Concerning Dogmatical or Historical Faith a few words; Divines in their Disputations against the Papists have spoken not so highly of it, as it may be it deserves, because saving Faith differs from it: commonly amongst us it is very much slighted; what a tush do many make of it, to my knowledge. Hence some, and those not of the lower form of Christians for knowledge, when they heard what books our Divines, Doctor Stillingfleet, and Mr. Baxter, have written in defence of the truth of our Christian Religion, have said, they wonder they should busy their heads about such needless subjects: When I read over Alvarez de Auxil. some years since, and met with his 49. Disputat. upon that question, Utrum homo per solas vires naturae possit omnibus mysteriis supernaturalibus sibi propositiis & explicatis assentiri tanquam revelatis a Dee, assensu certo & firme, ex parte credentis? When I had read his four Conclusions upon the Question, how he denied it, that man could not do it, my opinion then about Dogmatical Faith not being so high though never so low as I see some mens is, I a little wondered at this Popish Author; ⟨p. 164⟩but since I have met with that, which doth sufficiently confirm me of the truth of what he saith, and I shall ever honour him the more for what I then read in him: while men take all upon trust, are carried in the crowd, set quiet, no temptations trouble them, how light do they make of that, which if ever they come to be sifted, winnowed in the fan of temptations, they will find to be matter of worth: Dogmatical Faith is with them but of little worth, because the Dogmatical Faith of most is nothing worth: Let their principles be searched into, how little of that Faith will be found to be divine Faith. Lay by these principles, that we have been in possession of these Truths, concerning Christ, his Person, his Offices, his Redemption, for sixteen hundred years; this was our Grandfathers and Fathers Religion; it is the Religion of our Nation, all men are of this Faith, our King, Rulers, our Ministers who teach us are all of this Faith: I say, lay by these principles, which are too short to make a Divine Dogmatical Faith: What other reasons of their Faith can the greatest part of those who are called Christians, and do assent to these Truths, give you? How do men generally condemn the Jews, I wish these men would read Mr. Jackson's third Chapter of Sect.
Concerning Dogmatical or Historical Faith a few words; Divines in their Disputations against the Papists have spoken not so highly of it, as it may be it deserves, because saving Faith differs from it: commonly amongst us it is very much slighted; what a tush do many make of it, to my knowledge. Hence some, and those not of the lower form of Christians for knowledge, when they heard what books our Divines, Doctor Stillingfleet, and Mr. Baxter, have written in defence of the truth of our Christian Religion, have said, they wonder they should busie their heads about such needless subjects: When I read over Alvarez de Auxil. some years since, and met with his 49. Disputat. upon that question, Ʋtrum homo per solas vires naturae possit omnibus mysteriis supernaturalibus sibi propositiis & explicatis assentiri tanquam revelatis a Dee, assensu certo & firme, ex parte credentis? When I had read his four Conclusions upon the Question, how he denied it, that man could not do it, my opinion then about Dogmatical Faith not being so high though never so low as I see some mens is, I a little wondered at this Popish Author; ⟨p. 164⟩but since I have met with that, which doth sufficiently confirm me of the truth of what he saith, and I shall ever honour him the more for what I then read in him: while men take all upon trust, are carried in the croud, set quiet, no temptations trouble them, how light do they make of that, which if ever they come to be sifted, winnowed in the fan of temptations, they will find to be matter of worth: Dogmatical Faith is with them but of little worth, because the Dogmatical Faith of most is nothing worth: Let their principles be searched into, how little of that Faith will be found to be divine Faith. Lay by these principles, that we have been in possession of these Truths, concerning Christ, his Person, his Offices, his Redemption, for sixteen hundred years; this was our Grandfathers and Fathers Religion; it is the Religion of our Nation, all men are of this Faith, our King, Rulers, our Ministers who teach us are all of this Faith: I say, lay by these principles, which are too short to make a Divine Dogmatical Faith: What other reasons of their Faith can the greatest part of those who are called Christians, and do assent to these Truths, give you? How do men generally condemn the Jews, I wish these men would read Mr. Jackson's third Chapter of Sect.
