euerlasting life To proceede further the delusion or bewitching of the Galatians is set forth by two arguments The first is the ende in these words that ye should not obey the truth Before I come to the consideration of these words a doubt must be resolued For some man may say that this Epistle is corrupted because these words are wanting in sundrie translations and editions of the Bible and Ierome saith that they were not found in the copies of the bible in his daies Ans. In the Editions and translations of the bible there are sundrie differences and diuersities of readings and these differences are not the fault of the Scripture but of the men which vsed to write out the bible for the bible heretofore was spread abroad not by printing but by writing Againe though in the bookes of the bible there be sundrie varieties of reading yet the prouidence of God hath so watched ouer the Bible that the sense thereof remaineth intire sound and incorrupt specially in the grounds of religion And not the words principally but the sense is the Scripture And that which I say appeareth in this text for whether these words be left in or put out the sense of the verse is one and the same These words that ye should not obey the truth are meant of the obedience of faith Rom. 1. 5 and 16. 28. And the obedience of faith is propounded vnto vs without adding detracting or changing And this the Galatians did not for they added iustification by workes to the doctrine of Paul touching iustification by faith alone by which addition they depraued the truth and shewed that indeede they beleeued not the truth Here let vs obserue the scope of all the malice of the deuill and that is to hinder or ouerthrow our faith The first thing the deuill aimed at in our first parents was to ouerthrow their faith and to cause them to doubt of the truth of Gods word The first temptation wherewith our Sauiour Christ was assaulted was against his faith as he was man If thou be the sonne of God thou canst cause these stones in thy hunger to be made bread but thou canst not cause these stones to be made bread therefore thou art not the child of God The deuill desired to sift out all the faith of the Apostles and to leaue in them nothing but the chaffe of vnbeleefe Luk. 22. The deuill blindes the eyes of men that the light of the Gospel of Iesus Christ may not shine vnto them 2. Cor. 4. 4. This must teach vs that we must not onely hold and know the true religion for the time but also build our selues vpon our faith Iud. v. 20. and be rooted and stablished vpon our faith and religion Col. 1. 23. and the rather because it hath bin the manner of this nation wickedly to change religion with the times And that we may indeede be rooted vpon our religion we must not boast of the greatnes and strength of our faith but rather labour to see in our selues a sea of vnbeleefe heartily to bewaile it and to striue to beleeue and so to goe on from faith to faith The truth here mentioned is the heauenly doctrine of the Gospel so called for two causes First because it is an absolute truth without errour It is a principle not to be called in question that the Apostles and Prophets in writing and preaching could not erre It may be said they were men as we are and therefore subiect to erre and be deceiued in iudgement Ans. Iudgement is twofold One conceiued by the discourse of naturall reason the other conceiued by the apprehension of things reuealed by God In the first the Apostles and Prophets might erre and be deceiued as Nathan and Peter were In the second they could not because it was framed in them by the inspiration and instinct of the holy Ghost And therefore they neuer erred either in preaching or writing The second cause why the Gospel is called the truth is because it is a most worthie truth namely the truth which is according to godlines Tit. 1. It may be said what is the truth and how shall we know it considering there be so many dissentions Ans. First make thy selfe fit to know and then shalt thou know the truth And thou shalt be fitted to know the truth if thou first of all giue thy selfe to obey it Read the golden text Ioh. 7. v. 17. Obey and ye shall know The second thing whereby the delusion of the Galatians is expressed is the signe thereof in these words to whome Iesus Christ was described c. that is to whome I haue preached the doctrine of saluation by Christ in liuely and euident manner euen as if Christ had bin painted before your eyes and had bin crucified in or among you And this is a manifest token that the Galatians were deluded because they could not acknowledge the truth whē it was set forth vnto them as it were in orient colours And where Paul saith that Christ was before described I referre it to the time before their reuolt Here first we are to obserue the properties of the Ministerie of the word The first that it must be plaine perspicuous and euident as if the doctrine were pictured and painted out before the eyes of men Therefore the Church of Rome deales wickedly in keeping the Scriptures in an vnknowne tongue For this is to couer that from the people which is to be painted before the eyes of their minds Againe that kind of preaching is to be blamed in which there is vsed a mixed kind of varietie of languages before the vnlearned For this is a signe to vnbeleeuers 1. Cor. 14. 22. And in this kind of preaching we doe not paint Christ but we paint out our owne selues It is a by-word among vs It was a very plaine sermon And I say againe the plainer the better The second propertie of the Ministerie of the word is that it must be powerfull and liuely in operation and as it were crucifying Christ within vs and causing vs to feele the vertue of his passion The word preached must pearce into the heart like a two edged sword Hebr. 4. 12. true prophecie iudgeth men discouereth the things of the heart and causeth men to to say The Lord is within you 1. Cor. 14. 25. The scepter of Christ whereby he smiteth the nations is in his mouth Isa. 11. 4. that is in the Ministerie of the word Ier. 15. 19. And it is the same Ministerie which shaketh heauen and earth Agg. 2. 5. By this it appeaeeth that to take a text and to make a discourse vpon something in the said text shewing much inuention of wit and much reading and humane learning is not to preach Christ in a liuely manner It will be said what then I answer with Paul who is sufficient either for the speaking or doing of these things yet something may be shewed Know therefore that the effectuall and powerful preaching of
preparemen to their iustification 11. 13. How our workes are said to please God 191. 19 The workes of the regenerate are mixed and sinnefull and in the rigour of iustice deserue damnatioÌ„ ergo no iustification by workes 515. 9. The benefit of approouing of our workes 515. 9 How we may aprooue our workes three rules 515. 16 Whether we may not approoue our workes or actions to men and if we may how farre forth 515. 29 Infants haue no good workes 553. 8. Gods reward shall be according to the quantitie and qualitie of the workes and what may be gathered from thence 555. 25 How Lazarus and the theife on the crosse had good works 553. 27 Workes and laboures of men may differ three waies and what they be 556. 37 Vses that God rewardeth men according to their workes 559. 560 561. 562. Workes though they be seedes yet are they no causes of eternall life 564. 565. 31. That workes are seedes of eternall life it is gods mercie and not the merit of the workes 565. 35 Workes of the flesh perfectly euill and why 566. 5 Good works perfect as they are of god imperfect as they are of meÌ„ 566. 12. Reasons why the workes of the spirit are not the cause of eternall life as well as badd workes are the cause of eternall destruction 566. tota pag. Obiections of the Papists to prooue workes the causes of eternall life answered Beginning at pag. 561 line 31. vsque ad pag. 572. Workes no cause of our reward but the measure 568. 2 Good workes make a man knowne to be iust but faith m 〈…〉 him iust 567. 32 Good workes are causes of eternall life not as meriting but as the kings high way 568. 25 How life eternall is promised to good workes how not 569. 6 The promise of reward vpon condition of performing the worke maketh not a meritorious worke 569. 29. Reward not due to workes of regeneration vpon compacte and promise the reasons why 569. 20. Good workes merit not eternall life though it be a reward of them page 569. in fine and page 570. 571. How life eternall is called a reward of good works 570. 11. 571. 5 That we may incite our selues to the dooing of good workes from the consideration of our heauenly reward sundrie reasons 579. 29. In dooing good workes we may respect the reward but not onely nor principally 581. 31 What should most of all mooue vs to doe good workes 581. 32 The loue of the world and of the truth cannot stand together 619 33. What is meant by the world and what it is to be taken out of the world 13. 37 Y Two kindes of yeelding 87. 18 Z Zeale what it is 45. 20 FINIS 2. Tim. 3. 16. 2. Pet. 1. 20. 1. Tim. 6. 20. Eph. 6. 17. Esa. 8. 20. Ioh. 5. 9. Mal. 1 2. Deut 6 8. Hugo de S. Viâ—t de Script Scriptor â—â—cris lâ—â— 1. c. 1. Deut. 4. 2. Matth 5. 13. Psal 19. 10. Psal 119. 98. c. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Act. 2. 〈◊〉 Iam 1 21. Ier. 2. 13. Ferdinaud Vellosill Epis. Luc. in praef in aduer Schol. Theol Nec Script nec Doctores vel a limino solutaste Laert. de vit Philos. lib. 1. in Thal. Epist. ad Leander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sleidan lib. 6. Coster Enchir. controvers c 1. Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 32. Sixt. Senens in praefat in Bib. 1. Tim. 1 4. Sixt Sen. Bibl. lib. 4. Tetrus Ximenes Episc. Cauriens a. Cor. 3. Non tam Commentarios quam indicie 〈…〉 lorum Hieron proam in 1. 〈…〉 m Esai 2. Tim. 3. 16. Symbolica Theologia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 argumentatiua Thom. 1. Cor. 1 â—3 Volusian ad Nicol. 2. 2. Pet. 3 16. Eccles. 〈◊〉 6. 2. Sam. 〈◊〉 30. Eph. 3. 4. o In his Prophetica Gal. 6. 〈◊〉 Philâ—m v. â—8 Ioh 5. 35. Ioh. 2. 3â— Rom. 1. 5. Act. 13. 33. Rom. 10. 14. 1. Cor. 16. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc. 5. 10. Math. 9. 38. Eph. 4. 11. Act. 20. 28. Psal. 105. 15. Rom. 8. 28. Rom. 〈◊〉 Lev. 10. 1. 2. Reg. 16. 11. Rev. 2. 24. Deut. 22. 9. 2. Tim. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o Praeter quam Contra Petilian l. 3 c. 6. o Non aliud quid amp 〈…〉 us Debono viduitatis c. 1. Math. 5. 48. Iob. 13. 15. v. 26. Term 25 de verbi Apest. Theodoret. bist lib. 4. c. 16. Luk. 10. 16. o I learned nothing or I was not taught o ' Simulatè non verè Matth. 11. 1â— Luk. 10. 18. 〈◊〉 Cor. 10. 4. Homil. 2. in Act 〈◊〉 Ioh. 3. 9. Germ. ad mil. Temp. c. 11. Epist 190. o Crâ—dere Fac 〈…〉 Aug. de â—â—pt concup l. 1. c 33. ad Bon. l. 〈◊〉 c. â—3 o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thom. Summ. p. 〈◊〉 q 62. art 4. Bellar. de Sact. l. 2. c. 11. De consid ad Eugen. Vxor materfamilias Vxor Vsuaria o â—usâ—in in qâ—â—st Act. 12. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traef lib. 8. de bello Gall. Sanos homines à scribendo dâ—terruit 〈…〉 c. ad Bruâ—uÌ„ Sueâ—on in Câ—s. cap. 56. Michael de Montaign in his Estayes the 5 6 7 8. Ethic. lib. 4. c. 3. 1. Macchab. 1. 60. Confess lib. 8. cap. 12. Act. 8. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Anchorat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. Rhet. ad Thâ—â—d lib. 〈◊〉 câ—p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O 〈…〉 Hierom in hunc locâ—m Gen 49. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 4. 9. Philip. 2. 4. de verb. dom â—orm 16. Muffâ—t Autâ—umus aâ—t â—uimus vel po 〈…〉 esâ—e quod hiâ—â—st 2. Tim. 4. 2. De verb. Dom. se 〈…〉 16. v. 15. Me 〈…〉 s est vâ— peâ—eatâ—nus q 〈…〉 m 〈◊〉 〈…〉 eroâ— Act. 24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 17 Rom 14. 1. and 15. 1. Prou. 19. 11. 〈◊〉 Poâ— â—5 Duro con duro noâ— fa bon 〈…〉 o. August serâ— 21. de verbi Apost 〈◊〉 hunâ— locuâ—â—x August 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 13. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylactus Sic Hugo de S. Victor lio quast in Epist. ad Rom q. 308. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—omes 〈◊〉 Rom. 7. 23. Exod. 20 Deut. â—8 Deut 13 Rom. 8. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damaseenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in Alexandro Phil. 2. 3. Phil. 2. 10. v. 11. Psal. 8. 4. o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 5. 16. Rom. 12. 17. Ioh. 5. 41. o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 24. 26. Onus rationis â—â—dden â—aeâ—onus infâ—â—mitatis participandae August contra â—cript Petil. lib. 3. Beda Lumbard iâ— hunc â—ocum Hugo dâ— S. Victor in 〈◊〉 quâ—st 58. In seâ—â—inali principio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Decimaâ—io â—xâ—rciâ—â—s 2. Cor. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
