A06492:1206
Commentary upon the Epistle to the Galatians
A commentary of M. Doctor Martin Luther upon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Galatians first collected and gathered word by word out of his preaching, and now out of Latin faithfully translated into English for the unlearned. Wherein is set forth most excellently the glorious riches of Gods grace ...A commentarie of M. Doctor Martin Luther vpon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Galathians first collected and gathered vvord by vvord out of his preaching, and novv out of Latine faithfully translated into English for the vnlearned. Wherein is set forth most excellently the glorious riches of Gods grace ...
London: printed by Thomas Vautroullier dwelling wihtin sic, 1575London: printed by Thomas Vautroullier dvvelling vvihtin sic, 1575
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Paul therefore plainly showeth by this allegory the difference betwixt the law and the Gospel:1 First when he calleth Hagar the old Testament, and Sarah the new: Again, when he calleth the one a bondmaid, the other a freewoman: Moreover, when he sayeth that the married & fruitful is become barren and cast out of the house with her children. Contrariwise the barren and forsaken is become fruitful, & bringeth forth an infinite number of children, & those also inheritors. By these differences are resembled the two sorts of people, of Faith & of the law I mean. The people of Faith have not the law for their husband, they serve not in bondage, they are not borne of that mother Jerusalem which now is: but they have the promise, they are free, and are borne of free Sarah.
Paule therefore plainly sheweth by this allegory the difference betwixt the law and the Gospell:1 First when he calleth Agar the olde Testament, and Sara the newe: Againe, when he calleth the one a bondmaind, the other a freewoman: Moreouer, when he sayeth that the maried & frutefull is become barren and cast out of the house with her children. Contrariwise the barren and forsaken is become frutefull, & bringeth forth an infinite nōber of children, & those also inheritours. By these differences are resembled the two sortes of people, of Faith & of the law I meane. The people of Faith haue not the lawe for their husband, they serue not in bondage, they are not borne of that mother Ierusalem which now is: but they haue the promise, they are free, and are borne of free Sara.
- 1The difference betwixt the law and the gospel.The difference betvvixt the lavv and the gospell.
He separateth therefore the spiritual people of the new Testament from the other people of the law, when he sayeth that the spiritual people are not the children of Hagar the bondmaid, but of Sarah the freewoman, which knoweth nothing of the law. And by this means he placeth the people of faith far above and without the law. Now, if they be above and without the law, then are they justified by the spiritual birth only, which is nothing else but Faith: and not by the law or by the works thereof. Now, as the people of grace, neither have, nor can have the law: so the people of the law neither have nor can