that the wicked are offended the fault is in theÌ„selues and not in vs God hath coÌ„maunded vs to preach the doctrine of the Gospell without any respect of offence But because this doctrine condemneth the wicked doctrine and idolatrie of our aduersaries they being prouoked thereby breede offences of theÌ„selues which the Schoolemen called offences taken which they sayd ought not to be auoided nor can be auoided Christ taught the Gospell hauing no regard to the offence of the Iewes Suffer theÌ„ sayth he they are blinde leaders of the blinde The more the priests forbad the Apostles to preach in the name of Christ the more the Apostles gaue witnesse that the same Iesus whom they had crucified is both Lord and Christe and vvhosoeuer should call vpon him should be saued and that there vvas none other name geuen vnto men vnder heaueÌ„ through vvhich they could be saued c. Euen so we preach Christ at this day not regarding the clamours of the wicked Papists and all our aduersaries which crie out that our doctrine is seditious and full of blasphemie that it troubleth common weales ouerthroweth religion and teacheth heresies and briefly that it is the cause of all euils When Christe and his Apostles preached the same was sayde likewise of them Not long after the Romanes came and according to their owne prophesie destroyed both the place and the nation Wherfore let the enemies of the Gospel at this day take heede that they be not ouerwhelmed with these euils which they prophesie vnto themselues These they make greeuous and hainous offences that Monks and priests doe marry wiues that we eate flesh vpon the fridayes and such like But this is no offence to them at al that by their wicked doctrine they seduce daily destroy innumerable soules that by their euill examples they offend the weake that they blaspheme condemne the gospell of the glory of the mighty God and that they persecute and kil those the loue the sinceritie of doctrine the word of life this I say is to them no offence but an obedience a seruice and an acceptable sacrifice vnto God. Let vs â—â—er them therfore For they are blinde and leaders of the blinde He that hurteth let him hurt still and he that is filthie let him be more filthie But we because we beleue will speake and sette forth the wonderful works of the Lord so long as we haue breath and wil endure the persecutioÌ„s of our aduersaries vntill the time that Christ our high Bishop and King shall come from heauen who we hope will come shortly as a iust iudge to take vengeaunce of all those that obey not his Gospell So be it With these offences which the wicked alledge the godly are nothing moued For they know that the Deuill hateth nothing more then the pure doctrine of the Gospel therefore he goeth about to deface it with innumerable offences that by this meanes he might roote it out of mens heartes for euer Before when nothing else was taught in the church but mans traditions the Deuil did not so rage For whilest the strong man kept the house all that he possessed was in peace but now when a stronger cometh which vanquisheth and bindeth that strong one and spoileth his house then he beginneth to rage in deede And this is an infallible token that the doctrine which we professe is of God. For else as it is sayd in the 40. of Iob that Behemoth vvould lie hid vnder the trees in the couert of the reede and fennes But now that he rangeth about like a roring Lion stirreth vp such hurly burleis it is a manifest token that he feeleth the power of our preaching When Paule sayth They are ielous ouer you but amisse he sheweth by the way who are the authors of sectes to witte those ielous spirits which in all times ouerthrow the true doctrine and trouble the publike peace For these being stirred vp with a peruerse zeale imagine that they haue a certaine singuler holines modestie patience and doctrine aboue others therfore they thinke that they are able to prouide for the saluation of all men that they can teach more profound profitable things ordaine better seruice ceremonies then all other teachers besides whom they despise as nothing in coÌ„parison of themselues and abase their authority and corrupt those things which they haue purely taught The false apostles had such a wicked peruerse zeale stirring vp sects not onely in Galatia but also in all the places whersoeuer Paul the other Apostles had preached after the which sectes folowed innumerable offences maruelous troubles For the Deuil as Christ sayth is a lier and a murtherer and therefore he is wont not onely to trouble mens consciences by false doctrine but also to stirre vppe tumultes seditions and warres There are very many in Germanie at this day which are possessed with this kinde of ielousie which pretend great religion modesty doctrine patience and yet in very deede they are rauening wolues who with their hypocrisie seeke nothing else but to discredite vs that the people might esteme loue and reuerence them onely and receaue no other doctrine but theirs Now because these men haue a great opinion of them selues despise other it can not be but that there must needes folow horrible dissentions sectes diuisions and seditions But what should we doe We can not remedy this matter as Paule could not doe in hi time Notwithstanding he gained some which obeyed his admonitions So I hope also that we haue called some backe from the errours of the Sectaries Verse 18. But it is a good thing to loue earnestly alvvayes in a good thing and not onely vvhen I am present vvith you As if he should say I commend you for this that ye loued me so entirely when I preached the Gospel amongst you in the infirmitie of the flesh Ye ought to haue borne the same affection towards me now wheÌ„ I am absent eueÌ„ as if I had neuer departed from you For although I be absent in body yet haue ye my doctrine which ye ought to retain maintain seeing ye receiued the holy ghost through it thinking with your selues that Paule is alwaies present with you as long as ye haue his doctrine I do not therfore reprehend your zeale but I praise it so farre forth I praise it as it is the zeale of God or of the spirite and not of the flesh Now the zeale of the spirite is alwayes good for it is an earnest affection and motion of the heart to a good thing and so is not the zeale of the flesh He commendeth therfore the zeale of the Galathians that therby he may pacifie their mindes and that they may patiently suffer his correction As if he would say Take my correction in good parte for it procedeth not of an angrie but of a sorrowfull heart and
God. Now if the Morall lawe it selfe or the ten commaundementes of God can doe nothing else but gender seruauntes that is to say can not iustifie but onely terrifie accuse condemne and driue mens consciences to desperation how then I pray you shall the lawes of men or the lawes of the Pope iustifie which are the doctrines of Deuils They therefore that teach and sette forth either the traditions of men or the lawe of God as necessary to obtaine righteousnes before God doe nothing else but gender seruauntes Notwithstanding such teachers are counted the best men they obtaine the fauoure of the world and are most frutefull mothers for they haue an infinite number of disciples For mans reason vnderstandeth not what Faith and true godlines is and therefore it neglecteth and despiseth it and is naturally addicted to superstition and hypocrisie that is to say to the righteousnes of workes Nowe because this righteousnes shineth and flourisheth euery where therefore it is as a mighty Emperesse of the whole world They therfore which teach the righteousnes of workes by the lawe beget many children which outwardly seeme to be free and haue a glorious shew of excellēt vertues but in conscience they are seruauntes and bondslaues of sinne therfore they are to be cast out of the house and condemned Contrariwise Sara the freewoman that is to say the true church seemeth to be barren For the Gospell which is the word of the crosse and affliction which the Church preacheth shineth not so brightly as the doctrine of the law and workes and therfore she hath not so many disciples to cleaue vnto her Moreouer she beareth this title that she forbiddeth good workes maketh men secure idle and negligent raiseth vp heresies and seditions and is the cause of all mischeefe and therefore she seemeth to bring no successe or prosperitie but all things seeme to be full of barennes desolation and desperation Therefore the wicked are certenly perswaded that the church with her doctrine can not long endure The Iewes assured themselues that the church which was plāted by the Apostles should shortly be ouerthrowne the which by an odious name they called a Sect. For thus they speake to Paule in the .28 Chapter of that Acts. As concerning this Sect vve knovv that euery vvhere it is spoken against In like maner how often I pray you haue our aduersaries ben deceaued which somewhiles appoynted one time somewhiles an other when we should be certainly destroyed Christ and his Apostles were oppressed but after their death the doctrine of the Gospell was further spred abrode then it was during their life In like maner our aduersaries may oppresse vs at this day but the word of God shall abide for euer How much so euer then the church seeme to be barren and forsaken weake and despised and outwardly to suffer persecution and moreouer be compelled to heare this reproch that her doctrine is heretical and seditious notwithstanding she alone is frutefull before God she gendreth by the ministerie of the word an infinite number of children heires of righteousnes and euerlasting life And although outwardly they suffer persecution yet in spirite they are most free who not onely are iudges ouer all doctrines works but also are most victorious conquerours against the gates of hell The Prophet therefore confesseth that the church is in heauines for else he would not exhort her to reioyce He graunteth that she is barren before the world For else he would not call her barren and forsaken hauing no children but before God he sayth she is fruteful and therfore he biddeth her reioyce As though he would say Thou art in deede forsaken and barren and hast not the law for thy husband and therefore thou hast no children But reioyce for although thou hast not the lawe for thy husband but art forsaken as a virgine that is ready to marry for he will not call her widowe which should haue an husband if she were not forsakē of him or if he were not slaine thou I say which art solitarie forsaken of thy husband the law and not subiect to the mariage of the lawe shalt be a mother of innumerable children Wherefore the people or the Church of the new Testament is altogether without the lawe as touching the conscience and therefore she semeth to be forsaken in the sight of the world But although she seeme to be neuer so barren without the law and without workes yet notwithstanding she is most frutefull before God bringeth forth an infinite nombre of children not in bondage but in freedome By what meanes Not by the lawe but by the word and spirite of Iesus Christ which is geuen by the Gospell through which she conceaueth bringeth forth and nourisheth her children Paule therefore plainly sheweth by this allegory the difference betwixt the law and the Gospell First when he calleth Agar the olde Testament and Sara the newe Againe when he calleth the one a bondmaind the other a freewoman Moreouer when he sayeth that the maried frutefull is become barren and cast out of the house with her children Contrariwise the barren and forsaken is become frutefull bringeth forth an infinite nōber of children those also inheritours By these differences are resembled the two sortes of people of Faith of the law I meane The people of Faith haue not the lawe for their husband they serue not in bondage they are not borne of that mother Ierusalem which now is but they haue the promise they are free and are borne of free Sara He separateth therefore the spirituall people of the new Testament from the other people of the lawe when he sayeth that the spirituall people are not the children of Agar the bondmaid but of Sara the freewoman which knoweth nothing of the law And by this meanes he placeth the people of faith farre aboue and without the law Now if they be aboue and without the law then are they iustified by the spirituall birth onely which is nothing else but Faith and not by the lawe or by the workes thereof Now as the people of grace neither haue nor can haue the lawe so the people of the lawe neither haue nor can haue grace for it is impossible that the lawe and grace should stand together Therfore we must be iustified by faith lose the righteousnes of the law or else be iustified by the law and lose the righteousnes of Faith. But this is a fowle and a lamētable losse to lose grace and to returne to the lawe Contrariwise it is an happie and blessed losse to lose the lawe and lay hold of grace We therefore folowing the example and diligence of Paule doe endeuour as much as is possible to set forth plainly the difference betwixt the lawe and the Gospell which is very easie as touching the wordes For who seeth not that Agar is not Sara and that Sara is not Agar
quieted VVhat peace Paule vvisheth to Christians Psal. 2.2 Iohn 10.23 Iohn 14.27 Peace of the vvorld The grace of te vvorld VVhy this is added and froÌ„ our Lord Iesus Christ Exod. 23 â—0 That Meritemongers or such as seeke to iustifie theÌ„ selues by theÌ„ selues shutte out Christ and vvill only haue to doe vvith God. The Alcoran is a boke containing the Turkes religion receaued froÌ„ Mahomet a false prophet that vvas among them The vvill of God is to be sought in Christ 1. Cor. 1.21 The fall of Lucifer VVhat God is in his ovvne nature 1. Cor. 1.13 VVhere the vvil of God is to be sought Iob. 36.23 24.25 Esaias 2 10. Prouerb 25 27. 2 Esdras 12 4. 2 Esdras 13.52 Eccles 3 22. Rom. 12 3. Io. 14 6. Christ the vvay the truth and the life The afflicted conscience vvrestling vvith the iudgment of God by faith onely in Christ is comforted Mat. 11 28. Coloss 2 3.2 9. Mat. 11.27 Io. 10.15 Genes 28.12 Christian diuinitie beginneth at Christ lying in the lappe of the virgine Mary Io. 1.18 Christ God. The deuill an aduersarie to faith 1. Iohn 5.4 The povver of the father and of Christ equall Esaias 42.8 Hovve Christ giueth grace and peace The vvorks of Christ are diuine and proper to God. One and the self same Godhead of the father and of the sonne Arrians Mahomet The vvorkes of Christ VVhich hath geuen himself Iohn 1.36 The greatnes of sin is to be vveied by the greatnes of the price Rom. 17 14. Sinne a puisaÌ„t tiraunt holding all men captiues The iudgemeÌ„t of the Godly A great vehemencie alvvayes to be marked in pronovvnes Mans reason doth extenuate and lessen sinne The hypocrits vvould that these vvordes vvere rather spoken to shevv the humilitie of Paul then the greatnes of our sinnes for that they can not heare The picture of the Iusticiaries and meritmongers Luke 1â— 11 The cheefe vvisedom of Christians Sinnes against the first table Satan is vvoÌ„t to chauÌ„ge our righteousnes into sinnes Hovv vve must ansvver the deuil reasoning vvith vs. Io. 5.24 Io. 11.25 1 Io. 4.9 Esaias 53.6 Esaias 53.8 The proper and true definition of Christ Galat. 1.4 Ebr. 10.10 Colos 2.14 Let euery man learne to apply this pronovvne our to him selfe The true picture of Christ VVhat snares Sathan layeth for vs. This sentence is diligently to be vrged vvhich gaue him selfe for vs. VVhy Paule doth call this vvorld present and euill Io. 12.31 1. Iohn 5.19 That the vngodly vvith al their gifts doe serue the Deuill They that knovve not Christ the more vvise and righteous they are the more do they hate and persecute the gospell Galat. 1.4 The vvhite deuill Spirituall vvhoredomes the most abhominable Christ only deliuereth vs out of this present euell vvorld The vvorld obayeth his prince the deuill VVhat sinnes are in the vvorld VVhat the vvorld is vvith all his vertues and righteousnes Phil. 3.8 Esay 64.6 The kingdom of the vvorld The kingdom of Christ Colossa 13. Iohn 3.16 Iohn 4.10 Iohn 8.16 It is a great consolation to knovv that Christ is geueÌ„ for vs by the vvill of his father God is a common father both to Christ and to vs. Iohn 10.17 VVhat knees vve ought to bovve vvhen vve mention the name of God. Gal. 1.8.9 Galat. 5.10 Hovve Preachers ought to behaue theÌ„ selues in bringing backe such as are gone astray and falne through vveakenes The studie of Bishopes to maintaine their Lordeship and soueraintie 1 Cor. 10.12 VVhat an hard thing it is to plant a church That vvhich in long time of godly preachers if builded vp of one vvicked teachers is quickly destroied The Church is a most tender thing He speaketh of the Anabaptistes The right picture of fantasticall spirites The churches are ouerthrovvne vvhile the teachers sleepe 1. Peter 5.8 Math. 13.25 Vvhat Hierom vvould that Paule should meane by calling them Galathians The dispositioÌ„ of the Germaines This may vvel be said of vs English men for our heat is sone cooled and that may appeare by our cold proceedings at this day A double exposition vpon this place VVhat good things the doctrine of grace bringeth vvith it The vvorld hateth the light and loueth darknes Io. 1.9.10 VVhat revvard the vvicked vvould repay to Christ for his benefits Io. 1.5 The calling of Christ The vvhite Deuill The blacke Deuill Sathan chauÌ„geth himselfe into an Angel of light The false Apostles condemne Paules doctrine Acts. 15.5 The nature of heretiks liuely painted out The Deuill vvill not be blacke in his Ministers A prouerbe among ths Germains The Deuill doth more hurt on the right hand then on the left Ephes 6.22 The troublers of the church Hovve the false Apostles had slaundered Paule That vngodly teachers condemne and persecute the godly Euery one that teacheth vvorkes is a troubler of mens consciences The Papistes vvorse then the false Apostles amoÌ„g the Galathians Actes 15.1 False Apostles brag of their ovvne doings and dispraise other mens False Apostles trouble and ouerthrovv the gospell of Christ The most vvicked teachers vvould be taken for holy instructers The righteousnes of the lavv and the righteousnes of grace are contrary They that mingle the righteousnes of the lavve and grace together are subuerters of the gospell of Christ The discommodities that follovv the mingling of faith and vvorks together The vehemeÌ„t zeale of Paule against the false Apostles Iosua 6.26 Leuit. 16.29 Exod. 17.14 The Gospell of Paule Acts. 13.2 Rom. 1.2 Deut. 18.15 Act. 3.22 The vehemencie of Paule against the false Apostles An horrible sentence against the Papistes The contents of the tvvo first chapters The reason of the Papists to proue that the Church is aboue the scripture The vvord of God must only be taught in the church VVhat revvard Paule receaued for his paines taking VVhat the ministers of God ought to seeke Ephes 2.3 The summe and effect of the doctrine of the Gospel Psal. 19. â— To teach the things that are of God Iohn 7.7 VVhy the vvorld hateth Christ Iohn 3.19 Signes that testifie Paules doctrine to be true False Apostles seeke to please men Teachers of mens traditions doe please men The revvard of godly teachers The revvard of false and vngodly teachers Mat. 6.2 Io. 5.44 Verse 11. Lies and sclaÌ„ders deuised by the false Apostles against Paule Acts. 16.5 Acts. 18.13 Acts. 21.24 1 Cor. 15.1 Acts. 9.1 The chiefe purpose of Paule in this disputation Paules doctrine vvas not after man. Christ both God and man VVhere Paule receaued the Gospell Acts. 9.71 Verse 1â— The argument of the false Apostles takeÌ„ from the authoritie of the Apostles So great is the vveaknes eueÌ„ of the godly that they are hardli dravvn to Gods promises though they be most certaine The office of the lavv Exod. 19.18 He alludeth to the geuing of the lavv in mount Synai The conflictes of the godly Galat. 5.17 Rom. 7.23 Faith is the gift of God. The cheefe seruice of God. VVhat inconueniences follovv the lothing of Gods vvord ‖
to be vndoubtedly accursed if they teach any thing contrarie vnto the first Gospell For the voice of the Gospell once sent forth shall not be called backe againe til the day of iudgment Verse 9. As vve said before so say vve novv againe if any man preach vnto you othervvise then that you haue receaued let him be accursed He repeteth the selfe same thing onely chaunging the persons Before he cursed him selfe his brethren and an Angell from heauen Here if there be any saith he besides vs which preach vnto you any other Gospell then that ye haue receaued of vs let them also be accursed Therefore he plainly excommunicateth and curseth all teachers in generall him selfe his brethren an Angell moreouer all others whatsoeuer namely all those false teachers his aduersaries Here appeareth an exceeding greate feruencie of spirite in the Apostle that dare curse all teachers thorow out the whole world and in heauen which peruert his Gospel teach any other For all men must either beleue that Gospel that Paule preached or els they must be accursed and condemned O would to God this terrible sentence of the Apostle might strike a feare into their harts that seeke to peruert the Gospel of Paule of which sorte at this day the more it is to be lamented the world is full The chaunging of persons is here to be marked For Paule speaketh otherwise in his first cursing then he doth in this second In the first he saith If vve or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you any other Gospell then that vve haue preached vnto you In the second then that you haue receaued And this he doth of purpose lest the Galathians should say We o Paule do not peruert the gospell that thou hast preached vnto vs we vnderstood thee not rightly but the teachers that came after thee haue declared vnto vs the true meaning therof This saith he wil I in no case admitte They ought to adde nothing neither to correct it but that which you heard of me is the sincere word of God let this onely remaine Neither doe I desire my selfe to be an other maner of teacher then I was nor you other disciples Wherefore if ye heare any man bringing any other Gospel then that ye haue heard of me or bragging that he will deliuer better things then ye haue receaued of me let him and his disciples be both accursed The first two chapters in a maner containe nothing els but defences of his doctrine and confutations of errours For in the ende of the second chapter at the last he beginneth to handle the article of iustification Notwithstanding this sentence of Paule ought to admonish vs that so many as thinke the Pope to be the iudge of holy scripture are accursed Which thinge the Popes Scholemen haue wickedly taught standing vpon this ground The church hath allowed foure Gospels onely therefore there are but foure For if it had allowed more ther had ben more Now seeing the Church might receaue and allowe such and so many Gospels as it would therefore the Church is aboue the Gospell A goodly argument forsoth I approue the scrpture Ergo I am aboue the scripture Iohn Baptist acknowledgeth and confesseth Christ and pointeth to him with his finger therfore he is aboue Christ The Church approueth the Christian faith and doctrine therefore the Church is aboue them For the ouerthrowing of this their wicked and blasphemous doctrine against God thou hast here a plaine text like a thunderbolt wherein Paule subiecteth both him selfe and an Angell from heauen and Doctours vpon earth and all other teachers and maisters whatsoeuer vnder the authoritie of the scripture For they ought not to be maisters iudges or arbiters but onely witnesses disciples and confessours of the Church whether it be the Pope Luther Augustine Paule or an Angell from heauen Neither ought any doctrine to be taught or heard in the Church besides the word of God that is to say the holy scripture Otherwise accursed be both the teachers and hearers together with their doctrine Verse 10. For novve preach I mans doctrine or Gods These words are spoken with the same vehemencie that the former were As if he would say Am I Paule so vnknowen amongest you which haue preached so openly in your churches Are my bitter conflicts and so many sharpe battails against the Iewes yet vnknowne vnto you It appeareth I thinke sufficiently vnto you by my preaching by so many and great afflictions which I haue suffered whether I serue men or God. For all men see that by this my preaching I haue not onely stirred vp persecution against me in euery place but haue also procured the cruell hatred both of mine owne nation and of all other men I shew therefore plainely enough that I seeke not by my preaching the fauour or liking of men but to set forth the goodnes and glory of God. Neither doe we be it spoken without bragge seeke the fauour of men by our doctrine For we teach that all men are wicked by nature and the children of wrath We condenme mans freewill his strength wisedome and righteousnes and all religion of our deuising And to be shorte we say that there is nothing in vs that is able to deserue grace and the forgeuenes of sinnes but we preach that we obtaine this grace by the free mercy of God onely for Christes sake For so the heauens shevv forth the glory of God and his vvorkes condemning all men generally with their works This certes is not to preach for the fauour of men and of the world For the world can abide nothing lesse then to heare his wisedome righteousnes religion and power condemned And to speake against those mighty and glorious gifts of the world is not to flatter the world but rather to procure hatred and indignation of the world For if we speake against men or against any such things as pertaine to their glory it can not be but that cruell hatred persecutions excommunications murthers and condemnations therevpon must needes follow If then saith Paule they see other matters why see they not this also that I teach the things that are of God not of men that is to say that I seeke no mans fauour by my doctrine but I set out Gods mercie offred vnto vs in Christ For if I sought the fauour of men I would not condenme their workes Now for as much as I condemne mens workes that is to say because I shew Gods iudgement out of his word whereof I am a Minister against all men how that they are sinners vnrighteous wicked children of wrath bondslaues of the deuill and damned and that they are not made righteous by works or by circumcision but by grace onely and faith in Christ therfore I procure vnto my selfe the deadly hatred of men For they cā abide nothing lesse than to be taken for such maner of men nay rather they would be
and a defence of his doctrine to the ende of the second chapter This he vrgeth this he standeth vpon with an oth confirmeth it that he learned not his gospel of any man but receaued the same by the reuelation of Iesus Christ And in that he sweareth he is constrained so to do that the Galathians may beleue him and also that they should geue no eare to that false Apostles whō he reproueth as liers because they had said that he learned receaued his gospel of the Apostles Where he sayth that his gospell is not after man he meaneth not that his gospell is not earthly for that is manifest of it selfe and the false apostles bragged also that their doctrine was not earthly but heauenly but he meaneth that he learned not his gospel by the ministerie of men or receiued it by any earthly meanes as we all learne it either by the ministery of men or els receaue it by some earthly meanes some by hearing some by reading and some by writing but he receaued the same onely by the reuelation of Iesus Christ If any man list to make any other distinction I am not against it The Apostle sheweth here by the way that Christ is not onely man but that he is both very God and very man whan he sayth that he receaued not his gospell by man. Now Paule receaued his gospell in the way as he was going to Damascus where Christ appeared vnto him and talked with him Afterwardes also he talked with him in the temple at Ierusalem but he receaued his gospel vpon the way as Luke reciteth the storie in the .9 of the Actes Arise sayth Christ and goe into the Citie and it shall be told thee vvhat thou must doe He doth not bid him goe into the citie that he might learne the gospel of Ananias but Ananias was bid to goe and baptise him to lay his hands vpon him to commit the ministerie of the word vnto him and to commend him vnto the Church and not to teach him the Gospel which he had receaued afore as he glorieth in this place by the onely reuelation of Iesus Christ And this Ananias himselfe confesseth saying Brother Saule the Lord vvhich appeared to thee in the vvay hath sent me that thou mightest receaue thy sight Therfore he receaued not his doctrine of Ananias but being already called lightned and taught of Christ in the way he was sent to Ananias that he might also haue the testimonie of men that he was called of God to preach the gospell of Christ This Paule was constrained to recite to put away the sclaunder of the false Apostles who laboured to bring him into hatred among the Galathians saying that Paule was inferiour to the rest of the Apostles schollers who had receaued of the Apostles that which they taught and kept whose conuersation also they had seene a long time and that Paule him selfe had also receaued the same things of them although he did now deny it Why then would they rather obey an inferiour and despise the authoritie of the Apostles themselues who were not onely the fore elders and teachers of the Galathians but also of al the Churches through out the whole world This argument which the false Apostles grounded vpon the authority of the Apostles was strong mighty wherby the Galathians were sodenly ouerthrowne especially in this matter I would neuer haue beleued had I not ben taught bp these exāples of the Churches of Galatia of the Corinthians others that they which had receaued the word of God in the beginning with such ioy among whom were many notable men could so quickly be ouerthrowne Oh good God what horrible and infinite mischeefes may one onely argument easily bring which so pearceth a mans conscience when God withdraweth his grace that in one moment he loseth altogether By this craftie pretence then the false Apostles deceaued the Galathians being not fully stablished and grounded but as yet weake in the Faith. Moreouer the matter of iustification is brickle not of it selfe for of it selfe it is most sure and certaine but in respect of vs Whereof I my selfe haue good experience For I know in what houres of darknes I sometimes wrastle I know how often sodenly I lose the beames of the gospell and grace as being shadowed from me with thicke and darke cloudes Briefly I know in what a slippery place euen such also do stand as are well exercised and seeme to haue sure footing in matters of faith We haue good experience of this matter For we are able to teach it vnto others and this is a sure token that we vnderstand it But when in the very conflict we should vse the gospell which is the word of grace consolation and life there doth the law the worde of wrath heauines and death preuent the gospell and beginneth to rage and the terrours which it raiseth vp in the conscience are no lesse then was that horrible shew in the mount Synai So that euen one place out of the scripture containing some threatning of the law drowneth and beareth downe all consolations besides and so shaketh all our inward powers that it maketh vs to forget Iustification Grace Christ the gospell and altogether Therfore in respect of vs it is a very brickle matter because we are brickle Againe we haue against vs euē the one halfe of our selues that is to say reason all the powers therof Besides all this the flesh resisteth the spirite which can not beleeue assuredly that the promises of God are true It fighteth therfore against the spirite and as Paule sayth it holdeth the spirite captiue so that it can not beleeue so stedfastly as it would Wherefore we teach continually that the knowledge of Christ and of Faith is no worke of man but simplie the gift of God who as he createth Faith so doth he kepe it in vs And euen as he first geueth Faith vnto vs through the word so afterwardes he exerciseth encreaseth strengtheneth maketh perfect the same in vs by the word Therfore the greatest seruice that a man can doe vnto God the very Sabboth of Sabboths is to exercise him selfe in true godlines diligently to read and to heare the word Contrariwise there is nothing more daūgerous then to be wery of the word He therfore that is so cold that he thinketh him selfe to know enough and beginneth by litle and litle to lothe the word that mā hath lost Christ and the gospel and that which he thinketh him self to know he attaineth onely by bare speculation And he is like vnto a man as S. Iames sayth VVho beholding his face in a glasse goeth his vvay and by and by forgetteth vvhat his countenaunce vvas Wherefore let euery faithfull man laboure and striue with all diligence to learne and to keepe this doctrine And to that ende let him vse humble and hearty prayer with continuall studie and
