agayne and therefore are they not reckoned in this beadroll because they cocker not themselues To be breefe all the threatninges of Gods iudgements call vs to repentaunce vnto which ther is pardon alwaye readie with God but they shal be a witnesse against vs if wee remayne obstinate For the worde possesse is vsed in Paule this greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to obtayne by right of inheritaunce Neyther yet doe we obtayne euerlasting life by any other right but by the right of adoption as else where is seene 22 But the fruite of the Spirite is charitie ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse benignitie faith 23 Meekenesse temperaunce against such the law is not 24 Those truely that are Christes haue crucified the fleshe with the affections and lustes 25 If we liue in the spirite lette vs also walke in the Spirite 26 Let vs not be desirous of vaineglory prouoking one another enuying one another 22 But the fruites As afore he condemned the whole nature of man for that it bringeth forth no fruites but faultye and reprobate so nowe he teacheth that all vertues all honest well ordered affections doe come of the spirite that is to saye from the grace of God and from the renuing whiche wee haue from Christ It is as much therefore as if he had sayd There commeth nothing of man but that which is euill there is nothing that is good but commeth of the holy ghost For although there hath oft times appeared in mē not regenerate notable examples of meekenesse fayth temporaunce and liberalitie yet for al that it is certayn that they were but only deceiuing shewes there was a kind of notable vertue in Curius in Fabricius Temperance in Cato gentlenesse and liberalitie in Scipio long suffering in Fabius but that only in the sight of men but that only after a ciuile account or estimation but before GOD nothing is pure except it be out of the fountayne of all puritie I take Ioy here not as Rom. 14.17 but for the merinesse which we shew to our neighboures and that which is contrary to waywardnesse so I take faith for truth that it may be contrary to suttlety fraud and lying I set Peace agaynste brawlinges and contentions Long suffering is meekenesse of mynde whereby it commeth to passe that we take al thinges in good parte and are not by and by ready to be angry the rest are open ynough for the fruite describeth how it shal be manifest what euery mans mind is what than will some man say shall we iudge of the vngodlye and Idolatours which shined with notoble shew of vertues for by their workes they showe to be espirituall I aunswere as not all the workes of the flesh are apparaunt in a carnal or fleshly man but they shew them selues to be carnal with this or that vice so a spirituall man must not be deemed so because of one vertue for in the while it will appeare by other vices that the fleshe had dominion in him which is plainelye to be seene of all them whome I haue named 23 Against such Some vnderstande simply that the Lawe was not set out against good workes because that of ill manners did spring good lawes but Paule speaketh this in a higher and more deepe sence namely that where the Spirite ruleth the Law beareth no longer the swaye for the Lord by framing our hartes vnto his righteousnesse deliuereth vs from the rigor of the Law so that he will not deale with vs according to the couenaunt thereof nor holde our consciences vnder guiltinesse The law in the meane while ceaseth not to doe his office by teaching and exhorting but the Spirite of adoption deliuereth vs from subiection and so he scorneth the false Apostles who by vrging and enforcing the subiection of the Law didde not more bende themselues to vnloose the yoke thereof which Paule teacheth to be done where the Spirite of GOD beareth swaye whereof it followeth that they had no regard of spirituall righteousnesse 24. They that are Christes He addeth this that he may shew that libertye belongeth vnto all Christians because they haue renounced the flesh And he warneth the Galathians what true Christianitye is as touching their life that they should not professe falsely themselues to be Christians when they were not Christians in life He hath vsed the worde Crucified that hee might note vnto them that the mortification of the fleshe is the effecte of the crosse on Christe neither is this the proper or owne worke of man but we are grafted by the grace of God into the fellowship of the death of Christe that wee should not any more liue to our selues Rom 6. 5. Than therefore shall we enioye the priuiledge of the sonnes of GOD if we be buried to gether with Christe by the true denying of our selues and in killing the old man not because the fleshe is as yet vtterly slayne but because it should not raigne but rather giue place to the spirite The flesh and the lustes thereof are meant for the roote and the fruites For the Flesh is the naughtinesse of nature corrupted from whenee all euils come nowe it appeareth that the members of Christ haue wrong if as yet they be brought in bondage vnder the Lawe from whiche they are loosed that are regenerate vy his spirite 25 If we liue in the Spirite Nowe Paule according to his custome out of doctrine gathereth an exhortation the death of the fleshe is the life of the spirite and if so be the spirite of God liueth in vs it gouerneth all our doinges For alwayes there shall be many which without shame will boast themselues to liue in the spirite but Paule calleth them backe from wordes to the triall of the thing For as the soule doeth not liue idlelye in the bodye but doth sende out moouing and strength to the members and all and singuler the partes so the Spirite of God cannot be in vs but he will shew forth himselfe by the outward effects Therfore by liuing is here ment the inward force or strēgth by walking is ment the outward actions or doinges For this is Paules mynde that workes are testimonies of a spirituall life in the word Walke there is a Metaphor whiche is often vsed 26 Let vs not be desirous These are speciall exhortations which were needefull for the Galathians and neuer a whit lesse are they meete for our time Ambition is the mother of manye mischiefes not onely in the whole societie or cominaltie of men but chiefely and especially in the Church Therfore he teacheth to take heede of her For Vaineglorie is no other thing here in Paule but a desier of honour wher any desireth to be aboue the reste For although the prophane Philosophers condemne not euery seeking after glory yet amonge Christians who soeuer is desirous of glory for that he goeth awaye from true glory is worthily condemned of vaine and preposterous ambition For it is not lawfull for vs to boaste
to God that forsooth nowe hee liueth not by his owne life but that he is so liued with the hidden vertue power of Christ that Christ may he sayde to liue and to flourish in him For as the soule nourisheth the body with life so also doth Christ inspire life into his membres A notable sentence That the faythfull liue without themselues that is to saye in Christ which cannot be but they must haue a true and a substātiall communicating with him Finally Christ liueth in vs two maner of wayes One life is whan hee gouerneth vs with his spirite and doth direct all our doinges The other is that hee maketh vs pertakers of his righteousnesse that when wee bee not able in our selues yet in him we maye be acceptable vnto God The first belongeth to regeneration or new byrth the seconde belongeth to the free accepting of righteousnesse of the which we may vnderstande this place to meane although if any man had rather vnderstand it of both I willingly will embrace it In as much as I now liue in the flesh There is here almost no sentence which hath not bene torn with sundry expositions as some expounde flesh in this place to be the euil of nature corrupted But Paule doth meane it more simply to be the bodily life For the faithfull by liuing in the flesh doe neuerthelesse not liue after the flesh although it doe also comprehend the infirmities in which wee are now helde enwrapped Or else there had ben another obiection in a readinesse Obiection Thou also liuest a bodily and fraile life where not onely this corruptible bodie doth exercise his offices wheras it is susteined or fed with meat and drinke but also it is in like manner compassed with many vices so that on euery side the face of death doth shewe it selfe this is not the heauenly life of Christ A Paradox is a sentence or opinyon straunge and contrary to the opinyon of the most part Aunswer therfore it is a paradox contrary to all reason that whereas thou doest manifestely liue after the common maner of men yet thou sayest thou haste no life of thine owne Paule aunswereth that it namelye his life consisteth in fayth whereby he auoucheth that it is a misterie hidden from the sence of man The life than whiche wee obtayne by fayth appeareth not to the eyes but it is perceyued within in the conscience by the efficacie of the spirite and therfore the bodily life letteth not but that we maye by fayth possesse the heauenly life Ephe. 1.20 He hath placed vs in heauenly thinges c. Also Now yee are the Citizens of the Saynts and of the housholde of God Ephe. 2.19 Also to the Philippians 3.20 Our conuersation is in heauen Also to the Colossians We are dead and our lyfe is hid with Christ in God to be short Paule is full of such testimonyes whereby hee affirmeth that we doe so liue in the world that neuerthelesse we liue also in heauen not only because there is our head but also that by the right or interest of vnitie we haue a life common with him as S. Iohn speaketh cap. 14. ver 1. In the meane while let vs note that here he bringeth his reason from the nature of fayth that he may teache vs that it is no absurditie if that life bee hid which is graffed or placed in fayth because that thing whiche we hope for doth not yet appeare that fayth maye be named the knowledge of thinges inuisible Which hath loued me These wordes are added to expresse the force of Fayth or else this thought would come into euery mans mynde Whence cōmeth such vertue of fayth that it should shead out vppon vs the life of Christ therefore the hypostasis whereon fayth leaneth Substance or foundation doth declare the loue and death of Christ for thereof is the effecte of fayth to be estimated Howe commeth it to passe than that wee liue by the fayth of Christ because he hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs. the loue I saye wherwith Christ hath imbraced vs did cause that he did make himselfe one with vs that hath he done by his death for in giuing himselfe for vs he hath suffered no otherwise than in our person and therfore whatsoeuer faith findeth in Christe of the same it maketh vs partakers Wheras he maketh mention of Loue he meaneth that whiche is taught 1. Ioh. 4.19 Not because we loued him firste but that he hath preuented vs firste with his loue For if he being prouoked with merites had redemed vs the cause therof would haue bene tolde but now Paule ascribeth all vnto loue it is therfore free or without merite For the order must be marked He hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs. which is as muche as if he hadde sayde There was no other cause wherefore hee shoulde dye but because he loued vs. and that at such time as we were his enimies as he teacheth Rom. 5.10 And giuen himselfe We cannot wel expresse with any wordes how great a thing this is for who canne declare in wordes howe greate the excellencie of the Sonne of GOD is hee hath appoynted himselfe to bee the price to redeeme vs. Vnder the worde giuen is included the whole commoditie whiche commeth vnto vs by the death of Christe that is to saye that it is the Sacrifice of Purging the Washing Satisfaction c. Neyther haue these wordes for me a small force in them because it was not ynough to consider or thinke that Christ died for the saluation of the worlde excepte euerye one doe challenge priuatelye vnto himselfe the effect and possession of this grace 21 I cast not awaye There is a greate emphasis or vehemencie in those wordes for what and how horrible vnkyndenesse is it to contemne so inestimable grace of GOD and purchase with so greate a price Hee accuseth the false Apostles of this sacriledge whiche is robbing Christe of his honour which being not contence with Christe alone doe thrust in also other helpes of saluation For the grace of GOD is refused excepte that wee renounce all other thinges and embrace Christe alone finallye what hath a man left him after he hath refused the grace of God and made himselfe vnworthye of it For if righteousnes Gratis which I haue translated for nothing is taken for frustra which is in vaine that is there should be nothing much worth in the death of Christ or Christe died for nor reward For this is the rewarde of his death that by purging of our sinnes he hath reconciled vs vnto his Father hereof it followeth that by his grace we are iustified and therfore not by workes The Papists interprete it of the ceremoniall Lawe but who seeth not that it hath respecte to the whole Lawe for it is as muche as Paule shoulde saye If wee our selues deserue righteousnesse than Christe hath suffered in vayne for therefore suffered hee that hee mighte obtayne righteousnesse for vs. and
what needeth that to be gotten vs of another that wee canne giue to oure owne selues Truelye if the death of Christe bee oure redemption than were wee Captiues if our satisfaction than were wee Debters if oure purging than were wee guiltie if our washing than were wee vncleane And so on the contrarye syde hee that doeth attribute vnto workes his cleannesse his forgiuenesse purging righteousnesse and deliueraunce doeth make the death of Christ vayne Here perhappe somebody will Obiect Obiection That the Argumente is not of force agaynste them whiche couple the grace of Christe with workes whiche no man neede doubte but the false Apostles didde for these two clauses stande together That righteousnesse is by the Lawe and Wee are redeemed by the death of Christe I graunte Aunswer if wee yielde parte of our righteousnesse to bee gotten by workes and parte to come by grace But we maye readilye gather that this kynde of Diuinitye was vnknowne vnto Paule for eyther hee didde wiselye and orderlye reason agaynste his Aduersaries or else foolishlye and ouerthwartelye If so bee any Blasphemer dare be so bolde to accuse him the defence for Paule is forcible ynough namelye That that is reputed righteousnesse before GOD not suche as wee men imagine but suche vnto whiche nothing is wanting But because it belongeth not to the presente purpose to pleade Paules cause againste Blasphemers which dare barke agaynst the holy Ghost let vs try the matter with the Papists They mocke vs when according to Paule wee reason That Christ dyed in vayne if righteousnesse bee by workes for they thinke themselues armed with a trimme aunswere when they bring out of their Sophisters That Christ deserued for vs the firste grace that is to saye the occasion of deseruing and that the merite of his death doth concurre and meete together with the satisfactions of workes to the daylye forgiuenesse of sinnes Let them than mock Paule out of whose mouth we speake for they must confute him before they confute vs. Wee knowe that he had to doe with men which did not vtterly shut out the grace of Christ but did place the one halfe of saluation in workes agaynste whome he reasoneth thus Christ died in vayne if righteousnesse be by the law and in so doing he leaueth not one drop of righteousnesse vnto workes The Papistes differ not from them a whit and therefore it is lawfull vnto vs also to vse the argument or reason of Paule to confute them The ende of the seconde Chapter ¶ The third Chapter 1 O foolishe Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obay the truth vnto whome Iesus Christe is paynted forth before your eyes being crucified among you 2 This only will I learne of you Haue you receiued the Spirite by the works of the law or by the preaching of faith 3 Are ye so foolish that hauing begun in the spirite yee will now be made vp in the