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SEing therefore Christ the king himselfe in the articles of the Christian faith, which con∣taine the summe of the Gospell, offreth that same kingdome of his vnto vs: and through faith, by the vertue of his spirit doth effectually confederate himselfe vnto vs to the end he may raigne in vs: goe to, let vs briefly shewe what faith is. Faith is to assent vnto God, his will be∣ing
knowen, in euery worde of his, as to the onely true & omnipotent God, and so to giue glory to God: and not to consider any thing either in our selues or in any other of his crea∣tures, that seemeth to be against him: and in this worde, to behold as the speciall marke the promise of the Gospel, for that the father truely offreth himselfe vnto vs in Christ, and through his holy spirit freely iustifieth vs that are engrafted in Christ, and more and more sanctifieth vs, and preserueth vs by the same power, through which Christ was raised from the dead, whereby he hath all things subiect to himselfe, that the hope of euerlasting life being founded in this truth and power, it may be most certaine. This description of faith, first comprehendeth the whole life of man: whose singular actions and moments, must needes leane and rest vpon faith. For surely, that which is said to the Hebrues, Without faith it is impossible to please God, is most true, in all and singular matters that are to be taken in hand. Rom. 14. ver 23. Then after that it setteth forth that pe∣culiar grace of iustification offred in Christ, and that restoring to euerlasting life, as the foundation of all beleeuers. Now this same description of faith is specially taken out of the fourth Chap. to the Romanes, from the six∣tenth verse, and out of the first Chapiter of the Ephesians, from the 17. verse, to the ende of both the Chapiters. That which is put in the description, of the will of God knowen, is therefore done, because Sathan is oftentimes
woont to faigne another meaning of the worde of God, besides the will of God. Least therefore that faith should stray from the will of God, we must indeuer, that as the Apostle comman∣deth in the 12. to the Romanes, all prophesy∣ing or interpretation of the scripture, be accor∣ding to the analogie, or rule of faith: least the interpretation fight with the foundation or with any article of faith. We will shewe it also more familiarly after this manner: this is faith, to acknowledge that this is the vnchangeable will of God, and to rest in it, that freely he will giue vs that promised saluation by ye Prophets, and that through Christ the same is giuen in deede, (as the Articles of our faith witnesse,) that is, to acknowledge, that these things which are contained in them, are freely giuen vnto vs of God, according to the testimony of all the Prophets which were from the beginning of the worlde, yea, and of Christ himselfe, and to rest in this constant will of God, and giue this glory to God, that hath now already shewed his omnipotent power in performing these promi∣ses, fulfilling in deede the most part of the Ar∣ticles of our faith: and also as yet doth still ex∣ercise the same, in the applying of those bene∣fites: and will certainly shewe it, in those that remaine yet to be fulfilled in the Articles: nei∣ther to consider any thing either in vs, or yet without vs in any creature that seemeth contra∣ry to that same grace and diuine truth promi∣sed vnto vs, and already offred in Christ, and at length fully to be accomplished.