A30243:795
Spiritual refining
Spiritual refining: or A treatise of grace and assurance Wherein are handled, the doctrine of assurance. The use of signs in self-examination. How true graces may be distinguished from counterfeit. Several true signs of grace, and many false ones. The nature of grace under divers Scripture notions or titles, as regeneration, the new-creature, the heart of flesh, vocation, sanctification, &c. Many chief questions (occasionally) controverted between the orthodox and the Arminians. As also many cases of conscience. Tending to comfort and confirm saints. Undeceive and convert sinners. Being CXX sermons preached and now published by Anthony Burgess sometime fellow of Emanuel College in Cambridge, and now pastor of the church of Sutton-Coldfield in Warwickshire.Spiritual refining: or A treatise of grace and assurance Wherein are handled, the doctrine of assurance. The use of signs in self-examination. How true graces may be distinguished from counterfeit. Several true signs of grace, and many false ones. The nature of grace under divers Scripture notions or titles, as regeneration, the new-creature, the heart of flesh, vocation, sanctification, &c. Many chief questions (occasionally) controverted between the orthodox and the Arminians. As also many cases of conscience. Tending to comfort and confirm saints. Undeceive and convert sinners. Being CXX sermons preached and now published by Anthony Burgess sometime fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and now pastor of the church of Sutton-Coldfield in Warwickshire.
London: printed by A. Miller for Thomas Underhill, 1652
Title page typeset from the transcription.
A TREATISE OF GRACE and ASSURANCE; Being CXX. SERMONS. › Section 3 › Sermon 29
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.
4. Our assent and persuasion of the truth in matters of Religion, may be either 1humane merely, because of custom, education, and the Authority of the Church: or divine, being inclined and moved thereunto, because of Divine Authority. This distinction is much to be observed, because its to be feared, that most Protestants have no more then a humane faith. They believe our Religion upon no more divine ground then Papists theirs, or Turks theirs. It is the Religion of their Fathers, and of the State and Commonwealth wherein they live. Thus you see how in King Edwards days the generality of the Kingdom turned Protestants, and in Queen Mary's Papists, why so? but because their Religion was placed as the Heathens did Fortune upon a round Globe, which quickly moved this way, and the other. But Divine Faith hath this ground, The Lord hath said it. And as a man seeth the Sun by the light of the Sun; so they believe the truths in Scripture, because of that Divine Authority shining therein, I do not therefore speak of an humane faith in matters of Religion, but a divine faith, whereby men are enabled upon supernatural grounds to believe the truths of God revealed; for faith is the gift of God, and that in all the acts of it, Knowledge, Assent and fiducial Application, and the Spirit of God doth so enlighten the minds of many unregenerate men, that they believe the word of God, as Gods word, and yet for all that, are not in a soul-saving way united to ⟨p. 170⟩Christ. It may indeed be well doubted, and some Divines incline that way, that no unregenerate man hath so much as an historical faith, as infused by God in them, and acting upon divine motives: only they say, they have an humane assent, as we spake of. But because the current of learned men go otherwise, and we see the Scripture expressly saying, that many did believe in him, who yet did not mortify vain-glory, and sinful fear of men, therefore we shall take it for granted, that they have a divine faith, though not justifying.
4. Our assent and perswasion of the truth in matters of Religion, may be either 1humane meerly, because of custome, education, and the Authority of the Church: or divine, being enclined and moved thereunto, because of Divine Authority. This distinction is much to be observed, because its to be feared, that most Protestants have no more then a humane faith. They believe our Religion upon no more divine ground then Papists theirs, or Turks theirs. It is the Religion of their Fathers, and of the State and Commonwealth wherein they live. Thus you see how in King Edwards daies the generality of the Kingdome turned Protestants, and in Queen Maries Papists, why so? but because their Religion was placed as the Heathens did Fortune upon a round Globe, which quickly moved this way, and the other. But Divine Faith hath this ground, The Lord hath said it. And as a man seeth the Sunne by the light of the Sunne; so they believe the truths in Scripture, because of that Divine Authority shining therein, I do not therefore speak of an humane faith in matters of Religion, but a divine faith, whereby men are inabled upon supernatural grounds to believe the truths of God revealed; for faith is the gift of God, and that in all the acts of it, Knowledge, Assent and fiducial Application, and the Spirit of God doth so enlighten the minds of many unregenerate men, that they believe the word of God, as Gods word, and yet for all that, are not in a soul-saving way united to