The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 14
The .xiiii. Chapter. ¶What is the beginning of iustification, and the continuall procedinges therof.
THat the mater may bee made more plaine, let vsus searche, what may be ye righteousnesse of mā in the whole course of his life: & let vsus make fower degrees therof. For mē either being endued with no knowledge of God, are drowned in idolatrie: or being entred into profession by sacramētes, denyeng God with vncleannes of life whom thei confesse with mouth, thei are Christes no further thē in name: or thei be hypocrites, which couer ye wickednes of their hearts, wt vaine deceitful colors: or being regenerate by ye Spirit of God, thei endeuoure themselues to true holines. Specially when thei are to be iudged by their natural giftes, from ye croune of their heade to ye soule of their foote, ther shal not be found one sparcle of goodnesse: vnlesse paraduenture we will accuse ye Scripture of falshed, whē it setteth out all ye sonnes of Adam wt these titles, yt thei bee of froward & stubborne heart yt al ye imaginatiō of their heart is euel frō their infantie,Ier. xvii.ix. Gen. viii.xxi. Psa.x…ii… xi. & xiiij.ii. Gen. vi.iii. Gal. v.xix yt their thoughtes be vaine, yt thei hauehave not ye feare of God before their eies, yt none of them vnderstādeth or seketh God: brefeli yt thei be flesh, by which word are vnderstāded al those workes which Paul reherseth, fornicatiō, vnclēanes, vnchastitie, riotousnes, worshipping of ydoles, witchcraftes, enmities, contentions, emulations, angers, dissensions, sectes, enuies, manslaughters, & whatsoeuer filthines & abhomination mai be deuised. This forsothe is ye worthinesse, wt cōfidence wherof thei must be proued. But if any among thē excel wt such honestye of manners as may hauehave some shew of holynes amōg men: yet bicause we know yt God regardeth not ye outward glistering, we must searche ye very fountaine of works, if we wil hauehave them to auaile any thing to righteousnes. We muste (I saye) throughly loke into them, frō what affection of heart these workes procede. But although here lieth open a most large fielde to discourse in, yet bicause ye matter may be declared in very few words, I will folowe asmuch as I may a brefenesse in teaching.
First I deny not yt whatsoeuer excellent giftes appeare in ye vnbeleuers, thei are ye giftes of God. Neither do I so differ frō common iudgement, yt I wold affirme yt ther is no difference betwene ye iustice, temperance, & equitie of Titus & Traianus, & ye rage, intemperāce, & crueltie of Caligula, or Nero, or Domitian: betwene ye filthy lustes of Tiberius, & in this behalfe ye continence of Uespasian: & (yt wee may not tarry vponupon some special vertues or vices) betwene ye obseruing & ye despising of right & lawes. For ther is so great difference of right & wronge, yt it appeareth euen in ye deade image therof. For what thing shal ther remaine well ordered in ye world, if we cōfound these together? Therfore such a differēce betwene honest & vnhonest doinges, the Lord hath not only engrauen in the mindes of al men, but also doth oft confirme it with the dispensation of his prouidence. For we see how he extendeth many blessinges of this present life to them yt among men doe folowe vertue. Not bicause ye outwarde image of vertue deserueth so much as ye leaste benefit of his: but so it pleaseth him to declare by profe how much true righteousnes pleaseth him, when he suffreth euen outwarde & fained righteousnes not to be wtout reward. Whervpō foloweth yt which we euen now cōfessed, that these vertues, such as thei be, or rather images of vertues, are ye giftes of God, forasmuch as ther is nothing in any wise praise worthy, whiche proceedeth not from him.
But neuerthelesse it is true whiche Augustine writeth, that all they that are strangers frō the true religion of the one God, howesoeuer they be accompted worthy of admiration for opinion of vertue,Li. 4. cötra …ulianum. are not onelyonly worthy of no reward, but rather are worthy of punishment, bicause thei doe with defiling of hearte, bespott the pure good thinges of God. For though thei be the instrumentes of God, to preserue the felowship of mē with iustice, continence, tēperance of minde, valiantnesse, & wisdome: yet they do very euelly execute these good workes of God: because they are restrained from euil doing, not by sincere louelove of goodnesse, but either by only ambition, or by louelove of thēselues, or by some other crooked affectiō. Wheras therfore they ar corrupt by ye very vnclenesse of hart as by their beginning, they are no more to be reckened amonge vertues, than those vices, which are wont to deceiue by reason of nerenesse & likenes of vertue. Finally whan we remēbre, that thend of that which is right, euer is that God be serued: whatsoeuer tendeth to any other end, fourthwt worthily loseth the name of right. Bicause therfore they hauehave not respect to the mark which ye wisdome of God apointeth: although the thing that they do, seme good in doyng, yet by a wrongful end it is sin. He cōcludeth therfore yt al ye Fabricii, Scipiōes, & Catoes, in al these excellent actes of theirs: yet sinned in this behalfe, yt wheras they lacked ye light of faith, they did not apply them to that end to which they ought to hauehave applied them: and that for that cause, true righteousnes was not in them: for as much as duties are not weyed by the doinges, but by the endes.
