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
of faith where neither the law nor reason do shine but onely the light of Faith which assureth vs that we are saued by Christ alone without any law Thus the gospell leadeth vs beyond and aboue the light of the law and reason into the inward and deepe secretes of Faith where the lawe and reason haue nothing to doe Notwithstāding we must hearken also vnto the law but in place and time Moises whiles he was in the mountaine where he talked with God face to face had no law made no law ministred no law but when he was come downe from the mountaine he was a lawgeuer and gouerned the people by the law So the conscience must be free frō the law but the body must be obedient vnto the law Hereby it appeareth that Paule reproued Peter for no light matter but for the chiefest article of all Christian doctrine which by Peters dissimulation was in great daunger For Barnabas and the other Iewes dissembled togither with him which did all offend not through ignorance or malice but for feare of the Iewes wherby their hearts were so blinded that they did not see their sinne And certainly it is much to be maruelled that such excellent men as Peter Barnabas and others should so sodenly and so lightly fall especially in that thing which they knew to be well done had also before taught vnto others It is a perilous thing therefore to trust to our owne strength be we neuer so holy neuer so well learned and although we thinke our selues neuer so sure of that we know For in that wherof we thinke our selues most sure we may erre and fall bring our selues and other into great daunger Let vs therefore diligently and with all humilitie employ our selues in the studie of the holy scriptures and let vs heartely pray that we neuer lose the truth of the gospell Thus we see then that we are nothing with all our giftes be they neuer so great except God assist vs When he leaueth vs to our selues our wisedom and knowledge is nothing For in the houre of tentation it may suddenly come to passe that by the subteltie of the Deuil all the comfortable places of the scripture shal be taken out of our sight and such places onely as containe threatnings shal be set before our eies shal oppresse vtterly confound vs Let vs learne therfore that if God withdraw his hand we may soone be ouerthrowne Neither let any man vaunt and glory of his owne righteousnes wisedome and other gifts but let him humble himselfe and pray with the Apostle Lord encrease our faith Verse 14. But vvhen I savv that they vvent not the right vvay to the truth of the Gospell This is a wonderfull example of such excellent men and pillers of the church There is none but Paule that hath his eies open and seeth the offence of Peter Barnabas and the other Iewes which dissembled with Peter On the other side they doe not see their owne offence nay they rather thinke that they doe well in bearing with the infirmitie of the weake Iewes Wherefore it was very necessary that Paule should reproue their offence and not dissemble it and therefore he accuseth Peter Barnabas and other that they went not the right way to the truth of the Gospell that is to say they swarued from the truth of the Gospell It is a greate matter that Peter should be accused of Paule as one that was falne from the truth of the Gospell He could not be more greuously reprehended Yet he suffered it patiently and no doubt but he gladly acknowledged his offence I sayde before that many haue the Gospell but not the truth of the Gospell So Paule saith here that Peter Barnabas and other of the Ievves vvent not the right vvay to the truthe of the Gospell that is to say they had the Gospell but they walked not vprightly according to the Gospell For albeit they preached the Gospell yet through their dissimulation which could not stand with the truth of the Gospell they established the law but the establishing of the law is the abolishing of the Gospell Who so then can rightly iudge betwene the lawe and the Gospell let him thanke God and know that he is a right Diuine In the time of tentation I confesse that I my selfe doe not know how to doe it as I ought Now the way to discerne the one from the other is to place the Gospell in heauen and the lawe on the earth to call the righteousnes of the Gospell heauenly and the righteousnes of the law earthly and to put as greate difference betwene the righteousnes of the gospell and of the law as God hath made betwene heauen and earth betwene light and darknesse betweene daye and night Lette the one be as the light and the day and the other as the darkenes and the night And would to God we could yet further separate the one from the other Wherefore if the question be concerning the matter of faith or conscience let vs vtterly exclude the law and leaue it on the earth but if we haue to doe with works then let vs lighten the lanterne of works and of the righteousnes of the law So let the Sunne