A Treatise of Justification, Book 6 · Chapter 6
CAP. VI. Of the object of justifying faith.
§. I.
SO much of the subject: now wee come to the object of justifying …aith; where the question ought not to be made coneeming the object of faith at large, but of that object which is proper to faith, as it justifieth. For we doe freely confes…e, that the object of faith, is all and every truth revealed unto us by God: and that the word of God is objectum fidei adaquatum, the even object of …aith (that is, we are bound to beleeve whatsoever is contained in the word; but what is not contained in the word of God, we are not to beleeve it as a matter of …aith.) And that therefore by the …ame faith by which we are justified, we beleeve whatsoever is contained in the written word of God, whether expressely, or by necessary consequence. So that Bellarmine aDe justif. l. 1. c. 8. & 9.might have saved a great deale of labour idlely spent in proving that, which we confesse, that by faith we beleeve the creation bHeb. 1…3., and all other truths revealed in the word: yea, we professe him to have no true justifying faith, who denieth credit to any thing, which hee findeth revealed by God. Howbeit the Papi… extend this object, not onelyonly to the Cano…icall Scriptures, but also to those which we, according to all (almost) antiquitie… call Apocryphall: and not onelyonly to the written word, but also to their unwritten verities, as they call the traditions of the Church of Rome; that is, such doctrines and ordinances, as that Church doth teach and observe, having no ground nor warrant in the Scriptures. The which notwithstanding whiles they doe not onelyonly match, but also preferre them before the written word, doe evidently prove the Pope, who by their doctrine is above the Church, and the Church above the Scriptures, to bee Antichrist. But this is another controversie whereinto I may not now make an excu…sion. OnelyOnly I desire the Reader to take notice of this marke among others of the Catholike Aposta…ie of the Romane Church, which hath not onelyonly departed from the ancient doctrine and rule of faith, which is the Scriptures; but also have set up a new rule, the last resolution of their faith being into the infallible judgement, and irrefragable authority of the Bishop of Rome: and to this purpose let him consider these two testimonies of Saint B…sil, cBasil. Ascet. de fide. foreign.it is a manifest falling away from the faith, and conviction of pride, either to reject any of those things that are written, or to bring in any of those things that are not written.
The other dEthic. foreign 80. The proper object of justifying faith.: foreign. All that is without the Scripture inspired of God, being not of faith is sinne.
§. II. But howsoever by that faith, which justifieth, wee beleeve all and every truth revealed by God; yet the proper and formall Object of justifying faith, quat…nus justificat, and by beleeving whereof it doth justifie, is not every truth, but that onelyonly, which foreign is called the Truth, that is Christ with all his merits, Ioh. 14. 6. or the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ, or the Promises of the Gospell concerning justification and salvation by Christ, which often times in the Scripture is called the Truth, as Ioh. 1. 17. & 5. 33. & 8. 31, 32. and as some thinke, Ioh. 8. 44. and by Christ… owne Exposition, Ioh. 17. 17. so Ioh. 18. 37. Rom. 2. 8. …al. 3. 1. & 5. 7. Eph. 4. 21. 2 Thess. 2. 10, 12. 1 Tim. 2. 4. & 4. 3. 2 Tim. 2. 18. cum 1 Tim. 1. 19. 2 Tim. 3. 8. Heb. 10. 26, 1 Pet. 1. 22. 1 Ioh. 2. 21. 2 Iob. 1. 2. Sometimes, the word of Truth, or of the truth, Eph. 1. 13. 2 Tim. 2. 15. Iam. 1. 18. sometimes the truth of the Gospell, Gal. 2. 5. 14. or the word of the truth of the Gospell, Col. 1. 5. The … whereof is Christ crucified, 1 Cor. 1. 23. & 2. 2. For this cause justifying faith is called oftentimes the faith of Christ, because he is the proper Object thereof, as Rom. 3. 22, 26. Gal. 2. 16. 20. & 3. 22. Phil. 3. 9. and faith in Christ, as Act. 20. 21. & 24. 24. & 26. 18. Gal. 3. 26. Faith in the blood of Christ, Rom. 3. 25. that faith which is in Christ Iesus, 2 Ti…. 3. 15. sometimes the faith of the Gospell, Phil. 1. 27. and which is all one, the faith of the truth, 2 Thess. 2. 13. Thus therfore I reason:
That, to the beli…e whereof alone and not of other things, remission of sinnes, justification and salvation is promised, that, I say is the proper object of justifying faith.
