Every doctrine taught in the Bible is the object of an enlight- ened spiritual faith. No revealed principle, however compara- tively subordinate, can be regarded as indifferent, nor may be adopted or rejected at will. Every man is bound to credit the whole testimony of God. Yet the gospel is a logically consistent system of truth, some of whose principles are essential to its in- tegrity, while others are essential only to its symmetry and perfec- tion, and ignorance, feebleness of logical comprehension and preju- dice may, and constantly do, lead good men to apprehend this system of truth imperfectly.
A fundamental doctrine, then, is either one which eveiy soul must apprehend more or less clearly in order to be saved, or one which, when known, is so clearly involved with those the knowl- edge and belief of which is essential to salvation, that the one can not be rejected while the other is really believed.
A fundamental doctrine is ascertained —
1st. In the same way that the essential principles of any other system are determined by their bearing upon the system as a whole.
2d. Every fundamental doctrine is clearly revealed.
3d. These doctrines are in Scripture itself declared to be essen- tial, John iii., 18 ; Acts xvi., 31 ; 2 Cor. v., 17 ; Gal. ii. 21 ; 1 John i., 8.
28. What is the object of that specific act of faith whereby we are justified?
The person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ as Mediator.
This is proved—
1st. The Scriptures expressly declare that we are justified by that faith of which Christ is the object, Kom. iii., 22, 25 ; Gal. ii., 16 ; Phil, iii., 9.
2d. We are said to be saved by faith in Christ, John iii., 16, 36 ; Acts x., 43 ; xvi., 31.
3d. Justifying faith is designated as a " looking to Christ," a " coming to Christ," etc., John i., 12 ; vi., 35, 37 ; Isa. xlv., 22.
4th. Kejection of Christ ; a refusal to submit to the righteous-
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ness of God is declared to be the ground of reprobation, John viii.; 24 ; iii., 18, 19.
29. How is the Bomish doctrine on this point opposed to the Protestant f
The Komanists, confounding justification and sanctification, hold that faith justifies through the sanctifying power of the truth. As all revealed truth has this sanctifying virtue, it fol- lows that the whole revelation of God as ascertained by the de- cisions of the church, is the object of justifying faith. This is refuted by all we have established from Scripture concerning jus- tification, sanctification, and faith.
30. Is Christ in all his offices, or only as priest, the immedi- ate object of justifying faith?
In this act the believer appropriates and rests upon Christ as Mediator, which includes at once all his functions as such. These may be analytically distinguished, but in fact they are always in- separably united in him. When he acts as prophet he teaches as king and priest. When he reigns he sits as prophet and priest upon his throne. Besides this, his prophetical and kingly work are consciously needed by the awakened soul, and are necessarily apprehended as inseparable from his priestly work in the one act of faith.
It is true, however, that as the substitutionary work which Christ accomplished as priest is the meritorious ground of our salvation, so his priestly character is made the more prominent, both in the teachings of Scripture and in the experience of his people.
31. How far is peace of conscience and peace with God a necessary consequence of faith ?
Peace with God is reconciliation with him. Peace of con- science may either mean consciousness of that reconciliation, or the appeasement of our own consciences which condemn us. Faith in every instance secures our peace with God, since it unites us to Christ, Eom. v., 1 ; and in the proportion in which faith in the merits of Christ is clear and constant will be our consciousness
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of reconciliation with God, and the satisfaction of our own moral sense that righteousness is fulfilled, while we are forgiven. Yet as faith may be obscured by sin, so the true believer may tempo- rarily fall under his Father's displeasure, and lose his sense of forgiveness and his moral satisfaction in the perfection of the atonement.
32. What are the three views entertained as to the relation between faith and assurance?
1st. The Reformers generally maintained that justifying faith consisted in appropriating the promise of salvation through Christ made in the gospel, i. e., in regarding God as propitious to us for Christ's sake. Thus the very act of faith involves assurance.
2d. Some have held that assurance in this life is unattainable.