William Penn

“ But they say with the Apostle James, that the true faith in Christ cannot be without works, any more than a body can live without a spirit; and that where there is no life there is no motion, and where there is no Divine life and motion, there can be no true faith, believing being a fruit of Divine life. And no sooner is true faith begotten in a soul, but it falls to working, which is both the nature, and in some respects, the end of it. ”

“ Nor yet do we say that our very best works, proceeding from the true faith itself, can merit. No, nor faith joined with them, because eternal life is the gift of God. All that man is capable of believing or performing can never be said to merit everlasting blessedness, because there can be no proportion between the best works in the life of man and eternal felicity. Wherefore, all that man can do, even with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, can never be said strictly to merit as a debt due to the creature. ”

“ So that men are not justified because they are sanctified, but for His sake that sanctifies them, and works all their good works in them and for them, and presents them blameless, that is Christ Jesus, who is made unto them, as He was to the saints of old, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, that he that glorieth might glory in the Lord. ”