Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 3 · Verse extract 6
Verſe. 6. As Abraham beleeued God, and it vvas imputed to him for righteouſnes.
Hitherto Paule groundeth his argument vponupon ye experience of the Galathians, and wt this argument he preſſeth them vehemently. Ye (ſaith he) hauehave beleued, & beleuing hauehave done miracles, & hauehave ſhewed many notable ſignes: and moreouer ye hauehave ſuffred many afflictiōs, al which things are the effects & operations, not of the law, but of ye holy ghoſt. This the Galathians were conſtrained to confeſſe. For they could not denie theſe things, which were before their eyes and ſubiect to their ſenſes: and therfore this argument grounded vponupon their owne experience is very ſtrong.
Now he addeth the example of Abraham, Geneſ. 15.6.& rehearſeth the teſtimony of ye ſcripture. The firſt is out of Geneſis: Abraham beleued God &c. This place the Apoſtle here mightely proſecuteth, as alſo he doth in his epiſtle to the Romaines.Rom. 4.2.3. If Abraham (ſaith he) vvas made righteous by the vvorks of the lavv, he hath righteouſnes and reioyſing, but not before God, but before men: For before God he hath ſinne and wrath. Now, he was iuſtified before God, not becauſe he did work, but becauſe he did beleue. For the ſcripture ſaith: Abraham beleued God, and it vvas imputed to him for righteouſnes. This place doth Paule there notably ſet out & amplifie, as it is moſt worthy. Abraham (ſaith he) vvas not vveake in the faith,Rom. 4.19.20.21. &c. neither conſidered he his ovvne body being dead, vvhen he vvas almoſt an 100. yere old: neither that Sara vvas paſt childe bearing. Thorough vnbelefe he doubted not of the promiſe of God, but vvas made ſtrong in the faith, and gaue glory to God, being ſurely perſuaded that whatſoeuer God had promiſed, he was able to performe: wherefore it was imputed vntounto him for righteouſnes. And this is wrytten, not onelyonly for him, that it was counted vntounto him for righteouſnes, but for vsus alſo. &c.
Paule by theſe wordes, Abraham beleeued, maketh the cheefeſt worſhip, the cheefeſt duetie, the cheefeſt obedience and the cheefeſt ſacrifice, of faith in God. Let him yt is a Rethorician, amplifie this place, and he ſhall ſee that faith is an almighty thing, & that the power therof is ineſtimable and infinite.The povver of faith infinite. For it geueth glory vntounto God, which is the higheſt ſeruice that can be geuen vntounto him. Nowe, to geue glory vntounto God,To geue glory to God. is to beleeue in him, to count him true, wiſe, righteous, merciful, almighty, briefly to acknowledge him to be the author and geuer of all goodnes.Faith geueth glory to God. This reaſon doth not, but faith. That is it which maketh vsus diuine people, and (as a man would ſay) it is the creator of a certaine diuinitie, not in the ſubſtaunce of God, but in vsus. For without faith God loſeth in vsus his glory, wiſedom, righteouſnes, truth, and mercy. To conclude: There no maieſtie or diuinitie remaineth vntounto God, where faith is not. And the cheefeſt thing that God requireth of man is, that he geue vntounto him his glory and his diuinitie: that is to ſay, that he take him not for an idoll, but for God: who regardeth him, heareth him, ſheweth mercy vntounto him, and helpeth him. This being done, then hath God his full and perfect diuinitie, that is, he hath whatſoeuer a faithfull heart can attribute vntounto him. To be able therfore to geue that glory vntounto God, it is the wiſedom of wiſedomes, the righteouſnes of righteouſneſſes, the religion of religions, and ſacrifice of ſacrifices. Hereby we may perceaue, what an high and excellent righteouſnes faith is, and ſo by the contrary, what an horrible and greeuous ſinne infidelitie is.
