imperfect, and therefore not able to deserve our justification." Homily of Salvation, First Part.

"And because no man should err by mistaking of this doctrine, I shall plainly and shortly so declare the right understanding of the same, that no man shall justly think that he may thereby take any occasion of carnal liberty, to follow the desires of the flesh, or that thereby any kind of sin shall be committed, or any ungodly living the more used. Justification is not the office of man, but of God; for man cannot make himself righteous by his own works, neither in part, nor in the whole, for that were the greatest arrogancy and presumption of man that antichrist could set up against God, to affirm that a man by his own works might take away and purge his own sins, and so justify himself. But justification is the office of God only, and is not a thing which we render unto him, but which we receive of him; not which we give to him, but which we take of him, by his free mercy, and by the only merits of his most dearly beloved Son, our only Redeemer, Saviour, and Justifier, Jesus Christ: so that the true understanding of this doctrine, we be justified freely by faith, without works, or that we be justified by faith in Christ only, is not, that this our own act to believe in Christ, or this our faith in Christ, which is within us, doth justify us, and deserve our justification unto us,

for that were to count ourselves to be justified by some act or virtue that is within ourselves; but the true understanding and meaning thereof is, that although we hear God's word and believe it, although we have faith, hope, charity, repentance, dread and fear of God within us, and do never so many works thereunto, yet we must renounce the merit of all our said virtues, of faith, hope, charity, and all other virtues and good deeds, which we either have done, shall do, or can do, as things that be far too weak and insufficient and imperfect to deserve remission of our sins, and our justification; and therefore we must trust only in God's mercy, and that sacrifice which our High Priest and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, once offered up for us upon the cross, to obtain thereby God's grace and remission, as well of our original sin in baptism, as of all actual sin committed by us after our baptism, if we truly repent and turn unfeignedly to him again: so that, as St. John Baptist, although he were never so virtuous and godly a man, yet in this matter of forgiving sin, he did put the people from him, and appointed them unto Christ, saying, 'Behold, yonder is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.' Even so, as great and as godly a virtue as the lively faith is, yet it putteth us from itself, and remitteth or appointeth to Christ, for to have only by him remission of our sins, or

justification so that our faith in Christ saith, as it were, unto us, thus-It is not I that take away your sins, but it is Christ only; and to him only I send you for that purpose, forsaking therein all your good virtues, words, thoughts, and works, and only putting your trust in Christ,"-Homily of Salvation, Second Part.

"Truth it is, that our own works do not justify us to speak properly of our justification; that is to say, our works do not merit or deserve remission of our sins, and make us of unjust, just before God: but God of his own mercy, through the only merits and deservings of his Son Jesus Christ, doth justify us."—" And, forasmuch as it is all one sentence in effect, to say, faith without works, and only faith doth justify us; therefore the old ancient fathers of the church, from time to time, have uttered our justification with this speech, Only faith justifieth us; meaning no other thing than St. Paul meant, when he said, Faith without works justifieth us. And because all this is brought to pass through the only merits and deservings of our Saviour Christ, and not through our merits, or the merit of any virtue we have within us, or of any work that cometh from us; therefore, in that respect of merit and deserving, we forsake, as it were, altogether again, faith, works, and all other virtues for our own imperfection is so great, through the corruption of original sin,

that all is imperfect that is in us, faith, charity, hope, dread, thoughts, words, and works, and therefore not apt to merit and deserve any part of our justification for us." Homily Homily on Salvation, Third Part.

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ARTICLE XII.

Albeit, that good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known, as a tree discerned by the fruit."

SCRIPTURE.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them." Ephesians ii. 10.

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Faith, if we have not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." James ii. 17, 18.

"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." John xv. 8.

"In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth

anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love." Gal. v. 6.

"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." Col. i. 10.

"To do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Heb. xiii. 16.

"Make you perfect in every good work, to do his will; working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ.” Ibid, 21.

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"Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.' Matt. vii. 17, 20.

FORMULARIES.

"Let us beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit; that those things may please him, which we do at this present." &c.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord." Absolution, Morning and Evening Prayer.

"Grant that all our doings may be so ordered by thy governance; to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord." Third Collect for Grace.

"Because, through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without thee; grant us the help of thy grace, that in