True Old Light Exalted Above Pretended New Light, Sermon 5
Every man hath Light from Christ sufficient to make him inexcusable.
SERM. V.
Joh. 1. 9.
That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Sect. 1. A Natural Light from Christ is yeilded to be in every man, and the Opinions of Freewillers of its sufficiency are set down.
LIghting every man that cometh into the world, is meant either of such light which is by Christ as Creatour, termed natural, and this is conferred upon all men without exception of any person; or of such light as is by Christ as Mediatour, and this is conferred, though not on every single person, yet on all sorts and Nations of men, and it is termed supernatural. Concerning the former sort of light, it is yeilded that there is natural light from Christ given to every man who comes into the world by humane birth. 'This light is the light of reason and knowledge agreeable to humane nature, which if it were not conferred on every man, he should not be rational, but should be degraded into the rank of beasts. It is true which the Psalmist saith, Psal. 49. 20. Man that is in honour and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish. But this only shews, that man by extinguishing his light doth brutifie himself, not that he was without all natural light in his originnl. All experience shews, that each person, even the most natural fool, hath some light of reason, by which he can apprehend some things pertaining to humane being, and some way expresse his mind, though in respect of civil or moral, or religious affairs, he be unteachable. All the difficulty is, how farre it extends in all, or may be improved by them that use it best. In this matter there have been various opinions. The Pelagians of old, are said to have held, that each person had so much ability by his own free-will, and by his natural light, as that he might love God, and keep the Law, and resist temptations; though after by Councils, and the writings of adversaries, they were driven to yeild a necessity of teaching and outward proposition of divine truths to men to that end. Some of the Schoolmen, and later Papists do hold, that each man hath so much light and power in him, that if he do what he can, God is ready or bound to give him grace necessary to salvation. And this way go Arminians, and other assertors of the power of free-will in them that never heard of the Gospel of Christ preached to them; conformably whereto, in the Pagans debt and Dowry, p. 20. it is said, that by a faithfull and carefull use of those natural abilities, that light of reason, conscience and understanding, which every person of mankind under heaven receiveth from God, he may and shall receive from him yet further, that which shall be of saving import and consequence to him. Not much short of these is that French divine of much note, who maintains universal grace objective, though not subjective, that is, though there be not such an universal working by illumination, or other operation of the Spirit of God, so sufficient or effectual as to beget saith in every one, yet there is so much revealed to every man, even those that have not heard of Christ, as might, if they would apprehend it, beget faith in God to salvation.
Sect. 2. The Opinion of the Quakers concerning a Light within each man, is inquired into.
Out of the Principles of these men, whether instilled by Popish Emissaries, which have crept into the English Armies and Churches, or some other way, that sort of people, who now go under the name of Quakers, from their usual quaking before they began to speak, thereby deluding the people, as if they waited for a Revelation from God, though most of their speeches of all of them, have been their usual invectives against Preachers, and pressing men to follow the light within them; these people, I say, have drawn their tenet of an universal light in every man that cometh into the world, without Bibles, Preachers, Church-communion, Christian Ordinances, to know his duty so as that he may be perfect: which is indeed the reviving of old Pelagianism, or worse, and tends to the making of Christian Religion, if not all Religion whatsoever, unnecessary. Those who heretofore or at this day maintain this universal sufficient light, besides these Quakers, are many of them subtile disputants, and do set down their opinion distinctly, and argue for it acutely, though they decline the expresse owning of Pelagius his grosser expressions, and Puccius his natural faith, and Hurberus his universal election. But the Quakers, as they are for the most part destitute of that art of reasoning, so they decline all conference, in which they may be pressed to state the point in difference distinctly, and to deliver their proofs, and answer objections: but