Polhill - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .P7 1675

ContraÎul. ;Pelag.l.4. c.3. Plecíouo Pak others, might let out his own ; but hear the cenfure of St. Auflin , Vtrum obfecro Cato ille patientiâ an impatientiâ fi peremit ? non enim h ec fecifet, nifi viEforiam Ca:faris impatienter tu- lifet, and in another place, non erat honef as turpia prxcavenî, fed infirmitas adverfa non fu- f inens, it was but a proud impatience, and mi- ferable -trampling upon the Law of Nature : Moreover the light of reafon doth really pro- duce many moral virtues ; and yet in thefe wherein its greateft ftrength lyeth , it is too weak to elevate any one of them to the glory of the great Creator ; therefore, as St. Auffin hath obferved, the whole body of Pagan vir- tues, for want of a Tingle eye at that great end, is full of darknefs. Thus much of the weak- nefs of reafon : on the other fide, the light of faith hath a great deal of ftrength in it; this will not, cannot, be commonly imprifoned , it is an holy unction, and at 1aí1 will be uppermoff, it is a mighty Engine whereby the holy Spirit lifts the heart up into belief and refignation ; a thing of high birth and great aaivity, being born of God and overcoming the world, z job. 5.4. and becaufe the light of reafon was not able to bear up the interefi of God among men, this fupernatural light came to do it. In the pri- mitive Church, whileft this fhined clear, there were no fuch things as outward Idols or Ima- ges ; afterwards, upon the declenfion thereof, thofe things crept in by degrees, firft into ban - ners and then into Churches, and there, firft for inftrudion, only, and afterwards for adora- tion;

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=