meditation of the worde And when we haue striuen neuer so much yet shall we haue enough to keepe vs occupied For we haue to doe with no small enemies but strong and mighty and such as are in continuall warre against vs namely our owne flesh all the daungers of the world the law sinne death the wrath and iudgement of God and the Deuill himselfe who neuer ceaseth to tempt vs inwardly by his fierie darts outwardly by his false Apostles to the ende that he may ouerthrow if not all yet the most part of vs. This argument therefore of the false apostles had a goodly shew and seemed to be very strong Which also at this day moueth many namely that the Apostles the holy fathers and their successours haue so taught that the Church so thinketh and beleeueth Moreouer that it is impossible that Christ should suffer his Church so long time to erre Art thou alone say they wiser then so many holy men wiser then the whole church After this maner the deuil being chaunged into an Angell of light setteth vpon vs craftely at this day by certaine pestiferous hypocrites who say We passe not for the Pope nor for the Bishops those great persecutors and contemners of Gods word we abhorre also the hypocrisie deceitfulnes of Monkes such like but we would haue the aucthoritie of holy Church to remaine vntouched The Church hath thus beleeued and taught this long time So haue all the Doctours of the primatiue Church holy men more auncient and better learned then thou Who art thou that darest dissent from all these and bring vnto vs a contrary doctrine When Satan reasoneth thus conspiring with the flesh and reason then is thy conscience terrified and vtterly despaireth vnlesse thou constantly retourne to thy selfe againe and say Whether it be Cyprian Ambrose Augustine either S. Peter Paule or Iohn yea or an Angell from heauen that teacheth otherwise yet this I know assuredly that I teach not the things of men but of God that is to say I attribute all things to God alone and nothing to man. When I first tooke vpon me the defence of the Gospell I remember that Doctor Staupitius a worthy man sayd thus vnto me This liketh me well that this doctrine which thou preachest yeldeth glory and all things else vnto God alone and nothing vnto man for vnto God there can not be attributed too much glory goodnes mercie c. This saying did then greatly comfort and confirme me And true it is that the doctrine of the Gospell taketh from men all glory wisedom righteousnes c. and geueth them to the creatour alone who made all things of nothing We may also more safely attribute too much vnto God then to man For in this case I may say boldly Be it so that the Church Augustine and other Doctours also Peter and Apollo yea euen an Angell from heauen teach a contrary doctrine yet my doctrine is such that it setteth forth and preacheth the grace and glory of God alone and in the matter of saluation it condemneth the righteousnes and wisedom of all men In this case I can not offend because I geue both to God and man that which properly and truely belongeth vnto them both But thou wilt say The Church is holy The Fathers are holy It is true notwithstanding albeit the church be holy yet is it compelled to pray forgeue vs our trespasses So though the fathers be holy yet are they saued through the forgeuenes of sinnes Therfore neither am I to be beleued nor the Church nor the Fathers nor the Apostles no nor an Angell from heauen if we teach any thing against the word of God but let the vvord of God abide for euer For else this argument of the false Apostles had mightely preuailed against Paules doctrine For in deede it was a great matter a great matter I say to set before the Galathians the whole Church with all the companie of the Apostles against Paule alone but lately sprong vp and of small authoritie This was therefore a strong argument and concluded mightely For no man sayth willingly that the Church erreth and yet it is necessary to say that it erreth if it teache any thing besides or against Gods worde Peter the cheefe of the Apostles taught both in life and doctrine besides Gods word therfore he erred and was deceaued Neither did Paule dissemble that errour although it seemed to be but a light fault because he sawe it would turne to the hurt of the whole Church but vvithstoode him euen to his face because he vvalked not after the truth of the Gospell Therefore neither is the Church nor Peter nor the Apostles nor Angels from heauen to be heard vnlesse they bring and teach the pure word of God. This argument euen at this day is not a little preiudiciall to our cause For if we may neither beleeue the Pope nor the Fathers nor Luther nor any other except they teach vs the pure word of God whom shall we then beleeue Who in the meane while shall certefie our consciences which part teacheth the pure word of God we or our aduersaries For they bragge that they also haue the pure worde of God and teach it Againe we beleue not the Papistes because they teach not the word of God neither can they teach it Contrariwise they hate vs most bitterly and persecute vs as most pestilent heretikes and seducers of the people What is to be done in this case Shall it be lawfull for euery fantasticall spirite to teach what him selfe listeth seeing the world can neither heare nor abide our doctrine For although we glory with Paule that we teach the pure Gospell of Christ vnto which not onely the Emperour Pope and the whole world ought to geue credite but also ought gladly and thankfully to receaue and embrace it yea and diligently to prouide that it be taught in euery place and if any should teach the contrary were he the Pope an Apostle or an Angell from heauen to holde him accurssed together with his Gospell yet for all that we profite nothing but are compelled to heare that this our glorying is not onely vaine rash and arrogant but also Deuilish and full of blasphemie But if we abase our selues and geue place to the rage of our aduersaries then both the Papists and Anabaptists waxe proud The Anabaptists wil vaunt the they bring and teach vs some straunge thing which the world neuer heard of before The Papistes will set vp againe and stablishe their olde abhominations Let euery man therfore take hede that he be most sure of his calling and doctrine that he may boldly say with Paule Although vve or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you othervvise then that vvhich vve haue preached vnto you let him be accursed Verse 13. For you haue heard of my conuersation in times past in the Ievvish religion hovv thar I persecuted the Church of God
had not preuailed herein he could neuer haue stopped the mouthes of the false apostles For thus they would haue obiected agaīst him We are as good as Paule we are the disciples of the Apostles as well as he Moreouer he is but one alone and we are many therfore we excell him both in authoritie and in number also Here Paule was constrained to boast to affirme and sweare that he learned not his gospell of any man neither receaued it of the Apostles themselues For his ministerie was here in great daunger and al the churches likewise which had vsed him as their cheefe pastor and teacher The necessitie therfore of his Ministerie and of all the Churches required that with a necessary and holy pride he should vaunt of his vocation and of the reuelation of the Gospell made open vnto him by Christ that their consciences might be thorowly perswaded that his doctrine was the true word of god Here had Paule a waightie matter in hand namely that all the Churches in Galatia might be kept in sound doctrine and to be short the matter was concerning life death euerlasting For if the pure and certaine word of God be once taken away there remaineth no more consolation life or saluation The cause therfore why he reciteth these things is to retaine the Churches still in true doctrine and not to maintaine his own glorie as Porphirie and Iulian doe falsly sclaunder him His purpose is then to shew by this historie that he receaued his gospel of no man Againe that he preached for a certaine time namely the space of three or foure yeares the selfe same Gospel that the Apostles had preached by reuelation from God both in Damascus and Arabia before he had seene any of the Apostles Verse 20. And novve the things vvhich I vvrite vnto you he hold I vvitnes before God I lie not Wherefore addeth he an oth Because he reporteth an history he is constrained to sweare to the ende that the churches might beleue him and also that the false Apostles should not say who knoweth whether Paule speaketh the truth or no Here you see that Paule the elect vessel of God was in so great contempt among his owne Galathians to whom he had preached that it was necessary for him to sweare that he spake the truth If this happened then to the Apostles to haue so mighty aduersaries that they durst despise them and accuse them of lying what maruell is it if the like at this day happen vnto vs which in no respect are worthy to be compared with the Apostles He sweareth therfore in a matter as it seemeth of no weight that he speaketh the truth namely that he taryed not with Peter to learne of him but onely to see him but if you way the matter diligently it is very weighty and of greate importance as may appeare by that is said afore In like maner we sweare after the example of Paule God knovveth that vve lie not c. Verse 21. After that I vvent into the coastes of Syria and Cilicia Syria and Cilicia are countreys neare situate together This is it that he still goeth about to perswade that as well before he had seene the Apostles as after he was alwaies a teacher of the Gospell and that he receaued it by the reuelation of Christ and was neuer any disciple of the Apostels Verse 22 23. For I vvas vnknovven by face vnto the churches of Iudea vvhich vvere in Christ But they heard onely some say he vvhich persecuted in times past novv preacheth the faith vvhich before he destroied And they glorified God. This he addeth for the sequele and continuance of the history that after he had seene Peter he went into Syria and Cilicia and there preached and so preached that he wonne the testimony of all the churches in Iudea As though he would say I appeale to the testimony of all the churches yea euen of those which are in Iudea For the churches doe witnesse not onely in Damascus Arabia Syria and Cilicia but also in Iudea that I haue preached the same faith which I once withstoode and persecuted And they glorifie God in me not because I taught that circumcision and the law of Moses ought to be kept but for the preaching of faith and for the edifying of the churches by my ministery in the Gospell Ye therefore haue the testimony not onely of the people of Damascus and of Arabia but also of the whole Catholike or vniuersall church in Iudea The second Chapter Verse 1. Then fourtene yeares after I vvent vp to Ierusalem PAVLE taught that the Gentiles were iustified by faith onely without the works of the law This doctrine when he had published abroad among the Gentiles he commeth to Antioch and declareth to the Disciples what he had done Then they which had bene trained vp in the old customes of the law rose against Paule with great indignation for that he preached to the Gentiles libertie from the bondage of the law Wherevpon followed greate dissention which afterwards stirred vp new troubles Paule and Barnabas stoode strongly to the truth and testified saying wheresoeuer we preached among the Gentiles the holy Ghost came and fell vpon those which heard the word and this was done through out all the churches of the Gentiles But we preached not circumcision neither did we require the keping of the law but we preached onely faith in Iesus Christ and at this preaching of faith God gaue to the hearers the holy Ghost The holy Ghost therefore doth approue the Faith of the Gentiles without the law and Circumcision For if the preaching of the Gospell and faith of the Gentiles in Christ had not pleased him he had not come downe in a visible shape vpon the vncircumcised which heard the word Seing then by the only hearing of faith he came downe vpon them it is certaine that the holy ghost by this signe hath approued the faith of the Gentiles For it doth not appeare that this was euer done before at the preaching of the law Then the Ievves and many of the Phariseis which did beleue and notwithstanding bare yet a greate zeale to the law earnestly striuing to maintaine the glory thereof sette themselues fiercely against Paule who affirmed that the Gentiles were iustified by faith onely without the works of the lawe contending that the lawe ought to be kept and that the Gentiles ought to be circumcised for otherwise they could not be saued And no maruell for the very name of the lawe of God is holy dreadfull The heathen man which neuer knew any thing of the law of God if he heare any man say This doctrine is the law of God doubtles he is moued How thē could it be but that the Ievves must nedes be moued vehemently contend for the maintenāce of the law of God which euen from their infancie had bene nusled and trained vp therein We see at this day how obstinate the
rent in peeces this beast which is called the opinion of righteousnes Therefore sayeth God by Ieremie his Prophet My vvorde is a hammer breaking rockes For as long as the opinion of righteousnes abideth in man so long there abideth also in him incomprehensible pride presumption securitie hatred of God contempt of grace and mercie ignorance of the promises and of Christe The preaching of free remission of sinnes through Christ can not enter in to the heart of such a one neither can he feele any taste or sauour thereof For that mightie rocke and adamant wall to witte the opinion of righteousnes wherwith the heart is enuironed doth resist it As therefore the opinion of righteousnes is a great and an horrible monster a rebellious obstinate and stiffenecked beast so for the destroying and ouerthrowing thereof God hath neede of a mightie hammer that is to say the lawe which then is in his proper vse and office when it accuseth and discouereth sinne after this sort Beholde thou hast transgressed all the commaundementes of god c and so it striketh a terrour into the conscience so that it feeleth God to be offended and angrie in deede and it selfe to be giltie of eternall death Here the pore afflicted sinner feeleth the intolerable burden of the lawe and is beaten downe euen to desperation so that now being oppressed with great anguish and terrour he desireth death or else seeketh to destroy him selfe Wherefore the lawe is that hammer that fier that mightie strong winde and that terrible earthquake renting the mountaines breaking the rocks that is to say the proud and obstinate hypocrites Elias not being able to abide these terrours of the law which by these things are signified couered his head with his mantell Notwithstanding when that tempest ceased of which he was a beholder there came a soft and a gracious wind in the which the Lord was But it behoued that the tempest of fire of winde and the earthquake should passe before the Lord should reueale him selfe in that gracious winde This terrible shewe and maiestie wherin God gaue his lawe in Mount Sina did represent the vse of the lawe There was in the people of Israel which came out of Egypt a singular holines They gloried and said VVe are the people of God vve vvil doe all those things vvhich the Lord our God hath commaunded Moreouer Moises did sanctifie the people and badde them wash their garments refraine froÌ„ their wiues and prepare them selues against the third day There was not one of them but he was full of holineâ—â—â— The third day Moises bringeth the people out of their tentes to tâ— tâ—â—â—â—rtaine into the sight of the Lord that they might heare his voice Wâ—â—â—â—owed then When the children of Israell did see the horrible shew of the Mount smoking and burning the blacke cloudes and the lightnings flashing vppe and downe in this horrible darknes heard the sound of the truÌ„pet blowing long and waxing lowder and lowder and moreouer when they heard the thundrings and lightnings they were afraid and standing a farre of they say vnto Moises VVe vvill doe all things vvillingly so that the Lord speake not vnto vs lest that vve die and this great fier consume vs Teach thou vs and vve vvill hearken vnto thee I pray you what did their purifying their holines their white garmentes and refraining from their wiues profite them Nothing at all There was not one of them that could abide this presence of the Lord in his Maiestie and glory but all being amazed and shaken with terrour fledde backe as if they had bene driuen by the Deuill For God is a coÌ„suming fier in whose sight no flesh is able to stand The law of God therfore hath properly and peculiarly that office which it had then in Mount Sina when it was first geuen and was first heard of them that were washed righteous purified and chast and yet notwithstanding it brought that holy people into such a knowledge of their owne misery that they were throwne downe euen to death and desperation No puritie nor holines could then helpe them but there was in them such a feeling of their owne vncleanes vnworthines sin and of the iudgement and wrath of God that they fled from the sight of the Lord and could not abide to heare his voice VVhat flesh vvas there euer sayd they that heard the voice of the liuing God speaking out of the middes of the fier and yet liued This day haue vve seene that God talketh vvith man and yet he liueth They speake nowe farre otherwise then they did a litle before when they said We are the holy people of God whom the Lord hath chosen for his owne peculiar people before all the nations vppon that earth We will doe all things which the Lord hath spoken So it hapneth at length to all Iusticiaries who being drunken with the opinion of their owne righteousnes doe thinke when they are out of tentation that they are beloued of God and that God regardeth their vowes their fastings their prayers their wilworks and that for the same he must geue vnto them a singuler crowne in heauen But when that thundring lightning fier and that hammer which breaketh in peeces the rockes that is to say the law of God commeth suddenly vpon them reuealing vnto them their sinne the wrath iudgement of God then the selfe same thing hapneth vnto them which hapned to the Iewes standing at the foote of Mount Sina Here I admonish all such as feare God and specially such as shal become teachers of others hereafter that they diligently learne out of Paule to vnderstand the true and proper vse of the law which I feare after our time wil be troden vnder foote vtterly abolished by the enemies of the truth For euen now whiles we are yet liuing and employ all our diligence to set forth the office and vse both of the lawe and the Gospel notwithstanding there be very few yea euen among those which will be counted Christians and make a profession of the Gospel with vs that vnderstand these things rightly as they should doe What think ye then shall come to passe when we are dead and gone I speake nothing of the Anabaptists of the new Arrians and such other vaine spirites who are no lesse ignorant of these matters then are the Papists although they talke neuer so much to the contrary For they are reuolted from the pure doctrine of the Gospell to lawes and traditions and therfore they teach not Christ They bragge and they sweare that they seeke nothing else but the glory of Christe and the saluation of their brethern and that they teach the word of God purely but in very deede they corrupt it and wrest it to an other sense so that they make it too sound according to their owne imagination Therfore vnder the name of Christe they teach nothing else but their
our Faith that we confesse Christ and his word by the power of the holy Ghost We ought not therfore to dout whether the holy Ghost dwelleth in vs or not but to be assuredly perswaded that we are the temple of the holy Ghost as Paule sayth For if any man feele in himselfe a loue towardes the word of God willingly heareth talketh wryteth thinketh of Christe let that man know that this is not the worke of mans will or reason but the gift of the holy Ghost For it is impossible that these things should be done without the holy Ghost Contrariwise where hatred and contempt of the word is there the Deuill the God of this world raigneth blinding mens heartes and holding them captiue that the Gospell the glory of Christe should not shine vnto them Which thing we see at this day in the most part of the commō people which haue no loue to the word but presumpteously contemne it as though it pertained nothing at all vnto them But who so euer doe feele any loue or desire to the word let them acknowledge with thākfulnes that this affection is powred into them by the holy Ghost For we are not borne with this affection and desire neither can we be taught by any lawes how we may obtaine it but this chaunge is plainly and simply the worke of the right hand of the most highest Therfore when we willingly and gladly heare the word preached concerning Christe the sonne of God who for vs was made mā and became subiect to the law to deliuer vs from the malediction of the law hell death damnation then let vs assure our selues that God by and with this preaching sendeth the holy Ghost into our hearts Wherfore it is very expedient for the Godly to know that they haue the holy Ghost This I say to confute that pernicious doctrine of the Papists which taught that no man can certainly know although his life be neuer so vpright blameles whether he be in the fauour of God or no. And this sentence commonly receaued was a speciall principle and article of Faith in the whole Papacie wherby they vtterly defaced the doctrine of Faith tormented mens consciences banished Christ quite out of the Church darkened and denied all the benefites of the holy Ghost abolished the whole worship of God set vp Idolatrie cōtempt of God and blasphemie against God in mens heartes For he that doubteth of Gods good will towards him and doth not assure him selfe that he is in the fauour of God this man can not beleue that he hath forgeuenes of his sinnes that God careth for him or that he shall be saued Augustine sayth very well and godly that euery man seeth most certainely his owne Faith if he haue Faith. This doe they deny God forbid say they that I should assure my selfe that I am vnder grace that I am holy and that I haue the holy Ghost yea although I liue godly and doe all good workes Ye which are yong and are not infected with this pernicious opinion whervpon the whole kingdom of the Pope is groūded take heede flie from it as from a most daungerous plague We that are old men haue ben trained vp in this errour euen from our youth and haue ben so nusled therein that it hath taken deepe roote in our hearts Therefore it is to vs no lesse labour to vnlearne and forget the same then to learne and lay hold vpon true Faith. But we must be assured out of dout that we are vnder grace that we please God for Christes sake and that we haue the holy Ghost For if any mā haue not the spirite of Christ the same is none of his Wherfore whether thou be a Minister of Gods word or a Magistrate in the common wealth thou must assuredly thinke that thy office pleaseth God but this canst thou neuer doe vnlesse thou haue the holy Ghost But thou wilt say I doubt not but that my office pleaseth God because it is Gods ordinaunce but I doubt of mine owne person whether it please God or no. Here thou must resort to the word of God which teacheth and assureth vs that not onely the office of the person but also the person it self pleaseth god For the person is baptised beleueth in Christ is purged in his bloud from all his sinnes liueth in the communion and felowship of his Church Moreouer he doth not onely loue the pure doctrine of the word but also he is glad and greatly reioyceth when he seeth it aduaunced and the nomber of the faithfull encreased Cōtrariwise he detesteth the Pope all Sectaries with their wicked doctrine according to that saying of the Psalme I hate them that imagine euill things but thy lavve doe I loue We ought therefore to be surely perswaded that not onely our office but also our person pleaseth God Yea whatsoeuer it sayth doth or thinketh particularly the same pleaseth God not for our owne sakes but for Christes sake who was made vnder the law for vs Now we are sure that Christe pleaseth God that he is holy c. For as much then as Christe pleaseth God and we are in him we also please God and are holy And although sinne doe still remaine in our flesh and we also daily fall and offend yet grace is more aboundant and stronger then sinne The mercy and truth of the Lord raigneth ouer vs for euer Wherfore sinne cā not terrifie vs and make vs doutfull of the grace of God which is in vs For Christe that most mighty Giaunt hath quite abolished the law condemned sinne vāquished death and all euils So long as he is at the right hand of God making intercession for vs we can not doubt of the grace and fauour of God towardes vs. Moreouer God hath also sent the spirite of his sonne into our hearts as Paule here sayth But Christe is most certaine in his spirite that he pleaseth god c therefore we also hauing the same spirite of Christe must be assured that we are vnder grace for his sake that is most assured This I haue sayd concerning the inward testimonie wherby a Christian mans heart ought to be fully perswaded that he is vnder grace hath the holy Ghost Now the outward signes as before I haue said are gladly to heare of Christ to preach teach Christ to render thanks vnto him to praise him to confesse him yea with the losse of goodes and life Moreouer to doe our duetie according to our vocatiō as we are able to do it I say in faith ioy c Not to delite in sinne nor to thrust our selues into an other mans vocation but to attend vpon our owne to helpe our needy brother to comfort the heauy harted c. By these signes as by certein effects cōsequēts we are fully assured confirmed that we are in Gods fauour The wicked also do imagine that they haue the same signes but they
And this he doth not without great cause For this pernicious opinion of the lawe that it iustifieth and maketh men righteous before God is deepely rooted in mans reason and all mankinde is so wrapped in it that it can hardly get out And Paul seemeth here to compare those that seeke righteousnes by the lawe vnto oxen that be tied to the yoke to the end he might take from it the glory of iustifying of righteousnes For like as oxen that draw in the yoke with great toile receaue nothing therby but forrage or pasture when they be able to draw the yoke no more are appoynted to the slaughter euen so they that seeke righteousnes by the lawe are captiues and oppressed with the yoke of bondage that is to say with the lawe and when they haue tired themselues a long time in the workes of the lawe with great and greeuous toyle in the ende this is their reward that they are miserable and perpetuall seruaunts And whereof euen of sinne death Gods wrath and of the Deuill Wherefore there is no greater or harder bondage then the bondage of the lawe It is not without cause then that Paule calleth it the yoke of bōdage For as we haue often sayd before the law doth but reueale encrease aggrauate sinne accuse terrify condemne gender wrath and finally it driueth poore consciences into desperation which is the most miserable and most greeuous bondage that can be Rom. 3.4.5 He vseth therefore very vehement wordes For he would gladly perswade them that they should not suffer this importable burden to be layd vpon their shoulders by the false apostles or be entangled againe with the yoke of bondage As if he should say We stād not here vpon a matter of small importance but either of euerlasting libertie or euerlasting bondage For like as freedome from Gods wrath and all euils is not temporall or carnall but euerlasting euen so the bondage of sinne death the Deuill and damnation wherwith all they be oppressed which will be made righteous and saued by the law is not corporall and such as continueth but for a time but euerlasting For such workers of the lawe as goe about to performe and accomplish all things precisely and exactly for of such Paule speaketh can neuer finde quietnes and peace of conscience in this life They alwayes dout of the good will of God towardes them they are alwayes in feare of death of the wrath and iudgement of God and after this life they shal be punished for their vnbeleefe with euerlasting damnation Therefore the doers of the lawe and such as stand altogether vpon the righteousnes and workes thereof are rightly called the Deuils martyrs They take more paines and punish them selues more in purchasing hell according to the prouerbe then the Martyrs of Christe doe in obtaining heauen For they are tormented two maner of wayes First they miserably afflict themselues whilest they liue here by doing of many hard and great workes and all in vaine and afterwardes when they die they reape for a recompence euerlasting damnation Thus are they most miserable Martyrs both in this life and in the life to come and their bondage is euerlasting Cōtrariwise the godly haue troubles in this world but in Christe they haue peace because they beleue that he hath ouercome the world Wherefore we must stand fast in that freedome which Christ hath purchased for vs by his death we must take good heede that we be not entangled againe with the yoke of bondage As it hapneth at this day to the fantasticall spirites who falling away from Faith and from this freedom haue procured vnto them selues here a temporal bondage and in the world to come shall be oppressed with an euerlasting bondage As for the Papistes the most part of them are become at this day plaine Epicures Therfore whiles they may they vse the libertie of the flesh singing this carelesse song Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas That is Eate drinke make good cheare for after this life there is no pleasure But they are the very bondslaues of the Deuill by whom they are holden captiues at his will and pleasure therefore they shall feele this euerlasting bōdage in hel Hetherto Paules exhortation hath bene vehement and earnest but that which foloweth doth farre passe it Verse 2. Behold I Paule say vnto you that if ye be circumcised Christe shall profite you nothing Paule here wonderfully stirred vppe with zeale and feruencie of spirite thundreth against the law circumcision and these thundring wordes proceding of great zeale and indignation the holy Ghost wresteth frō him in saying Behold I Paule c. I I say who know that I haue not receaued the Gospel by man but by the reuelation of Iesus Christe and haue commission and authoritie from aboue to teach and define c. doe tel you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing at all This is a very hard sentence wherby Paule declareth that to be circumcised is as much as to make Christe vtterly vnprofitable not in respect of himselfe but of the Galathians who being deceaued by the subtelties of the false apostles beleued that besides faith in Christe it was needefull for the faithfull to be circumcised without the which they could not obtaine saluation This place is as it were a touchstone wherby we may most certainely and freely iudge of all doctrines workes religions and ceremonies of all men Whosoeuer teach that there is any thing necessary to saluation whether they be Papists Turks Iewes or Sectaries besides Faith in Christe or shall deuise any worke or religion or obserue any Rule tradition or ceremonie whatsoeuer with this opinion that by such things they shall obtaine forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes and euerlasting life they heare in this place the sentence of the holy Ghost pronounced against them by the Apostle that Christe profiteth them nothing Seing Paule durst geue this sentence against the lawe and circumcision which were ordained of God himselfe what durst he not doe against the chaffe and the drosse of mens traditions Wherefore this place is a terrible thunderbolt against all the kingdom of the Pope For all the Priestes Monkes and Heremites that liue in their cloisters I speake of the best of them reposed all their trust and confidence in their owne workes righteousnes vowes and merits and not in Christ whom they most wickedly and blasphemously imagined to be an angrie iudge an accuser and cōdemner And therefore here they heare their iudgement that Christ profiteth them nothing For if they can put away sinnes and deserue forgeuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life through their owne righteousnes and straitnes of life then to what purpose was Christe borne What profite haue they by his death and bloudsheding by his resurrection victorie ouer sinne death and the Deuill seeing they are able to ouercome these monsters by their owne
and peace with them but also we offer our selues to be their seruauntes and to doe for them what so euer we are able If not lette them perish and be cast downe into hell and not onely they but euen the whole world also so that God and his pure word doe remaine For as long as he remaineth life saluation and the faithfull shall also remaine Paule therefore doth well in cursing those troublers of the Galathians and in pronouncing sentence against them to witte that they are accursed with all that they teach and doe and in wishing that they might be cutte of especially that they might be roted out of the church of God that is that god should not gouerne nor prosper their doctrine nor their doings And this malediction procedeth from the holy ghost As Peter also in the .8 of the Actes curseth Simon the Sorcerer Thy money and thou perish together And the holy Scripture oftentimes vseth cursing against such troublers of mens consciences and chiefly in the Psalmes as Psal. 55. Let death come vpon them let them goe quicke into the pitte of corruption Also Let sinners be turned dovvne into hell and all they that forget God. Hitherto Paule hath fortified the place of Iustification with strong and mightie arguments Moreouer to the ende he might omit nothing here and there he hath intermingled chidings praisings exhortations threatnings and such like In the ende he addeth also his owne example namely that he suffereth persecution for this doctrine thereby admonishing all the Faithfull not to be offended nor dismayed when they shall see such vprours Sectes and offences raised vppe in the time of the Gospell but rather to reioyce be glad For the more the world rageth against the Gospell the more the Gospel prospereth and goeth happely forwardes This consolation ought at this day to encourage vs for it is certaine that the world hateth persecuteth vs for none other cause but for that we professe the truth of the Gospell It doth not accuse vs for theft murder whoredom and such like but it detesteth and abhorreth vs because we teach Christe faithfully and purely and geue not ouer the defence of the truth Therfore we may be out of all doubt that this our doctrine is holy and of God because the world hateth it so bitterly For otherwise there is no doctrine so wicked so foolish and pernicious which the world doth not gladly admitte embrace and defend and moreouer it reuerently entertaineth cherisheth and flattereth the professours thereof and doth all that may be done for them Onely the true doctrine of the Gospell life and saluation and the ministers therof it vtterly abhorreth and worketh all the spite that may be deuised against them It is therfore an euident token that the world is so cruelly bent against vs for no other thing but onely because it hateth the word Wherfore when our aduersaries charge vs that ther riseth nothing of this doctrine but warres seditions offences Sectes and other such infinite enormities let vs answere Blessed be that day wherin we may see these things But the whole world is in an vprour And wel done For if the world were not so troubled if the Deuil did not rage and stirre vp such broiles we should not haue the pure doctrine of of the Gospel which can not be preached but these broyles tormoiles must nedes folowe Therefore that which ye count to be a great euill we take to be a speciall happines The Doctrine of good workes Now folow exhortations and precepts of life good works For it is the custome of the Apostles after they haue taught Faith and in structed mens consciences to adde preceptes of good works wherby they exhort that faithfull to exercise the dueties of charitie one towards an other And reason it selfe after a sort teacheth and vnderstandeth this part of doctrine but as touching the doctrine of Faith it knoweth nothing at all therof To the end therfore that it might appeare that Christian doctrine doth not destroy good workes or fight against ciuill ordinaunces the Apostle also exhorteth vs to exercise our selues in good workes and in an honest outward conuersation and to keepe charitie and concord one with an other The world can not therefore iustly accuse the Christians that they destroy good works that they are troublers of the publike peace ciuile honestie c for they teach good works and all other vertues better then all the Philosophers Magistrates of the world because they adioyne Faith with their doings Verse 13. For brethern ye haue bene called vnto libertie onely vse not your libertie as an occasion vnto the flesh but by loue serue one an other As if he would say Ye haue now obtained libertie through Christe that is to say ye be farre aboue all lawes as touching conscience and before God ye be blessed and saued Christ is your life Therfore although the lawe sinne and death trouble and terrifie you yet can they not hurt you nor driue you to despaire And this is your excellent and inestimable libertie Now standeth it you in hand to take good heede that ye vse not that libertie as an occasion to the flesh This euill is common and the most pernicious of all others that Sathan stirreth vp in the doctrine of Faith namely that in very many he turneth this libertie wherwith Christe hath made vs free into the libertie of the flesh Of this the Apostle Iude also complaineth in his epistle There are crept in certaine vvicked mē sayth he vvhich turne the grace of our God into vvantonnes For the flesh is vtterly ignorāt of the doctrine of grace that is to say it knoweth not that we are made righteous not by workes but by Faith onely and that the lawe hath no aucthoritie ouer vs Therfore when it heareth the doctrine of faith it abuseth and turneth it into wantonnes and by and by thus it gathereth If we be without law let vs thē liue as we list let vs do no good let vs geue nothing to the nedie and let vs not suffer any euil for there is no lawe to constraine vs or binde vs so to doe Wherfore there is daunger on either side albeit the one is more tolerable then the other If grace or Faith be not preached no man can be saued for it is Faith alone that iustifieth and saueth On the other side if Faith be preached as of necessity it must be the more part of men vnderstand the doctrine of Faith carnally and draw the libertie of the spirite into the libertie of the flesh This may we see in all kinds of life as well of the high as the low All boast themselues to be professors of the Gospell and all bragge of Christian libertie and yet seruing their owne lustes they geue themselues to couetousnes pleasures pride enuie and such other vices No man doth his duetie faithfully no mā charitably serueth
SpeculatioÌ„ is a naked knovvledge vvithout practise Iam. 1.23.24 The doctrine of true godlines is kept by prayer and earnest studie of the vvorde The enemies of the godly The reason vvhich at this day is vsed against vs and preuaileth vvith many The Deuils argument Doctour Staupitius a fauourer of Luthers doctrine vvheÌ„ he began to preach The doctrine of the gospell attributeth all things vnto God and nothing to man. Mat. 1 1â— Neither Angels nor Apostles or any other to be beleued if they teach any thing against the vvord of God. The errour of Peter Galat. 2.11 A chefe argument against vs. A preacher must be sure of his calling and doctrine Galat. 1.8 The zeale of Paule Actes 8.1 Actes 9.12 Actes 16.4 Rom. 9.3 VVhat Paule calleth the traditions of the fathers Phil. 3.5 Phil. 3. â— The first iourney of Paule Paules merite or desert By vvhat deserts vve attaine to grace VVhat maner of Saincts the Deuill loueth Iohn Hus. Publicans and sinners are farre better then merit-mongers Our desert The Papistes a bloudy generation By vvhat deserts vve attaine grace 2 Pet. 1. â— Mat. 12.45 The deserts of S. Paule Paules doctrine The definition of the Gospel 1 Cor. 1.30 The craftie Sophists haue turned the Gospell into the lavve of loue and Christ into Moses Heb. 10.10 The Gospell is not learned by any studie of man but is taught from aboue of God. Acts. 9.4 Paule is the Apostle of the Gentiles Ro. 15.15.16.17 Paules diuinitie The office of Paule to the Gentiles The confutation of the argument of the false Apostles Paule became all things to all men 1. Cor. 9.20 VVhy Paule glorieth so much that he hath not learned his gospel of any man. Paule svveareth The testimony of all the churches in Iudea for Paule Paules doctrine Contention of such as vvere turned from the Ievves against Paule Acts. 15.89 The declaration of Paule and Barnabas as touching those things vvhich vvere done among the Gentiles VVhat they aunsvvere to Paule in this disputation vvhich are so earnest for the lavve They that vvere conuerted from among the Ievves hardly forsooke the lavve Custome is a double nature God alvvayes beareth vvith the infirmities of his people 1 Reg. 8.21 Exod. 34.6.7 VVhat they had to say for themselues that resisted Paule Paule taketh vnto him vvitnesses Barnabas and Titus Barnabas Not as hauing any soueraintie othervvise then an Euangelist or chiefe of the eldershippe of the churches 1 Tit. 1.5 Paule so defendeth the gospel that he vvill haue all things geue place vnto it Actes 13 3â— The question that vvas haÌ„dled in the meting of the Apostles * The practise of the church in the time of the Apostles as touching Synodes and conferences teach vs novv to vse the same vvhen vve haue any controuersie VVhy Paule sayth lest I had run in vaine VVhat vvas decreed in this conference Hovv Paule refused circumcision 1. Cor. 7.18 Hovv vve teach fasting and other Christian exercises novv a dayes VVhat vvas determined in that meting of the Apostles Actes 15. â—0 VVhy Paule vvould not suffer Titus to be circumcised The obstinate aduersaries defend their vvicked blasphemies by tyrannie and violence Math. 6.9.10 The victorie of Paule against the fals Apostles 1. Cor. 8.8 The Pope putteth righteousnes in the keping of his traditioÌ„s and damnation in breaking of them The gospell of the false apostles The gospell of the Pope and other heretikes the Anabaptistes Verse 7. Of preachers vvhich preach Christ corruptly The truth of the gospell vvhat it is The corruptioÌ„ of the gospell The doctrine of the Papistes concerning faith The obiect of reason The obiect of faith is the thing vvhervnto the eie of faith loketh vvhich is Christ Faith adorned vvith charity True faith Sleights practised of the false apostles against Paule * These be the corruptions vvhich Luther here sayth that he tolerateth more then he ought to do but the safest vvay is quite to reiect them The Popes thunderbolts It is a point of true godlines to be stout against the merit-mongers for keping our Christian liberty VVhen faith is sound all things are safe The holy obstinacie and stoutnes of the Godly The doctrine of the lavv The doctrine of the Gospel Galat. 2.3 They are to be restrained to such as serue to edification or els vve ought to leaue them VVhy Paule geueth not vnto the apostles any glorious title The argument of the false Apostles against Paule The vvord of God to be preferred before all titles and persons vvhatsoeuer God respecteth no mans person Deut. 10.17 2 Chron. 19.7 Rom. 2.11 Eccles 35.16 Acts. 10.34 Ephes 6.9 Colos 3.26 Iudas Saule Ismaell Esau MaÌ„ regardeth the person Euery creature of God may be called the veile of God because God is as it vvere couered and shadovved vnder it * 1. Cor. 13.12 Deut. 5.10 Mat. 4.4 MaÌ„ trusteth to the veiles of God and not to God himselfe The outvvard veiles are Gods good creatures but vve must not trust in them vvhich is vvicked God suffreth his deare sainctes to fal into great vices that vve shuld not cleaue to their persons * 2. Sam. 11.4.17 * Mat. 26.69 Marke 14.66 Luke 22.55 Iohn 18.25 Men are but men Paule calleth the Apostleship the person of man. The outvvard person is not to be looked vpon in iudgement Deut. 1. VVhat can the Pope othervvise do being Antichrist but take vpon him dominion such as Gods vvord neuer allovved of Marke vvhat seruitude Luther vvas coÌ„tent to endure so that he and others might enioy the liberty of conscience Acts. 4.19 The dominion of the Pope intolerable Rom. â— 9.10 VVhat Paule did in that conference The holy pride of the godly against the Pope VVhyâ—e the godly are proude against the Pope * The Pope is no povver ordeined of God. This is impossible for Antechrist the soÌ„ne of perdition to acknovvledge 1 Cor. 13.7 Loue suffereth all things but faith can beare nothing 2 Pet. 1.4 To Peter is coÌ„mitted the Gospell ouer circumcision and to Paule ouer vncircuÌ„cision Actes 10.17 1. Peter 1.1 Actes 9.20 Mat. 23.9.10 Marc. 16.15 Coloss 1.5.6 Actes 13.1.2 Peter the Apostle of the Ievves and Paule of the Gentiles Actes 9.20 Paule preached also to the Ievves Act. 13.45.46 Math. 10.6 Actes 28 2â— Rom. 1.14 VncircuÌ„cisioÌ„ Circumcision Paule receaueth not his gospel of the other Apostles The Apostles calling equall Equalitie among the Apostles Actes 15.14 The Gospell of Peter mightie Actes 19.11.12 The stoutnes of Paul is not carnall VVhat Paule calleth grace in this place Peter alovveth the ministerie of Paul. Paule and the other Apostles taught all one gospell A good minister must be carefull for the poore Esay 61.1 Math. 11.1 Luke 4.16 The vvorld is forvvard to geue for the maintenaunce of vngodlines but it careth not for Gods ministers Math. 25 3â— The maiestie of this article of iustificatioÌ„ Mar. 10.39 Math. 16.25 It behoueth vs to be obstinate in Gods matter A Christian vvill openly reproue vices in his brother The Prophets and Apostles
11.28 Math. 9.13 Math. 9.2 Iohn 15.33 Luke 19.10 The doers of the lavve doe not the lavve Verse 12. Verse 10. The conscieÌ„ce is not quieted and pacified vvith the obseruation of mans traditions Confidence in vvorks vtterly taketh avvay Faith or at least hindreth it in vs. Iusticiaries meritmongers vvill be recoÌ„pensed for their vvorkes vvith euerlasting life He that receaueth Moises in one poynt must receaue him in all Christians are free from the policie of Moises as touching their conscience Deut. 34. They that seke to be iustified by the lavve deny Christ Gal. 3.14 1. Cor. 1.12 Paule condeÌ„neth not circumcisioÌ„ but to trust in circumcision is that vvhich he condeÌ„neth Christe and the lavve can not dvvell together True Faith. VVe must either forgoe Christ or the lavve Deut. 27.26 The doctrine of the Pope led vs quite avvay from Christ and made him altogether vnprofitable to vs. VVhat daunger it is to seeke righteousnes by the lavve Iohn 3 3â— Iohn 5.18 The Popes kingdom is grounded vpon mens traditions 1. Cor. 4.7 VVhat he loseth thrt falleth from grace Math. 15 1â— Verse 3. Vers 14.25 Rom. 8.24 Rom. 7.15.16.17 Rom. 7.23 The righteousnes of the faithfull standeth not in feeling Faith hope differ in respect of their subiect Exod. 25.20 The differeÌ„ce betvven faith and hope in their office The difference as touching the obiect Difference in order Rom. 5.3.4.5 Difference in vvorking The differeÌ„ce betvven faith and hope in diuinitie is the same that is betvvene fortitude and prudence in policie As soone as vvee begin to lay hold on Christ our enemies the fleâ—h the vvorld the Deuiâ—l rise vp against vs but hope vvrâ—sâ—lâ—th against them all Psal. 116.10 Rom. 15. â— Rom. 5.1 Rom. 1.24 The true knovvledge of Christ is not vvithout the crosse Faith. Hope Charitie of loue 1. Cor. 13 1â— VVhatsoeuer the vvorld estemeth to be good and holy vvithout Christe is sinne A svvete consolation in anguish trouble of conscience Psal. 51.17 Psal. 51. Our righteousnes consisteth not in feeling but in beleuing Ephes 5. â—6 Rom. 5.8 Rom. 5.34 Rom 14.9 1. Cor. 15.3 Esay 66.2 Math. 11.28 Esay â—2 3 The treasure of the Faithfull 2. Cor. 6.7.10 A true and a liuely Faith. Paul shutteth all hypocrites out of the church of God both on the right hand on the left The vvhole life of a Christian The christian life is a course or a race That vvhich seemeth to vs to creepe runneth svviftly in Gods sight Math. 5.4 Luke 6.21 Rom. 8.28 Galath 3.1 False doctrine bevvitcheth men Falling in doctrine cometh of the Deuil The authority of the false apostles A consolation for them vvhich conceaue a false opinion of Christe Christe is set out in the Scriptures as a gift and as an example Coloss 2.3 1. Cor. 1.30 Rom. 10.4 To vvhom Christ must be set out as a gift and to vvhom as an example Math. 11.28 Iohn 6.27 Math. 3.17 1. Pet. 1.17 Coloss 1.13 The false apostles misreported Paule to the churches Doctrine and life must be separate farre a sunder The doctrine of Faith. Luke 11.34 Luke 11.36 Iam. 2.10 Charitie suffereth all thiÌ„gs but Faith suffreth nothing 1. Cor. 13. â— Charitie may be deceaued but faith cannot VVhen vve must exercise charitie and vvhen not VVhether vve may trust vnto men VVicked teachers are troublers of mens consciences The aucthoritie of the false apostles Galath 1.8 â— The differeÌ„ce betvvixt doctrine life No errour in the doctrine of Faith. Actes 13.50 Actes 17.4 The false apostles enemies of the crosse of Christ Gal. 6.12 The doctrine of Faith. 1. Cor. 1.17 2. Pet. 1.11 The church is in best case most flouriâ—heth vnder the crosse Esay 3â— 17 * He meaneth that God somtimes in punishing shevveth him selfe as though it vvere not he but Satan and contrarivvise Satan vvhen he flattereth shevveth him self as though he vvere God and not Satan Esay 53.12 The vvorld hath no pitie vpoÌ„ the godly Iohn 16.2.3 VVhat the vvorld loketh for by the death of the godly Math. 5.10 Marke 9.10 Luke 14.34 Actes 5.41 1 Pet. 3.14 1. Pet. 4.14 Luther vvil be at no vnitie vvith the enemies of the Gospell The Gospell setteth forth the glory of God and discloseth the craftes of the Deuill Math. 5.12 Paul vvisheth that the false apostles vvere cutte of VVhether it be lavvful for Christians to curse Galath 1.3.4 The Maiestie of Gods vvord is highly to be aduaunced Actes â— 20.21 Psal. 54.5 Psal. 55.15 * As Corah Dathan and Abiron Paules example in suffering VVhat the vvorld condemneth in godly teachers An obiection The Apostles after the doctrine of faith adde precepts of good life Philip. 1.21 Iude. 1.4 Carnall men vnderstaÌ„d not the doctrine of Faith. The saying of the vvicked The greatest part of men vnderstaÌ„d the doctrine of Faith carnally The profite of tentations 1. Pet. 2.16 The godly are free accordiÌ„g to the spirite but bond seruaunts according to the flesh Gal. 5.17 Carnall men abuse Christian libertie Christian libertie must be taught though men abuse it Coloss 1 1â— They vvhich vnderstaÌ„d the Christian libertie serue one another through loue 1. Cor. 3 11.1â— Leuitis 19 1â— MeritmoÌ„gers hypocrites vnderstaÌ„d not the doctrine of faith and of good vvorks 1. Cor. 3.12.15 Galath 4 1â— Reason is naturally delited vvith superstition No maÌ„ loueth his neighbour as himselfe Naturall corruption superstition remaining in the faithfull A saying of Hierome Paul teacheth good vvorks and condemneth euill vvorkes 1. Sam. 31.6 Math. 12.3 â—â— Math. 22 2â— Ephes 1.2 A brief summe of all Moises lavves The shortnes of the doctrin of all true christianitie To serue our neighbour through charitie A description of an hypocrite Charitie the bright sunne of all good vvorkes A briefe exposition of this commaundement Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Hovv our neighbour ought to be loued Charitie a singular vertue VVho is our neighbour The coÌ„maundement of charitie 1. Cor. 13.7 The doctrine of faith and charitie the shortest and longest The vvay hovv to kepe concord The ende of the authors of vvicked opinions Hovv the doctrine of faith and of vvorks is to be taught An obiection Galat. 2.16 Galat. 3.10 Arguments from precept to vvorke So euill consequence of the Sophisters It is vvrytteÌ„ therfore it is done The Loue of our selfe corrupt Sinne is not here layed to our charge because of our Faith in Christe 1. Cor. 13 1â— Charitie can not pacifie God. Apoc. 21.27 Esay 53.9 1. Pet. 2.22 1. Iohn 3.2 * He alludeth to the place of Exodus Chapt. 13.21 1. Cor. 13.12 Faith adorned vvith charitie is the papistes righteousnes Rom. 1.23 Deut. 6.5 Math. 22 3â— Marke 12 2â— Luke 10.27 Perfect loue God first loued vs. 1. Iohn 4.10 Galath 2 4. Galath 4.4.5 Galath 5.17 Desires and lustes of the flesh euen in the godly To vvalke in the spirite VVhat the coÌ„cupiscence or lust of the flesh is after Paule Beleuers are both sinners righteous Hierome The
somewhat from Zuinglius sticking to nere to the letter yet he ioyneth not so with the Papist that he leaueth there any transubstantiation or idolatrie Wherefore the matter being no greater then so nor directly against any article of our crede let not vs be so nice for one litle wart to cast away the whole body It were doutlesse to be wished that in good teachers and preachers of Christ there were no defect or imperfection But he that can abide nothing with his blemish let him if he can name any Doctor or writer the scripture onely except greke or latin old or new either beyond the Alpes or on this side the Alpes or him selfe also what so euer he be which hath not erred in some sentence or in some exposition of holy scripture But if he can not so doe then let him learne by him selfe to beare with other to take the best and leaue the worst although there is no such matter in this booke to be feared forasmuch as we hauing a respect to the simple haue purposely spūged out and omitted such stumbling places being but few which might offend and to geue God thankes for any thing that is good and namely for this which he hath geuen to vs by Luther in opening to vs his grace mercy and good will in his Sonne so excellently through the preaching of this man who if he had not taught the difference betwene the lawe and the gospell and set out to vs our iustification victory and libertie by faith onely in Christ so plainely so plentifully and so assuredly as he hath done who euer durst haue bene so bold to open his mouth in such wordes or so confidently to stand in this doctrine of faith and grace For if there haue bene since the time of Luther and be yet some which openly defend that workes be necessary to saluation where he before so mightely hath taught the contrary what then would these haue done if Luther had not bene who also did forewarne vs of the same prophesying that after his time this doctrine of iustification would be almost extinguished in the church as in certaine places experience beginneth partely to proue Wherefore so much as the Lord shall geue vs grace let vs hold constantly the comfortable doctrine of faith and iustification not lose that the Lord so freely hath geuen calling vppon the Lord with all obedience and diligence to geue vs grace with S. Paule not to refuse the grace whiche he bestoweth vppon vs nor to be offended with this ioyfull doctrine as many be And therefore as our duty was for our part to set it abroade so our counsell is no lesse to euery studious reader thereof to pray for grace rightly to vnderstād that he readeth For els vnlesse the special grace of Christ doe helpe hard it is to flesh and blood to comprehend this mysticall doctrine of faith onely So straūge it is to carnall reason so darke to the world so many enemies it hath that except the spirite of God from aboue doe reueale it learning can not reach it wisedome is offended nature is astonied deuilles doe not knowe it men doe persecute it Briefely as there is no way to life so easie so is there none so hard Easie to whom it is geuen from aboue hard to the carnall sense not yet enspired The ignoraunce whereof is the roote of all errours sectes and diuisions not onely in all christendome but also in the whole world The Iewe thinketh to be saued by his Moses lawe the Turke by his Alcoran the philosopher by his morall vertues Besides these commeth an other sort of people not so ill as the Iewe nor so hethen as the philosopher but hauing some part of both which refuse not vtterly the name of Christ but with Christ doe ioyne partely the law of Moses partely the morall and naturall discipline of philosophy and partely their owne ceremonies and traditions to make a perfect way to heauen And these here in this commentary are called papists of the Pope their author being diuided within themselues more then into an hundreth diuers sectes orders and professions of Cardinales Frears Monkes Nunnes Priestes Heremites and other votaries All which seeme to springe vp of no other cause but onely vppon ignorance of this doctrine And no meruell For take away this doctrine of iustification by faith onely in Christ and leaue a man to his owne inuentions what ende will there be of newe deuises Such a perilous thing is it to erre in the first fundation whereuppon the higher ye build the greater is the fall And yet such builders are not without their proppes to hold vppe their workemanship of workes against this doctrine of iustifying faith pretending for their defence the testimonie of S. Iames where he seemeth to attribute iustification to workes and not to faith onely Touching which matter of iustification for as much as in the sequele of this treatise the author hath discoursed vpon the same at large it shall not be much needefull to vse many wordes at this present This briefely may suffice by way of preface in a word or two to aduertise the christian reader who so taketh in hand with profite and iudgement to reade this booke that in him two things are specially to be required First to reade it wholy togeather and not by peeces and partes here and there but to take it in order as it lyeth conferring one place with an other wherby to vnderstand the better the right meaning of the writer howe and in what sense he excludeth good workes and howe not howe he neglecteth the law and how he magnifieth the lawe For as in case of iustifying before God the free promise of the gospell admitteth no condition but faith onely in Christ Iesu so in case of dutifull obedience Luther here excludeth no good works but rather exhorteth thereunto and that in many places Thus times and cases discretly must be distincted The second thing to be required is that in reading hereof he that seketh to take frute hereby doe bring such a mind with him to the reading as the author him selfe did to the preaching therof that is he had neede to haue his senses exercised somewhat in such spirituall conflictes and to be well humbled before with the feare of God and inward repentance or els he shal hardly conceaue the excellent swetenes either of this writer or any other For albeit most true it is that no greater comfort to the soule of man can be found in any booke next to the holy scripture then in this commentary of M. Luther so this comforte hath litle place but onely where the conscience being in heauines hath neede of the phisicions hand The other who feele thēselues whole are not touched in soule with any sorowe as they litle care for these bookes so haue they litle vnderstandinge of this doctrine when they reade it And this is the cause in my mind why the Pope his papistes
the world as we see at this day in the Anabaptists alone In whom Sathan breathing out as it were the last blast of his kingdom through horrible vproures setteth them euery where in such a rage as though he would by them sodenly not only destroy the whole world with seditions but also by innumerable sectes swallow vp and deuoure Christ wholy with his Church Against the liues and opinions of others he dothe not so rage to wit against whoremōgers theues murtherers periured persons rebels against God vnbeleuers No to these rather he geueth peace and quietnesse these he maintaineth in his court with all manner of pleasures and delites and geueth to them all things at will Euen like as sometime in the beginning of the church he did not onely suffer all the idolatries and false religiōs of the whole world to be quiet and vntouched but also mightely maintained defended and nourished the same But the church religion of Christ alone he vexed on euery side After this permitting peace and quietnes to many heretikes he troubled only the catholike doctrine Euen so likewise at this day he hath no other busines in hand but this onely as his owne and alwaies proper vnto him selfe to persecute and vexe our Sauiour Christ which is our perfect righteousnes without our workes as it is writen of him Thou shalt treade vpon his heele But I doe not set forth these my meditations so much against these men as for my brethren which will either shew them selues thankfull in the Lord for this my trauell or els will pardon my weakenes and temeritie But of the wicked I would not in any wise they should be liked or allowed but rather that therby both they and their God might be the more vexed seeing with my greate trauell they are sette forth onely for suche as S. Paule writeth this Epistle vnto that is to say the troubled afflicted vexed tempted for they onely vnderstande these thinges and miserable Galathians in the Faithe Who so are not such let them heare the papistes monkes anabaptistes and such other maisters of profound wisdome and of their owne religion and let them stoutly contemne our doctrine and our doinges For at this day the papistes and anabaptistes conspire together against the church in this one point though they dissemble in wordes that the worke of God dependeth vpon the worthines of the person For thus do the Anabaptistes teach that baptisme is nothing except the person doe beleeue Out of this principle must needes follow that all the workes of God be nothing if the man be nothing But baptisme is the worke of God and yet notwithstanding an euell man maketh it not to be the worke of god Moreouer hereof it must follow that matrimonie authoritie libertie and bondage are the workes of God but because men are euill therfore they are not the workes of god Wicked men haue the sunne the moone the earth the water the aire and all suche other creatures subiect vnto them but because they be wicked and not godly therfore the sunne is not the sunne the moone the earth the water are not that which they are The Anabaptistes them selues had bodies and soules before they were rebaptised but because they were not godly therefore they had not true bodies and true soules Also their parentes were not lawfully married as they graunt them selues because they were not rebaptised therefore the Anabaptistes them selues are all bastards and their parentes were all adulterers and whoremongers and yet they doe inherite their parents landes and goods although they graunt thē selues to be bastardes and vnlawfull heires Who seeth not here in the Anabaptistes men not possessed with Deuills but euen Deuills them selues possessed with worse Deuills The Papistes in like manner vntill this daie doe stande vpon workes and the worthines of man contrary to grace and so in wordes at the least doe strongly assist their brethren the Anabaptistes For these Foxes are tied together by the tailes although by their heades they seeme to be contrary For outwardly they pretende to be their greate enemies when as inwardly notwithstanding they thinke teache and defend in deede all one thinge against our Sauiour Christ who onely is our righteousnes Let him therefore that can holde fast this one article and let vs suffer the rest which haue made shipwracke thereof to be carried whether the sea and windes shall driue them vntill either they returne to the ship or swimme to the shore The conclusion and ende of this complaint is to hope for no quietnes or ende of complaint so long as Christ and Belial doe not agree One generation passeth and an other commeth If one heresie die by and by an other springeth vp for the Deuill doth neither slumber nor sleepe I my selfe which though I be nothing haue bene now in the ministery of Chrst about .xx. yeares can truly witnesse that I haue bene assayled with moe then .xx. sectes of the which some are already destroyd other some as the partes and membres of wormes or bees that are cut asunder doe yet pant for life But Satan the God of all dissention stirreth vp daily new sectes and last of all which of all other I should neuer haue foreseene or once suspected he hath raised vp a secte of such as teach that the ten commaundementes ought to be taken out of the church and that men should not be terrefied with the lawe but gentely exhorted by the preaching of the grace of Christ that the saying of the Prophet Micheas might he fulfilled Let none rebuke or reproue an other They shall not prophecie vnto them As though we were ignorant or had neuer taught that afflicted and broken spirites must be comforted by Christ but the hard harted Pharises vnto whom the grace of God is preached in vaine must be terrified by the lawe And they them selues also are forced to deuise imagine certaine reuelations of Gods wrath against the wicked vnbeleuers As though the lawe were or could be any thing els but a reueiling of Gods wrath against impietie Such is the blindnes and pride of these men which euen by their owne iudgement doe condemne them selues Wherefore it behoueth the ministers of Gods word to be surely perswaded if they will be accounted faithfull and wise in the day of Christ that the word of S. Paule is not spoken in vaine or prophecied of a matter of no importance to witte that there must be heresies that they vvhich are proued may be knovvne Yea I say let the minister of Christ knowe that so long as he teacheth Christ purely there shall not be wanting peruerse spirites yea euen of our owne and among our selues which shall seeke by all meanes possible to trouble the church of Christ And herewithal let him comfort him selfe that there is no peace betvvene Christ and Beliall or betvvene the seede of the serpent and the seede of the vvoman Yea let
require to all manner of burdens and daungers of this present life because he knoweth that this is the will of God that this obedience is acceptable vnto him Thus farre as concerning the argument of this Epistle which S. Paule hath taken in hand to entreate of taking occasion of false teachers which had darkened this righteousnes of faithe amongst the Galathians against whom he commendeth his authority and office The first Chapter Verse 1. Paule an Apostle not of man neither by man but by Iesus Christ and God the father vvhich hath raised him from the dead NOwe that we haue declared the argument and summe of this Epistle to the Galathians we thinke it good before we come to the matter it selfe to shewe what was the occasion that S. Paule wrote this Epistle He had planted among the Galathians the pure doctrine of the gospell and the righteousnesse of faith but by and by after his departure there crept in certaine false teachers which ouerthrew all that he had planted and rightly taught among them For the Deuill can no otherwise doe but furiously impugne this doctrine with all force and subteltie neuer resteth whilest he seeth one sparke therof remaining We also for this onely cause that we preach the gospel do suffer of the world the deuill his ministers bothe on the left hand and on the right all the mischeefe that they can worke against vs. For the gospell is such a doctrine as teacheth a farre higher matter then is the wisedome righteousnes and religion of the world that is to say free remission of sinnes through Christ c. It leaueth these things in their degree to be as they are and commendeth them as the good creatures of god But the world preferreth these creatures before the creator and moreouer by them would put away sinne be deliuered from death deserue euerlasting life This doth the gospel condemne Contrariwise the world can not suffer those things to be condemned which it most esteemeth and best liketh of and therfore it chargeth the gospel that it is a seditious doctrine and full of errors and that it ouerthroweth common wealthes countreis dominions kingdomes and Empires and therfore offendeth both against God the Emperour abolishâ—â—h lawes corrupteth good manners and setteth all men at libertie to doe what they list Wherfore the world in his moste feruent zeale and high seruice of God as to him it seemeth persecuteth this doctrine and abhoreth the teachers and professors therof as the greatest plague that can be in the whole earth Moreouer by the preaching of this doctrine the deuill is ouerthrowne his kingdome is destroyed the lawe sinne and death wherwith as most mightie and inuincible tyraunts he hath brought all maÌ„kinde in subiection vnder his tyrannie are wrested out of his handes Brefely his prisoners are translated out of the kingdome of darknes into the kingdome of light libertie Should the deuill suffer all this Should not the father of lies employ all his force and subtile policies to darkeÌ„ to corrupt and vtterly to roote out this doctrine of saluation and euerlasting life In deede S. Paule coÌ„plaineth in this and all other his Epistles that euen in his time the deuill shewed him selfe a cuÌ„ning workeman in this businesse We thought good to shewe heere by the way that the gospell is such a doctrine as condemneth all manner of righteousnes and preacheth the onely righteousnes of Christ and to them that embrace the same it bringeth peace of conscience and all good thinges and yet notwithstanding the world hateth and persecuteth it most bitterly I said that the occasion why S. Paule wrote this Epistle was for that by and by after his departure false teachers had destroyed those thinges among the Galathians which he with long and greate trauel had builded And these false Apostles being of the circumcision secte of the Phariseis were men of great estimation and authoritie which bragged among the people that they were of that holy chosen stock of the Iewes that they were Israelites of the seede of Abraham that they had the promises and the fathers and finally that they were the ministers of Christ and the Apostles schollers with whom they had bene conuersant had seene their miracles and perhaps had also wrought some signes or miracles them selues For Christ witnesseth that the wicked also doe worke miracles Moreouer these false Apostles by all the crafty meanes they could deuise defaced the authority of S. Paule saying Why doe ye so highly esteeme of Paule why haue ye him in so great reuerence Forsoth he was but the last of all that were conuerted vnto Christ But we are the disciples of the Apostles were familiarly conuersant with them We haue seene Christ working miracles heard him preache Paule came after vs and is inferior vnto vs and it is not possible that God should suffer vs to erre which are of his holy people the ministers of Christ and haue receaued the holy Ghost Again we are many and Paule is but one and alone who neither was conuersant with the Apostles nor hath seene Christ yea he persecuted the church of Christ a great while Would God thinke ye for Paules sake onely suffer so many churches to be deceaued When men hauing such authoritie come into any countrey or citie by and by the people haue them in greate admiration and vnder this coulour of godlines religion they doe not onely deceaue the simple but also the learned yea and those also which seeme to be somewhat confirmed in the faith especially when they bragge as these did that they are the ofspring of the Patriarks the ministers of Christ the Apostles scollers c. Euen so the Pope at this day when he hath no authoritie of the scripture to defend him selfe withal vseth this one argument contenually against vs The church the church Thinkest thou that God is so offended that for a few heretikes of Luthers secte he will cast of his whole church Thinkest thou that he would leaue his church in error so many huÌ„dreth yeres And this conclusion he chiefly standeth vpon that the church can not be ouerthrowne Now like as many are moued with this argument at this day so in Paules time these false Apostles through greate bragging and setting forth of their owne praises blinded the eies of the Galathians so that Paule lost his authoritie among them his doctrine was brought into suspition Against this vaine bragging and boasting of the false Apostles Paule with greate constancie boldnes setteth his apostolical authority highly coÌ„mending his vocation defending his ministery And although elswhere he neuer doth the like he will not geue place to any no not to the apostles them selues much lesse to any of their schollers And to abate their pharisaical pride and shameles boldnes he maketh mention of the history done in Antiochia where he withstode Peter himselfe Besides this
iudgement of all kindes of doctrine and trades of life It approueth establisheth ciuill gouernment houshold gouernment and all kindes of life that are ordained and appoynted of god It rooteth vp all doctrines of errour sedition confusion and such like and it putteth away the feare of sinne and death and to be short it discouereth all subtile slights and works of the Deuill and openeth the benefits and loue of God towards vs in Christ What with a mischiefe meanes the world to hate this word this glad tidings of euerlasting comfort grace saluation and eternall life so bitterly and to persecute it with such hellish outrage Paule before called this present world euill and wicked that is to say the Deuils kingdome For els it would acknowledge the benefite and mercie of God but forasmuch as it is vnder the dominion of the deuill it doth therefore carelesly and desperatly despise persecute these things louing darknes errours and the kingdome of the Deuill more then the light truth kingdome of Christ And this it doth not through ignorance or errour but through the malice of the deuill Which thing hereby may sufficiently appeare in that Christ the sonne of God by giuing him selfe to death for the sinnes of all men hath gained nothing els of this froward and forlorne world but that for this his inestimable benefite it blasphemeth him and persecuteth his most healthfull word and faine would yet still naile him to the crosse if it could Therefore not onely the world dwelleth in darkenes but it is darkenes it selfe as it is written in the first of Iohn Paule therfore amplifieth these words From Christ vvho hath called you As though he would say My preaching was not of the hard lawes of Moses neither taught I that you should be bondslaues vnder the yoke but I preached the onely doctrine of grace and freedome from the lawe sinne death the deuill and damnation That is to say that Christ hath mercifully called you in grace that ye should be freemen vnder Christ and not bōdmen vnder Moses whose Disciples ye are now become againe by meanes of your false Apostles who by the lawe of Moises called you not vnto grace but vnto wrath to the hating of God to sinne and death But Christes calling bringeth grace and sauing health For they that be called by him in stede of the lawe that worketh sorrow doe gaine the glad tidings of the Gospel and are translated out of Gods wrath into his fauour out of sinne into righteousnes and out of death into life And will you suffer your selues to be carried yea and that so soone and so easily an other way from such a liuing fountaine full of grace and and life Now if Moses call men to Gods wrath and to sinne by the law of God whither shall the Pope call men by his owne traditions The other sense that the father calleth in the grace of Christ is also good but the former sense concerning Christ serueth more fitly for the comforting of afflicted consciences Verse 6 Vnto an other Gospell Here we may learne to espie the craftie sleights and subtilties of the Deuill No heretike commeth vnder the title of errours and of the Deuill neither doth the Deuill himselfe come as a Deuill in his owne likenes especially that white Deuill which we spake of before Yea euen the blacke deuill which forceth men to manifest wickednes maketh a cloke for them to couer that sinne which they committe or purpose to committe The murtherer in his rage seeth not that murther is so greate and horrible a sinne as it is in deede for that he hath a cloke to couer the same Whoremasters theeues couetous persons drunkards and such others haue wherwith to flatter them selues and couer their sinnes So the blacke deuill also commeth out disguised and counterfet in all his works and deuises But in spirituall matters where Sathan commeth forth not blacke but white in the likenes of an Angell or of God him selfe there he passeth himselfe with most craftie dissimulation and wonderfull sleights and is wont to set forth to sale his most deadly poison for the doctrine of grace for the word of God for the Gospell of Christ For this cause Paule calleth the doctrine of the false Apostles Sathans ministers a gospell also saying vnto an other Gospell but in derision As though he would say ye Galathians haue now other Euangelistes and an other Gospell My Gospell is now despised of you it is now no more in estimation among you Hereby it may easily be gathered that these false Apostles had condemned the Gospell of Paule among the Galathians saying Paule in deede hath begunne well but to haue begunne well it is not enough for there remaine yet many higher matters Like as they say in the .15 of the Acts It is not enough for you to beleue in Christ or to be baptised but it behoueth also that ye be circumcised For except ye be circumcised after the lavv of Moses ye can not be saued This is asmuch to say as Christ is a good workman which hath in deede begunne a building but he hath not finished it for this must Moses doe So at this day when the fantasticall Anabaptistes and others can not manifestly condemne vs they say These Lutherans haue the spirite of fearefulnes they dare not franckly and freely professe the truth and goe thorow with it In deede they haue laid a foundation that is to say they haue well taught faith in Christ but the beginning midle and end must be ioyned together To bring this to passe God hath not giuen it vnto them but hath left it vnto vs So these peruerse and deuelish spirits set out and aduaunce their owne wicked preachings calling them the word of God and so deceaue many vnder the colour of Gods name For the Deuill will not be ougly and blacke in his ministers but faire and white And to the end he may appeare to be such a one he setteth out and decketh all his words and works with the colour of truth and with the name of God. Hereof is sprong that common prouerbe among the Germains In Gods name beginneth all mischiefe Wherefore let vs learne that this is a speciall point of the deuils cunning that if he can not hurt by persecuting and destroying he doth it vnder a colour of correcting and building vp So now a dayes he persecuteth vs with force and sword that when we are once taken away and dispatched he may not onely deface the Gospell but vtterly ouerthrow it But hitherto he hath preuailed nothing for he hath slaine many who haue constantly confessed this our doctrine to be holy and heauenly through whose bloud the Church is not destroied but wattred Forasmuch therefore as he could preuaile nothing that way he stirreth vp wicked spirits and vngodly teachers which at the first allow our doctrine and teach the same with a common consent together with
vs But afterwards they say that it is our vocation to teach the first principles of Christian doctrine and that the very mysteries of the scriptures are reueiled vnto them from aboue by God himselfe and that they are called for this purpose that they should open them to the world After this maner doth the Deuill hinder the course of the Gospell both on the right hand and on the left but more on the right hand as I saide before by building and correcting then on the left by persecuting and killing Wherefore it behoueth vs to pray without ceasing to reade the holy scriptures to cleaue fast vnto Christ and his holy word that we may ouercome the Deuils crafte and subtilties with which he assaileth vs both on the righte hande and on the lefte For vve vvrestle not against flesh and bloud but against rule against povver against the vvorldly gonerners the Princes of the darkenes of this vvorld against spirituall vvickednesses in heauenly things Verse 7. VVhich is not an other Gospell but that there be some vvhich trouble you Here againe he excuseth the Galathians and most bitterly reproueth the false Apostles As though he would say Ye Galathians are borne in hand that the Gospell which ye haue receaued of me is not the true and sincere gospell and therefore ye thinke ye do well to receaue that new gospell which the false apostles doe teach and that it is better then mine I doe not so much charge you with this fault as those disturbers which trouble your consciences and pull you out of my hand Here you see againe how vehement and hoate he is against those deceauers and with what rough and sharpe words he painteth them out calling them troublers of the Churches which doe nothing else but seduce and deceaue innumerable poore consciences geuing occasions of horrible mischiefes and calamities in the congregations This great mischiefe we also at this day are constrained to see to the great griefe of our hartes and yet are we no more able to remedie it then Paule was at that time This place witnesseth that those counterfait Apostles had reported Paule to be an vnperfect Apostle and also a weake and erroneous preacher Therefore here on the other side he calleth them troublers of the Churches and ouerthrowers of Christes gospell Thus they condemned eche other The false Apostles condemned Paule and Paule againe the false Apostles And the like contending and condemning hath euer bene in the Church specially when the doctrine of the gospell hath flourished to wit that wicked teachers doe persecute condemne and oppresse the godly and on the contrary part that the godly doe reproue and condemne the vngodly The Papists and bragging spirites do at this day hate vs deadly and condemne our doctrine as wicked and erroneous Yea moreouer they lie in wait for our goods and liues And we againe doe with a perfect hatred detest and condenme their wicked and blasphemous doctrine In the meane while the miserable people are at a stay wauing hether and thither as vncertaine and doubtfull to which part they may leane or whom they may safely follow and this is because it is not geuen to euery one to iudge Christianly of such great and waightie matters But the ende will shew which part teacheth truely and which of them doth iustly condemne other Sure it is that we persecute no man oppresse no man put no man to death neither doth our doctrine disquiet mens consciences but deliuereth them out of innumerable errours and snares of the Deuill For the truth hereof we haue the testimonie of many good men who geue thankes vnto God for that by our doctrine they haue receiued certaine and sure consolation to their consciences Wherfore like as Paule at that time was not to be blamed that the Churches were troubled but the false Apostles so also at this day it is not our fault but the fault of the Anabaptists and such fantastical spirits that many and great troubles are in the Church Marke here diligently that euery teacher of workes and of the righteousnes of the law is a troubler of the Church and of the consciences of men And who would euer haue beleeued that the Pope Cardinals Bishops Monkes and that whole Sinagoge of Satan specially the Founders of those holy religious orders of which number neuertheles God might saue some by miracle were troublers of consciences Yea verely they be yet farre worse then were those false Apostles For the false Apostles taught that besides faith in Christ the workes of the law of God were also necessary to saluation But the Papistes omitting Faith haue taught mens traditions and workes not commaunded of God but deuised by themselues without and against the worde of God and these haue they not only made equall with the word of God but also exalted them farre aboue it But the more holy that the heretikes seeme to be in outward shew so much the more mischeefe they doe For if the false Apostles had not ben endued with notable giftes with great authoritie and a shewe of holines and had not vaunted themselues to be Christes ministers the Apostles disciples and sincere preachers of the gospel they could not so easily haue defaced Paules authoritie and led the Galathians out of the way Nowe the cause why he inueyeth so sharply against them calling them the troublers of the Churches is for that besides Faith in Christ they taught that Circumcision and the keeping of the law was necessary to saluation The which thing Paule him selfe witnesseth in the fifte Chapiter following And Luke in the fiftenth of the Actes declareth the same thing in these wordes That certaine men comming dovvne from Iudea taught the brethern saying Except ye be circumcised after the custome of Moises ye can not be saued Wherfore the false Apostles most earnestly and obstinately contended that the law ought to be obserued Vnto whom the stifnecked Iewes forthwith ioyned them selues and so afterwardes easily perswaded such as were not stablished in the Faith that Paule was not a sincere teacher because he regarded not the law but preached such a doctrine as did abolish and ouerthrow the law It seemed vnto them a very straunge thing that the lawe of God should vtterly be taken away and the Iewes which had euer vntill that time bene counted the people of God to whom also the promises were made should be now reiected Yea it seemed yet a more straunge thing vnto them that the Gentiles being wicked Idolaters should attaine to this glory and dignitie to be the people of God without Circumcision and without the works of the law by grace onely and Faith in Christ These things had the false Apostles amplified and set forth to the vttermost that they might bring Paule into more hatred among the Galathians And to the ende they might set them the more sharply against him they sayd that he preached vnto the Gentiles fredome from the law
was made an Apostle was taught by Iesus Christ enriched with spiritual gifts And heerewithall he sheweth that Peter gaue testimonie vnto him that he was a true Apostle sent and taught not by hym selfe nor by the other Apostles but by God alone and not onely acknowledged the ministerie and authoritie of Paule and giftes of the spirite which were in him as heauenly things but also approued and confirmed the same and yet not as a superiour and ruler but as a brother and witnes Iames and Iohn did â—â—â—â—wise the same Wherefore he concludeth that they which are esseâ—â—â— for the cheefe pillers amongst the Apostles are wholy with him and not against him Verse 9. The right handes of felovvship As if they should haue sayd We O Paule in preaching the gospel doe agree with thee in all things Therefore in doctrine we are companions and haue felowship togither therin that is to say we haue all one doctrine for we preach one gospell one baptisme one Christ and one faith Wherefore we can teach or enioyne thee nothing since there is one mutuall consent betwixt vs in all things For we doe not teach any other or more excellent things then thou doest but the same giftes which we haue we see to be in thee also sauing that to thee is committed the Gospell ouer the vncircumcision as the Gospell ouer the circumcision is vnto vs But we conclude here that neither vncircumcision nor circumcision ought to hinder our societie and felowship since it is but one gospell which we both preach Hetherto Paule hath proued by manifest witnes not only from god but also froÌ„ man that is to say the apostles that he had truely faithfully preached the gospel Therfore he sheweth that what so euer the false apostles sayd to diminish his authority is but fained and forged matter and that the testimony of the Apostles maketh for him not for the false apostles But for that he is alone without witnes therfore he addeth an oth calleth God to record that the things which he hath spokeÌ„ are true Verse 10. VVarning onely that vve should remember the poore vvhich thing also I vvas diligent to doe After the preaching of the Gospel the office and charge of a true and faithful Pastor is to be mindful of the poore For where the Church is there must needes be poore who for the most part are the onely true disciples of the Gospell as Christ sayth The poore receiue the glad tidings of the Gospell For the world and the Deuill do persecute the Church and bring many to pouertie who are afterwardes forsaken and despised of the world Moreouer the world not onely offendeth herein but is also carelesse for the maintenaunce and preseruation of the gospell true religion and the true seruice of god There is none that will now take any care for the nourishing of the ministers of the Church and erecting of scholes but for the erecting and stablishing of false worship superstition and idolatrie no cost was spared but euery man was ready to geue largely what so euer could be made And hereof came vp so many Monasteries so many cathedrall Churches so many Bishopprickes in the Popes church where all impietie raigned with so great reuenues prouided for their sustentation where as now a whole Citie thinketh it much to finde one or two poore ministers and preachers of the Gospell which before whiles the Pope and all impietie raigned was charged and burdened with finding so many Monasteries and infinite swarmes of massing Priestes To be briefe true religion is euer in neede And Christ complaineth that he is hungrie thirstie harbourles naked and sicke Contrariwise false religion and impietie flourisheth aboundeth with all worldly wealth and prosperitie Wherfore a true and faithful Pastor must haue a care of the poore also and this care Paule here confesseth that he had Verse 11. And vvhen Peter vvas come to Antiochia I vvithstoode him to his face for he vvas to be blamed Paule goeth on still in his confutation saying that he not onely hath for his defence the testimonie of Peter the other Apostles which were at Ierusalem but also that he withstoode Peter in the presence of the whole Church of Antioche He sheweth here a matter not done in a corner but in the face of the whole church For as before I haue said he hath here no trifeling matter in hand but the chiefest article of all Christian doctrine The value and maiestie where of who so rightly estemeth to him all other things shall seeme but vile and nought worth For what is Peter what is Paule what is an Angell from heauen what are all other creatures to the article of Iustification which if we know then are we in the cleare light but if we be ignoraunt therof theÌ„ are we in most miserable darknes Wherfore if ye see this article impugned or defaced feare not to resist either Peter or an Angell from heauen following the example of Paule who seing the maiestie of this article to be in daunger for the dignitie of Peter did nothing regard his dignitie estimation that he might keepe the same pure vncorrupt For it is wrytten He that loueth father or mother or his ovvne life more then me is not vvorthy of me Wherefore we are not ashamed for the defence of the truth to be counted and called of the hypocrites proud and obstinate such as wil be onely wise will heare none will geue place to none Very necessary it is here to be inflexible obstinate For the cause why we offend man that is to say tread downe the maiestie of the person or of the world is such that the sinnes which the world iudgeth to be most hainous are counted singular vertues before god In that we loue our parentes honoure the Magistrate shew reuerence to Peter and other ministers of the word we doe well But here we haue in hand the cause neither of Peter nor pareÌ„ts nor Magistrate nor of the world nor of any other creatures but of god him selfe Here if I geue no place to my parents to the Magistrate or an Angell from heauen I doe well For what is the creature in respect of the creator Yea what are all creatures coÌ„pared vnto him Euen as one droppe of water in respect of the whole sea Why then should I so highly esteme Peter which is but a droppe and set God aside which is the whole sea Let the droppe therefore geue place to the sea and let Peter geue place vnto god This I say to the ende that ye should diligently weye and consider the matter wherof Paule entreateth For he entreateth of God who can neuer be magnified enough And here of purpose he addeth this clause to his face against the venemous vipers and apostles of Satan which sclaunder those that are absent and in their presence dare not once open their mouth as the false apostles
treasure which is Christ and apprehend him in our heartes by Faith although we feele our selues to be full of sinne These words therfore of the Apostle that vve might be iustified by faith and not by the vvorkes of the lavve are very effectual and not in vaine or vnprofitable as the Scholemen thinke and therefore they passe them ouer so lightly Hetherto ye haue heard the wordes of Paule which he spake vnto Peter wherein he hath briefly comprised the principall article of all Christian doctrine which maketh true Christians in deede Now he turneth to the Galathians to whom he wryteth and thus he concludeth Since it is so that we are iustified by faith in Christ then by the workes of the lawe shall no flesh be iustified Verse 16. Because by the deedes of the lavve no flesh shall be iustified Flesh in Paule doth not signifie as the Scholemen dreame manifest and grosse sinnes for those he vseth to call by their proper names as adultery fornication vncleanes and such like but by flesh Paule meaneth here as Christ doth in the third chapter of Iohn That vvhich is borne of flesh sayeth he is flesh Flesh therfore signifieth the whole nature of man with reason and all other powers what so euer doe belong to man This flesh sayth he is not iustified by workes no not of the lawe Flesh therefore according to Paule signifieth all the righteousnes wisedome deuotion religion vnderstanding and will that is possible to be in a naturall man So that if a man be neuer so righteous according to reason and the lawe of God yet withall his righteousnes workes merites deuotion and religion he is not iustified This the Papistes doe not beleue but being blinde and obstinate they defend their abhominations against their owne conscience continuing in this their blasphemie and hauing yet still in their mouthes these execrable wordes He that doth this good worke or that deserueth forgeuenes of his sinnes who so euer entreth into this or that holy order and kepeth his rule to him we assuredly promise euerlasting life It can not be vttered what an horrible blasphemie it is to attribute that to the doctrine of Deuilles to the decrees and ordinaunces of men to the wicked traditions of the Pope to the hypocriticall workes and merites of Monkes and Friers which Paule the Apostle of Christ taketh away from the lawe of god For if no flesh be iustified by the workes of the lawe much lesse shall it be iustified by the rule of Benedict Fraunces or Augustine in which there is not one iote of true Faith in Christ but this onely they vrge that who so euer kepeth these things hath life euerlasting Wherefore I haue much and often marueled that these sectes of perdition raigning so many yeres in such great darknes and errours the Church could endure and continue as it hath done Some there were whom God called by the letter of the Gospell and by baptisme These walked in simplicitie and humblenes of heart thinking the Monkes and Friers and such onely as were anoynted of the Bishops to be religious and holy and them selues to be prophane and secular and not worthy to be compared vnto them Wherfore they finding in them selues no good workes to set against the wrath and iudgement of God did flie to the death passion of Christ and were saued in this simplicitie Horrible and vnspeakeable is the wrath of God in that he hath so long time punished the contempt of the Gospell and of Christ in the Papistes and also their ingratitude geuing them ouer into a reprobate sense in so much that they blaspheming and denying Christ altogether as touching his office in stede of the gospell haue receaued the execrable rules ordinaunces and traditions of men which they haue deuoutly adored and honoured yea and preferred the same farre aboue the word of God vntill at length they were forbidden to marry and were bound to that incestuous single life wherein they were outwardly polluted and defiled with all kindes of horrible wickednes as adultrie whoredom vncleanes Sodomitrie and such other abominations This was the frute of that filthie single life So God punishing sinne with sinne inwardly gaue them ouer into a reprobate minde and outwardly suffered them to fall into such horrible abominations and that iustly because they blasphemed the onely sonne of God in whom the father would be glorified and whom he deliuered to death that al which beleue in him might be saued by him and not by their owne execrable rules and orders Him that honoureth me sayth he I vvill honour Nowe God is honoured in his sonne Who so thē beleueth that the sonne is our Mediatour and Sauiour he honoureth the father and him againe doth God honour that is to say adorneth him with his giftes forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes the holy Ghost euerlasting life Cōtrariwise They that despise me sayth he shall be despised This is then a generall conclusion Because by the deedes of the lavv no flesh shal be iustified The law of God is greater then the whole world for it comprehendeth all men and the works of the law do farre excel euen the most glorious wilworkes of all the Meritmongers and yet Paule sayth that neither the lawe nor the workes of the law do iustifie Therfore we conclude with Paule that faith only iustifieth This proposition he goeth about to confirme in this maner Verse 18. If then vvhile vve seeke to be made righteous by Christ vve our selues are found sinners is Christ therefore the minister of sinne God forbid If this be true sayth he that we are iustified by Christ then is it vnpossible that we should be sinners or should be iustified by the lawe On the contrary if this be not true but that we must be iustified by the lawe and the workes of the lawe it is then vnpossible that we should be iustified by Christ One of these two must needes be false Either we are not iustified by Christ or we are not iustified by the lawe But the truth is that we are iustified by Christ therefore we are not iustified by the lawe He reasoneth therefore after this maner If then vvhile vve seeke to be made c. That is If we seeke to be iustified by Christ and so being iustified we are yet foūd sinners hauing neede of the lawe to iustifie vs being sinners If we haue neede I say of the obseruation of the lawe to iustifie vs so that they which are righteous in Christ are not righteous but haue yet neede of the lawe to iustifie them Or if he that is iustified by Christ must yet further be iustified by the lawe then is Christ nothing else but a lawgeuer and a minister of sinne Therfore he that is iustified and holy in Christ is not iustified or holy but hath yet neede of the righteousnes and holines of the lawe But we are in deede iustified and made righteous in
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
fruites that ye did before that is that ye teache not truely that ye beleeue not faithfully that ye liue not holily that ye worke not rightly and that ye suffer not patiently Finally who hath so corrupted you that ye beare not so louing affection towards me as ye did before that ye receaue not Paule now as an Angell of God nor as Christ Iesus that ye will not plucke out your eyes to geue them vnto me How cometh it to passe I say that this feruent zeale of yours waxeth so colde towardes me and that ye now preferre before me the false apostles which doe so miserably seduce you In like manner it hapneth vnto vs at this day When we first preached the Gospell there were very many that fauoured our doctrine and had a good and a reuerent opinion of vs and after the preaching therof followed the operations and effectes of faith But what came then A sort of light and brainsicke heads sprang vp and by and by destroyed all that we had in long time and with much trauaile plāted before and also made vs so odious vnto them which before loued vs dearely and thankfully receaued our doctrine that nowe they hate nothing more then our name But the Deuill is the aucthor of this mischiefe working in his members contrary signes which wholy fight against the operations of the holy Ghost Therfore sayth the Apostle your experience O ye Galathians ought to teach you that these great and excellent miracles proceeded not of the workes of the law For as ye had them not before the hearing of faith preached so haue ye them not nowe although the false apostles raigne in the middest of you Therfore we also may say to them at this day which vaunt them selues to be gospellers and to be freed from the tyrannie of the Pope haue ye ouercome the tyrannie of the Pope and obtained libertie in Christ through the Anabaptistes and such other fanaticall spirites or through vs which haue preached faith in Iesus Christ Here if they will confesse the truth they must needes say no doubt it was by the preaching of faith And true it is that in the beginning of our preaching the doctrine of faith had a most happy course and downe fell the Popes pardones purgatorie vowes Masses and such like abhominations which drue with them the ruine of al Poperie No man could iustly condemne vs for our doctrine was pure raising vp and comforting many poore consciences which had bene long oppressed with mens traditions vnder the Papacie which was a plaine tyrannie a racking and crucifying of consciences Many therfore gaue thankes vnto God that through the Gospell which by the grace of God we thē first preached they were so mightely deliuered out of these snares and this slaughterhouse of consciences But whē these new fond heads sprang vp who went about by all meanes to worke our discredite then began our doctrine to be euill thought of for it was commonly bruted abrode that the professors therof disagreed among themselues Wherat many being greatly offended fell quite from the truth putting the Papistes in comfort that we together with our doctrine should shortly come to naught and by this meanes they should recouer their former dignitie and authoritie againe Wherfore like as the false apostles vehemently contended that the Galathians now iustified by faith in Christ ought to be circumcised to kepe the law of Moses if they would be deliuered from their sinnes and from the wrath of God and obtaine the holy Ghost and yet notwithstanding by the selfe same meanes they burdened them the more with sinnes for sinne is not taken away by the law neither is the holy ghost geuen through it but onely it worketh wrath and driueth men into great terrours so at this day these rash heades which thought to prouide for the safetie of the catholike Church at once to driue downe all Poperie haue done no good but much hurt to the Church they haue not ouerthrowne the Papacie but haue more established it But if they had as they began with a common consent together with vs taught and diligently vrged the article of iustification that is to say that we are iustified neither by the righteousnes of the lawe nor by our owne righteousnes but by onely faith in Iesus Christ doutles this one article by litle and litle as it began had ouerthrowen the whole Papacie with al her brotherhodes pardons religious orders relikes ceremonies inuocation of Sainctes purgatorie Masses watchings vowes and infinite other like abhominations But they leauing of the preaching of faith and true Christian righteousnes haue gone an other way to worke to the great hinderaunce both of sounde doctrine and of the Churches Therfore it is happened to them much like as is said in the common Dutch prouerbe They haue driuen away the fishes which the nette was about to enclose whiles they went about to catch them with their handes Verse 6. As Abraham beleeued God and it vvas imputed to him for righteousnes Hitherto Paule groundeth his argument vpon the experience of the Galathians and with this argument he presseth them vehemently Ye saith he haue beleued beleuing haue done miracles haue shewed many notable signes and moreouer ye haue suffred many afflictiōs al which things are the effects operations not of the law but of the holy ghost This the Galathians were constrained to confesse For they could not denie these things which were before their eyes and subiect to their senses and therfore this argument grounded vpon their owne experience is very strong Now he addeth the example of Abraham rehearseth the testimony of the scripture The first is out of Genesis Abraham beleued God c. This place the Apostle here mightely prosecuteth as also he doth in his epistle to the Romaines If Abraham saith he vvas made righteous by the vvorks of the lavv he hath righteousnes and reioysing but not before God but before men For before God he hath sinne and wrath Now he was iustified before God not because he did work but because he did beleue For the scripture saith Abraham beleued God and it vvas imputed to him for righteousnes This place doth Paule there notably set out amplifie as it is most worthy Abraham saith he vvas not vveake in the faith neither considered he his ovvne body being dead vvhen he vvas almost an 100. yere old neither that Sara vvas past childe bearing Thorough vnbelefe he doubted not of the promise of God but vvas made strong in the faith and gaue glory to God being surely persuaded that whatsoeuer God had promised he was able to performe wherefore it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes And this is wrytten not onely for him that it was counted vnto him for righteousnes but for vs also c. Paule by these wordes Abraham beleeued maketh the cheefest worship the cheefest duetie the cheefest obedience and the cheefest sacrifice
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
Monke if he kepe his order and performe his vowes But all these are deceaued and become vaine in their owne cogitations as Paule sayeth Rom. 1. not knowing what pleaseth or displeaseth God therfore in steed of the true and naturall God they worship the dreames and imaginations of their owne heart This is it that Paul meaneth whē he saith vvhē ye knevv not God that is when ye knew not the wil of God ye serued those which by nature were no gods that is to say ye serued the dreames imaginatiōs of your owne heart wherby ye imagined without the word the God was to be worshipped with this or that worke with this or that rite or ceremonie For vpon this proposition which all men doe naturally hold namely that there is a God hath sprong all Idolatrie which without that knowledge of the Diuinitie could neuer haue come into the world But because men had this naturall knowledge of God they conceaued vaine and wicked imaginations of God without against the word which they esteemed and maintained as the very truth it selfe and so dreamed that God is such a one as by nature he is not So the Mōke imagineth him to be such a God as forgeueth sinnes geueth grace and euerlasting life for the keping of his Rule This God is no where to be foūd therfore he serueth not the true God but that which by nature is no God to witte the imagination and Idoll of his owne heart that is to say his owne false and vaine opinion of God which he dreameth to be an vndoubted truth Now reason it selfe will enforce vs to confesse that mans opinion is no God. Therfore who so euer wil worship God without this word serueth not the true God as Paule sayth but that which by nature is no God. Therfore whether ye call rudiments here the lawe of Moises or else the traditions of the Gentiles albeit he speaketh here properly and principally of the rudiments of Moises there is no great difference For he that falleth from grace to the law falleth with no lesse daunger then he that falleth from grace to Idolatrie For without Christ there is nothing else but mere Idolatrie an Idoll and false imagination of God whether it be called Moises law or the Popes ordinance or the Turks Alcoran c. Therfore he sayth with a certaine admiration Verse 9. But novv seing ye knovv God. As though he would say This is a maruelous thing that ye knowing God by the preaching of Faith doe so suddainly reuolt from the true knowledge of his will wherein I thought ye were so surely established that I feared nothing lesse then that ye should so easily be ouerthrowne doe now againe by the instigation of the false Apostles returne to the weake and beggerly ceremonies which ye would serue againe afresh Ye heard before by my preaching that this is the will of God to blesse all nations not by circumcision or by the obseruation of the law but by Christe promised to Abraham They that beleue in him shall be blessed with faithfull Abraham they are the sonnes and heires of God. Thus I say haue ye knowen God. Verse 9. Yea rather are knovven of god c. He correcteth the sentence going before But novv seing ye haue knovven God or rather turneth it after this maner yea rather ye are knovven of God. For he feared lest they had lost God vtterly As if he would say Alas are ye come to this poynt that now ye know not God but returne againe from grace to the law Yet notwithstanding God knoweth you And in deede our knowledge is rather passiue then actiue that is to say it consisteth in this that we are rather knowen of God then that we know him All our doing that is all our endeuour to know and to apprehend God is to suffer God to worke in vs He geueth the word which when we haue receiued by Faith geuen from aboue we are new borne and made the sonnes of god This is then the sense and meaning Ye are knovven of God that is ye are visited with the word ye are endued with Faith and the holy Ghost wherby ye are renewed c. Wherfore euen by these words Ye are knovven of God he taketh away all righteousnes from the law and denieth that we attaine the knowledge of God through the worthines of our owne workes For no man knovveth the father but the sonne he to vvhom the sonne vvill reueale him Also He by his knovvledge shall iustifie many because he shall beare our iniquities Wherefore our knowledge concerning God consisteth in suffering and not in doing He much meruelleth therfore that seing they knew God truely by the Gospell they returned so suddenly backe to weake and beggerly rudiments by the perswasion of the false apostles As I my selfe also should greatly maruell if our Church which by the grace of God is godly reformed in pure doctrine and Faith should be seduced and peruerted by some fond and frantike head through the preaching of one or two sermons that they would not acknowledge me for their pastour any more Which thing notwithstanding shall one day come to passe if not whilest we liue yet when we are dead and gone For many shall then rise vppe which will be maisters and teachers who vnder a colour of true religiō shall teach false and peruerse doctrine and shall quickly ouerthrow all that we in so long time and with so great trauel haue builded We are not better then the Apostles who whiles they yet liued sawe not without their great griefe and sorow the subuersion of those Churches which they thēselues had planted through theyr ministerie Therfore it is no great maruell if we be constrained to behold the like euill at this day in those Churches where Sectaries doe raigne who hereafter when we are dead shall possesse those Churches which we haue wonne and planted by our ministerie and with their poyson infect and subuert the same And yet notwithstanding Christe shall remaine and raigne to the end of the world and that maruelously as he did vnder the Papacie Paule seemeth to speake very spitefully of the lawe when he calleth it rudiments as he did also before in the beginning of this chapt and not only rudiments but weake and beggetly rudiments and ceremonies Is it not blasphemie to geue such odious names to the law of God The lawe being in his true vse ought to serue the promises and to stand with the promises grace But if it fight against them it is no more the holy law of God but a false and a deuilish doctrine and doth nothing else but driue men to desperation therfore must be reiected Wherefore when he calleth the lawe weake and beggerly rudiments he speaketh of the lawe in respect of proud and presumpteous hypocrites which would be iustified by it and not of the law being spiritually vnderstand which engendreth wrath