instead thereof by clamour and reproaches, which please their silly followers, they reject all motions tending to a fair debate of the point in controversie. Being desirous to know what they held, one of them brought to me James Nailors Book termed A salutation to the seed of God, and Love to the Lost: which being in many passages obscure, I delivered to him that brought me the Book, fifty five Queries to be answered by them, yea, or no, as the person had required of me to answer his Queries. The Answer, though made by one, formerly known to me, as a person of some ingenuity and learning, yet was framed otherwise then I required, declining to answer affirmatively or negatively to the Question, as by me propounded, but shifting off a plain Answer, and instead thereof, venting personal invectives. Yet to my third Question, which was thus, Do you believe, that those men, who were never taught the Doctrine of the Law, or of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, have commonly a light within each of them, which may guide them to the true knowledge of God, and his waies, unto everlasting life? Omitting his words of obloquy, thus he answered; The Law is spiritual, and there is no Nation or people into which the sound of it hath not come; and the Gentiles which had not the letter, were a law to themselves, shewing the effect of the Law written in their hearts. And Christ is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world with a spiritual light, the one loves this light and brings his deeds to it, and by this light is led from his evil deeds into the knowledge of God, who is life eternal in Christ to know; the other hates the light because his deeds are evil, and loves darknesse rather then light, and there is his condemnation. And their sound who were Ministers of this truth went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world, Rom. 10. 18. In which Answer there is not an expresse resolution of the Question, but sundry shifts to avoid a plain Answer, as 1. Whereas he asserts that the Law is spiritual, Rom. 7. 14. which is the Law of the ten Commandements, or the last Precept of the ten; and the Apostle ver. 9. saith, I was alive without the Law once, which intimates that he was once without the Law; that is, without the right knowledge and understanding of it. And Rom. 2. 14. the Gentiles (of whom my Question was) are said twice not to have the Law; yet this Answerer asserts, There is no Nation or people into which the sound of it hath not come: and to avoid the objection arising from the words, useth this expression, And the Gentiles which had not the letter, whereas the words are expresse, they having not the Law. 2. He patcheth together different Scriptures, Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 3. 19, 20. as if the light communicated by Christ coming into the world, were the same with that, with which in his sense he lighteth every man that cometh into the world; not heeding, that, if every man that cometh into the world had a light sufficient to guide him, and that even the Gentiles (of whom Paul saith, Gal. 4. 8. that they knew not God) had a spiritual light, and that thereby some were led from their evil deeds, into the knowledge of God, who is life eternal in Christ to know, then none were in darknesse, contrary to Paul, Ephes. 5. 8. none were without Christ, or without God in the world, contrary to Paul, Ephes. 2. 12. then Christ need not come into the world to inlighten men, nor sond Ministers of this truth into all the earth, sith they had this light before. Christ was come into the world to inlighten them with spiritual light, and if Christ doth inlighten with this spiritual light every one that cometh into the world, there are none but come to the light, they having it within them, and it doth reprove their deeds whether they will or no. But it is no marvell, that men that boast so much of light within them, shew so much darknesse of mind in their expressions, it being true of them, as Christ said of the Pharisees, Joh. 9. 41. Because ye say, We see, therefore your sin, or blindnesse, remains. However it may be hence gathered, that this is their conceit, That every man that cometh into the world, even the Gentiles that had not the letter, (by which he meanes the holy Scriptures or Bible) or any Preacher or Teacher to instruct them out of it, yet had from Christ a spiritual light, and that one loves this light, and brings his deeds to it, and by this light is led from his evil deeds into the knowledge of God, who is life eternal in Christ to know, the other hates the light, because his deeds are evil, and loves darknesse rather then light, and there is his condemnation. Whence it plainly appears, that those two points of Pelagianism, Popery, Arminianism, Socinianism, and