A Treatise of Faith, Title page – Dedication
A TREATISE OF FAITH: Wherein is declared how a man may liue by Faith, and finde releefe in all his neceſſities.
Applyed eſpecially vntounto the vſe of the weakeſt Chriſtians.
By EZEKEL CVLVERVVELL.
The Iuſt ſhall Liue by Faith.
EPHES. 6. 16.
Aboue all taking the ſhield of Faith.
ROM. 15. 4.
Whatſoeuer things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience, & cōfort of the Scriptures might hauehave hope.
LONDON, Printed by I. L. for William Sheffard, and are to be ſold at his ſhop, at the entring in of Popes head Allie out of Lumbard-ſtreete. 1623.
TO ALL GODS PEOPLE, WHO HAVE ENIOYED any benefit by my Miniſterie, eſpecially of my Paſtorall charge.
DEARLY Beloued in the Lord, although I cannot but be priuie to my ſelfe, of many defects in diſcharge of my dutie which God required at my hands toward you, (which I humbly beſeech the Lord and you to pardon,) yet this hath beene, is, and I hope ſhall be, to the end of my dayes, my comfort, that I hauehave not laboured in vaine amongſt you. What were my labours and ſucceſſe thereof, I muſt appeale to the conſciences of you who are yet liuing; for you know that not a few are now at reſt with the Lord, whoſe holy liues and happy ends gaue good teſtimony hereof. But to leaue theſe to the wiſe conſideration, of ſuch whom they may concerne, and to giuegive vntounto all, to whom theſe preſents ſhall come, a iuſt account of my proceedings herein: I doe profeſſe that for many yeares paſt, I hauehave had my thoughts much exerciſed about this prime grace of Faith; (by which alone we receiue all ſauing grace, and without which none:) and after that, by long experience, I found through conference with many of diuers ſorts, that very few attained to the true knowledge, much leſſe to the right vſe of Faith, either in the aſſurance of their ſaluation, or well ordering of their conuerſation. For to paſſe ouer all carnall Proteſtants, who only hauehave a forme of godlineſſe, making an outward ſhew thereof, and deny the power of it, in walking after their owne luſts: I hauehave obſerued very many, who hauehave in truth laboured after ſaluation, yet through want of good direction hauehave made forſaking of their ſinne, the ground of their beleeuing, and ſo building ſuch a weightie matter, vponupon ſo weake a foundation, could neuer come to ſuch certaintie of their ſaluation, or conſtancie in a holy conuerſation, as true Faith would hauehave brought them vntounto. Some others I hauehave ſeene, who being deeply affected with the ſenſe of their miſery, and knowing that there is no meanes of recouery, but by Chriſt, hauehave deſired nothing more, then to be deliuered, and reſtored by him; yet theſe not knowing the right way how to attaine to Faith, by which alone doe receiue Chriſt and all his benefits) hauehave ſpent many yeares vnprofitably and vnfruitfu…ly. Others there be who perſwading themſelues, that they hauehave Faith, and thereby bee quieted from feare of condemnation, yet much wanting the life and power of Faith, neither ſo honour God and their profeſſion, nor in time of triall, finde that ſound peace and comfort, which a liuely Faith would certainly procure. By all which it appeareth, how few they be that hauehave attained to the true knowledge of Faith what it is, how it is go…ten and increaſed, and how to liue by it. The conſideration whereof grieuing my ſoule to ſee ſo many miſtaken in ſo weightie a matter, and ſo much labour to be loſt, hath been the chiefe moouer of me, to imploy all my thoughts, how this great euill may be redreſſed. Whereupon entering into deeper conſideration, how this might be attained, I well perceiued, that (ſeeing Gods truth reuealed vntounto vsus in his Word, is the ſole ground of Faith,) the only way to get and keepe Faith, is to bee well acquainted with Gods Word, in which I cannot ſufficiently admire the wiſedome and louelove of God; in prouiding ſuch ſtore of heauenly comforts, to releeue vsus in all our neceſſities: ſo that had wee the knowledge, and the right vſe of them, we ſhould then ſee, what were the Life of Faith, and the bleſſed eſtate of a beleeuer in this world, aboue all other eſtates though neuer ſo excellent. Theſe thus being, I gaue my ſelfe to the ſearch of the Scriptures, to finde out what theſe heauenly comforts were, which God hath ſo abundantly prouided for our reliefe, in all time of neede. And to this purpoſe, (with no ſmall labour) hauehave gathered out all the promiſes as well as I could out of both the Teſtaments, which being laide together, made a great heape of heauenly treaſure, ſuch as any of vnderſtanding, would greatly admire and reioyce in and I may in truth profeſſe, I was much affected with the bare reading of them. But well conſidering, that the naked laying downe of theſe promiſes, would not be ſufficient to direct eueryevery one, to the right vſe and fit application of them, for the begetting and increaſing of Faith:
I hauehave laboured to draw theſe vntounto ſeuerall heads, ſuch as in my opinion may containe all our neceſſities, that at leaſtwiſe the weakeſt ſort may more fitly apply them to their ſeuerall vſes, and ſo by Faith be comforted, when all other helpes faile them. If in this my labour I hauehave not ſo ſufficiently ſatisfied the deſires of the moſt iudicious: I muſt content my ſelfe, that according to the meaſure of grace receiued, I hauehave laboured to be helpfull to ſuch as ſtand in neede hereof; and hauehave carefully auoided, whatſoeuer I hauehave thought might hinder their profiting, and ſpecially all controuerſies about Faith, and hauehave plainly ſhewed out of the Scriptures, what I hauehave conceiued to be the truth; wherein I may hauehave this defence of my failing, that I hauehave not had any guide in this labour, neither hauehave I ſeene any who hauehave in this way gone before me; and therefore I entreate, my Reuerend brethren in the Miniſterie, whoſe abilities doe farre exceede mine, that they would perfect this, which is but weakely begun. And for my part, I will not ceaſe to pray, that this may be as profitable to others, as painfull to my ſelfe, which the Lord grant, for his Chriſts ſake.
Ezekel Culuerwell.