seme doubtfull whether it ought to be referred vnto Moses whome he had before cited or vnto the righteousnes of faith which is brought in as if it should speake But thys is no matter of wayght and there are some greke exēplers wherin is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y◠is But what saith the scriptures Nether is this to be passed ouer y◠in the Hebrue is had not only nigh or next but there is also added this aduerbe Meod which signifieth very whereby is noted a very nigh inward néerenes The Seuenty intepreters haue in their translation not onely in the hart and in the mouth but haue added in the handes But that is not had in the Hebrue and Paul hath left it out Augustine in his questions vppō Deut. who readeth after the translation of the Seuenty diligently noteth that But if it be added it nothing hindreth yea rather it helpeth the interpretacion of the Apostle whereby is declared that in that place is entreated of the commaundement of God as it is grafted in the hart as it is confirmed by the mouth and as it is expressed in worke But all these thinges are to be referred vnto Christe and How great the strēgth of fayth is vnto faith for that is it which causeth our mind and harte to be opened and made able to receiue those thinges which are vtterly repugnant vnto reason iudgemēt and sence and so is that made nigh vnto vs which is by nature most farre of from vs. And that the scripture by name mencioneth the hart it wanteth not a mistery for although faith pertaine vnto the assent of the minde yet notwithstandinge hath it most nighly ioyned with it the affect of the will which is by the hart described for that if vnto our vnderstanding or minde be offred those thinges which are most manifest and plaine it is so ouercome that it straight way geueth assent nether The minde when it assēteth vnto thinges very manifest waiteth not for the consent of the will How the vnderstanding will are vnto faith waiteth it for the commaundement or consent of the will as it is euident in the first principles of all sciences and in mathematicall demonstrations But whē thinges doubtfull are set foorth and that the reasons on either side are obscure and many thinges are agaynst the proposition set foorth the minde and vnderstanding geue not assent but by the commaundement and consent of the will which in that case peiseth and examineth the ambiguity Wherfore when faith is engendred in vs the holy ghost therein vseth two workes The one is so to illustrate the minde that it may be made certaine of the thing set before it although it be not very euident The other is that the will be so strengthned that by the affect therof it may ouercome whatsoeuer sence or reason do set foorth which is repugnante vnto the word of God geuen vnto vs. For in the worke of faith vnto our will is ioyned the holy Ghost for the assente whiche by beleuing we geue vnto the oracles of God is firme and of efficacy for the spirite chaungeth the will and maketh it of hys owne accorde vtterly to will those thinges which it before refused Wherfore God whē he geueth vnto vs faith gouerneth ech power of the soule as is agreable vnto their nature And forasmuch as this pertaineth to the wil not to iudge any thing of it self but to follow the iudgemente of vnderstanding the minde is by the spirite of God made assured of the thinges which are to be beleued and vnto it therewithall it is made plaine that we must wholy be obedient vnto God Therof it commeth that the wil resisteth not but represseth all thinges which otherwise shoulde be a let to this assent required at our hands He calleth the Gospel y◠word of faith for none other cause but for that by faith it is apprehended whereby a figuratiue kinde of speach the obiect is illustrated and described by the vertue which apprehendeth it This is the worde of faith which we preach This is not spoken that we should beleue that the Gospell is not ioyned with the law for how then could repētance be preached But therfore it is written for that the chiefest parte of the ministery of the Apostles is occupied about the righteousnes of faith And when it is said This is the word of fayth which we preach by a certaine Emphasis is declared that the doctrine of the Gospell is in no wise repugnant vnto the lawe of Moses yea rather it excellently well agréeth with it It is not onely sayd that the woorde is nigh in the hart but also in the mouth Which thing Paul weying moste aptly applied it to his purpose for this he saith belōgeth to confessiō which euer straight way foloweth a true effectuall faith Some of the Iewes vnderstood this place as though Moses should say now the word is in your mouth y◠is ye haue it in sight before you for this woorde Pi disagréeth not from this signification for it is sayde Keephi lephi which signifieth hard by and nighe Others also haue not vnaptlye by in the mouthe vnderstanded expressing or rehersing for the lawe being geuen and written the Iewes mought repeat and recite with themselues the woordes thereof And the Leuites daylye repeated it in the Tabernacle or in the temple of God and in this wise it was said to be had in the mouth But this is to be considered that it was for no other cause had in handes and sighte or recited either of the Leuites or of any of the people but to bring men vnto Christe and to stirre them Why the law was oftentimes repeted vp to faith in him and to prouoke the godly to confesse to praise and to allowe that which the Lord had spoken If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the lord Iesus and shalt beleue in thine harte that God hath raised him vp from the deade thou shalt be saued For with the hart mā beleueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made vnto saluation For the scripture saith whosoeuer beleueth in hym shall not be made ashamed For there is no difference betwene the Iew and the Grecian For there is one lorde ouer all who is riche vnto all them that call vpon him For whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the lord shal be saued If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleue in thine hart that God hath raysed him vp from the deade Althoughe Paul séemeth not here to obserue a right order for first we beleue before we make confession The fayth of an other mā is knowen onely by confession In the resurrectiō is accomplished our saluation yet because that we cannot iudge concerning our brother whether he beleue vnles we heare him first confesse for this cause the Apostle putteth the effect before the cause And amongst other thinges which are to be beleued he
speaketh not of ciuill righteousnes which we get by workes and which cleaueth in our mindes as a qualitie but onely of the righteousnes which is geuen vnto vs fréely and is imputed vnto the beleuers Wherefore Paul expressedlye added this particle Before God Whereby is manifestly gathered that the woorkes of men are not of that nature that they can be layde agaynst the wrath and seueritye of God and that they can appease him and make him mercifull vnto vs. Moreouer To haue whereof to boast before God Is to obtayne anye thynge as an excellente and noble gifte whiche we may boaste that we haue receyued of God and not to haue obtayned it of our selues or of our owne strengths For he which leaneth vnto workes commendeth hymselfe and hys owne But hee which is iustified by fayth commendeth the liberalitie of God and setteth foorth hys giftes Whereupon Chrisostome noteth that men haue much more to glorye of when they leane vnto fayth then when they féeke to glory in their works The giftes of God which fayth taketh hold of farre excell all our workes They which glory of workes doo magnifie a thing which is séene and felt but he which glorieth in fayth conceiueth a noble opinion of God so that he is perswaded that he wil performe euen those thinges which can not be done by nature neither boasteth he of those thinges which he hath done but extolleth those thinges which God hath done namely that he loueth him that he hath forgeuen him his sinnes and counteth him in the number of the iust This is in a maner the whole glorieng What is the glorieng of the godly Glorieng is righteousnes freely liberally geuen What is to beleue of the godly By this kinde of speache we sée that the Apostle by glorieng vnderstandeth righteousnes fréely geuen of God Whereby is easelye expressed what Paul ment when before he sayd All men haue sinned and want the glory of God In which place by glory he vnderstode nothing els then righteousnes freely geuē of God bycause by that chiefly shineth forth the glory of God This oracle is writtē in the 15 chap of y◠boke of Genesis Vehaamin beiehonah veiahashbo lo tfaddicka Abraham beleued in God and he imputed vnto him righteousnes To beleue in this place is assuredly to thinke that God of his mercy loueth vs which mercy by hys mere promise is set forth vnto vs and we not to suffer our selues by reason of our vnpuritye or vncleanes to be plucked awaye from this perswasion Wherefore it wholy consisteth in the embrasing of the grace and promise of God offred vnto vs. In very many places Abraham is highly cōmended and praised But he was neuer called iust but then onely when he beleued Hereby may we Onely in thys place Abraham is called iuste How diligent depe a handler of scriptures Paul was know with what great diligence Paul did both handle search and weigh the holy scriptures He declineth not to allegories nor to mens inuentions He especially weigheth two wordes which he compareth together by which the whole reason is knit together which wordes are To beleue and righteousnes to be imputed But in the historie of the booke of Genesis which we are now in hand with it is had after this maner God appeared vnto Abraham and sayd that he was his buckler or protection and his plenteous reward Which things when he heard he begā to complayne for that he had no children For the elders ▪ had an exceding greate desire to haue children and that for two causes partlye bycause they desired the increase of a people which might worship God and partly bycause they had heard that the Messias should take flesh of theyr nacion Therfore they desired by hauing Why the elders wer so desirous of posterity of children to light at the length vpō that Messias But God vouchsaued not onely to geue vnto him posteritie but commaunded him also to number the starres of heauen which thinge when he could not do God promised that the aboundance of his sede should be as greate Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes That which the Grecians haue turned in the passiue significatiō 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is was imputed in the hebrue is written actiuely he imputed namely God imputed vnto him righteousnes But in the sence there is no difference And Paul therefore followeth the seuenty interpreters bycause theyr translation was not vnknowen vnto the heathen where let vs note that that which in the hebrew is in Deum that is in God the same both Paul and the seuenty haue turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to God wherfore they obserued not that difference of Augustene of beleuing God and beleuinge in God But here ariseth a doubte how Abraham semeth to How that the fayth of Abraham was in Christ haue obtayned righteousnes by fayth For that fayth was not of Christ but onely of an infinite yssue and posteritie But vnto this may answere be made many wayes First that Abraham beleued not onely touching issue but chiefelye touching those thinges which at the beginning of the chapter were promised vnto him namely that God would be vnto him both a shield and a reward And moreouer then this he foresaw Christ in his posterity Wherefore in the Gospell it is saide of hym that he saw the day of Christ and reioyced And Paul to the Galathians referreth all thys vnto one seede whych is Christ Farther hee whyche talked wyth hym was the sonne of God For no man hath sene God at anye tyme. Therfore whatsoeuer thinges we haue either seene or knowen of hym the Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared it vnto vs. Wherfore if he beleued God he beleued in Christ We haue oftentimes Christ the roote of all promises also declared that in all promises was wrapped and infolden as the roote and foundacion that promise which was touching Christ Neyther seeme they to thinke amisse which affirme that alwayes the obiect of faith is the mercy and goodnes of God which sheweth forth it selfe in singular giftes eyther temporall or spirituall Wherefore when the elders conceaued a hope of victory of deliuery from enemyes and from other calamityes they chiefely did put their confidence in the deuine goodnes because by it God was moued mercifully and appeasedly to geue vnto them these singular giftes And he coulde not be appeased towardes them but by Christ Wherefore in that they beleued any of the promises of God they beleued in Christ Which thing also we ought to be myndfull of when we aske our dayly bread we ought to beleue y◠we shal not want such thinges as pertayne to our liuing Some thinke this to be repugnaunt vnto the argument of Paul which is written in the 106 Psalme of Phinees the sonne of Eleazar who when he had thruste thoroughe the Madianitishe Whither Phinees were iustefied by his worke
of the Sentences confuted this matter For I know yâ— he in his 3. booke teacheth yâ— our hope leneth not only vnto yâ— mercy of God but also vnto our merites And therefore saith he to hope without merites is no hope but a presumption Thys sentence is not to be receaued For it addeth vnto hope a condition when as fayth without any condition apprehendeth that which is to be hoped for out of the word of God Farther when a these or any other wicked man is sodenly conuerted vnto God hath he not hope Vndoubtedly he hath for if he dispaired of saluation he would not fly vnto Christ And how can any man say that such a hope leneth to any merites when as he hath alwayes before liued wickedly But as we haue before sayd these men thinke they haue here a trimme place of refuge if they answere that thys hope of a man namely conuerted vnto Christ dependeth of merites not in dede past but to come newely that he hopeth he shal obteyne the rewardes of felicity when he hath done workes which he trusteth to doo But here they committe a double fault first bycause if he which is conuerted vnto Christ doo hope that by merites he shall haue eternal life he hath no true hope for he resisteth the true fayth For it apprehendeth the chiefe felicity offred frely Secondly vnawares they auouch that yâ— which hath not as yet his being is the cause of yâ— vertue which in acte and very dede they confesse to be in the minde of the repentaÌ„t And if they meane that he hopeth for felicitie when he hath liued well but yet in such sort that he hath no confidence that he caÌ„ by committing of sinne attaine Workes ar not the cause of hope vnto it then speake they no other thing then we do But so are not workes the cause of hope but light betwene it and the laste end as certayne meanes and first beginnings of felicity that men forasmuch as they hope that eternall blessednes shal be geuen vnto them freelye shoulde also hope that God if they liue wyll freely also geue vnto them good workes For the holy scripture teacheth â—arre otherwise then do these men For Dauid when he sayd If thou Lord shalt loke streightly vnto iniquities who shall be able to abide it And when he saw that the sinnes wherewith our workes are contaminated auocate vs from hope added The cause of our hope My soul hath hoped in his word And by the word he vnderstandeth the promise of which promise he rendreth a cause Bycause with the Lorde is mercye and with hym is plentifull redemption These are the true and proper causes of our hope The promise of God and his aboundant mercy The same Dauid in an other place sayth Why art thou sad o my soule and why dost thou trouble me Hope in God for I will still confesse vnto hym Here some obiect that we ar not iustified by fayth only for Paul sayth that we are saued by hope But these men ought to haue considered that the Apostle in this place entreateth not of Iustification For touching We are saued by hope but we are not iustified by it it he before wrote that by fayth the spirite we are deliuered from the lawe of sinne and of death and adopted into sonnes and heyres and made the fellow heyres of Christ But here he speaketh of the perfect redemption which is still to be wayted for This we also confesse to be holdeÌ„ by hope when yet notwithstanding we haue alredy by fayth obteyned iustification and remission of sinnes Farther I haue oftentimes admonished that when the scripture semeth to attribute iustification ether vnto hope or vnto charity or vnto our woorkes those places are so to be vnderstanded that iustification is there taught not by the causes but by the effectes And we ought to vnderstand that whatsoeuer is The consideration of iustification is sometymes declared by the causes and sometimes by the effectes attributed vnto works the same is wholy done by reason of fayth which is annexed vnto them Wherefore as in a wall we haue a consideration vnto the fouÌ„dation and in the fruites of trées to the roote so whatsoeuer semeth at the first sight to be ascribed vnto works is to be assigned vnto faith as vnto the mother of all good workes Which thinge Augustine hath in many places excellentlye taught Others to proue that hope depeÌ„deth of our workes cite that which Paul before sayd Tribulation worketh patience patience worketh experience and experience hope Here say they it is playne that of patience springeth hope I heare in dede the wordes of Paul but I doo not by them acknowledge that patience is the cause of hope For first it is playne inough to him that will consider it that Paul in thys connexion compareth not causes with effectes For who will say that tribulation is the cause of patience For it bringeth many to desperation and to horrible blasphemies But those thinges which Paul knitteth together in this chayne are instruments by which the holy ghost vseth to stir vp in vs these vertues But graunt that there be some consideratioÌ„ of cause betwene these things yet should it not thereof follow that patience is the cause of hope but contrariwise Patience springeth of hope that hope is the cause of patience For no man with a quiet mind patiently suffereth any thing vnles by that patience he hope to attayne vnto some thing Vndoubtedly Martirs are by hope confirmed in theyr tormentes patiently to beare them And the marchant if he had not a hope to gayn would kepe himselfe at home nether would he wander about the world And the shipmaster vnles he hoped that he could ariue at the porte would not lose out into the depe nether striue agaynst the windes and waues I confesse in dede that here is somewhat encreased by patience For when we se that vnto vs is geuen of Christ for hys Hope is somewhat encreased by patience sake with a quiet minde to suffer many thinges we more and more haue confidence that those thinges also which are remayning and which we wayte for shall one day be geuen vs. But to beleue that hope wholy dependeth of patience I can not be perswaded For as we haue before sayd by hope rather we come vnto patience And in very dede the holy ghost is the author and cause of these vertues And he goeth orderly to worke of one to produce an other Agaynst this certainty which we sayd dependeth of yâ— promise of God Pighius vseth trifling reasons that the promises are generall nether is in them mencion made either of me or of thee and therefore there is still remayning a doubt when we must discend to the application of these promises Thys man semeth to me to make the promises of God to hange in the ayre when as he will haue them to be so Euery faithfull man knoweth that the promises ar properly
Iacob and Esau For they being borne of one and the selfe same parentes yet was the one elected of God the other reiected In this place Paule bringeth in humaine reason complayning for that God dealeth not a like with all men But the Apostle aunswereth that we ought not to seeke a cause of the electiō of God which answere for as much as it satisficeth not mans reason there ariseth an other complaint why should the blame then be layd on vs that we are obstinate and come not vnto God when as the fault semeth not to be ours if God haue not chosen vs Here Paule sayth that the potters vessell ought not to complaine of his maker and that God made some vessels to honour and some to contumely Which comparison whē we call to remembrance we ought to cōsider how great a benefite we haue obtayned in that we are partakers of the election of God And though God haue chosen some of the Iewes and many more of the Ethnikes yet is not that repugnant vnto the Oracles of the scripture but rather by the testimonie of Ose the Prophet it is confirmed Neither is there any cause why the Iewes shoulde boast of their righteousnes forasmuch as it is not geuē to thē to beleue Wherfore according to the saying of Esay They haue stumbled agaynst the stone And that thing which vnto others was a strength and foundation was made vnto them a fall and offence These thinges being diligently weighed bring great vtilitie and doo verye well agree This treatise is profitable for our tymes with our tyme. It semed at that time a thing absurde that among the people of Israell so few beleued and to vs at this day it is obiected that there are verye few which truly professe the Gospell and lyue thereafter At that time men suspected that Christ was not that Messias which was promised in the law because he should saue the Iewes but this man chose very few of thē Farther they boasted of the name of the people of God So vnto vs also at this day is obiected the title of the churche And men thinke it a thing absurde that the most parte of the world should dissent from the Gospell and those in especiall which seeme to passe all others in honors and wisdome of the world Moreouer Paul sheweth What are the grounds of the churche what are the principles o◠groundes of the church namely the election of God and the worde Hereby saith he ought the matter to be measured and not by the authority or agrement of the multitude or gorgeousnes of this world Wherfore this place hath a notable consolation that we should not repent vs in that we are fewe Although we doubt not but that God for his mercy sake will daily encrease the number that the fellowship of the elect may be ful howbeit in the meane time In what thinges other congregations sometimes excell the church The Iewes boasted much of theyr kinred and workes of ceremonies we confesse that the church is not to be weighed either by the propagacion of the flesh or by the greatnes of the multitude or by dignities and honours or els by excellencies of wittes for as touching these notes other nations oftentymes excell it These two thinges which Paul in this place entreateth of namely the confidence of their stocke and bloud and the affiaunce in rites and ceremonies the wicked Iewes bosted of euen in the times of the Prophetes For they had perswaded themselues that it should neuer come to passe that either they should be ledde into captiuity or that the publike wealth of the Israelites should euer cease to be and to florish They made their vauntes that they were the stocke of Abraham and of the Patriarkes but as touching ceremonies and the outward worshippyng of God they so much swelled with pride that Ieremy the prophet in this maner derided them with an elegant irony They say saith he the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord. They leaned also vnto the multitude whē as yet in very dede neither fewnes nor multitude are a sufficient firme and sure argument The church is not to be measured by the multitude of the church For it is a false argument taken of the Accidens For these thinges are onely accidences to the Church But the multitude and the number thou wilt say will make an argument probable I graunt that But the iudgement of wise and better men is much more probable But they are oftentymes in number most few Farther graunt that the opinion of the multitude make a probable argument yet doth it not make a true and necessary argumēt Neither can we thus gather This reason is probable or very likely therfore it is true For Thinges probable ar not alwaies true but oftentimes false there are many thinges which are goodly in shew and probable which yet afterward if they be examined are found most false And contrariwise many things at the first sight séeme absurd which yet if a man afterward diligētly pease weigh he shall finde to be true Experience teacheth vs y◠the number of them y◠truly beleue is very small if it be cōpared with the Iewes Turkes heretikes Epicures The nomber of them that truly beleue is small And Christ calleth his flocke a little flock affirmeth That many in deede are called but few are chosen Farthermore Paul in this place and the Prophetes euery where testifie that not all the Iewes shal be saued but only that a few remnantes shall be made safe Wherfore the cause is neither confirmed nor confuted by reason Fewnes nor multitude confirme not the cause of fewnes or multitude Howbeit Augustine semeth somtimes to obiect vnto y◠Donatistes that they being a few in number would yet neuertheles ascribe vnto themselues only the Church condemning the whole world besides But if a man diligently reade ouer those disputations of Augustine he shall perceyue that the Donatistes erred in thrée thinges in especiall First bicause they beleued that the Three errors of the Donatists whole Church was in Afrike only and in their multitude but other churches dispersed throughout the whole world they said were corrupt bicause many had ben pertakers with them which had betrayed the holy scripture as though in this life there can be found any church which vtterly should want all spotte and wrinckle Farther they iudged that the sacramentes were contaminated by the ill life of the ministers and for that cause they rebaptised those which fled vnto their Church But we beleue that Christ hath his churches euery where For there is nothyng more proper vnto the Church then to be catholike that is vniuersal neither so to It is proper vnto the churche to be Catholike The cause is proued by the word of God and not by fewnes nor multitude ▪ be bounde either vnto certayne places or persons that it can be no
faineth two children to be borne of vngodly parentes and strangers from Christ both of them are cast forthe and set to daunger of death And the one of them in deede dieth but the other being of somewhat more stronger nature is by a Christian by chance comming by preserued and brought to the Church and baptised and is with other of the faythfull made a partaker of Christ Verely touching the saluation of the one childe we haue nothing that we can certainly affirme but of the other if the childe dye we can skarsely put any doubt And if the matter be so we affirme that one of them was elected and the other reiected Wherevnto then had the election of God a regarde Thou canst not say vnto workes foresene when as those thinges which shall neuer come to passe can not be foresene For the prouidence of God prouideth those thinges which shall come to passe and not those thinges which shall not be yea rather he forseeth that those thinges shall not come to passe Wherefore we see that that deuise touching workes foreseene can not in all cases satisfy humane reason Wherefore we must rather beleue Paul who leadeth vs to the highest cause namely to the wyll of God whereunto doubtles we do iniury if we thinke that there is any cause aboue it What shoulde we flye vnto the workes of men when as All men are by nature of one and the selfe same disposition and prones to euill This opinion makâ—th Paul very blockish duâ—â—itted â–ª we all are of one the selfe same nature of one the selfe same propriety and of one and the same disposition For that lompe of Adam wherehence we are deriued is vitiated and corrupted whereunto if peraduenture there be added any thing that is good the same it hath of the mere and only goodnes of God Farther they which so teach seeme to make Paul very blockishe and dull witted which could not see that which these men so easely vnderstand For he of the election of God bryngeth no other cause but the purpose and wyll of God And at the last also he crieth out O the depth of the riches c. But these sharpâ— witted men doo euen easely rid themselues of this greated difficulty euen I say by one pore word Augustine being yet a priest and newly baptised expounding this place although he saw that God could not haue a respect vnto our workes to come as causes of predestination wherby he embraseth vs yet he thought fayth foresene to be the cause of his loue towardes vs. And of this his sentence as touching ether part he bringeth this reason It is certayne that good workes are deriued into vs from the holy ghost for thorough him God worketh all in all and the same God geueth vnto vs the holy ghost Wherefore â–ª good workes sayth he forasmuch as they procede from God caÌ„ not any thing moue to his electioÌ„ or predestinatioÌ„ But he thought that God had a respect vnto our fayth and electeth them whome he foreséeth should beleue for that he thought that fayth is of our selues For although we rede sayth he that God worketh all in all yet we rede not that God beleueth all in all Wherfore Augustine erred whilest he was yet a priesâ— he thought it is of our selues to beleue but to work wel he thought to come of God These thinges wrote he being yet rude following as it should appeare to me the doctrine of his father Ambrose For he vpon this selfe same place teacheth the selfe same thing namely that God electeth them whome he knoweth shall afterward beleue But Augustine when his iudgement was now thorough Augustine reuoked his error age excercise more ripe and of deeper consideratioÌ„ reuoked this sentence as it is euident by his first boke of Retractations the. 33. chapiter in which place he thus writeth of him selfe These things had I not writteÌ„ if that I had vnderstode that Faith is no lesse the gift of God then good workes fayth is no les the gift of God then good workes And that fayth is geuen of God he gathereth by that which is written to the Ephesians in the 6. chapiter Charitye and fayth from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christ And in the same epistle the 2. chapiter By grace ye are made safe thorough faith that not of your selues For it is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should boast And vnto Timothe I obteyned sayth he mercy that I might be faithfull but he saith not for that I was faith full To this purpose mought be brought a greate many other sentences but for this present I thought these should suffice And as touching the wordes of Paul Purpose electioÌ„ why they are attributed vnto God no man ought to wonder that the Apostle when he speaketh of these things at tributeth vnto God purpose and election For the holy scriptures euery where frame themselues to our infirmity and speake vnto men after the maner of men By those wordes we vnderstand the constancy and immutability of the will of God For euen as men are wont as touching thinges whiche they haue rashly appoynted afterward when they haue better considered the matter to alter them but those thinges which they haue decréed with good consideration and deliberation they will haue to be firme and to continew so also thinke they of God For that cause Paul calleth his will purpose and electioÌ„ An oracle was geuen to Rebecka That the elder of these two brethern should serue the yonger for she had asked counsell of God what the brethern striuinge together in her wombe signified By this oracle we se that it is God which putteth a difference God putteth a difference betwene those yâ— are borne betwene those which are borne when as otherwise by nature they are equall And promises made to this or that stocke and to this or that posterity signifie nothing else but yâ— of that stocke or posterity shall some be elected but who they be it lieth not in vs to iudge We ought rather to haue a respect vnto the effects and whom we se to be called to beleue to geue themselues to good works those Forasmuch as prebestination is a thing hâ—dden vnto what thinges we ought to haue a respect A similitude to count for elect and alwayes in this matter to haue a regard vnto the commaundementes and vnto the promises that is vnto the outward word of God But concerning the hidden counsell of God as touching euery perticular man we haue nothing reueled vnto vs. But Chrisostome semeth to be against this First â—e sayth That there arose greate offence touching the reiection of the Iewes and the election of the Gentiles especially seing that the Gentiles had alwayes bene vncleane but the Iewes had moste playne promises For it is all one sayth he as if the sonne of a king vnto whome the kingdome semeth to be by
inheritaunce due should be reiected and in his place should be put some vile man taken out of the common people and but newly deliuered out of prison Which kinde of fact doubtles would cause greate offence to rise For if any man would finde fault that the kinges sonne is therfore reiected for that he had behaued himselfe ill he would say that there ought in his place to haue bene put one better then he and not one as wicked and as ill as he Wherefore seing the Gentiles were no better then the Iewes â–ª they ought both of them to haue bene in like sort ether punished or aduanced And that the Gentils were as great sinners as the Iewes therfore were vnworthy of the kingdom of God it is by that euident which was before spoken in the first chapter and moreouer in the third All haue sinned and want the glory of God and it is wonderfully to be meruayled at that God would promise that thing vnto the Iewes which he would not performe For man indede forasmuch as he iâ— ignorant of thinges to come if sometimes he change his minde may after a sort be excused but it is not so of God when as be most plainlye forseeth all thinges that shall come to passe whatsoeuer they be How Note the methode interpretatioÌ„ of Chrisostome sayth he doth Paul dissolue these thinges Thâ—â— he now addeth to declare who is the true Israell vnto whome are made the promises And his minde is vtterly that those thinges which are here spoken of Paul pertayne to the calling of the Gentiles for that they are the true Israell Farther he sayth that the dissolution of the question herein consisteth that the Gentiles came vnto Christ thorough fayth but the Iewes resisted fayth reiected the gospel being beÌ„t only to the workes of the law And this he sayth we must not thinke to come thorough Gods default when as his will is that al men should be saued Howbeit he plainly confesseth that Paul sayth not so For he thinketh that he dissolueth not the question but only increaseth the difficulty as he had done in the 5 chapiter when he entended to proue yâ— the rightousnes of Christ saueth vs and that he sayth semeth farre from the truth that the righteousnes of Christ should redound vnto vs. Wherefore he should haue proued this which yet he did not but rather thus wrote If we be coÌ„taminated thorough the sinne of one maÌ„ Adam how shall we not be made cleane thorough the righteousnes of one man Christ Here sayth he is brought an other doubt how the sinne of Adam could hurt vs which doubt yet is not dissolued of Paul But that he thus left these questions vndiscussed he thinketh is for this cause done for that Paul would euen at the first brunt stop the mouthe of the Iewes agaynst whome be then had to doo These examples sayth he which he bringeth he of purpose discusseth not but only seketh this to make his owne matter more perspicuous vnto theÌ„ As if he should haue sayd doth this O ye Hebrues offend you for that ye se your selues reiected the Gentils brought to the kingdome of God do ye not se that the selfe same thing hapned in your patriarkes also for they were reiected vnto whoÌ„ pertayned the inheritaÌ„ce For God waiteth not for the succes but streight way seeth this man to be good that man to be euill And touching the selfe same matter when as in the time of Moses they were all obnoxious vnto deth by reasoÌ„ of the idolatry which they had coÌ„mitted in the golden calfe yet notwithstanding some of theÌ„ were punished and other some were by the mercy of God preserued I haue mercy sayth God one whome I haue mercy and I shew compassion on whome I shew compassion Pharao was stirred vp that in him the power of God mought be declared but why was â—e more then other stirred vp What for disobedience and obstinacy As though others also were not as disobediente and as obstinate as he And seing that the promises seme to be made vnto the Israelites and they had now so increased that they were in nomber as the sand of the sea why only shall the remnaÌ„tes be saued All these questions sayth he Paul moueth but yet he disolueth them not For neyther is it expedient that thou shouldest to quickelye dissolue thy question when as thyne aduersarye sticketh in the same myre For it is labor loste that thou shouldest take all the paynes when as thyne aduersarye shoulde take as muche paynes as thy selfe Which thing if thou shouldest attempt thine aduersary would triumphe as though he had in his question put thee to the foyle Dissolue first saith he O thou Hebrew these selfe same questions which I haue put forth vnto thee out of the law Which if thou canst not do why then triumphest thou ouer me as though thou haddest gotten the victorye Wherfore Chrisostomes minde is that these thinges are of Paul put forth in that maner as we haue said but he afterward dissolueth them when he saith that the Gentiles were therfore grafted in for that they came through faith and yâ— Iewes were reiected for that they casting away faith did put their confidence onely in workes He addeth moreouer That God knoweth all thinges before they are done and forseeth who shall be good and who euill and therfore we must stande to his iudgement â–ª neither muste we enquire of him reasons of his election But the iudgementes of men are oftentimes deceaued and therefore we see that those oftentimes are greeuouslye punished of God whome otherwise we thinke to be of the beste kinde of men and those whome we abhorre as the worst kinde of men are oftentimes crowned of him He knoweth and seeth the hartes of all men we consider onely outward signes and follow the iudgement of other men Of this thinge God hath no neede for he seeth the causes of thinges wherefore we must content our selues with hys iudgement These wordes of Chrisostome may not be vniuersally allowed for they conteine many thinges whiche are straunge from The words of Chrisostome before alleged are examiâ—ed The things that are here spoken pertaineth not to the calling of the Gentils We must not faine vnto Paul that which he neuer spake Paul in this selfe same â—hap dissolueth the questioÌ„ which he dyd put forth Paul proued that we are defiled by the sinne of AdaÌ„ yâ— scope of Paul First this dissenteth that he draweth those thinges which are here spoken of Paul to the calling of the Gentiles secondly that he affirmeth that God electeth those whome he knoweth shall beleue whiche sentence we haue before at large confuted Farther why presumeth he himselfe to assigne a cause of the election of God which he plainly confesseth is no where put of Paul But how it is true that God willeth that all men shoulde be saued we haue in other places declared neither is it needefull now to repeate the
neither dealeth he with them rashly Of this example here alleaged the Apostle concludeth Wherefore he hath mercy on whome he will and whome he will he hardeneth Some contend that this is an obiection vnder the person of the aduersary but the order and course of the wordes if it be diligently considered will not suffer this interpretacion For straight way after these wordes the Apostle himselfe addeth an obiection when he thus writeth Thou wilt say then vnto me why do we yet complayne For who can resist his will Seing therefore that the Apostle himselfe distinctly and playnly sheweth the obiection why should we preuent and of purpose confound the order of his wordes â–ª Any man that is not willingly blind and will not sée may perceaue that this last obiection is brought agaynst those thinges which were now concluded But in these wordes being taken in that order that they ought to be this is worthy of noting that the holy scripture when it entreateth of the iudgementes of God vseth harrible and sharpe words as are these Hebrew words there touching Pharao Caschah hokib bad And in other places to make to erre to The sharpe wordes which God vseth against the reprobate seduce to blynde to make fat the hart to deliuer into a reprobate sense and into shamefull affectes and other such like by which wordes forasmuch as the holy ghosts wil is to cause men with great terror and daunting of the mynde to be aferd of the iustice and vengeance of God they which séeke by fayned interpretations to extenuate and to lenefie them as though God doth nothing touching these thinges but onely as they say suffreth and permitteth do seme of purpose to be enemies to the counsell and decrée of God Goddes will is to shewe forth how horrible and God inflicteth most greuous punishmentes not only vpon the bodies of the wicked but also vpon their minds miserable punishementes â–ª he vseth to inflict not onely vpon the bodyes but also vpon the mindes of the wicked but these men as much as lieth in them wonderfully darken these things It is true in déede that we reade in the booke of Exodus that not only God hardened and aggrauated the hart of Pharao but also that Pharao himselfe hardened his hart but this maketh very much to the explication of the matter so farre is it of that these thinges are repugnant the one to the other For ech part is true both that God hardened the hart of Pharao and also that Pharao himself hardened his hart For Pharao had as al other men also haue Both God hardened Pharao also Pharao hardened himselfe Note diligently this explication God instilleth no new malice into men a peruerse and corrupt nature wherout as out of a spring when occasion is offred burst forth all kindes of sinnes Wherefore when God maketh men destitute of his helpe and leueth them in so corrupt an estate if afterward he lay before them occasions whereby the minde is prouoked it can not be denied but that he after a sort but yet not properly is the cause of the actions that burste forth Wherefore when God is sayd to harden or to deliuer vp into lustes we do not thereby meane that he of his owne instilleth into men any new malice or sinne Some when they heare such wordes imagine that God doth that which men are wont somtimes to do when they fill empty vessels as though man hath no sin but God powreth it from without into him but the case is farre otherwise For man is borne and conceaued in iniquities who then can be without sinne This foundacion Man is borne in iniquity and sinne as firme and founded by the holy scripturs we ought by all maner of means to defend Now forasmuch as man is in this estate namely the childe of wrath and set vnder yâ— curse vnles he be by a peculiar grace and help of the spirit through Christ made whole he hath in himself aboundance of sins wickednes We haue also an other argument which euen the philosophers saw namely that God forasmuch God suffreth nothing in the world to be idle as he is a simple pure act perpetually moueth all things neither suffreth he any thing to be idle But forasmuch as he gouerneth all things most wisely he moueth not things but according to the coÌ„ditioÌ„ of the nature which euery thing hath if we speake of the common and vsuall gouernment of the world He maketh the heauens to moue circle wise for that that motion is most aptest for them and after the selfe same maner he moueth and impelleth other creatures Man is moued of God according to his nature So must we confesse that man is moued of God according to his nature namely to worke by reason and will and that in such sort that his choyce or will is not coÌ„pelled but whatsoeuer he doth he doth it willinglye and of his owne accord whether the same be good or whether it be euill Wherfore forasmuch as in mankinde some are deliuered and by grace and by the spirite red â—med from the corruption of that masse which is contaminated in Adam and forasmuch also as other some are left in sinnes and obnoxious vnto vice therfore GOD séeing that by his perpetuall mouing he moueth all thinges impelleth either of these kindes of men to worke neither suffreth he either of them to be idle Wherfore men iustified and endued with the spirite of God are moued rightly and do thinges acceptable vnto God so much as the condition of this life suffreth by their nature being amended by the power of grace and of faith But they also which are not regenerate are perpetually Aliantes from God in all their doinges sin moued and althoughe sometimes they morallye and ciuilly do some good thinges yet can they do nothinge whiche maye be acceptable vnto God yea rather whatsoeuer they do they alwayes sinne But how that sin procéedeth both of God and of them I thinke I haue sufficiently declared Wherefore it is true both that God hardened the harte of Pharao and also that he himselfe hardened his owne hart And to make this more plaine we wil declare it by this similitude which D. A similitude Luther also vsed Suppose that there were a carter hauing many horses which he continually whippeth forward neither suffreth he them to stande still they beinge driuen forward must néedes moue and as many as are whole and sound of legges and féete do go vprightly but if there be any amongst them that hath lame and diseased fete or legges they also goe when they are whipped forward but yet slowly and euill fauoredly for they halt But that halting should not be vnles they were driuen forward For when the horses stand stil the halting is not perceiued but the beginning of haltinge that is the disease or lamenes of the legges the horses haue in themselues and receaued it not at the carters hande So God
to speake of his doctrine did not generally preach yâ— law without Christ For in that he chiefely vrged the Law it was of necessity that therewithal also he taught Christ vnto whome the law as a scholemaister led them But because his trauayle was to this thing chiefely bent to set forth and eâ—pound the law therefore was he peculiarly called the teacher thereof As Christ and the Apostles in preaching repentaunce taught also the Law howbeit bycause that they chiefely hereunto endeuored themselues to publishe abrode grace and the Gospel therefore they are called ministers not of the law but of grace and of fayth But Paul in alledging the wordes of Moses semeth not a litle to disagrée both from his meaning and also from his wordes For in Deut. yâ— 30. chapiter it semeth that the discourse of Moses talke was of the commaundemente of God For he sayth My coÌ„maundement is not wonderfully aboue thee that thou shouldest say who shall ascend vp into heauen to bring it vnto vs that we maye heare it and doo it Neyther is it beyond the sea that thou shouldst say which of vs shall go beyond the sea and bring it vnto vs that we may heare and do it But the woorde is very neare vnto thee in thy mouth and in thyne harte that thou maist heare it and doo it But this we must know that the Apostle considered the matter more depely then the wordes shew at the first brunt For he DeclaratioÌ„ of the words of Moses sawe that Moses althoughe before he gaue the lawe in the name of God yet in this place he simply entreated not of the commaundement but as it was now easy to be obserued by grace and by fayth and the spirite grafted in the harte which workes can not be workes of the law For when the law is set forth the commaundementes are not therefore made easy to be obserued yea rather we labour agaynst that which is forbidden vs and we fly away and leap backe froÌ„ the gouernment of God so farre is it of that his commaundementes should be grafted in our harte Those are the thinges which Paul had a respect vnto And for that he saw that those thinges come vnto vs thorough Christ and the righteousnes of fayth therefore he gaue that sence which is proper and natiue He considered moreouer that in the selfe same chapter at the beginning are such thinges set forth which can not be ascribed but vnto Christ only and vnto his spirite For God sayd that he would conuerte them vnto him that they should loue him with all theyr soule with all theyr hart and with all theyr strengths and that also he would circumcise theyr hartes and the hartes of theyr sede and cause that they should heare and doo his commaundementes And seing that streight way after these thinges are added these wordes which Paul citeth who seeth not but that they pertayne vnto the Gospel Wherefore the commaundemente whereof Moses speaketh is takeÌ„ eyther according to the bare and simple knowledge thereof or ells according to the mighty and effectuall power of driuing men to the obedience thereof The discourse of Moses will not suffer that we should take it in the first sence when as the simple and playne vnderstanding the commaundement is not made easy to be done neither is it grafted into our hartes and bowells Wherefore we must nedes vnderstand an effectuall and mighty knowledge which forasmuch as it is not had but by fayth by Christ therefore Paul erred not from the true sence wheÌ„ he thus interpretateth Moses The Sillogisme or argument is thus to be framed together Moses speaketh of the word which is in our hart and maketh vs apt to performe the commauÌ„dementes We preach the selfe same thing when we set forth the iustification of fayth Wherefore we speake the selfe same thing that Moses did And in verye dede if a man consider that chap. of Deut. he shall see that God most manifestly promiseth vnto the people his gouernment not indede outward which he had The nature of humane wisedome set forth in Sina but inward which in very dede pertayneth to the ministery of fayth and of the Gospell And the Apostle by these wordes of Moses notably declareth what is the nature of humane wisedome namely perpetually to resist fayth Vnto whose reasons they that geue place do as much as lieth in them diminishe the strengths of God and of Christ as though he can not performe the thinges which he is sayd to haue done and promised For as fayth extolleth the power of God so incredulity weakeneth it And this is it which Esay sayd vnto Achaz Is it a small matter for you to be troublesome vnto men but that ye will also greue God And at the least thorough your opinion or rather incredulity make him weake When the vnbeleuers heare that Christ after his resurrection ascended vp into heauen and there hath pacefied the father towardes vs and ministreth eternall life vnto the beleuers streight way they saye with them selues Who shall ascend vp into heauen to see if it be so Which is nothing ells but to fetche downe Christ from aboue and to abrogate his power Likewise when it is preached that by dieng he hath ouercome death sinne damnation and hell they say who shall descend downe into the deape that we may be made sure of these victories whiche is nothing ells but to make voyde the benefite of Christe These wordes may paraduenture be applied vnto other formes of doubtinges of the harte of man but yâ— skilleth not much This we ought without all doubâ— to thinke that it was so sure that the things which Paul cited out of Moses are to be vnderstanded of Christ that at that time the Iewes theÌ„selues durst not haue denied them for theyr Rabines which we haue now in vse most manifestly apply those thinges which are written in the beginning of this chap. of Deut. vnto the times of the Messias Paul also weighed that although Moses had before put this word commaundement yet afterward when he sayth that it is nighe vnto vs in the hart he calleth it Dabar the is word which word serued Pauls purpose wheÌ„ he sayth This is the word of fayth which we preach And the Apostle so alledgeth the sentence of Moses yâ— he excelleÌ„tly wel alludeth to his wordes which he not only amplifieth and by exposition maketh perspicuous but also interpreteth For when he sayth To ascend into heauen which Moses also hath he addeth that it To bring downe Christ from aboue So that those things which Moses spake generally of distrust and doubting Paul applieth to those doubtinges whiche most of all hinder the iustifieng fayth And for that it was a thing very requisite that the Iewes should be perswaded that the righteousnes of fayth is not repugnant vnto Moses therefore would Paul the more largely set forth this place and tary the longer in it When he addeth But what sayth It may
with outward idolatry when they were at the last afflicted of yâ— Romanes Antiochus but the Assamonites did set them agayne at liberty But now they are without end and measure oppressed although they be not enfected with that outward and grosse idolatry wherfore of their dispersion misery caÌ„ no other cause be geueÌ„ â–ª but yâ— Christ is now come whome they haue reiected And therfore in stéede of a florishing kingdome they are compelled to be in bondage in stede of a famous temple they haue coÌ„temptuous Sinagoges in stede of offrings and sacrifices they are wrapped with absurd superstitions in stede of honor and dignity wherein they were before they are now odious and hatefull vnto all men And which is most greauous of all they will not acknowledge the cause of these so greate euils Ambrose entreating of this matter deuideth this excecation into two kinds one kind he maketh curable vnto which sentence also agréeth the coÌ„mentaries which are ascribed vnto Ierome for in them it is written Make croked their backe alwayes vntill they beleue and be conuerted And that as touching manye Two kindes of excecation there still remayneth remedy Peter declareth in the Actes of the Apostles when he sayth And now I know that ye dyd it of ignorance wherefore repent and be baptized euery one of you Paul also sayth that the branches of the Iewes are so cut of that yet they may agayne be grafted into Christ The other kind of excecation he sayth is past all remedy and vpon them is this inflicted which haue reiected the truth once knowen and do striue against it And he addeth that Paul at this present meaneth of either kind of excecation But yâ— Greke scholies referre the bowing of the backe to the perpetuall bondage wherewith the Iewes are oppressed of outward nations which in my iudgement is not so apt for that I sée that Paul writeth onely of the euills and calamities of the mynde For he neuer vpbrayded vnto the Iewes any outward infelicitye But this is woorthy of noting that some interpreters Blindnes of the â—ind goeth before incredulity and is the cause thereof affirme that the cause of this excecation was incredulity But I as I graunt that by incredulity is encreased darckenes so also affirme that blindnes of the mind goeth before incredulity for howe commeth it to passe that wicked men beleue not the words of GOD but because they are blinded and sée not as they ought to sée the thinges which conduce vnto saluation I will not speake how Paul putteth blindnes as the cause of incredulity for this was in controuersie how the true Christ should be preached when as so fewe beleued in him Which thing Paul affirmeth therfore came to passe for that election obteyneth fayth and the rest are made blind Now at the last come we vnto Origen who at the beginning writeth that Paul hath left out before them which both the Hebrue verity and also the 70. haue But of his owne hath added this word Snare which word is neyther had in the translation of the 70. nor also in the veritie of the Hebrue But this is of small waight neyther doth it any whit alter the sense He moreouer sheweth that the testimony of Dauid is very nighe and agreable vnto these things which Esay foretold For euen as there were eyes geuen that they should not sée eares that they should not heare so is it here sayd Let their eyes be made dimme that they see not Straight way for that he thinketh it absurd that vnder the person of Dauid or of Christ should be made any execration or cursing he deuiseth a wonderfull strang sense For as sayth he our eye can looke vpon the light and see thinges profitable and which are expedient and contrariwyse can behold things noysome and hurtfull so the sight of the mynd turneth it self sometymes to thinges heauenly and spirituall and sometymes to thinges earthly and wicked But now if a man should pray that the vnderstanding of certayne men should not looke vpon or beholde wicked and peruerse doctrines this man should not pray against them but for them After that he addeth I would to God Marcion Valentinus Basilides and such like pestilences had neuer sene the wicked and pernicious doctrines which they deuised Wherfore sayth he these are not execrations but rather medicines But touching this woord table he thus writeth by this place to defend his allegories for as farre as we caÌ„ coniecture by this words all men did not like wel of them Let one of those sayth he come which deride theÌ„ and let him without an allegory interprete the things which the Prophet now speaketh Then goeth he on in his exposition and affirmeth that the table is the holy scripture for wisedome hath set her table and mingled wyne This table he proueth is turned vnto the Iewes into a snare For when the Iewes read that Christ should deliuer Israell and should reigne with greate honour and might they saw that Iesus of Nazareth liued here on the earth in a base and abiect forme and Howe the table of the scriptures is vnto the Iewes turned into a snare they sawe that they were still oppressed with the yoke of the Romaines therfore the table was vnto them a snare which thing doubtles had not comme to passe if that they had vnderstoode that the deliuery which should be accomplished by the Messias should be from sinne from the deuill death and hell and that the kingdome of Christe should be no worldly kingdome but wherein he should by the woord and the spirite raigne in the harts of men then I say had they not suffred so great miserie Christ longe since asked them Whose sonne is the Messias They sayd Dauids sonne as they had read in their table Christ aunswered But howe doth Dauid call him his Lord when he songe The Lorde sayd vnto my Lord. Now here the table is turned vnto them into a snare neyther were they able to aunswere one woord In Iohn also he sayd Do not ye thinke that I came to accâ—se you there is an other which accuseth you namely Moses Here agayne also they are â—ared for the law wherof they so much boasted is made both their accuser and condemner Lastly they were taught that Christ should abide eternally and they sawe that our Lord died was buryed so that their table was vtterly made vnto theÌ„ an offence As touching the holy scriptures that they were turned vnto the Iewes into destruction I am not against him but that he thereby obtrudeth vnto vs his allegories Twokinds of allegories I in no wise allow For there are two kinds of allegories for some are set forthe vnto vs by the holye Scriptures as that Christ is Ionas who was in the hart of the earth thrée dayes as he was in the bealy of the whale Againe that he is Salomon or the serpent hanged vp in the desert or the lambe And that the two
before that grace And in the 25. chapter We ought to preach and to beleue that by the sinne of the first man free will is so decayed and diminished that no man afterwarde can either loue God as he ought to do or beleue in God or for Gods sake to worke that which is good vnles the grace and mercy of God preuent him Wherfore iust Abell Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob and all the saintes in the olde tyme are in the Epistle vnto the Hebrues sayd by faith to haue done those thinges which are in the holy scriptures mencioned to haue ben done by theÌ„ which faith we haue before taught to come of God And Paul writeth of himself I haue obtained mercy that I might be faithful But he saith not I haue obteyned mercy because I was before faithfull but contrariwise And in the self same chapter This also we plainly confesse and beleue that in euery good worke it is not we our selues that do first begin and afterward are holpen wyth the mercye of God but that he first inspireth in vs both fayth and the loue of hym and that without any of our merites goyng before Wherefore we must without all doubt beleue that both Zacheus and the thiefe and also Cornelius attayned not to beleue by nature but by the gift of the goodnes of God These thinges haue I alleaged out of the Synode of Arausicanum peraduenture more largely then may seme to be conuenient for this place but for this cause haue I the willinglier done it for that I saw that al those things which are there affirmed are confirmed by the holy scriptures and do excedingly muche serue for our purpose Such Councels vndoubtedly gentle Reader are to be harkened vnto which leane vnto the worde of God For whatsoeuer commoditie or discommoditie the church hath the same ought wholy to be ascribed vnto the obseruation or contempte of the worde of God For in the olde and auncient councels how were Arius Eunomius Nestorius Eutiches and other pestiferous heretikes onercome but by the worde of God For without doubt they could neuer by any other engines be ouercome and vanquished And contrariwise when began yâ— church to geue place vnto abuses supersticions but when the word of God was conteÌ„ned And now in our times vnles the word of God had bene sought for and called agayne in a maner out of exile how could we euer haue bene deliuered from the tiranny of the Pope Let these few thinges be a warning vnto vs not rashly to beleue euery councell but let vs receiue those councels only which haue soundly Tridentinum consilium coÌ„firmed the decrées of their doctrine by the scriptures But to make that which I say more manifest I will speake somewhat of the Councell of Trent that by the contrary the truth may yâ— better be vnderstand In that Councel the 5. SessioÌ„ from the 5. chap. vnto the 11. chap. is entreated of iustification There these good holy Fathers namely the hirelinges of the Pope do thus decrée That the beginning of iustification is of grace But what grace they there vnderstaÌ„d they straight way make plaine For thus they say It calleth and it stirreth vp they which are to be iustified are so holpeÌ„ by it that beyng called and stirred vp they geue assent vnto this grace and worke therwith and are made apt to regeneration but this assent and workyng together they affirme as the wordes declare to be done by frée will What more could Pelagius say if he were now on lyue For neither did he also deny grace if thou take it for an admonitioÌ„ calling and stirring vp He also attributed this vnto What is the worke of grace in â—â—stificatioÌ„ frée will that it had power to assent and to obey the commaundements of God But the grace which the holy scriptures set forth vnto vs renueth our vnderstaÌ„ding and will and in stead of a stony hart geueth vs a fleshy hart For it doth not only counsel our reason but also fully persuadeth it and boweth and changeth the will Our men of Trent graunt in dede that God toucheth the hart of man by yâ— illumination of the holy ghost but lest a man himself should do nothing they adde yâ— he receiueth the inspiration as he which may also refuse it Wherfore they fully coÌ„clude yâ— it pertaineth to man to receaue although they confesse that he can not do that vnles he be called and stirred vp by grace But how can the hart of man vnles it be renued by the spirite and grace of God receaue those thinges agaynst which by reason of his nature being yet corrupt and vitiate it resisteth Assuredly though it be neuer so much stirred vp taught and moued yet vnles it be vtterly chaunged it wil continually withst and and resist Wherfore Augustine It is not in our power that those thinges which are set forth vnto vs should please vs. ad Simplicianum writeth very well That it is not in our power that those thynges which are set forth vnto vs should be acceptable and pleasant vnto vs. But we chuse not that thing which is neither acceptable nor pleasant though we haue neuer so many admonishers to stirre vs vp As if there should be offered vnto a sicke man good healthfull meates and very pleasantly dressed yet because they are neither pleasant nor acceptable vnto him he refuseth them though there stand many by and say vnto him that those meates are wholesome and very well dressed The selfe same thing vndoubtedly happeneth vnto a minde not yet regenerate but that as touching the receiuing of the grace of God there can be done no violence vnto the minde but the sicke person may be compelled to take meates that are vnto him vnpleasaunt Wherfore so long as our will and vnderstanding is not changed by the spirite of God it will not admit any healthfull admonitions And euen as a sicke person before he be restored to health neither abideth nor gladly receiueth meates when they are offered him so also the minde of man vnlesse it be chaunged from infidelitie to faith from impietie to godlines as saith the Synode of Arausicanum it neither obeyeth nor geueth place vnto grace which calleth and stirreth it vp which thing yet the good Fathers A place of Zachary declared of Trent affirme But lest they should seme to speake without scriptures they bring forth two testimonies The one out of the first chap. of Zacharie Bee ye conuerted vnto me and I will be conuerted vnto you This say they hath a respecte vnto the man who is commaunded that euen in iustification he shoulde doo somewhat But Ieremy sayth Conuert vs Lord and we shall be conuerted by which word is declared that vnto this conuersion is also required the helpe of God And by this meanes they deuide the whole matter betwene God and man But Augustine many other of the Fathers ascribe the whole acte of our iustification vnto God onely But as touching
to doe them there is not added saith he to doe all the commaundements God receiueth a man which endeuoreth himselfe to doe them and of his mercy forgeueth many things But this that is written To doe them must of necessitie be vnderstand of all For doubtlesse in the lawe which this man calleth the Testament are written all And if God forgeue or remit any thing he doeth it to men already regenerate And not vnto Vnto those which are not iustified nothing is remitted of the rigor of the law them that are straungers from him children of wrath such as they must néedes be which are not as yet iustified but stil prepare themselues and are bent to performe the conditions Vnto these I say nothing is remitted wherefore they are bound vnto all And therefore Moses said as Paul testifieth Cursed be he which abideth not in all the things that are written in the boke of the law Farther he maketh a contention also about the production of fayth and demaundeth from whence it hath his beginning in vs. We in one word easely answer that it hath his beginning of the holy ghost But he faineth himselfe to wonder From wheÌ„ce faith is ingenerated in vs. how we graunt the holy ghost vnto a man before he doth beleue For he thinketh that to be absurd First I can not deuise how this man should so much wonder at this But afterward I perceaue that he manifestly maketh and teacheth with the Pelagians that fayth is of our selues and that it is gotten by humane strengthes For otherwise if he beleued that it is of God and of the holy ghost he would not seperate the cause from his effect But that he should not thinke that we without good reason do attribute vnto the holy ghost the beginning of fayth let hym harken vnto the moste manifest testimonyes of the Scriptures Paule sayth in the first epistle vnto the Corrinthians Not in the words which mans wisedome teacheth but which the holy ghost teacheth that your faith should not be of the wisdome of men but of God And in the same place The carnall man vnderstandeth not the thinges that are of God neither can he for vnto him they are foolishnes for they are spiritually discerned â–ª But how can they be spiritually discerned except the spirite of God be present Children also know that of * Coniugata be those wordes which being of one kind be dâ—riued of an other as of iustice a iust man or a iust thing Coniugata are deriued firme arguments And vnto the Galathians God sayth he hath sent his spirit into our hartes whereby we cry Abba father For by the spirit we beleue and in beleuing we call vpon God Yea and the spirit himselfe as it is written vnto the Romanes beareth testimony vnto our spirit that we are the children of God And vnto the Ephesians Be ye strenthened by the spirit in the inward man that Christ may by fayth dwell in your harts Here we sée that that fayth whereby we embrase Christ commeth of the spirit of God whereby our inward man is made stronge The Apostles when they sayd Lord increase our fayth manifestly declared that it sprang not of their owne strengthes but of the the breathing of God And Paul in the 1. to the Corrinthians the 12. chapiter Vnto one saith he is geuen the word of wisedome vnto an other the word of knowledge vnto an other fayth vnto an other the grace of healing And then is added that it is one and the selfe same spirit which worketh all these thinges deuiding vnto euery man as pleaseth him And if thou wilt say that this place and the foresayd petition of the Apostles pertayneth vnto the particular fayth by which are wrought miracles doubtles I will not be much agaynst it And yet if thou wilt nedes haue it so I will reason a minori that is from the lesse For if these frée gifts are not had but from the spirit of God much les can that vniuersall and mighty fayth whereby we are iustified he had from els where Farther Paul vnto yâ— Rom. Vnto euery one sayth he as God hath deuided the measure of fayth And in the latter to the Cor. Hauing saith he the self same spirit of fayth eueÌ„ as it is written I haue beleued for which cause also I speake we also beleue and speake that God which raysed vp Iesus from the dead shall through Iesus rayse vp our bodyes also Vnto the Gal. are reckned vp the fruites of the spirite Charity ioy peace patience lowlines gentlenes fayth meekenes and temperaunce Fayth here is numbred among the fruites of the spirit wherefore it procedeth of the spirit But vnto the Ephesians he sayth more manifestly By grace you are made safe through fayth and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God And in the Actes of the Apostles it is thus written The Lord opened the hart of the woman that sold silkes to geue hede vnto those thinges which Paul spake And in the 13. chapiter They beleued as many as were predestinate vnto eternall life Wherefore it is not to be doubted but that fayth is ingenerated in our harts by the holy ghost who yet may indede be had of them which beleue not but that yet is onely perswading and not as sanctifying them How the holy ghost is in man not regenerate And although in the elect he sodenly poureth in fayth yet forasmuch as he is the cause of fayth he is therefore before it both in dignity and in order Now let vs sée what absurdities Pighius gathereth out of this sentence If the spirit sayth he be the author of our fayth and vseth the instrument of the word of God and may be also in them that beleue not how commeth it to passe that wheÌ„ as there are many at one and the selfe same sermon where as both spirit is preseÌ„t and the word preached yet part do beleue and part beleue not we answere in one word that that coÌ„meth because the spirit is not of like efficacy in all men neither doth after one the selfe same maner teach all meÌ„ inwardly and in yâ— minde But of his will we can not render in cause although we nothing doubt but that it is most iust If the matter be so sayth he the hearers will easely content them selues neither will they put to their endeuor or studie for they know that that is in vaine when as it wholy dependeth of the spirite of God This is not only a very common but also an enuious obiection But we answer that all men are bouÌ„d to beleue the word of God and therfore theyr bounden duety is diligently and attentiuely to hearken vnto it with all their strengthes to assent vnto it And if they so doe not they shal then incurre the punishment of the law neither are they to be hearkened vnto if they shall say that they could not obey it or if they would haue
gone about to haue proued what their strength could haue done their endeuor for that they were not as yet iustified should haue bene in vaine and sinne As if a master should bid his seruaunt which is lame to walke and he shold excuse himselfe and say that he were lame and could not goe without great deformitie it is not to be thought that therefore he is excused We are not of that minde that we thinke that all sinnes are alike Yea rather we teach that they which omit or neglect those outward workes which they might performe and put not to endeuor and study to do wel do much more greuously sinne then they which according to their strengthes obserue some certaine outward discipline And as Augustine sayth Cato and Scipio shal be much more tollerablier dellt with then Catiline or Caligula But I would haue y◠Pighius whome our opiniō so much misliketh to declare himselfe when he thinketh that the holy ghost is geuen vnto men He will aunswere when as now these preparations haue gone before when a man hath beleued feared hoped repented and sincerely loued What more could Pelagius haue sayde As though to beleue to loue and such other like shoulde spring of humane strengthes He alleadgeth this also and thinketh it to make for his purpose Come vnto me all ye which labour and are laden and I wil refresh you For he thinketh that labours burthens contrition confession and as they say satisfaction fastings teares such other like make to the obteynment of iustification But this place is to be vnderstand farre otherwise For Christ calleth them laboring and loden which were oppressed with the law and felt theyr owne infirmity and the burthen of sinnes and which had now long time laboured vnder humane tradicions These men being now weried and in a maner without all hope the Lord calleth vnto him For they are more apt vnto the kingdome of heauen thē are other blessed secure men which by theyr own works good dedes thought thē selues very iuste God sayth Pighius requireth workes preparatory and them he promiseth not to fayle them of his grace This was vtterly the opinion of the Pelagians against which the holy scriptures are vtterly repugnant For they teach that it is God which geueth both to will and to performe according to his good will that it is God which beginneth in vs the good worke and accomplisheth it euen vnto this day that it is God frō whome only we haue sufficiency when as otherwise we are not able to thinke any thing of our selues as of our selues Wherfore it is manifest that Pighius confoundeth the lawes of God disturbeth those things which ar wel setforth in y◠holy scriptures Farther when as we say that vnto iustification is not sufficient an historicall fayth he fayneth him selfe to meruayle what maner of historicall fayth we vnderstand For if sayth he they call all those thinges which are written in the holy scriptures an history wil they bring vnto vs an other faith wherby we may beleue those things which are not in the scriptures But we reiect not an historicall fayth as though we would faine some new obiects of fayth besides those which are The difference betwene a◠historicall faith and a straunge faith setforth in y◠holy scriptures or are out of thē firmely cōcluded But we require not a vulgar or cold assent such as they haue which are accustomed to allow those thinges which they read in y◠holy scriptures being thereto led by humane persuasiō some probable credulity as at this day y◠Iewes Turkes confesse beleue many things which we doo but an assured firme strong assent such which commeth frō the afflation of the holy ghost which changeth maketh new the hart and the mind and draweth with it good motions and holy workes In this maner we say that that fayth which is of efficacy differeth very much from an historicall assent And that we are by that fayth which we haue now described iustified we haue thrée maner of testimonies The first is of the holy ghost Which beareth witnes vnto our spirite that we are the children of God The second is of the scriptures The third is of workes But contrariwise they which hold and crie that a man is iustified by workes haue no sufficient testimony For the holy ghost testifieth it not the holy scriptures deny it only works are brought forth and those without piety and fayth such as were in times past the workes of the old Ethnikes and at this day the woorkes of many which beleue not in Christ and are strangers from God But it is woorthy to be laughed at that he hath cited also a place out of the 66. chapiter of Esay by which and if there were no more places then it only his cause is most of all ouerthrowen Vnto whome sayth God shall I looke but vnto the poore man vnto ▪ the contrite of harte and vnto him that trembleth at my woordes By these wordes Pighius thinketh are signified those workes wherby God is drawen to iustifie vs. But the matter is farre otherwise For the scope of the Prophet was to detest the suspition of the Iewes For they neglecting the inward piety of the mind trusted only to outward ceremonies Wherfore this thing God by y◠voyce of the Prophet condemned and declared how odious it was vnto him Heauen sayth he is my seate and the earth is the footestoole of my feete As if he should haue sayd I nothing passe vpon this your temple which ye so much boast of For heauen is my seate such a seat as you can not frame nor make and the earth adorned with all kind variety of plants liuing creatures herbes flowers is the footestoole of my féete Where thē shall be that house which ye wil build for me And where shall be my resting place And straight way to declare y◠it was not the tēple built with handes All these thinges sayth he hath mine hand made and all these thinges are made sayth the Lord. By which wordes we learne that God delighteth not in these thinges and in outward ornamentes and sumptuous buildinges for theyr own sakes but chiefly requireth fayth and inward piety of the minds that he may dwel in them And who they be that beleue and are in very déede godly is declared by theyr certayne and proper notes Whosoeuer is poore and séeeth him selfe to want righteousnes and whosoeuer is contrite of hart that is to say afflicted in this world whosoeuer is of a moderate and deiected spirite and not of an arrogant and proud spirite whosoeuer with great reuerence and feare receaueth the wordes of God he most iustly may be nombred amongst them These are fure tokens and as it were the proper coulours of faith and true piety Afterward the Prophet declareth how much God estemeth the workes of men that beleue not and are not as yet regenerate though these workes be neuer
we beleue that god raised vp our Lord Iesus Christ from the dead which was deliuered for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Is it not here most manifestly said that we ought to beleue that that Iesus Christ whome God raised vp was dead and rose againe that we should be iustified and haue all our sinnes forgiuen vs doubtlesse it is a thing most vncomely for a man that professeth diuinitie so willingly not to sée things that are most manifest Afterward he maketh a cauillation about the perticular fayth wherby we say that euery one that beleueth truly in Christ ought to be most assured with him selfe that his sinnes are forgeuen him He denieth that there is any such faith foūd in the holy scriptures And that therfore this is only our deuise and inuētion Here vndoubtedly I can not hold my selfe but that I must nedes say that Pighius loudely lieth For I would haue him to tell me what did Abraham beleue whē he was iustified but that vnto him should one day be rendred those promises of God For vnto whome is it most likely beleued he that they should be rendred but vnto him selfe The selfe same thing may be sayd of Moses of Dauid and of many other of whome it is most certayne that they beleued that the promises which God made vnto them should perticularly be rendred vnto them And what I besech you mēt Christ when he sayd vnto the man that was sicke of the palsey Sonne thy sins are forgeuen thee And when he sayd vnto the woman Thy fayth hath made thee safe And did not Paul vnto the Galathians thus speake of Christ Who hath loued me and deliuered vp him selfe for me What can be more manifest then these wordes Let Pighius go now make his vaūts that we were the first finders out of this proper and singular fayth and let him cry that euery Christian man ought to beleue that the promises are made only indefinitely that it is not mete that euery one of vs should apply them seuerally vnto him selfe For we ought to beleue of our selues and not of other For we may as touching others be deceaued whether they beleue or no. But touching our selues we may be assured and certayne of it Let euery mā beleue the promises of God indefinitly as touching others for we know not who is predestinate and who is reprobate but none which is faythfull ought in any wise to doubt of him selfe but to beleue that the promise is perticular as touching him selfe by that that he séeth that he truly beleueth Farther when promises are set forth in an vniuersal proposition we may most assuredly of them gather theyr singular propositions And Christ sayth in Iohn This is the will of my father that euery one that seeth the sonne and beleueth in him should haue eternall life Wherfore we thus inferre But I beleue in the sonne of God Ergo I haue now and shall haue that which he hath promised Pighius still goeth one and to the end he would proue that the fayth of euery article and not that fayth only which is referred vnto Christ for the remission of sins iustifieth vseth the example of Noe. For he sayth that he beleued only those thinges which pertayned to the safegard of his house and to the destruction of the world and by that fayth he sayth he was iustified Here sayth he is no mencion made of Christ or of the remission of sinnes But it semeth vnto me that this man hath not very diligently red that which Peter writeth in his 1. Epistle and 3. chapter For Peter sayth when once the long suffering of God abode in the dayes of Noe while the Arke wos preparing wherin few that is eight soules were saued thorough the water vnto the figure wherof Baptisme now agreeing maketh vs also safe whereby not the filth of the fleshe is put away but wherebye it commeth that a good conscience Noe was iustified by fayth in Christ well answereth vnto God That which Peter saw was signified by the Arke and by those thinges which Noe did can we thinke that the patriarch him selfe saw not This vndoubtedly were to much derogation vnto him And if he saw those things which Peter maketh mencion of He beleued not only those thinges which were then done but also those which were looked for to be accomplished by Christ And therfore it is very well written vnto the Hebrues the he was by such a faith made the heyre of righteousnes But Pighius nothing passeth vpon this who so that he may be agaynst vs is nothing at all aferd to fight euen against the Apostles themselues For he is not aferd to affirme that our first father Adam was iustified but yet not with that fayth which we speake of which concerneth the remission of sins thorough Christ For he had no promise as touching that as farre as may be gathered out of the scriptures But doubtles this man is both farre deceiued and also hath forgottē his Fathers whome he would be sene to make so much of Was not the selfe same thing Adam was iustified by faith wherby he beleued the remission of sinnes through Christ sayd vnto Adam which was by God promised vnto Eue his wife that his séede should bruse the hed of the Serpent Christ was that séede he hath so broken the hed and strengths of the deuill that now neither sinne nor death nor hel can any thing hurt his members This place all the fathers in a maner thus interpret But Pighius which yet is les to be borne withall is not afeard to say that iustification is not geuen vnto vs by the promise In which thing doubtles he is manifestly agaynst Paul For he vnto the Galathians thus writeth God gaue vnto Abraham by the promise and there is no doubt but that vnto vs it is geuen after the selfe same maner that it was vnto Abraham But this is to be knowen that Distinction of the promise this woorde promise is taken two manner of wayes eyther for the thing promised and so it is not to be doubted but that we are iustified by the promise that is by Christ and by the forgeuenes of sinnes which is promised vnto them that beleue or ells it is taken for the very words of God in which he thorough Christ promiseth vnto vs remission of sinnes And in this maner also we may be sayd to be iustified by the promise For although the cause of our iustificatiō be the mere will and mercy of God yet is not the same offred or signified vnto vs but by the wordes of the promises and by the sacramentes For these words haue we as sure testimonies of the will of God towards vs. And so fayth want not wherby we apprehend the thinges that are offred we are iustified by the promises Afterward Pighius to the end he would proue that God attributeth more vnto workes then vnto faith citeth a place out of the 22.
