to conscience a seruaunt and slaue Verse 15. VVe vvhich are Ievves by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles That is to say we are borne vnto the righteousnes of the lawe to Moses and to circumcision and eueÌ in our birth we bring the law with vs We haue the righteousnes of the law by nature as Paule before sayth of him selfe in the first chapter Being zelous of the traditions of the fathers Wherefore if we be compared to the Gentiles we are no sinners we are not without the law without works as the Gentiles but we are Iewes borne we are borne righteous brought vp in righteousnes Our righteousnes beginneth eueÌ with our birth for the Iewish religion is naturall vnto vs. For God commaunded Abraham to circumcise euery man childe the eight day This law of circumcision receiued from the fathers Moses afterward confirmed It is a great matter therfore that we are Iewes by nature Notwithstanding although we haue this prerogatiue that we are righteous by nature borne to the law and the workes therof and are not sinners as the Gentiles yet are we not therfore righteous before God. Hereby it is euident that Paule speaketh not of ceremonies or of the ceremoniall lawe as some doe affirme but of a farre waightier matter namely of the natiuitie of the Iewes whom he denieth to be righteous although they be borne holy be circumcised keepe the lawe haue the adoption the glory the couenaunt the fathers the true worship God Christ the promises liue in them and glory in the same as they say Iohn 8. VVe are the seede of Abraham Also vve haue one father vvhich is God. And to the Romaines Beholde thou art called a Ievv and restest in the lavv c. Wherfore although that Peter and the other Apostles were the children of God righteous according to the law the works and the righteousnes therof circumcision the adoption the couenauÌts the promises the Apostleship and all such like yet Christian righteousnes commeth not therby for none of all these is faith in Christ which onely as foloweth in the text iustifieth and not the law Not that the law is euil or damnable for the law circumcision and such like are not therefore condemned because they iustifie not but Paule therfore taketh from them the office of iustification because the false apostles contended that by them without faith and onely by the worke wrought men are iustified saued This was not to be suffred of Paule For where faith ceaseth all things are deadly the law circumcision the adoption the temple the worship of God the promises yea God and Christ him selfe without faith profiteth nothing Paule therfore speaketh generally against all things which are contrary to faith and not against ceremonies onely Verse 16. Knovv that a man is not iustified by the vvorks of the lavv but by the faith of Iesus Christ This clause the vvorke of the lavv reacheth farre and compreheÌdeth much We take the worke of the law therefore generally for that which is contrary to grace What so euer is not grace is the law whether it be Iudiciall ceremoniall or the ten commaundements Wherfore if thou couldest doe the workes of the lawe according to this commauÌdement Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God vvithall thy heart c. which no maÌ yet euer did or could do notwithstanding thou shouldest not be iustified before God for a man is not iustified by the workes of the law But hereof we will speake more largely hereafter The worke of the law then according to Paule signifieth the worke of the whole law whether it be ceremoniall or Moral Now if the worke of the morall law doe not iustifie much lesse doth circumcision iustifie which is a worke of the ceremonial law Wherfore when Paule sayth as he oftentimes doth that by the lavv or by the vvorkes of the lavv which are both one a man is not iustified he speaketh generally of the whole law setting the righteousnes of faith against the righteousnes of the whole law For the righteousnes of the law sayth he a man is not pronounced righteous before God but the righteousnes of faith God imputeth freely through grace for Christes sake The lawe no doubt is holy righteous and good and consequently the works of the law are holy righteous and good yet notwithstanding a man is not iustified therby before God. Now the works of the law may be done either before iustificatioÌ or after There were many good men euen amoÌgst the Paganes as Xenophon Aristides Fabius Cicero Pomponius Atticus others which before iustification performed the deedes of the lawe and did notable workes Cicero suffered death valiantly in a good a iust cause Pomponius was a coÌstant man loued truth for he neuer made lie him self nor could suffer the same in any other Now constancie truth are noble vertues excellent works of the lawe yet were they not iustified therby After iustification Peter Paule al other christians haue done do the works of the law but yet are they not iustified therby I knovv not my selfe giltie in anything sayth Paule and yet am I not therby iustified We see then that he speaketh not of any part of the law but of the whole law and all the workes thereof The Diuinitie of the Sophisters commonly called the Scholemen Wherfore the wicked pernicious opinion of the Papists is vtterly to be condemned which do attribute the merite of grace remission of sinnes to the worke wrought For they say that a good worke before grace is auaileable to obtaine grace of Congruence which they call meritum de Congruo because it is meete and conuenient that God should reward such a worke But when grace is obtained the worke folowing deserueth euerlastiÌg life of due det worthines which they cal meritum de Condigno As for exaÌple If a maÌ being in deadly sin without grace do a good worke of his owne good naturall inclination that is if he say or heare a Masse or geue almes and such like this man of coÌgruence deserueth grace When he hath thus obtained grace he doth a worke which of worthines deserueth euerlasting life For the first god is no detter but because he is iust and good it behoueth him to approue such a good worke though it be done in deadly sinne to geue grace for such a seruice But when grace is obtained God is become a detter and is constrained of right and duetie to geue eternal life For now it is not onely a worke of freewill done according to the substance but also done in grace which maketh gratious that is to say in loue This is the Diuinitie of the Antichristian kingdom Which here I recite to the ende that the disputation of Paule may be the better vnderstand For two contrary things being set together be the better knowen and moreouer that all meÌ
other meanes Wherefore euen by this we may plainely see the inestimable pacience of God in that he hath not long agoe destroyed the whole Papacy and consumed it with fire and brimstone as he did Sodome and Gomorre But now these ioly felowes goe about not onely to couer but highly to aduance their impietie and filthines This we may in no case dissemble We must therefore with all diligence set forth the article of iustification that the same as a most cleare Sunne may bring to light the darknes of their hypocrisie and may discouer their filthines and shame For this cause we doe so often repete and so earnestly set forth the righteousnes of faith that the aduersaries may be confounded and this article established coÌfirmed in our hearts And this is a most necessary thing for if we once lose this Sunne we fal againe into our former darknes And most horrible it is that the Pope should euer be able to bring this to passe in the church that Christ should be denyed troden vnder foote spitte vpon blasphemed yea and that euen by the Gospell and sacraments which he hath so darkned and turned into such an horrible abuse that he hath made them to serue him against Christ to set vp and stablish his detestable abhominations O deepe darkenes O horrible wrath of God. Verse 16. Euen vve I say haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that vve might be iustified This is the true meane to become a Christian euen to be iustified by faith in Iesus Christ and not by the workes of the lawe Here we may not stand vpon the wicked glose of the Scholemen which say that faith then iustifieth when charitie and good workes are ioyned withal With this pestilent glose the Sophisters haue darkened peruerted this such other like sentences in Paule wherein he manifestly attributeth iustification to faith onely in Christ But when a man heareth that he ought to beleue in Christ and yet faith notwithstanding iustifieth not except it be formed and adorned with charitie by and by faith faileth him and thus he thinketh with him selfe If faith without charitie iustifieth not then is faith in vaine and vnprofitable and charitie only iustifieth For except Faith be adorned and furnished with charitie it is nothing And to approue this their pernicious and pestileÌt glose they alledge this place out of the Corinthes Though I speake vvith the tounges of men angels haue no loue I am nothing This place is their brasen wall But these men are without vnderstanding therfore they can see or vnderstand nothing in Paule And moreouer they haue not onely done iniury to the words of Paule but also they haue denied Christ buried al his benefits Wherfore we must auoid this their glose as a most deadly and deuilish poison and conclude with Paule that we are iustified not by faith furnished with charitie but by faith onely and alone We graunt that we must also teach good workes and charitie but it must be done in time and place that is to say when the question is concerning workes and toucheth not this article of iustification But here the matter resteth in this point to know by what meanes we are iustified and attaine eternall life To this we aunswere with Paule that by faith onely in Christ we are pronounced righteous and not by the workes of the law or charitie Not because we reiect good workes but for that we will not suffer our selues to be remoued from this anker hold of our saluation which Sathan most desireth Since then we are now in the matter of iustification we reiect and condemne all good workes for this place will admitte no disputation of good workes Wherefore in this matter we doe generally cut of all lawes and all the workes of the law But the law is good iust and holy True it is But when we are in the matter of iustification there is no time or place to speake of the law but the question is what Christ is and what benefite he hath brought vnto vs Christ is not the law he is not my worke or the worke of the law he is not my charitie my chastitie my obedience my pouerty but he is the Lord of life and death a Mediatour a Sauiour a redemer of those that are vnder the law and sinne In him vve are by faith and he in vs. This bridegrome must be alone with the bride in his secrete chamber all the seruants and family being put apart But afterwards when the dore is open and he cometh forth then may the seruauntes and haÌdmaides returne to minister vnto them Then may charitie and good workes beginne to doe their office Let vs learne therefore to discerne all lawes yea euen the law of God and all workes from faith and from Christ that we may define Christ rightly and know that he is not the law and therfore he is no exactor of the law and workes but he is the lambe of God that taketh avvay the sinnes of the vvorld This doth faith alone lay hold of and not charitie which notwithstanding as a certaine thankfulnes must follow faith Wherefore victory ouer sinne and death saluation and euerlasting life come not by the law nor by the workes of the law nor yet by the power of free will but by the Lord Iesus Christ only alone Verse 16. That vve might be iustified by faith in Christ and not by the vvorkes of the lavv Paule speaketh not here of the ceremoniall law onely as before we haue sayd but of the whole law For the ceremoniall law was as well the law of God as the morall law was As for example Circumcision the institution of the Priesthoode the seruice and ceremonies of the temple were commaunded of God no lesse then the ten commaundements Moreouer when Abraham was commaunded to offer vp his sonne Isaac in sacrifice it was a law This worke of Abraham pleased God no lesse then other works of the ceremoniall law did and yet was not he iustified by this work but by faith for the scripture saith Abraham beleued God and it vvas counted to him for righteousnes But since the reueiling of Christ say they the ceremoniall lawe killeth and bringeth death Yea so doth the lawe of the ten commaundements also without faith in Christe Moreouer there may no law be suffred to raigne in the conscience but onely the law of the spirite and life wherby we are made free in Christ from the lawe of the letter and of death from the workes therof and from all sinnes Not because the lawe is euill but for that it is not able to iustifie vs for it hath a plaine contrary effect and working It is an high and an excellent matter to be at peace with God and therefore in this case we haue neede of a farre other Mediatour then Moses or the lawe Here we must doe nothing at all but onely receaue the
thinke them selues able thereby vtterly to ouerthrowe the doctrine of Faith which we teach and maintaine Therefore we must be well furnished and armed that we may be able not onely to instruct our brethren but also to aunswer the obiections of our aduersaries The Schoolemen and all such as vnderstand not the Article of Iustification doe knowe no other righteousnes then the ciuile righteousnes and the righteousnes of the lawe which after a sorte the Gentiles also doe know Therfore they borrow certaine words out of the lawe morall Philosophie as to Doe to Worke and such like and they applie the same vnto spirituall matters wherein they deale most peruersly and wickedly We must take good heede that we make a difference betweene Christian Diuinitie and humane Philosophie The Schoolemen them selues graunt and teach that in the order of nature Being goeth before Working for naturally the tree is before the fruite Againe they graunt that a worke morally wrought is not good except there be first a right iudgement of reason and a good will or a good intent So then they wil haue a right iudgement of reason and a good intent to goe before the work that is to say they make the person morally righteous before the worke CoÌtrariwise in Diuinitie and in spiritual matters where they ought most of all so to doe such dull and senseles asses they are that they peruert and turne all quite contrary placing the worke before right reason and the good intent Wherfore this word Doing is one thing in nature an other in moral Philosophy an other in Diuinitie In nature the tree must be first and then the fruite In moral Philosophie Doing requireth a good entent sound reason to worke wel to goe before and here all the Philosophers stay go no further Therfore the Diuines say that moral Philosophie hath not God for the obiect final cause For Aristotle a Sadduce or a maÌ of any ciuile honesty calleth this a right reason a good inteÌt if he seeke the publike coÌmoditie of the coÌmon wealth the quietnes honestie therof A Philosopher or Lawworker asceÌdeth no higher He thinketh not through right reason a good intent to obtaine remission of sinnes euerlasting life as the Sophister or the Monke doth Therfore the heathen Philosopher is much better theÌ such an hypocrite For he abideth within his limites hauing only consideration of the honestie and tranquillitie of the coÌmon wealth not mingling heauenly and earthly things together CoÌtrariwise that Sophister imagineth that God regardeth his good intent and workes Therefore he mingleth earthly and heauenly things together and polluteth the name of god And this imagination he learneth out of morall Philosophie sauing that he abuseth it much worse then the Heathen man doth We therfore that be ChristiaÌs must rise vp higher then nature Philophie with this word Doing so that now it must be made altogether new ioyned with a right iudgemeÌt of reason a good wil or good intent not morally but diuinely which is that I know beleue by the word of the gospel that God hath sent his sonne into the world to redeeme vs froÌ sinne death Here Doing is a new thiÌg vnknown to reasoÌ to Philosophers to Lawworkers vnto al men For it is a wisedoÌ hidden in a mysterie Therfore in Diuinitie the work necessarily requireth faith goiÌg before Therefore when our aduersaries doe alleage against vs the sentences of the Scripture touching the lawe and works where mention is made of Working and Doing thou must aunswer them that they are termes pertaining to Diuinitie and not to naturall or morall things If they be applied to naturall or morall things they must be taken in their own signification But if they be applied to matters of Diuinitie they must include such a right reason and good will as is incompreheÌsible to mans reason Wherefore Doing in diuinitie must be alwaies vnderstande of a faithfull Doing So that this faithfull Doing is altogether as it were a newe kingdom separate from the naturall or morall Doing Therefore when we that are Diuines speake of Doing we must needes speake of that faithfull Doing for in Diuinitie we haue no other right reason and good wil or intent besides Faith. This rule is wel obserued in the .11 chap. to the Hebrues There are recited diuers and many workes of the Saincts out of the holy Scripture As of Dauid who killed a Lion and a Beare and slew Goliath There the Sophister or Schooleman that foolish Asse looketh vpon nothing else but the outward appearaunce of the worke as doth the Oxe vpon a newe gate But this worke of Dauid must be so loked into that first thou doe consider what manner of person Dauid was before he did this work Then thou shalt see that he was such a person whose heart trusted in the Lord God of Israell as the text hath plainly The Lord that deliuered me out of the pavve of the Lion and out of the pavve of the Beare he vvill deliuer me out of the hande of this Philistian Moreouer Thou comest to me vvith a svvorde and vvith a speare and vvith a shielde but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hostes the God of the hoste of Israel vpon vvhom thou hast railed this day This day shall the Lord close thee in my hande and I shall smite thee and take thine head from thee c Because the Lord saueth not vvith svvord nor speare for the battle is the Lordes and he vvill geue you into oure handes You see then that he was a righteous man accepted of God strong and constante in Faith before he did this worke This Doing of Dauid therefore is not a naturall or morall Doing but a faithfull Doing So it is sayd of Abell in the same Epistle that through Faith he offred vp a better sacrifice vnto God then Caine. If the SchoolemeÌ fall into this place as it is read in Genesis where it is simplie set out how that both Caine Abell offred vp their gifts and that the Lord had respect vnto Abell and his offrings by and by they take hold of these wordes They offred their oblations vnto the lord The Lord had respect to the offerings of Abell and crie out saying Here ye see that God had respect to offrings therfore workes doe iustifie So that these filthie swine doe thinke that righteousnes is but a morall thing onely beholding the visour or outward shewe of the worke and not the heart of him that doth the worke whereas notwithstanding euen in Philosophie they are constrained not to looke vpon the bare worke but the good will of the worker But here they stande altogether vpon these wordes They offred vp giftes The Lord had respect vnto Habel and to his offrings and see not that the text sayth plainly in Genesis that the Lord had respect first to
Scriptures of the Fathers Prophetes and Kings how they wrought righteousnes raised vp the deade ouercame kingdomes thou must remember that these and such like sayinges are to be expounded as the Epistle to the Hebrewes expoundeth them that is By faith they vvrought righteousnes by faith they raised vp the deade by faith they subdued Kinges and kingedomes So that faith incorporateth the worke and geueth it his perfection And this the aduersaries if they be wel in their wittes can not denye neyther haue they any thinge to saye or obiecte againste it In deede they can cry out that the scripture speaketh oftentimes of doing and walking And we alwaies aunswer them againe that it speaketh also of faithful Doing For first reason must be lightened by faith before it can worke Now when it hath a true opinion and knowledge of God then is the worke incarnate and incorporate into it so that what soeuer is attributed to faith is afterwardes attributed to works also but yet because of faith onely and alone Wherfore in reading of the Scriptures we must learn to put a difference betwene the true and the hypocriticall the morall and the spiritual Doing of the law So shall we be able to declare the true meaning of all those places which seeme to maintaine the righteousnes of works Now the true Doing of the law is a faithfull and a spirituall Doing which he hath not that seeketh righteousnes by works Therfore euery Doer of the law and euery holy morall worker is accursed For he walketh in the presumption of his owne righteousnes against God whiles he wil be iustified by mans free wil reason so in doing of the law he doth it not And this according to Paule is to be vnder the workes of the law that is to say that hypocrites do the law and yet in doing it they do it not for they vnderstaÌd this word Doing according to the literal sense of the law which in true Christian diuinitie is nothing worth In deede they worke many things but in the presumptioÌ of their owne righteousnes and without the knowledge of God and faith as the Pharise did Luke 18. and as Paule did before his conuersion therfore they are blind and miserably erre and so remaine vnder the Curse Wherefore againe I admonish you that such sentences as the aduersaries doe alledge out of the scriptures concerning workes and rewards therof must be spiritually expounded As if they alledge this sentence out of Daniel .4 chap. Redeeme thy sinnes by almes deedes thou must not here expounde these wordes after the morall sense but after the meaning of the Gospell So shall thou see that this word Redeme signifieth no moral but a spirituall Doing that is to say it compreheÌdeth faith For in the Scriptures the worke as I haue said requireth also a good will and right iudgement of reason to goe before not morall as they would haue it but diuine and spirituall which is faith By this meanes thou shalt be able to stoppe the mouthes of these peuish Sophisters For they them selues are compelled to graunt and so they teach also out of Aristotle that euery good worke procedeth out of mans choise or free will. If this be true in Philosophie much more must this good will and righte iudgement of reason guided by faith goe before the worke in Diuinitie and diuine matters And this doe all wordes of the imperatiue mode that is all such wordes as are commauÌding signifie in the Scriptures all such words also as teach the lawe as the Epistle to the Hebrewes doth plainly declare By Faith Abel offred c. Now admit the case that this solution is not sufficient although it be in deede most sure and certaine yet notwithstanding let this be the argument of all arguments and the principall mirrour of Christians to beholde against all the tentations and obiections not onely of the aduersaries but also of the Deuill him selfe namely to apprehend and to holde fast the head which is Christ Moreouer admitte that the Sophisters being more craftie and subtill then I should so snare and entangle me with their arguments which they bring for the maintenaunce of workes against Faith that I should knowe no way how to wynde my selfe out which notwithstanding is impossible for them to doe yet wil I rather geue reuerence and credite to Christ alone then be perswaded with all the places they are able to alledge for the establishing of the righteousnes of works against the docrine of Faith. Wherfore they must be simply and plainly aunswered after this maÌner Here is Christ there are the testimonies of the Scripture touching the law and works Now Christ is the Lord of the Scripture and of all works He also is Lord of heauen the earth the Saboth the temple righteousnes life wrath sinne death generally of all things whatsoeuer And Paule his Apostle sheweth that he was made sinne and became accursed for me I heare then that I coulde by no other meanes be deliuered from my sinne my death and my malediction but by his death and bloudsheeding Wherefore I conclude that it properly appertained to Christ him selfe to ouercome my sinne death and malediction in his owne body and not to the workes of the law or mine owne workes And herevnto reason is constrained to agree and say that Christe is not the worke of the lawe or my worke that his bloud and death is not circumcision the obseruation of the ceremonies of the lawe and much lesse a Monkes cowle a shauen crowne abstinence vowes and such like Wherefore if he be the price of my redemption if he be made sinne and malediction that he might iustifie me and blesse me I care not if thou bring a thousand places of the Scripture for the righteousnes of workes against the righteousnes of Faith and crie out neuer so much that the Scripture is against me I haue the author and Lorde of the scripture with me on whose side I will rather stand then beleue all the rablemente of Lawworkers and meritemongers Albeit it is impossible that the Scripture should be against this doctrine vnlesse it be among the senseles and indurate hypocrites but among the godly and such as haue vnderstanding it geueth witnesse for Iesus Christ his lord See therfore how thou canst reconcile the Scripture which thou sayest is against my doctrine As for me I will sticke to the author of the Scripture Therefore if any man thinketh himselfe not well able to reconcile such places of the Scripture or aunswer vnto the same sufficiently and yet notwithstanding is constrained to heare the obiections and cauillations of the aduersaries let him aunswere simply and plainely after this sorte Thou settest against me the seruaunte that is to say the scripture and that not wholy neither yet the principall parte thereof but onely certaine places as touching workes This seruaunte I leaue vnto thee But I come with the
somewhat from Zuinglius sticking to nere to the letter yet he ioyneth not so with the Papist that he leaueth there any transubstantiation or idolatrie Wherefore the matter being no greater then so nor directly against any article of our crede let not vs be so nice for one litle wart to cast away the whole body It were doutlesse to be wished that in good teachers and preachers of Christ there were no defect or imperfection But he that can abide nothing with his blemish let him if he can name any Doctor or writer the scripture onely except greke or latin old or new either beyond the Alpes or on this side the Alpes or him selfe also what so euer he be which hath not erred in some sentence or in some exposition of holy scripture But if he can not so doe then let him learne by him selfe to beare with other to take the best and leaue the worst although there is no such matter in this booke to be feared forasmuch as we hauing a respect to the simple haue purposely spuÌged out and omitted such stumbling places being but few which might offend and to geue God thankes for any thing that is good and namely for this which he hath geuen to vs by Luther in opening to vs his grace mercy and good will in his Sonne so excellently through the preaching of this man who if he had not taught the difference betwene the lawe and the gospell and set out to vs our iustification victory and libertie by faith onely in Christ so plainely so plentifully and so assuredly as he hath done who euer durst haue bene so bold to open his mouth in such wordes or so confidently to stand in this doctrine of faith and grace For if there haue bene since the time of Luther and be yet some which openly defend that workes be necessary to saluation where he before so mightely hath taught the contrary what then would these haue done if Luther had not bene who also did forewarne vs of the same prophesying that after his time this doctrine of iustification would be almost extinguished in the church as in certaine places experience beginneth partely to proue Wherefore so much as the Lord shall geue vs grace let vs hold constantly the comfortable doctrine of faith and iustification not lose that the Lord so freely hath geuen calling vppon the Lord with all obedience and diligence to geue vs grace with S. Paule not to refuse the grace whiche he bestoweth vppon vs nor to be offended with this ioyfull doctrine as many be And therefore as our duty was for our part to set it abroade so our counsell is no lesse to euery studious reader thereof to pray for grace rightly to vnderstaÌd that he readeth For els vnlesse the special grace of Christ doe helpe hard it is to flesh and blood to comprehend this mysticall doctrine of faith onely So strauÌge it is to carnall reason so darke to the world so many enemies it hath that except the spirite of God from aboue doe reueale it learning can not reach it wisedome is offended nature is astonied deuilles doe not knowe it men doe persecute it Briefely as there is no way to life so easie so is there none so hard Easie to whom it is geuen from aboue hard to the carnall sense not yet enspired The ignoraunce whereof is the roote of all errours sectes and diuisions not onely in all christendome but also in the whole world The Iewe thinketh to be saued by his Moses lawe the Turke by his Alcoran the philosopher by his morall vertues Besides these commeth an other sort of people not so ill as the Iewe nor so hethen as the philosopher but hauing some part of both which refuse not vtterly the name of Christ but with Christ doe ioyne partely the law of Moses partely the morall and naturall discipline of philosophy and partely their owne ceremonies and traditions to make a perfect way to heauen And these here in this commentary are called papists of the Pope their author being diuided within themselues more then into an hundreth diuers sectes orders and professions of Cardinales Frears Monkes Nunnes Priestes Heremites and other votaries All which seeme to springe vp of no other cause but onely vppon ignorance of this doctrine And no meruell For take away this doctrine of iustification by faith onely in Christ and leaue a man to his owne inuentions what ende will there be of newe deuises Such a perilous thing is it to erre in the first fundation whereuppon the higher ye build the greater is the fall And yet such builders are not without their proppes to hold vppe their workemanship of workes against this doctrine of iustifying faith pretending for their defence the testimonie of S. Iames where he seemeth to attribute iustification to workes and not to faith onely Touching which matter of iustification for as much as in the sequele of this treatise the author hath discoursed vpon the same at large it shall not be much needefull to vse many wordes at this present This briefely may suffice by way of preface in a word or two to aduertise the christian reader who so taketh in hand with profite and iudgement to reade this booke that in him two things are specially to be required First to reade it wholy togeather and not by peeces and partes here and there but to take it in order as it lyeth conferring one place with an other wherby to vnderstand the better the right meaning of the writer howe and in what sense he excludeth good workes and howe not howe he neglecteth the law and how he magnifieth the lawe For as in case of iustifying before God the free promise of the gospell admitteth no condition but faith onely in Christ Iesu so in case of dutifull obedience Luther here excludeth no good works but rather exhorteth thereunto and that in many places Thus times and cases discretly must be distincted The second thing to be required is that in reading hereof he that seketh to take frute hereby doe bring such a mind with him to the reading as the author him selfe did to the preaching therof that is he had neede to haue his senses exercised somewhat in such spirituall conflictes and to be well humbled before with the feare of God and inward repentance or els he shal hardly conceaue the excellent swetenes either of this writer or any other For albeit most true it is that no greater comfort to the soule of man can be found in any booke next to the holy scripture then in this commentary of M. Luther so this comforte hath litle place but onely where the conscience being in heauines hath neede of the phisicions hand The other who feele theÌselues whole are not touched in soule with any sorowe as they litle care for these bookes so haue they litle vnderstandinge of this doctrine when they reade it And this is the cause in my mind why the Pope his papistes
the actiue righteousnesse But it is a thing very straunge and vnknowen to the world to teach Christians to learne to be ignorant of the lawe and so to liue before God as if there were no law For except thou be ignorant of the law be assuredly perswaded in thine hart that there is now no lawe nor wrath of God but altogether grace and mercy for Christes sake thou canst not be saued for by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne CoÌtrariwise workes and the keeping of the law must be so streitly required in the world as if there were no promise or grace and that because of the stubborne proude and hard harted before whose eies nothing must be set but the lawe that they may be terrified and humbled For the law is geuen to terrifie and to kill such and to exercise the old man And both the word of grace and of wrath must be rightly diuided according to the saying of the Apostle in the second Epistle of Timothe Chapter 2. verse 15. Here is then required a wise and a faithfull disposer of the word of God which can so moderate the lawe that it may be kept within his boundes He that teacheth that men are iustified before God by the obseruation of the lawe passeth the boundes of the lawe and confoundeth these two kindes of righteousnesse actiue and passiue and is but an ill Logician for he doth not rightly diuide Contrariwise he that setteth forth the lawe and workes to the old man and the promise of forgiuenes of sinnes and Gods mercy to the new man diuideth the word wel For the flesh or the old man must be coupled with the lawe and works the spirit or new man must be ioyned with the promise of God and his mercy Wherefore when I see a man that is brused enough already oppressed with the lawe terrified with sinne and thirsting for comfort it is time that I should remoue oute of his sight the lawe and actiue righteousnes and that I should set before him by the Gospell the Christian and passiue righteousnes which excluding Moses with his lawe offereth the promise made in Christ who came for the afflicted and for sinnes Here is man raised vp againe and conceaueth good hope neither is he any longer vnder the lawe but vnder grace Howe not vnder the lawe According to the newe man to whom the law doth not pertaine For the lawe hath his boundes but vnto Christ as Paule saith afterwardes The lawe continueth vnto Christ who being come Moses ceaseth with his lawe Circumcision the Sacrifices the Sabbothes yea and all the Prophetes This is our diuinitie wherby we teach how to put a difference betwene these two kindes of righteousnesse actiue and passiue to the end that maners and faith workes and grace policie and religion shuld not be confounded or taken the one for the other Both are necesry but both must be kept within their boundes Christian righteousnes pertaineth to the newe man and the righteousnes of the lawe pertaineth to the old man which is borne of flesh and bloode Wpon this old man as vpon an asse there must be laied a burthen that may presse him downe and he must not enioy the freedome of the spirite or grace except he first put vpon him the newe man by faith in Christ which notwithstanding is not fully done in this life then may he enioy the kingdome and inestimable gifte of grace This I say to the end that no man should thinke we reiecte or forbid good workes as the Papistes doe most falsely sclaunder vs neither vnderstanding what they themselues say nor what we teach They knowe nothing but the righteousnes of the lawe and yet they will iudge of that doctrine which is farre aboue the lawe of which it is vnpossible that the carnall man should be able to iudge Therefore they must needes be offended for they can see no higher then the lawe What so euer then is aboue the lawe is to them a greate offence But we imagine as it were two worldes the one heauenly and the other earthly In these we place these two kindes of righteousnes being separate the one farre from the other The righteousnes of the lawe is earthly and hathe to doe with earthly things and by it we doe good workes But as the earth bringeth not forthe frute except first it be watred and made frutefull from aboue euen so by the righteousnes of the lawe in doing many thinges we doe nothing and in fullfilling of the lawe we fulfill it not except first without any merite or worke of ours we be made righteous by the Christian righteousnesse which nothing pertaineth to the righteousnesse of the lawe or to the earthly and actiue righteousnesse But this righteousnesse is heauenly which as is said we haue not of our selues but receaue it from heauen which we worke not but which by grace is wrought in vs and apprehended by faith wherby we mounte vp aboue all lawes and workes Wherfore like as we haue borne as S. Paule saith the image of the earthly Adam so let vs beare the image of the heauenly which is the newe man in a new world where is no lawe no sinne no remorse of conscience no death but perfecte ioy righteousnesse grace peace life saluation and glory Why doe we then nothing doe we worke nothing for the obtaining of this righteousnes I aunswere nothing at all For this is perfect righteousnesse to doe nothing to heare nothing to knowe nothing of the law or of workes but to know and to beleeue this onely that Christe is gone to the father and is not nowe seene that he sitteth in heauen at the right hande of his Father not as a iudge but made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption Breefely that he is our high Priest intreating for vs and raigning ouer vs and in vs by grace In this heauenly righteousnesse sinne can haue no place for there is no lawe and where no lawe is there can be no transgression Seing then that sinne hath here no place there can be no anguish of conscience no feare no heauinesse Therfore S. Iohn sayth he that is borne of God can not sinne But if there be any feare or greefe of conscience it is a token that this righteousnes is withdrawen that grace is hidden and out of sighte and that Christ is darkened and not to be seene But where Christ is truely seene is deede there must needes be full and perfect ioy in the Lord with peace of conscience which moste certainly thus thinketh Although I am a sinner by the law and vnder the condemnation of the lawe yet I despaire not yet I die not because Christ liueth who is bothe my rightuousnesse and my euerlasting life In that rightuousnesse and life I haue no sinne no feare no sting of coÌscience no care of death I am in dede a sinner as touching this present life and the righteousnesse
had not preuailed herein he could neuer haue stopped the mouthes of the false apostles For thus they would haue obiected agaiÌst him We are as good as Paule we are the disciples of the Apostles as well as he Moreouer he is but one alone and we are many therfore we excell him both in authoritie and in number also Here Paule was constrained to boast to affirme and sweare that he learned not his gospell of any man neither receaued it of the Apostles themselues For his ministerie was here in great daunger and al the churches likewise which had vsed him as their cheefe pastor and teacher The necessitie therfore of his Ministerie and of all the Churches required that with a necessary and holy pride he should vaunt of his vocation and of the reuelation of the Gospell made open vnto him by Christ that their consciences might be thorowly perswaded that his doctrine was the true word of god Here had Paule a waightie matter in hand namely that all the Churches in Galatia might be kept in sound doctrine and to be short the matter was concerning life death euerlasting For if the pure and certaine word of God be once taken away there remaineth no more consolation life or saluation The cause therfore why he reciteth these things is to retaine the Churches still in true doctrine and not to maintaine his own glorie as Porphirie and Iulian doe falsly sclaunder him His purpose is then to shew by this historie that he receaued his gospel of no man Againe that he preached for a certaine time namely the space of three or foure yeares the selfe same Gospel that the Apostles had preached by reuelation from God both in Damascus and Arabia before he had seene any of the Apostles Verse 20. And novve the things vvhich I vvrite vnto you he hold I vvitnes before God I lie not Wherefore addeth he an oth Because he reporteth an history he is constrained to sweare to the ende that the churches might beleue him and also that the false Apostles should not say who knoweth whether Paule speaketh the truth or no Here you see that Paule the elect vessel of God was in so great contempt among his owne Galathians to whom he had preached that it was necessary for him to sweare that he spake the truth If this happened then to the Apostles to haue so mighty aduersaries that they durst despise them and accuse them of lying what maruell is it if the like at this day happen vnto vs which in no respect are worthy to be compared with the Apostles He sweareth therfore in a matter as it seemeth of no weight that he speaketh the truth namely that he taryed not with Peter to learne of him but onely to see him but if you way the matter diligently it is very weighty and of greate importance as may appeare by that is said afore In like maner we sweare after the example of Paule God knovveth that vve lie not c. Verse 21. After that I vvent into the coastes of Syria and Cilicia Syria and Cilicia are countreys neare situate together This is it that he still goeth about to perswade that as well before he had seene the Apostles as after he was alwaies a teacher of the Gospell and that he receaued it by the reuelation of Christ and was neuer any disciple of the Apostels Verse 22 23. For I vvas vnknovven by face vnto the churches of Iudea vvhich vvere in Christ But they heard onely some say he vvhich persecuted in times past novv preacheth the faith vvhich before he destroied And they glorified God. This he addeth for the sequele and continuance of the history that after he had seene Peter he went into Syria and Cilicia and there preached and so preached that he wonne the testimony of all the churches in Iudea As though he would say I appeale to the testimony of all the churches yea euen of those which are in Iudea For the churches doe witnesse not onely in Damascus Arabia Syria and Cilicia but also in Iudea that I haue preached the same faith which I once withstoode and persecuted And they glorifie God in me not because I taught that circumcision and the law of Moses ought to be kept but for the preaching of faith and for the edifying of the churches by my ministery in the Gospell Ye therefore haue the testimony not onely of the people of Damascus and of Arabia but also of the whole Catholike or vniuersall church in Iudea The second Chapter Verse 1. Then fourtene yeares after I vvent vp to Ierusalem PAVLE taught that the Gentiles were iustified by faith onely without the works of the law This doctrine when he had published abroad among the Gentiles he commeth to Antioch and declareth to the Disciples what he had done Then they which had bene trained vp in the old customes of the law rose against Paule with great indignation for that he preached to the Gentiles libertie from the bondage of the law Wherevpon followed greate dissention which afterwards stirred vp new troubles Paule and Barnabas stoode strongly to the truth and testified saying wheresoeuer we preached among the Gentiles the holy Ghost came and fell vpon those which heard the word and this was done through out all the churches of the Gentiles But we preached not circumcision neither did we require the keping of the law but we preached onely faith in Iesus Christ and at this preaching of faith God gaue to the hearers the holy Ghost The holy Ghost therefore doth approue the Faith of the Gentiles without the law and Circumcision For if the preaching of the Gospell and faith of the Gentiles in Christ had not pleased him he had not come downe in a visible shape vpon the vncircumcised which heard the word Seing then by the only hearing of faith he came downe vpon them it is certaine that the holy ghost by this signe hath approued the faith of the Gentiles For it doth not appeare that this was euer done before at the preaching of the law Then the Ievves and many of the Phariseis which did beleue and notwithstanding bare yet a greate zeale to the law earnestly striuing to maintaine the glory thereof sette themselues fiercely against Paule who affirmed that the Gentiles were iustified by faith onely without the works of the lawe contending that the lawe ought to be kept and that the Gentiles ought to be circumcised for otherwise they could not be saued And no maruell for the very name of the lawe of God is holy dreadfull The heathen man which neuer knew any thing of the law of God if he heare any man say This doctrine is the law of God doubtles he is moued How theÌ could it be but that the Ievves must nedes be moued vehemently contend for the maintenaÌce of the law of God which euen from their infancie had bene nusled and trained vp therein We see at this day how obstinate the
were in the middes of the Apostles and all the faithfull where this question was so vehemently debated was not yet constrained to be circumcised This victorie Paule carieth away sayth that in this conference it was decided by the consent of all the Apostles the whole Church also approuing the same that Titus should not be circumcised This is a strong argument and maketh very much against the false apostles And with this argument Neither vvas Titus compelled to be circumcised Paule was able to represse and mightely conuince all his aduersaries As if he should say Why doth these counterfait apostles so falsely report of me saying that I am compelled to keepe circumcision by the commaundement of the Apostles seeing I haue the witnes of all the faithfull in Ierusalem and moreouer of all the Apostles them selues that by my pursute and trauaile the contrary was there determined and that I did not onely there preuaile that Titus should not be circumcised but that the Apostles did also approue and ratifie the same Your counterfet apostles therfore do lie deadly which sclauÌder me vnder the name of the Apostles and therby deceaue you for I haue the Apostles and all the faithfull not against me but with me And this I proue by the example of Titus Notwithstanding Paule as I haue often sayd did not condemne circumcision as an vnprofitable thing nor constrained any man therevnto For it is neither sinne nor righteousnes to be circumcised or vncircumcised as it is neither sinne nor righteousnes to eate or drinke For vvhether thou eate or eate not thou art neither better nor vvorse But if any maÌ should adde therto either sinne or righteousnes and say If thou eate thou sinnest if thou abstaine thou art righteous he should shew him selfe both foolish and wicked Therfore to ioyne ceremonies with sinne or righteousnes is great impietie As the Pope doth who in his forme of excommunication threatneth to all those that doe not obey the law of the Bishop of Rome Gods great curse and indignation and so maketh all his lawes necessary to saluation Wherefore the Deuil him selfe speaketh in the person of the Pope in all the Popes decrees For if saluation coÌsisteth in keping of the Popes lawes what neede haue we of Christ to be our iustifier and Sauiour Vers 4.5 For all the false brethern that crept in vvho came in priuely to espie out our liberty vvhich vve haue in Christ Iesus that they might bring vs into boÌdage To vvhom vve gaue not place by subiection for an houre that the truth of the Gospell might continue vvith you Here Paule sheweth the cause why he went vp to Ierusalem and there conferred his gospell with the other Apostles and why he would not circumcise Titus Not that he might be the more certaine or confirmed in the gospell by the Apostles for he nothing doubted thereof but that the truth of the gospell might continue in the Churches of the Galathians and in all the Churches of the Gentiles We see then that this busines of Paule was no light matter Nowe where he speaketh of the truth of the Gospell he sheweth that there be two gospels a true and a false gospell Indeede the gospell of it selfe is simple true and sincere but by the malice of Satans ministers it is corrupt and defaced Therfore where he saith The truth of the gospel he would haue vs to vnderstaÌd also the contrary As if he would say The false apostles do also preach a faith a gospel but they are both false Therfore haue I set my selfe so constantly against them and in that I would not geue place vnto them I haue brought to passe that the truth of the gospell continueth with you So the Pope and the Anabaptists doe bragge at this day that they teach the Gospell faith in Christ True it is but with such frute as the false apostles once did whom Paule calleth before in the first chapter troublers of the church and subuerters of the gospell of Christ On the other side he sayth that he teacheth the truth of the gospell As if he should say Those things which the false apostles teach bragge they neuer so much that they teach the truth are nothing else but starke lies So all Heretikes pretend the name of God of Christ and of the Church Also they pretend that they will not teach errours or lies but most certaine truth and the pure Gospell of Christ Now the truth of the gospell is that our righteousnes cometh by Faith only without the workes of the law The corruption or falshode of the Gospell is that we are iustified by Faith but not without the workes of the lawe With the like condition the false apostles also preached the Gospel Euen so doe our Papists and craftie Sophisters at this day For they say that we must beleue in Christ and that Faith is the foundation of our saluation but it iustifieth not except it be furnished with charitie This is not the truth of the Gospell but falshode and dissimulation But the true Gospell in deede is that works or charitie are not the ornament or perfection of faith but that faith of it selfe is Gods gift and Gods worke in our hearts which therefore iustifieth vs because it apprehendeth Christ our redemer Mans reason hath the law for his obiect thus thinking with it selfe This I haue done this I haue not done But faith being in her owne proper office hath no other obiect but Iesus Christ the sonne of god deliuered to death for the sinnes of the whole world It loketh not to charitie It sayeth not what haue I done what haue I offended what haue I deserued but what hath Christ done what hath he deserued Here the truth of the gospel answereth thee he hath redemed thee from thy sinne from the Deuil from eternall death Faith therefore acknowledgeth that in this one person Iesus Christ it hath forgeuenes of sinnes and eternall life He that turneth his eyes away from this obiect hath not true Faith but a fantasie and a vaine opinion and turneth his eyes from the promise to the law which terrifieth and driueth to desperation Wherfore those things which the Sophisters Scholemen haue taught coÌcerning the iustifying faith being furnished with charitie are no thing else but mere dreames For that faith which appreheÌdeth Christ the sonne of God is furnished with him is the same faith that iustifieth and not that faith which includeth charitie For a true a stedfast faith must lay hold vpon nothing else but Christ alone and in the afflictions and terrours of conscience it hath nothing else to leane vnto but this Diamond Christ Iesus Wherfore he that apprehendeth Christ by faith although he be neuer so much terrified with the law pressed downe with the weight of his sinnes yet may he be bold to glory that he is righteous How or by what meanes Euen by that
law and sinne but of Christ onely And on the other side when grace and liberty come into the earth that is into the body then say thou oughtest not to dwell in the dregges and dunghill of this corporall life but thou belongest vnto heauen This distinction of the law and the Gospell Peter confounded through his dissimulation and therby perswaded the beleuing Iewes that they must be iustified by the Gospell and the law together This might not Paule suffer and therefore he reproued Peter not to put him to any reproch but to the ende that he might againe establish a plaine difference betwene these two namely that the Gospell iustifieth in heauen and the lawe on earth The Pope hath not onely mixed the law with the Gospell but also of the Gospell hath made meere lawes yea and such as are ceremoniall onely He hath also confounded and mixed politicall and ecclesiasticall matters together which is a deuilish and an hellish confusion This place touching the difference betwene the law and the Gospell is very necessary to be knowne for it containeth the summe of all Christian doctrine Wherfore let all that loue and feare God diligeÌtly learne to discerne the one from the other not only in words but in effect practise that is to say in heart conscience For as touching the words the distinction is soone made but in time of tentation thou shalt finde the Gospell but as a straunger and a rare gest in thy conscience but the law contrariwise thou shalt finde a familiar and continuall dweller within thee for reason hath the knowledge of the law naturally Wherfore when thy conscience is terrified with sinne which the law vttereth and encreaseth then say thou There is a time to die and a time to liue there is a time to heare the law and a time to despise the law there is a time to heare the Gospel and there is a time to be ignorant of the Gospell Let the law now depart and let the Gospell come for there is now no time to heare the lawe but the Gospell But thou hast done no good nay thou hast done wickedly hast greuously sinned I grauÌt notwithstanding I haue remission of all my sinnes for Christes sake But out of the conflicte of conscience when externall duties must be done there is no time to harken to the Gospell then must thou follow thy vocation and the works thereof Verse 14. I said vnto Peter openly If thou being a Ievve liuest as the Gentiles and not as the Ievves vvhy constrainest thou the Gentiles to doe like the Ievves That is to witte thou art a Iewe and therfore art bound to liue like a Iewe that is to abstaine from meates forbidden in the law Notwithstanding thou liuest like a Gentile that is to say thou doest contrary to the law and transgressest the law For as a Gentile which is free froÌ the law thou eatest common vncleane meates therin thou doest well But in that thou being afraid at the presence of the brethren conuerted from the Iewish religion abstainest from meates forbidden in the law and keepest the law thou compellest the Iewes likewise to keepe the law that is thou constrainest them of necessitie to obserue the law For in that thou abstainest from profane meates thou geuest occasion to the Gentiles thus to thinke Peter abstaineth from those meates which the Gentiles vse to eate which also he himselfe before did eate therefore we ought likewise to auoid the same and to liue after the maÌner of the Iewes otherwise we can not be iustified or saued We see theÌ that Paule reproueth not ignorance in Peter for he knew that he might freely eate with the Gentiles all maner of meates but dissimulation wherby he compelled the Gentiles to liue like the Iewes Here I say againe that to liue as the Iew is not euil of it selfe for it is a thing indifferent either to eate swines flesh or any other meates But so to play the Iewe that for conscience sake thou abstainest from certayne meates this is to deny Christ to ouerthrowe the Gospell Therfore when Paule saw that Peters act tended to this end he resisted him and said Thou knowest that the keeping of the lawe is not necessary to righteousnes but that we are iustified onely through faith in Christ and therfore thou keepest not the law but transgressest the law and eatest all maner of meates Notwithstanding by thy example thou constrainest the Gentiles to forsake Christ and to returne to the lawe For thou geuest them occasion thus to thinke Faith onely is not suffient to righteousnes but the law and works are also required And this Peter teacheth vs by his example Therfore the obseruation of the law must needes be ioyned with faith in Christ if we wil be saued Wherefore Peter by this example is not onely preiudicial to the purity of doctrine but also to the truth of faith and christian righteousnes For the Gentiles receaued this of him that the keping of the law was necessary to righteousnes which errour in case it be admitted then Christ profiteth nothing Hereby it plainly appeareth to what end this discord betwene Paule and Peter tendeth Paule doth nothing by dissimulation but dealeth sincerely and goeth plainly to worke Peter dissembleth but this dissimulation Paule reproueth The controuersie was for the maintenance of pure doctrine and the veritie of the Gospell and in this quarell Paule did not care for the offence of any In this case all people and nations all Kings and Princes all Iudges Magistrats ought to geue place Since then it is so daungerous a thing to haue to doe with the law and that this fall was so sodaine and so greate as if it had bene from heauen aboue euen downe into hell let euery Christian diligently learne to discerne betwene the law and the Gospell Let him suffer the law to rule ouer the body and members therof but not ouer the conscience For that Queene and spouse may not be defiled with the lawe but must be kept without spot for her onely husband Christ as Paule sayth 2. Cor. 11. I haue espoused you to one husband c. Let the conscience then haue her bride chamber not in the lowe valley but in the high mountaine in the which let Christ lie and there rule reigne who doth not terrifie and afflict sinners but comforteth them pardoneth their sinnes and saueth them Wherefore let the afflicted conscience thinke vpon nothinge know nothing set nothinge againste the iudgement of God but the worde of Christ whiche is the worde of grace of remission of sinnes of saluation and euerlasting life But this to performe in deede is a hard matter For mans reason and nature can not stedfastly cleaue vnto Christ but oftentimes it is caried away with the cogitations of the lawe and sinne and so alwayes seeketh to be at libertie after the flesh but according
treasure which is Christ and apprehend him in our heartes by Faith although we feele our selues to be full of sinne These words therfore of the Apostle that vve might be iustified by faith and not by the vvorkes of the lavve are very effectual and not in vaine or vnprofitable as the Scholemen thinke and therefore they passe them ouer so lightly Hetherto ye haue heard the wordes of Paule which he spake vnto Peter wherein he hath briefly comprised the principall article of all Christian doctrine which maketh true Christians in deede Now he turneth to the Galathians to whom he wryteth and thus he concludeth Since it is so that we are iustified by faith in Christ then by the workes of the lawe shall no flesh be iustified Verse 16. Because by the deedes of the lavve no flesh shall be iustified Flesh in Paule doth not signifie as the Scholemen dreame manifest and grosse sinnes for those he vseth to call by their proper names as adultery fornication vncleanes and such like but by flesh Paule meaneth here as Christ doth in the third chapter of Iohn That vvhich is borne of flesh sayeth he is flesh Flesh therfore signifieth the whole nature of man with reason and all other powers what so euer doe belong to man This flesh sayth he is not iustified by workes no not of the lawe Flesh therefore according to Paule signifieth all the righteousnes wisedome deuotion religion vnderstanding and will that is possible to be in a naturall man So that if a man be neuer so righteous according to reason and the lawe of God yet withall his righteousnes workes merites deuotion and religion he is not iustified This the Papistes doe not beleue but being blinde and obstinate they defend their abhominations against their owne conscience continuing in this their blasphemie and hauing yet still in their mouthes these execrable wordes He that doth this good worke or that deserueth forgeuenes of his sinnes who so euer entreth into this or that holy order and kepeth his rule to him we assuredly promise euerlasting life It can not be vttered what an horrible blasphemie it is to attribute that to the doctrine of Deuilles to the decrees and ordinaunces of men to the wicked traditions of the Pope to the hypocriticall workes and merites of Monkes and Friers which Paule the Apostle of Christ taketh away from the lawe of god For if no flesh be iustified by the workes of the lawe much lesse shall it be iustified by the rule of Benedict Fraunces or Augustine in which there is not one iote of true Faith in Christ but this onely they vrge that who so euer kepeth these things hath life euerlasting Wherefore I haue much and often marueled that these sectes of perdition raigning so many yeres in such great darknes and errours the Church could endure and continue as it hath done Some there were whom God called by the letter of the Gospell and by baptisme These walked in simplicitie and humblenes of heart thinking the Monkes and Friers and such onely as were anoynted of the Bishops to be religious and holy and them selues to be prophane and secular and not worthy to be compared vnto them Wherfore they finding in them selues no good workes to set against the wrath and iudgement of God did flie to the death passion of Christ and were saued in this simplicitie Horrible and vnspeakeable is the wrath of God in that he hath so long time punished the contempt of the Gospell and of Christ in the Papistes and also their ingratitude geuing them ouer into a reprobate sense in so much that they blaspheming and denying Christ altogether as touching his office in stede of the gospell haue receaued the execrable rules ordinaunces and traditions of men which they haue deuoutly adored and honoured yea and preferred the same farre aboue the word of God vntill at length they were forbidden to marry and were bound to that incestuous single life wherein they were outwardly polluted and defiled with all kindes of horrible wickednes as adultrie whoredom vncleanes Sodomitrie and such other abominations This was the frute of that filthie single life So God punishing sinne with sinne inwardly gaue them ouer into a reprobate minde and outwardly suffered them to fall into such horrible abominations and that iustly because they blasphemed the onely sonne of God in whom the father would be glorified and whom he deliuered to death that al which beleue in him might be saued by him and not by their owne execrable rules and orders Him that honoureth me sayth he I vvill honour Nowe God is honoured in his sonne Who so theÌ beleueth that the sonne is our Mediatour and Sauiour he honoureth the father and him againe doth God honour that is to say adorneth him with his giftes forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes the holy Ghost euerlasting life CoÌtrariwise They that despise me sayth he shall be despised This is then a generall conclusion Because by the deedes of the lavv no flesh shal be iustified The law of God is greater then the whole world for it comprehendeth all men and the works of the law do farre excel euen the most glorious wilworkes of all the Meritmongers and yet Paule sayth that neither the lawe nor the workes of the law do iustifie Therfore we conclude with Paule that faith only iustifieth This proposition he goeth about to confirme in this maner Verse 18. If then vvhile vve seeke to be made righteous by Christ vve our selues are found sinners is Christ therefore the minister of sinne God forbid If this be true sayth he that we are iustified by Christ then is it vnpossible that we should be sinners or should be iustified by the lawe On the contrary if this be not true but that we must be iustified by the lawe and the workes of the lawe it is then vnpossible that we should be iustified by Christ One of these two must needes be false Either we are not iustified by Christ or we are not iustified by the lawe But the truth is that we are iustified by Christ therefore we are not iustified by the lawe He reasoneth therefore after this maner If then vvhile vve seeke to be made c. That is If we seeke to be iustified by Christ and so being iustified we are yet fouÌd sinners hauing neede of the lawe to iustifie vs being sinners If we haue neede I say of the obseruation of the lawe to iustifie vs so that they which are righteous in Christ are not righteous but haue yet neede of the lawe to iustifie them Or if he that is iustified by Christ must yet further be iustified by the lawe then is Christ nothing else but a lawgeuer and a minister of sinne Therfore he that is iustified and holy in Christ is not iustified or holy but hath yet neede of the righteousnes and holines of the lawe But we are in deede iustified and made righteous in
Christ For the truth of the Gospell teacheth vs that a man is not iustified in the lawe but in Christ Nowe if they which are iustified in Christ are yet found sinners that is doe yet still belong to the lawe and are vnder the lawe as the false Apostles teach then are they not yet iustified For the lawe accuseth them and sheweth them to be yet sinners It requireth of them the workes of the lawe as necessary to their iustification and so it foloweth that Christ is not a iustifier but a minister of the lawe With these wordes he vehemently chargeth the false Apostles and all Meritemongers that they peruerte altogether for they make of the lawe grace and of grace the lawe of Moses Christ and of Christ Moses For they teach that besides Christ and all the righteousnes of Christ the obseruation of the lawe is necessary to iustification And thus we see that by their intolerable peruersnes they make the lawe Christ for by this meanes they attribute that to the lawe which properly belongeth vnto Christ If thou doe the workes of the lawe say they thou shalt be saued but if thou doe them not thou shalt not be iustified although thou doe beleue in Christ neuer so much Now if it be so that Christ iustifieth not but is the minister of sinne as it must needes folowe by their doctrine then is Christ the lawe for we haue nothing else of him seeing he teacheth that we are sinners then that we haue by the lawe So Christ being the minister of sinne sendeth vs to the lawe and to Moses as to our iustifier It can not be therfore but that the Papists and all such as are ignorant of the righteousnes of Christ or haue not the true knowlege therof must nedes make of Christ Moses and the law of the law Christ For thus they teach It is true say they that faith in Christ iustifieth but withall we must needes kepe the commaundements of god For it is wrytten If thou vvilt enter into life kepe the commaundementes Here euen at the first dash Christ is denied and Faith abolished because that is attributed to the commaundements of God or to the lawe which belongeth to Christ alone For Christ according to his true definition is a Iustifier and a Redemer from sinnes If I attribute this to the lawe then is the lawe my Iustifier deliuering me from my sinnes because I do the workes therof and so nowe the lawe is Christ and Christ vtterly loseth his name his office and glory and is nothing else but a minister of the lawe reprouing accusing terrifying presenting and sending the sinner to an other that may iustifie him which is the proper office of the lawe But the proper office of Christ is after the lawe hath pronounced a man to be giltie to raise him vp againe and to loose him from his sinnes if he beleue the Gospell For to all that doe beleue Christ is the ende and full finishing of the lavve vnto righteousnes He is the Lambe of God that taketh avvay the sinnes of the vvorld But the Papistes and Anabaptistes because they vnderstand not this doctrine doe peruert altogether making of Christ Moses and of Moses Christ And this is in deede although they will say otherwise their principall proposition That Christ is Moses Moreouer they deride and mocke vs because we doe so diligently teach and so earnestly require Faith. Ha ha say they faith faith wait thou the time vntil thou come to heauen by faith Nay thou must striue to doe greater waightier matters Thou must fulfill the law according to that saying Doe this and thou shalt line Faith which ye so highly extoll doth nothing else but make men careles idle and negligent Thus are they become nothing else but ministers of the law and laweworkers calling backe the people from baptisme faith the promises of Christ to the law and workes turning grace into the law and the law into grace Who would euer beleue that these things could so easily be confounded and mingled together There is no man so vnsensible which dothe not perceaue this distinction of the lawe and grace to be most plaine and manifest For the very nature and signification of the wordes maketh this distinction and difference For who vnderstandeth not that these words Lavve and grace do differ in name and signification Wherefore it is a monstrous thing that this distinction being so plaine the aduersaries should fall to such deuelish peruersenes so to mingle together the lawe and grace and to transforme Christ into Moses For this cause I do often repete and teach that this doctrine of faith is very plaine and that euery man may easely vnderstand this distinction of the law and grace as touching the wordes but touching the vse and inward practise it is very hard The Pope and his Scholedoctors doe plainly confesse that the lawe and grace are diuers and distinct things and yet when they come to the vse and practise thereof they teach cleane contrary Faith in Christ say they whether it be gotten by the strength operation and qualities of nature or whether it be Faith infused and poured into vs of God yet is it but a dead Faith if charitie be not ioyned therewith Where is nowe the distinction and difference of the lawe and grace In deede they doe distinguish them in name but in effect they call grace charitie Thus doe all they which so straitly require the obseruation of the lawe and attribute iustification to the law and works Wherfore who so euer do not perfectly vnderstand the article of iustification must needes confound and mingle the lawe and grace together Let euery man therfore diligently learne aboue all things to put a difference betwene the lawe and grace in deede and in practise not in words onely as the Pope and the fantasticall Anabaptists do Who as touching the words doe confesse that they are two distinct things but in very deede as I haue sayd they confound mingle them together for they will not graunt that faith iustifieth without workes If this be true then Christ profiteth me nothing For though my faith be neuer so perfite yet after their opinion if this faith be without charitie I am not iustified And thus Christ apprehended by faith is not a iustifier grace profiteth nothing neither can faith be true faith without charitie or as the Anabaptistes say without the crosse without suffering and effusion of bloud but if charitie be ioyned withall then is it true faith and iustifieth With this doctrine these lying spirites and sects of perdition doe darken againe the benefite of Christ at this day they take away from him the glory of a iustifier and make him a minister of sinne They are in all things like to the false Apostles For euen as they throughout all the Churches did require circumcision and the obseruation of the lawe besides faith in
Christ in so much that without circumcision and keping of the lawe they denied the iustification of faith for except ye be circumcised sayd they after the lawe of Moses ye can not be saued euen so at this day these straite exactors of the lawe besides the righteousnes of Faith doe require the keping of the commaundementes of God according to that saying Doe this and thou shalt liue Also If thou vvilt enter into life kepe the commaundemeÌts Wherfore there is not one among them be he neuer so wise that vnderstandeth that difference betwene the lawe and grace But we put a difference and say that we do not here dispute whether we ought to doe good workes whether the law be good holy and iust whether it ought to be kept or no for this is an other maner of question But our question is concerning iustification and whether the lawe doe iustifie or no. This the aduersaries will not heare they will not aunswere to this question nor make any distinction as we doe but onely crie out that good workes ought to be done that the lawe ought to be obserued We know that well enough But because these are diuers and distinct matters we will not suffer them to be mingled together That good workes ought to be done we will hereafter declare when time shall serue But since we are nowe in the matter of iustification we set aside here all good workes for the which the aduersaries doe so earnestly striue ascribing vnto them wholy the office of iustifying which is to take from Christ his glory and to ascribe the same vnto workes Wherfore this is a strong argument which I haue oftentimes vsed to my great comfort If then vvhile vve seeke to be made righteous by Christ c. As though Paule should say If we being iustified by Christ are counted yet as not iustified and righteous but as sinners which are yet to be iustified by the lawe then may we not seeke iustification in Christ but in the law But if iustification cometh by the lawe then cometh it not by grace Now if iustification cometh not by grace but by the lawe what hath Christ done and wrought by his death by his preaching by his victorie which he hath obtained ouer the lawe sinne and death and by sending the holy Ghost We must coÌclude therfore that either we are iustified by Christ or else that we are made sinners culpable and giltie through him But if the lawe doe iustifie then can it not be auoided but needes it must folowe that we are made sinners through Christ and so Christ is a minister of sinne The case standing thus let vs then set downe this proposition Euery one that beleueth in the Lord Iesus Christ is a sinner and is giltie of eternall death and if he flie not vnto the lawe doing the workes thereof he shall not be saued The holy Scripture especially the new Testament maketh often mention of faith in Christ highly aduauÌceth the same which saith that vvhosoeuer beleueth in him is saued perisheth not is not iudged is not confounded hath eternal life c. But contrariwise they say he that beleueth in him is condemned because he hath faith without works which doth condemne Thus doe they peruert all things making of Christ a destroyer and a murtherer and of Moses a Sauiour And is not this an horrible blasphemy so to teach that by doing good works thou shalt be made worthy of eternall life but by beleuing in Christ thou shalt be made culpable and giltie of eternall death that the law being kept accomplished saueth faith in Christ condeÌneth These selfe same words I grauÌt the aduersaries doe not vse but in very deede such is their doctrine For faith infused say they which properly they call faith in Christ doth not make vs free froÌ sinne but that faith which is furnished with charitie Hereof it followeth that faith in Christ without the law saueth vs not This is plainly to affirme that Christ leaueth vs in our sinnes and in the wrath of God and maketh vs giltie of eternall death On the other side if thou keepe the law and doe the works therof then faith iustifieth thee because it hath works without the which faith auaileth nothing Therefore works iustifie and not faith O horrible impietie What pernicious and cursed doctrine is this Paule therfore groundeth his Argument vpon an impossibilitie a sufficient diuision If we being iustified in Christ are yet found sinners and can not be iustified but by any other meane theÌ by Christ that is to witte by the law then can not Christ iustifie vs but he onely accuseth and condemneth vs and so consequently it followeth that Christ dyed in vaine and that these with other like places are false Behold the laÌbe of God that taketh avvay the sinnes of the vvorld Also He that beleueth in him hath euerlasting life yea the whole scripture is false which beareth witnesse that Christ is the Iustifier and Sauiour of the world For if we be found sinners after that we be iustified by Christ it followeth of necessitie that they which fulfill the law are iustified without Christ If this be true theÌ are we either Turks or Ievves or TartariaÌs professing the name and word of God in outward shew but in deede and veritie vtterly denying Christ and his word It is greate impiety therfore to affirme that faith except it be adorned with charitie iustifieth not But if the aduersaries wil needes defend this doctrine why do they not then reiect faith in Christ altogether especially seing they make nothing els of it but a vaine qualitie in the soule which without Christ auaileth nothing why doe they not say in plaine wordes that workes doe iustifie and not faith Yea why doe they not generally denie not onely Paule but also the whole gospel as in very deede they do which attribute righteousnes to works and not to faith alone For if faith and works together doe iustifie then is the disputation of Paule altogether false which plainly prononceth that a man is not iustified by the deedes of the law but by faith alone in Iesus Christ Verse 17. Is Christ therefore the minister of sinne This is a kinde of speach vsed of the Hebrewes which Paule in the 2. Cor. 3. doth also vse Where he most diuinely and plainly speaketh of these two ministeries to witte of the letter and the spirite of the law and grace or of death and life And he saith that Moses the minister of the law hath the ministery of sinne as he calleth it and of death and condemnation For Paule is wont to geue reprochfull names vnto the law and among all the Apostles he onely vseth this maner of speach the other do not so speake And very necessary it is that such as are studious of the holy scripture should vnderstand this maner of speach vsed of the Apostle Now a
minister of sinne is nothing els but a lawgiuer or a Scholemaster of the law which teacheth good works and charitie and that a man must suffer the crosse and afflictions and follow the example of Christ and of the Sainctes He that teacheth and requireth this is a minister of the lawe of sinne of wrath of death For by this doctrine he doth nothing els but terrifie afflict mens consciences and shutteth them vnder sinne For it is impossible for the nature of man to accomplish the law yea in those that are iustified and haue the holy Ghost the lavv of the members fighteth against the lavv of the mind What will it not then do in the wicked which haue not the holy Ghost Wherfore he that teacheth that righteousnes cometh by the lawe doth not vnderstand what he sayeth or what he affirmeth and much lesse doth he keepe the law but rather he deceaueth himselfe and others and laieth vpon them such a burthen as they are not able to beare requiring and teaching impossible things and at the last he bringeth himselfe and his disciples vnto desperation The right vse and end therfore of the law is to accuse and condemne as giltie such as liue in securitie that they may see themselues to be in daunger of sinne wrath and death eternall that so they may be terrified and brought euen to the brinke of desperation trembling and quaking at the falling of a leafe And in that they are such they are vnder the law For the law requireth perfect obedience vnto God and condemneth al those that doe not accomplish the same Now it is certaine that there is no man liuing which is able to performe this obedience which notwithstanding God streitly requireth of vs. The law therfore iustifieth not but condemneth according to that saying Cursed is he that abideth not in all things that are vvriten in this booke Therefore he that teacheth the law is a minister of the law Wherefore it is not without good cause that Paule in the 2. Cor. 3. calleth the minister of the law the minister of sinne For the law sheweth and vttereth sinne which without the law is deade Now the knowledge of sinne I speake not here of that speculatiue knowledge of hypocrites but of a true knowledge by the which we see the wrath of God against sinne and feele a true tast of death terrifieth the heart driueth downe to desperation killeth and destroyeth Rom. 7. Wherfore these Scholemasters of the law and works are called in the scripture oppressors and tirants For as the taskemasters in Egypt did oppresse the children of Israell with corporall seruitude so doe these lawgiuers and taskemasters driue men into most miserable bondage of soule and at lengthe bring them to desperation and vtter destruction These doe neither know themselues nor the force of the law And it is not possible for them to haue quietnes and peace of conscience in great and inward terrours and in the agony of death yea though they haue obserued the law loued their neighbours done many good works and suffred great afflictions for the law alwaies terrifieth and accuseth saying thou neuer diddest accomplish all that is commaunded in the law but accursed is he that hath not done all things contained therin Wherefore these terrours remaine still in the conscience and encrease more and more And if such Scholemasters of the lawe be not raised vp by Faith and the righteousnes of Christ they are driuen downe headlong to desperation This also was notably figured when the law was geuen as we may see in the .19 and .20 of Exodus Moses brought the people out of the tentes to meete with the Lord that they might heare him speake vnto them out of the darke cloude Then the people being astonished and trembling for feare fled backe which a litle before had promised to doe all that God had commaunded and standing aloofe of sayd vnto Moses VVho can abide to see the fire and to heare the thundrings and noise of the trumpet Talke thou vvith vs and vve vvill heare thee but let not God talke vvith vs lest vve die So the proper office of the lawe is to leade vs out of our tents and tabernacles that is to say from the quietnes and securitie wherin we dwell and from trusting in our selues and to bring vs before the presence of God to reueile his wrath vnto vs and to sette before vs our sinnes Here the conscience feeleth that it hath not satisfied the lawe and that it is not able to satisfie it nor to beare the wrath of God which the lawe reueileth when it bringeth vs forth after this maner before the presence of God that is to say when it feareth vs accuseth vs and setteth before vs our sinnes Here it is impossible that we should be able to stand and therefore being thorowly affraid we flie and we cry out with the children of Israell we shall die we shall die Let not the Lord speake vnto vs but speake thou vnto vs c. He then which teacheth that faith in Christ iustifieth not without the obseruation of the law maketh Christ a minister of sinne that is to say a Scholemaster of the law which teacheth the selfe same doctrine that Moses did By this meanes Christ is no Sauiour no geuer of grace but a cruell tirant which requireth such things as Moses did which no man is able to performe See how all the meritmongers doe take Christ to be but a new lawgeuer and the Gospell to be nothing els but a certaine booke which containeth new lawes concerning works as the Turkes dreame of their Alcoran But as touching lawes there is enough in Moses The Gospell then is a preaching of Christ which forgeueth sinnes geueth grace iustifieth and saueth sinners Now whereas there are commaundements found in the Gospell they are not the Gospell but expositions of the lawe and matters depending vpon the Gospell To conclude if the lawe be the ministery of sinne then is it also the ministery of wrath and of death For as the lawe reueileth sinne so doth it terrifie a man it sheweth vnto him his sinne and the wrath of God and striketh into him a terrour of death and damnation For thus the conscience by and by gathereth Thou hast not kept the commaundements of God therefore God is angry with thee And it thinketh this to be an infallible consequence I haue sinned therfore I must die And so it followeth that the ministery of sinne is the ministery of wrath and condemnation For after that sinne is reueiled by and by ensueth the wrath of God death and damnation And hereof it cometh that many which are not able to beare the iudgement and wrath of God which the lawe setteth before their eyes doe kill hang or drowne themselues Verse 17. God forbid As though he would say Christ is not the minister of sinne but the geuer of
These two propositions are cleane contrary to reason and therefore no craftie Sophister or lawworker can vnderstand them But learne thou the true vnderstanding thereof He that liueth to the lawe that is seketh to be iustified by the workes of the lawe is and remaineth a sinner therfore he is dead condemned For the law can not iustifie and saue him but accuseth terrifieth killeth him Therfore to liue vnto the law is to die vnto God and contrariwise to die to the law is to liue vnto god Wherefore if thou wilt liue vnto God thou must die to the lawe but if thou wilt liue to the lawe thou shalt die to god Now to liue vnto God is to be iustified by grace or by faith for Christes sake without the lawe and workes This is then the proper and true definition of a Christian that he is the childe of grace and remission of sinnes because he is vnder no lawe but is aboue the lawe sinne death and hell And euen as Christ is free from the graue and Peter from the prison so is a Christian free from the lawe And such a respect there is betwene the iustified conscience and the lawe as is betwene Christ raised vp from the graue and the graue and as is betwene Peter deliuered from the prison and the prison And like as Christ by his death and resurrection is dead to the graue so that it hath now no power ouer him nor is able any loÌger to holde him but the stone being rolled away the seales broken and the kepers astonished he riseth againe and goeth away without any let and as Peter by his deliueraunce is freed from the prison goeth whether he will euen so the conscience by grace is deliuered from the law So is euery one that is borne of the spirite But the flesh knoweth not from whence this cometh nor whether it goeth for it can not iudge but after the lawe But on the contrary the spirite sayeth let the law accuse me let sinne and death terrifie me neuer so much yet I doe not therfore despaire for I haue the lawe against the lawe sinne against sinne and death against death Therefore when I feele the remorse and sting of conscience for sinne I behold that brasen serpent Christ hanging vppon the crosse There I finde an other sinne against my sinne which accuseth and deuoureth me Now this other sinne namely in the flesh of Christ which taketh away the sinnes of the world is almightie it condemneth and swaloweth vp my sinne So my sinne is condemned by sinne that is by Christ crucified vvho is made sinne for vs that vve might be made the righteousnes of God through him In like maner I finde death in my flesh which afflicteth and killeth me but I haue in me a contrary death which is the death for this death crucifieth and swaloweth vp my death These things be not done by the lawe or workes but by Christ crucified vppon whose shoulders lie all the euils of mankinde the lawe sinne death the Deuill and hell and all these doe die in him for by his death he hath killed them But we must receaue this benefite of Christ with a sure faith For like as neither the lawe nor any worke thereof is offered vnto vs but Christ alone so nothing is required of vs but Faith alone whereby we apprehend Christ and beleue that our sinnes and our death are condemned and abolished in the sinne and death of Christ Thus haue we alwayes most certaine and sure arguments which necessarily conclude that iustification cometh by faith alone For how should the lawe and workes auaile to iustification seeing that Paule is so earnest both against the lawe and workes and sayeth plainely that we must be dead to the lawe if we will liue to god But if we be dead to the lawe and the lawe be dead to vs then hath it nothing to doe with vs How then should it auaile any thing at all to our iustification Wherefore we must needes say that we be iustified by grace alone or by faith alone in Christ without the lawe and workes This the blinde Sophisters doe not vnderstand and therefore they dreame that Faith iustifieth not except it doe the workes of charitie By this meanes Faith which beleueth in Christ becometh vnprofitable and of none effect for the vertue of iustifying is taken from it except it be furnished with charitie But let vs nowe set aparte the lawe and charitie vntil an other time let vs rest onely vpon the poynt of this present matter which is this that Iesus Christ the sonne of God died vpon the crosse did beare in his body my sinnes the lawe death the Deuill and hell These inuincible enemies and tyrannes doe oppresse vexe and trouble me and therefore I am carefull howe I may be deliuered out of their handes iustified and saued Here I finde neither lawe worke nor charitie which is able to deliuer me from their tyrannie There is none but the Lord Iesus onely and alone which taketh away the lawe killeth and destroyeth my death in his body and by this meanes spoyleth hell iudgeth and crucifieth the Deuill and throweth him downe into hell To be briefe all the enemies which did before torment and oppresse me Christ Iesus hath brought to naught Hath spoyled them and made a shevv of them openly triumphing by him selfe ouer them in such sort that they can nowe rule and raigne no more ouer me but are constrained to obey me By this we may plainely see that there is nothing here for vs to doe Onely it belongeth vnto vs to heare that these things haue bene wrought and done in this sort and by faith to apprehend the same And this is the true formed and furnished faith in dede Now when I haue thus apprehended Christ by faith and through him am dead to the lawe iustified from sinne deliuered from death the deuill and hell then I doe good works I loue God I geue thankes to him I exercise charitie towardes my neighbour But this charitie or workes folowing do neither forme nor adorne my faith but my faith formeth and adorneth charitie This is our diuinitie which seemeth straunge and maruelous or rather foolish to carnall reason to witte that I am not onely blinde and deafe to the lawe yea deliuered and freed from the law but also wholy dead vnto the same This sentence of Paule Through the lavv I am dead to the lavv is full of consolation Which if it may enter into a man in due season take sure hold in his heart with good vnderstanding it may so worke that it will make him able to stand against all daungers of death and all terrours of conscience and sinne although they assaile him accuse him and would driue him to desperation neuer so much True it is that euery man is tempted if not in his life yet at his death There when the law accuseth
absolueth not such as beleue but such as are contrite make confession to a Priest and reach out their helping hand to the maintenance of his pompe and his traditions Yet notwithstanding in this greate light of the Gospell the blind and obstinate Papistes doe continue still in their damnable doting dreames saying that the qualities of nature doe remaine sound and vncorrupt that men are able to prepare themselues to grace or to deserue grace by their owne works and merits And so farre of is it that they will acknowledge their errour and impietie that they doe yet still obstinatly defend the same euen against their owne conscience But we doe constantly affirme with Paule for we will not reiect the grace of God that either Christ died in vaine or els the law iustifieth not But Christ died not in vaine therfore the law iustifieth not Christ the sonne of God of his owne free grace and mercy hath iustified vs therfore the law could not iustifie vs for if it could then had Christ done vnwisely in that he gaue himselfe for our sinnes that we therby might be iustified We conclude therfore that we are iustified neither by our owne works and merites before grace or after neither yet by the law Now if my saluation was so costly and deare a price vnto Christ that he was constrained to die for my sinnes theÌ all my works with all the righteousnes of the law are but vile and nothiÌg worth in comparison of this inestimable price For how can I bie that for a farthing which cost many thousand talents of gold Now the law to speake nothing of other matters which are of much lesse valew with all the works and righteousnes therof is but as a farthing if ye compare it vnto Christ who by his death hath vanquished my death and hath purchased righteousnes and euerlasting life Should I then despise and reiect this incomparable price and by the law or by the works and merites of meÌ vile drosse and dung for so Paule calleth them if they be coÌpared vnto Christ seeke that righteousnes which Christ freely of meere loue hath geuen vnto me already hath cost him so greate a price that he was constrained to geue himselfe and euen his owne hart bloud for me This as I haue said the whole world doth and specially such as will be counted more holy and religious then others Wherby they plainly witnes that Christ died in vaine although with their mouthes they confesse the contrary neuer so much Which is most horribly to blasphemie the sonne of god to spit in his face to tread him vnder foote to count the bloud of the testament as an vnholy thing vtterly to despise the spirite of grace Paule here disputing of righteousnes hath no ciuill matter in hand that is he speaketh not of ciuill righteousnes which God notwithstanding alloweth and requireth and geueth certaine rewards therunto accordingly which also reason is able in some part to performe But he entreateth here of the righteousnes that auaileth before God whereby we are deliuered from the law sinne death and all euils and are made partakers of grace righteousnes and euerlasting life and finally are now become Lords of heauen and earth and all other creatures This righteousnes neither mans law neither the law of God is able to performe The lawe is geuen besides and aboue reason to be a light a helpe to man and to shew him what he ought to doe what to leaue vndone Notwithstanding man with all his strength and reason yea with this great light also and heauenly benefite the law I meane can not be iustified Now if that which is the most excellent thing in the world the law I say which as a bright shining sunne is ioyned to the dimme and obscure light of mans reason to lighten and to direct it is not able to iustifie what can reason doe I pray you without the lawe What Doutles nothing else but that which the Pope with his dreaming Sophisters and his whole Sinagoge hath done who with their owne traditions haue darkned the light euen of the first coÌmaundement Wherfore there is not one of them that is able rightly to vnderstand any one syllable of the lawe but euery man walketh in mere darknes of mans reason And this errour is much more pernicious and deadly then that which procedeth of the doctrine of workes and the lawe These words therfore are very effectuall and full of power where he sayth If righteousnes come by the lavv then Christ died in vaine He speaketh here nothing of mans strength reason or wisedom be it neuer so great for the greater it is the sooner it deceaueth a man but he sayth plainly without all condition If by the lavv c. Wherefore reason lightned aided and directed by the lawe yea euen by the law of God is so vnable to attaine righteousnes that it draweth a man from righteousnes reiecteth Christ Set thou therfore the death of Christ simplie against all lawes and with Paule know nothing but Iesus Christ crucified Receaue no light either of reason or of the lawe or of any thing else then of Christ alone Then shalt thou be learned in dede righteous and holy and shalt receaue the holy Ghost which shall preserue thee in the puritie of the word and faith but set Christ aside and all things are but vnprofitable and vaine what so euer they be Here againe we see what a goodly commendation Paule geueth to the righteousnes of the lawe or mans owne righteousnes in that he teacheth it to be a contempt and reiecting of the grace of God and an abolishing of the death of Christ Paule is no great Rhetorician and yet see what matter he ministreth to him that listeth to play the Rhetorician What eloquence is able sufficiently to set out these wordes To reiect grace the grace of God Also that Christ died in vain The horriblenes whereof is such that all the eloquence in the world is not able to comprehend it To say that any man dieth in vaine it is but a small mater but to say that Christ died in vaine it is to take him quite away and make of him nothing at all Who so listeth to play the Rhetorician hath here mater enough to dilate and amplifie at large what an horrible blasphemous doctrine it is to set vp the righteousnes of the law and workes For what can be more blasphemous and horrible then to make the death of Christ vnprofitable and what doe they els which obserue the law to the end they may be iustified therby Now to make the death of Christ vnprofitable is also to make his resurrection his victory his glory his kingdome heauen earth God himselfe the maiesty of God and briefly all things els whatsoeuer but vnprofitable and of none effect This thundring and lightning from heauen against the righteousnes of the law and mans owne
To whom be glory for euer This bewitching and sorcerie then is nothing else but a plaine illusion of the Deuill printing in the hearte a false opinion of Christ and against Christ and he that is deluded with this opinion is bewitched They therfore that haue this opinion that they are iustified by the workes of the lawe or traditions of men are bewitched for this opinion is against faith and against Christ Paule vseth this word bevvitching in contempt of the false Apostles which so vehemently vrged the doctrine of the lawe and workes As if he should say what a deuelish bewitching is this For as the senses are peruerted by bodely witchcrafte so are the mindes of men also deluded by this spirituall with craft Verse 1. That ye should not obey the truth The Galathians at the first did gladly heare and obey the truth Therfore where he sayth VVho hath bevvitched you he sheweth that they were bewitched by these false apostles and were fallen away from that truth which they before did obey But this seemeth yet a more bitter and vehement kinde of speech when he sayeth that they doe not beleeue the truth For he signifieth by these wordes that they are bewitched and that he would deliuer them from this witcherie and yet they will not acknowledge nor receaue this benefite For it is certaine that he did not reduce all from the errour of the false Apostles vnto the truth but that many of them remained yet still bewitched Therfore he vseth these sharpe and vehement wordes VVho hath bevvitched you As if he would say Ye are so deluded and bewitched that nowe ye can not obey the truth I feare lest many of you are vtterly lost and so falne away that ye will neuer returne againe to the truthe Here haue ye yet an other goodly commendation of the lawe and mans owne righteousnes that it so bewitcheth men that they can not obey the truth Hereof the Apostles and the fathers of the primitiue Church did oftentimes make mention There is a sinne vnto death for vvhich I say thou shouldest not pray 1. Iohn 5. And againe It is impossible that they vvhich vvere once lightned and haue tasted of the heauenly gift and vvere made pertakers of the holy ghost and haue tasted of the good vvorde of God and of the povvers of the vvorld to come if they fall avvay should be renued againe by repentaunce c. Heb. 6. These wordes sound at the first as if some Nouatian had spoken them But the Apostles were constrained to speake after this maner because of the Heretikes And yet notwithstanding they did not hereby denie but that they which were fallen might returne againe to the fellowship of the faithfull After the same manner must we also speake at this day because of the authors and maisters of errours sectes that such shall neuer retourne to the truth Notwithstanding some there are which doe retourne but such as are not greatly bewitched or strongly deluded But the captaines and the authors of this sorcerie doe neuer retourne For to them we may well attribute this title which Paule here geueth vnto them that they can not heare nor abide the truth but studie rather how they may resist it Verse 1. To vvhom Iesus Christ before vvas described in your sight It was bitterly spoken where he said before that they were so bewitched that they could not obey the truth But it is more bitterly said when he addeth that Christ was so liuely described before them that they might handle him with their handes and yet they would not obey the truth Thus he conuinceth them euen by their owne experience As though he would say Ye are so bewitched and deluded with the deuillish opinions of the false apostles that now ye will not obey the truth And wheras I haue with great trauel and diligence set forth Christ plainly before your eyes yet doth this profit you nothing at al. In these wordes he hath respect to the former arguments wherby he proued that to those that will be iustified by the lawe Christe is but the minister of sinne that such doe reiect the grace of God and that to them Christ died in vaine Which arguments he had before more vehemently prosecuted and more largely amplified in their presence as if a painter had purtred Christ Iesus before their eies Now being absent he putteth them in minde of the same things saying To vvhom Iesus Christ vvas described in your sight As if he said There is no painter that with his colours can so liuely set out Christ vnto you as I haue painted him out by my preaching and yet notwithstaÌding ye still remaine most miserably bewitched Verse 1. And vvas among you crucified What did I then paint out Euen Christ him selfe How was that done In this sort that he is crucified in you or among you He vseth here very rough and sharpe wordes Before he said that they sought righteousnes by the lawe reiected the grace of God and that to them Christ died in vaine Now he addeth moreouer that they crucifie Christ who before liued raigned in them As if he should say Ye haue now not onely reiected the grace of God not onely to you Christ died in vaine but also he is most shamefully crucified among you After the same maner he speaketh Heb. 6. Crucifying to them selues againe the sonne of God and making a mocke of him c. If a maÌ do but heare the name of a Monke of his shauen croune of his cowle of his rule it should make him to tremble howe much so euer the Papists doe adore these abominations and bragge that they are perfect religion and holines as I and others did iudge of them before God reuealed his Gospell vnto vs for we were brought vp in the traditions of men which darkened Christ and made him vtterly vnprofitable vnto vs when he heareth Paule say as here he doth that euen they which seeke to be iustified by the lawe of God be not onely deniers and murtherers of Christ but also they doe most wickedly crucifie him againe Nowe if they be crucifiers of Christ which seeke to be iustified by the righteousnes of the law of God and the works therof what are they I pray you which seeke saluation and eternall life by the dregges and filthie dunge of mans righteousnes and by the doctrine of Deuils But who could euer beleeue or thinke that it was so horrible and so abhominable a sinne to be made a religious man for so they call theÌ namely to be made a Massing priest a Monke a Frier a Nunne Doutles no man Yea they them selues say moreouer that Monkerie is a new baptisme Can there be any thing more horrible then that the kingdome of the Papists is the kingdome of such as spitefully spitte in the face of Christ the sonne of God and crucifie him againe For in deede they crucifie him a fresh who
was once crucified rose againe both in them selues in the church and in the hearts of the faithfull for with their spiteful reproches rebukes sclauÌders and iniuries they spit vpon him and with their wicked opinions they wounde him and thrust him thorow that in them he may die most miserably and in the steade of him they set vp a glorious witchcraft wherby men are so miserably charmed and deluded that they caÌ not know Christ to be their iustifier their reconciler and Sauiour but a minister of sinne their accuser their iudge and their destroyer which must be pacified no otherwise then by our workes and merites And out of this opinion did afterwards spring the most pestilent pernicious doctrine that is in the whole Papacie which is this If thou wilt serue God thou must merite forgeuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life and must also helpe others to attaine saluation Thou must enter into a Monasterie vow obedience chastitie pouertie c. Monks and Friers and the rest of that religious rable being puffed vp with this opinion of their owne holines dreamed that they onely were in the life and state of perfection and that other Christians led but a common life for they did no vndue workes or more then they were bounde to doe that is they did not vowe and keepe chastitie pouertie obedience c. they were but onely baptised and kept the ten commaundements But as for them selues besides that which was common as wel to them as to other Christians they kept also the works of supererogation and the counsels of Christ wherfore they hoped to haue merite and a place in heauen amongs the principall Saintes farre aboue the common sort of Christians This was vndoutedly an horrible illusion of the deuill wherby he hath bewitched almost the whole world And euery man the more holy he would seeme to be the more he is snared with this witcherie that is to say with that pestilent perswasion of his owne righteousnes And this was the cause that we could not know that Iesus Christ was our Mediatour Sauiour but we did thinke that he was a seuere iudge which should be pacified by our owne workes which was nothing else but most horribly to blaspheme Christ and as Paule said before to reiect the grace of God to make the death of Christ of none effect and not onely to kill him but also most shamefully to crucifie him againe And this is the right meaning of that which Christ alledgeth out of Daniell that abomination standeth in the holy place Wherefore euery monke and religious person and euery Iusticiarie seeking remission of sinnes and righteousnes by his owne works or by his afflictions is a crucifier of Christ nowe raigning and liuing although not in the proper person of Christ yet in his owne heart and in the hearts of others And whosoeuer doe enter into Monasteries to the ende that by the keping of their rule and order they may be iustified doe enter into the dennes of theeues and such as crucifie Christ againe Wherefore Paule vseth in this place very rigorous and bitter wordes to the ende that he may feare and call backe the Galathians from the doctrine of the false Apostles As if he should say Consider well what ye haue done Ye haue crucified Christ againe and this I doe so plainly shewe and paint out before your eyes that ye may see it yea and touch it with your handes because ye seeke to be iustified by the lawe But if righteousnes come by the lawe then is Christ a minister of sinne and his death altogether in vaine If this be true then must it needes follow that Christ is crucified againe in you And it is not without cause that he addeth this clause in you or among you For Christ is no more crucified or dieth any more in his owne person as is saide in the sixte chapter to the Romaines but he dieth in vs when we reiecting true doctrine grace faith free remission of sinnes seeke to be iustified by our owne workes or else by the workes commaunded in the law Here Christ is crucified in vs againe Now this false and wicked perswasion to seeke righteousnes by the law and workes is nothing else as I haue before more amplie declared but the illusion of the Deuill wherwith men are so bewitched that in no wise they can acknowledge the benefite of Christ yea in all their life they can doe nothing else but not onely denie the Lord who hath bought them and in whose name they are baptised but also crucifie him againe in them selues Who so euer then hath a feare of God and a true heart to Christ and his religion let him flie quickly out of this Babylon and let him tremble at the very name of the Papacie For the impietie abomination therof is so horrible that no man is able to expresse it with words neither caÌ it be otherwise seene then with spiritual eies only These two argumentes Paule prosecuteth driueth into the heades of the Galathians very diligently First that they are so bewitched of the deuill that they obey not the truth most clearely set forth before their eies Secondly that they crucifie Christ againe in them selues These seeme to be simple and plaine words and without any high eloquence but in very deede they are so mighty that they exceede all the eloquence of man It can not therfore be coÌprehended but onely in spirit how great an impietie it is to seeke to be iustified by the righteousnes of the law or by mans owne righteousnes For as Paul saith here it is nothing els but to be witched of the deuill to be disobedient to the truth and to crucifie Christ againe Are not these goodly commendations of the righteousnes of the law and mans owne righteousnes The Apostle therefore is here kindled with greate zeale and with bitter words he pursueth condemneth the presumption of our owne righteousnes rising vpon the obseruation of the law of God and chargeth it with this impiety that it crucifieth againe the sonne of god Seing then it is so daungerous a thinge it can not be beaten downe enough or condemned as it should be For therof ensueth such a fall as is no lesse then the fall of Lucifer and such a losse as can neuer be recouered and therfore he vseth so sharpe and rigorous words against it that he spareth not the very law of God against the which he so bitterly inueieth that it seemeth he would vtterly reiect and condemne it And this doth he being constrained by greate necessity for otherwise he could not withstand the false Apostles nor defend the righteousnes of faith against them Albeit then that the law be holy iust and good yet must it put on as it were the visour of an hipocrite if he seeke to be iustified by workes Now he presseth them with an argument wherof they themselues had good experience and
to reply againe By this meanes Paulus Sergius the Lieutenaunt and all those cities regions kingedomes and countreis where the Apostles had preached by the onely preaching of faith did beleue without the law and the workes therof In the whole booke then of the Actes there is nothing els handled in effect but that it behoueth as wel Iewes as GeÌtiles as wel righteous as vnrighteous to be iustified by faith alone in Christ Iesus without the law and the workes therof The which thinge doth appeare as well by the preaching of Peter of Paule of Stephen of Philip and the other Apostles as also by the examples of the Gentiles and Iewes For as God gaue the holy ghost to the Gentiles which liued without the law by the preaching of the Gospell so did he geue the same to the Iewes yet not by the law nor by the ceremonies and sacrifices commaunded in the law but by the onely preaching of faith Now if the law had ben able to iustifie and the righteousnes of the law had bene necessary to saluation then doubtles the holy ghost had not bene geuen to the Gentiles which kept not the law But experience it selfe doth plainly witnesse that the holy Ghost was geuen vnto them without the law and this did the Apostles both Peter Paule Barnabas others see therfore the law doth not iustifie but faith onely in Christ which the Gospell setteth forth These thinges are diligently to be marked because of the aduersaries who do not consider what is handled in the Acts of the Apostles I my selfe in times past also reade this booke when in deede I vnderstoode in it nothing at all Therefore when thou hearest or readest in the Actes of the Apostles or wheresoeuer it be in the scriptures this worde Gentiles thou must there thinke that it is not to be vnderstand literally of the common nature of the Gentiles but it carrieth with it a spiritual meaning and is to be taken not for those which are vnder the law as were the Iewes as before is said in the second chapter VVe by nature Ievves c. but for those which are without the lawe Wherfore to say that the Gentiles are iustified by faith is nothing els but that they which obserue not the law nor doe the workes therof which are not circumcised which sacrifice not c. are iustified and receaue the holy Ghost By what meanes Not by the law and the workes therof for they haue no law but freely and without any other meanes sauing onely the hearing of the Gospell So Cornelius and his frendes whom he had called to his house doe nothing neither looke they vpon any workes going before and yet as many as are present receaue the holy Ghost No man speaketh but Peter they sitting by doe nothing they thinke not of the law much lesse doe they keepe it they sacrifice not they care not for the receauing of circumcision but only are bent to heare that which Peter speaketh He by his preaching brought the holy Ghost into their heartes as it were visibly For they spake vvith tonges and glorified God. But some man may here cauill and say who knoweth whether it were the holy ghost or no Wel let him cauil Sure it is that the holy Ghost so bearing witnesse doth not lie but hereby sheweth that he accepteth the Gentiles for righteous iustifieth them by no other meanes then by the onely voice of the Gospell or hearing of faith in Christ preached We may see also in the Actes how greatly the Iewes marueiled at this newe and straunge thinge For the faithfull which were of the Circumcision and came with Peter to Caesarea seing the gifte of the holy Ghost to be poured out also vpon the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius were amazed Also they that were at Ierusalem complained of Peter for that he went into men vncircumcised did eate with them but when they heard the matter declared by Peter in order as it was done touching Cornelius they marueiled and glorified God saying Then hath God also geuen saluation to the Gentiles This report and fame then that God hath geuen saluation also to the Gentiles was not onely at the first intolerable but also a greate offence euen to the beleuing Iewes which they could not easily shake of for they had this prerogatiue aboue all other nations that they were the people of God the adoption the glory the worship c. belonged to them Rom. 9. Moreouer they did exercise them selues in the righteousnes of the law they laboured all the day long they bare the burthen and heat of the day Moreouer they had the promises for keeping of the law therfore they could not but murmure against the Gentiles and say Behold the Gentiles come but euen now and haue not suffered any heate or borne any burden notwithstanding they haue the same righteousnes and holy Ghost without labour which we by labour by the heate and burthen of the day could not obtaine They haue laboured in deede but that was but one hower and by this labour they are more refreshed then weried Wherefore then hath God tormented vs with the lawe if it auaile nothing to the obtaining of righteousnes He now preferreth the Gentiles before vs which haue bene so long burdened with the yoke of the law For we which are the people of God haue bene vexed all the day long but they which are not the people of God neither haue any lawe nor haue done any good at all are made equall with vs. And hereupon the Councell of the Apostles through great necessity was assembled at Ierusalem to satisfie and pacifie the Iewes who though they beleued in Christ yet was this opinion notwithstanding deepely rooted in their hearts that the law of Moses ought to be kept There Peter vpon his owne experience set him selfe against them saying If god haue geuen the same grace vnto the Gentiles which he hath geuen vnto vs that haue beleued in the Lord Iesus Christ who am I that I should forbid God Againe God vvho knovveth their hearts bare them vvitnesse in geuing vnto them the holy Ghost euen as he did vnto vs And he put no difference betvvene vs and them purifiing their heartes by faith Novv therfore vvhy tempt ye God to lay a yoke on the disciples neckes vvhich neither our fathers nor vve vvere able to beare c. With these wordes Peter at once ouerthroweth the whole law As if he would say We will not keepe the law for we are not able to keepe it but we beleue through the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ to be saued as they doe So Peter here is altogether occupied in this matter that God hath geuen to the Gentiles the selfe same grace that he hath geuen to the Iewes As though he would say When I preached to Cornelius I learned by mine owne experience that the holy Ghost was geuen without the law
nature that is he must needes hate sinne and sinners and this he doth of necessity for otherwise he shoulde be vnrighteous and loue sinne How then can these two contradictories stand together I am a sinner and most worthy of Gods wrath and indignation and yet the father loueth me Here nothing commeth betwene but onely Christ the mediatour The father saith he doth not therfore loue you because ye are worthy of loue but because ye haue loued me and haue beleeued that I came out from him Thus a Christian man abideth in true humilitie feeling sinne in him effectually and confessing himselfe to be worthy of wrath the iudgement of God and euerlasting death for the same that he may be humbled in this life And yet notwithstanding he continueth still in his holy pride in the which he turneth vnto Christ and in him he lifteth vp him selfe against this feeling of Gods wrath and iudgement and beleueth that not only the remnants of sinne are not imputed vnto him but that also he is loued of the father not for his own sake but for Christes sake whom the father loueth Hereby now we may see how faith iustifieth without works and yet notwithstanding how imputation of righteousnes is also necessary Sinnes doe remaine in vs which God vtterly hateth Therefore it is necessary that we should haue imputation of righteousnes which we obtaine through Christ and for Christes sake who is geuen vnto vs and receaued of vs by faith In the meane time as long as we liue here we are caried and norished in the bosome of mercy and long sufferance of God vntill the body of sinne be abolished and we raised vp as newe creatures in that great day Then shall there be newe heauens and a new earth in which righteousnes shal dwell In the meane while vnder this heauen sinne and wicked men do dwell and the godly also haue sinne dwelling in them For this cause Paule Rom. 7. coÌplaineth of sinne which remaineth in the Saincts yet notwithstanding he saith afterwards in the 8. chapter that there is no damnation to them vvhich are in Christ Iesu Now how shall these things so contrary and repugnant be reconciled together that sinne in vs is no sinne that he which is damnable shall not be condemned that he which is reiected shall not be reiected that he which is worthy of the wrath of God and euerlasting damnation shall not be punished The onely reconciler hereof is the mediatour betwene God and man euen the man Iesus Christ as Paule sayth There is no condemnation to them vvhich are in Christ Iesu Verse 7. Knovve ye therfore that they vvhich are of faith the same are the children of Abraham This is the generall argument and whole disputation of Paule against the Iewes that they which beleeue are the children of Abraham and not they which are borne of his flesh and his bloud This disputation Paule vehemently prosecuteth in this place and in the 4. and 9. chapit to the Rom. For this was the greatest confidence and glory of the Iewes VVe are the seede and children of Abraham He was circumcised and kept the lawe therfore if we will be the true children of Abraham we must folow our father c. It was no doubt an excellent glory and great dignitie to be the seede of Abraham For no man could denie but that God spake to the seede and of the seede of Abraham But this prerogatiue nothing profited the vnbeleuing Iewes By reason wherof Paule especially in this place mightely striueth against this argument and wresteth from the Iewes this strong affiance in them selues And this could he as the elect vessell of Christ doe aboue all other For if we at the beginning should haue disputed with the Iewes without Paule peraduenture we should haue preuailed very litle against them So then Paule reasoneth against the Iewes which stoode so proudly vpon this opinion that they were the children of Abraham saying VVe are the seede of Abraham Well what then Abraham was circumcised kept the lawe we doe the same All this I graunt What will ye therefore looke to be iustified and saued No not so But let vs come to the Patriarke Abraham himselfe and let vs see by what meanes he was iustified and saued Doutles not for his excellent vertues and holy workes not because he forsooke his countrey kinred and fathers house not because he was circumcised and obserued the lawe not because he was about to offer vp in sacrifice at the commaundement of God his sonne Isacke in whom he had the promise of posteritie but because he beleued Therfore he was not iustified by any other meanes then by faith alone If ye then will be iustified by the lawe much more ought Abraham your father to be iustified by the lawe But Abraham could not otherwise be iustified nor receaue forgeuenes of sinnes and the holy Ghost then by faith alone Since this is true by the testimonie of the scripture why stande ye so much vpon circumcision and the lawe contending that ye haue righteousnes and saluation therby when as your father Abraham him selfe euen your headspring of whom ye doe so much glory was iustified and saued without these by faith alone What can be brought against this argument Paule therfore concludeth with this sentence They vvhich are of faith are the children of Abraham that corporall birth or carnall seede maketh not the children of Abraham before God. As though he would say There is none before God accompted as the childe of this Abraham who is the seruaunt of God whom God hath chosen and made righteous by faith through carnall generation but he must haue such children geuen him before God as he was a father But he was a father of faith and was iustified and pleased God not because he could beget children after the flesh not because he had circumcision and the lawe but because he beleeued in god Therfore he that will be a childe of the beleeuing Abraham must also him selfe beleeue or else he is not a childe of the elect acceptable and iustified Abraham but onely of the begetting Abraham which is nothing else but a man conceaued borne wrapt in sinne without the forgeuenes of sinnes without faith without the holy ghost as an other man is and therfore coÌdemned Such also are the children carnally begotten of him hauing nothing in them like vnto their father but flesh and bloud sinne and death therefore these are also damned This glorious boasting then Vve are the seede of Abraham is to no purpose This argument Paule setteth out plainly in the .9 to the Romains by two examples of the holy scripture The first is of Ismaell and Isaac which were both the seede and naturall children of Abraham and yet notwithstanding Ismaell which was begotten of Abraham as Isaac was yea and should also haue bene the first begotten if
vnto the law or vnto works or to the carnal generation of the fathers For not by the law but by the righteousnes of faith the promise was made vnto Abraham that he should be heire of the world that is to say that in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed and that he should be called the father of nations And lest the Iewes should falsly interpret this word Nations applying it vnto themselues alone the scripture preuenteth this and saith not onely a father of nations but a father of many nations haue I made thee Therefore Abraham is not onely the father of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles Hereby we may plainly see that the children of Abraham are not the childreÌ of the flesh but the children of faith as Paule Rom. 4. declareth vvho is the father of vs all as it is vvritten I haue made thee a father of many nations euen before God vvhom he did beleue So that Paule maketh two Abrahams a begetting Abraham and a beleuing Abraham Abraham hath children and is a father of many nations Where before God where he beleueth not before the world where he begetteth For in the world he is the child of Adam a sinner or which is more a worker of the righteousnes of the law liuing after the rule of reason that is after the manner of men but this pertaineth nothing to the beleuing Abraham This example then of the beleuing Abraham comprehendeth also the holy scripture which saith that we are counted righteous by faith This argument therfore is strong and mightie two manner of waies both for the example of Abraham also for the authority of the scripture Verse 8. For the scripture foreseing that God vvould iustifie the Gentiles through faith These things doe pertaine to the former argument As if he should say Ye Iewes doe glory in the law aboue measure ye highly commend Moses because God spake vnto him in the bush c As the Iewes doe proudly bragge against vs as I haue my selfe at sundry times heard saying ye Christians haue Apostles ye haue a Pope and ye haue Bishops but we Iewes haue Patriarkes Prophets yea we haue God him selfe who spake vnto vs in the bush in Sinai where he gaue vnto vs the law and in the temple c. Such a glory and such an excellent testimony alledge ye for your selues against vs if ye can To this aunswereth Paule the Apostle of the Gentiles This your proude bragging boasting is to no purpose For the scripture preueÌted it foresaw long before the law that the Gentiles should not be iustified by the law but by the blessing of Abrahams seede which was promised vnto him as Paule saith afterwards .430 yeares before the law was giuen Now the law being geuen so many yeares after could not empech or abolish this promise of the blessing made vnto Abraham but it hath continued firme and shall continue for euer What can the Iewes aunswere to this This argument grounded vpon the certaintie of time is very strong The promise of blessing is geuen vnto Abraham .430 yeares before the people of Israell receaued the law For it is said to Abraham Because thou hast beleued God and hast geuen glory vnto him therefore thou shalt be a father of many nations There Abraham by the promise of God is appointed a father of many nations and the inheritaunce of the world for his posteritie and issue after him is geuen vnto him before the law was published Why doe ye then bragge O ye Galathians that ye obtaine forgeuenes of sinnes and are become children and doe receaue the inheritaunce through the law which followed a long time that is to say .430 yeares after the promise Thus the false Apostles did aduaunce the law and the glory therof aboue measure but the promise made vnto Abraham .430 yeares before the law was geuen they neglected and despised and would in no wise know that Abraham of whom they gloried notwithstanding as the father of their whole nation being yet vncircumcised and liuing so many ages before the law was made righteous by no other meanes then by faith onely as the scripture most plainly witnesseth Abraham beleued God and it vvas counted to him for righteousnes Afterwards when he was now accounted righteous because of his faith the scripture maketh mention of circumcision in the .17 of Genesis where it saith This is my couenaunt vvhich ye shall keepe betvvene me and you c. With this argument Paule mightely conuinceth the false Apostles and sheweth plainely that Abraham was iustified by faith onely both without and before circumcision and also .430 yeares before the lawe This selfe same argument he handleth in the fourth chapter to the Romaines to witte that righteousnes was imputed to Abraham before Circumcision and that he was righteous being yet vncircumcised much more then was he righteous before the law Therefore saith Paule the scripture did well prouide against this your glorious bragging of the righteousnes of the law and workes When before Circumcision and before the law For the law was geuen 430. yeares after the promise whereas Abraham was not only iustified without the lawe and before the lawe but also deade and buried and his righteousnes without the lawe did not onely flourish vntill the lawe but also shall flourish euen to the end of the world If then the father of the whole Iewish nation was made righteous without the lawe and before the lawe much more are the children made righteous by the same meanes that their father was Therfore righteousnes cometh by faith onely and not by the law Verse 8. Preached the Gospell before vnto Abraham saying in thee shall all the Gentiles be blessed The Iewes doe not onely lightly passe ouer but also doe deride and with their wicked gloses doe corrupt these excellent and notable sentences Abraham beleued God c. I haue appointed thee a father c and such like which highly commend faith containe promises of spirituall things For they are blinde hard harted and therfore they see not that these places do entreate of faith towards God and of righteousnes before god With like malice also they dallye out this notable place of the spirituall blessing In thee all the nations of the earth shal be blessed For say they to blesse signifieth nothing els but to praise to pray for prosperitie and to be glorious in the sight of the world After this manner they say that the Iew which is borne of the seede of Abraham is blessed and the proselyte or straunger which worshipeth the God of the Iewes and ioyneth himselfe vnto them is also blessed Therefore they thinke that Blessing is nothing els but praise and glory in this world that is to say that a man may glory and vaunte that he is of the stocke and familie of Abraham But this is to corrupt and peruert the
children and such like we say it is a blessing but in his degree that is to say in this life present But as touching life euerlasting it is not enough to haue corporall blessings for the very wicked doe therein abound moste of all It is not sufficient that we haue ciuill righteousnes or the righteousnes of the law for therein also the wicked doe specially flourish These things God distributeth in the world freely bestoweth them both vpon the good and bad like as he suffereth the Sunne to rise both vpon the good and the euill and sendeth raine vpon the righteous and vnrighteous for he is liberall vnto all And to him it is a small matter to put all creatures vnder the feete of the wicked The Creature is subiect to vanitie not of his ovvne vvill Rom. 8. They therfore which haue but onely these corporall blessings are not the children of God blessed before God spiritually as was Abraham but they are vnder the Curse as Paule here sayth VVhosoeuer is vnder the vvorkes of the lavv is vnder the Curse Paule might haue sayd by a generall proposition Whatsoeuer is without faith is vnder the Curse He sayth not so but he taketh that which besides faith is the best the greatest and most excellent among all corporall blessings of the world to witte the lawe of god That lawe sayth he in deede is holy and geuen of God notwithstanding it doth nothing else but make all men subiect to the Curse and keepe them vnder the same Nowe if the lawe of God doe make men subiect to the Curse much more doe the inferior lawes and blessings And that it may be plainly vnderstand what Paule calleth it to be vnder the Curse he declareth by this testimonie of the scripture saying Verse 10. For it is vvrytten Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things vvhich are vvrytten in the booke of the lavve to doe them Paule goeth about to proue by this testimonie taken out of the 27. of Deuteronomie that all men which are vnder the lawe or vnder the workes of the law are accursed or vnder the Curse that is to say vnder sinne the wrath of God and euerlasting death For he speaketh not as I haue sayd before of a corporall but of a spirituall Curse which must needes be the Curse of euerlasting death and hell fire And this is a wonderfull maner of prouing For Paule proueth this affirmatiue sentence which he boroweth out of Moses VVhosoeuer are of the vvorkes of the lavve are vnder the Curse by this negatiue Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all things c. Now these two sentences of Paule and Moises seeme cleane contrary Paule sayeth whosoeuer shall doe the workes of the lawe is accursed Moses sayth who so euer shall not do the works of the law are accursed How shall these two sayings be reconciled together or else which is more how shall the one be proued by the other In deede no man can well vnderstand this place vnlesse he also know and vnderstand the article of iustification Paule no dout being among the Galathians had before more largely entreated of this matter for else they could not haue vnderstand it seeing he doth here but touche it by the way But because they had heard him declare the same vnto them before they being now againe put in minde thereof doe call it to remembraunce And these two sentences are not repugnant but doe very well agree We also doe teach in like maner That the hearers of the lavve are not righteous before God but the doers of the lavve shall be iustified Rom. 2. And contrariwise They that are of the vvorkes of the lavv are vnder the Curse For the article of iustification teacheth that whatsoeuer is without the faith of Abraham is accursed And yet notwithstanding the righteousnes of the lawe must be fulfilled in vs Rom. 8. To a man that is ignoraunt of the doctrine of Faith these two sentences seeme to be quite contrary Wherfore aboue all things we must marke wel whervpon Paule entreateth in this place wherabout he goeth and how he looketh into Moses He is here as before I haue often sayd in a spirituall matter seperated from policie and from all lawes and he looketh into Moises with other eyes then the hypocrites false apostles do and expoundeth the law spiritually Wherfore the whole effect of the matter consisteth in this worde to doe Now to doe the lawe is not onely to doe it outwardly but to doe it truely perfectly There be two sortes then of doers of the law The first are they which are of the workes of the lawe against whom Paule striueth throughout all this Epistle The other sort are they which are of Faith of whom we will speake hereafter Nowe to be of the lawe or of the workes of the lawe and to be of Faith are quite contrary yea euen as contrary as God and the Deuill sinne and righteousnes death and life For they are of the lawe which would be made righteous by the lawe They are of faith which doe assuredly trust that they are made righteous through onely mercy for Christes sake He which sayeth that righteousnes is of faith curseth and condemneth the righteousnes of workes Contrariwise he which sayth that righteousnes is of the lawe curseth and condemneth the righteousnes of faith Therfore they are altogether contrary the one to the other He that considereth this shall easely vnderstand that to performe the lawe is not to do that which is commaunded in the law in outward shew only as the hypocrites imagine but in spirit that is to say truly and perfectly But where shall we finde him that will so accomplish the lawe Let vs see him and we will praise him Here our aduersaries haue their aunswer ready saying The doers of the lavve shal be iustified Rom. 2. Very well But let vs first define who be these doers of the law They call him a doer of the law which doeth the workes of the lawe and so by those workes going before is made righteous This is not to doe the lawe according to Paule for as I haue said to be of the works of the law and to be of faith are coÌtrary things Therfore to seeke to be iustified by the workes of the lawe is to denie the righteousnes of faith Wherfore these Iusticiaries and Lawworkers when they doe the lawe euen in so doing denie the righteousnes of Faith and sinne against the first the second and thirde commaunment yea euen against the whole lawe For God commaundeth that we should worshippe him in Faith and in the feare of his name These on the contrary make righteousnes of workes without faith and against faith therefore in that they doe the lawe they doe cleane contrary to the lawe and sinne most deadly For they deny the righteousnes of God his mercy his promises they deny Christ withal his
benefits in their heart they stablish not the righteousnes of the lawe which they vnderstand not and much lesse doe it but a meere fantasie and Idoll of the law Therfore we must needes say that not onely in doing of the lawe they performe it not but also they sinne and deny the diuine Maiestie in all his promises And to this ende the lawe was not geuen Wherefore they not vnderstanding the lawe abuse the lawe and as Paule sayeth They being ignoraunt of the righteousnes of God and going about to stablish their ovvne righteousnes haue not submitted them selues to the righteousnes of god Rom. 10. For they are blinde and know not how they ought to iudge of faith and of the promises and therfore without all vnderstaÌding they rush into the Scripture taking holde but of one part therof to wit the law this they imagine that they are able to fulfill by works But this is a very dreame a bewytching and illusion of the heart and that righteousnes of the lawe which they thinke they doe fulfill is nothing else in very deede but Idolatrie and blasphemie against god Therfore it can not be but they must needes abide vnder the Curse It is impossible therfore that we should doe the law in such forte as they imagine much lesse that we should be iustified therby This thing first the lawe it selfe specifieth which hath a cleane contrary effecte For it increaseth sinne it worketh wrath it accuseth it terrifieth and condemneth How then should it iustifie Moreouer the promise also sheweth the very same thing For it was sayd vnto Abraham In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed There is no blessing therfore but in the promise of Abraham and if thou be without that promise thou art vnder the Curse If thou be vnder the Curse thou fulfillest not the lawe because thou art vnder sinne the Deuill and euerlasting death all which doe assuredly follow the Curse To conclude If righteousnes should come by the lawe then should the promise of God be in vaine and in vaine should he poure out his blessing in so great aboundance Therefore when God sawe that we could not fulfill the lawe he prouided for this long before the lawe and promised the Blessing to Abraham saying In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed And so hath he testified that all the nations should be blessed not by the lawe but through the promise made vnto Abraham They therefore that lay holde on the lawe and seeke to be iustified therby despising the promise are accursed Wherfore to doe is first of all to beleeue and so through faith to performe the lawe We must first receaue the holy Ghoste wherewith we being lightened and made newe creatures begin to doe the lawe that is to say to loue God and our neighbour But the holy Ghost is not receaued through the law for they which are vnder der the lawe as Paule sayth are vnder the Curse but by the hearing of faith that is to say through the promise We must be blessed only with Abraham in the promise made vnto him and in his faith Therefore before all things we must heare and receaue the promise which setteth out Christ and offereth him to all beleuers and when they haue taken holde vpon him by faith then the holy Ghost is geuen vnto them for his sake Then doe they loue God and their neighbour then doe they good works and carie the crosse patiently This is to doe the law truely and in deede otherwise the law remaineth alwaies vndone Wherfore if thou will define truely and plainly what it is to do the law it is nothing els but to beleeue in Iesus Christ and when the holy Ghost is receaued through faith in Christ to worke those things which are commaunded in the lawe and otherwise we are not able to performe the lawe For the scripture saith that there is no blessing without the promise no not in the lawe It is impossible therefore to performe the law without the promise for the Blessing must needes goe withall which is the preaching publishing of Christe who was promised to Abraham that the world should be blessed through him otherwise we shall neuer performe the law There is not one therefore to be found in all the world vnto whom this title to be called a doer of the law appertaineth without the promise of the Gospell Wherefore this word doer of the law is a fained terme which no man vnderstandeth vnlesse he be without and aboue the law in the Blessing and faith of Abraham So that the true doer of the law is he who receauing the holy Ghost through faith in Christ beginneth to loue God to do good vnto his neighbour So that this word to do the lavv must coÌprehend faith also which maketh the tree and when the tree is made then follow the frutes The tree must be first then the frute For the apples make not the tree but the tree maketh the apples So faith first maketh the person which afterwards bringeth forth works Therfore to doe the law without faith is to make the apples of wood earth without the tree which is not to make apples but meere fantasies Contrariwise if the tree be made that is to say the person or doer which is made through faith in Christ works will follow For the doer must needes be before the things which are done and not the things which are done before the doer The doer then is not so called of the things that are done but of the things that are to be done For Christians are not made righteous in doinge righteous thinges but being now made righteous by faith in Christ they doe righteous things In politike matters it commeth so to passe that the doer or worker is made of the thinges which are wrought as a maÌ in playing the carpenter becometh a carpenter but in diuine matters the workers are not made of the workes going before but the persons made and framed already by faith which is in Christ are now become doers workers Of such speaketh Paule when he saith The doers of the lavv shal be iustified that is shal be counted righteous Yea the very Sophisters and popish Scholemen are compelled to confesse and so they teach also that a morall worke outwardly done if it be not done with a pure heart a good will and true intent it is but hypocrisie And hereof cometh the prouerbe among the Germaines Such a cowle couereth many a knaue For the vilest and the wickedst knaue in the world may counterfeit the same works that a godly man worketh by faith Iudas did the same workes that the other Apostles did What fault was there in the works of Iudas seing he did the selfe same workes that the other Apostles did Here marke what the Sophister aunswereth out of his morall Philosophie Although he did the
selfe same works saith he which the other Apostles did notwithstanding because the person was reprobate the iudgemeÌt of reason peruerse therefore his workes were hypocriticall and not true as were the workes of the other Apostles how like soeuer they seemed to be in outward shewe Wherfore they them selues are constrained to graunt that in politike and externall matters workes doe not iustifie vnlesse there be ioyned withall an vpright heart will and iudgement Howe much more are they compelled to confesse the same in spirituall matters where before all things there must be a knowledge of God and faith which may purifie the hearte They walke therefore in workes and in the righteousnes of the law as Iudas did in the works of the Apostles not vnderstanding what they say or what they affirme And although Paule saith plainely euery where that the law iustifieth not but causeth wrath vttereth sinne reueileth the indignation and iudgement of God and threateneth euerlasting death yet notwithstanding reading these things they see them not much lesse doe they vnderstand them Therefore they deserue not to be called hypocrites but visours and shadowes of disguised hypocrites moste miserably bewitched in that they dreame that they are made righteous by the workes of the lawe Wherefore as I haue said this worde Doer of the lavv as they define it is an imagined terme a very monster and no where to be founde Wherefore when Paule proueth this place VVhosoeuer are are of the vvorks of the lavv are vnder the curse by this sentence of Moises Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all that is vvrytten in this booke he proueth not one contrary by an other as at the first sight it may appeare but he proueth it rightly and in true order For Moises meaneth and teacheth the selfe same thing that Paule doth when he sayeth Cursed is euery one vvhich shall not doe all c. But no man doeth them therfore whosoeuer are of the workes of the lawe keepe not the lawe If they keepe it not they are vnder the curse But seeing there be two sortes of men that are doers of the lawe as before I haue sayde true doers and hypocrites the true doers must be seperated from the hypocrites The true doers of the lawe are they which through Faith are the good tree before the fruite doers and workers before the works Of these speaketh Moises also and except they be such they are vnder the Curse But the hypocrites are not of this sorte for they haue this opinion that they will obtaine righteousnes through their workes and thereby make the person iust and acceptable For thus they thinke We that are sinners and vnrighteous will be made righteous Howe shall that be By good woorkes Therefore they doe euen like as a foolish builder which goeth about of the rouffe to make the foundation of the fruites to make the tree For when they seeke to be iustified by woorkes of the woorkes they would make the worker which is directly against Moises which maketh such a worker subiect to the curse as well as Paule doth Therefore whiles they goe about to doe the lawe they not onely doe it not but also denie as I haue sayd the first commaundement the promises of God the promised Blessing of Abraham they renounce Faith and they goe about to make them selues blessed by their owne workes that is to say to make them selues righteous to deliuer them selues from sinne and death to ouercome the Deuill and by violence to lay holde vppon the kingdome of heauen And this is plainly to renounce God and to set them selues in the place of god For all these are the workes of the diuine Maiestie alone and not of any creature either in heauen or in earth Hereupon Paule was able easily to foreshewe out of the first commaundement the abhominations that were to come which Antichrist should bring into the Church For all they which teach that any other worshippe is necessary to saluation then that which God requireth of vs by the first commaundement which is the feare of God Faith and the loue of God are plaine Antichristes and set them selues in the place of god That such should come Christe him selfe foretolde when he sayeth in the xxiiii Chapter of Mathew Many shall come in my name saying I am Christ So we also at this day may boldely and easily pronounce that who soeuer seeketh righteousnes by workes without faith denieth God and maketh him selfe god For thus he thinketh If I doe this worke I shall be righteous I shall be a conquerer of sinne death the Deuill the wrath of God and of hell and shall obtaine life euerlasting And what is this els I pray you but to chalenge that worke vnto him selfe which doth belong to God alone and to shew in deede that he him selfe is God Therefore it is an easie matter for vs to prophesie and most certainely to Iudge of all those which are without faith that they are not onely Idolaters but very Idols which denie God and set them selues in the place of god Vpon the same grounde Peter also prophecieth when he saith There shal be amongest you false teachers vvhich priuely shall bringe in damnable heresies and shall denie the Lorde c. and make marchandise of the people And in the olde testament all the prophesies against Idolatry sprang out of the first commaundement For all the wicked kings and Prophetes with all the vnfaithfull people did nothing els but that which the Pope and all hypocrites alwaies doe They contemning the first commaundement and worship appointed of God and despising the promise of Abrahams seede euen that seede in whom all nations should be blessed and sanctified ordained a wicked worshippe cleane contrary to the worde of God and saide With this worship will we serue God and set out his praise which hath brought vs out of the land of Egypt So Ieroboam made two golden calues and saide Beholde thy Gods O Israell vvhich brought thee out of the land of Egypt This he saide of the true God which had redeemed Israell and yet both he and all the people were Idolaters For they worshipped God contrary to the first commaundement They onely regarded the worke which being done they counted them selues righteous before god And what was this els but to deny God him selfe whom they confessed with their mouth and saide that he had brought them out of the lande of Egypt Paule speaketh of such Idolaters when he saith They confesse that they knovv God but in their deedes they denie him Wherfore all hypocrites idolaters goe about to doe those workes which do properly pertaine to the diuine maiestie doe belong to Christ onely and alone In deede they say not in plaine wordes I am God I am Christ and yet in very deede they proudly chalenge vnto themselues the Diuinitie office of Christ and therfore it is as much in effect as if
the person of Habel which pleased the Lord because of his Faith and afterwardes to his offrings Therfore in Diuinitie we speake of faithfull workes sacrifices oblations and giftes that is to say which are offred vp and done in Faith as the Epistle to the Hebrewes declareth saying Through Faith Habel offered vp a better sacrifice Through Faith Enoch vvas taken avvay Through Faith Abraham obeyed God c. We haue here then a rule set forth in the .11 to the Hebrewes how we should simply answer to the argumentes obiected of the aduersaries as touching the law and workes that is to say this or that man did this or the worke in Faith. And by this meanes thou geuest a solution to all their arguments and so stoppest their mouthes that they can haue nothing to replie againe Hereby it appeareth manifestly that in Diuinitie diuine matters the worke is nothing worth without Faith but thou must needes haue Faith before thou begin to worke For vvithout Faith it is impossible to please God but he that will come vnto God must beleeue Therfore in the Epistle to the Hebrewes it is sayd that the sacrifice of Habel was better then the sacrifice of Caine because he beleeued Therfore the worke or the sacrifice of Habel was Faithfull Contrariwise in Caine because he was wicked and an hypocrite there was no Faith or trust of Gods grace and fauour but mere presumption of his owne righteousnes and therfore his worke wherby he went about to please God was hypocriticall and vnfaithfull Wherefore the aduersaries them selues are compelled to graunt that in all the workes of the Sainctes Faith is presupposed for the which their workes doe please God and are accepted of him Therfore in Diuinitie there is a newe Doing cleane contrary to the morall Doing Moreouer we are wont also to distinguish Faith after this sort that Faith is sometime taken without the worke sometime with the worke For like as an artificer speaketh diuersly of the matter whervpon he worketh and likewise a Gardiner of the tree being either barren or frutefull euen so the holy Ghost speaketh diuersly of Faith in the Scripture sometime of an absolute Faith sometime of a compound or as a man would say an incarnate Faith. Nowe an absolute Faith is this when the Scripture speaketh absolutely of iustification or of the iustified as is to be seene in the Epistles to the Romaines to the Galathians But when the Scripture speaketh of rewardes and workes then it speaketh of the compounde or incarnate faith We will rehearse some exaÌples of this Faith As Faith vvhich vvorketh by loue Doe this and thou shalt liue If thou vvilt enter into life keepe the commaundementes He that shall doe these shall liue in them Decline from euill and doe that vvhich is good In these such like places as there are many like in the holy Scriptures where meÌtion is made of Doing the Scripture alwayes speaketh of Faithfull Doing As when it sayeth Doe this and thou shalt liue it meaneth thus See first that thou be faithful that thou haue a right reason and a good will that is to say Faith in Christ when thou hast this Faith worke on a Gods blessing What maruell is it then if rewardes be promised to this incarnate Faith that is to say to the working faith as was the faith of Abel or to faithfull works And why should not the holy Scripture thus speake diuersly of faith when it speaketh diuers wayes of Christ as he is God and man that is to say sometime of his whole person sometime of his two natures a parte either of his diuine or of his humaine nature If it speake of the natures apart it speaketh of Christ absolutely but if it speake of the diuine nature vnited in one person to the humaine nature then it speaketh of Christ compound and incarnate There is a commoÌ rule among the Schoolemen of the coÌmunication of the proprieties when the proprieties beloÌging to the diuinitie of Christ are attributed to the humanitie which we may see euery where in the Scriptures As Luke 2. the Angel calleth the infant borne of the virgine Marie the Sauiour of men and the vniuersall Lord both of the Angels men And chap. 1. the Sonne of god HerevpoÌ I may truely say that that infant which lay in the mauÌger in the lappe of the virgine created heauen earth and that he is Lord of the Angels Here I speake in dede of a man but man in this proposition is a new word as the Scholemen them selues do grauÌt it is referred to the diuinitie that is to say This god which is made maÌ hath created al things Creation is attributed onely to the diuinitie of Christ for the humanitie doth not create yet notwithstanding it is very wel said maÌ created because the diuinitie which only createth is incarnate with the humanitie and therfore the humanitie together with the diuinitie is partaker of the same proprieties Wherefore it is wel godly said This man Iesus Christ brought Israel out of Egypt stroke Pharao wrought all the wonders from the beginning of the world Therfore when the Scripture saith If thou vvilt enter into life keepe the commaundemeÌts of God Do this and thou shalt liue c. First we must see of what manner of keeping and Doing he speaketh For in these and such like places as I haue said he speaketh of a compound faith and not of a naked and simple faith And the meaning of this place Do this and thou shalt liue is this Thou shalt liue because of this faithful Doing or this Doing shall geue vnto thee life because of thy faith alone After this manner iustification is attributed to faith alone as creation is to the diuinitie And yet notwithstanding as it is truly saide Iesus the sonne of Marie created all thinges so also iustification is attributed to the incarnate faith or to the faithfull Doing Therefore we must in no wise thinke with the Sophisters and Hypocrites that workes doe absolutely iustifie and that rewardes are promised to morall workes but to faithfull workes onely Let vs therefore suffer the holy Ghost to speake as he doth in the Scriptures either of naked simple absolute faith or of compound and incarnate faith All thinges which are attributed to workes doe properly belong vnto faith For workes must not be looked vpon morally but faithfully and with a spirituall eie Faith is the diuinitie of workes and is so spread throughout the workes of the faithfull as is the diuinitie throughout the humanitie of Christ Faith therefore if I may so say is Fac totuÌ in faithful works Abraham is called faithfull because faith is spread throughout the whole person of Abraham so that beholding him working I see nothing of the carnall Abraham or of the working Abraham but of the beleuing Abraham Wherfore when thou readest in the
Lorde himselfe who is aboue the Scripture and is made vnto me the merite and price of righteousnes and euerlasting life On him I lay holde him I sticke to and leaue workes vnto thee which notwithstanding thou neuer didest This solution neither the Deuill nor any Iusticiary can euer wrest from thee or ouerthrowe Moreouer thou art in safetie before God For thy hearte abideth fixed in the obiect which is called Christ who being nailed to the crosse and accursed not for him selfe but for vs as the text saith vvas made a curse for vs. Holde fast this and lay it against all the sentences of the lawe and workes whatsoeuer and say doest thou heare this Satan Here must he needes geue place for he knoweth that Christe is his Lorde and master Verse 11. And that no man is iustified by the lavve in the sight of God it is euident For the iust shall liue by faith This is an other argument grounded vpon the testimony of the Prophet Habacucke And it is a sentence of greate weight and aucthoritie which Paule setteth against all the sentences that speake of the lawe and workes As if he should say what neede we any longe disputation Here I bringe forth a moste plaine testimonie of the Prophet againste the which no man can cauill The iust man shall liue by faith If he liue by faith then he liueth not by the lawe For the lawe is not of faith And here Paule excludeth workes and the lawe as things contrary to faith The Sophisters as they are alwayes ready to corrupt the scriptures do wrest and peruert this place after this manner The iust man doth liue by faith that is to wirte say they by a faith which is effectuall or working or formed and made perfect with charitie but if it be a faith not formed with charitie then doth it not iustifie This glose they them selues haue forged and by the same they doe iniurie to the wordes of the Prophet If they did call this formed or furnished faith the true faith which the Gospell teacheth this their glose should nothing at all offend me for then faith should not be separated from charitie but from the vaine opinion of faith As we also put a difference betwene a counterfeit faith and a true faith The counterfeit faith is that which heareth of God of Christ and of all the mysteries of his incarnation and our redemption which also apprehendeth beareth away those things which it heareth yea and can talke goodly thereof and yet there remaineth nothinge els in the hearte but a naked opinion and a sounde of the Gospell which howe farre of it is from true faith hereby it may appeare in that it neither renueth nor changeth the hearte it maketh not a new man but leaueth him in the vanity of his former opinion and conuersation and this is a very pernicious faith The morall philosopher is much better then the hypocrite hauing such a faith Wherefore if they would make a distinction betwene their formed faith and a false or counterfeit faith as I haue said their distinction should not offend me But they speake of faith in such sorte that they make charitie the forme and perfection of faith This is to preferre charitie before faith and to attribute righteousnes not to faith but to charitie wherefore when they doe not attribute righteousnes to faith but onely for charities sake they attribute to faith nothing at al. But the holy Ghost which geueth to all men both mouth tongue knoweth howe to speake He coulde haue said as the Sophisters doe wickedly imagine The righteous man shall liue by faith formed and beautified or made perfecte by charitie But this he omitteth of purpose and saith plainely The righteous man liueth by faith Let these doltish Sophisters goe therfore with this their wicked and pestilent glose We will still hold and extoll this faith which God himselfe hath called faith that is to say a true and a certaine faith which doubteth not of God nor of the diuine promises nor of the forgeuenes of sinnes through Christ that we may dwel sure safe in this our obiect Christ and may keepe still before our eies the passion and bloud of the Mediatour and all his benefites Now faith alone which ââieth holde vpon Christ is the onely meane that we suffer not these benefites to be takeÌ out of our sight or wrested from vs by any meanes Therfore reiecting this pestilent glose we must vnderstaÌd this place of faith onely And this Paule himselfe declareth when he disputeth against faith formed with charitie after this sorte Verse 12 And the lavv is not of faith The Scholemen say The righteous man doth liue if his faith be formed and adorned with charitie But contrariwise Paule saith The lavv is not of faith But what is the law Is it not also a commaundement touching charity yea the law commaundeth nothing els but charitie as we may see by the texte it selfe Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God vvith all thy soule c. Againe shevving mercy vnto thousands that loue him and keepe his commaundements Also In these tvvo commaundementes consist the lavve and the Prophetes If the lawe then that commaundeth charitie be contrary to Faith it must needes follow that charitie is not of faith So Paule plainely confuteth that glose which the Sophisters haue forged touching their formed faith and speaketh onely of faith as it is separate from the law Nowe the law being separate and set aparte charitie is also set aparte with all that belongeth to the lawe and faith onely is left which iustifieth and quickneth to euerlasting life Paule therfore reasoneth here out of a plaine testimony of the Prophet that there is none which obtaineth iustification and life before God but the beleeuing man who obtaineth righteousnes and euerlasting life without the law and without charitie by faith alone The reason is because the law is not of faith that is the law is not faith or any thing belonging to faith for it beleueth not neither are the works of the lawe faith nor yet of faith therfore faith is a thing much differing from the law like as the promise is a thing much differing from the law For the promise is not apprehended by working but by beleuing Yea there is as greate a difference betwene the promise and the law and consequently betwene faith and works as there is distaunce betwene heauen and earth It is impossible therefore that faith should be of the lawe For faith only resteth in the promise it onely apprehendeth and knoweth God and standeth onely in receauing good things of God. Contrariwise the law and workes consist in exacting in doing and in geuing vnto god As Abell offering his sacrifice geueth vnto God but he beleuing receaueth of god Paule therefore concludeth mightely out of that place of Habacuck that the righteous maÌ liueth by faith alone For the law in no
