44 Popafh 0bje>áison.rprevented. pints 2.t?. Rhem...4,met. in ros. cure, if it breath not, isdead : fofaith, ifít bringforth no works, isdead : For breathingisaneffe& of a livingbody, andworking is the proper effe&ofa living faith. If wee fpeake of faith, as it is outwardly profef ed to men, works which maybeedifcerned by the eyes of men, not charitie which is theinward of a&ionofthe heatt,are they that give name, andgaine credit to profeffìon. Charitie is an hand or inflrument wherebyfaithworketh : works are fruits, ef- fe&s, demonflrations ofthe inward life of faith : and that whichgives name and being toour externallprofefiion, isa pure, blamelefhe, upright converktion, fruitfull in good works. Ifwe fpeake of faith, a dead faithmaybe compared to a dead body, altogether voyd of fpirituall quickening : hut a lively faithcannot fitlybe re(èmbled to a living body, but ratherto the life of the body : becaufe faith is not that which is quickenedby charitie, or theworks ofcharitìe ,bnt that which quickeneth. Faith is the firflwheele in theclock that moveth all the ref} : Faith (Erred: up, and direð all othergraces ofthe foule in theiroperations, whofè (Irength' encreafeth according to the lively-hood, vigour, and en- creafeof faith. How then faith the Apo(Ile, That faith is perfeted by works? As wee judge of the-caufe by the effe }s, and by the proportion ofthe effe&s, the efficacie and force of the caufe may feeme to bee èncreafed or dimini(hed. Everie thing is acknowledged to bee perfecl when it worketh, and is effeemed fomuch the moreperfe6f, by howmuch, themore it worketh ; as wee faythe goodnetlè ofa tree is perfe& , when it bath brought forth Tome excellent good fruir. ThusPhilofophers teach, that the forme is not per- fe&, when itis confidered as the fir(I aCi, but when it is taken as the fecond a& : for by working it putteth forth its force, and declareth itfelfe. And fofaith is perfe&edby works, not that the nature of faith receiveth comple- ment or perfe&ion from works, but becaufe it cloth de- clare and manifell it felfe by love and good works, andis e(Ieemed by fomuch themore perfe&, as theworks pro- duced
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