For God does not deal, nor has He ever dealt with man otherwise than through a Word of promise. We, in turn, cannot deal with God otherwise than through faith in the Word of His promise. He does not desire works, nor has He need of them...But God has need of this - that we consider His faithfulness in His promises (Hebrews 10:23) and patiently persist in this belief...promise and faith must necessarily go together. For without the promise there is nothing to be believed; while without faith the promise is useless, since it is established and fulfilled through faith.
From The Babylonian Captivity of the Church
