Insights of the Church Fathers and how their viewpoints align with ours on the matter of faith and j
Proverbs, it is explained that while hatred exposes and accentuates faults, charity, conversely, conceals them. Those who love genuinely protect and hide each other's faults. Peter uses this proverb to encourage Christians towards charity, not to suggest that charity is a means to achieve forgiveness of sins.
Beyond these individuals, it's important to recall that when the Church Fathers appear to ascribe righteousness to works, they are not referring to the righteousness that God imparts freely through Christ but to an internal righteousness cultivated through a virtuous life. Or, if they do discuss the righteousness that pertains to the remission of sins, we must always return to the fundamental principle: it is a lively faith in Christ that underpins all good works. If our opponents grasped these nuances, they would not so vehemently uphold their erroneous views.
Regarding Pighius, given his evident intelligence and learning, it seems unlikely he genuinely believes his own arguments about this matter. It appears more probable that once he engaged with the subject, he treated it as an intellectual exercise rather than a matter of sincere belief.
Insights of the Church Fathers and how their viewpoints align with ours on the matter of faith and justification 77. To continue the discussion initiated earlier, let's consider the insights of the Church Fathers and how their viewpoints align with ours on the matter of faith and justification. Importantly, we don't need an exhaustive review of all their writings to understand their
position; similar to tasting sea water to know its saltiness, a few key references are sufficient.
Irenaeus, a significant early Church Father, briefly touches upon this topic in his fourth book against Valentine. He might have covered it succinctly because, during the early Christian era, the truth of justification by faith was widely accepted and uncontroversial. From what Irenaeus does mention, it is clear that he believed the ancient patriarchs, including those before the Mosaic Law like Abraham, Lot,
Noah, and Enoch, were justified by faith. He notes that these individuals, being righteous, did not require the law because they had the law written in their hearts.
You might hesitate to accept this reference from Irenaeus, particularly because he mentions that Enoch was sent as a delegate to the angels—an account that appears apocryphal or derived from oral tradition rather than scripture. However, dismissing Irenaeus's statement on this basis would also call into question the Epistle of Jude in the New Testament, which cites a prophecy from Enoch. The explanation that Enoch acted as a messenger to angelic beings could be metaphorically describing his role in admonishing the ruling class or the descendants of Seth, who are allegorically referred to as 'sons of God' in Genesis.
Turning to Tertullian, in his writings on baptism, he asserts that faith ensures the certainty of salvation. This indicates that the notion of specific faith in the remission of sins isn't a novel concept introduced solely by contemporary theologians. Tertullian's endorsement of postponing baptism until adulthood or until after marriage, though not widely accepted today, coexists with valid theological insights that were recognized by the Church at his time.
Similarly, Cyprian's discussions on the rebaptism of heretics contain valuable affirmations of faith, despite our disagreement with him on the principal issue. It's essential to recognize that no Church Father is infallible; each may support some ideas that later theology does not uphold. Yet, this doesn't necessitate the wholesale rejection of their works. Just as every beautiful pomegranate may contain some spoiled seeds, so too can every revered Church Father espouse some views that are not entirely sound.
In sum, the writings of the Church Fathers, even with their occasional errors, provide valuable insights into the early Church's understanding of faith, justification, and salvation. They reinforce the enduring Christian doctrine that faith, particularly faith in Christ's redemptive work, is central to our relationship with God.
78. Let's revisit Origen's insights, particularly his thoughts from his commentary on the Book of Job, where he delves into the essence of faith and its necessity for spiritual actions to be considered meaningful. Origen asserts that all human endeavors, whether they involve virtues like chastity or acts such as charity, are futile without faith. He succinctly states, "All things, which men do, whether it be in virginity, or in abstinence, or in chastity of the body, or in mortification of the flesh, or in the distribution of their goods; all these things, I say, they do in vain if they do them not of faith." Here, where he uses "in vain," he emphasizes that without faith, these deeds lack spiritual value.
Origen goes further, explicitly aligning with Paul's teaching by asserting, "Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin." This stark declaration underscores his stance that the merit of deeds relies entirely on the faith underpinning them, rather than the actions themselves.
He continues by arguing that without faith, individuals cannot please God or receive divine rewards—instead, such faithless actions merit judgment, wrath, and condemnation. Origen uses the metaphor of building without a foundation to illustrate his point, likening faithless deeds to labor lost. This reinforces the idea that without faith as the foundational bedrock, no spiritual or moral structure can stand.
