114 Chap7. Of Faith andunbelief, Coln. r,, I. As we have Peen in the affirmative,andwhat is commanded,fo wemuff fee the t negative, and what is forbidden : that isunbelief. It is anote of the Reprobate, to Lph :5,6 bechildren of unbelief, whether it beby the lifting upof a mans Soul, as the Prophet calleth it,by a proud imagination and conceit of our own rcafon,or by contempt,or a. Abak.a.4. ny other kinde of wretchednefs, or carelefsnefs, when we come to hold Machiavels Pofition, No curandum quid boni credal, fed quid facial. And in this cafe they mutt a TheLs.r r. be punifhed with that the Apottle tells us, God (hall fend them ftrong delufions that they fhoutd believe a lie, for rejecting the truth. Quia Chrif ton non crediderunt in nomine Parris venientem, veniet alinenomine fro, & pravalebit, etque credent, becaufe they believed not Chrift coming in the Fathers Name, there fhall another come in his ownname, and prevail, him they (hall believe fo (hall it happen to thofe that will not cleave to the truth, they fhall be given over to the untruths of this world, and in the world to come, that punifhment fhall befit them, as it did to the Lord, on s Reg.7.s. whole hand the King leaned, that would not believe Elifha that p.ophefied plenty. Jidebis, err nonguftabis, thou fhalt fee it with thine eyes,but (halt not eat thereof ; for 17when he had fees thatcerne to pafs which the Prophet foretold, he wastrodden to death, before he could eat cr taftc cf that plenty. So (hallthey that are incredulous fee the glc ry of others, but ne t cc n nut i ate of it in the life to come. Sr, .4m- In r Cor.c.t6. brofe compareth fuchmen to a coal covered with aihes, Infidelitas 75071 poteft claram narratiónemhabere ,nam(cutcarbocinere flecoopertm obcacatrr,itaér bierroris tenebris eircundasi lute carsbunt, unbelief cannot have a glorious narration, for as a coal co- vered withallies is obicure, fo the unbelievers flail want light being covered with the darknefs of their error. a. And as unbelief is forbidden, fois alto refting in a fmall meafure of faith. The Rom.r z, ;. Apoftle mentioneth afull meafureof faith, and if we want that, or labour not toat- Matth.L.ro. tain it at lean, we are not of the number of the faithful,which our Saviour fpeaksof; f 8 Ihave not found fuels faith, no not in lfrael ;. and in another place, O woman, great is 1¢,35 faith. There is a great faith. And that of St. Peters was a little faith, when for want of it he began to link, a faith mingled with many doubts. Therefore we areto pray Mar&. 9.24, with him in the Gofpel, Domine, credo, adjuva incredulitatemmeant, Lord, I believe, Luke 17.5. help thou mine unbelief : and fecondly, whenit isfetled, that it may be brought to Romaq,5 a good meafure, we are to pray with the Apoftles, Lard, increaje ourfaith. Our faith mutt be in a full meafure, we tpuft endeavour for full affurance. Interpreters think, that it is a Metaphor taken froma Chip under full fails. The Holy Ghoft refembles man in this life to a Champion; and therefore for his betterdefence advifmghim what weapons to furnifh himfelf withal,puts faith inflead Eph.6.t6. of all Weapons. As Scutum fidei, the(hield of faith, a fpeciaf fafeguard againft the John 4 evil and his fiery darts. And againft the world, he faith, This is the viEforythat o- r eb.,s33 P y Neb., r.33. veriometh the world, even your faith. La[tl}', againft the fle{h, he willeth us to be fober, Matthr4.3t and put on the breftplate of faith. And no marvel, for the Author to the Hebrews at- tributeth all the great atchievements of the Saints to faith. Bcftdes, we fee that St. Mark.6,5,6. Peters faith made his body fo light, that he walked on the Sea and funk not : and on the other fide, out Saviours hands were refirained, fo thathe could work no more mi. racles among the Jews,becaufe oftheir unbelief. So that it appearsby this, that by Gods own Ordinance, he will have helps of our faith, or elfe he will do nothing among us : not but that he can work Miracles with- Marks.: out ir, but that he lath fo ordered arid difpofed it. And this proveth the, neceffityof the condurrehce of our faith, with the mercy of God. if thou canft believe, all things arepoffrble to him that believeth. The want of faith hindred the working of the A- poftles; for whereas Chrift hadgiven thempower to call out Devils, yet they could not difpoffefs the mans fon,and asking the reafon of our Saviour, he tells them, it `titatth' 17'í9' was becaufe of their unbelief. And this is more ftrange , that in the cafe of the woman with the iffue of blood, we do not finde that Chrift fpake aword , but her faith cured her, as if it had been againft his will, the conceiving , that if the could but touch the hem of his garment fhe fhöuld prefently be cured, and Chrift not aware of it, her faith, as Origen faith, Vim attulit Chriflo, got her cure by force from him. And the fame Father compares faith to the Loadftone, that by ahidden quality and vertue at- tracteth Iron to it. Neither is this to be marvelled at, for it prevaileth alfa
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