CHAPTER XLIII.

Of what is necessary for a Man's Reception into the Kingdom of Heaven.

THE most frequent pretext of sedition, and civil war, in Christian commonwealths, hath a long time proceeded from a difficulty, not yet sufficiently resolved, of obeying at once both God and man, then when their commandments are one contrary to the other. It is manifest enough, that when a man receiveth two contrary commands, and knows that one of them is God's, he ought to obey that, and not the other, though it be the command even of his lawful sovereign (whether a monarch, or a sovereign assembly), or the command of his father. The difficulty therefore consisteth in this, that men, when they are commanded in the name of God, know not in divers cases, whether the command be from God, or whether he that commandeth do but abuse God's name for some private ends of his own. For as there were in the Church of the Jews, many false prophets, that sought reputation with the people, by feigned dreams and visions; so there have been in all times in the Church of Christ, false teachers, that seek reputation with the people, by fantastical and false doctrines; and by such reputation (as is the nature of ambition), to govern them for their private benefit.

But this difficulty of obeying both God and the civil sovereign on earth, to those that can distinguish between what is "necessary," and what is not "necessary for their reception into the kingdom of God," is of no moment. For if the command of the civil sovereign be such, as that it may be obeyed without the forfeiture of life eternal; not to obey it is unjust; and the precept of the apostle takes place: "Servants obey your masters in all things;" and "Children obey your parents in all things;' and the precept of our Saviour, "The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' chair; all therefore they shall say, that observe and do." But if the command be such as cannot be obeyed, without being damned to eternal death; then it were madness to obey it, and the counsel of our Saviour takes place (Matt. x. 28), "Fear not those that kill the body, but cannot kill the soul." All men therefore that would avoid, both the punishments that are to be in this world inflicted, for disobedience to their earthly sovereign, and those that shall be inflicted in the world to come, for disobedience to God, have need be taught to distinguish well between what is, and what is not necessary to

eternal salvation.

All that is " necessary to salvation," is contained in two virtues, "faith in Christ," and "obedience to laws." The latter of these, if it were perfect, were enough to us. But because we are all guilty of disobedience to God's law, not only originally in Adam, but also actually by our own transgressions, there is required at our hands now, not only "obedience" for the rest of our time, but also a "remission of sins" for the time past; which remission is the reward of our faith in Christ. That nothing else is necessarily required to salvation, is manifest from this, that the kingdom of heaven is shut to none but to sinners; that is to say, to the disobedient, or transgressors of the law; nor to them, in case they repent, and believe all the articles of Christian faith necessary to salvation.

The obedience required at our hands by God, that accepteth in all our actions the will for the deed, is a serious endeavour to obey Him; and is called also by all such names as signify that endeavour. And therefore obedience is sometimes called by the names of "charity" and "love," because they imply a will to obey; and our Saviour himself maketh our

love to God, and to one anottier, a fulfilling of the whole law and sometimes by the name of "righteousness;" for righteousness is but the will to give to every one his own; that is to say, the will to obey the laws and sometimes by the name of "repentance;" because to repent implieth a turning away from sin, which is the same with the return of the will to obedience. Whosoever therefore unfeignedly desireth to fulfil the commandments of God, or repenteth him truly of his transgressions, or that loveth God with all his heart, and his neighbour as himself, hath all the obedience necessary to his reception into the kingdom of God, For if God should require perfect innocence, there could no flesh be saved.

But what commandments are those that God hath given us? Are all those laws which were given to the Jews by the hand of Moses the commandments of God? If they be, why are not Christians taught to obey them? If they be not, what others are so, besides the law of Nature? For our Saviour Christ hath not given us new laws, but counsel to observe those we are subject to ; that is to say, the laws of Nature and the laws of our several sovereigns: nor did He make any new law to the Jews in His sermon on the Mount, but only expounded the law of Moses, to which they were subject before. The laws of God therefore are none but the laws of Nature, whereof the principal is, that we should not violate our faith, that is, a commandment to obey our civil sovereigns, which we constituted over us by mutual pact one with another. And this law of God, that commandeth obedience to the law civil, commandeth by consequence obedience to all the precepts of the Bible; which, as I have proved in the precedent chapter, is there only law, where the civils overeign hath made it so; and in other places, but counsel; which a man at his own peril may without injustice refuse to obey.

