Prophets spoken and the law declared And héere peraduenture some man will aske me How dyd it chaunce then that the Iewes did so sodenly forsake and shake off Chryst Verily euen bicause God can not abide the stubborne and proude men but giueth him selfe wholly vnto the méeke gentle and lowely hearted And bicause the Iewes were stubborne proude and wilfull and would not beléeue the Gospell of Chryst and his promises he dyd renounce and forsake them For which cause the Gentiles acknowledging their wretchednesse and submitting them selues to the fayth in Chryst God receiued them to hys grace whereas the Iewes he reiected and caste off bycause they gloried in a false righteousnesse in their holy dayes in their washing in their circumcision and in suche their lyke obserucāes which refused to submit them selues to the faith of Chryst and denied him and put him the author of their life vnto death the which selfe thing Esay did prophecie should come to passe that is that Chryst whom the law before had promised to be a sauiour should be vnto them for their vnfaythfulnesse sake an occasion of their fall and he should also be a stone wherevpon the faythfull should repose them selues and vnto the Iewes it should be turned to their destruction inasmuche as they rather did chose to stumble at it and to be at variaunce among them selues agaynst it than to take their rest vpon it through the vertue of their beléefe For euen so dothe the father of Chryst him selfe speake by the prophet and sayth Beholde I put in Syon a stone to stumble at and a rocke to fall vpon But who soeuer shall beléeue on it shall not be ashamed of his beléefe The .x. Chapter The vnfaythfulnesse of the Iewes Two maner of righteousnesses DEare brethren verily I say this vnto you not without great sorow and heauinesse of harte bicause I inwardly wishe with the same the happie state and prosperitie of the Iewes And if it were in mine abilitie and power I would most gladly reléeue them and ease them of their fal and most wretched mischaunce But of this thing they be all assured and out of doubt that I pray to God dayly and hartily for them that they may yet once agayne turne to repentaunce and not thus alwayes to continue in their damnable blyndnesse Surely I can not excuse them of their vnbeléefe howbeit somewhat may yet be sayde in that behalfe for their comforts for they be not so farre from Chryst as the Gentiles were for asmuche as he is somewhat néerer the truthe that knoweth some parte thereof than he that knoweth yet nothing at all For which cause I would the rather wish that the same thing may now be brought to good effecte in them which they heretofore went about and that they may now obtayne the very truth it selfe wherof long since they haue had but the tipe and shadowe And although they did fall into a moste horrible and lamentable vice in that they so maliciously crucified the Lord which was the fountaine of al glory yet notwithstanding the same I muste néedes confesse that they did it for some loue which they bare towardes God thoughe it were done neither with wisdome nor iudgement For their entent was to call himself the sonne of God which in their opinions was a detestable blasphemie to the Father of heauen but in this pointe their carnall reason was deceyued Wherefore they did not altogither misse in the affection of godlynesse thoughe the same did misse in the ordering and in the right applying therof and better it is to haue some one kinde of religion thā to haue none at all Also they did deserue thoughe they had but little godlinesse in them to haue had more giuen vnto them if they had not bene so stiffe necked in their firste rules of godlinesse hauing in contempte the true godlinesse it selfe when it was once offered vnto them and also if they had not maintained and so stoutly fortified theyr shadowes and only similitudes of truthe and in steade therof to deride and mocke the veritie and perfect truth it selfe And euery of them though they should not then haue caste of from them their lawe of Moses yet they did strius for the fortification thereof without all knowledge or godly iudgement In the doing of which they contended against him for whom the whole lawe was firste made and proclaimed For theyr holy dayes their Circumcision their differences of meates the auoyding from deade carcases their Fastings their Festiuall dayes were all appoynted for this intent that they shoulde passe foorthe for their time in these sortes of beginning and to pretende by the outwarde or worldly rightuousnesse therof a comming at the time appoynted to the true rightuousnesse of almightie God. Howe be it it was not conuenient for them that for the loues sake and affection they then had to their Ceremoniall rightuousnesse to despise cast him away frō them for whose only cause al their lawe Ceremonies were ordained but the more pitie it is that the Iewes though they had in most large and godly maner declared truely vnto them all the righteousnesse of God yet they would not forsake the worldly righteousnesse of their Ceremonies but moste peruersly and without all good order sought to vpholde the continuaunce of them For they so stiffely defended their olde righteousnesse which in déede was made of none effecte and is now rather become to all men which trust therein their deadly wound and sting that they would not once know the true ryghteousnesse of God but stil wasting their liues in Ceremonies they resisted the Gospell of Chryst wherevnto they should haue submitted them selues with all humblenesse and thankesgiuing if in very déede they had ben mindefull to be righteous For we must imagine thus with our selues as though there were before vs two kinde of righteousnesses the one hath Moyses for their author the other hath Chryst The firste standeth in the fulfilling of Ceremonies the seconde consisteth in the fayth of Iesus Chryst and in the obedience to his Gospell The first of these two was but the preamble and first beginning of the seconde euen as a stocke or rough péece of woode is the beginning of the Image that is made thereof or else as the crudding togither of the bloud is the beginning of the issue that commeth therof Therfore it shall be but extreme foolishnesse to sticke to the beginning and to be setled with delight therein when we haue once receiued the perfecte issue and true thing it selfe And euen thus is Chryst the very perfect issue or ende of Moyses law which was in déede but a very weake and vnperfecte beginning of our righteousnesse And this same issue is fedde and nourished to be our helpe and comforte in time to come with the moste delicate deyntie and sweete milke of fayth and not with the da lying toyes of Circumcision or other the like trifling Ceremonies The comming vnto
with them and not of the sauour of him who giueth rewards Agayne if they haue any punishment for not kéeping of the lawe they duely suffer it for their iust deserts In which things they bée likened to a dayly workeman which if he worke and make an ende of his charge and appoynted taske he hath his wages therefore but if he loyter and â—â—outhfully driue the day away with idlenesse he is then duely punished for it But the Gentiles which knowe not the Ceremonies of the law and the Iewes that forsake the sayde Ceremonies turning to the fayth in Chryst and worke not according to the couenaunts of the law but â—â—â—â—ly and wholly beléeue in him whiche giueth iustification of his owne frée motion and fauour in all suche the fayth of Abraham is an occasion that they be iustified Which procéedeth not of the dignitie of the lawe but of onely fayth to the which no man is enforced or constrayned but is gently desired and allured therevnto through the ioyfull and swéete promises of God and the deseruings of his deare sonne Iesus Chryst to the ende that the sayde fayth should be voluntarie and not seruile or bond by which we beléeue in Chryst And that it may come of the grace of God and not of any couenaunt that we be numbred among the iuste by him the kingly Prophete Dauid the highest glory among all the Iewes after Abraham in whom was promised vnto vs Chryst the onely fountayne of our iustification maketh muche for our parte in this poynt For he describeth vnto vs in the .xxxij. Psalme our iustification not to come of the workes of the Law as due vnto vs but onely of the goodnesse of God as it is declared in the Gospell Blessed are they sayth he whose offences be forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered And blessed is that man vnto whom the Lorde imputeth no sinne Héere you perceiue that the sinnes be forgiuen which are done agaynst the lawe of Moyses Also you perceiue those offences to be forgiuen that are done agaynst the law of Nature And you perceiue also that no kynde of sinne is imputed vnto him that hath obteyned his blessednesse by Chryst and that without any mention making of kéeping the law Therefore the Iewes haue no good ground to say that the blessednesse described of Dauid and the prayse of iustification that was imputed to Abraham appertayneth onely to them and not also vnto the Gentiles let them answere me and tell me whether this blessednesse that is here promised doth onely appertayne to them that be circumcised and kéepe the custome of the law and not also to the vncircumcised which know not the ceremonies thereof I doubte not but they will say that iustification was imputed to Abraham before circumcision which considering he was the head and the beginning of all the Iewish nation it is necessarie that all the 〈…〉 be so ordered