manner all we Christians are kings and priests, and how we are lords of
all things, and may be confident that whatever we do in the presence of
God is pleasing and acceptable to Him.

Whose heart would not rejoice in its inmost core at hearing these
things? Whose heart, on receiving so great a consolation, would not
become sweet with the love of Christ, a love to which it can never
attain by any laws or works? Who can injure such a heart, or make it
afraid? If the consciousness of sin or the horror of death rush in upon
it, it is prepared to hope in the Lord, and is fearless of such evils,
and undisturbed, until it shall look down upon its enemies. For it
believes that the righteousness of Christ is its own, and that its sin
is no longer its own, but that of Christ; but, on account of its faith
in Christ, all its sin must needs be swallowed up from before the face
of the righteousness of Christ, as I have said above. It learns, too,
with the Apostle, to scoff at death and sin, and to say, "O death, where
is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin,
and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. xv. 55-57). For
death is swallowed up in victory, not only the victory of Christ, but
ours also, since by faith it becomes ours, and in it we too conquer.

Let it suffice to say this concerning the inner man and its liberty, and
concerning that righteousness of faith which needs neither laws nor
good works; nay, they are even hurtful to it, if any one pretends to be
justified by them.

And now let us turn to the other part: to the outward man. Here we shall
give an answer to all those who, taking offence at the word of faith and
at what I have asserted, say, "If faith does everything, and by itself