A treatise of faith divided into two parts. The first showing the nature, the…A treatise of faith diuided into two parts. The first shewing the nature, the…

IT is expedient and necessary that all Christians should acquaint themselves with the doctrine of Faith:¹ because the safety of all Christian Religion doth depend upon the right understanding of this matte: and Satan with his subtleties hath ever endeavoured to obscure this doctrine by the mists of Sophisms, or to weaken it some other ways, that he might rob God of his glory, and the Church of the certainty of her salvation. And if the necessity of a thing known and acknowledged stir up to ⟨p. 2⟩enquire into it, and labour after it, this also may provoke us to search and enquire what faith is. §11. Faith is of the number of those necessary things, which are necessarily required to the obtaining of others; and not of those which are wrought by compulsion, or by any necessary cause compelling.² As if a man would see, he must open his eyes, and yet he is not by external violence forced thereunto. §22. No unbeliever can please God: for how should he, who is incredulous and divided from God, please him who is most true and faithful?³ Salvation is in the pleasure and power of God, which he dispenseth according to his own, not our will. But he accepteth none as righteous to life, but them that believe. §33. The quality of this present life and our habitation,⁴ in which we are absent from the Lord, doth evidence the necessity of faith: As a son that lives from the presence of his Father must believe his letters and messengers sent unto him. §44. The quality of things necessary to be known for the obtaining of salvation is such, that they cannot be apprehended or received without it: As in humane things the quality, of Arts and Sciences is such, that they require understanding,⁵