CHAPTER XV. Good Works in their proper place. CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 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.-Art. 12. As the good fruit is not the cause that the tree is good, but the tree must first be good, before it can bring forth good fruit; so the good deeds of men are not the cause that maketh man good, but he is first made good by the spirit and grace of God, that effectually worketh in him, and afterwards he CALVIN. They allege that justification by faith destroys good works. I omit all observation on the characters of these zealots for good works, who thus calumniate us. Let them rail with impunity as licentiously as they infect the whole world with the impurity of their lives. They affect to lament, that while faith is so magnificently extolled, works are degraded from their proper rank.What if they be more encouraged and established? For we never dream either of a faith destitute of good works, or of a justification unattended by them: this is the sole difference, that while we acknowledge a necessary connexion between faith and good works, we attribute justification not to works, CHURCH OF ENGLAND. bringeth forth good fruit.2 Hom. on alms deeds, p. 236. The right and true Christian faith is, not only to believe, that holy scripture and all the aforesaid articles of our faith are true; but also to have a sure trust and confidence in God's merciful promises, to be saved from everlasting damnation by Christ: whereof doth follow a loving heart to obey his commandments.For how can a man have this true faith, this sure trust and confidence in God, that by the merits of Christ his sins be forgiven, and he reconciled to the favour of God, and to be partaker of the kingdom of heaven by Christ, when he liveth ungodly, and denieth Christ in his deeds?-3 Hom. of salvation, p. 18. Very liberal and gentle is the spirit of wisdom. In his power shall we have sufficient ability to know our duty to God. In him shall we be conforted and encouraged to walk in our duty. In him shall we be meet vessels to receive the grace of Almighty God: for it is he CALVIN. but to faith. Our reason for this we can readily explain, if we only turn to Christ, towards whom faith is directed, and from whom it receives all its virtue. Why then are we justified by faith? Because, by faith we apprehend the righteousness of Christ, which is the only medium of our reconciliation to God. But this you cannot attain, without attaining at the same time to sanctification. For he is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."* Christ therefore justifies no one whom he does not also sanctify. For these benefits are perpetually and indissolubly connected, so that whom he illuminates with his wisdom, them he redeems; whom he redeems, he justifies; whom he justifies, he sanctifies. But as the presentquestion relates only to righteousness and justification, let us insist on them. We may distinguish between them, but Christ contains both inseparably in himself. Do you wish then to obtain righ * 1 Cor. i. 30. CHURCH OF ENGLAND. that purgeth and purifieth the mind, by his secret working. And he only is present every where by his invisible power, and containeth all things in his dominion. He lighteneth the heart, to conceive worthy thoughts of Almighty God: he sitteth in the tongue of man, to stir him to speak his honour. He only ministereth spiritual strength to the powers of our soul and body. To hold the way which God had prepared for us, to walk rightly in our journey, we must acknowledge that it is in the power of his spirit, which helpeth our infirmity.-3 Hom. for Rogation week, p. 299. CALVIN. teousness in Christ? You The Bishop tells us, that if we believed that good works were not the appointed condition of our salvation, we should of course become indifferent to the character of our actions." p. 172.The compilers of the Articles and Homilies seem not to have been apprehensive of the doctrine of salvation by grace having any such tendency. His lordship also maintains, "that there is no necessary connexion between faith or belief and good works." p. 130. But how can he reconcile this with the above quotations from the Church? CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 'True faith will show forth itself,and cannot long be idle: for, as it is written, the just man doth live by his faith; he never sleepeth, nor is idle, when he would wake and be well occupied. And God, by his prophet Jeremy, saith, that he is a happy and blessed man which hath faith and confidence in God: for he is like a tree set by the water side, and spreadeth his roots abroad towards the moisture, and feareth not heat when it cometh; his leaf will be green, and will not cease to bring forth his fruit: even so, faithful men (putting away all fear of adversity) will show forth the fruit of their good works, as occasion is offered to do them.-1 Hom. on faith, p. 21. CALVIN. It is also exceedingly false that the minds of men are seduced from an inclination to virtue by our divesting them of all ideas of merit.— Institut. l. 3. c. 16. s. 2. Besides if men require to be stimulated, no man can urgemore forcible arguments than such as arise from the end of our redemption and calling; such as the word of God adduces, when it inculcates, that it is the greatest and most impious ingratitude, not reciprocally to "love him who first loved us ;"* that by the blood of Christ our consciences are purged from dead works to serve the living God;" that it is a horrible sacrilege, after having been once purged, to defile ourselves with new pollutions, and to St. Paul therefore teach- profane that sacred blood; eth, that we must do good that we have been " deliv works, for divers respects. ered out of the hand of our 1. To show ourselves obe- enemies," that we "might dient children to our heaven- serve him without fear, in ly Father, &c. 2. For that holiness and righteousness they are good declarations before him all the days of and testimonials of our jus- our life;"§ that we tification. 3. That others, made free from sin," seing our good works, may that with a free spirit we #Ibid. x. 29. *John iv. 10, 19. † Heb. ix. 14. Rom. vi. 18. are CHURCH OF ENGLAND. the rather by them be stirred up, and excited, &c.--Hom. of fasting, Part I. The just man falleth seven times, and riseth again. Though the godly do fall, yet they walk not on purposely in sin; they stand not still, to continue and tarry in sin; they sit not down like careless men, without all fear of God's just punishment for sin : but, defying sin, through God's great grace and infinite mercy, they rise again, and fight against sin.-2 Hom. on certain places of scripture, p. 226. CALVIN. might become the servants of righteousness ;”* that our old man is crucified,” that" we should walk in newness of life." Again, If ye be risen with Christ, (as his members indeed are) seek those things which are above," and conduct yourselves as pilgrims on the earth, that you may aspire towards heaven, where your treasure is. That the grace of God hath appeared, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live sober. ly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing Wherefore" God of the great God and our Saviour." hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by Christ." That we are the temples of the Holy Ghost," which it is unlawful to profane. That we are not darkness," but light in the Lord," whom it becomes to" walk as children of the light;" that " God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. For this is the will of God, even our sanctification, that we should abstain from fornication:"** that our calling is a holy one, which should be followed by a correspondent purity of life.tt That we are made free from sin,"‡‡ that we might become servants of righteousness." Can we be incited to charity by any stronger argument than that of * Rom. vi. 4, 6. 2 Thess. v. 9. tt i Pet. i. 15. + Col. iii. 1. # Tit. iii. 11. 1 Cor. ii. 16, 17; vi. 19. ** 1 Thess. iv. 3, 7. #Rom. vi. 18. |