How to live, and that well in all estates and times, specially when helps…How to liue, and that well in all estates and times, specially when helps…

Thus much for the meaning of the text: now follows the use. The first and principal use concerns the information of our judgement, in the main point of our salvation. For hence Paul hath taught us to gather, that a sinner is justified before God by his faith, without the works of the law. And he disputes on this manner: If a sinner be justified by faith, he is not justified by the law: ¹but a sinner is justified by faith: therefore ⟨p. 53⟩he is not justified by the law. The conclusion is propounded in the eleven verse of the 3. chapter to the Galatians. The major is confirmed in the 12. verse by the divers manner of justifying: The law (saith Paul) justifieth by doing, not by believing: and faith justifieth not by doing, but by believing. The minor is confirmed in the 11. verse by the testimony of the prophet Habakkuk: The just shall live by his faith. And whereas the Papists of our time say that Paul in this argument disputes only against such works of the law as are done by nature, but not by grace: they err and are deceived. For he opposeth not works of nature and works of grace, ⟨p. 54⟩but works and faith doing and believing: and the prophet saith very plainly, and mark it; that the just man, who is a doer of the works of grace, is justified and lives not by his works, but by his faith. Again, where they make a double justification; one whereby a sinner is made a just man, the other whereby a just man is made more just: and teach that the first is by faith without works, and the second by faith and works, they err likewise. For not only a sinner unconverted, but the just man stands just, and is still justified by his faith without his works. Paul when he alleged this text knew but of one justification, whether we respect ⟨p. 55⟩the beginning or the continuance and the accomplishment thereof.

Thus much for the meaning of the text: nowe followes the vse. The first and principall vse concernes the information of our iudgement, in the maine point of our saluation. For hence Paul hath taught vs to gather, that a sinner is iustified before God by his faith, without the workes of the lawe. And he disputes on this manner: If a sinner be iustified by faith, he is not iustified by the lawe: