faith resteth only upon the promise. Wherefore as there is a difference between the law and the promise, so is there also between works and faith. That gloss therefore of the schoolmen is false and wicked, which joineth the law and faith together, yea, rather quencheth faith, and setteth law in the place of faith. And here note, that Paul always speaketh of such as would do the law morally, and not according to the scripture. But whatsoever is said of such good works as the scripture requireth, the same is attributed to faith alone.

VERSE 12. But the man that shall do those things, shall live in them.

Paul here goeth about to shew what is the very true righte ousness of the law and of the gospel. The righteousness of the law is to fulfil the law, according to that saying: "He that shall do those things, shall live in them." The righteousness of faith is to believe, according to that saying: "The righteous man doth live by faith." The law therefore requireth that we should yield somewhat unto God. But faith requireth no works of us, or that we should give any thing unto God, but that we, believing the promise of God, should receive of him. Therefore the office of the law is to work, as the office of faith is to assent unto the promises. For faith is the faith of the promise, and the work is the work of the law. Paul therefore standeth upon this word, doing: and that he may plainly shew what is the confidence of the law, and what is the confidence of works, he compareth the one with the other, the promise with the law, and faith with works. He saith that of the law there cometh nothing else but only doing: but faith is a clean contrary thing, namely, that which assenteth to the promise, and layeth hold upon it.

These four things therefore must be perfectly distinguished. For as the law hath his proper office, so hath the promise. To the law pertaineth doing, and to the promise believing. Wherefore, as far as the law and the promise are separate asunder, so far also are doing and believing. By the which distinction Paul here goeth about to separate charity from faith, and to teach that charity justifieth not, because the law worketh or helpeth nothing to justification. Faith alone therefore justifieth and quickeneth: and yet it standeth not alone, that is to say, it is not idle, albeit that in her degree and office it standeth alone. Ye see the cause then why Paul here allegeth this place, namely, that he may separate faith and charity far asunder.

Fie upon the sophisters therefore, with their cursed gloss and their blind distinction of faith formed and unformed. For these new forged terms, faith formed, faith unformed, faith gotten by man's industry, and such like, are very monsters devised by the devil, to no other end but to deface and to destroy the true Christian doctrine and faith, to blaspheme and tread Christ under foot, and to establish the righteousness of works. In

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deed, works must follow faith, but faith must not be works, or works faith; but the bounds and the kingdoms of the law or works, and of faith, must be rightly distinguished the one from the other.

When we believe therefore, we live only by faith in Christ, who is without sin, who is also our mercy-seat and remission of sins. Contrariwise, when we observe the law, we work indeed, but we have no righteousness nor life. For the office of the law is not to justify and give life, but to shew forth sin and to destroy. Indeed the law saith, "He that shall do those things shall live in them." But where is he which doth the law: that is, "which loveth God with all his heart, and his neighbour as himself?" Therefore no man doth the law, and although he go about to do it never so much, yet in doing it, he doth it not; therefore he abideth under the curse. But faith worketh not, but believeth in Christ the justifier. Therefore a man liveth not because of his doing, but because of his believing. But a faithful man performeth the law, and that which he doth not, is forgiven him through the remission of sins for Christ's sake, and that which is remaining is not imputed unto him.

Paul therefore in this place, and in the tenth chapter to the Romans, compareth the righteousness of the law and of faith together, where he saith, "He that shall do those things, shall live in them." As though he would say, It were indeed a goodly matter if we could accomplish the law; but because no man doth it, we must fly unto Christ, "who is the end of the law to righteousness to every one that believeth. He was made under the law, that he might redeem us that were under the law," (Rom. x. 4. Gal. iv. 4.) Believing in him we receive the Holy Ghost, and we begin to do the law: and that which we do not, is not imputed unto us because of our faith in Christ. But in the life to come we shall no more have need of faith, (1 Cor. xiii. 12.) For then we shall not see darkly through a glass (as we now do) but we shall see face to face: that is to say, there shall be a most glorious brightness of the eternal majesty, in which we shall see God even as he is. There shall be a true and a perfect knowledge and love of God, a perfect light of reason and a good will: not such a moral and philosophical will as the popish schoolmen dream of, but a heavenly, divine, and eternal will. Here in the mean time, inspirited by faith, we look for the hope of righteousness. Contrariwise, they that seek forgive ness of sins by the law and not by Christ, do never perform the law, but abide under the curse.

