Wilson on Article XIII: Of Works before Justification

• They are greatly deceived that preach repentance without Christ; and teach the simple and ignorant that it consisteth only in the works of men. They may indeed speak many things of good works, and of amendment of life and man- ners : but without Christ they be all vain and unprofitable. They that think they have done much of themselves towards repentance, are so much more the farther from God ; because they do seek those things in their own works and merits, which ought only to be sought in our Saviour Jesus Christ, and in the merits of his death, and passion, and blood-shedding. Horn, xxxii. 1.

b The third part of repentance is faith ; whereby we do ap- prehend and take hold upon the promises of God, touching the free pardon and forgiveness of our sins : which promises are

• They that are in the flesh can- not please God. Rom. viii. 8. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him. 1 Cor. ii. 14. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Rom. iii. 12. As saith the proverb of the ancients : Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked. 1 Sam. xxiv. 13. When we were in the flesh, the motions of sin, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. Rom. vii. 5. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good ; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit cor- rupt. Matt. xii. 33. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit ; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Matt. vii. 16—10. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter ? Can the fig-tree, my brethren, bear olive berries?’ either a vine, figs? so can no fountain yield both salt water and fresh. James iii. 12. You bath he quickened, who were dead

in trespasses and sins: — We all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind ; and were by nature the chil- dren of wrath, even as others. Eph. ii. 1, 3. These be sensual, having not the Spirit. Jude 19. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Rom. viii. 9. Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates. 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Rom. viii. 9. The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth. Eph. v. 9. If the first fruit be holy, the lump also is holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. Rom. xi. 16. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches : without me (severed from me) ye can do nothing. John xv. 4, 5. From me is thy fruit found. Hosea xiv. 8.

h Without faith it is impossible to please God. Heb. xi. 6. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not

Jesus Christ, ‘neither do they make men meet

sealed up unto us, with the death and blood-shedding of his Son Jesus Christ. For what should avail and profit us to be sorry for our sins, to lament arid bewail that we have offended our most bounteous and merciful Father, or to confess and acknow- ledge our offences and trespasses, though it be done never so earnestly, unless we do stedfastly believe, and be fully per- suaded, that God, for his Son Jesus Christ’s sake, will forgive us all our sins, and put them out of remembrance, and from his sight. — Therefore they that teach repentance, without a lively faith in our Saviour Jesus Christ, do teach none other but Judas’s repentance. — But how chance that the one (Peter) was received into favour again with God, and the other (Judas) cast away ; but because that the one did by a lively faith, in him whom he had denied, take hold upon the mercy of God ; and the other wanted faith, whereby he did despair of the goodness and mer- cy of God. — It is evident and plain then, that although we be never so earnestly sorry for our sins, acknowledge and confess them : yet all these things shall be but means to bring us to utter desperation, except we do stedfastly believe that God our heavenly Father will for his Son Jesus Christ’s sake pardon and forgive us our offences and trespasses, and utterly put them out of remembrance in his sight. Therefore, as we said before, they that teach repentance without Christ, and a lively faith in the mercy of God, do only teach Cain’s or Judas’s repentance. Horn. xxxii. 2.

Faith giveth life to the soul ; and they be as much dead to God that lack faith, as they be to the world whose bodies lack souls. Without faith, all that is done of us is but dead before God, although the work seem never so gay and glorious before man. Even as the picture graven or painted is but a dead representation of the thing itself, and is without life, or any manner of moving ; so be the works of all unfaithful per- sons before God : they do appear to be lively works, and indeed they be but dead, not availing to the everlasting life : they be but shadows and shevrs of lively and good things, and not good and lively things indeed : for true faith doth give life to the works, and out of such faith come good works, that be very good works indeed ; and without faith no work is good before God, as saith St. Augustine. We must set no good works be- fore faith, nor think that before faith a man may do any good works ; for such works, although they seem unto men to be praiseworthy, yet indeed they be but vain, and not allowed before God. Horn. v. 1.

c Q. Can we not therefore prevent God with any works or

be established. Isa. vii.9. He that he, ye shall die in your sins. John believeth not is condemned. John viii. 24.

iii. 18. If ye believe not that 1 am ■ God, who is rich in mercy, for

L 2

to receive grace, or (as the School-authors say) deserve grace or congruity : dyea, rather for that

deservings, whereby we may first provoke him to love us and be good unto us ? A. Surely, with none. For God loved and chose us in Christ, not only when we were his enemies, that is, sinners, but also before the foundations of the world were laid. And this is the same spring, head, and original of our justifica- tion, whereof I spake before. Nowell, p. 74.

