to be vndoubtedly accursed if they teach any thing contrarie vnto the first Gospell For the voice of the Gospell once sent forth shall not be called backe againe til the day of iudgment Verse 9. As vve said before so say vve novv againe if any man preach vnto you othervvise then that you haue receaued let him be accursed He repeteth the selfe same thing onely chaunging the persons Before he cursed him selfe his brethren and an Angell from heauen Here if there be any saith he besides vs which preach vnto you any other Gospell then that ye haue receaued of vs let them also be accursed Therefore he plainly excommunicateth and curseth all teachers in generall him selfe his brethren an Angell moreouer all others whatsoeuer namely all those false teachers his aduersaries Here appeareth an exceeding greate feruencie of spirite in the Apostle that dare curse all teachers thorow out the whole world and in heauen which peruert his Gospel teach any other For all men must either beleue that Gospel that Paule preached or els they must be accursed and condemned O would to God this terrible sentence of the Apostle might strike a feare into their harts that seeke to peruert the Gospel of Paule of which sorte at this day the more it is to be lamented the world is full The chaunging of persons is here to be marked For Paule speaketh otherwise in his first cursing then he doth in this second In the first he saith If vve or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you any other Gospell then that vve haue preached vnto you In the second then that you haue receaued And this he doth of purpose lest the Galathians should say We o Paule do not peruert the gospell that thou hast preached vnto vs we vnderstood thee not rightly but the teachers that came after thee haue declared vnto vs the true meaning therof This saith he wil I in no case admitte They ought to adde nothing neither to correct it but that which you heard of me is the sincere word of God let this onely remaine Neither doe I desire my selfe to be an other maner of teacher then I was nor you other disciples Wherefore if ye heare any man bringing any other Gospel then that ye haue heard of me or bragging that he will deliuer better things then ye haue receaued of me let him and his disciples be both accursed The first two chapters in a maner containe nothing els but defences of his doctrine and confutations of errours For in the ende of the second chapter at the last he beginneth to handle the article of iustification Notwithstanding this sentence of Paule ought to admonish vs that so many as thinke the Pope to be the iudge of holy scripture are accursed Which thinge the Popes Scholemen haue wickedly taught standing vpon this ground The church hath allowed foure Gospels onely therefore there are but foure For if it had allowed more ther had ben more Now seeing the Church might receaue and allowe such and so many Gospels as it would therefore the Church is aboue the Gospell A goodly argument forsoth I approue the scrpture Ergo I am aboue the scripture Iohn Baptist acknowledgeth and confesseth Christ and pointeth to him with his finger therfore he is aboue Christ The Church approueth the Christian faith and doctrine therefore the Church is aboue them For the ouerthrowing of this their wicked and blasphemous doctrine against God thou hast here a plaine text like a thunderbolt wherein Paule subiecteth both him selfe and an Angell from heauen and Doctours vpon earth and all other teachers and maisters whatsoeuer vnder the authoritie of the scripture For they ought not to be maisters iudges or arbiters but onely witnesses disciples and confessours of the Church whether it be the Pope Luther Augustine Paule or an Angell from heauen Neither ought any doctrine to be taught or heard in the Church besides the word of God that is to say the holy scripture Otherwise accursed be both the teachers and hearers together with their doctrine Verse 10. For novve preach I mans doctrine or Gods These words are spoken with the same vehemencie that the former were As if he would say Am I Paule so vnknowen amongest you which haue preached so openly in your churches Are my bitter conflicts and so many sharpe battails against the Iewes yet vnknowne vnto you It appeareth I thinke sufficiently vnto you by my preaching by so many and great afflictions which I haue suffered whether I serue men or God. For all men see that by this my preaching I haue not onely stirred vp persecution against me in euery place but haue also procured the cruell hatred both of mine owne nation and of all other men I shew therefore plainely enough that I seeke not by my preaching the fauour or liking of men but to set forth the goodnes and glory of God. Neither doe we be it spoken without bragge seeke the fauour of men by our doctrine For we teach that all men are wicked by nature and the children of wrath We condenme mans freewill his strength wisedome and righteousnes and all religion of our deuising And to be shorte we say that there is nothing in vs that is able to deserue grace and the forgeuenes of sinnes but we preach that we obtaine this grace by the free mercy of God onely for Christes sake For so the heauens shevv forth the glory of God and his vvorkes condemning all men generally with their works This certes is not to preach for the fauour of men and of the world For the world can abide nothing lesse then to heare his wisedome righteousnes religion and power condemned And to speake against those mighty and glorious gifts of the world is not to flatter the world but rather to procure hatred and indignation of the world For if we speake against men or against any such things as pertaine to their glory it can not be but that cruell hatred persecutions excommunications murthers and condemnations therevpon must needes follow If then saith Paule they see other matters why see they not this also that I teach the things that are of God not of men that is to say that I seeke no mans fauour by my doctrine but I set out Gods mercie offred vnto vs in Christ For if I sought the fauour of men I would not condenme their workes Now for as much as I condemne mens workes that is to say because I shew Gods iudgement out of his word whereof I am a Minister against all men how that they are sinners vnrighteous wicked children of wrath bondslaues of the deuill and damned and that they are not made righteous by works or by circumcision but by grace onely and faith in Christ therfore I procure vnto my selfe the deadly hatred of men For they cā abide nothing lesse than to be taken for such maner of men nay rather they would be
the law which is outward to witte that the politike lawes of Moises doe nothing belong vnto vs at all Wherfore we ought not to call them backe againe nor superstitiously binde our selues vnto them as some went about to doe in times past being ignorant of this libertie Now although the Gospell make vs not subiect to the Iudiciall lawes of Moises yet notwithstanding it doth not exempt vs from the obedience of all ciuill lawes but maketh vs subiect in this corporall life to the lawes of that gouernment wherin we liue that is to say it commaundeth euery one to obey his Magistrate and lawes not onely because of vvrath but also for conscience sake 1. Pe. 2. Rom. 13. And the Emperour or any other Prince should not offend if he vsed some of the Iudiciall lawes of Moises yea he might vse them freely and without offence Therefore the Popish Schoolemen are deceaued which dreame that the Iudiciall lawes of Moses are pernicious and deadly since the comming of Christe Likewise we are not bound to the Ceremonies of Moses much lesse to the ceremonies of the Pope But because this bodely life can not be altogether without ceremonies and rites for there must needes be some introduction therefore the Gospell suffereth ordinaunces to be made in the church as touching dayes times places c. that the people may know vpō what day in what houre and in what place to assemble together to heare the word of god It permitteth also that lessons and readings should be appoynted as in the Schooles especially for the instruction of children and such as are ignorant These things it permitteth to the ende that all may be done comely and orderly in the church 1. Cor. 14. not that they which kepe such ordināces doe thereby merite remission of sinnes Moreouer they may be chaunged or omitted without sinne so that it be done without offence of the weake Nowe Paule speaketh here especially of the abolishment of the morall lawe which is diligently to be considered For he speaketh against the righteousnes of the lawe that he might establish the righteousnes of Faith concluding thus If onely grace or Faith in Christe iustifie then is the whole law abolished without any exception And this he confirmeth by the testimonie of Esay wherby he exhorteth the barren and forsaken to reioyce for it seemeth that she hath no childe nor hope euer to haue any that is to say she hath no disciples no fauour nor countenance of the world because she preacheth the word of the crosse of Christ crucified against all the wisedom of the flesh But thou that art barren sayeth the Prophet let not this any whit trouble thee yea rather lift vp thy voyce and reioyce for she that is forsaken hath moe children then she that hath an husband that is to say she that is maried hath a great number of children shall be made weake and she that is forsaken shall haue many children He calleth the church barren because her children are not begotten by the lawe by workes by any industrie or endeuour of man but by the word of Faith in the spirite of god Here is nothing else but birth no working at all Contrariwise they that are frutefull labour and exercise themselues with great trauell in bearing and bringing forth Here is altogether working and no birth But because they indeuour to gette the right of children and heires by the righteousnes of the lawe or by their owne righteousnes they are seruauntes and neuer receaue the inheritance no though they tire them selues to death with continuall trauell For they goe about to obtaine that b◠their owne workes against the will of God which God of his meer grace will geue to all beleuers for Christes sake The faithfull worke well also but they are not thereby made sonnes and heires for this their birth bringeth vnto them but this they doe to the end that they being now made children and heirs might glorify God by their good works and helpe their neighbors Verse 28. Therefore brethern vve are after the maner of Isaac children of the promise That is to say we are not children of the flesh as Ismael or as all the fleshly Israell which gloried that they were the seede of Abraham and the people of god But Christ answered them Iohn 8 If ye vvere the sonnes of Abraham ye vvould not seeke to kill me vvhich speake the truth vnto you Also If God vvere your Father then vvould ye loue me and receaue my vvord As if he would say Brethern borne and brought vp together in one house know one an others voyce But ye be of your father the Deuill c. We are not such children sayeth he as they are which remaine seruauntes and at length shall be cast out of the house But we are children of the promise as Isaac was that is to say of grace and of Faith borne onely of the promise Concerning this I haue spoken sufficiently before in the third chapter entreating vpon this place In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Therefore we are pronoūced righteous not by the lawe by workes or our owne righteovsnes but by the mere mercy and grace of god Paule repeteth very often and diligently setteth forth the promise which is receaued by Faith alone for he knew that it was very necessary so to doe Hitherto as touching the allegorie out of Genesis to the which Paule annexeth the place of Esay as an interpretatiō Now he applifieth the hystorie of Ismael and Isaac for our example and consolation Verse 19. But as then he that vvas borne after the flesh persecuted him that vvas borne after the spirite euen so is it novv This place containeth a singuler consolation Whosoeuer are borne and liue in Christe and reioyce in this birth and inheritance of God haue Ismael for their enemie and their persecutour This we learne at this day by experience For we see that all the world is full of tumultes persecutions sectes and offences Wherefore if we did not arme our selues with this consolation of Paule and such like and well vnderstand this article of Iustification we should neuer be able to withstand the violence subtill sleightes of Satan For who should not be troubled with these cruell persecutions of our aduersaries and with these sectes and infinite offences which a sort of busie and fantasticall spirits stirre vp at this day Verely it is no smal greefe vnto vs when we are constrained to heare that all things were in peace tranquilitie before the Gospel came abrode but since the preaching publishing therof al things are vnquiet the whole world is in an vprore so that euery one armeth himselfe against an other When a man that is not endued with the spirit of God heareth this by and by he is offended and iudgeth that the disobedience of subiectes against their magistrates that seditions warres plages
them became a cast away saue Iudas because theyr calling is holy This is the first assault that Paule maketh against the false Apostles which ranne when no man sent them Calling therfore is not to be despised For it is not enough for a man to haue the word pure doctrine but also he must be assured of his calling and he that entreth without this certaintie entreth to no other ende but to kill and to destroy For God neuer prospereth the labour of those that are not called And although they teach some good and profitable matters withall yet they edifie not So our fantasticall spirites at this day haue the wordes of Faith in their mouthes but yet they yeelde no frute but their cheefe ende and purpose is to draw men to their false and peruerse opinions They that haue a certaine and holy calling must sustaine many and great conflictes as they must do whose doctrine is pure and sound that they may constantly abide in their lawfull calling against the infinite and continuall assaultes of the Deuill and rage of the world Heere what should he doe whose calling is vncertaine and doctrine corrupte This is then our comforte which are in the Ministerie of the worde that we haue an office which is heauenly and holy to the which we being lawfully called doe triumph against all the gates of hel On the other side it is an horrible thing when the conscience saith This thou hast done without any lawfull calling Herein such terrour shaketh a mans minde which is not called that he would wish he had neuer heard the word which he teacheth For by his disobedience he maketh all his workes euill were they neuer so good in so much that euen his greatest workes and labours become his greateste sinnes We see then how good and necessary this boasting and glorying of our ministerie is In times past when I was a yong deuine and teacher me thought Paule did vnwisely in glorying so oft of his calling in all his Epistles but I did not vnderstand his purpose For I knew not that the ministerie of Gods word was so waightie a matter I knew nothing of the doctrine of faith and a true conscience in deede for that there was then no certaintie taught either in the Schooles or Churches but al was ful of Sophistical subtilties of the Schoolemē And therfore no man was able to vnderstand the dignitie and power of this holy and spirituall boasting of the true lawfull calling which serueth first to the glory of God and secondly to the aduauncing of our office and moreouer to the saluation of our selues and of the people For by this our boasting we seeke not estimation in the worlde or praise among men or mony or pleasures or fauour of the world But for as much as we be in a diuine calling and in the worke of God and the people haue great neede to be assured of our calling that they may know our word to be the word of God therfore we proudly vaunt and boast of it It is not then a vaine but a most holy pride against the deuil and the world and true humilitie before God. Verse 1. And by God the Father vvhich hath raised him from the dead Paule is so enflamed heere with zeale that he can not tary till he come to the matter it selfe but forthwith in the very title he bursteth out and vttereth what he hath in his heart His intent in this Epistle is to treate of the righteousnes that cometh by faith and to defend the same Againe to ouerthrowe the lawe and the righteousnes that cometh by workes Of such cogitations he is full and out of this wonderfull and exceeding great abundance of the excellent wisedome and knowledge of Christ in his heart his mouth speaketh This flame this great burning fire of his heart cā not be hid nor suffer him to hold his tongue and therfore he thought it not enough to say that he was an Apostle sent by Iesus Christ but also addeth by God the Father vvhich raised him vp from the dead But the adding of these words And by God the father c semeth not necessary But because as I sayd Paule speaketh out of the abundance of his heart his minde burneth with desire to set forth euen in the very entrie of his Epistle the vnsearchable riches of Christ and to preach the righteousnes of God which is called the resurrection of the dead Christ who liueth and is risen againe speaketh out of him and moueth him thus to speake therfore not without cause he addeth that he is also an Apostle By God the father vvhich hath raised vp Iesus Christ from the dead As if he would say I haue to deale with Satan and with those vipers the instrumēts of Satan which go about to spoile me of the righteousnes of Christ who was raised vp by God the to spoile me of the righteousnes of Christ who was raised vp by God the father frō the dead by which alone we are made righteous by which also we shal be raised vp in the last day from death to euerlasting life But they that in such sort goe about to ouerthrow Christes righteousnes do resist the father and the sonne and the worke of them bothe Thus Paule euen at the first entrance bursteth out into the whole matter wherof he treateth in this Epistle For as I sayd he treateth of the resurrection of Christ who rose againe to make vs righteous and in so doing he hath ouercome the lawe sinne death and all euels Christes victorie then is the ouercōming of the law of sinne our flesh the world the deuil death hel all euils and this his victorie hath he geuen vnto vs Although then that these tyraunts and enemies of ours do accuse vs and make vs afraid yet can they not driue vs to despaire nor condemne vs For Christ whom God the father hath raised vp frō the dead is our righteousnes and victory Therfore thanks be to God who hath geuen vs victorie by our Lord Iesus Christ Amen But marke how fitly and to the purpose Paule here speaketh He sayth not by God that hath made heauen and earth which is Lord of the Angels which commaunded Abraham to goe out of his owne coūtrey which sent Moises to Pharao the king which brought Israel out of Egypt as the false Apostles did who boasted of the God of their fathers the creator maintainer and preseruer of all things working wonders among his people but Paule had an other thing in his hart namely the righteousnes of Christ therfore he speaketh words that make much for this his matter saying I am an Apostle neither of men nor by men but by Iesus Christ and God the father vvho hath raised him vp from the dead Ye see then with what feruencie of spirit Paule is led in this matter which he goeth about to establish and maintaine against
vs But afterwards they say that it is our vocation to teach the first principles of Christian doctrine and that the very mysteries of the scriptures are reueiled vnto them from aboue by God himselfe and that they are called for this purpose that they should open them to the world After this maner doth the Deuill hinder the course of the Gospell both on the right hand and on the left but more on the right hand as I saide before by building and correcting then on the left by persecuting and killing Wherefore it behoueth vs to pray without ceasing to reade the holy scriptures to cleaue fast vnto Christ and his holy word that we may ouercome the Deuils crafte and subtilties with which he assaileth vs both on the righte hande and on the lefte For vve vvrestle not against flesh and bloud but against rule against povver against the vvorldly gonerners the Princes of the darkenes of this vvorld against spirituall vvickednesses in heauenly things Verse 7. VVhich is not an other Gospell but that there be some vvhich trouble you Here againe he excuseth the Galathians and most bitterly reproueth the false Apostles As though he would say Ye Galathians are borne in hand that the Gospell which ye haue receaued of me is not the true and sincere gospell and therefore ye thinke ye do well to receaue that new gospell which the false apostles doe teach and that it is better then mine I doe not so much charge you with this fault as those disturbers which trouble your consciences and pull you out of my hand Here you see againe how vehement and hoate he is against those deceauers and with what rough and sharpe words he painteth them out calling them troublers of the Churches which doe nothing else but seduce and deceaue innumerable poore consciences geuing occasions of horrible mischiefes and calamities in the congregations This great mischiefe we also at this day are constrained to see to the great griefe of our hartes and yet are we no more able to remedie it then Paule was at that time This place witnesseth that those counterfait Apostles had reported Paule to be an vnperfect Apostle and also a weake and erroneous preacher Therefore here on the other side he calleth them troublers of the Churches and ouerthrowers of Christes gospell Thus they condemned eche other The false Apostles condemned Paule and Paule againe the false Apostles And the like contending and condemning hath euer bene in the Church specially when the doctrine of the gospell hath flourished to wit that wicked teachers doe persecute condemne and oppresse the godly and on the contrary part that the godly doe reproue and condemne the vngodly The Papists and bragging spirites do at this day hate vs deadly and condemne our doctrine as wicked and erroneous Yea moreouer they lie in wait for our goods and liues And we againe doe with a perfect hatred detest and condenme their wicked and blasphemous doctrine In the meane while the miserable people are at a stay wauing hether and thither as vncertaine and doubtfull to which part they may leane or whom they may safely follow and this is because it is not geuen to euery one to iudge Christianly of such great and waightie matters But the ende will shew which part teacheth truely and which of them doth iustly condemne other Sure it is that we persecute no man oppresse no man put no man to death neither doth our doctrine disquiet mens consciences but deliuereth them out of innumerable errours and snares of the Deuill For the truth hereof we haue the testimonie of many good men who geue thankes vnto God for that by our doctrine they haue receiued certaine and sure consolation to their consciences Wherfore like as Paule at that time was not to be blamed that the Churches were troubled but the false Apostles so also at this day it is not our fault but the fault of the Anabaptists and such fantastical spirits that many and great troubles are in the Church Marke here diligently that euery teacher of workes and of the righteousnes of the law is a troubler of the Church and of the consciences of men And who would euer haue beleeued that the Pope Cardinals Bishops Monkes and that whole Sinagoge of Satan specially the Founders of those holy religious orders of which number neuertheles God might saue some by miracle were troublers of consciences Yea verely they be yet farre worse then were those false Apostles For the false Apostles taught that besides faith in Christ the workes of the law of God were also necessary to saluation But the Papistes omitting Faith haue taught mens traditions and workes not commaunded of God but deuised by themselues without and against the worde of God and these haue they not only made equall with the word of God but also exalted them farre aboue it But the more holy that the heretikes seeme to be in outward shew so much the more mischeefe they doe For if the false Apostles had not ben endued with notable giftes with great authoritie and a shewe of holines and had not vaunted themselues to be Christes ministers the Apostles disciples and sincere preachers of the gospel they could not so easily haue defaced Paules authoritie and led the Galathians out of the way Nowe the cause why he inueyeth so sharply against them calling them the troublers of the Churches is for that besides Faith in Christ they taught that Circumcision and the keeping of the law was necessary to saluation The which thing Paule him selfe witnesseth in the fifte Chapiter following And Luke in the fiftenth of the Actes declareth the same thing in these wordes That certaine men comming dovvne from Iudea taught the brethern saying Except ye be circumcised after the custome of Moises ye can not be saued Wherfore the false Apostles most earnestly and obstinately contended that the law ought to be obserued Vnto whom the stifnecked Iewes forthwith ioyned them selues and so afterwardes easily perswaded such as were not stablished in the Faith that Paule was not a sincere teacher because he regarded not the law but preached such a doctrine as did abolish and ouerthrow the law It seemed vnto them a very straunge thing that the lawe of God should vtterly be taken away and the Iewes which had euer vntill that time bene counted the people of God to whom also the promises were made should be now reiected Yea it seemed yet a more straunge thing vnto them that the Gentiles being wicked Idolaters should attaine to this glory and dignitie to be the people of God without Circumcision and without the works of the law by grace onely and Faith in Christ These things had the false Apostles amplified and set forth to the vttermost that they might bring Paule into more hatred among the Galathians And to the ende they might set them the more sharply against him they sayd that he preached vnto the Gentiles fredome from the law
