Chapter XXXIX.

Showing That The Purity Of The Doctrine Of The Divine Word Is Maintained Not Only By Discussions And Publications, But Also By True Repentance And Holiness Of Life.

Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.—2 Tim. 1:13, 14.

It is very necessary, that the purity of doctrine, and the truth of the holy Christian faith, should be maintained and defended against all false teachers. For this we have the example of the holy prophets, who, with great zeal, preached against false and idolatrous prophets under the old law; 133 of the Son of God, who sharply disputed against the Pharisees and scribes at Jerusalem; of St. John, the Evangelist, who wrote his Gospel against the heretical Ebionites and Cerinthus, and the Revelation (chap. 2:6, 15), against the false church of the Nicolaitans and others.

2. Thus, too, St. Paul vigorously defended the doctrine of justification by faith (Rom. 3:20, etc.), of good works (2 Cor. 9:8, etc.), of the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15:1, etc.), of Christian liberty (1 Cor. 9; 10—Gal. 5:1, etc.), etc., against certain false apostles who had intruded into the Church. We have, further, the example of the holy bishops and fathers of the primitive church, who, following the example set them by the apostles, strenuously opposed in their public controversial writings, the Pagan superstitions, and the heresies of those times. Nay, for the same purpose General Councils were gathered by the Christian emperors, who condemned the chief heretics that infested the church at that time; such as the Arians, Macedonians, Nestorians, and Eutychians; not to mention the example of Martin Luther, by whose polemical books and writings, the papacy, and other sects, have in these latter days been successfully assailed.

3. It remains, therefore, that preaching, writing, and disputation against heretics, must be continued, to the preserving of the purity of doctrine, and of true religion. For this reason, the apostle will also have “a bishop to be able both to exhort and convince the gainsayers.” Titus 1:9. Though this in itself is both lawful and commendable, yet it has so fallen out by the abuse of it, that disputations and controversies are increased to such an extent in these days, that the Christian life, true repentance, love, and godliness, are, as it were forgotten; as if the sum and substance of the Christian religion consisted in arguing, and writing books of controversy, rather than in that unfeigned holiness of life, and purity of manners, which the Gospel requires.

4. For consider the examples of the holy Prophets and Apostles, as also of the Son of God himself. They did not barely dispute against false prophets and apostles, and the superstitions maintained by them; but also with great zeal and vigor exhorted to true repentance, and a holy life. Their sermons were accompanied with power and energy; and they made it appear, that by wickedness and impenitence, true religion and worship were destroyed, the Church laid waste, and kingdoms and countries visited with the plague, war, and famine. And all this exactly came to pass even as they said. Of this complexion is that declaration of the Prophet, where he denounces to the Jews, “that because the vineyard of the Lord did not bring forth grapes, but wild grapes, the Lord had decreed to lay it waste.” Isaiah 5:4, 6. Whence it appears, that impiety is the cause, why God takes away his Word from us. And does not the Lord speak to the same effect, in the words recorded by St. John? “Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you.” John 12:35. But what is it to walk in the light, except it be to imitate Christ in his life, and to have the same mind which was in him? And what does the Lord intimate by the “darkness coming upon us,” but the loss of the Gospel, and of the purity of the Christian doctrine? All this may abundantly convince us, that without repentance and holiness of life, no soul can be illuminated 134 with the saving light of the Gospel. For the Holy Ghost, who is the true enlightener of hearts, flees from the ungodly, and chooses holy souls only, to make them friends of God. And if the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God (Ps. 111:10), who can doubt that impiety and carnal security are the beginning of folly, ignorance, and blindness?

5. The true knowledge of Christ, and profession of his doctrine, consist not in words only, but in deeds and a holy life, as St. Paul says: “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:16. And again; “They have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.” 2 Tim. 3:5. By this we are taught, that Christ and his Gospel are denied by a wicked life, as well as by words; and that he has not the true knowledge of Christ, who puts it not into practice. A man who never tasted in his heart the humility, meekness, patience, and love of Christ, cannot know Christ himself; and, consequently, in the time of trouble, cannot freely confess him. Whoever confesses the doctrine of Christ, and rejects him in his life, confesses him only in part; and whoever preaches the doctrine of Christ without his life, preaches Christ only in part. The world abounds with books of controversy, written in defence of the doctrine, but very few living books are extant concerning a Christian life. Now what is doctrine without life, but a tree without fruit? Or how should he follow the doctrine of Christ, who refuses to follow him in his life? For the sum and substance of the doctrine of Jesus Christ is “charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” 1 Tim. 1:5. But we live in an age, wherein there is so vast a number of disputants and reasoners in matters of doctrine, that one would think they had nothing more at heart than the promotion of religion and piety: whereas, upon a closer search, they are found to be inwardly full of malice and pride, envy and avarice. For this reason the apostle hath joined together faith and love, when he commands us to “hold fast the form of sound words.” 2 Tim. 1:13. Life and doctrine, as he intends to show, must go hand in hand together, and never be put asunder in the great work of salvation.

6. Though we do not in the slightest degree affirm, that by our own efforts and piety, eternal life is obtained (for “we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation,” 1 Pet. 1:5): yet it is certain, that by an ungodly life, the Spirit of God, with all his gifts, is banished; amongst which gifts, faith, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, are not the least. Therefore it follows again, that without a holy life, purity of doctrine cannot be preserved; and that the wicked who will not follow Christ in his life, cannot be enlightened with the true light of the Gospel. On the contrary, those that walk in the light, that is, who persevere in the blessed footsteps of Christ, are illuminated by the true light (John 1:9), which is Christ, and are hereby preserved from the danger of delusions and errors. To this effect, that holy and enlightened writer, Tauler, has said: “As soon as a man dedicates and yields himself up to God, and denies his own will and flesh, then immediately the good Spirit of God begins to illuminate him, and to endue him with solid and sound knowledge; because this man truly keeps in his 135 heart the true spiritual sabbath, and rests from all sinful lusts, and from his own will and works.” This sentence is to be understood of the state after conversion, and of daily illumination and growth in divine gifts and graces.

7. Not without cause, then, doth the Lord say, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” John 14:6. He calls himself the way, as showing the way unto us. And how did he show it? Truly, not in his doctrine only, but also in his most holy life. This life of our blessed Redeemer consisted in a true and unfeigned devotedness to God, leading us in the way to truth and to life, as the substance of our whole religion, and the summary of all the commandments of God. This book of life contains in it many great and arduous lessons, to learn which were sufficient to take up our whole time. Here is inculcated the exercise of true repentance, and of that living practical faith which attends it; here the practice of love, hope, meekness, patience, and humility, are to be studied; here the duty of prayer, and of the fear of God, is explained: all which taken together, make up the whole life of Christ, set us as a pattern to follow. This is that “strait gate,” and that “narrow way,” which few can find. Matt. 7:14. This is the book of life, which but few read, though all things are comprised in it which a Christian ought to know and to practise; so that we shall need no other book in order to our eternal salvation. Here is the reason why also the Holy Scripture is contained in a few books, that it might appear that Christianity does not consist in a multitude of volumes, but in a living faith, and in a serious imitation of Christ. For the wise man says: “Of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” Wherefore, let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: “Fear God, and keep his commandments.” Eccles. 12:12, 13.