But to the beliefe in Christ, or in the Doctrine and promises of the Gospell, concerning salvation by Christ, remission of sins, justification and salvation is promised, and not to the beliefe of other things:
Therefore that is the proper object of justifying faith.
That the Promise is made to beliefe in Christ, and in the Gospell, the Scriptures every wh…re …each, as Ioh. 3. 15, 16. 18. 36. & 8. 24. & 11. 25, 26. & …2. 46. & 20. 31. Act. 10. 43. & 13. 38, 39. & 16, 31. & 26. 18. Rom. 10. 9, 11. &c. But not to the beliefe of other things is the promise made, as of the Law, or of the story of the Bible, or of predictions, excepting those stories and prophe…ies which concerne Christ. For howsoever a man cannot have a justifying faith, who denieth credit to any of those other things which he findeth to be revealed by God; yet not by beleeving of them, but by beleeving in Christ, …hee is justified.
§. III. But here it may be objected, that the faith, whereby Abraham was justified, had no relation to the promise of salvation by Christ,Obj. concerning the object of Abrahams faith. but to the promises of God concerning his seed. Whereunto I answere, First, that Abraham and all the rest of the faithfull before Christ, beleeved in the promised seed, which was the Messias to come, and by that faith, as the Papists themselves confesse, were justifyed. Secondly, the promises, which concerned his seed, were either the same with the promise of the Gospell, or it was implyed in them. The maine promise was, that in Abraham, that is, in his seed, all Nations, that is, the faithfull in all Nations, should be blessed. For Abraham did not conceive, that in himselfe all Nations should be blessed, as if himselfe should be the foundation of Happinesse unto All, but in his seed. And so the Lord himselfe explaneth in Gen. 22. 18. and in thy seed, that is, in Christ, all the nations of the Earth shall be blessed. And so Zacharie Luk. 1. 68. 69, 73. and Peter, Act. 3. 25. This promise made to Abraham is the very same with the promise of the Gospell. For, as the Apostle saith, the Scripture foreseeing, that God would justifie the Heathen through faith, foreign preached, before, the Gospell to Abraham, saying, in thee (that is, in thy seed) shall all nations be blessed. Which promise, as it had beene formerly made to our first parents eGen. 3. 15.concerning the promised seed, so was it after renewed to Isaac, Gen. 26. 4. and to Iacob, Gen. 28. 14. and, in effect, to David fPsal. 72. 17., whose sonne according to the flesh Messias was to be: who is therefore called the sonne of David, and the branch of David. In this promised seed Abraham and all other the faithfull beleeved, and by beleeving in Him were justified.
