576 The DoUrine of St. James, can think or hopeto be faved by that which is common unto them with Devils, and wherein they do much exceed them, v. Ir.- Thou beliivefl there is one God, thou doll well, the Devils alfo believe and tremble. The belief of one God is not the whole of what the Devils believe, but is fingled out as the principal fundamental Truth, and on the concefíion whereof an affent unto all Divine Revelation doth neceffarily enfue. And this is the fecond Argument, whereby he proves an emp- ty barren Faith to be dead and ufelefs. The fecond Confirmation being given unto his principal affertion, He reftates it in that way, and under thofe terms wherein he defigned it unto its laft Confirmation. But wilt thou know O vain man that Faith without Works is dead ? ver. 20. And we may confider in the words. (i) The perfon with whom he deals whofe convi ±ion he endeavour - ed him, he calls a vain man, not in general, as every man li- ving is altogether vanity, but as one who in an efpecial man - ner is vainly puffed up in his own flethly mind, one that hath entertained vain Imaginations of being faved by an empty profeffion of the Gofpel, without any fruit of Obedience. ( 2) That which he defigns with refpe& unto this vain man is his conviction, a conviîlion of that foolith and pernicious errour that he had imbibed ; wilt thou know 0 vain man. ( 3 ) That which alonehe defigned to convince him of' is, that Faith without Works is dead ; that is, the Faith which is without Works, which is barren and unfruitful, is dead and ufelefs. This is that alone, and this is all that he undertakes to prove by his following Inftances and Arguings, neither do they prove any more. To wreft his words to any other purpofe when they are all proper and fuited unto what he exprefléth as his only defign, is to offer violence unto them. This therefore he proves by the confideration of the Faith
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=