The Works of John Knox Volume I Part 2

Christ hath maid satisfactioun for us and for our synne.

Christ is our rychteousness.

Christ is oure wisdome.

Christ is our sanctifcatioun.

Christ is our redemptioun.

Christ is our satisfactioun.

Christ is our goodness.

Christ hath pacifeid the Father of Heavin.

Christ is ouris, and all his.

Christ hath delivered us frome the law, frome the devill, and h.e.l.l.

The Father of Heavin hath forgevin us for Christis saik.

Or anie such other, as declair unto us the mercyes of G.o.d.

THE NATURE [AND OFFICE] OF THE LAW, AND OF THE GOSPELL.

The Law schawith us, Our synne.

Our condemnatioun, Is the word of ire.

Is the word of dispair.

Is the word of displeasure.

The Gospell schawith us, A reamedy for it.

Oure redemptioun, Is the word of grace.

Is the word of conforte.

Is the word of peace.

A DISPUTATIOUN BETUIX THE LAW AND THE GOSPELL.

The Law sayith, Paye thy debt, Thow art a synnar desparat.

And thow shalt die.

The Gospell sayith, Christ hath payed it.

Thy synnes ar forgevin thee.

Be of good conforte, thow shalt be saved.

The Law sayith, Mack a mendis for thy synne.

The Father of Heaven is wraith wyth thee.

Quhair is thy rychteousnes, goodnes, and satisfactioun?

Thou art bound and obligat unto me, [to] the devill, and [to] h.e.l.l.

The Gospell sayith, Christ hath maid it for thee.

Christ hath pacefeid him with his blood.

Christ is thy rychteousnes, thy goodnes, and satisfactioun Christ hath delivered thee from thame all.

[THE DOCTRINE] OFF FAITH.

Faith is to beleve G.o.d; "lyck as Abraham beleved G.o.d, and it was compted unto him for rychteousnes." (Gen. 15.)--"He that beleved G.o.d, beleved his word." (Joan. 5.)--To beleve in him, is to beleve his word, and accompt it trew that he speikith. He that belevith not G.o.ddis word, beleveth not him self. He that belevith nott G.o.ddis word, he compteth him fals, and ane lyar, and beleveth not that he may and will fulfill his word; and so he denyeth both the myght of G.o.d and him self.

IX. Faith is the gift of G.o.d.--"Everie good thing is the gift of G.o.d."

(Jacob. 1.)--Fayth is good.--Ergo, faith is the gift of G.o.d.

X. [Faith is not in our power.]--The gift of G.o.d is not in oure power.--"Faith is the gift of G.o.d."--Ergo, fayth is not in oure power.

XI. [He that lacketh faith cannot please G.o.d.]--"Without faith it is impossible to please G.o.d." (Hebr. 11.)--All that c.u.mmith nott of fayth, is synne; for without faith can no man please G.o.d.--Besydis, that he that lacketh faith, he trusteth nott G.o.d. He that trusteth not G.o.d, trusteth nott in his wourd. He that trusteth not in his wourd, hauldeth him self fals, and a liear. He that haldeth him self false and a lyer, he belevith not that he may doo that he promeseth, and so denyeth he that he is G.o.d. And how can a man, being of this fa.s.sioun, please him?

No maner of way. Yea, suppoise he did all the werkis of man and angell.

XII. All that is done in fayth, pleaseth G.o.d.--"Richt is the wourde of G.o.d, and all his werkis in faith." "Lord, thine eis look to faith." That is asmuch to saye as, Lord, thow delitest in fayth. G.o.d loveth him that belevith in him. How cane thei then displease him?

XIII. He that hath the faith, is just and good.--And a good trie bringeth furth good fruite.--Ergo, all that is in faith done pleaseth G.o.d.

XIV. [He that hath faith, and believeth G.o.d, cannot displease him.]--Moreovir, he that hath the faith belevith G.o.d.--He that belevith G.o.d, belevith his worde. He that belevith his word, woteth weall that he is trew and faithfull, and may nott lie: But knowith weall that he may and will boith fulfill his word. How can he then displease him? For thow canst not do ane greattar honor unto G.o.d, then to count him trew. Thow wilt then say, that thift, murther, adulterie, and all vices, please G.o.d? Nane, verrelie; for thei can not be done in faith: "for a good tree beareth good frute." He that hath the faith, woteth weall that he pleaseth G.o.d; for all that is done in fayth pleaseth G.o.d. (Hebr. 11.)

