Verf. 3. the Epule to the Romans. in the naturali body each member bath a faculty, fo in the my fticall body of Chrif}s Church, t Cor.12.6,7,S,9,&c. Therefore let no man imagine that himfelf bath all, but let him know, that each bath his gift and fun&ion to, and by this means, none (hall defpife or 'hinder others,but each (hall employ his proper gift unto the common good of the ref}.The third reafon is,that to eve- ry man is dealt out a meafure of Faith. Here (by Faith) we are to underfiand : firf}, the found knowledge of Chrift. Secondly, the effe &s thereof, namely, the infufed habit of ¡unifying beleif. Thirdly,thofe gifts of the Spirit,which accompany this habit of faith,which are therefore called by the name of(Faith,) both becaufe Faith is the gift *which all other are attained, (Be it done to thee according to thy Faith, Mat. 15. 28. Al- fo becaufe chele gifts are conferred upon the faithfull which beleeve In Chrift. A meafure of this faith, is let againf fulneffe or perfe&ion, which no meet man in this life can have, becaufe God gives it unto none, Phil.3. t 2, but dealeth to every man,acertain portion of faith, to forne more, and others lei, as he himfelf pleafeth, It Cor.7 7. Here- unto appertaineth the Parable of the Talents, whereof five were committed to one, and ten to another, and ene to another. Like as in our flefhly bodies there is great difference of gifts, our more excellent members, having more excellent faculties : fo it fareth in the Church, . which is the body of Chrift ; there is grace given to every member of that body, but it is according to the meafure of the gift of Chrift, Ephef. 4. 7. T i M. What ufe hereof? S t L. Firf}, it mu(t be a bridle unto arrogancy,and a motive to humility, to think that no one man either bath all gifts, or thole gifts which he hath in full perfe &ion, but a certain meafure meted out to every mah, not by our defeats, but as it feemeth good in the eye of the giver. Here alto we may ob. ferve, how the Pope Both walk by this rule, or how may we judge him to be 517 the fervant of C krill, who being but one man, yet arrogareth all to himfelf? he will have the whole power of the Church, yea, and he will do all in the Compton wealth too, he alone will be both a temporal and 1piritual'Mouarch, he ingro&th all knowledge into his own breaft, nothing mull be divinity and truth which he faith is not fo. At a word, according to the Latine Pro - verb, he alone will be DominusFac- totum: and after our common Englifh laying, He aloe still have all the Pipes. This is farre from contenting hithfelf with his own portion and meafure, as other fellow - fervants do : he may very wel and worthily be termed Antichrif}, being fo contrary to Chrift, who him- felf was fo full of humility, as Phil. 2. 6, 7. "'oh. 13.5. taught his Difciples to be humble and meek, Mat. 1 o, /9, whereas this Lucifer is the childe, nay the King of pride, nay pride it felf. Moreover, Peeing the meafure of Faith is dealt of God, hence it followes that faith is Gods gift, and comes not by mans will in whole or in part, Ephef.2. t o. Alto the meafure of Faith is divers: there is ê little or a weak faith ; again, there is a great or a firong faith. Let not the firong in faith be lifted up, but think ofprofiting and encreafing their meafure, after the example of the Apo- files, (Lord increafe our faith :) Neither let them of little faith defpair,for God that dealt their meafure, will maintain and augment it, fo they do their part and endeavour. Finally, when Paul re- quireth us to be wife according to fo- briety, he condemneth in all Chriftians bothblocki(hneffe or fooli(hne(fe, and (lothfulnefle;. requiring in them both wifdomein the knowledge of univer- fall things both divine and humane ; and prudence in the choice of particu- lars, about things profitable to the Church and our felves : likewife indu- f}ry in applying their beft underfian- ding unto the moll benefit of our felves and Our brethren. DIA-
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