Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 2 · Verse extract 21
Verſe. 21. For if righteouſnes come by the lavve, then Chriſt died in vaine.
Here againe I admoniſh you that Paule ſpeaketh not of the ceremoniall law onelyonly (for this the Papiſtes doe alwaies alleage) but of the whole law.Corrupters of Paule. And theſe words of Paule are diligently to be conſidered in this wiſe. It is true that Chriſt ſuffered death or not? Againe, did he ſuffer in vaine or not? Here we are conſtrained to aunſwere, except we be ſtarke madde, that he ſuffered in very deede: and that he ſuffered not in vaine nor for himſelfe, but for vsus. If then he ſuffered not in vaine, it followeth of neceſſitie that righteouſnes cometh not by the law.
Take now therfore the whole law, and imagine that by the merite of cōgruence or works going before grace, thou haſt ſo much profited, that thou haſt receaued grace and the ſpirite of God, which is a thinge impoſſible vntounto nature:If the deſert of congruence auaile ought, then is Chriſt dead in vaine. but yet admitte (I ſay) that in doing what in thee lieth, thou haſt obtained grace, art made righteous, and haſt receaued the holy Ghoſt by the merite of congruence: then haſt thou no neede of Chriſt, he is to thee vnprofitable and his death of none effect.
Moreouer take euen the law of the ten commaundements, wherin is contained the true religion and the higheſt ſeruice of God:If the lavv iuſtifie, Chriſt died in vaine. that is to ſay, faith, the feare of God, the louelove of God, and the louelove of our neighbour, and ſhew me any man that hath bene iuſtified therby: yet is it true notwithſtanding that Chriſt died in vaine. For he that is iuſtified by the law, hath power in himſelfe to obtaine righteouſnes. For in that he doth what in him lieth, he deſerueth grace, & the holy Ghoſt is powred into him, wherby he is now able to louelove God and his neighbour. This being graunted, it muſt needes follow that Chriſt died in vaine. For what neede of Chriſt hath he which both loueth Chriſt and geueth himſelfe for him, ſo that he is able by the merite of congruence before grace to obtaine grace, and then to doe ſuch works as by the merite of worthines after grace he is able to deſerue eternall life? Then take away Chriſt withall his benefits, for he is vtterly vnprofitable. But why was he borne? why was he crucified? why did he ſuffer? why was he made my high Prieſt louing me and geuing Himſelfe an ineſtimable ſacrifice for me? In vaine (no doubt) and to no purpoſe at all if righteouſnes come by no other meanes then the Papiſtes teach: for I finde no righteouſnes but either in my ſelfe or in the law, without grace and without Chriſt.
Is this horrible blaſphemy to be ſuffered or diſſembled, that the diuine maieſtie not ſparing his owne deare ſonne, but deliuering him to death for vsus all, ſhould not doe all theſe things ſeriouſly & in good earneſt,The righteouſnes of all Saincts is nothing in compariſon of the righteouſnes of Chriſt. but as it were in ſport? Before I would admit this blaſphemie, I would not only that the holines of all the Papiſts & meritmongers, but alſo of all the Saincts & holy angels ſhould be throwne downe into the bottome of hell, & condemned with the deuil. Mine eies ſhall behold nothing els but this ineſtimable price my Lord & Sauiour Chriſt. He ought to be ſuch a treaſure vntounto me, that all other things ſhould be but dunge in cōpariſon of him. He ought to be ſuch a light vntounto me, yt when I hauehave apprehended him by faith, I ſhould not know whether there be any law, any ſinne, any righteouſnes or any vnrighteouſnes in ye world. For what is al yt is either in heauē or earth in cōpariſō of ye ſonne of god Chriſt Ieſus my lord & Sauiour, vvho loued me & gaue hīſelf for me.
A common ſinne to reiect the grace of God.Wherfore, to reiect the grace of God, is an horrible ſinne and commonly reigning throughout the world: wherof al they are giltie which ſeeke righteouſnes by their owne workes. For whiles they ſeeke to be iuſtified by their owne works and merites or by the law, they reiect the grace of God and Chriſt,The Pope the chiefe author of all abhominations in the church. as I hauehave ſaid. And of all theſe abhominations the Pope hath bene the only author. For he hath not onelyonly defaced and troden the Goſpell of Chriſt vnderunder his feete, but hath alſo repleniſhed the world with his curſed traditions. And hereof amongeſt other enormities,The Popes pardons. his bulles and pardons are a ſufficient witnes: wherby he 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,If the lavv iuſtifie, then is 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 vsus: therfore the law could not iuſtifie vsus: 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 vntounto Chriſt, that he was conſtrained to die for my ſinnes, thē all my works, with all the righteouſnes of the law,A comparing of Chriſt and the lavv together. are but vile and nothīg worth in compariſon of this ineſtimable price. For how can I bie yt 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 vntounto 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 mē (vile droſſe and dung, for ſo Paule calleth them, if they be cōpared vntounto Chriſt) ſeeke that righteouſnes which Chriſt freely & of meere louelove hath geuen vntounto 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 hauehave 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,The deuilish peruerſnes of the vvorld. 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 vnderunder 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,Ciuill righteouſnes hath her revvards. 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.The righteouſnes of faith, is the righteouſnes that pleaſeth God. 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,Reaſon although it be lightned vvith the lavve, yea and the lavve of God, yet it can not iuſtifie. 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 ye Pope with his dreaming Sophiſters and his whole Sinagoge hath done, who with their owne traditions hauehave darkned the light euen of the firſt cōmaundement. Wherfore there is not one of them that is able rightly to vnderſtand any one ſyllable of the lawe, but eueryevery 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:Galath. 2.21. 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.The praiſe of the righteouſnes of the lavve. 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?VVho make Chriſt to hauehave died in vaine. 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 righteouſnes, ſhould feare vsus and make vsus to abhorre it. And here with this thunderbolt falleth downe all the orders of Monkes and Friers, with all the rablement of ſuch ſuperſticious religion. For who will not deteſt his owne vowes, his cowle, his ſhauen croune, all mens traditions, yea the very law of Moſes alſo, if he heare that for theſe things he reiecteth the grace of god and maketh the death of Chriſt vnprofitable? The world hearing this, doth not beleue that it is true. It thinketh that ſuch horrible wickednes can not enter into any mans heart, that he ſhould reiect the grace of God & eſteme the death of Chriſt as a thing of nought. And yet this ſinne commonly reigneth. For whoſoeuer ſeeketh righteouſnes without Chriſt, either by workes, merites, ſatiſfactions, afflictions, or by the law, reiecteth the grace of God and deſpiſeth the death of Chriſt, whatſoeuer he proteſteth with his mouth to the contrary.