Notes: Sect. 2. — Believers dead to the Law as the Covenant of Works.
Notes: Sect. 2. — Believers dead to the Law as the Covenant of Works.
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Rom. 7.4, “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law.” — Gal. 2.19, “I through the law am dead to the law.” And this, according to the nature of correlates, concludes the law, as it is the Covenant of Works, to be dead also to believers. Col. 2.14, “Nailing it to his cross.” [The list of charges against us was nailed to the cross, not the Law itself, as if the Law were dead (Mat 5.17). We are dead to its penalties, not to its requirements. – WHG]
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This is cited from Luther on the Epistle to the Galatians, according to the English translation, and it is to be found there, fol. 184, p. 1, 2, fol. 185. p. 1, fol. 82, p. 1. His own words from the Latin original, after he had lectured that epistle a second time, as I find them in my copy printed at Frankfort, 1563, are here subjoined. “Hoc profecto mirabile duellum est, ubi lex creatura cum Creatore sic congreditur, et praeter omne jus, omnem tyranuidem suara in Filio Dei exercet. quam in nobis filiis irae exercuit,” Luth. Comment, in Gal. 4.5, p. 598. “Ideo lex, tanquam latro et sacrilegus homicida Filii Dei, amittit jus, et meretur damnari,” Ibid. p. 600. “Ergo lex est mihi surda, ligata, mortua et crucifixa,” Ibid, cap. ii. 20, p. 280. “Conscientia apprehendens hoc apostoli verbum, Christus a lege nos redemit — sancta quadam superbia insultat legi, dicens — nunc in posterum non solum Christo victa et strangulata es, sed etiam mihi credenti in eum, cui donavit hanc victoriam,” Page 600. That great man of God, a third Elias, and a second Paul (if I may venture the expression) though he was no inspired teacher, was endued with a great measure of the spirit of them both, being raised up by God for the extraordinary work of the Reformation of religion from Popery, while all the world wondered after the Beast. The lively savour he had of the truths of the gospel in his own soul, and the fervour of his spirit in delivering them, indeed carried him as far from the modern politeness of expression, as the admiration and affectation of this last are likely to carry us off from the former. What he designed by all this triumph of faith is summed up in a few words, immediately following those last cited: “This, the law (namely: as it is the Covenant of Works) is gone forever as to us, providing we abide in Christ.” This he chose to express in such figurative terms that that great gospel truth might be more impressed on his own heart, and the hearts of his scholars, being prompted to it by his experience of the necessity, and with that, the difficulty of applying it by faith to his own case, in his frequent deep soul exercises and conflicts of conscience. “Therefore,” he says, “feeling your terrors and threatenings, law! I dip my conscience over head and ears, into the wounds, blood, death, resurrection, and victory of Christ; besides him I will see and hear nothing at all. This faith is our victory, whereby we overcome the terrors of the law, sin, death, and all evils, but not without a great conflict,” Ibid. p. 597. And speaking on the same subject elsewhere, he has these remarkable words, “It is easy to speak these things, but happy is he that could know them rightly in the conflict of conscience.” Comment, on Gal. 2.19, p. 259. Now, to turn outward the wrong side of the picture of his discourse, to make it false, horrid, profane, and blasphemous, is hard. At this rate, many Scripture texts must suffer, not to speak of approved human writers. I instance only that of Elias, 1Kings 18.27, “He [Baal] is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is on a journey, or peradventure he sleeps, and must be awaked.” Yet I do not compare Luther’s commentary to the inspired writing; only where the holy Scripture goes before, one would think he might be allowed to follow. Here is an irony, a rhetorical figure, and there is a prosopopoeia, or feigning of a person, another rhetorical figure; and the learned and holy man tells us with this, that Paul used it before him on the same subject, representing the law “as a most potent personage, who condemned and killed Christ, whom he (having overcome death) did in like manner conquer, condemn, and kill;” for which he cites Eph. 2 and 4., epistles to the Rom., Cor., Col. p. 599. Now, the law, being the Covenant of Works, and not indeed a person but a most holy law of God, was incapable of real arraignment, sin, theft, or murder: yet one being allowed to speak figuratively of it as such a person, mentioned before; and finding that the Spirit of God teaches that it was crucified, Jesus Christ ‘‘nailing it to his cross,” Col. 2.14; — what impiety, what blasphemy is there in assigning crimes to it for which it was crucified, crimes of the same nature as its crucifixion — that is, not really and literally so, but figuratively only? And crucifying a person, just as it presupposes his arraignment, accusation, and condemnation, so it implies his binding and death; all of which the decency of the parable requires. And the same decency requiring the rhetorical feigning of crimes as the causes of that crucifixion, they could be no other but these that are assigned. For though Jesus Christ is considered here, not as a sinner by imputation, but as absolutely without guilt, the sins of all the elect, meantime, were really imputed to him; in reality, this justified the holy law’s procedure against him. Moreover, upon the crucifixion, it may be remembered how the apostle proves Christ to have been “made a curse for us;” for he says, it is written, “Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree,” Gal. 3.13. If anyone were to refer in a figurative manner to the crucifixion of the law, as the Covenant of Works, as its must be understood, it could import no more by reason of its nature, than an utter abolition of it with respect to believers, which is a great gospel truth. And here one may call to mind these Scripture phrases: Rom. 7.5, “The motions of sins which were by the law;” — chap. 8.2, “The law of sin and death:” — “The Covenant of Works, called the law of sin and death,” Confess., p. 382, fig. 3; “The strength of sin is the law,” 1Cor. 15.56.