For the children can chalenge none other right than their fathers had before It is openly knoweÌ„ that Abraham was called righteous but they can not say that it was for circumcisioÌ„ sake but only for his faith without any mention of circuÌ„cision And al the Iewes do know that his iustification could not come to him throgh his circumcision séeing that at the present time wheÌ„ he was called righteous he was neither circumcised nor coÌ„maunded to be circumcised And yet he beleued long before that Christ shold be borne of his posteritie by whoÌ„ they shold al obteine this blessednesse all nations else and for this cause Abraham was pronounced righteous Then after that he was circuÌ„cised not to the ende it should iustifie him but that it should be a certaine badge or note amongst men and not with God by which all men should be knowen to be his children and of his posteritie aswell they that were circumcised as not circumcised so that they onely beléeued in Iesus Chryst If the circumcised had beléeued and had ben onely called righteous it might peraduenture haue ben thought that saluation perteined onely vnto the Iewes But before Abraham was commaunded to be circuÌ„cised he was called righteous through the dignitie of his faith for which cause the Gentiles through their faith in christ are become the children of Abraham Yet notwithstanding it was necessarie for him to be circumcised not for that it should iustifie him which was alredy fulfilled but that it should be a certayne figure of the true circumcision to come that is of an innocent and chast life to be in all such as should beléeue in Iesus Chryst Which maner of circumcision is not wrought with a flint stone to cut therwith the priuie meÌ„bers but with the spirit to cut away all the vaine thoughts of the hart And further circumcision was giuen to AbrahaÌ„ that it might be a sure testimonie vnto him that the promise of god for his posterity shold not immediatly be perfourmed in his sonne Isaac but at the time appoynted to be accomplished in the sonne of god And after this sort béeing the example of fayth be is vnderstanded the father of al nations which imitating folowing him beleue in Iesus Christ without al carnal circumcision therfore like as iustification was imputed to AbrahaÌ„ without circuÌ„cisioÌ„ so it shal be imputed to al other natioÌ„s for their iustification the beleue in christ as the true begotten children of AbrahaÌ„ Howbeit AbrahaÌ„ is the father of all natioÌ„s after such a sort that the Iewes be not secluded from him so that they glory not in their circuÌ„cision and proudly boast that they come onely of the stock of Abraham béeing his kinsmen by lyneall descente but rather doo expresse his fayth by which he was pronounced iuste before circumcision Neither is there any stronger argument to proue that a childe is no bastarde than by folowing the very steppes of his fathers vertues And wheras it is a custome amongst men not to take theÌ„ for their children which do not only not resemble their complexions and conditions but also do degenerate from them in their conuersation of life muche rather wil God make a difference betwixte his lawful child and a bastarde Furthermore Abraham deserued not to be pronounced righteous by kéeping of the lawe of Moyses which was not at that time declared neither by the merit of circumcision neither yet had he deserued any suche thing of God that he shoulde promise to hym so noble a gyfte as was to be the father of all Nations and that the Lorde of all the worlde shoulde descende from him vnto his posteritie as by inheritaunce but it was onely through the dignitie of his fayth by vertue whereof he was called iuste Euen so the Iewes shoulde suppose that the goodnesse and frute of his promise commeth not to them for their circumcision or for the names sake of their law but that it commeth to the posteritie in such sort as it began first in the head For if all
Lawe Further fayth is conceiued in the hart of man not by the experience of outward things but only by godly Sermons and preachings of the true Apostles of Christ that is fayth is not conceyued by the eyes but by the eares the office of which conueyeth the preachings and godly exhortations into the obedient and lowly harte of man Now therefore sith the light of the Gospell is declared throughout all the worlde and the name of Chryst preached to euery body what meaneth it then that so fewe of the Iewes doo beléeue in him Can they excuse them selues say that they haue not heard of Chryst yea verily the same thing is now already fulfilled which the Prophete Dauid did Prophesie Throughout the whole earth wente foorth the sounde of them and their wordes vnto the endes of the earth Wherfore in as much as Chryst hath bene promised before times by the mouth of