Jacopo Sadoleto (1477-1547), a Roman Catholic cardinal, wrote the following in his letter to the magistrates and citizens of Geneva, dated March 1539:
[W]e obtain this blessing of complete and perpetual salvation by faith alone in God and in Jesus Christ. When I say by faith alone, I do not mean, as those inventors of novelties do, a mere credulity and confidence in God, by which, to the seclusion of charity and the other duties of a Christian mind, I am persuaded that in the cross and blood of Christ all my faults are unknown; this indeed is necessary, and forms the first access which we have to God, but it is not enough. For we must also bring a mind full of piety toward Almighty God, and desirous of performing whatever is agreeable to Him; in this, especially, the power of the Holy Spirit resides. This mind, though sometimes it proceeds not to external acts, is, however, inwardly prepared of itself for well-doing and shows a prompt desire to obey God in all things, and this in us is the true habit of divine justice. For what else does this name of justice signify, or what other meaning and idea does it present to us, if regard is not had in it to good works? For Scripture says, that “God sent his Son to prepare a people acceptable to Himself, zealous of good works”; and in another place it says, that we may be built up in Christ unto good works. If, then, Christ was sent that we, by well-doing, may, through Him be accepted of God, and that we may be built up in Him unto good works; surely the faith which we have in God through Jesus Christ not only enjoins and commands us to confide in Christ but to confide, working or resolved to work well in him. For faith is a term of full and ample signification, and not only includes in it credulity, and confidence, but also the hope and desire of obeying God, together with love, the head and mistress of all the virtues, as has been most clearly manifested to us in Christ, in which love the Holy Spirit properly and peculiarly resides, or rather Himself is love, since God is love. Wherefore, as without the Holy Spirit, so also without love, nought of ours is pleasing and acceptable to God. When we say, then, that we can be saved by faith alone in God and Jesus Christ, we hold that in this very faith love is essentially comprehended as the chief and primary cause of our salvation. (A Reformation Debate: Sadoleto’s Letter to the Genevans and Calvin’s Reply, ed. John C. Olin [New York: Fordham University Press, 2000], 29-30, emphasis added)
Latter-day Saints may appreciate Saldoleto’s understanding of the term “faith alone” not being the “Protestant” understanding of Sola Fide, but instead, a “faith working through love” (cf. Gal 5:6). Such is all the more important in light of JST Rom 3:28 using the phrase “faith alone” with respect to one being justified “apart from works of law.” To read For more on JST Rom 3:28, see:
Kevin L. Barney, "Faith Alone" in Romans 3:28 JST
