33. The true, saving doctrine of the Christian faith is this: There
must be witness and confidence of heart so absolute as to leave no
room for doubt that, through Christ, we are God's children and have
remission of sins and eternal life. By way of showing us how God
earnestly enjoins such faith upon us and forbids us to have any doubts
on the subject, John says, "He that believeth not God hath made him a
liar; because he hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne
concerning his Son."
34. This passage annihilates the pernicious, damnable, diabolical
doctrine of the Papists, who shamelessly claim it is right to doubt
and that a Christian should doubt his title to grace. This doctrine is
equivalent to teaching the propriety of disbelieving the testimony of
God. It is charging God with falsehood, dishonoring and blaspheming
the Lord Christ, openly affronting the Holy Spirit, knowingly plunging
people into unpardonable sins and blasphemies and consequently sending
them to the devil without hope or comfort of salvation.
35. Such is the beautiful fruit of papistical doctrine; such is
papistical holiness. This is what they who would be the Christian
Church recommend to us. They would have us, with them, openly and
fearlessly charge God with falsehood, trample his Word under foot and
worship the devil in his stead. Further, they require us to praise and
honor them and render them thanks, rejoicing to be offered their
stipulated terms of friendship. At the same time they have not in a
single instance repented of their abominable idolatry or acknowledged
their error; rather they plume themselves on having in their purity
taught no wrong. If we will not accede to their demands, we must be
persecuted, put to death, exterminated everywhere in the world with
fire and sword. But the devil and death may accede in our stead. Let
the godly Christian desire and pray that God may hurl such accursed
doctrine into the abyss of hell and punish as they deserve the
impenitent blasphemers since they will not cease. And let all the
people say, Amen, amen.
36. Note particularly the consolation of Paul's concluding words. Here
he embraces in one clear word the whole substance of the Gospel when
he says: "He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son
of God hath not the life." How could he speak plainer and more
forcibly? What is the need of further inquiry and investigation or
discussion of this theme? Do you wish to have assurance of eternal
life? According to this verse, you have it truly if you possess Christ
the Son of God; and you have Christ when you believe this witness and
preaching as John says, and you should confidently rely upon it in
life and in death as the divine, eternal truth. But if you believe
not, you have not life; and all effort and suffering on your part,
yes, combined with the effort and suffering of the whole world, will
profit you nothing. You have not the Son of God if you do not believe
God's witness of him but charge God with falsehood.
_Second Sunday After Easter_
Text: First Peter 2, 20-25.
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye
shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it,
ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For
hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving
you an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 who did no sin,
neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 who, when he was reviled,
reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed
himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 who his own self bare our
sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might
live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye
were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd
and Bishop of your souls.