The Remains of John Corbet, Section 22
§ 22. Of our Certainty of being in the State of Grace.
IT may laſtly be inquired, What Certainty one may have of his being in the ſtate of grace? As for the Certainty of Salvation, that is a different inquiry, and depends on another queſtion, touching the Certainty of perſeverance in a juſtified ſtate, which is not here to be medled with; and we inquire not whether one may be certain of his being in the ſtate of Grace by ſpecial revelation, but in an ordinary way.
That any one ordinarily ſhould have certain knowledg of his being in the ſtate of Grace, ſuppoſeth his certain knowledg of theſe two things. 1. That God hath declared in his word that they which have ſuch and ſuch qualifications, are in the ſtate of Grace. 2. That he himſelf is ſo qualified; For it is the concluſion of theſe two premiſes, the one whereof is the object of divine faith, and the other of a clear and right ſelf-knowledg. The Certainty of the former, viz. That God hath declared perſons ſo qualified to be in the ſtate of Grace, none deny, that acknowledg the Certainty of Chriſts Goſpel. The Certainty of the latter is the matter of debate, whether it be poſſible, and whether it ought to be had.
It is not inquired, Whether the Certainty of the latter, viz. Whether the perſon himſelf be ſo qualified, be a Certainty of divine faith: For the object of ſuch Certainty is only what God hath revealed, that this or that man hath faith and repentance, but this is only a point of ſelf-knowledg.
Here interpoſe we ſomething of the doctrine of Proteſtants and Papiſts about the Certainty of this matter.
The Proteſtants in aſſerting, that the Certainty of being in the ſtate of Grace, is a Certainty of divine faith, do mean no more, but that one of the propoſitions, viz. Whoſoever unfeignedly believes, is juſtified, reſts ſolely on the Word of God; and the other, viz. I unfeignedly believe, is known by internal ſence, and experience. But whether the concluſion, Therefore I am juſtified, or in the ſtate of Grace, be rightly called a concluſion of divine faith, I leave to others to judg, not caring to ſtrive about words, when the thing it ſelf is agreed upon: And doubtleſs no ſober Proteſtant will aſſert that the Certainty which we have of this concluſion, is a Certainty of the ſame reaſon, with that which we have of an article of faith, either ſo firmneſs or neceſſity.
The Papiſts in denying the Certainty of Juſtification to be a Certainty of Divine Faith, do not deny all Certainty thereof; but mean that it is not of the ſame reaſon with the Certainty which we have of an Article of Faith: Becauſe, tho one of the premiſes on which it is founded, be an Article of Faith, yet the other is known but by internal ſence, and the teſtimony of conſcience.
As to the later of the premiſes, which is known but by internal ſence and experience, conſider we whether a man may and ought to have a Certainty therein, and of what ſort it is. On the one hand, doubtleſs it is not ſuch a Certainty as expels all fear of carefulneſs: On the other hand, it is doubtleſs ſuch a Certainty at leaſt, as expels anxiety, and is ſufficient to ſettle the peace of conſcience: And I think in this both Papiſts and Proteſtants do agree.
There is a Certainty that expels all apprehenſion that the contrary may be true, whereof this is an inſtance, That there were ſuch perſons as Alexander the Great, and Julius Ceſar: and this hath gained the name of moral Certainty, tho I think it may be called natural, as grounded on naturally certain evidence: And that a man may have ſuch a Certainty of his unfeigned faith, is held by Proteſtants in general, and ſome Papiſts.
Nevertheleſs the Papiſts in general grant not this kind, but only a lower kind of Certainty hereof, which they call conjectural: yet they tell us, that it is certainty truly ſo called, that it expels fluctuation and ſuſpence, and brings peace, and joy, and ſecurity; and withal they ſay, that the Juſt believe indeed, that they are not herein deceived, but not that they cannot be deceived: But how this lower kind can be certainty properly ſo called, I ſee not; For an apprehenſion that the thing is otherwiſe than I think, excludes all Certainty properly or ſtrictly ſo called.
The above ſaid moral Certainty of juſtification, or being in the ſtate of Grace, is not attained by all juſtified perſons; and where it is attained, it is not ordinarily continued without interruption, nor ordinarily in the ſame degree, becauſe juſtified perſons, even the beſt of them, do not continue without interruption in the ſame degree of faith and holineſs, on the internal ſenſe whereof this Certainty depends.