Rivetus and Baron: past-remission persuasio is faith’s fruit, not its justifying instrument
Rivetus (and Baron’s stronger wording): faith defined as sure fiducia that remission is granted not only in general but to me in particular — even called saving faith’s chief specific act.
Yet their mind is not that past-tense persuasion (“sins have been remitted”) is the act by which we are justified.
They describe faith that way because such persuasion is a property true faith is apt to produce, and belongs to its perfection.
It is a real act of justifying faith (vs dead/historical), precious for peace and piety — but it follows justification; it is not the instrument.
Latin
LXVII. Ex quibus patet Theologos illos, quum fidem definiunt per certam fiduciam, qua unusquisque fidelis firmiter statuit, non solum in genere promissam esse credentibus remissionem peccatorum, sed sibi in particulari concessam; ut facit Andreas Rivetus: aut etiam dicunt talem fiduciam esse verum & proprie dictum fidei salvificae actum; imo esse praecipuum & specificum ejus actum, quae sunt Roberti Baronii verba: mentem tamen eorum non esse persuasionem istam quod peccata nobis remissa sint, esse illum fidei actum quo justificamur: sed illos fidem ita describere, quia talis persuasio est quaedam verae fidei proprietas, quam apta nata est ex se producere, & quae pertinet ad ejus perfectionem. Et quoniam haec persuasio est revera quidam actus fidei justificantis, quo a fide mortua & historica distinguitur, & qui maximi momenti est ad fidelium pacem atque tranquillitatem, & pietatem in eis fovendam; licet justificationem sequatur, non praecedat, nec sit justificationis instrumentum, sed consequens quoddam.