to that which the Law requireth: but he is justified by faith, who being in himself ungodly, believeth in Christ for salvation. So that according to the Apostles meaning, wheresoever faith be commanded, he is justified by faith without the works of the Law, who is acquitted from sin by the meer and rich grace of God in Jesus Christ received by faith: And to seek justification by works, is to rest upon our works for salvation, as they that answer in all things to that righteousnesse personall which the Law requireth. Justification by faith, and justification by workes are opposite, and so is faith and workes: but faith is not opposed to one act commanded, whereby the promise is received, for then it should be contrary to it selfe: but to works whereby the Law is fulfilled in our owne persons: to workes I say, not to one work: because no one worke can justifie, but all are necessary.
If it be said, the Apostle doth every where oppose the Law and the Gospel, or the old and new Testament. The answer is from the same ground; that in the Scriptures of the new Testament, the Law as well Ceremoniall as Morall is opposed to faith or the Gospel: and yet the Ceremonies of the Law did prefigure Christ, as all men acknowledge. Therefore the Apostle doth not perpetually and absolutely oppose the Law, and the Covenant of grace: for he teacheth expresly, that Rom. 3.31.faith establisheth the Law. For he understood the force and sentence of the Law to consist in faith: but because the Jews addicted to the letter of the Law, did pretermit the force and life of it, Paul proves the Law so taken and separated from faith, to be the cause, not of life, but of death: as that which did not only want Christ, who is the soul of the Law, but is opposite to him. And therefore Paul doth this, because the Jews, (faith being let passe) did seek righteousnesse in the dead works of the Law, and did oppose the Law to the Gospel and Christ, who was the end and scope of the Law. This will be more plain, if we shall examin the particular passages of Scripture, wherein this matter is handled. The Apostle saith, Gal. 4.24.the Covenant from the Mount Sinai gendreth to bondage, figured by the bond-woman and her sonne, who were cast out of Abrahams Family. The Apostle his argument may be drawne thus; the same proportion which Hagar the hand-maid had to Sarah her Mistresse in Abrahams house, the same proportion hath the oldTestament
