And for their Assertion*, [That we are bound immediately to Believe that we are Justified, and in special Favour with God:] It is such as no man, of competent knowledge in the Scripture, and belief of its truth, can once imagine. For if every man must believe this, then most must believe a lye, (for they never shall be Justified:) yea all must at first believe a lye; for they are not Justified till they believe: and the believing that they are Justified is not the faith which Justifieth them. If only some men must believe this, how shall it be known who they be? The truth is, [That we are Justified] is not properly to be Believed at all: For nothing is to be Believed which is not written: but it is no where written that you or I are Justified: only one of those premises is written, from ⟨p. 393⟩whence we may draw the Conclusion,2 That we are Justified, if so be that our own hearts do afford us the other of the Premises. So that Our Actual Justification is not a matter of mere Faith, but a Conclusion from Faith and Conscience together. If God have no where promised to any man Justification immediately without Condition, then no man can so believe it: but God hath no where promised it Absolutely; therefore, &c. Nor hath he declared to any man that is not first a Believer, that he loveth him with any more then a common love: Therefore no more can be believed but a common love to any such. For the Eternal Love and Election is manifest to no man before he is a Believer.
And for their Assertion*, [That we are bound immediately to Believe that we are Justified, and in special Favour with God:] It is such as no man, of competent knowledg in the Scripture, and belief of its truth, can once imagine. For if every man must believe this, then most must believe a lye, (for they never shall be Justified:) yea all must at first believe a lye; for they are not Justified till they believe: and the believing that they are Justified is not the faith which Justifieth them. If only some men must believe this, how shall it be known who they be? The truth is, [That we are Justified] is not properly to be Believed at all: For nothing is to be Believed which is not written: but it is no where written that you or I are Justified: only one of those premises is written, from ⟨p. 393⟩whence we may draw the Conclusion,2 That we are Justified, if so be that our own hearts do afford us the other of the Premises. So that Our Actual Justification is not a matter of meer Faith, but a Conclusion from Faith and Conscience together. If God have no where promised to any man Justification immediately without Condition, then no man can so believe it: but God hath no where promised it Absolutely; therefore, &c. Nor hath he declared to any man that is not first a Believer, that he loveth him with any more then a common love: Therefore no more can be believed but a common love to any such. For the Eternal Love and Election is manifest to no man before he is a Believer.
- *Their common Error [That Justifying faith is nothing else but a persuasion more or less of the Love of God to us] is the Root of this and many more mistakes. To Justify us, and to Assure us that we are Justified, are quite different things; and procured by different ways, and at several times usually.Their common Error [That Justifying faith is nothing else but a perswasion more or less of the Love of God to us] is the Root of this and many more mistakes. To Justifie us, and to Assure us that we are Justified, are quite different things; and procured by different ways, and at several times usually.
- 2Vid. Aquin. ad 1. Sent. dist. 17. art. 1.2, 3. q. 112. & Scotum ad. 3. Sent. dis. 23. q. unicâ. Bonavent. 1. Sent. q. 17. Biel in 2. Sent. dist. 27. q. 3.