Whoſoeuer then beleeueth the word of God as Abraham did, is righteous before God,Righteous before God. becauſe he hath faith, which geueth glory vntounto God: that is, he geueth to God that which is due to him. For faith ſaith thus:VVhat God ſaith, if ye ſet faith aſide, & harken vntounto reaſon. I beleeue thee (O God) when thou ſpeakeſt. And what ſayth God? Impoſſible things, lies, fooliſh, weake, abſurde, abhominable, hereticall, and deuilliſh things, if ye beleeue reaſon. For what is more abſurde, fooliſh and vnpoſſible, then when God ſaith to Abraham, that he ſhould hauehave a ſonne of the harren and dead body of his wife Sara?
The iudgemēt of reaſon, touching the articles of faith.So, if we will follow the iudgement of reaſon, God ſetteth forth abſurde and impoſſible things when he ſetteth out vntounto vsus the Articles of the Chriſtian faith. In deede it ſeemeth to reaſon an abſurde and a fooliſh thing, that in the Lordes ſupper is offred vntounto vsus the body and bloud of Chriſt, that baptiſme is the Lauer of the new birth and of the renewing of the holy Ghoſt, that the dead ſhall riſe in the laſt day, that Chriſt the ſonne of God was conceiued and caried in the wombe of the virgin Marie, that he was borne, that he ſuffered the moſt reprochefull death of the croſſe, that he was raiſed vp againe, that he nowe ſitteth at the right hand of God the father, and that he hath power both in heauen and in earth.The Goſpell is the vvord of the croſſe. 1. Cor. 1.18.2…. For this cauſe Paule calleth the Goſpell of Chriſte crucified, the worde of the croſſe and fooliſh preaching, which to the Iewes was offenſiue, and to the Gentiles fooliſh doctrine &c. Reaſon therfore doth not vnderſtand, that to heare the worde of God and to beleeue it,The chiefe vvorship of God. is the cheefeſt ſeruice that God requireth of vsus: but it thinketh that thoſe thinges which it chooſeth and doth of a good entent (as they call it) and of her owne deuotion, pleaſe God. Therefore when God ſpeaketh, reaſon iudgeth his word to be hereſie, and the word of the Deuill, for it ſeemeth abſurde and fooliſh.
But faith killeth reaſon,Faith …layeth reaſon. and ſlaieth that beaſt which the whole world and all creatures cannot kill. So Abraham killed it by faith in the worde of God, by which word ſeede was promiſed him of Sara who was barren and now paſt childe bearing. VntoUnto this word reaſon yeelded not ſtreight way in Abraham, but doubtles it fought againſt faith in him, iudgeing it to be an abſurde, a fooliſh, and vnpoſſible thing yt that Sara, who was nowe not onelyonly. 90. yeares of age, but alſo was barren by nature, ſhould bring forth a ſonne.The vvreſtling of faith vvith reaſon in Abraham. Thus faith (no doubt) wreſtled with reaſon in Abraham, but heerein faith got the victory, killed and ſacrificed reaſon, that moſt cruell and peſtilent ennemie of God. So all the godly entring with Abraham into the darkenes of faith, doe kill reaſon, ſaying: Reaſon, thou art fooliſh, thou doeſt not ſauour thoſe things which belong vntounto God: therefore ſpeake not againſt me, but hold thy peace: iudge not, but heare the word of God and beleeue it. So the godly by faith kill ſuch a beaſt as is greater then the whole world, and thereby doe offer to God a moſt acceptable ſacrifice and ſeruice.
And in compariſon of this ſacrifice of the faithfull,The ſacrifice of Chriſtians. all the religions of all nations, and all the workes of all Monkes and meritemongers are nothing at all. For by this ſacrifice, firſt (as I ſaid) they kill reaſon, a greate and mightie ennemie of God.Reaſon Gods enemy. For reaſon deſpiſeth God, denieth his wiſedome, righteouſnes, power, truth, merciemercy, maieſtie, and diuinitie. Moreouer, by the ſame ſacrifice they yeeld glory vntounto God: that is, they beleeue him to be righteous, good, faithfull, true. &c: they beleeue that he can doe all things, that all his wordes are holy,The commendation of faith true, liuely, and effectuall &c. which is a moſt acceptable obedience vntounto God. Therefore there can be no greater or more holy religion in the world, nor more acceptable ſeruice vntounto God, then faith is.
