righteousnes in deede Paule setteth against the righteousnes of the law As if he sayd Be it so that the law is an heauenly doctrine and hath also his glory yet notwithstanding it loued not me nor gaue it selfe for me yea it accuseth me terrifieth me and driueth me to desperation But I haue now an other which hath deliuered me from the terrours of the law sinne and death and hath brought me vnto libertie the righteousnes of God and eternall life who is called the sonne of God to whom be praise and glory for euermore Faith therefore as I haue said embraceth and wrappeth in it selfe Christ Iesus the sonne of God deliuered to death for vs as Paule here teacheth who being apprehended by faith geueth vnto vs righteousnes and life And here he setteth out most liuely the Priesthode and offices of Christ which are to pacifie God to make intercession for sinners to offer vppe him selfe a sacrifice for their sinnes to redeme to instruct and to comfort them Let vs learne therefore to geue a true definition of Christ not as the Scholedoctours do and such as seeke righteousnes by their owne workes which make him a new law-geuer who abolishing the olde lawe hath established a newe To these Christ is nothing else but an exactor and a tyranne but let vs define him as Paule here doth namely that he is the sonne of God who not for our desert or any righteousnes of ours but of his owne free mercie offered vppe him selfe a sacrifice for vs sinners that he might sanctifie vs for euer Christ then is no Moses no exactor no geuer of lawes but a geuer of grace a Sauiour and one that is full of mercie briefly he is nothing else but infinite mercie and goodnes freely geuen and bountifully geuing vnto vs And thus shall you paint out Christ in his right coloures If you suffer him to be painted out to you any otherwise then thus when tentation and trouble cometh you shall soone be ouerthrowne Nowe as it is the greatest knowledge and cunning that Christians cā haue thus to define Christ so of all things it is the most hardest For I my selfe euen in this great light of the Gospell wherein I haue bene so long exercised haue much a doe to hold this definition of Christ which Paule here geueth So depely hath this doctrine and pestilent opinion that Christ is a lawgeuer entred in me euen as it were oyle into my boanes Ye yong men therefore are in this case much more happie then we that are olde For ye are not infected with these pernicious errours wherein I haue bene so nusled and so drowned euen from my youth that at the very hearing of the name of Christ my heart hath trēbled and quaked for feare for I was perswaded that he was a seuere iudge Wherefore it is to me a double trauaile trouble to correct and reforme this euill First to forget to condemne and to withstand this olde grounded errour that Christ is a lawgeuer and a Iudge for it often returneth and plucketh me backe Then to plant in my heart a new a true perswasion of Christ that he is a iustifier a Sauiour Ye I say that are yong may learne with much lesse difficultie to know Christ purely and sincerely if ye will. Wherfore if any man feele him selfe oppressed with heauines and anguish of heart he must not impute it vnto Christ although it come vnder the name of Christ but vnto the Deuill who oftentimes cometh vnder the colour of Christ and transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light Let vs learne therefore to put a difference betwene Christ and a lawgeuer not only in word but in practise in deede also that when the Deuil shal come vnder the shadow of Christ shal go about to trouble vs vnder his name we may know him not to be Christ but a very feend in deede For Christ when he cometh is nothing else but ioy and sweetenes to a trembling and broken heart as here Paule witnesseth who setteth him out with this most sweete louing title when he saith vvhich loued me and gaue him selfe for me Christ therefore in very deede is a louer of those which are in bitternes of minde sinne death and such a louer as gaue him selfe for them who is also our high priest that is to say a mediatour betwene God vs wretched sinners What could be sayd I pray you more sweete or comfortable to the poore afflicted conscience Now if these things be true as they are in deede most true or else the Gospell must be nothing else but a fable then are we not iustified by the righteousnes of the lawe and much lesse by our owne righteousnes Read therefore with diligent attention and with great vehemencie these wordes Me and for me and so practise with thy selfe that thou maist well conceaue and print this Me in thy heart and applie it vnto thy selfe with a stedfast faith not doubting but thou art of the number of those to whom this Me belongeth Also that Christ hath not onely loued Peter and Paule and geuen him selfe for them but that the same grace also which is comprehended in this Me doth as well pertaine and extend vnto vs as vnto them For as we can not denie but that we are all sinners and are constrained to say that through the sinne of Adam we were all lost were made the enemies of God subiect to the wrath and iudgement of God and giltie of eternall death for this doe all terrified heartes feele and confesse and more in deede then they should do so can we not denie but that Christ died for our sinnes that he might make vs righteous For he died not to iustifie the righteous but the vnrighteous and to make them the children of God and inheritours of all spirituall heauenly gifts Therfore when I feele confesse my selfe to be a sinner through Adams trāsgression why should I not say that I am made righteous through the righteousnes of Christ especially whē I heare that he loued me gaue himselfe for me This did Paule most stedfastly beleue therfore he speaketh these wordes with so great a vehemencie and full assurance Which he graunt vnto vs in some part at the least who hath loised vs and geuen him selfe for vs. Verse 21. I doe not abrogate or reiect the grace of God Now he prepareth a way to the second argument of this epistle And here ye must diligently consider that to seeke to be iustified by the workes of the law is to reiect the grace of god But I pray you what sinne cā be more execrable or horrible then to reiect the grace of God and to refuse that righteousnes which cometh by Christ It is enough and to much already that we are wicked sinners and transgressours of all the commaundements of God and yet we commit moreouer the most execrable sinne of all sinnes in that
the actiue righteousnesse But it is a thing very straunge and vnknowen to the world to teach Christians to learne to be ignorant of the lawe and so to liue before God as if there were no law For except thou be ignorant of the law be assuredly perswaded in thine hart that there is now no lawe nor wrath of God but altogether grace and mercy for Christes sake thou canst not be saued for by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne Cōtrariwise workes and the keeping of the law must be so streitly required in the world as if there were no promise or grace and that because of the stubborne proude and hard harted before whose eies nothing must be set but the lawe that they may be terrified and humbled For the law is geuen to terrifie and to kill such and to exercise the old man And both the word of grace and of wrath must be rightly diuided according to the saying of the Apostle in the second Epistle of Timothe Chapter 2. verse 15. Here is then required a wise and a faithfull disposer of the word of God which can so moderate the lawe that it may be kept within his boundes He that teacheth that men are iustified before God by the obseruation of the lawe passeth the boundes of the lawe and confoundeth these two kindes of righteousnesse actiue and passiue and is but an ill Logician for he doth not rightly diuide Contrariwise he that setteth forth the lawe and workes to the old man and the promise of forgiuenes of sinnes and Gods mercy to the new man diuideth the word wel For the flesh or the old man must be coupled with the lawe and works the spirit or new man must be ioyned with the promise of God and his mercy Wherefore when I see a man that is brused enough already oppressed with the lawe terrified with sinne and thirsting for comfort it is time that I should remoue oute of his sight the lawe and actiue righteousnes and that I should set before him by the Gospell the Christian and passiue righteousnes which excluding Moses with his lawe offereth the promise made in Christ who came for the afflicted and for sinnes Here is man raised vp againe and conceaueth good hope neither is he any longer vnder the lawe but vnder grace Howe not vnder the lawe According to the newe man to whom the law doth not pertaine For the lawe hath his boundes but vnto Christ as Paule saith afterwardes The lawe continueth vnto Christ who being come Moses ceaseth with his lawe Circumcision the Sacrifices the Sabbothes yea and all the Prophetes This is our diuinitie wherby we teach how to put a difference betwene these two kindes of righteousnesse actiue and passiue to the end that maners and faith workes and grace policie and religion shuld not be confounded or taken the one for the other Both are necesry but both must be kept within their boundes Christian righteousnes pertaineth to the newe man and the righteousnes of the lawe pertaineth to the old man which is borne of flesh and bloode Wpon this old man as vpon an asse there must be laied a burthen that may presse him downe and he must not enioy the freedome of the spirite or grace except he first put vpon him the newe man by faith in Christ which notwithstanding is not fully done in this life then may he enioy the kingdome and inestimable gifte of grace This I say to the end that no man should thinke we reiecte or forbid good workes as the Papistes doe most falsely sclaunder vs neither vnderstanding what they themselues say nor what we teach They knowe nothing but the righteousnes of the lawe and yet they will iudge of that doctrine which is farre aboue the lawe of which it is vnpossible that the carnall man should be able to iudge Therefore they must needes be offended for they can see no higher then the lawe What so euer then is aboue the lawe is to them a greate offence But we imagine as it were two worldes the one heauenly and the other earthly In these we place these two kindes of righteousnes being separate the one farre from the other The righteousnes of the lawe is earthly and hathe to doe with earthly things