imbracing Gods truth with a true fayth and of expressing the beleeued truth in holy conuersation And all these thinges both generally and particularly as men terme it are taught by the Apostle in this Epistle to the Romaines the exposition whereof you haue heard of me this last yeere And bicause that in the time of my reading I haue gathered many things heere and there out of the Commentaries both of the olde and nevve Expositors vvhiche haue inlightened this Epistle vvith their vvritings I intended to set together this dialog out of that houge heape of my papers and to offer the same vnto you and that doo I for tvvo causes First that the reading of this booke may bring the thinges agayne to your remembraunce which I haue handled more at large in my Readings and secondly that there may remayne some publike vvriting among you as a record both to them that are absent and to suche as shall come after of the purenesse of my doctrine vvhich I haue taught in your coÌ„panie and how muche I abhorre the opinions of Sectaries which trouble the Churches nowadayes with their errours Also you are my witnesses after what maner I coÌ„futed the froward opinions of the Pelagians and selfe iustifiers in the discourse of IustificatioÌ„ Yee knovve also with howe great diligence I haue in the discourse of Predestination or of the calling of the Gentiles vnfolded and confuted both the madnesse of the Stoikes and chieflye the horrible blasphemies of the Manichies that by my shewing of these breakneckes you might keepe your pace in the kings high way without stumbling and imbrace the Apostles doctrine as the only rule of truth Finally to conclude I beseeche you of your gentlenesse and curtesie as to vvhome I thinke my selfe in many respects righte greatly beholden too accept this my small trauell with lyke minde as it is offered vnto you and where shall I finde anye thing in this writing that may stirre vp your minds too the loue of godlinesse thanke almightie god of it who hath imparted these things vnto me to doe you good withall And where any thing shall seeme rude and vnpolished lay that all wholly vpon mee vvho forasmuch as I am a man doo vvell knovve my selfe to be ignorant in many things and not able alwayes to expresse in fit vvordes the thinges that I knovve Wherefore I beseech you haue respect of mans vveaknesse and vvhere yee shall mislike anye thing first admonishe mee friendly of it before yee conceyue amisse of mee for it For as I confesse I may erre so I protest with good conscience that I vvill not stand in any errour Fare yee vvell And I beseeche almightie God the geuer of all good things to bee with yoâ— and to further your attemptes that â—our studies maye not onely profite â—he common Wealth to yeelde euery â—an his righte by the knovvleege of â—our Lavves but also be to the vvelâ—are of the Churche that true godlinesse and the pure doctrine of the Gospell may bee furthered by them Out of my Studie the last day of May. 1574. A generall Argument vpon all the Epistles of the Apostles THe holy Ghost hath so tempered the Epistles of the Apostles that euery of theâ— handleth a sundrie matter from other Fâ— the Epistle to the Romaines is a perfect instruction of a Christian. The two Epistles to the Corinthians do open the doubts of Churchmatters That to the Galathians breaketh thâ— strife betweene Moyses and Christ and betweene the selferighteous and the beleeuer in Christ That to the Ephesians doth moste plenteously lay forth the kingdome of Christ likâ— as that doth which is written to the Colossians The two to the Thessalonians describâ— Antichrist and the last day with the mysterie of the Resurrection and the things belonging therevnto The two vnto Timothie and the one vnto Titus doo peint out liuely the office of 〈◊〉 true shepheard and Bishop That to Philemon setteth down the profeâ— of mercie and Christian charitie That whiche was sent to the Hebrewes lyghteneth Christ by the shadowes of Moses and the Oracles of the Prophetes S. Iames correcteth the errour that sprung of the misvnderstanding of Paules doctrine and sheweth that the sauing fayth must bee liuely and frutefull Peter treateth of Christes kingdome and of the mysterie of his crosse howbeit in his owne style and peculiar gift and he sayeth the same thing that Paule dooth but not after the same maner so as yee maye perceiue them to haue had bothe one meaning but not bothe one mouth John teacheth the freendship and vnitie which wee haue with God through Christ and thervppon he vrgeth charitie and good woorkes with James Iude disclozeth the daungers of backeslyding as an vpholder of Peter and also vvill haue the feare of God taught to new-beginners and not onely his fauour and mercie least the preaching of Gods louingnesse might turne into fleshly libertie The Apocalips openeth the mysteries that shall happen in the last times Heereby it appeareth manifestly that nothing can be had or red more absolute than the new Testament For it teacheth the things that are to be knowen forwarneth things hurtfull and prophesieth both of good things and bad things to come The Argument of the Epistle of Paule the Apostle to the Romanes takeÌ„ out of the bokes of Athanasius Biship of Alexandria THey be called Paules Epistles bicause he wrote them And by