Now it is a great doubt with some, Whether a man can possibly be more certain that he believeth, than he is that the thing believed is true; because the act can extend no further than the object; and to be sure I believe, is but to be sure that I take the thing believed to be true. But I shall grant the contrary, that a man may possibly be surer that he believeth, than he is that the thing believed is true; because my believing is not always a full subjective certainty that the thing is true, but a believing that it is true. And though you are fully certain that all God's word is true; yet you may believe that this is his word, with some mixture of unbelief or doubting. And so the question is but this, Whether you may not certainly, without doubting, know, that you believe the word of God to be true, though with some doubting. And it seems you may. But then it is a further question, Whether you can be surer of the saving sincerity of your faith, than you are that this word of God is true. And that ordinarily men doubt of the first, as much as they doubt of the latter, I think is an experimented truth. But yet grant that with some it may be otherwise, (because he believeth sincerely, that so far believeth the word of God, as to trust his life and soul upon it, and forsake all in obedience to it: and that I do so, I may know with less doubting, than I yet have about the truth of the word so believed,) all that will follow is but this, that of those men that doubt of their justification and salvation, some of their doubts are caused more by their doubting of God's word, than by the doubting whether they sincerely though doubtingly believe it; and the doubts of others, whether they are justified and shall be saved, is caused much more by their doubting of their own sincere belief, than by their doubting of the truth of Scriptures. And the far greatest number of christians seem to themselves to be of this latter sort. For no doubt, but though a man of clear understanding can scarcely believe, and yet not know that he believeth; yet he may believe sincerely, and not know that he believeth sincerely. But still the knowledge of our own justification is but the effect or progeny of our belief of the word of God, and of our knowledge that we do sincerely believe it, which conjunctly are the parents and causes of it: and it can be no stronger than the weaker of the parents (which _in esse cognoscibili_ is our faith, but _in esse cognito_ is sometimes the one, and sometimes the other). And the effect is not the cause; the effect of faith and knowledge conjunct, is not faith itself. It is not a believing the word of God, to believe that you believe, or that you are justified; but yet, because that faith is one of the parents of it, some call it by the name of faith, though they should call it but an effect of faith, as one of the causes. And well may our doubtings of our own salvation be said to be from unbelief, because unbelief is one of the causes of them, and the sinfullest cause.
[Sidenote: The article of remission of sin to be believed applyingly.]
And that the article of remission of sin is to be believed with application to ourselves, is certain: but not with the application of assurance, persuasion, or belief that we are already pardoned; but with an applying acceptance of an offered pardon, and consent to the covenant which maketh it ours. We believe that Christ hath purchased remission of sin, and made a conditional grant of it in his gospel, to all, viz. if they will repent, and believe in him, or take him for their Saviour, or become penitent christians. And we consent to do so, and to accept it on these terms. And we believe that all are actually pardoned that thus consent.