to bring into contempt yea and vtterly to abolish the law of God and the kingdom of the Iewes contrary to the law of God contrary to the custome of the Iewish nation contrary to the example of the Apostles and to be short contrary to his owne example Wherefore he was to be shunned as an open blasphemer against God and a rebell against the whole common weale of the Iewes saying that they themselues ought rather to be heard who besides that they preached the Gospell rightly were also the very disciples of the Apostles with whom Paule was neuer conuersant By this policie they defamed and defaced Paule among the Galathians so that by this their peruerse dealing of very necessitie Paule is compelled with all his mighte to set him selfe againste these false Apostles whom he boldly reproueth and condemneth say-ing that they are the troublers of the Churches and ouerthrowers of Christes gospell as followeth Verse 7. And intendeth to peruert the Gospell of Christ That is to say they doe not onely goe about to trouble you but also vtterly to abolish and ouerthrow Christes Gospell For these two things the Deuill practiseth most busily First he is not contented to trouble and deceaue many by his false Apostles but moreouer he laboureth vtterly to ouerthrow the Gospell by them and neuer resteth till he haue brought it to passe Yet such peruerters of the Gospell can abide nothing lesse then to heare that they are the Apostles of the Deuill nay rather they glory aboue others in the name of Christ and boast themselues to be the most sincere preachers of the Gospell But because they mingle the law and the Gospell together they can not but be the peruerters of the Gospell For either Christ must remaine and the law perish or the law must remaine and Christ perish For Christ and the law can by no meanes agree and raigne together in the conscience Where the righteousnes of the law ruleth there can not the righteousnes of grace rule And againe where the righteousnes of grace raigneth there can not the righteousnes of the lawe raigne for one of them must needes geue place vnto the other And if thou canst not beleeue that God will forgeue thy sinnes for Christes sake whom he sent into the world to be our high priest how then I pray thee wilt thou beleeue that he will forgeue the same for the works of the law which thou couldest neuer performe Or for thine owne workes which as thou must be compelled to confesse be such as it is impossible for them to counteruaile the iudgement of God Wherefore the doctrine of Grace can by no meanes stande with the Doctrine of the Lawe The one must simplye be refused and abolished and the other confirmed and stablished For as Paule sayeth here to mingle the one with the other is to ouerthrow the Gospell of Christ And yet if it come to debating the greater parte ouercommeth the better For Christ with his side is weake and the Gospell is but a foolish preaching Contrariwise the kingdome of the world and the Deuill the prince thereof are strong Besides that the wisedom and righteousnes of the flesh cary a goodly shew And by this meanes the righteousnes of grace and Faith is lost and the other righteousnes of the law and workes aduaunced and maintained But this is our comforte that the Deuill with all his limmes can not doe what he would He may trouble many but he can not ouerthrow Christes Gospell The truth may be assailed and may come in daunger but pearish it can not It may be assailed but vanquished it can not be For the vvord of the Lord indureth for euer It seemeth to be a light matter to mingle the lawe and the Gospell faith and works together but it doth more mischiefe then mans reason can conceaue For it doth not onely blemish and darken the knowledge of grace but also it taketh away Christ with all his benefits and it vtterly ouerthroweth the Gospell as Paule saith in this place The cause of this great euill is our flesh which being plunged in sinnes seeth no way how to get out but by works therefore it would liue in the righteousnes of the lawe and rest in the trust and confidence of her owne works Wherefore it is vtterly ignoraunt of the doctrine of faith and grace without which notwithstanding it is impossible for the conscience to finde rest and quietnes It appeareth also by these words of Paule And intend to peruert the Gospell of Christ that the false Apostles were exceeding bolde and shamelesse which with all their might set them selues against Paule Wherefore he againe vsing his spirite of zeale and feruencie and being fully perswaded of the certaintie of his calling setteth him selfe strongly against them wōderfully magnifieth his ministery saying Verse 8. But though that vve or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you othervvise then that vve haue preached vnto you let him be accursed Here Paule casteth out very flames of fire and his zeale is so feruent that he beginneth also almost to curse the Angels Although sayth he that we our selues euen I and my brethren Timothy and Titus and as many as teach Christ purely with me I speake not now of those seducers of cōsciences yea or if an angel from heauen preach vnto you c. notwithstanding I would rather that I my selfe my brethren yea the very Angels from heauen also should be holden accursed then that my Gospel should be ouerthrowen This is in deede a vehement zeale that he dare so boldly curse not onely him selfe and his brethren but also euen an Angell from heauen The Greke word Anathema in Hebrew Herem signifieth a thing accursed execrable and detestable which hath nothing to doe no participation or communion with god So the citie Hierico saith Iosua shal be accursed for euer that it neuer be builded vp againe And in the last of Leuiticus it is written Nothing separate from the common vse vvhich shal be separate from man shal be redemed but die the death vvhether it be man or beast So God had appointed that Amalech certaine other cities accursed by gods owne sentence should be vtterly rased and destroied This then is Paules minde I had rather that my selfe and other my brethren yea and an Angell from heauen should be accursed then that we or others should preach any other Gospell then that which we haue preached already So Paule first curseth him selfe for cunning artificers are wont first to finde faulte with themselues that they may the more frely and sharply afterwards reproue others Paule therfore concludeth that there is no other Gospell besides that which he himselfe had preached But he preached not a Gospell which he had him selfe deuised but the same which God promised before by his Prophets in the holy scriptures Rom. 1. Therefore he pronounceth him selfe and others yea euen an Angell from heauen
Isaack but onely the word of Sara it is euident enough that Ismael was the sonne of Abraham after the flesh onely without the word of God therefore he was borne at aduenture and vnlooked for as an other childe is This Paule obserued and diligently considered In the .9 Chapt. to the Romaines he prosecuteth the same argument which here he repeteth and setteth forth in an allegorie and concludeth strōgly that all the sonnes of Abraham are not the sonnes of god Abraham saith he hath two sorts of childrē Some are borne of his flesh bloud but the word and promise of God goeth before as Isaack Other are borne without the promise as Ismael Therefore the children of the flesh sayth he are not the children of God but the children of the promise c. And by this argument he mightely stoppeth the mouthes of the proud Iewes which gloried that they were the seede children of Abraham As also Christ doth in the .3 of Math. and in the 8. of Iohn As if he said It foloweth not I am the carnal sede of Abraham therfore I am the childe of god Esau is the naturall sonne therfore the heire Nay rather sayth he they that will be the children of Abraham besides their carnall byrth must be also the sonnes of the promise and must beleue And they are the true children of Abraham and consequently of God who haue the promise and beleue But Ismael because he was not promised of God to Abraham is a sonne after the flesh only and not after the promise and therfore he was borne at aduēture as other children be For no mother knoweth whether she shall haue a childe or no or if she perceaue her selfe to be with childe yet she can not tel whether it shal be a sonne or a daughter But Isaac was expresly named Genesis 17. Sara thy vvife sayth the angell to Abraham shall beare thee a sonne and thou shalt call his name Isaac Here the sonne and the mother are expresly named Thus for this humilitie of Sara because she gaue vp her right and suffred the cōtempt of Agar Genesis 16. God requited her with this honor that she should be the mother of the promised sonne c. Verse 24. The vvhich things are spoken by allegories Allegories doe not strongly proue and perswade in Diuinitie but as certaine pictures they beutifie and sette out the matter For if Paule had not proued the righteousnes of Faith against the righteousnes of workes by strong and pithie arguments he should haue litle preuailed by this allegorie But because he had fortified his cause before with inuincible arguments taken of experience of the example of Abraham the testimonies of the Scripture and similitudes now in the ende of his disputation he addeth an allegorie to geue a beautie to all the rest For it is a seemely thing sometime to adde an allegorie when the foundation is well laide and the matter thorowly proued For as painting is an ornament to set forth and garnish an house already builded so is an allegorie the light of a matter which is already otherwise proued and confirmed Vers 24.25 For these mothers are the tvvo Testamentes the one vvhich is Agar of mount Syna vvhich engendreth vnto bondage For Agar or Syna is a mountaine in Arabia Abraham is a figure of God which hath two sonnes that is to say two sortes of people are represented by Ismael and Isaac These two are borne vnto him by Agar and Sara the which signifie the two Testaments the olde and the new The olde is of mount Syna begetting vnto bondage which is Agar For the Arabians in their lāguage call Agar the same mountaine which the Iewes call Sina which semeth to haue that name of brambles and thornes which also Ptolomaeus and the Greeke commentaries doe witnesse After the same maner diuers names are geuen to many mountaines according to the diuersitie of nations So the mounte which Moses calleth Hermon of the Sidonians is called Sirion and of the Amorites Senir Now this serueth very well to the purpose that mount Sina in the Arabians language signifieth as much as an handmaid and I thinke the likenes of this name gaue Paule light and occasion to seeke out this allegorie Likewise then as Agar the bondmaid brought forth to Abraham a sonne and yet not an heire but a seruaunt so Sina the allegoricall Agar brought forth to God a sonne that is to say a carnall people Againe as Ismael was the true sonne of Abraham so the people of Israel had the true God to be their father which gaue them his law his oracles religion and true seruice and the temple as it is said in the Psalme 147 He shevveth his vvord vnto Iacob his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israel Notwithstanding this onely was the difference Ismael was borne of a bondmaid after the flesh that is to say without the promise and could not therfore be the heire So the misticall Agar that is to say mount Sina where the lawe was geuen and the old Testament ordained brought forth to God who is that great Abraham a people but without the promise that is to say a carnall and a seruile people and not the heire of god For the promises as touching Christ the geuer of all Blessing and as touching the deliuerance from the curse of the law from sinne and death also as touching the free remission of our sinnes of righteousnes and euerlasting life are not added to the lawe but the lawe sayth He that shall doe these things shall liue in them Therefore the promises of the lawe are conditionall promising life not freely but to such as fulfill the law and therefore they leaue mens consciences in doubt for no man fulfilleth the law But the promises of the new Testament haue no such condition ioyned vnto them nor require any thing of vs nor depend vppon any condition of our worthines but bring and geue vnto vs freely forgeuenes of sinnes grace righteousnes and life euerlasting for Christes sake as I haue sayd more largely in an other place Therfore the law or the old Testament containeth onely conditionall promises for it hath alwayes such conditions as these are ioyned to it If ye harken to my voice If ye kepe my statutes if ye vvalke in my vvayes ye shall be my people c. The Iewes not considering this layd hold of those conditionall promises as if they had bene absolute and without all condition which they supposed that God could neuer reuoke but must needes kepe them Herevpon when they heard the Prophets foreshew the destruction of the citie of Ierusalem of the temple of the kingdom and priesthoode which could well discerne betwixt the corporall promises of the lawe and the spirituall promises concerning Christe and his kingdom they persecuted and killed them as heretikes and blasphemers of God For they
this maner I testifie vnto euery man which is circumcised that he is bound to kepe the whole lawe that is to say that he performeth no peece of the law yea that in the very worke of circumcision he is not circumcised and euen in the fulfilling of the law he fulfilleth it not but trāsgresseth it And this seemeth to me to be the simple and true meaning of Paule in this place Afterwardes in the .6 Chapter he expoundeth him selfe saying They themselues vvhich are circumcised keepe not the lavv So he sayth also before in the third Chapter VVhosoeuer are of the vvorkes of the lavve are vnder the curse As if he sayd Although ye be circumcised yet are ye not righteous and free from the lawe but by this deede ye are rather detters and bondseruauntes of the lawe And the more ye goe about to satisfie the lawe and to be sette free from it the more ye intangle and snare your selues in the yoke thereof so that it hath more power to accuse and condemne you This is to goe backward like the crabbe and to wash away filth with filth And this which I say by occasion of Paules words I haue learned both in my selfe and others I haue seene many which haue painfully trauailed and vppon mere conscience haue done as much as was possible for them to doe in fasting in prayer in wearing of heare in punishing and tormenting their bodies with sundry exercises whereby at length they must needes haue vtterly consumed them yea although they had ben made of iron and all to this end that they might obtaine quietnes and peace of conscience notwithstanding the more they trauailed the more they were stricken down with feare specially when the houre of death approched they were so fearfull that I haue seene many murtherers and other male factours condemned to death dying more couragiously then they did which notwithstanding had liued very holily Therefore it is most true that they which doe the lawe doe it not For the more they goe about to fulfill the lawe the more they transgresse it Euen so we say and iudge of mens traditions The more a man striueth to pacifie his conscience therby the more he troubleth and tormenteth it When I was a Monke I endeuored as much as was possible to liue after the streit rule of mine Order I was wont to shriue my selfe with great deuotion and to recken vp all my sinnes yet being alwayes very contrite before and I returned to confession very often and throughly performed the penaunce that was enioyned vnto me Yet for all this my conscience could neuer be fully certified but was alwayes in doubt and sayd This or that thou hast not done rightly thou wast not contrite and sorrowfull inough this sinne thou diddest omitte in thy confession c. Therefore the more I went about to helpe my weake wauering and afflicted conscience by mens traditiōs the more weake and doubtfull and the more afflicted I was And thus the more I obserued mens traditions the more I transgressed them and in seeking after righteousnes by mine Order I could neuer attaine vnto it For it is impossible as Paule sayeth that the conscience should be pacified by the workes of the lawe and much lesse by mens traditions without the promise and glad tidings concerning Christe Wherfore they that seeke to be iustified and quickned by the law are much further of from righteousnes and life then the Publicanes sinners and harlots For they can not trust to their owne works seing they be such for the which they can not hope to obtaine grace and sorgeuenes of sinnes For if righteousnes works done according to the lawe doe not iustifie how can sinnes iustifie which are committed contrary to the lawe Therefore in this poynt they are in farre better case then the Iusticiaries for they haue no affiance in theyr owne workes which greatly hindreth true Faith in Christe if it doe not vtterly take it away Contrariwise the Iusticiaries which abstaine outwardly from sinnes and liue holily and without blame in the sight of the world can not be without the opinion of their owne righteousnes with the which true Faith in Christe can not stande And for this cause they be more miserable then Publicanes and harlotes who offer not their good workes to God in his displeasure that for the same he may recompence them with euerlasting life as the Iusticiaries doe for they haue none to offer but desire that their sinnes may be pardoned for Christes sake c. The other exposition is affirmatiue He that is circumcised is also bound to kepe the whole law For he that receaueth Moses in one poynt must of necessitie receaue him in all And it nothing helpeth to say that circumcision is necessary and not the rest of Moises lawes For by the same reason that thou art bound to keepe circumcision thou art also bound to kepe the whole lawe Now to be bound to kepe the whole lawe is nothing else but to shew in effecte that Christe is not yet come If this be true then are we bound to kepe all the Iewish ceremonies and lawes touching meates places and times and Christe must be looked for as yet to come that he may abolish the Iewish kingdom and priesthoode and sette vppe a new kingdom thorowout the whole world But the whole Scripture witnesseth and the sequele thereof plainely declareth that Christe is already come that by his death he hath redemed mankinde that he hath abolished the lawe and that he hath fulfilled all things which all the Prophetes haue foretolde of him Therefore the lawe being cleane abolished and quite taken away he hath geuen vnto vs grace and truth It is not then the lawe nor the workes thereof but it is Faith in Iesus Christe that maketh a man righteous Some would binde vs at thys day to certaine of Moises lawes that like them best as the false apostles would haue done at that time But this is in no wise to be suffered For if we geue Moises leaue to rule ouer vs in any thing we are bound to obey him in all things Wherefore we will not be burdened with any law of Moises We graunt that he is to be redde amongst vs and to be heard as a Prophet and a witnesse bearer of Christe and moreouer that out of him we may take good examples of good lawes and holy maners But we will not suffer him in any wife to to haue dominion ouer our conscience In this case lette him be deade and buried and lette no man know where his graue is The former exposition that is to say the negatiue seemeth to me to be more apte and more spirituall notwythstanding both are good and both doe condemne the righteousnes of the lawe The first is that we are so farre from obtaining righteousnes of the lawe that the more we goe about to accomplish the law the more we transgresse the lawe The
gathered together to be mine so that I must needes confesse either all or perhaps more to haue bene vttered by me in this publike treatise For in my heart this one article raigneth euen the faith of Christ From whom by whom and vnto whom all my diuine studies day and night haue recourse to and froe continually And yet I perceaue that I coulde not reache any thing neare vnto the heighte bredth and depth of suche highe and inestimable wisedome onely certaine bare and poore beginnings as it were fragments doe appeare Wherfore I am ashamed that my so barren and simple Commētaries should be set forthe vpon so worthy an Apostle and elect vessel of god But when I consider againe the infinite and horrible abuses and abominations which alwayes haue raged in the Churche of God and yet at this day cease not to rage against this onely and grounded rocke which we holde to be the article of our iustification that is to say howe not by our selues neither by our workes which are lesse then oure selues but by an other helpe euen the sonne of God Iesus Christ we are redemed from sinne death the deuell and made partakers of eternal life I am compelled to cast of all shame to be bolde aboue measure This rocke did Sathan shake in paradise when he perswaded our first parents that by their owne wisedome and power they should be like vnto God forsaking true Faith in God who had geuen them life and promised the continuaunce therof By and by after this lier and murtherer which will be alwayes like vnto him selfe stirred vp the brother to the murthering of his brother and for none other cause but for that his godly brother by Faith had offered vp a more excellent sacrifice and he offering vp his owne works without faith had not pleased god After this against the same Faith followed a most intollerable persecution of Sathan by the sonnes of Caine vntil God was euen cōstrained at once by the floud to purge the whole world and to defend Noe the preacher of righteousnesse This notwithstanding Sathan continued his seede in Cham the third sonne of Noe. But who is able to recken vp all examples After these things the whole world waxed madde against this Faithe finding out an infinite nombre of idolles and straunge religions wherby euery one as S. Paule sayth walked his owne way trusting by their workes some to pacifye or please a God some a Goddesse some Gods some Goddesses that is to say without the helpe of Christ by their owne workes to redeme them selues from euils and from their sinnes as all the examples and monuments of all nations doe sufficiently witnesse But these are nothing in comparison of that people and congregation of God Israell which not onely had the sure promise of the fathers and afterward the lawe of God geuen vnto them from God him selfe by his angels aboue all other but alwayes and in all things were also certified by the present sayings miracles and examples of that prophets Notwithstanding euen amonge them also Satan did so preuaile that is to say the madde outragious opinion of their owne righteousnes that afterwardes they killed all the prophets yea euen Christ him self the sonne of God their promised Messias for that they had taught that men are accepted into the fauour of God by grace only and not by their owne righteousnes And this is the summe of the doctrine of the deuill and of the world from the beginning We will not seeme to doe euill but yet whatsoeuer we doe that must God allow of all his prophets must consent to it which if they shall refuse to doe they shall dye the death Abell shall dye but Cain shall florishe Let this be our lawe say they and euen so it commeth to passe But in the Church of the Gentiles the matter is and hath beene so vehemētly handled that the fury of the Iewish Sinagoge may wel seeme to be but a sport For they as S. Paul sayth did not knovv Christ their anoynted therfore they crucified the lord of glory But the church of the gentiles hath receyued confessed Christ to be the sonne of god being made our righteousnes this doth she publikely record reade and teach And yet notwithstanding this confession they that would be accounted the church do kill and persecute continually rage against those which beleeue and teach and in their deedes declare nothing els but that Christ is the selfe same thing that they them selues though with fayned wordes and hipocriticall deedes are constrained mawgre their heads to allow and confesse For vnder the name of Christ at this daye they reigne And if they could without the name of Christ hold that seate and kingdome no doubt but they would expresse him to be such a one openly as in their hartes they esteeme him secretly But they esteeme him a great deale lesse then the Iewes doe which at the least thinke him to be Thola that is to say a theefe worthely hanged on the crosse But these men account him as a fable and take him as a fayned God amongest the gentiles as it may plainly appeare at Rome in the Popes court and almost throughout all Italie Because therefore Christ is made as it were a mocke amongest his Christians for Christians they wil be called and for that Cain doth kill Abell continually the abhomination of Sathan doth now chefely raigne it is very necessary that we should diligently handle this Article and set it against Sathan whether we be rude or eloquent learned or vnlearned For this rocke must be published abrode yea though euery man should holde his peace yet euen of the very rockes stones them selues Wherfore I doe most willingly heerein accomplish my duetie and am contented to suffer this long Commentarie and full of wordes to be set forth for the stirring vp of all the brethren in Christ against the sleights and malice of Sathan which in these dayes is turned into suche extreame madnesse against this healthfull knowledge of Christ now reuealed and raised vp againe that as hetherto men haue seemed to be possessed with deuels and starke madde euen so nowe the deuils them selues doe seeme to be possessed of farre worse deuels and to rage euen aboue the furie of deuils which is in deede a great argument that that enemie of truth and life doth perceaue the day of iudgement to be at hand which is the horrible day of his destruction but the most comfortable day of our redemption and shall be the end of all his tyrannie and crueltie For not without cause is he disquieted when his members and powers are so assailed euen as a theefe or an adulterer when the morning appeareth and discloseth his wickednesse is taken tardie and apprehended for the same For who euer heard to passe ouer the abhominations of the Pope so many monsters to burst out at once into
