“So that the grace of God doth not shut ♦out the justice (or righteousness) of God in our justification; but only shutteth out the righteousness of man――――as to _deserving_ our justification.”
♦ “our” replaced with “out”
“And therefore St. _Paul_ declareth nothing on the behalf of man, concerning his justification but only a true faith.”
*“And yet that faith doth not shut out repentance, hope, love, to be join’d with faith (that is, _afterwards_; see below) in every man that is justified――――neither doth faith shut out the righteousness of our good works, necessarily to be done _afterwards_. But it excludeth them so, that we may not do them to this intent to be made just (or, to be justified) by doing them.”
“That we are _justified by faith alone_, is spoken, to take away clearly all _merit_, of our works, and wholly to ascribe the _merit and deserving_ of our justification unto Christ only.” _ibid. Part II._
“The true meaning of this saying, we be justified by faith only, is this, we be justified by the _merits_ of Christ only, and not of our own works.” _ibid. Part III._
7. Thus far touching the _meritorious cause_ of our justification; referred to in the 11th article. The 12th and 13th are a summary of what now follows, with regard to the _condition_ of it.
“Of (justifying) true faith, three things are specially to be noted, 1. That it bringeth forth good works. 2. That without it, can no good works be done. 3. What good works it doth bring forth.” _Sermon on faith. Part I._
“Without faith can no good work be done, accepted and pleasant unto God. For _as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself_, saith our Saviour Christ, _except it abide in the vine, so cannot you, except you abide in me_. Faith giveth life to the soul; and they be as much dead to God that lack faith, as they be to the world, whose bodies lack souls. Without faith all that is done of us, is but dead before God. Even as a picture is but a dead representation of the thing itself, so be the works of all unfaithful (unbelieving) persons before God. They be but shadows of lively and good things, and not good things indeed. For true faith doth give life to the works, and without faith no work is good before God.” _ibid. Part III._
“We must set no good works before faith, nor think that before faith a man may do any good works. For such works are as the course of an horse that runneth out of the way, which taketh great labour, but to no purpose.” _ibid._
“Without faith we have no virtues, but only the shadows of them. All the life of them that lack the true faith is sin.” _ibid._
“As men first have life, and after be nourished, so must our faith go before, and after be nourished with good works. And life may be without nourishment, but nourishment cannot be without life.” _Homily of works annexed to faith. Part I._
“I can shew a man, that by faith without works lived and came to heaven. But without faith never man had life. The thief on the cross only believed, and the most merciful God justified him. Truth it is, if he had lived and not regarded faith and the works thereof, he should have lost his salvation again. But this I say, faith by itself saved him. But works by themselves never justified any man.”
“Good works go not before, in him which shall afterwards be justified. But good works do follow after, when a man is first justified.” _Homily on fasting. Part I._
8. From the whole tenor then of her liturgy, articles and homilies, the doctrine of the church of _England_ appears to be this:
1. That no _good work_ properly so called, can _go before_ justification:
2. That _no degree_ of true sanctification can be previous to it.
3. That as the _meritorious cause_ of justification is, the life and death of Christ; so the _condition_ of it, is faith. Faith alone; and
4. That both inward and outward holiness, are consequent on this faith, and are the ordinary, stated condition, of final justification.
9. And what more can _you_ desire, who have hitherto opposed _justification by faith alone_, merely upon a principle of conscience; because you was zealous for holiness and good works? Do I not effectually secure these from contempt, at the same time that I defend the doctrines of the church? I not only allow, but vehemently contend, that none shall ever enter into glory, who is not holy on earth, as well in heart, as _in all manner of conversation_. I cry aloud, _Let all that have believed, be careful to maintain good works_: and, _Let every one that nameth the name of Christ, depart from all iniquity_. I exhort even those who are conscious they do not believe, _Cease to do evil, learn to do well: the kingdom of heaven is at hand_; therefore _repent, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance_. Are not these directions the very same in substance, which you yourself would give to persons so circumstanced? What means then this endless _strife of words_? Or, _what doth your arguing prove?_