is this Commonly men liue as it were without the lawe and thinke it sufficient if they doe not grossely offend not considering that the lawe of God is a lawe to our thoughtes and affections and all the circumstances of our actions That we may hereafter make good proceedings in our religion we must remember 3. caueats One that we must indeuour to see and feele in our selues the smalenes of our faith repentance feare of God c. And the great masse of corruptions that is in vs. Thus with the beggar we shall be alwaies peecing and mending our garment The second that as trauellers we must forget things past and goe on to doe more good Psal 3. 14. The third that we must set before vs the crowne of eternall glorie seeke to apprehend it 1. Tim. 6. 11. thus did Moses Heb. 11. In Pauls profiting two things must be considered the measure and the thing in which he profited The measure in that he profited aboue many others Hence we learne that in matters of religion there should be an holy Emulation and contention among vs and our fault is that we contend who shall haue the most riches and honour or goe in the finest apparell and striue not to goe one beyond another in good things Againe Pauls modestie must here be obserued He doth not say that he profited more then all but more then many and he saith not more then his superiors but more then his equalls for time and he saith not more then all the world but more then they of his owne nation This modestie of his must be learned of vs for it is the ornament of our faith and therefore must be ioyned with our faith The matter or the thing in which Paul profited is that he was aboundantly zealous for the traditions of the fathers Here I consider three points I. What zeale is Answ. It is a certen feruencie of spirit arising of a mixture of loue and anger causing men earnestly to maintaine the worship of God and all things pertaining thereto and moouing them to griefe and anger when God is any way dishonoured II. For what is Paul zealous Answer For the outward obseruation of the law and withall for Pharisicall vnwritten Traditions which therefore he cals the Traditions of his fathers III. What is the fault of his zeale for he condemnes it in himselfe Answer He had the zeale of God but not according to knowledge For his zeale was against the word in that it tended to maintaine vnwritten Traditions and iustification by the workes of the lawe out of Christ Rom. 10. 2. Hence we learne sundrie things For that which Paul did in his religion are we to doe in the profession of the Gospell First we are to addict and set our selues earnestly to maintaine the trueth and the practise of the Gospel Christ was euen consumed with the zeale of Gods house Ioh. 2. The angell of the Church of Laodicea is blamed because he is neither hotte nor cold Rev. 3. He is accursed of God that doeth the worke of God negligently Ierem. 48. Secondly we are to be angrie in our selues and grieued when God is dishonoured and his word disobeyed When the Israelites worshipped the golden calfe Moses in holy anger brust the tables of stone Dauid wept and Paul was humbled for the sinnes of other men Psal. 119. 136. 2. Cor. 12. 21. Thirdly we are here taught not to giue libertie to the best of our naturall affections as to zeale but to mortifie them and to rule them by the word Numb 15. 39. otherwise they will cause vs to runne out of order like wild beasts as here we see in Paul Lastly let it be obserued that Paul here condemnes zeale for the maintenance of vnwritten Traditions And let the Papists consider this 15. But when it pleased God which had seperated me from my mothers wombe and called me by his grace 16. To reueale his sonne in me or to me that I should preach him among the Gentiles immediately I communicated not with flesh and blood 17. Neither came I to Hierusalem to them which were Apostles before me but I went into Arabia and turned againe to Damascus Paul before prooued that he learned not the Gospell of any man before his conuersion here he further prooues that he learned it of no man after his conuersion And the substance of his reason is this because immediately vpon his conuersion he conferred with no man but went and preached in Arabia and Damascus In the words I consider foure things First the causes of Pauls conuersion And here he sets down three degrees of causes depending one vpon another The first is the good pleasure of God whereby he doth whatsoeuer he will in heauen earth in these words when it pleased The second is his seperation from the wombe which is an acte of Gods counsell whereby he sets men apart to be members of Christ and to be his seruants in this or that office This separation is said to be from the wombe not because it began then for it was appointed by God before all times euen from eternitie as all his counsels are But the H. Ghost hereby signifies that all our goodnesse and all our dexteritie to this or that office is meerely from God because we are sanctified dedicated and set apart in the Counsell of God from all eternitie and therefore from the wombe or from our first conception and beginning The third cause is vocation by grace the accomplishment of both the former in the time which God hath appointed The second thing is the manner of forme of Pauls vocation in these words to reueale his sonne to me The third is the end of his vocation to preach Christ among the Gentiles The last is his obedience to the calling of God in the 16. and 17. verses To begin with the efficient causes of Pauls conuersion here we see the order and dependance of causes in the conuersion and saluation of euery sinner The beginning of our saluation is in the good pleasure of God then followes separation or election to eternall life then vocation by the word and spirit then obedience to the calling of god after obedience euerlasting life This order Paul here sets down and the consideratiō of it is of great vse Hence it appeares to be a doctrine erronious which beginnes our saluation in the preuision of mans faith and good workes For in Paul order workes haue the last place And it must be Gods pleasure that man shall doe a good worke before he can doe it And if seperation to eternall life should be according to faith or workes then we should make seperation of our selues as well as God And vocation is not for workes but that we might doe good workes Eph. 1. 4. Secondly by this order it appeares that the saluation of them that beleeue is more sure then the whole frame of heauen and earth because it is founded in the vocation of God which is
proceede further to a reall learning of Christ and that is to beleeue in the sonne of God to die to their sinnes by the vertue of his death and to liue to God by the vertue of his life This is a reall liuely learning of Christ. They that must conuert others it is meete they should be effectually conuerted Iohn must first eate the booke and then prophecy Reuel 10. 9. And they that would be first Ministers of the Gospell must first themselues eate the booke of God And this booke is indeede eaten when they are not only in their mindes inlightned but their hartes are mortified and brought in subiection to the worde of Christ. Vnlesse Christ be thus learned spiritually and really diuines shall speake of the word of God as men speake of riddles and as Preists in former time said their mattens when they hardly knewe what they saide Againe students in euery faculty are with Paul to learne Christ and that as he learned him Such persons desire and loue good learning nowe this is the best learning of all to learne to knowe and to acknowledge Christ. The knowledge of Christ crucified is Pauls learning The knowledge of the remission of our sinnes is the learning of Dauid that great prophet For this title he giues to the 32. Psalme The vnderstanding of Dauid Lastly all men are on this reall manner with Paul to learne the same For he is an example to all that shall beleeue in him to life euerlasting 1. Tim. 1. 12. Paul biddes vs doe the good things which we haue seene in him Philip. 4 9 Hoc vrge The third point is the end of Paules conuersion in these wordes that he might preach him among the gentiles Here I consider what he must preach namely the sonne Christ and to whome I namely among the nations Againe of the preaching of Christ I consider two thinges the first is why Christ must be preached rather then Moses Answer there be two causes One is because Christ is the substance or subiect matter of the whole Bible For the summe of the scriptures may be thus gathered together The sonne of God made man and working our redemption is the sauiour of mankind but Iesus the sonne of Marie is the sonne of God made man working our redemption therefore Iesus the sonne of Marie is the sauiour of mankind The maior is the summe of the old testament the minor is the summe of the new and the conclusion is the scope of both The second cause is The law is the ministerie of death and the Gospell which is the doctrine of saluation by the sonne is the instrument of God to beginne and to confirme all graces of God in vs that are necssarie to our saluation Therefore the doctrine principally to be preached is the Gospell and not the lawe Secondly it may be demanded what it is to preach Christ Answer it is a great worke and it containes 4. ministeriall actions The first generally to teach the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ and of his three offices his kingly office his propheticall office and his priesthood with the exequution therof The second to teach that faith is an instrument ordained of God to apprehend and to applie Christ with his benefits The third is to certifie and to reuele to euery hearer that it is the will of God to saue him by Christ in particular so be it he will receiue Christ. For when the Gospell is preached God thereby signifies vnto vs that his will is to giue vs life euerlasting 1. Ioh. 5. 11. The last is to certifie and to reueale to euery particular hearer that he is to apply Christ with his benefits to himselfe in particular and that effectually by his faith that a change and conuersion may followe both in hart and life 1. Ioh. 3. 23. And thus when these things are rightly performed Christ is preached Hence it appeares that to learne Christ is not only to know him generally but also effectually to apply him to our selues by our faith that there may be a change and renouation of the whole man They which learne Christ must thus learne him els can they not be saued The second point is that Paul must preach to the gentiles there be two causes of it one that the prophecies of the calling of the gentiles might be fulfilled Psal. 2. and 110. Isai. 2. The second because at the death of Christ the deuision which was betweene the Iewes and gentiles was quite abolished Eph. 2. 13. Here I obserue the difference betweene Apostles and ordinary Ministers Their charge is a sett and particular congregation whereas the charge of an Apostle is the whole world The 4. and last point is the obedience of Paul to the calling of God in that he went and preached the Gospell Here a question may be demaunded whether Paul performed his obedience by vertue of the grace which he had formerly receiued without the helpe of new and speciall grace or noe Answer noe His obedience proceedes from the first grace helped or excited by speciall grace In the regenerate that haue power to doe good God workes the will and the deede in euery good worke Phil. 2. 13. And it is a certaine truth we doe not that which we are able to doe vnlesse God make vs doe it as he made vs able to doe it Therefore to the dooing of euery new acte there is new and speciall grace required In Pauls obedience I consider 3. points 1. When he obeyed Immediatly How without deliberation or consultation when In Arabia and Damascus For the first in that he obeied God in going to preach im mediatly we learne how we are to answer and obey the calling of God that calles to amendment and newnesse of life namely in all hast without deferring of time Hebr. 3. 8. To daie if ye will heare his voice harden not your hartes and v. 13. exhort one another while it is called to day Psal 119. 60. I made hast and did not delaie to keepe thy commandements And there be good reasons why we should no longer deferre our conuersi on to God The ende of our life is vncerten and looke as death leaues vs so shall the last iudgement find vs. Secondly when we delay our repentance we add sinne to sinne and so treasure vp wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Thirdly when we deferre to obey and turne to God we growe to perfection in sinne and sinne beeing perfected bringes forth death I am 1. 14. Lastlie late repentance is seldome or neuer true repentance For when men are dying their sinnes forsake them and they doe not commonly forsake their sinnes God hath called vs in England more then 40. yeares together and yet many of vs haue not listned to the call of God but deferred to obey let vs now presently amend and turne to God least if we still deferre the time of our repentance Gods iudgements come forth in hast vpon vs. The manner of his
