Galatians 4:24–25

The application of the former here beginneth: and the sense of the wordes is. An other thing meant] the wordes are thus. These things are spoken by allegorie: that is, one thing is said, and an other thing is meant. Two mothers] Agar and Sara. Are two] they represent or signifie the two Testaments. Est is put for significat. Of the two Testaments I will speake afterward.

The one] the one Testament, which is the couenant of works [which is Agar] which Testament is figured by Agar [is of mount Sina] came from mount Sina, where the law was deliuered to the Israelites. And gendreth to bondage] that is, it makes all them bondmen that looke to be iustified and saued by the works of the law.

For Agar or Sina] here the translatours are deceiued, supposing that mount Sina had two names, Agar and Sina: but this opinion of theirs hath no ground, and the words are thus to be read, Agar is Sina. Here Agar signifies not so much the person of Abrahams handmaid, as that which is said in the former historie of Agar. For the words are, τὸ Ἄγαρ. And Sina must be considered as a place, where it pleased God to publish the law. And the wordes thus considered, haue this sense, Agar is Sina, that is, Agar figures Sina, two waies. First, in condition: for as Agar was a bondwoman, so Sina in respect of the law, was a place of bondage: and in this respect also it is called Sina of Arabia. which was a desart out of the land of Canaan. Secondly, in effect: for as Agar bare Ismael a bondman to Abraham; so Sina or the law, makes bondmen. And it answereth] Sina answereth to Ierusalem, that is, as Agar figures Sina; so Agar figures Ierusalem: and by this meanes, Sina and Ierusalem are like, and stand both in one order. Now Agar figures Ierusalem two waies, in condition, and effect. In condition: for as Agar was a bondwoman, so Ierusalem, or the nation of the Iewes refusing Christ, and looking to be saued by the law, are in spirituall bondage. In effect: for as Agar brings forth Ismael a bondman; so Ierusalem by teaching the law, makes bondmen. Therefore Paul saith in the last place, of Ierusalem, and shee is in bondage with her children.

The vse. These things are said by allegorie] Here the Papists make a double sense of scripture, one literall, the other spirituall. Literall is twofold. Proper, when the words are taken in their proper signification. Figuratiue, when the holy Ghost signifies his meaning in borrowed tearmes.

Spirituall senses they make three. One allegoricall, when things in the old testament are applied to signifie things in the new testament. The second, is Tropologicall; when scripture signifies something touching manners. The third, is Anagogicall, when things are in scripture applied to signifie the estate of euerlasting life. Thus Ierusalem properly is a citie: by allegorie, the Church of the new Testament: in a tropologicall sense, a state well ordered: in an anagogicall sense, the estate of eternall life. These senses they vse to applie to most places of the Scripture, specially to the historie. But I say to the contrarie, that there is but one full and intire sense of euery place of scripture, and that is also the literall sense, sometimes expressed in proper, and sometimes in borrowed or figuratiue speaches. To make many senses of scripture, is to ouerturne all sense, and to make nothing certen. As for the three spirituall senses (so called) they are not senses, but applications or vses of scripture. It may be said, that the historie of Abrahams familie here propounded, hath beside his proper and literall sense, a spiritual or mysticall sense. I answer, they are not two senses, but two parts of one full & intire sense. For not onely the bare historie, but also that which is therby signified, is the ful sense of the h. G.

Againe, here we see the scripture is not onely penned in proper tearmes, but also in sundrie diuine figures and allegories. The song of Salomon is an Allegorie borrowed from the fellowshippe of man and wife, to signifie the communion betweene Christ & his Church: & so is the 45. psalme. The booke of Daniel, and the Reuelation, is an allegoricall historie. The Parables of the old and new Testaments, are figures or allegories. When Dauid saith, Psal. 45. 4. Ride on vpon the word of truth, meeknes, and iustice, he describes a Princes charriot by allegorie. The Guide is the word, the horses that draw it, are three, Truth, meekenes, iustice. And thus the throne of God is described by like allegorie. Psal. 89. v. 14. the foundation of the throne, are righteousnes, and equitie: the maine bearers to goe before the throne, are mercie and truth.

