M.  How then dost thou say that they please God?

      S.  ⁿIt is faith that procureth God’s favour to our works, while it is assured that he will not deal with us after extremity of ^olaw, nor call our doings to exact account, nor try them as it were by the square: that is, he will not, in valuing and weighing them, use severity, but remitting and pardoning all their corruptness, for Christ’s sake and his deservings, will account them for fully perfect.

      M.  Then thou standest still in this, that we cannot by merit of works obtain to be justified before God, seeing thou thinkest that all doings of men, even the perfectest, do need pardon?

      S.  God himself hath so decreed in his word; and his Holy Spirit doth teach us to pray that he ^pbring us not into judgment.  For where righteousness, such as God the Judge shall allow, ought to be thoroughly ^qabsolute, and in all parts and points fully perfect, such as is to be directed and tried by the most precise rule, and, as it were, by the plumb-line of God’s law and judgment; and sith our works, even ^rthe best of them, for that they swerve and differ most far from the rule ^sand prescription of God’s law and justice, are many ways to be blamed ^tand condemned; we can in no wise be justified before God by works.

      M.  Doth not this doctrine withdraw men’s minds from the duties of godliness, and make them slacker and slower to good works, or at least less cheerful and ready to godly endeavours?

      S.  No: for we may not therefore say that good works are unprofitable or done in vain and without cause, for that we obtain not justification by them.  For they serve both to the profit of our neighbour ^uand to the glory of God; and they do, as by certain testimonies, ^xassure us of God’s good-will toward us, and of our love again to God-ward, and of our faith, and so consequently of our salvation.  And reason it is, that we being redeemed with the blood of Christ the Son of God, and having beside received innumerable and infinite benefits of God, should live and wholly frame ourselves after the ^ywill and appointment of our Redeemer, and so shew ourselves mindful and thankful to the Author of our salvation, and ^zby our example procure and win other unto him.  The man that calleth these thoughts to mind may sufficiently rejoice in his good endeavours and works.