The Fourth Sermon
IN my last sermon I declared unto you, how that the perfect exposition of God’s word doth differ nothing from the rule of true faith and the love of God and our neighbour. For undoubtedly that sense of scripture is corrupted, which doth square! from faith and the two points of charity. 1 have now therefore next to treat of true faith and charity towards God and our neighbour; to the intent, that no man may find lack of any thing herein. And first, therefore, by God’s help, and the good means of your prayers, I will speak of true faith.
This word “faith,” or “belief,” is diversly used in the common talk of men. For it is taken for any kind of religion or honour done to God: as we say, the Christian faith, the Jewish faith, and the Turkish faith. Faith, or belief, also is taken for a conceived opinion of any thing that is told us: as when we hear any thing rehearsed unto us out of the Indian or Ethiopian history, we by and by say that we believe it; and yet notwithstanding we put no confidence in it, nor hope to have any commodity thereby at all. This is that faith wherewith St James saith that the devil believeth and trembleth?. Last of all, faith is commonly put for an assured and undoubted confidence in God and his word. Among the Hebrews faith taketh her name of truth? certainty, and assured constancy. The Latins call that faith, when that is done? which is said. Whereupon one saith, “I demand of thee whether thou believest or no?” Thou answerest: “I believe.” “Do then that which thou sayest, and it is faith.” Therefore, [ cum fide pugnat.] [2 James ii. 19.]
[3 PDN faithfulness, from JON to prop, stay, support, to be firm. ἸῸΝ Jaithfulness, truth. See the Lexicons.] [4 Fides, quod fiat, quod dicitur, Lat. “Credamus, quia fiat quod dictum est, appellatam fidem.”—Cic. de Off. 1. 7.]
in this treatise of ours, Faith is an undoubted belief, most firmly grounded in the mind. /”~ This faith which settled and undoubted per or belief leaning upon God and his word, is diversly defined [by the perfecter divines. St Paul saith: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The substance, or hypostasis?, is the foundation, or the unmoveable prop, which upholdeth us, and whereon we lean and lie without peril or danger. The things hoped for are things celestial, eternal, and invisible. And therefore Paul saith: Faith is an unmoveable foundation, and a most assured confidence of God’s promises, that is, of life everlasting and all his good benefits. Moreover Paul himself, making an exposition of that which he had spoken, immediately after saith: “Faith is the argument of things not seen.” An argument or proof is an evident demonstration, whereby we manifestly prove that which otherwise should be doubtful, so that in him, whom we undertook to instruct, there may remain no doubt at all.
But now, touching the mysteries of God revealed in God’s word, in themselves, or in their own nature, they cannot be seen with bodily eyes; and therefore are called things not seen. But this faith, by giving light to the mind, doth in heart perceive them, even as they are set forth in the word of God. Faith, therefore, according to the definition of Paul, is in the mind a most evident seeing?, and in the heart a most certain perceiving? of things invisible, that is, of things eternal; of God, I say, and all those things which he in his word setteth forth unto us concerning spiritual things.
To this definition of Pauls they had an eye which de- ὁ. fined faith in this sort: “Faith is a grounded persuasion of heavenly things, in the meditation whereof we ought so to occupy ourselves for the assured truth’s sake of God’s word, τὰ that we may believe, that in mind we do see those things as ᾿ well, as with our eyes we do behold things sensibly perceived
[1 Heb. xi. 1.] [2 ὑπόστασις, proprie, fundamentum, fulcrum, &c. Schleusner Lex.]
[in voc. In this exposition of Heb. xi. 1, Bullinger and Calvin agree, in]
[several parts, word for word. See Calv. Instit. Lib. m1. cap. 2.. 41.] [3 saying, ed. 1587, Lat. evidentissima mentis visio. ] [ Comprechensio, Lat.]]
