The Institution of Christian Religion

I know that the Sophisters do abuse certain places, to prove thereby §4that the name of Merit toward God is found in the Scriptures. They allege a sentence out of Ecclesiasticus,¹ Mercy shall make place to every man, according to the Merit of his works. And out of the Epistle to the Hebrews,² Forget not doing good and communicating, for with such sacrifices men merit of God. As for my right in resisting the authority of Ecclesiasticus, I do now release it. Yet I deny that they faithfully allege that which Ecclesiasticus, whatsoever writer he were, hath written. For the Greek copy is thus: [Greek or Hebrew]. He shall make place to every mercy, and every man shall find according to his works. And that this is ⟨image 273⟩the true text, which is corrupted in the Latin translation, appeareth both by the framing of these words, & by a longer joining together of the sentence going before. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, there is no cause why they should snare us in one little word, when in the Greek words of the Apostle is nothing else but that such sacrifices do please & are acceptable to God. This alone ought largely to suffice to subdue & beat down the outrageousness of our pride, that we feign not any worthiness to works beyond the rule of Scripture. Now the doctrine of the Scripture is, that all our good works are continually be sprinkled with many filthy spots, wherewith God may be worthily offended and be angry with us: so far is it of, that they be able to win him to us, or to provoke his liberality toward us: Yet because he of his tender kindness doth not examine them by extremity of law, he taketh them as if they were most pure, and therefore though without merit, he rewardeth them with infinite benefits both of this present life and of the life to come. For I do not allow the distinction set by men otherwise learned & godly: that good works deserve the graces that are given us in this life, & that eternal life is the reward of faith alone. For the Lord doth commonly alway set in heaven the reward of labours and the crown of battle. Again to give it so to the merit of works, that it be taken away from grace, that the Lord heapeth us with graces upon graces, is against the doctrine of the Scripture.