Dalhseide, Gill would not have had trouble subscribing to the Canons of Dort. In fact, in his "Cause of God and Truth," he actually defends certain arguments that John Davenant had made in another book. Davenant was a low calvinist who served as one of the delegates to the Synod of Dort. Gill had nothing to argue against the rulings of the synod. Moreover, the concept of duty-faith was defined after Gill's death, and Gill never really had a chance to clarify his semantics in what he meant by denying that any man must believe "to the saving of his soul." It seems to me that Gill was denying that faith effects regeneration, which was one of the predominant tenets of Wesley and other Arminians of his day. Gill simply attempts to drive away the notion that God commands man to save himself through believing in Jesus; which is essentially what Arminianism teaches. There is no corporeal difference between saving faith and mental faith, other than one is accompanied by a true love for Christ, and good works, while the other is conceited. Gill did teach that all men must have a true love for Christ, but that this love should not be directed at the benefits that they may draw from the cross. (This is exactly what Jonathan Edwards proves in his "Treatise on Religious Affections"). Edwards was actually a contemporary of Gill, and in fact thought highly of Gill. Gill defined those different kinds of faith and repentance because the Scriptures speak of various kinds of faith. See John 2:23, where the believing "in his name" clearly suggests (within the context) that those people did believe or made mental assent to Christ, but did not have saving faith. Later, in John 3:15-16, however John speaks of people "believing in Him," which itself refers to saving faith, again based on the context. Finally in John 3:18, you see again "have not believed in the name of God's one and only son...", which ultimately refers to denying that Christ is the messiah, and thus refers to a mental assent, apart from personal trust. Those men who persistently resist God's common grace so as to deny (all their life) that Jesus is the Christ (messiah), and God's Son, are condemned already, because they make God to be a liar. They have committed the sin against the Holy Spirit. James also speaks of a faith that is "dead", and consequently not saving.

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Jean-David Jutras
URCNA
Alberta