so highly esteeme the Popes authoritie that to dissent from him euen in the least point I thought it a sinne worthy of euerlasting death And that wicked opinion caused me to thinke that Iohn Hus was a cursed heretike yea and I accounted it an heinous offence but once to thinke of him And I would my selfe in defence of the Popes authoritie haue ministred fire sword for the burning destroying of that heretike thought it an high seruice vnto God so to do Wherfore if you compare Publicanes harlots with these holy Hipocrits they are not euill For they when they offend haue remorse of conscience do not iustifie their wicked doings but these men are so farre of frō acknowledging their abhominatiōs idolatries wicked wilworshippings ceremonies to be sinnes that they affirme the same to be righteousnes a most aceptable sacrifice vnto god yea they adore thē as matters of singular holines thorow them do promise saluation vnto others also sell thē for mony as things auaileable to saluation This is then our goodly righteousnes this is our high merite which bringeth vnto vs the knowledg of grace to wit that we haue so deadly so deuelishly persecuted blasphemed trodē vnder foote condēned God Christ the gospell faith that sacramēts al godly men the true worship of God haue taught stablished quite cōtrary things And the more holy we wer the more wer we blinded the more did we worship the deuil Ther was not one of vs but he was a bloudsucker if not in deede yet in hart Verse 15. VVhen it pleased God. As though he would say It is the alone and inestimable fauour of God that not onely he hath spared me so wicked so cursed a wretch such a blasphemor a persecutor a rebell against God but besides that also hath giuen vnto me the knowledge of saluation his spirit Christ his sonne the office of an Apostle and euerlasting life So God beholding vs giltie in the like sinnes hath not only pardoned our impieties blasphemies of his mere mercy for Christes sake but hath also ouerwhelmed vs with great benefits spiritual gifts But many of vs are not onely vnthankfull vnto God for this his inestimable grace and as it is written 2. Pet. 1. Do forget the clensing of their old sinnes but also opening againe a window to the Deuill they beginne to loth his word and many also corrupt it and so become authors of new errours The ends of these men are vvorse then the beginnings Verse 15. VVhich had seperated me from my mothers vvombe This is an Hebrew phrase As if he sayde which had sanctified ordained prepared me That is GOD had appoynted when I was yet in my mothers wombe that I should so rage against his church and that afterwards he should mercifully call me backe againe from the middest of my cruelty and blasphemy by his meere grace into the way of truth and saluation To be short when I was not yet borne I was an Apostle in the sight of God and when the time was come I was declared an Apostle before the whole world Thus Paule cutteth of all deserts and giueth glory to God alone but to himselfe all shame and confusion As though he would say All the gifts both smale and great as well spirituall as corporall which God purposed to giue vnto me and all the good things which at any time in all my life I should doe God himselfe had before appointed when I was yet in my mothers wombe where I could neither wish thinke nor doe any good thing Therefore this gift also came vnto me by the meere predestination and free mercy of God before I was yet borne Moreouer after I was borne he supported me being loden with innumerable and monstrous euils and iniquities And that he might the more manifestly declare the vnspeakeable and inestimable greatenes of his mercy towards me he of his meere mercy forgaue me my greate and innumerable sinnes and moreouer replenished me with such plenty of his grace that not onely I my selfe should know what things are giuen vnto vs in Christ but that I should preach the same vnto others also Such then were the deserts and merits of all men and especially of those old dotards who exercised themselues farre aboue others in the stincking dunghils of mans righteousnes Verse 15. And called me by his grace Marke the diligence of the Apostle He called me sayth he Hovve Was it for my pharisaicall religion or for my blameles and holy life for my praiers fastings and works No. Much lesse then for my blasphemies persecutions oppressions Hovv then By his meere grace Verse 16. To reueile his sonne in me You heare in this place what maner of doctrine is giuen and committed to Paule to witte the doctrine of the Gospel which is the reuelation of the sonne of god This is a doctrine quite contrary to the lawe which reueileth not the sonne of God but it sheweth fourth sinne it terrifieth the conscience it reueileth death the wrath and iudgement of God and hell The Gospell then is such a doctrine as admitteth no law Now he that in this case could rightly distinguish would not seeke the Gospell in the lawe but would separate the Gospell as farre from the law as there is distāce betwene heauen and earth This difference in it selfe is easie certaine and plaine but vnto vs it is hard and almost not to be comprehended For it is an easie matter to say that the Gospell is nothing els but the reueiling of the sonne of the God or the knowledge of Iesus Christ and that it is not the reueiling of the law But in the very agony and conflict of conscience to hold this fast and to practise it in deede it is a hard matter yea to them also that be most exercised therein Now if the Gospell be the reueiling of the sonne of God as Paule defineth it in this place then surely it accuseth not it feareth not the conscience it threateneth not death it bringeth not to despaire as the law doth but it is a doctrine concerning Christ which is neither law nor worke but our righteousnes wisedome sanctification redēption Although this thing be more cleare then the sunne light yet notwithstanding the madnes and blindnes of the Papistes hath bene so great that of the Gospell they haue made a lawe of charitie and of Christ a lawegiuer which should giue more streit and heauy commaundements then Moses himselfe But the Gospell teacheth that Christ came not to set forth a newe law and to geue commaundements as touching maners but that he came to this end that he might be made an oblation for the sinnes of the vvhole vvorld and that our sinnes might be forgeuē and euerlasting life giuen vnto vs for his sake and not for the works of the lawe or for our rightesousnes sake Of this
did whom also here he toucheth by the way which durst not speake euill of him in his presence but in his absence sclaundered him most spitefully So did not I sayeth he speake euill of Peter but frankly and openly I withstoode him not of any colourable pretence ambition or other carnall affection but because he was to be blamed Here let other men debate whether an Apostle may sinne or no. This say I that we ought not to make Peters fault lesse then it was in deede The Prophets themselues haue sometimes erred and ben deceiued Nathan of his owne spirite sayd vnto Dauid that he should build the house of the lord But this Prophecie was by and by after corrected by a reuelation from God that it should not be Dauid because he was a man of warre and had shed much bloud but his sonne Salomon that should build vppe the house of the lord So did the Apostles erre also For they imagined that the kingdom of Christ should be carnall and worldly as we may see in the first of the Actes And Peter him selfe although he heard this commaundement of Christ Goe into the vvhole vvorld c. Yet he had not gone vnto Cornelius if he had not ben admonished by a vision But in this matter he did not onely erre but also committed a great sinne and if Paule had not resisted him all the Gentiles which did beleue had ben constrained to receiue circumcision and to kepe the lawe The beleuing Iewes also had ben confirmed in their opinion to witte that the obseruation of these things was necessary to saluation and by this meanes they had receiued againe the lawe in stede of the Gospell Moises in stede of Christ and of all this great enormitie and horrible sinne Peter by his dissimulation had ben the onely occasion Therfore we may not attribute to the Sainctes such perfection as though they could not sinne Luke witnesseth that there was such great dissention betwene Paule and Barnabas which were put a part together for the ministerie of the gospell among the Gentiles and had traueled through many regions and preached vnto them the gospell that the one departed from the other Here we must nedes say that there was a fault either in Paule or in Barnabas And doubtles it could not be but that the discord was exceeding great which seperated these two companions being ioyned together in such a holy felowship as the text witnesseth Such exāples are written for our consolation For it is a great cōfort vnto vs when we heare that euen the saincts which haue the spirit of god do sinne Which cōfort they would take from vs which say that the sainctes doe not sinne Sampson Dauid and many other excellentmen full of the holy Ghost fell into greate sinnes Iob and Ieremy curse the day of their natiuitie Elias and Ionas are wery of their life and desire death Such errours and offences of the sainctes the scripture setteth forth to the comfort of those that are afflicted and oppressed with desperation and to the terrour of the proude No man hath so greuously fallen at any time but he may rise againe And on the other side no man taketh so fast footing but he may fall If Peter fell I may likewise fall If he rose againe I may also rise againe And such examples as these are the weake harted and tender consciences ought to make much of that they may the better vnderstand what they pray for when they say forgeue vs our trespases and I beleue the forgeuenes of sinnes We haue the selfe same spirite of grace and prayer which the Apostles and all the saincts had neither had they any prerogatiue aboue vs We haue the same gifts which they had the same Christ baptisme word forgeuenes of sinnes all which they had no lesse neede of then we haue and by the same are sanctified and saued as we be Verse 12. For before that certaine came from Iames he did eate vvith the Gentiles The Gentiles which were conuerted to the faith did eate meates forbidden by the law and Peter being conuersant with the Gentiles which were conuerted did eate with them and drunke wine also which was forbidden knowing that herein he did well and therefore boldly transgressed the law with the Gentiles Paule confesseth that he also did the like when he saith that he became as a Iewe to the Iewes and to them that were without law as though he were without law That is to say with the Gentiles he did eate and drinke like a Gentile and kept no law at all with the Iewes according to the lawe he abstained from all things forbidden in the law For he laboured to serue please all men that he might gaine all Wherefore Peter in eating and drinking with the Gentiles sinned not but did well and knew that it was lawfull for him so to doe For he shewed by this transgression that the law was not necessary to righteousnes and also deliuered the Gentiles from the obseruation of the lawe For if it were lawful for Peter in one thing to breake the law it was lawfull for him to breake it in al things And Paule doth not here reproue Peter for his transgression but for his dissimulation as followeth Verse 12. But vvhen they vvere come he vvithdrevve and separated himselfe fearing them vvhich vvere of the circumcision Here then ye see Peters offence as Paule plainly setteth it forth Paule accuseth him not of malice or ignorance but of dissimulation and infirmity in that he absteined from meates forbidden in the law fearing lest the Iewes which came from Iames should be offended therby and had more respect to the Iewes then to the Gentiles wherby he gaue occasion as much as in him was to ouerthrow the Christian libertie truth of the Gospell For in that he did withdraw and vtterly separate himselfe abstaining from meates forbidden in the lawe which notwithstanding he had eaten of before he ministred a scruple of conscience to the faithfull thus to gather vpon his example Peter abstaineth from meates forbidden in the law therefore he that eateth meates forbidden in the law sinneth and transgresseth the law but he that abstaineth is righteous and kepeth the law for els would not Peter haue withdrawn himselfe But because he did so and of purpose refused those meates which before he did eate it is a sure argument that such as eate against the law doe sinne and such as abstaine from meates which the law forbiddeth doe keepe the law and are iustified thereby Here note that the end of this facte of Peter is reproued of Paule not the fact it selfe for the facte in it selfe was not euill To eate and drinke or not to eate drinke is nothing But the end that is If thou eate thou sinnest If thou abstaine thou art righteous is euill So circumcision of it selfe is good but this end is euill If thou be not
for his mischeuous deedes What is this els but to heape vpon him that is already most miserably afflicted extreme perdition and destruction and through a false confidence in his owne death to shew him the ready way to hell Hereby these hypocrites doe plainely declare that they neither teache nor vnderstande one letter or syllable concerning grace the Gospell or Christ They retaine onely in outwarde shewe the name of the Gospell and of Christ that they may begile the heartes of the people Notwithstanding they denying and reiecting Christ in deede doe attribute more to the traditions of men then to the Gospell of Christ Which thing to be true so many kindes of false worshippe so many religious orders so many ceremonies and so many wilworkes doe witnesse All which things were instituted as auailable to deserue grace righteousnes and euerlasting life In their confessions they make no mention of faith or the merite of Christ but teach and set forth the satisfactions and merits of men as it may plainly appeare in this forme of absolution I speake nothing here of other matters which the Monkes vsed among themselues yea and such as would be counted more deuout and more religious then others which I thinke good here to sette downe that our posteritie may see howe greate and howe horrible the kingdome of the Pope is The forme of a Monkish absolution God forgeue thee my brother The merite of the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and of blessed Saincte Mary alwaies a virgine and of all the Saincts the merite of thine order the streitnes of thy religion the humilitie of thy confession the contrition of thy hart the good workes which thou hast done and shalt doe for the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ be vnto thee auaileable for the remission of thy sinnes the encrease of desert and grace and the reward of euerlasting life Amen Ye heare the merite of Christ mencioned in these words but if ye weye them well ye shall perceaue that Christ is there altogether vnprofitable and that the glory and name of a iustifier and Sauiour is quite taken from him and geuen to Monkish merites Is not this to take the name of God in vaine Is not this to confesse Christ in wordes and in very deede to deny his power and blaspheme his name I my selfe also was once entangled with this errour I thought Christ to be a iudge although I confessed with my mouth that he suffered and died for mans redemption and ought to be pacified by the obseruation of my rule and order Therfore when I prayed or when I said Masse I vsed to adde this in the end O Lord Iesus I come vnto thee I pray thee that these burthens and this streitnes of my rule and religion may be a full recompence for all my sinnes But now I geue thankes vnto God the father of all mercies which hath called me out of darkenes vnto the light of his glorious Gospell hath geuen vnto me plentifull knowledge of Christ Iesus my lord for whose sake I coūt al things to be but losse yea I esteme them but as dunge that I may gaine Christ and that I may be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnes out of the rule of Augustine but that righteousnes which cometh by faith in Christ Vnto whom with the father the holy ghost be praise and glory world without end Amen We conclude therefore with Paule that we are iustified by faith onely in Christ without the law Now after that a man is once iustified and possesseth Christ by faith and knoweth that he is his righteousnes and life doubtles he will not be idle but as a good tree he wil bring forth good frutes For the beleuing man hath the holy Ghost and wher the holy Ghost dwelleth it will not suffer a man to be idle but stirreth him vp to all exercises of pietie and godlines and of true religion to the loue of God to the patient suffering of afflictions to praier to thankes geuing to the exercise of charitie towards all men Hitherto we haue handled the first argument wherin Paule contendeth that either we can not be iustified by the law or els that Christ must needes be the minister of sinne But this is impossible wherefore we conclude that iustification cometh not by the law Of this place we haue largely entreated as it is well worthy and yet can it not be caught and setforth sufficiently Verse 19. For I through the lavv am deade to the lavv that I might liue vnto God. These are maruelous words and vnknowne kindes of speach which mans reason can in no wise vnderstand And although they be but few yet are they vttered with greate zeale and vehemencie of spirite and as it were in greate displeasure As if he should say why doe ye boast so much of the law wherof in this case I will be ignoraunt But if ye will needes haue the law I also haue the law Wherfore as though he were moued through indignation of the holy Ghost he calleth grace it selfe the law geuing a new name to the effect and working of grace in contempt of the law of Moses and the false Apostles which contended that the law was necessary to iustification and so he setteth the law against the law And this is a sweete kind of speach and full of consolation when in the scriptures and specially in Paule the law is set against the law sinne against sinne death against death captiuitie against captiuitie hell against hell the altar against the altar the lambe against the lambe the passeouer against the passeouer In the .8 to the Romaines it is sayd For sinne he condemned sinne Psal. 68. and Ephes 4. He hath led captiuitie captiue Hosee 13. O death I vvill be thy death O hel I vvill be thy destruction So he saith here that through the lawe he is dead to the lawe As if he sayd The lawe of Moses accuseth and condemneth me but against that accusing and condemning lawe I haue an other lawe which is grace and libertie This lawe accuseth the accusing law and condemneth the condemning law So death killeth death but this killing death is life it selfe But it is called the death of death by abundance of spirite or vehement indignation against death So righteousnes boroweth the name of sin because it condemneth sin this cōdemning of sin is true righteousnes And here Paule semeth to be an heretike yea of all heretikes the greatest his heresie is straunge and monstrous For he sayth that he being dead to the lavv liueth to God. The false apostles taught this doctrine Except thou liue to the lawe thou art dead to God that is to say vnlesse thou liue after the lawe thou art dead before god But Paule sayeth quite contrary If thou be not dead to the law thou canst not liue to God. The doctrine of our aduersaries at this day is
that according to the flesh there are yet certaine naturall vices remaining euen in Christian churches Grace maketh not such a chaung in the faithfull that by and by they become altogether new creatures and perfect in all things but there remaine yet certaine dregges of their old and naturall corruption As if a man that is naturally enclined to anger be conuerted to Christ although he be mollified by grace the holy Ghost so framing his heart that he is now become more meeke and gentile yet this naturall vice is not vtterly quenched in his flesh Likewise such as are by nature stubborne and stout harted men although they be conuerted to the faith yet notwithstanding they can not vtterly forsake this stubbernes Hereof it cometh that the holy scriptures which doe containe all one truth of diuers spirites are diuersly handled One in teaching is mild and gentle an other more rough and rigorous Thus the spirite of god being powred into diuers vessels doth not quench at once the vices of nature but by litle litle during this life he purgeth that sinne which is rooted not onely in the Galathians but also in all men of all nations Albeit then that the Galathians were lightned and did beleue and had now receaued the holy Ghost by the preaching of faith notwithstanding this remnant of vice this foolishnes I meane and the originall corruption which afterward did easily burst out in to the flame of false doctrine remained in them still Wherfore let no man trust so much in himselfe to thinke that when he hath receaued grace he is thorowly purged from his old vices In deede many things are purged in vs and principally the head of the Serpent that is to say infidelitie ignorance of God is cutte of and brused but the slime and the relikes of sinne remaine still in vs Let no man therfore presume so much of himselfe that when he hath once receaued faith he can by and by be thorowly chaunged into a new man Nay he shall keepe somewhat of his old vices still hanging vpon him though he be neuer so good and perfect a Christiā For we are not yet dead but we stil liue in the flesh which because it is not yet pure continually lusteth against the spirite Gal. 1. Rom. 7. I am fleshly sayth Paule sould vnder sinne I see an other lavv in my members rebelling against the lavv of my minde Wherfore the naturall vices that were in vs before we receaued faith doe still remaine in vs after that we haue receaued faith sauing that nowe they are subdued to the spirite which hath the vpper hande to keepe them vnder that they rule not and yet not without great conflict This glory is due to Christ alone and this title he beareth that he is pure and without blemish 1. Pet. 2. VVho did no sinne neither vvas there any guile found in his mouth Vers 1. Vvho hath bevvitched you that ye should not beleue the truth Here haue we an other commendation of this goodly righteousnes of the lawe and of our selues namely that it maketh vs to despise the truth that it bewitcheth vs in such sort that we obey not the truth but rebell against it Of the bodily and spirituall witchcraft Paule calleth the Galathians foolish and bewitched comparing them to children to whom witchcraft dothe much harme As though he should say It hapneth to you as it doth to children whom witches sorcerers inchaunters are wont to charme by their enchauntments and by the illusion of the deuill Afterwardes in the .5 chapter he reherseth sorcerie among the workes of the flesh which is a kinde of witchcraft whereby he plainly testifieth that such witchcrafte and sorcerie there is and that it may be done Moreouer it can not be denied but that the deuill liueth yea and raigneth throughout the whole world Witchcraft and sorcerie therfore are the works of the deuil wherby he doth not onely hurt men but also by the permission of God he sometimes destroyeth them Furthermore we are all subiect to the Deuill both in body and goodes and we be straungers in this world wherof he is the Prince god Therfore the bread which we eate the drinke which we drinke the garments which we weare yea the aire whatsoeuer we liue by in this flesh is vnder his dominion But he doth not onely bewitch men after this grosse maner but also after a more subtile sort and much more daungerous wherein he is a maruelous cunning workeman And hereof it cometh that Paule applieth the charming and bewitching of the senses to the bewitching of the spirite For by this spirituall witchcraft that olde serpent bewitcheth not mens senses but their mindes with false wicked opinions which opinions they that are so bewitched do take to be true and right godly Briefly so great is the malice of this sorcerer the deuil desire to hurt that not onely he deceaueth those secure and proud spirits with his inchauntments but euen those also which are professors of true Christianitie and well affected in religion yea as touching my selfe to say the truth he sometimes assaileth me so mightely and oppresseth me with such heauie cogitations that he vtterly shadoweth my Sauiour Christ from me and in a manner taketh him cleane out of my sight To be briefe there is none of vs al which is not oftentimes bewitched with false perswasions that is to say which doth not feare trust or reioyce where he ought not or doth not sometimes thinke otherwise of God of Christ of faith of his vocation of the Christian state c. then he should doe Let vs therfore learne to know the subtile sleights of this Sorcerer lest if he finde vs sleping in securitie he deceaue vs by his enchauntments True it is that by his sorcerie he can doe no hurt to our ministerie yet is he with vs in spirite Day and night he raungeth vp and downe and seeketh how he may deuoure euery one of vs alone and vnlesse he finde vs sobre and armed with spirituall weapons that is to say with the word of God and faith he will deuoure vs. This is the cause that he oftentimes stirreth vp new battails against vs. And in deede it is very profitable for vs that he thus assaileth vs by his subtil traines exerciseth vs For by this meanes he confirmeth our doctrine he stirreth vp encreaseth faith in vs In deede we haue bene many times cast downe yet stil are cast downe in this cōflict but we perish not for Christ hath alwayes triumphed and doth triumph thorough vs Wherfore we conceaue assured hope that by Iesus Christ we shall obtaine the victorie against the deuil And this hope bringeth forth in vs sure consolation so that in the mids of our tentations we take courage say Behold Satan hath heretofore tempted vs by his false illusiōs hath prouoked vs to vnbeleefe to the
was once crucified rose againe both in them selues in the church and in the hearts of the faithfull for with their spiteful reproches rebukes sclaūders and iniuries they spit vpon him and with their wicked opinions they wounde him and thrust him thorow that in them he may die most miserably and in the steade of him they set vp a glorious witchcraft wherby men are so miserably charmed and deluded that they cā not know Christ to be their iustifier their reconciler and Sauiour but a minister of sinne their accuser their iudge and their destroyer which must be pacified no otherwise then by our workes and merites And out of this opinion did afterwards spring the most pestilent pernicious doctrine that is in the whole Papacie which is this If thou wilt serue God thou must merite forgeuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life and must also helpe others to attaine saluation Thou must enter into a Monasterie vow obedience chastitie pouertie c. Monks and Friers and the rest of that religious rable being puffed vp with this opinion of their owne holines dreamed that they onely were in the life and state of perfection and that other Christians led but a common life for they did no vndue workes or more then they were bounde to doe that is they did not vowe and keepe chastitie pouertie obedience c. they were but onely baptised and kept the ten commaundements But as for them selues besides that which was common as wel to them as to other Christians they kept also the works of supererogation and the counsels of Christ wherfore they hoped to haue merite and a place in heauen amongs the principall Saintes farre aboue the common sort of Christians This was vndoutedly an horrible illusion of the deuill wherby he hath bewitched almost the whole world And euery man the more holy he would seeme to be the more he is snared with this witcherie that is to say with that pestilent perswasion of his owne righteousnes And this was the cause that we could not know that Iesus Christ was our Mediatour Sauiour but we did thinke that he was a seuere iudge which should be pacified by our owne workes which was nothing else but most horribly to blaspheme Christ and as Paule said before to reiect the grace of God to make the death of Christ of none effect and not onely to kill him but also most shamefully to crucifie him againe And this is the right meaning of that which Christ alledgeth out of Daniell that abomination standeth in the holy place Wherefore euery monke and religious person and euery Iusticiarie seeking remission of sinnes and righteousnes by his owne works or by his afflictions is a crucifier of Christ nowe raigning and liuing although not in the proper person of Christ yet in his owne heart and in the hearts of others And whosoeuer doe enter into Monasteries to the ende that by the keping of their rule and order they may be iustified doe enter into the dennes of theeues and such as crucifie Christ againe Wherefore Paule vseth in this place very rigorous and bitter wordes to the ende that he may feare and call backe the Galathians from the doctrine of the false Apostles As if he should say Consider well what ye haue done Ye haue crucified Christ againe and this I doe so plainly shewe and paint out before your eyes that ye may see it yea and touch it with your handes because ye seeke to be iustified by the lawe But if righteousnes come by the lawe then is Christ a minister of sinne and his death altogether in vaine If this be true then must it needes follow that Christ is crucified againe in you And it is not without cause that he addeth this clause in you or among you For Christ is no more crucified or dieth any more in his owne person as is saide in the sixte chapter to the Romaines but he dieth in vs when we reiecting true doctrine grace faith free remission of sinnes seeke to be iustified by our owne workes or else by the workes commaunded in the law Here Christ is crucified in vs againe Now this false and wicked perswasion to seeke righteousnes by the law and workes is nothing else as I haue before more amplie declared but the illusion of the Deuill wherwith men are so bewitched that in no wise they can acknowledge the benefite of Christ yea in all their life they can doe nothing else but not onely denie the Lord who hath bought them and in whose name they are baptised but also crucifie him againe in them selues Who so euer then hath a feare of God and a true heart to Christ and his religion let him flie quickly out of this Babylon and let him tremble at the very name of the Papacie For the impietie abomination therof is so horrible that no man is able to expresse it with words neither cā it be otherwise seene then with spiritual eies only These two argumentes Paule prosecuteth driueth into the heades of the Galathians very diligently First that they are so bewitched of the deuill that they obey not the truth most clearely set forth before their eies Secondly that they crucifie Christ againe in them selues These seeme to be simple and plaine words and without any high eloquence but in very deede they are so mighty that they exceede all the eloquence of man It can not therfore be cōprehended but onely in spirit how great an impietie it is to seeke to be iustified by the righteousnes of the law or by mans owne righteousnes For as Paul saith here it is nothing els but to be witched of the deuill to be disobedient to the truth and to crucifie Christ againe Are not these goodly commendations of the righteousnes of the law and mans owne righteousnes The Apostle therefore is here kindled with greate zeale and with bitter words he pursueth condemneth the presumption of our owne righteousnes rising vpon the obseruation of the law of God and chargeth it with this impiety that it crucifieth againe the sonne of god Seing then it is so daungerous a thinge it can not be beaten downe enough or condemned as it should be For therof ensueth such a fall as is no lesse then the fall of Lucifer and such a losse as can neuer be recouered and therfore he vseth so sharpe and rigorous words against it that he spareth not the very law of God against the which he so bitterly inueieth that it seemeth he would vtterly reiect and condemne it And this doth he being constrained by greate necessity for otherwise he could not withstand the false Apostles nor defend the righteousnes of faith against them Albeit then that the law be holy iust and good yet must it put on as it were the visour of an hipocrite if he seeke to be iustified by workes Now he presseth them with an argument wherof they themselues had good experience and
so that the worde be not onely my voice but may be hearde of thee and may enter into thy hearte and be beleued of thee then is it truly and in deede the hearing of faith thorowe the which thou receauest the holy Ghost which after thou hast once receaued thou shalt also mortifie thy flesh The faithfull doe finde by their owne experience howe gladly they would hold and embrace the word when they heare it with a full faith and abandon this opinion of the lawe and of their owne righteousnes but they feele in their flesh a mightie resistaunce against the spirite For reason and the flesh will needes worke together This saying Ye must be circumcised and keepe the lavve can not be vtterly rooted out of our mindes but it sticketh fast in the hearts of all the faithfull There is therfore in the faithfull a continuall conflict betwene the hearing of faith and the workes of the lawe For the conscience alwayes murmureth and thinketh that this is too easie a way that by the onely hearing of the word righteousnes the holy ghost and life euerlasting is promised vnto vs But come once to an earnest trial therof and then tell me how easie a thing it is to heare the word of faith In deede he which geueth is great moreouer he geueth great things willingly and freely and vpbraideth no man therwith but thy capacitie is hard and faith weake still striuing against thee so that thou art not able to receaue this gift But let thy conscience murmure against thee neuer so much let this Must come neuer so oftē into thy minde yet stand fast hold out vntill thou ouercome this Must So as faith encreaseth by litle and litle that opinion of the righteousnes of the lawe will diminish But this can not be done without great conflict Verse 3. Are ye so foolish that after ye haue begone in the spirite ye vvould novv finish or be made perfect by the flesh This argument being concluded how that the holy ghost cometh not by the workes of the lawe but through the preaching of faith he beginneth here to exhort the Galathians and to terrifie them from a double daunger and incommoditie The first is Are ye so foolish that after ye haue begone in the spirite ye vvould novv ende in the flesh The other followeth Haue ye suffred so great things in vaine As if he said Ye began in the spirite that is your religion was excellently well begone As also a litle after he saith Ye ranne vvel c. But what haue ye gotten therby Forsoth ye will nowe ende in the flesh yea rather ye are ended in the flesh Paule here setteth the spirite against the flesh He calleth not the flesh as before I haue said lust beastly passions or sensual appetites for he intreateth not here of lust or of other fleshly desires but of forgeuenes of sinnes of iustifying the conscience of obteining righteousnes before God of deliueraunce from the lawe sinne and death and yet notwithstanding he sayth here that they forsaking the spirite doe now ende in the flesh Flesh therfore is here taken for the very righteousnes and wisedome of the flesh and the iudgement of reason which goeth about to be made righteous by the law Whatsoeuer then is best and most excellent in man as the wisedome of reason yea and the righteousnes of the law it selfe the same here Paule calleth flesh And this place must be well weyed and considered because of the slaunderous and cauilling Papists which wrest the same against vs saying that we in Poperie began in the spirite but now hauing maried wiues we ende in the flesh As though a single life or not to haue a wife were a spirituall life and as though it nothing hindred their spirituall life if a man not contented with one whore haue many They are mad men not vnderstanding what the spirite or what the flesh is The spirite is whatsoeuer is done in vs through the spirite The flesh whatsoeuer is done in vs according to the flesh without the spirite Wherfore all the dueties of a Christian man as to loue his wife to bring vp his children to gouerne his familie and such like which vnto them are worldly and carnal are the frutes of the spirite These blinde buzzardes can not discerne the things which are the good creatures of God from vices Here also is to be noted that the Apostle sayth the Galathians did begin in the spirite He should here haue added actiuely Nunc carne consummatis that now ye ende in the flesh But he doth not so but sayth passiuely carne consummamini that ye ende yea or rather are ended in the flesh The righteousnes of the law which Paule here calleth the flesh is so farre of from iustifying that they which after the receauing of the holy ghost through the hearing of faith fall backe againe vnto it are ended in it that is to say are vtterly destroyed Therfore who so euer teach that the lawe ought to be fulfilled to this ende that men might be iustified thereby whiles they goe about to quiet their consciences they hurt them whiles they would iustifie them they condemne them Paule euermore by the way hath a glaunce at these false apostles for they stil vrged the law saying Faith onely in Christ taketh not away sinne pacifieth not the wrath of God iustifieth not Therfore if ye will obtaine these benefites ye must not onely beleeue in Christ but therwith ye must also keepe the law be circumcised keepe the feastes sacrifices c. Thus doing ye shall be free from sinne from the wrath of God from euerlasting death yea rather sayth Paule by the selfe same things ye establish vnrighteousnes ye prouoke the wrath of God ye adde sinne to sinne ye quench the spirite ye fall away from grace and vtterly reiect the same and ye together with your disciples doe ende in the flesh This is the first daūger from the which he terrifieth the Galathians lest if they seeke to be iustified by the lawe they lose the spirite and forgoe their good beginnings for a wretched ende Verse 4. Haue ye suffered so many things in vaine The other daunger and incommoditie is this Haue ye suffred so many things in vaine As though he would say Consider not onely howe well ye began and howe miserablie ye haue forsaken your good beginnings and your course well begone moreouer that not onely ye haue lost the first fruites of the spirite being fallen againe into the ministerie of sinne and death and into a dolefull and a miserable bondage of the lawe but consider this also that ye haue suffered muche for the Gospels sake and for the name of Christe to witte the spoiling of your goodes railings and reproches daungers both of bodies and liues c. All things were in a happie course and great towardnes with you Ye taught purely ye liued holily and ye endured many euils constantly
for the name of Christe But nowe all is lost as well doctrine as faith as well doing as suffering as well the spirite as the fruites thereof Hereby it appeareth sufficiently what inconuenience the righteousnes of the lawe and mans owne righteousnes bringeth to witte that they which trust in it doe lose at once vnspeakeable benefites Nowe what a miserable thing is it so sodenly to lose such inestimable glory and assuraunce of conscience towardes God also to endure so many great and greeuous afflictions as losse of goods wife children body and life and yet notwithstanding to sustaine all these things in vaine And out of these two places much matter may be gathered to set forth and amplifie at large the goodly commendation of the lawe and mans owne righteousnes if a man would stand vpon euery parcell by it selfe and declare what spirite it was wherwith they began what how great and how many the afflictions were which they endured for Christes sake But no eloquence can sufficiently set forth these matters For they are inestimable things wherof Paule here entreateth to wit the glory of God victory ouer the world the flesh and the deuill righteousnes and euerlasting life and on the other side sinne desperation eternall death and hell And yet notwithstanding in a moment we lose all these incomparable gifts and procure vnto our selues these horrible and endles miseries and al by false teachers when they leade vs away frō the truth of the gospel vnto false doctrine And this not only they doe easily bring to passe but also vnder the shew of great holines Verse 4. If notvvithstanding it be in vaine This he addeth as a correction wherby he mitigateth the reprehension that goeth before which was somewhat sharpe And this he doth as an Apostle lest he should terrifie the Galathians too much Although he chide them yet notwithstanding he alwayes doth it in such sorte that he poureth in sweete oyle withall lest he should driue them to desperation He saith therfore If notvvithstanding it be in vaine As if he would say yet I doe not take away all hope from you but if ye would so end in the flesh that is to say follow the righteousnes of the lawe and forsake the spirite as ye haue begone then knowe ye that all your glory and affiaunce which ye haue in God is in vaine and all your afflictions are vnprofitable In deede I must needes speake somwhat more roughly vnto you in this matter I must be more feruent in the defence therof and more sharpe in chiding of you especially the matter being so waightie and constraining me thervnto left ye should thinke it to be but a trifle to cast away the doctrine of Paule and receaue an other Notwithstanding I will not vtterly discourage you so that ye repent and amende For sickely and scabbed children may not be cast away but must be holpen and seene to more carefully then they which are in health So that Paule here like a cunning Phisician layeth all the fault in a manner vpon the false Apostles the authors and onely cause of this deadly disease Contrariwise he entreateth the Galathians very gently to the ende that by this his mildnes he might heale them and restore them againe We therfore by the example of Paule ought in like manner to reprehend the weake and so to heale and remoue their disease that in the meane time we leaue not of to cherish and comfort them lest if we handle them too sharply they fall into desperation Verse 5. He therfore that ministreth to you the spirite and vvorketh miracles among you doth he it through the vvorkes of the lavve or by the hearing of faith preached This argument grounded vpon the experience of the Galathians doth so well like the Apostle that after he hath rebuked and terrified them setting before them a double daunger and incommoditie he nowe repeteth the same againe and that with a more large amplification saying He vvhich ministreth c That is to say Ye haue not only receaued the spirite by the hearing of faith but whatsoeuer ye haue either knowne or done ye haue it by the hearing of faith As though he would say It was not enough that God gaue you once the spirite but the same God also hath enriched you with the gifts of the spirite and encreased the same in you to the ende that ye hauing once receaued the spirite it might alwaies growe and be more and more effectuall in you Hereby it is plaine that the Galathians had wrought miracles or at the least had shewed such fruites of faith as the true Disciples of the Gospell are wont to bring forth For the Apostle elswhere saith That the kingdome of God is not in vvord but in povver Now this power is not onely to be able to speake of the kingdom of God but also in very deede to shew that God through his spirite is effectual in vs So before in the second chapter he saith of him selfe He that vvas effectuall in Peter among the Ievves vvas also effectuall in me he that vvas mighty by Peter in the Apostleship ouer the Circumcision vvas also mighty by me tovvards the Gentiles When a preacher then so preacheth that the word is not destitute of his frute but effectuall in the heartes of the hearers that is to say when faith hope loue and pacience do follow then God geueth his spirite and worketh miracles in the hearers In like manner Paule saith here that God hath geuen his spirite to the Galathians hath vvrought miracles among them As though he would say God hath not onely brought to passe through my preaching that ye should beleue but also that ye should liue holily bring forth many frutes of faith and suffer many afflictions Also by the same power of the holy Ghost of adulterers of wrathfull impacient and couetous persons and of very enemies ye are become liberall chast gentle pacient and louers of your neighbours Wherupon afterwardes he geueth testimony of them in the fourth chapter that they receaued him as an Angell of God yea rather as Christ Iesus and that they loued him so vehemently that they were ready to haue plucked out their owne eyes for him Now to loue thy neighbour so heartily that thou art ready to bestow thy money thy goods thine eyes and all that thou hast for his saluation and moreouer to suffer patiently all aduersities and afflictions these no doubt are the effects fruits of the spirite these saith he you receaued and enioyed before these false teachers came among you But ye receaued them not by the lawe but of God who so ministred vnto you and daily encreased in you his holy spirite that the gospell had a most happie course amongste you in teaching beleeuing working and suffring Now seeing ye know these things being conuicted euen by the testimonie of your owne consciences howe cometh it to passe that ye shewe not forth the same
happy But where are they They are not therfore Doers of the lawe except they be first made righteous before and without the lawe through faith Wherefore when Paule curseth and condemneth those that are of the works of the law he speaketh not of such as are iustified through faith but of such as goe about to be iustified by works without faith in Christ This I say lest any man should follow the fond imagination of Ierome who being deceaued by Origene vnderstoode nothing at all in Paule but onely considered of him as a meere ciuill Lawyer Hereupon he reasoneth after this manner The holy Patriarches Prophetes and Kinges were circumcised and offered sacrifice therefore they obserued the law But it were a wicked thing to say that they are vnder the Curse therfore all they that are of the works of the law are not vnder the Curse Thus he fighteth against Paule without all iudgement making no difference betwene the true doers of the law iustified by faith and those workers which seeke to be iustified by the lawe without faith But Paule speaketh here nothing at all against those that are iustified by faith and are true doers of the law in deede for they are not of the workes of the law but againste those which not onely doe not keepe the law but also sinne against the same For the law commaundeth that we should feare loue worship God with a true faith This they doe not but choose out new kindes of worship and workes which were neuer commaunded of God by which God is not pacified but more prouoked to anger according to that saying They vvorship me in vaine vvith the commaundementes of men Therefore they are full of impietie rebelles against God and idolaters sinning greuously against the first commaundement aboue all the rest Moreouer they haue also wicked concupiscence and other greate passions Briefely there is no good thing in them but that outwardly they would seeme to be righteous and would haue men to thinke that they doe the law So we also which are made righteous by faith as were the Patriarches Prophetes and all the Sainctes are not of the works of the law as concerning the matter of iustification But in that we are in the flesh and haue as yet the remnauntes of sinne in vs we are vnder the law yet not vnder the Curse because the remnaunts of sinne are not imputed vnto vs for Christes sake in whom we beleue For the flesh is an enemy vnto God that concupiscence which yet remaineth in vs not onely fulfilleth not the law but also sinneth against the same rebelling against vs and leading vs captiue into bondage Rom. 7. Now if the law be not fulfilled in the Sainctes but that many things are done in them contrary to the law if euill concupiscence and the remnauntes of sinne are yet remaining in them which doe so hinder them that they can not feare and loue God they can not call vpon God with assured trust they can not praise God and reuerence his worde as they should do much more is this true in a man which is not yet iustified by faith but is an enemy vnto God and with all his hearte despiseth and hateth the worde and worke of god Ye see then that Paule speaketh here of such as will fulfill the law and be iustified thereby although they haue not yet receaued faith and not of the fathers and Saincts as Ierome imagineth which are iustified by faith already Verse 13. Christ hath redeemed vs from the the Curse of the lavv vvhen he vvas made a Curse for vs For it is vvritten Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree Here againe Ierome and the Schoolemen which followe him are much troubled and miserably racke this most comfortable place seeking to remoue this ignominie and reproche from Christ that he should be called a Curse or execration They shift of this sentence after this manner that Paule spake not here in good earnest And therefore they moste wickedly affirme that the Scripture in Paule agreeth not with it selfe And this they proue after this manner The sentence saye they of Moses which Paule here alleadgeth speaketh not of Christ Moreouer this generall clause vvho so euer which Paule hath is not added in Moses Again Paule omitteth this word of God which is in Moses To conclude it is euident enough that Moses speaketh of a theefe or a malefactor which by his euil deedes hath deserued the gallowes as the Scripture plainly witnesseth in the 21. chapter of Deuteronomy Therefore they aske this question howe this sentence may be applied to Christ that he is accursed of God and hanged vpon a tree seing that he is no malefactor or theefe but righteous and holy This may peraduenture moue the simple and ignoraunt who thinke that the Sophisters or Scholemen speake these things not only wittely but religiously also and by this meanes doe maintaine the honour and glorie of Christ warning all Christians to beware that they thinke not so wickedly of Christ that he should be made a Curse c. Therefore let vs see what the meaning and purpose of Paule is Paule here did well fortifie his wordes and spake very aduisedly and to the purpose But here againe we must make a distinction as the words of Paule doe plainely shewe For he saith not that Christ was made a Curse for him selfe but for vs Therefore all the weight of the matter standeth in this word For vs. For Christ is innocent as concerning his owne person and therefore he ought not to haue bene hanged vpon a tree but because accordinge to the lawe of Moses euery theefe and malefactor ought to be hanged therefore Christe also according to the lawe ought to be hanged for he sustained the person of a sinner and of a theefe not of one but of all sinners and theeues For we are sinners and theeues and therefore giltie of death and euerlastinge damnation But Christe tooke all our sinnes vpon him and for them died vpon the crosse therefore it behoued that he should become a transgressour and as Esay the Prophet sayth chapter .53 to be reckened and accounted among transgressours and trespassers And this no doubte all the Prophetes did foresee in spirite that Christe shoulde become the greatest transgressour murtherer adulterer theefe rebell and blasphemer that euer was or coulde be in all the worlde For he being made a sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole worlde is not nowe an innocent person and without sinnes is not nowe the Sonne of God borne of the virgin Marie but a sinner which hath and carieth the sinne of Paule which was a blasphemer oppressour and persecuter of Peter which denied Christ of Dauid which was an adulterer a murtherer and caused the Gentiles to blaspheme the name of the Lorde and briefely which hath and beareth all the sinnes of all men in his bodie not that he him selfe committed them
Christ which should bring teach an other thing farre passing these excellent lawes to witte grace and remission of sinnes This is therfore a mightie text For in this short sentence That vve might receaue the promise of the spirite by faith Paule poureth out at once what so euer he was able to say Therfore when he can goe no further for he could not vtter any greater or more excellent thing he breaketh of and here he stayeth Verse 15. Brethern I speake according to man Though it be but a mans couenaunt vvhen it is confirmed yet no man doth abrogate it or addeth any thing therto After this principall inuincible argument Paule addeth an other grounded vpon the similitude of a mans Testament which semeth to be very weake and such as the Apostle ought not to vse for the confirmation of a matter of so great importance For in high and waightie matters we ought to confirme earthly things by diuine things not diuine and heauenly things by earthly and worldly things And in deede it is true the these arguments of all other are most weake when we goe about to proue and confirme heauenly matters with earthly and corruptible things as Scotus is wont to doe A man sayth he is able to loue God aboue all things for he loueth him self aboue all things therfore much more is he able to loue God aboue all things For a good thing the greater it is the more it is to be loued And hereof he inferreth that a man is able ex puris naturalibus that is to say euen of his owne pure natural strength easily to fulfil that high commaundement Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God vvith all thy heart c. For sayth he a man is able to loue the least good thing aboue all thīgs yea he setteth at naught his life of all other things most deare vnto him for a litle vile money Therfore he can much more doe it for Gods cause Ye haue oftentimes heard of me that ciuill ordinaunces are of God for God hath ordained them and alloweth them as he doth the Sunne the Moone other creatures Therfore an argument taken of the ordinance or of the creatures of God is good so that we vse the same rightly So the Prophets haue very often vsed similitudes and comparisons taken of creatures calling Christ the Sunne the Church the Mone the preachers teachers of the word the Starres Also there are many similitudes in the Prophets of trees thornes flowers and frutes of the earth The new Testament likewise is full of such similitudes Therfore where Gods ordināce is in the creature there may an argument be wel borrowed and applied to diuine and heauenly things So our Sauiour Christ in Mat. 7. argueth frō earthly thīgs to heauēly things whē he sayth If ye then vvhich are euil cā geue to your children good gifts hovv much more shall your Father vvhich is in heauē geue good things to them that aske him Likewise Paule We must obey men therfore much more must we obey god Ieremie also in the 53. chap The Rhecabites obeyed their Father hovv much more ought ye to haue obeyed me Now these things are appoynted of God and are his ordinaunces that Fathers should geue vnto their children that children should obey their parents Therfore such maner of arguments are good when they are grounded vpon the ordinaūce of god But if they be taken from mens corrupt affections they are naught Such is the argument of Scotus I loue the lesser good thing therfore I loue the greater more I deny the consequence For my louing is not Gods ordinaunce but a deuillish corruption In deede it should be so that I louing my selfe or an other creature should much more loue God the creatour but it is not so For the loue wherwith I loue my selfe is corrupt and against God. This I say lest any man should cauill that an argument taken of corruptible things applied to diuine and spirituall matters is nothing worth For this argument as I haue sayd is strōg enough so that we ground the same vpon the ordinaunce of God as we see in this argumēt which we haue in hand For the ciuil law which is an ordinaunce of God sayth that it is not lawfull to breake or to chaunge the testament of a man Yea it commaundeth that the last will or testament of a man be straitly kept For that it is one of the holiest most laudable customes that are among men Now therefore vppon this custome of mans Testament Paule argueth after this maner How cometh it to passe that mā is obeyed and not God Political and ciuill ordinaūces as concerning Testaments and other things are diligently kept There nothing is chaūged nothing is added or taken away But the Testament of God is chaunged that is to say his promise concerning the spiritual Blessing that is concerning heauenly and euerlasting things which the whole world ought not onely to receaue with great zeale and affection but also ought most religiously to reuerence and honour This persuadeth vehemently when we so argue from the examples and lawes of men Therfore he sayth I speake after the maner of men that is to say I bring vnto you a similitude taken of the custome and maner of men As if he should say The testaments of men and such other corruptible things are streitly executed and that which the lawe commaundeth is diligently obserued and kept For when a man maketh his last wil bequeathing his lands and goods to his heires and therupon dieth this last wil is confirmed and ratified by the death of the Testator so that nothing may nowe be either added to it or taken from it according to all law equitie Now if a mās wil be kept with so great fibelity that nothīg is added to it or taken from it after his death how much more ought the last Wil of God to be faithfully kept which he promised and gaue vnto Abraham and his seede after him For when Christ died then was it confirmed in him and after his death the writing of his last Testament was opened that is to say the promised Blessing of Abraham was preached amonge all nations dispersed throughout the whole world This was that last Wil and Testament of God the great Testatour confirmed by the death of Christ therfore no man ought to chaunge it or to adde any thing to it as they that teach the law and mans traditions doe For they say vnlesse thou be circumcised kepe the law do many workes suffer many things thou cāst not be saued This is not the last Will or Testament of god For he said not vnto Abraham if thou doe this or that thou shalt obtaine the Blessing or they that be circumcised keepe the law shall obtaine the same but he saith In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed As if he
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
haue nothing lesse Hereby we may plainly see that the Pope with his doctrine doth nothing else but trouble and torment mens consciences at length driueth them to desperation For he not onely teacheth but also cōmaundeth men to dout Therfore according to the Psalme There is no truth or certaintie in his mouth And in an other place vnder his tōge is iniquitie mischeefe Here we may see what great infirmitie is yet in the Faith of the Godly For if we could be fully perswaded that we are vnder grace that our sinnes are forgeuen that we haue the spirit of Christ that we are the children of God then doubtles we should be ioyfull and thankfull to God for this inestimable gift But because we feele cōtrary motions that is to say feare doutfulnes anguish and heuines of heart such like therfore we can not assure our selues hereof yea our conscience iudgeth it a great presumption and pride to chalenge this glory Wherfore if we will vnderstand this thing rightly and as we should doe we must put it in practise for without experience and practise it can neuer be learned Wherfore let euery man so practise with him selfe that his conscience may be fully assured that he is vnder grace and that his person and his workes doe please god And if he feele in himselfe any wauering or douting let him exercise his Faith and wrastle against this douting and let him endeuour to attaine more certaintie so that he may be able to say I know that I am accepted and that I haue the holy Ghost not for mine owne worthines my worke my merite but for Christes sake who of his inestimable loue towardes vs made him self thrall and subiect to the lawe tooke away the sinnes of the world In him do I beleue If I be a sinner erre he is righteous and can not erre Moreouer I gladly heare read sing wryte of him and I desire nothing more then that his Gospel may be knowne to the whole world and that many may be conuerted vnto him These things doe plainly witnesse that the holy Ghost is present with vs in vs For such things are not wrought in the heart by mans strength nor gotten by his industrie exercise or trauell but are obtained by Christ alone who first maketh vs righteous by the knowledge of him in his holy Gospel and afterwardes he createth a new heart in vs bringeth forth new motions geueth vnto vs that assurance wherby we are perswaded that we please the father for his sake Also he geueth vs a true iudgement whereby we proue trie those things which before we knew not or else altogether despised It behoueth vs therefore to wrastle against this douting that we may daily ouercome it more and more attaine to a full perswasion certainty of Gods fauour towardes vs rooting out of our heartes this cursed opinion that a man ought to dout of the grace fauour of God which hath infected the whole world For if we dout whether we be vnder grace whether we please God for Christes sake or not we deny that Christe hath redemed vs we deny simply all his benefits Ye that are yong mē may easily apprehēd this pure doctrine of the Gospel and abādon this pernicious opinion because ye are not yet poysoned therwith Verse 6. Crying Abba Father Paule might haue sayd God sent the spirite of his sonne into our hearts calling Abba Father Now he sayth not so but crying Abba Father that he might shew and set forth the temptation of a Christian which yet is but weake and weakly beleueth In the .8 to the Rom. he calleth this crying an vnspeakeable groning Likewise he sayeth The spirite helpeth our infirmities For vve knovv not hovve to pray as vve ought but the spirite maketh intercession for vs vvith vnspeakeable gronings c. And this is a singuler consolation when he sayeth here that the spirite of Christ is sent into our hearts crying Abba Father And againe that he helpeth our infirmities making intercession for vs with vnspeakeable gronings He that could assuredly beleue this should neuer be ouercome with any affliction were it neuer so great But there are many things that hinder this Faith in vs First our heart is borne in sinne Moreouer this euill is naturally grafted in vs that we doubt of the good will of God towardes vs and cannot assure our selues that we please God. c. Besides all this the Deuil our aduersarie raūgeth about with terrible rorings and sayeth Thou art a sinner therefore God is angrie with thee and will destroy thee for euer Against these horrible and intolerable rorings we haue nothing whervpon to hold stay our selues but only the word which setteth Christ before vs as a conquerour ouer sinne and death and ouer all euils But to cleaue fast to the word in this tentation and these terrours of conscience herein standeth all the difficultie For then Christe appeareth to no sense We see him not the heart feeleth not his presence or succour in temptation but rather it seemeth that Christ is angrie with vs and that he forsaketh vs Moreouer when a man is tempted and afflicted he feeleth the strength of sinne and the infirmitie of the flesh he douteth he feeleth the flerie dartes of the Deuill the terrours of death the anger and iudgement of god All these things cry out horribly against vs so that we see nothing else but desperation and eternall death But yet in the middest of these terrours of the lawe thundrings of sinne assaultes of death and rorings of the Deuill the holy Ghost sayth Paule cryeth in our hearts Abba Father And this crie surmounteth those mighty and horrible cries of the lawe sinne death the Deuill c it perceth the cloudes and the heauens and ascendeth vp vnto the eares of God. Paule therfore signifieth by these words that there is yet infirmitie in the godly As he doth also in the .8 chap. to the Rom. when he sayeth The spirite helpeth our infirmities For as much therfore as the sense and feeling of the contrary is strong in vs that is to say for as much as we feele more the displeasure of God then his good will and fauour towardes vs therefore the holy Ghost is sent into our heartes which doth not only sigh and make request for vs but mightely crieth Abba Father and praieth for vs according to the wil of God with teares and vnspeakeable gronings And how is this done When we are in terrours and in the conflict of conscience in deede we take hold of Christ and beleue that he is our Sauiour but then doe the law and sinne terrifie and torment vs most of all Moreouer the Deuill assaileth vs with all his engines and fierie darts and goeth about with all his power to plucke Christ from vs and to take from vs all consolations Here we feele our selues almost ouercome and at
the poynt of desperation for then are we that brused reede smoking flaxe which Esay speaketh of notwithstanding in the meane season the holy Ghost helpeth our infirmities maketh intercession for vs with vnspeakeable gronings certifieth our spirits that we are the children of god Thus the minde is raised vp in terrors it loketh vnto his Sauiour high Bishop Iesus Christ it ouercommeth the infirmitie of the flesh it conceaueth comfort againe and sayth Abba Father This groning which then we scantly feele Paule calleth a crying vnspeakeable groning which filleth both heauē and earth Moreouer he calleth it the crying and groning of the spirite because the holy Ghost stirreth vp the same in our heartes when we are weake and oppressed with terrour and tentation Although then the lawe sinne and the Deuill crie out against vs neuer so much with great and terrible rorings which seeme to fill heauen and earth farre to excede this groning of our heart yet can they not hurt vs For the more fiercely they assaile vs accuse and torment vs with their cryings so much the more doe we grone and in groning lay hold vpon Christ call vpon him with heart and mouth cleaue vnto him and beleue that he was made vnder the law that he might deliuer vs from the Curse of the lawe and destroy both sinne and death And thus when we haue taken hold of Christe by Faith we crie through him Abba Father And this our crie doth farre surmount the roring of the lawe sinne the Deuill c. But so farre of is it that we thinke this groning which we make in these terrours and in this our weaknes to be a cry that scarsely we perceaue it to be a groning For our Faith which in tentation thus groneth vnto Christ is very weake if we consider our owne sense and feeling And this is the cause that we heare not this crie We haue but onely the word which when we apprehend in this conflict we haue a litle breathing and then we grone Of this groning some litle feeling we haue but the crie we heare not But he sayeth Paule vvhich searcheth the heartes knovveth vvhat is the meaning of the spirite c. To this searcher of the hearts this small and feeble groning as it seemeth vnto vs is a loud and a mighty cry and an vnspeakeable groning in comparison whereof the great and horrible rorings of the law of sinne of death of the deuill and of hell are nothing neither can they be once heard Paule therfore not without cause calleth this groning of a godly afflicted heart a cry and a groning of the spirite which can not be expressed For it filleth the whole heauen so that the Angels thinke they heare nothing else but this crie But in vs there is a cleane contrary feling For it semeth vnto vs that this our small groning doth not so perce the cloudes that there is nothing else heard in heauen of God and his angels Nay we thinke and especially during the time of tentation that the Deuil horribly roreth against vs that the heauens thunder the earth trēbleth that all will fall vpon vs that all creatures threaten our destruction that hel is opē and ready to swallow vs vp This feling is in our heart these horrible voices and this fearfull shew we heare and we see And this is it that Paul sayth in the .2 Corrin 12 That the strength of Christ is made perfect through our vveaknes For then is Christ almighty in dede then doth he truly raigne and triumph in vs when we are so weake that we can scarsely grone But Paule sayth that this groning is in the eares of God a most mightie cry which filleth both heauen and earth Christ also in the .18 of Luke in the parable of the wicked iudge calleth this groning of a faithfull heart a cry yea such a cry as ceaseth not day night to cry vnto God where he sayth Heare vvhat the vnrighteous iudge sayth Novv shall not God auēge his elect vvhich cry day night vnto him yea though he suffer long for them yea I tel you he vvil auenge them quickly We at this day in so great persecution cōtradiction of the Pope of tyrānes Sectaries which fight against vs both on the right hand on the left can doe nothing else but vtter such gronings And these were our gunnes artillery wherw t we haue so many yeres scattered the coūsels and enterprises of our aduersaries wherby also we haue begon to ouerthrow the kingdom of Antichrist They also shall prouoke Christ to hasten the day of his glorious comming wherein he shall abolish all rule authoritie and power and shall put all his enemies vnder his feete So be it In the .14 of Exodus the Lord speaketh vnto Moises at the red sea saying VVhy criest thou vnto me Yet Moises cried not but trembled and almost despaired for he was in great trouble It seemed that infidelitie raigned in him and not Faith. For he saw the people of Israell so compassed and enclosed with the Egyptians host and with the sea that there was no way whereby they might escape Here Moises durst not once opē his mouth How thē did he crie We must not iudge therfore according to the feeling of our owne heart but according to the word of God which teacheth vs that the holy Ghost is geuen to those that are afflicted terrified ready to despaire to raise them vp to comfort them that they be not ouercome in their tentations afflictions but may ouercome them and yet not without great terrors and troubles The Papistes dreamed that holy men had the holy Ghost in such sort that they neuer had nor felt any tentation They spake of the holy Ghost onely by speculation and naked knowledge But Paule sayeth that the strength of Christe is made perfecte through our vveaknes Also that the spirite helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for vs vvith vnspeakeable gronings Therefore we haue then most neede of the helpe and comfort of the holy Ghost yea and then is he most ready to helpe vs when we are most weake and nerest to desperation If any man suffer affliction with a constant and a ioyfull heart then hath the holy Ghost done his office in him And in deede he exerciseth his worke specially and properly in those which haue suffered great terrours and afflictions and haue as the Psalme sayeth approched nigh to the gates of hel As I said of Moses which sawe present death in the waters and on euery side whether so euer he turned his face He was therefore in extreme anguish and desperation and no dout he felt in his heart a mightie crie of the Deuill against him saying All this people shall this day perish for they can escape no way And of this great calamitie thou onely shalt be found to be the authour
obtaining the inheritance he is a mere patient and not an agent that is to say not to beget not to labour not to care but to be borne is that which maketh him an heire So we obtaine eternall gifts namely the forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes the glory of the resurrection and euerlasting life not as agents but as patiēts that is not by doing but by receiuing Nothing here cometh betwene but faith alone apprehendeth the promise offred Like as therfore a sōne in the politike houshold gouernmēt is made an heire by his onely birth so here faith onely maketh vs sonnes of God borne of the word which is the wombe of God wherin we are conceaued caried borne and nourished vp c. By this birth thē we are made new creatures formed by Faith in the word we are made Christians children and heires of God through Iesus Christ Now being heires we are deliuered from death sinne and the Deuill and we haue righteousnes and eternall life But this farre passeth all mans capacitie that he calleth vs heires not of some rich and mighty Prince not of the Emperour not of the world but of God the almighty creatour of all things This our inheritaunce then as Paule sayth in an other place is inestimable And if a man could comprehend the great excellencie of this matter that he is the sonne and heire of God and with a constant Faith beleue the same this man would esteme all the power and riches of all the kingdoms of the world but as filthie donge in comparison of his eternall inheritāce He would abhorre whatsoeuer is high and glorious in the world yea the greater the pompe glory of the world is the more would he hate it To conclude whatsoeuer the world most highly estemeth and magnifieth that should be in his eyes most vile and abhominable For what is all the world with all his power riches and glory in comparison of God whose sonne and heire he is Furthermore he would heartely desire with Paule to be loosed and to be with Christ and nothing could be more welcome vnto him thē speedy death which he would embrace as a most ioyfull peace knowing that it should be the ende of all his miseries and that through it he should attaine to his enheritance c. Yea a man that could perfectly beleue this should not lōg remaine aliue but should be swalowed vp incontinent with excessiue ioy But the law of the members striuing against the law of the minde hindreth Faith in vs and suffereth it not to be perfect Therefore we haue neede of the helpe comfort of the holy Ghost which in our troubles and afflictions may make intercession for vs with vnspeakeable groning as before I haue sayd Sinne yet remaineth in the flesh which oftentimes oppresseth the conscience and so hindreth faith that we can not with ioy perfectly behold desire those eternall riches which God hath geuen vnto vs through Christ Paule himselfe feeling this battell of the flesh against the spirit crieth out O vvretched mā that I am vvho shall deliuer me from this body of death He accuseth his body which notwithstanding it behoued him to loue calling it by an odious name his death As if he would say My body doth more afflict me more greuously vexe me thē death it self For it hīdred in hī also this ioy of spirit He had not alwayes the sweete and ioyfull cogitations of the heauenly inheritaunce to come but he felt oftentimes also great heauines of spirite anguish and terrours Hereby we may plainly see how hard a matter Faith is which is not easily and quickly apprehended as certaine full and lothing spirites dreame which swallow vppe at once all that is contained in the holy Scriptures The great infirmitie which is in the Sainctes and the striuing of the flesh against the spirite do sufficiently witnesse how feeble Faith is in them For a perfect Faith bringeth by and by a perfect contempt and lothing of this present life If we could fully assure our selues and constantly beleue that God is our Father and we his sonnes and heires then should we vtterly contemne this world with all the glory righteousnes wisedom and power with all the royall scepters and crownes and with all the riches and pleasures therof We should not be so carefull for this life we should not be so addicted to the world and worldly things trusting vnto them when we haue them lamenting and despairing when we lose them but we should doe all things with great loue humilitie and patience But we do the contrary for the flesh is yet strong but Faith is feeble and the spirite weake Therfore Paule sayth very well that we haue here in this life but only the first fruites of the spirite and that in the world to come we shall haue the tenthes also Verse 7. Thorough Christe Paule hath Christ alwayes in his mouth he can not forget him For he did well forsee that nothing should be lesse knowen in the world yea among them which should professe themselues to be Christians then Christe and his Gospell Therefore he talketh of him and setteth him before our eyes cōtinually And as often as he speaketh of grace righteousnes the promise adoption inheritance he is alwayes wōt to adde In Christ or thorough Christ couertly impugning the law As if he would say These things come vnto vs neither by the lawe nor by the workes thereof much lesse by our owne strength or by the workes of mens traditions but onely by Christe Vers 8.9 But euen then vvhen ye knevv not God ye did seruice vnto them vvhich by nature vvere no Gods. But novve seing ye knovv God yea rather are knovvn of God hovv turne you againe vnto impotent and beggerly rudiments vvherevnto ye vvill be in bondage againe This is the conclusion of Paules disputation From this place vnto the end of the Epistle he doth not much dispute but onely geueth precepts as touching maners Notwithstanding he first reproueth the Galathians being sore displeased that this diuine and heauenly doctrine should be so suddenly and so easily remoued out of their heartes As if he would say Ye haue teachers which will bring you backe againe into the bondage of the law This did not I but by my doctrine I called you out of darknes of the ignorance of God into a wōderful light and knowledge of him I brought you out of bōdage and set you in the freedom of the sonnes of God not by preaching vnto you the workes of the lawe or the merites of men but the grace and righteousnes of God and the geuing of heauenly eternal blessings through Christ Now seeing this is true why doe ye so soone forsake the light and returne to darknes Why doe ye suffer your selues so easily to be brought from grace vnto the law from freedom to bondage Here againe we see as before I haue sayd that to fall in
and peruerted by the wicked doctrine of the Sectaries they shewed them selues more bitter enemies to our doctrine our name then any other I doe much and often maruell whervpon they should conceiue such a deadly hatred against vs whom they before so dearly and so tenderly loued For we offended them not in any thing nor gaue them any occasion to hate vs Yea they are constrained to confesse that we desire nothing more then that the glory of God may be aduaunced the benefite of Christe truely knowne and the truth of the Gospel purely taught which God hath now againe in these later dayes reueiled by vs vnto this vnthankfull world which thing should rather prouoke them to loue vs then to hate vs I maruel therfore not without cause wherof this chaunge cometh Verely there is no other cause but that they haue gotten vnto them selues new masters harkened to new teachers whose poyson hath so infected theÌ„ that now of very frends they are become our mortall enemies And I see the condition of the Apostles all other faithful ministers to be such that their disciples and hearers being once infected with the errours of the false Apostles and heretikes haue doe set them selues against them and become their enemies There were very fewe amongst the Galathians which continued in the sound doctrine of the Apostle All the rest being seduced by the false apostles did not acknowledge Paule for their pastour and teacher any more yea there was nothing more odious vnto them then the name and doctrine of Paule And I feare me that this Epistle brought very few of them backe againe from their errour If the like case should happen vnto vs that is to say if in our absence our Church should be seduced by fantasticall heads we should wryte hither not one or two but many Epistles we should preuaile litle or nothing at all Our men a few onely excepted of the stronger sort would vse themselues no otherwise towardes vs then they doe at this day which are seduced by the Sectaries who would sooner worship the Pope then they would obey our admonitions or approue our doctrine No man shall perswade them that they reiecting Christ doe returne againe to weake and beggerly elementes to those which by nature are no Gods. They can abide nothing lesse then to heare that their teachers by whom they are seduced are ouerthrowers of the Gospell of Christ and troublers of mens consciences The Lutherans say they are not onely wise they alone doe not preach Christe they alone haue not the holy Ghost the gift of prophesie and the true vnderstanding of the Scriptures Our teachers are in nothing inferiour vnto them yea in many things they excell them because they folowe the spirite and teach spirituall things Contrariwise they neuer yet tasted what true Diuinitie ment but sticke in the letter and therefore they teach nothing but the Catechisme Faith and charity c. Wherfore like as to fall in Faith is an easie matter as I am wont to say so is it most perillous to witte euen from the high heauen into the deepe pitte of hell It is not such as properly foloweth the nature of man as murther adultery and such like but deuilish the proper worke of the deuil For they which so fal caÌ„ not be easily recouered again but most coÌ„monly they continue peruerse obstinate in their errour Therfore the later ende of those men is worse then the beginning As our Sauiour Christ witnesseth when he sayth The vncleane spirit being cast out of his house when he returneth he entreth in againe not alone but taketh vnto him seuen spirits worse then himselfe and there dwelleth c. Paule therefore perceauing through the reuelation of the holy Ghost that it was to be feared lest the mindes of the Galathians whoÌ„ of a godly zeale he had called folish and bewitched c. should rather by this sharpe chiding be more stirred vppe against him then amended especially since he now knew that the false apostles were among them who would expouÌ„d this sharpe chiding which proceded from a fatherly affection to the worst and would crie out Now Paule which some of you so greatly praise sheweth what he is and with what spirit he is led when he was with you he would seme to be vnto you a father but his letters shew in his absence that he is a tyranne c. therefore he is so troubled through a godly care fatherly affection that he can not well tell how and what to wryte to them For it is a dangerous thing for a man to defend his cause with those which are absent and haue now begun to hate him who also be perswaded by others that his cause is not good Therfore being in great perplexitie he sayth a litle after I am troubled and at my wittes ende for your cause that is I know not what to doe or how to deale with you Verse 12. Be ye as I am for I am as ye are These wordes are to be vnderstand not of doctrine but of affections Therefore the meaning is not Be ye as I am that is to say thinke of doctrine as I doe but beare such an affection towardes me as I doe towardes you As though he would say Perhappes I haue too sharply chidden you but pardon this my sharpnes and iudge not my heart by my wordes but my wordes by the affection of my heart My wordes seme rough and my chastisement sharpe but my heart is louing and fatherly Therfore O my Galathians take this my chiding with such a minde as I beare towards you For the matter required that I should shew my selfe so sharpe and seuere towardes you Euen so may we also say of our selues Our correction is seuere and our maner of wrytâ—ng sharpe and vehement but certainly there is no bitternes in our heart no enuie no desire of reuenge against our aduersaries but there is in vs a godly carefulnes and sorrow of spirit We doe not so hate the Pope and other erroneous spirites that we wish any euil vnto them or desire their destruction but rather we desire that they may returne againe to the right way and be saued together with vs. The Scholemaster chastiseth his scholer not to hurt him but to reforme him The rodde is sharpe but correction is necessary for the childe and the heart of him that correcteth louing and frendly So the father chastiseth his sonne not to destroy him but to reforme amend him Stripes are sharpe and greuous to the childe but the fathers heart is louing and kinde And vnlesse he loued his childe he would not chastise him but cast him of despaire of his welfare and suffer him to perish This correction therfore which he geueth to his childe is a token of a fatherly affection and is profitable for the childe Euen so O my Galathians thinke ye likewise of my dealing towards you
