Gospel I answer he could doe no otherwise If a priuate man shall erre he must first be admonished and then the Church must be told of it If he heare not the Church then iudgement may be giuen that he is a Publican and not before much more then if the Church shall erre there must first be an examination of the errour and them sufficient conviction and after conuiction followes the censure vpon the Church and iudgement then may be giuen and not before And Paul had nowe onely begun in this Epistle to admonish the Church of Galatia Great therefore is the rashnes and want of moderation in many that haue beene of vs that condemne our Church for no Church without sufficient conuiction going before If they say that we haue beene admonished by bookes published I say againe there be grosser faults in some of those books then any of the faults that they reprooue in the Church of England and therefore the bookes are not fit to conuince specially a Church And though Paul call the Galatians Churches of God yet may we not hence gather that the Church of Rome is a church of God The name it may haue but it doeth in trueth openly obstinately oppugne the manifest principles of Christian religion If any demaunde what these Churches of Galatia are I answer that they were a people of Asia the lesse and though they were famous Churches in the daies of the Apostle yet now the countrie is vnder the dominion of the Turke This shewes what God might haue done to vs in England long agoe for the contempt of the Gospell This againe shewes what desolation will befall vs vnlesse we repent and bring forth better fruits of the Gospell 3. Grace be with you and peace from God the father from our Lord Iesus Christ. 4. Who gaue Here is laid downe the second part of the Preface which is the Salutation propounded in the forme of a praier Grace and peace c. Grace here mentioned is not any gift in man but grace is Gods and in God And it signifies his gratious fauour and good will whereby he is well pleased with his elect in and for Christ. Thus Paul distinguisheth the grace of God from the gift that is by grace Rom. 5. v. 15. and sets grace before the gift as the cause of it Here comes the errour of the Papists to be confuted which teacheth that the grace which makes vs gratefull to God is the infused gift of holinesse and charitie whereas indeed we are not first sanctified and then please god but first we please God by grace in Christ and then vpon this we are sanctified and indued with charitie Peace is a gift not in God but in vs and it hath three parts The first is peace of conscience which is a quietnesse and tranquilitie of minde arising of a sense and apprehension of reconciliation with God Rom. 5. v. 1. The second is peace with the creatures and it hath fiue branches The first is peace with angels for man is redeemed by Christ and by meanes of this redemption sinfull man is reconciled to good Angels Coloss. 1. 20. The second is peace with the godly who are all made of one heart and mind Isai. 11. 9. The third is peace with our selues and that is a conformitie of the will affections and inclinations of mans nature to the renewed minde The fourth is peace in respect of our enemies For the decree of God is Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme Againe all things turne to the good of them that loue God The fift is peace with the beasts of the field God makes a couenant with them for his people Ose. 2. 18. The creatures desire waite for the deliuerance of Gods children Rom. 8. They that trust in God shall walke vpon the Lyon and the Bafiliske Psal. 91. The third part of peace is prosperitie and good successe whatsoeuer the righteous man doth it prospers And all things prospered in the house of Potipher when Ioseph was his steward because he feared God Gen. 39. 1 2. To proceed Paul sets downe the causes of grace and peace and they are two God the father and Iesus Christ. And here it must be remembred that the father and Christ as they are one God they are but one cause and yet in regard of the manner of working they are two distinct causes For the father giues grace from none but himselfe by the sonne and Christ procures grace and peace and he giues it vnto men from thefather Furthermore Christ is described by his propertie Our Lord and by his effects in the next verse The vse Whereas Paul beginnes his praier with grace we learne that Grace in God is the first cause and beginning of all good things in vs. Election is of grace Rom. 11. v. 5. Vocation to saluation is of Grace 2. Tim. 1. 9. Faith is of grace Phil. 1. 29. Iustification is freely by Grace Rom. 3. 24. Loue is by grace 1. Ioh. 4. 9. Euery good inclination is of grace Phil. 2. 13. Euery good worke is of grace Ezech. 36. 27. Eph. 2. 10. Life euerlasting is of grace Rom. 6. 23. To auoide any euill is the least good and euery good is of God It may be said that will in man is the cause and beginning of some good things Answer In the creating or imprinting of the first grace in the heart will is no cause at all but a subiect to receiue the grace giuen After the first grace is giuen will is an Agent in the receiuing of the second grace and in the doing of any good worke Yet this must be remembred that when will is an agent it is no more but an instrument of grace and grace in God is properly the first middle and last cause of grace in vs and of euery good acte Hence it followes that there be not any meritorious workes that serue to prepare men to their iustification and that the Cooperation of mans will with grace in the acte of conuersion whereby we are conuerted of God is but a fiction of the braine of man Lastly this doctrine is the foundation of humilitie for it teacheth vs to ascribe all to grace and nothing to our selues Secondly we learne that the cheife good things to be sought for are the fauour of God in Christ and the peace of a good conscience Consider the example of Dauid Psal. 4. v. 7. Psal. 73. v. 24 25. and of Paul who accounted all things dung for grace and peace in Christ. And the peace of good conscience is as a guard to keepe our hearts and minds in Christ. Phil. 4. 7. The fault of most men is They spend their daies and their strength in seeking riches honours pleasures and they thinke not on grace and peace After the manner of beasts they vse the blessings of god but they looke not at the cause namely the grace of God Our dutie Aboue all things to seeke
represse the good motions of the spirit In this respect Paul saith when I would do good euill is present and the law of the flesh rebelles against the law of the mind Rom. 7. 21. 23. Hereupon the flesh is fitly resembled by the disease called Ephialtes or the mare in which men in their slumber thinke they feele a thing as heauie as a mountaine lying on their brests which they can no waie remoue The second action of the flesh is to bring forth and to fill the mind with wicked cogitations and rebellious inclinations In this respect concupiscence is said to tempt intice and draw away the mind of man Iam. 1. 14. Againe the lust of the spirit hath two other actions The first is to curbe and restraine the flesh Thus Saint Iohn saith that the seed of grace keepes the regenerate that they can not sinne 1. Ioh. 3. 9. The second action of the spirit is to ingender good motions cogitations and inclinations agreeable to the will of God Thus Dauid saith that his raines did teach him in the night season Psal. 16. And the prophet Isai saith thine eare shall heare a voice saying here is the way walke in it when thou â—urnest to the right hand or to the left c. 30. v. 21. And this voice no doubt is not only the voice of such as be teachers but also the inward voice of the spirit of God in vs. And thus by the concurrence of these contrarie actions in one and the same man is this combat made The third point is concerning the cause of this combat in these wordes and these are contrarie one to another The contrarietie of the flesh and the spirit makes the combat And the contrarietie is very great for the spirit is the gift of righteousnes and the flesh standes in a double opposition to it for it is first of all the want of righteousnes and secondly a prones to all vnrighteousnes that is to say not a single but a double priuation or want of the grace or gift of God Hence I gather that man hath no freedome of will in good duties before his conuersion because he is then wholly flesh and wants the spirit of God and the flesh is flat contrarie to the spirit and one contrarie hath no power at all to bring forth the effect of his contrarie And hence it followes that there are no such workes wherby a man may prepare himselfe to his owne iustification for though the mind be inlightned with a general faith yet man before he be iustified is nothing but flesh and flesh beeing in nature opposite to the spirit can make no preparation for the spirit no more then darknes can make preparation for the entrance of light The fourth point is concerning the persons in whome this combate is to be found And they are beleeuers not vnbeleeuers or wicked men such as the Galatians were to whome this combate is said to belong It may be alleaged that naturall men haue a combate in them For they can say I see and approoue that which is good but I doe that which is naught Ans. This combate is betweene the naturall conscience and rebellious affection and it is incident to all men that haue in them any conscience or light of reason But the combate of the flesh and the spirit is of an other kinde for in it the mind is carried against it selfe the will against it selfe and the affections against themselues by reason they are partly spirituall and partly carnall Secondly not all beleeuers haue this combate in them but only such as be of yeares for infants though they haue the seede of grace in them yet do they want the act or exercise thereof and therefore they feele not this combate because it standes in action Thirdly this combate is in the godly for the time of this life only because in death the flesh is abolished and consequently the combate it selfe The fift point is in what things doth this combate shew it selfe Ans. In all the actions of men regenerate which Paul signifies when he saith ye cannot do the things which ye would For example in praier sometime we feele feruent desires and sometime againe deadnes of spirit sometimes faith sometimes doubting This combate is in all the actions of the Godly specially in good actions Thus much Paul teacheth wheÌ„ he saith I find by the law of God that when I would do good euil is present Rom. 7. 21. And I do not the good which I would but the euill which I would not that do I. v. 19. And that we mistake not it must be remembred that Paul speakes all this of himselfe as beeing regenerate that he speakes it not of this or that action but of the course of his life in which he willed and indeauoured to do that which was good and acceptable to God And that appeares by the very wordes when he saith to will is present with me And I would do good but I do it not Marke further while Paul wills and indeauours to do that which is good if he faile and do amisse he may well say It is not I that do it but the flesh that dwelles in me And vngodly men for the couering of their wickednes if they say as they do that it is their flesh that sinneth and not they the abuse the holy doctrine and example of Paul The last point concernes the effect of the Combate which is to hinder the Godly that they cannot do that which they would and that three waies First it makes them that they cannot sinne that is liue in practise of any one sinne 1. Iohn 3. 9. Secondly if at any time they fall it sâ—aies and keepes them that they sinne not with full consent of will For they say when they sinne the euill which I hate that do I. Thirdly though in the ordinarie course of their liues they do that which is good yet by reason of this combate they faile in the dooing of it Rom. 7. 18. to wil is present with me but I find no means to fulfil or accomplish that which is good Euen as a sick-man that is in recouerie for his affection thinkes he is able to walke a mile or twaine and yet by reason of faintnes and weakenes is scarce able to walke once or twise about his chamber So the regenerate man for affection inclines to the best things and yet by reason of the flesh failes in the dooing of them Thus much of the combate the vse followes Hence I gather that concupiscence or lust after baptisme in the regenerate is a sinne For the lust of the spirit is the thing that God requireth and approoueth now the lust of the flesh is directly contrarie to it as a defect or priuation thereof and therefore the lust of the flesh is properly a sinne whether consent of will goe with it or no. Againe hence it followes that workes of the regenerate are mixed workes that is good workes indeed yet not perfectly good but partly euill for such as the cause is such is the effect now the minde and will of man are the cause of his workes and
the mind is partly carnall and partly spirituall so also is the will and therefore the workes that proceede from them are partly spirituall in part carnall Vpon this ground it followes that all the workes of regenerate men are sinfull and in the rigour of iustice deserue damnation Obiect Sinne is the transgression of the law good workes are no transgression of the law therefore good workes are no sinnes I answer to the minor The transgression of the law is twofold One which is directly against the law both for matter and manner the second is when that is done which the law requires but not in that manner it should be done And thus good workes become sinfull The dutie which the law requires is done but it is not done perfectly as it ough to be done by reason of the flesh Secondly it is alleaged that good workes are from the spirit of God and that nothing proceeding from the spirit of God is sinne Ans. Things proceeding from the spirit of God alone or from the spirit immediatly are no sinnes now good workes proceed not only from the spirit but also from the mind and will of man as instruments of the spirit And when an effect proceedes from sundrie causes that are subordinate it takes vnto it the nature of the second cause hereupon workes are â—â—rtly spirituall and partly carnall as the minde and will of the doer is Thirdly it is alleged that good works please God and that things pleasing God are no sinnes Ans. They please God because the doer is in Christ and so pleaseth God Againe they please not God before or without pardon for they are accepted because God approoues his owne worke in vs pardons the defect thereof Lastly some obiect on this manner No sinnes are to be done good workes are sinnes there-therefore not to be done Ans. They are not simply sinnes but onely by accident For as God commands them they are good and as godly men doe them they are good in part Now the reason holds onely thus That which is sinne so farre forth as it is a sinne or if it be simplie a sinne is not to be done Now then vpon this doctrine it followes that there is no iustification by workes nor no fulfilling of the law for the time of this life Thirdly hence it follows that the grace of God for the time of this life is mixed with his contrarie the corruption of the flesh This mixture the godly feele in themselues to the great griefe of their hearts When they would beleeue their mindes are oppressed with vnbeleefe They see more ignorance in themselues then light of knowledge There are a number amongst vs that say they know as much as all the world can teach them that they doe perfectly beleeue in Christ and euer did that they loue God with all their hearts and did neuer so much as doubt of the mercie of God But these men are voide of the grace of God they are like emptie barrells that make a great sound they neuer knew what is meant by the combate of the flesh and spirit Fourthly we are here to be admonished in all duties of religion to vse industrie and paines by willing striuing and indeuouring to the vttermost to doe that which we ought to doe We must vse asking seeking knocking Matth. 7. 7. we must with Paul vse wrastling in our praiers to God Rom. 15. 30. They that would haue knowledge in the booke of God must doe more then heare a Sermon they must striue against their ignorance and blindnes and laboriously exercise their senses in the discerning of good and euill They that would beleeue must striue against their naturall vnbeleefe and indeauour to beleeue Blessed saith Salomon Prou. 28. is the man that feareth himselfe or inures himselfe to feare Paul saith of himselfe that he laboured and tooke paines to keepe a good conscience Act. 24. 16. Lastly by reason of this combate we are put in minde to vse sobrietie and watchfulnesse ouer our owne corruptions with much and instant praier least we fall into temptation Matth. 26. 41. We should practise these more then we doe for beside the enemies without we haue an enemie within that seekes our perdition 18 And if ye be led by the spirit ye are not vnder the law In the 13. verse Paul propounds a maine rule of good life Giue no occasion to the flesh and for the better keeping of this he giues a second rule v. 16. Walke in the spirit Of this second rule he giues two reasons The first is taken from the contrarietie of the flesh and the spirit v. 17. The second is in these words they that walke according to the spirit are freed from the curse of the law In these words Paul sets downe three things The first is the office of the spirit which is first of all to regenerate and renew all the powers of the soule and secondly to guide and conduct them that are regenerate Psal. 143. 10. In this guidance or conduction there are foure actions of the spirit The first is Preseruation whereby the holy Ghost maintaines the gift of regeneration in them that are regenerate The second is Cooperation whereby the will of God as the first cause workes together with the regenerate will of man as the second cause And without this Cooperation mans will brings forth no good action no more then the tree which is apt to bring forth fruit yeeldes fruit indeede till it haue the presence and cooperation of the Sunne and that in the season of the yeare The third is direction whereby the spirit of God ordereth and establisheth the minde will and affections in good duties 2. Thess. 3. 5. The last is Excitation whereby the spirit stirres and still mooues the will and minde after they are regenerate because for the time of this life the grace of God is hindred and oppressed by the flesh Hereupon after regeneration there must still be new inclining Psal. 119. 36. new drawing Cant. 1. 3. new working of the will and the deede Phil. 2. 13. Hence it follows that beside the antecedent and first grace there is necessarie a subsequent or second grace For we doe not that good which we can doe vnles God by a second grace make vs doe it as he made vs able to doe it by the first grace The second thing is the Office of all true beleeuers and that is to resigne theÌ„selues in subiection to the worke of Gods spirit Now Gods spirit workes in and by the word of God And hereupon this Subiection hath two parts The first is to make triall inquirie and examination what is the good will of God in euery thing Rom. 12. 2. Thus did Dauid Psal. 119. 94. I am thine saue me for I seeke thy commandements The second part is to denie our selues
temple And thus hoping that these respects may entreate for a friendly acceptance at thy hands and that thou wilt afforde mee thy good word for my good will and a fauorable construction for my paines I commend it to the blessing of the Almightie and thee to his gratious protection vnfainedly wishing to thee as to my selfe the mercie of God in Christ Iesus August 10. Thine in the Lord Iesus R. C. Faults escaped in some copies are thus to be corrected Pag. lin Fault correct 25 30 building binding 70 28 degree decree 86 27 Christin Christian ibidem  refuse refused 105 4 Prov. 14. 24. 136 3 seach search 153 4 7 47 164 25 begunne beginne 176 24 happily haply 241 5 reuealed conceiued 360 33 it is 402 1 come came 440 16 maginations imaginatioÌ„s 461 29 foole foote 469 23 notes motes 472 38 Recidauation RecidiuatioÌ„ 473 7 the thiefe thiefe 478 30 Quaerenda Quâ—rendo 480 17 Supposes Supposals 482 25 perfunctorie defunctorie 482 37 thâ— the 490 38 heard hard 505 36 thought though 556 23 equall equall 559 26 our an 585 8 see seeing 612 3 Peter Peters 647 14 o other In the Epistle to the Reader for hath read haue CHAP. 1 THE EPISTLE OF S. PAVL TO THE GALATIANS The Argument TWo things are generally to be considered the occasion of this Epistle and the Scope The occasion that mooued Paul to write this Epistle was because certen false-Apostles slaundered him both in respect of his calling as also in respect of his doctrine teaching that he was no Apostle and that his doctrine was false And by this means they seduced the Churches of Galatia perswading them that iustification and saluation was partly by Christ and partly by the Lawe The Scope of the Epistle is in three things First the Apostle defends his calling in the first and second chapters Secondly he defends the truth of his doctrine teaching iustification by Christ alone And vpon this occasion he handles the greatest question in the world Namely what is that Justice whereby a sinner stands righteous before God in the 3. and 4. and in the beginning of the fift Thirdly he prescribes rules of good life in the fift and sixt chapters 1. Paul an Apostle not of men nor by man but by Iesus Christ and God the father who raised him from the dead THe Epistle hath 3. parts a Preface an Instruction and the Conclusion The preface is in the fiue first verses and it hath two parts an inscription and a Salutation The inscription sets downe the persons that write the Epistle and the persons to whome it is sent The persons that write are two Paul the Brethren Paul is mentioned in the first verse In which in comely and decent manner he commende himselfe to the Galatians by his office and function as Apostle that is one called to be a planter and founder of the Church of the newe Testament among the nations And because the title of an Apostle in generall signification may agree to all teachers therefore he goes further and sets downe the cause of his Apostleship And first he remooues the false causes in these words not of men that is not called by men as by Authors of my calling or not called by the authoritie of men And in this Paul opposeth himselse to the false-apostles who were called notby God but by men Againe he saith not by man that is not called of God in and by the ministerie of any meere man And in this Paul opposeth himselfe to all ordinarie ministers of the Gospell whatsoeuer who are called of God by man This done he propounds the true cause and author of his Apostleshippe of whome he was called immediately Against this it may be obiected that Paul was ordained to be an Apostle by the imposition of haÌ„ds of the Church of Antioch I answer that this imposition was rather a confirmation then a calling Secondly they of Antioch had not imposed hands on Paul but that they were commanded by the spirit of God Further Paul addes that he was called by Christ and God the father for three causes The first was to signifie the consent of will in the father and Christ. The second was to teach vs howe we are to conceiue of God namely that he is the Father and Iesus Christ and the Holy Ghost for the Godhead may not be conceiued out of the trinitie of persons The third is because the father is the fountaine of all good things that come to vs by Christ. Lastly he sets downe the effect or action of the Father who raised him from the dead and that for two causes One was to prooue Christ to be the naturall sonne of God for he professed himselfe to be so and that was one cause why he was crucified and put to death Nowe when he was dead if he had not bin the sonne of God indeede he had neuer risen againe but had perished in death And in that the father raised him againe to life he gaue testimonie that he was his own naturall sonne And therefore Paul saith that Christ was declared to be the sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead and he applies the words of the Psalme thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee to the time of Christs resurrection Againe Paul mentions the resurrection of Christ to note the time of his owne calling for though the rest of the Apostley were called when Christ was in the estate of humiliation yet Paul was called afterwards when Christ was entred into his kingdome and sate at the right hand of his father The vse First whereas Paul in the very fore front of his Epistle beginnes with his owne calling I gather that euery minister of the Gospell ought to haue a good and lawefull calling A man cannot preach vnlesse he be sent Christ tooke not vnto him the office of a Mediatour till he was called and sent of the Father Therefore the opinion of the Anabaptist is foolish and phantasticall who thinke that euery man may preach that will without any speciall calling They alleadge that the house of Stephanas ordaine themselues to the Ministerie of the Saints Answer the meaning of the place is not that they called themselues but that they set themselues apart to the ministerie of the Saints in the purpose and resolution of their owne hearts Againe they alleadge that all Christians in the newe Testament are Kings and Priests and the office of the priest is to teach I answer all are priests in that they are to offer themselues in sacrifice to God and to teach priuately within their places and callings as the master his seruants the father his children c and to make a confession of their faith when they are called so to doe Thirdly they alleadge that the power of the keies is giuen to the Church I answer it is indeed yet so as the vse and administration thereof belongs to the Ministers alone in the
seedes but seeds are the proper cause of the fruite therefore good works are the proper cause of eternall life not faith only So that as there is a hidden vertue in the seede to bring forth fruit so is there a dignitie in good workes to merit eternall life Ans. First as in a parable so in a similitude whatsoeuer is beside the scope and drift thereof as this their dispute is prooueth nothing The scope of the similitude is this that as he which soweth wheate shall reape wheate so he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting and as he that soweth tares shall reape nothing but tares so he that soweth to â—he flesh the cursed seedes of a wicked life shall of the flesh reape nothing but corruption and as he that soweth plentifully either of these shall reape a plentifull haruest of either of them so he that sowes the seede of a godly or wicked life in plentifull manner shall reape a plentifull increase either of miserie or felicitie When the Papists therefore reason thus Seedes are the cause of the fruit and haue in them a hidden vertue whereby they grow and bring forth fruit therefore good works are the proper cause of life and haue a dignitie and excellency in them whereby they are worthie of eternall life they misse of the drift and intent of the Apostle and so conclude nothing Besides this their collection and discourse is contrarie to their own doctrine For they teach that good works are meritorious by merit of condignitie which may be vnderstood 3 waies either in regard of the dignitie of the worke alone or in regard of the promise of God alone and his diuine acceptation or partly in regard of the dignitie and excellencie of the worke partly in regard of the promise of God Now albeit some of them hold that good workes doe merit in respect onely of Gods promise and mercifull acceptation as Scotus Ariminensis Durandus Uega Bunderius Coster and the like others in respect partly of their owne worthines partly of Gods promise and acceptance as Bonaventure Biel Driedo lingius Iansenius Bellarmine c. it beeing the common receiued opinion among the Schoolemen as B 〈…〉 ldius witnesleth yet noâ—e of them excepting onely Caietan affiâ—â—e that they are meritorious onely in regard of the dignitie of the worke which notwithstanstanding the Rhemists and others labour to prooue out of this similitude vrging the analogie betwixt seede and good workes contrarie to the current and streame of their owne Doctours Thirdly I answer that good workes are seedes yet faith is the roote of these seedes and in that good workes are made the seedes of eternall life it is to be ascribed to Gods mercifull promise not to the merit of the worke for in that we or our workes are worthie of the least blessing it is more of Gods mercie then our merit Fourthly the Apostle sheweth onely who they are that shall inherit eternall life and the order how life is attained but not the cause wherefore it is giuen It will be said not onely the order but the cause is set downe as it may appeare by the antithesis for as sowing to the flesh is the cause of destruction so sowing to the spirit is the cause of eternall life Ans. It is true in the one but not in the other For first sinnes or workes of the flesh are perfectly euill as beeing absolute breaches of the law and deserue infinite punishment because they offend an infinite maiestie whereas workes of the spirit are imperfectly good hauing in them wants and imperfections there beeing in euery good worke a sinne of omission comming short of that perfection that is required in the law they beeing good and perfect as they proceede from the spirit of God imperfect and vicious as they come from vs. Euen as water is pure as it proceedes from the fountaine but troubled as it runneth through a filthie channell or as the writing is imperfect and faultie as it comes from the yong learner but perfect and absolute as it proceedeth from the scriuener which guideth his hand So that if God setting aside mercie should trie them by the touchstone of the word they would be found to be but counterfeit And if he should waigh them in the balance of his iustice they would be found too light Secondly there is a maine difference betwixt the workes of the flesh and the works of the spirit in this very point in that the workes of the flesh are our owne workes and not the works of God in vs and so we deserue eternall death by reason of them they beeing our owne wicked workes whereas good workes proceede not from vs properly seeing we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any good thing as of our selues 2. Cor. 3. 5. but from the spirit of God who worketh in vs both the will and the deede and are his works in vs therefore beeing not ours we can merit nothing by them at the hands of God Thirdly obserue that it is not said he that soweth to the spirit shall of that which he hath sownercape life euerlasting but shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting Where we see the Apostle attributes nothing to our workes but to the grace of Gods spirit Lastly Rom. 6. 23. the holy Ghost putteth manifest difference betweene the works of the flesh of the spirit in respect of merit when he saith The wages of sinne is death but eternall life is the gift of God He saith not that eternall life is the reward of good workes but the gift of God now in the reward of sinne there is merit presupposed in the gift of eternall life nothing but grace and fauour Obiect II. God giueth eternall life according to the measure and proportion of the worke v. 7. As a man soweth so shall he reape 2. Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and he that soweth liberally shall reape liberally 1. Cor. 3. 8. Euery one shall receiue his proper wages according to his owne labour Therefore in giuing eternall life he hath no respect of the promise or compact but of the dignitie and efficacie of the worke Ans. Fulnes of glorie called by Schoolemen essentiall glorie is giuen onely for the merits of Christ in the riches of Gods mercie without all respect of workes Accidentall glorie when one hath a greater measure of glorie an other a lesse as when vessels of vnequall quantitie cast into the sea are all filled yet some haue a greater measure of water some a lesse is giuen not without respect of works yet so as that it is not giuen for workes but according to workes they beeing infallible testimonies of their vnfained faith in the merits of Christ. If it be said that eternall life is giuen as a reward meritoriously deserued by good works because it is said Come ye blessed for I was hungrie and ye gaue me meate Matth. 25. I answer it is
