EXTRACTS FROM PROLOGUE TO EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS (Corresponding with the Extracts from the German "To fulfil the law is to do the works thereof, and whatsoever the law commandeth, with love, lust, and inward affection and delectation, and to live godly and well, freely, willingly, and without compulsion of the law, even as though there were no law at all. Such lust and free liberty to love the law cometh only by the working of the Spirit in the heart. Now is the Spirit none otherwise given than by faith only, in that we believe the promises of God without wavering, how that God is true, and will fulfil all His good promises toward us, for Christ's blood's sake; as it is plain in the first chapter, I am not ashamed,' saith Paul, of Christ's glad tidings, for it is the power of God unto salvation to as many as believe.' For at once and together, even as we believe the glad tidings preached to us, the Holy Ghost entereth into our hearts, and looseth the bonds of the devil, which before possessed our hearts in captivity, and held them that we could have no lust to the will of God in the law. And, as the Spirit cometh by faith only, even so faith cometh by hearing the word of glad tidings of God, when Christ is preached, how that He is God's Son, and Man, also dead and risen again for our sakes. All our justifying then cometh of faith, and faith and the Spirit come of God, and not of us. "Hereof cometh it that faith only justifieth, maketh righteous, and fulfilleth the law, for it bringeth the Spirit through Christ's deservings, the Spirit bringeth lust, looseth the heart, maketh him free, setteth him at liberty, and giveth him strength to work the deeds of the law with love, even as the law requireth. Then at the last, out of the same faith so working in the heart, spring all good works by their own accord. That meaneth he in the third chapter for, after he hath cast away the works of the law, so that he seemeth as though he would break and disannul the law through faith, he answereth to that mighty lie laid against it, saying, 'We destroy not the law through faith, but maintain, further, or establish the law through faith.' That is to say, 'We fulfil the law through faith.' "Faith is not man's opinion and dream, as some imagine and feign, when they hear the story of the Gospel; but, when they see that there follow no good works nor amendment of living, though they hear, and yet can babble, many things of faith, then they fall from the right way, and say, 'Faith only justifieth not, a man must have good works also, if he will be righteous and safe.” ” "Faith is a lively thing, mighty in working, valiant, and strong, ever doing, ever fruitful, so that it is impossible that he which is endued therewith should not work always good works without ceasing." "Faith is then a lively and stedfast trust in the favour of God, wherewith we commit ourselves altogether unto God; and that trust is so surely grounded, and sticketh so fast in our hearts, that a man would not once doubt of it, though he should die a thousand times therefore. And such trust, wrought by the Holy Ghost through faith, maketh a man glad, lusty, cheerful, and true-hearted unto God and all creatures. By the means thereof, willingly and without compulsion, he is glad and ready to do good to every man, to do justice to every man, to suffer all things, that God may be loved and praised." N.B. In this case, also, the spelling and punctuation are modernised. IV EXTRACTS FROM COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS. Gal. ii. 20. Ego sum Christo concrucifixus. Hoc addit, quia vult declarare legem devoratricem legis. Non solum, inquit, per legem legi mortuus sum, ut Deo viverem, sed etiam Christo concrucifixus sum. Christus autem est dominus legis, quia ipse crucifixus et mortuus est legi; igitur et ego sum dominus legis. Nam et ego legi crucifixus et mortuus sum, crucifixus enim et commortuus sum Christo. Per quid? Per ipsam gratiam et fidem. Hac fide dum crucifigor et morior legi, amittit ipsa omne jus in me, sicut et in Christum amisit. Quare sicut Christus ipse legi, peccato, morti, diabolo crucifixus est, ut nullum jus in eum amplius habeant, ita et ego per fidem, concrucifixus Christo in spiritu, crucifigor et morior legi, peccato, etc., ut et ipsa nullum jus amplius in me habeant, sed mihi crucifixa et mortua sint. Vivo autem. Diserte et proprie loquitur. Non, inquit, de morte et crucifixione mea sic loquor, quasi jam non vivam. Imo vivo, quia ista morte et crucifixione, qua morior, vivificor; hoc est, dum gratia et fide liberor a lege, peccato, et morte, vere vivo. Itaque illa crucifixio et mors, qua crucifigor et morior legi, peccato, morti, et omnibus malis, est mihi resurrectio et vita. Christus enim crucifigit diabolum, occidit mortem, peccatum damnat, et ligat legem. Hoc credens liberor a lege, etc. Ergo lex est mihi surda, ligata, mortua, et crucifixa, et ego vicissim sum illi surdus, ligatus, mortuus, et crucifixus. Illa ipsa ergo morte et crucifixione, hoc est, illa ipsa gratia seu libertate, vivo. Non jam ego. Hoc est, non in persona vel substantia mea. İbi ostendit clare, quomodo vivat, et docet, quae sit justitia