The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

The Minor is plain: For whence riseth this particular persuasion and assurance that Christ is mine, forgiveness mine? Is it not the conclusion arising from two premises that went before, of which one must be made up of sense, spiritual sense: He that believeth in Christ is justified, or is united to Christ, Christ is his. This indeed is de fide, we know it by revelation, we have Gods testimony for it.

The Minor is plain: For whence riseth this particular perswasion and assurance that Christ is mine, forgiveness mine? Is it not the conclusion arising from two premises that went before, of which one must be made up of sense, spiritual sense: He that believeth in Christ is justified, or is united to Christ, Christ is his. This indeed is de fide, we know it by revelation, we have Gods testimony for it.

But I believe this minor proposition; how do you know that? It must be by a mans retiring into himself, and there taking a view of his own heart, examining what God hath done there, how he hath drawn the Soul to Christ; which I know, the mind of man, illuminated, sanctified this Spirit of man, the candle of the Lord, searching all the ⟨p. 194⟩inward parts of the belly, Prov. 20.27; with the Spirit of God helping of it against all those darkening Objections which Satan and his own timorous heart raiseth, may experience find out, and that certainly, and so draw up this conclusion, therefore Christ is mine, my sins are forgiven; the conclusion is certain, that Soul is not deceived; there may be a firm assent given to this conclusion. If so, then saith learned Ward, ¹Rectissime dicitur assensus-fidei specialis, cui nec subest aliquando, nec subesse potest falsum, non minus quam fidei Catholicae. Here I shrink, certainty I acknowledge, not a wavering conjecture; but to have it, special Divine faith, and to be as certain, as this proposition, That he that believeth in Christ is justified or pardoned, of which I am sure it is true, non potest subesse falsum, this is hard to yield to. The minor is certain, with the certainty of experience, or experimental knowledge, he saith, experience and faith are different things: How then is the conclusion certain, with the certainty of Divine Faith.