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5
i8
Otsrrvanto
f
feel:ng,argtsethnot
want
bf
faith.
times feerneth
to be
cal} as
it
were
into
a
dead
fleepe.
Now
wee
are
to know
that
wee
cannot
fenfiblie difcerne
faith,as
it
is
an
habituall vertue or
facultie
of
the
mind, although
wee
haue
it
in
great
meafure
in
vs,
but
onlie
fo farre
forth
as
it
manifef}eth it
felfe in his
aòìions,workes and
fruits; and
they
-*
fore it
is
an
vnfound and
falle
mauer
of
reafoning,
to
inferre,
becaufe wee doe
not
fenfibly
feele
and
difcerne
that
we
haue
faith,therefore
we
are
def}itute
thereofifor the habit
of
faith,
or
faith
it
felfe
maybe
in vs,and
yet
for
a
time
maybe
fo
kin-
dred
by
outward accidents, that it cannot
thew
it
felfe
in
his
aelions and fiuites,by which
alone
it
is
fénfibly
difcerned.
g.Sea.a.
But
I
will make
this
more
cicare
and
manifef}
by
fotne
The
firmer
familiar fimrlitudes
and examples.We
know that
in
the
fick-
anfineremade
net es.anddileafcs
ofthe
bodie
nature
is
fo
infeebled and
o-
p/axine
des
by
.
fimt-
uercome,
that
fometimes the partie
affe
&ed
falleth
into
a
ltt
dead
fvvound,
wherein
hee
is
depriued for
a
time, not onlie
of
the
vfe
of
the vnderflanding,reafon
and
memorie,
but
allo
of
his fenfès,
motion,
and
"vital'
fun&ions,fo
that
in
refpe6
of
fenfe
and
outward
appearance, hee
is
quite depri-
ued
of
all his
vitall,
fenfitiue
and
intelleauali
faculties;
but
yet
a
while
after
by
reafon
of
force
outward
meanes
vfed,
or
by the
fecret
power
of
nature working
in
him, hee is
ref}ored
to the
vfe
of
all
againc, and liueth, feeleth
moo
-
ueth
and vnderflandeth
as
in former times,becaufe
he had
not
loft thefe faculties,
but
onelie
by
Tome
grieuous impe-
diment
was
h
indred
of
the
vfe
of
them
in
their
aelions
and
fund}ions
:
fo
that
here this manner
of
reafoning appeareth
abfurd and
falfe,
thefe faculties
of
the
foule
cannot be
fenfi-
blie
difcerned, and therefore
hee
is
quite deflitute
of
thetas.
And
thus alto it
is
in
refpeet
of
our
faith,
and
other habituall
vertues, oftentimes
through
the
fickneffe
ofthe
foule
in
finne
or the
outward
violence
ofSatans tentations,it
feemeth
call
into
a
fwound,
and
depriued
ofall
the
fpi.rituall
faculties and
vertues
thereof;
faith, loue, zeale, hope, patience and the
ref}
;
but
yet
foone after
by hearing
the
word,
by godly
ad-
monitions, inf}ru1ions,
reprehenfions, and confolations
made
effe6Iuall
by
the inward operation
ofGods
fpirit
it
is
reuiued,
and
all
the
fpirituall graces
thereof
thew
themfelues
again