CONCERNING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE NECESSARY FOR
OUR ENTRANCE INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
1. The difficulty propounded concerning the repugnancy of obeying
God and men, is to be removed by the distinctions between the
points necessary and not necessary to salvation. 2. All things
necessary to salvation, are contained in faith and obedience. 3.
What kind of obedience that is, which is required of us. 4. What
faith is, and how distinguished from profession, from science,
from opinion. 5. What it is to believe in Christ. 6. That that
article alone, that Jesus is the Christ, is necessary to
salvation; is proved from the scope of the evangelists. 7. From
the preachings of the apostles. 8. From the easiness of
Christian religion. 9. From this also, that it is the foundation
of faith. 10. From the most evident words of Christ and his
apostles. 11. In that article is contained the faith of the Old
Testament. 12. How faith and obedience concur to salvation. 13.
In a Christian city, there is no contradiction between the
commands of God and of the city. 14. The doctrines which this
day are controverted about religion, do for the most part relate
to the right of dominion.
[Sidenote: The difficulty propounded concerning the repugnance of
obeying God and men, is to be removed by the distinction
between the points necessary, and not necessary to
salvation.]
1. It was ever granted, that all authority _in secular matters_
derived from him who had the sovereign power, whether he were one
man or an assembly of men. That the same _in spiritual matters_
depended on the authority of the _Church_, is manifest by the lastly
foregoing proofs; and besides by this, that all Christian cities are
Churches endued with this kind of authority. From whence a man,
though but dull of apprehension, may collect, that in _a Christian
city_, that is to say, in a city whose sovereignty belongs to a
Christian prince or council, _all power, as well spiritual as
secular, is united under Christ_, and therefore it is to be obeyed
in all things. But on the other side, _because we must rather obey
God than men_, there is a difficulty risen, how obedience may safely
be yielded to them, if at any time somewhat should be commanded by
them to be done which Christ hath prohibited. The reason of this
difficulty is, that seeing God no longer speaks to us by Christ and
his prophets in open voice, but by the holy Scriptures, which by
divers men are diversely understood; they know indeed what princes
and a congregated Church do command; but whether that which they do
command, be contrary to the word of God or not, this they know not;
but with a wavering obedience between the punishments of temporal
and spiritual death, as it were sailing between Scylla and
Charybdis, they often run themselves upon both. But they who rightly
distinguish between the things necessary to salvation, and those
which are not necessary, can have none of this kind of doubt. For if
the command of the prince or city be such, that he can obey it
without hazard of his eternal salvation, it is unjust not to obey
them; and the apostle’s precepts take place (Col. iii. 20-22):
_Children obey your parents in all things: servants in all things
obey your masters according to the flesh._ And the command of Christ
(Matth. xxiii. 2-3): _The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ chair;
all things therefore whatsoever they command you, that observe and
do._ On the contrary, if they command us to do those things which
are punished with eternal death, it were madness not rather to
choose to die a natural death, than by obeying to die eternally: and
then comes in that which Christ says (Matth. x. 28): _Fear not them
who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul._ We must see,
therefore, what all those things are, which are necessary to
salvation.
[Sidenote: All things necessary to salvation, are contained in faith
and obedience.]
2. Now all things necessary to salvation are comprehended in two
virtues, _faith_ and _obedience_. The latter of these, if it could
be perfect, would alone suffice to preserve us from damnation; but
because we have all of us been long since guilty of disobedience
against God in Adam, and besides we ourselves have since actually
sinned, _obedience_ is not sufficient without _remission of sins_.
But this, together with our entrance into the kingdom of heaven, is
the reward of _faith_; nothing else is requisite to salvation. For
the kingdom of heaven is shut to none but sinners, that is to say,
those who have not performed due _obedience_ to the laws; and not to
those neither, if they believe the necessary articles of the
Christian faith. Now, if we shall know in what points obedience doth
consist, and which are the necessary articles of the Christian
faith; it will at once be manifest what we must do, and what abstain
from, at the command of cities and of princes.
[Sidenote: What kind of obedience that is, which is required of us.]
3. But by obedience in this place is signified not _the fact_, but
the _will_ and _desire_ wherewith we purpose, and endeavour as much
as we can, to obey for the future. In which sense the word
_obedience_ is equivalent to _repentance_; for the virtue of
repentance consists not in the sorrow which accompanies the
remembrance of sin; but in our conversion into the way, and full
purpose to sin no more; without which that sorrow is said to be the
sorrow not of a penitent, but a desperate person. But because they
who love God cannot but desire to obey the divine law, and they who
love their neighbours cannot but desire to obey the moral law; which
consists (as hath been showed above in chap. III.) in the
prohibition of _pride_, _ingratitude_, _contumely_, _inhumanity_,
_cruelty_, _injury_, and the like offences, whereby our neighbours
are prejudiced; therefore also _love_, or _charity_, is equivalent
to the word _obedience_. Justice, also, which is a constant will of
giving to every man his due, is equivalent with it. But that _faith_
and _repentance_ are sufficient for salvation, is manifest by the
covenant itself of baptism. For they who were by Peter converted on
the day of _Pentecost_, demanding him, what they should do: he
answered (Acts ii. 38): _Repent and be baptized every one of you, in
the name of Jesus, for the remission of your sins._ There was
nothing therefore to be done for the obtaining of baptism, that is
to say, for to enter into the kingdom of God, but _to repent and
believe in the name of Jesus_; for the kingdom of heaven is promised
by the covenant which is made in baptism. Furthermore, by the words
of Christ, answering the lawyer who asked him what he should do to
inherit eternal life (Luke xviii. 20): _Thou knowest the
commandments: Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery_,
&c.: which refer to obedience; and (Mark x. 21): _Sell all that thou
hast, and come and follow me_: which relates to faith. And by that
which is said: _The just shall live by faith_; not every man, but
the _just_; for _justice_ is the same disposition of will which
_repentance and obedience_ are. And by the words of St. Mark (i.
15): _The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;
repent ye, and believe the gospel_; by which words is not obscurely
signified, that there is no need of other virtues for our entrance
into the kingdom of God, excepting those of _repentance and faith_.
The obedience therefore which is _necessarily_ required to
salvation, is nothing else but _the will_ or _endeavour_ to obey;
that is to say, of doing according to the laws of God; that is, the
moral laws, which are the same to all men, and the civil laws; that
is to say, the commands of sovereigns in _temporal_ matters, and the
ecclesiastical laws in _spiritual_. Which two kinds of laws are
divers in divers cities and Churches, and are known by their
promulgation and public sentences.
[Sidenote: What faith is, and how distinguished from profession,
from science, and from opinion.]
4. That we may understand what the _Christian faith_ is, we must
define _faith_ in general; and distinguish it from those other acts
of the mind, wherewith commonly it is confounded. The object of
_faith_ universally taken, namely, _for that which is believed_, is
evermore a _proposition_, that is to say, a speech affirmative or
negative, which we grant to be true. But because propositions are
granted for divers causes, it falls out that these kind of
concessions are diversely called. But we grant propositions
sometimes, which notwithstanding we receive not into our minds; and
this either for a time, to wit, so long, till by consideration of
the consequences we have well examined the truth of them, which we
call _supposing_; or also simply, as through fear of the laws, which
is to _profess_, or _confess_ by outward tokens; or for a voluntary
compliance sake, which men use out of civility to those whom they
respect, and for love of peace to others, which is _absolute
yielding_. Now the propositions which we receive for truth, we
always grant for some reasons of our own; and these are derived
either from the _proposition itself_, or from the _person
propounding_. They are derived from the _proposition itself_, by
calling to mind what things those words, which make up the
proposition, do by common consent usually signify. If so, then the
assent which we give, is called _knowledge_ or _science_. But if we
cannot remember what is certainly understood by those words, but
sometimes one thing, sometimes another seem to be apprehended by us,
then we are said to think. For example, if it be propounded that
_two and three make five_; and by calling to mind, that the order of
numeral words is so appointed by the common consent of them who are
of the same language with us, (as it were, by a certain contract
necessary for human society), that _five_ shall be the name of so
many unities as are contained in two and three taken together, a man
assent that this is therefore true, because two and three together
are the same with five: this assent shall be called knowledge. And
to know this truth is nothing else, but to acknowledge that it is
made by ourselves. For by whose will and rules of speaking the
number || is called two, ||| is called three, and ||||| is called
five; by their will also it comes to pass that this proposition is
true, _two and three taken together make five_. In like manner if we
remember what it is that is called _theft_, and what _injury_; we
shall understand by the words themselves, whether it be true that
_theft is an injury_, or not. _Truth_ is the same with a _true
proposition_; but _the proposition is true_ in which the _word
consequent_, which by logicians is called _the predicate_, embraceth
_the word antecedent_ in its amplitude, which they call _the
subject_. And to _know truth_, is the same thing as to _remember_
that it was made by ourselves by the very usurpation of the words.
