Confession of the Christian Religion, Confession · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. Of good workes.
I. They which are ingrafted into Chriſt, hauehave both whereby they themſelues do liue, and bring forth the workes of their life for others: and this is the principall ende of their ingrafting.
AS the braunch doth not onelyonly draw ſap and nouriſhment from the vine, whereby it liueth it ſelfe, but alſo taketh from it, whereby to bring forth fruite vntounto vsus: ſo alſo we beleeue, that the faithful hauehave not onelyonly life from Chriſt, in whome they are planted, whereby they liue themſelues, but all force & power whereby they ſhewe forth fruites of good works, to the glorie of God and edification of the church: Ioh. 15.5. &cas Chriſt ſaith, I am the vine, and you the braunches: he that abideth in me and he in whome I abide, he ſhall bring forth much fruite. Wherunto this alſo pertaineth, we are his workmanſhip, Eph. 2.10created in Chriſt Jeſus vntounto good vvorkes vvhichwhich God hath ordained, that vvee ſhould vvalke in them.
II. What we meane by the name of good workes.
But by the name of good workes, 2. Pet. 1.5.we vnderſtand all thoſe actions, which are done by men regenerate, after the rule of Gods will reuealed in his word, and by a liuely faithin Chriſt, 1. Tim. 1.5and a pure heart through the holy ghoſt: For, Rom. 14.23as euerie thing which is not of faith is ſinne: ſo all things which are of faith, and ſo out of a pure heart, and good conſcience muſt needes be good works: wherefore we do not thinke, that thoſe deedes can bee numbred among good workes, and acceptable to God, Col. 2.18.23which are done of the vngodly without faith, and without the worde of God, Mat. 15.8.9.and not through the guiding of the holie ſpirit: howſoeuer they may carrie a ſhew of great pietie and ſeruice of God.
III. Good works are done of vsus by power of the holy ghoſt.
For as the braunch of the vine, or the wild oliue boughes being grafted into a good oliue tree, bring forth fruits not of themſelus, but by the vertue of the vine & the tree where into they are ingrafted: ſo wee alſo doe not good workes of our ſelues, but by vertue of Chriſts ſpirit, to whome we are incorporated, and from whome wee draw that life, whereby we liue: Chriſt himſelfe working in vsus by his ſpirite, both that wee may will that which is good, Phil. 2.13 Ioh. 15.5.and performe the ſame. For without me (ſaid he) yee can do nothing.
IV. Good works are not the cauſe, but the effect of our vniting to Chriſt, and of our iuſtification and life.
Likewiſe as theſe braunches and boughes, doe not therefore bring forth good fruites, that they might by them bee planted in the vine or the oliue tree, or that they might liue therein, but therefore they bringe fruite, becauſe they are already planted and doe liue: and ſo their good fruites are not the cauſes of their planting and life, but the effects and manifeſt teſtimonies thereof: after the verie ſame manner wee beleeue that it is betweene vsus & Chriſt: as alſo Auguſtiue fully teacheth, who alſo ſaith, that good works do not goe before him that is to be iuſtified, but follow him that is iuſtified. And therefore wee conſtantly confeſſe, that a man (ſpeaking properly, and of the iuſtification of his life) is not iuſtified by works, but by them declared to be iuſt.
V. Although we bee not iuſtified by our workes: yet others are oftimes edified thereby and ſaued.
Now this alſo we add, that as of the fruits of trees, though the trees themſelues liue not by the ſame, yet others, namely earthly creatures and men, are fedde and their life maintained by the ſame: ſo although wee by our owne good works bee not iuſtified, yet others thereby are not a little edified, Mar. 5.16.and ſtirred vp both to glorifie God, and alſo by our example to ſeeke after the true righteouſneſſe and life in Chriſt, and are ſo ſaued: Rom. 11.13The Apoſtle alſo ſaying, that he magnified his office among the gentilles (namely by his diligence, and holines of life) that he might prouoke them of his fleſh to follow him, & might ſaue ſome of them. 1. Cor. 7.16.And in another place. Sometime by the beleeuing wife (liuing godly and holily, and doing her duetie) the vnbeleeuing husbād is ſaued. And to Timothie, 1. Tim. 4.16if he look to himſelfe, that is, doe the duetie of a byſhop, he ſhall ſaue himſelfe and others.
VI. Though we deny a man to be iuſtified by works, yet we do not therefore condemne works.
Wherefore though wee denie, that good workes are to bee done to this ende, that by them we might bee iuſtified: becauſe that this ouerthroweth the free iuſtice of god, & whole benefite of Chriſt: yet wee doe not therefore diſallowe the care of a holie life, and good works: nay, we commend them, and vrge mē thereunto as much as we can poſſiblie.
