A Treatise Touching the Liberty of a Christian

Semblable hereunto may we see in all occupations.¹ An evil house or a good house doth not make an evil or a good Carpenter, but a good or bad Carpenter maketh a good or bad house. And so generally in all kinds of manual occupations ⟨p. 48⟩and sciences, no piece of work doth make the Artificer good or bad, but such as the Artificer is, such work maketh he: even so fareth it in the case of mens works. Such as the person is either in faith or in unbelief, such is his work, if either done in faith, and so good, or done in unbelief, & so evil. But contrariwise, it is not so, to wit, such as the work is, such is the person, made in faith or unbelief, for as works do not make a man to be a believer, so neither do they make a man righteous.² But faith, as it maketh man believing and righteous, so doth it make his works to be good. For as much therefore as works do not justify any man, and that it behooveth man to be righteous before he work any good work: it appeareth most manifestly, that faith only by the mere mercy of God through Christ Jesus in his word, doth make worthy, and sufficiently justify, and save the person: and that a Christian man needeth no work nor law at all, thereby to attain salvation, for that through faith he is free from all law, and doth freely work all ⟨p. 49⟩things that he worketh of his own mere good will, respecting therein neither profit, nor salvation, but only the good will of God, for as much as he is now already fully replenished, and made safe by the grace of God through his own faith.

Semblable héereunto may wée sée in all occupations.¹ An euill house or a good house doth not make an euill or a good Carpenter, but a good or bad Carpenter maketh a good or badde house. And so generally in all kindes of manuall occupations ⟨p. 48⟩and sciences, no péece of worke doth make the Artificer good or bad, but such as the Artificer is, such worke maketh he: euen so fareth it in the case of mēs works. Such as the person is either in faith or in vnbeléefe, such is his work, if either done in faith, and so good, or done in vnbeléefe, & so euill. But contrariwise, it is not so, to wit, such as the worke is, such is the person, made in faith or vnbeléefe, for as workes doe not make a man to be a beléeuer, so neither doe they make a man righteous.