2. There is required to this justifying faith, a firm and lively assent to the whole word of God. For unless this be laid as a foundation, there cannot be any building upon it: Insomuch that we see the Scripture sometimes attributing salvation to the belief, that Christ was able, and that God was powerful, not that by that object they were justified, only that was the particular in which the doubt and difficulty did seem to be, so that it was not exclusive of that special act of faith, but inclusive of it; and indeed this is necessary to be known, that justifying faith doth carry a man out, even to Historical or Dogmatical matter respectively to Justification: So that when a justified person believeth any temporal promise, or the power of God, it doth not simply and ultimately believe them as such, but as they represent God a Father in Christ, so that he believeth the power of God, as of a Father in Christ, and all the temporal promises are looked upon as Yea and Amen in Christ; so that this is to be observed by the believer. There is nothing true in the Scripture, but justifying faith fetcheth filial arguments from it, and makes him sensible of that peace and reconciliation with God in Christ. And indeed to believe all the truths in Scripture, doth beget fear and horror, unless this justifying faith qualify it, The devils believe and tremble; so the mere dogmatist he believeth, but hath cause to tremble, for till every thing be brought to Christ, that as God reconciled all things in heaven and earth through him; so if thou reduce all things in the Scripture to Christ, even the threatening part to him, because fulfilled by him, thou wilt have solid comfort. Thus as it's with man, because he is rational, all those animal acts, which are common to him with beasts, yet are reductively and participatively rational, so in the godly man, all those general acts of faith are reduced to justifying, as the sum of all.
2. There is required to this justifying faith, a firm and lively assent to the whole word of God. For unless this be laid as a foundation, there cannot be any building upon it: Insomuch that we see the Scripture sometimes attributing salvation to the belief, that Christ was able, and that God was powerfull, not that by that object they were justified, only that was the particular in which the doubt and difficulty did seem to be, so that it was not exclusive of that special act of faith, but inclusive of it; and indeed this is necessary to be known, that justifying faith doth carry a man out, even to Historical or Dogmatical matter respectively to Justification: So that when a justified person believeth any temporal promise, or the power of God, it doth not simply and ultimately believe them as such, but as they represent God a Father in Christ, so that he believeth the power of God, as of a Father in Christ, and all the temporal promises are looked upon as Yea and Amen in Christ; so that this is to be observed by the believer. There is nothing true in the Scripture, but justifying faith fetcheth filial arguments from it, and makes him sensible of that peace and reconciliation with God in Christ. And indeed to believe all the truths in Scripture, doth beget fear and horrour, unless this justifying faith qualifie it, The devils believe and tremble; so the meer dogmatist he believeth, but hath cause to tremble, for till every thing be brought to Christ, that as God reconciled all things in heaven and earth through him; so if thou reduce all things in the Scripture to Christ, even the threatning part to him, because fulfilled by him, thou wilt have solid comfort. Thus as it's with man, because he is rational, all those animal acts, which are common to him with beasts, yet are reductively and participatively rational, so in the godly man, all those general acts of faith are reduced to justifying, as the summe of all.
