For proof that the belief of this article,Jesus is the Christ,is all the faith required to salvation,my first argument shall be from the scope of the evangelists;which was,by the deion of the life of our Saviour,to establish that one article,Jesus is the Christ.The sum of St.Matthew's Gospel is this,that Jesus was of the stock of David,born of a virgin,which are the marks of the true Christ;that the Magi came to worship him as King of the Jews;that Herod for the same cause sought to kill him;that John the Baptist proclaimed him;that he preached by himself and his Apostles that he was that King;that he taught the law,not as a scribe,but as a man of authority;that he cured diseases by his word only,and did many other miracles,which were foretold the Christ should do;that he was saluted King when he entered into Jerusalem;that he forewarned them to beware of all others that should pretend to be Christ;that he was taken,accused,and put to death for saying he was King;that the cause of his condemnation,written on the cross,was JESUS OFNAZARETH,THE KING OF THE JEWS.All which tend to no other end than this,that men should believe that Jesus is the Christ.Such therefore was the scope of St.Matthew's Gospel.But the scope of all the evangelists,as may appear by reading them,was the same.Therefore the scope of the whole Gospel was the establishing of that only article.And St.John expressly makes it his conclusion,"These things are written,that you may know that Jesus is the Christ,the Son of the living God."
My second argument is taken from the subject of the sermons of the Apostles,both whilst our Saviour lived on earth,and after his ascension.The Apostles in our Saviour's time were sent to preach the kingdom of God:for neither there,nor Matthew,10.7,giveth he any commission to them other than this,"As ye go,preach,saying,the kingdom of heaven is at hand";that is,that Jesus is the Messiah,the Christ,the King which was to come.That their preaching also after his ascension was the same is manifest out of the Acts,17.6,"They drew,"saith St.Luke,"Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city,crying,These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also,whom Jason hath received.And these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar,saying that there is another king,one Jesus."And out of the second and third verses of the same chapter,where it is said that St.Paul,"as his manner was,went in unto them;and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures;opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered,and risen again from the dead,and that this Jesus is Christ."
The third argument is from those places of Scripture by which all the faith required to salvation is declared to be easy.For if an inward assent of the mind to all the doctrines concerning Christian faith now taught,whereof the greatest part are disputed,were necessary to salvation,there would be nothing in the world so hard as to be a Christian.The thief upon the cross,though repenting,could not have been saved for saying,"Lord,remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom";by which he testified no beliefs of any other article,but this,that Jesus was the King.Nor could it be said,as it is,Matthew,11.30,that "Christ's yoke is easy,and his burden light":nor that "little children believe in him,"as it is,Matthew,18.6.Nor could St.Paul have said (I Cor.,1.21),"It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching,to save them that believe":nor could St.Paul himself have been saved,much less have been so great a doctor of the Church so suddenly,that never perhaps thought of transubstantiation,nor purgatory,nor many other articles now obtruded.
The fourth argument is taken from places express,and such as receive no controversy of interpretation;as first,John,5.39,"Search the Scriptures,for in them ye think ye have eternal life,and they are they that testify of me."Our Saviour here speaketh of the Scriptures only of the Old Testament;for the Jews at that time could not search the Scriptures of the New Testament,which were not written.But the Old Testament hath nothing of Christ but the marks by which men might know him when he came;as that he should descend from David;be born at Bethlehem,and of a virgin;do great miracles,and the like.Therefore to believe that this Jesus was,he was sufficient to eternal life:but more than sufficient is not necessary;and consequently no other article is required.Again,"Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall not die eternally."Therefore to believe in Christ is faith sufficient to eternal life;and consequently no more faith than that is necessary.But to believe in Jesus,and to believe that Jesus is the Christ,is all one,as appeareth in the verses immediately following.For when our Saviour had said to Martha,"Believest thou this?"she answereth,"Yea,Lord,I believe that thou art the Christ,the Son of God,which should come into the world."Therefore this article alone is faith sufficient to life eternal,and more than sufficient is not necessary.
