[Institutiones Theologicae Ex Optimis Autoribus Concinatae (ex officinâ Francisci Moyardi, 1658)]
Johannes Hoornbeek (4 November 1617, Haarlem – 23 August 1666, Leiden), was a Dutch Reformed theologian. He was a student and a follower of Gisbertus Voetius, writing with him on spiritual desertion. Like his teacher Voetieus, he was also later a professor of theology at the University of Leiden and University of Utrecht. The two universities were closely related in the 17th century, and both the teacher and his students participated in the intellectual “Utrecht Circle.” Another member of the circle was Hornbeek's student colleague Andreas Essenius. The circle was also known as De Voetiaanse Kring (The Voetian Circle), and it was one of the most influential intellectual circles of the Dutch second Reformation.
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CALVIN. But all these things will be easy to understand when a clearer definition of faith shall have been set forth: that readers may grasp its power and nature. Now it is convenient to consider what this faith ought to be, through which all who are adopted by God as sons enter into possession of the heavenly kingdom: since it is evident that not any opinion or even persuasion is sufficient for effecting so great a matter.
GOMARUS. Moreover, πίστις, that is, faith, first properly and generally is the persuasion of the mind concerning the truth of anything. Acts 17:4, Heb. 11:13 with Rom. 4:20-21 and 14:23 with v. 14. Whence Philoponus saith: πίστις, γνῶσις τοῦ πειθομένου, faith is the knowledge of that which is persuaded. Then improperly, by metonymy, it is used in two ways. Faith toward God, for the object divinely proposed, is divided into diverse significations also. For one is the faith of working miracles (Matt. 17:20, 1 Cor. 12:9, 13:2), or of obtaining them (Matt. 9:21-22, Acts 14:9); another is called the faith of the Gospel (Phil. 1:27). And the same distinction between faith of signs and of doctrines is indicated by Chrysostom on 1 Cor. 12:9. But the faith of the Gospel is understood either absolutely, of the whole; or relatively, by reason of a part. And the former is the certain persuasion concerning the truth of the whole evangelical doctrine concerning God and Christ the Savior (Phil. 1:27, John 20:31, Heb. 11:6). Which Basil in his Ascetics on faith thus delineates: “Faith therefore is an undoubted assent to those things which are heard, with full persuasion of the truth of those things which, by God’s grace, are preached.” But the latter is a certain assent concerning Christian liberty delivered in the Gospel, because it is sometimes designated by the word faith taken synecdochically (Rom. 14:20, 23 with v. 2 and 14).
Faith is the certain and holy persuasion of the mind concerning the truth of the promises and salvation in Christ.
CALVIN. Now a right definition of faith will be established for us if we say that it is a firm and certain knowledge of the divine benevolence toward us, which, founded upon the truth of the gratuitous promise in Christ, is both revealed to our minds and sealed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
GOMARUS. Living faith is a supernatural virtue, freely infused by God into the hearts of the elect who are penitent for sin and desire deliverance, through the Gospel and regeneration, unto righteousness and their salvation and His glory: whereby they acknowledge the truth of the divine word, and especially that Jesus is the Christ, the only and perfect Savior of all true believers, and therefore their own.
The general object of faith is the whole word of God; the special object is the Gospel.
JUNIUS. The object or matter about which faith is concerned, in general is the whole word of God declared by the Prophets and Apostles: nor can faith be separated from it any more than rays can be separated from the Sun whence they arise: so that it is not undeservedly said to be the fountain and basis of faith: whence if it declines, it falls. Again, the object of faith in particular is the goodness, mercy, and promise of God founded in Christ the Mediator and our Lord, and set forth to us in the Gospel (Rom. 4:16). But this object both in general and in particular proposeth to us that which is not seen: for faith is of things not seen (Heb. 11:1).
GOMARUS. But the material object of faith, universal indeed, is only and wholly the word of God proposed to be believed and comprehended altogether in Holy Scripture (1 Cor. 4:6, 2 Tim. 3:15-16, Acts 24:14, 26:24, 27, John 5:39, 2 Pet. 1:19). But the particular object is the word of reconciliation and the word of salvation (2 Cor. 5:19, Acts 13:26), or the Gospel (Mark 1:15, 16:15-16, Rom. 1:16), namely the doctrine of God concerning the person of Jesus Christ and His attributes, with His offices and benefits (John 3:16, 17:3, 1 Cor. 2:2, 3:11, 1 John 5:10-11). The sum of which is: that Jesus is the Christ, that Son of God (Matt. 16:16, John 6:69, 11:27, 20:31, Acts 8:37, 1 John 5:1), the only and perfect Savior of all true believers (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 13:38-39, Heb. 9:16, 10:14, 1 John 1:7, John 3:16, Rom. 3:25, 4:25, 1 Cor. 1:30, Heb. 2:10, 5:9-10). Thus far concerning the object, as the Gospel is called the law (that is, doctrine) of faith (Rom. 3:27) and the word of faith (Rom. 10:8), so conversely, faith is called the faith of the Gospel (Phil. 1:27), faith in God (1 Thess. 1:8, 1 Pet. 1:21), and faith of Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:22), and faith of the Son of God (Gal. 2:20), and knowledge of salvation (Luke 1:77), knowledge of the grace of God (Col. 1:6), knowledge of Christ (Isa. 53:11). This concerning the matter of faith.
It requires knowledge antecedently, assent formally, and trust consequently.