Gods Effectual Calling, Treatise · Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX. Of the improper ſignifications of Faith.
IT followeth that we ſpeake of the improper ſignifications of faith. For this word, faith, is Diuerſe acceptions of faith.ambiguous, and ſignifieth many things. Properly 1it ſignifieth this faith which they call iuſtifying: for that is properly and ſimply termed by this name. Secondly, it ſignifieth that faith which 2they call hiſtoricall, or dead; which is nothing els, but as it were the carcaſe of iuſtifying faith: for it lacks the ſoule, that is, the full aſſurance of the mind, and the confidence of the heart in the ſpeciall aſſent of the minde, and in the truſt and apprehenſion of the heart.
Thirdly, it ſignifieth faith which they call temporary, 3which is as a certaine Ape of iuſtifying faith, Fourthly, & 4laſt of al, that faith, which they terme miraculous.
Theſe three laſt ſignifications of faith are improper, and the name of faith is but by an Homonymie or improperly put vponupon them, to ſignifie theſe things. For not any of theſe may be called by the name of faith, vnleſſe you ſay in ſome reſpect, in part, and after a ſort, and with an addition: for example; the knowledge of hiſtory is termed faith, but with this addition, hiſtoricall or dead; and ſo of the reſt. Now a generall notion of this word faith is that which is Heb. 11. 1. And that is a knowledge in general, with aſſent and agreement to all thoſe things which are comprehended in the word of God, and that whether generall or particular. I meane by a particular worde, when any thing is reuealed to any one peculiarly out of order, by which kinde of reuelation it came to paſſe that miracles were done by ſome. We muſt ſpeake therefore in the firſt place concerning hiſtoricall or dead faith: and firſt for the teſtimonies of ſcripture touching it. Iam. 2. 15 Faith if it hauehave no works, is dead of it ſelfe. 1. Cor. 12. 9. Unto other, faith by the ſame spirit. The coherence of the text Hiſtoricall or dead ſaith.and compariſon made with other gifts of the holy Ghoſt, which in that place are numbred, doe ſhew ſufficiently that the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of hiſtorical faith. Hitherto belongeth that place which is 1. Cor. 13. 2. If I had all faith, ſo that I could remoue mountaines. Here he doth not only meane the faith of miracles, but alſo the hiſtoricall: for he ſayth all faith; and after he ſets downe one kinde, as if he had ſaide by name, miraculous faith to remoue moūtaines. The reaſon of the name is this: It is termed hiſtoricall, becauſe it is only a bare knowledge of the holy hiſtory, concerning God, Chriſt, the will of God, and his works, and not an holy apprehenſion of the things knowne. And why it is called dead, Iames rendreth a reaſon in the place before cited, namely, becauſe it hath no Dead faith.works: the reaſon is from the conſequent or ſigne. For want of works or actions, argueth and ſheweth that faith is as it were dead, and without life, and if I may ſo ſpeake the carcaſe of faith: euen as if there be no motions nor actions in a man neither inward nor outward, thereby it is declared, that the man is dead, and the bodie without life, or but the dead carcaſe of a man.
Our aduerſaries, that I may ſpeake of this by the way, when they heare out of Iam. 2. 16. that ſaith is therefore The papiſts touching faith.called dead, becauſe it hath no works, by & by conclude, that charitie, and the works of charitie, is the ſoule of faith: but this followeth not, that charitie, and the works of charity are the ſoule of faith: but this followeth, that charitie, and the works of charitie are the ſignes and tokens of the ſoule, that is by name, of that apprehenſion of Chriſt which is in the heart: for this is indeede the ſoule and forme of faith. I will declare this thing by a like example. A man, if he hauehave no workes, no actions, neither inward nor outward, that indeed argueth, that there is not a ſoule or forme in him, out of which actions doe proceed: but it doth not argue that works or actions are the ſoule and forme of man.
But they thinke that the words of Iames, chap. 2. 26. do make for their opinion. For out of that that Iames ſaith, As the bodie without the Spirit or breath is dead, ſo alſo faith which is without works is dead: thus they infer: Therfore as the Spirit is the forme of the bodie, ſo are workes the forme of faith. But this conſequent is not of force. For the compariſon and ſimilitude is not in that, but in this, that euen as the bodie without the ſoule or breath is dead, ſo faith without works is dead: The bodie without the ſpirit, as her ſoule and forme, is dead: faith without workes, as the ſignes and tokens of the ſoule, is dead. Euen as therefore the want of the Spirit or the ſoule, doth argue the death of the bodie: ſo the want of the ſigne & token of the ſoule of faith doth argue the death of faith: It is therfore a compariſon of the ſpirit and works in the like effect, and not in the like nature: For both hauehave the like effect, which is death; but both the things are not of the ſame nature. Hitherto of the reaſon of the name. The obiect of hiſtoricall faith, is all the holy ſtorie, that is, the whole truth which is according to godlineſſe, and the word of both couenants: wherein this faith differs from iuſtifying faith, which hath the word of the Goſpel, or of the couenant of grace for the obiect thereof.
The ſubiect of this faith is the mind, which knoweth and iudgeth: but the iudgment of the mind, doth onelyonly Subiect of an hiſtoricall faith.reach to the truth of the hiſtorie, as I thinke, and not to the goodnes of the things themſelues, which are contained in the ſtorie. For although an hypocrit do profeſſe that al thoſe things, of which the Goſpel ſpeaks, are true; yet he doth not aſſent to thē in his mind, as good things: Note well.which is the firſt ſtep of practiſe or action. For after the iudgement of the goodnes of a thing, followeth the apprehenſion thereof, which belongs to the will; out of which after proeede the motions of the affections, and out of them laſt of all do iſſue the outward actions of the bodie. Therefore this dead faith, doth not ſincerely at the leaſt aſſent to thoſe things which are in the word as good things, but rather doth indeed reiect them, and count them as euill. So the diuell, who hath this faith, is ſaid to tremble, Iam. 2. 19. Out of which it is manifeſt, that the diuell doth reiect Chriſt and all his good things. For this horrour ariſeth out of reiecting and hating of the thing. Therefore in one word, this hiſtoricall faith pertaines only to the mind, and hath that for the ſubiect of it.
It followeth, that we ſpeake of the nature thereof. By theſe things which hauehave beene ſpoken of the ſubiect, it The nature of an hiſtoricall faith.may eaſily be learned what is the nature of it. For it is wholy compriſed but onelyonly in the generall knowledge of the mind, and iudgment of truth: it hath therefore one or two degrees of iuſtifying faith. Out of all theſe things which we hauehave ſpoken of an hiſtoricall faith, it is eaſie to gather the definition thereof. For hiſtoricall faith is a knowledge in the mind of the whole truth both of the Hiſtoricall faith defined.law, and of the Goſpell, and the iudgement of the mind made thereupon, as farre as concernes the truth thereof. And thus farre concerning hiſtoricall or dead faith.
Next followeth a temporarie. Of this faith yee hauehave theſe texts. Matth. 13. 20. 21. But he that receiued the ſeede 3. Faith a temporary faith.in ſtonie ground, is he who heareth the word, and by and by receiues it with ioy, yet hath no roote in himſelfe, but is for a time, and when perſecution and trouble ariſeth becauſe of the word, is offended preſentlie. To the ſame purpoſe reade I. uk. 8. 13. Of this faith ſee alſo Heb. 6. 4. 5. For it cannot be, that they which hauehave beene once inlightened, and taſted of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come, if they fall awaie, &c. To conclude, of this faith ye hauehave Ioh. 5. 35. He (namely Iohn) was a burning and a ſhining candle: and ye would for a time hauehave reioiced in his light. The reaſon of the name is this: it is called Temporarie, becauſe it endures but for a time: and it endureth but for a time, becauſe it hath no roote.
It hath the ſame obiect with iuſtifying faith, & which is properly ſo called, namely, Ieſus Chriſt with his benefits, offered in the word of the Goſpell and in the Sacraments; wherein it differs from hiſtoricall faith, which hath for the obiect thereof the vniuerſall truth. It hath The ſubiect of a temporary faith.the ſame ſubiect with iuſtifying faith: for it hath it ſcat both in the mind, and alſo in the will and heart.
Laſt of all, it hath as many parts of nature as the iuſtifying faith hath. For it is a knowledge of the vnderſtanding, conioyned with both the iudgements of the mind, & it is the apprehenſion of the wil or heart: whereout follweth alſo the ſtirring of the affections, as of ioy, delight, &c.
