Christ present But this presence cā 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 concernīg 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 frō 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 accoūt 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
that we thought those works which men had deuised not onely without the will of God but also contrary to his commaundement to be much better then those which the magistrate the houshoulder the childe the seruaunte did at the commaundement of God. Doubtles we ought to haue learned by the word of God that the religious orders of the Papistes which onely they call holy are wicked since there is no commaundement of God at al or testimony in the holy scriptures approuing the same Contrariwise other orders of life which haue the word and warrant of God are holy ordained of god But we were then wrapped in such horrible darkenes that we could not truely iudge of any thing But now at the appearing of the cleare light of the Gospell all kindes of life in the world are vnder our iudgement which is most certaine infallible We may boldly pronounce out of the word of God that the condition of seruauntes which before the world is most vile is farre more acceptable vnto God then all the religious orders of the Papistes For by his word he commendeth approueth and setteth forth the state of seruauntes and so doth he not the orders of Monkes Friers and such other Therfore this argument grounded vpon experience ought to stand in much force with vs also For although diuers men in popery wrought sundry and diuers works both great and painefull yet could they neuer be sure what was the will of God towards them but they were alwaies in doubt they could neuer attaine to the knowledge of God of themselues of their calling nor felte the testimony of the spirite in their heartes But now that the truth of the Gospell appeareth they are fully instructed by the onely hearing of faith in all these things It is not without cause that I doe so largely intreate of these matters For it seemeth to mans reason but a light and a small matter to purchase the holy ghost by the onely hearing of faith and that nothing els is required of vs but that we setting a parte all our works should geue our selues onely to the hearing of the Gospell Mans hearte doth not vnderstand nor beleue that so greate a price namely the holy Ghost is geuen by the onely hearing of faith but reasoneth after this sorte Forgeuenes of sinnes deliueraunce from death the geuing of the holy Ghost of righteousnes and euerlasting life are greate things therfore if thou wilt obtaine these inestimable benefites thou must performe some other greate and weighty matter This opinion the deuill doth wel like and approue also encreaseth the same in the heart Therfore when reason heareth this Thou cāst doe nothing for the obtaining of sinnes but must onely heare the word of God by and by it crieth out saith Fie thou makest too small a count of the remission of sinnes c. So the inestimable greatnes of the gift is the cause that we can not beleue it and because this incomparable treasure is freely offered therfore it is despised But this must we learne that forgeuenes of sinnes Christ and the holy Ghost are freely geuen vnto vs at the onely hearing of faith preached notwithstanding our horrible sinnes and demerits And we must not wey how greate the thing is that is geuen and how vnworthy we are of it for so should the greatnes of the gift our vnworthines terrefie vs but we must thinke that it pleaseth God freely to geue vnto vs this vnspeakeable gifte vnto vs I say which are vnworthy as Christ in Luke sayeth Feare not litle flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to geue vnto you Loe to geue vnto you saith he a kingdome To whom To you vnworthy which are his litle flocke If I then be litle and the thing great nay rather of all things the greatest which God hath geuen vnto me I must thus thinke that he also is great and onely greate which geueth it If he offer it and will geue it I consider not mine owne sinne vnworthines but his fatherly good will towardes me which is the geuer and I receaue the greatnes of the gift with ioy and gladnes am thankful for so inestimable a gifte geuen freely vnto me to me I say vnworthy by the hearing of faith Here againe foolish reason is offended and reproueth vs saying Where ye teach men to do nothing at all for the obtaining of so greate and vnspeakeable a gift but to heare the word of God this seemeth to tend to the greate contempt of grace and to make men secure idle and dissolute so that they slacke their handes and doe no good at all Therfore it is not good to preach this doctrine for it is not true but men must be vrged to labour and to exercise themselues vnto righteousnes and then shall they obtaine this gift This selfe same thing the Pelagians in times past obiected againste the Christians But heare what Paul saith in this place Ye haue receaued the holy Ghost not by your owne labour and trauell not by the workes of the law but by the hearing of faith Briefely heare what Christ himselfe saith and what he aunswereth to Martha being very carefull and hardly bearing that her sister Marie sitting at the feete of Iesus and hearing his worde should leaue her to minister alone Martha Martha saith he thou carest and art troubled about many things but one thing is needefull Marie hath chosen the good parte vvhich shall not be taken from her A man therfore is made a Christian not by working but by hearing Wherfore he that will exercise himselfe to righteousnes let him first exercise himselfe in hearing the gospel Now when he hath heard and receaued the Gospell let him geue thankes to God with a ioyfull and a glad hearte and afterwardes let him exercise him selfe in those good workes which are commaunded in the lawe so that the lawe and workes may follow the hearing of faith So may he quietly walke in the light which is Christ and boldely choose and doe works not hypocriticall but good workes in deede such as he knoweth to please God and to be commaunded of him and contemne all those hypocriticall shadowes of freewill workes Our aduersaries thinke that faith whereby we receaue the holy Ghost is but a light matter but how high and harde a matter it is I my selfe doe finde by experience and so doe all they which with me doe earnestly embrace the same It is soone saide that by the onely hearing of faith the holy Ghost is receaued but it is not so easily heard laied holde on beleued and retained as it is said Wherefore if thou heare of me that Christe is that Lambe of God sacrificed for thy sinnes see also that thou heare it effectually Paule purposely calleth it the hearing of faith and not the worde of faith although there be small difference that is such a word as thou hearing doest beleue
so that the worde be not onely my voice but may be hearde of thee and may enter into thy hearte and be beleued of thee then is it truly and in deede the hearing of faith thorowe the which thou receauest the holy Ghost which after thou hast once receaued thou shalt also mortifie thy flesh The faithfull doe finde by their owne experience howe gladly they would hold and embrace the word when they heare it with a full faith and abandon this opinion of the lawe and of their owne righteousnes but they feele in their flesh a mightie resistaunce against the spirite For reason and the flesh will needes worke together This saying Ye must be circumcised and keepe the lavve can not be vtterly rooted out of our mindes but it sticketh fast in the hearts of all the faithfull There is therfore in the faithfull a continuall conflict betwene the hearing of faith and the workes of the lawe For the conscience alwayes murmureth and thinketh that this is too easie a way that by the onely hearing of the word righteousnes the holy ghost and life euerlasting is promised vnto vs But come once to an earnest trial therof and then tell me how easie a thing it is to heare the word of faith In deede he which geueth is great moreouer he geueth great things willingly and freely and vpbraideth no man therwith but thy capacitie is hard and faith weake still striuing against thee so that thou art not able to receaue this gift But let thy conscience murmure against thee neuer so much let this Must come neuer so oftē into thy minde yet stand fast hold out vntill thou ouercome this Must So as faith encreaseth by litle and litle that opinion of the righteousnes of the lawe will diminish But this can not be done without great conflict Verse 3. Are ye so foolish that after ye haue begone in the spirite ye vvould novv finish or be made perfect by the flesh This argument being concluded how that the holy ghost cometh not by the workes of the lawe but through the preaching of faith he beginneth here to exhort the Galathians and to terrifie them from a double daunger and incommoditie The first is Are ye so foolish that after ye haue begone in the spirite ye vvould novv ende in the flesh The other followeth Haue ye suffred so great things in vaine As if he said Ye began in the spirite that is your religion was excellently well begone As also a litle after he saith Ye ranne vvel c. But what haue ye gotten therby Forsoth ye will nowe ende in the flesh yea rather ye are ended in the flesh Paule here setteth the spirite against the flesh He calleth not the flesh as before I haue said lust beastly passions or sensual appetites for he intreateth not here of lust or of other fleshly desires but of forgeuenes of sinnes of iustifying the conscience of obteining righteousnes before God of deliueraunce from the lawe sinne and death and yet notwithstanding he sayth here that they forsaking the spirite doe now ende in the flesh Flesh therfore is here taken for the very righteousnes and wisedome of the flesh and the iudgement of reason which goeth about to be made righteous by the law Whatsoeuer then is best and most excellent in man as the wisedome of reason yea and the righteousnes of the law it selfe the same here Paule calleth flesh And this place must be well weyed and considered because of the slaunderous and cauilling Papists which wrest the same against vs saying that we in Poperie began in the spirite but now hauing maried wiues we ende in the flesh As though a single life or not to haue a wife were a spirituall life and as though it nothing hindred their spirituall life if a man not contented with one whore haue many They are mad men not vnderstanding what the spirite or what the flesh is The spirite is whatsoeuer is done in vs through the spirite The flesh whatsoeuer is done in vs according to the flesh without the spirite Wherfore all the dueties of a Christian man as to loue his wife to bring vp his children to gouerne his familie and such like which vnto them are worldly and carnal are the frutes of the spirite These blinde buzzardes can not discerne the things which are the good creatures of God from vices Here also is to be noted that the Apostle sayth the Galathians did begin in the spirite He should here haue added actiuely Nunc carne consummatis that now ye ende in the flesh But he doth not so but sayth passiuely carne consummamini that ye ende yea or rather are ended in the flesh The righteousnes of the law which Paule here calleth the flesh is so farre of from iustifying that they which after the receauing of the holy ghost through the hearing of faith fall backe againe vnto it are ended in it that is to say are vtterly destroyed Therfore who so euer teach that the lawe ought to be fulfilled to this ende that men might be iustified thereby whiles they goe about to quiet their consciences they hurt them whiles they would iustifie them they condemne them Paule euermore by the way hath a glaunce at these false apostles for they stil vrged the law saying Faith onely in Christ taketh not away sinne pacifieth not the wrath of God iustifieth not Therfore if ye will obtaine these benefites ye must not onely beleeue in Christ but therwith ye must also keepe the law be circumcised keepe the feastes sacrifices c. Thus doing ye shall be free from sinne from the wrath of God from euerlasting death yea rather sayth Paule by the selfe same things ye establish vnrighteousnes ye prouoke the wrath of God ye adde sinne to sinne ye quench the spirite ye fall away from grace and vtterly reiect the same and ye together with your disciples doe ende in the flesh This is the first daūger from the which he terrifieth the Galathians lest if they seeke to be iustified by the lawe they lose the spirite and forgoe their good beginnings for a wretched ende Verse 4. Haue ye suffered so many things in vaine The other daunger and incommoditie is this Haue ye suffred so many things in vaine As though he would say Consider not onely howe well ye began and howe miserablie ye haue forsaken your good beginnings and your course well begone moreouer that not onely ye haue lost the first fruites of the spirite being fallen againe into the ministerie of sinne and death and into a dolefull and a miserable bondage of the lawe but consider this also that ye haue suffered muche for the Gospels sake and for the name of Christe to witte the spoiling of your goodes railings and reproches daungers both of bodies and liues c. All things were in a happie course and great towardnes with you Ye taught purely ye liued holily and ye endured many euils constantly
vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnes For christian righteousnes consisteth in two things that is to say in faith of the heart and in Gods imputation Faith is in deede a formal righteousnes and yet this righteousnes is not enough for after faith there remaine yet certaine remnaunts of sinne in our flesh This sacrifice of faith began in Abraham but at last it was finished in his death And therfore the other part of righteousnes must needes be added also to finish the same in vs that is to say Gods imputation For faith geueth not enough to God because it is imperfecte yea rather our faith is but a little sparke of faith which beginneth onely to render vnto God his true diuinitie We haue receiued the first fruites of the spirite but not yet the tenthes Besides this reason is not vtterly killed in this life which may appeare by our concupiscence wrath impatience and other fruites of the flesh and of infidelitie yet remaining in vs Yea the holiest that liue haue not yet a full and continuall ioy in God but haue theyr sondry passions sometimes sadde sometimes mirry as the scriptures witnes of the Prophetes and Apostles But such faultes are not layde to their charge because of their faith in Christ for otherwise no flesh should be saued We conclude therefore vpon these wordes It vvas imputed to him for righteousnes that righteousnes in deede beginneth through faith and by the same we haue the first frutes of the spirite but because faith is weake it is not made perfect without Gods imputation Wherefore faith beginneth righteousnes but imputation maketh it perfect vnto the day of Christ The popish Sophisters and Scholemen dispute also of imputation when they speake of the good acceptation of the woorke but besides and cleane contrary to the scripture for they wrest it onely to workes They doe not consider the vncleanenes and inward poyson lurking in the hearte as incredulitie doubting despising and hating of God which most pernicious and perelous beastes are the fountaine and cause of all mischiefe They consider no more but outward and grosse faults and vnrighteousnes which are little riuers proceeding and issuing out of those fountaines Therefore they attribute acceptation to workes that is to say that God doth accept our workes not of dutie but of congruence Contrarywise we excluding all workes doe goe to the very heade of this beast which is called reason which is the fountaine and headespring of all mischiefes For reason feareth not God it loueth not God it trusteth not in God but proudely contemneth him It is not moued either with his threateninges or his promises It is not delighted with his wordes or workes but it murmureth against him it is angry with him iudgeth and hateth him to be short it is an enemy to God not geuing him his glorie This pestilent beast reason I say being once slaine all outward and grosse vices should be nothing Wherfore we must first and afore all thinges goe about by faith to kill infidelitie the contempt and hatred of God murmuring against his iudgement and his wrath and against all his wordes and workes for then doe we kill reason which can be killed by none other meanes but by faith which in beleeuing God geueth vnto him his glory notwithstanding that he speaketh those things which seeme both foolish absurde and vnpossible to reason notwithstanding also that God setteth forth him selfe otherwise then reason is able either to iudge or conceiue that is to say after this maner I will account thee and pronounce thee to be righteous not for the keping of the lawe not for thy workes and thy merites but for thy faith in Iesus Christ mine onely begotten Sonne who was borne suffred was crucified and died for thy sinnes and that sinne which remaineth in thee I will not impute vnto thee If reason then be not killed and al kindes of religion and seruice of God vnder heauen that are inuented by men to get righteousnes before God be not condemned the righteousnes of faith can take no place When reason heareth this by and by it is offended it rageth and vttereth all her malice against God saying Are then my good woorkes nothing Haue I then laboured and borne the burden and heate of the day in vaine Hereof rise those vprours of nations of Kings and Princes against the Lord and against his Christ For the world neither will nor can suffer that his wisedome righteousnes religions and worshippings should be reproued and condemned The Pope with all his Popish rablement will not seeme to erre much lesse will he suffer himselfe to be condemned Therefore let them which be studious of the woorde of God learne out of this saying Abraham beleeued God and it vvas counted to him for righteousnes to sette forthe truely and rightly this true Christian righteousnes after this manner that it is a faith and confidence in the Sonne of God or rather a confidence of the heart in God through Iesus Christe And lette them adde this clause as a difference Which Faith and confidence is accounted righteousnes for Christes sake For these two things as I sayde before woorke Christian righteousnes namely Faith in the heart which is a gifte of God and rightly beleueth in Christ and also that God accepteth this imperfecte Faithe for perfect righteousnes for Christes sake in whom I haue begun to beleue because of this faith in Christ God seeth not my doubting of his good will towards me my distrust my heauines of spirite and other sinnes which are yet in me For as long as I liue in the flesh sinne is verely in me But because I am couered vnder the shadow of Christes winges as is the chicken vnder the winge of the henne and dwell without all feare vnder that most ample and large heauen of the forgeuenes of sinnes which is spread ouer me God couereth and pardoneth the remnant of sinne in me that is to say because of that faith wherwith I began to lay hold vpon Christ he accepteth my imperfect righteousnes euen for perfect righteousnes counteth my sinne for no sinne which notwithstanding is sinne in deede So we shroud our selues vnder the couering of Christes flesh who is our cloudy piller for the day and our fire by the night lest God should see our sinne And although we see it and for the same doe feele the terrors of conscience yet flying vnto Christ our Mediatour and reconciler through whom we are made perfect we are sure and safe For as all things are in him so through him we haue all things who also doth supply whatsoeuer is wanting in vs When we beleue this God winketh at all our sinnes and the remnantes thereof which are yet sticking in our flesh and will haue them so couered as though they were no sinnes Because saith he thou beleuest in my sonne although thou haue many sinnes notwithstanding they must be forgeuen thee vntill thou