so many Prophets and now preached also of the Apostles his very true witnesses in all nations and regions of the worlde can the Iewes then excuse them selues and say that they heard not of him No verily for they haue séene the light of the worlde yet their malice hath blinded their eyes They haue heard the Gospell but their enuie hath stopped their eares For they had rather be enuiers of the Gentiles which are called to saluation than to folow their fayth And of both these two things did Moyses and Esaias heretofore prophesie that is that the Iewes would caste the Gospell away from them and that the Gentiles woulde receiue it And Moyses in Deuteronomij prophecied of the same wheras he speaketh of the person of God as offended with the vnbeléefe of the Iewes and sayth I will prouoke you to enuie and by a foolish nation I will anger you which hitherto in comparison of you was not taken nor counted for any nation And you which doo séeme in your selues to bée wise I will anger you through the same foolish and beastly nation and cause your anger to be a great deale the more hotte in you And Esaias folowing Moyses doubted not to testifie that the obedience of the Gentiles was much more acceptable to God than the pertinacie and stubbornesse of the Iewes for thus he speaketh in the person of Chryst I am founde of them that sought me not and haue appeared vnto them that asked not after me Lo what a worthy witnesse Chryst him selfe here recordeth of the Gentiles fayth But agayne the children of Israell whom it dyd specially become to embrace Chryst and his Gospell hearken here what Esay sayth All the day long sayth he haue I stretched foorth mine hande vnto a people that beleeueth not but speaketh agaynst me For which cause Chryst sayth by the same I haue sent prophetes vnto the Iewes which they haue all slayne and put to death and by the multitude of miracles done amongst them I haue stirred and prouoked them but in stéede of the thanks which they should haue giuen me for them they say that I had the diuell within me and that with the helpe and power of Béelzebub the prince of the Diuels I wrought all the sayde miracles And euen thus they despised all humilitie and obedience and misconstrued to euill parte the great vertue and power of almightie God. The .xj. Chapter All the Iewes are not caste away therefore Paule warneth the Gentiles that be called not to be high minded nor to despise the Iewes for the iudgements of God are deepe and secret BVt what of al this that we haue here spoken or for what purpose is it thus vttered It is to declare that the Gentiles are adopted and taken to God for their faythe 's sake though before they were all straungers from him and that all the chosen and peculiar people of God are now cast off and vtterly put away from him for their vnbeléefes sake No surely it were not conuenient that the same people shoulde be vtterly reiected and caste away from God which hitherto he hath alwayes taken and made an account of them to be his owne deare dearlings and creatures Certesse if God had caste all hys owne people away from hym then shoulde not I now haue preached Chryst foras muche as I am by birthe a very Iewe descending from the stocke of Abraham which appertayneth to the Trybe of Beniamin Whiche also thoughe I dyd moste cruelly persecute the godly and well dysposed people towardes God yet for all that I am now called to preache the Gospell of his deare Sonne Chryste Also I doo not doubte but yée very well remember what is written in the thirde Booke of Kinges where Helias the Prophete speaketh vnto GOD by accusation and complaynte vnto hym of the Iewes vngodlynesse and sayth Lorde they haue slayne thy Prophetes they haue ouerturned thyne Altares and I am lefte alone behynde and they lay also in wayte for me to take my lyfe from me Wherein also mée thinketh that God mighte iustely vppon this greate vnkindenesse and incredulitie of the Iewes haue caste them vtterly from him and neuer afterwards haue looked towardes them But yet for all this marke what aunswere was made of God vnto Helias I haue reserued sayth he vnto my selfe seuen thousande men which haue not bowed their knees vnto Baal Which thing as it dyd chaunce in the dayes of Helias that God woulde not then altogither renounce his people but of an infinite number of sinners reserued some a few of them to him selfe euen so doothe the same thyng chaunce vnto them at this tyme For God hathe not suffered all the whole Nation to perish and to caste them selues away neither suffreth he all men of any other Nation to continue alwayes in their sinnes and to dye in them Of bothe whiche though there be but a few that do beléeue in comparison of them that doo not beléeue yet God for his benignities sake reserued some of his owne people to him