The Doctrine of Repentance

I shall not dispute the Priority, whether Faith or Repentance goes first; doubtless Repentance shows it self first in a Christians life; yet I am apt to ⟨p. 4⟩think the seeds of Faith are first wrought in the heart^*. As when a burning Taper is brought into a room, the light shows it self first, but the Taper was before the light: So we see the fruits of Repentance first, but the initials of Faith were there before.

I shall not dispute the Priority, whether Faith or Repentance goes first; doubtless Repentance shews it self first in a Christians life; yet I am apt to ⟨p. 4⟩think the seeds of Faith are first wrought in the heart^*. As when a burning Taper is brought into a room, the light shews it self first, but the Taper was before the light: So we see the fruits of Repentance first, but the initials of Faith were there before.

1. *Non potest homo seriò poenitere▪ n si se Dei esse noverit. Zanchy.

That which inclines me to think that Faith is seminally in the heart before Repentance, is this, because Repentance being a grace, must be acted by one that is living. Now, how doth the soul live but by Faith? Heb. 10. 38. The just shall live by his Faith. So that there must be first some seeds of Faith in the heart of a penitent, ^*else it is a dead Repentance, and so of no value.