John Locke on Salvation

In this paper, I do not participate in the long debate on John Locke's religious affiliation, but Investigate his Christian thought through two key texts: The Reasonableness of Christianity and A Paraphrase and Notes on the Epistles of St. Paid. By interpreting his concepts of fall and salvation, I clarify the theological foundation of his better-known philosophical system. I argue that his whole theology is based on the denial of original sin developed in the first chapter of The Reasonableness of Christianity. Because people are not born guilt, everyone must be responsible for his own act, and hence the Law of Nature, that is, the law of work, is the only way of salvation. The law of faith as established by Jesus is only a complementary of it. This is a basis for his ideas about liberal government and religious toleration.