After all, for my part, I would not use some of these expressions of Luther’s, nor in my heart dare so much as to condemn them in him, considering the grace which I conceive he had when he uttered these words. And I would say the same about the several expressions of the great Rutherford, and of many eminent ministers, who in their day were signally countenanced by God in their administrations. Hear Luther himself, in his preface to that book, page (mihi) 10, “These our thoughts,” he says, “on this epistle come forth, not so much against those (namely: the church’s enemies) as for the sake of our own (namely: her friends) who will either thank me for my diligence, or will pardon my weakness and rashness.” It is a pity that the just expectation of one whose name will be in honour in the church of Christ, as long as the memory of the Reformation from Popery is kept, should be frustrated.
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The law of the Ten Commandments given to Adam, as the Covenant of Works, promised eternal life, on condition of obedience, and threatened eternal death in case of disobedience. And this made it the Covenant of Works. Now, this covenant frame of the law of the Ten Commandments being dissolved as to believers, it can no more promise or threaten them at any rate. The Scripture indeed testifies, that ‘‘godliness has the promise, not only of the life that now is, but also of the life that is to come,” 1Tim. 4.8. There is an infallible connection between godliness and the glorious life in heaven established by promise in the Covenant of Grace. But in the meantime, it is the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, apprehended by faith, and not our own godliness, that is the condition on which that life is promised, and on which a real Christian in his dying hour will venture to plead for a share in that life. It is likewise certain that not only are unbelievers, by virtue of the Covenant of Works which they remain under, liable to eternal death as the just reward of sin. But there is by that covenant a twofold connection established: the one between a state of unbelief, unregeneracy, impenitency, and unholiness, and eternal death; the other between acts of disobedience and eternal death. The former is absolutely indissoluble, and must eternally remain; so that those who are in that state of sin, while they are in it, must be in a state of death, bound over to the wrath of God by virtue of the threatening of the law. But then it is impossible that believers in Christ can be in that state of sin. So these and similar sentences do indeed bind over unbelievers to eternal death: “He that does not believe shall be damned,” Mark 16.16. — “Unless you repent you shall all likewise perish,” Luke 13.3. — “If you live after the flesh you shall die,” Rom. 8.13. But they do not otherwise concern believers than as they set before them a certain connection of two events, neither of which can ever be found in their case. And yet the serious consideration of them is of great and manifold use to believers — as a serious view of every part of the Covenant of Works is — particularly, to move them to grow up more and more into Christ, and to make their calling and election sure. As to the latter connection, namely: between acts of disobedience and eternal death, it is dissoluble; and in the case of the believer, it is actually dissolved. So that no one has warrant to say to a believer, ‘If you sin, you shall die eternally.’ Because the threatening of eternal death, as to the believer, having already been satisfied in the satisfaction of Christ, and apprehended and imputed by God to him through faith, it cannot be renewed on him, any more than one debt can be twice charged for payment.
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But on having, or lacking, a saving interest in Christ.
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This is a full proof of the whole matter. For how can the law of the Ten Commandments promise eternal life, or threaten eternal death, on condition of obedience or disobedience, to those who have already escaped eternal death, and obtained eternal life by faith in Christ? The words which the Holy Ghost teaches are so far from restraining the notion of eternal life to glorification, and of eternal death to the misery of the damned in hell, that they declare the soul upon its union with Christ to be as really possessed of eternal life as the saints in heaven are; and without that state of union, to be as really under death, and the wrath of God, as the damned in hell are, though not in that measure. (The term “eternal death” is not, as far as I remember, used in Scripture.) And this is agreeable to the nature of things; for as there is no medium between life and death in a subject capable of either, so it is evident that the life communicated to the soul in its union with Christ, the quickening Head, can never be extinguished for the ages of eternity, John 14.19. [“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.] And the sinner’s death under the guilt and power of sin is eternal in its own nature, and can never end except by a work of Almighty power which raises the dead, and calls things that are not, to be as if they were (Rom 4.17). 1Thess. 1.10, “Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come.” — 1John 3.14, “We know that we have passed from death to life.” — John 3.36, “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life; and he that does not believe on the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”— Chap. 5.24, “He that believes, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death to life.”— Chap. 6.47, “He that believes on me has everlasting life.” — Verse .54, “Whoever eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life.”— 1John 5.12, 13, “He that has the Son has life; and he that does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”— See Rom. 8.1; John 3.16-18, and 17.3.