8. We are told in the parable, that the devil, when men are asleep, cometh and soweth tares among the wheat, and goeth his way. Matt. 13:25. This teaches us, that when men lay aside the works of repentance, and indulge themselves in the sleep of sin, of carnal security, of love of the world, and of temporal care and concerns; then the devil gradually scatters his seed of false doctrine in the field of pride (Gen. 3:5): whence arise various sects, schisms, and heresies. For by the sin of pride both angels and men lost the true light with which they were at first endued. Pride is the original source of all delusions and errors, which have been most unhappily brought into the world. If Satan, and Adam, the first man, had continued in a state of humility, as did Christ when he conversed among men, then never had any error or temptation invaded this world. But now there is no other means for our recovery left, except that which is taught by St. Paul: “Awake, thou that sleepest, and Christ shall give thee light” (Eph. 5:14): convincing us thereby, that no man can be divinely enlightened, who has not shaken off his sinful lethargy; that is, his carnal security, profaneness, and impiety. The same is attested by St. Peter: “Repent, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38); and by the Lord himself, in that saying: “The world cannot receive the Spirit of truth, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him.” John 14:17. And what is the world, but a life passed without God?

9. Again, when the Lord says: “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:20); does he not signify the fruits of a good and holy life, as the proper marks whereby true and false Christians may be discerned? A naked, empty profession of the Christian faith, will be no safe foundation upon which to rely. Any false Christian may cover himself with the sheep's clothing of a verbal profession of the Christian faith; when inwardly and in his heart he is anything but a true Christian. However, be the lives of the professors of Christianity ever so vain and wicked, it does not follow hence, that the whole doctrine is also false and corrupted, as some would insinuate, vainly condemning our doctrine on account of the wickedness of some of its professed adherents. If this were true, the doctrine of Christ and of his apostles would not escape the charge of error and falsehood; because even in their days many impious characters intruded into the church, and made a fair profession of the Christian faith. A profane life is no sufficient proof of false doctrine in general, though it may give us an insight into the individual himself, whether he be a true or a false Christian. Truly, he cannot believe aright, who leads a life opposed to the nature and properties of a divine faith. Such a man is no more a believer, or a Christian, than a dead body is a man. As many, therefore, as are of the number of such corrupt and unfruitful trees, are fit for nothing but to be hewn down and cast into the fire. Matt. 7:19.

10. In order to understand this the better, we ought to inquire into the nature of a sound and saving faith, and the peculiar properties that attend it. And in the first place, a true, saving faith, works by love. Gal. 5:6. By faith man is made “a new creature” (Gal. 6:15); he is thereby born again, and united with God. By faith, “Christ dwells” and operates “in his heart.” Eph. 3:17. By faith the whole kingdom of God is established in the soul, and the divine Spirit “purifies and enlightens the heart.” Acts 15:9. And truly, the Scripture copiously sets forth these and similar properties that accompany true faith. Thus the apostle says: “He that is joined unto the Lord (by faith) is one spirit.” 1 Cor. 6:17. And what is it to be one spirit with Christ, but to have the same mind, the same heart and will, which are in him? And this oneness of spirit must needs suppose that new, holy, and heavenly life of Christ which is to be raised within us. To the same purpose it is said: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17); where to be in Christ, is not only to believe in him, but also to live in him. Again, “I will betroth thee unto me forever; I will even betroth thee to me in faithfulness.” Hos. 2:19, 20. This sentence can signify no less, than that a man by faith is wholly and spiritually united to Christ: so that where faith is, there Christ is; where Christ is, there a holy life abides in man; where the life of Christ is, there also is his love; and where love is, there is God himself, who “is love” (1 John 4:8), and there is also the Holy Ghost. And in this divine order all these heavenly transactions combine; even as the head is one with the members, and as the cause is linked with the effect. And this connection of faith and life, St. Peter admirably enforces, when he bids us to “give all diligence to add to faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to 137 patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity.” “For if these things,” says he, “be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” 2 Pet. 1:5-9. Here the apostle evidently declares, that in whomsoever this union of faith and of life is not to be found, he is destitute of all saving knowledge of Christ, and walks in darkness. For it is the property of true faith to change a man wholly, to renew, and to quicken him in Christ; so that henceforth man may live and dwell in Christ, and Christ again may live and dwell in man.