"The law entered, that the offence might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (a); which is true, for this reason, because men receiving the law, who most proudly presumed upon their own strength, not through right faith, asking Divine assistance to subdue their wicked lusts, became hardened with more and heavier sins, the law also being transgressed; and thus compelled by great guilt, fled to faith, by which they might deserve the mercy of indulgence, and assistance from God who made heaven and earth; that, charity being shed in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, they might do with love those things which are ordered against the lusts of this world..... .When, therefore, the Apostle says, that he concludes that man is justified by faith without the works of the law, he does not mean that the works of righteousness may be disregarded, after faith is perceived and professed; but that every one may know that he may be justified by faith, although the works of the law shall not have preceded. For they follow the person justified, and do not precede him who is to be justified....... Because, therefore, this opinion had then arisen, the other apostolical Epistles of Peter, John, James, and Jude, principally direct their zeal against it, to prove with great (a) Rom. c. 5. v. 20. great earnestness, that faith without works is of no avail; as even Paul himself has not defined it faith of any sort, by which men believe in God, but that wholesome and plainly Evangelical faith whose works proceed from love: and faith,' he says, 'which worketh by love (b).' Whence he asserts, that that faith, which appears to some sufficient for salvation, is to such a degree useless, that he says, Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing (c). But where a faithful charity works, without doubt there is a good life, for love is the fulfilling of the law (d).' Whence Peter plainly, in his second Epistle (when he was exhorting to sanctity of life and manners, and foretelling that this life would pass away, but that new heavens and a new earth are expected, which would be given to be inhabited by the just, that they might from thence observe how they ought to live in order to become worthy of that habitation, knowing that from certain obscure sentences, some wicked persons had taken occasion to be regardless of a good life, as if secure of salvation which is in faith) has mentioned, that there are some things in his Epistles hard to be understood, which men perverted, as they did (b) Gal. c. 5. v. 6. (c) I COF. c. 13. v. 2. (d) Rom. c. 13. v.10. did the other Scriptures also, to their own de struction; whereas, however, that Apostle also thought the same as the other Apostles did concerning eternal salvation, which is given to those only who lead good lives. 'Seeing, then, all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought yc to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that look for such things, be diligent that ye may ye be found of him in peace, and without spot and blameless; And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you; as also in all his Epistles speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace and and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: to him be glory both now and for ever. Amen (e). But James is so vehemently hostile to those who imagine that faith without works avails to salvation, that he compares them even to devils, saying, 'Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble (f).' What can be more concise, more true, more strong? since we read also in the Gospel, that the devils said this when they confessed Christ to be the Son of God, and were reproved by him; which was praised in the confession of Peter (g). What doth it though a man profit, my brethren,' says James, say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him (h)?' He says also, that 'faith without works is dead (i).' To what degree then are they deceived, who promise themselves eter nal life from a dead faith?"-Vol. 6. p. 176. "I do not see why the Lord should say, 'If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments (k); and he enumerated those things which belong to good morals; if, without keeping these things, eternal life may be obtained by (e) 2 Pet. c. 13. v. II—18. faith (f) Jas. c. 2. v. 19. (h) Jas. c. 2. v. 14. (i) Jas. c. 2. y. 20. (k) Matt. c. 19. v. 17. faith alone, which is dead without works. How, again, will that be true, which he will say to those whom he is about to place on the left hand, 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (1): Whom he does not blame, because they did not believe in him, but because they did not perform good works."-Vol. 6. p. 179. Alluding to a difficult passage in St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians, c. 3. v. 11. he says, "I confess I would rather hear those who are more intelligent and more learned, who so expound it, that all those things which I have mentioned above, remain true and unshaken; and whatever other things I have not mentioned, in which the Scripture most clearly testifies, that faith does not profit, except that faith which the Apostle has defined, that is, which worketh by love; but that it cannot save without works."180. Vol. 6. p. "All are dead in sins, without the exception of any one person, either in original sins, or in those which are added voluntarily, either ignorantly or knowingly, by not doing what is just; and one living person died for all who were dead, that is, He who had no sin whatever." Vol. 7. p. 579. "They (1) Matt. c. 25. v. 4. |