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cause_n	authority_n	church_n	great_a	2,167	5	3.1621	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17647	A commentarie of M. Iohn Caluine vppon the Epistle to the Philippians wherein is set out the necessitie and profite of affliction vnto the faithfull, the benefite of God his word, the fruits, of vnitie and humilitie, free iustification by faith in Iesus Christ without our owne merites, the assurance, ioy, and contented mindes of the godlie, and their perseueraunce in godlinesse vnto the end. With many other comfortable and profitable pointes of religion. Translated out of Latine by W.B.; Commentarii in quatuor Pauli epistolas. English. Selections	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Becket, William, fl. 1584.	1584 (1584)	STC 4402; ESTC S107378	72,730	102

thou must liue humbly In another place the aire is more healthfull or the countrye more pleasant but here thy standing is appoynted Thou wouldst wish that thou hadst rather to doo with a more gentle people either their vnthankfulnes or their fiercenes or their pryde offendeth thée Finally thou dost not agree with the wit maners of the cōtry yet thou must striue with thy selfe after a sort offer violēce to thy cōtrary desires that thou maist increase that good which thou hast gottē for thou art not frée or at thy own liberty To conclude thou must forget thy selfe if thou wilt serue GOD. And if Paule doth reproue them so seuerely who had greater care of them selues than of the Churche what iudgemente doe they looke for who béeyng altogither carryed awaye by their owne busines doe nothing estéeme the edifyng of the Church althoughe they now flatter themselues yet God will not spare them So farre it is to be granted to the ministers of the Churche to seeke their owne that they be not hindred from séekyng the kingdome of Christe but by this meane they shall not nowe be saide to séeke their owne because the life of man is estéemed according vnto the speciall marke whereat it aymeth Whereas he saith All you must not vrge the vniuersal signe that you admit no exception for there were others also as Epaphroditus but a very fewe but he attributeth that vnto all which was euery where common When wée heare Paule complaining in that golden age wherein all vertues flourished that true harted brethren were so hard to finde let not vs discourage our selues if at this day our estate be alike only let euery man take héed to himselfe that he be not worthyly numbred in this catalog I woulde the Papists would answere me where Peter was at that time who ought to haue béene at Rome if they say truth Oh heauy and shameful dispraise which Paule should giue him they fable therfore when they feigne that he was then Bishop of the Church of Rome Marke that the edifiyng of the Church is called the thinges of Christ because thē truly we doe his busines when we labor in trimming his vineyard But yee knowe the experience of him According to the word it is you knowe the proofe of him except you had rather haue it in the Imperatiue moode know yee for they coulde scarce take any triall of him in the time but there is little matter of waight in that This is especially to be marked that he giueth testimony vnto Timothie of his fayth and modestie It appertaineth to his faith in that he testifieth that he serued with him in the gospel it is a signe of his modesty that he submitted himselfe to him as vnto his Father That Paule commendeth this vertue namely it is no maruell for it hath bene rare in all ages At this daye what young man can be founde who will yelde euen a little vnto his elders such insolencie springeth and boyleth forth in that age In this place as in many other we sée what an earnest care Paule hath to beautifie godly ministers not so much for their cause as that it belongeth to the whole Churche that such should be loued and reuerenced and be in great authoritie And I truste L my selfe This also he addeth leaste they shoulde thinke that anye thing had happened which might change the purpose of hys comming whereof before he had made mention yet alwaies he speaketh with a condition If it please the Lord for although he hoped of deliuerance from the Lorde because we said there was no certaine promise that his hope was firmely setled but hanging as it were vpon the secret counsell of God 25 But I haue thought it necessary to sende vnto you Epaphroditus my brother and companion in laboure and fellow soldier but your Apostle and the minister of my necessitie 26 Because he longed after you all and was ful of heauinesse because yee had heard that he had beene sicke 27 And truly he was sicke very neere vnto death but god had mercy on him not on him only but on me also that I should not haue sorrow vpon sorrow 28 I sente hym therefore the more diligently that when yee see him yee myght agayne reioyce and I might be the lesse sorrowfull 29 Receyue him therefore in the Lorde with all gladnes and make much of such 30 Because that for the worke of Christe he was neere vnto death offeryng his life vnto danger that he might fulfill that seruice which was wanting on your parte towarde me 25 Epaphroditus After he had comforted them by promising his owne comming and the comming of Timotheus presently also he strengthneth them sending Ehaphroditus afore least in the meane time while he were certaine what would become of himselfe for this was the cause of his tarying they should want their pastor who might defende theyr well ordered estate He commendeth Epaphroditus by many names that he is a brother and an helper in the busines of the Gospell that he is his fellow soldier by which worde he expresseth what the condition of the ministers of the gospell is namely that they must be in continuall warfare for Sathan wil not suffer them to promote the gospel without fighting Therefore let them knowe who prepare them selues to edifie the Church that there is warre proclaimed and readye against them This truly is common vnto all Christians to serue as soldiers in the tents of Christ because Sathan is the enimy of vs al but especially it appertaineth to the ministers of the word who leade the armies and carry the standarde yet more properly it was lawfull for Paule to boast of hys warfare who was exercised in all kind of battels yea euen miraculously Therefore Paule commendeth Epaphroditus because he was partaker with him of his striuings the name of Apostle is here generally as in many other places taken for euery Euangelist except any had rather take it for a messenger sent from the Philippians that these two may ioyntlye be read togither a messenger sent to minister vnto Paule but the former sense in my iudgement agreeth better He putteth this also among his praises the he ministred vnto him in prisō of which thing we shal speak more amply afterward 26. Longed after you A signe of a true pastor that when he was far of willingly witholden from his godly dutie yet he was moued with care and desire of his flocke and when he vnderstood that his shéepe were sad for his sake he was heauye for their griefe In like maner the godly care of the Philippians for their pastor is declared 27. But God had mercy on him He expressed the grieuousnes of the disease because Epaphroditus was sicke without hope of life that the goodnes of God in restoring his helth might appeare more euidently But it is a maruel that the Apostle doth account the prolonging of Epaphroditus his life in the number of Gods mercies when

wherewith God vouchsafeth vs when we suffer persecution for his truth neither in vaine was it sayd Blessed shall you be when men shall all maner of wayes reuile and trouble you for my names sake Matth. 5.11 Let vs therfore remember that the fellowship of the crosse of Christ as a singular grace of God is with a cherefull and thankefull mind to be embraced of vs. To his bands he addeth The defence and confirmation of the Gospell that he might the better expresse how honorable a dutie the Lord enioineth vs when he opposeth vs against his enimies to giue testimonie vnto his Gospell For it is as if he should commaund vnto vs the patronage of his Gospell With this cogitation Martyrs being armed haue bene able to contemne all the rage of the wicked and to ouercome all their torments And I would to God this were in the mindes of all them that are called to confesse the faith that they are Patrons chosen by Christ to pleade his cause For being stayed vpon such a comfort they would be more couragious than easily to be turned vnfaithfully to fall from God But some man will aske here whether the confirmation of the Gospell depend vpon the constancie of men I answer that the truth of God is stronger of it selfe than that it néedeth any other way to be vpholden For we all are liers yet God remaineth true yet it is not absurd that weake consciences by such helpes should be confirmed Therfore this kind of confirmation which Paule remembreth hath relation vnto men as we learne by our owne experience this at the least is come to passe by the slaughters of so many Martyrs that the Gospell is sealed in our harts as it were by so many seales Whereof commeth that of Tertullian that their bloud is the séede of the Church whome I also haue imitated in a verse The holy bloud of martyrd Saincts which God his honor defend Is like the seede cast into earth which great encrease forth send 8 For God is my witnes Nowe he declareth more plainly his loue toward them for proofe whereof he addeth an othe and that iustly because we knowe how deare the building vp of the Church is vnto God It was very necessary that the loue of Paule should sufficiently be testified vnto the Philippians neither is this of small force to procure credite vnto the doctrine when the people is perswaded that they are beloued of their teacher He calleth God to be a witnes of the truth who alone is truth and to be a witnes of his affection who alone is the searcher of the hartes In this worde Desire the speciall worde is put for the generall it is a signe of loue because we desire the thinges we loue In our bowells He opposeth the bowells of Christ vnto carnall affection that he might signifie his loue to be holye and godlye for he that loueth according to the flesh hath respect of his owne profite and may thereafter according to the alteration of things and time change his minde in the meane season he admonisheth by what rule the affections of the faithful should be examined namely that forsaking their owne will they should suffer Christ to gouerne them And certainly true loue can not procéede from any other thing than from the bowels of Christ and this pricke should not lightly touch vs that Christ doth after a sort open his bowells whereby he might chearish mutuall loue amongest vs. 9 This I pray that your loue c. He commeth agayne vnto his prayer which by the waye he had in one worde touched afore He sheweth them therefore the summe of those thinges which he beséeched of God for them that they them selues also by his example might learne to praye and aspire to the increase of these giftes Whereas some doe take the loue of the Philippians for the Philippians them selues as commonly barbarous men are woont to speake sauing your reuerence your worship it is absurd for neither is there anye such example extant in Paule neyther had such foolishnes as yet come into custome beside the sentence shoulde not be full and otherwise the simple and naturall meaning of the wordes doth very well agrée for the true encrease of Christians is when they goe forward in knowledge and vnderstanding and afterward in loue therefore this worde In according to the phrase of the Hebrewe tongue is taken here for with as I haue also translated it except some had rather expound it By that it should signifie the instrument or the formall cause for the greater increase we make in knowledge the more should loue encrease in vs. Then the sense were that your loue shoulde encrease according to the measure of your vnderstanding All vnderstanding is taken for full and sounde vnderstanding not for the vnderstanding of all things 10 That ye may allowe The definition of Christian wisedome is to knowe that that is to the purpose or profitable not to disquiet the witte in vayne subtilties and speculations for the Lorde will not employe his seruantes vnprofitably least they shoulde learne that which shoulde nothing auayle them Hereof you may gather in what estimation the diuinitie of the Sorbonicall Sophisters is to be had wherein if thou spendest thy whole life thou shalt no more be edified touching the hope of euerlasting life nor reape anye more spirituall profite than out of the demonstrations of Euclides Truely although it did teache no false thing yet for this cause it shoulde worthily be accursed because the profaning of spirituall doctrine is verye daungerous for the Scripture as Paule sayth is profitable 2. Tim. 3.16 There we can finde nothing but colde disputations about trifles That ye may be pure This is the profit which we reape by knowledge not that euery man should craftilye prouide for his owne estate but that we should liue with a pure conscience before God It followeth And without offence The Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of doubtfull signification Ghrysostome doth expounde it actiuely that like as before God he would haue vs pure and innocent so nowe before men he would haue vs leade an honest life lest by any euill examples they should hurt their neighbours This I reiect not yet in my iudgement the passiue signification agréeth better with the text for to this ende did he wish them wisedome that with blameles steppes they should goe forward in their vocation vntil the day of Christ as contrariwise by ignorance it commeth to passe that oftentimes we fall stumble and goe astray And how many offences Satan obiecteth vnto vs which might either breake of our course or hinder it euery one of vs for him selfe haue experience 11 Filled with the fruites of righteousnes This nowe pertaineth vnto the outward life for a good conscience bringeth forth her fruite by her workes therefore he desireth that they should be fruitefull in good workes vnto the glorie of God Such fruites he sayth are thorough Christ because they

to our saluation To you he sayth it is giuen not onely that ye should beléeue in him but also suffer for his sake therefore your very sufferings are testimonies vnto you of the grace of God Since it is so from hence you haue an argument of your saluation Oh that this persuasion were thoroughly setled in our minds that persecutions are to be reckoned among the benefits of God how then would we grow forward in the doctrine of godlines notwithstanding what is more certaine than that it is a great glorie of the grace of God that we suffer for his name either reproch or inprisonment or sorrowes or torments or lastly death it selfe for then the Lord doth bewtifie vs with his owne ensignes But there shall more be found that will rather bid God depart with such gifts than would thankfully embrace the crosse being offered woe worth our dulnes 29 That ye should beleeue He hath wisely conuerted faith with the crosse by an inseparable knot that the Philippians might knowe that they were called vpon this condition vnto the faith of Christ that they should suffer persecutions for his name as if he should say their adoption can no more be separated from the crosse than Christ him selfe can be pulled from them Here Paule doth manifestly witnes that both faith and constancie in suffering persecutions is the free gift of God And truly the knowledge of God is an higher wisedome than that we can attaine vnto it by our owne wit and our weakenes doe shew it selfe by daily experience