Point 3: Of Certainty of Salvation

1. Our consent.

Conclusion 1. We hold and believe that a man in this life, may be certain of salvation: and the same thing does the Church of Rome teach and hold.

Conclusion 2. We hold and believe that a man is to put a certain confidence in God's mercy in Christ for the salvation of his soul: and the same thing by common consent holds the aforesaid Church: this point makes not the difference between us.

Conclusion 3. We hold that with assurance of salvation in our hearts is joined doubting: and there is no man so assured of his salvation, but he at some time doubts thereof, especially in the time of temptation: and in this the Papists agree with us, and we with them.

Conclusion 4. They go further and say, that a man may be certain of the salvation of men, or of the Church by Catholic faith: and so say we.

Conclusion 5. Indeed they hold that a man by faith may be assured of his own salvation through extraordinary revelation, as Abraham and others were, and so do we.

6. They teach that we are to be certain of our salvation by special faith in regard of God that promises: though in regard of ourselves and our indisposition we cannot: and in the former point they consent with us.

2. The dissent or difference.

The very main point of difference lies in the manner of assurance.

Conclusion 1. We hold that a man may be certain of his salvation in his own conscience even in this life, and that by an ordinary and special faith. They hold that a man is certain of his salvation only by hope: both of us hold a certainty, we by faith, they by hope.

Conclusion 2. Further, we hold and affirm that our certainty by true faith is infallible: they say, their certainty is only probable.

Conclusion 3. And further though both of us say, that we have confidence in God's mercy in Christ for our salvation: yet we do it with some difference. For our confidence comes from certain and ordinary faith: theirs from hope, ministering (as they say) but a conjectural certainty.

Thus much of the difference: now let us see the reasons two and fro.

3. Objections of Papists.

Objection 1. Where there is no word there is no faith: for these two are relatives: but there is no word of God saying, Cornelius believe, Peter believe: or you shall be saved. And therefore there is no such ordinary faith to believe a man's own particular salvation. Answer: The proposition is false, unless it be supplied with a clause on this manner: Where there is no word of promise, nor anything that does counterbalance a particular promise, there is no faith. But (say they) there is no such particular word. It is true, God does not speak to men particularly, Believe and you shall be saved. But yet does he that which is answerable to this, in that he gives a general promise, with a commandment to apply the same: and has ordained the holy ministry of the word to apply the same to the persons of the hearers in his own name: and that is as much as if the Lord himself should speak to men particularly. To speak more plainly, in the Scripture the promises of salvation be indefinitely propounded; it says not anywhere, if John will believe he shall be saved, or if Peter will believe he shall be saved: but whoever believes shall be saved. Now then comes the minister of the word, who standing in the place of God, and in the stead of Christ himself, takes the indefinite promises of the Gospel, and lays them to the hearts of every particular man: and this in effect is as much as if Christ himself should say, Cornelius believe, and you shall be saved: Peter believe, and you shall be saved. It is answered, that this applying of the Gospel is upon condition of men's faith and repentance, and that men are deceived touching their own faith and repentance: and therefore fail in applying the word to themselves. Answer: Indeed this manner of applying is false in all hypocrites, heretics, and unrepentant persons: for they apply upon carnal presumption, and not by faith. Nevertheless it is true in all the elect having the spirit of grace, and prayer: for when God in the ministry of the word being his own ordinance, says, Seek my face: the heart of God's children truly answers, O Lord, I will seek your face (Psalm 27:8). And when God shall say, You are my people, they shall say again: The Lord is my God (Zechariah 13:6). And it is a truth of God, that he who believes knows that he believes: and he that truly repents knows that he repents; unless it be in the beginning of our conversion, and in the time of distress and temptation. Otherwise what thankfulness can there be for grace received.

Objection 2. It is no article of the Creed, that a man must believe his own salvation: and therefore no man is bound to it. Answer: By this argument it appears plainly, that the very pillars of the Church of Rome do not understand the Creed: for in that which is commonly called the Apostles' Creed, every article implies in it this particular faith. And in the first article, I believe in God, are three things contained: the first, to believe that there is a God, the second to believe the same God is my God, the third to put my confidence in him for my salvation: and so much contain the other articles, which are concerning God. When Thomas said (John 20:28-29) My God, Christ answered, You have believed Thomas. Where we see that to believe in God, is to believe God to be our God. And (Psalm 78:22) to believe in God and to put trust in him are all one: They believed not in God, and trusted not in his help. And the articles concerning Remission of sins and Life everlasting, do include, and we in them acknowledge our special faith concerning our own salvation. For to believe this or that, is to believe there is such a thing, and that the same thing belongs to me: as when David said, I should have fainted except I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). It is answered, that in those articles we only profess ourselves to believe remission of sins, and life everlasting, to be granted to the people and Church of God. Answer: This indeed is the exposition of many, but it stands not with common reason. For if that be all the faith that is there confessed, the devil has as good a faith as we. He knows and believes that there is a God: and that this God imparts remission of sins and life everlasting to his Church. And to the end that we being God's children, may in faith go beyond all the devils in hell, we must further believe, that remission of sins and life everlasting belongs to us: and unless we do particularly apply the said articles to ourselves, we shall little or nothing differ from the devil, in making confession of faith.