one thing to be iust an other thing to be declared and knowne to be iust We are iust by faith but we are knowne to be iust by our works therefore men shall be iudged at the last day not by their faith but by their workes For the last iudgement serueth not to make men iust that are vniust which is done by faith but to manifest them to the world what they are in deede which is done by workes Men are often compared to trees in Scripture Now a tree is not knowne what it is by his sappe but by his fruit neither are men knowne to be iust by their faith but by their workes Indeede a tree is therefore good because his sappe is good but it is knowne to be good by his fruit So a man is iust because of his faith but he is knowne to be iust by his good works therefore seeing that the last iudgement must proceede according to euidence that is vpon record for the bookes must be opened and men must be iudged of those things that are written in the bookes all must be iudged by their workes which are euident and apparent to the view of all men and not by their faith which is not exposed to the sight of any And hence it is that the Scripture saith we shall be iudged according to our workes but it is no where said for our good workes Gregorie saith God will giue to euery one according to his workes but it is one thing to giue according to workes an other thing for workes For works are no way the cause of reward but onely the common measure according to which God giueth a greater or lesser reward Take this resemblance A King promiseth vnequal rewards to runners the least of which would equall the riches of a kingdome vpon condition that he which first commeth to the goale shall haue the greatest reward the second the next and so in order They hauing finished their race the King giueth them the reward according to their running Who would hence but childishly inferre that therefore they merited this reward by their running And whereas they vrge that text Matth. 25. Come ye blessed for I was hungrie and yee fedde me I answer first that the word for doth not alway signifie a cause but any argument or reason takē from any Topick place as Rom. 3. 22 23. The righteousnes of God is made manifest vnto all and vpon all that beleeue For there is no differēce for all haue sinned are depriued of the glorie of God Where sinne is no cause of the righteousnes of faith but onely an antecedent or adiunct common to all men So when we say This is the true mother of the child for shee will not haue it diuided There for doth not implie the cause as though her refusing to haue it diuided did make her the true mother of it but onely the signe that shee was the true mother indeed Secondly be it granted that it implieth the cause yet not the meritorious cause for good workes are said to be causes of eternall life not as meriting procuring or deseruing any thing at the hands of God but as they are the kings high way to eternall life God hauing prepared good works that we should walke in them If a King promise his subiect a treasure hid in the topp of a steepe and high mountaine vpon condition that he clime and digge it out his climing and digging is the efficient cause of enioying the treasure but no meritorious cause of obtaining it seeing it was freely giuen If it be further said that the word for doth here signifie the cause as well as in the words following Goe ye cursed for I was hungrie and ye gaue me no meat seeing our Sauiour Christ speaketh after the same māner of the reward of the godly and punishment of the wicked I ans The paritie of the reason stands in this that as by good works we come to eternall life so by wicked works we runne headlong to perdition The dissimilitude is this that euil works are not onely the way but also the cause of death good workes are the way but not the cause as Bernard saith they are via regni non causa regnandi Obiect III. Here God promiseth eternall life to good workes therefore good works merit eternall life Answ. There is a double couenant Legall and Euangelicall In the legali couenant the promise of eternall life is made vnto workes Doe this and liue If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements But thus no man can merit because none can fulfill the lawe In the Euangelicall couenant the promise is not made to the worke but to the worker and to the worker not for the merit of his work but for the merit of Christ as Apoc. 2. 20. Be faithfull vnto the end and I will giue thee the crowne of life the promise is not made to fidelitie but to the faithfull person whose fidelitie is a signe that he is in Christ in whome all the promises of God are yea and Amen that is most certaine and infallible Secondly if any thing be due to works it is not of the merit of the worke but of gods mercifull promise Augustine saith God made himselfe a debter not by owing any thing but by promising Thirdly no reward is due to workes of regeneration vpon compact and promise first because we are not vnder the couenant of works in which God doth couenant with vs vpon condition of our obedience but vnder the couenant of grace the tenour of which coue nant runneth vpon condition of the merits of Christ apprehended by faith Secondly though we were vnder the legall couenant yet we merit not because our workes are not answerable to the lawe Lastly wheras the pillars of the Romish church teach that the promise made vpon condition of performing the worke maketh the performer to merit is very false This is not sufficient to make a meritorious worke it is further required that the worke be answerable and correspondent in worth and value to the reward as if one shall promise a thousand crowns to him that will fetch a little water out of the next well it is debt indeed in the promiser but no merit in the performer because there is no proportion betweene the worke and the reward Obiect IV. Sowing to the spirit is a good worke and reaping eternall life the reward but reward presupposeth memerit therefore sowing to the spirit doth merit eternall life Ans. There is a double reward One of fauour another of debt Rom. 44. To him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt So saith Ambrose There is one reward of liberalitie and fauour another reward which is the stipend of vertue and recompence of our labour Therefore reward signifieth generally any recompence or any gift that is bestowed vpon another whether it be more or lesse whether answerable to the worke or not
by good example and by gratious speeches seasoned with salt c. as Barnabas did who comming to Antioch and seeing the grace of God that was giuen them was glad and confirmed them therein exhorting them that with purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord. Act. 11. 22. and for this cause as I take it it is added v. 23. that he was a good man and full of the holy Ghost and faith The Vniting goodnes is likewise to be practised in setting men at Vnitie in reconciling those that are at variance in making peace and amitie where there is nothing but enmitie and dissention for for this cause Christ calleth peace-makers the children of God Matth. 5. 10. because herein they liuely resemble the goodnes of God their heauēly father as any sonne doth resemble any qualitie or propertie in his naturall father for he maketh men to be of one minde in one house Psal. 67. The Communicating goodnes beeing especially vnderstood in this place hath foure degrees First for temporall things we must communicate to the necessities of the Saints Rom. 12. 13. And for spiritual blessings we must remēber the saying of Peter Let euery man as he hath receiued a gift so minister the same vnto others as good disposers of the manifold grace of God 1. Pet. 4. 10. Secondly we must be plentifull in the workes of mercie not contenting our selues with this that we are beneficiall to some in releeuing them in their wants and necessities but we must be rich in good workes 1. Tim. 6. 18. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded that they doe good and be rich in good works readie to distribute and to communicate We must be like Tabitha or Dorcas who cloathed the poore with the garments which shee made at her owne proper cost and charges Act. 9. 39. and for this cause the holy Ghost giueth this testimonie of her that shee was rich or full of good works almes which shee did v. 36. like to the vertuous woman Prou. 31. 20. who openeth the palme of her hands to the poore and stretched out her hands to the needie like Iob of whome it is said that the loynes of the poore blessed him Iob. 31. 20. Thirdly we must be much in goodnes as the Scripture speaketh of God that is abundant in goodnes in communicating vnto others abundantly those blessings which the Lord hath stored vs withall not onely in louing our brethren for which the Thessalonians are commended that their loue one towardes another did abound but in a liberall supplying of their wants as Paul exhorts the Corinthians that as they did abound in faith and loue so they would abound in rich liberalitie 2. Cor. 8. 7. as good Obadiah did in spending his liuing and venturing his life in hiding an hundred of the Lords Prophets from the furious rage of wicked Iesabel 1. King 18. 13. Lastly we must be exceeding or superabundant in goodnes in exceeding measure if it may be in doing good like the poore widow who had rather want her selfe then be altogether wanting in contribution to the treasurie of the Lords Temple and therefore though it was but two mites which shee cast into the Corban yet Christ preferred it before all the rich mens offerings beeing put together in that they gaue of their superfluitie but shee of her penurie cast in all that shee had euen all her liuing Luk. 21. 4. It is well said by S. Ambrose We must releeue the wants of others according as we are able and sometime euen aboue our abilitie as Paul witnesseth of the Corinthians to their great commendation that to their power beyond their power they were willing 2. Cor. 8. 3. Further in doing good we must obserue these rules I. We must doe good of that onely which is our owne for we may not cut a large and liberall shine of another mans loafe as the common saying is we may not steale from one to giue to another or deale vniustly with some that we may be mercifull to others or robbe Peter to cloath Paul The Lord abhorreth euen burnt offering if it be of that which is gotten by rapine and spoile Esa. 61. 8. and hence it is that Dauid would not offer burnt offering without cost of that which was not his owne 1. Chron. 21. 24. II. We must doe good with chearefulnes and alacritie for God loueth a chearefull giuer 2. Cor. 9. Ambrose saith fitly and finely to this purpose Well-doing ought to proceede from well-willing for such as thine affection is such is thy action Therefore if we giue we must doe it freely otherwise it is no gift for what more free then gift therefore we may not play the hucksters in doing good for that doth most blemish the excellencie of the gift for as Lactantius saith Danda beneficia non foeneranda III. We must so doe good as that we doe not disable our selues for euer doing good but may continue in well doing and as the Psalmist speaketh bring forth more fruit in our age Salomon commands that the streames of our wells should flow to others yet so as that the fountaine be still our owne Psal. 112. 5. A good man is mercifull and lendeth and will guide his affaires with iudgement that is he will so discreetly dispose and order all his actions as that he will keepe himselfe within his compasse so beginning to doe good as that he may continue therefore the wise man saith In the house of the wise there is a pretious treasure and oyntment but a foolish man deuoureth it Prou. 21. 20. All the disciples that were at Antioch sent succour to the brethren which were in Iudea in the great famine that was in the time of Claudius Cesar yet euery man according to his abilitie Act. 11. 29. for according to Pauls rule we must not so giue that others be eased and we our selues pinched 2. Cor. 8. 13. IIII. We must doe all the good we can possibly within the compasse of our callings and hinder all the euill It will be said God whose example we are to follow doth not all the good he can neither doth he hinder all the euill Therefore we are not bound to doe all the good or preuent all the euill we can I answer in this particular we are not to imitate the example of God and that for three causes First because we are subiect to the law Thou shalt not doe euill that good may come of it Rom. 3. 8. whereas God is not bound nor subiect to any Law no not to his owne law but is aboue it and hath power to dispence with it Secondly because he is able to draw good out of euill light out of darknes which we cannot doe Thirdly because God is the Generall good we particular Now there is great difference betwixt these two for it belongs to the nature of the particular good to procure all the good
first cause of all good things in vs. 11. 7 Grace and peace are the cheife good things to be sought for 11. 30 Gods order in the communication of grace peace 12. 21 Grace and works cannot stand together in iustificatioâ— 20. 18 Wherein standes the efficacy of preuenting grace 52. 10 Whether it can be resisted 52. 30 How efficacie of grace and libertie of will stand together 52. 37 Grace in Scripture signifieth two things 153. 10 Preuenting grace is two fould 308. 24. The works of grace in God Imprint their Image in the hearts of them that belong to God 308. 32 Falling from grace though but in part is dangerous 339. 23 The hatred of Gods grace in man is the beginning of all persecution 362. 21. What is our Guide now in the new Testament the lawe beeing abrogated 234. 22 Men are said to be vnder grace two waies 318. 28 One little grace of God brings many other with it 391. 11 Beside the antecedent and first grace there is necessarie a subsequent or second grace 421. 34 Grace mentioned in the Scripture twofold 651. 33 Gratia gratum faciens and gratia gratis data ibid. 34 Gratia gratum faciens naturall or supernaturall ibid. 40. 652. 1 Why the fauour and loue of God is called the Grace of Christ 652. 15. The soule the proper subiect of Grace 652. 32 H Hatred whether a sinne or not 435. 4. What it is 435. 27 What a right heart is 111. â—7 What a humble and honest heart is 111. 18. Mans heart peruerse to Gods ordinance 618. 12 What Heresie is 432. 12. 18 Difference betweene heresie and schisme 432. 36 Difference betweene heresie and a simple error 433. 9 Three things in heresie ibid. 10 Three rules to preserue our selues from heresies 433. 20 There are two degrees of honour 455. 22. I Idolatrie committed two waies 304. 16. That Idolatrie may be rooted out of the mind what is to be done 305. 37. What Idolatrie is 427. 22 An Idol and Idolatrie taken two waies 427. 22 the Romish religion teacheth Idolatrie foure waies 428. 9 their Arguments answered ibid. 24 Iealousie twofold 329. 16 Good Iealousie stands in 3 things 331. 26. 332. 6. What the name of Iew signifieth opposed to Gentiles 270. 13 Of the distinction of Iewes Gentiles the cause of it 114. 3 Wherein it stands 114. 16 How long it endured ibid. 31 The nation of the Iewes shall be called and conuerted before the ende of the world but when or how God knowes 182. 2 Ierusalem a type of the catholike church in sixe respects 350. 21 Whether Ignorance be a sinne in those that want the word of God 303. 25. the Image of God standes in two things 335. 13 Whether Images be necessarie in the congregation of the people of God 161. 10 Immoderate vse of Gods gifts is 3 waies 400. 27 Imposition of hands by the church of Antioch vpon Paul no calling but a confirmation of his calling 2. 13. Imputation what 175. 18 Imputation twofold 175. 25. Things indifferent not to be vsed as oft as we liste and how we will 80. 22. Two things restraine the vse of theÌ„ indifferent 80. 29 A thing indifferent when it is made necessarie to saluation is not to be vsed 8115. Infantes how they are to be tearmed innocents and how not 525. 39 Infantes haue no good workes 553 8. Infantes to be iudged not by the booke of Conscience but by the booke of life 553. 10 Inscriptions no part of Scripture 658. What the Intercession of Christ is 298. 7. Certain Interpretation of Scripture where to be found 352. 33 Ioy is twofould 444. 17 Ioy of grace in this life standes in three things and hath a double fruit 444. 18. 23 Paul made fiue Iourneyes to Ierusalem 74. 2 We are to haue some warrant for our Iournies where three sortes of meÌ„ are to be blamed 75. 15. 20 Israel twofould 646. 1 Israell of God what ibid. 4 Israel of God why mentioned ibid. 6. Iudisme what it is 41. 12 What it is to Iudaise 112. 3 Iudge the best of others three obiectioÌ„s mooued answered 392 10. In giuing Iudgment of Churches three rules to be marked 8. 15 Three things are subiect to Iudgement 156. 3 Iudgement is twofould 159. 25 The dutie of ministers often to forewarne the people and the dutie of the people often to meditate of Gods iudgements 441. 10. 15. Iugling a kind of witchcraft 429. 35. What the word iustice signifies 116. 8. The subiect of iustification 117. 10 False causes of iustification ibid. 35 What is that thing in Christ by and for which we are Iustified 118. 32. We are not Iustified onely by the passion of Christ. 121. 10 The meanes of iustification 123. 30. Faith alone Iustifieth 129. 17 Iustice twofould of the person and of the act 176. 18 The danger of the doctrine of Iustification by workes 397. 29 Iustification is twofould of the person of the faith of the person 385. 5 Arguments against Iustification by works 375. 3 Faith and loue no ioynt causes in Iustification 384. 10 384. 10. Whosoeuer obstinately maintaineth the doctrine of iustification by workes cannot be saued 373. 30 Obiections remooued ibid. The kindes of iustification 131. 8 The practise of them that are iustified 131. 36 But one Iustification 177. 1 Papists in the day of death renounce Iustification by workes 183. 34 There is a Iustification before God and a Iustification before men 193. 3. We are Iustified not only by the death but also by the obedience of Christ. 286. 18 No Iustification by workes 419. 9. 420. 6. The twofould popish Iustification confuted 348. 12 K Kingdome of God what 42. 25 Gods kingdome what it signifieth 441. 22. Knowledge of the true God stands in two points 248. 20 Knowledge of god is 2. fould 303. 5 Knowledge whereby men know God is either litterall or spirituall 306. 4. The properties of spirituall are thâ—â—e 306. 18. The Knowledge whereby God Knowes men standes in 2. things 308. 10. and it hath two properties 309. 24 L The distinction of Latria and Dulia friuolous 313. 6 We are free from the Law in foure respects 136. 10 The maine difference betweene the Law and the Gospell 194. 36. 214. 17. Why the lawe is vrged though we cannot keepe it 196. 16 The difference of the promises of the Law and the Gospell 210. 17 Impossible for any man in the time of this life to fulfill the Law 186. 35. Obections remooued c. ibid. 11 There are two kindes of fulfilling the Law 189. 11 The Lawe is not greuous three waies vide commandements The difference of the promises of the Law and the Gospell 210. 17 How the Law reuealed sinne before Christ and after 216. 14. The vse of Gods Lawes 227. 23 The Lawe is a Schoolemaster to Christ in two respects 229. 10 When the Lawe of Moses was abrogated 230. 19 How farr forth the Lawe is abrogated 230. 38 What is the Morall Ceremoniall
preparemen to their iustification 11. 13. How our workes are said to please God 191. 19 The workes of the regenerate are mixed and sinnefull and in the rigour of iustice deserue damnatioÌ„ ergo no iustification by workes 515. 9. The benefit of approouing of our workes 515. 9 How we may aprooue our workes three rules 515. 16 Whether we may not approoue our workes or actions to men and if we may how farre forth 515. 29 Infants haue no good workes 553. 8. Gods reward shall be according to the quantitie and qualitie of the workes and what may be gathered from thence 555. 25 How Lazarus and the theife on the crosse had good works 553. 27 Workes and laboures of men may differ three waies and what they be 556. 37 Vses that God rewardeth men according to their workes 559. 560 561. 562. Workes though they be seedes yet are they no causes of eternall life 564. 565. 31. That workes are seedes of eternall life it is gods mercie and not the merit of the workes 565. 35 Workes of the flesh perfectly euill and why 566. 5 Good works perfect as they are of god imperfect as they are of meÌ„ 566. 12. Reasons why the workes of the spirit are not the cause of eternall life as well as badd workes are the cause of eternall destruction 566. tota pag. Obiections of the Papists to prooue workes the causes of eternall life answered Beginning at pag. 561 line 31. vsque ad pag. 572. Workes no cause of our reward but the measure 568. 2 Good workes make a man knowne to be iust but faith m 〈…〉 him iust 567. 32 Good workes are causes of eternall life not as meriting but as the kings high way 568. 25 How life eternall is promised to good workes how not 569. 6 The promise of reward vpon condition of performing the worke maketh not a meritorious worke 569. 29. Reward not due to workes of regeneration vpon compacte and promise the reasons why 569. 20. Good workes merit not eternall life though it be a reward of them page 569. in fine and page 570. 571. How life eternall is called a reward of good works 570. 11. 571. 5 That we may incite our selues to the dooing of good workes from the consideration of our heauenly reward sundrie reasons 579. 29. In dooing good workes we may respect the reward but not onely nor principally 581. 31 What should most of all mooue vs to doe good workes 581. 32 The loue of the world and of the truth cannot stand together 619 33. What is meant by the world and what it is to be taken out of the world 13. 37 Y Two kindes of yeelding 87. 18 Z Zeale what it is 45. 20 FINIS 2. Tim. 3. 16. 2. Pet. 1. 20. 1. Tim. 6. 20. Eph. 6. 17. Esa. 8. 20. Ioh. 5. 9. Mal. 1 2. Deut 6 8. Hugo de S. Viâ—t de Script Scriptor â—â—cris lâ—â— 1. c. 1. Deut. 4. 2. Matth 5. 13. Psal 19. 10. Psal 119. 98. c. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Act. 2. 〈◊〉 Iam 1 21. Ier. 2. 13. Ferdinaud Vellosill Epis. Luc. in praef in aduer Schol. Theol Nec Script nec Doctores vel a limino solutaste Laert. de vit Philos. lib. 1. in Thal. Epist. ad Leander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sleidan lib. 6. Coster Enchir. controvers c 1. Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 32. Sixt. Senens in praefat in Bib. 1. Tim. 1 4. Sixt Sen. Bibl. lib. 4. Tetrus Ximenes Episc. Cauriens a. Cor. 3. Non tam Commentarios quam indicie 〈…〉 lorum Hieron proam in 1. 〈…〉 m Esai 2. Tim. 3. 16. Symbolica Theologia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 argumentatiua Thom. 1. Cor. 1 â—3 Volusian ad Nicol. 2. 2. Pet. 3 16. Eccles. 〈◊〉 6. 2. Sam. 〈◊〉 30. Eph. 3. 4. o In his Prophetica Gal. 6. 〈◊〉 Philâ—m v. â—8 Ioh 5. 35. Ioh. 2. 3â— Rom. 1. 5. Act. 13. 33. Rom. 10. 14. 1. Cor. 16. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc. 5. 10. Math. 9. 38. Eph. 4. 11. Act. 20. 28. Psal. 105. 15. Rom. 8. 28. Rom. 〈◊〉 Lev. 10. 1. 2. Reg. 16. 11. Rev. 2. 24. Deut. 22. 9. 2. Tim. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o Praeter quam Contra Petilian l. 3 c. 6. o Non aliud quid amp 〈…〉 us Debono viduitatis c. 1. Math. 5. 48. Iob. 13. 15. v. 26. Term 25 de verbi Apest. Theodoret. bist lib. 4. c. 16. Luk. 10. 16. o I learned nothing or I was not taught o ' Simulatè non verè Matth. 11. 1â— Luk. 10. 18. 〈◊〉 Cor. 10. 4. Homil. 2. in Act 〈◊〉 Ioh. 3. 9. Germ. ad mil. Temp. c. 11. Epist 190. o Crâ—dere Fac 〈…〉 Aug. de â—â—pt concup l. 1. c 33. ad Bon. l. 〈◊〉 c. â—3 o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thom. Summ. p. 〈◊〉 q 62. art 4. Bellar. de Sact. l. 2. c. 11. De consid ad Eugen. Vxor materfamilias Vxor Vsuaria o â—usâ—in in qâ—â—st Act. 12. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traef lib. 8. de bello Gall. Sanos homines à scribendo dâ—terruit 〈…〉 c. ad Bruâ—uÌ„ Sueâ—on in Câ—s. cap. 56. Michael de Montaign in his Estayes the 5 6 7 8. Ethic. lib. 4. c. 3. 1. Macchab. 1. 60. Confess lib. 8. cap. 12. Act. 8. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Anchorat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. Rhet. ad Thâ—â—d lib. 〈◊〉 câ—p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O 〈…〉 Hierom in hunc locâ—m Gen 49. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 4. 9. Philip. 2. 4. de verb. dom â—orm 16. Muffâ—t Autâ—umus aâ—t â—uimus vel po 〈…〉 esâ—e quod hiâ—â—st 2. Tim. 4. 2. De verb. Dom. se 〈…〉 16. v. 15. Me 〈…〉 s est vâ— peâ—eatâ—nus q 〈…〉 m 〈◊〉 〈…〉 eroâ— Act. 24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 17 Rom 14. 1. and 15. 1. Prou. 19. 11. 〈◊〉 Poâ— â—5 Duro con duro noâ— fa bon 〈…〉 o. August serâ— 21. de verbi Apost 〈◊〉 hunâ— locuâ—â—x August 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 13. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylactus Sic Hugo de S. Victor lio quast in Epist. ad Rom q. 308. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—omes 〈◊〉 Rom. 7. 23. Exod. 20 Deut. â—8 Deut 13 Rom. 8. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damaseenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in Alexandro Phil. 2. 3. Phil. 2. 10. v. 11. Psal. 8. 4. o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 5. 16. Rom. 12. 17. Ioh. 5. 41. o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 24. 26. Onus rationis â—â—dden â—aeâ—onus infâ—â—mitatis participandae August contra â—cript Petil. lib. 3. Beda Lumbard iâ— hunc â—ocum Hugo dâ— S. Victor in 〈◊〉 quâ—st 58. In seâ—â—inali principio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Decimaâ—io â—xâ—rciâ—â—s 2. Cor. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
