N01348:28
A treatise I. Of faith. II. Twelve fundamental articles of Christian religion. III. A…
A treatise I. Of faith. II. Twelve fundamental articles of Christian religion. III. A doctrinal conclusion. IV. Questions and answers upon church-government. Taken from written copies long since delivered by the late Reverend Mr. John Cotton, teacher of the First Church in Boston, in New-England.
Boston: printed by Bartholemew Green?, 1713
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.
Reason I.
The first Reason is taken from the express testimony of Scripture, speaking of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, as being in us, and fruitful in us. 2 Pet. 1.5, 6, 7, 7, 8. add moreover (saith he) to your faith virtue, and to your virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, & to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love; for if these things be in you and abound, they make you, that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; from whence the reason is concluded thus, faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, love, they are all in us, and makes us fruitful in Christ. The Text is plain. But all these are ⟨p. 12⟩neither the Holy Ghost himself (for then one Holy Ghost should be added to another) or one part of the Holy Ghost should be added to another) nor are the actions of the Holy Ghost proceeding from us; for these things are in us, and abounding in us, and consequently abiding in us, and they cause us to bring forth actions meet for Christian profession, for they are said to make us fruitful in the knowledge of Christ, ver. 8. Therefore they are the gifts of Grace abiding in us.
The first Reason is taken from the express testimony of Scripture, speaking of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, as being in us, and fruitful in us. 2 Pet. 1.5, 6, 7, 7, 8. add moreover (saith he) to your faith vertue, and to your vertue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, & to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love; for if these things be in you and abound, they make you, that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; from whence the reason is concluded thus, faith, vertue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, love, they are all in us, and makes us fruitful in Christ. The Text is plain. But all these are