them he both admonisheth and correcteth those whom he had seene and taught and also laboreth to teach them the same things whom he had not sene as they may perceiue which light vpon theÌ„ This to the Romanes he wrote from Corinth at what time he had not yet seene them but yet had herd of their faith and was desirous to see them And first of all he prayseth their faith which he herd spoken of euerywhere Then doth he them to vnderstande that he had purposed to come to theÌ„ for the good will that he bare them but hitherto could not Howbeit he frameth his Epistle after a maner of teaching informing them of the calling of the Gentiles and that circumcision serued but for a time was now abolished that Adams traÌ„sgression was discharged by Christ that the shadow of the Law was vanished away Therfore that the calling of the Gentiles was done consequently in good order he prouth in this wise He sheweth that the law is grafted in all men and that any man may know God euen of his own mother wit by the creation and state of things without the doctrine of the Law written And therefore he doth worthely first of all blame the Gentiles that wheras God hath opened the knowledge of himselfe vnto them by the works of the world and therwith also shewed them his euerlasting power which is his worde wherin and wherby he made all things They considered not by the creatures that God was the workmaster of such things but rather ascribed godhead to his creatures and worshipped them rather than the maker of
while in the meane time our own cōscience wauereth for the thing that is done against a mans owne cōscience cānot be dō without sin Therfore whē thou seest other men vse the libertye of the gospell cōsult with thine own faith before thou folow their exāple deale not with any thing which thou knowest not by the allowāce of thine own cōscience by the record of the holy Ghost to be throughly acceptable to God R. Now I see plainly how great daūger there is in setting out of christen liberty to the shew Chap. 15. when the foūdaciō of faith the feare of God is not layd afore frō whēce the seking of brotherly loue proceedeth But to say the truth Paule your coūtrymen do ouermuch hinder the course of the gospell in our church by holding fast the ordināces of the law and we thinke that suche weakelinges are not to be borne with all Heereupon spring braulinges stryfe and contentions among vs. P. But I thinke the contrary For we that are the stronger and stedfaster sort and are indued with a mightier faith must beare the infirmities of the weker sort charitably cary thē as you would say vppon our shoulders And we must not plese our selues but euery of vs must please other and serue his turne in all goodnesse and hs is bounde by the duetye of charitye to study for his edifying and instruction Whiche thing maye be gathered euen cheefly by Christes example who suffered all things to the intent to bring vnto his father not only the weaklings but also euen his cruellest enemies by ouercomming them with patience Therfore this mediator betwene God and man cockered not himself ne cared to please himselfe onlye but tooke vppon him all slaunder reproch Psa 69. and finally torment and infamie according to this saying which the Kingly prophet hath writtē of him the reuilings of them that reuyled thee are lyght vpon me R. Yea Thinke you that that saying of Dauids is a prophesie of the messias and that the Prophet incorageth vs too patience by his example P. Yea verely For whatsoeuer things are written in the books of our forefathers are written to oure learning that we myght haue hope through patience and comfort of the scriptures For in asmuch as they be the wordes of the holy Ghost we muste beleeue that they be not vnprofitable or vaine but that they make for our instruction R. It is straunge the we should alwaies be occupied in reading the holy scriptures and yet profite so little in these vertues For how many do know at this day that Gods giuing of strength to the stoute is not to the intent they should condemne the weake but to the intent they shuld help them Or who is he also which taketh so abundant comforte by reading the holy scriptures that he fainteth not in aduersity P. These vertues my brother depend not vpon the letters but vpon the spirit of gods word which lies hid in the letters vvhich if you haue not you shall euer stick stil in the bark of the letter And I pray god the author of patience cōfort to teach you by his spirit to graunt you to be al of one mind one towards another after the exāple of Iesus christ as his doctrine exāple require that you may by that meanes with one accorde one mouth glorifie god euē the father of our Lord Iesus christ Whose gentlenes I beseech you to follow in bearing one vvith another and to releeue the weake brethren like as Christ releeued vs bare with vs only to the end to glorifie his father and our glorious god I knowe you haue very many of my countrey men among you which are stil feble weak in the faith but you must haue a care of them after the example of Christ you must set before your eyes the footsteps of that heauenly master who notwithstanding that the Jewes were neuer so vnworthy did yet voutsafe thē such honor for the couenāts sake that was made vnto their fathers that he bare the