be cleane deliuered from them by death Let Christians learne with all diligence to vnderstand this article of Christian righteousnes And to this ende let them reade Paule and reade him againe both often and with greate diligence and let them compare the first with the last yea let them compare Paule wholy and fully with himselfe then shall they finde it to be true that Christian righteousnes consisteth in these two things faith which geueth glorie vnto God and Gods imputation For faith is weake as I haue said therfore Gods imputation must needes be ioyned withall that is to say that God will not lay to our charge the remnant of sinne that he will not punish it nor condemne vs for it but that he will couer it and wil frely forgeue it as though it were nothing at all not for our sake neither for our worthines and workes but for Iesus Christes sake in whom we beleue Thus a Christian man is both righteous and a sinner holy and prophane an enemy of God and yet a childe of god These contraries no Sophister will admit for they know not the true manner of iustification And this was the cause why they would haue men to worke well so lōg vntil they should feele no sinne at all in thē and therby they gaue occasiō to many which striuing with al their endeuour to be perfectly righteous yet not able to attaine therevnto to become starke madde And an infinite number also of those which were the authors of this wicked opinion at the pointe of death were driuen into desperation Which thinge had happened vnto me also if Christ had not mercifully looked vpon me and holpen me out of this errour On the otherside we teach and comfort the afflicted sinner after this māner Brother it is not possible for thee to become so righteous in this life that thou shouldest feele no sinne at all that thy body should be cleare like the Sunne without spotte or blemish but thou hast as yet wrinkles and spots yet art thou holy notwithstanding But thou wilt say How can I be holy when I haue and feele sinne in me I aunswere in that thou doest feele and acknowledge thy sinne it is a good tokē geue thanks vnto God despaire not It is one steppe to health when the sicke man doth acknowledge and confesse his disease But how shall I be deliuered from sinne Runne to Christ the Phisition which healeth them that are broken in hearte and saueth sinners Follow not the iudgement of reason which telleth thee that he is angry with sinners but kill reason and beleue in Christ If thou beleue thou art righteous because thou geuest glory vnto God that he is almighty merciful true c thē doest thou iustifie praise god To be briefe thou yeldest vnto him his diuinitie and al things else The sinne which remaineth in thee is not laid to thy charge but is pardoned for Christs sake in whom thou beleuest who is perfectly iust whose righteousnes is thy righteousnes and thy sinne is his sinne Here we see that euery Christian is an high Priest for first he offereth vp and killeth his owne reason and the wisedome of the flesh Then he geueth glory to God that he is righteous true patient pitifull and merciful .. And this is that daily sacrifice of the new testament which must be offered euening and morning The euening sacrifice is to kill reason The morning sacrifice is to glorifie god Thus a Christian daily and continually is occupied in this double sacrifice and in the exercise therof And no man is able to set forth sufficiently the excellencie and dignitie of this Christian sacrifice This is therefore a straunge and a wonderfull definition of Christian righteousnes that it is the imputation of God for righteousnes or vnto righteousnes because of our faith in Christ or for Christs sake When the popish Scholemen heare this definition they laugh at it For they imagine that righteousnes is a certaine quality powred into the soule and afterwards spread into all the partes of man They can not put away the vaine imaginations of reason which teacheth that a right iudgement and a good wil or a good intent is true righteousnes This vnspeakeable gifte therefore excelleth all reason that god doth account and acknowledge him for righteous without workes which embraceth his sonne by faith alone who was sent into the world was borne suffered and was crucified for vs. This matter as touching the words is easie to wit that righteousnes is not essentially in vs but without vs in the grace of God onely in his imputation and that there is no essentiall substance of righteousnes in vs besides that weake faith or first frutes of faith whereby we haue begon to apprehend Christ and yet sinne in that meane time remaineth verely in vs but in very deede it is no such smal or light matter but earnest of weighty importance For Christ which was geuen for vs and whom we apprehend by faith hath done no small thing for vs neither hath he dalied with vs but as Paule said before He hath loued vs and geuen him selfe in very deede for vs He vvas made accursed for vs c. And this is no vaine speculation that Christ was deliuered for my sinnes and was made accursed for me that I might be deliuered from euerlasting death Therfore to apprehend that Sonne by faith and with the heart to beleue in him geuen vnto vs and for vs of God causeth that God doth account that faith although it be vnperfect for perfect righteousnes And we are altogether in an other world farre from reason where we dispute not what we ought to doe or with what works we may deserue grace and forgeuenes of sinnes but we are here in a matter of high and heauenly diuinitie where we doe heare this Gospell or glad tidings that Christ died for vs and that we beleuing this are counted righteous though sinnes notwithstanding do remain in vs and that horrible sinnes So our Sauiour Christ also defineth the righteousnes of faith The father saith he loueth you Wherfore doth he loue you Not because ye were Phariseis vnreproueable in the righteousnes of the law circumcised or because ye did good works and fasted c but because I haue chosen you out of the world ye haue done nothing but that ye haue loued me and beleued that I came out from the father This obiect I being sent from the father into the world pleased you And because you haue apprehended and embraced this obiect therfore the father loueth you and therefore ye please him And yet notwithstanding in an other place he calleth them euil and cōmaundeth them to aske forgeuenes of their sinnes These two things are quite contrary to wit that a Christian is righteous and beloued of God and yet notwithstanding he is a sinner For God cānot deny his owne
carnall generation had any prorogatiue or could haue made children to Abraham is shut out and yet the scripture saith In Isaac shall thy seede be called The second is of Esau and Iacob who when they were as yet in their mothers wombe and had done neither good nor euill it was said The elder shall serue the yonger I haue loued Iacob and Esau haue I hated Therfore it is plaine that they which are of faith are the children of Abraham But some will here obiecte as the Iewes doe and certaine vnskilfull persons at this day which will seeme to know much and say that this worde faith in the Hebrew signifieth truth and therfore we doe wrongly alleage it in this matter and moreouer that this place out of Genesis 15. speaketh of a corporall thing namely of the promise of posteritie and therfore is not wel applied of Paule to faith in Christ but ought simplie to be vnderstand of the faith of Abraham wherby he beleeued according to the promise of God that he should haue seede And hereby they would proue that the arguments and allegations of Paule doe conclude nothing In like manner they may cauill also that the place which Paule a litle after alledgeth out of Habacuc speaketh of faith concerning the accomplishing of the whole vision and not of faith onely in Christ for the which Paule alledgeth it Likewise they may wrest all the .11 chapter to the Hebrews which speaketh of faith and the examples of faith By these things such vaineglorious and arrogant spirites doe hunt for praise and seeke to be counted wise and learned where they least of all deserue it But because of the simple and ignoraunt we will briefly answer to their cauillations To the first I aunswere thus that faith is nothing else but the truth of the hearte that is to say a true and a right opinion of the hearte as touching god Now faith only thinketh and iudgeth rightly of God and not reason And then a man thinketh rightly of God when he beleueth his word But when he will measure God without the word and beleue him according to the wisedome of reason he hath no right opinion of God in his heart and therfore he cā not thinke or iudge of him as he should doe As for example when a Monke imagineth that his Cowle his shauen croune and his vowes doe please God that grace and euerlasting life is geuen vnto him for the same he hath no true opinion of God but false and full of impietie Truth therfore is faith it selfe which iudgeth rightly of God namely that God regardeth not our works righteousnes because we are vncleane but that he will haue mercy vpon vs looke vpon vs accept vs iustifie vs and saue vs if we beleue in his Sonne whom he hath sent to be a sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world This is a true opinion of God and in very deede nothing else but faith it selfe I can not comprehend nor be fully assured by reason that I am receaued into gods fauour for Christes sake but I heare this to be pronounced by the Gospell and I lay hold vpon it by faith To the seconde cauillation I answere that Paule doth rightly alledge the place out of the .15 of Genesis applying it to faith in Christ For with faith alwayes must be ioyned a certaine assurance of Gods mercy Now this assurance comprehendeth a faithfull trust of remission of sinnes for Christes sake For it is impossible that the conscience should looke for any thing at Gods hand except first it be assured that God is mercifull vnto it for Christes sake Therfore all the promises are to be referred to that first promise concerning Christ The seede of the vvoman shall bruse the serpents head So did all the Prophetes both vnderstand it and teach it By this we see that the faith of our fathers in the olde Testament and ours nowe in the newe is all one although they differ as touching their outward obiectes Which thing Peter witnesseth in the Actes when he sayth vvhich neither vve nor our fathers vvere able to beare But vve beleeue through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ to be saued euen as they did And Paule sayth Our fathers did all drinke of that spirituall rocke that folovved them vvhich rocke vvas Christ And Christ himselfe sayth Abraham reioyced to see my day and he savve it and vvas glad Notwithstāding the faith of the fathers was grounded in Christ which was to come as ours is nowe in Christ which is now reuealed Abraham in his time was made righteous through faith in Christ to come but if he liued at this day he should be made righteous by faith in Christ now already reuealed and present Like as I said before of Cornelius who at the first beleeued in Christ to come but being instructed by Peter he beleeued that Christ was already come Therfore the diuersitie of times neither chaungeth faith nor the holy Ghost nor the gifts therof For there hath bene is and euer shal be one will one meaning and vnderstanding concerning Christ as well in the auncient fathers as in the faithfull which are at this day and shall come hereafter So we also haue aswell Christ to come and beleeue in him as the fathers of the olde Testament had For we looke for him to come againe in the last day with glory to iudge both the quicke and the dead whom nowe we beleue to be come alredy for our saluation Therfore this allegation of Paule offendeth none but those blinde and ignorant cauillers Paule therfore as I haue said rightly alledgeth that place out of Genesis of faith in Christ when he speaketh of the faith of Abraham For all the promises past were contained in Christ to come Therfore as well Abraham and the other fathers as also we are made righteous by faith in Christ They by faith in him to come we by faith in him now present For we entreate now of the nature and manner of iustification which is all one both in them and vs concerning Christ to come and being come It is enough therfore that Paule sheweth that the law iustifieth not but onely faith whether it be in Christ to come or in Christ already come At this day also Christ to some is present to other some he is to come To al beleuers he is present To vnbeleuers he is not yet come neither doth he profit them any thing at all but if they heare the Gospel and beleue that he is present vnto them he iustifieth saueth them Verse 7. Ye knovv therfore that they vvhich are of faith the same are the children of Abraham As if he would say Ye know by this example of Abraham and by the plaine testimony of the scripture that they are the children of Abraham which are of faith whether they be Iewes or Gentiles without any respect either
them became a cast away saue Iudas because theyr calling is holy This is the first assault that Paule maketh against the false Apostles which ranne when no man sent them Calling therfore is not to be despised For it is not enough for a man to haue the word pure doctrine but also he must be assured of his calling and he that entreth without this certaintie entreth to no other ende but to kill and to destroy For God neuer prospereth the labour of those that are not called And although they teach some good and profitable matters withall yet they edifie not So our fantasticall spirites at this day haue the wordes of Faith in their mouthes but yet they yeelde no frute but their cheefe ende and purpose is to draw men to their false and peruerse opinions They that haue a certaine and holy calling must sustaine many and great conflictes as they must do whose doctrine is pure and sound that they may constantly abide in their lawfull calling against the infinite and continuall assaultes of the Deuill and rage of the world Heere what should he doe whose calling is vncertaine and doctrine corrupte This is then our comforte which are in the Ministerie of the worde that we haue an office which is heauenly and holy to the which we being lawfully called doe triumph against all the gates of hel On the other side it is an horrible thing when the conscience saith This thou hast done without any lawfull calling Herein such terrour shaketh a mans minde which is not called that he would wish he had neuer heard the word which he teacheth For by his disobedience he maketh all his workes euill were they neuer so good in so much that euen his greatest workes and labours become his greateste sinnes We see then how good and necessary this boasting and glorying of our ministerie is In times past when I was a yong deuine and teacher me thought Paule did vnwisely in glorying so oft of his calling in all his Epistles but I did not vnderstand his purpose For I knew not that the ministerie of Gods word was so waightie a matter I knew nothing of the doctrine of faith and a true conscience in deede for that there was then no certaintie taught either in the Schooles or Churches but al was ful of Sophistical subtilties of the Schoolemē And therfore no man was able to vnderstand the dignitie and power of this holy and spirituall boasting of the true lawfull calling which serueth first to the glory of God and secondly to the aduauncing of our office and moreouer to the saluation of our selues and of the people For by this our boasting we seeke not estimation in the worlde or praise among men or mony or pleasures or fauour of the world But for as much as we be in a diuine calling and in the worke of God and the people haue great neede to be assured of our calling that they may know our word to be the word of God therfore we proudly vaunt and boast of it It is not then a vaine but a most holy pride against the deuil and the world and true humilitie before God. Verse 1. And by God the Father vvhich hath raised him from the dead Paule is so enflamed heere with zeale that he can not tary till he come to the matter it selfe but forthwith in the very title he bursteth out and vttereth what he hath in his heart His intent in this Epistle is to treate of the righteousnes that cometh by faith and to defend the same Againe to ouerthrowe the lawe and the righteousnes that cometh by workes Of such cogitations he is full and out of this wonderfull and exceeding great abundance of the excellent wisedome and knowledge of Christ in his heart his mouth speaketh This flame this great burning fire of his heart cā not be hid nor suffer him to hold his tongue and therfore he thought it not enough to say that he was an Apostle sent by Iesus Christ but also addeth by God the Father vvhich raised him vp from the dead But the adding of these words And by God the father c semeth not necessary But because as I sayd Paule speaketh out of the abundance of his heart his minde burneth with desire to set forth euen in the very entrie of his Epistle the vnsearchable riches of Christ and to preach the righteousnes of God which is called the resurrection of the dead Christ who liueth and is risen againe speaketh out of him and moueth him thus to speake therfore not without cause he addeth that he is also an Apostle By God the father vvhich hath raised vp Iesus Christ from the dead As if he would say I haue to deale with Satan and with those vipers the instrumēts of Satan which go about to spoile me of the righteousnes of Christ who was raised vp by God the to spoile me of the righteousnes of Christ who was raised vp by God the father frō the dead by which alone we are made righteous by which also we shal be raised vp in the last day from death to euerlasting life But they that in such sort goe about to ouerthrow Christes righteousnes do resist the father and the sonne and the worke of them bothe Thus Paule euen at the first entrance bursteth out into the whole matter wherof he treateth in this Epistle For as I sayd he treateth of the resurrection of Christ who rose againe to make vs righteous and in so doing he hath ouercome the lawe sinne death and all euels Christes victorie then is the ouercōming of the law of sinne our flesh the world the deuil death hel all euils and this his victorie hath he geuen vnto vs Although then that these tyraunts and enemies of ours do accuse vs and make vs afraid yet can they not driue vs to despaire nor condemne vs For Christ whom God the father hath raised vp frō the dead is our righteousnes and victory Therfore thanks be to God who hath geuen vs victorie by our Lord Iesus Christ Amen But marke how fitly and to the purpose Paule here speaketh He sayth not by God that hath made heauen and earth which is Lord of the Angels which commaunded Abraham to goe out of his owne coūtrey which sent Moises to Pharao the king which brought Israel out of Egypt as the false Apostles did who boasted of the God of their fathers the creator maintainer and preseruer of all things working wonders among his people but Paule had an other thing in his hart namely the righteousnes of Christ therfore he speaketh words that make much for this his matter saying I am an Apostle neither of men nor by men but by Iesus Christ and God the father vvho hath raised him vp from the dead Ye see then with what feruencie of spirit Paule is led in this matter which he goeth about to establish and maintaine against
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 sclaūder 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 mā 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 cōsisteth 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 bōdage 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 vnderstād 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 cōcerning the iustifying faith being furnished with charitie are no thing else but mere dreames For that faith which apprehēdeth 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