offred vnto vs are the holy scriptures which we ought alwais to haue in our hands as a present remedy For if we be enfected with ignorāce there shal we finde light to shake the same of if we be disturbed with sundry perturbations and languishing affectes of the mind and if also we be vexed with the conscience of most greuous sinnes in them are offred vnto vs remedies both easy redy if we be oppressed and in a maner ouerwhelmed with the troubles and greues of outward thinges there shall we find sound and firme consolation if we be sometymes in a perplexitye not knowinge in thinges doubtfull whiche way to turne our selues we can in no other place better then there finde good and faithfull counsell if we be tempted and be in daunger as it oftentimes happeneth of our saluation there we haue a most strong most sure place of refuge And doubtles our latter Dauid drue out from no els where but out of this scrippe most small stones of the word of God wherewith he smote the forehead of Goliah and felled to the ground Sathan by whome he was tempted in y◠desert Wherfore the first Dauid not without iust cause wrote that he considered wonderfull things touching the lawe that is touching the scriptures of God and that he had hidden in his hart the worde of God to the ende he might not sinne against him and this word he confessed to be his consolation in affliction for that the wordes of GOD quickened him What should a man seke farther here out doe flow the fountaines of our Sauiour and we are all inuited freelye to drawe water out of them whereby our intollerable thirste is quenched and satisfied with a singular desire to obtaine blessednes Here haue we a storehouse of GOD full stuffed with the plenty of all good things and set abrod wyde open for vs therout may euery man prouide for his owne want Here is layde for vs a table most plentifullye furnished where the wisedome of God hath mingled for vs most pleasant wyne wherewith euery man may most penltifully refreshe him Here is set forth for euery man a garden and paradise more pleasant then the garden of Alcinoes Salomon Wherfore let vs gather out of it things profitable not hurtful Let vs rather imitate y◠bees then y◠spiders in sucking out the most sweete iuyce and not the deadly poyson We vse commonly with an incredible study to embrace bookes set forth by any industry of man whereout yet we attayne nothing els but a meane how either to defend or to recouer health or a way to encrease thinges domesticall or rules to gouern a commonwealth or institutions of husbandry or of other artes or some entisements to pleasures how much more is it profitable for vs with our whole hart to apply our selues to the reading of the holy scriptures Forasmuch as in them speaketh not vnto vs humane wisedom but God himselfe vnto whome vndoubtedly if we harken geue hede we shall receaue a singular alacrity and chearfulnes of mynd we shall driue away heauy cogitacions we shal be eased and lightened with a most sweete consolation and shall put on strength aboue mans reach we shall now thinke nothing hard or difficill we shall thinke the yoke of the Lord and his crosse to be thinges most light and shall offer our selues most redy for his name sake to suffer any thing yea and being instructed with heauenly eloquence we shall talke vnto men not with the wordes of men but with the wordes of God himselfe Doubtles I know that there are many which beleue not these thinges and that there are not a few which deride them and thinke that we are out of our wits but I would gladly desire these men to vouchesafe once to make a profe besech them not to disdayne to reade I dare sweare and that vpon my greate perill that they shall at one tyme or other be taken They shal at the length feale how much these thinges diuine differ from humane thinges They shall feale I say if they reade attentiuely diligently that at the length thorough the mercy of God these scourges of feare and shame are encreased in their sences they shall feale them selues to be effectually perswaded once at the length to dye vnto death that they may liue to life they shall feele also themselues smitten with an horror of their sinnes and pleasures past when as before in them they thought themselues blessed happy They shal feele that the whole misery of this carnall life is heaped vp before their eyes and they being tormented with the bitter feeling therof it will cause to burst forth out of their eyes greate showers and mighty floods of teares for the oracles and words of GOD when they are earnestly read and deapely cōsidered do not slightly nippe the mind but do most deapely digge into the hart with most sharpe prickes and therout after a sort plucking vp by the rootes vices wicked actes do in their place plant peace of conscience and spirituall ioye they shal also at the length fele kindled in them the wonderfull and most pleasant loue of the swetenes goodnes of God Wherefore they being thus vtterly changed shal be compelled to say that which Dauid excellently well recordeth How swete are thy words made to my iawes they were sweter vnto my mouth then hony But of such an helpe then which can nothing be found more diuine and more heathfull are those men depriued whiche other will not read Gods bokes at all or els reade them with a certayne disdayne lothesommes and contempt so that they haue no zeale to the wordes of God but thorough theyr owne proper deuises their mind is vtterly caried to other matters Of which impiety and wickednes God in y◠Prophet Osea the 8. chapiter greauously accuseth Israell saying I haue written to them the greate things of my law but they were coūted as a strange thing Doubtles those children are to much degenerated which count that voyce wherewith theyr most louing parent calleth vpon them to liue godly and vertuously for a strange voyce and contrariwise do folow as theyr owne and proper voyce that which is in very dede a strang voyce and so it commeth to passe that after the maner of betels they refuse swete sauors and go to stinking donghils Wherefore it is not to be meruailed at if they waxe rottē in the filthy puddle of worldly pleasures if they be burnt vp wyth vnwoorthy and filthy cares If they dispayre in aduersities and if at the laste they perishe in sinnes and in a lyfe altogether corrupted In summe as touching the holy scriptures I may iustly pronounce although somewhat inuerted that which Demostenes affirmed of money namely that with the word of God ought al things to be done and with out the same can be done nothing that is good But what go I about Do I take vpon me to set forth the commendacions and prayses of
to visite our neighbours namely to haue alwayes some spirituall gifts redy to communicate vnto them And on the other side we ought to be prompt With what mind ChristiaÌ„s ought to assemble together What peregrinations and what writings are had in the pâ—pacy easely to receaue if any spirituall profyte or commodity be offred vnto vs by their commyng vnto vs. But now a dayes they vse peregrinacions or pilgrimages to images and to worshippe reliques of the dead and not to succor the liuely temples of Christ The bishop of Rome writeth sometymes but yet only pardons bulles and curses He sendeth men to compound and dispence for sondry kinds of sinnes and to release vowes But none of these doth he fréely but they are altogether instituted for gayne and to scrape mony together To strengthen you Here is added the cause why he so much desired to come vnto the Romanes namely to strengthen them This is it which Christ The office of an Apostle is to coÌ„firme the brethren commaunded Peter And thou at the length when thou art conuerted confyrme thy brethren By these woordes is signifyed that the Romanes were not constante for they semed now redy to receaue the religion of the Iewes And yet because he would not offend their mindes that which he had before spoken of their confirmation he straight way lenefleth and mitigateth wyth these words which follow That I may receaue exhortation together with you Here he knitteth himselfe also with their infyrmity as though he also had neede of instruction And assuredly there is none in the Church placed so high that he can not receauâ— None so hygh in the Church but that he may be holpen by inferiours some confyrmacion and edifycation of the weaker Neyther doth God vse to geue all thynges vnto all men but that the weake ones haue oftentymes some singular and priuate gifte of God whereby to helpe the stronger Wherefore if Paule which was a piller of the Church stronger then any yron harder then the diamond confesseth that he myght profyte himselfe through these mens exhortacion why shoulde we then doubt of our selues But if the fayth of the Romanes were so great that it was now euery where published what neded they of any confyrmation We answere that fayth is in deede of hys ownâ— Our fayth needeth alwayes to be increased nature sure and constant and if it be such which iustefyeth it ought vtterly to differ from opinion that we doubt not of the verity of the other part but forasmuch as we are weake and do on euery side slippe being assaulted of our fleshe the deuill and the world we haue neede continually of the increase of faith Peter beleued truly in Christ when he sayd Saue me otherwise I perish But the Lord sayd vnto him O thou of little fayth why doubtedst thou By whiche wordes Peter was tought that the daunger hong not ouer him eyther by reason of the waters or of the tempest but through the want of faith Wherefore these thinges do nothing disagree betweene themselues that the fayth of the Romanes was to be magnifyed and that yet neuertheles they had neede of confyrmacion We might reade that which we haue here interpreted concerninge exhortacion as if there had bene mencion made of consolacion as though Paule shoulde haue sayde therefore I will come vnto you not only to strengthen you but also to stirre vp a mutuall consolaciyn and that through the fayth which is found as well in me as in you For they which mete together when they perceaue themselues not to be of a sundry opinion but of one and the selfe same opinion vse excedinglye to reioyce Wherefore Chrisostome and the Greke annotacions do admonishe vs that consolacion in this place may be taken for ioy Neyther ought we to doubt whether this consolacion should be betweene the Romanes themselues or betwéene them and Paule Because the wordes which follow séeme to dispatch that doubt in that it is sayd Through the mutuall fayth which both ye and I haue Neyther did he rashely make mencion of faith Forasmuch as the property thereof is to powre Fayth is compared vnto leuen it selfe into an other euen lyke leuen which when it hath leuened one part of the dow goeth forward into the next part But they are to be counted as colde beleuers which to theyr power labour not to make other of the same mynde that they are now of which thyng if it myght be brought to passe vndoubtedly so many should be amended as are drawen by theyr admonishment For what soeuer sinne we committe the same commeth of the imbecillity of fayth And by these wordes Paul bringeth to an equality those thinges which he hath spoken affirming that there should come a common gayne both vnto himselfe and vnto the Romanes by their mutuall metyng together And fayth is required on ether party as touching Paule that he might be able to obtaine the gifts which he wished vnto the Romanes agayne as touching them that they might receaue those thinges which were to be ministred vnto them by Paule I would not that ye should be ignorant brethern Ambrose readeth thys text otherwise after this maner I know ye are not ignorant brethern he expoundeth it that the Romanes were certified of the minde of Paule by such as beleued in Christ which continually went to Rome as by Aquila Priscilla and others who knew right well Paules purpose and determination But we will follow the common reading according vnto which the Apostle séemeth to preuent them as though they should haue sayd why then hast thou differred thy comming vnto vs seing thou so much desirest it Paule answereth that he oftentymes assayed to come vnto them but it would not be because he was alwayes letted To the Thessalonians he sayth that Sathan was the let that he could not come to Thessalonica And in the latter to the Corrinthyans he maketh mencion of a grenous persecution which he suffred in Asia and that he was tempted aboue his strength so that he almost dispayred of his life and therefore hys comming to Corinth was prolonged longer then he had appoynted But here he expresseth not of whom he was letted But there might be thrée kindes of lett es First God which by manifest oracles sometymes called hym Lett es which might hinder Paul from going to Rome The Romanes seme to be lesse esteemed of Paule then the other nacions It is not for the seruant to enquire out the counsels of his master backe from his appoynted enterprises as it appeareth in the 16. chapter of the Actes an other kinde is the necessity of Churches which euery day increased new and new lastly aduersities and persecutions whiche were stirred vp by Sathan Chrisostome hath noted that because Paule hath not expressed the cause why so great a city which ruled then ouer all should be lesse estemed then many other obscurer cities and prouinces humaine sence and reason myght therefore be
in deede not vsed among the sophisters but it is read in the scriptures For to to the Galathians it is wrytten That we myghte receaue the promyse of the spyrite through fayth And he vseth the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche signifyeth nothynge els then to apprehend take hold and to receaue Also in the Actes of the Apostles Paul speeketh vnto Agrippa the kynge that he was sente for thys cause that menne shoulde receaue remission of sinnes and lotte amonge the Sayntes throughe fayth Where he also vseth the same verbe And vnto the Romaynes the 9. chap. The Gentyles whyche followed not righteousnesse tooke holde of ryghteousnesse euen that righteousnesse whiche is of fayth The greeke woord in this place is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherfore it followeth that we speake after the maner of the Scriptures Neyther is thys to be left vnspoken of that there are some whiche thinke that this definition of the Gospell is takē of the matter as though it should be thus expounded that the Gospell is the power of God to saluacion for that in it is set forth and intreated of the power of God wherby he saueth mankind And that power is Christ the sonne of God which was made of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh euen as it is before sayd So the first definiciō and this latter differ nothing as touching the kynd of the cause And in deede I dislyke not thys interpretacion for Paul in the fyrst to the Corinth calleth Christ the power of God and the wysedome of God howbeyt I do more willyngly allow the fyrst interpretacion Paraduenture some will say for asmuch as the Gospell is preached vnto many vnto iudgement and condemnacion and we are as Paul sayde vnto manye the sauor of death vnto death howe then is it called saluacion or power vnto saluacion And to the Corint it is writen We preache Christe crucyfyed Why the gospel is sometymes vnto condemnation vnto the Iewes in deede an offence and to the Greekes foolishnes Hereto we aunswere that the Gospell is hurtfull vnto them which trust in theyr owne strengthes theyr proper workes and theyr owne reason But in the same place to the Cor. Paul wryteth Vnto the called of God is Christe preached the power of God and the wysedome of God Whiche place serueth verye muche vnto the interpretation of this sentence For things ought to haue their name geuen them Thinges must be named bi their wne nature and not by that which chanseth by hap vnto them Christ is rightly called a sauior althoughe to many he turne to offence and ruine of that thynge whyche they haue obteyned of theyr owne disposicion and nature and not of that which is otherwyse annected vnto them by happe and as they speake per accidens that is by chaunce The Gospell hath of hys owne institucion and by the counsell of God the propriety to saue But in that it hurteth the same happeneth from without that is of the infidelity of the receauers otherwyse Christ hymself could not be called a Sauiour because he was put for the fall and offence of many Wherefore when he spake of the Scribes Phariseis he sayde If I had not come and spoken vnto them they shoulde haue had no sinne But for that he was not to this ende sent but these euils happened of an other cause therfore he is called a Sauiour Notwithstanding many by occasion of hys comming perished For as touchyng hymselfe he had the wordes of eternall lyfe And he hymself sayth The wordes which I speake vnto you are spiryte and lyfe But manye of them whyche stande here beleue not Wherefore those thinges disagree not but aptly agree which these whiche Paul nowe wryteth What kind of saluatiō we haue by the gospell Further we must diligently examine what maner of saluation this is whiche is brought vnto vs by the Gospell For politicall or ciuill men do also promise health or sauety by good lawes and seuerity of discipline But that is singular and very contract for it is only that safety wherby we are made safe from the iniuryes of men Phisicions also promise health but that pertaineth only to the body that it may be in good case Souldiers boast also that they are appointed to the sauetye of men but that safety belongeth only agaynst the inuasions of enemyes Yea and handycraftes men say that theyr workmanships are healthfull vnto men but these men also bryng only porcions of sauety They whiche build houses do defend vs from the iuiuries of the aire and wether they which make clothes and garments do after a sort defend our bodys from colde but this sauety which is of the gospell comprehendeth all and contayneth in it the vniuersal summe and head of our conuersation that is felicity it selfe and blessednes Felicitye blessednes come vnto vs of the gospell By Christe and the gospell we are deliuered from sinne from whēce come all euils What is the vulgare definition of felicity This is that saluacion whiche was shadowed in the old Testament as often as the publike wealth of the Israelites was defended from oppressers by Iephthe Samson Gedeon and Debora And that this saluacion which is now intreted of oughte to be taken generally is proued by a sure reason for that all these defectes vnto which the porcions of sauety which we haue now rehersed were a helpe happened vnto vs by reason of synne But by Christ and hys gospell we ar deliuered from synne which thyng the Aungell testifyeth when he sayd vnto Ioseph For he shall saue hys people from theyr synnes and thys is to restore vs to true felicity For felicity as it is commonly sayd is to lyue agreably vnto nature And oure nature is instituted of God that we shoulde be according to hys Image And thys particle to saluation is necessarily added because otherwise the power of God is also to take vengeance to reuenge and to condemne The power of God is both to saluation and to vengeaunce A similitude But the Gospell is not properly instituted to that ende but to saluacion Now if we were once fully perswaded of thys that in Christ and in the gospell we should haue perfect saluation we would not so much fixe our mynde on temporall thynges but would alwayes contende thither where we hope we should haue felicity and blessednes Euen as princes and noble men do seldome go abrode into the market place streates or lanes neyther do they much passe for the spectacles of the common sort of men for that they haue at home theyr delightes pleasures paradises and passing good thinges therefore they willingly tary at home and if they be abrode they quickely get them home So ought we also to vse the good thinges of this world only for the necessities of the body but we ought contynually to be conuersant in Christ and in hys gospell as in our saluation and felicity To the Iewe first and to the Greeke
a most seuere vengeaunce Agaynst all vngodlynes and vnrighteousnes of men He sayth not against men because God hateth not them but taketh vengeaunce on their wicked actes And those comprehendeth he vnder the name of impietie and vnrighteousnes for wicked actes are partlye committed agaynst God and partly agaynst men VVhich vvithholde the truth in vnrighteousnes They attayned vnto so much truth that therby they vnderstode how they ought to behaue them selues towardes God and towardes their neighbours And yet withhelde they the truth in vnrighteousnes Which selfe same thyng dyd the Hebrewes committe concerning the truth which God had reueled vnto them by the law Seing therfore both these Hebrues and those Gentiles were so greuously punished what ought men which professe themselues to be Christians to hope for which wyth holde to themselues so great a lyght of the Gospell without fruite Vndoubtedly they shall at the length become most wicked and euen experiēce teacheth that those whych boast of Christ and do liue filthely do at the length in naughtynes and filthinesse passe all men though they be neuer so wicked The truth is after Who they be that withholde the truth captiue With what bondes the truth is bound The truth suffreth nothing in it selfe Aristotle in hys Ethikes a sorte with hold captine in them whych vnderstand it and yet expresse it not in workes life And it is ouercome restrayned with the chaynes of euell lustes which breathing vp out of the inferior parts of our mind do obfuscate the vnderstanding and as it were in a darke prison close in the truth knowen God kindleth the truthe in our myndes but by our lustes it is wonderfully darkened There is no cause why we should thinke as Chrisostome admonisheth vs the the truth of hys owne nature can suffer any thyng For it of hys owne nature is vnchangeable But what soeuer euill happeneth the same is hurtefull to our mynd and soule Paul toucheth in two wordes those thynges whiche Arist 〈…〉 in hys Ethikes when hee disputeth of the incontinent person prosecuteth 〈…〉 many woordes For he demaundeth by what meanes the incontinente person declineth to vices sithen that he hath in hys mynde a right opinion And hée aunswereth that that thing happeneth by reason he is to much puffed vp wit 〈…〉 me singular profite which presētly is offred vnto this senses by the wayght wherof the better part also is oppressed so that it geueth place to the lusts neither excecuteth it hys office with efficacie to consider and peyse the truth whiche before it knew Whiche thyng also the Poete affirmeth of Medea Video meliora probóque Ouide of Medea deteriora sequor whiche is in Englishe I sée what thynges are best and I allow them but I folow the worst All this doth Paul teache vs when hee sayth That the vngodly wythholde the truth in vnrighteousnesse That truth laboureth as muche as is possible to burst forth into acte but it is letted of concupiscence or luste And this is that whiche is written in the first of the Ethikes That the more The noblest part of the soule exhorteth to the best things The power of the conscience excellent part of the mynde alwayes exhorteth and prouoketh to thynges which are of the best sorte For so hath God and nature framed vs that the thyng which we know we desire to expresse in Acte which thyng when we do not we are reproued euen by our own iudgement And hereof come those wonderfull forces of the conscience whiche in sinnes of great wayght can neuer be perfectly quieted To with holde the truth in vnrighteousnes is properly to refuse the callyng of God which continually by hys truth calleth vs vnto hym self Wherfore it shall be very profitable for vs if whē soeuer we haue attained to any thing that is true either by our owne study or els by the obseruation of thinges we streighte way weigh with our selues where vnto God calleth vs through that truth which he layth before our myndes By vnrighteousnes the Apostle vnderstandeth generally what soeuer we sinne either agaynst God or agaynste men Wherefore Paul speaketh of that truth which is naturally grafted in vs and also of it which we attayne vnto by our own study For either of thē instructeth vs of most excellent thynges touchyng God so that the vnrighteousnes whiche we commit is not able to blot it out of our hartes Whiche thing yet the Accademians attempted An error of the Accademians to teache when as they contended that nothing can certainely be knowne of vs. And so they can not abyde that we should embrace any thyng as beyng sure that it is true but they will haue vs to count all thinges as vncertayne doubtfull An error of the Epicures And in lyke maner do the Epicures goe about to blot out of mens myndes those thinges which by naturall anticipation are imprinted into our myndes concerning God And yet notwithstanding neither of these were able to brynge to passe that which they endeuoured themselues to doo For will they or nill they Whither truth be stronger when it is receaued by fayth then being naturally grafted in vs. these truthes continue still in the myndes of men But which is muche to be lamented they are withholden in vnrighteousnes Peraduenture thou wilte aske how it commeth that the truth which we haue by faythe is of more strengthe to burst forth into acte then is the truth which is naturally attayned vnto Vndoutedly this commeth not therof for that one truthe beyng taken by it selfe and set aparte is stronger then an other For eyther truth hath one and the selfe same The diuersity is not in the truth but in the meane whereby it is taken hold of nature but the difference commeth of the meane and instrument whereby it is receiued The strengthes of nature are corrupt weake and vitiate throughe sin And therfore the truth which they take hold of is of no gret force But faith hath ioyned with it the inspiration of God and the power of the holy ghost And therfore it doth with great force take holde of the truth Wherfore the diuersitie is not in the truth it selfe but in the meane and instrument whereby weembrace it This is the cause why there we are changed but here we remayne the selfe same men which we were before Of which thyng we haue a manifest testimony in the Gospell Christ did set forth vnto the yong man what he should do to obteyne saluation which when he had heard yet was he not moued to geue place but went away with heauines He trusted vnto naturall strengthes and therfore he demaunded of the Lord what he mightes to attayne vnto eternall Example of diuers apprehensions of the truth lyfe But contrariwise Mathew as soone as euer he heard his vocation did with so great fayth take hold of it that forsakyng money and hys office he streyghte way followed Christ And Zachens who otherwyse was
not to be accused of blame or iniquity because he suffreth many to sinne before hys face whome he could holde backe and helpe with his grace that they should not fall vnder thys pretence because we should iustly be accâ—sed if we shuld permit any such thing We may not thinke that these thinges are repugnaunte the one to the other Namely that we are iustly accused and that we vtterly wante all excuse if we sinne and yet notwithstandyng can not abstayne from sinne neyther can we as we ought obey the commaundements of God vnles we be holpen by grace And lastly that it is God which worketh all in all Forasmuch as in him we lyue and are moued and haue our beyng And he beareth vp all thynges wyth the worde of hys power These thinges ought we to beleue for that they are Oracles of the holy scriptures Wherfore if by our reason they seme not to agree together yet must we be content for we can not perse the secretes of God neither hath God any nede of our excuses Which excuses yet if a man would narowly examine he shal fynd the they do not in any thyng satisfy our iudgement If there be a maister of a householde which hath seruantes in hys house which continually commit most greuous sinnes and would make hys excuse and say that he driueth them not therunto neither prouokee them to do naughtely but onely suffreth them wincketh at them and permitteth them what an excuse I pray you should this be Neyther is free will by thys thinge in daunger so far forth as we must graunt the free will is For we ought not to beleue the god doth so deliuer men that he compelleth them or dryueth theÌ„ agaynst theyr will They willingly gladly and of theyr owne accord serue their owne lustes The similitudes which Chrisostome bringeth are verye weake For howe can a Captayne which forsaketh hys host not be counted the cause of theyr destruction And although when the house toppe falleth the wayght thereof draweth it vnto the earth yet how shall not he which remoued the beame or piller whiche stayed it vp be sayd to be the cause of the fall therof So that whether soeuer they turne themselues when they say that God forsaketh and withdraweth his helpe they must nedes be compelled to say that God after a sort willeth sinne And the father which disinheriteth hys sonne when he can not amend hym what comparison hath he with GOD whiche can if he wyll amende men Wherefore we see not why we should be iustly perswaded by these reasons to interprete these wordes To deliuer to harden to blinden by these wordes To suffer to permit and to forsake But as touchyng this matter let vs briefely examine Augustines opinion Augustine de praedestinatione gratia Augustine de gratia libero arbitrio whether God be sayd to deliuer the vngodly vnto their lustes onely in forsakyng them or also after some maner forcyng them He semeth in this matter to be diuersly mynded For in hys booke of predestination and grace the 4. chap. he hath this interpretation of suffryng permittyng And he addeth that to harden is nothing els then the he wil not make soft To blinden is nothyng els then the he wil not illuminate to put backe is nothing els then yâ— he wil not call But in his boke of grace frée wil the 21. chap. he writeth manifestly inough as I thinke That God worketh in the hartes of men to incline their willes whether so euer it pleaseth hym eyther to good thynges according to hys mercy or ells to euill thinges according to theyr desertes and that by his iudgement being sometimes open and sometimes hidden but alwayes iuste These wordes declare that our willes are sometimes styrred vppe of God not onely in forsaking or permitting vs but also by some inclination to euill thynges Julianus Pelagianus also as the same Augustine agaynst him Augustine agaynst Iulianus in hys 5. booke and 3. chap. sayth reproueth Augustine because he had read that the same Augustine affirmed that God is wonte to punishe sinnes by sinnes And he sayth If the matter were thus then ought we to prayse and commende concupiscense and sinnes as good thynges which thou affirmest to bee inflicted vpon vs as punishmentes But there agaynst hym are brought forth many notable places of that Scripture by which is proued that God bryngeth in sinnes as punishmentes Many notable places of the scripture and paynes deserued We can not denie but that the deuill in tempting poureth in to vs wicked cogitations and that he receaueth power of God so to do God styred vp Dauid to number the people as it is written in the 2. booke of Samuell the 24. chapter But in the booke of Chronicles Sathan is sayd to haue moued Dauid vnto it And it skilleth not whether God dyd it by hym selfe or by the deuill for it is all one In the 1. booke of Kinges God would haue Achab the king deceaued by a lying spirite that hee shoulde geue credite vnto false Prophetes which without doubt was sinne And in Esaie the 63. chap. it is written Wherfore haste thou made vs to erre and haste hardened our hartes that we should not feare thee And in the 11. chap. of Iosua God hardened the hartes of the vnbeleuing Gentiles And in that Roboam harkened not vnto the elders which gaue him good admonition that was therefore because the conuersion was of the Lorde to performe hys worde which hee spake of hym by the hand of the Prophet And in the 2. Paralip the 25. chapter Amasias king of Iudah harkened not vnto Ioas king of Israell because God had so wrought in hym to deliuer hym into hys handes And in Ezechiell the 14. chap If a Prophet bee deceaued I haue deceaued hym Also in the Lordes prayer we praye Lead vs not into temptation These thynges in a maner alleageth Augustine wherby appeareth that God deliuereth the wicked vnto theyr owne lustes not onely by permission but also by a certayne incitation But agaynst these sentences Iulianus séemed to obiecte thrée thinges Fyrst that lustes Thre obiections of Iulianus are as I sayd at the beginning to be praysed for that they are said to be punishmentes inflicted of God Further as touching thys place it is manifest inough sayd he what Paules meaning is For in that he sayth that they were deliuered vp vnto their lustes it appeareth that they were before infected with them and that they had them before within them selues and that God to deliuer vp is nothyng ells then to permitte Thyrdly he sayth that God is sayd to deliuer rather by a certayne pacience or suffering then by power God in déede suffreth these thinges to bée done but he doth not by hys power and myght driue them to doe them To these thynges Augustine in the same chapter maketh aunswere and sayth that it is a very weake argument that sinnes should therefore be prayse
accordinge to theyr woorkes and deedes In deede the mercy of God is now large but yet in such sort that the seueritie of iustice is not wantinge Moses although he had heard manye proprieties of God whiche serued to expresse his goodnes and clemency that is that he is mercifull gentle slow vnto anger riche in mercy and truth whiche reserueth goodnes or mercye for a thousande generacions yet at the end added that God wil not pronounce the wicked man an innocent that he visiteth the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generacion But because they whiche attribute ouermuche vnto woorkes and trust that by them to obteyne eternall life are wont very often to alledge thys place I haue thought it good briefely to declare what is to be thoughte concerning Of works workes But we shal afterward more at large set foorth and declare this thing when we shall haue occasion to entreat of iustification And those things whiche shall now be briefely spoken we will afterward more largely discourse by partes seuerally First this is to be knowen that we deny not that whych is Betwene our good workes eternall felicitye there is no iust proportion There are no good woorkes without fayth Those thinges which are promised vnto works we obteyne by fayth The causes of our saluation Why God attributeth honor vnto woorkes The words of the last iudgement are diligently examined here written that vnto euery man shal be rendred accordinge to hys woorkes But there is not so muche good in good woorkes as eternall felicitie is good Yea ther is betwene these a greater difference then betwene heauē and earth Moreouer there are no woorkes to be counted good which lene not vnto faith and haue not it for the roote from whence they should spring foorth Therfore that which seemeth to be promised vnto workes the same in very deede we obtaine by fayth which is garnished with those workes And because fayth taketh hold of the mercy of God and promises in Christ therfore throughe mercy and Christ whiche are the obiectes of faith shall we be made blessed These are the true and chiefest causes of eternall life the clemency I say of God election predestinacion and the merites of Christe But God in the holye scriptures oftentimes addeth woorkes thereby to stirre vs vp beinge otherwise sluggishe and slouthfull to lyue vprightly And he adorneth woorkes with this kinde of honor that he promiseth vnto them excellent rewardes Whiche thing if we will more narrowly consider let vs wyth diligence weigh what the most high iudge shal in the last iudgemente saye For he will make examination of good workes will say that he was fed with meate and drinke and visited c. But after thys commendation of woorkes when he iudgeth vnto the sayntes the kingdome and eternall life he expresseth the principallest cause that maketh vs happy blessed For he sayth Come ye blessed of my Father and possesse the kingdome whiche was prepared for you before the beginning of the worlde These he pronounceth to be the causes of our blessednes namely that we are deare vnto God and haue geuen vnto vs the blessinge of predestination and election And therfore sayth he that the kyngdome was prepared for vs from the beginninge of the worlde Woorkes in deede are to be had but not as causes Therefore Christ admonished Works are not the causes of our felicity A place of Luke How we are called vnprofitable seruāts vs saying When ye haue done all these thinges say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done but those thinges which we ought to do Neither passe wee any thynge vpon theyr caueling which say that therfore we are vnprofitable seruantes because out good woorkes do bringe no commoditie vnto God Forasmuche as God needeth none of our good workes But say they it ought not to be denied but that we are by good workes profitable vnto our selues We graunt indede that it is profitable vnto vs that we liue well But that vtility is not to be attributed vnto our workes that they should be causes of our blessednes to come For we haue nothing in vs whereby we can make God obstricte and bounde vnto vs. For whatsoeuer we do the same do we wholy owe vnto God and a We cannot by workes binde God vnto vs. great deale more then we are able to performe Wherefore as Christ admonisheth The Lord geueth not thankes vnto his seruant when he hath done his duety And if the seruaunt by well doing cannot binde his Lord to geue him thankes how shall he binde him to render vnto him great rewardes Therefore the name of The name of merits ought to be abolished merite if we will speake properlye oughte vtterlye to be banished out of our mouthes I know that the Fathers sometimes vsed that word but yet not properly But that woord is not found at al in the holy scriptures For the nature of merite is that there be a iust proportion and equall consideration betweene The nature of merite that which is geuen and that which is taken But betwene the good thinges which we looke for and those thinges which we eyther suffer or do there is no proportion or agreemente For Paule sayth That the passions of thys time are not woorthy the glory to come whiche shal be reueled in vs. Farther merite hath ioyned vnto it debt whych thynge Paule testifyeth when he sayth That vnto hym whych woorketh rewarde is rendred accordinge to debte and is not imputed accordyng to grace Which selfe same Paul yet writeth expressedly that the grace of God is eternall life Lastlye vnto the nature of merite there is required that that whiche is geuen pertayne vnto the geuer and be not due vnto hym whyche receaueth it But woorkes are not of our selues for they are called the giftes of God whiche he woorketh in vs. Wherefore Augustine very wisely sayth That God doth crowne his giftes in vs. Now if our woorkes be due vnto him whiche thinge we cannot deny then vndoubtedly the nature of merite is vtterly taken awaye Eternall life is sometimes in the holy scriptures called a reward But then is it not that How eternall lyfe is sometymes called a reward How blessednes followeth good woorkes reward which Paule writeth to be geuen according to debte but is all one as if it shoulde be called a recompensation Gods will and pleasure was that there shoulde be this connexion that after good woorkes shoulde follow blessednes but yet not as the effecte followeth the cause but as a thinge ioyned with them by the appointmente of God Therefore we may not truste vnto woorkes for they are feeble and weake and do alwayes wauer and stagger Wherfore the promises of God depende not of them neither haue they in themselues as they come from vs that they can moue God to make vs blessed We say therefore that God iudgeth according to woorkes because accordinge as they are eyther
iudgement they either aggrauate or extenuate the person then of necessity there must be a respect had vnto the person Because accordyng to the saying of the Gospell That seruaunt shall be more greuously punished whiche knoweth the wyll of his Lord and transgresseth it then he which sinneth ignorauntly Wherfore there remaineth that this place of the Apostle be vnderstanded of such persons as are seioyned from causes Farther there is to be put great difference Persons free from causes Besides iudgemente somethinge may be geuen vnto one man freely and an other of the same state and condition omitted betwene to accept a person in iudgemeÌ„t besides iudgement to geue vnto som one man any thing freely and not geuing to an other For this latter parte no man can iustlye accuse As if a man hauyng two debters shoulde requyre his debte of the one and forgeue the other he of whome the debte is required hath no cause iustly to complaine of his creditour So likewise God althoughe he cal one and calleth not an other because no merites went before in neyther of them cannot be called an accepter of persons Neither if in rewarding those which labored but one houre in the vineyard he would geue as great a reward vnto those and to them which had labored in it all the whole day ought he to be reproued Because he defrauded not these men of the hire for whiche he agreed with them And vnto the other he would geue freely that whiche they deserue not But then should there be iust cause to complayne if a thing should be geueÌ„ vnto one man and an other vnto whome the selfe same thing is due should be defrauded And after the selfe same manner forasmuch as God is bounde vnto God is bound to no man no man when he destributeth sondry giftes it is lawfull for him to do with his owne what pleaseth him For that in geuinge vnto some freely he defraudeth not them of any thing due whome he omitteth These thinges hath Augustine against the two Epistles of the Pelagians in his seconde booke and. 7. chap vnto Bonifacius where he thus writeth Acception of persons is there rightlye sayde to be where he which iudgeth leauinge the deserte of the cause whereof he iudgeth geeueth iudgemente with the one against the other because he findeth some thinge in the person which is woorthy either of honor or of compassion And straight way he bringeth the similitude of the two debters and the parable of the vineyard whereof we haue alredy spoken and addeth Euen as therfore here is no acception of persons because one is in such manner freely honored that an other is not defrauded of that his due so also wheÌ„ according to the purpose of God one is called and an other is not called vnto him that is called a good gift is frely geueÌ„ of which good gift the calling is the cause vnto him that is not called is rendred euill because all men are guilty for that by one man sinne entred into the world These are Augustines woordes vnto which to the ende we may ouerthrow the argumentes which we haue before recited this is to be added That Those thinges which God geueth vnto men he geueth of hys mercy whatsoeuer good thing God of his liberality geueth vnto menne the same vndoubtedly proceedeth of his mercy and clemencye And althoughe sometimes he pronounceth that he will do good vnto some eyther for theyr progenitors sake or els for theyr prayers these thinges he therfore speaketh to stirre vs vp to liue well Neither are these promises to be vnderstanded of the whole kinred of the posterity or vniuersally For God accordinge to his secret predestination hath his choyce in he seede of the saintes and in hearing of prayers which are made out of other men Which thing may be sufficiently confirmed by examples For althoughe the seede of Abraham were blessed yet that blessing had place in Isaac and not in Ismael The same promise was made vnto Isaac but it was performed in Iacob and not in Esau The common wealth of the Iewes had a promes that it shoulde be preserued but that promes was performed in the kingdome of the house of Dauid and not in the kingdome of the ten tribes Wherfore forasmuch as this choice which is according to predestination is vtterly vnknowne vnto The choyce which consisteth in predâ—stination is both vnknowne vnto vs also leaneth not vnto persons Two kinds of the benefites of God vs we oughte not to lene vnto the person And it commeth to passe perpetually that they which are so chosen of God are also adorned with good works Wherfore God hath not a respect vnto the person but as we haue sayd iudgeth according to the woorkes And how little a respect of persons he sometimes hath the place in the. 14. chap of Ezechiell declareth where it is saide That the earth shal be destroyed forasmuch as it hath bene altogether viciate and corrupte And thoughe there stoode vp in it Noah Iob Daniell vndoubtedly they shall not deliuer it but shall deliuer theyr owne soules onely Farther the benefites of God are eyther but for a time whiche pertaine vnto this life or els they are eternall whiche belong vnto the chief felicity of which Paule now intreateth Who affirmeth that without respecte of persoÌ„s it shal by the iust iudgemeÌ„t of God be either rendred or denied But as touchinge commodities whiche dure but for a time we doubt not but that God vseth sometimes either to hasten or to slacken them at the prayers of holy men which selfe thinge he attributeth also vnto the seede of the saints But in this doing he eyther prouoketh men to repentaunce or els by his lenitye they bringe vnto theÌ„selues greater punishment But as touching the eternal chief felicitie we haue now declared yâ— God hath made no promise generally for the sauing of any posteritie Therefore the Iewes deserued woorthely to be reproued for that they promised vnto themselues onely so greate a thinge as thoughe for that they were of the seede of Abraham they coulde not perishe paule in thys There is no generall promes for the sauinge of any posterity as touching eternall life selfe same Epistle the. 9. chap most manifestly declareth That not all they whyche are of Israell are Israelites neyther because they were the sede of Abraham therfore they were straight way all sons But by Isaac sayth he shall thy seede be called That is Not they whiche are the children of the fleshe are the children of God but the children of the promes are counted for the seede This sentence of the Apostle testefieth that whiche we haue sayd namely that the promises of God in this kinde were singuler and not vniuersal And it is for certaine that in those which are chosen to saluacion are vndoubtedly found good workes if they come vnto ful age Wherfore these The elect if they come to full age shall vndoubtedly
reason of inconstancy he doth not alwayes abyde still in one and the selfe same purpose partly because he performeth not those thinges which he promiseth and partly because he oftentymes bringeth forth a lye and that ether of infirmity whilest he is not able to attayne vnto the truth or els of an euill purpose to vse deceite This sentence is read in the 116. Psalme In my hast A place of Dauid out of the 116. Psalme I sayd euery man it a lyar And certayne interpreters of the Hebrues affirme that Dauid had then a respect vnto Samuell For when he was on euery side enclosed in by the host of Saule was in a maner past all hope to escape such cogitacions were offred vnto him through the infirmity of the fleshe as though the Prophet had made a lye touching those thinges which he had promised him concerning the kingdome Or els he mought speake these thinges against himselfe for that when according to mans reason he had cast awaye all hope of escaping and thought himselfe to be in a maner forsaken of God as soone as he came agayne into the right way he brake into this sentence Euery man is a lyer because he also had deceaued himselfe touching the goodnes of God And by the antithesis or contrary position it is playne that a liar here signifieth an vnconstant person For before he sayde Let God be true Wherefore we maye conclude The word of God and the sacramentes depend not of our fayth that the dignity of the scripture or of the sacramentes dependeth not of our fayth or misbeliefe For whether we beleue God or mistrust him they are to be estéemed according to their dignitie because they depend of the institution of God who is most true neither is hys truth chaunged through our defaultes as Dauid writeth That thou mightest be iustified in thy wordes and ouercome when thou arte iudged Thus the 70. interpâ—eters haue turned it whom Paule now followeth when as in the Hebrewe it is thus written Lemaan titsdek be dhob recha tizkeh beschoatecha And that which the 70. haue turned That thou mightest be iustified may accordyng to the Hebrewe be Therfore shalt thou be iustified And where as it is written agaynst thee onely haue I sinned Rabbi Dauid Chimchi expoundeth it thus I haue priuilie and in secret transgressed and therefore agaynst thée onely But thou art iustified and in iudgement ouercommest which hast by Nathan the Prophet shewed the thou knowest these thinges But thys exposition fitteth not very well with the wordes of Paule Wherfore we omitte it Others interprete it Although Dauid sinned agaynst Vrias and agaynst Bersabe and agaynst the hoste of Israell yet these were not sinnes but in respecte that they were prohibited by God in the lawe For there hence dependeth the iuste consideration of sinne But it is better to say that Dauid was so much gréeued because he sawe that God by reason of hys sinne was blasphemed and had in derision which bare fauour vnto such a kyng who to satisfie hys owne filthye luste permitted hys enemyes to haue the vpperhand These things I say so much vexed hym that in that feruencie of minde he had a regarde vnto these thynges onely And therfore by the figure Hyperbole he sayth Against thee onely haue I sinned As we when we are oppressed with many troubles at one tyme are accustomed to say of the chiefest and greatest trouble which afflicteth vs most Thys one thyng greueth me very much But afterward he comforteth hym selfe hauing conceaued a firme hope and sayth That thou mightest be iustified in thy wordes as if he shoulde say Vndoubtedly I haue greuouslye sinned but such is thy goodnes that hereby I sée it to bee more poured out so that alwaies when thou contendest in iudgement thou wilt in the cause haue the vpperhand Neyther is it to be thought that Dauid when he sinned had thys consideration in hys minde to illustrate the goodnes of God For there he sought onely to satisfie hys owne desire and luste Wherefore thys particle That hath Good haps are not to be ascribed vnto sinnes but vnto the mercy of God a respecte not vnto Dauid but vnto God by whose benefite it commeth to passe that of that which is euill shoulde come some good vnto them which loue hym Forasmuch as vnto them all thynges turne to good Wherfore the good things which followe after sinnes coÌ„mitted are to be ascribed not vnto our sinnes but to the mercy of God Neyther let vs maruaile that God is iudged as Paul saith For oftentymes it happeneth that men when they thinke them selues to be euill God is iudged of men handled of hym they reason concerning hys iudgementes and although not in wordes yet in thoughtes they striue agaynst hym But then if they shoulde call to memorye how many how greuous sinnes they haue committed they should alwayes pâ—rceaue that God is in hys cause iustified and ouercommeth Thys worde wordes which in Hebrewe is bedhobrecha may signifie iudiciall actions and in that sense haue I interpreted it Although other take that worde for the wordes of the promises and especially touchyng Christ For Dauid when he considered that he had greuouslye fallen desired God to make him cleane and that he woulde not by reason of the wicked acte which he had committed cease to accomplishe the promise which was that of hys séede shoulde Christ be borne Which interpretation Ambrose hath But besides the expositions now alleaged of these wordes there are two other expositions also Of which the one is thys For that Dauid was a kyng and was the chiefest in authoritie amongest the people of God he had no iudges ouer hym whose tribunall seate or iudgement or sentence he shoulde néede to be afrayde of But he saw that onely the wrath of God dyd hange ouer hys head Therefore he sayd Vnto thee onely am I giltie although men can not punishe me The other exposition is Vrias Bersabe and part of the hoste haue bene ill delte withall through my meanes but they vndoubtedly as they were men had sinnes for which they deserued those thynges which they suffred yea and thynges farre more greuous then them But thou O God hast nothing in thée for which I ought so to offend thée whom thou hast adorned with so many great benefites and exalted to so high a dignitie There were some also which thought that thys addition That thou myghtest be iustified in thy sayinges is to be referred vnto that which went before Haue mercy vppon me O God Washe me and clense me that being receaued into grace I may obtayne those thynges which thou hast promised me and so thou mayest be iustified and ouercome euen by the iudgement of men Here we sée that thys worde Of the woord iustifieng It is the part of perfect men when they are afflicted to acknowledge God to be good iustifying signifieth not to obtayne any newe righteousnes which thyng we can not
ascribe vnto God but to be counted or pronounced iuste For euery man doth not when he is afflicted acknowledge God to be good Of that minde was Daniell when he sayd Vnto thee belongeth righteousnes but vnto vs confusion of face God suffred Peter the Apostle Dauid the kyng and Moses to sinne that calling them backe agayne vnto hym and geuing vnto them the thynges which hee had promised them he might the more declare hys goodnes But because some men myght thinke that by those wordes may be gathered that men which professe pietie although they liue wickedly yet shall notwithstanding obtayne the promises of God if thys be generally true that our incredulitie or noughtines are no hinderaunce vnto the promises of God we must therfore make a distinction A distinction of the promise of God betwene the promises of God For there are some onely touching outward thynges and tend onely to temporall good thinges as that their publicke wealth should be preserued that the kingdome shoulde continue in the stocke of Dauid and that Christ should take fleshe of hys séede The sinnes and vnbeliefe of meÌ„ could nothyng hinder the bringing to passe of these thynges In déede in yâ— meane tyme came captiuities and afflictions howbeit at the length the promise of God as touchyng all these thynges tooke place There is an other kinde of promises touching those thinges which pertayne vnto our saluation And vnto these in déede the vngodly do not attayne And yet can we not therefore inferre that by our wicked doinges the promises of God are frustrated For they pertayne not generally vnto all men but onely vnto those which be called by the predestination Vnto whome pertaine the promises of God of God according to election as it is writteÌ„ in this Epistle the 9. chap. where it is sayd Not as though the worde of God hath fallen awaye And straight way is added Are the children of the fleshe the children of God And aunswere is made They which are the children of promise are counted for the seede Wherfore they vnto whome the promises pertayne if they haue fallen shal be called backe agayne to repentance And so theyr synnes which they haue before committed shall not make voyd the promises of God Indede as touching theÌ„ they deserued to haue them made frustrate For they hauing once broken couenaunt it wer conuenient that God toward them should not stande to his promises accordinge to this common sentence Qui fraugit fidem fides fraugitur eidem That is He whiche breaketh promise let promise againe be broken vnto hym But God so dealeth not to the end his goodnes might be the better declared And those things which Vnto vs also pertayne those thinges which Paule now teacheth Paule now speaketh of the Iewes pertaine vnto vs also For most excellent are these benefites of God towardes vs namely that the Gospell is committed vnto vs that we haue baptisme the holy Eucharist and such other like which thinges vndoubtedly the Turkes and infidels haue not But a man might obiect what do these thinges profite when as in the meane tyme very many are a great deale the worse and the most part abuse them We aunswer with Paule that by this is the goodnes of God to be gathered that he will suffer many noughty men and hipocrites for a few good mens sakes whiche vse these giftes well and will rather very long beare with many wicked men then that his church should come to rume Thou wilt say peraduenture then he willeth their sinnes if he suffer them We ought not after the example of God to suffer sins when we may amend them What els after a certaine maner he willeth them Otherwise he would not suffer them vnles he willed them for God suffereth nothyng against his will But hereby canst thou not gather any excuse for meÌ„ or yâ— we also must alwayes beare with sinnes For God hath no law prescribed vnto him Therfore when he of hys goodnes doth whatsoeuer thinges he will he is not to be accused But vnto vs is a law geuen wherin we are commaunded to admonish our neighbor whom we sée to offend and that not once or alone but twise and the third tyme to take witnesses with vs so that if at the length he will not heare vs let him be brought before the congregation which if he also neglect let him be counted for a Publicane and an Ethenike These thinges are prescribed vnto vs and therfore ought to be done of vs so that the sinnes be manifest and that it may be done without a schisme Otherwyse if by plucking vp the tares shoulde also be rooted vp the wheat it must be differred vntill the end as Augustines iudgement is But in the meane time some wicked men vse to say I woulde to God we had neuer had either the woord of God or Baptisme or the Eucharist For forasmuche as these thinges profite vs not they are to our greater and more bitter iudgemente But these mâ—nne ought to consider that this euell commeth not of God but of themselues Those thinges whiche are geuen by God are good let them ascribe vnto themselues whatsoeuer euell commeth of them and let them knowe that those thinges are alwayes profitable vnto some although very oftentimes to the greater parte they serue vnto condemnation Wherefore a good pastor ought not to Pastors although theâ—se that they profite not much yet ought they not to forsake theyr ministery An example of the Prophets forsake his ministery to cease of either from preachyng or from ministryng the sacraments vnder this pretence because he séeth his labour to profite but a litle yea rather that men become a great deale worse Forasmuch as the truth of thys place abideth vnshaken namely that these thinges haue great profite Neither is there any cause why he should feare that he is not sent of God so that his calling be as touchyng other circumstances iust and lawfull For the Prophets without doubt were sent by the Lord when the captiuity of Babilon was at hand And when of theyr sermons they had none or at the leâ—t very litle fruit their words as touchyng the greater parte were both to iudgement condemnation yet ceased they not from the charge committed vnto them The Lord hath assigned one When it is lauful to depart from the ministery cause onely for which it is lawfull for the ministers of the worde to holde theyr peace namely when men wil no more geue eare and openly deride and mocke at those thynges which are spoken Then vndoubtedly must they shake of the dust of theyr féete and go theyr wayes But so long as they wyl abyde to heare al though they striue agaynst it yet are they to be borne wyth all Neyther doth the worde of God by and by bryng forth hys fruites as the féede cast into yâ— grounde doth not streight way spring vp And there are many tymes some which wheÌ„ they The
conclusions Paule preached those thinges which we now read and had oftentimes incultated that grace is ther aboundant where sinne hath abounded and taught that the law therfore entred in that sinne shoulde be increased Of these thinges the vngodly sayd it followeth that men should sinne freely because to the attaynemente of grace and the promises of God we haue neede of synnes All menne All men are greeued when they heare that they are euill spoken of and especially ministers doubtles are sory when they heare theyr name or fame to be euell spoken of For they vnderstande that the prayse of a good name and of a good fame is an excellente good gifte of God But aboue other the pastors and ministers of the word of God are most greeuously troubled with this kind of discommodity Because they rightwell perceaue that theyr infamye and especially as touchinge doctrine redoundeth not onely against the truth of God but also bringeth no small hurt vnto the people committed vnto theyr charge Therfore the Apostles did euermore put away suche slaunders from themselues And that the fathers also did the like theyr writinges do testefye But Paule in thys place doth not playnely absolue that which he obiected vnto himselfe but afterward in the 6. chapter the matter shal be more at large discussed Onely at this presente he depelleth from his doctrine false slaunders And those things the vngodly are therfore wont to obiect because when they are accused they are alwayes ready to lay vpon God the cause and blame of theyr sinnes not in deede manifestly but by circumstances Some whē they are accused say that they are driuen by the starres to commit those things which they do But who made the stars God Why then God is accused So came it to passe in our fyrste parente when God reproued hym The woman sayde he whiche thou gauest me she hath deceaued me The wicked de lay vnto God the cause of theyr sins And by these woordes he wrested the cause of his sinne vnto God After the selfe same manner do these men deale whome Paule now speaketh of We sinne say they but the doctrine of the Apostle hath declared vnto vs that our sinnes are no let vnto the glory of God but rather pertayne vnto the settinge foorth of his truth fayth and constancy of promises And what other thinge els is this then to accuse the word of God As touching the first obiection Paule sayth Is God vnrighteous vvhich bringeth in anger As though he shoulde haue sayd that which ye fayne vnto your selues that synnes are vniustlye punished if by their occasion the goodnes of God be set foorth is absurde For then God should iudge vniustlye But no good vpryght reason can once imagine that he which is iudge of all men should be vniust Therfore he addeth I speake as a man That is these thinges I spake not that I thinke so in very déede but I speake those thinges which men both oftentymes thinke and do also not very seldome obiect vnto vs. But as touching the wordes it shal be good to note that whereas it is sayde If our vnrighteousnes commende the righteousnes of God by the righteousnes of God is vnderstanded his goodnes and mercy For that word which is in the Hebrue Tsedek our men haue turned iustice or righteousnes when as in very deede it signifieth mercy He also vseth thys word the truth of God which signifieth nothing els then his fayth or fidelity For before he sayde Shall our vnbeliefe make the fayth of God without effect Fayth in that place and truth in this place is nothing els then a constancy in promises and couenantes And when we reade I speake as a man we are taught what maner of thinges those are which we thinke vpon so long as we are not regenerate but are strangers from God Origen in this place followeth an other reading For he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this particle he ioyneth with those things which went before so that thereof this sentence he gathereth Is God vniust which bringeth in anger agaynst man God forbid But the common reading is both playne and also serueth well to the purpose The maner which the Apostle vseth in aunswering when he sayth God forbid teacheth vs how redy God forbid what it signifieth with the Apostle we ought to be to repell from our thoughtes and cogitations whatsoeuer absurd thing reasō inferreth out of the scriptures against God We ought straight way to answere These thinges are after the maner of men and therefore are they not to be harkened vnto It oftentymes happeneth that our sense thinketh that God is cruell and forgetfull of his an accepter of persons and such lyke But then must we call to memory that the doinges of God are not to be measured The doings of God are not to be measured by the law of man according to the law of man for he is aboue all lawes neyther ought to be iudged of any other This thinges haue the flatterers attributed vnto the bishop of Rome bearing him in hand that he hath the fulnes of power whereby he can dispence both with the lawes of man and also with the lawes of God so that he himselfe can be iudged of no man Which fulnes of power one Baldus a lawyer not the worst of his time writeth to be the fulnes of time as which inuerteth and turneth vpside downe all rightes and lawes These thinges are agréeable vnto God only Wherefore it is blasphemy to attribute them vnto any man Only touching thinges of God it is wickednes to search out the causes and reasons but whatsoeuer Philosophers or any other kinde of men do set forth vnto vs it must be exactly examined by the word of God And as we are blamed and as some affirme that we say why do we not euill thinges that good may ensue whose damnation is iust Now withstandeth he the other obiection wherein the aduersaryes sayde that we shoulde sinne that thereof myght follow some excellent good thing namely the iustification of God and commendation of his mercy Whereunto with one words he answereth this when he sayth that the damnation of these men is iust For by that meanes he confesseth that that so greuous an error is farre strange frō his doctrine when as he cōdemneth it together with thē although some expound it in the passiue signification as though the condemnation whereby they are condemned were for that they had so euill an opinion of the Gospell Their obiections are answered when they are brought to these absurdities which coulde Sinnes are not the true cause that God should be made iuste Against good ententes not be concluded of these thinges which are spoken of Paule but of the false surmising of these men whereby they thought that sinnes were the true cause that God should be made iust For the Apostle also sayth together with them that euil things are not to be committed that good should come
the vncircumcision For we say that fayth was imputed vnto Abraham vnto righteousnes How was it then imputed when he was Circumcised or vncircumcised not when he was circumcised but wheÌ„ he was vncircumcised Afterward he receiued the signe of circumcision the seale of the righteousnes of fayth which he had when he was vncircumcised that he should be the father of all them that beleue not beyng circumcised that righteousnes mighte be imputed vnto them also And the father of circumcision not vnto them onely which are of the circumcision but to them also that walke in the steppes of the fayth of our father Abraham which he had when he was vncircumcised Came this blessednes then vpon the Circumcision or vpon the vncircumcision The Latine interpretation hath this worde Manet that is abideth added to this sentence which is not in the Greke bookes Neither doth yâ— verbe which the Latines haue much agrée with the phrase which is by the accusatiue case and by the Greke preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rather as Theophilactus admonisheth we must vnderstand this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth lighteth it or beloÌ„geth it or some such lyke thinge Neither do I disalow the coniecture of Erasmus who thinketh that insteade of this verbe Manet was first written Manat whiche signifieth to come or to spread abrode And thus muche as touching the woordes But this is the meanyng A man might thinke that although Dauid made no mention of workes when he set forth the blessednes of those whose sinnes are forgeuen yet because he himselfe was both circumcised also vsed sacrifices he thoughte that this forgeuenes of sinnes is obteined by these things although he expressed them not And for that cause Paul taketh againe the example of Abraham which he at the first vsed And so returneth Why Paul returneth againe to Abraham to the ground and beginning of circumcision and considereth the very time wherin Abraham receiued it and proueth that long time before he was circumcised he was both iustified and also pronounced the father of many nations that is of all them which beleue Wherof it followeth that we without ceremonies and other workes shall by faith be counted iust and be admitted into the people of God and placed among the meÌ„bers of Christ This argument may thus be made more The forme of the Argument The order of the causes and the effectes in the iustificaâ—ion of Abraham Of what greate waight is the diligent marking of the scriptures Circumcision was had in greate estimation euident That which yet was not coulde not bring righteousnes vnto Abraham But when Abraham was pronounced iustified circumcision was not yet Wherefore it could not iustifie Abraham Let vs in this maner set the order betwene the causes and the effectes First God did set forth vnto Abraham his promises Secondly followed faith And thirdly iustification Lastly came obedience which caused him to circumcise himselfe and to do many other excellent good workes We may not peruert this order that by obedience and circumcision whiche are the last effects we should bring forth iustification which went before Againe in thys place yâ— Apostle teacheth vs with how great study and diligence the Scriptures are to be red and the times and moments in stories are throughly to be considered He entreateth of circumcision bicause all that controuersie sprang first by reason of ceremonies and bicause also they had circumcision in no lesse estimation theÌ„ we now haue baptisme For they counted it for a noble worke and an excellent worship pyng of God Wherfore we may inferre or conclude that if we be not iustified with that kind of workes wherin consisted the worshipping of God vndoubtedly much lesse shall we be iustified by other workes For these are counted more excellent more acceptable vnto God then are other workes For we say that faith was imputed vnto Abraham vnto righteousnes These wordes serue wonderfully to depresse the pride and hautines of the Iewes which continually cried that righteousnes could by no meanes stand without circumcision But Paul contrariwise affirmeth that it was in Abraham before he was circumcised For Abraham was as yet vncircumcised when he was pronounced iustified Wherfore it is no meruaile if many mo of the vncircumcised then of the Iewes were saued after the comming of Christ Here it semeth that there are set before our eyes two fathers the one of the vncircumcised the other of circumcision And if we more depely consider the matter we shall see that the father of the vncircumcised is set in the first place For Abraham was not yet circumcised when he was of God counted iust What theÌ„ is there remayning for the Iewes that they should so aduance themselues aboue the GeÌ„tles Nothing vndoubtedly but the signe And eueÌ„ as Abraham is not the father of the vncircumcised for yâ— cause only bicause they haue vncircumcision but bicause of faith so also is he not the father of the circumcised bicause they are circumcised but bicause they beleue By these things it is manifest Circumcision and vncircumcisioÌ„ are conditions comming by chaunce that both circumcisioÌ„ also vncircumcision are conditions coÌ„ming by chance and of theÌ„selues helpe nothing to the obteinment of iustification Very aptly doth the Apostle bring in these two men Dauid and Abraham Of which the one that is Dauid being now circumcised bare testimony of iustification And Abraham being not yet circumcised obteined neuertheles iustification Wherfore it sufficiently appeareth that Circumcision is not a meane necessarily required to obtain righteousnes And he receaued the signe of circumcision He receaued I say circumcision which was a signe The seale of the righteousnes of fayth This is a preuention for they which heard these thinges mought thus haue thought with themselues If Abraham were iustified before circumcision then was circumcisioÌ„ superfluous vnto this obiection Paule answereth saying that circumcision was not vayne or vnprofitable for it was the seale of the righteousnes of fayth In this sentence Paule Circumcision was not a thing geuen in vain hath two woordes namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a signe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a seale which woordes althoughe they be of very nighe affinitie the one to the other yet ar they not both of one the selfe same significatioÌ„ For this woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sign is more general then his word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yâ— is a seale An image is a signe but it can not be a seale But we vse to put seales vnto such things as we wyll haue with greate fidelity kept and remayne vnuiolated And therefore are letters sealed letters patentes of princes are confirmed with seales yâ— no man should doubt of the authority or truth of theÌ„ So God deliuereth vnto vs sacramentes Sacramentes are not onely signes but sealinges What circumcision signifyed what it sealed as seales of his promises Wherfore circumcision signified two
of the law when as otherwise we our selues can not perticularly render a reason of these ceremonies The Apostles haue only generally made them playn vnto vs. And though there haue benne some amongst vs as Origen and a greate many other like which haue attēpted to frame for euery perticular ceremony a proper alegory yet haue they in a manner but lost theyr labour For theyr inuentions could We must not geue our selues to much to Allegories Error of the scholemen bring no profite at all vnto vs. For they most plainely want the woord of God Nether is it to be meruayled at that they so muche delighted in such inuentiōs For euen as euery where our owne deuises woonderfully please vs so in this matter the curiosity of man excedingly delighted it selfe Now those things which we haue spoken most playnly declare how farre the schole men haue missed of the marke which haue betwen the old sacrementes and the new put this difference that the old sacramentes only signified grace and Christ but ours largly and aboundantly exhibite both For the elders say they were holpen by the woorke of the worker For when any man came with fayth and a godly Of the worke working◠and the worke wrought motion of the hart and of the minde vnto those holy seruices he had therby merite But the woorke wrought as they call it nothing profited them as touching saluation But in our sacraments they say it is farre otherwise that not only fayth and the spirituall motion of the minde which they call the woorke of the worker helpeth vs but also euen the outward sacramente it selfe and the institution of God which they call the worke wrought conferreth vnto vs both remission of sinnes and also saluation But I will demaund of these men what that is which the outward worke and the visible sacrament exhibiteth vnto vs that we do not attayne vnto by fayth if they aunswere that it is Christ as for hym we comprehende by fayth If remission of sinnes that also we obtayne by fayth if reconciliation wherby we returne into fauor which God this also we can not obtayne without fayth if last of all the encrease of grace and of the spirite neither vndoubtedly doo we by anye other meanes obtayne this but by fayth what is there then remaning that this worke wrought bringeth This word is altogether strange nether is it once mēcioned of in the holy scriptures Worke wrought a woorde neuer heard of Nether would I at this time haue vsed it but that I haue to contēd agaynst the aduersaries But paraduenture they will say Forasmuch as besides fayth is also added the outward woorke is there nothinge to be attributed vnto it yes vndoubtedly I attribute much vnto it when it procedeth of fayth For I know that such a worke pleaseth God and that he vseth to recompence many thinges vnto such workes But what maketh that to this present purpose Did not the elders vnto theyr fayth adioyne also those workes wherby they exercised and receaued the sacraments of theyr law Wherfore as touching this part wee see that they had in theyrs as many things which pleased God as we haue in ours vnles paraduenture they wil contend that the exercising and receauing of our sacramentes is ether a better or nobler woorke then was the exercising and receauing of the sacramentes of the elders which thing I will not graunte vnto The receauing of our sacraments is not more excellent or better then the receauinge of the sacraments of the elders Whither the sacramentes conferre grace and remitt◠sinnes thē especially seing y◠the perfectin of the worke is to be cōsidered by faith and charity from whēce it procedeth wherfore if Abraham and Dauid had more faith when they receaued theyr sacramentes then any weake Christian when he is baptised or communicateth who will not iudge but that theyr worke is more notable and more excelēt then the other mans worke And moreouer as for that kinde of speach which these men so often vse namely that sacraments remitte sinnes ar conferre grace we do not easly admite vnles paraduenture in that sēse wherin Paule affirmeth that the Gospell is the power of God to saluatiō as vnto Timothe the reading of the holy scriptures is sayd to make saffe which vndoubtedly is nothing ells but that the might and power of God wherby he remitteth sinnes geueth grace and at the end saueth vseth these instruments and meanes to our saluation And euen as to bring vs to saluatiō he vseth the word of the Gospell and the preaching of the holy scriptures so also adioyneth he ther vnto the sacraments For by ether of them is preached vnto vs the liberall promisse of God which if we take hold of by fayth we shall obtayne both saluatiō and also remission of sinnes This is the true sense vnto which also are the fathers to be applied when they say that grace is the power of the sacramentes Which is all one as if they had sayd vnderstanding and sense is the power of speach and of wordes And how vnaptly the Scholemen speake of theyr stay or Of the stay or let of the scholemen let herby it is manifest for that they say that he putteth not a staye or let which although he haue not the acte ether of louing or of beleuing yet obiecteth nothing that is contrary or opposite vnto grace namely the acte of infidelity or of hatred Thē in such case say they the sacraments of the Gospel conferre grace But this is nothing ells then to attribute vnto creatures the cause of our saluation and to binde our selues to much to signes and elements of this world Thys ought to bee certayne and most assured that no more is to be attributed vnto the sacramentes as touching saluation then vnto the worde of God Wherfore We oughte to attribute no more vnto the sacraments then vnto the woord of God How our sacraments are better then the sacramentes of the elders Sometimes is receaued the sacraments onely sometimes the thinge onelye Grace is not bounde vnto the sacramentes as we put corne into sackes if sometimes we heare as Augustine also saith our sacramentes are better then the sacramentes of the elders this ought so to be vnderstanded that it be refer red vnto perspicuitie For we graunt that our sacraments both speake and preach more plainly of Christ then did the sacraments of the elders Wherfore seing we are more clearely and plainly instructed faith is the more fuller and bringeth vnto vs more grace and spirite And we gladly admit that which the same Augustine saith That sometymes it commeth to passe that the sacrament is receyued wythout the thing For so the wicked and infidels vsinge the sacramentes receiue onelye the outwarde signes and are vtterly voyde of saluation and of grace Sometimes also it contrariwise happeneth that the godly being excluded by any necessitie frō the vse of the sacramentes yet are in no wise defrauded