to wrest and peruert Paules wordes let vs heare himselfe speaking in the .2 Corrin 12. Very gladly vvil I reioyce rather in mine infirmities that the povver of Christ may dvvell in me Therfore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproches in necessities in persecutiōs in anguish for Christes sake for vvhē I am vveake then am I strong And in the .11 chap. In labours more aboundant in stripes aboue measure in prisons more plenteous in death ofte Of the Ievves fiue times receiued I fortie stripes saue one I vvas thrise beaten vvith roddes I vvas once stoned I suffred thrise shipvvracke c. These afflictions which he suffred in his body he calleth the infirmitie of the flesh not any corporall disease As though he would say When I preached the Gospel amōgst you I was oppressed with sondry tentations afflictions I was alwayes in daunger both of the Iewes of the Gentiles also of false brethern I suffred hunger and wāted all things I was as the very filth and of scouring of the world He maketh mētion of this his infirmitie in many places as in the 1. Cor. 4. 2. Cor. 4.6.11.12 and in many other We see then that Paule calleth afflictiōs the infirmities of the flesh which he suffred in the flesh like as that other Apostles the Prophets al godly men did notwithstanding he was mighty in spirit For the power of Christ was in him which alwaies raigned triumphed through him Which thing he testifieth in that. 2. Cor. 12. with these words For vvhen I am vveake then am I strōg Also I vvil gladly reioyce in my infirmities that the povver of Christ may dvvel in me And in the .2 chapter Thanks be to God vvhich alvvayes maketh vs to triumph in Christ As though he would say In dede the Deuil the Iewes the Gentiles rage cruelly against vs notwithstāding we continue constant inuincible against all their assaults wil they nil they our doctrine preuaileth triumpheth This was the strength power of that spirit in Paule against the which he setteth here the infirmitie and bōdage of the flesh Now this infirmitie of the flesh in the Godly doth wonderfully offend reason Therfore Paule so highly commendeth the Galathians for that they were not offended with this great infirmitie and with this vile and contemptible forme of the crosse which they saw in him but receaued him as an angell yea as Christ him selfe And Christ also armeth the Faithfull against this base and contemptible forme of the crosse in which he appeared when he sayeth Blessed is he that is not offended in me And surely it is a great matter that they which beleue in him doe acknowledge him to be the Lord of all and Sauiour of the world whom notwithstanding they heare to haue bene the most miserable of all others the last of men yea a very scorne of men and a contempt of the world briefly despised and hated of all men and condemned to the death of the crosse and euen of his owne people and especially of those that were esteemed the best the wisest and holiest of all other This is a great matter I say not to be moued with these great offences and to be able not onely to contemne them but also to esteme this pore Christ so spitefully scorned spitte vpon whipped and crucified more then the riches of all the richest the strength of all the strongest the wisedom of all the wisest the holines of all the holiest mē with all the crownes scepters of all the Kings and Princes of the whole world They therfore are worthily called blessed of Christ which are not offended in him Now Paule had not onely outward tentations wherof I haue spoken alredy but also inward and spirituall tentations as Christ had in the garden Such as that was wherof he complaineth in the 2. Corrin 12. that he felt the pricke or sting of the flesh and the angell of Satan vvhich buffetted him This I say by the way because the Papists expounded this to be a motion of fleshly lust but it was a spirituall tentation And herein is no repugnance that he addeth this word Flesh saying A pricke vvas geuen me in my Flesh. Yea he calleth it of purpose a pricke in the flesh For the Galathians and others which were conuersant with Paule had seene him oftentimes in great anguish terrour and heauines of spirite Wherfore the Apostles had not onely bodily but also spirituall tentations which also he confesseth in the .2 Cor. 7. with these wordes Fightings vvithout and terrours vvithin And Luke sayeth in the last of the Actes that Paule when he had long striued in the tempestes of the sea euen vnto heauines of his spirite was againe refreshed and waxed bolde when he sawe the brethern that came from Rome to meete him at the market of Appius and three Tauernes Also in the .2 Phil. he confesseth that God had mercy vpon him in that he restored Epaphroditus so weake and neare to death vnto health againe lest he should haue sorrow vpon sorrow Therefore besides outward tentations the Apostles also suffered great anguish heauines and terrours But why sayth Paule that he was not despised of the Galathians It seemeth that they despised him when they fell away from his Gospell Paule expoundeth himselfe When I first preached to you the Gospell sayth he ye did not as other people for the most parte haue done who being greatly offended through this my infirmitie and tentation of the flesh haue despised and reiected me For mans reason is soone offended with this vile and contemptible forme of the crosse and iudgeth those that are so afflicted to be starke madde which will goe about to cōfort helpe and succour others Also those that boast of their great riches that is to say of righteousnes strēgth victory ouer sinne death and all euils of ioy saluation and euerlasting life and yet notwithstanding they themselues are needie weake heauy hearted and despised euill intreated and slaine as very noysome poysons of common weales and of Religion and they that kill them thinke they doe high seruice vnto god Therfore when they promise vnto others eternall treasures and they themselues perish so wretchedly before the world they are laughed to scorne and cōpelled to heare Phisitian cure thy selfe And hereof come these complaints which are euery where in the Psalmes I am a vvorme and no man c. Againe Depart not frō me for tribulation is at hand and there is none to helpe c. This is therfore a great commendation of the Galathians that they were not offended with this infirmitie and tentation of Paule but receaued him as an Angell of God yea as Christ Iesus It is in dede a great vertue and worthy of great praise to heare the Apostle But it is a greater and a true Christian vertue to geue eare vnto one so miserable weake and
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
of the freewoman and shall at length be cast into vtter darknes Paule therefore by these wordes bondwoman and freewoman tooke occasion as we haue heard to reiect the righteousnes of the lawe and to confirme the doctrine of Iustification And of purpose he taketh hold of this word freewoman vehemently vrging and amplifying the same especially in the beginning of the chapter folowing Whervpon he taketh occasion to reason of Christian libertie the knowledge whereof is very necessary For the Pope hath in a maner quite ouerthrowne it and made the Church subiect to mans traditions and ceremonies and to a most miserable and filthie bondage That libertie which is purchased by Christ is vnto vs at this day a most strong fort and munition wherby we defend our selues against the tyrannie of the Pope Wherfore we must diligently consider this doctrine of Christian libertie as well to confirme the doctrine of iustification as also to raise vppe and comfort weake consciences against so many troubles offences which our aduersaries doe impute vnto the Gospell Now Christian libertie is a very spirituall thing which the carnall man doth not vnderstand Yea they which haue the first frutes of the spirite and can talke well therof doe very hardly retaine it in their heart It seemeth to reason that it is a matter of small importance Therefore if the holy Ghost do not magnifie it adde a waight vnto it it is conteÌ„ned The fifth Chapter PAVLE now drawing towardes the ende of his Epistle disputeth very vehemeÌ„tly in defence of the doctrine of Faith and Christian libertie against the false apostles the enemies and destroyers of the same against whom he casteth out very thundring wordes to beate them downe and vtterly to vanquish them And therewithall he exhorteth the Galathians to flie their pernicious doctrine as a dangerous poyson In his exhortation he intermingleth threatnings and promises trying euery way that he may kepe them in that libertie which Christ had purchased for them saying Verse 1. Stand fast therefore in that libertie vvherein Christe hath made vs free That is to say Be ye stedfast So Peter sayeth Be sober and vvatch for your aduersarie the Deuill as a roaring Lion vvalketh about seeking vvhom he may deuoure vvhom resist being stedfast in the Faith. Be ye not carelesse sayth he but stedfast and constant Lie not downe and sleepe but stand vp As if he would say It standeth you in hand to be watchfull and constant that ye may keepe and hold fast that libertie wherin Christe hath made you free They that are secure and negligent can not kepe this libertie For Satan most deadly hateth the light of the Gospell that is to say the doctrine of grace libertie consolation and life Therfore when he seeth that it beginneth once to appeare forthwith he fighteth against it with all might and maine stirring vppe stormes and tempests to hinder the course therof and vtterly to ouerthrow it Wherefore Paule warneth the Faithfull not to sleepe not to be negligent but constantly and valiantly to resist Satan that he spoile them not of that libertie which Christe hath purchased for them Euery word hath here a certaine vehemencie Stand sayth he As if he should say Here haue ye neede of great diligence vigilancie In that libertie In what libertie Not in that wherwith the Emperour hath made vs free but in that wherwith Christ hath made vs free The Emperour hath geuen or rather was compelled to geue to the Bishop of Rome a free citie and other landes also immunities priuileges and prerogatiues c. This is also a libertie but it is a ciuill libertie whereby the Pope with all his cleargie is exempt from all publicke charges Moreouer there is a fleshly or rather a deuilish libertie wherby the Deuill chiefly raigneth thorow out the whole world For they that inioy this libertie obey neither God nor lawes but doe what they list This libertie the people seeke and embrace at this day and so doe the Sectaries which will be at libertie in their opinions and in all their doings to the ende they may teach and doe whatsoeuer they dreame to be good and sound without reprehension These stand in that libertie wherein the Deuill hath made them free But we speake not here of this libertie albeit the whole world seeketh no other libertie Neither doe we speake of the ciuill libertie but of a farre other maner of libertie which the Deuill hateth and resisteth with all his power This is that libertie whereby Christe hath made vs free not from an earthly bondage or from the Babylonicall captiuitie or from the tyrannie of the Turkes but froÌ„ Gods euerlasting wrath And where is this done In the conscience There resteth our libertie and goeth no farther For Christe hath made vs free not ciuily nor carnally but diuinely that is to say we are made free in such sort that our coÌ„science is now free and quiet not fearing the wrath of God to come This is that true and inestimable libertie to the excelleÌ„cie maiestie wherof if we compare the other they are but as one droppe of water in respect of the whole sea For who is able to expresse what a thing it is when a man is assured in his heart that God neither is nor will be angry with him but will be for euer a mercifull and a louing father vnto him for Christes sake This is in deede a maruelous and an incomprehensible libertie to haue the most high and soueraigne Maiestie so fauourable vnto vs that he doth not onely defend maintaine and succour vs in this life but also as touching our bodies wâ—ll so deliuer vs that our bodies which are sowen in corruption in dishonor and infirmitie shall rise againe in incorruption in glory and power Wherfore this is an inestimable libertie that we are made free from the wrath of God for euer and is greater then heauen and earth and all other creatures Of this libertie there foloweth an other whereby through Christe we are made free from the lawe sinne death the power of the Deuill hell c. For as the wrath of God can not terrifie vs for that Christe hath deliuered vs from the same so the lawe sinne and death can not accuse and condemne vs And although the law accuse vs and sinne terrifie vs yet they can not driue vs to desperation For Faith which ouercometh the world by and by sayeth These things belong not vnto me for Christe hath made me free and deliuered me from them all Likewise death which is the most mighty and most dreadful thing in all the world is vtterly vanquished in the conscience by this libertie of the spirite Wherfore the maiestie of this Christian libertie is highly to be estemed and diligently considered It is an easie matter for a maÌ„ to speake these words freedome from the wrath of God sinne and death but in the time
of tentation experiēce and practise to applie them to him selfe and to feele the excellencie of this libertie and the frute thereof it is a harder matter then can be expressed Therfore our conscience must be enstructed and prepared before hand that when we feele the accusation of the lawe the terrours of sinne the horrour of death and the wrath of God we may remoue these heauie sightes and fearfull fantasies out of our mindes and set in the place thereof the freedome purchased by Christ the forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes life and the euerlasting mercy of god And albeit the feeling of the contrary be very strong yet let vs assure our selues that it shall not long endure according to that saying of the Prophet For a moment in mine anger I hidde my face from thee for a litle season but vvith euerlasting mercy I haue compassion on thee But this is very hard to doe Wherefore that libertie which Christ hath purchased for vs is not so soone beleued as it is named If it could be apprehended with a sure and a stedfast Faith then no rage or terrour of the word of the law sinne death or the Deuill could be so great but by by it should be swalowed vp as a litle drop of water is swallowed of the maine sea And certainly this Christian libertie swalloweth vp at once taketh quite away the whole heape of euils the law sinne death Gods wrath and briefly the serpent him selfe with his head and whole power and in the stead therof it placeth righteousnes peace euerlasting life c. But blessed is he that vnderstandeth and beleueth Let vs learne therefore to magnifie this our libertie purchased by Iesus Christe the sonne of God by whom all things were created both in heauen and earth Which libertie he hath purchased with no other price then with his owne bloud to deliuer vs not from any bodely or temporall seruitude but from a spirituall and euerlasting bondage vnder mighty and inuincible tyrannes to witte the lawe sinne death and the Deuil and so to reconcile vs vnto God his father Now since these enemies are ouercome and we reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne it is certaine that we are righteous before God and that what so euer we doe pleaseth him And although there be certaine remnantes of sinne yet still in vs they are not laid to our charge but pardoned for Christes sake Paule vseth wordes of great force and vehemencie Stand sayth he in that libertie vvherin Christe hath made you free This libertie then is not geuen vnto vs by the law or for our righteousnes but freely for Christes sake Which thing Paule here witnesseth and plainly declareth thorow out his whole Epistle Christe also in the .8 of Iohn sayth If the sonne shall make you free there shall ye be free in deede He onely is sette betwixt vs and the euils which trouble and afflict vs he hath ouercome them and taken them away so that they cā no more oppresse vs nor condemne vs In the sted of sinne and death he geueth vnto vs righteousnes and euerlasting life and by this meanes he chaūgeth the bondage and terrours of the law into the liberty of cōscience and consolation of the Gospel which sayeth Be of good comfort my sonne thy sinnes are forgeuen thee Whosoeuer then beleueth in Christ the sonne of God he hath this libertie Reason can not perceaue the excellencie of this matter which when a man considereth in spirite he shall see that it is inestimable For who is able to conceaue in his minde how great and vnspeakable a gift it is to haue the forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes euerlasting life in the sted of the law sinne death and the wrath of God to haue God him selfe fauourable and merciful for euer The Papists and the hypocrites that seeke the righteousnes of the lawe or their owne righteousnes doe glory that they likewise haue remission of sinnes righteousnes life and the grace of god For they vaunt that they also haue this libertie and they promise the same vnto others but in very deede they are the seruauntes of corruption and in the time of tentation all their vaine confidence vanisheth away euen in a moment For they trust vnto the workes and satisfactions of men and not to the word of God nor vnto Christe Wherefore it is impossible for the Iusticiaries which seeke to winne heauen life and saluation by workes and merites to know what the libertie and deliuerance from sinne is Contrariwise our libertie hath for her foundation Christe him selfe who is our euerlasting high Bishop sitting at the right hand of God making intercessiō for vs Wherfore the forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes life libertie which we haue through him is sure certaine perpetual so that we beleue this Wherefore if we cleaue vnto Christ with a stedfast Faith and stand fast in that libertie wherein he hath made vs free we shall obtaine those inestimable gifts but if we be carelesse and negligent we shall lose them It is not without cause that Paule biddeth vs watch and stand fast for he knew that the Deuil seeketh nothing more then to spoile vs of this libertie which cost Christe so great a price and to entāgle vs againe by his ministers in the yoke of bondage as foloweth Verse 1. And be not entangled againe vvith the yoke of bondage Paule hath spoken most effectually and profoundly as concerning grace and Christian libertie and with high and mighty wordes hath exhorted the Galathians to continue in the same for it is easily lost Therefore he biddeth them stand fast lest that through negligence or securitie they fall backe againe from grace and Faith to the law and workes Now because reason iudgeth that there can be no daunger in preferring the righteousnes of the law before the righteousnes of Faith therefore with a certaine indignation he enueyeth against the lawe and with great contempt he calleth it a yoke yea a yoke of bondage So Peter calleth it also Acts. 15 VVhy tempt ye God to lay a yoke on the disciples neckes vvhich neither our fathers nor vve vvere able to beare And thus he turneth all things to the contrary For the false Apostles did abase the promise and magnified the law and the works thereof in this wise If ye will be made free say they from sinne and death and obtaine righteousnes and life fulfil the law be circumcised obserue dayes moneths times and yeres offer sacrifices and doe such other like things then shall this obedience of the law iustifie and saue you But Paule sayth the contrary They sayth he that teach the law after this sort do not set mens consciences at libertie but snare and entangle them with a yoke yea and that with a yoke of bondage He speaketh therfore of the law very basely and contemptuously and calleth it an hard bondage and a seruile yoke
And this he doth not without great cause For this pernicious opinion of the lawe that it iustifieth and maketh men righteous before God is deepely rooted in mans reason and all mankinde is so wrapped in it that it can hardly get out And Paul seemeth here to compare those that seeke righteousnes by the lawe vnto oxen that be tied to the yoke to the end he might take from it the glory of iustifying of righteousnes For like as oxen that draw in the yoke with great toile receaue nothing therby but forrage or pasture when they be able to draw the yoke no more are appoynted to the slaughter euen so they that seeke righteousnes by the lawe are captiues and oppressed with the yoke of bondage that is to say with the lawe and when they haue tired themselues a long time in the workes of the lawe with great and greeuous toyle in the ende this is their reward that they are miserable and perpetuall seruaunts And whereof euen of sinne death Gods wrath and of the Deuill Wherefore there is no greater or harder bondage then the bondage of the lawe It is not without cause then that Paule calleth it the yoke of bōdage For as we haue often sayd before the law doth but reueale encrease aggrauate sinne accuse terrify condemne gender wrath and finally it driueth poore consciences into desperation which is the most miserable and most greeuous bondage that can be Rom. 3.4.5 He vseth therefore very vehement wordes For he would gladly perswade them that they should not suffer this importable burden to be layd vpon their shoulders by the false apostles or be entangled againe with the yoke of bondage As if he should say We stād not here vpon a matter of small importance but either of euerlasting libertie or euerlasting bondage For like as freedome from Gods wrath and all euils is not temporall or carnall but euerlasting euen so the bondage of sinne death the Deuill and damnation wherwith all they be oppressed which will be made righteous and saued by the law is not corporall and such as continueth but for a time but euerlasting For such workers of the lawe as goe about to performe and accomplish all things precisely and exactly for of such Paule speaketh can neuer finde quietnes and peace of conscience in this life They alwayes dout of the good will of God towardes them they are alwayes in feare of death of the wrath and iudgement of God and after this life they shal be punished for their vnbeleefe with euerlasting damnation Therefore the doers of the lawe and such as stand altogether vpon the righteousnes and workes thereof are rightly called the Deuils martyrs They take more paines and punish them selues more in purchasing hell according to the prouerbe then the Martyrs of Christe doe in obtaining heauen For they are tormented two maner of wayes First they miserably afflict themselues whilest they liue here by doing of many hard and great workes and all in vaine and afterwardes when they die they reape for a recompence euerlasting damnation Thus are they most miserable Martyrs both in this life and in the life to come and their bondage is euerlasting Cōtrariwise the godly haue troubles in this world but in Christe they haue peace because they beleue that he hath ouercome the world Wherefore we must stand fast in that freedome which Christ hath purchased for vs by his death we must take good heede that we be not entangled againe with the yoke of bondage As it hapneth at this day to the fantasticall spirites who falling away from Faith and from this freedom haue procured vnto them selues here a temporal bondage and in the world to come shall be oppressed with an euerlasting bondage As for the Papistes the most part of them are become at this day plaine Epicures Therfore whiles they may they vse the libertie of the flesh singing this carelesse song Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas That is Eate drinke make good cheare for after this life there is no pleasure But they are the very bondslaues of the Deuill by whom they are holden captiues at his will and pleasure therefore they shall feele this euerlasting bōdage in hel Hetherto Paules exhortation hath bene vehement and earnest but that which foloweth doth farre passe it Verse 2. Behold I Paule say vnto you that if ye be circumcised Christe shall profite you nothing Paule here wonderfully stirred vppe with zeale and feruencie of spirite thundreth against the law circumcision and these thundring wordes proceding of great zeale and indignation the holy Ghost wresteth frō him in saying Behold I Paule c. I I say who know that I haue not receaued the Gospel by man but by the reuelation of Iesus Christe and haue commission and authoritie from aboue to teach and define c. doe tel you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing at all This is a very hard sentence wherby Paule declareth that to be circumcised is as much as to make Christe vtterly vnprofitable not in respect of himselfe but of the Galathians who being deceaued by the subtelties of the false apostles beleued that besides faith in Christe it was needefull for the faithfull to be circumcised without the which they could not obtaine saluation This place is as it were a touchstone wherby we may most certainely and freely iudge of all doctrines workes religions and ceremonies of all men Whosoeuer teach that there is any thing necessary to saluation whether they be Papists Turks Iewes or Sectaries besides Faith in Christe or shall deuise any worke or religion or obserue any Rule tradition or ceremonie whatsoeuer with this opinion that by such things they shall obtaine forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes and euerlasting life they heare in this place the sentence of the holy Ghost pronounced against them by the Apostle that Christe profiteth them nothing Seing Paule durst geue this sentence against the lawe and circumcision which were ordained of God himselfe what durst he not doe against the chaffe and the drosse of mens traditions Wherefore this place is a terrible thunderbolt against all the kingdom of the Pope For all the Priestes Monkes and Heremites that liue in their cloisters I speake of the best of them reposed all their trust and confidence in their owne workes righteousnes vowes and merits and not in Christ whom they most wickedly and blasphemously imagined to be an angrie iudge an accuser and cōdemner And therefore here they heare their iudgement that Christ profiteth them nothing For if they can put away sinnes and deserue forgeuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life through their owne righteousnes and straitnes of life then to what purpose was Christe borne What profite haue they by his death and bloudsheding by his resurrection victorie ouer sinne death and the Deuill seeing they are able to ouercome these monsters by their owne
for me in heauen So both these sayings are true that I am made righteous alredy by that righteousnes which is begun in me and also I am raised vppe in the same hope against sinne and waite for the full consummation of perfect righteousnes in heauen These things are not rightly vnderstand but when they be put in practise VVhat difference there is betwene Faith and Hope Here riseth a question what difference there is betwene Faith and Hope The Sophisters and Schoolemē haue laboured very much in this matter but they could neuer shew any certaintie Yea to vs which trauell in the holy Scriptures with much diligence and also with more fulnes and power of spirite be it spoken without any bragge it is hard to finde any differēce For there is so great affinitie betwene Faith and hope that the one can not be seperate from the other Notwithstanding there is a difference betwene them which is gathered of their seuerall offices diuersitie of working and of their endes First they differ in respect of their subiect that is of the groūd wherin they rest For Faith resteth in the vnderstanding and hope resteth in the will but in very deede they can not be seperated the one hauing respect to the other as the two Cherubins of the Mercieseat which could not be deuided Secondly they differ in respect of their office that is of theyr working For faith telleth what is to be done it teacheth prescribeth and directeth and it is a knowledge Hope is an exhortatiō which stirreth vp the minde that it may be strong bold and couragious that it may suffer and endure aduersitie and in the middest thereof wait for better things Thirdly they differ as touching their obiect that is the speciall matter whervnto they looke For Faith hath for her obiect the truth teaching vs to cleaue surely therto and loketh vpon the word and promise of the thing that is promised Hope hath for her obiect the goodnes of God and loketh vpon the thing which is promised in the word that is vpon such matters as Faith teacheth vs to be hoped for Fourthly they differ in order For Faith is the beginning of life before all tribulation Heb. 11. But hope cometh afterwardes proceding of tribulations Rom. 5. Fiftly they differ by the diuersitie of working For Faith is a teacher and a iudge fighting against errours and heresies iudging spirites doctrines But hope is as it were the Generall or Captaine of the field fighting against tribulation the crosse impatiencie heauines of spirite weaknes desperation and blasphemie and it waiteth for good things euen in the middest of all euils Therefore when I am instructed by Faith in the word of God and lay holde of Christe beleuing in him with my whole heart then am I righteous by this knowledge When I am so iustified by Faith or by this knowledge by and by cometh the Deuill the father of lies and laboureth to extinguish my Faith by wiles and subtilties that is to say by lies errours and heresies Moreouer because he is a murtherer he goeth about also to oppresse it by violence Here hope wrastlinge layeth holde on the thinge reuealed by Faithe and ouercometh the Deuill that warreth against Faith and after this victorie foloweth peace ioy in the holy Ghost So that in very deede faith hope can scarsely be discerned the one from the other yet is there a certaine difference betwene them And that it may be the better perceaued I will set out the matter by a similitude In ciuill gouernment Prudence and Fortitude doe differ and yet these two vertues are so ioyned together that they can not easily be seuered Now fortitude is a constancie of minde which is not discouraged in aduersity but endureth valiantly waiteth for better things But if fortitude be not guided by prudence it is but temeritie and rashnes On the other side if fortitude be not ioyned with prudence that prudence is but vaine and vnprofitable Therfore like as in policy prudence is but vaine without fortitude euen so in Diuinitie Faith without hope is nothing For hope endureth aduersity and is constant therin and in the end ouercometh all euils And on the other side like as fortitude without prudence is rashnes euen so hope without faith is a presumption in spirite and a tempting of God for it hath no knowledge of Christ and of the truth which Faith teacheth and therfore it is but a blind rashnes arrogancie Wherfore a godly man afore all things must haue a right vnderstanding instructed by Faith according to the which the minde may be guided in afflictiōs that it may hope for those good things which Faith hath reuealed and taught To be short Faith is conceaued by teaching for thereby the minde is instructed what the truthe is Hope is conceaued by exhortation for by exhortation hope is stirred vppe in afflictions which cōfirmeth him that is alredy iustified by Faith that he be not ouercome by aduersities but that he may be able more strongly to resist them notwithstanding if the sparke of Faith should not geue light to the will it could not be perswaded to lay holde vpon hope We haue Faith then wherby we are taught vnderstand and know the heauenly wisedom apprehende Christe and continue in his grace But as soone as we lay hold vpon Christe by Faith and confesse him forthwith our enemies the world the flesh and the Deuil rise vppe against vs hating and persecuting vs most cruelly both in body and spirite Wherefore we thus beleuing and iustified by Faith in spirite doe wait for the hope of our righteousnes And we wait through patience for we see feele the flatte contrary For the world with his Prince the Deuill assaileth vs mightely both within and without Moreouer sinne yet still remaineth in vs which driueth vs into heauines Notwithstanding we geue not ouer for all this but raise vppe our mind strongly through Faith which lightneth teacheth guideth the same And thus we abide firme and constant and ouercome al aduersities through him which hath loued vs vntil our righteousnes which we beleue and wait for be reuealed By Faith therefore we began by hope we continue and by reuelation we shall obtaine the whole In the meane time whilest we liue here because we beleue we teach the word and publish the knowledge of Christe vnto others Thus doing we suffer persecution according to this text I beleued and therefore did I speake and I vvas fore troubled with patience being strengthened and encouraged throughe hope wherevnto the Scripture exhorteth vs with most sweete and comfortable promises taught and reuealed vnto vs by Faith. And thus doth hope spring vp encrease in vs Rō 15. That through patience and comfort of the Scripture vve may haue hope Paule therfore not without cause ioyneth patience in tribulatiōs and hope together in the .5 and .8 to the Romains and in other places
vnder the Pope Now Paule goeth about to declare out of the ten commaundements what it is to serue one an other through loue Verse 14. For the vvhole lavve is fulfilled in one vvord vvhich is this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Paule after that he hath laid the foundation of Christian doctrine is wont to build gold siluer and precious stones vpon it Now there is no other foundation as he himselfe sayeth to the Corinthians than Iesus Christ or the righteousnes of Christe Vpon this foundation he buildeth now good workes yea good workes in deede all which he comprehendeth in one precept Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe As if he should say when I say that ye must serue one an other through loue I meane the selfe same thing that the lawe sayeth in an other place Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And this is truely to interprete the Scriptures and Gods commaundements Now in geuing preceptes of loue he couertly toucheth by the way the false teachers against whom he setteth him selfe mightely that he may defend and stablish his doctrine of good workes against them As if he sayd O ye Galathians I haue hetherto taught you the true and spirituall life and now also I will teach you what be good workes in deede And this will I doe to the ende ye may know that the vaine and foolish workes of ceremonies which the false Apostles doe onely vrge are farre inferiour to the workes of charitie For such is the foolishnes and madnes of all wicked teachers and fantasticall spirites that not onely they leaue the true foundation and pure doctrine but also continuing alwayes in their superstitions they neuer attaine to good workes Therefore as Paule sayeth they build nothing but woode hay and stubble vppon the foundation So the false apostles which were the most earnest defenders of workes did not teach or require the workes of charitie as that Christians shuld loue one an other that they should be ready to helpe their neighbours in all necessities not onely with their goods but also with their body that is to say with tounge hand heart and with their whole strength but onely they required that circumcision should be kept that dayes monethes yeres and times should be obserued and other good workes they could teach none For after they had destroyed the foundation which is Christ darkened the doctrine of Faith it was impossible that there should remaine any true vse exercise or opinion of good workes Take away the tree the frute must needes perish The Apostle therfore diligently exhorteth the Christians to exercise themselues in good workes after that they haue heard and receaued the pure doctrine of Faith. For the remnauntes of sinne doe yet still remaine euen in those that be iustified which as they are contrary to Faith and hinder it so doe they hinder vs from doing good workes Moreouer mans reason and the flesh which in the sainctes them selues resisteth the spirite and in the wicked doth mightely raigne is naturally delited with Pharisaicall superstitions that is to say it taketh more pleasure in measuring God by her owne imaginations than by his word and doth the works that she her selfe hath chosen with farre greater zeale then those which God hath commaunded Wherfore it is necessary that the godly preachers should as diligently teach and vrge the doctrine of good workes as the doctrine of Faith for Satan is a deadly enemie to both Notwithstanding faith must first be planted for without Faith it is impossible to vnderstand what a good worke is or what pleaseth God. Let no man thinke therefore that he thorowly knoweth this commaūdement Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe In deede it is very short and easy as touching the wordes but shew me the teachers and hearers that in teaching learning and liuing doe exercise and accomplish it rightly Therefore these wordes Serue ye one an other through loue and these also Thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy self are incomprehensible no man no not euen the godly doe sufficiently consider teach and exercise the same And which is a wōderful thing the faithfull haue this tentation that if they omit neuer so light a matter which they ought to do by and by their conscience is wounded but they are not so troubled if they neglect the dueties of charitie as daily they doe or beare not a sincere and brotherly loue and affection towards their neighbour For they doe not so much regard the commaundement of charitie as their owne superstitions from the which they be not altogether free during this life Paule therfore reprehendeth the Galathians in these words For the vvhole lavv is fulfilled in one vvord As if he had said ye are drowned in your superstitions ceremonies concerning places times which profit neither your selues nor others and in the meane while ye neglect charitie which ye ought onely to haue kept What madnes is this So sayth Ierome We weare cōsume our bodies with watching fasting and labour but we neglect charitie which is the onely lady mistresse of workes And this may be wel seene in the Monkes who straitly obserue their traditions concerning their ceremonies fasting watching apparel such like In this case if they omitte any thing be it neuer so litle they sinne deadly But whē they do not only neglect charitie but also hate one an other to the death they sinne not nor offend God at all Therefore by this commaundement Paule not onely teacheth good works but also cōdemneth fantasticall and superstitious works He not onely buildeth gold siluer and precious stones vpon the foundation but also throweth downe the woode and burneth vp the hay stubble God witnessed by examples in the olde Testament how much he did alwayes esteme of charitie whervnto he would haue that very law it self and the ceremonies therof to geue place At such time as Dauid and they that were with him were hungrie and had not what to eate they did eate the holy shewbread which by the lawe the lay people might not eate but onely the priests Christes disciples brake the Saboth in plucking the eares of corne yea and Christ him selfe brake the Saboth as sayd the Iewes in healing the sicke on the Saboth day All these things shew that charitie or loue ought to be preferred before all lawes ceremonies that God requireth nothing so much at our handes as loue towardes our neighbour The same thing Christe also witnesseth when he sayeth And the second is like vnto this Verse 14. For all the lavv is fulfilled in one vvord As if he sayd Why doe ye burden your selues with the lawe Why doe ye so toile and tormoile your selues about the ceremonies of the law about meates dayes places and such other things as how ye ought to eate drinke keepe your feastes sacrifice c. Leaue of these follies and hearken what
consent to the flesh which alwayes enticeth vs to some euill but to resist it by the spirit We must not be ouercome with impatiencie for the vnthankfulnes and contempt of the people which abuseth the Christian libertie but through the spirite we must ouercome this all other temptations Looke then how much we striue against the flesh by the spirite so much are we outwardly righteous Albeit this righteousnes doth not commend vs before God. Let no man therefore despaire if he feele the flesh oftentimes to stirre vppe new battell against the spirite or if he can not by and by subdue the flesh and make it obedient vnto the spirite I also doe wish my selfe to haue a more valiaunt and constant heart which might be able not only boldly to contemne the threatnings of tyrants the heresies offences and tumults which Satan and his souldiers the enemies of the Gospell stirre vp but also might by and by shake of the vexatiōs and anguish of spirit and briefly might not feare the sharpnes of death but receaue and embrace it as a most frendly ghest But I find an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde c. Some other doe wrastle with inferiour temptations as pouertie reproch impatiencie and such like Let no man maruel therfore or be dismaied when he feeleth in his body this battell of the flesh against the spirite but let him plucke vp his heart and comfort him selfe with these wordes of Paule The flesh lusteth against the spirite Also These are contrary one to an other so that ye doe not those things that you vvould For by these sentences he comforteth them that be tēpted As if he should say It is impossible for you to folow the guiding of the spirit in all thinges without any feeling or hinderance of the flesh Nay the flesh will resist and so resist and hinder you that ye can not doe those things which gladly ye would Here it shalt be enough if ye resist the flesh and fulfill not the lust therof that is to say if ye folow the spirite and not the flesh which easily is ouerthrowne by impatiencie coueteth to reuenge biteth grudgeth hateth God is angrie with him despaireth c. Therefore when a man feeleth this battell of the flesh lette him not be discouraged therewith but let him resist in spirite and say I am a sinner and I feele sinne in me for I haue not yet put of the flesh in which sinne dwelleth so long as it liueth But I will obey the spirite and not the flesh that is I will by Faith and hope lay hold vpon Christe and by his word I will raise vppe my selfe and being so raised vppe I will not fulfill the lust of the flesh It is very profitable for the godly to know this and to beare it wel in minde for it wonderfully comforteth them when they are tempted When I was a Monke I thought by and by that I was vtterly cast away if at any time I felt the lust of the flesh that is to say if I felt any euill motion fleshly lust wrath hatred or enuie against any brother I assayed many wayes to helpe and to quiet my conscience but it would not be For the cōcupiscence and lust of my flesh did alwayes returne so that I could not rest but was cōtinually vexed with these thoughts This or that sinne thou hast cōmitted thou art infected with enuie with impatiencie such other sinnes therfore thou art entred into this holy Order in vaine and all thy good works are vnprofitable If then I had rightly vnderstand these sentences of Paule The flesh lusteth cōtrary to the spirit the spirit contrary to the flesh And These tvvo are one against an other so that ye can not do the things that ye vvould doe I should not haue so miserably tormented my selfe but should haue thought and sayd to my selfe as now commonly I doe Martine thou shalt not vtterly be without sinne for thou hast flesh thou shalt therefore feele the battell thereof according to that saying of Paule The flesh resisteth the spirite Despaire not therefore but resist it strongly and fulfill not the lust thereof Thus doing thou art not vnder the lawe I remember that Staupitius was wont to say I haue vowed vnto God aboue a thousand times that I would become a better mā but I neuer performed that which I vowed Hereafter I wil make no such vow for I haue now learned by experience that I am not able to performe it Vnlesse therefore God be fauourable and mercifull vnto me for Christes sake and graunt vnto me a blessed happie hower when I shall depart out of this miserable life I shall not be able with all my vowes and all my good deedes to stand before him This was not onely a true but also a godly an holy desperation and this must all they confesse both with mouth and heart which wil be saued For the godly trust not to their owne righteousnes but say with Dauid Enter not into iudgement vvith thy seruaunt for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified Againe If thou O Lord shouldest straitly marke iniquities O Lord vvho shall stand They loke vnto Christ their Reconciler who gaue his life for their sinnes Moreouer they know that the remnant of sinne which is in their flesh is not laid to their charge but freely pardoned Notwithstāding in the meane while they fight in spirite against the flesh lest they should fulfill the lustes thereof And although they feele the flesh to rage and rebell against the spirite and them selues also to fall sometimes into sinne through infirmitie yet are they not discouraged not thinke therefore that their state and kinde of life and the workes which are done according to their calling displease God but they raise vppe them selues by Faith. The faithfull therefore receaue great consolation by this doctrine of Paule in that they know them selues to haue part of the flesh and part of the spirite but yet so notwithstanding that the spirite ruleth and the flesh is subdued and kept vnder awe that righteousnes raigneth and sinne serueth He that knoweth not this doctrine and thinketh that the faithfull ought to be without all fault and yet seeth the contrary in him selfe must needes at the length be swalowed vppe by the spirite of heauines and fall into desperation But who so knoweth this doctrine well and vseth it rightly to him the things that are euil turne vnto good For when the flesh prouoketh him to sinne by occasion therof he is stirred vp and enforced to seeke forgeuenes of sinnes by Christe and to embrace the righteousnes of Faith which else he would not so greatly esteme nor seeke for the same with so great desire Therefore it profiteth vs very much to feele sometimes the wickednes of our nature and corruption of our flesh that yet by this meanes we may be
trust in his death and victorie theyr strait and painfull life auailed them nothing at all These things sufficiently declare who be the true Sainctes in deede and which is to be called a holy life Not the life of those which lurke in caues dennes which make their bodies leane with fasting which weare hear and doe other like things with this perswasion and trust that they shall haue some singular reward in heauen aboue all other Christians but of those which be baptised and beleue in Christ which put of the olde man with his workes but not at once For concupiscence and lust remaineth in them so long as they liue the feeling wherof doth hurt them nothing at all if they suffer it not to raigne in them but subdue it to the spirite This doctrine bringeth great consolation to godly mindes that when they feele these dartes of the flesh wherewith Sathan assaileth the spirite they should not despaire As it hapneth to many in the Papacie which thought that they ought to feele no concupiscence of the flesh where as notwithstanding Hierome Gregorie Benedict Barnard and others whom the Monks set before them as a perfect example of chastitie and of all Christian vertues could neuer come so farre as to feele no concupiscence or lust of the flesh Yea they felt it and that very strongly Which thing they acknowledge and plainly confesse in diuers places of their bookes Therfore we rightly confesse in the articles of our beleefe that we beleue there is a holy Church For it is inuisible dwelling in spirit in a place that none can attaine vnto and therefore her holines can not be seene For God doth so hide and couer her with infirmities with sinnes with errours with diuers formes of the crosse and offences that according to the iudgement of reason it is no where to be seene They that are ignorant of this when they see the infirmities and sinnes of those which are baptised which haue the word and beleue it are by and by offended and iudge them not to pertaine to the Church And in the meane while they dreame that the Heremites the Monks and such other shauelings are the church which honour God with their lippes and worship him in vaine because they folow not the word of God but the doctrines and commaundements of men teach others to doe the same And because they doe certaine superstitious and monstrous works which carnal reason magnifieth and highly estemeth therfore they iudge them only to be Saincts and to be the church And in so doing they chaunge and turne this article of the Faith cleane contrary I beleue that there is a holy church c. and in the steede of this word I beleue they put in I see These kinds of righteousnes holines of mans owne deuising are nothing else but spiritual sorceries wherw t the eyes minds of mē are blinded led frō the knowledge of true holines But thus teach we that the Church hath no spot nor wrinkle but is holy and yet through Faith onely in Christ Iesus Againe that she is holy in life and cōuersation by abstaining from the lusts of the flesh and exercise of spirituall works but yet not in such sort that he is deliuered from all euill desires or purged from all wicked opinions and errours For the church alwayes confesseth her sinnes prayeth that her faults may be pardoned Also she beleueth the forgeuenes of sinnes The Saincts therfore doe sinne fall and also erre but yet through ignorance For they would not willingly deny Christe forsake the Gospell c therefore they haue remission of sinnes And if through ignorance they erre also in doctrine yet is this pardoned for in the ende they acknowledge their errour and rest onely vppon the truth and the grace of God offered in Christe as Hierome Gregorie Bernard and others did Let Christians then endeuour to auoide the workes of the flesh but the desires or lustes of the flesh they can not auoide It is very profitable therfore for them to feele the vncleane lustes of the flesh lest they should be puffed vp with some vaine wicked opinion of the righteousnes of their owne works as though they were accepted before God for the same The Monks being puffed vp with this opinion of their owne righteousnes thought thēselues to be so holy that they solde their righteousnes holines to others although they were cōuinced by the testimony of their owne hearts that they were vncleane So pernitious and pestilent a poyson it is for a mā to trust in his owne righteousnes to thinke himselfe to be cleane But the godly because they feele the vnclennes of their owne harts therfore they cānot trust to their own righteousnes This feeling so maketh thē to stoupe so hūbleth them that they cannot trust to their owne good workes but are constrained to flie vnto Christe their Mercy seat and onely succour who hath not a corrupt and sinfull but a most pure and holy flesh which he hath geuen for the life of the world in him they finde a sound and perfect righteousnes Thus they continue in humilitie not counterfet and Monkish but true and vnfained because of the vncleanes which yet remaineth in their flesh for the which if God would straitly iudge them they should be foūd giltie of eternal death But because they lift not vp thē selues proudly against God but with a broken a cōtrite heart humbly acknowledging their sinnes resting wholy vppon the benefite of the Mediatour Christ they come forth into the presence of God and pray that for his sake their sinnes may be forgeuen them God spreadeth ouer them an infinite heauen of grace and doth not impute vnto them their sinnes for Christes sake This I say to the end that we may take heede of the pernicious errours of the Papists touching the holines of life wherin our minds were so wrapped that without great difficultie we could not winde our selues out of them Wherfore doe your endeuour with diligence that ye may discerne and rightly iudge betwene true righteousnes or holines and that which is hypocriticall then shall ye behold the kingdom of Christ with other eyes then carnall reason doth that is with spirituall eyes and certainly iudge those to be true Sainctes in deede which are baptised and beleue in Christe and afterwardes in the same Faith wherby they are iustified and their sinnes both past and present are forgeuen doe abstaine from the desires of the flesh But from these desires they are not thorowly clensed for the flesh lusteth against the spirite Notwithstanding these vncleane rebellious lustes doe still remaine in them to this ende that they may be humbled and being so humbled they may feele the sweetenes of the grace and benefite of Christe So these remnauntes of vncleane lustes and sinnes doe nothing at all hinder but greatly furder the godly For the more they feele
their infirmities and sinnes so much the more they flie vnto Christe the throne of grace and more heartely craue his aide and succour to witte that he will couer them with his righteousnes that he will encrease their Faith that he will endue them with his holy spirite by whose gracious leading and guiding they may ouercome the lusts of the flesh that they rule raigne not ouer them but may be subiect vnto them Thus true Christians doe continually wrastle with sinne and yet notwithstanding in wrastling they are not ouercome but obtaine the victorie This haue I said that ye may vnderstād not by mens dreames but by the word of God who be true Saincts in deede We see then how greatly Christian doctrine helpeth to the raising vp comforting of weake consciences which treateth not of coules shauings shearings fraternities and such like toyes but of high waightie matters as how we may ouercome the flesh sinne death and the Deuill This doctrine as it is vnknowne to all Iusticiaries such as trust to their owne works so is it impossible for them to instruct or bring into the right way one poore conscience wandring and going astray or to pacifie and comfort the same when it is in heauines terrour or desperation Verse 19. The vvorkes of the flesh are manifest vvhich are adulterie fornication vncleannes vvantonnes idolatrie vvitchcraft c. Paule doth not recite all the workes of the flesh but vseth a certaine number for a number vncertaine First he reckeneth vp the kinds of lustes as adulterie fornication vncleannes wantonnes c. Now Now not only carnal lust is a worke of the flesh as the Papists dreamed who called mariage also a worke of the flesh so chast holy are these men wherof God himselfe is the author which also they themselues reckened among their sacraments but he numbreth also amongst the workes of the flesh as I haue sayd before idolatrie withcraft hatred and such other which hereafter folow Wherfore this place alone doth sufficiently shew what Paule meaneth by the flesh These wordes are so well knowne that they neede no interpretation Idolatrie All the highest religions the holines most feruent deuotions of those which do reiect Christ the Mediatour worship God without his word cōmaundement are nothing else but plaine idolatry As in Popery it was coūted a most holy spirituall act when the Mōks being shut vp in their selles did must meditate of God or of his works whē they being enflamed with most earnest deuotions kneeled downe praied were so rauished with the cōtemplation of heauēly things that they wept for ioy Ther was no thīking of womē or of any other creature but only of god the creator of his wonderfull works and yet this most spiritual worke as reason estemeth it is accordīg to Paul a worke of the flesh plaine idolatry Wherfore all such religiō wherby God is worshipped without his word cōmaundement is idolatry And the more holy spirituall it seemeth to be in outward shew so much the more dāgerous pernicious it is For it turneth men away frō faith in Christ causeth thē to trust to their owne strēgth works righteousnes And such is the religion of the Anabaptists at this day albeit they daily more more bewray thēselues to be possessed with the Deuill and to be seditious bloudy men Therfore the fasting the wearing of heare holy works strait Rule whole life of the Carthusiās or Charterhouse monks whose order notwithstanding is of all other the straitest sharpest be very works of the flesh yea plaine idolatrie For they imagine thē selues to be saincts to be saued not by Christ whom they feare as a seuere cruel iudge but by obseruīg of their Rules Orders In dede they thinke of God of Christ of heauenly things but after their owne reason not after the word of God to wit that their apparell their maner of liuing theyr whole conuersation is holy pleaseth Christ whō not onely they hope to pacifie by this straitnes of life but also to be rewarded of him for their good deedes righteousnes Therfore their most spiritual thoughts as they dreme of thē are not only most fleshly but also most wicked For they wold wipe away their sinnes obtaine grace life euer lasting by the trust affiāce they haue in their owne righteousnes reiecting despising the word faith Christ Al the worshippings seruices of God therefore all religions without Christ are idolatry and idoll seruice In Christ alone the father is wel pleased who so heareth him and doth that which he hath commaunded the same is beloued because of the beloued He commaundeth vs to beleue his word and to be baptised c. and not to deuise any new worshipping or seruice of God. I haue said before that the works of the flesh be manifest as adultery fornication such like be manifestly known to all men But idolatry hath such a goodly shew is so spirituall that it is known but to very few that is to the faithful to be a worke of the flesh For the Monke whē he liueth chastly fasteth praieth or saith Masse is so far from thinking hīself to be an idolater or that he fulfilleth any worke of the flesh that he is assuredly perswaded that he is led gouerned by the spirit that he walketh according to the spirit that he thinketh speaketh doth nothing else but mere spiritual thīgs and that he doth such seruice vnto god as is most acceptable vn to him No mā cā at this day perswade the Papists that their Masse is a great blasphemy agaīst god idolatry yea that so horrible as neuer was any in the church since the apostles time For they are blind obstinate therfore they iudge so peruersly of god of gods matters thīkīg idolatry to be a true seruice of god contrariwise faith to be idolatry But we which beleue in Christ know his mind are able to iudge to discerne al things cannot truly before God be iudged of any man. Hereby it is plaine that Paul calleth flesh whatsoeuer is in mā cōprehēding all the .iii. powers of the soule that is the wil that lusteth the wil that is enclined to anger the vnderstāding The works of that wil that lusteth are adultery fornicatiō vncleanes such like The works of that wil inclined to wrath are quarelings cōtentiōs murder such other The works of vnderstanding or reason are errors false religions superstitiōs idolatry heresies that is to say Sectes and such like It is very necessary for vs to know these things for this word flesh is so darkned in the whole kingdom of the Pope that they haue takē the worke of the flesh to be nothing else but that accōplishing of fleshly lust or the acte of lechery