§. IV. The other promises concerning his seed are two. The former,The two other promises. concerning the multiplication of his seed; that hee should bee Father of a multitude of Nations, namely in Christ; and that hee would be a God to him and his seed, hee doth not say to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ, Gal. 3. 16. that is Christ mysticall, 1 Cor. 12. 12. containing the multitude of the faithfull in all Nations, both Iewes and Gentiles. This promise therefore implyeth the former, that in Christ the promised seed Abraham himselfe and his seed, that is, the faithfull of all nations, should be blessed, and in confirmation of this promise he was called Abraham, because he was to be a Father of many nations, that is, of the faithfull of all nations, for none but they are accounted Abrahams seed, Rom. 9. 7, 8. Gal. 3. 7. 29. and for the same cause hee received the Sacrament of Circumcision,He beleeved in the Lord, and it was imputed unto him for righteousnesse, that is, because he beleeved in the Lord, he was reputed a righteous m…n, …nd so Vatablus i… Gen. 15. 6. Rom. 4. 10. as a seale of that righteousnesse which is by faith, Rom. 4. 11. And that in this promise of the multiplication of his seed, the promise of the Gospell was included, appeareth, because his faith in this promise was imputed to him for righteousnesse, not for the the approbation or justifying of that act; as it happened in the zealous act of Phineas, Psal. 106. 30. but for the justification of his person, which could not be justified, but by faith in Christ. Which the Papists themselves cannot denie. The chiefe thing which Abraham apprehended in the promise concerning his seed was, that although he were an hundred yeere old, and Sarah past child-bearing, yet he should have seed by her, and in that seed himselfe, and all the faithfull of all Nations should be blessed.
§. V. The latter is, that they should possesse the land of promise, byThe latter. which, as by a type, was signified the heavenly Canaan; under which, to all the faithfull was promised the Kingdome of heaven, which was the Countrey, which they, professing themselves Pilgrimes, did seeke, Heb. 11. 13, 14, 15, 16. and into which eternall rest Iesus was to bring them who bele…ve; even as Ioshua the type of Christ, who also is called gHeb. 4. 9.Iesus, brought the Israelites, after their peregrinations, into that land of rest. So that in the latter Promises concerning his seed, and the land of promise, the former was implyed concerning the promised seed and blessednesse by him, as the principall object of Abrahams faith, for which chiefly hee did so much affect and desire seed. Insomuch that when the Lord had promised him to bee his buckler and his exceeding great reward, Abraham replied, Lord God what wilt thou give mee seeing I goe childlesse. As Abraham therefore who rejoyced hIoh. 8. 56.to see our Saviour Christs day; and as he, and the rest of the faithfull having not received the promises concerning the promised seed; but having seene them a farre off, were perswaded of them, that is, beleeved them, and iHeb. 11. 13.embraced them, were justified by faith in Christ, the promised seed; so are we, and by nothing else.
And further, we are to note, that before those words recorded, Gen. 15. 6. Abraham had by faith embraced the maine promise of the Gospell, Gen. 12. 3. in thee, that is, in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed: and by that faith was justified, by which also he obeyed God, kHeb. 11. 8, 9, 14, 16.leaving his owne countrey, and, by the same faith, sojourning in the land of promise as a Pilgrime, sought a better countrey, that is, an heavenly. Therefore as S. Iames saith, when Abraham in his great triallIam. 2. 23. had approved himselfe to be a faithfull man; that then the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith▪ Abraham beleeved God, and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse: Not that then Abraham first beleeved, but that then by that notable fruit of faith, hee approved the truth of his faith, and manifested the truth of that oracle, which then by good proofe was verified of him: So, by the like reason, may that place, Gen. 15. 6. be understood, that Abraham beleeved in the Lord, and it was counted to him for righteousnesse. Not, that then Abraham, either first beleeved, or was then first justified, for hee had beleeved the grand promise of the Gospell before, and by it was justified; and before this time had brought forth excellent fruits of faith, Gen. Chap. 12, 13, 14. but that by this new act of beleeving the Promises renewed (which the Apostle amplifieth Rom. 4. 18.) the truth of his faith was manifested. And thus Bellarmine mDe justi…. l. 4. ca. 18. Possunt enim illa verba applicari adomne… insignes actus fidei ejusdem Patriarchae.himselfe expoundeth those words, Gen. 15. 6. affirming, that as S. Iames applieth them to that act, …en. 22. so they may be applied to all notable acts of the faith of Abraham.
Againe, justification or imputation of righteousnesse is actus contin…us, which is not to be restrained to the instant of our first conversion and justification, but continued to them that beleeve. And therefore, so long as they have faith, God imputeth righteousnesse unto them.
