Ver. 3,4. the Epifile to the Romanes. 8 3 high account ofthat people to whom he cloth of a Mt commit his word, which fhould work in us great care of thank - fulnefs to God, with fl:udy, aad an earn eft defire of pleating him. Thirdly, we learn that the office of the Church toward the Word, is to be a keeper of it, for is is of trult committed to us as a Jewell to be kept: the duty of the Church herein doch confift in four par- ticulars. Fir(}, to interpret and give the true fen( of the Word. Secondly, to fever it from all fall and baltard Scriptures. Thirdly, to propound foundly the do&rine of the Word, to the children of the Church. Fourthly, to prefcrve the do &crine uncorrupe, and to punithfuch as deprave it: and herein the Jewes acquitted themfelves well,for they làtely,kept the Scriptures from fal- fity and corruption even to this day;and in the dayes of our Saviour,when many other faults both in manners and do- arine were laid to their charge; yet they were not charged with depraving the Word. DIALOGUE II. Verts 3, 4. For must though fame did not beleeve, (ball their unbelief mare the faith of God of noneefEl? God forbid. TI MO TH EUS. Jt jHat then ú the fumure of Ibis V Text? S t L. An anfwer to a new objeaion of the Jewes ; which was this, that the Oracles of Goc(were in vain committed to the Jews, and that God did delude his people with empty promifes; feeing many of them did not beleeve Gods VVord and promifes; unto which the Apoftleanfwereth, that the unbelief of men, cannot change the truth of God, feeing it is Gods property to be true, whereas all men are tiers naturally ; which conllancy of God in his truth,he proveth by teflinwny ofPfalm 5 e. 4. T t M Expound the word' contained in the objeíiion, to mak a way thereby unto fame le j no,dolirinet and duties. S t L. Thefe words (For what though) imply this to depend and follow of the ri former ; as thus : in the Oracles which God gave his people, there paffed a mu- tuall covenant, God on his part promi fing grace and life ; the Jewes on their part promifrng faith and obedience, though they proved perfidious arrddir obedient : why fhould this derogate from the truth of God ? VVhereas he faith (Some,) this word difiinguilbeth the holy and beleeving Fathers, from the multitude of unbeleevers: fo then albeit the greateft part were perfi3ious, and gave no credit to the Oracles which God had left with them, of credit and mitt, to be both prefervers and difpen- fers of them : yet alto there was Cliff in that people, fuch as were cleft and faithfulhinrefpeft of whom the promi fes were not fruftrate and void. By (Unbelief) is meant here, not only their not beleeving the things promifed by God in his V Vord,butwithal] their re- bellion in falling from God and his true worfhip,unto idols and vanities: and by (Faith) underfland the fidelity of God, or his conftancy in keeping his VVord and promifes, as the Heathen Orator hath defcribed faith, to be a conftancy and truth , in obferving fayings and covenants: and herewith agreeth the notation of theword(ftdet)quia fit pod difiumefi. For this faith to be of none effe &, is as much as to be void and un- fulfilled; as who fhould Say, (hall God be held unconf }ant and fpoiied of his truth, for the infidelity and perfidiouf- nefs of men ? This interrogation hath the force of a negation, it is as if he had faid:No,it is not fo,becaufe whilst many were unbeleevers, yet not a few there were to whom God fulfilled his faith and truth, even to fo many as brought with them the condition of obedience. To M. What learned we out of the ob. jehfion ? S r L. Sundry things : Firft, all that haveGods Oracles, and hear and read them, doe not beleeve them; becanfe it is not in themfelves, who are all alike tenable to beleeve, but in Gods purpofe, who bath ordained fore to faith; .and not otherfome. TIM.
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