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All the demands of the Covenant of Works on the elect world.
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That he, taking on their nature, might answer the demands of the Covenant of Works for them, Eph. 1.4, “According as he has chosen us in him.” We are said to be chosen in Christ, not that Christ is the cause of election, but that electing love, flowing immediately from God to all its objects, the Father in one and the same decree of election, chose the head and the members of the happy body; yet Christ the head first (in the order of nature), and then all those who make up his body, who were thereby given to him to be redeemed and saved by his obedience and death; this being accepted by him, as Elect-Mediator and Head of elect-men, he had full power and furniture for the work conveyed to him. And thus we may conceive that the second covenant had been concluded agreeably to the Scripture account of that mystery. This, the author says, was done thereupon, not upon the Father’s being well pleased and fully satisfied by virtue of the covenant being made – that is the effect of the covenant; whereas this is one of the transactions or parts of the covenant, as all the following words brought to illustrate it plainly indicate — but upon God the Son being on the other side in making the second covenant, which is the principal purpose in this paragraph. The explication of it was interrupted by adding a sentence concerning the execution and effect of the glorious contrivance. In making the second covenant, the second person of the ever blessed Trinity, considered simply as such, is one of the parties. Thereupon, in the decree of election designing, as said, both head and members, he is chosen Mediator and Head of the election, to be their incarnate Redeemer. This headship being accepted, as Mediator and Head of the election, he took it upon himself to be incarnate, and in their nature to satisfy the demands of the Covenant of Works for them, Isa. 42.1; Eph. 1.4; Psalm 40.6; Westm. Confess. Chap. 8. art. 1; “It pleased God in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man — the Head and Saviour of his church — nto whom, from all eternity, he gave a people to be his seed, and to be redeemed by him in time,” etc. Chap. 3. art. 5; “Those of mankind that are predestinated to life — God has chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love.” Compare what the author writes on this subject, pp. 41-45.
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That is, the Covenant of Grace only, not the Covenant of Works.
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Namely, for life and salvation; the same being already performed by Jesus Christ; in the second covenant, having undertaken to satisfy all the demands of the Covenant of Works, he did all that was to be done or wrought for our life and salvation. And if it had not been so, life and salvation would have remained eternally outside our reach; for how is it possible that we should perform, do, or work, until we get life and salvation? What condition or law are we fit to perform while we are dead, and not saved from, but lying under sin, the wrath and curse of God? See the following note.
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Namely, all that was to be done for life and salvation. And neither repentance, nor sincere (imperfect) obedience, nor believing itself, is of that sort — though all of these are indispensably necessary in subjects capable of them. This expression bears a kind of imitation, usual in conversation, and it is used by our blessed Saviour on this subject. John 6.28, 29, “Then they said to him, What shall we do that we might WORK the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them. This is THE WORK of God: that you believe.” The design of it plainly is to confront the natural characteristic in all men, for doing and working for life and salvation, once they begin to lay these things to heart; there is no more for him to do, says the author, but only to know and believe that Christ has done all for him; and therefore the expression is not to be strained beyond its scope. However, this is true faith according to the Scripture, whether all saving faith is such a knowledge and believing or not; and such knowledge and believing are capable of degrees of certainty, and they may be mixed with doubting without overturning the reality of them. Isaiah 53.11, “By his knowledge my righteous Servant shall justify many.” — John 17.3, “This is eternal life, that they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” — Gal. 2.20, “I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” — Rom. 10.9, “If you believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.” To believe that God has raised him from the dead is to believe that he has perfected the work, and done all that was to be done for life and salvation to sinners: but is this enough to constitute saving faith? Surely it is not; for devils may believe that: therefore, it must be believed with particular application to oneself, intimated in the phrase, “believing in your heart.” And this is what devils and reprobates never attain, even though reprobates may pretend to know and believe that Christ is raised from the dead for them — and so he has done all for them — even as they also may pretend to receive and rest on him alone for salvation. But in all this, one who truly believes may still have ground to say with tears, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief,” Mark 9.24.
Nevertheless, under this covenant there is much to do; a law to be performed and obeyed, even though it is not for life and salvation, but from life and salvation received; specifically, it is the law of the Ten Commandments in the full extent of it, as the author at large expressly teaches in its proper place, in this and in the second part.
