Now if we could obtain remission of sin by works, which are not embraced in the Jewish ceremonies, and thus merit righteousness, what need would there be of Christ and his promises? Everything that Paul said in various places concerning the promises, would be overthrown at once. He would be in error, when writing to the Ephesians 2:8–9, “For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works.”

Again, in the Epistle to the Romans, chap. 4:1–6, Paul alleged of Abraham and David:—They had received a commandment from God concerning circumcision. Now if any works justify before God, then the works, which God had commanded at that time, must also have justified.

But Augustine clearly maintains, that Paul is speaking of the whole law; and he argues at length, in his work concerning the spirit and the letter, (de Spiritu et Litera,) when he finally says, “Having now weighed and treated this subject, according to the strength which God has given us, we arrive at the conclusion, that no man is justified by the precepts enjoining a good life, but by faith in Jesus Christ.”  (Henkel Translation, p. 174-175).

We shall now cite passages which clearly state, that by faith we are made pious and righteous—not that our faith is a work so precious and pure, but solely because by faith, and by no other means, we receive the mercy offered.

In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul treats particularly of the manner in which we are justified before God; and arrives at the conclusion, that all those who believe that God is merciful to them through Christ, are justified before God by faith, without merit. And this forcible conclusion, this proposition, in which is comprehended the main subject of the whole epistle, yea, of all the Scriptures, he lays down clearly and unequivocally in the third chapter to the Romans and the 28th verse, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

Our adversaries here contend, that Paul excluded only the Jewish ceremonies, not other virtuous works. Paul, however, does not speak of ceremonies only, but properly and assuredly of all other works, and of the whole law, or Ten Commandments. For in the 7th verse of the 7th chapter he afterwards quotes the passage from the Decalogue, “Thou shalt not covet.”

(Henkel Translation, p. 174).

No one on earth will ever be able to devise, invent, or contrive anything, by which this argument alone, if there were no other, can be overthrown. Nor will the pious and conscientious Christian by any means permit himself to be led away from the position, that we receive remission of sins by faith alone, for the sake of Christ’s merits. For in this they have a sure, firm, and eternal consolation against sin and the devil, death and hell; while everything else rests on a sandy foundation, and is insufficient in the hour of temptation.

Now, as we obtain remission of sin, and receive the Holy Ghost, through faith only, faith alone justifies us in the sight of God. For those who are reconciled to God, are righteous in his sight, and are his children; not on account of their purity, but because of God’s mercy, if they accept and embrace it through faith. Therefore, the Scriptures testify, that we are justified before God by faith. (Henkel Translation, p. 174).

Fourthly, remission of sin is promised for Christ’s sake. Therefore, no one can obtain it, unless by faith alone. For no one can take hold of the promise or participate in it, except through faith only. Rom. 4:16, “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure.” Precisely as if he should say, that if our salvation and righteousness depended on our own merit, the promise of God would yet be uncertain and useless to us; for we could never know it with certainty, when our merits would suffice. The pious heart and Christian conscience know this full well, and would not for a thousand worlds that our salvation depended upon ourselves.

Paul agrees with this view, Gal. 3:22, “The Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” Here Paul casts aside all our merit; for he says we are all worthy of death, and concluded under sin; he calls to mind the divine promise, by which alone we can obtain the forgiveness of sin; and further adds how we become participants of the promise, namely, by faith. This argument, drawn by Paul from the very nature of the divine promise, namely, that as God’s promise is certain and must remain sure, (as it will not fail to do,) remission of sin cannot proceed from our merit; else it would be uncertain, and we could not know when our merits would suffice; yes, I say, this argument, this foundation, is a firm rock; it is almost the strongest in the whole of Paul’s writings, and is very often repeated and quoted in all the epistles. (Henkel Translation, p. 173-174).

Secondly, it is certain that sins are remitted, for the sake of the Propitiator Christ, Rom. 3:25, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation” or Conciliator; and it is expressly added—“through faith.” Accordingly we can avail ourselves of the Conciliator’s worth, by embracing the promises of mercy through faith, and setting it up against the wrath and judgment of God. And the same is written in Heb. 4:14-15, We have a High Priest Christ, &c. Let us go to him with joyfulness. The Apostle tells us to approach God, not relying on our own works, but trusting in the High Priest Christ. He therefore clearly requires faith. (Henkel Translation, p. 172-3, † literally “habit of love” toward God).

Thirdly, Peter says, Acts 10:43, “To him give all the Prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” How could Peter have expressed himself more clearly? He says, we receive remission of sin through his name; that is, we receive it through him not through our merit, not through our repentance (or attrition,) not through our love, not by our own service of God, not by our human ordinances or works; and he adds—if we believe in him. He therefore requires faith to exist in the heart. For that reason he says: “To him give all the Prophets witness.” This, it seems to me, is truly appealing to the Christian of universal church; for if all the holy Prophets bear witness, their decision and testimony are truly glorious, grand, excellent, and forcible; but of this passage we shall speak more hereafter. (Henkel Translation, p. 172-173).

