Historical vs saving faith — bare theoretical assent vs practical applying faith
Common Reformed judgment: historical faith and saving/justifying faith must be sharply distinguished.
Historical: bare simple assent to God’s Word — from the Spirit, but stuck in theoretical intellect, not moving will or affections.
Saving: lights the mind and moves practice — will and affections; refers the Word to the believer’s use; specially applies God’s promises.
Historical faith only idly contemplates what it believes as if it did not touch him.
Latin
LXXXI. Porro ut de singulis istis quae a nobis hactenus exposita fuerunt, & circa quae Scholae Reformatae Doctores varie sentire & loqui videntur, mentem nostram aperiamus, ostendimus ex communi Reformatorum sententia, fidem historicam a fide salvifica & justificante accurate distinguendam esse, & inter utramque magnum esse discrimen. Nempe fidem historicam esse nudum & simplicem assensum praebitum Verbo Dei; profectum quidem a Spiritu Sancto, sed in solo intellectu theoretico inhaerentem, & qui voluntatem & affectus non moveat: Fidem vero salvificam non solum theoreticam mentem illuminare, sed practicam quoque afficere, ac voluntatem & affectus permovére; & quod inde consequens est, eandem salvificam fidem ea quae Verbum Dei docet ad credentis usum referre, & speciatim Dei promissiones credenti applicare: quod non praestat fides historica, siquidem illa quae credit otiose contemplatur, tanquam res ad se nihil attinentes.