the Frecwill way, are their Opinions, that every one hath a light within him, or there is such revelation imparted to every man in the world, that if he would use it, he might come to saving knowledge, and that it is left to every man by his own freewill to difference himself from others. This universal light is so magnified by George Fox in his Catechism, that he tels us, that it shews all the ungodly waies that ever a man hath acted in, and hard speeches; with that light a person will come to see Christ the Saviour of his soul, from whence the light comes to save him from sin; that it brings him to Christ, and to confesse him; that it gives the knowledge of the God of the world that rules in them that are disobedient to this light; that it gives the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, the true knowledge of the Scriptures, which light being one in them all, and they come to the light, and loving the light, they all come into fellowship one with another, and being out of this, they are in jarres and confusions, that it lets see sin and transgression, which hath separated from God, and the Mediatour between God and him, and might have peace with him, and that he might see Gods Covenant of light, and know his reconciler with which he is reconciled to God, 1 Tim. 2. 5. 2 Cor. 5. 18. and to see the Kingdom of Heaven, that it brings them to love God above all, and to fulfill the Law, to know their election, their bodies to be the temples of the Holy Ghost; that they must scoff, reproach, backbite none, nor have malice to any, but to be meek and humble; with it they come to see the hope of glory, to sanctifie the Lord in their hearts, that it keeps from error, guile, all distraction and distemper, drunken thoughts, imaginations, conceivings, and his own reasonings. In a word, they ascribe all to it that we ascribe to the Gospel; yea it's termed the Gospel, the first principle of pure religion, they that professe to believe the Scriptures, in God, in Christ, yet not believing in this light they deny Christ; that neither the Jews nor Christians do believe in the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, though they professe some of Christs and the Apostles words, that none can confesse Christ but who confesse the light which every man is enlightened withall, that they who do not teach this are teachers of the world, Antichrists, Deceivers, that the letter (meaning the Scripture) is not the light, nor the word. He denies them to be Christians that cry up Erras Pulpit, and the Priesthood and the Temple, and the Jews Sabbath, and the Ordinances of the first Covenant, and that take tithes. More to the same purpose is delivered by George Fox, Hubberthorn, and many more, insomuch that Farnworth in his discovery p. 12. saith, Loving the light, it will guide you to God from all men, that you need never look at man more. Which is indeed their aim, that they may draw off people from Scriptures, Preachers, Church-fellowship, Ordinances, pay no dues to Ministers, nor submit to any Church-discipline, which is that which they call liberty of conscience; not considering, that if their hearers may be guided by their own light to God, that they need not look at man more, they need not look at themselves, nor meet to hear them, nor entertain them to teach them; yea, that by their reasoning, the Quakers themselves shew they do not believe in the light, that they deny Christ, while they look at Fox, Parker, Goodier, and such Teachers, and maintain them: and that the divisions between Fox and Naylor, and others, shew that their light within them is not one, but that they are out of the light. However they assert, 1. That there is a light in every man. 2. That this is sufficient to guide them to God of it self. 3. That it is a rule to shew duty and sin. 4. That there is no need of other teaching of man. 5. That this is one in all. 6. That it is the Gospel. Now because this is the main prop of the new Antichristian Religion, or frenzy of the Quakers, and leads them into the pernicions courses they take; I shall shew, 1. What is to be ascribed to the light that is in each man, whether from the birth, or after imparted to them, in this business of guiding us to God. 2. That neither is it of it self a safe rule for us to follow, in things moral or spiritual; nor by any engagement is God tied, or hath declared himself resolved, to give supernatural light to him that useth this universal light well. 3. How the Objections may be answered. 4. In what manner Christ imparts supernatural spiritual light to every man.
Sect. 3.
Some light is in the most barbarous, yet the knowledge of the most refined Gentiles, may be conceived to come from some acquaintance with the written Law, or tradition from Adam.
