version; and that in real conversion a change, renovation, and motion are produced in the understanding and heart of man. That charity, good works, and repentance do not enter into the act of justification, But that they are necessary in the state of justification, especially by reason of God's command, and that by them are merited the corporeal rewards of this life, but not the remission of sins and the glory of everlasting life, because faith alone, without the works of the law, justifies and saves. That faith in act justifies man, but faith in state renovates him; that in renovation by reason of God's command, the works reputed good, as pointed out by the decalogue, are necessary to be performed, because it is the will of God that carnal lusts should be restrained by civil discipline, for which reason he has provided doctrine, laws, magistrates, and punishments; that, therefore, it is consequently false, that by works we merit remission of sins and salvation, and that works have any effect in preserving faith; and that it is also false, that man is reputed just on account of the rational justice or righteousness he may possess; and that reason can, from its own power, love God above all things and perform his law; in a word, that faith and salvation are not preserved and retained in men by good works, but only by the Spirit of God and by faith; but still that good works are testimonies that the Holy Spirit is present and dwells in them. They condemn as pernicious, this mode of speech,—that good works are hurtful to salvation; because the interior works of the Holy Spirit are to be understood, which are good, not exterior works proceeding from man's own will, which are not good but evil, because they are meritorious. They teach, moreover, that Christ at the last judgment will pronounce sentence upon good and evil works as effects proper and not proper to the faith of man. This faith rules at this day in the whole reformed Christian world with the clergy, but not with the laity, except in a very few instances; for the laity by faith understand nothing else but believing in
