13.7 that would tell the People The Lord saith it albeit he had not spoken Thus the Papists would father the first-born of Monsters and grossest of Absurdities their Transubstantiation upon God and Jesus Christ A Doctrine full of Contradictions contrary to common Sense and Reason and to many plain points of Faith But from what Scripture do they learn or can they prove it that a Priest hath power by mumbling over a few words to turn Bread and Wine into the very Body and Blood of Christ It 's true we read This is my Body And so it is Sacramentally and Representatively notwithstanding it is naturally Bread still And how oft is it called Bread even after Consecration shewing that its substance is not changed by its Consecration but only its use It is Bread still when Consecrated when Administred when Eaten 1 Cor. 11.26 27 28. As often us ye eat this Bread c. Whereas the Papists contrary to plain Scripture and to all our Senses will needs have it to be no more Bread One thing more must be laid down here that Man's Reason and understanding Faculty since the Fall is naturally blind and dark depraved whence it is apt to judg sinisterly and falsly of Spiritual things unable spiritually and savingly to discern them without the special Illumination of the holy Spirit Yet it will not follow that Men must lay aside their Reason either waiting for immediate Revelations with the Enthusiasts or subscribing to the dictates of Men hand over head right or wrong true or false with the Papists But they are to use their own Vnderstandings the best they can to get Instruction from the Word of God which was written to make wise the Simple not leaning to their own Vnderstandings which are so lame but earnestly calling in the help and guidance of the Spirit of Truth to lead them into all Truth And they are in the most hopeful way to find the Spirit 's assistance here who are most diligent and careful in the use of those means whereunto he directs Men such as Reading Hearing the Word Meditation Prayer Conference But observe as to the sight of an Object these three things are joyntly-necessarily required Scil. 1. The Eye or Visive Faculty 2. The Object to be seen 3. The Light to irradiate the Object So to the knowledg of Religion and the Doctrine of Salvation these three things are no less necessarily concurring 1. Our Reason or understanding Faculty 2. The Object or Doctrine of Truth to be known 3. Nam et oculus sic factus est ut videre lumen possit sed videre non potest nisi se illi lumen infuderit Fulgent Epist 6. That the holy Spirits's enlightning the Mind or opening the Understanding to apprehend and discern this Object Which illumination of the Spirit is twofold common or special Pardon this Digression For several Reasons I have thought it not unseasonable at this time to speak something of the Interest of Reason in the matters of Religion Concerning which for fuller Satisfaction peruse those few sheets forecited But thus that denying of our selves which Christ calleth us unto doth not include a renouncing of the use of Reason 4. When we are required to deny our selves the meaning is not that we should destroy our selves or unnecessarily do any thing tending thereunto Self-denial is an eminent and precious Grace but Self-murder a very great and dreadful Sin To be ready to lay down our lives when God calleth to it is an eminent act of Self-denial but to cast away our lives in a discontened humour or by neglect is quite another thing 5. To wrong our selves by denying our selves the needful comforts God alloweth us is not Christian Self-denial As some poor melancholy persons almost famish themselves To deny our selves a sober moderate use of Creature-comforts that we have need of is more than the Lord requires Some there are so covetous that though they have great Wealth and Riches yet they have not power to eat thereof Here is Self-denial even from the basest selfishness A denying of natural self for worldly self But the greatest wronging of our selves is a rejecting Grace offered This is Self-undoing not right Self-denial 6.