for grace and peace The reason true happinesse which all men desire consists in peace and is founded in grace they are said to be happie blessed that mourne suffer persecution for iustice sake Mat. 5. because in the middest of their sorrows miseries they haue the fauour of God the peace of good conscience Thirdly in that grace peace are ioyned we learn that peace without grace is no peace There is no peace to the wicked saith my god Isai. 57. last They which make a couenāt with hel death are soonest destroyed Isai. 28. 18. Laughter saith Salomon is madnes namely when it is seuered from grace and peace When men say peace peace then comes destruction 1. Thess. 5. The prosperitie of the men of this world ends in perdition read Ps. 73. Paul saith not simply that Grace and peace comes frō God but from God the father and from Iesus Christ that he may teach vs rightly to acknowledge and worship God For God is to be acknowledged and worshipped in the father in Christ in the holy spirit It was the fault of the Pagans and it is the fault of sundrie Christians to worship an absolute God without the father and without Christ. This fault must be amended for it turnes God to an Idol Againe when Paul saith that grace proceeds first from the father and secondly from Iesus Christ he sets downe the Order which God obserueth in the communication of grace peace The father is the fountaine of grace and giues it from none but from himselfe Christ againe is as it were a conduit or pipe to conuaie grace from the father to vs. Of his fulnesse we receiue grace for grace Ioh. 1. In him we are complete Col. 2. Election Iustification Saluation and all is done in and by Christ. 2. Tim. 1. 9. The vse I. Let them that trauell vnder the burden of a bad conscience and a bad life come to Christ by turning from their sinnes and by beleeuing in him and they shall obtaine grace finde rest to their soules II. In our miseries our hearts may not be troubled ouermuch but we must alwaies moderate our sorrowes For if we beleeue in Christ we shall alwaies haue grace and peace Read Ioh. 14. 27. III. We must moderate our cares for this life For if we trusting in Christ haue grace and peace we shall want nothing read Psal. 4. v. 6. 7. Iesus Christ that giues grace and peace is called Our Lord for two causes One is to teach vs to acknowledge Christ aright and that is as well to acknowledge him to be our Lord as wel as our Sauiour He is a Priest to procure life a prophet to teach the way of life a Lord to command them to walke in the way of life The fault of our times All men professe Christ yet many allowe of no Christ but of their owne deuising namely a Christ that must be a Sauiour to deliuer them from hell but not a Lord to commaund them that they cannot brooke The second cause why Christ is called our Lord is to signifie the persons to whome grace and peace belong and they are such as acknowledge Christ for their Lord and yeild subiection to him in heart and life They finde rest to their soules that take vp the yoke of Christ in newe obedience and the patient bearing of the Crosse Math. 11. v. 29. 4. Who gaue himselfe for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs out of this present euill world according to the will of God our father 5. To whome be glorie for euer and euer Amen In these words the second argument is propounded whereby Christ is described namely the effect of Christ which is that he gaue himselfe And he is said to giue himselfe for two causes First because he presented himselfe as a price and sacrifice for sinne to God the Father Math. 20. 28. Eph. 5. 2. 1. Tim. 2. 6. The second because he did publikely propound and set forth himselfe to the world as a sacrifice and price of redemption Rom. 3. 25. Ioh. 3. 14. and Act. 4. 12. In this giuing there are fiue things to be cōsidered The first the giuer Christ the second the thing giuen and that is Christ himselfe The third is the ende of his giuing for sinne that is that he might make satisfaction for our sinnes The fourth is another end of his giuing that he might deliuer vs out of this present euil world Here the present world signifies the corrupt estate of mē that liue according to the lusts of their own hearts 1. Ioh. 2. 16. And men are here said to be deliuered takē out of the world when they are seuered from the condition of sinnfull men by sanctification and newnes of life and by diuine protection whereby they are preserued from euill after they are sanctified Tit. 2. 14. and Ioh. 17. 15. And this deliuerance is not in this life in respect of place but in respect of qualitie The fifth thing is the cause that mooued Christ to giue himselfe and that is the will of God In the 5. verse there is set downe a corollarie or conclusion which containes the praise of God The vse followes Whereas Christ is the giuer of himselfe hence it followes that his death and sacrifice was voluntarie And this he shewed in two things When he was to be attached he fledde not but went to a garden in the mount as his custome was which was knowne to Iudas Ioh. 18. 2. And in the very separation of bodie and soule he cried with a loud and strong voice which argued that he was Lord of death died because his will was to die This must be remembred For otherwise his death had not beene a satisfaction for sinne In that Christ gaue himselfe to be a sacrifice we learne many things First that the worke of redemption exceedes the worke of creation For in the creation Christ gaue the creatures to man in the redemption he gaue himselfe and that as a sacrifice Secondly in that he gaue himselfe it appeares that he gaue neither angel nor meere man nor any thing out of himselfe and that all merits of life and satisfactions for sinne are to be reduced to the person of Christ and consequently that there be no humane satisfactions for sinne nor meritorious workes done by vs because they pertaine not to the person of Christ but to our persons and they were neuer offered of Christ vnto God as merits and satisfactions because he gaue nothing but himselfe and the things which appertained vnto his owne person Thirdly in that Christ giues himselfe we must take and receiue him with hungering hearts Nay he is to suffer violence of vs and the violent are to take him to themselues Lastly in that he giues himselfe to vs we againe must giue our bodies and soules vnto him in way of thankefulnes and dedicate all that we haue or can doe to the good of men The creatures at our tables
present vs with their bodies and so must we present our bodies and soules to God The first ende of this giuing is that Christ might be a sacrifice and ransome for sinne The knowledge of this point is of great vse First it workes loue in vs on this manner We must in minde and meditation come to the crosse of Christ. Vpon the crosse we are to behold Christ crucified and in his death and passion his sacrifice in his sacrifice for the sinnes of his enemies his endles loue and the consideration of this loue will mooue vs to loue him againe and the father in him Secondly the consideration of his endles paines for our sinnes in the sacrifice of himselfe must breede in vs a godly sorrow for them for if he sorrow for them much more we Thirdly this knowledge is the true beginning of amendment of life For if Christ gaue himselfe to redeeme vs from iniquitie we must take vp a purpose of not sinning and neuer wittingly sinne more Lastly this knowledge is the foundation of comfort in them that truly turne to Christ. For the price is paid for their sinnes and they which are eased of their sinnes are blessed Psal. 32. 1. And in temptation they may boldly oppose the satisfaction of Christ against hell death the law and the iudgement of God and if at any time they sinne they must recouer themselues and remember that they haue an Advocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust 1. Ioh. 2. 1. And whereas Paul saith that Christ gaue himselfe for our sinnes he teacheth that euery man must applie this gift and sacrifice of Christ to himselfe This applying is done by faith and the right manner of application is this We must turne to Christ and in turning by faith applie and when we applie Christ by faith we must withall turne Faith goeth before conuersion in order of nature yet in the order of teaching and practise they are both together They which vse to applie Christ and his benefits vnto themselues and yet will not turne themselues to Christ misapplie and presume because the right apprehension of Christ is in the exercises of inuocation and repentance The second ende for which Christ gaue himselfe is that he might take vs out of this euill world And hence we are taught three things First that we must be grieued and displeased at the wickednes of the world as Lot was 2. Pet. 2. 7. Secondly that we must not fashion our selues to the wicked liues of the men of this world but we must in all things prooue what is the goodwill of God and doe it Thirdly seeing we are taken out of this world we must not dwell in it but our dwelling must be in heauen Reuel 13. 6. the beast out of the sea perfequutes them that dwell in heauen that is such as dwell on earth and for affection haue their conuersation in heauen And seeing this must be so we must not loue the world but loue the comming of Christ and euery day prepare our selues against the day of death that we may enter into our owne home And whereas Paul calls this world an euill world he doth it to signifie that there is nothing in men but sinne till they be regenerate yea that ciuill vertues and ciuill life that are excellent in the eyes of men are no better then sinnes before God It is the errour of the Papists that men may thinke and doe some thing that is morally good without grace The cause that mooued Christ to giue himselfe is the will of God Hence it appeares that God giues Christ to no man for his foreseene faith or works For there is no higher cause of the will of God The foreknowledge of things that may come to passe goes before will but the foreknowledge of things that shall come to passe and therefore the foreknowledge of faith and works followes the will of God Because things that shall come to passe are first decreed and then foreseene The will here mentioned is said to be the will of God that is the first person the father for when Christ is opposed to God then God signifies the father And he is most commonly called God because he is God without communication of the godhead from any whereas the Sonne and holy Ghost are God by communication of godhead from the father And this God is called our father by Paul And hereby he signifies that the scope of the Gospel is first to propound God vnto vs not only as a creator but as a father secōdly to inioyne vs to acknowledge him to be our father in Christ and consequently to carrie our selues as dutifull children to him in all subiection and obedience They which doe not this know not the intent of the Gospel and if they know it in deede they denie it The conclusion annexed to the salutation To whome be glorie for euer teacheth vs so oft as we remember the worke of our redemption by Christ so oft must we giue praise thāks to God yea all our liues must be nothing els but a testimonie of thankfulnes for our redemption And all our praise and thankes to God must proceede from the serious affection of the heart signified by the word Amen that is so be it 6. Imaruell that you are so soone remooued away to another Gospell from him that hath called you in the grace of Christ. 7. Which is not another Gospel but that some trouble you and intende to ouerthrowe the Gospell of Christ. Here beginnes the second part of the Epistle in which he giues instruction to the Galatians And it hath two parts one concernes doctrine the other manners The first part touching doctrine beginnes in this sixt verse and continues to the 13. verse of the 5. chapter The summe of it is a reproofe of the Galatians for reuolting from the Gospell and it is disposed in this syllogisme If I be immediately called of God to teach and my doctrine be true ye ought not to haue reuolted from my doctrine But I was called immediately of God to teach and my doctrine is true Therefore ye should not haue reuolted from my doctrine The proposition is not expressed because it was needelesse The minor is handled through the whole Epistle The Conclusion is in the 6. and 7. verses the meaning whereof I will briefely deliuer So soone that is presently after my departure remooued carried away by the perswasions of false teachers to another Gospel to another doctrine of saluation which in the speech and opinion of the false teachers is another manner of Gospel more sufficient and more excellent then that which Paul hath deliuered From him that is from me beeing an Apostle who haue called you by preaching the Gospell of Christ. In the grace that is haue called you freely without any desert of yours to be partakers of the fauour of God in Christ. Which is not another which pretended Gospell of the false Apostles is not indeed another gospell from
that of Paul because there is but one but it is an inuention of the brame of man But there be some that is but I plainely perceiue the cause of your reuolt that some trouble you and seeke to ouerthrowe the Gospell of Christ. In these words two points are to be considered The first is the manner which Paul vseth in reproouing the Galatians He tenders their good and saluation and seeks by all meanes their recouerie And therefore in his reproofe he doth two things First he reprooues them with meekenesse and tendernesse of heart following his owne rule Gal. 6. 1. for he might iustly haue said ye may be ashamed that ye are remooued to another Gospell but he saith onely I maruell that is I was well perswaded of you and I hoped for better things but I am deceiued I wonder at it Secondly he frames his reproofe with great warinesse circumspection for he saith not ye of your selues doe remooue to another Gospell but ye are remooued and thus he blames them but in part and laies the principall blame on others Againe he saith not ye were remooued but in the time present ye are remooued that is ye are in the acte of Reuolting and haue not as yet altogither reuolted And hereby he puts them in minde that although they be in a fault yet there is nothing done which may not easily be vndone According to his example we are in all Reproofes to shewe loue and to keepe loue to shewe loue to the partie reprooued and to frame our reproofe so as we may keepe his loue The second point is the fault reprooued and that is the Reuolt of the Galatians which was a departure from the calling whereby they were called to the grace of Christ. If it be demaÌ„ded what kind of Reuolt this was I answer there be two kinds of reuolt particular and generall Particular when men professe the name of Christ and yet depart from the faith in some principall points thereof Of this kinde was the Apostacie of the tenne tribes and such is the Apostacie of the Romane Church A generall reuolt is when men wholly forsake the faith name of Christ. Thus doe the Iewes and Turkes at this day Againe a reuolte is sometime of weakenesse and humane frailtie and sometime of obstinacie Nowe the reuolt of the Galatians was onely particular in the point of iustification and of weakenesse and not of obstinacie and this Paul signifies when he saith they were carried by others Of this Reuoâ—t 4. things are to be considered The time so soone from whome or what from the doctrine of Paul consequently the grace of Christ. To what to another Gospell By meanes of whome but some trouble you c. Touching the time it was short They were soone carried away This shewes the lightnesse and inconstancie of mans nature specially in matter of religion While Moses tarried in the mount Aaron and the people set vp a golden calfe and departed from God Osea saith The righteousnesse of the Israelites was like the morning dewe which the rising of the sunne consumeth chap. 6. 4. Iohn was a burning light the Iewes reioyced in this light that is well but marke what is added for an houre or moment Iohn 5. 35. They which cried Osanna to the sonne of Dauid shortly after cried Crucifie him crucifie him The crosse and persecution will make men call the Gospell in question if not forsake it Luk. 8. 13. The multitude of people among vs are like waxe and are fit to take the stampe and impression of any religion and it is the law of the land that makes the most imbrace the Gospell not conscience That we may constantly perseuere in the profession of the true faith both in life and death first we must receiue the Gospell simply for it selfe because it is the Gospell of Christ and not for any other by-respect Secondly we must be mortified and renewed in the spirit of our mindes and suffer no by-corners in our hearts where secret vnbeleefe secret hypocrisie and spirituall pride may lurke and lie hid from the eies of men Heb. 3. 12. Thirdly we must not onely be hearers of the word but also doers of it in the principall duties to be practised of faith conuersion and newe obedience To come to the second point when Paul saith the Galatians were remooued from him that called them that is himselfe he shewes Christian modestie because speaking things praise-worthie of himselfe he speaks in the third person from him that hath called c. The like he doeth 2. Cor. 12. I knowe a man taken vp into the third heauen that is himselfe And Iohn saith the disciple that leaned on the breast of Christ whome Christ loued asked whome he meant Ioh. 13. 23. After this practise we are to giue praise to God and to his instruments but neither to praise nor dispraise our selues This is Christian ciuilitie to be ioyned with our faith Secondly when he saith who hath called you in the grace of Christ we learne that the scope of the Gospel is to bring men to the grace of Christ. To this very ende God hath vouchsafed vs in England the Gospel more then fourtie yeares And therefore our words and deedes and liues should be seasoned with grace and sauour of it and shew forth the grace of God Secondly we owe vnto God great thankfulnes and we can neuer be sufficiently thankefull for this benefit that God calls vs to his grace But it is otherwise the sunne is a goodly creature yet because we see it daily it is not regarded and so it is with the grace of God Thirdly the Galatians are remooued not onely from the doctrine of Paul but also from the grace of God And the reason is because they ioyned the workes of the law with Christ and his grace in the cause of their iustification and saluation Here it must be obserued that they which make an vnion of grace and workes in the cause of iustification are separated from the grace of God Grace admits no partner or fellow Grace must be freely giuen euery way or it is no way grace Hence it followes that the present Church of Rome is departed from the grace of God because it makes a concurrence of grace and workes in the iustification of a sinner before God and we may not make any reconciliation with that Church in religion because it is become an enemie of the grace of God The third point is To what thing the Galatians reuolt to another Gospel that is to a better gospel then that which Paul taught compounded of Christ and the workes of the law And this forged gospel the false apostles taught and the Galatians quickly receiued Here we see the curious nicenes and daintines of mans nature that cannot be content with the good things of God vnlesse they be framed to our minds and if they please vs for a while they doe not please vs long but we must haue new
bondage 5 To whome we gaue not place by subiection for an houre that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you Paul had said before that Titus was not compelled to be circumcised now he addes For all the false brethren that is though the false brethren did what they could to the contrarie Here then Paul sets downe who were the cause that Titus was not circumcised namely certaine persons at Ierusalem and them he sets forth by two properties they are false brethren and they crept into the Church Touching the first by it we learne that the Church of God vpon earth euen when it is at the best hath wicked men and hypocrites in it In Adams family there is Cain in the Arke there is Cham in Christs family or schoole there is Iudas In the Church of Ierusalem planted and gouerned by the chiefe Apostles there be false brethren The true sheepe be often without and wolues within Therefore we may not so much as dreame of a perfection of the Church of God vpon earth so long as wicked men be mixed with true beleeuers Againe these aduersaries of Paul are called false brethren because they ioyned Circumcision with Christ as a necessarie cause of iustification and saluation Hence it followes that the Church of Rome is a false Church because it ioynes workes with Christ in the case of our iustification and that as meritorious causes Their second propertie is that they crept into the Church which I conceiue on this manner The Church of God is as a sheepefold or house Ioh. 10. 1. Christ is the onely dore Now Pastours that teach Christ aright are saide to enter in by this dore they which teach any other way of saluation are said to clime in an other way and they which teach Christ ioyning some other thing with him in the cause of saluation are said to Creepe in because in appearance they maintaine Christ and yet because they adde something to Christ they neither enter nor continue in the true Church with any good warrant from God In this they are like the serpent Liuing creatures were all placed in Eden and Man was placed in the garden of Eden called Paradise and so were not beasts How then comes the serpent in why in all likelihood it crept in And so doe false brethren into the Church Hence I gather that false brethren are not true and liuely members of the visible Church though they be members in appearance For if they were in their right place they should not be said to creepe in The true members of the Church creepe not into the mysticall bodie but are built and set vpon the foundation by God It may be alleadged that they are baptised and thereby made members of the Church I answer that faith makes vs members of Christ and consequently of the true Church and baptisme doth but seale our insition into Christ and serues as a meanes of Admission into the outward societie of the congregation and the outward washing doth not make any man a member of Christ. Againe it followes hence that false brethren are not members of the Catholike church For the visible church is part of the Catholike and therefore they which are not reall members of the true visible church are not members of the Catholike Againe in that false brethren creepe into the congregation hence it appeares that no man can set downe the precise time when errours had their beginning For the authors thereof enter in secretly not obserued of men The enuious man sowes his tares when men be asleepe Math. 13. It sufficeth therefore if we can shew them to be errours by the word though we cannot designe the set time when they began The time when a shippe sinketh we often obserue but the time when it first drew water we doe not Let the Papists thinke vpon this Paul hauing thus declared who were the causes that Titus was not circumcised goes on and shewes how they were causes The effect and summe of his declaration is this They vrged the obseruation of the Ceremoniall law as necessarie and hereupon we resused to circumcise Titus First therefore Paul sets downe how they vrged circumcision and that by three degrees First they come in priuily Secondly they spie out their libertie Thirdly they labour to bring them into bondage Againe Paul sets downe the manner of their refusall in three things We gaue not place for an houre We gaue not place by subiection We gaue no place that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you The first degree or steppe in their vrging of circumcision was that They came in priuily that is they ioyned themselues in fellowship with the Apostles in shew pretended the furtherance of the Gospel yet indeed meant nothing lesse though their fraud wickednes was not perceiued Here then the foūdation they lay of all their naughtie dealing is their dissēbling which Paul here notes condemns On the contrarie our dutie is to be indeed that which we professe our selues to be to professe no more outwardly then we are inwardly and to approue our hearts to god for that which we professe before mē The second steppe or degree is that they spie out the libertie vvhich Paul and the rest had by Christ that is they conferre with the Apostles and inquire of them what libertie they haue by Christ in respect of the Ceremoniall lawe of God and this they doe not of a minde desirous to learne but for aduantage sake There be two kinds of spying one lawefull the other vnlawefull Lawefull as when in iust and lawefull warre we inquire into the counsells and doings of our enemtes Numb 13. 1. Vnlawefull when men prie into any thing or matter to finde a fault Thus hypocrites spie faults in the persons and liues of men that they may haue somwhat whereby to disgrace them Math. 7. 4. Thus Atheists prie into the scriptures that they may confute them Thus sundrie hearers come to sermōs that they may carpe Thus our enemies inquire into our religion that they may finde as they suppose exceptions vntruthes and contradictions And in the Church of Ierusalem false brethren inquire how farre Christian liberty extends that they may ouerthrow it This kind of spying is a common fault we must take heede of it and apply the eie of our minde to a better vse First we are to be spies in respect of our owne sinnes and corruptions to spie them out Lam. 3. 40. Let us search our waies and inquire and turne againe to the Lord. Again we are to plaie the spies in respect of our spirituall enemies that we may finde out the temptations of the flesh the world and the deuill Thirdly we must be as spies in searching of the Scriptures Ioh. 5. 39. that we may vnderstand the words of the lawe of God and find comfort to our soules The third and last degree of vrging is that the false brethren seeke to bring the Apostles in bondage
that is to binde them to a necessarie obseruation of the ceremoniall lawe Here let vs marke the practise and pollicie of the deuill Libertie from sinne death and the ceremoniall lawe is the treasure of the Church and therefore the deuill seekes to ouerthrow it by holding men in bondage vnder abolished ceremonies Thus at this day they of the popish Church are in bondage vnder an heape of humane traditions beeing indeede a yoake farre heauier then that of the ceremoniall-lawe Againe when men professe the name of Christ the deuill is content with it and he indeauours with all his might euery where to hold them vnder the bondage of sinne and to hold them in his snare at his will Thus vnder the name of Christianitie there be swarmes of Atheists Epicures Libertines worldlings and prophane persons At this time according to auncient custome we celebrate the memoriall of the birth of Christ and yet no time so full of disorder as this For the most that professe Christ take and challenge to themselues a licentious libertie to liue and doe as they list and this kind of libertie is flat bondage But they that are seruants of Christ indeed should take heede of this bondag◠For beeing free from sinne they should be seruants of nothing but righteousnesse Rom. 6. 18. They that be of a corporation stand for their liberties what a shame then is it that men should loue bondage and neglect the spirituall libertie which they haue by Christ. Thus we see howe the false brethren vrged circumcision now let vs come to Pauls refusall The first point is that they would not giue place for an houre It seemes they were requested to vse circumcision but once but they would not yeeld so much as once because their acte would haue tended to the preiudice of Christian liberty in all places Here we learne that we may not vse the least ceremonie that is in the case of confession before our aduersaries that is when they seeke to oppresse the trueth by face or by fraud and make ceremonies signes and tokens of the confession of any vntrueth Iulian the Emperour sitting in a chaire of estate gaue gold to his souldiers one by one withal cōmāding to cast of frākincense so much as a graine into the fire that lay vpon an heathenish altar before him Nowe Christ in souldiers refuse to do it and they which had not refused afterward recalled their acte and willingly suffered death Againe here we learne that we are not to yeeld from the least part of the trueth of the Gospel that God hath reuealed to vs. This truth is more pretious then the whole world beside and heauen and earth shall rather passe then the least tittle of it shall not be accomplished The commission of the Apostles was to teach them to doe all things which God had commanded Therefore the vnion or mixture of our religion with the popish religion is but a dreame of vnwise Politickes for in this mixture we must yeeld and they must yeeld something but we may not yeeld a iot of the truth reuealed to vs. There is no fellowship of light with darkenesse 1. Cor. 6. Colacinthus a naughtie pot hearbe marred a whole pot of pottage 2. King 4. 40. Christ saith in the like case of the Pharisies Let them alone they are the blinde leaders of the blind Math. 15. 14. We may yeeld in things indifferent but not in points of religion In matters of this world we may be indifferent and of neither side but in matters of God we may not There is no halting betweene two religions The second point is they gaue not place by way of subiection The reason is the Apostles were of highest authoritie simply to be beleeued in their doctrine And they had extraordinarie authoritie to punish them that rebelliously withstood them Act. 5. 5. 10. Act. 13. 20. 2. Cor. 10. 6. For this cause they were not to stand subiect to the iudgement and censure of any man They willingly suffered their doctrine to be tried yet were they not bound to subiection as other ministers of the new testament are 1. Cor. 14. 32. 1. Ioh. 4. 1. It may be said if they would not giue place by subiection howe then gaue they place Answer There is two kinds of yeelding one by tolleration without approbation the other by subiection which is the greatest approbation that can be By the first it may be Paul was content to giue place but not by the second Here we see howe we are to yeeld to the corruptions of the times in which we liue whether they be in manners or in doctrine We are to giue place by meeke and patient bearing of that which we cannot mende but we are not to giue place by subiection The third point is the ende of Pauls refusall That the truth of the Gospell might continue that is that the Gospel might be preserued in puritie and integritie in all things And by this Paul giues vs to vnderstand that if circumcision be made a necessarie cause of iustification and saluation the truth of the Gospel doeth not continue Here let vs obserue that when iustification or saluation is ascribed to workes or Sacraments the truth of the Gospell giues place and falshood comes in the roome Wherefore the religion of the Church of Rome is a meere deprauation of the Gospel for it makes workes to be the meritorious causes of iustification saluation Nay which is more it teacheth men to worship a peece of bread and to invocate dead men and to kneele downe to stockes and stones 6 And of them that seemed to be great what they were in times past it makes no matter to me God accepteth no mans person for they that are the cheife did not communicate any thing to me Here Paul laies downe the second signe of his approbation namely that in conference he learned nothing of the cheife Apostles And this he expresseth in the first words in which the concealement which he vseth is to be obserued For hauing begun a sentence he breakes it off in the middle and conceales the latter part and leaues it to be supplied by the reader thus Of them that seemed to be great I was not taught or I learned nothing The like forme of speaking is vsed 1. Chron. 4. 10. Where Iabez saith If the Lord blesse me and be with me concealing the end of his sentence I will be thankefull thus and thus In the roome of this concealement Paul puts an answer to an obiection For some man might take exception against his former speech thus Thou callest the Apostles Great but thou speakest fainedly for thou knowest they were but poore fishermen To this he makes answer thus What they were once it makes no matter to me Then he renders a reason of his answer God accepts no mans person This done he proceeds and renders a reason of his first speech he learned nothing of the cheefe Apostles because they did