This is the good old way (according to the Scriptures, Acts 16.30, 31; Mat. 11.28, 29; Tit. 2.11, 12) if the famous Mr. John Davidson [1544-1604, Scottish reformer, poet, and pastor] understood the Protestant doctrine, “Q. Then the salvation of man,” he says, “is so fully wrought and perfectly accomplished by Christ in his own person, that nothing is left to be done or wrought by us in our persons, to be any cause of the least part of it? A. That is most certain.” Mr. John Davidson’s Catechism, Edin. edit. 1708, p. 15. “So we are perfectly saved by the works which Christ did for us in his own person, and in no way by the good works which he works in us, with and after faith. [Marg. Here is the main point and ground of our disagreement with the Papists.] Does there remain, then, anything for us to do after we are perfectly justified in God’s sight by faith in Christ? Disciple. Yes, very much; though in no way to merit salvation; but only to witness, by the effects of thankfulness, that we are truly saved.” Ibid. p. 46, 48, 49.
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See the two foregoing notes. And hear another passage from the same book from which this is taken, namely, the English translation of Luther’s Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, fol. 75: “Good works ought to be done; the example of Christ is to be followed — Well, all these things will I gladly do. What then follows? You shall then be saved, and obtain everlasting life. No, not so. I grant, indeed, that I ought to do good works, to patiently suffer troubles and afflictions, and to shed my blood also if necessary for Christ’s cause; yet I am not justified, nor do I OBTAIN SALVATION THEREBY.”
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This is the style of the same Luther who used to distinguish between active and passive righteousness, i.e., the righteousness of the law, and the righteousness of faith; agreeably to Rom. 4.5: “But to him that does not do works, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
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The passage at greater length is this: “The marriage is made up without all pomp and solemnity: that is to say, nothing at all comes between; no law nor work is required here. Here is nothing else but the Father promising, and I receiving; but these things cannot be understood without experience and practice.” Luther, ubi sup., fol. 194.
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1Cor 1.30. These words also are Luther’s, in his argument on the Epistle to the Galatians, p. 24 of the Latin copy, and fol. 7 of the translation; but what our author reads, ‘‘Nothing of the Law of Works,” is in Luther’s own words, “Nothing of the law, or of works;” the sense is the same. What concerns the assurance in the nature of faith, which these words seem to bear, we will meet with shortly.
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In this definition of saving faith, there is the general nature or kind of it, namely: a real persuasion, agreeing to all sorts of faith, divine and human, — “Be truly persuaded;” the more special nature of it, an appropriating persuasion, or special application to oneself, agreeing to a convinced sinner’s faith or belief of the law’s curse. Gal. 3.10, as well as to [the law itself]. — “Be truly persuaded in your hearts;” thus, Rom. 10.9, ‘‘If you believe in your heart that God, etc. you shall be saved:” and, finally, the most special nature of it, whereby [faith] is distinguished from all other, namely, an appropriating persuasion of Christ being yours, etc. And as one’s believing in one’s heart, or appropriating persuasion of the dreadful tidings of the law, imports not only an assent to them as true, but a horror of them as evil; so believing in the heart, or an appropriating persuasion of the glad tidings of the gospel, bears not only an assent to them as true, but a relish of them as good.
The parts of this appropriating persuasion, according to our author, are 1. “That Jesus Christ is yours,” namely: by the deed of gift and grant made to lost mankind, or (in other words) by the authentic gospel offer in the Lord’s own word. This offer is the foundation of faith, and the ground and warrant of the ministerial offer, without which it could avail nothing. That this is the meaning appears from the answer to the question immediately following, touching the warrant to believe. By this offer or deed of gift and grant, Christ is ours before we believe — not that we have a saving interest in him, or are in a state of grace, but that we have a common interest in him, and the common salvation, which fallen angels do not have, Jude 3 — so that it is lawful and warrantable for us, not for them, to take possession of Christ and his salvation. Even as when one presents a piece of gold to a poor man saying, “Take it, it is yours;” the offer makes the piece really his in the sense and to the effect declared before. Nevertheless, while the poor man does not accept or receive it; whether apprehending the offer as too great to be real, or having no liking of the necessary consequents of accepting it, it is not his in possession, nor does he have the benefit of it. But on the contrary, he must starve for it all, and so much the more miserably now that he has slighted the offer and refused the gift. So this act of faith is nothing else but to “believe God,” 1John 5.10; “to believe the Son,” John 3.36; “to believe the report “concerning Christ, Isaiah 53.1; or “to believe the gospel,” Mark 1.15 — not as devils believe it, knowing Christ to be Jesus, a Saviour, but not their Saviour — but with an appropriating persuasion, or special application believing him to be our Saviour. Now the inspired penman expressly declares what is this gospel report, record, or testimony of God to be believed by all: “This is the record, that God has given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son.” 1John 5.11. The giving mentioned here is not giving in possession in greater or lesser measure, but giving by way of grant, whereupon one may take possession. And the party to whom it is given, is not the elect only, but lost mankind. For this record is the gospel, the foundation of faith and warrant to all, to believe in the Son of God, and lay hold on eternal life in him. But that God has given eternal life to the elect, can be no such foundation or warrant: for that a gift is made to certain select men, can never be a foundation or warrant for all men to accept and take it. The great sin of unbelief lies in not believing this record or testimony, and so making God a liar: “He that does not believe God, has made him a liar, because he does not believe the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record,” etc. 1John 5.10, 11. On the other hand, “He that has received his testimony, has set to it his seal that God is true,” John 3.33. But the great sin of unbelief does not lie in not believing that God has given eternal life to the elect; for the most desperate unbelievers, such as Judas and Spira, believe that, and the belief of it adds to their anguish and torment of spirit. Yet they do not set their seal to it that God is true; but on the contrary, they make God a liar, in not believing that God has given eternal life by way of grant to lost mankind, and to themselves in particular — so that they, as well as others, are warranted and welcome to take possession of it, and so they are fleeing in the face of God’s record and testimony in the gospel, Isaiah 9.6; John 3.16; Acts 4.12; Pro 5.8.4; Rev. 22.17. In believing this, not in believing the former, lies the difficulty in the agonies of conscience. Nevertheless, till one surmounts this in greater or lesser measure, one can never believe on Christ, never receive and rest upon him, for salvation. The truth is, receiving Christ necessarily presupposes this giving of him. There may indeed be a giving where there is no receiving, for a gift may be refused; and there may be a taking where there is no giving, which is a presumptuous action without warrant; but there can be no place for receiving Christ where there is not a giving of him before. “In the matter of faith (says Rollock, Lect. 10.on 2Thess. p. 126) there are two things: first there is a giver, and next there is a receiver. God gives, and the soul receives.” The Scripture is express to this purpose: “A man can receive nothing, unless it is given to him from heaven,” John 3.27.
2. “And that you shall have life and salvation by him;” namely, a life of holiness, as well as of happiness, — salvation from sin as well as from wrath, — not in heaven only, but begun here and completed hereafter. We have had sufficient evidence already that this is the author’s notion of life and salvation agreeable to the Scripture, , and will find more in our progress. Therefore this persuasion of faith is inconsistent with an unwillingness to part with sin, a bent or purpose of heart to continue in sin, even as receiving and resting on Christ for salvation is [inconsistent with these]. One finds it expressed almost in so many words: Acts 15.11, “We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved.” It is fitly placed after the former, for it cannot go before it, but follows upon it. The former is a believing of God, or believing the Son: this is a believing on the Son, and so it is the same as receiving Christ, as that receiving is explained; John 1.12, “But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on his name.” It also evidently bears the soul’s resting on Christ for salvation; for it is not possible to conceive a soul resting on Christ for salvation, without a persuasion that it shall have life and salvation by him; namely, a persuasion which is of the same measure and degree as resting is. And thus it appears that there can be no saving faith without this persuasion in greater or lesser measure. But with that, it is to be remembered that the same is to be said about this persuasion in all points, as to what concerns the habit, actings, exercise, strength, weakness, and intermitting of the exercise of saving faith.
3. “That whatever Christ did for the redemption of mankind, he did it for you.” — “I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me,” Gal. 2.20. This comes in the last place; and I think none will question that whoever believes in the manner explained before, may and ought to believe this, and in this order. And it is believed, if not explicitly, yet virtually, by all those who receive and rest on Christ for salvation.
From what is said, it appears that this definition of faith is the same substance and matter, though said in different words, as that of the Shorter Catechism, which defines it by “receiving and resting upon Christ alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.” Though the offer to us is mentioned last, it is evident that it is to be believed first.
Object. But the author’s definition makes assurance to be the essence of faith?
Answ. Be it so; however, he does not use the word assurance or assured in his definition; nor will anything contained in it amount to the idea now commonly affixed to that word, or to what is now in our days commonly understood by assurance. And (1.) He does not here teach that assurance of faith by which believers are certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, which is founded upon the evidence of grace, of which kind of assurance the Westminster Confession expressly treats, chap. 18, art. 1-3; but an assurance which is in faith, in the direct acts of it, founded upon the word allenarly [in a singular manner], Mark 16.15, 16; John 3.16; and this is nothing else but a fiducial appropriating persuasion. (2.) He does not determine this assurance or persuasion to be full, or to exclude doubting: he does not say, be fully persuaded, but be truly persuaded, which speaks only the reality of the persuasion, and it does not at all concern its degree. And it is manifest, from his distinguishing between faith of adherence, and faith of evidence (p. 99) that according to him, saving faith may be without evidence. And so one may have this assurance or persuasion, and yet not know assuredly that he has it, but needs marks to discover it by; for though a man cannot help but be conscious of an act of his own soul as to the substance of the act, yet he may be in the dark as to the specific nature of it; nothing is more ordinary among serious Christians than this. And thus, as a real saint is conscious of his own heart’s moving in affection towards God, yet sometimes he does not assuredly know it to be the true love of God in him, but fears it to be a hypocritical flash of affection; so he may be conscious of his persuasion, and yet doubt if it is the true persuasion of faith, and not that of the hypocrite.