Moreouer if it be true which Iohn saith, that there is no life without the sonne of God:i. Iohn. v.xii. who so hauehave no part in Christ, what maner of men so euer they be, whatsouer they do or goe about, yet they run forward with their whole course into destruction & the iugement of eternal death. After this reasō,Li. ad Bonisac. 3. ca. 5. is that said of Augustine, Oure religiō disceneth ye righteous from ye vnrighteous, not by law of workes, but by the very lawe of faith, wtout which, those that seme good workes are turned into sinnes. Wherfore the same Augustine saith very wel in an other place,Pref. in Psalm. when he cōpareth ye endeuour of such mē to running out of ye way. For how much faster a man runneth out of ye way, so much further he is from ye mark, & therfore is made so much more miserable. Wherfore he affirmeth that it is better to halt in ye way, than to run out of ye way. Finally it is certaine that thei are euel trees, forasmuch as without ye cōmunicating of Christ there is no sanctification. They may therfore beare faire fruites & beautifull to the eye, yea & swete in tast, but in no wise good fruites. Hereby we easily perceiue that whatsoeuer man thinketh, purposeth, or doeth, before yt he be reconciled to god by faith, is accursed, & not only of no value to righteousnesse, but of certaine deseruing to dānatiō. And why dispute we herof as of a doutful thing, sith it is alredy proued by ye witnes of thapostle,Heb. xi.vi that it is impossible yt any man mai please God wtout faith.
But there shall yet appere a plainer proufe, if the grace of God be in comparison, directly set against the naturall state of man. For the scripture crieth out eueryevery wher, that God findeth nothing in man wherby he may be prouoked to do good to him, but wt his owne free goodnes preuenteth him. For what can a dead do to atteine life? But when he lightneth vsus with the knowledg of himself,Iohn. v.xxv. he is said to raise vsus from death, & to make vsus a new creature. For we se that oftentimes, specially of the Apostle, the goodnes of god is set foorth vntounto vsus by this title. God (saith he) which is riche in mercy,Eph. ii.iiii. for the great louelove wherwt he loued vsus, euen whē we were dead by sinnes, hath made vsus aliue together in Christ. &c. In an other place, wher vnderunder the figure of Abrahā he entreateth of ye general calling of the faithful, he saith: it is God yt geueth life to ye dead, & calleth those thinges that are not, as though they were. If we be nothyng, what (I beseche you) can we do? Wherfore the lord strongly beateth downe this arrogancie, in the historie of Iob, in these wordes: who preuenteth me,Iob. ….ii Rom. x.xixv. & I shal rendre it him? for al thinges ar mine. Which sentēce Paul expoūding applieth it to this, that we shold not think that we bring ani thīg to the lord but mere shame of needines & emptines. Wherfore in the place aboue cited, to proue yt we ar come into the hope of saluatiō by his grace alone, not by works, he allegeth yt we ar his creatures bicause we ar new begottē in Christ Iesus, to the good works which he hath prepared yt we shuld walk in thē:Eph. ii.x. As if he had said: which of vsus may boaste yt he hathe with his righteousnes prouoked God, sith our first power to do good procedeth out of regeneratiō? For as we ar made by nature, oyle shal soner be wrong out of a stone, thā a good work out of vsus. Truly it is wonderful if mā being condēned of so great a shame, dare yet say that ther remaineth ani thing with him. Therefore let vsus confesse wt this noble instrumēt of God,i. Ti…. ix. yt we ar called of God with a holy callīg, no… accordīg to our works, but accordīg to his purpose & grace: & that ye kindnes & louelove of God our sauior toward vsus hath appeared,Tit. iii.iiii bicause he hath saued vsus, not by ye works of righteousnes which we hauehave don, but according to his own merciemercy: yt being iustified by his grace, we might be made ye heires of eternal life. Bi this confessiō we dispoil mā of al righteousnes euē to ye least litle pece therof, til he be bi only merci regenerate into hope of eternal life: forasmuch as if ye righteousnes of works do brīg any thīg toward ye iustifyīg of vsus,Ro. xi.vi. Matt. ix.xiii. it is falsly said yt we ar iustified by grace. Truly thapostle had not forgottē hīself, whē he affirmed iustificatiō to be of fre gift, which in an other place resoneth yt grace is now not grace, if works do any thing auail. And what other thīg doth ye lord mean, whē he saith that he came not to cal righteous mē but sinners? If only sinners ar receaued, why seeke we an entry by fained righteousnesses?
Stil this same thought hath now & thē recourse to my mind, that it is peril least I shold do wrong to the mercies of God, which do so carefully trauail in prouīg of this thīg as though it wer doutful or darke. But bycause our enuiousnes is such, as vnlesse it be most straightli thrust out of place, it neuer yeldeth to God yt which is his, I ā cōpelled to tary sōwhat ye lōger vpō it. Yet for asmuche as ye scripture is clere inough in this matter, I wil in fighting rather vse ye words therof thē mine own. Esai, whē he hath described ye vniuersal destructiō of mākind, doth īmediatly after veri fitly adioyn ye ordre of restoring.Esa. lvi.x…i The lord hath seen, & it semed … in his eyes. And he saw, that ther is no mā: & he maruailed that there is none that offereth himself: & he hath set saluatiō in his own arm, & hath strēgthned hīself wt his own