Aphorism.
I Take Love to be some degree of justifying * 1.1 Faith, and not properly a fruit of it.
Animadvers.
I think it is properly a fruit of justifying Faith. We love him, because he loved us first, 1 John 4. 19. His love apprehended by us, which is by Faith, doth work in us love towards him again. For otherwise, though God love us never so much, yet if we do not apprehend it, we shall not therefore love him. B. Dave∣nant de Just. act. c. 30. p. 387. reckons amare Deum, inter effecta à side Justificante necessario manantia.
Reply.
To your Argument I answer:
1. The Text may argue, not à ratione objectivâ; but à ratione efficiente; q. d. Because he first loved us, therefore hath he prevented us by his Grace, and given us hearts to love him again.
2. If you were sure it argued à ratione objectivà, yet you endeavour to prove no more, but that the assenting act of Faith goes before love; which I af∣firm as much as you, while I say, it goes before Con∣sent, Acceptance, Election.
3. Your Argument, as you urge it, tends to prove that Love, even in time follows Faith: Yet you never yet denied that Acceptance and Election is a justifying act: And can you think, that Ac∣ceptatio