Knowing now what is the obedience necessary to salvation, and to whom it is due; we are to consider next concerning faith, whom, and why we believe; and what are the articles or points necessary to be believed by them that shall be saved. And first, for the person whom we believe, because it is impossible to believe any person before we know what he saith, it is necessary he be one that we have heard speak. The person, therefore, whom Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and the prophets, believed, was God himself that spake unto them supernaturally: and the person whom the apostles and disciples that conversed with Christ believed, was our Saviour himself. But of them, to whom neither God the Father, nor our Saviour, ever spake, it cannot be said that the person whom they believed was God. They believed the apostles, and after them the pastors and doctors of the Church, that recommended to their faith the history of the Old and New Testament: so that the faith of Christians ever since our Saviour's time hath had for foundation, first, the reputation of their pastors, and afterward the authority of those that made the Old and New Testament to be received for the rule of faith; which none could do but Christian sovereigns; who are therefore the supreme pastors, and the only persons whom Christians now hear speak from God; except such as God speaketh to in these days supernaturally. But because there be many false prophets "gone out into the world," other men are to examine such spirits, as St. John adviseth us (1st Epistle iv. 1), "whether they be of God or not." And therefore, seeing the examination of doctrines belongeth to the supreme pastor, the person, which all they that have no special revelation are to believe, is, in every commonwealth, the supreme pastor, that is to say, the civil sovereign.

The causes why men believe any Christian doctrine are various. For faithis the gift of God, and He worketh it in each several man by such ways as it seemeth good unto himself. The most ordinary immediate cause of our belief, concerning any point of Christian faith, is, that we

believe the Bible to be the word of God. Dut why we believe the Bible to be the word of God is much disputed, as all questions must needs be, that are not well stated. For they make not the question to be, "why we believe it," but," how we know it;" as if "believing” and “knowing" were all one. And thence while one side ground their knowledge upon the infallibility of the Church, and the other side, on the testimony of the private spirit, neither side concludeth what it pretends. For how shall a man know the infallibility of the Church, but by knowing first the infallibility or the Scripture? Or how shall a man know his own private spirit to be other than a belief, grounded upon the authority and arguments of his teachers, or upon a presumption of his own gifts? Besides, there is nothing in the Scripture from which can be inferred the infallibility of the Church; much less of any particular Church; and least of all, the infallibility of any particular man.

It is manifest therefore that Christian men do not know, but only believe the Scripture to be the word of God; and that the means of making them believe, which God is pleased to afford men ordinarily, is according to the way of Nature, that is to say, from their teachers. It is the doctrine of St. Paul concerning Christian faith in general (Rom. x. 17), "faith cometh by hearing," that is, by hearing our lawful pastors. He saith also (verses 14, 15, of the same chapter), "How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent ?" Whereby it is evident that the ordinary cause of believing that the Scriptures are the word of God, is the same with the cause of the believing of all other articles of our faith, namely, the hearing of those that are by the law allowed and appointed to teach us, as our parents in their houses, and our pastors in the churches. Which also is made more manifest by experience. For what other cause can there be assigned why, in Christian commonwealths, all men either believe, or at least profess the Scripture to be the word of God, and in other commonwealths scarce any; but that in Christian commonwealths they are taught it from their infancy; and in other places they are taught otherwise?

But if teaching be the cause of faith, why do not all believe? It is certain therefore that faith is the gift of God, and He giveth it to whom He will. Nevertheless, because to them to whom He giveth it, He giveth it by the means of teachers, the immediate cause of faith is hearing. In a school, where many are taught, and some profit, others profit not, the cause of learning in them that profit is the master; yet it cannot be thence inferred that learning is not the gift of God. All good things proceed from God; yet cannot all that have them say they are inspired; for that implies a gift supernatural, and the immediate hand of God, which he that pretends to, pretends to be a prophet, and is subject to the examination of the Church.

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But whether men "know," or "believe," or "grant" the Scriptures to be the word of God; if out of such places of them as are without obscurity I shall show what articles of faith are necessary, and only necessary for salvation, those men must needs "know," believe," or "grant" the same. The unum necessarium, only article of faith, which the Scripture maketh simply necessary to salvation, is this, that "Jesus is the Christ." By the name of "Christ" is understood the king, which God had before promised by the prophets of the Old Testament to send into the world, to reign (over the Jews, and over such of other nations as should believe in Him), under himself eternally; and to give them that eternal life which was lost by the sin of Adam. Which when I have proved out of Scripture, I will further show when and in what sense some other articles may be also called "necessary."

For proof that the belief of this article, "Jesus is the Christ," is all the

faith required to salvation, my first argument shall be from the scope of the Evangelists, which was by the description of the life of our Saviour, to establish that one article, "Jesus is the Christ." The sum of St. Matthew's Gospel is this, that Jesus was of the stock of David, born of a Virgin: which are the marks of the true Christ: that the Magi came to worship Him as King of the Jews: that Herod for the same cause sought to kill Him: that John the Baptist proclaimed Him: that He preached by himself and His apostles that He was that king: that He taught the law, not as a Scribe, but as a man of authority: that He cured diseases by His word only, and did many other miracles, which were foretold the Christ should do: that He was saluted king when He entered into Jerusalem: that He forewarned them to beware of all others that should pretend to be Christ : that He was taken, accused, and put to death, for saying He was king: that the cause of His condemnation written on the cross was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. All which tend to no other end than this, that men should believe that "Jesus is the Christ." Such therefore was the scope of St. Matthew's Gospel. But the scope of all the Evangelists, as may appear by reading them, was the same. There fore the scope of the whole gospel was the establishing of that only article. And St. John expressly makes it his conclusion (John xx. 31), "These things are written, that you may know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God."

