⚖ Law & Sanctification · Good Works

Not-Required

Good works are unnecessary in the Christian life — the antinomian position rejected by XVI.2.

This is a contested or rejected alternative.

The Westminster baseline on Good Works is Necessary-Fruit-Not-Meritorious. Personas and schools listed below hold this alternative position instead — either because they argued for it at the Assembly (like the Erastians on polity) or because they represent a receiving tradition that departed from the Standards on this point.

Cruxes on this attribute

The Assembly navigated 1 crux that bear directly on Good Works.

Justification and the Antinomian Crisis 1643–1647 How do you secure sola fide without letting the law fall away?

Other positions on Good Works

Necessary-Fruit-Not-Meritorious WCF Good works are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith; they cannot merit pardon of sin or eternal life (WCF XVI.2, 5). Meritorious-De-Condigno Good works done in grace merit eternal life by condign worth — the Tridentine position rejected by XVI.5.