Neither was it rashly nor unadvisedly said by Plato of old, _that
knowledge was memory_. But it happens sometimes, that words although
they have a certain and defined signification by constitution, yet
by vulgar use either to adorn or deceive, they are so wrested from
their own significations, that to remember the conceptions for which
they were first imposed on things, is very hard, and not to be
mastered but by a sharp judgment and very great diligence. It
happens too that there are many words, which have no proper,
determined, and everywhere the same signification; and are
understood not by their own, but by virtue of other signs used
together with them. Thirdly, there are some words of things
unconceivable. Of those things, therefore, whereof they are the
words, there is no conception; and therefore in vain do we seek for
the truth of those propositions, which they make out of the words
themselves. In these cases, while by considering the definitions of
words we search out the truth of some proposition, according to the
hope we have of finding it, we think it sometimes true, and
sometimes false; either of which apart is called _thinking_, and
also _believing_; both together, _doubting_. But when our reasons,
for which we assent to some proposition, derive not from the
_proposition itself_, but from the _person propounding_, whom we
esteem so learned that he is not deceived, and we see no reason why
he should deceive us; our assent, because it grows not from any
confidence of our own, but from another man’s knowledge, is called
_faith_. And by the confidence of whom we do believe, we are said
_to trust them_, or _to trust in them_. By what hath been said, the
difference appears, first, between _faith_ and _profession_; for
that is always joined with inward assent; this not always. That is
an inward persuasion of the mind, this an outward obedience. Next,
between _faith_ and _opinion_; for this depends on our own reason,
that on the good esteem we have of another. Lastly, between _faith_
and _knowledge_; for this deliberately takes a proposition broken
and chewed; that swallows it down whole and entire. The explication
of words, whereby the matter enquired after is propounded, is
conducible to knowledge; nay, the only way _to know_, is by
_definition_. But this is prejudicial to _faith_; for those things
which exceed human capacity, and are propounded to be believed, are
never more evident by explication, but, on the contrary, more
obscure and harder to be credited. And the same thing befalls a man,
who endeavours to demonstrate _the mysteries of faith_ by natural
reason, which happens to a sick man, who will needs chew before he
will swallow his wholesome but bitter pills; whence it comes to
pass, that he presently brings them up again; which perhaps would
otherwise, if he had taken them well down, have proved his remedy.
[Sidenote: What it is to believe in Christ.]
5. We have seen therefore what it is _to believe_. But what is it
_to believe in Christ_? Or what proposition is that, which is the
object of our faith in Christ? For when we say, _I believe in
Christ_, we signify indeed whom, but not what we believe. Now, _to
believe in Christ_ is nothing else but to believe that Jesus is the
Christ, namely, he who according to the prophecies of Moses and the
prophets of Israel, was to come into this world _to institute the
kingdom of God_. And this sufficiently appears out of the words of
Christ himself to Martha (John xi. 25-27): _I am_, saith he, _the
resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me,
shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, yea, Lord,
I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God, which should come
into the world._ In which words, we see that the question,
_believest thou in me_, is expounded by the answer, _thou art the
Christ_. To believe in Christ therefore is nothing else but to
believe Jesus himself, saying that he is the Christ.
[Sidenote: That that article alone, that Jesus is the Christ, is
necessary to salvation, is proved out of the scope of the
evangelists.]
6. _Faith_ and _obedience_ both necessarily concurring to salvation,
what kind of obedience that same is, and to whom due, hath been
showed above in art. 3. But now we must enquire what _articles of
faith_ are requisite. And I say, that to a Christian[21] there is no
other article of faith requisite as _necessary_ to salvation, but
only this, _that Jesus is the Christ_. But we must distinguish, as
we have already done before in art. 4, between _faith_ and
_profession_. _A profession_, therefore, of more articles, if they
be commanded, may be necessary; for it is a part of our _obedience_
due to the laws. But we enquire not now what _obedience_, but what
_faith_ is necessary to salvation. And this is proved, first, out of
the scope of the Evangelists, which was, by the description of our
Saviour’s life, to establish this one article: and we shall know
that such was the scope and counsel of the Evangelists, if we
observe but the history itself. St. Matthew (chap. i.), beginning at
his genealogy, shows that Jesus was of the lineage of David, born of
a virgin: chap, ii., that he was adored by the _wise men_ as king of
the Jews; that Herod for the same cause sought to slay him: chap.
iii., iv., that his kingdom was preached both by John the Baptist
and himself: chapters v. vi. vii., that he taught the laws, not as
the Scribes, but as one having authority: chapters viii. ix., that
he cured diseases miraculously: chap. x., that he sent his apostles,
the preachers of his kingdom, throughout all the parts of Judea to
proclaim his kingdom: chap. xi., that he commanded the messengers,
sent from John to enquire whether he were the Christ or not, to tell
him what they had seen, namely, the miracles which were only
compatible with Christ: chap. xii., that he proved and declared his
kingdom to the Pharisees and others by arguments, parables, and
signs; and the following chapters to xxi., that he maintained
himself to be the Christ against the Pharisees: chap. xxi., that he
was saluted with the title of king, when he entered into Jerusalem:
chaps. xxii., xxiii., xxiv., xxv., that he forewarned others of
_false Christs_; and that he showed in parables what manner of
kingdom his should be: chaps. xxvi. xxvii., that he was taken and
accused for this reason, because he said he was a king; and that a
title was written on his cross, _this is Jesus the king of the
Jews_: lastly, chap. xxviii., that after his resurrection, he told
his apostles that all power was given unto him both in heaven and in
earth. All which tends to this end; that we should believe Jesus to
be the Christ. Such therefore was the scope of St. Matthew in
describing his gospel. But such as his was, such also was the rest
of the Evangelists; which St. John sets down expressly in the end of
his gospel (John xx. 31): _These things_, saith he, _are written,
that ye may know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living
God_.
Footnote 21:
_I say, that to a Christian._] Although I conceive this assertion
to be sufficiently proved by the following reasons, yet I thought
it worth my labour to make a more ample explication of it; because
I perceive that being somewhat new, it may possibly be distasteful
to many divines. First therefore, when I say this article, _that
Jesus is the Christ_, is necessary to salvation; I say not that
faith only is necessary, but I require justice also, or that
obedience which is due to the laws of God; that is to say, a will
to live righteously. Secondly, I deny not but the profession of
many articles, provided that that profession be commanded by the
Church, is also necessary to salvation. But seeing faith is
internal, profession external, I say that the former only is
properly faith; the latter a part of obedience; insomuch as that
article alone sufficeth for inward belief, but is not sufficient
for the outward profession of a Christian. Lastly, even as if I
had said that true and inward repentance of sins was only
necessary to salvation, yet were it not to be held for a paradox;
because we suppose justice, obedience, and a mind reformed in all
manner of virtues to be contained in it. So when I say that the
faith of one article is sufficient to salvation, it may well be
less wondered at; seeing that in it so many other articles are
contained. For these words, _Jesus is the Christ_, do signify that
Jesus was that person, whom God had promised by his prophets
should come into the world to establish his kingdom; that is to
say, that Jesus is the Son of God, the creator of heaven and
earth, born of a virgin, dying for the sins of them who should
believe in him; that he was Christ, that is to say, a king; that
he revived (for else he were not like to reign) to judge the
world, and to reward every one according to his works (for
otherwise he cannot be a king); also that men shall rise again,
for otherwise they are not like to come to judgment. The whole
symbol of the apostles is therefore contained in this one article.
