The Virtue Thereof Is. The Fifth Sermon
Being cut off with the shortness of time, and detained by the excellency of the matter, I could not in my last sermon make an end of all that I had determined to speak touching faith: now therefore, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, I will add the rest of the argument which seemeth yet to be behind. Pray to the Lord that that, which by man’s voice is brought to your ears, may by the finger of God be written in your hearts.
True faith is ignorant of all division; for “there is,” saith the apostle, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, [one] God and Father of all.” For there remaineth, from the beginning of the world even unto the end thereof, one and the same faith in all the elect of God. God is one and the same for ever, the only Well of all goodness, that can never be drawn dry. The truth of God, from the beginning of the world, is one and the same, set forth to men in the word of God. Therefore the object and foundation of faith, that is, God and the
[5 unus Deus, Lat.] Ephes. 5,6.] [bullinger.]
word of God, remain for ever one and the self-same. In one “and the self-same faith with us have all the elect ever since the first creation of the world believed, that unto us through Christ all good things are freely given, and that all truth necessary to be believed is declared in the word of the Lord: ἃ wherefore the faithful of the old world have always settled their faith on God and his word; so that now, without all doubt, there cannot be any more than one true faith.
I know very well, that in the world there are sowed many and sundry faiths, that is to say, religions. For there is the Indian faith!, the Jewish faith, the faith of the Mahometists, and the faith of the Georgians; and yet notwithstanding there is but one true christian faith, the abridgement whereof is contained in the articles of our belief, and is taught at the full in the sacred scriptures-ef beth-the Testaments. I know also that there are sundry beliefs of men, resting upon sundry things, and believing that which is contrary to true faith: but yet, nevertheless, there remaineth but one true belief in God and his word, (which is) an undoubted persuasion and confidence of things most true and assuredly certain.
This confidence doth grow with increase in the minds of the faithful, and, contrarily, decreaseth again and utterly faileth. And for that cause the apostles besought the Lord, saying: “Lord, increase our faith3,” And Paul the apostle doth in his writings everywhere wish to the faithful the increase of the spirit and faith. David also before him prayed, saying: “0 God, create a clean heart within me, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me%” For he had seen how that from Saul, whom he succeeded in the kingdom, the good Spirit of God was departed, and that instead thereof the wicked spirit had entered into his mind, which tormented him very pitifully. Hereunto belongeth that saying in the gospel: “To every one that hath shall be given, and from him that hath not
[[: Indiana fides, Lat.] [2 fides Georgiana, Lat. The Georgians are a branch of the]
[Greek Church. Mosheim’s Eccles. Hist. Book 1v. Cent. 16. Sect. 3,]
[Ch. 2. ὁ 10. ed. Soames. Smith and Dwight’s Missionary Researches]
[in Armenia, Letter 8.] [3 Luke xvii. 5.] [ Ps. li. 10, 11.]]
shall be taken away that which he hath not,” or that he maketh no account of, “and shall be given to him that hath5.” Neither was it in vain that the Lord said to Peter, “I have prayed for thee, Peter, that thy faith fail not” For Paul speaketh of some in his time, that “made shipwreck of their own faith, and overthrew the faith of other?” And to what end, I pray you, do we daily hear the word of God, and make our humble petitions to the Lord, but because we look for increase of godliness, and his aid to keep us that we fall not from true faith? Verily Paul to the Thessalonians saith: “We pray earnestly day and night to see you personally, and to supply that which is wanting in your faith” And a little before he said: “For this cause I sent Timotheus, that I might be certified of your faith, lest by any means the tempter had tempted you, and so our labour had been of none effect?” The same apostle also, in his Epistle to the Ephesians, saith: Christ gave some apostles, some prophets, some pastors and teachers, to the restoring of the saints, unto the building of the body of Christ, until we all meet together in the unity of faith, and the acknowledging of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of age of the fulness of Christ, so that now we be no longer children!.” Therefore, so long as we live, we learn, that our faith may be perfect; and if so be at any time it shall be weakened by temptations, that then it may be repaired, and again confirmed. And in this diversity, (I mean) in this increase and “weakness of faith, there is mo partition or division; for the self? root and substance of faith doth always remain, although it be at some time more, and at some time less. In like manner, faith is not therefore changed or cut in sunder, because one is called general faith, and another particular! faith,
[5 Luke xix. 26, where the reading of the copies is either that which]
[he hath, or, that which he seemeth to have.] [6 Luke xxii. 32.] 7 1 Tim. i. 19; 2 Tim. ii. 18.] [ 1 Thess. iii. 10.] [ 1 Thess. iii. 5.] [0 Ephes. iv. 11—14.] [11 may not be perfect, 1587; ut perficiatur fides nostra, Lat.] [12 gelf-same, 1577.] [ specialis, Lat.]]
For general faith is no other than that which believeth that all the words of God are true, and that God hath a good-will to mankind: particular faith believeth nothing contrary to this; only that, which is common to all, the faithful applieth particularly to himself, believing that God is not well minded toward others alone, but even unto him also. So then it bringeth the whole into parts, and that which is general into particularities. For whereas by general faith he believeth that all the words of God are true; in the same sort by particular faith he doth believe that the soul is immortal, that our bodies rise again, that the faithful shall be saved, the unbelievers destroyed, and whatsoever else is of this sort taught to be believed in the word of God.
Moreover, the disputation touching faith poured into us,
and faith that we ourselves get; touching formal faith, and faith without fashion!; I leave to be beaten out of them which of themselves do bring these new disputations into the church. True faith is obtained by no strength or merit of man, but is poured into him of God, as I declared in my last sermon: and though man obtain it by hearkening unto the word of God, yet nevertheless it is wholly imputed to the grace of God; for unless this grace do work inwardly in the heart of the hearer, the preacher that laboureth outwardly doth bring no profit at all. We read in the third chapter of St Au-gustin’s book De Predestinatione Sanctorum, that once he was in an error, because he thought that that faith, wherewith we believe in God, is not the gift of God, but that it was in us as of ourselves, and that by it we do obtain the gifts of God, whereby we may in this world live rightly and holily2 But this he confuteth in that book at large, and that substantially. So then true faith, which bendeth on faith. God alone3, and is directed by the word of God, is formal
[1 de fide infusa et acquisita, de fide informi et jformata, Lat.]
[The reader who is so disposed may find these points stated in Andr.]
[Vega. de Justificat. Colon. 1572. Quecst. 1. pp. 727, 728.] [2 Cum similiter errarem, putans fidem, qua in Deum ecredimus,]
[non esse donum Dei, sed a nobis esse in nobis, et per illam nos im-]
[petrare Dei dona, quibus temperanter et juste et pie vivamus in hoe]
[seculo.—August. de Prezed. Sanct. ο. 3. Par. 1531. Tom. vi. fol. 253.] [3 in unum Deum tendit, Lat.]]
enough, or sufficiently in fashion. Verily, the form of faith isengraven in the heart of the faithful by the Holy Ghost. And although it be small, and doth not grow up to the highest degree, yet notwithstanding it is true faith, having force in it as it were a grain of mustard-seed. The thief, that was crucified with our Lord, believed in the Lord Jesus, and was saved, although the force of faith was strong in him but a very small season, and brought not forth any great store of fruit of good works: finally, that faith of the thief was not any whit diverse or contrary from the faith of St Peter and St Paul, but was altogether the very same with theirs, although their faith brought forth somewhat more abundantly the fruit of good works. Peter and Paul were frankly and freely justified, although they had many good works: freely was the thief justified, although his good works were very few or none at all. Let us hold therefore, that true faith is one alone, which notwithstanding doth increase and is augmented, and, again, may decrease and be extinguished.
There remaineth now for me to declare the virtue and effect of true faith This hath the holy apostle Paul done very excellently well, yea, and that most absolutely too. But although, in the eleventh chapter to the Hebrews, he had said very much, he is compelled notwithstanding to confess that he cannot reckon up all: therefore at this time I mean to rehearse a few virtues of faith, leaving the rest, dearly beloved, to be sought out and considered of yourselves.
True faith before-all things bringeth with it true knowdge, and maketh us wiseindeed. by God, and judge aright of the judgments and works of God, of virtues and vices. The wisdom that it bringeth with it is without doubt the true wisdom. Many men hope that they can attain to true wisdom by the study of philosophy: but they are deceived as far as heaven is broad. For philosophy doth falsely judge and faultily teach many things touching God, the works of God, the chief goodness, the end of good and evil, and touching things to be desired and eschewed. But the very same things are rightly and truly taught in the word of God, and understood and perceived by faith. Faith therefore is the true wisdom, and maketh us wise indeed. For
[[ Satis est formalis aut formata, Lat.) [5 ante me, Lat.; done before me.] [6 toto ccelo, Lat.]]
