Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 3 · Verse extract 19
Verſe. 19. VVherfore then ſerueth the lavve?
When we teach yt a man is iuſtified wtout the law and works, then doth this queſtion neceſſarily folow: If ye law doe not iuſtifie, why then was it geuen? Alſo: Why doth God charge vsus and burden vsus with the lawe, if it doe not iuſtifie? What is the cauſe that we are ſo hardly exerciſed and vexed wt it, if they which worke but one hower are made equal wt vsus, which hauehave borne the heate & burden of the day? When as that grace is once publiſhed vntounto vsus which the Goſpell ſetteth out,The murmuring of the Ievves againſt the doctrine of Paule, for the ſtablishīg of faith. Math. 21.31. by and by ariſeth this great murmuring: without the which the Goſpell can not be preached. The Iewes had this opinion, that if they kepte the lawe, they ſhould be iuſtified therby. Therefore when they heard that the Goſpell was preached concerning Chriſt, who came into the world to ſaue, not the righteous, but ſinners, & that they ſhould goe before them into the kingdom of God, they were wonderfully offended, complaining that they had borne the heauy yoke of the lawe ſo many yeares with great labour and toyle, and that they were miſerably vexed and oppreſſed with the tyrannie of the law, without any profit, yea rather to their great hurt: Againe, that the Gentiles who were Idolaters, obteined grace wtout any labour or trauell.The murmuring of the Papiſtes againſt the goſpell. So doe our Papiſts murmur at this day, ſaying: What hath it profited vsus that we hauehave liued in a Cloiſter twentie, thirtie, or fortie yeares: that we hauehave vowed chaſtitie, pouertie, obedience: that we hauehave ſayd ſo many Pſalters, and ſo many Canonical Howers, & ſo many Maſſes: that we hauehave ſo puniſhed our bodies with faſting, prayers, chaſtiſements. &c. if a huſband, a wife, a Prince, a gouernour, a maſter, a ſcholer: if an hireling or a drudge bearing ſackes, if a wench ſweeping the houſe ſhall not onelyonly be made equall with vsus, but alſo be accepted as better and more worthy before God then we?
This is therfore an hard queſtion, wherewith reaſon is ſtricken dumme, and can not aunſwere, but is greatly offended with it. Reaſon after a ſorte vnderſtandeth the righteouſnes of the lawe,The iudgemēt of reaſon, concerning the doctrine of the Goſpell, vvhichwhich teacheth that the lavve vvas geuen for tranſgreſſiōs. Galat. 3.19. Rom. 2.14. Rom. 6.1. Rom. 3.8. which alſo it teacheth and vrgeth, and imagineth that the doers of it are righteous: but it vnderſtandeth not the office and ende of the law. Therfore when it heareth this ſentence of Paule, which is ſtraunge and vnknowne to the world: That the lavve vvas geuen for tranſgreſsions, thus it iudgeth: Paule aboliſheth the lawe, for he ſayth, that we are not iuſtified through it: Yea he is a blaſphemer againſt God which gaue the lawe, whē he ſayth: that the lavve vvas geuen for tranſgreſsions. Let vsus liue therfore as Gentiles which hauehave no lawe. Yea, let vsus ſinne & abide in ſinne, that grace may abounde: Alſo, let vsus doe euill, that good may come therof. This happened to the Apoſtle Paule: and the ſelfe ſame happeneth at this day vntounto vsus. For when the common people heare out of the Goſpell, that righteouſnes cometh by the mere grace of God through Faith onelyonly, without the law and without workes, they gather by and by of it, as did the Iewes in times paſt: If the lawe doe not iuſtifie, then let vsus worke nothing: and ſurely they performe this excellently well.
What ſhould we then doe? This impietie doth in deede very much vexe vsus, but we can not remedie it. For when Chriſte preacheth, he muſt nedes heare,Chriſt is iudged to be a blaſphemer, and a ſeditious perſon. that he was a blaſphemer and a ſeditious perſon: that is to ſay, that through his doctrine he deceaued men, and made them rebelles againſt Caeſar. The ſelfe ſame thing happened to Paule and all the reſt of the Apoſtles. And what maruell is it if the world in like maner accuſe vsus at this day? Let it accuſe vsus, let it ſclaunder vsus, let it perſecute vsus and ſpare not: yet muſt not we therefore hold our peace, but ſpeake freely, to the ende that afflicted conſciences may be deliuered out of the ſnares of the Deuill. And we muſt not regarde the fooliſh and vngodly people in that they do abuſe our doctrine: for whether they hauehave a law or no lawe, they can not be reformed. But we muſt conſider how afflicted conſciences may be comforted, that they peariſh not with the multitude. If we ſhould diſſemble and holde our peace, pore afflicted conſciences ſhould hauehave no conſolation, which are ſo entangled and ſnared with mens lawes and traditiōs, that they can wind them ſelues out by no meanes.
