Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	good_a	grace_n	work_n	6,662	5	5.6625	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06492	A commentarie of M. Doctor Martin Luther vpon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Galathians first collected and gathered vvord by vvord out of his preaching, and novv out of Latine faithfully translated into English for the vnlearned. Wherein is set forth most excellently the glorious riches of Gods grace ...; In epistolam Sancti Pauli ad Galatas commentarius. English	Luther, Martin, 1483-1546.	1575 (1575)	STC 16965; ESTC S108973	590,302	574

somewhat from Zuinglius sticking to nere to the letter yet he ioyneth not so with the Papist that he leaueth there any transubstantiation or idolatrie Wherefore the matter being no greater then so nor directly against any article of our crede let not vs be so nice for one litle wart to cast away the whole body It were doutlesse to be wished that in good teachers and preachers of Christ there were no defect or imperfection But he that can abide nothing with his blemish let him if he can name any Doctor or writer the scripture onely except greke or latin old or new either beyond the Alpes or on this side the Alpes or him selfe also what so euer he be which hath not erred in some sentence or in some exposition of holy scripture But if he can not so doe then let him learne by him selfe to beare with other to take the best and leaue the worst although there is no such matter in this booke to be feared forasmuch as we hauing a respect to the simple haue purposely spuÌ„ged out and omitted such stumbling places being but few which might offend and to geue God thankes for any thing that is good and namely for this which he hath geuen to vs by Luther in opening to vs his grace mercy and good will in his Sonne so excellently through the preaching of this man who if he had not taught the difference betwene the lawe and the gospell and set out to vs our iustification victory and libertie by faith onely in Christ so plainely so plentifully and so assuredly as he hath done who euer durst haue bene so bold to open his mouth in such wordes or so confidently to stand in this doctrine of faith and grace For if there haue bene since the time of Luther and be yet some which openly defend that workes be necessary to saluation where he before so mightely hath taught the contrary what then would these haue done if Luther had not bene who also did forewarne vs of the same prophesying that after his time this doctrine of iustification would be almost extinguished in the church as in certaine places experience beginneth partely to proue Wherefore so much as the Lord shall geue vs grace let vs hold constantly the comfortable doctrine of faith and iustification not lose that the Lord so freely hath geuen calling vppon the Lord with all obedience and diligence to geue vs grace with S. Paule not to refuse the grace whiche he bestoweth vppon vs nor to be offended with this ioyfull doctrine as many be And therefore as our duty was for our part to set it abroade so our counsell is no lesse to euery studious reader thereof to pray for grace rightly to vnderstaÌ„d that he readeth For els vnlesse the special grace of Christ doe helpe hard it is to flesh and blood to comprehend this mysticall doctrine of faith onely So strauÌ„ge it is to carnall reason so darke to the world so many enemies it hath that except the spirite of God from aboue doe reueale it learning can not reach it wisedome is offended nature is astonied deuilles doe not knowe it men doe persecute it Briefely as there is no way to life so easie so is there none so hard Easie to whom it is geuen from aboue hard to the carnall sense not yet enspired The ignoraunce whereof is the roote of all errours sectes and diuisions not onely in all christendome but also in the whole world The Iewe thinketh to be saued by his Moses lawe the Turke by his Alcoran the philosopher by his morall vertues Besides these commeth an other sort of people not so ill as the Iewe nor so hethen as the philosopher but hauing some part of both which refuse not vtterly the name of Christ but with Christ doe ioyne partely the law of Moses partely the morall and naturall discipline of philosophy and partely their owne ceremonies and traditions to make a perfect way to heauen And these here in this commentary are called papists of the Pope their author being diuided within themselues more then into an hundreth diuers sectes orders and professions of Cardinales Frears Monkes Nunnes Priestes Heremites and other votaries All which seeme to springe vp of no other cause but onely vppon ignorance of this doctrine And no meruell For take away this doctrine of iustification by faith onely in Christ and leaue a man to his owne inuentions what ende will there be of newe deuises Such a perilous thing is it to erre in the first fundation whereuppon the higher ye build the greater is the fall And yet such builders are not without their proppes to hold vppe their workemanship of workes against this doctrine of iustifying faith pretending for their defence the testimonie of S. Iames where he seemeth to attribute iustification to workes and not to faith onely Touching which matter of iustification for as much as in the sequele of this treatise the author hath discoursed vpon the same at large it shall not be much needefull to vse many wordes at this present This briefely may suffice by way of preface in a word or two to aduertise the christian reader who so taketh in hand with profite and iudgement to reade this booke that in him two things are specially to be required First to reade it wholy togeather and not by peeces and partes here and there but to take it in order as it lyeth conferring one place with an other wherby to vnderstand the better the right meaning of the writer howe and in what sense he excludeth good workes and howe not howe he neglecteth the law and how he magnifieth the lawe For as in case of iustifying before God the free promise of the gospell admitteth no condition but faith onely in Christ Iesu so in case of dutifull obedience Luther here excludeth no good works but rather exhorteth thereunto and that in many places Thus times and cases discretly must be distincted The second thing to be required is that in reading hereof he that seketh to take frute hereby doe bring such a mind with him to the reading as the author him selfe did to the preaching therof that is he had neede to haue his senses exercised somewhat in such spirituall conflictes and to be well humbled before with the feare of God and inward repentance or els he shal hardly conceaue the excellent swetenes either of this writer or any other For albeit most true it is that no greater comfort to the soule of man can be found in any booke next to the holy scripture then in this commentary of M. Luther so this comforte hath litle place but onely where the conscience being in heauines hath neede of the phisicions hand The other who feele theÌ„selues whole are not touched in soule with any sorowe as they litle care for these bookes so haue they litle vnderstandinge of this doctrine when they reade it And this is the cause in my mind why the Pope his papistes

the actiue righteousnesse But it is a thing very straunge and vnknowen to the world to teach Christians to learne to be ignorant of the lawe and so to liue before God as if there were no law For except thou be ignorant of the law be assuredly perswaded in thine hart that there is now no lawe nor wrath of God but altogether grace and mercy for Christes sake thou canst not be saued for by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne CoÌ„trariwise workes and the keeping of the law must be so streitly required in the world as if there were no promise or grace and that because of the stubborne proude and hard harted before whose eies nothing must be set but the lawe that they may be terrified and humbled For the law is geuen to terrifie and to kill such and to exercise the old man And both the word of grace and of wrath must be rightly diuided according to the saying of the Apostle in the second Epistle of Timothe Chapter 2. verse 15. Here is then required a wise and a faithfull disposer of the word of God which can so moderate the lawe that it may be kept within his boundes He that teacheth that men are iustified before God by the obseruation of the lawe passeth the boundes of the lawe and confoundeth these two kindes of righteousnesse actiue and passiue and is but an ill Logician for he doth not rightly diuide Contrariwise he that setteth forth the lawe and workes to the old man and the promise of forgiuenes of sinnes and Gods mercy to the new man diuideth the word wel For the flesh or the old man must be coupled with the lawe and works the spirit or new man must be ioyned with the promise of God and his mercy Wherefore when I see a man that is brused enough already oppressed with the lawe terrified with sinne and thirsting for comfort it is time that I should remoue oute of his sight the lawe and actiue righteousnes and that I should set before him by the Gospell the Christian and passiue righteousnes which excluding Moses with his lawe offereth the promise made in Christ who came for the afflicted and for sinnes Here is man raised vp againe and conceaueth good hope neither is he any longer vnder the lawe but vnder grace Howe not vnder the lawe According to the newe man to whom the law doth not pertaine For the lawe hath his boundes but vnto Christ as Paule saith afterwardes The lawe continueth vnto Christ who being come Moses ceaseth with his lawe Circumcision the Sacrifices the Sabbothes yea and all the Prophetes This is our diuinitie wherby we teach how to put a difference betwene these two kindes of righteousnesse actiue and passiue to the end that maners and faith workes and grace policie and religion shuld not be confounded or taken the one for the other Both are necesry but both must be kept within their boundes Christian righteousnes pertaineth to the newe man and the righteousnes of the lawe pertaineth to the old man which is borne of flesh and bloode Wpon this old man as vpon an asse there must be laied a burthen that may presse him downe and he must not enioy the freedome of the spirite or grace except he first put vpon him the newe man by faith in Christ which notwithstanding is not fully done in this life then may he enioy the kingdome and inestimable gifte of grace This I say to the end that no man should thinke we reiecte or forbid good workes as the Papistes doe most falsely sclaunder vs neither vnderstanding what they themselues say nor what we teach They knowe nothing but the righteousnes of the lawe and yet they will iudge of that doctrine which is farre aboue the lawe of which it is vnpossible that the carnall man should be able to iudge Therefore they must needes be offended for they can see no higher then the lawe What so euer then is aboue the lawe is to them a greate offence But we imagine as it were two worldes the one heauenly and the other earthly In these we place these two kindes of righteousnes being separate the one farre from the other The righteousnes of the lawe is earthly and hathe to doe with earthly things and by it we doe good workes But as the earth bringeth not forthe frute except first it be watred and made frutefull from aboue euen so by the righteousnes of the lawe in doing many thinges we doe nothing and in fullfilling of the lawe we fulfill it not except first without any merite or worke of ours we be made righteous by the Christian righteousnesse which nothing pertaineth to the righteousnesse of the lawe or to the earthly and actiue righteousnesse But this righteousnesse is heauenly which as is said we haue not of our selues but receaue it from heauen which we worke not but which by grace is wrought in vs and apprehended by faith wherby we mounte vp aboue all lawes and workes Wherfore like as we haue borne as S. Paule saith the image of the earthly Adam so let vs beare the image of the heauenly which is the newe man in a new world where is no lawe no sinne no remorse of conscience no death but perfecte ioy righteousnesse grace peace life saluation and glory Why doe we then nothing doe we worke nothing for the obtaining of this righteousnes I aunswere nothing at all For this is perfect righteousnesse to doe nothing to heare nothing to knowe nothing of the law or of workes but to know and to beleeue this onely that Christe is gone to the father and is not nowe seene that he sitteth in heauen at the right hande of his Father not as a iudge but made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption Breefely that he is our high Priest intreating for vs and raigning ouer vs and in vs by grace In this heauenly righteousnesse sinne can haue no place for there is no lawe and where no lawe is there can be no transgression Seing then that sinne hath here no place there can be no anguish of conscience no feare no heauinesse Therfore S. Iohn sayth he that is borne of God can not sinne But if there be any feare or greefe of conscience it is a token that this righteousnes is withdrawen that grace is hidden and out of sighte and that Christ is darkened and not to be seene But where Christ is truely seene is deede there must needes be full and perfect ioy in the Lord with peace of conscience which moste certainly thus thinketh Although I am a sinner by the law and vnder the condemnation of the lawe yet I despaire not yet I die not because Christ liueth who is bothe my rightuousnesse and my euerlasting life In that rightuousnesse and life I haue no sinne no feare no sting of coÌ„science no care of death I am in dede a sinner as touching this present life and the righteousnesse