and by it we doe good workes But as the earth bringeth not forthe frute except first it be watred and made frutefull from aboue euen so by the righteousnes of the lawe in doing many thinges we doe nothing and in fullfilling of the lawe we fulfill it not except first without any merite or worke of ours we be made righteous by the Christian righteousnesse which nothing pertaineth to the righteousnesse of the lawe or to the earthly and actiue righteousnesse But this righteousnesse is heauenly which as is said we haue not of our selues but receaue it from heauen which we worke not but which by grace is wrought in vs and apprehended by faith wherby we mounte vp aboue all lawes and workes Wherfore like as we haue borne as S. Paule saith the image of the earthly Adam so let vs beare the image of the heauenly which is the newe man in a new world where is no lawe no sinne no remorse of conscience no death but perfecte ioy righteousnesse grace peace life saluation and glory Why doe we then nothing doe we worke nothing for the obtaining of this righteousnes I aunswere nothing at all For this is perfect righteousnesse to doe nothing to heare nothing to knowe nothing of the law or of workes but to know and to beleeue this onely that Christe is gone to the father and is not nowe seene that he sitteth in heauen at the right hande of his Father not as a iudge but made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption Breefely that he is our high Priest intreating for vs and raigning ouer vs and in vs by grace In this heauenly righteousnesse sinne can haue no place for there is no lawe and where no lawe is there can be no transgression Seing then that sinne hath here no place there can be no anguish of conscience no feare no heauinesse Therfore S. Iohn sayth he that is borne of God can not sinne But if there be any feare or greefe of conscience it is a token that this righteousnes is withdrawen that grace is hidden and out of sighte and that Christ is darkened and not to be seene But where Christ is truely seene is deede there must needes be full and perfect ioy in the Lord with peace of conscience which moste certainly thus thinketh Although I am a sinner by the law and vnder the condemnation of the lawe yet I despaire not yet I die not because Christ liueth who is bothe my rightuousnesse and my euerlasting life In that rightuousnesse and life I haue no sinne no feare no sting of cōscience no care of death I am in dede a sinner as touching this present life and the righteousnesse
therof as the childe of Adam where the law accuseth me death reigneth ouer me and at length will deuoure me But I haue an other righteousnesse and life aboue this life which is Christ the sonne of God who knoweth no sinne nor death but is righteousnesse and life eternall by whome this my body being dead and brought into dust shal be raised vp againe and deliuered from the bondage of the lawe and sinne and shal be sanctified together with the spirite So bothe these continue whilest we heere liue The flesh is accused exercised with temptations oppressed with heauinesse and sorrowe brused by this actiue righteousnesse of the law but the spirit reigneth reioyceth and is saued by this passiue and christian righteousnesse because it knoweth that it hath a Lord in heauen at the right hand of his father who hath abolished the law sinne death and hath troden vnder his feete all euils led them captiue and triumphed ouer them in him selfe Coloss 2.15 S. Paule therfore in this Epistle goeth about diligētly to instruct vs to comfort vs to holde vs in the perfect knowledge of this most excellent and christian righteousnesse For if the article of Iustification be once lost then is all true christian doctrine lost And as many as are in the world that holde not this doctrine are either Iewes Turkes Papists or heretikes For betwene the righteousnesse of the law and the christian righteousnesse there is no meane He then that strayeth from this christian righteousnesse must needes fall into the righteousnesse of the law that is to say when he hath lost Christ he must fall into the confidence of his owne workes Therfore doe we so often repeate and so earnestly set forthe this doctrine of Faith or Christian righteousnesse that by this meanes it may be kept in continuall exercise and may be plainly discerned from the actiue righteousnesse of the law Otherwise we shall neuer be able to holde the true diuinitie for by this onely doctrine that Church is built and in this it consisteth but by by we shall either become Canonists obseruers of Ceremonies obseruers of the law or papists and Christ so darkened that none in the Churche shall be either rightly taught or comforted Wherfore if we will be teachers and leaders of other it behoueth vs to haue a great care of these matters and to marke well this distinction betweene the righteousnesse of the law and the righteousnesse of Christ And this distinction is easie to be vttered in wordes but in vse and experience it is very hard althoughe it be neuer so diligently exercised and practised for that in the houre of death or in other agonies of the conscience these two sortes of righteousnesse do encoūter more nere together then thou wouldest wishe or desire Wherfore I doe admonishe