Of Free Justification by Christ, Book 2 · Part 1 – Part 3
Not every Faith Iustifies.Not every Faith Iuifies.
BUT What I just now said of …. 3. Sentent. distinct. 23. I believe a God, I believe God, I believe in God.Hope, the same also again must be said of Faith, that it must be true and right, and not only that it must be great. For every Faith doth not avail for Iustification, because there are many and divers kinds of believing: First there is a Faith, whereby we both know that God is; and fear him: and the Devils themselves are not without this Faith. There is another Faith whereby we believe God and give certain credit to his promises. The Schoolmen add unto these a third kind of believing, whereby we are said to believe in God. And this Faith they divide variously into a formed and formless Faith: into an habitual and actual faith. There is also a faith, that is often taken for hope, and so defined: As in the Epistle to the Hebr. 11.Hebrews: Where Faith is called the substance of things not seen, but hoped for, and the evidence of things not appearing, but future.
Moreover there are those that divide the use of this Word into many forms. Andreas Vega, reckons in the general Nine Significations of the word of Faith. Andreas Vega Hisp. De Iust. q. 1. Nine Significations of Faith in Vega.Put because in these which I have hitherto reckoned, there is no mention made of that person, from whom all the Vertue of Iustifying proceeds, therefore I see not how it can be, that Iustification should rightly agree to the same. VVherefore this seems less strange to me in Osorius, Hosius, and others of that School; if their Opinion is not so right about the Iustification of Faith, for they seem not to have clearly enough discerned, or at least not to have fitly defined that Faith, which the Evangelical VVritings propose unto us.
But if this Faith, that we profess, contained no other thing in it, It is no wonder if Faith as it is defined by the Papists does not Iustifie.but that which they pretend to in their Books, I would be of the same Opinion, which they Preach: To wit, That it avails little to the procuring of Righteousness. That this may be the more evident, I would have Pious Readers listen to what those Men teach concerning Faith, and how they define it. And so they define it, that either through blindness they know not, or by dissimulation they make as if they knew not, what is the true Faith proposed to us in the Gospel for Righteousness. And that we may begin first at the Tridentines, they so define it, That it is a firm assent unto those things, that are revealed, and made manifest by God. And Osorius following these Men Collects The definition of Faith in Osor. lib. 2. Numb. 46.the Universal Nature of Faith after a manner not much differing from them, That it is a firm and constant assent of the mind, stirred up by the Authority of the Speaker.
But what this Faith is, which Osorius describes after this manner, let him look to that. Verily any Man may think it is not this Faith, which Paul speaks of, in disputing of Righteousness, or …. lib. 3. Dist. 23.to which we from the Authority of Paul affirm that Righteousness should be attributed properly. Though in the mean while we deny not, that this Faith is true, which is asserted by Osorius and others, whereby, for the Authority of the Church teaching, we believe whatsoever things belong to Religion; which though they are not seen, as Lombard says, yet What Faith is according to Osorius and the Papists.they are believed whether they are past, or expected to come. As he that gives credit to the things contained in the Articles of the Creed, and that are expresly mentioned in the Scriptures: He that believes and professes, that the World was made by the Word of God, and that God is, and that he Created all things of no thing.
Moreover that he believes and professeth that he is powerful, and very good, Osor. lib. 1. pag. 7.(That I may proceed in the very words of Osorius) endued with boundless and infinite virtue, and bounty watching over all parts of the World, and passing through them, beholding and taking notice of all things, and looking well to every thingaccording as the dignity and condition of each thing requires; and whatsoever else belonging to the profession of Faith, is taught in the Writings of the Prophets, Verily that Man is not at all mistaken in believing. For the things that are seen by an Internal light of Faith are very true, though they are very remote from the Senses.
But yet this is not the Faith, though it be true, that justifies us, Not every Faith apprehending true things justifies.who are miserably defiled and wretched Sinners, before God. For what Circumcised Iew, or hateful Turk is there, but believes all these things, which Osorius, with a long multiplication of words, Preaches of God, and his Power, and Iustice, and Immensity? For they together with us confess one God, and rely on his promises with great hope, call upon his Name, observe his commands as well as we, and also flatter themselves with the Title of the true Church; Yea, also they are not Ignorant that the Dead shall be restored to Life, and promise Eternal Life to themselves: Moreover many things, which they see not with their Eyes, they retain. by Faith, and pursue by hope. Briefly, they do no less believe God themselves, and confess God. But if the Christian Faith, according to the Magisterial position of Lombard, should be placed in nothing else, but a solid apprehension of things to be hoped for, and a sure expectation of those things, which do not appear, what hinders, but that both Iews and Saracens may be reckoned faithful upon this account.