XV. Faith is a suirness.--"Faith is a suir confidence of thingis quhilk ar hoped for, and a certantie of thinges which ar not sene." (Hebr.

11.)--"The same spreit certifieth our spreit that we are the children of G.o.d." (Rom. 8.)--Moirovir, he that hath the faith, woteth weill that G.o.d will fulfill his word.--Ergo, fayth is a suirness.

A MAN IS JUSTIFEID BE FAITH.

"Abraham beleveth G.o.d, and it was impueted unto him for ryghteousnes."

"We suppose thirfoir that a man is justified (saith the Apostill) without the workis of law." (Rom. 4.)--"He that workith not, but belevith in him that justifieth the unG.o.dlie, his faith is compted unto him for ryghteousnes." "The just man levith by faith." (Abac. 2; Rom.

1.)--"We wote, that a man that is justifeid, is not justifeid be the workis of the law, but be the faith of Jesus Christ, and not by the deadis of the law."

OF THE FAITH OF CHRIST

The faith of Christ is, to beleve in him; that is, to beleve his wourd, and to beleve that he will helpe thee in all thy neid, and deliver thee frome evill. Thow wilt ask me, What word? I answer, The Gospell. "He that beleveth on Christ shalbe saved." "He that belevith the Sone hath eternall lyif." "Verrelie, verrelie, I say unto yow, he that belevith on me hath everlasting lyif." (Joan. 6.)--"This I wret unto yow, that beleving in the name of the Sone of G.o.d, ye may know that ye have eternall lyif." (1 Joan. 5.)--"Thomas, becaus thow hast sein me thow belevest; but happie ar thei that have nott sein, and yit beleve in me."

"All the Propheittis to him bare witness, that whosoevir belevith in him shall have remissioun of thair synnes." (Act. 10.)--"What must I do that I may be saved?" The Apostill answerid, "Beleve in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thow shalt be saved." "Yf thow acknowledge wyth the mouth, that Jesus is the Lord, and beleve in thyn harte that G.o.d raissed him up from the death, thow shalt be save." (Rom. 10.)--"He that beleveth not in Christ shalbe condemned." "He that beleveth nott the Sone shall never see lyif; but the ire of G.o.d abydith upoun him." (Joan. 3.)--"The Holy Ghost shall reprove the world of synne, becaus thei beleve not in me." "Thei that beleve in Jesus Christ ar the sones of G.o.d." Ye ar all the sones of G.o.d, because ye beleve in Jesus Christ.

He that belevith in Christ the Sone of G.o.d is save. (Galat. 3.)--"Petir said, Thow art Christ, the Sone of the leving G.o.d. Jesus ansuered and said unto him, Happie arte thow, Symon, the sone of Jonas; for flesch and blood hath nott oppened unto thee that, bot my Father which is in heavin." (Matth. 16.)--"We have beloved and knowin that thow arte Christ the Sone of the leving G.o.d." "I beleve that thow arte Christ the Sone of the leving G.o.d, which should come into the warld." "These thingis ar written that ye mycht beleve that Jesus Christ is the Sone of G.o.d, and that in beleving ye mycht have lyef. I beleve that Jesus is the Sone of the leving G.o.d." (Joan. 9.)

XVI. He that belevith G.o.d, belevith the Gospell.--He that belevith G.o.d, belevith his Word:--And the Gospell is his Word. Thairfoir he that belevith G.o.d, belevith his Gospell. As Christ is the Saviour of the world, Christ is our Saviour. Christ bought us with his bloode. Christ woushe us with his blood. Christ offerred him self for us. Christ baire oure synnes upoun his back.

XVII. He that belevith nott the Gospell, belevith not G.o.d.--He that belevith not G.o.ddis Word belevith nott him self:--And the Gospell is G.o.ddis Word.--Ergo, he that belevith nott the Gospell belevith nott G.o.d him self; and consequentlie thei that beleve nott as is above written, and such other, beleve not G.o.d.

XVIII. He that belevith the Gospell, shalbe saved.--"Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospell unto everie creature: he that belevith and is baptised shalbe saved; bot he that belevith not shalbe condemned."

A COMPARISON BETUIX FAITH AND INDREDULITIE.