the inestimable light of the Gospell and grace shine in the day and the lanterne of the law in the night Wherefore if thy conscience be terrified with the sense and feeling of sinne thinke thus with thy selfe Thou art now remaining vpō earth there let the Asse labour and trauel there let him serue and carry the burthen that is laid vpon him that is to say let the body with his members be subiect to the law But when thou mountest vp into heauen then leaue the Asse with his burthen on the earth for the conscience hath nothing to doe with the law or works or with the earthly righteousnes So doth the Asse remaine in the valley but the cōscience ascendeth with Isaac into the mountaine knowing nothing at all of the law or workes thereof but onely looking to the remission of sinnes and pure righteousnes offered and freely geuen vnto vs in Christ Contrariwise in ciuill policy obedience to the law must be seuerely required There nothing must be knowne as concerning the Gospell conscience grace remission of sinnes heauēly righteousnes or Christ himselfe but Moses onely with the law and the works thereof If we marke well this distinction neither the one nor the other shall passe his bounds but the law shall abide without heauen that is without the heart and conscience and contrariwise the libertie of the Gospell shall abide without the earth that is to say without the body and members thereof Now therfore as soone as the law and sinne come into heauen that is into the conscience let them by and by be cast out For the conscience being feared with the terrour of the wrath and iudgement of God ought to know nothing of the
nature that is he must needes hate sinne and sinners and this he doth of necessity for otherwise he shoulde be vnrighteous and loue sinne How then can these two contradictories stand together I am a sinner and most worthy of Gods wrath and indignation and yet the father loueth me Here nothing commeth betwene but onely Christ the mediatour The father saith he doth not therfore loue you because ye are worthy of loue but because ye haue loued me and haue beleeued that I came out from him Thus a Christian man abideth in true humilitie feeling sinne in him effectually and confessing himselfe to be worthy of wrath the iudgement of God and euerlasting death for the same that he may be humbled in this life And yet notwithstanding he continueth still in his holy pride in the which he turneth vnto Christ and in him he lifteth vp him selfe against this feeling of Gods wrath and iudgement and beleueth that not only the remnants of sinne are not imputed vnto him but that also he is loued of the father not for his own sake but for Christes sake whom the father loueth Hereby now we may see how faith iustifieth without works and yet notwithstanding how imputation of righteousnes is also necessary Sinnes doe remaine in vs which God vtterly hateth Therefore it is necessary that we should haue imputation of righteousnes which we obtaine through Christ and for Christes sake who is geuen vnto vs and receaued of vs by faith In the meane time as long as we liue here we are caried and norished in the bosome of mercy and long sufferance of God vntill the body of sinne be abolished and we raised vp as newe creatures in that great day Then shall there be newe heauens and a new earth in which righteousnes shal dwell In the meane while vnder this heauen sinne and wicked men do dwell and the godly also haue sinne dwelling in them For this cause Paule Rom. 7. cōplaineth of sinne which remaineth in the Saincts yet notwithstanding he saith afterwards in the 8. chapter that there is no damnation to them vvhich are in Christ Iesu Now how shall these things so contrary and repugnant be reconciled together that sinne in vs is no sinne that he which is damnable shall not be condemned that he which is reiected shall not be reiected that he which is worthy of the wrath of God and euerlasting damnation shall not be punished The onely reconciler hereof is the mediatour betwene God and man euen the man Iesus Christ as Paule sayth There is no condemnation to them vvhich are in Christ Iesu Verse 7. Knovve ye therfore that they vvhich are of faith the same are the children of Abraham This is the generall argument and whole disputation of Paule against the Iewes that they which beleeue are the children of Abraham and not they which are borne of his flesh and his bloud This disputation Paule vehemently prosecuteth in this place and in the 4. and 9. chapit to the Rom. For this was the greatest confidence and glory of the Iewes VVe are the seede and children of Abraham He was circumcised and kept the lawe therfore if we will be the true children of Abraham we must folow our father c. It was no doubt an excellent glory and great dignitie to be the seede of Abraham For no man could denie but that God spake to the seede and of the seede of Abraham But this prerogatiue nothing profited the vnbeleuing