A01956:982
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
FAITHS ENCOURAGEMENT. › Faith.FAITHS ENCOVRAGEMENT. › Faith.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
There is Fides Sentiends, Assentiendi, and Appropriandi: a man may have the first, and not the second: he may have the first and second, and yet not the third: but if he have the third degree, he hath all the former. Some know the truth, but do not consent to it: some know it, and assent to it, yet believe not their own part: they that believe their own mercy, have all the rest. As meat digested turns to juice in the stomach, to blood in the liver, to spirits in the heart: so faith is in the brain knowledge, in the reason assent, in the heart application. As the child in the womb hath first a vegetative life, then a sensitive, last a rational. So faith, as mere knowledge, hath but a vegetation: as allowance, but sense: only the applying and apportioning the merits of Christ to the own soul by it, this is the rational, the very life of it.
There is Fides Sentiends, Assentiendi, and Appropriandi: a man may haue the first, and not the second: he may haue the first and second, and yet not the third: but if he haue the third degree, he hath all the former. Some know the truth, but doe not consent to it: some know it, and assent to it, yet beleeue not their owne part: they that belieue their own mercy, haue all the rest. As meat digested turnes to iuyce in the stomake, to bloud in the liuer, to spirits in the heart: so faith is in the braine knowledge, in the reason assent, in the heart application. As the child in the wombe hath first a vegetatiue life, then a sensitiue, last a rationall. So faith, as meere knowledge, hath but a vegetation: as allowance, but sense: onely the applying and apportioning the merites of Christ to the owne soule by it, this is the rationall, the very life of it.
But thus we may better exemplify this Similitude. The vegetative soul is the soul of plants, and it is a true soul in the kind, though it have neither sense nor reason. The sensitive soul is the soul of beasts, a true soul; includes vegetation, but is void of reason. The rational soul is ⟨p. 429⟩the soul of man, a distinct soul by it self, comprehends both vegetation and sense, having added to them the perfection of reason. So there are three kinds or degrees of Faith. 1. To believe there is a God; this is the faith of Pagans, and it is a true faith, though it neither believe the Word of God, nor mercy from God. 2. To believe that what God says is true: this is the faith of devils and reprobates, and a true faith; including the faith of Pagans, and going beyond it; yet it apprehends no mercy. 3. To believe on God, to rely upon his mercy in Christ, and to affie their own reconciliation; this is the faith of the Elect; comprehends both the former, yet is a distinct faith by it self.