A20762:213
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helps enabling & the reasons persuading unto it the impediments hindering the practise of it, and the best means to remove them whereunto are added divers prayers and a treatise of carnal security by John Douname Bachelor in Divinity and minister of Gods Word.A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.
London: printed by Felix Kingstone and William Stansby for Ed, 1622
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.
§. Sect. 4 Of a general faith.
§. Sect. 4 Of a generall faith.
Now the faith that is required unto a godly life, as the ground and foundation of it, is either general or special. The general faith is a common gift of the Spirit, by which we believe and give firm assent to the whole Word of God, as true and certain. It is called general, because the object of it is general, even the whole Word of God, and every part of it; and but a common gift of the Spirit, because it may be in the reprobate as well as in the elect, seeing it applieth not Christ and his benefits for our justification. For by this faith Ahab believing and assenting to the truth of Gods threatenings, outwardly humbled himself, and so adjourned his punishments. And the Ninevites believing the truth of Gods Word in the mouth of Jonah, repented, as they believed, that is, after a general and legal manner, out of fear to be attached with those heavy judgements which were threatened, and so escaped them. Yet this faith is more then a doubtful opinion, seeing it firmly assenteth to the whole truth, and is to be preferred before natural knowledge and persuasion, grounded upon the evidence of sense and reason, seeing it resteth upon the sole authority of Gods infallible truth, and consequently, is more firm and undoubted, 1because sense and reason may be deceived, but the truth of God can never fail. Again, though it be not a sanctifying gift of the Spirit, yet it is more properly then the other, a gift of the sanctifying Spirit, and necessary unto justifying faith, as being a degree leading to it; as also unto a godly life, seeing it is required, that not only all we do, be agreeable to the Scriptures, but also that we believe and be persuaded, that they are agreeable; for as the Apostle teacheth us, whatsoever is done in doubting, whether it please God or no, and hath not this warrant of faith to make us confident, it is, though materially a good action, yet formally no better then sin in Gods sight.