Objection 3. We are taught to pray for the pardon of our sins day by day (Matthew 6:12), and all this were needless, if we could be assured of pardon in this life. Answer: The fourth petition must be understood not so much of our old debts or sins, as of our present and new sins: for as we go on from day to day, so we add sin to sin; and for the pardon of them must we humble ourselves and pray. I answer again, that we pray for the pardon of our sins: not because we have no assurance thereof, but because our assurance is weak and small; we grow on from grace to grace in Christ, as children do to man's estate by little and little. The heart of every believer is like a vessel with a narrow neck, which being cast into the sea is not filled at the first; but by reason of the strait passage, receives water drop by drop. God gives to us in Christ even a sea of mercy, but the same on our parts is apprehended and received only by little and little, as faith grows from age to age: and this is the cause why men having assurance pray for more.

Our reasons to the contrary.

Reason 1. The first reason may be taken from the nature of faith on this manner. True faith is both an infallible assurance and a particular assurance of the remission of sins and of life everlasting. And therefore by this faith, a man may be certainly and particularly assured of the remission of sins and life everlasting. That this reason may be of force, two things must be proved: first that true faith is a certain assurance of God's mercy to that party in whom it is. Secondly that faith is a particular assurance thereof. For the first, that faith is a certain assurance, Christ says to Peter (Matthew 14:31): O you of little faith, why did you doubt? Where he makes an opposition between faith and doubting: thereby giving us directly to understand, that to be certain, and to give assurance is of the nature of faith. (Romans 4:20-22) Paul says of Abraham, that he did not doubt of the promise of God through unbelief: but was strengthened in faith, and gave glory to God, being fully assured, that he who had promised was able to do it: where I observe first, that doubting is made a fruit of unbelief; and therefore infallible certainty and assurance, being contrary to doubting must needs proceed from true faith; considering that contrary effects come of contrary causes: and contrary causes produce contrary effects. Secondly I note that the strength of Abraham's faith, did stand in fullness of assurance: for the text says, he was strengthened in the faith, being fully assured: and again (Hebrews 11:1) true saving faith is said to be the ground and substance of things hoped for: and the evidence or demonstration of things that are not seen: but faith can be no ground or evidence of things, unless it be for nature certainty itself: and thus the first point is manifest. The second, that saving faith is a particular assurance, is proved by this, that the property of faith is to apprehend and apply the promise, and the thing promised, Christ with his benefits. (John 1:12) As many, says Saint John, as received him, to them he gave power to be the sons of God, namely to them that believe in his name. In these words to believe in Christ, and to receive Christ, are put for one and the same thing. Now to receive Christ, is to apprehend and apply him with all his benefits to ourselves, as he is offered in the promises of the Gospel. For in the sixth chapter following, first of all he sets forth himself not only as a Redeemer generally, but also as the bread of life and the water of life: secondly he sets forth his best hearers as eaters of his body and drinkers of his blood: and thirdly he intends to prove this conclusion, that to eat his body and to drink his blood, and to believe in him, are all one. Now then if Christ be as food, and if to eat and drink the body and blood of Christ, be to believe in him, then must there be a proportion between eating and believing. Look then as there can be no eating without taking or receiving of food, so no believing in Christ without a spiritual receiving and apprehending of him. And as the body has its hand, mouth, and stomach, whereby it takes, receives, and digests food for the nourishment of every part: so likewise in the soul there is a faith, which is both hand, mouth, and stomach to apprehend, receive, and apply Christ and all his merits for the nourishment of the soul. And Paul says yet more plainly, that through faith we receive the promise of the spirit (Galatians 3:14).

Now as the property of apprehending and applying of Christ belongs to faith, so it agrees not to hope, love, confidence, or any other gift or grace of God. But first by faith we must apprehend Christ, and apply him to ourselves, before we can have any hope or confidence in him. And this applying seems not to be done by any affection of the will, but by a supernatural act of the mind, which is to acknowledge, set down, and believe that remission of sins, and life everlasting by the merit of Christ, belong to us particularly. To this which I have said agrees Augustine (Tract 25 on John): why do you prepare teeth and belly? Believe and you have eaten. And (Tract 50): How shall I reach my hand into heaven, that I may hold him sitting there? Send up your faith, and you lay hold on him. And Bernard says (Homily on Canticles 76): Where he is you cannot come now; yet go to follow him and seek him; believe and you have found him: for to believe is to find. Chrysostom on Mark, Homily 10: Let us believe and we see Jesus present before us. Ambrose on Luke book 6, chapter 8: By faith Christ is touched, by faith Christ is seen. Tertullian on the resurrection of the flesh: he must be chewed by understanding, and be digested by faith.

Reason 2. Whatever the Holy Ghost testifies to us, that we may, indeed that we must certainly by faith believe: but the Holy Ghost does particularly testify to us our adoption, the remission of our sins, and the salvation of our souls: and therefore we may and must particularly and certainly by faith believe the same. The first part of this reason is true, and cannot be denied of any. The second part is proved thus: Saint Paul says (Romans 8:15): We have not received the spirit of bondage to fear: but the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father: adding further, that the same spirit bears witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God. Where the Apostle makes two witnesses of our adoption: the spirit of God, and our spirits, that is, the conscience sanctified by the Holy Ghost. The Papists to elude this reason, allege that the spirit of God does indeed witness of our adoption, by some comfortable feelings of God's love and favor, being such as are weak and oftentimes deceitful. But by their leave, the testimony of the Spirit is more than a bare sense or feeling of God's grace: for it is called the pledge and earnest of God's spirit in our hearts (2 Corinthians 1:21), and therefore it is fit to take away all occasion of doubting of our salvation: as in a bargain the earnest is given between the parties, to put all out of question. Bernard says, that the testimony of the spirit is a most sure testimony (Epistle 107).

Reason 3. That which we must pray for by God's commandment, that we must believe: but every man is to pray for the pardon of his own sins, and for life everlasting; of this there is no question: therefore he is bound to believe the same. The proposition is most of all doubtful: but it is proved thus. In every petition there must be two things: a desire of the things we ask, and a particular faith whereby we believe, that the thing we ask shall be given to us. So Christ says (Mark 11:24): Whatever you desire when you pray, believe that you shall have it, and it shall be given to you. And Saint John further notes out this particular faith, calling it our assurance that God will give to us whatever we ask according to his will (1 John 5:14). And hence it is, that in every petition there must be two grounds: a commandment to warrant us in making a petition, and a promise to assure us of the accomplishment thereof. And upon both these, follows necessarily an application of the things we ask to ourselves.

Reason 4. Whatever God commands in the Gospel, that a man must and can perform: but God in the Gospel commands us to believe the pardon of our own sins: and life everlasting: and therefore we must believe thus much, and may be assured thereof. This proposition is plain by the distinction of the commandments, of the law, and of the Gospel. The commandments of the law show us what we must do, but minister no power to perform the thing to be done: but the doctrine and commandments of the Gospel do otherwise; and therefore they are called spirit and life; God with the commandment giving grace that the thing prescribed may be done. Now this is a commandment of the gospel, to believe remission of sins: for it was the substance of Christ's ministry, repent and believe the Gospel. And that is not generally to believe that Christ is a Savior, and that the promises made in him are true (for so the devils believe with trembling): but it is particularly to believe that Christ is my Savior, and that the promises of salvation in Christ belong in special to me, as Saint John says: This is his commandment, that we believe in the name of Jesus Christ: now to believe in Christ is to put confidence in him; which none can do, unless he be first assured of his love and favor. And therefore inasmuch, as we are enjoined to put our confidence in Christ, we are also enjoined to believe our reconciliation with him, which stands in the remission of our sins, and our acceptance to life everlasting.

Reason 5. Whereas the Papists teach, that a man may be assured of his salvation by hope: even hence it follows, that he may be infallibly assured thereof. For the property of true and lively hope is never to make a man ashamed (Romans 5:5). And true hope follows faith and ever presupposes certainty of faith: neither can any man truly hope for his salvation unless by faith he be certainly assured thereof in some measure.