righteousnes. Where are our righteousnesses if it be true which ye prophet saith: yt ther is no mā yt helpeth ye lord in recouerīg his saluatiō? So an other prophet, wher he bringeth in ye lord, discoursīg of ye recōciling of sīners to hīself,Ose. ii.xii saith: I wil espouse the to me for euer, in righteousnes, iudgmēt, grace & merciemercy. I wil sai to hir yt hath not obteined merci, yu hast obtained merci. If such couenāt, which it is certain to be ye first cōioyning yt we hauehave wt God, stādeth vpō ye mercy of god ther is left no foūdatiō of our own righteousnes. And I wold fain learn of those mē which fame yt mā meteth God wt sō righteousnes of works, whether thei think yt ther is ani righteousnes at al, but that which is acceptable to God. If it be madnes to thīk so, what acceptable thīg to god cā procede frō his enemies, whō he wholli abhorreth wt al their doings? That al we,… I sai, ar ye dedli & professed enemies of our god, ye truth it self testifieth, til being iustified, we ar receiued into frēdship. If iustified … the beginnīg of louelove, what righteousnes of works shal go before … Ihon, to turne away that pestilent arrogance, dothe diligently put vsus in mind how we did not first louelove him. And ye self same thing ye lord had long before taught bi his prophet:…se. x…iil.…v. I wil louelove thē, saih he, wt a fre louelove, bicause mine anger is turned. Certainly his louelove is not prouoked by workes if it hath of his owne accorde inclined it self vntounto vsus. But ye rude cōmon sorte of men think it to be nothing els, but that no mā hathe deserued yt Christ shoulde performe oure redēption: yet that to the entring into ye possession of redemptiō, we be holpen by our owne works. Yea but hosoeuer we be redemed of Christ, yet till we be by the calling of the Father graffed into the communion of him, we are bothe heires of darkenesse and death and the enemies of God.…. Cor. vi.xi. For Paul teacheth that we are not cleansed & wasshed from our vncleannesses by the blood of Christ, vntill the holy ghoste worketh y• cleansing in vsus. Whiche same thing Peter minding to teache, declareth that the sancrifinge of the Spirite auaileth vntounto obedience & the sprinkling of the bloode of Christ.i. Pet. i.i…. If we be by the Spirite sprinkled with the bloode of Christ vntounto cleansing, lette vsus not thinke that before such watering we be any other than a sinner is without Christ. Let this therfore remaine certaine, yt the beginning of oure saluatiō is as yt were a certain resurrectiō frō death to life: bicause when for Christes sake it is geuē to vsus to beleue in him, thē we first begin to passe frō death into life.
Under this sort are comprehended they whyche hauehave in the diuision aboue set ben noted for the second & third sort of men. For ye vncleannesse of conscience proueth yt both of them ar not yet regenerate by the Spirit of God. And againe, wheras there is no regeneration in them, this proueth ye want of faith. Wherby appeareth yt thei are not yet reconciled to God, nor yet iustified in his sight: forasmuch as these good things ar not atteined to, but by faith. What can sinners being estranged frō God bring …orth, but yt which is accursed in his iudgemēt? With this folish boldnesse in dede, both al wicked men are puffed vp, & specially hypocrites: bicause howesoeuer thei knowe that their whole hearte swarmeth ful of fylthinesse, yet if thei do any works yt hauehave a shew of goodnes, thei think them worthy yt God shold not despise thē. Herof groweth yt pernicious errour, yt being proued gilty of a wicked & mischeuous minde, yet thei can not be driuē to cōfesse thēselues void of righteousnes: but euē whē thei acknowledg thēselues vnrighteous, bicause thei cā not deny it, yet thei arrogātly claime som righteousnes vntounto thē. This vanitie ye lord excellentli wel cōfuteth bi ye prophet:Hag. ii.… Ask (saith he) ye prestes, saieng: if a man carrie sanctified flesh in ye hēme of his garmēt, & putteth to it bread or other meate, shal it be sāctified? The prestes answered: No. And Haggee said. If a defiled mā in soule touche any of such these thinges, shal it be defiled? The prestes answered: it shalbe defiled. Haggee said. So is this people befor my face, saith ye lord: & so al ye work of their hands, & al thinges yt thei offer to me shalbe defiled. I wold to god yt this saieng might either get ful credit wt vsus, or wel be settled in our remēbrāce. For ther is no mā, though he be otherwise in his whole life neuer so hainous a wicked doer, yt ca…e abide to be perswaded, yt which ye Lord here plainely pronounceth. The naughtiest mā, so sone as he hath performed one or two doubtful dedes of ye law, doubteth nor y• it shalbe accōpted to him for righteousnes. But ye Lord crieth to ye contrarie, yt ther is no sanctificatiō gotten therby, vnlesse ye heart be first wel cleansed. And not contēted therewt, he affirmeth yt al ye works whatsoeuer thei be yt proceede frō sinners, are defiled with vncleannes of ye heart. Therfore let ye name of righteousnes depart frō these works which are by ye Lords own mouth condemned of filthines. And wt howe fit a similitude doth he shew ye same? For it might hauehave ben obiected, yt whatsoeuer ye Lord had commaunded, was inuiolably holly. But he on the contrarie side setteth against them, that it is no maruell, if those thinges that are hallowed by the lawe of the Lorde, are de…ied with the filthinesse of naughty men: whereas an vncleane hand prophaneth a holy thing with touching it.