In his exegesis, Origen also highlights the transformative power of genuine faith, suggesting that just as the earth cannot bear fruit without sunlight, so too can good works not arise without the illuminating truth of God through faith. He uses the biblical account of Noah, noting that during the year of the flood when the sun did not shine, the earth could not produce—paralleling this to the fruitlessness of works devoid of faith.
This interpretation by Origen profoundly underscores the foundational Christian principle of "sola fide" (faith alone), emphasizing that it is faith that animates and sanctifies human actions, making them worthy in the eyes of God. His commentary not only offers a deep theological insight but also aligns with key
Reformation doctrines that prioritize faith as central to Christian life and salvation.
Origen, in his exposition of the fourth chapter of Romans, employs a logical method known as a Sorites, commonly used by Stoic philosophers. He argues: If those who believe that Jesus is the Christ are born of God, and those born of God do not sin, then it follows logically that believers in Christ do not sin. This argumentation is firmly grounded in scriptural teachings. Origen further concludes that if someone sins, it necessarily implies they do not truly believe, because if every believer is sinless, then anyone who sins must not
truly believe. This supports the notion that grievous sins can cause true faith to become inactive or dormant, unable to manifest in actions.
Origen also discusses the apparent contradiction between being justified by faith and being justified freely, as taught by the Apostle
Paul. He clarifies that the faith through which we are justified is itself a gift from God, which he supports with various scriptural references. Thus, he argues that justification by faith does not contradict the concept of being justified without cost, as faith itself is not something we produce but is bestowed upon us by divine grace.
These insights from Origen demonstrate that he held a profound understanding of faith's transformative power and its divine origin, aligning closely with foundational Christian doctrines regarding sin, faith, and justification.
But this is something our Pighius cannot tolerate: for he mocks us whenever we assert that faith is obtained through the grace and inward working of the Holy Spirit. He argues that it is astonishing for the Holy Spirit to dwell and act within those who do not yet believe.
The same Origin, in his third book and third chapter on Leviticus, explains: "The holy shekel represents our faith: for if you offer faith to Christ as a price for the unblemished ram sacrificed, you will receive forgiveness of sins." Here, it is explicitly stated that forgiveness of sins is attained through faith; through that faith, I mean, which is directed towards Christ, who was delivered to death and sacrificed for us. There can be nothing clearer than these testimonies that Origin has presented for us. But these men are so stubborn that they refuse to be swayed from the opinion they have committed themselves to defend; even if you bring great
enlightenment, they resist, fearing it might appear to others that they have defended an unjust cause.
79. Cyprian, in addition to what we previously mentioned regarding the connection between faith and a virtuous life, also writes in his third book to Quirinus that faith alone is beneficial, and that we can accomplish as much as we believe. The first part of this statement pertains to the third article of this question, while the latter is very relevant to our current discussion. It is undoubtedly a remarkable saying that the power of faith is so great that by it we can do whatever we will. However, Cyprian did not consider it sufficient to simply assert this; he also supported it with numerous testimonies from scripture. As for Basilius and Gregory Nazianzen, what I have previously cited shall suffice. Chrysostom, in his sermon titled "On Faith, Law, Nature, and Spirit," says that even faith alone is capable of saving a person. He cites the example of the thief who, he says, only confessed and believed. Works alone, he says, cannot save the workers without faith. He then compares works without faith to the relics of dead men, explaining that just as dead bodies, though adorned with splendid garments, do not obtain warmth from them, similarly those lacking faith, though adorned with glorious works, are not helped by them.
The same father, commenting on Paul's letter to the Romans, on the passage "But the righteousness which is of faith," says, "You see that this chiefly pertains to faith, that we, trampling underfoot the objections of reason, should seek after that which is above nature; and that our limited understanding, being cast away by the virtue and power of God, we should embrace all the promises of God." Here we see that by faith we obtain the promises of God, and although by it we assent to all that is contained in the holy scriptures, it particularly regards the promises of God. It is also noteworthy that
he says, "the weakness of our understanding in believing is cast away by the virtue and power of God," for this refutes those who argue that this is done by human power and strength, as though we had faith of ourselves, and that it should precede justification. The same
Chrysostom, commenting on the 29th chapter of Genesis in his 54th homily, says, "This is true faith: not to pay attention to those things which are seen, even if they seem to contradict the promise, but only to consider the power of the one who promises." Those who insist that we should focus not only on the power and promises of God, but mainly on our own preparations, should take note of this. And explaining the passage in Genesis, "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness," he says, "Let us also learn,
I implore you, from the patriarch of God, to believe his words, and to trust in his promises, and not to search them out by our own understanding, but to show great gratitude, for this can both make us righteous and enable us to obtain the promises." Here, two things are to be noted: firstly, that we are made righteous by faith, and secondly, that by the same faith we obtain the promises, which our adversaries vehemently deny.