Which, notwithstanding, I thought reasonable to contract thus;
because I found that many men for this alone, without the rest,
were admitted into the kingdom of God, both by Christ and his
apostles; as the thief on the cross, the eunuch baptized by
Philip, the two thousand men converted to the Church at once by
St. Peter. But if any man be displeased that I do not judge all
those eternally damned, who do not inwardly assent to every
article defined by the Church, and yet do not contradict, but, if
they be commanded, do submit: I know not what I shall say to them.
For the most evident testimonies of Holy Writ, which do follow, do
withhold me from altering my opinion.
[Sidenote: By the apostles’ sermons.]
7. Secondly, this is proved by the preaching of the apostles. For
they were the proclaimers of his kingdom; neither did Christ send
them to preach aught but the kingdom of God (Luke ix. 2: Acts x.
42). And what they did after Christ’s ascension, may be understood
by the accusation which was brought against them (Acts xvii. 6-7):
_They drew Jason_, saith St. Luke, _and certain brethren unto the
rulers of the city, crying, these are the men that have turned the
world upside down, and are come hither also, whom Jason hath
received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying
that there is another king, one Jesus_. It appears also, what the
subject of the apostle’s sermon was, out of these words (Acts xvii.
2-3): _Opening and alleging out of the Scriptures_ (to wit, of the
Old Testament) _that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again
from the dead; and that this Jesus is the Christ_.
[Sidenote: By the easiness of Christian religion.]
8. Thirdly, by the places, in which the easiness of those things,
which are required by Christ to the attaining of salvation, is
declared. For if an internal assent of the mind were necessarily
required to the truth of all and each proposition, which this day is
controverted about the Christian faith, or by divers churches is
diversely defined; there would be nothing more difficult than the
Christian religion. And how then would that be true (Matth. xi. 30):
_My yoke is easy and my burden light_; and that (Matth. xviii. 6):
_little ones do believe in him_; and that (1 Cor. i. 21): _it
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save those that
believe_? Or how was the thief hanging on the cross sufficiently
instructed to salvation, the confession of whose faith was contained
in these words: _Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy
kingdom_? Or how could St. Paul himself, from an enemy, so soon
become a doctor of Christians?
[Sidenote: By this, that it is the foundation of faith.]
9. Fourthly, by this, that that article is the foundation of faith;
neither rests it on any other foundation. Matth. xxiv. 23, 24: _If
any man shall say unto you, Lo here is Christ, or he is there;
believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false
prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders_, &c. Whence it
follows, that for the faith’s sake which we have in this article, we
must not believe any signs and wonders. Gal. i. 8: _Although we or
an angel from heaven_, saith the apostle, _should preach to you any
other gospel, than what we have preached; let him be accursed_. By
reason of this article, therefore, we might not trust the very
apostles and angels themselves, and therefore, I conceive, not the
Church neither, if they should teach the contrary. 1 John iv. 1-2:
_Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they
are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Hereby know ye the spirit of God; every spirit that confesseth Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh, is of God_, &c. That article therefore
is the measure of the spirits, whereby the authority of the doctors
is either received, or rejected. It cannot be denied, indeed, but
that all who at this day are Christians, did learn from the doctors
that it was Jesus, who did all those things whereby he might be
acknowledged to be the Christ. Yet it follows not, that the same
persons believed that article for the doctor’s or the Church’s, but
for Jesus’ own sake. For that article was before _the Christian
Church_, (Matth. xvi. 18), although all the rest were after it; and
the Church was founded upon it, not it upon the Church. Besides,
this article, that _Jesus is the Christ_, is so fundamental, that
all the rest are by St. Paul (1 Cor. iii. 11-15) said to be built
upon it: _For other foundation can no man lay, than that which is
laid; which is Jesus Christ_; that is to say, that _Jesus is the
Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made
manifest; if any man’s work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he
shall receive a reward; if any man’s work shall be burnt, he shall
suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved._ From whence it plainly
appears, that by _foundation_ is understood this article, _that
Jesus is the Christ_: for gold, and silver, precious stones, wood,
hay, stubble, whereby the doctrines are signified, are not built
upon the person of Christ: and also, that false doctrines may be
raised upon this foundation; yet not so as they must necessarily be
damned who teach them.
[Sidenote: By the plain words of Christ and his apostles.]
10. Lastly, that this article alone is needful to be inwardly
believed, may be most evidently proved out of many places of holy
Scripture, let who will be the interpreter. John v. 39: _Search the
Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are
they which testify of me._ But Christ meant the Scriptures of the
Old Testament only; for the New was then not yet written. Now, there
is no other testimony concerning Christ in the Old Testament, but
that an eternal king was to come in such a place, that he was to be
born of such parents, that he was to teach and do such things
whereby, as by certain signs, he was to be known. All which testify
this one thing; that Jesus who was so born, and did teach and do
such things, was the Christ. Other faith then was not required to
attain eternal life, besides this article, John xi. 26: _Whosoever
liveth and believeth in me, shall never die._ But to believe in
Jesus, as is there expressed, is the same with believing that Jesus
was the Christ. He therefore that believes that, shall never die;
and by consequence, that article alone is necessary to salvation.
John xx. 31: _These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life
through his name._ Wherefore he that believes thus, shall have
eternal life; and therefore needs no other faith. 1 John iv. 2:
_Every spirit, that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh, is of God._ And 1 John v. 1: _Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ, is born of God._ And verse 5: _Who is he that
overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of
God?_ If therefore there be no need to believe anything else, to the
end a man may be _of God, born of God, and overcome the world_, than
that Jesus is the Christ; that one article then is sufficient to
salvation. Acts viii. 36-37: _See, here is water; what doth hinder
me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine
heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God._ If then this article being believed with
the whole heart, that is to say, with inward faith, was sufficient
for baptism; it is also sufficient for salvation. Besides these
places, there are innumerable others, which do clearly and expressly
affirm the same thing. Nay, wheresoever we read that our Saviour
commended the faith of any one, or that he said, _thy faith hath
saved thee_, or that he healed any one for his faith’s sake; there
the proposition believed was no other but this, _Jesus is the
Christ_, either directly or consequently.
[Sidenote: In this article is contained the faith of the Old
Testament.]
11. But because no man can believe _Jesus to be the Christ_, who,
when he knows that by Christ is understood that same king, who was
promised from God by Moses and the prophets for to be the king and
Saviour of the world, doth not also believe Moses and the prophets;
neither can he believe these, who believes not that God is, and that
_he governs the world_; it is necessary, that the faith of God and
of the Old Testament be contained in this faith of the New. Seeing
therefore that atheism, and the denial of the Divine Providence,
were the only treason against the Divine Majesty in the kingdom of
God by nature; but idolatry also in the kingdom of God by the old
covenant; now in this kingdom, wherein God rules by way of a new
covenant, apostacy is also added, or the renunciation of this
article once received, that Jesus is the Christ. Truly other
doctrines, provided they have their determination from a lawful
Church, are not to be contradicted; for that is the sin of
disobedience. But it hath been fully declared before, that they are
not needful to be believed with an _inward faith_.
[Sidenote: How faith and obedience do concur to salvation.]
12. _Faith_ and _obedience_ have divers parts in accomplishing the
salvation of a Christian; for this contributes the _power_ or
_capacity_, that the _act_; and either is said to justify in its
kind. For Christ forgives not the sins of all men, but of the
_penitent_ or the _obedient_, that is to say, the _just_. I say not
the _guiltless_, but the _just_; for _justice_ is a will of obeying
the laws, and may be consistent with a sinner; and with Christ, the
will to obey is obedience. For not every man, but _the just shall
live by faith_. _Obedience_ therefore _justifies_, because it
_maketh just_; in the same manner as temperance maketh temperate,
prudence prudent, chastity chaste; namely, essentially; and puts a
man in such a state, as makes him capable of pardon. Again, Christ
hath not promised forgiveness of sins to all just men; but only
_those of them who believe him to be the Christ_. _Faith_ therefore
_justifies_ in such a sense as a judge may be said to _justify_, who
_absolves_, namely, by the _sentence_ which _actually_ saves a man;
and in this acception of justification (for it is an equivocal term)
_faith alone_ justifies; but in the other, _obedience only_. But
neither obedience alone, nor faith alone, do _save_ us; but both
together.
