Of Free Justification by Christ, Book 2 · Part 6 – Part 8
Concerning Faith and Assurance, and what is the proper Object of Faith.
NOW let us discourse of others, The Object of Faith according to the more sound Orthodox.who reasoning with more sound Iudgment about Faith, do not fetch the proper and genuine Object of Faith, whereby we are justified, so far off from the very first Truth, as Thomas; nor reduce it to every particular Truth of Scripture, as the Colonienses; nor define it by the Decrees of the Church, as the Duacene Doctor, and Iesuits of that Place and Order; nor place it in the Infallible Authority of the Roman Chair, as Boniface; but coming much nearer to Evangelical The definition of Falth according to the more reformed Divines.Truth, do thus define Faith unto us, that they place its Object in the Mercy of God only. For thus is Faith defined by most of our Divines at this day, to wit, That it is a firm and constant relyance on the Mercy of God, promised freely for the sake of Christ. Which definition, if it be true, by this means it appears that the Object of Faith is placed no otherways, nor in any other thing, but in the free Mercy of God laid hold upon; Faith often taken for trust in mercy.which neither I my self deny to be true in this sense, as Faith in this place is taken for a relyance, as it is often used in this signification, because it hath a respect to Mercy, Whether only relyance on mercy properly justifies us before God.and brings forth Assurance in the mind of Believers. But whether this relyance properly justifies us before God, it may here be enquired not without profit.
A Question.
Whether only relyance on Mercy justifies of it self?
Verily as for my part I am not, Assurance of Salvation is necessatily joyned with Faith.nor ever was the man that would be, prejudicial to another man's Opinion: I allow that every man should be persuaded in his own mind; I hinder it not. But if I am permitted freely to profess in a free Church, what my Opinion is, my reason leads me to think that this relyance on Mercy, and assurance of Salvation promised, must be a thing very nearly joyned with Faith, and which every man ought to apply to himself; but then when it is most applied, it is not that which properly and absolutely unloads us of our sins, and justifies us before God; but that there is some other thing proposed in Gospel, which by Nature should in some respect go before this assurance, and justifie us in the sight of God. For Faith in the person of the Son, which reconciles us to God, doth necessarily go before. And then relyance on most assured Mercy follows this Faith, concerning which none of those that believe in Christ can doubt.
Objection. But you may say, What, doth not Mercy promised in Christ go before the vocation of Faith? doth not the same Mercy freely justifie Believers? Moreover seeing the Promises of God are most sure, may not the same be safely and constantly trusted in?
That I may answer these men: An Answer to the objection.Indeed the Mercy of God moves first; no man doubts of that, which is the cause and original of all good things. But it is not that which is matter of Controversie in this place, Whether Mercy on God's part is the Mother of Mercy the first cause of our Iustification on God's part.our Iustification; but what that is on our part, which hath power with God for our Reconciliation; whether relyance on Mercy, or Faith in the Person of the Son. I know that the Mercy of God is immense and infinite, in which is comprehended all the Election of the Saints. Neither am I ignorant that those things are most sure, which are proposed to be believed in the Articles of the Creed; than which, as nothing is more sure, so neither is there any thing, which any man ought to doubt of about the assurance of those things, which are promised, or concerning the On our part are considered relyance on the Mercy promised, and Faith in the Person of the Mediatour.faithfulness of the Promiser. For what is more sure than the Promises of God? what more stable than the faithfulness of the Promiser? what more free than Mercy freely proposed in Christ? Wherefore the rather, this unsavoury and no less reproachful barking of Hosius, Andradius, and such like men, should be hissed away out of the Society of Christians; who kicking against the pricks; bring all things into doubt The Opinion of the Papists concerning the uncertainty of our Salvation in Christ exploded. Hosius lib. 3. confut. p. 140.and uncertainty, with the Academicks, and they look upon it as a thing unsufferable, for a man to take upon him to rely upon the promise of Salvation; which they of Trent condemn with an Anathema, Hosius detests it as vain and unprofitable arguing, as if this assurance of Divine Grace did nothing but open to the Consciences of men a door to a certain slothful laziness and dissolute life: Therefore, saith he, as prudent Fathers and Masters sometimes do, they hide their Love towards their Children and Servants, that they might keep them the more in fear and in their duty: So God doth also towards his Servants, that being kept wavering between hope and fear, he may by that means the more easily drive them from security and negligence, &c.
Concerning the Assurance of Christian Reliance, against Hosius.