and easy to be seen” This description doth not greatly differ from this definition of another godly and learned man, who saith: “Faith is a. stedfast persuasion of the mind, whereby we do fully decree with ourselves that God’s truth is so sure, that he can neither will, nor choose, but perfor that which he in his word hath promised to fulfil.” Again: “Faith is g_stedfast assuredness—of conscience, which doth embrace Christ in the same sort wherein he is offered unto us by the gospel”.” Another there is which after the same manner almost defineth faith in this sort: Faith is a gift inspired by God into the mind of man, whereby, without any doubting at all, he doth believe that to be whatsoever God hath either taught or promised in the books of both the testaments.” The very same author of this defirfition, therefore, doth extend faith to three terms of time: to the time past, the time present, and the time to cqme. For he teacheth to believe that the world was made by God, and whatsoever the holy scriptures do declare to have been done in the old world; also that Christ dying for
To
us is the only salvation of them which believe: and that
[[> The editor has not succeeded in tracing this definition to its]
[source. The original Latin gives the definition thus: Fides est re-]
[rum divinarum persuasio, quarum cogitationi ita incumbere debemus,]
[propter oraculorum fidem, ut non minus ea cernere animo credamus,]
[quam oculis res sensu perceptas et aspectabiles cernimus. ] [6 This definition is thus given in the original Latin: Fides est]
[firma animi persuasio, qua nobiscum statuimus tam certam esse Dei]
[veritatem, ut non possit non przestare quod se facturum sancto suo]
[verbo recipit.—The editor has not been able to discover these exact]
[words in Calvin’s writings; but similar definitions are found in his In-]
[stitutes, Lib. m1. cap. 2. 42, and Vera Eccles. Reform. Ratio. Tom.]
[vir. p. 275, ed. Amstel. ] [7 Fides, inquam, firma est conscientice certitudo, quee Christum]
[amplectitur, qualis nobis per evangelium offertur.—Calvin. Vera Ec-]
[cles. Reform. Ratio. Opp. Tom. vir. p. 275. a.] [8 A definition of Faith, almost the same as this, is found in Grop-]
[per’s Enchiridion, attached to the edition of 1538 of the Canons of a]
[synod of the province of Cologne, and is as follows: Fides est donum]
[menti hominis divinitus infusum, quo citra ullam heesitantiam credit]
[esse verissima, queecunque divina eloquia docuerunt.—In Symbol.]
[Apost. fol. 49. Colon. In a later work, also, Gropper says: Fides]
[est preeteritorum, preesentium, et futurorum.—Instit. Cathol. p. 232,]
[Colon. 1554.)]
by the same God, at this day also, the world and church «are governed or preserved, and that in Christ the faithful are saved: last of all, that that shall most assuredly light upon the ungodly and the godly, whatsoever the holy scriptures do either threaten or promise.
Out of all these definitions, therefore, being diligently true… considered, we may, according to the scriptures, make this description of faith: Faith is a gift of God, poured into man from heaven, whereby he is taught with an undoubted persuasion wholly to lean to God and his word; in which word God doth freely promise life and all good things in Christ, and wherein all truth necessary to be believed is plainly declared. Which description of faith 1 will, by God’s help, in this that followeth unfold into parts, and by assertion of places out of the scriptures will both confirm and make manifest unto you. Ye, as hitherto ye have done, so still give diligent ear, and in your hearts pray earnestly to God.
First of all, the cause or beginning of faith cometh not of any man, or any strength of man, but of God himself, who by his Holy Spirit inspireth faith into our hearts. For in the gospel the Lord saith: “No man cometh to me unless my Father draw him!” And again: “Flesh and blood,” saith the Lord to Peter, confessing Christ in true faith, “hath not revealed this to thee, but my Father which is in heaven2.” Whereunto the apostle Paul alludeth when he saith: We are not able of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but all our ability is of God2” And in another place: “To you it is given for Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake.” Faith therefore is poured into our hearts by God, who is the well-spring and cause of all goodness.