For the Galathiās might say Why dost thou inuey so bitterly against our teachers for that they be iealous ouer vs For that which they doe they doe of zeale mere loue this ought not to offend thee c. In dede sayeth he they are ielous ouer you but their ielousie is not good Here note that zeale or ielousie properly signifieth an angrie loue or as ye would say a godly enuie Elias sayth I haue bene very ielous for the Lord of hostes After this maner the husband is ielous towardes his wife the father towardes his sonne the brother towards his brother that is to say they loue them entierly yet so that they hate their vices and goe about to amend them Such a zeale the false Apostles pretended to beare towardes the Galathians Paule in dede confesseth that they were very zelous towardes the Galathians but their zeale sayth he was not good Now by this colour and subtil pretēce the simple are deceaued when these seducers doe make them to beleue that they beare a great zeale and affection towardes them and that they beare a great zeale and affection towardes them and that they are very carefull for them Paule therfore warneth vs here to put a difference betwixt a good zeale and an euill zeale In deede a good zeale is to be cōmended but not an euil zeale I am as zelous ouer you saith Paule as they Now iudge ye which of our zeales is better mine or theirs which is good and godly which is euill and carnall Therfore let not their zeale so easily seduce you For Ver. 17. They vvould exclude you that you shuld altogether loue thē As if he sayd True it is that they are very zealous towards you but by this meanes they seeke that ye againe should be zelous towards them and reiect me If their zeale were sincere and godly then surely they would be content that I also should be beloued of you as well as they But they hate our doctrine and therfore their desire is to haue it vtterly ouerthrowne their owne preached amongst you Now to that ende they might bring this to passe they goe about by this ielousie to plucke your hearts from me to make me odious vnto you to the ende that when ye haue conceiued an hatred against me my doctrine and turned your affection zeale towards them ye should loue them onely receiue no other doctrine but theirs Thus he bringeth the false apostles into suspition among the Galathians shewing that by this goodly pretence they goe about to deceiue them So our Sauiour Christe also warneth vs saying Take heede of false prophets vvhich come to you in sheepes clothing Paule suffred the same tentation which we suffer at this day He was maruelously troubled with this enormitie that after the preaching of his doctrine which was diuine holy he saw so many sects commotiōs dissipations of common weales chaūges of kingdoms and such other like things to ensue which were the cause of infinite euils offences He was accused of the Iewes to be a pernicious felow a mouer of sedition in his whole nation and to be an author of the secte of the Nazarites As if they had sayd This is a seditious and a blasphemous fellow for he preacheth such things wherby he not onely ouerthroweth the Iewish common wealth excellently well ordred and stablished by the lawes of God but also abolisheth euen the ten commaundements the religion and seruice of God and our priesthoode and publisheth thorow out the world the Gospell as he calleth it whereof are sprong infinite euilles seditions offences and sectes He is compelled to heare of the Gentiles also which cried out against him in Philippi that he was a troubler of their Citie and preached ordinaūces which were not lawfull for them to receaue c. Such troubles of common weales and other calamities as famine warres dissensions and Sects the Iewes and Gentiles imputed to the doctrine of Paule and of the other Apostles and therefore they persecuted them as cōmō plages enemies of the publike peace religion The Apostles notwithstanding all this did not cease to doe their office but most constantly preached confessed Christ For they knew that they should rather obey God then men and that it was better that the whole world should be troubled in an vprore then that Christ should not be preached or that one soule should be neglected and perish In the meane time it was no dout a heauy crosse to the Apostles to see these offences for they were not made of iron It was a wonderfull greefe vnto them that that people for whose sakes Paule wished to be separate from Christ should perish with all their ornaments They saw that great tumultes chaunges of kingdoms should follow theyr doctrine And which was more bitter vnto them then death it self but specially to Paule they sawe that euen amongs them there sprang vp many Sectes It was heauy newes to Paule when he heard that the Corinthians denied the resurrection of the dead when he heard that the churches which were planted by his ministery were troubled that the Gospell was ouerthrowne by the false apostles and that all Asia was reuolted from his doctrine and certaine great personages But he knew that his doctrine was not the cause of these offences and Sects and therfore he was not discouraged he forsoke not his vocation but went forward knowing that the Gospel which he preached was the power of God to saluation to all that beleue howsoeuer it seemed to the Iewes Gētiles to be a folish offensiue doctrine He knew that they are blessed which are not offended by this word of the crosse whether they be teachers or hearers as Christ hīself sayth Blessed is he vvhich is not offended in me Contrariwise he knew that they were condemned which iudged this doctrine to be foolish hereticall Therfore he sayth as Christe said of the Iewes and Gentiles which were offended with this doctrine Let thē alone they are blind leaders of the blind We also are constrained at this day to heare the same spoken of vs which was sayd of Paule the other Apostles to witte that the doctrine of the Gospel which we professe is the cause of many great enormities as of seditions warres sects and innumerable offences Yea they impute vnto vs al the troubles which are at this day Surely we teach no heresies or wicked doctrine but we preach the glad tidings cōcernīg Christ that he is our high Priest our Redemer Moreouer our aduersaries are constrained if they will confesse the truth to graunt vs this that we haue geuen no occasion through our doctrine of seditiōs warres or tumults but alwayes haue taught that honour reuerence must be geuen to the Magistrate because God hath so commaunded Neither are we the authors of offences but in
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
euerlasting life These heare their sentence here pronounced that the sonnes of the bondwoman must be cast out of the house with their mother the bondwoman Such sentences diligently considered make vs certaine of our doctrine and confirme vs in the righteousnes of Faith against the doctrine and righteousnes of workes which the world embraceth and magnifieth condemning and despising the other And this troubleth and offendeth weake consciences which albeit they plainly see the impietie the execrable wickednes and horrible abhominations of the Papistes yet notwithstanding they are not easily perswaded that all the multitude which beareth the name and title of the church doe erre and that there are but fewe of them which haue a sounde and a right opinion of the doctrine of Faith. And if the Papacie had the same holines and austeritie of life which it had in the time of the auncient fathers Hierome Ambrose Augustine and others when the Cleargie had not yet so euill a name for their Simonie excesse abundance of riches dissolute liuing voluptuousnes whoredome sodomitrie and such other infinite abhominations but liued after the rules and decrees of the fathers religiously and holily in outward shew and vnmaried what could we doe now against the Papacie The single life which the Cleargye kept very straitly in the time of the fathers was a goodly thing and made of men very Angelles in in the sight of the world and therefore Paule in the second Chapiter to the Colossians calleth it the religion of Angelles And the Papistes sing thus of their virgines He ledde an angelicall life whilest he liued in the flesh and yet liued contrary to the flesh Moreouer the life which they call the contemplatiue life whervnto the clergie men were then very much geuen vtterly neglecting all ciuile and houshold gouernmēt had a goodly shew of holines Wherfore if that outward shew and appearance of the olde Papacie remained at this day we should peraduenture doe but litle against it by our doctrine of Faith seeing we doe now so litle preuaile when that olde shew of outward holines and seuere discipline being vtterly abolished there is nothing to be seene but a very sinke and puddle of all vices and abhominations But admitte the case that the olde discipline and religion of the Papacie were yet remaining notwithstanding we ought by the example of Paule who vehemently pursued the false apostles which outwardly appeared to be very godly and holy men to fight against the Meritmongers of the Papisticall kingdom and to say Although ye liue a single life tiering and consuming your bodies with cōtinuall trauaile and walking in the humilitie and religion of Angels yet are ye seruauntes of the lawe of sinne and of the Deuill and must be cast out of the house for ye seeke righteousnes and saluation by your workes and not by Christe Wherefore we ought not so much to consider the wicked life of the Papists as their abhominable doctrine and hypocrisie against the which we specially fight Let vs suppose then that the religion and discipline of the olde Papacie doth yet still flourish and that it is now obserued with as much seueritie and straitnes as euer it was yet must we say notwithstanding If ye haue nothing but this holines and chastitie of life to sette against the wrath and iudgement of God ye are in very deede the sonnes of the bondwoman which must be cast out of the kingdom of heauen and be damned And now they themselues doe not defend their wicked life nay rather they which are the best and the soundest of them all doe detest it but they fight for the maintenaunce and defence of the doctrine of Deuils for hypocrisie and for the righteousnes of workes Here they alledge the authoritie of Councels and the examples of holy fathers whom they affirme to haue bene the authors of their holy orders and statutes Therefore we fight not against the manifest wickednes abhominations of the Papacie but against the greatest holines holiest Saincts therof which thinke they lead an angelicall life whilest they dreame that they kepe not only the cōmaundements of God but also the counsels of Christ and doe workes of superogation such as they are not bound to doe This we say is to labour in vaine except they take hold of that onely and alone which Christ saith is onely necessary and choose the good part with Marie which shall not be taken from them This did Bernard a man so godly so holy and so chast that he is to be commended preferred aboue them all He being once greuously sicke and hauing no hope of life put not his trust in his single life wherin he had liued most chastly nor in his good workes and deedes of charitie whereof he had done many but remoued them farre out of his sight and receauing the benefite of Christ by Faith he sayd * I haue liued wickedly But thou Lord Iesus Christ by double right doest possesse the kingdom of heauen First because thou art the sonne of God Secondly because thou hast purchased it by thy death passion The first thou keepest for thy selfe by thy birthright The second thou geuest to me not by the right of my workes but by the right of grace He set not against the wrath of God his Monkerie nor his angelicall life but he tooke hold of that one thing which was necessary and so was saued I thinke that Hierome Gregorie and many other fathers were saued after the same sorte And it is not to be doubted but that also in the olde Testament many Kings of Israell and other Idolaters were saued in like maner who at the houre of death casting away their vaine trust which they had in Idolles tooke holde of the promisse of God which was made vnto the Seede of Abraham that is to say Christe in whom all nations should be blessed And if there be any of the Papists which shall be saued they must simplie leane not to their owne good deedes and desertes but to the mercy of God offred vnto vs in Christ say with Paule I haue not mine ovvne righteousnes vvhich is of the lavve but that vvhich is by Faith in Christe Verse 31. Then brethern vve are not children of the seruaunt but of the freevvoman Paule here concludeth his allegorie of the barren church and of the frutefull people of the lawe We are not sayth he the children of the bondwoman that is to say we are not vnder the lawe which begetteth vnto bondage that is which terrifieth accuseth and bringeth to desperation but we are deliuered from it by Christe Therefore it can not terrifie nor condemne vs Of this we haue spoken enough before Moreouer although the sonnes of the bondwoman doe persecute vs neuer so much for a time yet this is our comfort that they shall be compelled to leaue the enheritance vnto vs which belongeth vnto vs that are the sonnes
of the freewoman and shall at length be cast into vtter darknes Paule therefore by these wordes bondwoman and freewoman tooke occasion as we haue heard to reiect the righteousnes of the lawe and to confirme the doctrine of Iustification And of purpose he taketh hold of this word freewoman vehemently vrging and amplifying the same especially in the beginning of the chapter folowing Whervpon he taketh occasion to reason of Christian libertie the knowledge whereof is very necessary For the Pope hath in a maner quite ouerthrowne it and made the Church subiect to mans traditions and ceremonies and to a most miserable and filthie bondage That libertie which is purchased by Christ is vnto vs at this day a most strong fort and munition wherby we defend our selues against the tyrannie of the Pope Wherfore we must diligently consider this doctrine of Christian libertie as well to confirme the doctrine of iustification as also to raise vppe and comfort weake consciences against so many troubles offences which our aduersaries doe impute vnto the Gospell Now Christian libertie is a very spirituall thing which the carnall man doth not vnderstand Yea they which haue the first frutes of the spirite and can talke well therof doe very hardly retaine it in their heart It seemeth to reason that it is a matter of small importance Therefore if the holy Ghost do not magnifie it adde a waight vnto it it is conteÌ„ned The fifth Chapter PAVLE now drawing towardes the ende of his Epistle disputeth very vehemeÌ„tly in defence of the doctrine of Faith and Christian libertie against the false apostles the enemies and destroyers of the same against whom he casteth out very thundring wordes to beate them downe and vtterly to vanquish them And therewithall he exhorteth the Galathians to flie their pernicious doctrine as a dangerous poyson In his exhortation he intermingleth threatnings and promises trying euery way that he may kepe them in that libertie which Christ had purchased for them saying Verse 1. Stand fast therefore in that libertie vvherein Christe hath made vs free That is to say Be ye stedfast So Peter sayeth Be sober and vvatch for your aduersarie the Deuill as a roaring Lion vvalketh about seeking vvhom he may deuoure vvhom resist being stedfast in the Faith. Be ye not carelesse sayth he but stedfast and constant Lie not downe and sleepe but stand vp As if he would say It standeth you in hand to be watchfull and constant that ye may keepe and hold fast that libertie wherin Christe hath made you free They that are secure and negligent can not kepe this libertie For Satan most deadly hateth the light of the Gospell that is to say the doctrine of grace libertie consolation and life Therfore when he seeth that it beginneth once to appeare forthwith he fighteth against it with all might and maine stirring vppe stormes and tempests to hinder the course therof and vtterly to ouerthrow it Wherefore Paule warneth the Faithfull not to sleepe not to be negligent but constantly and valiantly to resist Satan that he spoile them not of that libertie which Christe hath purchased for them Euery word hath here a certaine vehemencie Stand sayth he As if he should say Here haue ye neede of great diligence vigilancie In that libertie In what libertie Not in that wherwith the Emperour hath made vs free but in that wherwith Christ hath made vs free The Emperour hath geuen or rather was compelled to geue to the Bishop of Rome a free citie and other landes also immunities priuileges and prerogatiues c. This is also a libertie but it is a ciuill libertie whereby the Pope with all his cleargie is exempt from all publicke charges Moreouer there is a fleshly or rather a deuilish libertie wherby the Deuill chiefly raigneth thorow out the whole world For they that inioy this libertie obey neither God nor lawes but doe what they list This libertie the people seeke and embrace at this day and so doe the Sectaries which will be at libertie in their opinions and in all their doings to the ende they may teach and doe whatsoeuer they dreame to be good and sound without reprehension These stand in that libertie wherein the Deuill hath made them free But we speake not here of this libertie albeit the whole world seeketh no other libertie Neither doe we speake of the ciuill libertie but of a farre other maner of libertie which the Deuill hateth and resisteth with all his power This is that libertie whereby Christe hath made vs free not from an earthly bondage or from the Babylonicall captiuitie or from the tyrannie of the Turkes but froÌ„ Gods euerlasting wrath And where is this done In the conscience There resteth our libertie and goeth no farther For Christe hath made vs free not ciuily nor carnally but diuinely that is to say we are made free in such sort that our coÌ„science is now free and quiet not fearing the wrath of God to come This is that true and inestimable libertie to the excelleÌ„cie maiestie wherof if we compare the other they are but as one droppe of water in respect of the whole sea For who is able to expresse what a thing it is when a man is assured in his heart that God neither is nor will be angry with him but will be for euer a mercifull and a louing father vnto him for Christes sake This is in deede a maruelous and an incomprehensible libertie to haue the most high and soueraigne Maiestie so fauourable vnto vs that he doth not onely defend maintaine and succour vs in this life but also as touching our bodies wâ—ll so deliuer vs that our bodies which are sowen in corruption in dishonor and infirmitie shall rise againe in incorruption in glory and power Wherfore this is an inestimable libertie that we are made free from the wrath of God for euer and is greater then heauen and earth and all other creatures Of this libertie there foloweth an other whereby through Christe we are made free from the lawe sinne death the power of the Deuill hell c. For as the wrath of God can not terrifie vs for that Christe hath deliuered vs from the same so the lawe sinne and death can not accuse and condemne vs And although the law accuse vs and sinne terrifie vs yet they can not driue vs to desperation For Faith which ouercometh the world by and by sayeth These things belong not vnto me for Christe hath made me free and deliuered me from them all Likewise death which is the most mighty and most dreadful thing in all the world is vtterly vanquished in the conscience by this libertie of the spirite Wherfore the maiestie of this Christian libertie is highly to be estemed and diligently considered It is an easie matter for a maÌ„ to speake these words freedome from the wrath of God sinne and death but in the time
strength And what toūge can expresse or what heart can conceaue how horrible a thing it is to make Christ vnprofitable Therefore the Apostle casteth out these wordes with great displeasure and indignation If ye be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing that is to say no profite shall redound vnto you of all his benefites but he hath bestowed them all vppon you in vaine Hereby it appeareth sufficiently that nothing vnder the sonne is more hurtfull then the doctrine of mens traditions and workes for they vtterly abolish and ouerthrow at once the truth of the Gospell Faith the true worshipping of God and Christe him selfe in whom the father hath ordained all things Colossians 2. In Christe are hid all the treasures of vvisedom and knovvledge In him dvvelleth the fulnes of the Godhead bodely Wherefore all they that are either authors or maintainers of the doctrine of workes are oppressours of the Gospell they make the death and victorie of Christ vnprofitable they blemish and deface his Sacramentes and vtterly take away the true vse thereof and briefly they are blasphemers enemies and deniers of God and of all his promises and benefites Who so is not moued with these wordes of Paule which calleth the lawe a yoke of bondage and sayth that they which affirme the keeping of circumcision to be necessary to saluation make Christ vnprofitable and can not be driuen from the lawe and circumcision nor yet from the confidence which he hath in his owne righteousnes and workes nor be stirred vp to seeke that libertie which is in Christe his heart is harder then stone and iron This is therfore a most certaine and cleare sentence that Christ is vnprofitable that is to say he is borne crucified and risen againe in vaine to him that is circumcised that is which putteth his trust in circumcision For as I haue sayd before Paule speaketh not here of the worke of circumcision which hurteth not him that hath no affiance or opinion of righteousnes in it but of the vse of the worke that is to say of the confidence and righteousnes that is annexed to the worke For we must vnderstand Paule according to the matter wherof he intreateth or according to the argument which he hath in hand which is that mē be not iustified by the lawe by works by circumcision or such like He sayth not that workes of them selues are nothing but the confidence righteousnes of workes are nothing for that maketh Christe vnprofitable Therfore who so receaueth circumcision with this opinion that it is necessary to iustification to him Christ auaileth nothing Let vs beare this well in minde in our priuate tentations when the Deuill accuseth and terrifieth our conscience to driue it to desperation For he is the father of lying and the enemie of Christian liberty therfore he tormenteth vs euery moment with false feares that when our conscience hath lost this Christian libertie it should feele the remorse of sinne and condenmation and alwayes remaine in auguish and terrour When that great dragon I say that old serpent the Deuill who deceaueth the whole world and accuseth our brethern in the presence of God day and night Apoc. 12. commeth and layeth vnto thy charge that thou hast not onely done no good but hast also transgressed the law of God say vnto him Thou troublest me with the remembrance of my sinnes past Thou puttest me also in minde that I haue done no good But this is nothing to me for if either I trusted in mine own good dedes or distrusted because I haue done none Christ should both waies profite me nothing at all Therfore whether thou lay my sinnes before me or my good workes I passe not but remouing both farre out of my sight I onely rest in that libertie wherein Christ hath made me free I know him to be profitable vnto me therfore I will not make him vnprofitable which I should doe if either I should presume to purchase my selfe fauour and euerlasting life by my good deedes or should despaire of my saluation because of my sinnes Wherefore let vs learne with all diligence to separate Christe farre from all works as well good as euil from all lawes both of God and man and from all troubled consciences for with all these Christe hath nothing to doe He hath to doe I graunt with afflicted consciences howbeit not to afflict them more but to raise them vp and in their affliction to comfort them Therfore if Christe appeare in the likenes of an angry iudge or of a lawmaker that requireth a strait accompt of our life past then let vs assure our selues that it is not Christ but a raging feende For the Scripture painteth out Christ to be our reconciliation our aduocate and our comforter Such a one he is and euer shal be he can not be vnlike himselfe Therfore whensoeuer the Deuil trāsforming himself into the likenes Christ disputeth with vs after this maner This thou oughtest being admonished by my word to haue done and hast not done it and this thou oughtest not to haue done and hast done it know thou therefore that I will take vengeance on thee c. lette this nothing at all moue vs but by and by let vs thus thinke with our selues Christ speaketh not to poore afflicted and despairing consciences after this maner He addeth not affliction to the afflicted He breaketh not the brused reede neither quencheth he the smoking flaxe In deede to the hard hearted he speaketh sharply but such as are terrified and afflicted he most louingly and comfortably allureth vnto him saying Come vnto me all ye that trauell and be heauie laden and I vvill refresh you I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Be of good cōfort my sonne thy sinnes are forgeuen thee Be not afraide haue ouercome the vvorld The sonne of man came to seeke out and saue that vvhich vvas lost We must take good heede therefore lest that we being deceaued by the wonderfull sleights infinite subtelties of Satan doe receaue an accuser and condemner in the sted of a comforter and Sauiour and so vnder the vizour of a false Christ that is to say of the Deuill we lose the true Christ and make him vnprofitable vnto vs This much haue we sayd as touching priuate and particuler tentations and how we should vse our selues therin Verse 3. For I testifie againe vnto euery man vvhich is circumcised that he is bound to kepe the vvhole lavve The first inconuenience is in deede very great where Paule sayth that Christe profiteth them nothing which are circumcised and this that foloweth is nothing lesse where he fayth that they which are circumcised are bound to keepe the whole law He speaketh these words with such earnestnes that he confirmeth them with an oth I testifie that is to say I sweare by the liuing god But these wordes may be expounded two wayes negatiuely and affirmatiuely Negatiuely after
not in the sonnes shall not see life but the vvrath of God abideth vpon him Againe he that beleueth not is iudged alredy Now like as all the doctrine of the Papistes to note this by the way concerning mens traditions workes vowes and merites was most common in the world so was it thought to be the best and most certaine of all others whereby the Deuill hath both sette vppe and stablished his kingdom most mightely Therefore when we at this day doe impugne and vanquish this doctrine by the power of Gods word as chaffe is driuen away by the winde it is no maruell that Satan rageth so cruelly against vs raiseth vppe sclaunders and offences euery where and setteth the whole world in our toppes Then will some man say It had bene better to haue held our peace for then had none of these euils bene raised vppe But we ought more to esteme the fauour of God whose glory we sette forth then to care for the tirranny of the world which persecuteth vs For what is the Pope the whole world in comparison of God In deede we are weake and beare an heauenly treasure in brickle and earthly vesselles but although the vesselles be neuer so brickle yet is the treasure inestimable These wordes Ye are falne from grace must not be coldly or slenderly considered for they are waightie and of great importance He that falleth from grace vtterly loseth the atonement the forgeuenes of sinnes the righteousnes libertie and life that Iesus Christe hath merited for vs by his death and resurrection and in stede thereof he purchaseth to himselfe the wrath and iudgement of God sinne death the bondage of the Deuill and euerlasting damnation And this place strongly confirmeth and fortifieth our doctrine concerning Faith or the article of iustification and maruelously comforteth vs against the cruell rage of the Papists that persecute and condemne vs as heretikes because we teach this article In deede this place ought to feare that enemies of Faith grace that is to say all that seeke righteousnes by works frō persecutīg blaspheming the word of grace life and euerlasting saluation But they be so hardhearted and obstinate that seeing they see not and hearing they heare not and when they read this dreadfull sentence of the Apostle pronounced against them they vnderstand it not Let vs therfore let them alone They are blinde and leaders of the blinde Verse 5. For vve in spirit vvait for the hope of righteousnes through Faith. Paule here knitteth vppe the matter with a notable conclusion saying Ye will be iustified by the lawe by circumcision and by workes but we seeke not to be iustified by this meanes lest Christ should be made vtterly vnprofitable vnto vs and we become detters to performe the whole lawe and so finally fall away from grace but we waite in spirite through Faith for the hope of righteousnes Euery word is here diligently to be noted for they are pithie and full of power He doth not only say as he is wont We are iustified by Faith or in spirite by Faith but moreouer he addeth VVe vvaite for the hope of righteousnes including hope also that he may comprehend the whole matter of Faith. Hope after the maner of the Scriptures is taken two wayes for the thing that is hoped for for the affection of him that hopeth For the thing which is hoped for it is taken in that first chapt to the Coloss For the hopes sake vvhich is layed vppe for you in heauen that is to say the thing which ye hope for For the affection of him that hopeth it is taken in the 8 chap. to the Romaines For vve are saued by hope So hope in this place also may be taken two wayes and so it yeldeth a double sense The first is We waite in spirite through Faith for the hope of righteousnes that is to say the righteousnes hoped for which shall be certainely reuealed in such time as it pleaseth the Lord to geue it The second We wait in spirite by Faith for righteousnes with hope and desire that is to say we are righteous howbeit our righteousnes is not yet reuealed but hangeth yet in hope For as long as we liue here sinne remaineth in our flesh there is also a lawe in our flesh and members rebelling against the lawe of our minde and leading vs captiues vnto the seruice of sinne Now when these affections of the flesh doe rage and raigne and we on the other side through the spirite doe wrastle against the same then is there a place for hope In deede we haue begun to be iustified through Faith whereby also we haue receaued the first frutes of the spirite and the the mortification of the flesh is also begun in vs but we be not yet perfetly righteous It remaineth then that we be perfectly iustified and this is it that we hope for So our righteousnes is not yet in actuall possession but lieth vnder hope This is a sweete and a sound consolation whereby afflicted and troubled consciences feeling their sinne and terrified with euery fierie dart of the Deuill may be maruelously comforted For the feeling of sinne the wrath of God death hell and all other terrours is wonderfull strong in the conflict of conscience as I my selfe being taught by experience doe know Then counsell must be geuen to the poore afflicted in this wise Brother thou desirest to haue a sensible feeling of thy iustification that is thou wouldest haue such a feling of Gods fauour as thou hast of thine owne sinne but that will not be But thy righteousnes ought to surmount all feeling of sinne that is to say thy righteousnes or iustification wherevpon thou holdest standeth not vppon thine owne feeling but vpon thy hoping that it shall be reuealed when it pleaseth the lord Wherefore thou must not iudge according to the feeling of sinne which troubleth and terrifieth thee but according to the promise and doctrine of Faith whereby Christe is promised vnto thee who is thy perfect and euerlasting righteousnes Thus the hope of the afflicted consisting in the inward affection is stirred vppe by Faith in the middest of all terrours and feeling of sinne to hope that he is righteous Moreouer if hope be here taken for the thing which is hoped for it is thus to be vnderstand that that which a man now seeth not he hopeth in time shall be made perfect and clearly reueiled Either sense may well stand but the first touching the inward desire and affection of hoping bringeth more plentifull consolation For my righteousnes is not yet perfect it can not yet be felt yet I doe not despaire for Faith sheweth vnto me Christe in whom I trust and when I haue laid hold of him by Faith I wrastle against the fierie dartes of the Deuil and I take a good heart through hope against the feeling of sinne assuring my selfe that I haue a perfect righteousnes prepared
