A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many useful questions and cases of conscience are…A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many usefull questions and cases of conscience are…

Though the spirit of the Lord (saith he) do reveal the mind of ¹the Lord to men, yet they are not fully resolved concerning this mind of the Lord to their own spirits, till by Faith they do receive it—Now till men do receive this Testimony and believe it, they are never resolved; but when men do receive it and believe it, that ²it is a true Testimony, then they sit down satisfied. Again, Faith is an evidence as it doth take possession of that which the spirit of the Lord reveals, and manifests and gives to a person.—The spirit indeed makes the title good, but faith makes good the entry and possession, and so clears the title to us, though good in it self before:—Is there a voice behind thee, or within thee, saying particularly to thee in thy self, thy sins are forgiven thee? Doest thou see this voice agree with the word of Grace?—If thou doest receive the Testimony of the Spirit according to that word. If thou doest indeed receive it, here is thy evidence. Thereafter he moves this objection. But you will say, if there be not fruits of faith following, that ³faith is a dead faith, and therefore there must be something to evidence with it. For answer whereunto, first he rejects this as a great indignity to Faith, If faith be not able of it self to give Testimony, or must not be credited, when it doth give Testimony, except something will come and testify for it, to give credit unto it. Next he answereth thus, that which hath the whole essence of faith, is not a dead, but a living faith: Now the whole essence of faith is nothing else but the Echo of the heart answering the foregoing voice of the spirit, and word of Grace, thy sins are forgiven thee saith the spirit and word of Grace, my sins are forgiven me, saith Faith. ⟨p. 264⟩If therefore the Echo to the voice of Spirit and word of Grace, be the essence, nay be the whole essence of believing, this is certain, where there is receiving or believing, there cannot be a dead faith.

Though the spirit of the Lord (saith he) doe reveal the minde of ¹the Lord to men, yet they are not fully resolved concerning this mind of the Lord to their own spirits, till by Faith they do receive it—Now till men do receive this Testimony and believe it, they are never resolved; but when men do receive it and believe it, that