The same father, commenting on Paul's words to Timothy regarding Hymenaeus and Alexander, who have made shipwreck concerning the faith, says, "So, he who falls away from the faith once has no place to stay or return to; for when the head is corrupted and lost, what use can there be of the rest of the body? For if faith without works is dead, then works without faith are even more dead." It should be noted that this is an argument from the lesser to the greater: for he says that works are more dead without faith than faith is without works. The same author, in his sermon on the words of the apostle, "Having the same spirit of faith," says, "It is impossible, indeed it is undoubtedly impossible, if you live impurely, not to waver in faith." This demonstrates how closely Chrysostom regarded
the connection between faith and good works. The same father, explaining the apostle's words, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law," says, "As soon as a man believes, he is immediately justified; therefore, faith has affirmed the will of the law, as it has brought to fulfillment even that for which the law did everything." So why does Pighius say that faith is only the foundation and therefore far from the perfection of justification? Or why does he add so many degrees and means after faith, by which we come to justification? For Chrysostom speaks quite differently, saying that a man is justified immediately as soon as he believes.
Moreover, he attributes to faith even this: that it makes men righteous, when the law was not able to achieve that, despite its many efforts. Furthermore, when he explains the passage "Being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness," he calls this righteousness of God the righteousness of faith, which is entirely given by grace from above, and not due to our efforts. And concerning the words "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone," he says, "You see then that faith comes with confidence and security." Here he clearly designates a specific faith and certainty regarding the remission of sins, which our adversaries oppose so vehemently. Also, when he expounds the saying in the 11th chapter, "And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in," he says, "If faith could graft you, when you were a wild olive tree, into a good olive tree, it can also restore those who have been cut off into their own good olive tree." Here, the power to be grafted into Christ through justification and the power to restore those who are cut off is attributed to faith.
I could now turn to Jerome, but something compels me to return to Chrysostom: for this same man writes that faith alone is not
sufficient for salvation. And such statements are often found in the Fathers, which our adversaries continually use against us, although, truth be told, such an objection is not like the throw of Entellus, nor should it be greatly feared, for it can easily be answered in one word.
For he does not say that faith is not sufficient for justification, but only for salvation; for faith alone is sufficient for justification. But after we are justified, it is not enough for the attainment of salvation to simply say, "I believe"; we must also live a holy life and perform good works, for by them, as if by certain steps, God leads us to happiness. And thus we can interpret all the statements of the Fathers that seem to lean in this direction. And if their words (as sometimes happens) cannot bear such an interpretation, then, as is most appropriate, we will appeal from them writing carelessly to the very same Fathers writing more soundly and in a more universally accepted manner in another place, just as that woman in ancient times appealed from Philip when he was drunk to the very same
Philip when he was sober.
80. Jerome, in his commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, on the passage "And we know that man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ," says that all the forefathers were justified by the same faith in Christ by which we are now justified. He confirms this statement by citing many examples. First, he mentions Abraham, for Christ said of him, "He saw my day, he saw it, and rejoiced." Then he speaks of Moses, referring to the Epistle to the Hebrews, which states that he considered the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, and that he chose to embrace the cross of Christ rather than remain in Pharaoh's court. He adds that John the Evangelist, in his 12th chapter, clearly teaches that the things Isaiah wrote about the glory of God, when he saw the Lord sitting on a high throne, refer to the Son of God. He also cites the Epistle of Jude, which says that the
Lord Jesus Christ delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt and later struck down the unbelievers. In this passage, I am surprised that Jerome, a man otherwise excellent in the Greek tongue, translated it as "the Lord Jesus Christ," whereas in our text, only the word "Lord" appears. Unless we suppose that his copy differed from the one we now use. I mention this not because I doubt whether those events were carried out by Christ the Son of God or not, for John says, "No man hath seen God at any time, but the Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
Therefore, whatever is spoken to men concerning divine matters is spoken by the Son of God, who has truly given himself to mankind as a faithful interpreter of God his Father. And Paul, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter ten, says, "They drank of that spiritual
Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." He also warns, "Let us not tempt Christ, as some of them tempted him." Jerome, in his commentary on Galatians where he lists the fruits of the spirit, when he comes to faith, writes, "If charity is absent, faith also departs with it." These words clearly indicate that he believed true faith cannot be separated from charity, a point we also teach and defend. But Pighius and his cohorts hiss at this and cry out against it; however, let him grumble as much as he likes, it is enough for us that this doctrine agrees with both the scriptures and the fathers.
