Chapter XVI: Of Good Works. De bonis operibus.

Of Good Works. De bonis operibus.
I. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word,
[1465] and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intention. [1466] I. Bona opera ea tantum sunt quæ in verbo suo sancto præcepit Deus; [1467] minime autem ea quæ absque ulla illius authoritate, sunt ab hominibus excogitata, sive e cæco zelo id factum fuerit, seu bonæ intentionis prætextu quoviscunque. [1468] II. These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith; [1469] and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, [1470] strengthen their assurance, [1471] edify their brethren, [1472] adorn the profession of the gospel, [1473] stop the mouths of the adversaries, [1474] and glorify God, [1475] whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, [1476] that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life. [1477] II. Bona hæc opera e conscientia mandatorum Dei præstita vivæ veræque fidei fructus sunt ac evidentiæ;
[1478] per hæc fideles gratitudinem suam manifestant, [1479] de salute certitudinem suam augent, [1480] fratres suos ædificant, [1481] Evangelii professionem ornant, [1482] obturant ora adversantibus,
[1483] ac Deum denique glorificant, [1484] cuius opificium sunt in Jesu Christo ad hæc creati, [1485] quo fructum habentes ad sanctimoniam, finem consequantur æternam vitam. [1486] III. Their ability to do good III. Quod bonis operibus idonei

works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. [1487] And that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure; [1488] yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them. [1489] sint præstandis omnino id a spiritu Christi est, nullatenus autem e seipsis. [1490] Et quo eis præstandis pares fiant, prater habitus gratiæ iam infusos, ejusdem Spiritus sancti actualis porro requiritur influentia, qua nempe in iis operetur tum velle tum etiam efficere pro suo ipsius beneplacito:
[1491] sed neque tamen iis proinde socordiæ sese licet permittere; ac si nisi specialiter eos excitante Spiritu ad nulla pietatis officia præstanda tenerentur; verum sedulam debent navare operam sustitandæ illi quæ in iis est divinæ gratiæ. [1492] IV. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more than God requires, as [1493] that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do. [1494] IV. Qui gradum obedientiæ summum quidem in hac vita possibilem assequuntur, tantum abest ut supererogare quicquam possint ac plus præstare quam quod Deus requisiverit, ut multum sane subsidant infra illud, quod ex officio præstare obligantur. [1495]
V. We can not, by our best works, merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come, and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfy V. Peccatorum veniam, aut vitam æternam de Deo mereri non valemus, ne optimis quidem operibus nostris; cum propter summam illam inter ea et futuram gloriam disparitatem; tum etiam propter infinitam distantiam quæ inter nos ac Deum intercedit; cui nos per illa nec prodesse

for the debt of our former sins; [1496] but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants; [1497] and because, as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit; [1498] and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they can not endure the severity of God's judgment. [1499] quicquam possumus, neque pro antecedentium peccatorum nostrorum debito satisfacere; [1500] verum cum quantum possumus fecerimus, non nisi quod debemus præstiterimus, ac servi inutiles futuri sumus; [1501] tum denique quoniam a spiritu Dei in quantum bona sunt proficiscuntur, [1502] ita vero sunt coinquinata, tantumque imperfectionis ac infirmitas admistum habent, prout a nobis efficiuntur, ut strictum Dei judicium non sint ferendo. [1503] VI. Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him, [1504] not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreprovable in God's sight; [1505] but that he, looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections. [1506] VI. Nihilominus tamen acceptis in gratiam per Christum fidelium personis, eorum etiam opera bona per eundem accepta sunt; [1507] non quod in hac vita sint omnis culpæ prorsus immunia, quæque in conspectu Dei nullam reprehensionem mereantur; [1508] verum quod illa respiciens in filio suo Deus, quod sincerum est, utcunque multis infirmitatibus ac imperfectionibus involutum, acceptare dignetur ac remunerari. [1509] VII. Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands, and of good use both to themselves and others; [1510] VII. Opera nondum regenitorum, licet, quoad materiam præcepto divino conformia esse possint, sibique ipsis et aliis item utilia; [1511] cum tamen neque a corde profluant per fidem

yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith, [1512] nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word, [1513] nor to a right end, the glory of God; [1514] they are therefore sinful, and can not please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God. [1515] And yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God.
[1516] depurato, [1517] nec secundum verbum eo quo par est præstentur modo, [1518] sed neque ad finem debitum, Dei nempe gloriam, destinentur; [1519] sunt proinde peccata, nec Deo grata esse possunt, nec reddere quenquam valent idoneum ad gratiam a Deo recipiendum.
[1520] Ejusmodi tamen operum neglectu, gravius quidem illi peccant Deumque offendunt vehementius. [1521]