6014. SOME THINGS RELATING TO THE PROGRESSIONS OF FAITH.* (1) There must be, first, information from preaching, reading, and the Word - hence the science, or knowledge, of the things to be believed. (2) Inquiry from the Word and from preaching; at last, confirmation from the Word, that is, the intelligence of these things. (3) That there must not be doubting; and that, if there is doubt, it is some temptation, after which, if man conquer, faith becomes confidence and he conquers by the understanding being led captive under faith. (4) Finally, that there arises the effort to do good; but nothing thereof is from man, and it is as an influx. (5) When in that state, he is justified, and nothing condemns him; and then is appropriated to him the Lord's merit, and then the Lord reconciles him to the Father. (6) Especially is saving Faith a confidence that God had sent His Son from which faith, all the residue of faith flows forth. * It will not take the reader long to discover that what we have here, is a recital of the salient features of the doctrine of Faith alone as held by Protestants; especially if he compare what is here said with the contents of paragraph "III - On Justification by Faith and on Good Works," in the "Compendium of the Doctrines of the Reformed Church and Religion," which is prefixed to the work entitled, The Apocalypse Revealed. --Tr.