Our Inheritance of Faith: A Commentary on the Thirty Nine Articles by Martin Davie

Author:Martin Davie [Davie, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion, anglican, episcopalian, 39 articles, anglicanism, anglican church, Christianity
ISBN: 9780956856074
Google: EKManQEACAAJ
Publisher: Gilead Books Publishing
Published: 2019-11-24T00:07:38.501522+00:00

The homily exhorts Christians to look at their lives and to consider whether they are producing the fruit of good works that indicates that they have a lively rather than a dead faith.

Let us therefore, good Christian people, try and examine our faith what it is: let us not flatter ourselves, but look upon our works, and so judge of our faith, what it is. Christ himself speaketh of this matter and saith, The tree is known by the fruit (Matthew 12.33). Therefore let us do good works and thereby declare our faith to be the lively Christian faith. Let us, by such virtues as ought to spring up out of faith, show our election to be sure and stable; as St. Peter teacheth, Endeavour yourselves to make your calling and election certain by good works (2 Peter 1.10). And also he saith, Minister or declare in your faith virtue, in virtue knowledge, in knowledge temperance, in temperance patience, in patience godliness, in godliness brotherly charity, in brotherly charity love (vv. 5-7). So shall we show indeed, that we have the very lively Christian faith; and may so both certify our conscience the better, that we be in the right faith, and also by these means, confirm other men. If these fruits do not follow, we do but mock with God, deceive ourselves, and also other men. Well may we bear the name of Christian men, but we do lack the true faith that doth belong thereunto. For true faith doth ever bring forth good works; as St. James saith, Show me thy faith by thy deeds (James 2.18). Thy deeds and works must be an open testimonial of thy faith; otherwise thy faith, being without good works, is but the devil's faith, the faith of the wicked, a phantasy of faith, and not a true Christian faith. (430)

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