the wisedom and righteousnes of Christ moreouer it darkneth hindreth blasphemeth and persecuteth the same Therfore Paule doth rightly call it the euill or vvicked vvorld for when it is at the best then is it worst In the religious wise and learned men the world is at the best and yet in very dede in them it is double euill I ouerpasse those grosse vices which are against the second table as disobedience to parents to magistrates addulteries whoredomes couetousnes thefts murthers and maliciousnes wherin the world is altogether drowned which notwithstanding are light faultes if ye compare them with the wisedom and righteousnes of the wicked wherwith they fight against the first table This white Deuill which forceth men to commit spirituall sinnes that they may sell them for righteousnes is farre more daungerous then the blacke deuill which onely enforceth them to commit fleshly sinnes which the world acknowledgeth to be sinnes By these wordes then That he might deliuer vs c. Paule sheweth what is the argument of this Epistle to wit that we haue neede of grace and of Christ and that no other creature neither man nor Angell can deliuer man out of this present euill world For these workes are onely belonging to the diuine Maiestie and are not in the power of any either man or Angell that Christ hath put away sinne and hath deliuered vs from the tyrannie and kingdom of the Deuill that is to say from this wicked world which is an obedient seruaunt and a willing follower of the Deuill his god Whatsoeuer that murtherer and father of lies either doth or speaketh that the world as his most loyall and obedient sonne diligently followeth and performeth And therfore it is full of the ignoraunce of God of hatred lying errours blasphemie and of the contempt of God Moreouer of grosse sinnes murthers adulteries fornications theftes robberies and such like because he followeth his father the deuill who is a lier and a murtherer And the more wise righteous and holy men are without Christ so much the more hurt they doe to the gospell So we also that were religious men were double wicked in the Papacie before God did lighten vs with the knowledge of his gospell and yet notwithstanding vnder the colour of true pietie and holines Let these words then of Paule stand as they are in deede true and effectual not coloured or couÌ„terfait namely that this present world is euill Let it nothing at all moue thee that in a great nombre of men there be many excellent vertues and that there is so great a shew of holines in hypocrites But marke thou rather what Paule sayeth out of whose wordes thou maist boldly and freely pronounce this sentence against the world That the world with all his wisedome power and righteousnes is the kingdom of the deuill out of the which God onely is able to deliuer vs by his onely begotten sonne Therfore let vs praise God the father geue him harty thankes for this his vnmeasurable mercy that hath deliuered vs out of the kingdom of the Deuill in which we were holden captiues by his owne sonne when it was impossible to be done by oure own strength And let vs acknowledge together with Paule that all our works righteousnes with all which we could not make the deuil to stoupe one hear bredth are but losse and dung Also let vs cast vnder our feete and vtterly abhorre all the power of free will all Pharasaicall wisedom and righteousnes all religious orders all Masses ceremonies vowes fastings and such like as a most filthie defiled cloth and as the most daungerous poyson of the Deuill Contrariwise let vs extoll and magnifie the glory of Christ who hath deliuered vs by his death not out of a world onely but out of an euill world Paule then by this word Euill sheweth that the kingdom of the world or the Deuils kingdom is a kingdom of iniquitie ignoraunce errour sinne death blasphemie desperation and euerlasting damnation On the other side the kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of equitie light grace remission of sinnes peace consolation sauing health and euerlasting life into the which we are translated by our Lord Iesus Christ to whom be glory world without end So be it Verse 4. According to the vvill of God euen our father Here Paule so placeth and setteth in order euery word that there is not one of them but it fighteth against those false Apostles for the article of iustification Christ sayth he hath deliuered vs out of this most wicked kingdom of the deuill and the world And this hath he done according to the will good pleasure and commaundement of the father wherfore we be not deliuered by our owne will or running nor by our owne wisedom or policie but for that God hath taken mercy vpon vs and hath loued vs like as it is wrytten also in an other place Herein hath appeared the great loue of God tovvardes vs not that vve haue loued God but that he hath loued vs and hath sent his onely begotten sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes That we then are deliuered from this present euill world it is of mere grace and no desert of our ours Paule is so plentifull and so vehement in amplifying and extolling the grace of God that he sharpeneth directeth euery word against the false Apostles There is also here another cause why Paule maketh mention of the Fathers wil which also in many places of S. Iohns gospel is declared wher christ coÌ„meÌ„ding his office calleth vs back to his fathers wil that in his words works we should not so much loke vpon him as vpoÌ„ the father For Christ came into this world toke mans nature vpoÌ„ him that he might be made a sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world so recoÌ„cile vs to God the father that he alone might declare vnto vs how that this was done through the good pleasure of his father that we by fastning our eyes vpoÌ„ Christ might be drawn caried streight vnto the father For we must not thinke as I haue warned you before that by the curious searching of the Maiestie of God any thing concerning God can be known to our saluation but by taking hold of Christ who according to the wil of the father hath geueÌ„ himself to the death for our sinnes WheÌ„ thou shalt acknowledge this to be the wil of God through christ then wrath ceaseth feare and trembling vanisheth away neither doth God appeare any other then mercifull who by his determinate couÌ„sell would that his sonne should die for vs that we might liue thorow him This knowledge maketh the hart chearfull so that it stedfastly beleueth that God is not angry but that he so loueth vs wretched sinners that he gaue his onely begotten sonne for vs It is not for nought therfore that Paule doth so ofteÌ„ repeat and beat into our minds that