And yet we have to consider here, that God, in giving of and inspiring faith, doth not use his absolute power, or miracles, in working; but a certain ordinary means agreeable to man’s” capacity: although he can indeed give faith without those means, to whom, when, and how it pleaseth him. But we read, that the Lord hath used this ordinary means even from the first ereation of all things.” Whom he meaneth t bestow knowledge and faith on, to them he sendeth teachers,
[1 John vi. 44.] [2 Matt. xvi. 17.] [3 2 Cor. iii. 5.] [ Phil. i. 29.]]
by the word of God to preach true faith unto them. Not because it lieth in man’s power, will, or ministry, to give faith; nor because the outward word spoken by man’s mouth is able of itself to bring faith: but the voice of man, and the preaching of God’s word, do teach us what true faith is, or what God doth will and command us to believe. For God himself alone, by sending his Holy Spirit into the hearts and minds of, doth open our hearts, persuade our minds, and cause with all our heart to believe that which we by his word and teaching have learned to believe. - The Lord could by miracle from—heaven, without any preaching at all, have bestowed faith in Christ upon Cornelius the Centurion at Cesaria: but yet by an angel he doth send him to the preaching of Peter; and while Peter preacheth, God by his Holy Spirit worketh in the heart of Cornelius, causing him to believe his preaching. Verily St Paul saith: “How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach if they be not sent? So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of GodS” In another place also, “Who is Paul,” saith he, “or what is Apollos, but ministers, by whom ye have believed, according as God hath given to every one? I have planted, Apollos watered, but God hath given increase. So then he that planteth is nothing, nor he that watereth, but God that giveth increase?.” With this doctrine of St Peter and St Paul doth that agree which Augustine writeth in the preface of his book of Christian Doctrine, where he saith: “That which we have to learn at man’s hand, let every one learn at man’s hand without disdain. And let us not go about to tempt him in whom we believe; neither, being deceived, let us think scorn to go to church, to hear or learn out of books, looking still when we shall be rapt up into the third heaven. Let us take heed of such like temptations of pride, and let us rather have this in our minds, that even the apostle Paul himself, although he were cast prostrate, and instructed by the calling of God from heaven, was nevertheless sent to a man to be taught the will of God: and that Corne-
[[> Apud Ceesaream Stratonis, Lat. Strato’s Tower was the]
[earlier name of Ciesarea Palwstina.—Relandi Palestin. Illustr. Lib. 11].]
[in voc. Ceesarea.] [6 Rom. x. 14, 15, 17.] [ 1 Cor. iii. 5—T7.]]
lius, although God had heard his prayers, was committed to Peter to be instructed; by whom he should not only receive the sacraments, but should also hear what he ought to believe, what to hope for, and what to love: all which things notwithstanding might have been done by the angel,” &ec.! The same Augustine also, in his Epistle to the Circenses, saith: “Even he worketh conversion and bringeth it to pass, who by his ministers doth warn us outwardly with the signs of things, but inwardly doth by himself teach us with the very things themselves.” Also in his treatise, the xxvi. upon John: “What do men” (saith he) “when they preach outwardly? What do I now while I speak? 1 drive into your ears a noise of words: but unless he which is within do reveal it, what say I, or what speak I? He that is without doth husband the tree, but he within is the creator of it3,” &e. This said he.
But, even as the Lord his desire is, to have us believe his true
[1 Quod per hominem discendum est, sine superbia discat; et per quem docetur alius, sine invidia tradat quod accepit. Neque tentemus eum cui credidimus, ne talibus inimici versutiis et perversitate decepti, ad ipsum quoque evangelium audiendum atque discendum nolimus ire in ecclesias, aut codicem legere, aut legentem praedicantemque hominem audire, et exspectemus rapi usque in tertium ceelum, sive in corpore, sive extra corpus, sicut dicit Apostolus, et ibi audire ineffabilia verba, que non licet homini loqui, aut ibi videre Dominum Jesum Christum, et ab illo potius quam ab hominibus audire evangelium. Caveamus tales tentationes superbissimas et periculosissimas, magisque cogitemus et ipsum Apostolum Paulum, licet divina et ceelesti voce prostratum et instructum, ad hominem tamen missum esse ut sacramenta perciperet atque copularetur ecclesize; et centurionem Cornelium, quamvis exauditas orationes ejus eleemosynasque respectas ei angelus nunciaverit, Petro tamen traditum imbuendum, per quem non solum sacramenta perciperet, sed etiam quid credendum, quid sperandum, quid diligendum esse audiret. Et poterant utique omnia per angelum fieri.—August. ex Pref. in Lib. de Doctr. Christiana, Par. 1531. Tom. 111. fol. 2.]
[2 Hoc agit ille et efficit, qui per ministros suos rerum signis extrinsecus admonet, rebus autem ipsis per seipsum intrinsecus docet.—Ad Circenses. Ep. cxxx. Tom. 11. fol. 124.]
[3 Quid faciunt homines forinsecus annunciantes? Quid facio modo ego, cum loquor? Strepitum verborum ingero auribus vestris. Nisi ergo revelet ille qui intus est, quid dico, aut quid loquor? Exterior cultor arboris: interior est creator.—In Joh. cap. vi. Tract. 26. Tom, 1x. fol. 47.]
word, (for the prophet crieth out and saith, “To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts;”) so in like he doth require of us all, which hear his word, that we be not slack in praying. For, in hearing the word of God, we must pray for the gift of faith, that the Lord may open our hearts, convert our souls, break and beat down the hardness of our minds, and increase the measure of faith bestowed upon us. Of this order of prayer there are many examples in the holy scriptures. When the Lord in the gospel said to one, “Canst thou believe? to him that believeth all things are possible;” he made answer, saying, “I believe, Lord, help thou mine unbelief.” The apostles also ery to the Lord, and say: “0 Lord, increase our faith” Moreover, this prayer, wherein we desire to have faith poured into us, is of the grace and gift of God, and not of our own righteousness, which before God 15 none at all. This therefore is left unto us for a thing most certain and undoubtedly true, that true faith is the mere gift of God, which is by the Holy Ghost from heaven bestowed upon our minds, and is declared unto us in the word of truth by teachers sent of God, and is obtained by earnest prayers which cannot be tired. Whereby we learn, that we ought often and-attentively-to—hear-the word of God, and never cease to pray to God for the obtaining of true faith.
this faith, inspired from-heaven, and learned out of the word of truth, doth put into man’s mind an undoubted persuasion; that is, that whatsoever we believe in the word of God, we do believe it most assuredly, without wavering or doubting, being altogether as sure to have the thing, as faith doth believe to have it (for I use this word persuasion, not as it is commonly taken, but for a firm assent of mind, inspired and persuaded by the Holy Ghost;) that this faith, I say, doth ie mows mind his tmdoatied_persuidon, declare by the example of Abraham’s faith, which Paul in the fourth chapter to the Romans deseribeth in these words: “Abraham, contrary to hope, believed in hope: and he fainted not in faith, neither considered he his own body now dead, when he was almost an hundred years old, nor the deadness of Sarae’s womb; he stackered” not at the promise of God
[[ Psal. xev. 7, 8.] [6 Mark ix. 23, 24.] [6 Luke xvii. 5.] [7 So in Tyndale’s and Cranmer’s Versions. ]]
through unbelief, but became strong in faith, and gave the glory to God, having a sure persuasion, that he, which had promised, was able also to perform!”
In these words of the apostle there are certain notes to be observed, which do prove to us that faith doth bring an assured persuasion into_the mind and heart of man; and sothat faith-is-—an—undoubted confidence of things believed, ereto. the heart is made privy;, that true faith not fly to and fro from place to place in The heart of man, but that, being deeply rooted in Christ, it sticketh in the heart which is enlightened. First, saith the apostle, “Abraham, contrary to hope, believed in hope:” that is to say, there he had a constant hope, where notwithstanding he had nothing to hope after, if all things had been weighed according to the manner of this world. But hope is a most firm and undoubted looking after those things which we believe: so that we see that the apostle did make faith manifest by hope, and by the certainty of hope did declare the assured constancy of faith. After that saith he, “Abraham fainted not in faith, nor stackered at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith.” There are two kinds of stackerings in mankind?: the one is that, which, being overcome by evil temptations, doth bend to desperation, and the despising of God’s promises. Such was the stackering of those ten spies of the holy land, of whom mention is made in the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of Numbers. The other stackering is rather to be called a weak infirmity of faith, which also is tempted itself; that now I may not make rehearsal to you, how that in us all, by the spot of original sin, is naturally grafted a certain kind of unbelief, and that man’s mind is at no time so enlightened or confirmed, but that cloudy mists of ignorance and doubtings do sometimes arise:
[[! Rom. iv. 18—21.] [2 Bullinger’s words here are very much akin to Calvin’s, who]
[writes on Rom. iv. 19, as follows: Duplex enim est fidei debilitas:]
[una, que tentationibus adversis succumbendo, excidere nos a Dei]
[virtute facit: altera, que ex imperfectione quidem nascitur, non]
[tamen fidem ipsam extinguit. Nam nec mens unquam sic illuminata]
[est, quin maneant multe ignorantie reliquize: nunquam sic est ani-]
[mus stabilitus, quin multum heereat dubitationis,—Comment. in loc.]