Iewes By reason wherof Paule especially in this place mightely striueth against this argument and wresteth from the Iewes this strong affiance in them selues And this could he as the elect vessell of Christ doe aboue all other For if we at the beginning should haue disputed with the Iewes without Paule peraduenture we should haue preuailed very litle against them So then Paule reasoneth against the Iewes which stoode so proudly vpon this opinion that they were the children of Abraham saying VVe are the seede of Abraham Well what then Abraham was circumcised kept the lawe we doe the same All this I graunt What will ye therefore looke to be iustified and saued No not so But let vs come to the Patriarke Abraham himselfe and let vs see by what meanes he was iustified and saued Doutles not for his excellent vertues and holy workes not because he forsooke his countrey kinred and fathers house not because he was circumcised and obserued the lawe not because he was about to offer vp in sacrifice at the commaundement of God his sonne Isacke in whom he had the promise of posteritie but because he beleued Therfore he was not iustified by any other meanes then by faith alone If ye then will be iustified by the lawe much more ought Abraham your father to be iustified by the lawe But Abraham could not otherwise be iustified nor receaue forgeuenes of sinnes and the holy Ghost then by faith alone Since this is true by the testimonie of the scripture why stande ye so much vpon circumcision and the lawe contending that ye haue righteousnes and saluation therby when as your father Abraham him selfe euen your headspring of whom ye doe so much glory was iustified and saued without these by faith alone What can be brought against this argument Paule therfore concludeth with this sentence They vvhich are of faith are the children of Abraham that corporall birth or carnall seede maketh not the children of Abraham before God. As though he would say There is none before God accompted as the childe of this Abraham who is the seruaunt of God whom God hath chosen and made righteous by faith through carnall generation but he must haue such children geuen him before God as he was a father But he was a father of faith and was iustified and pleased God not because he could beget children after the flesh not because he had circumcision and the lawe but because he beleeued in god Therfore he that will be a childe of the beleeuing Abraham must also him selfe beleeue or else he is not a childe of the elect acceptable and iustified Abraham but onely of the begetting Abraham which is nothing else but a man conceaued borne wrapt in sinne without the forgeuenes of sinnes without faith without the holy ghost as an other man is and therfore cōdemned Such also are the children carnally begotten of him hauing nothing in them like vnto their father but flesh and bloud sinne and death therefore these are also damned This glorious boasting then Vve are the seede of Abraham is to no purpose This argument Paule setteth out plainly in the .9 to the Romains by two examples of the holy scripture The first is of Ismaell and Isaac which were both the seede and naturall children of Abraham and yet notwithstanding Ismaell which was begotten of Abraham as Isaac was yea and should also haue bene the first begotten if
Lorde himselfe who is aboue the Scripture and is made vnto me the merite and price of righteousnes and euerlasting life On him I lay holde him I sticke to and leaue workes vnto thee which notwithstanding thou neuer didest This solution neither the Deuill nor any Iusticiary can euer wrest from thee or ouerthrowe Moreouer thou art in safetie before God For thy hearte abideth fixed in the obiect which is called Christ who being nailed to the crosse and accursed not for him selfe but for vs as the text saith vvas made a curse for vs. Holde fast this and lay it against all the sentences of the lawe and workes whatsoeuer and say doest thou heare this Satan Here must he needes geue place for he knoweth that Christe is his Lorde and master Verse 11. And that no man is iustified by the lavve in the sight of God it is euident For the iust shall liue by faith This is an other argument grounded vpon the testimony of the Prophet Habacucke And it is a sentence of greate weight and aucthoritie which Paule setteth against all the sentences that speake of the lawe and workes As if he should say what neede we any longe disputation Here I bringe forth a moste plaine testimonie of the Prophet againste the which no man can cauill The iust man shall liue by faith If he liue by faith then he liueth not by the lawe For the lawe is not of faith And here Paule excludeth workes and the lawe as things contrary to faith The Sophisters as they are alwayes ready to corrupt the scriptures do wrest and peruert this place after this manner The iust man doth liue by faith that is to wirte say they by a faith which is effectuall