"that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit."

Now, first, "good works" are said to be "the fruits of faith," and to "follow after justification." The Romanists will have it, that we are not justified by faith only; but that other virtues are joined with faith, and that these together obtain that grace of inherent righteousness, which they unscripturally call justification. Bellarmine, their great author, tells us, that "the Council of Trent enumerates seven acts by which the ungodly are disposed to justice (by which he means righteousness), viz. faith, fear, hope, penitence, the resolution to receive the sacrament (of Baptism), and the purpose to lead a new life, and keep the commandments." The Canon of that Council that has settled this doctrine, thus decrees -"Whosoever shall affirm, that the ungodly is justified by faith only, so that it is to be understood that nothing else is to be required to co-operate therewith, in order to obtain justification:-let him be accursed." In their own version of the Scriptures they call these works, which precede justification, dispositions and preparations thereunto." And again they say,-"The faith to which the Apostle (Rom. iii. 28), attributes man's justification, is not a presumptuous assurance of our being justified; but a faith working through charity in Jesus Christ; in short, a faith which takes in hope, love, repentance, and the use of the Sacraments." From all which it is evident, that they refer justification far more

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to the good thoughts, feelings, and desires of the sinner, than to the righteousness of Christ. instead of bringing him, possessed, as he naturally is, of no good quality, to the feet of Divine Mercy, that he may obtain justification for Christ's sake, as an act of mere grace, they previously invest him with that which fits him for justification; and thus his own virtues become his righteousness. And, indeed, they have broadly asserted this in another canon of the Council of Trent. They will not let faith stand alone, because that would give too much to Christ and too little to the sinner. It would imply that to be justified we must look away to an external object, and take something for our justification, from God's mercy, to which we ourselves, by our own acts, have not at all contributed. It would make the grace by which we are justified nothing but the favour of God, and place man in the condition of a debtor freely forgiven by a generous creditor, when he had not a farthing wherewith to pay what he owed him. And this is not their doctrine. They speak indeed of "God's grace" and "Christ's merits :" but there is so much, connected with our own feelings and doings, made by them to go before justification as preparatory acts; and justification, when it is effected, is made to consist so entirely in an inward righteousness wrought in us instead of in Christ's righteousness made ours by faith, that we cannot.but regard those expressions as unmeaning forms of speech used for the purpose of

giving a scriptural appearance to an anti-scriptural doctrine.

Now against this our Reformers assert in this article, that "good works are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification." They deny that they co-operate with faith to procure our justification, because that would be to present something of our own to God, by way of recommending us to the favour that justifies; and the Scriptures declare that justifying righteousness is the righteousness of Christ given freely to sinners, who are altogether unworthy of that grace; and that this righteousness is apprehended by faith. Faith, therefore, must stand alone in justifying, because nothing but that can apprehend the righteousness by which we are justified. What have love, or hope, or fear, or any other virtues or works to do with faith in this matter? They perform another office, and do not take hold of Christ in the way that faith does. That is a saving act of itself; as our Lord said, "He that believeth in me hath everlasting life; as Peter said, "through this Man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins, and by Him all that believe are justified for all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses;" and again, as Paul said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." The dying thief had faith, and entered into Paradise. Our Reformers then stand to the doctrine of divine truth, that we are justified by faith only." But though they contend for faith alone in justifying, and

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exclude works of every kind from participation in it, they declare that good works are joined with faith as its fruits, and that they follow after justification. Abp. Cranmer, in his Homily "on the salvation of mankind," after quoting several ancient writers (Greek and Latin) in support of the great doctrine, thus writes,-" nevertheless, this sentence, that we be justified by faith only, is not so meant of them, that the said justifying faith is alone in man without true repentance, hope, charity, dread, and the fear of God, at any time and season. Nor when they say, that we be justified freely, do they mean that we should or might afterward be idle, and that nothing should be required on our parts afterward: neither do they mean so to be justified without our good works that we should do no good works at all." Contrary to this, he asserts,-" The infinite benefits of God, shewed and exhibited unto us, mercifully without our deserts, (if they be well considered), do neither minister unto us оссаsions to be idle, and to live without doing any good works, neither yet stir us up by any means to do evil; but contrariwise, if we be not desperate persons, and our hearts harder than stones, they move us to render ourselves unto God wholly, with all our will, hearts, might, and power; to serve Him in all good deeds, obeying His commandments during our lives; to seek in all things His glory and honour, not our sensual pleasures and vain glory; evermore dreading willingly to offend such a merciful God and loving Redeemer,

in word, thought, or deed. And the said benefits of God, deeply considered, do move us, for his sake also, to be ever ready to give ourselves to our neighbours, and, as much as lieth in us, to study with all our endeavour to do good to every man. These be the fruits of true faith-to do good to every man; and, above all things, and in all things, to advance the glory of God, of whom only we have sanctification, justification, salvation, and redemption." Thus then, you see faith has its fruits, and its fruits are good works. They do not go before, but "follow after justifi

cation."

The second point in the article concerning good works is, that they "cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgment." This is the great point on which, as I stated in my last Sermon, we differ fundamentally from the Church of Rome. She holds it to be possible for a man to do works so perfect, as really to merit eternal life by them. This is no misrepresentation. It is an article of her religion. The Tridentine Fathers thus express the doctrine-" Eternal life is to be set before those who persevere in good works to the end, as a REWARD to be faithfully rendered to their good words and merits, according to the divine engagement. And seeing that Christ Jesus imparts energy to the justified, as the head to the members, and the vine to the branches, which energy always precedes, accompanies, and follows their good works, and without which they could not be acceptable to God nor

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