A Golden Chain

Our reasons.

I. Rom. 3.28. We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the works of the law. Some answer, that ceremonial works be excluded here: some, that moral works: some, works going before faith. But let them devise what they can for themselves, the truth is, that Paul excludeth all works whatsoever, as by the very text will appear. For v. 24. he saith, We are justified freely by his grace: that is, by the mere gift of God: giving us to understand, that a sinner in his justification is merely passive, that is, doing nothing on his part whereby God should accept him to life everlasting. And v. 27. he saith, justification by faith excludeth all boasting: and therefore all kind of works are thereby excluded; and specially such as are most of all the matter of boasting, that is, good works. For if a sinner, after that he is justified by the merit of Christ, were justified more by his own works, then might he have some matter of boasting in himself. And that we may not doubt of Pauls meaning, consider and read Eph. 2.8,9. By grace (saith he) you are saved t•rough faith: and that ⟨p. 938⟩not of your selves, it is the gift of God: not of works least any man should boast himself. Here Paul excludes all and every work, and directly works of grace themselves as appears by the reason following: For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works: which God hath ordained that we• should walk in them. Now let the Papists tell me, what be the works which God hath prepared for men to walk in, and to which they are regenerate, unless they be the most excellent works of grace, and let them mark how Paul excludes them wholly from the work of justification and salvation.