or working or formed and made perfect with charitie but if it be a faith not formed with charitie then doth it not iustifie This glose they them selues haue forged and by the same they doe iniurie to the wordes of the Prophet If they did call this formed or furnished faith the true faith which the Gospell teacheth this their glose should nothing at all offend me for then faith should not be separated from charitie but from the vaine opinion of faith As we also put a difference betwene a counterfeit faith and a true faith The counterfeit faith is that which heareth of God of Christ and of all the mysteries of his incarnation and our redemption which also apprehendeth beareth away those things which it heareth yea and can talke goodly thereof and yet there remaineth nothinge els in the hearte but a naked opinion and a sounde of the Gospell which howe farre of it is from true faith hereby it may appeare in that it neither renueth nor changeth the hearte it maketh not a new man but leaueth him in the vanity of his former opinion and conuersation and this is a very pernicious faith The morall philosopher is much better then the hypocrite hauing such a faith Wherefore if they would make a distinction betwene their formed faith and a false or counterfeit faith as I haue said their distinction should not offend me But they speake of faith in such sorte that they make charitie the forme and perfection of faith This is to preferre charitie before faith and to attribute righteousnes not to faith but to charitie wherefore when they doe not attribute righteousnes to faith but onely for charities sake they attribute to faith nothing at al. But the holy Ghost which geueth to all men both mouth tongue knoweth howe to speake He coulde haue said as the Sophisters doe wickedly imagine The righteous man shall liue by faith formed and beautified or made perfecte by charitie But this he omitteth of purpose and saith plainely The righteous man liueth by faith Let these doltish Sophisters goe therfore with this their wicked and pestilent glose We will still hold and extoll this faith which God himselfe hath called faith that is to say a true and a certaine faith which doubteth not of God nor of the diuine promises nor of the forgeuenes of sinnes through Christ that we may dwel sure safe in this our obiect Christ and may keepe still before our eies the passion and bloud of the Mediatour and all his benefites Now faith alone which â—â—ieth holde vpon Christ is the onely meane that we suffer not these benefites to be takeÌ„ out of our sight or wrested from vs by any meanes Therfore reiecting this pestilent glose we must vnderstaÌ„d this place of faith onely And this Paule himselfe declareth when he disputeth against faith formed with charitie after this sorte Verse 12 And the lavv is not of faith The Scholemen say The righteous man doth liue if his faith be formed and adorned with charitie But contrariwise Paule saith The lavv is not of faith But what is the law Is it not also a commaundement touching charity yea the law commaundeth nothing els but charitie as we may see by the texte it selfe Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God vvith all thy soule c. Againe shevving mercy vnto thousands that loue him and keepe his commaundements Also In these tvvo commaundementes consist the lavve and the Prophetes If the lawe then that commaundeth charitie be contrary to Faith it must needes follow that charitie is not of faith So Paule plainely confuteth that glose which the Sophisters haue forged touching their formed faith and speaketh onely of faith as it is separate from the law Nowe the law being separate and set aparte charitie is also set aparte with all that belongeth to the lawe and faith onely is left which iustifieth and quickneth to euerlasting life Paule therfore reasoneth here out of a plaine testimony of the Prophet that there is none which obtaineth iustification and life before God but the beleeuing man who obtaineth righteousnes and euerlasting life without the law and without charitie by faith alone The reason is because the law is not of faith that is the law is not faith or any thing belonging to faith for it beleueth not neither are the works of the lawe faith nor yet of faith therfore faith is a thing much differing from the law like as the promise is a thing much differing from the law For the promise is not apprehended by working but by beleuing Yea there is as greate a difference betwene the promise and the law and consequently betwene faith and works as there is distaunce betwene heauen and earth It is impossible therefore that faith should be of the lawe For faith only resteth in the promise it onely apprehendeth and knoweth God and standeth onely in receauing good things of God. Contrariwise the law and workes consist in exacting in doing and in geuing vnto god As Abell offering his sacrifice geueth vnto God but he beleuing receaueth of god Paule therefore concludeth mightely out of that place of Habacuck that the righteous maÌ„ liueth by faith alone For the law in no
the ende he might shewe the true office and vse of the lawe and might roote out of mens heartes that false opinion concerning the righteousnes thereof aunswereth to this obiection Wherfore then serueth the lawe if it iustifie not after this sorte It was not geuen to make men righteous sayth he but Verse 19. It vvas added because of transgressions As things are diuers and distinct so the vses thereof are diuers and distinct Therfore they may not be confoūded For if they be there must needes be a confusion of the things also A woman may not weare a mans apparel nor a man a womans attire Let a man doe the works that belong to a man and a woman the works that belong to a womā Let euery man doe that which his vocation and office requireth Let Pastors and Preachers teach the worde of God purely Let Magistrates gouerne their subiectes let subiects obey their Magistrates Let euery thing serue in his due place and order Let the Sunne shine by day the Moone and the Starres by night let the sea geue fishes the earth graine the woodes wilde beastes and trees c. In like maner let not the lawe vsurpe the office and vse of an other that is to say of Iustification but let it leaue this onely to grace to the promise and to Faith. What is then the office of the lawe Transgression or else as he sayth in another place The lavve entred in that sinne should abound A goodly office forsoth The lavve sayth he vvas added for transgressions that is to say it was added besides and after the promise vntil Christ the Seede should come vnto whom it was promised Of the double vse of the lawe Here ye must vnderstand that there is a double vse of the law One is Ciuill For God hath ordained Ciuil lawes yea all lawes to punish transgressions Euery lawe then is geuen to restraine sinne If it restraine sinne then it maketh men righteous No nothing lesse For in that I doe not kill I doe not commit adulterie I doe not steale or in that I abstaine from other sinnes I doe it not willingly or for the loue of vertue but I feare the prison the sword and the hangman These do bridle and restraine me that I sinne not as bondes chaines restraine a Lion or a Beare that he teare and deuoure not euery thing that he meeteth Therfore the restraining from sinne is not righteousnes but rather a significatiō of vnrighteousnes For as a madde or a wild beast is bound lest he should destroy euery thing that he meeteth euen so the lawe doth bridle a madde and furious man that he sinne not after his owne lust This restrainte sheweth plainly enough that they which haue neede of the law as al they haue which are without Christ are not righteous but rather wicked mad men whom it is necessary by the bonds prisō of the law so to bridle that they sinne not Therfore the law iustifieth not The first vse then of the law is to bridle the wicked For the Deuil raigneth throughout the whole world and enforceth men to all kindes of horrible wickednes Therefore God hath ordained Magistrates parentes Ministers lawes bonds and all ciuill ordinaunces that if they can doe no more yet at the least they may binde the Deuils hands that he rage not in his bondslaues after his owne lust Like as therfore they that are possessed in whom the Deuill mightely raigneth are kept in bondes and chaines lest they should hurte other euen so in the worlde which is possessed of the Deuill and caried headlong into all kindes of wickednes the Magistrate is present with his bondes and chaines that is to say with his lawes binding his handes and feete that he runne not headlong into all mischiefe And if he suffer not him selfe to be brideled after this sorte then he loseth his head This ciuill restrainte is very necessary and appointed of God as wel for publike peace as also for the preseruation of all thinges but specially lest the course of the Gospell shoulde be hindered by the tumultes and seditions of wicked outragious proud mē But Paule entreateth not here of this ciuil vse and office of the law It is in deede very necessary but it iustifieth not For as a possessed or madde man is not therefore free from the snares of the Deuill or well in his minde because he hath his handes and his feete bound and can do no hurt euen so the world although it be brideled by the law from outward wickednes and mischiefe yet is it not therefore righteous but still continueth wicked yea this restrainte sheweth plainely that the world is wicked and outragious stirred vp and enforced to all wickednes by his Prince the Deuill for otherwise it neede not to be brideled by lawes that it should not sinne An other vse of the law is diuine and spirituall which is as Paule saith to encrease transgressions that is to say to reueale vnto a man his sinne his blindnes his misery his impietie ignoraunce hatred and contempt of God death hel the iudgment