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NOW having passed the well-spring of Charity, we leave the vale of Humi∣lity, and come to the Rock of Faith. A Rock I may well call it, for our blessed Sa∣viour doth so, when, Matt. 16.18. he saith to St. Peter, upon this Rock will I build my Church; meaning the faith of Peter newly exprest, as is affirmed by all our Protestant Divines; and it is very unlikely he would
build his Church upon a frail mortal Man, as St. Peter was, and not at all more pro∣bable that he would doe it upon a successi∣on of Bishops from Peter (upon which Pe∣ter the Roman Catholiques suppose he intend∣ed to place that honour), for the Successors were not of his blood, which was a founda∣tion of Priesthood among the Jews, nor are they now any thing of his mind, for he af∣fected not worldly pomp and power, as they doe. The Faith therefore exprest by him, was that Rock, a much firmer foundation for such a Structure than any man, or succes∣sion of men, who by nature are subject to mutability. This Rock is high and hard of ascent. We may therefore help our selves in getting up, by the Scala Sancta, or holy Stair of hope, and not improperly, since by St. Paul Heb. 11.1. Faith is defined to be the confidence of things hoped for. But of what faith is this Rock composed? Certainly not of that faith whereof the Devils are capable, who are said to believe and tremble. Therefore it must be that faith which we call Justifying, or Saving. But what faith that should be, it is as yet little agreed upon among Divines. It cannot be that full perswasion of being al∣ready made just in and through Christ, which hath been so much asserted and fought for by the Reformed Churches till those latter days. For that destroyeth it self, according to a Dilemma brought by a very subtile Ro∣man
Doctor, which is this, Either we are just before the having that faith, or not; If before, then that faith or perswasion justifieth not, for it found us just; if not just, then by that full perswasion we believe an untruth. In∣stead of this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, some of our Divines bring in a recumbence or reliance upon Christ for Justification and Salvation, which is not exposed to the former Dilemma, and may stand for justifying Faith, if it may properly be called Faith at all; whereof there may be some doubt, as I conceive. But since this Faith supposeth perfection, why do we re∣ject that which the Schoolmen call fides for∣mata, and seemeth to be intended, Gal. 5.6. by faith working by love, or as it is in the Sy∣riack Version, Fides quoe per charitatem per∣ficitur, Faith compleated (or made perfect) by love? But that which is said Rom. 4.5. may be objected, viz. To him that worketh not, but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness; which words seem to make works unnecessary asso∣ciates to Faith in justification; but I conceive that the working there spoken of, is meant of works meriting Salvation (or at least thought meritorious, as by nature we are all apt to think, and as the Romish Doctors hold some of theirs to be), for so much seemeth to be intended in the 4th. Verse immediately pre∣ceding this, where it is said, Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but
of debt, which can hardly be understood otherwise, than of works meritorious; and so the 5th. Verse followeth very naturally in the same sense, for such working is rather hinder∣ance than help in the way of Salvation.
Thus much of that faith which is most pre∣cious, and perhaps too much in a point of such difficulty, and by a person who will be said to be out of his sphere; but the necessity of that Faith, and the general concernment of the business, may be my excuse. I must not forbear to express, that from the height of this Rock of Faith, a good Christian may see (as Moses did the promised Land from Mount Nebo) as much of Paradise, as is needfull, to comfort him against afflictions, and to arm him against the terrors of death, whose gulf must be passed before admittance into Para∣dise; but of that more hereafter.