To clear the first of these proposals, it is to be premised, 1. That God hath imprinted in all, even the most barbarous people, some relique of light; though in some of them it is so small, that it can hardly be perceived whether there be any sense of sin or wrath of duty or reward, of God or Devil, heaven or hell. Sure such people as are men eaters, do all at the beck of their witches, do seem to have scarce any sense of sin or duty; yet because there is some fear of an unseen power and his wrath, they may be said to have some conscience, though the writing therein be almost defaced. 2. That some people that never had the Gospel nor the Law made known to them, as the Jewes and Christians have had; yet have attained to so much knowledge and practice of moral duties, that in some acts of righteousness, temperance, chastity, fidelity, and such vertues they have equalled, at least in respect of their outward demeanour towards men, if not exceeded not only Iewes, but also most Christians. 3. And in the knowledge of God, though therein they were most defective, yet they attained to so much knowledge and right apprehension of him, as enabled them to correct the vulgar errors concerning God, although they were very blinde about the distinct notion of the true God and his counsels. 4. Nevertheless that it can hardly be avouched, that that knowledge in Morality and Divinity which they attained to, was by meer light of nature, or by their own study and invention; but it may with very probable reason be conceived, that they had much of their knowledge of these things by tradition from Adam, and acquaintance with the Hebrew people, and their written laws or unwritten traditions. Sure there are so many footsteps of their rites in their customes, of their writings in their Poets, and Historians and Philosophers works: There are such relations of their Philosophers travail into AEgypt; besides this, that the most understanding people were such as did trade with Phenicians and AEgyptians, next neighbours to Israel; as may give us cause to think that the cream of that knowledge they had, was not from a light within them (for then why should not other people as well as they have attained to it) but from a light without them, darted directly on Israel, but from them yeelding some strictures of light, and glimpses to the Greekes, Italians, and other people.
Sect. 4. The light without the written word which was in the Gentiles, in the utmost extent of it was imperfect
However what the Scripture makes deducible from other meanes then the Scripture, or it or experience proved, that the most barbarous people attained to, we may safely ascribe to this natural light. Of these things, 1. It is certain the being of God, his eternal power and Godhead might be, and was known by the things which God created, as the Apostle, Rom. 1. 19, 20. Because that which may be known of God, is manifest in or to them, for God hath shewed it unto them: For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, Psal. 19. 1. The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the Firmament sheweth his handywork.
2. Gods providence ordering and disposing all the motions of the creatures with incomprehensible wisdome, for the benefit of the universe, might be discerned from the admirable, and usefull, and constant order, motion, influx, properties and operations, the creatures have. Psal. 19. 2, 3, 4. Day unto day, uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge: There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard: Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. Act. 14. 16, 17. Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own way; nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitfull seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. From Gods creating and providing for man, not only the holy Psalmist, Psal. 139. 6, &c. Psal. 104. and elsewhere, but even Philosophers among the Gentiles have taken occasion to magnifie the divine wisdome, power, and goodness: And yet the most witty people knew not distinctly who this God was, but did ignorantly worship him under this title of the unknown God, as Paul sayes of the Athenians, Act. 17. 23.
3. They did or might know that God was invisible, Rom. 1. 20. That he was a Spirit. Aristolle terms him foreign, an intelligence or minde; Deus est animus, said the Latin Poet: That he knew and judged thoughts, and discerned the most hidden things was known by them, as their accusing or excusing themselves by their own consciences between themselves, apart from others shewed, Rom. 2. 15. And yet when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkned; professing themselves wise they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and to four footed beasts, and creeping things, Rom. 1. 21, 22, 23.
4. They did or might know that God was to be worshipped. Aristotle in his Topicks saith, To dispute whether God and parents deserve honour, deserves punishment. All nations saith Tully, l. 1. Tusc. quaest. acknowledge a Deity and divine worship, and yet they understood not that God that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in Temples made with hands, neither is worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all things life, and breath, and all things, Acts 17. 24, 25.
5. They knew that God was to be pacified by prayer, and sacrifice, and vowes, and obedient mindes, and repentance, and executing of judgement, as may be discerned by their carriage, Jonah 1. and 3. Chapters; yet knew not any thing of the great sacrifice which God had prepared to take away sin for ever, and they often applied themselves to pacifie the Devil even by humane sacrifice, instead of seeking peace from the true God.
6. They did or might know the low condition of man in comparison of God, as the Psalmist saith of himself, Psal. 8. 3, 4. When I consider the heavens the work of thy fingers, the moon and the starres which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindefuil of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him? And infer the absolute soveraignty of God, as the Apostle doth, Rom. 9. 20. Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? And as he doth conclude, Rom. 11. 6. For of him, and through him, and for him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever. And yet men have complained of their hard destiny, and imagined God a debtour to them, and that God should fulfill their pleasures, as well as they do his will; and self-exalring under the name of magnanimity, was by Aristotle made a vertue, vapouring, a mans excellency.
