A Golden Chain

Now faith is said to be weak, when a man either fails in the knowledge of the Gospel; or else having knowledge, is weak in grace to apply unto himself the sweet promises thereof. As for example, we know that the Apostles had all true saving faith (except Judas) and when our Saviour Christ asked them,¹ whom they thought that he was; Peter in the person of the rest, answered for them all, and said; Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God: for which our Saviour commended him, and in him, them all, saying: Thou art Peter, and upon this rock, (that is, upon Christ, which Peter confessed in the name of them all) will I build my Church. And yet about that time we shall find in the Gospel,² that they are called men of little faith. Now they failed in ⟨p. 194⟩knowledge of the death of Christ, and of his passion, and resurrection; and were carried away with a vain hope of an earthly kingdom. And therefore when our Saviour showed them of his going down to Jerusalem and of his sufferings there, Peter a little after his notable confession began to rebuke Christ, and said, Master have pity on thy self, this shall not be unto thee. And until he had appeared to them after his death, they did not distinctly believe his resurrection.

Now faith is saide to be weake, when a man either failes in the knowledge of the Gospell; or else hauing knowledge, is weake in grace to applie vnto himselfe the sweet promises thereof. As for example, we know that the Apostles had all true sauing faith (except Iudas) and when our Sauiour Christ asked them,¹ whome they thought that he was; Peter in the person of the rest, answered for them all, and said; Thou art Christ, the Sonne of the liuing God: for which our Sauiour commended him, and in him, them all, saying: Thou art Peter, and vpon this rocke, (that is, vpon Christ, which Peter confessed in the name of them all) will I build my Church. And yet about that time we shall finde in the Gospell,² that they are called men of little faith. Now they failed in ⟨p. 194⟩