a treatise on good works-第5章

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this　work　all　good　works　must　be　done　and　receive　from　it　the

inflow　of　their　goodness；　like　a　loan。　This　we　must　put　bluntly；

that　men　may　understand　it。　



We　find　many　who　pray；　fast；　establish　endowments；　do　this　or

that；　lead　a　good　life　before　men；　and　yet　if　you　should　ask　them

whether　they　are　sure　that　what　they　do　pleases　God；　they　say；

〃No〃；　they　do　not　know；　or　they　doubt。　And　there　are　some　very

learned　men；　who　mislead　them；　and　say　that　it　is　not　necessary

to　be　sure　of　this；　and　yet；　on　the　other　hand；　these　same　men

do　nothing　else　but　teach　good　works。　Now　all　these　works　are

done　outside　of　faith；　therefore　they　are　nothing　and　altogether

dead。　For　as　their　conscience　stands　toward　God　and　as　it

believes；　so　also　are　the　works　which　grow　out　of　it。　Now　they

have　no　faith；　no　good　conscience　toward　God；　therefore　the　works

lack　their　head；　and　all　their　life　and　goodness　is　nothing。

Hence　it　comes　that　when　I　exalt　faith　and　reject　such　works　done

without　faith；　they　accuse　me　of　forbidding　good　works；　when　in

truth　I　am　trying　hard　to　teach　real　good　works　of　faith。　



III。　If　you　ask　further；　whether　they　count　it　also　a　good　work

when　they　work　at　their　trade；　walk；　stand；　eat；　drink；　sleep；

and　do　all　kinds　of　works　for　the　nourishment　of　the　body　or　for

the　common　welfare；　and　whether　they　believe　that　God　takes

pleasure　in　them　because　of　such　works；　you　will　find　that　they

say；　〃No〃；　and　they　define　good　works　so　narrowly　that　they　are

made　to　consist　only　of　praying　in　church；　fasting；　and

almsgiving。　Other　works　they　consider　to　be　in　vain；　and　think

that　God　cares　nothing　for　them。　So　through　their　damnable

unbelief　they　curtail　and　lessen　the　service　of　God；　Who　is

served　by　all　things　whatsoever　that　are　done；　spoken　or　thought

in　faith。　



So　teaches　Ecclesiastes　ix：　〃Go　thy　way　with　joy；　eat　and　drink；

and　know　that　God　accepteth　thy　works。　Let　thy　garments　be　always

white；　and　let　thy　head　lack　no　ointment。　Live　joyfully　with　the

wife　whom　thou　lovest　all　the　days　of　the　life　of　thy　vanity。〃

〃Let　thy　garments　be　always　white；〃　that　is；　let　all　our　works

be　good；　whatever　they　may　be；　without　any　distinction。　And　they

are　white　when　I　am　certain　and　believe　that　they　please　God。

Then　shall　the　head　of　my　soul　never　lack　the　ointment　of　a

joyful　conscience。　



So　Christ　says；　John　viii：　〃I　do　always　those　things　that　please

Him。〃　And　St。　John　says；　I。　John　iii：　〃Hereby　we　know　that　we　are

of　the　truth；　if　we　can　comfort　our　hearts　before　Him　and　have

a　good　confidence。　And　if　our　heart　condemns　or　frets　us；　God　is

greater　than　our　heart；　and　we　have　confidence；　that　whatsoever

we　ask；　we　shall　receive　of　Him；　because　we　keep　His

Commandments；　and　do　those　things　that　are　pleasing　in　His

sight。〃　Again：　〃Whosoever　is　born　of　God；　that　is；　whoever

believes　and　trusts　God；　doth　not　commit　sin；　and　cannot　sin。〃

Again；　Psalm　xxxiv：　〃None　of　them　that　trust　in　Him　shall　do

sin。〃　And　in　Psalm　ii：　〃Blessed　are　all　they　that　put　their　trust

in　Him。〃　If　this　be　true；　then　all　that　they　do　must　be　good；　or

the　evil　that　they　do　must　be　quickly　forgiven。　Behold；　then；　why

I　exalt　faith　so　greatly；　draw　all　works　into　it；　and　reject　all

works　which　do　not　flow　from　it。　



IV。　Now　every　one　can　note　and　tell　for　himself　when　he　does　what

is　good　or　what　is　not　good；　for　if　he　finds　his　heart　confident

that　it　pleases　God；　the　work　is　good；　even　if　it　were　so　small

a　thing　as　picking　up　a　straw。　If　confidence　is　absent；　or　if　he

doubts；　the　work　is　not　good；　although　it　should　raise　all　the

dead　and　the　man　should　give　himself　to　be　burned。　This　is　the

teaching　of　St。　Paul；　Romans　xiv：　〃Whatsoever　is　not　done　of　or

in　faith　is　sin。〃　Faith；　as　the　chief　work；　and　no　other　work；

has　given　us　the　name　of　〃believers　on　Christ。〃　For　all　other

works　a　heathen；　a　Jew；　a　Turk；　a　sinner；　may　also　do；　but　to