righteousnes should feare vs and make vs to abhorre it And here with this thunderbolt falleth downe all the orders of Monkes and Friers with all the rablement of such supersticious religion For who will not detest his owne vowes his cowle his shauen croune all mens traditions yea the very law of Moses also if he heare that for these things he reiecteth the grace of god and maketh the death of Christ vnprofitable The world hearing this doth not beleue that it is true It thinketh that such horrible wickednes can not enter into any mans heart that he should reiect the grace of God esteme the death of Christ as a thing of nought And yet this sinne commonly reigneth For whosoeuer seeketh righteousnes without Christ either by workes merites satisfactions afflictions or by the law reiecteth the grace of God and despiseth the death of Christ whatsoeuer he protesteth with his mouth to the contrary The third Chapter Verse 1. O foolish Galathians PAVLE here sheweth his Apostolicall care and feruent zeale which he beareth to the church so that in disputing and confuting he intermixeth sometimes gentle exhortations and sometimes he sharply chideth according to his owne rule geuē to Timothy Preach saith he the vvord be instant in season and out of season Improue rebuke exhort 2. Timot. 4. Here the simple reader haply may be deceaued if he be not circumspect to thinke that Paule in teaching keepeth no order at all And surely after the maner of the Rhetoricians he obserueth none but as concerning the spirite he vseth a goodly order Now after that he hath sufficiently proued and with two strong arguments confirmed this article that Christian righteousnes cometh not by keeping of the law but by faith in Christ and withall hath confuted the doctrine of the false Apostles in the middes of this discourse he turneth his talke to the Galathians and reproueth them saying O ye foolish Galathians c. As if he should say Alas from whence are ye falne O ye miserable Galathians I haue most carefully and diligently taught you the truth of the Gospell and ye also haue receaued the same of me with feruent zeale and greate diligence How then cometh it to passe that ye are so suddainly falne away from it who hath bewitched you He rebuketh the Galathians very sharply as it seemeth when he calleth them fooles bewitched and disobedient to the truth Now whether he did this of zeale or compassion I will not here contend both may be true A carnall man would interprete this to be a reuiling rather then a godly reprehension Did Paule then geue an euill example or was he spitefull against the churches of Galatia because he called them foolish and bewitched No not so For with a Christian zeale it is lawfull for an Apostle pastour or preacher sharply to reproue the people committed to his charge and such reprouings are both fatherly godly So parents of a fatherly and motherly affection do sharply reproue and rebuke their children which they would not beare if an other should doe it The Scholemaster sometimes is angry with his scholler he rebuketh him and beateth him with roddes all which he taketh in good parte and would not beare it at the handes of his equall The magistrate likewise is angry he reproueth and punisheth such as are vnder his charge And this discipline is not onely good but also very necessary without the which nothing can be well done Wherfore vnlesse the magistrate the minister the father and mother be angry and vse to reproue or rebuke when case requireth he is vnprofitable and neuer shall discharge his office rightly Wherfore sharpe chidings bitter words are as necessary in euery kind of life as any other vertue els Yet notwithstanding this anger must be so tempered that it procede not of any enuy or malice but onely of a fatherly affection and Christian zeale that is to say it ought not to be childish or womanlike seking reuenge but onely for the correcting of the faulte As the father correcteth not his childe with desire to reuenge but only that the childe therby may be the better And these kindes of anger are good and are called in the scripture ielousies or zeales For in chastising my brother my child my scholler or subiect in this sort I seeke not his destruction but his profite and welfare It may be then that Paule here rebuketh the Galathians either of a very zeale not to destroy them but by this meanes to reduce them into the way againe and to amend them or els of pitie and compassion as it were by way of complaint for that it greueth him that the Galathians should be so miserably seduced As if he should say I am sory and ashamed to heare of this your miserable case your wretched doings c. In like maner doe we also reproue the miserable not that we treade them downe or vpbraide them with their misery but as hauing compassion on them and seeking their amendment This I say lest any man should cauill that Paule railed vpon the churches contrary to the rule of the Gospell In like maner Christ rebuketh the phariseis calling them serpents the generation of vipers the children of the deuil But these are the rebukings of the holy Ghost They are fatherly and motherly and as the chidings of a faithfull frend As it is said also in the prouerbes Better are the vvoundes of a frend then the kisses of an enemy Thus one and the selfe same rebuke if it come out of the mouth of a father may be a great benefite but if it procede out of the mouth of our equall or enemy it is a spitefull reproch When two men doe both one thing in the one it is commendable and in the other it is cleane contrary When Christ and Paule doe reproue it is done with singular vertue and commendation but when a priuate man shall doe the like in him it is a greate vice Therfore one and the selfe same word in the mouth of Paule is a great vertue and a singular benefite but in the mouth of an other it is a shamefull reproch Here is a great vehemencie to be noted in this word Galathians For he calleth them not brethren as els where he is wont to doe but he calleth them by the name of their coūtrey And it should seeme that it was the naturall vice of that nation to be foolish like as it was the fault of the Cretenses to be liars As if he should say As ye are called euen so are ye in deed and so ye continue that is to say foolish Galathians and this ye proue euen now in this busines of the Gospell wherin notwithstāding ye ought to haue shewed your selues most wise but ye continue still in your old nature and shew your selues no changelings Thus Paule by way of correction putteth them in mind of their corrupt nature Moreouer we are here admonished
of faith in god Let him that is a Rethorician amplifie this place and he shall see that faith is an almighty thing that the power therof is inestimable and infinite For it geueth glory vnto God which is the highest seruice that can be geuen vnto him Nowe to geue glory vnto God is to beleeue in him to count him true wise righteous merciful almighty briefly to acknowledge him to be the author and geuer of all goodnes This reason doth not but faith That is it which maketh vs diuine people and as a man would say it is the creator of a certaine diuinitie not in the substaunce of God but in vs For without faith God loseth in vs his glory wisedom righteousnes truth and mercy To conclude There no maiestie or diuinitie remaineth vnto God where faith is not And the cheefest thing that God requireth of man is that he geue vnto him his glory and his diuinitie that is to say that he take him not for an idoll but for God who regardeth him heareth him sheweth mercy vnto him and helpeth him This being done then hath God his full and perfect diuinitie that is he hath whatsoeuer a faithfull heart can attribute vnto him To be able therfore to geue that glory vnto God it is the wisedom of wisedomes the righteousnes of righteousnesses the religion of religions and sacrifice of sacrifices Hereby we may perceaue what an high and excellent righteousnes faith is and so by the contrary what an horrible and greeuous sinne infidelitie is Whosoeuer then beleeueth the word of God as Abraham did is righteous before God because he hath faith which geueth glory vnto God that is he geueth to God that which is due to him For faith saith thus I beleeue thee O God when thou speakest And what sayth God Impossible things lies foolish weake absurde abhominable hereticall and deuillish things if ye beleeue reason For what is more absurde foolish and vnpossible then when God saith to Abraham that he should haue a sonne of the harren and dead body of his wife Sara So if we will follow the iudgement of reason God setteth forth absurde and impossible things when he setteth out vnto vs the Articles of the Christian faith In deede it seemeth to reason an absurde and a foolish thing that in the Lordes supper is offred vnto vs the body and bloud of Christ that baptisme is the Lauer of the new birth and of the renewing of the holy Ghost that the dead shall rise in the last day that Christ the sonne of God was conceiued and caried in the wombe of the virgin Marie that he was borne that he suffered the most reprochefull death of the crosse that he was raised vp againe that he nowe sitteth at the right hand of God the father and that he hath power both in heauen and in earth For this cause Paule calleth the Gospell of Christe crucified the worde of the crosse and foolish preaching which to the Iewes was offensiue and to the Gentiles foolish doctrine c. Reason therfore doth not vnderstand that to heare the worde of God and to beleeue it is the cheefest seruice that God requireth of vs but it thinketh that those thinges which it chooseth and doth of a good entent as they call it and of her owne deuotion please god Therefore when God speaketh reason iudgeth his word to be heresie and the word of the Deuill for it seemeth absurde and foolish But faith killeth reason and slaieth that beast which the whole world and all creatures cannot kill So Abraham killed it by faith in the worde of God by which word seede was promised him of Sara who was barren and now past childe bearing Vnto this word reason yeelded not streight way in Abraham but doubtles it fought against faith in him iudgeing it to be an absurde a foolish and vnpossible thing that that Sara who was nowe not onely 90. yeares of age but also was barren by nature should bring forth a sonne Thus faith no doubt wrestled with reason in Abraham but heerein faith got the victory killed and sacrificed reason that most cruell and pestilent ennemie of god So all the godly entring with Abraham into the darkenes of faith doe kill reason saying Reason thou art foolish thou doest not sauour those things which belong vnto God therefore speake not against me but hold thy peace iudge not but heare the word of God and beleeue it So the godly by faith kill such a beast as is greater then the whole world and thereby doe offer to God a most acceptable sacrifice and seruice And in comparison of this sacrifice of the faithfull all the religions of all nations and all the workes of all Monkes and meritemongers are nothing at all For by this sacrifice first as I said they kill reason a greate and mightie ennemie of God. For reason despiseth God denieth his wisedome righteousnes power truth mercie maiestie and diuinitie Moreouer by the same sacrifice they yeeld glory vnto God that is they beleeue him to be righteous good faithfull true c they beleeue that he can doe all things that all his wordes are holy true liuely and effectuall c. which is a most acceptable obedience vnto god Therefore there can be no greater or more holy religion in the world nor more acceptable seruice vnto God then faith is Contrariwise the Iusticiaries and such as seeke righteousnes by their owne woorkes lacking Faithe in deede doe many things They fast they pray they watch they lay crosses vppon themselues But because they thinke to appease the wrath of God and deserue grace by these things they geue no glory to God that is they doe not iudge him to be mercifull true and keeping promise c. but to be an angrie iudge which must be pacified with woorkes and by this meanes they despise God they make him as a lier in all his promises they denie Christe and all his benefites to conclude they thrust God out of his seate and set them selues in his place For they reiecting and despising the worde of God doe choose vnto them selues such worshippe and woorkes as God hath not commaunded They imagine that God hath a pleasure therin and they hope to receiue a reward of him for the same Therefore they kill not reason that mightie enemie of God but quicken it and they take from God his maiestie and his diuinitie and attribute the same vnto their owne woorkes Wherfore onely faith geueth glory to God as Paule witnesseth of Abraham Abraham sayeth he vvas made strong in the faith and gaue glory to God being fully assured that vvhatsoeuer God had promised he vvas able to performe and therefore it vvas imputed to him for righteousnes Christian righteousnes consisteth in Faith of the hearte and Gods imputation It is not without cause that he addeth this sentence out of the fiftene Chapiter of Genesis And it
selfe same works saith he which the other Apostles did notwithstanding because the person was reprobate the iudgemēt 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
haue nothing lesse Hereby we may plainly see that the Pope with his doctrine doth nothing else but trouble and torment mens consciences at length driueth them to desperation For he not onely teacheth but also cōmaundeth men to dout Therfore according to the Psalme There is no truth or certaintie in his mouth And in an other place vnder his tōge is iniquitie mischeefe Here we may see what great infirmitie is yet in the Faith of the Godly For if we could be fully perswaded that we are vnder grace that our sinnes are forgeuen that we haue the spirit of Christ that we are the children of God then doubtles we should be ioyfull and thankfull to God for this inestimable gift But because we feele cōtrary motions that is to say feare doutfulnes anguish and heuines of heart such like therfore we can not assure our selues hereof yea our conscience iudgeth it a great presumption and pride to chalenge this glory Wherfore if we will vnderstand this thing rightly and as we should doe we must put it in practise for without experience and practise it can neuer be learned Wherfore let euery man so practise with him selfe that his conscience may be fully assured that he is vnder grace and that his person and his workes doe please god And if he feele in himselfe any wauering or douting let him exercise his Faith and wrastle against this douting and let him endeuour to attaine more certaintie so that he may be able to say I know that I am accepted and that I haue the holy Ghost not for mine owne worthines my worke my merite but for Christes sake who of his inestimable loue towardes vs made him self thrall and subiect to the lawe tooke away the sinnes of the world In him do I beleue If I be a sinner erre he is righteous and can not erre Moreouer I gladly heare read sing wryte of him and I desire nothing more then that his Gospel may be knowne to the whole world and that many may be conuerted vnto him These things doe plainly witnesse that the holy Ghost is present with vs in vs For such things are not wrought in the heart by mans strength nor gotten by his industrie exercise or trauell but are obtained by Christ alone who first maketh vs righteous by the knowledge of him in his holy Gospel and afterwardes he createth a new heart in vs bringeth forth new motions geueth vnto vs that assurance wherby we are perswaded that we please the father for his sake Also he geueth vs a true iudgement whereby we proue trie those things which before we knew not or else altogether despised It behoueth vs therefore to wrastle against this douting that we may daily ouercome it more and more attaine to a full perswasion certainty of Gods fauour towardes vs rooting out of our heartes this cursed opinion that a man ought to dout of the grace fauour of God which hath infected the whole world For if we dout whether we be vnder grace whether we please God for Christes sake or not we deny that Christe hath redemed vs we deny simply all his benefits Ye that are yong mē may easily apprehēd this pure doctrine of the Gospel and abādon this pernicious opinion because ye are not yet poysoned therwith Verse 6. Crying Abba Father Paule might haue sayd God sent the spirite of his sonne into our hearts calling Abba Father Now he sayth not so but crying Abba Father that he might shew and set forth the temptation of a Christian which yet is but weake and weakly beleueth In the .8 to the Rom. he calleth this crying an vnspeakeable groning Likewise he sayeth The spirite helpeth our infirmities For vve knovv not hovve to pray as vve ought but the spirite maketh intercession for vs vvith vnspeakeable gronings c. And this is a singuler consolation when he sayeth here that the spirite of Christ is sent into our hearts crying Abba Father And againe that he helpeth our infirmities making intercession for vs with vnspeakeable gronings He that could assuredly beleue this should neuer be ouercome with any affliction were it neuer so great But there are many things that hinder this Faith in vs First our heart is borne in sinne Moreouer this euill is naturally grafted in vs that we doubt of the good will of God towardes vs and cannot assure our selues that we please God. c. Besides all this the Deuil our aduersarie raūgeth about with terrible rorings and sayeth Thou art a sinner therefore God is angrie with thee and will destroy thee for euer Against these horrible and intolerable rorings we haue nothing whervpon to hold stay our selues but only the word which setteth Christ before vs as a conquerour ouer sinne and death and ouer all euils But to cleaue fast to the word in this tentation and these terrours of conscience herein standeth all the difficultie For then Christe appeareth to no sense We see him not the heart feeleth not his presence or succour in temptation but rather it seemeth that Christ is angrie with vs and that he forsaketh vs Moreouer when a man is tempted and afflicted he feeleth the strength of sinne and the infirmitie of the flesh he douteth he feeleth the flerie dartes of the Deuill the terrours of death the anger and iudgement of god All these things cry out horribly against vs so that we see nothing else but desperation and eternall death But yet in the middest of these terrours of the lawe thundrings of sinne assaultes of death and rorings of the Deuill the holy Ghost sayth Paule cryeth in our hearts Abba Father And this crie surmounteth those mighty and horrible cries of the lawe sinne death the Deuill c it perceth the cloudes and the heauens and ascendeth vp vnto the eares of God. Paule therfore signifieth by these words that there is yet infirmitie in the godly As he doth also in the .8 chap. to the Rom. when he sayeth The spirite helpeth our infirmities For as much therfore as the sense and feeling of the contrary is strong in vs that is to say for as much as we feele more the displeasure of God then his good will and fauour towardes vs therefore the holy Ghost is sent into our heartes which doth not only sigh and make request for vs but mightely crieth Abba Father and praieth for vs according to the wil of God with teares and vnspeakeable gronings And how is this done When we are in terrours and in the conflict of conscience in deede we take hold of Christ and beleue that he is our Sauiour but then doe the law and sinne terrifie and torment vs most of all Moreouer the Deuill assaileth vs with all his engines and fierie darts and goeth about with all his power to plucke Christ from vs and to take from vs all consolations Here we feele our selues almost ouercome and at