when God a litle withdraweth his hand from vs. And that he might the better expresse that both these are the frée giftes of God he speaketh namely that they are giuen vs for Christ his sake or by the grace of Christ whereby he excludeth all respect of merite This place also make against the opinion of the Schoolemen wherein they teach that the latter graces are the rewardes of our merit because we haue vsed the first aright Truely I doe not deny but the Lorde doth reward in vs the right vse of his graces with more ample graces so that thou dost not oppose thine owne merite against his frée liberalitie and against the merite of Christ which they doe 30 Hauing the same strife By his owne example also he confirmeth that which he sayd which addeth no litle authoritie vnto his doctrine And he admonisheth them that those workes are no cause why they should be troubled at his bonds looking for the ende of their strife Chap. 2. 1 IF therefore there be any consolation in Christ if anye comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirite if any bowels and mercy 2 Fulfill my ioy that ye may thinke the same thing hauing loue being of one mind and of one iudgement 3 That nothing be done thorough contention or vaine glorie but that thorough humilitie euery man esteeme others better than him selfe 4 Be not carefull euery man for his owne but euery man also for the things of other men 1 IF therefore This exhortation is very pathetical wherein by all meanes he entreateth the Philippians that they would embrace mutual concord among them selues lest that if they should be diuided by contentions they should be layde open to the illusions of the false Apostles for alwaies in dissentions there is a gate open vnto satan to spread vngodly doctrines to repel the which cōsent is the best defence Because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is oft times taken for exhortation the beginning of the chapter might thus be expounded If my exhortation which is done in the name and by the commaundement of Christ doth any thing preuail with you Yet the other sense doe better agrée with the text if there be in you Any consolation of Christ wherby you might mittigate my sorrowes and if you will any way comfort and ease me which truly you should do thorough loue if you thinke vpon that fellowship of the spirit which should make vs all one if any féeling of humanitie mercie remaineth in you which might moue you to succor my misery fulfil my ioy c. Hereby we gather how great a good vnitie is in the Church with how great care it is by the Pastors to be procured We must also mark how he humbleth him selfe humbly intreating their mercye who might by the dutie of a father haue exacted reuerence from them as from his sonnes He knew howe to vse commaunding when néede required now he had rather vse prayers because he knewe them more fit to pearce their affections and because he knew that he spake vnto them that were obedient and easie to be taught So the Pastor must not refuse to take vpon him any person for the Churches sake 2 Fulfill my ioye And here we may perceiue howe litle carefull he was for him selfe so that the Church of Christ were in good case He was kept close in prison and bound with chaines he was condemned to loose his heade torments were before him and the executioner at hand to dispatch him notwithstanding all these did not hinder him but that he did soundly reioyce to sée the Churches flourish furthermore he estéemeth this an especiall thing in the happy state of the Church if there raigne mutuall consent and brotherly concord among them So the 137. Psalme teacheth vs that the chiefe point of our ioy is the remembrance of Ierusalem And if that were the fulnes of Paule his ioye the Philippians had bene more than cruell if by dissentions among them selues they should haue tormented the hart of the holy man with a double sorrowe That ye may thinke the same thing The summe is this that in their opinions their wills they should consent For he setteth downe consent in doctrine and mutuall loue then repeating the same thing in my iudgement he biddeth them be of one minde and to thinke the same thing these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are of this force that they should apply them selues one to another therefore the beginning of loue is to agrée in opinions but that is not sufficient except the harts doe encrease together into a mutuall loue Although it were not absurd to translate it thus that you should be of the same cogitation to haue mutual loue to be of one mind and to thinke the same thing for the participles are many times vsed for the Infinitiue moodes yet I haue followed that sense which séemed to be lesse strained 3 That nothing be done thorough contention These two are most hurtfull plagues to trouble the peace of the Church Contentiō ariseth whilest euery man wil stiffely defend his own opinion and when it is once hote it is carried headlong into that way where it entred but vaine glorie tickleth the minds so that euery man flattereth himself in his owne inuentions Therefore this is the only reason to méete with dissentions if we auoide strife by counselling and dispatching matters quietly and especially if we be not carried by ambition