Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 15 – Chapter 16
CHAP. XV. That thoſe things which are boaſted of the merites of workes, do ouerthrow aſwell the praiſe of God in geuing righteouſnes, as the certaintie of ſaluation.
1 VVE hauehave alreadie diſpatched that which is chiefe: that a man is iuſtified by the merciemercy of God alone, by the communicating of Chriſt alone, and therfore by faith alone, & not by workes.Whether good workes deſerue fauor. It remaineth that we diſcuſſe this queſtion, that howſoeuer works are not ſufficient to iuſtifie a man, yet whether they do not deſerue fauour at Gods hands?
2 Surely whoſoeuer he were that firſt applyed merit to mens workes compared with Gods iudgemēt,Merit. he prouided verie euil for the ſincerity of faith.
Obiect. The auncient writers of the Church did euerie where vſe it.
An. Would God they had not miniſtred matter of errour to their poſteritie by the abuſe of one litle word.
3 The Scripture doth ſhew what all our works deſerue, when it denieth that they are able to abide the ſight of God, becauſe they be full of vncleaneneſſe*, againe what if we ſhould fulfill the Law?Ezec. 36.22.32 Lu. 17 20 we are vnprofitable ſeruants*.
Obiect. The Lord doth call thoſe good workes which he hath beſtowed vponupon vsus, ours, and doth not onelyonly teſtifie that they are acceptable in his ſight, but that they ſhall alſo hauehave a reward.
An. He doth it for this cauſe that we may be encouraged by ſo great a promiſe, & that we may not be weary of well doing, and that we may be thankfull indeede to God for ſo great bountifulneſſe.
Works are good as they are of God.Obiect. If workes be of God, then are they good.
An. They are good as they are of God: but man polluteth & defileth by his vncleannes thoſe works which were good.
Queſt. How then do they pleaſe God, & are not vnprofitable to the doers of them?
An. Not becauſe they deſerue this, but becauſe the goodneſſe of God doth of it ſelfe ſet this price vponupon them.
Eccle. 16.14.4 Obiect. Mercy will make place for eueryevery one according to the merit of his works*.
An. It is thus in Greeke, for euerie one ſhal find according to his works.
Obiect. With ſuch ſacrifices men merit at Gods hands,Heb. 13.16. ſaith the Apoſtle*.
An. There is nothing elſe in the Greeke, but that ſuch ſacrifices do pleaſe God, and are acceptable to him.
Obiect. Good works do merit thoſe graces which we hauehave giuen vsus in this life: but eternall ſaluation is the reward of faith alone.
An. Iſaias doth ſhewe that the increaſings of the faithfull are the giftes of his owne free goodneſſe*.Iſ. 51.1.
5 Paule teacheth in manie places that we hauehave the fulfilling of all good things in Chriſt*: and nothing of ourſelues.1 Cor. 1.3. Eph. 1.4. Coll. 1.14 Ioh. 10.28
6 Obiect. Morall works make men acceptable to God, before they be ingrafted into Chriſt.
An. But the Scripture ſaith that they are all in death which poſſeſſe not the Sonne*: and againe,1 Ioh. 5.12 Rom. 14.23 Whatſoeuer is done without faith is ſin*.
Obiect. Chriſt deſerued for vsus the firſt grace: now it ſtandeth vsus vponupon not to be wanting to the occaſion offered vsus.
An. O impudencie! as if Chriſt did only ſet open the way to ſaluation. Would God they did but taſt what theſe ſayings meane. He hath life, which hath the Sonne*.1 Ioh. 5.12. Whoſoeuer beleeueth is paſt frō death to life*Ioh. 5.12, and ſuch like*Rom. 3.14. 1 Ioh. 3.23 Eph. 2.6. Coll. 1.13..
7 Obiect. A man is iuſtified by faith which is formed, becauſe good works hauehave from faith to be auailable to righteouſneſſe.
An. That is to name faith in mockage, and to ſteale from God the praiſe of good works.
Obiect. The principall cauſe is in good workes,Free will. and yet free will is not excluded, by which cometh all merit.
An. The Apoſtle ſaith, that we are the workmā ſhip of God, created vntounto good workes, which he hath prepared that we ſhould walk in them*.Eph. 2.10. Therfore ſeing there commeth no good from vsus, vnleſſe we be regenerate, and regeneration is of God,In good workes nothinge is of our ſelues. there is no cauſe why we ſhold chalenge to our ſelues one ownce in good works.
8 That is moſt plainly ſhewed by manie teſtimonies of Scripture*. Wherupon we conclude that men are not iuſtified before God by workes: but we ſay that all thoſe which are of God are regenerate and made a newe creature, that they may paſſe frō the kingdome of ſinne,2 Ioh. 1.8. 1 Pet. 4 3. 2 Tim. 2.20 &c. A ſimilitude vntounto the kingdome of righteouſneſſe: and that by this teſtimonie they make their calling ſure, and are iudged as trees by the frutes.
CHAP. XVI. The refutation of thoſe ſclaunders wherewith the Papiſtes indeuour to burthen this doctrine & to bring it in contempt.
Obiect. 1 BY the iuſtification of faith good works are deſtroyed.
An. Yea they are rather eſtabliſhed. Becauſe we dreame not of a faith that is voide of good workes,There be no works good without faith. or of iuſtification which is without theſe. Notwithſtanding we place iuſtification in faith, and not in workes.
2 Obiect. Mens minds are brought frō the deſire of well doing, when we take from them the opinion of deſeruing.
Heb. 9.13. Lu. 1.74. Rom. 6.6.18. Tit. 2.11 &c.An. If men muſt be pricked forward, no man can vſe ſharper goads then thoſe which are fet from the ende of our redemption and calling. For it were vnſeemely ſacriledge, if being once cleanſed, we ſhold defile our ſelues with new filthineſſe, and ſo profane the holy bloud of Chriſt.
How euerye man ſhall bee rewarded accordinge to his workes3 Obiect. God ſhall giuegive euerie man according to his workes.
An. That is a kinde of exhortation, which the Scripture doth oftentimes vſe, that he may omit no way that may encourage vsus.
4 Obiect. Men are inuited to ſinne, whē we hold free forgiueneſſe of ſinnes.
An. We ſay that remiſſion of ſinnes is of ſo great eſtimation, that it can not be recompēced with anie good of ours, and that therefore it could neuer be gotten vnleſſe it were free.Remiſſion is free to vsus not to Chriſt. Furthermore to vsus it is free, not to Chriſt, who payed ſo deare for it. Therfore men are admoniſhed that ſo oftē as they ſinne, they do ſo often ſhed his moſt precious bloud, ſo much as in them lieth. Ought not they which do heare theſe things to be more affrayde of ſinninge,A pricke to Pricke vsus forward to doe good. then if it were ſayd that ſinnes are wiped away by good works?