of sacrifices washeth away sinnes How we are baptised into the remission of sinnes Faith must go before the receauing of the sacraments the faith of the elders wherby they had a respect vnto Christ and embrased him in the signification of those sacrifices iustified and obteyned remissiō of sinnes Doubtles the bloud of those sacrifices washeth not away the sinnes of the world but only the bloud of Christ as he sayd This cup is the new testament in my bloud which shall be shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes But whereas we are sayd to be baptised into the remission of sinnes the meaning thereof is that in that sacrament is sealed vnto vs and signified the remission of sinnes which by the bloud of Christ we haue alredy obteyned which selfe thing also is done in the Eucharist and fayth ought alwayes to go before the receauing of the sacramētes if we receaue them rightly and the order be not inuerted for as without fayth men eate and drinke in the Euchariste vnworthely so also without faith baptisme is vnworthely receaued which yet is to be vnderstāded touching them that are of full age for touching infantes how it is with them we haue els where declared Wherfore if faith go before thē is it manifest that sinnes are forgeuen which thing the sacraments which follow seale vnto vs and confirm vs of the will of God and when they are set forth vnto vs they oftētimes stirre vp faith no otherwise then doth the word of God whē it is heard So that it is not possible but that faith being newly stirred vp iustificatiō is more and more taken hold of and our strengths are more and more renued to leade a newe life And therefore whereas Chrisostome when he enterpreteth these wordes saith When I shall take as way their sinnes they are not yet circumcised they do not yet offer whilest they do other thinges pertaining to the law their sinnes are taken away we muste not doubtles so vnderstād him as though the fathers in the old time when they did these things and by them excercised their faith for that they saw Christe signified in them had not thereby fruite as we haue but he so spake for that now after that Christ hath suffred these things are vnprofitable in the old time they did not of the worke it selfe conferre grace as the Iewes dreamed In which thing also in our dayes the sophistical diuines are deceiued as touching our sacramēts But as touching the other argument A place of Ieremy wheras in the epistle vnto y◠Hebrues it is said that the olde iestamēt is abolished made voide the new taking place wheras Ieremy saith that God wold make a new couenant not according to the couenant which he made with the fathers whē he brought them out of the land of Egipt We answer that there the couenant is taken for the law as it is distinguished from the Gospell whiche is hereby manifest for that he sayth that he will write his lawes in theyr hartes and will graue them in their inward partes Which thing is not agreable with the law whiche onely sheweth sinnes condemneth and accuseth neither geueth strengthes yea rather it after a sorte commaundeth infinite thinges and layeth vpon vs such a burthen as we are not able to beare and therfore the prophet there saith that they abode not in their Testament Wherfore this word couenant or testament is not there so takē as we now here take it for as we here entreate of it it comprehendeth both the law and the Gospell And this way there is no differēce betwene the old testamēt and the new but onely as we declared And if thou wilt say that the prophet there also vnderstandeth this woord Testament in such sorte as we now speake of it we may then graunte that by the comming of Christe is made some abrogation The figure Sinechdoche is vsed when the old Testament is said to be abrogated when as those accidences condicions and qualities which were in the olde testamente are now abrogated Wherefore therein is vsed the figure Sinechdoche wherby a thing is simply or absolutely sayd to be abolished or made voyde when it is taken away onely as touching some parte thereof The Iewes are wonderfully troubled with this sentence of the Prophet and can scarce tell what to saye for whilest they seke to defend the old law and so to defend it that nothing is therof to be chaunged and reproue vs for that we haue chaunged circumcision into baptisme and the day of the Sabaoth into the Lords day and haue reiected many other thinges how can they affirme that a new couenaunte shal be made and not according to that which was made when they were brought out of Egipte Here they can scarce tell whiche way to turne themselues Howbeit leaste they shoulde A startyng hole of the Iewes séeme to geue place they say that onely the manner shal be diuers and thinke that the couenaunte as touchinge the thinge shal be one and the same but that vnder Messias it shall more firmely and more surely be established But we may more truely saye that this was done at the beginning of the churche when so greate aboundance of the holy ghost was poured into the beleuers y◠they not onely spread abroad the Gospell throughout the whole world but also no persecutions nor torments were they neuer so horrible no nor death though it were most sharp could cause them to depart from the couenante which they had nowe thorough Christe made with God And as manye as are in very déede faithfull do willinglye and of their owne accord cleaue vnto the truth and vnto holines And forasmuch as here is mencion made of the couenant this is to be knowne that it is for the most part called of the lattines Testamentum of the Gréekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of the Hebrues Bedith all which wordes very aptlye expresse it For a testamente is so called for that it is a testimony of the last will of him which disposeth his goods and for that By what words a testament is called this is done vpon sure consideration in iust order the Grecians called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a disposinge For the inheritaunce is ordered in deuiding it amongest the heires But with the Hebrues Bedith signifieth a league or couenant which here had great force for in this leage was appoynted that God should be their God and I testamēt why it i◠so called they his people And the form and strength of this couenant leage and testament herein chiefly consisteth that our sinnes should be forgeuen vs and that by Christ And when the Prophet writeth that out of Sion shall come a redeemer vnto Iacob Christ shall not come again to redeme mankind it is not so to be vnderstanded as though Christ shall come againe into the worlde to redeme them for it is sufficient
forasmuch as so great a price is payd for our saluation we By the vse of the sacramēts we are put in minde of the benefit receaued The wayght of sinne is to be waighed by the price of our redemption ought not to suffer so great a benefite lightly to slippe out of our memory For the auoyding whereof we are holpen not only by doctrine and the scriptures but also by sacramentes For euen as among the elders the often sacrifices shadowed Christ to come so now the often vse of the misteries bringeth to memory his death and bloud shed for vs. And by this price of redemption may we perceaue the greeuousnes of sinne forasmuch as the waight thereof was so great that it kindled agaynst vs the iust wrath of God and such a wrath as was not rashely conceaued which wrath being an appetite or desire of vengeance by a most iust consideration required a most excellent sacrifice vpon which might be transferred all our sinnes And forasmuch as the same wrath is by no other thing asswaged but by the bloud and death of Christ they are to be coūted most greeuous blasphemers which dare attribute the same either to our workes or to outward rites VVhome God hath set forth a propitiator In that Christ is sayd to be set forth vnto vs by God thereby is shewed that the doctrine of the Gospell is God two maner of wayes setteth forth Christ vnto vs to be beleued The merite of the death of Christ dependeth of the predestination of God no new thing nor inuented by men But in what sort Christ is set forth vnto vs is declared by two principall pointes First because God by reuelation setteth forth vnto vs thinges to be beleued vnto the knowledge whereof by the light of nature we could neuer attayne Secondly in that he causeth vs to haue a pleasure in thinges shewed vnto vs and to geue our assent vnto them and moueth and stirreth vp our mynd inspiring vs with fayth This may also be referred vnto the good pleasure and blessed predestination of God wherehence dependeth the merite of the death of Christ Otherwise God mought by any other thing haue redemed vs and deliuered vs from sinnes Wherefore we must count that by his determination and purpose only haue we receaued that he would vouchsafe to accept the death of Iesus Christ his sonne and by it reconcile vnto him the sayntes Of this purpose and good pleasure is mencion made vnto the Ephes in the first chapiter Where it is thus writtē According to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himselfe euen vnto the dispensation of the