your selues with the yoke of bondage There is little reckoning made of me But say that I Paul tolde you that if you bee circumcised since the date of that ceremony is expited and with the entent to ioyne the Lawe with christ which your false teachers bear you in hand you ought to doe say that I said it and you shall find it so that Christ cannot profitte you and that thereby you are euen abolished from Christ and fallen from Grace For as the Oke and the Oliue will not growe in one hole so hee that leaneth as Iohn did vnto Christ must rencunce Moyses Lawe and onely cleaue to Christ and to his grace alone For as Sara and Agar cannot dwell in one house so the liberty of christ and the seruility of Moses cannot rest in one hart * 1 Sam. 5. The Philistines by force may bring the arke of God into the Temple of their god but the arke and Dagon wil neuer agree and our patches and out-worne ragges are not sutable to his scarlet weed His new wine will haue newe bottles and his wine wil not be mixed and as his sacred * Ioh. 19.41 body was laide in a monument where neuer man was laide so his person is there receaued where nothing is receaued but his person and he that is a Christian is nothing but a Christian hee is a not Iewe and a Christian but hee is a Christian Agrippa in the Actes Act. 26.29 was induced to become almost a Christian but almost contented not Paul and Paul wished that all men were christians not almost but altogether so For he that is not altogether so is in no part so There is no * 1 Cor. 1.13 diuiding with Christ neither yet of the Lawe For the Law requireth all or none Because Paul would not ouerbear them with his owne name and authority he sheweth withall aboundantly that the natures of the Gospell are contrary cannot agree And that the rite of circumcision vnder the law requireth the obseruation of the whole law so the false Apostels taught them but the obseruation of the whole Law was impossible yet vpon a supposal If it could bee obserued then fare-well Christ and fare-well Grace But vers 5. The spirit enstructeth our hope not to trust in our selues but teacheth vs to expect a righteousnesse thorough faieth in Christ Which faith verse 6. knoweth no difference between circumcision and vncircumcision for christ is the sauiour of al that beleeue in him thorough faith And because there were euen then at that time false motiues concerning names of thinges aequiuocè and doubtfully termed which indeede were not answerable to their appellations Paul describeth for our better vnderstanding how we shall knowe a true faith to wit by the operation thereof by loue Faith is a faith which woorketh by charity De vniuers Iustificati doct lib. 8. cap. 29. This Paraphrase is plaine and sensible and might suffice but that Master Stapleton and papists wil not suffer the plainest scriptures to passe without their obscure glozing and endlesse corruptions Insteed of which worketh he saith which is wrought by charity For he telleth vs vppon his knowledge in the greeke that the verbe operatur in graeco habet sensum passiuum non actiuum hath a passiue sense in greeke and not an actiue This passeth And not an actiue Henry Steeuen incomparably better skilled in the tongue than master Stapleton in his greek * Tom. 1. con 12.31 Lexicon saith that in the new testâ—ment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is found also in the actiue signification and in the Epistle of Saint Iames Iam. 5.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an effectual operatiue and actiue praying is it not And your Latine translation is operatur which is actiuely taken we gesse And date you presume to for go the same directly against your own trent decree in that respect But you may doe what you list to mainteine your fancies But let vs fellowe you and see what reason may lead you to think that Paul should require a faith wrought by charitie And by the way bee it remembred that your selues date not so translate it For though your Rhemish men in their notes iumble about that your meaning yet their note is beside the text and they translate it as wee doe viz. That it is faith which worketh by charitie and not which is wrought by charitie But now consider if Paul would haue charity work vp faith and faith to be wrought vp and to be perfected by loue to what purpose were that speech but to ouerthrowe the whole tenour of his former endeuour For hee sheweth that wee are not iustified by the Lawe and namely therefore not by circumcision least by the admission of circumcisioÌ„ we should become debters of the whole Lawe both morall and ceremoniall And if you marke loue and charity by reason of the large extent thereof reaching euen to both the tables is called the perfection of the Law so that in requiring Loue he should also exact the whole Lawe which hee purposely laboureth to exclude in the case and action of iustifiyng and therefore veryly Loue is not the worker or former of faith but faith alone iustifieth and this iustifieng faith actiuely woorketh through loue stil I say not in the act of iustifieng before God but in the actions of good liuing in the world But thus Maister Stapleton you can set men a woorke to confute these childish babies of fro-warde wranglers 7 Ye did run wel who did let you that you did not obey the truth 8 It is not the persuasion of him that called you 9 A litle Leauen doth Leauen the whole lump 10 I haue trust in you thorough the Lorde that ye wil be none otherwise minded but hee that troubleth you shal beare his condemnation whosoeuer he be 11 And brethren if I preach circumcision why doe I yet suffer persecution Then is the slaunder of the crosse abolished 12 Woulde to God they were euen cut off which doe disquiet you In Leuiticus Leuit. 10.9 Aaron abstained from wine for the time hee sacrificed whereby was insinuated the great sobriety and marueilous discretion is required in them who are to deale in Gods affaires And as discretion is requisite so is diligence necessary and courage needeful Al these vertues were in Paul in the highest degree Wee haue found it so and so haue obserued them not once nor twise but sundry times as we haue gon along The Galathians ranne wel Paul cheerefullie encouraged them in that race There are stumbling blocks of offence laid in their way Paul seeketh to roule them aside or else helpeth them to ouer-stride them And to that end he reacheth them his hand nay his hope and hands no doubt helde vp to the Lord most earnestly in their behalfe Iacob neuer tooke the toile to obtaine to wife either of Labans daughters that Paul taketh to wedde marry the Galathians firmely to Christ to whome