But that I may ſpeake a little more largely of this apprehenſion, which is in Temporarie faith, and of this ioy. Firſt, it is certaine by the ſcripture, that theſe things are in the Temporarie faith. For Chriſt ſaith in Matth. That hee which is but for a time, doth receiue the word, and that with ioy. And in Ioh. The Iewes are ſaid to hauehave reioiced for a time in the light of Iohn Baptiſt: And to the Hebr. How the hiſtoricall and temporary ſaith differ one fro another, and both from the iuſtifying.there is attributed to this faith, not onelyonly the enlightening of the mind, but alſo the taſte of the heart, and that performed not onelyonly by the word, but alſo by the Spirit: for he ſaith; They which hauehave beene made partakers of the holy Ghoſt. Therefore in Temporarie faith there is indeede a kind of apprehenſion, there is indeede a certaine ioy, wherein Temperarie faith differeth from hiſtoricall faith. For in hiſtoricall faith theſe things are not indeed, but he that hath it, doth faine, and diſſemble and lie, in his outward profeſſion that he hath theſe things: wherfore he is a ſhameleſſe hypocrite. But hee that hath temporarie faith, hath theſe things indeede, apprehenſion (I ſay) and ioy, after a certaine manner: neither doth he ſo faine or ſie, as he that hath an hiſtorical faith: yet he is an hypocrit, becauſe this apprehenſion and this ioy, are not ſincere, albeit after a certaine manner they be true.
I ſay, they are not ſincere, becauſe they are not for that cauſe for which they ſhould be, that is, they are not for Chriſt himſelfe, offered in the preaching of the Goſpell; they are not for Gods ſake, they are not for his glory, nor for thoſe heauenly benefits of Chriſt, his righteouſnes and eternall life: but they are for other cauſes, as for the newneſſe of the Gospell, which is to bee vnderſtood in that place, Ioh. 5. 35. He was a burning & a ſhining candle, and ye would hauehave reioiced for a time in his light, namely, for the newneſſe of the matter: Secondly, they be, becauſe of a licentiouſneſſe to ſinne, which men by and by ſnatch to themſelues, vponupon the hearing of free iuſtification by Chriſt, and Chriſtian liberty: To conclude, they are for riches, honours and other commodities of this life. Now ſeeing the Temporizing profeſſor hath theſe cauſes propounded to himſelfe in hearing and receiuing the word, and in reioycing, it muſt needes be that theſe are not ſincere in him. For nothing is done ſincerely, vnleſſe it bee Synceritie.done in reſpect of the glorie of God. And herein differs Temporarie Faith, from iuſtifying: For the iuſtifying Faith doth all things for Chriſt himſelfe, for God himſelfe, for the heauenly and ſpirituall benefits of Chriſt, as much as it can for mans infirmity.
Out of this therfore it followes, that the Temporizer is alſo an hypocrit, ſeeing he is not ſincere, and that the Temporizer is an hypocrit.temporary faith is hypocriticall, ſeeing it is not ſincere. Out of that againe, that it is not ſincere, another thing followeth, namely, that it is not ſound & firme: for nothing that is not ſincere, can be ſound. For thoſe cauſes vponupon which it depends, are not ſound: as for example, thoſe worldly things, as riches, honours of the world, &c. In which thing temporary Faith differeth from iuſtifying Faith: for iuſtifying Faith, as it is ſincere, ſo it is ſound. For of that it is ſaid Col. 2. 5. And the ſtedfaſtneſſe of your The difference betwene a temporary faith, and true iuſtifying faith.faith in Chriſt. For iuſtifying Faith is, as it were, a ſolide body, conſiſting of three dimenſions, length, bredth, depth: for it poſſeſſeth the depth, and loweſt of the heart: but temporary Faith is not a body with three dimenſions, but only a ſurface, ſticking in the vpper part of the heart: for it is not either a ſound light, enlightening all the heart, or a ſound apprehenſion, ariſing from the bottome of the heart; or to conclude, a ſound ioy poſſeſſing the whole body: but all theſe things are only ſuperficiall in the temporary Faith. Whereupon Heb. 6. that apprehenſion of heauenly things which is therein, is compared to taſting, or ſleight touching, ſeeing that the heart doth but as it were with the tip of the tongue lightly taſt thoſe heauenly things, and not quite drinke them vp, and receiue them into it ſelfe.
