and. (.5VoralWork!: 89 229. The fame may be Paid of difpair': That difpair is from the weaknefs orwant of Faith, which cometh from anunbelief of the truth of the Promife : And that allo is pernicious difpair which ( from what Caufe foever ) is fo great as to take men off the ufe of neceffarÿ means, toattain Salvation. But thatdifpair which cometh from over- much fellcondemning, and a conceit that a mansheart is fall; and not thatGods Promife is fall, may Rand with true Faith and Salvation, if it be not fogreat, as to takehimoff the ufeof neceffarymeans.. 23o. Noman ordinarily can be affured ofhisSalvationor 3luflificatioin without extraordinary Revelation , but by being affured firft of the truth ofGods Promife , and ofhis own fincerity in believing: For his affurance is of the conclufion of this argument, [Whofoever fncerey believeth and repenteth isjuflified : But Ijîncerely believe and repent; thereforeI am jufiified. ] And the weaknefs of the apprehenfionofeither of the premifes is ever inthe conclufion, which always followethpartem debiliorem. 23t. There are therefore buttwo forts of men who can believe that they are juftifted by a Faith properly called Divine , that is, which is a belief of Gods Wordherein; t. Thofe that God revealeth it to by pro -_ phetical or extraordinary Revelation ( if therebe any loch. ) 2. Thole who are more certainof their ownfincere Faith, than they are that Gods Word it felf is true (if any fuch therebe in theworld.) For with all others the certainty of the fincerity of their own Faith being weakeft, the conclufion followeth it. 232. Ifanyman can poffibly doubtmore ofthe truth of Gods Word, than of the foundnefs of his own Faith; though that mans Faithmaybe called Divine,it is no honour to it, becaufe it hath fomuch doubting of Gods Word mixed with belief: And it's like his greater' affurance of his belief of it, is but his error, or infirmity. 233. Ordinarily therefore noChriflians can believefide Divina, that they are juftified and [hall be laved ; that is, this h no WordofGod, but a concluflon, of which oneof the premifesonly, and that the fironger is Gods Word. 234.To fay that he that believethjh.all befaved,is equivalent to this [I fhall befaved] is not true norreafonable, feeing [Ibelieve] is not Gods Word, nor focertain as Gods Word:And oneofthepremifes is not equaltoboth. 245. When they fay, That it's allone, when IamArethat I believe.]" `I grant it, if t. This be init Pelf as evident. 2. And as certain to me as Gods Word is.; otherwife I deny it. 236. Obj. A man cannot believe, and not (now that he believeth. Auif. But a man mayfincerely believe, and yet through igndranceeither of the Scripture or himfelf, be uncertain that indeedhis Faith isfincere, and not fuch as is common to the jullified. 237.' Some Proteftants by erring in this point, and laying that jufli lying Faith is a certainper(wafionor belief that we are juftified, and. that it isGods own Word that I oryou are at:ually juflifaed, or are Jlncere Be- lievers, and that the believing it is properlyfides Divina, have greatly fcandaliied and hardened the Papills, toour difgrace. 238. And fohave thofe that fay that in the Creed, the meaning of [ I believe the Kemifon of sin] is, [ I believe that my fins are remitted affnally. ] And that all mutt thusbelieve. 239. Some fay that the Spirit within them faith , that they arefincere Believers, and the Word of the Spirit is the Word of God, and, to believe it isto believe God. Anf. This is theEuthufiafti conceit: which if true, N all
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=