Without the Law and Works. The Sixth Sermon
Bene ready here, dearly beloved, to speak unto you of faith, which without works doth justify them that believe, I call upon the Father, which is in heaven, through his onlybegotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord, beseeching him to open my mouth and lips to the setting forth of his praise, and to illuminate your hearts, that ye, acknowledging the great benefit of God, may become thankful for it, and holy indeed. And first of all, I will speak certain things, chiefly necessary to this argument or treatise, touching this term of justification. The term of justifying, very usual and common
[11 John iv. 14, 15.] [2 Gal. ii. 20.]]
among the Hebrews, and of a large signification, is not at this day so well understood of all men as it ought to be. To justify is as much to say as to quit from judgment and from the denounced and uttered sentence of condemnation. It signifieth to remit offences, to cleanse, to sanctify, and to give inheritance? of life everlasting. For it is a law term belonging to courts where judgment is exercised. Imagine therefore, that man is set before the judgment-seat of God, and that there he is pleaded guilty; to wit, that he is accused and convinced of heinous offences, and therefore sued to punishment or to the sentence of condemnation. Imagine also, that the Son of God maketh intercession, and cometh in as a mean, desiring that upon him may be laid the whole fault and punishment due unto us men, that he by his death may cleanse them and take them away, setting us free from death, and giving us life everlasting. Imagine too, that God, the most high and just judge, receiveth the offer, and translateth the punishment together with the fault from us unto the neck of his Son; making therewithal a statute, that whosoever believeth that the Son of God suffered for the sins of the world, brake the power of death, and delivered us from damnation, should be cleansed from his sins and made heir of life everlasting. Who therefore can be so dull of understanding, but may perceive that mankind is justified by faith?
But that there may be no cause of doubt or darkness left in the mind of any man; that which I have already spoken generally, by the parable and similitude fetched from our common law, I will here particularly bring into certain parts, confirming and manifestly proving every one of them severally out of the holy scriptures, so that even to the slowest wits the power of faith and work of justification may be most evident.:
And first, I will shew unto you, that this term of justification is taken in this present treatise for the absolution and remission of sins, for sanctification, and adoption into the number of the sons of God. In the thirteenth of the Acts, the apostle Paul saith: Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this Lord Jesus Christ is preached
[3 heeredem constituere, Lat. ] [ omnis culpa et peena, Lat. ] [5 vel tardis ingeniis, Lat.]]
unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses.” See, in Christ is preached unto us the forgiveness of sins; and he that believeth that Christ preached forgiveth sins? is also justified. It followeth therefore, that justification is the remission of sins. In the fifth chapter to the Romans saith the same apostle: “Being justified by the blood of Christ, we shall be saved from wrath through him3” But the blood of Christ washeth away sins. Justification, therefore, is the washing away or forgiveness of sins. And again, in the same chapter, saith he more plainly: “Judgment entered by one offence unto condemnation, but the gift of many sins unto justification.” He maketh justification the contrary to condemnation: therefore, justification is the absolution and delivery from condemnation. What say ye to this moreover, that he doth plainly call justification a gift, that is, the forgiveness of sins? Hereunto also belong those words of his: “Even as by the sin of one condemnation came on all men; so by the righteousness of one good came upon all men to the justification of 1168, Here again is the justification of life made the contrary of condemnation unto death set as a pain upon our heads because of the transgression: justification of life therefore is an absolution from sins, a delivery from death, a quickening or translating from death to life. For in the fourth to the Romans the same apostle expoundeth justification by sanctification, and sanctification by the remission of sins. For in treating of faith, whereby we are justified, or which God imputeth to us for righteousness without works, he saith: “Even as David also doth expound the blessedness of that man, to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works, saying: Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered”.” What could be more plainly spoken
[1 Acts xiii. 38, 39.] [2 qui credit annunciato Christo, remittenti peccata, Lat.] [3 Rom. v. 9.] [4 Rom. v.16.] [5 v.18.] [6 beatificationem, Lat. This is the term which Bullinger employs]
[in this Treatise of Justification, and which the translator, rather un-]
[happily, has rendered sanctification. The idea intended by Bullinger]
[is expressed in Rom. iv. 7, which he quotes. — Cf. Calvin, Instit.]