selfe not bicause they were Iewes borne or bicause they obserued the Law of Moyses but onely bicause he chose them out from all the reste to bestow vpon them his good graces blessings and benefites in as muche as it came by the election and the benefite of God and not of any their deseruings least they should extoll the largenesse of their owne will and power or glory in the beautie of their owne workes for the goodnesse that is bestowed vppon men for their well dooing is properly to be called a rewarde and not a benefite That is truely to be called a benefite whiche of good will is employed vnto them that doo not deserue it But if a man should heape vp all his good works and seruice togyther and lay them agaynst the benefite and for their sakes to chalenge the same then the benefite loseth the name of a benefite and becommeth playnely a iuste rewarde And why did it thus happen vnto the Iewes verily bicause they attayned not to that thing which
time God truely as a God of mercy did for his parte that which was well séeming to the vttermoste poynt but they woulde not so take it at his mercifull hands Therefore in their sinne of contempt they still slipt from grace they fell farre from their God and denied also his sonne Iesus Chryst that came to redéeme both them and all mankinde as you haue heard before And the effecte of this matter shall the Reader haue more perfectly discussed in his place folowing of this sayde Epistle which I thought héere sufficiente inoughe onely to touche and to put him in minde thereof agaynst he come to the texte it selfe Therefore séeing we haue now brought it vnto this conclusion that God truely is cleare and not to be blamed for any mans fal but saueth him froÌ„ it euen through his great mercy in his onely sonne Iesus Chryst we may not then leaue so muche to our selues nor haue any confidence at all in our owne workes in our owne deuised toyes or vayne imaginations neither yet in the kéeping of any ceremonies whether they be of the law of Moses or otherwise not for Chryst in his comming and by his death hath not onely taken vpon his backe the heauy burthen or most terrible curse of the Law from them which beléeue in him but hath also put cleane away all the Ceremonies thereof inasmuche as by his comming now in our flesh all suche things are clearely finished for whose onely cause they were firste made and had therefore by him their shorter continuaunce The circumcision therefore of the law the feast of the newe Moone the Iewish Sabbat dayes with all the reste of suche obseruances and Ceremonies are vtterly now to be banyshed and neuer henceforth any more to be exercised among christian men in the true Church of God and Chryst For to vpholde by any state that those Ceremonies shoulde still continue amongst men and the professours of Chryst is flatly to deny the comming of Chryst into this worlde in our flesh denying in effecte the vertue of his death and therefore 〈◊〉 worthy the name of Ethnikes thâ—â— Christians 〈◊〉 lesse 〈◊〉 the multitude of â—â—â—â—sh 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 ioyes â—euiled of mortall men be vsed in Châ—â—â—â—e◠〈◊〉 Church among all other Churches 〈◊〉 that the Ceremonies whiche God him selfe appoynted are now made frustrate and to be cleane put away from amongst vs How be it Moyses hath within the limites of his law as it were two lawes which is thus to be vnderstandes one the Table of the commaundements and the other Morall and â—â—ill instructions which Paule calleth a spiritual bâ—â—â—â—e which is still to be looked vpon daily practised and folowed also there be Ceremonies Rites Vsages and Customes which is called a grosse and carnall lawe and is to be banished from euery true christian man And euen héere I would that the gâ—â—tle Reader should diligently remember that the whole law of Moyses was proclaymed onely to the Iewes which God tooke at that time for his owne and onely dearlings and that the Gentiles had no parte thereof but in the â—â—ede thereof the law of nature which is a naturall aptnesse or inclination to follow honest ciuilitie to be gentle and of good behauiour This same lawe of nature was grafted of God in the hearts of the Gentiles at their very beginning and fiâ—tâ—â— creatiâ—â— which hath in it a certayne knowledge of God as many of the Gentiles had a certayne loue towardes him to speake well of him to cal dayly vpon him to feare him to loue their neighbours and not to hurte the simple or their inferiour with many other suche godly vertues of honestie or godly qualities but the moste parte of them did abuse the same ciuile and honest lawe which was giuen vnto them of God to vse it to his glory and honor And many of them also were so blinded in Idolatrie false worshipping and leaning many wayes to their