careful for your saluation This is a liuely example to teach all ministers how to be careful for their sheepe and to assay euery way that by chiding faire speaking or entreating they may reteine them in sound doctrine and turne them from subtill seducers and false teachers Verse 19. My litle children of vvhom I trauaile in birth againe vntill Christ be formed in you All his wordes are waightie and fitly framed to the purpose that they may moue the hearts of the Galathians and winne theyr fauour and good will againe And these are sweete and louing words when he calleth them his children When he sayeth of vvhom I trauaile in birth it is an allegorie For the Apostles are in the stede of parentes as Scholemasters also are in their place and calling For as the parents beget the bodely forme euen so the other beget the forme of the minde Now the forme of a Christian minde is Faith or the confidence of the heart which layeth hold vppon Christe and cleaueth to him alone and to nothing else The heart being furnished with this confidence or assurance to witte that for Christes sake we are righteous hath the true forme of Christe Now this forme is geuen by the ministerie of the word as it is sayd 1. Corrinthians 4 I haue begotten you through the Gospell that is to say in spirit that ye might know Christe and beleue in him Also 2. Corrinthians 3. Ye are the Epistle of Christe ministred by vs and vvritten not vvith incke but vvith the spirite of the liuing God. For the word commeth from the mouth of the Apostle or of the minister and entreth into the heart of him that heareth it There the holy Ghost is present and emprinteth the word in the heart so that it consenteth vnto it Thus euery godly teacher is a father which engendreth and formeth the true shape of a Christian heart and that by the ministerie of the word Moreouer by these wordes of vvhom I trauaile in birth he toucheth the false apostles As though he would say I did beget you rightly through the Gospell but these corrupters haue formed a new shape in your heart not of Christe but of Moses so that now your affiance is not grounded any more vpon Christe but vpon the workes of the lawe This is not the true forme of Christe but it is an other forme and altogether deuilish And he sayth not of whom I trauaile in birth vntill my forme be fashioned in you but vntill Christe be formed in you that is to say I trauaile that ye may receaue againe the forme and similitude of Christe and not of Paule In which wordes he againe reproueth the false apostles For they had abolished the forme of Christe in the heartes of the beleuers and had deuised an other forme that is to say their owne As he sayeth Chap. 6. They vvould haue you circumcised that they might reioyce in your flesh Of this forme of Christe he speaketh also in the third to the Colossians Put ye on the nevve man vvhich is renevved in knovvledge after the image of him that created him Paule therefore goeth about to repaire the forme of Christe in the Galathians that was disfigured and corrupted by the false apostles which is that they should thinke speake and will as God doth whose thought and will is that we should obtaine remission of our sinnes and euerlasting life by Iesus Christ his onely Sonne whom he sent into the world to the ende he might be the propiciation for our sinnes and that we should know that through this his sonne he is appeased and become our louing father They that beleue this are like vnto God that is to say all their thoughtes are of God as the affection of their heart is they haue the same forme in their minde which God or Iesus Christe hath This is to be renewed in the spirite of our minde and to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holines as Paule sayth Ephes 4. He sayeth then that he traueileth againe of the Galathians in birth notwithstanding in such sort that the forme of the children be not the forme of the Apostle so that the children should not resemble the forme of Paule or of Cephas c. but of an other Father that is to say Christ I will fashion him sayeth he in you to the ende ye may be like minded in all things vnto Christe himselfe To be briefe I trauell of you in birth that is to say I labour carefully to call you backe againe to your former Faith the which ye haue lost being deceaued by the craft and subteltie of the false apostles and are returned to the lawe and workes Therefore I must now againe carefully trauell to bring you backe from the lawe to the Faith of Christ This he calleth to trauell in birth c. Verse 20. And I vvould I vvere vvith you novv that I might chaūge my voice c. These are the true cares of an Apostle It is a common saying that a letter is a dead messenger for it can geue no more then it hath And no Epistle or letter is wrytten so exactly wherein there is not somewhat lacking For the circumstances are diuers there is a diuersitie of times places persons manners and affections all which no Epistle can expresse Therefore it moueth the reader diuersly making him now sadde now merry as he him selfe is disposed But if any thing be spoken sharpely or out of time the liuely voyce of a man may expound mitigate or correct the same Therfore the Apostle wisheth that he were with them to the end he might temper and chaunge his voyce as he should see it needefull by the qualities of their affections As if he should see any of them very much troubled he might so temper his wordes that they should not be oppressed therby with more heauines Contrariwise if he should see others high minded he might sharply reprehend them lest they should be too secure and careles and so at length become contemners of God. Wherefore he could not deuise how he being absent should deale with them by letters As if he should say If my Epistle be to sharpe I feare I shall more offend then amende some of you Againe if it be too gentle it will not profite those which are peruerse and obstinate For dead letters and wordes geue no more then they haue Contrariwise the liuely voyce of a man compared to an Epistle is a Queene For it can adde diminish it can chaūge it selfe in to all maner of affections times places persons To be briefe I would gladly conuert you by letters that is to say cal you backe from the law to the Faith of Iesus Christe but I feare that I shall not so doe by my dead letters But if I were with you I could chaūge my voice I could reproue them bitterly that are obstinate and
also for by them hope is stirred vppe But Faith as also I haue shewed before goeth before hope for it is the beginning of life and beginneth before all tribulation For it learneth Christe and apprehendeth him without the crosse Notwithstāding the knowledge of Christ can not be long without the crosse without troubles and conflictes In this case the minde must be stirred vppe to a fortitude of spirite For hope is nothing else but a spirituall fortitude as Faith is nothing else but a spirituall prudence which consisteth in suffering according to this saying That through patience c. These three things then dwell together in the faithful Faith which teacheth the truth defendeth from errours Hope which endureth ouercōeth al aduersities as well bodely as ghostly Charitie which worketh all good things as it foloweth in the text And so is a man entire and perfect in this life as wel within as without vntill the righteousnes be reuealed which he waiteth for and this shal be a perfect an euerlasting righteousnes Moreouer this place containeth both a singuler doctrine consolation As touching the doctrine it sheweth that we are made righteous not by the workes sacrifices or ceremonies of Moises lawe much lesse by the works and traditions of mē but by Christ alone What so euer is in vs besides him is of the flesh and not of the spirite What so euer then the world counteth to be good and holy without Christe is nothing else but sinne errour and flesh Wherfore circumcision and the obseruation of the lawe also the workes religions and vowes of the Monkes and of all such as trust in their owne righteousnes are altogether carnall But we sayth Paule are farre aboue all these things in the spirite and inward man For we possesse Christe by Faith and in the middes of our afflictions through hope we wait for that righteousnes which we possesse alredy by Faith. The comfort is this that in serious conflicts and terrours wherin the feeling of sinne heauines of syirite desperation such like is very stronge for they enter deepely into the hearte and mightely assaile it thou must not folow thine owne feeling For if thou doe thou wilt say I feele the horrible terrours of the lawe and the tyrannie of sinne not onely rebelling against me but also subduing and leading me captiue and I feele no comfort or righteousnes at all Therefore I am a sinner and not righteous If I be a sinner then am I giltie of euerlasting death But against this feeling thou must wrastle and say Although I feele my selfe vtterly ouerwhelmed and swalowed vp with sinne and my heart telleth me that God is offended and angrie with me yet in very deede it is not true but that mine owne sense and feeling so iudgeth The word of God which in these terrours I ought to folow and not mine owne sense teacheth a farre other thing namely that God is neare vnto them that are of a troubled heart and saueth them that are of an humble spirite Also he despiseth not an humble and a contrite heart Moreouer Paul sheweth here that they that are iustified in spirite by Faith doe not yet feele the hope of righteousnes but wait still for it Wherfore when the lawe accuseth and sinne terrifieth thee and thou feelest nothing but the wrath and iudgement of God despaire not for all that but take vnto thee the armour of God the shield of Faith the helmet of hope and the sword of the spirite and trie how good and how valiant a warriour thou art Lay hold of Christe by Faith who is the Lord of the law and sinne and of all things else which accompanie them Beleuing in him thou art iustified which thing reason and the feeling of thine owne heart when thou art tempted doe not tell thee but the word of god Moreouer in the middest of these conflictes and terrours which often returne and exercise thee waite thou patiently through hope for righteousnes which thou hast now by Faith although it be yet but begun and imperfect vntill it be reuealed made perfect in the kingdom of heauen But thou wilt say I feele not my selfe to haue any righteousnes or at least wise I feele it but very litle Thou must not feele but beleue that thou hast righteousnes And except thou beleue that thou art righteous thou doest great iniurie vnto Christe who hath clensed thee by the washing of water through the word who also died vpon the crosse condemned sinne and killed death that through him thou mightest obtaine righteousnes euerlasting life These things thou canst not deny except thou wilt openly shew thy self to be wicked blasphemous against God vtterly to despise God all his promises Iesus Christe with all his benefites and so consequently thou canst not denie but that thou art righteous Let vs learne therfore in great and horrible terrours when our conscience feeleth nothing but sinne and iudgeth that God is angrie with vs and that Christ hath turned his face from vs not to folow the sense feeling of our owne hart but to stick to the word of God which saith that God is not angry but looketh to the afflicted to such as are troubled in spirite tremble at his word and that Christ turneth not himselfe away from such as labour and are heauie loden but refresheth and comforteth them This place therefore teacheth plainly that the lawe and workes bring vnto vs no righteousnes or comfort at all but this doth the holy Ghost onely in the Faith of Christe who raiseth vp hope in terrours and tribulations which endureth and ouercommeth all aduersities Very few there be that know how weake and feeble Faith and hope are vnder the crosse and in the conflict For it seemeth that they are but as smoking flaxe which is ready by by to be put out with a vehement winde But the faithfull who beleue in the middest of these assaultes and terrours hoping against hope that is to say fighting through Faith in the promise as touching Christe against the feeling of sinne and of the wrath of God doe afterwardes finde by experience that this sparke of Faith being very little as it appeareth to naturall reason for reason can scarsely feele it is as a mighty fire and swaloweth vp all our sinnes and all terrours There is nothing more deare or precious in all the world to the true children of God then this doctrine For they that vnderstand this doctrine doe know that wherof all the world is ignorant namely that sinne death and all other miseries afflictions and calamities as well corporall as spirituall doe turne to the benefite and profit of the elect Moreouer they know that God is then most nere vnto them when he seemeth to be farthest of and that he is then a most mercifull louing Sauiour when he semeth to be most angry to afflict to destroy
world No but with a stout courage I will set my selfe against it and will as well despise and crucifie it as it despiseth and crucifieth me To conclude Paule here teacheth how we should fight against Sathan which not onely tormenteth our bodies with sundry afflictions but also woundeth our hearts continually with his fiery dartes that by this continuance when he can no otherwise preuaile he may ouerthrow our faith bring vs from the truth from Christ namely that like as we see Paule him selfe to haue stoutly despised the world so we also should despise the Deuill the Prince therof with all his force deceits hellish furies and so trusting to the aide and helpe of Christe should triumph against him after this maner O Sathā the more thou hurtest and goest about to hurt me the more proud and stout I am against thee and laugh thee to scorne The more thou terrifiest me and seekest to bring me to desperation so much the more confidence boldnes I take glory in the middest of thy furies malice not by mine owne power but by the power of my Lord and Sauiour Christe whose strength is made perfect in my weaknes Therfore when I am weake then am I strong On the contrary when he seeth his threatnings and terrours to be feared he reioyceth then he terrifieth more and more such as are terrified already Verse 15. For in Christe Iesu neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but a nevv creature This is a wonderfull kinde of speech which Paule here vseth when he sayth neither circūcision nor vncircūcision preuaileth any thing It may seeme that he should rather haue sayd either circumcision or vncircumcision auaileth somwhat seeing these are two contrary things But now he denieth that either the one or the other do any thing auaile As if he shuld haue said Ye must mount vp higher for circūcision and vncircūcision are things of no such importāce that they are able to obtaine righteousnes before god True it is that they are cōtrary the one to the other but this is nothing as touching christian righteousnes which is not earthly but heauēly therfore it cōsisteth not in corporal thīgs Therfore whether thou be circūcised or vncircūcised it is al one thīg for in Christ Iesu neither the one nor the other auaileth any thing at all The Iewes were greatly offended when they heard that circumcision auailed nothing They easily graunted the vncircūcision auailed nothing But they could not abide to heare that so much shuld be said of circūcision for they fought euen vnto bloud for the defence of the law circūcision The Papistes also at this day do vehemently contend for the maintenāce of their traditiōs as touching the eating of flesh single life holy daies such other and they excōmunicate curse vs which teach that in Christ Iesu these things do nothing auaile But Paule sayth that we must haue an other thing which is much more excellēt precious whereby we may obtaine righteousnes before god In Christe Iesu sayth he neither circūcision nor vncircūcision neither single life nor mariage neither meate nor fasting do any whit auaile Meate maketh vs not acceptable before god We are neither that better by abstaining nor the worse by eating All these things yea the whole world with all the lawes and righteousnes therof auaile nothing to Iustification Reason and the wisedom of the flesh doth not vnderstand this for it perceiueth not those things vvhich are of the spirit of God. Therefore it will needes haue righteousnes to stand in outward things But we are taught out of the word of God that there is nothing vnder the sonne which auaileth vnto righteousnes before God but Christ only or as Paule sayeth here a new creature Politike lawes mens traditions ceremonies of the church yea and the law of Moises are such things as are without Christe therefore they auaile not vnto righteousnes before god We may vse them as things both good and necessary but in their place and time But if we talke of the matter of iustification they auaile nothing but hurt very much And by these two things Circumcision vncircumcision Paule reiecteth al other things what so euer and denieth that they auaile any thing in Christ Iesu that is in the cause of faith and saluation For he taketh here a part for the whole that is by vncircumcision he vnderstandeth all the Gentiles by circumcision all the Iewes with all their force and all their glory As if he sayd whatsoeuer the Gentiles can doe with all their wisedom righteousnes lawes power kingdomes Empires it auaileth nothing in Christe Iesus Also whatsoeuer the Iewes are able to do with their Moises their law their circumcision their worshippings their temple their kingdom and priesthoode it nothing auaileth Wherefore in Christ Iesu or in the matter of Iustification we must not dispute of the lawes either of the Gentiles or of the Iewes but we must simply pronounce that neither circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing Are the lawes then of no effect Not so They be good and profitable albeit in their place and time that is in corporall and ciuill things which without lawes cannot be guided Moreouer we vse also in the churches certaine ceremonies and lawes not that the keping of them auaileth vnto righteousnes but for good order example quietnes concord according to that saying Let all things be done comely and orderly But if lawes be so set forth and vrged as though the keping of them did iustifie a man or the breaking thereof did condemne him they ought to be taken away and to be abolished for then Christ loseth his office and his glory who onely iustifieth vs and geueth vnto vs the holy Ghost The Apostle therfore by these words plainly affirmeth that neither circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing but the new creature c. Now since that neither the lawes of the Gentiles nor of the Iewes auaile any thing the Pope hath done most wickedly in that he hath constrained men to keepe his lawes with the opinion of righteousnes Now a new creature whereby the image of God is renewed is not made by any colour or coūterfaiting of good works for in Christ Iesu neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but by Christ by whom it is created after the image of God in righteousnes and true holines When workes are done they bring in deede a newe shew and outward appearance wherwith the world the flesh are delited but not a new creature for the heart remaineth wicked as it was before full of the contempt of God infidelitie Therfore a new creature is the worke of the holy Ghost which clenseth our heart by faith worketh the feare of God loue chastity and other christian vertues and geueth power to bridle the flesh to reiect the righteousnes and wisedom of the world
But forasmuch as we take in hand to expound this Epistle which we doe not because it is needefull or for any hardnes that is in it but that our consciences may be confirmed against heresies yet to come let it not be tedious vnto you if we repeat these things againe that elsewhere and at other times we teach preach singe and sette out by writing For if we neglect the article of iustification we lose altogether Therefore most necessary it is cheifly and aboue all things that we teach and repete this article continually Like as Moses saith of his law for it can not be beaten into our eares enough or to much Yea though we learne it and vnderstand it well yet is there none that taketh hold of it perfectly or beleueth it with his whole hart so fraile a thing is our flesh and disobedient to the spirite This greeting of the Apostle is straunge vnto the world and was neuer heard of before the preaching of the Gospell And these two words Grace and Peace cōprehend in them whatsoeuer belongeth to Christianitie Grace releaseth sinne and peace maketh the conscience quiet The two Feends that torment vs are sinne and conscience But Christ hath vanquished these two Monsters and troden them vnder foote both in this world and in the world to come This the world doth not knowe and therefore it can teach no certaintie of the ouercomming of sinne conscience and death Only Christians haue this kinde of doctrine and are exercised and armed with it to get victory against sinne despaire and euerlasting death And it is a kinde of doctrine neither proceeding of free wil nor inuented by the reason or wisedome of of man but geuen from aboue Moreouer these two words Grace and Peace doe containe in them the whole summe of Christianitie Grace containeth the remission of sinnes peace a quiet and ioyful conscience But peace of conscience can neuer be had vnlesse sinne be first forgeuē But it is not forgeuen for the fulfilling of the law For no man is able to satisfie the law but the law doth rather shew sinne accuse and terrifie the conscience declare the wrath of God and driue to desperation Much lesse is sinne taken away by the workes and inuentions of men as wicked worshippings straung religious vowes and pilgrimages Finally there is no worke that can take away sinne but sinne is rather encreased by works For the Iusticiaries Meritmongers the more they sweate and labour to bring them selues out of sinne the deeper they are plunged therin For there is no meanes to take away sinne but grace alone Therfore Paule in all the greetings of his epistles setteth grace and peace against sinne and an euill conscience This thing must be diligently marked The words are easy but in tentation it is the hardest thing that can be to be certainly perswaded in our harts that by grace alone without any other meanes either in heauen or earth we haue remission of sinnes and peace with God. The world vnderstādeth not this doctrine therfore it neither will nor can abide it but condemneth it as hereticall and wicked It braggeth of free will of the light of reason and the soundnes of the powers and qualities of nature of good workes as meanes wherby it could deserue and attaine grace and peace that is to say forgeuenes of sinnes and a quiet conscience But it is impossible that the conscience should be quiet and ioyfull vnlesse it haue peace thorowe grace that is to say through the forgiuenes of sinnes promised in Christ Many haue carefully laboured by finding out diuers and sundry religions orders and exercises for this purpose to attaine peace and quietnes of conscience but by so doing they haue plunged them selues in moe and greater miseries for all such deuises are but meanes to encrease doubtfulnes and despaire Therfore there shall be no rest to my bones or thine vnlesse we heare the word of grace and cleaue vnto it stedfastly faithfully Then shall our conscience vndoubtedly finde grace and peace The Apostle doth fittly distinguish this grace and peace from al other kinds of grace peace whatsoeuer He wisheth to the Galathians Grace Peace not from the Emperour or Kings and Princes for these doe commonly persecute the Godly and rise vp against the Lord and Christ his anointed Psal. 2. nor from the world for in the world saith Christ ye shall haue trouble but from God our father c. which is as much to say as he wisheth vnto them a heauēly peace So Christ saith My peace I leaue vnto you my peace I geue you not as the vvorld geueth it do I geue it vnto you The peace of the world graunteth nothing but the peace of our goods and bodies So the Grace or fauoure of the world geueth vs leaue to enioy our goodes casteth vs not out of our possessions But in affliction in the hower of death the grace and fauour of the world can not helpe vs they can not deliuer vs from affliction despaire and death But when the Grace and Peace of God are in the hart then is man strong so that he can neither be cast downe with aduersitie nor puffed vp with prosperitie but walketh on plainly and kepeth the hie way For he taketh hart and courage in the victory of Christes death the confidence thereof beginneth to reigne in his conscience ouer sinne and death because through him he hath assured forgeuenes of his sinnes which after he hath once obtained his conscience is at rest and by the word of Grace is comforted So then a man being comforted hartened by the Grace of God that is by forgeuenes of sinnes and by this peace of conscience is able valiantly to beare and ouercome all troubles yea euen death it selfe This Peace of God is not geuen to the world because the world neuer longeth after it nor vnderstandeth it but to them that beleeue and this commeth to passe by no other meane then by the onely Grace of God. A rule to be obserued that men ought to abstaine from the curious searching of Gods maiestie But why doth the Apostle ioyne in this salutation And from our Lord Iesus Christ Was it not enough to say And from God our father why then doth he couple Iesus Christ vvith the father Ye haue often times heard of vs howe it is a rule and principle in the scriptures diligently to be marked that we must abstaine from the curious searching of Gods maiestie which is intolerable to mans body and much more to his minde No man saith the scripture shall see me and liue The Pope the Turkes the Iewes and all such as trust in their owne merits regard not this rule and therefore remouing Christ the Mediatour out of their sight they speake onely of God before him onely they pray and doe all that they doe As for
