Heb. xiii. 16. Footnote 68: Matt. xxv. 21, 29. Footnote 69: Isaiah lv. 1. Footnote 70: 1 Cor. iii. 10, 11. Footnote 71: 1 Cor. i. 30. Footnote 72: Ephes. i. 3-5. Footnote 73: Col. i. 14, 20, 21. Footnote 74: John i. 12. Footnote 75: John x. 28, 29. Footnote 76: Matt. xxviii. 18. Footnote 77: Ephes. ii 21. Titus iii. 7. Footnote 78: 1 John v. 12. Footnote 79: Rom. xiv. 23. Footnote 80: Acts xiii. 39. Footnote 81: 1 John v. 12. Footnote 82: John v. 24. Footnote 83: Rom. iii. 24. Footnote 84: 1 John iii. 24. Footnote 85: Ephes. ii. 6. Footnote 86: Col. i. 13. Footnote 87: Ephes. ii. 10. Footnote 88: 1 John iii. 8, 9. Footnote 89: 1 Peter iv. 3. Footnote 90: 2 Tim. ii. 20. Rom. ix. 23. Footnote 91: Luke ix. 23. Footnote 92: 2 Cor. iv. 8-10. Footnote 93: 2 Tim. ii. 11, 12. Footnote 94: Phil. iii. 10, 11. Footnote 95: Rom. viii. 29, 38, 39. Footnote 96: Rom. viii. 28. Footnote 97: 2 Peter i. 10. CHAPTER XVI. A REFUTATION OF THE INJURIOUS CALUMNIES OF THE PAPISTS AGAINST THIS DOCTRINE. The observation with which we closed the preceding chapter is, of itself, sufficient to refute the impudence of some impious persons, who accuse us, in the first place, of destroying good works, and seducing men from the pursuit of them, when we say that they are not justified by works, nor saved through their own merit; and secondly, of making too easy a road to righteousness, when we teach that it consists in the gratuitous remission of sins; and of enticing men, by this allurement, to the practice of sin, to which they have naturally too strong a propensity. These calumnies, I say, are sufficiently refuted by that one observation; yet I will briefly reply to them both. They allege that justification by faith destroys good works. I forbear any remarks on the characters of these zealots for good works, who thus calumniate us. Let them rail with impunity as licentiously as they infest the whole world with the impurity of their lives. They affect to lament that while faith is so magnificently extolled, works are degraded from their proper rank. What if they be more encouraged and established? For we never dream either of a faith destitute of good works, or of a justification unattended by them: this is the sole difference, that while we acknowledge a necessary connection between faith and good works, we attribute justification, not to works, but to faith. Our reason for this we can readily explain, if we only turn to Christ, towards whom faith is directed, and from whom it receives all its virtue. Why, then, are we justified by faith? Because by faith we apprehend the righteousness of Christ, which is the only medium of our reconciliation to God. But this you cannot attain, without at the same time attaining to sanctification;