Veneer on Article XII: Of Good Works

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The Exposition.

H E first Thing afferted in this Ar- tide is. That good Works are the Fruits of Faith -, and certain it is, that if any Man do truly believe the Gospel, he will apply himself to the Pradice of good Works if any Man do otherwise, he hath either no Faith, or a dead one. Thus S. James expreffes himself, chap. ii. 17, 18. Fatth if it “have not IVorks is dead being alone. Tea a Man may fay “thou haft Fatth and I have

IVorks :

^^6 Jn Exposition on the

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Faith is your Guide, faith St. Ignatius^ and Love is the Way which leads you to God. No Man profcfUng the Faith, finneth, nor doth he that hath Love, hate. A Tree is known by his Fruit , in like manner, such as are called Christians, are feen by the Things which they do *. Abraham^ faith St. Clement of Kome^ who was fliled the Friend of God, was found Faithful, because he was obedient to God’s Commands f.

Let such as (hall be found to live other- wife than Christ hath taught them, know, faith Jitfttn Martyr^ that they are no Christians, aitho’ they take the Precepts of Christ into their Mouths. And that he hath said. That not they who only fay, but those who do those Works which he hath commanded them, shall be saved +.

,To proceed to the remaining Part of the Article : Thele Works, how Good foever, are not meritorious • that is, they cannot put away our Sins, and endure the Severity of God’s Judgment, as appears from i John i. 7. But if we walk in the Light^ as he is in the Lights we have Fellawfiip one with another^ and the Blood cf Jefiis Christ his Son cleanfeth us from all Sin, And Ffal clxiii. 2. And enter not into Judg- ment with thy Servant 3 for in thy Sight fJo all no

Man

TJjirty-Nme Articles. 337

Man U’ving he justified. But yet that they are Article XIT* pleasing and acceptable to God in Chrifl:, ap- ^^^‘VW, pears from Heh. xiii. 165 20, 21. But to do

Good and to Co7nmunicate forget not- for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep thro the Blood of the everlaftmg Covenant make you perfe in every good IVork to do his IVill working in you that which is well pleasing in his Sight through Jesus Christ. And from Eph. ii. 13. where the Apostle tells us, that God hath created us in Christ Jesus unto good IVorks. And from it. ii. 14. where we are told, that Christ gave htmfelf for us that he might purify to himself a peculiar People zealous of good IVorks. And, lastly, from Kom. ii. 6. where we are afiured, that he will render to every Man according to his Deeds.

What remains of this Article, that good Works do necelTarily spring from a true and lively Faith, and diftinguifh it from a dead Faith, or none at all, is nothing but a Repe- tition, in stronger Terms, of what hath been said already, in order to make the Sense of the Compilers of the Articles more clear and intel- ligible. And therefore having made good this Proposition already, I shall only add what our blcfled Saviour faith, Matth. vii. 16. Te shall know them by their Fruits : Do Men gather Grapes of thorns, or Figs of fhiftles * ?

•* See Homily of Faith. Nowelli Catech. p. 45*, 46, loi, loi. Hammond’s PraB. Cat. book i. §. 3. IVmle Duty of Man, Sunday i. Jewel’s Bef. A^ol. part 2. c. 20. div. i.

Article

An Exposition on tie

Notes

• Epi/i. ad Ephef. -j- Epiji. ad Cor. ch.x. ^ Apolog. I. c. 22.