christiana, ea scilicet, qua Christus in nobis vivit, non quae est in persona nostra. Itaque cum disputandum est de justitia christiana, prorsus abjicienda est persona. Nam si in persona haereo, vel de ea dico, fit ex persona, velim, nolim, operarius legi subjectus. Sed hic oportet Christum et conscientiam meam fieri unum corpus, ita ut in conspectu meo nihil maneat nisi Christus crucifixus et resuscitatus. Si vero in me tantum intueor, excluso Christo, actum est de me. Nam tum statim mihi incidit ista cogitatio: Christus est in coelis, tu in terris; qua ratione nunc venies ad eum? Ego sancte vivam, et hoc, quod lex requirit, faciam, atque ita in vitam ingrediar. Ibi in me conversus et considerans, qualis ego sim vel esse debeam, item, quid mihi faciundum sit, amitto ex oculis Christum, qui solus est justitia et vita mea. Hoc amisso, non est consilium aut auxilium, Y sed necesse est certam desperationem et perditionem sequi. Vivo autem, jam non ego, sed vivit in me Christus. Quod dicit: Vivo autem,' sonat personaliter, quasi Paulus loquatur de sua persona. Ideo mox corrigit, dicens: 'Iam non ego,' hoc est : Non ego jam in mea persona vivo, sed, Christus in me vivit.' Persona quidem vivit, sed non in se aut pro sua persona. Sed quis est ille ego, de quo dicit: Iam non ego '? Is ego est, qui legem habet, et operari debet, quique est persona quædam segregata a Christo. Illum ego Paulus rejicit, quia ego ut distincta persona a Christo pertinet ad mortem et infernum. Ideo inquit: Iam non ego, sed Christus in me vivit.' Is est mea forma, ornans fidem meam, ut color vel lux parietem ornat (sic crasse res illa exponenda est; non enim possumus spiritualiter comprehendere tam proxime et intime Christum haerere et manere in nobis, quam lux vel albedo in pariete haeret). Christus ergo, inquit, sic inhaerens et conglutinatus mihi et manens in me, hanc vitam, quam ago, vivit in me; imo vita, qua sic vivo, est Christus ipse. Itaque Christus et ego jam unum in hac parte sumus. Vivens autem in me Christus abolet legem, peccatum damnat, mortem mortificat, quia ad praesentiam ipsius illa non possunt non evanescere. Est enim Christus aeterna pax, consolatio, justitia, et vita; his autem cedere oportet terrorem legis, moerorem animi, peccatum, infernum, mortem. Sic Christus in me manens et vivens tollit et absorbet omnia mala, quae me cruciant et affligunt. Quare haec inhaerentia facit, ut liberer a terroribus legis et peccati, eximar e cute mea, et transferar in Christum et regnum illius; quod est regnum gratiae, justitiae, pacis, gaudii, vitae, salutis, et gloriae aeternae. In illo autem agens, nihil mali potest nocere mihi. Quod autem nunc vivo in carne, in fide filii Dei vivo. Hoc est : In carne quidem vivo, sed ego hanc vitam, quantulacunque est, quae in me agitur, non habeo pro vita. Quia hoc vitae tempus, quod ego vivo, in carne quidem vivo, sed non vivo ex carne vel secundum carnem, sed in fide, ex fide, et secundum fidem. Non ergo negat se vivere in carne, quia facit omnia opera animalis hominis; deinde utitur rebus carnalibus, victu, vestitu, etc., quod certe est in carne vivere; sed ait hanc non esse suam vitam, nec secundum haec se vivere: se quidem uti rebus carnalibus, sed non illis vivere, ut mundus ex carne et secundum carnem vivit ; quia extra hanc carnalem vitam nec novit nec sperat aliam vitam. Ergo quantulacunque est, inquit, ista vita, quam in carne vivo, in fide filii Dei vivo. Quia illa vita est in corde per fidem, ubi exstincta carne regnat Christus cum suo Spiritu sancto, qui jam videt, audit, loquitur, operatur, patitur, et simpliciter omni agit in ipso, etiamsi caro reluctetur. Brevitur, ista vita non est carnis, licet sit in carne, sed Christi filii Dei, quem fide possidet christianus. Qui dilexit me, et tradidit semet ipsum pro me. Hic descriptam habes veram rationem justificationis et exemplum certitudinis fidei. Qui haec verba: Vivo in Quare fide filii Dei, qui dilexit me, et tradidit semet ipsum pro me,' certa et constanti fide cum Paul dicere posset, is vere beatus esset; et illis ipsis verbis Paulus in totum abrogat et tollit justitiam legis et operum, ut postea dicemus. Sunt autem diligenter expendenda haec verba : Dei dilexit me, et tradidit semet ipsum pro me.' Paulus non nos, sed Christum incepisse, hic dicit. Ipse, ipse' (inquit)'dilexit me, et tradidit semet ipsum pro me'; quasi dicat: Non invenit in me bonam voluntatem et intellectum rectum; sed Christus misertus est mei, vidit me impium, errantem, aversum a Deo, et semper longius recedentem ab eo, et pugnantem contra Deum, captum, rectum, et vectum a diabolo. Sic ex misericordia praeveniente meam rationem, voluntatem, intellectum, dilexit me, et sic dilexit, ut semet ipsum traderet pro me, ut sic a lege, peccato, diabolo, morte liberarer. Pro me. Quis est ille me'? Ego scilicet, peccator perditus et damnatus, sic dilectus a filio Dei, ut se ipsum traderet pro me. Si ergo operibus vel meritis de congruo et condigno potuissem diligere filium Dei, et venire ad eum, quid opus fuisset eum tradi pro me? Quid est ergo, quod jactantur opera et merita? Si ego, perditus et damnatus peccator, potuissem alio quodam pretio redimi, quid opus fuisset pro me tradi filium Dei? Sed quia |