It may be demanded, when doth the scripture speake properly, and when by figure? Ans. If the proper signification of the words be against common reason, or against the analogie of faith, or against good manners, they are not then to be taken properly, but by figure. The words of Christ, Ioh. 15. 1. I am the true vine, & my father is an husband man. If they be taken properly, they are absurd in common reason: therefore the words are figuratiue, and the sense is this: I am as the true vine, and my father as an husbandman. The wordes of Christ, Take, eate, this is my body, 1. Corinth. 11. vers. 24. taken properly, are against the articles of faith, He ascended into heauen, and sits at the right hand of God. And they are against the sixt commandement, Thou shalt not kill. And therefore they must be expounded by figure, thus, This bread is a signe of my bodie. The like is to be said of other places: they must be taken properly, if it be possible: if not, by figure.

Here then they are to be blamed, that make the vse of Rhetoricke in the Bible, to be a meere fopperie. For to this purpose there is a booke in English heretofore published. As also they of the familie of loue are iustly to be condemned, who in another extremitie, turne all the Bible to an Allegorie, yea euen that which is said of Adam, and of Christ.

They are two Testaments] they are, that is, they signifie: and so Agar is Sina a mountaine in Arabia, that is, signifies Sina. Thus the Rocke in the wildernes is Christ, 1. Cor. 10. 4. that is, figures Christ. Like to this is the Sacramentall phrase, This is my bodie, that is to say, this bread signifies my bodie. Great is the madnes of men that hence gather Transsubstantiation, or the real conuersion of bread into the bodie of Christ. They might as well gather hence the conuersion of Agar into mount Sina.

The two Testaments are the Couenant of workes, and the Couenant of grace, one promising life eternall to him that doth all things contained in the law: the other to him that turnes and beleeues in Christ. And it must be obserued, that Paul saith, they are two, that is, two in substance, or kind. And they are two, sundrie waies. The law, or couenant of workes, propounds the bare iustice of God, without mercie: the couenant of grace, or the Gospel, reueales both the iustice and mercie of God, or the iustice of God giuing place to his mercie. Secondly, the law requires of vs inward and perfect righteousnes, both for nature, and action: the Gospel propounds vnto vs an imputed iustice resient in the person of the Mediatour. Thirdly, the law promiseth life vpon condition of works: the Gospel promiseth remission of sinnes and life euerlasting vpon condition that we rest our selues on Christ by faith. Fourthly, the law was written in tables of stone, the Gospel in the fleshie tables of our heart. Ier. 31. 33. 2. Cor. 3. 3. Fiftly, the law was in nature by creation: the Gospel is aboue nature, and was reuealed after the fall. Sixtly, the law hath Moses for the mediatour, Deut. 5. 27. but Christ is the mediatour of the new testament. Heb. 8. 6. Lastly, the law was dedicated by the blood of beasts, Exod. 24. 5. & the new Test, by the blood of Christ. Heb. 9. 12.

Here then falls to the ground a maine pillar in Popish religion, which is, that the law of Moses, and the Gospel, are all one law for substance: and that the difference lies in this, that the law of Moses is darke and imperfect, and the Gospel or the law of Christ more perfect: because he hath (as they say) added Counsells to precepts. Againe, the law (they say) without the spirit, is the law properly, and with the spirit, it is the Gospel. But all this is false which they teach. For the two Testaments the law and the Gospel, are two in nature, substance, or kind: and the difference lies not in the presence or absence of the spirit.

And whereas the Papists make two iustifications, the first meerely by grace, the second by workes: besides the two Testaments, they must establish a third Testament compounded of both, and it must be partly legall, and partly Euangelicall; otherwise the twofold iustification cannot stand. For the law propounds onely one way of iustification, and the Gospel a second. The doctrine therefore that propounds both, is compounded of both.

