584 / 772
15
6
Other
tentations cowerningfairh,anfwered.
bic, inflable,inconflant
and
wauering,and that
it
is
not
only
continuallie affaulted,but
alto often
foiled
&
ouercome
with
doubting
and infidelity,and
therefore that it
is
but
a
fhadow
òffaith,
and
not true faith indeed.The which
temptation
we
may
eafilie
anfwere,ifwec
but
remember
that which
already
hath
been
deliuered
;
narnely,that the bell cannot attaine
in
this
life
unto
fuch
perfec`
lion
offtith
as
is
quite
freed
from all
infirmities
&
corruption;that
there
are
diuers degrees
oftruc
iuflifÿing
faith,fome weaker,fome ílronger,fotne
in
greater,
and force in fmaller
quantitie,
force like
fi»oking
flaxe,
and
a
graine
of
mullard
feed, and force like
a
bright
burning
flame which
giueth light,and
the
liuely
heate
of
true comfort
to
thofe
Nvho
are
indued
therewith,and
of
as
high growth
as
the
greatef}
tree
in
the garden; and
yet
all
true
faith
is
fuf
ficient
for
faluation
:
that
fo
long
as
we
continue
in
this life,
our knowledge
is
but
imperfe
&,and
vailed
with
much
dark-
,
neffe
and
ignorance,
for
we
1
norr
but
impart,
as
euen
the Apo
-
a.Cor
13.1z...
file
fpeaketh
in his
owne perfon,
t.Cor.t
3.1(
2,'
And therfore
'
our
affent
and perfwafion
muf}
needs-be imperfe&, and
but
in
part,
and
often
affaulted
with
much
doubting
:
that how
-
foeuer
faith and
doubting
are oppofed in
their
owne
nature,
yet notwithflanding
they
may bee
together
in the
fame
fub-
iea
in
refpe&
of
dicers
parts. For wee
are
pardie
flefh, and
partlie
fpirit,and
thefe
two with
their
feuerall fruits
do con-
tinually fight and firiue one
agaiñflthe other,and
foinetimes
the
flefh,
fometimes'the
fpirit with
their
feuerall
fruits
get
the
vpper
hand;in
the
tneane
time
both
retaining
thick
owne
nature
and
properties, howfoeuer they
doe
not
fo
euidently
fo
powerfully worke their
feuerall
a6tions,whet%
the
aduerfe
part preuaileth,
and
hath put them
to
the foile
for examplé,faith,which
is
a
fruite
ofthe
fpirit,
is
continually
affaulted
by
doubting,which
is a
fruit
of
the flefh, and
pro-
cecdeth
from
the
roote ofinfidelitie,and
fometime faith
pre
-
:uaileth,
and
fometime
it
receiueth
the
folle;
but
yet at
the
'fame
time howfoeuer wee cannot
fer_fiblie
difcerne
it,
nor
the
ablions
thereof
yet
it retaines it owne nature
and proper
-
ties,
neither
is
it
depriued
of
his firmencffe, conflancic
and
certainty,howfocuer they be
for
a
time couered
&
hid out
of
our
Y