roome euen of a seruant among them with incredible patiēce Now if the son of god estemed men so much then godlines requireth not only that you should not reiect thē or hold scorne of them but also that yee should be so kindled vvith the spirite of charitie as to receyue them to teache them and to further them more and more to the knovvledge of the libertie of the Gospell by your discrete dealyng For I am vvont too teache that Jesus Christ vvas a minister amonge the Circumcised too keepe the fathers credite in the things vvhiche he hadde promised to their forefathers Therefore Chryste perfourmed all thinges for Gods truthes sake and for the confirmation of his promises R. These things are true in dede howbeit their vnthankfulnes agaynst Gods so great goodnes is the cause that God hath shaken them off and taken vs to be his people P. In deede their sinnes are the cause of their shaking off but the receyuing of you dependeth vpon the incomprehensible goodnes of our most mercifull God And therfore you Romans must not become high minded but rather glorifie God for his mercy bestowed vpon you as you be taught in the holy Scriptures For ye see what the kingly Prophet hath said Ps 18.50 1. reg 21. Deu. 32. Ps 117.1 Therfore will I confesse thee among the Gentiles and sing vnto thy name And agayne he sayth Reioyce ye Gentiles with his people And agayne All nations prayse yee the Lord and all people prayse ye him together Also the prophet Esay confirming Gods eternall ordinance of the calling of the Gentiles saith thus Es 11.10 There shall be a roote of lesse and he whiche shall rise vp to reigne ouer the gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust Heerby you maye gather that your calling to the participation of the kingdome of heauen is not by reason of the sinnes of the Iewes and much lesse for your own deserts but bicause god of his goodnes wold haue it so Therfore like as he hath shewed his mercy towards vs so also on the other side it behoueth vs to be mercifull to others R. Would God that this lesson might take deepe roote among vs all P. And I also beseech god the author of hope and in whom the trust of all mē ought to be reposed to fill you with al spirituall ioy quietnesse of mind and peace of conscience in true fayth that by beleeuing you may abound in hope through the power of the holy ghost For there is none other way for men to attayne to these ornaments of christian godlines but by the meere benefite of god by the power of his spirite and by the working of fayth R. To the intent wee maye nowe at length make an ende of this our talke I can not maruell inough at this your so free maner of dealing with vs. For you are not ignoraunt how great the dignity and excellencie
vs for ryghtuousnesse Furthermore the Apostle doth very apparently deryue loue from fayth 2. Tim. 2 saying the ende of the commaundement is loue from a pure harte good conscience and vnfeyned fayth Therefore in this cace I speake not of a feyned empty ydle or dead fayth but of a lyuely and quickening fayth which for Christs sake who is our lyfe and quickeneth vs whom it taketh hold of both is and is sayde to be lyuely so sheweth it selfe to be by lyuely workes No whit at all therefore is S. Iames contrary to this doctrine Jam. 2. forsomuch as he speaketh of an empty and dead fayth which some men did boast of whereas they had not Christ lyuing in theÌ„ by fayth The same Iames in saying that workes iustify is not contrary to Paule for then were he to be reiected but he sheweth that Abraham vttered a liuely and iustifying faith by his works which thing all the godly do who notwithstanding trust all only vnto Christ and to no woorkes of their owne For the Apostle hath sayd againe Now doo not I lyue but Christe lyueth in me The lyfe that I nowe lyue in the fleshe I lyue by beleeuing in the sonne of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me I hold no skorne of Gods grace For if ryghtuousnesse come by the lawe then hath Christ dyed in vaine Of Gods predestinating and chosing of the Saints God from euerlasting hathe freely of his owne meere goodnesse without any respect of men Eph. 1. predestinated or chosen the Saintes whom he intendeth to saue in Christ according to this saying of the Apostle God chose vs in him before the foundations of the worlde were layde And againe Which saued vs and called vs with a holy calling 2. Tim. 1 not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and free fauour which was giuen vs in Christ Iesus before all tymes but disclosed nowe by the appearing of oure Sauiour Iesus Christ So then Gods choosing of vs is not withoute a meane though it be not for any desert of ours but in Christ and for Christ so that they whiche are now greffed into Christ by fayth are the selfe same also whiche are chosen and the reprobates or castawayes are those that are out of Christe according to this saying of the Apostle Try your selues whether you be in the fayth or no. Knowe ye not your selues 2. Cor. 13 how that Iesus Christ is in you vnlesse perhappes you be castawayes Finally God hath chosen the Sayntes in Christe to a certen ende which the Apostle declareth in that he sayth Ephe. 12. he hath chosen vs in him to the ende we shoulde be holy and vnrebukable through loue before hym which did