owne damnable imaginations that they could not follow the nature of that lawe Therfore S. Paule sayth Though they had not the written law of Moyses amongest them yet they were all saued or condemned according to their lawe of nature bicause it prescribed that in effecte to the Gentile which the lawe of Moyses did vnto the Iewes and euen so all men were found sinfull and wretched before the face of god But it was prouided through the woÌ„derfull wisedome of God that when the Iewes did forsake their owne profession and denyed the sauioure Christe that came to saue them and all mankinde according to his fathers truth that theÌ„ this same law of Moses and the frute of Christes comming should be turned vnto the Gentiles for their conuersion and saluation Howe be it this benefite of God is not so to be taken as though he had nowe broken promisse with the Iewes or that they shuld vtterly be depriued of his mercie and goodnesse but that they may all haue the profitte and commoditie therof as wel as the Gentiles if they wil forsake in time their pride malice and stoutnesse and submit humbly them selues to the true faithe in Iesus Christe And whereas Paule speaketh against the trust that the Iewes haue in their law and circumcision he meaneth vnder the same all kindes of Ceremonies and customes of religion as yet be nowe vsed among Christen men Thus for the better declaration of all the premisses I do entend to referre the Reader vnto Sainct Paule him self in his Epistle to the Romanes which I haue according to the grace and gift giueÌ„ me of God written more plainly out than appeareth in the very bare text it self which is no commentarie or glose vpon the said text but as it were altogether one vniforme Epistle or Paraphrase like and in suche order so drawne out neare to the nakednesse of the text it selfe euen as though the Apostle him self did wholely write the same aâ—â— euen so the Reader muste consider thereof and take it Whome I beséeche God almightie to assist and further after suche a sort in the reading therof that he may therby take no lesse aduauntage and profite than it should not repente him to receiue the free mercie of God and his eternall saluation through the only merites deathe and Passion of his sonne Iesus Christ Amen ⧠The Contentes of this Booke A Paraphrase vppon the Epistle of Saincte Paule to the Romanes Fol. 1. Huldricke Zuinglius in his friendly exposition to Luther touching the Eucharist confesseth vvhat he acknovvledgeth of Iesus Christe Fol. 68 A fevve vvordes touching the Couenaunt that God made vnto his Church in Christ translated out of Huldrick Zuinglius in his Subsidie annexed to the vvorke aforesaid Fol. 69 Of Vanitie by Martinus Cellarius Fol. 72 Of Vovves by Martinus Cellarius Fol. 75 Of the Olde man and the Nevve vvhich be compared togither by Martinus Cellarius vpon the seuenth of the Preacher 78 An Exhortation sent from a straunger a vvorthie and famous learned man of God to the righte highe
they expected by the law and that for their vnbeléefes sake But they onely attayne to their saluation whiche looke not for it by Circumcision or kéeping of the law but onely of frée mercy and for the election sake of god For all other wayes profiteth not neither Circumcision nor kéeping of the Lawe excepte they yéelde them selues vnto the fayth of Chryst But they in the stubbornenesse of their hearts are all blynded after suche a sorte with their owne pride and malice that though they had dayly shewed amongst them numbers of miracles by Christ yet they beléeued not in him whom they looked for by the promise of the law And all they though they did sée Chryst with their bodily eyes yet with the eyes of their hearts and minds they saw him not And this same dyd Esaias prophesie should come vppon them which at this day as I truely sée it come to passe so with mine vnfayned hart I doo lamente and sorowe it For the which bicause they so wretchedly caste from them the moste gracious and good spirite of Chryst God hath sent vnto them the spirite of vnquietnesse a spirite that is harde full of prickes and very rough to be handled For though they sée with their bodily eyes yet notwithstanding they are so inwardly blinded and amased that they say and so shew them selues to sée nothing at all And though they also heare with their outward eares yet they are therwith no more moued than though they herd nothing at all Such maner of people were there in the time of the Prophets the lyke also was with Chryst him selfe and suche people are there vntill this present day among the preachers of the Gospell Dauid therefore foreseeing in the spirits that these things shoulde come to passe doth prophecie the destruction of them for their disobedience agaynst God and sayth Let their table be made a snare to take