A treatise of faith divided into two parts. The first showing the nature, the…A treatise of faith diuided into two parts. The first shewing the nature, the…

Secondly it is answered, that saving faith doth presuppose knowledge and assent as the root and foundation: but formally it is an affection, towards the promise of grace, and seated in the heart. As the reasonable soul doth give life, sense and motion as inferior operations: so justifying faith doth know and assent, but as justifying it doth trust and rely upon the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. Thirdly, Justifying faith, or faith as it justifieth, is not one virtue, not any virtue but justifieth only as it makes us partakers of the righteousness of Christ; which it doth not by any dignity or excellency of it own, but in respect of the place and office which our merciful God hath freely and liberally granted unto it. Now nothing hindereth why God should not give the name of faith both to assent in the ⟨p. 144⟩understanding, and to affiance in the will, and require both to Justification. And that it is not a virtue as it justifieth, is manifest hereby, that we are justified by the act of faith, not by the habit of faith, as Divines popish and protestant confess. But if Mind and will be indeed but two names or titles of one and the same intellectual nature, as truth and goodness in matters moral differ only in degrees of apprehension, then there is no room for this objection.¹ Not to dispute this point any further, this is manifest, that in Scripture the heart is taken for the whole soul, with all its powers and operations; as of understanding, willing and choosing, remembering or retaining in Mind and affecting, that the Scripture doth simply attribute to the heart knowledge, confidence and affection; and that the Scripture hath no peculiar words, whereby that philosophical distinction of Mind and will may be confirmed: and therefore according to the sentence of Scripture, we may seal faith in the heart or reasonable soul and not trouble our selves about the distinction of the faculties. If the Scripture mention this as an act of faith, To believe that Christ is the son of God, which is seated in the Mind; it must be remembered, that words of knowledge do together by connotation imply affection, much more words of belief: and therefore where we find to believe that Christ is the Son of God, we must conceive this belief to contain confidence in the Sonne.

Secondly it is answered, that sauing faith doth presuppose knowledge and assent as the roote and foundation: but formally it is an affection, towards the promise of grace, and seated in the heart. As the reasonable soule doth giue life, sence and motion as inferior operations: so iustifying faith doth knowe and assent, but as iustifying it doth trust and relie vpon the mercie of God in Iesus Christ. Thirdly, Iustifying faith, or faith as it iustifyeth, is not one vertue, not any vertue but iustifyeth onely as it makes vs partakers of the righteousnes of Christ; which it doth not by any dignitie or excellencie of it owne, but in respect of the place and office which our mercifull God hath freely and liberally granted vnto it. Now nothing hindreth why God should not giue the name of faith both to assent in the