Burnet on Article XII: Of Good Works

THat Good works are indispensably necessary to Salvation; that without holiness no man shall see the Lord; is so fully and frequently exprest in the Gospel, that no doubt can be made of it by any who reads it: And indeed a greater disparagement to the Christian Religion cannot be imagined, than to propose the hopes of God’s Mercy and Pardon barely upon Believing, without a Life suitable to the Rules it gives us. This began early to corrupt the Theories of Religion, as it still has but too great an influence upon the Practice of it. What St. Iames writ upon this Subject, must put an end to all doubting about it; and whatever Subtilties some may have set up, to separate the consideration of Faith from a holy Life, in the point of Iustification; yet none among us have denied that it was absolutely necessary to Salvation: And so it be owned as necessary, it is a nice curiosity to examine, whether it is of it self a Condition of Justification, or if it is the certain distinction and constant effect of that Faith which justifies. These are Speculations of very little consequence, as long as the main Point is still maintained; That Christ came to bring us to God, to change our Natures, to mortify the Old man in us, and to raise up and restore that Image of God, from which we had fallen by Sin. And therefore even where the Thread of Men’s Speculations of these Matters may be thought too fine, and in some Points of them wrong drawn; yet so long as this Foundation is preserved, that every one who nameth the name of Christ does depart from iniquity, ¹ so long the Doctrine of Christ is preserved pure in this Capital and Fundamental Point.

There do arise out of this Article only two Points, about which some Debates have been made. 1st. Whether the Good Works of Holy Men are in themselves so perfect, that they can endure the severity of God’s Judgment, so that there is no mixture of imperfection or Evil in them, or not? The Council of Trent has decreed, That Men by their Good Works have so fully satisfied the Law of God, according to the state of this Life, that nothing is wanting to them. The second Point is, Whether these Good Works are of their own nature meritorious of Eternal Life, or not? The Council of Trent has decreed that they are: Yet a long softening is added to the Decree, importing, That none ought to glory in himself, but in the Lord; whose goodness is such, that he makes his own gifts to us, to be merits in us: And it adds, That because in many things we offend all, every one ought to consider the justice and severity, as well as the mercy and goodness of God: and not to judge himself, even tho he should know nothing by himself. So then that in which all are agreed about this Matter, is, 1. That our Works cannot be good or acceptable to God, but as we are assisted by his Grace and Spirit to do them: So that the real Goodness that is in them, flows from those Assistances which enable us to do them. 2. That God does certainly reward Good Works: He has promised it, and he is faithful and cannot lie: nor is he unrighteous to forget our labour of love. So the Favour of God and eternal Happiness is the reward of Good Works: Mention is also made of a full reward, of the reward of a righteous Man, and of a Prophet’s reward. ² 3. That this Reward is promised in the Gospel, and could not be claimed without that, by any antecedent Merit founded upon equality: Since our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory.

The Points in which we differ, are, 1. Whether the Good Works of holy Men are so perfect, that there is no defect in them; or whether there is still some such defect mixed with them, that there is occasion for Mercy, to pardon somewhat even in Good Men? Those of the Church of Rome think that a Work cannot be called good, if it is not entirely good; and that nothing can please God, in which there is a mixture of Sin. Whereas we, according to the Article, believe that Human Nature is so weak and so degenerated, that as far as our Natural Powers concur in any Action, there is still some Allay in it; and that a Good work is considered by God according to the main both of the Action and of the Intention of him that does it; and as a Father pities his Children, so God passes over the defects of those who serve him sincerely, though not perfectly.³ The imaginations of the heart of man are only evil continually: In many things we offend all; says St. Iames: And St. Paul reckons that he had not yet apprehended, but was forgetting the things behind, and reaching to these before, and still pressing forward.

We see in fact, that the best Men in all Ages have been complaining and humbling themselves, even for the sins of their Holy Things, for their Vanity and Desire of Glory, for the distraction of their Thoughts in Devotion, and for the Affection which they bore to Earthly things. It were a Doctrine of great Cruelty, which might drive Men to despair, if they thought that no Action could please God, in which they were conscious to themselves of some Imperfection or Sin. The Midwives of Egypt feared God, yet they excused themselves by a Lye: But God accepted of what was good, and passed over what was amiss in them, and built them houses. ⁴ St. Austin urges this frequently, That our Saviour in teaching us to pray, has made this a standing Petition, Forgive us our Trespasses, as well as that, Give us this day our daily Bread; for we sin daily, and do always need a Pardon. Upon these Reasons we conclude, that somewhat of the Man enters into all that Men do: We are made up of Infirmities, and we need the Intercession of Christ, to make our best Actions to be accepted of by God: For if he should straitly mark iniquity, who can stand before him? ⁵ but mercy is with him, and forgiveness. So that with Hezekiah we ought to pray, That though we are not purified according to the purification of the sanctuary, yet the good Lord would pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God.

The Second Question arises out of this, concerning the Merit of Good Works; for upon the supposition of their being compleatly good, that Merit is founded; which will be acknowledged to be none at all, if it is believed that there are such Defects in them, that they need a Pardon; since where there is Guilt, there can be no pretension to Merit. The word Merit has also a sound that is so daring, so little suitable to the humility of a Creature, to be used towards a Being of Infinite Majesty, and with relation to endless Rewards, that though we do not deny but that a sense is given to it by many of the Church of Rome, to which no just exception can be made, yet there seems to be somewhat too bold in it, especially when Condignity is added to it: And since this may naturally give us an Idea of a buying and selling with God, and that there has been a great deal of this put in practice, it is certain that on many respects this Word ought not to be made use of. There is somewhat in the Nature of Man apt to swell and to raise it self out of measure; and to that no Indulgence ought to be given, in words that may flatter it; for we ought to subdue this Temper by all means possible, both in our selves and others. On the other hand, though we confess that there is a Disorder and Weakness that hangs heavy upon us, and that sticks close to us, yet this ought not to make us indulge our selves in our sins, as if they were the effects of an Infirmity that is inseparable from us. To consent to any Sin, if it were ever so small in it self, is a very great sin: We ought to go on, still cleansing our selves more and more,⁶ from all filthiness both of the flesh and of the spirit, and perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Our readiness to sin should awaken both our diligence to watch against it, and our humility under it. For though we grow not up to a pitch of being above all sin, and of absolute Perfection, yet there are many degrees both of Purity and Perfection, to which we may arrive, and to which we must constantly aspire. So that we must keep a just Temper in this Matter, neither to ascribe so much to our own Works as to be lifted up by reason of them, or to forget our daily need of a Saviour both for Pardon and Intercession; nor on the other hand so far to neglect them, as to take no care about them. The due Temper is to make our calling and election sure, ⁷ and to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling; but to do all in the name of the Lord Iesus, ever trusting to him, and giving thanks to God by him.

Footnotes

1. 2 Tim. 2.19. ↩

2. Matth. 10.41, 42. 2 Cor. 4.17. ↩

3. Gen. 6.5. Jam. 3.2. Phil. 3.13. ↩

4. Exod. 1.21. ↩

5. Psal. 130.3, 4. 2 Chron. 30.18, 19. ↩

6. 2 Cor. 7.1. ↩

7. Phil. 2.12. Col. 3.17. ↩