A55299:333
An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…
An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ, and our union and communion with him by Edward Polhill ..., Esquire.
London: printed for Ben. Foster, 1675
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.
The different sorts of Faith result from the different Objects and Motives of it; 1the Apostle takes notice of two kinds of Faith in this Chapter; and Faith in Christ makes a third, which are all the kinds of Faith the Scripture is acquainted with: The first we may call a natural Faith; that is, a belief of the principles of natural Religion, which is founded upon natural Demonstrations or Moral Arguments, as that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him; Which was the Faith of Abel and Enoch, whereby they pleased God; for there being no mention made of the Faith of Abel and Enoch in the Old Testament: The Apostle proves, that they were true believers; because they had this Testimony, that they pleased God: Now it is impossible to be sincerely religious, or do any acceptable service to God without the belief of his being and providence, and care of good men: These are the first ⟨p. 341⟩principles of all Religion: And God required no more of those good men, who had no other particular Revelation of his Will. Secondly, There is a Faith in God, or a belief of those particular Revelations, which God made to the Fathers of the Old Testament: Thus Noah believed God, being warned of the deluge; and in obedience to him, provided an Ark; and this was imputed to him for Righteousness. Thus Abraham, in obedience to the divine Revelation left his Country and Father's house, and went into a strange Land: Thus Sarah by believing the promise of God, received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child, when she was past age, because she judged him faithful, who had promised: Thus Abraham, in obedience to God, offered up Isaac, which was as heroical an act of Faith, as was ever done by man: The like examples we have of the Faith of Isaac, and Jacob, and Joseph, and Moses, &c. Who firmly believed all the particular Revelations God made to them, and confidently expected the performance of all his promises; how unlikely soever they appeared to be: This is that Faith whereby Abraham, and all the good men in these days were justified, viz. Such a firm belief ⟨p. 342⟩of the being and providence of God, and all those particular Revelations God made to them, as made them careful in all things to please God, and to obey him.