The several degrees of Faith. [ 1758]
AS meat digested turns to juice in the stomach,* 1.1 to bloud in the liver, to spi¦rits in the heart; So Faith is in the brain, knowledg; in the Reason, assent; in the heart, application: As the child in the womb hath first a vegetative life, then a sensitive, lastly, a rational; So Faith as meer knowledg hath but a Vege∣tation; as allowance, but sense: onely the application and apportioning the me∣rits of Christ to the Soul by it, this is the rational, the very life of it. To exem∣plifie this Similitude yet further; The vegetative Soul is the Soul of Plants▪ and it is a true Soul in the kind, though it have neither sense nor reason. The sen∣sitive Soul is the Soul of beasts, a true Soul, includes Vegetation, but is void o•• Reason. The rational Soul is the Soul of Man, a distinct Soul by it self, com∣prehends both Vegetation and sense, having added to them both the perfection of Reason: So there are three kinds or degrees of Faith,* 1.2 1. To believe there is a God; this is the Faith of Pagans, and it is a true Faith, though it believ•• neither the Word of God, nor mercy from God. 2. To believe what God sayes is true; this is the Faith of Devils and Reprobates, and a true Faith, inclu¦ding the Faith of Pagans, and going beyond it, yet it apprehends no mercy 3. To believe on God, to rely upon his mercy in Christ, this is the Faith of the Elect, comprehends both the former, yet is a distinct Faith by it self.