couenant they are children of God and originall sinne which is in them is couered from their first beginning and not imputed to them The vse There was no absolute necessitie of circumcision For they which died before the eight day were borne holy and consequently in the couenant and therefore might be saued And thus Baptisme was not of absolute necessitie for the children of beleeuers are borne holy and Christian and therefore dying in the want of baptisme may for all that be saued The seale of the couenant is not of like necessitie with the couenant it selfe Secondly here we learne that it is not the act of baptisme to conferre the first grace but onely to confirme and seale it vnto vs. Adoption and life beginnes not in baptisme but before If the roote be holy the branches springing thenee are holy We are borne Christians if our parents beleeue and not made so in baptisme Lastly if we be borne holy it is our shame that we haue made no more proceeding in holines then we haue done the most remaine ignorant and vnreformed and they of the better sort either stand at a stay or goe backward The second point is concerning Iustification in the 16. v. of which sundrie things are there propounded And first I will beginne with the name The word Iustifie is borrowed from courts of iudgement and signifies a indiciall act Otherwhiles it is put for the action of the iudge and then it signifies to absolue or to pronounce innocent Thus Paul saith Act. 13. 39. That we are instified from all things from which we could not be iustified by the law of Moses that is absolued or cleered Againe he opposeth iustification to accusation and condemnation Rom. 8. 33. Now the contrarie to condemnation is absolution Sometimes againe the word iustifie signifies the act of the partie iudged or of the witnesses and then it imports as much as to giue testimonie or to declare and approoue Thus Iames saith Abraham was iustified by workes chap. 2. v. 22. that is declared and approoued to be a iust man by workes In the former signification is the word vsed where the holy Ghost deliuereth the doctrine of iustification as in this place The vse Here we see how to distinguish betweene Iustification regeneration and renouation Regeneration is vsually in scripture the change of the inward man whereby we are borne anew Renouation is the change both of the inward and outward man that is both of heart and life Iustification is neither but a certaine action in God applied vnto vs or a certaine respect or relation whereby we are acquit of our sinnes and accepted to life euerlasting Secondly we must here note that the Teachers of the Church of Rome mistake the word Iustification For by it they vnderstand nothing els but a physicall transmutation of the qualitie and disposition of our hearts from euill to good And by this mistaking they haue made a mixture or rather confusion of law and Gospel Thirdly here we see what is to be the disposition of the partie iustified for by the consequent we may learne the antecedent A man therfore that would be iustified must come before the iudgement seat of God and there must he plead guiltie and be his owne aduersaâ—ie condemning himselfe and beeing pressed with the terrours of the law he must flie and make his appeale to the throne of grace for pardon in Christ and then he shall be acquit or iustified from all sinner Thus much doth the word 〈…〉 stifie import Thus came the Publican before God Luk. 18 when he said Lord be mercifull to me a sinner and departed iustified Thus in the sift petition we are taught to come euery day into the presence of God and to acknowledge our debts and to vse the plea of mercie saying Forgiue vs our debts The second thing to be considered is the subiect of iustification or the person to be iustified and that is man generally signifying that a Man is iustified The holy Ghost speaketh thus generally for two causes The first is because all men without exception haue need of iustification euen they which are regenerate Rom. 3. 23. And in this place Paul saith that he and Peter and the rest haue beleeued in Christ that they might be iustified by faith Here we are to take notice of the miserable condition of prophane and secure Epicures who neuer so much as dreame of any iustification The second reason is because God communicates the benefit of iustification generally to all sorts of men and this he doth in the Ministerie of the word in which he beseecheth men to be reconciled to God 2. Corinth 5. v. 21. This must be an inducement vnto vs to come vnto Christ humbling and iudging our selues that we may be iustified God himselfe from heauen vseth reasons vnto vs daily to mooue vs to the practise of this dutie What meane these gratious and continuall preseruations of Prince and people Church and land By them we see it is the good pleasure of God to giue vs a time to seeke his kingdome and righteousnes wherefore let vs not neglect the day of visitation but take the time while it serues that we may turne vnto God and be accepted of him and escape the woe pronounced vpon Corazin and Bethsaida The third thing to be considered concernes things excluded from iustification as false causes namely the works of the Law Here it may be demanded what works are meant I answer first not onely workes of the Ceremoniall but also of the morall law For all men know that ceremoniall actions are of no vse vnlesse they be ioyned with morall duties of loue and mercie And if Paul meant onely Ceremoniall workes he needed not to haue made so long a discourse against iustification by workes for he might haue ended the whole matter in a word or twaine by shewing that the ceremoniall law was abrogated by Christ. Secondly I answer that not onely workes done before faith are excluded but also workes that follow faith and are done in the estate of grace For Paul here reasons thus If no flesh be iustified by workes then not we beleeuers but no flesh at all is iustified therefore not we beleeuers Dauid Psal. 143. reasoneth on the same manner No flesh shall be iustified in thy fight therefore I cannot though otherwise I be thy seruant in keeping thy commandements When Abraham was the father of all the faithfull and was come to the highest degree of faith and abounded in good workes yet was he not then iustified by workes Rom. 4. 1 2. Paul kept a good conscience before God and men Act. 23. and yet was he not iustified therby 1. Cor. 4. 4. And he saith that we are not saued by the workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in Eph. 2. 9 10. And the workes that God hath ordained for vs to walke in are the best workes of all euen workes of grace Againe he saith that we are not saued
the world be worse then the life of a beast Againe in these words who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me the nature and propertie of iustifying faith is set down which is to Applie the loue of God and the merit of the passion of Christ vnto our selues And therefore the Papists are deceiued who say that hope applieth and not faith It may be alleadged that Paul speakes these words priuately of himselfe Ans. He speakes them in the name of all beleeuers Iewes and Gentiles For as we may see in the former verses that which concerned Peter and the rest of Christian Iewes he applies to himselfe least his speech should seeme odious Againe it may be obiected that all beleeuers cannot say thus Christ hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me Ans. If the minde be fixed on Christ and there be also a will and indeauour to beleeue and apprehend Christ there is faith indeede For God accepts the true and earnest will to beleeue for faith We are not saued for the perfection of our faith but for the perfection of the obedience of Christ which faith apprehendeth The Israelites which looked vpon the brasen serpent with one eye or with a squint-eye with halfe an eye or dimme sight were healed not for the goodnes of their sight but for the promise of God The poore in spirit are blessed Now they are poore in spirit who finde themselues emptie of all goodnes emptie of true faith full of vnbeleefe and vnfainedly desire to beleeue So then if we greeue because we cannot beleeue as we should and earnestly desire to beleeue God accepts vs for beleeuers Againe in these words who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me S. Paul sets downe the reason or argument which faith vseth in the minde regenerate to mooue men to liue to God And the reason is framed thus Christ loueth thee and hath giuen himselfe for thee therefore see thou liue to God Read the like Rom. 12. 1. and 2. 4. and Psal. 116. 12. By this we are to take occasion to consider and to bewaile the hardnes of our hearts who doe not relent from our euill waies and turne vnto God vpon the consideration of his loue in Christ. The waters of the Sanctuarie haue long flowed vnto vs but they haue not sweetned vs and made vs sauerie therefore it is to be feared least our habitations be at length turned to places of nettles and saltpits Eze. 7. 11. 21 I doe not abrogate the grace of God for if righteousnes be by the law then Christ died without cause The meaning Grace in Scriptures signifieth two things the free fauour of God and the gifts of God in vs. And where the holy Ghost intreates of iustification grace in the first sense signifies the good will and fauour of God pardoning sinnes and accepting vs to life euerlasting for the merit of Christ. 2. Tim. 1. 9. Eph. 2. 8. And in this sense is the word vsed in this place And when Paul saith I doe not abrogate the grace of God his meaning is I doe not make void or frustrate the grace of God in respect of my selfe or in respect of other beleeuers by teaching the iustification of a sinner by saith alone He addes If righteousnes be by the law that is if a sinner be iustified by his owne obedience in performing the law then Christ died without cause The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely translated without cause hath a double signification One is when it signifies as much as without price or merit Math. 10. 8. Ye haue receiued freely giue freely The second is when it signifies rashly without iust or sufficient cause as Psal. 69. 4. Mine enemies hate me freely as the Seuentie translate that is wrongfully or without iust cause Thus here is Christ said to die freely that is in vaine or without cause because if we be iustified by obedience to the law then Christ died in vaine to make any satisfaction to the law for vs. These words are an answer to an obiection The obiection is this If thou teach that a sinner is iustified onely by his faith in Christ then thou abolishest the grace of God The answer is negatiue I doe not by this doctrine abrogate the grace of God And there is a reason also of this answer If we be iustified by our owne fulfilling of the law then Christ died in vaine to fulfill the law for vs. The vse First let vs marke that Paul saith he doth not abrogate the grace of God and why because he will suffer nothing in the cause of our iustification to be ioyned with the obedience of the death of Christ. And hence we learne what is the nature of grace It must stand wholly and intirely in it selfe Gods grace cannot stand with mans merit Grace is no grace vnlesse it be freely giuen euery way Rom. 4. 4. To him that worketh the wages is giuen not of grace but of desert Rom. 11. 6. If election be of grace then not of workes els is grace no grace Grace and works of grace in the causing of iustification can no more stand together then fire and water By this we are admonished to be nothing in our selues and to ascribe all that we are or can doe to the grace of God Againe here we see our dutie and that is to be carefull not to abrogate the grace of God vnto our selues But how is that done Ans. We must strippe and emptie our selues of all righteousnesse and goodnesse of our owne euen to the death and withall hunger and thirst after Christ and his righteousnes Math. 5. 6. Luk. 1. 35. Thirdly Paul here sets downe a notable ground of true religion That the death of Christ is made voide if any thing be ioyned with it in the worke of our iustification as a meanes to satisfie Gods iustice and to merit the fauour of God Therefore the doctrine of iustification by workes is a manifest errour For if we be iustified by the workes of the law then the iudgement of the holy Ghost is that Christ died without cause Againe the doctrine of humane satisfactions is a deuice of mans braine For if we satisfie for our selues then did Christ by death satisfie in vaine Thirdly it is a false and wicked though a colourable inuention to say that Christ by his death merited that we should merit by our workes For if we merit by workes Christ died in vaine to merit by his owne death This is the sentence of God who cannot erre Lastly here we see the Church of Rome erreth in the foundation of true religion because it ioyneth the merit of mans workes and the merit of the death of Christ in the iustification of a sinner And therefore we may not so much as dreame of any reconciliation to be made with that religion for light and darknes cannot be reconciled nor fire and water Here the Papists answer that Paul in this text speakes against them that looked to be iustified by
in the law but because we haue faith in vs and by that faith we apprehend the obedience of Christ in fulfilling of the law Obiect VII Rom. 13. 8. Loue is the fulfilling of the law and the regenerate loue their neighbours Ans. If we could loue our neighbour as our selues perfectly we should then fulfill the whole law But our loue is imperfect Obiect UIII He that is borne of God sinnes not 1. Ioh. 3. he that sinnes not fulfills the law Ans. He that is borne of God sinnes not that is he doth not commit sinne or make a practise of sinne He may fall of frailtie yet then he recouers himselfe and doth not keepe a course in sinning This is the meaning of S. Iohn Obiect IX The commandements of God are not grieuous 1. Ioh. 5. Ans. They are not grieuous three waies first in respect of remission because they that beleeue in Christ haue the transgression of the law pardoned Secondly in respect of imputation because Christs obedience in fulfilling the law is imputed to euery beleeuer Thirdly in respect of inchoation For they that beleeue receiue the spirit of God wherby they are inabled to indeauour themselues to obey God in all his commandements Otherwise in respect of our owne personall obedience they are a yoke that no man can beare Obiect X. The workes of God are perfect Deut. 32. 4. Good workes are workes of God therefore they are perfect Ans. Workes that are meerely workes of God which he worketh by himselfe and not by man they are all perfect and thus must the text in Moses be vnderstood Now good works are works of God in vs and withall they are our workes hauing their beginning in the minde and will of man and hence they are defiled For when the first and second cause concurre in a worke the said worke takes vnto it the condition of the second cause Water pure in the fountaine is defiled when it passes by the filthie channell Obiect XI If God haue giuen vs an impossible law he is more cruell then any tyrant Ans. When God first gaue the law he also gaue power to fulfill the law If the law be impossible it is not Gods fault but mans who by his owne fault hath lost this power of keeping the law The ground before named of the double fulfilling of the law one for this life the other for the life to come is false For there is onely one generall and vnchangeable sentence of the law Cursed is euery one that continues not in all things written in the law to doe them I now come to other vses of the former conclusion If the law be impossible then must we seeke for the fulfilling of it forth of our selues in Christ who is the ende of the law for righteousnes to them that beleeue Hence it followes necessarily that our iustification must be by the imputation or application of Christs iustice vnto vs. Because we cannot fulfill the law we must make it a glasse to see our impotencie and what we cannot doe and it must be our schoolemaster to driue vs to Christ. And by our impotencie we must take occasion to make praier to God for his spirit to inable vs to obey the lawes of God Thus come we to be doers of the law and no otherwise Againe it may be demanded considering we cannot fulfill the law how our works can please God Ans. In euery good worke there is something that is Gods and something that is ours alone The defect of the worke is ours alone and that is pardoned to the beleeuer That which is good in the worke is from God and that he approoueth as beeing his owne And thus euery good worke is said to please God Lastly after that we haue begunne to please God in obedience to his lawes considering we fulfill them not all boasting of our goodnes must be laid aside and we must humble our selues vnder the hand of God euen to the death Read the practise of Dauid Psal. 143. 2. and Psal. 130. 3. Iob. 9. 1. 11 And that no man is iustified by the law in the sight of God it is manifest For the iust liueth by faith 12 And the law is not of faith but he that shall doe these things shall liue in them The meaning By the law that is the law not onely ceremoniall but also iudiciall and morall Indeede the occasion of Pauls disputation in this place is taken from Circumcision pertaining to the ceremoniall law but he inlarges his disputation from one part to the whole law For they which thought Ceremonies necessarie to iustification would much more thinke morall duties necessarie And that Paul speakes here of the morall it appeares by the 10. verse where he alleadgeth a sentence that specially appertaines to the morall law Cursedis euery one c. Againe the law may be considered two waies in the iustification of a sinner first as it iustifieth without Christ. Secondly as it iustifieth with Christ and both waies it is excluded from iustification and here specially in the second regard For the intent of the Galatians was to ioyne Christ and the law in the worke of our iustification Before God that is in the iudgement of God before whose iudgement seat we must all appeare and be iudged The iust shall liue by faith The scope of these words is this The Iewes were oppressed by the Babylonians and it was further told them by the Prophet that they should be ledde into captiuitie by the saide Babylonians Now in this distresse of theirs the Lord sets downe the dutie of the faithfull Iewes namely that they must stay themselues by their faith in the Messias and consequently that they shall haue safetie in this life in the middest of all dangers and in the ende haue eternall life And Paul applies this text to his purpose thus Life eternall comes by faith and therefore true righteousnesse before God is by faith For righteousnes is the foundation of life eternall and therefore it is called iustification of life Rom. 5. 17. The law is not of faith The meaning of these words must be gathered by the opposition in the latter part of the verse but he that doth these things shall liue in them And the meaning is this The law doth not prescribe faith in the Messias neither doth it promise life to him that beleeueth in the Messias but to him that doth the things contained in the law In these wordes Paul addes a new argument to the former thus Iustice is by faith the law is not of faith therefore the law is not our iustice Or again thus He that is iustified is iustified by faith the law iustifies no man by faith therefore the law doth not iustifie The conclusion is first in the 11. verse The proposition is expressed and confirmed by the testimonie of the Prophet Habacuk The assumption is in the 12. verse The vse Whē Paul saith No mā is iustified by the law in the sight of God he makes
a double iustification one before God the other before mē Iustification before God is when God reputes a man iust that onely for the merit and obedience of Christ. Iustification before men is when such as professe faith in Christ are reputed iust of men By this distinction Paul who saith that a man is iustified by faith without workes Rom. 3. 28. and Iames who saith that Abraham was iustified by faith and workes Iam. 2. 24. are reconciled for Paul speakes of iustification before God as he himselfe expressely testifieth Rom. 4. 2. and S. Iames speakes of iustification before men which is not onely by the profession of faith but also by workes In the same sort there is a double Election One speciall whereby God knowes who are his The other is more generall whereby we repute all men to be Elect that professe faith in Christ leauing secret iudgements to God Thus Paul writes to the Ephesians Philippians c. as Elect. And the Ministers of the word are to speake to their congregations as to the Elect people of God In the same manner there is a double sanctification one before God in truth Eph. 4. 28. the other before men in the iudgement of charitie Thus men are said to tread vnder foote the blood of Christ wherewith they were sanctified Hebr. 10. 29. Thus all that are of right to be baptised are holy and regenerate not in the iudgement of certentie which is Gods but in the iudgement of charitie which is mans secrets alwaies reserued to God Againe when Paul saith in the sight of God he giues vs to vnderstand that there is an vniuersall iudgement of God before whome we must all appeare and be iudged And when Paul saith in the time present that God iustifieth though not by workes he signifies that this iudgement is alreadie begunne vpon vs euen in this life This must teach vs to walke in godly and holy conuersation in the feare of God and to watch and pray that we may be found worthie to stand before God Malefactours when they are going to iudgement and when they see the Iudge set lay aside skorning and bethinke themselues what to say or doe Now we are these malefactours and we know that God hath alreadie begunne to giue iudgement of vs and therefore we must prepare our selues to make a good reckoning In the testimonie of the Prophet our dutie is set downe and that is that we must in this world liue by faith That we may liue by faith we must doe two things One is to choose the true God for our God the second is in our hearts to cleaue vnto him and that according to his word First therefore we must cleaue fast to his commandements by entring into the way of his precepts and by walking in them For this cause we must haue alwaies about vs the eye of knowledge to direct our steps in the wayes of God that we euer keepe our selues in our callings that is the dutie we owe to God and man Secondly while we stand in the waies of God we shall be assailed with many Temptations on the right hand and on the left therefore we must further cleaue to the promises of God beleeuing his presence protection and assistance in all temptations and daungers And this our faith must be as it were a hand to stay vs. Here two caueats must be remembred One that we must not prescribe vnto God the manner of his assistance but leaue it with other circumstances of time and place to God The second is when all earthly things faile vs we must rest vpon the bare word of God and beleeue the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting This is to liue by faith And this dutie must be practised when we are in the field to fight for our countrey when we lie on our death beddes and when we are in any danger Marke further Paul saith the iust man liues by faith he therefore that is iustified continues to be iustified by his faith and therfore the second iustification that is said to be by our works is a meere fiction And in that none liues by faith but he that is a iust man we see that true faith is alwaies ioyned with the Purpose of not sinning or with the iustice of good conscience and where they are seuered there is no more but a meere pretence of faith When Paul saith the Law is not of faith he sets downe the maine difference betweene the Law and the Gospel The law promiseth life to him that performs perfect obedience that for his works The Gospel promiseth life to him that doth nothing in the cause of his saluation but only beleeues in Christ and it promiseth saluation to him that beleeueth yet not for his faith or for any worke els but for the merit of Christ. The law thē requires doing to saluation and the Gospel beleeuing and nothing els Obiect I. The Gospel requires repentance and the practise of it Ans. Indeede the law doth not teach true repentance neither is it any cause of it but onely an occasion The Gospel onely prescribes repentance and the practise thereof yet onely as it is a fruit of our faith and as it is the way to saluation in which we are to walke and no otherwise Obiect II. The law requires and commands faith Ans. The law requires faith in God which is to put our affiance in him But the Gospel requires faith in Christ the Mediatour Godman and this faith the law neuer knew Obiect III. In the Gospel there are promises of life vpon condition of our obedience Rom. 8. 13. Jf by the spirit ye mortifie the deedes of the flesh ye shall liue 1. Ioh. 1. 9. If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull to forgiue them Ans. The promises of the Gospel are not made to the worke but to the worker and to the worker not for his work but for Christs sake according to his worke As for example promise of life is made not to the worke of mortification but to him that mortifieth his flesh and that not for his mortification but because he is in Christ and his mortification is the token or euidence thereof And therefore it must be remembred that all promises of the Gospel that mention works include in them Reconciliation with God in Christ. Obiect IV. Faith is a vertue and to beleeue is a worke therefore one worke is commanded in the Gospel and is also necessarie to saluation Ans. The Gospel considers not faith as a vertue or worke but as an instrument or hand to apprehend Christ. For faith doth not cause effect or procure our iustification and saluation but as the beggers hand it receiues them beeing wholly wrought and giuen of God This distinction of the law and the Gospel must be obserued carefully For by it we see that the Church of Rome hath erroniously confounded the law and the Gospel for this many hundred yeares The law of Moses say they