Contrariwiſe, the Iuſticiaries, and ſuch as ſeeke righteouſnes by their owne woorkes, lacking Faithe, in deede doe many things. They faſt, they pray, they watch, they lay croſſes vppon themſelues.The vnfaithful geue not glory to God. But becauſe they thinke to appeaſe the wrath of God and deſerue grace by theſe things, they geue no glory to God: that is, they doe not iudge him to be mercifull, true, and keeping promiſe. &c. but to be an angrie iudge, which muſt be pacified with woorkes, and by this meanes they deſpiſe God, they make him as a lier in all his promiſes, they denie Chriſte and all his benefites: to conclude, they thruſt God out of his ſeate and ſet them ſelues in his place. For, they reiecting and deſpiſing the worde of God, doe chooſe vntounto them ſelues ſuch worſhippe and woorkes as God hath not commaunded. They imagine that God hath a pleaſure therin, and they hope to receiue a reward of him for the ſame. Therefore they kill not reaſon, that mightie enemie of God, but quicken it: and they take from God his maieſtie and his diuinitie, and attribute the ſame vntounto their owne woorkes. Wherfore onelyonly faith geueth glory to God, as Paule witneſſeth of Abraham. Abraham (ſayeth he) vvas made ſtrong in the faith, Rom. 4.20.21.22and gaue glory to God, being fully aſſured, that vvhatſoeuer God had promiſed, he vvas able to performe, and therefore it vvas imputed to him for righteouſnes.
Chriſtian righteouſnes conſiſteth in. Faith of the hearte and Gods imputation. It is not without cauſe that he addeth this ſentence out of the fiftene Chapiter of Geneſis: And it vvas imputed vntounto him for righteouſnes. For chriſtian righteouſnes conſiſteth in two things, that is to ſay, in faith of the heart, and in Gods imputation. Faith is in deede a*Formall is that vvhichwhich geueth perfection to the ſubſtance vvherunto it is ioyned. formal righteouſnes, and yet this righteouſnes is not enough: for after faith there remaine yet certaine remnaunts of ſinne in our fleſh. This ſacrifice of faith began in Abraham, but at laſt it was finiſhed in his death: And therfore the other part of righteouſnes muſt needes be added alſo to finiſh the ſame in vsus: that is to ſay, Gods imputation. For faith geueth not enough to God, becauſe it is imperfecte, yea rather our faith is but a little ſparke of faith, which beginneth onelyonly to render vntounto God his true diuinitie.The remnants of ſinne in the godly. Rom. 8.23. We hauehave receiued the firſt fruites of the ſpirite, but not yet the tenthes. Beſides this, reaſon is not vtterly killed in this life: which may appeare by our concupiſcence, wrath, impatience, and other fruites of the fleſh, and of infidelitie yet remaining in vsus. Yea, the holieſt that liue, hauehave not yet a full and continuall ioy in God, but hauehave theyr ſondry paſſions, ſometimes ſadde, ſometimes mirry, as the ſcriptures witnes of the Prophetes and Apoſtles. But ſuch faultes are not layde to their charge becauſe of their faith in Chriſt, for otherwiſe no fleſh ſhould be ſaued. We conclude therefore vponupon theſe wordes: It vvas imputed to him for righteouſnes, that righteouſnes in deede beginneth through faith, and by the ſame we hauehave the firſt frutes of the ſpirite: but becauſe faith is weake, it is not made perfect without Gods imputation. Wherefore faith beginneth righteouſnes, but imputation maketh it perfect vntounto the day of Chriſt.