[Sidenote: In a Christian city there is no contrariety between the
command of God, and of the city.]
13. By what hath been said hitherto, it will be easy to discern what
the duty of Christian subjects is towards their sovereigns; who, as
long as they profess themselves Christians, cannot command their
subjects to deny Christ, or to offer him any contumely: for if they
should command this, they would profess themselves to be no
Christians. For seeing we have showed, both by natural reason and
out of holy Scriptures, that subjects ought in all things to obey
their princes and governors, excepting those which are contrary to
the command of God; and that the commands of God, in a Christian
city, concerning _temporal affairs_, that is to say, those which are
to be discussed by human reason, are the laws and sentence of the
city, delivered from those who have received authority from the city
to make laws and judge of controversies; but concerning spiritual
matters, that is to say, those which are to be defined by the holy
Scripture, are the laws and sentences of the city, that is to say,
the Church, (for a Christian city and a Church, as hath been showed
in the foregoing chapter, art. 10, are the same thing), delivered by
pastors lawfully ordained, and who have to that end authority given
them by the city; it manifestly follows, that in a Christian
commonweal obedience is due to the sovereign in all things, as well
_spiritual_ as _temporal_. And that the same obedience, even from a
Christian subject, is due in all _temporal matters_ to those princes
who are no Christians, is without any controversy; but in _matters
spiritual_, that is to say, those things which concern God’s
worship, some Christian Church is to be followed. For it is an
hypothesis of the Christian faith, that God speaks not in things
supernatural but by the way of Christian interpreters of holy
Scriptures. But what? Must we resist princes, when we cannot obey
them? Truly, no; for this is contrary to our civil covenant. What
must we do then? Go to Christ by martyrdom; which if it seem to any
man to be a hard saying, most certain it is that he believes not
with his whole heart, _that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the
living God_; for he would then desire to be dissolved, and to be
with Christ; but he would by a feigned Christian faith elude that
obedience, which he hath contracted to yield unto the city.
[Sidenote: The doctrines which this day are controverted about
religion, do for the most part belong to the right of
dominion.]
14. But some men perhaps will wonder, if (excepting this one
article, that Jesus is the Christ, which only is necessary to
salvation in relation to internal faith) all the rest belong to
obedience; which may be performed, although a man do not inwardly
believe, so he do but desire to believe, and make an outward
profession, as oft as need requires, of whatsoever is propounded by
the Church; how it comes about that there are so many tenets, which
are all held so to concern our faith, that except a man do inwardly
believe them, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. But if he
consider that, in most controversies, the contention is about human
sovereignty; in some, matter of gain and profit; in others, the
glory of wits: he will surely wonder the less. The question about
_the propriety of the Church_, is a question about the _right of
sovereignty_. For it being known what a _Church_ is, it is known at
once to whom the rule over Christians doth belong. For if every
Christian city be that Church, which Christ himself hath commanded
every Christian, subject to that city, to hear; then every subject
is bound to obey his city, that is to say, him or them who have the
supreme power, not only in _temporal_, but also in _spiritual
matters_. But if every Christian city be not that Church, then is
there some other Church more universal, which must be obeyed. All
Christians therefore must obey that Church, just as they would obey
Christ, if he came upon earth. It will therefore rule either by the
way of monarchy, or by some assembly. This question then concerns
the _right of ruling_. To the same end belongs the question
concerning _infallibility_. For whosoever were truly and internally
believed by all mankind, that he could not err, would be sure of all
dominion, as well _temporal_ as _spiritual_, over all mankind,
unless himself would refuse it. For if he say that he must be obeyed
