fluences of the Spirit, to which those exercises owe their origin and nature. Thus also in the exercise of faith, consciousness does not reach the inward testimony of the Spirit on which that faith is founded. Nevertheless, notwithstanding these admissions, it is still incorrect to say that faith is founded on feeling, be- cause it is only of certain forms or exercises of faith that this can even be plausibly said ; and because there are many exercises of even saving faith (that is, of faith in a true believer,) which are not attended by feeling. This is the case when the object of faith is some historical fact. Besides, the Scriptures clearly teach that the ground of faith is the testimony of God, or dem- onstration of the Spirit. He has revealed certain truths, and attends them with such an amount and kind of evidence, as pro- duces conviction, and we receive them on his authority.
3. Faith is not necessarily connected with feeling. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it is not. Whether it is or not, depends, — (a.) On the nature of the object. Belief in glad tidings is of necessity attended by joy ; of evil tidings with grief. Belief in moral excellence involves a feeling of approbation. Belief that a certain act is criminal, involves disapprobation. (6.) On the proximate ground of faith. If a man believes that a picture is beautiful on the testimony of competent judges, there is no aes- thetic feeling connected with his faith. But if he personally per- ceives the beauty of the object, then delight is inseparable from the conviction that it is beautiful. In like manner if a man believes that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh, on the mere ex- ternal testimony of the Bible, he experiences no due impression from that truth. But if his faith is founded on the inward tes- timony of the Spirit, by which the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is revealed to him, then he is filled with adoring admiration and love.
Religious Faith more than Simple Assent.
4. Another question agitated on tins subject is, Whether faith is a purely intellectual exercise ; or Whether it is also an exercise of the affections. This is nearly allied to the preceding question, and must receive substantially the same answer. Bellarmin,1 says, " Tribus in rebus ab haereticis Catholici dissentiunt ; Primum, in objecto fidei justificantis, quod haeretici restringunt ad solam promissionem misericordiae specialis, Catholici tam late patere volunt, quam late patet verbum Dei. . . . Deinde
1 De Justjficatione, lib. i. cap. 4, Disputtiliones, edit. Paris, 1608, vol. iv. p. 706, d, e.
90 PAKT III. Ch. XVI. — FAITH.
in facilitate et potentia animi quae sedes est fidei. Siquidem illi fidem collocant in voluntate [seu in corde] cum fiduciam esse definiunt; ac per hoc earn cum spe confundunt. Fiducia enim nihil est aliud, nisi spes roborata. . . . Catholici fidem in intellectu sedem habere docent. Denique, in ipso actu intel- lects. Ipsi enim per notitiam fidem definiunt, nos per assensum. Assentimur enim Deo, quamvis ea nobis credenda proponat, quae non ihtelligimus." Regarding faith as a mere intellectual or speculative act, they consistently deny that it is necessarily connected with salvation. According to their doctrine, a man may have true faith, i. e., the faith which the Scriptures de- mand, and yet perish. On this point the Council of Trent says : " Si quis dixerit, amissa per peccatum gratia, simul et fidem sem- per amitti, aut fidem, quae remanet, non esse veram fidem, licet non sit viva ; aut eum, qui fidem sine caritate habet, non esse Chris tianum ; anathema sit." J
Protestant Doctrine.
On the other hand Protestants with one voice maintain that the faith which is connected with salvation, is not a mere intel- lectual exercise. Calvin says:2 " Verum observemus, fidei sedem non in cerebro esse, sed in corde: neque vero de eo con- tenderim, qua in parte corporis sita sit fides : sed quoniam cor- dis nomen pro serio et sincero affectu fere capitur, dico firmam esse et efficacem fiduciam, non nudam tantum notionem." He also says: 3 Quodsi expenderent illud Pauli, Corde creditur ad justitiam (Rom. x. 10) : fingere desinerent frigidam iUam qual- ltatem. Si una haec nobis suppeteret ratio, valere deberet ad litem finiendam : assensionem scilicet ipsam sicuti ex parte at- tigi, et fusius iterum repetam, cordis esse magis quam cerebri, et affectus magis quam intelligentise."
The answer in the Heidelberg Catechism, to the question, What is Faith? is, "It is not merely a certain knowledge, whereby I receive as true all that God has revealed to us in his Word, but also a cordial trust, which the Holy Ghost works in me by the Gospel, that not only to others, but to me also, the forgiveness of Sm, and everlasting righteousness and life are CWs me^t^ °f ^ *"* -d "** *>* the sake of
» Sr£ii?T. 2C«W0-lf' fRS*1* ^tingen, 1846, vol. i. p. ST.