Faith And Works

Septem vero graduum erat ascensus ejus, et vestibulum ante eam. Potest quoque per vestibulum fides intelligi. Ipsa quippe est ante gradus et portam, quia prius ad fidem venimus, ut postmodum per spiritalium donorum gradus coelestis vitae aditum intremus. Non enim per virtutes venitur ad fidem, sed per fidem pertingitur ad virtutes. Cornelius enim centurio, cujus eleemosynae ante baptismum, angelo testante, laudatae sunt, non operibus venit ad fidem, sed fide venit ad opera. Nam et ei per angelum dicitur: Orationes tuae et eleemosynae ascenderunt in conspectu Dei. Si enim Deo vero et ante baptismum non crediderat, quem orabat? vel quomodo hunc omnipotens Deus exaudierat, si non ab ipso se in bonis perfici petebat? Sciebat igitur Creatorem omnium Deum, sed quod ejus omnipotens Filius incarnatus esset ignorabat. Neque enim poterat bona agere, nisi ante credidisset. Scriptum namque est: Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo. Fidem ergo habuit, cujus orationes et eleemosynae placere Deo potuerunt. Bona autem actione promeruit ut Deum perfecte cognosceret, et incarnationis ejus mysterium crederet, quatenus ad sacramenta baptismatis perveniret. Per fidem ergo venit ad opera, sed per opera est solidatus in fide. Vestibulum itaque ante gradus est, quia qui prius credidit, ipse post virtutum gradibus ad portae aditum ascendit. Sanctus Gregorius Magnus, In Ezechielem Prophetam, Liber Secundus, Homilia VII Source: Migne PL 76.1018a-b

And there were seven steps to go up and a vestibule before it. 1 It is also possible to understand the vestibule as faith. This certainly is before the steps and the gate, because we come first to faith, so that after, through the steps of spiritual gifts, we may enter into the sanctuary of the heavenly life. It is not through the virtues we come to faith, but through faith we attain to the virtues. For Cornelius the centurion, whose alms before baptism were praised by the witness of an angel, were not works coming to faith but by faith he came to works. 2 For even if it was said to him by the angel, 'Your prayers and alms have ascended before the face of God,' 3 if he did not believe in the true God before baptism, to whom did he pray? Or how did almighty God hear him, if not he did not seek from Him that he be perfected in goods? He knew, then, God the creator of all things, but he was ignorant that His almighty Son had been incarnated. He was not able to do good before he believed. For it is written: 'Without faith it is impossible to please God.' 4 Therefore he had faith whose prayer and alms were able to please God. With good deeds he was made worthy to know God more perfectly, and to believe in the mystery of His incarnation, seeing that he came to the sacrament of baptism. Through faith ,therefore, he came to works, but through works he was made firm in faith. The vestibule is thus before the stair, because he who first believes, then he ascends the steps of virtue to the gate of the sanctuary. Saint Gregory the Great, On the Prophet Ezekiel, Book 2, from Homily 7 1 Ezek 40.22 2 Acts 10.1- 3 Act 10.4 4 Heb 11.6