Beveridge on Article XII: Of Good Works

Ai it hath pleased the great God of his infinite mercy, in the covenant of grace, to entail justification upon our faith in his promises only, and not upon obedience to his precepts ; as he had in the covenant of works entailed it upon obedience to his precepts, and not upon faith in his promises only ; yet it doth not follow that we are freed more from our obedience now than we were before. No; but as when we were to be justified by our works, we were then bound to believe as well as to obey, though we were to be justified by our obedience, not by our faith; so now we are to be justified by faith we are still bound to obey as well as to believe, though we are justified by our faith only, and not by our obedience. So that though our justification doth par- don the sins we have committed heretofore, yet it doth not

a Ex quibus omnibus claret quod recte arbitratur apostolus, justificari hominem per fidem sine operibus legis. Sed fortassis hac aliquis audiens resolvatur, et bene agendi negligentiam capiat, siquidem ad justificandum fides sola sufficit. Ad quem dicemus, quia post justifica- tlonem si injuste aliquis agat, sine

dubio justificationis gratiam sprevit. Neque ob hoc aliquis accipit veniam peccatorum, ut rursum sibi putet peccandi licentiam datam. Indul- gentia namque non futurorum sed preeteritorum criminum datur, Ori- gen. in Rom. 1. 3. [vol. IV. p. 517.] Cum ergo dicit apostolus arbitrari se justificari hominem per fidem sine

300 Of Good Works. — Art. give us liberty to commit sin hereafter. No; but now we are justified by faith without works, we are bound as much to obey as if we were to be justified by works without faith. And the reason is, because though we be justified by faith only, and not by works, yet we cannot be justified by such a faith as is without works. As works without faith cannot justify us, so neither can faith without works justify us; not because works help to justify us with faith, but because > faith is no justifying faith without works: or rather, because we can have no such true and lively faith as can justify us with- out works, but we shall necessarily have works also accom- panying of our faith. Though still it be not by our works that accompany our faith, but by our faith only that is aceom- panied by our works that we are accounted righteous before God.

And hence it is, after it is determined in the foregoing article that we are justified by faith only and not by works, it is immediately in this asserted, that works are pleasing and acceptable to God as well as faith ; though it be for our faith only, and not for our works that God accepts of us, yet our works as well as faith are acceptable unto God: yea, and that they necessarily spring out from a true and lively faith, so that it is as impossible there should be true faith without good works, as that there should be good works without true faith ; for as without faith our works are bad, so without works our

operibus legis, non hoe agit ut per- cepta ac professa fide opera justitize contemnantur, sed ut sciat se quis- que per fidem posse justificari, etiam- si legis opera non precesserint. Aug. de fide et operibus. [21. vol. VI.]

Quis est qui non credit quod Jesus est Christus? Qui non sic vivit quomodo precepit Christus. Multi enim dicunt Credo, sed fides sine operibus non salvat. Aug. in epist. Johan. tract. 10. [1. vol. III. par. ii.] Quoniam ergo hee opinio tunc fuerat exorta, alice apostolice epistole Petri, Johannis, Jacobi, Jude, contra eam maxime dirigunt intentionem, ut vehementer asserant fidem sine operibus nihil prodesse. Sicut etiam ipse Paulus non qua-

lemlibet fidem qua in Deum credi- tur, sed et eam salubrem plane quam evangelicam definivit, cujus opera ex dilectione procedunt. Et fides, inquit, gue per dilectionem operatur. Unde illam fidem que sufficere ad salutem quibusdam videtur, ita nihil prodesse asseverat ut dicat, Si ha- beam omnem fidem ita ut montes transferam, charitatem autem non habeam, nihil sum. Ubi autem hee fidelis charitas operatur, sine dubio bene vivitur, plenitudo enim legis charitas. Id. de fide et operibus. [c. xiii. s. 21.] Mz dx) vdpute dre 7 miotis, evye TioTW xpi KaNelv Thy bd TOY Epyov TOV Tay Eheyyouevny, TO- cai oe Suynoerat. [Isidor.| Pelusiot. ]. 3. epist. 73.

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faith is dead. And therefore may a true faith be as evidently known by its works, as a tree is clearly discerned by its fruit. If I see fruit growing upon a tree, I know what tree it is upon which such fruit grows. And so if I see how a man lives, I know by that how he believes. If his faith be good, his works cannot but be good too; and if his works be bad, his faith cannot but be bad too. For wheresoever there is a justifying faith there are also good works; and wheresoever there are no good works there is no justifying faith. The sum is this: though works do not justify us as well as faith, yet they are pleasing unto God as well as faith; and that wheresoever there is faith there are also good works, as wheresoever there are good works there is also faith. Which doctrine is grounded upon and consonant to both scripture, reason, and Fathers.

As, first, that good works are pleasing unto God, how fre- quently hath God himself, who best knows what is pleasing to himself, taught us in his holy scripture? for thus saith the Lord of hosts by his apostle Paul: J exhort, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority ; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. 1 Tim. ii. 1—3. And again: Children, obey your parents: for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Coloss. iii. 20. And therefore saith St. Paul, But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wéll pleasing unto God. Phil. iv.18. Thus hath ¢ Enoch this

ce He that looketh for this testi- mony of Enoch, that he pleased God, in the Hebrew Bible, will look in

Septuagint translation of the Bible being most in use at that time when he wrote, the apostle here (as also

vain; but if you look into the Sep- tuagint, there be sure you will find it: for where it is said, Jun JN conan nr, And Enoch walked with God, Gen. v. 22, the Septuagint translates it ednpéornce b€ “Evax TO ©eg; and so indeed doth the Syriac render it also, {o1|) porw ¢amo, And Enoch pleased God. Now the

elsewhere) doth not quote this testi- mony of Enoch as it is recorded in Hebrew, but as it is translated into Greek. And howsoever, he pleased God is tantamount to he walked with God: for he could not please God unless he walked with him; neither could he walk with him but he would please him, And therefore

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testimony, that he pleased God, Heb. xi. 5. And St. Paul hav- ing exhorted the Thessalonians to good works, adds, Purther- more we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus Christ, that as ye have received from us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so you would abound more and more, 1 Thess. iv. 1. Thus hath it pleased the Lord to acquaint us how much he is pleased with our obeying him.

And that good works do constantly accompany that faith that justifieth us before God, as well as pleaseth that God that justifies us by faith, is likewise clear from scripture. For St. Paul, speaking of this saving justifying faith, saith, it worketh by love, Gal. v.6; and the same apostle tells us elsewhere, that love is the fulfilling of the whole law, Rom. xiii. 10: and if faith worketh by love, and love be the fulfilling of the law, then faith and the fulfilling of the law must needs go together. Thus St. John tells us, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, 1 John y.1. And the same apostle tells us in the same Hpistle, Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, 1 John iii. 9. And if whosoever truly believes is born of God, and whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, then whosoever truly believes doth not com- mit sin, and he that doth not commit sin must needs perform duty. And therefore St. Paul saith from God, or God by him, But if any one provide not for his own, and especially for them of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel, 1 Tim. y. 8. So that he that neglects his duty denies the faith, and he therefore that keeps his faith must needs perform his duty. He that doth really as well as seem- ingly believe will provide for his family; and he that doth not provide for his family doth not really but only seemingly believe; for he denies the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

ie ive soa it was to walk with though not in the other place, ex- od, they translate it, Empéornce : : s 1: TH Oca. i And so when “the Tike preset by 2405) ee 13, phrase is used concerning Noah, nx Et Noah placuit Deo. And thus m pont ox, Noah walked though the words of the testimony with God, Gen. vi. 9, the Septuaof Enoch be not to be found in the gmt render it again, T@ ©c@ edy-original, yet the sense is, and the peomnoe Noe, the Syr. *A@o very words too, in these several IraX) casa, And Noah pleased translations.

God. And so the Arabic too here,

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For as St. John tells us, And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure, 1 John iii. 3. So that he that hath a lively hope and saving faith in Christ purifies himself; and whosoever doth not purify himself, hath not that lively hope and saving faith in Christ. I shall name but one place more: For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also, James ii. 26. And if faith without works be dead, be sure no saving justifying faith can be with- out works; for every saving faith is a living faith, yea, there- fore living because saving, and therefore saving because living. Now if all faith without works be dead, and all saying faith is alive, it must needs follow that all saving faith hath works necessarily proceeding from it: for if it hath not, it would be a dead, and so no saving faith.

Having grounded these truths upon scripture, we might clear them from reason; but as for the first, it is clear of itself, that good works are pleasing unto God, for it is his will they should be done, and therefore cannot but be his pleasure when done. He hath commanded them to be performed by us, and therefore when performed cannot but accept of them from us. For that which is of his commanding cannot but be of his accepting. And to this we might consider also, how it is he alone who doth not only command good works to be performed by us, but doth himself perform his own command- ments in us. So that there is nothing done by us for God, but is done by God in us. We can sin of ourselves, and so be offensive to him’; but we cannot be good of ourselves, unless we be assisted by him. For he © being the chiefest good, there

sunt. Id. de vera innocent. c. [380. vol. X. p. 251. App.] Non solum magna sed etiam minima bona non esse posse nisi ab illo, a quo sunt omnia bona, id est a Deo. Id. in ar- ument. ad lib. de libero arbitrio. p- 567. vol. I.] Et quia quecun- que nobis facienda donat, sicut ha- bere non possumus, nisi ipse nobis largiatur, sic facere non possumus, nisi ipse nobis que largitus est ope- retur. Fulg.ad Mon. 1.1. [14. |

€ Omnis infidelium vita peccatum est, et nihil est bonum sine summo

ART.