fulnes of tymes that he might set vp all thinges perfectly by Christ both the thinges which are in heauen and the thinges which are in earth in whome euen we also are by lot called being predestinate according to his purpose which worketh al things according to the counsell of his wil that we which before hoped in Christ should be to the prayse of his glory in whom also we hope forasmuch as we haue hard the word of truth euē the Gospell of your saluation c. And in an other place oftentymes and in this selfe same epistle is mencion made of the purpose of God Although this reason of the will and A probable reason of the counsel of God counsell of God is not to be contēned yet as I thinke this reason may be assigned that by him it was mete the world should be restored to his olde estate by whome all thinges were created This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here put may signifye these three thinges a propitiator propitiation and propitiatory I rather allow the latter signification because Paule semeth to allude vnto the How Christ is our propitiatory oracle of the olde Testament and couering of the arke which is there called the propitiatory or mercy seate For vpon the arke of the couenaunt there was layd a board or table for the oracle of the arke at whose endes stoode two Cherubins but the midle place was empty out of which were answeres geuen vnto them that asked and God was made fauorable vnto the people and was sayd to dwel there It is playne and manifest and not to be doubted but that all these things may aptly be referred vnto Christ as in whom dwelleth the whole fulnes of the godhed corporally as Paule sayth vnto the Collossians and therehence are most certayne oracles geuen of the will of God as touching our saluation And that by hym God is pacefied and reconciled vnto vs there is no doubt we may also interprete it a propiciator as though that word were put in the maskuline gender that euen as we call Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sauior so we may call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a pacefier Neyther paraduenture is this farre from the true and proper sence if we vnderstand Christ to be our pacification For Iohn in his epistle the 2. chapiter calleth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is our pacification where he thus writeth My little children these thynges I write vnto you that ye sinne not But and if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the propitiatiō for our sinnes and not for our sinnes only but also for the sinnes of the whole world But as I haue sayd the first exposition pleaseth me best and that for this cause chiefely because a little afterward is sayd By his bloud For the maner of the high priest of the Hebrues was once euery yeare to sprinkle the propitiatory or mercy seat with bloud when he entred into the place which was called Sancta sanctorū that is the holy of holyes Nether is it without a cause that the Apostle here straightway addeth By faith forasmuch as our aduersaries also do graunt y◠by Christ commeth rightousnes vnto vs but they will not once declare by what meanes we apply the same vnto vs How Christ is sayd of the Papistes to be our redemer and make it ours which thing Paule now plainly expresseth They seme alwaies to tende this way that Christ therfore hath redemed vs because he is to be counted the chiefe and hed of our merites as though as their common phrase of speache is Christ deserued for vs onely the first grace and afterward leaueth vs wholye to our selues But this is to muche niggardly and maliciously to vse the benefite of God Wherefore seing now we vnderstand hym we wil continually oppose vnto the iustice of God the death of Christ as a full satisfaction of our sinnes To declare his righteousnes Hitherto we haue spoken of the efficient cause of iustification which is God and his mercy But those whiche are iustified pertaine to the materiall cause are men of all sortes being guilty of sinnes and destitute The order of iustification of the grace of God The instrumentes also haue bene declared The one
vnto hys parents vnto his elders vnto others how greuously they sinned in neglectyng hys circumcision and might profite the whole Churche being a manifest token of the wrath of God against the contemners of the sacramentes Farther it is Before circumcision were some signes of the sacramentes Whether the sword wherewith they circumcised were made of stone Circumcion spread abroade to outward nations not hard to beleue that godly men which liued before Circumcision was instituted had other certayne notes wherby theyr righteousnes which was had by fayth was sealed For we read that they both offred fyrst fruites and also sacrificed But by what signe they signifyed theyr fyrst regeneration the holy scriptures mencioÌ„ not And the Hebrues in Circumcising their children vsed a knife made of stone which thing yet God commaunded not But they were moued so to do by the example of Zippora the wife of Moses whiche vsed suche a knife in circumcising of her sonne when he was in danger to haue bene slayne of the angell And although this sacrament was diligeÌ„tly obserued and kept amongst the Iewes yet it spred abrode also to forren nations For if we may geue credite to Ambrose in his 2. booke of Abraham the patriarch the Egiptians Arabians and Phenicians were circumcised And he thinketh that they for this cause did it for that they thoughte that by suche firste fruytes of their bloude are driuen The deuill as much as lieth in him vitiateth the sacraments of God A foolish manner of the Iewes in circumcâ—sing of their children The Egiptians circumcise their children in the 14. yeare awaye diuels to the ende that they shoulde not hurte hym which is circumcised So the deuill hath alwayes gone aboute to vitiate the sacramentes of God For it was supersticion to ascribe the power of saluation or of the deliuery from Sathan vnto the nature of bloud shed forth And at this day the Iewes seme not to be farre from this kinde of foolishenes For whilest they circumcise the infante there standeth one by with a little vessell full eyther of earth or of duste where into they thruste the foreskinne beyng cut of as though the Deuil seemed by that meanes to haue his meat For the Lord said vnto the serpent euen straight way at the beginnyng Vppon thy breast shalt thou creepe and earth shalte thou eate They séeme to thinke that the deuill hauing thus gotten his meate departeth from the child and wyll not afterward trouble him any more Amongst the Ethnickes also as the same Ambrose affirmeth was circumcision corruptly obserued after an other maner for the Egiptians circumcised not in the eight daye as God had commaunded but in the. 14. yeare for that Ismael at that age receiued circumcision Which maner also it is most likely the Arabians followed For at this day the Turkes also are circumcised at that age Although the Egiptians as the same Ambrose affirmeth were wont also to circumcise theyr women The Egiptians circuÌ„cise women kynde and that in the. 14. yeare as they did their males And of this thinge they gaue this reasoÌ„ that they would by this signe signifie that lust is to be restrained which in eyther kinde at that age beginneth chiefly to be kyndled But God commaunded that onely the male kindes should be circumcised and yet were not the women of the Hebrewes therefore counted either straungers froÌ„ the Church The womeÌ„ of the Hebrewes though they were not circumcised perished not An obiection against circumcisi â–ª or from the couenaÌ„t For they are alwaies numbred together with the men they that were vnmaried with their Father and the maryed with their husbandes There haue bene some which haue by deceitfull arguments spoken yll of circumcision and after a sorte reproued the God of the olde Testament For first they sayd that the foreskinne that was cut of is eyther according to the nature of the of the body or els it is against the nature thereof If it be according to nature why would God haue it cut of If it be agaynst nature why doth God suffer it to be brought forth Ambrose in his 77. epistle to Constantius answereth That that foreskinne is according to the nature of our body but it is not absurd that those thinges which are agreable with our body or our flesh be cut of if the spirite may thereby be holpen Which thing we see done in fastings and other mortifications of the fleshe and in bearing the crosse which God hath layd vpon all the faithfull In whych we are compelled to suffer many thinges which are against the fleshe Farther they said that God feared away the other nations from the law of Moses when An other obiection he layd vpon them this yoke of Circumcision Which if it had bene away many straungers and outward nations would haue come vnto the religion of the Hebrewes But after the selfe same maner also they mought cauell against Christ him selfe for that he seemed to feare away the world from his religion partly by reason of the seuerity of his doctrine and partly by reason of the persecutions and martirdome which in the first time the most part of the faithfull were lyke to suffer But they which truely pertaine vnto the number of the elect doo in no wyse leape backe because of the difficultie of the calling But they which go backwarde were not of vs and therefore they are fallen away They maruayle also why God would in so tender age haue such a ceremonie excercised which mought oftentimes bring weake litle bodies into danger As touching age saith Ambrose Euery age meete for the sacrament Few children died by occasion of circumcision as euery age is subiect vnto sinne so also is it mete for the sacrament And that Infants are subiect vnto sinne theyr diseases weepings paines and deathes aboundantly declare And if peraduenture they were brought in daunger of their lyfe yet was there no cause why they should complaine for as much as they ought the same all whole vnto God And yet as they write very few haue by that occasion died And that payne and daunger brought some vtilitie For euen as valiant soldiours when they remeÌ„ber that they haue before suffered many thinges for that they would not flee away are the more animated to stand by it least they should dishonor those skarres and woundes which they before suffered rather then they would forsake theyr place and standing So would God that Why God would haue the children afflicted with such a wound and with paine the hebrues being now of full age and at mans state should defend the profession of theyr law euen agaynst all dangers when they called to remembraunce that for religions sake they had bene wounded euer from theyr infamy But now he sayth CircumcisioÌ„ is worthely refused of Christians for that forasmuch as Christ hath shed his bloud the price of our redemption there is now no neede that euery particular man should priuatelye shed
excellent estate or condition but also as it is written vnto the Hebrues Do tread vnder foote the sonne of God and do pollute his blood which was shed for them By this place also we are taught to loue our enemies not after the common maner as when men say yâ— they wishe wel vnto theyr enemy it is inough they thinke if they hate him not but yet in the meane time they will take no paynes ether to bring him to amendment or to saluation And which is more haynous they are not onely not beneficyall towardes theyr enemies but also through theyr sluggishnes they suffer theyr weake bretherne to perish they winke at theyr sinnes nether vse they any admonitions or reprehensions that they might be amended There are besides infinite other instructions which The loue of God most plentifully teacheth vs many thinges the loue of God teacheth vs. For we haue no booke stuffed with more plentifull doctrine then the death of Christ whiche if we diligentlye examine we shall be tought in a maner al dueties necessary vnto saluation Lastlye is to be noted that these thinges which Paul in this place meÌ„cioneth are had although indede more briefly yet fully inoughe in the 6. chapter of the Gospell of Iohn So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonnes that euery one that beleueth in him should not perish Here also we heare that through the loue of God the sonne was deliuered for vs. And whereas Paule sayth enemies vveake vngodly sinners the same hath the Euangelist signified by this one word vvorld And whereas Paul sayth That thorough him vve are iustified recoÌ„ciled and shal be saued from vvrath that hath the Euangelist expressed in these wordes That he vvhich beleueth in him should not perishe And not only this but vve also reioyce in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by vvhome vve haue novv obtayned the reconciliation This was the third part which the Apostle vsed in making mencion of the benefite of Christ after that he had both layd him forth before vs and also by amplification as it was mete commended him vnto vs. Wherefore Paul sayth that so great is the gift of God that thereof we excedingly reioyce We are not only sayth he certayne that we shall be saued but also we reioyce not in our selues but in God not through our workes but through Iesus Christ by whome we haue obtayned reconciliation When he sayth that we reioyce of this benefite of God he priuely reproueth those which counted it a thinge full of shame to professe Christian religion or to wayte for saluation at the handes of a man crucified and put to a most shamefull death Herein sayth Paul is nothing vile or whereof we should be ashamed yea rather all thinges are most honorable and full of great dignity For here we can looke vpon nothing which testefieth not Reioysinge is opposed to filthines shame vnto vs the singular loue of God towards vs. This sentence of Paul agréeth very well with these words of Ieremy in the 9. chapter Let not the wise man reioyce in his wisedome nor the mighty man in his might nor the rich man in his riches but he which reioyseth let him reioyce in this that he knoweth and vnderstandeth me which What our reioysing is worke mercy righteousnes and iudgement and loue these thinges in the earth The prophet meaneth the selfe same thing that Paul doth namely that no man should reioyce ether for the good thinges of the mynde or of the body or of fortune but only let him reioyce of this that he knoweth the Lord. And the vnmeasurable loue of God can by no other thing be better or clearlyer vnderstand then by the death of Christ This is our fayth this is the chiefest knowledge that we can haue of the goodnes of God Hereby we vnderstand that God hath wrought By the death of Christ is God chiefly knowne mercy when he would by this meanes redeme vs to haue wrought iudgemeÌ„t and righteousnes wheÌ„ as he would not suffer our sinnes to escape vnpunished but hath so seuerely auenged them in Christ But because our fayth ought not to be idle but to repay agayne the selfe same thinges that we haue receaued of Christ therefore the Prophet addeth that God both loueth and requireth the selfe same thinges in the earth that is in vs. VVe reioyce sayth Paul and also the prophete in the knowledge fayth of so great a gift bestowed vpoÌ„ vs by God But they reioyce not which coldly weigh these thinges but they which feale them inwardly in the mynde and so feele them that they are ernestly affected This is to reioyce in the Lord and not in our owne workes Wherefore that which Paul before sayd that the elect reioyce in tribulations herehence dependeth for we Why we reioyce in afflictions do not reioyce of the afflictions as they are of themselues but for that we feele by them that God loueth vs. Last of all our glory herein consisteth that we haue gotten God himselfe to loue vs and to be our father then which felicitye could nothing haue happened vnto vs more to be desired Nether is this to be passed ouer that Ambrose hath noted vpon this place that we ought not only to geue thankes vnto God for the saluation and security which we haue receaued but also that we reioyce in God through Iesus Christ By which words Ambrose avoucheth the security of saluation we gather that he asserteth the security of saluation as well as we to the ende our reioysing mought be concerning such thinges as we haue now assuredly in our hands Farther also hereby it most euidently appeareth that those words of the Apostle which he before spake That the loue of God is shed abroade into our hartes are to be vnderstand of that loue wherewith God loueth vs. For of that loue this sure token we haue in that God hath geuen his son vnto vs. Farther the Apostle entending to make vs certayne of our saluation and to confirme vs in our hope coulde take no argument at all of our loue towardes God for our loue is alwayes mayned and vnperfect And therefore if a mans hope were doubtfull and vncertayne and should by this meanes be confirmed and willed to be of good cheare for that he beareth a loue towardes God he mought answere straight way that he for that cause most of all doubteth for that he seeth his loue to be weake and colde and that he loueth not God so much as he ought to do and by that occasion he can not attayne to so greate a rewarde Wherefore Paul hath appoynted an other way and confirmeth our hope by the gift of God And he thought it not sufficient simply thus to say but excellently amplifieth it by the contraries and opposites Out of this fountayne are to be Wherâ—heÌ„ce are to be sought consolations in afflictions sought consolations for the afflicted when by reason of