Grace, saith St. Augustine, belongeth to God, who doth call us ; and then hath he good works, whosoever receiveth grace. Good works then bring not forth grace ; but are brought forth by grace. The wheel, saith he, turneth round, not to the end that it may be made round ; but because it is first made round, therefore it turneth round. So, no man doth good works, to receive grace by his good works ; but because he hath first received grace, therefore consequently he doth good works. — And in another place he saith, Good works go not before in him which shall afterward be justified; but good works do follow after, when a man is first justified. Horn. xvi. I.

For as the good fruit is not the cause that the tree is good, but the tree must first be good before it can bring forth good fruit ; so the good deeds of man are not the cause that maketh man good, but he is first made good by the Spirit and grace of God, that effectually worketh in him, and afterward he bringeth forth good fruits. And then, as the good fruit doth argue the goodness of the tree, so doth the good and merciful deed of the man argue and certainly prove the goodness of him that doth it. Horn, xxiii. 2.

d He that by nature would withstand vice, either by natural will or reason, he doth in vain garnish the time of this life, and attaineth not the very true virtues ; for without the worshipping of the true God, that which seemeth to be virtue is vice. Horn.

his great love wherewith he loved be righteous, what givest thou

us, even when we were dead in him ? or what receiveth he of thine

sins, hath quickened us together hand? Job xxxv. 7. What hast thou

with Christ (by grace ye are saved), that thou didst not receive ? 1 Cor.

Eph. ii. 4, 5. Not by works of iv. 7. Not of works, lest any man

righteousness which we have done, should boast. Eph. ii. 9. Now to

but according to his mercy he saved him that worketh, is the reward

us, by the washing of regeneration, not reckoned of grace, but of debt,

and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Rom.iv. 4. To him that worketh

Tit. iii. 5. It is not of him that not, but believeth on him that jus-

willeth, nor of him that runneth, tifieth the ungodly, his faith is

but of God that sheweth mercy, counted for righteousness. Rom. iv.

Rom. ix. 16. Who hath prevented 5. They being ignorant of God’s

me, that I should repay him ? Job righteousness, and going about to

xli. 11. Who hath first given to establish their own righteousness,

him, and it shall be recompensed have not submitted themselves unto

to him again ? Rom. xi. 35. If thou the righteousness of God. Rom. x. 3.

they are not done as God hath willed and com- manded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin.

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 are born again and renewed by the Spirit of God, such as may properly be called our own works, are faulty (vitiosa). For whatsoever shew of gayness or worthing they represent and give to the eyes of men, sith they spring and proceed from a faulty and corrupted heart, which God chiefly considereth, they cannot but be denied and corrupted, and so, grievously offend God. Such works therefore, as evil fruits, growing out of an evil tree, God despiseth and rejecteth from him. Nowell, p. 74.

If the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise. Gal. iii. 18. A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Rom. iii. 28. The law is spiritual, but I am car- nal, sold under sin. Rom. vii. 14. The carnal mind is enmity against God : for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Rom. viii. 7. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh : and these are contrary the one to the other. Gal. v. 17. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die ; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Rom. viii. 13. He that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption. Gal. vi. 8.

d Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God

and the Father by him. Col. iii. 17. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. x. 31. What- soever is not of faith is sin. Rom. xiv. 23. Unto them that are de- filed and unbelieving is nothing pure ; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. Tit. i. 15. The plowing of the wicked is sin. Prov. xxi. 4. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomina- tion. Prov. xxviii. 9. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonder- ful works ? and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you : de- part from me ye that work iniquity. Matt. vii. 22, 23.