What then, you will say, Doth not Paul writing to the Hebrews What manner of Faith is this which is …. Hebr. 11.expresly comprehend Faith in that same definition, To wit, That it is the substance of things hoped for, &c. Verily, I neither reject Paul the Author of this Epistle, nor disapprove the definition, neither do I examin that, nor do so much as enquire for it, which is enquired for in Lombard: Whether this description be more agreeable to Faith than Hope? But this I answer: That we may confess this Faith to be true, which is here defin'd. But surely that is not the Faith which properly justifies the wicked in the sight of the Lord.
Why so? Because there is wanting to the definition, the Genus, Property, and difference, which distinguishes Faith from Hope. Also, there is wanting the true and proper object of Faith, which should by no means have been omitted; To wit, The person of him, in whom only all the promises of God, and the whole cause of our Iustification is contained. Who unless Faith looks upon the promise, but yet not upon this only, but rather another object, whence it receives Iustification.he comes in, in vain other things are either believed or hoped for by us, neither will all that substance of things hoped for, avail us any whit unto Salvation. What then, you will say, Hath not the most gracious Father promised us his mercy? Hath he not engaged himself by an inviolable Covenant that he would pardon our Sins? Must we not give credit to those things, which are promised by God? He hath promised indeed, I confess, but how? Only in Christ his Son. To whom? Only to them that believe in the Son. I know and acknowledge that the promises of God are most sure, in which he promises as Osorius Osor. lib. 6. Nu. 150. Lib. 5. Num. 21.rehearses; Infinite Riches, excellent Pleasure, an immortal Kingdom, great Dignity, everlasting Glory. But yet these good things are neither so promised or given by God, that in the mean while he exacts nothing of us for the obtaining of these good things which he promises. Therefore this is not the state of the question, whether we should believe God promising, which is common to us with the Iews themselves and Turks.
Neither do I ask that, what the Lord hath promised: For Salvation is promised, Pardon of Sins is promised: But this is it which properly comes in question here: Upon what account, and for what cause, this Salvation and Pardon of Sins is promised, whether there is no condition interposed? Or whether there is some condition? But I think there is none, can say, there is no condition. Therefore it remains that we confess there is necessarily some condition. Which of what manner it is, let us examin by the Scriptures.
But in the mean while perhaps some Man will object: If the promise of God be confined to certain conditions, how then shall we with Paul make the A Question. How the promise is free if it is confined by a condition. Answer.mercy of God free, whereby he freely justifies the Wicked? Yea verily, I both judge and hold that the Mercy of God is most free: Free, I say, in Christ. Otherways without Christ there can be no hope of Mercy, nor promise of Salvation, nor remission of Sins. And the Sons of the Papacy will not deny this that all the riches of the Divine promise and of our Salvation stand in Christ. And indeed in so much they are in the right. For hereby I understand the Mediatour, by whom The Mediatour.God dispenses his Heavenly gifts to us: That … Christ. But I do not yet perceive well enough, how he dispenses by this Mediatour. For tho I acknowledge him to be Mediatour, to whose merit only we are beholden for all our Salvation, The Promise with a Condition.yet because this Salvation by the Merit of Christ, is not Communicated unto all, neither is it derived to us but upon a certain Condition, I would gladly learn of those Men, what is that Condition prescribed unto us by God to obtain Salvation, or how this meritorious Efficiency of the Mediatour Works in us: And here presently Answers Lombard, Lombard.and others that favour the Lombardick Discipline, that it comes to pass this way; To wit, by Charity infused through the Merits of Christ, which being received by our voluntary taking it in, we are incontinently not only named just, but are really so.
O Divines! As if Christ had been given to us, and had come from the Father for no other purpose; but that he might procure unto us the Divine Infusion of For what … Christ was given to us of the Father according to the Papists.Charity, as they call it. And why could he not by Prayers, obtain this same infusion from his most bountiful Father, when he was present here? what, was the Father so hard, and so inexorable, that he could not be mitigated by any Prayers, to communicate the benefit of grace to any Man, without the death and Blood of his own dearly beloved Son? But what hindered? Because he was not willing who by nature is Charity it self? Or because he was not able, who is in Majesty Omnipotent? But now being endued with the gift of Charity, what will you obtain by that? You say, Salvation and Righteousness. Trident. Concil. …. 6. c. 7.Upon what account will you obtain that? Because Charity being the fulfilling of the Law, thereby it comes to pass, that Charity being spread abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost, and inflaming us to the Obedience of the Law, it easily performs all those things, which are the duties of life; so that we are now not only accounted, but in reality are called, and are indeed Righteous. That is right indeed: Therefore if I am not mistaken, this is it, which I see those Men drive at; that all our hope of Salvation is placed in the performance of the Law: And that the Summary of the Divine promise, is contained in that condition, if we perform the things that pertain to the Law: Which because they cannot be performed without Supernatural Infusion of Andrad. Orthod. explic. lib. 6. pag. 471.Charity, therefore Charity informing the mind with the love of the Divine Law, is called by them Righteousness.