any true feling of sinne or of the terrour of death haue forged these vaine toyes blasphemies of their owne braine and therefore they know not what they say or what they teach Moreouer they can shew no example of any worke done either before or after grace that could iustifie before god Wherfore these are nothing else but vaine fables and lies whereby the Papists deceaue both them selues and other For Paule here plainly affirmeth that a man is not iustified by the works of the lawe either going before grace wherof he here speaketh or comming after You see then that Christian righteousnes is not such an essentiall qualitie engrafted in the nature of man as the Scholemen doe imagine when they say The Diuinitie of the Schole men When a man doth any good worke God accepteth it and for that good worke he poureth into him charitie This infused charitie say they is a qualitie grafted in the heart and this they call formall righteousnes which maner of speaking it is expedient for you to know and they cā abide nothing lesse then to heare that this qualitie furnishing the soule as whitenes doth the wal should not be coūted righteousnes They can clime no higher then to this cogitatiō of mans reason that man is righteous hy his owne formall righteousnes which is grace making him acceptable vnto God that is to say loue or charitie So to this qualitie cleauing vnto the soule that is to wit charitie which is a worke after the law for the law sayth Thou shalt loue the Lord thy god c. they attribute formall righteousnes and they say that this righteousnes is worthy of euerlasting life and he that hath it is formally righteous and moreouer he is effectually or actually righteous because he now doth good workes wherevnto euerlasting life is due This is the opinion of the Scholemen yea euen of the best among them Some other there be which are not so good as Scotus and Occam which sayd that for the obtaining of the grace of God this charity infused or geuen of God is not necessary but that a man euen by his owne naturall strength may procure this charitie aboue all things For so reasoneth Scotus If a man may loue a creature a yong man a maiden a couetous man money which are the lesse good he may also loue God which is the greater good If he haue a loue of the creature through his naturall strength much more hath he a loue of the creator With this argument were all the Sophisters conuicted and none of them all was able to soile it Notwithstanding thus they replie The scripture compelleth vs to cōfesse say they that God besides that naturall loue and charitie which is engrafted in vs wherwith alone he is not contented requireth also charitie which he him selfe geueth And heereby they accuse God as a tyranne and a cruell exactor who is not content that we kepe and fulfil his law but aboue the law which we are of our selues able to fulfill requireth also that we should accomplishe it with other circumstaunce and furniture as apparell to the same As if a Mistres should not be contented that her Cooke had dressed her meate excellently well but should chide her for that she did not prepare the same being decked with precious apparel hauing a croune of gold vpon her head What a mistres were this who besides that which her Cooke was onely bound to doe and also exactly performed would require moreouer precious apparell or a croune of gold which she could not haue Euen so what a one should God be if he should require his lawe to be fulfilled of vs which otherwise by our owne naturall strength we obserue and fulfill with such furniture as we can not haue But here lest they should seeme to aduouch contrary things they make a distinction and say that the law is fulfilled two maner of waies first according to the substance of the deede and secondly according to the minde of the commaunder According to the substance of the deede say they we may fulfil al things which the law commaūdeth but not according to the meaning of the Commaunder which is that God is not contented that thou hast done all things which are commaunded in the law although he can require no more of thee but he yet further requireth that thou shouldest fulfill the law in charitie not that charitie which thou hast by nature but that which is aboue nature and heauēly which he himselfe geueth And what is this els but to make of God a tyranne and a tormentor which requireth of vs that we are not able to performe And it is in a maner as much as if they should say that the fault is not in vs if we be damned but in God which with this circumstance requireth his law to be accomplished of vs. These things I doe the more diligently repete that you may see how farre they haue wādred from the true sense of the scripture which haue sayd that we by our owne naturall strength may loue God aboue all things or at least by the worke wrought we may deserue euerlasting life And because God is not contente that we fulfill the law according to the substance of the deede but will haue vs also to fulfill the same according to the meaning of the Commaunder therefore the scripture further compelleth vs to haue a qualitie aboue nature poured into vs from aboue and that is charitie which they call formall righteousnes adorning and bewtifying faith being also the cause that faith iustifieth vs So faith is the body and the shell charitie the life the kernell the forme and furniture These are the dreames of the Scholemen But we in the steede of this charitie do place faith and we say that faith apprehendeth Iesus Christ who is the forme which adorneth furnisheth faith as the colour adorneth and bewtifieth the wall Christian faith thē is not an idle qualitie or empty huske in the heart which may be in deadly sinne as they say vntill charitie come and quicken it but if it be true faith it is a sure trust and confidence of the heart and a firme consent wherby Christ is apprehended So that Christ is the obiect of faith yea rather euen in faith Christ himselfe is present Faith therefore is a certaine obscure knowledge or rather darkenes which seeth nothing and yet Christ apprehended by faith sitteth in this darknes like as God in Sinai and in the temple satte in the middest of darknes Wherfore our formall righteousnes is not charitie furnishing and beutifying faith but it is faith it self which is as it were a certain cloud in our harts that is to say a stedfast trust affiance in the thing which we see not which is Christ who although he be not seene at all yet is he present Faith therefore iustifieth because it apprehendeth and possesseth this treasure euen
that we thought those works which men had deuised not onely without the will of God but also contrary to his commaundement to be much better then those which the magistrate the houshoulder the childe the seruaunte did at the commaundement of God. Doubtles we ought to haue learned by the word of God that the religious orders of the Papistes which onely they call holy are wicked since there is no commaundement of God at al or testimony in the holy scriptures approuing the same Contrariwise other orders of life which haue the word and warrant of God are holy ordained of god But we were then wrapped in such horrible darkenes that we could not truely iudge of any thing But now at the appearing of the cleare light of the Gospell all kindes of life in the world are vnder our iudgement which is most certaine infallible We may boldly pronounce out of the word of God that the condition of seruauntes which before the world is most vile is farre more acceptable vnto God then all the religious orders of the Papistes For by his word he commendeth approueth and setteth forth the state of seruauntes and so doth he not the orders of Monkes Friers and such other Therfore this argument grounded vpon experience ought to stand in much force with vs also For although diuers men in popery wrought sundry and diuers works both great and painefull yet could they neuer be sure what was the will of God towards them but they were alwaies in doubt they could neuer attaine to the knowledge of God of themselues of their calling nor felte the testimony of the spirite in their heartes But now that the truth of the Gospell appeareth they are fully instructed by the onely hearing of faith in all these things It is not without cause that I doe so largely intreate of these matters For it seemeth to mans reason but a light and a small matter to purchase the holy ghost by the onely hearing of faith and that nothing els is required of vs but that we setting a parte all our works should geue our selues onely to the hearing of the Gospell Mans hearte doth not vnderstand nor beleue that so greate a price namely the holy Ghost is geuen by the onely hearing of faith but reasoneth after this sorte Forgeuenes of sinnes deliueraunce from death the geuing of the holy Ghost of righteousnes and euerlasting life are greate things therfore if thou wilt obtaine these inestimable benefites thou must performe some other greate and weighty matter This opinion the deuill doth wel like and approue also encreaseth the same in the heart Therfore when reason heareth this Thou cāst doe nothing for the obtaining of sinnes but must onely heare the word of God by and by it crieth out saith Fie thou makest too small a count of the remission of sinnes c. So the inestimable greatnes of the gift is the cause that we can not beleue it and because this incomparable treasure is freely offered therfore it is despised But this must we learne that forgeuenes of sinnes Christ and the holy Ghost are freely geuen vnto vs at the onely hearing of faith preached notwithstanding our horrible sinnes and demerits And we must not wey how greate the thing is that is geuen and how vnworthy we are of it for so should the greatnes of the gift our vnworthines terrefie vs but we must thinke that it pleaseth God freely to geue vnto vs this vnspeakeable gifte vnto vs I say which are vnworthy as Christ in Luke sayeth Feare not litle flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to geue vnto you Loe to geue vnto you saith he a kingdome To whom To you vnworthy which are his litle flocke If I then be litle and the thing great nay rather of all things the greatest which God hath geuen vnto me I must thus thinke that he also is great and onely greate which geueth it If he offer it and will geue it I consider not mine owne sinne vnworthines but his fatherly good will towardes me which is the geuer and I receaue the greatnes of the gift with ioy and gladnes am thankful for so inestimable a gifte geuen freely vnto me to me I say vnworthy by the hearing of faith Here againe foolish reason is offended and reproueth vs saying Where ye teach men to do nothing at all for the obtaining of so greate and vnspeakeable a gift but to heare the word of God this seemeth to tend to the greate contempt of grace and to make men secure idle and dissolute so that they slacke their handes and doe no good at all Therfore it is not good to preach this doctrine for it is not true but men must be vrged to labour and to exercise themselues vnto righteousnes and then shall they obtaine this gift This selfe same thing the Pelagians in times past obiected againste the Christians But heare what Paul saith in this place Ye haue receaued the holy Ghost not by your owne labour and trauell not by the workes of the law but by the hearing of faith Briefely heare what Christ himselfe saith and what he aunswereth to Martha being very carefull and hardly bearing that her sister Marie sitting at the feete of Iesus and hearing his worde should leaue her to minister alone Martha Martha saith he thou carest and art troubled about many things but one thing is needefull Marie hath chosen the good parte vvhich shall not be taken from her A man therfore is made a Christian not by working but by hearing Wherfore he that will exercise himselfe to righteousnes let him first exercise himselfe in hearing the gospel Now when he hath heard and receaued the Gospell let him geue thankes to God with a ioyfull and a glad hearte and afterwardes let him exercise him selfe in those good workes which are commaunded in the lawe so that the lawe and workes may follow the hearing of faith So may he quietly walke in the light which is Christ and boldely choose and doe works not hypocriticall but good workes in deede such as he knoweth to please God and to be commaunded of him and contemne all those hypocriticall shadowes of freewill workes Our aduersaries thinke that faith whereby we receaue the holy Ghost is but a light matter but how high and harde a matter it is I my selfe doe finde by experience and so doe all they which with me doe earnestly embrace the same It is soone saide that by the onely hearing of faith the holy Ghost is receaued but it is not so easily heard laied holde on beleued and retained as it is said Wherefore if thou heare of me that Christe is that Lambe of God sacrificed for thy sinnes see also that thou heare it effectually Paule purposely calleth it the hearing of faith and not the worde of faith although there be small difference that is such a word as thou hearing doest beleue
of faith in god Let him that is a Rethorician amplifie this place and he shall see that faith is an almighty thing that the power therof is inestimable and infinite For it geueth glory vnto God which is the highest seruice that can be geuen vnto him Nowe to geue glory vnto God is to beleeue in him to count him true wise righteous merciful almighty briefly to acknowledge him to be the author and geuer of all goodnes This reason doth not but faith That is it which maketh vs diuine people and as a man would say it is the creator of a certaine diuinitie not in the substaunce of God but in vs For without faith God loseth in vs his glory wisedom righteousnes truth and mercy To conclude There no maiestie or diuinitie remaineth vnto God where faith is not And the cheefest thing that God requireth of man is that he geue vnto him his glory and his diuinitie that is to say that he take him not for an idoll but for God who regardeth him heareth him sheweth mercy vnto him and helpeth him This being done then hath God his full and perfect diuinitie that is he hath whatsoeuer a faithfull heart can attribute vnto him To be able therfore to geue that glory vnto God it is the wisedom of wisedomes the righteousnes of righteousnesses the religion of religions and sacrifice of sacrifices Hereby we may perceaue what an high and excellent righteousnes faith is and so by the contrary what an horrible and greeuous sinne infidelitie is Whosoeuer then beleeueth the word of God as Abraham did is righteous before God because he hath faith which geueth glory vnto God that is he geueth to God that which is due to him For faith saith thus I beleeue thee O God when thou speakest And what sayth God Impossible things lies foolish weake absurde abhominable hereticall and deuillish things if ye beleeue reason For what is more absurde foolish and vnpossible then when God saith to Abraham that he should haue a sonne of the harren and dead body of his wife Sara So if we will follow the iudgement of reason God setteth forth absurde and impossible things when he setteth out vnto vs the Articles of the Christian faith In deede it seemeth to reason an absurde and a foolish thing that in the Lordes supper is offred vnto vs the body and bloud of Christ that baptisme is the Lauer of the new birth and of the renewing of the holy Ghost that the dead shall rise in the last day that Christ the sonne of God was conceiued and caried in the wombe of the virgin Marie that he was borne that he suffered the most reprochefull death of the crosse that he was raised vp againe that he nowe sitteth at the right hand of God the father and that he hath power both in heauen and in earth For this cause Paule calleth the Gospell of Christe crucified the worde of the crosse and foolish preaching which to the Iewes was offensiue and to the Gentiles foolish doctrine c. Reason therfore doth not vnderstand that to heare the worde of God and to beleeue it is the cheefest seruice that God requireth of vs but it thinketh that those thinges which it chooseth and doth of a good entent as they call it and of her owne deuotion please god Therefore when God speaketh reason iudgeth his word to be heresie and the word of the Deuill for it seemeth absurde and foolish But faith killeth reason and slaieth that beast which the whole world and all creatures cannot kill So Abraham killed it by faith in the worde of God by which word seede was promised him of Sara who was barren and now past childe bearing Vnto this word reason yeelded not streight way in Abraham but doubtles it fought against faith in him iudgeing it to be an absurde a foolish and vnpossible thing that that Sara who was nowe not onely 90. yeares of age but also was barren by nature should bring forth a sonne Thus faith no doubt wrestled with reason in Abraham but heerein faith got the victory killed and sacrificed reason that most cruell and pestilent ennemie of god So all the godly entring with Abraham into the darkenes of faith doe kill reason saying Reason thou art foolish thou doest not sauour those things which belong vnto God therefore speake not against me but hold thy peace iudge not but heare the word of God and beleeue it So the godly by faith kill such a beast as is greater then the whole world and thereby doe offer to God a most acceptable sacrifice and seruice And in comparison of this sacrifice of the faithfull all the religions of all nations and all the workes of all Monkes and meritemongers are nothing at all For by this sacrifice first as I said they kill reason a greate and mightie ennemie of God. For reason despiseth God denieth his wisedome righteousnes power truth mercie maiestie and diuinitie Moreouer by the same sacrifice they yeeld glory vnto God that is they beleeue him to be righteous good faithfull true c they beleeue that he can doe all things that all his wordes are holy true liuely and effectuall c. which is a most acceptable obedience vnto god Therefore there can be no greater or more holy religion in the world nor more acceptable seruice vnto God then faith is Contrariwise the Iusticiaries and such as seeke righteousnes by their owne woorkes lacking Faithe in deede doe many things They fast they pray they watch they lay crosses vppon themselues But because they thinke to appease the wrath of God and deserue grace by these things they geue no glory to God that is they doe not iudge him to be mercifull true and keeping promise c. but to be an angrie iudge which must be pacified with woorkes and by this meanes they despise God they make him as a lier in all his promises they denie Christe and all his benefites to conclude they thrust God out of his seate and set them selues in his place For they reiecting and despising the worde of God doe choose vnto them selues such worshippe and woorkes as God hath not commaunded They imagine that God hath a pleasure therin and they hope to receiue a reward of him for the same Therefore they kill not reason that mightie enemie of God but quicken it and they take from God his maiestie and his diuinitie and attribute the same vnto their owne woorkes Wherfore onely faith geueth glory to God as Paule witnesseth of Abraham Abraham sayeth he vvas made strong in the faith and gaue glory to God being fully assured that vvhatsoeuer God had promised he vvas able to performe and therefore it vvas imputed to him for righteousnes Christian righteousnes consisteth in Faith of the hearte and Gods imputation It is not without cause that he addeth this sentence out of the fiftene Chapiter of Genesis And it
vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnes For christian righteousnes consisteth in two things that is to say in faith of the heart and in Gods imputation Faith is in deede a formal righteousnes and yet this righteousnes is not enough for after faith there remaine yet certaine remnaunts of sinne in our flesh This sacrifice of faith began in Abraham but at last it was finished in his death And therfore the other part of righteousnes must needes be added also to finish the same in vs that is to say Gods imputation For faith geueth not enough to God because it is imperfecte yea rather our faith is but a little sparke of faith which beginneth onely to render vnto God his true diuinitie We haue receiued the first fruites of the spirite but not yet the tenthes Besides this reason is not vtterly killed in this life which may appeare by our concupiscence wrath impatience and other fruites of the flesh and of infidelitie yet remaining in vs Yea the holiest that liue haue not yet a full and continuall ioy in God but haue theyr sondry passions sometimes sadde sometimes mirry as the scriptures witnes of the Prophetes and Apostles But such faultes are not layde to their charge because of their faith in Christ for otherwise no flesh should be saued We conclude therefore vpon these wordes It vvas imputed to him for righteousnes that righteousnes in deede beginneth through faith and by the same we haue the first frutes of the spirite but because faith is weake it is not made perfect without Gods imputation Wherefore faith beginneth righteousnes but imputation maketh it perfect vnto the day of Christ The popish Sophisters and Scholemen dispute also of imputation when they speake of the good acceptation of the woorke but besides and cleane contrary to the scripture for they wrest it onely to workes They doe not consider the vncleanenes and inward poyson lurking in the hearte as incredulitie doubting despising and hating of God which most pernicious and perelous beastes are the fountaine and cause of all mischiefe They consider no more but outward and grosse faults and vnrighteousnes which are little riuers proceeding and issuing out of those fountaines Therefore they attribute acceptation to workes that is to say that God doth accept our workes not of dutie but of congruence Contrarywise we excluding all workes doe goe to the very heade of this beast which is called reason which is the fountaine and headespring of all mischiefes For reason feareth not God it loueth not God it trusteth not in God but proudely contemneth him It is not moued either with his threateninges or his promises It is not delighted with his wordes or workes but it murmureth against him it is angry with him iudgeth and hateth him to be short it is an enemy to God not geuing him his glorie This pestilent beast reason I say being once slaine all outward and grosse vices should be nothing Wherfore we must first and afore all thinges goe about by faith to kill infidelitie the contempt and hatred of God murmuring against his iudgement and his wrath and against all his wordes and workes for then doe we kill reason which can be killed by none other meanes but by faith which in beleeuing God geueth vnto him his glory notwithstanding that he speaketh those things which seeme both foolish absurde and vnpossible to reason notwithstanding also that God setteth forth him selfe otherwise then reason is able either to iudge or conceiue that is to say after this maner I will account thee and pronounce thee to be righteous not for the keping of the lawe not for thy workes and thy merites but for thy faith in Iesus Christ mine onely begotten Sonne who was borne suffred was crucified and died for thy sinnes and that sinne which remaineth in thee I will not impute vnto thee If reason then be not killed and al kindes of religion and seruice of God vnder heauen that are inuented by men to get righteousnes before God be not condemned the righteousnes of faith can take no place When reason heareth this by and by it is offended it rageth and vttereth all her malice against God saying Are then my good woorkes nothing Haue I then laboured and borne the burden and heate of the day in vaine Hereof rise those vprours of nations of Kings and Princes against the Lord and against his Christ For the world neither will nor can suffer that his wisedome righteousnes religions and worshippings should be reproued and condemned The Pope with all his Popish rablement will not seeme to erre much lesse will he suffer himselfe to be condemned Therefore let them which be studious of the woorde of God learne out of this saying Abraham beleeued God and it vvas counted to him for righteousnes to sette forthe truely and rightly this true Christian righteousnes after this manner that it is a faith and confidence in the Sonne of God or rather a confidence of the heart in God through Iesus Christe And lette them adde this clause as a difference Which Faith and confidence is accounted righteousnes for Christes sake For these two things as I sayde before woorke Christian righteousnes namely Faith in the heart which is a gifte of God and rightly beleueth in Christ and also that God accepteth this imperfecte Faithe for perfect righteousnes for Christes sake in whom I haue begun to beleue because of this faith in Christ God seeth not my doubting of his good will towards me my distrust my heauines of spirite and other sinnes which are yet in me For as long as I liue in the flesh sinne is verely in me But because I am couered vnder the shadow of Christes winges as is the chicken vnder the winge of the henne and dwell without all feare vnder that most ample and large heauen of the forgeuenes of sinnes which is spread ouer me God couereth and pardoneth the remnant of sinne in me that is to say because of that faith wherwith I began to lay hold vpon Christ he accepteth my imperfect righteousnes euen for perfect righteousnes counteth my sinne for no sinne which notwithstanding is sinne in deede So we shroud our selues vnder the couering of Christes flesh who is our cloudy piller for the day and our fire by the night lest God should see our sinne And although we see it and for the same doe feele the terrors of conscience yet flying vnto Christ our Mediatour and reconciler through whom we are made perfect we are sure and safe For as all things are in him so through him we haue all things who also doth supply whatsoeuer is wanting in vs When we beleue this God winketh at all our sinnes and the remnantes thereof which are yet sticking in our flesh and will haue them so couered as though they were no sinnes Because saith he thou beleuest in my sonne although thou haue many sinnes notwithstanding they must be forgeuen thee vntill thou
place onely to Christ Let him onely raigne in righteousnes in peace in ioy and life that the cōscience may sleepe and repose it selfe ioyfully in Christe without any feeling of the law sinne and death Paule here of purpose vseth this figuratiue speech Elements of the vvorld whereby as I sayd he doth much abase and diminish the glory and authoritie of the lawe to stirre vs vppe For he that readeth Paule attentiuely when he heareth that he calleth the lawe the ministerie of death the letter that killeth c. by by he thinketh thus with him selfe why doth he geue such odious and as it appeareth to reason blasphemous termes to the lawe which is a diuine doctrine reuealed from heauen To this Paule aunswereth that the law is both holy iust and good and also the ministerie of sinne and death but in diuers respectes Before Christe it is holy after Christe it is death Therefore when Christe is come we ought to know nothing at all of the lawe vnlesse it be in this respect that it hath power and dominion ouer the flesh to bridle it and to keepe it vnder Here is a conflict betwene the law and the flesh to whom the yoke of the lawe is hard and greuous as long as we liue Onely Paule among all the Apostles calleth the lawe the rudiments of the world weake and beggerly elements the strength of sinne the letter that killeth c. The other Apostles spake not so of the law Whosoeuer then will be a right scholer in Christes schoole let him marke diligently this maner of speech vsed of the Apostle Christe calleth him an elect vessell and therefore gaue vnto him an exquisite vtterance and a singuler kinde of speech aboue all the rest of the Apostles that he as an elect vessel might faithfully lay the foundations of the article of Iustification and clearely set forth the same Verse 4. But after the fulnes of time vvas come God sent his sonne made or borne of a vvoman made vnder the lavve that he might redeme them vvhich vvere vnder the lavve That is to say after that the time of the lawe was fulfilled and that Christ was reuealed and had deliuered vs from the law and that the promise was published among all nations c. Marke here diligently how Paule defineth Christe Christe sayth he is the sonne of God and of a woman which for vs sinners was made vnder the law to redeme vs that were vnder the law In these wordes he comprehendeth both the person of Christe and the office of Christe His person consisteth of his diuine and humane nature This he sheweth plainly when he sayth God sent his ovvne sonne borne of a vvoman Christe therefore is very God and very man His office he setteth out in these wordes Being made vnder the lavve to redeame them that vvere vnder the lavve c. And it seemeth that Paule here as it were in reproch calleth the virgine Marie but onely a woman which thing was not wel taken euē of some of the auncient Doctors who would that he should rather haue called her a virgin then a womā But Paule intreateth in this Epistle of the most high principal matter of all to wit of the Gospel of Faith of Christian righteousnes Also what the person of Christ is what is his office what he hath taken vppon him done for our cause what benefits he hath brought to vs wretched sinners Wherfore the excellencie of so high so wōderfull a matter was the cause that he had no regard to her virginitie It was enough for him to set forth preach the inestimable mercy of God which would that his sōne should be borne of that sexe Therfore he maketh no mention of the dignitie of the sexe but onely of the sexe And in that he nameth the sexe he signifieth that Christe was made true and very man of womankinde As if he sayd He was borne not of man and woman but onely of womankinde Therefore when he nameth but onely the womankinde saying made of a vvoman it is as if he should haue sayde made of a virgine Iohn the Euangelist when he thus setteth forth the Word that it vvas in the beginning vvas made flesh speaketh not one word of his mother Furthermore this place also witnesseth that Christe when the time of the lawe was accomplished did abolish the same and so brought libertie to those that were oppressed therewith but made no newe lawe after or besides that old lawe of Moises Wherefore the Monkes and Popish Schoolemen doe no lesse erre and blaspheme Christe in that they imagine that he hath geuen a new lawe besides the lawe of Moises then doe the Turkes which vaunt of their Mahomet as of a new lawgeuer after Christ and better then Christ Christ then came not to abolish the old lawe that he might make a newe but as Paule here sayeth he was sent of his Father into the world to redeme those which were kept in thraldome vnder the lawe These wordes paint out Christe liuely and truly they doe not attribute vnto him the office to make any new law but to redeme them which were vnder the law And Christ himself sayth I iudge no man. And in an other place I came not to iudge the vvorld but that the vvorld should be saued by me That is to say I came not to bring any lawe nor to iudge men according to the same as Moises and other lawgeuers but I haue an higher a better office The lawe killed you and I againe doe iudge condemne and kill the lawe and so I deliuer you from the tyrannie thereof We that are olde men which haue ben so nusled vp in this pernicious doctrine of the Papistes that it hath taken deepe roote euen in our bones and marrow haue conceaued an opinion quite contrary to that which Paule here teacheth For although we confessed with our mouth that Christ redemed vs from the tyrannie of the lawe yet in very dede in our heart we thought him to be a lawgeuer a tyranne and a iudge more terrible then Moises him selfe And this peruerse opinion we can not yet at this day in so great light of the truth vtterly reiect so strongly are those things rooted in our heartes which we learne in our youth But ye which are yet yong and are not infected with this pernicious opinion may learne Christ purely with lesse difficultie thē we that are olde can remoue out of our mindes these blasphemous imaginations which we haue conceaued of him Notwithstanding ye haue not vtterly escaped the deceites of the Deuill For although ye be not as yet infected with this cursed opinion that Christ is a lawgeuer yet haue ye in you the roote whereof it springeth that is ye haue the flesh reason and the corruption of nature which can iudge no otherwise of Christ but that he is a lawgeuer Therefore ye must endeuour with
against him can not be forgeuē Thou hast lost thy right and soueraigntie and nowe for euer thou art not onely ouercome condemned and slaine vnto Christe but also to me beleuing in him vnto whom he hath freely geuen this victorie So the law is dead to vs for euer so that we abide in Christ Thankes be therefore to God vvhich hath geuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christe These things doe also confirme this doctrine that we are iustified by faith only For when this combate was fought betwixt Christ the law none of our works or deserts came betwene but onely Christ was found who putting vpon him our person made him selfe subiect to the law in perfect innocencie suffered all tyrānie Therfore the law as a theefe a cursed murtherer of the sonne of God loseth all his right and deserueth to be condemned in such sort that wheresoeuer Christe is or is once named there it is compelled to auoid flie away no otherwise thē the Deuil as the Papists imagine flieth frō the crosse Wherfore if we beleue we are deliuered from the law through Christe who hath triumphed ouer it by himself Therfore this glorious triūph purchased vnto vs by Christe is not gotten by any workes but onely by Faith therfore Faith onely iustifieth These wordes then Christe vvas made vnder the lavve c. as they are pithie and import a certaine vehemencie so are they diligently to be weyed and considered For they declare that the Sonne of God being made vnder the lawe did not onely performe one or two workes of the law that is to say he was not onely circumcised or presented in the temple or went vp to Ierusalem with other at the times appoynted or onely liued ciuily vnder the lawe but he suffered all the tyranny of the lawe For the lawe being in his principall vse and ful power set vpon Christe and so horribly assailed him that he felt such anguish and terrour as no man vpon the earth had euer felt the like This his bloudy sweat doth sufficiently witnes also his comfort by the Angell that mighty prayer which he made in the garden and briefly that lamentable cōplaint vpon the crosse O my God vvhy hast thou forsakē me These things he suffered to redeme those which were vnder the law that is to say in heauines of spirite in anguish and terrour and ready to despaire which were oppressed with the heauy burden of their sinnes as in deede we are all oppressed For as touching the flesh we sinne daily against all the commaundements of god But Paule geueth vs good comfort when he sayth God sent his sonne c. So Christe a diuine and humane person begotten of God without beginning and borne of the virgin in the time apoynted came not to make a law but to feele and suffer the terrours of the lawe with all extremitie and to ouercome the same that so he might vtterly abolish the lawe He was not made a teacher of the lawe but an obedient disciple to the law that by this his obedience he might redeme them which were vnder the lawe This is cleane contrary to the doctrine of the Papistes who haue made Christe a lawgeuer yea much more seuere and rigorous thē Moises Paule teacheth here cleane contrary to wit that God humbled his sonne vnder the lawe that is to say constrained him to beare the iudgement and curse of the lawe sinne death c. For Moises the minister of the law sinne wrath and death apprehended bound cōdemned and killed Christ and all this he suffered Therfore Christ standeth as a mere patient not as an agent in respect of the law He is not then a lawgeuer or a iudge after the law but in that he made himselfe subiect to the lawe bearing the condemnation of the law he deliuered vs from the curse therof Now wheras Christ in the Gospell geueth commaundements and teacheth the law or rather expoūdeth it this pertaineth not to the doctrine of Iustification but of good workes Moreouer it is not the proper office of Christe for the which he came principally into the world to teach the law but an accidentall or a by office like as it was to heale the weake to raise vppe the dead c. These are in deede excellent and diuine workes but yet not the very proper and principall workes of Christe For the Prophets also taught the law wrought miracles But Christ is God and man who fighting against the lawe suffered the vttermost cruelty and tyranny therof And in that he suffered the tyranny of the law he vanquished it in himselfe And afterward being raised vppe againe from death he condemned and vtterly abolished the law which was our deadly enemie so that it can not cōdemne and kill the faithfull any more Wherfore the true and proper office of Christ is to wrastle with the lawe with the sinne and the death of the whole world so to wrastle that he must suffer abide al these things and by suffering them in him selfe conquere and abolish them and by this meanes deliuer the Faithfull from the lawe and from all euils Therefore to teach the lawe and to worke myracles are particuler benefites of Christ for the which he came not principally into the world For the Prophets and especially the Apostles did greater myracles then Christ did Iohn 14. Seing then that Christ hath ouercome the law in his owne person it foloweth necessarily that he is naturally God. For there is none else whether he be man or angell which is aboue the law but onely god But Christ is aboue the law for he hath vanquished it therefore he is the sonne of God and naturally god If thou lay hold vpon Christe in such sort as Paule here painteth him out thou cāst not erre nor be confounded Moreouer thou shalt easily iudge of all kindes of life of the religions and ceremonies of the whole world But if this true picture of Christe be defaced or in any wise darkened then foloweth a confusion of all things For the natural man can not iudge of the law of God. Here faileth the cunning of the Philosophers of the Canonistes of all men For the law hath power and dominion ouer man Therfore the law iudgeth man and not man the law onely the Christian hath a true and a certaine iudgement of the law And how That it doth not iustifie Wherfore then is the law made if it doe not iustifie Righteousnes before God which is receaued by Faith alone is not the finall cause why the righteous do obey the law but the peace of the world thankfulnes towardes God and good example of life wherby other be prouoked to beleue the Gospell The Pope hath so confounded and mingled the ceremoniall lawe the morall lawe and Faith together that he hath at length preferred the ceremoniall lawe before the moral lawe and
of sinne death How is this done In Faith. For the blessednes which we hope for is not yet reuealed which in the meane time we wait for in patience and yet notwithstanding doe now assuredly possesse the same by faith We ought therfore diligently to learne the article of iustification for that onely is able to support vs against these infinite sclaunders offences to cōfort vs in all our tentatiōs and persecutiōs For we see that it cā not otherwise be but that the world wil be offended with the pure doctrine of the Gospel continually cry out that no good cometh of it For the natural man vnderstandeth not those things vvhich are of the spirit of God for they are folishnes to him 1. Cor. 2. He onely beholdeth the outward euils troubles rebellions murthers sects and such other like things With these sights he is offended and blinded and finally falleth into the contempt blaspheming of God and his word On that contrary part we ought to stay cōfort our selues in this that our aduersaries do not accuse condemne vs for any manifest wickednes which we haue committed as adulterie murther theft such like but for our doctrine And what doe we teach That Christ the sonne of God by the death of the crosse hath redemed vs frō our sinnes from euerlasting death Therfore they do not impugne our life but our doctrine yea the doctrine of Christ not ours Therfore if ther be any offence it is Christes offence not ours so the fault wherfore they persecute vs Christ hath committed and not we Now whether they wil condemne Christ plucke him out of heauē as an heretike seditious person for this fault that he is our onely iustifier and Sauiour let them looke to that As for vs we commending this his owne cause vnto himself are quiet beholders whether of them shal haue the victory Christ or they In dede after the flesh it greueth vs that these Ismaelites hate persecute vs so furiously notwithstanding according to the spirite we glory in these afflictions both because we know that we suffer them not for our sinnes but for Christes cause whose benefite and whose glory we set forth and also because Paule geueth vs warning aforehand that Ismael must mocke Isaac and persecute him The Iewes expound this place which Paule alleageth out of the 21. of Genesis of Ismael mocking persecuting Isaac after this maner that Ismael constrained Isaac to commit Idolatrie If he did so yet I beleue not that it was any such grosse idolatry as the Iewes dreame of to witte that Ismael made images of clay after the maner of the Gentiles which he compelled Isaac to worship For this Abraham would in no wise haue suffred But I thinke that Ismael was in outward shew a holy mā as Caine was who also persecuted his brother and at length killed him not for any corporall thing but because he saw that God estemed him aboue the other In like maner Ismael was outwardly a louer of religion he sacrificed exercised himselfe in well doing Therefore he mocked his brother Isaac would be estemed a better man then he for two causes First for his religion and seruice of God Secōdly for his ciuill gouernment inheritance And these two things he seemed iustly to chalenge to himselfe For he thought that the kingdom and Priesthode pertained to him by the right of Gods law as the first borne and therfore he persecuted Isaac spiritually because of religion and corporally because of his inheritance This persecution alwayes remaineth in the Church especially when the doctrine of the Gospell flourisheth to witte that the children of the flesh mocke the children of the promise and persecute them The Papists persecute vs at this day and for none other cause but for that we teach that righteousnes cometh by the promise For it vexeth the Papistes that we will not worship their Idols that is to say that we set not forth their righteousnes their workes and worshippings deuised and ordained by men as auaileable to obtaine grace and forgeuenes of sinnes And for this cause they goe about to cast vs out of the house that is to say they vaunt that they are the Church the children and people of God and that the inheritance belongeth vnto them c. Contrariwise they excommunicate and banish vs as heretikes and seditious persons and if they can they kill vs also and in so doing they thinke they doe God good seruice So as much as in them lieth they cast vs out of this life and of the life to come The Anabaptistes and such other do hate vs deadly because we impugne detest their errors heresies which they spread abrode daily renue in the church and for this cause they iudge vs to be far worse then the Papists therfore they haue cōceiued a more cruel hatred against vs then against the Papists As soone therfore as the word of God is brought to light the Deuil is angry vseth all his force subtil sleightes to persecute it vtterly to abolish it Therfore he cā no otherwise do but raise vp infinite sects horrible offences cruel persecutions abhominable murthers For he is the father of lying and a murtherer He spreadeth his lies thorowout the world by false teachers he killeth men by tyrannes By these meanes he possesseth both the spirituall and the corporall kingdom the spirituall by the lying of false teachers stirring vppe also without ceasing euery one of vs perticularly by his fierie dartes to heresies and wicked opinions the corporall kingdom by the sword of tyrannes Thus this father of lying and of murther stirreth vp persecution on euery side both spirituall and corporall against the childrē of the freewoman The spirituall persecution which we are at this day constrained to suffer of heretikes is to vs most greeuous intolerable because of the infinite offences and sclaunders wherewith the Deuill goeth about to deface our doctrine For we are enforced to heare that the heresies and errours of the Anabaptistes and other heretikes and all other enormities doe proceede from our doctrine The corporall persecution by which tyrannes lie in wait for our goodes and liues is more tolerable For they persecute vs not for our sinnes but for the testimonie of the word of god Let vs learne therefore euen by the title which Christ geueth to the Deuill to witte that he is the father of lying and murther Iohn 8. that when the Gospel flourisheth and Christ raigneth then sectes of perdition must needes spring vppe and murtherers persecuting the Gospell must rage euery where And Paule sayeth That there must be heresies He that is ignorant of this is soone offended and falling away from the true God and true Faith he retourneth to his olde God and olde false faith Paule therefore in this place armeth
A COMMENTARIE OF M. DOCTOR MARTIN LVTHER VPON THE EPIstle of S. Paul to the Galathians first collected and gathered vvord by vvord out of his preaching and novv out of Latine faithfully translated into English for the vnlearned WHEREIN IS SET FORTH MOST EXCELLENTLY THE GLORIOVS RICHES OF Gods grace and power of the gospell with the difference betwene the law and the gospell and strength of faith declared to the ioyfull comfort and confirmation of all true Christian beleevers especially such as inwardly being afflicted and greeued in conscience doe hungre and thirst for iustification in Christ Iesu For whose cause most chiefely this booke is translated and printed and dedicated to the same Whilest ye haue light walke in the light Iohn 12. ANCHORA SPEI Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautroullier dvvelling vvihtin the Blacke frears by Ludgate CVM PRIVILEGIO 1575. To the Reader THIS booke being brought vnto me to peruse and to consider of I thought it my part not onely to allovve of it to the print but also to commend it to the Reader as a treatise most comfortable to all afflicted consciences exercised in the Schole of Christ The Author felt vvhat he spake and had experience of vvhat he vvrote and therefore able more liuely to expresse both the assaultes and the saluing the order of the battell and the meane of the victory Satan is the enemy the victorie is by onely faith in Christ as Iohn recordeth If Christe iustifie vvho can condemne saith S. Paule This most necessarye doctrine the author hath most substantially cleared in this his comment VVhich being vvritten in the Latine tounge certaine godly learned men haue most sincerely translated into our language to the great benefite of all such as vvith humbled hartes vvil diligently reade the same Some beganne it according to such skill as they had Others godly affected not suffering so good a matter in handling to be marred put to their helping hands for the better framing and furthering of so vvorthy a vvorke They refuse to be named seeking neither their ovvne gaine nor glory but thinking it their happines if by any meanes they may releue afflicted mindes doe good to the church of Christ yealding all glory vnto God to vvhom all glory is due Aprilis 28. 1575. Edvvinus London TO ALL AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES VVHICH GRONE FOR SALVATION AND VVRASTLE VNDER THE crosse for the kingdome of Christ grace peace and victorie in the Lorde Iesu our Sauiour IN fewe wordes to declare what is to be sayd for the commendation of this worke although in fewe wordes all can not be expressed that may be said yet briefly to signifie that may suffice this much we thought good to certifie thee godly reader that amongest many other godly english bookes in these our daies printed and translated thou shalt finde but fewe wherein either thy time shall seeme better bestowed or thy labour better recompensed to the profite of thy soule or wherein thou mayest see the spirite and veine of S. Paule more liuely represented to thee then in the diligent reading of this present commentary vpon the epistle of S. Paule to the Galathians In which as in a myrrour or glasse or rather as S. Stephen in the heauens being opened thou mayst see and behold the admirable glory of the Lord and all the riches of heauen thy saluation freely and onely by faith in Christe his loue and grace toward thee so opened thy victory and conquest in him so proued the wrath of God so pacified his lawe satisfied the full kingdome of life set open death hell and hell gates be they neuer so stronge with all the power of sinne flesh and the world vanquished thy conscience discharged all feares and terrours remoued thy spirituall man so refreshed and set at libertie that either thy heart must be heuier then lead or the reading hereof will lift thee vppe aboue thy selfe and giue thee to knowe that of Christe Iesu that thy selfe shalt say thou neuer knewest before though before thou knewest him right well Such spiritual comfort such heauenly doctrine such experience and practise of conscience herein is contained such triumphing ouer Sathan and al his power infernall such contempt of the lawe compared with the Gospell such an holy pride and exaltation of the beleuinge man whom here he maketh a person diuine the Sonne of God the heire of the whole earth conquerour of the world of sinne of death and the deuill with such phrases and speeches of high cōtemplation of Christ of grace of iustificatiō and of faith which faith saith he transfigureth a man into Christ and coupleth him more nere vnto Christ then the husband is coupled to his wife and maketh a man more then a man with such other mighty voices full of spirituall glory and maiestie as the like hath not bene vsed lightly of any writer since the Apostles time neither durst he euer haue vsed the same him selfe had not greate experience and exercise of conscience by inward conflictes and profound agonies framed him thereunto and ministred to him both this knowledge of spirite and boldenes of speech And this commonly is the working and proceeding of Godes vocation euer to worke thinges by the contrary of infidelitie to make faith of pouertie to make riches in misery to shew mercye to turne sorrowe to solace mourning to mirth from afflictions to aduaunce to glory from hell to bring to heauen from death to life from darkenes to light from thraldome to libertie in wildernes to geue waters the barren to make frutefull of thinges that be not to make thinges to be briefely to make all thinges of nought Thus began God first to worke thus he proceeded thus he continueth and so will to the worldes ende The firste seede of promise next to Eue was geuen to Sara yet in what case was Eue before she had the promise And in vvhat barrennes and despaire vvas Sara before she enioyed her welbeloued Isaac The like is to be said of the two mothers of two most excellent children Samuel Iohn Baptiste and yet what griefes sorrowes past ouer their heartes being both past all hope in nature before the goodnes of God did worke Howe longe did Iacob the Patriarke serue in miserable thraldome for his Rachel In what excellent glorye was Ioseph exalted yet what suffered he before of his brethren and how longe imprisonment In what and howe longe seruitude were the sonnes of Israell before Moses was sent vnto them and afterward in what distresse were they cōpassed on euery side whē the sea was forced to geue them place After that againe what an excellent land was promised and geuen vnto them floweing with milke and hony but how were they scourged before in the desert and yet neither had they the lande but their children To ouerpasse many thinges here by the way what an excellent worke was it of God to set vppe Dauid in his kingedome Also what excellent promises were geuen to his throne Yet
in heauen that is to say that Christ according to his proper and true definition is no Moses no lawgeuer no tyraunt but a Mediator for sinnes a free geuer of grace righteousnes and life who gaue him selfe not for our merits holines righteousnes godly life but for our sinnes In deede Christ is an enterpreter of the law but that is not his proper and principall office These things as touching the words we know wel enough and cā talke of them but in practise and in the conflict when the deuill goeth about to deface Christ to plucke the word of grace out of our hartes we finde that we doe not yet know them well and as we should doe He that at that time could define Christ truly and could magnifie him and behold him as his most sweete Sauiour and high Priest and not as a straite Iudge this man had ouercome all euils and were already in the kingdome of heauen But this to doe in the conflict is of all things the most hardest I speake this by experience for I know the Deuils subtilties who at that time not onely goeth about to feare vs with the terrour of the lawe yea and also of a little mote maketh many beames that is to say of that which is no sinne he maketh a very hell for he is maruelous craftie both in aggrauating sinne and in puffing vp the cōscience euen in good works but also is wont to feare vs with the very person of the Mediatour into the which he transformeth him selfe and laying before vs some place of the scripture or some saying of Christ suddenly he striketh our harts and sheweth him selfe vnto vs in such sort as if he were Christ in deede leauing vs sticking so fast in that cogitation that our conscience would sweare it were the same Christ whose saying he alledged Moreouer such is the subtilty of this enemy that he will not sette before vs Christ entierly and wholy but a peece of Christ onely namely that he is the soone of God and man borne of the virgin and by and by he patcheth therto some other thing that is to say some saying of Christ wherwith he terrifieth the impenitent sinners such as that is in the 13. of Luke Except ye repent ye shall all likevvise perish And so corrupting the true definition of Christ with his poison he bringeth to passe that albeit we beleue him to be Christ the true Mediatour yet in very deede our troubled conscience feeleth and iudgeth him to be a tiraunt and a iudge Thus we being deceaued by Sathan doe easily lose that sweete sight of our high Priest and sauiour Christ which being once lost we shunne him no lesse then the deuill him selfe And this is the cause why I doe so earnestly call vpon you to learne the true and proper definition of Christ out of these words of Paule vvhich gaue him selfe for our sinnes If he gaue him selfe to death for oure sinnes then vndoubtedly he is no tiraunt or iudge which will condemne vs for our sinnes He is no caster downe of the afflicted but a raiser vp of those that are fallen a mercifull releuer and comforter of the heauy and broken harted Els should Paule lie in saying vvhich gaue him selfe for our sinnes If I define Christ thus I define him rightly and take hold of the true Christ and possesse him in deede Also I lette passe the curious speculations touching the diuine maiestie and I stay my selfe in the humanitie of Christ and so I learne truly to know the will of god Here is then no feare but altogether sweetnes ioy peace of conscience and such like And herewithal a light also is opened which sheweth me the true knowledge of God of my selfe of all creatures and of all the iniquitie of the Deuils kingdome We teach no newe thing but we repeate and establish olde things which the apostles all godly teachers haue taught before vs And would to God we could so teach establish them that we might not only haue them in our mouth but also well grounded in the bottome of our harte and especially that we might be able to vse them in the agony and conflicte of death Verse 4. That he might deliuer vs from this present euil vvorld In these words also Paule handleth yet more largely the argument of this Epistle He calleth this whole world which hath bene is and shall be the present vvorld to put a difference betwixt this and that euerlasting world which is to come Moreouer he calleth it an euill world because that whatsoeuer is in this world is subiect to the malice of the Deuil raigning ouer the whole world For this cause the world is said to be the kingdome of the Deuill For there is nothing els in this world but ignoraunce contenpt blasphemy and hatred of god Also disobedience against all the words and works of god In and vnder this kingdome of the world are we Here againe you see that no man is able by his owne workes or his owne strēgth to put away sinne because this present world is euill and as S. Iohn sayth is set vpon mischeefe As many therfore as are in the world are the bond slaues of the deuill constrained to serue him and to doe all things at his pleasure What auailed it then to set vp so many orders of religions for the putting away of sinnes to deuise so many great and exceeding painfull workes to weare heary coates to beat the body with whips till the bloud followed to goe on pilgrimage to S. Iames in harnes and such other like Be it so that thou doest all these things yet neuertheles doth this determinate sentence remaine stil That thou art in this present euel vvorld not in the kingdom of Christ And if thou be not in the kingdom of Christ it is certaine that thou doest belong vnto the kingdom of Satan which is this euil world Therfore all giftes either of the body or of the minde which thou possessest as wisedom righteousnes holines eloquence power beautie riches are but the slauish instruments of the hellish tyrannie and with all these thou art compelled to serue the deuill and to promote and enlarge his kingdom First with thy wisedom thou dost darken the wisedom and knowledge of Christ and by thy wicked doctrine leadest men out of the way so that they can not come to the grace and knowledge of Christ Thou settest out and praisest thine owne righteousnes and holines but the righteousnes of Christ by which onely we are iustified and quickened thou doest detest and condemne as wicked and deuillish To be shorte by thy power thou destroyest the kingdom of Christ and doest abuse the same to roote out the gospell to persecute and kill the ministers of Christ and so many as heare them Wherfore if thou be without Christ this thy wisedom is double foolishnes thy righteousnesse double sinne and impietie because it knoweth not
that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that procedeth out of the mouth of God eateth the bread but he seeth not God in the bread for he beholdeth the veile onely and outward shew So he doth with gold and other creatures trusting to them so long as he hath them but when they leaue him he despaireth And thus he honoureth not the creator but the creatures not God but his owne belly This I speake least any man should thinke that Paule vtterly condemneth these outward veiles or persons For he sayth not that there ought to be no person but that ther is no respect of persons with god There must be persons and outward veiles God hath geuen them and they are his good creatures but we must put no trust in them All the matter is in the right vsing of things not in the things thēselues as before I haue sayd There is no fault in circumcision or vncircumcision for circumcision is nothing and vncircumcision is nothing but in the vse therof To put righteousnes in the one and vnrighteousnes in the other that vse is damnable and ought to be taken away which being remoued circumcision and vncircumcision are things tolerable So the Prince the magistrate the preacher the scholemaster the scholer the father the mother the children the master the seruaūt are persons and outward veiles which God will haue vs to acknowledge loue and reuerence as his creatures which also must needes be had in this life but he wil not haue vs so to reuerence them or trust vnto them that we forget him And to the end that we should not too much magnifie the outward persons or put any trust in them God leaueth in them offences and sinnes yea great and foule sinnes to teach vs what difference there is betwene the person and God him self Dauid that good king because he should not seeme to be a person vpon whom men should trust fel into horrible sinnes adulterie and murther Peter that excellent Apostle denied Christ These and such like examples wherof the scripture is full ought to warne vs that we repose not our trust in the person outward veile nor thinke that when we haue the outward shewes shadowes we haue al things As it is in Poperie where they iudge all things according to the outward veile and therefore all Poperie is nothing else but a meere respecting of persons and outward shewes God hath geuen his creatures to our vse and to doe vs seruice and not as Idols that we should do seruice vnto them Let vs then vse bread wine apparell possessions gold siluer and all other creatures but let vs not trust or glory in them for we must trust and glory in God alone He onely is to be loued he only is to be feared and honored Paule calleth here the person of man the Apostleship or office of the Apostles which wrought many and greate miracles taught and conuerted many to the faith and were also familiar with Christ Briefly this word person comprehendeth the whole outward conuersation of the Apostles which was holy and their authoritie which was great Notwithstanding sayth he God esteemeth not these things Not that he esteemeth them not at all but in the matter of iustification he regardeth them not be they neuer so great and so glorious For we must diligently marke this distinction that in matters of diuinitie we must speake farre otherwise then in matters of policy In matters of policy as I haue sayd God will haue vs to honour and reuerence these outward veiles or persons as his instruments by whom he gouerneth and preserueth the world But when the question is touching religion conscience the feare of God faith and the seruice of God we must not feare these outward persons we must put no affiance in them loke for no comfort from them or hope for deliuerance by them either corporally or spiritually For this cause God will haue no respect of persons in iudgement for iudgement is a diuine thing Wherefore I ought neither to feare the iudge nor trust to the iudge but my feare trust ought to be in God alone who is the true iudge The ciuill iudge or magistrate I ought in deede to reuerence for Gods cause whose minister he is but my conscience may not stay or trust vpon his iustice equitie or be feared through his vniust dealing or tyranny whereby I might fal into any offence against God either in lying in bearing false witnesse or denying the truth c. Otherwise I will reuerence and honour the magistrate with all my heart So I would also honour the Pope and loue his person if he would leaue my conscience free and not compell me to sinne against god But he will so be feared and adored as can not be done without offence to the maiestie of god Here since we must needes lose the one let vs lose the person and sticke to god We could be content to suffer the dominion of the Pope but because he abuseth the same so tirannously against vs would compell vs to deny and blaspheme God him onely to acknowledge as our Lord master clogging our consciences spoiling vs of the feare trust which we should haue in God therfore we are compelled by the commaundement of God to resist the Pope for it is writen that vve must rather obey God then men Therfore without offēce of cōsciēce which is our singular cōfort we cōtemne the authority of the pope There is a vehemencie in this word God for in the cause of religion and the word of God there must be no respect of person but in matters of policy we must haue regard to the person otherwise there must needes follow a contempt of all reuerence and order In this world god will haue an order a reuerence and a difference of persons For els the childe the scholler the seruaunt the subiect would say I am a Christian as well as my father my scholemaster my master my Prince why then should I reuerēce him Before God there is no respect of persons neither of Grecian nor of Iewe but all are one in Christ although not so before the world Thus Paule dissolueth the argument of the false Apostles touching the authority of the Apostles saying that it is nothing to that purpose For the question is not here concerning the respect of persons but ther is a farre weightier matter in hand that is to say a diuine matter cōcerning God his word whether this word ought to be preferred before the Apostleship or no. Whereunto Paule aunswereth So that the truth of the gospel may continue so that the word of God and the righteousnes of faith may be kept pure and vncorrupt let the Apostleship goe let an Angell from heauen let Peter let Paule and altogether perish Verse 6. Neuerthelesse they that seemed to be the chiefe did communicate nothing vvith me
circūcised after the law of Moses thou cāst not be saued Also to eate meates prohibited in the law is not euill but this shrinking and dissimulation of Peter is euill For it might be said Peter abstaineth from meates forbidden in the law wherfore if thou doest not likewise abstaine thou canst not be saued This Paule might in no wise dissemble for the truth of the Gospell was here in daunger To the end therefore that this truth might continue sound and vncorrupt he resisted Peter to his face And here we must make a distinction For meates may be refused two maner of waies First for christian charities sake And herein ther is no daunger for to beare with the infirmitie of my brother it is good So Paule himselfe both did and taught Secondly by abstaining from them to obtaine righteousnes and for not abstaining to sinne and to be be damned Here accursed be charitie with all the seruice and works of charitie whatsoeuer For thus to refraine frō meates is to deny Christ to tread his bloud vnder our feete to blaspheme the holy Ghost and to despise all holy things Wherefore if we must lose the one let vs rather lose man our frend and brother then God our father For if we lose god our father man our frend and brother can not continue Ierome who neither vnderstood this place nor the whole epistle besides thinketh this to be but a fained reprehension of Paule therfore he excuseth Peters fall saying that it was done by ignorance But Peter offended through dissimulation and therby he had established the necessity of the law he had constrained both Gentiles Iewes to reuolt from the truth of the Gospell he had giuen them greate occasion to forsake Christ to despise grace to returne to the Iewish religion to beare all the burdens of the law if Paule had not reproued him by that meanes reuoked the gentiles Iewes which were offēded through this example of Peter to the liberty which is in Christ Iesus to the truth of the gospel Wherfore if a man would here set forth and amplifie Peters offence it should appeare to be very greate and yet was it not done by malice or ignorance but by occasion and feare only Thus we see what ruines may come by one mans fal and offence if it be not well seene to and corrected in time Wherfore we may not trifle with this article of iustification neither is it without good cause that we do so often and so diligently put you in minde therof And it is much to be marueled that Peter being such an excellent Apostle should thus do who before in the Councel of Ierusalem stood in a maner alone in the defence of this article preuailed therin namely that saluation cometh by faith without the law He that before did so constantly defend the truth liberty of the gospell now by his fall in abstaining from meates forbidden in the law is not only the cause of greate offence but also offendeth against his owne decree Wherfore let him which thinketh he standeth take heede lest he fall No man would thinke what daūgers perils do ensue of traditions ceremonies which not withstanding we can not want What is more necessary then the law the works therof and yet there is great daunger lest by the same men be brought to the denial of Christ For of the law often times cometh a trust affiance in works where that is there can be no affiance in Christ Christ therfore is soone denied sone lost as we may see by this example of Peter who knew this article of iustification better then we do yet how easily did he geue occasion of such an horrible ruine that all the Gentiles should therby haue falne away from the preaching of Paule by this meanes should haue lost the gospell Christ himselfe And all this should haue bene done vnder a holy pretence For they might haue said Paule hetherto thou hast taught vs that we must be iustified by grace without the law Thou seest now that Peter doth the contrary for he abstaineth from meates forbidden in the law hereby he teacheth vs that we can not be saued except we receaue circumcision obserue the lawe Verse 13. And the other Ievves dissembled likevvise vvith him in so much that Barnabas vvas brought into their dissimulation also Here ye may plainly see that Paule chargeth Peter with dissimulation If Peter dissembled then did he certainly know what was the truth and what was not He that dissembleth sinneth not of ignorance but deceaueth by a colour which he knoweth himselfe to be false And other saith he dissembled likevvise vvith Peter in so much that Barnabas also who was Paules companion had now a long time preached among the Gentiles faith in Christ without the law together with Paule vvas brought into their dissimulation Ye haue here then Peters offence plainly described to be meere dissimulation which afterwards had ben an occasion of the ruine of the Gospel then newly receaued if Paule had not resisted him And this is a wonderfull matter that God preserued the church being yet but yong and the Gospell it selfe by one onely person Paule alone standeth to the truth for he had lost Barnabas his companion Peter was against him So sometime one man is able to doe more in a Councell then the whole Councell besides Which thing the Papistes thēselues do witnes And for example they alledge Paphnutius who withstoode the whole Councell of Nice which was the best of all that were after the Councell of the Apostles at Ierusalem preuailed against it This I say to the end that we should diligently learne the article of Iustification and make a plaine difference betwene the lawe and the Gospell and that in this matter we should doe nothing by dissimulation or geue place to any man if we will retaine the truth of the gospell and faith sound and vncorrupt which as I haue sayd are soone hurt Wherefore in this case away with reason which is an enemie to Faith which also in tentations of sinne and death leaneth not to the righteousnes of Faith for thereof it is vtterly ignoraunt but to her owne righteousnes or at least to the righteousnes of the law Now as soone as the law and reason ioyne together faith loseth her virginitie for nothing more strongly fighteth against faith then the lawe and reason And these two enemies can not be conquered but with great labour and difficultie which we must conquere notwithstanding if we will be saued Wherefore when thy conscience is terrified with the lawe and wrestleth with the iudgement of God aske counsell neither of reason nor of the lawe but rest onely vpon grace and the word of consolation and so stand herein as if thou haddest neuer heard any thing of the law but ascend vp to the glasse
