Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Thus far of the first proposition, that faith is more then a naked assent.

Secondly, The second proposition is, That faith is less then an assurance of love and pardon from God; only we must first distinguish between faith in the root and faith in the flower; between faith in the lowest stature, and faith in its full-grown perfections. That assurance which the infant faith cannot reach, the full-grown faith may arrive at; which I suppose was the reason that those prime Reformers Luther and Calvin, and after them Beza and Zanchy, with many others, did define faith by a plerophory or full persuasion of Gods love, they being themselves in the joys of faith, drew its picture not according to the infant model, but the perfect lineaments thereof, as they found them in themselves, so they held them out to the world. Again, we must distinguish ⟨p. 137⟩between seminal assurance and actual; an infant faith hath seminal assurance, light is sown for the righteous, Psal. 97.11. but the crop of comfort doth not immediately spring up, the weakest believer is heir to all the joys of heaven, only he doth not presently know his title, he hath not ordinarily actual assurance at the very first; I say, not ordinarily, for we must not limit the holy one, who by his royal prerogative may let in the sweet sense of his love in the first instant of believing. These distinctions premised, the meaning of the proposition is, That faith in its lowest measure, which is the condition of the Gospel, doth not essentially include assurance. And this I shall manifest by the ensuing considerations.

Secondly, The second proposition is, That faith is less then an assurance of love and pardon from God; only we must first distinguish between faith in the root and faith in the flower; between faith in the lowest stature, and faith in its full-grown perfections. That assurance which the infant faith cannot reach, the fullgrown faith may arrive at; which I suppose was the reason that those prime Reformers Luther and Calvin, and after them Beza and Zanchy, with many others, did define faith by a plerophory or full perswasion of Gods love, they being themselves in the joys of faith, drew its picture not according to the infant model, but the perfect lineaments thereof, as they found them in themselves, so they held them out to the world. Again, we must distinguish