The popish doctors take exception to these reasons on this manner. First they say, it cannot be proved that a man is as certain of his salvation by faith, as he is of the articles of the creed. I answer: First they prove thus much that we ought to be as certain of the one as of the other. For look, what commandment we have to believe the articles of our faith; the like we have enjoining us to believe the pardon of our own sins, as I have proved. Secondly these arguments prove it to be the nature of essential property of faith, as certainly to assure man of his salvation, as it does assure him of the articles which he believes. And however commonly men do not believe their salvation as infallibly, as they do their articles of faith: yet some special men do; having God's word applied by the spirit as a sure ground of their faith, whereby they believe their own salvation, as they have it for a ground of the articles of their faith. Thus certainly was Abraham assured of his own salvation: as also the Prophets and Apostles, and the martyrs of God in all ages; whereupon without doubting they have been content to lay down their lives for the name of Christ; in whom they were assured to receive eternal happiness. And there is no question, but there be many now, that by long and often experience of God's mercy, and by the inward certificate of the Holy Ghost, have attained to a full assurance of their salvation.

Exception 2. However a man may be assured of his present estate, yet no man is certain of his perseverance to the end. Answer: It is otherwise: for in the sixth petition, lead us not into temptation, we pray that God would not suffer us to be wholly overcome of the devil in any temptation: and to this petition we have a promise answerable (1 Corinthians 10), that God with the temptation will give a way of escape: and therefore however the devil may buffet, molest, and wound the servants of God, yet shall he never be able to overcome them. Again he that is once a member of Christ, can never be wholly cut off. And if any by sin were wholly severed from Christ for a time, in his recovery he is to be baptized the second time: for baptism is the sacrament of initiation or ingrafting into Christ. By this reason we should as often be baptized as we fall into any sin, which is absurd. Again Saint John says (1 John 2:19): They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. Where he takes it for granted, that such as be once in Christ, shall never wholly be severed or fall from him. Though our communion with Christ may be lessened, yet the union and the bond of conjunction is never dissolved.

Exception 3. They say, we are indeed to believe our salvation on God's part: but we must needs doubt in regard of ourselves: because the promises of remission of sins are given upon condition of man's faith and repentance. Now we cannot (say they) be assured that we have true faith and repentance, because we may lie in secret sins; and so lack that indeed, which we suppose ourselves to have. Answer: I say again, he that does truly repent and believe, does by God's grace know that he does repent and believe: for else Paul would never have said, Prove yourselves whether you be in the faith or not: and the same Apostle says (2 Corinthians 2:12): We have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things which are given of God: which things are not only life everlasting, but justification, sanctification, and such like. And as for secret sins, they cannot make our repentance void: for he that truly repents of his known sins, repents also of such as be unknown, and receives the pardon of them all. God requires not an express or special repentance of unknown sins; but accepts it as sufficient, if we repent of them generally: as David says (Psalm 19), Who knows the errors of this life: forgive me my secret sins. And whereas they add that faith and repentance must be sufficient, I answer that the sufficiency of our faith and repentance, stands in the truth and not in the measure or perfection thereof; and the truth of both where they are, is certainly discerned.

Reason 6. The judgment of the ancient Church. Augustine: Of an evil servant you are made a good child: therefore presume not on your own doing, but on the grace of Christ: it is not arrogance but faith: to acknowledge what you have received, is not pride but devotion. And, Let no man ask another man, but return to his own heart; if he find charity there, he has security for his passage from life to death. Hilary on Matthew 5: The kingdom of heaven which our Lord professed to be in himself, his will is that it must be hoped for without any doubtfulness of uncertain will. Otherwise there is no justification by faith, if faith itself be made doubtful. Bernard (Epistle 107): Who is the just man but he that being loved of God, loves him again: which comes not to pass but by the Spirit revealing by faith the eternal purpose of God of his salvation to come. Which revelation is nothing else but the infusion of spiritual grace; by which, when the deeds of the flesh are mortified the man is prepared to the kingdom of heaven. Together receiving in one spirit that whereby he may presume that he is loved and also love again.

To conclude, the Papists have no great cause to dissent from us in this point. For they teach and profess, that they do by a special faith believe their own salvation certainly and infallibly in respect of God, that promises. Now the thing which hinders them is their own indisposition and unworthiness (as they say) which keeps them from being certain otherwise than in a likely hope. But this hindrance is easily removed, if men will judge impartially. For first of all, in regard of ourselves and our disposition we cannot be certain at all, but must despair of salvation even to the very death. We cannot be sufficiently disposed so long as we live in this world, but must always say with Jacob, I am less than all your mercies (Genesis 32), and with David, Enter not into judgment with your servant, O Lord, for none living shall be justified in your sight: and with the Centurion, Lord I am not worthy, that you should come under my roof (Matthew 8). Secondly God in making promise of salvation respects not men's worthiness. For he chose us to life everlasting when we were not: he redeemed us from death being enemies: and entitles us to the promise of salvation, if we acknowledge ourselves to be sinners (Matthew 9); if we labor and travel under the burden of them (Matthew 11); if we hunger and thirst after grace (John 7:37). And these things we may certainly and sensibly perceive in ourselves: and when we find them in us, though our unworthiness be exceeding great, it should not hinder our assurance. For God makes manifest his power in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12), and he will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax (Isaiah 42). Thirdly if a man love God for his mercies' sake, and have a true hope of salvation by Christ, he is in Christ and has fellowship with him: and he that is in Christ, has all his unworthiness and wants laid on Christ, and they are covered and pardoned in his death: and in respect of ourselves thus considered as we are in Christ, we have no cause to waver, but to be certain of our salvation, and that in regard of ourselves.

1. Our consent.

Conclusion 1. We hold and believe that a person in this life can be certain of his salvation — and the Church of Rome teaches and holds the same.

Conclusion 2. We hold and believe that a person should place a firm confidence in God's mercy in Christ for the salvation of his soul — and the Church of Rome commonly agrees with this as well. This point is not where the difference between us lies.

Conclusion 3. We hold that assurance of salvation in the heart coexists with doubt — that no one is so assured of his salvation that he never doubts, especially in times of temptation. The papists agree with us on this, and we with them.

Conclusion 4. They go further and say that a person may be certain of the salvation of other people, or of the Church, by the Catholic faith — and so do we.

Conclusion 5. They also hold that a person may be assured of his own salvation through extraordinary revelation, as Abraham and others were — and so do we.

6. They teach that we may be certain of our salvation by special faith with respect to God who makes the promise — even though we cannot be certain with respect to ourselves and our own inadequacy. On this former point they agree with us.

2. The dissent or difference.

The main point of difference lies in the manner of this assurance.

Conclusion 1. We hold that a person may be certain of his salvation in his own conscience, even in this life, through ordinary and special faith. They hold that a person is certain of his salvation only through hope. Both sides affirm a certainty — we ground ours in faith, they ground theirs in hope.

Conclusion 2. Furthermore, we hold and affirm that our certainty through true faith is infallible. They say their certainty is only probable.

Conclusion 3. Though both sides say we have confidence in God's mercy in Christ for our salvation, we differ in how we arrive at it. Our confidence comes from certain, ordinary faith; theirs comes from hope, which they say provides only a conjectural certainty.

That covers the differences. Now let us look at the arguments on both sides.

3. Objections of Papists.

Objection 1. Where there is no word, there is no faith — for the two go together. There is no word of God saying 'Cornelius, believe' or 'Peter, believe' or 'you will be saved.' Therefore there is no such ordinary faith by which a person can believe in his own particular salvation. Answer: The premise is false unless it is qualified as follows: where there is no word of promise, nor anything that serves the same function as a particular promise, there is no faith. They say there is no such particular word. It is true that God does not speak to individuals saying, 'Believe and you will be saved.' But He does something equivalent: He gives a general promise with a command to apply it, and He has appointed the ministry of the word to apply that promise to each hearer personally, in His own name. That amounts to the same thing as the Lord speaking directly to each person. To put it plainly: in Scripture the promises of salvation are stated in general terms — not 'if John believes he will be saved' or 'if Peter believes he will be saved,' but 'whoever believes will be saved.' Then the minister of the word, standing in the place of God and in the place of Christ Himself, takes these general gospel promises and applies them to each individual. This is effectively the same as if Christ Himself were to say, 'Cornelius, believe and you will be saved; Peter, believe and you will be saved.' The reply may be made that this application of the Gospel is conditional on a person's faith and repentance, and that people can be mistaken about their own faith and repentance — and therefore fail in applying the word to themselves. Answer: That is true for all hypocrites, heretics, and unrepentant people — they apply the promise on the basis of fleshly presumption, not faith. But it is true for all the elect who have the Spirit of grace and prayer. When God, in the ministry of the word, says 'Seek My face,' the hearts of God's children truly respond: 'O Lord, I will seek Your face' (Psalm 27:8). And when God says 'You are My people,' they respond: 'The Lord is my God' (Zechariah 13:6). It is a truth of God that the person who believes knows that he believes, and the person who truly repents knows that he repents — except perhaps at the very beginning of conversion or in times of distress and temptation. Otherwise, what gratitude could there be for grace received?

