Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 2 · Verse extract 16
Verſe. 16. Becauſe by the deedes of the lavve, no flesh shall be iuſtified.
Flesh in Paule doth not ſignifie (as the Scholemen dreame) manifeſt and groſſe ſinnes,VVhat Paule calleth the flesh. Galat. 9.19.20. for thoſe he vſeth to call by their proper names, as adultery, fornication, vncleanes and ſuch like: but by fleſh Paule meaneth here as Chriſt doth in the third chapter of Iohn. That vvhichwhich is borne of flesh (ſayeth he) is flesh. Iohn. 3.6.Fleſh therfore ſignifieth the whole nature of man, with reaſon and all other powers what ſo euer doe belong to man. This fleſh (ſayth he) is not iuſtified by workes, no not of the lawe. Fleſh therefore, according to Paule, ſignifieth all the righteouſnes, wiſedome, deuotion, religion, vnderſtanding and will that is poſſible to be in a naturall man: So that if a man be neuer ſo righteous according to reaſon and the lawe of God, yet withall his righteouſnes, workes, merites, deuotion, and religion he is not iuſtified.
The blindenes of the Papiſtes.This the Papiſtes doe not beleue, but being blinde and obſtinate, they defend their abhominations againſt their owne conſcience, continuing in this their blaſphemie, and hauing yet ſtill in their mouthes theſe execrable wordes: He that doth this good worke or that, deſerueth forgeuenes of his ſinnes: who ſo euer entreth into this or that holy order and kepeth his rule, to him we aſſuredly promiſe euerlaſting life.The Pope attributeth the vertue of iuſtifying to his ovvne traditions, vvhichwhich Paule taketh from the lavv of God. It can not be vttered what an horrible blaſphemie it is to attribute that to the doctrine of Deuilles, to the decrees and ordinaunces of men, to the wicked traditions of the Pope, to the hypocriticall workes and merites of Monkes and Friers, which Paule the Apoſtle of Chriſt taketh away from the lawe of God. For if no fleſh be iuſtified by the workes of the lawe, much leſſe ſhall it be iuſtified by the rule of Benedict, Fraunces, or Auguſtine, in which there is not one iote of true Faith in Chriſt: but this onelyonly they vrge, that who ſo euer kepeth theſe things, hath life euerlaſting.
Wherefore I hauehave much and often marueled, that theſe ſectes of perdition raigning ſo many yeres in ſuch great darknes and errours, the Church could endure and continue as it hath done. Some there were whom God called by the letter of the Goſpell and by baptiſme.VVho vvere ſaued in the kingdom of the Pope. Theſe walked in ſimplicitie and humblenes of heart, thinking the Monkes and Friers, and ſuch onelyonly as were anoynted of the Biſhops, to be religious and holy, and them ſelues to be prophane and ſecular, and not worthy to be compared vntounto them. Wherfore they finding in them ſelues no good workes to ſet againſt the wrath and iudgement of God, did flie to the death & paſſion of Chriſt, and were ſaued in this ſimplicitie.
Horrible and vnſpeakeable is the wrath of God, in that he hath ſo long time puniſhed the contempt of the Goſpell and of Chriſt in the Papiſtes, and alſo their ingratitude, geuing them ouer into a reprobate ſenſe,Rom. 1.28. in ſo much that they blaſpheming and denying Chriſt altogether as touching his office, in ſtede of the goſpell hauehave receaued the execrable rules,VVith the Papiſts, mans traditions are preferred before the Goſpell. ordinaunces and traditions of men, which they hauehave deuoutly adored and honoured, yea and preferred the ſame farre aboue the word of God, vntill at length they were forbidden to marry, and were bound to that inceſtuous ſingle life: wherein they were outwardly polluted and defiled with all kindes of horrible wickednes, as adultrie, whoredom, vncleanes, Sodomitrie and ſuch other abominations. This was the frute of that filthie ſingle life.
So God puniſhing ſinne with ſinne, inwardly gaue them ouer into a reprobate minde, and outwardly ſuffered them to fall into ſuch horrible abominations: and that iuſtly, becauſe they blaſphemed the onelyonly ſonne of God, in whom the father would be glorified, and whom he deliuered to death, that al which beleue in him, might be ſaued by him, and not by their owne execrable rules and orders.Sam. 2.30. Iohn. 5.23. Him that honoureth me (ſayth he) I vvill honour. Nowe God is honoured in his ſonne. Who ſo thē beleueth that the ſonne is our Mediatour and Sauiour, he honoureth the father, and him againe doth God honour, that is to ſay, adorneth him with his giftes, forgeuenes of ſinnes, righteouſnes, the holy Ghoſt, & euerlaſting life. Cōtrariwiſe: They that deſpiſe me (ſayth he) shall be deſpiſed.
This is then a generall concluſion:The dignitie of the lavv. Becauſe by the deedes of the lavv no flesh shalbe iuſtified. The law of God is greater then ye whole world, for it comprehendeth all men, and the works of the law do farre excel euen the moſt glorious wilworkes of all the Meritmongers: and yet Paule ſayth, that neither the lawe nor the workes of the law do iuſtifie. Therfore we conclude with Paule that faith only iuſtifieth. This propoſition he goeth about to confirme in this maner.