[Lib. m1. cap. 11. 4. & 22.] [7 Rom. iv. 7.]]
than this? For he doth evidently expound justification by sanctification, and sanctification by remission of sins. Furthermore, what else is sanctification but the adoption whereby we are received into the grace and number of the sons of God? What is he therefore that seeth not, that in this treatise of St Paul justification is taken for adoption? especially, since in the very same fourth chapter to the Romans he goeth about to prove that an inheritance is due to faith, whereunto also he doth attribute justification. By all this it is made manifest, that the question of justification containeth nothing else but the manner and reason of sanctification; that is to say, whereby and how men have their sins forgiven, and are received into the grace and number of the sons of God, and, being justified, are made heirs of the kingdom of God.
And now, let us try whether that which we have said be taught in the scriptures: that Christ before the judgmentseat of God, when sentence of condemnation was to be pronounced against us for our offences, took our sins upon his own neck, and purged them by the sacrifice of his death upon the cross; and that God also laid upon Christ our fault and punishment, so that Christ alone is the only satisfaction and purging of the faithful. This doth the apostle Paul teach most expressly, where he saith: “” Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who shall condemn? Τὺ is Christ that died; yea rather, it is he which is raised up, and is at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us” And again he saith: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, while he was made the curse for us; (for it is written, Cursed be every one that hangeth on the tree;) that upon the gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham through Jesus Christ?” &e. This did the apostle teach out of the writings of Moses. And Moses in his books doth oftentimes make mention, that the sins are laid upon the heads of the beasts which were sacrificed. But those sacrifices bare the type or figure of the death and sacrifice of Christ. Esaias also in his fifty-third chapter saith expressly: “He verily hath taken on him our infirmities, and borne our pains. He was wounded for our iniquities, and smitten for our sins. For the pain of our punishment was laid upon him, and with his stripes are we healed. We all went astray like [8 Rom. viii. 33, 34.] [9 Gal. iii. 13, 14.]
sheep, every one turned his own way; but the Lord hath thrown upon him all our sins.” And immediately after: He hath taken away the sins of the multitude, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Than these words, I think, nothing can be brought more to the matter, or more fit for our present purpose. To this alludeth St Peter when he saith: “The Lord himself bare our sins in his body upon the cross, that we, being dead to sin, may live to righteousness; by the sign of whose stripes we are made whole2” Hereunto alluded St John, the forerunner of the Lord, when he said: “Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world3.” Moreover, the apostle Paul beareth witness hereto, saying: “Him that knew not sin he made sin for us, that we through him might be made the righteousness of God.” Also in his epistle to the Colossians he saith: “It pleased the Father, that in Christ all fulness should dwell; and by him to reconcile all things unto himself, having set peace through the blood of his cross by him, both things in earth and things in heaven” These, I suppose, are testimonies sufficiently evident to prove, that upon Christ are laid our sins, with the curse or condemnation due unto our offences; and that Christ by his blood hath cleansed our sins, and by his death hath vanquished death and the devil, the author of death, and taken away the punishment due unto us. and Yet because there be some, and those not a few, which deny that Christ by his death hath taken from us sinners both fault and punishment, and that he became the only satisfaction of the whole world; I will therefore now allege certain other testimonies, and repeat somewhat of that that I have before recited, thereby to make it manifest, that Christ, the only satisfaction of the world, hath made satisfaction both — for our fault and punishment. Esaias verily witnessed, that
[1 Isai. 1111. 4—6, 12.] [2 1 Pet. ii. 24. Cujus ejusdem vibice, Lat.] [3 John i. 29.] [ 2 Cor. v. 21.] [6 Col. i. 19, 20.] [6 penam et culpam, Lat. Fingunt sibi (Romanenses theologi)]
[distinctionem peense et culpe: culpam remitti fatentur Dei miseri-]
[cordia; sed culpa remissa penam restare, quam persolvi Dei justitia]
[postulat.— Calvin, Instit. Lib. 11. cap. 4. 29. See also Burnet’s]
[Expos. of the Thirty-nine Articles, ed. Page. Art. xxii. p. 285, and]
[Palmer’s Letters to Dr Wiseman, Let. IT.]]
both the fault of our offence and the punishment were taken away, when he saith: “He bare our infirmities, and was wounded for our iniquities:” finally, “the discipline of peace” (that is, the discipline, or chastising, or punishment, bringing peace; or the penalty of our correction, that is, the punishment due to us for our offences,) was laid on his neck.” Mark also what followeth: and with the blueness of his stripes” are we healed.” This doth evidently teach, that by the pain of Christ our punishment is taken away. For look what pain, penalty, punishment, or correction was due to us, and the same was laid on the Lord himself: and for that cause was the Lord wounded, and received stripes; and with them he healed us. But he had not yet healed us at all, if we should yet look for wounds, stripes, and strokes, that is to say, punishment for our sins. The death of Christ, therefore, is a full satisfaction for our sins. But what, I pray you, should Christ avail us, if yet we should be punished for our offences? Therefore, when we say, that he did bear all our sins in his body upon the cross, what else do we mean, I pray you, but that the Lord by death, that was not due unto him, took from us God’s vengeance, that it might not light on us to our punishment? Paul, as often as he maketh mention of our redemption made by Christ, is wont to name it ἀπολύ- Tpwow?; by which word he understandeth not, as the common sort do, redemption barely and simply, but the very price and satisfaction of redemption. =~ Wherefore also he writeth, that Christ himself did give himself to be the ἀντί- λυτρον for us; that is to say, the price wherewith captives are redeemed from their enemies in the war. For that which we do commonly call ransoms, the Greeks do name λύτρα. So then that is ἀντίλυτρον, when man for man, and life for life, is redeemed. But upon them, that are thus ransomed and
[7 livore ejus, Lat. and Vulg.] [8 Isai. liii. 4, 5.] [9 Rom. iii. 24; Eph. i. 7.] [101 Tim. ii. 6. This passage is almost word for word Calvin’s, as]
[follows: “Ac quoties de redemptione per eum facta meminit Paulus,]
[vocare solet ἀπολύτρωσιν, quo non simpliciter redemptionem indicat,]
[qaliter vulgo intelligitur; sed pretium ipsum et satisfactionem re-]
[demptionis,” (the French version adds, que nous appellons Ranon en]
[Frangois). “Qua ratione et Christum ipsum se pro nobis ἀντίλυτρον]
[dedisse scribit.”—Calvin. Instit. Lib. m1. cap. 4. ed. Amstel. and Vol.]
[11 p. 221. ed. Calvin Translat. Soc. 1845.]]
set at liberty, there is no punishment afterward laid, by reason of the translation thereof from one to another. Furthermore, this is the new covenant that God in his Christ hath made with us, “that he will not remember our iniquities’.” But how could he choose but remember our iniquities, if he ceased not to punish them? So then, this remaineth not to be doubted of, that Christ our Lord is the full propitiation2, satisfaction, oblation, and sacrifice for the sins, I say, for the punishment and the fault, of all the world: yea, and by himself alone; for in none other is any salvation: neither is there any other name given unto men whereby they must be saved3.”