should at any time say that he loueth God aboue all thinges when we haue diligently considered the matter we shall playnly finde that vnder that dissembled loue lieth hidden in his hart a most greate hatred of God And where as the Apostle sayth that the affecte of the flesh is not subiecte vnto the Law of God he hath not a respect vnto works moral or ciuill but only as I haue sayd to our corrupt and vitiate nature And herein chiefely is the first table to be considered The first table contayneth the force and vigour of the latter table which requireth a perfect fayth loue worshipping and feare of God in which things coÌ„sisteth the force vigour and as it were the soule of the obedieÌ„ce of the rest of the commaundementes Of those thinges which haue hitherto ben spoken the Apostle inferreth this conclusion that they which are in the flesh caÌ„not please God and therfore they are nether deliuered nor recoÌ„ciled vnto God They whiche are in the flesh are euill trees If the meÌ„ them selues can not please God theyr workes can not be acceptable vnto God We must desire a more aboundaunt spirite that we may the more please God So that this is a certaine token whereby we may know by the effect and aposteriori as they call it who they are that are deliuered from sinne and made pertakers of the benefite of the death of Christ And if they which are in the fleshe can not please God then it followeth that they are euill trées which bringe not forth good fruite Where are then merites of congruity and of works as they call them preparatory For if the men themselues can not please God vndoubtedly theyr workes can not be acceptable vnto God Wherefore miserable is the estate of the wicked which in no wise can please God But it is our partes continually to pray for a more aboundant spirite of Christ that we may more and more please him But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirite bycause the spirite of God dwelleth in you But if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his And if Christ be in you the body is dead bicause of sinne but the Spirite is life bycause of righteousnes And if the Spirite of hym that raysed vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raysed vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodyes bycause that his spirite dwelleth in you Ye are not in the fleshe That which he before spake generally he now perticularly applieth vnto the Romanes and after his accustomed maner discendeth from a generall theme to a perticular Here is agayne in this place a sentence which can not but figuratiuely be interpreted for if we should vnderstaÌ„d Chrisostom saith that figures are necessary in the scriptures Of these wordes of the Lord this is myâ— body simply that we are not in the flesh the truth would shew the contrary Wherefore Chrisostome vpon this place sayth that it is a thing very daungerous alwayes to vnderstand the scriptures according to the proper significations of the words I meruaile therefore what our aduersaries meane so much to iangle and to make such an adoo when we say that these wordes of the Lord This is my body are spoken figuratiuely and that we vnderstaÌ„d them not as though the body of Christ were carnally really and substantially in the bread But that which is shewed forth we teach to be the sacrament of the body of Christ whereby is signifyed that hys body was fastened vnto the Crosse and his bloud shed for vs. And this vndoubtedly is done with greate vtility if we both beleue those things which are set forth and also receaue the sacrameÌ„t with such a faith as behoueth But they say that Christ did not so speake I graunt he did not But if it be sufficient so to answere why doo they not here also say that Paul spake simply and appertly Ye are not in the flesh for other interpretations hath he added none If they say that that may be gathered by those thinges which he before spake so also will we say that this may be gathered as well by the nature of the sacraments whose nature is to signify the thinges whereof they are signes and also by yâ— which is there written namely that these thinges ought to be done in remembraunce of the Lord and that they should shew forth his death and also by many other thinges which are written in the 6. chap of Iohn Farther Chrisostome vpon this place sayth That Paul wheÌ„ he thus writeth doth in no wise deny the nature of the fleshe but exalteth it to a more higher dignity namely that it should rather obey the impulsion of the spirite then lust So we say that when the fathers seme to deny that the nature of the bread abideth in the encharist they deny not the nature of the bread but declare yâ— it is exalted to a higher dignity namely to be a sacrameÌ„t Against transubstaÌ„tiation How folish they are which by these words speake against matrimony of ministers of the body of Christ and now to serue to a spiritual purpose and vse But they yet dote a greâ—t deale more which thinke that this place maketh agaynst the matrimony of ministers of the Church For if it were so he should conclude vniuersally that all Christians ought to liue without wyues For there is no Christian after that he hath beleued in Christ is any more in the fleshe We haue in dede a body fleshe and members meate drinke and matrimonies all which thinges séeme to pertayne vnto yâ— flesh but we haue theÌ„ in God to vse theÌ„ according to the spirite not according to the flesh Neither doth Paul in this place meane any other thing theÌ„ did yâ— Lord in yâ— Gospell wheÌ„ he sayd vnto hys disciples Ye are not of thys world Wherfore Ambrose saith that we haue such a nature framed vnto vs as we felâ— it to be he addeth moreouer That the wise men of the world are in the flesh because they resist fayth and wyll beleue those thynges only which are agreeable to reason This place againe teacheth vs that Ambrose by the name of fleshe vnderstoode reason Ambrose by the name of flesh vnderstandeth reason also What it is to be in the flesh and the higher partes of the soule We say therefore that to be in the fleshe according to the Apostles meaning signifieth nothing els then in all our actions to be ruled and gouerned by the sence and affecte of nature not yet regenerate in Christ Now by this it appeareth that it is proper vnto a Christian to follow those thinges which are of the spirite and to auoyde those thynges which are of the fleshe And this propriety of a Christian lyfe partly moueth vs not to forsake it and is partly a note by which we may be made more certayne of our iustification By what note or maâ—ke we
thing Paul sayth that we are the temple of God and the temple of the holy ghost and that God himselfe dwelleth in vs which vndoubtedly can not be referred vnto the humane nature of Christ but only vnto the deuine But the better to vnderstaÌ„d Augustines iudgement as touching Augustine â—eclareth how Christ is with vs and how he is absente from vs. this matter let vs heare what he sayth in his 50. treatise vpon the selfe same Gosple of Iohn where he expoundeth these words The poore ye shall haue alwayes with you but me ye shall not haue alwayes For he spake saith he of the preseÌ„ce of his bodye For according to his maiesty according to his prouideÌ„ce according to his vnspeakeable inuisible grace is fullfilled that which he spake Behold I am with you eueÌ„ vnto the end of the world But according to the nature which the world tooke according to that that he was borne of the virgen according to that that he was apprehended of the Iewes that he was fastened vnto the woode that he was taken down from the crosse that he was wrapped in linnen that he was layde in the sepulcher that he was made manifeste in the resurrection ye shall not haue me alwayes with you Wherefore Bycause according to the presence of his body he was 40. dayes conuersaunt with his disciples and when he had brought them forth they seing him and not following him he ascended vp into heauen He is not here for he is there and sitteth at the right hand of the Father And he is here for he hath not departed hence touching the presence of his maiesty According to the presence of hys maiesty we haue Christ alwayes according to the presence of the flesh it was rightly â—ayd vnto the disciples Me ye shall not haue alwayes For the Church had him a few dayes according to the preseÌ„ce of the flesh now it holdeth him by fayth and seeth him not with the eyes There ar also very many other places in which Augustine most manifestly declareth that he was of this selfe same iudgmeÌ„t Wherefore yâ— this which Paul now sayth If Christ be in you is not to be vnderstaÌ„d of his humane nature or body those things plainly declare which haue bene spokeÌ„ of the spirit How we receaue Christ and are ioyned vnto him in the Euchariste By this place of Paul we are plainly tought how we receaue Christ in the eucharist in what maner we are in it ioyned with him For we haue hard yâ— by yâ— deatâ— of Christ we haue obtayned his spirite But in the supper of the Lord is celebrated the commemoration of the death of Christ and of his body done vpoÌ„ the crosse and of his bloud shed for vs and this not only in wordes but also in the simbols of the bread and wyne which represent the body and bloud of Christ Wherefore if by faith we embrace those thinges which we are put in mynde of we then obtayne the spirite of Christ and Christ himselfe is in vs as Paul in this place testifieth But there is no néede to require the body and fleshe of Christ according to hys naturall and real presence which yet we haue sufficently spiritually present when we apprehend them by fayth Chrisostome out of this place gathereth very many and gréeuous discommodities which men that are destitute of the spirite The discommodities which hapâ—eÌ„ vnto theÌ„ which are â—estitute of the spirite of Christ of Christ fall into for they are holden in death and