The same matter he excellētly wel handleth in Esai. Offer not (saith hee) sacrifice in vaine:Esa. i.xiii. incense is abhomination to me: my soule hateth your Calendes and solemnities. Thei are become tedious to me, and I hauehave been werie with bearing them: when you shal hold vp your hands I wil tourne away mine eyes from you: when you shall multiply prayer I will not heare: for your handes are full of bloud. Be washed, be cleane, take away the euell of your thoughts. What meaneth this that the lord so lotheth the obeying of his owne lawe? Yea but he heere refuseth nothing that is of the naturall obseruing of the law, the begining wherof he eueryevery where teacheth to be the vnfained feare of his name. Wh… that is taken away, what so euer thinges ar offered him are not only trifles, but stinking and abhominable filthinesse. Now let the hypocrites go, & keping peruersnes wrapped vp in their heart, endeuour to deserued ye fauour of God wt works. But bi this mean, thei shal more & more prouoke him to wrath.Pro. xv, viij. For to him the sacrifices of wicked are abhominable, & the only prayer of vpright men pleaseth him. Therfore we hold that out of dout, which ought to be most commonly knowen to him, that is euē but meanly excercised in the Scriptures, that euen those works that glister most gloriously in men not yet truly sanctified, ar so far frō righteousnes in the sight of the lord,Aug. lib. de poe…il. & Gregor. yt thei be iudged sins. And therfore thei hauehave said most truly that hauehave taught that fauour wt God is not procured to anye person by workes: but contrary wise that works do then please, & neuer til thē, whē ye person hath firste foūd grace in ye sight of God. And this ordre is religiously to be kept, to which ye scripture leadeth vsus by ye hand. Moses writeth yt the lord had respect to Abell & to his works.Gen. iiii.iiii. Act. xv vi, See you not howe hee declareth that God is fauorable to the menne, before that he hath respect to their works? Wherfore the clēsing of ye heart must go before, yt the works which come frō vsus, may be louingly receiued of God: bi…se this sayīg of Ieremy is alway in force,Iere v.iii yt the works of God hauehave respect vntounto truth. And that it is only faith by which the heartes of men ar clensed, the holy ghost hath affirmed by the mouth of Peter: whereby it is certen, that the first foundation is in true and truely faith.
Now let vsus looke what righteousnesse thei hauehave, whom we hauehave set in the fowerth degree. Wee graunt that when God by the meane of the righteousnesse of Christ, reconcileth vsus to him selfe, and giuing vsus tree forgiuenesse of sinnes accompteth vsus for righteous, with such merciemercy is also conioyned this his beneficiall doing, that by his holy spirit he dwelleth in vsus, by the power wherof the lustes of our flesh are dayiye more and more mortified: but we are sanctified: that is to say, hallowed to the Lord vntounto true purenesse of life, when our hearts ar framed to the obedience of the law: that this may be our chief will, to serue his will, and by an meanes to aduaunce only his glorie. But euen whyle by the guyding of the holy ghoste we walke in the waies of the Lorde, least… yet wee forgettyng our selues should ware proude, there are lefte certayne remnants of imperfection, which may minister vsus matter of humilitie▪ Ther is none righteous,…. …ing. bui. v…. (saith ye scripture) yt doth good and sinneth no…. What māner of righteousnes therfore wil thei yet get by their workes? First I saie, yt the best worke yt can be brought forth of thē, is yet alwaye sprikled & corrupted wt some vncleannes of ye flesh, & hath as it were som dregges mingled wt it. I sai, let a holy seruant of God chose out of al his life ye most excellēt thing yt he shal think yt he hath done in ye whol course therof, & let him wel cōsider al ye parts of it, wtout dout he shall find somwher somwhat sauoring of ye rottennes of ye flesh forasmuch as to doing wel our chereful quicknes is neuer such as it ought to be, but in slacking our course our weaknes is much. Although we se yt ther ar euidēt fowle blottes wherwt ye works of ye holy are be spredde, yet grant yt thei be nothing but most little spottes: shal thei nothing offende ye eies of God, before whom euen ye sterres are not cleane? Thus hauehave we shewed yt there commeth not so muche as one good woorke out of holy men, whiche if it be iudged in it selfe, deserueth not iuste rewarde of shame.
Secōdly I say, yt if it wer possible yt we shold hauehave som throughly pure & perfect works, yet one sinne is enough to blot our & quench al ye remē brance of ye former righteousnes,Eze. xviij.x…iiii. Iac. ii.x. as ye prophet saithe. With whome also Iames agreeth: He yt offēdeth (saith he) in one, is made gilty of al. Now fith this mortal life is neuer pure or void frō sīne, whatsoeuer righteousnes we shold purchace, being frō time to time wt sinnes folowing corrupted, oppressed & lost, it shold not com into ye sight of God, nor be accōpted to vsus for righteousnes. Finalli whē ye righteousnes of works is entreted of, we must not hauehave respect to ye work of ye law, but to ye cōmaundement. Therfore if we …eke righteousnes by the law, we shal in vain bring forth one or two works: but a perpetual obedience of ye law is there necessarie. Wherfore the Lord doth not but ones (as many foolishlythinke) impute to vsus righteousnesse yt same forgeuenes of sinnes wherof we hauehave spoken, that hauing ones obteined pardon of oure life past, we should afterwarde seeke righteousnesse in the lawe: bicause he shoulde so do nothing els butte bringe vsus into a false hope, and mocke and laughe vsus to scorne. For sith no perfectiō cold com to vsus so lōg as we are clothed wt this flesh, & sith ye law thretneth death & iudgmēt to al thē yt performe not ful rightousnes in work: it shal alway hauehave wherof it mai accuse & cōdēne vsus, vnlesse ye merciemercy of God on ye other side did wtstand it, to acquite vsus frō time to time wt cōtinual forgeuenes of sinnes. Wherfore this stādeth alwaye certain which we said at ye beginning, yt if we be weied by our own worthines, whatsoeuer we purpose or go about, yet we wt al our trauailes, & endeuours are worthy of death and destruction.
