Of justification four disputations clearing and amicably defending the truth against the unnecessary oppositions…

1. YOU say, [Faith worketh by Love, &c.] Answ. 1. Faith is sometime taken strictly for a Belief of Gods word, or an Assent to its Truth. 2. Sometime more largely for the wills embracing also of the object as an offered good, besides the understandings Assent to the Truth of the ⟨p. 346⟩word which offereth it. The former is by the Apostle oft distinguished from Love, and is said to work by Love; as the lively acts of the understanding produce answerable motions in the will. But the later is that faith which justifieth; to wit, The Receiving of an offered Christ. And this compriseth both the Act of the Understanding and Will (as almost all Protestant Divines affirm.) But both these acts together are called Faith from the former, which is most strictly so called: because the great difficulty then lay in Believing the Truth of the Gospel▪ (and would do still, if it were not for the advantages of Credit, Education, Custom, &c.) therefore the whole work is thence denominated: though yet the completing of the work be in the Will, and the Understandings Act but preparatory thereto. 2. You must also distinguish between Love to Christ the Mediator, and the Grace of Charity in general, as it is extended all;so to God as Creator, to Saints, to all men, &c. And between that first act of Love, which is in our first receiving of Christ, and the love which we afterwards exercise on him: and so I answer you. 1. That as the Apostle distinguisheth between Faith, Hope and Love, So do I. 2. Faith taken strictly for assent to Divine Testimony, produceth love in every one of the forementioned senses (of the word Love:) 3. Justifying faith (comprising the wills acceptance) produceth both the grace of Charity, as it is exercised on other objects, and also the following acts of it towards Christ the Mediator: And so I acknowledge that Faith worketh by Love, and that Love is not faith. But yet whether Love be not in some sense essential to justifying faith, if you speak only of Love to Christ, and that not as a distinct grace, but as it is comprised in our Acceptance of him at first, I shall leave to your consideration, when you have first resolved these things. 1. Whether justifying faith be not an act of the Will as well as the Understanding? Few but Papists deny it, and not all of them. 2. Whether Christ himself be not the object of it? Few Protestants will deny it. 3.

1. YOU say, [Faith worketh by Love, &c.] Answ. 1. Faith is sometime taken strictly for a Belief of Gods word, or an Assent to its Truth. 2. Sometime more largely for the wills embracing also of the objec as an offered good, besides the understandings Assent to the Truth of the