that is to binde them to a necessarie obseruation of the ceremoniall lawe Here let vs marke the practise and pollicie of the deuill Libertie from sinne death and the ceremoniall lawe is the treasure of the Church and therefore the deuill seekes to ouerthrow it by holding men in bondage vnder abolished ceremonies Thus at this day they of the popish Church are in bondage vnder an heape of humane traditions beeing indeede a yoake farre heauier then that of the ceremoniall-lawe Againe when men professe the name of Christ the deuill is content with it and he indeauours with all his might euery where to hold them vnder the bondage of sinne and to hold them in his snare at his will Thus vnder the name of Christianitie there be swarmes of Atheists Epicures Libertines worldlings and prophane persons At this time according to auncient custome we celebrate the memoriall of the birth of Christ and yet no time so full of disorder as this For the most that professe Christ take and challenge to themselues a licentious libertie to liue and doe as they list and this kind of libertie is flat bondage But they that are seruants of Christ indeed should take heede of this bondag◠For beeing free from sinne they should be seruants of nothing but righteousnesse Rom. 6. 18. They that be of a corporation stand for their liberties what a shame then is it that men should loue bondage and neglect the spirituall libertie which they haue by Christ. Thus we see howe the false brethren vrged circumcision now let vs come to Pauls refusall The first point is that they would not giue place for an houre It seemes they were requested to vse circumcision but once but they would not yeeld so much as once because their acte would haue tended to the preiudice of Christian liberty in all places Here we learne that we may not vse the least ceremonie that is in the case of confession before our aduersaries that is when they seeke to oppresse the trueth by face or by fraud and make ceremonies signes and tokens of the confession of any vntrueth Iulian the Emperour sitting in a chaire of estate gaue gold to his souldiers one by one withal cōmāding to cast of frākincense so much as a graine into the fire that lay vpon an heathenish altar before him Nowe Christ in souldiers refuse to do it and they which had not refused afterward recalled their acte and willingly suffered death Againe here we learne that we are not to yeeld from the least part of the trueth of the Gospel that God hath reuealed to vs. This truth is more pretious then the whole world beside and heauen and earth shall rather passe then the least tittle of it shall not be accomplished The commission of the Apostles was to teach them to doe all things which God had commanded Therefore the vnion or mixture of our religion with the popish religion is but a dreame of vnwise Politickes for in this mixture we must yeeld and they must yeeld something but we may not yeeld a iot of the truth reuealed to vs. There is no fellowship of light with darkenesse 1. Cor. 6. Colacinthus a naughtie pot hearbe marred a whole pot of pottage 2. King 4. 40. Christ saith in the like case of the Pharisies Let them alone they are the blinde leaders of the blind Math. 15. 14. We may yeeld in things indifferent but not in points of religion In matters of this world we may be indifferent and of neither side but in matters of God we may not There is no halting betweene two religions The second point is they gaue not place by way of subiection The reason is the Apostles were of highest authoritie simply to be beleeued in their doctrine And they had extraordinarie authoritie to punish them that rebelliously withstood them Act. 5. 5. 10. Act. 13. 20. 2. Cor. 10. 6. For this cause they were not to stand subiect to the iudgement and censure of any man They willingly suffered their doctrine to be tried yet were they not bound to subiection as other ministers of the new testament are 1. Cor. 14. 32. 1. Ioh. 4. 1. It may be said if they would not giue place by subiection howe then gaue they place Answer There is two kinds of yeelding one by tolleration without approbation the other by subiection which is the greatest approbation that can be By the first it may be Paul was content to giue place but not by the second Here we see howe we are to yeeld to the corruptions of the times in which we liue whether they be in manners or in doctrine We are to giue place by meeke and patient bearing of that which we cannot mende but we are not to giue place by subiection The third point is the ende of Pauls refusall That the truth of the Gospell might continue that is that the Gospel might be preserued in puritie and integritie in all things And by this Paul giues vs to vnderstand that if circumcision be made a necessarie cause of iustification and saluation the truth of the Gospel doeth not continue Here let vs obserue that when iustification or saluation is ascribed to workes or Sacraments the truth of the Gospell giues place and falshood comes in the roome Wherefore the religion of the Church of Rome is a meere deprauation of the Gospel for it makes workes to be the meritorious causes of iustification saluation Nay which is more it teacheth men to worship a peece of bread and to invocate dead men and to kneele downe to stockes and stones 6 And of them that seemed to be great what they were in times past it makes no matter to me God accepteth no mans person for they that are the cheife did not communicate any thing to me Here Paul laies downe the second signe of his approbation namely that in conference he learned nothing of the cheife Apostles And this he expresseth in the first words in which the concealement which he vseth is to be obserued For hauing begun a sentence he breakes it off in the middle and conceales the latter part and leaues it to be supplied by the reader thus Of them that seemed to be great I was not taught or I learned nothing The like forme of speaking is vsed 1. Chron. 4. 10. Where Iabez saith If the Lord blesse me and be with me concealing the end of his sentence I will be thankefull thus and thus In the roome of this concealement Paul puts an answer to an obiection For some man might take exception against his former speech thus Thou callest the Apostles Great but thou speakest fainedly for thou knowest they were but poore fishermen To this he makes answer thus What they were once it makes no matter to me Then he renders a reason of his answer God accepts no mans person This done he proceeds and renders a reason of his first speech he learned nothing of the cheefe Apostles because they did
by workes of mercie Tit. 2. 5. It may be obiected that there is a Cooperation of works and faith I am 2. 21. I answer that this Cooperation is not in the act of iustification nor in the worke of our saluation but in the manifestation of the truth and sinceritie of our faith without hypocrisie And for the declaration and approbation of this faith and workes ioyntly concurre Here then we see it is a pestilent and damnable doctrine of the Papists when they teach iustification by the workes of the law Let vs here be warned to take heede of it The fourth point is the Meritorious cause of our iustification and that is Christ. Here it may be demanded what is that thing in Christ by and for which we are iustified I answer the Obedience of Christ Rom. 5. 19. And it stands in two things his Passion in life and death and his Fulfilling of the law ioyned therewith For by faith the law is established Rom. 3. 31. Christ was sent in the similitude of sinnefull flesh that the rigour of the law might be fulfilled in vs Rom. 8. 4. and Christ is the perfection of the law for righteousnes to all that beleeue Rom. 10. 4. He that doth not fulfill all things contained in the Law is accursed Gal. 3. 10. Seeing therefore we cannot performe the things contained therein by our selues we must performe them in the person of our Mediatour who hath satisfied for the threatnings of the law by his passion and hath fulfilled the precepts of the law by his obedience in all duties of loue to God and man We owe to God a double debt One is that we are to fulfill the law euery moment from our first beginning both in regard of puritie of nature and puritie of action And this debt was laid vpon vs in the creation and is exacted of vs in the law of God The second debt is a satisfaction for the breach of the law For this double debt Christ is be become our Suretie and God accepts his obedience for vs it beeing a full satisfaction according to the tenour of the law For the better conceiuing of this obedience foure questions may be demanded The first is when this obedience beginnes and ends Ans. Satisfactorie obedience performed by Christ beginnes in his incarnation ends in his death Christ saith Ioh. 4. 34. It is my meate to doe my fathers will and to finish his worke But when was it indeede finished A little before his passion he said Ioh. 17. 4. I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to doe Againe in the surrendring of his soule he saith It is finished Ioh. 19. 30. S. Paul saith Christ was obedient to the death of the crosse Phil. 2. 8. The triumph of Christ beganne vpon the crosse Col. 2. 15. and he could not triumph before he had made a full and perfect satisfaction for vs. When Christ had procured deliuerance from hell and Right to life euerlasting he there made a perfect satisfaction for vs to the iustice of God And this he did in his death vpon the crosse For by the death of the Mediatour we receiue the promise of euerlasting inheritance Heb. 9. 15. and with one oblation vpon the crosse he perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. and they cannot be perfected without the perfect obedience of Christ. Christ rose from death and ascended into heauen in our roome and stead and this he could neuer haue done vnlesse he had made a perfect satisfaction in death Here it may be asked If satisfactorie obedience end in the death of Christ to what vse serue the resurrection and ascension of Christ and his fitting at the right hand of the father Ans. They serue also for our iustification but after an other sort For they serue to applie communicate to vs and to put vs in possession of the benefits which Christ hath procured for vs and purchased by his death S. Paul saith He asâ—â—nded to giue gifts 〈◊〉 and to fill all things Eph. 4. 8. 10. And Christ saith When I am exalted I will draw all men to me Ioh. 12. 32. And he liues for euer to make intercessionâ— for vs. Heb. 5. 