Upō these two points we must strongly stād fast: yt ther was neuer any work of a godli mā, which if it wer examined by ye seuere iudgmēt of god, was not dānable. Again, if ther be any such shewed, (which is not possible for mā) yet being corrupted & defiled wt ye sinnes, wherwt it is certaine that the doer of it is loden, it looseth the grace. And this is the cheefe point of our disputatiō. For about ye beginning of iustification there is no stri…e betwene vsus & ye soūder sort of Scholmen, but yt a sinner being freely deliuered frō damnation obteineth righteousnes, & yt by ye forgeuenes of sinnes: sauing yt thei vnderunder ye worde of Iustification comprehende the renewing wherwt we are newly formed by ye Spirite of God vntounto ye obedience of ye law: & thei thus describe ye righteousnes, of a mā regenerate, yt man being ones recōciled to God by ye faith of Christ, is by good workes iudged righteous before God, and by theyr deseruynge vsus accepted. But the lord contrariwise pronoūceth yt he imputed to Abrahā faithe for righteousnes,Rom. iiii.xiii, not at the time whē he yet serued idols, but whē he had al ready mani years excelled in holines of life. Therfore Abrahā had long worshiped God frō a pure hart, & had performed yt obediēce of ye law whiche mai be performed of a mortal mā: yet he hath righteousnes reposed in faithe. Wherevpō we gather, accordīg to ye argumēt of Paul, yt it was not of works.Habac. ii.iiii. Likewise whē it is said in the prophet, The righteous mā shal liue by faith, it is not spokē of wicked & prophane men, whō the lorde iustifieth by cōuerting thē to faith, but the speach is directed to the faithfull, & to them is promised life by faith.Rom. iiii.vii. Psa. xxxii.… Paul also taketh away all Doubt, whē for cōfirming of that sentēce, he taketh this verse of Dauid, Blessed ar they whose iniquities are forgeuē. But it is certein, that Dauid speaketh not of the wicked, but of the faithful, such as him self was: bicause he spake out of the felīg of his own cōscience. Therefore this blessednes we must not hauehave ones in our life,ii. Cor. v.xviii. but hold it throughout al our life. Last of all he testifieth yt the embassage cōcerning the fre reconciliatiō wt God is not published for one or two daies, but is perpetual in ye church. Therfore the faithfull hauehave euen to ye end of their life no other rigteousnesse than yt which is there set foorth. For Christ euerlastyngly remaineth the mediatour to reconcile ye father to vsus, & the effectualnesse of his death is euerlasting: namely washing, satistactiō, expiation,finally perfect obedience, wherwt al our iniquities are couered. Neither doth Paul to the Ephesians say, that we hauehave the beginning of saluation out of grace, but that we are saued by grace, not of workes, yt no man should glorie.
The starting holes whiche ye scholemen do here seke to escape by, do not deliuer thē. They say ye good workes are not by inward worthinesse in thēselues of so great ualue, yt they be sufficiēt to purchace righteousnesse: but this, yt thei be of so great value, is of grace accepting thē. Thē because they be driuen to cōfesse yt the righteousnesse of workes is in this life alway vnperfect, they graūt yt we, so long as we liue, do nede forgenesse of sinnes, wherby ye way of workes may be supplied: but, yt the defautes which are cōmitted, are recōpensed wt workes of supererogation. For I answere yt the accepting grace as they cal it, is none other thā his fre goodnes wherwith ye father embraceth vsus in Christ, whē he clotheth vsus with ye innocēcie of Christ, & accompteth the same ours, that by ye beneficial meane therof he may take vsus for holy, pure, & innocent. For, the righteousnesse of Christ (which as it only is perfect, so only can abide the sight of God) must be set in our stede, and be presented at the barre as a suretic: Herewith we beyng furnished to obteine cōtinual forgeuenesse of sinnes in faith. With ye purnesse herof our filthinesses & vnclenesses of imperfections being couered are not imputed: but are hidden, as if they were buried, yt they may not come into ye iugement of god, vntil ye houre come, whē ye olde mā being slain & vtterly destroied in vsus, ye goodnesse of god shal receiue vsus into blessed peace with the new Adam, where let vsus loke for the day of the Lorde, in whiche receiuing vncorrupt bodies, we shalbe remoued into the glorie of the heauenly kingdome.
If these thinges be true, verily no workes of ours can of them selues make vsus acceptable & pleasing to god: neither can the workes thēselues please, but in respect yt mā being couered wt the righteousnes of Christe, pleaseth god, & obteineth forgeuenes of his sīnes. For god hath not promised ye rewarde of eternal life to some certaine workes: but only promiseth yt he which, doth these things, shal liue: settīg ye notable curse agaīst all thē yt continue not in al things.Leui. xviii v. Wherby the deuise of righteousnesse in part is largely confuted, sithe no other righteousnes is admitted into heauē, but a whole obseruing of the law. And no whit soūder is yt which they are wōt to babble of supplieng of recōpense by works of Superero gatiō. For why? Do thei not still returne to the same place frō whēse thei ar alredy shut out: yt he which kepeth the law in part, is by workes so far righteous? That which no man of sound iugement wil graunt thē, thei do to shamelesly take for cōfessed. So oft the Lord testifieth yt he acknowlegeth no righteousnesse of works, but in ye perfect obseruing of his law. What obstinatie is it, yt we whē we are destitute of yt obseruing, leaste we shold seme spoiled of al glorie, yt is, to hauehave altogether geuē place to God do boste our selues of I wote not what small peces of a few workes, & go about by satisfactions to redeme yt which wanteth. Satisfactiōs hauehave already before been sufficiētly ouerthrowē, yt we ought not now so much as to dreame of thē. Only this I say, that thei which so play the fooles, do not wey how detestable a thing sin is before God: for truly thei shold vnderstād that the whole righteousnes of men being laid vpō a heap, is not sufficient to make recōpence for one sinne.Gene. iii.xvii. For we se that mā was by one offence so cast awai & abādoned of God, yt he therwithal lost al mean to recouer saluatiō. Therfore the power of Satisfaction is taken away, wherwt they flatter thē selues, but surely shal neuer satisfy God, to whō nothīg is pleasant or acceptable that procedeth frō his enemies. And his enemies are al they to whō he purposeth to impute sinnes. Therfore our sinnes must be couered & forgiuē, before that the lord hauehave respect to any worke of ours. Whervpon foloweth that the forgiuenesse of sinnes is of fre grace, which they do wickedly blaspheme that thrust in any satisfactiōs. Let vsus therfore,Phil. iij.xiii. after the exāple of ye Apostle, forgettīg those things that ar behind vsus, and hasting forward to those thinges that are before vsus, run in our race, endeuouring to the price of the highe calling. &c.