in sinne they excercise enmities agaynst God they can not obserue his lawe and though they séeme to be of Christ yet are they not For Paul will declare that they are not pertakers of the death and of the resurrection of the Lord. For he saith And if Christ be in you the body in dede is deade because of sinne but the spirite is life because of righteousnes The Apostle in this place as we haue before taught declareth that by the benefite of the spirite we are endued with the coÌ„munion of the death and of the resurrection of Christ And althoughe all interpreters consent that in the latter part of this sentence is entreated of the true resurrection of the bodyes yet touching the first parte all men are not of one mynde For some thus vnderstand that the body is dead as if it should haue bene sayd that the lust and prauity which cleaue vnto vs are by the benefite of the spirite mortified and become as it were dead So that after these interpreters this word Body signifieth the naturall lyfe of men not as it was instituted of God but as it is now corrupted through sinne Thys life say they ought to be deade because it is sinne But the spirite is life because of righteousnes By the spirite he here vndoubtedly vnderstandeth the spirite of God and not any part of our mynde as it is manifest both by those thinges which shal be spoken and by those thinges which haue already bene spoken Here Paul changeth the Antithesis For he saith not the spirite liueth as he had before sayde of the body that it is deade but he The antithesis is chaunged The sâ—irite of God doth not onely lyue but also communicateth life vnto others sayth The spirite is lyfe Which thing is most agréeable vnto the spirite of God For that spirite doth not only liue it selfe but also communicateth life vnto others and continually breatheth into the beleuers a new and holy life Farther forasmuch as Paul ment in this place highly to commend the dignity of the spirite this abstract nowne vita that is lyfe serued better for his purpose then the verbe viuit that is lyueth Because of righteousnes In Greke it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it fitteth very well For righteousnes is both an antithesis vnto sinne and also is the life of God For so long as a man worketh iustly and liueth holily he leadeth the life of God Although the Latten interpreter hath Propter iustificationeÌ„ that is by reason of iustification as if he had red in the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which reading Chrisostome followed and bringeth this reason thereof for that we haue an experience of life by reason of iustification for by it sinne being taken away succeded life For these two are so repugnant one to the other that when the one geueth place the other must nedes succede The same father addeth That the body is theÌ„ at the last dead when we are no more affected with the motions thereof theÌ„ we are moued by our karkases being now buried and hid vnder grounde And thys he saith is the communion with the death of Christ because Christ dyed to dissolue the body of sinne And if his spirite which raysed vp Christ from the dead dwell in you he that raysed vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies because of his spirite that dwelleth in you This declareth howe we are
â–ª mencioneth laboureth to wrest against the Christians for they saith he sacrifice in gardens for they haue their grene enclosed places hard by their temples wherein whilest they are abiding they boast that they there worship God they burne incense also vpon brickes for they haue their alters whereupon they sayâ— they do sacrifice and they dwell in graues for they runne from place to place to dead carkases and such other like thinges he obiecteth vnto vs. This Iew doubtles in my iudgement is to be commended not for that he wrongly interpreteth Esay and wresteth to the Gentiles those thinges which are spoken against 〈…〉 Iewes but for that he saw that those things are superstitious which are reâ—ayned still in the Papacy for a singular worshipping of God and perceaued that those thinges are in the scriptures reproued in his brethern the Iewes which ouâ— religious men and sacrificing priests count for most high holynes For they say come not nere to me I am holier then thou art For if a man come vnto them â–ª to admonish them out of the word of God they make him afeard and vtterly 〈…〉 him away neither wil they heare him This Hebrew word Sodar that is â—ebellious the 70. interpreters and Paul agreeing with them haue turned by 〈…〉 wordes namely by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vnbeleuing and gainsaying For these two thinges are proper vnto them that fall from God not to beleue and to gaynesay his commaundementes as contrariwise they come vnto God and geue themselues vnto him which beleue his wordes and obey The summâ— of impiety â–ª his commaundementes In these two wordes is comprehended the summe of al impiety With which although the fathers of the Iewes were infected yet their childreÌ„ wheÌ„ they crucified Christ filled it vp vnto yâ— toppe for which cause they are most greuously punished loÌ„g time haue ben punished so yâ— Christ said truely That vpon you may come all the righteous bloud which hath bene shed from the bloud of Abell vnto the bloud of Zacharie the son of Barachias This place most manifestly teacheth that it is vtterly necessary that yâ— grace of God do preuent vs It is necessary that the grace of God do preuent vs. forasmuch as of our owne streÌ„gths we are not first able to seke to recouer saluatioÌ„ lost First we are sought of God who offreth himselfe vnto theÌ„ yâ— are in hand with other matters not only with other matters but also cleane contrary matters yea and to such which vtterly resist him Neither is it possible that of vs being corrupt should spring forth the beginninges of goodnes The shepherd seketh Examples the shepe gone astraye and not the shepe the shepherd The woman seketh the grote and not the grote the woman We are fallen into so deepe a pit that of our selues we can by no meanes get thereout And forasmuch as by reason of sinne we are now dead we are not able to rayse vp our selues I would gladly therefore demaunde of those which defend workes preparatory whether they Agaynsâ— workes of preparation will confesse that men by reason of sinne are dead or no If they wil not confesse this they haue Paul against them who saith that the stipend of sinne is death and they shal be thought to be of this iudgement that sinne is not so greuous an euil that it bringeth with it vtter destruction And if they confesse that they which sinne are dead before God then must there be looked for some streÌ„gth from els where whereby they may rise agayne and reuiue I woulde know of them also whether Abraham were moued of himselfe to depart out of his owne contrey and to forsake idolatry And whether the Israelites deliuered theÌ„selues out of Egipt or no And if the efficacy and goodnes of God were of force in all these why contend they that a man being now dead through sinne can prepare himselfe to grace he prepareth himselfe rather to greater corruptioÌ„ then to saluation But what nede we so many wordes in a matter not doubtful howbeit Sinners prepare theÌ„ selues to greater corruptioÌ„ â–ª anâ— not to sa 〈…〉 tion this I say that they which defend workes of preparation haue their feete so fast tâ—ed with testimonies of the scriptures that the more they stirre themselues the faster are they bound and lesse able are they to escape away Moreouer hereby it is manifest why the Ethnikes so long as they were strangres from God were called not a nation and fooles for that they sought not God nor asked after God The first and principall steppe to saluation is that God do declare The principall step to saluation himselfe vnto vs and that manifestly for vnles he manifestly and plainly reuele himself vnto vs our mind wil alwayes leape backe for that by reason of oâ— the corruption grafted in it it abhorreth from things diuine If GOD be found of him that seeke hym not and do appeare vnto them that aske not after â—im saluation then commeth vnto them by chance not that there is any fortune or chance as touching God but as touching them For they are in hand with â—ther deuises their purposes and ententes be farre diuers when they lighte â—ppon saluation yea oftentimes they manifestly labour to bryng themselues to destruction For Paul when he was taken persecuted the members of Christ and entended to put in prison and in bounds as many as he found addicted to that way Wherefore let vs acknowledge those thinges which are of God â—o â—ee Gods neither let vs attribute his giftes to our preparations But vnto Israell he sayth Thys proposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth vnto may also aptly signifie agaynst and peraduenture also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is touching but thys is not of much waight Paule vseth here manifestly the figure Apostrophe which is when a man turneth hys speach to an other person when as in Esay â–ª as we haue sayd the person is couertly chaunged I haue stretched out myne handes all the day long By the gesture of the handes he declareth the beneâ—olence of God in what sorte it was euer towardes the Iewes They which call any man vnto theÌ„ do vse to stretch out theyr hand vnto hym and they also which What to stretche ouâ— the hande signifieth doe allure by giftes oftentymes shewe them forth in theyr handes Wherfore to stretch out the handes is by an allegorye nothyng ells then to call to allure by giftes although God also be sayd to stretch forth hys handes to worke miracles and wonders as it is written in the Actes Stretch forth thine hand to thys end that healynges wonders and signes may be wrought through the name of thy holy sonne Iesus Wherefore if after thys maner also we shoulde vnderstand that sentence the Apostle spake most aptly for there was neuer any tyme wherin God did not with great miracles and wonderfull workes call vnto hym