predestinate vs afore hande in himselfe to adopte vs to be his children through Iesus Christ to the glory of his grace And although God know whiche are his and that in some places mention is made of the fewenesse of the chosen yet oughte we to hope well of all men Phl. 1 and not to be rash in reckening any man to be a reprobate Surely Paule to the Philippians saith I thank God for you all he speaketh of the whole churche of the Philippians that you are come to the communion of the Gospell assuring my self that he which hath begon the good worke in you will also go through with it and meete it is that I should so thinke of you all And in the xiij of Luke when the Lord was asked whither few should be saued he answereth not that there shal be few or many saued or daÌ„ned but rather counseleth euery of them to stryue to get in at the narrow gate as if he had sayde it is not for you to be curious in serching of these things but rather to indeuer to go into heauen by the narrowe way Therefore I lyke not the vngodly speeches of some meÌ„ which say that few be chosen and sith I am not sure whether I be of that noÌ„ber or no I will not refrayne myne owne pleasures Othersome say if I be predestinated or chosen of God nothing shall put me from saluation which is certenly appointed for me what so euer I do And if I be of the nomber of the castawayes no fayth or repentance can helpe me bycause Gods determination cannot be chaunged and therefore all teaching and warninges are to no purpose For the Apostle fyghteth againste suche folke saying Gods seruant muste be ready to teache and instruct suche as stande against him 2. Tim. 2 if God at any tyme wyll gyue them repentance to know the truth But Saint Austin in the .xiiii. chapter of his booke de bono perseuerantiae and in the chapters following sheweth that both of them be to be preached that is to wit booth the grace of Gods free choosing and predestinating and also wholesome warnings and teachings Therefore I mislyke of suche as seeke without Christe whether they be chosen from euerlasting or no and what God hath determined of them before all tyme. For we must giue eare to the preaching of the Gospell and beleeue the same and take it to be oute of all doubt that if we beleue and be in Iesus Christ we be chosen For the father hath vttered vnto vs in Christe the euerlasting sentence of his predestination as I declared euen now from oute of the firste chapter of Paules second Epistle to Timothie Therefore we must teache and consyder aboue all thinges how greate the loue of the father is reueled to be towards vs in Christ We must dayly herken what the Lord himselfe telleth vs in the Gospel how he calleth vs and saith Mar. 11. come vnto me all ye that are wearie and ouerloden and I will refresh you God so loued the world John 3. that he gaue his only begotten sonne for the worlde to the intent that euery one whiche beleeueth in him shoulde not die but haue euerlasting lyfe Math. 18 Also it is not the will of the father that any of these little ones shoulde perishe Therfore let Christ be our loking-glasse wherin to behold our predestination We haue euident and substantiall recorde ynough that we be written in the booke of lyfe if we communicate with Christ so as he be ours and we be hys through true fayth In the temptation of predestination than the whiche there is not a more daungerous let this be oure comforte Luke 11. that Gods promises are vniuersall to all beleeuers that he sayth ask and ye shall receiue for euery one that asketh receyueth and finally that we pray togither with the vniuersall churche of God Our father which arte in heauen and that we be greffed into Christes bodye by baptim and are often fed in his Churche with his fleshe and bloud vnto eternall lyfe Beeing confirmed with these thinges we be willed to worke out our owne saluation in feare and trembling according to S. Paules counsell FINIS These articles of the ryght beleeuing fayth I ment to adde to the ende of my dialoge to disproue the vntowarde dealings of such men as slaunder me of Pelagiamin without any iust occasion only bycause I do often exhort my heerers to good workes Whiche thing I deny not but I do very diligentlye howbeit not for that I thinke the children of Adam to be able to attaine saluation by their owne strength withoute the grace of God for I impute the beginning Rom. 8. the increase and the accomplishment of our saluation and happinesse to the only free fauour grace of God But for asmuch as I see mans nature forewarde ynough of it selfe to imbrace vaine carelesnesse fleshly liberty I minded that my sayings shuld rather hold them in awe Act. 13. and lead them away from the pleasures and delyghtes of this worlde as it were by casting a brydle vpon them than put spurs to them running already of their owne accord to do euill Therefore as for those that lyke not of my maner of teaching it is fre for them to deuice apter and to put them forth to their heerers so they do it in the feare of God to the furtherance of his â—hurch and without disgracing of others that follow another trade of teaching Ephe. 2. But of these thinges I shall perchance speake more largely at another tyme. Our preseÌ„t age misdemeth things through spite The age to come wil iudge things more vpright