absolueth not such as beleue but such as are contrite make confession to a Priest and reach out their helping hand to the maintenance of his pompe and his traditions Yet notwithstanding in this greate light of the Gospell the blind and obstinate Papistes doe continue still in their damnable doting dreames saying that the qualities of nature doe remaine sound and vncorrupt that men are able to prepare themselues to grace or to deserue grace by their owne works and merits And so farre of is it that they will acknowledge their errour and impietie that they doe yet still obstinatly defend the same euen against their owne conscience But we doe constantly affirme with Paule for we will not reiect the grace of God that either Christ died in vaine or els the law iustifieth not But Christ died not in vaine therfore the law iustifieth not Christ the sonne of God of his owne free grace and mercy hath iustified vs therfore the law could not iustifie vs for if it could then had Christ done vnwisely in that he gaue himselfe for our sinnes that we therby might be iustified We conclude therfore that we are iustified neither by our owne works and merites before grace or after neither yet by the law Now if my saluation was so costly and deare a price vnto Christ that he was constrained to die for my sinnes theÌ„ all my works with all the righteousnes of the law are but vile and nothiÌ„g worth in comparison of this inestimable price For how can I bie that for a farthing which cost many thousand talents of gold Now the law to speake nothing of other matters which are of much lesse valew with all the works and righteousnes therof is but as a farthing if ye compare it vnto Christ who by his death hath vanquished my death and hath purchased righteousnes and euerlasting life Should I then despise and reiect this incomparable price and by the law or by the works and merites of meÌ„ vile drosse and dung for so Paule calleth them if they be coÌ„pared vnto Christ seeke that righteousnes which Christ freely of meere loue hath geuen vnto me already hath cost him so greate a price that he was constrained to geue himselfe and euen his owne hart bloud for me This as I haue said the whole world doth and specially such as will be counted more holy and religious then others Wherby they plainly witnes that Christ died in vaine although with their mouthes they confesse the contrary neuer so much Which is most horribly to blasphemie the sonne of god to spit in his face to tread him vnder foote to count the bloud of the testament as an vnholy thing vtterly to despise the spirite of grace Paule here disputing of righteousnes hath no ciuill matter in hand that is he speaketh not of ciuill righteousnes which God notwithstanding alloweth and requireth and geueth certaine rewards therunto accordingly which also reason is able in some part to performe But he entreateth here of the righteousnes that auaileth before God whereby we are deliuered from the law sinne death and all euils and are made partakers of grace righteousnes and euerlasting life and finally are now become Lords of heauen and earth and all other creatures This righteousnes neither mans law neither the law of God is able to performe The lawe is geuen besides and aboue reason to be a light a helpe to man and to shew him what he ought to doe what to leaue vndone Notwithstanding man with all his strength and reason yea with this great light also and heauenly benefite the law I meane can not be iustified Now if that which is the most excellent thing in the world the law I say which as a bright shining sunne is ioyned to the dimme and obscure light of mans reason to lighten and to direct it is not able to iustifie what can reason doe I pray you without the lawe What Doutles nothing else but that which the Pope with his dreaming Sophisters and his whole Sinagoge hath done who with their owne traditions haue darkned the light euen of the first coÌ„maundement Wherfore there is not one of them that is able rightly to vnderstand any one syllable of the lawe but euery man walketh in mere darknes of mans reason And this errour is much more pernicious and deadly then that which procedeth of the doctrine of workes and the lawe These words therfore are very effectuall and full of power where he sayth If righteousnes come by the lavv then Christ died in vaine He speaketh here nothing of mans strength reason or wisedom be it neuer so great for the greater it is the sooner it deceaueth a man but he sayth plainly without all condition If by the lavv c. Wherefore reason lightned aided and directed by the lawe yea euen by the law of God is so vnable to attaine righteousnes that it draweth a man from righteousnes reiecteth Christ Set thou therfore the death of Christ simplie against all lawes and with Paule know nothing but Iesus Christ crucified Receaue no light either of reason or of the lawe or of any thing else then of Christ alone Then shalt thou be learned in dede righteous and holy and shalt receaue the holy Ghost which shall preserue thee in the puritie of the word and faith but set Christ aside and all things are but vnprofitable and vaine what so euer they be Here againe we see what a goodly commendation Paule geueth to the righteousnes of the lawe or mans owne righteousnes in that he teacheth it to be a contempt and reiecting of the grace of God and an abolishing of the death of Christ Paule is no great Rhetorician and yet see what matter he ministreth to him that listeth to play the Rhetorician What eloquence is able sufficiently to set out these wordes To reiect grace the grace of God Also that Christ died in vain The horriblenes whereof is such that all the eloquence in the world is not able to comprehend it To say that any man dieth in vaine it is but a small mater but to say that Christ died in vaine it is to take him quite away and make of him nothing at all Who so listeth to play the Rhetorician hath here mater enough to dilate and amplifie at large what an horrible blasphemous doctrine it is to set vp the righteousnes of the law and workes For what can be more blasphemous and horrible then to make the death of Christ vnprofitable and what doe they els which obserue the law to the end they may be iustified therby Now to make the death of Christ vnprofitable is also to make his resurrection his victory his glory his kingdome heauen earth God himselfe the maiesty of God and briefly all things els whatsoeuer but vnprofitable and of none effect This thundring and lightning from heauen against the righteousnes of the law and mans owne

example the Monke imagineth thus These works which I doe please god God will regard these my vowes and for them will saue me The Turke saith If I keepe the things that are commaunded in the Alcoran God will accept me and geue me euerlasting life The Ievve thinketh thus If I kepe those things which the law commaundeth I shall finde God mercifull to me and so shall I be saued So also a sort of fond heades at this day bragging of the spirite of reuelations of visions and such other monstrous matters I wote not what doe walke in wonders aboue their reaches These new Monkes haue inuented a new crosse and new workes and they dreame that by doing them they please god To be briefe as many as know not the Article of Iustification take away Christ the mercy seat and will needes comprehend God in his maiestie by the iudgemeÌ„t of reason and pacifie him with their workes But true Christian diuinitie as I geue you often warning setteth not God forth vnto vs in his maiestie as Moises and other doctrines do It commaundeth vs not to search out the nature of God but to know his will set out to vs in Christ whom he would haue to take our flesh vpon him to be borne and to die for our sinnes and that this should be preached among all nations For seeing the world by wisedom knew not God in the wisedom of God it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue theÌ„ that beleue 1. Cor. 1. Wherfore when thy conscience standeth in the conflict wrastling against the law sinne and death in the presence of God there is nothing more daungerous then to wander with curious speculatioÌ„s in heauen and there to search out God in his incomprehensible power wisedom and maiestie how he created the world and how he gouerneth it If thou seeke thus to comprehend God and wouldest pacifie him without Christ the Mediator making thy workes a meane betweene him and thy selfe it can not be but that thou must fall as Lucifer did and in horrible despaire lose God and altogether For as God is in his owne nature vnmeasurable incomprehensible and infinite so is he to mans nature intolerable Wherfore if thou wouldest be in safetie and out of perill of conscience and saluation bridle this climing and presumptuous spirite and so seke God as Paule teacheth thee 1. Cor. 1. We sayth he preach Christ crucified a stumbling blocke vnto the Ievves and foolishnes vnto the Grecians but vnto theÌ„ vvhich are called both of the Ievves and Grecians vve preach Christ the povver of God the vvisedom of God. Therfore begin thou there where Christ began namely in the wombe of the virgin in the maunger at his mothers breasts c. For to this ende he came downe was borne was conuersant among men suffered was crucified and died that by all meanes he might set forth him selfe plainly before our eies and fasten the eies of our hartes vpon him selfe that he therby might keepe vs from climing vp into heauen and from the curious searching of the diuine maiestie Whensoeuer thou hast to doe therefore in the matter of iustification and disputest with thy selfe howe God is to be found that iustifieth and accepteth sinners where and in what sort he is to be sought then knowe thou that there is no other God besides this man Christ Iesus Embrace him and cleaue to him with all thy hart setting aside all curious speculations of the diuine maiestie For he that is a searcher of Gods maiestie shal be ouerwhelmed of his glory I knowe by experience what I say But these vaine spirites which so deale with God that they exclude the Mediatour beleue me not Christ him selfe saith I am the vvay the truth and the life No man commeth to the father but by me Therefore besides this way Christ thou shalt finde no way to the father but wandering no veritie but hypocrisie and lying no life but eternall death Wherefore marke this well in the matter of iustification that when any of vs all shall haue to wrestle with the lawe sinne death and all other euils we must looke vpon no other God but onely this God incarnate and clothed with mans nature But out of the matter of iustification when thou must dispute with Iewes Turkes Papistes Heretikes c. concerning the power wisdome and maiestie of God then employ all thy witte industrie to that ende and be as profound and as subtill a disputer as thou canst for then thou art in an other veine But in the case of conscience of righteousnes and life which I wish here diligently to be marked against the lawe sinne death and the deuill or in the matter of satisfaction of remission of sinnes of reconciliation and of euerlasting life thou must withdrawe thy minde wholy from all cogitations and searching of the maiestie of God and looke onely vpon this man Iesus Christ who setteth himselfe forth vnto vs to be a Mediatour and saith Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heauy loden and I vvill refreshe you Thus doing thou shalt perceaue the loue goodnes and sweetenes of God thou shalt see his wisdome power and maiestie sweetned and tempered to thy capacitie yea and thou shalt finde in this mirrour and pleasant contemplation all things according to that saying of Paule to the Colossians Chap. 2. Verse 3. In Christ are hid all the treasures of vvisedome and knovvledge Also in the second chapiter Verse 9. For in him dvvelleth the fulnes of the Godhead bodily The world is ignorauÌ„t of this and therefore it searcheth out the will of God setting aside the promise in Christ to his great destruction For no man knovveth the father but the sonne and he to vvhom the sonne vvill reueale him And this is the cause why Paule is wont so often to couple Iesus Christ with God the father euen to teach vs what true Christian religion is which beginneth not at the highest as other religions doe but at the lowest It will haue vs to clime vp by Iacobs ladder whervpon God him selfe leaneth whose feete touch the very earth hard by the head of Iacob Wherfore when so euer thou art occupied in the matter of thy saluation setting aside all curious speculatioÌ„s of Gods vnsearchable maiestie all cogitations of workes of traditions of philosophie yea and of Gods law too runne streight to the maunger and embrace this infant and the virgins litle babe in thine armes and behold him as he was borne sucking growing vp conuersant among men teaching dying rising againe ascending vp aboue all the heauens and hauing power aboue all things By this meanes thou maist shake of all terrours and errours like as the sunne driueth away the cloudes And this sight and contemplation wil keepe thee in the right way that thou maiest follow whether Christ is gonne Therefore Paule in wishing Grace and Peace not onely from God the