My second argument is taken from the subjects of the sermons of the apostles, both whilst our Saviour lived on earth, and after His ascension. The apostles, in our Saviour's time, were sent (Luke ix. 2) "to preach the kingdom of God." For neither there nor Matt. x. 7 giveth He any commission to them other than this, "As ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand;" that is, that Jesus is the "Messiah," the " Christ, the "King" which was to come. That their preaching also after His ascension was the same, is manifest out of Acts xvii. 6, 7, "They drew," saith St. Luke, "Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also, whom Jason hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying, that there is another King, one Jesus." And out of the second and third verses of the same chapter, where it is said that St. Paul, "as his manner was, went in unto them; and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures; opening and alleging that Christ_must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead, and that this Jesus, whom he preached, is Christ."

The third argument is from those places of Scripture, by which all the faith required to salvation is declared to be easy. For if an inward assent of the mind to all the doctrines concerning Christian faith now taught, whereof the greatest part are disputed, were necessary to salvation, there would be nothing in the world so hard as to be a Christian. The thief upon the cross, though repenting, could not have been saved for saying, "Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom;" by which he testified no belief of any other article but this, that "Jesus was the king.' Nor could it be said (as it is, Matt. xi. 30), that "Christ's yoke is easy, and His burthen light;" nor that "little children believe in IIim," as it is Matt. xvii. 6. Nor could St. Paul have said (1 Cor. i 21), "It pleased God by the fo lishness of preaching, to save them that believe." Nor could St. Paul himself have been saved, much less have been so great a doctor of the Church so suddenly, that never perhaps thought of transubstantiation noi purgatory, not many other articles now obtruded.

The tourth argument is taken from places express, and such as receive no controversy of interpretation; as first, John v. 39: "Search the Scriptures,

me."

for in thera ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they that testify of Our Saviour here speaketh of the Scriptures only of the Old Testament: for the Jews at that time could not search the Scriptures of the New Testament, which were not written. But the Old Testament hath nothing of Christ but the marks by which men might know Him when He came as that He should descend from David, be born at Bethlehem, and of a Virgin; do great miracles, and the like. Therefore to believe that this Jesus was He, was sufficient to eternal life; but more than sufficient is not necessary, and consequently no other article is required. Again (John xi. 26), "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall not die eternally." Therefore to believe in Christ is faith sufficient to eternal life; and consequently no more faith than that is necessary. But to believe in Jesus, and to believe that Jesus is the Christ, is all one, as appeareth in the verses immediately following. For when our Saviour (verse 26) had said to Martha, "Believest thou this?" she answereth (verse 27), "Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." Therefore this article alone is faith sufficient to life eternal; and more than sufficient is not necessary. Thirdly (John xx. 31): "These things 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." There, to believe that "Jesus is the Christ," is faith sufficient to the obtaining of life; and therefore no other article is necessary. Fourthly 1 (John iv. 2), "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God." And 1 John v. I: "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?" Fifthly (Acts viii. 36, 37), "See," saith the eunuch, "here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayst. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Therefore this article believed "Jesus is the Christ," is sufficient to baptism, that is to say, to our reception into the kingdom of God, and by consequence, only necessary. And generally in all places where our Saviour saith to any man," Thy faith hath saved thee," the cause He saith it, is some confession, which directly, or by consequence, implieth a belief that "Jesus is the Christ."

The last argument is from the places where this article is made the foundation of faith: for he that holdeth the foundation shall be saved. Which places are first, Matt. xxiv. 23, 24: "If any man shall say unto you, Lo here is Christ, or there, believe it not; for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders," &c. Here we see this article, "Jesus is the Christ," must be held, though he that shall teach the contrary should do great miracles. The second place is, Gal. i. 8: "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." But the gospel which Paul and the other apostles preached, was only this article, that "Jesus is the Christ;" therefore for the belief of this article, we are to reject the authority of an angel from heaven; much more of any mortal man, if he teach the contrary. This is therefore the fundamental article of Christian faith. A third place is (1 John iv. 1, 2), "Beloved, believe not every spirit; hereby ye shall know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God." By which it is evident that this article is the measure and rule by which to estimate and examine all other articles; and is therefore only fundamental. A fourth is, Matt. xvi. 16, 18, where after St. Peter had professed this article, saying to our Saviour, "Thou art Christ the Son of the living God," our Saviour answered, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church;"