the secrets of our hearts to God Whereas Paul saith that a Mediatour is not of one but a third betweene two at the least it may be demaunded how Christ can be mediatour betweene man and God considering he is God Ans. Though Father Sonne and holy Spirit be one and the same in respect of Godhead yet are they distinct in respect of person or in respect of the manner of subsisting so as the Father is the father not the Sonne or holy Ghost the Sonne the sonne and not the Father or the H. Ghost the holy Ghost the holy Ghost and not the father or the sonne The sonne then and the father beeing persons really distinct the sonne may be and is Mediatour first of all in respect of order to the father and in him to the sonne and the holy Ghost For the three persons beeing of one nature and will when the father is appeased in him also the sonne and the holy Ghost are appeased Thus Iohn saith If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father It may be said that Christ cannot be Mediatour to himselfe Ans. In Christ consider his nature and his Office By nature he is the sonne of God by office he is Mediatour and thus he is God-man or Man-god and as Mediatour by voluntarie dispensation he is inferiour to himselfe as he is the essentiall sonne of God And in the same manner Christ as God-man is Mediatour to himselfe as he is the sonne of God For as he is the sonne of God he is the partie offended as he is Mediatour God-man he is the partie that makes reconciliation Lastly the propertie of God must be obserued that he is vnchangeable Iam. 1. 17. Mal. 3. 16. It may be obiected that God is saide in Scripture to repent Ans. God is said to repent not because he changeth either nature or will but because he changeth his actions of mercie and loue into effects of anger after the manner of men Againe it may be obiected that God changed the law and abolished ceremonies Ans. This God did by an vnchangeable decree before all worlds and so the change is in the law and not in God For God can decree to change this or that without change The vse Gods vnchangeablenes is the foundation of our comfort Saint Paul saith If we loue God we are knowne of him 1. Cor. 8. 3. Now the first we may certenly finde in our selues namely the loue of God and Christ and for the second God is vnchangeable For they which are once knowne of God are euer knowne of him and that euen then when they feele nothing but Gods anger Againe we are put in minde to be vnchangeable in good things as in faith hope loue good counsells honest promises and such like specially in the maintenance of true religion For we ought to be like vnto God It is the poesie of our grations Queene Semper eadem Alwaies one and the same no doubt in good things specially in the religion established among vs. The same must be the minde of all good subiects and all good people 1. Cor. 15. 58. 21 Is the law then against the promise of God God forbid for if there had beene a law giuen which could haue giuen life surely righteousnesse should haue beene by the law 22 But the Scripture hath included all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue In these words Paul propounds and answers an other obiection in number the fourth The occasion of the obiection is taken out of the former words in which Paul saith the law is for transgressions It may be framed on this manner If the law serue to conuince and condemne vs of sinne it serues not to giue life but to kill and so it is contrarie to the promise which giuethlife The answer is made negatiuely God forbid And a double reason is rendered of the deniall The first is this If the law could giue life it should also giue iustice or iustifie and so it should be contrarie to the promise because then there should be two contrarie waies of iustification one by faith alone the other by faith with workes Therefore in that it kills and condemnes it is not contrarie to the promise The second reason is in the 22. verse Things subordinate whereof one serues for the other are not contrarie the law and the promise are subordinate for the law prepares the way for the accomplishing of the promise in that it shuts all vnder sinne that the promise may be giuen to them that beleeue in Christ. The vse In that Paul reiects the blasphemous obiection with God forbid we are taught to auoid things said or done to the dishonour of God with loathing and detestation When it was related to Ahab and Iezabel that Naboth had blasphemed God they beeing idolaters solemnise a fast pretending danger by the sinne 1. King 21. 12. Caiphas supposing that Christ had blasphemed rent his garments Math. 26. When Iob did but suspect his children of blaspheming God he called them and sanctified them Iob 1. 5. It is the fault of our daies that many blaspheme by cursing swearing c. without feare and many doe it as many dissolute souldiers in a brauerie and hearers thereof for the most part are nothing mooued thereat so ordinarie is the offence This shewes the wickednes of our times In the first reason Paul deliuers a notable conclusion namely that the thing which is the meanes to procure life vnto vs is also the meanes of our iustice or iustification before God And good reason For iustice causeth life and that which giueth life first of all giueth iustice Hence it followes that workes cannot meritoriously deserue eternall life For if life be by the workes of the law then iustice also but that cannot be for we must first of all be iustified before we can doe a good worke Let the Papists consider this Againe they which teach that faith is alone in iustification and that both faith and workes concurre as causes of saluation are deceiued For by the former conclusion of Paul if workes be causes of saluation then must they also haue a stroake in our iustification which they haue not And therefore they are the way of our saluation but not any cause at all Lastly here we see that many among vs doe not hold Christ or beleeue in him aright for their iustification because they hold him without change of heart and life For by Pauls conclusion whome Christ quickneth them he iustifieth and whome he doth not quicken them he doth not iustifie Examine thy selfe then if Christ haue sanctified and renewed thy heart thou art iustified if thy heart be yet vnsanctified and thy life vnreformed deceiue not thy selfe with fond imaginations thou art not yet iustified The 22. verse followeth containing the second reason And first let vs consider the meaning of the words The Scripture the words are in the Originall thus That
by name Exod. 33. 17. Againe it is a perpetuall and vnchangeable knowledge For whome God once knowes he neuer forgets Isai 49. 15. The third estate of the Galatians is their estate in their reuolt or Apostasie in these words How turne ye again to impotent and beggarly rudiments whereunto as from the beginning ye will be in bondage againe or thus to which ye will doe seruice againe as from the beginning The words carrie this sense How turne ye againe that is it is an intollerable offence in you hauing knowne God to returne againe to the rudiments of the law By rudiments we are to vnderstand Circumcision the Iewish sacrifices and all the ceremonies of the law of Moses And it may not seeme strange that they are called impotent and beggarly rudiments For they must be considered three waies with Christ without Christ and against Christ. With Christ when they are considered as types and figures of Christ to come and as signes of grace by diuine institution for the time of the old Testament Without Christ when they are vsed onely for custome whether before or after the death of Christ. Against Christ when they are esteemed as meritorious causes of saluation and the iustification of a sinner is placed in them either in whole or in part as though Christ alone were not sufficient In this respect Paul calls them impotent and beggarly rudiments And Paul hauing said that the Galatians returned againe to the rudiments of the lawe in the next words he shewes howe they doe it namely by seruing them againe They serued or yeilded seruice to them three waies In opinion because they iudged them to be necessarie parts of Gods worshippe and means of their saluation In Conscience because they subiected their consciences to them In affection because they placed part of their affiance in them for their iustification and saluation It may be demanded howe the Galatians can be said to returne againe to the rudiments of the law serue them againe that were neuer vsed to them before Answ. In the speach of Paul there is that which is called Catachresis that is a kind of speaking somewhat improper in respect of finenesse and Elegancie The like we haue Ruth 1. 22. when Ruth is said to returne to Iuda with Naomi yet shee was neuer there before Neuerthelesse the speach in sense is most significant and proper For Paul no doubt signifies hereby that when the Galatians subiected themselues to the rudiments of the law and placed their saluation in part euen in them they did in effect and in trueth as much as returne againe to their old superstitions serue againe their false gods Here then we haue a description of the Apostasie of the Galatians It is a voluntarie sinne for Paul saith ye will serue after the knowledge of the truth in which they returne againe to the rudiments of the law by yeelding subiection and seruice to them which act of theirs is indeede as much as if they had serued againe their false gods Here some may say if this be so then they sinned against the holy Ghost Ans. The sinne against the holy Ghost is indeede a voluntarie sinne but that is by reason of the obstinacie and malice of the will and this offence in the Galatians was voluntate onely by infirmitie Againe the sinne against the holy Ghost is an vniuersall Apostasie in respect of all the Articles of religion for that sinne makes men crucifie Christ crucified Heb. 6. 5. and to tread vnder foote the sonne of God the Apostasie of the Galatians was particular onely in the article of iustification The vse In that the Ceremonies of the law set vp against Christ in the cause of our iustification and saluation are called impotent and beggarly rudiments Paul teacheth a waightie conclusion That Christ stands alone in the worke of redemption without collegue or partner without deputie or substitute whether we respect the whole worke of redemption or the least part of it Againe that all the workes of mediation stand alone by themselues and admit nothing to be added and adioyned to them There is no other name whereby we can be saued beside the name of Christ. Act. 4. 12. Christ saues them perfectly that come vnto him Heb. 7. 25. In him we are complete Col. 2. 10. He alone treads the winepresse of Gods wrath and none with him Isai 63. 3. If Christ be a Sauiour he must be a perfect Sauiour considering he is God and man and beeing a perfect Sauiour in himselfe he needs no partner and because he is euery where 〈◊〉 all times therefore he needs no deputie in his stead Again euery worke of redemption is acted by whole Christ according to both his natures and as there are in him two natures so are there two operations of the said natures and as both natures concurre to make one person so the operatiōs of both natures concurre to make the compound worke of a mediatour which is an admirable worke not meerely humane but theandricke that is humane-diuine For this cause no action pertaining to redemptiō can be performed by a mere creature whether man or angel Obiection I. Ioh. 20. 23. The Apostles haue the power to remit and retaine sinnes therefore it is not proper to Christ. Answ. To remit by meriting and by efficacie in the conferring of pardon is proper to the mediatour The Apostles and other Ministers remit by preaching and by declaring remision The ministers of the word doe not procure our reconciliation with God as Christ doth but they exhort men to be reconciled to God 2. Cor. 5. 20. Obiect II. 1. Pet. 3. 18. Baptisme saueth therefore not Christ alone Ans. Baptisme saueth by signifying and by sealing vnto vs the grace and mercie of God and the effecting of our saluation is in the same place ascribed to Christ and his resurrection The conclusion then of Paul is to be remēbred for it serues as in engyne to ouerturne the maine grounds of poperie The primacie of the Pope is a certen estate in which he is substituted into the place and roome of Christ for he takes vpon him to make lawes that properly and truely binde conscience euen as the lawes of God Againe he takes vnto him a proper and iudiciall power to remit or retaine the sinnes of men Nowe these actions indeed are the proper actions of God Christ no meere creature is capable of them In this respect the primacie of the Pope is an impotent and beggarly inuention Again the Romish relligion beside the al sufficient oblation of Christ vpon the crosse lets vp the sacrifice of the masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead besides the Intercession of Christ it sets vp the Intercession of Saints and Angels beside the perfect satisfaction of Christ it sets vp humane satisfactions beside the infinite merit of Christ it maintaines and magnifies the merit of humane workes But all these are but impotent and beggarly deuises of men
For Christ in his Sacrifice Satisfaction intercession merit admits no corriuall or associate All actions of his are perfect in their kind and neede no supplie This againe must teach vs to content our selues with Christ alone and not to set vp any thing with him or against him This is the safest and the surest course A certen Papist writeth to this effect that we Protestants in our iustification cleaue only to the bodie of the tree and that the Papists cleaue both to the bodie and the branches And I say againe it is the safest with both the hands to cleaue to the bodie of the tree and he that with one hand laies hold vpon the bodie of the tree and with the other staies himselfe vpon the branches â—in great danger of falling The second conclusion of Paul is that to set vp any thing out of Christ as a meritorious cause of saluation and to place our iustification in it either in whole or in part is indeede the seruice of Idols And the reason is plaine For this is to set vp something in the place and roome of Christ and men put a confidence in that which they make a cause of their owne saluation The doctrine then of Iustification by works is a doctrine that maintaines idolatrie for if they iustifie we may put our trust in them and if we put our confidence in them we make idols of them That works may merit at Gods hand they must not onely be sanctified but also deified The distinction vsed of the Papists of Latria and Dulia that is of worship and seruice falls to the ground They say they giue worship to God and seruice to Angels and Saints It is a toie For here Paul condemnes the very seruice to heathen gods and the seruice of the rudiments of the law is the Apostasie of the Galatians And to giue seruice or worshippe to any thing are all one The third conclusion of Paul is that they which haue giuen their names to God and Christ must not returne to any thing that they haue forsaken or ought to forsake He that puts his hand to the plough must not looke backe he that goes to the land of Canaan must not looke backe to Egypt We in England haue bin long deliuered from the superstition of Poperie and we must not so much as dreame of any returne It is a common fault among vs that in outward profession we cleaue to Christ yet in affection and practise we cleaue to the world and walke after the lusts of our owne hearts This is in shew to goe forward but in deede to turne backe againe But our dutie is in thought conscience will affection word and deede to go on forward and no way to goe backe Vers. 10. In the former verse Paul sets downe the Apostasie of the Galatians in generall tearmes saying How turne ye againe to the Elements of the world In the 10. verse he shewes what these Elements be Ye obserued daies and moneths and times and yeares By daies are meant Iewish Sabbaths by moneths the feasts obserued euery moneth in the day of the new moone By times some vnderstand the feast of the Passeouer the feast of Pentecost and the feast of Tabernacies But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies seasons or fit times for the doing of this or that busines So is it translated Act. 1. 7. It is not for you to know the times and seasons It was the manner of the Gentiles to make difference of times in respect of good or bad successe and that according to the signes of heauen And it is very likely that the Galatians obserued daies not onely in the Iewish but also in the heathenish manner By yeares are meant euery seuenth yeare and the Iubelie yeares which the Galatians obserued after the fashion of the Iewes Againe there is a fourefold kind of obseruation of daies one naturall the other ciuill the third Ecclesiasticall the fourth superstitious Naturall is when daies are obserued according to the course of the sunne moone Gen. 1. 14. thus day follows night and night followes day and euery yeare hath foure seasons spring sommer autumne winter And the obseruation of these times is according to the law of nature Ciuill obseruation is when set times are obserued for husbandrie in planting setting reaping sowing for houshold affaires and for the affaires of the commonwealth in keeping of faires and markets c. And thus to obserue daies is not vnlawfull Ecclesiasticall obseruation of times is when set daies are obserued for orders sake that men may come together to worship God these daies are either daies of thanksgiuing or daies of humiliation Of daies of thanksgiuing take the example of the Iewes Hest. 9. 26. who obserued yearely the feast of Purim for a memorie of their deliuerance In like manner they appointed and obserued the feast of Dedication and it seemes that Christ was present at Ierusalem as an obseruer of this feast Ioh. 10. 22. And thus for orders sake to obserue certaine daies of solemnitie is not forbidden Superstitious obseruation of daies is twofold Iewish or heathenish Iewish when set daies are obserued with an opinion that we are bound in conscience to obserue them and when the worship of God is placed in the obseruing of this or that time Heathenish when daies are obserued in respect of good or bad successe Now then to come to the point the intent of Paul is onely to condemne the Iewish manner of obseruing of daies in these words Ye obserue daies moneths yeares and the heathenish manner in these words ye obserue seasons Against this interpretation the place of Paul may be obiected Rom. 14. 6. He that obserues the day obserues it to the Lord. Ans. Indeede Paul in these words excuseth the Romanes that obserued daies and saith that their intention was to obserue them to the honour of God and this he saith because as yet they were not fully instructed touching Christian libertie but withall let it be remembred that in mild sort he notes this to be a fault in them when he saith that they were weake in faith Now the case was otherwise with the Galatians because they obserued daies after they had bin informed touching their libertie in Christ and withall they placed their saluation in part in the obseruation of daies and thus they mixed the Gospel with the law And therefore they were iustly to be blamed Againe it may be obiected that now in the time of the new Testament we in religious manner obserue the Lords day Ans. Some men both godly and learned are of opinion that the Lords day was appointed by the Apostles for orders sake and that it is in the libertie of the Church to appoint the Sabbath vpon any other day in the weeke because they say all daies without exception are equall and they adde further that when the publike worship of God is ended men may then returne to their labours or giue themselues to recreation
c. In these words the Apostle sets forth the greatnesse of the Apostasie of the Galatians by the effect thereof which was to cause him to feare least he had bestowed labour in vaine amōg them First the occasion of the words must be considered and that is expressed in the former words ye obserue daies and moneths And hereupon he saith J am in feare of you And thus Paul teacheth that workes set vp as causes of saluation with Christ make void the Ministerie and grace of God It may be said this is meant of ceremoniall workes and so it is true I answer it is indeed spoken of ceremoniall workes but it must be inlarged to all workes without exception For Paul saith c. 5. v. 3. If ye be circumcised ye are bound to fulfill the whole lawe Hence then it followes that the doctrine of iustification by workes is an errour in the foundation and beeing distinctly and obstinately maintained there is no hope of saluation Againe here we see the fidelitie of the Apostle Paul and it stands in two things the first is his painefull and wearisome labour to gaine the Galatians to God The second is his care that the foresaid labour be not in vaine And in this example of his we learne three things The first that they which are or desire to be dispensers of the word must doe it not for the bellie or for lucres sake or for the praise of men but simply for this ende that they may gaine soules to God The Scribe that would haue followed Christ for gaine was repelled with this answer that Christ had not so much as a place where to lay his head Math. 8. 20. and to preach for by-respects is to make a marchandise of the word of God 2. Cor. 2. 17. The second is that ministers after the example of Paul must be labourers indeed 1. Cor. 3. 9. and workemen 2. Tim. 2. 15. And they must shewe themselues to be so by their care and industrie in winning soules to God And it is not sufficient now and then to make a discourse vpon a text Thirdly Ministers of the word must be watchmen Ezech. 3. 14 and Heb. 13. 17. their office is not onely to gaine and call men to God but also to preserue and keepe them in Christ which are alreadie called Thirdly here we see the condition of the Church of Galatia and of all other visible Churches vpon earth that they are subiect to Apostasie It may be said how can this be considering true beleeuers cannot fall away Ans. In the visible church on earth there are foure kinds of beleeuers The first are they which heare the word without zeale and they are like the stony ground The second are they which heare knowe and approoue the word The third are they which heare knowe and approoue the word and haue a taste of the power thereof and accordingly yeeld some outward obedience The fourth are they which heare knowe approoue and keepe the word in that they beleeue it and are turned into the obedience of it The three first may fall quite away the fourth cannot And by this meanes it comes to passe that visible Churches vpon earth may fall away because of them that professe the faith three to one may vtterly fall away The vse This must teach vs that are members of the visible Church to feare and to suspect our selues and not to content our selues because we haue some good things in vs but we must labour to be sealed vp to the daie of our redemption and to lay vp a good foundation against the time to come 1. Tim. 6. 18. By seeking to haue in vs such good things as are proper to the Elect as vnfained faith in Christ and conuersion to God from all our sinnes It may be demanded how Pauls labour should be in vaine Ans. It was in vaine in respect of his owne desire and affection to saue all the Galatians secondly it was in vaine in respect of the whole bodie of that Church wherof many were hypocrits It was not in vaine in respect of the elect nor in respect of the counsell of God Isa. 55. 11. Againe it may be demanded what must be done when the labours of our callings are in vaine Ans. We must follow the calling and commandement of God whether we haue good successe or no and whatsoeuer come of it Paul feares least his labour is in vaine and yet he still labours When Peter had laboured all night and caught nothing he saith at the commandement of Christ In thy word will I cast out my net Luk. 5. And thus to doe whatsoeuer follows is true wisedome and the feare of God For it must suffice vs that the worke we take in hand is pleasing vnto God And though it be in vaine in respect of men it is not so before God Isa 49. 4. and 2. Cor. 2. 18. This must euery man remember in his place and calling for the establishing of his minde against all euents V. 12. Be you as I for I am euen as you I beseech you brethren ye haue not hurt me at all The words in this verse to the 16. verse are an answer to an obiection The obiection is this we see now by these sharpe reproofes that Paul hath changed his minde toward vs and that he hath turned his loue into hatred The answer is be as I I am as you the speech is very effectuall and significant and it is like the common prouerb Amicus alter ego alter idem that is a mans friend is all one with himselfe The sense of the words is Be as I looke that your minds be not estranged from me but tender me euen as your own selues for I Paul am the same that euer I was I respect and tender you euen as mine own selfe And least the Galatians should say see ye not how Paul commands imperiously be ye as I therefore he addes I beseech you brethren I command you not In the next words he addes a reason of his answer thus Hatred presupposeth a hurt or wrong to be done ye haue done me no hurt or wrong therefore ye may not thinke that I hate you When Paul saith be as I I am as you we learne that there must be a speciall and mutuall loue betweene the teachers and the people Paul saith that he did inlarge his heart for the Corinthians and he requires the like of them 2. Cor. 6. 11. 13. Teachers must shewe their loue by tendering the saluation of the people by all meanes euen as their own soules Paul could haue found in his heart to haue beene accursed for his countrimen the Iewes Rom. 9. 〈◊〉 He desired that he might be offered vp as a drinke offering vpon the sacrifice of the faith of the Philippians Phil. 2. 18. When the Israelites had sinned Moses stands in the breach as it were in the face of the Canon betweene the wrath of God and them by his praier to stay the iudgement of
God Psal. 106. 23. Againe the people must shew their loue to their teachers first by praying for them as for themselues Rom. 15. 30. secondly by hauing in singular price the worke of the Ministery 1. Thess. 5. 13. and that is by wholsome doctrine to repaire the image of God and to erect the kingdome of God in the hearts of men When this thing is loued and desired then are Ministers loued This mutuall loue is of great vse it incourageth people to obay and the Preachers of the word to labour in teaching When Paul saith I beseech you brethren he shewes what moderation is to be vsed in all reproofes He tells the Galatians his minde plainly to the full and withall he indeauours to shew his owne loue to them and to keepe theirs It may be asked how Paul can say Ye haue done me no hurt at all For when a beleeuer in Corinth committed incest Paul tooke it for a wrong to himselfe 2. Cor. 2. 10. And no doubt to call the doctrine of the Apostle into question was a great wrong vnto him I answer the wrong was no wrong in his estimation and affection who was content to put vp and to forgiue the wrong Here we see the meeknes of Paul in that he quietly beares the crosses and wrongs laid vpon him The like was in Moses who 40. yeares together indured the bad manners of the Israelites Act. 13. 18. but the perfect example of this vertue is in Christ who saued thē that crucified him We likewise are to exercise our selues in this vertue And that we may indeede so doe we must first of all haue a sense of our spirituall pouertie and a faith in the mercie presence and protection of God Againe marke the minde of the Apostle that he may winne soules to God he is content to suffer any wrong The Priests and Iesuits among vs in England are content to venter life and limme that they may win Proselytes to the Church of Rome much more then must the true Ministers of the Gospel be content with any condition so they may gaine men to God In this case hurts and abuses must be no hurts nor abuses 13 And ye know how through the infirmitie of the flesh I preached the Gospel vnto you at the first 14 And the triall of me which was in my flesh ye despised not neither abhorred but receiued me as an Angel of God yea as Christ Iesus 15 What then was your felicitie for I beare you record that if it had beene possible you would haue plucked out your eyes to haue giuen them to me 16 Am I therefore become your enemie because I tell you the truth The answer to the Obiection in the former verse was this Be as J I am as you And the reason was this hatred presupposeth an offence ye haue done me no offence or hurt therefore ye may not thinke that I hate you The minor is in the 12. v. the conclusion in the 16. v. Againe the minor ye haue done me no hurt is confirmed in the 13 14 15. verses The summe of the Argument is this Though my outward condition was subiect to contempt yet did the Galatians shew loue and reuerence to me therefore ye did me no hurt Againe Paul sets forth both the parts of his argument And first of all he describes his owne condition by three things that he preached in weaknesse of the flesh that he preached the first that he preached hauing the triall of himselfe in his owne flesh Secondly the loue and reuerence of the Galatians is set out by three signes or effects they despised him not they receiued him as an Angel or as Christ himselfe they would haue plucked out their eyes to haue done him good The first thing in Pauls condition is that he published the Gospel in the infirmitie of his flesh that is in a meane and base estate without the shew of humane wisdome and authority and subiect to many miseries In this sense Paul opposeth infirmitie to the excellencie of humane wisdome 1. Cor. 2. 1. 3. and vnder it he comprehends all the calamities and troubles that befell him 2. Cor. 12. 10. This was the condition of the rest of the Apostles For they were but fishers and preached the word in their fisherlike simplicitie Nay this was the condition of Christ himselfe For he hid the maiestie of his godhead vnder the vaile of his flesh and his outward man was subiect to reproch and contempt Isa. 53. 3. And this is the Order of God The word must be dispensed in the infirmitie of mans flesh for sundrie causes First that we might not exalt our teachers aboue their condition who are no more but instruments of grace When the men of Derbe and Listra would haue offered sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas Paul forbids them saying that they were men subiect to the same passions with themselues Act. 14. 15. The second cause that we might ascribe the whole worke of our conuersion not to men but to God alone 2. Cor. 4. 7. The third is that God might by this meanes confound the wisdom of the world and cause men that would be wise to become fooles that they might be wise 1. Cor. 3. 18. The last is that we might be assured that the doctrine of the Apostles is of God because it preuailes in the world without the strength and pollicie of man And as the word is preached in weaknes so it is beleeued of men and the grace of God is conferred to vs and continued in vs in the weaknes of the flesh Gods loue is shedde abroad in the hearts of men but when euen then when we are in the midst of manifold afflictions Rom. 5. 2. 5. Paul beares about him the mortification of our Lord Iesus not for his damnation but that the life of God might be manifest in his mortall flesh 2. Cor. 4. 10. And he saith plainly that the grace of God is made perfect through weaknesse 2. Cor. 12. 9. By this we are taught a high point in religion and that is not onely to be content with the miseries and troubles of this life but to reioyce therein because when we are weakest we are strongest and when we thinke our selues forsaken of God in the time of distresse we are not forsaken indeede but haue his speciall fauour and protection 2. Cor. 12. 10. Let this be thought vpon for the works of God in the cause of mans saluation are in and by their contraries This is the manner of Gods dealing The second thing is that Paul preached the Gospel to the Galatians at the first as it were breaking the I se where none had preached before In this he claimes his priuiledge that he was to be esteemed as a master-builder that laid the foundation of the Church of Galatia and withall he giues a close item to the false Apostles who did not plant Churches but onely corrupt them after they were planted Againe Paul here notes the condition of