§. VI. But for the better clearing of this point, we are to take notice,Christ the proper object of faith in two respects. that Christ and his benefits, or the doctrine of salvation by Christ are the proper object of justifying faith, in two respects, both as it justifi…th befo…e God and as in the Court of our owne Conscience. Before God, when by a lively and effectuall assent or beleefe, as hath beene said wee receive and embrace Christ our Saviour with all his merits, or, which is all one, the promises of the Gospell concerning justification and salvation by him. Such was the faith of Saint Peter, Math. 16. 16. and of the rest of the Apostles, Ioh. 6. 69. Of Nathaniel, Ioh. 1. 49. Of Martha, Ioh. 11. 27. Of the Samaritanes, Ioh. 4. 42. Of the Eunuch Act. 8. 37. With which whosoever are endued, are borne of God, 1 Ioh. 5. 1. they dwell in God, and God in them. 1 Ioh. 4. 14. 15. they overcome the world, 1 Ioh. 5. 5. and unto them blessednesse, Mat. 16. 17. Ioh. 20. 29. justification, Rom. 10. 9. 10. and salvation is promised, Ioh. 20. 31. Act. 16. 31. In the Court of our owne Conscience it doth justifie, when wee finding, that wee have the former degree, which is the condition of the promise, doe soundly apply the promise to our selves. For hee who knoweth, that hee hath the condition; not onelyonly may, but must apply the promise of the Gospell to himselfe, otherwise he maketh God a lyar, 1 Ioh. 5. 10. This application, as hath been …aid is made by a practicall syllogisme, the proposition whereof or foreign is this: whosoever doth truely beleeve in Christ hee shall be saved: the assumption or foreign, but I, saith the faithfull man, do beleeve in Christ: the conclusion or foreign: therefore I shall be saved. This conclusion is the voice of speciall faith. Such was the fa…th of Iob chap. 19. 25. Of David, Psal. 103, 3. Of Thomas, Ioh. 20. 28. Of Saint Paul, Gal. 2. 20. and of all the faithfull in the Scriptures: who in many places have applyed, and, as it were, appropriated to themselves the mercies of God in Christ. And such is and ought to be the faith of all that truely beleeve. For the generall alwaies includeth the particular. If therefore thou doest truely beleeve, that Iesus is the Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him, thou art then bound to beleeve that he is thy Saviour. Of this point, I have treated elsewhere,nCovenant of grace. Bellarmines objections. De iustif. l 1… c. 8, &c. The first, that the obiect of faith is whatsoever is revealed by God. and have answered the objections, so many as I thought worth the answearing.
§. VII. Now I come to Bellarmines dispute concerning the object of faith, wherein hee endevoureth to prove and to maintaine three things: First, that the object of faith is not Gods speciall favour in Christ, but whatsoever God hath reve…led. Secondly, that men may be justified without speciall faith. Thirdly, that men are not justified by speciall faith. As touching the first, wee doe freely confesse, that by the justifying faith we doe beleeve, whatsoever wee understand to bee revealed by God. And further we professe, that by the virtue of justifying faith all articles of Christian Religion become, after a sort, the objects of speciall faith. For as he who hath the Philosophers stone is said by virtue thereof to turne other metals into Gold: so it may more truely be said of him who is indued with that faith, whereby we are justified before God, that he may and ought to make all the Articles of the catholike or dogmaticall faith, the precious objects of speciall faith by applying them to his owne good and comfort, which being a matter of singular use and comfort, I will a little insist upon it. Doest thou then beleeve by a true and a lively assent, as hath been said, that Iesus the Sonne of the Blessed Virgin is the erernall Sonne of God, and the Saviour of all those that truely beleeve in him? Thou art then bound to beleeve, that hee is thy Saviour. Doest thou beleeve that Christ is thy Saviour? then must thou beleeve that God the Father is thy graciousFather. Almighty. and mercifull Father in Christ: that he is all sufficient to bestow upon thee all good things; that hee is omnipotent to protect and defend thee from all evill riding upon the heavensnDeut. 33. 