and largely vseth this worde Sinne namely to signifie whatsoeuer is repugnaunt vnto the law of God and vnto his will For therby man departeth from the institution of nature from that image whereunto he was created For God so created him at the beginning that in him should shine forth his image whiche thing vndoubtedly cannot be when we resist the law of God And this is Why many pleasures are forbidden men the onely and true cause why man is not permitted to delight himselfe wyth all kind of plesures For if he should so he should make himself like vnto brute beasts and not lyke vnto God his creator For God would haue man to be in this worlde hys vickar and therfore to be most like vnto hym And sinne beyng so largely taken comprehendeth not onely Originall sinne that is our depraued nature corrupt strengthes both of the body and of the soule but also all those euils whiche follow of it namely the first motions of the mind to things forbidden also wicked deliberations noughty endeuors and vitious customes Wherefore the Apostle in this one name of sinne comprehendeth both the roote it selfe all the fruites therof Vnder the name of sin the Apostle comprehendeth the roote and frutes thereof The Etymology of this woord sinne What is the rule of our nature Neither must we geue eare vnto them which bable that these thinges are not sinnes For seyng the holy ghost calleth them by this name I sée no cause why but that we also ought so to speake and to cleaue vnto this doctrine Farther also that these first motions of the mynde and corruption of nature are sinnes the very etimology of the word plainly declareth For this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is sinne commeth of this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to erre from the marke set before vs by what means so euer it be And forasmuch as this is the rule of our nature and of all our actions to be in all thinges very like and conformable vnto God vndoutedly seing we are prone vnto those thinges which are forbidden vs by the lawe of God and are euen straight way at the first brunt caried hedlong vnto them we must nedes without all controuersie be sayd to sinne that is to erre from the scope and ende set before vs. Of the lyke signification is also the Hebrew worde for that whiche is in y◠tonge called Chataah that is Synne is deryued of this verbe Chata whiche thou shalte fynde in the booke of the Iudges the xx chapiter vsed in the selfe same sence in whiche I before sayde in the Gréeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken that is to erre from the marke For there it is written of the seuen hundred children of Beniamin that they were so accustomed to throwe stones out of a sling that they would hitte euen a heare and nothing erre from it Farther experience it selfe teacheth how greate these euills are euen in vs that are regenerate For we are by them so letted that we cā not fulfill the law of God How the law is performed of men regenerate and yet are we bound to obserue the same in all poyntes We are commanded also not to lust whiche precept howe muche it is broken of vs by reason of our pronesse to sinnes and fyrst motions to vices euery man hath experience thereof in himselfe and can be a witnes vnto himselfe And if the Fathers They are perfecte whiche vnderstande theyr owne wants seme sometimes to write that the law may be fulfilled of mē regenerate they thē spake of an obediēce begonne of such a fulfilling as hath ioyned with it much imperfection For euen they affirme that those are perfect and doo performe the law of God which vnderstand theyr owne wants so that they daily None no not the most holiest hath all the vertues absolutely say with others Forgeue vs our trespasses and acknowledge with Paul that they haue a greate way farther to go The selfe same fathers also confesse that none can be found no not the most holiest man that euer was that hath all vertues absolutly For as Ierome sayth He which excelleth others in one vertue oftentimes faileth in an other vertue And he citeth Cicero which sayd That there can not easely be found one which is most excellent either in the knowledge of the Law or in the arte of Rethorike but to finde one that hath excelled in both kindes together it was neuer hard of Wherfore the Apostle to the end he would make playne most notably set forth the perfect benefite of God geuen vs by Christ doth not onely touche Originall sinne but also in this one word sinne cōprehēdeth all kindes of vices which springe out of it Now let vs se by which one mā Paul saith that By Adam as by a common roote and Masse entred in sinne into the worlde sinne had suche entrance in the world That man was the first Adam who was as a certaine common masse or lompe wherein was conteyned all mankind which lompe beinge corrupted we can not be brought forth into this world but with corruption and vnclenes And although Eue trāsgressed before the man yet the beginning of sinning is ascribed vnto Adam for that succession is attributed vnto men and not vnto women Howbeit Ambrose by one man vnderstode Eue. The corruption is not ascribed vnto Eue but vnto Adam But forasmuche as this woord one is the masculine gender the signification thereof can not but hardly and with much wresting be applied vnto the womā Others thinke that both as well Adam as Eue are by this commō word Man vnderstand so that this phrase of speach differeth not much frō that which is in the 2. chapter of the booke of Genesis Male and female created be them Nether doo they much regard this adiectiue one for that the scripture testifieth that Adam and Eue were one and the selfe same fleshe The first interpretation is more simple and playner and therefore I the gladlier follow it And we ought to remember that Paul writeth vnto Timothe that although both these first parēts sinned yet was there not in ech one and the selfe same maner of transgression For he sayth that Adam was not deceaued Which selfe thinge also maye be gathered of that Adam was not deceaued which they answered vnto God when he reproued them For the woman whē she was asked why she did it accused the serpent The serpēt said she deceaued me But Adam when he was demaunded the same question sayd not that he was deceaued but answered The woman which thou gauest me deliuered me the aple and I did eate This is not so to be taken as though we should affirme that there was There was errour in Adam whē he transgressed no error in the man when he transgressed For as we are playnly tought in the Ethnikes in euery kinde of sinne alwayes happeneth some error This
ioyned with hym as the body with the head no otherwise then if vnto a man hauing a sore wound should be geueÌ„ such a plaister A similitude or medicine as should not onely heale the wounde but also make the whole body An other simiâ—itude more stronger and much fayrer then it was before Chrisostome addeth an other similitude of a man far indebted which hauing not wherwithal to pay is cast into prison with his wife children all his familie vnto whom commeth some mighty monarch or emperour and dispatcheth not onely the money which he aught to other men but also taketh him out of prison leadeth him vnto his courte exalteth him to dignitie placeth him in a kingdom and heapeth him vp with all maner of riches so hath Christ dealt with vs miserable mortall men Farther he compareth these two thinges together to merite vnto others condemnation and to merite vnto others saluation And he saith that it semeth far more strange from reason It is mere strange sâ—oÌ„ reason to merite vnto an other coÌ„demnation â–ª then saluation to merite vnto an other condemnation then to merite saluation Wherefore the conning handling of Paul is much to be commended which declareth that that is done which semed to be more absurde that we mighte the easelier vnderstande that Christ hath merited vnto vs remission of sinnes For we sée this oftentymes to happen that a man is deliuered out of misery at the request or for fauor of some excellent and noble man Neither is the gift so as is that which entred by one that sinned For the iudgement came of one offence vnto condemnatioÌ„ but the gift is of many offences to iustification Neither is the gift so c. Here teacheth he that whiche was the seconde parte of our deuision namely that herein consisteth that excelleÌ„cy of Christ wherby he farre passed Adam for that he hath not onely abolished one sinne which was brought in by Adam but also hath taken away infinite other sinnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is iudgement signifieth in this place giltines But that which is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of one it is doubtfull whither it ought to be referred vnto the sinne or vnto man But bicause to which of either it be referred it commeth all to one effect it skilleth not much whether way it be expounded Paul vnto iudgement semeth to oppose yâ— gift and vnto condemnation iustification Neither let vs meruail that he so long tarieth in this place and doth with so great diligence handle and as it were polish Why Paul tarieth so long in this place one and the selfe same thing For it is an excellent foundatioÌ„ of our saluation And therfore to the end it should not slippe from vs it was requisite that it shoulde be plainly and exactly set forth Howbeit here ariseth vnto vs a doubt not to be neglected For seing that the sinne of Adam hath so corrupted man yâ— our whole kind of his owne nature can now do nothyng els but sinne and whatsoeuer sinnes haue afterward followed are the fruites of that transgression the sinne of Adam may seme to haue bene of no lesse force to destroy then the grace of Christe to restore To dissolue this doubt we confesse that of the offence of the first parent and of originall sinne dispersed abrode into euery one of vs do spring other sinnes Howbeit All other sinnes are not of necessitie knit with originall sinne this is to be noted that all wicked actes are not so of necessitie knit with originall sinne that they streightway procede therof For otherwise we should all commit so many and the selfe same sinnes And that this is not true both the thing it selfe also experience teacheth Wherfore Paul considered that thorough our counsels deliberations are after a sort infinite sinnes added vnto that first fault but yâ— grace of God through Iesus Christ hath not onely remoued away that one sinne which is in vs by nature but also hath from in a maner infinite other sinnes brought vs vnto righteousnes hath after a sorte for one ill turne rendred vnto vs thrée good For he hath both abolished that one sinne which is in vs by nature and hath remoued The sinne of Adam recheth to more then the righteousnes of Christ This coÌ„parison is not as touching the nuÌ„ber but as touching the effectes away infinite other sinnes which we haue committed since and hath restored vs to a righteous life Howbeit there is again obiected that the sinne of Adam is deriued into more then the righteousnes of Christ For we are all infected in Adam but we are not all deliuered in Christ For many shall be condemned vnto euerlasting destruction Here is to be aunswered that Paul referred not his power to the number of them which shal either be damned or be saued but only vnto the effects which haue come both from Adam and from Christ Vnles we will say that there are more saued by the grace of Christ then haue perished by originall sinne drawn from Adam For only certaine infants perish by meanes of it but they which are of ful age and condeÌ„ned perish not by meanes of it only but also by reason of actuall sinnes which they haue moreouer committed neither haue they much wherof The grace of Christ of his own nature is suffecient for all men to complaine of Adam but they which are saued are saued only by the benefit and grace of Christ Wherfore Christ saueth more then Adam destroyeth Farther though all men are not brought to saluation yet the merite and grace of Christe was of it selfe sufficient for all men But why all men are not predestinate vnto saluation can not be rendred a reason perticularly But we ought to iudge of that power which Christ hath to saue not by the hidden counsell of God which we can not vnderstand but by the forme of the promise whiche is had in the Scriptures And that promise is generall neither is it by yâ— kinde of speache drawen vnto one man more then vnto an other Moreouer the Apostle for this cause with so many The benefit of Christ is of more might to saue theÌ„ the sinne of AdaÌ„ to destroy wordes teacheth that the benefite of Christ was of more might to saue then the sinne of Adam was to destroy for that this doctrine is exceding necessary And therfore let vs beware that we neuer suffer it to slip away from vs for this is continually to be opposed vnto the greuousnes of our sinnes and vnto the infirmitie wherby as experience teacheth vs we continually fall For there is none whiche if he cast his eyes vpon his sinnes and vpon the infirmitie wherewith he is infected is not straight way discouraged and vtterly in dispaire vnles he looke vppon the might and victory of Christ for therein only he comforteth himselfe and conceiueth an assured hope of his saluation And by two things chiefly is
lust may be found the nature of In naturall lust there is the nature of sinne sinne For it is vniust that the body should not obey the minde in honest thinges that lustes should be against the mind and beare dominiō ouer it and that reason should be against God and abhorre from his cōmaundements These things seinge they are vniuste whether they happen vnto vs with our wils or of necessitye vndoubtedly they are sinnes But this man which obiecteth these thinges doth he not sée that he must also of necessity graunt that the posterity of Adam is guilty of his sinne and that not willinge and against their mind which thinge is most of all against the word of God For it is written in the Prophet The Sonne shall not beare After Pigghius opinion the Son beareth the iniquitie of his father not his owne the iniquity of the father also The soule which sinneth it shall dye Which sayinge vndoubtedly were false if we beleue Pigghius forasmuche as children do dye and are guilty of eternall damnation although they haue not sinned Vnto which absurdity we are not compelled which do put in euery man that is born sinne and a cause why he shoulde die and be condemned Pigghius also thinketh it contumelious and blasphemous against God for that he suffreth sinne to be planted in them that are borne when as they can do no otherwise but to be borne in suche sorte affected as we sée all other menne that are borne to be affected But let Paul answere to this obiection who in this Epistle saith O man what art thou which answerest vnto God Hath not the potter power ouer his clay to make of one and the selfe same lompe one vessel for honor and an other for contumely Let Esay also aunswere who saith that it is not mete that an erthē pot should dispute with other erthē pots of the worke of his maker God is not such a one to be brought into order by our reasō which should come to passe if we should measure his iustice by the rule of our iudgemēt And forasmuch as there passeth no day wherin happeneth not somwhat in the gouernmēt of worldly things which we find fault with accuse fatisfieth not our wisdome whē then shall we confesse God to be iust For who can assigne a cause why so much grace is not geuē vnto him whiche pearisheth for euer as is to an other which is saued I know that these men are accustomed to say that God doth therein no vniustice because he by no law is bound to destribute one the self same and equal grace vnto al men But vndoubtedly humane prudence will not there stay For it wil complaine and saye that although he be not bound by the prescripte of mans law yet by the law of his goodnes he ought to be one and the selfe same vnto al men Farther what humane wisedome can sée what that iustice of God is that some are taken away being yet infants and children that theyr hartes should not be peruerted with malice and so to attain to saluation wheras other are kept safe till they come to ripe age wherin to deserue vnto themselues distruction when as otherwise they mought haue bene We oughte to haue in reuerence the secretes of God and not to correct them A saying of Cato they had bene taken away in theyr infancy Here we ought to haue in reuerence to worship the secretes of the iudgement of God and not to desire to correct them or to amende them accordynge to the prescripte of our lawes Cato beinge an Ethnike when he tooke Pompeius parte because he iudged it iuster then Cesars at the last the victory declining and Pompey being discomfited put to flight looked vp to heauen and cried out that in thinges deuine there is greate obscurenes For he thought it a thing vnworthy that the prouidēce of God should suffer Cesar to haue the vpper hād And I my selfe whē I consider these things am much delighted whith Augustines answere which he vseth agaynst the Pelagians Two argumentes of the Pelagians when he was in hand with this selfe same cause which we are now in hand with For the Pelagians obiected vnto him two argumentes somewhat subtle and hard One was how it can be that God which of his goodnes forgeueth vs our owne sinnes will impute vnto any other mens sinnes An other was if Adam by originall sinne condemneth men vnwares and agaynst their will why doth not Christ also to the ende he might in no part be inferior vnto Adam saue the vnbeleuers To these thinges Augustine answereth what if I were so An excellēt sentence of Augustine dull that I could not straight way confute these reasons shoulde I therefore geue euer a whit the the les credit vnto the holy scripture Yea rather it is much more conuenient for me to acknowledge myne owne rudenes then to ascribe vntruth vnto the holy scriptures But afterward he dissolueth both the arguments For to the first he answereth God imputeth not to vs an other mans sinne but our owne Christ to saue his wayteth not for their will The iustice of God hath no nede of our defence that God is the chiefe good thing nether doth he as these men alleadge in originall sinne impute vnto vs an other mans sinne but our owne iniquity which sticketh vnto our nature euen from the very beginning To the other he saith that Christ saueth also those that are vnwilling for he wayteth not for them to will but of his owne accord commeth vnto sinners both vnwilling and resisting And he also bringeth many infants to felicity which as yet beleue not neither by reason of age can haue fayth whereby to beleue Therefore do I alleage these thinges to shewe that it is lawfull for me if I will to vse the same answere which this father vsed first and to say vnto Pigghius Let vs suffer God to defend himselfe he nedeth none of our defence that he should not be counted vniust or cruell Let vs beleue the scriptures which crye euery where that we are borne corrupt and vitiate Which thing also both death and an infinite heape of miseryes do manifestly declare vnto vs which thinges vndoubtedly God would not lay vpon the childrē of Adam vnles there were in them some sinne deseruing punishement But they which discend not into themselues neither behold their owne nature how redy it is to all wickednes those I say know not what this concupisence meaneth Howbeit many Euen the Ethnikes wondred at the corruption of our nature of the Ethnike Philosophers saw it For they do meruayle how in so excellent a nature there can be so greate wickednes selfe loue and desire of pleasures And they so acknowledge these euils that they iudged it very nedefull that children should haue correction and discipline and to corect this naturall malice they gaue counsell to sustaine labours and excercises and
many other hard and gréeuous thinges But they saw not the cause and fountayne of these The Ethnikes saw the euil but vnderstoode not the fountayne thereof euils For that can be perceaued only by the word of God Farther this Pigghius reasoneth and sayth that this desire which Augustine calleth concupisence is a worke of nature and of God and therefore it can not be counted sinne But we haue before answered that it commeth not from the groundes of nature as it was instituted by God but of nature corrupted For man when he was created was made right and and as the scripture sayth to the Image of God Adam whē he was created had affectiōs geuē him which were gentle and moderate Iulianus Pelagians praised lust Wherefore that desire of thinges pleasant and preseruatiue in Adam when he was first created was not outragious or vehement to be against right reason and the word of God for that followed afterward Wherefore we ought not to call it the worke of God as Pigghius sayth but the wickednes of sinne and corruption of affections Wherefore Augustine calleth Iulianus the Pelagian an vnshamfast prayser of concupiscence For he which thing Pigghius also doth commended it as a notable worke of God Moreouer Pigghius is agaynst Augustine for this cause namely because he sayth that concupisence is sinne before baptisme but after baptisme he denieth it when as sayth he the concupisence is one and the selfe same and God is the selfe same and his lawe the selfe same Wherefore he concludeth that ether it must be sinne in both or els in neither But here Pigghius excedingly erreth two maner of wayes first because What mutation commeth by regeneration he thinketh that in regeneration is made no mutation especially seing that he can not deny but that in it commeth the remedy of Christ and his righteousnes is applied and the guiltines taken away For that God imputeth not that concupisence which remayneth after regeneration Moreouer also the holy ghost is geuen that the might of concupisence myght be broken so that although it abide in vs yet it shoulde not beare rule in vs. For to thys thynge Paul exhorteth vs when he sayth Let not sinne raigne in your mortall body On Augustine affirmeth that those thinges which remaine after regeneratiō are sinne If at any time he deny it to be sinne the same must be vnderstād as touching the guiltines therof That lust is not actuall sinne Why original sinne is called lust Whither this sinne be the wāt of originall righteousnes What the scholemen vnderstand by originall righteousnes Not euery defect or want maketh the thing euill the other side also he is deceaued in that he supposeth that Augustine thinketh that the concupisence which remayneth after baptisme is vtterly no sinne and especially if it be considered alone and by it selfe For by most expresse wordes he sayth that of hys owne nature it is sinne because it is disobedience against which we ought continually to striue But when he denieth it to be sinne the same is to be vnderstand as touching the guiltines therof for that is without doubt taken away in regeneration For so it comth to passe that God although it be in very dede sinne doth yet not impute it for sinne Farther Augustine compareth concupiscence with those sinnes are called actuall being compared with them it may be said that it is no sinne For it is far from the haynousnes of them But I meruaile how Pigghius could be so bold to say that Augustine without testimony of the scriptures affirmeth lust to be Originall sinne when as he in his disputations against the Pelagians doth mightely defend his sentence by the holye scriptures But why he calleth Originall sinne concupiscence this is the cause for that Originall doth most of all declare it selfe by the grosser lustes of the mynde of the flesh Now I thinke it good to sée what other men haue thought touchyng this For besides this opinion there is also an other sentēce which is of those which say that Original sinne is the want of Originall iustice Anselmus was of this opinion in his booke de partu virginis and he drew many scholasticall authors into this his sentence And these men by Originall iustice vnderstand nothing elles then the right constitucion of man when the body obeyeth the soule and the inferiour partes of the soule obey the superiour partes the mind is subiect vnto God to his law In this iustice was Adam created if he had abode all we should haue liued cōtinually in it But forasmuch as he fell all we are depriued of it The want of this righteousnes they affirme to be Originall sinne But to make their sentēce more plaine they say that not euery defect or want is sinne or euill For although a stone want iustice yet shall not therfore the stone be called vniust or euill But when the thing is apte mete to receiue that which it wanteth then such a defect or want is called euill as it happeneth in the eye when it is depriued of y◠faculty of seing And yet we do not therfore say that in the eye is blame or sinne for then cōmeth sinne when by reason of such a want followeth a striuing and resistyng against the law of God Pigghius condemneth this sentence also For he saith it is An obiectiō of Pigghius no sinne if a man kepe not the gift which he hath not receiued For it may be that he which is borne hauing his health and being whole of body and limmes may fal into a disease or lose one of his members or become maymed which defectes or wantes yet there is no man will call faultes or sinnes but this similitude serueth not to the purpose For a disease or lamenes of the body serueth nothing eyther to the obseruyng or violating of the law of God But that which they call the wante of original iustice bringeth of necessitie with it the breach of the law of God More ouer he contendeth y◠the losse of originall iustice in children is not sinne bicause it was not lost thorough their default But this agayne is to call God to accompt But God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not to be compelled to order neither ought he to be God is not to be broght to order ordered by humaine lawes But let Pigghius conferre that his opinion wyth thys which he impugneth This affirmeth that God condemneth vice and corruption which it putteth to be in children newly borne But Pigghius maketh children gilty and condemneth them of that fault and sinne which is not in them But onely is that which Adam our first parent committed For otherwise he counteth those children most innocent But whether of these is more farre from reason more abhorreth euen also from humane lawes to punish an innocent for an other mās sinne or to condemne him which hath in himselfe a cause why to be condemned
some thinke that the heauenlye grace consisteth in the remission of sinnes But we haue reckened verye manye highe commendacions and for that cause we baptise children beinge infantes when as yet they are not defiled wyth sinne that to them myghte be geuen or added ryghteousnesse holynes adoption inheritaunce and brother hoode of Chryste to bee hys menbers By these wordes Iulianus thoughte that Chrisostome ment that there was no originall sinne But Augustine sayth that these his words are to be vnderstand of sinne which they haue committed by their owne proper deliberation from which sinne childreÌ„ Infantes may be called innocentes as touchinge sins whiche they haue committed of theyr own propre deliberatioÌ„ We must vse great warines in reading of the fathers To haue proper sins may be vnderstande two maner of wayes are without doubt free and after this maner they may be called innocentes According to which sentence Paul writeth of those two brethern before they had done any euill or good when as yet none at all is accepted from that which the Apostle sayd By the sinne of one man sinne came on all men to condemnation and also By the disobedieÌ„ce of one maÌ„ many are made sinners By this it appeareth how ware we ought to be in reading of the fathers For sometymes we reade in them that infantes haue not proper sinnes of their owne when as yet they do in especiall acknowledge in them the vices of nature that is originall sinne But to haue proper sinnes may be vnderstand two maner of wayes Ether it may be vnderstand of those sinnes which they haue committed of their owne proper will and frée choise and after this maner that sentence of Chrisostome concerning infantes is counted true Or els proper sinnes are called proper vices of nature wherewith we are both defiled and condemned which sinnes can not be seioyned from infantes forasmuch as they are borne in them as Dauid manifestly proueth Farther Augustine hath noted in the wordes of Chrisostome which are in the Greke tonge that there it is written sinnes in the plurall number and not sinne in the singular number as Iulianus had cited that place For thus it is written Greeke wordes of Chrisostom in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for this cause we baptise infantes when as yet they haue no sinnes Whiche woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is sinnes being in the plural number is as Augustine thinketh most aptly applied vnto those sinnes which are called actuall And he addeth Why the auncient fathers spake little of Originall sin A similitude that the auncient fathers disputed not so largely of originall sinne because the Pelagians were not yet sprong vp which impugne it These so many sentences of the fathers ought Pigghius diligently to haue weighed especially seing he counteth them for Egles which sée most sharpely and do alwayes flye vnto the body But me thinketh he reckeneth them as counters wherewith men cast accompt which being put in sondry places do sometymes signify a pounde and sometymes a peny as it pleaseth him that casteth the accompt So Pigghius wyll sometymes haue the authority of the fathers most ample and sometymes if they please him not very well he will haue it to be none at all And so sometymes he reuerenseth them as egles and sometimes he dispiseth them as Iays Pigghius dispiseth his Romish church But in this thing he semeth to contemne the iudgement of his owne Romishe Church which otherwise he euery where maketh equall euen with God him selfe For that Church doth in such maner acknowledge or originall sinne that it suffereth not infantes dying without baptisin e to be buried no not euen in the churchyard of Christians and commaundeth that the deuill be by exercismes expelled out of infantes when they are broughte to baptisme because it iudgeth them to be the bondsclaues of the deuill Which thing I do not therfore speake thereby either to allow those exorcismes or that I would haue them still retayned For that ought to be obtayned of God by prayeâ—s and we ought not to do it thereby to go about by a miracle to heale a 〈◊〉 possessed with a deuill For forasmuch as at this day there is no such gift in the Church there is Innocent liued in Augustines time They which diminish originall sinne diminish the benefite of Christ no cause why we should desire to retayne it Neither do we graunt that infaÌ„ts whiche are not yet baptised are possessed of the deuill Innocent also bishoppe of Rome which liued in Augustines tyme condemning Pelagius concerning originall sinne was of the same mynde that we are of We oughte not to extenuate this euill otherwise we shall extenuate the benefite of Christ And they which acknowledge not this spot are neither sory for it neither yet do they séeke remedy of Christ Vndoubtedly in this thinge Pigghius hath proceded farther theÌ„ eueÌ„ the Pelagians For they denied only the propagatioÌ„ of sinne through Adam Pigghius erreth more greuously in this thing then the Pelagions But Pigghius crieth out that that sentence is wicked and blasphemous and contumelious agaynst God Agayne it suffised them to say that infantes dying without Baptisme are both shut out of the kingdome of heauen and also placed in the paynes of hell but this man dreameth that they shal be happy through a certayne naturall blessednes yea and so happy that they shal blesse prayse and loue God with all their mynde with all their hart and wyth all their strengthes But now let vs see how he goeth aboute to darken and to obscure this definitioÌ„ which we haue before put First he saith that by these darknes and corruptions of nature ye vnderstand either mere priuations of the giftes of God or certayne thinges positiue If ye vnderstand them to be priuations then know I what ye meane But your debatinges are nothing els but tragicall names and vayne wordes But if ye will haue them to be thinges positiue then forasmuch as in an infant that is newly borne there is nothing but the soule and the body which are cleane and haue nature and God for their author from whence or by what haue these pestilences burst forth which ye make mencion of We answere first that the priuations which we here put What maner of priuations are vnderstand in originall sinne are not like negations which take away the whole as when we say that Centaurus or Scilla are not but we saye that they are such that they leaue the subiect mayned vnprofitable and deformed as it appeareth in an eye which wanteth sight and in the hand of one which hath the palsey which is euer shaking In such maner is originall sinne in vs. The powers indede and actions of the minde remayne but they want their vprightnes and therefore are wicked and corrupt But Pigghius still erreth because he fayneth that the nature of man A false imagination of Pigghius concerninge the nature of the first man
Christ which thing Paul also teacheth saying The end of the law is Christ to saluation The law doth not by it selfe bring men to Christe and to saluatiō The Ethnikes opinion concerning the end of the law What is the law which yet he speaketh not vniuersally But to euery one that beleueth For the law doth not of it selfe bring a man to thys end The Ethnikes sayd that the end of the law is knowledge which it engēdreth of thinges that are to be done Wherfore Christippus as he is cyted in the digestes fayth that the law is the knowledg of thinges diuine and humane But thys end and thys definition extend to largelye For all wisdome and all good artes doo geue some knowledg of diuine and humane thinges Now resteth diligently to se what is the matter and efficient cause of the law And briefely to speake of these thinges I say that the Law is a commaundement of God wherein both hys will and also disposition or nature is expressed When I say a commaundement I note the generall woorde For there are commaūdemēts of people Senators kings of Emperors But whē I say of God I adde the difference which noteth the efficient cause But in that I The law expresseth vnto vs the disposition nature of God say that in the law is expressed the will of God that is so manifest that it nedeth not to be expounded But this may peraduēture seme more obscure in that I said that in the law the disposition of God is taught vs and we are stirred vp to the knowledge of his nature we wil therfore by examples make it more playn Whē God commaundeth vs to loue him he therebye teacheth that he is of nature amiable For those things cannot iustly be beloued which are not worthy to be beloued And vnles he bare great good will toward vs he would not set forth vnto vs the chiefe good which we should loue Wherfore he for this cause exhorteth vs therunto bicause he desireth to haue vs pertakers of himselfe We sée therfore that he is such towardes vs as he desireth vs to be also And when he prohibiteth vs to kill First therin he declareth his will farther he sheweth himselfe to be such a God which abhorreth from violence and from iniuries had rather do good vnto men then hurt them After the same maner these two thinges may also be declared in the other preceptes and out of this definition may those thinges also be gathered which we haue before spoken concerning the forme and ende of the law bicause of necessity such doctrine ought to be both spirituall and also to engender a wonderfull excellent knowledge and we are taught that God by it hath geuen no small Benefites of the lawe benefite vnto men for it causeth vs both to know our selues and also to vnderstand the proprieties of God Plato in his bookes of lawes of a publike wealth and Platoes definition in Minoe seemeth thus to define the lawe namely that it is an vprighte manner of gouerning which by conuenient meanes directeth vnto the best ende in setting forth paynes vnto the transgressors and rewardes vnto the obedient This definition may be most aptly applied vnto the law of God yea there can be no such law Lawgeuers made God the author of theyr lawes vnles it be of God It is no meruaile therefore if the olde lawgeuers when they would haue their lawes commended fayned some God to be the author of them For Minos ascribed his lawes to Iupiter Licurgus his to Apollo Solon and Draco theirs to Minerua and Numa Pompilius referred his vnto Aegiria But we are assured and that by the holy scriptures that our law was geuen of God by Moses The Manichies do wickedly condemne the law There is no good or euill whych is not by the law of God either commaunded or forbiddē The law requireth not onely deades but also the wil The law bringeth vs to the knowledge of God and of our selues in mount Syna And these thinges beyng thus sene concerning the nature and definition of y◠law we mayeasly vnderstand how fowly the Manichies erred which blasphemed it and cursed it as euil For seyng that the law commaundeth nothing but things worthy to be commaunded and prohibiteth nothing but thinges mete to be prohibited how can it iustly be accused For there can be no iust or honest duety found which is not commended in the law of God nor nothyng filthy or vnhonest which in it is not forbidden neither are wicked actes onely prohibited in y◠law but also wicked lustes are there condemned Wherfore it sheweth that not onely outward workes are to be corrected but also the mynd and will And forasmuch as a great part of felicitie consisteth in the knowledge of God and Philosophers do so much extoll the knowledge of our selues and the law of GOD as we haue taught performeth either it can not but with great wickednes be reproued as euill and hurtful Howbeit this place wherein it is sayd That the law entred in that sinne should abound may seme to make somwhat with the Manichies as doth that also vnto the Galathians That the law was put for transgressions and that also in the 7. chap. of this epistle That sinne through the commaundement killeth and that likewise which is sayd in the second epist ▪ to the Corint That the law is the ministery of death All these thinges may seme to confirme the error of the Manichies But The things which are ioyned vnto the law of themselues and the thinges that come by chaunce must be seperated A similitude we must diligently put a differēce betwene those things which of themselues pertaine vnto the law and those things which follow it by reason of an other thing per accidens that is by chaunce For as we haue before taught sinne death damnation and other such like do spring of the law by reason of the corruption of our nature But if a man compare not the law with our nature but consider it by it selfe or if he referre it to a sound vncorrupt nature then can he affirme nothing els of it then that which Paul sayth Namelye that it is spirituall holye good and instituted vnto lyfe and it is said rather to shewe synne then to worke synne Wherefore if men deformed lying hidde in the darke shoulde saye vnto a man whiche by chaunce bryngeth a lyghte vnto them gette the hence least by this thy light thou make vs deformed vndoubtedly we could not gather by their wordes that the power and nature of light is such that it doth make men deformed but this we might rather gather that those things which of themselues are deformed are by the light vttered and shewed what they be And so is it of the lawe for it after a maner bringeth light and openeth to our knowledge the sinnes which before lay hidden But a man will say if the law be good and holy why
seruitude had his first beginning of sinne for it is not lawfull to make warre but against those which haue sinned With these wordes of Augustine agreeth Florentinus the Lawyer as it is red in the InstitutioÌ„s and this etimologye right well agreeth with this place which we are now in hand with The deuill assaulting by battayle our first parentes ouercame theÌ„ and tooke them and by that transgressioÌ„ hath made all our nature captiue and hath still in subiection and to be his seruauntes as many as thorough Christ are not set at liberty For so sayth Paule in his latter epistle to Timoth That they may come to amendement out of the snare of the deuill which are takeÌ„ of him at his will But Christ came and hath fought with that strong armed man the gouernor of the world and prince of darkenes and hauing gotten the victory hath redemed vs all Nether vndoubtedly did he it for any other cause but that we should be obedient to his will and vnto righteousnes Wherefore these wordes of Paul signifie as muche as if he shoulde haue sayd Christ hath not therefore deliuered vs from sinne and addicted vnto himselfe to the 〈…〉 e that henceforth we should bee seruauntes vnto sinne but onely Christ hath redeemed vs not vnto sinne but vnto righteousnesse Two contrarye Lordes set before vs. that we should be obedient vnto righteousnes Nowe let vs diligently weighe the wor 〈…〉 Knovve ye 〈…〉 t that to vvhomesoeuer ye geue your selues as seruauntes to obey his ser 〈…〉 s ye are to vvhome ye obey vvhether it be of sinne vnto death or obedience vnto righteousnes Here let vs first note that the Apostle setteth before vs two Lordes the 〈◊〉 is sinne the other is that obedience which we render vnto God By which diuision forasmuch as the partes thereof be contrary it appeareth that I nothing erred from the sentence of the Apostle when before I defined sinne in generall to be whatsoeuer is repugnant vnto the law of God The definition of sinne before alleaged is confirmed For forasmuch as sinne is a priuation it can not be known but by his opposite or contrary forme or quality which it remoueth away and what the forme is Paul here expresseth by the name of Obedience Wherfore that is sinne ought so to be called which is repugnant vnto such an obedience By which it is most manifest that that corruption which is still remaining in vs and the motions which are by it stirred vp are sinnes forasmuch as they are apertly repugnaÌ„t vnto obedience which is opposite and contrary vnto sinne Moreouer this diuision This particion comprehendeth all men of the Apostle if it be sufficient comprehendeth all men so that euery man is of necessitie either the seruant of sinne or els of righteousnes The seruauntes of righteousnes are these which are now deliuered to be obedient vnto the forme of the doctrine of the gospel Wherfore in this place are ouerthrown those workes An argumeÌ„t against workes preparatory which they call preparatorye for they can not be placed in any members of this deuision For if thou wilt say that they pertaine vnto them which are seruantes of righteousnes they are now alredy regenerate and do beleue the Gospel wherfore those workes can not now be preparations but fruites of the Gospell But if thou wilt stand in contencion and say that they pertain vnto them which are seruantes of sinne they haue no fruite of their workes but only death wherfore their workes turne vnto them vnto destruction so farre is it of that they can be preparations vnto grace We say in dede that God oftentimes vseth our sinnes and by them appointeth as it were certain degrées by which we may come vnto Christ But this thing our workes haue not of themselues neither in respect that they are done of vs for in that respect spring forth damnable and odious fruites as it The two Lords do destribute contrary rewardes were out of a corrupt trée Vnto these two Lordes are appointed two maner of rewardes namely vnto sinne is appointed death and vnto obedience righteousnes But it semeth that Paul ought otherwise to haue disposed these things and especially as touching the second member for righteousnes is opposite or contrary vnto sinne Wherfore euen as vnto sinne answereth death as a rewarde so vnto righteousnes also ought eternall life to haue aunswered as a reward But this ought we assuredly to thinke that Paul erred not but by this disposition would teach vs wherein the righteousnes of woorkes consisteth namely in this that we shoulde be obedient vnto GOD for there is nothynge either holye or iust There is nothing holy or iust but that which God hath commaunded The beginnâ—ng of eternall life is to liue iustlye They whiche liue iustly are not miserable although they are greuously vexed but that which he hathe commaunded for the inuentions of men pertayne not to righteousnes but rather vnto lust Wherefore the Apostle to the end he would the more manifestly instruct vs of this thing hath set the definition in place of the thing defined And it is not to be meruailed that he putteth righteousnes in the place of reward for the beginning of blessednes and of eternal lyfe is to liue iustly and hereof it coÌ„meth yâ— in the holy scriptures eternall life is a coÌ„tinuall coÌ„panion of righteousnes And Chrisostome vpon this place sayth that by righteousnes ought to be vnderstand whatsoeuer followeth righteousnes And yet oughte no man therefore to perswade himselfe that they which liue iustly are miserable although sometymes they are greuously vexed with aduersityes For with Paul righteteousnes and innocency of life do signifie the self same thing that eternall felicity signifieth Death also which is ascribed vnto sinne as a reward is not only the dissolution of the outward body but therewithall comprehendeth also eternall infelicity wherewith both body and soule shal be punished And â—y this worde Synne which thing also I haue before admonished Paul vnder 〈…〉 the luste which remayneth in the beleuers and also the corruption of nature 〈◊〉 therefore They which are sory for sins are chiefly sorye for the roote of theÌ„ An example of Dauid the godly when they are sory for any faulte that they haue committed do chiefely complayne of this corrupt nature and of the rotten roote thereof Dauid when he lamented the murther and adultery which he had com 〈…〉 ed ranne chiefely vnto this as vnto the fountayne of all euils sayinge Beâ—old in iniquities was I conceaued and in sinnes hath my mother conceaued me And when we pray vnto God to deliuer vs from sinnes for this thinge we chiefelye praye that by his spirite he would breake and weaken this domesticall and familiar enemy Thys thing the Apostle ment when he cryed out Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Paul after he had thus deuided seruitude that of necessity we must be seruauntes
any worke we shall of 〈…〉 ty graunte that it commeth of the grace of God and that we muste noâ— lea 〈…〉 our selues any prayse thereof though it be neuer so smal But bycause God 〈…〉 th â—s to worke Why our workes are alwayes vnperfect who so long as we liue here are not fullye cleansed thereof it commeth that our workes are alwayes vnperfect Moreouer it they were thâ— causes and merites of eternall life we might with security put confidence in them But that the holy scriptures playnely forbid For Paule in thys epistle sayth I iudge that the suffringes of thys time are not worthy the glory to come which shall be reuealed in vs. In thys place Paul considereth good worke in that they are of God For We haue it not of our selues to suffer for Christe we haue not of our selues to suffer aduersities for Christes sake For it is God which worketh in vs that suffring And yet though it be neuer so greate Paul sayth that it is not be compared vnto the glory to come But these men appoynt in a merite as they vse to speake de Condigno that is of worthines Thirdly the aduersaries contend that good workes are the cause of eternall lyfe Workes ar not the causes of eternall lyfe sine qua non Good workes are a beginning of Eternall life Howe good workes are said to be meanes by which God lendeth hys vnto eternall life This word merite vsed among the fathers It is the safest way to abstaine froÌ„ this worde merite This word merite is not vsed in the holy scriptures A place vnto the Hebrues A place of Ecclesiastes sine qua non that is without which it cannot be obteyned Which sentence how ridiculous it is young infantes whom we know are saued without workes can testifie For although they by reason of age can do nothing that is good yet do they obteine eternall lyfe Therfore this cause is not of so great waight that without it no man can be saued And in those that are of full age to speake properlye good workes can not haue the nature of a cause For in them those are nothing els but a beginning of eternall lyfe Wherfore seyng they are a certaine part of eternall life they cannot be counted causes therof Nether ment I any other thing els wheÌ„ before I said that good workes are meanes and as it were certaine steps by which God leadeth his vnto eternal lyfe I graunt in dede yâ— among the fathers is oftentimes found yâ— name of merite which word I would to God they had more seldom with greter consideration vsed For that word hath engendred most vile errors Although the fathers themselues in many places mitigate and leuiste that worde by expositions to the end we should vnderstand that they ment not the iust and proper nature of merite For they alwayes admonish that eternall life is geuen fréelye and that the saintes are crowned by the mercye and compassion of God and that we oughte not to truste vnto merites bicause they canne not consiste before the iudgemente seate of God and other suche like Whiche sentences if our aduersaries would earnestly weigh and ponder they would not so malepertly and stubbernly defend those merites which they call ex Condigno But as I haue said it is yâ— safest way vtterly to abstain froÌ„ this word especially seing it is neuer once vsed through out the whole Scriptures But they vse to obiect a place out of the 13. chap. of the epistle vnto the Hebrewes Talibus hostis promeretur deus which after the Latine is thus englished with such sacrifices is God wonne as by merite But in the Greke in the place of this word promeretur that is is wonne or merited is written this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth is delighted or accepteth theÌ„ They obiect also a place out of the 16. chap. of Ecclesiasticus Omnis misericordia faciet locum vnicuique secundum meritum operum fuorú whiche accordyng to the Latine is thus englished All mercy shall make place vnto euery one accordyng to the merite of his workes But first that booke is not in the Canon Of that that Augustine said howe Paul might haue sayde eternall life is the stipend of righteousnes ArgumeÌ„ts ought to be taken of that which is written in the holye scriptures and not of that which mought haue bene written Paul could not write otherwise then he wrote farther the place is not wel cited For in Greke it is thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is all mercy shall make place euery one shal finde according to his dedes In which wordes is nâ— meÌ„tioÌ„ at all made of merite Now let vs examine that which before we said Augustine writeth namely that the Apostle mought truely haue sayd eternall lyfe is the stipeÌ„d of righteousnes but he would not Here first I say that argumentes ought to be taken of that which we are faught in the holy scriptures and not of that which mought otherwise be written in the scriptures Wherfore it is a weake argumeÌ„t for a maÌ„ to say yâ— apostle mought haue said eternal life is yâ— stipend of righteousnes wherfore righteousnes deserueth eternal life Bicause yâ— argumeÌ„t ought to be takeÌ„ of yâ— words of Paul For if it were lawful to reason after this maner theÌ„ sound arguments which leane vnto the worde of GOD should be weakened For there mought be alwayes obiected althoughe the Scripture so haue it yet it moughte haue ben spoken otherwise And by that meanes we should haue nothing certain And although I haue declared what Augustine ment by these wordes yet I can not therfore be easily persuaded to thinke that the Apostle could haue writteÌ„ otherwise then he wrote For if the other kinde of speach should haue geuen occasion of hautines and pride then could it not edeffe it behoued him also to follow the sayinges of the holy ghost And although that sentence mought peraduenture be spoken of righteousnes taken by it selfe yet can it by no meanes be spoken of vs of our righteousnes Wherfore seing that sentence could neither edifie nor make any thing to the purpose I sée not how Paul could so haue writen Howbeit in this matter I will not contend more then is mete with Augustine The seuenth Chapter KNow ye not brethern for I speake to them that know the lawe that the law hath dominion ouer a man so long as he liueth For the woman which is in subiectioÌ„ vnto a man is bound by the law to the man while he liueth but if the man be dead she is deliuered from the law of the man So then if while the man liueth she take an other man she shall be called an adultresse but if the man be dead she is free from the law so that she is not an adulteresse though she take an other man Wherfore ye my bretherne are dead also to the law by the body of Christ that ye should be
not distinguished from the Gospell by bookes The knowledge of sin two fold Paul now declareth namely to shewe sinne And that alwayes it doth wheresoeuer any commaundement of the lawe is whether it be in the fiue bookes of Moses or in the prophetes or in the bookes of the new testament For the lawe is not distinguished from the Gospell by bookes but in forme and maner of teaching But this property of the law when it is lightly weighed appeareth not For the knowledge of sinne is two maner of wayes the one is whereby we only beholde the nature thereof the other is whereby by experience or some certayne byting we haue a féeling thereof in our selues And this latter way is the fruite that commeth of the reading of the lawe namely not only to know sinne but also to be daunted at the féeling thereof when we vnderstand that we are in a maner consumed of the wrath of God The Apostle warely sayth that he knew not sinne and was ignorant of lust vnles the lawe had sayd thou shalt not lust But he sayth not that he had not sinne before the lawe For there was euen then also sin in him but it was not acknowledged And a litle afterward how sinne was in him then he declareth saying Sinne before the lawe was dead but so soone as it came it reuiued agayne Sinne in dede was before but yet not so vehement wherefore also it semed the les to be accused And for that cause Christ said If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should haue had no sinne By which wordes he signifieth not that they should vtterly haue bene without all sinne if he had not come but that they should not haue sinned so greuously But thou wilt say seing the lawe Why the law is sayd to shew sins and not vertues sheweth not only sinnes but also good déedes why doth the Apostle only say that it sheweth sinne I answere as before I answered For that the lawe was not able to shew vertues which are known by experience and féeling neither in men strange from Christ nor in the regenerate For in men strange from Christ the lawe found nothing but sinne And in the regenerate it found rather certayne inchoations or beginnings then perfect vertues Farther by this place we vnderstand The law is diligently to be learned that the lawe is with great diligence to be learned and to be peysed in the minde as without which both the force of sinne is not knowen and the grace and mercy of him that forgeueth is contemned And because this is very hurtful therfore the holy scriptures alwayes inculcate into vs the knowledge of the lawe and pronounce them blessed which are occupied in it day and night Which is true if therewith all be ioyned Christ the only ende of the lawe And that the law might the easelyer be vnderstand God alwayes raysed vp and inspired holy prophetes to expound it vnto the people when they sharpely cried out agaynst the sinnes of their times Christ also our Sauiour hath deliuered vnto vs a most exquisite interpretacion of the lawe Now they at the last are to be counted to rede the lawe of Who are with fruite occupied in the contemplacion of the law the Lord with fruite which so often as they lay away the booke acknowledge in themselues somewhat which must be by the mercy of God forgeuen and by his grace be amended Agayne by these wordes of the Apostle is the law◠defended from their sclander which crye out that it is euill and proceded from an euill God For they say that the lawe is euill and sinne which thing Paul expressedly denieth For he answereth God forbid Farther how can it be ill which condemneth and forbiddeth lust which they are compelled to confesse to be ill But wheras he saith by the law sin entred in that is spokē by a metaphore For that blame which thesemē ascribe vnto y◠law ought to be trāsferred vnto corruptiō y◠naturally grafted in vs. And although the lawe in many seme to worke nothing els but more and more to heape vp sinnes yet that commeth not therefore for that it selfe is euill but for that it can of a corrupte nature bring foorth no other thing But why the lawe is vnpleasant and hatefull vnto vs that hereof commeth saith Why the law is odious vnto vs. Ambrose for that it alwayes sheweth thinges euill namely sinnes and condemnation But there is none which will gladly heare of those thinges Yet they that be godly indede although they are by it bitten for it doo geue thankes vnto God For they féele that by the preaching thereof they get incredible fruites But before we passe ouer this place there are a fewe thinges to be spoken of whiche in my iudgement seme very necessary to the full vnderstanding thereof There What is prohibited in this commaundemēt Thou shalt not luste are some which thinke that this commaundement Thou shalt not lust forbiddeth not the prauity and corruption of nature or the first motions whereby we are affcted towardes those things which God hath forbidden But by that commaundement say they is only prohibited the consent of the will and of the minde And then at the length they confesse that we sinne whē we geue place vnto those first motions and suffer sinne to raigne in vs. But those thinges whiche followe in this selfe same chapiter do most manifestly reproue them For Paul sheweth that he entreateth of that lust which is irkesome vnto a minde that serueth the lawe of God And he addeth that by it he doth that euill which he hateth But these thinges haue no place where the consent of the minde is ioyned with all And of this kinde of lust he cryeth out Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me frō the body of this death And he addeth that he is of it drawen captiue agaynst his will and resisting it Wherefore seing this lust is of this nature there is no cause why it should be wrested vnto the consent of the minde But herein our aduersaries That commaundemēt which can not be fulfilled is not in vaine geuen are excedingly deceaued for that they thinke that this precept is in vayne geuen if it prohibite that which can not be auoyded in this life And it is a thing ridiculous say they to commaunde any thing vnto the brute and foolishe fleshe and to the irrationall partes of the minde whiche vnderstand no such thing and are of necessity moued to do that whereunto they were instituted But these men ought to haue remembred that this precept was geuen vnto man endued with reason and that not in vayne nor without purpose For God had created man to hys owne image and likenes Wherefore it was requisite that he should haue nothing in him which should not agrée with the will of God Neither are the commaundementes which can not be performed in this life geuen in vayne to men as these men
often repeted we ought to thinke to be very necessary and also not very well knowen vnto vs. Farther these things The things that are so often repeted ar both necessary also not very well knowne vnto vs. are not repeted without some addition whereby are not a little made plaine those thinges which were spoken Here the Apostle entended to declare two thinges first that he would that which is good and thereof he reasoneth that he felt in hys minde a delectation in the lawe But those thinges wherein we delight we desire to be brought to passe The second is that he declareth that he is plucked away and letted so that he can not fulfill his owne will And this he hereby proueth for that he doth those thinges from which he abhorred But these thinges are to be vnderstand in a diuers respect as they terme it For as he was regenerate he abhorred from thinges euill and desired better but as hee was not regenerate he was drawen vnto those thinges whiche hee woulde not and fell into worse and worse The effecte of his exclamation is therefore expressed in this strife to geue vs to vnderstand that these thinges are not entreated of lightlye or coldly but with great féeling and with certayne experience Now that I haue briefely declared the exposition of this place I will come to the knitting together of the wordes of the Apostle and examine euery perticuler part of them I find a law vnto me when I would do good for that euill is present with me This is doubtles an obscure sentence and may haue diuers senses For if we take the lawe which we sée is here put infinitly and without contraction for the vice and corruption of nature then may we thus interprete it that it is a let vnto vs when he would do good Of which saying is rendred a reason for that euill is present with me As if he should haue sayd this is the cause why I am letted from doing good But if this word lawe be taken in good part and do signifye the commaundementes of God then must we of necessity adde a verbe whych signifieth not a let but an exhortation and stirring vp And so may be gathered thys sense when I would do good I finde the lawe of God allowing approuing exhorting and instigating me But if thou demaunde why then do I not good I answere for that euill is present with me therefore am I letted and called backe from the good purpose of my minde Wherefore the obscurenes commeth two maner of wayes Firste the lawe is put infinitelye whiche maye be drawen ether vnto luste or vnto the commaundemente of God Secondly there is no word added whereby is signified ether let or contrariwise impulsion or exhortation Ambrose thinketh that here is signified the lawe of God which he sayth geueth a consent For that can not be vnderstand of our consent whereby we in minde serue the lawe of God For this we owe not vnto the benefite of the law but to the spirite of Christ only that the will of God shoulde be pleasant to our mynde But after that by his helpe we come once to this poynt to will thinges good and vprighte then if we looke vpon the lawe we shall finde that it as Ambrose sayth geueth a consent vnto vs. Chrisostome confesseth that it is a hard place howbeit he thinketh that by it is signified the lawe of God and sayth that it prayseth and approueth all the good and iust thinges which we would do but the euill which is present with vs is a let that we can not performe those things And hereby is manifest the infirmity of the lawe which can in déede approue thinges right commendeth the will of hauing them but can not remoue away the impedimentes and lettes neither can bring to passe that we should not sinne or not be condemned But I if I may herein declare my minde do by the lawe vnderstand that conditiō whereunto we ought to obey and this I iudge to be the minde of the Apostle I finde a condition and a decrée layd vpon me namely by originall sinne and naturall lust that when I would do good euil euer is present with me This is the punishement of the lawe whereinto we al incurre by the transgression of our first parentes Ambrose semeth to demaunde where sinne or euill is present with vs. And he aunswereth in the fleshe it lieth and watcheth as it were before the dores and at the gate so that the will after y◠it hath decréed any thing that is good if it will come forth and performe the same findeth a let euen at the very gate A pleasant inuentiō doubtles and such which semeth to expresse that which shall afterward be spoken of That we in mynde serue the lawe of God but in fleshe the lawe of sinne If thou agayne demaunde how it commeth to passe that the euill is present with vs in the flesh not also in the mynde he answereth that it thereof commeth for that y◠flesh only is by traduction deriued from Adam For therefore sinne passeth through the fleshe and after a sort dwelleth in it in maner as in his house Which otherwise should rather be placed in the soule as which should rather sinne then the flesh if it should be by traduction But seing it is not by traduction thereof it commeth that sinne dwelleth not in it but in the flesh That the soule is not by traduction let vs for this tyme graunte althoughe Augustine be somewhat in doubt touching that matter Yet do I not sée why we Sinne is presente not onely in the flesh but also in the soule should deny but that sinne is also in the minde I graunt indede that the first entrance of corruption is through the flesh and that originall sinne is traduced from the parentes through the sede and the body but it stayeth not there For from thence it strayeth throughout all the partes of the soule and of the body Howbeit this word Adiacere which is englished to be present I vnderstand no otherwise then I before interpretated it namely to be at hand to be redy to vrge and to pricke forward I delight in the lawe of God concerning the inward man Two things he put forth that his will was to do good but euill was present with him whereby his entent was made frustrate Now he diligently explicateth ech part If we should follow Chrisostomes mynde namely that when we appointe to do any thing rightly we finde the lawe allowing and approuing our purpose then should not this sentence be amisse that we on the other side delight in the vnderstanding of the lawe as it semeth to delight in our purpose and to consent vnto it But this is now to be of vs considered with how great warines Paul now encreaseth and amplifieth that which he before had simply spoken He before sayde that he willed that whiche is good that he consented vnto the lawe
we haue before hard followeth sinne as the fruite and stipend thereof And although that Law be placed in the members yet ought no man therefore to surmise y◠the nature of the body or of the flesh is euill Sinne passeth in dede through the fleshe but thereof it followeth The constitution of the fleshe is not euill not that the constitucion of the flesh is euill and condemned If a man shoulde mingle poyson in a cuppe of gold that drinke should indede be venemous and euill howbeit the gold notwithstanding should be gold and rētayne still his dignity An argumēt against the Maniches In this place Chrisostome reasoneth agaynst the Maniches For they sayd that both the Law of God our flesh are euill for that other of them proceded from a certayne euill God Here sayth Chrisostome If the flesh be euill as ye say then must ye nedes confesse that the Law is good as that which resisteth the flesh Wherefore which way so euerye turne your selfes sayth he ye are confuted which thing commeth not to passe in doctrines of the Church For it houldeth that both the Law of God and also the nature of our flesh are good but sinne only is euill O vvretch that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Whē he felt himselfe in a maner oppressed in the conflict of these two Lawes he crieth out and confesseth himselfe to be miserable which he would not haue bone That whiche maketh miserable is sin vnles he had felt himselfe oppressed with some great greuous euill But there can nothing be more greuous then misery and death These two Paul ioyneth together and complayneth that he is agaynst hys will drawen vnto them By the body of death he vnderstandeth our vitiate and corrupt nature the whole man I say as it is brought forth of the parentes From thys body he desireth to be deliuered Vnto the Phillippians he sayth That death if it should happen vnto him should be vnto him greate gayne not that he desired to put of his life but for that he wished to put one a better life And this exposition is more agreable with the wordes of the Apostle then that which Ambrose hath that by the body of sin This exclamation pertaineth to a godly man An example of true repentance He wisheth not for death but deliuerye from sinne are to be vnderstand all maner of sinnes And thys exclamatiō commeth nether from an vngodly man nor from one liuing in security but from one conuerted vnto Christ and striuing agaynst sinne and detesting it which he feleth to be stil strong in him Here is set forth vnto vs an example of true repentance which y◠life of a Christian ought neuer to wāt Paul in this place wisheth not for death but to be deliuered from prauity and corruption And he vseth an interrogatiō to signifie that he can not be deliuered ether by the Law or by a good consciēce or by the shewe of good workes but deliuerye is to be hoped for at Christes handes onely I geue thankes vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. He vseth also an other exclamatiō for that he felt that thing to be by faith grace graunted vnto him which by any other meanes he could not attaine vnto These affectes are Contrarye affectes of the godly succeedinge the one the other contrary and succeding the one the other in the mindes of the Saintes that first they are excedingly sorye for their misery and after that they excedingly reioyce for the redemption which they haue obteyned through Christ And so vehement are these motions that Paul by the figure Aposiopesis leaueth the sentence cut of and vnperfect For that is left vnspoken which should finish vp the sentence For neither doth Paul aunswer to the first interrogation neither also doth he here expresse wherfore he geueth thankes And if a man rightly weigh these two affectes A due order of these affectes he shall finde that they are in most due order placed the one to the other For in the first exclamation being oppressed of sinne he imploreth aide But in the second when as he felt that he was now heard holpen and deliuered he geueth thankes and that through Iesus Christ our Lord not through Mary or through Iohn Baptist or through his owne workes or through any such like kinde of thing but thorow him only which is alone and the only mediatour betwene God and man There is but one onely redemer and mediator Paul confesseth himselfe to be deuided Wherefore I my selfe in minde serue the law of God but in my fleshe the law of sinne Paul in these wordes cōcludeth that which he from the beginning entended namely that he was deuided and that in as much as he was regenerate in Christ he willed and desired good thinges but in as much as he was still carnall he was obnoxious vnto sinne He sayth that he is a bond seruaunt which is to be vnder Tirans and sayth not that he fréely assenteth thereunto But straight way in the next chapter he will declare how it was no hurt vnto hym through Christ that in flesh he serued the lawe of sinne for that there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus But here we must beware of the pestilences of the libertines and furies of our tymes which by these words of the Apostle go about to excuse their most haynous wicked factes For they say that they in fleshe In this place we must be ware of the Libertines only committe fornication and dronkennes and lyue vncleanely but in mynde and in spirite are pure and do serue the lawe of God Of which matter Augustine excellently well entreateth in his 45. Sermō De tempore The lyfe of man saith he is a warfare but one day it shall come to passe that we shall attayne vnto a triumph Wherefore the holy scripture vseth the termes both of fighting of triumphing Here is set forth the description of the battaile when as mention is made of the lawe that rebelleth and leadeth away captiue and he which is against his will led away captiue imploreth ayde The ioy of the triumph is set forth vnto vs in the epistle vnto y◠Corrinthyans where it is sayd death is swallowed vp in victory death where is thy victory death where is thy sting These doubtles are the words of them that deride their enemyes and which when they haue gotten the victory triumph Wherfore there is no cause why they should ascribe vnto themselues these words which fight not which resist not which striue not but fall now hedlōg into all maner These are the wordes of them that striue and not of them that 〈…〉 dly in sins In this battaile we haue alwaies some hurt of sinnes boasting y◠they haue in the meane tyme a cleane harte Vnto this battayle cōmeth also lust laboureth to wrest somewhat from thée But it is thy part not
of God neither are their hartes changed What good treasure then can there be in them whereout may budde forth workes acceptable vnto God But because we will not go from their similitude for as much as they say that they are plants which bring forth bowes and leaues although they haue no fruite they should haue remembred that Christ as we before said accursed such trées and when in the figge trée he had sought fruit found only leaues he smote it with so a vehement curse that it withered away We doo not denye but that of men may be done some moral and ciuil good thing which is brought forth by that power of God whereby all thinges are preserued For as the Ethnikes also confesse In hym we lyue are moued and haue our being But that power wherby God gouerneth and moueth al thinges nothing helpeth vnto eternall life men not regenerate But the issue of our cause is whether they which be aleants from Christ can do any thing which is allowed and accepted of God Which thing we deny and they affirme And how much the place which we haue brought of the euill trée which can bring forth no good fruite maketh on our side we haue sufficiently declared Now let vs examine the other place which our aduersaries go about to wrest from vs namely whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne This place Augustine alwayes in a manner obiected vnto Pelagius Augustine obiected vnto â—â—lagius that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Pelagius made aunswere that that is only a perticular reason which was spoken only of meates for that cause ought not to be extended vnto other works and especially vnto the works of infidels We confesse in déede that that question sprang first by reason of meates But after what maner that reason is alleadged let vs consider by the wordes of Paul He whiche iudgeth saith he that is whiche putteth doubt in ech part and eateth is condemned This was to be proued The reason which he gaue was for that it is not of faith But because this saying is but particular neither could that which he had spoken haue bene reduced to a Silogismus vnles there shoulde be added an vniuersall proposition therefore he added We must be assured that that which we do is acceptable vnto God whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne By which sentence Pauls meaning is that so often as we attempt any thing we should be thoroughly assured that the same is pleasing vnto God and is of him required by some commaundemeÌ„t of the law Which certainty if it want whatsoeuer we do saith he is sinne And Pauls firme argument may thus be knit together Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne to eate meates prohibited in the lawe with a doubtinge whether the same be lawefull or no is not of faith wherefore it is sinne The Apostle although he proueth Paul by an vniuersall proposition proueth a perticuâ—er proposition a perticular proposition yet he vseth an vniuersall reason Which as it is applied vnto meates so maye it also be applied vnto all other actions so that all those actions what so euer they be which want this faith are sinnes Wherefore nether we nor Augustine abuse that sentence when we applie it vnto the workes of infidels But now a dayes many cry out that faith in this place signifieth a perswasion of the conscience and that Paul had not a respect vnto that faith which we say iustifieth vs. But these men take too large a scope which bring in a new signification of faith without any testimony of the holy scriptures Wherefore we moughte wel denie vnto them this But for that although we graunt vnto them that which they would haue yet are they still coÌ„pelled to returne to our sentence therefore therein we will not much contende with them Be it so as they would haue it Suppose that fayth be the conscience But how ought the conscience to be perswaded of woorkes to vnderstande whiche are good and whiche are euill Verelye if we bee godlye we can haue no other rule but the lawe of God For The law of God is the rule of the coÌ„science it is the rule wherebye good and euill oughte to be iudged Therehence oughte to come the perswasion of our conscience that by faith it vnderstand that that worke which it taketh in hand is good and contrariwise that it is euill if it be agaynst the lawe of God And this is nothing els but that which we before spake of faith Wherefore let vs leue these men which when as they will be sene to speake thinges differing from vs do vnwares fall into one and the same sentence with vs. But we are here tought that whatsoeuer we take in hand we oughte chiefely to sée vnto that we be assured of the will of God And yâ— same thing tought Paul when he saide Let vs trye what is the good will of God And as the same Paul writeth vnto the EphesiaÌ„s let vs not walke as vnskilful which vnderstaÌ„d not what is the will of God And the thou shouldest not thinke geÌ„tle reader yâ— this interpretacioÌ„ is of our own deuising looke vpoÌ„ Origen Primasius yâ— disciple of Augustine those commentaries which are ascribed vnto Ierome And thou shalt finde that they are The commentaries ascribed vnto Ierome of the same iudgement when they interprete that place which we haue now alleaged For they acknowledge no other faith then that faith which all men acknowledge But when we shall come to that place we will declare what the rest of the fathers haue taught and held touching it But now to come to the principal point of this controuersie we thinke that we haue aboundantly out of yâ— holy scriptures confirmed That all the workes of infidels are sinnes Of whiche sentence is not only Augustine against Iulianus but also Ambrose in his booke de vocatione Ambrose saith that the workes of infidels are sinnes Basilius of the same mind gentium the 3. chap. For he saith That wythout the worshippyng of the true God the thynges that seeme to be vertues are sinnes Basilius in his 2. booke de baptismo the 7. chap. of purpose moueth this question and maketh on our side And he citeth places out of the scriptures As out of Esay A sinner when he sacrificeth it is all one as if he should offer vp a dogge and when he offreth swete cakes it is all one as if he should offer vp swines flesh And moreouer He which doth commit sinne is the seruant of sinne and serueth it onely Againe No man can serue two lordes God and Mammon And againe What fellowship hath lyght wyth darkenes God wyth Beliall Finally he citeth also that testimonye whereof we before largely entreated An euill tree can not bryng forth good fruites Of all these testimonies he concludeth the same thing which we teach By these things I thinke it is now plaine what is to be thought of the state of
