Chapter 12 [VII.]—Why the Apostle Said that We are Justified by Faith and Not by Works.

But perhaps it may be said: “The apostle distinguishes faith from works; he says, indeed, that grace is not of works, but he does not say that it is not of faith.” This, indeed, is true. But Jesus says that faith itself also is the work of God, and commands us to work it. For the Jews said to Him, “What shall we do that we may work the work of God? Jesus answered, and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” 50    John vi. 28. The apostle, therefore, distinguishes faith from works, just as Judah is distinguished from Israel in the two kingdoms of the Hebrews, although Judah is Israel itself. And he says that a man is justified by faith and not by works, because faith itself is first given, from which may be obtained other things which are specially characterized as works, in which a man may live righteously. For he himself also says, “By grace ye are saved through faith; and this not of yourselves; but it is the gift of God,”51    Eph. ii. 8.—that is to say, “And in saying ‘through faith,’ even faith itself is not of yourselves, but is God’s gift.” “Not of works,” he says, “lest any man should be lifted up.” For it is often said, “He deserved to believe, because he was a good man even before he believed.” Which may be said of Cornelius52    Acts x. since his alms were accepted and his prayers heard before he had believed on Christ; and yet without some faith he neither gave alms nor prayed. For how did he call on him on whom he had not believed? But if he could have been saved without the faith of Christ the Apostle Peter would not have been sent as an architect to build him up; although, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain who build it.”53    Ps. cxxvii. 1. And we are told, Faith is of ourselves; other things which pertain to works of righteousness are of the Lord; as if faith did not belong to the building,—as if, I say, the foundation did not belong to the building. But if this primarily and especially belongs to it, he labours in vain who seeks to build up the faith by preaching, unless the Lord in His mercy builds it up from within. Whatever, therefore, of good works Cornelius performed, as well before he believed in Christ as when he believed and after he had believed, are all to be ascribed to God, lest, perchance any man be lifted up.

CAPUT VII.

12. Sed forsitan dicant , «Ab operibus fidem distinguit Apostolus: gratiam vero non ex operibus esse dicit; non autem dicit quod non sit ex fide.» Ita vero est: sed ipsam quoque fidem opus Dei dicit esse Jesus, et hanc ut operemur jubet. Dixerunt enim ad cum Judaei: Quid faciemus, ut operemur opus Dei ? Respondit Jesus et dixit illis: Hoc est opus Dei, ut credatis in eum quem misit ille (Joan. VI, 28, 29). Sic ergo distinguit Apostolus ab operibus fidem, quemadmodum in duobus regnis Hebraeorum distinguitur Judas ab Israel, cum et ipse Judas sit Israel. Ex fide autem ideo dicit justificari hominem, non ex operibus (Galat. II, 16), quia ipsa prima datur, ex qua impetrentur caetera, quae proprie opera nuncupantur, in quibus juste vivitur. Nam dicit etiam ipse, Gratia salvi estis facti per fidem, et hoc non ex vobis, sed Dei donum est: id est, et quod dixi per fidem, non ex vobis, sed Dei donum est etiam fides. Non ex operibus, inquit, ne forte quis extollatur (Ephes. II, 8, 9). Solet enim dici, Ideo credere meruit, quia vir bonus erat et antequam crederet. Quod de Cornelio 0970 dici potest, cujus acceptae sunt eleemosynae et exauditae orationes antequam credidisset in Christum (Act. X, 4): nec tamen sine aliqua fide donabat et orabat. Nam quomodo invocabat, in quem non crediderat (Rom. X, 14)? Sed si posset sine fide Christi esse salvus, non ad eum aedificandum mitteretur architectus apostolus Petrus: quamvis nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum, in vanum laboraverunt aedificantes eam (Psal. CXXVI, 1). Et dicitur nobis, «Fides est a nobis, caetera a Domino ad opera justitiae pertinentia:» quasi ad aedificium non pertineat fides; quasi ad aedificium, inquam, non pertineat fundamentum. Quod si in primis et maxime pertinet, in vanum laborat praedicando aedificans fidem, nisi eam Dominus miserando intus aedificet. Quidquid igitur et antequam in Christum crederet, et cum crederet , et cum credidisset, bene operatus est Cornelius, totum Deo dandum est, ne forte quis extollatur.