Wherefore when thou readest in the scriptures, of the fathers, prophets, and kings, how they wrought righteousness, raised up the dead, overcame kingdoms, thou must remember that these and such like sayings are to be expounded as the Epistle to the Hebrews expoundeth them: "by faith they wrought righteousness, by faith they raised up the dead, by faith they subdued kings and kingdoms," &c. (Heb. xi. 33, 34, 35.) So that faith incorporateth the work, and giveth it his perfection. And this the adversaries, if they be well in their wits, cannot deny, neither have they any thing to say or object against it. Indeed they can cry out that the scripture speaketh oftentimes of doing and working. And we always answer them again, that it speaketh also of faithful doing. For first, reason must be lightened by faith before it can work. Now, when it hath a true opinion and knowledge of God, then is the work incarnate and incorporate into it: so that whatsoever is attributed to faith, is afterwards attributed to works also, but yet because of faith only and alone. Wherefore in reading of the scriptures we must learn to put a difference between the true and the hypocritical, the moral and the spiritual doing of the law. So shall we be able to declare the true meaning of all those places which seem to maintain the righteousness of works. Now, the true doing of the law is a faithful and a spiritual doing, which he hath not, that seeketh righteousness by works. Therefore every doer of the law and every holy moral worker is accursed. For he walketh in the presumption of his own righteousness against God, whilst he will be justified by man's free-will and reason, and so in doing of the law, he doth it not. And this, according to Paul, is to be under the works of the law: that is to say, that hypocrites do the law, and yet, in doing it, they do it not: for they understand this word, doing, according to the literal sense of the law, which in true Christian divinity is nothing worth. Indeed they work many things, but in the presumption of their own righteousness, and without the knowledge of God and faith, as the Pharisee did (Luke xviii.) and as Paul did before his conversion: therefore they are blind and miserably err, and so remain under the curse. Wherefore, again I admonish you, that such sentences as the adversaries do allege out of the scriptures concerning works and rewards, must be spiritually expounded. As if they allege this sentence out of Dan. iv. "Redeem thy sins by alms deeds," thou must not here expound these words morally, but spiritually. So shalt thou see that this word "redeem," signifieth no moral, but a spiritual doing, that is to say, it includeth faith. For in the scriptures, the work, as I have said, requireth also a good will and right judgment of reason to go before; not moral, as they would have it, but divine and spiritual, which is faith. By this means thou shalt be able to stop the mouths of these peevish sophisters. For they themselves are compelled to grant (and so teach they also out of Aristotle) that every good

work proceedeth out of man's choice or free-will. If this be true in philosophy, much more must this good will and right judgment of reason guided by faith, go before the work in divinity and divine matters. And this do all words of the imperative mood, that is, all such words as are commanding, signify in the scriptures, and all such words also as teach the law, as the Epistle to the Hebrews doth plainly declare: "By faith Abel offered," &c.

Now, admit the case that this solution is not sufficient, (although it be indeed most sure and certain), yet notwithstanding let this be the argument of all arguments, and the principal mirror of Christians to behold, against all the temptations and objections, not only of the adversaries, but also of the devil himself, namely, to apprehend and hold fast the head, which is Christ. Moreover, admit that the sophisters, being more crafty and subtle than I, should so snare and entangle me with their arguments, which they bring for the maintenance of works against faith, that I should know no way how to wind myself out, (which notwithstanding it is impossible for them to do,) yet will I rather give reverence and credit to Christ alone, than be persuaded with all the places they are able to allege for the establishing of the righteousness of works against the doctrine of faith.