I deny not, but that because of discipline, chastisement, and exercise, divers sorts of punishments are laid upon men’s necks, and that they are diversely afflicted and vexed because of their offences. But those afflictions, howsoever they be patiently suffered of the faithful, do not yet wash sins away, nor make satisfaction for misdeeds. St Peter saith: Marvel not that ye are tried by fire, which thing is done for your trial4, as if any new thing should happen unto you; yea, rather rejoice herein, that ye are partakers of the afflictions of Christ, that in the revelation also of his glory ye may rejoice and be - glad.” This, I say, is the end and use of afflictions. And by this means the glory of Christ endureth pure and uncorrupted. ap- It remaineth now for me to prove out of the holy scriptures, that God the Father hath ordained, that he, whosoever have doth believe in the only-begotten Son of God, shall be made partaker of Christ his righteousness; that is, shall be justified by him, be absolved from his sins, and be made heir of life everlasting. Esaias therefore saith: In the acknowledging of him, or in his knowledge, shall my righteous servant justify the multitude, whose sins he himself shall bear.” But what
[1 Heb. viii. 12.] [2 propitiationem, Lat. portion, ed. 1587.] [3 Acts iv. 12.] [1 This is Erasmus’ rendering, which Bullinger adopts: Ne mire-]
[mini, dum per ignem exploramini, que res ad experimentum vestri]
[fit, perinde quasi, &c. The Vulgate is different. ] [ 1 Pet. iv. 12,13.] [6 ch. lili. 2. Potest hic tam active quam passive legi dictio M37,]
[id est, cognitio vel scientia.—Caly. Comment. in loc. Jesai. Accord-]
else is the acknowledging or knowledge of Christ, but true faith? Moreover, the Lord Jesus himself in the gospel after St John saith: “And as Moses lift up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lift up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have life everlasting.” There was none other remedy in the desert against the envenomed bitings of the serpents, but the contemplation or beholding of the serpent lift up and hanged aloft. No plaster did cure them that were poisoned? no oblation made to God, not prayer itself offered to God, not any work, nor any way else: the only beholding of the serpent made the poison harmless that then had crept into all their limbs. In like manner, nothing at all doth save us from death but only faith in Christ: for by faith we behold and see Christ lifted up upon the stake of the cross, as it is to be seen in the sixth chapter of John. It followeth in the words of our Saviour: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son; that whosoever believeth should not perish, but have life everlasting. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he believeth not in the name of the only-begotten Son of God?” By these words now the third time is faith beaten into our heads, by which we are made partakers of the Son of God, of his life, salvation, redemption, and all good things beside. In the sixth chapter of the Gospel after John our Lord again saith: “This is the will of the Father which sent me, that every one that seeth the Son, and believeth in him, should have life everlasting, and I will raise him up at the last day!.” Nothing can be alleged to make more for our present argument than these words of his. For he saith plainly, that the will of God the Father is, that we should believe in the Son, and by this belief have our salvation. Whereupon John, the evangelist and apostle, in his canonical epistle dareth burst forth into these words: “He that believeth not God maketh him a liar, because he believed not the record that
[ingly, Bullinger introduces here Calvin’s fwo renderings, cognitione]
[sui, vel in scientia sua. The latter is the rendering of the Vulgate. ] [7 ch. iii. 14, 15.] [8 Wisd. xvi. 12.] [9 John iii. 16—18.] [10 John vi. 40.]]
God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life: and he that hath not the Son of God hath not 116. Dearly beloved, note this. The eternal and unchangeable will of God is, that he will give eternal life unto the world. But he will give the life through Christ, who is naturally life itself, and can give life. The very same God also will that we obtain and have life in us, and that we have it no other ways than by faith. For the apostle Paul taught, that Christ doth dwell in our hearts by faith? Moreover, the Lord himself also witnesseth, and saith, “He that eateth me shall live by me3.” But ye know, dearly beloved, that to eat Christ is to believe in him. And therefore we knit up this place with these words of St Peter: To this Christ do all the prophets bear witness, that whosoever believeth in him shall receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
We have in these a most ample testimony of the whole sacred scriptures. By these I have evidently enough declared, that God hath appointed, that whosoever doth believe in Christ, being cleansed from his sins, shall be made heir of life everlasting.
This will I make more evident yet, by declaring how that αν faith alone, that is, that faith for itself, and not for any works of ours, doth justify the faithful. For itself I say, not in respect that it is in us a quality of the mind, or our own work in ourselves; but in respect that faith is the gift of God’s grace, having in it a promise of righteousness and life; and in respect that, naturally, of itself, it is a certain and undoubted persuasion resting upon God, and believing that God, being pacified by Christ, hath through Christ bestowed life and all good things on us. Therefore faith for Christ, and by the grace and promise of God, doth justify: and so faith, that is, that which we believe, and wherein our confidence is settled, God, I say, himself by the grace of God doth justify us through our redemption in Christ: so that now our own works or merits have no place left to them at all, I mean, in justi-
[1 1 John v. 10—12.] [2 Ephes. iii. 17.] [3 John vi. 57.] [4 Acts x. 43.] [> ipse inquam Deus, ipsa Dei gratia, Lat.]]
