A10945:179
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading…Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading…
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happiness, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianity. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learn how to lead a godly and comfortable life every day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happines, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianitie. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learne how to leade a godly and comfortable life euery day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1603
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.
CHAP. 8. How the weak in faith should be established.
CHAP. 8. How the weake in faith should be established.
And thus to pass to the second head of this first treatise,1 understand that these two things are here to be handled: first, how the weak believers may and should be stayed in their vehement temptations. Secondly, how they may further prove, that they differ from such as ⟨p. 38⟩are not believers, although they seem so. Of these weak ones, there are two §Fsorts: some less, some more: both shall be better understood by that which shall severally be said of both. And herein I desire my brethren, who are better settled, not to think this labour superfluous: but to measure the weak by their own weakness at their first beginning, and to think that as the gift of faith is most excellent, so there cannot be too great help yielded to the weak, in directing them to come by it. Concerning the first therefore, although I have by sundry tokens showed, who are the children of God, and how every faithful Christian may judge of himself hereby; yet for want of experience, and by vehemency of temptation, they cannot so boldly and confidently rest, and stay themselves by general doctrine, nor apply it to §Gthemselves; those I mean which are weak Christians, yet such as have attained communion with their brethren in faith and godliness: therefore though the aforementioned properties of true believers, may be clearly seen and discerned to be in them, and they themselves also will confess, that they have been stayed (save in temptation) and that some of them oftentimes have found singular comfort in Christ, and desire much to be with him: yet soon they are driven from their hold, and caused to suspect their comfort to be a vain fancy, and so fall into much fear and doubting, that they are none of the Lords. They must know therefore, that seeing there is no shadow of changeableness with God, that it is their own weakness so to think,