of the proof than of the things proved; otherwise it is
no proof. For example; how is it that many men looking on the moon, at
the same time, every one knoweth it to be the moon as certainly as the
other doth? but many believing one and the same promise, have not all
one and the same fulness of persuasion. For how falleth it out, that
men being assured of any thing by sense, can be no surer of it than
they are; when as the strongest in faith that liveth upon the earth
hath always need to labour, strive, and pray, that his assurance
concerning heavenly and spiritual things may grow, increase, and be
augmented?"

[Sidenote: Hooker's sermon]

The Sermon, that gave him the cause of this his justification,
makes the case more plain, by declaring "That there is, besides this
certainty of evidence, a certainty of adherence." In which having most
excellently demonstrated what the certainty of adherence is, he
makes this comfortable use of it, "Comfortable," he says, "as to weak
believers, who suppose themselves to be faithless, not to believe,
when notwithstanding they have their adherence; the Holy Spirit hath
his private operations, and worketh secretly in them, and effectually
too, though they want the inward testimony of it."

Tell this, saith he, to a man that hath a mind too much dejected by a
sad sense of his sin; to one that, by a too severe judging of himself,
concludes that he wants faith, because he wants the comfortable
assurance of it; and his answer will be, do not persuade me against my
knowledge, against what I find and feel in myself: I do not, I know, I
do not believe.--Mr. Hooker's own words follow.--"Well then, to favour
such men a little in their weakness, let that be granted which they
do imagine; be it, that they adhere not to God's promises, but are
faithless, and without belief: but are they not grieved for their
unbelief? They confess they are; do they not wish it might, and also
strive that it may be otherwise? We know they do. Whence cometh this,
but from a secret love and liking, that they have of those things
believed? For no man can love those things which in his own opinion
are not; and if they think those things to be, which they show they
love, when they desire to believe them; then must it be, that, by
desiring to believe, they prove themselves true believers: for without
faith no man thinketh that things believed are: which argument all the
subtilties of infernal powers will never be able