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 (John 11:26), “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 (verse 26) had said to Martha, “Believest thou this?” she answereth (verse 27), “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. Thirdly (John 20:31): “These things are written that ye might believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through His name.” There, to believe that “Jesus is the Christ,” is faith sufficient to the obtaining of life; and therefore no other article is necessary. Fourthly (1 John 4:2): “Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God.” And (1 John 5:1): “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God.” And (verse 5): “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” Fifthly (Acts 8:36–37):