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 caÌ„ abide nothing lesse than to be taken for such maner of men nay rather they would be

so highly esteeme the Popes authoritie that to dissent from him euen in the least point I thought it a sinne worthy of euerlasting death And that wicked opinion caused me to thinke that Iohn Hus was a cursed heretike yea and I accounted it an heinous offence but once to thinke of him And I would my selfe in defence of the Popes authoritie haue ministred fire sword for the burning destroying of that heretike thought it an high seruice vnto God so to do Wherfore if you compare Publicanes harlots with these holy Hipocrits they are not euill For they when they offend haue remorse of conscience do not iustifie their wicked doings but these men are so farre of froÌ„ acknowledging their abhominatioÌ„s idolatries wicked wilworshippings ceremonies to be sinnes that they affirme the same to be righteousnes a most aceptable sacrifice vnto god yea they adore theÌ„ as matters of singular holines thorow them do promise saluation vnto others also sell theÌ„ for mony as things auaileable to saluation This is then our goodly righteousnes this is our high merite which bringeth vnto vs the knowledg of grace to wit that we haue so deadly so deuelishly persecuted blasphemed trodeÌ„ vnder foote condeÌ„ned God Christ the gospell faith that sacrameÌ„ts al godly men the true worship of God haue taught stablished quite coÌ„trary things And the more holy we wer the more wer we blinded the more did we worship the deuil Ther was not one of vs but he was a bloudsucker if not in deede yet in hart Verse 15. VVhen it pleased God. As though he would say It is the alone and inestimable fauour of God that not onely he hath spared me so wicked so cursed a wretch such a blasphemor a persecutor a rebell against God but besides that also hath giuen vnto me the knowledge of saluation his spirit Christ his sonne the office of an Apostle and euerlasting life So God beholding vs giltie in the like sinnes hath not only pardoned our impieties blasphemies of his mere mercy for Christes sake but hath also ouerwhelmed vs with great benefits spiritual gifts But many of vs are not onely vnthankfull vnto God for this his inestimable grace and as it is written 2. Pet. 1. Do forget the clensing of their old sinnes but also opening againe a window to the Deuill they beginne to loth his word and many also corrupt it and so become authors of new errours The ends of these men are vvorse then the beginnings Verse 15. VVhich had seperated me from my mothers vvombe This is an Hebrew phrase As if he sayde which had sanctified ordained prepared me That is GOD had appoynted when I was yet in my mothers wombe that I should so rage against his church and that afterwards he should mercifully call me backe againe from the middest of my cruelty and blasphemy by his meere grace into the way of truth and saluation To be short when I was not yet borne I was an Apostle in the sight of God and when the time was come I was declared an Apostle before the whole world Thus Paule cutteth of all deserts and giueth glory to God alone but to himselfe all shame and confusion As though he would say All the gifts both smale and great as well spirituall as corporall which God purposed to giue vnto me and all the good things which at any time in all my life I should doe God himselfe had before appointed when I was yet in my mothers wombe where I could neither wish thinke nor doe any good thing Therefore this gift also came vnto me by the meere predestination and free mercy of God before I was yet borne Moreouer after I was borne he supported me being loden with innumerable and monstrous euils and iniquities And that he might the more manifestly declare the vnspeakeable and inestimable greatenes of his mercy towards me he of his meere mercy forgaue me my greate and innumerable sinnes and moreouer replenished me with such plenty of his grace that not onely I my selfe should know what things are giuen vnto vs in Christ but that I should preach the same vnto others also Such then were the deserts and merits of all men and especially of those old dotards who exercised themselues farre aboue others in the stincking dunghils of mans righteousnes Verse 15. And called me by his grace Marke the diligence of the Apostle He called me sayth he Hovve Was it for my pharisaicall religion or for my blameles and holy life for my praiers fastings and works No. Much lesse then for my blasphemies persecutions oppressions Hovv then By his meere grace Verse 16. To reueile his sonne in me You heare in this place what maner of doctrine is giuen and committed to Paule to witte the doctrine of the Gospel which is the reuelation of the sonne of god This is a doctrine quite contrary to the lawe which reueileth not the sonne of God but it sheweth fourth sinne it terrifieth the conscience it reueileth death the wrath and iudgement of God and hell The Gospell then is such a doctrine as admitteth no law Now he that in this case could rightly distinguish would not seeke the Gospell in the lawe but would separate the Gospell as farre from the law as there is distaÌ„ce betwene heauen and earth This difference in it selfe is easie certaine and plaine but vnto vs it is hard and almost not to be comprehended For it is an easie matter to say that the Gospell is nothing els but the reueiling of the sonne of the God or the knowledge of Iesus Christ and that it is not the reueiling of the law But in the very agony and conflict of conscience to hold this fast and to practise it in deede it is a hard matter yea to them also that be most exercised therein Now if the Gospell be the reueiling of the sonne of God as Paule defineth it in this place then surely it accuseth not it feareth not the conscience it threateneth not death it bringeth not to despaire as the law doth but it is a doctrine concerning Christ which is neither law nor worke but our righteousnes wisedome sanctification redeÌ„ption Although this thing be more cleare then the sunne light yet notwithstanding the madnes and blindnes of the Papistes hath bene so great that of the Gospell they haue made a lawe of charitie and of Christ a lawegiuer which should giue more streit and heauy commaundements then Moses himselfe But the Gospell teacheth that Christ came not to set forth a newe law and to geue commaundements as touching maners but that he came to this end that he might be made an oblation for the sinnes of the vvhole vvorld and that our sinnes might be forgeueÌ„ and euerlasting life giuen vnto vs for his sake and not for the works of the lawe or for our rightesousnes sake Of this

to guide a shippe to build a house and to doe such other things as are subiect vnto man for these things are not taken from him We doe not then denie but that these sentences are true in the corporall kingdom But if ye wrest them to the spirituall kingdom I vtterly deny them for there as I said we are cleane ouerwhelmed and drowned in sinne Whatsoeuer is in our wil is euil whatsoeuer is in our vnderstanding is errour Wherefore in spirituall matters man hath nothing but darknes errours ignoraunce malice and peruersenes both of wil and vnderstanding How then should he worke well fulfill the lawe and loue God Wherfore Paule sayth here that Christ first began and not we He euen he sayth Paule loued me gaue him selfe for me As if he said He found in me no good will or right vnderstaÌ„ding but this good Lord had mercy vpon me He saw me to be nothing els but wicked going astray contemning God and flying from him more and more yea rebelling against God taken led and caryed away captiue of the deuill Thus of his mere mercy preuenting my reason my wil and my vnderstanding he loued me and so loued me that he gaue him selfe for me to the ende that I might be freed from the law sinne the deuill death Againe these wordes The sonne of God hath loued me and geuen him selfe for me are mightie thuÌ„drings and lightnings from heaueÌ„ against the righteousnes of the law all the works therof So great so horrible wickednes errour darknes and ignorance was in my wil and vnderstanding that it was vnpossible for me to be rauÌ„somed by any other meanes then by such an inestimable price Why do we then vauÌ„t of the soundnes of nature of the rule of reason of free will and of doing what in vs lieth Why do I offer vnto god being angry with me who as Moses sayth is a coÌ„suming fire this my rotten stubble and straw yea horrible sinnes claime of him to reward me with grace euerlasting life for them since here I learne such wickednes to lie lurkiÌ„g in my nature that the whole world all creatures therin were not able to counteruaile the indignation of God but that the very sonne of God him selfe must needes be deliuered for the same But let vs consider well this price and let vs behold this captiue deliuered as Paule sayth for me the sonne of God I meane and we shal see him without all comparison to excede excell all creatures What wilt thou doe when thou hearest the Apostle say that such an inestimable price was geuen for thee Wilt thou bring thy cowle thy shauen crowne thy chastitie thy obedience thy pouertie thy works thy merites What shall all these doe Yea what shall the law of Moses auaile What shall the works of all men all the suffering of the Martyrs profite thee What is the obedience of all the holy angels in comparison of the sonne of God deliuered and that most shamefully euen to the death of the crosse so that there was no droppe of his most precious bloud but it was shedde and that for thy sinnes If thou couldest rightly consider this incomparable price thou shouldest hold as accursed all these ceremonies vowes works and merites before grace and after and throw them all downe to hell For it is an horrible blasphemy to imagine that there is any worke wherby thou shouldest presume to pacifie God since thou seest that ther is nothing which is able to pacifie him but this inestimable price euen the death bloud of the sonne of god one drop wherof is more precious then al the creatures in the world Verse 20. For me Who is this me Euen I wretched and damnable sinner so dearly beloued of the sonne of God that he gaue himselfe for me If I then through works or merites could haue loued the sonne of God and so come vnto him what needed he to deliuer himselfe for me Hereby it appereth how coldly the Papistes handled yea how they vtterly neglected the holy scriptures and doctrine of faith For if they had considered but onely these words that it behoued the sonne of God to be geuen for me it had bene vnpossible that so many monstrous sectes should haue spronge vp amongest them For faith would by and by haue aunswered why doest thou choose this kind of life this religioÌ„ this worke Doest thou this to please God or to be iustified therby Doest thou not heare O thou wretch that the sonne of God shed his bloud for thee Thus true fayth in Christ would easilie haue withstande all maner of sectes Wherefore I say as I haue often times said that there is no remedie against Sectes or power to resist them but this onely article of Christian righteousnes If we lose this article it is impossible for vs to withstand any errours or Sectes As we may see at this daye in the phanaticall spirites the Anabaptistes and such like who being fallen away from this article of iustification will neuer cease to fall erre and seduce vntill they come to the fulnes of all iniquitie There is no dout but they will raise vp innumerable sectes and still deuise new workes But what are al these things though they haue neuer so goodly a shew of holines if ye compare them to the death and bloud of the sonne of God vvho gaue himselfe for me Consider well I pray you who this sonne of God is how glorious he is how mightie he is What is heauen and earth in comparison of him Let all the Papistes and all the authors of sectes yea though the whole world take their part be throwne downe into hell withall their righteousnes workes and merits rather then the truth of the Gospell should be blemished and the glory of Christ perish What meane they they then to bragge so much of workes and merits If I being a wretched and a damned sinner could be redemed by any other price what needed the sonne of God to be geuen for me But because there was no other price either in heauen or in earth but Christ the sonne of God therefore it was most necessary that he should be deliuered for me Moreouer this he did of inestimable loue For Paule sayth vvhich loued me Wherfore these wordes vvhich loued me are full of faith And he that can vtter this litle word Me and apply it vnto him selfe with a true and constant faith as Paule did shal be a good disputer with Paule against the lawe For he deliuered neither shepe oxe golde nor siluer but euen God him selfe entierly and wholy for me euen for me I say a miserable and wretched sinner Nowe therefore in that the sonne of God was thus deliuered to death for me I take comfort and applie this benefite vnto my selfe And this maner of applying is the right force of faith in deede These wordes which are the pure preaching of grace and Christian

