Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who,…Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who,…

226. How much certainty we have of Divine Revelation and Scripture verity, I have so fully opened in many Tractates, and lastly in o•• ¹called [The certainty of Christianity without Popery] that I will not here repeat it, further than to say, that it is not a perfect apprehension which we call our certainty, nor yet an uneffectual doubtful one; But such • •• as will carry a man on confidence of Gods Word to a holy life, and •• the forsaking of all other hopes, even life it self, for the hopes which •• given us by Christ: which yet may have several degrees in several persons. But objective certainty, which is the evidence of verity, is m••• full than our subjective certainty (for want of our due receptivity •• us) and is still the same in it self, though not equally brought or revea•• to all.

1. 1I know that the learned Conciliator Guiliel. Forbes doth confidently charge them as guilty of confusion, who place Faith in more faculties than one, and that call it Fiducia. But I doubt not but the error is his own, which tendeth to confusion, by not distinguishing a mere physical act from a moral or political, which is made up of many physical acts: And if he (or Bishop Gror. Downame, Camero, or any that go that way) had been put to tell what one physical act they will confine Christian justifying Faith to, they would have •ound themselves in confusion: To say, It is assent, denieth not but that it must be an assent to many verities: And this assent signifieth at once a belief that God is true, and that this is his word, and that this word is true. He that saith, It is a belief of the assertion for the oredibility of the As•ertor, can scarce prove that he nameth but one Act: And I know no such assent which •••• bit essentially contain a trusting to the word of the Assertor or Testifier, called Fiduca. Can you believe a a, o be true, because he is credible, and not trust his credibility so far as believing him importeth: It is a contradiction? F eredentis is nothing but a trusting to the Fides dicentis, and they are Relatives, as Act and Object. Though I grant that is also a quieting applicatory Trust or Fiducia, which is but the exercise of Faith as supposing me to see my […] Promise, which cometh after our first believing, in which we see but our receptive capacity that the Promise […] with the rest of Mankind, and the thing promised is offered to me.