Of Free Justification by Christ, Book 2 · Part 9
What is the True and Genuine Definition of Faith.
BY Which so many and so evident places of Scriptute, there is no Man that cannot be most sure, what is properly The Object of Faith that justifies. The Object of Faith which certifies.the Object of that Faith which justifies us; To wit, no other thing, but the person of the Son of God: As again the object of Confidence is the promise of God. Which things being so, it will not be difficult to gather from these Notions of Scripture, what is the true and genuine definition of justifying Faith, concerning which we are making enquiry: which seems, that it ought to be defined according to the right rule of the Gospel after this manner. To wit, That it is a right knowledge of the Son of God planted in our minds, The definition of faith whereby we are justified.whereby we acknowledge a promised Christ, and receive him being held forth, and with our Mouth profess him to have dyed for us, and rose again, Worship him in Spirit, and embrace him with all our mind, together with all his benefits.
And this Faith as it is a singular gift of God, so of all the gifts of God, we believe this faith is that only which justifies believers in the sight of God. To which, though assurance and confidence of the grace of God is most nearly joyned, which is it self also sometimes called by the name of Faith, yet this confidence doth not properly infer the cause of Iustification, but receives it being brought; neither doth it cause Iustification; but is rather caused by it, and renders those assured, who are justified by the Faith of Christ; but Perswasion of Mercy follows the faith of Christ in Order.doth not it self justifie. For God doth not therefore forgive thee, and receive thee for a Son, because thou embracest the Mercy of God with a Holy confidence; but because thou embracest his Christ with a right Faith, and confessest and lovest him, he loveth thee: neither do we therefore believe in Christ, because we are assured of Salvation, and trust the promises; but because we believe in Christ, therefore we attain unto a certain hope of those things that are promised in Wherein Iustifying faith and assurance do differ.Christ: for Eternal Life is promised to him that believes in the Son. And from hence arises that clear Distinction between Faith and Assurance; for they differ in Subjects and Objects. The Faith of Christ, which brings forth Righteousness, takes its place in the higher part of the Soul, wherein the understanding is. Assurance hath relation to those powers of the Soul, in which hope, and the like affections The Subject of Faith. The Subject of Assurance.are placed. As touching the Objects, Assurance hath respect to the Mercy, or the promise in Christ: faith is directed to Christ himself, because he obtains Mercy for Believers.
But perhaps too much hath been said of those things, which, being clear enough of themselves, would not at this time need any Explication, unless I were forced thereunto by the Calumnies of Hosius, Osorius, and such Others, whose Opinion seems to me, to be faulty upon a Twofold account. A twofold Calumny of the Papists.First, in that they think this Doctrine of Christian Assurance, which we Establish in Christ, should by no means be endured in the Church, and which they call Confidence and Presumption, than which they affirm, that nothing is more hurtful and pernicious to the Salvation of the Godly. Hosius adds his own Iudgment; that to him no Abomination (as he expresses himself) seems greater in the sight of God, than this so great presumption of the Hereticks: Neither wants he here his Authorities Hosius in confut. lib. 1. pag. 14.wrested from the Scriptures: What, saith he, doth not the command of the Gospel teach us, to confess our selves to be unprofitable Servants in all respects, yea, when we have performed all that God commanded us: From whence Hosius presently gathers, that he who assures himself that he is in a State of Grace, he doth as much as if contrary to the command of the Lord, he called himself a profitable Servant. O Wise Headpiece! As if this Assurance and full Perswasion, which we maintain, did rely on any Dignity of ours, and did not wholly depend upon the certainty of the promise of God. I come to their other Calumny, no less absurd, whereby they most unjustly slander us, as if we referred the whole cause of our Iustification to nothing else but only an opinionative assurance; so that to obtain the Remission of sins, we taught that no other thing is necessary, but that every Man should, by a special faith, be perswaded in his own mind, that his sins are forgiven him, which is most false, as there is almost nothing true in the Books of Hosius. For though we confess this to be most sure, that nothing is more sure than our Iustification by Christ; yet if the cause be enquired for, which properly justifies us from our sins, we answer, It is faith, not whereby we believe that we are Iustified, (as Hosius chatters) but whereby we believe in Christ the Son of God, who only is a propitiation for our sin.