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

Paul concludeth, that there is neither Greek nor Jew bond nor free, male nor female, but that Jesus Christ is one in us all, and all we are one in him. And by this sentence S. Paul meant to express yet better, that only faith ought to suffice us, and that we must exclude all other means: for else it were a derogation as well to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, as to the working of his holy spirit. If any man allege that circumcision was always a record too the fathers, of the same thing that we have at this day in baptism: the doubt is assoiled in the second too the Colossians,¹ where S. Paul sayeth that in being baptized we be circumcised: [howbeit] not with mans hand, nor with visible circumcision: but that it ought to suffice us that God acknowledgeth us to be partakers of the spiritual circumcision, namely for so much as baptism is ordained too ⟨image 198⟩the same end now adays. And let us mark, that circumcision served to put a difference between the Jews and the Gentiles. It was (as the Scripture termeth it) a wall betwixt them, too fence in the Jews as the people whom God had chosen.² But now the blessing is published everywhere, so as there is no more diversity. Now then baptism being in these days succeeded in the place of circumcision, supplieth the want of that old sign, which was a figure and shadow of things too come. And that should not needed too have bin, if our Lord Jesus Christ had not bin away. But now that he is manifested unto us▪ we have baptism ordained in stead of it. Notwithstanding let us mark (as I have said already) that we can bring nothing of our own wherewith to purchase favour before God: all that we can do is but simply to confess our sin, which were enough too drown us in despair. Furthermore we have faith, whereby we recover that which is requisite for our salvation. I say we recover it, by seeking it in our Lord Jesus Christ. Now then if we say, yea but we be weak and rude, we cannot mount so high as too the secretes of heaven: let us look upon the baptism that is given us, as though God reached out his hand too us. There he showeth us to eyesight, after what manner he plucketh us out of the curse wherein we were plunged, and covereth us with our Lord Jesus Christ, to the end that all our misdeeds should be buried by the perfection of his righteousness.