sonnes of Abraham are two testamentes These I say forasmuch as they are found in the holy scripturs may in no wise be reiected but are firme places wherby when nede requireth may be proued doctrines There are other allegoryes which men through their owne iudgement and reason find out whoÌ„ indéede we confesse yâ— they may follow their owne fantasie so that they beware of two things First that they deuise nothing that is repugnant vnto sound doctrine secondly yâ— they obtrude not those their deuises as naturall proper senses of the holy scripture There is also a third kind of allegories which is when the scripture vseth a trope or figure neither hath any other sence but that allegoricall sence as we now graunt is in the words of Dauid And then the allegory is the only sence of the words as Cicero in his oration for Marcus Celius called Clodia by the name of Medea Palatina But what I besech you hath this kinde of allegories common with Origens allegories And whereas he interpreteth the imprecation of Dauid as though he should pray that the Iewes should not sée that things which are euill and hurtfull it is most farre of from the purpose of Paul for he entreated of incredulity and said that the cause thereof is for that the Hebrues were made blind and then he cited the words of Dauid Now there is none which séeth not that faith hath a respect vnto good sound doctrine and if he pray that they might not sée such sound doctrine then doubtles he wished not vnto them good thinges but euill And I wonder that Augustine should fall in a maner into the like interpretacion when he entreateth of a place in the 1. chapter to the Galathians in his 16. booke and 22. chapter against Faustus The place is I woulde to God they which trouble you were cut of The sence whereof he saith is vtinam euirentur yâ— is I would to God they were gelded for the kingdom of heauens sake These meÌ„ without doubt were moued to those expositions for that they thought it a thing not Of imprecations and cursinges mete for Dauid or the Prophetes or Christ to pray for the euill thinges against any man for that semeth straunge from the gentlenes and lenity which we are in the scriptures commaunded to shew eueÌ„ towards our enemies But forasmuch as we are fallen into such matter it shall not be amisse somewhat to speake of imprecations and cursings This maner of execration and euill speaking is in the ExecratioÌ„s much vsed in the scriptures scriptures a thing tyme out of mynd vsed Nohe cursed his nephew Chanaan Cursed be Chanaan let hym be a seruaunt to his brethern Baalake also the sonne of Zippor called Balam to curse Israel In Deut we rede Cursed shalt thou be in the town â–ª and in the field in the barne and in all other thinges cursed be the fruite of thy body These execrations were recited vpon mount Heball The law of ieolosy hath also in the booke of nombers his imprecations that the wombe should swell and rent in sonder and the thighes rotte all which things could not hurt the woman if she were innocent but vnto an adulteresse they were not without vertue and efficacy recited Iosua cursed him which should réedifie Iericho namely that he should do it with the death of his children which thinge happened vnder Achab as the historye of the kinges mencioneth And Nehemias saith that he not onelye reproued them which had maried straunge wiues but also cursed them In the newe testamentâ— also there wante not examples whiche we will hereafter bring yea and the Ethnikes also vsed cursinges Acteius a Tribune of the people of Rome as Plutarche declareth in the life of M. Crassus wheÌ„ he could by no other meanes dissuade Crassus from his expedition into Parthia at the length in the way which Crassus should go foorth at he set on fire the city of Crates and there with horrible and bitter curses he cursed the Generall Captaine and his host and that these execrations were not vaine the euent plainely and manifestly declareth Oedipus also as the Poets tell with banninges cursed his Sonnes Adrastes and Polynices namely that they might be without citie and house that they might be beggers and wanderers abroade and haue such discord betwéene themselues that the one shoulde kill the other whiche thinges according to his wishe came to passe And Horace saith I will banne you and let not my banning be put away or purged by any sacrifice Neyther is that to be passed ouer which Augustine meÌ„cioneth of Paulus and Palladia for they being cursed of their mother miserably wandred about from country to country vntill at the last they were deliuered at the tombe of Sainte Stephan Wherefore séeing that alwayes both amongst the Iewes and amongst the Gentils there hath bene so great plenty of cursinges and banninges is it possible that it should vtterly be vniust and sinne to curse or to wish euill vnto any man so that at no time it should be lawfull Augustine without doubt was of this minde yâ— it is not lawful ExecratioÌ„s â—n the Prophetes are foretellings and entreateth of this matter towardes the ende of his first booke de sermone Domini in monte and writeth that those imprecations which are red in the Prophetes perâ—â—yne onely to prophesies so that vnder that forme of prayer they onelye foretolde the thinges which they saw should come to passe And whereas they vse the optatiue moode in steade of the indicatiue moode that he sayth amongest the Hebrues is not to be wondred at when as they oftentimes vse such figures in theyr speache for manye times they vse one tempse or an other wheÌ„ they put the time past for the time to come Why haue the Gentils sinned the people imagined vayne things Againe They deuided my garmeÌ„ts These thinges were to come and were forespoken of Christ when yet they are written as already paste Howbeit he confesseth that sometimes men praye for punishmentes and chastisementes to come vnto some that they may be corrected whiche is not saith he to pray against them but for them And he citeth a place out of the Apocalipse in the It is lawful to pray for punishmeÌ„ts to light vpoÌ„ some meÌ„ to the end they may be corrected A place of yâ— Apocalips Sinne may be destrâ—ied two maner of wayes The soules of the martyrs pray for the ende of the world 6. chapter where the Martyrs cry vnder the alter Take vengeaunce vpon the earth for our bloud which is shed and he thinketh that therebye is mente that these martyrs pray against the kingdome of sinne And sinne may be destroyed two maner of wais First by bringing in a contrary qualitye so that sinne beinge excluded do succéede mortification of lustes and do followe righteousnes honesty and all kindes of vertues Againe sinne is subdued vnto GOD when vpon it is inflicted punishment for so longe as
the extremity of the law be set forth in any decrée and the equity and moderation of the same extreame law be no where expressed An argument taken of the Romane law the iudge ought to follow the extreame law and ought not to adde equity whiche equity yet he may thē follow if it expressed in any law As for example All lawes agrée that if a debiter pay not his mooney at his day and the creaditour by that meanes susteyne losse the debitour is bound to beare the losse And this they call to pay the interest or as other speake to pay the dammage But bycause it is had in the digestes de Regulis Iuris In all causes that thing is taken for a facte wherein it commeth to passe that by an other mans meanes there is a stay why it is not done wherefore if the debter can proue that the fault was not in him why the mooney was not payd for he had the mooney and offerd it but the creditor was in the faulte why payment was not made although the creditor sustayne neuer so much losse by forbearing of his mooney yet is not the debter bound to make recompence by equity For by equity written it is counted for a déede when the let came by reason of an other Wherefore it manifestly appeareth that it is not in the power of a iudge or of any man to moderate lawes as he lust himself And if the case be so in the Romane lawes inuented and set forth by men what shall we thinke of the law of God For it ought infinitely to be more firme then the law of man Neither is it lawfull for vs to fayne in it any equity vnles The law of God