Jeremy also saith: “Behold, they have cast away the word of the Lord; what wisdom therefore can there be left in them!?” The wisdom of Salomon is worshipfully thought of throughout the whole compass of the world; and yet we read that the Lord, in the gospel after St Matthew, uttered this sentence against the Jews: “The queen of the south shall rise in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it; because she came from the ends of the world to hear the wisdom of Salomon: and behold, there is one in this place greater than Salomon?” Christ is preferred before Salomon, and the wisdom of Christ before the wisdom of Salomon. But it is well known, that the wisdom of Christ, the Son of God, cannot be attained to without faith. Faith therefore bringeth with it the most excellent wisdom. But herein this wisdom of ours deserveth a singular praise, because they that desire it are not sent to foreign nations, with great cost and labour, to learn it; as to the priests of Egypt, the gymnosophists of India? the philosophers of Greece, or to the rabbins of the Jews. God hath dispersed the word of God throughout the whole world, so that now the word of faith is in the hearts of all the faithful. For Paul the apostle saith: “Thus saith the justice that is of faith, Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to fetch Christ down from above. Or, Who shall descend into the deep? that is, to bring Christ from the dead again. But what saith he? The word is nigh unto thee, even in thy heart: this same is the word of faith, which we preach; for if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and dost believe with thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Faith therefore doth not-only make us wise, but happy also; the Lord himself bearing witness thereunto, and saying to his” disciples: “Happy are the eyes that see the things that ye see. For I say unto you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see the things that ye see and to hear the
[1 Jer. viii. 9.] [2 Matt. xii. 42.] [3 Gymnosophiste, Lat. A sect of Indian philosophers, who wore]
[no clothing, and practised the severities of standing alternately on one]
[foot, and of fixing their eyes on the sun.—Plin. H. N. vir. 2. med. 2.]
[Schelleri Lex. totius Latin. sub voe.] [4 Rom. x. 6—9.] [5 et non viderunt, Lat. and have not seen them: omitted.]]
things that ye hear, and heard them not%” We shall therefore find in faith a most certain determination of the most notable question stirred in, since the beginning of the world, of learned and most excellent wits; which is, by what means a man may live, be happy, attain to the chief goodness, be joined to the chief goodness, and so be justified? There have been, yea, and yet are, divers opinions touching this matter, contrary the one to the other. But we do briefly and truly affirm, that by true faith a man doth live, is happy, attaineth to the chief goodness, is conjoined to the chief goodness, and also justified: so that God dwelleth in us, and we in him; and that by faith we are both happy and blessed. What, I pray you, could have been spoken more excellently, worthily, or divinely, touching true faith? For see; faith quickeneth us, maketh us happy, joineth us to the chief goodness, so that he” in us and we in him may live; and faith doth also fully justify us.
But now it is best to hear the testimonies out of the scriptures. Faith maketh us happy. For to St Peter, confessing the Lord Jesus by true faith, it is said: “Happy art thou, Simon, the son of Jonas. Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee, but my Father which is in heavens.” St Paul, for the proof of faith, bringeth in that sentence of David: “Happy are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall impute no sin” Faith quickeneth or maketh alive. For “the just liveth by faith.” This doth Paul very often in his writings allege out of the prophets. The same Paul also saith: “The life which now I live in flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me!” Faith joineth us to the eternal and chief goodness, maketh us to enjoy the chief goodness, that God may τ - “ΞΞ ii ἀξ π΄ dwell in us and we in God. For the Lord Jesus himself in ‘the gospel saith: “He which eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, so also I live by the Father, and he that eateth me shall live by me!%.” But to eat and drink the Lord is to
[6 Luke x. 23, 24.] [7 Deus, Lat.] [8 Matt. xvi. 17.] [9 Rom. iv. 7, 8; Ps. xxxii. 1, 2.] [1 Gal. iii. 11; Heb. x. 38.] [11 Gal. ii. 20.] [‘2 John vi. 56, 57.]]
believe in the Lord, that he hath given himself to death for us. Whereupon John the apostle saith: “We have seen and do witness, that the Father hath sent the Son the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God’.”” Wherefore also Paul said: “1 live now; not I, but Christ liveth in me2.” Moreover faith doth justify. But for because the treatise thereof cannot be fitly and fully made an end of this hour, I mean to defer it till the next sermon that shall be.
At this present, dearly beloved, ye must remember, that there is but one true faith, that is, the christian faith. For although there be said to be many faiths, that is, religions; yet notwithstanding there is only but one true and undoubted faith. And that doth increase, and again decrease, in some men. As for those in whom it is rightly and godly observed, in them it sheweth forth sundry virtues. For it bringeth with it true wisdom; finally, it quickeneth, and maketh us blessed and happy indeed. To God, the Father, the author of all goodness and of our felicity, be all praise and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord, for ever and ever. Amen.
That the Faithful Are Justified by Faith
Without the Law and Works. The Sixth Sermon
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