Chapter 16. A Refutation of the Slanders Whereby the Papists Go About to Bring This Doctrine into Hatred

With this one word may the shamelessness of certain ungodly men be confuted, who slander us by saying that we destroy good works, and do draw men away from the following of them, when we say that they are not justified by works, nor do deserve salvation: and again, that we make too easy a way to righteousness, when we teach that it lies in the free forgiveness of sins, and that we do by this enticement allure men to sin, who are of their own will too much inclined thereto already. These slanders (I say) are with that one word sufficiently confuted: yet I will briefly answer to them both. They allege that by the justification of faith, good works are destroyed. I leave unspoken, what manner of men are these zealous lovers of good works who do so backbite us. Let them have license as freely to rail as they do licentiously infect the whole world with the filthiness of their life. They feign that they are grieved, that when faith is so gloriously advanced, works are driven down out of their place. What if they be more raised up, and established? For neither do we dream of a faith void of good works, nor a justification that is without them. This only is the difference, that when we confess that faith and good works do necessarily hang together, yet we set justification in faith, not in works. For what reason we do so, we have in readiness easily to declare, if we do but turn to Christ, to whom our faith is directed, and from whom it receives its whole strength. Why therefore are we justified by faith? Because by faith we take hold of the righteousness of Christ, by which alone we are reconciled to God. But this you cannot take hold of, but that you must also take hold of sanctification. For he was given to us, for righteousness, wisdom, sanctification, and redemption. Therefore Christ justifies none whom he does not also sanctify. For these benefits are coupled together with a perpetual and inseparable knot, that whom he enlightens with his wisdom, them he redeems: whom he redeems, he justifies: whom he justifies, he sanctifies. But inasmuch as our question is only of righteousness and sanctifying, let us stay upon these. We may put difference between them, yet Christ contains them both inseparably in himself. Will you therefore obtain righteousness in Christ? You must first possess Christ: and you cannot possess him, but that you must [reconstructed: be] made partaker of his sanctification: because he cannot be torn in pieces. Since therefore the Lord does grant us these benefits to be enjoyed none otherwise than in giving himself, he gives them both together, the one never without the other. So appears how true it is, that we are justified not without works, and yet not by works: because in the partaking of Christ, whereby we are justified, is no less contained sanctification than righteousness.

That also is most false, that the minds of men are withdrawn from the affection of well-doing, when we take from them the opinion of meriting. Here by the way the readers must be warned, that they foolishly reason from reward to merit, as I shall afterward more plainly declare: namely because they know not this principle, that God is no less liberal when he assigns reward to works, than when he gives power to do well. But this I had rather defer to the place fit for it. Now it shall be enough to touch how weak their objection is: which shall be done two ways. For first whereas they say that there shall be no care of well framing of life, but when hope of reward is set before them: they err quite from the truth. For if this only is intended when men serve God, that they look to reward, or let out to hire or sell their labors to him, they little prevail: for God will be freely worshipped, freely loved: he (I say) allows that worshipper, which when all hope of receiving reward is cut off, yet ceases not to worship him. Moreover if men are to be pricked forward, no man can put sharper spurs to them, than those that are taken of the end of our redemption and calling: such as the word of God spurs men with, when it teaches, that it is wicked unthankfulness, not mutually to love him again which first loved us: that by the blood of Christ our consciences are cleansed from dead works, to serve the living God: that it is a heinous sacrilege, if being once cleansed, we defile ourselves with new filthiness, and profane that holy blood: that we are delivered from the hands of our enemies, that we may without fear serve him in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life: that we are made free from sin, that we may with a free spirit follow righteousness: that our old man is crucified, that we may rise again into newness of life: again that if we be dead with Christ (as becomes his members) we must seek those things that are above, and must in the world be wayfaring men from home, that we may long toward heaven where is our treasure: that the grace of God has appeared to this end, that forsaking all ungodliness and worldly desires, we may live soberly, holily, and godly in this world, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of the great God and Savior: therefore that we are not appointed that we should stir up wrath to ourselves, but that we may obtain salvation by Christ: that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit, which it is not lawful to be defiled: that we are not darkness, but light in the Lord, which must walk as children of light: that we are not called to uncleanness, but to holiness: because this is the will of God, our sanctification, that we abstain from unlawful desires: that our calling is holy, that the same is not fulfilled but with pureness of life: that we are for this purpose delivered from sin, that we should obey righteousness. Can we be pricked forward to charity with any more lively argument than that of John, that we should mutually love one another as God has loved us? That herein his children differ from the children of the Devil, the children of light from the children of darkness, because they abide in love? Again with that argument of Paul, that we if we cling to Christ, are the members of one body, which it is fitting to be helped one of another with mutual duties? Can we be more strongly provoked to holiness, than when we hear again of John, that all they that have this hope, do sanctify themselves, because their God is holy? Again of the mouth of Paul: that having the promise of adoption, we should cleanse ourselves from all the defiling of the flesh and spirit? Than when we hear Christ setting forth himself for an example to us that we should follow his steps?