The popiſh Sophiſters and Scholemen diſpute alſo of imputation, when they ſpeake of the good acceptation of the woorke:The blindnes of the Scholemen. but beſides and cleane contrary to the ſcripture, for they wreſt it onelyonly to workes. They doe not conſider the vncleanenes and inward poyſon lurking in the hearte, as incredulitie, doubting,God accepteth our vvorkes (ſay the Papiſts) not of duetie, but of Congruence, that is, becauſe it is meete that God should revvard them. deſpiſing and hating of God, which moſt pernicious and perelous beaſtes are the fountaine and cauſe of all miſchiefe. They conſider no more but outward and groſſe faults and vnrighteouſnes, which are little riuers proceeding and iſſuing out of thoſe fountaines. Therefore they attribute acceptation to workes: that is to ſay, that God doth accept our workes, not of dutie, but of congruence. Contrarywiſe we, excluding all workes, doe goe to the very heade of this beaſt which is called reaſon,Mans reaſon. which is the fountaine and headeſpring of all miſchiefes. For reaſon feareth not God, it loueth not God, it truſteth not in God, but proudely contemneth him. It is not moued either with his threateninges or his promiſes. It is not delighted with his wordes or workes: but it murmureth againſt him, it is angry with him, iudgeth and hateth him: to be ſhort, it is an enemy to God, not geuing him his glorie.Rom. 8.7. This peſtilent beaſt (reaſon I ſay) being once ſlaine, all outward and groſſe vices ſhould be nothing.
Wherfore we muſt firſt and afore all thinges goe about by faith, to kill infidelitie,Reaſon muſt be killed by faith. the contempt and hatred of God, murmuring againſt his iudgement and his wrath, and againſt all his wordes and workes: for then doe we kill reaſon, which can be killed by none other meanes but by faith, which in beleeuing God geueth vntounto him his glory, notwithſtanding that he ſpeaketh thoſe things which ſeeme both fooliſh, abſurde, and vnpoſſible to reaſon: notwithſtanding alſo, that God ſetteth forth him ſelfe otherwiſe then reaſon is able either to iudge or conceiue, that is to ſay, after this maner: I will account thee and pronounce thee to be righteous, not for the keping of the lawe, not for thy workes and thy merites, but for thy faith in Ieſus Chriſt mine onelyonly begotten Sonne, who was borne, ſuffred, was crucified, and died for thy ſinnes: and that ſinne which remaineth in thee, I will not impute vntounto thee. If reaſon then be not killed, and al kindes of religion and ſeruice of God vnderunder heauen that are inuented by men to get righteouſnes before God, be not condemned, the righteouſnes of faith can take no place.
When reaſon heareth this, by and by it is offended: it rageth, and vttereth all her malice againſt God, ſaying: Are then my good woorkes nothing? HaueHave I then laboured and borne the burden and heate of the day in vaine?Math. 20.12. Hereof riſe thoſe vprours of nations,Pſal. 2.2. of Kings and Princes, againſt the Lord and againſt his Chriſt. For the world neither will nor can ſuffer that his wiſedome, righteouſnes, religions and worſhippings ſhould be reproued and condemned. The Pope with all his Popiſh rablement, will not ſeeme to erre, much leſſe will he ſuffer himſelfe to be condemned.
The definition of the Chriſtian faith.Therefore let them which be ſtudious of the woorde of God, learne out of this ſaying: Abraham beleeued God, and it vvas counted to him for righteouſnes, to ſette forthe truely and rightly this true Chriſtian righteouſnes after this manner: that it is a faith and confidence in the Sonne of God, or rather a confidence of the heart in God through Ieſus Chriſte. And lette them adde this clauſe as a difference: Which Faith and confidence is accounted righteouſnes for Chriſtes ſake. For theſe two things (as I ſayde before) woorke Chriſtian righteouſnes: namely, Faith in the heart, which is a gifte of God, and rightly beleueth in Chriſt: and alſo, that God accepteth this imperfecte Faithe, for perfect righteouſnes for Chriſtes ſake, in whom I hauehave begun to beleue. becauſe of this faith in Chriſt, God ſeeth not my doubting of his good will towards me, my diſtruſt, my heauines of ſpirite, and other ſinnes which are yet in me. For as long as I liue in the fleſh, ſinne is verely in me. But becauſe I am couered vnderunder ye ſhadow of Chriſtes winges, as is the chicken vnderunder the winge of the henne, and dwell without all feare vnderunder that moſt ample and large heauen of the forgeuenes of ſinnes, which is ſpread ouer me, God couereth and pardoneth the remnant of ſinne in me: that is to ſay, becauſe of that faith wherwith I began to lay hold vponupon Chriſt, he accepteth my imperfect righteouſnes euen for perfect righteouſnes, & counteth my ſinne for no ſinne, which notwithſtanding is ſinne in deede.