7. They might and should have known that parents are to be honoured, wives to be cherished, children to be nurtured, justice to be administred; yet many thought they might neglect parents commands, to please their companions; and deny them maintenance, to keep an undue and rash vow; and put away wives, for light causes; and expose their children; and violate right, to gain preferment and greatness.
8. The Apostle tells us, Rom. 2. 14, 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves, which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, or witnessing with them, and their thoughts the mean while, or between themselves, accusing or excusing one another; which proves that there was some sense of sin and duty in the most barbarous people, and accordingly there was and is some kinde of government and administration of justice among them. Some sins as of murther, adultery, robbery, perjury, breach of faith and trust, parricide, and some other sins have been judged to be horrible evils, which they durst not commit. Abimelech Gen. 20. 5. durst not use Sarah, when he knew she was Abrahams wife; and yet he thought he should have been innocent, if she had been but his sister. Either by instinct of nature, or by tradition from Adam, adultery was judged a horrible crime, when simple fornication, sodomy, and other uncleanness, were reckoned as no faults by the Gentiles, which knew not God, 1 Thes. 4. 5. Parricide was counted such a sin as none durst commit; no law therefore was made against it by Salon. Tully pleads for Sextus Roscius Amerinus, that he could not be guilty of it, because he was sleeping at the time of his Fathers death, which the fury of his conscience would not have permitted, if he had been guilty of parricide. And yet self-murther to avoid tyrants rage, was applauded; theft if cunningly acted, was allowed by Lycurgus; drunkenness, and whoredome, and murthering in fence-playes and duels, either made religious services, or matter of glory.
9. They might and did by natural light know, that God did discover and avenge secret murthers, adulteries, perjuries, sacriledge, and other evils, that he had foreign, an avenging eye; and hence was there much fear of thunder-claps, stormes, earthquakes, plagues, and many means used to pacifie the anger of the Deity. Yet they were not sensible of the eternal judgment to come, though they imagined punishments to be awarded to Malefactors after death. The Barbarians of Melita, Act. 28. 4. when they saw the Viper hanging on Pauls hand, said among themselves, No doubt, this man is a murtherer, whom though he hath escaped the Sea, yet vengeance, foreign, suffereth not to live.
10. They might and did imagin, that God was a rewarder of good deeds; in defence of their Countrey, in doing justice, and such like acts, and some counted it their chief good to do vertuous acts: But they knew nothing of the resurrection of the dead, and the life everlasting, prepared for them that believed and obeyed the truth of the Gospel.
In these, and many more things, the Gentiles, which knew not God, had some natural light, in some it was more clear then in others, in some so dusky and dimme, that it was scarce discernable: but in none such as that it could be a constant universal Rule to direct them in what they were to do, or Warrant to justifie them in what they had done, or means to shew them how to come to God, and enjoy communion with him, and to save them from wrath to come.
Sect. 5. The Gentiles light by nature, served to restrain from sin, and to leave men inexcusable.
Neverthelesse this light, though insufficient to direct for justification and salvation, yet was usefull for two ends: 1. To restrain men from such excesse of sinne, as would otherwise have destroyed humane society. It being the contrivance of God to let men live together, though very evil, till their iniquities be full, and when sins are ripe, then to put in the sickle, and cut wicked men down, either by a particular or an universal judgment. In the mean time, as he gave the Law to the Jews, because of transgressions, Gal. 3. 19. either to restrain them, or to abate punishments, till the seed came to whom the Promise was made, that there might be a people among whom the Messiah should appear: so to other people he gave a Law in themselves, to prevent the extirpation of the Nations, by bridling mens lusts through conscience of sinne, and fear of punishment, till the time should come of their calling into the Church.
2. Besides this end God hath another, in respect of himself, that they might be inexsusable who sinned against the light in them, and God might be justified in his sentence and judgment upon them. Therefore it is said, Rom. 1. 20. That the eternal power and Godhead, was made known from the Creation of the world, by the things that are made, that they might be without excuse, who held the truth in unrighteousnesse, and when they knew God, glorified him not as God, neither were thankfull: but were filled with unrighteousnesse, though they knew the judgment of God, that they that commit such things are worthy of death, ver. 29, 31. Whence it is, that Gods judgment is proved to be according to truth, Rom. 1. 2. and, God found to be true, though every man be a lyer, as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged, Rom. 3. 4. Ignorance of the Law being not to be pleaded by them who did evil against the innate light of their own spirits, forasmuch as that fact must needs be voluntary, which is done against the knowledge and judgment of a mans own conscience.
Sect. 6. Application to justifie us against Quakers, and to warn us that we act not against our Light.
From this which hath been said, we may infer, 1. A plea for our selves against the clamorous, but unjust accusation of the Quakers, who use with loud vociferations even to hoarsnesse, and with continual printed pamphlets, to charge publique Preachers with denying the light within each man: whereas such light is not at all denied by them, but is acknowledged to be a great benefit to mankind. That which is denied, is, That the light within each person, is alone of it self, without the Scripture, a sufficient direction to bring us to God, and instate us in his savour; or a sufficient warrant of it self to to justifie our actions. It is usefull, but not in such a measure as the Quakers make it, as if persons were to look to it and no other Rule, and that they might well enough be without Scripture, Preachers, Church-discipline, Ordinances of the New Testament, and such other helpes as God vouchsases to guide his people by into the way of peace. Wherein how much they are mistaken, shall be shewed in that which follows.
2. In the mean time each person is to make use of the light within him so farre as it is indeed light, and usefull. Certainly it concerns every man, so farre to look to the light within him, that he do not as it is said of some, Job 24. 13. rebell against the light. A mans own conscience is so farre a Law to him, that though it cannot of it self justifie, yet it may condemn: My meaning is, a mans own light cannot warrant of it self without the Scripture, a mans actions to be lawfull which he doth according to that light. Our Saviour tells there are some that shall think they do God service in killing the Apostles, Joh. 16. 2. Paul told Agrippa, Act. 26. 9. I verily thought with my self, that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth. So that herein he followed the light within him, and yet he counted this his great sinne, 1 Tim. 1. 13. The Quakers accuse often falsly, and revile most abominably, others who are no whit inferiour to themselves, and they say they follow their light within them, and yet he that reads and believes such Scriptures as these, 1 Cor. 5. 11. 1 Cor. 6. 10. 1 Pet. 2. 23. Jude 8. 9, 10. cannot but think their practice to be from the Devil, and not from Gods Spirit. If following the dictate of a mans own conscience could warrant his action, the most horrid acts of misted Idolaters, Papists, Pagans, Mahometans, fanatiques should be free from censure and controul. Yet if a man do that which he thinks to be evil, though it were good or lawfull in it self, it would be sin to him, and so much the greater, in that it is a sign, that he who doth thus, shews, that his principle by which he acts is naught, even then when he does good, and that it is but by accident that he doth it. Yea, that man who doeth good against his conscience, is but an hypocrite in so doing, though the thing in it self be right and good. But when a man doth evil, which his conscience tells him is so, he commits a sinne of the highest degree, as to him that knows to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sinne, Jam. 4. 17. that is, sin in an high degree. Hence great horrour of spirit hath attended them that have omitted good which their conscience told them they should do, and much more horrour in them that have done evil against their conscience, as in the case of Judas, Spira, and others Instances might be given, and therefore if Quakers intended no more then this by bidding men look to the light within them, that they should take heed that they omitted not the good their consciences told them they ought to do, and that they did not the evil which their consciences judged to be so, we should accept of their warning. Surely it will concern you, as to look that your conscience be not erroneous, so that when your conscience is rightly informed to follow it, and when it goes wrong yet to suspend the act which it condemns, if you desire peace. There will be no plea to acquit him before God, or to quiet his own spirit, who proceeds to act against the light of his own conscience. And a sinne against the light of nature is so much the more damnable, in that it is against the most irrefragable evidence. He that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith. For whatsoever is not of faith is sin, Rom. 14. 23.