And these few things I have set forth for a taste. For if I should intend to go through all, I should be driven to make a long volume. The Apostles are all full of encouragements, exhortations and rebukings, whereby they may instruct the man of God to every good work, and that without any mention of merit. But rather they fetch their chief exhortations from this that our salvation stands upon the only mercy of God and upon no merit of ours. As Paul, after that he has in a whole Epistle discoursed that there is no hope of life for us but in the righteousness of Christ, when he comes down to moral exhortations, he beseeches them by that mercy of God which he has vouchsafed to extend to us. And truly this one cause ought to have been sufficient, that God may be glorified in us. But if any be not so vehemently moved with the glory of God, yet the remembrance of his benefits ought to have been most sufficient, to stir up such men to do well. But these men, which do perhaps with thrusting in of merits beat out some servile and constrained obediences of the law, do falsely say that we have nothing whereby we may exhort men to good works, because we go not the same way to work. As though God were much [reconstructed: pleased] with such obediences, which declares that he loves a cheerful giver, and forbids anything to be given as if it were of heaviness or of necessity. Neither do I speak this because I either refuse or despise that kind of exhortation, which the Scripture often uses, that it may leave no means unattempted every way to stir up our minds. For it rehearses the reward which God will render to every man according to his works. But I deny that that is the only thing, yes or the chief among many. And then I grant not that we ought to take beginning there. Moreover I affirm that it makes nothing to the setting up of such merits as these men boast of, as we shall hereafter see. Last of all I say that is to no profitable use, unless this doctrine have first taken place, that we are justified by the only merit of Christ, which is conceived by faith but by no merits of our works, because none can be fit to the endeavor of holiness, unless they have first digested this doctrine. Which thing also the Prophet very well signifies, when he thus speaks to God: with you is mercy, that you may be feared. For he shows that there is no worshiping of God, but when his mercy is acknowledged, upon which alone it is both founded and established. Which is very worthy to be noted, that we may know not only that the beginning of worshiping God aright is the trust in his mercy, but also that the fear of God (which the Papists will have to be meritorious) cannot have the name of merit, because it is grounded upon the pardon and forgiveness of sins.

But it is a most vain slander, that men are allured to sin, when we affirm the free forgiveness of sins, in which we say that righteousness consists. For, we say that it is of so great value, that it can with no good of ours be recompensed and that therefore it should never be obtained, unless it were freely given. Moreover that it is to us indeed freely given, but not so to Christ which bought it so dearly, namely with his own most holy blood, beside which there was no price of value enough that might be paid to the judgment of God. When men are taught these things, they are put in mind that it is no thanks to them that the same most holy blood is not shed so often as they sin. Furthermore we learn, that our filthiness is such, as is never washed away but with the fountain of this most pure blood. Ought not they that hear these things, to conceive a greater horror of sin, than if it were said that it is wiped away with the sprinkling of good works? And if they have anything of God, how can they but dread being once cleansed, to wallow themselves again in the mire, as much as in them lies to trouble and infect the purity of this fountain? I have washed my feet (says the faithful soul in Solomon) how shall I again defile them? Now it is evident, whether sort do both more abase the forgiveness of sins, and do more make vile the dignity of righteousness. They babble that God is appeased with their own [reconstructed: trifling] satisfactions, that is, their [reconstructed: dung]: we affirm that the guiltiness of sin is more grievous than can be purged with so light trifles: that the displeasure of God is more heavy than can be released with these satisfactions of no value, and that therefore this is the prerogative of the only blood of Christ. They say that righteousness (if it fail at any time) is restored and repaired by satisfactory works: we think it more precious than that it can be matched with any recompense of works, and that therefore for the restoring thereof we must flee to the only mercy of God. As for the rest of those things that pertain to the forgiveness of sins, let them be sought out of the next chapter.

This single argument is enough to refute the shameless charges of certain ungodly people who slander us by saying that we destroy good works and draw people away from pursuing them, simply because we say they are not justified by works and do not deserve salvation by them. They also charge that we make the path to righteousness too easy when we teach that it lies in the free forgiveness of sins, and that by this we entice people — already too inclined toward sin — to sin all the more. These slanders, I say, are sufficiently answered by that single argument — yet I will briefly respond to both. They allege that justification by faith destroys good works. I will leave unspoken what kind of people these enthusiastic defenders of good works are, who attack us so bitterly. Let them slander as freely as they licentiouslyinfect the whole world with the filthiness of their own lives. They pretend to be grieved that when faith is so gloriously elevated, works are pushed out of their place. But what if works are actually more elevated and established by our teaching? For we dream neither of a faith empty of good works, nor of a justification that stands without them. This is the only difference: though we confess that faith and good works necessarily belong together, we locate justification in faith, not in works. We can easily explain our reason for this if we turn to Christ, to whom our faith is directed and from whom it receives all its power. Why then are we justified by faith? Because through faith we lay hold of the righteousness of Christ, by which alone we are reconciled to God. But you cannot lay hold of Christ without also laying hold of sanctification. For He was given to us as righteousness, wisdom, sanctification, and redemption. Therefore Christ justifies no one whom He does not also sanctify. For these gifts are joined together in a permanent and inseparable bond: those whom He enlightens with His wisdom, He redeems; those whom He redeems, He justifies; those whom He justifies, He sanctifies. But since our question is only about righteousness and sanctification, let us stay with those two. We may distinguish them, yet Christ holds them both inseparably within Himself. Do you want to obtain righteousness in Christ? You must first possess Christ — and you cannot possess Him without being made a partaker of His sanctification, because He cannot be divided. Since therefore the Lord grants us these gifts only in giving Himself, He gives both together, never one without the other. So it becomes clear how true it is that we are justified not without works, and yet not by works — because in our union with Christ, through which we are justified, sanctification is no less included than righteousness.

It is also completely false that people's motivation for doing good is weakened when we remove the idea of meriting from them. Readers should be warned here that opponents reason foolishly from reward to merit — as I will explain more clearly later. They fail to understand this principle: God is no less generous when He assigns rewards to works than when He gives the power to do good. But I would rather leave that for its proper place. For now it is enough to show how weak their objection is, which I will do in two ways. First, they claim there will be no concern for living well unless hope of reward is set before people — but they are completely wrong. If the only reason people serve God is to look for a reward, or if they are renting out their labor to Him in exchange for payment, they will make little progress. For God wills to be worshiped freely and loved freely. He prizes the worshiper who, even when every hope of reward is cut off, still does not stop worshiping Him. Moreover, if people need to be spurred on, no sharper motivations can be found than those drawn from the purpose and goal of our redemption and calling — the very ones God's Word uses to urge us forward: that it is wicked ingratitude not to love in return the One who first loved us; that by Christ's blood our consciences are cleansed from dead works to serve the living God; that it is a gross sacrilege, once cleansed, to defile ourselves again with new filthiness and to profane that holy blood; that we have been delivered from the hands of our enemies so that we might serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life; that we have been set free from sin so that with a free spirit we might pursue righteousness; that our old self has been crucified so that we might rise to newness of life; that if we have died with Christ, as befits His members, we should seek the things that are above and live as pilgrims in this world, longing for heaven where our treasure is; that the grace of God has appeared for this purpose — that, renouncing ungodliness and worldly desires, we may live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior; that we are not appointed to stir up wrath but to obtain salvation through Christ; that we are temples of the Holy Spirit, which must not be defiled; that we are not darkness but light in the Lord and must walk as children of light; that we are called not to impurity but to holiness — for this is the will of God, our sanctification, that we abstain from unlawful desires; that our calling is holy and can only be fulfilled by a pure life; and that we are delivered from sin precisely so that we should obey righteousness. Can we be stirred to love with any more compelling argument than John's — that we should love one another as God has loved us; that the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil, and the children of light from the children of darkness, by this: that they remain in love? Or than Paul's argument that if we are joined to Christ we are members of one body, which it is fitting for us to support one another with mutual service? Can we be more powerfully provoked to holiness than when we hear John say that all who have this hope purify themselves, because their God is holy? Or when Paul says that having the promise of adoption we should cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit? Or when we hear Christ setting Himself before us as an example for us to follow in His steps?

These I have set out as a sample. If I intended to go through them all, I would need to write a large volume. The apostles are full of encouragements, exhortations, and reproofs by which they instruct the person of God for every good work — and without any mention of merit. In fact, they draw their chief motivations from precisely this: that our salvation rests on God's mercy alone and on no merit of ours. So Paul, after spending an entire letter showing that there is no hope of life for us except in the righteousness of Christ, when he comes to moral exhortations, beseeches them by that mercy of God which He has graciously extended to us. And truly this one reason alone should have been sufficient — that God may be glorified in us. But if someone is not strongly moved by the glory of God, the memory of His benefits ought to be more than enough to stir such a person toward doing good. These men, who perhaps squeeze out some slave-like, forced obedience to the law by inserting the idea of merits, falsely claim that we have nothing with which to motivate people toward good works because we do not use their method. As though God were pleased with such obedience — He who declares that He loves a cheerful giver and forbids anything given as if it were from reluctance or compulsion. Nor am I saying this because I refuse or despise the kind of motivation that Scripture itself often uses, leaving no means untried to stir up our minds. For Scripture does rehearse the reward God will render to every person according to his works. But I deny that this is the only motivation, or even the chief one. I also deny that it should be where we begin. Furthermore, I affirm that it does nothing to establish the kind of merits these men boast of, as we shall see later. Finally, I say it is of no practical use unless this doctrine has first been established — that we are justified by the merit of Christ alone, received through faith and not through any merits of our works. For no one can be fit for the pursuit of holiness until they have first taken in this teaching. The prophet points to this clearly when he says to God: 'With You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared.' He shows that there is no true worship of God except when His mercy is acknowledged — upon which alone worship is both founded and established. This is very much worth noting: not only does it show that the beginning of true worship is trust in God's mercy, but also that the fear of God — which the papists claim is meritorious — cannot bear the name of merit, because it is grounded on the pardon and forgiveness of sins.

But it is a completely empty slander that people are enticed to sin when we affirm the free forgiveness of sins, in which we say righteousness consists. For we say that it is of such great value that it cannot be repaid by anything good we can do — and therefore it would never be obtained unless it were freely given. Moreover, it is freely given to us but was not free to Christ, who purchased it at a tremendous price — namely His own most holy blood, beyond which there was no payment sufficient to satisfy the judgment of God. When people are taught these things, they are reminded that it is no credit to them that the same most holy blood is not shed again every time they sin. Furthermore, we learn that our filthiness is such that it can never be washed away except by the fountain of that most pure blood. Should not those who hear these things conceive a far greater horror of sin than if they were told it is wiped away by a sprinkling of good works? And if they have received anything from God, how can they help dreading — once having been cleansed — to wallow in the mire again and, as far as it depends on them, to trouble and pollute the purity of that fountain? 'I have washed my feet,' says the faithful soul in Solomon, 'how shall I defile them again?' Now it is clear which group more thoroughly demeans the forgiveness of sins and more thoroughly cheapens the dignity of righteousness. They babble that God is appeased by their own worthless satisfactions — that is, their refuse. We affirm that the guilt of sin is too grievous to be purged by such trivial things; that God's displeasure is too weighty to be released by these worthless satisfactions; and that therefore this honor belongs solely to the blood of Christ. They say that righteousness, if it fails at any point, is restored and repaired by works of satisfaction. We believe it to be too precious to be matched by any repayment of works, and therefore for its restoration we must flee to the mercy of God alone. As for the remaining matters pertaining to forgiveness of sins, let them be sought in the next chapter.