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perceive the reasons why the reformers should, on their own maxims, require the exercise of them after justification, any more than previously to that work. For although, without holiness, no man can, according to Scripture, see the Lord, yet, according to the reformed doctrine, our salvation is perfectly secured by a mere transient or momentary act of faith alone, which we are taught is quite sufficient to save us thoroughly, even before holiness within can possibly begin to operate!

And, now, lest it might be thought that the passages which we have adduced, and still purpose to refer to as evidences of the reformed doctrine, have not been selected in an impartial or candid manner, we have to request our readers to bear in mind that our intention is to confine them only to such as have been appealed to and cited by divines in the English church of the present day, as of the highest authority in behalf of Protestant principles, as contradistinguished from the Catholic faith, as held in communion with the Church of Rome.

HADDON AND FOX.

Let us, now, attend to the account of the imputative system, as given by the celebrated author of the "Martyrology," in a joint work by him and Dr. Walter Haddon. The latter was chosen by Cecil, the secretary of Queen Elizabeth, to defend the English reformation against the writings of a Catholic divine, by the name of Osorius. The work was commenced by Haddon, but he having died during its progress, it was completed by Fox, who was expressly chosen for that purpose, under the special direction of the above-named minister of state. It is very appropriately styled by Strype, "a state book," and is also described by him as "a public vindication, (i. e. on political grounds,) the like to which he knew none, except Bishop Jewel's Apology."

In answer to the Catholic argument, that living faith is never alone without charity, and that, therefore, it is not faith alone, but only the faith which is connected with charity, that justifies, we find in the above-named work the following statement :

"If all things that go commonly after a certain manner together and be done together, must be coupled and applied to one and the self-same operation, by this reason it must come to pass, that he that hath feet, eyes, and ears, shall be supposed to go not upon his feet only, but to walk upon his eyes, and to see with his ears. For the matter goeth none otherwise in faith, hope, and charity, which three heavenly jewels, albeit they be instilled into us by the free liberality of God with remission of sins, and cleave fast with one subject, yet every of them is distinguished by its several properties and functions notwithstanding."

In this extract, which professes to treat of justifying faith, this virtue is assumed and held to be in perfect accordance with the Protestant theory, or nothing more than a mere operation or act of the mind, in the place of a mysterious and supernatural gift. Such a distinction, indeed, is essential to the support of the reformed or imputative system, and, as such, is invariably held by the English divines under the names of a justifying act and a justifying office. In like manner, we have already seen, that it is so considered by the reformers whom we have before noticed. Proceeding, therefore, upon the same hypothesis, it is, in the above-cited passage, asserted that, "by this reason it must come to pass that he that hath feet, eyes, and ears, shall be supposed to go not upon his feet only, but," &c. But if we suppose the absurdity of dissimilar acts, in the manner referred to in the preceding sentence, as being connected and "done together" with the "self-same operation," as is there expressed, then is it quite easy to conceive of such ridiculous consequences and suppositions as the writer imagines. But be it remembered that it is not the Catholic, but the Protestant doctrine only, which describes faith as a mere act, or office, or operation of man. And we, therefore, reply, that when men attempt to degrade the heavenly virtue of faith to such supposed or imputative conceptions as the above, it is not to be wondered at that they should couple them with conclusions equally absurd. For such a faith is but an idle mockery of the name—a vain and empty shadow without a substance-a vox et preterea nihil.

Such, however, is the way in which the advocates of the imputative scheme speak of this spiritual and mysterious gift, and which is so emphatically described, in Holy Writ, as the power of God unto salvation, and the very substance of hope and every grace flowing from above, both in time now, and in eternity hereafter.

Again we read, "If you will demand farther yet what this faith worketh? I do answer, according to the several properties thereof, two manner of ways, faith worketh salvation through Christ, (i. e. one way,) and it worketh obedience of the law by charity," (i. e. another way!)

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Now, since it is maintained that "faith worketh salvation, through Christ, in one way, and through obedience to the law in another way," we merely ask, without stopping for the present, to inquire into the doctrine of these two different ways of salvation, as contradistinguished from the unity of the Catholic way, in what manner of way" is it meant that faith worketh salvation through Christ? The answer to this we are informed is, by "free imputation only" of the merits of Christ, and that the work is, by St. Paul, "ascribed wholly to imputation." "Finally," it is asked, "what shall become of all those sweet and most amiable promises of God, if, according to the rule of this doctrine, we shall be excluded from our assuredness of salvation, and God's free imputation ?" It is then concluded, that "we are made the righteousness of God through Christ, by the very same reason whereby Christ was made sin for us."

And here we see "the very same reason" which we intend to notice in the writings of Bishop Beveridge, and of Hooker, and of other divines of the English church, and which same reason is, in fact, nothing less than the profane, as well as absurd one, of "accounting Christ as a sinner," in order that we might be accounted righteous ; instead of accounting him, with the Church, as an unspotted victim-a holy sin-offering-and an immaculate substitute for the sins of the world. In the same strain of sophistry it is continued, “But Christ was not made sin but by imputation only; ergo, neither are we made righteous in the sight of God but by imputation only.” In other words, made righteous without receiving the inward gift of righteousness. What contradiction! what

aspersions upon the Saviour! what reflections upon the justice of his members!

After what we have already said of this fallacy of mere imputation, it is hardly necessary to remark, here, that, if there be no other way or manner by which we are made just, however creditable and praiseworthy such an imputation may appear in the sight of men, it is, we confidently affirm, both on the authority of the Written Word and the universal testimony of the Church in all ages, to be one of the deepest and most monstrous delusions which have ever been palmed upon the Christian world. Nevertheless, it is here added that, “In the whole work, (i. e. of this carnal or profane imputation,) the mercy of the Lord doth bear the whole and full praise and palm."(!)

"And where," it is again triumphantly demanded, "is now that solemn decree of the Tridentine Council, whereby we are not only accounted righteous, but be both truly called righteous and be also truly righteous in the sight of God?"

Our authors, now, after stating as above, that "faith worketh salvation through Christ," in the manner as we have seen, argue that it also "worketh obedience of the law by charity" in another way. Still it is added that such a faith as this latter, which works only by charity, "must needs be insufficient to the full measure of absolute righteousness and perfect felicity." But since, in this system, "nothing that is not absolute can,” according to the words of Hooker, "enter the kingdom of Heaven,' ,"* how does it follow, that the mere simple act and solitary office, called justifying faith, (!) is all that is sufficient to meet the claims of this absolute righteousness? Be this however as it may, they conclude that the Catholic faith, which worketh obedience by charity in a manner so "imperfect!" and so different from that of the justifying office of the Protestant faith, by which the absolute obedience of Christ is imputed, is altogether insufficient to procure our salvation through the merits of the Redeemer, or attain to the perfect felicity of heaven. But here we can only say in regard to what they describe as

* See Hooker on Justification, § 31.

the only justifying faith which worketh salvation, that, we may rest assured, there is positively no such faith approved of in the whole volume of inspiration, none such given to man out of the treasures of Him from whom alone cometh down every good and perfect gift. Such a preposterous or reputed gift, indeed, as that which forms the basis of Protestant justification, is, even according to the admission of the reformers themselves, a most empty and barren virtue, notwithstanding it is said in the words of Archbishop Usher, that "God hath given it," (" poor and mean," as he maintains it to be,)" a name above every name!!"

But, according to the doctrine of the reformers, as expounded in this work of Haddon and Fox, this is the justifying faith which procures us Christian salvation. And this great end, they say, it accomplishes, not because it works by love, but merely "because it doth believe in Christ Jesus," in "the manner of way," in which we have seen them to describe it.

Before we conclude our comments upon this celebrated "state book," we cannot forbear to notice the distinction made between the justifying act and the succeeding fruits. It is held, then, that the latter, which follow after the former, constitute only a bare and naked proof of faith, or doth simply "show a special demonstration of pure and true faith," but have nothing to do with the pure and true office of justifying. Thus it is that the solitary and bare office or mere act of justifying faith, as it is called, is that, alone, by which a man is accounted just; and the good fruits which follow are nothing more than our own works or merits, which are compared to the empty" badges of noblemen's servants," serving only to indicate the office which they hold. But if we are, it adds, to be considered really and actually just through the power of faith, instead of being merely so accounted by God when we are not and cannot be so in truth, as is otherwise decided by the "solemn decree of the Tridentine Council," "then let us," it adds, "be bold and blush not to root out withal the whole nature and essential substance of all mystical divinity, and let us raze out the very foundations of all our religion." (!)

The only righteousness therefore which, according to

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