vehemency of the Apostles woordes thus varied Faith instifieth 1 The first speech is that the iust shal liue by faith This was prooued and sufficiently proued before by the example and faith of Abraham But abundant proofes for the foundation of christian faith are not superfluous and must not bee tedious to eares and minds erected and settled to heare and marke the euidences of their saluation The Prophet Abacuc saith Habak 2.4 that the iust shall liue by faith In the end of the first and in the beginning of the second chapter of his prophesie the Iewes appeere to haue bin in a pitiful case Their enimies were no small enimies The Chaldaeans were a terrible and a feareful people a bitter and a furious nation wel manned and horses as fierse as woolues swifter than the Leopards and of flight like the eagle hasting after her meate These Chaldeans molested the Iews on euery side spoiled them as the East-wind the fruit deuoured them as the great fish deuoureth the smal yea they caught the Iews as it were fish into their nets and * Prosperitie prouender in an excessiue measure marreth man beast they tooke them as fast as they could cast in and pul vp and thereby they grew fat and their portion was great and plenteous And thereupon they wared in loue of their own might and wanton again with their prosperous successe They Sacrificed to their nets they burnt incense to their yarn they were glad in hart stroked their own heads that could deuise and kissed their own handes that had compassed so great matters The Iewes in this hard case what should they doe Round about wheresoeuer they looked they saw present danger and no possible helpe or hope in man Notwithstanding God doth denounce that the pride of the presumptuous that trusted in themselues should come to nothing and the iust should liue by his faith and his people for all this because they trusted in God they were iust euen as the Caldeans were therefore vniust because they crusted in themselues and the Iewes as they were iust so should they liue in god in whom they trusted euen by their faith And therefore their iustification with God was their faith and trust in God and in God alone most then when all helpes els failed as appeareth in their greatest extremities Workes are imperfect Imperfect deedes were no deserts and could not helpe out of bodily calamities much-lesse in cases of saluation euerlasting and the iust man beleeueth not in himselfe much-lesse in his workes his faith goeth out of himselfe and resteth in God through Christ in whom amongst a million or a myriad of Caldeans in the midst of all fierse and false Catholiques our faith in Christ shall neuer faile We are iustified in Christ wee are saued by Christ we liue by Christ And thus is onely faith in him opposed set against all the meritricious or meritorious putatiue deserts of fraile and sinful flesh supposed to be answerable to the law which can neuer bee for if the Iewes could haue doone the Lawe they might haue claimed of God their deliuerance for their good workes For he that doth the things of the Law shal liue in them No they needed and so do all an other redeemer which must saue them all out of the hands of the Law and from our breaches thereof and the Caldeans rage is but a phillip or a flea-biting to the curse of the Lawe Christ redeemeth is the only comfort of a conscience that hath a sense of sin and any tast of true consolation 2 The redemption from this curse is Christ on his Crosse hanged on tree The Iew stumbleth at this faith and the Gentile scorneth this Doctrine but the godly saith in hart that which Ignatius vttered in wordes My loue is crucified The obiect of my faith the ground of my hope the marke the matter of my trust and confidence my delight my loue my life the cause of life euerlasting my ful redemption and perfect saluation my Iesus was Crucified and endured the curse for my sake This was no slender punishment nor small paine and were it the griefe but of a bodily torment it were grieuous but our redemption was not in respect of the paine of the body onely or of the sorrowes of the soule onely but in regarde of the sinnes of both and that not for one man but for the sinnes of the worlde The penitent sinner The better to conceiue the force of this deserued paine and the effect of sinne see it in a repentant sinner he standeth farre off he beateth on his thigh knocketh on his brest hangeth downe head watereth his eies with teares and wearieth his heart with sighes and findeth no rest in his soule for sorrow of sinnes neither should he euer finde rest at all were it not for this redemption which is in Christ The state of a forlorne cast-away For the reprobate who hath no part in this saluation howe many bees hath hee in his head how many pegs in his hart how many very helles in his soul how many trayterous thoughts that trouble him euerlastingly Euen such is the force of sinne where sinners are left to themselues But Christ our blessed Sauiour hath taken that vpon him that we could not beare and hath endured the curse of the Law not for the sinnes of one man or in one kinde but for the sinnes of all the worlde Sufficiently and for al the sinnes of al sortes in all his chosen Effectually to their ful and finall redemption If now there be any that can chalenge any part of this ransome let him commense his action against our Sauiour that hath taken and against Paul that hath prescribed giuen him the whole glory of mans redemption as who only sustained being not onely man but God and man the insupportable waight of sinne in satisfieng for sinne in pacifieng the Father in answering his iustice in enduring the curse and malediction of the Law From what things we are redeemed O my brethren let Papists ride vpon a reed or catch hold on a ragge of a tottered good woorke this and only this is our redemption which hath redeemed vs from the intolerable yoke the importable burden and the insufferable curse of the Lawe from that seruile feare and legall terror which the Lawe induceth wherein Austins short and sweet difference being well vnderstood betwixt the Law and the Gospell appeareth which he deliuered to be in two wordes FEARE and LOVE Wee loue good woorkes vnder the Gospell according to the rule of the Law but we fear not the curse of the Law wanting that perfection which in right it requireth for wee are redeemed and ransomed our debt is paid and our curse was abolished when our Sauiour was crucified Wee loue him and in loue we liue well but in case especially of life euerlasting wee leane to no other redemption than to his Crosse for so we liue as
follow William Rainoldes a late writer in his vaine in collecting antilogies and contradictions of Papists as hee would seeme to doe out of the professors of truth no time would serue So endlesse and infinite are the brables and brawles of Popery and Popish diuines made vp altogither of vntempered morter and hereof if any doubt I dare and doe make offer of plenary proofe as about the authority of councels about the autenticknes of the Hebrew Text about original sin about inherent righteousnes and innumerable questions of greatest moment In the meane time this may suffice briefely but truely to signifie that Popery is diuided and at whot strife and contention in it selfe and therefore is as themselues doe argue against others no true profession And againe if vnity be a signe of the trueth we deerely beloued we wee haue the greatest vnity that man hath euer knowen amongest men in any Realme Accessary matters haue diuers accidentes Substantiall pointes of greatest moment in our Church haue the fairest vnity that more generally than hath beene seene in any age In the * Exod. 26.20 booke of Exodus the two Cherubims in the one sitteth opposite cōtrary right against the other but both of them looke into the propitiatory and mercy seate altogither so how euer men be affected in questions not of greatest importance yet all of vs all looke directly on the mercy of God not one of vs looketh either to the right hand or to the left or backward on himselfe vpon his own supposed purity of naturals preparation in nature liberty in willing or merit in working al of vs ioyntly and only we fix our eies and looke per rectam lineam vpon that serpent that healeth vs * Iohn 3.15 all If as Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 18. c. 42. by some it is imagined as the Septuagint interpreters were so not seuenty but 70. times 70. of our learned men were separatly seated in their seueral selles and to set downe their iudgements in Cardinal and chiefest points of beleefe I am assured of such a perfect harmony in sense of trueth as if they should all speake with one toung and write at once with one pen. So that if necessarily euer vnity might demonstrate the true way we hauing so good an vnity by consequent we are in the trueth and if dissention inferre and proue error our aduersaries and their school-brablers with their Friarly varieties infinite sectaries and opinatiue Doctors are heires apparant thereunto notwithstanding their motiues and demandes against vs and claimes for themselues Now to come backe againe to our text Paul reprehended and reprooued Peter and that verily so and yet we make it no Motiue to condemne Peter vtterly but to commend Paul the more Peter profited him nothing but Paul benefited Peter in this iust reproofe My distinct notes in and of them both are these In Paul I obserue 1. The lawfulnesse of his vocation as before 2. The equality of his degree 3. The thorough execution of his office to the ful without respects In Peter who was afeard of an arrowe without a head fearing them who came from Iames I marke 1. The infirmity of man 2. The weight of examples in great men 3. The reforming of himselfe But here as when a man hath cut an eele or a snake into twenty peeces yet euery peece wil still wag so our aduersaries stil striue and struggle and shift for life when they are in sight past all hope though their arguments and answers reioinders and replies haue beene cut a-sunder the very hart-stringes of them more than an hundred times for they see if Peter did erre as no doubt he did heere in dissembling as * Mat. 26.70 els-where in denying our Sauiour Christ then the Pope may er therefore they haue coined diuersities of cases wherein neither Peter did nor the Pope may erre and namely how the Pope may erre * Rhemi Test Pa. 206. 502 In conuersation and manners yet in faith definitiuely hee cannot erre With whome a litle I shall reason and dispute vpon the occasion offered the rather because this darnel hath taken root and spred vp farre wide in sundry vnsound places * The Pope may er and hath erved in his maners and conceits notoriously that in matters of the Church faith publiquely yea and that DEFINITIVELIE To go by degrees in this question questionles the Pope hath monsterously erred as Platina the rest of his own chroniclers preachers and writers witnesse in conuersation and manners and in faith too And no merueill For such as is our saith such are our manners and saith Iames such as are our manners such is our saith But euer a true faith in things to be beleeued is the * Ioh. 8.39 Iam. 2.18 spring of woorking in euery thing and the lacke of faith is the want of woorkes And the defect is first in faith before it can be in the woorke Their reply is that Popes in deede priuately may erre in their own faith and manners but not publikly as Popes indued with the spirit of God But why tie you the spirit to your selues We tell them that euen * Rom. 3. priuate men are led by the spirit and so are as free from error as the best the best learned Popes And where they reioine that priuate men are not to define in matters of faith we tell them againe no more are Popes nor yet Angels The ground of faith is the word of God and faith commeth by hearing of that worde Wherein to make the Popes decretall Epistles equal with the word * Distinct 19 in Canonicis Gratian hath euidently falsified S. Austen de doctrina Christiana lib. 2. cap. 8. and this his abominable forgery is in the very foundation of faith and yet is Gratian allowed by the Pope to wit by Eugenius as appeareth in the life of Gratian prefixed before the Decrees and therefore I may and do conclude that the Pope in sight hath erred in the maine ground and foundation of our faith in the verie allowing of Gratian. A publicke allowāce of a false ground of our faith is a publicke error in the faith And I trow this his allowance was no priuate liking but a publike allowing Farther we find that Boniface the eight that For at his entrance that Lion in his raigne and Dog at his death hath * Extra de Maior obedient DEFINED that it was Omnino euery way necessary to saluation to be subiect to the Bishop of Rome Whereupon I reason thus That which is euery way necessary was neuer vnnecessary But * Aenaeas Siluius epist 288. Ante Nicenum Concilium c. Before the Councel of Nice the Church of Rome was litle respected Nay in the * Anno. 328. Nicene Councell the Popes messengers sate neither in the First Second or Third place And the Councell it selfe was called and summoned Iussu Imperatoris at the Emperours
an Arrian vnawares And therefore I maruel why Maister Harding should cal it an heretical conuenticle in a corner of the woorld And howebeit Arrianism were an heresie of heresies yet they indirectly confirmed it and being fraudulently circumuented when they sawe the error were verie sorit for their offence which they had committed in the simplicitie of their conceat of vnderstanding that it would be no great matter to relent in a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word and in fauour of a general peace If * Detect Pag. 250 b. force could excuse Liberius simplicitie in these deserueth softer words But both by Liberius his * Yet Platina reporteth that it was vpon respect of benefits and fauor forced subscription and by this generall councels misconstruing the capital heresie of Arrianisme was much confirmed And therefore we were best as Austine aduiseth to try our matters and causes at the touch-stone of the infallyble word of God and not at the erryng determynations of Popes or Byshops eyther sorted by them salues or seated together and that of late tymes not so much in a general as in a Gehennal councell of Pragmaticall Machiuels deuising howe they may cosen the woorld and exyle the true and ryght profession of perfit christianity wherefore they must bee withstood with courage and boldnes in the sight of all men as Paul resisted Peter From whom notwithstanding verilie as from one man and not as from a generall Councel of many the Pope maketh this his impossible and improbable claime of not erring but how erroniously we haue declared Hier. Ec. l. 6. c. 5 And Pigghius sayeth in the behalfe of the Pope that there is not a woord in the scriptures properly for general councels 15 Wee which are Iewes by nature not sinners of the Gentiles 16 Know that a man is not iustified by the works of the Law but by faith in Iesus Christ euen we haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ not by the works of the Law because by the works of the Law no flesh shal be iustified Paul hauing iustified and made good his authority by sundry proofes 1. By his immediate calling from God 2. By his dutifull diligence therein 3. By his equall conference with the cheefest pillars 4. And lastly by his iust reprouing Peter