Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…

But here we are quite off with the Papists; for they stiffly maintain, that Faith is only the Understandings Assent; only the Schoolmen and others of them confess, that it is a willing Assent: but it is one thing to will the Assent, and another thing to will or Accept the Good that is contained in the promise which we Assent to. This last is the thing in Question: And they tell us, that this is not Faith, but Love. To which Maccovius and Chamier answer them, that Faith and Love to Christ are all one; though Faith and Love to a distinct object, be not so.

But here we are quite off with the Papists; for they stifly maintain, that Faith is only the Understandings Assent; only the Schoolmen and others of them confess, that it is a willing Assent: but it is one thing to will the Assent, and another thing to will or Accept the Good that is contained in the promise which we Assent to. This last is the thing in Question: And they tell us, that this is not Faith, but Love. To which Maccovius and Chamier answer them, that Faith and Love to Christ are all one; though Faith and Love to a distinct object, be not so.

2. Hereupon we proceed to a further difference, which is, that the Papists say, that Faith may be separated from Love; that Faith without Love doth not Justify; but only that Faith which is informed by Love. How far this supposed great disagreement is merely Verbal, or Real, I leave to the judicious Reader to judge, when he hath considered, that what we call Faith simply, they call Fides formata Charitate: That the Act of Faith which is in the Will, the Papists call by the name of Love, and not of Faith, yet both agree de re ipsa, that this is the thing which is necessary to Justification; and we confess as well as they, that mere Assent (of some sort) is separable from Love. But then the mischief is, that the Papists by false wording or naming these Graces, are carried to the misinterpreting of many Scriptures, if not to many erroneous Doctrines also. And when they read of Faith simply, they commonly take it for mere Assent. And so they are led into error in the present controversy. For when they find that he that Believeth must be Baptized; they conclude presently with Bellarmine, that sides, non charitas facit Christianum: he that assenteth is a Believer, &