A81131:91
The arraignment of unbelief, as the grand cause of our nationall non-establishment
The arraignment of unbelief, as the grand cause of our nationall non-establishment: cleared in a sermon to the Honourable House of Commons in Parliament, at Margarets Westminster, upon the 28th. of May, 1645. being the day of their public fast. / By Joseph Caryl, late preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolns-Inn, now pastor at Magnus near the bridge, London.The arraignment of unbelief, as the grand cause of our nationall non-establishment: cleared in a sermon to the Honourable House of Commons in Parliament, at Margarets Westminster, upon the 28th. of May, 1645. being the day of their publike fast. / By Joseph Caryl, late preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolnes-Inne, now pastor at Magnus neer the bridge, London.
London: printed by G. Miller for Giles Calvert, 1645
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
A second sort manage the objection further: We know God is able (be the difficulties never so great) to deliver, but we are not acquainted with his will: How then can we act faith? how can we be confident as you would have us? We, indeed, may say as he in the Gospel, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make us clean: thou canst settle and establish us: But we are uncertain of his will, though we are sure of his power.
A second sort mannage the objection further: We know God is able (be the difficulties never so great) to deliver, but we are not acquainted with his will: How then can we act faith? how can we be confident as you would have us? We, indeed, may say as he in the Gospell, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make us clean: thou canst settle and establish us: But we are uncertain of his will, though we are sure of his power.
To these I answer: First, That howsoever the uncertainty of the will of God be usually held forth as a plea for doubting and unbelief; yet most doubt and are unbelieving upon suspicion of the power of God: For when faith is up, and acts strongly upon this point, that God is able, it seldom doubts about his will. We have a great instance of this, Numb. 11. 19. when God promised Moses to spread such a table in the wilderness, that all the Israelites should eat flesh, not only one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but even a whole month: Moses begins to argue, ver. 21. The people, amongst whom I am, are six hundred thousand foot-men, and thou hast said, I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole month (As if Moses had said; Lord, I pray consider your words, are you able to make good your promise?) shall the flocks, and the herds be slain for them to suffice them? Or shall the fish of the ⟨p. 38⟩sea be gathered together for them to suffice them? What is the meaning of these questions? even that Moses himself doubted whether God could perform this, whether God had not out-promised his own power. That it was so, is seen clearly by the answer that God makes, ver. 23. And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lords hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass or not. The hand of God is the power of God, and the shortening of his hand, the shortening of his power. Is Gods power shortened? Moses his question intimated that it was: So