ARTICLE XII.

Of good Works.

ALBEIT THAT GOOD WORKS, WHICH ARE THE FRUITS OF FAITH AND FOLLOW AFTER JUSTIFICATION, CANNOT PUT AWAY OUR SINS, AND ENDURE THE SEVERITY OF GOD'S JUDGMENT; YET ARE THEY PLEASING AND ACCEPTABLE TO GOD IN CHRIST, AND DO SPRING OUT NECESSARILY OF A TRUE AND LIVELY FAITH; INSOMUCH THAT BY THEM A LIVELY FAITH MAY BE AS EVIDENTLY KNOWN, AS A TREE DISCERNED BY THE FRUIT.

a

ALTHOUGH it hath pleased the great God, of his infinite mercy, in the covenant of grace, to entail justification upon our faith in his promises only, and not upon obedience to his precepts, as he had in the covenant of works entailed it upon obedience to his precepts, and not upon faith in his promises only; yet it doth not follow, that we are freed a more from our obedience now than we were before. No: but as, when we were to be justified by our works, we were then bound to believe as well as to obey, though we were to be justified by our obedience, not by our faith; so now we are to be justified by faith, we are still bound to obey as well as to believe, though we are justified by our faith only, and not by our obedience. So that though our justification doth pardon the sins we have committed heretofore, yet it does not give us a liberty to commit sin hereafter. No: but, now we are justified by faith without works, we are bound as much to obey, as if we were to be justified by works without

a Ex quibus omnibus claret quòd rectè arbitratur apostolus, justificari hominem per fidem sine operibus legis. Sed fortassis hæc aliquis audiens resolvatur, et bene agendi negligentiam capiat, siquidem ad justificandum fides sola sufficit. Ad quem dicemus, quia post justificationem si injustè aliquis agat, sine dubio justificationis gratiam sprevit. Neque ab hoc aliquis accipit veniam peccatorum, ut rursum sibi putet peccandi licentiam datam. Indulgentia namque non futurorum sed præteritorum criminum datur. — Origen. in Rom. lib. iii. Cùm ergo dicit apostolus arbitrari se justificari hominem per fidem sine operibus legis, non hoc agit ut perceptâ ac professâ fide opera justitiæ contemnantur, sed ut sciat se quisque per fidem posse justificari, etiam si legis opera non præcesserint.-Aug. de Fide et Operibus, cap. 14.

faith. And the reason is, because, though we be justified by faith only, and not by works, yet we cannot be justified by such a faith as is without works. As works without faith cannot justify us, so neither can faith without works justify us; not because works help to justify us with faith, but because faith is no justifying faith without works: or rather, because we can have no such true and lively faith as can justify us without works, but we shall necessarily have works also accompanying of our faith. Though still it is not by our works that accompany our faith, but our faith only that is accompanied by our works, that we are accounted righteous before God".

And hence it is that after it is determined in the foregoing Article, that we are justified by faith only and not by works, it is immediately in this asserted, that works are pleasing and acceptable to God as well as faith: though it be for our faith only, and not for our works, that God accepts of us, yet our works as well as faith are acceptable unto God: yea, and that they necessarily spring out from a true and lively faith, so that it is as impossible there should be true faith without good works, as that there should be good works without true faith; for as without faith our works are bad, so without works our faith is dead. And therefore may a true faith be as evidently known by its works, as a tree is clearly discerned by its fruit. If I see fruit growing upon a tree, I know what tree it is upon which such fruit grows. And so, if I see how a man lives, I know by that how he believes. If his faith be good, his works cannot but be good too; and

b Quoniam ergo hæc opinio tunc fuerat exorta, aliæ apostolicæ epistolæ Petri, Johannis, Jacobi, Judæ, contra eam maximè dirigunt intentionem, ut vehementer asserant fidem sine operibus nihil prodesse. Sicut etiam ipse Paulus non qualemlibet fidem quâ in Deum creditur, sed et eam salubrem planè, quam evangelicam definivit, cujus opera ex dilectione procedunt. 'Fides,' inquit, quæ per dilectionem operatur.' Unde illam fidem quæ sufficere ad salutem quibusdam videtur, ita nihil prodesse asseverat, ut dicat, 'Si habeam omnem fidem ita ut montes transferam, charitatem autem non habeo, nihil sum.' Ubi autem hæc fidelis charitas operatur, sine dubio benè vivitur, plenitudo enim legis charitas.—Aug. de Fide et Operibus, cap. 14. Μὴ δὴ νόμιζε ὅτι ἡ πίστις, εἴγε πίστιν χρὴ καλεῖν τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν ἔργων τῶν σῶν ἐλεγχομένην, σῶσαι σε δυνήσαται.-Pelusiot. lib.i ii. epist. 73. Quis est qui non credit quòd Jesus est Christus? Quis non sic vivit quomodo præcepit Christus? Multi enim dicunt Credo,' sed fides sine operibus non salvat.-Aug. in Epist. Johan. Tract. 10.

if his works be bad, his faith cannot but be bad too. For, wheresoever there is a justifying faith, there are also good works; and wheresoever there are no good works, there is no justifying faith. The sum is this; though works do not justify as well as faith, yet they are pleasing unto God as well as faith; and that wheresoever there is faith there are also good works, as wheresoever there are good works there is also faith. Which doctrine is grounded upon, and consonant to Scripture, reason, and fathers.

1. Confirmation from SCRIPTURE.As first, that good works are pleasing unto God, how frequently hath God himself, who best knows what is pleasing to himself, taught us in his holy Scriptures! For thus saith the Lord by his apostle Paul," I exhort, that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty: for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour," 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2, 3. And again, "Children, obey your parents, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord," Coloss. iii. 20. And therefore saith St. Paul," But I have all and abound; I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to God," Phil. iv. 18. Thus had "Enoch this testimony that he pleased God","

He that looketh for this testimony of Enoch, that he pleased God, in the Hebrew Bible, will look in vain; but if you look into the Septuagint, be sure you will find it: for where it is said, 'bx-x on bar, and Enoch walked with God,' Gen. v. 22. the LXX. translate it, unpiornos di Evax T 14, and Enoch pleased God;' and so indeed doth the Syriac

ܠܐܥܗܐ,rondlerit

render it, Jou yo O KAKS TO 507, et placuit

ושפר חנוך לאלהא ܘܫܦܪ

Enoch Deo.' Now the Greek translation by the Septuagint of the Bible being most in use at that time, the apostle here, as in other places, doth not quote this testimony of Enoch as it is recorded in Hebrew, but as it was translated into Greek. And, howsoever, he pleased God,' is tantamount to be walked with God.' For he could not please God unless he walked with him; neither could he walk with him but he would please him. And therefore to expound what it was to walk with God,' they translate it, and Enoch pleased God.' And so when the like phrase is used concerning Noah, -, Noah walked with God,'

Gen. vi. 9. the Septuagint render it again, T

4 iungiornos Nãe. Syriac,

Josall was; And Noah pleased God.' And so

Heb. xi. 5. And St. Paul having exhorted the Thessalonians to good works, adds, "Furthermore, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus Christ, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so you would abound more and more," 1 Thess. iv. 1. Thus hath it pleased the Lord to acquaint us how much he is pleased with our obeying him.

And that good works do constantly accompany that faith that justifies us before God, as well as please that God that justifies us by faith, is likewise clear from Scripture. For St. Paul, speaking of this saving justifying faith, saith, "it worketh by love," Gal. v. 6; and the same apostle tells us elsewhere, that "love is the fulfilling of the whole law," Rom. xiii. 10. And if faith works by love, and love be the fulfilling of the law, then faith and the fulfilling of the law must needs go together. Thus St. John tells us, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God," 1 John, v. 1. And the same apostle tells us in the same epistle, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin," 1 John, iii. 9. And if whosoever truly believes is born of God, and whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, then whosoever truly believes doth not commit sin, and he that doth not commit sin must needs perform duty. And therefore St. Paul saith from God, or God by him, "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel," 1 Tim. v. 8. So that he that neglects his duty, denies the faith; and he therefore that keeps his faith, must needs perform his duty. He that doth really as well as seemingly believe, will provide for his family; and he that doth not provide for his family, doth not really, but only seemingly believe; for he "denies the faith, and is worse than an infidel." For as St. John tells "And us, every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure," 1 John, iii. 3. So that he that hath a lively hope and saving faith in Christ, purifieth himself; and whosoever doth not purify himself, hath not that lively hope and saving indeed the Arabic too here, though not in the other place, expresseth it by Et placuit Noah Deo.' So that though the words of the testimony of Enoch be not to be found in the original, yet the sense ¡s, and the very words too, in these several translations.

قاوضي فوح الله

"For as

faith in Christ. I shall name but one place more: the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also," James, ii. 26. And if faith without works be dead, be sure no saving justifying faith can be without works; for every saving faith is a living faith; yea, therefore living because saving, and therefore saving because living. Now if all faith without works be dead, and all saving faith is alive, it must needs follow that all saving faith hath works necessarily proceeding from it; for if it hath not, it would be a dead, and so no saving faith.

2. Confirmation from REASON. -Having grounded these truths upon Scripture, we might clear them from reason; but as for the first, it is clear of itself that good works are pleasing unto God; for it is his will they should be done, and therefore cannot but be his pleasure when done. He hath commanded them to be performed by us, and therefore when performed cannot but accept of them from us. For that which is of his commanding cannot but be of his accepting. And to this we might consider also, how it is he alone that doth not only command good works to be performed by us, but doth himself perform his own commandments in us. So that there is nothing done by us for God, but is done by God in us. We can sin of ourselves, and so be offensive to him, but we cannot do good of ourselves unless we be assisted by him. For he being the chiefest good, there can be no good in any thing or action

d

d Quapropter multa Deus facit in homine bona quæ non facit homo; nulla verò facit homo quæ non facit Deus ut faciat homo.—Aug. contra duas Epist. Pelag. lib. ii. cap. 8. Quid est enim boni cupiditas, nisi charitas, de qua Johannes apostolus sine ambiguitate loquitur, dicens, 'Charitas ex Deo est?' Nec initium ejus ex nobis et perfectio ejus ex Deo, sed si charitas ex Deo, tota nobis ex Deo est. Ibid. cap. 9. Bona quantacunque, quamvis magna quamvis minima, nisi ex Deo esse non possunt.Id. de Vita Innocent. cap. 378. Non solùm magna sed etiam minima bona non esse posse nisi ab illo, à quo sunt omnia bona, id est à Deo. --Id. in Argument. ad lib. de Libero Arbitrio. Et quia quæcunque nobis facienda donat, sicut habere non possumus, nisi ipse nobis largiatur, sic facere non possumus, nisi ipse nobis quæ largitus est operetur. Fulg.

ad Mon. lib. 1.

e Nihil bonum sine summo bono.-Aug. de Vera Innocentia, cap. 106. Proinde cupiditas boni non homini à Domino esset si bonum non esset. Si autem bonum est, non nisi ab illo nobis est qui summè atque incommutabiliter bonus est. -Id contra duas Literas Pelag. lib. ii. cap. 9. init.