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ean be no good in any thing or action but what proceeds from him ; and seeing he himself is the first mover of all our actions, and the only cause of all the good in them, certainly he cannot but be well pleased with them: for otherwise he would not be well pleased with his own actions, which he cannot but be well pleased with, nothing coming from him but what is infinitely pleasing to him. Nay, in that they are good, himself must needs be in them, and therefore he must needs be pleased with them, himself being all pleasure and happiness to himself.

And that these good works do necessarily spring from faith is as clear, in that faith is an uniting grace, that unites Christ to us and us to Christ; so that by faith we dwell in Christ and Christ dwells in us; as the apostle saith, That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, Eph. iii. 17. Now wheresoever any of Christ is, there all of Christ is; and therefore if Christ dwell in us, the Spirit of Christ must needs dwell in us too; and where the Spirit of Christ is, there is the principle and fountain of all good works, which cannot but issue forth acts of piety towards God and charity towards our neighbour.

But I needed not to have gone so far to have proved, that every one that hath true faith hath the Spirit of God; for a man must have the Spirit of God before he can have true faith. f For the Spirit doth not first work faith in us, and then come itself to us, but it first cometh itself to us, and then worketh faith in us. So that he that believes must needs have the Spirit; for unless he had the Spirit he could not believe. And where the Spirit of God is, there is the spring of goodness, from whence the streams of goodness must needs flow. So that he that saith a man may believe and not do good works, must either say a man may believe and yet not have the Spirit, or that a man may have the Spirit in him and yet good works not be performed by him: which cannot be, for in that it is a Spirit, it is an active principle always

bono. Aug. de vera innocentia, c. 106. [vol. X. p.230. App.] Proinde cupiditas boni non hominia Domino esset si bonum non esset. Siautem bonum est, non nisi ab illo nobis est qui summe atque incommuta- biliter bonus est. Id. contra duas

literas Pelag. 1. 2. [21. vol. X.]

Non ergo Spiritum Sanctum quia credimus, sed ut crederemus accepimus. Fulg. de incarn. et grat. Christi. [cap.17.40.] Liberavit au- tem non in quolibet homine fidem inveniendo sed dando. Ibid. [34.]

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doing; and in that it is the Spirit of God, it is a holy prin- ciple, and therefore must always be doing good.

Neither were these truths unheard of, or not consented to by the Fathers. Let these few speak for the rest. First, for good works, that they are pleasing unto God, Clemens Ro- manus having asserted the truth delivered in the former article, that we are justified by faith only, (as we may there see him quoted,) he presently adds what is asserted in this, saying, § “ What therefore shall we do, brethren? Shall we cease from doing good, and leave off love and charity? The Lord will by no means suffer that to be done by us; but let us haste with all diligence and alacrity to perfect every good work : for the Creator himself and Lord of all things rejoiceth in his own works.”

And Trenzus, having rehearsed the principal articles of the Christian faith, saith, >“ This faith they that have believed without learning, as to our language they are barbarous, but as to their judgment, custom, and conversation, by reason of their faith, they are very wise, and please God, having their conversation in righteousness, chastity, and wisdom. So that to have our conversation in righteousness, chastity, and wis- dom is to please God.” So Justin tells us, ’ “ They that do such things as are universally, naturally, and eternally good are wellpleasing unto God.”

St. Hilary speaks fully to the purpose: * “ But our works,” saith he, “must be lift up unto the holy things of God, that is, in clothing the naked, in feeding the hungry, in giving

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h Hance fidem qui sine literis cre- diderunt, quantum ad sermonem nostrum barbari sunt, quantum au- tem ad sententiam, et consuetudi- nem, et conversationem propter fi- dem perquam sapientissimi sunt, et

justitia, castitate et sapientia. Iren. adv. heres. 1. 3. c. 4. [2.]

[…]

k Elevanda autem opera nostra sunt in Dei sancta, id est, in nudis vestiendis, in esurientibus cibandis, in sitientibus potandis, in afflictis consolandis, in oppressis adjuvandis, in omnibus diligendis. Hc enim nos in hac corporis infirmitate sanc- tificant, hzee Deo placent et sancta sunt. Hilar. enar. in Psa. 133. [5.]

