The doctrine of sola fide has been long under fire. During the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church hurled assaults at the Reformers for their “antinomian” doctrine of justification by faith alone and to this day she stands by the anathemas pronounced at Trent against the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the believing sinner. Unfortunately, enemies of the beloved doctrine have formed within the walls of protestantism bringing the battle much closer to home.
Arguments are made that a faith that is “never alone,” as the Reformers put it, means that we are, at least in a certain sense, justified by our works. Thus, it is wrong to preach a salvation by mere faith. Others would redefine justifying faith as “faithful obedience” making our righteousness a thing attained not by works (as the pelagians would have it) but by good works which cooperate with grace and so justify. Such people dare to call their doctrine a gospel of grace (while Paul argues that such a “grace” is no longer grace). Ironically, though these men claim to be finishing what Luther and Calvin started they inevitably end up back in Rome; here they argue against any gospel that would comfort men in their state of sinfulness, any gospel that would assure men that they are, by faith, righteous and yet, simultaneously, sinner.
Such arguments against sola fide are nothing new. In his commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism Zacharius Ursinus deals with similar objections:
Obj. 4 Faith does not justify without that which is required in those who are justified. Good works are required in those who are justified. Therefore, faith is not without good works, and so does not justify alone.
Ans. There is here the same fallacy to which reference has just been made, on account of the doubtful construction of the particle without. Faith does not, indeed, justify without those things which are required in those who are justified. But although it never exists alone, and is always joined by love, by which it works, yet it alone justifies–is the act of embracing and applying to itself the merits of Christ. The minor also must be more fully explained; for faith and good works are not required in the same sense in those who are justified. Faith, with its own peculiar act, (without which it cannot be considered) is required as the necessary instrument, by which we apply to ourselves the merits of Christ. Good works, on the other hand, are not required that by them we may apprehend the merits of Christ, much less that we may be justified on account of them; but that we may thereby prove our faith, which without good works is dead, and can only be known by their presence. Good works are required as the fruits of our faith, and as the evidences of our gratitude to God. That is not always necessary for the accomplishment of a certain result, which is necessarily connected with the cause of the same thing. So good works, although they are necessarily connected with faith, are nevertheless not necessary for the apprehension of the merits of Christ.Obj. 5 Where there are a number of things required, there we cannot use any exclusive particles. But good works are required in addition to faith in them that are justified. Therefore, we cannot say by faith only.
Ans. The same answer may be returned to this objection which we have given to the one just noticed. Many things are required, but not in the same sense. Faith is necessary as the means by which we apprehend the righteousness of Christ, whilst good works are necessary as the evidences of our faith and gratitude.
- Zacharius Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Cathechism (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed), 337.
