rv1 Commentarie -vpon Chap.5. befubicCttothem: bccaufe asfMinHlers of·A God , they deliuerthe word o God in the name ofGod vnmvs, and ttm word binds confcience. Againe, the laIVes which they make touching order and coQ.\tlinetTein rhe fcruiceoLGod,arcto be obeyed forrheauoi· ding offcaodall and contempr. ob,if. I 11. A'rhingmditfcrentvponthe cotl.lmandcmenrofthe Ivl:lgi nrate,becorncs necclfarie. Anfw. }(is rrue.But it mu(! be ob· ferued, rhatnccel!irie is twofold; Externall, Internal!. And rhe !awe of the Magtllrate · makes a rbing, uldi!!'cr.ont to bee necelfarie onely in refptrCtofcxternalloecdliry,(Mthe aooiding ofthecontempt of authoritie, and forrhe ·auoiding of fcandall. Otherwife the thing in ir (clfeis not nccetTarie,bmrcmaincs B llill indtlferenr,and may bevfed,ornot vfcd, ifcontemptandfcanda!Lbeauoided.Thc A· · polllcs•A>adcalaw,that the Gentile> 010uld abllaine from llranglcdand blood; & thmgs oifcred to idols, Act. I 5·28.yet Paulfaith af· tel'·l.l:ard tothe 'Chr1nthians, Allthingsar~ld~t~ e,fl, J.•CQr.lO,ZJ. andwbat(oeurrit(o!din the fotlm'blrs t'!llte,andmak,.cneqmflio".for con(cimce (akf, . v. z S· becnufcrhcir intent was not,that the law nwuld r.,;,pJy binde,bur onclyin rh• cafe ofoftCnce:and rhcrfore where therewas no otfence ro bcfeared,rhcy leauc all men to thc:irhbc:rtic:, Againe,here isan otheorcomforttoalthat bclecucin CbrHl,rhar nothingcan hurt the, and that no.euill can befall rhcm, Pfal.91. v. C ro. nay all rhing• rnall in rhc end rurne to rheir good, though in rearonand.fcnfc,rhey feemehurtfull•.To bclecue this one thing,is agroundof.rll rruecorr.forr. . ·"The conflderarion ofthis benefit ofChri– Hian liberrie,te•'d1eth rhreedurics. The fir!! is/rom otlr hearts toimb;ace,toue,&,rnain~ 1 fraide Chriflian•re)igion, . bcoaufc it is the meancs of thi-s l1berrie. Thefecond is,carc~ :fuily ro fcarch ihe Scriptures tfor they arc as it were the C~l:arcrin\~obichour liberties ate– <onrained. ·:rhfrdly, our Chrifliao libertie !puts vs inminQ ro becomeV.nfain'ed fcruants and trieuoufncffeof our fpirituallbondage, becaufethere"" none that could dehucr vs from it, but Chrill by his drath and palfion. Hence therefore we are ro rake occali.on to acknowledge and bewailc this our moJimi· ferablecondirion in ourfeluer. Secondly, the price tl)atwas paid for the procurement of our libr<lie, namely, the pretious blpod of the immaculate lambe of God,lhewcs that rhcJtbcrry jt fclfeis arhiJ,g mofl prctiouo and cxcellenr, and fo to bee ellremed. Thirdly, fortbis lib~rtie we are to giuc all praifeand rhankcsro G9d. This did Paul at rhcremembranceoflt.Rorp!7.'25 J .Cor.15. 57· And·not to be thank(ull is aobejght ot wickednclfe. , . The thirdpoint is, cpncerning tQ~~p~r~ fons to whomcthisltber~y bclongs;and they arc nored in rhcfe word,es,SrandJ'f.JI;htbat/, nwlevsfru. Whereby Pa11/Ggnifieshimfelfe and rhe Galat~ans thar belccucd.m Chrill, I>eleeuers then are theperfonsto whom this. libertiebelongs.Ioh.t.u,I. Tim.+J· j\.nd true beleeuers are rhu1 topc dtfcccned.They vfethcordinariemcanesof grace an~ falua· cion,theword)anPfacramenu: in the vfeof the meanes, theyexercife thcm!elucs infhe fpiriruall exercifcs of inuocarion and !Cpca. ranee:& in rhtfcexerclfC!ttbey bewaile theJt vnbdeefc,and llriue by al meanesro bclecue in Chrill. A!!. for them that concciuea per~· [1.11alion of Gods mcrcrc ~·ichour the mean~:s offalu:;ttrooj.a.nd wirhout the cxerci[rs of inuocanon and repentance, they arc not true belcc>u~rs,bur hypocrires. When P.au/(aith, Cl-rift bar/; made tufree, rhatis, me l'md, andyou cheGalatians, l1c rcachcth that cucry beleeuer mull by his lauh apply vnro lnmfel.frhe bcnefirofChri· (han libenie. Burro doe thiswclJ,isa mafrer ofgrrotd•fficnllle. The Papif!sin their 'c'ri: rmgs report_our doctrine to be this : that a manmuGconceiuea perfwafion tbathc is in the fauor ofGod, the adOt1\Cd child of{;lod: and that v~on this perfwauon he hach.rhe pardon ofhJS flnnes,and the benefit ofChri· llian libertie, But rhey.abufe vs ill thi• as in 'of God in the duriesoffaith,repcntance,ncw 'ohediencc.RonJ.6.2:. For this feruiceis our hbertic. ' D many other t·hings. For we reach tharrhe . Application of Chrill aqd his benef.rs, is ro be made by certaine.deg~e~s. The firll is, to v!ethe 01,~QesoffaluatJOn, ,rhe wnrd,praier, facraments :thefecond is, to cPnfidcr~nd to grow ro fo'me feehng i>f our (piriruall bon· dage:the rhird is,ro wtll and dcfite ro bcler"e mChrill,auil ro teflifie.this defire by askmg, (eeking,knooking: rhetourrh is, acerten per· (wafion.or acertentieconceiued in minde of the mercieo'rGod by mcanes of the lorr'!er defire ~ccordjng to the promife of God, Asi{e,•ndit {hallbt giurn uniOJCIS• The fifth is an experkncecfche goodneiTeof God afrer Iono vfe ofthe mcanes offaluation,and then vpo"n rhi.s ;xpericnce 'followes the full per- , . Thcfecon'd·pointis,touchingrheAmhor ofthis l1berrie:,..in thc:fe wordes, wbtre-with Chnf/h.rh "?Jdn11 fru. Chrifithen is the worker ofthisliberric, Ioh.8.JG.he dilli:>lucs the workes of.rhe diudl.r. loh.J.8. he binds me'llrong man, and ca(ls him our of his hold.Marth.• :.29· He procures rhis liberrie by two meanes, by hismerit, andby rhe ef!icacic of hisfpi· tit. The mcritofhis death, procure• dcliuc– rance fromdeath 1 and it purchafctharight ro life cuerlalling. Theellicacieofhislpirit af– furesvs of our.adoption and withall abates by little and little cbe llrength and power of finne.. __ .__ \ · Thevfe. Hencewe lcarnc thegreatnelfe . fw•fion ofmercie and forgm<neffr. The
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