the morall lawe before Faith. Verse 5. That vve might receaue the adoption of the sonnes Paule setteth forth amplifieth very largely this place of Gen. 22. In thy Seede shall all the natiōs of the earth be blessed A litle before he called this Blessing of the seede of Abraham righteousnes life the promise of the spirit deliuerance from the law the testament c. Here he calleth it the adoption and inheritance of euerlasting life All these this word Blessing doth comprehend For when the Curse which is sinne death c. is abolished then in the stede thereof succedeth the Blessing that is righteousnes life and all good things But by what merite haue we receaued this Blessing that is to say this adoption and inheritaunce of euerlasting life By none at all For what can men deserue that are shutte vnder sinne subiect to the curse of the lawe and worthy of euerlasting death We haue then receiued this Blessing freely and being vtterly vnworthy therof but yet not without merite What merite is that Not ours but the merite of Iesus Christ the sonne of God who being made vnder the lawe not for him selfe but for vs as Paule sayd afore that he vvas made a curse for vs redemed vs which were vnder the lawe Wherfore we haue receaued this adoption by the onely redemption of Iesus Christe the sonne of God which is our rich and euerlasting merite whether it be of congruēce or worthines going before grace or comming after And with this free adoption we haue also receaued the holy Ghost which God hath sent into our hearts crying Abba Father as foloweth Verse 6. And because you are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirite of his sonne into your hearts The holy ghost is sent two maner of wayes In the primatiue church he was sent in a manifest visible appearāce So he came vpon Christ at Iordane in the likenes of a Doue and in the likenes of fire vpon the Apostles and other beleuers And this was the first sending of the holy Ghost which was necessary in the primatiue church for it was expedient that it should be established by manifest myracles because of the vnbeleuers as Paule witnesseth 1. Cor. 14. Straunge tongues sayth he be for a signe and a token not to them that beleue but to them that beleue not But after that the Church was gathered together and cōfirmed with those myracles it was not necessary that this visible sending of the holy Ghost should continue any longer Secondly the holy Ghost is sent by the word into the hearts of the beleuers as here it is sayd God sent the spirite of his sonne c. This sending is without any visible appearance to witte when by the hearing of the externall word we receaue an inward feruencie and light wherby we are chaunged become new creatures wherby also we receaue a new iudgement a new feeling a new mouing This chaūge this new iudgemēt is no worke of reason or of the power of mā but is the gift operation of the holy Ghost which commeth with the word preached which purifieth our hearts by faith and bringeth forth in vs spirituall motions Therefore there is a great difference betwixt vs those which with force subteltie persecute the doctrine of the gospell For we by the grace of God can certainly iudge by the word of the will of God towardes vs also of all lawes and doctrines of our owne life and of the life of others Contrariwise the Papists and Sectaries can not certainly iudge of any thing For they corrupt they persecute and blaspheme the word Now without the word a man can geue no certaine iudgement of any thing And although it appeare not before the world that we be renewed in spirit and haue the holy Ghost yet notwithstanding our iudgemēt our speech our confession do declare sufficiently that the holy Ghost with his giftes is in vs For before we could iudge rightly of nothing We spake not as now we doe We confessed not that all our works were sinne and damnable that Christe was our onely merite both before grace after as now we doe in the true knowledge and light of the Gospell Wherefore let this trouble vs nothing at all that the world whose workes we testifie to be euill iudgeth vs to be most pernicious heretikes and seditious persons destroyers of religion and troublers of the common peace possessed of the Deuill speaking in vs and gouerning all our actions Against this peruerse and wicked iudgement of the world let this testimonie of our conscience be sufficient wherby we assuredly know that it is the gift of God that we doe not onely beleue in Iesus Christ but that we also openly preach and confesse him before the world As we beleue with our heart so do we speake with our mouth according to the saying of the Psalm I beleued therfore haue I spoken Moreouer we exercise our selues in the feare of God and auoide sinne as much as we may If we sinne we sinne not of purpose but of ignorance and we are sory for it We may slippe for the Deuill lieth in wait for vs both day and night Also the remnantes of sinne cleaue yet fast in our flesh therefore as touching the flesh we are sinners yea after that we haue receaued the holy Ghost And there is no great difference betwixt a Christian and a ciuill honest man. For the workes of a Christian in outward shew are but base and simple He doth his duetie according to his vocation he guideth his familie he tilleth the ground he geueth counsell he aideth and succoureth his neighbour These workes the carnall man doth not much esteme but thinketh them to be common to all men and such as the heathen may also doe For the world vnderstandeth not the things which are of the spirite of God and therefore it iudgeth peruersly of the workes of the godly But the monstrous superstition of hypocrites and their will workes they haue in great admiration They count them holy works spare no charges in maintaining the same Contrariwise the workes of the faithfull which although in outward appearance they seeme to be but vile nothing worth yet are they good works in dede and accepted of God because they are done in Faith with a cherefull heart and with obedience and thankfulnes towards God these works I say they do not onely not acknowledge to be good works but also they despise and condemne them as most wicked and abhominable The world therfore beleueth nothing lesse then that we haue that holy Ghost notwithstanding in the time of tribulation or of the crosse and of the cōfession of our faith which is that proper principall worke of those that beleue when we must either forsake wife children goodes and life or else deny Christ then it appeareth that we make confession of
