Works, and the Reward Thereof. The Ninth Sermon
I save already through many sermons discoursed long upon God’s laws. Now therefore, because upon the consideration and handling of the law there do arise certain points not! to be omitted, which do depend upon, and are annexed hand in hand unto, the law; of which sort are christian liberty, good works, the reward? of good works; 3sin, and the reward or punishment of sin; I will speak of them in order, as God shall put into my mouth: whom I shall desire you to pray unto with me, beseeching him not to suffer me to speak, in these or other points of holy doctrine, the thing that shall sound against his holy will.
Upon the abrogation of the law doth christian liberty and follow, as the effect of the abrogating of the law; which liberty doth minister us occasion to speak of offences.
Now concerning christian liberty the most holy apostle Christ, St Paul, hath reasoned very diligently and largely; whereby we may gather that the consideration of christian liberty is neither of no weight, nor yet of little profit. Bat the treatise thereof is especially necessary to us of this age,
[eterno,—Bullinger published at Zurich, A.p. 1534, and afterwards]
[appended to his Commentaries in Epistolas Apostolorum canonicas]
[septem.] [1 non contemnenda, Lat. omitted; not to be thought lightly of.] [2 merces sive premium, Lat.] [ denique, Lat. omitted; lastly.]]
among whom there are no small number of men, which do either not understand what christian liberty is; or else, if they know it, do foully abuse it, thereby to fulfil the lusts of the flesh. 1 will therefore tell you who is the deliverer that setteth us at liberty; who they are that he setteth at liberty; and wherein and how far forth he setteth them at liberty: which things being once known, it will be an easy matter to perceive what christian liberty is, what the property or disposition of those is which are so set at liberty, and how far forth they must beware from giving offence to any man, and from abusing their granted liberty. There is none other deliverer promised, given and preached unto us, than Christ Jesus, the Son of God. For he which doth deliver other men, must be himself free from the bands wherewith they are tied, that wish and look to be set at liberty. But throughout all ages there is none such to be found in all the world, nor yet in heaven, but Jesus Christ alone, the Son of God; who for that cause did in the gospel say, “If the Son set you at liberty, then are ye free indeed.” Now they, whom the Lord delivereth, are bond-slaves; wherefore he doth deliver them from bondage, and doth incorporate them in the liberty of the sons of God. He doth set all bond-servants at liberty, excluding none but such as do by their own default, their own unbelief and disobedience, exclude themselves. For the coming of the Son of God was to set all such at liberty as were entangled in bondage. Therefore he doth so far forth deliver us, as we are bond-servants. For bondage and liberty are one opposed and contrary to the other, so that without the consideration of the one we cannot conceive the meaning of the other. Wherefore I think it best here to speak so much of bondage as this present argument shall seem to require.
First, bondage is nothing else but the state or condition wherein bond-servants be. Now those that are in bondage are either bondmen born, or else made bond-servants. The children that issue of bond-servants are bond-slaves born. The other, that are made bond-servants, are so made either by captivity, whereupon they take their names, and are called captives; for Pomponius saith, Slaves were thereupon so
a qua Lat.) [5 exhibetur, Lat.] [6 Jesus Christ, not in Lat.]
ἱὲ 802 THE THIRD DECADE. [sERrM. called, because the captains commanded to sell them for money, when they were in wars taken captives by their soldiers; and so by that means to spare their life and save them: these bondmen are in Latin also called Mancipia, eo quod ab hostibus manu caperentur, because they were taken prisoners by the hand of their enemies: or else they are made bondslaves by the civil law; as when a freeman, above twenty years of age, doth for lucre sake suffer himself to be sold for money. Bondmen therefore have lost all liberty, and do wholly hang upon their masters’ government, in whose power it lieth to kill them if they list. of Now of bondage there are two sorts; the politic’, and the spiritual. The politic bondage is not by grace and the preaching of the gospel taken out of the church of the faithful, so that there should be no bondmen at all, or that they should not do their duty, or not do the service that of right vi. they do owe. For the apostle Paul sajth: “Let every man walk according as he is called. And so ordain I in all churches. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but yet if thou mayest be free, use it rather.” And again: “Servants, obey them that are your bodily masters with fear and trembling and singleness of heart, as unto Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will serving the Lord, and not men; knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth, that shall he receive again of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.” And in his epistle to Timothy he saith: “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they which have believing masters, despise them not, because they are brethren; but rather do service, forasmuch as they are believ- [! Servi autem ex eo appellati sunt, quod Imperatores captivos