children and such like we say it is a blessing but in his degree that is to say in this life present But as touching life euerlasting it is not enough to haue corporall blessings for the very wicked doe therein abound moste of all It is not sufficient that we haue ciuill righteousnes or the righteousnes of the law for therein also the wicked doe specially flourish These things God distributeth in the world freely bestoweth them both vpon the good and bad like as he suffereth the Sunne to rise both vpon the good and the euill and sendeth raine vpon the righteous and vnrighteous for he is liberall vnto all And to him it is a small matter to put all creatures vnder the feete of the wicked The Creature is subiect to vanitie not of his ovvne vvill Rom. 8. They therfore which haue but onely these corporall blessings are not the children of God blessed before God spiritually as was Abraham but they are vnder the Curse as Paule here sayth VVhosoeuer is vnder the vvorkes of the lavv is vnder the Curse Paule might haue sayd by a generall proposition Whatsoeuer is without faith is vnder the Curse He sayth not so but he taketh that which besides faith is the best the greatest and most excellent among all corporall blessings of the world to witte the lawe of god That lawe sayth he in deede is holy and geuen of God notwithstanding it doth nothing else but make all men subiect to the Curse and keepe them vnder the same Nowe if the lawe of God doe make men subiect to the Curse much more doe the inferior lawes and blessings And that it may be plainly vnderstand what Paule calleth it to be vnder the Curse he declareth by this testimonie of the scripture saying Verse 10. For it is vvrytten Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things vvhich are vvrytten in the booke of the lavve to doe them Paule goeth about to proue by this testimonie taken out of the 27. of Deuteronomie that all men which are vnder the lawe or vnder the workes of the law are accursed or vnder the Curse that is to say vnder sinne the wrath of God and euerlasting death For he speaketh not as I haue sayd before of a corporall but of a spirituall Curse which must needes be the Curse of euerlasting death and hell fire And this is a wonderfull maner of prouing For Paule proueth this affirmatiue sentence which he boroweth out of Moses VVhosoeuer are of the vvorkes of the lavve are vnder the Curse by this negatiue Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all things c. Now these two sentences of Paule and Moises seeme cleane contrary Paule sayeth whosoeuer shall doe the workes of the lawe is accursed Moses sayth who so euer shall not do the works of the law are accursed How shall these two sayings be reconciled together or else which is more how shall the one be proued by the other In deede no man can well vnderstand this place vnlesse he also know and vnderstand the article of iustification Paule no dout being among the Galathians had before more largely entreated of this matter for else they could not haue vnderstand it seeing he doth here but touche it by the way But because they had heard him declare the same vnto them before they being now againe put in minde thereof doe call it to remembraunce And these two sentences are not repugnant but doe very well agree We also doe teach in like maner That the hearers of the lavve are not righteous before God but the doers of the lavve shall be iustified Rom. 2. And contrariwise They that are of the vvorkes of the lavv are vnder the Curse For the article of iustification teacheth that whatsoeuer is without the faith of Abraham is accursed And yet notwithstanding the righteousnes of the lawe must be fulfilled in vs Rom. 8. To a man that is ignoraunt of the doctrine of Faith these two sentences seeme to be quite contrary Wherfore aboue all things we must marke wel whervpon Paule entreateth in this place wherabout he goeth and how he looketh into Moses He is here as before I haue often sayd in a spirituall matter seperated from policie and from all lawes and he looketh into Moises with other eyes then the hypocrites false apostles do and expoundeth the law spiritually Wherfore the whole effect of the matter consisteth in this worde to doe Now to doe the lawe is not onely to doe it outwardly but to doe it truely perfectly There be two sortes then of doers of the law The first are they which are of the workes of the lawe against whom Paule striueth throughout all this Epistle The other sort are they which are of Faith of whom we will speake hereafter Nowe to be of the lawe or of the workes of the lawe and to be of Faith are quite contrary yea euen as contrary as God and the Deuill sinne and righteousnes death and life For they are of the lawe which would be made righteous by the lawe They are of faith which doe assuredly trust that they are made righteous through onely mercy for Christes sake He which sayeth that righteousnes is of faith curseth and condemneth the righteousnes of workes Contrariwise he which sayth that righteousnes is of the lawe curseth and condemneth the righteousnes of faith Therfore they are altogether contrary the one to the other He that considereth this shall easely vnderstand that to performe the lawe is not to do that which is commaunded in the law in outward shew only as the hypocrites imagine but in spirit that is to say truly and perfectly But where shall we finde him that will so accomplish the lawe Let vs see him and we will praise him Here our aduersaries haue their aunswer ready saying The doers of the lavve shal be iustified Rom. 2. Very well But let vs first define who be these doers of the law They call him a doer of the law which doeth the workes of the lawe and so by those workes going before is made righteous This is not to doe the lawe according to Paule for as I haue said to be of the works of the law and to be of faith are coÌ„trary things Therfore to seeke to be iustified by the workes of the lawe is to denie the righteousnes of faith Wherfore these Iusticiaries and Lawworkers when they doe the lawe euen in so doing denie the righteousnes of Faith and sinne against the first the second and thirde commaunment yea euen against the whole lawe For God commaundeth that we should worshippe him in Faith and in the feare of his name These on the contrary make righteousnes of workes without faith and against faith therefore in that they doe the lawe they doe cleane contrary to the lawe and sinne most deadly For they deny the righteousnes of God his mercy his promises they deny Christ withal his

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 expouÌ„d 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 ignoraÌ„t of God dead in sinnes and subiect to the wrath iudgement of God When the Pope excoÌ„municateth 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 confideÌ„ce 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 haÌ„ging 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 chauÌ„ged 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 commaundemeÌ„ts 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

there is nothing more odious more intolerable to maÌ„ then the law is Here he wold rather chose death theÌ„ be coÌ„straind to bear these terrors of the law be it neuer so litle a time which is a most certaine token that the lawe iustifieth not For if the lawe did iustifie then no dout men would loue it they would delite was raised vppe and comforted by the gratious and free mercy of god Therefore the lawe iustifieth not If the lawe should serue mine affections that is to say if it should approue my hypocrisie my opinion and confidence of mine owne righteousnes if it should say that without the mercy of God and faith in Christ through the helpe of it alone as all the world naturally iudgeth of the lawe I might be iustified before God and moreouer if it should say that God is pacified and ouercome by works and is bound to reward the doers therof that so I hauing no nede of God might be a God vnto my selfe merite grace by my workes setting my Sauiour Christ apart might saue my selfe by mine owne merites If I say the lawe should thus serue mine affections then should it be sweete delectable and pleasant in deede So wel can reason flatter it selfe notwithstanding this should no longer coÌ„tinue but vntil the law should come to his owne proper vse and office then should it appeare that reason can not suffer those bright beames of the law There some Moises must needes come betwene as a Mediatour and yet notwithstanding without any fruite as I will declare hereafter To this purpose serueth that place in the .2 Cor. 3. chapt concerning the couered face of Moises where Paule out of the hystorie of Exod. 34. chap. sheweth that the children of Israell not onely did not knowe but also could not abide the true and spirituall vse of the lawe First for that they could not looke vnto the ende of the lawe sayeth Paule because of the veile which Moises put vpon his face Againe they could not looke vppon the face of Moises being bare and vncouered for the glory of his countenaunce For when Moises went about to talke with them he couered his face with a veile without the which they could not beare his talke that is they could not heare Moises him selfe their Mediatour vnlesse he had set an other Mediatour betwene that is to say the veile Howe then should they heare the voyce of God or of an Angell when they could not heare the voyce of Moises being but a maÌ„ yea and also their Mediatour except his face had ben couered Therfore except the blessed Seede come to raise vppe and comfort him which hath heard the lawe he perisheth through desperation in detesting of the lawe in hating and blaspheming of God and daily more and more offendeth against god For this feare and confusion of conscience which the lawe bringeth the deeper it perceth and the longer it continueth the more it encreaseth hatred and blasphemy against God. This historie therefore teacheth what is the power of freewill The people are stricken with feare they tremble and they flie backe Where is now freewill where is nowe that good will that good entent that right iudgement of reason which the Papistes doe so much bragge of What auaileth freewill here in these sanctified and holy men It can say nothing It blindeth their reason it peruerteth theyr will it receiueth not it saluteth not it embraceth not with ioy the Lord comming with thundring lightning and fire in to the Mounte Sina It can not heare the voyce of the Lord but contrariwise it sayth Let not the Lord speake vnto vs lest vve die We see then what the strength and power of freewil is in the children of Israel who though they were clensed and sanctified could not heare one syllable or letter of the law Therfore these high coÌ„mendations which the Papists geue to their freewill are nothing else but mere toyes and doting dreames Verse 20. Novv a Mediatour is not a Mediatour of one Here he compareth these two Mediatours together and that with a maruelous breuitie yet so notwithstanding that he satisfieth the attentiue reader who because this word Mediatour is generall by and by vnderstandeth that Paule speaketh also of the Mediatour generally and not of Moises onely A Mediatour sayeth he is not a Mediatour of one onely but this word necessarily comprehendeth two that is to say him that is offended and him that is the offender of whom the one hath neede of intercession and the other needeth none Wherfore a Mediatour is not of one but of two and of such two as be at variaunce betwene them selues So Moises by a generall definition is a Mediatour because he doth the office of a Mediatour betwene the law and the people who can not abide the true and spirituall vse of the law The lawe therfore must haue a new face and his voyce must be chaunged that is to say the voyce of the law must be made spirituall or the lawe must be made liuely in the inward affection and must put on a visour or a veile that it may now become more tolerable so that the people may be able to heare it by the voice of Moises Nowe the lawe being thus couered speaketh no more in his Maiestie but by the mouth of Moises After this maner it doth not his office any more that is it terrifieth not the conscience And this is the cause that they doe neither vnderstand it nor regarde it by meanes wherof they become secure negligent and presumptuous hypocrites And yet notwithstanding the one of these two must needes be done to witte that either the lawe must be without his vse and couered with a veile but then as I haue said it maketh hypocrites or els it must be in his vse without the veile and then it killeth For mans hearte can not abide the lawe in his true vse without the veile It behoueth thee therefore if thou looke to the ende of the law without the veile either to laye holde on that blessed Seede by faith that is to say thou must looke beyond the ende of the law vnto Christ which is the accomplishment of the law which may say vnto thee The law hath terrified thee enough Be of good comfort my sonne thy sinnes are forgeuen thee wherof I wil speake more anone or else surely thou must haue Moses for thy Mediatour with his veile For this cause Paule sayth A mediatour is not a Mediatour of one For it could not be that Moises should be a Mediatour of God alone For God needeth no Mediatour And againe he is not a Mediatour of the people onely but he doth the office of a Mediatour betwene God and the people which were at discord with god For it is the office of a Mediatour to pacifie the partie that is offended and to reconcile vnto him the partie which is the offender

lawe those holy and most gracious wordes namely I am the Lord thy God vvhich brought thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage Thou shalt haue none other Gods c. Shevving mercy to thousandes c. Honour thy father and thy mother that it may goe vvell vvith thee and that thy daies may be prolonged vpon the earth c. and that they had neede of a Mediatour They could not abide this most excellent perfect and diuine wisedom this most gracious sweete comfortable doctrine Let not the Lorde speake vnto vs say they lest vve die Speake thou vnto vs c. Doubtles it is a merueilous thinge that a man can not heare that which is his whole felicite namely that he hath a God yea a mercifull God which wil shew mercy vnto him in many thousands of generatioÌ„s c. And moreouer that he can not abide that which is his chiefe safetie protectioÌ„ defence namely Thou shalt not kil Thou shalt not coÌ„mit adultery Thou shalt not steale For by these wordes the Lord hath compassed and fortified the life of man his wife his children and his goods as it were with a wal against the force and violence of the wicked The law then can doe nothing sauing that by his light it lightneth the coÌ„science that it may know sinne death the iudgement the hatred and wrath of god Before the law come I am secure I feele no sinne but wheÌ„ the law cometh sinne death hel are reueiled vnto me This is not to be made righteous but giltie the enemy of God to be condemned to death and hell fire The principall point then of the law in true Christian Diuinitie is to make men not better but worse that is to say it sheweth vnto them their sinne that by the knowledge therof they may be humbled terrified brused and brokeÌ„ by this meanes may be driuen to seeke comforte and so to come to that blessed Seede Verse 20. But God is one God offendeth no person and therefore needeth no Mediatour But we offend God and therfore we haue neede of a Mediatour not Moses but Christ vvhich speaketh farre better things for vs c. Hitherto he hath continued in his digression Now he retourneth to his purpose Verse 21. Is the lavv then against the promise of God Paule said before that the law iustifieth not Shall we then take away the law No not so For it bringeth with it a certaine commoditie What is that It bringeth men vnto the knowledge of themselues it discouereth and encreaseth sinne c. Here now riseth an other obiection If the lawe doe nothing els but make men worse in shewing vnto them their sinne then is it contrary to the promises of god For it seemeth that God is but onely prouoked to anger and offended through the law and therefore he regardeth not nor performeth his promises We Iewes haue thought the contrary to witte that we are restrained and bridled by this externall discipline to the ende that God being prouoked therby might hasteÌ„ the performing of his promise and that by this discipline we might deserue the promise Paule aunswereth It is nothing so But contrariwise if ye haue regard to the law the promise is rather hindered For natural reason offendeth God which so faithfully promiseth whiles it will not heare his good and holy lawe For it sayth Let not the Lorde speake vnto vs c. How can it be then that God should performe his promise vnto those which not onely receaue not his law and his discipline but also with a mortal hatred do shunne it flie from it Here therfore as I said riseth this obiection Then the law semeth to hinder the promises of god This obiection Paule toucheth by the way briefely auÌ„swereth saying Verse 21. God forbid Why so First for that God doth not make any promise vnto vs because of our worthines our merits our good works but that he doth is of his meere goodnes and inestimable mercy in Christ He saith not to Abraham All nations shal be blessed in thee because thou hast kept the law but as it is written in the .24 chap. of Iosua when he was yet vncircumcised had no law was yet an idolater he said vnto him Goe out of thine ovvne land c. I vvill be thy protectour c. Also In thy Seede shall all nations be blessed These are absolute meere promises which God freely geueth vnto Abraham without any condition or respect of workes either going before or comming after This is specially against the Iewes which thinke that the promises of God are hindered because of their sinnes God saith Paule doth not slacke his promises because of our sinnes or hasten the same for our righteousnes and merites he regardeth neither the one nor the other Wherefore although we be worse and more sinnefull and brought into a greater contempte and hatred of God by meanes of the lawes yet notwithstanding God is not moued therby to differre his promise For his promise doth not stande vpon our worthines but vpon his onely goodnes and mercy Therefore where the Iewes say The Messias is not yet come because our sinnes doe hinder his coÌ„ming it is a detestable lie As though God should become vnrighteous because of our sinnes or made a lier because we are liers He abideth alwaies iust and true his truth therefore is the onely cause that he accomplisheth and performeth his promise Moreouer although the law doe reueile and encrease sinne yet is it not against the promises of God yea rather it confirmeth the promises For as concerning his proper worke and ende it humbleth and prepareth a man so that he vse it rightly to sigh and seeke for mercy For when sinne is reueiled to a man and so encreased by the law then he beginneth to perceaue the wickednes and hatred of mans hearte against the law and against God him selfe the authour of the law Then he feeleth in deede that not only he loueth not God but also hateth and blasphemeth God who is full of goodnes mercy and his lawe which is iust and holy Then is he constrained to coÌ„fesse that there is no good thing in him And thus when he is throwne downe and humbled by the lawe he acknowledgeth him selfe to be most miserable and damnable When the law therfore constraineth a man so to acknowledge his owne corruption and to confesse his sinne from the bottome of his heart then hath it done his office truely and his time is accomplished and ended And nowe is the time of grace that the blessed Seede may come to raise vppe and to comfort him that is so cast downe and humbled by the lawe After this manner the law is not against the promises of god For first the promise hangeth not vpon the lawe but vpon the truth and mercy of God only and alone Secondly when the law is in

euerlasting life These heare their sentence here pronounced that the sonnes of the bondwoman must be cast out of the house with their mother the bondwoman Such sentences diligently considered make vs certaine of our doctrine and confirme vs in the righteousnes of Faith against the doctrine and righteousnes of workes which the world embraceth and magnifieth condemning and despising the other And this troubleth and offendeth weake consciences which albeit they plainly see the impietie the execrable wickednes and horrible abhominations of the Papistes yet notwithstanding they are not easily perswaded that all the multitude which beareth the name and title of the church doe erre and that there are but fewe of them which haue a sounde and a right opinion of the doctrine of Faith. And if the Papacie had the same holines and austeritie of life which it had in the time of the auncient fathers Hierome Ambrose Augustine and others when the Cleargie had not yet so euill a name for their Simonie excesse abundance of riches dissolute liuing voluptuousnes whoredome sodomitrie and such other infinite abhominations but liued after the rules and decrees of the fathers religiously and holily in outward shew and vnmaried what could we doe now against the Papacie The single life which the Cleargye kept very straitly in the time of the fathers was a goodly thing and made of men very Angelles in in the sight of the world and therefore Paule in the second Chapiter to the Colossians calleth it the religion of Angelles And the Papistes sing thus of their virgines He ledde an angelicall life whilest he liued in the flesh and yet liued contrary to the flesh Moreouer the life which they call the contemplatiue life whervnto the clergie men were then very much geuen vtterly neglecting all ciuile and houshold gouernmeÌ„t had a goodly shew of holines Wherfore if that outward shew and appearance of the olde Papacie remained at this day we should peraduenture doe but litle against it by our doctrine of Faith seeing we doe now so litle preuaile when that olde shew of outward holines and seuere discipline being vtterly abolished there is nothing to be seene but a very sinke and puddle of all vices and abhominations But admitte the case that the olde discipline and religion of the Papacie were yet remaining notwithstanding we ought by the example of Paule who vehemently pursued the false apostles which outwardly appeared to be very godly and holy men to fight against the Meritmongers of the Papisticall kingdom and to say Although ye liue a single life tiering and consuming your bodies with coÌ„tinuall trauaile and walking in the humilitie and religion of Angels yet are ye seruauntes of the lawe of sinne and of the Deuill and must be cast out of the house for ye seeke righteousnes and saluation by your workes and not by Christe Wherefore we ought not so much to consider the wicked life of the Papists as their abhominable doctrine and hypocrisie against the which we specially fight Let vs suppose then that the religion and discipline of the olde Papacie doth yet still flourish and that it is now obserued with as much seueritie and straitnes as euer it was yet must we say notwithstanding If ye haue nothing but this holines and chastitie of life to sette against the wrath and iudgement of God ye are in very deede the sonnes of the bondwoman which must be cast out of the kingdom of heauen and be damned And now they themselues doe not defend their wicked life nay rather they which are the best and the soundest of them all doe detest it but they fight for the maintenaunce and defence of the doctrine of Deuils for hypocrisie and for the righteousnes of workes Here they alledge the authoritie of Councels and the examples of holy fathers whom they affirme to haue bene the authors of their holy orders and statutes Therefore we fight not against the manifest wickednes abhominations of the Papacie but against the greatest holines holiest Saincts therof which thinke they lead an angelicall life whilest they dreame that they kepe not only the coÌ„maundements of God but also the counsels of Christ and doe workes of superogation such as they are not bound to doe This we say is to labour in vaine except they take hold of that onely and alone which Christ saith is onely necessary and choose the good part with Marie which shall not be taken from them This did Bernard a man so godly so holy and so chast that he is to be commended preferred aboue them all He being once greuously sicke and hauing no hope of life put not his trust in his single life wherin he had liued most chastly nor in his good workes and deedes of charitie whereof he had done many but remoued them farre out of his sight and receauing the benefite of Christ by Faith he sayd * I haue liued wickedly But thou Lord Iesus Christ by double right doest possesse the kingdom of heauen First because thou art the sonne of God Secondly because thou hast purchased it by thy death passion The first thou keepest for thy selfe by thy birthright The second thou geuest to me not by the right of my workes but by the right of grace He set not against the wrath of God his Monkerie nor his angelicall life but he tooke hold of that one thing which was necessary and so was saued I thinke that Hierome Gregorie and many other fathers were saued after the same sorte And it is not to be doubted but that also in the olde Testament many Kings of Israell and other Idolaters were saued in like maner who at the houre of death casting away their vaine trust which they had in Idolles tooke holde of the promisse of God which was made vnto the Seede of Abraham that is to say Christe in whom all nations should be blessed And if there be any of the Papists which shall be saued they must simplie leane not to their owne good deedes and desertes but to the mercy of God offred vnto vs in Christ say with Paule I haue not mine ovvne righteousnes vvhich is of the lavve but that vvhich is by Faith in Christe Verse 31. Then brethern vve are not children of the seruaunt but of the freevvoman Paule here concludeth his allegorie of the barren church and of the frutefull people of the lawe We are not sayth he the children of the bondwoman that is to say we are not vnder the lawe which begetteth vnto bondage that is which terrifieth accuseth and bringeth to desperation but we are deliuered from it by Christe Therefore it can not terrifie nor condemne vs Of this we haue spoken enough before Moreouer although the sonnes of the bondwoman doe persecute vs neuer so much for a time yet this is our comfort that they shall be compelled to leaue the enheritance vnto vs which belongeth vnto vs that are the sonnes

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 meÌ„ are blinded led froÌ„ 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 coÌ„uersation 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 theÌ„selues to be so holy that they solde their righteousnes holines to others although they were coÌ„uinced by the testimony of their owne hearts that they were vncleane So pernitious and pestilent a poyson it is for a maÌ„ 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 caÌ„not trust to their own righteousnes This feeling so maketh theÌ„ to stoupe so huÌ„bleth 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 fouÌ„d giltie of eternal death But because they lift not vp theÌ„ selues proudly against God but with a broken a coÌ„trite 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

Wherfore it was not possible for them to vnderstaÌ„d Paule But here we may plainly see that Paule reckeneth idolatry and heresy amoÌ„gs the works of the flesh which two as before we haue said reason estemeth to be most high excelleÌ„t vertues wisedoÌ„ religion holines rightousnes Paul Col. 2. calleth it the religion of angels But although it seeme to be neuer so holy spiritual yet is it nothiÌ„g else but a worke of the flesh an abhomination and idolatry against the Gospell against faith and against the true seruice of god This do the faithfull see for they haue spirituall eyes but the Iusticiaries iudge the contrary For a Monke can not be perswaded that his vowes be works of the flesh So the Turke beleueth nothing lesse then that his Alcaron his washings and other ceremonies which he obserueth be workes of the flesh VVitchcraft Of witchcraft I haue spoken before in the .3 Chap. This vice was very coÌ„mon in these our dayes before the light truth of the gospel was reueled WheÌ„ I was a child there were many witches sorcerers which bewitched both cattel men but specially children did great harme also otherwise But now in the light of the Gospell these things be not so commonly heard of for the Gospell thrusteth the Deuill out of his seat with all his illusions But now he bewitcheth meÌ„ much more horribly namely with spirituall sorcerie and witchcraft Paule reckneth witchcraft among the works of the flesh which notwithstanding as all meÌ„ know is not a work of fleshly lust or lechery but a kinde of idolatry For witchcraft couenanteth with the Deuil superstition or idolatrie couenanteth with God albeit not with the true God but with a counterfet god Wherfore idolatry is in dede a spiritual witchcraft For as witches doe enchaunt cattel men so idolaters that is to say all Iusticiaries or iustifiers of theÌ„selues go about to bewitch god and to make him such a one as they doe imagine Now they imagine him to be such a one as will iustifie them not of his mere grace and mercy and through Faith in Christe but in respect of their wil worshipping and works of their owne choosing and in recompeÌ„ce therof wil geue them righteousnes and life euerlasting But whiles they go about to bewitch God they bewitch theÌ„selues For if they continue in this wicked opinion which they coÌ„ceiue of God they shall die in their idolatrie and be damned The workes of the flesh are well knowne for the most part therfore they shall not neede any further declaration Sectes By the name of Sects Paule meaneth here not those diuisions or contentions which rise sometimes in the gouernment of housholdes or of common weales for worldly and earthly matters but those which rise in the Church about doctrine Faith and workes Heresies that is to say Sectes haue alwayes bene in the Church as we haue sayd before in diuers places Notwithstanding the Pope is an Archhereticke and the head of all heretickes for he hath filled the world as it were with an huge floud of infinite Sectes and errours What concord and vnitie was there in so great diuersitie of the Monkes and other religious Orders No one sort or Sect of them could agree with an other for they measured their holines by the straitnes of their Orders Hereof it commeth that the Carthusian wil needes be counted holier then the Franciscane so likewise the rest Wherfore there is no vnity of spirit nor concord of mindes but great discord in the papisticall church There is no conformitie in their doctrine faith religion or seruing of God but all things are cleane contrary Contrariwise amongst the Christians the word faith religion sacrameÌ„ts seruice Christ God hart soule mind vnderstaÌ„ding are all one and commoÌ„ to all and as touching outward conuersation the diuersitie of states degrees conditioÌ„s of life hindreth this spirituall concord and vnitie nothing at all as before I haue sayd And they which haue this vnitie of the spirit can certainly iudge of all Sects which otherwise no man vnderstandeth As in deede no diuine in that Papacie vnderstode that Paule in this place coÌ„demneth all the worshippings religioÌ„s coÌ„tinencie honest conuersation holy life in outward appearance of all the Papists Sectaries schismatikes but they all thought that he speaketh of the grosse idolatrie and heresies of the Gentiles Turks which manifestly blaspheme the name of Christ Dronkennes Gluttonie Paule doth not say that to eate drinke be workes of the flesh but to be druÌ„ken to surfet which of all other vices are most coÌ„mon at this day Who so are geuen to this beastly dissolutenes excesse let them know that they are not spiritual how much so euer they boast them selues so to be but they folow the flesh and performe the filthie workes thereof Therfore is this horrible sentence pronouÌ„ced against them that they shal not be inheritours of the kingdom of god Paule would therfore that ChristiaÌ„s should flie drunkennes surfetting liuing soberly moderately without all excesse lest by paÌ„pering the flesh they shuld be prouoked to waÌ„tonnes As in deede after surfetting belly cheare the flesh is wont to waxe wanton to be inflamed with outragious lust But it is not sufficieÌ„t only to restraine this outragious waÌ„tonnes lust of the flesh which foloweth druÌ„kennes surfetting or any maner of excesse but also the flesh when it is most sobre in his best teÌ„perance must be subdued repressed lest it fulfill his lustes desires For it oftentimes cometh to passe that eueÌ„ they which are most sobre are tempted most of al As Hierom wryteth of himselfe My face sayth he was pale with fasting my minde was enflamed with fleshly desires in my cold body and although my flesh was half dead alredy yet that flames of vnclene lust boiled within me Hereof I my selfe also had experieÌ„ce wheÌ„ I was a MoÌ„ke The heat therfore of vncleane lusts is not queÌ„ched by fastiÌ„g only but we must be aided also by the spirite that is by the meditation of Gods word faith praier In deede fasting represseth the grosse assaultes of fleshly lust but the desires of the flesh are ouercome by no abstinence from meates an drinkes but onely by the meditation of the word of God and inuocation of Christe Verse 21. And such like For it is vnpossible to recken vp all the workes of the flesh Verse 21. VVherof I tell you as I haue also told you before that they vvhich doe such things shall not inherite the kingdom of God. This is a very hard a terrible saying but yet very necessary against false ChristiaÌ„s and careles hypocrites which bragge of the Gospell of Faith of the spirit and yet in all securitie they performe the workes of the flesh But chiefly the heretickes being puffed vp with opinions of spirituall matters as they