game and therefore they goe about especially the Gentlemen to make their pastours subiect vnto them like seruaunts and slaues And if we had not so godly a Prince and one that so loueth the truth they had ere this time driuen vs out of the countrey When the pastours aske their dutie or complaine that they suffer penurie they cry out the priestes be couetous they would haue plentie no man is able to satisfie their vnsatiable couetousnes if they were true Gospellers they should haue nothing of their owne but as poore men ought to folow poore Christ to suffer all aduersities c. Paule horribly threatneth here such tyrannes such mockers of God who so carelesly proudly doe scorne the miserable preachers and yet will seeme to be Gospellers and not to be mockers of God but to worshippe him very deuoutly Be not deceiued sayth he God is not mocked that is to say he doth not suffer him selfe to be mocked in his ministers For he sayeth He that despiseth you despiseth me Also he sayeth vnto Samuel They haue not cast thee avvay but me Therfore O ye mockers although God differre his punishment for a season yet when he seeth time he will finde you out and will punish this contempt of his word bitter hatred which ye beare against his ministers Therfore ye deceiue not God but your selues and ye shall not laugh at God but he will laugh at you Psalme 2. But our proud Gentlemen citizens and common people are nothing at all moued with this dreadfull threatning Neuertheles they shall feele when death approcheth whether they haue mocked thēselues or vs nay rather not vs but God himselfe as Paule saith here In the meane time because they proudly despise our admonitiōs with an intollerable pride we speake these things to our cōfort to the ende we may know that it is better to suffer wrong than to do wrōg for patience is euer innocēt harmles Moreouer God will not suffer his ministers to starue for honger but euen when the rich men suffer scarsitie and honger he wil feede them and in the dayes of famine they shall haue enough Verse 7. For vvhatsoeuer a man sovveth that shall he reape All these things tende to this purpose that ministers should be nourished and maintained For my part I doe not gladly interprete such sentences for they seeme to commend vs and so they doe in dede Moreouer if a mā stand much in repeting such things to his hearers it hath some shew of couetousnes Notwithstanding men must be admonished hereof that they may know that they ought to yelde vnto their pastours both reuerence and a necessary liuing Our Sauiour Christe teacheth the same thing in the .10 of Luke Eating and drinking such things as they haue for the labourer is vvorthy of his revvard And Paule sayth in an other place Doe ye not knovv that they vvhich sacrifice in the tēple liue of the sacrifices that they vvhich serue at the altare are partakers of the altare euē so hath the lord ordained that they vvhich preach the gospel should liue of the Gospel It is good that we also which are in the ministerie should know these things lest for our labour we might with euill cōscience receaue the stipend which is geuen vnto vs of that Popes goods And although such goodes were heaped together by mere fraud disceit yet notwithstanding God spoyling the Egyptians that is to say the Papistes of their goods turneth them here amongst vs to a good and holy vse not when noble men and gentlemen spoile them and abuse them but when they which sette forth Gods glory and bring vppe youth vertuously are maintained therewith Let vs know then that we may with good conscience since God hath ordained and commaūded that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell vse those things that are geuen vs of the Church goodes for the necessary sustentation of our life to the ende we may attend vpon our office the better Let no man therefore make any scrupule hereof as though it were not lawfull for him to vse such goodes Verse 8. For he that sovveth in the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that sovveth in the spirite shall of the spirite reape euerlasting life He addeth a similitude and an allegorie And this generall sentence of sowing he applieth to the particular matter of nourishing and maintaining the ministers of the word saying He that sovveth in the spirite that is to say he that chearisheth the teachers of Gods word doth a spirituall worke and shall reape euerlasting life Here riseth a question whether we deserue eternall life by good works for so Paule seemeth to auouch in this place As touching such sentences which speake of workes and the reward of them we haue treated very largely before in the .5 chapter And very necessary it is after the example of Paule to exhort the faithfull to good workes that is to say to exercise their faith by good workes For if they folow not faith it is a manifest token that their Faith is no true faith Therefore the Apostle sayth He that sovveth in the flesh some vnderstand it in his owne flesh that is to say he that geueth nothing to the ministers of Gods word but onely feedeth and careth for him selfe which is the counsell of the flesh that man shall of the flesh reape corruption not onely in this present life but also in the life to come For the goods of the wicked shall wast away and they them selues also at length shall shamefully perish The Apostle would faine stirre vp his hearers to be liberall and beneficiall towards their pastours and preachers But what a misery is it that the peruersenes and ingratitude of men should be so great that the churches should neede this admonition The Encratites abused this place for the confirmation of their wicked opinion against mariage expounding it after this maner He that soweth in the flesh shall reape corruption that is to say he that marieth a wife shall be damned Ergo a wife is a damnable thing and mariage is euill for as much as there is in it a sowing in the flesh These beastes were so destitute of all iudgement that they perceiued not whereabout the Apostle went I speake this to the ende ye may see how easily the Deuill by his ministers can turne away the heartes of the simple from the truth Germanie shall shortly haue an infinite number of such beastes yea and already hath very many For on the one side it persecuteth and killeth the godly ministers and on the other side it neglecteth and despiseth them and suffereth them to liue in great penurie Let vs arme our selues against these and such like errours and let vs learne to know the true meaning of the Scriptures For Paule speaketh not here of matrimonie but of nourishing the ministers of the church which euery mā
But forasmuch as we take in hand to expound this Epistle which we doe not because it is needefull or for any hardnes that is in it but that our consciences may be confirmed against heresies yet to come let it not be tedious vnto you if we repeat these things againe that elsewhere and at other times we teach preach singe and sette out by writing For if we neglect the article of iustification we lose altogether Therefore most necessary it is cheifly and aboue all things that we teach and repete this article continually Like as Moses saith of his law for it can not be beaten into our eares enough or to much Yea though we learne it and vnderstand it well yet is there none that taketh hold of it perfectly or beleueth it with his whole hart so fraile a thing is our flesh and disobedient to the spirite This greeting of the Apostle is straunge vnto the world and was neuer heard of before the preaching of the Gospell And these two words Grace and Peace cōprehend in them whatsoeuer belongeth to Christianitie Grace releaseth sinne and peace maketh the conscience quiet The two Feends that torment vs are sinne and conscience But Christ hath vanquished these two Monsters and troden them vnder foote both in this world and in the world to come This the world doth not knowe and therefore it can teach no certaintie of the ouercomming of sinne conscience and death Only Christians haue this kinde of doctrine and are exercised and armed with it to get victory against sinne despaire and euerlasting death And it is a kinde of doctrine neither proceeding of free wil nor inuented by the reason or wisedome of of man but geuen from aboue Moreouer these two words Grace and Peace doe containe in them the whole summe of Christianitie Grace containeth the remission of sinnes peace a quiet and ioyful conscience But peace of conscience can neuer be had vnlesse sinne be first forgeuē But it is not forgeuen for the fulfilling of the law For no man is able to satisfie the law but the law doth rather shew sinne accuse and terrifie the conscience declare the wrath of God and driue to desperation Much lesse is sinne taken away by the workes and inuentions of men as wicked worshippings straung religious vowes and pilgrimages Finally there is no worke that can take away sinne but sinne is rather encreased by works For the Iusticiaries Meritmongers the more they sweate and labour to bring them selues out of sinne the deeper they are plunged therin For there is no meanes to take away sinne but grace alone Therfore Paule in all the greetings of his epistles setteth grace and peace against sinne and an euill conscience This thing must be diligently marked The words are easy but in tentation it is the hardest thing that can be to be certainly perswaded in our harts that by grace alone without any other meanes either in heauen or earth we haue remission of sinnes and peace with God. The world vnderstādeth not this doctrine therfore it neither will nor can abide it but condemneth it as hereticall and wicked It braggeth of free will of the light of reason and the soundnes of the powers and qualities of nature of good workes as meanes wherby it could deserue and attaine grace and peace that is to say forgeuenes of sinnes and a quiet conscience But it is impossible that the conscience should be quiet and ioyfull vnlesse it haue peace thorowe grace that is to say through the forgiuenes of sinnes promised in Christ Many haue carefully laboured by finding out diuers and sundry religions orders and exercises for this purpose to attaine peace and quietnes of conscience but by so doing they haue plunged them selues in moe and greater miseries for all such deuises are but meanes to encrease doubtfulnes and despaire Therfore there shall be no rest to my bones or thine vnlesse we heare the word of grace and cleaue vnto it stedfastly faithfully Then shall our conscience vndoubtedly finde grace and peace The Apostle doth fittly distinguish this grace and peace from al other kinds of grace peace whatsoeuer He wisheth to the Galathians Grace Peace not from the Emperour or Kings and Princes for these doe commonly persecute the Godly and rise vp against the Lord and Christ his anointed Psal. 2. nor from the world for in the world saith Christ ye shall haue trouble but from God our father c. which is as much to say as he wisheth vnto them a heauēly peace So Christ saith My peace I leaue vnto you my peace I geue you not as the vvorld geueth it do I geue it vnto you The peace of the world graunteth nothing but the peace of our goods and bodies So the Grace or fauoure of the world geueth vs leaue to enioy our goodes casteth vs not out of our possessions But in affliction in the hower of death the grace and fauour of the world can not helpe vs they can not deliuer vs from affliction despaire and death But when the Grace and Peace of God are in the hart then is man strong so that he can neither be cast downe with aduersitie nor puffed vp with prosperitie but walketh on plainly and kepeth the hie way For he taketh hart and courage in the victory of Christes death the confidence thereof beginneth to reigne in his conscience ouer sinne and death because through him he hath assured forgeuenes of his sinnes which after he hath once obtained his conscience is at rest and by the word of Grace is comforted So then a man being comforted hartened by the Grace of God that is by forgeuenes of sinnes and by this peace of conscience is able valiantly to beare and ouercome all troubles yea euen death it selfe This Peace of God is not geuen to the world because the world neuer longeth after it nor vnderstandeth it but to them that beleeue and this commeth to passe by no other meane then by the onely Grace of God. A rule to be obserued that men ought to abstaine from the curious searching of Gods maiestie But why doth the Apostle ioyne in this salutation And from our Lord Iesus Christ Was it not enough to say And from God our father why then doth he couple Iesus Christ vvith the father Ye haue often times heard of vs howe it is a rule and principle in the scriptures diligently to be marked that we must abstaine from the curious searching of Gods maiestie which is intolerable to mans body and much more to his minde No man saith the scripture shall see me and liue The Pope the Turkes the Iewes and all such as trust in their owne merits regard not this rule and therefore remouing Christ the Mediatour out of their sight they speake onely of God before him onely they pray and doe all that they doe As for
any true feling of sinne or of the terrour of death haue forged these vaine toyes blasphemies of their owne braine and therefore they know not what they say or what they teach Moreouer they can shew no example of any worke done either before or after grace that could iustifie before god Wherfore these are nothing else but vaine fables and lies whereby the Papists deceaue both them selues and other For Paule here plainly affirmeth that a man is not iustified by the works of the lawe either going before grace wherof he here speaketh or comming after You see then that Christian righteousnes is not such an essentiall qualitie engrafted in the nature of man as the Scholemen doe imagine when they say The Diuinitie of the Schole men When a man doth any good worke God accepteth it and for that good worke he poureth into him charitie This infused charitie say they is a qualitie grafted in the heart and this they call formall righteousnes which maner of speaking it is expedient for you to know and they cā abide nothing lesse then to heare that this qualitie furnishing the soule as whitenes doth the wal should not be coūted righteousnes They can clime no higher then to this cogitatiō of mans reason that man is righteous hy his owne formall righteousnes which is grace making him acceptable vnto God that is to say loue or charitie So to this qualitie cleauing vnto the soule that is to wit charitie which is a worke after the law for the law sayth Thou shalt loue the Lord thy god c. they attribute formall righteousnes and they say that this righteousnes is worthy of euerlasting life and he that hath it is formally righteous and moreouer he is effectually or actually righteous because he now doth good workes wherevnto euerlasting life is due This is the opinion of the Scholemen yea euen of the best among them Some other there be which are not so good as Scotus and Occam which sayd that for the obtaining of the grace of God this charity infused or geuen of God is not necessary but that a man euen by his owne naturall strength may procure this charitie aboue all things For so reasoneth Scotus If a man may loue a creature a yong man a maiden a couetous man money which are the lesse good he may also loue God which is the greater good If he haue a loue of the creature through his naturall strength much more hath he a loue of the creator With this argument were all the Sophisters conuicted and none of them all was able to soile it Notwithstanding thus they replie The scripture compelleth vs to cōfesse say they that God besides that naturall loue and charitie which is engrafted in vs wherwith alone he is not contented requireth also charitie which he him selfe geueth And heereby they accuse God as a tyranne and a cruell exactor who is not content that we kepe and fulfil his law but aboue the law which we are of our selues able to fulfill requireth also that we should accomplishe it with other circumstaunce and furniture as apparell to the same As if a Mistres should not be contented that her Cooke had dressed her meate excellently well but should chide her for that she did not prepare the same being decked with precious apparel hauing a croune of gold vpon her head What a mistres were this who besides that which her Cooke was onely bound to doe and also exactly performed would require moreouer precious apparell or a croune of gold which she could not haue Euen so what a one should God be if he should require his lawe to be fulfilled of vs which otherwise by our owne naturall strength we obserue and fulfill with such furniture as we can not haue But here lest they should seeme to aduouch contrary things they make a distinction and say that the law is fulfilled two maner of waies first according to the substance of the deede and secondly according to the minde of the commaunder According to the substance of the deede say they we may fulfil al things which the law commaūdeth but not according to the meaning of the Commaunder which is that God is not contented that thou hast done all things which are commaunded in the law although he can require no more of thee but he yet further requireth that thou shouldest fulfill the law in charitie not that charitie which thou hast by nature but that which is aboue nature and heauēly which he himselfe geueth And what is this els but to make of God a tyranne and a tormentor which requireth of vs that we are not able to performe And it is in a maner as much as if they should say that the fault is not in vs if we be damned but in God which with this circumstance requireth his law to be accomplished of vs. These things I doe the more diligently repete that you may see how farre they haue wādred from the true sense of the scripture which haue sayd that we by our owne naturall strength may loue God aboue all things or at least by the worke wrought we may deserue euerlasting life And because God is not contente that we fulfill the law according to the substance of the deede but will haue vs also to fulfill the same according to the meaning of the Commaunder therefore the scripture further compelleth vs to haue a qualitie aboue nature poured into vs from aboue and that is charitie which they call formall righteousnes adorning and bewtifying faith being also the cause that faith iustifieth vs So faith is the body and the shell charitie the life the kernell the forme and furniture These are the dreames of the Scholemen But we in the steede of this charitie do place faith and we say that faith apprehendeth Iesus Christ who is the forme which adorneth furnisheth faith as the colour adorneth and bewtifieth the wall Christian faith thē is not an idle qualitie or empty huske in the heart which may be in deadly sinne as they say vntill charitie come and quicken it but if it be true faith it is a sure trust and confidence of the heart and a firme consent wherby Christ is apprehended So that Christ is the obiect of faith yea rather euen in faith Christ himselfe is present Faith therefore is a certaine obscure knowledge or rather darkenes which seeth nothing and yet Christ apprehended by faith sitteth in this darknes like as God in Sinai and in the temple satte in the middest of darknes Wherfore our formall righteousnes is not charitie furnishing and beutifying faith but it is faith it self which is as it were a certain cloud in our harts that is to say a stedfast trust affiance in the thing which we see not which is Christ who although he be not seene at all yet is he present Faith therefore iustifieth because it apprehendeth and possesseth this treasure euen
now to worke well Loue God and thy neighbour call vpon God geue thanks vnto him praise him confesse him These are good workes in dede which flowe out of this faith and this chearefulnes conceaued in the heart for that we haue remission of sinnes freely by Christ Now what crosse or afflictiōs so euer do afterwardes ensue they are easily borne and chearfully suffered For the yoke that Christ layeth vpon vs is svvete and his burden is easie When sinne is pardoned and the conscience deliuered from the burden and sting of sinne then may a Christian beare all things easily Because he feeleth all things within sweete and comfortable therfore he doth and suffreth all things willingly But when a man walketh in his owne righteousnes what so euer he doth is greeuous and tedious vnto him because he doth it vnwillingly We therfore doe make this definition of a Christian man that he is a right christian to whom God imputeth not his sinne through faith in Christ This doctrine bringeth great consolation to poore afflicted consciences in serious and inward terrours It is not without good cause therefore that we doe so often repete and beat into your mindes the forgeuenes of sinnes and imputation of righteousnes for Christes sake also that a Christian hath nothing to doe with the law and sinne specially in the time of tentation For in that he is a Christian he is aboue the law and sinne For he hath Christ the Lord of the law present and inclosed in his heart as we haue said euen as a ring hath a Iewel or precious stone inclosed in it Therefore when the lawe accuseth and sinne terrifieth him he looketh vpon Christ and when he hath apprehended him by faith he hath present with him the conquerour of the law sinne death and the deuill who raigneth and ruleth ouer them so that they can not hurt him Wherfore a Christian man if ye define him rightly is free from all lawes and is not subiect vnto any creature either within or without In that he is a Christian I say and not in that he is a man or a woman that is to say in that he hath his conscience adorned and bewtified with this faith with this great and inestimable treasure or as Paule saith this vnspeakeable gifte which can not be magnified and praised enough for it maketh vs the children and heires of god And by this meanes a Christian is greater then the whole world For he hath such a gifte such a treasure in his heart that although it seemeth to be but litle yet notwithstanding the smalnes therof is greater then heauen and earth for Christ which is this gift and this treasure is greater then all things Whiles this doctrine pacifying and quieting the conscience abideth sound and vncorrupt Christians are made iudges ouer all kindes of doctrine and are Lords ouer the lawes of the whole world Then cā they certainly iudge that the Turke with his Alcoran is damned because he goeth not the right way that is he acknowledgeth not himselfe to be miserable and damnable nor apprehendeth Christ by faith for whose sake he might be assured that his sinnes are pardoned In like maner they boldly pronoūce sentence against the Pope that he is condemned with all his kingdome because he so walketh and so teacheth with all his religious rable of Sophisters and Scholemē that by the merite of congruence we must come to grace that afterwards by the merite of worthines we are receaued into heauen Here sayth the Christian this is not the right way to iustifie vs neither doth this way leade vs to heauen For I can not saith he by my works going before grace deserue grace nor by my works following grace deserue eternall life But to him that beleueth sinne is pardoned and righteousnes imputed This trust and this confidence maketh him the childe of God and heire of his kingdome For in hope he possesseth already euerlasting life assured vnto him by promise Through faith in Christ therefore all things are geuen vnto vs grace peace forgeuenes of sinnes saluation and euerlasting life and not for the merite of congruence and worthines Wherefore this doctrine of the Scholemen with their ceremonies Masses infinite foundations of the Papisticall kingdome are most abhominable blasphemies against God sacrileges and plaine denials of Christ as Peter hath foretold in these words Ther shal be saith he false teachers among you vvhich shall priuely bring in damnable heresies denying the Lord that hath bought them c. As though he would say the Lord hath redemed and bought vs with his bloud that he might iustifie and saue vs this is the way of righteousnes and saluation But there shall come false teachers which denying the Lord shall blaspheme the way of truth of righteousnes and saluation they shall finde out new waies of falsehode and destruction and many shall follow their perdiction Peter throughout this whole chapter most liuely painteth out the Papacie which neglecting and despising the Gospell and faith in Christ hath taught the workes and traditions of men as the merite of congruence worthines the difference of daies meates vowes inuocation of Saincts pilgrimages purgatory such like In these fantasticall opinions the Papistes are so nusled that it is impossible for them to vnderstand one syllable of the gospel of faith or of Christ And this the thing it selfe doth well declare For they take that priuiledge vnto them selues which belongeth vnto Christ alone He onely forgeueth sinnes he onely geueth righteousnes and euerlasting life and they most impudently and wickedly doe vaunte that they are able to obtaine these things by their owne merits and worthines before and after grace Peter and the other Apostles call these damnable heresies and sects of perdition For by these meanes they deny Christ treade his bloud vnder their feete blaspheme the holy Ghost and despise the grace of God. Wherefore no man can sufficiently conceaue how horrible the idolatry of the Papistes is As inestimable as the gifte is which is offered vnto vs by Christ euen so and no lesse abhominable are these prophanations of the Papistes They ought not then to be lightly esteemed or forgotten but diligently wayed considered And this maketh also very much for the amplifying of the grace of God and benefite of Christ as by the contrarye For the more we know the prophanation of the papisticall Masse so much the more we doe abhorre and detest the same and embrace the true vse of the holy communion which the Pope hath taken away and hath made marchandise of it that being bought for money it might profite others For he saith that the Massing priest an apostata denying Christ blasphemīg the holy Ghost standing at the aultar doth a good work not only for him selfe but also for others both quicke deade and for the whole church and that onely by the worke wrought and by none
righteousnes in deede Paule setteth against the righteousnes of the law As if he sayd Be it so that the law is an heauenly doctrine and hath also his glory yet notwithstanding it loued not me nor gaue it selfe for me yea it accuseth me terrifieth me and driueth me to desperation But I haue now an other which hath deliuered me from the terrours of the law sinne and death and hath brought me vnto libertie the righteousnes of God and eternall life who is called the sonne of God to whom be praise and glory for euermore Faith therefore as I haue said embraceth and wrappeth in it selfe Christ Iesus the sonne of God deliuered to death for vs as Paule here teacheth who being apprehended by faith geueth vnto vs righteousnes and life And here he setteth out most liuely the Priesthode and offices of Christ which are to pacifie God to make intercession for sinners to offer vppe him selfe a sacrifice for their sinnes to redeme to instruct and to comfort them Let vs learne therefore to geue a true definition of Christ not as the Scholedoctours do and such as seeke righteousnes by their owne workes which make him a new law-geuer who abolishing the olde lawe hath established a newe To these Christ is nothing else but an exactor and a tyranne but let vs define him as Paule here doth namely that he is the sonne of God who not for our desert or any righteousnes of ours but of his owne free mercie offered vppe him selfe a sacrifice for vs sinners that he might sanctifie vs for euer Christ then is no Moses no exactor no geuer of lawes but a geuer of grace a Sauiour and one that is full of mercie briefly he is nothing else but infinite mercie and goodnes freely geuen and bountifully geuing vnto vs And thus shall you paint out Christ in his right coloures If you suffer him to be painted out to you any otherwise then thus when tentation and trouble cometh you shall soone be ouerthrowne Nowe as it is the greatest knowledge and cunning that Christians cā haue thus to define Christ so of all things it is the most hardest For I my selfe euen in this great light of the Gospell wherein I haue bene so long exercised haue much a doe to hold this definition of Christ which Paule here geueth So depely hath this doctrine and pestilent opinion that Christ is a lawgeuer entred in me euen as it were oyle into my boanes Ye yong men therefore are in this case much more happie then we that are olde For ye are not infected with these pernicious errours wherein I haue bene so nusled and so drowned euen from my youth that at the very hearing of the name of Christ my heart hath trēbled and quaked for feare for I was perswaded that he was a seuere iudge Wherefore it is to me a double trauaile trouble to correct and reforme this euill First to forget to condemne and to withstand this olde grounded errour that Christ is a lawgeuer and a Iudge for it often returneth and plucketh me backe Then to plant in my heart a new a true perswasion of Christ that he is a iustifier a Sauiour Ye I say that are yong may learne with much lesse difficultie to know Christ purely and sincerely if ye will. Wherfore if any man feele him selfe oppressed with heauines and anguish of heart he must not impute it vnto Christ although it come vnder the name of Christ but vnto the Deuill who oftentimes cometh vnder the colour of Christ and transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light Let vs learne therefore to put a difference betwene Christ and a lawgeuer not only in word but in practise in deede also that when the Deuil shal come vnder the shadow of Christ shal go about to trouble vs vnder his name we may know him not to be Christ but a very feend in deede For Christ when he cometh is nothing else but ioy and sweetenes to a trembling and broken heart as here Paule witnesseth who setteth him out with this most sweete louing title when he saith vvhich loued me and gaue him selfe for me Christ therefore in very deede is a louer of those which are in bitternes of minde sinne death and such a louer as gaue him selfe for them who is also our high priest that is to say a mediatour betwene God vs wretched sinners What could be sayd I pray you more sweete or comfortable to the poore afflicted conscience Now if these things be true as they are in deede most true or else the Gospell must be nothing else but a fable then are we not iustified by the righteousnes of the lawe and much lesse by our owne righteousnes Read therefore with diligent attention and with great vehemencie these wordes Me and for me and so practise with thy selfe that thou maist well conceaue and print this Me in thy heart and applie it vnto thy selfe with a stedfast faith not doubting but thou art of the number of those to whom this Me belongeth Also that Christ hath not onely loued Peter and Paule and geuen him selfe for them but that the same grace also which is comprehended in this Me doth as well pertaine and extend vnto vs as vnto them For as we can not denie but that we are all sinners and are constrained to say that through the sinne of Adam we were all lost were made the enemies of God subiect to the wrath and iudgement of God and giltie of eternall death for this doe all terrified heartes feele and confesse and more in deede then they should do so can we not denie but that Christ died for our sinnes that he might make vs righteous For he died not to iustifie the righteous but the vnrighteous and to make them the children of God and inheritours of all spirituall heauenly gifts Therfore when I feele confesse my selfe to be a sinner through Adams trāsgression why should I not say that I am made righteous through the righteousnes of Christ especially whē I heare that he loued me gaue himselfe for me This did Paule most stedfastly beleue therfore he speaketh these wordes with so great a vehemencie and full assurance Which he graunt vnto vs in some part at the least who hath loised vs and geuen him selfe for vs. Verse 21. I doe not abrogate or reiect the grace of God Now he prepareth a way to the second argument of this epistle And here ye must diligently consider that to seeke to be iustified by the workes of the law is to reiect the grace of god But I pray you what sinne cā be more execrable or horrible then to reiect the grace of God and to refuse that righteousnes which cometh by Christ It is enough and to much already that we are wicked sinners and transgressours of all the commaundements of God and yet we commit moreouer the most execrable sinne of all sinnes in that
