Causes of our iustification. / Iustification by fayth. / Irewe faithe and works vnseparate▪
A Question of Faith and Works
The Master asks whether the Spirit and faith alone carry us to heaven without any effort on our part.
Master. Does the Spirit alone, then, and faith—however soundly we sleep, or however reckless and lazy we remain—so work everything for us that, without any help of our own, they carry us, idle, up to heaven?
The Cause and Effects of Justification
The Scholar distinguishes between the principal cause of justification (God's goodness and election) and its effects (calling, mortification, sanctification, and faith that engenders love and works).
Scholar. I make a distinction, Master, as you've taught me, between the cause and the effects. The first, principal, and most perfect cause of our justification and salvation is the goodness and love of God, by which he chose us for his own before he made the world. After that, God grants that we are called by the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, when the Spirit of the Lord is poured into us; by his guidance and governance we are led to place our trust in God and to hope for the keeping of all his promises. Joined with this choice, as its companion, is the mortifying of the old man—that is, of our affection and lust.1 From the same Spirit also comes our sanctification: the love of God and of our neighbor; justice; and uprightness of life. Finally, to sum it all up, whatever is in us or may be done by us that is pure, honest, true, and good—all of it springs from this most pleasant root, from this most plentiful fountain: the goodness, love, choice, and unchangeable purpose of God.2 He is the cause; the rest are the fruits and effects.3 Yet the goodness, choice, and Spirit of God, and Christ himself, are also causes joined and coupled with one another, which may be counted among the principal causes of our salvation.4 So whenever we say that we are made righteous and saved by faith alone, what's meant by that is that faith—or rather trust—alone lays hold of, understands, and perceives our justification as given to us freely by God: that is to say, by no deserving of our own, but by the free grace of the almighty Father. Moreover, faith produces in us the love of our neighbor, and such works as God is pleased with.56
Faith and Works Inseparable
The Scholar concludes that true faith is living and produces good works, and that faith and works are inseparable though justification is by God's mercy alone.
For if it is a living and true faith, quickened by the Holy Spirit, she is the mother of all good speaking and doing.7 From this brief account it's clear where our being made righteous comes from, and by what means we attain it. For we were not chosen beforehand, or saved long ago, by the worthiness of our own merits, but by God's mercy alone and the pure grace of Christ our Lord—through which we were made in him for those good works that God has appointed for us to walk in.✦89 And although good works cannot earn our being made righteous before God, they still cling so closely to faith that faith cannot be found without them, nor can good works be found anywhere without faith.
Read the original English
Master. Doth then the spirite alone, and fayth (sleepe we neuer so soundlye, or stād we neuer so recklesse & slothfull) so woorke all thynges for vs, as without any help of our owne to carye vs idle vp to heauen?
Scholer. I vse (maister) as you haue taughte mee, to make a dyfference betwene the cause and the effectes▪ The first, principall & moste perfect cause of oure iustifyenge and saluation, is the goodnesse and loue of God: wherby he chose vs for his, before he made the worlde. After that, god graūteth vs to be called by the preachīg of ye Gospel of Iesus Christ, when the spirit of the Lord is poured in to vs: by whose guyding and gouernaunce we be led to settle our truste in God: and hope forthe per formaunce of all hys promises. With thys choyse is ioyned, as companion, th… mortifyeng of the old man, that is of our affectiō & lust. Frō the same spirit also tometh our sanctification: the loue of God, & of our neighbour: iustice: and vpryghtnesse of life: finally, to say all in summe, whatsoeuer is in vs▪ or maye be done of vs, pure, honest, true and good, that altogether spryngeth out of thys most pleasaunt… roote, from this most plentyfull fountayne, the goodnesse, loue, …hoyse and vnchaūgeable purpose of god. He is the cause, the rest are the fr…tes and effectes. …et ar also the goodnesse, choise & spirit of God, and Christe himselfe, causes conioyned and coupled ethe wyth other: which mai be reckened amonge the principall causes of our saluation. As ofte thearfore as we vse to saye, that wee are made ryghteous and saued bi only faith: it is meante theareby: that fayth, or rather truste alone, doth lay hand vpon, vnderstād and perceyue, our righteousmakyng to be geuē … of God freely: that is to say▪ by no desertes of oure own▪ but by the free gra…e of the almighti father▪ Moreouer sayth doth engender in vs the loue of our neyghbour▪ and sutch workes as god is pleased wyth all.
For if it … a liuely & true faith, quik… ned by the holy ghost, she is the mother of all good sayinge and doynge. By thy… short tale is it euidēt, whēce, and by what meanes we attayne to be made righteous For not by the worthynesse of our deseruinges, were we eyther heartofore chosen, or long ago saued: but by the only mercy of god, and pure grace of Christ oure Lorde: whearby we weare in hym made to those good workes, that God hath apointed for vs to walke in. And althoughe good woorkes can not deserue to make vs righ teous before god: yet do thei so cleaue vnto faythe: that neither can fayth be founde without thē, nor good workes be any whear wythout faythe.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Eph.2.8-Eph.2.10 — For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Eph.2.9 — not by works, so that no one may boast Eph.2.10 — For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we would walk in them.
Notes
- 1 ↩EEBO-TCP lacuna 'th… mortifyeng' (gap of 1+ letters after 'th') restored as 'the mortifying'.
- 2 ↩Printed 'tometh' (line-broken 'to-meth') taken as intended 'cometh'. Lacunae 'pleasaunt… roote' and '…hoyse' restored as 'pleasant root' and 'choice', matching the sentence's root/fountain metaphor and the chapter's repeated 'choyse'.
- 3 ↩EEBO-TCP lacuna 'fr…tes' restored as 'fruits'.
- 4 ↩Lacuna '…et ar also' restored as 'Yet are also'. Printed 'ethe wyth other' taken as intended 'eche with other' (each with the other).
- 5 ↩One-word EEBO-TCP lacuna after 'geuē' restored as 'us' ('given us by God freely'). Lacuna 'gra…e' restored as 'grace'.
- 6 ↩Faith alone is cast as the instrument that lays hold of freely given justification, not as a meritorious cause; works and neighbor-love are said to be engendered by that faith.
- 7 ↩Source lacunae read 'For if it … a liuely & true faith, quik… ned'; reconstructed as 'if it is a living and true faith, quickened'.
- 8 ↩Opening lacuna 'By thy… short tale' taken as 'By this short tale' / 'from this brief account', matching the sense of the Scholar's short explanation rather than a second-person address.
- 9 ↩'only mercy' rendered as 'mercy alone' (sola misericordia force); 'made to those good workes' rendered as 'made in him for those good works' (Eph 2:10 cadence).
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit