Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 3 · Verse extract 11 – Verse extract 12
Habaeue. 2.4. Rom. 1.17. E…r. 10.38.Verſe. 11. And that no man is iuſtified by the lavve in the ſight of God, it is euident: For the iuſt shall liue by faith.
This is an other argument grounded vponupon the teſtimony of the Prophet Habacucke. And it is a ſentence of greate weight and aucthoritie, which Paule ſetteth againſt all the ſentences that ſpeake of the lawe and workes. As if he ſhould ſay: what neede we any longe diſputation? Here I bringe forth a moſte plaine teſtimonie of the Prophet, againſte the which no man can cauill: The iuſt man shall liue by faith. If he liue by faith, then he liueth not by the lawe: For the lawe is not of faith. And here Paule excludeth workes and the lawe, as things contrary to faith.
The Sophiſters (as they are alwayes ready to corrupt ye ſcriptures) do wreſt and peruert this place after this manner.Hovv the Sophiſters corrupt this place: The iuſt doth liue by faith. The iuſt man doth liue by faith: that is to wirte (ſay they) by a faith which is effectuall or working, or formed and made perfect with charitie: but if it be a faith not formed with charitie, then doth it not iuſtifie. This gloſe they them ſelues hauehave forged, and by the ſame they doe iniurie to the wordes of the Prophet. If they did call this formed or furniſhed faith, ye true faith which the Goſpell teacheth, this their gloſe ſhould nothing at all offend me, for then faith ſhould not be ſeparated from charitie, but from the vaine opinion of faith:The differēce betvvene a true and a falſe faith. As we alſo put a difference betwene a counterfeit faith and a true faith. The counterfeit faith is that which heareth of God, of Chriſt and of all the myſteries of his incarnation and our redemption: which alſo apprehendeth & beareth away thoſe things which it heareth, yea and can talke goodly thereof, and yet there remaineth nothinge els in the hearte but a naked opinion and a ſounde of the Goſpell: which howe farre of it is from true faith, hereby it may appeare, in that it neither renueth nor changeth the hearte: it maketh not a new man, but leaueth him in the vanity of his former opinion and conuerſation: and this is a very pernicious faith. The morall philoſopher is much better, then the hypocrite hauing ſuch a faith.
Wherefore, if they would make a diſtinction betwene their formed faith and a falſe or counterfeit faith (as I hauehave ſaid) their diſtinction ſhould not offend me. But they ſpeake of faith in ſuch ſorte, that they make charitie the forme and perfection of faith. This is to preferre charitie before faith, and to attribute righteouſnes, not to faith, but to charitie: wherefore when they doe not attribute righteouſnes to faith, but onelyonly for charities ſake, they attribute to faith nothing at al.
But the holy Ghoſt which geueth to all men both mouth & tongue, knoweth howe to ſpeake. He coulde hauehave ſaid,The formed faith of the Scholemen. (as the Sophiſters doe wickedly imagine): The righteous man ſhall liue by faith formed and beautified or made perfecte by charitie. But this he omitteth of purpoſe, and ſaith plainely: The righteous man liueth by faith. Let theſe doltiſh Sophiſters goe therfore, with this their wicked and peſtilent gloſe. We will ſtill hold and extoll this faith, which God himſelfe hath called faith, that is to ſay,True faith before God. a true and a certaine faith which doubteth not of God, nor of the diuine promiſes, nor of the forgeuenes of ſinnes through Chriſt, that we may dwel ſure & ſafe in this our obiect Chriſt: and may keepe ſtill before our eies the paſſion and bloud of the Mediatour and all his benefites.Faith only taketh holde of Chriſt. Now, faith alone which …ieth holde vponupon Chriſt, is the onelyonly meane that we ſuffer not theſe benefites to be takē out of our ſight or wreſted from vsus by any meanes. Therfore, reiecting this peſtilent gloſe, we muſt vnderſtād this place of faith onelyonly. And this Paule himſelfe declareth when he diſputeth againſt faith formed with charitie after this ſorte.
Verſe. 12: And the lavv is not of faith.
The Scholemen ſay: The righteous man doth liue if his faith be formed and adorned with charitie. But contrariwiſe, Paule ſaith: The lavv is not of faith. The lavv teacheth louelove.But what is the law? Is it not alſo a commaundement touching charity? yea the law commaundeth nothing els but charitie,Deut. 6.5. Mat. 22.37. Mar. 12.29. Exod. 20.6. Mat. 22.40. as we may ſee by the texte it ſelfe: Thou shalt louelove the Lord thy God vvith all thy ſoule &c. Againe: shevving mercy vntounto thouſands that louelove him and keepe his commaundements. Alſo: In theſe tvvo commaundementes conſiſt the lavve and the Prophetes. If the lawe then that commaundeth charitie be contrary to Faith, it muſt needes follow, that charitie is not of faith. So Paule plainely confuteth that gloſe which the Sophiſters hauehave forged touching their formed faith, and ſpeaketh onelyonly of faith as it is ſeparate from the law. Nowe the law being ſeparate and ſet aparte, charitie is alſo ſet aparte, with all that belongeth to the lawe, and faith onelyonly is left which iuſtifieth and quickneth to euerlaſting life.
Paule therfore reaſoneth here out of a plaine teſtimony of the Prophet: that there is none which obtaineth iuſtification and life before God,The beleuing man obtaineth righteouſnes and euerlaſting life vvith out the lavve and charitie. but the beleeuing man, who obtaineth righteouſnes and euerlaſting life without the law and without charitie, by faith alone. The reaſon is, becauſe the law is not of faith: that is, the law is not faith, or any thing belonging to faith, for it beleueth not: neither are the works of the lawe faith, nor yet of faith: therfore faith is a thing much differing from the law, like as the promiſe is a thing much differing from the law. For the promiſe is not apprehended by working, but by beleuing. Yea there is as greate a difference betwene the promiſe and the law, and conſequently betwene faith and works, as there is diſtaunce betwene heauen and earth.
It is impoſſible therefore that faith ſhould be of the lawe. For faith only reſteth in the promiſe, it onelyonly apprehendeth and knoweth God, and ſtandeth onelyonly in receauing good things of God.The promiſe and the lavv, faith and vvorks, are ſeparate the one from the other. Contrariwiſe the law and workes conſiſt in exacting, in doing, and in geuing vntounto God. As Abell offering his ſacrifice, geueth vntounto God, but he beleuing, receaueth of God. Paule therefore concludeth mightely out of that place of Habacuck, that the righteous mā liueth by faith alone. For the law in no wiſe belongeth vntounto faith, becauſe the lawe is not the promiſe. But faith reſteth onelyonly vponupon the promiſe.The lavv. Wherefore as there is a difference betwene the lawe and the promiſe: ſo is there alſo betwene workes and faith.Faith. And therefore that gloſe of the Scholemen is wicked and falſe, which ioyneth the law with faith, yea rather it quēcheth faith and ſetteth the law in the place of faith. And here note that Paule alwaies ſpeaketh of ſuch as would do the law morally, and not according to the Goſpell. But whatſoeuer is ſaid of good workes according to the meaning of the Goſpell, the ſame is attributed to faith alone.