Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Remission and Salvation hang not on the degree of Faith and Repentance; but on the truth thereof: They cannot say, their Heart is clean with a sinless Sanctity; but they may, that it is so with a true Integrity, such as hath all the Promises entailed on it. A true Believer (saith St. Austin) may say, Sanctus sum, I am holy; and to say so, is not Pride but Gratitude: They cannot understand all the errors lying in the deep of the Heart; but they may the Graces brought in there by a new Creation. That J•m. 3. Who can tell if God will turn? Non tam dubitantis quam bene sperantis est; It speaks not so much doubting as hoping, that God would avert the imminent Judgment. That Acts 8. Perhaps thy thoughts may be forgiven, puts not a scruple on Gods Mercy towards Penitents; but upon Simons Repentance, whether he would truly repent or not. Happy is the man that feareth always, saith the Wise man; Not he that feareth with a servile Fear, for the Spirit of Bondage makes not happy; but with a filial: And that well consists ⟨p. 392⟩with Assurance; for we may rejoice with trembling, as the Psalmist hath it, Psal. 2.11. Nay, it is advanced thereby; For it fears the Lord and his Goodness. The heart of man is deceitful, even the Believer's, so far as it is leavened with the relics of Sin; but as it is renewed with Principles of Grace, it is a true heart, as the Apostle calls it, Heb. 10.22. and so may pass a true judgment on its own estate: Though it cannot know all that is in its own abyss, yet it may know the general frame and bias of it self; and thereby discover its Sincerity. Hence the Apostle saith, If our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God, 1 John 3.21. If natural Conscience be a thousand witnesses, enlightened is ten thousand. Faith (say the Romanists) leans on the Word; and there is no Word That such or such an one hath true Faith and Repentance, or that his sins are pardoned and remitted: Unto which I answer, As to that, That no Word saith, that such an one hath true Faith and Repentance; it is to be considered, That when one Proposition stands upon the Word, and another upon natural light or experience; The Conclusion is de Fide. When in the 6. General Council the Fathers proceeded against the Monothelites by this Argument: