We do suppose (saith he) that a man is iustified by faith / without the workes of the Lawe.
And as many as are vnder the deedes of the Lawe are subiect to the curs.
Agayne the Iuste man shall lyue by his faithe.
This is the somme of Paules doctrine / wherby it doth appeare / that Paule did not vtterly condẽne the obseruing of the ceremonies of the Law / but only whẽ it was done with this minde / as thoughe that Iustification did not cõme therby. And the same his meaning he vtterith most playnly to the Galathians / where he saithe.
As many of ye as are circumcised / ye are fallen from the grace of Christe: for Christe shall not profite you at all: ye are gone quite frõ Christe / as many as are Iustified by the Lawe / As yf he wold saye / These thinges of theyr owne nature do not alienate and separate vs from Christe / but only when they be done with this mynde and purpose / to be Iustified by them: Take awaye this opinion / and this euell hurtefull purpose being remoued / then Paule cõmendeth these worckes / and all other ciuyle ordinaunces cõmaunded / and appoynted to that Nacion: he condẽneth them not / but so farre as they wer iustly and not supersticiously vsed / he did leaue thẽ in theyr place /
ãd did not hinder the obseruacion of them. As he dyd also write / that in the Lord / there was neither Iue nor gentill / neyther bonde nor fre.
And that in Christe Iesus / neyther circumcision auaileth any thing at all / nor vncircumcision / but the obseruing of the commaũdements of God / or a new creature.
And againe yf any be called being circũcised / let him not adde vncircũcision. If anye be called vncircũcised / let hym not be circũcised. Let euery man abyde in the same estate / in which he is called. All these indifferẽt thinges / might somtyme be well obserued / somtyme be as well left vndone / as most serued for edifying in godd. Of which vse and obseruacion of thẽ
Paule doth speake / when of him self he saieth: I am made all vnto all mẽ / that I might wynne manye: Vnto the Iues / I am made as a Iue / to thẽ which are without the lawe / as though I were without a lawe. This sentence he hath also confirmed by examples:
For when he was required to circũcise Timothie / because that the custumme which was yet in force might be kept / he did it: But when they wolde enforce him to the ouerthrowĩg of the christiã libertie / that he shulde likewise circumcise Titus /