affirme that by regeneration is takeÌ„ away the guiltines of sinnes For although these vices remayne both as the scripture testefieth and also as experience teacheth yet their bond and guiltines is taken away Wherfore Augustine oftentymes saith that lust in dede remayneth but the guiltines therof is by Christ takeÌ„ away And he addeth that somtimes it coÌ„meth to pas that the act and worke of sinne passeth away as we see it is in theft and in adultery but the guiltines notwithstandyng abideth and sometymes it commeth to passe that the guiltines is takeÌ„ away but the fault remayneth Which is plaine to be sene touching this lust wherof we speake It remayneth in dede but yet we cannot by it be as guilty condemned to eternall death If thou demaund why it is called sinne when as the guiltines is taken away I aunswer bicause in that it is not imputed vnto vs it hath not that of his owne nature for as touching his owne nature as we haue before taught it deserueth death and damnation but this commeth by an other meanes namely of the mercy of God through Christ But euery thing ought to be considered by it selfe and of his own nature Wherfore seyng the proper nature of sinne Euery thinge ought to be considered by his owne nature is to striue against the law of God and this thing we sée to come to passe in this lust and in these first motions therfore they ought to be called sinnes Neither by this our sentence do we fall into that folishnes which the Pelagians vpbrayded vnto Augustine and to other of the catholikes as though they should say that by regeneration The PelagiaÌ„â— bâ—â—ided vnto catholikes folishnes is not blotted out sinne but only rased For when heares are shauen there remaine still vnder the skinne the rootes of the heares by which they grow vp againe For although we affirme that in men regenerate remaine still lust A similitude corrupt motions yet do we not deny but that God is perfectly reconciled vnto vs. Wherfore although of their owne nature they are sinnes yet by the mercy of God they are so blotted out that they now vtterly cease to be imputed wherfore if we As touchinge imputation sinnes are vtterly taken is regeneration haue a respect vnto imputation there remayneth nothing of them Last of al they obiect vnto vs that we do iniury vnto Augustine when we say that he affirmeth these to be sinnes when as he interpreteth himself that they are called sinnes improperly For as a scripture or writing is called a hand for that it is done with the hand so that these called sinnes for that they come from original sinne and as cold Why Augustine calleth these motioÌ„s sinnes is called slouthfull for that it maketh vs slouthfull so are these called sinnes for yâ— they stirre vs vp to sinnes but yet properly they are not sinnes So say they Augustine by this meanes doth not only interpretate himselfe why he calleth these sinnes but also hath geuen vnto vs a way how we ought to vnderstand Paul wheÌ„ he calleth these sinnes Hereunto we aunswer first that if either Augustine or any other of the fathers do deny that these are sinnes that is to be vnderstand by When the fathers say that these motioÌ„s ar not sinnes they vnderstand that they are not actual sinnes way of comparison if they be compared with actuall sinnes but not that the nature of sinne can wholy be taken away from them Which thing Augustine in another place most plainly declareth For against Iulianus in his 6. booke 8. chap. For it is not sayth he no iniquity when in one man eyther the superiour partes are after a vile maner seruantes vnto the inferiour partes or the inferiour partes after a vile maner resist the superiour partes although they be not suffred to get the maistry Seyng that he calleth this sinne iniquitie he plainly declareth that vnto it is agreable the nature of sinne which we before described And in his 5. booke agaynst the same Iulianus He expressedly calleth these motioÌ„s sinnes and affirmeth thâ— to be iniquities the third chapiter he thus writeth The luste of the fleshe agaynst which the good spirite lusteth is sinne for that in it is a disobedience agaynst the gouernment of the mind and it is a punishement of sinne for that it is rendred vnto the merites of the disobedient person and it is a cause of sinne thorough the falling away of hym that sinneth Here we sée that lust is of Augustine thrée maner of wayes called sinne Neither Note these wordes of Augustine can it be sayd that he writeth these thinges of a man not regenerate For he expressedly saith Against which the good spirite lusteth For in the wicked is not the spirite of God which striueth against lustes Wherfore we haue out of Augustine thrée places one which we before cited out of his 5. booke de libero Arbitrio and Lust remayning in vs is truly and properly sinne two against Iulianus wherin he expressedly confesseth that lust is sinne and bringeth a reason why he so thinketh Neither oughte our aduersaries as touchynge the interpretacion of Paul to runne vnto a figure to say that this is not properly to be called sinne For both out of Paul and out of other places of the scripture is brought good reason why lust is truly and properly called sinne And it is to be woÌ„dred at that these men otherwise are euery where so prone to figures when as in this one proposition This is my body they so much abhorre from al kind of figures when as yet notwithstanding a figure is there most conuenient And if thou desire other testimonies of the fathers wherby to proue that lust is sinne we haue before cited Ierome vpon Mathew And there are in Augustine against Iulianus found cited a great many other sentences of the auncient fathers All which make wholy on our side But now let vs come to the exposition of the 8. chapter The eight Chapter FOrasmuch as nowe there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the spirite For the lawe of the spirite of lyfe which is in Christ Iesus hath made me fre froÌ„ the law of sinne and of death For as much as in this chapiter are entreated many notable things it shall The Method of this chapt not be amisse to deuide the summe of them into the partes thereof Firste Paul remoueth away condemnation which he sayth is taken away by the Lawe of the spirite of life which spirite we haue obteyned by the benefite of the death of Christ And this liberty promiseth he not indifferentlye vnto all men but only vnto those whiche are in Christe and walke not accordinge vnto the fleshe but according to the spirite For they which seperate them selues from Christ can not be pertakers of his benefite TheÌ„ he addeth that we by this spirit are
a beginning and an endeuour of obedience and forgeuenes of defectes which they committe the righteousnes also of Christ whereby the law is fulfilled is now made their righteousnes and is of God imputed vnto them For the strengthes of the head do passe into the members Lastly by hope we are made safe and the accomplishment of the lawe which wanteth in their workes so long as they liue here they shal attaine perfectly by all meanes ful wheÌ„ they shal be ioyned together with Christ in an other life â–ª And therefore woulde God prouide a remedy for the weakenes of the lawe which springeth of our weaknes Let vs sée therefore what God hath done He hath sent his sonne in the similitude of the fleshe of sinne and by sin hath condemned sinne in the fleshe By these woordes is manifeste the number and distinction of the diuine persons in the holy Trinity For if the sonne be sent of the father then must one of necessity be distinct from the other which is The distinction of persons in the Trinity contrary to the heresye of Photinus Sabellias the Patripassianites and other suche pestiferous men which taught that the sonne and the holy ghost are distincted both from the father and also betwéene themselues onely as touchinge the names But what order Paul hath put in the persons we may easely sée Firste he saith that the holy ghost is he which deliuereth secondlye that that spirite is geuen by Christ lastly that the sonne is sent of the father And so he resolueth the last effect of our saluation into the first cause In the similitude of the flesh of sinne Augustine admonisheth that these This word similitude taketh not away the veritie of the flesh things are to be red ioyntly together so that this word similitude is not referred vnto the fleshe but vnto sinne For the humane nature which Christ tooke vpon him had the shew or forme of sinne but yet in very dede it could not be polluted with sinne Paul also vnto the Phillippians writeth that Christ was in the similitude of men not that he was not a man in very dede but that bycause he so abased himselfe that he nothing departed from the common custome of men nether confounded he the nature of man with the nature of the word of God but left it so perfect that euen the forme and similitude of other men might be shewed in Christ And therefore the Apostle vseth this word similitude that we might vnderstand yâ— the Lord was not a pure man only as other men were althoughe he semed such a one For in him was the diuine nature hiddeÌ„ Wherefore there is no cause why the Marcionites or other such like heretikes shoulde by these places deny that Christ had true flesh For he tooke vpon him the nature of man as the Greke Schiolies haue noted with the affections thereof not vndoubtedly with those affections which spring of malice but with those which spring of nature instituted of God In summe to haue taken the flesh of sinne is nothing els then that Christ was so made man that he was subiect vnto heate cold hunger thirst contumelies and death for these are the effects of sinne And therefore the the flesh of Christ mought well be called the flesh of sinne Augustine in his 14. booke agaynst Faustus hath to doo agaynst an heretike which refused Moses as though he were conâ—umelious against Christ when he wrote Cursed be euery one that hangeth one a tree Vnto whome Augustine answereth If by this meanes thou condemnest Moses thou shalt also reiect Paul For he vnto the Galathians writeth that Christ was made accursed for vs. And the same Paul in his latter epistle to the Corrinthians sayth that he which knew not sinne was for our sakes made sinne Then he citeth this place whereof we now intreate that God sent his sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne and by sinne condemned sinne He bringeth also a reason Why the flesh of Christ is called sinne why the flesh of Christ is called sinne namely bycause it was mortall and tasted of death which of necessity followeth sinne And he affirmeth this to be a figuratiue kinde of speach wherein by that which goeth before is expressed that which followeth But besides this interpretation of Augustine I remember an other also which the same Augustine treatinge vpon this place followeth which also he semeth to haue lerned of Origene And that interpretation is taken out of Leuiticus where when as there are diuerse kinds of sacrifices instituted mencion is made of an oblation for sinne which selfe same oblation is euerye The oblacion for sinne is called sin SacrameÌ„ts haue the names of the thinges signified where called sinne But vnto that word is oftentimes added a preposition and in the Hebrue it is written Lechatteoth and Leaschrah that is for sinne and for trespas so that hereby we may se that the sacramentes as we haue often sayd haue the names of those thinges which they signifie And other tonges also both the Lattine and the Greke seme to haue imitated this forme of speaking For the Lattines cal that piaculum or piacularem hostiam whiche is offred to turne away the wrath of God The same thing the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of makingâ— cleane and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is it which Paul sometimes calleth sinne and accursed This therefore is the meaning that Christe condemned sinne whiche was in our flesh by sinne that is by that oblation which was for sinne that is by his flesh which is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is after the Hebrue maner of speakinge the sacrifice for sinne But to condemne signifieth in this place to take away and to discharge those thinges which vse to follow them that are condemned And that we may the easelier vnderstand how Christ by his death How Christ by death hath condemned sinne condemned sinne we ought by fayth to be assured that he hath obteyned for vs the holyghost whereby our sinnes are forgeuen whereby also lust which is the roote of all sinnes is repressed in vs. But there are others which interpretate this place otherwise as though Christ condemned sinne in his flesh that is he would haue himselfe to be punished and offred vp for sinne namely for our sin Which interpretation doth not so much differ from the first But that interpretacion which Chrisostome and Ambrose haue is farre more straunge for they thynke that sinne it selfe was condemned of Christe for sinne that is for that cause namely bycause it had done vniustly and sinned greuously For sinne of his owne right semed to rage against meÌ„ which were eueÌ„ from yâ— beginning obnoâ—ius vnto it but in yâ— it was so bold to lay haÌ„ds vpon Christ being most innocent it deserued coÌ„deÌ„natioÌ„ But Ambrose semeth to signifie that sin is here takeÌ„ for the deuill who in yâ— he killed Christ tempted him more theÌ„
are assured of iustification and deliuery from sinnes And as it is the part of a man to be gouerned by the mynde and humane reason and the part of a philosopher to be ordred by the preceptes of doctrine and discipline of wysedome and the part of a souldier to frame all hys doinges by the arte of warrefare so is it the part of a Christian to be moued by the spirite and sence of Christ And although euery man hath hys proper vocation and ought to follow such offices and duties as are méete and conuenient for hym yet as many of vs as are of Christ ought to measure our selues by this A propriety common to aâ—l Christians propriety and certayne rule continually to haue a regard how much we haue profited in the obedience of the spirite Forasmuch as the spirite of Christ dwelleth in you For he which hath not the spirite of God the same is none of his That which he before spake he now proueth by a stronge reason that they are not in the fleshe hereby he gathereth because the spirite of Christ dwelleth in them whereas he saith Forasmuch as the spirite of God dwelleth in you he maketh no doubt sayth Chrisostome that the spirite of God dwelled in them for this word forasmuch as in this place is all one as if he had sayde because so that the Greeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a particle causall Ambrose thinketh that Paul in this place speaketh somewhat staggeringly for that the Romanes séemed somwhat to haue erred and to attribute more vnto the lawe then was méete Here are two thynges to be diligenly The spirite of God and the spirite of Christ is all one By the spirite is not here vnderstand any part of our soule A metaphor of dwelling An argument taken of coÌ„traries The flesh the spirite are not so repugnante the one against the other but that they may be both together in one and the selfe same man marked first that the spirite of God and the spirite of Christ is one and the selfe same spirite whereby appeareth that Christ is God Secondly that Paul by the spirite vnderstoode not the excellenter parte of our mynde as many dreame he doth For he sayth that that spirite whereof he speaketh is the spirite of God and of Christ which spirite he saith dwelleth in the faythfull Romanes and in those which are of Christ The metaphore of dwelling is hereof taken for that they which dwell in a house do not only possesse it but also do commaunde in it and at their pleasure gouern all thinges So the spirite filleth the harts of the saints beareth rule in them And the Apostle seemeth to take his argument of contraries Therefore ye are not in the fleshe neither walke ye according to it because the spirite of God dwelleth in you Not that these two thinges are so repugnant one against the other that they can not be both together in one and the selfe same man but these being compared together are as contrary qualities which when they are in the vttermost degrée the one can not suffer the other For it is not possible that with a most feruent colde shoulde any heate be mingled But if the cold be somewhat remisse then may some of the contrary quality succéede Wherfore forasmuch as in this life we haue not the spirite in the highest degrée thereof it commeth that there remayneth in vs somewhat I wyll not say much of the flesh and of corruption though the spirit in the meane time haue the vpper haÌ„d For otherwise we should be in the flesh neither should the spirite as Paul saith dwell in vs. For by this metaphore as we haue sayde is signified that the spirite possesseth our myndes and beareth dominion in them But if the nobler partes of the mynde be geuen vnto the fleshe the spirite departeth awaye The sp 〈…〉 suffereth not thâ— ruâ—â— of the flesh for it canne not abyde the dominion of the fleshe Wherefore Dauyd when he had fallen into gréeuous sinnes was for that tyme destitute of the motion of the spirite of God and therfore he cryeth Restore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation and establish me with thy principall spirite â–ª Although in very dede he neuer fell away from election or predestination And when the Apostle saith He whiche hath By the spirite we are coupled with Christ not the spirite of Christ the same is none of his He therfore by the spirite iudgeth our coniunction with Christ bicause by it we are coupled with hym and by it we are regenerate Wherfore Christ in Iohn sayth Vnlesse a man be borne agayne of water and the spirite c. Wherby is signified yâ— that by which we are chiefly regenerate is the holy ghost but yâ— water doth in yâ— sacrament of baptisme represent the same as an outward signe Water washeth watreth maketh fertile and hath in it many Effectes of the spirite other qualities by which the nature of the spirite is declared which spirit wheÌ„ it is come vnto our mynde the disposition propriety towardnes sence and motions of Christ are grafted into vs so that he which hath obteyned it may say with Paul I lyue but not I nowe but Christ liueth in me And they which haue the spirite of Christ are said to be his not after the common maner wherby all creatures are called the children of God For Christ saith in the Gospel All things are deliuered We belong vnto Christ after a certayne peculier manner vnto me of my father But they are made his peculiar possession forasmuch as now they are both called and also are in dede his members and are grafted into him ar most perfectly knit vnto him receiuing nourishmeÌ„t of him Here we sée how folishly some answer which wheÌ„ they are reproued admonished of their duty say yâ— they are not spirituall for they coÌ„sider not yâ— by this answer they deny theÌ„ selues They whiche are truely Christians muâ—â— needes be spirituall The words of the scripture are not to be prohibited to the lay men Christians ought not to doubt whetheâ— they haue the spirite of Christ The spirite departeth from vs for two causes to be Christians for if they be of Christ they both haue his spirit and also must of necessity be spiritual They also are of an euil iudgemeÌ„t which take away yâ— bokes of the holy scriptures out of the handes of the lay men bicause they thinke yâ— they haue not the spirit For when they so say they say they are no christiaÌ„s For if they be christians they haue not only the spirit of Christ but also the wordes of the holy scripture which are the assured sayings of the spirite and are most conuenient for them Lastly who séeth not that they excedingly are deceiued which commauÌ„d vs continually to doubt whither we haue the spirite of God or no. For vndoubtedly if we oughte not to doubte whither we be Christians we
to moderate the paines inflicted of God althoughe the bodye be sayde to be deade bicause of sinne yet ought we not therfore to thinke that God retayneth hatred or anger against his whose sins he hath forgeuē For death and aduersities which afflict the godly ought not to be counted amongest paynes or punishments God is wont in déede to exercise the faythfull with aduersities as we rede of Dauid who although he heard that his sinne was forgeuen hym yet he both lost hys sonne and also in his family suffred wonderfull hard chaunces Wherefore the sacrifising priestes ought not hereof to conclude that it is lawfull for them at their pleasures to impose paynes and satisfactions vpon them whome they haue absolued from sinnes For only Christ when he died vpon the crosse hath aboundantly made satisfaction for vs all Neither did Christ impose any paynes ether vnto the thiefe or to the sinfull woman or vnto the man sicke of the palsey vnto whome he sayd Sonne thy sinnes are forgeuen thee Neither haue these men one word in the holy scripturs of their satisfactions Howbeit we both may and ought to exhort as many as returne vnto Christ and do repent by good workes to approue themselues to shew worthy fruites of repentance and whome they haue before by their euil workes offended him now to reconcile and edefie by their maners being changed Although these men ought not The kayes of the churche can not moderate the scourges of God vnder this pretence to clayme or chalenge vnto thēselues their kayes as though they could at their pleasure moderate the scourges of God whether they are to be suffred in this life or as they fayne in an other For it lieth in Gods hand only ether to send or to release warres disseases hunger persecutions and such other like kinde of calamities Neither hath God when he afflicteth the Saints alwayes a regard vnto this by a fatherly chastisement to correct their sinnes For oftentimes An other end of the scourges of God it commeth to passe that he will haue his Saintes geue a testemony of his doctrine and make manifest vnto the worlde how much his mighty and strong power is of efficacy in them So was Iohn Baptist behedded so were Esay Ieremy and al the Martyrs slayn This matter is clearely entreated of in the booke of Iobe Howbeit it is profitable that the godly be oftentimes admonished of repentance The spirite of Christ is the ground of our resurrection The flesh of Christ really eaten is not the cause of our resurrectiō and of good workes that God may lenefye and mitigate those scourges and calamities which he vseth to inflict vpon sinners Wherefore this place seemeth nothing to confirme either purgatory or satisfactions Howbeit by these wordes we are manifestly taught what is the ground or beginning of our resurrection namely the spirit of Christ which first dwelt in him and afterward also dwelleth in vs. Wherfore they are deceiued which thinke that vnto our resurrection is necessary either transubstantiation or the presence of Christ in the Eucharist as though out of his flesh which they will haue to be eaten of vs really we shal draw eternall life as out of a true fountaine and a certaine ground For here they make a false argument from that which is not the cause as the cause Here Paul writeth that the beginning of a new life is that we haue the selfe same spirite which was in Christ which is the whole and perfect cause of our resurrection But how the spirit of Christ can haue place in the supper of the Lord we may easely vnderstand In the holy supper we are indued with the spirite of Christ How the fleshe and bloud of Christ are a helpe vnto the reresurrectiō Wherefore the fathers sometimes attribute this thing vnto the sacraments A place of Iohn in the vi chapt for there we renue the memorye of the death of Christ of which if by faith we take hold in the communion we are more plentifully endued with the spirite of Christ wherby not only the minde is quickned but also the bodye is so renued that it is made pertaker of the blessed resurrection Hereby it is manifest how the flesh and bloud of Christ conduce to the bringing forth of the resurrectiō in vs. For by faith we take hold that they were deliuered for vs vnto the death by this faith we obteine the spirite to be made both in minde and in body pertakers of eternall lyfe And if the fathers at any time seme to attribute this vnto the sacramentes y◠hereof commeth for that they ascribe vnto the signes the thinges which are proper vnto the thinges signified This may we perceiue by the 6. chapiter of Iohn for there Christ promiseth life vnto them that eate his flesh and drinke his bloud And it is not harde for any man to sée that in that place is spoken of the spirituall eatinge whyche consisteth of fayth and the spirite For the signes were not as yet geuen of Christe And whereas hee sayth The breade whiche I will geue is my fleshe whiche I will geue for the life of the worlde is to bee vnderstande of the fleshe of Christe fastened vpon the crosse whiche beinge by faith comprehended of vs shall so strengthen and confirme vs as if it were our bread and our meate And that Christ sayd in the future tempse I vvil geue it is not to be meruayled at for he was not yet dead But hys death which afterward followed brought to passe that y◠body of Christ was offred vnto vs not only in words but also in outward signes in that last time when he was at the poynt to be deliuered Augustine in his 26. treatise vpon Iohn defendeth this doctrine For he sayth To beleue is To eate And he sayth moreouer That the old Fathers vnder the law did eate the selfe same thing that we doo For theyr sacraments and ours were all one and though their signes were diuers yet the things signified are one and the selfe same And in his epistle vnto Marcellinus he sayth That the sacramentes of the elders and ours were herein diuers for that they ▪ beleued in Christ to come and we beleue in him being now alredy come And Leo bishoppe of Rome in his epistle vnto them of Constantinoble sayth that we receauing the vertue or power of the heauēly meate do passe into the flesh of Christ which is made ours Ireneus oftentimes sayth that our flesh and our bodies are norished with the flesh and bloud of Christ which so it be rightly vnderstand we deny not For euen as by naturall meates is made bloud whereby we are naturally fed so by the flesh and bloud of Christ being taken holde of by fayth we draw vnto vs the spirite whereby the soule is norished and the body made pertakers of eternall life which we shall haue in the resurrectiō Farther we doubt not but that our flesh and body doo
thys reason is for two causes weake firste bycause without any authority of the word of God it taketh away renouation from many partes of the world Secondlye for that that which it taketh as granted is euen as doubtfull as is that which is concluded namely that those thinges only shall be renewed with immortality which by theyr constitution seme apt thereunto For sithen thys immortality is the liberall Immortality is the mere gift of God neyther dependeth of nature and mere gift of God it can not depend of any meane or force of nature For that power of God whereby both the heauens and the elementes shal be restored vnto immortality can preserue also the other partes of the world And as the elementes remayne whole although theyr partes be engendred and corrupted so also doo the species or kindes of brute beastes and plantes perpetually endure although theyr indiuidua or peculiar parts are renewed doo perish If thou demaund what commodity these things shal haue if they remaine I answere that they shall haue the selfe same commodity that thou cāst ascribe vnto the elementes For euen as then we shall haue no nede of the elementes so also shall we haue no nede of brute beastes or plantes or other partes of the world This had ben a better reason for them in my iudgement if they had said that therefore they thinke that other thinges shall not endure for that the scripture maketh no mencion of theyr continuance preseruation Although I se that nether thys reason also is of necessity For although the scripture hath not made mencion of these creatures apart by themselues and expressedly yet it is Reasons probable on eche side sufficient that it hath generally signified that creatures shal be renewed nether euer excepted any thing Farther if by reasons we should contend that the Sun as they say shall therefore be illustrated with greater aboundaunce of light for that it is requisite that it should after a sorte receaue a reward of his labors So mought the rest of the creatures also say that they haue with no les labour and fidelity done seruice vnto men then hath the Sunne And moreouer there is in other creatures no lesse pronesse and naturall desire to preserue themselues then there is in the Sunne Moone heauē and earth Wherfore if the one ought not to be frustrated of theyr desire nether vndoubtedly ought the other to be frustrated These thinges may be sayde on eche side probablye And Paul to the Ephesians and vnto the Colossians saith that al things shal be renued by Christ both the thinges that are in heauen and the things that are in earth But nether Thinges pronounced vniuersally in the holy scriptures admitte exception that also maketh an argument of necessity For thinges vniuersally pronounced in the holy scriptures admitte alwayes an exception or cōtraction All saith Christ as many as haue come before me were theues and robbers All thinges are lawefull vnto me but all thinges are not expedient Here may be vnderstand the figure Synecdoche namely to vnderstand some partes comprehended in that whole And when Paul sayth that the Creature shal be deliuered from the seruitude of corruption it may be generally vnderstand of the whole worlde for that it shal be no more compelled to renew creatures by a new generation yet thereof it followeth not that al the creatures as touching euery perticular kind shal be preserued Wherefore I thinke it the part of a godly minde to affirme neither part obstinately For we haue nothinge on nether side that is thoroughly and Neither part of this question is obstinatelye to be affirmed certaynly defined Howbeit this I dare affirme that of those creatures which haue perished onely men shal be raysed vp from the dead But as touching the preseruation of other creatures after the day of iudgement except the heauen and earth whereof the scripture hath made mēcion I suppose there is nothing to be sayd For when we want scriptures it is not our part to serch out thinges to curiously It is inough if we vnderstād this that for our sakes was brought in the corruption of things and agayne that whē we shall be renewed al things We must take hede that we let not escape vs the thinges that are necessary vnto saluation The vse of the Sacraments cannot be pure where their nature is not knowen About what principall pointes the scriptures ar occupied Those things which are not set foorth in the holy scriptures ar not necessary vnto saluatiō y◠remaine shal be in better estate then they were before But we must so streine the strēgths of our knowlege y◠we let not those things escape vs which are necessary vnto saluation such as is y◠doctrine of God of Iustification of worshipping of good works of the vse of the sacramēts which vse shal neuer be sincere nor pure vnles we throughly vnderstand and know the nature of them For if we attribute vnto them either more or lesse then behoueth we shal perpetually erre The Scriptures are chiefly occupied in these principall pointes that the man of God may be made perfect and instructed to euery good worke But let vs thinke that those thinges which the Scriptures speake not of are not necessary vnto our saluatiō For so good is the holy ghost that if they had bene necessary he would vndoubtedly haue set them forth in the Scriptures For we are saued by hope But hope which is sene is not hope For how can a man hope for that which he seeth But if we hope for that we see not we do with patience wayt for it Likewise also y◠spirite helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed But he that sercheth the harts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirite for he maketh request for the saintes accordyng to the wyll of God For we are saued by hope Paul before said y◠we waite for y◠adoptiō redēptiō of our body neither do we only waite for it but also feruētly desire it with sighinges that cannot be expressed And that this thing should not seme to be agreable with the condition of the sonnes of God which haue already through Christ gotten peace and reconciliation with God now he aptly addeth that that saluation is not yet obteined of vs in very déede but only in hope Which yet is not so to be vnderstand as though we now haue no part therof but bicause the perfection and accomplishment of those things which we haue is still waited for of vs. Hereby we Howe faith and hope ar distinguished sée how hope and faith are distinguished as touching those good thinges wherunto we are by them directed For faith hath already apprehended remission of sinnes imputation of righteousnes through Christ But hope stil waiteth for a perfect restitution and full deliuery from all euils
vs vp to aske those thynges Neither doth the holy ghost that is the diuine person abase it selfe as though it were lesser then the father and prayeth but only it causeth vs to pray So God is sayd to tempt the Hebrues that he myght know that is to make other themselues or others to know Touching this matter Augustine in his sermon against Maximinus the Arrian at large entreateth It was sayde vnto Abraham now I know that thou fearest the Lord which is nothyng els but I haue shewed I haue made open and haue declared that thou fearest the Lord. And Paul to the Galathyans But now forasmuch as ye know God and he addeth a correctioÌ„ or rather are knowen of God that is tought and illustrated so that he may know All these places declare that those things which are done of godly men by the heauenly inspiration are attributed vnto God and vnto the holy ghost But there are two most manifest places the one to the Galathyans the other to the Romanes which if they be compared together make that most manifest which we affirm For vnto the Romanes Paul writeth we haue not receaued the spirite of bondage agayne vnto feare but the spirite of the adoption of children whereby we cry Abba father These wordes playnly declare that we are they which crye And vnto the Galathyans God sent The spirite â—rieth because it maketh vs to crye Against the Arâ—ians forth the spirit of hys sonne into our hartes crying Abba father Here the spirite is said to cry not vndoubtedly for any other caâ—â—e but for that it maâ—eth vs to crye Neither did the Arrians truly affirme that Paul saith that the holy ghost maketh intercession to the sonne For thereof went they about wickedly to inferre that as they held that the sonne is lesse then the father so is the holy ghost lesse then the sonne These are the dreames of heretiques The son prayeth maketh intercession for vs because he is lesse then the father as touchinge his humanity The spirite maketh intercession because it maketh vs to pray and to cry And vnto the Galathyans it is expressedly said that this crying Abba father is of the holy ghost Wherefore the Arrians of their owne hed and not of the wordes of Paul fained vnto themselues that the holy ghost calleth vpon the sonne not that the holy ghost stirreth vs not vp to call vpon Christ the sonne of God But this thing only Augustine teacheth that they by the wordes of the Apostle had no cause why they should so greatly bâ—ast yâ— they had proued that which they entended namely that the sonne is lesse then the father and the holy ghost lesse then the sonne Origene so interpretateth these wordes as though the holy ghost is to vs in our prayers after a sort a Schoolemaster A Scholemaster formeth himselfe to the capacity of his children and nameth the letter first vnto them that they maye imitate him in the pronunciation of the sounde of the letters which thing otherwise they could not do of themselues so the holy ghost instilleth into vs as into children what we ought to aske Out of all these interpretacions two thinges we may gather First that here are confuted the Pelagians which tought that we are of our owne strengthes able to fulfill the lawe of God For if we can not so much as know what thinges are profitable for vs how can we performe them And when we heare that the holy ghost maketh intercession for vs we reiect the Arrians which went about by these words to proue that the holy ghost is a creature and lesse then the son For it is alwayes of necessity that he which prayeth is lesse then he to whom he commeth to pray The sonne indeede is sayd to be lesse then the father because of his humanity â—ut the holy ghost neuer tooke vpon him any creature in one and the selfe same hypostasis to be made one person with it wherefore he is therefore sayde to The holy Ghost neuer tooke vpon him any creature in one and the selfe same hypostasis The sighes of the godly in afflictioÌ„â— are hearde pray because he maketh vs to pray Vnto all these thinges may be added one thing more It commeth to passe sometimes that godly men when they are greeuously afflicted do only sighe neither to their knowledge do they praye vnto God And yet the holy ghost inwardly both stirreth vp moderateth these sighes in these men although they â—e not ware nor know what is done which sighes the father as moued and stirred vp by the holy ghost harkeneth vnto and vnderstandeth and granteth the requestes of the spirite And therefore is the spirite said to serch the harts because it considereth that which they themselues when they grone and sighe coÌ„sider not For we are somtimes so oppressed with the greatnes of temptacioÌ„s weaknes of yâ— flesh that we can not pray but the spirite priuelye stirreth vp and kindleth these groninges And these are his prayers This thinge we feale not bycause we our selues are not they which praye for we are only stirred vp by the spirite of God For although the flesh be oppressed with tribulations yet the spirit is inwardly strong â–ª Ieremy Dauid Examples of the Saintes and Iob were sometimes occupied in lamentacions and complayntes so that they after a sort complayned of the iudgementes of God as though they were ether not iust or els to much seuere and yet notwithstanding was not the spirite extinguished in them And therfore God imputed not vnto them the sighâ—nges of the flesh but heard the entent of the spirite They are called vnspeakeable Why they are called vnspeakeable sighes sighes for that we speake not expressedlye what the spirite asketh But as touching this sence yâ— words must thus to be put in order we are ignorant what we should pray which yet we ought not to be ignorauÌ„t of We pray indede but what we aske we know not but God sercheth the hartes He nedeth no inquisition Why God is sayd to searche hartes Howbeit he is sayd to serch for that that which meÌ„ desire perfectly and exactly to know they diligently serch for it so God bycause he beholdeth our most hidden thoughtes is sayd to serch the hartes otherwise he before we beginne to aske knoweth what we haue neede of Also we know that all thinges worke together to the beste to them that loue God euen vnto them that are called of purpose For those whome he knewe before hee also hath predestinate to bee made like to the image of hys sonne that he might be the first born amongest many brethern Moreouer whom he hath predestinated them also hath hee called and whome he hath called them also hath he iustifyed and whome he hath iustifyed them also hath he glorifyed Also we know that all thinges c. Forasmuch as the Apostle had begonne to speake of the patient suffring of aduersities he thought he woulde more at
large prosecute the same and chiefely by thys reason for that aduersities helpe forward our saluation And when he had seuerally declared that we are holpen by hope and by the intercessioÌ„ of the spirite and had before taught that all creatures grone with vs now he pronounceth vniuersally that all thinges woorke vnto vs vnto good He sayth not that God prouideth that we should not be vexed with aduersities but teacheth that the nature of them is after a sort inuerted as which of themselues are able to engender nothing else but our destruction but now contrariwise they bring vnto vs commodity saluatioÌ„ But this thing doo they not of theyr owne force but by the election and predestination of God Nether is it to be meruayled at if we attribute vnto God so greate a force For we see that phisitions somtimes doo the like For they oftentimes expell out of yâ— A similitude bodies of men venome or poyson by venemous medicines hemlock although otherwise it be present poyson yet being tempered by that art it is so farre of from hurting that it also expelleth poysen So afflictions in godly men fight not against them but rather fighte againste the remnants of sinne And by these wordes of the Apostle we may inferre of the contrary that vnto those whiche An argument taken from the contrary Examples either loue not or hate God all thinges turne to theyr destruction which thyng we know came to passe in Iudas in others For wheÌ„ he began to hate Christ no good occasions or quickening wordes of the Gosple or power to worke miracles could any thing profite him The Iewes also when they were led about thorough the wildernes and were adorned of God with excellent and manifold giftes yet oftentimes became worse and worse Ambrose thus knitteth together thys sentence with that which went before Although we be enfected with great ignoraunce so that ether we aske those thinges which are not to be asked or els we out of time aske those thinges whiche are to be asked yet oughte not that therefore to be a let vnto vs when as by the benefite of the spirite thorough the mercy of God al thinges worke vnto vs vnto good Howbeit this is to be noted that the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is worketh together may be taken in the singular nomber and be referred vnto the spirite namelye that the spirite worketh and conuerteth all thinges to good to those which loue God And so this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is All shal be the accusatiue case But the receaued sence is more playne it is a phrase of speach much vsed of the Attike writers to ioyne vnto nownes newter being in the plurall nomber a verbe of the third person singular Augustine Vnto the elect sins also are profitable De correptione gratia so largly taketh this senteÌ„ce the he doubted not to write that vnto holy men sinnes also are profitable Which saying indede although I will not deny but to be true yet wil I not easely graunt that it agréeth with the sentence of Paul For both those thinges which are alredy spoken and whiche shall afterward be spoken pertayne to calamities and afflictions But the same Augustine else where more diligently weighing this place vnderstandeth by The sentence of Paul is to be referred vnto calamities and afflictions Why the burthens of Christians are said to be lighte Paul entrâ—ateth not here of of pleasantnes but of commodity How aduersities profite the godly The contrary endeuor of the Deuill it the whole burtheÌ„ of grieues and tribulatioÌ„s which he sayth is by this meanes made the lighter for that we loue God For he which loueth any man from the hart so for his sake beareth calamities that he is nothing grieued at them Iacob for Rachel serued 14. yeares and that so long space by reason of his loue semed but short And this is it that Christ sayth that his burtheÌ„ is light and his yoke pleasant not that those thinges which the Christians both do and suffer are not hard and difficile but bicause by reason of the loue which they beare vnto God all thinges be they neuer so hard shal be pleasant vnto theÌ„ But Paul here entreateth not of that kinde of good thinge which is light and pleasant but which is profitable vnto the godly vnto saluation And if thou demaund how aduersities are profitable vnto the godly I answere bycause God by theÌ„ auocateth his froÌ„ the delightes and pleasures of thys world and from themselues For such are we thorough the fault of nature and naturall corruption that we can not with out some hurt of ours be driuen vnto those things which are in very dede good On the contrary part the deuil laboureth as much as lieth in him by tribulations and aduersities to draw vs from God which thing he oftentimes bringeth to passe in the vngodly but in the elect the prouidence of God ouercommeth hys malicious purpose Farther by these afflictions calamities sin which perpetually froÌ„ our birth cleaueth fast vnto vs is dayly more more diminished The Apostle saith that this commeth to passe vnto them that loue God for that they are first loued of God For Iohn testifieth that we preuent not the loue of God God in louing preueÌ„teth vs. for no man can loue him vnles he be first loued of him It may peraduenture seme wonderfull why Paul sayd Vnto them that loue and not rather vnto theÌ„ that beleue especially when as at other times he attributeth iustification vnto fayth But this is to be knowen that in this place is not entreated of iustification For he writeth of the suffring of aduersities The cause whereof if thou wilt serch from the bottome then must thou go vnto grace and vnto the holy ghost Of grace and the holy ghost streight way springeth fayth by whiche after we haue embrased the goodnes and promises of God without any delaye springe hope and charitye Wherefore Paul tooke that thinge which is in aduersities next ioyned vnto fortitude For streight way so sone as we loue God for hys Loue is not the chiefest cause that maketh vs paciently to fuâ—â—er aduersities but the â—iest cause Charity distinguisheth the true faith from the false The connexion of faith and charity The most holiest men haue but a slender loue towardes God Why vnto loue can not be ascribed iustification Difference betwene the godly the vngodly sake we patiently beare all aduersities Wherefore he declared not the chiefe and principall cause but the niest And to the ende we should not stay there he streight way adioyned the roote and fouÌ„taine of that good thing For he saith Vnto those which are called according to purpose Farther he therefore maketh mencion of loue to put a difference betwene true faith and a fayned counterfeate and dead faith which is no faith at all For some boast of faith which bere no loue at all vnto God
other where Wherfore the cause must be proued by the word of God not by yâ— iudgement of multitude or fewnes Wherfore ther is no cause why the Anabaptists or Papists should so much glory the one of their fewnes and the other of their multitude For the truth of the doctrine must be proued by true and necessary argumentes taken out of the worde of God and not by probable argumentes I speake the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience also bearing me witnes By these wordes are not only ouerthrowen those thinges which are repugnant vnto that doctrine which we haue now set forth but also there is declared the very Election the fountaine of all good things fountayne of our saluation the fountayne I say of iustification and grace For it is the election of God from which doo flow all good thinges Wherefore the Apostle minding to speke of those things which the hearers would not take in very good parte thought it good by some preface to prepare theyr myndes to geue eare vnto him For he which goeth aboute to perswade any thing vnto an other man ought firste of all to labor to win the hearer vnto him For we do not easely hearken vnto those whom we suspect to hate vs. But this oration of the Apostle is so conterpeysed and tempered yâ— it mought neither to much displease What preâ—chers ought to obserue the minds of the Hebrues neither yet in yâ— meane time mought hide any thing froÌ„ theÌ„ which was nedefull for theÌ„ to know which thing yâ— preachers of our times ought to obserue For ofteÌ„times we se yâ— meÌ„ oâ—feÌ„d in either part For certain do so flatter theyr aduersaries yâ— they remit vnto theÌ„ many things which are not to be remitted they kepe in silence many things which yet to saluatioÌ„ are very necessary to be knoweÌ„ On the other side some seme to be moued with so great a zeale of piety yâ— they thinke it not inough to teach those things which are true necessary vnles also they do al maner of waâ—es exagitate stir vp theyr aduersaries by that meanes it coÌ„meth to passe that those men whome they would bring vnto Christ being with such reproches and clamors so made wery do not only not embrace the truth so offred them but also doo dayly more and more go backe from it The chiefe sentence of the Apostle in this place is this I haue conceaued What grief is an exceding griefe in mind by reason of the reiectioÌ„ of the Iewes Griefe as sayth Cicero in his Tusculane questions is a dissease which vexeth the mind and it is taken by reason of the euill which semeth to be alredy at hand and to be present For that dissease which is taken for an euil which is come is not called griefe but feare If a man demaund from whence this griefe springeth I Loue the cause of griefe aunswere from loue For when it goeth ill with them vnto whome we would good we beginne to be grieued But if vnto them whome we care not for or who are not deare vnto vs there happen anye misfortune that is not customable grieuosome vnto vs. The Apostle wonderfullye amplyfyeth hys sentence For he sayth not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is griefe but also he addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The griefe or sorrow of wemen in trauail which word signifieth not a common griefe but yâ— wherewith wemen are payned when they are in trauell then which griefe there is in a maner none counted more grieuous or more bitter And when he had sayd Great he added also Continuall For there are many grieues which continuance of tyme mitigateth But Paul sayth that his griefe is perpetuall In my hart This is not a quality during but for a tyme as is that which springeth indeede of a vehement passion but yet such a passion as is short and during but for a while But this griefe had taken most deepe rootes in the hart of Paul He calleth the Hebrues his brethren although he was oftentymes very ill handled of them He himselfe was an Hebrew of the tribe of Beniamin as he writeth in his epistle to the Phillippians And he calleth them brethern according to the fleshe to signifie that in religion he dissented from them as such which had not obtayned either iustification or adoption by the faith of Christ I would wishe to be Anathema He mought haue sayd I would or could be content to be Anathema But by a more vehement word he would signifiâ— the force of hys wyll To be Anathema is a much more greater thinge then to be plucked away or to be seperated For these thinges may haue some end but It is neuer lawfull to put Anathema to any vse that which is made Anathema it is neuer afterward lawfull to vse And to adde a greater emphasis vnto his wordes I my selfe saith he would wishe By whiche doubling of the pronoune he would most expressedly signifie himselfe And when he addeth From Christ he yet also heapeth vp a greater waight for he speaketh of that Christ whome he affirmeth to be vnto him life knowledge wisedome iustification and redemption and from whome a little before he sayde he coulde by no maner of What Anathema is meanes be plucked away What thing Anathema properly is Chrisostome vpon this place at large declareth Anathemata saith he are those thinges which being consecrated vnto God are layde apart from other thynges and which also no man dare once either touch or vse Wherefore by translation those men are called Anathemata which are as persons contagious and execrable remoued from the Church and with whome no man dare afterwarde vse familiarity Vnto either of these Anathemata this thing is common to be seperated and remoued from men but the consideration is farre diuers For the first are seperated for honor sake but these men for horror and hatred sake because they are detestable Wherefore sometymes they are called piaculares that is polluted Sacer that is holy takeÌ„ in good and â—uell part The lattines also do after the same maner vse this word Sacer that is holy both in good and also in euill part For Horace sayth Sacer intestabilis esto that is let not the wicked man be receaued for witnes Also Virgill Auri sacra sames that is the wicked hunger of golde The Hebrues also vse in the same maner this word Cadosh in the either part so that that word signifieth sometymes to sanctifie and sometymes to pollute as it is written in the 2. chapter of the Prophete Haggeus and in the 22. chapter of Deut. And amonge the same Hebrues by one and the selfe same word is signified both this worde holy and also an harlot as well male as female as it is written in the 23. chapter of Deut. But Anathema in Hebrew is called Haram But to returne to the Greke worde Anathemata are by an other name called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
could not only not be by any meanes remoued from the loue of Christ but also that he was chiefely for that cause excedingly vexed bycause in time past he had wished to be a straunger from Christ Which interpretation when I more diligently consider I sée that it agreth nether with the wordes nor with the intent of the Apostle For this is his scope that by reason of those thinges whereof he will afterward speake he might perswade the Iewes of his loue towardes them lest he should seme of hatred to say that they are not now the people of God but are vtterly strange froÌ„ the promise Which thing he could not haue obteyned by rehersing his sinne wherein he had persecuted the Church of God For the Iewes mought haue sayd Although hitherto thou hast loued vs when thou heldest on our side yet afterwarde when thou wentest vnto Christ thou didst change thy minde and because thou hast begone to hate vs therfore doest thou now speake these euill thinges agaynst vs. But if these thinges be vnderstand of the present state wherein he wrote this epistle vnto them and that by these wordes is signified yâ— he would euen theÌ„ also be Anathema from Christ for them then can there be no doubt put of his good will towardes them Wherefore these thinges serue nothing to the purpose of Paul if they be wrested vnto that time wherein he was as yet an vnbeleuer And that he was grieued for theyr distruction and not for his sinne this playnly declareth Paul was sory for the destruction of the Hebrued and not for his sinne which is afterwarde added Not as though the vvord of God hath fallen avvay For therefore he was grieued when he saw them perish bycause the promises of God semed to be infringed and violated And as he denieth that the promises of God are infringed so also desireth he to redeme euen with his owne distruction that it should not be thought so to come to passe and thereby the name of God should be euill spoken of Herehence come those teares and disires and not bycause he had persecuted the Church of God which yet I doubt not but it was a greate and continuall griefe vnto him But why he should make mencion of that griefe at this presenâ—e there is no reason doubtles as far as I can see Farther what neded he to contend about thys thyng wyth an othe For it was fresh in euerye mans memorye what an enemy he had bene in timâ—s past vnto Christe For hys persecution was not done in corners but publikelye and in the sight of all But thou wilt saye he therefore sweareth to make men beleue that he was excedyngelye sorye for that matter For that was secret neyther coulde it be knowen of all men but suche suspicions as are obscure are confirmed by an oth But I thinke no man doubted but that Paul was sory for the hatred which he had borne against Christ when as all men sawe with how great a feruentnes he preached his Gospell throughout the whole world Wherefore these thinges were not so doubtfull that they should nede to be confirmed by an oth Moreouer what great thinges should he thereby speake of himselfe or how should he by this meanes commend himselfe vnto his brethren by swearing But now let vs heare what the true Ierome iudged as touching this matter For that is a counterfeated Ierome which is ascribed vnto those commentaries But that is Ierome ad AlgasiaÌ„â— the true Ierome which writeth vnto Algasia in the 9. question For he asked hys counsell touching this place of Paul And he answereth that it is a question of great waight and not rashely to be passed ouer especially for as much as the Apostle wyth an oth confirmeth those thynges which he speaketh And with great admiratioÌ„ he addeth that it is a prudence vnheard of that a man should for Christes sake wishe to be seperated from Christ Straight way he compareth Paul with Moses and contendeth that either of them were endued with one and the selfe same spirite For they were both pastors of the people of God And as Christ sayth It is the part of a good shepherd to geue hys lyfe for hys shepe For to flye when the woolfe assayleth is the parts of a hired seruaunt and not of a shepherd Wherefore his iudgement is that Paul desired to dye for the saluation of his brethren For he knew that he which would saue his soule should lose it and he which would lose it shoulde finde it And to this end tendeth that which is before spoken For thy sake are we put to death all the day long and are appointed as shepe to be slayne Paul saith he desired to geue hys body and lyfe that their spirite myght be saued Farther he addeth that it may be proued by mo places thâ—n one that Haram that is Anathema in the old testament is taken for slaughter or killing We confesse that in déede the Apostle woulde and wished to geue his life for the shepe committed to his charge and for all those which might be brought vnto Christ that in him might be fulfilled those thinges which wanted of the passion of Christ But many thinges declare vnto vs that there can be no mencion made of that thing in this place For first they which so dye testifiing the fayth of Christ for the health of their neighbours are not Anathemata that is men seperated from Christ but are most nighly ioyned vnto him They are rather Anathemata that is seperated from Christ which persecute and kyll them Farthermore Haram which he saith sometimes in the olde testament signifieth killing could neuer be redemed nor be applied vnto other vses For beasts which after that maner were bound vnto God were destroyed by slaughter and thinges without life could neuer be put to publike vse or vse of common life But Martyrs which dye for the name of Christ are not made Anathemata What Moses desired of God Sepharadi The opinioÌ„ of an other Rabbins martyres which by preaching the truth dyed for the saluation of their brethren were not for that cause seperated from Christ but rather passed from this life as men which should euermore abyde with him Moreouer what will â—e answere of Moses For he desired to be slaine vnles God would spare the people but put me out saith he of the booke which thou hast written that is if we follow the common opinion blot me out of the booke of the elect For I allow not the cold fayned deuises of the Rabbines among whom Sepharadi saith If thou sparest not the people put my name out of the booke of the lawe that it be not red there What more fond exposition can there be deuised then this An other of the Rabbines thinketh that to be blotted out of the booke which God had written is nothing els then to be remoued from the office of a magistrate that he should not be the head of the people
learning sake I attribute very much But in considering it I finde two greate doubtes As touching the first Augustine in his booke de Sermone domini in monte saith How this is to be vnderstand that we should do vnto others that which we would should be done vnto vs. That that sentence of Christ that we should do vnto others that which we would should be done vnto our selues is to be vnderstand of an vpright and iust will For when we desire to haue any thing done vnto vs which is vpright and iust it is mete that we performe the same thing vnto an other man But if we our selues should desire any thing that is filthy or vniust then is it not mete that we should doo the same thing vnto our neighboure For suppose there were an vnchast and wicked maÌ„ which through filthy counsell would be content his wife should play the harlote shall he therfore with out sinne defile an other mans wife And if a man being in desperation in aduersities would desire that one should kill him shall it for that cause be Lawefull for hym to kill hys neighboure Wherefore It is not iust that a man should desire to haue an other man â–ª punished for himself for as much as I do not thinke yâ— the will of yâ— man is iust which to be deliuered from the punishment of death would desire to haue an other to suffer in hys place neither also can I thinke that a man is bound to desire vnto hym selfe dammantion to the end an other man should be deliuered bycause he desireth to haue such thinges vnto him selfe For as I haue sayde he desireth yâ— against reason and iustice Wherefore if damnation be sometimes wished for the brethren sake it is for some other cause to be wished for The second doubt is concerning Christ For although he for our sakes suffered death yet was he not in very dede seperated from God but that his humanity was holpen when vpon Christ was not for our sakes seperated from God the Crosse he suffered all extreme payns He was also made a curse as touching the punishement of the law which punishment he suffred for our saluation sake and he was counted as a blasphemer and an vngodly person and being as it were conuinced of these crimes he was condemned but yet was he not by eternall damnation seperated from God Erasmus sayth Optarim by the potentiall mode which signifieth I would haue wished namely if it were possible But this exposition disolueth not the doubt For herein is the doubt whether it be lawfull for the saluation of our neighbour to wishe or to desire to be made accursed from Christ And it might seme that although it were possible yet a good man ought neuer to haue any such thought to enter into his harte to desire this thing especially seing there can nothing be found better then God There are others whiche thynke that Paul when he wished these thyngs had his cogitatioÌ„ fixed only vpon the destruction perdition of the Iewes and â—or yâ— cause he was so much greued that straight way by a certayne force of charity he would redeme them euen with his owne condemnation Which force forasmuch as it came from the holy ghost and from charity could not but please God These are not say they the wordes of a man conterpesing himselfe betwéene God and the saluation of his neighbour as one which as it were after a déepe deliberation would preferre the Holy men are liberall of theyr owne thinges saluation of his neighbours before Christ but as holy men are liberall of their owne thinges so he considering the damnation of the Iewes for as much as he was desirous by some meanes whatsoeuer it were to put it away was willing to offer for them if it were possible euen his owne damnation that as it were by an exchange made they might be deliuered Neither offred he himselfe in such maner as though he would be a sacrifice for them or that he thought himselfe worthy so great honour that if he himselfe were condemned they should be delyuered but because he had no greater thing to offer But this opinion is hereby weakened because it is not very likely that Paul wrote not those thinges which he wrote with great deliberation and aduisement Wherefore he was not by violence or rashely impelled to speake these thinges but by great and wayghty deliberation that by what meanes so euer it were he might redeme the saluation of his brethren Neither know I whether such a will which afterward nedes to be corrected by the iust rule of the loue of God whome we ought to loue aboue all thinges may be ascribed vnto the holy ghost or no. And forasmuch as Paul speaketh as it appeareth of a matter of vehement charity it séemeth not probable that only a certayne first motion stirred him whereof we may doubt whether it procede from the holyghost and whether it a gree with the perfect loue of God if it be not amended Now resteth to rehearse the opinion of Chrisostome which for as much is my iudgement is of all other most playne easy and true ought to be taken as agreeable vnto the wordes of the Apostle First saith he the cause of this desire in Paul is to be sought for which if we be ignorant of then may we easely erre As when he circumcised Timothe when he polled his hed when he tooke vpon him the vow vnles a man know to what end he did these thinnges he might easely suspect that he was become an open Iewe. But if a maÌ„ wil more narrowly consider the thing he shall easely discharge him of all maner of Iewishnes Neither is this consideration to be had in Paul only but also in Abraham in Phinees and in Elias which men vnles thou diligently examine their causes thou maist What cause braue Paul to this desire count for homicides Wherfore let vs demaund of Paul Who moued thée O Paul vnto this thing to be made accursed from Christ He will answere vndoubtedly No man perswaded me so to do but Christ himselfe I would wishe in déede that my brethren according to the fleshe should be saued Howbeit I haue not fixed the end of my desire in them For this haue I wished not only for their sakes but chiefely for Christes sake that in this thing his grace and truth might most of all shine abroade And it ought not to séeme absurde vnto any man if I haue preferred It is not absurd for a man to preferre the dignity of Christ before his owne saluation the dignity and honour of Christ before mine owne saluation But this séemeth much to be against this sentence for that Paul made no mencion of this principall end and of this his chiefe entent But neither did he yâ— without a cause For he entended warely to set forth his matter which if he should haue openly spoken should not so well haue serued his turne
For while he wente aboute to persuade his bretherne according to the flesh how much he loued them in that he said that he wished for theyr sakes to be accursed from Christe if he had added that he had done it for the honor of Christ whom he worshipped I cannot tell what might seme to be dimished of that loue which he sayd that he bare towards his brethren Wherefore he cunningly kept that in silence wherein yet was the chiefe and principall cause of his desire Howbeit least the prudent reader should in any wise Why he made no mencion of the principall cause of his desire erre he hath so tempred his wordes which follow that by them he may very easely gather what his meaning was For thus he writeth To whome pertayneth the adoption the couenantes the glory the geuing of the lawe the worshippyng the promises of whome are the fathers of whome is Christ according to the flesh who is God ouer all blessed for euer Amen These wordes being well and diligently examined do declare what Paul had a regard vnto in this his so feruent desire Let vs call to memory that the Israelites were called of God that they abode long in the profession of God that they kept the lawes of God a longe tyme that they by innumerable Prophetes receaued promises of Christ to come and of other good thynges Forasmuch therefore as they had bene such men and yet semed now to be excluded and other nations which were ignoraunt of God and geuen to most filthy idolatry were placed in their stede many began to be offended at the prouideÌ„ce fayth and gouernmeÌ„t of God Wherfore ether they blasphemed him or ells they made exclamation openly that this was not the Christ promised in the Law These thinges troubled Paul excedingly much For he would not that in the affayres of the Gospel should be brought in a stage matter or a matter of pastime as though that which god had promised to one people he would geue to an other and as though Christ was borne for the Iewes but profited none but the Gentiles And that Paul was by this reason chiefely moued that manifestly declareth which is a litle afterward added Not as though the word of God The end of Moses request hath fallen away By which wordes he declareth that he admonished vs of these thinges lest any maÌ„ should thinke that the promises of God were not sure And none other entent had Moses wheÌ„ he desired to be blotted out of the booke which God had writen theÌ„ that God should spare the people For he geueth this reasoÌ„ Lest peraduenture it be said that God hath brought a people out of Egipt but was not able to bring to passe that they should obteyne the Land which he had promised them and therefore would he kill them in the desert Nether doth Paul in this place say that he Paul desired not to cease of froÌ„ louing of God Euery man ought to preferre the honor of God before his owne felicity Why Paul wished not this thinge for the Gentils wisheth to be seperated from the loue of God for he would by no meanes cease of from louing of him only he wisheth to be excluded from the blessed coniunction with God to be deuided from the fellowshippe of the Angelles and of the sayntes to be depriued of the fruition of eternall felicity And this thing ought euery one of vs to desire namely to preferre the honor of God before his owne felicity And Paul speaketh not these thinges of the Gentiles as he doth of the Iewes not that he would not doo as much for them also when the like danger of the honour of God shoulde happen but bycause then he entreated not of the Gentiles For they on euerye side of theyr owne accord came vnto Christ wheÌ„ as the Iewes most vehemeÌ„tly resisted him The same Chrisostome vpon Mathew expounding this place It is better that one member bee cutte of and cast away then that the whole body should perishe saith That Paule considered this thing that rather he being cut of and made accursed God might haue glory of the greate body being saued theÌ„ that he himselfe should be saued and a greate multitude of Iewes which were like vnto a certayne greate body should be cast into hell fire This so greate loue of Paul â—arre passeth the affect of all parentes toward theyr Children And so greate was it that Chrisostome writing touching priesthode sayth that he was for a iust cause feared a way from that office bycause he saw himselfe to be farre distant from such kinde of loue The same Chrisostome de prouideÌ„tita dei writeth That Paul desired rather to liue in hell then to se his brethern condemned And he addeth that it was a greater vexation vnto Paul to se the distruction of hys brethern the Iewes then if he himselfe should haue bene tormented in hell For he desired that torment rather then to se his brethern perish miserably Nether was he deceaued in this iudgment For it came not from reason or vnderstanding but from the impulsion of the spirite of God The Schoolemen differ not muche from thys interpretation of Chrisostome For Thomas sayth That Paule neuer wished for the seperation from God which coÌ„meth through sinne nether coulde he wish for it keping charity but for the aduauncement of the glory of God it was Lawfull for him to wish for the seperation from felicity Yea yâ— same Thomas addeth That Paul somtimes desired for his bretherns sake to be seperated from that felicity and to haue it differred for a time For vnto the Phillipians he writeth That to dye should be vnto hym gayne howbeit it was profitable for them that he should abide in the flesh he sheweth that he both desired and also hoped that God would graunt that he might be conuersante with them for a time So saith Thomas mought he also in this place for the helth of hys brethern wish to be seperated from God ether for euer or else for a time But that these These words cannot be vnderstande of a seperation for a time wordes can not be vnderstand of a seperation for a time this word Anathema sufficiently declareth For Anathema signifieth yâ— seperation from commoÌ„ vse which can neuer by any meanes be reuoked or restored againe But this Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signify not only I did wishe but also I did pray Neyther Paul wished for that thing which could not be done The will is sometimes rauished to thinges impossible ought we to meruayle that Paul wished for this thing although it coulde not come to passe for there is no doubt but that he was one of the predestinate for our will is oftentimes rauished vnto those thinges which are not possible to be done For so prayed Dauid Who shall geue me power to dy for thee my sonne Absolon When yet it could not be that he should dye for Absolon That are
and Esau which although as touching carnall propagation they came of Abraham yet they fell away from the promise Wherefore the promise as we sayd was geuen vnto the carnall posterity of Abraham although that earthly generatioÌ„ was not the Works and carnall propagation ar not causes of saluation cause that the promise should â—e of efficacy and take place in all Paul remoueth away two thinges whiche he will in no wise to be the causes of the promises namely carnall propagation workes What shall theÌ„ be the cause of the promise Verely nothing else but the electioÌ„ and purpose of God To remoue away Election is the cause of saluation these two thinges Paul vseth the oracles of God and mencioneth the examples of Ismael and Esau And as touching Isaak whom God preferred before Ismael it is written in the boke of Genesis But there are two places touching Iacob the one is in Genesis and the other in the prophet Malachie There are also moreouer promises of yâ— calling of the Gentiles but therof is not at this present entreated That shall afterward be handled in his due place where it shal be declared that the Iewes being repulsed the Gentiles are substituted in theyr places and The promise was made to the stocke of Abraham indefinitely the same shal be confirmed by many testimonies of the scriptures Now is entreated only of the promise made to the stock of AbrahaÌ„ And the Apostle sayth that the promise indede was made indefinitlye but yet not to euery one that should come of that bloud Wherefore the promise must needes pertayne to the sede elected whereunto many are annexed by the propagation of the flesh in whome the promise taketh no effect It is indede offred vnto all but it is not fulfilled in all For euen as the common welth of the Israelites was by the mercy of God seioyned from other nations so yâ— by yâ— selfe same mercy of God some of the Israelites were elected to be pertakers of the promise of God which pertained not to all men vniuersally Hereby we may know that many of the Iewes by reason of that promise shoulde receaue Christ and attayne vnto saluation For the promise of God can by no meanes fayle And for that cause the Apostle before so much extolled his nation for that he saw that yâ— promise of God should yet haue place in it Neither is that any let that yâ— greater part was at yâ— time blinded for the oracles of the prophetes foretold that that thing should come to passe who declared that the indefinite promise of God is by the hidden purpose of God contracted to a few They which thinke that these thinges pertayne to the Gentiles referre the promise vnto them as though they were truely made Israelites and the sede of Abraham especially seing that Paul sayth in the. 3. chapiter to the Galathians Those which are of fayth are the sonnes of Abraham and when as also Iohn Baptist sayth in the Gosple God is able of these stones to raise vp children to Aâ—raham We indede deny not but that the Gentiles are transferred to the nobility of yâ— Hebrues but forasmuch as that coÌ„meth not vnto them by naturall propagation as it did to the Israelites they belong not to AbrahaÌ„ as touching the flesh but only by spirite and faith pertaine vnto him Wherfore we are grafted adopted and planted into that stocke All these thinges are true but Paul entreateth not of them in this place This thing only his entent is to declare that in Israell issueng from Abraham as touching the fleshe â–ª lieth still hidden some sede of the election and that some remnantes thereof shall at the last be saued But of the Gentiles he will afterward in dew place inteate In the meane time he defendeth the promises of God that they should not seme vnconstant and vnstable when as so few of the Iewes were saued by Christ For not all they which are of Israel are Israel neither all they which are of the sede of AbrahaÌ„ are children But in Isaac shal thy sede be called That is not they which are the children of the flesh are the childreÌ„ of God but they which are the children of the promise are counted for the sede Chrisostome in this place demauÌ„deth what this Israell is what thing this sede is And this he noteth that the children of the flesh are not the children of God Howbeit he denieth not but that they are the childreÌ„ of AbrahaÌ„ And he thinketh that the Apostle in this place calleth them the children of God which are borne after the selfe same maner that Isaack Isaack borne of the promise was borne But he was procreated of the promise and worde of God For the worde promise of God framed and formed him in the wombe of his mother And although the mothers wombe was vsed to procreation yet forasmuch as that was now dryed vp and barren it could not be the cause of his procreation So saith he the faythfull when they are regenerated in Baptisme are by the worde and promise of God borne againe And if thou wilt say that the water also is therunto adioyned we graunt it is so in deede yet of it Regeneration is not to be attributed vnto the water self it is a thyng cold and barren lyke the wombe of Sara Wherfore whatsoeuer is done in Baptisme commeth wholy of the holy ghost and of the promise of God It is well to be liked that Chrisostome attributeth not regeneration vnto the water but referreth it rather to the holy ghost and to the worde of God But there are two thinges which he auoucheth which may not so easely be graunted First that the scope of Paul is to contract the promises of God to the Gentles For here as we haue said first is entreated of the Iewes Secondly seing that the children of the Hebrewes were long time regenerate before Christ came and had the promise of their saluation sealed with circumcision no otherwise then we now haue by Baptisme what nede was there to contract regeneration only to baptisme Let vs rather vnderstand yâ— the promise was set forth indefinitely vnto the people of Israell which as touching yâ— flesh came of Abraham Which promise was in the children of the Hebrues sealed by circuÌ„cision wherfore that people was here before said to haue had the couenauntes and promises And Peter in the Actes of the Apostles calleth the Hebrues The chilldren of the couenauntes for that the promises of God were as we haue said set forth vnto them generally although they toke not effect in them all After this maner are to be vnderstanded many places in the Prophets where In what maner many oracles in the Prophetes concerning the people of Israel are to be vnderstanded the people of Israell is indefinitely called the people of God although in very dede many of them were aliantes from God Esay hath I haue nourished and exalted children but they
