A64833:78
Venning's remains, or, Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians, I. babes, II.…
Venning's remains, or, Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians, I. babes, II. little children, III. young men, IV. fathers : with their several characteristical differences and attainments, also the doctrines proper to be taught to each of them : being the substance of many sermons / preached by Ralph Venning and fitted by him for the press before his death.
London: printed for John Hancock senior and junior, 1675
Introduction › Part 3: III. A further continuation of the Praecognita, things to be premised.
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.
There have been some persons eminent in some special graces, as Abraham for Faith, Job for patience, Moses for meekness, but few that have been eminent in all grace, which argues that there are but few in the uppermost Form (the Classis of Fathers) in the School of Christ, All have grace in some degree, but few have all grace in an high degree. As 'tis in gifts, 'tis in graces also many times, 1 Cor. 12.8,—18,—28. Some excel in one thing and some in another: The highest estate is the Fathers; the next the Young men, and so downward; now the lower the Form, the less and lower is the grace: and I fear that many who pretend high (perhaps so high as to be above all Forms) will be found to be as low as Babes, and that they need to learn their very Alphabet again. But,
There have been some persons eminent in some special graces, as Abraham for Faith, Job for patience, Moses for meekness, but few that have been eminent in all grace, which argues that there are but few in the uppermost Form (the Classis of Fathers) in the School of Christ, All have grace in some degree, but few have all grace in an high degree. As 'tis in gists, 'tis in graces also many times, 1 Cor. 12.8,—18,—28. Some excell in one thing and some in another: The highest estate is the Fathers; the next the Young men, and so downward; now the lower the Form, the less and lower is the grace: and I fear that many who pretend high (perhaps so high as to be above all Forms) will be found to be as low as Babes, and that they need to learn their very Alphabet again. But,
11. Some (viz. such as are appointed to ⟨p. 44⟩pass and proceed from one state to another) grow up faster than others: some that shall be Children, Young men, &c. are not so, so soon as others. 'Tis not here as in our University degrees, where at such a time, after such a standing persons may Commence, though not of equal learning and proficiency, and be called Masters of Arts, though they be Master of none, and Doctor of Divinity, though they be yet to learn it: No, 'tis not so here, God gives not his grace as men do. Some grow up suddenly, per soltum. Others by degrees and more leisurely, Paul starts up in a trice, and is so great a proficient, that he hath the right hand given him by James, Cephas, and John, to do more than allude to