But how doth the bosting of the works of supererogation agre with that rule which is taught vsus, that whē we hauehave done all things that ar cōmaunded vsus, we should say that we are vnprofitable seruantes, & that we hauehave done no more then we ought?Luk. xvii.x. To say before God, is not to fain or to lye, but to determine with thy self, that which thou arte assured of. The lord therfore cōmandeth vsus vnfainedly to think & consider with our selues, that we do not any fre beneficiall doings to hī, but to render due seruice. And worthily. For we ar seruantes endetted in so many seruices, as we ar no able to discharge, although al our thoughts & all our membres, wer turned into dutieful deeds of the law. And therfore that which he saithe, Whē ye hauehave done all things yt are cōmāded you &c. is as much in effect, as if the righteousnesse of one man were more thā al the righteousnes of men. How therfore may we (of whom there is none that is not moste farre distant frō this marke) bee so bolde as to boste that we hauehave added a heap to the ful measure? Neither is ther any cause why any mā may take exceptiō & say, that nothing withstādeth but that his endeuour mai procede beyōd necessary duties, which in som behalf ceasseth those yt be frō necessary. For this we must altogither hold, that we cā imagin nothing that auaileth either to the worship or the louelove of God, which is not comprehedēd vnderunder the law of God. If it be a part of the law, let vsus not boaste of voluntary liberalitie, where we are bound to neccessitie.
And for this purpose that glorieng of Paul is out of season alledged That among the Corinthians he did of his owne wil yeld of his right,i. Cor. ix.i. which otherwise he might hauehave vsed if he had wold, & that he hath employed vponupon thē not only so muche as he ought of dutie, but also hath geuen them his free trauail beyond the boundes of duties. But they shold hauehave marked ye reason there expressed, yt he did this least he shold be an offense to the weake. For false & deceitful workemen did boste thē selues with this alluring shew of liberalitie, wherby they might bothe procure fauour to their poisonous doctrines, & raise vp hatred to y• Gospel, so that Paul was driuē of necessitie either to bring the doctrine of Christ into danger, or to mere with suche craftes. Go to: if it be to a christian man an indifferent thing, to runne into offense, when he may refraine it, then I graunt that the Apostle did somthing of Supererogation for ye Lord. But if this were by right required or a wise distributer of the Gospel, then I say that he did that whiche was his dutie to doe. Finally although there appere no suche cause, yet this saying of Chrysostome is alway true, that al our thinges are in the same case wherin are the propre possessions of bondmen, whiche it is certaine by the law to be due to their Lord.Luc. xvii.vii. And Christ bath vttered the same in the parable. For he asked what thanke we wil geue to a bondseruant when hauing ben all the day trauailed with sondry labours he returneth home to vsus in the euening. But it is possible, that he hath labored with greater diligence than we durst hauehave required. Be it so: yet he hath done no thing but that which by his estate of bōdage he ought, for he with his whole abilitie is ours. I speake not of what sort their Supererogatiōs are whiche these men wil boste of to God: for they be trifles, suche as he neither hath at any tyme cōmanded, nor doth approue thē, nor wyl allowe thē when accōpt shalbe to be made before him. In this significatiō only we will graunt that they are workes of Supererogation, namely of whiche it is spoken in the Prophet:Psal. i.xii. who hath required these things at your handes? But let thē remēber what is in an other place also spoken of these thinges:Psal. lv.ii. Wherfore do ye wey your siluer & not in bread? Ye spend in labour & not in being satisfied. It is in dede not very hard for these idle Rabbines to dispute vnderunder the shadowe in a soft chaire: but when the soueraigne iudge shal sit in his iudgement seate, suche windy decrees shall of necessitie vanishe away. This, this was to be sought what affiāce of defense we may bring to his iudgemēt seate, not what we may talke of in scholes and corners.
In this behalf there are chefely two pestilences to be driuen out of our myndes: that we put no affiance in the righteousnesse of workes. And that we ascribe no part of glorie to thē. The Scriptures do eueryevery where thrust vsus from all manner of affiance, when they teache that our righteousnesses do stinke in ye sight of God, vnlesse they receiue a good sauor from the innocence of Christ, & that they can do nothing but prouoke the vengeance of God, vnlesse they be susteined by the tendernes of his merciemercy. Moreouer they so leaue nothing to vsus, but that we shold traue the merciemercy of our iudge with yt confessiō of Dauid,Ps. c.xiiii.ii. that none shall be iustified before him, if he require accōpt of his seruantes. But where Iob saythe:Iob. ….xv. If I hauehave done wickedly, wo to me: but if I doe righteously, yet I wyll not so lyfte vp my head: though he meane of that most hie righteousnes of God, wherunto the very Angels answer not: yet he therwithal sheweth that whē thei come to ye iudgement of God, there remaineth nothing for al mortal men, but to holde their peace as dūme. For it tēdeth not only to this purpose yt he had rather willingly yeld thā dāgerously striue with ye rigorousnes of God: but he meaneth that he felt no other righteousnes in him self, thā such as at ye first moment shold fall before ye sight of God. When affiance is driuen away, al glorieng must also necessarely depart. For who can geue the praise of righteousnes to these workes, ye affiāce wherof trēbleth before ye sight of God?…sa. xlvi.xx. Esa. lxi.… We must therfore come whether Esaie calleth vsus, yt al the seede of Israel may be praised & glorie in God: because it is most true whiche he saith in an other place, yt we ar ye planting of the glorie of God. Our mynde therfore shall then be rightly purged, whē it shal neither in any behalf rest vponupon the cōfidence of workes, nor reioise in the glory of thē. But this errour encouraged folish men to the puffing vp of this false a lying affiance, that they alway set the cause of their saluatiō in workes.
