Vega, and those of his Association, 1answers after his usual manner, ⟨p. 500⟩that in all these Repentance was joined with Faith, and other things also belonging to good Manners, and a godly Life. But it easily appears how vain and insignificant this Answer of Vega is: He says, Repentance and other Virtues are joined with Faith: Which, tho' I confess to be in some sense true in the lives and persons of them that are justified; but these things have no union with Faith in the concernment of Justification. And first, as touching Repentance, abundance hath been said before; for seeing Repentance is nothing but a mourning for sins committed, it may indeed of it self afflict the guilty person, and fit him for receiving of Grace; but it cannot obtain a pardon for the sins committed before a Secular Judge, and much less before the Judgment Seat of God. For that is the Office of Faith, which as it only obtains a pardon, so it obtains it for none but them that are afflicted, and repent, and believe in Christ. For for their sakes chiefly Christ was sent by his Father into this World, that he may help all them, that being in distress, fly to him by Faith. In which three things are to be considered, and placed each of them in their own bounds and territories. First, that we may see what the Mediator does, what Faith performs, & what sorrow for sin produces. All our Salvation flows from the Mediator as from a Spring and Fountain. But if you ask, how, or for what cause he saves; I answer, by Faith. And if you ask, whom he saves; I answer, those that repent of their wickedness, or whom he draws unto himself by an inward ⟨p. 501⟩Call: Doth the Lord then save those for their Repentance? No verily. Suppose a man is greatly grieved at the remembrance of his bypast life, but yet comes not to Christ; will grief for his sins save him? No surely. Yea, who can come to Christ unless he first hear and understand, who he is from whom Salvation must be sought? Now it is Faith, and not Repentance, that does this: For it is not the grief and sorrow of a broken hearted sinner, but Faith that discovers a Saviour to us, and guides us to him, and obtains Salvation from him: Yea, which is Salvation to them that are in distress: for thus it is written: This is the will of God, That every one that seeth and believeth in him, should 2have Eternal Life.
Vega, and those of his Association, 1answers after his usual manner, ⟨p. 500⟩that in all these Repentance was joyned with Faith, and other things also belonging to good Manners, and a godly Life. But it easily appears how vain and insignificant this Answer of Vega is: He says, Repentance and other Vertues are joyned with Faith: Which, tho' I confess to be in some sense true in the lives and persons of them that are justified; but these things have no union with Faith in the concernment of Iustification. And first, as touching Repentance, abundance hath been said before; for seeing Repentance is nothing but a mourning for sins committed, it may indeed of it self afflict the guilty person, and fit him for receiving of Grace; but it cannot obtain a pardon for the sins committed before a Secular Iudge, and much less before the Iudgment Seat of God. For that is the Office of Faith, which as it only obtains a pardon, so it obtains it for none but them that are afflicted, and repent, and believe in Christ. For for their sakes chiefly Christ was sent by his Father into this World, that he may help all them, that being in distress, flie to him by Faith. In which three things are to be considered, and placed each of them in their own bounds and territories. First, that we may see what the Mediatour does, what Faith performs, & what sorrow for sin produces. All our Salvation flows from the Mediatour as from a Spring and Fountain. But if you ask, how, or for what cause he saves; I answer, by Faith. And if you ask, whom he saves; I answer, those that repent of their wickedness, or whom he draws unto himself by an inward ⟨p. 501⟩Call: Doth the Lord then save those for their Repentance? No verily. Suppose a man is greatly grieved at the remembrance of his bypast life, but yet comes not to Christ; will grief for his sins save him? No surely. Yea, who can come to Christ unless he first hear and understand, who he is from whom Salvation must be sought? Now it is Faith, and not Repentance, that does this: For it is not the grief and sorrow of a broken hearted sinner, but Faith that discovers a Saviour to us, and guides us to him, and obtains Salvation from him: Yea, which is Salvation to them that are in distress: for thus it is written: This is the will of God, That every one that seeth and believeth in him, should 2have Eternal Life.
- 1Vega de Justificat. p. 771.Vega de Iustificat. p. 771.
- 2John 3.Iohn 3.
