Sermon of Master John Calvin, on the history of Melchizedek Wherein is also handled,…Sermon of Maister Iohn Caluin, on the historie of Melchisedech Wherein is also handled,…

Paul such a contrariety between the law and the Gospel? Forsooth it is in respect of our justification. And even so is it between faith & works: and the contrariety is this, because works are made merits. And that which is more, we can do no good work but by faith, as we have already said, and hereafter shall be more largely handled For the cause and the effect are not contraries: but when we will establish any merit in our works, that is to say, when as we will go about to make them available to obtain favour at Gods hand, & to satisfy for our sins: to be short, when as we would bring them in, to serve us for our salvation, this is, utterly to overthrow faith, & by this means, make it of no worth. Thus then we see, that it is not without cause why Saint Paul concludeth thus: That seeing we are justified by faith, then are works of no value, but must be quite and clean shut out of the doors, for any opinion that we ought to attribute ⟨p. 142⟩unto merits or virtues, whereby to please God withal. Now we are here eftsoons to note, that God of his mere liberality justifieth us, and searcheth after our miseries to sustain them, that he might be known to be only righteous, & the commendation of our salvation, to be absolutely given unto him accordingly, as Saint Paul right well noteth both in his Epistle unto the Ephesians, & also unto the Romans,¹ saying: That God hath concluded all under sin, that he might be known to be only righteous, and every mouth be stopped, because it is he only that justifieth sinners through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that bringeth us into the way of his righteousness. As also in the third to the Galatians, when as Saint Paul propoundeth this question. How is it possible that God gave the law after the promise? For it should seem that God changed his purpose, and was misadvised, because he freely justified Abram, and a long time after gave the law: and therein he saith, That whosoever shall do these things, shall live by them. Hereunto Saint Paul answereth, That the law was not given to annihilate the free promise, but for the use, whereof I have already spoken, that is, that we must be all concluded under sin and condemnation, for else we should never feel of ⟨p. 143⟩what price the mercy of God was, nor never look after it, and besides we would think that we had no need of it.