306 Of Good Works. Art.

drink to the thirsty, in comforting the afflicted, in helping the oppressed, in loving all. For these things sanctify us in the frailty of our body; these things please God, and are holy.” And Theophilus Antiochenus saith, ’“* He under- standeth all these things who inquireth into the wisdom of God, studying to please him by faith, righteousness, and good works.” But I need not produce any more witnesses for the confirmation of so clear a truth.

And that faith and works always go together the Fathers are also express. As Origen: ™“ And this faith when it is justified sticks in the ground of the soul as a root that hath received the shower into it, that when it begins to be tilled by the law of God the branches may rise from it that bear the fruit of good works. The root of righteousness therefore doth not grow from works, but the fruit of works from the root of righteousness, to wit, that root of righteousness whereby God accepts of righteousness without works, viz. faith.” And St. Augustine to the same purpose : ” “ Faith is in the soul as a good root, which turns the rain into fruit.” And therefore doth Polycarp tell the Philippians, ° “ And that the firmness of your faith remaineth from the beginning until now, and bringeth forth fruit in the Lord Jesus Christ.” And Clemens Alexandrinus, P “ Charity with love to faith makes believers, but faith is the foundation of charity, bring- ing forth welldoing.”

So Proclus, speaking of faith and charity, saith, 4 “ They

1 Hee omnia intelligit qui Dei saplentiam exquirit, studens ei pla- cere per fidem, justitiam et bona opera. ‘Theoph. Antioch, ad Autolic. 2 roti

m Et hee fides cum justificata fuerit, tanquam radix imbre suscepto heret in anime solo, ut cum per legem Dei excoli cceperit, surgant in eo rami qui fructus operum ferunt. Non ergo ex operibus radix justitiz, sed ex radice justitiz fructus operum crescit, illa scilicet radice justitize, qua Deus accepto fert justitiam sine operibus. Origen. in Rom. 1. 4. [vol. IV. p. 523. ]

n Fides sic est in anima ut radix bona que pluviam in fructum ducit.

Aug. pref. in Psa. 139. init. [vol. IV. ‘i ;

© Et quia firmitas fidei vestre a principio usque nunc permanet et fructificat in Domino Jesu Christo. Polycarp. epist. ad Philip. [p. 14.]

[…]

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both go together ; for faith is the glass of charity, and charity is the foundation of faith.” So Prosper: ’ “ Faith, which is the foundation of righteousness, which no good works precede, from which all good works proceed, itself purgeth us from sin, enlightens our minds, reconciles us to God, associates us with all that are partakers of our nature, inspires into us the hope of the future reward, increaseth in us holy virtues, and confirms us in the possession of them.” Who can speak more fully and clearly to the case in hand ?

I shall add but two more; viz. Salvian: s “ Seeing, as we have said, this is the faith of a Christian, faithfully to keep the commands of Christ; it is so without all doubt, that he hath no faith that is an infidel, neither doth he believe in Christ that tramples upon the commands of Christ; and therefore he that doth believe cannot but obey them.” And St. Chrysostome: t “ As soon as ever thou believest, thou wilt be adorned also with good works. Not because it is wanting to other works, but because faith is of itself full of good works.” And thus we see how faith is the root of works, and works the fruit of faith; and therefore we cannot but conclude, that faith may be as evidently known by its works as a tree is discerned by the fruit.

xr Fides que est justitie funda- mentum quam nulla bona opera precedunt, et ex qua omnia pro- cedunt, ipsa nos a peccatis purgat, mentes nostras illuminat, Deo re- conciliat, cunctis participibus nature nostre consociat, spem nobis future remunerationis inspirat, auget in nobis virtutes sanctas, ac nos in ea- rum possessione confirmat. Prosper. de vita contemplat. [1. III.] c. 21.

s Cum ut diximus hoc sit hominis Christiani fides, fideliter Christi man-

data servare, fit absque dubio ut nec fidem habeat qui infidelis est, nec Christum credat qui Christi man- data conculcat. Salvian. de provid. 1. 4. [init. ]

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p. 838.

Notes

• d Quapropter multa Deus facit in homine bona que non facit homo; nulla vero facit homo quz non facit Deus ut faciat homo, Aug. contra duas epist. Pelag. 1. 2. [21. vol. X.] Quid est enim boni cupiditas, nisi charitas, de qua Johannes apostolus sine ambiguitate loquitur dicens, Charitas ex Deo est. Nec initium ejus ex nobis et perfectio ejus ex Deo, sed si charitas ex Deo, tota nobis ex Deo est. Ibid. Bona quan- tacunque quamvis magna quamvis minima nisi ex Deo esse non pos-