6. [41.] VI They are disposed by justice, when excited and assisted by Divine grace, conceiving faith by hearing, they are freely moved towards God, believing those things to be true which God has revealed and promised, and this especially, that God justifies the impious by grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. (Sess. VI., Chap. 6, Jan. 13.)
[42.] Man is justified by faith freely, because faith is the beginning of human salvation, the foundation and the root of all justification, without which it is impossible to please God, and to come to the fellowship of His sons. We are said to be justified freely, because none of those things which precede justification, whether faith or works, merit the grace itself of justification. For if it be grace, it is not now from works, otherwise grace would not be grace. (Ibid., Chap. 7, sec. 4.)
[43.] The merit of Christ is ingrafted by faith, hope and charity; for faith, unless hope and charity be added thereto, neither unites man with Christ, nor makes him a living member of His body. (Ibid., Chap. 7, sec. 3.)
[44.] For which reason it is said, that faith without works is dead and profitless; faith worketh by charity, whence also they immediately hear the Word of the Lord, "If you will enter into life, keep the commandments." (Ibid., Chap. 7, sec. 4.)
[45.] That man is justified by works, not by faith alone. (Ibid., Chap. 10.) That they have access by Jesus Christ. (Ibid., Chap. 11.)
[46.] If anyone saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified, so as to mean that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to the obtaining the grace of justification, and that it is not in any way necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will, let him be accursed. (Canon 9.)
[47.] If anyone saith that men are justified, either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ, or by the sole remission of sins, to the exclusion of the grace and the charity which is poured forth in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, and is inherent in them, or says that the grace is only the favor of God, let him be accursed. (Canon 11.)
[48.] If anyone saith, that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in the Divine mercy which remits sins through Jesus Christ, or that this confidence alone is that whereby we are justified, [let him be accursed]. (Canon 12, and more, Canon 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 24, 29.)
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church