and much lesse to rewarde them For it seeth them not or if it doe it esteemeth them not as good workes but as most wicked and detestable crimes and riddeth the world of those which are the doers therof as most pestilent plagues to mankinde So Christ the Sauiour of the world for a recōpence of his incōprehensible inestimable benefites was put to the most ignominious death of the crosse The Apostles also bringing the word of grace eternall life into the world were coūted the ofscouring the outcastes of the whole world This is the goodly reward which the world geueth for so great vnspeakeable benefites But workes done without faith although they haue neuer so goodly a shew of holines are vnder the Curse Wherfore so farre of it is that the doers therof should deserue grace righteousnes eternall life that rather they heape sinne vpon sinne After this maner the Pope that child of perdition and all that follow him doe worke So worke all meritemongers and heretikes which are fallen frō the faith Verse 23. But before faith came He proceedeth in declaring the profite necessitie of the law He said before the the law was added for transgressions Not that it was the principall purpose of God to make a law that should bring death dānation as he saith Rom. 7. VVas that vvhich vvas good saith he made death vnto me God forbid For the law is a word that sheweth life driueth mē vnto it Therfore it is not only geuen as a minister of death but the principal vse end therof is to reueile death that so it might be seene knowen how horrible sinne is notwithstanding it doth not so reueile death as though it tended to no other end but to kill destroy But to this end it reuealeth death that when men are terrified cast downe humbled they should feare god And this doth the 20. chap. of Erodus declare Feare not saith Moses For God is come to proue you that his feare may be before you that ye sinne not The office therfore of the law is to kill yet so that God may reuiue quickē againe The law then is not geuē only to kil but because mā is proud dreameth that he is wise righteous and holy therfore it is necessary he should be humbled by the law that so this beaste the opinion of righteousnes I say might be slaine for otherwise men can not obtaine life Albeit then that the law killeth yet God vseth this effect of the law this death I meane to a good vse that is to say euen to life For God seeing that this vniuersall plague of the whole world to wit mās opinion of his owne righteousnes his hypocrisie cōfidence in his owne holines could not be beatē downe by any other meanes he would that it should be slaine by the law not for euer but that when it is once slaine mā might be raised vppe againe aboue and beyond the lawe and there might heare this voice Feare not I haue not geuen the lawe and killed thee by the lawe to this ende that thou shouldest abide in this death but that thou shouldest feare me and liue For the presuming of good workes and righteousnes standeth not with the feare of God And where the feare of God is not there cā be no thirsting for grace or life God must therefore haue a strong hammer or a mightie maul to breake the rockes and a hote burning fire in the middes of heauen to ouerthrowe the mountaines that is to say to destroy this furious and obstinate beast this presumption I say that when a man by this brusing and breaking is brought to nothīg he should despaire of his owne strēgth righteousnes and holines and being thus throughly terrified should thirst after mercy and remission of sinnes Ver. 23. But before Faith came vve vvere vnder the lavv shut vppe vnto the Faith vvhich should aftervvardes be reuealed That is to say before the time of the Gospell and grace came the office of the law was that we should be shutte vppe and kept vnder the same as it were in prison This is a goodly and a fitte similitude shewing the effect of the law and how righteous it maketh men therefore it is diligently to be weyed No theefe no murtherer no adulterer or other malefactour loueth the chaines and fetters the darke and lothsome prison wherin he lieth fast boūd but rather if he could he would breake and beate in to pouder the prison with his irons and fetters In deede whiles he is in prison he refraineth from doing of euill but not of a good will or for righteousnes sake but because the prison restreineth him that he can not doe it And nowe being fast fettred he hateth not his theft and his murther yea he is sory with all his heart that he can not robbe and steale cutte and slay but he hateth the prison and if he could escape he would robbe and kill as he did before The lawe shutteth men vnder sinne two wayes Ciuily and Spiritually Such is the force of the lawe and the righteousnes that cometh of the lawe compelling vs to be outwardly good when it threatneth death or any other punishment to the transgressours thereof Here we obey the law in deede but for feare of punishment that is vnwillingly and with great indignation But what righteousnes is this when we absteine from doing euill for feare of punishment Wherefore this righteousnes of works is in deede nothing else but to loue sinne to hate righteousnes to detest God with his lawe and to loue and reuerence that which is most horrible and abhominable For looke howe hartely the theefe loueth the prison and hateth his theft so gladly doe we obey the lawe in accomplishing that which it commaundeth and auoiding that which it forbiddeth Notwithstanding this fruite and this profite the lawe bringeth although mens hartes remaine neuer so wicked that first outwardly and ciuily after a sort it restraineth theeues murtherers and other malefactours For if they did not see and vnderstand that sinne is punished in this life by imprisonment by the galowes by the sword and such like and after this life with eternall damnation and hell fire no Magistrate should be able to bridle the fury and rage of men by any lawes bondes or chaines But the threatnings of the lawe strike a terrour in to the hartes of the wicked whereby they are brideled after a sort that they runne not headlong as otherwise they would doe into all kindes of wickednes Notwithstanding they would rather that there were no law no punishment no hell and finally no god If God had not an hell or did not punish the wicked he should be loued and praised of all men But because he punisheth the wicked and all are wicked therefore in as much as they are shut vnder the lawe they can doe no otherwise
Here is no colouring or new outward shew but a thing done in deede Here is created an other sense and an other iudgement that is to say altogether spirituall which abhorreth those things that before it greatly estemed The Mōkish life and Order did so bewitch vs in time past that we thought there was no other way to saluation But now we iudge of it farre otherwise We are now ashamed of those things which we adored as most heauēly and holy before we were regenerate into this new creature Wherfore the chaunging of garments other outward things is not a new creature as the Monkes dreame but it is the renewing of the minde by the holy Ghost after the which foloweth a chaunge of the members and senses of the whole body For when the heart hath conceaued a new light a new iudgement and new motions through the Gospell it commeth to passe that the inward senses are also renewed for the eares desire to heare the word of God and not the traditiōs and dreames of men The mouth and tounge doe not vaunt of their owne works righteousnes and Rules but they set forth the mercy of God onely offered vnto vs in Christ These chaunges consist not in words but are effectuall and bring a new spirit a new will new senses new operations of the flesh so that the eyes eares mouth and tounge doe not onely see heare and speake otherwise than they did before but the minde also approueth loueth and foloweth an other thing than it did before For before being blinded with popish errours and darknes it imagined God to be a marchaūt who would sell vnto vs his grace for our works and merites But now in the light of the Gospell it assureth vs that we are counted righteous by faith onely in Christ Therfore it now reiecteth all wilworkes and accomlisheth the workes of charitie of our vocation cōmaunded by god It praiseth magnifieth God it reioyceth and glorieth in the only trust and confidence of Gods mercy through Iesus Christ If it must suffer any trouble or affliction it endureth the same cherefully and gladly although the flesh repine and grudge thereat This Paule calleth a new creature Verse 16. And to as many as vvalke according to this rule peace be vpon them and mercy This he addeth as a conclusion This is the onely and true rule wherin we ought to walke namely the new creature which is neither circumcision nor vncircumcision but the new man created vnto the image of God in righteousnes true holines which inwardly is righteous in the spirite and outwardly is holy and cleane in the flesh The Monkes haue a righteousnes and holines but it is hypocriticall and wicked because they hope not to be iustified by onely faith in Christe but by the keping of their Rule Moreouer although outwardly they counterfet an holines and refraine their eyes handes tounge other members from euill yet they haue an vncleane heart ful of filthy lust enuie wrath lecherie idolatrie contempt and hatred of God blasphemie against Christe c. for they are most spitefull and cruell enemies of the truth Wherefore the Rule and religion of the Monkes is most wicked and accursed of God. But this rule whereof Paule speaketh in this place is blessed by the which we liue in the Faith of Christe and are made newe creatures that is to say righteous and holy in deede by the holy ghost without any colouring or coūterfetting To them which walke after this rule belongeth peace that is the fauour of God forgeuenes of sinnes quietnes of conscience and mercy that is to say helpe in afflictions and pardon of the remnantes of sinne which remaine in our flesh Yea although they which walke after this rule be ouertaken with any sinne yet for that they are the children of grace and peace mercy vpholdeth them so that their sinne and fall shall not be layd vnto their charge Verse 16. And vpon the Israel of God. Here he toucheth the false apostles and Iewes which gloried of their fathers bragged that they were the people of God that they had the lawe c. As if he sayd They are the Israel of God which with faithfull Abraham beleue the promises of God offered already in Christ whether they be Iewes or Gentiles and not they which are begotten of Abraham Isaac and Iacob after the flesh This matter is largely handled before in the third Chapter Verse 17. From hence forth let no man put me to busines He concludeth his Epistle with a certaine indignation As if he sayd I haue faithfully taught the Gospel as I haue receaued it by the reuelation of Iesus Christ Who so will not folow it let him folowe what he will so that hereafter he trouble me no more At a word this is my censure that Christe which I haue preached is the onely high Priest and Sauiour of the world Therefore either lette the world walke according to this rule of which I haue spoken here thorough out all this Epistle or else let it perish for euer Verse 17. For I beare in my body the markes of the Lord Iesus This is the true meaning of this place The markes that be in my body doe shew well enough whose seruaunt I am If I sought to please men requiring circumcision the keeping the law as necessary to saluation and reioysing in your flesh as the false apostles doe I needed not to beare these markes in my body But because I am the seruaunt of Iesus Christe and walke after a true rule that is I openly teach and confesse that no man can obtaine the fauour of God righteousnes and saluation but by Christe alone therfore it behoueth me to beare the badges of Christe my Lord which be not markes of mine owne procuring but are laid vppon me against my will by the world and the Deuill for none other cause but for that I preach Iesus to be Christe He calleth therefore the stripes and sufferings which he did beare in his body markes also the fierie dartes of the Deuill anguish and terrour of spirite c. Of these sufferings he maketh mention euery where in his Epistles As Luke also doth in the Acts. I thinke sayth he that God hath sette forth vs the last Apostles as men appoynted to death For vve are made a gasing stocke vnto the vvorld and to the aungels and to men Againe Vnto this houre vve both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and haue no certaine dvvelling place and labour vvorking vvith our ovvne handes VVe are reuiled vve are persecuted vve are euill spoken of vve are made as the filth of the vvorld the ofscouring of all things Also in an other place In much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in prisonmentes in tumultes in labours by vvatchings by fastings c. And againe In labours more aboundant in stripes aboue