Exposition of Romans 4, Exposition · Verse 14, 15
VERS. 14, 15.
For if they which are of the Law be heirs faith is made void and the promiſe made of none effect: Becauſe the Law worketh wrath: For where no Law is, there is no tranſgreſſion.
THe words tend to confirmation of the Apoſtles former argument for juſtification by faith: the ſumme whereof was this, That the promiſe of inheritance was not to be accompliſhed by the Law, &c. the proof of it is here laid down, taken from a double inconvenience, iſſuing from that manner of attaining the inheritance. If they which are of the Law, be heirs, then is faith made void, and the promiſe of none effect: But neither is faith void, nor the promiſe of none effect: Ergò, They which are of the Law, be not heirs; or which is equivalent, the promiſe of inheritance is not obtained by the Law.
They which are of the Law] That is, ſaith Theodoret, Qui ex Lege vitam instituerunt: ſaith Cajetan, Qui ſubditi ſunt Legi Moſi: Sasbout, Qui Legis obſervatores ſunt. Many the like Expoſitions might be cited: Thus, I think, rather, They which are of the Law, that is, which by the works of the Law ſeek the inheritance; as Gal. 3.9, 10. The Apoſtle ſorts them that ſeek righteouſneſs, and ſalvation into two kinds; Some are of faith, they are ſuch as by faith ſeek the inheritance: Theophylact. ad Gal. 3.Some again are of the works of the Law; they are ſuch as by the Law ſeek ſalvation: or, as Theophylact, They are of faith, Quirelictà Lege, ad fidem ſe conferunt: They of the Law, which leaving faith, betake themſelves to the Law. If theſe be heirs] namely, ex Lege, as Ambroſe interprets; if they get the inheritance by the Law.
Then is faith void] Whoſe faith? Gods or Mans? Gods, ſaith Cajetan, that is, his fidelity in keeping promiſe; impertinently: rather Mans, preſcribed of God to be the means of inheritance.
Their faith is void or vain] What is that? whether fruſtrate in reſpect of fruit? or unneceſſary, and needleſs in the preſcript? Calvin Inſtit. lib. 3. c. 11. S. 11.13. & 3.or elſe, as M. Calvin, ſo ſhaken that it turns to diſtruſt, and degenerates towards deſperation? this latter is a truth, as he explains it; there being left no place for perſwaſion of juſtification, if it depend upon condition of fulfilling the Law; inaſmuch, as no man can ever be aſſured that he hath fatisfied the Law, nor indeed can by works fulfill it. But the other Expoſitions ſeem more pertinent: let us view them: Faith is vain] That is, ſay ſome fruſtrate and fruitleſs, though how, they explain not; perhaps they thus conceive it; If they onelyonly which fulfill the Law be heirs then faith is fruitleſs, and can never attain the inheritance promiſed; inaſmuch as no man is able to fulfill the Law.
But, I take it, the Apoſtle hath eye rather to the preſcription of faith on Gods part, then to the fruit on ours: So that the ſenſe is this; If they which ſeek the inheritance by the Law, do by the Law obtain it; needleſly and vainly was faith preſcribed to be the means of inheritance.
To diſcern the conſequence of this argument, view we whereupon the neceſsity of ſubſtituting faith inſtead of works grew.
The Lord had made a covenant of life with man, upon condition of fulfilling the Law; ſo that if he kept the Law, and continued in obedience thereof, he ſhould live: ſee Rom. 10.5. Lev. 18.5. Man falling through diſobedience, loſt the benefit of that Covenant and withall propagated to poſterity a nature, ſo not onelyonly impotent to fulfill the Law; but vitiouſly inclined to the breach thereof, that there was no hope of ſalvation, by the Law. Howbeit, the Lord out of his love to mankind, and loath that the whole poſterity ſhould periſh, in his rich mercy was pleaſed to enter a new covenant of life and ſalvation, eſtabliſhing another means for our happineſs which was faith of the Meſsiah, by which through grace, performed, we might from Chriſt receive a better, and more firm title to the inheritance. This was one reaſon, why faith was preſcribed; as is intimated, Rom. 8. and Gal. 3. Now, how needleſs had this been, if by the Law we might inherit ſalvation? To what end go we, by faith, out of our ſelves, to ſeek righteouſneſs and ſalvation in Chriſt; if by the Law performed by our ſelves, we might have obtained it? The Conſequence therefore we ſee to be firm.
Let us now conſider, what out of this argument may be collected: viz.
Obſerv The Doctrine of ſalvation by works, fruſtrates faith, and chargeth on God the crime of folly, in ordeining it to be the onelyonly mean of inheritance. Much to this purpoſe ſpeaks the Apoſtle, Gal. 3, &c. If righteouſneſs be by the Law, then Chriſt died in vain; it had been needleſs for the Lord to ſend his Son to die for our ſins, thereby to procure unto us juſtification, if by the Law we might have obtained the bleſsing: and Rom. 8.3. he makes this his reaſon, why the Lord ſent his Son, in the ſimilitude of ſinfull fleſh; becauſe it was impoſſible for the Law, weakned by the fleſh, to give us righteouſneſs.
Whereto, what ſay our adverſaries? Forſooth, their old diſtinctions they obtrude for anſwer: Works are of two ſorts; ſome done by ſtrength of naturall free-will; ſome by grace and faith: works of naturall free-will, indeed fruſtrate faith, and grace, and Chriſts death; not ſo works done by grace in faith: yea, the Apoſtles conſequence, Gal. 3. is very firm, if by them we will exclude works done through grace: For, it followes not, that if we be juſtified by works following faith, that then Chriſt dyed in vain; Bellarm. de juſtif. lib. 1. cap. 19.nay, if Chriſt had not dyed, we could not have been juſtified by faith, or works iſſuing therefrom: It being Gods grace in Chriſt, that hath made our works ſo virtuous. Anſw. Where, firſt, we deſire to know, for our learning; where in all the Scripture, we may finde, that Chriſts death, or our faith, gives to our works juſtifying, or ſaving virtue? That our ſervices are acceptable to God, by Ieſus Chriſt; that our works done in faith are pleaſing to him, though in great weakneſs performed, we finde: that they are of value to countervail our ſins, or to purchaſe Heaven, we finde not: nay, the contrary we finde in ſundry Scriptures taught us. 2. Yea, the purgation of our ſins, we know Chriſt made by (himſelf,) Heb. 1.3. and the way into the holy of holies to be opened, by his fleſh, never by our righteouſneſs, Heb. 10.19, 20. 3. Let the Reader obſerve, how cleanly a gull they would put upon us, in this diſtinction of works done by grace, and thoſe done by power of naturall free will: For, in theſe works of grace, free-will is, according to their principles, the predominant. 4. Doth the Law of God in any place, allow us juſtification, by works imperfect, though done in grace? ſearch, and ſee, whether it damne not to hell the leaſt blemiſes cleaving to our works; and require, not only that the principall manner, and end, be regular, but that in every reſpect, they be pure and free from blemiſh: All which conſidered, return us our concluſion firm, and undoubtfull; notwithſtanding theſe cavills of popiſh Iuſtitiaries. In our paſſage, let us take notice of the intolerable pride of our merit-mongers, chuſing rather to robbe God of the glory of his wiſdome, then in humility, to acknowledg the imperfection of their own obedience: How much better were it, with holy Iob 4….6. to abhor our ſelves in duſt and aſhes, then thus to nullifie the wiſdome of God, in fruſtrating his preſcripts: hath God appointed faith, the ſole mean of inheritance? and ſhall we by works, ſeek to inherit the bleſſing? I ſay not much; but ſure, Gal. 4.30.if Iſhmael may not be heir with the Son of promiſe no more ſhall Workres with believers.
