Marbeck:

FAITH

What Faith is.

Faith is a sure confidence of things which are hoped for [Heb. 11:8.], and a certainty of things which are not seen. ¶ Faith and trust in Christ only, is the life and quietness of the conscience, and not trust in works how holy so ever they be or appear. Works cannot se the heart at rest, because we ever think they be not enough, nor yet good enough, but to few, and so fall we into mistrusting, after which follows despairing and so damnation, if we leave not the confidence in them, and stick to faith, which can receive and believe without mistrust, that Christ’s works no the cross, has full purged, cleansed, and loosed us from our sins.

Again, Faith is a lively and steadfast trust in the favor of God, wherewith we commit ourselves altogether unto God, and that trust is so surely grounded, and sticks so fast in our hearts, that a man would not once doubt of it, though he should die a thousand times therefore, and such trust wrought by the Holy Ghost through faith, makes a man glad, lusty, cheerful and true hearted unto God and all creatures, by means whereof, willingly and without compulsion, he is lad and ready to do good to every man, to suffer all things, that God may beloved and praised, which has given him such grace, so that it is impossible to separate good works from faith, even as it is impossible to separate heat from fire. Therefore take heed and beware of your own fantasies, which to judge of faith and good works, will seem wise, when indeed they are stark blind, and of all things most foolish. Pray God that he will vouchsafe to work faith in your heart, or else you shall remain evermore faithless, feign you imagine you, enforce you wrestle with yourself, an do what you wilt.

Again, Faith is to believing of God’s promises, and a sure trust in the goodness and truth of God, which is faith justified Abraham, Gen. 15. and was the mother of all his good works, which he afterward did, for faith is the goodness of all works in the sight of God. Good works are things of God’s commandment, wrought in faith. And to show a show at the commandment of God, to do your neighbor service with all, with faith to be saved by Christ (as God promises us) is much better then to build an Abby of their own imagination, trust to be saved by the feigned works of hypocrites. Jacob robbed Laban his uncle, Moses robbed the Egyptians, and Abraham is about to slay and burn is own son, and all are holy works because they are wrought in faith at God’s commandment. To steal, rob and murder, are no holy works before worldly people, but unto them that have their trust in God, they are holy when God commands them. What God commands not, gets no reward with God. Holy works of men’s imagination, receive their reward here as Christ testifies. Math. 6:2.                                                                       Tyndale.

Faith is an undoubted belief most firmly grounded in the mind.                           Bullinger. fo. 30.

Again, True faith is the well-spring and root of all virtues and good works, and first of all satisfies the mind and desire of man, and makes it quiet and joyful.                   Bullinger. fol. 54.

Iohn Marbeck, A Book of Notes and Common Places, collected and gathered out of the works of diuers singular Witers, and brought Alphabetically in order (Imprinted at London by Thomas East, 1581), 361-362. [Some words and spelling modernized.]

Marbeck:

Reprobation.

A definition of this word Reprobation.

Reprobation is the most wise purpose of God, whereby he has before all eternity constantly decreed without any injustice, not to have mercy on those whom he has not loved, but have overhipped* that by their just condemnation, he might declare his wrath towards sinners and also his glory.                                                     Pet. Mar. upon the Rom. fol. 293.

How the just cause of reprobation is hid unto us?

We say not that God’s ordinance is the cause of reprobation, but we affirm that the just causes of reprobation are to be hid in the eternal counsel of God, and known to his godly wisdom alone, but the causes of sin of death and damnation are evident and manifestly declared to us in the Scriptures, to wit, man’s free will, consenting to the deceivable persuasion of the devil, willful sin, and voluntary rebellion, by which entered death into this world, the contempt of the graces and God’s mercies offered, with the heaping up of sin upon to sin, till damnation justly came. The causes I say of sin, death and damnation, are plainly noted unto us in God’s Holy Scriptures. But why it pleased God to show mercy to some, and deny the same to others, because the judgments of God, are a devouring depth, we enter not in reasoning with him, but with all humility render thanks to is Majesty, for the grace and mercy, which we doubt not but of his free grace, we have received in Christ Jesus our only head.                                                                 Knox.

Iohn Marbeck, A Book of Notes and Common Places, collected and gathered out of the works of diuers singular Witers, and brought Alphabetically in order (Imprinted at London by Thomas East, 1581), 906-907. [Some spelling modernized.] [* Overhipped: past tense of overhip: to pass over, to pass by.]

Tyndale:

How this place (God will have all men saved) is understood.

God will have all men saved.  ¶  That is, will have the Gospell preached to all men, without exception, & offer to all men repentance, and will have all men praied for. Tyndale.

Iohn Marbeck, A Book of Notes and Common Places, collected and gathered out of the works of diuers singular Witers, and brought Alphabetically in order (Imprinted at London by Thomas East, 1581), 24. [Original spelling retained.]

Thanks to Tony for the find.

[Note: 1) The following is a but a very brief selection from VanderKemp. What we do see here are some very pertinent comments, hence their selection. 2) In his exposition of the Catechism, VenderKemp first provides a positive exposition the catechism, after which sets out sets out applications by way of exhortations, first to the unbeliever, second to the believer. The following are his exhortations to unbelievers.]

VanderKemp:

1) 2 But ye, who seek not yet the suffering Jesus. who pursue your happiness in your own works, to whom Jesus is not yet precious in his sufferings, who mind earthly things, and are thus enemies of the cross of Christ j who once seemed to have chosen his side. but have again loved the present world, and do thus crucify the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame; who withstand the people of Jesus, and therefore Jesus himself, see in these sufferings of Jesus what will betide you also: for if these things were done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” Luke xxiii. 31. If the Son of God experienced so much woe, when he was guiltless, and had done all things well, how will ye, O vile wretches, endure, when he will attack you not as a man. but when he will stir up all his wrath, and ring you to his seat at, that he may accuse you of all your misdemeanors, your sedition again4t him, your blasphemy, reproaching and transgressing of his law; that he map condemn you as guilty, and send you away as accursed, when he will say to you, standing on his left hand, bb Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,” Matt. xxv. 41. How will ye then be crucified? for “your worm shall not die, and your fire shall not be quenched,” Mark ix. 44. Either ye must suffer, or Jesus for you. Since now ye evidence by your behavior, that ye have never sought him in truth, ye have therefore no proof, that he suffered for you: therefore be anxious and concerned, look unto him, that ye may be saved, He stretches out his hands, pierced with the nails, to you, and invites you to come unto him.       Johannes VanderKemp, The Christian, Entirely the Property of Christ, in the life and death, Exhibited in Fifty-three Sermons on the Heidelberg Catechism. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Reformation Heritage Books, 1997), 1:322. [Sermons originally published in 1717.] [Some spelling modernized; underlining mine.]

2) 4. Perhaps ye may think, all this doth not concern us, for we know God: we could prove by passages from the word of God that he exists, and show what and who he is, and w endeavor to live according to our knowledge, by forsaking evil, and doing good. It is well; but does your knowledge warm your hearts, unite you to God and Christ? and are your works “done in God,” as the Lord Jesus says? John iii. 21. But how few are there, who know God thus? there are many who have not been taught so by God; they nave only a literal knowledge of the void, which leaves their souls alienated from God, and doth not influence and urge them to do all things in union with the Triune God. Their knowledge puffs them up, and “their. zeal for God is not according to knowledge, leading them to establish their own righteousness,” Rom. x. 2, 3.

Read the rest of this entry »