same againe This only now I lay that that proposition is not altogether so simplye to be vnderstanded Farther this also is not true which he taketh as a ground when he saith that Paul in this place dissolueth not the question which he did put forth â–ª For Paul most plainely sayth that the election of God is the cause of our saluation And of the election of God he putteth none other cause but the purpose of God and his mere loue and good will towards vs. Neither is he any thinge holpen by that similitude whiche he bringeth out of the fiueth chapter of this Epistle For there Paul sayth that it is not absurd to say that we in such sort haue the fruicion of the righteousnes of Christ that by it we are iustified forasmuch as by the offence and dissobedience of one man many are condemned This sayth he he ought to haue proued that we are infected by the sinne that we haue drawen from Adam which yet he did not but left it vndissolued Yea rather Paul proued that we are pertakers of that corruption euen by this that we die And they die also whiche haue not sinned after the likenes of the transgression of Adam Wherefore by death as by the effect he sufficiently proued original sinne For in yâ— Paul afterward sayth when he entreateth of the calling of That the Gentiles by fayth caâ—â— vnto Christ is not the cause of predestinatioÌ„ but the effect God gâ—ueâ—h not faith vnto his râ—shly but of puâ—pose the Gentils and of the reiecting of the Iewes that the Gentils came by faith but the Iewes sought saluation by the works of the law he putteth not that as a cause but onely as an effect of predestination For it may straightwaye be demaunded wherhence the Gentils had theyr fayth And if they had it of God as doubtles they had why did God geue it vnto them Surelye for no other cause but because he would Wherfore let vs leue those thinges as not agreable with the wordes of the Apostle and this rather let vs consider how the Apostle in this place confuteth iij. The Maniches confuted of Paul errors First he stoppeth the mouth of the Manichies which attributed much vnto the houre of the natiuitie as though we should by the power of the starres iudge of the life death and other chaunces that happen vnto men For Paul sayth that Iacob and Esau were borne both at one time in whome yet we see that in theyr The Pelagiâ—â—s confuted whole life was great diuersitie He confuteth also the Pelagians which taught that the will is so frée that euery one is according to his merites foresene of God which error is also in other places confuted of Paul by most strong reasons For to the Ephesians he saith Which hath elected vs in him before the constitucion of the world that we should be holy He saith not that he elected vs for that we were holy but that we should be holy And vnto Titus He hath saued vs not by the woorkes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to his mercy And to Timothe Which hath called vs by his holy calling not according to our woorkes but according to his purpose and grace which is geuen vnto vs in Christ Iesus before the times of the world By which wordes we see that the election of God consisteth of Grace whiche we haue had from eternally Farther by these woordes of Paul is also confuted Origen as we haue sayde Origene coÌ„futed For Paul saith that these two had done neither good nor euell The elder shall serue the younger This seemeth to be a temporall promise What is the groundâ—ele of earthly promises But we haue before oftentimes admonished that the foundation and groundsell of these earthly promises is the promise touching Christ and touching the obteynement of saluation through him And this maye hereby be gathered for if we haue a respecte vnto the principallitie of the first birth we shall not finde that Iacob atteined to it For he neuer bare dominion ouer his brother Esau so longe as he liued yea rather when he returned out of Mesopotamia he came humblye vnto him and desired that he mought obteyne mercy at his handes and it vndoubtedly Iacob had the possessioÌ„ of the first birth not in himself but in his posterity seemeth that Esau was farre mightier then he Althoughe touching the posteritie of eche it is not to be doubted but that the promise tooke place For in the time of Dauid and of Salomon the Iewes obteined the dominioÌ„ ouer the Edumites If these thinges be well applied to the purpose of the Apostle then muste it needes be that that they be vnderstanded of the promise of Christ and of eternall felicity For this is it that Paul endeuoreth that it shoulde not séeme to be againste the promise of God â–ª that few of the Iewes are receaued vnto the Gospell séeing that the greatest part of them were excluded And when he had brought this testimony of Iacob and Esau that the elder should serue the yonger of that oracle he bringeth this reason that the election mought abide according to purpose Which thinge for that it séemed hard vnto humane reason he confirmeth by an oracle of Malachy As it is written Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated This sentence of Scripture which is here cited is the reason and cause of the other sentence The latter oracle is cause of the first A place of Malachie declared which he before alleadged namely That the elder should serue the yonger Which is herebye confirmed for that it is written Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated These wordes are written in Malachy aboute the beginning of the first chapter in which place God thus vpbraydeth vnto the people their ingratitude I haue loued you And they are sayd thus to haue answered Wherein hast thou loued vs TheÌ„ sayth the Lord Iacob and Esau were they not brethern And yet haue I loued Iacob hated Esau And this he hereby proueth for that they beinge bretherne yet he preferred Iacob before Esau And vnto Esau he gaue a waste and solitary land suffered not the Edumites to be deliuered from theyr captiuitie yea rather he threateneth that if they should enterprise to reedifie theyr countrey being ouerthrowen he would then destroy it But vnto the Israelites he gaue a good fertile land who if peradueÌ„ture they should for theyr sins be led away into captiuitie yet he promised From the loue of God commeth eternall lyfe and froÌ„ hâ—s hatred eternal destruction yâ— he would bring theÌ„ home again fully restore again vnto theÌ„ theyr old kingdom But these things forasmuch as they are earthly we do not at this preseÌ„t meddle wt. This thing onely I thinke is diligently to be weighed yâ— of the loue of God coÌ„meth eternall life and from his hatred eternall destruction Some in this place with great curiosity enquire
that they had God fauorable vnto them And God as touching those whose God he will peculiarly be prouideth for thē not only commodities in this life for he is the God of the whole man and hath no les care ouer the soule then he hath ouer the body that not only in this life but also in this life to come but let vs peise the entent of Malachy He reproueth God prouideth for his not onely things erthly but also eternall the people of ingratitude towardes God God saith he is your father and Lorde Howbeit ye neither loue him nor reuerence him when yet he hath loued you And that loue he proueth by a double benefite of God towards them first for that he loued Iacob and preferred him before Esau when yet notwithstanding they were brethern and twines secondly for that he gaue vnto the one a sertile and plentifull land to inhabite but vnto the other he gaue an vnfruitful and barren land and for that he deliuered the one from theyr captiuity but would haue the captiuity of the other to be perpetuall So the loue of God is proued by the effectes but of that loue is alledged no cause I graunt indede that the posterity of Esau were alwayes wicked men and enemies vnto the people of Israell although by affinity they were ioyned vnto them yet they were alwaies aduersaries and enemies vnto them Some say also that Mahumet came of that natiō although there are others which referre his stock to the Ismalites Farther the earth also The earth is by reason of sinnes made barrē is by reason of sinnes made barren Therfore Dauid sayth That for the sins of the people the earth is turned into a wildernes and is made of God vnfruit full But neither Paul nor the prophet describe these thinges as causes of the loue of God Yea rather if we should fayne any such exposition vnto Malachie his reprehension should somewhat be extenuated For when he vpbraydeth vnto the people ingratitude for that God had loued thē they mought in one word haue made answere Therefore hath he loued vs bycause we deserued it for he foresaw that our workes should be good and for that cause he loued vs. Wherefore much wayght is taken away from this reprehension if we admitte this opinion Many trouble theyr heddes about the hatred and loue of God and say that he neither loueth nor hateth as we vse to doo Which thing in dede I graunt for God loueth with out all maner of troubled affection and loueth perpetually for he is not changed he hateth also without perturbation and for that he is not mutable he perpetually hateth those whom he hateth They say moreouer that these thinges are to be considered by the effectes so that God is sayd to loue him to whome he doth good and to hate him whome he ouerpasseth and leueth in sinnes and for his sinnes which he hath committed afterward greuously punisheth Herein I will not contend with them although in graunting thys God in dede loueth and in dede hateth I also affirme wyth the holy scripture that God truly and in dede loueth and hateth and that thereof followe those effectes which we haue now mencioned And bycause we can not by it selfe vnderstand the force and might of the loue hatred of God therfore we consider thē by the effects namely ether by his gifts or by his punishmēts But the ground of y◠question is whither y◠loue come of our merites or fréely The Apostle excludeth merites other some fayne woorkes Whether God loue or hate in respect of works fore sene foreséene Wherefore it shall not be amisse to recite theyr opinions that we maye see how this is to be vnderstanded that God either hateth or loueth Chrisostome thinketh that God therefore loued Iacob because he was good and reiected Esau because he was euill And if thou saye that they forasmuche as they were not yet horne had done neither good nor euill he maketh aunswere that vnto God if is not needefull to waite for the euent of thinges For he by the most sharpe sighte of his foreknowledge seeth before all eternitie what thinges shal afterward come to passe and he alone knoweth truly who shall be woorthy of his election who vnworthy But here Chrisostome somewhat strayeth from the truth when hee saith God findeth not in men an◠worthines for which they should be elected that God findeth in men any woorthinesse for which they ought to be elected For what thing els is that but not onely to diminishe but also vtterly to take awaye euen the grounde of grace For if of our selues we be worthy to be elected verely the grace of GOD is not geuen vnto vs freely Howbeit he confesseth that the Apostle speaketh not this for if he had made aunswere that Iacob was therefore elected for that he was good and Esau reiected for that he was euil he saith that the Iewes mought straightway haue replied if we be reiected for our wickednes what were the Gentiles whiche are now receaued any better then we This thinge also woulde they vtterly haue denied For the Gentiles were infected with most gréeuous sinnes howbeit he sayth it moughte be graunted that the Gentiles which were nowe called were good for that they had receiued the saith of Christe which the Iewes by all maner of meanes withstoode But Paul would not in such sorte make aunswer but referred the whole matter to the foreknowledge of God against which doubtles saith he none that hath his righte wittes will stande For Paul resolueth not the question into the fore knowledgeof God but into his wil by it God foreseeth who shal be good and who euill But here againe he is far out of the waye For Paul resolueth not the question into the foreknowledge of God but into his will mercy and power For he sayth that it is not of hym that willeth nor of him that rūneth but of God that hath mercy that he hath mercy on whom he will and hardeneth whome he wyll and lastly that the potter maye of one and the selfe same masse or lompe make one vessell to honor and an other to contumely And to the Ephesians he saith that we are elected accordinge to the good pleasure of his will Chrisostome addeth that when it is sayd that the elder shall serue the younger thereby is shewed that the right and dignity of the first birth should nothing profite hym which came first out of the wombe but the vertue which God foresaw before workes Here it is a harde matter to vnderstand what manner a thinge that vertue is whiche should goe before works For what doth he peraduēture thinke y◠these men are borne endued with vertue But there cā no such thing be foūd in the scriptures for they testifie y◠mē are borne the children of wrath obnoxious vnto sinne But as far as we can coniecture A mynde prone to good things is not in
vs by nature but dependeth of god by those thinges which follow he taketh vertue for a minde apte and prone to good thinges But God cannot in election haue a regard vnto any such minde For there is none that hath such a mind by nature or proper vnto himselfe but it vtterly dependeth of the grace and fauor of God For as it is written in the booke of Genesis All the imagination of mans hart is â—uill But because he seeth that in the words of the Apostle is no mencion at all made of foreknowledge it is a world to see where hence in Gods name he picketh it out That which Paul saith That the election Chrisostom by purpose vnderstandeth foreknowledge What is the purpose of God There is no differeÌ„ce whether a man take works done or workes to be done Against workes and merites should abide according to purpose he thus interpretateth That in that birth of twynes God mought declare his election according to purpose that is according to the foreknowledge of workes to come which foreknowledge election followeth But he should haue proued that purpose signifieth onely foreknowledge Which doubtles he can not doe for it signifieth rather a deliberate sentence and decrée of the minde Neither doth thys any thing helpe hym which is of some obiected that Paul when he sayth Not of workes excludeth workes alredy done and not workes that shal be done As though forsooth there were any difference whether they be done or whether they be to be done For when the Apostle had sayd that we are saued by grace he added If of grace then not of workes and if of woorkes then not of grace For these haue suche an Antithesis or contrariety the one to the other as touchinge our election and saluation that the one excludeth the other Farther when Paul had sayde Not of woorkes he added But of him that calleth which word euen alone oughte to haue feared awaye men from attributing so much to merites But Chrisostom and such like as he is alwayes say that God electeth and calleth those whome he knoweth shall beleue Wherefore Chrisostome sayth Let no man obiect vnto vs the sentence of the scripture or continuall seruitude when as God beholdeth I say not the outwarde parts but also the inward worthines of the minde Wherefore he saith We must beleue the secrecy of the election of God for that it is incomprehensible But althoughe we also confesse that How the secrecie of God is said to be incomprehensible these secrecies are incomprehensible yet taketh he it one waye and we an other way for he thinketh that that secrecie is to vs incomprehensible for that we can not attaine to the knowledge of the worthines or vnworthines of those which are reiected or elected But we refer that obscurity to the order of the counsels of God which counsels as we beleue they are iust and right so also sée we not the reasoÌ„s causes of that iustice and those causes we affirme oughte not in this matter of election to be considered by thinges here but by the high and vnspeakeable wisedom of God But Chrisostome for that he leaneth to the worthines of the menne whiche A similitude of Chrisostome worthines he saith we cannot consider but God vnderstandeth right well setteth forth an example of Mathew who being a publicane and excercising a moste vile vnhonest office was yet not withstandinge a precious stone drouned in durte or myre Which God did not onely esteme but also gathered vp and polished it with grace and a great many giftes Here he séemeth plainely to saye that Mathew had that worthines of himself for he sayth that grace was afterward geuen vnto him and because he would the plainelier expounde himselfe he addeth two similitudes The first is of coÌ„ning lapidaries which choose not out those precious stones which they see allowed of men ignoraunte and of the common people but for that they Two similitudes haue a most skilfull sight they sometimes take those which others reiecte The second is of suche as tame breake horses which do not straight way choose out those coltes whiche the rusticall people iudge to be beste but they haue certaine assured markes which the common sorte of men sée not wherebye they knowe that those horses will be couragious and good when they are better growen So God elected the harlot the thiefe and the publicane reiecting the high priestes Scribes Pharisies in whome the common people thought consisted al doctrine and holines Oftentimes also in the church those which were highly esteemed and séemed to excel when persecution came fell awaye when in the meane time men abiecte and vile triumphed with the glory of martyrdome Wherfore take not vpon thee saith he of so great a woorkeman to enquire the causes why this man is beloued and that man reiected why this man is crouned and that man punished For if he loued Iacob hated Esau doubtles he did not that vniustly But he requireth a noble harte and a gratefull minde For they which are such although they sometimes fall into vices yet they streight way step vp againe And although they some longe while abide in sinnes yet God at the length deliuereth them But they which are of a vitiate and corrupt mind although they séeme sometimes to shine with good workes yet whatsoeuer they do they wholy viciate it with the prauitie of theyr mind and to declare this he bringeth also examples For Dauid was not of purpose or malice but by the violence of the flesh and vehemency of luste led to sinne and therefore was he forgeueÌ„ of God and returned againe into the right way But the pharisey Examples of Chrisostome for that he semed vnto himself to abound in good works by his boasting hipocrisy lost al. This is the sum of yâ— which Chrisostom hath when he expoundeth how God loued Iacob hated Esau But how litle these things agrée with yâ— words of the ConfutatioÌ„ of the sentence of Chrisostom Apostle although it may be vnderstaÌ„ded by those things which are red in this cha yet is it most of al manifest by yâ— which is had in the 11. chap. of this epistle where is described the answere which was made by God to Elias That God had lefte vnto himself ten M. meÌ„ which had not bowed their knées before Baal where Paul thus saith The remnantes according to the election of grace shal be made safe not of workes otherwyse grace should not be grace In which wordes is to be marked the Hebrew What is the election of grace If election hange of workes grace is not grace phrase According to the election of grace For it is all one as if it had bene sayde According to the gracious or free election For in that tong the sonne of perdition is nothing els but the lost sonne But that we should vnderstand that our election consisteth fréely Paul so excludeth workes that
declare in him his power therefore he hath mercy on whom he will hardeneth whom he wil. Why then do we still complayne For who can resist his wil Here againe he addeth God forbid He for no other cause as I suppose thus wresteth the text but Why this place is made so troublesome of these fathers Origene wrote a boke of free will for yâ— he would not haue mans vnderstanding to much offended or free will impayred But that this wrested expositioÌ„ yet satisfied hym not it is manifest by yâ— which he alledgeth out of a boke of fre wil which he saith he wrote although yâ— boke be not at this day extaÌ„t And in it he endeuoreth to interpretate these words as if they were the wordes of Paul himselfe and not of any other man asking a question They hurt no more free will sayth he then that which we rede in Dauid Vnles the Lord build the house they labour in vaine which build it The builder in dede doth somwhat for he is carefull and laboreth but God remoueth away the lets and permitteth the worke to be accomplished So will he haue that to be vnderstanded whiche is written vnto the Corrinth Neither he which watreth nor he which planteth is anye thing but God which geueth the encrease Wherefore although we labor yet it is God which geueth perfection accomplishmeÌ„t to our labors After this maner thinketh he may aptly be expounded this sentence It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that hath mercy But this cauillation Augustine of whose iudgment as touching this matter I am in a greate many places excellently well confuteth For so sayth he we may inuert the sentence the other way and thus say It is not of God that hath mercy but of man that willeth and runneth But touching this matter we will speake more at large in due place Thus much we thought good at this present to reherse that thou moughtest se that Origen hym selfe putteth no greate affiance in this his first interpretation howbeit he goeth on in it and thus repelleth that troublesome and importunate inquisitor O man what art thou that answerest vnto God and goest to Law with him when as thou art as clay in the hand of the potter Neither vouchesafeth he to make anye other answer to the troublesome inquisitor For so he sayth Christ when he was demaunded by what power he did those thinges would not make answere vnto the Scribes Whome doubtles he would haue aunswered if they had asked the question with a godly minde and with a minde desirous to learne For so also a master that hathe a malipert seruaunt which neglecteth to doo the thinges which he is commaunded and troublesomely enquireth the causes of those thinges which are commaunded him would say vnto him What hast thou to doo to enquire touching these thinges I will haue it so bycause it is my pleasure so When as otherwise he would make answere if he were asked the question of a faythfull and an obedient seruaunt Therefore God although he hid from many what he would do yet reueled he his secretes vnto Daniell a man desirous of knowledge So we also if we be not rash and importunate inquisitors may in the scriptures know the causes of the loue and hatred of God towardes Iacob and Esau although to the malepert and importunate inquisitors that answere which is here geuen of Paul ought to be sufficient And in the first epistle to Timothe it is written That In a greate house are vessells some of gold some of siluer some of clay in this place that distinction of vessells is not discribed Thys thing only Paul sayth That the potter may of one and the selfe same masse make one vessel to honour and an other to contumely But vnto Timothe is geuen a cause of the diuersity For thus it is written He wich shall purge himselfe from these thinges shal be a vessell to honour sanctified to God and prepared to euery good worke Of which wordes we may inferre to the contrary He which purgeth not himself nor clenseth him selfe shall be a vessell Origene geueth a cause of the loue of God towardes Iacob â–ª and â—â— his hatred towardes Esau The opinioÌ„ of Origene is coÌ„futed to contumely Lo saith he the cause which was not geuen vnto the Romanes is geuen vnto Timothe Wherefore Iacob was therefore beloued bycause he had clensed him selfe from sinnes for the scripture geueth testimony of hym that he was a man simple gentle and obedyent to his parentes And Esau was therefore hated for that he had not purged him self but perseuered in malice in impiety This exposition of Origen conteyneth many things which are not to be allowed First for yâ— he persisteth not in those thinges which he had spoken at the beginning namelye that election consisteth not of woorkes but of the purpose of God and good pleasure of him that calleth Secondlye for that he maketh darke those thinges which in the Apostle are plaine and perspicuous Thirdly for that in his booke of frée will he declareth that he followeth not the exposition which he presently bringeth moreouer for that he thinketh that the Apostle in this place dissolueth not yâ— question where he of purpose putteth it forth and entreateth of it but dissolueth it in the Epistle to Timothy where he onely by the way toucheth that matter Lastly for that out of those wordes of the Apostle he gathereth not a good solucion For of that sentence of Paul He which purgeth himselfe shal be a cleane vessell oughte not to be inferred that a manne can by hys owne strengthes purge hymselfe for that thinge doth God onelye and not we our selues Neyther is that argument of force to proue our strengthes and the libertye of our wyll whyche is taken of a commaundemente or of an exhortacion For God oftentymes commaundeth and oftentimes exhorteth after this maner If thou shalt do this or that these or those thinges shall happen vnto thée to the ende we might vnderstande our infirmity and acknowledge from whence those things which are commaunded are to be sought for But to be clensed and purged in suche sorte as God geueth grace cannot be the cause of election Now wil I come to Ambrose who in a maner nothinge disagréeth from these thinges for he also will haue the purpose of God to signifie foreknowledge And when yâ— Apostle saith That the election should abide according to purpose he peyseth that word should abide and thereof gathereth that the foreknowlege of God cannot be deceaued neither is it possible but yâ— euery thinge shall so come to passe as God foreséeth euery thing shall come to passe but he saith What acception of persons â—â— that God loueth and hateth as he that foreknoweth thinges to come and not as an accepter of persons but doubtles God cannot be sayd to accept persons for that we beleue he fréely loueth and hateth whome he wil not by
follow be alleadged of Paul the more vehemently to repell the obiection For he repelleth it after a sorte with this execration God forbid Whiche thing is plainelye declared by this particle For whereby is geuen a reason of the sentence going before And hereunto helpeth that this sentence is cited oute of the scriptures Whiche thinge Paul is not wont to attribute vnto the person of the aduersarye For he obiecteth vnto himselfe those thinges which are affirmed of humane wisedome against the sentence of the holy Ghoste but this he retayneth vnto himselfe by testimonye of the scriptures to confute these humane reasons whiche séeme to be againste it I will not speake how Origen when he sawe the absurditye of his exposition had no great affiance in it but placed an other in stéede thereof But Chrisostome and Ambrose attribute these wordes vnto Paul himselfe althoughe they somewhat straye from the righte interpretacion For Chrisostome sayth that Paul in this place maketh the matter more obscure to the ende to driue the Iewes to that pointe that touching the question for which they kept so great stirre neither they themselues should be able to make any aunswere For they demaunded why theyr nation being reiected the Gentils should be taken Paul to stop theyr mouthes And ye sayth he tell me why Ismaell being reiected Isaac was receaued Why Iacob being beloued Esau was hated But because to these thinges mought aunswere after a sorte be made that these men were euill and the other good therefore he bringeth thys place out of the. 33. chapter of Exodus where when God by reason of the idolatry which the people had committed in the calfe had commaunded manye of them to be slayne would yet notwithstandinge pardon the reste of the multitude Here is lefte no such refuge at all for the crime of them all was a like Wherfore God said vnto Moses I will haue mercy on whome I wyll haue mercy That is I alone can discerne why I will haue mercy on this man and will not haue mercy on that man This canst not thou sée Wherfore in this matter geue place to me Neither wanteth it an Emphasis that the Apostle in this place by name putteth Moses For séeing that he sawe not the cause of this thing when yet notwithstanding he was of all men that euer were the most familiarest with God verely much les could others sée it Wherfore Paul by these wordes repelleth putteth to shame the rashe The interpretation of Chrisostom confuted It is not the part of the holy ghost to make darke that questioÌ„ which is nâ—cessary vnto saluation inquisition of men for that God onely foreséeth the merites and worthines of those whome he electeth and whome he pardoneth This interpretacioÌ„ containeth thrée thinges which in my iudgemeÌ„t are not very sound First for that it sayth yâ— the Apostle maketh obscure the question when as in dede he most of all maketh it plain neither is it the part of the holy Ghost to hide the truth whiche is so necessarye to saluation Moreouer it affirmeth that God spake these words to Moses touching those men which were slaine for idolatry which thing as we shall declare agréeth not with the History Laste of all it referreth the matter to the righteousnes and foreknowledge of merites when as Paul reduceth these thinges to the mercye of God onely Ambrose will haue these thinges to be alleadged of the Apostle in thys sence as though God should say I will haue mercye on him whome I foreknowe shal be conuerted and abide by me And I will shew compassion on him on whom I will shew compassion that is I will geue mercy vnto him whome I haue foreknowne shall after his error with an vprighte harte returne vnto mee And this sayth he is to geue vnto him vnto whome ought to be geuen and not to geue vnto him vnto whome ought not to be geuen to call him whome he knoweth will heare him and not to call him whome he knoweth will not heare him And to call What to cal is with Ambrose To haue mercy is noâ— to foreknow sayth he is to pricke forward to receaue fayth In this interpretacioÌ„ also first this is to be disalowed that to haue mercy should be all one with to foreknow for these wordes are of farre diuers significations Wherefore to interpretate the one by the other is to adde of his owne head and not to geue the meaning of the Apostle And when he sayth that God geueth vnto whome is to be geuen and geueth not to whome is not to be geuen he hath a respecte vnto the iustice of God when as God himselfe as Paul testifieth referreth all thinges to his mercye Neyther is it true that God calleth those onelye whome he knoweth shall heare him for he daylye called the Iewes whome he knewe shoulde be rebellious vnlesse peraduenture he vnderstande no other callinge but that whiche is of efficacye but that callinge commeth not hereof for that men are prone to heare but yâ— it maketh them to be able to heare But Augustine wrytyng vppon thys place thoughte that GOD hathe not a respecte vnto workes to come but vnto faythe But the same sentence he himselfe afterward by most firme reasons reuoketh in his second booke of RetractatioÌ„s the 1. chapiter and in the first booke and 23. chapter Now resteth that as the wordes of Paul playnly declare the election and good will of God depend only of his mercy But that these wordes I will haue mercy one vvhome I vvill haue mercy should be vnderstand as Chrisostome would haue them of the slaughter of some of the pardoning of other some it semeth An history in Exodus rehersed not to be agreeing with the history For that slaughter is set forth in the 32. chapiter But before ye come to the other place which is in the 33. chapiter there are many thinges set For after that slaughter the Lord commaunded Moses to go vp from that place and sayd that he would not go with them for that it was a stiffenecked people And the people hearing this were excedingly sory and wept Agayne Moses prayed vnto the Lord that he would go with him and added that he would not go vnles the Lord would so promise him At the length the lord being as it were ouercome with these prayers maketh answer yâ— he would so do for that Moses had found fauor in his sight And Moses hearing this added Now then shew me thy glory Vnto whome the Lord answered I will make all my good go before thee and I will proclayme my name Iehouah before thee and I will haue mercy one whome I will haue mercy and I will shew compassion one whome I will shew This place is not to be vnderstanded of the idolatrers but of Moses compassion Wherefore I like theyr iudgement better which thought that thys place is to be vnderstanded not of the idolatrers slayn or preserued but of Moses only as if
sheweth mercy to geue vs to vnderstand that all whole is to be attributed vnto his grace Indede sayth he our will goeth before many giftes of God for that when we are iustified dayly is encreased grace Our wil goeth not before all the giftes of God We pray for the obstinate for that we know that their conuersion â—â—eth in the handes of God and sondry giftes of God are geuen vnto vs yet doth it not go before all the giftes forasmuche as that the will should be good it dependeth of God And thereof it commeth that we pray vnto God for those meÌ„ which are yet obstinate wicked which doubtles should be in vayne done vnles we knew that it lieth in the bands of God to chaÌ„ge their peruerse will The same August to Simplicianus in this 1. boke 2. questioÌ„ expouÌ„ding thys place saith The Apostle spake not thys that by the helpe of God we come to that whiche we will but to that purpose whereto in an other place he sayth It is God which worketh in vs both to wyll and performe accordinge to hys good wyll where he playnlye declareth that euen the good will also is by the workinge of God made in vs. For if he had spoken this in that sence it mought be sayd It is not of God that hath mercy but of man that willeth and runneth Wherefore hereunto had Paul a respect to teach that we can in no case will but by the mighty calling of God â–ª forasmuch as that calling is the worker of our good will And although God do call many yet is he sayd to haue mercy on those whome he with efficacy calleth Wherfore out of the woordes of the Apostle and accordinge to the right interpretacion of Augustine we gather that all whole is to be ascribed vnto God whatsoeuer is done of vs vprightly Chrisostome here wonderfully troubleth himselfe and although he graunt that the wordes going before are the woordes of Paul yet here he contendeth that there is an Antithesis or contrary position Which thing how farre it is from the sence of Paul the very order of the wordes declare For that whiche is now here inferred is not put by way of interrogation But this particle Wherefore plainelye declareth that this is concluded of that oracle whiche was cited out of the booke of Exodus Farther we shall a little afterwarde sée that the Apostle of those thinges whiche he had spoken beginneth to commoÌ„ with the aduersary touching the matters which he had put forth For thus he afterward sayth Thou wilt saye then vnto me why doe we stâ—ll complaine For who can resist his wyll This is obiected against those thinges which he had before alleadged For this is the thinge Wherefore the aduersary coÌ„playneth namelye for that it is neither of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that hath mercy But they whiche sée that it is not possible but that these wordes are spoken vnder the person of Paul saye that he solueth not Here is dissolued the question the question put forth but onely maketh a kinde of reasoning and rebuketh men But we say that these reasoninges and rebukinges are euen the verye solution of the question For if he be reproued whatsoeuer he be that séeketh for anye other cause of the election of God besides his mercy and will then doubtles it manifestly foloweth that there can be no other cause geuen of his electioÌ„ especially seing that Some say that iâ— vs is somewhat but yet a very little the holy scriptures acknowledge none other besides this Others to lenefie these words of the Apostle It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth coÌ„tend that that is not to be taken plainly but by way of comparison for forasmuch as that which is ours and is brought of vs is but little and as they vse to speake modiculum if it be coÌ„pared with the most plentifull grace of God therefore by very good right it may be said to be nothing when yet in very déede it is somewhat And by this figure they séeke to elude this sentence of the Apostle But we againe demaund whither they haue that little modicum as they terme it of themselues or of God That it is of God they cannot deny For Paul sayth to the Corrinthians What hast thou that thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receaued why boastest thou as though thou haddest not receaued But they say that they after a sorte receaued This modicum they say they haue receiued of God in their creation it of God for man euen from his creatioÌ„ had this at his frée pleasure to vse his will so yâ— when grace is offred he may receaue it if he will when the doore of the hart is knocked at he may let in the Lord if he will and when he is inuited to beleue he may geue his assent if he will This is that prety modicum little whiche they affirme was put in vs euen straight way from our creation This thing they say God hath left frée vnto vs as though wheÌ„ he had created man and left him vnto his owne power he would goe banquet with the Ethiopians as Homere fableth God departeth not froÌ„ the thinges which he hath created but perpetually ruleth gouerneth them This fond opinion that we haue a certain modicum in vs touching these things is confuted But the case is farre otherwise for God perpetuallye gouerneth and moueth the thinges which he hath created neyther at any time committeth he them to theyr owne choyce But let vs somewhat more strongly go to woorke with them That selfe same modicum whereby they say that they assent let in and receiue let them declare what manner of thinge it is Verely forasmuche as men are endued wyth reason they can shew nothing but that it is a worke ether of the vnderstanding or of the will And as touching the vnderstanding Paul sayth that the naturall man vnderstandeth not the thinges whiche are of the spirite of God yea neither doubtles can he forasmuch as vnto him they are foolishnes Wherfore we can thinke nothing touching those things of our selues as of our selues wherfore yâ— modicum is as touching the vnderstanding taken from them neither is it left in the power of man But if thou wilt say that it lieth in thy will to assent and to stay Paul is against thée For vnto the Phillippians he sayth It is God whiche woorketh in vs both to will and to performe And Ezechiell the Prophet sayth That it is God which taketh away our stony hart and geueth vs a fleshy hart And Christ our sauiour sayth without me ye can do nothing Wherefore that modicum whether it consiste in the vnderstandinge or in If this modicum be graunâ—ed our bosting is not excluded the will is by these reasons proued to be none of oures For if we shoulde graunte that that is of vs which these men so often
do exercise workes repugnaÌ„t to his wil coÌ„maundements Wherfore seing yâ— God hath mercy on whoÌ„ he wil geueth to whoÌ„ he wil requireth again of whoÌ„ he wil he caÌ„not be accused of imustice for he worketh not of duty And if in case saith Augustine in the 6. chap of the selfe same boke any man will importunately accuse him as though he ought by right to bestow his mercy let him consider what is spoken of the Apostle afttrward O maÌ„ what art thou which makest answer vnto God Hath not the potter power of one and the selfe same â—umpe of clay to make one vessell to honour and an other to contumely In this place Paul first beateth downe the stubborne resister for that he will not be content with thys definite sentence by hym brought Moreouer he bringeth that similitude of the claye and of the potter wherby he stoppeth the murmuringes of men for that the claye contendeth not with his maker and confirmeth the sentence whereof we now entreate namely that both election and reprobatioÌ„ depend of the will of God Afterwarde he addeth the laste reason why God woulde haue some vessels appointed to honor and some to contumely namely in the one to declare his glory and goodnes and in the other his iustice and power But this is woorthy to be noted that Paul in these obiections rebukes and aunsweres neyther chaungeth nor calleth backe any of those thinges which he had before spoken For he leaueth all things in theyr owne force And when he had referred hatred loue election and reprobation vnto the will of God though he were somewhat vrged by these obiections yet teacheth he and deliuereth he no other thinges then he had before taught and deliuered yea rather he most strongly confirmeth the selfe same Augustine in his Encheridion to Laurentius the 9 chapiter and in his booke of 83. questions the 68. question sayth that there were certayne which thought that Paul in this place wanted in rendring a reason and therefore turned hymselfe to chidinges But this is to do iniury vnto the holy ghost who spake in Paul Who they be that haue maimed the holy scriptures He sayth also that there were certayne heretiques which tooke vpon them at their pleasure to rase out many thinges out of the holy scriptures as though they had bene afterward put in by men and had not bene so written at the beginning and of that company was Marcion Manicheus and such like pestileÌ„ces against whom they could not by the authority of the scriptures dispute for that they admitted them not but as pleased them They reiected a great number of places which they called by a name vsed of them Interpolata that is interlaced Amongst other places they tooke away this place which we are now in hand with For they deuising many thinges touching the will of God and enquiring the causes touching the constitution of creatures when they saw themselues repulsed and confuted by this obiurgation of the Apostle reiected it as conterfeate and straunge But we with a sound piety receaue all the Canonicall bookes and embrace and reuerence these wordes of Paul In which wordes yet this séemeth to be wonderfull that he so putteth downe the aduersary as though no reason could farther be geuen wheÌ„ yet notwithstanding afterward he declareth by the ende why God would make some vessels to honour and other some to contumely namely thereby to make The question put forth may be takeÌ„ two maner of wayes A cause of the election of God may be geuen may not be geuen open his goodnes and glory and his power and iustice But this hereof commeth for that the question may be taken two maner of wayes And if it be demaunded generally why amongst all the number of meÌ„ some are reiected of God and some elected that cause taken of the end may be assigned which now we spake of But if we enquire of euery particular man why this man is a vessell of mercy to declare the goodnes of God and that man a vessell of wrath to make open his iustice we haue no other cause but the mere will of God which electeth and reiecteth wherewith vnles the demaunder be contente he shall worthely heare of Paul What arâ— thou O man which contendest with God This thing paraduenture may be made playne by some similitude If a carpenter should haue before him a great many A similitude peces of timber being all vtterly of one forme and quantity and should be demaunded why he putteth some below and in the foundation and other some on high he would make answere because that building must haue both a roofe and a foundation But if thou yet farther demaunde why he maketh these peces to serue for the foundations rather then the other when as the forme and quantity of them all is alike he will answere nothing els but because it so pleased hym With which answere vnles thou be content he will contemne thée as a foolishe and importunate inquisitor These wordes of Paul are in déede fewe but yet of great waight For it is an argument taken of the comparison of the nature of man vnto the nature of God which are farre wide distant the one from the other Abraham when he questioned with God touching the distruction of the Sodomites An example of Abraham and was afrayd least in questioning he should procéede farther then was lawfull for a man to know very well and religiously submitted himselfe Beyng sayth he but dust and ashes I wyll speake vnto my Lord. But humane reason vnles it be regenerate can not kepe this meane And therefore though Paul now decided the question yet is it not content Augustine in his 68. question vpon Genesis sayth that by these wordes men are not feared away from a modest and godly inquisition of spirituall things but onely in them is reproued an importunate curiousity The godly are not â—eared away from a modest inquisition but froÌ„ an importunate curiositie An example of Iob. Which how deepely it sticketh in the children of Adam not yet regenerate no man can iustly esteme Yea also they that are iustified can here skarce bridle themselues Wherfore Iob in that dialogue which he had with his frendes oftentymes sayth that he had a wonderfull desire to reason and to contend with God if he mought as touching the aduersities which he thought to himselfe he suffred vnworthely For which corrupt desire being towardes the ende of the booke reproued of God he professeth that he woulde do repentance in dust and ashes for that he had so spoken The lattin translation hath Qui respondeas deo that is which maketh answere vnto God But that doth not fully expresse the Greke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For that word signifieth not onely to answere but also in answering to gaynesay or by answeres to contende Of these obiections which hetherto haue bene brought Is there iniquity with God Why doth he
that it is to be sought for onely of the wisedome of God himselfe Wherefore we muste define nothing but so much as is reuealed vnto vs by God in the holy scriptures Those commentaries which are ascribed vnto Ierome haue noted two things first that this aunswere of Paul is after a sorte spoken by way of supposition as if he should thus say vnto the aduersary Although it were so as thou imaginest that God hath mercy vpon whome he wil and whom he will he hardeneth yet oughtest thou not doubtles to take that in such ill part that thou shouldest séeke to striue with God and as it were in iudgement to call him to a triall This interpretacion taketh as graunted that those wordes He hath mercy vpon whome he will and whom he will he hardneth are spoken vnder the person of the aduersaries But the verye course of the wordes will not suffer that for the Apostle straight way vnto those wordes addeth an obiection saying Thou wilt say then vnto me why doth he yet complain And who can resist his will Nether ought we at our pleasure to alter the order of the words Moreouer when as Paul saith that the potter hath power of one and the selfe same lompe to make one vessell to honor and an other to dishonor they thinke that this similitude is to be applied to the Israelites and to the Egiptians And therefore they affirme that those two nations séemed to come both out of one and the selfe same lompe for that they were both polluted with one and the selfe same kinde of sinne The Iews worshipped the idols of Egipt namely with idolatry For as Ezechiell testifieth the Iewes also worshipped the idols of Egipt howbeit though eche had a like sinned yet notwithstanding God honorably deliuered the Iewes but threw the Egiptians into destructioÌ„ But there The things that are spoken of the Apostle vniuersally are to be vnderstanded generally Here is entreated of that electioÌ„ which was before the foundatioÌ„s of the world were layd In election the will of God is not tyrannicall is no néede to vnderstand those thinges which are spoken of the Apostle generally of certaine perticuler kinde of men Neither in this place is entreated of afflictions or punishments sent of God wherein a man may easly finde out the consideration of merites but of that first election whiche God had before the foundacions of the world wer layd Neither is that very currant which Methodius Martyr writeth in his booke de resurrectione as it is cited in the Gréeke Scholies For he expoundeth these thinges of God who hath power in the last day to raise vp the bodies of the dead being of one the self same lompe of the elementes one part to the honor of blessednes an other part to yâ— dishonor of daÌ„natioÌ„ For that last condeÌ„natioÌ„ adiudging to glory are much distant froÌ„ electioÌ„ predestinatioÌ„ wherof Paul now entreateth Howbeit this in yâ— meane time is worthy to be noted yâ— we wheÌ„ we attribute vnto God such a power in the election of men as hath the potter in making of vessels do in no case teach that such a power and will of God is tyrannicall or strange from iustice For forasmuch as vnto no man is done iniury and this kinde of authority by most good right beloÌ„geth vnto God it must nedes be that both election and reprobation are iust although the reason of that iustice depend not of the workes either of them that are to be elected or of them God taketh away nothing from those vpon whome he hath not mercy The reprobate are oftentimes adorâ—ed with great gifts that are to be reiected And to make this thing more playne we ought to know that God when he ouerhippeth any man and hath not mercy vpon him taketh yet nothing away from hym For so the potter taketh away nothing from the honour or dignity of the clay when of it he maketh vessels to a contumelious vse Yea rather oftentimes we sée that the reprobate are adorned of God with excellent giftes although he bestowe not vpon them that mercy which bringeth saluation Wherefore seing that God taketh away nothing from them they haue no cause why they should accuse God of iniustice if they be of him ouerhipped Thus muche touching the interpretacion of the wordes of Paul Nowe it shall not bee from the purpose as I suppose to see what Chrisostome bringeth vppon this place For hee perceauing that by this similitude he was excedingly vrged and seing that of it followeth that neither election nor reiection depende of the merites of workes with great counning wente aboute to extenuate the strengthe of this similitude Similitudes saith he are not so to bee receaued that they should be of force as touching all partes for otherwise should followe God is called a Lion many absurdities For God is sometymes in the scriptures compared with a Lion out of which similitude yet this thing onely thou oughtest to gather that in God is vnmeasurable strength and inuincible fortitude which thinges by most good right ar agreable with God But if thou wilt go farther and transferre vpon God the cruelty and fiercenes of God is called a beare Lions no man will suffer that God is sayd also to be like vnto a beare which is to be referred vnto the strengthes of auenging and yet oughtest thou not therefore to attribute vnto God the deformednes of that beast and his vnreasonable wrath God is also called God is called a fire a fire for that he can consume and purge all thinges and yet must thou not therefore say that he wythout vnderstanding and sence and will consumeth all thinges But Chrisostome neded not to haue taken so great paynes in setting forth that rule of similitudes For it is of all meÌ„ confessed that similitudes are not in all partes of force neither do we transfer vnto God al thinges which are agreeable vnto the potter and vnto the clay For we do not imagine vnto God either handes or a whele to worke withal neither do we spoyle men of sence vnderstanding and wil that they should be vtterly like clay Wherfore we confesse that which Chrisostome sayth that similitudes oftentimes halte and that in weighing of them is to be added in a deepe consideration But Chrisostome thinketh that this is onely the skope of Paul to represse man that he should not repine agaynst God for so the clay resisteth not the potter And this scope in dede we also admitte but in the meane tyme we adde an other namely that God may by hys owne right haue mercy vpon whome he wil and not haue mercy on whome he wil not which liberty is also attributed vnto the potter in vsing of the clay A double error of those which in this question oppose theÌ„selues against God We must neither repine against God nor falsly accuse him of iniustice which thing if thou take away from the scope of Paul
mercy for that they haue purged themselues from filthines But what the verye meaning of that place is we haue before declared And that the Gentiles performed by nature those thinges which are of the law we thus expounded that they did many things in outward discipline which were coÌ„maunded in the law of Moses as in yâ— they eschued thefts whordomes adulteries other such like sins Wherfore Paul coÌ„cluded yâ— they waÌ„ted not the knowledge of vice vertue of right and wrong so yâ— when in many things they fell sinned they could not be excused by reason of ignoraunce There are others which vnderstand those wordes of the Gentiles now conuerted vnto Christ which being endewed with the holy ghost executed the commaundementes of God and declared both in life and in maners yâ— righteousnes consisteth not of the law of Moses of which thing yâ— Iewes continually boasted of But the first interpretacioÌ„ more agreeth with the words of the Apostle But whether soeuer interpretacion be admitted Origen hath therby no defence to proue that men attayne vnto righteousnes by the worthines True righteousnes dependeth not of the endeuor of men but of the goodnes of God The Iews did not rightly follow righteousnes of workes Yea rather the very wordes of the Apostle most plainly declare that true righteousnes dependeth not of the endeuor or worthines of men but of the goodnes and mercy of God For he sayth that the Israelites following the law of righteousnes attained not vnto righteousnes But this semeth vnto humane reason very absurd namely that those which followed not should obteyne and those which followed should be frustrated Howbeit this we ought to consider that the Israelites did not vprightly and lawfully seke it For if they had sought it according to the meaning of the law for as much as Christ is the end of the law they had doubtles beleued in him and so should haue bene iustified But by cause Paul in this place twise repeteth the righteousnes of the law some thinke yâ— those wordes are not in either place to be a like vnderstanded For in the first place by the law of rightousnes they thinke is to be vnderstanded the outward law and in the second place the true righteousnes as though Paul should saye that the Iewes applied themselues vnto the outward obseruation of the law but could not attayne vnto the true righteousnes in Christ Which interpretation I indede dislike not howebeit I thinke that these wordes may in eyther place be taken in one and the same sence so that the meaning is although that Wherfore the law of God is called the law of righteousnes the Iewes had purposed in theyr minde to kepe the law geuen them of God which law is called the law of righteousnes for that in it is contayned moste perfect righteousnes yet being voyde of fayth and of the spirite of Christ they could not kepe the law and therfore they were frustrated of theyr purpose and of that which they had determined in theyr minde so that they neyther had the true righteousnes which the Gentiles had obteyned and also were frustrated of that righteousnes which they sought for And the ground of that error was The grouÌ„d of the error of the Iewes in folowing of righteousnes Faith the soule of the commaundementes of God for that they being destitute of fayth and in the meane time supposing that they mought be iustified by workes applied themselues vnto workes only But without fayth these thinges are in vayne enterprised For fayth is the soule and life of all those thinges which are commaunded in the law Seing therfore that they fayled of the prescript of the law they had not Christ by whome their transgression of the law mought be forgeuen and by whome that which wanted mought be supplied And these workes whereof Paul speaketh the Fathers referre vnto the rites and ceremonies of the law of Moses but that as we haue declared is straÌ„ge from the very methode and doctrine which Paul vseth in thys epistle The contencion indede at the first beganne as we haue oftentimes said aboute ceremonies But Paul to proue that they can not iustify added a generall What Paul in this place vnderstandeth by workes In the obteinyng of rightousnes workes are as contrary opposed vnto fayth They which ascribe righteousnes vnto workes are not iustified proposition namely that no workes of what kinde soeuer they be in as much as they are workes haue power to iustify wherefore Paul in this place by workes vnderstandeth not only ceremonies but also all dewties of life This moreouer is worthy to be noted that Paul in this place in such sort affirmeth that righteousnes is taken hold of by fayth that vnto it he opposeth workes as contrary For when he had said that the Gentiles attayned vnto righteousnes by fayth streight way he addeth that the Iewes fell away from the law of righteousnes although they endeuored themselues thereunto namely for that they sought it not by fayth But why they sought it not by fayth he geueth a reason for that they sought it by workes Whereof it followeth that they are not iustified which abscribe righteousnes vnto workes For to put conâ—idence in them and to attribute righteousnes vnto them is an assured and euident let that thou canst not attayne vnto the true righteousnes Chrisostome noteth that these wordes of Paul which eyther pertayne vnto the Gentiles or which pertayne vnto the Iewes may be reduced to thrée wonderful principal poynts For first of the Gentiles he sayth that they attayned vnto righteousnes which Three things here out gathered against the meaning of the Iewes How the righteousnes of faith is greater then the righteousnes of workes thing the Iewes could in no case abide to heare for they would haue had none but themselues counted to pertayne to the kingdome of Christ SecoÌ„dly which is also more wonderfull he sayth that they attayned vnto righteousnes when as they gaue not themselues vnto righteousnes And which is most wonderfull of all he sayth that the righteousnes of fayth which the Gentiles tooke hold of is farre greater then the righteousnes of workes And therefore Paul before in this selfe same epistle thus wrote If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath glory but he hath not whereof to glory before God But how the righteousnes of fayth is greater and ercellenter then the righteousnes of workes is thus to be vnderstanded that although the workes of men not regenerate seme to be honest and notable and bring with them a certayne ciuill righteousnes yet notwithstanding is that righteousnes of so small valew that before God it is none at all yea rather it is counted for sinne Farther the holines and vprightnes of works which are done of men regenerate although it please God yet can it not abide to be examined tried by his exacte iudgmeÌ„t For our righteousnesses are like a cloth stayned with the naturall course of
ioyned wyth foreknowledge and what it differeth from it Now let vs see what it hath common or diuerse with prouidence This it hath common with prouidence that either of them requireth a knowledge and is referred vnto the will and that either of them hath a consideration to thinges to come But herein they differ for that prouidence comprehendeth all creatures but predestination as we spake of it pertayneth onely to the sainctes and vnto the elect Farther prouidence directeth things to their naturall endes but predestination leadeth to those endes which are aboue nature as is this to be adopted into the sonne of God to be regenerate to be endued with grace whereby to liue vprightly and last of all to come vnto glory Wherefore we do not say that brute beastes are predestinate Brute beastes are not predestinate for they are not able to receaue this supernaturall ende Neyther are Angels now predestinate for they haue already attayned vnto their ende but predestination hath a respect vnto thinges to come Whereas we sayde Why the prouidence of God is said to be common to all thinges that prouidence pertayneth to all thynges that may thus be proued because nothyng is hydden from God otherwyse he shoulde not be most wyse And if he know all things eyther he gouerneth all those thinges or els he abiecteth the care of many of them If he abiecte the care of any thing he therefore doth it eyther because he can not or bycause he will not take vpon him the care of those thinges If he can not then is he not most mighty if he will not then is he not most good But to deny that God is most wise most mighty and most good were playnly to deny him to be God Wherefore it remaineth that Gods prouidence is ouer all thinges which thing the scriptures in infinite places most manifestly testefie For they teach that the care of God extendeth euen to the leaues of trées euen vnto the heares of the hed euen vnto sparrowes Prouidence may thus by the way be defined prouidence is Gods appoynted vnmoueable and perpetuall administration of all thinges When I say God I Dâ—finition of prouideÌ„ce The gouernment of God is not tyrannous say that he is endewed with greate authority and that he is mighty AdministratioÌ„ signifieth that his gouerment is not tiraÌ„nious but quiet gently and fatherly For tirannes violently oppresse theyr subiects and referre all thinges to to theyr owne commodity and lust But God violently presseth no man neither by this gouerment getteth any commodity vnto himselfe but only communicateth his goodnes vnto creatures And this administration extendeth vnto all thinges For there is nothing free from it neyther can without it indure It is called appoynted bycause it is ioyned with most excellent wisedome so that it Why prouidence is vn vnmoueable admitteth no confusioÌ„ It is vnmoueable bicause yâ— knowledge of this gouernor is not deceaued neyther can his power be made frustrate It is also perpetuall bycause God himselfe is present with the thinges For neyther did he when he had created thinges leue them vnto them selues yea rather he him selfe is in them and perpetually moueth theÌ„ For in him we liue we moue and haue our being And thus much of prouidence Vnto these thinges also is fate or desteny of very nigh affinity From which word if as we haue before sayd it be taken for a certaine ireuitable necessity which dependeth of yâ— power of stars the fathers haue not without iust cause absteined But if it signifie nothing ells but a certayne connextion of second causes which is not caried rashely or by chance but is gouerned by the prouidence of God and may at his wil be changed I se no cause why the thing it selfe should be of any man reiected Howbeit bicause there is danger that error might sometimes crepe in Augustine thinketh it best that we vtterly refrayne from that worde We ought also to remember that which we haue in an other place taught namely that the loue election and predestination of God are so ordered together that they follow one an other in a certaine Loue election predestination how they are ioyned together course First vnto the knowledge of God are offred all men not being in happy estate yea rather being nedy and miserable whome God of his pure and singular mercy loueth those he careth for and putteth a parte from other whome he ouerpasseth and embraseth not with his beneuolence and they by this seperation are sayd to be elected And those so elected are destinied or appoynted vnto an end Augustine in his booke de predestinatione sanctorum the 10. chapter thus defineth predestination that it is a preparation of Grace and and in the 12. chapter How Augustine defineth predestination he sayth it is foreknowledge and a preparatioÌ„ of the gifts of God by which they are certainly deliuered which are deliuered but the rest are left in the masse or lompe of perdition In an other place he called it the purpose of hauing mercy The Master of the sentences in the first booke distinction 40 defineth it to be a preparation of grace in this present time of glory in time to come These definitions I reiect not howbeit bicause they compreheÌ„d not the whole matter I will bring an other definition more full as nigh as I can I say therefore that predestination is the most wise purpose of God whereby he hath before al A full definition of predestination eternity constantly decreed to call those whome he hath loued in Christ to the adoption of his children to iustification by fayth and at the length to glorye through good workes that they may be made like vnto the image of the sonne of God and that in them should be declared the glory and mercy of the creator Thys definition as I thinke comprehendeth all thinges that pertayne vnto the nature of predestination And all the partes thereof may be proued by the holye scriptures First we take purpose for the generall word For that word is common both to predestination and vnto reprobation Paul vnto the Ephesians sayth Purpose is common to predestination vnto reprobation That we are predestinate according to the purpose of God And in this Epistle to the Romanes he sayth That the purpose might abide according to election But what thys purpose is we vnderstand by the first chapter vnto the EphesiaÌ„s For there thus it is written That God hath predestinate vs according to his good pleasure By The purpose of God is his good pleasure Purpose pertayneth vnto yâ— wil. these wordes it is manifest that that is called his good pleasure which Paul afterward called purpose And that this purpose pertayneth vnto the will those thinges whiche afterward followe doo declare By whose power sayth he God woorketh all thinges accordinge to the counsell of hys will But by thys will we ought to vnderstand that will whiche is of
is reduced all those things which follow in this chap. he shall sée that the Apostle draweth those thinges which he teacheth of predestination to these principall pointes namely vnto power For he saith Hath not the potter power Vnto purpose or good pleasure for vnto the Ephesians he vseth both words Vnto will for he saith He hath mercy on whome he will and whome he will he hardeneth Vnto mercy or loue for he saith It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that hath mercy Also Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated Seing Paul what cause soeuer he eyther here or in any other place geueth of predestination reduceth them to these fower principall pointes can we doubt of his meaning or shall we take vpon vs to geue sentence otherwise But as touching works he speaketh not so much as one worde wheresoeuer he entreateth of this matter but onely to exclude them Farther consider this that there is nothing more against the scope and meaning of Paul then to put workes foreséene to be the causes of predestination IustificatioÌ„ should come by workes if election should depende of workes forsene For by that meanes woorkes shoulde be the causes of iustification But that doctrine the Apostle hath in this Epistle by all manner of meanes oppugned And I hereby proue this reason to be firme because the Apostle maketh predestination to be the cause of vocation and vocation the cause of iustification Wherefore if workes be causes of predestination they shall also be causes of iustification For this is a firme rule among the Logicians whatsoeuer is the cause of any cause is also the cause of the effect Farther no man can deny but that good workes procéede of predestination For we are sayd to be predestinate that we shoulde be holye and blameles And God by predestination hath prepared good woorkes in whiche we should walke And Paul himselfe confesseth that he obteined mercy to be faithful Good workes are the effectes of predestination Against the good vse of of free wil. Wherfore if workes be the effectes of predestination howe can we then say that they are the causes thereof and chiefly those kinde of causes which are called efficient causes For that vse of frée will is nothing worth which they so often boast of as though we haue it of our selues and not of the mercye of God For Paul sayth that it is God which worketh in vs both to will and to performe And God in Ezechiell sayth I will take away from them theyr stony hart and wil geue vnto them a fleshy hart We can not saith Paul thinke any thing of our selues as of our selues And if we had in our selues that good vse which they speake of what shoulde let but that we mighte glory thereof Vndoubtedly the Lord sayth No man commeth vnto me vnles my father draw him And Ierome against the Pelagians excelleÌ„tly wel writeth that those which are sayd to be drawen are by that woord signified to haue bene before withstanding He which is drawen was before vnwillyng resisting and vnwilling but afterward God so worketh that he chaungeth them This selfe same thing also doth the nature of grace proue For Paul sayth That the remnantes might be saued according to the election of grace yâ— is according to gracious or frée electioÌ„ For so is the genetiue case after yâ— Hebrue phrase to be resolued Farther in the definition of predestinatioÌ„ in yâ— first place we haue put this word purpose which seing it signifieth nothing els as we haue declared out of the Epistle vnto the Ephe. but the good pleasure of God thereby it euidentlye appeareth that from no other where must we séeke the cause of predestinatioÌ„ More Workes caÌ„not be the causes of our calling ouer workes can not be the causes of our vocation and much les of our predestination for predestination goeth before vocation And that woorkes are not the causes of vocation is declared by the Epistle vnto Timothy God hath called vs sayth Paul with his holy calling not by our works but according to his purpose and the grace which we haue in Christ before the times of the world Hereby it most manifestly appeareth that works are not the causes of our calling Yea neither also are works the causes of our saluation whiche yet were farre more likely for by good woorkes If we should be predestinate by workes thâ— exclamatioÌ„ of Paul were to no purpose God bringeth vs to felicity But Paul to Titus sayth that God hath saued vs not by the workes of righteousnes but according to his mercy Farther what néeded Paul after this disputation to cry out O the depth of the riches of the wisedom knowledge of God how vnsearcheable are his iudgementes and how vnaccessable are his waies For if he would haue followed these mens opinion he might with one poore word haue dispatched the whole matter and haue sayd that some are predestinate and other some reiected because of the works which God foresaw should be in both of them Those men Augustine in mockage called sharpe witted men which so trimly and so easly saw those things which Paul could not sée But say they the Apostle in thys place assoileth not the questioÌ„ But it is absurd so to say especially seing yâ— he broght it in of purpose the solucioÌ„ therof serued very much vnto yâ— which he had in hand And how in Gods name can he seme not to haue assoyled the question when he The question is assoyled when it is reduced to the highest cause reduced that euen vnto the highest cause namely vnto the will of God And therewithall sheweth that we ought not to go any farther when God had appointed limities at the fote of the mounte Sina if any man had gone beyond those limites he was by the law punished Wherefore let these men beware with what boldnes they presume to go further then Paul would they should But they say that the Apostle here rebuketh the impudent Be it so But yet is this rebuking a most true solution of the question For Paul by this reprehension prohibiteth vs not to enquire any thing beyond the mercy and will of God If these men meane such a solution which may satisfye humane reason I will How the questioÌ„ may be said to be assâ—yled not to be assoyled easely graunt that the question is not in such sorte assoyled But if they seke yâ— solution which fayth ought to embrace and to reste therein they are blind if they se not the solution But let vs se what moued these men to say that workes foresene are the causes of predestination Vndoubtedly that was nothing ells but to satisfy humane iudgement which thing yet they haue not attayned vnto For they haue The aduersaries satisfie not humane reason nothing to answere touching an infante which being grafted into Christ dieth in his infancy For if they will haue him to
euery side defiled and filthyly wrapped in bloud I passed by sayth the Lord and when I saw thee in that case I had compassion of thee Farther let vs remember what is the scope of the Apostle in this epistle For if we will iudge vprightly of controuersies we must not cast our eye of frō the scope This was the scope of the Apostle by all maner of meanes to commend the grace of Christ And to this purpose can nothing more be a let then to affirme that the predestination of God that is the head and fountaine of grace commeth of the workes of men And if it be counted a fault in orators if in their oration they paraduenture inculcate things which should much hinder the cause which they toke in hand how can we suspect that the holy ghost presisted not in that which he began but speaketh thinges strange from that which he purposed Neither doubtles can there be any other reason geuen of the members then of the hed which is Christ Iesus Seing therefore that no man can doubt but that the sonne of God tooke vpon him humane nature freely For if the question should The son of God toke vpō him frely humane nature be asked why he rather tooke vpon him man of the virgen Mary then any other man there can no reason be geuen but for that it so pleased him For as tooching wookes any other man borne of an other virgen mought haue had them no les then he which was borne of Mary For whosoeuer had had the diuinity as Christ had he should doubtles haue done the selfe same workes which Christ did Seing therfore that that humanity was taken of the son of God fréely of the pure mere mercy of God euen after the self same maner whosoeuer are the members of Christ are elected fréely and without any merites of workes Finally all those reasons which proue that iustification consisteth not of workes the same As iustification is not of workes ▪ so neither also is predestination Christ and his death is the first effect of predestination Christ as touchyng his humane nature and death ▪ is not the cause of predestination also proue that predestination dependeth not of workes Now resteth to declare whether Christ and his death may be sayd to be the cause of predestination Here we answere that Christ and his death is the first and principall effect of predestination for amongst those thinges which are of God geuen vnto the elect is Christ himselfe and the fruit of his death For whatsoeuer is geuen vnto vs is deriued vnto vs from God by this way and as it were through this pipe And forasmuch as it is certaine that the effects of predestination may so be compared together that one may be the cause of the other but vnto none of them agréeth to be the beginning of predestination therefore we deny that Christ as touching his humanity or death is the cause of our predestination although he be the beginning and cause of all good thinges which come vnto vs by the purpose of God I know that there haue bene some which haue gone about to conciliate the sentences of the fathers with this most true doctrine which we haue now by many reasons proued For they say that the fathers when they write that predestination is of workes foresene by the name of predestination do not vnderstand the worke or action of God whereby he electeth or predestinateth any man ▪ but rather the end and certaine meanes for as touching them nothing can let but that workes may be causes Sentences of many of the fathers agree not fully with this doctrine For it is without all doubt certayne that the last damnation commeth of workes as of the cause and good workes spring of fayth as of their beginning I sée in dede that the entent of these men is not to be discommended which labour to apply the sentences of the fathers vnto the truth as much as is possible But yet that which they auouch I can not affirme to be true For there are certaine sentences of the fathers so hard that they can by no meanes be drawen to this meaning For they to defend the liberty of our will will not haue all thinges to depend of the predestination of God And of purpose say that all whole is not of God It is not true that they say all whole is not of God It is not true also that God electeth because of faith foresene but somewhat also is required of vs. And they expressedly write that God electeth some for that he foresaw that they should beleue They haue also here and there many other such like sayinges so that I by no meanes can sée how their sentences can agrée with our doctrine in this point Howbeit Augustine fully agreeth with it Ierome also disagréeth not from it although oftentimes in many places he agrée with Origen and others But against the Pelagians he highly commendeth the sentence of Augustine touching this matter and excedingly alloweth his writinges against this heresy Seing therefore that Augustine oftentimes vsed thys argument against the Pelagians it must nedes be that the same very well pleased Ierome now being olde Ciprian also as we haue before sayd manifestly writeth that there is nothing which is ours Wherefore it followeth of necessity that all whole is of God But howsoeuer it be there is no nede that we should at this present much reason touching the fathers For when I interpretated the text it selfe I aboundantly spake of them as the opportunity of the place serued As in all other things which pertayne vnto faith so also in this question we must geue We must geue sentence according to the scriptures not according to the fathers sentence according to y◠scriptures and not according to the fathers And this self thing euē the fathers thēselues required at our hands Which I thinke we to our ability haue performed in alleadging of reasons Amongst the latter writers Pigghius being forced by the vehemency of the scriptures graunteth vnto vs that works are not causes of predestination for he cōfesseth that it consisteth fréely and of the mere mercy of God with a respect yet saith he vnto works which thing I suppose he sayd least he should séeme in vaine to haue with so many words contended But if predestination be frée and do depend of the mere goodnes and mercy If election be free why is there added a respect vnto works of God as the scriptures testifie why durst this man of his owne hed imagine this new respect of works For the holy scripture and especially Paul vtterly excludeth workes from this matter But Pigghius the more to bewray that his vile desire of contending bringeth certaine arguments which make vtterly nothing at all to the matter That saith he which as touching election happened in the blessed virgen the mother of God ought in others also to take place but she
boweng but to that parte only which God hath foreknoweÌ„ Wherfore the necessity falleth vpon the connexion and coniunction of the predestination of God with our workes â–ª which thing they ment by the composed sence and by the necessity of the consequence For our workes if they be considered a parte and if we only haue a respect vnto theyr niest ground or beginning that is vnto the will are not of necessitye Here also is confessed necessity of certainty or of infalliblenes for that God can neyther be changed nor be deceaued Neyther do we playnly graunt that predestination bringeth necessity of coaction for coaction The will can not bee gouerned and violence is agaynst the nature of the will For if it should vnwillingly do any thing it should not now be called will but rather nill if a man may so terme it which were to destroy will I knowe that the Scholmen striue amongest themselues whether God foreknoweth those thinges which he foreknoweth necessarily or contingently But in this contencion I will not entermedle my selfe for that there is no such matter set forth in the scriptures It is Proues of necessity by supposition sufficient vnto me to discharge God from all maner of change and alteration for the contingence and newnes is in the thinges but God alwayes and perpetually abideth one and the selfe same But that there is such a necessity namely of the consequence or of the composed sence or of infallibility found in the holy scriptures we wil alledge certayne places which euidently proue the same lest any should thinke it to be but a fayned inuencion Christ sayd It must nedeâ— be that he should be deliuered vnto the Iewes to be mocked This necessity can be of no other thing inferred but of the definite counsell of God â–ª which thing Peter teacheth in his sermon in the actes of the Apostles Christ also sayd that it must nedes be that the scriptures should be fulfilled In Iohn it is written The scripture can not be broken that is It is not possible but that it must needes be fulfilled Vnto yâ— Hebrues It is impossible that they which once being illuminated c. In which place is entreated of sinne agaynst the holy ghost that it is impossible that they which are guilty of it should escape for that God hath vtterly decred perpetually to forsake those which haue so sinned Christ also sayd of the temptacions of the latter times That the elect also if it were possible should be deceaued Agayne Heauen and earth shall passe away but my wordes shall not passe away In which wordes is signified that all those thinges which God hath spoken eyther in the Scriptures or in his eternall determination can not be by anye meanes made frustrate He answered also vnto his parentes Did ye not know that it behoueth me to worke those thinges which pertayne to my father Vnto Timothe Paul writteth The foundation standeth firme God knoweth who are his And in Iohn Whome the father hath geuen vnto me no man can take out of my hand Lastly All things whatsoeuer he would be made both in heauen and in earth Wherfore of all these thinges is gathered how euidently this necessity of certainty and infalliblenes is set forthe in the holy scriptures nether is it as some thinke a deuise of man And these thinges which we haue spoken of foreknowledge pertaine also Thesâ— thinges pertain also to prouidence to prouidence for although in this vniuersality of things many things are said to be done by chance yet notwithstanding bycause that there is nothing be it neuer so small but it is subiect vnto the prouidence of God therefore also hath it necessity which we call necessity of certainty and others call necessitye of consequence And if thou wilt aske that forasmuch as thinges may be called partly necessary and partly also contingent or free as we haue declared whither Whether our actions are to be called neceâ—sarye or contingent of these conditions most agree vnto them I answere that that most agreeth vnto them which is natural and inward Wherefore forasmuch as the necessity whereof we nowe entreate commeth outwardly and is onely by supposition therefore thinges ought in no wise to be estemed according to it but according to those principles or groundes which are vnderstanded of vs and so our workes which procede of the will shall be sayd to be free and those thinges which are so produced in nature that also theyr contrary may come to passe are be counted contingeÌ„t Howbeit that necessity of certaynty or of consequeÌ„ce which we put is neuer to be denied nether must we plucke away our workes eyther from nature or froÌ„ foreknowledge or from the prouidence of God And as touching the will of God we must thinke that it in very dede gouerneth and moderateth all thinges which thing is of all men commonly graunted For although meÌ„ perceaue and fele that they by the will decree and elect those things which they are minded to do yet if they be men godly they will alwayes saye This or that will I do if God wil permitte But if they be men that are yet without the religion of Christ as were the Ethnikes yet notwithstanding they alwayes make mencion of Fate or destiny of the three sisters called Parcae or of lot which thing is oftentimes red in the Poets Who if as we haue before sayd by the word Fate or such like wordes they vndestode the connexion of causes ouer which God himselfe is the ruler and moderateth and gouerneth it then is there no hurte in that opinion although by reason of the abuse of the word it be better vtterly to abstayne froÌ„ it There are some also which dreame of a certayne fatall mighty and strong necessity afflicted vnto the starres and vnto naturall causes Which God himselfe can not change which opinion is erronius impious and also strange from the wise men of old time who expressedly declare that by Fate they vnderstoode the will and gouernment of God The verses of Cleanthes the Stoike which he wrote touching thys matter Seneca in his 18. booke of Epistles hath turned into Latine Whose sentence in Englishe is thus Leade me o soueraigne Sire and Lord that rulest the heauens hye Verses of Cleanthes touching desteny Where pleaseth thee for I obey to follow spedely Lo prest I am without delay Though loth thou makest me Yet groning forward shall I go And euill while I be What being good I might haue done to do I shal be fayne The willing persons fates doo leade vnwilling they constrayne Although in these verses be auoutched fate or destinie yet is the gouernement thereof put in the hand of God for he calleth vpon the moste high father and desireth to be led of him Whose will notwithstanding he affirmeth to be both certain and infallible The selfe same thing séemeth Homer in his Odisea to haue ment in these verses which are thus in English Such is
which diuision he A distinctiō of righteousnes maketh mencion also in an other place For in the thirde chapter he speaketh of the one parte when he saith The righteousnes of God is reuealed by fayth And in the same place of Abraham he writeth And if he were iustified by woorkes he hath wherof to glory but not before God And vnto the Phillippians in the thirde chapter when he saith That I may be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnes which is of the law but the righteousnes of God And the Apostle when he would declare the ignoraunce wherewith the Iewes were enfected the more to lay the haynousnes thereof before theyr eyes saith that they had erred in y◠thing which is the chiefest in mās life namely in that righteousnes which hath saluation and felicity ioyned with it they had no vpright iudgement of the ends of good and euill nor also of the The Iews erred touchyng the chiefe good thyng What our righteousnes is fountaine of all piety And of this thing were the Iewes ignorant who aboue all other nations séemed to haue a care of religion Wherefore he deuideth righteousnes into two partes whiche thing they could not do and by our righteousnesse he meaneth that righteousnes which is gottē by works And that righteousnes may be considered two wayes either as it goeth before regeneration or as it followeth it of which partes onely the first maketh to the purpose For this place can not be vnderstanded of woorkes whiche follow regeneration for Paul dealeth againste Our righteousnes is of two sortes The good workes of the faithful are both imperfect and also do follow iustification What is the righteousnes of God Definition of sinne What is to be absolued from sinne Absolution taketh not away the defect Definition of absolutiō those which reiected Christ And y◠righteousnes which was allowed of the Iewes before faith for that it was no rightousnes coulde not stande before God For that can not be cōstituted or stablished which is nothing But that righteousnes which followeth faith may indéede after a sorte be established for that it pleaseth God howbeit it is such that by it we cannot be iustified both bicause it is vnperfect and also for that it followeth iustification Now resteth to sée what is the righteousnes of God And it may thus be defined that it is an absolution from sinnes by fayth through Christ And that we may the better vnderstand the nature of this absolution we muste on the other side weigh the nature of sinne for this being knowne we shall the eassier know what it is to be absolued from it Sinne is a defect or falling away from the law and will of God which ought to be the rule both of vs of all our doings and to this defecte is necessarilye annexed an obligation to eternall death and damnation Wherefore when by the mercy of God this obligation and guiltines is taken away a man is absolued from sinnes For the defect is not takē away for there abideth in vs an infirmity and therfore our actions alwaies want of that perfection whiche they oughte to haue And it is not possible but that the thinges which we haue already committed haue theyr defect or want Wherefore God when he forgeueth sinne taketh away the obligatiō wherby we were bound vnder the curse Now by these thinges it is manifest what absolution is namely an action of God whereby he so deliuereth and acquiteth vs not indéede from the discommodities of this life but from sinnes that is from guiltines and obligation vnto eternall death But that we should not thinke that so greate a benefite commeth thorough our desert therfore there is added thorow Christ. For him as an instrument doth God vse to this deliuery of ours And that we shoulde not be ignorant how the sacrifice and redemption of Christ is applied vnto euery one of vs it is added by faith This definition is a great helpe to the right vnderstanding of iustification The righteousnesse wherby we are iustified is without vs. The righteousnes of God cannot properly be called ours The righteousnesse which followeth regeneration may be called both oures the rightousnes of God We are not iustified by faith as it is a worke This righteousnes Paul saith is the righteousnes of God And if thou demaund whether it may be called ours I aunswere that properlye it cannot be called ours forasmuch as it is without vs. For it is an action of the will of God the respecte whereof although it be directed vnto vs yet is it not in vs. And if at anye time it be called ours that is by a figuratiue speach namely ether because that we haue the fruicion thereof or for that we by faith whiche is in vs embrace it But the righteousnes whiche followeth regeneration may be called both ours and the righteousnes of God Of God because it is done by his spirite and grace which he geueth vnto vs in regeneration for by it we are impelled to leade a godly and holy life and to attaine to true vertues It is also called ours because our strengths being renued we woorke together to the attaining vnto it and it is done in vs and resteth in our hartes But if thou say that forasmuche as the righteousnes of God is applied vnto vs by faith we séeme to woorke together to the obteining therof We aunswere that faith indéede is a worke wherby in the minde we geue assent vnto the wordes of God but we are not vy the merite and worthines of this work absolued from sinne for that commeth of the clemency of God and force of his promise which by faith we embrace Wherfore when the scripture sayth that we are iustified by faith as soone as we heare the name of fayth we must straighte waye haue a consideration vnto the obiect or correlatiue thereof namely vnto the mercy of God and promise thorow Christ By these thinges let vs gather that this righteousnes of God is most farre distant from the righteousnes which is knowne by nature for neither reason nor Philosophy knoweth anye other righteousnesse but that which hath his abiding in the minde Not that they were ignorante of absolution The righteousnes of God is not knowen by nature or of the pacifieng of God for that thing did theyr sacrifices testifie whiche doubtles tended to other ende but they called not that pacifienge of God our righteousnes neither euer vnderstoode they the true pacefieng of God nor in whom it consisted But why the righteousnes of works is called ours Chrisostome saith that the cause thereof is for that it dependeth of our workes neither wayteth it for the helpe of God but the other righteousnes is called the righteousnes of God for that it vtterly dependeth of grace and commeth without our labour He moreouer noteth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which signifieth to establish and that Paul by that word mēt to declare the vnstablenes
preached and haue done our duety buâ— few haue beleued Christ also sayde Many are called but fewe are elected There was no nation which had so diligent and often preaching of the worde of God as the Iewes had And yet in it was alwayes a wonderfull multitude of vnbeleuers Wherfore there was no cause why they should so insolently boast that the pro 〈…〉 ses How the promises of God are to be contractâ—d were made vnto the séede of Ahraham for they ought to be contracted both to the elect as it was sayd in the 9. chapiter and also vnto the beleuers as we haâ—e now heard The Prophet by way of admiration brought forth the sentence now alleaged For forasmuch as mans reason knoweth not the cause howe so greate an incredulity can withstand the word of God and the holy ministery it wondereth thereat Which thing Iohn also considered in the 12. chapiter for he writeth that the Iewes beleued not when yet Christ had wrought miracles that that might be fulfilled which is written in Esay Lord who hath beleued our hearing and to whome is the arme of the Lord reuealed The preaching of Christ and of the Apostles was most cleare and mighty and was confirmed with miracles such as were neuer before sene and therefore it was wonderfull how so few shoulde beleue yea so farre of were the Iewes from fayth that they beleued that Christ was put to so cruell death for his wicked actes and blasphemyes And therefore in this selfe same chapiter Esay sayde And he was counted with transgressors And it is not to be meruailed at that whereas in the Hebrew is not had this worde Lord Paul yet added it for the 70. interpreters haue added it And forasmuch as it corrupted not the sence Paul also vsed it Vnto whome is the arme of the Lord reueled Here is not spoken of reuelation done by outward preaching for that is preached vnto all men but of the inward reuelation and which is of efficacy The Apostles were sent vnto all but the inward reuelation had not place in all By the arme we vnderstand the What is â—o be vnderstaÌ„ded by the arme of God mighty power of God to saue For so Paul defined the Gospell that it is the power and might of God to saluation Neither is there any cause but that also by the arme of God we may well vnderstand Christ For as euery man by the arme doth all the things that he doth so God by his word createth gouerneth and iustifieth therfore his word which is Christ Iesus is called his arme Neither is this word arme applied only to a man but also the long snout of an Elephant is called an hand or arme for that by that instrument he worketh many thinges And Cyrillus teacheth how that place in Iohn is to be vnderstanded wherin it is sayd That that might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esay Lord who hath beleued our hearyng namely that that word That expresseth not a cause but rather a consequence For these meÌ„ were not by the prophesy of Esay made vnbeleuers but because they should be vnbeleuers therfore the Prophet foretolde it There is in déede in such kind of reasonings some necessity but yet only of supposition or of consequence as they vse to speake yet is not any such necessity there to be graunted which bringeth violence or compelleth the will of man To our hearing By hearing is ment words or preaching It is an Hebrew phrase The name of the sense is transferred to those things whereby the sence is moued Schamaa in Hebrew signifieth to heare In Esay it is written Lisch miothenu After which selfe same maner Eli sayd vnto his children in the first booke of Samuell It is no good fame that I heare of you the Hebrew word is Hisch miah which signifieth hearing These words are deriued of hearing for that by the talkes of fame and by words is stirred vp hearing Although Ambrose vnderstaÌ„d hearing passiuely that the Apostles preached not but the things which they had heard of the Lord. But the first exposition is more simple and most agréeth with the customable speach of the Apostles who although they wrote in Greke yet they euery where in a maner kept still the Hebrew phrases But as touching the matter it It is a woÌ„der that â—â—eÌ„ do beleue séemeth no great meruaile if men beleue not but rather it is to be wondred at that they beleue for therein God vseth his strength and his gracious and mercifull spirit And they which are faithfull when they sée that others are left in their obstinacy and incredulity may consider in them what they had deserued vnles they had bene ayded with the help of God And if any man complayne why the Lord through his grace geueth not one and the same thing vnto all men we haue nothing els iustly to answere but this Is thyne eye euill because I am good take that which is thyne and go thy wayes it is lawfull for me to do with myne owne what I will but vnto thee I do no iniury Neither in that these things were foretold of Esay the Prophet is the cause of the Iewes any thing holpen or their incredulity any thing excused For as Cirillus saith vpon Iohn in the place now alleadged These thinges came not to passe for that they were foretold but for that they should come to passe therfore were they foretold It was of necessity indéede that it should be so but yet no coaction was therby brought vnto the will of man And doubtles God could if he would haue geuen faith vnto all men but by his iust counsell although vnto vs hidden he would not whereby we may know that faith commeth not of our own strengths but is in very déede the gift of God as is sayd vnto the Ephesians and vnto the Phillippians And although faith be indifferently preached vnto al men yet is it not geuen vnto all men for neither he which planteth is any thing nor he which watreth but God which geueth the encrease And as it is said in Iohn He which shall heare of my father and which shall learne he it is that shall come vnto me But he which is not taught inwardly of God is ignoraunt And because he hath in himselfe the causes of his ignoraunce he is without excuse Wherefore we ought not to wonder at the fewnes of the beleuers For the light shineth in the darkenes and the darkenes comprehendeth it not They which heare are not after one and the selfe same maner prepared of God for some are made good ground some stony God prepareth not all men after one and the selfe same maner some ouergrowen with thornes or ouerworne with much treading vpon And althoughe this sentence of the skarsity of beleuers may bee applied both vnto the GeÌ„tles and vnto the Iewes yet in this place it rather pertaineth vnto the Iewes for Esay preached vnto the Iewes and had experience of their incredulity
and Paul here chiefely reproueth the Iewes We may also hereby learne how farre we are of from the perfection of God He suffreth long tyme beareth with men God is more patieÌ„t then men that will not beleue in him but all men are high mynded and can not abide that either their wordes or writinges should be contemned Then faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Here again is repeted the commeÌ„dation of the ministery that by it faith is diuulged amongst CommendacioÌ„ of the ministery men Faith is by hearing this sentence must be rightly and soundly taken that is when God will worke therewithall and put to his ayde Some haue thought that by hearing is here to be vnderstanded the inward word for that in it is the full and perfect cause of faith Which thing as I deny not so also I sée that Paul speaketh not of the inward hearing that is of the motion that is done by the holy Here is entreated of the outward worde The worde of God abideth firme though it be not beleued ghost but of the outward preaching to the office whereof the Apostles were sent And although faith can not after the ordinary and accustomed maner be without the word of God yea and that without the outward word yet the word of God abideth still although faith be not geuen vnto it for knowledge hath relacion as they vse to speake to the thing knowen but that which may be knowen is not on the other side referred to knowledge when as there are many thinges which may be knowen are not knowen After which selfe maner very many thinges are to be beleued which yet are not beleued Wherfore faith forasmuch as it is an asseÌ„t WhereheÌ„ce faith taketh his differences geuen vnto the word of God although it take not his differences of the subiect or of his forme yet taketh it them not either of the efficent cause or of the obiect for it is occupied aboute those things which haue bene reuealed by God neither commeth it by the light of nature but by the illustracion of the holy ghost But as touching the subiect it is placed in the minde as wisdome prudence and other sciences are and the nature thereof is a quality as other knowledges also are qualities Furthermore if hearing whereof springeth faith be by the word of God it is manifest that the foundacion of faith is the word of God only Wherefore the ministers of the Church and preachers ought hereby to learne what is to be preached Onely the worde of God is the foundacion of faith Humane traditions are not the worde of God namely the word of God only and not humane traditions although now they are so bold to call them the word of God which yet they are not by any meanes able to proue when as they are vncertaine and repugnant the one to the oâ—her and are oftentimes abolished or renued which in no wise agrée with the word of God Basilius in his sermon de confessione fidei saith that it is a falling away from faith and a great pride either not to admitte the thinges which are written in the holy scriptures or to adde any thing vnto them Which sentence he confirmeth by the testimony of Paul to the Galathians where he saith The testament although but of a man when it is once ratefied no man maketh voyde or addeth any thing thereunto which thing ought much more to be taken hede of in the testament of God set forth in the holy scriptures But here a riseth a doubt For if onely the woorde of Whether we must beleue miracles God is to be beleued why sayd Christ that if they woulde not beleue him they shoulde yet at the least beleue his workes For it séemeth by thys sentence that we shoulde also beleue miracles But we aunswere that miracles are as testimonies by which men are the easelier brought to beleue so that they are thinges by meanes whereof men beleue not that fayth is directed vnto them as vnto his obiect although as touching the miracles of Christ and of the Apostles we must beleue that they were done by God and not by Belzebub or by the deuill as the Pharise is sclanderously reported and this is conteyned in the worde of God for it geueth testimony that these miracles should be wrought and that they were wrought in theyr due time namely in the preaching of souÌ„d The Sacramentes are beleued doctrine The Sacramentes also are beleued but they are nothing ells but the visible words of God wherunto also is adioyned yâ— word of God which is heard as Augustine fayth The worde commeth vnto the element and it is made a sacrament Howbeit there is discretion and iudgmente to be had when we beleue the word of God that we picke not thereout any wicked or corrupt sentence there is also requisite good triall and examination to discerne miracles and in the sacrameÌ„ts Whether we must beleue with iudgementâ— or without iudgement â–ª is to be considered that they be orderly ministred that is as they were instituted of God And by sound iudgement we must remoue away and set aside the inuencions of men that we beleue not them as we would beleue the wordes of God And when Basilius or other of the fathers doo say that we must beleue with out examination or iudgemeÌ„t which semeth to be taken out of that which Paul sayth in this epistle that Abraham beleued neyther iudged he that word in greke Distinction of iudgement is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To answer to this doubt this is to be vnderstanded that iudgement is of two sortes â–ª The one is when we take counsell of the sences and humane reason and this is vtterly to be remoued from fayth for it alwayes resisteth the word of God The other is the iudgment of the spirite which is of necessity to be had And this is it which Paul sayd Proue all thinges and that which is good hold fast And vnto the Corrinthians Spiritual thinges are compared with spirituall thinges and by this iudgment it is necessary to conferre one place in the holy scriptures which is more obscure with an other whiche is more manifest The authority of the Church hath not dominion ouer faith as some wickedly thinke The office of it is to preach to admonishe to reproue to testifie The autority of the church hath not dominioÌ„ ouer fayth to lay the holy scriptures before mens eyes neyther requireth it to be beleued but so farre forth as it speaketh the wordes of God Paul before he here made mencion of the worde by which fayth is brought forth made mencion of them that preach the Gospell that is of the ministers which are sent of God in whoÌ„ he described the ministery of the Church namely that it consisteth in preaching of the Gospell Moreouer if fayth as it is here written come by hearing that is as it is added by
the word of God then followeth it of necessity that there is nothing whereby fayth is more norished maintayned and confirmed then by continuall reding and repeting of the woorde of God Thys thing testified How â—ayth is norished Tertullian in his Apology when he sayth that to this end holy assembles are gathered together to heare the woord of God The Philosophers say that we of the selfe same thinges both are and are norished wherefore in like sorte is it yâ— if fayth be by the woorde of GOD then by the same also is it nourished We knowe moreouer that of woorkes often repeted are confirmed habites or qualities as contrariwise if a man cease of from actions they waxe weake Wherefore if a man cease to rede to heare or to repete the holy scriptures fayth will waxe feble in him And they which thinke that a liuely and pure faith may continew in Churches without ofteÌ„ preaching doo excedingly erre Chrisostome hath a very similitude of a light or lampe that burneth which easely goeth out vnles A similitude of Chrisostome there be stil oyle powred into it By the lampe or light he vnderstandeth fayth by oyle yâ— word of God this he there writeth where he entreateth of the parable of the wise and foolishe virgens But now yâ— I haue made an end of interpretating the Apostles senteÌ„ce there resteth that out of his sayings we gather things much profitable When he had put a distinction betwene the righteousnes of God and the righteousnes of men and had taught that by the righteousnes of God is to be vnderstanded faith in Christ to the end he would declare that faith pertayned not onely vnto the Hebrues He brought out of the prophet Esay Whosoeuer beleueth in him shall not be made ashamed And out of Ioell Whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the lord shal be saued These thinges most manifestlye proue the diuinity of Christ For if fayth in him and inuocation of his name haue saluatioÌ„ The diuinitye of Christ proued ioyned with them which thing is most true it followeth of necessity that he is God when as it is not lawfull to put confidence in any creature or to call vpon it Yea these two thinges are so proper vnto God that he communicateth them not vnto others he is pronounced cursed which putteth his confideÌ„ce in man or maketh flesh his arme An other thing worthy to be noted is yâ— that so excellent commendatioÌ„ of the ministers of God is to be referred vnto those only which in very dede execute theyr office for the prophet sayth that the féete of The commendation of the ministery pertaineth not vnto theÌ„ whiche haue only the name or title therof them that preach the Gospel are beautifull and not the fete of them which haue haue only the name or title thereof It hath also bene declared that the word of God is the instrument which the holy ghost vseth to instill fayth into the beleuers wherfore we may conclude that no other thing â—â—ght eyther to be taught or preached in the Church No man also ought to be moued with the fewnes or scarsety of the beleuers for that alwayes euen from the beginning the nomber the faythful hath bene small And Augustine if sometimes he vse this kind of reasoning agaynst the Donatistes when he sayth that they are very few in comparisoÌ„ of the multitude of the catholikes he reasoneth agaynst them as it were a probabili that is by probability agaynst them I say whome he had before by other necessary reasons confured Moreouer when he alledgeth the multitude of Churches he reproueth the error of the Donatistes which had contracted the church of God only into a litle corner of Affrike as though it now had no where place but with them which vtterly ouerthroweth the propriety of the Church namely to be Catholike or vniuersall for it is spread abrode thoroughout all places although euery where be found an incredible smal nomber of them that beleue truly Ireneus also and Tertullian for no other cause appealed to the testimonies of many Churches but for that they had to deale agaynst those heretickâ—s which receaued not the holy scriptures but vsed them maymed vitiated and corrupted as semed good vnto them and therefore to reproue theyr vanity he referred them to the old Churches where the scriptures had ben kept sincere and vncorrupt Last of all is declared what preachers ought to set forth vnto the people if they wil nourish and maintaine the true faith now receaued But I say haue they not heard No doubt theyr sound went ouâ— thoroughout all the earth and theyr woordes into the endes of the worlde But I say haue they not heard When he had reproued the Iewes of incredulity and had shewed that messeÌ„gers were sent vnto them which brought vnto them glad â—idinges of peace whome they beleued not he saw that peraduenture they would excuse them selues that they had not heard How sayth he can ye so say seing that the Gospell is now euery where published abrode He had reproued theyr ignoraunce and the more to aggrauate it he declareth that they could not pretend that they had not heard No doubte theyr sound wente out throughout all the earth By these woordes is shewed that the Gospel was nowe euerye where preached But some thinke that Paul séemeth here to abuse Dauids woordes when as in that place is entreated of the knowledge of God by creatures gotten by the lighte of nature for therto séemeth the scope of the Psalme to tend as touching the first parte thereof For in the other part it entreateth of that knowledge whiche is had by the law or by the scripture for straight waye at the beginning he saith that the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament or sky set foorth the woorkes of God So that although in heauen are not words nor speaches and albeit that those higher orbes séeme to be without voyce yet notwithstanding is euery where heard theyr speach The Chaldy Paraphrast aptly expresseth this trope or figure for he saith that they which looke vp into heauen do declare abroad the glory of God and they which looke vp vnto the sky do setfoorth his workes signifieng that these creatures indéede speake not but allure vs to speake and to confesse God In Hebrue is not written Theyr sound The Seuenty haue thus turned it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in Hebrue is written Canam and Can signifieth a line a rule or leuell Neither any other thing can thereout be gathered but yâ— there is séene noted euery where sure rule of the making of the celestiall orbes and that their mouinges succession of their reuolutions is regurall and infallible Wherfore without all doubte the speach of the heauens setting forth their creator is most excellent wherby men are instructed touching many most excellent and most honest senteÌ„ces Cicero in his oration for Milo mencioneth many thinges of the constante order
alwayes counted the Ethnikes for brute beastes and fooles Ambrose vpon this place very well noteth that God vsed this griefe and enuy for a tormenter God was the author of th 〈…〉 y as it wa◠a punishmēt whereby to auenge the sinne and idolatry of the Iewes This enuy doubtles was sinne but God was not the author thereof but as it was a punishment And it hath oftentimes bene declared that he punisheth sinnes by other sinnes and as sinnes come from him they haue the nature of good and not of ill But how he prouoked them to enuy or zeale may thus be declared First he did set outwardly before thē things wherby he knew they would be moued and prouoked After y◠peraduenture according to Augustines minde he moued theyr hartes as they had deserued vnto such an affect not that he powred in thē that affect of new but stirred it vp which paraduenture otherwise had lyen stil By what manner of means God prouoked the Iewes These thinges are to be vnderstanded of the last captiuitie But this his prouoking if the Hebrues had bene wise men mought haue bene vnto thē in stede of a monitiō or warning to returne vnto God and to embrace the Gospell which they despised Neyther was the reiection of the Iewes the whole and proper cause of our saluation but only ministred an occasion there vnto The only and perfect cause of our saluation is the mercy of God thorough Christ And although the Iewes were oftentimes afflicted with greauous captiuity yet are not these wordes of Moses to be vnderstanded but of this last captiuity for in the other captiuities God tooke not to be hys people the oppressors of the Iewes neyther adorned he them with those spirituall giftes wherewith the Iewes were before endewed yea rather deliuering the Iewes he left those nations in theyr blindnes and idolatry But now the Hebrewes are turned out of all wander abrode naked the Christians haue succeded into the adoption of God ▪ and are enriched with spirituall gifts Moreouer their other captiuities were very short but of this is neither measure nor end He calleth the Ethnikes not a nation as a people most vile which deserued not so much as the name of a nacion And in very dede there can be no societye ioyned together and firmely knitte which is framed together without God and Christe for there want the sinnues and bounds of charity and the farther a city of common wealth is from The morall workes of the Ethnikes ouerthrowen ▪ vnitye so much the weaker and febler alwayes becommeth it This place not a litle ouerthroweth the opinion which the common people haue of moral workes and of the philosophy and wisedome of the Ethnikes We wonder at the knowledge of the Grecians and at the grauity of the Romanes when we reade their histories But God calleth these mē not a nation or a folishe nation what greater The Ethnikes were in very dede fooles folishenes could there be then for a man to make an Image of wood stones or mettall and to worship it for God Or who will deny but that folishnes is priuation of true wisedome Seing therfore that the Ethnikes wanted the wisedome reueled of God which is the true wisedome they were in déede fooles Neyther entend I here to reason with Origen who sayth that it may peraduenture séeme to be contumelious agaynst the nation whō God elected through merite of their faith and deuotion when as he disdayneth to call it a nation and moste manifestly nameth it a foolishe nation And he aunswereth that these thinges are thus to be vnderstanded that the Church is not one nation as are the Egyptians Scythians Assirians Chaldeans ▪ c. For it consisteth of all nations neyther is it perticularly any one nation Further it is called foolishe for that it would not be made wise but he which will be made wise in the Lorde must first be made a foole This is wide from the sense of the Apostle for as it is manifest he speaketh not of the Church now established but speaketh of it as it was before it was receaued of Christ and made the Church and then it is sayd not to haue bene a people In what state the church was before it was taken of God as it is writen in the 2. chapter of Osea And it shall be in the place where it was sayd ye are not the people of God there ye shall all be called the sonnes of the liuing God and verely they which are not the people of God are not a people and the Ethnikes were fooles in asmuch as they wanted the true wisdome which is Christe Let vs sée what the same Paul pronounceth of the Church before it was conuerted vnto Christ In the epistle to the Ephesians he sayth Y◠were somtymes without Christ◠straungers from the publique wealth of Israell aleants from the promises without hope and without God in the world And vnto the Corinthians when he had mencioned that dronkerds euil speakers thieues idolatrers and abusers of mankind shall not enter into the kingdome of God he added and such were ye once but now ye are washed ye are sanctified But whē by the sentēce which he alleadgeth out of Moses he reproueth y◠idolatrous Hebrues which prouoked God by reasō of those idols which were no Gods it may séeme not to touche the Iewes which liued in hys tyme and in Christes tyme for at that tyme idolatrye was not in vre in Israell Vnto this obiection we aunswere that the Iewes of that tyme most manifestlye prouoked and reiected God when they reiected his sonne Christ and did put him to death vpon the crosse For so great is the coniunction betwene the Father and The Iews both in the latter tyme were ▪ also at this day are idolatrers the Sonne that they which reiect the Sonne can not kéepe still the father Moreouer as touching idolatry for asmuch as they offred vnto him sacrifices without fayth and repentāce God detested their oblations as the scriptures euery where testifie And so farre had their impietye proceaded that they more estemed their owne traditions then they did the commaundements of God But no God will so be worshipped And forasmuch as the true God is not in such sort worshipped and yet notwithstanding they worshipped somewhat it followeth that that was an idoll which they fained to be their God which delighted in these rites and worshippinges Neyther skilleth it whether such an idoll be in the minde or in stone or in wood Wherfore the Iewes agaynst whome Paul dealt are no les comprehended and reproued in this sentence of Moses then their fathers were Yea rather Hidden idolatry is oftentymes more hurtful then op◠idolatry if we shall vprightly weigh the matter the more couert this idolatrie of the Iewes was the more hurtfull it was for they counted themselues godly and iust for that they were not ensected with outward grosse idolatry
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
our saluation they should haue no place at all left Howbeit afterward when he after a sort sawe that he neded not so much to be aferd of this matter he saith workes in deede are not required but yet they are to bee had that grace be not in vayne For Paul saith And his grace was not in vayne in me Wherefore good works saith he are to be had that we be not ingrate to the grace of God And if thorough grace it is not of workes Or els were grace now no grace Chrisostome not vnaptly knitteth this parte together with that whiche went before The Iewes saith he mought haue said vnto Paul It is true indede that we haue bene called of God not only by his word but by benefites miracles irritaciō but so greuous and hard thinges were required at our hands that we were not able to beare thē and therfore we folowed him not when he called vs. Not so saith Paul Grace was set foorth vnto you without woorkes and to séeke woorkes to the ende to attaine vnto grace had bene to darkē it But God suffreth not nether at any time hath suffred his gifts so to be darkened Wherfore workes are not required of you After that he moueth this question Why then are not all men saued Bicause saith he all men will not neither are anye saued but onelye those whiche will These thinges in déede are true if they be warelye vnderstanded otherwise they may deceaue the Reader It is true that they whiche It lieth not in our power to assent vnto the Gospell Grace is not commō vnto all mē How none are saued but they that will repell the Gospell will not beleue it and will not geue assente vnto the truth offered vnto them but yet muste we not therefore imagine that it lieth in their hand to will and to assent They will and beleue whose minde God boweth and whose hart he softeneth Neither muste we thinke that grace is common vnto all men Farther when it is sayd that they are saued whiche will two thinges are to be taken heede of The one is that we thinke not that this will is the cause why we are made pertakers of grace when as rather that assente of the will commeth of grace Againe we must beware that we ascribe it not vnto humane strengthes and vnto frée will as they call it and these two errors being excluded we graunte that none are saued but such as will for no man beleueth againste his will nor is Workes ar not to be◠counted as causes of saluation An argument taken of contradictoris compelled by any violence to receaue the Gospell The second part of the proposition namely that workes are to be excluded from being causes of saluation Paul proueth by an argument taken of opposites And for that the nature of opposites is manifold he vseth those kindes of opposites which are called contradictories which can by no meanes be true both at one time For then saith he grace shoulde not be grace and worke should not be worke But who séeth not y◠it is impossible y◠one and the self same thing should at one and the same time and in respect of one and the selfe same thing be called grace and not grace woorke and not woorke Doubtles this is the nature of contradictories that the one being put the other is destroyed the one being taken away the other followeth Paul also before proued this self thinge although not so manifestly when he sayd Beinge ignoraunte of the righteousnes of God and seeking to stablish their owne righteousnes they are not subiecte vnto the righteousnes of God In which wordes also we were then taught that they which went about to be saued by theyr owne righteousnes that is by workes fell away from the righteousnes of God which is the perfect and true saluation Moreouer by this reason of Paul is most strongly proued that that moste high grace of the election of God consisteth not of workes which God from eternally foresaw for that knowledge of God or as they cal it foresight causeth not but that a work is a worke And Paul when he here maketh mencion of election in plaine wordes declareth and testifieth that it is not had by workes Which being true as in very déede it must néedes be true neither can iustification be of woorkes when as the A rule of the Logicians If election were of workes we should by them also be iustified An argument taken a maiori rule of the Logicians which euen children knowe is this That whatsoeuer followeth of the consequente followeth also of the antecedente Wherefore if election should depend of workes forasmuch as vocation and iustification depend of electi◠it should of necessity followe that iustification commeth also of workes Neyther doth the difference of the time anye thinge helpe our aduersaries yea rather the proofe may be made a maiori that is of the greater If woorkes whilest they are extant and present haue not the power to merite either iustification or election much les can they do it when they are not yet extant but are onely foreséene For who can deny but that a thing which is is of more efficacy to bring forth a worke then when yet it is not Peraduenture vnto Ethnikes it is lawfull by workes to séeke righteousnes and by them to establish the fauor and election of God and so is it also for these Sophisters which as touching this doctrine little or nothing at all differ from Ethnikes But we which follow the oracles of the scriptures and wil cleaue fast vnto them ought by no meanes to graunte that the election of GOD dependeth of our woorkes The foundation of the Apostles reason is Thinges The foundaciō of the reason now brought whiche are rendred vnto woorkes are rendred of duety but thinges whiche are of grace are not of duety where we plainly sée that duety and not duety haue manifest contradiction And this roote of this argumente the Apostle before declared vnto vs in the. 4. chapter when he said If Abraham were iustified by works he hath in deede glory but not with God for vnto him which worketh reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt But of Abraham it is written that he beleued and it was imputed vnto him to righteousnes Wherefore Pauls argument leadeth to an absurdity or as they vse to say to an impossibility And doubtles they sinne greuously which acknowledge not the grace of God and they more gréeuouslye which séeke to obscure it but they intollerably and most gréeuously of all which vtterlye ouerthrow it Of this it followeth not but y◠God rewardeth good woorkes which How felicity may be called a reward are done of his faithfull but hereby followeth that merite is taken awaye is denied that the things which are geuen are due by the force of the worke Wherfore eternall life may indéede be called a rewarde but not that it
he willeth not And without doubt God is most gentle and most plentifull of mercy but he is also most iust and therfore it is not to be meruayled at if somtimes he punish with this kind of punishment Pigghius that most trifling Sophister laboureth to inuert this place cited of all the Euangelistes to the end to proue that God is by no maner of meanes the cause of sinne But how farre wide he is from the doctrine of Paul hereby it may plainly be proued in that he maketh election common vnto all men and affirmeth that God hath a like appointed all men vnto eternall life when as Paul not only in very many other places but also here chiefly deuideth the Israelites into chosen and into not chosen and saith that others were made blind and that only election obtained saluation The first place he bringeth out of the 4. chapiter of Marke when Christ was asked why he spake in parables he answered Vnto you it is geuen to know the mistery of the kingdome of God but vnto them which are without all thinges are shewed by parables Here by an vntimely allegory he reproueth vs as though we are without and the flocke of the Papists are within And therefore he saith that we vnderstand not the scriptures But I would gladly know of this man whether they are to be counted out of the church which embrace the holy scriptures which obserue the sacraments and rightly Who are to be counted to be in the Church administer them which deny not the holy ghost wherby the life of the body of the Church is nourished and which confesse the selfe same articles of faith which all Christians confesse What I pray you claymeth he vnto himselfe that we haue not but only mere supersticions and bondage wherin he flattereth the Antechrist of Rome Verely that we are without these things and haue escaped them we are exceding ioyfull and he if he had any witte would much lament that he is within and abiding in them Marke sayth That seing they should see and not perceaue These words are most playne and vnles he had thornes in his eyes without any doubt God because of the wicked deserts of the Iewes would make them By what meanes Christ 〈…〉 seth to make blind blind thereto he vsed these meanes namely the foretellinges of the Prophetes the preachinges of Christ and of the Apostles which when they heard they were more irritated and skipt backe from the truth And therfore Christ sayth Vnto theÌ„ I speake in parables that thereby they may receaue for their sinnes the iust reward of obstinacy and pricking But saith he the obscurenes which is in the words of Mark touching this may be explaned by the brightnes and light which shineth in the words of Mathew For he in the 13. chapiter saith Therefore do I speake vnto them in parables for that seing they see not and hearing they heare not But he willingly ouerhippeth that which was before said Vnto you it is geuen to knowe the mistery of the kingdome of heauen but vnto them it is not geuen for in these words is manifest yâ— inequality of the grace gifts of God Vnto him that hath saith he it shal be geueÌ„ but he which hath not euen that which he hath shal be taken away froÌ„ him They are Hou 〈…〉 them that haue â—â— geuen and froÌ„ them that haue not is takeÌ„ away sayd to haue vnto whom is graunted election vnto saluation and of election commeth faith vnto those I say are continually many heauenly giftes aboundauntly geuen They are sayd not to haue which are reprobate and which are destitute of faith and lose also euen yâ— which they haue for the natural gifts wherwith they were sometimes excellently adorned are made vnto them vnprofitable and the wordes of God and miracles which are offred vnto them bring forth no fruite in their minds Therefore vnto them I speake by parables for yâ— seing they sée not Now sayth Pigghius thou séest the cause why Christe spake in parables for that they were blinde and obstinate not that they were such because that Christe so spake but for that they were such therfore Christe spake vnto them in parables and so neyther in Christ nor in God is there any cause of excecation But this man is farre deceaued for that word quia that is for that or because alwayes signifieth not the cause of a thing to make it to be but rendreth a cause of the knowledge that it may be and that by the effect As in Luke it is written of the sinfull woman Many sinnes are forgeuen her because she hath loued much This vehement aboundaunt loue was the effect and did set open the remission of sinnes which lay before hidden So also is it in the parable of the debters He loueth more vnto whom more is forgeueÌ„ So here also when the Apostles demaund Why speakest thou in parables The reason is geuen by the effect because that they seing see not Hereof commeth the excecation of these men Do ye not sée what here followeth I shewe the effect I declare the euent which is that these men in seing sée not in hearing heare not and are made blind And that Pigghius expositioÌ„ aptly agréeth not I will proue by two reasons First for that this sentence of Esay where as in the Hebrue is written God coÌ„maunding In Paul is not expressed the name God as the efficieÌ„t cause of this madnes and obstinacy but in other places of the scripture it is put and especially as we shall sée it is most plainly set forth in Iohn Secondly for that it agréeth not with the question of the Disciples They asked Why speakest thou in parables If Christ had aunswered that their blindnes was the cause therof it mought be thought that therfore he ought not to haue spoken vnto them in parables but ought rather to haue spoken vnto them more manifestly and more plainly to ouercome their blindnes with the brightnes of his doctrine But for that he would punishe them for their rebellion against God to the ende they should be made blind such a doctrine was sette forth vnto them whiche for that they vnderstood not they hated and fled away from it If one man to an other would speake obscurely that they which stand by should not vnderstand hym should afterward be asked why speakest thou so obscurely would he say thinke you for yâ— they which stand by are blockes vnderstaÌ„d not Doubtles this should be a ridiculous aunswere But he would aunswere if he would aunswere with reason Therfore spake I obscurely that they which stoode by should not vnderstand The Apostles asked not why those men beleued not whiche if they had then mought this cause haue bene geuen because that they are blind and heare not the thinges which are spoken But they asked why dost thou speake vnto them in parables and then caÌ„ not their blockishnes and blindnes be rendred as a
cause for that then Christe ought rather to haue holpen them by speaking plainly and not darkely vnto them But whereas the thing is spoken in the future tempse of the indicatiue mode that nothing helpeth their case for we also affirme that that then was to come which nowe we know to be done but we say that it was done by the commaundement of the Lord as Esay expresseth as Paul also declareth Moreouer sayth Pigghius it is a foretelling and therfore it is not a cause This is a weake profe for that which Esay foretold his words I say and preaching irritated the Iewes and stirred vp in them the affect of incredulity Is not the doctrine of the law sayd to encrease sinne for that by it are stirred vp lustes But this sayth he commeth not thorough the default of the law we graunt that neyther also say we that this commeth to passe thorough the default or sinne of God or of the prophets preachers when yet notwithstanding they are after a sort causes Men are not made blind thorough the default of the doctrine or preaching of the Gospell therof but let vs looke vpon originall sinne which is the foundacion of all the euils that come vnto mankind There doubtles after the first fall Adam with all his posterity was spoiled of grace and the spirite from the mind was taken away light that it should not vnderstand the things that pertayne to God from reason was taken away the power to kéepe vnder wicked appetites and on the other syde the affects were corrupted to rebell with greate violence agaynst reason and honesty These thinges thou wilt say are punishements yea they are also sinnes And who inflected them God inflicted them which thing no man can deny For it is his ordinaunce that iust that he which departeth from him should incurre suffer these thinges But of this matter I will cesse now to speake any more for that I haue before at large fully discoursed it But sayth he men are not compelled to sinne Is this most sharpe sighted Sophister yet so dull that he knoweth not how to distinguishe necessity from violence This particle vt that is that The word of God and preaching are instruments whereby they which shal be made blind are irritated sayth he in Marke signifieth a consequence and not a cause yea it also signifieth a cause for the words of God spoken and preached by Esay by Christ and by the Apostles were instruments wherby they were irritated This may be perceaued by a similitude very manifest and playne Suppose that there were a body full of choler which choler notwithstanding as yet bursteth not forth when sommer is com then by reason of heate if vnto him be geuen cold fruites and also cold drinke whereof he excessiuely taketh these things are corrupted in his stomack the choler is encreased and is poured abrode thoroughout the bodye whereof springe perillous flixes and gripinges in the inward partes Who can deny but that the heate of the sommer the fruites and drinke were the cause of this dissease at the least the cause called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although it were not the principall cause or as they call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He supposeth that this particle That in Marke signifieth a cause efficient and not finall So that the sense is Therfore I speake in parables for that seing they sée not He chaungeth the coniunctine mode into the indicatiue mode and transformeth the whole in suche sort that he turneth the words of Marke into the words of Mathew when yet the holy ghost of purpose caused this diuersity of words to be And Pigghius séemeth to obtrude these things as though we should deny Mathew which thing is not true Onely we are displeased with Pigghius exposition but the Gospell of Mathew we both receaue and reuerence Moreouer he declareth himself not to haue bene very dâ—igent in the Popes decrées although he bable of them continually In them is coÌ„maunded that if any controuersy arise about any part of the scripture of the old Testament we should goo vnto the Hebrue verity And it is Augustines rule in his booke De doctrina Christiana Seing therfore that the Euangelists expresse In controuersies perâ—ayning to the old testament we must go to the Hebrue verity not this place of Esay with one and the self same words why goeth he not to the fountayne of the Hebrue verity Neyther is there any reason why he should be offended if this particle That do signify a finall cause as though Christ to this end spake in parables that they shoulde be made blind Doth not the Lorde say of Pharao to this end haue I raysed the vp that I might in the shew forth my power And is not the potter sayd to make some vessells to honor and some to contumely After whose maner God is sayd to haue ordeyned vessels of mercy and vessels of wrath to declare both the riches of his glory and the seuerity of his iustice When the scripture plainly setteth forth vnto vs such ends of the workes of God they ought neyther to be obscured nor to be denied Mathew turneth this place of Esay by the indicatiue mode and by the future tempse followinge the edition of the Seuenty which thing he mought lawfully do when as these interpreters disagréed not from the Hebrue verity as touching the sense but onely as touching â—oords And that this might lawfully be done Rabbi Dauid Kimhi one of the Hebrues vnderstoode only in that edition wanteth the efficient cause of their blindnes which cause both Paul and Iohn haue expressed And in the Hebrue it is plainly declared by the imperatiue mode which is in that place not in vayne put But it shal be good to heare what Ierome sayth touching this matter who in his Commentary vpon the sixt chapiter of Esay at the first doubteth why Luke as it is read in the Actes of the Apostles in the 28. chapiter citing this place followeth the 70. and not the Hebrue verity And he answereth yâ— the Ecclesiastical writers write yâ— Luke was expert in the arte of Phisike was more skilfull in the Greke â—oung then in the Hebrue therfore it is no meruaile if in citing testimonies of yâ— Luke had more skil in the Greke tonge then in the Hebrue old testameÌ„t he followed the texte which he was best acquainted with But in stead of this answere I would rather thus make answere That the holy ghost had so instructed Luke and the rest of the Euangelists that they mought redily haue cited testimonies out of the Hebrew verity if they had would but of purpose when they might conueniently they followed the 70. that the Gentiles vnto whose vses theyr writinges should chiefely serue might by that edition of the 70. which only they had vnderstand the thinges which were by them cited Ierome moreouer reproueth those which in his time sayd that we ought not to looke vpon
that impossibiltie somtimes is al one with difficulty or hardnes For I am not ignoraunt what Gregorius Nazianzenus in his 4. booke of his theology hath writteÌ„ as touching this matter vnto whome whither I may in all things assent I mind not at this present to debate And when as Pigghius can not deny but that Ihon sayth that God made blind the Iewes he sayth that although vnbeleuers haue in themselues the cause why they are made blind yet not with standing the scripture so speaketh as if God should make them blind Doth the scripture so speake and doth it that without reasoÌ„ would it so speake as though God herein doth nothing I suppose not But it shall not be amisse to examine an notable similitude which he bringeth A man sayth he that is pore blinde or that hath sore eyes if he looke vpon the Sunne shall thereby be blind Shall we Similitudes which Pighius bringeth say that the beames of the Sunne haue made him blind when as he had in hym selfe the ground and beginning of that disease How wil he him selfe auoyde the sharpnes of this his similitude I graunt that yâ— beginning of disease was in the eyes but the disease was not so greate that he which was pore blinde could se nothing at all for although he were dull sighted yet was he not blind In that he is now etterly made blind who will not say but that the Sunne according to hys nature and maner of working is the cause therof The dew also or raine saith he is not yâ— cause that ground vntilled bringeth forth thornes who would euer so say and that the raine causeth fertlenes in bringing forth thornes who will denye that hath but one ounce of witte But he hath neuer his fill of similitudes but at the last he addeth suche a one as Pelagius neuer durste vse Imagine saith he that a soule were shut vp in a chamber together with two counsellers with the spirite I say and the flesh and without on the one side let Christ stande hauing with him a companye of all vertues and spirituall giftes on the other side let stand the Deuill with his whole route of wicked sinnes both these waite with out to see which of them the soule will let in within the spirite geueth counsell to receaue Christ and the flesh to receaue the deuil the soule being as it were in the middest inclineth fréely to whether parte it will if it receaue Christ the deuill is vtterly driuen away but if it entertaine the deuill Christ departeth away Pelagius for his opinion could say no more He putteth the soule in the middest whiche yet The soule of him that is not regenerete can not be sayd to be in the middest betwene the spirite and the flesh without Christ is a bondslaue of the flesh That the will ought to be chaunged by the inspiration Christ he speaketh not so much as one word That we must haue geuen vs a fleshy hart and our stony hart taken away he vtterly kéepeth in sileÌ„ce onely peruasions are set before vs. So saide Pelagius that men are moued by the lawes and scriptures but he also neuer spake one woorde of the chaunginge of the hart And Pigghius fearing least in this fayned declaration we shoulde not vnderstand him addeth that frée will is a weake eye in whose power yet it lieth to be healed What sounde diuine woulde euer speake this that it lieth in the power of the will or of humane strengthes that a man shoulde be saued He laboureth yet more plainely to declare his sentence We are sayth he the good odor of Christe vnto some indéede vnto life and to other some vnto death A good odor saith he killeth no man but it is not so for a man may iustlye say that serpentes are killed with good odors and with the swéete smell of spices So also incredulitie may be Without blame and without cause ar not all one stirred vp by sound doctrine and preaching of the word of God But not through the default of the doctrine or preaching I say But yet may we not say yâ— it is not the cause thereof as it is not by the default therof God also without any his fault maketh blind yet notwithstanding maketh he blinde as the scripture testifieth But now let vs leaue this Sophister in whose sayinges there is much more absurdity then difficulty in aunswering But as touchinge the matter whiche we were in hand with it was as I before sayde a gréeuous offence to sée that Christ being the true Messias and shewed in the scriptures was receaued of so few of the Iewes yea rather he was hated in a manner of them all who yet were verye studious in the scriptures And in our dayes this self offence troubleth many for that wheras it séemeth yâ— vnto Christ were promised all nations yet notwithstanding there is so great plenty of Epicures so great filthines of Turkes and so great a wicked heape of Papistes which vtterly resist the Gospell But againste this kinde of offence the holy Ghoste hath before armed vs. First Moses saide that the Iewes should be irritated against a nation that is not an nation Esay sayth Though the nomber of the children of Israell be as the sand of the sea onely a remnanie shal be saued Vnles the Lorde had lefâ—e vnto vs seede we had bene like vnto Sodoma and Gomorrha Christe the stone of offence and stomblinge blocke is set to the risinge and fall of manye Lord who hath beleued our report Many are called but fewe are elected And there are infinite other such like testimonies whereby the holy scripture confirmeth vs not to be moued with this small nomber They which receaued not Christ when Chochalus and Theudas came followed after those false Christes and counterseated They whiche receaue not Chr 〈…〉 receaue fâ—lse Christes Messiasses and they which renounce Christ follow Mahumeth shall we therfore say that Chochalus Theudas Mahumet is Christ we shoulde be farre besides our selues if we should so say when as Christ himself foretold that this thing should come to passe Me saith he ye receaue not but if an other come in my name him ye will receaue Yea rather this ought to be vnto vs a manifest proofe that Iesus of Nazareth is the true Messias when as we see that in him this oracle together with other oracles is fulfilled namely to be receaued of few He indede prayed vnto the father but not for the world but for them whome the father had geueÌ„ vnto him otherwise the whole worlde is set on mischiefe There is yet an other doubt which stayeth vs for that the wordes of Esay seme to pertain vnto his time onely and not vnto Christes and the Apostles time and vnto our time I graunte that that blinding was in the time of the prophet which yet should continue euen vnto the ende of the world The Prophet when the Lorde had commaunded hym the thinges which we haue now
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
but vseth such causes as pleaseth hym God caÌ„ vse sinnes for instrumentes of saluation â–ª sinne yet woulde I in no wise take vppon me to say that Paul dealeth onely in wordes in steade of commendations setteth forth vnto vs those which in very dede were no coÌ„mendations for we ought to defend the holy Scriptures from all manner of lying Therfore I thus thinke with my selfe that God doth not of necessity néede seconde causes but rather that naturall causes therefore bring foorth some effect for that it hath pleased God to vse them as instruments in the setting forth of new thinges Wherfore euen as he vseth the Sunne to make warme and to geue light for this thing hath he by his word commaunded that it shoulde do so can he if he will vse any other thing to these workes Wherefore as I haue before sayd according to the order of nature sinnes can not be the causes of vocation and of saluation but onely occasions howbeit if God will vse them as instrumentes whereby to woorke I se not what can let him For he calleth those things which are not as if they were he healeth by the sight of the brasen Serpent he by spittle and dust restoreth sight vnto the blynde man wherefore he can also vse sinnes as instruments and meanes whereby to bring some to saluation Yet not withstanding we ascribe the whole efficacy thereof vnto God and doubt not but that Paule spake in good earnest But there yet remayneth an other doubt What sayth Paule shal be theyr fulnes if theyr fall diminishing be the riches of the world Of which wordes it séemeth that we might gather that by the conuersion of the Iewes many other nations shall be brought vnto Christ which is not possible when as afterwarde it is sayd that the Iewes shall then bee saued and enter in when the fulnes of the Gentles hath entred in And if the calling of the Gentles shal be complete what other Gentles shall there be remayning to be by the conuersion of the Iewes brought vnto Christ But this wee maye aunswere that Paule in this place sayth not that by the conuersion of the Iewes in the last time shal be drawen other nations vnto Christ but onely sayth How mutch shall theyr fulnes be For it is possible that the Gentles already conuerted may wonderfully bee holpen by the Iewes which beleue in Christ for paraduenture by lyght of doctrine feruentnes of the spirit and holynes of lyfe they shall so illustrate the The church shal receiue profite by the conuersion of the Gentlles Church that by them the Gentles also shall be stirred and confirmed and shall thinke themselues to bee in a manner nothing in comparison of them or to haue done nothing in respecte of them Wherefore by them as it appeareth shall be brought much perfection vnto the Church For I speake to you Gentles in as mutch as I am the Apostle of the Gentles I glorify my ministery To trye if I might by any meanes prouoke them of my flesh to followe them and might saue some of them For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world what shall the receauing be but life from the dead For if the first fruites be holy then is the lompe holy and if the roote be holy the braunches also shal be holy For I speake to you Gentles in as much as I am the Apostle of the Gentles I glorifie my ministery When he had now reasoned a minori that is of the lesse he by an example of himselfe confirmeth his sentence which he put forth namely that of the conuersion of the Gentles should follow the saluation of the Iewes through emulation For he had sayd that God called the Gentles to prouoke the Iewes to followe them he now addeth that which God doth I also séeke in my ministery for I glorifye it by this to bring many of the Gentiles to Christ to sée if I coulde by any meanes prouoke them of my fleshe to followe them and to bring some of them to saluation By this place we sée wherein consisteth The honor of the ministery wherin it consisteth the honour of the ministery namely to bring and to conuert manye vnto Christ and this is done by doctrine and preaching both publique and priuate The ministery is not adorned with riches nor with silkeÌ„ and precious garments eyther to be vsed commonly or to be vsed about any holy seruices These ornaments are Sophisticall that is per accidens or by chaunce For euery thing ought to be adorned with those thinges which pertayne to the nature substance therof Wherefore seing that the holy ministery consisteth chiefely in doctrine and preaching thereout ought it to haue his dignity But as there haue bene many which only by beard cloke and staffe haue made a shew of Philosophers and as Seneca sayth sought rather to haue the visor then the face of a Philosopher so in our dayes there are many which will vse only the name title and garments of ministers but will not performe the work therof Paul sayd that this thing is What is chiefly required at ministers handes chiefely required of stewards and ministers that they be found faythfull And in the 2. to the Corint the 6. chapiter Let vs in all things approue our selues as the ministres of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in prisons as deceauers when yet we are true All which thinges he as a notable example to ministers excellently performed for he continually suffred greate troubles besides the dayly care which he had ouer all Churches none was tempted or burned but he together with him suffred and was burnt Where néede was he preached frealy he sought not his owne things but was made all to all to the end to winne all men he sayd Woo be vnto me if I preach not the Gospel He which to his power doth not with these vertues glorifye the ministery of the Gospel dishonoreth it Yea and Origen vpon this place sayth That Deacons or Ministers by the testimony A place of the fiâ—â—t to Timothie of the Apostle if they Minister well gette vnto themselues a good degre Wherfore it is manifest that they which execute not their office well but yll gett vnto them selues a degree of reprobation yea rather assured damnation And the same writer in this place exhorteth Priests and also Bishops to glorifye their ministery And doubtles all men as many as haue the charge of soules committed vnto them ought to thinke that this is spoken vnto them for for that at this tyme there are not Apostles they haue succeded in their place But euen as ciuills lawes are many A similitude tymes well and healthfully made but yet want such as should sée them put in vse and executed so at this day in the Church are degrées and titles and names of ministeries But there are found very fewe which truly execute their office
and his fruites euill But in the braunches he noteth an other diuersity That euen as in naturall bodyes there are some which longe kepe still theyr proprieties and qualities as the heauenly bodyes which shall in one and the selfe same estate abide euen vnto the end of the world and there are others which are more easely changed yea also come to corruption as herbes plantes and sensible creatures So there are some brāches which perpetually adide in that tree or doubtles very long but other some soone fall away At the length he writteth that although some thinke that Abraham and the holy fathers are the good tree and the root yet he thinketh that we ought to put Christ to be that good tree and roote as into whō we are by fayth grafted Touching these thinges out of him alledged we may allow the former part which was brought first agaynst Valentinus for they are well and profitably noted of him But that difference of the two trees is farre The whole lompe of our corrupt nature may be called a wild oliue tree I tlieth not in our power to make our selues good trees otherwise to be put And first we ought to know that the whole lompe of our nature is corrupted with originall sinne wherefore it might well be called a wild oliue tree Neyther should we haue had from any elsewhere a good tree vnles by the mercy of God Christ had bene both promised and geuē into whom the elect by beleuing are altered transplanted and grafted as into a fruitfull and fat tree But that they shoulde beleue commeth not by the power of free will for fayth is the gifte of God and not a worke of our strengths and therefore it lieth not in vs to make the tree good And if Origen thinke that Christ so sayth the error springeth of the misvnderstanding of this worde Make ye for in that place it signifieth not a working but a supposition As though he should haue sayd Thinke and be assured that that tree ought to be good which should bring forth good fruites that tree euill which should bring forth euil fruites And that this is the sence of those words that which went before declareth For the lord had sayd Forasmuch as ye are euill ye can not speake good thinges And in the 7. chapiter of Mathew it most manifestly appeareth that the tree ought first to be good before that good fruites can follow but Origen contrariwise imagineth that by the workes of free will the tree is made fruitfull And as touching the plant and roote we also affirme that the fathers with whome was made the couenaunt and who led in it an holy life are that plant and roote although we are not ignoraunt that in other places of the scripture Christ calleth himself the vine tree and vs the branches yea and in this selfe same epistle it is written that by baptisme we are grafted into Christ into the similitude of his death Neyther doth any man doubt but that Christ is the only foundation besides which no man can put any other But Paul now tendeth not that way but only hath a consideration vnto the kinred of the Hebrues and holines of the fathers which is here by gathered for that he calleth the Iewes the naturall braunches of the good oliue tree which can not otherwise be vnderstanded but for that they came of holy parentes And streight way he expressedly sayth There are enemies for your sakes but elect for the fathers sakes Neither doth this which is added any thing let Thou standest by fayth which fayth hath a respect vnto Christ as vnto the obiect thereof for we also when we affirme that the holy fathers are the plant and root doo not exclude Christ for the roote and tree are not here taken but in as much The fathers are called the roote the plant in as muche as they ar rooted inchrist as they are holy but the fathers had not of them selues naturall and inward holynes but as we haue before sayd they by fayth drew it from Christ Thou wilt say then The braunches are brokē of that I might be grafted in Thou sayest well Thorough vnbelefe they are brokē of and thou standest by fayth Be not high minded but feare For if God spared not the naturall braunches take heede that he also spare not thee Thou wilt say then The braunches are broken of that I might be grafted in Thou sayest well Thorough vnbeliefe they are broken of and thou standeste by fayth The Apostle continueth still to represse the arrogancy of the Gentiles which extolled themselues against the Iewes And he vseth a conterfeate speach vnder the person of the Gentiles so that it is a preuention The Gentiles paraduenture mought haue said we glory for that we are both better and more worthy then the Iewes which is hereby proued for that they were brokē of for our saluation sake that we should be grafted in but he is of much more worthines for whose sake a thing is done then is y◠which is done for his sake The Apostle answereth Thou sayst well that the Iewes are broken of that thou shouldest be grafted in this I deny not but thē remember thou that thy grafting in commeth not of merites or workes but of fayth which is mere and pure grace and hath a respect vnto the mercy of God only It is the practise of Sathan to make vs to glory of that thing which we haue not of our selues but is the pure and simple gift of God I will not speake how that the Iewes mought by the like kinde of reasoning say we are of more excellency then thou when as thou wert to this end called that we by thy conuersion might receaue fruit and by emulation be prouoked vnto saluation Chrisostom sayth that here are touched the true and proper causes of the destruction of the Iewes and of the grafting in of the Gentiles incredulity I say and fayth And therfore he continueth in that mind which he was of before that the Apostle comforteth the Iewes in wordes onely and with cōmendations which in very dede were no commēdations But in thus speaking he considereth not that which was before sayd that the counsell of God in the execation of the Iewes stayed not there as though he willed that blindnes in respect of it self only but had a respect vnto the calling of the Gentiles which he would should therof follow And I wonder he saw not y◠the Apostle here approueth the argument of the Gentils wherin they sayd They are broken of that we should bee grafted in He mought doubtles haue sayd this is not true frō which saying he is so farre of that he rather auoutched graunted and approued that which they alledged Wherfore it is not to be doubted but that the blinding of the Iewes was appoynted of God as a meane whereby the saluation of the Gentiles should follow Wherfore Paul calleth backe the Gentiles to the consideration of this