in respect of iustification as Paul shewes at large in this Epistle and yet the Popish doctrine is that we are to be iustified by the workes of the law Againe Christian libertie frees our consciences from the Traditions of men Col. 2. 20. and yet the Popish religion bindes vs in conscience to the Traditions of men nay it is nothing els but an heape of traditions Here two things are to be considered the manner of standing and the time The manner is signified in the very words For to stand fast is to hold and maintaine our libertie with courage and constancie whatsoeuer comes of it as the soldier keepes his standing though it cost him his life We are readie to defend the libertie of our countrie euen with the hazard of our liues much more then are we to defend Christian libertie with the losse of all that we inioy sinne must be resisted euen vnto blood Hebr. 12. 4. If men be fearefull they must pray to God for the spirit of boldnes and courage and if God vouchsafe not this gift when opportunitie is offered they may withdraw themselues and by flying preserue their libertie The time of standing is the euill day that is the day of triall Eph. 6. 13. And then to stand fast is a matter of great difficultie And for this cause we are before hand to prepare our selues by obseruing these rules following First we must labour that religion be not onely in mind and memorie but also be rooted in the affection of our hearts so as we loue it reioyce in it and esteeme it aboue all things Secondly we must not onely be hearers of the word of God but also doers of it in the exercises of faith repentance new obedience Thirdly we must ioyne with our religion the soundnes of good conscience for if conscience faile we cannot be sound in our religion Lastly we must pray to God with all manner of praier and supplication for all things needefull Eph. 6. 18. 2 Behold I Paul say vnto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shal profit you nothing These words are a reason of the former conclusion thus If ye be circumcised and goe backe from your Christian profession Christ shall profit you nothing therefore stand fast In the words I consider a sentence and the proofe of it The sentence If ye be circumcised c. the proofe J Paul say vnto you For the better vnderstanding of the sentence Circumcision must here be considered according to the circumstance of time three waies Before Christ it was a sacrament and a seale of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4. 11. after the death of Christ till the destruction of the temple it was a dead ceremonie yet sometime vsed as a thing indifferent After the destruction of the Temple when the Church of the new Testament was planted among the Gentiles it was a deadly ceremonie and ceased to be indifferent and in this last respect Paul saith If ye be circumcised c. Againe circumcision must be considered according to the opinion which the false Apostles had of it now they put their confidence in it and made it a meritorious cause of their saluation and ioyned it with Christ. The words therefore carrie this sense If ye will be circumcised with this opinion that circumcision shall be vnto you a meritorious cause of your saluation Christ shall profit you nothing The vse Hence it followes that the doctrine of iustification by works is an errour ouerturning the foundation of religion which whosoeuer obstinately maintaineth cannot be saued It will be said this is true of ceremoniall works but not of morall works Ans. Yea euen of morall For that which Paul saith here of circumcision he speakes generally of the whole law vers 4. Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law And circumcision must be considered as an obligation to the obedience of the whole law Againe it may be said this is true of the works of nature but not of works of grace Ans. Yea euen of workes of grace for the Galatians were regenerate and therfore looked not to be iustified saued by the workes of nature but by workes of grace Secondly hence we gather that to adde any thing to the passion as a meritorious cause of our iustification and saluation is to make Christ vnprofitable For he must be a perfect Sauiour or no Sauiour he admits neither partner nor deputie in the worke of our redemption And the grace of God admits no mixture or composition with any thing that is of vs. Grace is no grace vnlesse it be freely giuen euery way Therefore the Popish religiō is a damnable religion because with the merit satisfactiō of Christ it ioyns humane merits satisfactions in the case of our iustification It may be alleadged that the Popish religion maintaines all the articles concerning Christ as we doe Ans. It doth so in word but withall it addes to the foresaid articles the doctrine of humane merits and satisfactions which make voide the death of Christ. Againe Papists alleadge that it is the glorie of Christ that he merits for vs and withall makes vs to merit for our selues as it is the glorie of an Emperour to make other kings vnder him Ans. It is not the glorie of the Emperour to make kings as partners with him in his kingdome And workes set vp as meritorious causes of saluation dishonour Christ for they make him vnprofitable as Paul here teacheth Popish religion therefore is in no wise in any place to be tollerated where it may be abolished but it is to be wished that it were banished forth of towne and countrey and students are to be warned with great circumspection to read Popish writers For no good can be looked for of that religion that makes Christ vnprofitable Lastly we are here taught to content our selues with Christ alone and with his works merits and satisfactions For in him we are complete Col. 2. 10. The confirmation of the sentence followeth I Paul say it therfore it is so This kind of reasoning may not seeme strange for the Apostles in writing and preaching had the diuine and infallible assistance of the spirit so as they could not erre This must be held as a Principle in religion and beeing denied there is no certentie of the Bible 3 For I testifie againe to euery man that is circumcised that he is bound to keepe the whole law 4 Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law ye are fallen from grace The meaning Paul saith I testifie againe because he hath spoken thus much in effect before Gal. 3. 10. That is circumcised who is of opinion of the false Apostles that will be circumcised and looke for iustification thereby Bound to the whole law that is to the whole ceremoniall law to the iudiciall law and to the whole morall law And further bound in respect of iustification and life to doe all things in the law For he that
will be iustified by one act of the law is bound to performe the rest for his iustification Abolished from Christ that is Christ is become an idle and emptie Christ vnto you Whosoeuer are iustified by the law that is are of opinion that they are to be iustified by the workes of the law For indeede a sinner cannot be iustified by the law but onely in his owne false opinion Grace that is the loue and fauour of God The resolution The third verse is a confirmation of the reason in the second verse and it may be framed thus He which is bound to keepe the whole law hath no part in Christ he which is circumcised is bound to keepe the whole law therefore he which is circumcised hath no part in Christ. The 4. verse is a repetition of the second verse with a declaration therof for he shewes what he meanes by circumcision namely iustification by circumcision and consequently by the whole law And therefore when he had said If ye be circumcised he changeth his speach saying Whosoeuer is iustified by the law Againe least men might thinke it a small matter to be abolished from Christ he shewes that it is indeede to fall from grace The vse These verses are as it were a thunderbolt against all Poperie And first of all I vrge the argument of Paul against the Popish Church and against the Popish religion If ye be iustified by the law ye are abolished from Christ and fallen from Christ. Answer is made that the words are to be vnderstood of such workes of the law as are from nature and goe before faith and not of such workes as are from grace and follow faith for such workes they say are from Christ and stand with him I answer the words of Paul are to be vnderstood of all workes of the law whether they be from nature or from grace For this Epistle of Paul was written about sixe yeares after the conuersion of the Galatians therefore they were and had bin long regenerate persons now men regenerate looke not to be iustified by works of nature but by good workes which are workes of grace And Paul saith Eph. 2. 10. We are not saued by workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in and these are the best workes that are or can be Againe Tit. 3. 5. Of his mercie he saued vs and not of workes of righteousnes By this text we further see that we and the Papists differ not about circumstances vnlesse Grace and Christ be circumstances Againe we see that the Church of Rome is indeede no Church because by maintaining iustification by works it is abolished from Christ and fallen from grace Againe I vrge Pauls argument against them on this manner He which is debter to the whole law hath no part in Christ he which is iustified by workes is debter to the whole law therefore he which is iustified by workes hath no part in Christ Let them answer if they can I turne the same argument another way thus He which is iustified by workes is bound to keepe the whole law but no man can keepe the whole law therefore no man can be iustified by workes They answer to the minor by making a double fulfilling of the law one for this life the other for the life to come and both in their kind perfect The fulfilling of the law for the time of this life they say it is to loue God aboue all creatues in truth and that he which doth thus much fulfills the law and is no offender Hereupon they inferre that works may be answerable to the law and be opposed to the iudgement of God And for this doctrine they alleadge S. Augustine I answer againe that Paul in this place takes it for a confessed truth that no man can fulfill the law and he vrgeth it as a great inconuenience that any man should be bound to keepe the whole law And before he hath said He which is of the workes of the law is cursed Gal. 3. 10. which could not be if there were a fulfilling of the law for the time of this life As for Augustine it is true he makes two fulfillings of the law and one of them for the time of this life but this he saith is imperfect and this imperfection he makes to be a sinne whereas the Papists of our time teach that men may fulfill the law for the time of this life without sinne Where Paul saith If ye be circumcised marke how the false Apostles abuse circumcision It is by diuine institution a seale of the righteousnes of faith and they make it a meritorious cause of saluation It is indeede rather Gods worke then our worke and they make it their owne worke and that meritorious before God Like doe the Papists at this day Baptisme is a signe and seale of Gods mercie by diuine institution and they turne it into a physicall cause which containes and conferres grace In like sort they turne the workes of the spirit almes praier fasting contrition yea their owne traditions confession satisfaction and such like into meritorious causes of iustification and life And this is the fashion of deceiuers to retaine the names of holy things but not to retaine the right vse of them As here we see Circumcision was an obligation to the keeping of the whole law in the old Testament so is baptisme in the new an obligation or bond whereby we haue bound our selues to liue according to all the lawes of God Matth. 28. 19 20. This discouers the Atheisme and vnbeleefe of persons baptised in these our daies for few there be that thinke vpon and performe this obligation We are further to obserue the condition of the law It is wholly copulatiue All the parts of it are linked one to another He that is bound to one commandement is bound to all he that keepes one indeede keepes all he that breakes one in respect of the disposition of his heart is a breaker of all Iam. 2. 10. he that makes no conscience to keepe some one commandement if occasion be offered will breake any Hence it followes that true regeneration is that which is a reformation and change according to the whole law of God and containes in it the seedes of all good duties Christ saith He that is washed is all cleane Ioh. 13. 10. Iosias turned to God according to the whole law Zacharie and Elizabeth walke in all the commandements of God without reproofe Luk. 1. Dauid saith He shall not be confounded when he hath respect to all the commandements of God Psal. 119. 6. On the contrarie he which hath many excellent things in him if he liue in the manifest breach of some one commandement is sound in none nay indeede he is guiltie of all Herod did many good things and yet all was nothing because he liued in incest Mark 6. 20. The deuill is able to bring a man to perdition as well by one sinne as by many Whereas Paul saith
If ye be iustified by the law ye are abolished from Christ First I gather that the Law and the Gospel are not one in substance of doctrine as the Papists teach for they say the Gospel is nothing but the law made more perfect and plaine which if it were true a man might be iustified both by Christ and the law which Paul saith cannot be Secondly I gather hence that it is a meere deuice of mans wit to say that Christ by his death and passion merited that we should merit by our owne workes our iustification and saluation For if this were true that the merit of our workes were the fruit of Christs passion Paul would not haue said that iustification by the law should abolish Christ vnto vs. For the cause and the effect both stand together whereas Christs merit and the merit of our works agree euen as fire and water And no maruell For the reason why Christ meriteth is the Personall vnion of the Godhead with the manhood which vnion because it is not to be found in any meere man neither is there any true and proper merit to be found Whereas Paul saith Ye are fallen from grace some gather that the children of God may fall quite from the fauour of God Ans. Men are said to be vnder grace two waies First in the iudgement of infallibilitie and thus onely the Elect are vnder the grace of God Secondly in the iudgement of Christian charitie and thus all that professe Christ though indeede hypocrites are vnder the grace of God And in this sense Paul saith that the whole Church of Galatia is vnder the grace of God And they are said to fall from grace not because all were indeede vnder the fauour of God and at length cast out of it but because God makes it manifest to men that they were neuer in the fauour of God Thus Christs enemies are said â—o be blotted out of the booke of lifâ— Psal. 69. 28. when God makes it manifest that their names were neuer written there Secondly I answer that Paul speakes this not absolutely but vpon condition If ye will be iustified by the law And therefore v. 10. he saith that he is perswaded better things of them Lastly here we see it is false that euery man shall be saued by his religion for he that is abolished from Christ is quite out of the â—auour of God And therefore no religion but that which is truly Christian saueth 5 For we in the spirit by faith waite for the hope of righteousnes 6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing but faith which worketh by loue The meaning We I Paul the rest of the Apostles and all other Christian churches In spirit that is in the powers of the soule sanctified and renewed In this sense Paul saith that the true circumcision is that which is in the heart in spirit Rom. 2. 29. and Christ saith that true worship of God is in spirit Ioh. 4. 24. And that spirit is here taken in this sense it is manifest because it is opposed to circumcision which is in the flesh By faith we wait Faith apprehends the promise and thereby brings forth hope and faith by meanes of hope makes them that beleeue to waite Hope of righteousnes that is saluation or life eternall which is the fruit of righteousnes Tit. 2. 13. or againe righteousnes hoped for Righteousnes indeede is imputed to them that beleeue and that in this life yet the fruition and the full reuelation thereof is reserued to the life to come when Christ our righteousnes shall appeare and when the effect of righteousnes namely sanctification shall be accomplished in vs. Rom. 8. 23. 1. Ioh. 3. 2. The sense then is this All the Apostles and Christian churches with one consent in spirit by meanes of their faith waite for the full reuelation of their imputed righteousnes and for euerlasting life whereas the false Apostles place their righteousnes in circumcision of the flesh and looke to haue the fruition of it in this life v. 6. In Christ that is in the Church kingdome or religion of Christ. 2. Cor. 5. 17. If any be in Christ that is if any be a Christian he is a new creature Vncircumcision that is the condition and workes of men vncircumcised Auaileth any thing is of no vse respect or acceptation with God Faith working faith effectuall in duties of loue The resolution These wordes containe a second reason where Paul confirmes the former conclusion and it may be framed thus That thing which makes vs waite for the hope of righteousnes that iustifies not circumcision but faith makes vs waite for the hope of righteousnes therefore not circumcision but faith iustifies The proposition is omitted the minor is in the 5. verse And it is confirmed by two arguments The first is the consent of all Churches We waite The second is taken from the propertie of faith in the sixt verse thus It is faith and not circumcision that auailes before God therefore faith and not circumcision makes vs waite Againe in these two verses Paul meetes with an Obiection which may be framed thus If ye abolish circumcision and the ceremoniall law ye abolish the exercises of religion The answer is in stead of them we haue other exercises in our spirit namely the inward exercises of faith hope and loue The vse In the 5. verse foure things are to be considered The first is who waites Paul saith we waite Before he hath iustified his doctrine by the Scriptures now he addes the consent of the Churches Here then we see what is the office of all faithfull dispensers of the word namely to declare such doctrines as are founded in Scriptures and approoued by the consent of the true Church of God Paul an Apostle that could not erre respected consent much more are all ordinarie Ministers to doe it Againe it is the office of all Christian people to maintaine and defend all such doctrines and opinions as are founded in the Scriptures and ratified by the consent of the true churches of God and no other This to doe is to walke in the way of vnitie and peace and to doe otherwise is to walke in the way of schisme and heresie The second point is what is waited for Paul saith the reuelation of righteousnes and eternall saluation Here I obserue that there is no iustification by the obseruation of the law and I prooue it thus The righteousnes whereby a sinner is iustified is apprehended by faith and expected by hope but if righteousnes were by the law men should haue the fruition of their righteousnes in this life and consequently the hope thereof should cease Secondly here is comfort for the godly They complaine of the want of sanctification but they are to know that in this life they shall neuer feele righteousnes as they feele sinne here they must hunger and thirst after righteousnes liuing in some want of it If we haue the first
fruits of the spirit the hatred of our owne sinne the purpose of not sinning the feare of God and such like we must content our selues and waite for the fruition of further grace till the life to come Thirdly we must become waiters for the mercie of God and for life euerlasting Gen. 49. 18. Iud. v. â—1 For this cause we must doe as they doe which waite attend for some great benefit we must daily stand with our supplications knocking at the mercie gate to the death and we must daily prepare our selues against the day of death and it must be welcome vnto vs for then is the ende of all our waiting and attending The third point is by what are we to waite Paul saith We waite by faith Hence it followes that faith brings with it a speciall certentie of the mercie of God and of life euerlasting For men vse not to waite for the things whereof they are vncerten Waiting presupposeth certentie The Papists therefore that make speciall hope should also make speciall faith The last point is where is this waiting Paul saith in spirit Here obserue that all the exercises of Christian religion are to be in the spirit God must be worshipped in spirit Ioh. 4. 24. Rom. 1. 9. The heart must be rent and not the garment Ioâ—l 2. The inward motions of the spirit are of themselues the worship of God whereas our words and deedes are not simply but so farforth as they are founded in the renewed motions of the heart Men in our daies thinke they doe God high seruice if they come to Church heare Gods word and say some few praiers Indeede these things are not to be condemned yet are they not sufficient vnlesse withall we bring vnto God a renewed spirit indued with faith hope â—oue In the 6. verse Paul propounds three conclusions The first is this that externall and bodely priuiledges are of no vse and moment in the kingdome of Christ. Paul saith 1. Tim. 4. 8. Bodily exercise profiteth little and that godlines is profitable for all things It was a great priuiledge to be familiarly acquainted with Christ and to haue eaten and drunke with him yet is it of no vse in the kingdome of Christ. For of such Christ saith Luk. 13. 26. Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie It was a great priuiledge to be allied to Christ in respect of blood yet in the kingdome of Christ it is of no vse and therefore Christ saith He that doth the will of my father is my brother sister and mother Mark 3. 33. To conceiue and beare Christ was a great honour to the virgin Marie yet was shee not by this meanes a member of the kingdome of Christ but by her faith in him And if shee had not borne him in her heart as well as shee bare him in her wombe shee had not bin saued To prophecie or preach and that in the name of Christ is a great dignitie and yet many hauing this prerogatiue shall be condemned Matth. 7. 22. It may be alleadged that some outward exercises as baptisme and the Lords supper are of great vse in the Church of Christ. I answer the outward baptisme is nothing without the inward Not the washing of the flesh but the stipulation of a good conscience saueth 1. Pet. 3. 18. Circumcision is profitable if thou keepe the law Rom. 2. 35. By this we are taught not to esteeme of mens religion by their riches and externall dignities For the fashion of the world is if a man haue riches and honour to commend him for a wise vertuous and godly man This is foolishly to haue faith in respect of persons Iam. 2. 1. Secondly by this we are taught to moderate our affections in respect of all outward things neither sorrowing too much for them nor ioying too much in them 1. Cor. 7. 30. The second conclusion Faith is of great vse and acceptation in the kingdome of Christ. By it first our persons and then our actions please God and without it nothing pleaseth God It is the first and the greatest honour we can doe to God to giue credence to his word and from this flowes all other obedience to all other commandements Hence we learne First that we must labour to conceiue faith a right in our hearts by the vse of the right meanes the word praier sacraments as also in and by the exercises of spirituall inuocation and repentance This beeing done we must rest vpon the bare word and testimonie of God without and against sense and feeling and quiet our hearts therein both in life and death Secondly faith in Christ must raigne and beare sway in our hearts and haue the command ouer reason will affection lust And by it whatsoeuer we doe or suffer specially the maine actions of our liues are to be ordered and disposed Lastly it is a thing to be bewailed that the common faith of our daies is but a Ceremoniall faith conceiued without the ordinarie meanes and seuered from the exercises of inuocation and repentance The third conclusion is that true faith workes by loue Hence the Papists gather that loue is the forme and life of faith not because it makes faith to be faith but because it makes it to be a true faith a good faith a liuely faith But this their doctrine is false and erronious For faith is the cause of loue and loue is the fruit of faith 1. Tim. 1. 5. Loue out of a pure heart good conscience and faith vnfained Now euery cause as it is a cause hath his force and efficacie in it selfe and receiues no force or efficacie from his effect Secondly true faith is liuely and effectuall in it selfe and hath a peculiar forme of his owne and that is a certen power to apprehend Christ in the promise For in faith there are two things knowledge and apprehension which some call application or speciall affiance which affiance because the Papists cut off they are constrained to make a supplie by loue Thirdly the operation of faith according to the doctrine of the Papist is to Prepare and dispose a sinner to his future iustification Now if this operation be from loue then loue is before iustification and that cannot be because as they teach iustification stands in loue Loue therfore is not the forme of faith They alleadge for themselues this very text in hand where it is said faith worketh by loue or as they translate it faith is acted and mooued by loue Ans. The meaning of the text is that faith is effectuall in it selfe and that it shewes and puts forth his efficacie by loue as by the fruit thereof And it cannot hence be gathered that faith is acted and mooued by loue as by a formall cause Againe they alleadge Iam. 2. 26. As the bodie is dead without the spirit so is faith without workes Ans. 1. The soule of man is not the forme of his bodie but of the whole man 2. Spirit may as well signifie breath or