[Amstel. Tom. vir. p. 29.]]
yet notwithstanding, faith yieldeth not to temptation, neither is drowned nor sticketh in the mire of stackering; but, laying hold upon the promised word of truth, getteth up again by struggling, and is confirmed. So we read, that, at the promise of God, this came into Abraham’s mind: What, shall there a son be born to thee that art an hundred years old 3?” This was that infirmity, and stackering, or weakness, of faith. But here the apostle, commending Abraham’s faith, which overcame and yielded not, teaching us also of what sort true faith ought to be, that is, a firm and most assured persuasion, saith: “Abraham fainted not in faith, neither considered his own body dead?, when he was almost an hundred years old, nor the deadness of Sarae’s womb.” Lo, this thought came into Abraham’s mind: Shall a son be born to me that am an hundred years old?” But he fainted not in faith. The faith of Abraham began not to droop by reason of this temptation. For he considered not the weakness that was in himself, nothing answerable to the promise of God. What then? He stackered not at the promise of God through unbelief: that is, he gave no place to unbelief to be tempted of it; he fell not to his own reasons and doubtful inquisitions, as unbelievers are wont to do. For God’s promise being once set before the eyes of his mind, to that, I say, he stuck unmoveably, casting off all doubts and reasons of his own. For faith hath no respect at all to the weakness, misery, or lack, which is properly in mankind; but setteth her whole stay in the power of God. So then, I say, Abraham was strong in faith, that is, he prevailed and got the upper hand in his temptation, For this is an argument, to shew that he had the upper hand: “He fainted not, nor waxed weak in faith.”
It followeth in the apostle, “Abraham gave God the glory;” to wit, in believing that God wisheth well to mankind, and that he is a true God and almighty. For he giveth God his glory, which attributeth to God the properties of God, and doth not gainsay the word and promise of God. For John the apostle
[3 Gen. xvii. 17.] [ Now dead, 1577; jam emortuum, Lat.] [5 Opponitur enim illi superiori, Lat. For there is opposed to that]
[which went before. Omitted by the translator. ]]
saith: “He that believeth not in God, maketh God a liar.” Abraham therefore believed in God, and in believing gave God the glory. The apostle Paul goeth forward and saith: “He was throughly persuaded, or certified, that he which had promised was able also to perform.” Paul used the Greek word πληροφορηθεὶς, which is all one as if you should say, being certified. For πληροφορέω doth signify, fully to certify: whereupon πληροφορία is an assured faith given unto us, which is made by way of argument, or by the thing itself. And they call that πληροφόρημα, which we call a certification; as when a thing by persuasions is so beaten into our minds, that after that we never doubt any more. Therefore faith did certify Abraham, and with undoubted persuasions did bring him to the point never to doubt, but that God was able to perform what he had promised: in faith therefore he stuck unmoveable to the promise of God, being assuredly certified that he should obtain whatsoever God had promised. It is certain therefore, and plainly declared by the words of the apostle, that true faith is an undoubted persuasion in the a BT Tm Rr as his belief is, and as he is said to have it in the express word of God. Whereby also-we learn, that faith is not the unstable every.. 5 τ π—τ: vo ~ and unadvised confidence of him which believeth every great and unpossible thing. For faith is ruled-and-beund to the word of God to the word of God, I say, rightly and truly “understood. godly and faithful, therefore; -ἀο by ” and ἀτθιοῶξ of PREY OT Ga as what they List; ough God therefore would do every thing because he can do all things, or that faith should therefore believe every thing, because it is written, “All things are possible to him that believeth.” For his faith is therefore a great deal more2, because that which he doth believe is so set down and declared in the word of God, as he doth believe. Furthermore, where the Lord in the gospel saith, “” All things are possible to him that believeth,” we must not take that saying to be absolutely spoken, but to be joined to the word, will, and glory of God, and the safety of our souls. For all
[1 John νυ. 10.] [2 Nam pius ideo credit, quia, &c., Lat. The translator read plus.]]