Now no one by works can embrace Christ as Mediator; but only by believing the word which proclaims him a Mediator. Therefore, when our souls are comforted and lifted up by the divine promises made to us for Christ’s sake, we obtain the remission of sin by faith alone. For Paul says, Rom. 5:2, that through him we have access to the Father; and he adds expressly—by faith. In this way, and no other, are we reconciled to the Father, receiving the remission of our sins, when we are encouraged to hold fast to the promise, in which grace and mercy are held out to us through Christ.

Our opponents hold respecting Christ, the Mediator and Conciliator, that he earns love, or the habitum dilectionis†, for us. They do not say, that he must be our only Mediator, but rather bury him again, and pretend that we have access to God through our works, that through these works we merit the habitum, and can then come to God, by means of love. This is indeed burying Christ anew, and taking away the whole doctrine of faith. But Paul, on the contrary, clearly teaches that we have access, that is, are reconciled to God through Christ.

In order to show how this is effected, he adds that we have this access through faith, obtain remission of our sins by faith, through the merit of Christ, and cannot appease God’s anger, except through Christ. It is therefore very clear, that we do not merit forgiveness by our works of love. (Henkel Translation, p. 172, † literally “habit of love” toward God).

But we shall presently endeavor to show that we obtain remission of sin by faith alone (as the minor says,) and not through love. Our opponents have been trifling with these important things. They ask, whether the remission of sin and the infusion of grace are one change, or two. It seems impossible for these idle, ignorant men to treat these things properly; for, to have a real sense of sin and of the wrath of God, is not an unimportant or trifling subject; nor is the consciousness of the remission of sin a feeble consolation. Thus Paul says, 1 Cor. 15:56–57, “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” That is, sin alarms the conscience; this is done by the law, which shows us the earnest zeal and wrath of God against sin; but through Christ we conquer.

How is this effected? When we believe—when our hearts are lifted up by the promises of grace through Christ, and rely upon them. Thus we prove, that we obtain remission of sins, by faith in Christ, and not by works; that is, God cannot be reconciled or his wrath appeased by our works, but Christ alone is the Mediator and Conciliator, for his sake alone is the Father merciful to us. (Henkel Translation, p. 171-172).

That we obtain remission of sins through faith alone in Christ.

We think our opponents must acknowledge, that above all things remission of sins is necessary to justification; for we are all born in sin. Hence we infer: That, when we obtain remission of sin, we are righteous and pious in the sight of God; according to Psalm 32:1, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven.” But solely through faith in Christ, not through love, nor on account of love or works, do we obtain the remission of sin, although love follows faith. It must follow therefore, that we are justified by faith alone. For the sinner’s justification means, that he is changed into a pious being, and born anew by the Holy Ghost. *

(Henkel Translation, p. 171, * This is the first or major proposition; and now follows the minor, i.e., the other proposition of the preceding argument.).

Some earnestly contend against the word sola, alone; yet Paul clearly says Rom. 3:28: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” Again, Ephes. 2:8: “It is the gift of God, not of yourselves, not of works, lest any man should boast;” and the same in Rom. 3:24. Now if this word, this exclusiva sola, (the expression alone, which excludes everything else,) is so objectionable to some, they may erase these words also, wherever found in the epistles of Paul: “through grace”—“not of works”—“the gift of God,” &c., “lest any man should boast,” and the like; for they are very decidedly exclusive (exclusivæ). The words, “through grace” exclude merit and all works whatsoever. And by the word sola, when we say that faith alone makes us righteous, we do not exclude the Gospel and the sacraments, and that by holding that faith alone accomplishes all, invalidate the word and the sacraments, as our opponents misinterpret our views on all subjects; but we exclude our own merit.

We have plainly stated above, that faith comes through the word. We therefore exalt the ministry of the word more highly than our adversaries do, and say, besides, that love and works must follow faith. We do not therefore, exclude works by the word sola, or hold that we should not follow; but it is the confidence in our own merit or works that we exclude; and say that they do not merit remission of sins. This we shall hereafter show more fully and clearly. (Henkel Translation, p. 170-171).

Some, perhaps, when we say that faith justifies before God, apply this merely to the beginning; namely, that faith is only the beginning of, or preparation for justification; not that faith itself makes us acceptable to God, but rather the love and works that follow it. They imagine that faith is commended in the Scriptures, simply because it is a beginning of good works,—as much always depends on the beginning. But this is not our view, for we hold, on this subject, that we become acceptable to God through faith itself. And as the word justificari (to be justified, made just,) is used in two different ways, namely, to designate being converted or born again, and again in the sense of being esteemed just, we shall first show, that we are converted from evil, impious ways, born anew, and justified by faith alone. (Henkel Translation, p. 170).