26. Eternall. for thy helpe; and so of the other attributes; that hee is eternall to Crowne thee with everlasting happinesse, that he is immutable in his love towards thee; thatImmutable. Omniscient. Omnipresent. True and faithfull. …ust. hee is omniscient and therefore knoweth thy wants; omnipresent, that thou maist powre thy requests into his bosome; true and faithfull to performe all his promises to thee; just, to forgive thee thy sinnes, when thou doest confesse them, and to justifie thee, seeing Christ hath satisfied his justice for thee; good gracious and mercifull unto thee; thatGood and Gracious. Loving. hee hath loved thee in Christ with an everlasting love, and in him hath adopted thee to bee his Sonne; and if a Sonne, then also an Heire of God, and coheire with Christ: that hee hath created thee for his owneCreatour and Provisour. glory, whereunto he hath subordinated thy salvation; that he watcheth over thee by his fatherly providence for thy good, causing all things, whether good or bad, to cooperate for thy good; that he will bestow upon thee all good things, as shall bee expedient for thee: that the corrections, which befall thee, are fatherly chastisements proceeding from his love; that out of veryoPsal. 119. 75. faithfulnesse he hath caused thee to be afflicted; that he tryeth and proveth thee to do thee goodpDeut. 8. 16. in the end that Christ our Saviour in whom thou doest beleeve, is both God andChrist, God and Man. man: Man, that hee might both obey and suffer for thee: God, that his obedience and sufferings might bee most perfectly and allsufficiently satisfactory and meritorious for thee that he was conceived and sanctifiedConceived of the holy Ghost borne, &c. Suffered. Was crucified. by the holy Ghost, that he might sanctifie thee, that he was incarnate … redeeme thee, that he suffered for thee that thou mightest bee freed from all punishment properly so called; that he was crucified for thee, that hee might deliver thee from the Curse, that hee dyed for thyDead. Buried. Descended to hell. Rose againe. Ascended. Sitteth at Gods right hand. sinnes, and was buried that thy sinnes might be buried in oblivion, that he descended into hel to overcome death and the gates of hell for thee; that he arose againe for thy justification, that he ascended into heaven to prepare an eternall mansion …or thee, that he sitteth at the right hand of his Pather, both as a Priest to make in…ercession for thee, and as a King to su…due all the enemies of thy salvation, and by his power through faith to keepe thee safe unto eternall life, that he will comeHe shall come againe to judgment. againe unto judgement for thy full redemption, to marry thee unto himselfe, and put thee into the possession of that Kingdome which hee hath purchased for thee. Thou art also to beleeve in the Holy Ghost, as thy Comforter and Sanctifier: thou art to beleeve that of the VniverfallThe Holy Ghost. The holy Ca. tholike Church Communion of Saints. Forgivenesse of sinnes. The Resurrection. Life Eternall. Whether every man bee bound to beleeve that hee is elected, &c. Church, which is the company of all the Elect; thou art a member elected of God in Christ, that thou hast a share in the Communion of Saints, that by Christ thou hast remission of sinnes, that as when thou diest, thou diest in the Lord, so in him thou shalt arise againe to glory, and be made partaker of Eternall life.
§. VIII. Whereas therfore this question is usually made, whether every man be bound to beleeve that he is elected, that he hath remissiō of sins, and that he shall be saved, and so all the particulars before mentioned, that God the Father is his Father, &c. I answere, that not every man is bound so to beleeve, for then the greater part of men should bee bound to beleeve untruthes. But this I say, that every man is bound upon paine of damnation to beleeve in Christ according to the first degree of faith (for he that beleeveth not shall be condemned) that is,Ioh 3. 18. by a true and lively beliefe or assent to beleeve, that Iesus is the Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him; and having this faith, thou art bound to beleeve, that he is thy Saviour, that hee died for thy sinnes, and rose againe for thy justification, &c. that in Christ thou art elected, that by him thou hast remission of sinnes, and that through him thou shalt be saved. But untill thou hast that faith (which is the condition of the promise) thou maiest not apply, and by application beleeve any of these things, unlesse thou wilt beguile thy selfe. And thus much may suffice for the first point.
§. IX. For the second: where Bellarmine proveth that a man mayWhether a man may be justified without speciall faith. be justified without speciall faith; it is true in respect of our justification before God. But they which hold that wee cannot be justified without speciall faith, speake of justification in the Court of Conscience; which none can attaine unto, unlesse first they apply the promises of the Gospell to themselves. Which to doe, the Papists hold to be carnall presumption. Thou maist professe thy selfe to beleeve that Christ is the Saviour of the world; but if thou bee a Papist, thou maist not beleeve that hee is thy Saviour, that is to say, that thou shalt be saved by him. Thou maist say, he is thy Saviour, as the Papists held him to be Saviour of all, as well of those that shall perish, as of them that shall be saved: but if thou shalt not be saved by him, then is hee not indeed and in truth thy Saviour. Thou maist have a kinde of hope, that thou shalt be saved, but thou mayst not beleeve it. But that hope will prove a slope, which is not grounded upon faith. Faith being the foundation of hope, and the substance of things hoped for. Neither canst thou truely hope for the performance of a promise to thee, unlesse first by faith thou art perswaded, that it doth belong to thee. Thou maist, nay thou must be perswaded that it belongeth to thee, if thou hast the condition of the promise, which is to beleeve in Christ: for in respect of them that have that condition, the promises of the Gospell are universally to be understood, and as excluding none that beleeve. Doft thou therefore truely beleeve in Christ, by a true and a lively assent receiving and embracing him as the Saviour? Then maist thou apply the promises of the Gospell to thy selfe, and by application attaine to some assurance of thy justification and salvation. Yea but, saith the Papist, a man cannot be assured by the certainety of faith that he shall be saved, for many who have thought themselves sure, have beene deceived. But fidei falsum subesse non potest. I answere, that as there is a knowledge of principles in themselves manifest, and of conclusions, which are made manifest by discourse, though not absolutely true as principles, but with presupposall of the premisses, they are so true, that it is impossible the conclusion should bee false, where the premisses are true: so there is a faith of principles contained in Gods Word, which is the dogmaticall or catholike faith, which are absolutely true; and there is a faith of conclusions, by necessary consequence deducted from those principles, by application of the generall to the particular: which though they be not absolutely true▪ yet they are necessarily true; neither can they possibly be false, the premisses being true, and of such conclusions is the speciall faith. And so much of the second.
§. X. Now for the third, where Bellarmine disputeth, that we are notWhether a man is justified by speciall faith. justified by speciall faith, it is true in respect of justification before God: but it is false in respect of justification in the Court of Conscience, without which no man can boldly say that he is justified before God. Of which justification in the Court of …onscience, they must bee understood to speake, who unto justification …equire speciall faith▪ by which they are not properly justified and before God▪ but assured thereof in their owne Conscience. And no doubt but this is a thing most worthy to be urged and beat upon: as being that thing which above all other things in this world is to be desired and laboured for according to the …xhortation of the Apostle Peter r2 Pet. 1. 10.Give diligence to make your calling and election sure▪ But this speciall faith the Papists above all things derid… and detes… ▪ …thereby discovering themselves to bee▪ as I have elsewhere shewed, voide of all truth and power of Religion. It being, as I have said and proved, a thing most profitable, most comfortable, most necessary: without which no Christian can have any true p…ce or sound comfor…, or oug… to have contentment in his present estate, untill …e have …tained unto it in some measure. And when hee … attained to some measure, he must endevour more and mo…e to increase it. But hereof I have treated in another placesCovenant of Grace., wher…unto I referre the Christian Reader.