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

The Minor, where the pinch lies, in concluding our good estate, here in our proving our miserable state, is as strong as the Major; for the same word of God tells us, it is the condition of us all by nature, Col. 1.21. Ephes. 2.16. 2 Cor. 5.19, 20. Rom. 8.7. and 11.32. Gal. 3.22. Ephes. 2.3. Rom. 3.23. Whence the Assent I give to the Minor, is not only from the sense of sin and enmity which I feel in my self, which Assent is yet stronger, for I am sure here cannot subesse falsum: but besides this, I Assent to it by a Divine faith, because by necessary consequence from these Scriptures it follows, That if all men are so by nature, then though my name be not in the text, yet I am sure I am included in the text.

But in drawing up my Conclusion for my saved state, the Minor Proposition, upon which the stress lies, I cannot assent to it by a Divine faith, as I did to the other, because it is not contained in any Text, that I do believe, and may be forced out of the Text by necessary consequence. ⟨p. 281⟩Again, to say I am as sensible of sincerity, of saving grace, as I am sensible of sin, therefore I can as truly assent to the Minor from what I feel, that I have sound faith, as I did assent from my feeling, that I had and have sin; this the heart will shrink at, and is afraid to speak so boldly, though it may be truth, that he is sensible of Grace.