Wherefore, they must be simply and plainly answered after this manner: Here is Christ, there are the testimonies of the scriptures touching the law and works. Now, Christ is the Lord of the scripture and of all works. He also is Lord of heaven, the earth, the sabbath, the temple, righteousness, life, wrath, sin, death, and generally of all things whatsoever. And Paul his apostle sheweth "that he was made sin and became accursed for me," (Gal. iii. 13.) I hear, then, that I could by no other means be delivered from my sin, my death, and my malediction, but by his death and blood-shedding; wherefore I conclude that it properly appertained to Christ himself to overcome my sin, death, and malediction in his own body, and not to the works of the law or mine own works. And hereunto reason is constrained to yield and say, that Christ is not the work of the law, or my work: that his blood and death is not circumcision, the observation of the ceremonies of the law, and much less a monk's cowl, a shaven crown, abstinence, vows, and such like. Wherefore if he be the price of my redemption, if he be made sin and malediction that he might justify and bless me, I care not if thou bring a thousand places of scripture for the righteousness of works against the righteousness of faith, and cry out never so much, that the scripture is against me. I have the author and Lord of the scripture with me; on whose side I will rather stand, than believe all the rabblement of law-workers and merit-mongers. Albeit it is impossible that the scripture should be against this doctrine, unless it be among the senseless and obstinate hypocrites; but to the godly, and such as have unders anding, it giveth witness for Jesus

Christ his Lord. See therefore how thou canst reconcile the scripture, which thou sayest is against my doctrine. As for me, I will stick to the author and Lord of the scripture.

Therefore if any man thinketh himself not well able to reconcile such places of the scripture, or answer unto the same sufficiently, and yet notwithstanding is constrained to hear the objections and cavillations of the adversaries, let him answer simply and plainly after this sort: Thou settest against me the servant, that is to say, the scripture, and that not wholly, neither yet the principal part thereof, but only certain places as touching the law and works. But I come with the Lord himself, who is above the scripture, and is made unto me the merit and price of righteousness and everlasting life. On him I lay hold, him I stick to, and leave works unto thee: which notwithstanding thou never didst. This solution neither the devil nor any justiciary can ever wrest from thee or overthrow. Moreover, thou art in safety before God: for thy heart abideth fixed in the object, which is called Christ; who being nailed to the cross and accursed, not for himself, but for us, as the text saith, was "made a curse for us." Hold fast this, and lay it against all the sentences of the law and works whatsoever, and say: Dost thou hear this, Satan? Here he must needs give place, for he knoweth that Christ is his Lord and master.

VERSE 11. And that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident for the just shall live by faith. (Hab. ii. 4. Rom. i. 17.) This is another argument grounded upon the testimony of the prophet Habakkuk. And it is a sentence of great weight and authority, which Paul setteth against all the sentences touching the law and works. As if he should say: What need we any long disputation? Here I bring forth a most evident testimony of the prophet, against the which no man can cavil: "The just man shall live by faith." If he live by faith, then he liveth not by the law: for the law is not of faith. And here Paul excludeth works and the law, as things contrary to faith.

The sophisters (as they are always ready to corrupt the scriptures) do wrest and pervert this place after this manner: "The just man doth live by faith;" that is to say, by a working faith, or formed and made perfect with charity: but if it be not formed with charity, then doth it not justify. This gloss they themselves have forged, and by the same they do injury to the words of the prophet. If they did call this formed or furnished faith, the true faith which the scripture teacheth, this their gloss should not offend me, for then faith should not be separated from charity, but from the vain opinion of faith: as we also put a difference between a counterfeit faith and a true faith. The counterfeit faith is that which heareth of God, of Christ, and of all the mysteries of his incarnation and our redemption: which also apprehendeth and beareth away those things which it hear

eth, yea, and can talk goodly thereof, and yet there remaineth nothing else in the heart, but a naked opinion, and a sound of the gospel. For it neither reneweth nor changeth the heart: it maketh not a new man, but leaveth him in the vanity of his former opinion and conversation: and this is a very pernicious faith. The moral philosopher is much better than the hypocrite having such a faith.

Wherefore, if they would make a distinction between faith formed (and take it as the scripture taketh it) and a false or counterfeit faith, their distinction should nothing offend me. But they speak of faith formed and made perfect with charity, and make a double faith, that is to say, formed and unformed. This pestilent and devilish gloss I utterly detest. Although, say they, we have faith infused, called fides infusa, which is the gift of the Holy Ghost, and also faith gotten by our own industry, called fides acquisita; yet both of them lack their form and perfection, which is charity, and are formed with charity. This is to prefer charity before faith, and to attribute righteousness, not to faith, but to charity. Wherefore, when they do not attribute righteousness to faith, but only in respect of charity, they attribute to faith nothing at all.

Moreover, these perverters of the gospel of Christ do teach, that even that faith which they call faith infused, and not received by hearing, nor gotten by any working, but created in man by the Holy Ghost, may stand with deadly sin, and that the worst men may have this faith: therefore, say they, if it be alone, it is idle utterly and unprofitable. Thus they take from faith her office, and give it unto charity; so that faith is nothing except charity, which they call the form and perfection thereof, be joined withal. This is a devilish and blasphemous kind of doctrine, which utterly defaceth and overthroweth the doctrine of faith, and carrieth a man clean from Christ the mediator, and from faith, which is the hand and only means whereby we apprehend him. For if charity be the form and perfection of faith, as they dream, then am I by-and-by constrained to say, that charity is the principal part of the Christian religion, and so I lose Christ, his blood, and al! his benefits, and now I rest altogether in a moral doing, even as the Pope, and the heathen philosopher, and the Turk doth.

But the Holy Ghost, which giveth to all men both mouth and tongue, knoweth how to speak. He could have said, (as the sophisters do wickedly imagine,) the righteous man shall live by faith, formed and beautified, or made perfect, by charity. But this he omitteth of purpose, and saith plainly: "The righteous man liveth by faith." Let these dotish sophisters go, therefore, with this their wicked and pestilent gloss; we will still hold and extol this faith, which God himself hath called faith; that is to say, a true and a certain faith, which doubteth not of God, nor of his promises, nor of the forgiveness of sins through Christ, that we may dwell sure and safe in this our object Christ, and may

keep still before our eyes the passion and blood of the mediator and all his benefits. Now, faith alone, which layeth hold upon Christ, is the only means that we suffer not those benefits to be taken out of our sight. Wherefore, rejecting this pestilent gloss, we must understand this place of faith only and alone. And this Paul himself declareth, when he reasoneth against faith formed with charity after this sort.

VERSE 12. And the law is not of faith.

The schoolmen say: The righteous man doth live, if his faith be formed and adorned with charity. But contrariwise Paul saith: "The law is not of faith." But what is the law? Is it not also a commandment touching charity? Yea, the law commandeth nothing else but charity, as we may see by the text itself: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy soul," &c. (Deut. vi. 5. Matt. xxii. 37.) Again, "Shewing mercy unto thousands that love him and keep his commandments," (Exod. xx. 6.) Also, "In these two commandments consisteth the law and the prophets," (Matt. xxii. 40.) If the law then that commandeth charity, be contrary to faith, it must needs follow, that charity is not of faith. So Paul plainly confuteth the gloss which the sophisters have forged touching their formed faith, and speaketh only of faith, as it is separate from the law. Now, the law being separate and set apart, charity is also set apart, with all that belongeth to the law, and faith only is left, which justifieth and quickeneth to everlasting life.

Paul therefore reasoneth here, out of a plain testimony of the prophet, that there is none which obtaineth justification and life before God, but the believing man, who obtaineth righteousness and everlasting life without the law, and without charity, by faith alone. The reason is, because the law is not of faith: that is, the law is not of faith, or any thing belonging to faith, for it believeth not: neither are the works of the law faith, nor yet of faith: therefore faith is a thing much differing from the law, like as the promise is a thing much differing from the law. For the promise is not apprehended by working, but by believing. Yea, there is as great a difference between the promise and the law, and consequently between faith and works, as there is a distance between heaven and earth.

It is impossible therefore that faith should be of the law. For faith only resteth in the promise, it only apprehendeth and knoweth God, and standeth only in receiving good things of God. Contrariwise, the law and works consist in exacting, in doing, and in giving unto God. As Abel, offering his sacrifice, giveth unto God; but he believing, receiveth of God. Paul therefore concludeth mightily out of that place of Habakkuk, that the righteous man liveth by faith alone. For the law in no wise belongeth unto faith, because the law is not the promise. But