Chap. s. ,AComnentarievpoa in the caufe ofour iufbfication to be ioyned with the obedi- enceofthe death of Chril. And hence we learne, what is the nature ofgrace. It muff- Band wholly, and intirely in it felfe. Godsgrace cannot flandwith mans merit. Grace is no grace, vnleffe it be freely giuen every way.Rom.4.4.7ohim that :rep. keth the wagesisginen, not ofgrace, 6u: ofdefert. Rom. i t . 6. If eleFlion 6e ofgrace, thennot of workes,els isgracenogvace.Grace, and works.ofgracc in the caufingofiuflification, canno more (land together,then fire and water. By this we are admonifhed tobe nothing in our (clues , and to afcribc all that we arc ,or can doe, to the graceofGod. Againe , here we fee our Attie , and that is to be careful' not ! to abrogate the grace ofGod veto our felues. But how is that done c' Anf. Wemull fírippeand empticour Celtics ofall righ- tcoufneffe,and goodneffe ofourowne, euen to the death, and withal' hunger and thrift after Chrift and his righteoufites. Math, e.6.Luk.t.35. Thirdly, Paul herePets downe a notableground oftrue re- ligion ; That the death ofChrift is made voide, if any thing be ioyned with It in theworke of our tulhfication, as a meanes to fatisfie Clods tuiiice , and o merit the fauour ofGod. There- fore the doarine of iullification by workes , is a manifeft er- rour. For if we be iuflified by the workesofthe law , then the judgement of the holy Ghoft is , that Chrift died without caufe. Againe, thedoctrine ofhumane fatisfaCtions is a deuice ofmans bruine. For if wefatisfie for our felucs,then did Clint} by death fatisfie in vainc . Thirdly, it is a falfe and wicked, (though a colourable inucntion)to fay,that Chri-fl byhis death merited , that we fitould merit by our workes. For ifwe merit by workes , Chrift died invaine tomerit by his owne death. This is the fentenceofGod, who cannot erre. Lally, here we fee the Church of Rome erreth in the foundation of true relic gion: bccaufe it ioyneth the merit ofmans workesand the me- ant of thedeathof Chrift, in the iuliftcation of a firmer. And therefore,wemaynot fomuch as dreame ofany reconciliation tobe made with that religion : for light and darknes cannotbe reconciled , nor fire and water. Here the Papifls arrfwer, that + Paul in this text foeakes again'thetn,that looked to be iulifi- edby the natural! obferuation of the law, without thedeath of But it is falfewhich they fay. For Paul here fpcakcs a_ n 5 ta IS 20 :5 30 3S
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