Whether Daniel ascribes justification to works by saying, "Rid yourself of your sins by almsgiving.
Held 1535.
Translated from Latin.
1. the faith of all believers of the Old Testament (antiquorum) has been a faith in the Christ to come, as it is written [Heb. 13:8]: "Christ yesterday and today."
2. they believed in God, but in the God who had promised Christ, and this they expected.
All sayings that deal with sins or good works presuppose faith, Heb. 11,
4. because sin cannot be recognized without the knowledge of God; for he who does not believe that God is an avenger does not recognize sin.
(5) Thus a good work cannot be recognized without the knowledge of God, for he will not do good who does not believe that God is pleased with it and will reward it.
6. this is what is said [Hebr. 11,. 6.]: "Whoever wants to come to God, must
*) This disputation is found in Latin in the Thesensammlungen of 1538 and 1558. In the Latin "Gesammtausgabe": in the Wittenberg (1550), toru. I, toi. 397d; in the Jena one (1579), tom. I, toi. 514 and in the Erlanger, opp. vur. ur.], vol. IV, p. 411. We have translated according to the Wittenberg.
believe that he is, and will be a retributor to those who seek him."
This can be easily understood from the description of the sin and the good work, since the sin is a work against God's law, but the good work is according to God's law.
Therefore God must necessarily be understood or known beforehand, who cannot be known without faith.
(9) Therefore, before every work, either one believes or one does not believe.
10 Therefore, these passages must be understood of the whole Christian life or of faith made flesh (de fide incarnata) 1): "Be loosed from your sins" 2c.
(11) And it is the opinion: Believe that God is angry with sin, and be reconciled to the righteous [by faith; and that this faith is the right faith, testify with the works.
The word "sin" is to be considered and explained here, so that it is soon proven that God is understood beforehand, who both wraths and forgives.
13 Therefore, when Daniel exhorts the king of Babylon to change his whole life, he teaches that forgiveness of sins is obtained through true faith (which does the works).
1) Compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. IX. 362, § 304; üä68 inearuLta is the faith united with the "Thun".
14 For in saying, "Your sins," he shows him the wrath of God, that is, the law, and that he was a sinner before God, which the king had not known.
15) By saying: "Get rid of yourself through charity" 2c., he shows him the grace of God by which sins are forgiven if he believes and proves his faith through almsgiving.
16 For if he did not believe Daniel that he had sinned and deserved God's wrath, he would not turn from sins.
17 Again, if he did not believe that God would forgive, he would not make an effort to give alms.
(18) Accordingly, Daniel has summed up in this word the whole doctrine, namely, the law and the gospel, that is, the whole life of believers,
(19) Just as in the doctrine of morals a right mind (recta ratio) and good will are always presupposed when what is right and honorable is commanded.
20. But the sayings that speak of the whole Christian life or of the faith that has become flesh and blood are not to be used against a part, that is, against faith alone, or justifying faith,
Otherwise, there will be obvious fraud in combining and dividing (fallacia compositionis et divisionis). 2)
2) Compare Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. IX, 638, § 89.