When we begin to preach of faith to those that believe altogether in works, they laugh and hiss at us, and say, “Dost thou count us as Turks and heathens, whom it behooves now first to learn faith? is there such a company of priests, monks, and nuns, and is not faith known? who knoweth not what he ought to believe? even sinners know that.”  Being after this sort animated and stirred up, they think themselves abundantly endued with faith, and that the rest is now to be finished and made perfect by works.  They make so small and slender account of faith, because they are ignorant what faith is, and that it alone doth justify.  They call it faith, believing those things which they have heard of Christ; this kind of faith the devils also have, and yet they are not justified.  But this ought rather to be called an opinion of men.  To believe those things to be true which are preached of Christ is not sufficient to constitute thee a Christian, but thou must not doubt that thou art of the number of them unto whom all the benefits of Christ are given and exhibited; which he that believes must plainly confess, that he is holy, godly, righteous, the son of God, and certain of salvation; and that by no merit of his own, but by the mere mercy of God poured forth upon him for Christ’s sake:  which he believes to be so rich and plentiful, as indeed it is, that altho he be as it were drowned in sin, he is notwithstanding made holy, and become the son of God.

Wherefore, take heed that thou nothing doubt that thou art the son of God, and therefore made righteous by His grace; let all fear and care be done away.  However, thou must fear and tremble that thou mayest persevere in this way unto the end; but thou must not do this as tho it consisted in thy own strength, for righteousness and salvation are of grace, whereunto only thou must trust.  But when thou knowest that it is of grace alone, and that thy faith also is the gift of God, thou shalt have cause to fear, lest some temptation violently move thee from this faith.

Every one by faith is certain of this salvation; but we ought to have care and fear that we stand and persevere, trusting in the Lord, and not in our own strength.  When those of the race of Cain hear faith treated of in this manner, they marvel at our madness, as it seems to them.  God turn us from this way, say they, that we should affirm ourselves holy and godly; far be this arrogance and rashness from us:  we are miserable sinners; we should be mad, if we should arrogate holiness to ourselves.  Thus they mock at true faith, and count such doctrine as this execrable error; and thus try to extinguish the Gospel.  These are they that deny the faith of Christ, and persecute it throughout the whole world; of whom Paul speaks:  “In the latter times many shall depart from the faith,” etc., for we see by these means that true faith lies everywhere opprest; it is not preached, but commonly disallowed and condemned.