nor haue dominion ouer it The force and power of sinne is set forth and amplified by these words excedingly vvhich gaue himself for our sinnes Therfore here is to be marked the infinite greatnes of the price bestowed for it and then will it appeare euidently that the power of it is so great that by no meanes it could be put away but that the sonne of God must needes be geuen for it He that considereth these things well vnderstandeth that this one word Sinne comprehendeth Gods euerlasting wrath the whole kingdome of Sathan and that it is a thing more horrible then can be expressed which oughte to moue vs and make vs affraide in deede But we are carelesse yea we make lighte of sinne and a matter of nothing which although it bring with it the sting and remorse of conscience yet notwithstanding we thinke it not to be of such weight and force but that by some litle worke or merite we may put it away This sentence therefore witnesseth that all men are seruaunts and bondslaues of sinne as Paule saith in an other place are sould vnder sinne And againe that sinne is a most cruell mighty tiraunt ouer all men which can not be vanquished by the power of any creatures whether they be Angels or men but by the soueraine and infinite power of Iesus Christ who hath geuen him selfe for the same Furthermore this sentence setteth out to the consciences of all men which are terrified with the greatnes of their sinnes a singular comfort For albeit sinne be neuer so inuincible a tyraunt yet notwithstanding forasmuch as Christ hath ouercome it through his death it can not hurt thē that beleue in him Moreouer if we arme our selues with this beliefe and cleaue with all our harts vnto this man Iesus Christ then is light opened and a sounde iudgement geuen vnto vs so as we may most certainly and freely iudge of all kindes of life For when we heare that sinne is such an inuincible Tyraunt thus incontinent by a a necessary consequence we inferre Then what do the Papists Monkes Nunnes Priests Mahometists Anabaptists and al such as trust in their workes which will abolish and ouercome sinne by their owne traditions workes preparatiue satisfactions c Here forthwith we iudge all those sectes to be wicked and pernicious wherby the glory of God and of Christ is not onely defaced but also vtterly taken away and our owne aduaunced and established But wey diligently euery word of Paule and specially marke well this pronoune Our For the effect of altogether consisteth in the well applying of the pronownes which we finde very oftē in the scriptures Wherin also there is euer some vehemencie and power Thou wilt easely say and beleue that Christ the sonne of God was geuen for the sinnes of Peter of Paule and of other Sainctes whom we accompt to haue bene worthy of this grace But it is a very hard thing that thou which iudgest thy selfe vnworthy of this grace shouldest from thy hart say and beleue that Christ was geuen for thine inuincible infinite and horrible sinnes Therfore in generall and without the pronowne it is an easie matter to magnifie and amplifie the benefite of Christ namely that Christ was geuen for sinnes but for other mens sinnes which are worthy But when it commeth to the putting too of this pronowne Our there our weake nature and reason starteth backe and dare not come neere vnto God nor promise to her selfe that so great a treasure should be freely geuen vnto her and therfore she will not haue to doe with God except first she be pure and without sinne Wherfore although she read or heare this sentence vvhich gaue himselfe for our sinnes or such like yet doth she not apply this pronowne Our to her selfe but vnto others which are worthy holy And as for her selfe she will tary till she be made worthy by her owne workes This then is nothing else but that mans reason faine would that sinne were of no greater force and power thē she her selfe dreameth it to be Hereof it commeth that the hypocrites being ignorāt of Christ although they feele the remorse of sinne do thinke notwithstāding that they shal be able easely to put it away by their good works merits secretly in their harts they wish that these words vvhich gaue himself for our sinnes were but as words spoken in humilitie and would haue their sinnes not to be true very sinnes in deede but light small matters To be short mans reason would faine bring and present vnto God a fained and a counterfet sinner which is nothing afraid nor hath any feeling of sinne It would bring him that is whole and not him that hath neede of a Phisician and when it feeleth no sinne then would it beleeue that Christ was geuen for our sinnes The whole world is thus affected specially they that would be counted more holy and religious then others as Monkes and all Iusticiaries These confesse with their mouth that they are sinners and they confesse also that they commit sinnes daily howbeit not so great many but that they are able to put them away by their owne works yea and besides all this they will bring their righteousnes and deserts to Christes iudgement seat and demaund the recompēce of eternal life for them at the iudges hand In the meane while notwithstanding as they pretend great humilitie because they wil not vaunt themselues to be vtterly voide of sinne they faine certaine sinnes that for the forgeuenes therof they may with great deuotion pray with the publican God be mercifull vnto me a sinner Vnto them these words of S. Paule for our sinnes seme to be but light trifeling Therfore they neither vnderstand them nor in temptation when they feele sinne in deede can they take any cōfort of them but they are compelled flatly to despaire This is then the cheefe knowledge true wisedom of Christians to count these wordes of Paule that Christ was deliuered to death not for our righteousnes or holines but for our sinnes which are very sinnes in dede great many yea infinite and inuincible to be most true effectual of great importaūce Therfore thinke them not to be smal such as may be done away by thine owne works neither yet despair thou for the greatnes of them if thou feele thy selfe oppressed therwith either in life or death but learne here of Paule to beleue the Christ was geuen not for fained or counterfait sinnes nor yet for small sinnes but for great huge sinnes not for one or two but for all not for vāquished sinnes for no man no nor Angell is able to ouercome the least sinne that is but for inuincible sinnes And except thou be found in the nūber of those that say Our sinnes that is which haue this doctrine of faith teach heare learne loue beleue the same ther
is no saluatiō for thee Labour therfore diligently that not onely out of the time of tentation but also in the daunger and conflict of death when thy conscience is thorowly afraide with the remembraunce of thy sinnes past and the Deuill assaileth thee with great violence going about to ouerwhelme thee with heapes floudes and whole seas of sinnes to terrifie thee to draw thee from Christ and to driue thee to despaire that then I say thou maist be able to say with sure confidence Christ the sonne of god was geuē not for the righteous holy but for the vnrighteous sinners If I were righteous and had no sinne I should haue no neede of Christ to be my reconciler Why then O thou peuish holy Satan wilt thou make me to be holy and to seke righteousnes in my selfe when in very deede I haue nothing in me but sinnes and most greuous sinnes not fained or trifeling sinnes but such as are against the first table to wit great infidelitie douting despaire contempt of God hatred ignoraunce and blaspheming of God vnthankfulnes abusing of Gods name neglecting lothing and despising the word of god and such like And moreouer these carnall sinnes against the second Table as not to yelde honour to my parents not to obey the magistrates to couet an other mans goods his wife and such like howbeit that these be light faults in respect of those former sinnes And admit that I haue not cōmitted murther whoredom theft and such other sinnes against the second table in fact yet I haue committed them in hart and therfore I am a transgressour of al Gods commaundements and the multitude of my sinnes is so great that they cā not be numbred For I haue sinned aboue the number of the sands of the sea Besides this satan is such a cunning iuggler that he can make of my righteousnes and good workes great sinnes Forsomuch then as my sinnes are so waightie so infinite so horrible and inuincible and that my righteousnes doth nothing further me but rather hinder me before God therfore Christ the sonne of God was geuen to death for them to put them away and to saue me and all men which beleue Herein then consisteth the effect of eternall saluation namely in taking these words to be effectuall true of great importaunce I say not this for naught for I haue oftentimes proued by experience and I daily finde what an hard matter it is to beleue especially in the conflict of conscience that Christ was geuen not for the holy righteous worthy such as were his frends but for wicked sinners vnworthy and his enemies which haue deserued Gods wrath and euerlasting death Let vs therfore arme our harts with these such like sentēces of the holy scipture that we may be able to answer the deuil accusing vs saying thou art a sinner therfore thou art dāned in this sort Because thou saist I am a sinner therfore wil I be righteous saued Nay saith the deuil thou shalt be dāned No say I for I flie vnto Christ vvho hath geuen himself for my sinnes Therfore satā thou shalt nothing preuail agaīst me in that thou gost about to terrifie me in setting forth the greatnes of my sinnes so to bring me into heauines distrust despair hatred cōtempt and blaspheming of God yea rather by this that thou sayst I am a sinner thou geuest me armour weapon against thy selfe that with thine owne sword I may cut thy throte and tread the vnder my feete for Christ died for sinners Moreouer thou thy selfe preachest vnto me the glory of God. For thou puttest me in minde of Gods fatherly loue towards me wretched and damned sinner vvho so loued the vvorld that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that vvhosoeuer beleueth in him might not perish but haue euerlasting life Also as oft as thou obiectest that I am a sinner so often thou callest to my remembraūce the benefit of Christ my redemer vpon whose shoulders and not vpon mine lie all my sinnes For the Lord hath laied all our iniquitie vpon him Againe For the transgression of his people vvas he smitten Wherefore when thou obiectest that I am a sinner thou doest not terrifie me but comfort me aboue measure Who so knoweth this one point of cunning well shall easely auoide all the engins and snares of the Deuill who by putting man in minde of his sinnes driueth him to despaire and destroieth him vnlesse he withstand him with this cunning and with this heauenly wisedome wherby onely sinne death and the Deuill are ouercome But the man that putteth not away the remembraunce of his sinne but keepeth it stil and tormenteth him self with his owne cogitations thinking either to help him selfe by his owne strength and policie or to tarry the time till his conscience may be quieted falleth into Sathans snares and miserably afflicteth him selfe and at length is ouercome with the continuance of the tentation For the Deuill will neuer cease to accuse his conscience Against this tentation we must vse the words of Paule in the which he geueth a very good and a true definition of Christ in this maner Christ is the sonne of God and of the virgine deliuered and put to death for our sinnes Here if the Deuill aledge any other definition of Christ say thou The definition and the thing defined are false therefore I will not receaue this definition I speake not this without cause For I know what moueth me to be so earnest that we should learne to define Christ out of the words of Paule For in deede Christ is no cruel exactor but a forgeuer of the sinnes of the whole world Wherefore if thou be a sinner as in deede we are all set not Christ downe vpon the raigne bowe as a iudge for so shalt thou be terrified and despaire of his mercy but take hold of his true definition namely that Christ the sonne of God and of the virgine is a person not that terrifieth not that afflicteth not that condemneth vs of sinne not that demaundeth an account of vs for our life euill passed but gaue him selfe for our sinnes and with one oblation hath put away the sinnes of the whole world hath nailed them to the crosse and put them cleane out by him selfe Learne this definition diligently and especially so exercise this pronoune our that this one sillable being beleued may swallow vp all thy sinnes that is to say that thou maist know assuredly that Christ hath takē away the sinnes not of certaine men only but also of thee yea of the whole world Thē let not thy sinnes be sinnes only but euen thy own sinnes That is to witte beleeue thou that Christ was not onely geuen for other mens sinnes but also for thine Hold this fast suffer not thy selfe by any meanes to be drawne away frō this most sweete definition of Christ which reioyceth euē the very angels
to be vndoubtedly accursed if they teach any thing contrarie vnto the first Gospell For the voice of the Gospell once sent forth shall not be called backe againe til the day of iudgment Verse 9. As vve said before so say vve novv againe if any man preach vnto you othervvise then that you haue receaued let him be accursed He repeteth the selfe same thing onely chaunging the persons Before he cursed him selfe his brethren and an Angell from heauen Here if there be any saith he besides vs which preach vnto you any other Gospell then that ye haue receaued of vs let them also be accursed Therefore he plainly excommunicateth and curseth all teachers in generall him selfe his brethren an Angell moreouer all others whatsoeuer namely all those false teachers his aduersaries Here appeareth an exceeding greate feruencie of spirite in the Apostle that dare curse all teachers thorow out the whole world and in heauen which peruert his Gospel teach any other For all men must either beleue that Gospel that Paule preached or els they must be accursed and condemned O would to God this terrible sentence of the Apostle might strike a feare into their harts that seeke to peruert the Gospel of Paule of which sorte at this day the more it is to be lamented the world is full The chaunging of persons is here to be marked For Paule speaketh otherwise in his first cursing then he doth in this second In the first he saith If vve or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you any other Gospell then that vve haue preached vnto you In the second then that you haue receaued And this he doth of purpose lest the Galathians should say We o Paule do not peruert the gospell that thou hast preached vnto vs we vnderstood thee not rightly but the teachers that came after thee haue declared vnto vs the true meaning therof This saith he wil I in no case admitte They ought to adde nothing neither to correct it but that which you heard of me is the sincere word of God let this onely remaine Neither doe I desire my selfe to be an other maner of teacher then I was nor you other disciples Wherefore if ye heare any man bringing any other Gospel then that ye haue heard of me or bragging that he will deliuer better things then ye haue receaued of me let him and his disciples be both accursed The first two chapters in a maner containe nothing els but defences of his doctrine and confutations of errours For in the ende of the second chapter at the last he beginneth to handle the article of iustification Notwithstanding this sentence of Paule ought to admonish vs that so many as thinke the Pope to be the iudge of holy scripture are accursed Which thinge the Popes Scholemen haue wickedly taught standing vpon this ground The church hath allowed foure Gospels onely therefore there are but foure For if it had allowed more ther had ben more Now seeing the Church might receaue and allowe such and so many Gospels as it would therefore the Church is aboue the Gospell A goodly argument forsoth I approue the scrpture Ergo I am aboue the scripture Iohn Baptist acknowledgeth and confesseth Christ and pointeth to him with his finger therfore he is aboue Christ The Church approueth the Christian faith and doctrine therefore the Church is aboue them For the ouerthrowing of this their wicked and blasphemous doctrine against God thou hast here a plaine text like a thunderbolt wherein Paule subiecteth both him selfe and an Angell from heauen and Doctours vpon earth and all other teachers and maisters whatsoeuer vnder the authoritie of the scripture For they ought not to be maisters iudges or arbiters but onely witnesses disciples and confessours of the Church whether it be the Pope Luther Augustine Paule or an Angell from heauen Neither ought any doctrine to be taught or heard in the Church besides the word of God that is to say the holy scripture Otherwise accursed be both the teachers and hearers together with their doctrine Verse 10. For novve preach I mans doctrine or Gods These words are spoken with the same vehemencie that the former were As if he would say Am I Paule so vnknowen amongest you which haue preached so openly in your churches Are my bitter conflicts and so many sharpe battails against the Iewes yet vnknowne vnto you It appeareth I thinke sufficiently vnto you by my preaching by so many and great afflictions which I haue suffered whether I serue men or God. For all men see that by this my preaching I haue not onely stirred vp persecution against me in euery place but haue also procured the cruell hatred both of mine owne nation and of all other men I shew therefore plainely enough that I seeke not by my preaching the fauour or liking of men but to set forth the goodnes and glory of God. Neither doe we be it spoken without bragge seeke the fauour of men by our doctrine For we teach that all men are wicked by nature and the children of wrath We condenme mans freewill his strength wisedome and righteousnes and all religion of our deuising And to be shorte we say that there is nothing in vs that is able to deserue grace and the forgeuenes of sinnes but we preach that we obtaine this grace by the free mercy of God onely for Christes sake For so the heauens shevv forth the glory of God and his vvorkes condemning all men generally with their works This certes is not to preach for the fauour of men and of the world For the world can abide nothing lesse then to heare his wisedome righteousnes religion and power condemned And to speake against those mighty and glorious gifts of the world is not to flatter the world but rather to procure hatred and indignation of the world For if we speake against men or against any such things as pertaine to their glory it can not be but that cruell hatred persecutions excommunications murthers and condemnations therevpon must needes follow If then saith Paule they see other matters why see they not this also that I teach the things that are of God not of men that is to say that I seeke no mans fauour by my doctrine but I set out Gods mercie offred vnto vs in Christ For if I sought the fauour of men I would not condenme their workes Now for as much as I condemne mens workes that is to say because I shew Gods iudgement out of his word whereof I am a Minister against all men how that they are sinners vnrighteous wicked children of wrath bondslaues of the deuill and damned and that they are not made righteous by works or by circumcision but by grace onely and faith in Christ therfore I procure vnto my selfe the deadly hatred of men For they cā abide nothing lesse than to be taken for such maner of men nay rather they would be