Wherfore it was not possible for them to vnderstād Paule But here we may plainly see that Paule reckeneth idolatry and heresy amōgs the works of the flesh which two as before we haue said reason estemeth to be most high excellēt vertues wisedō religion holines rightousnes Paul Col. 2. calleth it the religion of angels But although it seeme to be neuer so holy spiritual yet is it nothīg else but a worke of the flesh an abhomination and idolatry against the Gospell against faith and against the true seruice of god This do the faithfull see for they haue spirituall eyes but the Iusticiaries iudge the contrary For a Monke can not be perswaded that his vowes be works of the flesh So the Turke beleueth nothing lesse then that his Alcaron his washings and other ceremonies which he obserueth be workes of the flesh VVitchcraft Of witchcraft I haue spoken before in the .3 Chap. This vice was very cōmon in these our dayes before the light truth of the gospel was reueled Whē I was a child there were many witches sorcerers which bewitched both cattel men but specially children did great harme also otherwise But now in the light of the Gospell these things be not so commonly heard of for the Gospell thrusteth the Deuill out of his seat with all his illusions But now he bewitcheth mē much more horribly namely with spirituall sorcerie and witchcraft Paule reckneth witchcraft among the works of the flesh which notwithstanding as all mē know is not a work of fleshly lust or lechery but a kinde of idolatry For witchcraft couenanteth with the Deuil superstition or idolatrie couenanteth with God albeit not with the true God but with a counterfet god Wherfore idolatry is in dede a spiritual witchcraft For as witches doe enchaunt cattel men so idolaters that is to say all Iusticiaries or iustifiers of thēselues go about to bewitch god and to make him such a one as they doe imagine Now they imagine him to be such a one as will iustifie them not of his mere grace and mercy and through Faith in Christe but in respect of their wil worshipping and works of their owne choosing and in recompēce therof wil geue them righteousnes and life euerlasting But whiles they go about to bewitch God they bewitch thēselues For if they continue in this wicked opinion which they cōceiue of God they shall die in their idolatrie and be damned The workes of the flesh are well knowne for the most part therfore they shall not neede any further declaration Sectes By the name of Sects Paule meaneth here not those diuisions or contentions which rise sometimes in the gouernment of housholdes or of common weales for worldly and earthly matters but those which rise in the Church about doctrine Faith and workes Heresies that is to say Sectes haue alwayes bene in the Church as we haue sayd before in diuers places Notwithstanding the Pope is an Archhereticke and the head of all heretickes for he hath filled the world as it were with an huge floud of infinite Sectes and errours What concord and vnitie was there in so great diuersitie of the Monkes and other religious Orders No one sort or Sect of them could agree with an other for they measured their holines by the straitnes of their Orders Hereof it commeth that the Carthusian wil needes be counted holier then the Franciscane so likewise the rest Wherfore there is no vnity of spirit nor concord of mindes but great discord in the papisticall church There is no conformitie in their doctrine faith religion or seruing of God but all things are cleane contrary Contrariwise amongst the Christians the word faith religion sacramēts seruice Christ God hart soule mind vnderstāding are all one and commō to all and as touching outward conuersation the diuersitie of states degrees conditiōs of life hindreth this spirituall concord and vnitie nothing at all as before I haue sayd And they which haue this vnitie of the spirit can certainly iudge of all Sects which otherwise no man vnderstandeth As in deede no diuine in that Papacie vnderstode that Paule in this place cōdemneth all the worshippings religiōs cōtinencie honest conuersation holy life in outward appearance of all the Papists Sectaries schismatikes but they all thought that he speaketh of the grosse idolatrie and heresies of the Gentiles Turks which manifestly blaspheme the name of Christ Dronkennes Gluttonie Paule doth not say that to eate drinke be workes of the flesh but to be drūken to surfet which of all other vices are most cōmon at this day Who so are geuen to this beastly dissolutenes excesse let them know that they are not spiritual how much so euer they boast them selues so to be but they folow the flesh and performe the filthie workes thereof Therfore is this horrible sentence pronoūced against them that they shal not be inheritours of the kingdom of god Paule would therfore that Christiās should flie drunkennes surfetting liuing soberly moderately without all excesse lest by pāpering the flesh they shuld be prouoked to wātonnes As in deede after surfetting belly cheare the flesh is wont to waxe wanton to be inflamed with outragious lust But it is not sufficiēt only to restraine this outragious wātonnes lust of the flesh which foloweth drūkennes surfetting or any maner of excesse but also the flesh when it is most sobre in his best tēperance must be subdued repressed lest it fulfill his lustes desires For it oftentimes cometh to passe that euē they which are most sobre are tempted most of al As Hierom wryteth of himselfe My face sayth he was pale with fasting my minde was enflamed with fleshly desires in my cold body and although my flesh was half dead alredy yet that flames of vnclene lust boiled within me Hereof I my selfe also had experiēce whē I was a Mōke The heat therfore of vncleane lusts is not quēched by fastīg only but we must be aided also by the spirite that is by the meditation of Gods word faith praier In deede fasting represseth the grosse assaultes of fleshly lust but the desires of the flesh are ouercome by no abstinence from meates an drinkes but onely by the meditation of the word of God and inuocation of Christe Verse 21. And such like For it is vnpossible to recken vp all the workes of the flesh Verse 21. VVherof I tell you as I haue also told you before that they vvhich doe such things shall not inherite the kingdom of God. This is a very hard a terrible saying but yet very necessary against false Christiās and careles hypocrites which bragge of the Gospell of Faith of the spirit and yet in all securitie they performe the workes of the flesh But chiefly the heretickes being puffed vp with opinions of spirituall matters as they
an other but geue place one to an other in geuing honour preuēt one an other Contrariwise they that be desirous of glory enuie one an other may bost that they haue the spirite and liue after the spirite but they deceaue themselues they folow the flesh and doe the workes thereof and they haue their iudgement already that they shall not inherite the kingdom of God. Now as nothing is more daūgerous to the Church then this execrable vice so is there nothing more common For when God sendeth forth labourers into his haruest by and by Sathā raiseth vp his ministers also who wil in no case be coūted inferiour to those that are rightly called Here straightwayes riseth dissension The wicked wil not yeld one heares breadth to the godly For they dreame that they farre passe them in witte in learning in godlines in spirite and other vertues Much lesse ought the godly to yelde to the wicked lest the doctrine of Faith come in danger Moreouer such is the nature of the ministers of Sathan that they can make a goodly shew that they are very charitable humble louers of concord and are indued with other fruits of the spirit also they protest that they seeke nothing else but the glory of God the saluation of mens soules and yet are they ful of vainglory doing all things for none other ende but to get praise and estimation among men To be short they thinke that gaine is godlines and that the ministerie of the word is deliuered vnto them that they may get fame and estimation therby Wherfore they can not but be authors of dissension and Sectes Forasmuch then as the vaineglory of the false apostles was the cause that the Churches of Galatia were troubled and forsooke Paule therefore in this Chapter specially his purpose was to suppresse that execrable vice yea this mischeefe gaue the Apostle occasion to wryte this whole Epistle And if he had not so done all his trauell bestowed in preaching of the Gospell among the Galathians had bene spent in vaine For in his absence the false apostles which were men in outward shew of great authority raigned in Galatia who besides that they would seeme to seeke the glory of Christe and the saluation of the Galathians pretended also that they had bene conuersant with the Apostles that they folowed their footesteppes saying that Paule had not seene Christe in the flesh nor had bene conuersant with the rest of the Apostles therfore they made no accoūt of him but reiected his doctrine boasted their owne to be true sincere Thus they troubled the Galathians and raised Sectes among them so that they prouoked and enuied one an other which was a sure token that neither the teachers nor hearers liued and walked after the spirit but folowed the flesh and fulfilled the workes thereof and so consequently lost the true doctrine Faith Christ and all the giftes of the holy Ghost and were now become worse then the Heathen Notwithstanding he doth not onely inueigh against the false apostles which in his time troubled the Churches of Galatia but also he foresaw in spirite that there should be an infinite numbre of such euen to the worlds end which being infected with this pernicious vice should thrust them selues into the Church boasting of the spirite and heauenly doctrine and vnder this pretence should quite ouerthrow the true doctrine and Faith. Many such haue we also seene in these our dayes who haue thrust them selues into the kingdom of the spirit that is to say into the Ministery of the word by this hypocrisie they haue purchased vnto thē selues fame estimation that they were great doctours pillers of the Gospel such as liued in the spirite and walked according to the same But because their glory consisted in mennes mouthes and not in God therefore it could not be firme and stable but according to Paules prophesie it turned to their owne confusion and theyr ende was destruction For the vvicked shall not stand in iudgement but shall be taken avvay like chaffe and scattered abrode vvith the vvinde The same iudgement remaineth for all such as in preaching the Gospell seeke their owne profite and not the glory of Iesus Christe For the Gospell is not deliuered vnto vs that we should thereby seeke our owne praise and glory or that the people should honour and magnifie vs which are the Ministers therof but to the end that the benefite and glory of Christe might be preached and published and that the father might be glorified in his mercy offred vnto vs in Christ his sōne whom he deliuered for vs all and with him hath geuen vs all things Wherfore the Gospel is a doctrine wherin we ought to seeke nothing lesse than our owne glory It setteth forth vnto vs heauenly and eternall things which are not our owne which we haue neither done nor deserued but it offereth the same vnto vs to vs I say which are vnworthy and that through the meere goodnes and grace of god Why should we then seeke praise and glory therby He therfore that seeketh his owne glory in the Gospell speaketh of him selfe And he that speaketh of him selfe is a lier and there is vnrighteousnes in him Contrariwise he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him is true and there is no vnrighteousnes in him Iohn 7. Paule therfore geueth earnest charge to all the ministers of the word saying If vve liue in the spirite let vs vvalke in the spirite that is to say Let vs abide in the doctrine of the truth which hath ben taught vnto vs in brotherly loue and spirituall concord let vs preach Christe and the glory of God in simplicitie of heart and let vs confesse that we haue receaued all things of him let vs not thinke more of our selues than of others let vs raise vp no Sectes For this is not to walke rightly but rather to raunge out of the way and to sette vp a new and a peruerse way of walking Hereby we may vnderstand that God of his speciall grace maketh the teachers of the Gospell subiect to the crosse and to all kindes of afflictions for the saluation of them selues and of the people for otherwise they could by no meanes represse and beate downe this beast which is called vaineglory For if no persecution no crosse or reproch followed the doctrine of the Gospell but onely praise reputation and glory amongst men then would all the professors thereof be infected and perish through the poyson of vainglory Ierome sayth that he had seene many which could suffer great inconueniences in theyr body and goodes but none that could despise their owne praises For it is almost impossible for a mā not to be puffed vp whē he heareth any thing spoken in the praise of his owne vertues Paule notwithstanding that he had the spirite of Christe sayth that there was geuen vnto him
not of terrour or heauines but of boldnes ioy gladnes Therfore if ye see any brother cast downe afflicted by occasion of sinne which he hath cōmitted runne vnto him reaching out your hand raise him vp againe comfort him with sweete words embrace him with motherly armes As for those that be hard harted obstinate which without feare continue carelesly in their sinnes rebuke thē sharply But on the other side as I said they that be ouertakē with any sinne are heauy sorowful for their fault which they haue cōmitted must be raised vp admonished by you that are spiritual and that in the spirit of meekenes not in the zeale of seuere iustice as some haue done who whē they should haue refreshed thirsty consciences with some sweete cōsolation gaue thē gall vineger to drinke as the Iewes did vnto Christ hanging vpon the crosse Ezechiel sayeth of the shepheards of Israel that they ruled the flocke of God with cruelty rigour but a brother ought to cōfort his brother that is falne with a louing a meke spirit Againe let him that is falne heare the word of him that raiseth him vp beleue it For God would not haue those that are brused to be cast away but to be raised vp as the Psalme saith For God hath bestowed more for them than we haue done that is to say the life and bloud of his owne sonne Wherfore we ought also to receiue to aide comfort such with all mildnes and gentlenes Verse 1. Considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted This is a very necessary admonition to beat downe the sharpe dealing of such pastours as shew no pity in raising vp restoring againe them which are falne There is no sinne saith Augustin which any mā hath done but an other man may do the same We stād on a slipperie groūd therfore if we waxe proud leaue of our duty there is nothing so easie vnto vs as to fall It was well sayd therfore of one in the booke called the liues of the fathers when it was told him that one of his brethrē was falne into whoredō He fel yesterday saith he and I may fall to day Paul therfore addeth this earnest admonitiō that the pastors shuld not be rigorous and vnmerciful towardes the offenders or measure their owne holines by other mens sinnes but that they shuld beare a motherly affection towards thē thinke thus with thēselues This mā is fallen it may be that I also shal fal more dāgerously more shamefully thā he did And if they which be so ready to iudge condemne other would well consider their owne sinnes they should finde the sinnes of others which are falne to be but motes and their owne sinnes to be great beames Let him therfore that stādeth take hede lest he fal If Dauid which was so holy a mā ful of faith the spirit of god which had such notable promises of god which also did so many great thīgs for the lord did fall so greeuously being now strickē in yeres was ouerthrown with youthful lust after so many diuers tēptations wherw t God had exercised him why shuld we presume of our owne cōstancy And god by such exāples doth shew vnto vs first our owne weaknes that we shuld not waxe proud but stād in feare Then he sheweth vnto vs his iudgemēt that he cā beare nothing lesse than pride either against himself or against our brethrē Paule therfore saith not without cause Considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted They that be exercised with temptations do know how necessary this commaundement is On the other side they which be not tried therwith do not vnderstād Paule and therfore are not touched with any pity toward them that are fallen as was to be seene in Poperie where nothing else raigned but tyrannie and crueltie Verse 2. Beare ye one an others burden so fulfil the lavv of Christ This is a gentle cōmaundemēt to the which he ioyneth a great cōmendatiō The law of Christ is the law of loue Christ after he had redemed vs renewed vs made vs his church gaue vs no other law but the law of mutual loue Iohn 13. A nevv cōmaūdemēt geue I to you that ye loue together c. And to loue is not as the Popish Sophisters dreame to wish well one to an other but one to beare an others burdē that is to beare those things which he greeuous vnto thee and which thou wouldest not willingly beare Therfore Christians must haue strong shoulders mighty bones that they may beare flesh that is the weaknes of their brethern for Paule sayth that they haue burdens troubles Loue therfore is milde courteous patient not in receiuing but in geuing For it is constrained to winke at many things to beare them Faithful teachers do see in the church many errours offences which they are cōpelled to beare In the common weale subiectes are neuer so obedient to the lawes of the magistrates as they should be Therefore vnlesse the magistrate can winke dissemble in time place he shal neuer be meete to rule the commō wealth In houshold affaires there be many things done which displease the master of the house But if we can beare winke at our owne vices offences which we daily cōmit let vs also beare other mens faults according to that saying bear ye one an others burdē c. Again Thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy self Seing then there be vices in euery state of life in all men therfore Paule setteth forth the law of Christ vnto the faithful wherby he exhorteth them to beare one an others burden They which do not so doe plainly witnesse that they vnderstand not one iote of the law of Christ which is the law of loue which as Paule sayth 1. Cor. 13. beleueth all things hopeth all things and beareth all the burdens of the brethern yet alwayes holding notwithstanding the first cōmaundement wherin they that offend do not transgresse the law of Christ that is to say the law of charitie they doe not hurt nor offend their neighbour but Christe and his kingdom which he hath purchased with his owne blood This kingdom is not maintained by the lawe of charitie but by the word of God by Faith and by the holy Ghost This commaundement then of bearing one an others burden belongeth not to them which deny Christ and not only doe not acknowledge their sinne but also defend it neither doth it belong vnto those which continue still in their sinnes who also do partly deny Christ but such must be forsakē lest we become partakers of their euil workes On the contrary they which willingly heare the word of God beleue and yet notwithstanding against their will do fall into sinne after they be admonished doe not only receaue such admonition gladly but also detest their sinne
be feared from hearing of them As if he should say Behold I sette before your eyes what maner of teachers ye haue First they are vaineglorious men which seeke nothing but their owne profite and care for nothing but their owne bellie Secondly they flie the crosse and finally they teach no truth or certaintie but all their sayings and doings are counterfet and full of hypocrisie Wherefore although they keepe the lawe outwardly yet in keping it they keepe it not For without the holy ghost the law can not be kept But the holy Ghost can not be receaued without christ and where the holy ghost dwelleth not ther dwelleth an vncleane spirit that is to say despising god seking his owne gaine and glory Therfore al that he doth as touchīg the law is mere hypocrisie double sinne For an vncleane heart doth not fulfill the lawe but only maketh an outward shew thereof and so is it more confirmed in his wickednes and hypocrisie And this sentence is diligently to be marked that they which are circumcised keepe not the lawe that is to say that they which are circumcised are not circūcised It may also be applied vnto other workes He that worketh prayeth or suffereth without Christ worketh praieth suffereth in vaine for all that is not of faith is sinne It profiteth a man therefore nothing at all to be outwardly circumcised to fast to pray or to doe any other worke if he be within a despiser of grace of forgeuenes of sinnes of faith of Christe c. and be puffed vp with the opinion presumption of his owne righteousnes which are horrible sinnes against the first table and afterward there folow also other sinnes against the secōd table as disobedience whoredom furiousnes wrath hatred and such other Therfore he saith very wel that they which be circumcised keepe not the lawe but onely pretend that they keepe it But this counterfetting or rather hypocrisie is double wickednes afore God. What meane the false apostles whē they would haue you to be circumcised Not that ye might become righteous although they so beare you in hand but that they may glory in your flesh Now who would not detest this most pestilēt vice of ambition and desire of glory which is sought with so great perill of mennes soules They are sayth he disceitfull shameles and vaine spirites which serue their owne belly and hate the crosse Againe which is worst of all they compel you to be circumcised according to the lawe that they may therby abuse your flesh to their owne glory in the meane season they bring your soules into daūger of euerlasting destruction For what gaine ye else before God but damnation and what else before men but that the false apostles may glory that they are your teachers and ye their disciples and yet they teach you that which they them selues do not Thus doth he sharply reproue the false apostles These wordes That they may glory in your flesh are very effectuall As if he should say they haue not the word of the spirit therfore it is impossible for you to receaue the spirite by their preaching They do but only exercise your flesh making you fleshly Iusticiaries or iustifiers of your selues Outwardly they obserue dayes times sacrifices and such other things according to the lawe which are altogither carnall whereby ye reape nothing else but vnprofitable labour and damnation And on the other side this they gaine thereby that they boast that they are your teachers and haue called you backe from the doctrine of Paule the heretike vnto their mother the Synagoge So at this day the Papistes bragge that they call backe those to the bosome of their mother the holy church whom they deceaue and seduce Contrariwise we glory not in your flesh but we glory as touching your spirite because ye haue receaued the spirite by our preaching Galath 3.2 Verse 14. But God forbid that I should glory but in the crosse of our Lord Iesu Christ The Apostle closeth vp the matter with an indignation with great vehemencie of spirite he casteth out these wordes But God forbid c. As if he should say This carnall glory and ambition of the false apostles is so daungerous a poyson that I wish it were buried in hell for it is the cause of the destruction of many But let them glory in the flesh that list and let them perish with their cursed glory As for me I desire no other glory but that whereby I glory and reioyce in the crosse of Cbriste After the same maner speaketh he also Rom. 5. VVe glory in our afflictions Also in the .2 Cor. 12. T vvill glory in mine infirmities Here Paule sheweth what is the glory and reioysing of the Christians namely to glory and to be proud in tribulations reproches infirmities c. The world iudgeth of the Christians not onely that they are wretched and miserable men but also most cruelly and yet as it thinketh with a true zeale hateth persecuteth condemneth and killeth them as most pernicious plages of the spirituall worldly kingdom that is to say like heretikes and rebels But because they do not suffer these things for murther theft and such other wickednes but for the loue of Christe whose benefite and glory they sette forth therefore they glory in tribulations and in the crosse of Christe and are glad with the Apostles that they are counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ So must we glory at this day when the Pope and the whole world most cruelly persecute vs condemne vs and kill vs because we suffer these things not for our euil dedes as theeues murtherers c. but for Christes sake our Lord and Sauiour whose Gospell we truly preach Now our glory is encreased and confirmed principally by these two things First because we are certaine that our doctrine is sound perfect Secondly because our crosse and suffering is the suffering of Christ Therfore when the world persecuteth and killeth vs we haue no cause to complaine or lament but we ought rather to reioyce and be glad In deede the world iudgeth vs to be vnhappy accursed But on the other side Christ who is greater thā the world and for whom we suffer pronoūceth vs to be blessed willeth vs to reioyce Blessed are ye sayth he vvhen men reuile you persecute you and falsly say all maner of euill against you for my sake Reioyce and be glad Our glory then is an other maner of glory then the glory of the world is which reioyceth not in tribulation reproch persecution and death c. but glorieth altogether in power in riches peace honour wisedom and his owne righteousnes But mourning and confusion is the ende of this glory Moreouer the crosse of Christ doth not signifie that peece of wood which Christ did beare vpon his shoulders and to the which he was afterwardes nailed but generally