27. The second question is how Christ could obey beeing God and satisfie for vs beeing man Ans. Christ must be considered not meerely as God or as man but as God-man or Man god For the Godhead doth not redeeme vs without the manhood nor the manhood without the Godhead Neuerthelesse Christ as God and man may both obey and satisfie For as there are in Christ two natures so there are two distinct operations of the said natures And as the said natures vnited make one Christ so the operations of the natures concurring and beeing vnited in one make the compound worke of a Mediatour Therefore the Obedience of Christ beeing the worke of a Mediatour hath in it the operations of both natures The practise exercise or exequution of obedience is from the manhood therfore it is said that Christ bare our sinnes in his bodie vpon the crosse 1. Pet. 2. 24. that he suffered in the flesh 1. Pet. 4. 1. that he made a liuing way by the vaile of his flesh Heb. 10. 20. that we are reconciled in the bodie of his flesh Coloss. 1. 22. Obedience iâ— properly a subiection of the will in reasonable creatures to the will of God now the will of the Godhead of Christ admits no subiection to the will of God because the the will of the Godhead or of God is one and the same in all the persons Christ therefore yeeldes subiection onely in respect of the will of the manhoode in which he performes obedience Moreouer the operation of the Godhead is to make the saide Obedience meritorious and satisfactorie for all that shall beleeue In this respect Paul saith God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe 2. Cor. 5. 18. and that God shedde his blood Act. 20. 28. namely in that nature which the sonne of God assumed Hence ariseth the value price and dignitie of the obedience of Christ. The third question is how the Obedience of Christ should be made ours Ans. By the freedonation of God For Christ is really giuen vnto vs in the word and sacraments and consequently the obedience of Christ is made ours euen as when a peece of ground is made ours the commoditie thereof is ours also The fourth question is how the obedience of Christ should be our iustice Ans. It is not our iustice in naturall manner for then it should be in vs but by a diuine and supernaturall manner namely by Gods Acceptation in that he accounts it ours euen as truly as if it were in vs. And because God accepts it for ours it is ours indeede for his willing and approouing of any thing is the doing of it and he calls the things that are not as if they were Thus we see what the Obedience of Christ is And here two errours must be auoided The
the naturall obseruation of the law without the death of Christ. But it is false which they say For Paul here speakes against Christian Iewes who ioyned the law and the Gospel and looked to be iustified both by Christ and by the works of the law and not by workes of the law done by strength of nature but by works of grace CHAP. III. 1 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth to whome Iesus Christ before was described in your sight and among you crucified THat we may see how this chapter depends on the former we must repeat the principall argument of the Epistle If I was called of God my doctrine be true then ye should not haue reuolted to an other Gospel but I was called of God and my doctrine is true therefore ye should not haue reuolted to an other Gospel The first part of the minor that Paul was called of God was handled in the first and second chapters The second part that his doctrine is true is handled in the third fourth and fifth and is propounded in this verse Moreouer the Conclusion of the argument set downe Chap. 1. v. 6. is here againe repeated namely that the Galatians should not haue reuolted to an other Gospel And withall Paul here notes the causes of their Reuolt and they are two One is follie O foolish Galatians The other is the deceit of false teachers who hath bewitched you Whereas Paul saith O foolish Galatians that we mistake not his example three questions may be demanded The first is In what respect he giues this hard iudgement against them Ans. Three things are subiected to Iudgement the doctrines of men the liues of men and the persons of men Doctrines are to be iudged by the word and the liues of men yet ordinarily the persons of men are not to be iudged For the saying is true that three things are not subiect to iudgement the Counsels of God the Scriptures and the persons of men And in this place Paul giues iudgement not against the Galatians themselues or against their persons but against their new conceiued doctrin and against their practise in Reuolting The second question is whether this iudgement be righteous and true iudgement Ans. It is because it is vpon good ground For first of all Paul giues this censure by vertue of his calling because his office was to reprooue and correct vice Tit. 1. 9. and 2. 15. Secondly it was in truth For indeede they ouerturned the passion of Christ and therefore he could not call them lesse then fooles Thirdly this iudgement was giuen in loue For Paul intended and desired nothing in this speach but their good and amendment Vpon like grounds Isai calls the Israelites people of Sodome and Gomorrha Isa. 1. Christ calls the two disciples foolish and slow of heart to beleeue Luk. 24. 25. Paul calls the Cretians lyers and slow bellies Tit. 1. 12. But Matth. 5. 22. may be obiected where he is said to be in danger of a Councill that saith Thou foole Ans. The place is to be vnderstood of them that charge men with follie with a mind to reproch them and in way of reuenge which Paul in this place doth not The third question is whether we may vse like iudgement against men Ans. Vpon like grounds we may if we haue a warrant and calling from God so to doe For all iudgement is Gods Rom. 14. 10. if this iudgement be in truth if it be in charitie for the amendment of the parties and for the good of others Otherwise if these grounds faile vs we may not giue iudgement against any man but must follow the iudgement of charitie which thinks no euill hopes the best and construes all things in the best part 1. Cor. 13. To come to the second cause Paul saith Who hath bewitched you that is who hath deceiued you as if ye were bewitched by some inchantments Here Paul takes it for a confessed truth that there is witchcraft and witches And that we may the better conceiue his meaning two questions are to be propounded The first is what is the witchcraft here meant Ans. It is a Satanicall operation whereby the senses of men are deluded For the deuill can by certaine meanes delude and corrupt the phantasie or the imagination and cause men to thinke that of themselues which is otherwise There is a disease called Lycanthropia in which the braine beeing distempered men thinke themselues to be wolues and carrie themselues as wolues And in this disease the deuill hath a great stroke Againe the deuill can delude the outward senses as the hearing and the sight Thus Iannes and Iambres turned their roddes into serpents before Pharaoh and brought frogges by deceiuing the eye and not in truth Exod. 7. and 8. Thus the witch of Endor made a counterfeit of Samuel to rise out of the earth 1. Sam. 28. The second question is if this witchcraft be an operation of Satan howmen should be said to doe it for Paul saith who or what man hath bewitched you Ans. Men doe it by league and confederacie with the deuill The inchanter charmes by ioyning societies Psal. 58. 5. The deuill seekes whome he may deuoure and therefore where he finds a fit person to worke vpon he infinuates and offers himselfe And after men be in league with him he hath a word and sacraments for them as God hath and he requireth faith as God doth And looke as theeues some lie in the way some in the wood and they in the way when a bootie comes giue a watchword to the rest and then all are at hand together Euen so when men in league with the deuill vse charmes imprecations curses praises superstitious inuocations according to his appointment and other Satanicall ceremonies a watchword is likewise giuen vnto him and he is straight at hand to doe the intended feate Thus and no otherwise are men said to bewitch or delude the eye That which Paul saith to the Galatians if he were now liuing among vs he would likewise say to vs O foolish nation who hath bewitched you We are wise in matters of the world but in matters concerning the kingdome of heauen the most of vs are fooles besotted and bewitched with worldly eares and pleasures without sense in matters of religion like a peece of waxe without all forme fit to take the forme and print of any religion And we must take heede least this our foolishnes and intoxication of our senses lead vs headlong to perdition And therefore we must learne the way of life in humilitie Psal. 25. 9. We must obey it and in obedience we shall learne it Ioh. 7. 17. We must as heartily loue the word of God as in minde we conceiue it least by not louing of it we be giuen vp to strong illusions to beleeue lies 2. Thess. 2. 10. Lastly we must pray to God to be taught and guided by his word and spirit in things pertaining to
are now constant but if triall shall come our frailtie shall appeare That our frailtie and weaknes may not be hurtfull to vs we must remember two rules One is not to haue a conceit of any thing in vs but to hold our faith and religion in feare as in the presence of God Rom. 11. 20. the second to take heede that there be not in vs an euill corrupt and dissembling heart For if our heart be naught our faith cannot be good Heb. 4. 12. 6 As Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes 7 Knowye therefore that they which are of faith are the children of Abraham The words Euen as Abraham c. haue reference to that which went before on this manner Ye Galatians receiued the spirit by my doctrine and my doctrine was the preaching of iustification of faith without workes which doctrine is like and sutable to the example of Abraham who beleeued God and it was imputed for iustice Here Paul sets downe the second argument whereby he prooues the truth of his doctrine And it is framed thus As Abraham was iustified so are the children of Abraham Abraham was iustified by iustice imputed and apprehended by faith vers 6. Therefore the children of Abraham are thus iustified This conclusion is the principall question it is not here expressed but in the roome thereof a declaration is made who are the true children of God namely they that are of Abraham in respect of faith That which is saide here of Abraham is a maine ground concerning the iustification of a sinner in the bookes of the old and new Testament therefore I will more carefully search the true interpretation of it Some expound the words thus Abraham beleeued God and the world reputed him for a good and vertuous man But if this be the right sense then Paul is deceiued who brings this text to prooue the iustification of Abraham not onely before men but also before God Now vertue and goodnes which is in estimation among men is not sufficient to acquit and iustifie vs before God The second exposition is of the Papists who by faith here vnderstand a generall faith whereby the articles of faith are beleeued And by imputation they vnderstand reputation wher by a thing is esteemed as it is indeede And they teach that faith is reputed for righteousnes because say they faith formed with charitie is indeede the iustice whereby a sinner is iustified before God But this Exposition hath his defects and errours For first of all Charitie is not the forme or life of faith but the fruit and effect of it 1. Tim. 1. 5. The ende of teaching is loue out of a pure heart good conscience and faith vnfained It is obiected that as the bodie is dead without the soule so is faith without workes Iam. 2. 26. and therefore that workes are the life of faith Ans. S. Iames by faith vnderstands a pretended faith or the Profession of faith as appeares by the words v. 14. though a man say he hath faith and v. 18. shew me thy faith Now of this profession of faith workes are the life Secondly this exposition makes faith or the act of beleeuing to be our whole and intire iustice before God whereas indeede if it be iustice it is but one part thereof And in the act of beleeuing loue cannot be included Thirdly faith ioyned with charitie is not the iustice whereby a sinner is iustified For our faith and loue are both imperfect and faith is imputed for righteousnes without workes Rom. 4. 6. and therefore without charitie For this is charitie to keepe the commandements of God Ioh. 15. 10. Paul saith that the righteousnesse whereby we are iustified is by or through faith Phil. 3. 9. and therefore our iustice and our faith are two distinct things The third exposition is also from the Papists that faith is reputed for righteousnes because it is reputed to be a sufficient meanes to prepare men to their iustification but this cannot be the sense of this place For this was spoken of Abraham after he was iustified and therefore needed no preparation to iustification Let vs now come to the true sense of the wordes In them I consider two things Abrahams faith in these words Abraham beleeued God and the fruit of his faith in these words and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Touching his faith I consider three things The first is the occasion which was on this manner After the conquest of the heathen kings Abraham was still in some feare in this regard the Lord comforts him Gen. 15. 1. I am thy buckler and thy exceeding great reward But to this Abraham replies I want issue and the Lord answers I will make thy seede as the starres of heauen Gen. 15. 5. Now then looke as God renewes and inlarges his promise to Abraham so Abraham renewes his faith and hereupon Moses and Paul say Abraham beleeued God God doth not now inlarge his promises to vs as to Abraham neuerthelesse the promises recorded in the bible are renewed to vs partly by preaching and partly by the vse of the sacraments and we accordingly are to renew our faith specially in the time of feare and danger The second thing is the obiect or matter of his faith and that is the multiplication of his posteritie It may be said how could Abraham be iustified by such a faith Ans. The promise of the multiplication of his seede was a dependant of a more principall promise I am thy God all-sufficient Gen. 17. 1. and I am thy exceeding great reward Gen. 15. 11. In this carnall seede Abraham specially respected by the eye of faith the blessed seede of the woman He therefore beleeued the promise of a seede as it was a pledge vnto him of a thing more principall namely the fauour of God and as it was a meanes to effect the incarnation of the sonne of God In his example we are taught how we are to respect and vse earthly things we are to respect them as pledges of Gods fauour and to vse them as meanes to further vs to Christ and to the attainment of our saluation The third point is the propertie of Abrahams faith which was a faith against hope For he beleeued the promise of a seede when his bodie was halfe dead and Sarai was barren In like sort we keeping true religion and good conscience must in all our temptations crosses miseries infirmities against reason sense and feeling beleeue the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting In the effect and fruit of Abrahams faith three things must be considered The first is what is meant by Imputation To impute properly is a speach borrowed from marchants and it signifies to recken or to keepe a reckening of expenses and receipts Thus Paul saith Philem. 18. If he haue done thee any wrong impute it to me that is set it on my reckening And this word is here applied to the Iudgement of God Because he
for vs and to applie it vnto vs. And this worke is done by Christ without impediment and without repentance on his part The seale and foundation of our saluation is this that God accepts and knowes vs for his 2. Tim. 2. 19. and that which concernes vs is that we must worship God in spirit and truth and depart from iniquitie Lastly here is comfort against the consideration of our vnworthines Thou saiest thou art vnworthie of the mercie of God and therefore hast no hope And I say againe dost thou truly exercise thy selfe in the spirituall exercises of faith inuocation repentance be not discouraged thou must not receiue the promise immediately of God but Christ must doe it for thee Though thou be vnworthie yet there is dignitie and worthines sufficient in him If thou say that thou must at the least receiue the promise at the hand of Christ. I adde further that he will not quench the flaxe that doth but smoake neither will he breake the bruised reede He accepts the weake apprehension if it be in truth And our saluation stands in this not that we know and apprehend him but that he knowes apprehends vs first of all v. 17. This I say In the former verses Paul hath laid downe two grounds one is that testaments of men confirmed may not be abrogated the other that the promises were made to Abraham and his seede which is Christ. Now what of all this may some man say Paul therefore addes these words This I say that is the scope and intent of all my speech is to shew that the couenant or testament confirmed by God cannot be abrogated and secondly if it might so be yet that the law could not abrogate the testament because it was giuen 430 yeares after the confirmation of the saide testament And because it might be doubtfull what Paul meanes when he saith the couenant confirmed cannot be abrogated he explanes himselfe in the ende of the verse by saying the promise cannot be made of no effect It is here to be obserued that Paul saith the promise made to Abraham is a couenant or testament It is a Couenant or compact because God for his part promiseth remission of sinnes and life euerlasting and requireth faith on our part In respect of this mutuall obligation it hath in it the forme of a couenant It is also a Will or Testament in two respects First because the promise is confirmed by the death of the mediatour Heb. 9. 15. Secondly the things promised as remission of sinnes and life euerlasting are giuen after the manner of legacies that is freely without our desert or procurement In this we see the great goodnes of God who vouchsafeth to name them in his testament that haue made couenant with the deuill and are children of wrath by nature as we all are Again in that the promise is a testament remission of sinnes and life euerlasting is a Legacie and for the obtainment of thē we must bring nothing vnto God but hunger and thirst after them and make suit vnto God for them by asking seeking knocking Thus are all Legacies obtained there is no more required on our part but to receiue and accept them And though we be neuer so vnworthie in our selues yet shall it suffice for the hauing of the blessing of God if our names be found in the Testament of God Againe Paul saith that the promise made to Abraham is a couenant confirmed of God It may be demanded by what meanes it was confirmed Ans. By oath Heb. 6. 17. Againe it may be demanded to whome it was confirmed Ans. To Abraham as beeing the father of all the faithfull and then to his seede that is first to the Mediatour Christ and consequently to euery beleeuer whether Iew or Gentile For Abraham in the first making and in the confirmation thereof must be considered as a publike person representing all the faithfull Here againe we see Gods goodnes We are bound simply to beleeue his bare word yet in regard of our weaknes he is content to ratifie his promise by oath that there might be no occasion of vnbeleefe Againe here we are admonished to rest by faith on the promise of God as Abraham did when there is no hope Some may say I could doe so if God would speake to me as he did to Abraham I answer againe when God spake to Abraham in him he spake to all his seede and therefore to thee whosoeuer thou art that beleeuest in Christ. And hence we are to gather sure hope of life euerlasting For in the person of Abraham God hath spoken to vs he hath made promise of blessing to vs he hath made couenant with vs and he hath sworne vnto vs. What can we more require of him what better ground of true comfort Hebr. 6. 17. 18. Lastly in that God thus confirmes vnto vs the promise of life euerlasting it must incourage vs to all diligence in the vse of all good meanes whereby we may attaine to the condition of Abraham and it must arme vs to all patience in bearing the miseries calamites that fall out in the strait way to eternal life Further Paul saith that the promise is a couenant confirmed that in respect of Christ because he is the scope foundation of all the promises of God partly by merit and partly by efficacie By merit because he hath procured by his death and passion remission of sinnes and life euerlasting By his efficacie because he seales vp vnto vs in our consciences remission of sinnes and withall restores in vs the image of God The vse If Christ be the ground of the promise then is he the ground and fountaine of all the blessings of God And for this cause the right way to obtaine any blessing of God is first to receiue the promise and in the promise Christ and Christ beeing ours in him and from him we shall receiue all things necessarie The second answer of Paul to the former obiection is that if the promise made to Abraham might be disanulled yet the law could not doe it And he giues a double reason The first is drawne from the circumstance of time Because the promise or couenant was made with Abraham and continued by God 430 yeares before the law was giuen therefore saith Paul the law was not giuen to disanull the promise Against this reason it may be obiected that Abrahams seed was but 400 yeares in a strange land Gen. 15. 13. Ans. Moses speakes of the time that was from the beginning of Abrahams seede or from the birth of Isaac to the giuing of the law and Paul here speakes of the time that was betweene the giuing of the promise to Abraham and the giuing of the law and that was 10 yeares before the birth of Isaac Againe it may be obiected that the Israelites were in Egypt 430 yeares Fxod 12. 40. The dwelling of the children of Israel while they dwelled in Egypt was 430 yeares Therefore it
on the Lords day But this doctrine seemes not to stand with the fourth commandement It seemes to be a truth more probable that euery seauenth day in the weeke must be set a part in holy rest vnto God for this is the substance of the fourth commandement And it is also very probable that the Sabbath of the new Testament is limited and determined by our Sauiour Christ to the Lords day For Paul and the rest of the Apostles obserued the first day of the weeke for a Sabbath day Act. 20. 7. and he saith Whatsoeuer ye haue heard and what ye haue seene in me that doe Phil. 4. 9. Againe it was the decree or constitution of Paul that the collection for the poore should be the first day of the weeke at Corinth now this collection in the Primitiue Church followed preaching praier sacraments and it was the conclusion of all other exercises in the assemblie 1. Cor. 16. 2. And this first day of the weeke is called the Lords day Apoc. 1. 11. and it is so called because it was dedicated and consecrated to the honour of Christ our Lord. And who is the author of this Dedication but Christ himselfe the Lord of the Sabboth It is alleadged that the Sabbath and the commandement touching the Sabbath is Ceremoniall and vpon this ground they take libertie keep no Sabbath at all But the truth is that the commandement touching the Sabbath is not wholly Ceremoniall It may be the first words Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it and the words In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke c. are spoken of the Iewes Sabbath but the wordes Sixe daies shalt thou labour and the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God are morall and containe a perpetuall truth Therefore the words of Paul must be conceiued with an exception of the Sabbath day which is the seuenth day in euery weeke which day Christ hath limited by his Apostles to the Lords day The vse This text of Paul discouers vnto vs a great part of the superstition of the Popish Church in the obseruation of holy daies First beside the Lords day they appoint many other sabbaths whereas it is the priuiledge of God to appoint an ordinarie day of rest and to sanctifie it to his owne honour Secondly they bind mens consciences to the obseruation of their holy daies which Paul here forbids and Col. 2. 