flesh 4 Haue ye suffered so great thinges in vaine if yet also in vaine 5 He therefore that ministreth vnto you the spirite and worketh in you vertues doeth hee that by the vvorkes of the Lawe or by the preaching of the fayth O Foolish Vnto doctrine he ioineth or rather putteth in chiding If any man doth maruell why he deferred it not till the end without dought those so graue sentenses which he pronounced stirred him sodenly to be angry For wheras wee heare that the Sonne of God is reiected with all his goodnes and that his death is accounted as nothinge what godly hart is not broken with indignation He pronounceth them therfore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye out of their wits which suffered themselues to be enwrapped with so great sacriledge neyther doth he reprooue them only for that they suffred themselues to be deceyued but to be deluded as it were with a certayne Magicall enchauntment which is farre worse for he showeth that their fall was more nigh vnto madnesse then foolishnesse Some thinke that Paule had respecte to the disposition of the nation for they hauing their originall of Barbarians were to be handled the more hardlye but I hadde rather referre it simply to the the thing it selfe for it is a wonderous thing that in so great clearenesse of the Gospell there should as yet a place be open to the bewitchinges of the Diuel For he doeth not therefore onely saye that they are bewitched and out of their wits because they obey not the truth but because they being taught so certainly so manifestly so familiarly to be shorte so effectuallye doe straight waye fall awaye Erasmus hath the Verbe Crederetis Beleeued the whiche although I doe not vtterly reiect yet more agreeable to the Texte is that which I haue vsed namelye Obediatis obayed because Paule doth not accuse them that in the beginning they refused the Gospell but he chideth them because they stood not stedfast in obaying it Vnto whome before the eyes This belongeth as I haue already touched to augment their fault for the better knowne that Christ hath bene to vs so muche the more grieuous is our fault of falling awaye from him Hee sayeth therefore that the perspicuitie or playnesse of his Doctrine hath bene so great that it hath not bene so muche a bare teaching as a liuelye and expresse Image of Christe their knowledge then was suche as might be compared to a seeing The exposition of Augustine is harde and farre from the mynde of Paule who sayth that Christe was sette forth as though hee shoulde bee put out of possession Some reade for Proescriptus Wherof the Grecians call those tables Programmata wherein they shewe abrode such possessions as are to be solde that the matter might be apparant to the eyes of al men proscriptus which worde woulde not ill agree to the purpose if it be taken for Set forth to open sale or spoyle But in the worde depictus painted out there is lesse ambiguitie or doubtfulnesse and in my iudgement it doth very well agree for that Paule may show how great the force of his preaching hath bene firste he compareth it to a picture or paynting which hath expressed to them liuely the image of Christ after that being not contente with this similitude hee addeth that Christ was crucified among them Whereby hee meaneth that they shoulde not haue bene more touched with the present sighte of the death of Christ than with his preaching for mee thinkes it is somewhat hardly expounded of some where they vnderstande the Galathians to haue crucified agayne and mocked the Lord when they went back from the puritie of the Gospell or else had giuen eare and credit to those deceauers which had crucified him Let vs therefore keepe this sence that they were no otherwise instructed of Christ by the doctrine of Paul than if he had bene shewed them in a table nay rather crucified among them Such a representation can bee done with no eloquence with no colours of Rethoricians excepte that
the question he woulde sodaynlye cutte off the occasion of doubt or else the wordes Euen as are referred only to that which is next afore that is to saye that by the hearing of fayth lhey had the ministration of the Spirite and of vertues as if he would say that there shined in the grace giuen vnto them a similitude or likenesse with Abraham Beleeued God With this Testimonie hee proueth as well in this place as in the fourth Chapter to the Romaynes that men are iustified by fayth because Fayth was imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse Fyrste brieflye is to be vnderstanded what Fayth in this place meaneth with Paule secondlye what righteousnesse thyrdlye why fayth is deemed the cause of iustification Fayth is not taken for euerye perswasion which men may haue of the truth of God for be it that Caine had a hundred tymes beleeued God when he tolde him he would punishe him he hadde not bene the nere to obtayne righteousnesse Abraham therefore was iustified by beleeuing because whereas he had of God a promise of his fatherly goodnesse he did certaynely and surely embrace the same than Fayth in this place hath a relation and respecte vnto suche a worde of GOD as men hauing it in possession may rest in it and sticke fast to it As touching the worde Righteousnesse the manner of speaking of Moses is to be marked for whereas he sayth It was imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse because he beleeued