also for by them hope is stirred vppe But Faith as also I haue shewed before goeth before hope for it is the beginning of life and beginneth before all tribulation For it learneth Christe and apprehendeth him without the crosse Notwithstāding the knowledge of Christ can not be long without the crosse without troubles and conflictes In this case the minde must be stirred vppe to a fortitude of spirite For hope is nothing else but a spirituall fortitude as Faith is nothing else but a spirituall prudence which consisteth in suffering according to this saying That through patience c. These three things then dwell together in the faithful Faith which teacheth the truth defendeth from errours Hope which endureth ouercōeth al aduersities as well bodely as ghostly Charitie which worketh all good things as it foloweth in the text And so is a man entire and perfect in this life as wel within as without vntill the righteousnes be reuealed which he waiteth for and this shal be a perfect an euerlasting righteousnes Moreouer this place containeth both a singuler doctrine consolation As touching the doctrine it sheweth that we are made righteous not by the workes sacrifices or ceremonies of Moises lawe much lesse by the works and traditions of mē but by Christ alone What so euer is in vs besides him is of the flesh and not of the spirite What so euer then the world counteth to be good and holy without Christe is nothing else but sinne errour and flesh Wherfore circumcision and the obseruation of the lawe also the workes religions and vowes of the Monkes and of all such as trust in their owne righteousnes are altogether carnall But we sayth Paule are farre aboue all these things in the spirite and inward man For we possesse Christe by Faith and in the middes of our afflictions through hope we wait for that righteousnes which we possesse alredy by Faith. The comfort is this that in serious conflicts and terrours wherin the feeling of sinne heauines of syirite desperation such like is very stronge for they enter deepely into the hearte and mightely assaile it thou must not folow thine owne feeling For if thou doe thou wilt say I feele the horrible terrours of the lawe and the tyrannie of sinne not onely rebelling against me but also subduing and leading me captiue and I feele no comfort or righteousnes at all Therefore I am a sinner and not righteous If I be a sinner then am I giltie of euerlasting death But against this feeling thou must wrastle and say Although I feele my selfe vtterly ouerwhelmed and swalowed vp with sinne and my heart telleth me that God is offended and angrie with me yet in very deede it is not true but that mine owne sense and feeling so iudgeth The word of God which in these terrours I ought to folow and not mine owne sense teacheth a farre other thing namely that God is neare vnto them that are of a troubled heart and saueth them that are of an humble spirite Also he despiseth not an humble and a contrite heart Moreouer Paul sheweth here that they that are iustified in spirite by Faith doe not yet feele the hope of righteousnes but wait still for it Wherfore when the lawe accuseth and sinne terrifieth thee and thou feelest nothing but the wrath and iudgement of God despaire not for all that but take vnto thee the armour of God the shield of Faith the helmet of hope and the sword of the spirite and trie how good and how valiant a warriour thou art Lay hold of Christe by Faith who is the Lord of the law and sinne and of all things else which accompanie them Beleuing in him thou art iustified which thing reason and the feeling of thine owne heart when thou art tempted doe not tell thee but the word of god Moreouer in the middest of these conflictes and terrours which often returne and exercise thee waite thou patiently through hope for righteousnes which thou hast now by Faith although it be yet but begun and imperfect vntill it be reuealed made perfect in the kingdom of heauen But thou wilt say I feele not my selfe to haue any righteousnes or at least wise I feele it but very litle Thou must not feele but beleue that thou hast righteousnes And except thou beleue that thou art righteous thou doest great iniurie vnto Christe who hath clensed thee by the washing of water through the word who also died vpon the crosse condemned sinne and killed death that through him thou mightest obtaine righteousnes euerlasting life These things thou canst not deny except thou wilt openly shew thy self to be wicked blasphemous against God vtterly to despise God all his promises Iesus Christe with all his benefites and so consequently thou canst not denie but that thou art righteous Let vs learne therfore in great and horrible terrours when our conscience feeleth nothing but sinne and iudgeth that God is angrie with vs and that Christ hath turned his face from vs not to folow the sense feeling of our owne hart but to stick to the word of God which saith that God is not angry but looketh to the afflicted to such as are troubled in spirite tremble at his word and that Christ turneth not himselfe away from such as labour and are heauie loden but refresheth and comforteth them This place therefore teacheth plainly that the lawe and workes bring vnto vs no righteousnes or comfort at all but this doth the holy Ghost onely in the Faith of Christe who raiseth vp hope in terrours and tribulations which endureth and ouercommeth all aduersities Very few there be that know how weake and feeble Faith and hope are vnder the crosse and in the conflict For it seemeth that they are but as smoking flaxe which is ready by by to be put out with a vehement winde But the faithfull who beleue in the middest of these assaultes and terrours hoping against hope that is to say fighting through Faith in the promise as touching Christe against the feeling of sinne and of the wrath of God doe afterwardes finde by experience that this sparke of Faith being very little as it appeareth to naturall reason for reason can scarsely feele it is as a mighty fire and swaloweth vp all our sinnes and all terrours There is nothing more deare or precious in all the world to the true children of God then this doctrine For they that vnderstand this doctrine doe know that wherof all the world is ignorant namely that sinne death and all other miseries afflictions and calamities as well corporall as spirituall doe turne to the benefite and profit of the elect Moreouer they know that God is then most nere vnto them when he seemeth to be farthest of and that he is then a most mercifull louing Sauiour when he semeth to be most angry to afflict to destroy
vpō this their fall vnlesse they repented This fatherly and Apostolicall care and admonition of Paule moued some of them nothing at all For many of them acknowledged Paule no more for their teacher but preferred the false apostles farre aboue him of whom they thought them selues to haue receaued the true doctrine and not of Paule Moreouer the false apostles no doubt sclaundered Paule among the Galathians saying that he was an obstinate and a contentious fellow which for a light matter would breake the vnitie of the churches and for no other cause but that he alone would be counted wise and be magnified of them Through this false accusation they made Paule very odious vnto many Some other which had not yet vtterly forsakē his doctrine thought that there was no daunger in dissenting a litle from him in the doctrine of iustification Faith. Wherfore when they heard that Paule made so hainous a matter of that which seemed vnto them to be but light and of small importance then maruelled and thus they thought with themselues Be it so that we haue swarned something from the doctrine of Paule and that there hath bene some fault in vs yet that being but a small matter he ought to winke thereat or at least not to vehemently to amplifie it lest by the occasion thereof the concord of the Churches should be broken Wherevnto he answereth with this sentence A litle leuen leueneth or maketh sovver the vvhole lumpe of dough And this is a caueat or an admonition which Paule stādeth much vppon And we also ought greatly to esteme the same at this day For our aduersaries in like maner obiect against vs that we are contentious obstinate and intractable in defending our doctrine and euen in matters of no great importance But these are the craftie fetches of the Deuill whereby he goeth about vtterly to ouerthrow our doctrine To this we answer therefore with Paule that a litle leuen maketh sovver the vvhole lumpe In Philosophie a small fault in the beginning is a great and a foule fault in the ende So in Diuinitie one litle errour ouerthroweth the whole doctrine Wherefore we must separate life and doctrine farre asunder The doctrine is not ours but Gods whose ministers onely we are called therefore we may not chaunge or diminish one tittle therof The life is ours therefore as touching that we are ready to doe to suffer to forgeue c. what so euer our aduersaries shall require of vs so that Faith and doctrine may remaine sound and vncorrupt of the which we say alwayes with Paule A litle leuen leueneth c. A small mote in the eye hurteth the eye And our Sauiour Christ sayeth The light of the body is the eye therefore vvhen thine eye is single then is thy vvhole body light but if thine eye be euill then thy body is darke Againe If thy body shall haue no part darke then shall all be light By this allegorie Christe signifieth that the eye that is to say the doctrine ought to be most simple cleare and sincere hauing in it no darknes no cloud c. And Iames the Apostle sayth He that faileth in one poynt is giltie of all This place therfore maketh very much for vs against these cauillers which say that we breake charitie to the great hurt and damage of the churches But we protest that we desire nothing more then to be at vnitie with all men so that they leaue vnto vs the doctrine of Faith entire and vncorrupt to the which all things ought to geue place be it charitie an Apostle or an angell from heauen Let vs suffer them therfore to extoll charity and concord as much as they list but on the other side lette vs magnifie the maiestie of the word and Faith. Charitie may be neglected in time and place without any daunger but so can not the word and Faith be Charitie suffereth all things geueth place to all men Contrariwise Faith suffereth nothing geueth place to no man Charitie in geuing place in beleuing in geuing and forgeuing is oftentimes deceaued and yet notwithstanding being so deceaued it suffereth no losse which is to be called true losse in deede that is to say it loseth not Christe Therefore it is not offended but continueth still constant in well doing yea euen towards the vnthankfull and vnworthy Contrariwise in the matter of Faith and saluation when men teach lies and errours vnder the colour of the truth and seduce many here hath charitie no place For here we lose not any benefite bestowed vppon the vnthankfull but we lose the word Faith Christe and euerlasting life Let it not moue vs therfore that they vrge so much the keping of charitie and concord For who so loueth not God his word it is no matter what or how much he loueth Paule therfore by this sentence admonisheth as well teachers as hearers to take heede that they esteme not the doctrine of Faith as a light matter wherw t they may dally at their plesure It is as a bright sunne beame comming downe from heauen which lightneth directeth and guideth vs Now like as the world with all the wisedom and power thereof is not able to stoppe or turne away the beames of the sunne comming downe from heauen directly vnto the earth euen so can there nothing be added to the doctrine of Faith or taken from it for that is an vtter defacing and ouerthrowing of the whole Verse 10. I haue trust in you through the Lord. As if he would say I haue taught admonished and reproued you enough so that ye would hearken vnto me Notwithstanding I hope wel of you in the lord Here riseth a question whether Paule doth wel whē he sayth he hath a good hope or trust of the Galathians seing the holy Scripture forbiddeth any trust to be put in men Both Faith and charitie haue their trust and beleefe but after diuers sorts by reason of the diuersitie of their obiectes Faith trusteth in God and therfore it can not be deceaued charitie beleueth man and therefore it is often deceaued Now this Faith that springeth of charitie is so necessary to this present life that without it life can not continue in the world For if one man should not beleue trust an other what life should we liue vpon earth The true Christians doe sooner beleue and geue credite through charitie then the childrē of this world doe For faith towards men is a fruite of the spirit or of christian Faith in the godly Herevpon Paule had a trust of that Galathians yea though they were falne frō his doctrine but yet through the lord As if he should say I trust vnto you so farre forth as the Lord is in you ye in him that is to say so farre forth as ye abide in the truth From which if you fall away seduced by the ministers of Sathan I will not trust vnto you any more Thus it is
lawfull for the godly to trust and beleue men Verse 10. That ye vvill be none othervvise minded To witte concerning doctrine Faith then I haue taught you ye haue learned of me That is to say I haue a good hope trust of you that ye will not receaue any other doctrine which shal be contrary to mine Verse 10. But he that troubleth you shall beare his condemnation vvhatsoeuer he be By this sentence Paule as it were a iudge sitting vpon the iudgement seat coÌ„demneth the false apostles calling them by a very odious name troublers of the Galathians whom they estemed to be very godly men and farre better teachers then Paule And withall he goeth about to terrifie the Galathians with this horrible sentence whereby he so boldly condemneth the false apostles to the ende that they should flie their false doctrine as a most daungerous plague As if he should say What meane ye to geue eare to those pestilent felowes which teach you not but onely trouble you The doctrine that they deliuer vnto you is nothing else but a trouble vnto your consciences Wherefore how great so euer they be they shall beare their condemnation Now a man may vnderstand by these words VVhosoeuer he be that the false apostles in outward appearance were very good and holy men And peraduenture there was amongst them some notable disciple of the Apostles of great name and aucthoritie For it is not without cause that he vseth such vehemeÌ„t pithie words He speaketh after the same maner also in the first Chapter saying If vve or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you othervvise then vve haue preached vnto you let him be accursed And it is not to be doubted but that many were offended with this vehemencie of the Apostle thinking thus with them selues Wherfore doth Paule breake charitie why is he so obstinate in so small a matter why doth he so rashly pronounce sentence of eternall damnation against those that are ministers as well as he He passeth nothing of all this but procedeth on still and boldly curseth and condemneth all those that peruert the doctrine of faith be they neuer so highly estemed seeme they neuer so holy and learned Wherefore as I geue often warning we must diligently discerne betwene doctrine and life Doctrine is heauen life is the earth In life is sinne errour vncleanes and miserie mingled with vineger as the prouerbe sayth There let charitie winke forbeare be beguiled beleue hope and suffer all things there let forgeuenes of sinnes preuaile as much as may be so that sinne and errour be not defended and maintained But in doctrine like as there is no errour so hath it no neede of pardon Wherfore there is no comparison betwene doctrine and life One litle poynt of doctrine is of more valew then heauen and earth and therefore we can not abide to haue the least iote thereof to be corrupted But we can very well wincke at the offences and errours of life For we also doe daily erre in life and conuersation yea all the sainctes erre and this doe they earnestly confesse in the Lordes prayer and in the Crede But our doctrine blessed be God is pure we haue all the articles of our Faith grounded vppon the holy Scripture Those the Deuill would gladly corrupt and ouerthrow Therefore he assaileth vs so craftely with this goodly argument that we ought not to breake charitie and the vnitie of the churches Verse 11. And brethern if I yet preach circumcision vvhy doe I yet suffer persecution Then is the sclaunder of the crosse abolished Paule labouring by all meanes possible to call the Galathians backe againe reasoneth now by his owne example I haue procured to my selfe sayeth he the hatred and persecution of the Priestes and Elders and of my whole nation because I take away righteousnes froÌ„ circumcision which if I would attribute vnto it the Iewes would not onely cease to persecute me but also would loue and highly commend me But now because I preach the Gospel of Christ the righteousnes of Faith abolishing the law circumcision therfore I suffer persecution Contrariwise the false apostles to auoide the crosse and this deadly hatred of the Iewâ—sh nation doe preach circumcision and by this meanes they obtaine and reteine the fauour of the Iewes as he sayeth in the .6 Chapt. folowing They compell you to be circumcised c. Moreouer they would gladly bring to passe that there should be no dissention but peace and concord betwene the Gentiles and the Iewes But that is impossible to be done without the losse of the doctrine of Faith which is the doctrine of the crosse and full of offences Wherefore when he sayeth If I yet preach circumcision vvhy doe I yet suffer persecution Then is the sclaunder of the crosse abolished he meaneth that it were a great absurditie and inconuenience if the offence of the crosse should cease After the same maner he speaketh 1. Cor. 1. Christe sent me to preach the Gospell not vvith vvisedom of vvordes lest the crosse of Christ should be made of none effect As if he sayd I would not that the offence and crosse of Christe should be abolished Here may some man say The Christians then are madde men to cast them selues into daunger of their owne accord For what doe they else by preaching and confessing the truth but procure vnto them selues the hatred and enimitie of the whole world and raise offences This sayth Paule doth nothing at all offend or trouble me but maketh me more bolde and causeth me to hope wel of the happie successe and increase of the church which flourisheth and groweth vnder the crosse For it behoueth that Christe the head and spouse of the Church should raigne in the middes of all his enemies Psal. 110. On the contrary part when the crosse is abolished the rage of tyrannes heretikes ceaseth on that one side and offences on the other side all things are in peace the Deuill keping the entrie of the house this is a sure token that the pure doctrine of Gods word is taken away Bernard considering this thing sayeth that the Church is then in best state when Sathan assaileth it on euery side as well by subtill sleights as by violence and coÌ„trariwise that it is then in worst case when it is most at ease And he aledgeth very well and to that purpose that sentence of Ezechias in his song Behold for felicitie I had bitter greefe applying it to the church liuing in ease and quietnes Wherfore Paul taketh it for a most certaine signe that it is not the Gospel if it be preached in peace Contrariwise the world taketh it for a most certaine signe that the Gospell is hereticall and seditious doctrine because it seeth great vprours tumults offences and sectes and such like to folow the preaching therof Thus God sometimes sheweth him selfe in the similitude of the
Deuil and the Deuil likewise sheweth him selfe in the likenes of God And God will be knowen vnder the similitude of the Deuill and will haue the Deuil knowen vnder the likenes of God. The crosse immediatly foloweth the doctrine of the word according to that saying Psal. 116 I beleued and therfore haue I spoken and I vvas sore troubled Now the crosse of the Christians is persecution with reproch and ignominie and without any compassion and therfore it is very offensiue First they suffer as the vilest people in the world so did the Prophet Esay foreshew euen of Christ himself cap. 53. He vvas reputed amōgst the vvicked Moreouer murtherers and theues haue their punishments qualified and men haue compassion on them Here is no offence or sclaunder ioyned with the punishment Cōtrariwise like as the world iudgeth the Christiās to be of all other mē the most pestilent pernicious so doth it thinke that no torments are sufficient to punish them for their hainous offences Neither is it moued with any compassion towardes them but putteth them to the most opprobrious and shamefull kinds of death that can be And it thinketh that it gaineth hereby a double commodity For first it imagineth that it doth high seruice vnto God in killing of them secondly that the cōmon peace and tranquillitie is restored and stablishing by taking away such noisome plagues Therfore the death and crosse of the Faithfull is full of offences But let not this reprochfull dealing sayeth Paule and the continuance of Christes crosse and offence therof moue you but rather let it confirme you For as long as the crosse endureth it shall goe well with the Gospell In like maner Christe also comforteth his disciples in the .5 of Math. Blessed are ye sayeth he vvhen men reuile you and persecute you and shall falsely say all maner of euill against you for my names sake Reioyce and be glad for great is your revvard in heauen For so persecuted they the Prophets vvhich vvere before you The church cā not suffer this reioysing to be wrested frō her Wherfore I would not wish to be at concord with the Pope the bishops the princes and the Sectaries vnlesse they would consent vnto our doctrine For such concorde were a certaine token that we had lost the true doctrine To be short as long as the church teacheth the Gospell it must suffer persecution For the Gospell setteth forth the mercy and glory of God It discloseth the malice and sleightes of the Deuill painting him out in his right coulours and plucking from him the counterfet visour of Gods Maiestie wherby he deceaueth the whole world that is to say it sheweth that all worshippings religious Orders inuented by men and traditions concerning single life meates and such other things wherby men thinke to deserue forgeuenes of sinnes euerlasting life are wicked things and deuelish doctrine There is nothing then that more stirreth vppe the Deuill than the preaching of the Gospell For that plucketh from him the dissembled vizour of God and bewrayeth him to be as he is in deede that is to say the Deuil not god Wherfore it can not be but that as long as the Gospell flourisheth the crosse and the offence thereof must needes folow it or else truely the Deuill is not rightly touched but slenderly tickled But if he be rightly hitte in deede he resteth not but beginneth horribly to rage and to raise vp troubles euery where If Christians then will hold the word of life let them not be afraid or offended when they see that the Deuill is broken lose and rageth euery where that all the world is on an vprour that tyrannes exercise their crueltie and heresies spring vppe but lette them assure them selues that these are signes not of terrour but of ioy as Christe himselfe expoundeth them saying Reioyce and be glad c. God forbid therefore that the offence of the crosse should be taken away Which thing should come to passe if we should preach that which the Prince of this world and his members would gladly heare that is to say the righteousnes of workes Then should we haue a gentle Deuil a fauourable world a gracious Pope and mercifull Princes But because we set forth the benefites and glory of Christe they persecute and spoile vs both of our goodes and liues Verse 12. VVould to God they vvere cutte of that doe disquiet you Is this the part of an Apostle not onely to denounce the false apostles to be troublers to condemne them and to deliuer them to Sathan but also to wish that they might be vtterly rooted out and pearish And what is this else but plaine cursing Paule as I suppose alludeth here to circumcision As if he would say They compell you to cutte of the foresakin of your flesh but I would that they themselues might be vtterly cutte off by the roote Here riseth a question whether it be lawfull for Christians to curse Why not howbeit not alwayes nor for euery cause But when the matter is come to this poynt that Gods word must be euill spoken of and his doctrine blasphemed and so consequently God him selfe then must we turne this sentence and say Blessed be God and his word and what so euer is without God and his word accursed be it yea though it be an Apostle or an Angell from heauen So he sayd before in the first Chapter Although vve or an Angell from heauen preach othervvise vnto you then that vvhich vve haue preached let him be accursed Hereby it may appeare how great a matter Paule made of a litle leauen which for the same durst curse the false apostles who in outward appearance were men of great authoritie and holines Let not vs therefore make litle account of the leauen of doctrine For although it be neuer so litle yet if it be neglected it will be the cause that by litle and litle the truth and our saluation shall be lost and God himselfe be denied For when the word is corrupted and God denied and blasphemed which must needes folow if the word be corrupted there remaineth no hope of saluation But for our partes if we be cursed railed vppon and slaine there is yet one that can raise vs vppe againe and deliuer vs from the curse death and hell Wherefore lette vs learne to aduaunce and extoll the Maiestie authoritie of Gods word For it is no small trifle as brainsicke heades surmise at this day but euery title thereof is greater then heauen and earth Wherefore in this respect we haue no regard of Christian charitie or concord but we sitte as it were on the iudgement seat that is to say we curse and condemne all men which in the least poynt deface or corrupt the Maiestie of Gods word For a litle leauen maketh sovver the vvhole lumpe But if they leaue vs Gods word entire and sound we are not onely ready to keepe charitie
This is a perfect and a sound doctrine of Faith and loue and also the shortest and the longest Diuinitie The shortest as touching the words and sentences but as touching the vse and practise it is more large more longe more profound and more high then the whole world Verse 15. If ye bite and deuoure one an other take heede lest ye be consumed one of an other By these wordes Paule witnesseth that if the foundation that is to say if Faith in Christ be ouerthrowne by wicked teachers no peace or concord cā remaine in the church either in doctrine or life but there must needes be diuers opinions and dissensions from time to time both in doctrine and life wherby it commeth to passe that one biteth and deuoureth an other that is to say one iudgeth and condemneth an other vntill at length they be consumed Hereof not onely the Scripture but also the examples of all times beare witnes After that Aphrike was peruerted by the Manichees by and by folowed the Donatistes who also disagreeing among them selues were diuided into three sundry Sectes And how many Sectes haue we at this day springing vppe one after an other One Sect bringeth forth an other and one condemneth an other Thus when the vnitie of the spirite is broken it is vnpossible that there should be any concord either in doctrine or life but daily new errours must nedes spring vp without measure and without end Paule therefore teacheth that such occasions of discord are to be auoided and he sheweth how they may be auoided This sayth he is the way to vnitie and concord Let euery man doe his duetie in that kinde of life which God hath called him vnto Let him not lift vp himselfe aboue others nor finde fault at other mens workes and commend his owne but let euery one serue an other through loue This is a true and a simple doctrine touching good works This do not they teach which haue made shipwracke of faith haue conceaued fantasticall opinions concerning Faith good workes but disagreeing among them selues as touching the doctrine of Faith and workes they bite and deuoure that is to say they accuse condemne one an other as Paule here sayth of the Galathians If ye bite and deuoure one an other take heede lest ye be consumed one of an other As if he would say doe not accuse and condemne one an other for circumcision for obseruing of holy dayes or other ceremonies but rather geue your selues to serue and helpe one an other through charitie Or else if ye continue in biting deuouring one an other take heede that ye be not consumed that is to say that ye perish not vtterly yea and that bodely which cōmōly hapneth especially to the authors of Sects as it did to Arrius others and to certaine also in our time For he that hath laid his foūdation on the sand and buildeth hay stubble and such like must needes fall be consumed for all those things are ordained for the fire I will not say that after such bitings deuourings the ruine destructiō not of one citie but of whole countreys kingdoms are wont to folow Now the Apostle sheweth what it is to serue one an other through loue It is a hard a dangerous matter to teach that we are made righteous by faith without works yet to require workes withall Here except the ministers of Christe be faithfull wise disposers of the mysteries of God rightly diuiding the word of truth faith workes are by and by confounded Both these doctrines as well of faith as of works must be diligētly taught and vrged and yet so that both may remaine with in their bounds Otherwise if they teach works only as they do in the Popes kingdom then is faith lost If faith onely be taught then carnall men by and by dreame that workes be not needefull The Apostle began a litle before to exhort men to good workes and to teach that the whole lawe was fulfilled in one word namely Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Here will some man say Paule thorowout his whole Epistle taketh away righteousnes from the law for sayeth he By the vvorks of the lavv shall no flesh be iustified Also As many as are vnder the vvorks of the lavv are vnder the curse But now whē he sayth that the whole law is fulfilled in one word he seemeth to haue forgotten the matter whereof he hath entreated in all this Epistle and to be of a quite contrary opinion to witte that they which doe the works of charitie fulfill the law and be righteous To this obiection he answereth after this maner Verse 16. But I say vvalke in the spirite and ye shall not fulfill the vvorkes of the flesh As if he should haue sayd I haue not forgotten my former discourse concerning Faith neither doe I now reuoke the same in that I exhort you to mutuall loue saying that the vvhole lavve is fulfilled through loue but I am still of the same minde and opinion that I was before To the ende therefore that ye may rightly vnderstand me I adde this moreouer VValke in the spirite and ye shall not fulfill the lustes of the flesh A confutation of the argument of the Schoolemen Loue is the fulfilling of the lavve therfore the lavve iustifieth Although Paule speaketh here expresly and plainly enough yet hath he litle preuailed For the Schoolemen not vnderstanding this place of Paule Loue is the fulfilling of the lavv haue gathered out of it after this maner If loue be the fulfilling of the law it foloweth then that loue is righteousnes therfore if we loue we be righteous These profound clarkes doe argue from the word to the worke from doctrine or preceptes to life after this sort The lawe hath commaunded loue therefore the worke of loue foloweth out of hand But this is a foolish consequence to draw an argumēt from precepts and to ground the conclusion vppon workes True it is that we ought to fulfill the lawe and to be iustified through the fulfilling thereof but sinne hindreth vs In deede the law prescribeth and commaundeth that we should loue God with all our heart c. and that we should loue our neighbour as our selues but it foloweth not this is wrytten therfore it is done the law commaundeth loue therefore we loue There is not one man to be found vppon the whole earth which so loueth God and his neighbour as the lawe requireth But in the life to come where we shall be throughly clensed from all vices and sinnes and shall be made as pure as cleare as the Sunne we shall loue perfectly and shall be righteous through perfect loue But in this life that puritie is hindred by the flesh for as long as we liue sinne remaineth in our flesh By reason wherof the corrupt loue of our selues is so mightie that it farre surmounteth the loue of god
trust in his death and victorie theyr strait and painfull life auailed them nothing at all These things sufficiently declare who be the true Sainctes in deede and which is to be called a holy life Not the life of those which lurke in caues dennes which make their bodies leane with fasting which weare hear and doe other like things with this perswasion and trust that they shall haue some singular reward in heauen aboue all other Christians but of those which be baptised and beleue in Christ which put of the olde man with his workes but not at once For concupiscence and lust remaineth in them so long as they liue the feeling wherof doth hurt them nothing at all if they suffer it not to raigne in them but subdue it to the spirite This doctrine bringeth great consolation to godly mindes that when they feele these dartes of the flesh wherewith Sathan assaileth the spirite they should not despaire As it hapneth to many in the Papacie which thought that they ought to feele no concupiscence of the flesh where as notwithstanding Hierome Gregorie Benedict Barnard and others whom the Monks set before them as a perfect example of chastitie and of all Christian vertues could neuer come so farre as to feele no concupiscence or lust of the flesh Yea they felt it and that very strongly Which thing they acknowledge and plainly confesse in diuers places of their bookes Therfore we rightly confesse in the articles of our beleefe that we beleue there is a holy Church For it is inuisible dwelling in spirit in a place that none can attaine vnto and therefore her holines can not be seene For God doth so hide and couer her with infirmities with sinnes with errours with diuers formes of the crosse and offences that according to the iudgement of reason it is no where to be seene They that are ignorant of this when they see the infirmities and sinnes of those which are baptised which haue the word and beleue it are by and by offended and iudge them not to pertaine to the Church And in the meane while they dreame that the Heremites the Monks and such other shauelings are the church which honour God with their lippes and worship him in vaine because they folow not the word of God but the doctrines and commaundements of men teach others to doe the same And because they doe certaine superstitious and monstrous works which carnal reason magnifieth and highly estemeth therfore they iudge them only to be Saincts and to be the church And in so doing they chaunge and turne this article of the Faith cleane contrary I beleue that there is a holy church c. and in the steede of this word I beleue they put in I see These kinds of righteousnes holines of mans owne deuising are nothing else but spiritual sorceries wherw t the eyes minds of mē are blinded led frō the knowledge of true holines But thus teach we that the Church hath no spot nor wrinkle but is holy and yet through Faith onely in Christ Iesus Againe that she is holy in life and cōuersation by abstaining from the lusts of the flesh and exercise of spirituall works but yet not in such sort that he is deliuered from all euill desires or purged from all wicked opinions and errours For the church alwayes confesseth her sinnes prayeth that her faults may be pardoned Also she beleueth the forgeuenes of sinnes The Saincts therfore doe sinne fall and also erre but yet through ignorance For they would not willingly deny Christe forsake the Gospell c therefore they haue remission of sinnes And if through ignorance they erre also in doctrine yet is this pardoned for in the ende they acknowledge their errour and rest onely vppon the truth and the grace of God offered in Christe as Hierome Gregorie Bernard and others did Let Christians then endeuour to auoide the workes of the flesh but the desires or lustes of the flesh they can not auoide It is very profitable therfore for them to feele the vncleane lustes of the flesh lest they should be puffed vp with some vaine wicked opinion of the righteousnes of their owne works as though they were accepted before God for the same The Monks being puffed vp with this opinion of their owne righteousnes thought thēselues to be so holy that they solde their righteousnes holines to others although they were cōuinced by the testimony of their owne hearts that they were vncleane So pernitious and pestilent a poyson it is for a mā to trust in his owne righteousnes to thinke himselfe to be cleane But the godly because they feele the vnclennes of their owne harts therfore they cānot trust to their own righteousnes This feeling so maketh thē to stoupe so hūbleth them that they cannot trust to their owne good workes but are constrained to flie vnto Christe their Mercy seat and onely succour who hath not a corrupt and sinfull but a most pure and holy flesh which he hath geuen for the life of the world in him they finde a sound and perfect righteousnes Thus they continue in humilitie not counterfet and Monkish but true and vnfained because of the vncleanes which yet remaineth in their flesh for the which if God would straitly iudge them they should be foūd giltie of eternal death But because they lift not vp thē selues proudly against God but with a broken a cōtrite heart humbly acknowledging their sinnes resting wholy vppon the benefite of the Mediatour Christ they come forth into the presence of God and pray that for his sake their sinnes may be forgeuen them God spreadeth ouer them an infinite heauen of grace and doth not impute vnto them their sinnes for Christes sake This I say to the end that we may take heede of the pernicious errours of the Papists touching the holines of life wherin our minds were so wrapped that without great difficultie we could not winde our selues out of them Wherfore doe your endeuour with diligence that ye may discerne and rightly iudge betwene true righteousnes or holines and that which is hypocriticall then shall ye behold the kingdom of Christ with other eyes then carnall reason doth that is with spirituall eyes and certainly iudge those to be true Sainctes in deede which are baptised and beleue in Christe and afterwardes in the same Faith wherby they are iustified and their sinnes both past and present are forgeuen doe abstaine from the desires of the flesh But from these desires they are not thorowly clensed for the flesh lusteth against the spirite Notwithstanding these vncleane rebellious lustes doe still remaine in them to this ende that they may be humbled and being so humbled they may feele the sweetenes of the grace and benefite of Christe So these remnauntes of vncleane lustes and sinnes doe nothing at all hinder but greatly furder the godly For the more they feele