vnto other nations This is the cause why in holy seruices prayer is made for the churches which I would to God it were done with that feruentnes of minde that it ought to be done with and that vnto the prayers were adioyned an endeuor to adorne and reforme them for to praye and not to labour to do thereafter is to dally with God Otherwise thou also shalt be cut of None which beleueth ought as touching himfelf to be persuaded that he shal be cut of For faith suffreth not this persuasion None that is godly is vncertayne of his saluation to take place The Lord saith that he which beleueth passeth from death vnto life not to euery kinde of life but vnto eternall life whiche is nowe already begonne and shall be accomplished in the world to come Wherfore séeing that eternall life is promised vnto vs we ought in no wise to doubt therof euery one of the faithfull beleueth that he is adopted of God into his sonne and that he is elected vnto eternall life Wherfore it shal be vnto him as he beleueth For the Etimoligy of this woorde faith many thinke hereof to come as thoughe that shall indéede be The etimology of â—aith done which is spoken Howbeit he which so beleueth ought always to be mindfull of perseuerance and not to liue loosely and ought also to implore at Gods hands his gift and grace to abide in his bountefulnes touching the obtainment whereof we oughte not to doubte when as God hath both promised it vnto his and also a Our flesh is to be taken hede of for that it is weake and vncleane faithfull prayer cannot be powred out with doubting as the Apostle Iames testifieth howbeit it is profitable attentiuely to looke vpon our flesh which is weake and euery way vncleane neyther is any thinge in the nature thereof but that it may be damned Wherfore these words of the Apostle stirreth vs vp to bridle the pride therof and to breake the security of it and also to shake of sluggishnes Howbeit for the retaining still of certainty we must fly vnto that whiche is a little afterward written that the giftes and calling of God are without repentance And that What is to be feared touching the church It is not possible that the church should perishe Perticuler churches may fayle we may sée howe profitable this admonition of the Apostle is vnto the faithfull and not in any wayes in vayne we will vse this distribution firste to sée as touching the church what is to be feared If we speake of the whole church we muste not in any wise feare that it shall euer fayle for Christ hath promised that he will be with it vnto the end of the world It may indede be tempted cisted and shaken but vtterly ouerthrown it can not be And therfore we pray that the crosse temptacions and persecutions thereof might be asswaged and turned to good But touching perticuler churches for that it is possible that they maye be transferred we do pray both against their continuall temptacions and also that with them and especially with our church may abide the kingdome of God And as touching our We iustly feare touching our posteritie posterity also there is cause why we shoulde feare for that the promise is indefinitely set forth and vnles it be contracted by election and predestination it maye come to passe that it shall not comprehende them as all the Iewes were not comprehended in the promise And touching infants we may also iudge the like The couenant indéede and promise excludeth them not yea they are generally ment in these wordes wherin the lord saith I wil be thy God and the God of thy sede Vnder which promise we baptise them and visibly incorporate theÌ„ into the churche who yet when they come to age may reiect the couenante and contemne the Gospell whereby is made manifeste that they in very déede pertained not to election and vnto the promises Wherfore we may iustly feare least they should not stande as we sée happened in Ismaell and Esau There are moreouer in the church some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is which beleue but for a time and in time of temptacion step backe as did Iudas and they which in time of persecutions denied Christe wherefore for these also we haue greate cause to be afeard And touching those which sincerelye beleue in Christ although they haue confidence of their saluation and are assured Many fals hange ouer the faithfuls heds We are in hope that they whom we excommunicate may be restored agayne The godly also haue whereof to be afeard thereof yet so long as we liue here there alwayes hang ouer our heads many fals and those greate as it is manifeste in Peter and in Dauid Wherefore they haue wherof to be afeard although they be not afeard that they shall eternally be damned but assuredly hope that either they shall be defended of God from fallinge or that if they do fall they shal be restored againe as we also haue confidence of them which are excoÌ„municated for they are not cast out of the church that they shoulde pearish but that at the last their spirite should be saued And therfore the elect also and they which sincerely beleue ought continually to be afearde of falles and that they be not cut of from Christ at the least way for a time And of this restitution of them that haue fallen is also mencion made in Ieremy the. 3. chapter Thou hast played the harlot with thy louers howbeit returne againe All these things declare vnto vs that this exhortacion of Paul vnto feare is not vnprofitable when as we ought so many ways to be careful both for our selues also for others Chrisostome addeth also hereunto that the abuse of the grace of God whiche raigneth amongst vs ought to be vnto vs a great feare and horror so often as we consider it If thou continue in his goodnes Otherwise thou also shalt be cut of And they also if they abide not still in vnbeliefe shal be grafted in agayn Forasmuch as it is not to be doubted but that very many of the Iewes so fell away that they sinned against the holy ghost and could no more be grafted in againe it is manifest that Paul speaketh these thinges whiche he speaketh indifinitly of yâ— people of the Iewes as touching a part Further forasmuch as it is vncertayne wheÌ„ a man doth fall into so horrible a case vnles it be declared by some certayne peculiar reuelation of God therefore Paul so speaketh that we should not put away all hope of any man so longe as he liueth here Chrisostome semeth now to alter his mind as touching that yâ— he had before spoken namely that all thinges ought to be attributed vnto the grace of God and that merites or good workes are not to be regarded For by this he sayth It is manifest how greate the dominion of our purpose and the power
scripture entreat speake of him by the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he is described as one stirred vp by affects for that he doth those things which men stirred vp by affects vse to do He God is not moued with affects is said to be angry because he auengeth as mē ouercome with anger do although he thereby suffer no perturbation He is sayde also to repent for that althoughe he be not sory yet he chaungeth the thinges which he had before done He had appointed Saul to be king whome he afterward reiected and he had appointed man vpon the earth to be encreased in number whome he afterward destroyed by the flood and therefore he is sayd to haue bene moued by repentaunce But here thou wilt say I speake not of the perturbation of God admitte that he be quiet but forasmuch The things which are geuen by predestination are not chaunged as he can chaunge the thinges which he hath done he can also chaunge his vocation and can take away the giftes from them vnto whome he before gaue them This we deny not but this is to be knowen that Paul here speaketh not of all kinde of gifts or callings but of those only which according to his eternall predestination he geueth for they are most constant and vnchaungeable as it was before sayd in this self same epistle Whome he foreknewe those hath he predestinated whome he hath predestinated those also hath he called whome he hath called those also hath he iustified and whome he hath iustified those also hath he glorified this gradatiō is vnmoueable and this chayne is indissoluble But to make the thing yet more playne we will make this distinction they which receaue the giftes or calling of God are either predestinated or els are not of the number of the elect If they be not predestinated they haue oftentimes certaine gifts of God but those are slender gifts which do not perfectly chaunge thē so that in temptacions and persecutions they fall away and are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is men during but for Giftes bestowed vpō them that are not predestinated are taken away from them a time and they easely lose theyr gifts not that God repenteth him or that he is chaunged but the chaunging is in them which withdraw themselues from the truth and God appointed to geue vnto them gifts not perpetually but for a time But they which are predestinated do as touching vocation to saluation and touching the gift of the fauor of God abide in the state of saluation without any repentaunce and chaunging of the purpose of God And although for a tyme be taken away from them the spirite consolation and some certayne grace as from Peter when he denied Christ and from Dauid when he fell into adultery yet are they restored againe and so the gift of election and their calling abideth perpetually The calling saluation of the predestinated is not chaunged and God repenteth him not thereof But the Apostle at this present speaof the nation of the Iewes generally and not as touching euery singular persons And this is worthy to be considered that in the threatnings which the Prophetes vse against the Iewes is alwayes in a manner towards the ende added a consolation of the pacifiyng of God to come and that they shal be restored and called The threatonings of y◠prophetes oftentimes end in consolations home agayne to their olde estate In Deut. the 30. chapiter it is sayd Though thou be dispersed thoroughout the fower corners of the worlde yet will I gather thee together agayn into thyne owne land Howbeit although those things are spoken of that nation and of the couenaunt made with it yet can it not be chosē but that they must nedes helpe also our confidence namely that we which beleue in Christ should not be in doubt of our saluation But thou wilt say what if my calling and giftes should be temporall and should thorough my default and not through the inconstancy of God be chaunged We ought to aunswere that in déede our fleshe and Whereby we are confirmed touching the certaynty of saluation corrupt nature is so made that it may goe backe woulde easely of it selfe fall away but faith when it is a true faith perswadeth to the cōtrary on Gods behalfe namely that he will not suffer that when we fall we should for euer fall away from him For how is it possible that we should confesse and beleue that God is in very dede our father and yet in the meane tyme be in doubt of his faith Those thinges hang not together Wherefore although as touching vs there is no let but that we may be destroyed and we haue in our selues the causes of damnatiō yet notwithstanding faith bringeth with it a contrary perswasion that God is our father and wil be our God and sauior And that which the Apostle now saith is in a maner all one with that which he before sayd What if some of them haue not beleued shall their incredulity make voyde the faith of God God forbid Let God be true and euery man a lyar Ambrose semeth to interprete those things vtterly wide from the text as we also before sayd for he will haue this sentence the giftes and calling of God are without repentaunce to be referred vnto baptisme namely that they which are baptised haue fréely the forgeuenes of sinnes neither are they compelled to any repentaunce And this he thus goeth about to apply vnto thys place That it mought seme wonderfull that the Iewes being such vnbeleuers obstinate persons wicked and vngodly men should one day be receaued agayne of God into fauor this saith he is not to be wondred at forasmuch as that receauing by baptisme is done without repentaunce But it is most manifest that Paul at this present ment no such thing but onely would declare that they by reason of election and for the couenaunt sake made with the fathers are beloued For confirmation of which reason he bringeth that God repenteth him not neither chaungeth he his purpose Further the Greke wordes suffer not this interpretacion for it is sayde that the calling and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is giftes or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is these are the things which are without repentance But if Ambroses exposition should be true not the gifts but the sinnes before cōmitted should be without repentaunce so that they which are baptised should not repent them of theyr sinnes Moreouer it is not true that in baptisme is not as touching them that are of full age required repētaunce For Peter in the Actes of the Apostles sayth Repent ye and be baptised In the baptisme of them that are of full age is required repētaunce with a true faith is ioyned repentaunce euery one of you Neither auaileth this any thing if thou say y◠this repentance is takē for fighing and morning such workes which are called satisfactions For
imitate to approue the glory of God so often as occasion serueth with all our harte to wishe it and with a willing and glade assent to affirme and ratify it Of Iustification BVt now to make an end of the long disputation which we haue had it shall not be amisse more fully to entreate of Iustification which is the The questiō put forth scope and end of all that which Paul hath hitherto spoken of And in this sort let the question be put forth Whether men be iustified by workes or by fayth But first of all it shall be good to pease and discusse the woordes of the question proposed and let vs beginne with this woord Iustification The signification of this worde to iustifie This verbe Tsada with the Hebrues in the first coniugation signifieth to be iust But if it be transferred vnto the third coniugation it signifieth to transferre righteousnes into an other and to make iust for this is the nature of the forme of those verbes which they call Hiphil Euen as Amad signifieth to stand so Heamid signifieth to appoint that is to make an other thing to stand Wherfore Hitsadik in the Hebrue signifieth to iustifie that is to make one iust which thinge God is said two maner of wayes to iustifie when it is done of God is done of him two maner of wayes For sometymes he doth in very deede bring forth righteousnes in men First when with his holy spirite he frameth them agayne wholy reneweth them in restoring the strengths of their mindes and deliuering the powers of man from a great part of his naturall corruption and this is the first righteousnes which sticketh and cleaueth to our mindes by the benefite of God thorough Christ Then when he hath so restored and made them new agayne he geueth good and holy workes by the vse and frequency of which workes is engendred in our minds a quality or as they call it an habite whereby we are made prone to lyue honestly and holyly And we deny not but this kind of righteousnes is in the harts of the regenerate But sometimes God iustifieth in absoluing vs from sinnes and ascribing and imputing vnto vs righteousnes And then this woord Hitsadik is a woord taken of the lawe whiche pertayneth to iudgements as also this word Hirsehig ▪ which signifieth to declare one to be wicked and hurtfull And to iustifie is by iudgement words testimony and affirmation to count one for iust And forasmuch as there are two significations of this word to iustifie namely eyther in deede or in accompt and estimation And God is the author of either of them whether of these two shal we followe We now in treate of the latter forme of iustification in the disputation proposed Forsothe the latter and that for because the renouation inspired by the spirite of God and our righteousnes as touching the habite gotten by good workes are whilest we lyue here so vnperfect and mayned that if iudgement should be geuen by them we were neuer able to stand before the iudgement seate of God Besides that Paul disputing of this matter after he had brought forth the authority of Dauid and a testimony of the history of Abraham in Genesis vseth this word of imputing and by the proper signification thereof he reasoneth touching this present cause or question And this I suppose to be sufficient as touching the declaration of the first word namely of Iustification Now let vs entreate of fayth A man with the Hebrues in the first coniugation signifieth to be firme which self same verbe in the third coniugation which as I What this worde faith signifieth haue sayd is called Hiphil signifieth to geue constancy and assurednes to any promise or thing Wherefore the Latines say Fidem homini aut verbis tribuere which is in Englishe to geue fayth vnto a man or vnto words and it signifieth as much as if a man should say to beleue Wherefore this Hebrue verbe Heemin signifieth none other thing then to suppose or thinke a thing to be firme constant and sure And as touching God he which beleueth not him maketh him a lyar For Iohn sayth in his first Epistle the 5. chapiter He which beleueth not God maketh him a lyar Which thing how greauous a sinne it is let euery man consider with himself Contrariwise he which beleueth God adorneth him with glory and honour For in this Epistle to the Romanes it is written of Abraham that he staggered not thorough doubting in hauing consideration to his own body being now almost dead or to the wombe of Sara being past child bearing but gaue the glory vnto God being strong in fayth and fully persuaded that he was able to performe whatsoeuer he would Wherefore there semeth to be a certayne Analogye or proportion betwene this verbe to beleue and to iustifie as we in this place take it for as to iustifie An analogy or proportiō betwene to beleue and to iustify A double certainty of faith is by iudgement and estimation to ascribe righteousnes to a man and not to make him to be in very deede iust so to beleue is not in very deede to make the words and promises of any man sure and firme but to thinke and setle with our selfes that so they are But this acte of beleuing whereof we now intreate hath two maner of firmenes and certaynety First of the things namely of the words and promises of God which abide much more firmely then heauen and earth Secondly as touching the persuasion which forasmuch as it is wrought by the power of God is also most firme and most certayne and of an assured persuasion that is that it is neuer naked but alwayes draweth with it many and sundry motions An assured persuasiō is not naked ▪ it draweth with it also other motions of the mynde of the mind For experience and dayly vse teacheth that in things ciuile a man being well and fully persuaded of pleasaunt promises is filled with confidence reioyseth sheweth a mery contenaunce is glad and pleasaunt and cleaueth vnto hym that made the promise so that he doth by all meanes allowe him But contrariwise when he beleueth not the persuasion he laugheth at it neglecteth and contemneth it or waxeth cold and bendeth the browe wherefore it can neuer be that he which beleueth in very deede can want such affections whiche are accustomed to followe a full and stronge persuasion And therfore those that are the pure professors of the Gospell do iustly affirme that to beleue hath a very greate coniunction with action or withe the motion of confidence hope and such like affections But most of all with a sincere and firme affiance which it alwayes draweth with it Whereby it commeth to passe that in the holy Scriptures promises are made Vnto true faith is ioyned an assured confidence Promises are in the scriptures geuen both vnto saith also to cōfidence Why in the olde Testamēt is
the end the promise should be firme as if he should haue sayd our mynde should continually wauer if the promise should depend vpon workes none could appoynt any certainty of his owne saluation for his conscience would euermore accuse him that he had not performed those workes vnto which the promise should be made to the end therefore we should not in such sort wauer God would that our iustification should consist of faith and grace that the promise might be firme The same thing also is gathered out of that which is declared of Abraham how that contrary The thirtenth to hope he beleued in hope He is sayd to beleue in hope contrary to hope which either in himselfe or in nature séeth or féeleth no maner of thing which might perswade him to hope As Abraham was an hundreth yeares of age his body was in a maner dead his wife an old woman and barren all which thinges naturally feared him away from hoping and yet preuailing against them all he hoped But we if we should haue merites or good workes by which we might obtaine righteousnes then should we not hope contrary to hope but in hope and accordyng to hope Wherefore our iustification is to be appointed no otherwise thē we read that it was in Abraham For he is the father of vs all as it was imputed vnto him so shall it also be imputed vnto vs. But now let vs come to the 5. chapter There The fourtenth agayne Paul plainly expresseth in what case men are before they be regenerate for he sayth For Christ when we were yet weake according to the consideration of the tyme dyed for vngodly ones And straight way But God setteth out his loue towardes ve in that that when we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs And he addeth For if when we were ennemies we were reconciled to God by the deathe of his sonne muche more being now reconciled shall we be saued by his life Hereby we gather that before regeneration men are weake sinners vngodly and the enemies of God Who then can ascribe vnto such men power to attayne vnto iustice when they will by bringing forth good workes Others may beleue it but the godly will neuer be so perswaded This is moreouer an other profe in that he setteth forth the cause of so greate The fiuetene an euill when he sayd Therfore euen as by one man synne entred into the world and by sinne death and so doath went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned as if he should haue sayd we were euen thē from the first beginning by the first man lost and condemned And lest thou shouldest thinke that infantes are to be excepted he sayth Yea death hath raigned from Adam euen to Moses ouer them also which haue not sinned after the similitude of the transgression of Adam The Masse or lompe of perdition comprehendeth all those that are borne from whiche corruption the holy scriptures teach that it is not possible for men to escape by their workes to claime vnto themselues iustification Afterwarde in the 6. chapter thus speaketh The sixtene our Apostle What fruite had ye then in those thinges whereof ye are now ashamed For the end of them is death But now being deliuered from sinne and made the seruantes of God ye haue your fruit to sanctification and the end euerlasting life What other thing meane these woordes then that all thinges whiche men do before they beleue in Christ deserue nothing els but ignominy and shame And there is no fruit of sanctification but that which followeth regeneration And who will say that we are The seuentene iustified of those thinges whiche are full of ignominy and shame But now let vs heare what is said in the beginning of the seuenth chapter Knowe ye not bretherne for I speake to them that know the lawe how that the lawe hath power ouer a man as long as it endureth For the woman which is in subiection to a man is bound by the law to the man as long as he liueth but if the man be deade she is loosed from the lawe of the man Wherfore if whilest the man liueth she coople herselfe with an other man she shal be counted a wedlocke breaker but if the man dead ▪ she is free from the lawe of the husband so that she is no wedlocke breaker though she coople her selfe with an other man Euen so ye also my bretherne are dead vnto the law by the body of Christ that ye should be coopled to an other namely to him which is risen againe from the deade that we shoulde bring foorth fruite vnto God Paul would by this reason declare that we before our faith in Christ were as it were to husbande 's coopled to the law and to the flesh of which copulation could come no fruites but those that are pernicious and deadly But now being deliuered by the grace of God we are coopled vnto Christ by the spirit vnto Christ I say being raysed from the dead by which copulation we shal now bring forth fruite vnto God and not any more to death and damnation And the selfe same thing he affirmeth or rather expoundeth when he addeth For when we were in the fleshe the lustes of sinnes which are by the law were of force in our members to bring forth fruite vnto death Here let vs note that so long as we were in the flesh we were subiect vnto wicked affections whiche by the lawe were of force in our members how then could we be iustified by our workes Further in the same chapter is written For that which I do I allow not For what I woulde that do I not The eightene but what I hate that do I. If now I do that which I would not then is it not I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in me For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Here as it manifestlye appéereth is entreated of the bodies of men and although in interpreting these wordes I am assured that they are to be vnderstande of those workes which are done of the godly which haue already obteined iustification yet now I leaue it fre vnto the aduersaries to take whether part they wil and if they graunt that these things ought to be vnderstand of works done before iustification then forasmuch as they are neither allowed nor good how shall they deserue righteousnes for they are called euil no man is iustified by an euil actiō But if we vnderstād works which are here described to be the works of those that are iustified then wil I make mine argument a maiori that is frō the greater If those workes which rather séeme to be acceptable vnto God iust holy are called euil by the iudgement of reason now renued are not allowed howe can we affirme thē that those works which are done of sinners are such that they are able to iustifye And lest any
therefore such leaues he casteth awaye and destroyeth as vaine and nothinge woorth And of the same estimation are those They put in infidels a grace wherby they may doo good works woorkes with God whiche these men so colour and adorne They inuente also an other fayned deuyse not muche vnlike vnto the firste for they saye that those workes of the infidels are not done without grace For there is say they a certain generall grace laid forth vnto all men and common vnto men euen not regenerate wherewith they beinge after a sorte holpen may merite iustification and do An heresy of the Pelagians workes which please God But in so saying they fall into the heresye of Pelagius For he also taught that men without the grace of Christ might euen by the strengthes of nature and doctrine of the lawe worke good woorkes by whiche they might be iustified Neither doth this any thing helpe their cause in that they saye that they referre not these thinges vnto nature but vnto grace whiche the Pelagians vtterly denied for in wordes they wil séeme to disagrée from them when as in verye déede they altogether agrée with them For in that they assigne a grace whereby they can attain vnto righteousnes without Christ they are both against Christ and also against the counsell Milleuitanum and also against the holy scriptures Further in that they make grace common vnto all men they turne it vnto a nature and so say that some vse it and other some vse it not And this grace they Grace preueÌ„ting and grace after following call a preuentinge grace but that other whiche is more absolute they call an after following grace Which diuisioÌ„ we deny not so that it be rightly vnderstand For we graunt that there is one grace which preuenteth and an other which foloweth after but that grace is nothinge els but one and the selfe fauor of God throughe Christ wherewith we are both preuented to will well and wherewith we afterwarde being regenerate are holpen and stirred vp to liue well For who euer doubted but that we are preuented of God before we can be chaunged and renued in Christ He were worse then madde which would say that we in our conuersion do preuent the ayde and helpe of God He first loueth vs before we can beginne to loue him he first stirreth vs vp by his fauor and spirite before that we can either will or thinke any thinge that is good But herein is the error if we thinke that men are endued with the grace of Christ wheÌ„ they are not yet regenerate nor renued in Christ There are in déede sometimes geuen vnto them certain illustrations but if those be not so vehement and of such efficacye to chaunge their mindes Certayne illustratioÌ„s are geuen vnto infidels then serue they vnto their iudgemente and condemnation and not vnto their saluation which thing we must thinke that eueÌ„ the sinnes of them which are so illuminated do deserue And lest any man should be ignorant what these mens meaning is this is to be knowen yâ— they affirme that Paul excludeth from iustification those workes onely which are done of them by frée will onelye and by the helpe of the law But I would faine know of these men what manner of workes those be which are so done of men They are not vndoubtedly grosse and filthy sinnes such as are murthers fornications adulteries theftes and other suche like For these thinges are not done by the helpe of the law but rather by the impulsioÌ„ of the flesh and of the deuill Neither are they natural works as to play or pastime to plough to reape and to saile for as touching these thinges there is nothinge commaunded in the law Then there remaineth onely honest ciuil or moral workes as to honor the parentes to helpe the poore to be sorye for wicked actes committed For these things are both commaunded in the law and may as these men thinke be performed by frée will from all these say they Paul taketh away the power of iustifieng But what other good workes then are there remaining vndoubtedlye I se none vnles peraduenture they vnderstand those which are done of men alredy iustified for before iustification other workes haue we none besides those whiche we haue now rehersed Sithen therfore these men exclude both sinnes and also workes naturall and these morall workes which the law commaundeth vndoubtedlye they exclude all workes Let them then shew by what works they would haue men to be iustified If they had any consideration they woulde haue this alwayes before their eies If of grace then not of workes and if of workes then is it not of grace neither would they flye vnto this so folish false and vaine cauillation to say that Paul is to be vnderstand of those workes onely which are destitute of any faith and grace whatsoeuer they be How dare these men speake this when as they cannot abide that a man should say that men are iustified by faith only Ye added say they that worde Onely of your owne head it is not found in the holy scriptures If they lay this iustly rightly against vs why did they themselues commit the same faultes why will they take that themselues which they will not geue vnto others Seing therfore Paul taketh away the power of iustifieng from woorkes not adding therto this worde onely how do they then adde that worde vnto them But we haue Why wear said to be iustified by faith that by it onely most firme argumentes out of the holy scriptures to adde vnto fayth this word only and we vse that kinde of speach which as we shall declare is receaued and vsed of all the fathers But let vs heare what they also bable as touchinge this matter Paul say they had most to do with the Iewes which thoughte that they mighte so be iustified by workes and especially by the woorkes of the lawe that they had no néede of Christ Wherfore the Apostle bendeth himselfe to that only But I thinke that whatsoeuer thinges he wrote he wrote them vnto the church which consisted both of the Iewes and also of the Gentils which with one assent confessed Christ Do they thinke that there were any among all these whiche promised vnto themselues saluation without Christe Vndoubtedlye if there had bene any suche the church would not haue suffred theÌ„ But yet there were some which together with Christ would haue retayned ceremonies vnto whiche they attributed ouer muche but that there were any which excluded Christ it is not to be thoughte Further Paul wrote of iustification vnto the whole Churche which consisted both of â–ª Iewes and also of Gentâ—es Paul when he teacheth these thinges instructed not onelye the Iewes but also the Gentils as it most manifestly appeareth by the Epistle vnto the Ephesians where he saith that a man is iustified by faith and that saith he not of your selues leaste any man should boast and in
that place he by name calleth those Gentils vnto whome he writeth and especially in the second chap. Wherfore this fond mencioÌ„ of theirs is vain riduculous But now let vs come to their godly strong anker hold There ar two kinds of merits say they one of congruity the other of worthines And thei confesse yâ— the works which go before iustificatioÌ„ merite not of worthines iustification Meritum congrui meritum condigni but only of congruity If thou demaund of theÌ„ what they mean wheÌ„ they say merite of congruity they wil answer that they ascribe it vnto those works which in very dede of their own nature deserue not saluatioÌ„ but so far forth as promise is made vnto theÌ„ through a certain goodnes of God And such say they are those moral actes which many worke before iustification But the merite of worthines they call that for whose sake the reward is altogether dew and this do they ascribe vnto those workes which are done of the godly after regeneration And by this distinction they thinke they haue wholy gotten the victory But forasmuch as they haue it not out of the holy scriptures there is no cause why they should so much delight themselues therein What if we on the contrary fide teach that the same distinction is apartly and directly repugnant vnto the word of God will they not then graunt that this their so notable inuention was by them found out and deuised only to trifle out our argumentes Paul when he spake of men iustified yea euen of the martirs of Christ which at that tyme suffred persecutions and most gréeuous calamities for their consolation wrote these wordes The suffringes of this tyme are not worthy the glory to come which shal be reueled in vs. These men say that such suffringes are worthy But Paul denyeth them to be worthy How agrée these thinges together or rather how manifestly are they repugnaunt one to the other And because they say that in the merite of congruity are regarded only the promises of God and not the dignity or nature of the action let them shew what God euer promised vnto those workes which are done without fayth and the religion of Christ Farther who séeth not how foolish this kinde of speach is Vndoubtedly they which are worthy of any thing the same is of congruency due vnto them and such vnto whome by an vpright and sound iudgement any thing is of congruency due ought to be iudged worthy of it Wherefore it manifestly appeareth that this distinction was both ill framed and also maliciously deuised to auoyde our reasons And yet these men accuse vs as though we neglect or rather vtterly deny those workes which they call workes of preparation which thyng vndoubtedly we do not For although we admitte not the preparations of those Workes preparatory are not vtterly â—o be denied men yet some preparations we both graunt and also allowe For God the author of our saluation through Christ vseth many and sundry meanes and degrées and wayes whereby to leade vs vnto saluation whiche by reason of his prouidence and wonderfull power and incredible loue towardes vs may be called preparations although if a man consider the nature of the thinges themselues and consider also our mynde and will in doing of them they haue in them nothyng why our saluation ought to be ascribed vnto them yea they are rather repugnant vnto our saluation For those goodly actions which they call morall do geue vnto the wicked matter to puffe vp themselues and are occasions to make them to delight in themselues and not to séeke any saluation either of Christ or of sincere piety But contrarily we sée that it oftentimes happeneth that they which haue fallen into grosse and haynous sinnes are sooner touched with an healthful repentance and do more redely come vnto Christ Wherefore Christ sayde vnto the Scribes and Phariseyes Harlots and publicanes shall go before you in the kingdome The means wherby we are brought vnto saluation are by the grace of Christ made of efficacy of God Neither also will any godly man say that men are either restrayned from iustification by reason of wicked actes or els helped vnto it by the strength of ciuile vertues But the whole matter consisteth herein because these meanes somtimes are destitute of the grace of God and sometimes they are by hym conuerted vnto our saluation so that although as touching vs they are sinnes of their owne nature do helpe nothing yet by the gouernment of God they are alwayes brought vnto a good end A man shall sée sometimes some men to liue vprightly honestly as touching the iudgemeÌ„t of men which yet forasmuch as inwardly they swell in pride and disdaynfulnes are so forsaken of God that they throw themselues hedlong into most filthy falles and most haynous sinnes and yet by that meanes it commeth to passe that they more easely acknowledge themselues and are amended and do returne agayne vnto the fold of the shéepe of Christ This is plainly set forth vnto vs in the Gospell The prodigall sonne leauing his father An example of the prodigal sonne and hauing spent and wasted his patrimony was at the last driuen to this point that he became a bondman and also a swineherd which thing vndoubtedly he could not do without great shame For being borne of so noble a bloud he should neuer haue so embased himselfe vnto such vile thinges But he being in this state began to thinke with himselfe that he should be happy if that he might but eate coddes with the swyne of which coddes yet he had not his beally full All these thinges vndoubtedly were to be counted a reproch vnto him And yet thereby came to passe that he began to thinke with himselfe Ah how many hyred seruantes are in my fathers house which haue plenty of bread and good meate but I perishe here for hunger And by this meanes was stirred vp in him a iust repentance wherefore he wisely and godly went agayne vnto his father from whome he had rashely departed For who knoweth the secret counsells of God and the most déepe botomles pitte of his prouidence He oftentimes prepareth men vnto saluation by those thinges which of their owne nature should be hurtfull and deadly but that A similitude he of his goodnes turneth them to an other end This wil I declare by a similitude so plaine and manifest that there is no man but he may vnderstand it A phisition sometimes commeth to a man that hath a rotten legge which can by no meanes be cured vnlesse it be cutte of He cutteth it of afterwarde he addeth playsters and medicines and at the length healeth the man Here I demaunde whether that cutting of may séeme to be a preparation to recouer health or no Thou wilt say it may but whether hath it that of his owne nature or els by some violence and condition of the sicke person It hathe not that vndoubtedly
order appoynted by God in nature For God for the conseruation good order God will haue an order to be kept in outwarde thinges How Roboam is said not to haue prepared his harte of thinges will that this by a certayne connexion should follow of the other But I meruayle what these men meane when out of the bookes of the Chronicles they say that Roboam the sonne of Salomon did euil in that he prepared not his hart to enquire of the Lorde They mought easely haue sene that this serueth nothing to thys present purpose vnles they be if I may so terme them table doctors which haue more skill in the tables then in the bookes For as often as they finde in the table of the holy bookes thys woorde to prepare or preparation that strayght way whatsoeuer it be they snatche and thinke that it maketh for theyr purpose and pertayneth vnto theyr preparatory woorkes But the holy history when it declared that the kinge behaued hymselfe wickedlye addeth by exposition as it oftentimes doth that he had not an vpright hart redie to séeke the Lord. Neither doth this any thing helpe theyr cause which is written in the 16. chapter of the prouerbes Why it is said yâ— it pertaineth to man to prepare the harte It pertaineth to a man to prepare the hart but the aunswere of the tonge is of the Lord. For we ought by those woordes to vnderstande nothinge els then that men indéede are wonte to purpose wyth themseues manye thinges but the euent and successe is not in their power but dependeth of GOD. Men oftentimes appoynte wyth them selues what they will saye in the senate house in the iudgement place before the kinge vnto the souldiours and vnto the people But what shal come to passe lieth in the pleasure of God They indéede prepare the hart but God ordereth the aunswere of the tounge according to his prouidence Such an other waighty reason they cite out of the 10. Psalme The Lord hath heard the desire of the poore thy eare hath heard the preparation of their hart But in this place these The preparation of the hart of the poore good masters make two flat errors For first they vnderstand not that which they speake secondly they cite not the place accordinge to the truth of the Hebrue For the sence is That God despiseth not the prayers of the poore but according to hys great goodnes accomplisheth for them those thinges which they had determined in their mind to desire of him And this is the preparation of the harte For there is none that is godly desireth any thing of God but first he deliberateth in his harte that the same thing is to be desired Otherwise he should come rashly vnto God should pray foolishly But these men wheresoeuer they finde in the holy scriptures this word to prepare straight way snatch it vp euen against the nature thereof to establish workes preparatorye But nowe let vs sée what the sentence is after the Hebrue veritie Taauah anauim shamata iehouah tachin libbam tacshib osnecha That is Thou hast heard the desire of the poore Lord thou hast prepared or shalt prepare their hart thy eare shall heare Here we sée that Dauid affirmeth that God heareth God prepareth the hart of the saintes the desires of the saintes whome he calleth poore And he addeth a cause namely because God prepareth their hart to require those thinges whiche may serue to their saluation and please God But by whome God woorketh such a preparation in the hartes of the faithfull Paul teacheth in this Epistle when he thus writeth God prepareth our hartes by his holy spirits What we should aske as it behoueth vs we know not But the spirite prayeth for vs with vnspeakeable sighes But it is God which searcheth the hartes he seeth what the spirite will aske for the saintes We sée therefore both by Dauid and also by Paul that God heareth those prayers of them that pray vnto him which are by the impulsioÌ„ of his spirite stirred vp We learne also of the Ethnike Philosophers and that in mo places then one that those are worthy of reproofe which without consideration and rashly require any thing of God But they which professe Christ euen as they beleue that he is the author of their prayers so also do they close them vp in thys sentence Thy will be done But say they Ezechiell saith in his 18. chapter Walke in A concilition of places of Ieremy and Ezechiell my wayes and make ye a new hart Ieremy also saith Be ye conuerted vnto me saith the Lord. Wherefore a man say they may of himselfe prepare himselfe to the obteyning of righteousnes But these men should remember that it is no vprighte dealing to cite some places of the scriptures and to ouerhippe leaue vnspoken other some Let them goe therfore and sée what Ezechiell writeth in the. 30. chapt I saith the Lorde will bring to passe that ye shall walke in my wayes Agayne I will geue vnto you a fleshy hart and will take away from you your stony hart Ieremy also in the 31. chap. Conuert me O Lord and I shal be conuerted Wherfore Augustine very wel sayd Geue what thou commaundest and commaund what thou wilt They abuse also an other place out of the Prophet Ionas to confirme their error For in him it is writteÌ„ that Of the fact of the Niniuites God regarded the woorkes of the Niniuites Beholde say they the affliction of the Niniuites wherby they afflicted themselues with fastings and cried vnto the lord prepared theyr mindes and made them apte to obteine pardon As though it behoued not the Niniuites first to beleue the woorde of God before they coulde eyther pray healthfully or els repent Séeing therefore they beleued before they did any workes they were iustified by faith and not by works which folowed afterward And God is sayd to haue regarded their works because they pleased him Neither did we euer deny that the workes of men being now iustified are acceptable vnto A profitable rule for the right vnderstanding of sentences of the fathers touching iustificatioÌ„ God So often as we finde in the scriptures such places which séeme to attribute righteousnes vnto our workes we muste according to the doctrine of Augustine haue a consideration out of what foundation those workes procéede And when we perceaue that they springe out of faith we oughte to ascribe vnto that roote that which afterwarde is added as touching righteousnes And how fowlye these men â—rre in their reasoning hereby we may perceaue for that they take vpon them to transferre those thinges which are proper vnto one kinde of men vnto an other Which thing eueÌ„ humane lawes wil not suffer For as it is had in the Code As touching testaments or last willes If rusticall and vnlearned men which dwell out of cities A similitude and haue not store of wise and learned
men do make their last willes withous a solemnitie required thereunto and without a sufficient nomber of witnesses prescribed whiche yet otherwise were necessary such testaments ought to be allowed Now if a maÌ„ would transferre this prerogatiue vnto citesins who for that they haue their abidings in cities haue store of men of vnderstanding he should excéedingly erre For if their testamentes should be so made they are refused neither are they counted firm So we say that the workes of men iustified may please God which thing yet neyther can nor oughte to be graunted vnto them whiche are without faith and without Christ Farther let vs marke the accustomed fond kind of reasoning of the aduersaries whiche the Logicians call A non causa vt câ—usa â–ª that is from that whiche is not the cause as the cause For they alwayes appoint good workes to be the causes A similitude of righteousnes when as in very dede they are the effects of righteousnes not causes For it is as though a man should say the fire is therfore hot because it maketh How this sentence is to be vnderstand â–ª God rendreth to euery man according to his workes hot But it is cleane coÌ„trary for therfore it fore maketh hot because it is hot So also we because we ar iustified therfore do iust thinges and not because we do iuste things therfore we are iustified Somtimes also they make this obiectioÌ„ that God will reÌ„der vnto euery man according to his works Wherfore works say they are yâ— causes of our felicity But here also as theyr woÌ„ted maner is they are very much deceiued For vnles they haue found out some new grammer vnto themselues vndoubtedly this word according signifieth not yâ— cause But Christ say they in yâ— his Iuxta last iudgement séemeth to expresse these thinges as causes wherfore the kingdome of heauen is geuen vnto them For thus will he say I was hungrye and ye fed me I was thursty and ye gaue me drinke But Christ doth not in very déede rehearse these thinges as causes but rather those thinges which wente before Come ye blessed of my father possesse ye the kingdome which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world For the true cause of our felicitie is because we are elected and predestinate of God to yâ— eternal inheritance For they which are in this number are when time serueth adorned with faith whereby being iustified they haue right vnto eternall Why Christ in the iudgement will make mencion of outwarde workes There are two beginninges of thinges life But because this faith is hidden neither can be séene and Christ will haue all men to vnderstand that none but the iust are receiued into the kingdome of heauen therefore reherseth he these outwarde workes that by them it might plainly be perceaued that righteousnes is geuen vnto men by faith For there is no man that can be so ignorant but that he knoweth that there are two grounds of things the one is whereby they are the other whereby they be knowne Againe they obiect out of the first of Samuel Those that honor me I honor those that loue me I loue Here say they the promise is made vnto the worke But if they woulde make a distinction betwene the promises of the Gospel and the promises of the lawe as we haue els where aboundauntly taught they should easly vnderstand that that place is nothing repugnant vnto our sentence For if we coulde of our selues satisfie the commaundement of the law then might it be the cause why the promise should be geuen vnto vs. But forasmuch as no man is able to performe it all men flye vnto Christ and are through faith towardes him iustified Then by a certaine obedience begonne we begin to worke which although it be not exactly done according vnto the rule of the commaundement yet it pleaseth God And he of his mere liberality performeth the promise whiche was adioyned vnto that worke And so those conditions whiche are adioyned vnto the preceptes are not vnprofitable For they that are iustified attayne vnto them Neyther 〈…〉 thâ—se men ashamed to cite these wordes out of the 25. Psalme Looke vpon my labour and my vtility and forgeue me all my sinnes as though our labours or afflictions are the causes of the remission of sinnes But in this place Dauid being in most gréeuous calamities desireth of God to forgeue him his sinnes that if he should be angry for his sinnes the cause of punishmentes might be taken away For here is not entreated of labours which a man taketh vpon him of his owne voluntary will but of punishementes A similitude inflicted by God We sée also that children whilest that they are beaten of their maisters do desire forgeuenes and pardon If thou geue an almes vnto one that is leprous the leprosy can not properly be called the cause of thy compassion or mercy For otherwise all that passed by the leper should do the same But the true cause is the louing affection in thy minde But they say moreouer that in the holy scriptures much is attributed vnto repentaunce Which thing we deny not But we on the other side woulde haue them to vnderstand that repentaunce is the fruite of fayth and that no man can with profite repent hym of hys sinnes A distinction of confession vnles he first beleue They also vainely boast of many things touching confession But touching it we make a distinction For either it is seperated from hope and faith as it was in Iudas which confessed that he had sinned in deliuering the iust bloud and so farre is it of that that confession should bring any profite that it is a preparation also vnto desperation and vnto destruction or els it is ioyned wyth fayth and hope as it was in Dauid and Peter and so is it not the cause but the effect Aâ—riculeâ— confession of iustification for it followeth fayth and goeth not before it The auricular confession also of the Papistes is vtterly supersticious wherfore we vtterly contemne it For they obtrude it as a thing necessary vnto saluation and as a cause why sinnes should be forgeuen which they are neuer able to proue by any testimony of the holy scriptures They violently wrest this also out of the Lordes Forgeue vs our trespasses is expounded prayer Forgeue vs our trespasses as we also forgeue them that trespasse agaynst vs Agayne Forgeue and it shal be forgeuen you Ergo say they the forgeuenes of iniuries is the cause why our sinnes are forgeuen vs. This their reason as the common saying is with the one hand stroketh the head and with the other geueth a blowe For if the forgeuenes of iniuries should as these men would haue it deserue remission of sinnes then that remission were no remission For after thou hast once payd the price â–ª there is nothing that can be forgeuen thee but then hath remission place when the price is
Church In which Many sinnes are forgeuen her bicause she hath loued much wordes thou shalt find no worke wrought as they cal it For Christ spake only of the hearers of the word of God which is preached But how shal we at the lēgth confute this sentence which is neuer out of theyr mouth Many sinnes are forgeuen her bicause she hath loued much If the place be diligently cōsidered it wil be an easy matter to doo We ought to know that some reasons are taken of the causes and some of the effectes Christ a few wordes afterward sheweth the cause of saluation when he sayd vnto the wooman Thy fayth hath made thee safe But bycause that fayth was hidden in her minde neither could it be sene of those which were present therefore putting forth a parable he sheweth that they loue more which receaue greater gifts of any And that this wooman receaued a very greate gifte that is iustification he sheweth by the effectes namely bycause she washed his feete with her teares and wiped them wyth her heare because she kyssed them because she annoynted them Which thinges forasmuch as that Pharisey did not it may be a very greate token or signe that he had not receaued the like gifte Not the hearers of the law shal be iustified but the doers They cite also out of this epistle vnto the Romanes Not the hearers of the law shal be iustified but the doers But Paul in that place when he reproued the Iewes bycause when they had receaued the law and boasted therof yet they liued contrary to the law ment therby nothing ells but that if righteousnes were to be sought for by the law it is not sufficiēt either to haue it or to heare it but it behoueth also in actes and dedes to performe it Which thing we neuer denied that a man may be iustified by the law if he can perfectly and fully accomplishe it But forasmuch With feare and trembling work your saluation how it is to be vnderstand as the same is by no meanes possible we say that by it righteousnes can not be hoped for That also which they obiect out of the epistle vnto the Phillippians with feare and trembling worke your saluation nothing helpeth them Vndoubtedly they which know that they haue all that they haue from God are of a moderate and humble minde and are euer more afrayd of themselues For they se that in themselues there is nothing that is good but that helpe is to be looked for at the handes of God only And therfore Paul biddeth a godly man alwayes to feare and tremble But they which thinke that it lieth in theyr owne power to iustifie and saue themselues such as are those which in this matter contend agaynst vs they I say haue nothing that they nede to be aferd of or to tremble for For they boast that theyr saluation consisteth in themselues Which saluation though Paul doo in this place name yet he therby vnderstandeth not iustification For he writeth vnto those which were alredy before iustified Wherfore this place maketh nothing for them But Paul meaneth by saluation that renuyng by which we alwayes profit A place of the Apoc. Beholde I stand at the dore and knocke and go forward to things better and better Lastly as though now they had gotten the victory they obiect this out of the third chapiter of the Apocalips Behold I stand at the dore and knocke And if any man open vnto me I will enter in and suppe with him But we plainly affirme that by these wordes is signified That God at the beginning calleth and stirreth vp and instigateth vs to saluation vnto which no man can by hys owne strengths be led wyth out the impullsion of God But that we of our owne accord wythout the Grace of God penetrating and changing y◠mind can open our harte vnto God we vtterly deny neither can these men euer proue it by the holy scriptures But because we haue certain aduersaries which passe very little or els nothing at all vpon the holy scriptures but measure al their religiō by fathers and counselles so that they may rather be called Patrologi then Theologi and that which is more intollerable they gather certaine prety sentences out of y◠writings of the Fathers and obtrude thē vnto the people and the easlier to obscure the truth and to blinde poore simple men they adde taunting speaches especially forasmuch as certaine of thē thinke themselues cōning craftes men in rethoricall speach and haue in that kinde of study spent the greatest part of theyr time I shal desire the indifferent reader not to iudge any thinge rashly against the truth but rather attentiuely to consider those thinges which we also will alleadge out of the fathers for by that meanes he shall easly vnderstand that the fathers make not so much on our aduersaries side as they do on ours But least we should alleadge any A methode in cityng of the fathers sentence out of the Fathers confusedly and rashly we will vse a methode or compendious way which methode that it may the easlier be vnderstand it shal be good first to put forth a demonstration or a certain proofe out of those testimonies of the holy scriptures which we haue before cited Whiche shal be in this manner They which do worke according to the prescript of the law that is as the very law requireth are iustified by works But none especially before regeneration can do such workes as the law requireth Wherfore none are iustified by workes The maior or first proposition is so plaine that it néedeth no exposition For he whiche doth any thing contrary to that which the law prescribeth vndoubtedly committeth sin fo farre is it of that he can thereby be made iust But the minor or second proposition although it be proued by testimonies of the scriptures yet wil we also declare by the Fathers Farther seing the conclusion is that iustification is not of works it must then of necessity be of grace Wherefore secondly we will shew out of the Fathers that men are iustified fréely and without all consideration of merites And because we reiect not good woorkes but say that in their place they are to be had in estimation as which by a most straight bond follow iustification alreadye obteyned we will lastly teach this also out of the sayings of the fathers That good workes follow iustification but go not before And those places will we chieflye cite out of the fathers which are founded vpon the holy scriptures And first commeth in place Basilius who in his firste booke de Baptismo bringeth Basilius these wordes out of the Gospell Many shall say in that day Lord in thy name we haue prophesied we haue caste out deuilles we haue done many miracles But these men saith he God will not onely cast out of his kingdome but also call them woorkers of iniquitie Wherfore they which worke
the second part he left out the name of stipend and of righteousnes and in stéede of them put in the name of grace Neither do I greatly passe that Augustine in an other place writeth that Paul mought haue sayd the stipend of righteousnes is eternall life and yet he would not say so least he should haue geuen occasion of erring For how Augustine thought that Paul mought haue sayd it vndoubtedly I sée not vnles paraduenture by righteousnes he vnderstand the workes of men regenerate forasmuch as with those workes the merites of Christ are ioyned For so it might be true that eternall life is the stipend of such a righteousnes Farther Origen goeth on and sheweth that men are so iustified fréely How eternall lyfe may be called the 〈…〉 pend of righteousnes that good workes are not required to go before For expounding this sentence Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen The soule saith he whose sinnes are forgeuen must needes now be in good state for it is called blessed Wherefore it hath righteousnes which God imputeth vnto it although it haue not yet done any workes of righteousnes but only for that it hath beleued in him whiche iustifieth the vngodly Out of these words we gather many thinges First that God for works sake is not made debtor vnto any man Secondly that not only iustification but also eternall life is geuen fréely Lastly that righteousnes is imputed vnto the mindes of the beleuers although no good workes went before in them Basilius vpon these wordes of the 114. Psalme Be thou conuerted my soule into thy rest for the Lord hath done good vnto thee For saith he eternall rest is set forthe vnto them which in this life haue wrestled lawfully which yet is not rendered accordyng to the merite of workes but is geuen according to the grace of the most liberall God vnto them which haue hoped in him Seyng these thinges are spoken of the workes of men already iustified as touching eternall felicity then are they to be counted much more true if they be referred vnto the workes of them which are yet strangers frō Christ Wherfore euen as those merite not an eternall reward no more also can these merite iustification For both these thinges are geuen fréely Augustine in his booke De dogmatibus ecclesiasticis chap. 48. If by the law saith he commeth righteousnes then dyed Christ in vayne So also may we say if by nature come righteousnes Christ dyed in vayne This spake he against the Pelagians who affirmed that the liberty of man was so great that by nature onely it could do thynges acceptable vnto God And Augustine warely transferreth vnto nature that which Paul spake of the law and sheweth that the selfe same absurditie followeth either namely that the death of Christ is made in vayne For in very dede there is no other cause why the law bringeth not righteousnes but onely because nature is vitiate and weake Wherfore that which is spokē of the one may rightly agrée with the other The same Augustine vpon the first chapter of Iohn expoūding these wordes Grace for grace what saith he is grace He aunswereth That which is frely geuen What is grace frely geuen That which is not rendred saith he as due For if it were due vnto thee then it is a reward rendred If it were due thou wast before good And in his booke de predestinatione sanctorum the 7. chap. Let no man extoll himselfe as it is customably said Therfore deserued he to beleue because he was a good man and that before he beleued which thyng semeth to be written of Cornelius when as yet he had fayth when he did good workes These wordes are so playne that they haue no néede of declaration Chrisostome in his 2. homely vpon the first epistle Chrisostom vnto the Cor. Where grace saith he is there are not workes and where works are there is not grace Wherfore if it be grace why are ye proude by what meanes are ye puffed vp Chrisostome according to the maner of Paul so opposeth grace against workes that the one excludeth the other so far is it of that he will haue grace to be geuen for workes Ierome vpon the epistle to Philemon Grace saith he is whereby ye are saued and Ierome that by no merite or worke The same Ierome vpon the epistle vnto the Ephes expoūding these wordes By grace ye are made safe through fayth and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God Paul saith he therefore spake this least some hidden thought should crepe into vs if by our workes we be not saued vndoubtedly yet by faith we are saued so that in an other kinde it commeth of vs that we are saued All these testimonies sufficiently declare that iustification is geuē fréely neither can it be gotten by any merites or workes goyng before Now resteth to declare out of the fathers how good workes are to be estemed Vndoubtedly they follow iustification as the fruites therof which spring and burgē forth out of true faith Wherfore Origene sayth in that place which we haue before cited expounding these wordes vnto the Romanes But vnto him which worketh the reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt Wherfore saith he not out of workes commeth the roote of righteousnes but out of the roote of righteousnes encreaseth the fruite of workes Whiche selfe thing Augustine affirmeth vnto Honoratus saying Hereout spring good works for that we are iustified and not because good workes went before therfore are we iustified And in his first booke second question ad Simplicianum Yea and workes saith he if there be any that be good do follow as it is said that grace and go not before it And therfore he addeth If there be any good because euen the workes of the regenerate haue in thē much imperfection and vnles the righteousnes of Christ which is imputed vnto the beleuers were ioyned with those workes they should not in very dede be good The same father in his 26. chapter de spiritu Litera at large entreateth this place vnto the Romanes Not the herers of the law shal be iustified but the doers and by many reasons he proueth that good workes follow iustification and go not before To this also tendeth that which Basilius writeth in his second booke De spiritu sancto the 7. chap. of the wordes of the Lord that first it behoueth that the trée be good then his fruites to be good that the Phariseis were reproued which in theyr dishes cups made cleane y◠which was without Make cleane sayth he that which is within and that which is without shal be cleane otherwise ye shal be compared vnto painted sepulchers which in dede without seme beautiful but with in are vncleane and full of dead mens bones What counsels are to be harkned vnto Now let vs come vnto the Counsells which yet are not without choyce and iudgement
this place of Zachary it may be expounded two manner of wayes First that those are the wordes of the law commaunding yet by theÌ„ cannot be proued yâ— a man can be conuerted vnles God conuert him For What are the inward motions in iustification of it Augustine thus writeth Lord geue that which thou coÌ„maundest and commaund what thou wilt An other exposition is this in iustification are two inward motions of which the one pertayneth vnto reason which as we haue said hath nede not onely to be taught but also to be persuaded and to be drawen into the sentence of the holy ghost the other motion pertaineth vnto the wil that it may be bowed to receiue al those things which the holy ghost promiseth and offreth And this is the faith by which we are iustified and wherby our sinnes are forgeueÌ„ vs. But forasmuch as these things are done secretly in the inward partes of the mind the Prophet speaketh not of them but rather spake of those things which follow For man after he is once iustified beginneth to be conuerted vnto good works Wherfore he which before liued dissolutely and wickedly now behaueth himselfe wel and orderly and being renewed with grace and the spirite worketh together with the power of God Of this conuersion the Prophet speaketh when he sayth Be ye conuerted vnto me And God promiseth to heape them vp with great benefites which is signified by this And I will be conuerted vnto you For before when he withdrew from them his benefites and afflicted them with captiuities and other miseries he seemed to be turned away from them Wherfore the Prophet spake not of the inwarde iustification but of the outward conuersion vnto good workes But Ieremy when he said Conuert vs Lord and we shall be conuerted had a respect vnto those inward motioÌ„s of the mind which we haue now described But our men of Trent when they thus say although they faine that they differ from the Pelagians yet in very deede they can neuer proue it They say that they deny not grace but in very deede they put that grace which the Pelagians would neuer haue denied But let vs see what degrees and what preparations these men appoynt â—o iustification First say they a man which is to be iustified being called stirred vp by the grace Degrees of iustification appointed by the Synode of Trent of God beginneth to beleue those things which are written in the holy scriptures then is he smitten with the feare of the sinnes which he hath committed afterwarde loking vnto the mercy of God he beginneth to haue a good hope this hope being conceiued he loueth God out of which loue springeth in him a certaine detestation of sinnes and a purpose to liue wel lastly he receiueth baptisme or the sacrament of repentaunce and herein say they consisteth iustification For all other things which went before were only preparations But these men see not that we ought farre otherwise to iudge of baptisme For the holy scriptures teache that Abraham was first iustified by faith in vncircumcision and then he receiued circumcision as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a seale of righteousnesse already receiued This selfe same consideration according to the Analogy is to be kept in baptisme For our baptisme answereth vnto the circumcision of the elders When these men put that fayth the feare of God hope charitie The degrees of Trent before brought are coÌ„futed What causes of iustication they of Trent assigne detestation of sinne and a new purpose of liuing vprightly are only certaine preparations vnto iustification they decree that a man may be perfecte before he be iustified Then they adde the causes of our iustification and beginne at the finall cause and that say they is the glory of God and our saluation The efficient cause they say is GOD himselfe of his mercye The meritorious cause as they call it they put to be Christ Iesus by his death on the crosse and the sheading of his bloud â–ª And hitherto in dede all is wel The formall cause they say is the iustice of God not that iustice whereby he himself is iust but that which he communicateth vnto vs wherby we truely bothe are counted iust and also are so in deede By which wordes they vnderstand the renewing of a man now regenerate and his new forming by grace and the holy ghost And that these things are done in a man already iustified we deny not but that iustification consisteth therein we can not graunt For Paule affirmeth Wherin iustification properly consisteth â–ª it to consist herein that our sinnes are forgiuen vs and that they are no more imputed vnto vs. And to confirme this he citeth a testimony out of Dauid Blessed are they vvhose iniquities are forgiuen and that testimony also out of Genesis Abraham beleued God and it vvas counted vnto him for righteousnesse And to the end he would expresse the thing more plainly he oftentimes in that selfe same place vseth this word Imputacion And therefore say we that in Iustificatâ—oÌ„ cannot consist in that righteousnes which cleaueth in â—â— vs. that righteousnesse and instauration wherby we are reformed of God can not consist iustification for that it through our corruption is imperfect neither can we with it staÌ„d before the iudgement seat of Christ Farther they say that this righteousnesse wherby they will haue vs to be iustified is distributed vnto euery man by the holy ghost as it pleaseth him which saying in deede may be suffred For the holy ghost is the disposer in the distribution of the giftes of God But they goe on farther and say According to the measure of the preparation but this can by no meanes be borne with all For we haue before shewed out of the fathers and chiefly out of the holy scriptures that all those things which are done before iustification are sinnes so farre is it of that they can merite and prepare vnto iustification Farther these men teache that iustification being once had men ought neuer to be thereof assured and certaine but ought to be doubtfull and carefull And when we obiect that this is to derogate yâ— truth of the promises of God and the dignitie of grace they deny that to be true For they say that they doubt not of the promises of God but when they looke vpon their owne indispositions as they call it then at the length they begin of necessitie to doubt Vndoubtedly this is not to be meruailed at for if a man haue a regarde to his owne vnworthinesse he shall not only doubt of the promises of God but also shall be most assured that he can not be iustified But the holy scriptures teache farre otherwise For they set forthe vnto vs the example of Abraham how that he contrary to hope beleued in hope and that he when now A man being iustified doubteth not of his iustification he was in a maner a hundreth yeares of age had no
regarde to his body being past getting of children nor to the wombe of Sara being past childbearing and that he staggered not by reason of distrust but was by faith confirmed most certainely persuaded that God was able to performe what so euer he had promised This example teacheth vs that we ought not to haue a regarde vnto those things which either may or seeme to hinder our iustification but our faith ought vtterly to be fixed in the words and promises of God but contrariwise these men will call vs backe to our owne indispositions as they cal them and will haue vs therefore alwayes to be in doubt of our iustification In dede we ought not to dissemble whatsoeuer imperfection or fault is in vs and that for this cause that it may be daily amended and corrected Yet ought we not therefore to be in doubt and wauering touching our iustification and the grace of God Now haue we to proue the second proposition namely that a man is iustified by faith Which thing we entend first to proue by testimonies of the holy A confirmation that we are iustified by faith scriptures Paule in the first chapter of this Epistle thus defineth the Gosple that it is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleueth In these wordes is touched the efficient cause of our iustification namely the power of God and the ende which is our saluation and also the instrument wherby it is receiued namely faith for he addeth vnto euery one that beleueth And this he confirmeth by a testimony of Abacucke the Prophet In which sentence he so much delighted that he vsed it both to the Galathians and also to the Hebrues in the self same sense He addeth moreouer that the wrathe of God was reueled from heauen by reason of the knowledge of the Philosophers which withheld the truthe of God in vnrighteousnesse and which when they knew God glorified him not as God but fell to the worshipping of Idols But contrariwise in the gospell is reuealed the righteousnesse of God namely that righteousnesse whereby men are iustified from faith to faith which phrase of speache we haue in his due place sufficiently expounded in the third chapter Now is the righteousnesse of God saith he made manifest without the law the righteousnesse I say of God by the faith of Iesus Christ in all and vpon all them which beleue in him And a little afterward wherefore being iustified frely by his grace by the redemption which is in Christ Iesus whome God hath set forth a propitiator by faith in his bloud Here also is not onlye shewed the grace by which God fréely iustifieth vs but also Christ his deathe is set forthe that it may manifestly appeare that he is the reconciliator and the mediator Wherunto also is added faith wherby we receiue the fruit of his redemption to the shewing forth also of his righteousnesse in this time that he might be iust and iustifying him which is of the faith of Iesus Christ. If men coulde by theyr workes get vnto themselues righteousnesse the righteousnesse of God shoulde not then be so declared But seeing we sée that it is communicated vnto vs by faith without any preparation of workes it must needes seeme vnto vs very great And amongst other things which God requireth of men this is the chiefest that they should not any thing glory of themselues But if iustification should consist of workes men might boast of their owne endeuor and industry But seeing we are freely iustified by faith there is no place left for boasting Wherfore Paule saith Thy boasting is excluded by what law by the law of works No but by the law of faith Wherfore he concludeth after this manner We iudge that man is iustified by faith without works And that we should not think that that proposition is particular he declareth that it is vniuersall â–ª God saith he is he the God of the Iewes only is he not the God of the gentiles also Yea of the Gentiles also For it is one God which iustifieth vncircumcision through faith and circumcision by faith Wherefore euen as there is but one God ouer all men so iustifieth he all men by one and the selfe same way And in the fourth chapter he saith but vnto him which worketh not but beleueth in him which iustifieth the wicked faith is imputed vnto him vnto righteousnesse By this sentence are bothe workes excluded and also faith is set forth by which is imputed righteousnesse vnto men And straight way he addeth of Abraham that he is the father of all them that beleue by vncircumcision that it might also be imputed vnto them and that he is the father of circumcision not only vnto them which are of circumcision but also vnto them which walke in the steps of faith which was in the vncircumcision of Abraham our father Afterward by the nature of the promesse he sheweth that iustification is by faith For he saith by the lawe was not the promesse made vnto Abraham and vnto his seede to be the heire of the worlde but by the righteousnesse of faith for if those which are of the law should be heires then shold faith be abolished and the promesse made voide In these words are two excellent things to be noted The first is that the promesse is free â–ª neither is it ioyned with the condition of workes and therfore seing faith is as a correlatiue referred vnto the promesse it must needes follow that it is such as the promesse is and therefore it hath a respecte vnto the promesse by it selfe and not to the conditions of our vntowardnesse or indisposition as the good holy Fathers of Trent â—eache The second is that if the inheritance and righteousnesse should depend of that condition of works then had there bene no néede of the promesie For meÌ„ might haue sayd why is that fréely promised vnto vs which we can claime vnto our selues by our owne endeuor and labor Or why is it so necessary that we shold beleue when as by our owne workes we can attaine vnto righteousnesse Afterward Paule addeth the finall cause why iustification commeth by fayth By grace sayth he that the promesse might be firme for if by our owne works and preparations we should be iustified the promesse should alwayes be vnstedfast neither could we appoint any certaintie of it Afterwarde he putteth the example of Abraham who as it is before said contrary to hope beleued in hope neither had he a regarde vnto those things which as touching his owne part mought haue bene a let vnto the promesse of God namely his own body being nâ—w as it were dead and an hundreth yeare olde and the age of Sara his wife These things sufficiently declare what maner of faith that was by which vnto Abraham was imputed righteousnesse so that thereby we also may vnderstande the power and nature of faithe which iustifieth Paule also addeth that by suche a faith is muche aduaunced the