wise belongeth vnto faith because the lawe is not the promise But faith resteth onely vpon the promise Wherefore as there is a difference betwene the lawe and the promise so is there also betwene workes and faith And therefore that glose of the Scholemen is wicked and false which ioyneth the law with faith yea rather it queÌcheth faith and setteth the law in the place of faith And here note that Paule alwaies speaketh of such as would do the law morally and not according to the Gospell But whatsoeuer is said of good workes according to the meaning of the Gospell the same is attributed to faith alone Verse 12. But the man that shall doe those things shal liue in them I take this clause to be spoken by way of derision And yet I denye not but that it may be also expounded morally to wit that they which doe the law ciuilly and externally that is without faith shal liue in it that is to witt they shall not be punished but shall haue corporall rewardes through it But I vnderstand this place generally as I doe that saying of Christ Doe this and thou shalt liue so that a man may take it to be spoken in manner of a taunt or derision Now Paule here goeth about to shew what is the very true righteousnes of the law and of the Gospell The righteousnes of the law is to fulfill the law according to that saying He that shall doe those things shall liue in them The righteousnes of faith is to beleue according to that saying The righteous man doth liue by faith The law therfore requireth that we should yeeld somwhat vnto god But faith requireth no works of vs or that we should geue any thing vnto God but that we beleuing the promise of God should receaue of him Therfore the office of the law in his highest perfection is to worke as the office of faith is to assent vnto the promises For faith is the faith of the promise and the worke is the worke of the law Paule therefore standeth vpon this worde Doing and that he may plainly shew what is the confidence of the lawe and what is the confidence of workes he compareth the one with the other the promise with the law and faith with workes He saith that of the law ther cometh nothing els but only Doing but faith is a cleane contrary thing namely that which receaueth and holdeth the promise Fye vpon these Sophisters therfore with their cursed glose and with their blinde distinction of faith formed and vnformed For these newe forged termes faith formed faith vnformed faith gotteÌ by mans industry and such like are very monsters of the Deuil inuented to no other ende but to deface and destroy the true Christian doctrine and faith to blaspheme and to treade downe Christe and to establishe the righteousnes of workes In deede workes must follow faith but faith must not be workes or workes faith but the limites and kingedomes both of the law or workes and of faith must be rightly distinguished the one from the other When we beleue therefore then doe we liue simply by faith in Christ who is without sinne who is also our couerture our propitiation and remission of sinnes Contrarywise when we doe the lawe we worke in deede but we haue not righteousnes nor life For the office of the law is not to make righteous and to geue life but to shew forth sinne and to destroy In deede the lawe saith He that shall doe these thinges shall liue in them But where is he which doth the lawe that is which loueth God with all his hearte and his neighbour as himselfe Therefore no man doth the lawe and although he goe about to doe it neuer so much yet in doing it he doth it not therefore he abideth vnder the Curse But faith worketh not but beleueth in Christ the Iustifier Therefore a man liueth not because of his doing but because of his beleuing But a faithfull man performeth the lawe and that which he doth not is forgeuen him through the remission of sinnes for Christes sake and that which is remaining is not imputed vnto him Paule therefore in this place and in the tenth chapter to the Romaines compareth the righteousnes of the lawe and of faith together where he saith He that shall doe those thinges shall liue in them As though he would say It were indeede a goodly matter if we could accomplish the law but because no man doth it we must flie vnto Christ vvho is the ende of the lavve to righteousnes to euery one that beleueth He vvas made vnder the lavve that he might redeeme vs that vvere vnder the lavve Beleuing in him we receaue the holy Ghost and we begin to doe the lawe and that which we doe not is not imputed vnto vs because of our faith in Christ But in the life to come we shall no more haue neede of faith For then we shall not see darkely through a glasse as we now doe but we shall see face to face that is to say there shall be a most glorious brightnes of the eternall Maiestie in which we shall see God euen as he is There shall be a true and a perfect knowledge and loue of God a perfect light of reason and a good wil not such a morall and philosophicall will as the popish Scholemen dreame of but an heauenly diuine and eternall will. Here in the meane time in spirite by faith we looke for the hope of righteousnes Contrariwise they that seeke forgeuenes of sinnes by the lawe and not by Christ doe neuer performe the lawe but abide vnder the Curse Paule therefore calleth them onely righteous which are iustified through the promise or through faith in the promise without the lawe Wherefore they that are of the workes of the lawe and will seeme to doe the lawe doe it not For the Apostle simply concludeth that all they which are of the workes of the lawe are vnder the Curse vnder the which they shoulde not be if they fulfilled the lawe In deede it is true that a man doing the workes of the law shall liue in them that is shall be blessed but such a one can not be founde Now seeing there is a double vse of the lawe the one politike and the other sptrituall he that will vnderstande this sentence ciuilly may doe it after this sorte He that shall doe those thinges shall liue in them that is if a man obey the magistrate outwardly and in the politike gouernment he shall auoid punishment and death For the ciuill magistrate hath no power ouer him This is the politike vse of the lawe which serueth to bridle those that are rude and vntractable But Paule here speaketh not of this vse but entreateth of this place like a Diuine therefore there is a condition necessarily included As if he saide If men could keepe the lawe they should be
happy But where are they They are not therfore Doers of the lawe except they be first made righteous before and without the lawe through faith Wherefore when Paule curseth and condemneth those that are of the works of the law he speaketh not of such as are iustified through faith but of such as goe about to be iustified by works without faith in Christ This I say lest any man should follow the fond imagination of Ierome who being deceaued by Origene vnderstoode nothing at all in Paule but onely considered of him as a meere ciuill Lawyer Hereupon he reasoneth after this manner The holy Patriarches Prophetes and Kinges were circumcised and offered sacrifice therefore they obserued the law But it were a wicked thing to say that they are vnder the Curse therfore all they that are of the works of the law are not vnder the Curse Thus he fighteth against Paule without all iudgement making no difference betwene the true doers of the law iustified by faith and those workers which seeke to be iustified by the lawe without faith But Paule speaketh here nothing at all against those that are iustified by faith and are true doers of the law in deede for they are not of the workes of the law but againste those which not onely doe not keepe the law but also sinne against the same For the law commaundeth that we should feare loue worship God with a true faith This they doe not but choose out new kindes of worship and workes which were neuer commaunded of God by which God is not pacified but more prouoked to anger according to that saying They vvorship me in vaine vvith the commaundementes of men Therefore they are full of impietie rebelles against God and idolaters sinning greuously against the first commaundement aboue all the rest Moreouer they haue also wicked concupiscence and other greate passions Briefely there is no good thing in them but that outwardly they would seeme to be righteous and would haue men to thinke that they doe the law So we also which are made righteous by faith as were the Patriarches Prophetes and all the Sainctes are not of the works of the law as concerning the matter of iustification But in that we are in the flesh and haue as yet the remnauntes of sinne in vs we are vnder the law yet not vnder the Curse because the remnaunts of sinne are not imputed vnto vs for Christes sake in whom we beleue For the flesh is an enemy vnto God that concupiscence which yet remaineth in vs not onely fulfilleth not the law but also sinneth against the same rebelling against vs and leading vs captiue into bondage Rom. 7. Now if the law be not fulfilled in the Sainctes but that many things are done in them contrary to the law if euill concupiscence and the remnauntes of sinne are yet remaining in them which doe so hinder them that they can not feare and loue God they can not call vpon God with assured trust they can not praise God and reuerence his worde as they should do much more is this true in a man which is not yet iustified by faith but is an enemy vnto God and with all his hearte despiseth and hateth the worde and worke of god Ye see then that Paule speaketh here of such as will fulfill the law and be iustified thereby although they haue not yet receaued faith and not of the fathers and Saincts as Ierome imagineth which are iustified by faith already Verse 13. Christ hath redeemed vs from the the Curse of the lavv vvhen he vvas made a Curse for vs For it is vvritten Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree Here againe Ierome and the Schoolemen which followe him are much troubled and miserably racke this most comfortable place seeking to remoue this ignominie and reproche from Christ that he should be called a Curse or execration They shift of this sentence after this manner that Paule spake not here in good earnest And therefore they moste wickedly affirme that the Scripture in Paule agreeth not with it selfe And this they proue after this manner The sentence saye they of Moses which Paule here alleadgeth speaketh not of Christ Moreouer this generall clause vvho so euer which Paule hath is not added in Moses Again Paule omitteth this word of God which is in Moses To conclude it is euident enough that Moses speaketh of a theefe or a malefactor which by his euil deedes hath deserued the gallowes as the Scripture plainly witnesseth in the 21. chapter of Deuteronomy Therefore they aske this question howe this sentence may be applied to Christ that he is accursed of God and hanged vpon a tree seing that he is no malefactor or theefe but righteous and holy This may peraduenture moue the simple and ignoraunt who thinke that the Sophisters or Scholemen speake these things not only wittely but religiously also and by this meanes doe maintaine the honour and glorie of Christ warning all Christians to beware that they thinke not so wickedly of Christ that he should be made a Curse c. Therefore let vs see what the meaning and purpose of Paule is Paule here did well fortifie his wordes and spake very aduisedly and to the purpose But here againe we must make a distinction as the words of Paule doe plainely shewe For he saith not that Christ was made a Curse for him selfe but for vs Therefore all the weight of the matter standeth in this word For vs. For Christ is innocent as concerning his owne person and therefore he ought not to haue bene hanged vpon a tree but because accordinge to the lawe of Moses euery theefe and malefactor ought to be hanged therefore Christe also according to the lawe ought to be hanged for he sustained the person of a sinner and of a theefe not of one but of all sinners and theeues For we are sinners and theeues and therefore giltie of death and euerlastinge damnation But Christe tooke all our sinnes vpon him and for them died vpon the crosse therefore it behoued that he should become a transgressour and as Esay the Prophet sayth chapter .53 to be reckened and accounted among transgressours and trespassers And this no doubte all the Prophetes did foresee in spirite that Christe shoulde become the greatest transgressour murtherer adulterer theefe rebell and blasphemer that euer was or coulde be in all the worlde For he being made a sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole worlde is not nowe an innocent person and without sinnes is not nowe the Sonne of God borne of the virgin Marie but a sinner which hath and carieth the sinne of Paule which was a blasphemer oppressour and persecuter of Peter which denied Christ of Dauid which was an adulterer a murtherer and caused the Gentiles to blaspheme the name of the Lorde and briefely which hath and beareth all the sinnes of all men in his bodie not that he him selfe committed them
should say I of meere mercye doe promise vnto thee the Christ shall come of thy seede who shall bring the Blessing vpon all nations oppressed with sinne and death that is to say which shall deliuer the nations from the euerlasting Curse to wit from sinne death receauiÌg this promise by faith In thy seede c Wherefore euen as the false Apostles were in time past so are all the Papistes and Iusticiaries at this day peruerters and destroyers not of mans Testament because they are forbidden by the law but of Gods TestameÌt whom they feare nothing at all although he be a consuming fier For such is the nature of all hypocrites that they will obserue mans law exactely but the lawes of God they doe despise and most wickedly transgresse But the time shall come when they shall beare an horrible iudgement and shall feele what it is to contemne and peruerte the Testament of god This argument then grounded vpon the ordinauÌce of God is strong enough Verse 16. Novv to Abraham and his seede vvere the promises made He saith not And to the Seedes as speaking of many but and to thy Seede as of one vvhich is Christ Here by a newe name he calleth the promises of God made vnto Abraham concerninge Christe that shoulde bringe the Blessinge vnto all nations a Testament And in deede the promise is nothinge else but a Testament not yet reuealed but sealed vppe Nowe a Testament is not a lawe but a donation or free gifte For heires looke not for lawes exactions or any burdens to be laide vpon them by the Testament but they looke for the inheritaunce confirmed thereby First of all therefore he expoundeth the wordes Afterwardes he applieth the similitude and standeth vpon this worde Seede There were no lawes geuen vnto Abraham saith he but a Testament was made and deliuered vnto him that is to say the promises were pronounced vnto him as touching the spirituall Blessing therefore somewhat was promised and geuen vnto him If then the Testament of a man be kept why shoulde not rather the Testament of God be kept whereof the Testament of man is but a shadowe Againe if we will keepe the signes why doe we not rather keepe the things which they signifie Now the promises are made vnto him not in all the Iewes or in many Seedes but in one Seede which is Christ The Iewes will not receaue this interpretation of Paule For they say that the singular number is here put for the plurall one for many But we gladly receaue this meaning and interpretation of Paule who oftentimes repeteth this worde Seede and expoundeth this Seede to be Christ and this he doth with a true Apostolicall spirite Let the Iewes deny it as much as they will we notwithstanding haue argumentes stronge enough which Paule hath before rehersed which also confirme this thinge and they can not deny them Hitherto as touching the similitude of Gods ordinaunce that is to say of mans Testament Now he expoundeth and amplifieth the same Verse 17. And this I say that the lavv vvhich vvas 430. yeares after can not disanull the couenaunte that vvas confirmed before of God in respect of Christ that it should make the promise of none effect Here the Iewes might obiect that God was not onely content to geue promises to Abraham but also after 430. yeares he made the law God therefore mistrusting his owne promises as vnsufficient to iustifie added thereto a better thinge that is to say the law to the end that when the same as a better successor was come not the idle but the doers of the law might be made righteous thereby The law therefore which followed the promise did abrogate the promise Such euasions and starting holes the Iewes seeke out To this cauillation Paule aunswereth very well and to the purpose and strongly confuâeth the same The law saith he was geuen 430. yeares after the promise was made In thy Seede c. and it could not make the promise voide and vnprofitable For the promise is the Testament of God confirmed by God himselfe in Christ so many yeares before the law Now that which God once hath promised and confirmed he calleth not backe againe but it remaineth ratified and sure for euer Why then was the law added In deede it was deliuered so many ages after to the posteritie of Abraham not to the end he might through it obtaine the Blessing for it is the office of the law to bring meÌ vnder the Curse and not to blesse but that there might be in the world a certaine people which might haue the word and testimonie of Christ out of the which Christ also according to the flesh might be borne And that men being kept and shut vp vnder the lawe might sigh and grone for their deliueraunce through the Seede of Abraham which is Christ which onely should and could blesse that is to say deliuer all nations from sinne and euerlasting death Moreouer the ceremonies commauÌded in the lawe did foreshadowe Christ Wherefore the promise was not abolished either by the law or by the ceremonies of the law but rather by the same as by certaine seales it was for a time confirmed vntill the letters themselues or the writing of the Testament to wit the promise might be opened and by the preaching of the Gospell might be spread abroad among all nations But let vs suffer the law and the promise to encounter together and then shall we see which of them is the stronger that is to say whether the promise be able to abolish the lawe or the lawe the promise If the law abolish the promise then it followeth that we by our works make God a lier and his promise of none effect For if the law doe iustifie vs and deliver vs from sinne and death and consequently our workes and our owne strength performing the lawe then the promise made to Abraham is vtterly voide and vnprofitable and so consequently God is a lier and a dissembler For when he which promiseth will not performe his promise but maketh it of none effect what doth he els but shew himselfe to be a lier and a dissembler But it is impossible that the lawe should make God a lier or that our workes should make the promise void nay rather it must needes be firme stable for euer for God promiseth not in vaine although we were able to keepe and fulfil the lawe And let vs admitte that all men were as holy as Angels so that they should not neede the promise which notwithstanding is impossible yet must we thinke that the same promise abideth most sure and certaine or else God should be found a lier which either hath promised in vaine or else wil not or can not performe his promises Therfore like as the promise was before the lawe so is it farre more excellent then the lawe And God did excellently well in that he gaue the
rather since Christe is nowe reuealed and geuen vnto me I liue in him who is my righteousnes who also hath abolished thee O lawe And thus let Christe be alwayes before thine eyes as a certaine Summarie of all argumeÌts for the defence of Faith against the righteousnes of the flesh against the lawe and against all workes and merites what so euer Hetherto I haue rehersed almost all but specially the principall arguments which the Apostle Paule handleth in this Epistle for the confirmation of this Doctrine of Iustification Among which the argument as touching the promise made vnto Abraham and to the other Fathers is the waightiest and of greatest efficacie which Paule doth chiefly prosecute both here and in the Epistle to the Romaines the wordes wherof he diligently wayeth and moreouer intreateth both of the times and persons Also he standeth vpon this worde Seede applying the same vnto Christe Finally he declareth by the contrary what the lawe worketh namely that it holdeth men vnder the Curse And thus he fortifieth the Article of Christian righteousnes with strong and mighty arguments On the other side he ouerthroweth the arguments of the false apostles which they vsed in defence of the righteousnes of the lawe and he turneth them vpon their owne heades That is to say wheras they contended that righteousnes and life is obtained by the lawe Paule sheweth that they worke nothing but malediction and death in vs Ye contend sayth he that the law is necessary to saluation Haue ye not read that it sayeth He that shall doe these things shall liue in them Now who is he that doth performe or accomplish them No man liuing Therfore as many as are of the vvorkes of the lavve are vnder the Curse And againe in another place The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the lavve Now followeth the conclusion of all these arguments Verse 18. For if the inheritaunce be of the lavve it is no more by the promise c. So he sayth in the .4 to the Romaines For if they vvhich be of the lavve be heires then is Faith but vaine and the promise of none effect And it can not otherwise be for this distinction is plaine that the law is a thing farre differing from the promise Yea naturall reason although it be neuer so blind is compelled to coÌfesse that it is one thing to promise and an other thing to require one thing to geue and an other thing to take The lawe doth require and exact of vs our workes the promise of the Seede doth offer vnto vs the spiritual and euerlasting benefites of God and that freely for Christes sake Therefore we obtaine the inheritaunce or Blessing through the promise and not through the lawe For the promise sayeth In thy seede shall all nations of the earth be blessed Therfore he that hath the lawe hath not enough because he hath not yet the Blessing without the which he is compelled to abide vnder the Curse The lawe therfore can not iustifie because the Blessing is not ioyned vnto it Moreouer if the inheritauÌce were of the law then should God be found a lier and the promise should be in vaine Again if the law could obtaine the Blessing why did God then make this promise In thy Seede c. Why did he not rather say Doe this and thou shalt receaue the Blessing or else by keping of the law thou maist deserue euerlasting life This argument is grounded vpon contraries The inheritaunce is geuen by the promise therefore not by the lawe Verse 18. But God gaue it vnto Abraham by promise It can not be denied but that God before the law was gaue vnto Abraham the inheritaunce or Blessing by the promise that is to say remission of sinnes righteousnes saluation and euerlasting life that we should be sonnes heires of God and felow heires with Christe For it is plainly sayd in Genesis In thy seede shall all nations be blessed There the Blessing is geuen frely without respect of the law or works For God gaue the inheritaÌce before Moises was borne or before any maÌ had yet once thought of the law Why vauÌt ye then that righteousnes cometh by the law seing that righteousnes life and saluation was geuen to your father Abraham without the lawe yea before there was any lawe He that is not moued with these things is blind and obstinate But this argument of the promise I haue before handled more largely and therefore I will now but touch it by the way Hitherto we haue heard the principal part of this Epistle Now the Apostle goeth about to shew the vse and office of the lawe adding certaine similitudes of the Scholemaster and of the liâle Heire Also the allegorie of the two sonnes of Abraham Isaacke and Ismael c. Last of all he setteth forth certaine preceptes concerning maners Verse 19. VVherfore then serueth the lavve When we teach that a man is iustified without the law and works then doth this question necessarily folow If the law doe not iustifie why then was it geuen Also Why doth God charge vs and burden vs with the lawe if it doe not iustifie What is the cause that we are so hardly exercised and vexed with it if they which worke but one hower are made equal with vs which haue borne the heate burden of the day When as that grace is once published vnto vs which the Gospell setteth out by and by ariseth this great murmuring without the which the Gospell can not be preached The Iewes had this opinion that if they kepte the lawe they should be iustified therby Therefore when they heard that the Gospell was preached concerning Christ who came into the world to saue not the righteous but sinners that they should goe before them into the kingdom of God they were wonderfully offended complaining that they had borne the heauy yoke of the lawe so many yeares with great labour and toyle and that they were miserably vexed and oppressed with the tyrannie of the law without any profit yea rather to their great hurt Againe that the Gentiles who were Idolaters obteined grace without any labour or trauell So doe our Papists murmur at this day saying What hath it profited vs that we haue liued in a Cloister twentie thirtie or fortie yeares that we haue vowed chastitie pouertie obedience that we haue sayd so many Psalters and so many Canonical Howers so many Masses that we haue so punished our bodies with fasting prayers chastisements c. if a husband a wife a Prince a gouernour a master a scholer if an hireling or a drudge bearing sackes if a wench sweeping the house shall not onely be made equall with vs but also be accepted as better and more worthy before God then we This is therfore an hard question wherewith reason is stricken dumme and can not aunswere but is greatly offended with it Reason after a
sorte vnderstandeth the righteousnes of the lawe which also it teacheth and vrgeth and imagineth that the doers of it are righteous but it vnderstandeth not the office and ende of the law Therfore when it heareth this sentence of Paule which is straunge and vnknowne to the world That the lavve vvas geuen for transgressions thus it iudgeth Paule abolisheth the lawe for he sayth that we are not iustified through it Yea he is a blasphemer against God which gaue the lawe wheÌ he sayth that the lavve vvas geuen for transgressions Let vs liue therfore as Gentiles which haue no lawe Yea let vs sinne abide in sinne that grace may abounde Also let vs doe euill that good may come therof This happened to the Apostle Paule and the selfe same happeneth at this day vnto vs For when the common people heare out of the Gospell that righteousnes cometh by the mere grace of God through Faith onely without the law and without workes they gather by and by of it as did the Iewes in times past If the lawe doe not iustifie then let vs worke nothing and surely they performe this excellently well What should we then doe This impietie doth in deede very much vexe vs but we can not remedie it For when Christe preacheth he must nedes heare that he was a blasphemer and a seditious person that is to say that through his doctrine he deceaued men and made them rebelles against Caesar The selfe same thing happened to Paule and all the rest of the Apostles And what maruell is it if the world in like maner accuse vs at this day Let it accuse vs let it sclaunder vs let it persecute vs and spare not yet must not we therefore hold our peace but speake freely to the ende that afflicted consciences may be deliuered out of the snares of the Deuill And we must not regarde the foolish and vngodly people in that they do abuse our doctrine for whether they haue a law or no lawe they can not be reformed But we must consider how afflicted consciences may be comforted that they pearish not with the multitude If we should dissemble and holde our peace pore afflicted consciences should haue no consolation which are so entangled and snared with mens lawes and traditioÌs that they can wind them selues out by no meanes As Paule therefore seeing some to set themselues against his doctrine and others some to seeke the libertie of the flesh and therby to be made worse comforted him selfe after this sort that he was an Apostle of Iesus Christ sent to preach the Faith of Gods elect and that he must suffer all things for the elects sake to the end that they also might obtaine saluation euen so we at this day do al things for the elects sake whom we know to be edified comforted through our doctrine But as for the dogges swine of whom the one sort doth persecute our doctrine and the other sort doth tread vnder foote that libertie which we haue in Christ Iesus I am so offended with them that in all my life for their sakes I would not vtter so much as one word but I would rather wish that these hogges together with our aduersaries the dogges were yet still subiect to the Popes tyrannie rather then that the holy name of God should be so blasphemed and euill spoken of through them Therfore albeit not onely the foolish ignorant people but they also which seeme in their owne conceits to be very wise do argue after this sort If the law do not iustifie then is it in vaine vnprofitable yet is it not therfore true For like as this consequence is nothing worth Money doth not iustifie or make a maÌ righteous therfore it is vnprofitable the eyes do not iustifie therfore they must be plucked out the hands make not a maÌ righteous therfore they must be cut of so is this naught also The lawe dothe not iustify therfore it is vnprofitable for we must attribute vnto euery thinge his proper effect and vse We doe not therfore destroy condemne the lawe bicause we say that it doth not iustifie but we answere otherwise to this question To vvhat end then serueth the lavv then our aduersaries doe who doe wickedly and peruersely counterfet an office vse of the law which belongeth not vnto it Against this abuse and forged office of the lawe we dispute and aunswer with Paule that the law doth not iustifie But in so saying we affirme not that the lawe is vnprofitable as they doe by and by gather If the law doe not iustifie say they then is it geueÌ in vaine No not so For it hath his proper office vse but not that which the aduersaries do imagin namely to make meÌ righteous but it accuseth terrifieth and condemneth them We say with Paule that the lawe is good if a man doe rightly vse it that is to say if he vse the law as the law If I geue vnto the lawe his proper definition and keepe it within the compasse of his office and vse it is an excellent thing But if I translate it to an other vse and attribute that vnto it which I should not then doe I not onely peruert the law but also the whole Scripture Therfore Paule fighteth here against those pestilent hypocrites who could not abide this sentence The lavve vvas added for transgressions For they thinke that the office of the lawe is to iustifie And this is the generall opinion of mans reason amoÌg the Sophisters and throughout the whole world that righteousnes is gotten through the workes of the lawe And reason will by no meanes suffer this pernicious opinion to be wrested from it because it vnderstandeth not the righteousnes of Faith. Hereof it cometh that the Papists both foolishly and wickedly do say The Church hath the lawe of God the traditions of the Fathers the decrees of Councels If it liue after them it is holy No man shal perswade these men that when they keepe these things they please not God but prouoke his wrath To conclude they that trust in their owne righteousnes thinke to pacifie the wrath of God by their wilworship and voluntary religion Therefore this opinion of the righteousnes of the lawe is the sinke of all euils and the sinne of sinnes of the whole world For grosse sinnes and vices may be knowen and so amended or else repressed by the punishment of the Magistrate But this sinne to witte mannes opinion concerning his owne righteousnes will not onely not be counted sinne but also will be estemed for an high religion and righteousnes This pestilent sinne therefore is the most high and soueraigne power of the Deuill ouer the whole world the very head of the Serpent and the snare wherby the Deuill entangleth and holdeth all men captiue For naturally all men haue this opinion that they are made righteous by keeping of the lawe Paule therefore to
there is nothing more odious more intolerable to maÌ then the law is Here he wold rather chose death theÌ be coÌstraind to bear these terrors of the law be it neuer so litle a time which is a most certaine token that the lawe iustifieth not For if the lawe did iustifie then no dout men would loue it they would delite was raised vppe and comforted by the gratious and free mercy of god Therefore the lawe iustifieth not If the lawe should serue mine affections that is to say if it should approue my hypocrisie my opinion and confidence of mine owne righteousnes if it should say that without the mercy of God and faith in Christ through the helpe of it alone as all the world naturally iudgeth of the lawe I might be iustified before God and moreouer if it should say that God is pacified and ouercome by works and is bound to reward the doers therof that so I hauing no nede of God might be a God vnto my selfe merite grace by my workes setting my Sauiour Christ apart might saue my selfe by mine owne merites If I say the lawe should thus serue mine affections then should it be sweete delectable and pleasant in deede So wel can reason flatter it selfe notwithstanding this should no longer coÌtinue but vntil the law should come to his owne proper vse and office then should it appeare that reason can not suffer those bright beames of the law There some Moises must needes come betwene as a Mediatour and yet notwithstanding without any fruite as I will declare hereafter To this purpose serueth that place in the .2 Cor. 3. chapt concerning the couered face of Moises where Paule out of the hystorie of Exod. 34. chap. sheweth that the children of Israell not onely did not knowe but also could not abide the true and spirituall vse of the lawe First for that they could not looke vnto the ende of the lawe sayeth Paule because of the veile which Moises put vpon his face Againe they could not looke vppon the face of Moises being bare and vncouered for the glory of his countenaunce For when Moises went about to talke with them he couered his face with a veile without the which they could not beare his talke that is they could not heare Moises him selfe their Mediatour vnlesse he had set an other Mediatour betwene that is to say the veile Howe then should they heare the voyce of God or of an Angell when they could not heare the voyce of Moises being but a maÌ yea and also their Mediatour except his face had ben couered Therfore except the blessed Seede come to raise vppe and comfort him which hath heard the lawe he perisheth through desperation in detesting of the lawe in hating and blaspheming of God and daily more and more offendeth against god For this feare and confusion of conscience which the lawe bringeth the deeper it perceth and the longer it continueth the more it encreaseth hatred and blasphemy against God. This historie therefore teacheth what is the power of freewill The people are stricken with feare they tremble and they flie backe Where is now freewill where is nowe that good will that good entent that right iudgement of reason which the Papistes doe so much bragge of What auaileth freewill here in these sanctified and holy men It can say nothing It blindeth their reason it peruerteth theyr will it receiueth not it saluteth not it embraceth not with ioy the Lord comming with thundring lightning and fire in to the Mounte Sina It can not heare the voyce of the Lord but contrariwise it sayth Let not the Lord speake vnto vs lest vve die We see then what the strength and power of freewil is in the children of Israel who though they were clensed and sanctified could not heare one syllable or letter of the law Therfore these high coÌmendations which the Papists geue to their freewill are nothing else but mere toyes and doting dreames Verse 20. Novv a Mediatour is not a Mediatour of one Here he compareth these two Mediatours together and that with a maruelous breuitie yet so notwithstanding that he satisfieth the attentiue reader who because this word Mediatour is generall by and by vnderstandeth that Paule speaketh also of the Mediatour generally and not of Moises onely A Mediatour sayeth he is not a Mediatour of one onely but this word necessarily comprehendeth two that is to say him that is offended and him that is the offender of whom the one hath neede of intercession and the other needeth none Wherfore a Mediatour is not of one but of two and of such two as be at variaunce betwene them selues So Moises by a generall definition is a Mediatour because he doth the office of a Mediatour betwene the law and the people who can not abide the true and spirituall vse of the law The lawe therfore must haue a new face and his voyce must be chaunged that is to say the voyce of the law must be made spirituall or the lawe must be made liuely in the inward affection and must put on a visour or a veile that it may now become more tolerable so that the people may be able to heare it by the voice of Moises Nowe the lawe being thus couered speaketh no more in his Maiestie but by the mouth of Moises After this maner it doth not his office any more that is it terrifieth not the conscience And this is the cause that they doe neither vnderstand it nor regarde it by meanes wherof they become secure negligent and presumptuous hypocrites And yet notwithstanding the one of these two must needes be done to witte that either the lawe must be without his vse and couered with a veile but then as I haue said it maketh hypocrites or els it must be in his vse without the veile and then it killeth For mans hearte can not abide the lawe in his true vse without the veile It behoueth thee therefore if thou looke to the ende of the law without the veile either to laye holde on that blessed Seede by faith that is to say thou must looke beyond the ende of the law vnto Christ which is the accomplishment of the law which may say vnto thee The law hath terrified thee enough Be of good comfort my sonne thy sinnes are forgeuen thee wherof I wil speake more anone or else surely thou must haue Moses for thy Mediatour with his veile For this cause Paule sayth A mediatour is not a Mediatour of one For it could not be that Moises should be a Mediatour of God alone For God needeth no Mediatour And againe he is not a Mediatour of the people onely but he doth the office of a Mediatour betwene God and the people which were at discord with god For it is the office of a Mediatour to pacifie the partie that is offended and to reconcile vnto him the partie which is the offender
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 accoÌplish 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 maÌ 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 theÌ 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
an other lawgeuer which requireth good workes but vnto Christ our Iustifier and Sauiour that by Faith in him we might be iustified and not by workes But when a man feeleth the force and strength of the law he doth not vnderstand nor beleue this Therefore he sayth I haue liued wickedly for I haue transgressed all the commaundements of God and therfore I am giltie of eternall death If God would prolong my life certaine yeres or at least certaine moneths I would amend my life and liue holily hereafter Here of the true vse of the lawe he maketh an abuse Reason being ouertaken in these terrours and streites is bolde to promise vnto God the fulfilling of all the workes of the whole law And hereof came so many sectes and swarmes of Monkes and religious hypocrites so many ceremonies and so many workes deuised to deserue grace and remission of sinnes And they which deuised these things thought that the lawe was a Scholemaster to lead theÌ not vnto Christ but to a new lawe or vnto Christe as a lawgeuer and not as one that hath abolished the lawe But the true vse of the lawe is to teach me that I am brought to the knowledge of my sinne humbled that so I may come vnto Christ and may be iustified by Faith. But Faith is neither lawe nor worke but an assured confidence which apprehendeth Christ vvho is the end of the lavv Rom. 10. And how Not that he hath abolished the olde law and geuen a newe or that he is a iudge which must be pacified by workes as the Papistes haue taught but he is the ende of the lawe to all those that beleue that is to say euery one that beleueth in him is righteous and the lawe shall neuer accuse him The lawe then is good holy and iust so that a man vse it as he should doe Nowe they that abuse the lawe are first the hypocrites which attribute vnto the law a power to iustifie and secondly they which doe despaire not knowing that the lawe is a Scholemaster to lead men vnto Christ that is to say that the lawe humbleth them not to their destruction but to their saluation For God woundeth that he may heale againe he killeth that he may quicken againe Now Paule as before I haue sayd speaketh of those that are to be iustified and not of those which are iustified already Therefore when thou goest about to reason as concerning the lawe thou must take the matter of the lawe or that whervpon the lawe worketh namely the sinner and the wicked person whom the lawe iustifieth not but setteth sinne before his eyes casteth him downe and bringeth him to the knowledge of him selfe it sheweth vnto him hell the wrath and the iudgement of god This is in deede the proper office of the law Then foloweth the vse of this office to witte that the sinner may knowe that the lawe doth not reueale vnto him his sinne and thus humbleth him to the ende he should despaire but that by this accusing and brusing it may driue him vnto Christ the Sauiour and comforter When this is done he is no longer vnder the Scholemaster And this vse is very necessary For seeing the whole world is ouerwhelmed with sinne it hath neede of this ministerie of the lawe that sinne may be reuealed Otherwise no man should euer attaine to righteousnes as before we haue largely declared But what worketh the lawe in them which are already iustified by Christ Paule aunswereth by these wordes which are as it were an addition to that which goeth before Verse 25. But after that Faith is come vve are no longer vnder the Scholemaster That is to say we are free from the lawe from the prison and from our Scholemaster for when Faith is reuealed the lawe terrifieth and tormenteth vs no more Paule here speaketh of Faith as it was preached and published vnto the world by Christ in a certaine time before appoynted For Christ taking vppon him our flesh came once into the world he abolished the lawe with all his effectes and deliuered from eternall death all those which receaue his benefite by Faith. If therefore ye looke vnto Christe and that which he hath done there is now no lawe For he comming in the time appoynted tooke away the lawe Nowe since the law is gone we are not kept vnder the tyrannie therof any more but we liue in ioy and safetie vnder Christ who now sweetely raigneth in vs by his spirit Now where the Lord raigneth there is libertie Wherefore if we could perfectly apprehend Christe which hath abolished the lawe by his death and hath reconciled vs vnto his father that Scholemaster should haue no power ouer vs at all But the lawe of the members rebelling against the lawe of the minde letteth vs that we can not perfectly lay hold vppon Christe The lacke therfore is not in Christ but in vs which haue not yet put of this flesh to the which sinne continually cleaueth as long as we liue Wherfore as touching our selues we are partly free from the law and partly vnder the lawe According to the spirite vve serue vvith Paule the lavve of God but according to the flesh the lavve of sinne Rom. 7. Hereof it foloweth that as touching the conscience we are fully deliuered from the law therfore that Scholemaster must not rule in the coÌscience that is he must not afflict the conscience with his terrours threatnings and captiuitie And albeit it goe about to vexe to trouble the conscience neuer so much yet is she not moued therewith. For she hath Christ crucified before her eyes who hath remoued out of the coÌscience all the offices of the law putting out the handvvriting of ordinaunces that vvas against vs c. Coloss 2. Therfore euen as a virgin knoweth no man so the conscience must not onely be ignoraÌt of the law but also it must be vtterly dead vnto the law the law likewise vnto the conscience This is not done by any works or by the righteousnes of the law but by faith which apprehendeth and layeth hold vpon Christ notwithstanding sinne cleaueth still in the flesh as touching the effect thereof which oftentimes accuseth troubleth the conscience So long then as the flesh doth remaine so long this Scholemaster the law doth also remaine which many times terrifieth the conscience maketh it heauie by reuealing of sinne threatning of death Yet is it raised vppe again by the daily coÌming of Christ who as he came once into the world at the time before appoynted to redeme vs from the hard and sharpe seruitude of our Scholemaster euen so he commeth daily vnto vs spiritually to the ende that we may encrease in faith and in the knowledge of him that the conscience may apprehend him more fully and perfectly from day to day and that the lawe of the flesh and of sinne with the terrour of death and all euils that
against him can not be forgeueÌ Thou hast lost thy right and soueraigntie and nowe for euer thou art not onely ouercome condemned and slaine vnto Christe but also to me beleuing in him vnto whom he hath freely geuen this victorie So the law is dead to vs for euer so that we abide in Christ Thankes be therefore to God vvhich hath geuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christe These things doe also confirme this doctrine that we are iustified by faith only For when this combate was fought betwixt Christ the law none of our works or deserts came betwene but onely Christ was found who putting vpon him our person made him selfe subiect to the law in perfect innocencie suffered all tyraÌnie Therfore the law as a theefe a cursed murtherer of the sonne of God loseth all his right and deserueth to be condemned in such sort that wheresoeuer Christe is or is once named there it is compelled to auoid flie away no otherwise theÌ the Deuil as the Papists imagine flieth froÌ the crosse Wherfore if we beleue we are deliuered from the law through Christe who hath triumphed ouer it by himself Therfore this glorious triuÌph purchased vnto vs by Christe is not gotten by any workes but onely by Faith therfore Faith onely iustifieth These wordes then Christe vvas made vnder the lavve c. as they are pithie and import a certaine vehemencie so are they diligently to be weyed and considered For they declare that the Sonne of God being made vnder the lawe did not onely performe one or two workes of the law that is to say he was not onely circumcised or presented in the temple or went vp to Ierusalem with other at the times appoynted or onely liued ciuily vnder the lawe but he suffered all the tyranny of the lawe For the lawe being in his principall vse and ful power set vpon Christe and so horribly assailed him that he felt such anguish and terrour as no man vpon the earth had euer felt the like This his bloudy sweat doth sufficiently witnes also his comfort by the Angell that mighty prayer which he made in the garden and briefly that lamentable coÌplaint vpon the crosse O my God vvhy hast thou forsakeÌ me These things he suffered to redeme those which were vnder the law that is to say in heauines of spirite in anguish and terrour and ready to despaire which were oppressed with the heauy burden of their sinnes as in deede we are all oppressed For as touching the flesh we sinne daily against all the commaundements of god But Paule geueth vs good comfort when he sayth God sent his sonne c. So Christe a diuine and humane person begotten of God without beginning and borne of the virgin in the time apoynted came not to make a law but to feele and suffer the terrours of the lawe with all extremitie and to ouercome the same that so he might vtterly abolish the lawe He was not made a teacher of the lawe but an obedient disciple to the law that by this his obedience he might redeme them which were vnder the lawe This is cleane contrary to the doctrine of the Papistes who haue made Christe a lawgeuer yea much more seuere and rigorous theÌ Moises Paule teacheth here cleane contrary to wit that God humbled his sonne vnder the lawe that is to say constrained him to beare the iudgement and curse of the lawe sinne death c. For Moises the minister of the law sinne wrath and death apprehended bound coÌdemned and killed Christ and all this he suffered Therfore Christ standeth as a mere patient not as an agent in respect of the law He is not then a lawgeuer or a iudge after the law but in that he made himselfe subiect to the lawe bearing the condemnation of the law he deliuered vs from the curse therof Now wheras Christ in the Gospell geueth commaundements and teacheth the law or rather expouÌdeth it this pertaineth not to the doctrine of Iustification but of good workes Moreouer it is not the proper office of Christe for the which he came principally into the world to teach the law but an accidentall or a by office like as it was to heale the weake to raise vppe the dead c. These are in deede excellent and diuine workes but yet not the very proper and principall workes of Christe For the Prophets also taught the law wrought miracles But Christ is God and man who fighting against the lawe suffered the vttermost cruelty and tyranny therof And in that he suffered the tyranny of the law he vanquished it in himselfe And afterward being raised vppe againe from death he condemned and vtterly abolished the law which was our deadly enemie so that it can not coÌdemne and kill the faithfull any more Wherfore the true and proper office of Christ is to wrastle with the lawe with the sinne and the death of the whole world so to wrastle that he must suffer abide al these things and by suffering them in him selfe conquere and abolish them and by this meanes deliuer the Faithfull from the lawe and from all euils Therefore to teach the lawe and to worke myracles are particuler benefites of Christ for the which he came not principally into the world For the Prophets and especially the Apostles did greater myracles then Christ did Iohn 14. Seing then that Christ hath ouercome the law in his owne person it foloweth necessarily that he is naturally God. For there is none else whether he be man or angell which is aboue the law but onely god But Christ is aboue the law for he hath vanquished it therefore he is the sonne of God and naturally god If thou lay hold vpon Christe in such sort as Paule here painteth him out thou caÌst not erre nor be confounded Moreouer thou shalt easily iudge of all kindes of life of the religions and ceremonies of the whole world But if this true picture of Christe be defaced or in any wise darkened then foloweth a confusion of all things For the natural man can not iudge of the law of God. Here faileth the cunning of the Philosophers of the Canonistes of all men For the law hath power and dominion ouer man Therfore the law iudgeth man and not man the law onely the Christian hath a true and a certaine iudgement of the law And how That it doth not iustifie Wherfore then is the law made if it doe not iustifie Righteousnes before God which is receaued by Faith alone is not the finall cause why the righteous do obey the law but the peace of the world thankfulnes towardes God and good example of life wherby other be prouoked to beleue the Gospell The Pope hath so confounded and mingled the ceremoniall lawe the morall lawe and Faith together that he hath at length preferred the ceremoniall lawe before the moral lawe and
