JUSTIFICATION BY CHRIST
4. FAITH JUSTIFIES NO OTHERWISE, BUT UPON THE ACCOUNT OF GOOD WORKS, ACCORDING TO THE
as lost sheep. But how frivolous this cavilling is, appears evidently by the context of this prophetical prediction.
Whereby, being convinced by sacred testimonies, you see that those merits of our greatest virtues, if they are looked upon in themselves, are far from the perfection of that righteousness, which you clothe with such beautiful colors. Which yet I would not have to be so said by me, nor understood by you, as if those that live virtuously, did nothing aright and praiseworthy in this life. Or, as if the godly works of the saints were not acceptable to God, which God himself hath commanded to be done; for thus you reason concerning works — that they come not indeed without faith, and the grace of God, but yet so, that when they come, you affirm, that the
kingdom of eternal salvation is due to them by the best right; not only as a recompense and reward, but also as a lawful patrimony; as if the promise of salvation depended not on evangelical faith, but on the righteousness of the law; and not on Christ’s merits only, unless a covenant of works be joined together with it; or as if faith itself profited nothing for the obtaining of life upon any other account, but that it may procure grace, which may stir us up to the praiseworthy performances of works, by which works we attain unto eternal life.
4. FAITH JUSTIFIES NO OTHERWISE, BUT UPON THE
degree of innocency. What! and thou a miserable mortal man, banished out of paradise, compassed about with so much infirmity of the flesh, having received the law of God, in which so many and so great things are imposed to be performed, and they are so imposed, that he is liable to a curse, whosoever doth not most constantly continue in them all, dost thou stand so firmly, that no storm of temptation can throw thee down at any time?
But what if, having observed all other commands of God exactly, so much as one tittle of the law is neglected by thee? Do you not see, that the sentence of the law being pronounced, you are as much in the fault, as if you were guilty of all unrighteousness? And yet you talk to us of no other way to the kingdom of life, but that which is defiled by the ministry of the law, and the exercise of charity.
By what scriptures, by what masters shall this appear evident to us which you assert? By Paul? What says he? “This is the mind and opinion of Paul,”
say you, “that he asserts that all manner of destroying and suppressing of lust is placed in the grace of God, which must be obtained by faith, and teaches that there is no other way of extinguishing and destroying it.” F63 And again elsewhere F64 “Paul was never the man that disapproved the offices of bounty, as if they were little profitable for salvation, but taught that the only right way to heaven was that which was fixed in the continual exercise of charity, etc.”
I know indeed, and confess that all proceeds from the grace of God alone, whatsoever is done by us aright, and commendably, whether in suppressing the allurements of vices, or in observing the discipline of virtue. Moreover that should not be denied, which you well assume according to the mind of Paul, that we obtain this grace from God by faith. Likewise that is not ill said, which you add concerning Paul, that he was never the man that disapproved pious endeavors of exercising charity; seeing he every where extols those very things with wonderful praises. For who knows not, that the excellent discourses of Paul are exceedingly full of very serious precepts and instructions for governing- the life; and that they are not in any matter more affectionate than in this, than that all, every where, who profess the name of Christ, should, together with a sincere profession of faith, join holiness of life “for necessary uses.”
Suppose this to be most true, as it is indeed; yet it never was the meaning of the apostle, to place our salvation principally in the law, as if he thought that the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, should be
measured by our worthy deeds and charity; or proposed heaven to us as fit to be paid for, or sold for the commodities of our works. Yea, when I read Paul’s epistles of a far different sense, this seems to me to be the only scope and mind of the apostle — that he transfers all this righteousness, which you attribute to the law, unto faith, and so transfers it, that he shuts out all mixture of works, and leaves only faith in the Son of God, which lays open for us a way into the kingdom of heaven.
He affirms, that, We are justified by faith, without works; and again says, But now, without the law, the righteousness of God is made manifest, being testified by the law and the prophets: F65 with what words could he more evidently shut out the endeavors and merits of all our virtues from the divine gift of justification?
These things being thus concluded by the weighty authority of Paul, of necessity from thence follows, that there is a twofold manner, or way of being righteous, to be distinguished, as I said, according to the different conditions of both covenants; of which the one belongs to the law, the other is peculiar to Christ. Then both the law and Christ have their own righteousness. For as the law, which is wholly exercised in works of righteousness, endures no unrighteousness, and renders the fruits of righteousness plentifully to those, who persevering in that which is good, have filled up all the parts of perfect innocency, so likewise Christ also hath his own righteousness, much more powerful, and not a little differeing from the other; though not so much differing in respect of the matter, yet
exceeding much in the manner of dispensing. For the law communicates only to them that work, but Christ communicates perfect righteousness to them that believe, and often also to the unworthy and undeserving, by a singular grace of dispensation. Therefore this righteousness, is properly called “the righteousness of faith.” Which is necessarily to be distinguished by us from the other, which is called, “the righteousness of the law.” Which they who do not, verily do a great injury to the scriptures, and quench all light of doctrine, confounding both their own consciences, and the consciences of their hearers, so that scarcely any man can certainly know what should be hoped or feared. For they who dispute thus concerning the righteousness of the law, and draw all to that alone, as if there remained no other way to hope for salvation, excepting that which the strict and severe observation of the law brings — I beseech you, what else do those men but leave the souls of men in a doubtful wavering? And by what way those men encourage us to hope, by the same they compel us to fear, and utterly to
despair of salvation; seeing that there is no man in the world, to whom the daily offenses of his life give not much more cause to fear, than his virtues give him to hope.
And what remedy then shall remain for the perplexed consciences of men, if the righteousness of Christ being hid from their eyes, you leave nothing for hope or consolation, but the righteousness of the law? Or with what comfort will you raise up the spirit of a fallen and afflicted sinner, when the law shows what every man should do aright, but can pardon no man what is done amiss? Must you not here of necessity be compelled to leave the righteousness of the law, and presently to appeal to the righteousness of Christ? And, I think, you will not at all deny that. But say you, “Seeing this righteousness of Christ is no other, but that which is the righteousness of the law, yea and the very perfection of the law, therefore it is not necessary that we should make a twofold righteousness, but only one, both of Christ and of the law.” It is not difficult to answer to this objection. Indeed it must be confessed, if you consider the things by themselves, and compare the one with the other by a mutual relation, there seems not to be any difference between the righteousness of Christ, and that of the law.
Because there is nothing in the law so holy and perfect, but it appears as evident in the life of Christ. But if you consider the efficacy and manner of working, which the righteousness of Christ and of the law exercises in others — if you consider the effect and end of both, there is a great difference. For though Christ is no otherwise just in himself than the law itself is holy and just; yet this which is called the righteousness of Christ, acts in us far otherwise, than that which is called the righteousness of the law, so that nothing seems more unlike or more contrary.
5. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF