the world as we see at this day in the Anabaptists alone In whom Sathan breathing out as it were the last blast of his kingdom through horrible vproures setteth them euery where in such a rage as though he would by them sodenly not only destroy the whole world with seditions but also by innumerable sectes swallow vp and deuoure Christ wholy with his Church Against the liues and opinions of others he dothe not so rage to wit against whoremōgers theues murtherers periured persons rebels against God vnbeleuers No to these rather he geueth peace and quietnesse these he maintaineth in his court with all manner of pleasures and delites and geueth to them all things at will Euen like as sometime in the beginning of the church he did not onely suffer all the idolatries and false religiōs of the whole world to be quiet and vntouched but also mightely maintained defended and nourished the same But the church religion of Christ alone he vexed on euery side After this permitting peace and quietnes to many heretikes he troubled only the catholike doctrine Euen so likewise at this day he hath no other busines in hand but this onely as his owne and alwaies proper vnto him selfe to persecute and vexe our Sauiour Christ which is our perfect righteousnes without our workes as it is writen of him Thou shalt treade vpon his heele But I doe not set forth these my meditations so much against these men as for my brethren which will either shew them selues thankfull in the Lord for this my trauell or els will pardon my weakenes and temeritie But of the wicked I would not in any wise they should be liked or allowed but rather that therby both they and their God might be the more vexed seeing with my greate trauell they are sette forth onely for suche as S. Paule writeth this Epistle vnto that is to say the troubled afflicted vexed tempted for they onely vnderstande these thinges and miserable Galathians in the Faithe Who so are not such let them heare the papistes monkes anabaptistes and such other maisters of profound wisdome and of their owne religion and let them stoutly contemne our doctrine and our doinges For at this day the papistes and anabaptistes conspire together against the church in this one point though they dissemble in wordes that the worke of God dependeth vpon the worthines of the person For thus do the Anabaptistes teach that baptisme is nothing except the person doe beleeue Out of this principle must needes follow that all the workes of God be nothing if the man be nothing But baptisme is the worke of God and yet notwithstanding an euell man maketh it not to be the worke of god Moreouer hereof it must follow that matrimonie authoritie libertie and bondage are the workes of God but because men are euill therfore they are not the workes of god Wicked men haue the sunne the moone the earth the water the aire and all suche other creatures subiect vnto them but because they be wicked and not godly therfore the sunne is not the sunne the moone the earth the water are not that which they are The Anabaptistes them selues had bodies and soules before they were rebaptised but because they were not godly therefore they had not true bodies and true soules Also their parentes were not lawfully married as they graunt them selues because they were not rebaptised therefore the Anabaptistes them selues are all bastards and their parentes were all adulterers and whoremongers and yet they doe inherite their parents landes and goods although they graunt thē selues to be bastardes and vnlawfull heires Who seeth not here in the Anabaptistes men not possessed with Deuills but euen Deuills them selues possessed with worse Deuills The Papistes in like manner vntill this daie doe stande vpon workes and the worthines of man contrary to grace and so in wordes at the least doe strongly assist their brethren the Anabaptistes For these Foxes are tied together by the tailes although by their heades they seeme to be contrary For outwardly they pretende to be their greate enemies when as inwardly notwithstanding they thinke teache and defend in deede all one thinge against our Sauiour Christ who onely is our righteousnes Let him therefore that can holde fast this one article and let vs suffer the rest which haue made shipwracke thereof to be carried whether the sea and windes shall driue them vntill either they returne to the ship or swimme to the shore The conclusion and ende of this complaint is to hope for no quietnes or ende of complaint so long as Christ and Belial doe not agree One generation passeth and an other commeth If one heresie die by and by an other springeth vp for the Deuill doth neither slumber nor sleepe I my selfe which though I be nothing haue bene now in the ministery of Chrst about .xx. yeares can truly witnesse that I haue bene assayled with moe then .xx. sectes of the which some are already destroyd other some as the partes and membres of wormes or bees that are cut asunder doe yet pant for life But Satan the God of all dissention stirreth vp daily new sectes and last of all which of all other I should neuer haue foreseene or once suspected he hath raised vp a secte of such as teach that the ten commaundementes ought to be taken out of the church and that men should not be terrefied with the lawe but gentely exhorted by the preaching of the grace of Christ that the saying of the Prophet Micheas might he fulfilled Let none rebuke or reproue an other They shall not prophecie vnto them As though we were ignorant or had neuer taught that afflicted and broken spirites must be comforted by Christ but the hard harted Pharises vnto whom the grace of God is preached in vaine must be terrified by the lawe And they them selues also are forced to deuise imagine certaine reuelations of Gods wrath against the wicked vnbeleuers As though the lawe were or could be any thing els but a reueiling of Gods wrath against impietie Such is the blindnes and pride of these men which euen by their owne iudgement doe condemne them selues Wherefore it behoueth the ministers of Gods word to be surely perswaded if they will be accounted faithfull and wise in the day of Christ that the word of S. Paule is not spoken in vaine or prophecied of a matter of no importance to witte that there must be heresies that they vvhich are proued may be knovvne Yea I say let the minister of Christ knowe that so long as he teacheth Christ purely there shall not be wanting peruerse spirites yea euen of our owne and among our selues which shall seeke by all meanes possible to trouble the church of Christ And herewithal let him comfort him selfe that there is no peace betvvene Christ and Beliall or betvvene the seede of the serpent and the seede of the vvoman Yea let
him reioice in the troubles which he suffereth by these sectes and seditious spirites continually springing vp one after an other For this is our reioicing euen the testimony of our conscience that we be found standing and fighting in the behalfe of the seede of the woman against the seede of the serpent Let him bite vs by the heele and spare not We againe will not cease to crush his heade by the grace and help of Christ the principall bruser therof who is blessed for euer THE ARGVMENT OF the Epistle of S. Paule to the Galathians FIRST of all it behoueth that we speake of the Argument of this Epistle that is to say what matter S. Paule here cheefely treateth of The Argument is this S. Paule goeth aboute to establishe the Doctrine of Faith grace forgeuenesse of sinnes or Christian righteousnesse to the ende that we may haue a perfecte knowledge and difference betweene Christian righteousnesse and all other kindes of righteousnesse For there be diuers sortes of rightuousnesse There is a politicall or ciuile righteousnesse which Emperours Princes of the world Philosophers and Lawyers deale withall There is also a Ceremoniall righteousnesse which the traditions of men doe teach This righteousnesse parentes and schoolemaisters may teache without daunger because they doe not attribute vnto it any vertue to satisfie for sinne to please God or to deserue grace but they teache suche Ceremonies as are onely necessary for the correction of maners and certaine obseruations concerning this life Besides these there is an other righteousnesse which is called the righteousnesse of the lawe or of the ten commaundements which Moises teacheth This doe we also teache after the doctrine of Faith. There is yet an other righteousnesse which is aboue all these to witte the rightuousnesse of Faith or Christian rightuousnesse the which we must diligently discerne from the other afore rehearsed for they are quite contrary to this rightuousnesse both because they flowe out of the lawes of Emperours the traditions of the Pope and the commaundements of God because they consist also in our workes and may be wrought of vs either by our pure naturall strength as the Sophisters terme it or else by the gifte of god For these kindes of rightuousnesse are also the gift of God like as other good things are which we doe enioy But this most excellent rightuousnesse of Faith I meane which God through Christe without workes imputeth vnto vs is neither Politicall nor Ceremoniall nor the rightuousnesse of Gods lawe nor consisteth in workes but is cleane contrary that is to say a meere passiue righteousnesse as the other aboue are actiue For in this we worke nothing we render nothing vnto God but onely we receaue and suffer an other to worke in vs that is to say god There â—e it seemeth good vnto me to call this righteousnes of faith or Christian righteousnesse the passiue righteousnesse This is a righteousnes hidden in a mistery which the world doth not know yea Christians them selues doe not throughly vnderstand it and can hardly take hold of it in their tentations Therefore it must be diligently taught and continually practised And who so doth not vnderstand or apprehend this righteousnesse in afflictions and terrors of conscience must neades be ouerthrowne For there is no comfort of conscience so firme and so sure as this passiue righteousnesse is But mannes weakenes and misery is so great that in the terrors of conscience daunger of death we behold nothing els but our workes our worthines and the lawe which when it sheweth vnto vs our sinne by and by cure euill life past commeth to remembraunce Then the poore sinner with greate anguish of spirite groneth and thus thinketh with him selfe Alas how desperatly haue I liued would to God I might liue longer Then would I amend my life Thus mans reason can not restraine it selfe from the sight and beholding of this actiue or working righteousnes that is to say her owne righteousnes nor lift vp her