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 whē 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 abhominatiōs 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 speculatiōs 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 disputatiōs 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 cōpelled 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 cā abide nothing lesse then to heare that this qualitie furnishing the soule as whitenes doth the wal should not be coūted righteousnes They can clime no higher then to this cogitatiō 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 cōfesse 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 commaūdeth 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 heauēly 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 wādred 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 thē 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
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 entrāce 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 cōscience 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 thīgs which I once destroyed For if I should so do I should not onely labour in daine but should make my selfe also a trāsgressor 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 aflictiōs 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
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 Gētiles 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
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 vnderstāding 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 cōprehend 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 mā 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
promise made vnto Abraham In thy seede shall all nations be blessed might so be fulfilled Therfore by no other meanes could this be done that is here promised but that Iesus Christ must needes become a Curse and ioyne him selfe to those that were accursed that so he might take away the Curse from them and through his Blessing might bring vnto them righteousnes and life And here marke as I haue also forewarned you that this word Blessing is not in vaine as the Iewes dreame who expoūd it to be but a salutation by word of mouth or by wryting But Paule entreateth here of sinne and righteousnes of death and life before god He speaketh therefore of inestimable and incomprehensible things when he sayth that the Blessing of Abraham might come vpon the Gentiles through Iesus Christ Ye see moreouer what merits we bring by what meanes we obtain this Blessing This is the merite of Congruence worthines these are the works preparatiue wherby we obtain this righteousnes that Christ Iesus was made a Curse for vs For we are ignorant of God enemies of God dead in sinne accursed and what is our desert then What can he deserue that is accursed ignorāt of God dead in sinnes and subiect to the wrath iudgement of God When the Pope excōmunicateth a man whatsoeuer he doth is counted accursed How much more then may we say that he is accursed before God as all we are before we know Christ which doth nothing else but cursed things Wherefore there is no other way to auoide the Curse but to beleue and with assured confidēce to say Thou Christ art my sinne my Curse or rather I am thy sinne thy Curse thy death thy wrath of God thy hell and contrariwise thou arte my righteousnes my Blessing my life my grace of God and my heauen For the text sayeth plainely Christe is made a Curse for vs. Therefore we are the cause that he was made a Curse nay rather we are his Curse This is an excellent place full of spiritual consolation albeit it satisfie not the blind hard harted Iewes yet it satisfieth vs that are baptised and haue receaued this doctrine and concludeth most mightely that we are blessed through the Curse the sinne the death of Christ that is to say we are iustified and quickned vnto life So long as sinne death and the Curse do abide in vs sinne terrifieth death killeth and the Curse condemneth vs But when these are translated and laid vpon Christes backe then are these euils made his owne and his good thinges are made ours Let vs therefore learne in all tentations to translate sinne death the Curse and all euils which oppresse vs from our selues vnto Christ and againe from him vnto our selues righteousnes mercy life and blessing For he beareth all our euils vpon him God the father cast the iniquities of vs all as Esay the Prophet saith vpon him And he hath taken them vpon him willingly for he was not giltie But this he did that he might fulfill the will of his father by the which we are made holy for euer This is that infinite and vnmeasurable mercy of God which Paule would gladly amplifie with all eloquence and plentie of wordes but the slender capacitie of mans heart can not comprehende and much lesse vtter that vnsearchable deapth and burning zeale of Gods loue towards vs And verely the inestimable greatnes of Gods mercy not only engendreth an hardnes to beleue but also incredulitie it selfe For I doe not onely heare that almightie God the creatour and maker of all things is good and merciful but also that the same high souereigne Maiestie was so careful for me a damnable sinner a child of wrath and of euerlasting death that he spared not his owne deare Sonne but deliuered him to a most opprobrious and shamefull death that he hāging betwene two theeues might be made a Curse and sinne for me a cursed sinner that I might be made blessed that is to say the childe and heire of god Who can sufficiently praise and magnify this exceeding great goodnes of God Not all the Angels in heauen Therfore the doctrine of the Gospell the booke of God speaketh of farre other matters then any booke of policie or philosophie yea or the booke of Moses himselfe to wit of the vnspeakeable and most diuine giftes of God which farre passe the capacitie and vnderstanding both of men and Angels Verse 14. That vve might receaue the promise of the spirite through faith This is a phrase of the Hebrewes The promise of the spirite that is to say the spirite promised Now the spirite is freedom from the law sinne death the Curse hel and from the wrath and iudgement of god Here is no merite or worthines of ours but a free promise and a gifte geuen through the Seede of Abraham that we may be free from all euils and obtaine all good things whatsoeuer And this libertye gift of the spirite we receiue not by any other merites then by Faith alone For that onely taketh holde of the promise of God as Paule plainly sayth in this place that vve might receaue the promise of the spirite not by vvorkes but by Faith. This is in dede a sweete and a true Apostolike doctrine which sheweth that those things are fulfilled for vs now geuen to vs which many Prophets Kings desired to see to heare And such like places as this one is were gathered together out of diuers sayings of the Prophets which forsaw long before in spirite that all things should be chaūged repaired and gouerned by this man Christe Therfore the Iewes hauing the law of God did notwithstanding besides that law looke for Christ None of the Prophets or gouernours of the people of God did make any new lawe but Elias Samuel Dauid all the other Prophets did abide vnder the law of Moses they did not appoint any new tables or a new kingdom priesthode for that new chaunge of the kingly priesthoode of the law the worship was referred kept to him only of whom Moises had prophesied longe before The Lord thy God shal raise vp a Prophet vnto thee of thine ovvne nation and from among thy brethren Him shalt thou heare As if he should say Thou shalt heare him onely and none besides him This the Fathers well vnderstode for none could teach greater and higher poynts then Moises him selfe who made excellent lawes of high and great matters as are the ten commaundemēts especially the first commaundement I am the Lord thy God Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God vvith all thy heart c. This law concerning the loue of God doth comprehend the very Angels also Therfore it is the headspring of all diuine wisedom And yet was it necessary notwithstanding that an other teacher should come that is to say
the ende he might shewe the true office and vse of the lawe and might roote out of mens heartes that false opinion concerning the righteousnes thereof aunswereth to this obiection Wherfore then serueth the lawe if it iustifie not after this sorte It was not geuen to make men righteous sayth he but Verse 19. It vvas added because of transgressions As things are diuers and distinct so the vses thereof are diuers and distinct Therfore they may not be confoūded For if they be there must needes be a confusion of the things also A woman may not weare a mans apparel nor a man a womans attire Let a man doe the works that belong to a man and a woman the works that belong to a womā Let euery man doe that which his vocation and office requireth Let Pastors and Preachers teach the worde of God purely Let Magistrates gouerne their subiectes let subiects obey their Magistrates Let euery thing serue in his due place and order Let the Sunne shine by day the Moone and the Starres by night let the sea geue fishes the earth graine the woodes wilde beastes and trees c. In like maner let not the lawe vsurpe the office and vse of an other that is to say of Iustification but let it leaue this onely to grace to the promise and to Faith. What is then the office of the lawe Transgression or else as he sayth in another place The lavve entred in that sinne should abound A goodly office forsoth The lavve sayth he vvas added for transgressions that is to say it was added besides and after the promise vntil Christ the Seede should come vnto whom it was promised Of the double vse of the lawe Here ye must vnderstand that there is a double vse of the law One is Ciuill For God hath ordained Ciuil lawes yea all lawes to punish transgressions Euery lawe then is geuen to restraine sinne If it restraine sinne then it maketh men righteous No nothing lesse For in that I doe not kill I doe not commit adulterie I doe not steale or in that I abstaine from other sinnes I doe it not willingly or for the loue of vertue but I feare the prison the sword and the hangman These do bridle and restraine me that I sinne not as bondes chaines restraine a Lion or a Beare that he teare and deuoure not euery thing that he meeteth Therfore the restraining from sinne is not righteousnes but rather a significatiō of vnrighteousnes For as a madde or a wild beast is bound lest he should destroy euery thing that he meeteth euen so the lawe doth bridle a madde and furious man that he sinne not after his owne lust This restrainte sheweth plainly enough that they which haue neede of the law as al they haue which are without Christ are not righteous but rather wicked mad men whom it is necessary by the bonds prisō of the law so to bridle that they sinne not Therfore the law iustifieth not The first vse then of the law is to bridle the wicked For the Deuil raigneth throughout the whole world and enforceth men to all kindes of horrible wickednes Therefore God hath ordained Magistrates parentes Ministers lawes bonds and all ciuill ordinaunces that if they can doe no more yet at the least they may binde the Deuils hands that he rage not in his bondslaues after his owne lust Like as therfore they that are possessed in whom the Deuill mightely raigneth are kept in bondes and chaines lest they should hurte other euen so in the worlde which is possessed of the Deuill and caried headlong into all kindes of wickednes the Magistrate is present with his bondes and chaines that is to say with his lawes binding his handes and feete that he runne not headlong into all mischiefe And if he suffer not him selfe to be brideled after this sorte then he loseth his head This ciuill restrainte is very necessary and appointed of God as wel for publike peace as also for the preseruation of all thinges but specially lest the course of the Gospell shoulde be hindered by the tumultes and seditions of wicked outragious proud mē But Paule entreateth not here of this ciuil vse and office of the law It is in deede very necessary but it iustifieth not For as a possessed or madde man is not therefore free from the snares of the Deuill or well in his minde because he hath his handes and his feete bound and can do no hurt euen so the world although it be brideled by the law from outward wickednes and mischiefe yet is it not therefore righteous but still continueth wicked yea this restrainte sheweth plainely that the world is wicked and outragious stirred vp and enforced to all wickednes by his Prince the Deuill for otherwise it neede not to be brideled by lawes that it should not sinne An other vse of the law is diuine and spirituall which is as Paule saith to encrease transgressions that is to say to reueale vnto a man his sinne his blindnes his misery his impietie ignoraunce hatred and contempt of God death hel the iudgment and deserued wrath of god Of this vse the Apostle entreateth notably in the. 7. to the Romaines This is altogether vnknowne to hypocrites to the popish Sophisters and Scholediuines and to all that walke in the opinion of the righteousnes of the law or of their owne righteousnes But to the ende that God might bridle and beate downe this monster and this madde beaste I meane the presumption of mans owne righteousnes and religion which naturally maketh mē proud and puffeth them vppe in such sort that they thinke them selues thereby to please God highly it behoued him to send some Hercules which might set vppon this monster with all force and courage to ouerthrowe him and vtterly to destroy him that is to say he was constrained to geue a lawe in Mount Sina with so great Maiestie and with so terrible a shewe that the whole multitude was astonished Exod. 19. 20. This as it is the proper and the principall vse of the lawe so is it very profitable and also most necessary For if any be not a murtherer an adulterer a theefe and outwardly refraine from sinne as the Pharisey did which is mentioned in the Gospell he would sweare because he is possessed with the Deuill that he is righteous and therefore he conceaueth an opinion of righteousnes and presumeth of his good workes and merites Such a one God can not otherwise mollifie and humble that he may acknowledge his miserie and damnation but by the lawe For that is the hammer of death the thundring of hell and lightning of Gods wrath that beateth to pouder the obstinate and senseles hypocrites Wherefore this is the proper and true vse of the lawe by lightning by tempest by the sound of the trumpe as in the Mount Sina to terrifie and by thundering to beate downe and
rent in peeces this beast which is called the opinion of righteousnes Therefore sayeth God by Ieremie his Prophet My vvorde is a hammer breaking rockes For as long as the opinion of righteousnes abideth in man so long there abideth also in him incomprehensible pride presumption securitie hatred of God contempt of grace and mercie ignorance of the promises and of Christe The preaching of free remission of sinnes through Christ can not enter in to the heart of such a one neither can he feele any taste or sauour thereof For that mightie rocke and adamant wall to witte the opinion of righteousnes wherwith the heart is enuironed doth resist it As therefore the opinion of righteousnes is a great and an horrible monster a rebellious obstinate and stiffenecked beast so for the destroying and ouerthrowing thereof God hath neede of a mightie hammer that is to say the lawe which then is in his proper vse and office when it accuseth and discouereth sinne after this sort Beholde thou hast transgressed all the commaundementes of god c and so it striketh a terrour into the conscience so that it feeleth God to be offended and angrie in deede and it selfe to be giltie of eternall death Here the pore afflicted sinner feeleth the intolerable burden of the lawe and is beaten downe euen to desperation so that now being oppressed with great anguish and terrour he desireth death or else seeketh to destroy him selfe Wherefore the lawe is that hammer that fier that mightie strong winde and that terrible earthquake renting the mountaines breaking the rocks that is to say the proud and obstinate hypocrites Elias not being able to abide these terrours of the law which by these things are signified couered his head with his mantell Notwithstanding when that tempest ceased of which he was a beholder there came a soft and a gracious wind in the which the Lord was But it behoued that the tempest of fire of winde and the earthquake should passe before the Lord should reueale him selfe in that gracious winde This terrible shewe and maiestie wherin God gaue his lawe in Mount Sina did represent the vse of the lawe There was in the people of Israel which came out of Egypt a singular holines They gloried and said VVe are the people of God vve vvil doe all those things vvhich the Lord our God hath commaunded Moreouer Moises did sanctifie the people and badde them wash their garments refraine froÌ„ their wiues and prepare them selues against the third day There was not one of them but he was full of holineâ—â—â— The third day Moises bringeth the people out of their tentes to tâ— tâ—â—â—â—rtaine into the sight of the Lord that they might heare his voice Wâ—â—â—â—owed then When the children of Israell did see the horrible shew of the Mount smoking and burning the blacke cloudes and the lightnings flashing vppe and downe in this horrible darknes heard the sound of the truÌ„pet blowing long and waxing lowder and lowder and moreouer when they heard the thundrings and lightnings they were afraid and standing a farre of they say vnto Moises VVe vvill doe all things vvillingly so that the Lord speake not vnto vs lest that vve die and this great fier consume vs Teach thou vs and vve vvill hearken vnto thee I pray you what did their purifying their holines their white garmentes and refraining from their wiues profite them Nothing at all There was not one of them that could abide this presence of the Lord in his Maiestie and glory but all being amazed and shaken with terrour fledde backe as if they had bene driuen by the Deuill For God is a coÌ„suming fier in whose sight no flesh is able to stand The law of God therfore hath properly and peculiarly that office which it had then in Mount Sina when it was first geuen and was first heard of them that were washed righteous purified and chast and yet notwithstanding it brought that holy people into such a knowledge of their owne misery that they were throwne downe euen to death and desperation No puritie nor holines could then helpe them but there was in them such a feeling of their owne vncleanes vnworthines sin and of the iudgement and wrath of God that they fled from the sight of the Lord and could not abide to heare his voice VVhat flesh vvas there euer sayd they that heard the voice of the liuing God speaking out of the middes of the fier and yet liued This day haue vve seene that God talketh vvith man and yet he liueth They speake nowe farre otherwise then they did a litle before when they said We are the holy people of God whom the Lord hath chosen for his owne peculiar people before all the nations vppon that earth We will doe all things which the Lord hath spoken So it hapneth at length to all Iusticiaries who being drunken with the opinion of their owne righteousnes doe thinke when they are out of tentation that they are beloued of God and that God regardeth their vowes their fastings their prayers their wilworks and that for the same he must geue vnto them a singuler crowne in heauen But when that thundring lightning fier and that hammer which breaketh in peeces the rockes that is to say the law of God commeth suddenly vpon them reuealing vnto them their sinne the wrath iudgement of God then the selfe same thing hapneth vnto them which hapned to the Iewes standing at the foote of Mount Sina Here I admonish all such as feare God and specially such as shal become teachers of others hereafter that they diligently learne out of Paule to vnderstand the true and proper vse of the law which I feare after our time wil be troden vnder foote vtterly abolished by the enemies of the truth For euen now whiles we are yet liuing and employ all our diligence to set forth the office and vse both of the lawe and the Gospel notwithstanding there be very few yea euen among those which will be counted Christians and make a profession of the Gospel with vs that vnderstand these things rightly as they should doe What think ye then shall come to passe when we are dead and gone I speake nothing of the Anabaptists of the new Arrians and such other vaine spirites who are no lesse ignorant of these matters then are the Papists although they talke neuer so much to the contrary For they are reuolted from the pure doctrine of the Gospell to lawes and traditions and therfore they teach not Christ They bragge and they sweare that they seeke nothing else but the glory of Christe and the saluation of their brethern and that they teach the word of God purely but in very deede they corrupt it and wrest it to an other sense so that they make it too sound according to their owne imagination Therfore vnder the name of Christe they teach nothing else but their
and much lesse to rewarde them For it seeth them not or if it doe it esteemeth them not as good workes but as most wicked and detestable crimes and riddeth the world of those which are the doers therof as most pestilent plagues to mankinde So Christ the Sauiour of the world for a recōpence of his incōprehensible inestimable benefites was put to the most ignominious death of the crosse The Apostles also bringing the word of grace eternall life into the world were coūted the ofscouring the outcastes of the whole world This is the goodly reward which the world geueth for so great vnspeakeable benefites But workes done without faith although they haue neuer so goodly a shew of holines are vnder the Curse Wherfore so farre of it is that the doers therof should deserue grace righteousnes eternall life that rather they heape sinne vpon sinne After this maner the Pope that child of perdition and all that follow him doe worke So worke all meritemongers and heretikes which are fallen frō the faith Verse 23. But before faith came He proceedeth in declaring the profite necessitie of the law He said before the the law was added for transgressions Not that it was the principall purpose of God to make a law that should bring death dānation as he saith Rom. 7. VVas that vvhich vvas good saith he made death vnto me God forbid For the law is a word that sheweth life driueth mē vnto it Therfore it is not only geuen as a minister of death but the principal vse end therof is to reueile death that so it might be seene knowen how horrible sinne is notwithstanding it doth not so reueile death as though it tended to no other end but to kill destroy But to this end it reuealeth death that when men are terrified cast downe humbled they should feare god And this doth the 20. chap. of Erodus declare Feare not saith Moses For God is come to proue you that his feare may be before you that ye sinne not The office therfore of the law is to kill yet so that God may reuiue quickē againe The law then is not geuē only to kil but because mā is proud dreameth that he is wise righteous and holy therfore it is necessary he should be humbled by the law that so this beaste the opinion of righteousnes I say might be slaine for otherwise men can not obtaine life Albeit then that the law killeth yet God vseth this effect of the law this death I meane to a good vse that is to say euen to life For God seeing that this vniuersall plague of the whole world to wit mās opinion of his owne righteousnes his hypocrisie cōfidence in his owne holines could not be beatē downe by any other meanes he would that it should be slaine by the law not for euer but that when it is once slaine mā might be raised vppe againe aboue and beyond the lawe and there might heare this voice Feare not I haue not geuen the lawe and killed thee by the lawe to this ende that thou shouldest abide in this death but that thou shouldest feare me and liue For the presuming of good workes and righteousnes standeth not with the feare of God And where the feare of God is not there cā be no thirsting for grace or life God must therefore haue a strong hammer or a mightie maul to breake the rockes and a hote burning fire in the middes of heauen to ouerthrowe the mountaines that is to say to destroy this furious and obstinate beast this presumption I say that when a man by this brusing and breaking is brought to nothīg he should despaire of his owne strēgth righteousnes and holines and being thus throughly terrified should thirst after mercy and remission of sinnes Ver. 23. But before Faith came vve vvere vnder the lavv shut vppe vnto the Faith vvhich should aftervvardes be reuealed That is to say before the time of the Gospell and grace came the office of the law was that we should be shutte vppe and kept vnder the same as it were in prison This is a goodly and a fitte similitude shewing the effect of the law and how righteous it maketh men therefore it is diligently to be weyed No theefe no murtherer no adulterer or other malefactour loueth the chaines and fetters the darke and lothsome prison wherin he lieth fast boūd but rather if he could he would breake and beate in to pouder the prison with his irons and fetters In deede whiles he is in prison he refraineth from doing of euill but not of a good will or for righteousnes sake but because the prison restreineth him that he can not doe it And nowe being fast fettred he hateth not his theft and his murther yea he is sory with all his heart that he can not robbe and steale cutte and slay but he hateth the prison and if he could escape he would robbe and kill as he did before The lawe shutteth men vnder sinne two wayes Ciuily and Spiritually Such is the force of the lawe and the righteousnes that cometh of the lawe compelling vs to be outwardly good when it threatneth death or any other punishment to the transgressours thereof Here we obey the law in deede but for feare of punishment that is vnwillingly and with great indignation But what righteousnes is this when we absteine from doing euill for feare of punishment Wherefore this righteousnes of works is in deede nothing else but to loue sinne to hate righteousnes to detest God with his lawe and to loue and reuerence that which is most horrible and abhominable For looke howe hartely the theefe loueth the prison and hateth his theft so gladly doe we obey the lawe in accomplishing that which it commaundeth and auoiding that which it forbiddeth Notwithstanding this fruite and this profite the lawe bringeth although mens hartes remaine neuer so wicked that first outwardly and ciuily after a sort it restraineth theeues murtherers and other malefactours For if they did not see and vnderstand that sinne is punished in this life by imprisonment by the galowes by the sword and such like and after this life with eternall damnation and hell fire no Magistrate should be able to bridle the fury and rage of men by any lawes bondes or chaines But the threatnings of the lawe strike a terrour in to the hartes of the wicked whereby they are brideled after a sort that they runne not headlong as otherwise they would doe into all kindes of wickednes Notwithstanding they would rather that there were no law no punishment no hell and finally no god If God had not an hell or did not punish the wicked he should be loued and praised of all men But because he punisheth the wicked and all are wicked therefore in as much as they are shut vnder the lawe they can doe no otherwise
the morall lawe before Faith. Verse 5. That vve might receaue the adoption of the sonnes Paule setteth forth amplifieth very largely this place of Gen. 22. In thy Seede shall all the natiōs of the earth be blessed A litle before he called this Blessing of the seede of Abraham righteousnes life the promise of the spirit deliuerance from the law the testament c. Here he calleth it the adoption and inheritance of euerlasting life All these this word Blessing doth comprehend For when the Curse which is sinne death c. is abolished then in the stede thereof succedeth the Blessing that is righteousnes life and all good things But by what merite haue we receaued this Blessing that is to say this adoption and inheritaunce of euerlasting life By none at all For what can men deserue that are shutte vnder sinne subiect to the curse of the lawe and worthy of euerlasting death We haue then receiued this Blessing freely and being vtterly vnworthy therof but yet not without merite What merite is that Not ours but the merite of Iesus Christ the sonne of God who being made vnder the lawe not for him selfe but for vs as Paule sayd afore that he vvas made a curse for vs redemed vs which were vnder the lawe Wherfore we haue receaued this adoption by the onely redemption of Iesus Christe the sonne of God which is our rich and euerlasting merite whether it be of congruēce or worthines going before grace or comming after And with this free adoption we haue also receaued the holy Ghost which God hath sent into our hearts crying Abba Father as foloweth Verse 6. And because you are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirite of his sonne into your hearts The holy ghost is sent two maner of wayes In the primatiue church he was sent in a manifest visible appearāce So he came vpon Christ at Iordane in the likenes of a Doue and in the likenes of fire vpon the Apostles and other beleuers And this was the first sending of the holy Ghost which was necessary in the primatiue church for it was expedient that it should be established by manifest myracles because of the vnbeleuers as Paule witnesseth 1. Cor. 14. Straunge tongues sayth he be for a signe and a token not to them that beleue but to them that beleue not But after that the Church was gathered together and cōfirmed with those myracles it was not necessary that this visible sending of the holy Ghost should continue any longer Secondly the holy Ghost is sent by the word into the hearts of the beleuers as here it is sayd God sent the spirite of his sonne c. This sending is without any visible appearance to witte when by the hearing of the externall word we receaue an inward feruencie and light wherby we are chaunged become new creatures wherby also we receaue a new iudgement a new feeling a new mouing This chaūge this new iudgemēt is no worke of reason or of the power of mā but is the gift operation of the holy Ghost which commeth with the word preached which purifieth our hearts by faith and bringeth forth in vs spirituall motions Therefore there is a great difference betwixt vs those which with force subteltie persecute the doctrine of the gospell For we by the grace of God can certainly iudge by the word of the will of God towardes vs also of all lawes and doctrines of our owne life and of the life of others Contrariwise the Papists and Sectaries can not certainly iudge of any thing For they corrupt they persecute and blaspheme the word Now without the word a man can geue no certaine iudgement of any thing And although it appeare not before the world that we be renewed in spirit and haue the holy Ghost yet notwithstanding our iudgemēt our speech our confession do declare sufficiently that the holy Ghost with his giftes is in vs For before we could iudge rightly of nothing We spake not as now we doe We confessed not that all our works were sinne and damnable that Christe was our onely merite both before grace after as now we doe in the true knowledge and light of the Gospell Wherefore let this trouble vs nothing at all that the world whose workes we testifie to be euill iudgeth vs to be most pernicious heretikes and seditious persons destroyers of religion and troublers of the common peace possessed of the Deuill speaking in vs and gouerning all our actions Against this peruerse and wicked iudgement of the world let this testimonie of our conscience be sufficient wherby we assuredly know that it is the gift of God that we doe not onely beleue in Iesus Christ but that we also openly preach and confesse him before the world As we beleue with our heart so do we speake with our mouth according to the saying of the Psalm I beleued therfore haue I spoken Moreouer we exercise our selues in the feare of God and auoide sinne as much as we may If we sinne we sinne not of purpose but of ignorance and we are sory for it We may slippe for the Deuill lieth in wait for vs both day and night Also the remnantes of sinne cleaue yet fast in our flesh therefore as touching the flesh we are sinners yea after that we haue receaued the holy Ghost And there is no great difference betwixt a Christian and a ciuill honest man. For the workes of a Christian in outward shew are but base and simple He doth his duetie according to his vocation he guideth his familie he tilleth the ground he geueth counsell he aideth and succoureth his neighbour These workes the carnall man doth not much esteme but thinketh them to be common to all men and such as the heathen may also doe For the world vnderstandeth not the things which are of the spirite of God and therefore it iudgeth peruersly of the workes of the godly But the monstrous superstition of hypocrites and their will workes they haue in great admiration They count them holy works spare no charges in maintaining the same Contrariwise the workes of the faithfull which although in outward appearance they seeme to be but vile nothing worth yet are they good works in dede and accepted of God because they are done in Faith with a cherefull heart and with obedience and thankfulnes towards God these works I say they do not onely not acknowledge to be good works but also they despise and condemne them as most wicked and abhominable The world therfore beleueth nothing lesse then that we haue that holy Ghost notwithstanding in the time of tribulation or of the crosse and of the cōfession of our faith which is that proper principall worke of those that beleue when we must either forsake wife children goodes and life or else deny Christ then it appeareth that we make confession of
ouerthroweth whole kingdoms and Empires Therfore as many as trust to their owne strength and righteousnes doe serue a God but such a God as they them selues haue deuised and not the true God in deede For the true God speaketh thus No righteousnes wisedom nor religiō pleaseth me but that onely whereby the Father is glorified through the Sonne Whosoeuer apprehendeth this Sonne and me and my promise in him by Faith to him I am a God to him I am a Father him do I accept iustifie and saue All other abide vnder wrath because they worship that thing which by nature is no God. Whosoeuer forsaketh this doctrine must needes fall into the ignorance of God he vnderstandeth not what the true Christian righteousnes wisedom and seruice of God is he is an Idolater abiding vnder the law sinne death and the power of the Deuill and all things that he doth are accursed and condemned Therefore the Anabaptist imagining with him selfe that he pleaseth God if he be rebaptised if he forsake his house wife and children if he mortifie his flesh and suffer much aduersity and at length death it selfe yet there is not one droppe of the knowledge of Christe in him but secluding Christ he dreameth altogether of his owne workes of the forsaking of his goodes of his affliction and mortification and now differeth nothing frō the Turke Iewe or Papist in spirite or in heart but onely in the outward appearance workes and ceremonies which he hath chosen to him selfe The same confidence in workes haue all the Monkes and other religious orders notwithstanding in their apparell and other outward things there is a difference There are at this day very many like vnto these which notwithstanding would be counted among the true professors and teachers of the Gospell and as touching the words they teach that men are deliuered from their sinnes by the death of Christ But because they teach faith in such sort that they attribute more to charitie then to faith they highly dishonour Christe and wickedly peruert his word For they dreame that God regardeth accepteth vs for our charities sake wherby we being reconciled to God doe loue God and our neighbour If this be true then haue we no neede of Christ at all Such men serue not the true God but an Idol of their owne heart which they themselues haue deuised For the true God doth not regard or accept vs for our charitie vertues or newnes of life but for Christes sake c. But they make this obiection Yet notwithstāding the Scripture cōmaundeth that we should loue God with all our heart c. It is true But it foloweth not that because God cōmaūdeth vs therfore we do it If we did loue God with all our heart c. then no dout we should be iustified liue through this obedience as it is wrytten He that shal doe these things shall liue in them But the Gospel sayth Thou doest not these things therfore thou shalt not liue in them For this sentence Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God c. requireth a perfect obedience a perfect feare trust loue towards god These things men neither doe nor can performe in this corrupt nature Therfore this law Thou shalt loue the Lord thy god c. iustifieth not but accuseth condemneth all men according to that saying The lavv causeth vvrath c. Contrariwise Christ is the finishing accomplishing of the lavv to righteousnes to euery one that beleueth Of this we haue spoken largely before In like maner the Iewe keping the law with this opinion that he by this obediēce wil please God serueth not the true God but is an Idolater worshipping a dreame an idoll of his owne heart which is no where to be found For the God of his fathers whom he saith he worshippeth promised to Abraham a Seede thorough the which all nations should be blessed Therfore God is knowen the Blessing is geuē not by the lawe but by the Gospel of Christ Although Paule speake these words Thē vvhē ye knevv not God ye did seruice c. properly prīcipally to the Galathians which were Gentiles yet notwithstanding by the same words he also toucheth the Iewes who though they had reiected their Idols outwardly yet in their hearts they worshipped them more then did the Gentiles as it is sayd Rom. 2. Thou abhorrest Idols committest sacriledge The Gētiles were not the people of God they had not his word and therfore their Idolatrie was grosse But the Idolatrous Iewes cloked their Idolatrie with the name and word of God as all Iusticiaries which seeke righteousnes by workes are wont to doe and so with this outward shew of holines they deceiued many Therfore Idolatrie the more holy and spirituall it is the more hurtfull it is But how may these two contrary sayings which the Apostle here setteth downe be recōciled together Ye knevv not God ye vvorshipped God. I answer All mē naturally haue this general knowledge that there is a God according to the saying Ro. 1. Forasmuch as that vvhich may be knovvn of god vvas manifest in thē For God was made manifest vnto thē in that the inuisible things of him did appeare by the creation of the world Moreouer the ceremonies religiōs which were alwaies remained among al nations sufficiently witnesse that all men haue had a certain general knowledge of god But whether they had it by nature or by the tradition of their forefathers I wil not here dispute But here some wil obiect againe If all mē knew God wherfore thē doth Paul say that the Galathians knew not God before the preaching of the Gospel I answer There is a double knowledge of God general perticuler All men haue the generall knowledge namely that there is a God that he created heauen earth that he is iust that he punisheth the wicked But what god thīketh of vs what his wil is towards vs what he wil geue do to the end we may be deliuered from sinne death and be saued which is the true knowledge of God in dede this they know not As it may be that I know some man by sight whō yet in dede I know not thorowly because I vnderstand not what affection he beareth towards me So mē know naturally that there is a god but what his wil is or what is not his will they doe not know For it is wrytten There is none that vnderstādeth God. And in an other place No mā hath sene God that is to say no man hath knowen what is the will of god Now what doth it auaile thee if thou know that there is a God yet art ignorāt what is his will towards thee Here some thinke one thing some an other The Iewes imagine this to be the will of God if they worship him according to the rule of Moses lawe the Turke if he obserue his Alcoran the
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 mākinde 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 thē 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 euē 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 destructiō 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 frō 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 impatiēt more weake more miserable more faithles more fearful more ready to despaire thē 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 thē seketh righteousnes by the law what cā he imagin else but the god being angry must nedes be pacified with works Now whē he hath once cōceiued this fantasy he beginneth to work But he cā neuer find so many good works as are able to quiet his cōsciēce 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 thē 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
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 frō persecutīg 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
consent to the flesh which alwayes enticeth vs to some euill but to resist it by the spirit We must not be ouercome with impatiencie for the vnthankfulnes and contempt of the people which abuseth the Christian libertie but through the spirite we must ouercome this all other temptations Looke then how much we striue against the flesh by the spirite so much are we outwardly righteous Albeit this righteousnes doth not commend vs before God. Let no man therefore despaire if he feele the flesh oftentimes to stirre vppe new battell against the spirite or if he can not by and by subdue the flesh and make it obedient vnto the spirite I also doe wish my selfe to haue a more valiaunt and constant heart which might be able not only boldly to contemne the threatnings of tyrants the heresies offences and tumults which Satan and his souldiers the enemies of the Gospell stirre vp but also might by and by shake of the vexatiōs and anguish of spirit and briefly might not feare the sharpnes of death but receaue and embrace it as a most frendly ghest But I find an other law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde c. Some other doe wrastle with inferiour temptations as pouertie reproch impatiencie and such like Let no man maruel therfore or be dismaied when he feeleth in his body this battell of the flesh against the spirite but let him plucke vp his heart and comfort him selfe with these wordes of Paule The flesh lusteth against the spirite Also These are contrary one to an other so that ye doe not those things that you vvould For by these sentences he comforteth them that be tēpted As if he should say It is impossible for you to folow the guiding of the spirit in all thinges without any feeling or hinderance of the flesh Nay the flesh will resist and so resist and hinder you that ye can not doe those things which gladly ye would Here it shalt be enough if ye resist the flesh and fulfill not the lust therof that is to say if ye folow the spirite and not the flesh which easily is ouerthrowne by impatiencie coueteth to reuenge biteth grudgeth hateth God is angrie with him despaireth c. Therefore when a man feeleth this battell of the flesh lette him not be discouraged therewith but let him resist in spirite and say I am a sinner and I feele sinne in me for I haue not yet put of the flesh in which sinne dwelleth so long as it liueth But I will obey the spirite and not the flesh that is I will by Faith and hope lay hold vpon Christe and by his word I will raise vppe my selfe and being so raised vppe I will not fulfill the lust of the flesh It is very profitable for the godly to know this and to beare it wel in minde for it wonderfully comforteth them when they are tempted When I was a Monke I thought by and by that I was vtterly cast away if at any time I felt the lust of the flesh that is to say if I felt any euill motion fleshly lust wrath hatred or enuie against any brother I assayed many wayes to helpe and to quiet my conscience but it would not be For the cōcupiscence and lust of my flesh did alwayes returne so that I could not rest but was cōtinually vexed with these thoughts This or that sinne thou hast cōmitted thou art infected with enuie with impatiencie such other sinnes therfore thou art entred into this holy Order in vaine and all thy good works are vnprofitable If then I had rightly vnderstand these sentences of Paule The flesh lusteth cōtrary to the spirit the spirit contrary to the flesh And These tvvo are one against an other so that ye can not do the things that ye vvould doe I should not haue so miserably tormented my selfe but should haue thought and sayd to my selfe as now commonly I doe Martine thou shalt not vtterly be without sinne for thou hast flesh thou shalt therefore feele the battell thereof according to that saying of Paule The flesh resisteth the spirite Despaire not therefore but resist it strongly and fulfill not the lust thereof Thus doing thou art not vnder the lawe I remember that Staupitius was wont to say I haue vowed vnto God aboue a thousand times that I would become a better mā but I neuer performed that which I vowed Hereafter I wil make no such vow for I haue now learned by experience that I am not able to performe it Vnlesse therefore God be fauourable and mercifull vnto me for Christes sake and graunt vnto me a blessed happie hower when I shall depart out of this miserable life I shall not be able with all my vowes and all my good deedes to stand before him This was not onely a true but also a godly an holy desperation and this must all they confesse both with mouth and heart which wil be saued For the godly trust not to their owne righteousnes but say with Dauid Enter not into iudgement vvith thy seruaunt for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified Againe If thou O Lord shouldest straitly marke iniquities O Lord vvho shall stand They loke vnto Christ their Reconciler who gaue his life for their sinnes Moreouer they know that the remnant of sinne which is in their flesh is not laid to their charge but freely pardoned Notwithstāding in the meane while they fight in spirite against the flesh lest they should fulfill the lustes thereof And although they feele the flesh to rage and rebell against the spirite and them selues also to fall sometimes into sinne through infirmitie yet are they not discouraged not thinke therefore that their state and kinde of life and the workes which are done according to their calling displease God but they raise vppe them selues by Faith. The faithfull therefore receaue great consolation by this doctrine of Paule in that they know them selues to haue part of the flesh and part of the spirite but yet so notwithstanding that the spirite ruleth and the flesh is subdued and kept vnder awe that righteousnes raigneth and sinne serueth He that knoweth not this doctrine and thinketh that the faithfull ought to be without all fault and yet seeth the contrary in him selfe must needes at the length be swalowed vppe by the spirite of heauines and fall into desperation But who so knoweth this doctrine well and vseth it rightly to him the things that are euil turne vnto good For when the flesh prouoketh him to sinne by occasion therof he is stirred vp and enforced to seeke forgeuenes of sinnes by Christe and to embrace the righteousnes of Faith which else he would not so greatly esteme nor seeke for the same with so great desire Therefore it profiteth vs very much to feele sometimes the wickednes of our nature and corruption of our flesh that yet by this meanes we may be
trust in his death and victorie theyr strait and painfull life auailed them nothing at all These things sufficiently declare who be the true Sainctes in deede and which is to be called a holy life Not the life of those which lurke in caues dennes which make their bodies leane with fasting which weare hear and doe other like things with this perswasion and trust that they shall haue some singular reward in heauen aboue all other Christians but of those which be baptised and beleue in Christ which put of the olde man with his workes but not at once For concupiscence and lust remaineth in them so long as they liue the feeling wherof doth hurt them nothing at all if they suffer it not to raigne in them but subdue it to the spirite This doctrine bringeth great consolation to godly mindes that when they feele these dartes of the flesh wherewith Sathan assaileth the spirite they should not despaire As it hapneth to many in the Papacie which thought that they ought to feele no concupiscence of the flesh where as notwithstanding Hierome Gregorie Benedict Barnard and others whom the Monks set before them as a perfect example of chastitie and of all Christian vertues could neuer come so farre as to feele no concupiscence or lust of the flesh Yea they felt it and that very strongly Which thing they acknowledge and plainly confesse in diuers places of their bookes Therfore we rightly confesse in the articles of our beleefe that we beleue there is a holy Church For it is inuisible dwelling in spirit in a place that none can attaine vnto and therefore her holines can not be seene For God doth so hide and couer her with infirmities with sinnes with errours with diuers formes of the crosse and offences that according to the iudgement of reason it is no where to be seene They that are ignorant of this when they see the infirmities and sinnes of those which are baptised which haue the word and beleue it are by and by offended and iudge them not to pertaine to the Church And in the meane while they dreame that the Heremites the Monks and such other shauelings are the church which honour God with their lippes and worship him in vaine because they folow not the word of God but the doctrines and commaundements of men teach others to doe the same And because they doe certaine superstitious and monstrous works which carnal reason magnifieth and highly estemeth therfore they iudge them only to be Saincts and to be the church And in so doing they chaunge and turne this article of the Faith cleane contrary I beleue that there is a holy church c. and in the steede of this word I beleue they put in I see These kinds of righteousnes holines of mans owne deuising are nothing else but spiritual sorceries wherw t the eyes minds of mē are blinded led frō the knowledge of true holines But thus teach we that the Church hath no spot nor wrinkle but is holy and yet through Faith onely in Christ Iesus Againe that she is holy in life and cōuersation by abstaining from the lusts of the flesh and exercise of spirituall works but yet not in such sort that he is deliuered from all euill desires or purged from all wicked opinions and errours For the church alwayes confesseth her sinnes prayeth that her faults may be pardoned Also she beleueth the forgeuenes of sinnes The Saincts therfore doe sinne fall and also erre but yet through ignorance For they would not willingly deny Christe forsake the Gospell c therefore they haue remission of sinnes And if through ignorance they erre also in doctrine yet is this pardoned for in the ende they acknowledge their errour and rest onely vppon the truth and the grace of God offered in Christe as Hierome Gregorie Bernard and others did Let Christians then endeuour to auoide the workes of the flesh but the desires or lustes of the flesh they can not auoide It is very profitable therfore for them to feele the vncleane lustes of the flesh lest they should be puffed vp with some vaine wicked opinion of the righteousnes of their owne works as though they were accepted before God for the same The Monks being puffed vp with this opinion of their owne righteousnes thought thēselues to be so holy that they solde their righteousnes holines to others although they were cōuinced by the testimony of their owne hearts that they were vncleane So pernitious and pestilent a poyson it is for a mā to trust in his owne righteousnes to thinke himselfe to be cleane But the godly because they feele the vnclennes of their owne harts therfore they cānot trust to their own righteousnes This feeling so maketh thē to stoupe so hūbleth them that they cannot trust to their owne good workes but are constrained to flie vnto Christe their Mercy seat and onely succour who hath not a corrupt and sinfull but a most pure and holy flesh which he hath geuen for the life of the world in him they finde a sound and perfect righteousnes Thus they continue in humilitie not counterfet and Monkish but true and vnfained because of the vncleanes which yet remaineth in their flesh for the which if God would straitly iudge them they should be foūd giltie of eternal death But because they lift not vp thē selues proudly against God but with a broken a cōtrite heart humbly acknowledging their sinnes resting wholy vppon the benefite of the Mediatour Christ they come forth into the presence of God and pray that for his sake their sinnes may be forgeuen them God spreadeth ouer them an infinite heauen of grace and doth not impute vnto them their sinnes for Christes sake This I say to the end that we may take heede of the pernicious errours of the Papists touching the holines of life wherin our minds were so wrapped that without great difficultie we could not winde our selues out of them Wherfore doe your endeuour with diligence that ye may discerne and rightly iudge betwene true righteousnes or holines and that which is hypocriticall then shall ye behold the kingdom of Christ with other eyes then carnall reason doth that is with spirituall eyes and certainly iudge those to be true Sainctes in deede which are baptised and beleue in Christe and afterwardes in the same Faith wherby they are iustified and their sinnes both past and present are forgeuen doe abstaine from the desires of the flesh But from these desires they are not thorowly clensed for the flesh lusteth against the spirite Notwithstanding these vncleane rebellious lustes doe still remaine in them to this ende that they may be humbled and being so humbled they may feele the sweetenes of the grace and benefite of Christe So these remnauntes of vncleane lustes and sinnes doe nothing at all hinder but greatly furder the godly For the more they feele
measure in prison more plenteously in death oft Of the Ievves fiue times receiued I fortie stripes saue one I vvas thrise beaten vvith roddes I vvas once stoned I suffered thrise shippevvracke night and day haue I bene in the deepe sea In iourneyings I vvas often in perilles of vvaters in perilles of robbers in perilles of mine ovvne nation in perilles among the Gentiles in perilles in the Citie in perilles in the vvildernes in perilles in the sea in perilles among false brethren c. These be the true markes and imprinted signes of which the Apostle speaketh in this place The which we also at this day by the grace of God beare in our bodies for Christes cause For the world persecuteth killeth vs false brethren deadly hate vs SathaÌ„ inwardly in our heart with his fiery dartes terrifieth vs and for none other cause but for that we teach Christ to be our righteousnes life These markes we choose not of any deuotion neither do we gladly suffer them but because the world and the Deuill do lay them vpon vs for Christes cause we are compelled to suffer them and we reioyce in spirite with Paule which is alwayes willing glorieth and reioyceth that we beare them in our body for they are a seale and most sure testimonie of true doctrine and faith These things Paule spake as I shewed afore with a certaine displeasure and indignation Verse 18. Brethren the grace of our Lord Iesus Christe be vvith your spirite Amen This is his last farewell He endeth the Epistle with the same wordes wherewith he began As if he sayd I haue taught you Christ purely I haue entreated you I haue chidden you and I haue lette passe nothing which I thought profitable for you I can say no more but that I heartely pray that our Lord Iesus Christe would blesse and encrease my labour and gouerne you with his holy spirite for euer Thus haue ye the exposition of Paules Epistle to the Galathians The Lord Iesus Christ our iustifier and Sauiour who gaue vnto me the grace and power to expound this Epistle and to you likewise to heare it preserue and stablish both you and me which I most hartely desire that we daily growing more and more in the knowledge of his grace and Faith vnfained may be found vnblameable and without fault in the day of our redemption To whom with the father and the holy Ghost be glory world without end AMEN 1. TIMOT 1. Vnto the King euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God onely vvise be honour and glory for euer and euer AMEN FINIS Samuul 1. Esay 41. 1. Cor. 1. Hereof reade more in the Apologie of the church of England and in the booke of monuments fol. 992. Col. 2. Rom. 4. Iac. 2. Mar. 1. Mat. 3. Gen. 3 vers 2. Genes 4. Genes 6. 2. Peter 2.5 Genes 10.6 c. 1 Actes 14. Actes 7 5â— The church of the Gentiles 1. Cor. 2.1 1. Cor. 1.30 The argument of iustificatioÌ„ very necessary and diligently to be handled The rage of Sathan a sure argumeÌ„t that the day of iudgemeÌ„t is at hande The outrages of the Anabaptistes The Deuill troubleth not those that are buried and dead in sinne but especially those that are godly and hate sinne Genes 3 ver 15. For vvhose cause specially Luther setteth forth this vvorke and vvho they be that onely vnderstand this doctrine The dignitie of Gods vvord and the sacraments depend not vpon the vvorthines or vnvvorthines of the minister Iudges â—5 4. 1. Timot. 1 1â— Eccles 11 4. Psal. 121.4 The Churche shall neuer be quiet in this vvorld Vnderstande this of pestileÌ„t Libertines vvhich vvould vtterly take avvay the lavv al feare of god and the ministerie of his vvord Osea 4 4. Mich. â— 6. An exhortatioÌ„ to ministers 1. Cor. 11 19. 2. Cor. 6 15. Genes 3 5. 2. Cor. 1.12 Hovve many kindes of righteousnes there are Christian righteousnes The righteousnesse of faithe aptlye called the passiue righteousnes because it coÌ„sisteth in suffering receauing like as the righteousnes of the lavv is called th' actiue righteousnesse because it coÌ„sisteth in doing vvorking The infirmitie of man in teÌ„ptations The lavve can not comfort vs in afflictions The lavve is not giuen to a righteous maÌ„ but to the lavvlesse and disobedient Tit. 1 9 Rom. 3 20. Rom. 6 14. Rom. 10 4. Galat. 3 24 Po. 1 1â— Good vvorkes not forbiddeÌ„ ChristiaÌ„ righteousnesse not vvroughte by vs but vvrought in vs 1. Cor. 15.49 VVe caÌ„ do nothing for the obtaining of ChristiaÌ„ righteousnesse Io. 16 10. Heb. 1 3. 1. Cor. 1 30. Heb. 4.15 Rom. 4 15. 1. Io. 5 18. 1. Iohn 5.18 Rom. 1. vers 19.20.21 c. The drifte of the Apostle in the Epistle to the GalathiaÌ„s See vvhat vve fal into vvhen vve neglecte this doctrine or vvant true zeale to aduaÌ„ce the same 1. Cor. 1.30 Heb. 7.25 Rom. 4. 15. 1. Cor. 6.19 The occasioÌ„ of vvryting this Epistle to the Galathians The Deuil hateth the gospel stirreth vp vvicked meÌ„ against it The doctrine of the gospell The accusatioÌ„s vvhervvith the vvorlde chargeth the gospell The effectes of the gospell Coloss 1. ver 1â— The authority of the false Apostels Io. 8. Rom. 4 4.5.6 Math. 7 ver 22 The argument of the papistes against vs. VVith hovve greate constaÌ„cie S. Paule defendeth his vocation and authoritie against the false Apostles The summe of the tvvo first chapters Galat. 5. The minister of God must be sure of his calling The glorying of S. Paule necessary and holy Rom. 11.13 The Preachers are to be receaued as messengers from God by vvhose ministerie God himselfe speaketh The calling of the Apostles 1 Cor. 10.28 Ephes 4.11 VVho be Apostles Actes 1.24.25 The calling of Mathias Actes 9.15 The Apostles sainctes Math. 27 5. They vvhich be not called do kil and destroy The certaintie of calling VVhat daunger they be in vvhich haue no lavvfull calling VVhy Paule exalteth his calling so in euery place The profite of extolling our calling A holy pride The summe of the Epistle to the GalathiaÌ„s Math. 12.34 VVhat Paule goeth about in this Epistle Rom. 4.24.25 The victorie of Christ is ours 1. Cor. 15.57 Iohn 11.25 VVhy he saith and all the brethern These fantasticall spirites flie the crosse and therfore betake them selues to such places vvhere they may liue at ease The condition of all godly preachers The coÌ„fort of faithfull teachers laboring vnder the crosse 1. Cor. 2 9. The constant faith of Luther 1 Pet. 5 4. The vvord sacramentes are not polluted by our vngodlines The seat of Antichrist 2. Thes 2.4 The churche dispersed through the vvorld Grace Peace The article of of iustificatioÌ„ is continually to be beaten into our heds The greeting of the Apostle straunge and vnheard of to the vvorld Sinne. Conscience The doctrine of Christians Grace Peace Sinne is not released but by grace alone The vvorld knovveth not the doctrine of true godlines Onely by grace is the conscience