and deserued wrath of god Of this vse the Apostle entreateth notably in the. 7. to the Romaines This is altogether vnknowne to hypocrites to the popish Sophisters and Scholediuines and to all that walke in the opinion of the righteousnes of the law or of their owne righteousnes But to the ende that God might bridle and beate downe this monster and this madde beaste I meane the presumption of mans owne righteousnes and religion which naturally maketh mē proud and puffeth them vppe in such sort that they thinke them selues thereby to please God highly it behoued him to send some Hercules which might set vppon this monster with all force and courage to ouerthrowe him and vtterly to destroy him that is to say he was constrained to geue a lawe in Mount Sina with so great Maiestie and with so terrible a shewe that the whole multitude was astonished Exod. 19. 20. This as it is the proper and the principall vse of the lawe so is it very profitable and also most necessary For if any be not a murtherer an adulterer a theefe and outwardly refraine from sinne as the Pharisey did which is mentioned in the Gospell he would sweare because he is possessed with the Deuill that he is righteous and therefore he conceaueth an opinion of righteousnes and presumeth of his good workes and merites Such a one God can not otherwise mollifie and humble that he may acknowledge his miserie and damnation but by the lawe For that is the hammer of death the thundring of hell and lightning of Gods wrath that beateth to pouder the obstinate and senseles hypocrites Wherefore this is the proper and true vse of the lawe by lightning by tempest by the sound of the trumpe as in the Mount Sina to terrifie and by thundering to beate downe and
lawe those holy and most gracious wordes namely I am the Lord thy God vvhich brought thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage Thou shalt haue none other Gods c. Shevving mercy to thousandes c. Honour thy father and thy mother that it may goe vvell vvith thee and that thy daies may be prolonged vpon the earth c. and that they had neede of a Mediatour They could not abide this most excellent perfect and diuine wisedom this most gracious sweete comfortable doctrine Let not the Lorde speake vnto vs say they lest vve die Speake thou vnto vs c. Doubtles it is a merueilous thinge that a man can not heare that which is his whole felicite namely that he hath a God yea a mercifull God which wil shew mercy vnto him in many thousands of generatiōs c. And moreouer that he can not abide that which is his chiefe safetie protectiō defence namely Thou shalt not kil Thou shalt not cōmit adultery Thou shalt not steale For by these wordes the Lord hath compassed and fortified the life of man his wife his children and his goods as it were with a wal against the force and violence of the wicked The law then can doe nothing sauing that by his light it lightneth the cōscience that it may know sinne death the iudgement the hatred and wrath of god Before the law come I am secure I feele no sinne but whē the law cometh sinne death hel are reueiled vnto me This is not to be made righteous but giltie the enemy of God to be condemned to death and hell fire The principall point then of the law in true Christian Diuinitie is to make men not better but worse that is to say it sheweth vnto them their sinne that by the knowledge therof they may be humbled terrified brused and brokē by this meanes may be driuen to seeke comforte and so to come to that blessed Seede Verse 20. But God is one God offendeth no person and therefore needeth no Mediatour But we offend God and therfore we haue neede of a Mediatour not Moses but Christ vvhich speaketh farre better things for vs c. Hitherto he hath continued in his digression Now he retourneth to his purpose Verse 21. Is the lavv then against the promise of God Paule said before that the law iustifieth not Shall we then take away the law No not so For it bringeth with it a certaine commoditie What is that It bringeth men vnto the knowledge of themselues it discouereth and encreaseth sinne c. Here now riseth an other obiection If the lawe doe nothing els but make men worse in shewing vnto them their sinne then is it contrary to the promises of god For it seemeth that God is but onely prouoked to anger and offended through the law and therefore he regardeth not nor performeth his promises We Iewes haue thought the contrary to witte that we are restrained and bridled by this externall discipline to the ende that God being prouoked therby might hastē the performing of his promise and that by this discipline we might deserue the promise Paule aunswereth It is nothing so But contrariwise if ye haue regard to the law the promise is rather hindered For natural reason offendeth God which so faithfully promiseth whiles it will not heare his good and holy lawe For it sayth Let not the Lorde speake vnto vs c. How can it be then that God should performe his promise vnto those which not onely receaue not his law and his discipline but also with a mortal hatred do shunne it flie from it Here therfore as I said riseth this obiection Then the law semeth to hinder the promises of god This obiection Paule toucheth by the way briefely aūswereth saying Verse 21. God forbid Why so First for that God doth not make any promise vnto vs because of our worthines our merits our good works but that he doth is of his meere goodnes and inestimable mercy in Christ He saith not to Abraham All nations shal be blessed in thee because thou hast kept the law but as it is written in the .24 chap. of Iosua when he was yet vncircumcised had no law was yet an idolater he said vnto him Goe out of thine ovvne land c. I vvill be thy protectour c. Also In thy Seede shall all nations be blessed These are absolute meere promises which God freely geueth vnto Abraham without any condition or respect of workes either going before or comming after This is specially against the Iewes which thinke that the promises of God are hindered because of their sinnes God saith Paule doth not slacke his promises because of our sinnes or hasten the same for our righteousnes and merites he regardeth neither the one nor the other Wherefore although we be worse and more sinnefull and brought into a greater contempte and hatred of God by meanes of the lawes yet notwithstanding God is not moued therby to differre his promise For his promise doth not stande vpon our worthines but vpon his onely goodnes and mercy Therefore where the Iewes say The Messias is not yet come because our sinnes doe hinder his cōming it is a detestable lie As though God should become vnrighteous because of our sinnes or made a lier because we are liers He abideth alwaies iust and true his truth therefore is the onely cause that he accomplisheth and performeth his promise Moreouer although the law doe reueile and encrease sinne yet is it not against the promises of God yea rather it confirmeth the promises For as concerning his proper worke and ende it humbleth and prepareth a man so that he vse it rightly to sigh and seeke for mercy For when sinne is reueiled to a man and so encreased by the law then he beginneth to perceaue the wickednes and hatred of mans hearte against the law and against God him selfe the authour of the law Then he feeleth in deede that not only he loueth not God but also hateth and blasphemeth God who is full of goodnes mercy and his lawe which is iust and holy Then is he constrained to cōfesse that there is no good thing in him And thus when he is throwne downe and humbled by the lawe he acknowledgeth him selfe to be most miserable and damnable When the law therfore constraineth a man so to acknowledge his owne corruption and to confesse his sinne from the bottome of his heart then hath it done his office truely and his time is accomplished and ended And nowe is the time of grace that the blessed Seede may come to raise vppe and to comfort him that is so cast downe and humbled by the lawe After this manner the law is not against the promises of god For first the promise hangeth not vpon the lawe but vpon the truth and mercy of God only and alone Secondly when the law is in
famine that the ouerthrowing of common weales kingdoms and countreis that sectes offences and such other infinite euils doe procede altogether of the doctrine of the Gospell Against this great offence we must comfort arme our selues with this sweete cōsolation that the faithfull must beare this name and this title in the world that they are seditious and schismatikes and the authors of innumerable euils And hereof it commeth that our aduersaries thinke they haue a iust cause yea that they doe God high seruice when they hate persecute and kill vs It can not be then but that Ismael must persecute Isaac But Isaac againe persecuteth not Ismael Who so wil not suffer the persecution of Ismael let him not professe himselfe to be a Christian But let our aduersaries which so vehemently amplifie exaggerate these euils at this day tel vs what good thīgs ensued the preaching of the Gospel of Christ and his Apostles Did not the destruction of the kingdom of the Iewes follow was not the Romaine Empire ouerthrowne was not the whole world in an vprore And yet the Gospell was not the cause hereof which Christe and his Apostles preached for the profite and saluation of men and not for their destruction But these things folowed through the fault of the people the nations the Kings Princes who being possessed of the Deuill would not hearkē to the word of grace life and eternall saluation but detested and condemned it as a doctrine most pernicious and hurtfull to religion common weales And that this should so come to passe the holy Ghost foretold by Dauid when he sayeth Psal. 2. VVhy doe the heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine c. Such tumultes and hurly burlies we heare and see