Of Free Justification by Christ, Book 1 · Part 7
What the power and efficacy of Faith is; whom it justifies, and how.
IN which matter there is great variety of Sentiments and Opinions amongst Divines. For, whereas Paul proclaims with a very audible Voice, That Man is justified by Faith without the Works of the Law: Rom. 3.Those Men by the additions of their Comments, do not explain the most evident meaning of the Apostle, but render it obscure; they do not expound, but cavil: So that some take the word Faith, not as Paul, for that Faith only which is in Christ Iesus, but which is formed by Charity and Works. Others interpret that, which Paul The various Interpretation of the Papists concerning Iustifying Faith.saith of Faith without Works, to be understood concerning Ceremonial Works. Some interpret it of the Works of the Law in this sense, that those works are undertaken not by Faith, but by the command of the Law without Grace. Others expound it otherwise; without antecedent works only: Some think it should be understood of the first Iustification only, which they attribute to Faith alone, as in little Children that Roffen. contra lut. Articul. 31.are Baptized, but the second in men come to years, they attribute to Faith indeed, but not without Works.
The scope of all which dispute is, that Faith being adorned with Works, may do something; and on the contrary, that, if Works are not joyned with it, it may seem a kind of rude matter, void of life and form, not only unprofitable to purchase Righteousnes, but a certain dead and destructive thing. Which if it be true, I would know this of them, and chiefly I would ask of you, Osorius, in what Common-wealth, in what Church, in whose Kingdom, do you coyn this new piece of Divinity? If it is the Church of Christ, that is not yours, It is his Kingdom, in which you are only a servant. What? Shall not Christ have a free power permitted to him of administring his own affairs, as in his own lawful Commonwealth?
And whence is this your great boldness in anothers Dominion, in a Church that ye never founded, to alter and change as you list, the appointments and institutions of your Prince, contrary to Law and Right? Or by what authority do you oppose your selves, but that every man may act in his own possession according to his own right, and freedom of command? What if it seems good in the Eyes of Christ to communicate freely the glory of his Kingdom, to whom he will? Will ye forbid him? What if the most Gracious Lord will pay a full reward to those that come to work at the last hour of the day, and make all equal by making the like agreement with them all, should your Eye therefore be evil because he is good?
But now the Lord himself, the Prince and Author of the Church professes in very evident words, that eternal life shall be given to them that believe in his name. What can be said more evident in signification, or more clear to be understood? He that believeth in me, saith he, hath eternal life. And again repeating the same, in the same words. He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting Ioh. 6. Ioh. 3. Ioh. 11.life. And chap. 11. He that believeth in me, though he were dead yet he shall live. And lest he should seem to testifie this of himself without the consent of his Father, he Only Faith in Christ is proved to jastisie by example,adds, This is, saith he, the will of him that sent me, that every one that seeth the Son and believeth in him should have life eternal. Who doth no less most evidently confirm these things by performances, which he expresses in word, adding also miracles thereunto. For how great a multitude do ye meet with every where through all the Evangelists, whom you see saved and healed by no other thing but faith only, which relied on Christ. How often do we hear from the mouth of the Lord in the Gospel: thy Faith hath made thee whole, without hearing any Mat. 11. Isa. 55. Proof by examples.mention of works? And what Christ performed to faith, will Osorius attribute that to Works: Christ invites unto himself Consciences that are afflicted and burdened with sin: Isaiab calls all that are athirst to come without price or any exchange to the Fountains of Christ, that they may be refreshed. Osorius will bestow the Kingdom, which God hath promised, upon none but righteous men, and eminent good works. I beseech you, Sir, according to your righteousness, what excellent good work brought that sinful Woman with her in the Gospel, out of whom seven Devils were cast? What righteousness appeared in the Thief on the Right Hand of Christ except faith only, why he should after the commiting so many evil deeds enter in together with Christ on the same day into Paradise? what other thing did the Woman of Canaan, that was a stranger, bring to Christ, but an importunate cry of faith, so that she carried home, not Crumbs, but whole Loaves of Divine Grace? What deserved the miserable Woman with the bloody Issue, or Iairus the Governour of the Synagogue, Mat. 15. Mat. 9.or Zacchaeus of Matthew, or other Publicans with them? why they being perferred before the Pharisees, who seemed so much more righteous, should obtain the benefit of free favour, being so obvious and exposed unto them? There is almost an infinite number of others of the like condition that may be discoursed of after the same manner, in whom you can find nothing worthy of so great bounty of Divine Grace, but faith only: Blind Bartimeus cried, the Lepers cried, Iesus, Master, thou Son of David have mercy on us, and they were heard. For nothing cries louder than faith, nothing is more effectual to prevail. Let Osorius also cry, and let us all cry with the like noise of Faith, and we shall be heard alike. I speak of that faith, which is in Christ Iesus, besides which, there is not any passage into Heaven, nor access unto God, nor way of prevailing with God. Therefore that we may be heard, let us come, and knock, but let us do it aright, to wit, by Faith and in the name of only begotten. Otherways it is in vain to cry to God, who hears not sinners, but drives them away, who regards not servants and guilty persons, How Prayers are heard.unless they come to the Son, or in the name of the Son. Now by what way we are heard, by the same we are Iustified: *From whence is liberty, salvation and righteousness to be sought.For the Divine reward is always joyned with righteousness.
Seeing then all of us, mortal men, are by nature sinners, and servants of sin, therefore we must see what that is, which makes us of servants free men, of guilty persons sons, of sinners righteous. For this is the whole subject matter of the debate, this is the question, on which the whole controversie depends, which is not so difficult to be judged of, if the authority of Sacred Scripture may prevail upon impartial judgments. For the testimony of the Gospel remains sure and eternal, which no mortal man can weaken at any time, instructing our faith thus. As many as received Ioh. 1.him, to them he gave power to become the Sons of God, and that he may teach what it is to receive him, he presently explains the same, to them, saith he, that believe in his name, &c.
Whereby it appears evidently what it is, to which we are beholden for all that splendor and dignity, wealth and riches, yea and the possession of Heaven and Life. I know that in those excellent offices of good works, which you so much cry up, in the exercise of charity, and observance of Righteousness, there is great weight and also great Wherein consists the use and scope of the Law.benefit; as I consess also that the law it self hath great efficacy, if a man use it lawfully. Now the use of the law consists in this, that it should bring us to Christ, and be subservient to his glory. But when you have heaped all these things together into one, whatsoever were by God either prescribed to us in his Law, or written within us, they are far from restoring perfection to a mans deeds that are altogether imperfect, or to a mans person that is wholly destroyed and ruinated. They are far from making us of servants freemen, of Slaves of Satan, Sons of God, heirs of his Kingdom, co-heirs of Christ, fellow Citizens of the Saints, and Domesticks of the highest Father. Verily that is not the Office of the Law, but of Christ: And it is not righteousness, but grace that does this. This is not the efficacy of works, but of Faith: which relying not upon Charity is justified by Faith, not Faith by Charity.works, but being strengthned only by the promise of God brings us from bondage to liberty, from death to life, adopts us being reconciled unto God, makes us Sons of the promise, which is so far from being joyned with Charity and Works, that it reconciles Charity it self, and all works of life unto God, and justifies them, without which they could not have place in Heaven, in the presence of the great God.