Sermons of M. John Calvin upon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the GalatiansSermons of M. Iohn Caluine vpon the Epistle of Saincte Paule to the Galathians

And that is the cause why our Lord Jesus Christ saith, that the wretched loose livers, yea even the very whoremongers shall much sooner come too the kingdom of heaven, than […] any of all these foul toads that are so puffed up with the vain trust of their own deserts, that although their whole life be wicked, and they themselves are full of all loathsomeness, yet they will needs bind God unto them, under the shadow of their hypocrisy. Now to the intent to cut off all occasion of such imaginations, the Prophet saith purposely, that the ⟨p. 140⟩righteous shall live by faith. At the first sight there should seem to be some contrariety in these two sayings. How so? Must we to the intent to be righteous live by faith? [yea:] for if we live not by faith, we be not righteous. For what is the righteousness of the Gospel? It is Gods free giving us a convenient remedy whereby to come unto him, and to be in his favour through our Lord Jesus Christ, because we cannot obtain righteousness by the law. Therefore whosoever liveth by faith is out of doubt not righteous of himself. But the Prophet saith, that those notwithstanding are righteous, which are saved by Gods only and free mercy. Therefore it is as much as if he had said, that although God give us the grace to employ our selves to his service, and have by his holy spirit imprinted in our harts the true fear and honour which we owe unto him, so as we fight against the lusts of our flesh to the uttermost of our power, & strive against the sin that is in us, and in our nature: yet must we shut our eyes at all the things which we would fain find in our selves too please God with, and rest wholly upon our Lord Jesus Christ. If the righteous must be fain to be justified by faith: who shall be justified by his own deservings? None will take upon them, but Devils, wicked wights, and enemies of God. Ye see then that the Papists even at this day could not devise to show beaten that they intend not to be righteous, than by their striving for the righteousness of their own works and deserts, as they do. For it is an utter fighting even with a spite: against God and nature. You [Papists] say you, seek too be righteous: and how? even by your selves, and by your own works and deservings. Well, let us consider what the Prophet saith:

And that is the cause why our Lorde Iesus Christ sayth, that the wretched loce liuers, yea euen the verie whooremongers shall much sooner come too the kingdome of heauen, than 〈…〉 any of all these foule toades that are so puffed vp with the vaine trust of their own deserts, that although their whole life be wicked, and they thēselues are full of all lothsomnesse, yet they will nedes bind God vnto thē, vnder the shadow of their hypocisie. Now to the entēt to cut off all occasion of such imaginations, the Prophet saith purposely, that the