mind. For the inspired penman concludes from the premises he lays down, that "a man is jus"tified by faith without the deeds of the law." In a subsequent chapter, Rom. xi. 6, he shews the impossibility of that coalition which some have endeavoured to establish between works and grace in human salvation. "If it be of grace, he says, "then it is no more of works; other"wise grace is no more grace. But if it be of "works, then it is no more grace, otherwise "work is no more work." It is absurd therefore, while we call ourselves Christians, to "put "our trust," either wholly or partially, "in any

thing that we do." In his Epistle to the Galatians, the same Apostle, speaking of himself and his believing brethren among the Jews, who who might be supposed to have some personal ground of confidence though the Gentiles had none, says, "We, who are Jews by nature and "not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law "but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have "believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not

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by the works of the law: for by the works of "the law shall no flesh be justified." In the same Divine letter he again roundly asserts, that "as many as are of the works of the law are "under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is "every one that continueth not in all things "that are written in the book of the law to do

them. But that no man is justified by the "law in the sight of God, it is evident; for the just shall live by faith." If a comment on these passages of Scripture be required, it is furnished in the XIth article of our church. "We " are accounted righteous before God only for

"the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ

by faith, and not for our own works or de"servings. Wherefore that we are justified by "faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, as "more largely is expressed in the homily on justification."

From the homily intituled "A sermon of the "salvation of mankind by only Christ our Sa"viour from sin and death everlasting," the following extract will shew what was the meaning of those excellent persons who have taught us to say, that "we put not our trust in any thing "that we do."

"Because all men be sinners and offenders against God, and breakers of His law and commandments, therefore can no man by his own acts, works, and deeds, seem they never so good, be justified and made righteous before God; but every man of necessity is constrained to seek for another righteousness of justification, to be received at God's own hands, that is to say, the forgiveness of his sins and trespasses int such things as he hath offended. And this justification or righteousness which we so receive of God's mercy and Christ's merits, embraced by faith, is taken, accepted, and allowed of God for our perfect and full justification: for the more full understanding hereof, it is our parts and duties ever to remember the great mercy of God, how that (all the world being wrapped in sin by breaking of the law) God sent His only Son our Saviour Christ into this world' to fulfil the law for us, and by shedding of His most precious blood to make a sacrifice and' satisfaction, or, as it may be called, amends to His Father for our sins, to assuage His wrath and indignation conceived against us for the

same. This is that justification of righteousness which St. Paul speaketh of when he saith, No man is justified by the works of the law, but freely by faith in Jesus Christ. And again he saith, We believe in Jesu Christ that we be justified freely by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law, because that no man shall be justified by the works of the law. And although this justification be free unto us, yet it cometh not so freely unto us, that there is no ransom paid at all. But here may therefore man's reason be astonished, reasoning after this fashion if a ransom be paid for our redemption, then it is not given us freely? For a prisoner that paid his ransom is not let go freely; for if he go freely, then he goeth without ransom: for what is it else to go freely, than to be set at liberty without paying of ransom? This reason is satisfied by the great wisdom of God in this mystery of our redemption, who has so tempered His justice and mercy together, that He would neither by His justice condemn us into the everlasting captivity of the devil and his prison of hell, remediless for ever without mercy, nor by His mercy deliver us clearly without justice or payment of a just ransom; but with His endless mercy He joined His most upright and equal justice. His great mercy He shewed unto us in delivering us from our former captivity, without requiring of any ransom to be paid, or amends to be made upon our parts, which ̧ thing to us had been impossible to be done. And whereas it lay not in us to do that, He provided a ransom for us-that was the most precious body and blood of His own most dear and best beloved Son Jesu Christ, who besides this ransom fulfilled the law for us perfectly. And

so the justice of God and His mercy did embrace together, and fulfilled the mystery of our redemption. And of this justice and mercy of God knit together speaketh St. Paul in the third chapter to the Romans. All have offended and haye need of the glory of God, but are justified freely by grace, by redemption which is in Jesu Christ, whom God hath sent forth to us for a reconciler and peace-maker, through faith in His blood, to shew His righteousness. And in the tenth chapter, Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every man that believeth. And in the eighth chapter, that which was impossible by the law, inasmuch as it was weak by the flesh, God sending His own son in the similitude of sinful flesh, by sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us which walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. In these foresaid places the Apostle toucheth specially three things, which must go together in our justification. Upon God's part, His great mercy and grace; upon Christ's part, justice, that is, the satisfaction of God's justice, or the price of our redemption, by the offering of His body and shedding His blood, with fulfilling of the law perfectly and thoroughly; and upon our part, true and lively faith in the merits of Jesus Christ, which yet is not ours, but by God's working in us. So that in our justification there is not only God's mercy and grace, but also His justice, which the Apostle calleth the justice of God, and it consisteth in paying our ransom and fulfilling of the law; and so the grace of God doth not shut out the justice of God in our justification, but only shutteth out the justice of man, that is to say, the justice of our works, as to be merits of

deserving our justification. And therefore St. Paul declareth here nothing upon the behalf of man concerning his justification, but only a true and lively faith, which nevertheless is the gift of God, and not man's only work without God; and yet that faith doth not shut out repentance, hope, love, dread and the fear of God to be joined with faith in every man that is justified; but it shutteth them out from the office of justifying. So that although they be all present together in Him that is justified, yet they justify not altogether; neither doth faith shut out the justice of our good works, necessarily to be done afterwards of duty towards God (for we are most bounden to serve God in doing good deeds, commanded by Him in His holy Scripture, all the days of our life:) But it excludeth them, so that we may not do them to this intent, to be made just by doing of them. For all the good works that we can do be imperfect, and therefore not able to deserve our justification; but our justification doth come freely by the mere mercy of God; and of so great and free mercy that, whereas all the world was not able of themselves to pay any part towards their ransom, it pleased our heavenly Father of His infinite mercy, without any of our desert or deserving, to prepare for us the most precious jewels of Christ's body and blood, whereby our ransom might be fully paid, the law fulfilled, and His justice fully satisfied. So that Christ is now the righteousness of all them that truly do believe in Him. He for them paid their ransom by His death. He for them fulfilled the law in His life. So that now in Him and by Him every true Christian man may be called a fulfiller of the law,