Ambrose, interpreting the words from the Epistle to the Romans, "For it is one God who justifieth circumcision by faith," says,
"Because there is only one God, he has justified all men in one and the same way, since nothing causes merit and dignity except faith."
And later, on the words, "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed," he explains, "The promise cannot be sure to all the seed, that is, to all kinds of men, of whatever nation they may be, except by faith. For
the beginning of the promise is of faith, not of the law; for those under the law are guilty, but the promise cannot be given to the guilty, so they must first be purified by faith to become worthy to be called the sons of God, and for the promise to be sure." And at the beginning of chapter 5, on the words "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God," he says, "Faith, not the law, brings us peace with God; for it reconciles us to God when our sins are forgiven, which previously made us enemies of God." And later, on the words
"The law of the Spirit of life," he explains, "It is faith that justifies those who turn to it, to forgive them whom the law holds guilty, so that, living by faith, they may be free from sin." In his second book on the Gospel of Luke, he says that Peter did not weep until the Lord looked back at him, and he adds that the Lord brought forth in him both repentance and the power to weep.
81. But Augustine, when he discusses this matter, appears to be in his element, so that searching in him for testimonies regarding this controversy is, as the common saying goes, akin to seeking water in the sea. Nonetheless, it is not irrelevant to extract something from him as well. In the sermon on the Mount, concerning the words of the Gospel in Matthew, in his seventh sermon towards the end, he says, "If you presume of your own work, a reward is rendered unto you, and not grace given you." I ask now, "Do you believe, O sinner?"
"I believe." "What? Do you believe that your sins may be freely forgiven you by him?" "Then you have that which you believe." In his preface on the 31st Psalm, he writes, "You have done no good, yet remission of sins is given to you. Your works are considered, and they are all found worthless. If God were to render unto those works what is due, undoubtedly he would condemn you." In his book "De spiritu et litera," chapter 12, he asserts, "We gather that a man is not justified by the rules of good life, but by the faith of Jesus Christ."
And in his book against the two epistles of the Pelagians, in the third
book, chapter five, he states, "Our faith, that is, the catholic faith, discerns the just from the unjust, not by the law of works, but even by the law of faith."
In Augustine's 106th epistle, he and Alipius affirm, "Righteousness is of faith, whereby we believe that we are justified, that is, that we are made just by the grace of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord." In the same work, against Pelagius and Coelestinus, in his first book, chapter ten, he asserts, "It is not enough to confess what grace you will, but that grace by which we are persuaded, by which we are drawn, and by which that which is good itself is given us." This clearly contradicts those who posit some general grace and assert that it lies within every man's power to accept or refuse it. But the grace by which we are so persuaded is nothing else but faith, which indeed is necessary for justification. But those works done before we are justified are of no avail. As Augustine writes in his work against the second epistle of the Pelagians, in the third book, chapter five,
"Even as works which seem good are turned into sins for the ungodly." In his book "De spiritu et litera," chapter 28, he writes,
"Just as there are certain venial sins without which the very just man cannot live, yet they do not hinder us from salvation, so there are certain good works without which even the most wicked men can very hardly live, yet these works do not profit them towards salvation."
And lest we think that the faith by which we are justified is a common thing, Augustine adds later in chapter 3, "Why is one man so instructed that he is utterly persuaded, and another not so? There are only two things, which I think good to answer; O the depth of the riches, etc.! Also; What? Is there iniquity with God?" He then warns,
"He who is displeased with this answer, let him seek better learned men, but let him beware of presumptuous persons." If we were to
believe our adversaries, this doubt would be very crude and blind.
They would immediately respond that one is persuaded because he wills it, and the other is not persuaded because he does not will it.
