The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

not well and clearly understanding this themselves. It is a shameful confession: but the world knoweth it already. The Papists place almost all in the mere Assent of the Understanding. Our great Reformers made it to be either an Assurance of the pardon of our own sins; or a strong persuasion of their pardon, excluding doubting; or (the moderatest) a persuasion of our particular pardon, though mixed with some doubting: The Antinomians strike in with them, and say the same: Hence even the greatest of our Divines (Chamier, Polanus, Twice, &c.) conclude, that Justification and Remission go before faith (a desperate error) because the Act doth alway suppose its object: For they thought that Remission already past, was the object of Justifying Faith: supposing faith to be nothing else but a Belief that we are pardoned: Yea ordinarily, it hath been taught in the writings ⟨p. 52⟩of our greatest refuters of the Papists, That this Belief is properly a Divine faith, or the Belief of a Divine Testimony, as is the Believing of any Proposition written in the Scripture (a foul error which I have confuted in my book of Rest, Part. 3. Chap. 7.) Most of late have come nearer the truth, and affirmed Justifying Faith to consist in Affiance, or Recumbency, or Resting on Christ for salvation. No doubt this is one Act of Justifying faith; but not that which a poor troubled soul should first search after and try it self by (except by Affiance, any should mean as Amesius doth, Election of Christ: and then it is the same act which I am asserting; but very unfitly expressed.) For 1. Affiance is not the Principal act, nor that wherein the very life of Justifying faith doth consist: but only an imperate following act, and an effect of the vital act (which is Consent, or Willing, or Accepting Christ offered:) for it lieth mainly in that which we call the sensitive part, or the Passions of the soul. 2. It is therefore less constant, and so unfitter to try by: For many a poor soul that knows it self unfeignedly willing to have Christ, yet feeleth not a Resting on him or Trusting in him, and therefore cries out, O I cannot believe; and think they have no Faith. For Recumbency, Affiance, ⟨p. 53⟩or Resting on Christ, implieth that easing of themselves, or casting off their fears, or doubts, or cares, which true believers do not always find. Many a poor soul complains, O I cannot rest on Christ;

not well and cleerly understanding this themselves. It is a shamefull confession: but the world knoweth it already. The Papists place almost all in the meer Assent of the Understanding. Our great Reformers made it to be either an Assurance of the pardon of our own sins; or a strong perswasion of their pardon, excluding doubting; or (the moderatest) a perswasion of our particular pardon, though mixt with some doubting: The Antinomians strike in with them, and say the same: Hence even the greatest of our Divines (Chamier, Polanus, Twisse, &c.) conclude, that Justification and Remission go before faith (a desperate errour) because the Act doth alway suppose its object: For they thought that Remission already past, was the object of Justifying Faith: supposing faith to be nothing else but a Belief that we are pardoned: Yea ordinarily, it hath been taught in the writings