hee declareth thereby that he is righteous that is so taken with GOD. And whereas men haue not righteteousnesse layde vp in themselues they obtayne the same by imputation because GOD doth impute Fayth vnto them for righteousnesse Wee are sayde than to bee iustifyed by Faith not because fayth doth poure into vs an habite or qualitie but because we are accepted before GOD. And why is there so great honour attributed to faith that it is called the cause of our righteousnesse Firste wee must knowe that it is the instrumentall cause onely for to speake properly our righteousnesse is nothing else but a free accepting of GOD in which lieth the foundation of our saluation but because the Lorde in giuing vnto vs a Testimonie of his loue and grace thorowe the Gospell doeth communicate vnto vs that righteousnesse which I haue spoken off therefore we take holde of it by fayth Therefore when we attribute mans iustification vnto fayth wee dispute not of the principall cause but we note onelye the manner whereby men come to true righteousnesse For this righteousnesse is the meere gifte of God and not a qualitye whiche sticketh or is in man but is possessed onely by Fayth neyther yet that by the deserte or merite of Fayth that it should be as a due rewarde but because we receaue by Fayth that which GOD of his owne accorde and good will doth giue therefore all these speeches are of like force That we are iustified by the grace of God That Christe is our righteousnesse That the mercye of GOD is the cause of our righteousnesse That righteousnesse is gotten vnto vs by the death and resurrection of Christ That righteousnesse is giuen vnto vs by the Gospell That we obtayne righteousnesse by Fayth Whereby it appeareth howe childishlye they erre whiche woulde make these propositions agree together Wee are iustified by Fayth and Workes both for hee that is iust by Fayth he being bare and voyde of his owne righteousnesse resteth in the onlye grace of GOD. And this is the reason why Paule to the Romaynes doth conclude that Abraham is destytute of Glorye before GOD because hee hath obtained righteousnesse by Fayth Rom. 4.2 for it is not sayde that Fayth was imputed vnto him for parte of righteousnesse but for righteousnesse simplye without more wordes therefore Fayth was vnto him in the whole for righteousnesse Fynallye Fayth beholdeth nothing beside the mercye of GOD and Christ deade and raysed agayne Therefore all merite of workes is shutte out from the cause of iustification when as all is assigned to fayth For fayth for that it contayneth in it selfe the free goodnesse of God Christ with all his good things the testimony and witnesse of our adoption whiche is giuen in the Gospell is vtterly opposite and set against the law the merits of workes and the worthinesse of men for whereas the Sophisters doe thinke that it is only set agaynst ceremonies the order of the disputation or reasoning shall by and by with small adoe thorowly reproue them We must therefore beare in mind that they that are iust by fayth are iust without themselues that is in Christ whereby also the foolishe cauillation of some which dally with Paule is confuted because say they Moses calleth righteousnesse goodnesse or honesty and so it signifieth nothing else but Abraham was accounted a good man because he beleeued God Such frantike sprites doth Sathan at these dayes rayse vp to ouerthrow the certayntie of the Scripture with crooked slaunders as it were with mynes But Paule who knew that Moses in that place taught not children grammar but that he spake of the iudgement of God did not without cause take the worde Righteousnesse after the maner of a Diuine for we are not deemed righteous before GOD after the like reason wherewith we haue prayse of goodnesse before men but when we bring perfecte obedience of the Lawe For righteousnesse is opposite or sette againste the breaking of the Lawe yea euen in the least iote or tittle but because we haue not it I meane righteousnesse of our selues God doth freelye giue it vnto vs. Obiection But here the Iewes shake vp Paule for that he hath wrongfully wrested Moses wordes to serue his owne turne for Moses there in that place doth not entreate of Christe or of the life euerlasting but maketh mention onely of the earthye promise The Papistes also are not farre off from the Iewes for albeit they dare not reproche Paule yet they do altogether ouerturne Paules intent and purpose Answere I aunswere Paule taketh it for a thing graunted as an vndoubted Principle among Christians that whatsoeuer promises the Lorde gaue vnto Abraham they did appertayne or depend on that firste promise I am thy God Genesis 17.1 Thy rewarde is exreeding greate Gen. 15.1 And in thy seede shal all nations be blessed Gen. 22.17 18. And therfore whē Abraham heard this Thy seed shal be as the sande of the sea c. he stayed not in that word but rather he included it in the grace of adoption as the part in the whole moreouer whatsoeuer promise was giuen he did not otherwise receiue the same than as a testimonye of the fatherly grace of God that thereby hee mighte take sure confidence of saluation For euen in this doe the Children of God differ from the vnbeleeuers for that they in deede haue the vse of God his benefites together with the children of God but yet like beastes they regarde not that which is higher but as for God his Children because