16. Thirdly they place the worship of God in the obseruation of their holy daies but God is worshipped in vaine by mens precepts Matth. 15. Fourthly they place a great holines in their festiuall daies more then in other daies Fiftly they dedicate many of their holy daies to the honour of Saints and Angels whereas the dedication of ordinarie and set daies is a part of diuine or religious worship Lastly their holy daies for number are more then the festiuall daies of the Iewes and thus they bring people into their old bondage nay to a greater bondage then euer the Iewes indured in respect of daies and times It may be said that the Church of the Protestants obserue holy daies Ans. Some Churches doe not because the Church in the Apostles daies had no holy day beside the Lords day and the 4. commandement inioynes the labour of sixe daies Indeede the Churches of England obserueth holy daies but the Popish superstition is cut off For we are not bound in conscience to the obseruation of these daies neither doe we place holines or the worship of God in them but we keepe them onely for orders sake that men may come to the Church to heare Gods word And though we retaine the names of Saints daies yet we giue no worship to saints but to God alone And such daies as contained nothing in them but superstition as the conception and assumption of the virgin Marie we haue cut off Thus doth the Church with vs obserue holy daies and no otherwise Indeede the ignorant multitude among vs faile greatly in the obseruing of daies For they greatly solemnise the time of the birth of Christ and then they keepe few or no markets but the Lords day is not accordingly respected and men will not be disswaded from following of faires on that day Againe to obserue daies of good bad successe according to the constellations of the heauens is an heathenish fashion to be auoided For it is here condemned in the Galatians Here therefore we must be put in minde not to obserue the planetarie houres for men suppose that the houres of the daie are ruled by the planets and hereupon that some houres are good and luckie as they say and some vnluckie that men are taken with planets and borne vnder vnluckie planets But these are heathenish conceits Neither must we respect our Horoscope or the time of our birth and the constellation of the heauens thē as though we could hereby know what should befall vs to the end of our daies And we must not put difference of daies as though some were luckie vnto vs and some vnluckie according to the course of the starres The like I saie of the Criticall daies that is the 7. and the 14. daie after that a man beginnes to be sicke For they are groūded vpon the aspects of the moone which are not to be regarded And the Climactericall years are not to be obserued as dangerous and dismall The obseruatiō of the signes is of the same nature For the 12. signes are nothing els but 12. parts of the first mooueable which is but a supposed heauen Therefore there is no danger in the thing but in our conceit We are to feare God and not to feare the starres neither are we to make differences of daies in respect of them as though the affaires we take in hand should prosper the better or the worse in respect of their different operation Gods commandement is Feare not the signes of heauen Ierem. 10. 2. And good reason For no man can by learning knowe the operation of the starrs because their lights and operations are all mixed togither in all places vpon earth and therefore no obseruation can be made of this or that starre more then of this or that hearbe when all hearbes are mixed and compounded togither Againe the operation of the starres is by their light and light hath no operation but in heat or cold moisture or drinesse In this respect though we may well obserue the full and the change of the moone it is foolishnesse to ascribe the regiment of our affaires to the starres they beeing matters contingent which depend on the will and pleasure of man Lastly it is a great ouersight to hold sundrie of the starres to be malignant and infortunate in respect of vs whereas they are the creatures of God and their light serues for the good of man In a word we are not to make difference of daies neither in respect of holines nor in respect of good or badde successe V. 11. I am afraid
will be iustified by one act of the law is bound to performe the rest for his iustification Abolished from Christ that is Christ is become an idle and emptie Christ vnto you Whosoeuer are iustified by the law that is are of opinion that they are to be iustified by the workes of the law For indeede a sinner cannot be iustified by the law but onely in his owne false opinion Grace that is the loue and fauour of God The resolution The third verse is a confirmation of the reason in the second verse and it may be framed thus He which is bound to keepe the whole law hath no part in Christ he which is circumcised is bound to keepe the whole law therefore he which is circumcised hath no part in Christ. The 4. verse is a repetition of the second verse with a declaration therof for he shewes what he meanes by circumcision namely iustification by circumcision and consequently by the whole law And therefore when he had said If ye be circumcised he changeth his speach saying Whosoeuer is iustified by the law Againe least men might thinke it a small matter to be abolished from Christ he shewes that it is indeede to fall from grace The vse These verses are as it were a thunderbolt against all Poperie And first of all I vrge the argument of Paul against the Popish Church and against the Popish religion If ye be iustified by the law ye are abolished from Christ and fallen from Christ. Answer is made that the words are to be vnderstood of such workes of the law as are from nature and goe before faith and not of such workes as are from grace and follow faith for such workes they say are from Christ and stand with him I answer the words of Paul are to be vnderstood of all workes of the law whether they be from nature or from grace For this Epistle of Paul was written about sixe yeares after the conuersion of the Galatians therefore they were and had bin long regenerate persons now men regenerate looke not to be iustified by works of nature but by good workes which are workes of grace And Paul saith Eph. 2. 10. We are not saued by workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in and these are the best workes that are or can be Againe Tit. 3. 5. Of his mercie he saued vs and not of workes of righteousnes By this text we further see that we and the Papists differ not about circumstances vnlesse Grace and Christ be circumstances Againe we see that the Church of Rome is indeede no Church because by maintaining iustification by works it is abolished from Christ and fallen from grace Againe I vrge Pauls argument against them on this manner He which is debter to the whole law hath no part in Christ he which is iustified by workes is debter to the whole law therefore he which is iustified by workes hath no part in Christ Let them answer if they can I turne the same argument another way thus He which is iustified by workes is bound to keepe the whole law but no man can keepe the whole law therefore no man can be iustified by workes They answer to the minor by making a double fulfilling of the law one for this life the other for the life to come and both in their kind perfect The fulfilling of the law for the time of this life they say it is to loue God aboue all creatues in truth and that he which doth thus much fulfills the law and is no offender Hereupon they inferre that works may be answerable to the law and be opposed to the iudgement of God And for this doctrine they alleadge S. Augustine I answer againe that Paul in this place takes it for a confessed truth that no man can fulfill the law and he vrgeth it as a great inconuenience that any man should be bound to keepe the whole law And before he hath said He which is of the workes of the law is cursed Gal. 3. 10. which could not be if there were a fulfilling of the law for the time of this life As for Augustine it is true he makes two fulfillings of the law and one of them for the time of this life but this he saith is imperfect and this imperfection he makes to be a sinne whereas the Papists of our time teach that men may fulfill the law for the time of this life without sinne Where Paul saith If ye be circumcised marke how the false Apostles abuse circumcision It is by diuine institution a seale of the righteousnes of faith and they make it a meritorious cause of saluation It is indeede rather Gods worke then our worke and they make it their owne worke and that meritorious before God Like doe the Papists at this day Baptisme is a signe and seale of Gods mercie by diuine institution and they turne it into a physicall cause which containes and conferres grace In like sort they turne the workes of the spirit almes praier fasting contrition yea their owne traditions confession satisfaction and such like into meritorious causes of iustification and life And this is the fashion of deceiuers to retaine the names of holy things but not to retaine the right vse of them As here we see Circumcision was an obligation to the keeping of the whole law in the old Testament so is baptisme in the new an obligation or bond whereby we haue bound our selues to liue according to all the lawes of God Matth. 28. 19 20. This discouers the Atheisme and vnbeleefe of persons baptised in these our daies for few there be that thinke vpon and performe this obligation We are further to obserue the condition of the law It is wholly copulatiue All the parts of it are linked one to another He that is bound to one commandement is bound to all he that keepes one indeede keepes all he that breakes one in respect of the disposition of his heart is a breaker of all Iam. 2. 10. he that makes no conscience to keepe some one commandement if occasion be offered will breake any Hence it followes that true regeneration is that which is a reformation and change according to the whole law of God and containes in it the seedes of all good duties Christ saith He that is washed is all cleane Ioh. 13. 10. Iosias turned to God according to the whole law Zacharie and Elizabeth walke in all the commandements of God without reproofe Luk. 1. Dauid saith He shall not be confounded when he hath respect to all the commandements of God Psal. 119. 6. On the contrarie he which hath many excellent things in him if he liue in the manifest breach of some one commandement is sound in none nay indeede he is guiltie of all Herod did many good things and yet all was nothing because he liued in incest Mark 6. 20. The deuill is able to bring a man to perdition as well by one sinne as by many Whereas Paul saith