to conscience a seruaunt and slaue Verse 15. VVe vvhich are Ievves by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles That is to say we are borne vnto the righteousnes of the lawe to Moses and to circumcision and euē in our birth we bring the law with vs We haue the righteousnes of the law by nature as Paule before sayth of him selfe in the first chapter Being zelous of the traditions of the fathers Wherefore if we be compared to the Gentiles we are no sinners we are not without the law without works as the Gentiles but we are Iewes borne we are borne righteous brought vp in righteousnes Our righteousnes beginneth euē with our birth for the Iewish religion is naturall vnto vs. For God commaunded Abraham to circumcise euery man childe the eight day This law of circumcision receiued from the fathers Moses afterward confirmed It is a great matter therfore that we are Iewes by nature Notwithstanding although we haue this prerogatiue that we are righteous by nature borne to the law and the workes therof and are not sinners as the Gentiles yet are we not therfore righteous before God. Hereby it is euident that Paule speaketh not of ceremonies or of the ceremoniall lawe as some doe affirme but of a farre waightier matter namely of the natiuitie of the Iewes whom he denieth to be righteous although they be borne holy be circumcised keepe the lawe haue the adoption the glory the couenaunt the fathers the true worship God Christ the promises liue in them and glory in the same as they say Iohn 8. VVe are the seede of Abraham Also vve haue one father vvhich is God. And to the Romaines Beholde thou art called a Ievv and restest in the lavv c. Wherfore although that Peter and the other Apostles were the children of God righteous according to the law the works and the righteousnes therof circumcision the adoption the couenaūts the promises the Apostleship and all such like yet Christian righteousnes commeth not therby for none of all these is faith in Christ which onely as foloweth in the text iustifieth and not the law Not that the law is euil or damnable for the law circumcision and such like are not therefore condemned because they iustifie not but Paule therfore taketh from them the office of iustification because the false apostles contended that by them without faith and onely by the worke wrought men are iustified saued This was not to be suffred of Paule For where faith ceaseth all things are deadly the law circumcision the adoption the temple the worship of God the promises yea God and Christ him selfe without faith profiteth nothing Paule therfore speaketh generally against all things which are contrary to faith and not against ceremonies onely Verse 16. Knovv that a man is not iustified by the vvorks of the lavv but by the faith of Iesus Christ This clause the vvorke of the lavv reacheth farre and comprehēdeth much We take the worke of the law therefore generally for that which is contrary to grace What so euer is not grace is the law whether it be Iudiciall ceremoniall or the ten commaundements Wherfore if thou couldest doe the workes of the lawe according to this commaūdement Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God vvithall thy heart c. which no mā yet euer did or could do notwithstanding thou shouldest not be iustified before God for a man is not iustified by the workes of the law But hereof we will speake more largely hereafter The worke of the law then according to Paule signifieth the worke of the whole law whether it be ceremoniall or Moral Now if the worke of the morall law doe not iustifie much lesse doth circumcision iustifie which is a worke of the ceremonial law Wherfore when Paule sayth as he oftentimes doth that by the lavv or by the vvorkes of the lavv which are both one a man is not iustified he speaketh generally of the whole law setting the righteousnes of faith against the righteousnes of the whole law For the righteousnes of the law sayth he a man is not pronounced righteous before God but the righteousnes of faith God imputeth freely through grace for Christes sake The lawe no doubt is holy righteous and good and consequently the works of the law are holy righteous and good yet notwithstanding a man is not iustified therby before God. Now the works of the law may be done either before iustificatiō or after There were many good men euen amōgst the Paganes as Xenophon Aristides Fabius Cicero Pomponius Atticus others which before iustification performed the deedes of the lawe and did notable workes Cicero suffered death valiantly in a good a iust cause Pomponius was a cōstant man loued truth for he neuer made lie him self nor could suffer the same in any other Now constancie truth are noble vertues excellent works of the lawe yet were they not iustified therby After iustification Peter Paule al other christians haue done do the works of the law but yet are they not iustified therby I knovv not my selfe giltie in anything sayth Paule and yet am I not therby iustified We see then that he speaketh not of any part of the law but of the whole law and all the workes thereof The Diuinitie of the Sophisters commonly called the Scholemen Wherfore the wicked pernicious opinion of the Papists is vtterly to be condemned which do attribute the merite of grace remission of sinnes to the worke wrought For they say that a good worke before grace is auaileable to obtaine grace of Congruence which they call meritum de Congruo because it is meete and conuenient that God should reward such a worke But when grace is obtained the worke folowing deserueth euerlastīg life of due det worthines which they cal meritum de Condigno As for exāple If a mā being in deadly sin without grace do a good worke of his owne good naturall inclination that is if he say or heare a Masse or geue almes and such like this man of cōgruence deserueth grace When he hath thus obtained grace he doth a worke which of worthines deserueth euerlasting life For the first god is no detter but because he is iust and good it behoueth him to approue such a good worke though it be done in deadly sinne to geue grace for such a seruice But when grace is obtained God is become a detter and is constrained of right and duetie to geue eternal life For now it is not onely a worke of freewill done according to the substance but also done in grace which maketh gratious that is to say in loue This is the Diuinitie of the Antichristian kingdom Which here I recite to the ende that the disputation of Paule may be the better vnderstand For two contrary things being set together be the better knowen and moreouer that all mē
now to worke well Loue God and thy neighbour call vpon God geue thanks vnto him praise him confesse him These are good workes in dede which flowe out of this faith and this chearefulnes conceaued in the heart for that we haue remission of sinnes freely by Christ Now what crosse or afflictiōs so euer do afterwardes ensue they are easily borne and chearfully suffered For the yoke that Christ layeth vpon vs is svvete and his burden is easie When sinne is pardoned and the conscience deliuered from the burden and sting of sinne then may a Christian beare all things easily Because he feeleth all things within sweete and comfortable therfore he doth and suffreth all things willingly But when a man walketh in his owne righteousnes what so euer he doth is greeuous and tedious vnto him because he doth it vnwillingly We therfore doe make this definition of a Christian man that he is a right christian to whom God imputeth not his sinne through faith in Christ This doctrine bringeth great consolation to poore afflicted consciences in serious and inward terrours It is not without good cause therefore that we doe so often repete and beat into your mindes the forgeuenes of sinnes and imputation of righteousnes for Christes sake also that a Christian hath nothing to doe with the law and sinne specially in the time of tentation For in that he is a Christian he is aboue the law and sinne For he hath Christ the Lord of the law present and inclosed in his heart as we haue said euen as a ring hath a Iewel or precious stone inclosed in it Therefore when the lawe accuseth and sinne terrifieth him he looketh vpon Christ and when he hath apprehended him by faith he hath present with him the conquerour of the law sinne death and the deuill who raigneth and ruleth ouer them so that they can not hurt him Wherfore a Christian man if ye define him rightly is free from all lawes and is not subiect vnto any creature either within or without In that he is a Christian I say and not in that he is a man or a woman that is to say in that he hath his conscience adorned and bewtified with this faith with this great and inestimable treasure or as Paule saith this vnspeakeable gifte which can not be magnified and praised enough for it maketh vs the children and heires of god And by this meanes a Christian is greater then the whole world For he hath such a gifte such a treasure in his heart that although it seemeth to be but litle yet notwithstanding the smalnes therof is greater then heauen and earth for Christ which is this gift and this treasure is greater then all things Whiles this doctrine pacifying and quieting the conscience abideth sound and vncorrupt Christians are made iudges ouer all kindes of doctrine and are Lords ouer the lawes of the whole world Then cā they certainly iudge that the Turke with his Alcoran is damned because he goeth not the right way that is he acknowledgeth not himselfe to be miserable and damnable nor apprehendeth Christ by faith for whose sake he might be assured that his sinnes are pardoned In like maner they boldly pronoūce sentence against the Pope that he is condemned with all his kingdome because he so walketh and so teacheth with all his religious rable of Sophisters and Scholemē that by the merite of congruence we must come to grace that afterwards by the merite of worthines we are receaued into heauen Here sayth the Christian this is not the right way to iustifie vs neither doth this way leade vs to heauen For I can not saith he by my works going before grace deserue grace nor by my works following grace deserue eternall life But to him that beleueth sinne is pardoned and righteousnes imputed This trust and this confidence maketh him the childe of God and heire of his kingdome For in hope he possesseth already euerlasting life assured vnto him by promise Through faith in Christ therefore all things are geuen vnto vs grace peace forgeuenes of sinnes saluation and euerlasting life and not for the merite of congruence and worthines Wherefore this doctrine of the Scholemen with their ceremonies Masses infinite foundations of the Papisticall kingdome are most abhominable blasphemies against God sacrileges and plaine denials of Christ as Peter hath foretold in these words Ther shal be saith he false teachers among you vvhich shall priuely bring in damnable heresies denying the Lord that hath bought them c. As though he would say the Lord hath redemed and bought vs with his bloud that he might iustifie and saue vs this is the way of righteousnes and saluation But there shall come false teachers which denying the Lord shall blaspheme the way of truth of righteousnes and saluation they shall finde out new waies of falsehode and destruction and many shall follow their perdiction Peter throughout this whole chapter most liuely painteth out the Papacie which neglecting and despising the Gospell and faith in Christ hath taught the workes and traditions of men as the merite of congruence worthines the difference of daies meates vowes inuocation of Saincts pilgrimages purgatory such like In these fantasticall opinions the Papistes are so nusled that it is impossible for them to vnderstand one syllable of the gospel of faith or of Christ And this the thing it selfe doth well declare For they take that priuiledge vnto them selues which belongeth vnto Christ alone He onely forgeueth sinnes he onely geueth righteousnes and euerlasting life and they most impudently and wickedly doe vaunte that they are able to obtaine these things by their owne merits and worthines before and after grace Peter and the other Apostles call these damnable heresies and sects of perdition For by these meanes they deny Christ treade his bloud vnder their feete blaspheme the holy Ghost and despise the grace of God. Wherefore no man can sufficiently conceaue how horrible the idolatry of the Papistes is As inestimable as the gifte is which is offered vnto vs by Christ euen so and no lesse abhominable are these prophanations of the Papistes They ought not then to be lightly esteemed or forgotten but diligently wayed considered And this maketh also very much for the amplifying of the grace of God and benefite of Christ as by the contrarye For the more we know the prophanation of the papisticall Masse so much the more we doe abhorre and detest the same and embrace the true vse of the holy communion which the Pope hath taken away and hath made marchandise of it that being bought for money it might profite others For he saith that the Massing priest an apostata denying Christ blasphemīg the holy Ghost standing at the aultar doth a good work not only for him selfe but also for others both quicke deade and for the whole church and that onely by the worke wrought and by none
righteousnes and eternal life Wherfore Paule separateth Moses farre from Christ Let Moses then tary on the earth Let him be the Scholemaster of the letter and exactor of the law Let him torment and crucifie sinners But the beleuers sayth Paule haue an other Scholemaster in their conscience not Moses but Christ which hath abolished the lawe and sinne hath ouercome the wrath of God and destroyed death He biddeth vs that laboure and are oppressed with all kindes of euils to come vnto him Therefore when we flie vnto him Moses with his law vanisheth away so that his sepulcher can no where be seene sinne and death can hurt vs no more For Christ our instructor is Lord ouer the lawe sinne and death so that they which beleue in him are deliuered from the same It is therefore the proper office of Christ to deliuer from sinne and from death And this Paule teacheth and repeteth euery where We are condemned and killed by the law but by Christ we are iustified restored to life The lawe astonisheth vs and driueth vs from God but Christ reconcileth vs to God and maketh for vs an entrāce that we may boldly come vnto him For he is the Lambe of God that hath taken away the sinnes of the world Now if the sinne of the world be taken away then is it taken away from me also which doe beleue in him If sinne be taken away then is the wrath of God death and damnation taken away also And in the place of sinne succedeth righteousnes in the place of wrath reconciliation grace in the place of death life and in the place of damnation saluation Let vs learne to practise this distinction not in wordes onely but in life and liuely experience and with an inward feeling For where Christ is there must nedes be ioy of heart and peace of conscience For Christ is our reconciliation righteousnes peace life and saluation Briefly what so euer the pore afflicted cōscience desireth it findeth in Christ abundantly Now Paule goeth about to amplifie this argument and to perswade as foloweth Verse 18. For if I builde againe the things that I haue destroyed I make my selfe a trespasser As if he should say I haue not preached to this ende that I might build againe those thīgs which I once destroyed For if I should so do I should not onely labour in daine but should make my selfe also a trāsgressor and ouerthrowe altogether as the false Apostles doe that is to say of grace and of Christ I should againe make the law and Moses contrariwise of the law and Moses I should make grace and Christ Now by the ministery of the Gospell I haue abolished sinne heauines of heart wrath and death For thus haue I taught Thy conscience O man is subiect to the law sinne and death from which thou canst not be deliuered either by men or Angels But now cometh the Gospell and preacheth vnto thee remission of sinnes by Iesus Christ who hath abolished the law and hath destroyed sinne and death Beleue in him so shalt thou be deliuered from the curse of the law and from the tyrannie of sinne and death thou shalt become righteous and haue eternall life Behold how I haue destroyed the law by the preaching of the Gospell to the end that it should not reigne in thy conscience any more For when the new Gest Christ Iesus cometh into the new house there to dwell alone Moses the old inhabiter must geue place vnto him and depart some whether els Also where Christ the new Gest is come to dwel there can sinne wrath death haue no place but there now dwelleth meere grace righteousnes ioy life true affiance and trust in the father now pacified and reconciled vnto vs gracious long suffering full of mercy for his sonne Christes sake Should I then driuing out Christ and destroying his kingdome which I haue planted through the preaching of the Gospell now build vp againe the law and sette vp the kingdome of Moses In deede this should I doe if I should teach circumcision and the obseruation of the law to be necessary to saluation as the false Apostles doe and by this meanes in the steede of righteousnes and life I should restore againe sinne and death For the law doth nothing els but vtter sinne procure Gods wrath kill and destroy What are the Papists I pray you yea the best of them all but destroyers of the kingdome of Christ and builders vp of the kingdome of the Deuill and of sinne of wrath and eternall death Yea they destroy the church which is Gods building not by the law of Moses as did the false Apostles but by mens traditions and doctrines of Deuils And euen so the fantasticall heads which are at this day and shall come after vs doe destroy and shall destroy those things which we haue built doe build and shall build vp againe those things which we haue destroyed But we by the grace of Christ holding the article of iustification doe assuredly know that we are iustified and reputed righteous before God by faith onely in Christ Therfore we doe not mingle the law and grace faith and works together but we separate them farre asunder And this distinction or difference betwene the law and grace let euery man that feareth God marke diligently and let him suffer the same to take place not in letters and syllables but in practise inward experience So that when he heareth that good works ought to be done and that the example of Christ is to be followed he may be able to iudge rightly and say well all these things will I gladly doe What then followeth Thou shalt then be saued and obtaine euerlasting life Nay not so I graunt in deede that I ought to do good workes patiently to suffer troubles and aflictiōs and to shee l my bloud also if neede be for Christes cause but yet am I not iustified neither doe I obtaine saluation therby We must not therfore draw good workes in to the article of iustification as the Monkes haue done which say that not only good works but also the punishments and torments which malefactors suffer for their wicked deedes doe deserue euerlasting life For thus they comfort them when they are brought to the gallowes or place of execution Suffer willingly and patiently this shamefull death which if thou do thou shalt deserue remission of thy sinnes and euerlasting life What an horrible thing is this that a wretched theefe a murtherer a robber should be so miserably seduced in that extreame anguish and distresse that euen at the very point of death when he is now ready to be hanged or to haue his head cut of he should refuse the Gospell and sweete promises in Christ which are onely able to bring comforte and saluation and should be commaunded to hope for pardon of his sinnes if he willingly and patiently endure that opprobrious death which he suffereth
apart which driue vs to the consideration of our selues onely to turne our eies wholy to that brasen serpent Christ Iesus crucified assuredly beleue that he is our righteousnes and life not fearing the threatnings and terrours of the law sinne death and the iudgement of god For Christ on whom our eies are fixed in whom we liue who also liueth in vs is Lord and conquerour of the law sinne death and all euils In whom most certaine and sure consolation is set forth vnto vs and victory geuen Verse 20. Thus I liue yet not I novv but Christ liueth in me Wher he saith Thus I liue he speaketh it as it were in his owne person Therfore he by and by correcteth himselfe saying yet not I now That is to say I liue not now in mine owne person but Christ liueth in me In deede the person liueth but not in himselfe nor for his owne cause nor for any thing that is in him But who is that I of whom he sayeth yet not I. This I is he which hath the lawe and is bound to doe the workes therof who also is a certaine person seperate from Christ This person Paule reiecteth For as he is seperate from Christ he belongeth to death and hell Therfore he sayeth Novve not I but Christ liueth in me He is my forme my furniture and perfection adorning and beutifying my faith as the colour the cleare light or the whitnes do garnish and beutifie the wall Thus are we constrained grossely to set forth this matter For we can not spiritually conceaue that Christ is so nerely ioyned vnited vnto vs as the colour or whitenes are vnited vnto the wall Christ therfore sayth he thus ioyned and vnited vnto me and abiding in me liueth this life in me which I now liue yea Christ him selfe is this life which I now liue Wherefore Christ and I in this behalfe are both one Now Christ liuing in me abolisheth the lawe condemneth sinne and destroyeth death for it can not be but at his presence all these must nedes vanish away For Christ is euerlasting peace consolation righteousnes and life and to these the terrour of the law heauines of mind sinne hell and death must nedes geue place So Christ liuing and abiding in me taketh away and swalloweth vp all euils which vexe and afflict me This vnion or coniunction then is the cause that I am deliuered from the terrour of the law and sinne am seperate from my self and translated vnto Christ and his kingdom which is a kingdom of grace righteousnes peace ioy life saluation eternal glory Thus I now abiding and dwelling in him what euill is there that can hurt me In the meane season the old man abideth without and is subiecte to the lawe but as concerning iustification Christ and I must be entierly conioyned and vnited together so that he may liue in me and I in him And this is a wonderful maner of speech Now because Christ liueth in me therefore looke what grace righteousnes life peace and saluation is in me it is his and yet notwithstanding the same is mine also by that vnseparable vnion and coniunction which is throughe Faithe by which Christe and I are made as it were one bodye in spirite For as much then as Christ liueth in me it foloweth that as I must nedes be with him pertaker of grace righteousnes life and eternall saluation so the lawe sinne and death can haue no place in me yea the lawe is crucified and swallowed vp of the lawe sinne of sinne and death of death Thus Paule goeth about to draw vs from the beholding of our selues the law workes and to plant in vs true faith in Christ so that in the matter of iustification we should thinke vpon nothing else but grace separating the same farre from the law and works which in this matter ought to haue no place Paule hath his peculiar phrase or kind of speach which is not after the maner of men but diuine and heauenly nor vsed of the Euangelistes or of the rest of the Apostles sauing only of Iohn who also is wont sometimes so to speake And if Paule had not first vsed this phrase and set forth the same vnto vs in plaine words the very Saincts thēselues durst not haue vsed it For it seemeth a very straunge and a monstrous maner of speaking thus to say I liue I liue not I am dead I am not dead I am a sinner I am not a sinner I haue the law I haue not the law Which phrase is sweete and comfortable to all those that beleue in Christ For in that they behold themselues they haue both the law and sinne but in that they looke vnto Christ they are dead to the law and haue no sinne If then in the matter of iustification thou separate the person of Christ from thy person then art thou in the law thou abidest in the law thou liuest in the law and not in Christ and so thou art condemned of the law and dead before God. For thou hast that faith which as the Sophisters dreame is furnished with charitie Thus I speake for examples sake For there was neuer any one found that was saued by this faith And therfore what things soeuer the Sophisters haue written touching this faith are nothing els but vaine toyes and meere deceites of Sathan But let vs graunt that such there be as haue this faith yet are they not therfore iustified For they haue but an historicall Faith concerning Christ which the Deuill also and all the wicked haue Faith therfore must be purely taught namely that thou art so entirely and nerely ioyned vnto Christ that he and thou are made as it were one person so that thou maiest boldly say I am now one with Christ that is to say Christes righteousnes victory and life are mine And again Christ may say I am that sinner that is his sinnes and his death are mine because he is vnited and ioyned vnto me I vnto him For by faith we are so ioyned together that we are become one flesh one bone Eph. 5. we are the members of the body of Christ flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones So that this faith doth couple Christ and me more neare together then the husband is coupled to his wife This faith therfore is not an idle qualitie but the excellencie therof is such that it vtterly confoundeth these foolish dreames of the Sophisters touching their formed faith and counterfeit charitie their merits workes and worthines These things I would gladly set forth more amply if by any meanes I could Hitherto we haue declared this to be the first argument of Paule that either Christ must needes be the minister of sinne or els the lawe doth not iustifie when he had finished this argument he set forth himselfe for an example saying that he was dead vnto that old law by a certaine new law Now he