more firme then the law of man when we se it expressed in writing As for example The law is He which shall shed mās bloud his bloud shall also be shed Here we haue the extremity of the law which vndoubtedly we ought alwayes to follow vnles in some other place equity teache y◠the same extremity ought to be mitigated But in an other place it is thus writē If two go forth together into the wood to cutte downe wood and the axe by chance falleth out of the hand of the one and killeth him that standeth by him let there be some cities of refuge vnto which this manqueller may fly and in which he may liue safely till such time as the matter be tried so that if he can proue his innocency then let him be let go free at the death of the Highe priest This equity mought the iudges vse bycause it was written in the lawes of God yea they ought also to vse it so often as they saw that the matter which they had in hand so required But that it was lawful for them by theyr authority to bend the lawes of God or to mitigate them it cā not be proued by any testimony of the holy scriptures Yea rather contrarily they were commaunded There may nothing be added vnto the law of God nor any thing taken from it The law of God is impossible to be obserued by humane strengthes that they should not decline neither to the lefte hand nor to the right hand and that they should not adde any thing vnto the law of God nor diminish any thing from it And we nede no long discource to teach that the law is impossible to be obserued as touching our strengths and especially before we are regenerate For that the scripture it selfe manifestly testifieth For Paul thus writeth in the 8. chapiter vnto the Romanes That which was impossible vnto the law in as much as it was weakened by the flesh Also in the same chapiter The wisedome of the flesh is enmity agaynst God For it is not subiect vnto the law of God yea neither can it vndoubtedly And in the first to the Corrinthians The carnall man vnderstandeth not those thinges which are of the spirit of God for neither can he for vnto him they are foolishnes Christ also An euill tree saith he can not bring forth good fruits Also How can ye speake good thinges when ye your selues are euill All these thinges doo manifestly teach that it is not possible that the law of God should be obserued by humane strengths being as they are now vitiate and corrupted But as touching these cauillations and subtle euasions of the Papistes let this suffice Now let vs come to certayne singular obiections which they make whereby they labour both to trouble vs and also to establish theyr owne fond lyes They An obiectiō touching the repentaunce of Achab. say that Achab the vngodly king did rent his garmentes at the threatninges of Elias did putte on sackecloth and so lay on the grounde and fasted and wente barefoote and for that cause the lord sayd vnto the Prophet Hast thou not sene Achab humbled before me In his dayes I will not bring the euill but in the dayes of his sonne Behold say they the workes of an vngodly king and one not yet iustified doo so please God that they pacified God towardes him But we say on the contrary that Achab was by these factes iustified For if he had had that true fayth whiche How Achab is said to be humbled before God iustified men he would not haue abiden still in idolatry and other most grosse sinnes indede he was somewhat moued at the threatninges of the Prophet but that thing which he did pertayned only vnto a certayne outward and ciuill discipline rather then to true repētaunce But God sayth that he was humbled before him I answeare that that word Before me may be referred either vnto the words of God which were spoken vnto Achab by the Prophet so that the meaning is Before me that is to say at my wordes or ells Before me that is to say in the Church of the Israelites And by that facte Achab testified that he repented of the wicked facte which he had committed and that was a good and sound example before the multitude But God which beheld the inward part of his hart saw that that repentaunce was fayned and vnfruitfull And for that cause he promised that he would only differre the punishement so that that punishement which otherwise should haue happened in his dayes should happen in the dayes of his sonne Neither is God holdeth backe his scourges for the obseruing of outward discipline this strange neither ought we to be ignoraunt thereof that for the keping of outward discipline plagues are differed and most greauous punishemētes of this present life are auoyded For our doctrine is not that all sinnes are alike God also wayted till the sinnes of the Amorhites were full And then at the length is hys wrath wont to be powred out when filthy lustes and wicked actes impudently without any bridle range abrode Yea where outward discipline is kept God oftentimes geueth many good thinges not indede for the merite of the factes but by an
without any merite much more are we without any merite either of cōgurity or of worthines receaued into It is not in our power to be touched with that sight wherby the will may be moued vnto faith adoption And vnto Simplicianus in the first booke and 2. question who sayth he can lyue vpryghtly and worke iustly except he be iustified by fayth Who can beleue except he be touched by some calling that is by some testification of thyngs who hath in hys power to haue hys mynde touched wyth such a sight whereby the wyll may be moued vnto fayth And in his 61. sermon vpon Iohn All sinnes sayth he are comprehended vnder the name of infidelity And he addeth That fayth can not be wythout hope and charity Which thing also he most playnly teacheth vpon the 31. Psalme The same father in his 1. booke and 19. chapiter against the 2. epistles of the Pelagians at large entreateth after what maner we are drawen of God and amongst other thinges sayth that the Pelagians would to much triumph ouer the Christians if they had not the worde of drawing in the holy scriptures But forasmuch as that word is expressed euen in the Gospell they haue now vtterly no place whereunto to flye There are infinite other places in Augustine which confirme thys sentence whiche nowe for briefenes sake I thinke good to ouerpasse Cyrillus agaynst Iulianus in his 1. booke and 14. page sayth The fayth of Abraham and ours is vtterly one and the same And the same author vpon Iohn in the 3. booke and 31. chapiter expounding this sentence This is the worke of God that ye beleue in hym whom he hath sent For fayth sayth he bryngeth saluation and grace iustifieth but the commaundements of the lawe rather condemneth Wherefore fayth in Christ is the worke of god In these words we ought to note that faith is it wherby is brought saluation and that we are iustified by grace And he declareth these things more plainly vpon John in his 9. booke and 32. chapiter vpon these words The fathers were iustified by the fayth of those promises which we beleue And whether I go ye know and ye know the way For we are iustified by fayth and are made pertakers of the diuine nature by the participation of the holy ghost Leo in his 13. Sermon of the Passion of the Lord The fathers sayth he beleued together wyth vs that the bloud of the sonne of God should be shed Wherefore there is nothyng dearely beloued straunge in Christian religion from the old significations nor at any tyme from the iust men that haue gone before vs but that saluation is in the Lord Iesus Christ which was hoped for This and many other like testimonies confute those chiefe which dare say that Abraham was indéede iustified but not by in Christ but by faith touching earthly promises But the same author may séeme to make agaynst vs in that that we say that true fayth is not found without charity For in his Sermon de Collect eleem he thus writeth of Sathā He knowing that God is denied not onely in wordes but also in deedes hath taken away charity from many from whome he could not take away fayth and possessing the field of theyr hart with the rootes of couetousnes he hath spoiled of the fruit of good works those whom he hath not depriued of the confession of their lippes These wordes if they be déepely considered make nothing at all agaynst vs. For we speake of a true sound and liuely fayth But Leo vnderstandeth onely a certaine outward profession of faith For when he would render a reason whereby it might appeare that fayth was not taken from them he setteth forth onely an outward confession of the lippes which we also graunt may consist without charity is oftentimes boasted of of many men which yet are most wicked And after this maner I suppose are to be expounded such like testimonies if any happen in the fathers Gregory Byshop of Rome in his 19. homely vppon Ezechiell We come not sayth he to fayth by workes but by fayth we attayne vnto vertues For Cornelius the Centurian came not vnto fayth by workes but by fayth came vnto workes For it is sayd Thy prayers and almes But how prayed he if he beleued not But that he now knew not that the mediator was incarnate by workes he came vnto a more fuller knowledge Hereby I would haue our aduersaries to