them selues withall an occasion to fall and a punishment méete for their actes Let their eyes bée blynded that they sée not and bowe thou downe their backes euen for this speciall cause that they would not thankefully receiue the great benefite of God béeing offered vnto them and would not yelde them selues contented with the sight of Chryst and the hearing of his Gospell but in their disdaynfulnesse were puffed vp holding proudly vp their heades into the ayre and set at nought the benignitie of their maker towards them And cleauing faste vnto the rude letter of the Lawe they had in vtter contempt those things that were heauenly and spirituall and scorning the things that were euerlasting they chose to continue their liues in momentayne and worldely vanities which now beare about with them the bookes of Moses but they doo not vnderstand them which also read the Prophets but they yet deny him whom they prophecied of should come But heere peraduenture a man will demaunde of me for what purpose I discourse so muche agaynst the Iewes Verily euen for this cause they are so manyfestly blinded they are berefte of their senses they be twofolde crooked and are vtterly dubled and amased in their braines But are they in this wise so déepe fallen into the myre or sonke into the tough clay of blindnesse that there is yet no hope lefte of recouerie and to rayse them vp agayne God forbidde for their fall happened vnto them but for a certayne season And their fall was not vnprofitable to you bycause thereby you were occasioned to be called vnto the Gospell And that as the fall of the Iewes opened the way vnto you to take holde of your saluation euen so you agayne by your vertuouse example before the end of the world draw them agayne to godlynesse and stirre them vp by your fruitfull fayth to the true beléefe in Chryste from whiche they fell through their own hateful and most cankred malice Wherfore if the fall of the Iewes did in suche sorte profite you that it was nothing at all preiudiciall or hurtefull but rather occasioned that fayth in many other was muche more quicke and liuely forasmuche as in the stéede of a few that fell the Gospell of Chryst was the more largely spredde amongst all men and the losse of one nation was the cause that so many nations were wonne and brought in to Chryst How muche more then should the worlde be enriched with the Christian flocke if by the vertuouse example of your godly religion and fayth in Iesus Chryst that same nation agayne should be wonne and so ioyned to all the other in the same moste holy profession O ye Gentiles it is euen to you that I now speak which I take as mine owne bicause by appoyntment I am your moste glad Apostle For whose sake though I can find in mine heart to labour and to doo al things be they neuer so harde yet that notwithstanding I am a great deale more bounde to execute my office which with strayte charge is committd vnto me that is to lucrifie and winne you vnto the Gospell of Chryst and to profite you in suche godlynesse of lyfe that if it be possible I may by that meanes conuert and turne agayne my natiue countreymen vnto the same godlynesse whiche peraduenture they will not doo fréely and with a franke courage taking example of you yet that it may be done although at the least for enuie and hatred sake For as the Countrey it selfe is enuiouse agaynst the Gentiles euen so to sée you doo better than themselues they would be lothe or that you shoulde with God be in better case than they Likewise also in thys maner though I am not able to saue them all yet I moste hartily pray you that by your good example of fayth and holy life which you haue promised to perfourme before God I may seeme to bring some of them to goodnesse agayne and I do not doubt of you but you will all wish and desire the same thing with me For if the reiection now of the Iewes hath bene the occasion that the rest of the world is reconciled vnto God bicause their falling from his grace was the cause of the Gentiles admission to it howe muche better shall it then be that all they which be now falne from Christ doe repent and returne vnto grace againe and to become as new born men or restored againe from death taking example of you to accōplishe the same with gladnesse Which thing done there remaineth then nothing else to be loked after but the resurrection of all fleshe Neither should we despaire of all the whole nation for the impious state or vngodlinesse of a fewe of them for séeing the Gentiles being once very farre from all kinde of godly religion were yet at the calling of God brought vnto the true worshipping of him why shuld not in like maner the Iewes be called againe to the grace and fauours of God considering they procéeded of so godly parents which also were beginners of their