that according to the flesh there are yet certaine naturall vices remaining euen in Christian churches Grace maketh not such a chaung in the faithfull that by and by they become altogether new creatures and perfect in all things but there remaine yet certaine dregges of their old and naturall corruption As if a man that is naturally enclined to anger be conuerted to Christ although he be mollified by grace the holy Ghost so framing his heart that he is now become more meeke and gentile yet this naturall vice is not vtterly quenched in his flesh Likewise such as are by nature stubborne and stout harted men although they be conuerted to the faith yet notwithstanding they can not vtterly forsake this stubbernes Hereof it cometh that the holy scriptures which doe containe all one truth of diuers spirites are diuersly handled One in teaching is mild and gentle an other more rough and rigorous Thus the spirite of god being powred into diuers vessels doth not quench at once the vices of nature but by litle litle during this life he purgeth that sinne which is rooted not onely in the Galathians but also in all men of all nations Albeit then that the Galathians were lightned and did beleue and had now receaued the holy Ghost by the preaching of faith notwithstanding this remnant of vice this foolishnes I meane and the originall corruption which afterward did easily burst out in to the flame of false doctrine remained in them still Wherfore let no man trust so much in himselfe to thinke that when he hath receaued grace he is thorowly purged from his old vices In deede many things are purged in vs and principally the head of the Serpent that is to say infidelitie ignorance of God is cutte of and brused but the slime and the relikes of sinne remaine still in vs Let no man therfore presume so much of himselfe that when he hath once receaued faith he can by and by be thorowly chaunged into a new man Nay he shall keepe somewhat of his old vices still hanging vpon him though he be neuer so good and perfect a Christiā For we are not yet dead but we stil liue in the flesh which because it is not yet pure continually lusteth against the spirite Gal. 1. Rom. 7. I am fleshly sayth Paule sould vnder sinne I see an other lavv in my members rebelling against the lavv of my minde Wherfore the naturall vices that were in vs before we receaued faith doe still remaine in vs after that we haue receaued faith sauing that nowe they are subdued to the spirite which hath the vpper hande to keepe them vnder that they rule not and yet not without great conflict This glory is due to Christ alone and this title he beareth that he is pure and without blemish 1. Pet. 2. VVho did no sinne neither vvas there any guile found in his mouth Vers 1. Vvho hath bevvitched you that ye should not beleue the truth Here haue we an other commendation of this goodly righteousnes of the lawe and of our selues namely that it maketh vs to despise the truth that it bewitcheth vs in such sort that we obey not the truth but rebell against it Of the bodily and spirituall witchcraft Paule calleth the Galathians foolish and bewitched comparing them to children to whom witchcraft dothe much harme As though he should say It hapneth to you as it doth to children whom witches sorcerers inchaunters are wont to charme by their enchauntments and by the illusion of the deuill Afterwardes in the .5 chapter he reherseth sorcerie among the workes of the flesh which is a kinde of witchcraft whereby he plainly testifieth that such witchcrafte and sorcerie there is and that it may be done Moreouer it can not be denied but that the deuill liueth yea and raigneth throughout the whole world Witchcraft and sorcerie therfore are the works of the deuil wherby he doth not onely hurt men but also by the permission of God he sometimes destroyeth them Furthermore we are all subiect to the Deuill both in body and goodes and we be straungers in this world wherof he is the Prince god Therfore the bread which we eate the drinke which we drinke the garments which we weare yea the aire whatsoeuer we liue by in this flesh is vnder his dominion But he doth not onely bewitch men after this grosse maner but also after a more subtile sort and much more daungerous wherein he is a maruelous cunning workeman And hereof it cometh that Paule applieth the charming and bewitching of the senses to the bewitching of the spirite For by this spirituall witchcraft that olde serpent bewitcheth not mens senses but their mindes with false wicked opinions which opinions they that are so bewitched do take to be true and right godly Briefly so great is the malice of this sorcerer the deuil desire to hurt that not onely he deceaueth those secure and proud spirits with his inchauntments but euen those also which are professors of true Christianitie and well affected in religion yea as touching my selfe to say the truth he sometimes assaileth me so mightely and oppresseth me with such heauie cogitations that he vtterly shadoweth my Sauiour Christ from me and in a manner taketh him cleane out of my sight To be briefe there is none of vs al which is not oftentimes bewitched with false perswasions that is to say which doth not feare trust or reioyce where he ought not or doth not sometimes thinke otherwise of God of Christ of faith of his vocation of the Christian state c. then he should doe Let vs therfore learne to know the subtile sleights of this Sorcerer lest if he finde vs sleping in securitie he deceaue vs by his enchauntments True it is that by his sorcerie he can doe no hurt to our ministerie yet is he with vs in spirite Day and night he raungeth vp and downe and seeketh how he may deuoure euery one of vs alone and vnlesse he finde vs sobre and armed with spirituall weapons that is to say with the word of God and faith he will deuoure vs. This is the cause that he oftentimes stirreth vp new battails against vs. And in deede it is very profitable for vs that he thus assaileth vs by his subtil traines exerciseth vs For by this meanes he confirmeth our doctrine he stirreth vp encreaseth faith in vs In deede we haue bene many times cast downe yet stil are cast downe in this cōflict but we perish not for Christ hath alwayes triumphed and doth triumph thorough vs Wherfore we conceaue assured hope that by Iesus Christ we shall obtaine the victorie against the deuil And this hope bringeth forth in vs sure consolation so that in the mids of our tentations we take courage say Behold Satan hath heretofore tempted vs by his false illusiōs hath prouoked vs to vnbeleefe to the
was once crucified rose againe both in them selues in the church and in the hearts of the faithfull for with their spiteful reproches rebukes sclaūders and iniuries they spit vpon him and with their wicked opinions they wounde him and thrust him thorow that in them he may die most miserably and in the steade of him they set vp a glorious witchcraft wherby men are so miserably charmed and deluded that they cā not know Christ to be their iustifier their reconciler and Sauiour but a minister of sinne their accuser their iudge and their destroyer which must be pacified no otherwise then by our workes and merites And out of this opinion did afterwards spring the most pestilent pernicious doctrine that is in the whole Papacie which is this If thou wilt serue God thou must merite forgeuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life and must also helpe others to attaine saluation Thou must enter into a Monasterie vow obedience chastitie pouertie c. Monks and Friers and the rest of that religious rable being puffed vp with this opinion of their owne holines dreamed that they onely were in the life and state of perfection and that other Christians led but a common life for they did no vndue workes or more then they were bounde to doe that is they did not vowe and keepe chastitie pouertie obedience c. they were but onely baptised and kept the ten commaundements But as for them selues besides that which was common as wel to them as to other Christians they kept also the works of supererogation and the counsels of Christ wherfore they hoped to haue merite and a place in heauen amongs the principall Saintes farre aboue the common sort of Christians This was vndoutedly an horrible illusion of the deuill wherby he hath bewitched almost the whole world And euery man the more holy he would seeme to be the more he is snared with this witcherie that is to say with that pestilent perswasion of his owne righteousnes And this was the cause that we could not know that Iesus Christ was our Mediatour Sauiour but we did thinke that he was a seuere iudge which should be pacified by our owne workes which was nothing else but most horribly to blaspheme Christ and as Paule said before to reiect the grace of God to make the death of Christ of none effect and not onely to kill him but also most shamefully to crucifie him againe And this is the right meaning of that which Christ alledgeth out of Daniell that abomination standeth in the holy place Wherefore euery monke and religious person and euery Iusticiarie seeking remission of sinnes and righteousnes by his owne works or by his afflictions is a crucifier of Christ nowe raigning and liuing although not in the proper person of Christ yet in his owne heart and in the hearts of others And whosoeuer doe enter into Monasteries to the ende that by the keping of their rule and order they may be iustified doe enter into the dennes of theeues and such as crucifie Christ againe Wherefore Paule vseth in this place very rigorous and bitter wordes to the ende that he may feare and call backe the Galathians from the doctrine of the false Apostles As if he should say Consider well what ye haue done Ye haue crucified Christ againe and this I doe so plainly shewe and paint out before your eyes that ye may see it yea and touch it with your handes because ye seeke to be iustified by the lawe But if righteousnes come by the lawe then is Christ a minister of sinne and his death altogether in vaine If this be true then must it needes follow that Christ is crucified againe in you And it is not without cause that he addeth this clause in you or among you For Christ is no more crucified or dieth any more in his owne person as is saide in the sixte chapter to the Romaines but he dieth in vs when we reiecting true doctrine grace faith free remission of sinnes seeke to be iustified by our owne workes or else by the workes commaunded in the law Here Christ is crucified in vs againe Now this false and wicked perswasion to seeke righteousnes by the law and workes is nothing else as I haue before more amplie declared but the illusion of the Deuill wherwith men are so bewitched that in no wise they can acknowledge the benefite of Christ yea in all their life they can doe nothing else but not onely denie the Lord who hath bought them and in whose name they are baptised but also crucifie him againe in them selues Who so euer then hath a feare of God and a true heart to Christ and his religion let him flie quickly out of this Babylon and let him tremble at the very name of the Papacie For the impietie abomination therof is so horrible that no man is able to expresse it with words neither cā it be otherwise seene then with spiritual eies only These two argumentes Paule prosecuteth driueth into the heades of the Galathians very diligently First that they are so bewitched of the deuill that they obey not the truth most clearely set forth before their eies Secondly that they crucifie Christ againe in them selues These seeme to be simple and plaine words and without any high eloquence but in very deede they are so mighty that they exceede all the eloquence of man It can not therfore be cōprehended but onely in spirit how great an impietie it is to seeke to be iustified by the righteousnes of the law or by mans owne righteousnes For as Paul saith here it is nothing els but to be witched of the deuill to be disobedient to the truth and to crucifie Christ againe Are not these goodly commendations of the righteousnes of the law and mans owne righteousnes The Apostle therefore is here kindled with greate zeale and with bitter words he pursueth condemneth the presumption of our owne righteousnes rising vpon the obseruation of the law of God and chargeth it with this impiety that it crucifieth againe the sonne of god Seing then it is so daungerous a thinge it can not be beaten downe enough or condemned as it should be For therof ensueth such a fall as is no lesse then the fall of Lucifer and such a losse as can neuer be recouered and therfore he vseth so sharpe and rigorous words against it that he spareth not the very law of God against the which he so bitterly inueieth that it seemeth he would vtterly reiect and condemne it And this doth he being constrained by greate necessity for otherwise he could not withstand the false Apostles nor defend the righteousnes of faith against them Albeit then that the law be holy iust and good yet must it put on as it were the visour of an hipocrite if he seeke to be iustified by workes Now he presseth them with an argument wherof they themselues had good experience and
lawe those holy and most gracious wordes namely I am the Lord thy God vvhich brought thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage Thou shalt haue none other Gods c. Shevving mercy to thousandes c. Honour thy father and thy mother that it may goe vvell vvith thee and that thy daies may be prolonged vpon the earth c. and that they had neede of a Mediatour They could not abide this most excellent perfect and diuine wisedom this most gracious sweete comfortable doctrine Let not the Lorde speake vnto vs say they lest vve die Speake thou vnto vs c. Doubtles it is a merueilous thinge that a man can not heare that which is his whole felicite namely that he hath a God yea a mercifull God which wil shew mercy vnto him in many thousands of generatiōs c. And moreouer that he can not abide that which is his chiefe safetie protectiō defence namely Thou shalt not kil Thou shalt not cōmit adultery Thou shalt not steale For by these wordes the Lord hath compassed and fortified the life of man his wife his children and his goods as it were with a wal against the force and violence of the wicked The law then can doe nothing sauing that by his light it lightneth the cōscience that it may know sinne death the iudgement the hatred and wrath of god Before the law come I am secure I feele no sinne but whē the law cometh sinne death hel are reueiled vnto me This is not to be made righteous but giltie the enemy of God to be condemned to death and hell fire The principall point then of the law in true Christian Diuinitie is to make men not better but worse that is to say it sheweth vnto them their sinne that by the knowledge therof they may be humbled terrified brused and brokē by this meanes may be driuen to seeke comforte and so to come to that blessed Seede Verse 20. But God is one God offendeth no person and therefore needeth no Mediatour But we offend God and therfore we haue neede of a Mediatour not Moses but Christ vvhich speaketh farre better things for vs c. Hitherto he hath continued in his digression Now he retourneth to his purpose Verse 21. Is the lavv then against the promise of God Paule said before that the law iustifieth not Shall we then take away the law No not so For it bringeth with it a certaine commoditie What is that It bringeth men vnto the knowledge of themselues it discouereth and encreaseth sinne c. Here now riseth an other obiection If the lawe doe nothing els but make men worse in shewing vnto them their sinne then is it contrary to the promises of god For it seemeth that God is but onely prouoked to anger and offended through the law and therefore he regardeth not nor performeth his promises We Iewes haue thought the contrary to witte that we are restrained and bridled by this externall discipline to the ende that God being prouoked therby might hastē the performing of his promise and that by this discipline we might deserue the promise Paule aunswereth It is nothing so But contrariwise if ye haue regard to the law the promise is rather hindered For natural reason offendeth God which so faithfully promiseth whiles it will not heare his good and holy lawe For it sayth Let not the Lorde speake vnto vs c. How can it be then that God should performe his promise vnto those which not onely receaue not his law and his discipline but also with a mortal hatred do shunne it flie from it Here therfore as I said riseth this obiection Then the law semeth to hinder the promises of god This obiection Paule toucheth by the way briefely aūswereth saying Verse 21. God forbid Why so First for that God doth not make any promise vnto vs because of our worthines our merits our good works but that he doth is of his meere goodnes and inestimable mercy in Christ He saith not to Abraham All nations shal be blessed in thee because thou hast kept the law but as it is written in the .24 chap. of Iosua when he was yet vncircumcised had no law was yet an idolater he said vnto him Goe out of thine ovvne land c. I vvill be thy protectour c. Also In thy Seede shall all nations be blessed These are absolute meere promises which God freely geueth vnto Abraham without any condition or respect of workes either going before or comming after This is specially against the Iewes which thinke that the promises of God are hindered because of their sinnes God saith Paule doth not slacke his promises because of our sinnes or hasten the same for our righteousnes and merites he regardeth neither the one nor the other Wherefore although we be worse and more sinnefull and brought into a greater contempte and hatred of God by meanes of the lawes yet notwithstanding God is not moued therby to differre his promise For his promise doth not stande vpon our worthines but vpon his onely goodnes and mercy Therefore where the Iewes say The Messias is not yet come because our sinnes doe hinder his cōming it is a detestable lie As though God should become vnrighteous because of our sinnes or made a lier because we are liers He abideth alwaies iust and true his truth therefore is the onely cause that he accomplisheth and performeth his promise Moreouer although the law doe reueile and encrease sinne yet is it not against the promises of God yea rather it confirmeth the promises For as concerning his proper worke and ende it humbleth and prepareth a man so that he vse it rightly to sigh and seeke for mercy For when sinne is reueiled to a man and so encreased by the law then he beginneth to perceaue the wickednes and hatred of mans hearte against the law and against God him selfe the authour of the law Then he feeleth in deede that not only he loueth not God but also hateth and blasphemeth God who is full of goodnes mercy and his lawe which is iust and holy Then is he constrained to cōfesse that there is no good thing in him And thus when he is throwne downe and humbled by the lawe he acknowledgeth him selfe to be most miserable and damnable When the law therfore constraineth a man so to acknowledge his owne corruption and to confesse his sinne from the bottome of his heart then hath it done his office truely and his time is accomplished and ended And nowe is the time of grace that the blessed Seede may come to raise vppe and to comfort him that is so cast downe and humbled by the lawe After this manner the law is not against the promises of god For first the promise hangeth not vpon the lawe but vpon the truth and mercy of God only and alone Secondly when the law is in
then vnder the lawe must not alwayes endure but must onely continue to the cōming or reuealing of Faith which this sweete verse of the Psalme 147. doth teach vs The Lord deliteth in those that feare him that is to say which are in prison vnder the lawe But by and by after he addeth and in those that attend vppon his mercy Therfore we must ioyne these two things together which are in deede as contrary the one to the other as may be For what can be more contrary then to hate and abhorre the wrath of God and againe to trust in his goodnes mercy The one is hell the other is heauē and yet they must be nerely ioyned together in the heart By speculation and naked knowledge a man may easily ioyne them together but by experience and inward practise so to doe of all things it is the hardest which I my selfe haue often proued by mine owne experience Of this matter the Papistes and Sectaries know nothing at all Therefore these wordes of Paule are to them obscure and altogether vnknowne And when the lawe reueileth vnto them their sinne accuseth and terrifieth them they can finde no counsell no rest no helpe or succour but fall to desperation as Caine and Saule did Seeing the lawe therfore as is sayd is our tormentour and our prison certaine it is that we can not loue it but hate it He therefore that sayth he loueth the lawe is a liar and knoweth not what he sayth A theefe and a robber should shewe him selfe to be starke madde that would loue the prison the fetters and chaines Seing thē the law shutteth vs vppe and holdeth vs in prison it can not be but we must needes be extreme enemies to the lawe To conclude so well we loue the lawe and the righteousnes thereof as a murtherer loueth the darke prison the streit bondes and irons How then should the law iustifie vs Verse 23. And shut vp vnder the faith vvhich should after be reueiled This Paule speaketh in respect of the fulnes of the time wherin Christ came But we must applie it not onely to that time but also to the inward man For that which is done as an hystorie and according to the time wherin Christe came abolishing the lawe and bringing libertie and eternall life to light is alwayes done spiritually in euery Christian in whom is found continually somewhile the time of the law and somewhile the time of grace For the Christian man hath a body in whose members as Paule sayth in an other place sinne dwelleth and warreth Nowe I vnderstand sinne to be not onely the deede or the worke but also the roote and the tree together with the fruites as the Scripture vseth to speake of sinne Which is yet not onely rooted in the baptised flesh of euery Christian but also is at deadly warre within it and holdeth it captiue if not to geue consent vnto it or to accomplish the worke yet doth it force him mightely thervnto For albeit a Christian man doe not fall into outward and grosse sinnes as murther adultery theft and such like yet is he not free from impatiencie murmuring hating and blaspheming of God which sinnes to reason and the carnall man are altogether vnknowne These sinnes constraine him yea sore against his will to detest the lawe they compell him to flie from the presence of God they compell him to hate and blaspheme god For as carnall lust is strong in a yong man in a man of full age the desire and loue of glory and in an old man couetousnes euen so in a holy and a faithfull man impatiencie murmuring hatred and blasphemie against God doe mightely preuaile Examples hereof there are many in the Psalmes in Iob in Ieremie and throughout the whole Scripture Paule therfore describing and setting forth this spirituall warfare vseth very behement words and fitte for the purpose as of fighting rebelling holding and leading captiue c. Both these times then of the lawe and the Gospell I meane are in a Christian as touching the affections and inward man The time of the lawe is when the lawe exerciseth me tormenteth me with heauines of heart oppresseth me bringeth me to the knowledge of sinne and encreaseth the same Here the law is in his true vse and perfect worke which a Christian oftentimes feeleth as long as he liueth So there was geuen vnto Paule a pricke in the flesh that is the angell of Satan to buffet him He would gladly haue felt euery moment the ioy of conscience the laughter of the heart and the sweete tast of eternall life Againe he would gladly haue ben deliuered from all trouble and anguish of spirite and therefore he desired that this tentation might be taken from him Notwithstanding this was not done but the Lord sayd vnto him My grace is sufficient for thee For my povver is made perfect through vveaknes This battaile doth euery Christian feele To speake of my selfe there are many howers in the which I chide and contend with God and impatiently resist him The wrath and iudgement of God displeaseth me and againe my impaciencie my murmuring and such like sinnes doe displease him And this is the time of the lawe vnder the which a Christian man continually liueth as touching the flesh For the flesh lusteth continually against the spirite and the spirite against the flesh but in some more and in some lesse The time of grace is when the heart is raised vppe againe by the promise of the free mercy of God and sayeth VVhy art thou heauie O my soule and vvhy doest thou trouble me Doest thou see nothing but the lawe sinne terrour heauines desperation death hell and the Deuill Is there not also grace remission of sinnes righteousnes consolation ioy peace life heauen Christe and God Trouble me no more O my soule What is the lawe what is sinne what are all euils in comparison of these things Trust in God who hath not spared his owne deare sonne but hath geuen him to the death of the crosse for thy sinnes This is then to be shutte vppe vnder the lawe after the flesh not for euer but till Christe be reuealed Therefore when thou art beaten downe tormented and afflicted by the law then say Lady law Thou art not alone neither art thou all things but besides thee there are yet other things much greater and better then thou art namely grace faith and blessing This grace this faith and this blessing doe not accuse me terrifie me condemne me but they comfort me they bid me trust in the Lord and promise vnto me victorie and saluation in Christe There is no cause therfore why I should despaire He that is skilfull in this arte and this cunning may in deede be called a right Diuine The fantasticall spirites their disciples at this day which continually bragge of the spirite do perswade them selues that they are very expert
the poynt of desperation for then are we that brused reede smoking flaxe which Esay speaketh of notwithstanding in the meane season the holy Ghost helpeth our infirmities maketh intercession for vs with vnspeakeable gronings certifieth our spirits that we are the children of god Thus the minde is raised vp in terrors it loketh vnto his Sauiour high Bishop Iesus Christ it ouercommeth the infirmitie of the flesh it conceaueth comfort againe and sayth Abba Father This groning which then we scantly feele Paule calleth a crying vnspeakeable groning which filleth both heauē and earth Moreouer he calleth it the crying and groning of the spirite because the holy Ghost stirreth vp the same in our heartes when we are weake and oppressed with terrour and tentation Although then the lawe sinne and the Deuill crie out against vs neuer so much with great and terrible rorings which seeme to fill heauen and earth farre to excede this groning of our heart yet can they not hurt vs For the more fiercely they assaile vs accuse and torment vs with their cryings so much the more doe we grone and in groning lay hold vpon Christ call vpon him with heart and mouth cleaue vnto him and beleue that he was made vnder the law that he might deliuer vs from the Curse of the lawe and destroy both sinne and death And thus when we haue taken hold of Christe by Faith we crie through him Abba Father And this our crie doth farre surmount the roring of the lawe sinne the Deuill c. But so farre of is it that we thinke this groning which we make in these terrours and in this our weaknes to be a cry that scarsely we perceaue it to be a groning For our Faith which in tentation thus groneth vnto Christ is very weake if we consider our owne sense and feeling And this is the cause that we heare not this crie We haue but onely the word which when we apprehend in this conflict we haue a litle breathing and then we grone Of this groning some litle feeling we haue but the crie we heare not But he sayeth Paule vvhich searcheth the heartes knovveth vvhat is the meaning of the spirite c. To this searcher of the hearts this small and feeble groning as it seemeth vnto vs is a loud and a mighty cry and an vnspeakeable groning in comparison whereof the great and horrible rorings of the law of sinne of death of the deuill and of hell are nothing neither can they be once heard Paule therfore not without cause calleth this groning of a godly afflicted heart a cry and a groning of the spirite which can not be expressed For it filleth the whole heauen so that the Angels thinke they heare nothing else but this crie But in vs there is a cleane contrary feling For it semeth vnto vs that this our small groning doth not so perce the cloudes that there is nothing else heard in heauen of God and his angels Nay we thinke and especially during the time of tentation that the Deuil horribly roreth against vs that the heauens thunder the earth trēbleth that all will fall vpon vs that all creatures threaten our destruction that hel is opē and ready to swallow vs vp This feling is in our heart these horrible voices and this fearfull shew we heare and we see And this is it that Paul sayth in the .2 Corrin 12 That the strength of Christ is made perfect through our vveaknes For then is Christ almighty in dede then doth he truly raigne and triumph in vs when we are so weake that we can scarsely grone But Paule sayth that this groning is in the eares of God a most mightie cry which filleth both heauen and earth Christ also in the .18 of Luke in the parable of the wicked iudge calleth this groning of a faithfull heart a cry yea such a cry as ceaseth not day night to cry vnto God where he sayth Heare vvhat the vnrighteous iudge sayth Novv shall not God auēge his elect vvhich cry day night vnto him yea though he suffer long for them yea I tel you he vvil auenge them quickly We at this day in so great persecution cōtradiction of the Pope of tyrānes Sectaries which fight against vs both on the right hand on the left can doe nothing else but vtter such gronings And these were our gunnes artillery wherw t we haue so many yeres scattered the coūsels and enterprises of our aduersaries wherby also we haue begon to ouerthrow the kingdom of Antichrist They also shall prouoke Christ to hasten the day of his glorious comming wherein he shall abolish all rule authoritie and power and shall put all his enemies vnder his feete So be it In the .14 of Exodus the Lord speaketh vnto Moises at the red sea saying VVhy criest thou vnto me Yet Moises cried not but trembled and almost despaired for he was in great trouble It seemed that infidelitie raigned in him and not Faith. For he saw the people of Israell so compassed and enclosed with the Egyptians host and with the sea that there was no way whereby they might escape Here Moises durst not once opē his mouth How thē did he crie We must not iudge therfore according to the feeling of our owne heart but according to the word of God which teacheth vs that the holy Ghost is geuen to those that are afflicted terrified ready to despaire to raise them vp to comfort them that they be not ouercome in their tentations afflictions but may ouercome them and yet not without great terrors and troubles The Papistes dreamed that holy men had the holy Ghost in such sort that they neuer had nor felt any tentation They spake of the holy Ghost onely by speculation and naked knowledge But Paule sayeth that the strength of Christe is made perfecte through our vveaknes Also that the spirite helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for vs vvith vnspeakeable gronings Therefore we haue then most neede of the helpe and comfort of the holy Ghost yea and then is he most ready to helpe vs when we are most weake and nerest to desperation If any man suffer affliction with a constant and a ioyfull heart then hath the holy Ghost done his office in him And in deede he exerciseth his worke specially and properly in those which haue suffered great terrours and afflictions and haue as the Psalme sayeth approched nigh to the gates of hel As I said of Moses which sawe present death in the waters and on euery side whether so euer he turned his face He was therefore in extreme anguish and desperation and no dout he felt in his heart a mightie crie of the Deuill against him saying All this people shall this day perish for they can escape no way And of this great calamitie thou onely shalt be found to be the authour
Faith is an easie matter as the example of the Galathians witnesseth The example of the Anabaptists Libertines and such other heretikes witnesseth the same also at this day We for our part doe set forth the doctrine of Faith with continuall trauell by preaching by reading and by wryting we purely and plainly distinguish the Gospell from the law and yet doe we litle preuaile This cometh of the Deuill who goeth about by all subtile meanes to seduce men and to hold them in errour he can abide nothing lesse then the true knowledge of grace and Faith in Christ Therfore to the end he may take Christ cleane out of sight he setteth before them other shewes wherewith he so deceaueth them that by litle and litle he leadeth them from Faith and the knowledge of grace to the disputation of the lawe When he hath brought this about then is Christe taken away It is not without cause therefore that Paule speaketh so much and so often of Christe and that he goeth about so purely to set forth the doctrine of Faith wherevnto he attributeth righteousnes onely and alone taketh it from the law declaring that the lawe hath a cleane contrary effect that is to engender wrath to encrease sinne c. For he would gladly perswade vs that we should not suffer Christe to be plucked out of our heart that the spouse should not suffer her husband to depart out of her armes but should alwayes embrace him and cleaue fast vnto him who being present there is no daunger yea there is the Faithfull groning fatherly good will adoption and inheritaunce But why sayeth Paule that the Galathians turned backe againe to weake and beggerly rudiments or ceremonies that is to say to the law wheras they neuer had the law for they were Gentiles notwithstanding he wrote these things to the Iewes also as afterwardes we wil declare or why speaketh he not rather after this maner Once vvhen ye knevve not God ye did seruice vnto them vvhich by nature vvere no gods but now seing ye know God why turne ye back again forsaking the true God to worship Idols Doth Paule take it to be all one thing to fall from the promise to the law frō faith to works and to do seruice vnto Gods which by nature are no Gods I answer Whosoeuer is falne from the article of iustification is ignorant of God an Idolater Therfore it is all one thing whether he afterwards turne againe to the law or to the worshipping of Idols it is all one whether he be called a Monke a Turke a Iew or an Anabaptist For whē this article is taken away there remaineth nothing else but errour hypocrisie impietie and idolatry how much so euer it seeme in outward appearance to be the very truth the true seruice of God and true holines c. The reason is because God will or can be knowen no otherwise then by Christ according to that saying of Iohn 1 The onely begotten Sonne vvhich is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him He is the Seede promised vnto Abraham in whom God hath established all his promises Wherfore Christ is the onely meane and as ye would say the glasse by the which we see God that is to say we know his will. For in Christ we see that God is not a cruell exactour or a iudge but a most fauourable louing and merciful Father who to the ende he might blesse vs that is to say deliuer vs from the lawe sinne death and all euils and might endue vs with grace righteousnes and euerlasting life spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all c. This is a true knowledge of God and a diuine perswasion which deceaueth vs not but painteth out God vnto vs liuely He that is falne from this knowledge must nedes conceiue this fantasie in his heart I will set vp such a seruice of God I will enter into such an order I will choose this or that worke and so will I serue God and I doute not but God will accepte this and reward me wyth euerlasting life for the same For he is mercifull and liberal geuing all good things euen to the vnworthy and vnthankfull much more will he geue vnto me grace and euerlasting life for my great and manifold good deedes and merites This is the highest wisedom righteousnes and religion that reason can iudge of which is common to all nations to the Papists Iewes Turkes heretikes c. They can goe no higher then that Pharisey did of whom mention is made in the Gospell They haue no knowledge of the Christian righteousnes or of the righteousnes of Faith. For the naturall man perceaueth not the mysteries of God. Also There is none that vnderstādeth there is none that seeketh after god c. Therefore there is no difference at all betwene a Papist a Iewe a Turke and an heretike In dede there is a difference of the persons the places rites religiōs workes and worshippings notwithstanding there is all one and the same reason the same heart opinion and cogitation in them all For the Turke thinketh the selfe same thing that the Charterhouse monke doth namely if I doe this or that worke God will be mercifull vnto me if I doe it not he wil be angry There is no meane betwene mans working and the knowledge of Christ If this knowledge be darkened or defaced it is all one whether thou be a Monke a Turke a Iew. c. Wherfore it is an extreme madnes that the Papists and Turks do so striue among themselues about the religion and seruice of God contending that both of them haue the true religion and true worship of god And the Monkes themselues agree not together For one of them wil be accounted more holy then an other for certaine foolish outward ceremonies and yet in their hearts the opinion of them all is so like tha◠one egge is not more like to an other For this is the imagination of thē all If I doe this worke God wil haue mercy vpon me if I doe it not he will be angry And therefore euery man that reuolteth from the knowledge of Christ must needes fall into Idolatry and conceaue such an imagination of God as is not agreable to his nature As the Charterhouse Mōke for the obseruing of his Rule the Turke for the keping of his Alcoran hath this affiance that he pleaseth God and shall receaue a reward of him for his labour Such a God as after this sort forgeueth sinnes and iustifieth sinners can no where be found and therefore this is but a vaine imagination a dreame and an Idoll of the heart For God hath not promised that he will saue and iustifie men for the religions obseruations ceremonies and ordinaunces deuised by men yea God abhorreth nothing more as the whole Scripture witnesseth then such willworks such seruice rites and ceremonies for the which also he
of tentation experiēce and practise to applie them to him selfe and to feele the excellencie of this libertie and the frute thereof it is a harder matter then can be expressed Therfore our conscience must be enstructed and prepared before hand that when we feele the accusation of the lawe the terrours of sinne the horrour of death and the wrath of God we may remoue these heauie sightes and fearfull fantasies out of our mindes and set in the place thereof the freedome purchased by Christ the forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes life and the euerlasting mercy of god And albeit the feeling of the contrary be very strong yet let vs assure our selues that it shall not long endure according to that saying of the Prophet For a moment in mine anger I hidde my face from thee for a litle season but vvith euerlasting mercy I haue compassion on thee But this is very hard to doe Wherefore that libertie which Christ hath purchased for vs is not so soone beleued as it is named If it could be apprehended with a sure and a stedfast Faith then no rage or terrour of the word of the law sinne death or the Deuill could be so great but by by it should be swalowed vp as a litle drop of water is swallowed of the maine sea And certainly this Christian libertie swalloweth vp at once taketh quite away the whole heape of euils the law sinne death Gods wrath and briefly the serpent him selfe with his head and whole power and in the stead therof it placeth righteousnes peace euerlasting life c. But blessed is he that vnderstandeth and beleueth Let vs learne therefore to magnifie this our libertie purchased by Iesus Christe the sonne of God by whom all things were created both in heauen and earth Which libertie he hath purchased with no other price then with his owne bloud to deliuer vs not from any bodely or temporall seruitude but from a spirituall and euerlasting bondage vnder mighty and inuincible tyrannes to witte the lawe sinne death and the Deuil and so to reconcile vs vnto God his father Now since these enemies are ouercome and we reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne it is certaine that we are righteous before God and that what so euer we doe pleaseth him And although there be certaine remnantes of sinne yet still in vs they are not laid to our charge but pardoned for Christes sake Paule vseth wordes of great force and vehemencie Stand sayth he in that libertie vvherin Christe hath made you free This libertie then is not geuen vnto vs by the law or for our righteousnes but freely for Christes sake Which thing Paule here witnesseth and plainly declareth thorow out his whole Epistle Christe also in the .8 of Iohn sayth If the sonne shall make you free there shall ye be free in deede He onely is sette betwixt vs and the euils which trouble and afflict vs he hath ouercome them and taken them away so that they cā no more oppresse vs nor condemne vs In the sted of sinne and death he geueth vnto vs righteousnes and euerlasting life and by this meanes he chaūgeth the bondage and terrours of the law into the liberty of cōscience and consolation of the Gospel which sayeth Be of good comfort my sonne thy sinnes are forgeuen thee Whosoeuer then beleueth in Christ the sonne of God he hath this libertie Reason can not perceaue the excellencie of this matter which when a man considereth in spirite he shall see that it is inestimable For who is able to conceaue in his minde how great and vnspeakable a gift it is to haue the forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes euerlasting life in the sted of the law sinne death and the wrath of God to haue God him selfe fauourable and merciful for euer The Papists and the hypocrites that seeke the righteousnes of the lawe or their owne righteousnes doe glory that they likewise haue remission of sinnes righteousnes life and the grace of god For they vaunt that they also haue this libertie and they promise the same vnto others but in very deede they are the seruauntes of corruption and in the time of tentation all their vaine confidence vanisheth away euen in a moment For they trust vnto the workes and satisfactions of men and not to the word of God nor vnto Christe Wherefore it is impossible for the Iusticiaries which seeke to winne heauen life and saluation by workes and merites to know what the libertie and deliuerance from sinne is Contrariwise our libertie hath for her foundation Christe him selfe who is our euerlasting high Bishop sitting at the right hand of God making intercessiō for vs Wherfore the forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes life libertie which we haue through him is sure certaine perpetual so that we beleue this Wherefore if we cleaue vnto Christ with a stedfast Faith and stand fast in that libertie wherein he hath made vs free we shall obtaine those inestimable gifts but if we be carelesse and negligent we shall lose them It is not without cause that Paule biddeth vs watch and stand fast for he knew that the Deuil seeketh nothing more then to spoile vs of this libertie which cost Christe so great a price and to entāgle vs againe by his ministers in the yoke of bondage as foloweth Verse 1. And be not entangled againe vvith the yoke of bondage Paule hath spoken most effectually and profoundly as concerning grace and Christian libertie and with high and mighty wordes hath exhorted the Galathians to continue in the same for it is easily lost Therefore he biddeth them stand fast lest that through negligence or securitie they fall backe againe from grace and Faith to the law and workes Now because reason iudgeth that there can be no daunger in preferring the righteousnes of the law before the righteousnes of Faith therefore with a certaine indignation he enueyeth against the lawe and with great contempt he calleth it a yoke yea a yoke of bondage So Peter calleth it also Acts. 15 VVhy tempt ye God to lay a yoke on the disciples neckes vvhich neither our fathers nor vve vvere able to beare And thus he turneth all things to the contrary For the false Apostles did abase the promise and magnified the law and the works thereof in this wise If ye will be made free say they from sinne and death and obtaine righteousnes and life fulfil the law be circumcised obserue dayes moneths times and yeres offer sacrifices and doe such other like things then shall this obedience of the law iustifie and saue you But Paule sayth the contrary They sayth he that teach the law after this sort do not set mens consciences at libertie but snare and entangle them with a yoke yea and that with a yoke of bondage He speaketh therfore of the law very basely and contemptuously and calleth it an hard bondage and a seruile yoke