know y◠fayth necessarily goeth be fore al good workes For they contend y◠morall works which are done of Ethniks and of men not yet beleuing in Christ are good Which thing is in this place of Gregory confuted The same author in his 2. booke and 25. chapiter de moralibus speaking of the same thing thus writeth Vnles fayth be first gotten in our harts all other thynges whatsoeuer they be can not in deede be good although they seeme good Bede vpon the 2. chapiter of Iames He onely beleueth truely which by working excerciseth that which he beleueth For fayth and charity can not be seperated a sender And this shall suffice as touching the Fathers But what these counsels Aphricanum Mileuitanum and Arausicanum teach concerning iustification fayth grace and workes we haue before at large declared in the first article This onely wil I now adde that our aduersaries when they say that God offreth his grace vnto all men and geueth his giftes vnto men that desire them and take hold of them and forgeueth sinnes to them that do that which they ought to do forasmuch as in the meane tyme they omit the breathing of the holy ghost and the power of God which draweth vs and the inward perswasion of the mynde and all those things which are most chiefly required in this matter are most manifestly against those coūsels which we haue now cited Howbeit I can not leaue vnspoken y◠in the counsell of Mence which was celebrated vnder Carolus Magnus in the 1. chapiter is cited Gregory who thus writeth He beleueth truely which by working excerciseth that which he beleueth Forasmuch therefore as we haue now hetherto spoken as touching this article namely that men are iustified by fayth in Christ and haue confirmed the same by scriptures haue ouerthrowen the obiections of our aduersaries and alleadged testimonyes of the Fathers to confirme our sentence let vs nowe come vnto the third article Wherefore we say that iustification consisteth of fayth only Which sentence The third article We are iustified by faith onely all those places of scriptures proue which teach that we are iustified fréely and those which affirme that iustification commeth without workes and those also which put an antithesis or contrariety betwene grace and workes All these places I say most truely conclude that we are iustified by fayth onely Although this word Onely be not red in the holy scriptures But that is not so much to be weighed for the signification of that word is of necessity
powers a power of the father towardes his children there is also a power of the husbandâ— towardes the wife and a power of the master towards his seruaunts and there is also ouer common wealthes these powers Regia that is the power of a King and then Aristocratica which is where the best men gouerne and Politica that is a political gouernement and Tyrannica Oligaâ—chia Democratica And although these three kindes are excedingly corrupted and vitiated yet is God the author of them For there is in them a force might and power to gouerne men and to kepâ— them vnder which vndoubtedly could by no meanes be but of God But if thou demaund at what time such powers first began or when they were first ordained of God I answere that that light which God hath grafted in our mindes shewed vnto men euen from the beginning the maner of bearing rule and it was afterward In what place God by his word confirmed the magistrate by sondry oracles of God confirmed In the booke of Genesis God sayde to Noe and to his children that mannes bloud should be required at his hand which should shed it that is that he which killed a man should also be killed And the this ought not to be done rashly and of euery man euen reason it self teacheth Wherfore out of this place is most manifestly gathered that there ought of necessitye to be chosen out men to decide causes and to punishe the guiltye But for that we sée that in kingdomes many things are done ouerthwartly and vniustly lawes are peruerted and the commaundements of God are violated many thinke that it can not be that such powers should be of God But as Chrysostome very well admonisheth the thing it self that is the principall function must be distinguished In iudging we must distinguishe the thyng from the person from the person For it is not to be doubted but that the person for as much as he is a man may abuse a good thing but the thing it self considered apart forasmuche as it is good cannot come from any els where but from God For euen as in the nature of things he hath appoynted al things orderly For he hath set heauen ouer the elements and therehense through the ayre he infuseth sundry powers and faculties into the earth and thereof bringeth forthe diuers and manifolde fruites wherewith we are nourished and liue And in mannes body he hath set the head in the top as in a tower and vnder it hath placed the eyes the eares the nose and other members euen to the soole of the féete so in order he preserueth humane society so that there are in it certayne degrées by which it is directed in those workes wherein men communicate the one with the other For it is not possible that where all are equall should long be kept peace For therof rather spring contencions and discordes Wherefore some must néedes be aboue others to take away contencions and to bring matters of controuersy to a quietnes This thing God 〈◊〉 cannot be had where equalâ—y is hath not denied to beas cranes and fishes For these liuing creatures haue their kinges and princes by whose conduit and leading they either go forth to worke or returne from worke Wherefore seing that man is the most excellent of all liuing creatures and communicateth in many actions it was most requisite that he should be fensed of God with this ayde of principality But besides this reason which yet is most true and very necessary the holy scriptures also constantly affirme God geueth and traÌ„sferreth kingdoms the selfe same thing For they teach that God is not only the author of all publique power but also that he distributeth kingdoms principalities wheÌ„ to whoÌ„ he wil at his pleasure For somtymes he called yâ— Assirians somtimes yâ— ChaldeaÌ„s somtymes other nations which by violence ouercoÌ„ming oppressing yâ— Israelites rayned ouer them The kingdom which Dauid and Salomon had receaued all whole was by the will of God rent in sonder and ten partes thereof were geuen to Ieroboam the sonne of Mabath And yâ— this thing should come to passe the Prophet in the name of God did shew vnto Ieroboam before yâ— it came to passe God afterward remoued the famely of Aâ—hab that it should no longer raigne commaunded Elizeus to anoynt and consecrat Iohn the sonne of Nansi And in the 4. chapiter of Daniell it is thus written God obtayneth the kingdome amongst men and God by euill princes punisheth sinnes deliuereth it to whome so euer he wyll Howbeit God obserueth this order to vse wicked and vngodly Princes to punish the wicked doinges of the people And indéede we oftentimes see that sumptuousnes pompe pride and raging lustes are kept vnder by the violence of tyrans which otherwise if al things were quiet could not be cestrayned Lenity oftentimes can not remedy these euils therefore that they should not to farre range abroad stronger remedies are necessary And after that men being in this sort chastised doo returne vnto God he comforteth them and prouideth for them gentler princes and more iust gouerners For he will not suffer that thorough the cruelty of tirannes thinges humane should vtterly be ouerthrown God wyth tyranny entermingleth some iust princes and come to nought And this is the cause why God as it is manifest by histories alwayes with these monsters that is with these cruell and bloudy tirannes mingleth some godly and iust princes For he wil not haue vices so be repressed that the nature of men should vtterly perish Wherefore not only good and iust princes doo raigne by the wil of the lord but also vngodly and wicked trianns But if thou wilt say it be so why sayth Osea vnder the persoÌ„ of God They haue raigned but not by me I answere for that euill princes and such which after that by wicked meanes haue obteyned the kingdome doo by worse meanes gouerne it these I say in that they thus beastly behaue themselues haue not a respect to the will of God which is reuealed vnto vs either by the law of nature or in the holy scriptures For by that will of God theyr doinges and endeuors are most manifestly reproued And in this maner they are sayd not to raigne by God for that they apply not themselues to the written and reueled will of God Howbeit it can not be denied but that God by his hiddeÌ„ and effectuall will would haue them to raigne to that end which we haue now declared For that is not inough which some answere that God doth not these thinges but only permitteth them For the holy scriptures manifestly testefie that he called the Babilonians the Assirians and other nations to vexe and afflict the Israelites and that agaynst Salomon and other kinges he raysed vp enemies and aduersaries to kepe them vnder and to chastice them And forasmuch as these men being thus raysed vp haue no regard at all to