Assent belongs to faith’s essence — Ames departs from common Reformed doctrine
Some (Ames) doubt whether assent is faith’s formal essential act — calling assent an act of faith but locating faith itself in certain will-acts.
Le Blanc: Ames leaves common Reformed (and all Christian schools’) doctrine that assent belongs to faith’s essence.
To believe the Gospel as one ought is nothing but due assent — and Paul names believing God raised Jesus as a saving-faith act.
Latin
XCIV. De ipso assensu dubitant nonnulli an sit actus fidei formalis & essentialis: ut observavimus supra de Amesio, qui docet assensum esse actum fidei, non proprie ipsam fidem; quam constituit potius in quibusdam voluntatis actibus a nobis ante recensitis. Sed Amesius in eo deserit communem doctrinam Scholae Reformatae, quae statuit cum reliquis omnibus Scholis Christianis, assensum ad fidei essentiam pertinere. Et certe quis cum aliqua ratione negare possit credere Evangelio sicut oportet, esse fidei actum? At credere sicut oportet Evangelio, quid est aliud quam ei debito modo assentire? Et nonne Paulus ipse expresse ponit ut actum fidei salvificae, credere quod Deus Jesum suscitavit a mortuis?