Againe, out of this, that temporarie Faith is not ſound, another thing alſo followeth, namely, that it doth not endure for euer, but onelyonly for a time. For that which is not ſound, is not durable and perpetuall; but only temporary. Wherein alſo it differeth from iuſtifying faith, which as it is ſound, ſo it is perpetuall and conſtant. From this property this faith tooke her name, and was called temporary: now this property doth preſuppoſe the two other going before; namely, firſt that it is not ſounde: ſecondly, that it is not ſincere, albeit it bee in ſome ſort true.
While I conſider ſomewhat more diligently of the cauſe of theſe three properties, I found that it is not to be imputed ſo much to thoſe outward things for which this faith doth apprehend Chriſt in the word, and reioiceth in him, as to the inward euill affection of the heart. For the heart of man, as Chriſt ſayth, is ſtony ground, that is, it is neither good nor honeſt of it owne nature. Now we meaſure this goodneſſe and honeſty, chiefly by ſimplicity and ſincerity, which is oppoſed to hypocriſie and diſſembling. Therefore a deepe hypocriſie, which is contrary to ſincerity poſſeſſeth the heart of this man. Now the heart ſo affected, doth beleeue, apprehend and reioice, not ſincerely for a true cauſe, for which it ought to do theſe things, but for other worldly cauſes. It followeth therefore, that the cauſe of theſe euils doth lurke in the heart. Wherefore, if any man will not be a temporizer, A good admonition for a temporizer.let him aboue all things looke to his heart, and ſift and examine it diligently night and day, ſo long till hee feele that the faith of Chriſt takes roote in the bottome of his heart, and doth throughout poſſeſſe the whole heart, as much as may be.
Out of theſe things which we hauehave ſpoken, touching the properties of this faith and of the cauſe of them, a marke may be taken, whereby any one may diſcerne true & iuſtifying faith from temporary. And that is, in a word, ſincerity in doing, in beleeuing, in apprehēding, in reioicing, Synceritie.& in doing all things throughout the whole courſe of the life. Now ſincerity is knowne by this, if all things be done and performed by vsus for God and for Chriſt, whether thoſe things be of ſmall or great moment. Whether ye eate or drinke, or whatſoeuer ye doe; doe all to the glory of God, 1. Cor. 10. 31. By theſe things which hauehave beene ſpoken, it is eaſie to gather a definition of this faith. For Tempor. F. defined.temporary faith is a knowledge in the minde, and an apprehenſion in the will, of Chriſt with all his benefits; but yet tēporary, or enduring but for a time. And thus much of temporary faith.
The miraculous faith followeth, which is the third vnproper ſignification of the word of faith. Touching this faith theſe are teſtimonies. Matth. 17. Yf ye hauehave faith as a graine of muſtard ſeed. 1. Cor. 13. If I had all faith, ſo that I could remoue mountaines. The reaſon of the name is this: 4. Miraculous faith.It is termed miraculous from the effect of it, becauſe it is powerfull to doe miracles.
The obiect thereof is not the bare generall word of God, but rather a ſpecial promiſe or reuelation made to ſome one, touching the doing of ſome certaine miracle. Now that the bare generall word ſufficeth not, it appeareth hereby, for becauſe many holy men hauehave had faith in the generall word, yea they hauehave iuſtifying faith in the promiſe of grace; and yet could doe no miracles. Simon Magus beleeued by an hiſtoricall faith in the generall word, and yet he could do no miracles: therefore hee would hauehave bought this facultie with money for a price. Act. 8. 31. Vnleſſe therefore vntounto the generall word, there be added a ſpeciall promiſe or reuelation, it is no miraculous faith; which is a certaine ſpeciall and extraordinarie gift of the Spirit. Wherein the Aduerſaries do erre verie much, who thinke that the generall word ſufficeth for this, to make a miraculous faith. The ſubiect of it The ſubiect of a miraculous faithis the mind, firſt vnderſtanding, and withall iudging the ſpeciall promiſe: and then the will or the heart apprehending that which is promiſed.
The parts of the nature thereof are; a knowledge with a iudgement of the mind, and an apprehenſion with the will and heart. Out of theſe things now ſpoken, I gather this definition of this Faith: that Miraculous faith is a Miraculous faith defined.knowledge in the mind, and an apprehenſion with the will of a speciall promiſe or reuelation, for the doing of a miracle. Thus farre of miraculous Faith; and in ſumme, of the true doctrine of faith.