though he went not with aswift foote from the Gospel yet because he went not with a right foote in it and toward it now draweth happily by this and such like occasion to the chiefest matter and argument handled in this Epistle sheweth abundantly that no ceremonious rite no nor yet which God more respecteth can the works of men iustifie man And this he declareth by his own example by the example of others like himselfe We saith he whome he describeth 1. by their cōdicion 2. by their iudgemēt in christ 1 By condicion in a worde to say they were Iewes by nature Iewes that is so born so descended Phil. c. 3.5 And elswhere Paul saith of himselfe that he was a Iew an Hebrue of the tribe of Beniamin a zealous fellow once and a follower of the Law So were the Iews so was he not sinners of the Gentiles sinners both by nature that is by birth and by their bringing vp and so thought of by common reputation and called by our sauiour very * Matt. 15.26 Dogs Where by the way I marke two things 1. the great goodnes of God towarde the Iewes 2 and their infinit ingratitude towardes him So that what euer they were by their default yet by their condicion such they were so were esteemed of God euen as his peculiar people but with * Psal 147.20 other nations it was not so 2 The Apostles and Disciples ouer and besides their condicion very good in former time yet now altered to a better state were also of a right iudgment in christ they knew we know they knewe that the truckels swathing clothes of old ceremonies were for them but while they were childrē whom God so tendered kept for a time to that end that those ceremonies might be meanes the rather to lead them to Christ and not that they should be iustified in them or in any thing else that they did or could doe I cannot say as our Sauiour said to Nicodemus * Iohn 3.10 Are you Masters in Israel and know not these thinges I know you know them yet giue mee leaue a little that all may learne that which most of you know Neither is there any knoweledge in al the woorld like to this Wherefore the repetition thereof cannot be vngrateful An enquiry how man maie be Iustified before the iudgement seat of God A time shal come and a doome must be and a day is a ppointed when all flesh shall appeare and hold vp hand as it were answere guilty or not guilty before the tribunal seat of God that seeth the heart and searcheth the raines Heere in this plea of Iustice is required thou bee neither accessory nor principall to the least breach of the Law if thou wilt liue and be iustified and be quit thereby * Luk. 10.18 Hoc fac viues Doe this and liue Doe not this thou canst not liue Or doe what thou wilt if thou dost not this if thou dost not the Law only and wholy that it wil be thy vndoing thou canst not liue leaning to the Law and meaning to be iustified thereby Iob. 9.28 At the very remembrance hereof holy Iob wil feare his workes as nothing more and Dauid in remorse of his owne either secret sinnes or open faults and in consideration of the frailty of al flesh trembleth and saieth * Psa 130.3 If thou ô Lord marke what is done amisse who shal abide it Who shal stand in iudgement and sustaine thy wrath Whereupon I reason and make this reckoning If Iob the iust man feared if Dauid a man according to Gods owne hart trembled at this triall alas what shal others doe If the strong soldier feare and flye what shall become of the weake the same the blind What shal become of the vtterly impotent If the wind blowe away the solid wheat where shal the chaffe rest O Lord who is he or where is his dwelling that we may goe to him and common with him and heare a man that can saie and faie in truth my hart is cleane And if the heart be not cleane how vncleane are the hands If the spring be corrupt how polluted are the riuers Who in the woorld who one can answere one for a thousand And hee that aunswereth not all aunswereth not one In manie things saith Saint * Iam. 3.2 Iames we offend al. And in including all hee excludeth none and the Scripture hath expresly * Rom. 3.9 Galath 3.22 concluded all vnder sinne If then all be concluded vnder sinne if al offend and that in many thinges
preciousnesse of the gift 3. the certaintie in receauing 4. and the neede of the receauer 1. The freenesse of the giuer For what is freer than gift And then a gift proceeding of loue Which loued me 2. For the preciousnes of the gift what can bee more precious than the Sonne of God the heire of al Hee gaue himselfe 3. The certainty of receauing is vttered in the specialitie of speaking for mee But O blessed Paul what meane these * Christ is not receaued in a general conceat but by a special applying enclosures Why Is Christ thy Christ Is hee thy Sauiour And is hee not rather the Sauiour of the world That which is thine is none of mine Is it not so In worldly thinges true the right and propriety is in the true owner onely and in him alone and in none other In spirituall rightes it is not so altogether Christ is the Christ of all in generall and in speciall too yet not a diuided Christ but whole and entire whosoeuer hee is In natural thinges see a resemblance hereof the Sunne in the aire is a generall light in the eye a speciall and the sound in the ayre a generall noyce yet seerely discerned in the eare so Christ is a general Sauiour of all that shall bee saued but specially is hee receaued discerned and applied by the eye of faieth which faieth commeth by hearing him generally deliuered but specially applied As take eate take drinke at the Lordes Supper feede on him by thy faieth And blessings so speciallie and certainely taken haue euer a quicker tast in the receauer and prouoke thereby the more thankefulnesse towarde the donor 4. The neede of the receauer appeareth in this * The price of the ransom doth proue the neede of the party and the hainousnes of his trespas who is to bee ransommed that if a lesse ransom would haue doone the deed so great a payment had not needed But somuch it cost to saue one Soule And whereas hee saith Christ gaue himselfe For me it is plaine in how harde a case hee was before that Christ must dy that wee may liue or else wee dy euen as the Ramme was Sacrificed that Isaake might bee saued Wherefore of his perfect mercy and for our pure neede Christ dyed for thee for me and for vs al. Why Christians die though Christ died for them It is but an easie demaunde and soone satisfied why I must dye though Christ died for mee Yet God doubtlesse requireth no double satisfaction hee desireth not to bee twise paied for one debt Notwithstanding nothing is more certaine than that death is the common and vneuitable Lodge and Receptacle of the liuing The Wiseman shall dye as wel as shal the Foole. Dauid when he had * Acts. 13.36 serued his time was reposed to his Fathers and the statute is generall and cannot not be dispensed with al must dye By sin * Rom. 5.12 came in death and as sinne is in al so must all dy If there had beene no sinne there shoulde haue beene no death nor dissolution no not of our mixt bodies no more than there shall be of the very same bodies after their restitution glorification By sinne death entered and must goe ouer all But the question is why wee dye whom Christ hath deliuered both from sinne the cause and from death the consequent of sinne As we are deliuered from sinne not that it bee not but that it sting not so are wee deliuered from death not that it come not but that it conquer not that it lead vs not in a triumph ô death where is thy sting The sting of death is sinne but sinne is doone away and therefore ô graue where is thy victory Death is no Death to a good Christian Thou takest holde of vs not because wee are stung to death but because of a natural necessity indeede inducted thorough sinne at first yet for that the guilt of sinne is taken away death is no right death nowe but a dissolution and a passage to a better life and a very instrument whereby mortality putteth on immortality and whereby we liue for euer And the assurance of our certaine departure hence is hence-foorth a noble monument of the weight of sinne to weane vs from sinning and to win vs to Christ in perpetual thankefulnes for that we are freed from the curse of the Lawe against sinne from the guilt of sinne in it selfe and from the danger of death for sinning and all this by his infinit desert in dying for vs that otherwise should haue died a death euerlasting This grace would not bee abrogated I abrogate not the grace of God this grace of his Gospell Steuen Gardiner Steuen Gardiner in King Edwards time whē he stood much but falsly vpon his innocency and would not yeelde that hee had offended yet at length being asked whether he would accept the Kings pardon or no nay saith he I am learned enough not to refuse the Kings pardon In like manner men may dally and play and vse figge leaues at pleasure truly the greatest wisedome in the end will be to renounce all and craue mercy and stand vpon pardon and to trust vnto Christ and onely in him Grace is reiected when works are annexed And for a good fare-well and end of this Chapter be it remembred and written in the hartes of humble men for euer that wee after the example of our Apostle we disanull not we reiect not we frustrate not we abrogate not we throwe not away the grace of God which necessarily ensueth by meashing or adnexing either the association of Ceremonies or the obseruation of the Lawe vnto his free and absolutely free Grace free in GOD though deserued by Christ our Iesus and onely Sauiour CHAP. III. 1 O FOOLISH Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the trueth to whome Iesus Christ before was described in your sight and among you crucified 2 This only would I learne of you Receaued ye the spirit by the workes of the Law or by hearing of faith 3 Are yee so foolish that after ye haue begun in the spirit ye would now end in the flesh 4 Haue yee suffered many things in vaine If yet in vaine 5 He therefore that ministreth to you the spirite and worketh miracles among you doth he it through the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith O YEE foolish bewitched and disobedient or incredulous Galathians These are vehement speeches But this vehemency proceeded of great zeale and this zeale for them was grounded vppon many reasons 1. Christ was described before their face and crucified in their sight 2. They had receiued the spirit and the graces of the holie Ghost not by the deeds of the Law for they were Gentils but by the Ghospel preached vnto them And the Law in comparison is flesh and grosse the Ghospel is spirituall Should they beginne with the better and relaps to the worse Be
entred and beginne in the spirit and end and be finished and seeke to be perfected in the flesh 3. They had endured many an hard brunt for the Ghospell and should they nowe frustrate all their sufferings 4. Hee that ministred vnto them and confirmed his ministery with miracles that is Paul had not so taught them the Ghospel These respects made him vehement and very earnest In the whole I beholde foure principall matters 1. The procliuity and readinesse of man to be seduced 2. The duty of the preacher in such a case 3. The condicion of the Lawe 4. The dignity of the Ghospell Mans nature is foolish and froward prone to euil and obstinate in sinne 1 Man by nature hath a vagary disposition drawen from his mothers wombe Euen as birds are caught with a whissell and fish with a bait so open but a gap he a disorderly thing will desire no more Once perswade man that the euill hee doeth is good set but a glosse vpon the errors wherein he delighted and hee is caried with full sailes And a foole will be a foole and think himselfe marueilous wise Euil entents are neuer without faire pretenses Sathan hath gay helpes and shewes to further this folly The Ostrige hath as many feathers as the Hauke These Galathians were not only inwardly fooles but externally bewitched There is a bodily and there is a spirituall bewitching Of the former more in the fifth Chapter following The spiritual bewitching is ment here they say children are soonest bewitched we aer ouer-childish in Gods matters and therefore the sooner deceiued especially if the deceiuer bee his crafts-master A fine flatterer wil bee more in the bookes of a foole than a perfect friend To the weake eie the clearest and the truest light is most offensiue to the sick of an ague the best drinke is worst and as to children and vnto weomen with-childe vntimely fruite or vnholsome foode seemeth better than better meate so wee see it in Adam and in Adams children being in an ague and distempred with his fall as it were with-child with their own fancies affection misleadeth them and folly maketh vs prone to euery inconuenience and in this sinister conceit and ouer-weening were the Galathians deceiued And it being put in their heads that Gods Lawe would doe very wel with Christs Ghospell and that woorkes iointly with faith would the rather iustifie saue than faith in Christ alone they were caried headlong into that most pernicious error so become 1. fools in their vnderstanding 2. Bewitched in opinion 3. And disobedient to the faith cleane contrary to their education and training vp contrary to their owne conuersation in the Gospel contrary to their former sufferings not at al for the Law but only for the faith in Christ alone Was this no folly They whoe had indured many stormes and dangers euery way only for Christ thus wilfully at the hauen where they should ariue to cast away themselues Except they were bewitched and out of their wittes they could not possibly bee so so disobedient to fall from their spirituall comfort and to become as grosse as the old Iewes for their ceremonies worse than the Iewes as to dreame that any workes could saue either without or yet with Christ as to that purpose Workes are duties to be doone but when wee haue doone al it is Christ that saueth and workes do not iustifie That is a fleshly a grosse a foolish imagination There is no spirit no spiritual wisedome in it and marke marke with an attentiue eare and with an intentiue eie what Saint Paul auerreth and saith that they were fooles not to end as they beganne beginning as they did in Christ The diuision of A first and A second iustification is a fooles deuise in Saint Pauls iudgement Our Papists tell vs of a first Iustification and of a second Iustification the first free in Christ the second merited by workes Paul telleth them they are fooles they must end as they began if they wil be saued Christ only saueth onely iustifieth when At first And why not at last Will ye beginne with Christ and end in your selues The author and finisher of our saluation is our Sauiour and the end is greater than the entrance and hee that giueth vs grace to bee iustified in this world hee only giueth vs also the glory of our saluation in the world to come Are ye bewitched and will yee bee fooles charme the charmer neuer so cunningly Paul giueth vs a faire president and pattern to woorke by both 1. In the manner of his dealing with the Galathians 2. And also in his Doctrine he treated to them 1. A leperous tongue a fluxe of a foule mouth must bee stopped a rauing Dogge must be more than musled the Or that goreth all that commeth in his way must be killed I deny not strong wine is good but least it fume in the head delay it with water it will bee better Zeale is requisite and he that hateth a realous Preacher is an enemy to his soule a frind to his sinnes but zeale tempered with charity and discretion is the true zeale a * A fire of Iuniper coales is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a zeale vngratefull and not to be liked scalding zeale and a scorching heate is not the fiar that worketh effectually and separateth things of dissimular and diuers natures and vniteth men of similar and like condicion rightly and truely together I graunt if Paul had beene a cold frost hee might haue let all alone and suffer to freese together Lawe Ghospell Moses and Christ faith and workes the flesh and the spirite as wee see in the * A cold reproofe is vnprofitable and rather freeseth men in the dregs of sinne than otherwise frost stickes and stones and myre such like matters of different dislike natures to stick freeze togither No Paul was zealous to barke against sin and withal discreet to do it with intent to recal sinners to win and not to sting their persons The Mastiffe is not driuen away with a fragment nor errors with fawning looks flattering wordes If a man touch a nettle crisily it stingeth the sooner Paul taketh them vp in termes as before ô ye foolish c. Yet with a meaning to amend them not with a trumping mind which is too too bad in any case in any man to be-foole men as many doe and which is condemned by our * Mat. 5. Sauiour The purpose of the reprouer doth make much in the manner of reprouing The end in our actions doth distinguish our doings and the purpose in our wordes doth put make the difference in our sayings Saint Pauls drift was to reforme them to restore them to recall and reclaime them to their first estate he was the salt of the earth to season them with sharpnes and not the gall of the earth to greeue them with bitter speech And demanding whether
wands made and laid them of a party colour before the eies of the Ewes when they came to the watering trowes where they vsually were wont to engender that they might conceaue and bring foorth accordinglie Christ is our sauiour workes are but the dueties of Christian men saued by Christ and no sauiours of themselues euen so when men come to the wateringes of life when you repaire to our Lectures Readinges and Sermons THE CHIEFE CONCEAT we wold imprint in your mindes is Christ and Christ as your onely Sauiour and your Christian woorkes we teach not as Sauiours but as fruites and signes of a saued people So we preach and so we teach and so did Paul and all the Apostles and Scriptures before vs. The imitation of Paul in the matter of his teaching is necessary and pertinent to all but Paul putteth them also in minde that he wrought miracles amongest them which was proper to that time The motiue from miracles And therefore we maruel to heare our aduersaries to make anie motion and demaund for miracles specially in the waine of the woorld For wil you heare Miracles are not all true which you obtrude nor to a good end Many are but pipt nuts illusions either of false men or of lying spirits as that images should light their owne candles that the Roode of Naples shoulde giue the Schoole-men high thankes for deuising and distinguishing how they should bee proportionably and duely worshipped a very gewgaw in diuinitie and as true a miracle and to as good a purpose as are the rest of your Legendary woonders Againe Miracles are not for all men * Mat. 12. A frowarde and a peruerse Nation asketh for signes Signes and Miracles are for * 1 Cor. 14. infidels and not for beleeuers Ezechias in his sicknes Gedeon as it were in his nonage asked and had signes But these were either willed so to doe or extraordinarilie moued thereunto True wee must neither aske signes vnoffered at all nor refuse them if they bee offered of God But doe they forgette that they are Christians This motiue doeth argue them of incredulitie Paul commeth not now againe to the Galathians with new signes and miracles hee onely remembreth them what hee did at first Young plantes newly planted may bee watered But Christianitie is nowe of a good grouth The watering by Miracles and by extraordinarie meanes hath ceased ordinarily to bee long since The waies to know the truth true professors are no bipathes now I doe but reason he that can and list to reade a most famous place for this question let him resort to Chrysostom euery where but speciallie homil 49. In Matth. And likewise to Austen De vnitate Eccl. cap. 19. To whom also he seemeth a prodigious wonder that seeketh wonders to confirme his faith * Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 22. c. 8. The truth of doctrine doth distinguish miracles but miracles must not carie vs from true doctrine yet At these daies And I pray you yee Miracle-mongers what will yee doe with your Miracles Suppose yee could work wonders For the time and questions sake be it graunted you What then You by your Miracles would admixt your viid sweat to our Sauiours sacred bloode your pilgrimages your wil-seruice your woorkes your deedes your pretensed desertes your wicked liues to his precious death Is this the Gospell Could Saint Pauls Miracles confirme the simplicitie of beleeuing stedfastly in Christ and shal your miracles think you force vs to a compound obiect and marke for our faith to looke on Whether God speak or howsoeuer he worke hee is neuer contrarie to himselfe and therefore your Miracles that thus crosse his woorde they are not of God wee cannot follow you by them we care neither for you nor for them in that respect Signes though true yet without the woord are litle but * Deut. 13. miracles thwarting his word are lies or monsters and wee abhor them And talke you at pleasure of beleeuing by your miracles If you beleeue not the Scriptures you will not beleeue if an Angell should come from heauen or a * Luk. 16.31 dead man from his graue Hee that refuseth ordinary foode in Canaan hee that will not bee instructed by the woorde taught by Preachers in Schooles and Vniuersities and in other places but first learned by long endeuour great labour and study if hee were extraordinarily fedde with manna immediatlie from heauen hee woulde grudge and murmur and repine no lesse there is no question To conclude al that I haue said is that 1. miracles are neither al good 2. nor for all persons 3. nor for al times 4. wee haue the olde miracles with the trueth and we neede no new 5. you falsely and profanely pretend newe to ouerthrow the olde And so much for the motiue of miracles making most and altogither against your selues 6 Euen as Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham 8 For the Scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles through faith preached before hand the Gospel to Abraham saying In thy seede shal all the Gentils be blessed 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham The false Apostles Pharisaical enchanters opposed two maine helps as they dreamt greatly furthering their commixing of Christ with Moses To wit 1. the priuilege of the flesh 2. and the worthines of their works Paul refuseth both And to make the matter more manifest and plaine 1. first of al hee depainteth out the cause liuely before their eies by the fairest and most famous example of auncient memory namely of Abraham Abraham beleeued and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes Abraham did as many good woorks as the best But he beleeued not in his works but in God the woorker of his saluation Abrahams faith manifoldly proued to the vtmost This beleefe brought him from Caldea from his fathers house from his natiue countrie and dear kindred In this beleefe he came into Canaan not rested there but walked through it and beeing constrained by famine went into Egypt and thorough beleefe by occasion of grombling and churlish seruants hee sustained the departure of Loth euen the losse and cutting off as it were his right arme as likewise he tolerated as hee might the strife and brables of Sara and Agar in his owne bozom And for a great time the barrennes of Sara whom he most loued was no doubt a worme and a griefe of al griefes at his hart but by faith he ouercame such naturall passions and when God willed him to number the starres if he could and said Euen so shal thy feede be Abraham beleeued and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse in that hee trusted in the promise and beleeued vnder hope against hope in mans eye but he beleeued strongly and constantly he staggered not at the matter
neither considered his owne deade bodie nor his wiues dead wombe being most assured that hee that is almighty might and that God who had spoken the word would doe it indeede Rom. 3.3 And therefore saith Paul to the Romans it was imputed to him for righteousnes And yet farther when this promise was perfourmed to proue Abrahams beleefe and to set it on the tenters and to try whether it would hold out or no and whether it were a firme a true faith and a sure God willeth Abraham that he should offer and sacrifice vp his onely sonne which was now newe borne vnto him according to the promise Abraham the next * Gen. 22.3 morning without farther delay prepareth al thinges and taketh the paines to go a iourney and vndertaketh readily to sacrifice his Sonne in a mountaine some waie distant off What Was Abraham the man who is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Was he without fatherly kindnesse Were the bowels of naturall compassion estranged from him Was hee crueller than Dragons and worse than the Ostrige that but * Iob. 39.18 forgetteth hir kind Or would God depriue him of wisdom deuoid him of common vnderstanding What God entended viz. to proue Abraham was said before When Iepthe was to sacrifice his daughter and as some think not to kil her yet he Iepthe rent his clothes and was sore troubled Ieremie When Ieremie saw what befel the people whom he neuer begate notwithstanding his belly his belly his inwarde partes throbbed and yairned and his eies were ful of tears Dauid DauidWhen was enformed of Absolons death he blubbreth and crieth Absolon Absolon O my sonne Absolon Yet was Absolon an vngracious imp and a rebellious child Isaack Isaack O my sonne Isaack Why doth not Abraham vtter some such tender words For the Father to kill his owne and onely Sonne in the fathers extreme age and in the childes entrance into the woorld and with his owne hand and without all reason apparent to the woorld is more than euer was read or heard of besides He * Gen. 23.2 lamented greatly for the death of his wife Sara Isaackes mother and doth hee seeme to laffe at or to be so careles for the murder of his and her son Or did he not loue him for some secret respect Loue him He loued Isaack most dearely as appeareth by his will and * Gen. 25.5 testament hee loued him as the last pleadge of his and Saraes old age as the comfort and ioy of his heart as the delight of his eies as the very light and life of his life and as the gift of God to be the Original of him that should come after whose daies afore hand * Iohan. 8.56 Where God is the commander there is no reasoning about the commandement hee saw and in whom he knewe all nations should be blessed and yet because God had commaunded without farther inquirie of the causes of Gods mandat he yeeldeth ful obedience being certainly confident in his olde and constant faith that God for al this would bee as good as his woorde and that if neede were out of the very cinders and ashes of Isaack he could raise vp a new Isaack as it were a Phoenix as good as the first For he that gaue him one Isaack beside the possibilitie of nature could giue him another beyond the probability of mans coniecture and therefore he ment euen with a good wil to giue Isaack to God whose hee was and willingly acknowledging that all was Gods he doth as he doth in a firme faith and a sound beliefe And thereby Abrahams faith was the better prooued and gods promise neuer the lesse established by whose prouidence Isaack was deliuered and a Ram substituted and this is to be knowen for euer what God requireth of man namely a thorough and resolute trust in him and in nothing beside him Abrahams Faith is not only his special Faith but a principal patterne to al the faithful For the case is a document to the woorld and not onely a priuat matter and a singular occurrent I meane for the imitation of Abrahams great faith And therefore he is called the father of the faithful and an ensample of faith Now to come to Saint Pauls purpose As the father obtained righteousnes so do his children as the roote liueth so doe the braunches The way to heauen is one and the same that it was and is alike to all that was to him Abraham became a father of many nations But was this spoken because hee begate them No. Abrahams fatherhood is not from his flesh but according to his faith For why is it sayd OF MANY but because there were moe to enioy the blessing than euer came lineally from his loynes Abrahams fatherhoode is spiritual If it were a fleshly prerogatiue why should not Ismael make claime as wel as Isaack Esau as Iacob Saul as Dauid c. The Gentils receauing in beleefe the promised blessing are made the children of Abraham not descending from his raines but indued with his faith and beliefe This is clearly Pauls doctrine Then if the flesh cannot help can yet the works of the Lawe No neither 10 For as many as are of the woorks of the Law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euerie man that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them 11 And that no man is iustified by the Law in the sight of God it is euident 2 The cunning fine false fellowes in their second helpe stoode much vpon the worthynes of working according to the Law You must and do know what I tel you The parts of the Law are * Viz. to be considered in this case and therefore I speak not of the Iudicials two 1. either ceremonials 2. or morals The ceremonials consist in types and shadowes the morals in workes and deedes Of the former sort wee haue spoken and must treat again more in the fourth chapter The moral Law is flat contrary to the nature of faith vers 9. They that are of faith are blessed And as many as are vnder the Law are vnder the curse * The Law and Faith flat opposite and contrarie Wet dry heat and cold fier and water light and darknes heauen and hel are not more contrary than blessing and cursing The same spring cannot send foorth blessing and cursing sweete and sower water If it curse how can it blesse And if it blesse not how can it iustifie But by the Lawe commeth a curse and malediction I say by the Law morall by the Lawe of deedes Cursed is hee that continueth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the Lawe to doe them Among the number of al things I think the moral law is comprehended Which are written I ghesse the morall Law is written in the booke of Deutronomie and in the Tables of the * Exod. 20. Decalog as
well as the ceremonial and which are written TO DOE THEM and I take it DOING belongeth most properly to the Law moral which is of deedes Ye papistes would blind vs in the day of light and make vs beleeue Saint Paul speaketh of the ceremoniall Lawe which curseth and cannot bee borne and cannot iustifie But not of the Lawe morall not of the iustice of the Law which your Rabbi Vega and graund interpreter of your Tridentine conuent saith * Vega. de Iust lib. 14. c. 24. Paulus nunquam opponit Paul neuer opposed to the Law of faith If he neuer toldly before this is a master-ly and a ly with a witnesse Blessed are they that are vnder faith cursed are they that are vnder the Law If cursing and blessing be contrary then is the Law and faith contrary I say again this repugnancy is chiefly betwixt faith and the morall Law For therefore is the ceremonial Law in one respect contrary to faith because it bindeth man to the perfect obseruation of the morals vnder paine of a curse which is a dangerous Doctrine an absurde opinion and an impossible aduenture For Paul laieth it downe that no man is iustified by the Lawe c. Hee meaneth not onely the Iewes who somewhat or among the Iewes he meaneth not only the Priests and Leuits and the like who were most occupied in the ceremonies but NO MAN no not anie man where euer vnder the cope of heauen can bee iustified by the Law moral For he meaneth that which hee thinketh might extend to any which in his owne iudgement was not the ceremoniall but yet by name also afterward 4. Chap. the ceremoniall rite of circumcision is reiected euen therefore because it was a couenant and inducement and as I may so speak a brissel to drawe in the yoke of the morals in the causes of iustifying which Paul could not brooke So that this controuersie of iustification is no new question The false Apostles were predecessors to the Papists in the chiefest ground of their intolerable pride of woorkes Mary if mans workes were perfect then the case were altered And then man should not be man or the woorkes of man should be perfecter than man the worker and so God should accept the woorke before the workdoer But god respecteth first * Gen. 4.4 Abels person thē his work And if the person be imperfect the works cannot be perfect And therefore mans imperfit works cānot claim by the law which requireth perfection which is far frō man since his fall The Law requireth al or none in the question of iustifieng The Law is not contēt with a good entrance and a reasonable continuance but cursed is hee that continueth not without interruption in al that was written Pharao with much adoe granted leaue vnto Moses to goe aside a litle Sacrifice But Moses would not accept thereof because God had commaunded him otherwise And hee would not go but according to the forme prescribed with male and female with young and oulde with their children seruants with their cattle al euē with al or with none he would not he durst not leaue one houffe behind Exod. 10.26 Iam. 3.2 The distinction of venial sin is a vaine conceat Sēblably the Law will haue all or none Yet in many things wee offend al that not sleightly or venially after a Popish fancy for he that offendeth in one offēdeth in all in offending him that will haue all or none And the breach of all I trow is mortal sinne accusing and accursing all and how then call you these prety pety venial sins Or how can the Law accru as cause of iustifieng wherein should doth consist euerlasting blisse whereas it layeth an heauy curse vpon all that leane therunto Durgus fo 298. The Scottish Iesuit saith Moses Law extendeth not to the least pointes of the Lawe but note That where God commandeth a hide a heare or a houffe is not to be omitted Other of the papists fondly restraine the worde All to al that go to worke only with natural faculties and who exclude and shut out grace quite in offending or els in dooing the Lawe If this were the Galathians opinion let the Lawe also winne the goal and weare the garland Let Papistes be beeleeued and let Master Stapleton bee credited No. The false Apostles in wordes and in their doctrine euen as the Papists they taught the grace of God annexed the Gospell of Christ then callenged the name of Apostolicke teachers though they were false Apostles in so doing yea so far foorth that they were reputed men linckt in and ioyned with Peter who neuer was imagined to teach the Lawe vtterly secluding faith Wherefore that is but a friuolous conceit and therefore verily verily if wee stand to bee iustified by the Law in what state soeuer the nature of the Law accurseth therefore I pray you recognize your * De vniu Iust doct lib. 6. c. 13 interpretation Master Stapleton and I trust euen as the country fellow the more he told his geese the fewer hee found them so the oftner yee looke vpon your Imaginations the woorse ye will like it But Saint Paul leaueth not the Galathians thus If blessing if happinesse if iustification if saluation if life euerlasting for all these diuers wordes in sound are one and the same in sense and meaning if these come not from the Law whence come they then Paul sheweth 11 For the iust shall liue by faith 12 And the Law is not of faith but the man that shal doe those things shal liue in them 13 Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Lawe being made a curse for vs. For it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Iesus that wee might receaue the promise of the spirit through faith Diuerse words may inculcat one and the same thing after a various manner of speaking Whereas Iustification cōmeth 1. Not by the priuilege of Abrahams fleshe 2. Nor by dignity of workes because of the woorkers imperfection and the exact perfectnes required in the Lawe Paul directeth three distinct waies yet al of them meeting and agreeing in the end and indeede not the waies but the woordes are diuerse whereby our iustification is vttered to be attained We are not iustified by Lawe Whence then 1. First by faith 2. Thē by christ crucified 3. And lastly by the promise of the spirit and these three are but one Liuing redemption and blessing in sense is one So liuing by faith in Christ redemption purchased by Christ and the spirituall promise of Christ hath not a diuerse meaning whereby we liue and are saued For my faith is in christ the promise was of Christ and Christ is the perfection and performance thereof in the daies of his flesh and vpon his Crosse But consider we apart the variety and so the