The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 16
The .xvi. Chapter. ¶A confutation of the sclaunders, whereby the Papistes goe about to bryng this doctrine in hatred.
WIth this one word may the shamelesnesse of certayne vngodly men be confuted whiche sclaunder vsus with sayeng that we destroy good workes, and doe draw men awaye from the followyng of thē, when we say that they are not iustified by workes, nor do deserue saluatiō: and againe, that we make to easy away to right cousnesse, when we teache that it lieth in the free forgeuenesse of sinnes, and that we do by this enticement allure men to sinne, whiche are of their owne will to much enclined thereto already. These sclaunders (I say) are with that one word sufficiently confuted: yet I will brefely answer to them bothe. They allege that by the iustification of fayth, good workes are destroyed. I leaue vnspoken, what manner of men be these zelous louers of good workes whiche doe so backbite vsus. Let them hauehave licence as freely to rayle as they do licētiously infect the whole world with the filthinesse of their life. They faine that they be greued, that when fayth is so gloriously aduaunced, workes are dryuen downe out of their place. What if they be more raysed vp, and stablished? For neyther doe me dreame of a fayth voyde of good workes, nor a iustification that is without them. This onelyonly is the difference, that when we confesse that fayth and good workes do necessarily hange together, yet we set iustification in fayth, not in workes. For what reason we doe so, we hauehave in redinesse easily to declare, if we do but turne to Christ vntounto whome our faythe is directed, and from whome it receyueth her whole strength. Why therefore are we iustified by faith? bycause by fayth we take holde of the righteousnesse of Christ, by which alone we are reconciled to God. But this thou canst not take holde of, but that thou must also therewithall take holde of sanctification. For he was geuen to vsus, for righteousnesse, wisdome, sanctification, & redemptiō. Therfore Christ iustifieth none whome he doth not also sanctifie.…. Cor. i.xxx For these benefites are coupled together with a perpetuall and vnseperable knot, that whome he enlighteneth with his wisdome, them he redemeth: whome he redemeth, he iustifieth: whom he iustifieth, he sanctifieth. But for asmuch as our question is only of righteousnesse and sanctifieng, let vsus staye vponupon these. We maye put difference betwene them, yet Christ conteineth them bothe vnseperably in himself. Wilt thou therfore obteine righteousnesse in Christ? Thou must first possesse Christ: & thou canst not possesse him, but that thou must …e made partaker of his sanctification: bicause he can not be torne in peces. Sithe therefore the Lord doth graunt vsus these benefites to be enioyed none otherwise than in geuing himself, he geueth them bothe together, the one neuer without the other. So appereth how true it is, that we are iustified not without workes, and yet not by workes: bycause in the partaking of Christ, wherby we are iustified, is no lesse cōteined sanctification than righteousnesse.
That also is moste false, that the mindes of men are withdrawen from the affection of weldoyng, when we take from them the opinion of merityng. Here by the way the readers must be warned, that they foolishly reason frō reward to merit, as I shall afterward more plainly declare: namely bicause they know not this principle, that God is no lesse liberal when he assigneth reward to workes, than whē he geueth power to do well. But this I had rather differre to the place fit for it. Now it shalbe enough to touche howe weake their obiection is: whiche shalbe done two wayes. For first whereas they say that there shalbe no care of well framyng of life, but when hope of reward is set before them: they erre quite from the truth. For if this only be entēded when men serue God, that thei loke to reward, or let out to hire or sell their labors to him, they litle preuayle: for God will be freely worshipped, freely loued: he (I say) alloweth that worshipper, which when all hope of receyuing reward is cut of, yet cesseth not to worshippe him. Moreouer if men be to be pricked forward, no man can put sharper spurres vntounto them, than those that are taken of the ende of our redēption and calling: such as the word of God spurreth men withal, when it teacheth, that it is to wicked vnthākefulnesse, not mutually to louelove him agayne whiche first loued vsus: that by the blood of Christ our consciences are cleansed from dead workes,Hebr. ix.xiiii. Luc. i.…x…iij. to serue the liuyng God: that it is a haynous sacrilege, if beyng ones cleased, we defile our selues with newe filthinesse, and prophane that holy blood: that we are deliuered from the handes of our enemies, that we maye without feare serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life:Rom. vi.xviij. that we are made free from sinne, that we maye with a free Spirit folow righteousnesse: that our olde man is crucified, that we may rise agayne into newnesse of life: agayne that if we be dead with Christ (as becommeth his members) we must seeke those thinges that are aboue,Col. iii.i. and must in the world be wayfaring men from home, that we may long toward heauen where is our treasure:Tit. ij.xi. that the grace of God hath appered to this end, that forsakyng al vngodlinesse & worldly desires, we maye liue soberly, holyly, and godlyly in this world, lokyng for the blessed hope and the appering of the glorie of the great God & sauior: therefore that we are not apointed that we should stirre vp wrath to our selues, but that we may obteyne saluation by Christ: that we are the tēples of the Holy ghost,i. Thes. v.ix. i. Cor. iij.xvi. Eph. ii.xx…. & v.viii. ii. Cor. vi. i. Thes. iiii vii. ii. Tim. i.ix. Rom. vi.xviii. Ih. xvi.x. i. Ih. ii.xi. i. Cor. vi.xv.i. & xii.xii. i. Ih. iii.iii ii. Cor. vii.i. which it is not lawfull to be defiled: that we are not darknesse, but light in the Lord, whiche muste walke as children of light: that we are not called to vncleannesse, but to holinesse: bicause this is the will of God, our sanctificatiō, that we absteyne from vnlawfull desires: that our callyng is holy, that the same is not fulfilled but with purenesse of life: that we are for this purpose deliuered from sinne, that we should obey to righteousnesse. Can we be pricked forward to charitie with any more liuely argument thā that of Iohn, that we shold mutually louelove one an other as God hath loued vsus? that herein his children do differ from the childrē of the Deuell, the children of light from the children of darknesse, bycause they abide in louelove? Againe with yt argument of Paule, that we if we cleaue to Christ, are the members of one body, which it is mete to be holpen one of an other with mutuall duties? Can we be more strongly prouoked to holinesse, than when we heare agayne of Iohn, that all they that hauehave this hope, do sanctifie thēselues, bycause their God is holy? Agayne of the mouth of Paule: that hauyng the promise of adoptiō, we should cleanse our selues from all the defilyng of the flesh & spirit? than when we heare Christ settyng forth himself for an example vntounto vsus that we should follow his steppes?
