A59685:240
The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs…The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs…
The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs spirit in reconciling of a sinner to God / by Tho. Shepard ...The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs spirit in reconciling of a sinner to God / by Tho. Shepard ...
London: printed for R. Dawlman, 1645
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.
This receiving of Christ or coming to Christ are for substance the same, though the words be diverse; the holy Ghost useth to express one and the same thing in variety of words, that our feebleness might the better understand what he meaneth. And hence in Scripture, believing, coming, receiving Christ, rolling, trusting, cleaving to the Lord, &c. set out one and the same thing; and therefore it is no wonder if our Divines have different descriptions of faith in variety of words, which if well considered d•e ⟨p. 158⟩but set out one and the same thing: and I do conceive they do all agree in this description I have now mentioned; I know there are some who tread awry here, whom I shall briefly note out, and so pass on to what we intend.
This receiving of Christ or coming to Christ are for substance the same, though the words be diverse; the holy Ghost useth to expresse one and the same thing in variety of words, that our feeblenesse might the better understand what he meaneth. And hence in Scripture, beleeving, coming, receiving Christ, rolling, trusting, cleaving to the Lord, &c. set out one and the same thing; and therefore it is no wonder if our Divines have different descriptions of faith in variety of words, which if well considered d•e ⟨p. 158⟩but set out one and the same thing: and I doe conceive they doe all agree in this description I have now mentioned; I know there are some who tread awry here, whom I shall briefly note out, and so passe on to what we intend.
1. The Papists, with some others of corrupt judgements, at least of weak apprehensions among our selves, describe Faith to be nothing else but a supernatural assent to a divine truth, because of a divine testimony: Ex. gr. to assent to this truth, that Christ is come, that he is the Son of God; that he was dead and is risen again, that he is the Saviour of the world, &c. and to confirm this they produce,