breathing as the soule And so it carries a fit sense For as the bodie without breath is dead and it shewes it selfe to be aliue by breathing so faith that is without workes is dead and it shewes it selfe to be aliue by workes 3. There is a false composition of the wordes to be considered faith that is without workes is dead is true but to say faith is dead without workes as though workes gaue life to faith is false and not the meaning of S. Iames but the former onely Againe the Papists hence gather that faith and loue are ioynt causes in the iustification of a sinner and that faith worketh loue in iustifying men before God But this Interpretation is against the whole scope of this Epistle in which Paul prooues that there is no iustification by the law c. 5. v. 4. and therefore no iustification by loue Againe Paul saith Rom. 3. 21. that righteousnes is reuealed without the law and therefore without loue And againe that we are made the righteousnes of Christ as Christ is made our sinne namely by imputation and therefore not by infusion of loue 2. Cor. 5. 21. Thirdly faith iustifies by apprehending Christ in the promise and therefore not by loue The consequent I prooue thus Faith and loue are two hands of our soule Faith is an hand that laies hold of Christ and it doth as it were pull him and his benefits into our soules But loue is an hand of another kind for it serues not to receiue in but to giue out the good it hath and to communicate it selfe vnto others Therefore faith cannot iustifie by loue Lastly loue in order of nature followes iustification and therefore it doth not iustifie For first of all faith laies hold on Christ then followes iustification vpon iustification follows sanctification and loue is a part of sanctification They vrge for themselues the words of Paul that faith works by loue Ans. Paul doth not shew in this verse what iustifieth but what are the exercises of Godlines in which Christians must be occupied And he doth not shew how faith iustifieth but how it may be discerned to be true faith namely by loue Secondly they obiect that faith and loue are alwaies ioyned and therefore ioyntly worke in iustification Ans. They are ioyned in one person or subiect and they are ioyned in the exercise of Christian life but they are not ioyned in the article of iustification Thirdly they vrge the 2. of S. Iames where it is saide that a man is iustified not onely by faith but also by works v. 24. Ans. Faith in S. Iames is put for an historicall knowledge of religion or for the bare confession and profession of faith Againe iustification is twofold one of the person the other of the faith of the person Iustification of the person is when a sinner is absolued of his sinnes and accepted to life euerlasting for the merit of Christ. Iustification of the faith of the person is when faith is approoued and found to be true faith and a beleeuer iustifies himselfe to be a true beleeuer Of this second iustification speakes S. Iames and it is not onely by faith but also by workes Lastly it may be obiected that loue is of no vse if it doe not iustifie Ans. Iustification and sanctification are two distinct benefits 1. Cor. 1. 30. and 6. 11. Iustification ministers vnto vs deliuerance from hell and a right to life euerlasting Sanctification is a fruit of the former and serues to make vs thankefull to God for our iustification and loue serues for the same vse because it is a speciall part of Sanctification Thus much of the deprauation of the text by the Papists Hence further I gather that many falsely in these last daies boast of faith because it is not ioyned with profiting in knowledge with true conuersion vnto God with fruits of loue to God and man whereas all true faith is fruitefull in good workes 7 Ye did runne well who did letyou that ye should not obay the truth The meaning Ye did runne well In these words Paul alludes to the games of running vsed among the heathen And he compares the word and precepts of God to a way or race beleeuers to runners life eternall to the price God to the vmpire or iudge the lookers on are men and Angels good and badde and the Exercise of religion is the running in this race Read of this 1. Cor. 9. 24. Phil. 3. 13 14. Who the interrogation hath in it the force of a reproofe or complaint And the sense is this they did euill which turned you forth of the way and you haue done euill that you obaied not the truth The like is Psal. 2. 1. Why doe the heathen rage that is it is great wickednes for them to rage Let stoppe intercept your course turne you out of the way That you should not obay that you should not giue credence to the doctrine of Paul and obay it The scope These wordes are a repetition of the principall conclusion of the whole Epistle And this repetition is not in vaine For it serues to bring the Galatians to a consideration of their offence and to amendement of life Hence I obserue that the often and serious consideration of our sinnes and liues past is a meanes to worke in vs a detestation of our sinnes and a reformation of life Thus Dauid saith that vpon consideration of his waies he turned his feete to Gods commandements Psal. 119. 59. And the cause why there is so little amendement among vs is because we neuer so much as thinke what we haue done In these wordes Paul sets downe three duties of Christian people The first is that they must be runners in the race of God Indeede the Sabbath of the Iewes figured a rest which is contrarie to running but this rest is from sinne and not from good duties This dutie of running teacheth vs foure things The first is that we must make hast without delay to keepe the commandements of God specially the commandements of faith repentance new obedience Psal. 119. 32 60. Contrariwise it is a great fault for youth others to deferre amendement till old age or till the last and deadly sicknes For that is the time to ende our running and not to beginne The second is that we are to increase and profit in all good duties specially in knowledge faith repentance But we in this age doe otherwise For either we stand at a staie or goe backe and very fewe of vs proceede forward in good duties And there are two causes of this One is blindnes of minde which makes vs that we see not how little our faith and repentance is and how great is the masse of our corruption the second is our vnbeleefe in the Article of life euerlasting The third dutie is that we must neither looke to the right or left hand or looke to things behind vs to set our affection on them but we must presse on forward to
he had to liue in the world could not be plentifull in good workes thereby to giue sufficient testimonie of their vnfained faith yet God accepteth a man according to that which he hath and not according to that which he hath not accepting the will for the deede as he accepted the willingnes of Abraham to sacrifice his sonne as though he had sacrificed him indeede Gen. 22. VI. Obiect God doth not proportionate the reward to the worke because he doth reward works which are finite temporall with infinite and eternall punishment Ans. Sinne beeing considered in respect of the act as it is a transient action is finite But in a threefold confideration it is infinite First in respect of the obiect against whome it is committed for beeing the offence of an infinite Maiestie it doth deserue infinite punishment for if he that clippes the Kings coyne or defaceth the Kings armes or counterfaitetâ— the broad seale of England or the Princes priuie seale ought to die as a traytour because this disgrace tendeth to the person of the Prince much more ought he that violates the law of God die the first and second death seeing the breach thereof doth not onely tend to the defacing of his owne image in vs but to the person of God himselfe who in euery sinne is contemned and dishonoured Secondly sinne is infinite in respect of the subiect For seeing that the soule is immortall and that the guilt of sinne and the blot together doe staine the soule as the crimâ—in or skaâ—let die the silke or the wooll and can no more be seuered from the soule then spots from the Leopard it remaineth that sinne is infinite in durance and so deserueth eternall punishment Thirdly it is infinite in respect of the minde desire and intent of the sinner whose desire is still to walke on in his sinnes and except God should cut off the line of his life neuer to giue ouer sinning but to runne on in infinitum committing of sinne euen with greedinesse Thus hauing the meaning of the words let vs come to the doctrine and vse There be two principall reasons which hinder men from beeing beneficiall and liberall to the Ministerie The first is because they thinke all is lost that is bestowed that way The second is because they are afraid lest themselues should want To both which the Apostle makes answer in this place comparing our beneficence in the vpholding maintaining countenancing of the Ministerie to seede to teach vs that as the husbandman doth sow his corne in the ground neuer fearing the losse thereof but hoping for a greater increase not doubting his owne want but assuring himselfe of greater plentie So we in sowing the seedes of good works must neuer dreame of losse or cost considering the more we sowe the more we shall reape we must neuer feare want seeing we shall receiue an hundred fold Mark 10. 30. If men could be perswaded of this that the time of this life is the seede time that the last iudgement is the haruest and that as certenly as the husbandman which sowes his seede lookes for increase so we for our good workes a recompence to the full O how fruitfull should we be how plentifull how full of good works But the cursed roote of infidelitie which is in euery man by nature doth drie vp the sappe of all Gods graces in vs and make vs either bad or barren trees either to bring forth sowre fruits of sinne or no fruit at all but to become vnprofitable both to our selues and others For the reason why men are so cold in their liberalitie so fruitlesse so vnprofitable is because they doe not beleeue the promises of God that he is true of his word that whatsoeuer they giue to the poore or the Ministers of his word they lend vnto the Lord and whatsoeuer they lay out the Lord will restore to them againe Prou. 19. 17. For if they were as wel perswaded of a recompence at the last day as the husbandman is of a haruest they would be more frequent in duties of charitie and more plentifull in good workes then commonly they be Further let it be obserued that though these words be but generally expouÌ„ded in the verse folowing where the Apostle saith He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption â—e that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life euerlasting yet are they more particularly and distinctly set downe elswhere in Scripture as 2. Cor. 9 6. He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and he that soweth liberally shall reape liberally that is the haruest shall not onely be answerable to the seede and the reward to the worke but greater or lesse according to the quantitie and qualitie of the worke For euery man shall receiue his reward according to his proper labour 1. Cor. 3. 8. For the more the husbandman sowes the more he doth vsually reape except God blow vpon it in cursing the land as he did the Israelites who sowed much and gathered but little and the lesse he sows the lesse shall his croppe be Euen so the more plentifull we are in sowing the seedes of good workes the more we shall reape and the more sparing we are the lesse shall our haruest be Hence I gather First that there are seuerall degrees of punishmentsin Hell according to the greatnes and smalnes of sinnes for some sinnes are but as moâ—es others as beames Matth. 7. 4. some as gnats others as camells Matth. 23. 24. and therefore some shall be beaten with many stripes some with few and it shall be easier for them of Sodoâ— and Gomortha at the day of iudgement then for them of Capernaum Secondly that there are sundrie degrees of glorie and felicitie in heauen proportionall to mens works for all men doe not sow alike neither are their workes equall but haue sundâ—â—e degrees of goodnes in them and therefore there are answerable degrees of glorie wherewith they are to be crowned This truth is taught elsewhere more plainly as Dan. 12. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the starres for euermore Therefore as there is a greater brightnes in the starre then in the firmament so there shall be greater glorie in one then in another 1. Cor. 3. 8. Euery man shall receiue his reward according to his owne labour therefore seeing all mens labours are not alike their reward shall not be alike This is further confirmed by the parable of the talents Luk. 19. where the master of the seruants doth proportionate his wages to their worke making him that had gained with his talent fiue talents ruler ouer fiue cities him that had gained teâ— ruler ouer tenne And whereas it may be said that all the labourers in the vineyard receiued an equall reward namely a pennie as well as those that wrought but an houre or those that bare the burden and heate of the
