Of free justification

But let us again hear what the Prating Sophister hath to say for himself.

But whereas (saith he) the Just shall live by Faith, and God is said to justify Man by Faith, it doth not therefore follow by consequence, that Works are not necessary; for it is one thing to live by Faith, and another thing to live by Faith only; One thing to be justified by Faith, and another thing to be justified by Faith only; and if these Words [Faith only] are sometimes found in the Books of Catholic Doctors, by the Word (only) good Works are not excluded, but all other Sects and Ways to Salvation, except Faith only, and the Christian Religion. Thus said Vega.

But whereas (saith he) the Iust shall live by Faith, and God is said to justifie Man by Faith, it doth not therefore follow by consequence, that Works are not necessary; for it is one thing to live by Faith, and another thing to live by Faith only; One thing to be justified by Faith, and another thing to be justified by Faith only; and if these Words [Faith only] are sometimes found in the Books of Catholick Doctors, by the Word (only) good Works are not excluded, but all other Sects and Ways to Salvation, except Faith only, and the Christian Religion. Thus said Vega.

To whom that I may answer, First, whereas he infers, that good Works are not necessary, because the Just live by Faith, he may as reasonably gather Thistles ¹from the Vine; for this is no good consequence: The Just shall live by Faith, therefore Works are not necessary: Which we also with Paul, do notwithstanding ⟨p. 472⟩account to be necessary. And in the next place, whereas he says, that it is one thing to be justified by Faith, and another thing to be justified by Faith only: Though we grant this to be true, yet I see no great difference between these two Expressions: To be justified by Faith without Works, and to be justified by Faith only. Thirdly, Whereas he Cavils about the Word Only, what it excludes, and what it excludes not in the Books of the Catholics, we do not trouble our selves much about that; but this is manifest in the Writings of Paul, that Works themselves, though otherways they are very excellent, and also necessary upon other accounts, yet in this free Gift of Evangelical Justification, they are excluded without all Controversy. Though that also is an untruth, which he asserts of the Books of the Catholics: For Basil (that I may produce one of them instead of a great many) expresses the same in manifest Words, taking away from every Man all occasion of glorying in his own Righteousness, and testifies that each one of us is justified by Faith in Christ only. And therefore he presently produces the Example of Paul to confirm the same, and Paul Glories (saith he) in the Contempt of his own Righteousness. I may also add the Words of the same Basil upon the 32. Psalm, where giving a Description