trust　firmly　that　he　pleases　God；　is　possible　only　for　a

Christian　who　is　enlightened　and　strengthened　by　grace。　



That　these　words　seem　strange；　and　that　some　call　me　a　heretic

because　of　them；　is　due　to　the　fact　that　men　have　followed　blind

reason　and　heathen　ways；　have　set　faith　not　above；　but　beside

other　virtues；　and　have　given　it　a　work　of　its　own；　apart　from

all　works　of　the　other　virtues；　although　faith　alone　makes　all

other　works　good；　acceptable　and　worthy；　in　that　it　trusts　God

and　does　not　doubt　that　for　it　all　things　that　a　man　does　are

well　done。　Indeed；　they　have　not　let　faith　remain　a　work；　but

have　made　a　habitus　of　it；　as　they　say；　although　Scripture　gives

the　name　of　a　good；　divine　work　to　no　work　except　to　faith　alone。

Therefore　it　is　no　wonder　that　they　have　become　blind　and　leaders

of　the　blind。　And　this　faith　brings　with　it　at　once　love；　peace；

joy　and　hope。　For　God　gives　His　Spirit　at　once　to　him　who　trusts

Him；　as　St。　Paul　says　to　the　Galatians：　〃You　received　the　Spirit

not　because　of　your　good　works；　but　when　you　believed　the　Word

of　God。〃



V。　In　this　faith　all　works　become　equal；　and　one　is　like　the

other；　all　distinctions　between　works　fall　away；　whether　they　be

great；　small；　short；　long；　few　or　many。　For　the　works　are

acceptable　not　for　their　own　sake；　but　because　of　the　faith　which

alone　is；　works　and　lives　in　each　and　every　work　without

distinction；　however　numerous　and　various　they　are；　just　as　all

the　members　of　the　body　live；　work　and　have　their　name　from　the

head；　and　without　the　head　no　member　can　live；　work　and　have　a

name。　



From　which　it　further　follows　that　a　Christian　who　lives　in　this

faith　has　no　need　of　a　teacher　of　good　works；　but　whatever　he

finds　to　do　he　does；　and　all　is　well　done；　as　Samuel　said　to

Saul：　〃The　Spirit　of　the　Lord　will　come　upon　thee；　and　thou　shalt

be　turned　into　another　man；　then　do　thou　as　occasion　serves　thee；

for　God　is　with　thee。〃　So　also　we　read　of　St。　Anna；　Samuel's

mother：　〃When　she　believed　the　priest　Eli　who　promised　her　God's

grace；　she　went　home　in　joy　and　peace；　and　from　that　time　no　more

turned　hither　and　thither；〃　that　is；　whatever　occurred；　it　was

all　one　to　her。　St。　Paul　also　says：　〃Where　the　Spirit　of　Christ

is；　there　all　is　free。〃　For　faith　does　not　permit　itself　to　be

bound　to　any　work；　nor　does　it　allow　any　work　to　be　taken　from

it；　but；　as　the　First　Psalm　says；　〃He　bringeth　forth　his　fruit

in　his　season；〃　that　is；　as　a　matter　of　course。　



VI。　This　we　may　see　in　a　common　human　example。　When　a　man　and　a

woman　love　and　are　pleased　with　each　other；　and　thoroughly

believe　in　their　love；　who　teaches　them　how　they　are　to　behave；

what　they　are　to　do；　leave　undone；　say；　not　say；　think？

Confidence　alone　teaches　them　all　this；　and　more。　They　make　no

difference　in　works：　they　do　the　great；　the　long；　the　much；　as

gladly　as　the　small；　the　short；　the　little；　and　vice　versa；　and

that　too　with　joyful；　peaceful；　confident　hearts；　and　each　is　a

free　companion　of　the　other。　But　where　there　is　a　doubt；　search

is　made　for　what　is　best；　then　a　distinction　of　works　is　imagined

whereby　a　man　may　win　favor；　and　yet　he　goes　about　it　with　a

heavy　heart；　and　great　disrelish；　he　is；　as　it　were；　taken

captive；　more　than　half　in　despair；　and　often　makes　a　fool　of

himself。　



So　a　Christian　who　lives　in　this　confidence　toward　God；　a　knows

all　things；　can　do　all　things；　undertakes　all　things　that　are　to

be　done；　and　does　everything　cheerfully　and　freely；　not　that　he

may　gather　many　merits　and　good　works；　but　because　it　is　a

pleasure　for　him　to　please　God　thereby；　and　he　serves　God　purely

for　nothing；　content　that　his　service　pleases　God。　On　the　other

hand；　he　who　is　not　at　one　with　God；　or　doubts；　hunts　and　worries

in　what　way　he　may　do　enough　and　with　many　works　move　God。　He

runs　to　St。　James　of　Compostella；　to　Rome；　to　Jerusalem；　hither

and　yon；　prays　St。　Bridget's　prayer　and　the　rest；　fasts　on　this

day　and　on　that；　makes　confession　here；　and　makes　confession

there