profite that commeth to the godly by the tentation of Satan 1. Iohn 4.4 2. Cor. 12.9 Sathan continually bevvitcheth meÌ„ Iob. 1. â— Io. â— 44 The false Apostles bevvitchers of men The example of Doctor Kraus The deuils definition of a false Christ The Godly must diligently vvatch VVorldly and secure men are soone bevvitched VVitchcraft vvhat it is VVho are bevvitched An other goodly commendation of the righteousnes of the lavve 1. Iohn 5.16 Hebr. 6.4.5.6 The errour of the Nonations VVho returne not to the truthe The Aposâ—â—o vseth bitter and rough vvordes Heb. 6. â— They that seeke to be iustified by the lavv crucifie Christ The Papistes are crucifiers of the sonne of God. The Monkes dreamed that they vvere only in the state and life of perfection * VVorkes of superogation they call such vvorks as thei doe of their ovvne good vvill more then they are bound to doe The illusioÌ„ of the Deuill In the time of poperie vve vvere so bevvitched that it vvas impossible to acknovvledge Christ Daniel 9 2â— Superstitious Monkes and such other by streitnes of life and afflicting their ovvne bodies sought righteousnes and remission of sinnes In you or amongst you Rom. 6.9 To seeke righteousnes by the lavve The abhomination of the papacie horrible The commendations of the righteousnes of the lavv of our ovvne righteousnes The fall of Lucifer An argument dravven from the GalathiaÌ„s ovvne experience Paule speaketh of the vvhole lavv Tvvo vvaies to iustificatioÌ„ The holi ghost is receaued by hearing the vvord of faith and not by the lavve Neither the teachers nor hearers nor yet the doers of the lavve are iustified bi the lavve Acts 10 44. Acts. 11.15 Acts. 15.8.9 Acts. 19.5.6 The lavv bringeth not the holy ghost Rom. 10.3 Rom. 11.7 Math. 3.16 The appeariÌ„g of the holy ghost Actes 2.41 Actes 10.44.45 Actes 15.5.6.7 Paulus Sergius the lieutenaunt The Ievves and Gentiles are iustified by faith onely The Gentiles iustified by faith Acts. 11.3 Verse 18. The murmuring of the Ievves against the Gentiles Mat. 20. The Councell of the Apostles Act. 11.17 Actes 15. Acts. 15 8.9.1â— 1. Cor. 1. â— That the holy Ghost is geuen by the onely hearing of faith The Papistes are our Ievves vvhich molest vs no lesse theÌ„ the Ievves did Paule The argument of the booke coÌ„teining the Actes of the Apostles The difference betvvene the lavv and the Gospell To exacte To geue freely Actes 10. â—8 Cornelius 〈◊〉 Gentile is iustified by faith The lavv helpeth not to righteousnes The fathers in the old testament vvere holy c. Faith in Christ already come and in Christ to come * Messias doth signifie Christ the Sauiour Rom. 1.17 VVorke of congruence or merite before grace The person first to be considered and then the vvorke Actes 10.1.6 2. Reg. 5.14.15.16 * He feleth his conscience vvounded in being present at idol seruice and therefore desireth God to forgeue 〈◊〉 left others by his example might fall to idolatrie For as for his ovvne parte he confesseth that he vvill neuer serue any but the true God. Iob. Niniuites Ionas 3.5 Galat. 3.2 The coÌ„science vvitnesseth that the holy Ghost is not geuen by the lavv but by the hearing of faith The blindnes of the Popes kingdome The orders and kindes of life that are appointed of God. The state of seruauntes allovved before God. The certaintie of true beleuers By vvhat meanes the holy ghost is geuen vnto vs. The disputation of mans reason Luke 12.32 To vvhom the kingdome of heauen is geuen VVhat the aduersaries doe obiect against vs. The obiection of the Pelagians against Christians Luke 11 45.4â— A man is made a Christian by hearing the doctrine of faith Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the vvord of God. The conflict of the flesh against the spirite in the godly To heare the vvorde of God. To begin in the spirite VVhat flesh signifieth in this place The spirite The flesh VVhat the papistes call vvorldly and carnall VVhat inconueniences maÌ„s ovvne righteousnes or the righteousnes of the lavv doe bring Paule maketh often rehearsall of the argument grouÌ„ded vpon experience The kingdome of God consisteth not in vvordes but in povver 1. Cor. 4. Ver. 20. Chap. 2.8 Chap. 4.14.15 The vvorkes of the Deuill VVhat happie successe the gospell had vvhen it vvas first preached The Popedom a very slaughterhouse of consciences The Anabaptistes the authors of tumultes and seditions hindred much the course of the gospell The Anabaptists enemies to the article of iustificatioÌ„ This mai rightly be applied to Munster KnipperdoliÌ„g and such outragious Anabaptistes of vvhom Sleidan maketh mention vvho before times had much hindred the course of the gospell Genes 15.6 Rom. 4.2.3 Rom. 4.19.20.21 c. The povver of faith infinite To geue glory to God. Faith geueth glory to God. Righteous before God. VVhat God saith if ye set faith aside harken vnto reason The iudgemeÌ„t of reason touching the articles of faith The Gospell is the vvord of the crosse 1. Cor. 1 18.2â— The chiefe vvorship of God. Faith â—layeth reason The vvrestling of faith vvith reason in Abraham The sacrifice of Christians Reason Gods enemy The commendation of faith The vnfaithful geue not glory to God. Rom. 4.20.21.22 * Formall is that vvhich geueth perfection to the substance vvherunto it is ioyned The remnants of sinne in the godly Rom. 8.23 The blindnes of the Scholemen God accepteth our vvorkes say the Papists not of duetie but of Congruence that is because it is meete that God should revvard them Mans reason Rom. 8.7 Reason must be killed by faith Math. 20.12 Psal. 2.2 The definition of the Christian faith The diuinitie of Paule Christian righteousnes consisteth in tvvo things A Christian iâ— a righteous man and a sinner Hovv they that fele sinne ought to be comforted Christians be Priestes The daily sacrifice of the nevv testameÌ„t Christian righteousnes Galat. 2 2â— Galat. 3.13 A child is borne vnto vs a Sonne is geuen vnto vs. Esay 9.6 VVe are reputed righteous by faith in Christ this Sonne and this gifte geuen vnto vs. The righteousnes of faith out of the xv chapter of S. Iohns Gospel Christ is called our obiect because the eie of our faith is directed vnto him * CoÌ„trary sayings Iohn 16.27 Iohn 17.8 The imputation of righteousnes Rom. 7.23 Rom. 8.1 Things contrary in Christ are made to agree 1. Tim. 2.5 Rom. 8.1 Ro. 4.11.12 c. Rom. 9.6.7.8 The disputation of Paule against the Ievves The bosting of the Ievves Actes 9.15 By vvhat meanes Abraham vvas iustified Genes 12.1.2.3 c. Genes 17.24 Genes 22.2.3 Genes 15.6 Rom. 4.18.19 Iames. 2.2 Galat. 3.6 That the carnall begetting doth not make vs the acceptable children of Abraham Iohn 8.39 The beleeuing Abraham and the begetting Abraham VVhat maner of ones the carnall children of Abraham are Iohn 8.38.39 Rom. 9.11 The first example of Ismael and Isaac Genes 21 1â— Rom. 9.7 Heb. 11.17 The second example of Esau and Iacob Genes 25. â—3 Rom. 9.12
they had plāted Rudiments or elements are called the prīciples and first beginning of any thing and so the lavve is but as an A. B.C in respect of the Gospel Rom 4.15 VVhen the lavv is vveake and beggerly and vvhen it is strong and mightie Rom. 10.2.3 VVhen the lavve is a vveake and beggerly rudiment The more a man seeketh to be iustified by the lavve the more he is drovvned in sinnes Ephes 2.3 Actes 15 1◠Luke 5.43 Of the vvomā vvhich vvas diseased vvith the bloudie issue The consciēce is neuer quieted through vvorkes VVhat profite Monks haue by their religion Luke 18.13 A liuely description of al the religious hypocrites in the kingdom of Antichrist The Fable is this that a dogge svvimming ouer the vvater vvith a pece of flesh in his mouth let the flesh goe and snatched at the shadovve vvhich appeared in the vvater Falling avvay from the Gospell is very easie They that are not tried vvith afflictions and tentations neuer feele the povver of the vvord of god Math. 7.15 Paules maner of speech If the lavve of God be vveak and not able to obtaine righteousnes much more the Popes traditions 1 Thes 2. ◠The Popes triple crovvn To fall from the grace of God. VVhat iudgemēt they geue of the lavve that knovv not Christe The thundrings of Luther against the Pope and his lavves 1. Timot. 1. ◠Galath 3.19 1. Timot. c. 7. The doctrine of the false apostles The holy dayes of the Ievves Galath 5.2 Coloss 2.16 Luke 17.20 The fatherly affection of Paul tovvards the Galathiās VVhat this vvord to labour i◠vaine importeth The Apostle novv speketh them faire vvhom before he did sharply chide A right patern of a godly pastour Galath 6.1 The frute of soūd doctrine The agrement of mindes is broken by vvicked doctrine They vvhich fall frō sound doctrine become vvorse thē they vver before The conditiō of the Apostles The Anabaptists bragge altogether of the spirite of illuminations reuelatiōs Falling from Faith is easie Galath 4.20 He mitigateth his former sharpe chiding The Master The Father Chastisement necessary and profitable Heb. 12.11 The Phisitian The stripes of a friend are better then the kisses of an enemie An obiection He praiseth the Galathiās because they vvere not offended vvith his vveaknes The commendation of the Galathians VVhat the infirmitie of the flesh is after Ieromes opinion The iudgemēt of the fathers vvhen the church vvas in prosperitie Marke that vvhen the church began to grovve in honour and vvealth of the vvorld it decreased in vertue knovvledge and other spirituall giftes vvhich before it possessed VVho they are that best vnderstād the Scriptures VVhat the vveaknes of the flesh is vvhich Paule speaketh of 2. Corin. 12.9.10 2. Cor. 11.23.24.25 2. Cor. 12.9.10 2. Cor. 2.14 The povver of the spirite in Paule Math. 11.6 Psal. 21.7 The spirituall tentations of Paule 2. Cor. 12.7 2. Cor. 7.5 The sorovv of spirite in the Apostles Philip. 2.27 Iohn 17. ◠Luke 4.32 Psal. 22.6.15 The praise of the Galathians Luke 1.48 Heretikes vvrest things that are spoken vvell to an euill meaning The name of Luther odious Truth procureth hatred Rom. 16.18 1. Timot. 2.4 Math. 7.15 Paule ansvvereth here to an obiection that might be made against him Zeale 2. Reg. 19 1◠The simple are deceaued by the pretence and fained zeale of heretikes A good zeale an euill zeale The zeale of the false apostles Math. 7.15 Many euils folovved Paules doctrine notvvithstanding that it vvas godly and holy Actes 24.5 Actes 16.20.21 The Ievves imputed all euils to the doctrine of the Apostles Actes 5.29 Rom. 9.3 The Apostles vvere the beholders of great euils not vvithout their great griefe The consolation of Paule Rom. 1.16 1. Cor. 1.23 Math. 11.6 Math. 15.14 All the troubles vvhich are at this day the vvorld layeth vnto Luthers charge Offence tak◠Math. 15.14 Actes 4.31 Acts. 2.21.36 Actes 2.36 Actes 4.12 The cōplaints of the aduersaries against the doctrine of the gospell Iohn 11.48 The Papistes iustifie their ovvne horrible sinnes and condemne our good deedes Math. 15.14 Apoc. 22.11 1. Thes 1.8 The Deuil defaceth the gospell vvith infinite offences Luke 11.21.22 Iob. 40.16 1. Pet. 5.8 Zelous spirits vvithous knovvledge are the authors of Sectes Iohn 8.44 Math. 7.15 The zeale of the spirit and the zeale of the flesh A liuely picture of a faith full pastor The Apostles are parents The forme of a Christian minde and hovv it is gotten 1. Cor. 4.15 1. Cor. 3.3 The forme of Christe Galath ◠13 Coloss 3.10 VVho be like to God. Ephes 4.24 Philip. 2 5◠An Epistle or letter is a dead messenger The true affections of an Apostle The vse of allegories and similitudes Hovv Paule handleth allegories Origen and Hierom. VVhy Paule calleth the booke of Genesis the lavv Iohn 15.25 Psal 35.19 Abrahams tvvo sonnes Ismael vvas a sonne after the flesh and Isaack after the promise An obiection The ansvver Both Isaack Ismael vvere the children of one father Genes 16.2 Sara had hard the promise of God as cōcerning the sede but she vvaiteth not gods appoynted time Sara resigneth vp her right Gen. 16.1.2 c. The humilitie of Sara Ismael the sonne of Abraham accordīg to the flesh * That is sayd to be done at aduenture or by chaunce vvhereof man knovveth not the cause although vnto God it be foreknovvne and appoynted Rom. 9.8 Abraham hath tvvo sortes of children VVho be the true sonnes of Abraham Note this cōcerning the mother Genes 17.19 The mother the sonne are expresly named An allegorie is that vvherby one thing is spoken and an other thīg is meant VVhat accoūt is to be made of allegories * They are called tvvo couenaunts one of the olde another of the nevv testamēt although in very deede they are not tvvo but are so called in respect of the times Abraham is a figure of God. Tvvo sortes of people Tvvo testaments Sina Agar Hermon Agar brought forth a sonne not an heire but a seruaūt Sina brought vnto God a sonne but a carnal people Psal. 147.19 The people of the lavve Rom. 10.5 The promises of the lavve the gospell The promises of God in the lavv are conditionall Deut. 26.1 c. Hovv the Ievves toke the promises of God. The Ievves persecuted the Prophets The lavv bringeth forth bondmen or bondseruaūts The lavv maketh not heires neither doth it iustify The earthly Ierusalem perteineth to Agar That vvhich vvas ordained in Sina vvas kept in Ierusalem It is not for euery man to dally vvith allegories Tvvo Ierusalems an heauenly and an earthly Sara the heauenly Ierusalem The earthly Ierusalem destroyed The citie of the lavv The earthly Ierusalem in bondage Ierusalem had a corporall kingdom for a time VVho are the citizens of the church Aboue The church triumphant militant Philip. 3.20 Ephes 1.3 The earthly and heauenly blessing The heauenly blessing The interpretation of the Monkes The foure senses of the scripture according to the Papistes
The heauenly Ierusalem vvhich is yet vpon earth The heauenly Ierusalem is set against the earthly not locally but spiritually The spirituall Ierusalem dispersed thorovv out the vvhole vvorld The Church begetteth children by teaching Isaac is heir through the promise Genes 17.19 Ephes 4.13 Esay 54.1 Esay 54. The song of Anna. 1. Sam. 2.4.5 The differeÌ„ce betvvixt the sinagoge and the church Iohn 8 3â— Iohn 3.18 1. Timot. 4.1 The teachers of the lavve gender bond-seruaunts Reason is taken vvith hypocrisie The church seemeth to be barren 1. Cor. 1.18 The Gospell hath but fevv disciples Actes 21.22 Hovv many yeares dayes times haue our Papistes appoynted vvhen the gospel should be ouerthrovne and they receaue their idolatrous Masse other abhominations againe The church in heauines The church barren before the vvorld The people of grace The difference betvvixt the lavv and the gospell The people of grace vvithout the lavve and the people of the lavv vvithout grace The lavve is abolished to all christians Esay 54.1 The church is barren and forsaken before the vvorld The childreâ— of the bondvvomaÌ„ vvith their mother are cast out of the house Rom. â— 4.5.6 Math. 10.12 The people of the lavv laborious and painfull The vvhole lavv is abolished A godly man feeleth the terrours of the lavve but by faith in Christ he is comforted Rom. 3.1 Iohn 3.36 The lavve hath no povver ouer a hose that beleue 1. Cor. 1.30 Galath 3.13 The outvvard abolishment of the lavve The gospell doth not release vs from all lavves * He speaketh of such gouernment as God hath appoynted vvhich no priuate man may conteÌ„ne vvith out the brâ—ch of conscience 1 Pet. 2.13.14 Rom. 13 5. The ceremonies of Moses lavv doe not bind vs much lesse the ceremonies of the Pope 1. Cor. 14.40 Tvvo things to be taken hede of in the keping or coÌ„maunding of ceremonies the offence of the vveake the pernicious opinion of merite The church is barren * No spirituall birth vvhich is vvrought by the vvord and spirite of God. * That is their regeneration in Christe by Faith and the holy Ghost Ioh. 8.37.40.42 Of children some be as Ismael some as Isaac The children of the promise The iudgemeÌ„t of the vvorld concerning the gospell VVhat the faithfull must be content to be called in this vvorld Iohn 16.2 VVhat folovved the preaching of the Gospell Psal. 2.2.3 Psal. 2.2.3 Psal. 2.4 The blindnes of the aduersaries Iohn 16.2 Rom. 9.1 Luke 9.26 Paule a pestiferous felovv Actes 17.6.7 Actes 24.3 Actes 16.20 Luke 11 21.2â— Luke 12.49 Hovv Christ comforteth him selfe against the euils that shuld folovv his preaching 2. Cor. 4.4 * He meaneth the Deuill Iob. 41.14.22 The faithfull see infinite profites by the Gospell Psal. 91.13 The article of iustification comforteth vs against al sclaÌ„ders and tentations 1. Cor. 2.12 The vvorld caÌ„ not but be offended at the preaching of the Gospel VVhy our aduersaries doe condemne vs. Greefe after the flesh and glory after the spirite Rom. 5.3 Gene. 21.9 The expositioÌ„ of the Ievves VVhat maner of man Ismael vvas Ismael vvould be preferred before Isaac for tvvo causes Ismael alvvayes persecuteth Isaac The spirituall persecution The Deuil persecuteth the church by violence subteltie Ephes 6.16 The spirituall and corporall persecution of the godly Iohn 1.44 1. Cor. 11.19 False brethreÌ„ at the first are frendes but aftervvardes they become most deadly enemies The brethern borne after the flesh must persecute the brethern that are borne after the spirit Psal. 41.9 The true doctrine of the gospel is the cause of persecution Christe comforteth his against the hatred and persecutions of the vvorld Iohn 15.19 Math. 10.24 Iohn 15.20 The name of Christe is the cause vvhie the vvorld rageth against the godly Iohn 16.33 Christ remaineth king and conquerour though the gates of hell fight against him Gen. 21 2â— Gen. 21.11 God coÌ„firmed the sentence of Sara Gen. 21.12 The sentence pronounced against the Ismalites is effectuall c. The vaine hope of hypocrites in condemning others The children of the bondvvoman haue no inheritaÌ„ce vvith the children of the freevvoman Iohn 10.35 The vineyard shal be let out to other husbandmen They that are borne of the bondvvoman are borne seruaunts of the lavve The Pope and all that seeke righteousnes by vvorkes are children of the bondvvoman Philip. 3.19 The vvorld embraceth the righteousnes of vvorks and condemneth the righteousnes of Faith. A comparison of the old Papacie and of the Papacie at this day The Iusticiaries make such a shevv of holines as if they vvere angels and no men Coloss 2. â—â— The contemplatiue life of Monkes and such other vvhich sequestred themselues froÌ„ the vvorld and all vvorldly affaires The deuotion and discipline of the old Poperie No holines of life can be set against Gods iudgement The Papistes at this day do not defend their vvicked life but their doctrine The Papists diuide the Gospell into precepts and couÌ„sels The precepts they are bouÌ„d to kepe say they but not the counsels and therfore if they kepe them it is a vvorke of superogation that is more then nedeth Bernards confession Phil. 3.9 The children of the bondvvoman are vnder the lavv The children of the bondvvoman shall at length be cast out Math. 25.29 Christian libertie Rom. 9.23 Paule trieth euery vvay to kepe the Galathians in the liberty of the Gospell 1. Pet. 5.3 â— The godly must staÌ„d fast that they lose not their libertie in Christe Satan deadly hateth the light of the Gospell The freedome of the Papists The fleshly libertie The Anabaptists and Libertines vvill be free to doe vvhat they list Freedom from the vvrath of God to come To haue God fauourable vnto vs for Christes sake is an incomprehensible freedome 1. Cor. 15.41.43.44 Freedom from the lavv sinne and death c The fruites of Christian liberty are not easily felt and laid hold of in tentations A remedy against the terrours of the minde in tentations Esay 54.8 Luke 11 28. Iohn 13.17 Christian libertie Liberty is frely geuen vnto vs for Christes sake Iohn â— 36 Math. 9. â— Iohn 5.24 Hypocrites bragge of God. Actes 15. â—0 Actes 10.43 The lavve is a yoke of bondage Galat. 4.10 Thei that seke righteousnes by the lavve are compared to oxen tied to the yoke No greater bondage then the bondage of the lavve VVho be the Deuils Martyrs Iohn 16.23 The corporall libertie of the Papistes This may truely be said also of our Libertines and carnal gospellers at this day Galath 6.6 The iudgemeÌ„t of the godly touching all doctrines religions and ceremonies VVho they be to vvhom Christ is vnprofitable Nothing is more hurtfull then the doctrine of mens traditions vvorkes Coloss 2.3 Coloss 2.9 The lavve of God the yoke of bondage Good vvorks are not condemned but confidence in good vvorks is coÌ„demned Reuel 12.10 VVhat vve must ansvver the Deuill vvhen he accuseth and tempteth vs. The true picture of Christ Math. 12.20 Esay 42.3 Math.
vehemeÌ„t flames of carnall lust in Hierome The flesh is to be subdued not killed Ephes 5.29 1. Cor. 7.9 The godly feele the concupiscence or lust of the flesh Psal. 4.4 The faithfull haue flesh vvhich resisteth the spirite Rom. 7 1â— The godly feele the terrours and captiuitie of sinne The Monkes such other cloisterers neuer had experience of any spirituall tentations Christ our righteousnes Rom. 9.33 The outvvard righteousnes of the faithfull The godly feling the corruptions of the flesh must not despaire The battell of the flesh and the spirite in the godly To vvalke in the spirite Let all troubled consciences comfort them selues by this example of Martin Luther and say as he said Stanpitius a godly learned man of vvhom he made mention before A holy desperâ—tion â— Psal 143.2 Psal. 130. â— VVhat the godly must do vvhen they feele sinne The conflict battell of the flesh and the spirite in the children of God. Rom 1. â—8 A Christian a maruellous vvorkman Read more hereof before in the lease 246. and in the line 32. The children of God do fele the rebellion of the flesh against the spirite To vvhom God doth not impute sinne Rom. 14.23 The errour of the Sophisters or Scholemen The vvisedom of the godly The godly only feele sinne Rom. 1.14 Galath 5.24 Rom. 8.12 Sentence pronouÌ„ced agaiÌ„st such as obey the lusts of the flesh The true Sainctes of God. Psal. 32.5.6 Psal. 143. â— To be led by the spirite Galath 4.4 VVhat it is to be led by the spirite Hovv a troubled minde is to be comforted Novv the lusts of the flesh must be ouercome The great and vehement tentations of Luther Not to be vnder the lavve Math. 7.10 Hypocrites mingled amongst the godly Euery age of man hath his peculiar temptations * That is a secrete contempt of God vvherof Dauid speaketh Psal. 3.2 Some are exercised vvith greater tentations and some vvith lesse Luke 2.48 2. Cor. â— 5 Rom. 7 2â— VVhom the Stoickes couÌ„ted vvise meÌ„ VVho they be vvhich Christ and his Apostles cal saiÌ„cts VVho be true Sainctes The vveaknes of Faith. Al the faithful be Sainctes A holy life I beleue that there is a holy Church I do not see but I beleue Hypocriticall holines The church is holy The church prayeth that her sinnes maâ— be forgeuen To feele the vnclennes of the flesh is profitable To the godly those things vvhich are euil turne vnto good Christian doctrine raiseth vp and comforteth vveake and troubled consciences VVhat Paule meaneth by flesh Idolatrie or Idoll seruice Carthusians or charterhouse moâ—kâ— The false and true vvorshipping of God. Idolatrie is vnknovvne to the vvorld The Masse horrible idolatrie and blasphemie against Christ Flesh. The vvorkes of the flesh as the Papistes define them Reason estemeth idolatry and heresie for most excellent vertues VVitchcraft Idolatrie Iusticiaries or iustifiers of themselues The Pope an Archheretike No vnitie or concord in the Popish church Drunkards surfetters The most sobre and temperate are many times most assailed vvith tentations Hovv the burning heat of lustes may be quenched An horrible sentence pronounced by Paule The fruites of the spirite Rom. 12.10 The scripture exhorteth vs to reioyce in God. The ioy of the spirite LoÌ„g sufferaÌ„ce or perseuerance The gentlenes and mildnes of Christe Ex libro Clementis ad Iacobum fratrem Domini Chastitie The lavv is abolished to the beleuers in Christ VVhat it is to crucifie the fleâ—h The armour of God. * After the coÌ„mon diuision this is the .25 verse of the former chapter Vaineglory a detestable vice and most pernicious to the church of god Tit. 1.7 Hovv great a mischefe vain glory is Ouide Horace Rom. 12.10 Vaineglory a common vice in the church Math. 9. â—8 2 Cor. 11 15. The nature of false teachers 1. Timo. ◠◠〈◊〉 â— â—0 Rom 10 1â— The authoritie of the false apostles The false apostles despised Paule Such as thrust them selues into the ministerie The ende of vaineglorious teachers Phil. 3.19 Psal. 1.4.5 VVhat vve ought to seke in the gospell Rom. 1.32 Iohn 7 1â— VVhat it is to vvalke in the spirite VVhy God layeth the crosse vpon the preachers of the gospel Rom. 14.16 Rom. 12.10 VVhen men be praised the flesh vvaxeth proud 2. Sam. 14.17 2. Cor. 6.8 VVho vvalke in order and vvho do not Galath 1.5 1. Cor. 4.7 Priuie open enemies of the Gospell VVe must not be proud of our spirituall giftes Luke 12 4â— Ephes 4.12 Actes 10.34 Vainglorious spirites Galath 4.17 Rom. 3.25 The praise of the person of the ministerie Rom. 14.16 2. Cor. 6.3 The effect and fruite of vaineglory Galath 2.5 VVhat offences are to be forgeuen Leuit. 6.3 Gal. 2.20.3.16 Sathan lieth in vvait both against purity of doctrine life Hovv pastorâ— ought to deale vvith them that are fallen The Pope and his bishops are tormeÌ„tors of mens coÌ„sciences Sayings of Pope Gregorie 2. Thes 2.3 By vvhat meanes the Pope establisheth his tyrannie and povver Hovve they that are falne ought to be intreated The spirite of mekenes Ezech. 34.4 Ex libro de vitis patrum Math. 7.3 1. Cor. 10.12 2. Sam. â—1 Loue. 1. Cor. 13.4 Rom. 13.9 VVhose burdens are to be borne 1. Tim. 5.22 The authors of Sectes painted out iÌ„ their right colours Mat. 18.24 â—1 Deceauers of themselues Apoc. 3.17 Desire of vain-glory Vainglorious heades Three vices of the vaineglorious linked together Phil. 2.27 The people delited vvith nouelties He shall lacke no praise that preacheth the Gospel purely The ende of the ministerie of the vvord 2. Tim. 4.5 To haue praise in himselfe VVhat is the glory of heretikes The glory of the godly Iâ—hn 16.32 Phil. 4.4 The vvorld dishonoreth the godly ministers of the vvord 1. Cor. 6.3 The Gospell is the vvord of the crosse and offence 1. Cor. 1.18 The disciples of the gospel VVhat it is for a man to proue his ovvne vvork Exod 20 7. 1. Sam. 2.30 1. Cor. 4.2 The vvorke of euery mans calling Phil. 3.19 2. Tim. 3.9 Psal. 37.6 In death and in the day of iudgement other mennes praises profit not Rom. 2.16 A comparison betvene good vvorkes and hypocriticall vvorke Vaineglory A commaundemeÌ„t for the nourishing of the ministers of the vvord of God. The ministers of SathaÌ„ haue pleÌ„tie but the ministers of Christe doe vvant Luke 2.7 Luke 9.58 Iohn 19. â— Cor. 8. 9. 1. Tim. 4.1 SathaÌ„ oppresseth the gospell tvvo vvaies Mâ—â—h 1.7 Fulnes of Gods vvord bringeth lothing 1. Cor. 9.11 The vvorld lodeth the ministers of Sathan vvith all vvorldly good things The punishment of vnthankfulnes In all good things Gentlemen citizens and husbandmen despisers of Gods ministers Luke 10. â—6 1. Sam. 8.7 Psal. 34.10 Psal. 37.19 Reuerence necessary liuing due to the ministers of the vvord 1. Cor. 9.13.14 Exod. 3. â—â— VVhat it is to sovve in the spirite The heretikes called Encratites VVhose errour the Papistes haue reuiued as touching matrimonie and therfore they may cruely be called nevv Encratites VVe must doe good vvithout vveerines Iohn 9.4 Iohn 12.35 The houshold of faith The motherly affection of Paule Enormities in the false apostles Galath 1.8 Phil. 3.19 Gen. 17.10 14. Gen. 17 1â— Phil. 2.21 The lavv is not accomplished vvith outvvard vvorkes Rom. 14 2â— VVorks done vvithout faith are sinnes The peril that follovveth ambition and vaine glory * That is they do but kepe your flesh in a seruile and slauish exercise The glory of the Christians Actes 5.41 The faithfull suffer for Christe Math. 5.11.12 The glory of the vvorld The crosse of Christ 2. Cor. 1.5 Col. 1.24 The afflictioÌ„s of the godly are the afflictioÌ„s of Christ Actes 9.4 Zach. 2.1 The feeling of the head is most sensible The crosse of the godly iâ— svveete 2. Cor 1.5 Psal. 44 22. Math. 11.30 To glory in the crosse of Christ Rom. 5.3 2. Cor. 7.5 1. Sam. 22.22 Zach. 2. â— Iohn 15.19 To be crucified to the vvorld The contrary iudgement of the faithful of the vvorld as concerning true doctrine 1. Cor. 2.13 1. Iohn 3.8 Iohn 8.44 The vvorld condemneth the life and doctrine of the godly Psal. 139.22 Ephes 6.16 2. Cor. 1â— â— ChristiaÌ„ righteousnes 1. Cor. 1. â— 1. Cor. 2.14 VVithout Christ there is no saluation Vncircumcision signifieth all the Gentiles Circumcision all the Ievves Lavves be good The vse of ceremonies and lavves 1. Cor. 14.40 Gal. 3.5 Eph. 4.24 A nevv creature Actes 15.9 The renevving of the members of the body folovv the renevving of the minde The Papists imagined God to be a marchaunt and to sell his grace for vvorkes and merites A right rule Eph. 4.24 The righteousnes of Monkes Peace Mercy Rom. 9.4.5 Rom. 9.7 8. Ephes 1.16 1. Cor. 4.9 1. Cor. 4.11.12.13 2. Cor. 6.4.5.6 2. Cor. 11 2â—.24.25 â—â— The markes vvhich vve beare at this day Ephes 6.16 Math. 26.41