eyes to the beholding of the passiue or christian righteousnesse but resteth altogether in the actiue righteousnesse So deepely is this euell rooted in vs. On the other side Sathan abusing the infirmitie of oure nature doth encrease and aggrauate these cogitations in vs Then can it not be but that the pore conscience must be more greeuously troubled confounded and terrified For it is vnpossible that the minde of man of it selfe should conceiue any comfort or loke vp vnto grace onely in the feeling and horror of sinne or constantly reiect all disputing and reasoning about works For this is farre aboue mannes strength and capacitie yea and aboue the lawe of God also True it is that of all things in the world the law is most excellent yet is it not able to quiet a troubled conscience but encreaseth terrors and driueth it to desperation For by the lavve sinne is made aboue measure sinfull Romaines the seuenth and thirtene verse Wherefore the afflicted and troubled conscience hath no remedy against desperation and eternall death vnlesse it take holde of the forgeuenesse of sinnes by grace freely offered in Christe Iesus that is to say this passiue righteousnesse of Faith or Christian righteousnesse Which if it can apprehend then may it be at quiet and boldly say I seeke not this actiue or working righteousnesse althoughe I knowe that I ought to haue it and to fulfill it But be it so that I had it and did fulfill it in deede yet notwithstanding I can not trust vnto it neither dare I set it against the iudgment of god Thus I abandone my selfe from al actiue righteousnesse both of mine owne and of Gods law and embrace onely that passiue righteousnesse which is the righteousnes of grace mercy and forgeuenes of sinnes briefly I rest onely vpon that righteousnesse which is the righteousnesse of Christ and of the holy Ghost Like as the earth engendreth not raine nor is able by her owne strength labor and trauell to procure the same but receaueth it of the meere gift of God from aboue so this heauenly righteousnesse is geuen vs of God without our workes or deseruinges Looke then how much the earth of it selfe is able to doe in getting and procuring to it selfe seasonable showers of raine to make it fruteful euen so much no more are we able to do by our owne strength works in winning this heauenly eternall righteousnesse therfore shall neuer be able to attain vnto it vnles God him self by meere imputation by his vnspeakable gift doe bestow it vpon vs The greatest knowledge then and the greatest wisedome of Christians is not to know the lawe to be ignorant of workes and of the whole actiue righteousnesse especially when the conscience wrestleth with the iudgement of god Like as on the contrary amongst those which are not of the number of Gods people the greatest point of wisedome is to knowe and earnestly to vrge the lawe and
no man can obtaine life except first he be righteous then in deede righteousnes should come by the law Moreouer if there were any state of life any worke any religion whereby a man might obtaine remission of sinnes righteousnes and life then should these thinges in deede iustifie and geue life but this is impossible for Verse 22. The scripture hath concluded all men vnder sinne Where First in the promises them selues as touching Christ as Genesis 3. The Seede of the vvoman shall breake the head of the serpent And Genesis 22. In thy Seede c. Whersoeuer then is any promise in the scriptures made vnto the fathers concerning Christ there the Blessing is promised that is righteousnes saluation and eternall life Therefore by the contrary it is euident that they which must receaue the Blessing are subiect to the Curse that is to say sinne eternall death for els to what ende was the Blessing promised Secondly the Scripture shutteth men vnder sinne and vnder the Curse especially by the law because it is his peculiar office to reueale sinne engender wrath as we haue declared throughout this Epistle but chiefely by this sentence of Paule VVhosoeuer are of the vvorks of the lavv are vnder the Curse Also by that place which the Apostle alleaged out of the .27 chapt of Deut Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all the vvordes of this lavve to doe them c. For these sentences in plaine wordes doe shut vnder sinne and vnder the Curse not onely those which sinne manifestly against the law or doe not outwardly accōplish the law but also those which are vnder the law and with all endeuour go about to performe the same and such were the Iewes as before I haue sayd Much more then doth the same place of Paule shut vppe vnder sinne and vnder the Curse all Monkes Friers Heremites Carthusians and such like with their professions rules and religions to the which they attributed such holines that when a mā had once made a vowe of his profession if he died by and by they dreamed that he went streight to heauen But here ye heare plainly that the Scripture shutteth all vnder sinne Therefore neither the vowe nor religion of the Carthusian be it neuer so angelicall is righteousnes before God for the Scripture hath shutte all vnder sinne all are accursed and damned Who pronounceth this sentence The Scripture And where First by this promise The Seede of the vvoman shall bruse the Serpentes head In thee shall be blessed c. and such like places Moreouer by the whole lawe whereof the principall office is to make men giltie of sinne Therefore no Monke no Carthusian no Celestine bruseth the head of the Serpent but they abide brused and broken vnder the Serpents head that is vnder the power of the Deuill Who will beleue this Briefly what so euer is without Christ and his promise whether it be the lawe of God or the lawe of man the Ceremoniall or the morall lawe without all exception is shut vnder sinne For the Scripture shutteth all vnder sinne Now he that saith all excepteth nothing Therefore we conclude with Paule that the policies and lawes of all nations be they neuer so good and necessary with all ceremonies and religions without faith in Christ are and abide vnder sinne death and eternall damnation except faith in Iesus Christ goe withall or rather before all as followeth in the texte Of this matter we haue spoken largely before Wherfore this is a true proposition Onely faith iustifieth without works which notwithstanding our aduersaries can by no meanes abide For Paule here strongly concludeth that the lawe geueth not life because it is not geuen to that ende If then the lawe doe not iustifie and geue life much lesse doe workes iustifie For when Paule sayth that the lawe geueth not life his meaning is that workes also doe not geue life For it is more to say that the law quickeneth geueth life then to say that works doe quicken geue life If then the law it selfe being fulfilled although it be impossible that it should be accomplished doe not iustifie much lesse doe workes iustifie I conclude therefore that faith onely iustifieth and bringeth life without workes Paule can not suffer this addition faith ioyned with works iustifieth but he proceedeth simplie by the negatiue Rom. 3. and before in the second chapiter Therefore by the vvorkes of the lavv sayeth he shall no flesh be iustified And againe in this place The lavve is not geuen to bring life Verse 22. That the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ shoulde be geuen to them that beleue He saide before that the Scripture hath shutte all vnder sinne What for euer No but vntill the promise shoulde be geuen Nowe the promise is the inheritaunce it selfe or the Blessing promised to Abraham to witte the deliueraunce from the lawe sinne death and the Deuill and a free geuing of grace righteousnes saluation and eternal life This promise saith he is not obtained by any merite by any law or by any worke but it is geuen To whom To those that beleue In whom In Iesus Christ who is the blessed Seede which hath redeemed all beleeuers from the Curse that they might receaue the Blessing These wordes be not obscure but plaine enough notwithstanding we must marke them diligently and way well the force and weight therof For if all be shutte vnder sinne it followeth that all nations are accursed and are destitute of the grace of God Also that they are vnder the wrath of God and the power of the Deuill and that no man can be deliuered from thē by any other meanes then by faith in Iesus Christ With these words therfore Paule fighteth strongly against the fantasticall opinions of the Papistes and all Iusticiaries touching the lawe and workes when he sayth that the promise by faith in Iesus Christ might be geuen to all beleeuers Nowe how we shoulde aunswere to those sentences which speake of workes and the rewarde thereof I haue sufficiently declared before And the matter requireth not now that we should speake any thinge of workes For we haue not here taken in hande to entreate of works but of Iustification to witte that it is not obtained by the lawe and works since all things are shutte vnder sinne and vnder the Curse but by Faith in Christ When we are out of the matter of Iustification we can not sufficiently praise and magnifie those workes which are commaunded of god For who can sufficiently commend and set forth the profite fruit of one onely worke which a Christian doth through Faith and in Faith In deede it is more precious then heauen or earth The whole world therefore is not able to geue a worthy recompence to such a good worke Yea the world hath not the grace to magnifie the holy works of the faithfull as they are worthy
carnall generation had any prorogatiue or could haue made children to Abraham is shut out and yet the scripture saith In Isaac shall thy seede be called The second is of Esau and Iacob who when they were as yet in their mothers wombe and had done neither good nor euill it was said The elder shall serue the yonger I haue loued Iacob and Esau haue I hated Therfore it is plaine that they which are of faith are the children of Abraham But some will here obiecte as the Iewes doe and certaine vnskilfull persons at this day which will seeme to know much and say that this worde faith in the Hebrew signifieth truth and therfore we doe wrongly alleage it in this matter and moreouer that this place out of Genesis 15. speaketh of a corporall thing namely of the promise of posteritie and therfore is not wel applied of Paule to faith in Christ but ought simplie to be vnderstand of the faith of Abraham wherby he beleeued according to the promise of God that he should haue seede And hereby they would proue that the arguments and allegations of Paule doe conclude nothing In like manner they may cauill also that the place which Paule a litle after alledgeth out of Habacuc speaketh of faith concerning the accomplishing of the whole vision and not of faith onely in Christ for the which Paule alledgeth it Likewise they may wrest all the .11 chapter to the Hebrews which speaketh of faith and the examples of faith By these things such vaineglorious and arrogant spirites doe hunt for praise and seeke to be counted wise and learned where they least of all deserue it But because of the simple and ignoraunt we will briefly answer to their cauillations To the first I aunswere thus that faith is nothing else but the truth of the hearte that is to say a true and a right opinion of the hearte as touching god Now faith only thinketh and iudgeth rightly of God and not reason And then a man thinketh rightly of God when he beleueth his word But when he will measure God without the word and beleue him according to the wisedome of reason he hath no right opinion of God in his heart and therfore he cā not thinke or iudge of him as he should doe As for example when a Monke imagineth that his Cowle his shauen croune and his vowes doe please God that grace and euerlasting life is geuen vnto him for the same he hath no true opinion of God but false and full of impietie Truth therfore is faith it selfe which iudgeth rightly of God namely that God regardeth not our works righteousnes because we are vncleane but that he will haue mercy vpon vs looke vpon vs accept vs iustifie vs and saue vs if we beleue in his Sonne whom he hath sent to be a sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world This is a true opinion of God and in very deede nothing else but faith it selfe I can not comprehend nor be fully assured by reason that I am receaued into gods fauour for Christes sake but I heare this to be pronounced by the Gospell and I lay hold vpon it by faith To the seconde cauillation I answere that Paule doth rightly alledge the place out of the .15 of Genesis applying it to faith in Christ For with faith alwayes must be ioyned a certaine assurance of Gods mercy Now this assurance comprehendeth a faithfull trust of remission of sinnes for Christes sake For it is impossible that the conscience should looke for any thing at Gods hand except first it be assured that God is mercifull vnto it for Christes sake Therfore all the promises are to be referred to that first promise concerning Christ The seede of the vvoman shall bruse the serpents head So did all the Prophetes both vnderstand it and teach it By this we see that the faith of our fathers in the olde Testament and ours nowe in the newe is all one although they differ as touching their outward obiectes Which thing Peter witnesseth in the Actes when he sayth vvhich neither vve nor our fathers vvere able to beare But vve beleeue through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ to be saued euen as they did And Paule sayth Our fathers did all drinke of that spirituall rocke that folovved them vvhich rocke vvas Christ And Christ himselfe sayth Abraham reioyced to see my day and he savve it and vvas glad Notwithstāding the faith of the fathers was grounded in Christ which was to come as ours is nowe in Christ which is now reuealed Abraham in his time was made righteous through faith in Christ to come but if he liued at this day he should be made righteous by faith in Christ now already reuealed and present Like as I said before of Cornelius who at the first beleeued in Christ to come but being instructed by Peter he beleeued that Christ was already come Therfore the diuersitie of times neither chaungeth faith nor the holy Ghost nor the gifts therof For there hath bene is and euer shal be one will one meaning and vnderstanding concerning Christ as well in the auncient fathers as in the faithfull which are at this day and shall come hereafter So we also haue aswell Christ to come and beleeue in him as the fathers of the olde Testament had For we looke for him to come againe in the last day with glory to iudge both the quicke and the dead whom nowe we beleue to be come alredy for our saluation Therfore this allegation of Paule offendeth none but those blinde and ignorant cauillers Paule therfore as I haue said rightly alledgeth that place out of Genesis of faith in Christ when he speaketh of the faith of Abraham For all the promises past were contained in Christ to come Therfore as well Abraham and the other fathers as also we are made righteous by faith in Christ They by faith in him to come we by faith in him now present For we entreate now of the nature and manner of iustification which is all one both in them and vs concerning Christ to come and being come It is enough therfore that Paule sheweth that the law iustifieth not but onely faith whether it be in Christ to come or in Christ already come At this day also Christ to some is present to other some he is to come To al beleuers he is present To vnbeleuers he is not yet come neither doth he profit them any thing at all but if they heare the Gospel and beleue that he is present vnto them he iustifieth saueth them Verse 7. Ye knovv therfore that they vvhich are of faith the same are the children of Abraham As if he would say Ye know by this example of Abraham and by the plaine testimony of the scripture that they are the children of Abraham which are of faith whether they be Iewes or Gentiles without any respect either