Galatians 5:2

These words, are a reason of the former conclusion, thus. If ye be circumcised, and goe backe from your Christian profession, Christ shall profit you nothing: therefore stand fast.

In the words, I consider a sentence, and the proofe of it. The sentence, If ye be circumcised, &c. the proofe, J Paul say vnto you For the better vnderstanding of the sentence, Circumcision must here be considered according to the circumstance of time, three waies. Before Christ it was a sacrament, and a seale of the righteousnesse of faith, Rom. 4. 11. after the death of Christ, till the destruction of the temple, it was a dead ceremonie, yet sometime vsed as a thing indifferent. After the destruction of the Temple, when the Church of the new Testament was planted among the Gentiles, it was a deadly ceremonie, and ceased to be indifferent: and in this last respect Paul saith, If ye be circumcised, &c. Againe, circumcision must be considered according to the opinion which the false Apostles had of it: now they put their confidence in it, and made it a meritorious cause of their saluation, and ioyned it with Christ. The words therefore carrie this sense: If ye will be circumcised with this opinion, that circumcision shall be vnto you a meritorious cause of your saluation, Christ shall profit you nothing. The vse. Hence it followes, that the doctrine of iustification by works, is an errour ouerturning the foundation of religion, which whosoeuer obstinately maintaineth, cannot be saued. It will be said, this is true of ceremoniall works, but not of morall works. Ans. Yea euen of morall. For that which Paul saith here of circumcision, he speakes generally of the whole law, vers. 4. Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law. And circumcision must be considered as an obligation to the obedience of the whole law. Againe, it may be said, this is true of the works of nature, but not of works of grace. Ans. Yea euen of workes of grace: for the Galatians were regenerate, and therfore looked not to be iustified, & saued, by the workes of nature, but by workes of grace.

Secondly, hence we gather, that to adde any thing to the passion, as a meritorious cause of our iustification, and saluation, is to make Christ vnprofitable. For he must be a perfect Sauiour, or no Sauiour: he admits neither partner, nor deputie in the worke of our redemption. And the grace of God admits no mixture or composition with any thing that is of vs. Grace is no grace, vnlesse it be freely giuen euery way. Therefore the Popish religiō is a damnable religion: because with the merit & satisfactiō of Christ, it ioyns humane merits & satisfactions, in the case of our iustification. It may be alleadged, that the Popish religion maintaines all the articles concerning Christ, as we doe. Ans. It doth so in word: but withall it addes to the foresaid articles the doctrine of humane merits and satisfactions, which make voide the death of Christ. Againe, Papists alleadge that it is the glorie of Christ, that he merits for vs, and withall makes vs to merit for our selues; as it is the glorie of an Emperour to make other kings vnder him. Ans. It is not the glorie of the Emperour to make kings as partners with him, in his kingdome. And workes set vp as meritorious causes of saluation, dishonour Christ, for they make him vnprofitable, as Paul here teacheth.

Popish religion therefore is in no wise, in any place to be tollerated, where it may be abolished: but it is to be wished that it were banished forth of towne and countrey: and students are to be warned with great circumspection to read Popish writers. For no good can be looked for of that religion that makes Christ vnprofitable.

Lastly, we are here taught to content our selues with Christ alone, and with his works, merits, and satisfactions. For in him we are complete. Col. 2. 10.

The confirmation of the sentence followeth, I Paul say it: therfore it is so. This kind of reasoning may not seeme strange: for the Apostles in writing and preaching, had the diuine and infallible assistance of the spirit, so as they could not erre. This must be held as a Principle in religion: and beeing denied, there is no certentie of the Bible.