you especially such as shall become instructers and guiders of consciences and also euery one apart that ye exercise your selues continually by studie by reading by meditation of the worde and by prayer that in the time of temptation ye may be able to instruct and comfort bothe your owne consciences and others and to bring them from the law to grace from the actiue and working righteousnesse to the passiue and receiued righteousnesse and to conclude from Moises to Christ For the deuill is wont in affliction and in the cōflict of conscience by the law to make vs afraide and to lay against vs the conscience of sinne our wicked life past the wrathe and iudgement of God hell and eternall death that by this meanes he may driue vs to desperation make vs bondslaues to him selfe plucke vs from Christ Furthermore he is wont to set against vs those places of the gospell wherin Christ him selfe requireth workes of vs with plaine wordes threatneth danmation to those that doe them not Nowe if here we be not able to iudge betwene these two kinds of righteousnes if we take not hould of Christ by fayth sitting at the right hand of God who maketh intercession vnto the father for vs miserable sinners then are we vnder the lawe and not vnder grace and Christ is no more a Sauiour but a lawe geuer so that now there remaineth no more saluation but certaine desperation and euerlasting death except repentance follow Let vs then diligently learne to iudge betwene these two kindes of righteousnes that we may know how farre we ought to obey the law Now we haue sayd before that that law in a Christian ought not to passe his bounds but ought to haue dominion onely vpon the flesh which is in subiection vnto it remaineth vnder the same When it is thus the lawe is kept within his bounds But if it shall presume to creepe into thy conscience there seeke to raigne see thou play the cunning Logician and make true diuision Geue no more to the lawe then is conuenient but say thou O lawe thou wouldest clime vp into the kingdome of my conscience and there reigne and reproue it of sinne and wouldest take from me the ioy of my hart which I haue by faith in Christ and driue me to desperation that I might be without all hope and vtterly perish This thou doest besides thine office keepe thy selfe within thy boundes and exercise thy power vpon the fleshe but touch not my conscience for I am baptised by the gospell am called to the pertaking of righteousnes of euerlasting life to the kingdome of Christ wherin my conscience is at rest where no law is but altogither forgeuenes of sinnes peace quietnes ioy health and euerlasting life Trouble me not in these matters for I will not suffer thee so intollerable a tyrante and cruell tormenter to reigne in my conscience for it is the seate and temple of Christ the sonne of God who is the King of righteousnes peace and my most sweete Sauiour and Mediatour he shall keepe my conscience ioyfull and quiet in the sound and pure doctrine of the gospell and in the knowledge of this Christian heauenly righteousnes When I haue this righteousnes reigning in my hart I descend from heauen as the raine making frutefull the earth that is to say I come forth into an other kingdome and I doe good workes how and whensoeuer occasion is offered If I be a minister of the word I preach I comfort the broken harted I administer the sacraments If I be a housholder I gouerne my house and my family I bringe vp my children in the knowledge feare of god If I be a magistrate the charge that is geuen me from aboue I diligently execute If I be a seruant I doe my masters busines faithfully To conclude whosoeuer he be that is assuredly persuaded that Christ is his righteousnes he doth not only chearefully and gladly worke well in his vocation but also submitteth him selfe through loue to the magistrates and to their lawes yea though they be seuere sharpe and cruell and if necessitie doe so
owne dreames and vnder the name of the gospell ceremonies and lawes They are like therfore vnto themselues and so they still continue that is to say Monks workers of the lawe and teachers of ceremonies sauing that they deuise newe names and newe workes It is not then a matter of small importance to vnderstand rightly what the law is and what is the true vse and office therof Now for as much as we teach these things both diligently and faithfully we doe therby plainly testifie that we reiect not the law and works as our aduersaries doe falsely accuse vs but we do altogether stablish the law and require the works therof and we say that the law is good and profitable but in his owne proper vse which is first to bridle ciuill transgressiōs and then to reueile and to encrease spiritual transgressions Wherfore the law is also a light which sheweth reueileth not the grace of God not righteousnes and life but sinne death the wrath and iudgement of god For as in the Mount Sina the thundring lightning the thicke darke cloud the hill smoking flaming all that terrible shew did not reioyce nor quicken the children of Israell but terrified and astonished them and shewed howe vnhable they were with all their puritie and holines to abide the Maiestie of God speaking to them out of the cloud euen so the law when it is in his true vse