Objection 2. Belief in one's own salvation is not an article of the Creed, and therefore no one is bound to it. Answer: This argument shows that even the leading figures of the Church of Rome do not understand the Creed — for in what is commonly called the Apostles' Creed, every article carries within it this particular faith. The first article, 'I believe in God,' contains three things: first, to believe that there is a God; second, to believe that this same God is my God; third, to place my confidence in Him for my salvation. The other articles concerning God carry the same meaning. When Thomas said in John 20:28-29, 'My Lord and my God,' Christ answered, 'You have believed, Thomas.' Here we see that to believe in God is to believe that God is our God. And Psalm 78:22 shows that believing in God and trusting in Him are the same: 'They did not believe in God and did not trust in His salvation.' The articles concerning the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life also include, and we acknowledge in them, our personal faith in our own salvation. To believe this or that is to believe both that the thing exists and that it belongs to me — as when David said in Psalm 27:13: 'I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.' The reply may be made that in those articles we only profess to believe that forgiveness of sins and everlasting life are granted to the people and Church of God. Answer: That is how many interpret them, but it does not hold up to common sense. If that were all the faith confessed there, the devil would have as good a faith as we do. He knows and believes that there is a God, and that this God grants forgiveness of sins and everlasting life to His Church. But for us, as God's children, to have a faith that goes beyond that of the devils in hell, we must further believe that forgiveness of sins and everlasting life belong to us personally. Unless we apply those articles to ourselves individually, we will differ little from the devil in our confession of faith.

Objection 3. We are taught to pray daily for the pardon of our sins (Matthew 6:12) — and this would be unnecessary if we could be assured of pardon in this life. Answer: That fourth petition should be understood as referring not so much to our old sins already confessed, as to our present and new sins — for as we go forward day by day, we add sin to sin, and for the pardon of these we must humble ourselves and pray. I also answer that we pray for the pardon of our sins not because we have no assurance of it, but because our assurance is weak and small. We grow in grace in Christ step by step, just as children grow into adulthood gradually. The heart of every believer is like a vessel with a narrow opening: cast into the sea, it is not filled all at once, but receives water drop by drop because of the small passage. God gives us in Christ a whole sea of mercy — but on our side, it is received only little by little as faith grows from one stage to the next. This is why people who already have assurance continue to pray for more.

Our reasons to the contrary.

Reason 1. The first argument is drawn from the nature of faith. True faith is both an infallible assurance and a particular assurance of the forgiveness of sins and of everlasting life. Therefore, through this faith, a person may be certainly and particularly assured of the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. To establish this argument, two things must be proved: first, that true faith is a certain assurance of God's mercy to the person who holds it; second, that faith is a particular -- not merely general -- assurance of it. For the first point, that faith is a certain assurance: in Matthew 14:31 Christ says to Peter, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" He sets faith and doubting in direct opposition, making clear that certainty and assurance are part of the very nature of faith. In Romans 4:20-22 Paul says of Abraham that he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Note two things: first, doubting is the fruit of unbelief -- therefore infallible certainty, being the opposite of doubting, must proceed from true faith, since opposite effects come from opposite causes. Second, the strength of Abraham's faith consisted in fullness of assurance -- the text says he was strengthened in faith by being fully assured. Hebrews 11:1 further says that true saving faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Faith cannot be the ground or evidence of things unless by its very nature it is certainty itself. So the first point is established. The second point -- that saving faith is a particular assurance -- is proved by the fact that faith's defining characteristic is to receive and apply the promise, and the thing promised: Christ with all His benefits. John 1:12 says: "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." Here, believing in Christ and receiving Christ are treated as the same thing. To receive Christ is to take hold of Him and apply Him, with all His benefits, to oneself -- as He is offered in the promises of the Gospel. In John chapter 6, Christ first presents Himself not only as a Redeemer in general, but as the bread of life and the water of life. He then describes His best hearers as those who eat His body and drink His blood. His point is that eating His body, drinking His blood, and believing in Him are all one and the same. If Christ is like food, and if eating and drinking His body and blood is what it means to believe in Him, then there must be a correspondence between eating and believing. Just as there can be no eating without taking and receiving food, so there can be no believing in Christ without spiritually receiving and apprehending Him. Just as the body has a hand, mouth, and stomach to take, receive, and digest food for the nourishment of every part -- so in the soul there is a faith that acts as hand, mouth, and stomach to apprehend, receive, and apply Christ and all His merits for the nourishment of the soul. And Paul says even more plainly that through faith we receive the promise of the Spirit (Galatians 3:14).

Now, this property of apprehending and applying Christ belongs to faith alone -- it does not belong to hope, love, confidence, or any other gift or grace of God. We must first apprehend Christ by faith and apply Him to ourselves before we can have any hope or confidence in Him. This applying appears to be not an act of the will's affections, but a supernatural act of the mind -- acknowledging, settling, and believing that forgiveness of sins and everlasting life through the merit of Christ belong to us personally. Augustine agrees with this (Tract 25 on John): "Why do you prepare teeth and stomach? Believe and you have eaten." And again (Tract 50): "How shall I reach my hand into heaven to take hold of Him sitting there? Send up your faith and you lay hold of Him." Bernard says (Homily on Canticles 76): "Where He is you cannot now come; yet go to follow Him and seek Him -- believe, and you have found Him, for to believe is to find." Chrysostom says in his Homily 10 on Mark: "Let us believe and we see Jesus present before us." Ambrose writes in book 6, chapter 8 of his commentary on Luke: "By faith Christ is touched; by faith Christ is seen." Tertullian, on the resurrection of the flesh, says that Christ "must be chewed by understanding and digested by faith."

Reason 2. Whatever the Holy Spirit testifies to us, we may -- and indeed must -- certainly believe by faith. The Holy Spirit does particularly testify to us our adoption, the forgiveness of our sins, and the salvation of our souls. Therefore we may and must particularly and certainly believe these things by faith. The first part of this argument is true and cannot be denied. The second part is proved as follows. Paul says in Romans 8:15: "You have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!'" He then adds that the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. Here Paul presents two witnesses of our adoption: the Spirit of God, and our own spirits -- that is, the conscience sanctified by the Holy Spirit. The papists try to avoid this argument by saying that the Spirit of God witnesses our adoption through certain feelings of God's love and favor that are weak and often deceptive. But with respect, the testimony of the Spirit is more than a bare sense or feeling of God's grace. It is called the pledge and guarantee of the Spirit in our hearts (2 Corinthians 1:21), and it is therefore fitted to remove all occasion for doubt about our salvation -- just as earnest money in a transaction is given between the parties to put the matter beyond question. Bernard says that the testimony of the Spirit is a most sure testimony (Epistle 107).

Reason 3. Whatever God commands us to pray for, we must also believe. Every person is commanded to pray for the pardon of his own sins and for everlasting life — that is not in dispute. Therefore he is bound to believe the same. The premise is the most questionable part, but it is proved as follows. Every petition must contain two things: a desire for what is asked, and a particular faith that the thing asked will be given. Christ says in Mark 11:24: 'All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.' John also points to this particular faith, calling it 'the confidence that we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us' (1 John 5:14). It follows, then, that every petition requires two foundations: a commandment to warrant the petition, and a promise to assure us that it will be fulfilled. And from both of these it necessarily follows that we must apply the things we pray for to ourselves personally.

Reason 4. Whatever God commands in the Gospel, a person must and can perform. God commands us in the Gospel to believe the pardon of our own sins and everlasting life. Therefore we must so believe and may be assured of these things. This argument rests on the distinction between the commandments of the law and those of the Gospel. The commandments of the law show us what we must do but give us no power to do it. The doctrine and commandments of the Gospel work differently — they are called 'spirit and life' because God gives the grace needed to perform what He prescribes alongside the commandment itself. To believe the forgiveness of sins is a commandment of the Gospel — for the substance of Christ's ministry was 'repent and believe the Gospel.' And this is not merely to believe in general that Christ is a Savior and that the promises in Him are true, for even the devils believe that much and tremble. Rather, it is to believe particularly that Christ is my Savior and that the promises of salvation in Christ belong specifically to me. John says: 'This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of Jesus Christ.' To believe in Christ is to place confidence in Him — and no one can do that unless he is first assured of Christ's love and favor toward him. Therefore, since we are commanded to place our confidence in Christ, we are also commanded to believe our reconciliation with Him — which consists in the forgiveness of our sins and our acceptance to everlasting life.

Reason 5. Even the papists teach that a person may be assured of his salvation through hope — and from this it follows that he may be infallibly assured of it. For true and living hope never makes a person ashamed (Romans 5:5). And true hope follows faith and always presupposes certainty of faith. No one can truly hope for his salvation unless he is, by faith, at least to some degree certainly assured of it.

Catholic scholars raise objections to these arguments as follows. First, they say it cannot be proved that a person is as certain of his salvation by faith as he is of the articles of the Creed. Answer: First, these arguments show that we ought to be as certain of the one as of the other — for we have the same kind of commandment to believe the pardon of our sins as we have to believe the articles of faith, as I have shown. Second, these arguments prove that it is the very nature of faith to assure a person of his salvation as certainly as it assures him of the articles he believes. And while most people in practice do not believe their own salvation as firmly as they believe their articles of faith, some particular individuals do — having God's word applied by the Spirit as a sure ground of faith, by which they believe their own salvation just as securely as they believe the articles. Abraham was certainly assured of his own salvation in this way — as were the prophets, the apostles, and the martyrs of God in every age, who willingly laid down their lives for the name of Christ without doubting, being assured of receiving eternal happiness in Him. There is no question that many people today, through long and repeated experience of God's mercy and through the inward witness of the Holy Spirit, have attained to a full assurance of their salvation.

Exception 2. Even if a person may be assured of his present state, no one can be certain of persevering to the end. Answer: The opposite is true. In the sixth petition — 'lead us not into temptation' — we pray that God would not allow us to be wholly overcome by the devil in any temptation. This petition has a corresponding promise in 1 Corinthians 10: that God will, with every temptation, provide a way of escape. Therefore, though the devil may harass, trouble, and wound the servants of God, he will never be able to overcome them entirely. Furthermore, whoever is once a member of Christ can never be wholly cut off. If any person were wholly severed from Christ by sin even temporarily, he would need to be baptized a second time upon his restoration — since baptism is the sacrament of initiation and engrafting into Christ. By that reasoning, we would need to be baptized as often as we sin, which is absurd. John says in 1 John 2:19: 'They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us.' He takes it for granted that those who are once in Christ will never be wholly separated from Him or fall away. Though our fellowship with Christ may be weakened, the union and bond of connection is never dissolved.

Exception 3. They say we may indeed believe our salvation on God's part, but we must doubt with respect to ourselves — because the promises of forgiveness are given on condition of a person's faith and repentance, and we cannot be assured that we have true faith and repentance, since we may be living in secret sins and therefore actually lack what we think we have. Answer: I say again, the person who truly repents and believes does, by God's grace, know that he repents and believes. Otherwise Paul would never have said, 'Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith.' The same apostle says in 2 Corinthians 2:12: 'We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God' — and those things include not only everlasting life but justification, sanctification, and the like. As for secret sins, they cannot nullify our repentance — for the person who truly repents of his known sins also repents of those unknown to him, and receives pardon for all. God does not require an explicit or specific repentance for unknown sins; a general repentance is sufficient, as David says in Psalm 19: 'Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.' When they add that faith and repentance must be sufficient, I answer that the sufficiency of our faith and repentance lies in their genuineness, not in their measure or perfection. And where both are genuinely present, they can certainly be recognized.

Reason 6. The testimony of the ancient Church. Augustine wrote: 'From being an evil servant you have been made a good child. Therefore do not trust in your own deeds but in the grace of Christ. It is not arrogance but faith; to acknowledge what you have received is not pride but devotion.' He also wrote: 'Let no man ask another, but return to his own heart; if he finds love there, he has security for his passage from death to life.' Hilary, commenting on Matthew 5, wrote: 'The kingdom of heaven, which the Lord declared to be in Himself, must be hoped for without any wavering of uncertain will. Otherwise there is no justification by faith, if faith itself is made doubtful.' Bernard wrote in Epistle 107: 'Who is the just man but he who, being loved by God, loves Him in return? This happens only by the Spirit, who through faith reveals to him God's eternal purpose for his coming salvation.' This revelation is nothing other than the infusion of spiritual grace, by which, when the deeds of the flesh are put to death, the person is prepared for the kingdom of heaven — receiving at the same time in one Spirit both the assurance that he is loved and the ability to love in return.

In conclusion, the papists have little real cause to disagree with us on this point. They themselves teach and profess that by a special faith they believe their own salvation certainly and infallibly with respect to God who promises. What holds them back, they say, is their own unworthiness and inadequacy — which prevents them from being certain in any way beyond a probable hope. But this obstacle is easily removed, if people will judge impartially. First, with respect to ourselves and our own condition, we cannot be certain at all — indeed we must despair of salvation on those grounds all the way to death. We can never be sufficiently prepared in this life. We must always say with Jacob, 'I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness which You have shown to Your servant' (Genesis 32); and with David, 'Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no man living is righteous'; and with the centurion, 'Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof' (Matthew 8). Second, in making His promise of salvation, God does not look at human worthiness. He chose us for everlasting life before we existed; He redeemed us from death while we were enemies; and He grants the promise of salvation to those who acknowledge themselves sinners (Matthew 9), who labor and groan under the burden of sin (Matthew 11), and who hunger and thirst for grace (John 7:37). These things we may certainly and personally perceive in ourselves. When we find them present in us, our great unworthiness should not block our assurance. For God makes His power known in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12), and He will not break a bruised reed or snuff out a smoldering wick (Isaiah 42). Third, if a person loves God for His mercies and has a true hope of salvation through Christ, he is in Christ and has fellowship with Him. And whoever is in Christ has all his unworthiness and failings laid upon Christ — covered and pardoned in His death. When we consider ourselves as we are in Christ, we have no cause to waver but every reason to be certain of our salvation, and that with respect to ourselves as well.