Ingenuous Reader, you have the Summary of this Sophistical Divinity briefly described.
Concerning which that you may judge more rightly, look now at this wonderful Order of Causes.
Concerning the Threefold cause of Iustification, 1. Conditional, 2. Formal, 3. Meritorious.
1. FIrst they place the end of all Righteousness and the Salvation promised to us in the observance of the Law, upon The order of causes according to the Papists in the manner of justifying.this condition, that if the Law be performed, we may live, but if not, there should remain no other way of obtaining Life.
2. But because this perfect performance of the Law, according to the due manner of doing, as they speak, is not in the power The nextand last cause of Iustification, is the perfection of the Law.of Nature, nor in the Law it self, without a special Supplement of grace, as they call it, therefore they necessarily require Charity spread abroad in our Hearts, which they define the formal cause of Iustification.
3. But now by what ways and means this infusion of Grace and Charity is obtained, they assign two causes chiefly, of which the one is placed in the Death of The cause of procuring grace is the Merit of Christ, and the voluntary acceptance of free will.Christ, as the Meritorious cause: The other they place in the voluntary acceptance of our Will, which because it could reject this grace which it accepts according to its liberty, therefore they Attribute unto it the Merits of Meriting at least [de congruo or Agreeableness:] Merit de congruo.and in the mean while, Faith amongst those Men is nothing valued or accounted of. And it is no wonder, for they do not understand by the Gospel, what Gospel Faith is, neither do they seem to have had any experimental knowledge, what the power and efficacy thereof is.
But that I may answer the Sophistical talks of these Men: First, as touching the next and last cause of Iustification, which A Refutation of the Popish Division as touching the order of causes. The condition of Iustification, depends not on the perfection of the Law, as the next and ultimate end.they say consists in the perfection of the Law; how false it is, and contrary to the Gospel, who is so void of the knowledge of the Gospel, but clearly perceives it? For tho' the voice of the Law confines us by a most rigid necessity, to the perfect condition of performing all Righteousness, yet the meek voice of the Evangelical promise sounds far otherways: Which requires no other condition to obtain Salvation, but Faith only, whereby we believe in the Son of God.
But what should you say to those Men, who know scarcely any more difference between the Law and Gospel, than Night Owls that are dimsighted at Noon-day.
Concerning the Formal cause of Iustification.
AND that is no less false, which they most vainly dream concerning a formal cause; which is easily confuted after this manner. First, that we may grant this, that Charity should be reckoned amongst Charity is in part as the Saints often teach.the chiefest gifts of God, which being so often praised by the Apostle, cannot be praised enough by any Man, yet never was there given to any Man in this life so great an excellency therein, that he should fulfill all the Righteousness of the Law. Whence because charity of life, as they call it, is imperfect, (for we love in part according to theMagisterial Sentence,) that can neither be called Righteousness, Sentent. lib. 3. dist. 31. Charity does not go before Faith, but follows after it, neither doth it form Faith, but it is informed by Faith.nor be the form of Faith. Unto this there is added another reason, because when it is given most largely, yet Charity is never given for this end, that it may justifie us in the sight of God, nor that it may inform faith, but rather that it self may be informed by faith, and may be subservient to faith, for Works of Charity are fruits of faith, not the cause of faith, they follow, but do not go before faith.
For Magdalen did not therefore believe in Christ, because she loved Christ, but because she believed in Christ; therefore she loved much. Now if that be called the formal cause by Philosophers, which furnishes matter with Life and Soul, and if Divines account this the life, whereby we live to God, what then will they say to the Prophetical Scripture, whereby the Iust is said to live not by Charity, but by faith? What also will they answer to the Words of Christ, in which he teaches that life Eternal consists in this, that we should know the Father the true God, and Iesus Christ, whom he hath sent?
And again, where in very evident Speech, he Attributes life to faith only, and not to Charity. He that believeth in the Son, faith he, hath Eternal Life.