And these fewe thinges I hauehave set forth for a taste. For yf I should entēd to goe through all, I should be dryuen to make a long volume. The Apostles are all full of encouragementes, exhortatiōs and rebukynges, whereby they maye instruct the man of God to eueryevery good worke, and that without any mention of merit. But rather they fetch their chefe exhortations from this that our saluation standeth vponupon the only merciemercy of God and vponupon no merite of oures. As Paule, after that he hath in a whole Epistle discoursed that there is no hope of life for vsus but in the righteousnesse of Christ,Ro. xii.i. when he cōmeth downe to morall exhortations, he besecheth them by that merciemercy of God whiche he hath vouchesaued to extēd to vsus. And truely this one cause ought to hauehave ben sufficient,Matth. v.xvi. that God may be glorified in vsus. But if any be not so vehemently moued with the glorie of God, yet the remembrāce of his benefites ought to hauehave ben most sufficient, to stirre vp such mē to do well. But these men, whiche do paraduenture with thrustyng in of merites beate out some seruile and constrayned obediences of the lawe, do falsly saye that we hauehave nothing whereby we maye exhorte men to good workes, bicause we goe not the same waye to worke. As though God were much desired with such obediences,… whiche protesteth that he loueth a cherefull geuer, and forbiddeth any thyng to be geuen as it were of heauinesse or of necessitie. Neyther doe I speake this for that I doe eyther refuse or despise that kinde of exhortation,…. …o…. ix.…ii. whiche the Scripture oftentimes vseth, that it maye leaue no meane vnattempted eueryevery way to stirre vp our mindes. For it rehearseth the reward which God will render to eueryevery mā according to his workes. But I denie that that is the only thing, yea or the chefe amōg many. And then I graunt not yt we ought to take beginning therat. Moreouer I affirme that it maketh nothing to ye settyng vp of such merites as these men boste of, as we shal hereafter see. Last of all I saye that is to no profitable vse, vnlesse this doctrine hauehave first taken place, that we are iustified by the only merit of Christ, which is cōceyued by faith but by no merites of our workes, bicause none can be fit to the endeuour of holinesse, vnlesse they hauehave first digested this doctrine. Which thing also the Prophet very wel signifieth, when he thus speaketh to God:…. x.xxx. with thee is merciemercy, that thou mayest be feared. For he sheweth that there is no worshippyng of God, but whē his merciemercy is acknowleged, vponupon which alone it is bothe founded and stablished. Which is very worthy to be noted, that we maye know not only that the beginning of worshippyng God aright is the affiance of his merciemercy, but also that the feare of God (whiche the Papistes will hauehave to be meritorious) can not hauehave the name of merite, bicause it is grounded vponupon the pardon and forgeuenesse of sinnes.
But it is a moste vayne sclaunder, that men are allured to sinne, when we affirme the free forgeuenesse of sinnes, in whiche we saye that righteousnesse consisteth. For, we saye that it is of so great value, that it can with no good of oures be recompensed and that therefore it should neuer be obteyned, vnlesse it were freely geuen. Moreouer that it is to vsus in deede freely geuen, but not so to Christ which bought it so derely, namely with his owne moste holy bloud, byside whiche there was no price of value enough that might be payed to the iudgement of God. When menne are taught these thinges, they are put in minde that it is no thanke to them that the same moste holy bloud is not shed so oft as they sinne. Furthermore we learne, that our filthinesse is suche, as is neuer washed awaye but with the fountaine of this moste pure bloud. Ought not they that heare these thynges, to conceyue a greater horrour of sinne, than yf it were sayd that it is wyped awaye with the sprynklyng of good workes… And yf they hauehave any thynge of God, howe can they but dred beyng ones cleansed, to wallowe themselues agayne in the myre, as muche as in them lieth to trouble and infect the purenesse of this fountayne? I hauehave washed my feete (sayth the faythfull soule in Salomō) how shal I againe defile them?Cant. 5.3. Now it is euident, whether sort doe bothe more abace the forgeuenesse of sinnes, and do more make vile the dignitie of righteousnesse. They babble that God is appeased with their owne trysting satisfactions, that is, their donge: We affirme that the giltinesse of sinne is more greuous than can bee purged with so light trifles: that the displeasure of God is more heauie than can be released with these satisfactions of no value, and that therefore this is the prerogatiue of the only bloud of Christ. They say that righteousnesse (if it fayle at any time) is restored & repaired by satisfactorie workes: we thynke it more precious than that it can be matched with anye recompense of workes, and that therfore for the restoryng thereof we must flee to the only merciemercy of God. As for the rest of those things that perteyne to the forgeuenesse of sinnes, let them be sought out of the next chapter.