As Paule therefore ſeeing ſome to ſet themſelues againſt his doctrine, and others ſome to ſeeke the libertie of the fleſh and therby to be made worſe, comforted him ſelfe after this ſort, that he was an Apoſtle of Ieſus Chriſt ſent to preach the Faith of Gods elect, and yt he muſt ſuffer all things for the elects ſake,All things are to be done for the elects ſake to the end yt they alſo might obtaine ſaluation: euen ſo we at this day do al things for the elects ſake, whom we know to be edified & comforted through our doctrine. But as for ye dogges & ſwine (of whom the one ſort doth perſecute our doctrine,Dogges. Hogges. and the other ſort doth tread vnderunder foote yt libertie which we hauehave in Chriſt Ieſus) I am ſo offended with them, that in all my life for their ſakes I would not vtter ſo much as one word: but I would rather wiſh that theſe hogges, together with our aduerſaries the dogges, were yet ſtill ſubiect to the Popes tyrannie, rather then that the holy name of God ſhould be ſo blaſphemed and euill ſpoken of through them.
Therfore, albeit not onelyonly the fooliſh & ignorant people, but they alſo which ſeeme in their owne conceits to be very wiſe, do argue after this ſort: If ye law do not iuſtifie, then is it in vaine & vnprofitable,The lavv iuſtifieth not, therfore it is vnprofitable, is a naughtie conſequence. yet is it not therfore true. For like as this conſequence is nothing worth: Money doth not iuſtifie or make a mā righteous, therfore it is vnprofitable: the eyes do not iuſtifie, therfore they muſt be plucked out: the hands make not a mā righteous therfore they muſt be cut of: ſo is this naught alſo: The lawe dothe not iuſtify, therfore it is vnprofitable: for we muſt attribute vntounto eueryevery thinge his proper effect and vſe. We doe not therfore deſtroy & condemne the lawe bicauſe we ſay yt it doth not iuſtifie: but we anſwere otherwiſe to this queſtion: To vvhat end then ſerueth the lavv? then our aduerſaries doe, who doe wickedly and peruerſely counterfet an office & vſe of ye law which belongeth not vntounto it.
Againſt this abuſe and forged office of the lawe we diſpute and aunſwer with Paule, that the law doth not iuſtifie. But in ſo ſaying, we affirme not that the lawe is vnprofitable, as they doe by and by gather: If the law doe not iuſtifie (ſay they) then is it geuē in vaine. No not ſo. For it hath his proper office & vſe,The proper office and vſe of the lavve. but not that which the aduerſaries do imagin, namely, to make mē righteous: but it accuſeth, terrifieth, and condemneth them. We ſay with Paule that the lawe is good, if a man doe rightly vſe it:VVhen the lavve is good. that is to ſay, if he vſe the law as the law. If I geue vntounto the lawe his proper definition, and keepe it within the compaſſe of his office and vſe, it is an excellent thing: But if I tranſlate it to an other vſe, and attribute that vntounto it which I ſhould not, then doe I not onelyonly peruert the law, but alſo the whole Scripture.
Therfore Paule fighteth here againſt thoſe peſtilent hypocrites, who could not abide this ſentence: The lavve vvas added for tranſgreſsions. For they thinke that the office of the lawe is to iuſtifie. And this is the generall opinion of mans reaſon amōg the Sophiſters,Al men do naturally iudge that the lavve doth iuſtifie. and throughout the whole world, that righteouſnes is gotten through the workes of the lawe. And reaſon will by no meanes ſuffer this pernicious opinion to be wreſted from it, becauſe it vnderſtandeth not the righteouſnes of Faith. Hereof it cometh that the Papiſts both fooliſhly and wickedly do ſay: The Church hath the lawe of God, the traditions of the Fathers, the decrees of Councels: If it liue after them, it is holy.Reaſon is ignoraunt of the righteouſnes of faith. No man ſhal perſwade theſe men, that when they keepe theſe things, they pleaſe not God, but prouoke his wrath. To conclude, they that truſt in their owne righteouſnes, thinke to pacifie the wrath of God by their wilworſhip and voluntary religion. Therefore this opinion of the righteouſnes of the lawe is the ſinke of all euils, and the ſinne of ſinnes of the whole world.The opinion of the righteouſnes of the lavv moſt pernitious. For groſſe ſinnes and vices may be knowen and ſo amended, or elſe repreſſed by the puniſhment of the Magiſtrate. But this ſinne, to witte, mannes opinion concerning his owne righteouſnes, will not onelyonly not be counted ſinne, but alſo will be eſtemed for an high religion and righteouſnes. This peſtilent ſinne therefore is the moſt high and ſoueraigne power of the Deuill ouer the whole world,VVhat the great ſoueraigntie of the Deuill is throughout the vvhole vvorld. the very head of the Serpent, and the ſnare wherby the Deuill entangleth and holdeth all men captiue. For naturally all men hauehave this opinion, that they are made righteous by keeping of the lawe. Paule therefore, to the ende he might ſhewe the true office and vſe of the lawe, and might roote out of mens heartes that falſe opinion concerning the righteouſnes thereof, aunſwereth to this obiection: Wherfore then ſerueth the lawe if it iuſtifie not? after this ſorte: It was not geuen to make men righteous (ſayth he) but,