Paul therefore calleth them only righteous, which are justified through the promise, or through faith in the promise without the law. Wherefore, they that are of the works of the law, and will seem to do the law, do it not. For the apostle generally concludeth, that all they which are of the works of the law, are under the curse: under the which they should not be, if they

fulfilled the law. Indeed it is true, that a man doing the works of the law shall live in them, that is, shall be blessed: but such a one cannot be found. Now, seeing there is a double use of the law, the one politic, and the other spiritual, he that will understand this sentence civilly, may do it after this sort: "He that shall do these things shall live in them:" that is, if a man obey the magistrate outwardly, and in the politic government, he shall avoid punishment and death: for then the civil magistrate hath no power over him. This is the politic use of the law, which serveth to bridle those that are rude and untractable. But Paul here speaketh not of this use, but entreateth of this place like a divine: therefore there is a condition necessarily included. As if he said, if men could keep the law, they should be happy. But where are they? They are not therefore doers of the law, except they be justified before and without the law, through faith.

Wherefore, when Paul curseth and condemneth those which are of the works of the law, he speaketh not of such as are justified through faith, but of such as go about to be justified by works, without faith in Christ. This I say, lest should any man follow the fond imagination of Jerome, who being deceived by Origen, understood nothing at all in Paul, but took him as a mere civil lawyer. Hereupon he reasoneth after this manner: the holy patriarch, prophets, and kings, were circumcised and offered sacrifice; therefore they observed the law. But it were a wicked thing to say, that they are under the curse; therefore, all they that are of the works of the law are not under the curse. Thus he setteth himself against Paul without all judgment, making no difference between the true doers of the law justified by faith, and those workers which seek to be justified by the law, without faith.

But Paul speaketh here nothing against those that are justified by faith, and are true doers of the law indeed, for they are not of the works of the law; but against those which not only do not keep the law, but also sin against the same. For the law commandeth that we should fear, love, and worship God with a true faith. This they do not, but choose out new kinds of worship and works, which were never commanded of God, by the which God is not pacified, but more provoked to anger, according to that saying: "They worship me in vain with the commandments of men," (Matt. xv. 9.) Therefore they are full of impiety, rebels against God, and idolaters, sinning grievously against the first commandment above all the rest. Moreover, they are full of wicked concupiscence, wrath, and other great passions. Briefly, there is no good thing in them, but that outwardly they would seem to be righteous and to accomplish the law.

So we also which are justified by faith, as were the patriarchs, prophets, and all the saints, are not of the works of the law, as

concerning justification; but in that we are in the flesh, and have as yet the remnants of sin in us, we are under the law, and yet not under the curse, because the remnants of sin are not imputed unto us for Christ's sake, in whom we believe. For the flesh is an enemy unto God, and that concupiscence which yet remaineth in us, not only fulfilleth not the law, but also sinneth against the same, rebelling against us and leading us captive into bondage, (Rom. vii.) Now if the law be not fulfilled in the saints, but that many things are done in them contrary to the law; if evil concupiscence and the remnants of sin are yet remaining in them, which do so hinder them that they cannot fear and love God, they cannot call upon God with assured trust, they cannot praise God and reverence his word as they should do; much more is this true in a man which is not yet justified by faith, but is an enemy unto God, and with all his heart despiseth and hateth the word and work of God. Ye see then that Paul speaketh here of such as will fulfil the law, and be justified thereby, although they have not yet received faith, and not of the fathers and saints (as Jerome imagineth) which are justified by faith already.

