CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

SERMON CXXI. Of Dogmatical Faith, the Properties of, and Contraries to it.

SERMON CXXI. Of Dogmaticall Faith, the Properties of, and Contraries to it.

JOHN 17.21. That the world may believe, thou hast sent me.

WE are discovering the nature of faith in the General, as it is carried out to Scripture-truth, because of Divine Authority. We are to add more particulars to clear this. And

WE are discovering the nature of faith in the General, as it is carried out to Scripture-truth, because of Divine Authority. We are to adde more particulars to clear this. And

First, Though this Faith be not a peculiar saving grace, ¹yet it is a common grace of Gods Spirit. It's a common grace of God, to be enabled to believe: How many Pharisees and Jews saw the miracles of Christ, as well as the Apostles, yet did not believe so much as a Simon Magus did? It's the grace of God that makes a man to have a sound mind in Religion, witness the many heresies and blasphemies divers are fallen into, yet it's a common grace, not peculiar; common I call it, not in that sense as some plead for an universal grace, which indeed is no grace, but because an unregenerate man may have it, as well as a regenerate; so that no man may conclude this is enough for his salvation, that he doth believe such and such principles of Religion, unless also he hath that peculiar effectual purifying work of faith upon his soul: As therefore those extraordinary gifts of Gods Spirit, to work miracles, to cast out Devils, were common to such who yet were workers of iniquity; Thus it is with this ordinary gift of Historical faith, many men may believe the truth of those things, the goodness whereof they never felt upon their hearts: And many may maintain