By their owne conuersion at the first, 6. and by the example of Abraham, and promise made to
him, he sheweth that the way to obtaine the benediction, is to seeke vnto God by faith in Christ,
10. Seeing also that the Law curseth euery one that hath not euermore kept the Law. 15. And, that
the Law was not giuen to alter God's Testament, 19. but to conuince the Iewes of sinne, 23. and so
to be their pedagogue or leader vnto Christ, 25. and then to cease.
1. O senses Galatians, who hath
✟
For any people or person to forsake the faith of their first Apostles & conuersion, at
the voice of a few nouellatries, seemeth to wise men a very bewitching and sensles
brutishnes. Such is the case of our poore countrie, Germanie, and others.
bewitched you, not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ
Christ was proscribed, being crucified among you?
2. This only I would learne of you: By the workes of the Law, did you receiue the Spirit, or
by the hearing of the faith?
3. Are you so foolish, that whereas you began with the Spirit, now you wil be consummate
with the flesh?
4. Haue you suffered so great things without cause? if yet without cause.
5. He therfore that giueth you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you; by the workes of
the Law, or by the hearing of the faith doeth he it?
6. As,
*
Gen. 15,6.
Ro. 4,3.
Abraham beleeued God, and it was reputed to him vnto iustice.
7. Know ye therfore that they that are
✟
This faith whereby Abraham, was iustified, and his children the Gentils beleeuing in
Christ, implieth al Christian vertues; of which the first is faith the ground and
foundation of al the rest, and therfore here and elswhere often named of the Apostles.
of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8. And the Scripture fore-seeing that God iustifieth the Gentils by faith, shewed vnto
Abraham before,
*
Gen. 12,3.
That in thee shal al Nations be blessed.
9. Therfore they that are of faith, shal be blessed with the faithful Abraham.
10. For whosoeuer are of the workes of the Law, are vnder curse. For it is written:
Cursed be.
Notwithstanding venial sinnes, men are truly iust, and may keep the commandements.
By this place the Heretikes would proue that no man is iust truely before God, al being guiltie
of damnation and God's curse, because they keep not euery iot of the Law. Where indeed the
Apostle meaneth not such as offend venially (as it is plaine by the place of Deuteronomie whence
he reciteth this text) but only such as commit great & damnable crimes: and so by grieuous and
mortal transgressions wholy breake God's precepts, and thereby incurre the curse of the Law;
from which the said Law could not deliuer them of it-self, nor by any other meanes, but by the
faith and grace of CHRIST IESVS.
Cursed be euery one that abideth not in al things that be written in the booke of the Law, to doe
them.
*
Deut. 27,26.
11. But that in the Law no man is iustified with God, it is manifest, because
*
Aba. 2.
Rom. 1.
the
iust
Liueth by faith.
Not only faith.
It is neither the Heretikes special presumption and confidence, nor the faith of Diuels, nor faith
without workes, which is dead in it-self as *S. Iames saith, that can giue life to the iust: For
that which is dead, can not be the cause of life: But it is the Catholike faith, as S. Augustin
writeth, which worketh by charitie (according to the Apostles owne explication of this whole
passage) by which the iust liueth. Li. 3. c. 5. cont. duas ep. Pelag. See the Annotation
vpon the same word's. Rom. 1.
*Iac. 2.
liueth by faith.
12. But the Law is not by faith: but,
*
Leu. 18.
He that doeth those things, shal liue in them.
13. Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for vs (because
it is written:
*
Deut. 21.
Cursed is euery one that hangeth on a tree)
14. that on the Gentils the blessing of Abraham might be made in Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ: that
we may receiue the promise of the Spirit by faith.
15.
⋮
The Epistle vpon the 13. Sunday after Pentecost.
Brethren (I speake according to man) yet a man's testament being confirmed no man
despiseth, or further disposeth.
16. To Abraham were the promises said, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds,
as in many: but as in one,
*
Gen. 22,18.
And to thy seed, which is Christ.
17. And this I say, the testament being confirmed of God, the Law which was made after foure
hundred and thirtie yeares, maketh not void to frustrate the promise.
18. For if the inheritance be of the Law, now not of promise. But God gaue it to Abraham
by promise.
19. Why was the Law then? It was put for transgressions, vntil the seed came to whom he had
promised: ordeined by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour.
20. And a Mediatour is not of one: but God is one.
21. Was the Law then against the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a Law
giuen that could iustifie, vndoubtedly iustice should be of the Law.
22. But the Scripture
*
Ro. 2,9.
11,32.
hath concluded al things vnder sinne: that the promise by the faith
of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ Christ might be giuen to them that beleeue.
23. But before the faith came, vnder the Law we were kept shut vp, vnto that faith which
was to be reuealed.
24. Therfore the Law was our Pedagogue in Christ: that we may be iustified by faith.
25. But when the faith came, now we are not vnder a Pedagogue.
26. For you are al the children of God by faith in Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ.
27. For as many of you as are baptized in Christ,
Haue put on Christ.
Baptisme giueth grace and iustification, not faith only.
Here the Aduersaries might haue seen, if they were not blinded by contentious striuing against
God's Church, that when iustification is attributed to faith without mention of good workes or
other Christian vertues & Sacraments, it is not meant to exclude any of the same from the
working of iustice or saluation. For here we learne that by the Sacrament of Baptisme also we
put on Christ, which is to put on faith, hope, charitie, & al Christian iustice. By the same
we proue also that the Sacraments of the new law giue grace, for that the receiuers therof
put on Christ. And the Aduersaries euasion, that it is faith which worketh in the Sacrament,
and not the Sacrament it-self, is plainely false: Baptisme giuing grace and faith it-self to the
infant that had none before.
haue put on Christ.
28. There is not Iew nor Greek, there is not bond nor free, there is not male nor femal.
For al you are one in Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ.
29. And if you be Christs, then are you the seed of Abraham, heires according to promise.