VI. But the world has long been taught a different lesson; for I know not what good works of morality have been invented to render men acceptable to God, before they are ingrafted into Christ. As though the Scripture were false in asserting, that “he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life.”[78] If they are destitute of life, how could they generate any cause of life? As though there were no truth in the declaration, that “whatsoever is not of faith, is sin!”[79] as though an evil tree could produce good fruits! But what room have these most pestilent sophists left to Christ for the exertion of his power? They say that he has merited for us the first grace; that is, the opportunity of meriting; and that now it is our part not to miss the offered opportunity. What extreme impudence and impiety! Who would have expected that any persons professing the name of Christ, would presume thus to rob him of his power, and almost to trample him under their feet? It is every where testified of him, that all who believe in him are justified:[80] these men tell us, that the only benefit received from him is, that a way is opened for all men to justify themselves. But I wish that they had experienced what is contained in these passages: “He that hath the Son, hath life;”[81] “he that believeth is passed from death unto life;”[82] “justified by his grace,” that we might “be made heirs of eternal life;”[83] that believers have Christ abiding in them, by whom they are united to God;[84] that they are partakers of his life, and sit with him “in heavenly places;”[85] that they are translated into the kingdom of God, and have obtained salvation;[86] and innumerable places of similar import. For they do not signify that by faith in Christ we merely gain the ability to attain righteousness or effect our salvation, but that both are bestowed on us. Therefore, as soon as we are ingrafted into Christ by faith, we are already become sons of God, heirs of heaven, partakers of righteousness, possessors of life, and (the better to refute their falsehoods) we have attained, not the opportunity of meriting, but all the merits of Christ; for they are all communicated to us.