ii. 16). This is what Paul says:
"Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ," victory over sin and death, as he says, "The sting of death is
sin, and the strength of sin is the law" (1 Cor. xv. 56, 57).
From all this you will again understand why so much importance is
attributed to faith, so that it alone can fulfil the law and justify
without any works. For you see that the First Commandment, which says,
"Thou shalt worship one God only," is fulfilled by faith alone. If you
were nothing but good works from the soles of your feet to the crown of
your head, you would not be worshipping God, nor fulfilling the First
Commandment, since it is impossible to worship God without ascribing to
Him the glory of truth and of universal goodness, as it ought in truth
to be ascribed. Now this is not done by works, but only by faith of
heart. It is not by working, but by believing, that we glorify God, and
confess Him to be true. On this ground faith alone is the righteousness
of a Christian man, and the fulfilling of all the commandments. For to
him who fulfils the first the task of fulfilling all the rest is easy.
Works, since they are irrational things, cannot glorify God, although
they may be done to the glory of God, if faith be present. But at
present we are inquiring, not into the quality of the works done, but
into him who does them, who glorifies God, and brings forth good
works.
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