betvvene the lavve and the promise To promise and to require are distinct things The inheritaunce is geueÌ„ by the promise and not by the lavve VVhat the Blessing is vvhich is geueÌ„ vs through Christ The murmuring of the Ievves against the doctrine of Paule for the stablishiÌ„g of faith Math. 21.31 The murmuring of the Papistes against the gospell The iudgemeÌ„t of reason concerning the doctrine of the Gospell vvhich teacheth that the lavve vvas geuen for transgressioÌ„s Galat. 3.19 Rom. 2.14 Rom. 6.1 Rom. 3.8 Christ is iudged to be a blasphemer and a seditious person All things are to be done for the elects sake Dogges Hogges The lavv iustifieth not therfore it is vnprofitable is a naughtie consequence The proper office and vse of the lavve VVhen the lavve is good Al men do naturally iudge that the lavve doth iustifie Reason is ignoraunt of the righteousnes of faith The opinion of the righteousnes of the lavv most pernitious VVhat the great soueraigntie of the Deuill is throughout the vvhole vvorld As all things are distinct so are the vses of things Euery creature serueth in his order and place The office of the lavve Rom. 5.20 The vse of politike lavves An obiection All lavves are geuen to bridle transgressions The povver of the Deuil God hath ordayned Magistrates parents lavves c. that sinnes might be brideled The spirituall vse of the lavv The spirituall vse of the lavv vnknovven to reason * Hercules vvas a mighty Champion vvhich stevve the great monster Hydra as the Poetes faine vvhich had a hundred neckes vvith serpeÌ„ts heads Hypocrites are feated and humbled by the lavve Ierem. 13. â—â— The opinion of righteousnes hovv pernicious it is The opinion of righteousnes an horrible monster The proper office of the lavve 3. Reg. 19.11.12.13 Exod. 19.20 The children of Israel could not abide the voice of God speaking out of the fire Exod. 20.19 Deut. 5.24.18.16 Dâ—uter 4.24 The lavv hath still the same office that it had vvhen it vvas geuen in Mount Sina The Ievves vvere afraide at the voyce of the lavv Deut. 5.26 Deut. 4.24 The same hapneth to hypocrites such as put righteousnes in vvorks that happened to the Ievves standing at Mount Sina Very fevve vnderstande the proper vse of the lavve It is a matter of great importaÌ„ce to vnderstand the proper vse of the lavv The light of the lavv The lavv in his true vse terrefieth The light of the Gospell The proper vse and office of the Gospel The doctrine of faith can not remaine sound vnlesse the lavve be rightly discerned from the Gospell Luke 18. Rom. 7.11 The lavv profitable tvvo maner of vvaies The lavve a Minister to grace A singular coÌ„fort for all afflicted consciences The doctrine of the Gospell belongeth to those vvhich are thorovvly terrified vvith the lavve Esay 42.3 Math. 12.20 The time of the lavve and the time of Grace Reason in the time of tentatation flieth not to the doctrin of grace but to the doctrine of the lavve The lavv doth not onely shevv vnto a man his sinne but also driueth him to Christ Luke 4 1â— Math. 11. â—8 The perfect vse of the lavve Hovve long the dominion of the lavve endureth The lavve according to the letter endured vntill Christ and there ceased Mat. 11.12.13 Hovve long the lavve must raigne in the conscience Psal. 42.7 Psal. 69.2 Psal. 26.9 Psal. 6â— 17 The continuaunce of the lavv literally spiritually The terrours of the lavve are driuen avvay by faith Math. 18.20 Eccles 4.10 The solitarie or Monkish life hath hurt many Math. 26.39 Luke 23.41 Iohn 17.1 * Angelles as ministers gaue it to Moises by the authority of Christ Heb. 1. The lavve geuen by Angels the Gospell by Christ The lavv vvas geuen to endure but for a time but the Gospell vvas geuen to endure for euer Christ is not a Mediatour according to the lavv as Moises vvas Exod. â— â— Exod. 19.20 Moises a Mediatour The lavv maketh men afraid therfore it iustifieth not Nothing is more intolerable to man then the lavv The lavv flattereth not reason and therfore reason hateth it 2. Cor. 3 1â— Exod. 34.30 The place of Paule expounded as touching the couering of Moises face Verses 30.33.34.35 Faith in Christ driueth avvay the terrours of the lavve The povver of freevvill * But serueth both for the Ievves and Gentiles to ioyne them to God. The vvord Mediatour includeth tvvo The lavve hauing put on a veile maketh vs not afraid Because God speaketh not novv in his Maiestie as he did in the Mount but by the voice of man therfore men feare him not nor regarde his lavve The lavve in his true vse killeth The office of a Mediatour Moses a Mediatour of the veile VVhen vve are terrified by the lavve vve haue nede of another maner of Mediatour then Moses Christ hideth not the lavv but taketh it avvay and therefore is a better Mediatour then Moses A Mediatoure is he that standeth betvvene the offender and him that is offended God of his iustice can not forgeue sinne vvithout satisfaction vvhich is done by Christ Christ is the Mediatour betvvene God and sinners vvhich are quite contrary one to the other Col. 2.24 Man can not abide the hearing of the lavv therfore he can not keepe the lavv The doctrine of the lavv The proper vse of the lavv The lavve is good and holy and yet intolerable to mans nature Exod. 2.3 Deut. 4.40 The lavv containeth profitable doctrine and yet a man can not heare it The lavve maketh not men better but vvorse * Constant and alvvaies like him selfe The iudgemeÌ„t of the Ievves and of all others as touching the lavv Reason can not abide to heare the good lavv of God. God maketh not the promise because of our vvorthines but for his ovvne mercies sake Iosua 24.2.3 Genes 12.1.2 The promises of God are absolute not made in respect of our vvorthines The promises of God are not hindered because of our sinnes 2. Pet. 3.9 A Diuelish dreame of the Ievves The lavve is not against the promises of God. VVhen the office and time of the lavve is accomplished Psal. 109 2â— The lavv maketh troubled and afflicted soules to thirst for Christ Math. 11 28. Vpon vvhom Christ bestovveth his benefites Math. 11.5 Iohn 7.37.38 Deut. 18.15 The lavve quickneth not but killeth * The Papistes diuide the gospel in to precepts and CouÌ„sels to the precepts men are bounde say they but not to the Counsels Paul teacheth that no lavve vvas geuen to bring life but the Pope teacheth quite contrary The iudgemeÌ„t of men naturally as touching the lavve VVhat profite cometh by knovving the difference betvvene the lavve and the Gospell The true and perfect vse of the lavve Genes 3.15 Genes 22. The scripture shutteth all vnder the Curse first by the promise Secondly by the lavve Galat. 3.10 Deut. 27.26 Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all things c. The principall office of the lavve * These things in Luthers time vvere counted so

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