things which God in his word hath promised, all things which God will have, and lastly, all things which make to the glory of God and the safeguard of our souls, “are possible to him that believeth.” And for that cause the apostle both openly and plainly said: “Whatsoever God hath promised, that same he is able also to perform.” For whatsoever he hath not promised, and whatsoever pleaseth not his divine majesty, or is contrary to the will and express word of God, that cannot God do; not because he cannot, but because he will not3. God could make bread of stones; but we must not therefore believe that stones are bread, neither are they bread therefore, because God can do all things. This ye shall understand better and more fully, where as? a little hereafter I shall shew unto you, that true faith strayeth not nor wavereth, wandering to and fro, but cleaveth close and sticketh fast to God and his word.
In the mean season, because we have shewed out of Paul’s words, by the example of Abraham, that faith is a substance and undoubted persuasion in the heart; and because many do stiffty stand in it; that man is not surely certain of his salvation: I will add a few examples out of the gospel, whereby they may plainly perceive, that faith is a most sure ground and settled opinion touching God and our salvation. And first, verily, the centurion, of whom mention is made in the gospel, had conceived a stedfast hope that his servant should be healed of the Lord. For he understood how great and mighty things he promised to them that believe. He gathered also by the works of Christ, that it was an easy matter for him to restore his servant to health again. Therefore he cometh to the Lord, and among other talk saith: “It is no reason that thou shouldest come under my roof; yea, do but say the word, and my servant shall be made whole.” These words do testify, that in the heart and mind of the centurion there was a sure persuasion of most assured health,
[3 Non quod non possit omnia, sed quod nolit omnia, Lat.] [ i.e. where, ubi, Lat.] [5 Hujus temporis heereticorum error est, posse fideles eam no-]
[titiam habere de sua gratia, ut certa fide statuant sibi remissa esse]
[peccata.—Bellarm. de Justif. Lib. m1. cap. 3. p. 949. Colon. Agrip.]
[1619.)]
which by a certain comparison he doth make manifest and more fully express. “For I myself am a man under the authority of another; and under me I have soldiers; and I say to one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.” When the Lord perceived this certification of his mind by his words most full of faith, he crieth out, “that in all Israel he hath not found so great faith.” The same again in the gospel speaketh notably of the woman’s faith which was sorely plagued with the bloody flux. And that faith was an undoubted persuasion in her heart once illuminated, we may thereby understand, because she (being first indeed stirred up by the works and words of the Lord) thought thus within herself: “If I do but touch his garment, I shall be whole;” and therefore, pressing through the thickest of the throng, cometh to the Lord2
But why heap I together many examples? Doth not the only? faith of the Chananitish or Syrophenician woman declare more plainly than that it can be denied, how that faith is a most assured persuasion of things believed? For being over-passed, and, as it were, contemned of the Lord, she wavereth not in faith; but following him, and hearing also that the Lord was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, she goeth on to worship him. Moreover, being put back, and, as it were, touched with the foul reproach of a dog, she goeth forward yet humbly to cast herself prostrate before the Lord, requesting to obtain the thing that she desired. She would not have persevered so stiffly, if faith had not been a certification in her believing mind and heart. Wherefore the Lord, moved with that faith of hers, cried: “Woman, great is thy faith; be it done to thee even as thou wilt.”
It is manifest therefore, by all these testimonies of the holy scripture, that faith is a stedfast and undoubted persuasion in the mind and heart of the Believer-———
This being now brought to-an end, let us see what it is, whereupon man’s faith doth lean; and also, how we may clearly f perceive, that faith.is not a vain and unstable opinion (as a [1 Matt. viii. 5—10. [2 Matt. ix. 20—22.]