the price of eternall life Phil. 3. 13. Luk. 9. 62. Here comes a common fault to be considered we in respect of profession goe forward yet we looke backe in our course and minde earthly things Lastly we must not be mooued with the speaches of men which are giuen of vs either to or fro They are lookers on and must haue their speaches and our care must be not to heede them but to looke to our course The second dutie of Christian people is that they must not onely be runners but they must runne well And that is done by beleeuing and by obaying the true religion or as Paul saith by hauing faith and good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 18. These are as it were the two feete by which we runne to life euerlasting Vnder faith we are to comprehend the true acknowledgement of God affiance in him and inuocation c. Vnder good conscience is comprised the purpose of not sinning and the care to obay God in all his commandements To applie this to our selues runners we are but alas few of vs are good runners We haue one good foote and that is our faith or religion which is sound and good but we halt on the other foote our care to keepe conscience is not sutable to our religion And three things cause a lamenes or feeblenes in this foote the lust of the eye that is couetousnes the lust of the flesh and pride of life The third dutie is that we must runne the race from the beginning to the ende and finish our course so as we may apprehend life euerlasting 1. Tim. 6. 11. 2. Tim. 4. 7. 1. Cor. 9. 24. And for this cause we must cherish in our hearts a loue and feruent desire of eternall life and by this meanes we shall be drawne on through all miseries and ouerpasse them to the ende Secondly we must hold and maintaine a constant and daily purpose of not sinning And where we are the weakest there must our resolution be the strongest And thus shall we be constant to the death 8 It is not the perswasion of him that calleth you The meaning This opinion of iustification by the workes of the law is not from God who hath called you from bondage to libertie The scope Paul here meetes with a conceit of the Galatians which was this Why dost thou so often and so sharpely reprooue vs for we hould nothing against conscience but are perswaded of the thing which we say To this Paul answers here this perswasion is not of God because it is against the calling of God for he calles you to libertie and this your opinion drawes you into bondage Here we see the cause of mens declining from God and his worde and that is this Men denie credence to Gods word listen to plausible perswasions and so fall awaie Thus Eue fell in the estate of innocencie by listning to the false perswasions of the deuill The Papists â—usle themselues in their superstitions by a presumption that the Church cannot erre and that god wil not leaue his church destitute of the assistaÌ„ce of his spirit Our common people boulster themselues in their blind waies by a presumption that God is all of mercy and that if they doe their true intent serue God say their praiers deale iustly and doe as they would be done vnto they shall certenly be saued Tradesmen often vse many practises of fraud and iniustice and that vpon a perswasion that they haue a charge and family which must be maintained If men now a daies will not blaspheme drinke and riot as others doe they shall be charged with precisenes and that comes vpon a perswasion that it sufficeth to auoid the outward and notorious crimes which are mentioned and condemned in the law Thus the whole world is misled by blind perswasions Secondly hence we learne to close vp our eyes as it were and absolutely to follow the calling of god to subiect all the powers of our soules vnto it Thus did Abraham when he was called to go he knew not whether and Paul without vsing consultation went and preached in Arabia at the calling of Christ. Thirdly Paul here sets downe a note to discerne of false doctrines and opinions in religion If they be sutable to the calling of God they are good if they be against the calling of God they are naught This is Pauls rule God calles vs to libertie therefore the doctrine of iustification by the workes of the law is naught for it drawes vs into bondage In like â—ort God calles vs to free iustification and therefore the doctrine of humane satisfactions and of the merit of workes is naught Againe God calls vs to an vtter deniall of our selues and therefore the Popish doctrine of preparation and of freedome of will in the conuersion of a sinner is naught Lastly it is to be obserued that Paul saith in the time present of him that calleth you for hence it appeares that God continues to call the Galatians euen after their fall in which they fell away to an other Gospel and as much as in them lay abolished themselues from Christ. This shews Gods patience and that there is a possibilitie of mercie after great and grieuous falls It may be saide how long doth God continue to call men vnto him Ans. So long as he vouchsafeth them the benefit of the publike Ministerie Thus then more then fourtie yeares hath God called vs in England And for this cause it is our part to pray to God for hearing eares to be pearced in our hearts and we must answer the calling of God Psal. 27. 8. at the least in the desires and groanes of our hearts And lastly we must in life and conuersation be sutable to the calling of God 9 A little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe The sense As a little leauen leaueneth and fauoreth the whole lumpe of dow euen so one errour or point of corrupt doctrine corrupteth the whole bodie of Christian religion because all the points of religion are linked and compounded together so as if one be corrupt the rest cannot remaine â—ound and incorrupt The scope The obiection of the Galatians is Put case that we erre in ioyning Circumcision and Christ yet there is no cause why thou shouldest â—o sharpely reprooue vs for it is no great errour to ioyne workes and Christ in the cause of our Iustification Paul answers to this obiection by a prouerbe saying that a little leauen of false doctrine corrupts the whole bodie of religion and one errour though it seeme to be of small moment at the first may at length bring with it the corruption and deprauation of many other points The vse In the example of the Galatians we see what is the common fashion of men namely to extenuate their faults and to make small matters of great offences The Phariâ—ies taught that sundrie of Gods commandements were small and little commandements Matth. 5. 19. To them that make no conscience of sinne great
the sense which is agreeable to the words of the text to the scope of the place to other circumstances and to the analogie of faith in the plainer places of Scripture is the proper and infallible sense of Scripture Thus fetching the sense of Scripture from it selfe we shall keepe our selues within the limits of Scripture and in the matter of our saluation haue certentie of faith which we shall neuer haue if we listen to reason tradition and the authoritie of men II. Read the Scriptures be a doer of them in the exercises of inuocation faith repentance then shalt thou neuer be a heretike It is Gods promise Ioh. 7. 17. If ye will obay ye shall know whether my doctrine be of God or no. Psal. 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him Marke them that make Apostasie and become Papists they are such as neuer had a minde to loue and obay the religion in which they haue bin baptized and brought vp III. Col. 2. 8. Let no man spoile you through Philosophie Paul doth not condemne the Philosophie of the Gentiles but he puts a caueat that it be vsed with circumspection as Marchants vse the sea to wit in eschewing rockes and sands and pirats So students may vse the Philosophie of the Gentiles but they must take heede lest their mindes be corrupted with the errors thereof which are to be considered Naturall Philosophie giues too much to nature or to second causes and too little to God It puts downe principles flat against the word as the eternitie of the world and the mortalitie of the soule Morall Philosophie placeth happinesse in ciuill vertue out of Christ it teacheth that vertue is a meane or mediocritie of affection whereas in true vertue there is not onely a restraint or moderation of affections but also the renouation of them by regeneration It teacheth that Vrbanitie in iesting frumping is a vertue Paul saith no Eph. 5. 4. It teacheth that Magnanimitie whereby a man thinkes himselfe worthie of great honour is a vertue but it is contrarie to Christian humilitie Psal. 131. 1 2. Lastly it teacheth that man hath a freedome of will in good actions which doctrine applied by the Schoolemen to matters of religion is false and erronious The third head of sinnes are such as are against Charitie and they are in number eight The first is Enmitie of it I consider three things The first is whether it be a sinne or no for somewhat may be obiected to the contrarie Obiect I. Psal. 139. 21. Doe not I hate them that hate thee Ans. Dauid here speakes of the hatred whereby he hated Gods enemies not in respect of their persons but in respect of their sinnes whereby they were enemies of God And this hatred is commendable and not here to be vnderstood Obiect II. Luk. 14. 26. He that will be a disciple of Christ must hate father and mother and his owne soule Ans. This hatred is not simply commanded but only in a certaine respect namely as father and mother and a mans owne soule are in comparison opposed to God and Christ in regard of whome they are vtterly to be despised Obiect III. Rom. 9. God chose Iacob and hated Esau and we must be like vnto God Ans. We are to be like vnto God in holines and the duties thereof and not in the soueraigntie and Lordship ouer the creatures whereby he either loues or hates them Obiect IV. It is the vniuersall nature of all creatures to flie their contrarie therefore men may hate their enemies Ans. Man and man are not contrarie in nature or naturall properties but are all one flesh the contrarietie that is is by reason of the corruption of nature The second point is what is this Enmitie Ans. It is a peruerse disposition of minde whereby men remember iniuries discourtesies and vnkindnesses and carrie about them a purpose and desire to requite like for like when time and place shall serue Thus did Esau hate Iacob Gen. 27. 41. and Absolom his brother Amnon 2. Sam. 13. The third point where is this Enmitie Ans. Euery where among vs. For we daily see person diuided against person familie against familie and Corporation against Corporation This shewes that we are carnall and that Gods kingdome takes no place among vs as it should For in it the lambe and the wolfe quietly dwell together Isa. 11. The remedie of this Enmitie is That all be of one mind desire and affection in the receiuing and furthering of the Gospel of Christ. 1. Cor. 1. 11. If in the maine point there be a concord in leffer matters the agreement will be easie Debate It is a contention in words whereby men striue who shall shew most courage who shall get the victorie and who shall carrie away the last word no respect had of equitie or truth In this respect crying or lifting vp the voice in reasoning is condemned Eph. 4. 31. Emulations There is a good emulation and that is when men striue to be like to them that excell in vertue or to goe beyond them And it is commanded by the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 14. 12. and it were to be wished that it were more common then it is Beside this there is a carnall emulation whereby men that excell in any thing grieue that any should be equall to them or goe beyond them The vse If to grieue at another mans Excellencie be a worke of the flesh then it is our dutie to reioyce in the excellencie of others Thus did Moses when Eldad and Medad prophecied Numb 11. 29. And Iohn the Baptist when Christ increased and he decreased Ioh. 3. 29 30. And Paul gaue thankes as well for the graces bestowed on the Churches as for gifts bestowed on himselfe Anger Of it I consider three points The first is whether there be any lawfull anger Aus Yea. Christ in whome was no sinne was angrie Mark 3. 5. When there is a iust cause of anger then is anger iust When there is a manifest offence of God there is a iust cause of anger therefore anger is then iust The second is when is anger a sinne Ans. When men are hastie to be angrie Eccles. 7. 11. and are offended at euery thing that goes against their mindes Or againe hauing a iust cause to be angrie yet they keepe no measure in their anger The third point is the Remedie And that is here set downe Hastines is a worke of the flesh or of corrupt nature and it barres men from the kingdome of heauen and therefore it is to be auoided Contention There are sundrie kinds of lawfull contention as contention with the enemie in iust warre contention at the barre with an aduersarie in a iust cause contention in disputation with an heretike contention in Schoole disputation for exercise and trialls sake Contention is carnall and finnefull in respect of matter and manner In matter when men contend for things for which they should not contend as the
1. Cor. 5. 11. and that we should withdraw our selues from euery brother that walketh inordinately 2. Thess. 3. 6. Ans. Pauls practise is not contrarie to Christs precept He purposed indeede to excommunicate the incestuous person if he persisted in his sinne yet marke how in the name and by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ. 1. Cor. 5. 4. in which words the forme of proceeding against him is limited and that according to Christs institution Matth. 18. the name and power of Christ signifying the word and institution of Christ. 2. Paul doth plainly expound himselfe in other places what his practise was in that behalfe as 2. Cor. 13. 1 2. where he signifieth that he did not excommunicate vncleane persons fornicators wantonnes mentioned chap. 12. 21. before the third admonition making his third comming vnto them in stead of three admonitions or witnesses against them It will be saide that Paul threatneth when he commeth he will not spare the rest 2. Cor. 13. 2. therefore it seemeth he was resolued to excommunicate them without any former proceeding against them Ans. When Paul saith I write to them which haue sinned and to all others that if I come againe I will not spare By all others he meaneth not some which he purposed to excommunicate without former admonition for in writing this Epistle to them he admonisheth them all to repent least when he came he should vse seueritie but those which liued securely in the open breach of the law to whome he threatned to come with a rodde if they did not amend 1. Cor. 4. 21. and when he now againe admonisheth threatning that if he come the third time he will not spare Besides this Paul should be vnconstant and vnlike himselfe if he should admonish vncleane persons fornicatours wantons and that three times before excommunication and should at the first excommunicate certen others without any precedent admonition 3. The word there vsed signifieth reproofe in word as it is taken Luk. 17. If thy brother sinne against thee rebuke him therefore the reproofe by many or of many mentioned 2. Cor. 2. 6. may signifie as well the graue serious and effectuall reproofe of the Church by which the incestuous person was reclaimed from his sinne and so preuented the thunderbolt of excommunication as the reall election out of the Church and those words v. 10. if you forgiue any thing may as well signifie receiuing into fauour and familiaritie before excommunication vpon his repentance as restitution after excommunication 4. Be it grounted he were indeede excommunicate as it is most probable he was yet hence it cannot be inferred that they did proceede against him without precedent admonition The Scripture is silent in this point Therefore the reason is not good It is not recorded therefore it was not practised 5. Though the Apostle command we should haue no familiaritie with inordinate liuers 2. Thess. 3. 6. but that we withdraw our selues from them yet he addes withall that if there were any amongst them that would not obey his sayings they should note him by a letter v. 14. and he expressely commandeth that they should admonish the inordinate 1. Thess. 5. 14. for that was his practise as it may appeare 2. Thess. 3. Those that are such that is inordinate liuers we exhort coÌ„mand by our lord Iesus Christ that they worke with quietnes and eate their own bread III. Who are to reprooue It is dutie which concerneth all men our Sauiour Christ saith If thy brother sinne against thee reprooue him and the commandement is generall Leuit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart but shalt rebuke him plainely now all Christians are brethreÌ„ as I haue shewed therefore all men are bound to reprooue their brethren as occasion shall serue Secondly all Christians are members of the same bodie whereof Christ is the head therefore they are to helpe and further one another as members of the naturall bodie doe and this is done by admonition and reprehension Thirdly the bond of charitie tâ—â—th all men to helpe their brethren in what they can for their good and therefore if neede be to reprooue them And albeit some may seeme to be vnfitte or vnworthie reproouers of others beeing tainted with as great or greater sinnes themselues and so cannot cast out motes out of other mens eyes they hauing beames in their owne yet we must know that sinne freeth none from this dutie indeede none ought to reprooue either with scandall to others or with hurt and hinderance of him that is reprooued yet no man is exempted from this dutie For euery man ought to be cleare and blameles specially of open crimes that so he may more freely and fruitfully reprooue his neighbour but though he be not yet he remaineth still bound to the performance of this dutie Our Sauiour saith not that he which hath a beame in his eye is therefore freed from pulling forth the mote out of his brothers eye but first cast out the beame out of thine owne eye and then thou shalt see to pull out the mote out of thy brothers eye They therefore are seuerely to be censured nay deepely to be condemned who say with Cain Am I my brothers keeper as though it concerned them not a whit whether he sinke or swimme as though euery man were to looke to himselfe alone for his owne behoofe and benefit and not vpon the things of his brethren for their good or as though God had not made euery man a guardian to his brother The dimme candle light of corrupt nature condemneth these men which teacheth that he which may saue and doth not doth in effect as much as kill or destroy The dutie therefore lieth vpon all but chiefely vpon the Pastours and Ministers of the word for they are to inquire into the liues of men specially of those that are committed and commended to their charge for which cause they are called the Lords ouerseers or watchmen Ezech. 33. and 34. And if they doe not strengthen the weake heale the sicke bind vp the broken bring againe that which was driuen away nor seeke that which is lost c. he will require his sheepe at their hands Ezech. 34. v. 4. 10. Paul inioynes the Pastours of the Church of Ephesus that they should take heede to themselues and to the flocks whereof the holy Ghost had made them ouerseers Act. 20. 28. and he commandeth Timothie that he should be instant in season and out of season that he should improoue rebuke exhors with all long-suffering and doctrine 2. Tim. 4. 2. and Titus that he rebuke and exhort with all authoritie Tit. 2. 15. Further it is to be obserued that though all men are bound to reprooue their neighbours if they offend yet in fiue cases they are not bound I. If a man be ignorant of the offence For a man that reprooueth another must be certen of the fault otherwise he doth purchase to himselfe a blot and priuate
two respects 1. Because by faith we apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ and so in him who hath fulfilled the lawe for vs we fulfill it and so establish it 2. because hauing our hearts purified by faith we liue no more according to the flesh but according to the spirit and so by inchoaâ—e obedience we fulfill the law Lastly in the end in that both the lawe and the gospel tend directly to the manifestation of the glorie of God Yet they differ in 5. things First in the manner of reuealing the lawe before the fall was perfectly known by nature and since the falliâ— part Rom. 2. 15. The Gospel is not known by nature neither was it euer written in mans heart before or after the fall as Paul saith 1. Cor. 2. 9. Those things which the eie hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the heart of man conceiued are they which God hath prepared for them that loue him therefore the Gospel is called a mysterie Rom. 16. v. 25 26. First because the doctrine of the Gospel was made knowne to men and angels by the reuelation of God Eph. 3. 5. 9. Secondly because there is required a special reuelation worke of gods spirit before a man can yeeld assent vnto it Therefore Paul saith We haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God 1. Cor. 2. 12. Secondly in the subiect or doctrine it selfe and that in two respects First the Law preacheth nothing but absolute iustice to the transgressours thereof the Gospel sheweth how iustice is qualified with mercie from all things from which ye could not be absolued by the Law of Moses by him euery one that beleeueth is iustified Act. 13. 39. Secondly the Law teacheth what manner of men we ought to be and what we ought to doe that we may come to eternall life but shewes not howe we may becom such indeed the Gospel teacheth that by faith in Christ we may be such as the Law requires God hath made him to be sinnâ— for vs who knewe no sinne that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him 2. Cor. 5. 21. Thirdly in the obiect The law is giuen to the vniâ—st lawles vngodly prophane 1. Tim. 1. 9 10. that it may shew them their sinnes and the punishment thereby deserued and so may accuse and condemne them the Gospel is to be published and dispensed onely to the penitent which are contrite and broken in heart mourne for their sinnes Math. 11. Esay 57. Luk. 4. IIII. The law promiseth eternall life vpon condition of works Doe this and liue If thou wiâ—â— enter into life keepe the commandements The Gospel promiseth eternall life freely without any condition of works Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted to him for righteousnes Rom. 3. 21 22. The righteousnes of God is made manifest without the law by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue V. In the effects The Law is no instrumentall cause of faith repentance or any sauing grace it is the minister of death 2. Cor. 3. 7. causing wrath Rom. 3. 15. But the Gospel causeth life it is the grace of God which bringeth saluation Tit. 2. 11. for this cause Paul calleth the Law a dead or killing letter the Gospel a quickning spirit 2. Cor. 3. Fourthly it may be demaÌ„ded whether any maÌ„ be able to fulfil the Law considering that Paul biddeth vs beare one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Ans. No meere man can perfectly fulfill the Law in this life This conclusion S. Paul prooueth in sundrie of his Epistles specially by these arguments First by the great and generall deprauation of nature which remaineth in part euen in the regenerate stayning their best actions and making them like a menstruous cloath confessing withall that his best workes are not answerable to the law by reason of the remainders of originall corruption Rom. 7. Now perfect fulfilling of the law cannot stand with corruption of nature and transgression in life For a corrupt fountaine cannot send forth sweete waters neither can a corrupt tree beare good fruit Saint Iames saith He that offendeth in one is guiltie of all and the Scripture pronounceth him accursed that abideth not in all things written in the bookâ— of the law to doe them Popish Doctours answer first that originall corruption which they call the fewell of sinne and the first motions to euill preuenting all consent of will are indeede in the regenerate but they are no sinnes properly But it is false which they teach For euery transgression of the law is a sinne as S. Iohn defines it 1. Ioh. 3. 4. but these are transgressions of the tenth commandement for it either forbiddeth these first motions whether they be primò primae or secundò primae as Schoolemen speake or it forbid doth nothing but the motioÌ„s which are with coÌ„sent of wil which were forbidden in the former commandements and so in effect there are but nine commandements the tenth forbidding no speciall sinne Againe Paul teacheth that these motions preuenting all consent of will are formally opposed to the Law I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde Secondly they answer that Paul Rom. 7. speakes not of himselfe but in the person of the vnregenerate according to the opinion of S. Augustine Ans. Augustine indeede was once of that iudgement but he after retracted that opinion as it is manifest out of his booke of Retractations and the 6. booke against Iulian the Pelagian and that for these reasons First because Paul saith To will is present with me and I doe not the good I would and J delight in the law of God concerning the inward man all which are proper to the regenerate and cannot be affirmed of the wicked Secondly because he makes mention of the inward man which is all one with the new man or the new creature which agreeth onely to the regenerate Thirdly because he saith he is ledde captiue to sinne v. 23. whereas the wicked are not drawne to sinne by force against their wills but runne riot of their owne accord into all wickednes as the horse rusheth into the battell Ierem. 8. 6. Lastly in that he cries out in a sense and sorrow for his sinnes O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death v. 24. which can not be the voice of the vnregenerate for they feele not the burden of their sinne nor desire to be eased of it but take delight and pleasure in it His second reason is this such as our knowledge is such is our loue of God and man but our knowledge is onely in part therefore our loue is but in part and so consequently our obedience is but in part therfore there is no perfect fulfilling of
we shall see nothing in our selues but the vgly shape of Satan cleane defacing the image of God and that in vs there dwelleth no good thing as Paul saith of himselfe Rom. 7. 18. that there is nothing but vanitie in our mindes rebellion in our wills a confused ataxie in all our affections transgression in our liues The viewing of our hearts and liues in the Law and the considering of our wretched estate in that we are vnder the fearefull curse which is a thunderbolt annexed to euery breach thereof will driue vs out of all conceit of our selues from our selfe-loue and selfe-liking nay it will make vs goe out of our selues not onely to denie our selues as Christs commands but euen to abhorre our selues repenting in dust and ashes as Iob did chap. 42. 6. causing vs to become flat nothing in our selues that we may be something in Christ as Paul saith 1. Cor. 3. 18. Let no man deceiue himselfe If any man among you seeme to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise Secondly when we feele our selues to be tickled with the itching humour of selfe-loue and selfe-liking arising from our hidden corruption either in regard of outward gifts or inward graces we must make our owne euills sinnes blemishes imperfections for there is no man but hath one or other a soueraigne remedie against it and so as it were driue away one poison with another As to call to minde some great deformitie that is in our bodies some great infirmitie that is in our minde some crosse or miserie in our outwarde estate some vile and abominable sinne which we haue committed and the horrible punishment to the which we are lyable by reason thereof and no doubt but the serious consideration of these or any of these wil be auaileable to nippe pride in the bud kill the serpent in the shell and in so doing we shall with the Peacocke now and then cast our eyes downeward to our feete the fowlest and vgliest things we haue and not alway stand in admiration of our gay feathers glorious traine Thirdly we must consider that the things for which we looke so high and swell so in our owne conceits are not our owne but lent vs for a time For what is there that thou hast not receiued whether in gifts of bodie or graces of minde nay whether thou speake of soule or bodie it selfe and if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou thy selfe as though thou haddest not receiued it what vanitie is it for a man to be proud of another mans garment or for a woman to boast of her borrowed haire The wicked persecutors of the Church are reprooued for sacrificing to their nets and burning incense to their yarne Hab. 1. 16. Further we must consider we haue not onely receiued them but that we haue so receiued them as that they are not our owne with which we may doe what we list but talents lent vs for a time and left with vs to employ ouer which we are but stewards and bayliffes not lords or masters and that we must be countable for the smallest gift euen the least farthing how we haue got it kept it bestowed it the time will come when it shall be saide vnto thee Giue an account of thy stewardship Luk. 16. 2. Therefore we ought not so much to be puffed vp with the greatnes of our talents as to be humbled with the consideration of the strict reckning that God will require at our hands seeing that of him to whome much is committed much shall be required Fourthly to the end we may auoid this ouerweening of our selues let vs compare our selues with the maiestie of God in whose sight we are but as silly wormes crawling vpon the ground nay in comparison of whome we are lesse then nothing and vanitie it selfe Consider that to him eneâ—y knee doeth bowe of things in heauen in earth and vnder the earth and thou wilt not be so conceited of thy selfe that a sillie man doth crouch vnto thee that to him euery tongue doth confesse and sing his praises the blessed angels crying continually Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabboth heauen and earth are full of thy glorie and then a short blast of winde or popular applause shall not so easily puffe thee vp like an emptie bladder or carrie thee away as it did Herod Act. 12. But to omit this odious comparison betwixt a fraile mortall man and the glorious euerliuing God there beeing no comparison betwixt finit and infinit let vs neuer compare our selues with our inferiours but with our superiours and betters who are eminently aboue vs in euery gift and blessing of God in regard of whose honours and preferments we are but base and contemptible in regard of whose knowledge we are but children and know nothing in regard of whose riches we are but beggars and haue nothing For as Dauid when he beheld the wonderfull frame of the heauens those glorious creatures the sunne the moone and the starres by and by made this vse of it to himselfe to consider his owne vilenes in regard of them What is man that thou are mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him So when we compare our selues with others that are as farre aboue vs as the heauens are aboue the earth whose gifts and graces doe as farre excell ours as the bright sunne-shine the dimme candle light we cannot chuse but be abashed and confounded in our selues acknowledging that there is no such cause why we should so magnifie our selues aboue others and nullifie others in comparison of our selues 4 But let euery man prooue his owne worke and then shall he haue reioycing in himselfe onely and not in another Here the Apostle laieth downe another remedie against selfe-loue and ouerweening of our selues and it is the fift and the last of which I purpose to entreat and it stands in proouing and examining of a mans owne worke by it selfe without comparing it with an others mans worke and withall in the approouing of it vnto God Let euery man approoue his owne worke And he giues two reasons why euery man ought to approoue his owne workes vnto God to consider them absolutely in themselues and not relatiuely in respect of others the first reason is in this verse then shall he haue reioycing in himselfe onely and not in another the second in the next verse for euery man shall beare his owne burden Touching the remedie Let euery man prooue his owne worke The word translated prooue signifieth also to approoue as Rom. 14. 22. Blessed is he that condemneth not in himselfe in the thing that he approoueth 1. Cor. 16. 3. Whosoeuer ye shall approoue or allow of by letters And so the word is vsed in English when we say such a one is to prooue a will that is approoue it The word in this place I take it may be vnderstood in both senses to prooue our