fication: for otherwise good works have their place in the faithful, as we in place convenient do mean to shew. For Paul, the teacher of the Gentiles, doth in the way of opposition compare Christ with Adam, and sheweth that of Adam, and so of our own nature and strength, we have nothing but sin, the wrath of God, and death. And this doth he shew under the name of Adam, to the intent that no man should seek for righteousness and life in the flesh. And again, on the other side, he declareth that we by Christ have righteousness, the grace of God, life, and the forgiveness of all our sins. In this opposition, he doth earnestly urge and often repeat this word, “οὗ one” to no other end verily, but that we should understand, that faith alone doth justify.
To the Galatians he doth very evidently use this kind of argument. “To the last will and testament of a man, if it once be proved, nobody doth add or take any thing away.” Reason therefore doth rightly require, that no man put to or take away any thing from the testament of God. But this is the testament which God confirmed; that his will is, to bestow the blessing upon Abraham’s seed, not in many, or by many, but through one. “For he saith not, And to the seeds, as though he spake of many; but as speaking of one he saith, And to thy seed, that is, Christ”.” Therefore, it is a detestable thing to augment or diminish any thing in this testament of God. Christ alone is the only Saviour still: men can neither save themselves nor other.
Again, in the same epistle to the Galatians he saith: “We know that man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ; insomuch as no flesh shall be justified by the works of the law.” This is now the third time that Paul saith, that men are not justified by the works of the law: in the which clause he comprehendeth all manner of works of what sort soever. So then, no kind of works do justify. But what is it then that justifieth? Faith in Christ, and that verily alone. For what else can those words import, “We know that man is not justified but by faith in
[6 Rom. v. 12, &c.] [7 Gal. iii. 16. in semine tuo, Lat.] [8 Et nos in Jesum Christum credidimus, ut justificaremur ex fide]
[Christi, et non ex operibus legis, Lat. Omitted by the translator.] [9 Galat. ii. 16.] [BULLINGER. ] 8]
Christ?” For the force of these two speeches is all one, “Faith alone doth justify;” and, “It is certain that we are not justified but by faith in Jesus Christ.” He addeth the example of the apostles: “And we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by faith in Jesus Christ, and not by the works of the law.” In like manner also Peter argueth by an example in the Acts of the Apostles, and saith: “We believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” Acts xv.
Moreover, in the very same chapter to the Galatians he saith: “I despise not the grace of God; for if righteousness ” come of the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” For, if we in ourselves had had any thing whereby we might be saved, what needed the Son of God to take our flesh, to suffer, and to die? But for because the Son of God, being incarnate, did suffer and die, and died not in vain; therefore in our flesh there was nothing that could obtain salvation for mankind. Wherefore the only Son of God is our Saviour for ever, and by true faith maketh us partakers of his salvation.
Paul in the very beginning of his epistle to the Romans doth prove that all men are sinners; that in men there remaineth no strength for them to be saved by; and that the law of God itself doth dig up? the knowledge of offences, that is, doth apply them, bring them to light, and make them manifest, but doth not take them away, blot them out, or utterly extinguish them; and that therefore God, for his own goodness’ sake, to the end that the work that he hath made should not altogether perish, doth justify the faithful freely by faith in Jesus Christ. I will rehearse a few of the apostle’s own words. “The righteousness of God,” saith he, “is declared without the law, being witnessed notwithstanding by the law and the prophets; the righteousness of God, I say, cometh by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. For there is no difference: for all have sinned, and have need of the glory of God, but are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that
[1 Cf. Calvin. Comment. in loc. cit. Maneat igitur illud constitu-]
[tum: hic propositionem esse exclusivam, Nos non aliter justificari]
[quam fide; aut, Non nisi fide justificari: cui ista sequipollet, Nos sola]
[fide justificari. ] [2 erucre, Lat.]]