[3 una, Lat.] [ Matt. xv. 22—28; Mark vii. 26.]
little before we were about to say) of any thing whatsoever, conceived in the mind of man, but that it is tied up and contained within bounds, and, as it were, certain conditions. In the definition therefore of faith we said, that faith bendeth to God-ward, and leaneth on his word. God therefore, and The thing whereon a man may lean safely, surely, and without all manner doubting, must needs be stedfast and altogether unmoveable; which doth give health, which doth preserve, and which doth fill up or minister all fulness unto us: for this doth faith seek and request. But this is not elsewhere than in God. On God alone therefore doth true faith bend and lean. God is everlasting, chiefly good, wise, just, mighty, and true of word. And that doth he testify by his works and word. Wherefore in the prophets he is called a strong and unmoveable rock, a castle, a wall, a tower, an invincible fortress, a treasure, and a well that never will be drawn dry5. This everlasting God can do all things, knoweth all things, is present in all places, loveth mankind exceedingly, doth provide for all men, and also governeth or disposeth all things. Faith therefore, which is a confidence of God’s good-will and of his τσ ἜΣ and of the true salvation of mankind, bendeth God alone, and cannot lean to any other creaturein whom the things are not that faith requireth.
~ And even as God is true of word, and cannot lie, so is his word true and deceiveth no man. In the word of God is expressed the will and mind of God. To the word of God therefore hath faith an eye, and layeth her ground upon God’s word; touching which word the Lord in the gospel said: “Heaven and earth shall pass, but my word shall not pass.” The word of God here is compared with the most excellent elements. Air and water. are feeble and unstable elements: but heaven, although it turn and move, doth keep yet a wonderful and most stedfast course in moving, and stedfast are all things therein. The earth is most stable and unmoveable. Therefore, if it be easier for these things to be loosed, which cannot be undone, than for the word of God to pass; it followeth, that God’s word in all points is most stable, un-
[6 2 Sam. xxii. 2,3; Psal. xxxi. 2,3; Prov. xviii. 10; Isai. xxxiii. 6;]
[Jer. xvii. 13.] [6 Mark xiii. 31.]]
moveable, and not possible to be loosed. “If” (saith the Lord in Jeremy) “ye can undo the league that I have taken with the day, or the covenant that I have made with the night, so that it neither be day nor night at the appointed time, then may my covenant be of none effect which I have made with David’.” But not the whole world, laying all their strengths together, is able to make it day when it is once night, nor cause the day to break one hour sooner than the course of heaven doth command. Therefore not all this world, with all the power and pomp thereof, shall be able once to weaken or break, to change or abolish, so much as one tittle in the word of God, and the truth of God’s word. Faith therefore, which resteth upon a thing most firm or sure, cannot choose but be undoubted certification. And since” God’s word is th foundation of faith, faith cannot wander to and fro, and lean to every word whatsoever: for every opinion conceived without the word of God, or against God’s word, cannot be called true faith. And for that cause St Paul, the apostle of Christ, would not ground the true or christian faith upon any carnal props or opinions of men, but upon the truth and power of God. With his words will I conclude this place: Faith” (saith he) “cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of God%” “By the word of God,” he saith, and not by the word of man. Again, to the Corinthians: “My preaching” (saith he) “was not in enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in the shewing forth of the Spirit, and of power; that your faith should not be in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God” Whereby also we learn, that some there are, which against all reason require faith at our hands; that is, they would have us to believe that which they are not able to shew out of God’s word, or that which is clean contrary to the word of God.
To the better declaring of this that I have said availeth that short abridgement of God’s word and of faith, which we in the definition of faith have closely knit up together. There are there rehearsed wo, chief points of faith and of the word: and first of all, that God in Christ doth freely promise life and every good thing. For God, who is the object or mark [1 Jer. xxxiii. 20, 21.] ΓΒ Rom. x. 17.]