This notion of assurance, or persuasion in faith, is so agreeable to the nature of the thing called believing, and to the style of the holy Scripture, that sometimes where the original text reads faith or believing, we read assurance, according to the genuine sense of the original phrase; Acts 17.31, “Of which he has given assurance;” orig. “faith,” as is noted in the margin of our Bibles. Deu. 28.66, “You shall have no assurance of your life;” orig. “You shall not believe in your life.” This observation shows that to believe — in the style of the holy Scripture, as well as in the common usage of mankind in all other matters — is to be assured or persuaded, namely, according to the measure of one’s believing.
And the doctrine of assurance, or an appropriating persuasion in saving faith, as it is the doctrine of the holy Scripture, Rom. 10.9; Acts 15.11; Gal. 2.20, so it is a Protestant doctrine, taught by Protestant divines against the Papists, and sealed with the blood of martyrs in Popish flames. It is the doctrine of Reformed churches abroad, and the doctrine of the Church of Scotland.
The nature of this work will not allow multiplying testimonies on all these topics. Upon the first, it will suffice to adduce the testimony of Essenius, in his Compendium Theologian, the system of divinity taught the students in the College of Edinburgh, by Professor Campbell. “There is, therefore,” he says, “in saving faith, a special application of gospel benefits. This is proved against the Papists (1.) From the profession of believers, Gal. 2.20, ‘I live by that faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.’ — Psalm 23.1, ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; in cotes of budding grass he makes me to lie down, etc. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear evil; for you are with me,’ etc. And Job 19.25; Phil. 1.21—23; Rom. 8.33—39, 10.9, 10; 2Cor. 5.1—6, with 2Cor. 4.13, etc.” Essen. Comp. Theol. chap. ii. sect. 12. And speaking of the method of faith, he says, it is “4. That according to the promises of the gospel, out of that spiritual desire, the Holy Spirit also bearing witness in us, we acknowledge Christ to be our Saviour, and so receive and apply him, every one to ourselves, apprehending him again, who first apprehended us, 2Cor. 4.13; Rom. 8.16; John 1.12; 2Tim. 1.12; Gal. 2.20; Phil, 3.12. This is the formal act of saving faith. 5. Furthermore, that we acknowledge ourselves to be in communion with Christ, partakers of all and every one of his benefits. This is the latter act of saving faith, yet also a proper and elicit act of saving faith. 7. That we observe all these acts above mentioned, and the sincerity of them in us; and FROM THIS gather that we are true believers brought into the state of grace,” etc. Ibid. sect. 21. Observe here the two kinds of assurance distinguished before.
Peter Brulie, burnt at Tournay, anno 1545, when he was sent for out of prison to be examined, the friars interrogating him before the magistrate, he answered, — “How it is faith that brings salvation to us; that is, when we trust God’s promises, and believe steadfastly, that for Christ his Son’s sake our sins are forgiven us.” Sleid. Comment, in English book 16, fol. 217.
Mr. Patrick Hamilton, burnt at St. Andrews about the year 1527. “Faith,” he says, “is a sureness; faith is a sure confidence of things which are hoped for, and a certainty of things which are not seen. The faith of Christ is to believe in him, that is, to believe in his word, and to believe that he will help you in all your need, and deliver you from all evil.” Mr. Patrick’s Articles, Knox’s History, 4to. p. 9.
For the doctrine of foreign churches on this point, I shall instance only that of the Church of Holland, and the Reformed Church of France; “Q. What is a sincere faith? A. It is a sure knowledge of God and his promises revealed to us in the gospel, and a hearty confidence that all my sins are forgiven me for Christ’s sake.” Dutch Brief Compend. of Christian Religion, Vra. 19, bound up with the Dutch Bible.
“Minister. Since we have the foundation on which faith is grounded, can we rightly conclude from this what true faith is? Child. Yes; namely, a certain and steady knowledge of the love of God towards us, according to which, by his gospel, he declares himself to be our Father and Saviour, by means of Jesus Christ.” Catechism of the Reformed Church of France, bound up with the French Bible, Dimanche 18. To obviate a common prejudice by which this is taken for an easy effort of fancy and imagination, it will not be amiss to subjoin the question immediately following:
“M. Can we have it of ourselves, or does it come from God? C. The Scripture teaches us that it is a singular gift of the Holy Spirit, and experience also shows it.” Ibid.
Then follows the doctrine of the Church of Scotland on this topic.
“Regeneration is wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost, working in the hearts of the elect of God an assured faith in the promise of God, revealed to us in his word; by which faith we apprehend Christ Jesus, with the graces and benefits promised in him.” Old Confess., art. 3.
“This our faith, and the assurance of it, does not proceed from flesh and blood, that is to say, not from natural powers within us, but it is the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.” Ibid. art. 12.
For the better understanding of this, take the words of that eminent servant of Christ, Mr. John Davidson, minister of Salt-Preston, alias Preston-Pans (of whom see the fulfilling of the Scripture, p. 361) in his Catechism, p. 20, as follows: “And it is certain that both the enlightening of the mind to acknowledge the truth of the promise of salvation to us in Christ, and the sealing up of the certainty of it in our hearts and minds (of which two parts faith consists, as it were), are the works and effects of the Spirit of God; and are neither of nature nor of art.”
The Old Confession above mentioned is, “The Confession of Faith, professed and believed by the Protestants within the realm of Scotland, published by them in Parliament, and ratified and approved by its estates as wholesome and sound doctrine, grounded on the infallible truth of God,” Knox’s Hist. lib. 3. p. 263. It was ratified at Edinburgh, July 17, 1560, Ibid. p. 279. And this is the Confession of our Faith, mentioned and sworn to in the national covenant, framed about twenty years after it.
In the same national covenant, with relation to this particular heading of doctrine, we have the following words: “We detest and refuse the usurped authority of that Roman antichrist — his general and doubtsome faith.” However clouded the general and doubtsome faith of the Papists may be, one may, without much ado, draw these two plain conclusions from these words: 1. That since the Popish faith abjured is a doubtsome faith, the Protestant faith, sworn to be maintained, is an assured faith to which the covenant refers, as we heard before from the Old Confession. 2. That since the Popish faith is a general one, the Protestant faith must be an appropriating persuasion, or a faith of special application which, we heard already from Essenius, the Papists deny. As for a belief and persuasion of the mercy of God in Christ, and of Christ’s ability and willingness to save all that come to him, as it is altogether general, and has nothing of appropriation or special application in it, so I doubt if the Papists will refuse it. Sure, the Council of Trent which fixed and established the abominations of Popery, affirms that no pious man ought to doubt the mercy of God, the merit of Christ, or the virtue and efficacy of the sacraments.” Concil. Trid. cap. 9. I hope none will think the council allows impious men to doubt these; but with this they tell us, “It is not to be affirmed that no man is absolved from sin and justified, except the one who assuredly believes that he himself is absolved and justified.” Here they overturn the assurance and appropriation, or special application of saving faith maintained by the Protestants; and they thunder their anathemas against those who hold these in opposition to their general and doubtsome faith. “If any say that justifying faith is nothing but a confidence in the mercy of God pardoning sins for Christ’s sake, or that it is confidence alone by which they are justified, let him be accursed.” Ibid. cap. 13, can. 12. “If any say that a man is absolved from sin, and justified by assuredly believing himself to be absolved and justified, let him be accursed.” Ibid. can. 14.
Moreover, in the national covenant, as it was renewed in the years 1638 and 1639, mention is made of public catechisms in which the true religion is expressed in the Confession of Faith (there) above written (i.e., the national covenant, otherwise called the Confession of Faith) and former Large Confession (namely: the Old Confession) is said to be set down. The doctrine on this topic, contained in these catechisms, is subjoined here.
“M. Which is the first point? C. To put our whole confidence in God. M. How may that be? C. When we have assured knowledge that he is almighty, and perfectly good. M. And is that sufficient? C. No. M. What is then further required? C. That every one of us be fully assured in his conscience, that he is beloved of God, and that he will be both his Father and Saviour.” Calvin’s Cat. used by the Kirk of Scotland, and approved by the First Book of Discipline, quest. 8-12. This is the catechism of the Reformed Church of France, mentioned before. “31. Since we have the foundation on which our faith is built, we may well gather from it what is the right faith? C. Yes, truly; that is to say, it is a sure persuasion and steadfast knowledge of God’s tender love towards us, according to what he has plainly uttered in his gospel, that he will be both a Father and a Saviour to us through the means of Jesus Christ.” Ibid, quest. 111.
“M. By what means may we attain to him there? C. By faith, which God’s Spirit works in our hearts, assuring us of God’s promises made to us in his holy gospel.” The manner to examine children before they be admitted to the supper of the Lord, quest. 16. This is called the Little Catechism, Assembly 1592, sess. 10. “Q. What is true faith? A. It is not only a knowledge, by which I steadfastly assent to all things which God has revealed to us in his word; but also an assured affiance, kindled in my heart by the Holy Ghost, by which I rest upon God, making sure account, that forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness, and life, are bestowed, not only upon others, but also upon me, and that is done freely by the mercy of God, for the merit and desert of Christ alone.” The Palatine Catechism, printed by public authority for the use of Scotland. This famous Catechism is used in most of the Reformed Churches and schools; particularly in the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands, and it is bound up with the Dutch Bible. “As for the Church of Scotland, the Palatine Catechism,” says Mr. Wodrow, in the dedication to his History, “was adopted by us till we had the happiness to join with the venerable Assembly at Westminster. Then indeed it gave way to the Larger and Shorter Catechisms in the Church: nevertheless it continued to be taught in grammar schools.”
“Q. What is faith in Christ? A. A sure persuasion that he is the only Saviour of the world, but especially ours who believe in him.” Craig’s Catechism, approved by the General Assembly, 1592.
To these may be added the three following testimonies. “Q. What is faith? A. When I am persuaded that God loves me and all his saints, and freely gives us Christ with all his benefits.” Summula Catechismi, still annexed to the rudiments of the Latin tongue, and taught in grammar schools to this day, [1726,] since the Reformation.
“What is your faith? My sure belief that God both may and will save me in the blood of Jesus Christ, because he is almighty, and has promised to do so,” Mr. James Melvil’s Catechism, in his Propine of a Pastor to his People, p. 44, published in the year 1598.
“Q. What is this faith, that is the only instrument of this strait conjunction between Christ crucified and us? A. It is the sure persuasion of the heart, that Christ, by his death and resurrection, has taken away our sins and, clothing us with his own righteousness, has thoroughly restored us to the favour of God.” Mr. John Davidson’s Catechism, p. 46.
In the same national covenant, as it was renewed in 1638 and 1639, an agreement and resolution is expressed to labour to recover the purity of the gospel as it was established and professed before the foresaid novations; which in the time of Prelacy, then cast out, had been corrupted by a set of men in Scotland addicted to the faction of Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury. In the year 1640, Mr. Robert Baily, then minister of Kilwinning, afterwards one of the Commissioners from Scotland to the Westminster Assembly, wrote against that faction, proving them guilty of Popery, Arminianism, etc.; and on the topic of Popery, thus represents their doctrine concerning the nature of faith, namely: “Faith is only a bare assent, and requires no application, no personal confidence; and such personal application is mere presumption, and the fiction of a crazy brain.” Hist, Motuum in Regno Scotiae, p. 517.
Thus, as declared above, stood the doctrine of the Church of Scotland in this point in her confessions, and in public catechisms, confirmed by renewing the national covenant, when in the year 1643, it was confirmed anew by the first article of the Solemn League and Covenant, binding (not to the Reformation, but) to the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland, in doctrine, etc.; and that was before the Westminster Confession, with its Larger and Shorter Catechisms, were in existence.
When the Westminster Confession was received, anno 1647, and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, anno 1648, the General Assembly, in their three acts, respectively approving them, expressly declared them to be contrary in nothing to the received doctrine of this Kirk. And in case they were contrary to any point, they could not be reckoned the judgment of the Church of Scotland in that point, since they were received by her as contrary in nothing to the previous standards of doctrine, to which she stands bound by the aforesaid covenants. But the truth is, the doctrine is the same in them all.
“This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong; growing in many to the attainment of a full assurance.” Westm. Confess., chap. 14, art. 3. Now, how faith can grow in anyone to a full assurance, if there is no assurance in the nature of it, I cannot comprehend.
“Faith justifies a sinner — only as it is an instrument, by which he receives and applies Christ and his righteousness.” Larg. Cat. Q. 73. — “By faith they receive and apply to themselves Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death.” Ibid. Q. 170.
“Q. When do we by faith receive and apply to ourselves the body of Christ crucified? A. While we are persuaded that the death and crucifixion of Christ no less belong to us, than if we ourselves had been crucified for our own sins; now this persuasion is that of true faith.” Sum. Catech.
“Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the gospel.” Short. Cat.
Now, to perceive the entire harmony between this and the old definitions of faith, compare with it, as to the receiving mentioned in it, the definition cited above from the Old Confession, art. 3: “An assured faith in the promise by which they apprehend Christ,” etc. Mr. John Davidson joins them thus: “Q. What is faith? A. It is a hearty assurance that our sins are freely forgiven us in Christ. Or in this manner: It is the hearty receiving of Christ offered in the preaching of the word and sacraments, by the working of the Holy Spirit, for the remission of sins, whereby he becomes one with us, and we become one with him — he our head, and we his members.” Mr. John Davidson’s Catechism, p. 24. As to the resting mentioned in the Westminster definition, compare the definition cited above from the Palatine Catechism: “A sure confidence by which I rest in God, assuredly concluding that forgiveness is given to me,” etc., quest. 21. See also the Larger Catechism, last quest. “By faith we are emboldened to plead with him that he would, and we quietly rely upon him that he will, fulfil our request; and to testify to our desire and assurance of this, we say, Amen.’’ In these words it is manifest that to quietly rely on him that he will, etc. (the same as resting on him for it, etc.) is assurance in the sense of the Westminster divines.