So we ſhroud our ſelues vnderunder the couering of Chriſtes fleſh, who is our cloudy piller for the day, and our fire by the night, leſt God ſhould ſee our ſinne. And although we ſee it, and for the ſame doe feele the terrors of conſcience, yet flying vntounto Chriſt our Mediatour and reconciler (through whom we are made perfect), we are ſure and ſafe: For as all things are in him, ſo through him we hauehave all things, who alſo doth ſupply whatſoeuer is wanting in vsus. When we beleue this, God winketh at all our ſinnes and the remnantes thereof which are yet ſticking in our fleſh, and will hauehave them ſo couered as though they were no ſinnes. Becauſe (ſaith he) thou beleueſt in my ſonne, although thou hauehave many ſinnes, notwithſtanding they muſt be forgeuen thee, vntill thou be cleane deliuered from them by death.
Let Chriſtians learne with all diligence to vnderſtand this article of Chriſtian righteouſnes. And to this ende let them reade Paule, The diuinitie of Paule.and reade him againe both often and with greate diligence, and let them compare ye firſt with the laſt, yea let them compare Paule wholy and fully with himſelfe: then ſhall they finde it to be true,Chriſtian righteouſnes conſiſteth in tvvo things. that Chriſtian righteouſnes conſiſteth in theſe two things, faith which geueth glorie vntounto God, and Gods imputation. For faith is weake (as I hauehave ſaid) & therfore Gods imputation muſt needes be ioyned wtall, that is to ſay, that God will not lay to our charge the remnant of ſinne, that he will not puniſh it, nor condemne vsus for it: but that he will couer it and wil frely forgeue it, as though it were nothing at all: not for our ſake, neither for our worthines and workes, but for Ieſus Chriſtes ſake in whom we beleue.
Thus a Chriſtian man is both righteous and a ſinner,A Chriſtian i… a righteous man and a ſinner. holy and prophane, an enemy of God and yet a childe of God. Theſe contraries no Sophiſter will admit, for they know not the true manner of iuſtification. And this was the cauſe why they would hauehave men to worke well ſo lōg vntil they ſhould feele no ſinne at all in thē: and therby they gaue occaſiō to many, which, ſtriuing with al their endeuour to be perfectly righteous, & yet not able to attaine therevnto, to become ſtarke madde: And an infinite number alſo of thoſe which were the authors of this wicked opinion, at the pointe of death were driuen into deſperation. Which thinge had happened vntounto me alſo, if Chriſt had not mercifully looked vponupon me and holpen me out of this errour.
Hovv they that fele ſinne ought to be comforted.On the otherſide, we teach and comfort the afflicted ſinner after this māner: Brother, it is not poſſible for thee to become ſo righteous in this life, that thou ſhouldeſt feele no ſinne at all, that thy body ſhould be cleare like the Sunne, without ſpotte or blemiſh: but thou haſt as yet wrinkles and ſpots, & yet art thou holy notwithſtanding. But thou wilt ſay: How can I be holy when I hauehave and feele ſinne in me? I aunſwere: in that thou doeſt feele and acknowledge thy ſinne, it is a good tokē, geue thanks vntounto God, & deſpaire not. It is one ſteppe to health, when the ſicke man doth acknowledge and confeſſe his diſeaſe. But how ſhall I be deliuered from ſinne? Runne to Chriſt the Phiſition, which healeth them that are broken in hearte and ſaueth ſinners. Follow not the iudgement of reaſon, which telleth thee that he is angry with ſinners: but kill reaſon and beleue in Chriſt. If thou beleue, thou art righteous, becauſe thou geueſt glory vntounto God, that he is almighty, merciful, true &c: thē doeſt thou iuſtifie & praiſe God. To be briefe, thou yeldeſt vntounto him his diuinitie and al things elſe. The ſinne which remaineth in thee is not laid to thy charge, but is pardoned for Chriſts ſake in whom thou beleueſt, who is perfectly iuſt: whoſe righteouſnes is thy righteouſnes, and thy ſinne is his ſinne.
