1868 What is Faith, Charles Reply
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WHAT IS FAITH

    In
the September number of the Australian Christian Pioneer there is an article headed 'Faith-What is it?' The subject is intro­duced by informing the reader that Faith has been much spoken and written about, and that, notwithstanding this, it is a sub­ject concerning which there are many `in­definite ideas' abroad, and we suppose that this will be disputed by nobody. The writer further states that his object is to elicit truth, also to impart information, and therefore to do something towards increas­ing the happiness of all, whether saint or sinner. This is a most praiseworthy motive and as the writer also states that he cares not where the landing is made, provided that it be within the domain of truth, we suppose there can be no objection on his part, to a little more writing by another brother on the same topic, and with the same purpose before us both. We must, at the outset, own that we are not satisfied with the article, and that it has failed to render our ideas on this subject clearer, but that on the contrary there appears to be a haze hanging over the article which we should like to see dispelled. In other words, we feel sure that either we have mimed the track in our investigations on this point, or that our friend S. has. And the point at issue between us is this, is Faith simple or compound in its essence? Our friend and brother considers that at least there are two elements in Faith, we that there is but one, and that one is belief, and that Christian Faith is the belief of the truth ;-the truth as it is in Jesus. On reading the article we were painfully reminded of the quotation from Pollok, as given by our late brother Campbell:­
Faith was bewilder'd much by men who meant
To make it clear; so simple in itself,
A thought so rudimental and so plain.
That none by comment could it plainer make.
All faith was one; in object, not in kind
The difference Iay. The faith that saved the soul
And that which in the common truth believed
In essence were the same. Hear, then, what faith,
True Christian Faith, which brought salvation,
Belief in all that God reveal'd to men; [was,
Observe,-in all that God reveal'd to men,
In all He promised, threaten'd, commanded, said,
Without exception and without a doubt.
    We by no means endorse many of Pollok's sentiments as delivered in 'The Course of Time,' but we certainly do this, that `Faith is Simple,' and that the faith that saves a soul, and that which receives common testimony are in essence the same. But neither Pollok, nor S., nor M. is um­pire here. `To the law and to the testimony : if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.'-Isaiah viii. 20. To the law and to the testimony, then, we go ; we knock here and ask WHAT is Faith ? In the Old Testament we find that the word occurs but twice, and possibly in one of these it has not its New Testament application, but would be better rendered 'faithfulness.' But let us turn to the New Testament and see what light that will throw on the question-Are faith and belief synonymous? Our translators appear to have been very chary of the noun 'belief,' its cognate verb `believe' occurs frequently, but ' belief" only once in the whole Bible. In Thessalonians 2, ii. 13, we read, 'But we are bound to give thanks alway to rod for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salva­tion through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth.' And on turning to our Greek testament we find that this is the identical word which is elsewhere ren­dered faith. In the first epistle of John v. 9, 10, 11, we read, 'If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater : for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God bath the ' witness in himself : he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.' Good reader, does not this throw light on the nature of Faith ? Are not the believer and the unbeliever placed in contrast? Is not the believer, `he that believeth' ? Is not the unbeliever, `he that believeth not ? Is not `he that believeth ' synonymous with 'the man who has faith? Is not `he that believeth not'! ` the man who has not faith'? And does, not this passage also throw light on the guilt of unbelief, and show us what an enormous crime it is? God, through Jesus, has spoken to man. Jesus has produced evidence that `He and his Father are one;' and although that evidence is ample, men heed it not, and the awful consequence is that in doing so 'they make God a liar,' i.e. they treat the God of truth as though He were a liar, and unworthy of credit ! Such is unbelief. The reverse of this is, receiving God's testimony as true, and that is Faith ; for, says John in his iii. chapter and 33rd verse, 'He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. Let us next examine the great commission as given by Mark, xvi. 15-16, ` Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is bap­tized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned.' ` Preach the gospel.' Why ? surely that it might be believed, or, in other words, that man might have faith in it. This looks in the same direction.
    Once more, we listen to Paul in his letter to the Romans, i. 16, he writes, 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.' `It is the power of God unto salvation. To whom': 'To every one that believeth.' Is not this every one that has faith in it. Other passages might be adduced, but we think these sufficient, and, before turning our attention to the passage in the Hebrews, we just remark that the word rendered faith, and the word rendered believe are cognate ; and that, therefore, in the original they appear to the eye more nearly identical than in our English version, where we have one of them rendered by a derivative from the Latin, and the other by one from the Saxon.
    Here we will rest for the present. We have a word further for next month.

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