But if we loke to ye fower kindes of causes, which the phylosophers …eache vsus to cōsider in the effect of thinges, we shal find yt none of them doth accord with workes in ye stablishing of our saluatiō. For the Scripture doth eueryevery where report that ye cause of procuring the eternall life to vsus, is the merciemercy of the heauenly father & his free louelove towarde vsus: yt the Material cause is Christ with his obedience, by which he purchaced righteousnesse for vsus. What also shal we say to be the formal or instrumētal cause but faith? And these thre causes Iohn cōprehendeth together in one sentēce,Iohn. iii.xvi. when he saith, God so loued the world, that he gaue his only begotten sonne, yt eueryevery one which beleueth in him may not perish, but may hauehave euerlastīg life. Now the final cause ye Apostle testifieth to be both the shewing of ye righteousnesse of God & the praise of his goodnes: wher he reherseth also ye other thre in expresse wordes. For he satih thus to ye Romains:Rom. iii.xxiii. al hauehave sined & do nede ye glory of god: but they are iustified frely by his grace. Here yu hast the head & first fountain, namely yt God embraced vsus with his free merciemercy. Then foloweth. By the redēptiō which is in Christ Iesu. Here yu hast as it were ye matter wherof righteousnesse is made for vsus through faith in his bloude. Here is shewed ye instrumētall cause, wherby ye righteousnes of Christ is applied to vsus. Last of al he ioyneth the end, when he saithe, vntounto the shewyng of his righteousnesse that he may be righteous & the righteousmaker of him that is of the faithe of Christe. And (to touche by the way that this righteousnes standeth of reconciliatiō) he setteth expressely by name, ye Christ was geuen to vsus for reconciliatiō. So in the first chap. also to the Ephesians he teacheth ye we are receiued of God into fauour by mear merciemercy: that the same is wrought, by the intercession of Christ: receiued, by faithe: all to this ende, that the glorie of the goodnesse of God may fully shyne. When we see that all the partes of our saluation are so without vsus, what cause is there that wee shoulde now either hauehave affiance or glorie in workes? Neither can euen ye most sworne ennemies of the grace of God moue any controuersie with vsus about the efficient or fynall cause, vnlesse they wyll denye the whole Scripture. In the Materiall and Formall cause the caste a false colour, as though our workes hauehave a half place with faithe and the righteousnesse of Christ. But this also they teache, the Scripture criynge out against them, whiche simply affirmeth both that Christ is to vsus for righteousnesse and life, and that this benefit of righteousnesse is possesed by only faith.
But where as the holy men do oftentimes strengthen and comforte them selues with remembrance of their owne innocencie and vprightnesse, and somtime also forbeare not to report of it with prayse, that is done twoo wayes: either that in comparing their good cause with the euell cause of the wicked, they conceiue thereby assured trust of victory, not so muche for commending of their own righteousnes, as for ye iust & deserued condemning of their aduersaries: or that euen without comparison of other, while thei recorde thēselues before God, the purenesse of their own conscience bringeth to them both some comfort & affiance. Of the first of these two wayes, we shall se hereafter: now let vsus brefely declare of the latter, how it agreeth with that whiche we hauehave aboue said, yt in the iudgemēt of God we must rest vpō no affiance of workes, and glorie vponupon no opinion of them. This is the agrement that the holy ones, when it concerneth the founding and stablishinge of their saluation, do without respect of workes bend their eies to the only goodnesse of God. And they do not only bend them selues to it afore al thinges as to the beginning of blessednesse, but do rest therin as in the fulfilling of it. A conscience so founded, raised & stablished, is also stablished with consideration of workes: namely so far as they are ye witnessings of God dwelling & reigning in vsus. Sithe therfore this affiance of workes hath no place, vnlesse thou hauehave first cast the whole affiance of thy mynde vponupon the merciemercy of God: it ought not to seme cōtrary to ye wherupon it hangeth. Wherfore whē we exclude the affiance of workes, we meane only this yt a Christian mind may not bowe to the merit of workes as to the succour of saluation, but should throughly rest in the free promise of righteousnesse. But we forbid it not to vnderprop & strengthen this faith with the signes of the good will of God toward it selfe. For if al the good giftes whiche God hath bestowed vponupon vsus, whē the… be recorded in remēbrance, are to vsus after a certaine manner as it were beames of the face of God, by whiche we ar enlightened to behold that soueraigne light of goodnesse: much more is the grace of good workes, whiche sheweth that the Spirite of adoption is geuen vsus.
When therfore ye holy ones do by innocēcie of cōscience cōfirme their faith, & gather matter of reioysing, they do nothing but cal to minde by the frutes of their calling, yt they are adopted of ye Lord into ye place of children.Pro. xiiii.xxvi. This therfore that is taught by Salomon, yt in the fea…e of ye Lord is stedfast assurednesse: & this yt somtime ye holy ones vse this protestation, to the entent yt they may be heard of ye Lord,Gen. xxiii… xl. yt thei hauehave walked before his face in vprightnes & simplicititie: hauehave no place in laying the fundatiō of stablishing of cōscience:ii. Ro. xx.iii. but are thē only of value, if they be taken of the ensuing effect: because both ye feare is no where whiche may stablish a full assurednesse, & the holy ones are priuie in their conscience of such an vprightnes, wherwith ar yet mingled many rēnātes of the flesh. But forasmuche as of the frutes of regeneration they gather an argume…t of the holy Ghoste dwellynge in them, they do there by not sclenderly strengthen them selues to loke for the helpe of God in all their necessities, when they by experience finde hym their father in so great a matter. And euen this also they canne not doe, vnlesse thei hauehave first conceyued the goodnesse of God, sealed with no other assurednesse, than of the promyse. For if they beginne to weye yt by good workes, nothing shalbe more vncertaine nor more weake: forasmuche as if workes bee considered by them selues, thei shall no lesse by theyr imperfection shewe profe of the wrathe of God, than thei do with how soeuer vnperfect purenes testifie his good wil. Fynally thei do so set out the benefites of God, that yet they tourne not awaie from the free fauoure of God,Ephe. iii.…v.ii. in which Paul testifieth that ther is the length, breadth, depth and heigth of them: as if he shoulde say, Whethersoeuer the senses of the godly do tourne themselues, howe hie soeuer thei clyme, how farre and wide soeuer thei extend them, yet thei ought not to goe oute of the louelove of Christe, but holde them selues wholy in the meditation therof, bicause it comprehendeth al kindes of measures in it. And therfore he saithe that it excelleth and surmounteth aboue all knowledge: and that when we acknowledge howe muche Christe hathe loued vsus, we are fulfilled into all the fulnesse of God.Rom. viii …vii. As in an other place, when he glorieth that all the Godly are vanquishers in battell, he by and by addeth a reason, bycause of him that loued vsus.
We see now that ther ys not in the holy ones that affiance of works, whiche either geueth any thinge to the merite of them (forasmuche as thei regarde them none otherwise than as the giftes of God, whereby thei reknowledg his goodnesse none otherwise than as signes of their calling, whereby maie thinke vponupon their election) or whiche withdraweth not any thing from the free righteousnesse whiche wee obteine in Christe, for asmuche as it hangeth vponupon it, and standeth not withoute it. The same thing doth Augustine in few wordes, but very wel set out where he writeth. I do not saie to the Lorde, despise not the workes of my handes, or I hauehave sought the Lorde with my handes and hauehave not been deceiued. But, I do not commned the workes of my handes: for I feare, least when thou haste loked vponupon them, thou shalt finde moe sinnes than merites. Onli this I say, this I ask, this I desire, despise not ye workes of thy hands, beholde in me thy worke, not mine. For if thow beholdest mine, thou damnest me: if thou beholdest thine, thou crownest me. For also whatsoeuer good workes I hauehave, they are of thee. He setteth two causes, why he dare not boaste of his workes to God, bycause if he hauehave any good workes, he seeth therin nothing his owne: secondly, bycause the same is also ouerwhelmed wyth multytude of synnes. Whereupon commeth to passe that the conscience feleth thereby more feare and dismaieng than assurednesse. Therfore he woulde hauehave God no otherwise to loke on his well doinges, than that reknowledging in them the grace of his calling, he maie make an ende of the worke which he hathe begonne.
But furthermore wheras the scripture sheweth that the good workes of the faithfull, are causes why the Lorde doth good to them, that is so to be vnderstanded, that that which we hauehave before set may stand vnshaken, that the Effect of our saluation consisteth in the louelove of God the Father: the Mater, in the obedience of the Sonne: the Instrument, in the enlightning of the holy ghooste, that is to saie, in faithe: that the end is the glorie of the so great kindenes of God. These thinges withstande not, but that the Lorde maye embrace workes as inferiour causes. But whense cōmeth that? Namely, whome the Lord of his merciemercy hath apointed to the inheritāce of eternal life, them wt his ordinarie dispēsation he doth by good workes bring into the possessiō therof. That which goeth before in order of dispensatiō, he calleth the cause of that which foloweth. After this māner he somtime deriueth eternal life frō workes:Rom. vli….xxx. not for that is to be ascribed to thē: but bicause whome he hath chosen, them he doth iustifie, that he may at lēgth glorifie them, he maketh the grace yt goeth before which is a step toward that which foloweth, after a certaine māner the cause of it. But so oft as he hath occasiō to assigne the true cause, he biddeth vsus not to flee to workes, but holdeth vsus in the only thinking vponupon ye merciemercy of God. For what manner of thing is this which he teacheth by the Apostle,Rom. vl, xiij. The reward of sinne is death: the grace of ye Lord, is life euerlasting? Why doth he not set righteousnesse in cōparison against sinne, as he setteth life agaynst death? Why doth he not make righteousnesse the cause of life, as he maketh sinne the cause of death? For so should the comparison of contraries hauehave stand well together, which is much broken by this turning. But the Apostle meant by this cōparison to expresse that which was truth, that death is due to the deseruings of men: that life is reposed in the only merciemercy of God. Finally in these māners of speaking is rather expressed the order than the cause: bicause God in heaping graces vponupon graces, taketh cause of the first to adde the second, that he may leaue nothing vndone to the enrichyng of his seruantes: and he so continually extēdeth his liberalitie, that yet he would hauehave vsus alway to looke vntounto the free election which is fountaine & beginning of it. For although he loueth the giftes which he dayly geueth, in so much as thei spring out of that fountaine: yet it is our part to holde fast that free acceptation, whiche alone is able to vpholde our soules: as for such giftes of his Spirit as he afterward geueth vsus, so to adioyne them to the first cause, that they minish nothing of it.