But Augustine, considering the matter more deeply, decides to refer the whole issue to God, who distributes to each person as he sees fit, justly, though we may not understand the reasons for his justice, nor is it proper for us to seek them out. Otherwise, we may end up like certain flies, attracted by the candlelight, flying too close and getting burnt by the flame.
Augustine also rebukes Pelagius in his fifth chapter for positing a common grace for all the saints, which he would have be nothing else but nature. This is what our adversaries do today when they claim that grace is openly offered to all men, and it lies within every man's power to receive it if he so wills. In Augustine's letter to Vitalis, he says, "To those whose case is similar to those to whom grace is given, yet it is not given to them, so that those to whom it is given may understand how freely it was given to them." He makes it clear that it is God who, against our will, makes us willing, who takes away our stony heart and gives us a fleshy heart. This clearly shows that it is faith by which we are justified, and God distributes it according to his good will. Augustine, in "De dogmatibus ecclesiasticis," chapter four, asserts, "To be purged from sins, God does not wait for our will." And in chapter 44, he writes, "The Holy Ghost makes us choose, think, and consent to every good thing pertaining to salvation." In his "De trinitate," book 13, chapter 17, Augustine writes, "The Word of the Son of God took upon him the nature of man without any merit; and in the same way, the grace of God is given to us."
In a letter to Simplicianus, Augustine asks, "Who can live uprightly and work justly unless he be justified by faith? Who can believe
unless he be touched by some calling, that is, by some testification of things? Who has the power to have his mind touched with such a sight whereby the will may be moved unto faith?" In his sermon upon John, he declares, "All sins are comprehended under the name of infidelity," and adds that faith cannot exist without hope and charity, as he clearly teaches in his commentary on the 31st Psalm. In his work against the two epistles of the Pelagians, Augustine discusses at length how we are drawn by God. He affirms that the Pelagians would triumph excessively over Christians if they did not find the concept of drawing in the Holy Scriptures. But since this concept is expressed in the Gospel itself, they have no grounds to stand on. There are countless other passages in Augustine that support this opinion, but for brevity's sake, I choose to omit them.
82. Cyrillus, in his first book against Julianus, asserts, "The faith of Abraham and our faith is utterly one and the same." In his exposition on John, in the third book, chapter 31, he elucidates the statement,
"This is the work of God, that ye believe in him whom he hath sent."
For faith brings salvation, and grace justifies; whereas the commandments of the law tend to condemn. Therefore, faith in Christ is the work of God. We should note that faith brings salvation, and we are justified by grace. Cyrillus elaborates on this in his ninth book on John, chapter 32, where he interprets the phrase, "And whither I go, ye know, and ye know the way." He contends that we are justified by faith and become partakers of the divine nature through the participation of the Holy Ghost.
In his 13th sermon on the passion of the Lord, Leo declares, "The fathers believed together with us that the blood of the Son of God should be shed." Thus, there is nothing strange in Christian religion compared to what was signified in old times. Salvation was always hoped for through the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the righteous men
before us awaited. Such testimonies refute those who claim that Abraham was justified not through faith in Christ but by faith in earthly promises. Although this author may appear to contradict us by stating that true faith is not found without charity, his words, upon deeper consideration, do not oppose us. We speak of a true, sound, and lively faith, whereas Leo refers merely to an outward profession of faith. Gregory, Bishop of Rome, in his 19th homily on Ezekiel, clarifies that we do not come to faith by works, but through faith, we attain to virtues. He illustrates this with the example of Cornelius the Centurion, who did not come to faith by works but by faith, he came to works. Therefore, our adversaries should understand that faith precedes all good works. Gregory further emphasizes in his second book, chapter 25, that unless faith is first in our hearts, no other things, no matter how good they seem, can be truly good. Beda, commenting on the second chapter of James, asserts, "He only believes truly who, by working, exercises what he believes, for faith and charity cannot be separated." This suffices regarding the fathers.
As for what the African, Mileuitan, and Arausican councils teach about justification, faith, grace, and works, we have already explained this in detail in the previous article. I will only add that when our adversaries claim that God offers his grace to all men, and forgives sins to those who do what they ought to do, they omit the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, the power of God that draws us, the inward persuasion of the mind, and other crucial aspects required in this matter. Therefore, they contradict the councils we have cited.
However, it is worth mentioning that in the council of Mainz, held under Carolus Magnus, Gregory is quoted as saying, "He believes truly who, by working, exercises what he believes."