is in Christ Jesu; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood3” These words of the apostle, I suppose, are most manifest to them that believe. He plucketh justification from our own merits and strength, and attributeth it to grace, whereby the Son of God is given to the world unto the punishment of the cross, that all they that believe that they are redeemed by the blood of the Son of God may be justified. Again the apostle immediately after addeth: Therefore we hold, that man is justified by faith without the works of the law.” Upon the neck of this again he argueth thus: “Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, even of the Gentiles also. For it is one God that shall justify circumcision by faith, and uncircumeision through faith%” To be God, is nothing else but to be life and salvation. But God is the God of the Gentiles also, and not of the Jews alone: therefore God is the life and salvation of the Gentiles. This life and salvation he doth communicate to us, not by the law or through circumcision, but by faith in Christ; therefore faith alone doth justify. This may be proved by the example of Cornelius the centurion, who, as soon as St Peter had preached unto him, and he once believed, was by and by justified, when as yet he had not received circumcision, or the law; when as yet he had not sacrificed, nor merited righteousness by any work that he did: for he was freely justified in faith through Jesus Christ. For Peter concluded his sermon to him in these words: “To this Christ do all the prophets give witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins5.”
After all this, the apostle Paul bringeth forth that notable and singular example of our father Abraham, teaching by what means our father Abraham was justified. For, this being once truly declared, it cannot choose but be plain and manifest to every one, by what means God’s will is to justify all men: for the sons cannot be justified any other way than the father before them was justified. Abraham therefore was not justified by circumcision, or receiving of the sacrament; for it is said that he was justified before he was circumcised.
[3 Rom. iii. 21—25.] Thid. 28—30.] [5 Acts 43.]
Afterward was added the sign of circumcision, as “the seal of the righteousness of faith,” that is, the sign or sealing that all the seed of Abraham is justified by faith!. The same our father Abraham was not justified by the law: for the law was four hundred and thirty years? added to the promise, not to take away sin or to work justification, but to make sin appear, and to make us altogether empty; and, when we are once made empty, to send, and as it were compel us to fly, to Christ. Again, Abraham was not justified by his works: and yet, in that most excellent patriarch are found to be good works; yea, and those too good works of true faith, which are both notable and many in number, such and so many as you shall scarcely find in any other. Nevertheless, yet the apostle saith: What shall we say then that Abraham our father as pertaining to the flesh (who, I say, is our father touching the flesh) did merit or find?”’—for both those significations hath the Greek word evpnrévai. For, “if Abraham were justified by works, then hath he to boast; but not before God.” For God is only just, and he that only justifieth: all men are corrupt; yea, even Abraham is a sinner, and every man standeth in need of the glory of God. For which cause also the prophet did plainly forbid to boast in any thing, but in the mercy of God. Wherefore Abraham boasted not against God; he acknowledged himself to be a sinner, and that he was to be justified freely, and not for his own merits’ sake. The apostle goeth forth and saith: “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed in God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.” Two things are here affirmed: first, that Abraham believed in God; secondly, that that was imputed to him for righteousness. By this it followeth, that Abraham was justified by faith, and not by works. And that doth the apostle prove after this manner: To him that by works doth merit righteousness righteousness is not imputed. But to Abraham is righteousness imputed: therefore he merited not righteousness by works.” Again: “ΤῸ him verily that worketh not, but believeth, his faith is counted for
[1 Rom. iv. 10—12.] [2 Galat. iii. 17. post annos, Lat.] [3 εὑρηκέναι, quod invenisse reddunt, significat, teste Budeeo, me-]
[reri.—Bucer. Enarr. Epist. ad Rom. in loc. cit. p. 226, Basil. 1562.]]
righteousness. But Abraham believed in God; therefore his faith was reckoned for righteousness.”
In the same chapter the same apostle bringeth forth other arguments, altogether as strong as these, to prove that faith justifieth without works. If they,” saith he, “which are of the law be heirs, then is faith but vain, and the promise made of none effect.” They are of the law, which seek to be justified by the works of the law. But faith resteth upon the mercy of God. What place then shall grace and the mercy of God have left unto them, if we by works do merit justification? What shall 1 need to believe, that by the blood of Christ I shall be justified, if God by my works be at one with me again, who for my sins was angry with me? Finally, salvation and righteousness are promised of God. But then the promise endeth, when our own merits begin to come in place. For the apostle to the Galatians saith: “If inheritance be of the law, then is it not now of the promise. But God gave the inheritance to Abraham by promise.” Therefore that the promise might remain stable, faith justifieth, and not merits.
