Gal. ii. 16. The epistle of the same apostle unto the Galatiansis wholly designed unto the vindication of the doctrine of justification by Christ, without the works of the law, with the use and means of its improvement. The sum of his whole design is laid down in the repetition of his words unto the apostle Peter, on the occasion of his failure, there related, chap. ii. 16, " Knowing that a man is not jus- tified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even
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we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law ; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
That which he doth here assert, was such a known, such a funda- mental principle of truth among all believers, that their conviction and knowledge of it was the gi'ound and occasion of their transition and passing over from Judaism unto the gospel, and faith in Jesus Christ thereby.
And in the words, the apostle determines that great inquiry, how or by what means a man is or may be justified before God? The subject spoken of is expressed indefinitely: " A man," — that is, any man, a Jew, or a Gentile; a believer, or an unbeliever; the apostle that spake, and they to whom he spake, — the Galatians to whom he wrote, who also for some time had believed and made profession of the gospel.
The answer given unto the question is both negative and positive, both asserted with the highest assurance, and as the common faith of all Christians, but only those who had been carried aside from it by seducers. He asserts that this is not, this cannot be, " by the works of the law." What is intended by " the law," in these disputations of the apostle, hath been before declared and evinced. The law of Moses is sometimes signally intended, — not absolutely, but as it was the pre- sent instance of men's cleaving unto the law of righteousness, and not submitting themselves thereon unto the righteousness of God. But that the consideration of the moral law, and the duties of it, is in this argument anywhere excepted by him, is a weak imagination, — yea, it would except the ceremonial law itself ; for the observation of it, whilst it was in force, was a duty of the moral law.
And the works of the law are the works and duties of obedience which this law of God requires, performed in the manner that it pre- scribes,— namely, in faith, and out of love unto God above all ; as hath been proved. To say that the apostle excludeth only works abso- lutely j)erfect, which none ever did or could perform since the en- trance of sin, is to suppose him to dispute, with great earnestness and many arguments, against that which no man asserted, and which he doth not once mention in all his discourse. Nor can he be said to exclude only works that are looked on as meritorious, seeing he ex- cludeth all works, that there may be no place for merit in our justi- fication; as hath also been proved. IS or did these Galatians, whom he "WTites unto, and convinccth them of their eiTor, look for justifica- tion from any works but such as they performed then, when they Avere believers. So that all sorts of works are excluded from any interest in our justification. And so much weight doth the apostle lay on this exclusion of works from our justification, as that he affirms that the admittance of it overthrows the whole gospel, verse 21 :
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" For," saith he, " if righteousness be by the law, then Christ is dead in vain;" and it is dangerous venturing on so sharp a fence.
Not this or that sort of works; not this or that manner of the per- formance of them; not this or that kind of interest in our justifica- tion ; but all works, of what sort soever, and however performed, are excluded from any kind of consideration in our justification, as our works or duties of obedience. For these Galatians, whom the apostle reproves, desired no more but that, in the justification of a believer, works of the law, or duties of obedience, might be admitted into a conjimction or copartnership with faith in Christ Jesus; for that they would exclude faith in him, and assign justification unto works Avith- out it, nothing is intimated, and it is a foolish imagination. In op- position hereunto he positively ascribes our justification unto faith in Christ alone. " Not by works, but by faith," is by faith alone. That the particles lav /xrj are not exceptive but adversative, hath not only been undeniably proved by Protestant divines, but is acknowledged by those of the Roman church who pretend unto any modesty in this controversy. The words of Estius on this place deserve to be tran- scribed: "Nisi per fidem Jesu Christi; sententiam reddit obscuram particula nisi" (so the Vulgar Latin renders sav ^ajj, instead of " sed" or " sed tantum") " qua? si proprie ut Latinis auribus sonat accipia- tur, exceptionem facit ab eo quod pra?cedit, ut sensus sit hominem non justificari ex operibus Legis, nisi fides in Christum ad ea opera accedat, quae si accesserit justificari eum per legis opera. Sed cum hie sensus justificationem dividat, partim eam tribuens operil)us legis, partim fidei Christi, quod est contra definitam et absolutam apostoli sententiam, manifestum est, interpretationem illam tanquam aposto- lico sensui et scope contrariam omnino repudiandam esse. Yerum constat voculam ' nisi' frequenter in Scripturis adversative sumi, ut idem valeat quod ' sed tantum.' " So he according to his usual can- dour and ingenuity.