Chriſtians be Prieſtes.Here we ſee that eueryevery Chriſtian is an high Prieſt, for firſt he offereth vp and killeth his owne reaſon, and the wiſedome of the fleſh. Then he geueth glory to God, that he is righteous, true, patient, pitifull,The daily ſacrifice of the nevv teſtamēt. and merciful.. And this is that daily ſacrifice of the new teſtament which muſt be offered euening and morning. The euening ſacrifice is to kill reaſon. The morning ſacrifice is to glorifie God. Thus a Chriſtian daily and continually is occupied in this double ſacrifice and in the exerciſe therof. And no man is able to ſet forth ſufficiently the excellencie and dignitie of this Chriſtian ſacrifice.
Chriſtian righteouſnes.This is therefore a ſtraunge and a wonderfull definition of Chriſtian righteouſnes, that it is the imputation of God for righteouſnes or vntounto righteouſnes becauſe of our faith in Chriſt or for Chriſts ſake. When the popiſh Scholemen heare this definition, they laugh at it. For they imagine that righteouſnes is a certaine quality powred into the ſoule, and afterwards ſpread into all the partes of man. They can not put away the vaine imaginations of reaſon, which teacheth that a right iudgement, and a good wil or a good intent is true righteouſnes. This vnſpeakeable gifte therefore excelleth all reaſon, that god doth account and acknowledge him for righteous without workes, which embraceth his ſonne by faith alone, who was ſent into the world, was borne, ſuffered, and was crucified for vsus.
This matter, as touching ye words, is eaſie (to wit, that righteouſnes is not eſſentially in vsus, but without vsus in the grace of God onelyonly & in his imputation: and that there is no eſſentiall ſubſtance of righteouſnes in vsus beſides that weake faith or firſt frutes of faith, whereby we hauehave begon to apprehend Chriſt, and yet ſinne in yt meane time remaineth verely in vsus): but in very deede it is no ſuch ſmal or light matter, but earneſt & of weighty importance. For Chriſt which was geuen for vsus, and whom we apprehend by faith, hath done no ſmall thing for vsus, neither hath he dalied with vsus, but (as Paule ſaid before):Galat. 2.2…. He hath loued vsus and geuen him ſelfe in very deede for vsus: Galat. 3.13.He vvas made accurſed for vsus &c. And this is no vaine ſpeculation, that Chriſt was deliuered for my ſinnes, and was made accurſed for me, that I might be deliuered from euerlaſting death.A child is borne vntounto vsus, a Sonne is geuen vntounto vsus. Eſay. 9.6. VVe are reputed righteous by faith in Chriſt this Sonne and this gifte geuen vntounto vsus. Therfore to apprehend that Sonne by faith, and with the heart to beleue in him, geuen vntounto vsus and for vsus of God, cauſeth that God doth account that faith, although it be vnperfect, for perfect righteouſnes.