doth nothing else but reueale sinne engender wrath accuse and terrifie men so that it bringeth them to the very brinke of desperation This is the proper vse of the lawe and here it hath an end and it ought to goe no further Contrariwise the Gospel is a light which lightneth quickneth comforteth raiseth vp fearful consciences For it sheweth that God for Christes sake is merciful vnto sinners yea to such as are most vnworthy if they beleue that by his death they are deliuered frō the Curse that is to say from sinne and euerlasting death and that through his victorie the Blessing is freely geuen vnto them that is to say grace forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes euerlasting life Thus putting a difference betwene the law the Gospel we geue to them both their owne proper vse office Of this differēce betwene the law the gospel there is nothīg to be found in the bokes of the Monks Canonists Scholemen no nor in the bokes of the auncient fathers Augustine did somewhat vnderstand this difference and shewed it Ierome and others knew it not Briefly there was wonderfull silence many yeres as touching this difference in all Schooles and Churches And this thing brought mens consciences into great daunger For vnlesse the gospell be plainly discerned frō the lawe the true Christian doctrine can not be kept sound and vncorrupt Contrariwise if this difference be well knowne then is also the true meane of iustification knowne and then is it an easie matter to discerne faith from workes Christ from Moses and all politike workes For all things without Christe are the ministers of death for the punishment of the wicked Therefore Paule aunswereth to this question after this maner Verse 19. The lavve vvas added because of transgressions That is to say that transgressions might be more encreased knowne and seene And in deede so it cometh to passe For when sinne is reuealed to a man through the law death the wrath and iudgement of God and hell it is vnpossible but that he should become impatient but that he should murmure against God and despise his will. For he can not beare the iudgement of God his owne death and damnation and yet notwithstanding he can not escape them Here he must needes fall into the hatred of God and blasphemie against god Before when he was out of tentation he was a very holy man he worshipped and praised God he bowed his knee before God and gaue him thanks as the Pharisey did Luke 18. But now when sinne and death is reuealed vnto him he wisheth that there were no god The law therfore of it selfe bringeth a special hatred of god And thus sinne is not onely reuealed and knowne by the lawe but also is encreased and stirred vp by the lawe Therfore Paule sayth Rom. 7. Sinne that it might appeare to be sinne vvrought death in me by that vvhich vvas good that sinne might be out of measure sinneful by the commaundement There he entreateth of this effect of the law very largely Paule aunswereth therfore to this question If the lawe doe not iustifie to what end then serueth it Although sayth he it iustifie not yet is it very profitable necessary For first it ciuily restraineth such as are carnall rebellious and obstinate Moreouer it is as a glasse that sheweth vnto a man him selfe that he is a sinner giltie of death and worthy of Gods euerlasting wrath indignation To what profit serueth this humbling this brusing beating downe by this hammer the law I meane To great profite namely that we may haue an entrance vnto grace So then the lawe is a minister that prepareth the way vnto grace For God is the God of the humble the miserable the afflicted the oppressed the desperate and of all those that are vtterly brought to nothing and his nature is to exalt the humble to feede the hungry to geue sight to the blind to comfort the miserable the afflicted the brused and broken harted to iustifie sinners to quicken the dead and to saue the very desperate and damned For he is an almightie creatour making all things of nothing Now that pernicious and pestilent opinion of mans owne righteousnes which will not be a sinner vncleane miserable and damnable but righteous and holy suffreth not God to come to his owne naturall and proper worke Therefore God must needes take this maule in hand the law I meane to driue downe to beat in peeces to bring to nothing this beast with her vaine confidence wisedom righteousnes power that she may so learne at the lēgth by her owne miserie and mischief that she is vtterly forlorne lost and damned Here now when the conscience is thus terrified with the law then cometh the doctrine of the Gospell and grace which reiseth vppe and comforteth the same againe saying Christ came in to the world not to breake the brused reede nor to quench the smoking flaxe but to preach the Gospell of glad tidings to the poore to heale the broken and contrite in heart to preach forgeuenes of sinnes to the captiues c. But here lieth all the difficultie of this matter that when a man is terrified and cast downe he may be able to raise vp him selfe againe and say Now I am brused and afflicted enough the time of the lawe hath tormented and vexed me sharply enough Nowe is the time of grace now is the time to heare Christ out of whose mouth procede the wordes of grace