Wherfore it was not possible for them to vnderstād Paule But here we may plainly see that Paule reckeneth idolatry and heresy amōgs the works of the flesh which two as before we haue said reason estemeth to be most high excellēt vertues wisedō religion holines rightousnes Paul Col. 2. calleth it the religion of angels But although it seeme to be neuer so holy spiritual yet is it nothīg else but a worke of the flesh an abhomination and idolatry against the Gospell against faith and against the true seruice of god This do the faithfull see for they haue spirituall eyes but the Iusticiaries iudge the contrary For a Monke can not be perswaded that his vowes be works of the flesh So the Turke beleueth nothing lesse then that his Alcaron his washings and other ceremonies which he obserueth be workes of the flesh VVitchcraft Of witchcraft I haue spoken before in the .3 Chap. This vice was very cōmon in these our dayes before the light truth of the gospel was reueled Whē I was a child there were many witches sorcerers which bewitched both cattel men but specially children did great harme also otherwise But now in the light of the Gospell these things be not so commonly heard of for the Gospell thrusteth the Deuill out of his seat with all his illusions But now he bewitcheth mē much more horribly namely with spirituall sorcerie and witchcraft Paule reckneth witchcraft among the works of the flesh which notwithstanding as all mē know is not a work of fleshly lust or lechery but a kinde of idolatry For witchcraft couenanteth with the Deuil superstition or idolatrie couenanteth with God albeit not with the true God but with a counterfet god Wherfore idolatry is in dede a spiritual witchcraft For as witches doe enchaunt cattel men so idolaters that is to say all Iusticiaries or iustifiers of thēselues go about to bewitch god and to make him such a one as they doe imagine Now they imagine him to be such a one as will iustifie them not of his mere grace and mercy and through Faith in Christe but in respect of their wil worshipping and works of their owne choosing and in recompēce therof wil geue them righteousnes and life euerlasting But whiles they go about to bewitch God they bewitch thēselues For if they continue in this wicked opinion which they cōceiue of God they shall die in their idolatrie and be damned The workes of the flesh are well knowne for the most part therfore they shall not neede any further declaration Sectes By the name of Sects Paule meaneth here not those diuisions or contentions which rise sometimes in the gouernment of housholdes or of common weales for worldly and earthly matters but those which rise in the Church about doctrine Faith and workes Heresies that is to say Sectes haue alwayes bene in the Church as we haue sayd before in diuers places Notwithstanding the Pope is an Archhereticke and the head of all heretickes for he hath filled the world as it were with an huge floud of infinite Sectes and errours What concord and vnitie was there in so great diuersitie of the Monkes and other religious Orders No one sort or Sect of them could agree with an other for they measured their holines by the straitnes of their Orders Hereof it commeth that the Carthusian wil needes be counted holier then the Franciscane so likewise the rest Wherfore there is no vnity of spirit nor concord of mindes but great discord in the papisticall church There is no conformitie in their doctrine faith religion or seruing of God but all things are cleane contrary Contrariwise amongst the Christians the word faith religion sacramēts seruice Christ God hart soule mind vnderstāding are all one and commō to all and as touching outward conuersation the diuersitie of states degrees conditiōs of life hindreth this spirituall concord and vnitie nothing at all as before I haue sayd And they which haue this vnitie of the spirit can certainly iudge of all Sects which otherwise no man vnderstandeth As in deede no diuine in that Papacie vnderstode that Paule in this place cōdemneth all the worshippings religiōs cōtinencie honest conuersation holy life in outward appearance of all the Papists Sectaries schismatikes but they all thought that he speaketh of the grosse idolatrie and heresies of the Gentiles Turks which manifestly blaspheme the name of Christ Dronkennes Gluttonie Paule doth not say that to eate drinke be workes of the flesh but to be drūken to surfet which of all other vices are most cōmon at this day Who so are geuen to this beastly dissolutenes excesse let them know that they are not spiritual how much so euer they boast them selues so to be but they folow the flesh and performe the filthie workes thereof Therfore is this horrible sentence pronoūced against them that they shal not be inheritours of the kingdom of god Paule would therfore that Christiās should flie drunkennes surfetting liuing soberly moderately without all excesse lest by pāpering the flesh they shuld be prouoked to wātonnes As in deede after surfetting belly cheare the flesh is wont to waxe wanton to be inflamed with outragious lust But it is not sufficiēt only to restraine this outragious wātonnes lust of the flesh which foloweth drūkennes surfetting or any maner of excesse but also the flesh when it is most sobre in his best tēperance must be subdued repressed lest it fulfill his lustes desires For it oftentimes cometh to passe that euē they which are most sobre are tempted most of al As Hierom wryteth of himselfe My face sayth he was pale with fasting my minde was enflamed with fleshly desires in my cold body and although my flesh was half dead alredy yet that flames of vnclene lust boiled within me Hereof I my selfe also had experiēce whē I was a Mōke The heat therfore of vncleane lusts is not quēched by fastīg only but we must be aided also by the spirite that is by the meditation of Gods word faith praier In deede fasting represseth the grosse assaultes of fleshly lust but the desires of the flesh are ouercome by no abstinence from meates an drinkes but onely by the meditation of the word of God and inuocation of Christe Verse 21. And such like For it is vnpossible to recken vp all the workes of the flesh Verse 21. VVherof I tell you as I haue also told you before that they vvhich doe such things shall not inherite the kingdom of God. This is a very hard a terrible saying but yet very necessary against false Christiās and careles hypocrites which bragge of the Gospell of Faith of the spirit and yet in all securitie they performe the workes of the flesh But chiefly the heretickes being puffed vp with opinions of spirituall matters as they
an other but geue place one to an other in geuing honour preuēt one an other Contrariwise they that be desirous of glory enuie one an other may bost that they haue the spirite and liue after the spirite but they deceaue themselues they folow the flesh and doe the workes thereof and they haue their iudgement already that they shall not inherite the kingdom of God. Now as nothing is more daūgerous to the Church then this execrable vice so is there nothing more common For when God sendeth forth labourers into his haruest by and by Sathā raiseth vp his ministers also who wil in no case be coūted inferiour to those that are rightly called Here straightwayes riseth dissension The wicked wil not yeld one heares breadth to the godly For they dreame that they farre passe them in witte in learning in godlines in spirite and other vertues Much lesse ought the godly to yelde to the wicked lest the doctrine of Faith come in danger Moreouer such is the nature of the ministers of Sathan that they can make a goodly shew that they are very charitable humble louers of concord and are indued with other fruits of the spirit also they protest that they seeke nothing else but the glory of God the saluation of mens soules and yet are they ful of vainglory doing all things for none other ende but to get praise and estimation among men To be short they thinke that gaine is godlines and that the ministerie of the word is deliuered vnto them that they may get fame and estimation therby Wherfore they can not but be authors of dissension and Sectes Forasmuch then as the vaineglory of the false apostles was the cause that the Churches of Galatia were troubled and forsooke Paule therefore in this Chapter specially his purpose was to suppresse that execrable vice yea this mischeefe gaue the Apostle occasion to wryte this whole Epistle And if he had not so done all his trauell bestowed in preaching of the Gospell among the Galathians had bene spent in vaine For in his absence the false apostles which were men in outward shew of great authority raigned in Galatia who besides that they would seeme to seeke the glory of Christe and the saluation of the Galathians pretended also that they had bene conuersant with the Apostles that they folowed their footesteppes saying that Paule had not seene Christe in the flesh nor had bene conuersant with the rest of the Apostles therfore they made no accoūt of him but reiected his doctrine boasted their owne to be true sincere Thus they troubled the Galathians and raised Sectes among them so that they prouoked and enuied one an other which was a sure token that neither the teachers nor hearers liued and walked after the spirit but folowed the flesh and fulfilled the workes thereof and so consequently lost the true doctrine Faith Christ and all the giftes of the holy Ghost and were now become worse then the Heathen Notwithstanding he doth not onely inueigh against the false apostles which in his time troubled the Churches of Galatia but also he foresaw in spirite that there should be an infinite numbre of such euen to the worlds end which being infected with this pernicious vice should thrust them selues into the Church boasting of the spirite and heauenly doctrine and vnder this pretence should quite ouerthrow the true doctrine and Faith. Many such haue we also seene in these our dayes who haue thrust them selues into the kingdom of the spirit that is to say into the Ministery of the word by this hypocrisie they haue purchased vnto thē selues fame estimation that they were great doctours pillers of the Gospel such as liued in the spirite and walked according to the same But because their glory consisted in mennes mouthes and not in God therefore it could not be firme and stable but according to Paules prophesie it turned to their owne confusion and theyr ende was destruction For the vvicked shall not stand in iudgement but shall be taken avvay like chaffe and scattered abrode vvith the vvinde The same iudgement remaineth for all such as in preaching the Gospell seeke their owne profite and not the glory of Iesus Christe For the Gospell is not deliuered vnto vs that we should thereby seeke our owne praise and glory or that the people should honour and magnifie vs which are the Ministers therof but to the end that the benefite and glory of Christe might be preached and published and that the father might be glorified in his mercy offred vnto vs in Christ his sōne whom he deliuered for vs all and with him hath geuen vs all things Wherfore the Gospel is a doctrine wherin we ought to seeke nothing lesse than our owne glory It setteth forth vnto vs heauenly and eternall things which are not our owne which we haue neither done nor deserued but it offereth the same vnto vs to vs I say which are vnworthy and that through the meere goodnes and grace of god Why should we then seeke praise and glory therby He therfore that seeketh his owne glory in the Gospell speaketh of him selfe And he that speaketh of him selfe is a lier and there is vnrighteousnes in him Contrariwise he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him is true and there is no vnrighteousnes in him Iohn 7. Paule therfore geueth earnest charge to all the ministers of the word saying If vve liue in the spirite let vs vvalke in the spirite that is to say Let vs abide in the doctrine of the truth which hath ben taught vnto vs in brotherly loue and spirituall concord let vs preach Christe and the glory of God in simplicitie of heart and let vs confesse that we haue receaued all things of him let vs not thinke more of our selues than of others let vs raise vp no Sectes For this is not to walke rightly but rather to raunge out of the way and to sette vp a new and a peruerse way of walking Hereby we may vnderstand that God of his speciall grace maketh the teachers of the Gospell subiect to the crosse and to all kindes of afflictions for the saluation of them selues and of the people for otherwise they could by no meanes represse and beate downe this beast which is called vaineglory For if no persecution no crosse or reproch followed the doctrine of the Gospell but onely praise reputation and glory amongst men then would all the professors thereof be infected and perish through the poyson of vainglory Ierome sayth that he had seene many which could suffer great inconueniences in theyr body and goodes but none that could despise their owne praises For it is almost impossible for a mā not to be puffed vp whē he heareth any thing spoken in the praise of his owne vertues Paule notwithstanding that he had the spirite of Christe sayth that there was geuen vnto him
whē he was borne he was laid in a maunger in steede of a bedde because there was no roome for him in the Inne afterwards being conuersant amōg men he had not whereon to lay his head and briefly being spoyled of his garmentes and hanging naked on the crosse betwene two theeues he died most miserably but to the Pope for the maintainance of his abhominations and because he oppressing the Gospel taught the doctrines and traditions of men and set vppe idolatrie And as oft as I read the exhortations of Paule whereby he perswadeth the Churches that they should either nourish their pastours or geue somewhat to the reliefe of the poore Sainctes in Iewrie I do greatly maruell and am ashamed that so great an Apostle should be constrained to vse so many wordes for the obtaining of this benefite of the congregations Wryting to the Corrinthians he treateth of this matter in two whole Chapters I would be loth to defame VVyttenberge which in deede is nothing to Corinth as he defamed the Corrinthians in begging so carefully for the reliefe and succour of the poore But this is the lotte of the Gospel when it is preached that not onely no man is willing to geue any thing for the finding of ministers and maintaining of scholers but men begin to spoyle to robbe and to steale and with diuers craftie meanes one to beguile an other To be briefe men seeme suddenly to grow out of kind and to be transformed into cruell beastes Contrariwise when the doctrine of Deuils was preached then men were prodigall and offred all things willingly to those that deceaued them The Prophets doe reproue the same sinne in the Iewes which were loth to geue any liuing to the godly priests and Leuites but gaue all things plentifully to the wicked Now therefore we begin to vnderstand how necessary this commaundement of Paule is as touching the maintenaunce of the ministers of the Church For Sathan can abide nothing lesse then the light of the Gospell Therefore when he seeth that it beginneth to shine then doth he rage and goeth about with all maine and might to quench it And this he attempteth two maner of wayes First by lying spirites and force of tyrannes and then by pouertie and famine But because he could not hetherto oppresse the Gospell in this countrey praised be God by heretikes and tyrannes therefore he attempteth to bring it to passe the other way that is by withdrawing the liuings of the ministers of the word to the ende that they being oppressed with pouertie and necessitie should forsake the ministerie and so the miserable people being destitute of the word of God should become in time as sauage and wilde beastes And Sathan helpeth forwardes this horrible enormitie by vngodly Magistrates in the Cities and also by noble men and gentlemen in the countrey who take away the church goods whereby the ministers of the Gospell should liue and turne them to wicked vses These goods sayeth the Prophet Micha vvere gathered of the hire of a harlot and therefore to a harlottes hire they shall returne Moreouer Sathan turneth men particularly also from the gospell by ouermuch fulnes For when the Gospell is diligently and daily preached many being glutted therwith begin to loth it and by litle and litle become negligent vntoward to all godly exercises Againe there is no man that will now bring vp his children in good learning much lesse in the study of the holy Scripture but they employ them wholy to gainfull artes or occupations All these are Sathans practises to no other ende but that he may oppresse the Gospell in this our countrey without any violence of tyrānes or subtill deuises of heretikes It is not without cause therfore that Paule warneth the hearers of the Gospel to make their pastours and teachers partakers with them in all good things If vve sayth he to the Corinthians haue sovvne to you spirituall things is it a great matter if vve reape your vvorldly things The hearers therefore ought to minister carnall things to thē of whom they haue receaued spirituall things But both husbād men Citizens and gentlemen doe at this day abuse our doctrine that vnder the colour therof they may enrich thēselues Heretofore when the Pope raigned there was no man which paid not somwhat yerely to the priests for masses diriges trentals such trash The begging friers had also their part The marchaūdises of Rome likewise and daily offrings caried away somwhat Frō these from an infinite numbre of such exactions our countreymen are now deliuered by the Gospel But so farre of is it that they are thankfull vnto God for this libertie that of prodigall geuers they are now become starke theeues and robbers will not bestow one farthing vppon the Gospel or the ministers thereof or geue any thing for the reliefe and succour of the poore Saincts which is a certaine token that they haue lost both the word and faith and that they haue no spirituall goodnes in them For it is impossible that such as are godly in deede should suffer their pastours to liue in necessity penurie But for as much as they laugh and reioyce when theyr pastours suffer any aduersitie and withhold their liuing or geue it not with such faithfulnes as they ought it is a plaine token that they are worse then the heathen But they shal feele ere it be lōg what calamities wil folow this vnthankfulnes For they shal lose both temporal spiritual things For this sinne must nedes be grieuously punished And certainly I thinke that the churches in Galatia Corinth and other places were so troubled by the false apostles for no other cause but for that they litle regarded their true pastours preachers For it is good reason that he which refuseth to geue a peny to God who offereth vnto him all good things life euerlasting should geue a peece of gold to the Deuil the author of all euils death euerlasting Who so will not serue God in a litle that to his owne inestimable benefite let him serue that Deuill in much to his extreme vtter cōfusion Now therfore since the light of the Gospel beginneth to shine we see what the Deuill is what the world is In that he saith in al his goods it is not so to be taken that all men are bound to geue all that they haue to their ministers but that they shuld maintaine them liberally and geue them that wherby they may be wel able to liue Verse 7. Be not deceiued for God is not mocked The Apostle prosecuteth this place of the nourishing and maintaining of ministers so earnestly that to his former reprehension and exhortation he addeth now also a threatning saying God is not mocked And here he toucheth to the quicke the propertie of our countrey men which proudly despise our ministerie For they thinke it to be but a sport and a
it signifieth all the afflictions of the faithfull whose sufferings are Christes sufferings 2. Cor. 1. The sufferings of Christ abound in vs. Againe Novv reioyce I in my sufferings for you and fulfill the rest of the afflictiōs of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake vvhich is the Church c. The crosse of Christe therfore generally signifieth all the afflictiōs of the church which it suffereth for Christe which he him selfe witnesseth when he sayth Saule Saule vvhy persecutest thou me Saule did no violence to Christ but to his Church But he that toucheth it toucheth the apple of his eye There is a more liuely feeling in the head then in the other members of the body And this we know by experience for the litle toe or the least part of a mannes body being hurt the head forthwith sheweth it selfe by the countenaunce to feele the greefe thereof So Christe our head maketh all our afflictions his owne and suffereth also when we suffer which are his body It is profitable for vs to know these things lest we should be swalowed vppe with sorow or fal to despaire when we see that our aduersaries doe cruelly persecute excommunicate kill vs But let vs thinke with our selues after the example of Paule that we must glory in the crosse which we beare not for our owne sinnes but for Christes sake If we consider onely in our selues the sufferings which we endure they are not only grieuous but intolerable but when we may say Thy sufferings O Christe abound in vs Or as is said in the Psal. 44. For thy sake are vve killed all the day then these sufferings are not onely easie but also sweete according to that saying My burden is easie and my yoke is svveete Now it is well knowen that we at this day doe suffer the hatred and persecution of our aduersaries for none other cause but for that we preach Christe faithfully and purely If we would deny him and approue their pernicious errours and wicked religion they would not onely cease to hate and persecute vs but woulde also offer vnto vs honour riches and many goodly things Because therefore we suffer these things for Christes sake we may truely reioyse and glory with Paule in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ that is to say not in riches in power in the fauour of men c. but in afflictions weaknes sorow fightings in the body terrours in the spirite persecutions and all other euils Wherefore we trust it will shortly come to passe that Christe will say the same to vs that Dauid sayd to Abiathar the priest I am the cause of all your deaths Againe He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye As if he had sayd he that hurteth you hurteth me For if ye did not preach my worde and confesse me ye should not suffer these things So sayth he also in Iohn If ye vvere of the vvorld the vvorld vvould loue his ovvne but because I haue chosen you out of the vvorld therfore the vvorld hateth you But these things are treated of afore Verse 14. By vvhom the vvorld is crucified to me I vnto the vvorld This is Paules maner of speaking The world is crucified to me that is I iudge the world to be damned And I am crucified to the world that is the world againe iudgeth me to be damned Thus we crucifie and condemne one an other I abhorre all the doctrine righteousnes and works of the world as the poyson of the Deuil The world againe detesteth my doctrine and deedes and iudgeth me to be a sedicious a pernicious a pestilent felow and an heretike So at this day the world is crucified to vs and we vnto the world We curse and condemne all mans traditions concerning Masses Orders vowes wil-worshippings works all the abhominations of the Pope other heretikes as the dirt of the Deuill They againe do persecute kill vs as destroyers of religion and troublers of the publike peace The Monkes dreamed that the world was crucified to them when they entred into their Monasteries but by this meanes Christ is crucified and not the world yea the world is deliuered from crucifying and is the more quickened by that opinion of holines and trust which they had in their owne righteousnes that entred into religion Most foolishly wickedly therfore was this sentence of the Apostle wrested to the entring into Monasteries He speaketh here of an high matter of great importance that is to say that euery faithfull man iudgeth that to be the wisedom righteousnes and power of God which the world condemneth as the greatest folly wickednes and weaknes And contrariwise that which the world iudgeth to be the highest religion and seruice of God the faithfull doe know to be nothing else but execrable and horrible blasphemie against god So the godly condemne the world and againe the world condemneth the godly But the godly haue the right iudgement on their side for the spirituall man iudgeth all things Wherefore the iudgement of the world touching religion and righteousnes before God is as contrary to the iudgement of the godly as God and the Deuill are contrary the one to the other For as God is crucified to the Deuill and the Deuill to God that is to say as God condemneth the doctrine and workes of the Deuill for the Sonne of God appeared as Iohn sayth to destroy the workes of the Deuill and contrariwise the Deuill condemneth and ouerthroweth the word and the workes of God for he is murtherer and the father of lies so the world condemneth the doctrine and life of the godly calling them most pernicious heretikes and troublers of the publike peace And againe the faithfull call the world the sonne of the Deuil which rightly foloweth his fathers steppes that is to say which is as great a murtherer and lier as his father is This is Paules meaning when he sayth vvhereby the vvorld is crucified to me and I vnto the vvorld Now the world doth not onely signifie in the Scriptures vngodly and wicked men but the very best the wisest and holiest men that are of the world And here by the way he couertly toucheth the false apostles As if he should say I vtterly hate and detest all glory which is without the crosse of Christ as a cursed thing for the world with all the glory thereof is crucified to me and I to the world Wherefore accursed be all they which glory in your flesh and not in the crosse of Christ Paule therefore witnesseth by these wordes that he hateth the world with a perfect hatred of the holy Ghost and againe the world hateth him with a perfect hatred of a wicked spirite As if he should say It is impossible that there should be any agreement betweene me and the world What shall I then doe shall I geue place teach those things which please the
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 heauenly Ierusalem vvhich is yet vpon earth The heauenly Ierusalem is set against the earthly not locally but spiritually The spirituall Ierusalem dispersed thorovv out the vvhole vvorld The Church begetteth children by teaching Isaac is heir through the promise Genes 17.19 Ephes 4.13 Esay 54.1 Esay 54. The song of Anna. 1. Sam. 2.4.5 The differeÌ„ce betvvixt the sinagoge and the church Iohn 8 3â— Iohn 3.18 1. Timot. 4.1 The teachers of the lavve gender bond-seruaunts Reason is taken vvith hypocrisie The church seemeth to be barren 1. Cor. 1.18 The Gospell hath but fevv disciples Actes 21.22 Hovv many yeares dayes times haue our Papistes appoynted vvhen the gospel should be ouerthrovne and they receaue their idolatrous Masse other abhominations againe The church in heauines The church barren before the vvorld The people of grace The difference betvvixt the lavv and the gospell The people of grace vvithout the lavve and the people of the lavv vvithout grace The lavve is abolished to all christians Esay 54.1 The church is barren and forsaken before the vvorld The childreâ— of the bondvvomaÌ„ vvith their mother are cast out of the house Rom. â— 4.5.6 Math. 10.12 The people of the lavv laborious and painfull The vvhole lavv is abolished A godly man feeleth the terrours of the lavve but by faith in Christ he is comforted Rom. 3.1 Iohn 3.36 The lavve hath no povver ouer a hose that beleue 1. Cor. 1.30 Galath 3.13 The outvvard abolishment of the lavve The gospell doth not release vs from all lavves * He speaketh of such gouernment as God hath appoynted vvhich no priuate man may conteÌ„ne vvith out the brâ—ch of conscience 1 Pet. 2.13.14 Rom. 13 5. The ceremonies of Moses lavv doe not bind vs much lesse the ceremonies of the Pope 1. Cor. 14.40 Tvvo things to be taken hede of in the keping or coÌ„maunding of ceremonies the offence of the vveake the pernicious opinion of merite The church is barren * No spirituall birth vvhich is vvrought by the vvord and spirite of God. * That is their regeneration in Christe by Faith and the holy Ghost Ioh. 8.37.40.42 Of children some be as Ismael some as Isaac The children of the promise The iudgemeÌ„t of the vvorld concerning the gospell VVhat the faithfull must be content to be called in this vvorld Iohn 16.2 VVhat folovved the preaching of the Gospell Psal. 2.2.3 Psal. 2.2.3 Psal. 2.4 The blindnes of the aduersaries Iohn 16.2 Rom. 9.1 Luke 9.26 Paule a pestiferous felovv Actes 17.6.7 Actes 24.3 Actes 16.20 Luke 11 21.2â— Luke 12.49 Hovv Christ comforteth him selfe against the euils that shuld folovv his preaching 2. Cor. 4.4 * He meaneth the Deuill Iob. 41.14.22 The faithfull see infinite profites by the Gospell Psal. 91.13 The article of iustification comforteth vs against al sclaÌ„ders and tentations 1. Cor. 2.12 The vvorld caÌ„ not but be offended at the preaching of the Gospel VVhy our aduersaries doe condemne vs. Greefe after the flesh and glory after the spirite Rom. 5.3 Gene. 21.9 The expositioÌ„ of the Ievves VVhat maner of man Ismael vvas Ismael vvould be preferred before Isaac for tvvo causes Ismael alvvayes persecuteth Isaac The spirituall persecution The Deuil persecuteth the church by violence subteltie Ephes 6.16 The spirituall and corporall persecution of the godly Iohn 1.44 1. Cor. 11.19 False brethreÌ„ at the first are frendes but aftervvardes they become most deadly enemies The brethern borne after the flesh must persecute the brethern that are borne after the spirit Psal. 41.9 The true doctrine of the gospel is the cause of persecution Christe comforteth his against the hatred and persecutions of the vvorld Iohn 15.19 Math. 10.24 Iohn 15.20 The name of Christe is the cause vvhie the vvorld rageth against the godly Iohn 16.33 Christ remaineth king and conquerour though the gates of hell fight against him Gen. 21 2â— Gen. 21.11 God coÌ„firmed the sentence of Sara Gen. 21.12 The sentence pronounced against the Ismalites is effectuall c. The vaine hope of hypocrites in condemning others The children of the bondvvoman haue no inheritaÌ„ce vvith the children of the freevvoman Iohn 10.35 The vineyard shal be let out to other husbandmen They that are borne of the bondvvoman are borne seruaunts of the lavve The Pope and all that seeke righteousnes by vvorkes are children of the bondvvoman Philip. 3.19 The vvorld embraceth the righteousnes of vvorks and condemneth the righteousnes of Faith. A comparison of the old Papacie and of the Papacie at this day The Iusticiaries make such a shevv of holines as if they vvere angels and no men Coloss 2. â—â— The contemplatiue life of Monkes and such other vvhich sequestred themselues froÌ„ the vvorld and all vvorldly affaires The deuotion and discipline of the old Poperie No holines of life can be set against Gods iudgement The Papistes at this day do not defend their vvicked life but their doctrine The Papists diuide the Gospell into precepts and couÌ„sels The precepts they are bouÌ„d to kepe say they but not the counsels and therfore if they kepe them it is a vvorke of superogation that is more then nedeth Bernards confession Phil. 3.9 The children of the bondvvoman are vnder the lavv The children of the bondvvoman shall at length be cast out Math. 25.29 Christian libertie Rom. 9.23 Paule trieth euery vvay to kepe the Galathians in the liberty of the Gospell 1. Pet. 5.3 â— The godly must staÌ„d fast that they lose not their libertie in Christe Satan deadly hateth the light of the Gospell The freedome of the Papists The fleshly libertie The Anabaptists and Libertines vvill be free to doe vvhat they list Freedom from the vvrath of God to come To haue God fauourable vnto vs for Christes sake is an incomprehensible freedome 1. Cor. 15.41.43.44 Freedom from the lavv sinne and death c The fruites of Christian liberty are not easily felt and laid hold of in tentations A remedy against the terrours of the minde in tentations Esay 54.8 Luke 11 28. Iohn 13.17 Christian libertie Liberty is frely geuen vnto vs for Christes sake Iohn â— 36 Math. 9. â— Iohn 5.24 Hypocrites bragge of God. Actes 15. â—0 Actes 10.43 The lavve is a yoke of bondage Galat. 4.10 Thei that seke righteousnes by the lavve are compared to oxen tied to the yoke No greater bondage then the bondage of the lavve VVho be the Deuils Martyrs Iohn 16.23 The corporall libertie of the Papistes This may truely be said also of our Libertines and carnal gospellers at this day Galath 6.6 The iudgemeÌ„t of the godly touching all doctrines religions and ceremonies VVho they be to vvhom Christ is vnprofitable Nothing is more hurtfull then the doctrine of mens traditions vvorkes Coloss 2.3 Coloss 2.9 The lavve of God the yoke of bondage Good vvorks are not condemned but confidence in good vvorks is coÌ„demned Reuel 12.10 VVhat vve must ansvver the Deuill vvhen he accuseth and tempteth vs. The true picture of Christ Math. 12.20 Esay 42.3 Math.
