apostles did abase the promise, and magnified the law and the works thereof in this wise: "If ye will be made free" (say they) "from sin and death, and obtain righteousness and life, fulfil the law, be circumcised, observe days, months, times, and years, offer sacrifices, and do such other like things; then shall this obedience of the law justify and save you." But Paul saith the contrary. They (saith he) that teach the law after this sort, do not set men's consciences at liberty, but snare and entangle them with a yoke, yea, and that with a yoke of bondage.

He speaketh, therefore, of the law very basely and contemptuously, and calleth it a hard bondage, and a servile yoke; and this he doth not without great cause. For this pernicious opinion of the law, that it justifieth and maketh men righteous beforé God, is deeply rooted in man's reason, and all mankind is so wrapped in it, that it can hardly get out. And Paul seemeth here to compare those that seek righteousness by the law, unto oxen that be tied to the yoke, to the end he might take from it the glory of justifying and of righteousness. For, like as oxen that draw in the yoke with great toil, receive nothing thereby but forage or pasture, and when they be able to draw the yoke no more, are appointed to the slaughter; even so they that seek righteousness by the law, are captives, and oppressed with the yoke of bondage, that is to say, with the law; and when they have tired themselves a long time in the works of the law, with great and grievous toil, in the end this is their reward, that they are miserable and perpetual servants. And wherefore? Even of sin, death, God's wrath, and of the devil. Wherefore there is no greater or harder bondage than the bondage of the law. It is not without cause, then, that Paul calleth it the yoke of bondage. For, as we have often said before, the law doth but reveal, increase, and aggravate sin, accuse, terrify, condemn, and gender wrath, and finally it driveth poor consciences into desperation, which is the most miserable and most grievous bondage that can be, (Rom. iii. 3, 4, 5.)

He useth, therefore, very vehement words; for he would gladly persuade them that they should not suffer this intolerable burden to be laid upon their shoulders by the false apostles, or be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. As if he should say, We stand not here upon a matter of small importance, but either of everlasting liberty, or everlasting bondage. For like as freedom from God's wrath and all evils is not temporal or carnal, but everlasting; even so the bondage of sin, death, the devil, and damnation (wherewith all they be oppressed which will be made righteous and saved by the law) is not corporeal, and such as continueth for a time, but everlasting. For such workers of the law as go about to perform and accomplish all things precisely and exactly, (for of such Paul speaketh,) can never find quietness and peace of conscience in this life. They always doubt of the good-will of God towards them; they are

always in fear of death, of the wrath and judgment of God; and after this life they shall be punished for their unbelief with everlasting damnation.

Therefore the doers of the law, and such as stand altogether upon the righteousness and works thereof, are rightly called the devil's martyrs. They take more pains, and punish themselves more in purchasing hell, (according to the proverb) than the martyrs of Christ do in obtaining heaven. For they are tormented two manner of ways: first, they miserably afflict themselves whilst they live here, by doing of many hard and great works, and all in vain; and afterwards, when they die, they reap for a recompence eternal damnation. Thus are they most miserable martyrs, both in this life and in the life to come, and their bondage is everlasting. Contrariwise, the godly have troubles in this world, but in Christ they have peace, because they believe that he hath overcome the world, (John xvi. 33.) Wherefore we must stand fast in that freedom which Christ hath purchased for us by his death, and we must take good heed that we be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage; as it happeneth at this day to the fantastical spirits, who, falling away from faith and from this freedom, have procured unto themselves here a temporal bondage, and in the world to come shall be oppressed with an everlasting bondage. As for the Papists, the most part of them are become at this day plain epicures. Therefore, while they may, they use the liberty of the flesh, singing this careless song, "Ede, bibe, lude, post mortem nulla voluptas:" that is, "eat, drink, and make good cheer, for after this life there is no pleasure." But they are the very bond-slaves of the devil, by whom they are holden captives at his will and pleasure therefore they shall feel this everlasting bondage in hell. Hitherto, Paul's exhortation hath been vehement and earnest, but that which followeth doth far pass it.