For the law as I haue often sayd being in his owne proper vse accuseth and condemneth a man and in this respect it is not onely a strong and a rich rudiment but also most mighty and most rich yea rather an inuincible power riches and if here the conscience be compared with the law then is it most weake and beggerly For it is so tender a thing that for a small sinne it is so troubled and terrified that it vtterly despaireth vnlesse it be raised vp againe Wherefore the lawe in his proper vse hath more strength and riches then heauen and earth is able to containe in so much that one letter or one tittle of the law is able to kill all maÌkinde as the hystorie of the lawe geuen by Moises Exod. 19.20 doth witnesse This is the true and diuine vse of the lawe of which Paule speaketh not in this place Paule then entreateth here of hypocrites which are fallen from grace or which haue not yet attained to grace These abusing the law seeke to be iustified by it They exercise and tire themselues day and night in the workes therof as Paule witnesseth of the Iewes Ro. 10. For I beare theÌ record sayth he that they haue the zeale of God but not according to knovvledge for they being ignoraunt of the righteousnes of god c. Such doe hope so to be strengthened and enriched by the lawe that they may be able to set their power and riches which they haue gotten by the righteousnes therof against the wrath and iudgement of God and so to appease God and to be saued therby In this respect then we may well say that the law is a weake a beggerly rudiment that is to say which can geue neither helpe nor counsell And who so listeth to amplifie this matter may further say that the lawe is a weake and a beggerly rudiment because it maketh men more weake and beggerly Againe because that of it selfe it hath no power or riches whereby it is able to geue or to bring righteousnes And moreouer that it is not onely weake and beggerly but eueÌ weaknes and beggery it selfe How then shall it enrich or strengthen those which were before both weake and beggerly Therefore to seeke to be iustified by the lawe is as much as if a man being weake and feeble already would seeke some other greater euill wherby he might ouercome his weaknes and pouertie which notwithstanding would bring vnto him vtter destructioÌ As if he which hath the falling sicknes would seeke to ioyne vnto it the Pestilence for a remedy or if a Leaper should come to a Leaper or a begger to a begger the one to helpe and to enrich the other Paule therfore sheweth that they which seeke to be iustified by the lawe haue this commoditie thereby that daily they become more and more weake and beggerly For they be weake and beggerly of them selues that is to say they are by nature the children of wrath subiect to death and euerlasting damnation and yet they lay hold vpon that which is nothing else but mere weaknes and beggerie seeking to be strengthened and enriched therby Therfore euery one that falleth froÌ the promise to the law from faith to workes doth nothing else but lay vpon him selfe such a burden being weake and feeble already as he is not able to beare Ac. 15. and in bearing therof is made ten times more weake so that at length he is driuen to despaire vnlesse Christe come and deliuer him This thing the Gospell also witnesseth speaking of the woman which was greeued 12. yeres with a bloudy issue suffered many things of many Phisitians vpon whom she had spent all her substance yet could not be cured but the longer she was vnder their hands the worse she was As many therfore as doe the works of the law to the end they may be iustified thereby are not onely not made righteous but twise more vnrighteous then they were before that is as I haue said more weake beggerly more vnapt to doe any good worke This haue I proued to be true both in my self in many others I haue knowen many Monks in the Papacy which with great zeale haue done many great works for the attaining of righteousnes saluation and yet were they more impatieÌt more weake more miserable more faithles more fearful more ready to despaire theÌ any other The ciuil Magistrates who were euer occupied in great and weightie affaires were not so impatient so fearfull so faint hearted so superstitious and so faithles as these Iusticiaries and Meritmongers were Whosoeuer theÌ seketh righteousnes by the law what caÌ he imagin else but the god being angry must nedes be pacified with works Now wheÌ he hath once coÌceiued this fantasy he beginneth to work But he caÌ neuer find so many good works as are able to quiet his coÌscieÌce but stil he desireth moe Yea he findeth sinnes in those works that he hath don already Therfore his conscience can neuer be certified but must needes be alwayes in dout and thus thinke with it selfe Thou hast not sacrificed as thou shouldest doe thou hast not prayed aright this thou hast left vndone this or that sinne thou hast committed Here the heart trembleth and feeleth it selfe oppressed with innumerable sinnes which still encrease without end so that he swarueth from righteousnes more and more vntill at length he fall to desperation Hereof it cometh that many being at the poynt of death haue vttered these desperate words O wretch that I am I haue not kept mine order Whether shall I flie from the wrath of Christ that angry iudge would to God I had ben made a swinheard or the vilest wretch in the whole world Thus the Monke in the ende of his life is more weake more beggerly more faithles and fearfull then he was at the beginning when he first entred into his order The reason is because he would strengthen himselfe through weaknes and enrich him selfe through pouertie The law or mens traditions or the Rule of his order should haue healed him when he was sicke and enriched him when he was poore but he is become more feeble more poore theÌ the Publicanes and harlots The Publicanes and harlots haue not an heape of good works to trust vnto as the Monks haue but although they feele theyr sinnes neuer so much yet they can say with the Publicane O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner But contrariwise the Monke which hath spent all his time in weake beggerly elements is confirmed in this opinion If thou keepe thy rule thou shalt be saued c. With this false perswasion he is so deluded bewitched that he can not apprehend grace no nor once remember grace Thus notwithstanding all the works which either he doth or hath done be they neuer so many and so great he thinketh that he hath neuer done enough but hath
And this he doth not without great cause For this pernicious opinion of the lawe that it iustifieth and maketh men righteous before God is deepely rooted in mans reason and all mankinde is so wrapped in it that it can hardly get out And Paul seemeth here to compare those that seeke righteousnes by the lawe vnto oxen that be tied to the yoke to the end he might take from it the glory of iustifying of righteousnes For like as oxen that draw in the yoke with great toile receaue nothing therby but forrage or pasture when they be able to draw the yoke no more are appoynted to the slaughter euen so they that seeke righteousnes by the lawe are captiues and oppressed with the yoke of bondage that is to say with the lawe and when they haue tired themselues a long time in the workes of the lawe with great and greeuous toyle in the ende this is their reward that they are miserable and perpetuall seruaunts And whereof euen of sinne death Gods wrath and of the Deuill Wherefore there is no greater or harder bondage then the bondage of the lawe It is not without cause then that Paule calleth it the yoke of boÌdage For as we haue often sayd before the law doth but reueale encrease aggrauate sinne accuse terrify condemne gender wrath and finally it driueth poore consciences into desperation which is the most miserable and most greeuous bondage that can be Rom. 3.4.5 He vseth therefore very vehement wordes For he would gladly perswade them that they should not suffer this importable burden to be layd vpon their shoulders by the false apostles or be entangled againe with the yoke of bondage As if he should say We staÌd not here vpon a matter of small importance but either of euerlasting libertie or euerlasting bondage For like as freedome from Gods wrath and all euils is not temporall or carnall but euerlasting euen so the bondage of sinne death the Deuill and damnation wherwith all they be oppressed which will be made righteous and saued by the law is not corporall and such as continueth but for a time but euerlasting For such workers of the lawe as goe about to performe and accomplish all things precisely and exactly for of such Paule speaketh can neuer finde quietnes and peace of conscience in this life They alwayes dout of the good will of God towardes them they are alwayes in feare of death of the wrath and iudgement of God and after this life they shal be punished for their vnbeleefe with euerlasting damnation Therefore the doers of the lawe and such as stand altogether vpon the righteousnes and workes thereof are rightly called the Deuils martyrs They take more paines and punish them selues more in purchasing hell according to the prouerbe then the Martyrs of Christe doe in obtaining heauen For they are tormented two maner of wayes First they miserably afflict themselues whilest they liue here by doing of many hard and great workes and all in vaine and afterwardes when they die they reape for a recompence euerlasting damnation Thus are they most miserable Martyrs both in this life and in the life to come and their bondage is euerlasting CoÌtrariwise the godly haue troubles in this world but in Christe they haue peace because they beleue that he hath ouercome the world Wherefore we must stand fast in that freedome which Christ hath purchased for vs by his death we must take good heede that we be not entangled againe with the yoke of bondage As it hapneth at this day to the fantasticall spirites who falling away from Faith and from this freedom haue procured vnto them selues here a temporal bondage and in the world to come shall be oppressed with an euerlasting bondage As for the Papistes the most part of them are become at this day plaine Epicures Therfore whiles they may they vse the libertie of the flesh singing this carelesse song Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas That is Eate drinke make good cheare for after this life there is no pleasure But they are the very bondslaues of the Deuill by whom they are holden captiues at his will and pleasure therefore they shall feele this euerlasting boÌdage in hel Hetherto Paules exhortation hath bene vehement and earnest but that which foloweth doth farre passe it Verse 2. Behold I Paule say vnto you that if ye be circumcised Christe shall profite you nothing Paule here wonderfully stirred vppe with zeale and feruencie of spirite thundreth against the law circumcision and these thundring wordes proceding of great zeale and indignation the holy Ghost wresteth froÌ him in saying Behold I Paule c. I I say who know that I haue not receaued the Gospel by man but by the reuelation of Iesus Christe and haue commission and authoritie from aboue to teach and define c. doe tel you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing at all This is a very hard sentence wherby Paule declareth that to be circumcised is as much as to make Christe vtterly vnprofitable not in respect of himselfe but of the Galathians who being deceaued by the subtelties of the false apostles beleued that besides faith in Christe it was needefull for the faithfull to be circumcised without the which they could not obtaine saluation This place is as it were a touchstone wherby we may most certainely and freely iudge of all doctrines workes religions and ceremonies of all men Whosoeuer teach that there is any thing necessary to saluation whether they be Papists Turks Iewes or Sectaries besides Faith in Christe or shall deuise any worke or religion or obserue any Rule tradition or ceremonie whatsoeuer with this opinion that by such things they shall obtaine forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes and euerlasting life they heare in this place the sentence of the holy Ghost pronounced against them by the Apostle that Christe profiteth them nothing Seing Paule durst geue this sentence against the lawe and circumcision which were ordained of God himselfe what durst he not doe against the chaffe and the drosse of mens traditions Wherefore this place is a terrible thunderbolt against all the kingdom of the Pope For all the Priestes Monkes and Heremites that liue in their cloisters I speake of the best of them reposed all their trust and confidence in their owne workes righteousnes vowes and merits and not in Christ whom they most wickedly and blasphemously imagined to be an angrie iudge an accuser and coÌdemner And therefore here they heare their iudgement that Christ profiteth them nothing For if they can put away sinnes and deserue forgeuenes of sinnes and euerlasting life through their owne righteousnes and straitnes of life then to what purpose was Christe borne What profite haue they by his death and bloudsheding by his resurrection victorie ouer sinne death and the Deuill seeing they are able to ouercome these monsters by their owne
strength And what touÌge can expresse or what heart can conceaue how horrible a thing it is to make Christ vnprofitable Therefore the Apostle casteth out these wordes with great displeasure and indignation If ye be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing that is to say no profite shall redound vnto you of all his benefites but he hath bestowed them all vppon you in vaine Hereby it appeareth sufficiently that nothing vnder the sonne is more hurtfull then the doctrine of mens traditions and workes for they vtterly abolish and ouerthrow at once the truth of the Gospell Faith the true worshipping of God and Christe him selfe in whom the father hath ordained all things Colossians 2. In Christe are hid all the treasures of vvisedom and knovvledge In him dvvelleth the fulnes of the Godhead bodely Wherefore all they that are either authors or maintainers of the doctrine of workes are oppressours of the Gospell they make the death and victorie of Christ vnprofitable they blemish and deface his Sacramentes and vtterly take away the true vse thereof and briefly they are blasphemers enemies and deniers of God and of all his promises and benefites Who so is not moued with these wordes of Paule which calleth the lawe a yoke of bondage and sayth that they which affirme the keeping of circumcision to be necessary to saluation make Christ vnprofitable and can not be driuen from the lawe and circumcision nor yet from the confidence which he hath in his owne righteousnes and workes nor be stirred vp to seeke that libertie which is in Christe his heart is harder then stone and iron This is therfore a most certaine and cleare sentence that Christ is vnprofitable that is to say he is borne crucified and risen againe in vaine to him that is circumcised that is which putteth his trust in circumcision For as I haue sayd before Paule speaketh not here of the worke of circumcision which hurteth not him that hath no affiance or opinion of righteousnes in it but of the vse of the worke that is to say of the confidence and righteousnes that is annexed to the worke For we must vnderstand Paule according to the matter wherof he intreateth or according to the argument which he hath in hand which is that meÌ be not iustified by the lawe by works by circumcision or such like He sayth not that workes of them selues are nothing but the confidence righteousnes of workes are nothing for that maketh Christe vnprofitable Therfore who so receaueth circumcision with this opinion that it is necessary to iustification to him Christ auaileth nothing Let vs beare this well in minde in our priuate tentations when the Deuill accuseth and terrifieth our conscience to driue it to desperation For he is the father of lying and the enemie of Christian liberty therfore he tormenteth vs euery moment with false feares that when our conscience hath lost this Christian libertie it should feele the remorse of sinne and condenmation and alwayes remaine in auguish and terrour When that great dragon I say that old serpent the Deuill who deceaueth the whole world and accuseth our brethern in the presence of God day and night Apoc. 12. commeth and layeth vnto thy charge that thou hast not onely done no good but hast also transgressed the law of God say vnto him Thou troublest me with the remembrance of my sinnes past Thou puttest me also in minde that I haue done no good But this is nothing to me for if either I trusted in mine own good dedes or distrusted because I haue done none Christ should both waies profite me nothing at all Therfore whether thou lay my sinnes before me or my good workes I passe not but remouing both farre out of my sight I onely rest in that libertie wherein Christ hath made me free I know him to be profitable vnto me therfore I will not make him vnprofitable which I should doe if either I should presume to purchase my selfe fauour and euerlasting life by my good deedes or should despaire of my saluation because of my sinnes Wherefore let vs learne with all diligence to separate Christe farre from all works as well good as euil from all lawes both of God and man and from all troubled consciences for with all these Christe hath nothing to doe He hath to doe I graunt with afflicted consciences howbeit not to afflict them more but to raise them vp and in their affliction to comfort them Therfore if Christe appeare in the likenes of an angry iudge or of a lawmaker that requireth a strait accompt of our life past then let vs assure our selues that it is not Christ but a raging feende For the Scripture painteth out Christ to be our reconciliation our aduocate and our comforter Such a one he is and euer shal be he can not be vnlike himselfe Therfore whensoeuer the Deuil traÌsforming himself into the likenes Christ disputeth with vs after this maner This thou oughtest being admonished by my word to haue done and hast not done it and this thou oughtest not to haue done and hast done it know thou therefore that I will take vengeance on thee c. lette this nothing at all moue vs but by and by let vs thus thinke with our selues Christ speaketh not to poore afflicted and despairing consciences after this maner He addeth not affliction to the afflicted He breaketh not the brused reede neither quencheth he the smoking flaxe In deede to the hard hearted he speaketh sharply but such as are terrified and afflicted he most louingly and comfortably allureth vnto him saying Come vnto me all ye that trauell and be heauie laden and I vvill refresh you I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Be of good coÌfort my sonne thy sinnes are forgeuen thee Be not afraide haue ouercome the vvorld The sonne of man came to seeke out and saue that vvhich vvas lost We must take good heede therefore lest that we being deceaued by the wonderfull sleights infinite subtelties of Satan doe receaue an accuser and condemner in the sted of a comforter and Sauiour and so vnder the vizour of a false Christ that is to say of the Deuill we lose the true Christ and make him vnprofitable vnto vs This much haue we sayd as touching priuate and particuler tentations and how we should vse our selues therin Verse 3. For I testifie againe vnto euery man vvhich is circumcised that he is bound to kepe the vvhole lavve The first inconuenience is in deede very great where Paule sayth that Christe profiteth them nothing which are circumcised and this that foloweth is nothing lesse where he fayth that they which are circumcised are bound to keepe the whole law He speaketh these words with such earnestnes that he confirmeth them with an oth I testifie that is to say I sweare by the liuing god But these wordes may be expounded two wayes negatiuely and affirmatiuely Negatiuely after
this maner I testifie vnto euery man which is circumcised that he is bound to kepe the whole lawe that is to say that he performeth no peece of the law yea that in the very worke of circumcision he is not circumcised and euen in the fulfilling of the law he fulfilleth it not but traÌsgresseth it And this seemeth to me to be the simple and true meaning of Paule in this place Afterwardes in the .6 Chapter he expoundeth him selfe saying They themselues vvhich are circumcised keepe not the lavv So he sayth also before in the third Chapter VVhosoeuer are of the vvorkes of the lavve are vnder the curse As if he sayd Although ye be circumcised yet are ye not righteous and free from the lawe but by this deede ye are rather detters and bondseruauntes of the lawe And the more ye goe about to satisfie the lawe and to be sette free from it the more ye intangle and snare your selues in the yoke thereof so that it hath more power to accuse and condemne you This is to goe backward like the crabbe and to wash away filth with filth And this which I say by occasion of Paules words I haue learned both in my selfe and others I haue seene many which haue painfully trauailed and vppon mere conscience haue done as much as was possible for them to doe in fasting in prayer in wearing of heare in punishing and tormenting their bodies with sundry exercises whereby at length they must needes haue vtterly consumed them yea although they had ben made of iron and all to this end that they might obtaine quietnes and peace of conscience notwithstanding the more they trauailed the more they were stricken down with feare specially when the houre of death approched they were so fearfull that I haue seene many murtherers and other male factours condemned to death dying more couragiously then they did which notwithstanding had liued very holily Therefore it is most true that they which doe the lawe doe it not For the more they goe about to fulfill the lawe the more they transgresse it Euen so we say and iudge of mens traditions The more a man striueth to pacifie his conscience therby the more he troubleth and tormenteth it When I was a Monke I endeuored as much as was possible to liue after the streit rule of mine Order I was wont to shriue my selfe with great deuotion and to recken vp all my sinnes yet being alwayes very contrite before and I returned to confession very often and throughly performed the penaunce that was enioyned vnto me Yet for all this my conscience could neuer be fully certified but was alwayes in doubt and sayd This or that thou hast not done rightly thou wast not contrite and sorrowfull inough this sinne thou diddest omitte in thy confession c. Therefore the more I went about to helpe my weake wauering and afflicted conscience by mens traditioÌs the more weake and doubtfull and the more afflicted I was And thus the more I obserued mens traditions the more I transgressed them and in seeking after righteousnes by mine Order I could neuer attaine vnto it For it is impossible as Paule sayeth that the conscience should be pacified by the workes of the lawe and much lesse by mens traditions without the promise and glad tidings concerning Christe Wherfore they that seeke to be iustified and quickned by the law are much further of from righteousnes and life then the Publicanes sinners and harlots For they can not trust to their owne works seing they be such for the which they can not hope to obtaine grace and sorgeuenes of sinnes For if righteousnes works done according to the lawe doe not iustifie how can sinnes iustifie which are committed contrary to the lawe Therefore in this poynt they are in farre better case then the Iusticiaries for they haue no affiance in theyr owne workes which greatly hindreth true Faith in Christe if it doe not vtterly take it away Contrariwise the Iusticiaries which abstaine outwardly from sinnes and liue holily and without blame in the sight of the world can not be without the opinion of their owne righteousnes with the which true Faith in Christe can not stande And for this cause they be more miserable then Publicanes and harlotes who offer not their good workes to God in his displeasure that for the same he may recompence them with euerlasting life as the Iusticiaries doe for they haue none to offer but desire that their sinnes may be pardoned for Christes sake c. The other exposition is affirmatiue He that is circumcised is also bound to kepe the whole law For he that receaueth Moses in one poynt must of necessitie receaue him in all And it nothing helpeth to say that circumcision is necessary and not the rest of Moises lawes For by the same reason that thou art bound to keepe circumcision thou art also bound to kepe the whole lawe Now to be bound to kepe the whole lawe is nothing else but to shew in effecte that Christe is not yet come If this be true then are we bound to kepe all the Iewish ceremonies and lawes touching meates places and times and Christe must be looked for as yet to come that he may abolish the Iewish kingdom and priesthoode and sette vppe a new kingdom thorowout the whole world But the whole Scripture witnesseth and the sequele thereof plainely declareth that Christe is already come that by his death he hath redemed mankinde that he hath abolished the lawe and that he hath fulfilled all things which all the Prophetes haue foretolde of him Therefore the lawe being cleane abolished and quite taken away he hath geuen vnto vs grace and truth It is not then the lawe nor the workes thereof but it is Faith in Iesus Christe that maketh a man righteous Some would binde vs at thys day to certaine of Moises lawes that like them best as the false apostles would haue done at that time But this is in no wise to be suffered For if we geue Moises leaue to rule ouer vs in any thing we are bound to obey him in all things Wherefore we will not be burdened with any law of Moises We graunt that he is to be redde amongst vs and to be heard as a Prophet and a witnesse bearer of Christe and moreouer that out of him we may take good examples of good lawes and holy maners But we will not suffer him in any wife to to haue dominion ouer our conscience In this case lette him be deade and buried and lette no man know where his graue is The former exposition that is to say the negatiue seemeth to me to be more apte and more spirituall notwythstanding both are good and both doe condemne the righteousnes of the lawe The first is that we are so farre from obtaining righteousnes of the lawe that the more we goe about to accomplish the law the more we transgresse the lawe The
second is that he which will performe any peece of the lawe is bound to kepe the whole lawe To conclude that Christe profiteth them nothing at all that will be iustified by the lawe Hereby it appeareth that Paule meaneth nothing else but that the lawe is a plaine deniall of Christe Now it is a wonderfull thing that Paule dare affirme that the lawe of Moises which was geuen by God to the people of Israell is a deniall of Christe Why then did God geue it Before the comming of Christe and before his manifestation in the flesh the lawe was necessary For the lawe is our Schoolemaster to bring vs vnto Christe But now that Christe is reuealed in that we beleue in him we are no longer vnder the Scholemaster Hereof we haue spoken largely enough before in the ende of the third Chapter Who so teacheth then that the lawe is necessary to righteousnes teacheth a plaine deniall of Christe and of all his benefites he maketh God a lier yea he maketh the lawe also a lier For the lawe it selfe beareth witnesse of Christe and of the promises made as concerning Christe and hath foretold that he should be a King of grace and not of the lawe Verse 4. Ye are abolished or seperated from Christ vvhosoeuer are iustified by the lavve ye are falne from grace Here Paule expoundeth himselfe and sheweth that he speaketh not simplie of the lawe nor of the worke of circumcision but of the confidence and opinion that men haue to be iustified thereby As if he would say I doe not vtterly condemne the lawe or circumcision for it is lawfull for me to drinke to eate and to kepe companie with the Iewes according to the lawe it is lawfull for me to circumcise Timothie but to seeke to be iustified by the law as if Christe were not yet come or being now present he alone were not able to iustifie this is it which I condemne for this is to be seperated from Christ Therfore sayeth he ye are abolished that is ye are vtterly voide of Christe Christe is not in you he worketh not in you any more Ye are not partakers of the knowledge the spirit the felowship the fauour the libertie the life or the doings of Christe but ye are vtterly seperate from him so that he hath no more to doe with you nor ye with him These wordes of Paule are diligently to be noted that to seeke righteousnes by the lawe is nothing else but to be seperated from Christe and to make him vtterly vnprofitable What can be spoken more mightely against the lawe what can be sette against this thunderbolte Wherfore it is impossible that Christe and the lawe should dwell together in one heart for either the lawe or Christe must geue place But if thou thinke that Christe and the lawe can dwell together then be thou sure that Christe dwelleth not in thy heart but the Deuill in the likenes of Christe accusing and terrifying thee and straitly exacting of thee the law the workes thereof For the true Christe as I sayd before neither calleth thee to a reckening for thy sinnes nor biddeth thee trust to thine owne good workes And the true knowledge of Christe or Faith disputeth not whether thou hast done good workes to righteousnes or euill works to condemnation but simplie concludeth after this sort if thou haue done good workes thou art not therefore iustified or if thou haue done euill workes thou art not therefore condemned I neither take from good workes their praise nor commend euill works But in the matter of iustification I say we must looke how we may hold Christ lest if we seeke to be iustified by the lawe we make him vnprofitable vnto vs For it is Christe alone that iustifieth me both against my euill deedes and without my good deedes If I haue this perswasion of Christe I lay hold of the true Christe But if I thinke that he exacteth the lawe and workes of me to saluation then he becometh vnprofitable vnto me and I am vtterly serated from him These are dreadfull sentences and threatnings against the righteousnes of the law and mans owne righteousnes Moreouer they are also most certaine principles which confirme the article of iustification This is theÌ a finall conclusion Either thou must forgoe Christ or the righteousnes of the lawe If thou retaine Christ thou art righteous before God but if thou sticke to the lawe Christe auaileth thee nothing thou art bound to kepe the whole law and thou hast now sentence already pronounced against thee Cursed is euery one that fulfilleth not all the things that are vvrytten in this lavv As we haue said of the law so we say also of mens traditions Either the Pope with his religious rout must reiect all those things wherein hetherto he hath put his trust or else Christe shall be vnprofitable to them And hereby we may plainly see how pernicious and pestilent the Popish doctrine hath ben For it hath led men cleane away from Christ and made him altogether vnprofitable God complaineth in the .23 of Ieremie that the Prophets prophesied lies and the dreames of their owne heart to the ende that his people should forget his name Therefore like as the false Prophets leauing the right interpretation of the lawe the true doctrine concerning the Seede of Abraham in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed preached their owne dreames to the end that the people should forget their God euen so the Papistes hauing darkned and defaced the doctrine of Christ so that they made it of none effect taught and sette forth nothing else but the doctrine of workes whereby they drew the whole world away from Christe Who so earnestly considereth this matter it will make his heart to tremble Verse 4. Ye are fallen from grace That is to say Ye are no longer in the kingdom of grace For like as he that is in a shippe on which side so euer he falleth into the sea is drowned euen so he which is falne from grace must needes perish He therefore that will be iustified by the law is falne into the sea and hath cast himselfe into daunger of eternall death Now if they fall from grace which will be iustified by the morall lawe whether shall they fall I pray you which will be iustified by their owne traditions and vowes Euen to the bottom of hell No forsoth they flie vp into heauen for so they themselues haue taught vs Who so euer liue say they according to the Rule of S. Fraunces Dominicke Benedict or such other the peace and mercy of God is vpon them Againe All they that obserue and keepe chastity obedience c. shal haue euerlasting life But let these toyes goe to the Deuill from whom they came and hearken what Paule teacheth thee here and what Christe teacheth saying He that beleueth in the sonne of God hath euerlasting life but he that beleueth
not in the sonnes shall not see life but the vvrath of God abideth vpon him Againe he that beleueth not is iudged alredy Now like as all the doctrine of the Papistes to note this by the way concerning mens traditions workes vowes and merites was most common in the world so was it thought to be the best and most certaine of all others whereby the Deuill hath both sette vppe and stablished his kingdom most mightely Therefore when we at this day doe impugne and vanquish this doctrine by the power of Gods word as chaffe is driuen away by the winde it is no maruell that Satan rageth so cruelly against vs raiseth vppe sclaunders and offences euery where and setteth the whole world in our toppes Then will some man say It had bene better to haue held our peace for then had none of these euils bene raised vppe But we ought more to esteme the fauour of God whose glory we sette forth then to care for the tirranny of the world which persecuteth vs For what is the Pope the whole world in comparison of God In deede we are weake and beare an heauenly treasure in brickle and earthly vesselles but although the vesselles be neuer so brickle yet is the treasure inestimable These wordes Ye are falne from grace must not be coldly or slenderly considered for they are waightie and of great importance He that falleth from grace vtterly loseth the atonement the forgeuenes of sinnes the righteousnes libertie and life that Iesus Christe hath merited for vs by his death and resurrection and in stede thereof he purchaseth to himselfe the wrath and iudgement of God sinne death the bondage of the Deuill and euerlasting damnation And this place strongly confirmeth and fortifieth our doctrine concerning Faith or the article of iustification and maruelously comforteth vs against the cruell rage of the Papists that persecute and condemne vs as heretikes because we teach this article In deede this place ought to feare that enemies of Faith grace that is to say all that seeke righteousnes by works froÌ persecutiÌg blaspheming the word of grace life and euerlasting saluation But they be so hardhearted and obstinate that seeing they see not and hearing they heare not and when they read this dreadfull sentence of the Apostle pronounced against them they vnderstand it not Let vs therfore let them alone They are blinde and leaders of the blinde Verse 5. For vve in spirit vvait for the hope of righteousnes through Faith. Paule here knitteth vppe the matter with a notable conclusion saying Ye will be iustified by the lawe by circumcision and by workes but we seeke not to be iustified by this meanes lest Christ should be made vtterly vnprofitable vnto vs and we become detters to performe the whole lawe and so finally fall away from grace but we waite in spirite through Faith for the hope of righteousnes Euery word is here diligently to be noted for they are pithie and full of power He doth not only say as he is wont We are iustified by Faith or in spirite by Faith but moreouer he addeth VVe vvaite for the hope of righteousnes including hope also that he may comprehend the whole matter of Faith. Hope after the maner of the Scriptures is taken two wayes for the thing that is hoped for for the affection of him that hopeth For the thing which is hoped for it is taken in that first chapt to the Coloss For the hopes sake vvhich is layed vppe for you in heauen that is to say the thing which ye hope for For the affection of him that hopeth it is taken in the 8 chap. to the Romaines For vve are saued by hope So hope in this place also may be taken two wayes and so it yeldeth a double sense The first is We waite in spirite through Faith for the hope of righteousnes that is to say the righteousnes hoped for which shall be certainely reuealed in such time as it pleaseth the Lord to geue it The second We wait in spirite by Faith for righteousnes with hope and desire that is to say we are righteous howbeit our righteousnes is not yet reuealed but hangeth yet in hope For as long as we liue here sinne remaineth in our flesh there is also a lawe in our flesh and members rebelling against the lawe of our minde and leading vs captiues vnto the seruice of sinne Now when these affections of the flesh doe rage and raigne and we on the other side through the spirite doe wrastle against the same then is there a place for hope In deede we haue begun to be iustified through Faith whereby also we haue receaued the first frutes of the spirite and the the mortification of the flesh is also begun in vs but we be not yet perfetly righteous It remaineth then that we be perfectly iustified and this is it that we hope for So our righteousnes is not yet in actuall possession but lieth vnder hope This is a sweete and a sound consolation whereby afflicted and troubled consciences feeling their sinne and terrified with euery fierie dart of the Deuill may be maruelously comforted For the feeling of sinne the wrath of God death hell and all other terrours is wonderfull strong in the conflict of conscience as I my selfe being taught by experience doe know Then counsell must be geuen to the poore afflicted in this wise Brother thou desirest to haue a sensible feeling of thy iustification that is thou wouldest haue such a feling of Gods fauour as thou hast of thine owne sinne but that will not be But thy righteousnes ought to surmount all feeling of sinne that is to say thy righteousnes or iustification wherevpon thou holdest standeth not vppon thine owne feeling but vpon thy hoping that it shall be reuealed when it pleaseth the lord Wherefore thou must not iudge according to the feeling of sinne which troubleth and terrifieth thee but according to the promise and doctrine of Faith whereby Christe is promised vnto thee who is thy perfect and euerlasting righteousnes Thus the hope of the afflicted consisting in the inward affection is stirred vppe by Faith in the middest of all terrours and feeling of sinne to hope that he is righteous Moreouer if hope be here taken for the thing which is hoped for it is thus to be vnderstand that that which a man now seeth not he hopeth in time shall be made perfect and clearly reueiled Either sense may well stand but the first touching the inward desire and affection of hoping bringeth more plentifull consolation For my righteousnes is not yet perfect it can not yet be felt yet I doe not despaire for Faith sheweth vnto me Christe in whom I trust and when I haue laid hold of him by Faith I wrastle against the fierie dartes of the Deuil and I take a good heart through hope against the feeling of sinne assuring my selfe that I haue a perfect righteousnes prepared
This is a perfect and a sound doctrine of Faith and loue and also the shortest and the longest Diuinitie The shortest as touching the words and sentences but as touching the vse and practise it is more large more longe more profound and more high then the whole world Verse 15. If ye bite and deuoure one an other take heede lest ye be consumed one of an other By these wordes Paule witnesseth that if the foundation that is to say if Faith in Christ be ouerthrowne by wicked teachers no peace or concord caÌ remaine in the church either in doctrine or life but there must needes be diuers opinions and dissensions from time to time both in doctrine and life wherby it commeth to passe that one biteth and deuoureth an other that is to say one iudgeth and condemneth an other vntill at length they be consumed Hereof not onely the Scripture but also the examples of all times beare witnes After that Aphrike was peruerted by the Manichees by and by folowed the Donatistes who also disagreeing among them selues were diuided into three sundry Sectes And how many Sectes haue we at this day springing vppe one after an other One Sect bringeth forth an other and one condemneth an other Thus when the vnitie of the spirite is broken it is vnpossible that there should be any concord either in doctrine or life but daily new errours must nedes spring vp without measure and without end Paule therefore teacheth that such occasions of discord are to be auoided and he sheweth how they may be auoided This sayth he is the way to vnitie and concord Let euery man doe his duetie in that kinde of life which God hath called him vnto Let him not lift vp himselfe aboue others nor finde fault at other mens workes and commend his owne but let euery one serue an other through loue This is a true and a simple doctrine touching good works This do not they teach which haue made shipwracke of faith haue conceaued fantasticall opinions concerning Faith good workes but disagreeing among them selues as touching the doctrine of Faith and workes they bite and deuoure that is to say they accuse condemne one an other as Paule here sayth of the Galathians If ye bite and deuoure one an other take heede lest ye be consumed one of an other As if he would say doe not accuse and condemne one an other for circumcision for obseruing of holy dayes or other ceremonies but rather geue your selues to serue and helpe one an other through charitie Or else if ye continue in biting deuouring one an other take heede that ye be not consumed that is to say that ye perish not vtterly yea and that bodely which coÌmoÌly hapneth especially to the authors of Sects as it did to Arrius others and to certaine also in our time For he that hath laid his fouÌdation on the sand and buildeth hay stubble and such like must needes fall be consumed for all those things are ordained for the fire I will not say that after such bitings deuourings the ruine destructioÌ not of one citie but of whole countreys kingdoms are wont to folow Now the Apostle sheweth what it is to serue one an other through loue It is a hard a dangerous matter to teach that we are made righteous by faith without works yet to require workes withall Here except the ministers of Christe be faithfull wise disposers of the mysteries of God rightly diuiding the word of truth faith workes are by and by confounded Both these doctrines as well of faith as of works must be diligeÌtly taught and vrged and yet so that both may remaine with in their bounds Otherwise if they teach works only as they do in the Popes kingdom then is faith lost If faith onely be taught then carnall men by and by dreame that workes be not needefull The Apostle began a litle before to exhort men to good workes and to teach that the whole lawe was fulfilled in one word namely Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Here will some man say Paule thorowout his whole Epistle taketh away righteousnes from the law for sayeth he By the vvorks of the lavv shall no flesh be iustified Also As many as are vnder the vvorks of the lavv are vnder the curse But now wheÌ he sayth that the whole law is fulfilled in one word he seemeth to haue forgotten the matter whereof he hath entreated in all this Epistle and to be of a quite contrary opinion to witte that they which doe the works of charitie fulfill the law and be righteous To this obiection he answereth after this maner Verse 16. But I say vvalke in the spirite and ye shall not fulfill the vvorkes of the flesh As if he should haue sayd I haue not forgotten my former discourse concerning Faith neither doe I now reuoke the same in that I exhort you to mutuall loue saying that the vvhole lavve is fulfilled through loue but I am still of the same minde and opinion that I was before To the ende therefore that ye may rightly vnderstand me I adde this moreouer VValke in the spirite and ye shall not fulfill the lustes of the flesh A confutation of the argument of the Schoolemen Loue is the fulfilling of the lavve therfore the lavve iustifieth Although Paule speaketh here expresly and plainly enough yet hath he litle preuailed For the Schoolemen not vnderstanding this place of Paule Loue is the fulfilling of the lavv haue gathered out of it after this maner If loue be the fulfilling of the law it foloweth then that loue is righteousnes therfore if we loue we be righteous These profound clarkes doe argue from the word to the worke from doctrine or preceptes to life after this sort The lawe hath commaunded loue therefore the worke of loue foloweth out of hand But this is a foolish consequence to draw an argumeÌt from precepts and to ground the conclusion vppon workes True it is that we ought to fulfill the lawe and to be iustified through the fulfilling thereof but sinne hindreth vs In deede the law prescribeth and commaundeth that we should loue God with all our heart c. and that we should loue our neighbour as our selues but it foloweth not this is wrytten therfore it is done the law commaundeth loue therefore we loue There is not one man to be found vppon the whole earth which so loueth God and his neighbour as the lawe requireth But in the life to come where we shall be throughly clensed from all vices and sinnes and shall be made as pure as cleare as the Sunne we shall loue perfectly and shall be righteous through perfect loue But in this life that puritie is hindred by the flesh for as long as we liue sinne remaineth in our flesh By reason wherof the corrupt loue of our selues is so mightie that it farre surmounteth the loue of god
yet continue still in their sinnes These men haue their iudgement already They that liue after the flesh shall die Also The vvorkes of the flesh are manifest vvhich are adulterie fornication vncleannes vvantonnes idolatrie vvitchcraft hatred debate emulations vvrath contentions seditions heresies enuie murthers drunkennes gluttonie and such like vvhereof I tell you before as also I haue told you that they vvhich doe such things shall not inherite the kingdom of God. Hereby we may see who be the very Saincts in dede They be not stocks stones as the Monkes and Scholemen dreame so that they are neuer moued with any thing neuer feele any lusts or desires of the flesh but as Paule sayth their flesh lusteth against the spirit and therfore they haue sinne and both can doe sinne And the .32 Psalme witnesseth that the faithfull doe confesse their vnrighteousnes pray that the wickednes of their sinne may be forgeuen where it sayeth I vvill confesse against my selfe my vvickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne Therefore shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee c. Moreouer the whole Church which in deede is holy prayeth that her sinnes may be forgeuen her and it beleueth the forgeuenes of sinnes And in the .143 Psalme Dauid prayeth O Lord enter not into iudgement vvith thy seruaunt for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified And in the .130 Psalm If thou O Lord shouldest straitly marke iniquities Lord vvho shall stand in thy presence But vvith thee is mercy c. Thus doe the cheefest saincts and children of God speake and pray as Dauid Paule c. All the faithfull therfore doe speake and pray the same thing and with the same spirit The popish Sophisters read not the Scriptures or if they read theÌ they haue a veile before their eyes and therfore as they can not iudge rightly of any thing so can they not iudge rightly either of sinne or of holines Verse 18. If ye be led by the spirite ye are not vnder the lavve Paule cannot forget his doctrine of Faith but still repeateth it beateth it into their heades yea euen when he treateth of good works Here some man may obiect How can it be that we should not be vnder the law and yet thou notwithstanding O Paule teachest vs that we haue flesh which lusteth against the spirit fighteth against vs tormeÌteth vs and bringeth vs into bondage And in deede we feele sinne and can not be deliuered from the feeling therof though we would neuer so faine And what is this else but to be vnder the law But sayth he Let this nothing trouble you onely doe your endeuour that ye may be led by the spirite that is to say shew your selues willing to folow obey that will which resisteth the flesh and doth not accomplish the lustes thereof for this is to be led and to be drawne by the spirite then are ye not vnder the lawe So Paule speaketh of himselfe Rom. 7. In my minde I serue the lavve of God that is to say In spirit I am not subiect to any sinne but yet in my flesh I serue the law of sinne The faithfull then are not vnder the lawe that is to say in spirite for the law can not accuse them nor pronounce sentence of death against them although they feele sinne and confesse them selues to be sinners For the power and strength of the lawe is taken from it by Christ vvho vvas made subiect to the lavve that he might redeme them vvhich vvere vnder the lavve Therefore the lawe cannot accuse that for sinne in the faithfull which is sinne in deede and committed against the lawe So great then is the power and dominion of the spirite that the lawe cannot accuse the godly though they commit that which is sinne in deede For Christe is our righteousnes whom we apprehend by Faith he is without all sinne and therfore the law can not accuse him As long as we cleaue fast vnto him we are ledde by the spirite and are free from the lawe And so the Apostle euen when he teacheth good workes forgetteth not his doctrine concerning Iustification but alwayes sheweth that it is impossible for vs to be iustified by workes For the remnants of sinne cleaue fast in our flesh and therefore so long as our flesh liueth it ceaseth not to lust contrary to the spirite Notwithstanding there cometh no daunger vnto vs thereby because we be free from the law so that we walke in the spirite And with these wordes If ye be ledde by the spirite ye be not vnder the lavve thou maist greatly comfort thy selfe and others that be greeuously tempted For it oftentimes commeth to passe that a maÌ is so vehemently assailed with wrath hatred impatiencie carnall desire terrour and anguish of spirite or some other lust of the flesh that he can not shake them of though he would neuer so faine What should he doe in this case Should he despaire No God forbid but let him say thus with him selfe Thy flesh fighteth and rageth against the spirite Let it rage as long as it listeth onely see thou that in any case thou consent not to it to fulfill the lusts therof but walke wisely folow the leading of the spirit In so doing thou art free from the law It accuseth and terrifieth thee I graunt but altogether in vaine In this conflict therfore of the flesh against the spirit there is nothing better then to haue the word of God before thine eyes and therin to seeke the comfort of the spirite And let not him which suffereth this temptation be dismayed in that the Deuil can so aggrauate sinne that during the conflict he thinketh him selfe to be vtterly ouerthrowne and feeleth nothing else but the wrath of God and desperation Here in any wise let him not folow his owne feeling and the iudgement of reason but lette him take sure hold of this saying of Paule If ye be led by the spirite that is to wit if ye raise vp and comfort your selues through faith in Christ ye be not vnder the lawe So shall he haue a strong buckler wherewith he may beat backe all the fierie dartes which that wicked feende assaileth him withall How much so euer then the flesh doe boyle and rage yet can not all her motions and rages hurt coÌdemne him for as much as he folowing the guiding of the spirite doth not consent vnto the flesh nor fulfill the lustes thereof Therefore when the motions of the flesh doe rage the onely remedie is to take to vs the sword of the spirite that is to say the word of saluation which is that God would not the death of a sinner but that he coÌuert liue and to fight against them Which if we doe let vs not doubt but we shall obtaine the victorie although so long as the battaile endureth we feele the plaine
betvvene the lavve and the promise To promise and to require are distinct things The inheritaunce is geueÌ by the promise and not by the lavve VVhat the Blessing is vvhich is geueÌ vs through Christ The murmuring of the Ievves against the doctrine of Paule for the stablishiÌg of faith Math. 21.31 The murmuring of the Papistes against the gospell The iudgemeÌt of reason concerning the doctrine of the Gospell vvhich teacheth that the lavve vvas geuen for transgressioÌs Galat. 3.19 Rom. 2.14 Rom. 6.1 Rom. 3.8 Christ is iudged to be a blasphemer and a seditious person All things are to be done for the elects sake Dogges Hogges The lavv iustifieth not therfore it is vnprofitable is a naughtie consequence The proper office and vse of the lavve VVhen the lavve is good Al men do naturally iudge that the lavve doth iustifie Reason is ignoraunt of the righteousnes of faith The opinion of the righteousnes of the lavv most pernitious VVhat the great soueraigntie of the Deuill is throughout the vvhole vvorld As all things are distinct so are the vses of things Euery creature serueth in his order and place The office of the lavve Rom. 5.20 The vse of politike lavves An obiection All lavves are geuen to bridle transgressions The povver of the Deuil God hath ordayned Magistrates parents lavves c. that sinnes might be brideled The spirituall vse of the lavv The spirituall vse of the lavv vnknovven to reason * Hercules vvas a mighty Champion vvhich stevve the great monster Hydra as the Poetes faine vvhich had a hundred neckes vvith serpeÌts heads Hypocrites are feated and humbled by the lavve Ierem. 13. ââ The opinion of righteousnes hovv pernicious it is The opinion of righteousnes an horrible monster The proper office of the lavve 3. Reg. 19.11.12.13 Exod. 19.20 The children of Israel could not abide the voice of God speaking out of the fire Exod. 20.19 Deut. 5.24.18.16 Dâuter 4.24 The lavv hath still the same office that it had vvhen it vvas geuen in Mount Sina The Ievves vvere afraide at the voyce of the lavv Deut. 5.26 Deut. 4.24 The same hapneth to hypocrites such as put righteousnes in vvorks that happened to the Ievves standing at Mount Sina Very fevve vnderstande the proper vse of the lavve It is a matter of great importaÌce to vnderstand the proper vse of the lavv The light of the lavv The lavv in his true vse terrefieth The light of the Gospell The proper vse and office of the Gospel The doctrine of faith can not remaine sound vnlesse the lavve be rightly discerned from the Gospell Luke 18. Rom. 7.11 The lavv profitable tvvo maner of vvaies The lavve a Minister to grace A singular coÌfort for all afflicted consciences The doctrine of the Gospell belongeth to those vvhich are thorovvly terrified vvith the lavve Esay 42.3 Math. 12.20 The time of the lavve and the time of Grace Reason in the time of tentatation flieth not to the doctrin of grace but to the doctrine of the lavve The lavv doth not onely shevv vnto a man his sinne but also driueth him to Christ Luke 4 1â Math. 11. â8 The perfect vse of the lavve Hovve long the dominion of the lavve endureth The lavve according to the letter endured vntill Christ and there ceased Mat. 11.12.13 Hovve long the lavve must raigne in the conscience Psal. 42.7 Psal. 69.2 Psal. 26.9 Psal. 6â 17 The continuaunce of the lavv literally spiritually The terrours of the lavve are driuen avvay by faith Math. 18.20 Eccles 4.10 The solitarie or Monkish life hath hurt many Math. 26.39 Luke 23.41 Iohn 17.1 * Angelles as ministers gaue it to Moises by the authority of Christ Heb. 1. The lavve geuen by Angels the Gospell by Christ The lavv vvas geuen to endure but for a time but the Gospell vvas geuen to endure for euer Christ is not a Mediatour according to the lavv as Moises vvas Exod. â â Exod. 19.20 Moises a Mediatour The lavv maketh men afraid therfore it iustifieth not Nothing is more intolerable to man then the lavv The lavv flattereth not reason and therfore reason hateth it 2. Cor. 3 1â Exod. 34.30 The place of Paule expounded as touching the couering of Moises face Verses 30.33.34.35 Faith in Christ driueth avvay the terrours of the lavve The povver of freevvill * But serueth both for the Ievves and Gentiles to ioyne them to God. The vvord Mediatour includeth tvvo The lavve hauing put on a veile maketh vs not afraid Because God speaketh not novv in his Maiestie as he did in the Mount but by the voice of man therfore men feare him not nor regarde his lavve The lavve in his true vse killeth The office of a Mediatour Moses a Mediatour of the veile VVhen vve are terrified by the lavve vve haue nede of another maner of Mediatour then Moses Christ hideth not the lavv but taketh it avvay and therefore is a better Mediatour then Moses A Mediatoure is he that standeth betvvene the offender and him that is offended God of his iustice can not forgeue sinne vvithout satisfaction vvhich is done by Christ Christ is the Mediatour betvvene God and sinners vvhich are quite contrary one to the other Col. 2.24 Man can not abide the hearing of the lavv therfore he can not keepe the lavv The doctrine of the lavv The proper vse of the lavv The lavve is good and holy and yet intolerable to mans nature Exod. 2.3 Deut. 4.40 The lavv containeth profitable doctrine and yet a man can not heare it The lavve maketh not men better but vvorse * Constant and alvvaies like him selfe The iudgemeÌt of the Ievves and of all others as touching the lavv Reason can not abide to heare the good lavv of God. God maketh not the promise because of our vvorthines but for his ovvne mercies sake Iosua 24.2.3 Genes 12.1.2 The promises of God are absolute not made in respect of our vvorthines The promises of God are not hindered because of our sinnes 2. Pet. 3.9 A Diuelish dreame of the Ievves The lavve is not against the promises of God. VVhen the office and time of the lavve is accomplished Psal. 109 2â The lavv maketh troubled and afflicted soules to thirst for Christ Math. 11 28. Vpon vvhom Christ bestovveth his benefites Math. 11.5 Iohn 7.37.38 Deut. 18.15 The lavve quickneth not but killeth * The Papistes diuide the gospel in to precepts and CouÌsels to the precepts men are bounde say they but not to the Counsels Paul teacheth that no lavve vvas geuen to bring life but the Pope teacheth quite contrary The iudgemeÌt of men naturally as touching the lavve VVhat profite cometh by knovving the difference betvvene the lavve and the Gospell The true and perfect vse of the lavve Genes 3.15 Genes 22. The scripture shutteth all vnder the Curse first by the promise Secondly by the lavve Galat. 3.10 Deut. 27.26 Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all things c. The principall office of the lavve * These things in Luthers time vvere counted so high a seruice to God that scarce any maÌ vvould beleue they could be so abhominable Onely Faith iustifieth If the lavv iustifie not much lesse do vvorks iustify
they had plaÌted Rudiments or elements are called the priÌciples and first beginning of any thing and so the lavve is but as an A. B.C in respect of the Gospel Rom 4.15 VVhen the lavv is vveake and beggerly and vvhen it is strong and mightie Rom. 10.2.3 VVhen the lavve is a vveake and beggerly rudiment The more a man seeketh to be iustified by the lavve the more he is drovvned in sinnes Ephes 2.3 Actes 15 1â Luke 5.43 Of the vvomaÌ vvhich vvas diseased vvith the bloudie issue The conscieÌce is neuer quieted through vvorkes VVhat profite Monks haue by their religion Luke 18.13 A liuely description of al the religious hypocrites in the kingdom of Antichrist The Fable is this that a dogge svvimming ouer the vvater vvith a pece of flesh in his mouth let the flesh goe and snatched at the shadovve vvhich appeared in the vvater Falling avvay from the Gospell is very easie They that are not tried vvith afflictions and tentations neuer feele the povver of the vvord of god Math. 7.15 Paules maner of speech If the lavve of God be vveak and not able to obtaine righteousnes much more the Popes traditions 1 Thes 2. â The Popes triple crovvn To fall from the grace of God. VVhat iudgemeÌt they geue of the lavve that knovv not Christe The thundrings of Luther against the Pope and his lavves 1. Timot. 1. â Galath 3.19 1. Timot. c. 7. The doctrine of the false apostles The holy dayes of the Ievves Galath 5.2 Coloss 2.16 Luke 17.20 The fatherly affection of Paul tovvards the GalathiaÌs VVhat this vvord to labour iâ vaine importeth The Apostle novv speketh them faire vvhom before he did sharply chide A right patern of a godly pastour Galath 6.1 The frute of souÌd doctrine The agrement of mindes is broken by vvicked doctrine They vvhich fall froÌ sound doctrine become vvorse theÌ they vver before The conditioÌ of the Apostles The Anabaptists bragge altogether of the spirite of illuminations reuelatioÌs Falling from Faith is easie Galath 4.20 He mitigateth his former sharpe chiding The Master The Father Chastisement necessary and profitable Heb. 12.11 The Phisitian The stripes of a friend are better then the kisses of an enemie An obiection He praiseth the GalathiaÌs because they vvere not offended vvith his vveaknes The commendation of the Galathians VVhat the infirmitie of the flesh is after Ieromes opinion The iudgemeÌt of the fathers vvhen the church vvas in prosperitie Marke that vvhen the church began to grovve in honour and vvealth of the vvorld it decreased in vertue knovvledge and other spirituall giftes vvhich before it possessed VVho they are that best vnderstaÌd the Scriptures VVhat the vveaknes of the flesh is vvhich Paule speaketh of 2. Corin. 12.9.10 2. Cor. 11.23.24.25 2. Cor. 12.9.10 2. Cor. 2.14 The povver of the spirite in Paule Math. 11.6 Psal. 21.7 The spirituall tentations of Paule 2. Cor. 12.7 2. Cor. 7.5 The sorovv of spirite in the Apostles Philip. 2.27 Iohn 17. â Luke 4.32 Psal. 22.6.15 The praise of the Galathians Luke 1.48 Heretikes vvrest things that are spoken vvell to an euill meaning The name of Luther odious Truth procureth hatred Rom. 16.18 1. Timot. 2.4 Math. 7.15 Paule ansvvereth here to an obiection that might be made against him Zeale 2. Reg. 19 1â The simple are deceaued by the pretence and fained zeale of heretikes A good zeale an euill zeale The zeale of the false apostles Math. 7.15 Many euils folovved Paules doctrine notvvithstanding that it vvas godly and holy Actes 24.5 Actes 16.20.21 The Ievves imputed all euils to the doctrine of the Apostles Actes 5.29 Rom. 9.3 The Apostles vvere the beholders of great euils not vvithout their great griefe The consolation of Paule Rom. 1.16 1. Cor. 1.23 Math. 11.6 Math. 15.14 All the troubles vvhich are at this day the vvorld layeth vnto Luthers charge Offence takâ Math. 15.14 Actes 4.31 Acts. 2.21.36 Actes 2.36 Actes 4.12 The coÌplaints of the aduersaries against the doctrine of the gospell Iohn 11.48 The Papistes iustifie their ovvne horrible sinnes and condemne our good deedes Math. 15.14 Apoc. 22.11 1. Thes 1.8 The Deuil defaceth the gospell vvith infinite offences Luke 11.21.22 Iob. 40.16 1. Pet. 5.8 Zelous spirits vvithous knovvledge are the authors of Sectes Iohn 8.44 Math. 7.15 The zeale of the spirit and the zeale of the flesh A liuely picture of a faith full pastor The Apostles are parents The forme of a Christian minde and hovv it is gotten 1. Cor. 4.15 1. Cor. 3.3 The forme of Christe Galath â 13 Coloss 3.10 VVho be like to God. Ephes 4.24 Philip. 2 5â An Epistle or letter is a dead messenger The true affections of an Apostle The vse of allegories and similitudes Hovv Paule handleth allegories Origen and Hierom. VVhy Paule calleth the booke of Genesis the lavv Iohn 15.25 Psal 35.19 Abrahams tvvo sonnes Ismael vvas a sonne after the flesh and Isaack after the promise An obiection The ansvver Both Isaack Ismael vvere the children of one father Genes 16.2 Sara had hard the promise of God as coÌcerning the sede but she vvaiteth not gods appoynted time Sara resigneth vp her right Gen. 16.1.2 c. The humilitie of Sara Ismael the sonne of Abraham accordiÌg to the flesh * That is sayd to be done at aduenture or by chaunce vvhereof man knovveth not the cause although vnto God it be foreknovvne and appoynted Rom. 9.8 Abraham hath tvvo sortes of children VVho be the true sonnes of Abraham Note this coÌcerning the mother Genes 17.19 The mother the sonne are expresly named An allegorie is that vvherby one thing is spoken and an other thiÌg is meant VVhat accouÌt is to be made of allegories * They are called tvvo couenaunts one of the olde another of the nevv testameÌt although in very deede they are not tvvo but are so called in respect of the times Abraham is a figure of God. Tvvo sortes of people Tvvo testaments Sina Agar Hermon Agar brought forth a sonne not an heire but a seruauÌt Sina brought vnto God a sonne but a carnal people Psal. 147.19 The people of the lavve Rom. 10.5 The promises of the lavve the gospell The promises of God in the lavv are conditionall Deut. 26.1 c. Hovv the Ievves toke the promises of God. The Ievves persecuted the Prophets The lavv bringeth forth bondmen or bondseruauÌts The lavv maketh not heires neither doth it iustify The earthly Ierusalem perteineth to Agar That vvhich vvas ordained in Sina vvas kept in Ierusalem It is not for euery man to dally vvith allegories Tvvo Ierusalems an heauenly and an earthly Sara the heauenly Ierusalem The earthly Ierusalem destroyed The citie of the lavv The earthly Ierusalem in bondage Ierusalem had a corporall kingdom for a time VVho are the citizens of the church Aboue The church triumphant militant Philip. 3.20 Ephes 1.3 The earthly and heauenly blessing The heauenly blessing The interpretation of the Monkes The foure senses of the scripture according to the Papistes
haue so litle feeling liking of Luthers doctrine and all because they commonly are neuer greatly vexed in spirite with any deepe affliction but rather deride them that be beaten downe with such conflictes and teÌtations of Sathan as they did by Luther whom because God suffered to to be tried and exercised with the buffets of the enemie they say therefore that he learned his diuinitie of the Deuill But how he learned his diuinitie let vs heare what he him selfe in this booke fol. 197. 198. coÌfesseth in these wordes saying Vnlesse we had beÌ exercised with violeÌce and craftie assaultes by tirannes heretikes and in our heart with terrors and fiery dartes of the deuill Paule had bene to vs no lesse obscure then he was in times past to the whole world and yet is to this day to our aduersaries the papistes the Anabaptistes and other our aduersaries And therefore the gifte of knowledge of the scripture and our studies through such inward and outward conflictes open vnto vs the minde of Paule and of all the Scriptures c. But let these ignorant papistes who so euer they be tast a litle the same or like as Luther did and then see what they will say Experience geueth demonstration For howe many of them doe we see for all their auricular confession which puffeth them vp in false securitie but at length when they lie at the point of death where death on the one side and Gods iustice on the other side is before their eies for the most part either they despaire or ells leauing all other helpes they onely sticke to faith and the blood of Christ Iesus and in very deede many of them are glad to die Lutherans how so euer they hated Luther before And what shall we say then of this doctrine of Luther If the papistes them selues be glad to die in it why are they vnwilling to liue in it And if it be true at one time how can alteration of time make that false which is once true And therefore where these men so stoutely wihstand this doctrine of iustification by faith onely they are much deceaued And where they alledge S. Iames for them that is soone aunswered if we rightly discerne the meaning of S. Iames and of S. Paule Of whom the one speaketh of mans righteousnes or iustification onely before men which is a demonstration of a true faith or a true beleuer before man rather then the working of true iustification before god And so is it true which S. Iames saith how that faith without workes doth not iustifie whose purpose is not to shewe vs what maketh a iust man before God but onely to declare the necessary coniunction of good workes in him that by faith is iustified The other speaketh of righteousnes or iustification not before men but onely before God meaning not to exclude good workes from true faith that they should not be done but to teach vs wherin the true stay and hope of our saluation ought to be fixed that is in faith onely And so is it true likewise that S. Paule saith that faith onely without workes doth iustifie The which proposition of S. Paule the better to vnderstand and to ioine it with S. Iames here is to be noted for the satisfying of the cauilling aduersary that the proposition is to be taken full and whole as S. Paule doth meane it so that with the right subiect we ioyne the right predicatum as the Scholemen terme it that is so that faith of Christ in iustifying euer haue relation to the true penitent and lamenting sinner And so is the article most true that faith onely without workes doth iustifie But whom doth it iustifie the worldliÌg the licentious ruffen the voluptuous Epicure the carnall gospeller Paule meaneth no such thing but onely the mourning and labouring soule the greeued conscience the repenting heart the mending sinner And in him the proposition is true according to the doctrine of S. Paule Credenti in euÌ qui iustificat impium fides eius imputatur ad iustitiam that is to him that beleueth in him vvhich iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnes Contrarywise let faith haue relation to the obstinate and willfull rebel who contrary to conscience continueth and deliteth in sinne and in him it is true likewise that S. Iames saith non ex fide tantum that is and not by faith onely meaning therby that faith auaileth not to iustification but onely in such persons as haue a good will and purpose to amend their liues Not that repentance and turning from iniquitie doth saue them but that faith in Christ worketh iustification in none but onely in such as heartely repent and are willing to amend So that Credite Euangelio beleue the gospell hath euer agite poenitentiam repent and amend going withall Not that repentance saueth any malefactor from the law but onely sheweth the person whom faith in Christ onely doth saue and iustifie But of this enough and more then greatly needed especially seeing the booke it selfe here following will satisfie the reader at large in all such doutes to this matter appertaining And thus ceasing to trouble thee gentle reader with any longer preface as we commend this good worke to thy godly studies so we commend both thee and thy studies to the grace of Christ Iesu the SoÌne of God hartely wishing and crauing of his maiestie that thou mayest take no lesse profite and consolation by reading hereof then our purpose was to doe thee good in setting the same forth to thy comfort and edification which the Lord graunt Amen Amen Faultes escaped in the printing and to be amended before the reading of this booke Leafe Page Line  11. 2. 1. put out this vvhole line 21. 2. 28. put out our 23. 1. 29. for to erre in the faith reade to fall in faith 25. 2. 20. for gon reade God. 37. 1. 9. for the God reade God. 39. 1. 22. reade still goeth about 68. 2. 22. for any other reade an other 88. 2. 30. for slime read slymy body 91. 1. 1. for vvere reade neuer 128. 1. 23. for the ciuill reade then the ciuill 151. 1. 13. reade would haue hated 201. 1. 37 for he is reade he was 216. 2. 26. reade but we onely suffer 226. 1. 38. reade likenes of Christ 226 2. 12. reade I haue ouercome 232. 2. 15. for syirite reade spirite 235. 1. 17. for amply reade amplifie 237. 2. 9. for I trust to you reade I haue a trust of you 244. 2. 28. for vnderstand vvel reade know well 267. 2. 17. for lost reade decayed The Preface of Martine Luther vpon the Epistle to the Galathians I My selfe can scarcely beleeue that I was so plentifull in wordes when I did publikely expounde this Epistle of S. Paule to the Galathians as this booke sheweth me to haue bene Notwithstanding I perceaue all the cogitations which I finde in this treatise by so great diligence of the brethren
may see how farre from the truth these blinde guides and leaders of the blinde haue strayed and how by this wicked and blasphemous doctrine they haue not onely darkned but taken away the Gospell and buried Christ vtterly For if I being in deadly sinne can doe any litle worke which is not onely acceptable in Gods sight according to the substaunce but also is able to deserue grace of congruence and when I haue receaued this grace I may do workes according to grace that is to say according to loue and gette of right and duetie eternall life what neede haue I now of the grace of God forgeuenes of sinnes of the promise and of the death and victorie of Christ Christ is now to me in vaine and of none effect For I haue freewill and power to doe good works wherby I deserue grace of congruence and afterwards of duety and by the worthines of my worke eternall life Such monstrous horrible blasphemies should be set forth rather to the Turkes and Iewes then to the church of Christ And this plainly declareth that the Pope with his Bishops Doctors priests with all his religious rable had no knowledge or regard of holy matters and that they were not careful for the health of the seely and miserably scattered flocke For if they had seene but through a cloud what Paule calleth sinne and what he calleth grace they would neuer haue compelled the people to beleue such abhominations execrable lies as they haue done By deadly sinne they vnderstoode onely the externall worke committed against the law as murther theft and such like They could not see that ignoraunce hatred and contempt of God in the heart ingratitude murmuring against God and resisting the will of God are also deadly sinne and that the flesh can not thinke speake or do any thing but that which is deuelish and altogether against god If they had seene these mischeefes fast rooted in the nature of man they would neuer haue deuised such impudent and execrable dreames touching the desert of congruence and worthines Wherefore we must properly and plainly define what a wicked man or a deadly sinner is He is such a holy and bloudy hypocrite as Paule was wheÌ he went to Damascus to persecute Iesus of Nazareth to abolish the doctrine of the gospel to murther the faithful vtterly to ouerthrow the church of Christ And who will not say but that these were horrible sinnes Yet could not Paule see them For he was so blinded with a peruerse zeale of God that he thought these abhominatioÌs to be perfect righteousnes and high seruice vnto God and shall we say that such as defend these horrible sinnes to be perfect righteousnes doe deserue grace Wherfore with Paule we vtterly deny the merite of congruence worthines and affirme that these speculatioÌs are nothing else but mere deceites of Satan which were neuer done in dede nor notified by any examples For God neuer gaue to any man grace and euerlasting life for the merite of congruence or worthines These disputatioÌs therfore of the Scholemen touching the merite of congruence worthines are nothing else but vaine toyes dreames of idle braines to no other end and purpose but to draw men from the true worship of God. And herevpon is the whole papacie grounded For there is no religious person but he hath this imagination I am able by the obseruation of my holy order to deserue grace of congruence and by the workes which I doe after that I haue receiued this grace I am able to heape vp such treasure of merite as shall not onely be sufficient for me to obtaine eternall life but also to geue or sell vnto others Thus haue all the religious orders taught and thus haue they liued And to defend this horrible blasphemie against Christ the Papists doe at this day attempt against vs what they can And there is not one of them all but the more holy hypocrite and meritemunger he is the more cruell and deadly enemy he is to the Gospell of Christ The true vvay to Christianitie Now the true way to Christianitie is this that a man aboue al things doe acknowledge him selfe to be a sinner by the lawe and that it is impossible for him to doe any good worke For the lawe sayth Thou art an euill tree and therefore all that thou thinkest speakest or doest is against god Thou canst not therefore deserue grace by thy workes Which if thou goe about to doe thou committest yet a more greeuous offence For since thou art an euill tree thou canst not but bring forth euill frutes that is to say sinnes For vvhat so euer is not of Faith is sinne Wherfore he that would deserue grace by workes going before Faith goeth about to please God with sinnes which is nothing else but to heape sinne vpon sinne to mocke God and to prouoke his wrath When a man is thus instructed by the law then is he terrified humbled then he seeth in deede the greatnes of his sinne and can not finde in him selfe one iote of the loue of God therefore he iustifieth God in his word and confesseth that he is giltie of death and eternall damnation The first part then of Christianitie is the preaching of repentance and the knowledge of our selues The second part is If thou wilt be saued thou maist not seeke saluation by works for God hath sent his onely begotten sonne into the world that we might liue through him He was crucified and died for thee and offred vp thy sinnes in his owne body Here is no congruence or worke done before grace but wrath sinne terrour and death Wherfore the lawe doth nothing else but vtter sinne terrifie and humble and by this meanes prepareth vs to iustification and driueth vs to Christ For God hath reueled vnto vs by his word that he will be vnto vs a merciful father without our desertes seing we can deserue nothing wil freely geue vnto vs remission of sinnes righteousnes life euerlasting for Christ his sonnes sake For God geueth his gifts freely vnto all and that is the praise glory of his diuinitie But the Iusticiaries will not receaue grace euerlasting life of him freely but wil deserue the same by their workes For this cause they would vtterly take from him the glory of his Diuinitie To the ende therfore that he may maintaine and defend the same he is coÌpelled to send his law before which as a lightning and thundring from heauen may bruse and breake those hard rockes This briefly is our doctrine as touching Christian righteousnes against the abominations and monstrous dreames of the Papists concerning the merite of congruence and worthines or workes before and after grace For a sort of idle monks which neuer had any regard of God or his glory nor of the health of their owne soules which were neuer exercised with any tentations neuer had
any true feling of sinne or of the terrour of death haue forged these vaine toyes blasphemies of their owne braine and therefore they know not what they say or what they teach Moreouer they can shew no example of any worke done either before or after grace that could iustifie before god Wherfore these are nothing else but vaine fables and lies whereby the Papists deceaue both them selues and other For Paule here plainly affirmeth that a man is not iustified by the works of the lawe either going before grace wherof he here speaketh or comming after You see then that Christian righteousnes is not such an essentiall qualitie engrafted in the nature of man as the Scholemen doe imagine when they say The Diuinitie of the Schole men When a man doth any good worke God accepteth it and for that good worke he poureth into him charitie This infused charitie say they is a qualitie grafted in the heart and this they call formall righteousnes which maner of speaking it is expedient for you to know and they caÌ abide nothing lesse then to heare that this qualitie furnishing the soule as whitenes doth the wal should not be couÌted righteousnes They can clime no higher then to this cogitatioÌ of mans reason that man is righteous hy his owne formall righteousnes which is grace making him acceptable vnto God that is to say loue or charitie So to this qualitie cleauing vnto the soule that is to wit charitie which is a worke after the law for the law sayth Thou shalt loue the Lord thy god c. they attribute formall righteousnes and they say that this righteousnes is worthy of euerlasting life and he that hath it is formally righteous and moreouer he is effectually or actually righteous because he now doth good workes wherevnto euerlasting life is due This is the opinion of the Scholemen yea euen of the best among them Some other there be which are not so good as Scotus and Occam which sayd that for the obtaining of the grace of God this charity infused or geuen of God is not necessary but that a man euen by his owne naturall strength may procure this charitie aboue all things For so reasoneth Scotus If a man may loue a creature a yong man a maiden a couetous man money which are the lesse good he may also loue God which is the greater good If he haue a loue of the creature through his naturall strength much more hath he a loue of the creator With this argument were all the Sophisters conuicted and none of them all was able to soile it Notwithstanding thus they replie The scripture compelleth vs to coÌfesse say they that God besides that naturall loue and charitie which is engrafted in vs wherwith alone he is not contented requireth also charitie which he him selfe geueth And heereby they accuse God as a tyranne and a cruell exactor who is not content that we kepe and fulfil his law but aboue the law which we are of our selues able to fulfill requireth also that we should accomplishe it with other circumstaunce and furniture as apparell to the same As if a Mistres should not be contented that her Cooke had dressed her meate excellently well but should chide her for that she did not prepare the same being decked with precious apparel hauing a croune of gold vpon her head What a mistres were this who besides that which her Cooke was onely bound to doe and also exactly performed would require moreouer precious apparell or a croune of gold which she could not haue Euen so what a one should God be if he should require his lawe to be fulfilled of vs which otherwise by our owne naturall strength we obserue and fulfill with such furniture as we can not haue But here lest they should seeme to aduouch contrary things they make a distinction and say that the law is fulfilled two maner of waies first according to the substance of the deede and secondly according to the minde of the commaunder According to the substance of the deede say they we may fulfil al things which the law commauÌdeth but not according to the meaning of the Commaunder which is that God is not contented that thou hast done all things which are commaunded in the law although he can require no more of thee but he yet further requireth that thou shouldest fulfill the law in charitie not that charitie which thou hast by nature but that which is aboue nature and heaueÌly which he himselfe geueth And what is this els but to make of God a tyranne and a tormentor which requireth of vs that we are not able to performe And it is in a maner as much as if they should say that the fault is not in vs if we be damned but in God which with this circumstance requireth his law to be accomplished of vs. These things I doe the more diligently repete that you may see how farre they haue waÌdred from the true sense of the scripture which haue sayd that we by our owne naturall strength may loue God aboue all things or at least by the worke wrought we may deserue euerlasting life And because God is not contente that we fulfill the law according to the substance of the deede but will haue vs also to fulfill the same according to the meaning of the Commaunder therefore the scripture further compelleth vs to haue a qualitie aboue nature poured into vs from aboue and that is charitie which they call formall righteousnes adorning and bewtifying faith being also the cause that faith iustifieth vs So faith is the body and the shell charitie the life the kernell the forme and furniture These are the dreames of the Scholemen But we in the steede of this charitie do place faith and we say that faith apprehendeth Iesus Christ who is the forme which adorneth furnisheth faith as the colour adorneth and bewtifieth the wall Christian faith theÌ is not an idle qualitie or empty huske in the heart which may be in deadly sinne as they say vntill charitie come and quicken it but if it be true faith it is a sure trust and confidence of the heart and a firme consent wherby Christ is apprehended So that Christ is the obiect of faith yea rather euen in faith Christ himselfe is present Faith therefore is a certaine obscure knowledge or rather darkenes which seeth nothing and yet Christ apprehended by faith sitteth in this darknes like as God in Sinai and in the temple satte in the middest of darknes Wherfore our formall righteousnes is not charitie furnishing and beutifying faith but it is faith it self which is as it were a certain cloud in our harts that is to say a stedfast trust affiance in the thing which we see not which is Christ who although he be not seene at all yet is he present Faith therefore iustifieth because it apprehendeth and possesseth this treasure euen
Christ present But this presence caÌ not be comprehended of vs because it is in darknes as I haue said Wherfore wher assured trust and affiance of the heart is there Christ is present yea euen in the cloud and obscuritie of faith And this is that formall righteousnes whereby a man is iustified and not by charitie as the popish Scholemen do affirme To conclude like as the Scholemen say that charity furnisheth and adorneth faith so do we say that it is Christ the furnisheth and adorneth faith or rather that he is the very forme perfection of faith Wherefore Christ apprehended by faith and dwelling in the heart is true christian righteousnes for the which God counteth vs righteous and geueth vs eternall life Here is vndoubtedly no worke of the lawe no such charitie or loue as the Sophisters dreame of but a farre other maner of righteousnes and a certaine new world beyond and aboue the lawe For Christ or faith is not the law nor worke of the law But concerniÌg this matter which the Scholemen neither well vnderstood nor taught we entende to speake more largely hereafter Now it shall be enough that we haue shewed that Paule speaketh not here onely of the ceremonial law but of the whole law The true rule of Christianitie Contrary to these vaine trifles and doting dreames as we haue also noted before we teach faith and geue a true rule of Christianitie in this sorte First that a man must be taught by the lawe to knowe him selfe that so he may learne to say with the Prophet All haue sinned and haue neede of the glory of God. Also there is not one righteous no not one Not one that vnderstandeth not one that seeketh after God All haue gone astray Also against thee onely haue I sinned Thus we by a contrary way do driue men from the merite of congruence and worthines Now when a man is humbled by the law and brought to the knowledge of himselfe then followeth true repentance for true repentance beginneth at the feare iudgement of God and he seeth himselfe to be so great a sinner that he can finde no meanes how he may be deliuered from his sinne by his owne strength works or merits Then he perceaueth wel what Paule meaneth when he saith that man is the seruaunt and bondslaue of sinne Also that God hath shut vp all vnder sinne that the whole world is gilty before god c. Then he seeth that all the diuinitie of the Scholemen touching the merite of congruence and worthines is nothing els but meere foolishnes and that by this meanes the whole Papacye falleth to ruine Here then he beginneth to sigh and saith in this wise Who then can geue succour For he being thus terrified with the law vtterly despaireth of his owne strength he loketh about and sigheth for the helpe of a Mediatour and Sauiour Here then cometh in good time the holesome word of the Gospell and saith Sonne thy sinnes are forgeuen the. Beleue in Christ Iesus crucified for thy sinnes If thou feele thy sinnes and the burthen therof looke not vpon them in thy selfe but remember that they are translated and laid vpon Christ whose stripes haue made thee whole This is the beginning of health and saluation By this meanes we are deliuered froÌ sinne iustified made inheritours of euerlasting life not for our owne works and deserts but for our faith wherby we lay hold vpon Christ Wherfore we also doe acknowledge a qualitie and a formall righteousnes in the heart not charitie as the Scholemen doe but faith and yet so notwithstanding that the heart do behold nothing apprehend nothing but Christ the Sauiour And here it is necessary that you know the true definition of Christ The Scholemen being vtterly ignorant hereof haue made Christ a iudge and a tormentor deuising this fond fantasie concerning the merite of congruence worthines But Christ according to his true definition is no lawgiuer but he is a forgiuer of sinnes and a Sauiour This doth faith apprehend and vndoubtedly beleue that he hath wrought works and merits of congruence and worthines before and after grace abundantly For he might haue satisfied for all the sinnes of the world by one onely droppe of his bloud But now he hath shed it plentifully and hath satisfied abundantly Ebr. 9. By his ovvne bloud hath he entred into the holy place once for all and obtained eternal redemption for vs. Also Rom. 3. And vve are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus vvhom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation vnto vs through faith in his bloud Wherfore it is a greate matter to lay hold vpon Christ by faith bearing the sinnes of the world And this faith alone is counted for righteousnes as the Apostle teacheth in the third and fourth Chapters to the Romaines Here is to be noted that these three things faith Christ acceptation or imputation must be ioyned togither Faith taketh hold of Christ and hath him present and holdeth him inclosed as the ring doth the precious stone And who so euer shal be found hauing this confidence in Christ apprehended in the hart him will God account for righteous This is the meane and this is the merite wherby we attaine the remission of sinnes and righteousnes Because thou beleuest in me saith God and thy faith layeth hold vpon Christ whom I haue freely geuen vnto thee that he might be thy Mediatour and high Priest therefore be thou iustified and righteous Wherefore God doth accept or accouÌt vs as righteous onely for our faith in Christ And this acceptation or imputation is very necessary First because we are not yet perfectly righteous but whiles we remaine in this life sinne dwelleth still in our flesh and this remnant of sinne God purgeth in vs Moreouer we are sometimes lefte of the holy Ghost and fall into sinnes as did Peter Dauid and other holy men Notwithstanding we haue alwaies recourse to this article That our sinnes are couered and that God will not lay them to our charge Psal. 32. and Rom. 4. Not that sinne is not in vs as the Sophisters haue taught saying that we must be alwaies working well vntill we feele that there is no gilt of sinne remaining in vs yea sinne is in deede alwaies in vs and the godly doe feele it but it is couered and is not imputed vnto vs of God for Christes sake whom because we doe apprehend by Faith all our sinnes are now no sinnes But where Christ and faith be not there is no remission or couering of sinnes but mere imputation of sinnes and condemnation Thus will God glorifie his sonne and will be glorified him selfe in vs through him When we haue thus taught faith in Christ then do we teach also good works Because thou hast laid hold vpon Christ by faith through whom thou art made righteousnes begin
now to worke well Loue God and thy neighbour call vpon God geue thanks vnto him praise him confesse him These are good workes in dede which flowe out of this faith and this chearefulnes conceaued in the heart for that we haue remission of sinnes freely by Christ Now what crosse or afflictioÌs so euer do afterwardes ensue they are easily borne and chearfully suffered For the yoke that Christ layeth vpon vs is svvete and his burden is easie When sinne is pardoned and the conscience deliuered from the burden and sting of sinne then may a Christian beare all things easily Because he feeleth all things within sweete and comfortable therfore he doth and suffreth all things willingly But when a man walketh in his owne righteousnes what so euer he doth is greeuous and tedious vnto him because he doth it vnwillingly We therfore doe make this definition of a Christian man that he is a right christian to whom God imputeth not his sinne through faith in Christ This doctrine bringeth great consolation to poore afflicted consciences in serious and inward terrours It is not without good cause therefore that we doe so often repete and beat into your mindes the forgeuenes of sinnes and imputation of righteousnes for Christes sake also that a Christian hath nothing to doe with the law and sinne specially in the time of tentation For in that he is a Christian he is aboue the law and sinne For he hath Christ the Lord of the law present and inclosed in his heart as we haue said euen as a ring hath a Iewel or precious stone inclosed in it Therefore when the lawe accuseth and sinne terrifieth him he looketh vpon Christ and when he hath apprehended him by faith he hath present with him the conquerour of the law sinne death and the deuill who raigneth and ruleth ouer them so that they can not hurt him Wherfore a Christian man if ye define him rightly is free from all lawes and is not subiect vnto any creature either within or without In that he is a Christian I say and not in that he is a man or a woman that is to say in that he hath his conscience adorned and bewtified with this faith with this great and inestimable treasure or as Paule saith this vnspeakeable gifte which can not be magnified and praised enough for it maketh vs the children and heires of god And by this meanes a Christian is greater then the whole world For he hath such a gifte such a treasure in his heart that although it seemeth to be but litle yet notwithstanding the smalnes therof is greater then heauen and earth for Christ which is this gift and this treasure is greater then all things Whiles this doctrine pacifying and quieting the conscience abideth sound and vncorrupt Christians are made iudges ouer all kindes of doctrine and are Lords ouer the lawes of the whole world Then caÌ they certainly iudge that the Turke with his Alcoran is damned because he goeth not the right way that is he acknowledgeth not himselfe to be miserable and damnable nor apprehendeth Christ by faith for whose sake he might be assured that his sinnes are pardoned In like maner they boldly pronouÌce sentence against the Pope that he is condemned with all his kingdome because he so walketh and so teacheth with all his religious rable of Sophisters and ScholemeÌ that by the merite of congruence we must come to grace that afterwards by the merite of worthines we are receaued into heauen Here sayth the Christian this is not the right way to iustifie vs neither doth this way leade vs to heauen For I can not saith he by my works going before grace deserue grace nor by my works following grace deserue eternall life But to him that beleueth sinne is pardoned and righteousnes imputed This trust and this confidence maketh him the childe of God and heire of his kingdome For in hope he possesseth already euerlasting life assured vnto him by promise Through faith in Christ therefore all things are geuen vnto vs grace peace forgeuenes of sinnes saluation and euerlasting life and not for the merite of congruence and worthines Wherefore this doctrine of the Scholemen with their ceremonies Masses infinite foundations of the Papisticall kingdome are most abhominable blasphemies against God sacrileges and plaine denials of Christ as Peter hath foretold in these words Ther shal be saith he false teachers among you vvhich shall priuely bring in damnable heresies denying the Lord that hath bought them c. As though he would say the Lord hath redemed and bought vs with his bloud that he might iustifie and saue vs this is the way of righteousnes and saluation But there shall come false teachers which denying the Lord shall blaspheme the way of truth of righteousnes and saluation they shall finde out new waies of falsehode and destruction and many shall follow their perdiction Peter throughout this whole chapter most liuely painteth out the Papacie which neglecting and despising the Gospell and faith in Christ hath taught the workes and traditions of men as the merite of congruence worthines the difference of daies meates vowes inuocation of Saincts pilgrimages purgatory such like In these fantasticall opinions the Papistes are so nusled that it is impossible for them to vnderstand one syllable of the gospel of faith or of Christ And this the thing it selfe doth well declare For they take that priuiledge vnto them selues which belongeth vnto Christ alone He onely forgeueth sinnes he onely geueth righteousnes and euerlasting life and they most impudently and wickedly doe vaunte that they are able to obtaine these things by their owne merits and worthines before and after grace Peter and the other Apostles call these damnable heresies and sects of perdition For by these meanes they deny Christ treade his bloud vnder their feete blaspheme the holy Ghost and despise the grace of God. Wherefore no man can sufficiently conceaue how horrible the idolatry of the Papistes is As inestimable as the gifte is which is offered vnto vs by Christ euen so and no lesse abhominable are these prophanations of the Papistes They ought not then to be lightly esteemed or forgotten but diligently wayed considered And this maketh also very much for the amplifying of the grace of God and benefite of Christ as by the contrarye For the more we know the prophanation of the papisticall Masse so much the more we doe abhorre and detest the same and embrace the true vse of the holy communion which the Pope hath taken away and hath made marchandise of it that being bought for money it might profite others For he saith that the Massing priest an apostata denying Christ blasphemiÌg the holy Ghost standing at the aultar doth a good work not only for him selfe but also for others both quicke deade and for the whole church and that onely by the worke wrought and by none
righteousnes and eternal life Wherfore Paule separateth Moses farre from Christ Let Moses then tary on the earth Let him be the Scholemaster of the letter and exactor of the law Let him torment and crucifie sinners But the beleuers sayth Paule haue an other Scholemaster in their conscience not Moses but Christ which hath abolished the lawe and sinne hath ouercome the wrath of God and destroyed death He biddeth vs that laboure and are oppressed with all kindes of euils to come vnto him Therefore when we flie vnto him Moses with his law vanisheth away so that his sepulcher can no where be seene sinne and death can hurt vs no more For Christ our instructor is Lord ouer the lawe sinne and death so that they which beleue in him are deliuered from the same It is therefore the proper office of Christ to deliuer from sinne and from death And this Paule teacheth and repeteth euery where We are condemned and killed by the law but by Christ we are iustified restored to life The lawe astonisheth vs and driueth vs from God but Christ reconcileth vs to God and maketh for vs an entraÌce that we may boldly come vnto him For he is the Lambe of God that hath taken away the sinnes of the world Now if the sinne of the world be taken away then is it taken away from me also which doe beleue in him If sinne be taken away then is the wrath of God death and damnation taken away also And in the place of sinne succedeth righteousnes in the place of wrath reconciliation grace in the place of death life and in the place of damnation saluation Let vs learne to practise this distinction not in wordes onely but in life and liuely experience and with an inward feeling For where Christ is there must nedes be ioy of heart and peace of conscience For Christ is our reconciliation righteousnes peace life and saluation Briefly what so euer the pore afflicted coÌscience desireth it findeth in Christ abundantly Now Paule goeth about to amplifie this argument and to perswade as foloweth Verse 18. For if I builde againe the things that I haue destroyed I make my selfe a trespasser As if he should say I haue not preached to this ende that I might build againe those thiÌgs which I once destroyed For if I should so do I should not onely labour in daine but should make my selfe also a traÌsgressor and ouerthrowe altogether as the false Apostles doe that is to say of grace and of Christ I should againe make the law and Moses contrariwise of the law and Moses I should make grace and Christ Now by the ministery of the Gospell I haue abolished sinne heauines of heart wrath and death For thus haue I taught Thy conscience O man is subiect to the law sinne and death from which thou canst not be deliuered either by men or Angels But now cometh the Gospell and preacheth vnto thee remission of sinnes by Iesus Christ who hath abolished the law and hath destroyed sinne and death Beleue in him so shalt thou be deliuered from the curse of the law and from the tyrannie of sinne and death thou shalt become righteous and haue eternall life Behold how I haue destroyed the law by the preaching of the Gospell to the end that it should not reigne in thy conscience any more For when the new Gest Christ Iesus cometh into the new house there to dwell alone Moses the old inhabiter must geue place vnto him and depart some whether els Also where Christ the new Gest is come to dwel there can sinne wrath death haue no place but there now dwelleth meere grace righteousnes ioy life true affiance and trust in the father now pacified and reconciled vnto vs gracious long suffering full of mercy for his sonne Christes sake Should I then driuing out Christ and destroying his kingdome which I haue planted through the preaching of the Gospell now build vp againe the law and sette vp the kingdome of Moses In deede this should I doe if I should teach circumcision and the obseruation of the law to be necessary to saluation as the false Apostles doe and by this meanes in the steede of righteousnes and life I should restore againe sinne and death For the law doth nothing els but vtter sinne procure Gods wrath kill and destroy What are the Papists I pray you yea the best of them all but destroyers of the kingdome of Christ and builders vp of the kingdome of the Deuill and of sinne of wrath and eternall death Yea they destroy the church which is Gods building not by the law of Moses as did the false Apostles but by mens traditions and doctrines of Deuils And euen so the fantasticall heads which are at this day and shall come after vs doe destroy and shall destroy those things which we haue built doe build and shall build vp againe those things which we haue destroyed But we by the grace of Christ holding the article of iustification doe assuredly know that we are iustified and reputed righteous before God by faith onely in Christ Therfore we doe not mingle the law and grace faith and works together but we separate them farre asunder And this distinction or difference betwene the law and grace let euery man that feareth God marke diligently and let him suffer the same to take place not in letters and syllables but in practise inward experience So that when he heareth that good works ought to be done and that the example of Christ is to be followed he may be able to iudge rightly and say well all these things will I gladly doe What then followeth Thou shalt then be saued and obtaine euerlasting life Nay not so I graunt in deede that I ought to do good workes patiently to suffer troubles and aflictioÌs and to shee l my bloud also if neede be for Christes cause but yet am I not iustified neither doe I obtaine saluation therby We must not therfore draw good workes in to the article of iustification as the Monkes haue done which say that not only good works but also the punishments and torments which malefactors suffer for their wicked deedes doe deserue euerlasting life For thus they comfort them when they are brought to the gallowes or place of execution Suffer willingly and patiently this shamefull death which if thou do thou shalt deserue remission of thy sinnes and euerlasting life What an horrible thing is this that a wretched theefe a murtherer a robber should be so miserably seduced in that extreame anguish and distresse that euen at the very point of death when he is now ready to be hanged or to haue his head cut of he should refuse the Gospell and sweete promises in Christ which are onely able to bring comforte and saluation and should be commaunded to hope for pardon of his sinnes if he willingly and patiently endure that opprobrious death which he suffereth
god This which I now speake springeth out of an other fountaine then that which thou heardest of me before Paule before his conuersion spake with the same voice and toung wherwith he spake afterwards But his voice and his toung were then blasphemous and therfore he could speake nothing els but blasphemies abhominations against Christ and his Church After he was conuerted he had the same flesh the same voice and toung which he had before and nothing was chaunged but his voice and his toung then vttered no blasphemies but spirituall and heauenly words to witte thanks geuing and the praise of God which came of faith the holy Ghost So then I liue in the flesh but not of the flesh or after the flesh but in the faith of the sonne of God. Hereby we may plainly see whence this spirituall life cometh which we haue not of our selues but of an other which the natural man can in no wise vnderstand for he knoweth not what maner of life this is He heareth the wind but whence it cometh or whither it goeth he knoweth not He heareth the voice of the spirituall man he knoweth his face his maners and his gestures but he seeth not whence these workes which are not now wicked and blasphemous as before but holy and godly or whence these motions and actions doe come For this life is in the heart by Faith where the flesh is killed and Christ raigneth with his holy spirite who now seeth heareth speaketh worketh suffereth and doth all other things in him although the flesh doe resist To coÌclude this is not the life of the flesh although it be in the flesh but of Christ the sonne of God whom the Christian possesseth by faith Verse 20. VVho loued me and gaue him selfe for me Here haue ye the true meane of iustification and a perfect example of the assuraunce of faith set before your eyes He that can with a firme constaÌt faith say these words with Paule I liue by Faith in the sonne of God vvho hath loued me geuen him selfe for me is happie in deede And euen with these wordes Paule taketh away the whole righteousnes of the lawe and workes as afterwardes we will declare But we must diligently wey and consider these wordes The sonne of God hath loued me and geuen him selfe for me It was not I then that first loued the sonne of God and deliuered my selfe for him as the Sophisters dreame that they loue the sonne of God and deliuer theÌselues for him For they teach that a man expuris naturalibus that is of his owne pure naturall strength can do meritorious works before grace loue God Christ aboue all things These felowes preuent the loue of God and Christ for they doe that which lieth in them as they are wont to say that is they doe not onely kepe the commaundements but they doe also the workes of supererogation sell the ouerplus of their merites to laimen so as they imagine they deliuer them selues for Christes sake whereby they saue both themselues others turning the words of Paule cleane contrary and saying we haue loued Christ and geuen our selues for him Thus whiles the wicked being puffed vp with the wisedom of the flesh imagine that they doe what in them lieth that they loue God and deliuer them selues for Christ what doe they else but abolish the gospel deride deny and blaspheme Christ yea spit vpon him tread him vnder foote They confesse in wordes that he is a iustifier and a Sauiour but in very deede they take from him the power both to iustifie and saue and geue the same to their owne wilworkes ceremonies and deuotions This is to liue in their owne righteousnes and workes and not in the faith of the sonne of God. This is not then the true meanes to attaine iustification to do that which in thee lieth as the Sophisters and Scholedoctours doe teache which affirme that if a man do what in him lieth God wil vndoubtedly geue vnto him his grace But this saying may not be straitly vrged say they For if we doe those works which may be approued by the iudgement of any good man it is enough for then grace shall surely follow because god in that he is good and iust must needes geue grace as a recompence for such good works And hereof cometh this verse Vitra posse viri non vult Deus vlla requiri That is God vvill no more require of man then of him selfe performe he can In dede this is a good saying if it be vsed rightly in place coÌuenient that is in the gouernment of coÌmon weales or families And if I being in the kingdome of reason do execute the office of a magistrate or gouerne a family doing that in me lieth I am excused This kingdom hath his bouÌds and limites to the which also these sayings doe pertaine To doe what in vs lieth To doe as much as we are able But the Sophisters apply these sayings to the spirituall kingdome wherin a man can do nothing els but sinne for he is sold vnder sinne But in externall things such I meane as pertaine to ciuill and houshould gouernment he is not a seruaunt but a Lord and a ruler Wherfore they haue done wickedly in applying these sentences to the church which properly pertaine to the gouernment of common weales families For the kingdome of mans reason and the spirituall kingdome must be separate farre asunder Moreouer they say that nature is corrupt but the qualities of nature notwithstanding are sound and vncorrupt which also they attribute euen vnto Deuils Vpon this grouÌd they reason after this maner If the naturall qualities of man be sound and vncorrupt then is his vnderstanding and his will souÌd and vncorrupt and so consequently all other qualities of nature are pure and perfecte in him To knowe these things it is necessary for you that ye may hold the sinceritie of the doctrine of faith Where they say then that the naturall qualities of man are sound and vncorrupt and therof do inferre that a maÌ is able of him selfe to fulfil the law and to loue God with al his heart applying these qualities to the spirituall kingdome I deny the consequence And here I make a distinction betwene the naturall and the spirituall qualities which they confound and mingle together I say that the spirituall qualities are not sound but corrupt yea vtterly quenched through sinne both in man and deuill so that there is in them nothing els but corrupt vnderstanding and a will continually striuing against the will of God which can thinke nothing els but that which is altogether against god Notwithstanding I graunt that the naturall qualities are vncorrupt But what qualities are they That a man being drowned in sinne and iniquitie and a bondslaue of Satan hath will reason and power notwithstaÌding to execute the office of a magistrate to gouerne a family
righteousnes in deede Paule setteth against the righteousnes of the law As if he sayd Be it so that the law is an heauenly doctrine and hath also his glory yet notwithstanding it loued not me nor gaue it selfe for me yea it accuseth me terrifieth me and driueth me to desperation But I haue now an other which hath deliuered me from the terrours of the law sinne and death and hath brought me vnto libertie the righteousnes of God and eternall life who is called the sonne of God to whom be praise and glory for euermore Faith therefore as I haue said embraceth and wrappeth in it selfe Christ Iesus the sonne of God deliuered to death for vs as Paule here teacheth who being apprehended by faith geueth vnto vs righteousnes and life And here he setteth out most liuely the Priesthode and offices of Christ which are to pacifie God to make intercession for sinners to offer vppe him selfe a sacrifice for their sinnes to redeme to instruct and to comfort them Let vs learne therefore to geue a true definition of Christ not as the Scholedoctours do and such as seeke righteousnes by their owne workes which make him a new law-geuer who abolishing the olde lawe hath established a newe To these Christ is nothing else but an exactor and a tyranne but let vs define him as Paule here doth namely that he is the sonne of God who not for our desert or any righteousnes of ours but of his owne free mercie offered vppe him selfe a sacrifice for vs sinners that he might sanctifie vs for euer Christ then is no Moses no exactor no geuer of lawes but a geuer of grace a Sauiour and one that is full of mercie briefly he is nothing else but infinite mercie and goodnes freely geuen and bountifully geuing vnto vs And thus shall you paint out Christ in his right coloures If you suffer him to be painted out to you any otherwise then thus when tentation and trouble cometh you shall soone be ouerthrowne Nowe as it is the greatest knowledge and cunning that Christians caÌ haue thus to define Christ so of all things it is the most hardest For I my selfe euen in this great light of the Gospell wherein I haue bene so long exercised haue much a doe to hold this definition of Christ which Paule here geueth So depely hath this doctrine and pestilent opinion that Christ is a lawgeuer entred in me euen as it were oyle into my boanes Ye yong men therefore are in this case much more happie then we that are olde For ye are not infected with these pernicious errours wherein I haue bene so nusled and so drowned euen from my youth that at the very hearing of the name of Christ my heart hath treÌbled and quaked for feare for I was perswaded that he was a seuere iudge Wherefore it is to me a double trauaile trouble to correct and reforme this euill First to forget to condemne and to withstand this olde grounded errour that Christ is a lawgeuer and a Iudge for it often returneth and plucketh me backe Then to plant in my heart a new a true perswasion of Christ that he is a iustifier a Sauiour Ye I say that are yong may learne with much lesse difficultie to know Christ purely and sincerely if ye will. Wherfore if any man feele him selfe oppressed with heauines and anguish of heart he must not impute it vnto Christ although it come vnder the name of Christ but vnto the Deuill who oftentimes cometh vnder the colour of Christ and transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light Let vs learne therefore to put a difference betwene Christ and a lawgeuer not only in word but in practise in deede also that when the Deuil shal come vnder the shadow of Christ shal go about to trouble vs vnder his name we may know him not to be Christ but a very feend in deede For Christ when he cometh is nothing else but ioy and sweetenes to a trembling and broken heart as here Paule witnesseth who setteth him out with this most sweete louing title when he saith vvhich loued me and gaue him selfe for me Christ therefore in very deede is a louer of those which are in bitternes of minde sinne death and such a louer as gaue him selfe for them who is also our high priest that is to say a mediatour betwene God vs wretched sinners What could be sayd I pray you more sweete or comfortable to the poore afflicted conscience Now if these things be true as they are in deede most true or else the Gospell must be nothing else but a fable then are we not iustified by the righteousnes of the lawe and much lesse by our owne righteousnes Read therefore with diligent attention and with great vehemencie these wordes Me and for me and so practise with thy selfe that thou maist well conceaue and print this Me in thy heart and applie it vnto thy selfe with a stedfast faith not doubting but thou art of the number of those to whom this Me belongeth Also that Christ hath not onely loued Peter and Paule and geuen him selfe for them but that the same grace also which is comprehended in this Me doth as well pertaine and extend vnto vs as vnto them For as we can not denie but that we are all sinners and are constrained to say that through the sinne of Adam we were all lost were made the enemies of God subiect to the wrath and iudgement of God and giltie of eternall death for this doe all terrified heartes feele and confesse and more in deede then they should do so can we not denie but that Christ died for our sinnes that he might make vs righteous For he died not to iustifie the righteous but the vnrighteous and to make them the children of God and inheritours of all spirituall heauenly gifts Therfore when I feele confesse my selfe to be a sinner through Adams traÌsgression why should I not say that I am made righteous through the righteousnes of Christ especially wheÌ I heare that he loued me gaue himselfe for me This did Paule most stedfastly beleue therfore he speaketh these wordes with so great a vehemencie and full assurance Which he graunt vnto vs in some part at the least who hath loised vs and geuen him selfe for vs. Verse 21. I doe not abrogate or reiect the grace of God Now he prepareth a way to the second argument of this epistle And here ye must diligently consider that to seeke to be iustified by the workes of the law is to reiect the grace of god But I pray you what sinne caÌ be more execrable or horrible then to reiect the grace of God and to refuse that righteousnes which cometh by Christ It is enough and to much already that we are wicked sinners and transgressours of all the commaundements of God and yet we commit moreouer the most execrable sinne of all sinnes in that
we doe so contemptuously refuse the grace of God and remission of sinnes offered vnto vs by Christ This blasphemy is more horrible then can be expressed There is no sinne which Paule and the other Apostles did so much detest as the contempt of grace and deniall of Christ and yet there is no sinne more common Hereof it cometh that Paule aboue the rest doth so sharply inuey against Antichrist for that he despiseth the grace of God and refuseth the benefite of Christ our high Priest who offered vp himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes Now thus to deny Christ what is it els but to spitte in his face to treade him vnder foote to set himselfe in his place and to say I will iustifie thee and will saue thee By what meanes By masses pilgrimages pardons merits and such like We see then how proudly Antichrist hath lift vp himselfe against and aboue God and set himself in the place of Christ reiected the grace of God and denied the faith For this is his doctrine Faith auaileth nothing saith he vnlesse it be ioyned with works and by this false and detestable doctrine he hath defaced darkned and vtterly buried the benefite of Christ in the steede of the grace of Christ and his kingdome he hath established the doctrine of works and the kingdome of ceremonies and hath confirmed the same with meere trifles and doting dreames and by this meanes he hath wrested the whole world out of Christes hands who alone ought to reigne in the conscience hath throwne it downe hedlong into hell Hereby we may easily vnderstand what it is to reiect and refuse the grace of God euen to seeke righteousnes by the law Now who hath euer heard that a man by keping of the law reiecteth grace Do we then sinne in keeping of the law No forsoth But we despise grace when we obserue the law to this end that we may be iustified through it The law is good holy and profitable and yet it iustifieth not He then that kepeth the law to be iustified therby reiecteth grace denieth Christ despiseth his sacrifice and will not be saued by this inestimable price but will satisfie for his sinnes through the righteousnes of the law or deserue grace by his owne righteousnes and this man blasphemeth and despiseth the grace of god Now what an horrible thing is it to say that any man should be so deuilish as to despise the grace and mercy of God And yet notwithstanding all the world doth so Albeit it can not abide that any man should so iudge of it but will seeme to doe high seruice and honour vnto god Now followeth the second argument Verse 21. For if righteousnes come by the lavve then Christ died in vaine Here againe I admonish you that Paule speaketh not of the ceremoniall law onely for this the Papistes doe alwaies alleage but of the whole law And these words of Paule are diligently to be considered in this wise It is true that Christ suffered death or not Againe did he suffer in vaine or not Here we are constrained to aunswere except we be starke madde that he suffered in very deede and that he suffered not in vaine nor for himselfe but for vs If then he suffered not in vaine it followeth of necessitie that righteousnes cometh not by the law Take now therfore the whole law and imagine that by the merite of coÌgruence or works going before grace thou hast so much profited that thou hast receaued grace and the spirite of God which is a thinge impossible vnto nature but yet admitte I say that in doing what in thee lieth thou hast obtained grace art made righteous and hast receaued the holy Ghost by the merite of congruence then hast thou no neede of Christ he is to thee vnprofitable and his death of none effect Moreouer take euen the law of the ten commaundements wherin is contained the true religion and the highest seruice of God that is to say faith the feare of God the loue of God and the loue of our neighbour and shew me any man that hath bene iustified therby yet is it true notwithstanding that Christ died in vaine For he that is iustified by the law hath power in himselfe to obtaine righteousnes For in that he doth what in him lieth he deserueth grace the holy Ghost is powred into him wherby he is now able to loue God and his neighbour This being graunted it must needes follow that Christ died in vaine For what neede of Christ hath he which both loueth Christ and geueth himselfe for him so that he is able by the merite of congruence before grace to obtaine grace and then to doe such works as by the merite of worthines after grace he is able to deserue eternall life Then take away Christ withall his benefits for he is vtterly vnprofitable But why was he borne why was he crucified why did he suffer why was he made my high Priest louing me and geuing Himselfe an inestimable sacrifice for me In vaine no doubt and to no purpose at all if righteousnes come by no other meanes then the Papistes teach for I finde no righteousnes but either in my selfe or in the law without grace and without Christ Is this horrible blasphemy to be suffered or dissembled that the diuine maiestie not sparing his owne deare sonne but deliuering him to death for vs all should not doe all these things seriously in good earnest but as it were in sport Before I would admit this blasphemie I would not only that the holines of all the Papists meritmongers but also of all the Saincts holy angels should be throwne downe into the bottome of hell condemned with the deuil Mine eies shall behold nothing els but this inestimable price my Lord Sauiour Christ He ought to be such a treasure vnto me that all other things should be but dunge in coÌparison of him He ought to be such a light vnto me that when I haue apprehended him by faith I should not know whether there be any law any sinne any righteousnes or any vnrighteousnes in the world For what is al that is either in heaueÌ or earth in coÌparisoÌ of the sonne of god Christ Iesus my lord Sauiour vvho loued me gaue hiÌself for me Wherfore to reiect the grace of God is an horrible sinne and commonly reigning throughout the world wherof al they are giltie which seeke righteousnes by their owne workes For whiles they seeke to be iustified by their owne works and merites or by the law they reiect the grace of God and Christ as I haue said And of all these abhominations the Pope hath bene the only author For he hath not onely defaced and troden the Gospell of Christ vnder his feete but hath also replenished the world with his cursed traditions And hereof amongest other enormities his bulles and pardons are a sufficient witnes wherby he
to the Gentiles by the only hearing of faith Therfore in no case are they to be burdened with the law To conclude since it is certaine that neither we nor our fathers were euer able to fulfill the law it behoueth you also to reiect this opinion that righteousnes and saluation commeth by the law And this did the beleeuing Iewes by litle and litle but the wicked which by this preaching were offended at the length were altogether hardened The commendation of that Booke which containeth the Actes of the Apostles So in the Acts ye shall finde both expositions and experience and the preachings of the Apostles and also examples for the confirmation of this matter against this obstinate opinion touching the righteousnes of the law And therfore we ought the more to loue the more diligently to read this booke because therin are contained most substantiall testimonies wherby our mindes may be comforted and confirmed against the Papistes our Iewes whose abhominations and coloured hypocrisie we resist and condemne by our doctrine that we may set forth the benefites and glory of Christ Who though they haue no substantiall matter to aledge against vs wheras the Iewes might haue laid against the Apostles that they had receaued the law all these ceremonies from God yet notwithstaÌding they are no lesse stubborne in defending their wicked traditions and abhominations then the Iewes were in mainteining their law which they had receaued froÌ God standing principally vpon this grounde that they are called to the place of Bishops that the power and aucthoritie of gouerning the Churches is committed vnto them This they do to the ende that they may bring vs into bondage and that they may wrest from vs this article that we are iustified not by faith formed and adorned with charitie as they say but by faith alone But we set before them the booke of the Actes that they may reade it and consider the examples contained therein There shall they finde this to be the summe and argument of that booke that we are iustified by faith onely in Christ without workes and that the holy Ghoste is geuen by the onely hearing of faithe at the preaching of the Gospell and not at the preaching or worke of the lawe Wherfore thus teach we O man although thou faste geue almes honour thy parents obey the magistrate c yet art thou not iustified therby This voice of the law honour thy parents or any other else either heard or fulfilled doth not iustifie What then To heare the voice of the spouse to heare the word of faith this worde of hearing doth iustifie Wherfore Because it bringeth the holy ghost which iustifieth and maketh righteous Hereby may we see what is the difference betwene the law and the Gospell The law neuer bringeth the holy Ghost but onely teacheth what we ought to doe therfore it iustifieth not But the Gospell bringeth the holy ghost because it teacheth what we ought to receaue Therefore the law and the Gospell are two contrary doctrines To ground righteousnes therfore in the law is nothing els but to fight against the Gospell For Moses with his law is a seuere exactor requiring of vs that we should worke and that we should geue briefely it exacteth of vs Contrariwise the Gospell geueth freely and requireth of vs nothing els but to hold out our hands and to take that which is offered Now to exacte and to geue to take and to offer are cleane contrary and can not stand together For that which is geuen I take but that which I geue I do not take but I offer it vnto an other Therfore if the Gospell be a gifte it requireth nothing Contrariwise the law geueth nothing but it requireth and streitly exacteth of vs yea euen impossible thinges Of Cornelius in the 10. of the Actes Here our aduersaries set against vs the example of Cornelius Cornelius say they was as Luke witnesseth a good man iust and fearing God vvhich gaue almes to the people and praied to God continually therefore of Congruence he did merite the forgeuenes of sinnes and the sending of the holy Ghost I aunswere Cornelius was a Gentile and this cannot the aduersaries deny For the words which Peter alledgeth in the 10. chapter of the Actes do plainly witnesse the same Ye knovv saith he that it is vnlavvful for a man that is a Ievv to accompany vvith one of an other nation but God hath shevved me that I should not call any man polluted or vncleane He was therfore a Gentile and not circumcised not keeping the law yea not once thinking of it because it pertained nothing vnto him And yet notwithstanding he was iustified and receaued the holy Ghost And this argument as I said is handled throughout the whole booke of the Actes to wit that the law auaileth nothing to righteousnes Let this suffice then for defence of the article of iustification that Cornelius was a Gentile not circumcised not keeping the law therfore was he not iustified by the lawe but by the hearing of faith God therefore iustifieth without the lawe and so consequently the law auaileth nothing to righteousnes For otherwise God woulde haue geuen the holy Ghost only to the Iewes which had the law kept it and not to the Gentiles which had not the law much lesse did accomplish it But God wrought cleane contrary For the holy Ghost was geuen to them that kept not the law wherfore righteousnes commeth not by the lawe By this meanes the obiection of the aduersaries which doe not vnderstand the true meane of iustification is aunswered Here againe the aduersaries do obiect against vs and say Be it so that Cornelius was a Gentile did not receaue the holy Ghost by the law yet notwithstanding forasmuch as the text saith plainly that he vvas a iust man fearing God geuing almes c. it might seeme that by these works he deserued to haue the holy ghost afterwards geuen vnto him I auÌswere that Cornelius was a iust a holy man in the old testament because of his faith in Christ which was to come as all the fathers prophets godly kings were righteous did receaue secretly the holy ghost thorough faith in Christ to come But these popish Sophisters put no difference betwene faith in Christ to come in Christ which is already come Wherfore if Cornelius had died before Christ was reueiled yet had he not bene damned because he had the faith of the fathers which were saued by faith onely in Christ to come Actes 15.11 He remained then alwaies a Gentile vncircumcised without the law yet notwithstanding he worshipped the selfe same God whom the father 's worshipped by faith in the Messias to come But now because the Messias was already come necessary it was that it should be shewed vnto him by the Apostle Peter that he was not now to be looked for but that he was already come And
sentences of the scriptures and not to expouÌd them By these words Abraham beleued Paule defineth and setteth before our eies a spirituall Abraham faithfull righteous and hauing the promise of God an Abraham I say which is not in errour and in the old flesh which is not borne of Adam but of the holy Ghost And of this Abraham renued by faith and regenerate by the holy Ghost speaketh the scripture and pronounceth of him that he should be a father of many nations Also that all the Gentiles should be geuen vnto him for an inheritaunce when it saith In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed The scripture then attributeth no righteousnes but vnto the beleuing Abraham and it speaketh of such an Abraham as he is accounted before god Therefore such sentences of the scripture doe set forth vnto vs a new Abraham which is separate from the carnall mariage and bed and from the carnall generation and is taken for such a one as he is before God that is to say beleuing and iustified through faith to whom now God maketh this promise because of his faith Thou shalt be a father of many nations Again In thee shall all the natioÌs of the earth be blessed And this is the meaning of Paule where he sheweth how the scripture preuenteth the vaine presumption and proude bragges of the Iewes as touching the lawe For the inheritaunce of the Gentiles was geuen vnto Abraham not by the law and circumcision but long before the same by the onely righteousnes of faith Therfore wheras the Iewes will be counted and called blessed because they are the children and seede of Abraham it is nothing else but a vaine glorious bragge It is no doubt a great prerogatiue and glory before the wââld to be borne of Abrahams seede as Paule sheweth Rom. 9 but not so before god Wherfore the Iewes doe wickedly peruert this place coÌcerning the Blessing in applying it onely to a carnal Blessing and do great iniurie to the scripture which speaketh most manifestly of the spirituall Blessing before God and neither can nor ought otherwise to be vnderstande This is then the true meaning of this place In thee shal be blessed In which thee In thee Abraham beleeuing or in thy faith or thy seede which is to come that is to say in Christ in whom thou beleuest all the nations of the earth I say shal be blessed that is all the nations shal be thy blessed children euen like as thou art blessed as it is writen So shall thy seede be Hereof it followeth that the Blessing Faith of Abraham is the same that ours is that Abrahams Christ is our Christ that Christ died aswell for the sinnes of Abraham as for vs Abraham vvhich savve my day and reioyced Io. 8. Therefore all sounde but one thinge We may not suffer this word Blessing to be corrupted The Iewes looke but through a veile into the scripture and therefore they vnderstande not what or whereof the promise is which was made to the fathers Which we notwithstanding ought to consider aboue all things So shal we see that God speaketh to Abraham the Patriarke not of the lawe nor of things to be done but of things to be beleued that is to say that God speaketh vnto him of promises which are apprehended by faith Now what doth Abraham He beleeueth those promises And what doth God to that beleeuing Abraham He imputeth faith vnto him for righteousnes and addeth further many moe promises as I am thy defender In thee shall all nations be blessed Thou shalt be a father of many nations So shall thy seede be These are inuincible arguments against the which nothing can be said if the places of the holy scripture be throughly considered Verse 9. So then they vvhich are of faith are blessed vvith faithfull Abraham All the weight and force lieth in these wordes vvith faithfull Abraham For he putteth a plaine difference betwene Abraham and Abraham of one and the selfe same person making two As if he sayde There is a working Abraham there is a beleuing Abraham With the working Abraham we haue nothing to doe For if he be iustified by works he hath to reioyce but not with god Let the Iewes glorie as much as they will of that begetting Abraham which is a worker is circumcised and keepeth the law but we glorie of the faithfull Abraham of whom the scripture saith that he receaued the Blessing of righteousnes through his faith not onely for himselfe but also for all those which beleue like as he beleued And so the world was promised to Abraham because he beleued Therefore all the world is blessed that is to say receaueth imputation of righteousnes if it beleue as Abraham did Wherfore the Blessing is nothing els but the promise of the Gospell And that all nations are blessed is asmuch to say as all nations shall heare the Blessing that is the promise of God shall be preached and published by the Gospell among all nations And out of this place the Prophets haue drawen many prophesies by a spirituall vnderstanding As Psal. 2 Aske of me and I vvill geue thee the heathen for thine inheritaunce and the endes of the earth for thy possession And againe Psal. 19 Their voice hath gone through all the earth Briefely all the prophesies of the kingdom of Christ and of the publishing of the Gospel throughout all the world haue sprong out of this place In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Wherefore to say that the nations are blessed is nothing els but that righteousnes is freely geuen vnto them or that they are couÌted righteous before God not through the lawe but by the hearing of faith For Abraham was not iustified by any other meanes then by hearinge the worde of promise of blessing and of grace Therefore like as Abraham obtained imputation of righteousnes by the hearing of faith euen so did all the Gentiles obtaine and yet doe obtaine the same For the same word that was first declared vnto Abraham was also afterward published to all the Gentiles Hereby then we see that to blesse signifieth nothing els but as I saide before to preach and teach the worde of the Gospell to confesse Christ and to spread abroad the knowledge of him among all the Gentiles And this is the office of the Priesthod and continuall sacrifice of the Church in the new testament which distributeth this Blessing by preaching and by ministring of the sacrameÌts by comforting the broken harted by distributing the worde of grace which Abraham had and which was also his Blessing which when he beleued he receaued the Blessing So we also beleuing the same are blessed And this blessing is a greate glorie not before the world but before god For we haue heard that our sinnes are forgeuen vs and that we are accepted of God that God is our father
they sayd I am Christ I am a Sauiour not onely of my selfe but also of others This the Monkes haue not onely taught but also haue made the whole world to beleeue to wit that they are able not onely to make them selues righteous thorowe their hypocriticall holines but also others vnto whom they coÌmunicate the same whereas notwithstanding it is the proper and onely office of Christ to iustifie the sinner The Pope in like manner by publishing and spreading his diuinitie throughout the whole world hath denied and vtterly buried the office and Diuinitie of Christ It is expedient that these things should be well taught and well weyed for therby we may learne to iudge of the whole Christian doctrine and the life of maÌ also to confirme mens consciences to vnderstaÌd all prophesies and all the holy scriptures and rightly to iudge of all other things He that knoweth all these things rightly may certainly iudge that the Pope is Antichrist because he teacheth a farre other maner of worship then the first table setteth out He may perfectly know and vnderstand what it is to denie God to denie Christ and what Christ meaneth when he sayth Many shall come in my name saying I am Christe What it is to be against God and to be lifted vp aboue all that is called God or that is vvorshipped What it signifieth that Antichrist sitteth in the temple of God shevving himselfe as God What it is to see the abhomination of desolation standing in the holy place c. Nowe hereof spring all these mischiefes that this cursed hypocrisie will not be made righteous by the diuine Blessing nor created a new of God the creatour It will in no wise be a patient or suffer any thing to be wrought in her but will needes be altogether an agent and worke those things which she should suffer God to worke in her and receaue of him Therfore she maketh her selfe a creator and a iustifier through her owne works despising the Blessing promised and geuen to Abraham and to his beleeuing Children So that euery hypocrite is bothe the matter and the worke although this be against Philosophie for one and the selfe same thing can not worke vpon it selfe the matter because he is a sinner the worker because he putteth on a cowle or chooseth some other worke through which he hopeth to deserue grace and to saue him selfe and others therefore he is both the creature and the creator Wherfore no man can expresse with words how execrable and horrible it is to seeke righteousnes in the lawe or by workes without the Blessing For it is the Abhomination standing in the holy place which denieth God and setteth vppe the creature in the place of the creatour The Doers therfore of the law are not the hypocrites doing the law outwardly but the true beleeuers who receauing the holy ghost doe fulfill the lawe that is to say they loue God and their neighbour So that a true Doer of the lawe is to be vnderstand not in respecte of the workes which he worketh but in respect of the person regenerate nowe by Faith. For according to the Gospel they that are made righteous doe righteous things but according to Philosophie it is not so but contrariwise they that doe righteous things are made righteous Therfore we being iustified by Faith do good workes through which as it is sayd .2 Pet. 1. our calling and election is coÌfirmed and from day to day is made more sure But because we haue but onely the first fruites of the spirite and haue not as yet the tenthes and the remnaunts of sinne doe still remaine in vs therfore we doe not the lawe perfectly But this imperfection is not imputed vnto vs which doe beleeue in Christ who was promised to Abraham and hath blessed vs For we are nourished and tenderly cherished in the meane season for Christes sake in the lappe of Gods long sufferance We are that wouÌded man which fell into the handes of theeues whose woundes the Samaritan bound vp pouring in oyle and wine and afterwardes laying him vpon his beast he brought him into the Inne and made prouision for him and departing commended him to the hoste saying Take care of him And thus we in the meane time are cherished as it were in an Inne vntill the Lord put to his hand the second time as Esay sayeth that he may deliuer vs. Wherfore the sentence of Moises Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all the things that are vvritten in this booke is not contrary to Paule who pronounceth all them to be accursed which are of the workes of the lawe For Moises requireth such a Doer as may do the lawe perfectly But where shall we haue him No where For Moises himselfe confesseth that he is not such a one for he sayth Exod. 34. That none is innoceÌt before God. And Dauid sayth Lord enter not into iudgement vvith thy seruaunt for no flesh is righteous in thy thy sight And Paule sayeth For vvhat I vvould that doe I not but vvhat I hate that doe I. Wherefore Moises together with Paule doth necessarily driue vs to Christe through whom we be made Doers of the lawe and are not accompted giltie of any transgression Howe so First by forgeuenes of sinnes imputation of righteousnes because of our Faith in Christ Secondly by the gift of God the holy Ghost which bringeth forth a newe life and newe motions in vs so that we may also doe the lawe effectually Nowe that which is not done is pardoned for Christes sake And moreouer what sinne so euer is lefte in vs is not imputed So Moises agreeth with Paule and meaneth the selfe same thing that he doth when he sayeth Cursed is euery one that abideth not c. For he sayeth that they doe not the law because they would make them selues righteous by workes and concludeth with Paule that they are vnder the Curse Therfore Moises requireth true Doers of the law which are of Faith euen as Paule condemneth those which are not true doers of the law that is to say which are not of faith Heerein is no repugnance that Moises spake negatiuely and Paule affirmatiuely so that ye define rightly what is meant by this worde Doe So both sentences are true to witte that all are accursed vvhich abide not in all that is vvrytten in this boke And that all they are accursed vvhich are of the vvorkes of the lavve An Aunswere to those argumentes which the aduersaries alleage against the doctrine and righteousnes of Faith. Seeing this place offereth vnto vs occasion we must say something as touching the arguments which our aduersaries doe obiect against the doctrine of Faith which is That vve are made righteous by Faith alone There are many places bothe in the olde Testament and in the newe as concerning workes and rewardes of works which our aduersaries doe alleage and
but for that he receaued them being committed or done of vs and layed them vpon his owne bodie that he might make satisfaction for them with his owne bloude Therefore this generall sentence of Moses comprehendeth him also albeit in his owne person he was innocente because it found him amongest sinners and transgressours Like as the magistrate taketh him for a theefe punisheth him whom he findeth amonge other theeues and transgressours though he neuer committed any thinge worthy of death Nowe Christ was not onely founde amonge sinners but of his owne accorde and by the will of his father he woulde also be a companion of sinners takinge vpon him the flesh and bloud of those which were sinners theeues and plunged in all kindes of sinne When the lawe therefore founde him among theeues it condemned and killed him as a theefe The Sophisters and Scholemen doe spoile vs of this knowledge of Christe and moste heauenly comforte namely that Christe was made a Curse to the ende he might deliuer vs from the Curse of the lawe when they separate him from sinnes and sinners and onely sette him out vnto vs as an example to be followed By this meanes they make Christ not onely vnprofitable vnto vs but also a Iudge and a Tyraunte which is angry with our sinnes and condemneth sinners But we must as well wrappe Christ and knowe him to be wrapped in our sinnes in our malediction in our death and in all our euils as he is wrapped in our flesh and in our bloud But some man will say It is very obsurde and sclaunderous to call the Sonne of God a cursed sinner I aunswere If thou wilt denye him to be a sinner and to be accursed deny also that he was crucified and died For it is no lesse absurde to say that the Sonne of God as our faith confesseth and beleeueth was crucified and suffered the paines of sinne and death then to say that he is a sinner and accursed But if it be not absurde to confesse and beleue that Christ was crucified betwene two theeues then is it not absurde to saye also that he was accursed and of all sinners the greatest These wordes of Paule are not spoken in vaine Christ vvas made a Curse for vs God made Christ vvhich knevve no sinne to become sinne for vs that vve in him might be made the righteousnes of god 2. Cor. 5. After the same maner Iohn the Baptist calleth him The Lambe of God vvhich taketh avvay the sinnes of the vvorlde He verely is innocente because he is the vnspotted and vndefiled Lambe of god But because he beareth the sinnes of the worlde his innocencie is charged with the sinnes and gilte of the whole worlde Whatsoeuer sinnes I thou and we all haue done or shall doe hereafter they are Christes owne sinnes as verely as if he him selfe had done them To be briefe our sinne must needes become Christes owne sinne or els we shall perish for euer This true knowledge of Christ which Paule and the Prophetes haue moste plainely deliuerede vnto vs the wicked Scholemen and Sophisters haue darkened and defaced Esay in the .53 chapter speaketh thus of Christ God saith he laid the iniquitie of vs all vpon him We must not make these wordes lesse then they are but leaue them in their owne proper signification For God dallieth not in the wordes of the Prophet but speaketh earnestly of greate loue to wit that Christ this Lambe of God shoulde beare the sinnes of vs all But what is it to beare The Sophisters auÌswere to be punished Wery well But wherfore is Christ punished It is not because he hath sinne and beareth sinne Nowe that Christe hath sinne the holy Ghoste witnesseth in the 40. Psalme My sinnes haue taken suche holde of me that I am not able to looke vppe yea they are more in number then the heares of my heade In this psalme and certaine others the holy Ghost speaketh in the person of Christe and in plaine wordes wittenesseth that he had sinnes For this testimonie is not the voice of an innocent Christ but of a suffering Christ which tooke vpon him to beare the person of all sinners and therefore was made giltie of the sinnes of the whole worlde Wherefore Christ was not onely crucified and died but sinne also through the diuine loue was laide vpon him When sinne was layed vpon him then cometh the lawe and saith euery sinner must dye Therefore O Christ if thou wilt aunswere become giltie and suffer punishment for sinners thou must also beare sinne and malediction Paule therefore doth very well alleadge this generall sentence out of Moses as concerning Christ Euery one that hangeth vpon the tree is the accursed of God but Christ hath hanged vpon the tree therefore Christ is the accursed of God. And this is a singular consolation for all Christians so to cloth Christ with our sinnes and to wrappe him in my sinnes thy sinnes and in the sinnes of the whole world and so to beholde him bearing all our iniquities For the beholdinge of him after this manner shall easilie vanquish all the fantasticall opinions of the Papistes concerning the iustification of workes For they doe imagine as I haue sayde a certaine faith formed and adorned with charitie By this say they sinnes are taken away and meÌ are iustified before God. And what is this els I pray you but to vnwrappe Christ and to strip him quite out of our sinnes to make him innocente and to charge and ouerwhelme our selues with our owne sinnes and to looke vpon them not in Christ but in our selues Yea what is this els but to take Christ cleane away and to make him vtterly vnprofitable vnto vs For if it be so that we put away sinne by the workes of the law and charitie then Christ taketh them not away For if he be the Lambe of God ordained from the beginning to take away the sinnes of the world and moreouer if he be so wrapped in our sinnes that he be became accursed for vs it must needes followe that we can not be iustified by workes For God hath laide our sinnes not vpon vs but vpon his Sonne Christ that he bearing the punishment thereof might be our peace and that by his stripes we might be healed Therefore they can not be taken away by vs To this all the Scripture beareth witnesse and we also doe confesse the same in the Articles of the Christian beleefe when we say I beleue in Iesus Christ the Sonne of God which suffered was crucified and died for vs. Hereby it appeareth that the doctrine of the Gospel which of all other is most sweete and ful of singular consolations speaketh nothing of our workes or of the workes of the lawe but of the inestimable mercy and loue of God towardes vs most wretched and miserable sinners to witte that our most mercifull father seeing vs to be oppressed and ouerwhelmed with
Also they know that they haue an euerlastiÌg righteousnes which they wait for through hope as a certaine and sure possession laid vp for them in heauen euen when they feele the horrible terrours of sinne and death Moreouer that they are then Lordes of all things when they are most destitute of all things according to that saying hauing nothing and yet possessing all things This sayeth the Scripture is to conceaue comfort through hope But this cunning is not learned without great and often tentations Verse 6. For in Iesus Christe neither circumcision auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but Faith vvhich vvorketh by loue That is to say Faith which is not fained nor hypocritical but true and liuely This is that faith which exerciseth requireth good works through loue It is as much to say as He that will be a true Christian in deede or one of Christes kingdom must be a true beleuer Now he beleueth not truely if workes of charitie folow not his Faith. So on both hands as well on the right hand as on the left he shutteth hypocrites out of Christes kingdom On the left hand he shutteth out the Iewes and all such as will worke their owne saluation saying In Christ neither circumcision that is to say no works no seruice no worshipping no kinde of life in the world but faith without any trust in works or merites auaileth before god On the right hand he shutteth out all slouthfull and idle persons which say if faith iustifie without works then let vs worke nothing but let vs onely beleue and doe what we list Not so ye enemies of grace Paule sayeth otherwise And although it be true that onely faith iustifieth yet he speaketh here of Faith in an other respect that is to say that after it hath iustified it is not idle but occupied and exercised in working through loue Paule therfore in this place setteth forth the whole life of a Christian man namely that inwardly it consisteth in faith towards God and outwardly in charitie and good works towardes our neighbour So that a man is a perfect Christ an inwardly through faith before God who hath no neede of our workes and outwardly before men to whom our Faith profiteth nothing but our charitie or our works Therfore when we haue heard or vnderstaÌd of this forme of Christian life to witte that it is faith and charitie as I haue sayd it is not yet declared what Faith or what charitie is for this is an other question For as touching faith or the inward nature force and vse of Faith he hath spoken before Where he shewed that it is our righteousnes or rather our iustification before god Here he ioyneth it with charitie and workes that is to say he speaketh of the externall office thereof which is to stirre vs vp to doe good workes and to bring forth in vs the frutes of charitie to the profite of our neighbour Verse 7. Ye did runne vvell vvho did let you that ye did not obey the truth These are plaine wordes Paule affirmeth that he teacheth them the truth and the selfe same thing that he taught them before and that they ranne well so long as they obeyed the truth that is they beleued and liued rightly but now they did not so since they were misled by the false apostles Moreouer he vseth here a new kinde of speech in calling the Christian life a course or a race For among the Hebrues to runne or to walke signifieth as much as to liue or to be conuersant The teachers doe runne when they teach purely and the hearers or learners doe runne when they receaue the word with ioy and when the frutes of the spirite doe folow Which thing was done as long as Paule was present as he witnessed before in the third and fourth chap. And here he sayeth Ye did runne vvell that is to say all things went forward well and happely among you ye liued very well ye went on the right way to euerlasting life which the word of God promised you c. These wordes Ye did runne vvell containe in them a singuler comfort This tentation oftentimes exerciseth the godly that their life seemeth vnto them to be rather a certaine slow creeping then a running But if they abide in sound doctrine and walke in the spirite lette this nothing trouble them thoughe their doings seeme to goe slowly forward or rather to creepe God iudgeth farre otherwise For that which seemeth vnto vs to be very slow scarsely to creepe runneth swiftly in Gods sight Againe that which is to vs nothing els but sorrow mourning and death is before God ioy mirth true happines Therfore Christ sayth Blessed are ye that mourne vveepe for ye shal receaue coÌfort ye shall laugh c. All things shall turne to the best to them which beleue in the sonne of God be it sorrow or be it death it selfe Therefore they be true runners in deede and whatsoeuer they doe it runneth well goeth happely forward by the furtherance of Gods spirite which can not skill of slow procedings Verse 7. VVho did let you that you did not obey the truth They are hindred in this course which fall away from Faith and grace to the lawe and workes as it hapned to the Galathians being misled and seduced by the false apostles whom he couertly reprehendeth with these wordes vvho did let you that ye did not obey the truth In like maner he sayd before in the third Chap. vvho hath bevvitched you that ye should not obey the truth And here Paule sheweth by the way that men are so strongly bewitched with false doctrine that they embrace lies heresies in the sted of the truth and spirituall doctrine And on the other side they say and sweare that the sound doctrine which before they loued is erroneous that their errour is sound doctrine maintaining and defending the same with all their power Euen so the false apostles brought the Galathians which ranne well at the beginning into this opinion to beleue that they erred and went very slowly forward when Paule was their teacher But afterwardes they being seduced by the false apostles and falling cleane away from the truth were so strongly bewitched with their false perswasion that they thought them selues to be in an happie state and that they ranne very well The same hapneth at this day to such as are seduced by the Sectaries and fantasticall spirits Therfore I am wont to say that falling in doctrine cometh not of man but of the Deuil and is most perillous to witte euen from the high heauen to the bottom of hell For they that continue in errour are so farre of from acknowledging their sinne that they maintaine the same to be high righteousnes Wherfore it is vnpossible for them to obtaine pardon Verse 8. It is not the persvvasion of him that calleth you This is a great consolation and a singulare doctrine whereby
vnder the Pope Now Paule goeth about to declare out of the ten commaundements what it is to serue one an other through loue Verse 14. For the vvhole lavve is fulfilled in one vvord vvhich is this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Paule after that he hath laid the foundation of Christian doctrine is wont to build gold siluer and precious stones vpon it Now there is no other foundation as he himselfe sayeth to the Corinthians than Iesus Christ or the righteousnes of Christe Vpon this foundation he buildeth now good workes yea good workes in deede all which he comprehendeth in one precept Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe As if he should say when I say that ye must serue one an other through loue I meane the selfe same thing that the lawe sayeth in an other place Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And this is truely to interprete the Scriptures and Gods commaundements Now in geuing preceptes of loue he couertly toucheth by the way the false teachers against whom he setteth him selfe mightely that he may defend and stablish his doctrine of good workes against them As if he sayd O ye Galathians I haue hetherto taught you the true and spirituall life and now also I will teach you what be good workes in deede And this will I doe to the ende ye may know that the vaine and foolish workes of ceremonies which the false Apostles doe onely vrge are farre inferiour to the workes of charitie For such is the foolishnes and madnes of all wicked teachers and fantasticall spirites that not onely they leaue the true foundation and pure doctrine but also continuing alwayes in their superstitions they neuer attaine to good workes Therefore as Paule sayeth they build nothing but woode hay and stubble vppon the foundation So the false apostles which were the most earnest defenders of workes did not teach or require the workes of charitie as that Christians shuld loue one an other that they should be ready to helpe their neighbours in all necessities not onely with their goods but also with their body that is to say with tounge hand heart and with their whole strength but onely they required that circumcision should be kept that dayes monethes yeres and times should be obserued and other good workes they could teach none For after they had destroyed the foundation which is Christ darkened the doctrine of Faith it was impossible that there should remaine any true vse exercise or opinion of good workes Take away the tree the frute must needes perish The Apostle therfore diligently exhorteth the Christians to exercise themselues in good workes after that they haue heard and receaued the pure doctrine of Faith. For the remnauntes of sinne doe yet still remaine euen in those that be iustified which as they are contrary to Faith and hinder it so doe they hinder vs from doing good workes Moreouer mans reason and the flesh which in the sainctes them selues resisteth the spirite and in the wicked doth mightely raigne is naturally delited with Pharisaicall superstitions that is to say it taketh more pleasure in measuring God by her owne imaginations than by his word and doth the works that she her selfe hath chosen with farre greater zeale then those which God hath commaunded Wherfore it is necessary that the godly preachers should as diligently teach and vrge the doctrine of good workes as the doctrine of Faith for Satan is a deadly enemie to both Notwithstanding faith must first be planted for without Faith it is impossible to vnderstand what a good worke is or what pleaseth God. Let no man thinke therefore that he thorowly knoweth this commauÌdement Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe In deede it is very short and easy as touching the wordes but shew me the teachers and hearers that in teaching learning and liuing doe exercise and accomplish it rightly Therefore these wordes Serue ye one an other through loue and these also Thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy self are incomprehensible no man no not euen the godly doe sufficiently consider teach and exercise the same And which is a woÌderful thing the faithfull haue this tentation that if they omit neuer so light a matter which they ought to do by and by their conscience is wounded but they are not so troubled if they neglect the dueties of charitie as daily they doe or beare not a sincere and brotherly loue and affection towards their neighbour For they doe not so much regard the commaundement of charitie as their owne superstitions from the which they be not altogether free during this life Paule therfore reprehendeth the Galathians in these words For the vvhole lavv is fulfilled in one vvord As if he had said ye are drowned in your superstitions ceremonies concerning places times which profit neither your selues nor others and in the meane while ye neglect charitie which ye ought onely to haue kept What madnes is this So sayth Ierome We weare coÌsume our bodies with watching fasting and labour but we neglect charitie which is the onely lady mistresse of workes And this may be wel seene in the Monkes who straitly obserue their traditions concerning their ceremonies fasting watching apparel such like In this case if they omitte any thing be it neuer so litle they sinne deadly But wheÌ they do not only neglect charitie but also hate one an other to the death they sinne not nor offend God at all Therefore by this commaundement Paule not onely teacheth good works but also coÌdemneth fantasticall and superstitious works He not onely buildeth gold siluer and precious stones vpon the foundation but also throweth downe the woode and burneth vp the hay stubble God witnessed by examples in the olde Testament how much he did alwayes esteme of charitie whervnto he would haue that very law it self and the ceremonies therof to geue place At such time as Dauid and they that were with him were hungrie and had not what to eate they did eate the holy shewbread which by the lawe the lay people might not eate but onely the priests Christes disciples brake the Saboth in plucking the eares of corne yea and Christ him selfe brake the Saboth as sayd the Iewes in healing the sicke on the Saboth day All these things shew that charitie or loue ought to be preferred before all lawes ceremonies that God requireth nothing so much at our handes as loue towardes our neighbour The same thing Christe also witnesseth when he sayeth And the second is like vnto this Verse 14. For all the lavv is fulfilled in one vvord As if he sayd Why doe ye burden your selues with the lawe Why doe ye so toile and tormoile your selues about the ceremonies of the law about meates dayes places and such other things as how ye ought to eate drinke keepe your feastes sacrifice c. Leaue of these follies and hearken what
imagination the Monkes and Scholemen hadde of their Sainctes as though they hadde bene very senselesse blockes and without all affections The virgine Marie felt great griefe and sorowe of spirite when she missed her sonne Luke 2. Dauid in the Psalmes complaineth that he is almost swalowed vppe with excessiue sorrowe for the greatnes of his temptations and sinnes Paule also complaineth that he hath battelles without and terrours within and that in his flesh he serueth the lawe of sinne He sayeth that he is carefull for all the Churches and that God shewed great mercie towardes him in that he deliuered Epaphroditus being at the poynt of death to life againe lest he should haue had sorrow vppon sorrow Therefore the Sainctes of the Papists are like to the Stoickes who imagined such wise men as in all the world were neuer yet to be found And by this foolish and Deuelish perswasion which proceeded of the ignoraunce of this doctrine of Paule the Scholemen brought both them selues and others without number into horrible desperation When I was a Monke I did oftentimes most hartely wish that I might once be so happy as to see the conuersation and life of some Sainct or holy man But in the meane time I imagined such a Sainct as liued in the wildernes abstaining from meat and drinke and liuing onely with rootes of herbes and colde water and this opinion of those monstrous sainctes I had learned not onely out of the bookes of the Sophisters and Scholemen but also out of the bookes of the fathers For thus wryteth Hierome in a certaine place As touching meates and drinkes I say nothing for as much as it is excesse that eueÌ such as are weake and feeble should vse cold water or eate any sodden thing c. But now in the light of the Gospel we plainly see who they are whom Christ and his Apostles call Saincts Not they which liue a sole a single life or straitly obserue dayes meates apparel such other things or in outward appearance do other great monstrous works as we read of many in the liues of the fathers but they which being called by the sound of the Gospell and baptised doe beleue that they be iustified and clensed by the death of Christ So Paule euery where wryting to Christians calleth them holy the children and heires of God c. Who so euer then doe beleue in Christe whether they be men or women bond or free are all Sainctes not by their owne workes but by the workes of God which they receiue by Faith as his word his Sacraments the passion of Christ his death resurrection victorie and the sending of the holy Ghost To conclude they are Sainctes through such a holines as they freely receaue not through such a holines as they them selues haue gotten by their owne industrie good workes and merites So the ministers of the worde the Magistrates of common weales parents children maisters seruauntes c. are true Saincts if first and before all things they assure themselues that Christ is their wisedom righteousnes sanctification and redemption Secondly if euery one doe his duetie in his vocation according to the rule of Gods word and obey not the flesh but represse the lustes and desires thereof by the spirite Now where as all be not of like strength to resist temptatioÌs but many infirmities and offences are seene in the most part of men this nothing hindereth their holines so that their sinnes procede not of an obstinate wilfulnes but onely of frailtie and infirmitie For as I haue sayd before the godly doe feele the desires and lusts of the flesh but they resist them to the ende that they accomplish them not Also if they at any time vnaduisedly fall into sinne yet notwithstaÌding they obtaine forgeuenes thereof if by Faith in Christe they be raised vppe againe who would not that we should driue away but seeke out and bring whom the straying and lost sheepe c. Therfore God forbid that I should straighte way iudge those which are weake in Faith and maners to be prophane or vnholy if I see that they loue reuerence the word of God to come to the supper of the Lord c. For these God hath receaued counteth them righteous thorough the remissioÌ of sinnes to him they stand or fall c. Wherefore with great reioysing I geue thankes to God for that he hath abundantly and aboue measure graunted that vnto me which I so earnestly desired of him when I was a Monke For he hath geuen vnto me the grace to see not one but many Sainctes yea an infinite nomber of true sainctes not such as the Sophisters haue deuised but such as Christe himselfe his Apostles doe describe Of the which nomber I assure my selfe to be one For I am baptised and I doe beleue that Christ my Lord by his death hath redemed and deliuered me from all my sinnes and hath geuen to me eternall righteousnes and holines And let him be holden accursed who so euer shall not geue this honour vnto Christe to beleue that by his death his word c. he is iustified and sanctified Wherfore reiecting this foolish and wicked opinion concerning the name of Saincts which in the time of Poperie and ignorance we thought to pertaine onely to the Sainctes which are in heauen and in earth to the Heremites and Monkes which did certaine great and straunge workes let vs now learne by the holy Scripture that all they which faithfully beleue in Christ are Saincts The world hath in great admiration the holines of Benedict Gregorie Bernard Fraunces and such like because it heareth that they haue done in outward appearance and in the iudgement of the world certaine great and excellent workes Doutles Hyllarie Cyrill Athanasius Ambrose Augustine and others were Saincts also which liued not so strait and seuere a life as they did but were conuersant amongs men and did eate common meates drunke wine and vsed clenly and comely apparell so that in a maner there was no difference betwene them other honest men as touching the common custome and the vse of things necessary for this life and yet were they to be preferred farre aboue the other These men taught the doctrine and faith of Christe sincerely purely without any superstition they resisted heretikes they purged the church from innumerable errours their company and familiaritie was comfortable to many and specially to those which were afflicted and heauie harted whom they raised vppe and comforted by the word of god For they did not withdraw them selues from the company of men but they executed their offices euen where most resort of people was Contrariwise the other not onely taught many things contrary to the Faith but also were themselues the authors first inuentours of many superstitions errours abhominable ceremonies and wicked worshippings Therefore except at the houre of death they laid hold of Christe and reposed their whole
Wherfore it was not possible for them to vnderstaÌd Paule But here we may plainly see that Paule reckeneth idolatry and heresy amoÌgs the works of the flesh which two as before we haue said reason estemeth to be most high excelleÌt vertues wisedoÌ religion holines rightousnes Paul Col. 2. calleth it the religion of angels But although it seeme to be neuer so holy spiritual yet is it nothiÌg else but a worke of the flesh an abhomination and idolatry against the Gospell against faith and against the true seruice of god This do the faithfull see for they haue spirituall eyes but the Iusticiaries iudge the contrary For a Monke can not be perswaded that his vowes be works of the flesh So the Turke beleueth nothing lesse then that his Alcaron his washings and other ceremonies which he obserueth be workes of the flesh VVitchcraft Of witchcraft I haue spoken before in the .3 Chap. This vice was very coÌmon in these our dayes before the light truth of the gospel was reueled WheÌ I was a child there were many witches sorcerers which bewitched both cattel men but specially children did great harme also otherwise But now in the light of the Gospell these things be not so commonly heard of for the Gospell thrusteth the Deuill out of his seat with all his illusions But now he bewitcheth meÌ much more horribly namely with spirituall sorcerie and witchcraft Paule reckneth witchcraft among the works of the flesh which notwithstanding as all meÌ know is not a work of fleshly lust or lechery but a kinde of idolatry For witchcraft couenanteth with the Deuil superstition or idolatrie couenanteth with God albeit not with the true God but with a counterfet god Wherfore idolatry is in dede a spiritual witchcraft For as witches doe enchaunt cattel men so idolaters that is to say all Iusticiaries or iustifiers of theÌselues go about to bewitch god and to make him such a one as they doe imagine Now they imagine him to be such a one as will iustifie them not of his mere grace and mercy and through Faith in Christe but in respect of their wil worshipping and works of their owne choosing and in recompeÌce therof wil geue them righteousnes and life euerlasting But whiles they go about to bewitch God they bewitch theÌselues For if they continue in this wicked opinion which they coÌceiue of God they shall die in their idolatrie and be damned The workes of the flesh are well knowne for the most part therfore they shall not neede any further declaration Sectes By the name of Sects Paule meaneth here not those diuisions or contentions which rise sometimes in the gouernment of housholdes or of common weales for worldly and earthly matters but those which rise in the Church about doctrine Faith and workes Heresies that is to say Sectes haue alwayes bene in the Church as we haue sayd before in diuers places Notwithstanding the Pope is an Archhereticke and the head of all heretickes for he hath filled the world as it were with an huge floud of infinite Sectes and errours What concord and vnitie was there in so great diuersitie of the Monkes and other religious Orders No one sort or Sect of them could agree with an other for they measured their holines by the straitnes of their Orders Hereof it commeth that the Carthusian wil needes be counted holier then the Franciscane so likewise the rest Wherfore there is no vnity of spirit nor concord of mindes but great discord in the papisticall church There is no conformitie in their doctrine faith religion or seruing of God but all things are cleane contrary Contrariwise amongst the Christians the word faith religion sacrameÌts seruice Christ God hart soule mind vnderstaÌding are all one and commoÌ to all and as touching outward conuersation the diuersitie of states degrees conditioÌs of life hindreth this spirituall concord and vnitie nothing at all as before I haue sayd And they which haue this vnitie of the spirit can certainly iudge of all Sects which otherwise no man vnderstandeth As in deede no diuine in that Papacie vnderstode that Paule in this place coÌdemneth all the worshippings religioÌs coÌtinencie honest conuersation holy life in outward appearance of all the Papists Sectaries schismatikes but they all thought that he speaketh of the grosse idolatrie and heresies of the Gentiles Turks which manifestly blaspheme the name of Christ Dronkennes Gluttonie Paule doth not say that to eate drinke be workes of the flesh but to be druÌken to surfet which of all other vices are most coÌmon at this day Who so are geuen to this beastly dissolutenes excesse let them know that they are not spiritual how much so euer they boast them selues so to be but they folow the flesh and performe the filthie workes thereof Therfore is this horrible sentence pronouÌced against them that they shal not be inheritours of the kingdom of god Paule would therfore that ChristiaÌs should flie drunkennes surfetting liuing soberly moderately without all excesse lest by paÌpering the flesh they shuld be prouoked to waÌtonnes As in deede after surfetting belly cheare the flesh is wont to waxe wanton to be inflamed with outragious lust But it is not sufficieÌt only to restraine this outragious waÌtonnes lust of the flesh which foloweth druÌkennes surfetting or any maner of excesse but also the flesh when it is most sobre in his best teÌperance must be subdued repressed lest it fulfill his lustes desires For it oftentimes cometh to passe that eueÌ they which are most sobre are tempted most of al As Hierom wryteth of himselfe My face sayth he was pale with fasting my minde was enflamed with fleshly desires in my cold body and although my flesh was half dead alredy yet that flames of vnclene lust boiled within me Hereof I my selfe also had experieÌce wheÌ I was a MoÌke The heat therfore of vncleane lusts is not queÌched by fastiÌg only but we must be aided also by the spirite that is by the meditation of Gods word faith praier In deede fasting represseth the grosse assaultes of fleshly lust but the desires of the flesh are ouercome by no abstinence from meates an drinkes but onely by the meditation of the word of God and inuocation of Christe Verse 21. And such like For it is vnpossible to recken vp all the workes of the flesh Verse 21. VVherof I tell you as I haue also told you before that they vvhich doe such things shall not inherite the kingdom of God. This is a very hard a terrible saying but yet very necessary against false ChristiaÌs and careles hypocrites which bragge of the Gospell of Faith of the spirit and yet in all securitie they performe the workes of the flesh But chiefly the heretickes being puffed vp with opinions of spirituall matters as they
haue sinned and had their infirmities yet God hath deliuered vnto vs by their ministerie vvhatsoeuer he vvould haue vs to folovv vvithout corruption * 2. Sam. 7.3.4.5 Actes 1.6 Peter sinned Math. 28. Actes 10.11 No Sainctes vvithout sin Dissention betvvene Paule and Barnabas Actes 15.1.2.3 The fauls of the Sainctes bring great comfort vnto vs. Iudges 1.6 2 Sam 11.24 Iob. 3.12 Iob. 4 c. Ierem. 10.14 Ionas 4 3. Peter liueth vvith the GeÌtiles like a Gentile 1 Cor. â 20.21 The offence of Peter VVhat the beleuing Ievves gathered of Peters abstaining A facte is one thing and the end of a facte an other Meates may be refused tvvo maner of vvaies 1 Cor. 9. The dissimulation of Peter The sinne of Peter A fall in doctrine is easy The Councell holden at Ierusalem Acts. 15. 1. Cor. 10.12 * Ceremonies are daungerous and if such offence come by keping those vvhich vvere commaunded of God vvhat may vve think of such as Antechrist hath deuised seruing to no edification Peters dissimulation Dissimulation vvhat it is * Paphnutius stoode in the defence of the mariage of ministers against the vvhole Councell The lavve and the Gospell must be discerned one from the other The lavve and reason are against faith VVhat vve must do vvheÌ our coÌscience is terrified Exod. 19.16 Moises in the mountaine vvas aboue the lavv so in matters of faith vve must haue nothing to doe vvith the lavv VVe must not trust in our ovvn streÌgth VVithout Gods assistaÌce vve can doe nothing Luc. 17.5 Peter knovveth not his errour The difference of the lavve and the Gospel is most diligently to be learned The difference betvvene the lavv and the Gospell VVhen the lavv is to be vrged The lavv hath nothing to do vvith the conscience The Pope maketh the Gospell lavv and confoundeth them both together Hovv necessary this difference is to be knovven The Gospell a straunger in tentations The lavve a continuall gest The time of the Gospell An obiection of the lavv VVhen vve must heare the lavv To liue like the Ievves Peter through his dissimulation compelled the Gentiles to liue like the Ievves Things indifdifferent may not clogge mens consciences Peters errour Libertie of conscience 2. Cor. 11. â VVhat an afflicted conscience ought chiefly to looke vpon Galat. 1.14 The prerogatiue of the Ievves Gen. 17.10 Iohn 8.33 Rom. 2.17 Faith onely iustifieth All things deadly vvithout faith The vvorke of the lavve VVorks done before iustification and after iustification Cicero Pomponius Atticus Paule intreateth of the vvhole lavve The Papistes Diuinitie Merite of Congruence Merite of duetie and vvorthines The doctryne of the Papistes vvicked and blasphemous against Christ and his righteousnes VVhat the Papistes call deadly sinne A description of a deadly or mortall sinner Desert of congruence and vvorthines a vaine and folish toy The ground of the vvhole Popedom The first poynt of true Christianitie is that a man do acknovvledge himselfe to be a sinner Math. 7 1â Rom. 14.23 The second part is to beleue the forgeuenes of our sinnes Iohn 3.17 The office of the lavve MeritmoÌgers take from God the glory of his Godhead The vanitie of the Papistes in that foolish distinction of congrunuum condigâm VVhat the Papistes call formall righteousnes The Papistes take their formall righteousnes vvhich they call charitie to be that grace vvherby vve are made acceptable vnto God. Scotus Occam The pernicious opinion of the Papistes Iohn 17.1 The doctrine of the Sophisters The lavv fulfilled tvvo maner of vvaies say the Papistes according to the substance of the deede and according to the intent or purpose of the CommauÌder True Christian faith Christ is the obiect vvhich faith beholdeth and looketh vpon Exod. 19.9 1. Reg. 8.10 Formall righteousnes Rom. 3.15 Psal. 14.1 Psal. 53.4 Psal. 51.4 Rom. 7.14 Rom. 11.32 Rom. 3.19 The â parte of the Gospell Mat. 9.1 Esai 53.4 1. Pet. 2.24 Christ is no lavvgeuer Verse 12. Verse 24.25 Rom. 3.25 Rom. 4.3 Christ Faith. Imputation Ebr. 4. Acceptation necessary They that beleue in Christ shall not be charged vvith their sinnes Psal. 32. Rom. 4.21 Io. 17. â The doctrine of good vvorkes to be taught after the doctrine of faith The Crosse Math. 11.30 VVho is a right ChristiaÌ A Christian man hath nothing to doe vvith the lavve 1. Cor. 9.15 Christians are Iudges of all kindes of doctryne The doctrine of the Pope 2. Pet. â â The Papacie liuely painted out Papisticall Idolatrie The true vse of the Communion taken avvay by the Pope The horrible abuse of the gospell and Sacraments in the Popedome That the Scholemens glose is vvicked vvhich saith that faith adorned vvith charitie iustifieth 1. Cor. 1â 1 Faith iustifieth vvithout the lavv The doctrine of good vvorkes is not to be neglected Christ Iohn 6.56 Io. 1.36 Faith onely iustifieth because it onely taketh hold of the benefite of Christ Paule speaketh of the vvhole lavv Genes 15.6 Rom. 4.3 The lavve in any vvise is not to be suffred to raigne in the conscience Rom. 5.2 Rom. 7.7 Our saluation consisteth not in doing but in receauing Hetherto hath Paule spoken to Peter VVhat Paule calleth the flesh Galat. 9.19.20 Iohn 3.6 The blindenes of the Papistes The Pope attributeth the vertue of iustifying to his ovvne traditions vvhich Paule taketh from the lavv of God. VVho vvere saued in the kingdom of the Pope Rom. 1.28 VVith the Papists mans traditions are preferred before the Gospell Sam. 2.30 Iohn 5.23 The dignitie of the lavv The first argument in defence of the righteousnes of faith The Iusticiaries make Moses Christ and the lavve grace Math. 19.17 Christ The office of Christ Rom. 1.16 Iohn 1.36 MeritemoÌgers scorne the true preachers of faith Luke 10.18 The differeÌce of the lavve and grace is very easie but yet are they soone confounded and mixed together The Pope coÌfoundeth the lavve grace together Faith infused the ScholemeÌ call that faith vvhich is poured into vs or geuen vnto vs of God. The Papistes and Anabaptistes against the sound doctrine of iustification They that say the lavve is necessary to righteousnes are like to the false apostles Luke 10 2â Math. 19 1â The state of the matter Verse 17. If our righteousnes come by the lavve then is Christ in vaine Faith in Christ Ioh. 3.16 Ioh. 5. â4 The doctrine of the Papists Ioh. 1 2â.36 The Papistes are touched 2. Cor. 3.6.7.8 The ministery of Moses A minister of sinne Let all Papists and Anabaptistes marke this point that euen in the iustified there is not perfect fredom from sinne Rom. 7.23 1. Timot. 1.7 The office and vse of the lavv To be vnder the lavv Deut. 27.6 Galat. 3.10 2. Cor. 3.7 The ministery of the lavv is the ministery of sinne Rom. 7.11 Exod. 5. The scripture calleth the teachers of the lavv exactors and tirants The teachers of the lavve bring mens soules into spirituall slauery The history of the deliuery of the lavv in Exod. 19.20 Verse 17. The office of
profite that commeth to the godly by the tentation of Satan 1. Iohn 4.4 2. Cor. 12.9 Sathan continually bevvitcheth meÌ Iob. 1. â Io. â 44 The false Apostles bevvitchers of men The example of Doctor Kraus The deuils definition of a false Christ The Godly must diligently vvatch VVorldly and secure men are soone bevvitched VVitchcraft vvhat it is VVho are bevvitched An other goodly commendation of the righteousnes of the lavve 1. Iohn 5.16 Hebr. 6.4.5.6 The errour of the Nonations VVho returne not to the truthe The Aposââo vseth bitter and rough vvordes Heb. 6. â They that seeke to be iustified by the lavv crucifie Christ The Papistes are crucifiers of the sonne of God. The Monkes dreamed that they vvere only in the state and life of perfection * VVorkes of superogation they call such vvorks as thei doe of their ovvne good vvill more then they are bound to doe The illusioÌ of the Deuill In the time of poperie vve vvere so bevvitched that it vvas impossible to acknovvledge Christ Daniel 9 2â Superstitious Monkes and such other by streitnes of life and afflicting their ovvne bodies sought righteousnes and remission of sinnes In you or amongst you Rom. 6.9 To seeke righteousnes by the lavve The abhomination of the papacie horrible The commendations of the righteousnes of the lavv of our ovvne righteousnes The fall of Lucifer An argument dravven from the GalathiaÌs ovvne experience Paule speaketh of the vvhole lavv Tvvo vvaies to iustificatioÌ The holi ghost is receaued by hearing the vvord of faith and not by the lavve Neither the teachers nor hearers nor yet the doers of the lavve are iustified bi the lavve Acts 10 44. Acts. 11.15 Acts. 15.8.9 Acts. 19.5.6 The lavv bringeth not the holy ghost Rom. 10.3 Rom. 11.7 Math. 3.16 The appeariÌg of the holy ghost Actes 2.41 Actes 10.44.45 Actes 15.5.6.7 Paulus Sergius the lieutenaunt The Ievves and Gentiles are iustified by faith onely The Gentiles iustified by faith Acts. 11.3 Verse 18. The murmuring of the Ievves against the Gentiles Mat. 20. The Councell of the Apostles Act. 11.17 Actes 15. Acts. 15 8.9.1â 1. Cor. 1. â That the holy Ghost is geuen by the onely hearing of faith The Papistes are our Ievves vvhich molest vs no lesse theÌ the Ievves did Paule The argument of the booke coÌteining the Actes of the Apostles The difference betvvene the lavv and the Gospell To exacte To geue freely Actes 10. â8 Cornelius ãâã Gentile is iustified by faith The lavv helpeth not to righteousnes The fathers in the old testament vvere holy c. Faith in Christ already come and in Christ to come * Messias doth signifie Christ the Sauiour Rom. 1.17 VVorke of congruence or merite before grace The person first to be considered and then the vvorke Actes 10.1.6 2. Reg. 5.14.15.16 * He feleth his conscience vvounded in being present at idol seruice and therefore desireth God to forgeue ãâã left others by his example might fall to idolatrie For as for his ovvne parte he confesseth that he vvill neuer serue any but the true God. Iob. Niniuites Ionas 3.5 Galat. 3.2 The coÌscience vvitnesseth that the holy Ghost is not geuen by the lavv but by the hearing of faith The blindnes of the Popes kingdome The orders and kindes of life that are appointed of God. The state of seruauntes allovved before God. The certaintie of true beleuers By vvhat meanes the holy ghost is geuen vnto vs. The disputation of mans reason Luke 12.32 To vvhom the kingdome of heauen is geuen VVhat the aduersaries doe obiect against vs. The obiection of the Pelagians against Christians Luke 11 45.4â A man is made a Christian by hearing the doctrine of faith Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the vvord of God. The conflict of the flesh against the spirite in the godly To heare the vvorde of God. To begin in the spirite VVhat flesh signifieth in this place The spirite The flesh VVhat the papistes call vvorldly and carnall VVhat inconueniences maÌs ovvne righteousnes or the righteousnes of the lavv doe bring Paule maketh often rehearsall of the argument grouÌded vpon experience The kingdome of God consisteth not in vvordes but in povver 1. Cor. 4. Ver. 20. Chap. 2.8 Chap. 4.14.15 The vvorkes of the Deuill VVhat happie successe the gospell had vvhen it vvas first preached The Popedom a very slaughterhouse of consciences The Anabaptistes the authors of tumultes and seditions hindred much the course of the gospell The Anabaptists enemies to the article of iustificatioÌ This mai rightly be applied to Munster KnipperdoliÌg and such outragious Anabaptistes of vvhom Sleidan maketh mention vvho before times had much hindred the course of the gospell Genes 15.6 Rom. 4.2.3 Rom. 4.19.20.21 c. The povver of faith infinite To geue glory to God. Faith geueth glory to God. Righteous before God. VVhat God saith if ye set faith aside harken vnto reason The iudgemeÌt of reason touching the articles of faith The Gospell is the vvord of the crosse 1. Cor. 1 18.2â The chiefe vvorship of God. Faith âlayeth reason The vvrestling of faith vvith reason in Abraham The sacrifice of Christians Reason Gods enemy The commendation of faith The vnfaithful geue not glory to God. Rom. 4.20.21.22 * Formall is that vvhich geueth perfection to the substance vvherunto it is ioyned The remnants of sinne in the godly Rom. 8.23 The blindnes of the Scholemen God accepteth our vvorkes say the Papists not of duetie but of Congruence that is because it is meete that God should revvard them Mans reason Rom. 8.7 Reason must be killed by faith Math. 20.12 Psal. 2.2 The definition of the Christian faith The diuinitie of Paule Christian righteousnes consisteth in tvvo things A Christian iâ a righteous man and a sinner Hovv they that fele sinne ought to be comforted Christians be Priestes The daily sacrifice of the nevv testameÌt Christian righteousnes Galat. 2 2â Galat. 3.13 A child is borne vnto vs a Sonne is geuen vnto vs. Esay 9.6 VVe are reputed righteous by faith in Christ this Sonne and this gifte geuen vnto vs. The righteousnes of faith out of the xv chapter of S. Iohns Gospel Christ is called our obiect because the eie of our faith is directed vnto him * CoÌtrary sayings Iohn 16.27 Iohn 17.8 The imputation of righteousnes Rom. 7.23 Rom. 8.1 Things contrary in Christ are made to agree 1. Tim. 2.5 Rom. 8.1 Ro. 4.11.12 c. Rom. 9.6.7.8 The disputation of Paule against the Ievves The bosting of the Ievves Actes 9.15 By vvhat meanes Abraham vvas iustified Genes 12.1.2.3 c. Genes 17.24 Genes 22.2.3 Genes 15.6 Rom. 4.18.19 Iames. 2.2 Galat. 3.6 That the carnall begetting doth not make vs the acceptable children of Abraham Iohn 8.39 The beleeuing Abraham and the begetting Abraham VVhat maner of ones the carnall children of Abraham are Iohn 8.38.39 Rom. 9.11 The first example of Ismael and Isaac Genes 21 1â Rom. 9.7 Heb. 11.17 The second example of Esau and Iacob Genes 25. â3 Rom. 9.12
Maââc 1.2 The vvord Faith signifieth in the Hebrevv tonge truth Genes 15 4.5.6 Rom 4.13 Rom. 4.3 Habac. 1.4 Heb. 11. Faithe Faith thiÌketh aright of God and not reason Truth and faith signifie both one thing Iohn 5.24 Iohn 11.25.26 Heb. 9.11 Heb. 10. That Paule doth rightly alledge that place out of the .15 of Genesis and to his purpose Genes 3.15 All the promises are to be referred to the first promise Actes 15.10.11 1. Cor. 15.4 Iohn 8.56 Actes 10.1.2.3 The faith of the fathers of vs bothe one Coloss 1.18 Reuel 1. 1. Thes 4.15.16 Math. 24. That the place of Genesis may vvell be applied to faith in christ Abraham a father both of Ievves and the Gentiles Genes 17.4 Rom. 4.17 The children of Abraham after the flesh are not Abrahams children but such as vvalke in the steppes of faith Rom. 4.11 Genes 17.4 Rom. 4.17 A begetting Abraham and a beleuing Abraham The vaine bragging of the Ievves An argument grounded vpon the certaintie of time Genes 15.6 Genes 22.16 Rom. 4.20 Genes 15.6 Rom. 4.18 Genes 17 1â Abraham vvas iustified before Circumcision .430 yeares before the lavv Rom. 4.10.11.12 Galat. 3.8 Genes 15.6 Rom. 4 3. The Ievves corrupt the scriptures Genes 12.13 Actes 3.23 VVhat the Ievves call blessing A nevv Abraham It is a great glory to be borne of Abrahams sede The exposition of these vvordes In thee shal be blessed Genes 15.5 Abrahams faith and out all one Io. 3.5 6. VVe must marke diligently vvhat is set out to vs in the promises of the lavv Genes 15. â Genes 17 4. Genes 15.5 A vvorking Abraham and a beleuing Abraham Rom. 4.3 That all nations are blessed Psal. 2.8 Psal. 19.3 The Prophets diligently vvaied those promises that vvere made vnto the fathers The office of the priesthod of the church of Christ Our blessing is spirituall and not corporall as the Ievves dreame The diligence of the Prophetes Hoseas 13.14 Genes 3. Genes 12. â The Blessing is receaued onely by faith The Pope setteth Christ forth as an example and not as a gifte Io. 13 1â In the matter of iustificatioÌ vve must loke vpon Christ as a gifte and not as an example Galat 3.9 All nations through faith are blessed therfore vvith out faith all are accursed The righteousnes of faith and ciuill righteousnes Ciuill lavves and ordinaunces are good and of God. The righteousnes of faith and ciuill righteousnes are easily confounded Hovv the aduersaries sclauder and vvrest our vvordes The corporall blessing deliuereth vs not from sinnes Corporall things are the good creatures of God. The lavve of sinne vvrath and death Corporal blessings are to be sundred from spirituall blessings God bestovveth his giftes both vpon the good euill Rom. 1.20 The effectes of the lavve Deut. 27 2â Rom. 2.13 Iames. 1 2â Rom. 8 4. Sentences in the scriptures somtime seme to be coÌtrary To doe the lavve Tvvo maner of doers of the lavve To be of the lavve To be of faith To doe the lavve A fulfiller of the lavv after the Papistes opinion These be the vvorks preparatorie as the Papists cal them vvhich goe before iustification as the efficient cause therof The vvickednes and error of meritmongers Rom. 10.2 Rom. 10.3 The effect of the lavve Genes 17. To fulfill the lavve Galaâ â Hovv the lavv is to be done To doe the lavv This vvord Doer of the lavv vvithout the promise of the Gospell is a fained terme A doer of the lavv In diuine matters the doer is framed through faith before there be any deedes The godly are not made righteous by doing righteous things Rom. 2.13 The doctrine of the Scholemen or Sophistes In policie the vvorke is not iudged to be good except it be done vvith a good vvill much more in Diuinitie The effectes of the lavv Galath 3. The vvickednes and error of hypocrites The vvorship of the first coÌmaundement Math. 24.5 The godly iudge al thiÌgs 2. Pet. 2.1 â Exod. 32.4 The tvvo golden calues of Ieroboam 1. Kings 12.28 Rom. â Hypocrites go about to doe that thing vvhich belongeth onely to Christe The doctrine of the Monks The Pope chalengeth a Diuinitie or Diuine povver as vvel as god himselfe The vse of the doctrine of faith The Pope is Antichrist Math. 24.5 2. Thes 2.4 Math. 24.15 Mar. 13.14 Luc. 22.20 Dan. 9.27 VVhat a mischeuous thing hypocrisie is Euery meritemoÌger is both the matter the vvorke or the vvorke the vvorkeman The true doers of the lavve 2. Pet. 1 1â The godly do not the lavve perfectly Luc. 10.30.31.32.33 c. VVhat a Doer of the lavve Moises requireth Exod. 34.7.8.9 Psal. 143.2 Rom. 5. ââ That vve are made Doers of the lavve throughe Christe The proposition Places of the lavve and vvorke The righteousnes of the lavv vvas also knovven to the heathen To doe naturally morally and spiritually Morall Philosophie The popishe Schoolemen thinke a right iudgement of reason and a good intent vvithout faith to be sufficient to commend the vvorke Hovve vve must aunsvver vnto our aduersaries vrging these tearmes of Doing and vvorking To doe in diuinitie vvhat it is Heb. 11. â2 Sa. 17.34.35.36 A rule to be obserued as touching those places vvhich speake of vvorkes 1. Sam. 17.37 45. 46. 47. The vvorke of Dauid is a faithfull vvorke Genes 5.24 Heb. 11.4 The sacrifice of Abell and Caine. Gens 4.3.4.5 The visour of the vvork is not to be regarded but the hearte of the vvorker iâ to be considered Hebr. 11. Verse 4. Verse 5. Verse â A rule The vvorke is nothiÌg vvorth vvithout faith Hebr. 11.6 Heb. 4. Abels sacrifice vvas faithful and Caines vnfaithfull The scripture some time speaketh of faith vvithout vvorks and some time of faith vvith vvorkes Galat. 5.6 Doe this and thou shalt liue * These termes the Papistes vse and set them in the place of faith The scripture sometime speaketh of one nature in Christ sometime of both A rule of the communication of the proprieties called commanicatio Idiomatum Luc. 2.10 Luc. 1.22 The maÌ Christ created all things If thou vvilt enter into life c. Faith simple Faith compound * Fac totum is that vvhich is all in all and doth all alone The places of vvorkes mentioned in the scriptures must be expounded as the Epistle to the Hebrevves expoundeth them Ebr. 11.33 Verse 35. The difference betvvene morall doing and spirituall doing Hypocrites doe many things but vvithout faith Dan. 4 2â The Papistes learne their diuinitie out of Aristotle an heathen Philosopher A generall auÌsvver to al the argumentes of the aduersaries The argument of all arguments most strong and mighty to holde fall the head Christ Galat. â 3 Christ vvas made a curse for vs. Circumcision is not the death of Christ A plaine and simple aunsvvere to the places of scripture concerning vvorkes No Iusticiary seking righteousnes by the lavv and vvorkes can vvrest this solution from the faithfull Habaeue 2.4 Rom. 1.17 Eâr 10.38 Hovv the Sophisters corrupt this place The
like to the doctrine of the false apostles of that time If thou wilt liue to God say they liue to the law or after the law But contrariwise we say If thou wilt liue to God thou must be vtterly dead to the law Mans reason and wisedom vnderstandeth not this doctrine therefore it teacheth alwayes the contrary that is If thou wilt liue vnto God thou must kepe the law for it is wryten Do this and thou shalt liue And this is a speciall principle amongst all Diuines he that liueth after the law liueth vnto god Paule sayth the contrary that is we can not liue vnto God vnlesse we be throughly dead to the law Wherfore we must mount vp to this heauenly altitude that we may be assured that we are far aboue the law yea that we are vtterly dead vnto the law Now if we be dead vnto the law then hath the law no power ouer vs as also it hath no power ouer Christ who hath deliuered vs from the same that we might liue vnto god All these things tende to this ende to proue that we are not iustified by the lawe but by faith onely in Iesus Christ And here Paule speaketh not of the ceremoniall lawe onely as before we haue declared more at large but of the whole law whether it be ceremoniall or morall which to a Christian is vtterly abrogate for he is dead vnto it Not that the lawe is vtterly taken away nay it remaineth liueth and raigneth still in the wicked But a godly man is dead vnto the lawe like as he is dead vnto sinne the Deuill death and hell which notwithstanding doe still remaine and the world with all the wicked shall still abide in them Wherfore when the Papist vnderstandeth that the ceremoniall lawe onely is abolished vnderstand thou that Paule and euery Christian is dead to the whole lawe and yet the lawe remaineth still As for example Christ rising from death is free from the graue and yet the graue remaineth stil Peter is deliuered from the prison the sicke of the palsey from his bed the yong maÌ from his coffen the maiden from her couch and yet the prison the bed the coffen the couch doe remaine still Euen so the lawe is abolished when I am not subiect vnto it the law is dead when I am dead vnto it yet it remaineth still But because I die vnto it by an other law it dieth also vnto me As the graue of Christ the prison of Peter the couch of the maiden c. do still remaine and yet Christ by his resurrection dieth to the graue Peter by his deliueraunce is freed from the prison and the maid through life is deliuered from the couch Wherfore these words I am dead to the lavv are very effectuall For he sayeth not I am free from the law for a time or I am Lord of the lawe but simplie I am dead to the lawe that is to say I haue nothing to do with the law Paule could haue vttred nothiÌg more effectually against iustification of the law then to say I am dead to the law that is I care nothing at all for the law therfore I am not iustified by it Now to die to the law is not to be bound to the law but to be free from the law not to know it Therfore let him that will liue to God endeuour that he may be found without the law let him come out of the graue with Christ The souldiers were astonished wheÌ Christ was risen out of the graue and they also which saw the maiden raised vp from death to life were amazed So mans reason and wisedom is astonished and becometh foolish when it heareth that we are not iustified except we be dead to the law for it is not able to reach vnto this mysterie But we know that when we apprehend Christ by faith inwardly in conscience we enter into a certain new law which swaloweth vp the old law that held vs captiues As the graue in which Christ lay dead after that he was risen againe was voide and emptie and Christ vanished away so when I beleue in Christ I rise againe with him and die to my graue that is to say the lawe which held me captiue So that now the law is voide and I am escaped out of my prison and graue that is to say the lawe Wherefore the lawe hath no right to accuse me or to hold me any longer for I am risen againe It is necessary that mens consciences should be diligently instructed that they may wel vnderstand the difference betwene that righteousnes of the law grace The righteousnes of grace or the libertie of coÌscience doth in no wise pertaine to the flesh For the flesh may not be at liberty but must remaine in the graue the prison the couch it must be in subiection to the law and exercised by the Egyptians But the christian coÌscience must be dead to the law that is to say free from the law must haue nothing at all to doe with it It is good to know this for it helpeth very much to the comforting of poore afflicted consciences Wherfore when you see a man terrified and cast downe with the sense and feeling of his sinne say vnto him Brother thou doest not rightly distinguish Thou placest the lawe in thy conscience which should be placed in the flesh Awake arise vp and remember that thou must beleue in Christ the conquerour of the lawe and sinne With this faith thou shalt mount vp aboue and beyond the lawe into that heauen of grace where is no law nor sinne And albeit the law sinne doe still remaine yet they pertaine nothing to thee for thou art dead to the lawe and sinne This is easily sayd but blessed is he which knoweth howe to lay sure hold on these things in time of distresse that is which can say when sinne ouerwayeth him and the law accuseth him what is this to me O lawe that thou accusest me and sayest that I haue committed many sinnes In deede I graunt that I haue committed many sinnes yea and yet stil I doe commit sinnes daily without number This toucheth me nothing I am now deafe and can not heare therefore thou talkest to me in vaine for I am dead vnto thee But if thou wilt needes dispute with me as touching my sinnes get thee to the flesh and members my seruaunts teach them exercise and crucifie them But trouble not me Conscience which am a Ladie and a Queene and haue nothing to doe with thee for I am dead to thee and now I liue to Christ with whom I am vnder an other lawe to witte the lawe of grace which ruleth ouer sinne and the lawe By what meanes By faith in Christ as Paule declareth hereafter But this semeth a straunge and a wonderfull definition that to liue to the lawe is to die to God and to die to the lawe is to liue to god
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 caÌ 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 NotwithstaÌding 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
and a carnall libertie to doe what so euer they list These as Peter sayeth haue the libertie of the spirite as a cloke of maliciousnes through which the name of God and the Gospell of Christe is sclaundered euery where and therfore they shall once suffer worthy punishment for this their vngodlines Thirdly such doe also abuse the lawe who feeling the terrours thereof doe not vnderstand that such terrours ought no longer to continue but vnto Christe This abuse in them is the cause that they fall to desperation as in the hypocrites it is the cause of arrogancie and presumption Contrariwise the true vse of the lawe can neuer be estemed and magnified as it is worthy namely that when the conscience shutte vp vnder the lawe despaireth not but being instructed by the wisedom of the holy Ghost concludeth with it selfe after this sort I am in deede shut vppe as a prisoner vnder the lawe but not for euer yea this shutting vppe shall turne to my great profite How so Because that I being thus shut vppe shall be driuen to sigh and seeke the hand of an helper c. After this maner the lawe is as an enforcer which by compulsion bringeth the hungrie vnto Christe that he may satisfie them with his good things Wherefore the true office of the lawe is to shew vnto vs our sinnes to make vs giltie to humble vs to kill vs and to bring vs downe to hell and finally to take from vs all helpe all succour all coÌfort but yet altogether to this end that we may be iustified exalted quickned to life caried vppe into heauen and obtaine all good things Therfore it doth not onely kill but it killeth that we may liue Verse 24. VVherefore the lavve vvas our Scholemaster to bring vâ to Christe Here againe he ioyneth the lawe and the Gospell together which are separate so farre asunder as touching the affections and inward man when he sayeth The lawe is a Scholemaster to Christ This similitude also of the Scholemaster is worthy to be noted Although a Scholemaster be very profitable and necessary to enstruct and to bring vppe children yet shewe me one childe or scholer which loueth his master We may easily coniecture what affection the Iewes bare to their Moises and how zelously they performed that which he commaunded In deede such was their loue and obedience towards him that euery hower as the Storie testifieth they would with all their hearts haue stoned him to death It is not possible therefore that the scholer should loue his master For howe can he loue him which keepeth him in prison that is to say which suffereth him not to doe that which gladly he would And if he doe any thing against his commaundement by and by he is rebuked and chastised yea and is constrained moreouer to kisse the rodde when he is beaten Is not this I pray you a goodly righteousnes and obedience of the scholer that he obeyeth his master so seuerely threatning and so sharply correcting him and kisseth the rodde But doth he this with a good wil As soone as his master hath turned his backe he breaketh the rodde or casteth it into the fire And if he had any power ouer his master he would not suffer him selfe to be beaten of his master but rather he would beat him And yet notwithstanding the scholemaster is very necessary for the child to enstruct and to chastise him otherwise the childe without this discipline enstruction and good education should be vtterly lost The scholemaster therfore is appoynted for the child to teach him to bring him vp to kepe him as it were in prison But to what ende or how long Is it to the ende that this streit and sharpe dealing of the scholemaster should alwayes coÌtinue or that the child should remaine in continuall boÌdage Not so but onely for a time that this obedience this prison and correction might turne to the profit of the child that in time he might be heire and Prince For it is not the fathers will that his sonne should be alwayes subiect to the scholemaster and alwayes beaten with roddes but that by this instruction and discipline he may be made able and meete to be his fathers successour Euen so the law sayth Paule is nothing else but a Scholemaster not for euer but vntill it haue brought vs to Christ as in other wordes he sayd also before The lavve vvas geuen for transgressions vntill the blessed Seede should come Also the scripture hath shut all vnder sin c. Againe vve vvere kept vnder shut vp vnto faith vvhich should after be reuealed Wherefore the lawe is not onely a Scholemaster but it is a Scholemaster to bring vs vnto Christ For what a Scholemaster were he which would alwaies torment beat the child teach him nothing at all And yet such Scholemasters there were in time past when Scholes were nothing else but a prison and a very hell the Scholemasters cruell tyrannes and very butchers The childreÌ were alwayes beaten they learned with continuall paine and trauell yet few of theÌ came to any proofe The law is not such a Scholemaster For it doth not onely terrifie torment as the foolish Scholemaster beateth his scholers teacheth them nothing but with his roddes he driueth vs vnto Christ like as a good Scholemaster enstructeth exerciseth his scholers in reading and wryting to the ende they may come to the knowledge of good letters other profitable things that afterwardes they may haue a delite in doing of that which before when they were constrained thervnto they did against their willes By this goodly similitude Paule sheweth what is the true vse of the lawe namely that it iustifieth not hypocrites for they remaine without Christ in their presumption securitie And contrariwise that it leaueth not in death damnation those that are of a contrite heart so that they vse it as Paul teacheth but driueth them vnto Christ But they which in these terrours continue still in their weaknes doe not apprehend Christ by faith do fall at length into desperatioÌ Paule therfore in this allegorie of the Scholemaster most liuely expresseth the true vse of the law For like as the Scholemaster reproueth his scholers he greeueth them maketh theÌ heauy yet not to the end that this bondage should alwayes continue but that it should cease when the children are well brought vppe and enstructed accordingly that afterwards without any coÌstraint of the Scholemaster they should cherefully enioy their libertie their fathers goods euen so they which are vexed oppressed with the law doe know that these terrours and vexations shall not alwayes continue but that therby they are prepared to come vnto Christ which is to be reuealed and to receaue the libertie of the spirite c. Verse 24. That vve may be made righteous by Faith. The lawe is not a Scholemaster to bring vs vnto
Rom. 3. ââ The promise geuen to Abraham The promise geuen to them that beleue The sentences concerning vvorks The commendation of vvorkes out of the matter of IustificatioÌ Hovv ãâã and ãâã stââ vvarded ãâã vvoâld ãâã their benefite VVorks vvithout faith 2. Thes 2.3 * Faith vvas the full reuelation of thiÌgs that vvere hâd vnder the lavve Rom. 7.13 The vse of the lavve VVhy the lavv reuealeth sinne Exod. 29.20 God vseth the effect of the lavve that is to say death to life The opinioÌ of a mans ovvne righteousnes confidence holines is slain by the lavv This similitude of the prison shevveth the effect of the lavve VVhat the righteousnes of the lavv is The righteousnes of vvorkes The profite of the lavve The Ciuill vse of the lavve The lavv a spirituall prison The lamentatable complaints of the Sainctes Psal. 6.5 The lavve is a prison both Ciuily and Spiritually The lavv and the Gospell as touching the invvard affections nearely ioyned together The shutting vp vnder the lavv must not be continuall VVho vseth the lavv rightly Caine being shut vp in the prison of the lavv and abiding there despaired Genes 4.9 Verse 13. VVhat these vvordes import to be kept vnder the lavve Conscience Psal. 139.7 VVhat the prison is Ciuily Spiritually Hovv the pore Conscience is to be comforted that is shutte vp vnder the lavve The lavve killeth that vve may againe be quickened restored to life The shutting vp vnder the lavv must be rightly vsed EZech. 33.11 Psal. 147.11 The afflicted and such as are in prison vnder the lavv vvaiting for mercy to be reueled are deare vnto God. No man loueth the lavv because it is his prison Hovve the scripture defineth sinne The tentation of the godly The tentation of euery age Paule describeth the spirituall vvarfare that is in the godly vvith very vehemeÌt apt vvords The time of the lavv in the Godly 2 Cor. 12.7 * This is the spirituall laughter vvhich Dauid speaketh of Psal. 126. saying Then shall our mouth be filled vvith laughter c. 1. Cor. 12.7.8.9 Galath 5.17 The time of grace Psal. 4â â 11 The true vse of the lavve is to shut vs vp till Christ be reuealed VVho is a right diuine A godly man is partly vnder the lavve and partly vnder grace Rom. 5.6 Rom. 6.9.10 The time of grace is eternall Feare may noâ alvvayes continue but fear ioyned vvith Faith must be alvvayes in a Christian Hovve feare must be vanquished Feare Faith are separated farre asunder and yet are ioyned together in one heart A rehersall of those things vvherof he had spoken before Touching this sedition of the rusticall people and the cause therof read Sleidane VVe must derogate nothing froÌ the lavve that is due to it nor attribute more to it theÌ is meete Tvvo sorts of the vnrighteous they vvhich are to be iustified they vvhich are not to be iustified Hovve such senteÌces must be vnderstand vvherin Paule handleth the spirituall vse of the lavve Rom. 10.4 VVho are abusers of the lavve * He speaketh of the pestileÌt Libertines that vvould haue no feare of God nor lavve to bridle them from their sinnes 1. Pet. 2.16 The true vse of the lavve can not be estemed as it is vvorthy The true office of the lavve The similitude of the Schoole master vvorthy to be noted Exod. 17.4 The scholer can not loue his master VVhie a Scholemaster is apoynted for a childe The lavve is a Scholemaster to Christ Galat. 4.19 Galat. 4 2â Galat. 4. â3 VVhat Scholemasters there vvere in times past The true vse of the lavv set out in the allegorie of the Scholemaster The lavve is not a Scholemaister to bring vs to an other lavvgeuer but to Christe Of the true vse of the lavve to make an abuse The true vse of the lavv Rom. 10.4 The proper office of the lavve and the vse of the office therof VVhen Faith is come vve are not any longer vnder the lavve Colosâ 2.14.15 By Faith in Christ vve are dead to the lavve Christ commeth daily vnto vs spiritually 2 Cor. 4 1â A similitude of the leuen Godly meÌ are holy and yet sinners The spirituall comming of Christe Hovve farre forth the lavv is abolished The consolation of the godly Heb. 13.8 VVhen Faith is come the lavv geueâh place 2. Pet. 3.11 Paule an excelleÌt teacher of Faith. Iâhn 1 1â Iohn 1 1â Rom. â 16.17 Rom. 9.26 * Baptisme succedeth CircuÌcision and so through Christ both Ievv and Gentile is saued Rom. 13.14 Galath 5.16 1. Pet. â 21 To put on Christ according to the Gospell The lether coate of Adam Hovv the old man must be put of Eph. 4.22.23.14 Coloss 1.19.20.21 c. Tit. 35. Baptisme is a sure signe of our regeneration vvhich is vvrought by the holy ghost In Baptisme vve put on Christe The Anabaptistes deface the maiestie of baptisme Tit. 3. â * as one man. There is neither Ievv nor Grecian c. Christ hath taken avvay the lavve The beleuing conscience knovveth no lavv Iohn 1.17 The vvisedom and righteousnes of the GeÌtiles reiected The Gentiles in all ages had their lavves Religions and Ceremonies There is neither free nor bond c. In the vvorld there is a difference of persons but not before God. Rom. 13.23 The Gospell setteth forth Christ vnto vs. There is a difference and an inequalitie of persons in the vvorld Ephes 4.4 In Christ Iesu The opinion of the Schoole diuines concerning Faith. Galath â â0 Tit. 3.5 âaith VVhy Paule setteth forth Christ so ofteÌ in his Epistles The brasen serpent a figure of Christ Num. 21.6.7 â True Faith in Christ Ephes 5.30 Actes 17.20 Christ and our Faith must be throughly ioyned together The Gentiles that beleue are the Seede of Abraham Genes 17.5 Genes 22.18 The Gentiles are the childreÌ and heires of Abraham and the people of God. The promise made to the Ievves not to the Gentiles Psal. 147.19.20 The Gentiles are named in the promise Rom. 4.13.17 The argument vvhervvith Paule fortifieth his matter A young heir differeth nothing from a seruaunt The time of the lavve is finished Galath 4.4.5 Heb. 9.12 The comming of Christ vnto vs in spirite Heb. 10.14 Galath 5.17 Heb. 13. â The politike vse of the lavve The spirituall vse of the lavv Galath 3. â To vvhom Christ commeth and to vvhom he coÌmeth not The Emperors lavves The lavves of the Pope 1. Timot. 4. â The lavve of Moises geueth onely vvorldly things By the coÌfort of the holy Ghost vve are deliuered froÌ the terrours of the lavve Rom. 10.4 Rom. 3.20 Rom. 4.15 Deut. 6.5 VVherfore Paule abaseth the lavve VVhen vve feele the terrours of conscience the lavve must be abased and the promise magnified He alluded to the slovv tounge and stammering speech of Moses Rom. 4.18 VVhat names Paule