A Worthy comparison for sooth, An Answer against the Hosian uncertainty.of God and Men, which disannuls and destroys all the Promises of God, the whole Doctrine of the Gospel, yea and the foundations of all Religion. For to what purpose should God promise by his Word, if he would not have us assured of those things which are promised? A Son was promised to Abraham, and he believed, not at all distrusting him that promised, and it is accounted a praise to him: What then? Do you praise the undaunted confidence of Abraham, and do you dispraise ours? In like manner the Seed to come was promised to miserable Adam: To what purpose? that he might stick in a trembling wavering diffidence? or rather that he might support his mind with the expectation of the promised consolation? There are so many engagements of promises in both Covenants, which if the Divine Truth would not have made sure unto us, why then would he have them written in the Word, and recorded in Books? Briefly, why are we commanded in the Christian Articles of Faith to believe the remission of sins, the Resurrection of the flesh, and Life Eternal, but that we might reckon those things to be most sure unto us, which are inserted in the Articles? Therefore that is false, which Hosius affirms, That no man is bound to believe firmly, or to hold assuredly either concerning himself, or this man or that man, that his sins are forgiven him for Christ's sake; that he is in a state of grace, and that he is assuredly to possess the Kingdom of Hosius lib. 1. confut. p. 15. Hosius ibid. Osor. de Iust. l. 2. p. 32.Heaven, &c. And again, neither is that less false, which he fathers upon men of our persuasion, as if we held thus, that every man is a partaker upon that account only, because he hath determined himself to be a person that will be accepted of God; which is not true, and is not without an impudent calumny. For we are not of such an Opinion, as to believe that an assured persuasion of Mercy should by any means be separated from Iustifying Faith, (which the Divines of the Popish way do abominably:) neither again do we transfer properly the very cause of Iustification into this confidence and naked application of Marcy, (as they falsly slander us.) Why so? because, yet some other thing is wanting, which must needs go before this application of the Promise, and which is necessarily required to the true cause of Iustifying.
The cause of Iustification depends not on confidence, or the application of Mercy only.
YOU will say, What then? Is The cause of Iustification in respect of God is Mercy in respect of us, Faith in the Mediatour.not the free Promise of God a most true cause on which our whole Iustification depends? If you say on God's part, it is true; if you ask on our part, you must go further, and something seems to be necessarily joyned with the Promise. Now that we may set the thing more evidently before your eyes; God promises Salvation to his own, and that freely, and for Christ's sake. That indeed is most certain, and beyond all controversie. Go on, And you put trust in the Promise of God: You do very well in doing so, and I commend the constancy of your confidence. When Salvation is promised freely for Christ's sake, shall therefore an absolute Promise save all men promiscuously for Christ's sake, without any restriction of condition? I suppose God will not save all promiscuously. Now then this Promise belonging not to all, but some certain persons only, upon some certain condition, I would know, who those are, to whom this Promise properly belongs. You say, Believers, and in that you say well; but how, or believing in whom? Are they not those that believe in Christ himself? Faith only in the person of the Son of God justifies.Is it not he only, for whose sake only Salvation is promised to Believers? Doth not this Faith only in the Person of the Son of God make us partakers of the promise? Doth not this Faith only justifie before God? Moreover, is not this the only condition, which every where the voice of Christ, and the Apostles in the Gospel, and the voice of the Prophets inculcate; which the appointment of the Father especially requires; that we should hear his beloved Son, that we should receive Christ, that we should believe in his Name, that we should flie to him by Faith, and betake our selves wholly to him, that we should believe in him, whom he hath sent, whom the Father hath sealed, that we should digest him inwardly in our minds, that we should be ingrafted into him, and should grow in him, that we should know Iesus, and him crucified only, that we should behold him only, as the Israelites of old beheld the Serpent in the Wilderness; that we should put on Christ.
Hence come these so frequently repeated Sermons in the Gospel concerning the Person of Christ: He that believeth Ioh. 6. Ioh. 1. Ioh. 3. Ioh. 6. Ioh. 11. Ioh. 14. Ioh. 6. Rom. 4. Rom. 3. Ioh. 20. Act. 8. Act. 16. Philip. 3. Ephes 3. Galat. 3. Act. 26. Act. 10. Ioh. 8. Ioh. 6. Ioh. 15. Galat. 3.in me hath Life Eternal: As many as received him: They that believe in his Name: He that believes in the Son of God. That every one that seeth the Son, and believes in him: He that believeth in me shall never Die: Do ye believe in God? Believe also in in me. We believe and know that thou art Christ the Son of the living God. He that believes in him, who justifies the Ungodly. Iustifying him, that is of the faith of Iesus Christ. If thou confess with thy Mouth the Lord Iesus, &c. That we may believe that … is the Son of God, and believing may have Eternal Life. If thou believe with all thy Heart, &c. Believe in the Lord Iesus, and thou shalt be saved and thy House; The Righteousness which is of the Faith of Christ. We have access through the faith of him. The promise of the faith of Iesus Christ. By faith which is in me. By his Name all that believe in him. If ye do not believe that I am he. Except ye eat my flesh. Except ye abide in me. If ye abide in me. Ibid. Ye are all the Sons of God by Faith in Iesus Christ.