Christian faith is not an opinion or human persuasion, but a sure trust and an evident and steadfast assent of the mind; to be most brief, a most sure comprehension of the truth of God set forth in the Scriptures and in the Apostles' Creed; yes and of God Himself, the chief blessedness; and especially of God's promise, and of Christ, who is the consummation of all the promises. And this faith is the mere gift of God because God alone of His power gives it to His elect according to measure; and that when, to whom, and how much He will; and that by His Holy Spirit, through the means of preaching the gospel and of faithful prayer. This faith has also her increases; which unless they were likewise given of God, the apostles would never have said, "Lord, increase, our faith" (Luke 17:5).
Now all these things which we have said before of faith, the apostles taught them before us, even as we set them down. For Paul says, "Faith is the ground," or sure subsistence, "of things hoped for, and the evidence," or clear and certain comprehension, "of things which are not seen" (Heb. 11:1). And again he says that "All the promises of God in Christ are Yea, and in Christ are Amen" (2 Cor. 1:20). And the same apostle says to the Philippians that "it was given them to believe in Christ" (Phil. 1:29). And also, "God doth distribute unto every man a measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3). And again, "All men have not faith" (2 Thess. 3:2); and "All do not obey the gospel" (2 Thess. 1:8). Besides, Luke witnesses and says, "As many as were ordained to life, believed" (Acts 13:48). And, therefore, Paul also calls faith, "the faith of God's elect" (Titus 1:1). And again, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). And in other places he often wishes men to pray for faith. And the same also calls faith "powerful, and that showeth itself by love" (Gal. 5:6).
This faith pacifies the conscience and opens to us a free access unto God; that with confidence we may come unto Him and may obtain at His hands whatsoever is profitable and necessary. The same faith keeps us in our duty which we owe to God and to our neighbor and fortifies our patience in adversity: it frames and makes a true confession, and (in a word) it brings forth good fruit of all sorts; and good works (which are good indeed) proceed from a lively faith, by the Holy Ghost, and are done of the faithful according to the will or rule of God's Word. For Peter the apostle says, "Therefore, giving all diligence thereunto, join moreover virtue with your faith, and with virtue knowledge, and with knowledge temperance" (2 Peter 1:5–6).
It was said before that the law of God, which is the will of God, prescribes unto us the pattern of good works. And the apostle says, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from all uncleanness, and that no man oppress or deceive his brother in any matter" (1 Thess. 4:3, 6). But as for such works and worship of God as are taken up upon our own liking, which St. Paul calls "will-worship" (Col. 2:23), they are not allowed nor liked of God. Of such the Lord says in the gospel, "They worship Me in vain, teaching for doctrine the precepts of men" (Matt. 15:9).
We, therefore, disallow all such manner of works, and we approve and urge men unto such as are according to the will and commandment of God. Yes, and these same works that are agreeable to God's will must be done, not to the end to merit eternal life by them; for "life everlasting," as the apostle says, "is the gift of God" (Rom. 6:23), nor for ostentation's sake, which the Lord rejects (Matt. 6:1, 5, 16), nor for lucre, which also He dislikes (Matt. 23:23), but to the glory of God to commend and set forth our calling and to yield thankfulness unto God, and also for the profit of our neighbors. For the Lord says again in the gospel, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). Likewise the apostle Paul says, "Walk worthy of your calling" (Eph. 4:1). Also, "Whatsoever ye do," he says, "either in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him" (Col. 3:17). "Let no man seek his own his own, but every man his brother's" (Phil. 2:4). And, "Let ours also learn to show forth good works for necessary uses; that they be not unprofitable" (Titus 3:14).
Notwithstanding, therefore, that we teach, with the apostle, that a man is justified by faith in Christ and not by any good works (Rom. 3:28), yet we do not lightly esteem or condemn good works: because we know that a man is not created or regenerated through faith that he should be idle, but rather that without ceasing he should do those things which are good and profitable. For in the gospel the Lord says, "A good tree bringeth forth good fruit" (Matt. 12:33); and again, "Whosoever abideth in Me, bringeth forth much fruit" (John 15:5). And lastly, the apostle says, "We are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). And again, "Who gave Himself for us, that He might deliver us from all iniquity, and purge us to be a peculiar people to Himself, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14). We, therefore, condemn all those which do condemn good works, and do babble that they are needless and not to be regarded. Nevertheless, as was said before, we do not think that we are saved by good works, or that they are so necessary to salvation that no man was ever saved without them. For we are saved by grace and by the benefit of Christ alone. Works do necessarily proceed from faith: but salvation is improperly attributed to them, which is most properly ascribed to grace. That sentence of the apostle is very notable: "If by grace, then not of works; for then grace were no more grace: but if of works, then is it not of grace; for then works were no more works" (Rom. 11:6).
Now the works which we do are accepted and allowed of God through faith because they which do them please God by faith in Christ, and also the works themselves are done by the grace of God through His Holy Spirit. For St. Peter says that "Of every nation, he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him" (Acts 10:35). And Paul also, "We cease not to pray for you, that ye may walk worthy of the Lord, and in all things please Him, being fruitful in very good work" (Col. 1:9–10).
Here, therefore, we diligently teach, not false and philosophical, but true virtues, true good works, and the true duties of a Christian man. And this we do with all the diligence and earnestness that we can inculcate and beat into men's minds; sharply reproving the slothfulness and hypocrisy of all those who with their mouths praise and profess the gospel, and yet with their shameful life do dishonor the same; setting before their eyes, in this case, God's horrible threatening, large promises, and bountiful rewards, and that by exhorting, comforting, and rebuking.
For we teach that God bestows great rewards on them that do good, according to that saying of the prophet, "Refrain thy voice from weeping, because thy work shall have a reward" (Jer. 31:16). In the gospel also the Lord said, "Rejoice, and be glad, because your reward is great in the heavens" (Matt. 5:12). And, "He that shall give to one of these little ones a cup of cold water, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward" (Matt. 10:42). Yet we do not attribute this reward, which God gives, to the merit of the man that receives it, but to the goodness, or liberality, and truth of God, which promises and gives it: who although He owes nothing unto any, yet He has promised to give a reward to those that faithfully worship Him, notwithstanding that He also gives them grace to worship Him. Besides, there are many things unworthy of the majesty of God, and many imperfect things are found in the works even of the saints; and yet because God receives into favor and embraces those who work them for Christ's sake, therefore, He performs unto them the promised reward. For otherwise, our righteousnesses are compared to a menstruous cloth (Isa. 64:6); yes, and the Lord in the gospel says, "When ye have done all things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; that which we ought to do, we have done" (Luke 17:10).
So that though we teach that God gives a reward to our good deeds, yet withal we teach with Augustine that "God doth crown in us, not our deserts, but His own gifts." And, therefore, whatsoever reward we receive, we say that it is a grace, and rather a grace than a reward: because those good things which we do, we do them rather by God than by ourselves; and because Paul says, "What hast thou that thou hast not received? but if thou hast received it, why dost thou boast, as though thou hadst not received it?" (1 Cor. 4:7). Which thing also the blessed martyr Cyprian gathers out of this place, that "we must not boast of anything, seeing nothing is our own." We, therefore, condemn those who defend the merits of men that they may frustrate the grace of God.