Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 2 · Verse extract 16 – Verse extract 16
Verſe. 16. Euen vve I ſay, hauehave beleeued in Ieſus Chriſt, that vve might be iuſtified.
This is the true meane to become a Chriſtian, euen to be iuſtified by faith in Ieſus Chriſt, and not by the workes of the lawe. Here we may not ſtand vponupon the wicked gloſe of the Scholemen, which ſay that faith then iuſtifieth, when charitie and good workes are ioyned withal.That the Scholemens gloſe is vvicked vvhichwhich ſaith that faith adorned vvith charitie iuſtifieth. With this peſtilent gloſe the Sophiſters hauehave darkened & peruerted this & ſuch other like ſentences in Paule, wherein he manifeſtly attributeth iuſtification to faith onelyonly in Chriſt. But when a man heareth that he ought to beleue in Chriſt, and yet faith notwithſtanding iuſtifieth not except it be formed and adorned with charitie, by and by faith faileth him and thus he thinketh with him ſelfe: If faith without charitie iuſtifieth not, then is faith in vaine and vnprofitable, and charitie only iuſtifieth: For except Faith be adorned and furniſhed with charitie, it is nothing.
And to approue this their pernicious and peſtilēt gloſe, they alledge this place out of the Corinthes:1. Cor. 1….1, Though I ſpeake vvith the tounges of men & angels, & hauehave no louelove I am nothing. This place is their braſen wall. But theſe men are without vnderſtanding, & therfore they can ſee or vnderſtand nothing in Paule. And moreouer they hauehave not onelyonly done iniury to ye words of Paule, but alſo they hauehave denied Chriſt & buried al his benefits.Faith iuſtifieth vvithout the lavv. Wherfore we muſt auoid this their gloſe as a moſt deadly and deuiliſh poiſon and conclude with Paule that we are iuſtified, not by faith furniſhed with charitie, but by faith onelyonly and alone.
We graunt that we muſt alſo teach good workes and charitie,The doctrine of good vvorkes is not to be neglected. but it muſt be done in time and place, that is to ſay, when the queſtion is concerning workes, and toucheth not this article of iuſtification. But here the matter reſteth in this point, to know by what meanes we are iuſtified and attaine eternall life. To this we aunſwere with Paule, that by faith onelyonly in Chriſt we are pronounced righteous, and not by the workes of the law or charitie: Not becauſe we reiect good workes, but for that we will not ſuffer our ſelues to be remoued from this anker hold of our ſaluation: which Sathan moſt deſireth. Since then we are now in the matter of iuſtification, we reiect and condemne all good workes: for this place will admitte no diſputation of good workes. Wherefore in this matter we doe generally cut of all lawes and all the workes of the law.
But the law is good, iuſt and holy. True it is. But when we are in the matter of iuſtification there is no time or place to ſpeake of the law: but the queſtion is,Chriſt. what Chriſt is, and what benefite he hath brought vntounto vsus. Chriſt is not the law, he is not my worke, or the worke of the law: he is not my charitie, my chaſtitie, my obedience, my pouerty, but he is the Lord of life and death, a Mediatour, a Sauiour, a redemer of thoſe that are vnderunder the law and ſinne.Iohn. 6.56. In him vve are by faith and he in vsus. This bridegrome muſt be alone with the bride in his ſecrete chamber, all the ſeruants and family being put apart. But afterwards when the dore is open and he cometh forth, then may the ſeruauntes and hādmaides returne, to miniſter vntounto them. Then may charitie and good workes beginne to doe their office.
Let vsus learne therefore to diſcerne all lawes, yea euen the law of God, and all workes, from faith and from Chriſt, that we may define Chriſt rightly,Io. 1.36. Faith onelyonly iuſtifieth becauſe it onelyonly taketh hold of the benefite of Chriſt. and know that he is not the law, and therfore he is no exactor of the law and workes, but he is the lambe of God that taketh avvay the ſinnes of the vvorld. This doth faith alone lay hold of, and not charitie, which notwithſtanding as a certaine thankfulnes, muſt follow faith. Wherefore victory ouer ſinne and death, ſaluation and euerlaſting life come not by the law nor by the workes of the law, nor yet by the power of free will, but by ye Lord Ieſus Chriſt only & alone.
Verſe. 16. That vve might be iuſtified by faith in Chriſt, and not by the vvorkes of the lavv.
Paule ſpeaketh of the vvhole lavv.Paule ſpeaketh not here of the ceremoniall law onelyonly (as before we hauehave ſayd) but of the whole law. For the ceremoniall law was as well the law of God as the morall law was. As for example, Circumciſion, the inſtitution of the Prieſthoode, the ſeruice and ceremonies of the temple were commaunded of God no leſſe then the ten commaundements. Moreouer, when Abraham was commaunded to offer vp his ſonne Iſaac in ſacrifice, it was a law. This worke of Abraham pleaſed God no leſſe then other works of the ceremoniall law did, and yet was not he iuſtified by this work, but by faith: for the ſcripture ſaith,Geneſ. 15.6. Rom. 4.3. Abraham beleued God, and it vvas counted to him for righteouſnes.
But ſince the reueiling of Chriſt (ſay they) the ceremoniall lawe killeth and bringeth death. Yea, ſo doth the lawe of the ten commaundements alſo without faith in Chriſte. Moreouer,The lavve in any vviſe is not to be ſuffred to raigne in the conſcience. Rom. 5.2. Rom. 7.7. there may no law be ſuffred to raigne in the conſcience, but onelyonly the law of the ſpirite and life, wherby we are made free in Chriſt from the lawe of the letter and of death, from the workes therof, and from all ſinnes: Not becauſe the lawe is euill, but for that it is not able to iuſtifie vsus: for it hath a plaine contrary effect and working. It is an high and an excellent matter to be at peace with God: and therefore in this caſe we hauehave neede of a farre other Mediatour then Moſes or the lawe. Here we muſt doe nothing at all, but onelyonly receaue the treaſure, which is Chriſt,Our ſaluation conſiſteth not in doing, but in receauing. and apprehend him in our heartes by Faith, although we feele our ſelues to be full of ſinne. Theſe words therfore of the Apoſtle: that vve might be iuſtified by faith, and not by the vvorkes of the lavve, are very effectual, and not in vaine or vnprofitable, as the Scholemen thinke, and therefore they paſſe them ouer ſo lightly.
Hetherto ye hauehave heard the wordes of Paule which he ſpake vntounto Peter: Hetherto hath Paule ſpoken to Peter.wherein he hath briefly compriſed the principall article of all Chriſtian doctrine, which maketh true Chriſtians in deede. Now he turneth to the Galathians to whom he wryteth, and thus he concludeth: Since it is ſo that we are iuſtified by faith in Chriſt, then by the workes of the lawe ſhall no fleſh be iuſtified.