Wendelin's "Christian Theology": Doctrine of Justifying Faith, Part 3

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THESIS IX:  The matter about which, or the object that saving faith apprehends, is common or proper.

THESIS X:  The common object is divine truth revealed in the word of God:  it is necessary for the believer to believe God speaking in His word, and to hold as truths all things that the Spirit of God affirms or denies, but especially those things that pertain to salvation.

EXPLANATION:  For whoever believes not God speaking, he makes Him a liar, and joins himself with the assembly of blasphemers.

Some distinguish the object of faith into material and formal.  The former they call whatever is revealed by God and is set forth to be believed:  the latter, the veracity or trustworthiness of God.  For, unless we believe that the promising God is trustworthy and faithful, we will not have faith in His promise.  Hence the faith of Sara is commended, whereby she judged Him faithful who had promised, Hebrews 11:11.  And the faithfulness and veracity of God is so many times impressed upon our faith in Scripture, 1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:13; 2 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; 2 Timothy 2:13; 1 John 1:9; and elsewhere.  But, according to the variety of objects faith exercises various acts, and in each not all or the whole act; not in the threats of God considered in themselves, because those do not set forth a good to be received by us; not in the precepts regarded simply, because they declare a good to be done, not to be received; not in bare predictions, because, unless they have promises conjoined, they do not promise good to us.  It is perfected only in promises; because in them is set forth a good to be embraced.  Whence Theologians are wont principally to locate the object of faith in the promise.

THESIS XI:  The proper, principal, and proximate object is the Evangelical promise concerning the expiation of sins through and because of the death of Christ, and with all penitent and believing sinners mercifully received unto grace because of the crucified Christ apprehended by faith.  This promise in particular individual believers apply to themselves by faith, and thus are said to believe unto salvation.

EXPLANATION:  I.  In short:  The proper object of justifying faith is Christ crucified for us, for me, for thee, and the gracious remission of sins, because of Christ’s death and the shedding of His blood for us, to be applied to each by faith:  which elsewhere is called special mercy.

That this is the proper object of justifying faith, we prove:

(1.)  Because Christ crucified is the foundation of our righteousness and salvation, as the sacred books teach with perfect harmony.  An eminent passage is found in Acts 4:12, neither is there salvation in any other, nor is there another name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

(2.)  Because eternal life is granted because of the crucified Christ known, and in true faith apprehended by individuals for themselves, John 3:16, whosoever believeth in Him perisheth not, but hath eternal life.  John 6:35, I am the bread of that life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.  Romans 10:13, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Acts 10:43, To Him give all the Prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.

(3.)  Because Christ, crucified for us, and dead to acquire eternal life for us, is the primary object of Evangelical preaching.  1 Corinthians 1:23, We preach Christ crucified.  1 Corinthians 2:2, I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  To which the sum of the Gospel pertains, John 3:16, God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, etc.

(4.)  Because the Gospel, that is, the doctrine concerning Christ crucified, and salvation coming to us through Him, is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, Romans 1:16.

(5.)  The necessity of applying the promise of grace in particular is thus proven:

By those that are going to obtain eternal life through faith in Christ, something more is to be believed, than by reprobates and devils, who are not going to obtain.

Therefore, faith is to be applied to the Evangelical promise concerning the remission of sins, to be conferred through and because of Christ crucified, not only in general:  but the same is also to be applied in particular or to the individual.

The antecedent is manifest:  For if both believe the same thing and in the same way, the same outcome would remain to both; the effect of the same cause would be the same.

The rationale of the consequence:  because devils and a great many reprobates also believe in a general way.

(6.)  Saving faith is ὑπόστασις ἐλπιζομένων, that is, the substance of things hoped for, and so has for its object things hoped for, and is not able to be separated from hope, Hebrews 11:1.  Whence also Abraham is said to have believed in hope, Romans 4:18.  And we wait for the hope of righteousness by faith, Galatians 5:5.  Therefore, if Christian and saving faith is not without hope, and hope is not without application (for Scripture nowhere describes to us the hope of grace and eternal life, wherewith believers comfort themselves, without application); then certainly faith is not without application.

(7.)  True faith, occupied with the promise of Grace, rouses its possessors, and comforts them in afflictions and various trials.

Therefore, it is not without a particular application of the promise of grace and glory:  For there is no solid consolation in trials and afflictions without application, as the examples of devils and impious men testify.

The antecedent is proven:  2 Corinthians 1:24, by faith ye stand.  Romans 9:33, where faith in Christ is said not to make ashamed those that believe in Christ.

(8.)  Those that are seal and have the earnest of the Spirit in their hearts, and to whose spirit the Spirit bears witness that they are the children of God,[1] are able and ought to apply to themselves by faith the promise of grace concerning the free remission of sins.

But believers are sealed, and have the earnest of the Spirit in their hearts, Ephesians 1:13, 14; 2 Corinthians 1:22.  And the Spirit of God bears witness with their spirit, that they are the children of God, Romans 8:16.

Therefore, believers are able and ought to apply to themselves the promise of grace concerning the free remission of sins.

The major is proven:  because those that do not apply to themselves the promise of grace either are not sealed and have not the earnest of the Spirit in their hearts, nor the testimony that they are the children of God:  or they lack confidence in the sealing, earnest, and testimony of the Spirit, and thus charge God with falsehood, than which nothing is more foreign to true faith.

II.  The Papists deny the proper and principal object of justifying faith to be special/particular mercy, whereby because of Christ crucified, our sins are forgiven us, and eternal life is bestowed.  Their reasons are:

(1.)  The faith of many is commended in the Gospel history, who nevertheless did not believe that their sins were forgiven them because of the suffering of Christ.

Therefore, special/particular mercy, concerning the remission of sins because of Christ, is not the proper and principal object of justifying faith.

The antecedent is proven, by the example of the faith of the Centurion, which is directed only to the omnipotence of Christ, Luke 7:8, 9.  Likewise, by the example of Nathanael, who was only believing Christ to be the Son of God, John 1:50, 51.  So also Christ requires no other object of faith than His divinity:  that is, that the Jews believe that He is in the Father and the Father in Him, John 14:11.

Response:  1.  The antecedent is not able to be proven by the Papists:  in the alleged examples the exclusive particle does not occur.  One that expresses one and another particular object does not thereby exclude others.

2.  I deny the consequence.  The rationale:  because there are multiple particular objects of faith, which are contained in its common object, of which sort are the divinity of Christ, the omnipotence of Christ, the truth of the words of Christ, etc.  Whence faith is often commended with respect to one object, with no mention made of another, which nevertheless is not thereby excluded from faith.

Useful is the observation of some:  In all the passages in which there is discussion concerning saving faith, either faith in Messiah is presupposed, or that assent is indicated, as an effect is indicated by its cause.

(2.)  The faith of Abraham, which is said to have been imputed unto him for righteousness, Romans 4:3, is nothing other than that he believed he was going to be the father of many nations.

Therefore, justifying faith does not have as its object special/particular mercy, concerning the remission of sins through and because of Christ.

Response:  I deny the antecedent.  The primary object of the faith of Abraham was the promised seed, that is, the Messiah, in whom both he and all nations were to be blessed:  but the principal part of this blessing is the remission of sins acquired for me, for thee, etc.

(3.)  In the Apostolic Symbol, which contains many things that are necessarily to be believed, not one word is found concerning special/particular mercy.

Therefore, special/particular mercy is not the object of justifying faith.

Response:  I deny the antecedent.  For, even if there be no mention of special/particular mercy, with respect to sounds and letters, it is nevertheless expressed in other words, and is included in particular articles of the symbol.

For example:  Inasmuch as I believe, that God is Father, that Christ is the Lord, God and man, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered and dead, and finally that He arose and ascended into heaven.

Inasmuch as I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the remission of sins, the resurrection and eternal life.  Not only in a general way do I believe all these things, which the devils also believe;[2] but I apply each to myself in particular, in this manner:  I believe God is my Father, and that with paternal benevolence He embraces me in His Son; I believe that Christ is my Lord, who, by His suffering and death as the price of deliverance, has acquired me for Himself, and for my good arose and ascended into heaven.  I believe that the Holy Spirit is also given to me for sanctification, that I myself am also a member of the Church and have communion with the saints, that I have the remission of sins, that I am going to rise from the dead and live forever blessedly.  These are just so many parts of special/ particular mercy, which obtains only for the elect and believing.  Not one of the devils believes in this way:  and he that does not believe in this way believes no more than the devils believe, and has no more consolation from faith than the devils have.

(4.)  Nowhere in the word of God is found an announcement of salvation and remission of sins to me, to thee, to this one or that, apart from a few exceptions.

Therefore, faith is not primarily borne to special/particular mercy concerning the remission of sins because of Christ.

Response:  I deny the antecedent.  For, even if in the announcement of salvation and the remission of sins Scripture does not make express mention of me and of thee; yet it does make implicit mention, when Christ says that He gave Himself for our sins, Galatians 1:4.  He has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us, Galatians 3:13.  God spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all:  how shall He not with Him also free give us all things? Romans 8:32.  Here, we is the same thing as I, you, that one, whoever believes in Christ.  And so, when to all believers is announced the remission of sins, it is also to the individual believer, even to me, to you, to whomever:  for, what is promised to all, the same is promised also to the individuals.  Thus, when in the law God prohibits theft and adultery, He also prohibits these to this one and to that one.

(5.)  Justifying faith has to precede justification.  But faith of special/particular mercy does not precede justification.

Therefore, faith of special/particular mercy is not justifying faith.

