t3 ?eciauo jTaftb, out of the divine threatnings ? a Princes fword or Gibbet would call them into a fit of trem- bling. O how foon would the things of God aft the ballance in the heart, and outweigh all the world , if the Scriptures were indeed believed: but there being in men only levi, opinatio , a light opinion rather then a folid faith touching the fame, there neceffarily ,en- fues a monllrous difproportien between their faith and their life. Thirdly, This belief muff be explicite as to the fundamentals of Religion. A meer implicite faith, as to believe in the lump, that all things contained in the holy Scriptures are true, will mot ferve the turn. Non eft divina fed belluina I coteg: frdes,que nullam balet conceptionem five compre- 2,142. benfronem illarum rerum,qux creduntur,faith the excellent Davenant. A meer implicite faith without underftanding is a bruitifh thing; an explicite faith as to fundamentals is required: this will appear by thefe enfuing confiderati- ons. Firff, A meer implicite faith, if at any time might have paffed for currant, in the days be- fore Chrifis Incarnation, whileft religion was wrapt up in wails and fhadows ; but even then faith in holy men was explicite according to the meafure of divine light imparted unto them: all along they looked to the Meffiab, the promi- fed feed, and probably in an obfcure manner to his future faíf ferings. Whilefi Adam was in In- nocency, there was no prorrife of a Meffiab, no footftep of a facrifice ; but as loon as man'was fallen,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=