VII. There be many and thoſe moſt weightie cauſes why men muſt labour to doe good works.
For there be many and very weighty cauſes declared in the holy ſcriptures, why wee muſt diligently labour to do good works, although wee bee not iuſtified by the ſame: whereof ſome are referred immediatly to the glory of God: ſome to the ſaluation of our neighbour, and profite of the church: and ſome alſo pertaine to our owne thankfulnes towards God, yea and to our owne ſaluation. God commandeth this thing and to his commaundement we muſt ſimply obey. Mat. 5.16By theſe workes God is glorified and the glorie of God muſt bee ſet forward. Tit. 2.12God did therefore elect, create, redeeme, and plant vsus in Chriſt, that we ſhould liue ſoberly, iuſtly, and godly in this worlde: and God is not to bee defrauded of his purpoſe. Act. 10.35 Col. 1.10They pleaſe God: for he hateth iniquity, and loueth righteouſneſſe: and wee muſt doe thoſe thinges which pleaſe god, though thereby there ſhould ariſe no profite either to our neighbour or to our ſelues. But both to our neighbour and to the church eſpecially commeth great profite by our good works, not onelyonly in regard of the bodie, and external cō modities, but alſo of eternall ſaluation: whilſt by our example (to let paſſe other thinges) the elect are prouoked to the like godlineſſe. 2. Cor. 1.4Heb. 10.24 2. Pet. 1.10And to vsus they are profitable, firſt, becauſe that by good works, as by the effectes of our election and vocation, wee make them both, that is, both our election and calling, aſſured, both to our ſelues and others. Secondly becauſe faith not onelyonly manifeſteth and vttereth it ſelfe by the fruites thereof, 2. Tim. 1.6but is alſo by them exerciſed, kindled, ſtrengthened, and increaſed: euē as al moral vertues do get increaſe & ſtrēghtning by the exerciſing of them: Thirdly, becauſe, Eph. 4.30as by our ſinnes we grieue the holie ſpirit dwelling in vsus: ſo by good works we make glad, and fill our hearts and conſciences with ſpirituall ioye: and contrariewiſe we reſiſt the temptations of the deuill: Fourthly becauſe, Deut. 28as in auoyding ſinnes, there be alſo many puniſhments auoyded: ſo by doing good works, Eph. 2.10we obtaine many bleſſinges of God, aſwell in this life, as eſpecially in the other: Laſtly, becauſe they are the waye: by which God ordinarily leadeth his elect vntounto eternall life: and vnleſſe the braunch bring forth fruite it ſhall be cut of, and caſt into the fire.Ioh. 15.6
VIII. There is promiſed and giuen a revvard to our good workes, yet of free grace, and for Chriſt.
Whereby wee vnderſtand, that although by our works, we cannot (to ſpeake properly) deſerue for our ſelues the poſſeſſion of the heauenly inheritance (for eternall life is the gifte of God:) yet we may obtaine the ſame, Luc. 17.10 Rom. 6.25 Ier. 31.34 Mar. 5.7as it were a reward, but yet of the free merciemercy of god, and for the merits of Chriſt.
IX. Errors.
We cōdemne therefore thoſe: which teach, that for the worthineſſe of their works, there is due vntounto them either remiſſion of ſinnes, or ternall life, or any other good gift. For though wee ſhould perfectly fulfill the commandements of God, yet we ſhould be but vnprofitable ſeruants. Luc. 17.10But no mā yea after his ingrafting into Chriſt, keepeth the commandemēts of God, as they ſhould be kept. Meanewhile we diſproue not the Fathers, in that they vſed the worde merite: namely ſo farreforth as thereby they ment nothing elſe, then a good worke, done by faith, vntounto which of fauour, and for the onelyonly merites of Chriſt was giuen a reward. Againe wee cannot allowe of thoſe which doe ſo diſcourſe of good workes, as if they were things indifferent: and therefore hold that the ſame are not onelyonly needeleſſe, Heb. 11.6 Iud. 2 20but alſo doe nothing auaile to ſaluation. For how ſhould any man bee ſaued without faith? and how can he hauehave a liuing faith without a care to doe good workes? and who can alſo hold faith, vnleſſe hee alſo keepe a good conſcience? and how can he keep a good conſcience, vnleſſe he alſo keepe a care to auoide ſinne, and to doe good workes, and to frame his whole life to the will of God? but wee ſimply condemne all Libertines, who make it all one to keep or not to keep gods commandements, to do well or to doe ill. We condemne alſo thoſe, which teach that our good workes doe profite the very ſoules of the dead, which lye in a certaine burning flame, which they call purgatorie: 2. Cor. 3.10ſith the ſcripture ſaieth, euerie one ſhalbe iudged according to his owne works, which he did in his owne bodie: Apoc. 14.13and, not the works of other men, but their owne workes, doe followe them which are dead.