at this day The aduersaries lay the fault in our doctrine But the doctrine of grace and peace stirreth not vp these troubles but the people nations kings and Princes of the earth as the Psalme sayeth rage murmure conspire and take counsell not against vs as they thinke nor against our doctrine which they blaspheme as false and seditious but against the Lord and his annoynted Therfore all their counsels and practises are and shall be disappoynted and brought to naught He that dvvelleth in the heauen shall laugh the Lord shall haue them in derision Let thē cry out therfore as long as they list that we raise vp these tumults and seditions notwithstanding this Psalme comforteth vs and saith that they themselues are the authors of these troubles They can not beleue this much lesse can they beleue that it is they which murmure rise vp take coūsell against the Lord his anoynted nay rather they thinke that they maintaine the Lords cause that they defend his glory do him acceptable seruice in persecuting vs but the Psalme lieth not and that shall the ende declare Here we doe nothing but onely suffer as our conscience beareth vs witnesse in the holy Ghost Moreouer the doctrine for the which they raise vp such tumultes and offences is not ours but it is the doctrine of Christe This doctrine we can not deny nor forsake the defence thereof seeing Christ sayth VVhosoeuer shall be ashamed of me and of my vvordes in this adulterous and sinnefull nation of him shal the sonne of man be ashamed vvhen he shall come in his glory and in the glory of the father and of the holy angels He therfore that will preach Christ truely and confesse him to be our righteousnes must be content to heare that he is a pernicious fellow and that he troubleth all things They which haue troubled the world sayd the Iewes of Paul and Silas Acts. 17. are also come vnto vs and haue done contrary to the decrees of Caesar And in the. 24. of the Actes We haue found this pestilent fellow stirring vp sedition among all the Iewes thorow out the whole world and the authour of the Sect of the Nazarites c. In like maner also the Gentiles complaine in the. 16. of the Actes These men trouble our Citie So at this day they accuse Luther to be a troubler of the Papacie and of the Romaine Empire If I would kepe silence then all things should be in peace which the strong man possesseth and the Pope would not persecute me any more But by this meanes the Gospell of Iesus Christe should be blemished defaced If I speake the Pope is troubled and cruelly rageth Either we must lose the Pope an earthly and mortall man or else the immortall God Christ Iesus life and eternall saluation Let the Pope perish then let God be exalted let Christ raigne and triumph for euer Christe himselfe when he foresaw in spirite the great troubles which should folow his preaching cōforted himselfe after this maner I came sayth he to send fire vpon the earth and vvhat vvil I but that it be kindled In like maner we see at this day that great troubles folowe the preaching of the Gospell through the persecution blasphemie of our aduersaries and the ingratitude of the world This matter so greueth vs that oftentimes after the flesh and after the iudgement of reason we thinke it had bene better that the doctrine of the Gospell had not bene published then that after the preaching therof the publike peace should be so troubled But according to the spirite we say boldly with Christe I came to send fire vpon the earth and what will I but that it should now be kindled Now after that this fire is kindled ther folow forthwith great commotions For it is not a King or an Emperour that is thus prouoked but the God of this world which is a most mighty spirite and the Lord of the whole world This weake worde preaching Christ crucified setteth vpon this mightie and terrible aduersarie Behemoth feeling the diuine power of this word stirreth vp all his members shaketh his taile and maketh the depth of the sea to boile like a potte Iob. 41. Hereof come all these tumultes all these furious and cruell rages of the world Wherefore let it not trouble vs that our aduersaries are offended and cry out that there cometh no good by the preaching of the Gospel They are infidels they are blinde and obstinate and therfore it is impossible that they should see any frute of the Gospell But contrariwise we which beleue doe see the inestimable profites and frutes therof although outwardly for a time we be oppressed with infinite euils despised spoiled accused cōdemned as the outcasts and filthy dunge of the whole world and put to death and inwardly afflicted with the feeling of our sinne and vexed with Deuils For we liue in Christe in whom and by whom we are made Kings and Lordes ouer sinne death the flesh the world hel and all euils In whom and by whom also we tread vnder our feete that Dragon and Basiliske which is the King
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