Chap. 7, Of Faith attdVi belief, Coin. f, z r r himnot, neither can the number of hisyears be fearched : therefore it muff necef Efa. 7. y. farily follow, Nifcredideritis nonflabiliemini, as the Prophet affures us, if ye will not believe, ye (hall not be eftablithed. And yet this reftrains us not fo far, but that after we have believed, we may fearch after a reafon, that me may be able and rea- dy( as the Apoftle bidsus ) always to give an anfwer to every man that aske:h a rea- fon of the hope that is in us.. For grace doth not annihilate and make nature void ; Faith is above, a nd not contrary to right reafon, it is as a greater light to the lefs, yea religio off fummar atio, it is the quinteffenceof reafon, or reafon exalted or elevated. But weare toufereafon, as the hand-maid to Faith, ( for Faith muft bring theunder- !bodingofman into captivity to the obedience of Chrift, as Saint Paul faith ) and we z Cot, ro. g; muft expeEt from the Holy Ghoft the teachingof thefe things which our nature nei- mt. 4. 3 r, ¿her can nor is able to conceive. Now Faith differs fromScience thus. InScience there is firft an inquiry after the reafon and caufes, and then the affent follows. But in Faith there is firft the affent, and then the underftanding of that, to which we have affented Auditusuris, by theKO. ts. 4t. hearing follows. Affoon as they hear of me they (hall obey me, faith God. It is eonceptuscu,» ffenfu, becaufe the objeEi of our Faith is not propounded with fuck evidence to the underftanding, as to conftrain us to believe, but the will holdeth the underftanding prifoner, and keepeth it captive. Thus Faith becomes afree 411, analt of obedience ; whereas if things werepropounded .rdáitias 9. with that evedence that wecould not diflrufl, there could be noplace for freedomof obedi- r0fl uing the ence ix believing: Godhathfa ordered it, thatmatters of Faith are propounded, as fummef;¡Ç credtbilia, highly credible, fuch that in prudencewe may fafely afentunto, yet not with that domofaflnt.. evidence whichnecellitates agent ; for then there couldbe no rryal of obedience in believing, norany pretence leftfor reward tobelievers, or punifhment to unbelievers. See the School- mengenerally, and 'WafterHookersferm. Of the certaintyof Faith, added to ris Eeclef politic. With the Heart manbelieveth, faith the Apoftle, belief being an all of the under- ftanding, it fhould come firft amew, but he faith there, we mull corde credere, forRom._ to, t : the will hash an efpecial aft in ir. Now thereafon why it pleafed God thus to order the matter in produftion of Faith is. becaufe if reafon of it felt could have attained to the thingspertaining to God, little or no glory at all had come toGodby it. Again, feting matters of Faith cannot be attained by reafon, this thews the vanity lof the wifdom of the flelh, and we may fee how God doth confound and abafe it. For in Religion , the ground is contrary to that in Philofophy ; e" ,nnm not to believe , is the way of Philofophy, and n+n do to believe, of divinity, at whichLucian fcoffed. For the warrant of believing or affenting before we know, fomething hath been Paidbefore : we will adde a little more in this place. Saint Cyrillin his fift Catech. Cypryan, Chryfaflome, and other of the ancient Fathers prove againl Philofophers, that .Quicyuid fit, fidefit, whatfoever is done , is done by Faith. This appears in all civil affairs wherein men go upon a civil Faith, without certain knowledge of the things , and therefore mush more in matters of Religion, which are fupernatural, may we live by Faith. Thus we fee the Husbandman, who though he fees the weather unkindly, &c. Yet fits himfelf to till and fow hisground, and beftows his colt, though he have no demonftrative knowledge, whetherhe (hall reapany profit or no.. And fo the Merchants, though their Goodsand Ships are fubje& to Storms, Pyrats, &c. Yet they run the hazard, and adventure upon this civil Faith, So inmarriage, though force may be barren, yet they marry in hope to have Children, and fo in warfare, though the victory be uncertain, yet theSouldier goes on to battei, &c. The Schoolmen after the Fathers go a fubtiller way to work, and hold, that Quicguidfcirur, fide fcitur, that we believe even thofe things we know: for by our fenfes and underftanding Jwe know many things, and;herein they are our witneffes, which we believe, yet all confers, that thefe Witneffes are very:doubtful in many things. For the Eye, which is the molt certain and chief of all the outward fenfes, be- caufe it apprehendeth more differences, and apprehends its objeä after amore fpeciat and fpiritual manner : yet they which are skilful in the Optiques, reckon up 20 ways o Cat. r;, as. how
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