els but to haue the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons Iam. 2. 1. The second conclusion is that the new creature is the onely thing that is acceptable to God Circumcision c. â—â—aileth nothing but a new creature By the new creature the Apostle vnderstandeth the image of God or renouation of the whole man both in the spirits of our minds and in the affections of our hearts which is also called the new man We shall the better conceiue it by the contrarie namely by the old man which is want of knowledge in the minde and delight in ignorance want of subiection and conformitie in the will and rebellion withall want of holines in the affections and pronenes to euill The new man then is the restoring of all these defects For the vnderstanding hereof consider that there are three things in the soule The substance of the soule the faculties or powers of the soule and the qualities of these faculties Now neither the substance nor faculties are lost by the fall but onely the qualities of the faculties as when an instrument is out of tune the fault is not in the substance of the instrument nor in the sound but in the disproportion or iarre in the sound therefore the qualities onely are renewed by grace These qualities or habits are either in the Vnderstanding or will and affections The qualitie in the vnderstanding is knowledge Coloss. 3. 10. Ye haue put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him In the will and affections they are principally two righteousnes and holines both which are in truth and synceritie without all hypocrisie Eph. 4. 24. Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holines where holines and righteousnes are opposed to concupiscences and lusts of the old man Truth which hath relation to both to spiritual guile and dissimulation so that each of these qualities haue two parts a want of the contrarie euill and a positiue qualitie or habit of goodnes Holines respecteth god and containeth all duties of pietie contained in the first table Righteousnes respects man and the creatures and compriseth all the duties enioyned in the second table Truth respecteth the manner how both the former are to be practised viz. with an vpright and sincere heart free from all hypocrifie and deceit These three making a perfect harmonie in all the faculties of the soule Holines performing all the duties of pietie righteousnes the duties of humanitie truth seasoning both the former with sinceritie But may some say how is the new creature opposed to all externall things or said to be of any force in the kingdome of Christ seeing it is not auaileable to iustifie a man before God ' beeing stained with manifold imperfections For answer whereof we are to know that outward things are sometime opposed to Christ and his righteousnes as Coloss. 3. 11. There is neither Iew nor Grecian circumcision nor vncircumcision c. but Christ is all and in all things sometime to faith as Gal. 5. 6. Neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue sometime to the new creature or sanctification as in this place and 2. Cor. 7. 29. Circumcision is nothing c. but the keeping of the commandements of God But the sense is all one for they are opposed to Christ as to the matter of our iustification to faith as to the instrument apprehending it to the new creature as to the signe of them both Further whereas both here and 2. Cor. 5. 17. the image of god is called a new creature or as it is in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a new creation the meaning is not that either the substance or faculties of the soule are created a new but that the worke of regeneration is wholly to be ascribed to God alone not as though we were stocks or stones without life or motion but because God doth create these new qualities in vs quickning vs when we were dead in sinne and working in vs both the will and the deede Philip. 2. 13. If regeneration then be a new creation it must needes follow that before our conuersion we were not onely dead but euen flat nothing in godlines and grace By which we see what to iudge of the Semi-pelagian heresie which teacheth that a man by an internum principium may dispose himselfe to will that which is truly good and that man is not starke dead in sinne but onely sicke or wounded and halfe dead as the man which fell among theeues Luk. 10. or as a prisoner that is shackled and manackled who can walke of himselfe if his fetters be taken from him so we if Christ loose the chaines of our sinnes haue power of our selues to mooue our selues Which doctrine we know is most iniuâ—ious to the mercie of God and most derogatorie to the merits of Christ seeing it makes him in the worke of our saluation to be but causa removens prohibens which as Logicians teach is but causa sine quâ non which in truth is no cause at all So that they make themselues their own Sauiours and Christ to be but an instrument whereby they saue themselues for if he doe but remooue the impediment they without any more adoe are able to mooue and act themselues When as the conuersion of a sinner is as great a worke as the creation of heauen and earth for Paul calleth it here a new creation Nay here is a greater power required if I may so speake then that whereby the world was created For though an infinite power be required as well to the creating of the great world as the recreating or regenerating of the lesse world as our Sauiour Christ signifies Mark 2. 9. Whether is it easier to say to the sicke of the palsie Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee or to say Arise take vp thy bed and walke yet the holy Ghost seemeth of the two to make it more difficult to create a new hart then a new world in that speaking of the creation of the world he saith it was made by the word of God By the word of the Lord were the heauens made Psal. 33. 6. or by his fingers when I consider the heauens the workes of thy fingers Psal. 8. 3. or by his handes Psalm 102. 25. The heauens are the workes of thy hands But the redemption of man and the conuersion of a finner is said to be wrought by the arme of God Marie in her Magnificat saith He hath shewed strength with his arme Luk. 2. 51. nay he was faine to set his side to it and it made him shed many a teare and sweat as it were drops of blood trickling downe to the ground Luk. 22. 44. Before our conuersion we are like the drie bones Ezek. 37. for as when the winde of God came vpon them bone came to bone and were ioyned with sinews and couered with
be assured that the Scripture is the word of God 31. 33 2 How wee may be assured that the calling of our Pastours is from God 33. 36 3 Of Phariseisme 41. 18 4 Of preuenting and cooperating grace in mans conuersion 51. 9 5 Of a Lye and whether it be alwaies a sinne 62. 22 6 Of the forme and vse of an Oath 65. 14 7 Whether faith may be lost 69. 25 8 Of Satisfaction or restitution 99. 20 9 Of the distinction of Iewes and Gentiles 114. 2 10 Of Iustification at large 116. 6 11 Of Christs Obedience 119. 12 12 Of iustifying faith and apprehension 124. 35 13 How to liue wisely godly iustly sundrie rules 138. 32 14 How Christ liueth in vs and how it may be knowne 145. 15 15 How we liue by faith 149. 24 16 Of Iudging 156. 1 17 Of witchcraft and what a witch is 158. 2. 429. 431 18 Of imputation and imputed righteousnes 175. 16 19 Of the curse of the Law 184. 2 20 That no man can perfectly fulfill the law in this life 186. 35 and 499. 17. 21 The difference betweene the Law and the Gospel 194. 35 22 How Christ became a curse for vs 198. 19 23 Whether all Couenanâ—s are to be kept and how farre forth 208. 7 c. 24 Of the Judiciall â—aw 230. 27 25 Of Baptisme at large 243. 32 26 Of the Parents authoritie in appointing his childs marriage calling 274. 27 27 Of the mysterie of the Fathers sending the Sonne 279. 5 28 How Christ was subiect to the Law 286. 5 29 Of the obseruation of daies 314. 4 30 Of good Ielousie 331. 23 31 Of Polygamie 342. 9 32 Where our mother the Church is to be found ten motiues answered 352. 25 33 Of spirituall bondage 364. 39 34 Of Christian Libertie 366. 12 35 Of Imprecation or cursing 396. 29 36 Of the right vse and abuse of Christian Libertie 400. 12 37 Of brotherly Loue. 403. 11 38 Of Christian peace and concord 408. 14 39 Of the spirit and walking therein 411. 20 40 Of the combate of the flesh and the spirit 415. 38 41 Of Idolatrie 427. 22 42 Of Heresie 432. 21 43 Of Enmitie 435. 3 44 Of Murther 438. 7 45 Of Drunkennes and gluttonie 439. 11 46 Of Long-suffering 445. 2 47 Of Goodnesse 445. 38 48 Of Temperance 448. 3 49 Of Uaine-glorie 454. 35 50 Of Christian reproofe at large 469. 31. c. 51 Wherein the Law and Gospel agree and differ 497. 24 52 Of Merit of workes 594. 31 53 Of the kindes of goodnesse and rules to be obserued therein 588. 1. c. 54 Of obseruing of times 600. 10 55 Whether it be lawfull to compell men to embrace true religion 614. 5 56 Of Inscriptions of Epistles and post-scripts at large 655. 4 A Table of all those places of Scripture which are briefly expounded in this Commentarie Genesis Chap. vers Pag. lin 15 13 213 22 17 1 188 36 17 14 257 3 43 22 440 28 Exodus 4 28 258 3 12 40 213 29 29 10 292 34 Deuteronomie 30 6 188 16 32 4 190 25 I. Kings 15 5 189 9 II. Kings 2 23 362 30 23 25 188 18 II. Chron. 21 2 270 17 Psalmes 40 6 131 33 69 28 378 38 106 31 176 17 139 21 435 6 Proverbs 24 16 105 4 Isai. 64 24 298 4 Ezechiel 33 13 551 25 Matthew 5 22 156 25 5 22 362 14 7 6 472 10 6 10 189 26 10 8 537 10 13 57 5â—0 14 25 35 568 12 28 19 245 34 Marke 9 24 127 5 Luke 1 6 189 11 14 26 435 11 Iohn 3 5 257 10 4 37 551 7 6 45 539 24 13 34 35 494 15 Â Â 496 13 17 12 630 8 Roman 7 18 189 32 8 4 189 40 8 5 205 39 11 32 225 10 13 5 369 22 13 14 267 4 16 18 25 10 16 17 475 16 I. Cor. Chap. vers Pag. lin 5 4 475 31 7 12 5 12 10 8 525 10 II. Cor. 5 17 380 2 5 19 225 7 13 12 475 34 Philip. 2 3 511 6 3 15 188 36 Coloss. 2 8 434 20 3 17 247 26 I. Tim. 1 5 402 39 2 4 270 8 1 9 368 7 5 12 424 15 5 20 485 32 Titus 3 10 487 3 Hebr. 6 4 5 6 462 25 6 6 250 34 10 19 122 1 10 26 462 27 13 17 521 1 Iames. 2 10 377 32 2 24 385 1 2 26 383 39 I. Iohn 3 9 190 10 5 3 190 16 Apocal. 18 6 552 26 21 27 630 3 An exact Table of all particulars contained in this Commentarie The first figure shewes the page the second the line A THe blessing of Abraham came from the cursed death of Christ. 203. 20 Children of Abraham are of two sortes 177. 30 All beleeuers are children of Abraham three waies 177. 33 VVe must doe three things to walk in the steppes of Abrahams faith 178. 20. Of Gods not Accepting the person of man 90. 18 Who are to be Accursed 25. 35 How the church should accurse any man and in what order 26. 2 Admission into the kingdome of grace is either outward or inward 399. 18 Of Adoption 291. 25 In the grace of Adoption there be two acts of God 236. 33 The foundation of our Adoption 264. 35. Adulterie to be punished with death 233. 34 what Adulterie is and how great a sinne 424. 6 Of flying adultery and fornication 426. 6 Two speciall occasions of Adulterie and fornication 427. 4 In that Adulterie fornication c. are workes of the flesh we are taught three things 426. 29 Inordinate affections what 450. 28 Bodilie Affliction to be suffered ioyfully for the profession of the truth 651. 9 Agar figures Ierusalem two waies 345. 20 All put for many 181. 37 Anathema what it is 25. 31 Anger whether any lawfull and when a sinne and the remedie of it 436. 22 Remedies against Anger Obiections answered 445. 8 Apostasie hath fiue degrees 349. 24 What it is to be an Apostle 1. 37 Apostolike authoritie ceased with the Apostles 5. 18 The Apostles doctrine gods immediate word 5. 3 What is the office of an Apostle 68. 5. Application of Christ and his benefits is to be made by certain degrees 371. 30 Apprehension of Christ stands in two things 125. 4 Three grounds of Apprehension 125. 23. Two degrees of Apprehension 126. 25. Arabia where situate 57. 22 Authority of Scripture se Scriptures B Three markes of inward Baptisme 241. 40 Baptisme in the church of Roome no signe of the true church 243. 3. Baptisme taken six waies 243. 37 In the couenant of Baptisme Gods actions are two mans one 248. 2 The endes of Baptisme are foure 249. 11. The efficacy of Baptisme 249. 21 Arguments of Papists Aswered 250. 14. Baptisme doth not abolish originall sinne 251. 20 How baptisme conferres grace 253. 17 Of the necesitie of Baptisme 256. 22. Foure questions of the person that must administer Baptime 257. 30 The grounds of infants Baptisme 260.