God did not approoue the polygamie of Abraham, yet doth he vse it to signifie the greatest mysterie of our religion. Here we see a great point of the diuine prouidence of God, who ordereth and vseth well the things which he doth not approoue. This is the foundation of our patience, and a meanes of true comfort. Ioseph thus comforts himselfe and his brethren, that God ordered and disposed their bad enterprise, to his and their good. Gen. 45. 6, 7.

Here againe Paul sets downe two properties of the Testament of workes, or of the law. The first is, that it came from mount Sina. And here lies the difference betweene the law and the Gospel: the law is from Sina, the gospel from Sion or Ierusalem. For there it was first to be preached, and thence conueied to all nations. Mich. 4. 1. Ezech. 47. 1.

The second propertie of the law is, that it gendreth to bondage: because it maketh them bond men, that looke to be saued and iustified thereby. And this it doth, by reuealing sinne and the punishment thereof, which is euerlasting death; and by conuincing all men of their sinnes, and of their deserued condemnation. In this respect, it is called the ministerie of death, 2. Cor. 3. 6. and Paul saith, that after he knew his sins by the lawe, he died, and the lawe was the meanes of death vnto him, Rom. 7. 10. Here is another difference between the law and the Gospel. The lawe genders to bondage: the Gospell genders to life. For it is an instrument of the spirit for the beginning and confirming of our regeneration and saluation: and so is not the law, which is no cause, but only an occasion of the grace of God in vs.

Where as Ierusalem that now is, is said to be in bondage, as Sina and Hagar. It is to be obserued, that there is no Church in the world, nor people, which is not subiect to Apostasie. For God had made great and large promises to Ierusalem, Psal. 122. and 132. and yet for all this, Ierusalem by refusing Christ, and by establishing the iustice of the lawe, is comne into bondage, and depriues herselfe of the inheritance of eternall life. Therefore it is a falshood which the Papists teach, that the infallible assistance of the spirit is tyed to the Chaire, and Consistorie of the Pope, so as he, and consequently the Church of Rome, cannot erre. Here againe, we see what may be the future condition of England. For it may be said of it hereafter, England that now is, is not that which it hath bin, namely, a maintainer of the Gospell of Christ. Therefore we must not be high minded but feare, and now take heed of the first beginning of apostasie. The holy Ghost, Heb. 3. 12, 13. set down the degrees thereof, and they are fiue in number. The first is, the deceit of sinne: the second is, the hardening of the heart after men are deceiued by sinne: the third is, an euill heart, which growes vpon hardnesse of heart: the fourth is, vnbeleefe, whereby the word of God is called in question, and the trueth thereof: and after vnbeleefe followes a departure from God and Christ. That this may not be, we must carefully avoid all the deceits of sinne, as namely, couetousnes, ambition, lust, &c.

Againe, as Agar figures the lawe, so doth Ismael all iusticiaries, that looke to be saued by the law. Here then we see the condition of the world, the greatest part whereof are Ismalites. For the Turke and the Iewe, looke at this day to be faued by their workes. The Papist ascribes his conuersion not wholly to grace, but partely to grace, and partly to nature, or the strength of mans will helped by grace. And thus are they borne after the flesh as Ismael was. And our common people, though in shew they professe reformed religion, yet indeed a great part of them are Ismaelites. For they looke to be saued by their good seruing of God, and by their good deeds: and they little thinke on Christ and his merits. And thus they depriue themselues of all title to eternall life. Therefore it stands them in hand to condemne nature and the strength thereof, and to renounce their owne workes, and to rest onely on the promise of mercie for eternall saluation: thus shall they be the children of the promise and heires of God.

Lastly, in that Ierusalem is in bondage like Agar or mount Sina, we see how vaine are the pilgrimages to the holy land, & how needlesse were the warres made for the recouery thereof.