VERSE 2. Behold I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

Paul here, wonderfully stirred up with zeal and fervency of spirit, thundereth against the law and circumcision: and these thunderings, proceeding of great zeal, the Holy Ghost wresteth from him, when he saith, "Behold, I, Paul," &c. I (I say) who know that I have not received the gospel by man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ, and have commission and authority from above, to publish and to preach the same unto you, do tell you, that, if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing at all. This is a very hard sentence, whereby Paul declareth, that to be circumcised is as much as to make Christ utterly unprofitable; not in respect of himself, but of the Galatians, who, being deceived by the subtlety of the false apostles, believed, that, besides faith in Christ, it was needful for the faithful to be circumcised, without the which they could not obtain salvation.

This place is as it were a touchstone, whereby we may most certainly and freely judge of all doctrines, works, religions, and ceremonies of all men. Whosoever teach that there is any thing necessary to salvation (whether they be Papists, Turks, Jews, or sectaries) besides faith in Christ, or shall devise any work or religion, or observe any rule, tradition, or ceremony whatsoever, with this opinion, that by such things they shall obtain forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and everlasting life; they hear in this place the sentence of the Holy Ghost pronounced against them by the apostle, that Christ profiteth them nothing. Seeing Paul durst give this sentence against the law and circumcision, which were ordained of God himself, what durst he not do against the chaff and the dross of men's traditions?

Wherefore, this place is a terrible thunderbolt against all the kingdom of the Pope. For all the priests, monks, and hermits, that live in their cloisters (I speak of the best of them) reposed all their trust and confidence in their own works, righteousness, vows, and merits, and not in Christ, whom they most wickedly and blasphemously imagined to be an angry judge, an accuser and condemner; and therefore here they hear their judgment, that Christ profiteth them nothing. For if they can put away sins, and deserve forgiveness of sins and everlasting life, through their own righteousness and straitness of life, then to what purpose was Christ born? What profit have they by his death and blood-shedding, by his resurrection, victory over sin, death, and the devil, seeing they are able to overcome these monsters by their own strength? And what tongue can express, or what heart can conceive how horrible a thing it is to make Christ unprofitable? Therefore the apostle casteth out these words. with great displeasure and indignation, "If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing;" that is to say, no profit shall redound unto you of all his benefits, but he hath bestowed them all upon you in vain.

Hereby it appeareth sufficiently, that nothing under the sun is more hurtful than the doctrine of men's traditions and works; for they utterly abolish and overthrow at once the truth of the gospel, faith, the true worshipping of God, and Christ himself, in whom the Father hath ordained all things. In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; "in him dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily," (Col. ii.) Wherefore, all they that are either authors or maintainers of the doctrine of works, are oppressors of the gospel; they make the death and victory of Christ unprofitable, blemish and deface his sacraments, and utterly take away the true use thereof; and, briefly, they are blasphemers, enemies and deniers of God, and of all his promises and benefits. Whoso is not moved with these words of Paul, (which calleth the law a yoke of bondage, and saith, that they which affirm the keeping of circumcision to be necessary to salvation, make Christ unprofitable,) and cannot

be driven from the law and circumcision, nor yet from the confidence which he hath in his own righteousness and works, nor be stirred up to seek that liberty which is in Christ, his heart is harder than stone and iron.

This is, therefore, a most certain and clear sentence, that Christ is unprofitable, that is to say, he is born, crucified and risen again in vain to him that is circumcised, that is, which putteth his trust in circumcision. For (as I have said before) Paul speaketh not here of the work of circumcision, (which hurteth not him that hath no affiance or opinion of righteousness in it,) but of the use of the work, that is to say, of the confidence and righteousness which is annexed to the work; for we must understand Paul according to the matter whereof he entreateth, or according to the argument which he hath in hand, which is, that men be not justified by the law, by works, by circumcision, or such-like. He saith not, that works of themselves are nothing, but the confidence and righteousness of works are nothing; for that maketh Christ unprofitable. Therefore, whoso receiveth circumcision, with this opinion, that it is necessary to justification, to him Christ availeth nothing.

