, by his own natural strength and good
works, to faith, and calling upon God: Wherefore we have no power
to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace
of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and
working with us, when we have that good will.

XI. _Of the Justification of Man_.

We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own
works or deservings: Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only
is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more
largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification.

XII. _Of Good Works_.

Albeit that good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow
after Justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the
severity of God's Judgement; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to
God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively
faith; insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently
known as a tree discerned by the fruit.

XIII. _Of Works before Justification_.

Works done before the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his
Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of
faith in Jesu Christ, neither do they make men meet to receive
grace, or (as the School-authors say) deserve grace of congruity:
yea rather, for that they are not done as God hath willed and
commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature
of sin.

XIV. _Of Works of Supererogation_.

Voluntary works besides, over and above, God's Commandments,
which they call Works of Supererogation, cannot be taught without
arrogancy and impiety: for by them men do declare, that they do not
only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they
do more for his sake, than of bounden duty is required: whereas
Christ saith plainly, When ye have done all that are commanded to
you, say, We be unprofitable servants.

XV. _Of Christ alone without Sin_.

Christ in the truth of our nature was made like unto us in all
things, sin only except, from which he was clearly void, both in
his flesh, and in his spirit. He came to be the Lamb without spot,
who, by sacrifice of himself once made, should take away the sins
of the world, and sin, as Saint John saith, was not in him. But all
we the rest, although baptized, and born again in Christ, yet offend
in many things; and if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is n