And by consequence, justifying faith does not have special/particular mercy as its object.

The major is proven:  because the cause precedes the effect.

The minor is proven:  If faith of special/particular mercy precedes justification, it would certainly be false:  For one would believe sins to be remitted that are not yet remitted:  because they are not remitted except through justification.

Response:  I deny the minor.  The connection, whereby it is proven, is inconsequent.  The rationale:  that, whereby it is proven, is false.  Indeed, by faith of special/particular mercy, to the extent that it precedes justification (at least in time, not only in order), a man does not believe for himself, that, already before the act of faith, his sins were remitted, with respect to application:  but that the remission of sins, obtained by the merit of Christ, is also going to come to himself:  in the very act of justification he believes that his sins are remitted, and thus receives remission:  whence it is expressly said that the remission of sins is received by faith, Acts 26:18; after justification he believes that there has been a past remission:  he also believes that there is going to be a remission of future sins through a future application.  Therefore, justifying faith has as its object special/ particular remission of sins, future, present, and past.

(6.)  Faith of special/particular mercy removes from the scene prayer and the sacraments.

Therefore, this is not a faith justifying, but hindering justification.

The antecedent is proven concerning prayer:  He that by faith is obliged to believe that his sins are forgiven him, it is not necessary for him to seek remission, without hesitating in faith, and making God a liar.  Concerning the sacraments:  because he that by faith, which precedes the sacraments, is certain of the remission of sins, has no need of the sacraments, whereby one is made more certain.

Response:  I deny the antecedent, and the proof is partly false, partly inconsequent.  Therefore, in the first place, concerning prayer:  By faith we not only believe that our sins have been remitted, but also that they are going to be remitted:  and so not without reason do we ask for the obtaining of remission as a good, because we sin daily.  Then, prayer concerning past remission does not deny that remission has already been made, neither does it hesitate concerning it, but asks that it be preserved and continued.

Secondly, concerning the sacraments:  not in vain are we rendered more certain concerning any matter, for example, the remission of sins, of which in some measure we were certain before the sacraments:  for it is good that certainty be increased, and that our faith be supported by means.  Whence we see that it was pleasing to the divine goodness through the sacraments to make His Church more certain of His grace, of which He had previously made it certain through His word.

Thus to Abraham, already justified and certain of His righteousness, God nevertheless gave circumcision as a seal of righteousness, Romans 4:11.

III.  The Socinians also assail the object of justifying faith by the following arguments:

(1.)  Faith that apprehends the merit and righteousness of Christ is not able to be demonstrated from Holy Scripture.

Therefore, it is not true faith.

Response:  The antecedent is false, as we have previously shown.

(2.)  Faith apprehending the merit of Christ establishes contradictories.

Therefore, it is not true faith.

The antecedent is proven:  Because it establishes that God is going to remit sins for us; if we believe that they have already been remitted because of the suffering of Christ:  But they are contradictories, that sins have already been remitted, and that they are at length going to be remitted.

Response:  This argument is the same as the fifth of the Papists:  therefore the solution is also the same.  Briefly:  the antecedent is denied.  The proof is partly ambiguous, partly inconsequent.  When one, having been unbelieving, but now made a believer, begins to believe, and first believes that his sins have already previously been remitted; he believes in the procurement of remission, which precedes faith.  When he believes that his sins are remitted, he believes in the actual and present application of the procured remission.  When he believes that by faith there is going to be a remission of his future sins, he believes that there is going to be a future application of the remission already obtained, through a future act of faith conjoined with repentance:  without any contradiction.

(3.)  Faith, which is called justifying by us, according to the opinion of the Socinians, has nothing to do with actual obedience, according to its internal nature and character.

Therefore, it is not true faith.

Response:  The antecedent is false.  For, even if actual obedience is not of the essence of justifying faith, as the Socinians understand it; yet it has much to do with it, and is most closely conjoined to it:  for it is never separated from faith, but perpetually flows from it, as from an everlasting spring.

(4.)  Faith, apprehending the merit and righteousness of Christ, is not the same as the faith of believers, who under the Old Testament pleased God.

Therefore, it is not justifying faith.

The antecedent is proven:  Because in Hebrews 11, where the faith of believers under the Old Testament is commended, there is no mention of the merit and suffering of Christ.

Response:  The antecedent is denied.  The proof is inconsequent.  For it was not the intention of the Apostle in the chapter alleged, that any object of faith be explained; nor any effect in particular.  However, what is not expressed is not thereby excluded from faith.  And it is certain, that the ancients were justified only by faith in JESUS CHRIST, or the Messiah coming to accomplish the redemption of mankind:  Seeing that no one is justified except by faith in Jesus Christ, Galatians 2:16.  There is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved, Acts 4:12.  For which reason Paul determined not to know any thing, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, 1 Corinthians 2:2.

[1] Romans 8:16.

[2] James 2:19.