Gods arrow against atheists. By Henry SmithGods arrovve against atheists. By Henrie Smith

7 The Church of Rome doth not ascribe Justification to faith in Christ Jesus only, but saith that mens works be meritorious, and to them partly is Justification to be ascribed, and so they make mens imperfect works to be causes of salvation, which is a gross error even in the foundation or fundamental point. Saint Paul saith, That all are justified freely by his grace, Rom. 3.24. If they be Justified gratis, freely, (as he affirmeth) then are they Justified without any desert of theirs. And Saint Paul setteth down the Axiom in the Conclusion, We hold that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law, Rom. 3.28. And the Apostle in very many places (whereof mention shall he made hereafter) doth expressly exclude Weeks from being any causes of our Justification: […] indeed they are the effects thereof: And therefore it appeareth to be a true position, that Faith only doth Justify, in as much as Justification is (in the sight of God) imputed to our Faith, not to our Works: For Abraham believed God, and that was imputed to him for righteousness, as Paul speaketh Rom. 4.8. And he showeth that Abraham was not justified by Works before God, for if Abraham were justified by works, then should he have wherein to glory, but not before God, and because he had not wherein to glory before God, therefore he was not justified in the sight of God. I grant that saint James in his second Chapter doth say that Abraham was justified by his Works, when he offered up his Son Isaac at Gods commandment: And likewise that he saith, that a ⟨image 61⟩man is justified by Works, and not by Faith only: But before whom is he justified by Works? Not before God, but before men, that is to say, his works do declare unto men that saith whereby he is justified before God: And that this is the meaning of saint James may appear by that his saying, where he saith, Show unto me thy Faith by thy Works, thou sayest thou hast faith, that is not enough, thy words doth not prove it, thy works will, therefore (saith he show me thy faith by thy works. This word (Show me) doth manifest what manner of justification he speaketh off, namely, that he speaketh of a justification before men. For it is God that respecteth the faith of a man, whereby only he is justified in his sight: