Jones on Article XIII: Of Works before Justification

” This angel was a good angel of God, sent to comfort and instruct Cornelius, the devout and righteous man. He doth comfort him, declaring unto him that his prayers and alms are ascended up in remembrance before God ; which is as much as to say, as that God doth accept and allow of them. The Papists abuse much these words of the angel, striving thereby to set forth their own righteousness to the overthrow of the merit and righteousness which we have by Christ. For they infer thereof that our own works before we have faith are preparations to grace. Secondly, they attribute our justifica- tion to our works. Things more absurd than that they need confutation. For what preparation can there be in us of our- selves to grace, when St. Paul saith plainly, that ’ we are not able of ourselves as of ourselves to think any good ? ’ ’ Tin; natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of Grodl’ And how can our prayers or alms which are not done in faith please God, when ‘without faith it is impossible to please him.’ And if Cornelius had faith, as it must needs be granted that be had, that also was ’ the gift of God,’ as St. Paul teacheth us. — Ser. Acts x. 34.

” The signs of his ” (God’s) ” ire and displeasure unto man is this, that he would not accept man again into his favour, for no penance, no sorrow, no trouble, no anxiety, no weeping, no wailing, no, nor for the death of any person, until his own Son, most dear beloved, by death appeased his displeasure, and became surety to satisfy the justice of God, and the right that the devil had unto all mankind.” — Bed. of Christ and his Office.

“Without it (faith) can no good work be done acceptable and pleasant unto God. ‘For as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself,’ saith our Saviour Christ, ’ except it abide in the vine,

so cannot you, except you abide in me.’ And St. Paul

proveth that Enoch had faith because he pleased God. ’ For without faith,’ saith he, ’ it is not possible to please God.’ And again to the Romans he saith, ‘Whatsoever is done without faith, it is sin.’ “Without faith, all that is done of us is but dead before God, although the work seem never so gay and

glorious before men As saith St. Augustine, ’ We must

set no good works before faith, nor think that before faith a man may do any good work.” — Homily of Good Works.

” The text (Acts x.) saith, in order first that Cornelius was a devout man, and feared God with all his house ; and then speaketh it of his good works, as alms, prayers, &c, whereby it is manifest that he himself was first accepted of God and

justified By this it is manifest that those good works of

Cornelius were fruits of his faith and of the fear of God, and he justified afore he did them. The text then proveth not that our justification deserved only by the death of Christ, is a false justification, nor that Cornelius’ works deserved much of Almighty God afore he was j astified.” — Confutation of Standish.

” Now seeing that not we only, but also all that ever we do of ourselves, is impure and unclean in the sight of God, until

both we and all our deeds be purified by the divine Spirit ; therefore, before we can bring forth anything that may be approved and accepted before God, we must be delivered from that most miserable captivity w hereunto we were cast of Satan through the sin of Adam.” — David’s Harp.

” David also prayeth on this manner ’ Thou hast tried

me with fire, and yet hath there none iniquity been found in me.’ Again, ’ I will be without spot with him, I will keep me from iniquity, and the Lord shall reward me according to

my righteousness.’ ‘Judge me, 0 Lord, for I have walked

in my innocency.’ In these, and such like, David layeth out his own innocency, purity, and righteousness, and seemeth to desire to be heard for them. I answer, if David desired to be heard for his own righteousness, then should he fight with himself, when in divers and many places he confesseth his sin.

‘Enter not into judgment, 0 Lord,’ saith he, ‘with thy

servant, for no man that liveth shall be justified in thy sight.’… What shall we then say to this matter ? I answer, yea, and that not without the authority of the Holy Scriptures and the mind of the ancient doctors, that as in divers other places of the psalms, so in these, and such like, he speaketh in the person of Christ, and not in his own.” — Pathway to Prayer.

” Can we not therefore prevent God with any works or deservings whereby we may first provoke him to love us and

be good unto us ? Surely with none In good works two

things are principally required. First, that we do those works that are prescribed by the law of God ; secondly, that they be

done with that mind and faith which God requireth It is

evident therefore, that all works, whatsoever we do before that we be born again and renewed by the Spirit of God, such as

may properly be called our own works, are faulty and so

grievously offend God.” — Catechism.

“The true Augustine in Ps. Lrx. Con. 1. thus writeth, ’ Thou art nothing by thyself, call upon God ; thine are the sins, the merits are God’s ; to thee punishment is due, and when the reward shall come, he will crown his gifts, not thy merits.’ Finally, Augustine in nothing is more earnest than in denying the reward which is of grace, to be due in respect of merit or worthiness of works.” — Defence.

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