Senn. CLXV. Faith ingeneral. 427 upon Men to make them religious. For the Apoftle having before fpo- ken of the power of Faith upon Abel and Enoch , that it put them upon pleafing God, he affumes in the next words , but without Faith, &c. As if he had faid, that you may know what was the Principle of their Re- ligion, of their Holinefs and Obedience, let us imagine that a Man fhould believe nothing concerning the Being of a God, or the bleffednefs of thofe who ferve him ; what would be the iffue ?- Why this certainly there would be no Religion, no fuch thing, as ferving of God, or endeavouring to pleafe him : for unlefs we believe that he is, and that he will reward thofe who feek to pleafe him, it is impoffible, that is, it is unreafonable to think Men fhould attempt to pleafe him. So that Faith is the caufe and pinciple of Religion, it is the thing, quo yofzto, ponitur effeClris; â quo fublato, tollitur. Do but fuppofe and admit that a Man truly believes there is a God ; and he will feek to pleafe him : but if you fuppofe a Man believes no fuch thing ; he will caft off all Religion. This is the plain meaning of the words i not as fore have thought, that without Faith a Man may perform religious actions; but then they would not be accepted, or pleafing to God : but that which the Apoftle means is, With- out Faith 'tis impoffible there fhould be any Religion : Not that religi- ous alts fhould be performed in an acceptable manner ; as if Cain had offer'd as good a Sacrifice as Abel, only Faith made the difference : but Cain did not believe, was not perfwaded of the Being of God and his Ex- cellency, therefore thought to put off God with any thing ; Abel belie- ved, and did offer a more excellent Sacrifice, not more excellent becaufe it was mix'd with Faith, but it was more excellent in it fell. The Obfervation therefore from thefe words is this, that Faith is one great principle of all religious aftions. In the handling of this, I shall endeavour, Firft, To fix and fettle the true notion of Faith, whereby we may come to underhand the general Nature of it. Secondly, To confirm the truth of the Propofition. Thirdly, Draw forne Inferences from hence. Fir/l , To fettle and fix the true notion of Faith , whereby we may come to underhand the general nature of it. I find that molt who write upon this Subject have marvelloufly puzzled themfelves with the various acceptations of this word a,rlsis, and the verb niç6Uev, infomuch that fore have undertaken to enumerate above twenty diftinft fignifications of this word. I cannot find fo many, it may be others may ; but hereby, instead of clearing the notion of Faith, they have involved it, and made it more intricate, and have made Men believe, that it is a notion very remote from commonUnderstanding: whereas there is not any word that is in common ufe, that is more plain and eafie, and which any one may under: hand better than this of Faith and Believing. Therefore in the Explication of it, I (hall attend to the ufe of it in com- mon fpeech , and in all Authors as well prophane as facred ; and I !hall not guide my feif by terms of Art, which have been received in the Schools, and have confounded the meaning of words, by diftor- ting them from the common and received ufe of them ; but Ihall go- vern my felf by the nature of things to which this word in common ufe is apply'd. I flail remove two acceptations of it which are lefs ufual, and then fix the common and general notion of it, to which all the other mote particular fignifications may be referr'd. The two lefs ufual acceptations are thefe. Firft, It is fometimes put for the particular Grace or Vertue which is calla fidelity, or faithfulnefs in our Promifes and Contrafts î and in Iii 2 this
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