The ſecond inconvenience follows to be ſcanned: The promiſe by this means, becomes ineffectuall; How, if any demand? Anſw. Becauſe, the inheritance promiſed, ſhall never by this means be obtained: For hangs it on condition of fulfilling the law? And muſt thoſe that deſire to inherit by legall obedience, obtain ſalvation? Who then can be ſaved? Seeing no man is able, by any meaſure of grace in this life given, to fill up the meaſure of legall righteouſneſs: This, ſaving the judgment of more Learned. I take to be the ground of the conſequence; the rather, for the reaſons objoyned.
Hence the inference is fluent; That who ſo teacheth us to ſeek ſalvation by works, fruſtrates Gods promiſe, and deprives us of ſalvation: Not but that good works are neceſſary; but as duties, not as merits; for thankfulneſs, not for righteouſneſs; as the way to the kingdome, not as cauſes of ſalvation; the ſon of the bondwoman, ſhall not be heir with the ſon of the freewoman, Gal. 4.30. That is, by Pauls intention, not legall workers, with Evangelicall believers, Gal. 3.9. As many as are of the works of the law, are under the curſe; ſo far is it, that they ſhould have any title to the bleſſing. Such miſchiefs bring phariſaicall Iuſtitiaries upon their ſectaries.
Hear the Reaſons: They bind us, by this means, to a condition, and means of Salvation, impoſſible not onelyonly to Nature, but to Grace, according to that portion, God is pleaſed, in this life, to proportion to us; that is, the fulfilling of the whole Law; Gal. 5.3. our Saviour to ſuch a boaſter, asking, What he muſt do to inherit ſalvation, ſuits anſwer to his proud humour; Thou knoweſt the Commandments; if doing be the means thou ſeekeſt to inherit by, Keep the Commandments, this do, if thou wilt needs be doing, and thou ſhalt live; fail in the leaſt apex, the Curſe is upon thee, Gal 3.10. Now, dares any arrogate power of fulfilling the Law? it is ſtrange; & yet, what will not Popiſh pride aſſume? Anathema to them, ſaith the Trent Council, whoſoever ſhall ſay, Dei praecepta homini etiam juſtificato, & ſub gratia conſtituto eſſe ad obſervandum impoſſibilia: of that queſtion hereafter.
2. Add unto this, that other reaſon of the Apoſtle; Chriſt becomes of no effect to ſuch as by the Law, ſeek to be juſtified, or ſaved, Gal. 5.4.
3. They are fallen from Grace, not which they had, but which they (might) have had; had they not renounced it, by cleaving to their works.
Shal I need now to exhort, in the Apoſtles terms, Gal. 1.6. to hold Anathema all ſuch as teach us by works to ſeek ſalvation? they deprive us of the promiſed ſalvation; exclude from fellowſhip in Chriſts merits, the ſole pillar of hope; deprive us of Gods grace, which alone is made the fountain of ſalvation: I ſay not, but other errors in the foundation, obſtinately holden, deprive of ſalvation; I ſay not, but all hereſies, in their kind, are ſo many blaſphemies againſt God: Neither blame I the rigour of Magiſtrates, that with extraordinary ſeverity, labour to bring Hereticks, and their hereſies into aſhes: But ſurely, an errour more pernicious to the ſouls of Gods people, more derogatory to the glory of Gods grace, and the validity of Chriſts merits, I know none, then this of Juſtitiaries; and can but wonder, How the ſeverity of Laws againſt Popiſh Seminaries hath gotten relaxation; that it ſhould now no longer be holden Capitall, ſo dangerouſly to ſeduce Gods people, to evacuate the virtue of Chriſts death, and to plunge ſo many ſouls, bought with the precious bloud of Chriſt, into eternal perdition: Amongſt Jews, no recompenſe might be taken for bloud, but the bloud of the ſlayer; the bloud of ſouls how cries it lowder, then the bloud of Abel? And yet the Murtherer hath benefit of ſanctuary: More I add not; ſave this onelyonly, He loves not his own ſalvation, that hates not the enemies of the grace of God.