Whether the Gospel requires the condition of obedience.
Whether the Gospel requires the condition of obedience.
§ 27. Akin to this argument of Bellarmine is the one in his preceding chapter (ch. 1 of De justificatione, bk. 4), which he produces clothed with this pretense: “If the Gospel requires no condition of obedience but is content with faith alone, certainly the man who does nothing good will be living in harmony with the Gospel.”
We respond. (1) The consequent concludes more than the antecedent allows. For though the Gospel declares the free remission of sins for Christ’s sake and in this respect requires no condition of works as the merit and cause of the forgiveness of sins, nevertheless it cannot be inferred from this that he lives in harmony with the Gospel who performs no good work, because through the word of the Gospel not only the forgiveness of sins is given to those who believe but also the Holy Spirit, who writes the Law of God in our hearts (Gal. 3:2; Jer. 31:[33]) and who “drives us” to good works of every kind (Rom. 8:14), so that in this way the Law and the Gospel are in practice very closely related.
(2) He is ignoring the fact that though the very faith which the preaching of the Gospel kindles in people’s hearts looks only to Christ in the matter of justification and gains the free remission of sins, yet it is the property and nature of faith that it becomes efficacious through love and the other fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:6) and cannot stand together with sins against conscience.
(3) So when it is asked who lives in harmony with the Gospel, the question is no longer about justification but about the life and behavior of a person who has been justified by faith in Christ. Thus in this respect that person is said to be living in harmony with the Gospel who displays his faith through works, since faith which springs from the preaching of the Gospel is efficacious through works. “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the Gospel of Christ, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the Gospel” (Phil. 1:27).
(4) The false apostles formed the same objection against St. Paul, who responded: “Do we then overthrow the Law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the Law” (Rom. 3:31). Let Bellarmine claim the same response for himself. Do we overthrow works by the Gospel? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold works, because through the Gospel faith and the Holy Spirit are given so that those who believe may walk in good works and bring forth the God-pleasing fruits of righteousness. Anselm writes very beautifully (commentary on Galatians 3):
Through the Law comes the knowledge of sin; through faith comes the receiving of grace against sin; through grace comes the cleansing of the soul from the fault of sin; through the cleansing of the soul comes the freedom of choice; through free choice comes the love of righteousness; through the love of righteousness comes the working of the Law; and through this the Law is not overthrown but upheld by faith, because faith obtains grace by which the Law is fulfilled, and grace cleanses the will by which one freely loves righteousness.