Faith "which bringeth forth no Good Works, but is idle, barren, and unfruitful, consisting only in believing in the word of God (x).” If however the framers of our Articles had said, "we are not justified by Faith only," instead of saying, as they have done, "we are justified by Faith only," they might, as we have seen, equally have pleaded the authority of an Apostle for the assertion (y). Both propositions are true; and the seeming contradiction between them, arises from the different senses in which the word Faith is used. Such in fact is the perverseness of human nature in its fallen state, and such is the indifference of men to their eternal welfare, that many, admitting the truth of Christianity, and conforming to its external ordinances, yet suffer themselves to be so engrossed by the business or pleasures of this life, that they do not think with sufficient seriousness of preparing for that which is to come. These men believing, but not obeying, the Gospel, have the Faith meant by St. James, which (x) Hom. (y) St. James says that a man is not justified by Faith only, c. 2. v. 24; but St. Paul does not expressly say that a man is justified by Faith only; his words are, "by Faith without the deeds of the law." In no part however of his Epistles does he mention any thing but Faith as necessary to Justification, because, when he speaks of the Justification of Christians, he always means the Justification conferred by baptism. which does not justify; but they have not the Faith meant by St. Paul, which does justify. But if a person of this description become convinced of the evil of his ways, be sincerely penitent, and feel a true and lively Faith in Christ, he is then justified from all the sins he has committed, "being accounted righteous before God for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." And while he retains this true and lively Faith, bringing forth its natural fruit of Good Works, he continues in a state of Justification, and no longer. It is very possible that a sinful or a negligent Christian may be awakened to a sense of his duty by some calamitous or extraordinary event, and for a time really feel a true and lively Faith; but the impression may be effaced, and by yielding to temptation to sin, or by being again ingrossed by worldly cares, he may fall from his justified state, without losing all belief in the truth of the Gospel. This man's Faith rises from a dead to a lively Faith, and afterwards relapses into a dead Faith again. In reality, true Christian Faith, and Good Works pleasant and acceptable to God, are in their own nature inseparable (z). True Faith produces Good Works as naturally as a tree produces its fruit: Good (z) Faith, or a general belief of the truth of Christianity, is not necessarily connected with Good Works. True Christian Faith and Good Works are inseparable. Good Works, wherever they exist, must proceed from Faith, their only genuine source. And hence it happens, that the one is often mentioned in Scripture without the other, although the other is implied or supposed. Thus St. John tells us that he wrote his Gospel, that men "might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that believing they might have life through his name (a)." No one can imagine that the beloved disciple of Christ meant a bare belief that Jesus. was the Messiah-the whole tenor of his Gospel proves that he must have understood a belief productive of obedience. On the other hand, St. Paul says, "They who by patient continuance in welldoing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, shall inherit eternal life (b)." Here is not a word concerning Faith; but it is supposed, for nothing but Faith can cause a patient continuance in well-doing with the hope of everlasting happiness. There are, however, more passages in the Epistles which attribute Justification (c) and Salvation to Good Works, than to Faith; and more exhortations to the practice of virtue, than there are arguments and discussions for the establishment of a right belief. These Epistles were written to persons who had already professed their Faith in Christ, (a) John, c. 20. v. 31. M Christ, and in general to the collective bodies of Christians at some particular place, men who were unaccustomed, and perhaps unable, to enter into nice and critical distinctions. The authors of these Epistles were therefore chiefly anxious, by the use of plain and intelligible language, to induce their converts to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called, by an upright and holy life; to make professed Believers in the Gospel real Christians. Again, St. John says, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (d); and St. Paul says, "Christ became the author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him (e)" Salvation therefore is promised both to Faith and to obedience; and consequently Faith and obedience must in reality signify the same thing, or include each other; otherwise, the two passages would be irreconcileable. The obedience in the latter is the obedience which proceeds from Faith; and how or why should men obey Christ, if they do not believe him to be the predicted Redeemer of the World? The Faith in the former is the Faith which produces, or is accompanied by, obedience; and indeed a (d) John, c. 3. v. 16. (e) Heb. c. 5. v. 9. true true and lively Faith in the merits and promises of Christ, is naturally productive of obedience to his commands. The same may be said of many. other passages of Scripture. There seems to be no essential difference in these propositions: a man is saved by obedience which proceeds from Faith; a man is saved by Faith which produces obedience; a man is saved by Faith and obedience (f). In all these three propositions, Christ is supposed to be the meritorious cause of Salvation, and Faith and obedience are asserted to be in the person saved. If the obedience of the first proposition does not proceed from Faith, it does not save; if the Faith of the second proposition does not produce obedience, it does not save; and therefore both Faith and obedience, as declared in the third proposition, are necessary to Salvation. The Ministers of our Church are unquestionably authorized by our Articles to speak of Faith, as signifying a firm reliance upon the merits of Christ (f) "It is evident that Paul esteemed that alone true Faith which is productive of obedience, and so doth virtually, although not formally, include obedience, as the effect is virtually contained in the cause. So that the difference between men of judgment as to saving Faith is more in words than sense, they all designing the same thing, that we cannot be saved by that Faith which doth not produce in us a sincere obedience to the laws of Christ." Whitby, Preface to Gal. |