2. They erroneously seek God's favour by works of the law, not knowing that the law in this our corrupt nature worketh only the anger of God. (Rom. iv. 15.)

3. They err also in this-that where the office of the law is diverse and contrary from the gospel, they, without any difference, confound the one with the other, making the gospel to be a law, and Christ to be a Moses. Thus opposing John, i. 17.

4. They err in dividing the law unskilfully into three parts; into the law natural, the law moral, and the law evangelical.

5. They err again, in dividing the law evangelical into precepts and counsels, making the precepts to serve for all men, the counsels only to serve for them that are perfect.

6. The chief substance of all their teaching and preaching rests upon the works of the law, as may appear by their religion, which wholly consists in men's merits, traditions, laws, canons, decrees, and ceremonies. Thus opposing Mark, xvi. 15.

7. In the doctrine of salvation, of remission, and justification, they either admix the law equally with the gospel, or else, quite secluding the gospel, they teach and preach the law, so that little mention or none at all is made the faith of Christ.

8. They err in thinking, that the law of God requires nothing in us under pain of damnation, but only our obedience in external actions; as for the inward affections and concupiscence, they esteem them but light matters.

9. They, not knowing the true nature and strength of the law, erroneously imagine that it is in man's power to fulfil it Rom. viii. 3. 10. They err in thinking it not only to be in man's power to keep the law of God, but also to perform more perfect works than are commanded in God's law, and these they call the works of perfection. And hereof rise the works of supererogation, of satisfaction, of congruity, and condignity, to store up the treasure-house of the pope's church, and to be sold out to the people for money. Gal. ii. 21. il. They err, in saying, that the monastical state is more perfect, for keeping the counsels of the gospel, than other states are, in keeping the law of the gospel.

12. The counsels of the gospel they call the vows of their religious men, as profound humility, perfect chastity, and wilful poverty. 13. They err abominably, in equalling their laws and constitutions with God's law, and in saying, that man's law bindeth under pain of damnation no less than God's law. See Mat. xxiii. 4.

14. They err sinfully, in punishing the transgressors of their laws more sharply than the transgressors of the law of God, as appears by their inquisitions and their canon law, &c.

15. Finally, they err most horribly in this, that where the free promise of God ascribes our salvation, only to our faith in Christ, excluding works, they contrarily ascribe salvation only, or principally, to works and merits, excluding faith. Whereupon riseth the application of the sacrifice of the mass, ex opere operato' (that is, by the work wrought) for the quick and dead; application of the merits of Christ's passion in bulls ; application of the merits of all religious orders; and many other falsehoods. Matt. xv. 7-9. Here follow three Cautions to be observed and avoided in the true understanding of the Law.

:

First, that we through misunderstanding of the Scriptures, do not take the law for the gospel, nor the gospel for the law but skilfully discern and distinguish the voice of the one, from the voice of the other. Many there are, who reading the book of the New Testament, take and understand whatsoever they see contained in the said book, to be only and merely the voice of the gospel. And con

trariwise suppose that whatsoever is contained in the compass of the Old Testament, that is, within the law, histories, psalms, and prophets, is only and merely the word and voice of the law; wherein many are deceived. For the preaching of the law and the gospel, are mixed together in both the Testaments, as well in the old as the new. Neither is the order of these two doctrines to be distinguished by books and leaves, but by the diversity of God's Spirit, speaking unto us. For sometimes in the Old Testament, God comforts, as he comforteth Adam, with the voice of the gospel. Sometimes, also, in the New Testament, he threatens and terrifies, as when Christ threatened the Pharisees: in some places again, Moses and the prophets are as the evangelists. Insomuch, that Jerome doubted whether he should call Isaiah a prophet, or an evangelist. In some places, likewise, Christ and the apostles supply the part of Moses and as Christ himself, until his death, was under the law, which law he came not to break but to fulfil, so, his sermons made to the Jews, for the most part all run upon the perfect doctrine and works of the law, showing and teaching what we ought to do by the right law of justice, and what danger ensues in not performing the same. All which places, though they are contained in the book of the New Testament, yet they are to be referred to the doctrine of the law, ever having in them included a privy exception of repentance, and faith in Christ Jesus. As for example, where Christ thus preached: "Blessed are they that are pure in heart, for they shall see God," &c. (Mat. v. 8.) Again: "Except ye are made like these children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven," &c. (Mal. xviii. 3.) Again: "But he that doeth the will of my Father, shalt enter into the kingdom of heaven," &c. (Mat. vii. 21.) Again: the parable of the unkind servant justly cast into prison for not forgiving his fellow, &c. (Mat. xviii. 23-35.) The casting of the rich glutton into hell, &c. (Luke, xvi.) Again; "He that denieth me here before men, I will deny him before my Father," &c. (Luke, xii. 9.) With such other places of like condition. All these, I say, pertaining to the doctrine of the law, ever include in them a secret exception of earnest repentance, and faith in Christ's precious blood. For Peter denied, and yet repented. Many publicans and sinners were unkind, unmerciful, and hard-hearted to their fellow-servants, and yet many of them repented, and by faith were saved. The grace of Christ Jesus work in us earnest repentance, and unfeigned faith in him. Amen.

Briefly, this may serve for a mark to know when the law speaketh, and when the gospel speaketh, and to discern the voice of the one, from the voice of the other. When there is any moral work commanded to be done, either for eschewing* punishment, or upon promise of any reward temporal or eternal; or, when any promise is made with condition of any work commanded in the law; there is to be understood the voice of the law. Contrarily, where the promise of life and salvation is offered unto us freely without our merits, and simply without any condition annexed of any law, either natural, ceremonial, or moral; all those places, whether they are read in the Old Testament, or in the New, are to be referred to the voice and doctrine of the gospel. And this promise of God freely made to us by the merits of Jesus Christ, so long before prophesied to us in the Old Testament, and afterwards exhibited in the New Testament, and now requiring nothing but our faith in the Son of God, is called properly the voice of the gospel, and differs from the voice of the law in this, that it has no condition adjoined of our meriting, but only respects the merits of Christ, the Son of God, by whose faith only we are promised of God to be saved and justified,

* Avoiding.

according as we read, (Rom. iii. 22.) "The righteousness of God cometh by faith of Jesus Christ, in all and upon all, that do believe.' The second caution or danger to be avoided is, that we, now knowing, how to discern rightly between the law and the gospel, and having intelligence not to mistake the one for the other, must take heed again, that we break not the order between these two, taking and applying the law, where the gospel is to be applied, either to ourselves, or towards others. For albeit, the law and the gospel, many times are to be joined together in order of doctrine; yet the case may happen sometimes, that the law must be utterly separated from the gospel. As when any person or persons feel themselves so terrified and oppressed, with the majesty of the law, and judgments of God, and with the burden of their sins overweighed and thrown down into utter discomfort, almost even to the pit of hell, as happens many times to soft and timorous consciences of God's good servants. When such mortified hearts hear, either in preaching, or in reading, any such example or place of the Scripture, which pertains to the law, let them think that the same belongs not to them, any more than mourning weeds belong to a marriage feast; and therefore removing utterly out of their minds all cogitation of the law, of fear, of judgment, and condemnation, let them only set before their eyes the gospel, the sweet comfort of God's promise, free forgiveness of sins in Christ's grace, redemption, liberty, rejoicing, psalms, thanksgiving, and a paradise of spiritual joyfulness, and nothing else. Thinking thus with themselves-that the law hath done its office in them already, and now must needs give place to its better, that is, must needs give place to Christ, the Son of God, who is the Lord and Master, the Fulfiller, and also the Finisher of the law; for the end of the law is Christ. (Rom. x. 4.)

The third danger to be avoided is, that we do not use or apply, on the contrary side, the gospel instead of the law. For as the other was like putting on a mourning gown, in the feast of marriage : so is this like casting pearls before swine, wherein is great abuse among many. For commonly it is seen that these worldly epicures and secure mammonists, to whom the doctrine of the law properly appertains, receive and apply to themselves, most principally, the sweet promises of the gospel; and contrariwise, the other contrite and bruised hearts, to whom belong only the joyful tidings of the gospel, and not the law, for the most part, receive and retain to themselves the terrible voice and sentence of the law. Whereby it comes to pass, that many rejoice, where they should mourn; and on the other side, many fear and mourn, where they need not. Wherefore to conclude, in private use of life, let every person discreetly discern between the law and the gospel, and aptly apply to himself

that which he seeth to be convenient.

And again, in public order of doctrine, let every discreet preacher put a difference between the broken heart of the mourning sinner, and the unrepenting worldling; and so conjoin both the law with the gospel, and the gospel with the law, that in throwing down the wicked, he may ever spare the weak-hearted: and again, so spare the weak, that he do not encourage the ungodly. And thus much concerning the conjunction and the difference between the law and the gospel, upon the occasion of MASTER PATRICK'S PLACES.

Individually and for his private use.

THE

CONFESSION OF FAITH,

CONTAINING HOW THE TROUBLED MAN SHOULD SEEK REFUGE AT HIS GOD, THERETO LED BY FAITH; WITH THE DECLARATION OF THE ARTICLE OF JUSTIFICATION AT LENGTH. THE ORDER OF

GOOD WORKS WHICH ARE THE FRUITS OF FAITH;

AND HOW THE FAITHFUL AND JUSTIFIED

MAN SHOULD WALK AND LIVE IN

THE PERFECT AND TRUE

CHRISTIAN RELIGION,
ACCORDING TO HIS

VOCATION.

COMPILED BY M.

HENRY BALNAVES, OF HALHILL, AND ONE OF THE LORDS OF SESSION AND COUNCIL OF SCOTLAND, BEING A PRISONER WITHIN THE OLD PALACE OF ROANE.

IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD, 1548.

DIRECTED TO HIS FAITHFUL BRETHREN, BEING IN LIKE TROUBLE OR MORE. AND TO ALL TRUE PROFESSORS AND FAVOURERS OF THE SINCERE WORD OF GOD.

He shall come, and shall not tarry, in whom who believe shall not be confounded.-Acts i. Hab. ii. Heb. x.

Imprinted at Edinburgh by Thomas Vautrollier, 1584.

BALNAVES.

B

HENRY BALNAVES, of Halhill, was born of poor parents in the town of Kirkaldy, in Scotland. When yet a boy he travelled to the continent. Hearing of a free school at Cologne, he procured admission, and received a liberal education with instruction in the principles of the Reformation. Returning to his native country, he studied the law, and was for some time in the family of the earl of Arran, by whom he was employed in public affairs, but was dismissed in 1542, for having embraced the protestant faith. In 1546, he took refuge in the castle of St. Andrew's with those who had put cardinal Beaton to death. Though he was not concerned in that act, he was declared a traitor, and excommunicated. During the siege which ensued, he went to England, whence he returned with supplies of provisions and money. Upon the surrender of the castle to the French, he was conveyed to Rouen with Knox and others, where they were detained prisoners contrary to the terms of capitulation. While in prison, Balnaves composed a treatise on Justification, which being conveyed to Knox, then a prisoner on board the gallies, the latter was so much pleased with the work, as to divide it into chapters, adding marginal notes, and an epitome of the contents. He prefixed a recommendatory preface, in which he gives an account of the treatise and its origin. There is reason to think that the manuscript was conveyed to Scotland about this time, but was mislaid, and for many years supposed to be lost. After the death of Knox, it was discovered by Knox's secretary, Bannantine, in the hands of a child, and was printed in 1584, under the title of A Confession of Faith.

Balnaves returned to Scotland in 1559, and was again employed in public affairs. In 1563, he was appointed one of the lords of session; he died at Edinburgh in 1579. Dr. M'Crie says that he raised himself, by his talents and probity, from an obscure station to the first honours of the state, and was justly regarded as one of the principal supporters of the reformed cause in Scotland

The treatise of Balnaves is now reprinted from the edition of 1584. Dr. M'Crie, in his life of Knox, has given several passages from it, considering that he could not give a more correct view of the sentiments of the great Scottish Reformer on the fundamental article of faith-the doctrine of Justification-than by quoting from a book which was revised and approved by him