[3 1 Cor. 4, 5.]
and foundation of faith, being of his own proper nature everliving; everlasting”, and good, doth of himself, from before all beginning, beget the Son like to Himself in all points;, because he is of the same substance with the Father, is himself also, by nature, life, and all goodness. And to the end he might communicate to us, his sons and brethren, both life and all goodness, he became man; and being conversant, very God and man, among men, he testified that God the Father through the Son, doth pour himself wholly with all gogd things into the faithful, whom he quickeneth and filleth wi all goodness, and last of all doth take them up to himself into the blessed place of everlasting life; and that he doth frankly and freely bestow this benefit, to the end that the glory of his grace may in all things be praised. This doth true faith believe; and hereunto belong no small part of the scriptures, which testify, that God in Christ doth communicate to the faithful Tife and godliness. John the apostle crieth out and saith: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. And we saw the glory of God, as the glory of the only-begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. And of his fulness have all we received?,” &c. For the Lord himself, in the Gospel after St John, said: “Verily I say unto you, whatsoever things the Father doth, the same also doth the Son. For even as the Father doth raise the dead to life and quickeneth them, so also doth the Son quicken whom he will: for neither judgeth the Father any man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son, that all men may honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, the same honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath life everlasting, and shall not come into judgment, but is escaped from death unto lifeS.” With these words of the gospel agreeth that saying of St Paul: In Christ are laid up all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Because in him dwelleth all fulness of the Godhead bodily, and ye in him are fulfilled?” But that these great benefits of God are
[[ vivus, seternus, Lat.] [6 John i. 1,14, 16. Conspeximus gloriam ejus, Lat. ] [ John v. 19, 21—24.] [7 Col. ii. 3,9.]]
freely bestowed upon the faithful, Paul, that vessel of election, declareth in these words: Blessed be God, who hath chosen us in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid, and hath predestinated us into the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved; through whom we have redemption in his blood!” &e. And again: “All have sinned, and have need of God’s glory, but are justified freely through his grace, by the redemption which is in Christ?:” and so forward. True faith therefore doth believe, that life and every good thing doth freely come to it from God through Christ: which is the chief article of our faith, as in the articles of the belief is more largely laid forth.
The second principal point of God’s word and faith ism that in the word of God there is set down all truth necessary to be believed; and that true faith doth believe all that is declared in the scriptures. For it telleth us, that God is; what manner one he is; what God’s works are; what his judgments, his will, his commandments, his promises, and { what his threatenings are; finally, whatsoever is profitable or necessary to be believed, that doth God’s word wholly set down unto us, and that doth true faith receive, believing all things that are written in the law and the prophets, in the ~ gospel and writings of the apostles. But whatsoever cannot be fetched or proved out of those writings, or whatsoever is contrary unto them, that do the faithful not believe at all: νι for the very nature of true faith is, not to believe that “which squareth from the word of God3. Whosoever therefore believeth not the fables and opinions of men, he alone believeth as he should: for he dependeth only upon the word of God, and so upon God himself, the only fountain of all truth. he matter. The argument, wad the. wholo sum of faith is briefly set out unto usin the articles of the christian faith, whereof I -will speak at another time. I have this hour declared unto you, dearly beloved and reverend bre-
[1 Ephes. i. 3—7. Qua caros nos reddidit per dilectum, Lat.]
[and Erasmus’ rendering. ] [2 Rom. iii. 23, 24.] [83 Quee cum verbo Dei pugnant, Lat.] [6 honorandi, Lat. And there is no et (and) in the original.]]
thren in the Lord, the definition of faith; which to the end that T may surely fasten in every one’s mind, and that all may understand what faith is, I repeat it here again, and therewithal conclude this sermon. Faith is a gift of God, poured into man from heaven, whereby he is taught with an undoubted persuasion wholly to lean to God and his word; in which word God in Christ doth freely promise life and every good thing and wherein all truth necessary to be believed is plainly declared. Let us all pray to God our __Father through his only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ, that he will vouchsafe from heaven to bestow true faith upon us all, that we, by it knowing him aright, may at the last obtain life everlasting. Amen. THAT THERE IS ONE ONLY TRUE FAITH, AND WHAT
The Virtue Thereof Is. The Fifth Sermon
← 5. Decade 1, Sermon 3 · Contents · 7. Decade 1, Sermon 5 →