in _temporals_, because it is supposed he cannot err, that right of
dominion is immediately granted him. Hither also tends the privilege
of interpreting Scriptures. For he to whom it belongs to interpret
the controversies arising from the divers interpretations of
Scriptures, hath authority also simply and absolutely to determine
all manner of controversies whatsoever. But he who hath this, hath
also the command over all men who acknowledge the Scriptures to be
the word of God. To this end drive all the disputes about _the
power of remitting and retaining sins_; or _the authority of
excommunication_. For every man, if he be in his wits, will in all
things yield that man an absolute obedience, by virtue of whose
sentence he believes himself to be either saved or damned. Hither
also tends the power of _instituting societies_. For they depend on
him by whom they subsist, who hath as many subjects as monks,
although living in an enemy’s city. To this end also refers the
question concerning the _judge of lawful matrimony_. For he to whom
that judicature belongs, to him also pertains the knowledge of all
those cases which concern the inheritance and succession of all the
goods and rights, not of private men only, but also of sovereign
princes. And hither also in some respect tends the _virgin life of
ecclesiastical persons_; for unmarried men have less coherence than
others with civil society. And besides, it is an inconvenience not
to be slighted, that princes must either necessarily forego the
priesthood, which is a great bond of civil obedience; or have no
hereditary kingdom. To this end also tends the _canonization of
saints_, which the heathen called _apotheosis_. For he that can
allure foreign subjects with so great a reward, may bring those who
are greedy of such glory, to dare and do anything. For what was it
but an honourable name with posterity, which the Decii and other
Romans sought after; and a thousand others, who cast themselves upon
incredible perils? The controversies about _purgatory_, and
_indulgences_, are matter of gain. The questions of _free-will_,
_justification_, and _the manner of receiving Christ in the
sacrament_, are philosophical. There are also questions concerning
some rites not introduced, but left in the Church not sufficiently
purged from Gentilism. But we need reckon no more. All the world
knows that such is the nature of men, that dissenting in questions
which concern their _power_, or _profit_, or _pre-eminence of wit_,
they slander and curse each other. It is not therefore to be
wondered at, if almost all tenets, after men grew hot with
disputings, are held forth by some or other to be _necessary_ to
salvation and for our entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Insomuch
as they who hold them not, are not only condemned as guilty of
disobedience; which in truth they are, after the Church hath once
defined them; but of infidelity: which I have declared above to be
wrong, out of many evident places of Scripture. To which I add this
one of Saint Paul’s (Rom. xiv. 3, 5): _Let not him that eateth,
despise him that eateth not, and let not him that eateth not, judge
him that eateth; for God hath received him. One man esteemeth one
day above another, another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man
be fully persuaded in his own mind._
END OF VOL. II.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transcriber’s Note
In the summary of Chapter XIII, the last article is misnumbered as
‘13’, rather than ‘17.’ On p. 221, a reference to article 13 in
Chapter V almost certainly should have been to the 12th article of
that chapter.
Other errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been
corrected, and are noted here. The references are to the page and
line in the original.
3.1 ζῶον πολιτικ[ο/ό]ν Replaced.
5.5 that same [ἐυ/εὐ]δοκιμεῖν Replaced.
56.14 Prov. xxii. 10[)]: Removed.
99.31 For being e[r/l]ected, the people is at once Replaced.
dissolved
102.20 make him a mona[a/r]ch Replaced.
106.31 have obliged themsel[u/v]es Replaced.
147.5 the will of God[.] Added.
196.3 The defin[in]ition of sin. Removed.
196.32 to which th[a/e]y have given Replaced.
197.28 ἀδ[ι/ί]κημα Stress
added.
228.3 concern[-/ing] the commands Added.
238.20 that is[ to] say Added.
272.25 _the word[ of] faith_ Added.
283.34 (verse 2[2/3]) Replaced.
285.7 and their[’]s who repent not Removed.
312.8 in the Old Test[i/a]ment Replaced.
316.31 the rule over Christ[ai/ia]ns Transposed.