neighbour let my wife grind vnto another man and let other men bow downe vpon her Iob 31. 10 11. Use. First here we see the iustice of God in awarding the last sentence nay his bountie and seueritie his bountie in recompencing men aboue their deserts his seueritie in punishing sinners according to their deserts For as he will denie any thing in iustice that denied to Diues a droppe of water to coole his tongue Luk. 16. 24. 25. so he will recompence any thing in mercie that will recompence a cuppe of cold water Math. 10. 42. This integritie in iudgement without partialitie is signified by the white throne Reu. 20. 11. and it serues as a patterne and example for all Iudges and Magistrats to follow in laying iudgement to the rule and righteousnes to the ballance Esa. 28. 17. that is in hearing causes indifferently and determining equally examining them as it were by line and square as the mason or carpenter doth his worke The Grecians placed Iustice betwixt Leo and Libra thereby signifying that there must not onely be courage in executing but also indifferencie in determining The Egyptians expresse the same by the hieroglyphicall figure of a man without hands winking with his eyes whereby is meant our vncorrupt Iudge who hath no hands to receiue bribes nor eyes to behold the person of the poore or respect the person of the rich And before our tribunalls we commonly haue the picture of a man holding a ballance in one hand and a sword in the other signifying by the ballance iust iudgement by the sword execution of iudgement For as the balance putteth no difference betweene gold and lead but giueth an equall or vnequall poise to them both not giuing a greater waight to the gold for the excellencie of the mettall because it is gold nor a lesse to the lead for the basenes of it because it is lead So they were with an euen hand to way the poore mans cause as well as the rich But it is most notably set out by the throne of the house of Dauid mentioned Psal. 122. 5. which was placed in the gate of the citie towardes the sunne rising in the gate to signifie that all which came in and out by the gate of the citie might indifferently be heard the poore as well as the rich and might haue accesse and regresse too and from the iudgement seate Towards the rising of the sunne in token that their iudgement should be as cleare from corruption as the sunne is cleare in his chiefest brightnes Secondly this confutes the common opinion of the Schoolmen who as they truly affirme that God rewardeth his Elect supra meritum aboue their desert so they erroniously teach that he punisheth the reprobate citra condignum lesse then they haue deserued For God powreth vpon the wicked after this life the full violls of his wrath punishing them in the rigour of his iustice without all mercie not onely according to their works in regard of the nature and qualitie but in respect of the measure and quantitie Lastly this doctrine seriously considered and thought vpon that we shall drinke such as we brew reape such as we sow and that men shall haue degrees of felicitie or miserie answerable to their workes answerable to the kind of their worke to the quantitie and qualitie thereof will make vs more carefull to auoid sinne and to be more plentifull in good workes then if with the Papists we should teach iustification by workes Againe in that euery one shall reape as he soweth that is shall be rewarded not according to the fruit and successe of his labour but according to his labour be it more or lesse better or worse it serues first of all to comfort the ministers of the word which are set ouer a blinde ignorant people who are alwaie learning and neuer come to the knowledge of the 〈…〉 th they must not be discouraged thogh after long teaching there be little knowledge or amendment after much paines 〈◊〉 little profiting but rather a coldnesse a backewardnesse a declâ—ning in all sorts and degrees They must remember that if their Gospell beeing deliuered with such simpheitie with such assiduâ—tie with such euidence and demonstration of the spirit be hâ—d at is hid to them that perish in whome the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of the infidells that the glorious Gospel of Christ should not shine vnto them 2. Cor. 4. 3 4. Besides let them consider that though they seeme to labour in vaine to spend their strength in vaine and that their words take no more effect then if they were spoken in the winde yet that their iudgement is with the Lord and their worke with their God Isa. 49. 4. remembring that God wil giue to euery man according to his worke according to the kind the quantitie the qualitie thereof and not according to the fruit or successe of his worke It may serue also as a cordiall to euery man that is painfull faithful in his calling thogh neuer so base seruile as to a shepheard which watcheth his flock or a poore drudge that atteÌ„ds vpon his masters busines he is to coÌ„fort himselfe with this that though he see no great good that comes by his labour and trauel yet if he be obedieÌ„t to him that is his master according to the flesh in all things not with eye-seruice as men-pleasers but in singlenes of heart seruing God and whatsoeuer he doth doing it heartily as to the Lord and not to men let him know and assure himselâ—e that of the Lord he shall receiue the reward of inheritance Coloss. 3. 22 23 24. And the promise is more generall Eph. 6. 5. Know ye that whatsoeuer good thing any man doth the same shall he receiue of the Lord whether he be bond or free It serueth further as a comfort against inequallitie whereas the wicked flourish in all manner of prosperitie and the godly lie in contempt and miserie for the time shall come when euery one shall reape euen as he hath sowne When God will punish the sinnes of the reprobate with eternall torment according to their deserts and crowne the good workes of his seruants with an eternall waight of glorie aboue their desert for pietie shall not alway goe vnrewarded neither shall impietie alway goe vnpunished for as the Psalmist saith The patient abiding of the righteous shall not perish for euer And againe doubtles there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth the earth Againe this condemneth the damnable opinion of Atheists who thinke all things come to passe by nature or fortune and that doomes day is but a dreame and that sticke not to say It is in vaine to serue God and what profit is it that we haue kept his commaÌ„dements and that we haue walked humbly before the Lord of boasts as though good workes should neuer be rewarded nor sinne punished albeit the Lord hath said Behold
attire forbidding of mariage to some orders of meÌ„ For when things indifferent are made necessarie the nature of them is changed Vpon this ground Ezekiah brake in peeces the brasen serpent when the Israelites began to worship it 2. King 18. 4. First let vs obserue out of these words they compell you to be circumcised that Paul doeth not only vse Christian pollicie but dealeth very rhetorically excusing the Galatians as though they were constrained against their wills to doe as they did laying all the blame vpon the false Apostles and so doth closely alienate their affection from these seducers who would haue them circumcised either by voluntary submission or by violent compulsion the like godly pollicie we ought to vse in dealing against heretikes and false teachers that the peoples mindes may be estranged from them take no loue of their doctrine nor liking of their persons Here we haue a second note of false teachers which is not onely to retaine ceremonies themselues but to vrge them vpon others and constraine men to the obseruing of them for they were more earnest and forward in vrging circumcision their owne deuise then the keeping of the morrall lawe and so are all seducers The Pharises did vrge their owne ceremonies as washing before meate washing of pottes cuppes and beddes c. more then the commandement of God And the Papists vrge the Lenâ— fast more strictly theÌ„ fasting from finne which is the onely true fast Isay. 58. 6. And their owne stories doe shewe that men haue beene more seuerely punished for eating flesh vpon good friday then for commiâ—â—ing of simple fornication or following of strange flesh They stand more in vrging the outward worshipping of an image or a peece of bread then the inward spirituall worship And as they haue made the Saints daies equall with the Sabboth daies so haue they made the prophanation of them an equall sinne and haue punished it with equall punishment It is further to be obserued howe they abuse circumcision for whereas by Gods ordinance it was but a seale of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4. 11. they peruerting the end of it make it a meritorious cause of saluation and therefore compell men to be circumcised it is Gods worke they make it their owne worke yea such a worke as by which they hope to be saued And this their dealing may fitly be paralleled by the Popish practise at this day in making baptisme which is but a signe and seale of grace to be the proper immediate and physicall cause of conferring grace by the worke wrought Almes praier and fasting which are but signes and testimonies of iustification to be causes thereof Nay their owne deuises of confession satisfaction supererogation to be meritorious causes of iustification saluation Lastly see here howe the peruersenesse of the corrupt heart of man doth thwart the ordinance of God As long as circumcision was commaunded by God most abhorred it for the heathen testifie so much that the Iewes were odious for it But nowe beeing abolished they take it vp againe receiue it and vrge it as a thing necessarie to be obserued vpon paine of damnation Whereas if God should enioyne it againe they would no doubt account it as heauie yoke which neither they nor their fathers were able to beare This improuing of that which God coÌ„mands approuing that which he forbids argues the great corruption of the heart and that the wisedome of the flesh is not onely an enemie but euen flat enmitie against God Rom. 8. 7. It must therefore teach vs to captiuate our reason and to subiect our wills to the will of God in all things The third propertie of these false Apostles is the teaching of circumcision that is of false doctrine because they would not suffer persecution for the crosse of Christ that is for preaching the true doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christ crucified It may be demanded whether it was necessarie that those which taught not circumcision but spake against it should be persecuted To which I answer that it was necessarie according as Paul affirmeth Gal. 5. 11. If I teach circumcision why doe J yet suffer persecution The reason was this The Romane Emperour had giuen libertie to the Iewes to liue according to their owne lawes and that without molestation or disturbance in all places of the Romane Emperie so that if a Iewe became a Christian he had the priuiledge of a Iewe so long as he kept the ceremoniall lawe and taught no departing from Moses whereas they which taught that ceremonies were abrogated and that men were iustified onely by faith in Christ wanted this priuiledge and so were persecuted of no men more then of the Iewes either by themselues or by incensing others against them 1. Thess. 2. 15. 16. The false Apostles therefore to auoide persecution coyned a newe Gospel in matter of saluation ioyning Christ and Moses iustification by faith and by workes So that here we haue another character and marke of false teachers which is to labour by all meanes to enioy the world and to eschewe the crosse and rather then they wil suffer persecution to make a hotch-potch of religion as we may see not onely by this particular but by the course of the historie of the Church and in latter times by the Interim vnder Charles the fift and the sixe articles vnder Henrie the eight by our mediators and reconciliators who either as it is said of old Consiliator labour to accord fire and water or else like hucksters mixe wine and water for their owne aduantage and by all neuters and mungrils in religion who houer in the winde because they would stand sure for all assaies or winne the fauour of great men that they might not stand in the way of their preferment This is the sinne of the multitude among vs who desire to haue Christ but they will none of his crosse they would be with him vpon mount Tabor but not not vpoÌ„ mount Caluarie crowned with glorie but not crowned with thornes Further we may hence gather an essentiall difference of true and false teachers the one seekes the good of the Church the other seeks theÌ„selfe the one the glorie of God the other their owne glorie It is obserued by Popish priests and others that though the Iesuits pretend they doe all things in ordine ad Deum yet they intend themselues doing all things in ordine ad seipsosâ— it beeing the marke they shoote at in all their Machiavellian plottes and pollicies that they may haue cum digmeate ocium a Lordly command and a lasie life Againe here we see that the loue of the trueth and of the world the feare of the face of man and the feare of God can neuer stand together As also howe dangerous a thing it is to be addicted to the loue of the world for it hath beene alwaies the cause of reuolt in that men neuer imbraced religion so as that they could be contented
causes 351. 6 Of the churches reioycing 358. 37 It is one in number and no more 351. 37. How the church is troubled vide Trouble The catholike church why called our mother 35. 2. 17 Where our mother is to be found 352. 25. The order to be vsed in the censure giuen vpon a church 9. 10 Ierusalem the mother church rather then Rome 61. 15 The church was before the writing of the word but not before the word 77. 6 It is inuisible 352. Of Circumcision 79. 32 Circumcision considered according to the circumstance of time three waies 373. 15 Circumcision in it selfe a thing indifferent yet not to be vsed if it be vrged as a matter of absolute necessitie 614. 35 Ciuill vertues and a ciuill life are no better then sinnes 16. 10 What is the combate that naturall man haue 417. 28 The cause of the spirituall combate and the persons in whome it is 417. 5. The vse of the combate 419. 1 The commandements of God are not grieuous three waies 190. 15 Concealements of the truth sometimes lawfull 63. 13 How it must be vnderstood that in the commandement the sinnes of the fathers are visited vpon the children 521. 29 Papists make three degrees of concupiscence 252. 11 Concupiscence vide Lust. Conference of Pastor and people necessarie 338. 13 How conscience is free and how subiect to the power of the Magistrate 410. 1 Three obiections remooued that the lawes and traditions of the church bind Conscience as truly as the word of God 369. 21 The consent of Pastors and people excellent 6. 25 What is the force of consent 6. 27 Consent no certen marke of the church 6. 37 The catholike consent of beleeuers in points of religion is not the true and liuely Scripture 7. 5. Consent standes in three things 7. 15. Consent not to be found amongest the papistes 7. 18. Consent is to be found amongest vs in the foundation of religion 7. 23. Consider our selues and others 467. 468. 469. Constancie vid. standing Consultation not to be vsed in matters of religion nor in obedience 56. 19. 37. The vse of the contemplation of Christ by faith 162. 30 The effect of contention 408. 6 Contentions some lawfull some sinfull 436. â—5 Contract in some cases may be dissolued 209. 11 Sinnes after conuersion are pardonable 462. 4 Three causes of Pauls conuersion 46. 32. The order and dependance of causes in a sinners conuersion 47. 13 Fiue Questions of Pauls conuersion vide Paul Conuersion wrought by certain degrees 336. 20 Corruption not felt by corruption but by grace 528. 33 Couenants beeing lawfull are to be kept with heretykes and enemies 208. 23. What couenants with losse are to be kept and what not ibid. 30 Couenants of two sorts legall and euangelicall 569. 6 The couenants of workes hath two properties 348. 27 Conferences and councels are laudible 75. 32 Three caueats in gathering a councell 76. 5 For this ending of differences in religion there must be conferences in a free or christian councell 408. 37. Why the protestants ioyned not with the papists in the councell of Trent 409. 5 Fiue rules for our libertie in vsing the creatures vid. Libertie why we ought to take vp our crosse and follow Christ certaine reasons 620. 5 what is mens by the crosse of Christ. 630. 16. Crucifying is either the action of Christ or our action of Christ threefold 451. 7 Three meanes to crucifie the flesh 451. 26 Reasons why a man hanging on a tree is cursed 202. 8 What the curse is that Christ was made for vs 198. 19 How Christ was a curse ibid. 28 Whether Paul did well in cursing his enemies 396. 30 Whether we may curse ours 397. 10 How we should vse the imprecations in Dauids Psalmes 397. 18 D A fourefould kind of obseruation of daies 314. 4 Against the Popish obseruation of holy daies 316. 7 How Protestants obserue them 316. 28. Against obseruing daies of good bad successe 317. 2 Two rules to be obserued for the right manner and measure of eating and drinking vide Eating Christs temporall death did counteruaile eternall death vide Death Wee must carrie our selues as dead men in three respects 144. 29 There are two degrees both in the first and second death 199. 20. 24. What debate is 436. 3 There is a deceit called dolus bonus 64. 2. Of men deceiuing themselues 508. 30. A man may be deceiued both in diuine and humane things sundry waies 546. 19 A man deceiues himselfe two wries 546. 20. The heart of man deceitfull 546. 40. from whence that springeth 547. 3 Good desires distinguished from carnall d 〈…〉 es by three properties 297. 32 Of the desires of our hearts and that they are cryes and how 598. 6 Of the league of compact with the deuil 429. 20 VVhat is the chiefe principle in diuinitie 433. 24 VVhat drunckennes is 439. 11 Two things in this sinne ibid. 14 To be giuen to drincking is a sinne 439. 21. Inducements to detest drunckennes 439. 30. Arg. for drunkennes answered 440. 20. E Two rules to be obserued for the right manner and measure of eating and drincking 439. 5 ElectioÌ„ ariseth not of the will of man but of the grace of God 40. 27. How we may attaine to the assurance of our election 47. 31 There is a double election 194. 14 Gods election is the roote of all the gifts of God is vs. 308. 15 The meere grace of God is the cause of our election 360. â—6 In religion there ought to be a holy emulation 44. 36 There is a good emulation and a carnall emulation 436. 8 whether Paul did well in cursing his enemies 396. 30 whether we may curse our enemies vide Curse Enmitie vide Hatred Enuie what it is 437. 36 Error in the foundation or beside the foundation of religion 8. 30 Error of humane frailue or of obstinacie 8. 35 No man can set downe the precise time when errors had there be ginning 84. 12 Error is either in iudgement or maÌ„ners both are of two sorts 409. 20. In the examination of our selues foure rules must be obserued 218. 8. The contagion of euill examples must be cut off in the societie of men 109. 40 Excommunication when to be vsed 390. 32 Offenders are not to be excommu nicated at the first but orderly to be proceeded against 393. 9. 486. 37. F Faith is of great vse in the kingdome of God 382. 32 when faith first begins to breede in the heart 240. 30 How faith in Christ is conceiued in the heart 241. 5 whether faith may be lost 69. 25 what Iustifyng faith is as the Papists define 123. 32 The obiect of Abrahams faith was double 123. 38 what true iustifying faith is 124. 35 Faith and confidence are two distinct gifts of God 125. 11 Two causes why a beleeuer is saide to liue by faith 149. 16 How men liue by faith 149. 24 Faith considered two waies 175. 34 That we may liue by faith we
infirmitie is 108. 32. Sinnes be of two sorts 224. 27 Difference betweene the godly and vngodly in sinning 443. 3 Originall sinne hath two parts 365. 5. A common fashion to extenuate sinne 389. 56 We must resist euery particular sin 390. 25. It is the nature of sinne to set all things out of order 460. 4 God rewardeth sinnes in the same manner according to the nature of sinne 557. 558. Sinne driues men beside themselues 460. 8. Sinners must not delay their repentance ibid. 21 Sinnes committed after a mans conuersion are pardonable 462. 4. 5. In euery knowne sinne we are wrōged 473. 33 Sinne a burden to whome vide Burden Sinne a spirituall burden 528. 27 How we may be cased of the burden of sinne 529. 36 How sinne is finite and how infinite 554. 2 3 4. Solitarie and Monastick life against the light of nature 643. 13 Why the second person is called Sonne 280. 1 Whether the Sonne be God 280. 14. Two kinds of sorrow 137. 39 A point of great skill to bring a soule in order and frame againe 460. 29. Three things to be considered in the soule the substance the faculties and the qualities 637. 10 What is meant by vvhat soeuer a man sowes that shall he reape 550. 10. Sowing what it signifies in the scripture 550. 20 Obiections against this prouerbiall speech whatsoeuer a man sowes that shall he reape 550. 551. The distinction of sowing to the flesh and to our flesh 553. 36 By sowing to the flesh what is ment 564. 1. 10. To sow to the spirit what it is ibid. 20. The Spirit hath fiue properties 418. 38. What is the spirit a treatise 411. 21. 35. All exercises of Christian religion are to be in the spirit 381. 29 The operation of the spirit is threefold 146. What the Spirit signifies 163. 35 what is meant by the giuing or sending of the spirit 204. 35 In what order the spirit is giuen 205. 3. we receiue the spirit for sixe endes ibid. 20. why the holy Ghost is called the spirit of the sonne 293. 39 The manner how the holy Ghost is sent 294. 35 Foure works in the spirit in causing beleeuers to crie Abba father 295. 32. The spirit of grace in Christians is more excellent then that of creation in two respects 412. 27 Of the operation of the spirit 412. 39. The whole worke of the spirit may be reduced to factions 413. 8 The spirit makes vs change and renew our actions in three respects 413. 21. The lust of the spirit hath two actions 416. 32 The office of the spirit is first to regenerate secondly to guide the regenerate 421. 14. 16 In this guidance there are foure actions of the spirit ibid. Subiection to the worke of Gods spirit hath two parts 422. 1 The propertie of the workes of the spirit a treatise 442. 33 The efficacie of the spirit 443. 6 What it is to liue and walke in the spirit 452. 453 A signe whereby to know whether a man hath in his heart the spirit of God or no. 454 4 Spirituall men opposed to carnall are of two sorts 463. 24 Spirituall men are more fitte to restore those that are fallen then any other 463. 31 Diuers good and euill things are tearmed by the name of spirit 466. 5. Two kinds of spyings 85. 6 Of standing fast in libertie the manner and time of it 372. 17 Two kinds of subiection 269. 11 Subiection to the spirit hath two parts vide Spirit Succession is of three sorts 35. 3 The successours of the first preachers had an ordinarie calling 35. 17. Fiue vses of our sufferings 170. 10 T A propertie of false teachers is to vrge earnestly their owne ceremonies vpon others 617. 20 A propertie of false teachers to teach false doctrine for auoiding of persecution 618. 26 The essentiall difference betweene true and false teachers 619. 24 Another propertie of false teachers to compell others to obserue that which they themselues will not obserue 622. 18 Another note of false teachers to pretend religion to cloake their wickednes 623. 36 The propertie of false teachers is to set a faire show vpon the matter 611. 14. Temperance what foure rules for the practising of it 448. 3 By what law Tēths are due 232. 3 10 Of what value the testimonie of the Church is 33. 4 There must be a christian toleration one of another for the maintenance of church peace 409. 16 In what it stands ibid. 17 To what end it serues 409. 32 Whether there may not be a tolleration for Popery 409. 37 Vnwritten Traditions tendered as a part of gods word are abominations 24. 29 The church is troubled three waies 391. 33. Reasons to mooue men to speake deale truly 447. 26 The time of all euents determined by God 49. 2 Due time how it may be vnderstood 582. 13 We must make a holy profitable vse of time 598. 1 We must redeeme the time lost in three respects ibid. 37 Obseruations of times which be forbidden 600. 6 The kindes of vnlawfull obseruation of time either Iewish or Heathnish and wherein they consist 600. 11 Lawfull obseruation of time twofold diuine or humane 601. 4 Humane obseruation of time threefold 601. 5 V What the desire of vaine glorie is 454. 33 Excuses hereof taken away ibid. 38 They that haue receiued good gifts of God are many times most vaineglorious 455. 38 Remedies of pride and vaineglorie 456. 20. What vncleanes is 425. 21 Of our vnion with Christ. 145. 23 264. 39. Substantiall and spirituall 264. 30 In what respect they are said to be one with Christ 265. 1 Vnitie is not an infallible inseperable marke of the church 407. 18 Though men were not commanded to vow yet the matter and forme of vowes was commanded 60. 5 W What wantonnes is 425. 28 Reasons both in general and speciall that make men wearie of well doing 576. 38 How farre forth the will worketh in the receiuing of grace 11. 16 The absolute will of God cannot be resisted 360. 36 The determination of mans will by the will of god doth not abolish all freedome of will 361. 4 Man hath no freedome of will in good duties before his conuersion 417. 13 What witchcrafteis a treatise of the ground and kindes of it 429. 16 What is a witch 430. 38 Signes that serue to discouer a witch 431. 29. False and vncertaine signes 342. 1 Wiues among the Iewes of two sorts 343. 23 The word is the cause and obiect of our faith 6. 32 The word of God is the matter of the ministerie and how it is to be taught heard 29. 30 35 It depends not vpon the authoritie of the church 56. 11 But vpon it selfe 77. 18 The word must be dispensed in the infirmitie of mans flesh for diuerse causes vide preach Labourers in the word may lawfully take wages though they haue sufficient of their owne to maintaine themselues 543. 18 There be no meritorious workes to