Let us bear this well in mind in our private temptations, when the devil accuseth and terrifieth our conscience, to drive it to desperation. For he is the father of lying, and the enemy of Christian liberty; therefore he tormenteth us every moment with false fears, that when our conscience hath lost this Christian liberty, it should feel the remorse of sin and condemnation, and always remain in anguish and terror. When that great dragon, (I say,) that old serpent the devil, (who deceiveth the whole world, and accuseth our brethren in the presence of God day and night, Apoc. xii.) cometh and layeth unto thy charge, that thou hast not only done no good, but hast also transgressed the law of God, say unto him, Thou troublest me with the remembrance of my sins past; thou puttest me also in mind that I have done no good. But this is nothing to me; for if either I trusted in mine own good deeds, or distrusted because I have done none, Christ should both ways profit me nothing at all. Therefore, whether thou lay my sins before me, or my good works, I pass not; but, removing both far out of my sight, I only rest in that liberty wherein Christ hath made me free. I know him to be profitable unto me, therefore I will not make him unprofitable; which I should do, if either I should presume to purchase myself favour and everlasting life by my good deeds, or should despair of my salvation because of my sins.

Wherefore let us learn with all diligence to separate Christ far from all works, as well good as evil: from all laws, both of God and man, and from all troubled consciences; for with all these Christ hath nothing to do. He hath to do, I grant, with afflicted consciences: howbeit, not to afflict them more, but to raise them up, and in their affliction to comfort them. There

fore, if Christ appear in the likeness of an angry judge, or of a lawgiver that requireth a strait account of our life past, then let us assure ourselves that it is not Christ, but a raging fiend. For the scripture painteth out Christ to be our reconciliation, our advocate, and our comforter. Such a one he is and ever shall be: he cannot be unlike himself.

Therefore, whensoever the devil, transforming himself into the likeness of Christ, disputeth with us after this manner: This thou oughtest, being admonished by my word, to have done, and hast not done it; and this thou oughtest not to have done, and hast done it: know thou, therefore, that I will take vengeance on thee, &c. Let this nothing at all move us, but by-and-by let us thus think with ourselves: Christ speaketh not, to poor, afflicted, and despairing consciences after this manner: he addeth not affliction to the afflicted; he breaketh not the bruised reed, neither quencheth he the smoking flax, (Isa. xlii. 3.) Indeed, to the hard-hearted he speaketh sharply; but such as are terrified and afflicted, he most lovingly and comfortably allureth unto him, saying, "Come unto me, all ye that travail and be heavy laden, and I will refresh you," (Matt. xi. 28.) "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," (Matt. ix. 13.) "Be of good comfort, my son, thy sins are forgiven thee," (Matt. ix. 2.) "Be not afraid, I have overcome the world," (John xvi. 33.) "The Son of man came to seek out and to save that which was lost," (Luke xix. 10.) We must take good heed, therefore, lest that we, being deceived with the wonderful sleights and infinite subtleties of Satan, do receive an accuser and condemner in the stead of a comforter and saviour; and so, under the vizor of a false Christ, that is to say, of the devil, we lose the true Christ, and make him unprofitable unto Thus much have we said as touching private and particular temptations, and how we should use ourselves therein.

us.

VERSE 3. For I testify again unto every man which is circumcised, that he is bound to keep the whole law.

The first inconvenience is, indeed, very great, where Paul saith, that Christ profiteth them nothing which are circumcised, and this that followeth is nothing less, where he saith, that they which are circumcised, are bound to keep the whole law. He speaketh these words with such earnestness and vehemency of spirit, that he confirmeth them with an oath: "I testify," that is to say, I swear by the living God. But these words may be expounded two ways, negatively and affirmatively. Negatively, after this manner: I testify unto every man which is circumcised, that he is bound to keep the whole law, that is to say, that he performeth no piece of the law: yea, that in the very work of circumcision he is not circumcised, and even in the fulfilling of the law he fulfilleth it not, but transgresseth it. And this seemeth to me to be the simple and true meaning of