Again, in the fourth chapter to the Romans he saith: “Therefore by faith is the inheritance given, that it might be by grace, that the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only that is of the law, but to that also that is of the faith of Abraham.” He rehearseth here two causes, for which he attributeth justification to faith, and not to works. The first is, that justification may be of free gift, and that the.. grace of God may be praised. The latter is, that the promise and salvation may remain stedfast, and that it may come upon the Gentiles also: but it should not be given to the Gentiles, if it were due only to the law and circumcision, because the Gentiles lack them both. Finally, the hope of our salvation ought to be stedfastly established: but it should never be surely grounded, or safely preserved, if it were attributed to our own works or merits; for in them is always something wanting. But in God and in the merit of the Son of God can nothing be lacking. Therefore our salvation is surely confirmed, not to be doubted of, and assuredly certain, if that we seek for it by faith in the Son of God, who is our righteousness and salvation.
[[ Rom. iv. 1—5.] [5 Ibid. v. 14.] [6 Gal. iii. 18, 22.]]
To all these I will yet add another testimony out of St Paul, which is indeed both most evident and easy to be perceived. In his epistle to the Ephesians he saith: “By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast himself, For we are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus into good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
More than this I will not say, neither will I at large expound the words of Paul. For these testimonies are more clear than the noon-day, and do most evidently testify, that we are justified by faith, and not by any works.
But, reverend? brethren in the Lord, good works here and… come into no jeopardy to be little set by, because of this doctrine, which teacheth that faith alone doth justify. Thus did the apostles of Christ teach; why then should we not teach so too? As for them that think this doctrine, whereby we do constantly affirm that faith alone without works doth justify, to be contrary to religion, let them blame the apostles of Christ, and not find fault with us. Moreover, whereas we say, that the faithful are justified by faith alone, or else by faith without works, we do not say, as many think we do, that faith is post alone3, or utterly destitute of good works: for wheresoever faith is, there also it sheweth itself by good works; because the righteous cannot but work righteousness. But before he doth work righteousness, that is to say, good works, he must of necessity be righteous: therefore the righteous doth not attain to righteousness that goeth before by works that follow after. Wherefore that righteousness is attributed to grace: for the faithful are freely by grace justified in faith, according to that saying, The just shall live by his faith;” and after that they are justified, they begin to bring forth the works of righteousness. Therefore, in this discourse I mean not to overthrow good works, which have their due place and dignity in the church among the faithful before the face of God: but my mind is, by all the means I may, to prove that the grace of God, and increase of the Son of God, is overthrown and trodden under foot, when we join our merits and works to the merit of Christ,
[1 Ephes. ii. 8—10.] [2 honorandi, Lat.] [8 fidem esse solam, Lat.] [4 meritum, Lat.]]
and to faith, by which we take hold on Christ. For what can be more manifest than this saying of the blessed apostle? “If we be saved by grace, then not now works; for then grace is no more grace. But if we be saved by works, then is it now no grace; for the work is no more work.” Rom. xi. Wherefore these two, grace and merit or work, cannot stand together. Therefore, lest we should overthrow the grace of God, and wickedly deny the fruit of Christ his passion, we do attribute justification unto faith only, because that faith attributeth it to the mere grace of God in the death of the Son of God.
And yet for all this we acknowledge that we are created, according to the doctrine of Paul, unto good works; to those good works, I say, which God hath before ordained’, which he in his word hath appointed, and doth require us to walk in the same: in which although we walk, and are become rich in good works, yet notwithstanding we do not attribute to them our justification; but, according to the doctrine of the gospel, we humble ourselves under the hand of him that saith: “So ye also, when ye have done all things that are commanded you, yet say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done no more than we ought to do%” So then, as often as the godly doth read, that our own works do justify us, that our own works are called righteousness, that unto our own works is given a reward and life everlasting; he doth not by and by swell with pride, nor yet forget the merit of Christ: but, setting a godly and apt interpretation upon such-like places, he doth consider that all things are of the grace of God, and that so great things are attributed to the works of men, because they are received into grace, and are now become the sons of God for Christ his sake; so that at the last, all things may be turned upon Christ himself, for whose sake the godly know that they and all theirs are in favour and accepted of God the Father.