VERSE 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, when he was made a curse for us. (For it is written: Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.) (Deut. xxi. 23.)

Here again Jerome, and the popish sophisters which follow him, are much troubled, and miserably rack this most comfortable place, seeking, as they would seem, with a godly zeal, to turn away this reproach from Christ, that he should be called a curse or execration. They shift off this sentence after this manner: that Paul spake not here in good earnest; and therefore they most wickedly affirm, that the scripture in Paul agreeth not with itself. And this they prove after this manner; the sentence, say they, of Moses, which Paul here allegeth, speaketh not of Christ. Moreover, this general clause (whosoever) which Paul allegeth, is not added in Moses. Again, Paul omitteth this word (of God) which is in Moses. To conclude, it is evident enough, that Moses speaketh of a thief or a malefactor, which by his evil deeds hath deserved the gallows, as the scripture plainly witnesseth in the twenty-first chapter of Deuteronomy. Therefore they ask this question, How this sentence may be applied to Christ, that he is accursed of God, and hanged upon a tree, seeing that he is no malefactor or thief, but righteous and holy? This may peradventure move the simple and ignorant, thinking that the sophisters do speak it, not only wittily, but also very godly, and thereby do defend the honour and glory of Christ, and give warning to all Christians to beware that they think not so wickedly of Christ, that he should be made a curse, &c. Let us see therefore what the meaning and purpose of Paul is.

But here again we must make a distinction, as the words of Paul do plainly shew. For he saith not, that Christ was made

a curse for himself, but for us. Therefore all the weight of the matter standeth in this word, "for us." For Christ is innocent as concerning his own person, and therefore he ought not to have been hanged upon a tree: but because, according to the law of Moses, every thief and malefactor ought to be hanged, therefore Christ also, according to the law, ought to be hanged, for he sustained the person of a sinner and of a thief, not of one, but of all sinners and thieves. For we are sinners and thieves, and therefore guilty of death and everlasting damnation. But Christ took all our sins upon him, and for them died upon the cross; therefore it behoveth that he should become a transgressor, and (as Isaiah the prophet saith, chap. liii.) "to be reckoned and accounted among transgressors and trespassers."

And this, no doubt, all the prophets did foresee in spirit, that Christ should become the greatest transgressor, murderer, adulterer, thief, rebel, and blasphemer, that ever was or could be in the world. For he being made a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, is not now an innocent person and without sins, is not now the Son of God born of the Virgin Mary; but a sinner, which hath and carrieth the sin of Paul, who was a blasphemer, an oppressor, and a persecutor; of Peter which denied Christ; of David, which was an adulterer, a murderer, and caused the Gentiles to blaspheme the name of the Lord; and briefly, which hath and beareth all the sins of all men in his body: not that he himself committed them, but for that he received them, being committed or done of us, and laid them upon his own body, that he might make satisfaction for them with his own blood. (Isaiah liii. 5. Matt. viii. 17.) Therefore this general sentence of Moses comprehendeth him also, (albeit in his own person he was innocent,) because it found him amongst sinners and transgressors: like as the magistrate taketh him for a thief, and punisheth him whom he findeth among other thieves and transgressors, though he never committed any thing worthy of death. Now, Christ was not only found amongst sinners, but of his own accord, and by the will of his Father, he would also be a companion of sinners, taking upon him the flesh and blood of those which were sinners, thieves, and plunged into all kinds of sin. When the law, therefore, found him among thieves, it condemned and killed him as a thief.

The popish sophisters do spoil us of this knowledge of Christ and most heavenly comfort, (namely, that Christ was made a curse, that he might deliver us from the curse of the law,) when they separate him from sins and sinners, and only set him out unto us as an example to be followed. By this means they make Christ not only unprofitable unto us, but also a judge and a tyrant, which is angry with our sins, and condemneth sinners. But we must as well wrap Christ, and know him to be wrapped in our sins, in our malediction, in our death, and in all our evils, as he is wrapped in our flesh and in our blood.