vehemeÌ„t flames of carnall lust in Hierome The flesh is to be subdued not killed Ephes 5.29 1. Cor. 7.9 The godly feele the concupiscence or lust of the flesh Psal. 4.4 The faithfull haue flesh vvhich resisteth the spirite Rom. 7 1â— The godly feele the terrours and captiuitie of sinne The Monkes such other cloisterers neuer had experience of any spirituall tentations Christ our righteousnes Rom. 9.33 The outvvard righteousnes of the faithfull The godly feling the corruptions of the flesh must not despaire The battell of the flesh and the spirite in the godly To vvalke in the spirite Let all troubled consciences comfort them selues by this example of Martin Luther and say as he said Stanpitius a godly learned man of vvhom he made mention before A holy desperâ—tion â— Psal 143.2 Psal. 130. â— VVhat the godly must do vvhen they feele sinne The conflict battell of the flesh and the spirite in the children of God. Rom 1. â—8 A Christian a maruellous vvorkman Read more hereof before in the lease 246. and in the line 32. The children of God do fele the rebellion of the flesh against the spirite To vvhom God doth not impute sinne Rom. 14.23 The errour of the Sophisters or Scholemen The vvisedom of the godly The godly only feele sinne Rom. 1.14 Galath 5.24 Rom. 8.12 Sentence pronouÌ„ced agaiÌ„st such as obey the lusts of the flesh The true Sainctes of God. Psal. 32.5.6 Psal. 143. â— To be led by the spirite Galath 4.4 VVhat it is to be led by the spirite Hovv a troubled minde is to be comforted Novv the lusts of the flesh must be ouercome The great and vehement tentations of Luther Not to be vnder the lavve Math. 7.10 Hypocrites mingled amongst the godly Euery age of man hath his peculiar temptations * That is a secrete contempt of God vvherof Dauid speaketh Psal. 3.2 Some are exercised vvith greater tentations and some vvith lesse Luke 2.48 2. Cor. â— 5 Rom. 7 2â— VVhom the Stoickes couÌ„ted vvise meÌ„ VVho they be vvhich Christ and his Apostles cal saiÌ„cts VVho be true Sainctes The vveaknes of Faith. Al the faithful be Sainctes A holy life I beleue that there is a holy Church I do not see but I beleue Hypocriticall holines The church is holy The church prayeth that her sinnes maâ— be forgeuen To feele the vnclennes of the flesh is profitable To the godly those things vvhich are euil turne vnto good Christian doctrine raiseth vp and comforteth vveake and troubled consciences VVhat Paule meaneth by flesh Idolatrie or Idoll seruice Carthusians or charterhouse moâ—kâ— The false and true vvorshipping of God. Idolatrie is vnknovvne to the vvorld The Masse horrible idolatrie and blasphemie against Christ Flesh. The vvorkes of the flesh as the Papistes define them Reason estemeth idolatry and heresie for most excellent vertues VVitchcraft Idolatrie Iusticiaries or iustifiers of themselues The Pope an Archheretike No vnitie or concord in the Popish church Drunkards surfetters The most sobre and temperate are many times most assailed vvith tentations Hovv the burning heat of lustes may be quenched An horrible sentence pronounced by Paule The fruites of the spirite Rom. 12.10 The scripture exhorteth vs to reioyce in God. The ioy of the spirite LoÌ„g sufferaÌ„ce or perseuerance The gentlenes and mildnes of Christe Ex libro Clementis ad Iacobum fratrem Domini Chastitie The lavv is abolished to the beleuers in Christ VVhat it is to crucifie the fleâ—h The armour of God. * After the coÌ„mon diuision this is the .25 verse of the former chapter Vaineglory a detestable vice and most pernicious to the church of god Tit. 1.7 Hovv great a mischefe vain glory is Ouide Horace Rom. 12.10 Vaineglory a common vice in the church Math. 9. â—8 2 Cor. 11 15. The nature of false teachers 1. Timo. ◠◠〈◊〉 â— â—0 Rom 10 1â— The authoritie of the false apostles The false apostles despised Paule Such as thrust them selues into the ministerie The ende of vaineglorious teachers Phil. 3.19 Psal. 1.4.5 VVhat vve ought to seke in the gospell Rom. 1.32 Iohn 7 1â— VVhat it is to vvalke in the spirite VVhy God layeth the crosse vpon the preachers of the gospel Rom. 14.16 Rom. 12.10 VVhen men be praised the flesh vvaxeth proud 2. Sam. 14.17 2. Cor. 6.8 VVho vvalke in order and vvho do not Galath 1.5 1. Cor. 4.7 Priuie open enemies of the Gospell VVe must not be proud of our spirituall giftes Luke 12 4â— Ephes 4.12 Actes 10.34 Vainglorious spirites Galath 4.17 Rom. 3.25 The praise of the person of the ministerie Rom. 14.16 2. Cor. 6.3 The effect and fruite of vaineglory Galath 2.5 VVhat offences are to be forgeuen Leuit. 6.3 Gal. 2.20.3.16 Sathan lieth in vvait both against purity of doctrine life Hovv pastorâ— ought to deale vvith them that are fallen The Pope and his bishops are tormeÌ„tors of mens coÌ„sciences Sayings of Pope Gregorie 2. Thes 2.3 By vvhat meanes the Pope establisheth his tyrannie and povver Hovve they that are falne ought to be intreated The spirite of mekenes Ezech. 34.4 Ex libro de vitis patrum Math. 7.3 1. Cor. 10.12 2. Sam. â—1 Loue. 1. Cor. 13.4 Rom. 13.9 VVhose burdens are to be borne 1. Tim. 5.22 The authors of Sectes painted out iÌ„ their right colours Mat. 18.24 â—1 Deceauers of themselues Apoc. 3.17 Desire of vain-glory Vainglorious heades Three vices of the vaineglorious linked together Phil. 2.27 The people delited vvith nouelties He shall lacke no praise that preacheth the Gospel purely The ende of the ministerie of the vvord 2. Tim. 4.5 To haue praise in himselfe VVhat is the glory of heretikes The glory of the godly Iâ—hn 16.32 Phil. 4.4 The vvorld dishonoreth the godly ministers of the vvord 1. Cor. 6.3 The Gospell is the vvord of the crosse and offence 1. Cor. 1.18 The disciples of the gospel VVhat it is for a man to proue his ovvne vvork Exod 20 7. 1. Sam. 2.30 1. Cor. 4.2 The vvorke of euery mans calling Phil. 3.19 2. Tim. 3.9 Psal. 37.6 In death and in the day of iudgement other mennes praises profit not Rom. 2.16 A comparison betvene good vvorkes and hypocriticall vvorke Vaineglory A commaundemeÌ„t for the nourishing of the ministers of the vvord of God. The ministers of SathaÌ„ haue pleÌ„tie but the ministers of Christe doe vvant Luke 2.7 Luke 9.58 Iohn 19. â— Cor. 8. 9. 1. Tim. 4.1 SathaÌ„ oppresseth the gospell tvvo vvaies Mâ—â—h 1.7 Fulnes of Gods vvord bringeth lothing 1. Cor. 9.11 The vvorld lodeth the ministers of Sathan vvith all vvorldly good things The punishment of vnthankfulnes In all good things Gentlemen citizens and husbandmen despisers of Gods ministers Luke 10. â—6 1. Sam. 8.7 Psal. 34.10 Psal. 37.19 Reuerence necessary liuing due to the ministers of the vvord 1. Cor. 9.13.14 Exod. 3. â—â— VVhat it is to sovve in the spirite The heretikes called Encratites VVhose errour the Papistes haue reuiued as touching matrimonie and therfore they may cruely be called nevv Encratites VVe must doe good vvithout vveerines Iohn 9.4 Iohn 12.35 The houshold of faith The motherly affection of Paule Enormities in the false apostles Galath 1.8 Phil. 3.19 Gen. 17.10 14. Gen. 17 1â— Phil. 2.21 The lavv is not accomplished vvith outvvard vvorkes Rom. 14 2â— VVorks done vvithout faith are sinnes The peril that follovveth ambition and vaine glory * That is they do but kepe your flesh in a seruile and slauish exercise The glory of the Christians Actes 5.41 The faithfull suffer for Christe Math. 5.11.12 The glory of the vvorld The crosse of Christ 2. Cor. 1.5 Col. 1.24 The afflictioÌ„s of the godly are the afflictioÌ„s of Christ Actes 9.4 Zach. 2.1 The feeling of the head is most sensible The crosse of the godly iâ— svveete 2. Cor 1.5 Psal. 44 22. Math. 11.30 To glory in the crosse of Christ Rom. 5.3 2. Cor. 7.5 1. Sam. 22.22 Zach. 2. â— Iohn 15.19 To be crucified to the vvorld The contrary iudgement of the faithful of the vvorld as concerning true doctrine 1. Cor. 2.13 1. Iohn 3.8 Iohn 8.44 The vvorld condemneth the life and doctrine of the godly Psal. 139.22 Ephes 6.16 2. Cor. 1â— â— ChristiaÌ„ righteousnes 1. Cor. 1. â— 1. Cor. 2.14 VVithout Christ there is no saluation Vncircumcision signifieth all the Gentiles Circumcision all the Ievves Lavves be good The vse of ceremonies and lavves 1. Cor. 14.40 Gal. 3.5 Eph. 4.24 A nevv creature Actes 15.9 The renevving of the members of the body folovv the renevving of the minde The Papists imagined God to be a marchaunt and to sell his grace for vvorkes and merites A right rule Eph. 4.24 The righteousnes of Monkes Peace Mercy Rom. 9.4.5 Rom. 9.7 8. Ephes 1.16 1. Cor. 4.9 1. Cor. 4.11.12.13 2. Cor. 6.4.5.6 2. Cor. 11 2â—.24.25 â—â— The markes vvhich vve beare at this day Ephes 6.16 Math. 26.41
extremely and vvasted it And profited in the Ievvish religion aboue many of my companions of mine ovvne nation This place hath in it no singuler doctrine Notwithstāding Paule alledgeth here his owne example saying I haue defended the obseruations of the Phariseis and the law more constantly then ye and all your false teachers Wherfore if the righteousnes of the law had bene any thing worth I had not turned backe from it in the keping wherof notwithstanding before I knew Christ I did so exercise my selfe and so profite therin that I excelled many of my companions of mine owne nation Moreouer I was so zelous in defence of the same that I persecuted the church of God extremely wasted it For hauing receaued authoritie of the high priests I put many in prison whē they should be put to death I pronounced the sentēce and punishing them thorow out all the Sinagoges I compelled them to blaspheme was so exceding mad vpon them that I persecuted them euen vnto straunge cities Verse 14. And vvas much more zelous of the traditiōs of my fathers He calleth not here the Pharisaicall or humane traditions the traditions of his fathers for here he treateth not of the Pharisaicall traditions but of a farre higher matter and therefore he calleth euen that holy law of Moises his fathers traditions that is to say receaued and left as an inheritaunce from the fathers For these sayth he vvhē I vvas in the Ievvish religion I vvas very zelous He speaketh after the same maner to the Philippians As concerning the lavv sayth he I vvas a Pharisee cōcerning zeale I persecuted the church and as concerning the righteousnes of the lavv I vvas vnrebukeable As though he would say Here I may glory and may cōpare with the whole nation of the Iewes yea euen with the best and the holiest of all those which are of the Circumcision Let them shew me if they can a more zelous and earnest defender of Moises law then I haue bene This thing O ye Galathians ought to haue perswaded you not to beleue these seducers deceauers which magnify the righteousnes of the law as a matter of great importaunce when as if there were any cause to glory in the righteousnes of the law I haue more cause to glory then any other In like maner say I of my selfe that before I was lightned with the knowledge of the gospel I was as zelous for the papistical lawes and traditions of the fathers as euer any was most earnestly maintaining defending them as holy and necessary to saluation Moreouer I did my endeuour to obserue kepe them my selfe as much as was possible for me to do punishing my pore body with fasting watching praying other exercises more thē all they which at this day do so bitterly hate and persecute me because now I take frō them the glory of iustifying For I was so diligent and superstitious in the obseruation hereof that I laid more vpon my body then without daunger of health it was able to beare I honoured the Pope of mere conscience vnfainedly not seking after prebēds promotions liuings but whatsoeuer I did I did it with a single hart of a good zeale for the glory of god But those things which then were gainfull vnto me now with Paule I count to be but losse for the excellencie of the knowledge of Iesus Christ my lord But our aduersaries as idle bellies tried with no tentations beleue not that I and many others haue endured such things I speake of such as with great desire sought for peace quietnes of conscience which notwithstanding in so great darknes it was not possible for them to finde Vers 15.16.17 But vvhen it had pleased God vvhich had separated me from my mothers vvombe and called me by his grace to reueale his sonne in me that I should preach him among the Gentiles immediately I communicated not vvith flesh and bloud Neither came I againe to Ierusalem to them vvhich vvere Apostles before me but I vvent into Arabia and turned againe vnto Damascus This is the first iourney of Paule And here he witnesseth that straight way after he was called by the grace of God to preach Christ among the Gentiles he went into Arabia without the aduise of any mā to that vvorke whervnto he was called And this place witnesseth by vvhom he was taught by what meanes he came to the knowledge of the Gospell and to his Apostleship VVhen it pleased God saith he As if he would say I haue not deserued it because I was zealous for the lawe of God without iudgement nay rather this foolish and wicked zeale stirred me vp that God so permitting I fell hedlong into more abhominable and outragious sinnes I persecuted the church of God I was an enemy of Christ I blasphemed his Gospell and to conclude I was the author of sheding much innocent bloud This was my desert In the middest of this cruell rage I was called to so great inestimable grace What was it because of this outragious cruelty No forsoth But the aboundant grace of God who calleth and sheweth mercy to whom he will pardoned and forgaue me all these blasphemies and for these my horrible sinnes which then I thought to be perfect righteousnes an acceptable seruice vnto God he gaue vnto me his grace the knowledge of his truth and called me to be an Apostle We also are come at this day to the knowledge of grace by the self same merits I crucified Christ daily in my monkesh life and blasphemed God through my false faith wherin I then continually liued Outwardly I was not as other men extorcioners vniust whoremongers but I kept chastitie pouerty and obedience Moreouer I was farre from the cares of this present life I was onely geuen to fasting watching praying saying of Masse and such like Notwithstāding in the meane time I fostred vnder this cloked holines and trust in mine owne righteousnes continuall mistrust doubtfulnes feare hatred and blasphemy against god And this my righteousnes was nothing els but a stinking puddle and a pleasant kingdome of the Deuil For Sathan loueth such Saincts and accomteth them for his deare darlings who destroy their owne bodies and soules and depriue themselues of all the blessings of Gods gifts In the meane time notwithstanding wickednes blindnes contempt of God ignorance of the gospel prophanation of the sacraments blaspheming and treading of Christ vnder foote and abuse of all the benefits and gifts of God raigne in them at the full To conclude such Saincts are the bondslaues of Sathan and therefore are driuen to speake thinke and doe whatsoeuer he will although outwardly they seeme to excell all others in good works in holines and streitnes of life Such were we vnder the Popedome verely no lesse if not more contumelious and blasphemous against Christ and his Gospell then Paule himself and especially I for I did
sawe not the condition that was annexed If ye kepe my commaundementes it shall goe vvell vvith you c. Therfore Agar the bondmaid bringeth forth but a bond seruaunt Ismael then is not the heire although he be the naturall sonne of Abraham but remaineth a bondman What is here lacking The promise and Blessing of the word So the lawe geuen in mount Sina which the Arabians call Agar begetteth none but seruauntes For the promise made as concerning Christ was not annexed to the lawe Wherfore O ye Galathians if ye forsaking the promise and faith fall backe to the law and works ye shall alwayes continue seruaunts that is ye shall neuer be deliuered from sinne and death but ye shall alwayes abide vnder the curse of the lawe For Agar gendreth not the seede of the promise and heires that is to say the lawe iustifieth not it bringeth not the adoption inheritance but rather it hindreth the inheritance and worketh wrath Verse 25. And it ansvvereth to Ierusalem vvhich novv is and she is in bondage vvith her children This is a wonderfull allegorie As Paule a litle before made Agar of Sina so now of Ierusalem he would gladly make Sara but he dareth not neither can he so doe but is compelled to ioyne Ierusasalem with mount Sina For he sayth The same belongeth to Agar seeing mount Agar reacheth euen to Ierusalem And it is true that there be continuall mountaines reaching from Arabia Petrea vnto Cades Bernea of Iurie He sayth then that this Ierusalem which now is that is to say this earthly and temporall Ierusalem is not Sara but pertaineth to Agar for there Agar raigneth For in it is the law begetting vnto bondage in it is the worship and ceremonies the temple the kingdome the Priesthoode and whatsoeuer was ordained in Sina by the mother which is the lawe the same is done in Ierusalem Therfore I ioyne her with Sina and I cōprehend both in one word to witte Sina or Agar I durst not haue bene so bolde to handle this allegorie after this maner but would rather haue called Ierusalem Sara or the new Testament especially seeing the preaching of the Gospell began in it the holy Ghost was there geuen and the people of the new Testament were there borne and I would haue thought that I had found out a very fitte allegory Wherfore it is not for euery man to vse allegories at his pleasure for a goodly outward shew may soone deceaue a man and cause him to erre Who would not thinke it a very fitte thing to call Sina Agar and Ierusalem Sara In deede Paule maketh Ierusalem Sara but not this corporall Ierusalem which he simplie ioyneth vnto Agar but that spirituall and heauenly Ierusalem in which the law raigneth not nor the carnall people as in that Ierusalē which is in bondage with her children but wherein the promise raigneth wherin is also a spirituall and a free people And to the ende that the lawe should be quite abolished and that whole kingdom which was established in Agar the earthly Ierusalē was horribly destroyed with all her ornamēts the tēple the ceremonies c. Now although the new testament began in it so was spread through out the whole world notwithstanding it appertaineth to Agar that is to say it is the citie of the law of the ceremonies of the priesthoode instituted by Moses Briefly it is gendred of Agar the bondwoman and therfore is in bondage with her children that is to say it walketh in the works of the lawe and neuer attaineth to the libertie of the spirite but abideth continually vnder the lawe sinne an euil conscience the wrath and iudgement of God and vnder the gilt of death and hell In deede it hath the libertie of the flesh it hath a corporall kingdom it hath magistrates riches and possessions and such like things but we speake of the libertie of the spirit wherby we are dead to the law to sinne and death and we liue and raigne in grace forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes and euerlasting life This can not the earthly Ierusalem performe and therefore it abideth with Agar Verse 26. But Ierusalem vvhich is aboue is free vvhich is the mother of vs all That earthly Ierusalem sayth he which is beneath hauing the policie and ordinances of the law is Agar and is in bondage with her children that is to say she is not deliuered from the lawe sinne and death But Ierusalem which is aboue that is to say the spirituall Ierusalem is Sara albeit Paule addeth not the proper name of Sara but geueth her an other name calling her the free woman that is to say that true Ladie and freewoman which is the mother of vs all begetting vs vnto libertie and not vnto bondage as Agar doth Now this heauenly Ierusalem which is aboue is the Church that is to say the Faithful dispersed thorow out the whole world which haue one and the same Gospell one and the same Faith in Christe the same holy Ghost and the same Sacraments Therfore vnderstand not this word Aboue of the triumphant Church as the Schoolemen do which is heauen but of the militant church in earth as they call it For the godly are sayd to haue theyr conuersation in heauen Philip. 3. Our conuersation is in heauen not locally but in that a Christian beleueth in that he layeth holde of those inestimable heauenly and eternal gifts he is in heauen Ephesians 1. VVhich hath blessed vs vvith all spiritual blessing in heauenly things in Christ We must therfore distinguish the heauēly spiritual Blessing from the earthly For the earthly Blessing is to haue a good ciuill gouernment both in common weales families to haue children peace riches frutes of the earth and other corporall commodities But the heauenly Blessing is to be deliuered from the law sinne and death to be iustified and quickened to life to haue peace with God to haue a faithfull heart a ioyfull conscience and spirituall consolation to haue the knowledge of Iesus Christe to haue the gift of Prophesie and the reuelation of the Scriptures to haue the giftes of the holy Ghost and to reioyce in god These are the heauenly blessings which Christ geueth to his Church Wherfore Ierusalem which is aboue that is to say the heauenly Ierusalem is the church which is now in the world and not the citie of the life to come or the Church triumphant as the idle and vnlearned Monks and the Schooledoctors dreamed which taught that the Scripture hath foure senses the literall sense the figuratiue sense the allegoricall sense and the morall sense and according to these senses they haue foolishly interpreted almost all the wordes of the Scriptures As this word Ierusalem literally signified that citie which was so named figuratiuely a pure conscience allegorically the church militāt morally the celestiall Citie or the church
triumphant With these trifeling and foolish fables they rent the Scriptures into so many and diuers senses that seely poore consciences could receaue no certaine doctrine of any thing But Paule sayeth here that the olde and earthly Ierusalem belongeth vnto Agar and that it is in bondage with her children and is vtterly abolished But the new and heauenly Ierusalem which is a Queene and a freewomā is appoynted of god in earth and not in heauen to be the mother of vs all of whom we haue bene engendred and yet daily are gendred Therefore it is necessary that this our mother should be in earth among men as also her generation is Notwithstanding she gendreth by the holy Ghost by the ministery of the word and sacraments and not in the flesh This I say to the ende that in this matter we should not be caried away with our cogitations into heauen but that we should know that Paule setteth the Ierusalem which is aboue against the earthly Ierusalem not locally but spiritually For there is a distinction betwene those things which are spirituall and those which are corporall or earthly The spirituall things are aboue the earthly are beneath So Ierusalem which is aboue is distinguished from the carnall and temporall Ierusalem which is beneath not locally as I haue sayd but spiritually For this spirituall Ierusalem which tooke her beginning in the corporall Ierusalem hath not any certaine place as hath the other in Iudea but it is dispersed thorow out the whole world and may be in Babylon in Turkie in Tartarie in Scythia in Iudea in Italie in Germanie in the Isles of the sea in the mountaines and valleis and in all places of the world where men dwel which haue the Gospel and beleue in Iesus Christ Wherfore Sara or Ierusalem our free mother is the Church it selfe the spouse of Christe of whom we all are gendred This mother gendreth free children without ceasing to the ende of the world as long as she exerciseth the Ministerie of the word that is to say as long as she preacheth and publisheth the Gospell for this is truely to gender Now she teacheth the Gospell after this maner to witte that we are deliuered from the Curse of the lawe from sinne death and all other euils through Iesus Christ not by the law neither by workes Therefore Ierusalem which is aboue that is to say the Church is not subiect to the law and works but she is free and a mother without the law sinne and death Now such a mother as she is such children she gendreth This allegorie teacheth very aptly that the Church should doe nothing else but preach and teach the Gospell truely and sincerely and by this meanes should gender children So we are all fathers and children one to an other For we are begotten one of an other I being begotten by other through the Gospell doe now beget other which shall also beget other hereafter and so this begetting shall endure to the ende of the world Now I speake of the generation not of Agar the bondmaid which gendreth her bondseruauntes by the lawe but of Sara the freewoman who gendreth heires without the law and without mans workes or endeuours For in that Isaac is heire and not Ismael albeit notwithstāding that both of them were the naturall sonnes of Abraham Isaac had the inheritaunce by the word of promise namely Sara thy vvife shall bring thee a sonne and thou shalt call his name Isaac This did Sara well vnderstand and therefore she sayeth Cast out the bondvvoman and her sonne And Paule also aledgeth these words afterwards Wherfore as Isaac hath the inheritance of his father onely by the promise and by his birth without the law and without works euen so we are borne through the Gospel of that freewomā Sara true heires of the promise She that is to say the church enstrueteth vs nourisheth vs and carieth vs in her wombe in her lappe and in her armes she formeth and fashioneth vs to the image of Christe vntill we grow vppe to a perfect man c. So all things are done by the ministerie of the word Wherefore the office of the freewoman is to gender children to God her husband without ceasing and without end that is to say such children as know that they are iustified by Faith and not by the lawe Verse 27. For it is vvrytten Reioyce thou barren that bearest no children breake forth and crie thou that trauailest not for the desolate haue many moe children then she vvhich hath an husband Paule aledgeth this place out of Esay the Prophet which is altogether allegoricall It is wrytten sayeth he that the mother of many children and she which hath an husband must be sicke and die and contrariwise that the barren she which hath no children must haue aboundance of children After the same maner Hanna singeth in her song out of that which Esay the Prophet tooke his Prophesie 1. Sam. 2. The bovve and the mightie men are broken and the vveake haue girded them selues vvith strength They that vvere full are hired forth for bread and the hungrie are no more hired so that the barren hath borne seuen and she that had many children is feeble A maruellous matter sayth he she that was frutefull shal be made barren and she that was barren frutefull Moreouer such as before were strong full rich glorious righteous and blessed shall become feeble hungrie poore ignominious sinners subiecte to death and damnation And contrariwise the feeble and hungrie c. shal be strong and satisfied c. The Apostle sheweth by this allegorie of the Prophet Esay the difference which is betwixt Agar and Sara that is to say betwixt the sinagoge and the church or betwixt the lawe and the Gospell The lawe being the husband of the frutefull woman that is to say of the sinagoge begetteth very many children For men of all ages not onely idiotes but also the wisest and best that is to say all mankinde except the children of the freewoman doe neither see nor know any other righteousnes then the righteousnes of the law much lesse doe they know any which is more excellent Wherefore they thinke them selues righteous if they folow the lawe and outwardly performe the workes thereof Now although these be frutefull haue many disciples and shine in the righteousnes and glorious workes of the lawe yet notwithstanding they be not free but bondseruauntes For they are the children of Agar which gendreth to bondage Nowe if they be seruauntes they can not be pertakers of the inheritance but shall be cast out of the house for seruauntes remaine not in the house for euer Yea they are already cast out of the kingdom of grace and libertie For he that beleueth not is iudged alreadie They remaine therefore vnder the malediction of the lawe vnder sinne and death vnder the power of the Deuill and vnder the wrath and iudgement of