measure in prison more plenteously in death oft Of the Ievves fiue times receiued I fortie stripes saue one I vvas thrise beaten vvith roddes I vvas once stoned I suffered thrise shippevvracke night and day haue I bene in the deepe sea In iourneyings I vvas often in perilles of vvaters in perilles of robbers in perilles of mine ovvne nation in perilles among the Gentiles in perilles in the Citie in perilles in the vvildernes in perilles in the sea in perilles among false brethren c. These be the true markes and imprinted signes of which the Apostle speaketh in this place The which we also at this day by the grace of God beare in our bodies for Christes cause For the world persecuteth killeth vs false brethren deadly hate vs SathaÌ„ inwardly in our heart with his fiery dartes terrifieth vs and for none other cause but for that we teach Christ to be our righteousnes life These markes we choose not of any deuotion neither do we gladly suffer them but because the world and the Deuill do lay them vpon vs for Christes cause we are compelled to suffer them and we reioyce in spirite with Paule which is alwayes willing glorieth and reioyceth that we beare them in our body for they are a seale and most sure testimonie of true doctrine and faith These things Paule spake as I shewed afore with a certaine displeasure and indignation Verse 18. Brethren the grace of our Lord Iesus Christe be vvith your spirite Amen This is his last farewell He endeth the Epistle with the same wordes wherewith he began As if he sayd I haue taught you Christ purely I haue entreated you I haue chidden you and I haue lette passe nothing which I thought profitable for you I can say no more but that I heartely pray that our Lord Iesus Christe would blesse and encrease my labour and gouerne you with his holy spirite for euer Thus haue ye the exposition of Paules Epistle to the Galathians The Lord Iesus Christ our iustifier and Sauiour who gaue vnto me the grace and power to expound this Epistle and to you likewise to heare it preserue and stablish both you and me which I most hartely desire that we daily growing more and more in the knowledge of his grace and Faith vnfained may be found vnblameable and without fault in the day of our redemption To whom with the father and the holy Ghost be glory world without end AMEN 1. TIMOT 1. Vnto the King euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God onely vvise be honour and glory for euer and euer AMEN FINIS Samuul 1. Esay 41. 1. Cor. 1. Hereof reade more in the Apologie of the church of England and in the booke of monuments fol. 992. Col. 2. Rom. 4. Iac. 2. Mar. 1. Mat. 3. Gen. 3 vers 2. Genes 4. Genes 6. 2. Peter 2.5 Genes 10.6 c. 1 Actes 14. Actes 7 5â— The church of the Gentiles 1. Cor. 2.1 1. Cor. 1.30 The argument of iustificatioÌ„ very necessary and diligently to be handled The rage of Sathan a sure argumeÌ„t that the day of iudgemeÌ„t is at hande The outrages of the Anabaptistes The Deuill troubleth not those that are buried and dead in sinne but especially those that are godly and hate sinne Genes 3 ver 15. For vvhose cause specially Luther setteth forth this vvorke and vvho they be that onely vnderstand this doctrine The dignitie of Gods vvord and the sacraments depend not vpon the vvorthines or vnvvorthines of the minister Iudges â—5 4. 1. Timot. 1 1â— Eccles 11 4. Psal. 121.4 The Churche shall neuer be quiet in this vvorld Vnderstande this of pestileÌ„t Libertines vvhich vvould vtterly take avvay the lavv al feare of god and the ministerie of his vvord Osea 4 4. Mich. â— 6. An exhortatioÌ„ to ministers 1. Cor. 11 19. 2. Cor. 6 15. Genes 3 5. 2. Cor. 1.12 Hovve many kindes of righteousnes there are Christian righteousnes The righteousnesse of faithe aptlye called the passiue righteousnes because it coÌ„sisteth in suffering receauing like as the righteousnes of the lavv is called th' actiue righteousnesse because it coÌ„sisteth in doing vvorking The infirmitie of man in teÌ„ptations The lavve can not comfort vs in afflictions The lavve is not giuen to a righteous maÌ„ but to the lavvlesse and disobedient Tit. 1 9 Rom. 3 20. Rom. 6 14. Rom. 10 4. Galat. 3 24 Po. 1 1â— Good vvorkes not forbiddeÌ„ ChristiaÌ„ righteousnesse not vvroughte by vs but vvrought in vs 1. Cor. 15.49 VVe caÌ„ do nothing for the obtaining of ChristiaÌ„ righteousnesse Io. 16 10. Heb. 1 3. 1. Cor. 1 30. Heb. 4.15 Rom. 4 15. 1. Io. 5 18. 1. Iohn 5.18 Rom. 1. vers 19.20.21 c. The drifte of the Apostle in the Epistle to the GalathiaÌ„s See vvhat vve fal into vvhen vve neglecte this doctrine or vvant true zeale to aduaÌ„ce the same 1. Cor. 1.30 Heb. 7.25 Rom. 4. 15. 1. Cor. 6.19 The occasioÌ„ of vvryting this Epistle to the Galathians The Deuil hateth the gospel stirreth vp vvicked meÌ„ against it The doctrine of the gospell The accusatioÌ„s vvhervvith the vvorlde chargeth the gospell The effectes of the gospell Coloss 1. ver 1â— The authority of the false Apostels Io. 8. Rom. 4 4.5.6 Math. 7 ver 22 The argument of the papistes against vs. VVith hovve greate constaÌ„cie S. Paule defendeth his vocation and authoritie against the false Apostles The summe of the tvvo first chapters Galat. 5. The minister of God must be sure of his calling The glorying of S. Paule necessary and holy Rom. 11.13 The Preachers are to be receaued as messengers from God by vvhose ministerie God himselfe speaketh The calling of the Apostles 1 Cor. 10.28 Ephes 4.11 VVho be Apostles Actes 1.24.25 The calling of Mathias Actes 9.15 The Apostles sainctes Math. 27 5. They vvhich be not called do kil and destroy The certaintie of calling VVhat daunger they be in vvhich haue no lavvfull calling VVhy Paule exalteth his calling so in euery place The profite of extolling our calling A holy pride The summe of the Epistle to the GalathiaÌ„s Math. 12.34 VVhat Paule goeth about in this Epistle Rom. 4.24.25 The victorie of Christ is ours 1. Cor. 15.57 Iohn 11.25 VVhy he saith and all the brethern These fantasticall spirites flie the crosse and therfore betake them selues to such places vvhere they may liue at ease The condition of all godly preachers The coÌ„fort of faithfull teachers laboring vnder the crosse 1. Cor. 2 9. The constant faith of Luther 1 Pet. 5 4. The vvord sacramentes are not polluted by our vngodlines The seat of Antichrist 2. Thes 2.4 The churche dispersed through the vvorld Grace Peace The article of of iustificatioÌ„ is continually to be beaten into our heds The greeting of the Apostle straunge and vnheard of to the vvorld Sinne. Conscience The doctrine of Christians Grace Peace Sinne is not released but by grace alone The vvorld knovveth not the doctrine of true godlines Onely by grace is the conscience
the lavve VVho make Christ a minister of sinne The Gospell vvhat it is Commaundements in the Gospell vvhat they are The lavve is the ministery of sinne vvrath and death The Conscience thus gathereth Thou hast sinned therfore thou art giltie of euerlasting death A picture of Christ Deut 34. The lavve Christe Christ hath taken avvay all euils and hath brought vnto vs all good things VVhat Paule had destroyed by the ministery of the Gospell Moses geueth place to christ and the lavve to the gospel The Papistes are destroyers of the kingdome of Christ The difference of the lavve and the Gospell diligently to be marked Hovv the Monkes vvere vvont to coÌ„fort condemned Persons at the time of their death The maner of Popish confessions Faith vvithout vvorkes Paules maner of speach vnknovvne to mans reason Paule calleth grace the lavv Phrases of speach onely proper to the scripture The lavve against the lavv Psal. 68.19 Ephes 4.8 Hos 13.14 1. Cor. 15.55 Death against death Paules heresy He that is dead to the lavve liueth to God. The doctrine of the papists A speciall principle amongst the diuines That the lavv is abrogated Christ free froÌ„ the graue I am dead to the lavv VVhat it is to die to the lavve The flesh is subiect to the lavve but not to the conscience The coÌ„science ansvvering to the accusatioÌ„ of the lavve To liue vnto God. VVho is a Christian 1. Cor. â— 21 Death against death The lavve maketh vs not righteous but faith onely The very poynt of all this matter Coloss 2.15 In the matter of iustificatioÌ„ there is nothing for vs to doe but to heare vvhat Christ hath done for vs to apprehend the same by faith Good vvorks This sentence vvell vnderstand in the time of trouble maketh a man strong against all tentations A speeche or Dialoge betvvene the lavv and conscience The lavve of libertie A consolation against the terrours of the lavv c. The binding lavv through Christ is bouÌ„d it selfe Sinne condeÌ„ned and condemning Death killed and death killing As Satan is to others ouer vvhoÌ„ he hath dominion so is Christ to Sathan vvhom he holdeth bouÌ„d that he can not hurt vs farther theÌ„ he geueth him leaue 1. Iohn 5.4.5 VVhy Paule calleth grace the lavve The lavve bound and condemned cannot accuse vs. A holy pride Hovv he calleth libertie the lavv The lavv of grace binding the lavv of the ten commauÌ„dements Death killed by death that is the death vvhich vvas due to me is killed by Christes death The svveete and comfortable names of Christ Christ a poyson against death The lavv of the mind sette against the lavv of the members A most ioyfull combat The flesh subiect to the lavv but not the conscience To be crucified vvith Christ 1. Pet. â— 21 The true life of the faithful The faithfull crucified and deade to the lavv The glory of the faithfull VVe must haue Ghrist onely before our eies Such is our misery that intentations and afflictions vve set Christ aside and loke backe into our ovvne life past He speaketh of the olde man. Christ bestovveth himself and all that he hath vpon those that beleue in him VVhatsoeuer good the godly haue in theÌ„ it is Christes and vve are so knit together that he liueth in vs and vve in him Paules excelent and heauenly maner of speach Albeit the faithfull be sinners yet are they also righteous The Papistes faith Faith so knitteth all beleuers Christ together that they become one person Ephes 5.30 True faith is not idle VVhat occasion the malicious take of this doctrine Hovv the vveake are to be instructed Good vvorks are not the cause but the frutes of righteousnes Life taken tvvo maner of vvaies The faithfull liue not their ovvne life but the life of Christ Christ is our life The faithfull liue in the flesh but not according to the flesh To liue in the faith of the sonne of God. Philip. 2.7 The differeÌ„ce betvvene the faithfull and vnfaithfull The true vvay to iustificatioÌ„ The pestilent doctrine of the Papistes and PelagiaÌ„s These meritemoÌ„gers turne these vvordes of Paule vpside dovvne To doe vvhat in vs lieth The Papistes do apply matters of policy and ciuill gouernment to the church Rom. 7.14 The Papistes doe graunt that nature is corrupt but they say that the povvers and qualities of nature remaine sound and vncorrupt Christ first loued vs and not vve him The bragging of the integritie of our natural qualities is in vaine The greatnes of the price to be vvel vveyed that vvas geuen for vs. The sluggishnes of the Papists in handling the holy scriptures Hovv sectes may be vvithstande Hath geuen himselfe for me The true force of faith The lavve loueth not sinners but accuseth them A true definition of Christ The greatest cunning that Christians can haue is to define Christ rightly Christ loueth the afflicted and such as feele the vveight of their sinnes Me. For me As by Adam all became giltie so by Christ all that beleue are made righteous They that seke to be made righteous by the lavv reiect the grace of God. Antichrist reiecteth grace and denieth faith VVhat it is to reiect grace The vvorld is so vntovvard that it reiecteth the grace of God. Corrupters of Paule If the desert of congruence auaile ought then is Christ dead in vaine If the lavv iustifie Christ died in vaine The righteousnes of all Saincts is nothing in comparison of the righteousnes of Christ A common sinne to reiect the grace of God. The Pope the chiefe author of all abhominations in the church The Popes pardons If the lavv iustifie then is Christ died in vaine A comparing of Christ and the lavv together The deuilish peruersnes of the vvorld Ciuill righteousnes hath her revvards The righteousnes of faith is the righteousnes that pleaseth God. Reason although it be lightned vvith the lavve yea and the lavve of God yet it can not iustifie Galath 2.21 The praise of the righteousnes of the lavve VVho make Christ to haue died in vaine 2. Timot. 4.5 Paules order in teaching O ye foolish Galathians Paule offendeth not in chiding the Galathians so sharply The chiding of parents tovvards their children Anger sometimes a necessary vertue Iust anger is called in the scripture zeale or ielousie Math. 13 33. The sharp rebukings of the holy Ghost Prouerb 27.6 The naturall vice of the Galathians The remnants of naturall vices remaine in the Godly Ebr. 12. The scripture being one and the selfe same truth is diuersly handled of sundry men Grace by litle and litle clenseth those that be godly from their old sinnes Galat. 5.17 Rom. 7.13.14 There is none so pure vnspotted that he may be called a Puritane but Christ 1. Pet. 2.22 Esay 53.9 1. Iohn 3.2 A goodly coÌ„mendation of the righteousnes of the lavve That vvitchcraft and sorcerie are the vvorkes of the deuill Sathan bevvitcheth men spiritually The blindnes of those that are bevvitched Luthers conflâ—ctes vvith Satan 1. Peter 5.8 The
Maâ—â—c 1.2 The vvord Faith signifieth in the Hebrevv tonge truth Genes 15 4.5.6 Rom 4.13 Rom. 4.3 Habac. 1.4 Heb. 11. Faithe Faith thiÌ„keth aright of God and not reason Truth and faith signifie both one thing Iohn 5.24 Iohn 11.25.26 Heb. 9.11 Heb. 10. That Paule doth rightly alledge that place out of the .15 of Genesis and to his purpose Genes 3.15 All the promises are to be referred to the first promise Actes 15.10.11 1. Cor. 15.4 Iohn 8.56 Actes 10.1.2.3 The faith of the fathers of vs bothe one Coloss 1.18 Reuel 1. 1. Thes 4.15.16 Math. 24. That the place of Genesis may vvell be applied to faith in christ Abraham a father both of Ievves and the Gentiles Genes 17.4 Rom. 4.17 The children of Abraham after the flesh are not Abrahams children but such as vvalke in the steppes of faith Rom. 4.11 Genes 17.4 Rom. 4.17 A begetting Abraham and a beleuing Abraham The vaine bragging of the Ievves An argument grounded vpon the certaintie of time Genes 15.6 Genes 22.16 Rom. 4.20 Genes 15.6 Rom. 4.18 Genes 17 1â— Abraham vvas iustified before Circumcision .430 yeares before the lavv Rom. 4.10.11.12 Galat. 3.8 Genes 15.6 Rom. 4 3. The Ievves corrupt the scriptures Genes 12.13 Actes 3.23 VVhat the Ievves call blessing A nevv Abraham It is a great glory to be borne of Abrahams sede The exposition of these vvordes In thee shal be blessed Genes 15.5 Abrahams faith and out all one Io. 3.5 6. VVe must marke diligently vvhat is set out to vs in the promises of the lavv Genes 15. â— Genes 17 4. Genes 15.5 A vvorking Abraham and a beleuing Abraham Rom. 4.3 That all nations are blessed Psal. 2.8 Psal. 19.3 The Prophets diligently vvaied those promises that vvere made vnto the fathers The office of the priesthod of the church of Christ Our blessing is spirituall and not corporall as the Ievves dreame The diligence of the Prophetes Hoseas 13.14 Genes 3. Genes 12. â— The Blessing is receaued onely by faith The Pope setteth Christ forth as an example and not as a gifte Io. 13 1â— In the matter of iustificatioÌ„ vve must loke vpon Christ as a gifte and not as an example Galat 3.9 All nations through faith are blessed therfore vvith out faith all are accursed The righteousnes of faith and ciuill righteousnes Ciuill lavves and ordinaunces are good and of God. The righteousnes of faith and ciuill righteousnes are easily confounded Hovv the aduersaries sclauder and vvrest our vvordes The corporall blessing deliuereth vs not from sinnes Corporall things are the good creatures of God. The lavve of sinne vvrath and death Corporal blessings are to be sundred from spirituall blessings God bestovveth his giftes both vpon the good euill Rom. 1.20 The effectes of the lavve Deut. 27 2â— Rom. 2.13 Iames. 1 2â— Rom. 8 4. Sentences in the scriptures somtime seme to be coÌ„trary To doe the lavve Tvvo maner of doers of the lavve To be of the lavve To be of faith To doe the lavve A fulfiller of the lavv after the Papistes opinion These be the vvorks preparatorie as the Papists cal them vvhich goe before iustification as the efficient cause therof The vvickednes and error of meritmongers Rom. 10.2 Rom. 10.3 The effect of the lavve Genes 17. To fulfill the lavve Galaâ— â— Hovv the lavv is to be done To doe the lavv This vvord Doer of the lavv vvithout the promise of the Gospell is a fained terme A doer of the lavv In diuine matters the doer is framed through faith before there be any deedes The godly are not made righteous by doing righteous things Rom. 2.13 The doctrine of the Scholemen or Sophistes In policie the vvorke is not iudged to be good except it be done vvith a good vvill much more in Diuinitie The effectes of the lavv Galath 3. The vvickednes and error of hypocrites The vvorship of the first coÌ„maundement Math. 24.5 The godly iudge al thiÌ„gs 2. Pet. 2.1 â— Exod. 32.4 The tvvo golden calues of Ieroboam 1. Kings 12.28 Rom. â— Hypocrites go about to doe that thing vvhich belongeth onely to Christe The doctrine of the Monks The Pope chalengeth a Diuinitie or Diuine povver as vvel as god himselfe The vse of the doctrine of faith The Pope is Antichrist Math. 24.5 2. Thes 2.4 Math. 24.15 Mar. 13.14 Luc. 22.20 Dan. 9.27 VVhat a mischeuous thing hypocrisie is Euery meritemoÌ„ger is both the matter the vvorke or the vvorke the vvorkeman The true doers of the lavve 2. Pet. 1 1â— The godly do not the lavve perfectly Luc. 10.30.31.32.33 c. VVhat a Doer of the lavve Moises requireth Exod. 34.7.8.9 Psal. 143.2 Rom. 5. â—â— That vve are made Doers of the lavve throughe Christe The proposition Places of the lavve and vvorke The righteousnes of the lavv vvas also knovven to the heathen To doe naturally morally and spiritually Morall Philosophie The popishe Schoolemen thinke a right iudgement of reason and a good intent vvithout faith to be sufficient to commend the vvorke Hovve vve must aunsvver vnto our aduersaries vrging these tearmes of Doing and vvorking To doe in diuinitie vvhat it is Heb. 11. â—2 Sa. 17.34.35.36 A rule to be obserued as touching those places vvhich speake of vvorkes 1. Sam. 17.37 45. 46. 47. The vvorke of Dauid is a faithfull vvorke Genes 5.24 Heb. 11.4 The sacrifice of Abell and Caine. Gens 4.3.4.5 The visour of the vvork is not to be regarded but the hearte of the vvorker iâ— to be considered Hebr. 11. Verse 4. Verse 5. Verse â— A rule The vvorke is nothiÌ„g vvorth vvithout faith Hebr. 11.6 Heb. 4. Abels sacrifice vvas faithful and Caines vnfaithfull The scripture some time speaketh of faith vvithout vvorks and some time of faith vvith vvorkes Galat. 5.6 Doe this and thou shalt liue * These termes the Papistes vse and set them in the place of faith The scripture sometime speaketh of one nature in Christ sometime of both A rule of the communication of the proprieties called commanicatio Idiomatum Luc. 2.10 Luc. 1.22 The maÌ„ Christ created all things If thou vvilt enter into life c. Faith simple Faith compound * Fac totum is that vvhich is all in all and doth all alone The places of vvorkes mentioned in the scriptures must be expounded as the Epistle to the Hebrevves expoundeth them Ebr. 11.33 Verse 35. The difference betvvene morall doing and spirituall doing Hypocrites doe many things but vvithout faith Dan. 4 2â— The Papistes learne their diuinitie out of Aristotle an heathen Philosopher A generall auÌ„svver to al the argumentes of the aduersaries The argument of all arguments most strong and mighty to holde fall the head Christ Galat. â— 3 Christ vvas made a curse for vs. Circumcision is not the death of Christ A plaine and simple aunsvvere to the places of scripture concerning vvorkes No Iusticiary seking righteousnes by the lavv and vvorkes can vvrest this solution from the faithfull Habaeue 2.4 Rom. 1.17 Eâ—r 10.38 Hovv the Sophisters corrupt this place The
high a seruice to God that scarce any maÌ„ vvould beleue they could be so abhominable Onely Faith iustifieth If the lavv iustifie not much lesse do vvorks iustify Rom. 3. â—â— The promise geuen to Abraham The promise geuen to them that beleue The sentences concerning vvorks The commendation of vvorkes out of the matter of IustificatioÌ„ Hovv 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 stâ—â— vvarded 〈◊〉 vvoâ—ld 〈◊〉 their benefite VVorks vvithout faith 2. Thes 2.3 * Faith vvas the full reuelation of thiÌ„gs that vvere hâ—d vnder the lavve Rom. 7.13 The vse of the lavve VVhy the lavv reuealeth sinne Exod. 29.20 God vseth the effect of the lavve that is to say death to life The opinioÌ„ of a mans ovvne righteousnes confidence holines is slain by the lavv This similitude of the prison shevveth the effect of the lavve VVhat the righteousnes of the lavv is The righteousnes of vvorkes The profite of the lavve The Ciuill vse of the lavve The lavv a spirituall prison The lamentatable complaints of the Sainctes Psal. 6.5 The lavve is a prison both Ciuily and Spiritually The lavv and the Gospell as touching the invvard affections nearely ioyned together The shutting vp vnder the lavv must not be continuall VVho vseth the lavv rightly Caine being shut vp in the prison of the lavv and abiding there despaired Genes 4.9 Verse 13. VVhat these vvordes import to be kept vnder the lavve Conscience Psal. 139.7 VVhat the prison is Ciuily Spiritually Hovv the pore Conscience is to be comforted that is shutte vp vnder the lavve The lavve killeth that vve may againe be quickened restored to life The shutting vp vnder the lavv must be rightly vsed EZech. 33.11 Psal. 147.11 The afflicted and such as are in prison vnder the lavv vvaiting for mercy to be reueled are deare vnto God. No man loueth the lavv because it is his prison Hovve the scripture defineth sinne The tentation of the godly The tentation of euery age Paule describeth the spirituall vvarfare that is in the godly vvith very vehemeÌ„t apt vvords The time of the lavv in the Godly 2 Cor. 12.7 * This is the spirituall laughter vvhich Dauid speaketh of Psal. 126. saying Then shall our mouth be filled vvith laughter c. 1. Cor. 12.7.8.9 Galath 5.17 The time of grace Psal. 4â— â— 11 The true vse of the lavve is to shut vs vp till Christ be reuealed VVho is a right diuine A godly man is partly vnder the lavve and partly vnder grace Rom. 5.6 Rom. 6.9.10 The time of grace is eternall Feare may noâ— alvvayes continue but fear ioyned vvith Faith must be alvvayes in a Christian Hovve feare must be vanquished Feare Faith are separated farre asunder and yet are ioyned together in one heart A rehersall of those things vvherof he had spoken before Touching this sedition of the rusticall people and the cause therof read Sleidane VVe must derogate nothing froÌ„ the lavve that is due to it nor attribute more to it theÌ„ is meete Tvvo sorts of the vnrighteous they vvhich are to be iustified they vvhich are not to be iustified Hovve such senteÌ„ces must be vnderstand vvherin Paule handleth the spirituall vse of the lavve Rom. 10.4 VVho are abusers of the lavve * He speaketh of the pestileÌ„t Libertines that vvould haue no feare of God nor lavve to bridle them from their sinnes 1. Pet. 2.16 The true vse of the lavve can not be estemed as it is vvorthy The true office of the lavve The similitude of the Schoole master vvorthy to be noted Exod. 17.4 The scholer can not loue his master VVhie a Scholemaster is apoynted for a childe The lavve is a Scholemaster to Christ Galat. 4.19 Galat. 4 2â— Galat. 4. â—3 VVhat Scholemasters there vvere in times past The true vse of the lavv set out in the allegorie of the Scholemaster The lavve is not a Scholemaister to bring vs to an other lavvgeuer but to Christe Of the true vse of the lavve to make an abuse The true vse of the lavv Rom. 10.4 The proper office of the lavve and the vse of the office therof VVhen Faith is come vve are not any longer vnder the lavve Colosâ— 2.14.15 By Faith in Christ vve are dead to the lavve Christ commeth daily vnto vs spiritually 2 Cor. 4 1â— A similitude of the leuen Godly meÌ„ are holy and yet sinners The spirituall comming of Christe Hovve farre forth the lavv is abolished The consolation of the godly Heb. 13.8 VVhen Faith is come the lavv geueâ—h place 2. Pet. 3.11 Paule an excelleÌ„t teacher of Faith. Iâ—hn 1 1â— Iohn 1 1â— Rom. â— 16.17 Rom. 9.26 * Baptisme succedeth CircuÌ„cision and so through Christ both Ievv and Gentile is saued Rom. 13.14 Galath 5.16 1. Pet. â— 21 To put on Christ according to the Gospell The lether coate of Adam Hovv the old man must be put of Eph. 4.22.23.14 Coloss 1.19.20.21 c. Tit. 35. Baptisme is a sure signe of our regeneration vvhich is vvrought by the holy ghost In Baptisme vve put on Christe The Anabaptistes deface the maiestie of baptisme Tit. 3. â— * as one man. There is neither Ievv nor Grecian c. Christ hath taken avvay the lavve The beleuing conscience knovveth no lavv Iohn 1.17 The vvisedom and righteousnes of the GeÌ„tiles reiected The Gentiles in all ages had their lavves Religions and Ceremonies There is neither free nor bond c. In the vvorld there is a difference of persons but not before God. Rom. 13.23 The Gospell setteth forth Christ vnto vs. There is a difference and an inequalitie of persons in the vvorld Ephes 4.4 In Christ Iesu The opinion of the Schoole diuines concerning Faith. Galath â— â—0 Tit. 3.5 â—aith VVhy Paule setteth forth Christ so ofteÌ„ in his Epistles The brasen serpent a figure of Christ Num. 21.6.7 â— True Faith in Christ Ephes 5.30 Actes 17.20 Christ and our Faith must be throughly ioyned together The Gentiles that beleue are the Seede of Abraham Genes 17.5 Genes 22.18 The Gentiles are the childreÌ„ and heires of Abraham and the people of God. The promise made to the Ievves not to the Gentiles Psal. 147.19.20 The Gentiles are named in the promise Rom. 4.13.17 The argument vvhervvith Paule fortifieth his matter A young heir differeth nothing from a seruaunt The time of the lavve is finished Galath 4.4.5 Heb. 9.12 The comming of Christ vnto vs in spirite Heb. 10.14 Galath 5.17 Heb. 13. â— The politike vse of the lavve The spirituall vse of the lavv Galath 3. â— To vvhom Christ commeth and to vvhom he coÌ„meth not The Emperors lavves The lavves of the Pope 1. Timot. 4. â— The lavve of Moises geueth onely vvorldly things By the coÌ„fort of the holy Ghost vve are deliuered froÌ„ the terrours of the lavve Rom. 10.4 Rom. 3.20 Rom. 4.15 Deut. 6.5 VVherfore Paule abaseth the lavve VVhen vve feele the terrours of conscience the lavve must be abased and the promise magnified He alluded to the slovv tounge and stammering speech of Moses Rom. 4.18 VVhat names Paule