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that; Do this, and do that. It is pointed out to it is ordered to you; it is open to you; if you; you have a heart, you have understood what to do; ask that you may do it, if you know the power of the resurrection of Christ; for he was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification (r).' What is the meaning of the words 'for our justification?' That he may justify us, that he may make us righteous. You will be the work of God, not only because you are a man, but because you are righteous. For it is better to be righteous, than that you should be a man. If God made you a man, and you made yourself righteous, you make a better thing than God made. But God made

you without yourself; for you did not give any consent, that God should make you.

How did you con

Therefore, he that

sent, who did not exist? made you without yourself, does not justify you without yourself. Therefore, he made you without your knowing it, he justifies you when you are willing."- Vol. 5. p. 815.

"Nothing happens in the world by chance. This being established, it seems to follow, that whatever takes place in the world, takes place partly from the appointment of God, partly from our own will. For God is by far and incom

(r) Rom. c.4. V. 25.

parably

parably better and more just than the best and most just man. But a just Being, ruling and governing the universe, suffers no punishment to be inflicted upon any undeserving person; no reward to be given to any undeserving person. But sin deserves punishment, and right conduct deserves reward. But neither sin nor right conduct can justly be imputed to any one, who has done nothing by his own will. Both sin, therefore, and right conduct are in our own free-will."Vol. 6. p. 6.

"Because the Apostle Paul, in declaring that a man is justified by faith without works, is not rightly understood by those who so understand these words, that they think that when once they have believed in Christ, although they should act ill, and live wickedly and sinfully, they may be saved by Faith: this passage of this Epistle. (St. James's) explains how the sense of the Apostle Paul is to be understood. Therefore he the rather uses the example of Abraham, that faith is void if it does not produce good works, because the Apostle Paul also used the example of Abraham, to prove that man is justified by faith without the works of the law. For when he enumerates the good works of Abraham, which accompanied his faith, he sufficiently shews that the Apostle Paul does not so teach, by the instance

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stance of Abraham, that man is justified by faith without works, that good works do not belong to him who shall believe; but rather, that no man should think that by the merit of antecedent works he had arrived at the gift of justification, which is in faith. For in this respect the Jews desired to prefer themselves to the Gentiles who believed in Christ, because they said they had arrived at evangelical grace by the merit of good works which are in the law. Therefore many of those among them who had believed were offended, because the grace of God was given to uncircumcised Gentiles. Whence the Apostle Paul says, that a man may be justified by faith without works, but he means antecedent ones. For how can a person who is justified by faith, do otherwise than perform good works afterwards, although without having performed any previous good works he has arrived at the justification of faith, not by the merit of good works, but by the grace of God, which cannot now be void in him, since it now works by love? But if, after he has believed, he should soon depart from this life, the justification of faith remains with him, good works not going before; because he has arrived at it not by merit, but by grace; nor following, because he is not permitted to remain in this life. Whence it is manifest, that the saying of the Apostle Paul, We conclude,

conclude, that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law (s),' is not to be understood, that we should call a person righteous, who should continue alive after he has received faith, although he should lead a bad life. Therefore the Apostle Paul uses the example of Abraham, because he was justified through faith without the works of the law, which he had not received; and James, because he shews that good works followed the faith of this very Abraham, pointing out how the preaching of Paul ought to be understood. For they who think this sentence of the Apostle James is contrary to the sentence of the Apostle Paul, may also think that Paul is contrary to himself, because he says in another place, 'Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified (t);' and in another place, but faith, which worketh by love (u);' and again, 'If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live (x)." He then quotes many other passages, to prove that a good life is necessary in those who believe.Vol. 6. p. 67.

"To will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not (y).' By these

($) Rom. c. 3. v.28. (u) Gal. c. 5. v. 6.

(t) Rom. c. 2. v. 13. (x) Rom. c. 8. v. 13. (y) Rom..c.7. v. 18.

these words he seems, to those who do not rightly understand them, as it were, to take away freewill. But how does he take it away, when he says, 'to will is present with me?' For certainly to will is in our power, because it is present with us; but that to do good is not in our power, is to be imputed to original sin."-Vol. 6.

p. 85. "The thief was justified, who, when all his limbs were fixed upon the cross, and having these two things at liberty, with his heart believed unto righteousness, with his mouth confessed unto salvation, and immediately merited this assurance, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.' For his good works would have followed, if he had lived any considerable time among men, after he received grace; they had however not preceded."--Vol. 6. p. 100.

"Let us now consider that which is to be removed from religious hearts, lest through a faulty security they lose their salvation, if they shall think that faith is sufficient to obtain it, but shall neglect to lead good lives, and to keep the way of God by good works. For, even in the times of the Apostles, certain rather obscure sentences of the Apostle not being understood, some persons thought that he said this, 'Let us do evil, that good may come (z),' because he had said, The

(z) Rom. c. 3. v. 8.

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