A09950:431
The Breastplate of Faith and Love
The breast-plate of faith and love. A treatise, wherein the ground and exercise of faith and love, as they are set upon Christ their object, and as they are expressed in good works, is explained. / Delivered in 18 sermons upon three several texts, by the late faithful and worthy minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty, Master of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inn.The breast-plate of faith and love. A treatise, wherein the ground and exercise of faith and love, as they are set upon Christ their object, and as they are expressed in good workes, is explained. / Delivered in 18 sermons upon three severall texts, by the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.
London: printed by W. Jones for Nicolas Bourne, 1630London: printed by W. Iones for Nicolas Bourne, 1630
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.
Again, it is objected out of that place, that by works faith is made perfect; therefore it seems that faith is nothing alone, ⟨p. 69⟩if works be not joined with it.1
Againe, it is objected out of that place, that by workes faith is made perfect; therefore it seemes that faith is nothing alone, ⟨p. 69⟩if workes bee not joyned with it.1
- 1Answ.
I answer,1 that when it is said that faith is made perfect by works, the meaning is, that faith is made good by works; the perfection of faith is declared by works. As one that professeth that he hath an Art,2 and that he is able to do this and that; if he do the work wherein his Art is showed, if he make any artificial work, by that he maketh good his Art. Or, as when we say, these Trees are good, because they have sap in them, they are not dead Trees. Now the Tree is made perfect by the fruit; so faith by works is made perfect. Not that works put life into faith; the sap must first be in the Tree, and then it bringeth forth fruit: so there must first be a life in faith, and then it bringeth forth works. So that, when we say that faith is made perfect by works, the meaning is, that works declare faith to be right, as the fruit doth declare the Tree to have sap.
I answer,