Samsons Seven Locks of Hair Compared to the Seven Spiritual Virtues, Part 1
THE FIRST LOCKE. FAYTH.
THe firſt vvorke which the SPIRIT worketh in a Chriſtian,Fayth, the Mother of the rest. is FAYTH; which is the Roote and Grandmother of all the reſt; and without the which it is impoſſible to pleaſe GOD: and againe,Heb. 11.6. heereby hee perſwadeth our Conſciences, that the Promiſes of Salvation (contained in the Worde of GOD) appertaine vntounto vsus, euen through CHRIST IESVS. Therefore, thoſe who are ignorant, and doe not know theſe thinges, they hauehave not the Spirit:Ignorance lacketh the firſt Locke. Neyther yet thoſe perſons who hauehave an Hiſtoricall Fayth, as the Deuils hauehave, and doe not applie theſe Promiſes vntounto themſelues: they hauehave no part (I ſay) in this Buſineſſe, neither anie fellowſhip with the Spirit of Grace. For which cauſe wee ſhould moſt earneſtlie trie our ſelues, whether the Spirit of God bee in vsus, (vnleſſe wee bee Reprobates;) and that eſpeciallie by Fayth; to wit, If wee knowe what are the Promiſes of Salvation; of the remiſſion of our ſinnes; of the reſurrection of our bodies; and of Life eternall. For albeit theſe thinges are not ſeene by the eye of naturall reaſon, and although fleſh and blood doeth not reveale it vntounto vsus; yet the Spirit of GOD worketh an aſſent and conſent in our mindes, vntounto the trueth of them, and fullie perſwadeth vsus thereof.
But becauſe manie (alace) hauehave a vaine opinion of Fayth,Three remarkable Notes to trie Fayth. (and who is hee (of what Religion or Sect ſoever) that doth not boaſt himſelfe of Faith?) therefore (GOD willing) I ſhall giuegive you three marks, by the which ye may diſcerne whether this bee a naturall Locke, growing out of SAMSONS owne head; or guilded and coloured, and falſe Haire, which neuer grew out of SAMSONS braine.
1. By the groundes of the word.The firſt marke whereby to diſtinguiſh true Fayth from that which is counterfet, is, by the ground thereof: for true Fayth groundeth her ſelfe onlie vponupon the word of GOD, and Canonicall Scriptures: for it is the word onelie which warrandeth the Conſcience: My Sheepe heare my voyce, Iohn 10.4.ſayeth our LORD: for if Angels, or men, would ſpeake Oracles vntounto vsus,Act. 17.11 or Paul preach vntounto vsus, yet with the men of Berea wee muſt ſearch the Scriptures, and trie whether hee ſpeake according as it is written. And if an Angel ſhould preach a contrarie Doctrine,Galat. 1.8. we ſhould count him Anathema. Then wee muſt not build our Fayth vponupon the Decrees of the Church, and belieue Fide implicita, The Papiſtes infoldē faith. 1 Pet. 3.15with an in-folded Fayth, or rather euill-folded Fayth. When the Apoſtle commandeth vsus to giuegive a reaſon of our duplicate page duplicate page Fayth to euerie one that asketh it, ſhall wee hauehave none other reaſon to render, but to wrap our ſelues in the Clouts of Ignorance? and ſay, wee belieue as the Church belieueth? For the men of Samaria anſwered to the woman of Samaria farre better, ſaying, Now wee belieue, not becauſe of thy ſaying, for wee hauehave heard him our ſelues, Iohn 4.42and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the worlde. Neyther ſhould our Fayth bee grounded vponupon the ſand of the Popes Traditions, his ridiculous Golden Legends, (which the Papiſts themſelues ſcorne) nor yet vponupon the ancient Fathers, as Augustine ſayeth, Non quid dicit Donatus, aut Augustinus, ſed quid dicat DOMINVS: that is, Wee muſt not take heede what Augustine (that Divine Doctor) ſayeth, neither what Donatus (that damnable Hereticke) ſayeth; but what the LORD ſayeth in his holie Scriptures. And let vsus holde faſt that which the Apoſtle Sainct Peter recommendeth vntounto vsus, ſaying, We hauehave alſo a more ſure word of the Prophets, whereunto ye doe well that yee take heede, 2. Pet. 1.19as vntounto a light that ſhineth in a darke place, vntill the day dawne, and the day-ſtarre ariſe in your hearts. For the worde of God is able to make that man of God abſolute,2. Tim. 3.17. being made perfect vntounto al good works. Then true Fayth muſt altogether leane to the Scriptures, which onelie are ſufficient to leade vsus vntounto perfection.
The next triall of our Fayth, is by the certaintie therof,2. Certaintie. Heb. 11.1. which th' Apoſtle Paul calleth foreign, that is, A full perſwaſion of the certaintie of thoſe thinges which wee belieue: yea, an Euidence and demonſtration of thinges which are not ſeene: For whatſoeuer thinges wee belieue, tranſcende and are aboue the reach of reaſon, or are flat contrarie to nature, ſenſe, and reaſon, which fleſh and blood cannot perſwade vsus of, (as of the leaſt article of our Faith,) they muſt be reuealed to vsus by our Father which is aboue. Now when I ſpeak of the certaintie, I meane not the quantitie; as though I did affirme, that a weake Faith could debarre vsus; but I craue a true Fayth, which perſwadeth our conſciences of Gods fauour in Chriſt, and maketh vsus ſay with Sainct Paul, I believed, and therefore did I ſpeake: 1. Cor. 4.13and to ſay alſo with the Centurion,Mark 9.24 I belieue, Lord, helpe my Fayth.
The third marke whereby this true Fayth is diſcerned,3. Triall of their works. is by the fruits therof: For it is not like the Figge Tree which was decked onelie with the greene Leaues of an outwarde ſhow, and yeelded no fruite vntounto the LORD IESVS,Matth. 21.19. who hungered for it: But this true Fayth is like the Tree which groweth by the Rivers of waters,Pſalm. 1.3. and bringeth foorth fruite in due ſeaſon.
This ſurelie verie greatlie condemneth all theſe godleſſe Atheiſtes of our time, who brag of an ydle Fayth, without anie care of a good life.