In this that I have said (which is a little indeed in respect of the largeness of the matter, but sufficiently long enough in respect of one hour’s space appointed me to speak in,) I have declared unto you, dearly beloved, the great effect of faith; that is to say, that it justifieth the faithful; where, by the way,
[5 ex operibus, Lat.] [6 jam non ex gratia, Lat.] [7 Ephes. ii. 10.] [8 Luke xvii. 10.]]
I have rather briefly touched, than at large discoursed upon, the whole work of justification, both profitable and necessary for all men to know. Now, therefore, I pass over this, and come to the rest.
True faith is the well-spring and root of all virtues and 000d works: and first of all, it satisfieth the mind and desire of man, and maketh it quiet and joyful. For the Lord in the gospel saith: “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger; and he that believeth in me shall not thirst at any time.” For what can he desire more, which doth already feel, that by true faith he possesseth the very Son of God, in whom are all the heavenly treasures, and in whom is all fulness and grace? Our consciences are made clear and quiet, so soon as we perceive that by true faith Christ, the - Son of God, is altogether ours; that he hath appeased the Father in our behalf; that he doth now stand in the presence of the Father, and maketh intercession to him for us. And for that cause saith Paul: Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ2” Through the same Christ, also, by faith we have a free passage unto the Father. Wherefore we pray to the Father in his Son’s name, and at his hand we obtain all things that are available to our behoof. Very well therefore said the apostle John: “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know also that we have the petitions that we requested at his hands.” They that want faith do neither pray to God, nor yet receive of him the things that are for their welfare. Moreover, faith maketh us acceptable to God, and doth command us to have an eye to the well using of God’s good gifts. ς Faith causeth us not to faint in tribulations: yea also, by faith we overcome the world, the flesh, the devil, and all adversities; as the apostle John saith: “For all that is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that vanquisheth the world, even your faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” Paul saith: “Some were racked, not caring,
[1 John vi. 35.] [2 Rom. v. 1.] [5 Ephes. ii. 18.] [61 John v. 14, 15.] [> 1 John v. 4, 5.]]
by faith, to be set at liberty, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Other some were tried with mocks and stripes, with fetters and imprisonments; were stoned, were hewed in pieces, were slain with the edge of the sword: they wandered in sheep-skins and goat-skins, comfortless, oppressed, afflicted, (of whom the world was not worthy,) wandering in deserts and mountains, and in the dens and caves of the earth.” For the Lord himself in the gospel said: ‘ This spake I unto you, that ye might have peace in me. In the world ye have affliction; but be of good confidence, I have overcome the world?” Faith therefore both shall be, and is, the force and strength of patience. Patience is the prop, uplifting, and preservation of hope. Of faith springeth charity. Charity “is the fulfilling of the law?” which containeth in it the sum of all good works. But unless we have a true faith in God, there is no charity in us. “Every one that loveth him that begat,” saith John the apostle, loveth him also that is born of him.” The hour is past a good while since, and no man is able in many hours, so substantially as it requireth, to declare the whole effect of faith.
Ye have heard, dearly beloved, that true faith is the justification of the church or faithful of God; that it is, I say, the forgiveness of all sins, a receiving into the grace of God, a taking by adoption into the number of the sons of God, an assured and blessed sanctification!!, and finally, the well-spring of all good works. Let us therefore in true faith pray to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he will vouchsafe to fill our hearts with this true faith; that in this present world, being joined to him in faith, we may serve him as we ought; and, after our departure out of this life, we may for ever live with him in whom we believe. To him be praise and glory for ever. Amen.
[6 Heb. xi. 35—38.] [7 John xvi. 33.] [8 Hee fulcit, &c., Lat. This (faith) is the prop, &e.] [9 Rom. xiii. 10.] [10 1 John v. 1.] [11 beatificationem, Lat. ]]
Of the First Articles of the Christian Faith
Contained in the Apostles’ Creed. The Seventh Sermon
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