The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

Thirdly, What Faith was it the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews did so fear, lest the Hebrews should fall from it? Observe it well, and you will find it to be this Historical Faith, concerning Christ, his Person, his Offices, his Sacrifice, that he was the body, the substance of all the ceremonial legal shadows, which doctrine they had assented to, but under temptations were in danger to fall from it; and so all persecutions in the Church did arise from their Dogmatical faith; persecutions did all endeavour to overcome that Faith, in all ages and persecutions of the ⟨p. 167⟩Church. If Dogmatical saith once fall, saving Faith cannot stand: therefore Satan struck so at this Faith in the Hebrews, and all the Churches. Hence again those whisperings of temptations, not in times of persecutions, but at other times, ¹Are those Scriptures you read the Word of God? Are you sure of it? Is there a God? Are you sure of it? Christians at first startle to meet with such motions, these are horrid things indeed; at the first on-set it may be Satan draws of, not follows too hard, afterward comes again, and follows his motions a little more; at last, not only from Satan, but from the unbelief and atheism of our own hearts, the Soul comes to be so pestered with them, that they make him almost distracted; and now he that before made a tush at Dogmatical faith, is fain to pray hard that God would hold his faith to the Scriptures, and strengthen his poor battered Historical faith, and can now tell by experience, O I see all Divine faith is the gift of God.

Thirdly, What Faith was it the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews did so fear, lest the Hebrews should fall from it? Observe it well, and you will find it to be this Historical Faith, concerning Christ, his Person, his Offices, his Sacrifice, that he was the body, the substance of all the ceremonial legal shadows, which doctrine they had assentted to, but under temptations were in danger to fall from it; and so all persecutions in the Church did arise from their Dogmatical faith; persecutions did all endeavour to evercome that Faith, in all ages and persecutions of the ⟨p. 167⟩Church. If Dogmatical saith once fall, saving Faith cannot shand: therefore Satan struck so at this Faith in the Hebrews, and all the Churches. Hence again those whisperings of temptations, not in times of persecutions, but at other times,