And we are altogether in an other world farre from reaſon, where we diſpute not, what we ought to doe, or with what works we may deſerue grace, and forgeuenes of ſinnes: but we are here in a matter of high and heauenly diuinitie, where we doe heare this Goſpell or glad tidings, that Chriſt died for vsus, and that we beleuing this, are counted righteous though ſinnes notwtſtāding do remain in vsus, and yt horrible ſinnes. So our Sauiour Chriſt alſo defineth ye righteouſnes of faith. The father (ſaith he) loueth you. Wherfore doth he louelove you? Not becauſe ye were Phariſeis,The righteouſnes of faith out of the xv. chapter of S. Iohns Goſpel. vnreproueable in the righteouſnes of the law, circumciſed, or becauſe ye did good works, and faſted &c: but becauſe I hauehave choſen you out of the world, & ye hauehave done nothing, but yt ye hauehave loued me and beleued, that I came out from the father. This obiect [I] being ſent from the father into the world, pleaſed you. And becauſe you hauehave apprehended and embraced this obiect,Chriſt is called our obiect becauſe the eie of our faith is directed vntounto him. therfore the father loueth you, and therefore ye pleaſe him. And yet notwithſtanding in an other place he calleth them euil, and cōmaundeth them to aſke forgeuenes of their ſinnes. Theſe two things are quite contrary: to wit, that a Chriſtian is righteous and beloued of God, and yet notwithſtanding he is a ſinner. For God cānot deny his owne nature, that is, he muſt needes hate ſinne and ſinners: and this he doth of neceſſity: for otherwiſe he ſhoulde be vnrighteous and louelove ſinne. How then can theſe two*Cōtrary ſayings. contradictories ſtand together? I am a ſinner and moſt worthy of Gods wrath and indignation, and yet the father loueth me? Here nothing commeth betwene, but onelyonly Chriſt the mediatour. The father (ſaith he) doth not therfore louelove you becauſe ye are worthy of louelove,Iohn. 16.27. Iohn. 17.8. but becauſe ye hauehave loued me, and hauehave beleeued that I came out from him.
Thus a Chriſtian man abideth in true humilitie, feeling ſinne in him effectually, and confeſſing himſelfe to be worthy of wrath, the iudgement of God, and euerlaſting death for the ſame, that he may be humbled in this life: And yet notwithſtanding he continueth ſtill in his holy pride, in the which he turneth vntounto Chriſt, and in him he lifteth vp him ſelfe againſt this feeling of Gods wrath and iudgement, and beleueth that, not only the remnants of ſinne are not imputed vntounto him, but that alſo he is loued of the father, not for his own ſake, but for Chriſtes ſake whom the father loueth.
Hereby now we may ſee, how faith iuſtifieth without works, and yet notwithſtanding, how imputation of righteouſnes is alſo neceſſary. Sinnes doe remaine in vsus, which God vtterly hateth. Therefore it is neceſſary that we ſhould hauehave imputation of righteouſnes, which we obtaine through Chriſt and for Chriſtes ſake,The imputation of righteouſnes. who is geuen vntounto vsus and receaued of vsus by faith. In the meane time as long as we liue here, we are caried and noriſhed in the boſome of mercy and long ſufferance of God, vntill the body of ſinne be aboliſhed, and we raiſed vp as newe creatures in that great day. Then ſhall there be newe heauens and a new earth, in which righteouſnes ſhal dwell. In the meane while vnderunder this heauen ſinne and wicked men do dwell,Rom. 7.23. and the godly alſo hauehave ſinne dwelling in them. For this cauſe Paule Rom. 7. cōplaineth of ſinne which remaineth in the Saincts:Rom. 8.1. yet notwithſtanding he ſaith afterwards in the 8. Things contrary in Chriſt are made to agree.chapter: that there is no damnation to them vvhichwhich are in Chriſt Ieſu. Now, how ſhall theſe things ſo contrary and repugnant be reconciled together: that ſinne in vsus is no ſinne? that he which is damnable ſhall not be condemned? that he which is reiected ſhall not be reiected? that he which is worthy of the wrath of God and euerlaſting damnation, ſhall not be puniſhed?1. Tim. 2.5. Rom. 8.1. The onelyonly reconciler hereof is the mediatour betwene God and man, euen the man Ieſus Chriſt, as Paule ſayth: There is no condemnation to them vvhichwhich are in Chriſt Ieſu.