bicause of vnbeliefe they were broken of but thou standest by faith Here is geuen the reason of the fall and destruction of men and on the other side of saluation and constancie namely vnbeliefe faith And of the Iewes which should one day be restored he addeth And if they abide not stil in their vnbeliefe they shal be againe grafted in for God is of might to graft thē in Héere we sée that by departing from vnbelief which consisteth in beleuing Hereby is proued that the restoring of thē that fall cōmeth by faith men that haue fallen are restored This maketh very muche against the error of those which although they after a sort confesse that the first iustification is giuen fréely without any workes going before yet vnto men that haue fallen they graunt not restitution vnto iustification but by satisfactions and many workes preparatory These things haue I gathered out of the Epistle vnto the Romanes now will we in order prosecute the other Epistles In the first Epistle to the Corinthians the first Chapter it is thus written bicause the world in the wisedome of God knew not God by wisedome it pleased God by the folishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleue Bicause the wise men of this world saith the Apostle by their naturall searching out could not take hold of the wisedome of God whereby they might be saued God of his goodnesse hath instituted a contrary way namely the preaching of the Gospell which vnto the flesh séemeth foolishnesse that by it saluation should be geuen vnto men but yet not to all sortes of men but to those only that beléeue Wherfore in the .ij. to the Corinthians the. 1. chapter it is thus written by faith ye stand by which wordes we vnderstand that the foundation wherby we are confirmed and established in the way of saluation is faith Farther Paule to the Galathians the .ij. Chapter where he reproueth Peter for his dissimulation wherby he séemed to lead the Gentiles to obserue the Ceremonies of the Iewes thus speaketh If thou being a Iewe liuest after the maner of the Gentiles and not as doe the Iewes why compellest thou the Gentiles to liue as doe the Iewes For we which are Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles knowe that a man is not iustified by the workes of the law and we beleue in Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ not by the workes of the law because by the workes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified Héere we sée that the Apostles therefore folowed Christ y◠they might be iustified by faith which they could not obtaine by works And afterward the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God which is all one as if he should haue said As yet in déede sinne sticketh in my fleshe and in it I cary death about but yet notwithstanding I haue life not through mine owne merite but by the faith of the sonne of God In the .iij. chap. he thus wryteth I would know this of you receiued ye the spirite by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith And straight way he addeth he which ministreth vnto you the spirit in you worketh miracles doth he the same by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith By these words we sée that it is faith and not works wherby we take holde of the gifts of God and he addeth ye know that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham and that vndoubtedly for no other cause but because in beleuing they imitate him Wherfore sayth he the scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles by faith shewed before hande glad tidings vnto Abraham saying in thee shall all nations be blessed This blessyng spred not abrode vnto them bicause they had their beginning of the flesh of Abraham but bicause they followed the steppes of his faith Otherwise of Abraham as touching the fleshe came not as farre as we can read any other nations then the Ismaelites Edomites and Israelites Then foloweth the conclusion Therefore they which are of faith shal be blessed with faithfull Abraham But to be blessed in the Hebrew phrase is nothing else then to receiue the gifts of God amōgst which iustification is the principallest Wherefore it followeth That vnto the Gentiles through Christ might come the promise made vnto Abraham that we might receyue the promise of the holy Ghost through faith We sée therefore that the promise of the holy ghost is not taken hold of by workes as many faine it is which thing euen reason sufficiently declareth For seing the Lord as it shall a litle afterward be declared had by promise geuen this blessing vnto Abraham we must se what is referred vnto the promise as a correlatiue Which as we haue sayd cā be nothing ells but fayth for fayth setteth forth vnto it selfe the promises of God as an obiect Paul furthermore addeth that the scripture concludeth all thinges vnder sinne that the promise by the fayth of Iesus Christ should be geuen to them that beleue Thys is the cause why y◠holy scriptures so diligently shew vnto men how they be guilty of sinnes namely that they should be the more stirred vp to embrase y◠promises of God at the least way by fayth when as they haue not good workes by which they may take hold of them And this vnderstand we by that which is afterward written The law is our schoolemaister vnto Christ that we should be iustified by fayth These wordes signifie nothing els but that y◠law therfore sheweth sinnes setteth forth vnto mē their infirmity and stirreth vp theyr lustes wherby sinnes are more and more encreased that they being thus admonished should returne vnto Christ and might from him thorough fayth receaue righteousnes Which thing they vndoubtedly did of whome it is sayd Ye are all the children of God by the fayth of Iesus Christ For what is it to be the sons of God but to haue now obteyned adoption which we obteine only by regeneration or iustification And in the 4. chapiter Brethern sayth he we are after Isaake children of the promise But to be children of the promise is nothing ells but to beleue those thinges which God promiseth wherby we are made his children according as he hath promised we should be For so was Isaake borne vnto Abraham not by the strength of nature but by the benefit of the promise of God In the 5. chapter he writeth We in the spirite looke for the hope of righteousnes by fayth In this place are two thinges touched the sprite of God whereby we are new facioned and renewed vnto saluation and fayth wherby we apprehēd righteousnes Wherfore in this matter of our iustificatiō although there be in our minds many ther workes of the holy ghost yet none of them except fayth helpe to iustification Therfore the Apostle concludeth Circumcision is
repeteth the selfe same promises fayth But why God would repeate the self same promises it is not hard to see For so weake is our minde that except the wordes of God be repeted and agayne and agayne inculcated it easely starteth backe frō fayth Neyther is iustification only once taken hold of but so often as we truly and mightely assēt vnto the promises of God For forasmuch as we continually slide and fall into sinnes we haue nede euermore that our iustification should be repeated Afterward he maketh a caueling that in the epistle vnto the Hebrewes are many thinges had touching fayth and many wonderfull factes made mencion of which haue bene by it obteyned but yet not one word spoken that iustification is to be ascribed vnto it But this man with an vniust payr of balance weigheth the words of the holy scripture neyther sufficiētly considereth him what those words meane The iust haue by fayth ouercome kingdomes haue wrought righteousnes haue obteyned the promises For these are so to be resolued that from the last effect we must returne vnto the first The last is to ouercome kingdoms the next to worke In the 11. chap. to the Hebrewes saith is said to iustify righteousnes the first is to obteine y◠promises amongst which promises are reckoned blessing life remission of sinnes and such other like which serue to iustification Wherfore that which is first made mencion of sayth apprehendeth by it we are iustified afterward follow good workes therfore it is sayd and they wrought righteousnes lastly by the selfe same fayth we obteyne also temporall good thinges and for that cause it is sayd They haue ouercome kingdome Wherfore Pighius falsely affirmeth that in the Epistle vnto the Hebrues among the effectes of fayth is no mencion made of iustification For although that word be not there read yet is it of necessity and manifestly gathered of those thinges that are there written For neyther are we Arrians as some wickedly belie vs that we will graūt nothing but that which is by playne and expresse wordes read in the holy scriptures For we graunt those thinges also which are by euident and playne arguments gathered out of them But Pighius afterward demaundeth why we take away from workes the power of iustifieng Vnto this we could make answere with one word that we do it bycause the holy ghost in the holy scriptures so teacheth vs namely that men are iustified by fayth without workes But to the end we should not so briefely dispatch it he hath layd a blocke in our way for he answereth vnto him selfe that the cause therof is for y◠our works are imperfect neither satisfie they y◠law of god nether also can they stand sure before the iudgment of God But by this meanes also sayth he we may affirme that iustification is not of sayth for it also is imperfect Faith as it is a worke iustifieth not For there is no man that beleueth so much as he should doo But vnto this we answere as we haue in other places oftētimes answered that fayth as it is a worke iustifieth not For that effect commeth vnto it not by any his owne power but by his obiect For from the death of Christ and promises of God is righteousnes deriued into vs. So a beggar receaueth almes with a leprous weake and sore hand and yet not in that respect that his hand is in suche sorte weake and leprous But thou wilt say why doo not other good workes also by theyr obiect namely by God for whose sake they are done apprehend righteousnes as well as fayth I answere that fayth was to this vse made and iustituted of God For so also in the body of a man although it haue diuers and sondry members yet the hand only taketh hold and receaueth And so is casely dissolued that common paralogisme we are iustified by fayth Fayth is a worke ergo we are iustified for worke sake Here in the conclusion is stuffed in this word For which was not in the premisses and therfore the collection is not good Farther the forme of the reason is ab Accidenti For it is accident or happeneth vnto sayth to be our worke in that it iustifieth vs. Wherfore it is a fallacie or deceite as they call it of the Accident Farther Pighius obiecteth that charitie iustifieth rather then faith for y◠it is the nobler excellenter vertue But this reasō we haue before confuted as ridiculous The nobilitie of the vertue serueth nothing to the power of iustifieng charitie is more nobler thē faith therfore it iustifieth rather thē faith For nobilitie or dignitie serueth nothing to iustification For it is al one as if a man wold thus reason The eyes are more excellenter then the mouth and the hands Ergo meats are to be receiued with the eyes and not with the mouth or the hands Which also we sée happeneth in naturall things that things which follow are of more perfection although they geue not life In the childe conceiued nature ascendeth as it A similitude were by degrées from the power of vegitacion to the power of féeling and from the power of féeling to the power of vnderstanding And yet doth it not therof folow that y◠powers of vnderstanding or of féeling for that they are more noble thā the power of vegitacion doe therefore geue life vnto the childe And that to iustifie It is declared by reasō that faith iustifieth not charitie rather pertaineth vnto faith then vnto charitie besides that the holy scriptures doe teache the same it may also be shewed by good probable reason For the power of knowledge which pertaineth vnto vnderstāding consisteth in perceiuing And therfore they which are taught any thing after they once vnderstand it are accustomed to say Accipio or teneo that is I take it or I holde it For in very déede by knowledge a thing is after a sort receiued into the minde Wherefore it ought not to séeme marueilous if by faith we are sayd to take holde of the promises of God and the merites of Christ But charitie consisteth in pouring out bestowing and communicating our goodes vnto others Which thing ought to follow iustification and not to go before For before that we are regenerated we are euil neither can we vprightly or in suche sort that God should allow it communicate any good thing vnto others Hereunto Pighius addeth that if that faith which iustifieth suffreth not with it hainous sinnes which may trouble the conscience and which may alienate a mā from God it must néedes follow that if a man which beleueth doe chaunce to fall into any greuous wicked crime he is straight way destitute of faith and ceaseth to beleue that there is a God when yet notwithstanding we sée that wicked men doe not only beleue that there is a God but also doe confesse all the articles of the faith This argument at the first sight séemeth to be very
gathered out of thē Farther this also is to be noted euen as we haue already before tought that we affirme not that that fayth whereby we are iustified is in our myndes without good workes although we say that it is it onely which taketh hold of iustification and remission of sinnes So the eye can not be without a head braynes hart liuer other partes of the body and yet the eye onely apprehendeth colour and the light Wherefore they which after this maner reason agaynst vs Fayth as ye say iustifieth But fayth is not alone Ergo Fayth alone iustifieth not do fall into a fowle paralogisme As if a man should thus conclude onely the will willeth But Fallacia composition is diuisionis the wyll is not alone in the mynde Ergo not the wyll alone wylleth Here euen litle childrē may sée the fallace or deceate which they call of composition of diuision And is it not a fowle thing that so great diuines should not sée it But here Smith the light forsoth of diuinity setteth himselfe agaynst vs. He of late cryed out euen till he was hoarse that we falsely affirme that those places of the Of the aduerbe gratis that is freely scripture which testify that we are iustified gratis that is fréely should signifie all one with this to be iustified by fayth onely For this worde gratis is not all one wyth Solum that is onely O dull gramarians that we are which without thys good maister could not vnderstand this aduerbe so much in vse Howbeit thys Grammaticall Aristarchus lest he shoulde séeme wythout some reason to playe the foole It is written sayth he in Genesis that Laban sayde vnto Iacob Forasmuch as thou art my kinsman shalt thou serue me gratis Here sayth he put this word Only and thou shalt sée what an absurd kind of speach it will be And in the booke of Nombers The people sayd that in Egipt they dyd eate fishes gratis And in the Psalme They haue hated me gratis Here sayth he can not be put this aduerbe Only Wherefore we rashly and very weakely conclude that for that in the scriptures a man is sayd to be iustified gratis he is therefore strayght way iustified by fayth only But this sharpe witted man one so wel exercised in y◠concordance of the Bible should haue remēbred that this word Gratis signifieth without a cause or without a reward and price And therefore we rightly say that Iustification consisteth of fayth only bycause it is sayd to be geuen gratis For if workes were required there should be a cause or a reward or a price to the obteynement of righteousnes But forasmuch as Gratis excludeth all these things of y◠word is rightly and truly inferred only fayth And those places which this man hath alledged are not hard to confute For Laban sayth Shalt thou serue me gratis that is without this condition that I should geue the any thing which is only to take and nothing to repay And the Israelites when they sayd that they did eate fishes gratis ment that they did eate them with out any price payd And this They haue hated me gratis is nothing ells then wtout a cause or without any my desert Wherfore if this word Gratis take away price merite forasmuch as Paul sayth that we are iustified gratis we must nedes vnderstand that it is doone without any our price or merite Which doubtles should not be true if works should be required as causes and merites And bicause we once brought a place out of the epistle to the Galathians Of this aduerbe Nisi that is except But when as we knew that man is not iustified by the workes of the Law except it be by the fayth of Iesus Christ and of this particle Except concluded that iustification consisteth of fayth only this man according to his wisedome rageth and sayth that this word Except is not all one with Only For sayth he Ioseph in Genesis sayd vnto his brethern Ye shall not se my face except ye bring your youngest brother Christ sayth he sayth Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man ye shall not haue llfe in you Who sayth he wil say that life is had only by the eating of the Sacramēt wherfore sayth he these thinges can not be expounded by this word Only Yes doubtles but they may For in the booke of Genesis what other thing ment Ioseph then to admonish his brethern that they should vpon this condition only come agayne into his sight namely if they brought theyr youngest brother with them ▪ And Christ in the 6. of Iohn entreated not of the eating of the Sacrament for he had not as yet instituted it wherefore by this word to eate he signifieth to beleue And he sayth that they which are of full age herein only haue life if they eate hys flesh and drinke his bloud that is if they beleue that the sonne of God was deliuefor them for the remission of theyr sinnes And that this is the only way whereby they may be saued But Smith addeth that from Iustification is not to be excluded hope and charitie and other good workes I graunt indede that those are not to be excluded from a man that is iustified Howbeit I doo not attribute vnto them the power of iustifieng For that which Paul saith y◠a man is not iustified by workes should not be true if we should be iustified by any kind of workes For if a man should say that an artificer woorketh not with his fingers and afterward should confesse that he vnto that worke which he doth vsed fingers he were worthy to be laughed at although being conuict he would say that he excepted only the litle finger and the third finger and not the thombe forefinger or middle finger For he which vseth thrée fingers vndoubtedly vseth fingers But why doth this man say that hope and charitie are not excluded Bycause sayth he euen ye your selues will haue vs to be iustified by a liuely fayth which doubtles is not without these We graunt that these vertues are always ioyned with true fayth But yet we doo not in them put any part of our iustification before God In this argument is a Fallacia accidentis fallace or disceate of the Accident For vnto those things which are adioyned is attributed that which is proper vnto that vnto whome they are adioyned As if a mā should say The Sunne is round and high ergo the roundnes and highe of the Sū doo make vs warme What workes then doth Smith exclude from iustification when as he includeth hope and charitie I suppose surely he excludeth outward workes fastinges almes and such like But with what face can he so say or teach when as he appointeth and defendeth workes preparatory But this sharpe witted man thinketh that he hath trimely escaped for that he sayth that these things are not of necessity required vnto iustification but only if they
of a sharpe witte at the last this he fayneth That God is not knowen by fayth onely but also by loue But who euer would so say but this man onely Vndoubtedly by loue we know not but by loue we loue But that which is spoken in the booke of wisedome whiche yet with me is not of so great authority Christ himselfe hath most manifestly testified in the Gospel saying This is eternall life that they know thee the onely true God Although of this saying also of our sauior Winchester hath fained a new deuise I know not what namely that to know God is not properly eternall life although it somewhat helpe forwarde thereunto But forasmuch as neither the Fathers nor Paul nor Christ himselfe can satisfy these men there is no hope that we shall any thing preuayle with our reasons They adde moreouer That the fathers say that onely faith iustifieth that is is the principallest thing whereby we are iustified I confesse indéede that only sometime signifieth principall But this sense can not agrée with Pauls purpose This word Only some tymes signifieth principall For if charity be compared with faith charity is excellenter and better as Paul sayth Wherefore if both of them iustify as these men will haue it then shoulde charity haue the chiefest part and not faith And this also is a great let vnto these men which I haue oftentimes spoken of that Paul so ascribeth iustification vnto faith that he sayth without workes But Augustine say they vnto Simplicianus writeth That by fayth we beginne to be iustified Vnto this we may answere two maner of wayes first that that beginning is such that in very déede it hath the very full and whole iustification So that Augustines meaning is that we are iustified so soone as we haue faith Or if this please them not we will say as the truth is indéede that Augustine ment of the righteousnes which cleaueth in vs. They cite also Ambrose vpoÌ„ the 5. chapiter vnto yâ— Galathians In Christ c. For saith he we haue nede of fayth onely in charity to iustification Behold say they vnto iustification we haue no lesse nede of charity then of fayth But they are far deceaued For by those words Ambrose ment nothing els but to make a distinction betwene true faith and a vaine opinion Therfore he sayth that we haue néede of faith only namely which is ioyned with charity But Ierome vppon the 5. chapiter vnto the Galathians sayth That it is charity onely which maketh cleane the hart What other thing els shall we here aunswere but yâ— this his saying if it be vrged roughly simply is false For it is faith also which purifieth the hartes as it is written in the Actes of the Apostles And Paul to Timothe sayth Charity out of a pure hart good conscience c. By which words it is playne tâ—at the hart must of necessity first be pure before charity can come Wherefore we will interprete that sentence by the effect and as touching our knowledge For then is it most certayne that we are regenerate and haue a cleane hart when we be endued with charity After this maner also â—aue we before expounded this Many sinnes are forgeuen her because she hath loued much And by the selfe same meanes also may that saying of Augustine in his booke de natura Gratia the 38. chapiter be aunswered vnto It is the charity of God saith he by which onely he is iust whosoeuer is iust But this séemeth vnto me best to vnderstand such sayinges of the fathers of that righteousnes which cleueth vnto vs. For that consisteth not onely of fayth but also of all vertues and good workes But because amongst all vertues charity is the principallest therefore the fathers sometimes Why our righteousnes is attributed sometymes vnto charity attribute righteousnes vnto it onely And that which our aduersaries haue most vniustly vsurped to expound this word Only for principall or chiefe may in this place most iustly serue vs. For here we entreat not of that iustificatioÌ„ which is had by imputation but of that which we attayne vnto after regeneration Wherefore in this our proposition we exclude not from a man that is iustified hope charitie and other good woorkes but this only we say that they haue not the power or cause or merite of iustifieng And when we say that a man is iustified by fayth only we say nothing ells vndoubtedly but that a man is iustified only by the mercy of God and by the merite of Christ only which we can not apprehend We must not leaue oâ— from vsyng this worde Only by any other instrument then by fayth only Neither must we geue place vnto our aduersaries not to vse this worde Only though they cry out neuer so much that of it springeth great offence and mens mindes are by this persuasion somwhat weakned in the excercise of vertues For by sound doctrine we may easely remedy these discommodities For we alwayes inculcate that it is not true iustification or true fayth which wanteth the fruites of good life But we se the subtle and craftie deuise of these men For if we should say that a man is simply iustified by fayth leauing out this word Only Sreight way they would adde of theyr own that a maÌ„ indede is iustified by faith but yet is he no les iustified by hope and charity and other good woorkes For this selfe same cause the Catholikes in times past would not permit vnto the Arrians this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of like substance bicause they would A like example streight way haue sayd That the sonne indede by appellation or name is GOD like vnto the father in a maner equall vnto him but yet not of one and the selfe same nature and substance Wherefore they did with tooth and naile defend and kepe still this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of one and the selfe same substance as a word most apt to expresse the truth of that controuersie which they might also by good right doo and chiefely for that they saw that that word was of necessity concluded out of the holy scriptures out of which also is most euidently concluded thys our word Only and is thought of vs a word most mete to confute the errors of those which would haue iustification to come of workes Moreouer Gardiner bishop of winchester counted this our proposition to be absurd and agaynst it amongst other arguments vsed this and it is to me more then wonderfull how much it is estemed of certayne Papists his parasites The righteousnes sayth he that is geuen vs of God wherby we are iustefied pertayneth to all the faculties of the mind or rather to the wholâ— man Ergo we are not iustified by fayth only For that pertayneth only vnto the higher part of the soule Here gentle reader lest thou shouldest be deceaued lieth hidden a double fallace or disceate For first graunt
was peaceable Dearly beloued auenge not your selues but geue place vnto wrath After he had written what we ought rather to do then to recompēce euil for euil he returneth more largely to expound that which he put forth This thing saith he I cōmaund you that ye auenge not one an other And therewithall sheweth what we ought to do after that we haue receaued iniury Geue place sayth he to anger But to whose anger Some vnderstand his anger that hath done to vs the iniury For so it is possible y◠in geuing place we may break y◠violence therof but if we resist y◠fury therof it wil waxe more hot So lightnings ouercome breake with a great noyse and fall cleaue in sonder thinges hard and which resist thē But when they méete with thinges soft and geuing place they easely penetrat and hurt them not at all So those instruments of warre called Gonnes with a great violence ouerthrow walles and castles built of hard stones but if they light vpon ramperes of earth which geue place to their stroke they vtterly loose their strengthes and nothing hurt Wherefore good captaynes when they make ware vpon the sea vse to couer their shippes euery where with wooll for by reason that the wooll geueth place to the strokes the whole force of y◠Gonnes is easely frustrated It may thus also be vnderstanded that we must geue place to the wrath of God for he which auengeth preuenteth or rather hindreth himselfe So the sense is Commit the matter to God and geue place to his anger For it hangeth ouer your enemies heads For when they hurt you they heap vnto themselues wrath in the day of wrath Moreouer he which auengeth himselfe doth rashely and vsurpeth vnto himselfe the office of God and where as being of a priuate estate he hath not authority ouer those of whom he is hurt yet he vniustly claymeth it Beloued sayth he for those things which he commaunded semed to be somewhat hard And therfore with gentle speach he purchaseth their assent and therewithall declareth that he writeth not these thinges for that he litle regardeth their iniuries and hurtes It is not so saith he for I loue you from the hart Neither commaund I these We may go vnto the magistrates in iust causes things but for your owne profit sake Thou wilt paraduenture demaund whether Christians are prohibited by these wordes of Paul that when they are hurt they should not goe vnto the Magistrate and pleade against him which hath done thée hurt They are not hereby vndoubtedly prohibited How be it this is to be taken héede of that they doe it not of a corrupt affect and wicked mind to seke vengance and to repay euill for euill But this they ought to haue a care of to defende by the helpe of the Magestrate those whome they haue in theyr tuition and moreouer that that brother which hath offended whome they sée will not be amended with sound counsels and godly admonitions be reformed by some other meanes lastly that euill examples be taken out of the Churche and out of the publike wealthe Vpon these and such other like considerations it is lawfull to goe vnto the Magistrate For he is apoynted of God as it is lawful for y◠faithful to vse other benefites He which goeth to the magistrate geueth place to anger of God the heauen I say the sunne corn and fruites so also is it lawfull for thē to vse the magestrate And so is place geuen to y◠wrath of God For y◠wrath is declared vpon y◠wicked either by y◠Magestrate which iudgeth by the authoritie of god in his place or if y◠magestrat neglect his office by god himself as they vse to speak immediatly Wherfore in going vnto y◠Magestrat so y◠it be done rightly orderly is no offēce cōmitted But this is chiefly to be takē hede of y◠we seke not to abuse either God or y◠magestrate only to satisfie our anger to fulfil our hatred as though we would vse them for our tormentoures The common edition hath Not defending your selues In Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which worde although sometimes it signifie to defend yet it signifieth that defence which is ioyned with Whether it be lawful to repell 〈…〉 lence by 〈…〉 olence vengaunce And a christian is not forbidden but that he may repell violēce by violence when he is either sodenly inuaded in a solitary place or that he cānot otherwise haue the ayde of the magestrate For forasmuch as the lawes made by a iust magestrate permit vnto him this thing he dothe it not as a priuate man but as a publique minister armed by iust and publique lawes Christ sayd If a man geue vnto the a blow on thy right cheke turne vnto him the other But this is to be done when thou séest that thou maist by this meanes profite thy brother or that it conduceth to illustrate the glory of God But besides these cases we are not bounde of necessitie so to doe as both Christ and Paul by theyr example haue taught vs. But whilest we repel violence by violence we must obserue a moderation of a iust defēce of our selues as the lawyers speake that we seke not eyther to hurt or to kill him which doth vs violence And this is diligently to be taken bede of that we repell his violence that hurteth vs with as litle his hurt as we can Doubtles vnles it had bene lawfull to repell violence by violence the Apostles when they followed Christ would not haue caried swoordes with them but they had swordes For they sayd vnto Christ in that last supper Behold here are two swordes And Peter when Christ should be taken Shall we smite sayth he with the sword Hereby it is very manifest that the Apostles to this vse ware swordes If this had bene repugnant vnto the law of God Christ would neuer haue permitted it for he was a most sharpe defender of the commaundements of his father Vengeance is mine and I will repay sayth the Lord. That whiche is hard vnto the flesh and disagréeing from humane reason he confirmeth by the authority of the woord of God These woordes are written in Deut. the 32. chapter And it is to be red in the nominatiue case and not in the accusatiue case For in Hebrew it is Linekamueschalony and in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is vengeāce And that which is added And I will repay is not in the Hebrew but only Veshalom which is And a retribution Wherefore in the Hebrew it is thus Vnto me vengeance and retributiō But the 70. interpreters haue not that particle but in stede thereof read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is In the day of vengeance I will repay when time serueth Neither is it to be doubted but that God wil auenge our cause For in our iniuries he is first offēded For no mā can so much as once think to hurt vs but y◠he
what his scope is we will first define what a magestrate is A magestrate is Definition of a magistrate aperson elected and that of God to defend the lawes and peace and with punishments and the sword to represse vices and euils and by all manner of meanes to aduaunce vertues The efficient cause is God the ende is the preseruation of the lawes and of peace the banishing away of vices and discommodities and the encrease of vertues The forme is the order which the prouidence of God hath appoynted in things humane The matter is the man or person For who so euer is appoynted to be a magestrate is taken of men The methâ—de which is here kept is in a maner generall First he sayth that all men ought to bâ— subiect vnto magestrates which thing is first proued by the efficient cause for that â—â— suche powers are of God then is it proued by the coÌ„trary for that they which conteâ—â—ne the magestrate are against God and that to theyr owne great hurt Finally i◠〈…〉 proued Why so often in the new testament is in 〈…〉 ted thaâ— ough 〈…〉 geue ho 〈…〉 to the magistrate â— he Pope heâ—e proued guilty and condemned by the ende for that the magestrates bring vnto vs great profit This is bo 〈…〉 〈…〉 ery often and also very exactly entreated of in the new Testament and that for 〈…〉 cause chiefly for that the children of God sometimes thinke that it is a thing in a maner vayne that they being gouerned by the spirit and word of God should be subiect vnto outward powers Neither can it be expressed in how ill part yâ— Iewes toke it when they were as captiues oppressed of the Babilonians Assirians Medes and Persians and when at home in theyr Countrey they were greuously afflicted first of the Macedontans and afterwarde of the Romaines They would gladly haue shaken of that yoke which the Anabaptistes Libertines at this day with great fury go about to shake of and which the Pope and his dearlings hath now long time shaken of For he hath so exempted bothe himselfe and his cleargy from all publique power that now Princes are subiect vnto him and he suffereth the great monarchies of Christendome to kisse his féete and most filthily to worship him He createth Emperors and putteth them downe as it pleaseth him He taketh away kingdomes and pylleth and polleth them as he lust But Christ behaued himself farre otherwise for he payed tribute and taught that vnto Cesar Christ was subiect to the powers of the world ought to be rendred that which is Cesars With these wordes of Paul agréeth that which Peter wryteth in the second chapiter of his first Epistle saying Be ye subiect to euery humane creature that is vnto the ordinaunce which God would shoulde be amongst men Be subiect sayth he for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the king as vnto the superior or vnto gouerners as vnto them that are sent of him namely either of the king or of God for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that do wel If we examine all the partes of this commaundement we shall in a manner finde in it all those thynges whiche are here taught of Paule The selfe same thyng Paul wrote to Titus in the third Chapiter Admonishe them sayth he that they be subiect vnto Princes and powers and that they be obedient to the magestrates And in his Epistle to the Ephesians to Timothe and to Titus he diligently commauÌ„deth seruaunts to be obedient to theyr masters And vnto Timothe he commaundeth Christians to make prayers for theyr magestrates Whereby that is most manifest which we haue ofteÌ„times sayd and which Chrysostome in this place wryteth that the doctrine of the Gospel was not geuen to ouerthrow the politique gouernments The Gospel ouerthroweth not the gouernments of the world A magistrate called by the name of a father of the world but rather to confirme them and to make them better This place of the Apostle partaineth to that commaundement of the law Honoure thy father and thy mother For in the olde time as Aristotle also wryteth in his Politiques fathers gaue lawes to theyr famely and to them were as kings And amongst the Romanes the Senators were called Patres conscripti that is appoynted Fathers For a magestrate is nothing els but the father of the countrey Here we nede not curiously to entreat by what right or by what wrong Princes haue obtained theyr power This thing only is to be séene vnto that we reuerence magestrates when they are in that roome For this Epistle was written when the Romaines had now obtained the Empire of the whole world which Empire we know they possessed by violence and afterward the Emperors by as wicked practises drew vnto them the whole dominion ouer al yet Paul without al exception commaundeth vs to be obedient vnto the powers And so generall is this proposition In this prâ—cept are contayned all degrees of men of Paul that Chrysostome testifieth that vnder this commaundement are contained Priests Monks Prophets Apostles and Euangelistes But I thinke that Origen is not here to be allowed For he wryteth that Paul sayth let euery soule and not euery spirite for they which are vtterly spiritual do not by any meanes follow the affectes of the fleâ—â—e neither possesse things humane doe not liue vnder Princes and powers Bâ—t who euer had more aboundance of the spirite then our Lord and sauior C 〈…〉 t had Who at any time was more holy then his Apostles were and yet thâ—â— submitted themselues to the higher power euen to the death 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 to popes bishops Wherefore 〈…〉 s muche better to say with Chrysostome that none is to be excepted from this â—niuersall sentence But those ecclesiasticall Papists will say that the kings â—hemselues and publique powers haue geuen vnto them theyr right and ha 〈…〉 appoynted that the clergye should be exempted But we ought not to regard â—hat Princes haue done herein but what they ought to haue done For it lyeth not in theyr hands to disanull the lawes of God Wherefore if this diuine commaundement of Paul willeth that euen euery soule be subiect vnto the publique power then doubtles ought we to obey it For the decrées of God ought not to be reuoked by any authority of man Although these wordes are so to be contracted that we vnderstande that we are not subiecte to the magestrate but only as touching his function and office Which if he at any time goe beyond and commaund any thing that is repugnaÌ„t vnto piety and vnto the law of God we ought to obey God rather then men For there is no power but of God He proueth his purpose by the efficient cause For that no humane strength or force but God himselfe is the author of all powers And it is to be noted that there are sondry kindes of powers For there is Sondry kindes of
the Centaures and of the Lapethites But put â—e on the Lord Iesus Christ When he had taught that the olde man together with his works of darknes is to be put of he thought it good afterwarde to setforth vnto vs a new garment namely Christ him selfe This form of speaking What is our wedding garment Christ was geuâ—â— as a garment to our first parentes he vsed to the Galathians As many of you sayth he as are baptised haue put on Christ This is that wedding garment which euery christian ought to put on And if we will follow allegoryes this garment God commended to our first parents when he clothed them with the skinnes which were plucked of from deade beastes Christ geueth not to vs that garment but in as muche as he hath made himselfe a sacrifice for mankinde And take not thought for the flesh to fulfill the Iustes of it By the fleshe he here vnderstandeth not naturall health For that is not to be neglected that we may be able the more constantly to serue God Paul wryteth to Timothe Vse a little wine because of the stomake and often infirmities Here he prohibiteth only the pleasures and delites of the flesh For when we let loose the bridle to them the flesh is made vnruely Wherefore seing that we ought continually to wrastle agaynst the prone affects therof let vs take héede that with ouer much delicatenes we norish them not The fourtenth Chapiter HIm that is weake in the fayth receiue not for controuersies of disputations One beleueth that he may eate of all things an other which is weake eateth herbes Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not let not him which eateth not iudge him that eateth for god hath receiued him That we may the easelyer vnderstande those things which shall afterwarde be spoken let vs briefly declare the state of the Churche at the beginning The Here is declared the state of the churche in the first times Church in those first times consisted of Iewes Gentiles conuerted vnto Christ And the Gentiles liued more fréely as they which were not bounde to the lawes of Moses and as for theyr owne ceremonies of the Grekish religion they plainly saw to be vaine and dampnable But the Iewes which knew that their lawe was geuen of God himself could not straight way be persuaded that it was to be abrogated Therefore they stayed neither would they easely be plucked away from it And therfore they abstained from meates prohibited in the law and obserued the festiuall dayes of the Iewes All which things declared that they were yet weake in faith And this their infirmitie of faith the stronger and learneder sorte bothe sharpely reproued and also derided On the contrary side the Iewes reproued the Whereof sprang the discorde betwene the Gentiles the Iewes in yâ— church Gentiles as they which liued to fréely and condemned them as violaters of the lawes of God for that they did without putting any difference eate of al kindes of meates as it were with a certaine vnsatiable gredinesse of the belly And this discorde did not a little vexe the Churches at that time Therefore Paul earnestly as much as lyeth in him laboureth to put it away and admonisheth the stronger sort not to reiecte the weaker either as heretikes or as infidels but rather to instruct them and with all charitie to cherish them vntill they were confirmed in sound doctrine And on the other side he commaundeth the weake ones not rashly to condemne them that were better learned and stronger then themselues Him that is weake in the faith receiue That is adioyne him vnto you and through your humanitie and doctrine ease him of the burthen and payne of ignoraunce If thou demaunde whether that weaknes of faith were a let that they could not be iustified in Christ I thinke we may answere that it was no let For Weaknes of faythe is not a let to iustificatioÌ„ we are not iustified by the strength and excellencie of our fayth but by the obiecte thereof as we haue oftentimes taught for although some fayth be weake yet is it faith But these men thou wilt say beleued not all the things which are to be beleued for they beleued not that the ceremonyes of the law of Moses were abrogated But that faith which beleueth not all the articles of the fayth is not a true faith I graunt this in dede if that it happen throughe the default of him that beleueth as if a maÌ„ do contemne the truthes which he hath heard out of the holy scriptures and will not admit them but will be his owne iudge and arbitrer howe muche ought to be beleued of the holy scriptures and ascribeth more vnto himselfe then There is not always required an expresse faith touching all things to the testimony of the word of God this is not a true fayth For the holy Ghoste vseth not to breath into any maÌ„ suche a minde But if a man beleue not any thing which is not yet sufficiently knowen and tried out when yet notwithstanding in minde he is ready to receiue the truthe if it be once made plaine I sée no cause why suche a fayth shold not both be and be called a true faith iustifie the beleuer especially if he assent to Christ and to the principall poynts of religion Not for controuersies of disputations He prohibiteth odious contentions which rather alienate then edefie the mindes of the weake The mindes of men ought not in vaine to be wearyed but rather to be taught Paul in the last chapter of the first Epistle to Timothe sayth that certaine were sicke about vnprofitable questions and contentions of wordes And in the latter Epistle he admonysheth Timothe to eschue questions which he calleth foolish and without learning Which thing if the schoole diuines had obserued and taken héede of we shoulde not then haue had in theyr bokes so many intricate and darke I will not say vngodly and sacrilegious questions How be it all questions vniuersally are not to be condemned as vnprofitable â–ª Wherfore I can not commend certain men which are wise indéede and wary in other matters but in this one thing doubtles are not very circumspect which thinke that yâ— question touching the Eucharist which is at this day euery where debated in the churche is not conuenient and is vnprofitable The question touching the Eucharist is not vnprofitable For they consider not how much it auaileth to our saluation constantly to holde â–ª that Christ both had and at this day hath the true and perfect nature of man and to expell that detestable idolatry brought in by thys that men beleue that in the bread and wine or as they speake vnder the accidences of bread and wâ—ne is really and corporally the body of Christ When we labour for this that the horrible abuses touching Christian religion might be taken away we dispute not about the shadow of an asse or about
this is a great aduauncement vnto piety therfore Paul setteth it forth to the end to commend those weake ones to the better sort Howbeit lest in this matter he shold attribute more vnto them theÌ„ to the freer sort as though he shold think that the stronger in vsing liberty had not a consideration of the law of God he pronounceth the sentence which he setteth forth coÌ„mon to ech part They sayth he which obserue dayes obserue theÌ„ to the Lord they which obserue theÌ„ not obserue theÌ„ not vnto the Lord. And they which eat eat to the Lord they which eat not eate not to the Lord. And those datiue cases which Paul here vseth to obserue to the lord to eate to the lord to liue to the lord to dye to the lord signifie nothing ells but that we ought in all our actions in all our life and euen in death to depend of the lord And geueth thanks to God Hereby we may iudge yâ— eyther of those what soeuer they did had a regard vnto God for that either part gaue thanks vnto him Of what great force geuing of thanks is Wherefore geuing of thankes is of no small force For it is as it were a certaine healthfull sawse and maketh that which otherwise of it selfe should haue bene hurtefull commodious and healthfull vnto vs. Therefore Paul to Timothe writeth Euery creature is good and nothing is to be cast away which is receaued with thanks geuing For none of vs liueth to him selfe neither doth any die to himselfe For whether we liue we liue to the Lord or whither we die we die to the Lord. This may thus be applied to be a reason wherby the stronger sort are feared away from contemning the weaker namely for yâ— they both liue dye vnto the lord It may also be a general cause why they are sayd both to obserue not to obserue dais vnto yâ— lord either to eate or not to eate to the lord for that vniuersally they liue vnto the Lord and dye vnto the Lord. By these woordes we are aptly and manifestly The scope of our lyfe and of all â–ª our actions instructed touching the scope of our life and of all our actioÌ„s I would to God this might neuer slippe out of our mind but mought with most depe rootes be fixed in our hartes Life and death I thinke in this place are to be vnderstanded as touching the body For I se not very wel what consideration they haue which referre these thinges to the life of fayth and to the death of sinne For there is none which sinneth to the Lord. For that can not pertayne to the honor of God Vnles paraduenture they meane that this is all one with that which was before spoken He standeth to his Lord or falleth But the first exposition semeth in my iudgement more playne and agréeth with those thinges which Paul writeth to the Phillippians And Christ shal be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death VVhither therefore we liue or die vve are the Lordes This in sum ought to be of greate force with them for that not only our life and death depende of the lord but also for that we all both as touching life and as touching death are hys proper possession And if this be so who can contemn his neighbour escape vnpunished This is in a maner all one with that which Paul before sayd Why iudgest thou an other mans seruaunt That fault was reproued in the weake ones and this is now layd to the charge of the stronger sort that they reiect and contemne not euery kind of men but these which are the Lords Paul sayth to the Corinthians Ye are not your owne men For ye are bought with a price Glorifie God now in your body and in your spirite which belong to God Agayne ye are bought with a price be not ye made the seruaunts of men For Christ therfore died rose agayne and reuiued that he might be Lord both of the quicke and of the dead Here he ascribeth a cause why we ar by good right the Lordes For he hath redemed vs by his death by his resurrection hath deserued Whether Christ if he had not dyed for vs shold haue had vs to his proper possession life for vs. Wherfore he is Lord both of our life and of our death But here paraduenture thou wilt demaund whither if Christ had not died we should haue bene his proper possession or no As touching his diuine nature eueÌ„ without his death and resurrection he is our lord For we are created of him whatsoeuer we haue we haue it thorough him But bycause he is in very dede maÌ„ he hath by his death and resurrection iustly and worthely gotten vnto him selfe this dominion which yet the father could haue geueÌ„ vnto him freely but to set forth his glory he would rather geue it to his merites Wherefore Paul to the Phil. sayth for which cause God hath geuen vnto him a name which is aboue euery name namely for that he had humbled himselfe to death euen to the death of the crose OrigeÌ„ very largely entreteth of this doubt Howbeit I thinke that this solution which I haue here brought is more playne more true But there ariseth also an other doubt For Paul semeth to speake agaynst that sentence of the Lord in 22. chapiter of Mathew He is not the God of the dead but of the liuing For if he be not the God of yâ— dead how is he here sayd to be Lord of the dead But if the matter be more narrowly examined there is not herein contrariety For there the Lord would hereby proue the resurrection of the dead for that God could not be truly the God of AbrahaÌ„ of Isaac and of Iacob vnles he would haue them to be saued and that wholy both as touching soule and body For it is the propriety of GOD to saue thâ—se whose GOD he is And the Scripture in Exodus pronounceth that GOD is the GOD of those patriarches Wherefore they liue and shall more fully liue in the blessed resurrection Hereby it is manifest that Christ spake of those which were thought to be vtterly dead both in soule and in body But God can not be their God For he can not suffer such a death to preuaile against his But here Paul sayth that Christ is Lord of of the dead which are dead in body only but liue in spirite and when tyme commeth shall rise agayne Wherefore we sée that betwene these places there is vndoubtedly no contrarity But because we are by the way lighted vpon those words of the Lord there are as I thinke in them two thinges to be obserued First that although of them is properly concluded the resurrection of the godly whose God God confesseth himselfe to be yet followeth it that of the selfe same words may be concluded the resurrection of the wicked For if God of his goodnes do so
fauor the godly that he will not only haue their soules to be blessed but also will geue blessednes to their bodyes he will also restore vnto the wicked their bodyes that according to the law of iustice they may be tormented not only in their soules but also in their bodyes The other is that in the Prophets there are touching the resurrection of the dead certayne other more notable places which yet Christ alleaged Why Christ brought not testimonies of the resurrection ouâ— of the Prophets not for that the Saduces with whom he then reasoned admitted the law only and touching the other holy bookes either they receaued them not or els they estemed them not much For they red them as we read the Fathers But I leaue this matter and I beséech God not to suffer this singular benefite of the death of Christ to weare away for age in our mynds that the common prouerbe be not applied vnto vs. Nothing waxeth old sooner then grace But why dost thou iudge thy brother Or also why dost thou despise thy brother For we shal all be set before the iudgement seat of Christ Is it is written I liue saith the Lord and euery knee shall bow to me and euery tong shall confesse vnto God So then euery one of vs shall render accompt of himselfe to God Let vs not therefore iudge one an other any more But iudge this rather that no man put an offence to his brother or be an occasion of falling But why dost thou iudge thy brother Or also vvhy dost thou despise thy brother By the name of brethren he reproueth eche part For the right of brethren is equall and a like and in them is expressed a ciuill administration which is called The right of brethren is equall â—olitia which is a certaine equalitie of Citezens betwene themselues Wherfore no maÌ„ ought either to despise or to iudge him whom he knoweth to be his equall For he which so doth counteth him not for his equal but for his inferior VVherefore vve shall all be set before the iudgement seat of Christ By the iudgement seat vndoubtedly is vnderstanded the iudgement of Christ and that by the figure Metonomia And this benefite beside others we haue by the ciuill magestrates that by theyr axes and swordes and iudgementes seates we are put in minde of the iudgement of God The like phrase of speache Paul vsed in the .v. chapiter of the latter Epistle to the Corinthians vve must al appeare before the iudgment seat of Christ Origen expounding these words maketh a discourse I knowe not wherof for that in this place is red Before the iudgement seate of Christ and to the Corinthians is red Before the iudgement seat of God and with a long circute he disputeth of this matter But doubtles all our bookes haue in ech place Before the iudgement seate of Christ â–ª so that there appeareth no cause of ambiguity And yet if we should so rede as he imagineth nothing could be gathered out of those woordes but that Christ is God In the 7. chapiter of Daniell are set forth many excellent thinges of this throne of God wherin is described the magnificency of the iudgement to come As it is vvritteÌ„ I liue sayth the Lord. This place which is brought to proue Christes diuine power of iudging the world is written in the 45. chapter of Esay This place proueth the diuine nature of Christ As touching the very bare words Paul foloweth not the Hebrew verity but yet most diligently kepeth the sense of the Prophet For that which is here said Saith the Lord agréeth with that which is in the Hebrew The Lord hath sworne And the bowing of the knée signifieth here nothing els but a submission which is most aptly signifyed by that outward Simbole Euery tounge shal confesse vnto God In Hebrew it is Euery tonge shall swear vnto me but there is no man which knoweth not but that in an othe is an excelleÌ„t confession of God For he is called as a witnes or rather as a iudge and he is so called that he will punish the foresworne persons according to theyr deserts But as yet we sée not that all things are subiect vnto Christ But that shall be when he shall deliuer vp the kingdome to God and to the father For then shall all thinges vtterly be made subiect vnto him amongst other the last enemy namely death as Paul sayth to the Corrinthians How be it now is begon a certaine obedience and his kingdome is acknowledged of the congregation of the godly Wherefore though many vniust and wicked things be now committed yet let vs iudge nothing before the time come least we be preiudiciall to the sentence of that moste highe iudge Then all things according to our hope which nowe séeme to want equitie shall be full of equitie Of these wordes of the Apostle is most manifestly gathered the diuinitie of Christ For when he speaketh of the iudgement seate of Christ he addeth and euery tounge shall confesse vnto God Which self thing is much more manifest if we looke vpon the Hebrew veritie For before that these things are pronounced vnder the person of God this is written Am not I Lord and there is no other God besides me Wherfore seing these things pertaine to Christ as Paul testifieth it most manifestly appeareth that he is God So then euery one of vs shall render an accompt to God of himself Wherefore it is not méete that we either rashly iudge or proudly contemne others For at that iudgement seat causes shall be decided according to their desertes Let vs not therefore iudge one an other any more This is concluded by the reasons alleaged of Paule and is euery where in the holy scriptures inculcated of the holy Ghost But iudge this rather that no man put an offence to his brother â–ª or be an occasion To iudge hath two significations of falling This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to iudge hath not here all one signification with that which it had before For before it was to condemne an other by his sentence or to affirme any thing rashly of another But here to iudge signifieth to appoynt a thing with our selues Appoynt therfore with your selues sayth he and thinke that this chiefly pertaineth to your duety that no man be offended by any your example or any your doings Chrisostome by a straunge reason proueth The impeller to sinne sinneth more greuously then he which coÌ„mitteth the sinne that this thing is to be taken héede of For sayth he he which impelâ—eth an other to sinne deserueth to be muche more greuously punished then euen he which hath sinned For euen at the beginning a greater punishment and vehementer curse was inflicted vpon the serpent then vpon the woman For she transgressed but the other persuaded The woman also was more greuously punished then the man for that he had not sinned but by her counsell and persuasion And
semeth by a certain preuention to answer to those which sayd they wold liue fréely and defende the faith which they had receiued Paule answereth haue thou thys fayth before God and kepe it to thy self Chrysostome thinketh that in this place is not to be vnderstanded that fayth wherby Of what faith Paul here speaketh we beleue the doctrines of fayth For Paul before sayd with the harte men beleue to righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made to saluation Wherfore it is not inough to beleue rightly before God vnles also thou profes thy faith before men But here to make profession of faith out of ceason is ioyned with a vice which thing pertaineth to oâ—tentacion But I sée not why this which Paul now entreateth of caÌ„not be a doctrine of faith For christiaÌ„ liberty is not the least of those things which Christian liberty pertayneth to the doctrine of fayth we ought to beleue which vnles it wer so the boÌ„dage of the law of Moses might easly returne agayne Neither doth Paul prohibite but that we may into our weake brethren instill the doctrine of our fayth For our moderation whereby we frame our selues to them hereto only tendeth that they mought one day at the length be brought vnto our faith and be made more strong therein Wherefore this is the meaning of Paul haue it before God and with thy selfe that is excercise not thy faith out of ceason So he prohibiteth vnto them only the vse of meates for a tyme which they beleue to be frée and not properly a true and apt declaration of their fayth And vnto a weake brother and to one that is not yet fully perswaded it shall for this tyme be sufficient if he haue fayth touching the principall poynts of religioÌ„ For it is not straight way required that he expressedly beleue all things which are to be beleued This sentence is no defence at all to those which contrary to the most manifest word of God winke at supersticious and idolatrous Masses and at the prophanations and abuses of the sacraments for that they wil not offend the litle ones but thinke it inough to haue faith in themselues and before God For here Paul speaketh only of such thinges which are meane and indifferent and not of thinges necessary or repugnant with the word of God Blessed is he which condemneth not himselfe in that thing vvhich he allovveth Least he should séeme to haue to much fauored the weake he now to defend the stronger sort declareth that the greatest felicity herein consisteth that euery A great felicity of christians one when he examineth and peyseth that which he alloweth or doth do not condemne the same but do assuredly sée that it agréeth with the word of God This is the greatest felicity of Christians that they neuer at any tyme be accused of theyr owne hart as though they had allowed or committed any thing which they iudged not to be vpright These thinges as sayth Chrisostome are not spoken of the wicked which delight altogether in whatsoeuer they themselues inuent but of the faithfull which whatsoeuer they thinke speake or do measure the same by the rule of a sound fayth and by the word of God And Chrisostome thinketh that these The conscience is not vpright vnles it be established by an vpright fayth wordes aunswere to those which were before spoken Hast thou fayth haue it with thy selfe and before God As if he should haue sayd Let not this séeme to thée a small thing herein art thou blessed for that thou hast a sound iudgement of things For this is a most ample gaine and better then the whole world For although al men accuse thée yet if thy fayth conscience accuse thée not thou art blessed and of this thine inwarde iudgement thou receiuest most great fruit But the iudgement of thy conscience can not be vpright vnles thy faith be vpright perfecte For otherwise many when they kill Christians and godly men thinke that they doe God high seruice Hereunto pertaineth that which Paul sayth in the second Epistle to yâ— Corinthians the. 1 chapiter This is our glory the testimony of our conscience And Iob in his 27. chapter For mine heart shall not reproue me so long as I liue But he which doubteth is condemned if he eate for that he eateth not of faith He which doubteth and eateth is coÌ„demned for that he is not persuaded with him self that that which he doth pleaseth God wherfore he caÌ„ not direct it to his glory when as he thinketh that it displeaseth him but euery worke what so euer it be that wanteth his ende is sinne Diiudicare which is turned to doubt here chiefly pertaineth to infidelity namely when the minde is tossed to and fro with reasoÌ„s neither is there in the minde any firme persuasion Wherfore Abraham is commended for that he without any such debatings beleued For that he eateth not of faith The cause why he is condemned commeth not of the vnclennes of the meat but for that he beleueth otherwise then he sheweth in acte This sentence is of great force to keepe vnder the strong in fayth not to compel the weake those that are not yet persuaded to eate those things which they thinke to be prohibited For vvhatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne This is a generall cause whereout is gathered most excellent doctrine namely that God regardeth not the shewe pompe and outward glory of workes but weigheth inwardly whether they procéede from a true obedience And this is done when by the word of God we beleue that suche things are bothe required of God and also doe please him Wherefore This sentence of Paul is generall The good workes of heretikes are to them made sins whatsoeuer springeth not out of this fountaine is sinne Origen thinketh also that this sentence is generall And therefore he sayth that the workes of heretikes are turned into sinnes for that theyr faith is not a true fayth but a counterfaite and false faith euen as some knowledge is called a false knowledge And he citeth this sentence Let theyr prayer be turned into sinne The fiftenth Chapiter WE that are stroÌ„g ought to beare the infirmities of the weake and not to please our selues For let euery man please his neighbour in that that is good to edification For Christe also pleased not himselfe But as it is written the rebukes of them which rebuke thee haue fallen vpon me For whatsoeuer things are written afore time are written for our learning that we through patience and conâ—olation of the scriptures might haue hope Now the god of pacience and consolation geue you that ye bee like minded one towardes an other according to Christ Iesus That ye with one mind with one mouth may praise God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christe Wherfore receiue ye one an other as Christ also receiued vs to the glory of God The Apostle still prosecuteth that which he tooke in
ceassed whose shadowes are now at the light of the truthe taken away And there withall also the ciuil commaundements are abrogated wheÌ„ as that publike wealth is now no more of necessity vpon the earth The righteousnes also of those lawes which they call Morall although it can not perfectly be fulfilled of vs yet partly through the holines of Christ which he communicateth vnto vs it is performed and accomplished and partly through the power of the holy Ghost which he distributeth to the beleuers it is with great endeuor according to that which is geuen vnto euery man expressed and that which wanteth is through the grace of Christ not imputed Finally he gaue his life for his which was the last worke of his ministery But whereas Origen noteth that the Apostle ment here to gather an argument against the Ethnikes yâ— they should not despise the Iewes although they abode still in the obseruations of the law when as Christ himself was bothe the minister of the law and obserued all these things diligently this in my iudgement semeth wide from the purpose For here rather we learne that the strength and foundation of the promises made vnto the fathers was that saluation should be attained vnto for mankinde through Christ although otherwise there were extant many other promises of the possession of the land of Canaan and of the kingdome of the worlde Which things forasmuche as Christ performed not as which What is the streÌ„gth summe of all the promises made vnto the fathers pertained not to his ministery we ought to vnderstande that they were rather things annexed then the sinewes and summe and strengthe and iuyce of the promises of God And hereunto not a little serueth that which Paule wryteth in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the. 1. chapter All the promises of God are through him yea and through him Amen And let the Gentiles praise God for his mercy Vnto the Gentiles he attributeth Mercy and truth are ioyned together mercy and to the Iewes truthe not that these two can be seperated the one from the other for there is no worke of God which hath either mercye without truth or truth without mercy but Paul ment to distinguish these things euen as they were in more force and as they were more declared in the saluation either of the Iewes or of the Gentiles Christ as touching that coÌ„uersation which he had The promâ—sâ—s of God leane onely to mercy In the graftyng in of the Gentles truth had place vpon the earth was geuen to the Iewes that the truthe of the promises shold not be made frustrate But if thou wilt descend to the very roote and foundation euen those promises leane only to the mercy of God For what thing els but euen his mere goodnes and mercy could haue moued him to promise vnto the fathers that Christ should come of theyr stocke And although the Gentiles are sayd to be grafted in by mercy yet here also truth hath place For God knew euen from eternally that the Gentiles shold be called to saluation Wherfore it was true for things false can not be knowne And therefore it was necessary that that truth should attaine to his effecte Moreouer the scriptures kept not in silence that the Gentiles should at the length be called as those Prophesies testifye which are a little afterward alleaged But the Prophesies of the holy scriptures ought without all manner of doubt to be true Wherefore the grafting in of the Gentiles pertayneth to truthe But this ought not to be ouerhipped that Paul when he entreated of the Iewes spake not only of the truth but also straight way after it made mention Whether the calling in of the Gentiles was peculiarly promised to any man of the promisses as if he should haue sayd that Christ was geuen vnto the Iewes a minister of saluation to confirme the truthe of the promises But the calling of the Gentiles was in déede foretold but as it shold séeme it was promised to none vnles peraduenture any man will contende that vnto Abraham were promised the Gentiles when it was sayd vnto him In thy sede shall all nations be blessed but as we haue already sayd this may séeme to be spoken rather in the way of foretelling then in the way of promise And if a man think this reason somwhat weak he may follow that which we before sayd that the Apostle had a regarde to that which is most frequent in the holy scriptures For in them is euery where promised that the Messias should come of the séede of the Iewes but not in so many places nor so often is mention made in them of the callynge of the Gentiles And to speake briefly these distributions of Paul are not so to be vnderstanded as though one part can by no meanes be ioyned with an other And this may plainely be proued by these two places with the harte we beleue to righteousnesse and with the mouth is confession made to saluation Againe Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification As it is written For this cause will I confesse thee amongst the gentiles and wil sing to thy name This propheste is written in the 18. Psalme wherein is affirmed yâ— the prayses of God should be celebrated amongst the Gentiles which also is shewed by these other testimonies which are here added And this can not be vnderstanded but of the redeÌ„ption purchased vnto vs through Christ The last testimony maketh mencion only of the hope and fayth of the Gentiles that the kingdoÌ„ What to confesse signifieth of Christ should be spred abrode euen amongst them also In the 18. Psalme Dauid speaketh vnder the persoÌ„ of the body of Christ that is of the Church I will confesse thee amongst the Gentitles Here to confesse signifieth nothing ells but with feruâ—t prayers â—o set forth the prayses of God And by those thinges which went a litle be fore in that Psalme is gathered that that should be verified of the victory gotten and of the ouerthrow of the enemies And agayne Reioyce ye Gentiles with his people This is written in the 32. chapiter of Deut Ye Gentiles stirre vp his people to reioysing And the cause of this common ioye is before recited namely for that God had set at liberty his froÌ„ their enemies and from those that hated them Howbeit there are some which thinkâ— rather that this testimony is taken out of the 67. Psalme where we thus rede A câ—uillation of the Hebrues Let the Gentiles be glad and reioyce bicause thou iudgest the people in equity and directest the Gentiles vpon the earth Howbeit from whence so euer this place be taken it maketh no great skill for in ech place the sence is in a maner one and the same I thinke rather that it is taken out of Deutro â–ª for that in the Psalme this particle vvith my people â–ª or my people wanteth Howbeit this we ought not to
A comparison of the sacrifice of the Masse with the sacrifice of the gospell that by the benefit of God there is frée course geuen to the Gospel we bewaile that such sacrifice is so rarely done Let them answere me now whither of vs hath greater cause to complayne Our cause is so much aboue theyrs theyrs so much vnder ours how much the holy scriptures euery where commend this kind of sacrifice but of that other they neuer so much as once make meÌ„cion and how much we here offer an humane sacrifice according to the prescript of God but thereby the deuilish iuggling of the Pope the soules of the simple are most cruelly killed and finally how much we by our sacrifice spred abrode the worshipping of God but there vnder the forme of piety is retayned still in the Church most horrible Idolatry That the offring vp of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by Our conuersion is like a sacrifice the holy ghost He is vtterly depriued of all fealing of piety which out of these woordes receaueth not incomparable ioy when as he heareth that God is so desirous of our saluation that he counteth the conuersion of euery one of vs as a most acceptable sacrifice I haue therefore whereof I may glory thorough Iesus Christ in those thinges which pertayne to God For I dare not speake of any thing which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient in woord and deede with the power of signes and wonders by the power of the spirite of God so that from Ierusalem and the regious round about euen to Illiricum I haue caused to abound the Gospell of Christ Yea so I enforced my selfe to preach the Gospell not wher Christ was named lest I should haue built on an other mans foundation But as it is written To whoÌ„ he was not spoken of they shall see him and they that heard not shall vnderstand hym I haue therefore whereof I may glory thorough Iesus Christ in those thinges which pertaine to God I se that some are in doubt how this part should hang together with those thinges which went before And in my iudgement they may thus be ioyned together Paul had before sayd that by reason of his Apostleshippe and vocation he was moued to instructe the Romanes also by his epistles But paraduenture they were troubled in theyr mindes with a certayne doubt which made them to thinke thus with themselues But what is the cause that thou ouer hipping other nations doost beginne with vs chiefely It is not so sayth Paul I haue now great occasion to reioyse but yet thorough Christ but yet in thoâ—e thinges which pertayne to God I haue not ouerhipped other partes of the world but amongst them also both farre and wide I haue spred the Gospel But Chrisostome after an other maner ioyneth these thinges together He had last of all sayth he pretended his Apostleshippe as the cause mouing hym to write these letters which he had sent to the Romanes And in this office he had made himselfe to be after a sort a sacrificer which with the sword of the woord of God offred vp the Gentiles Now lest any man should speake ill of this dignity and function which thing the fals Apostles did or deride him as one which boasted himselfe to be an Apostle and a priest when as he was not Tokens of the ministery of Paul able to proue that to the end he would declare that he was chosen of God sent by God he bringeth forth those signes tokens of his vocation ministery which shall streight way be spoken of He reioyseth that he hath wherof to glory but he addeth thorough Christ in those things which pertaine to God Hereby we ought to learne yâ— we oght to glory of those benefits only which we haue obteined through Christ For in those things which our own streÌ„gths are able to performe to bring to passe there sufficieÌ„t mater to glory of Moreouer let vs not puffe vp our selues for riches sake or for beawty or for honours of the world or strength of body or for other thinges which serue not to any vse to aduance the kingdome of God amongst men The instruments to amplifie the kingdome of God are the signes which Paul bringeth to proue his Apostleship And he declareth that he had them aboundantly by which were a great many nations brought to the obedience of God Chrisostome compareth and that aptly the tokens of the priestehoode of Paul with the long garments A comparison betwene priesthoode of yâ— Iues and the ministery of Paul litle bells miter and cappe wherewith the priestes in the old law were consecrated and teacheth that the ornaments of Paul or rather his weapons wherewith he ouercame the Gentiles and offred them vnto God as sacrifices were of muche more excellency as his sacrifices were much more excellent then the sacrifices of the high priestes of the Iewes But our Bishopps Cardinalls and Popes seing themselues destitute of those Apostolicall ornaments and signes of Paul thought it good to bring in agayne those ornaments of Aaron and of the Leuits that at the The papisticall â–ª high priestes haue brought in againe the ornaments of Aaron lâ—st way they might haue somewhat wherewith to bleare the eyes of the commoÌ„ people but with how great fruit or rather with how great hurt vnto the Church they haue doone this God knoweth and we haue to muche felt and had experience thereof For I dare not speake of any thing vvhich Christ hath not vvrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient Now he openeth that which he before sayd he had to glory through Iesus Christ For he sayth that he will speake nothing neither make accompt of any thing but of those things only which Christ had don by him that is that he will not glory of his owne doings but rather will suppresse them and kepe them in silence Hereby let vs learne that all the ornameÌ„ts of ministers all gifts all spirituall faculties and endowments of the minde are to this ende geuen of God to bring men to the obedience of God Wherefore let them beware which hold those gifts with themselues without fruit or bestowe them otherwise then they ought to doe But here marke diligently what are the weapons and signes which Paul teacheth to pertaine to Apostles In vvord and in dede These two are the things wherewith Paule wrought Wordes dedes are the instrumentes of the Apostleship Signes wonders through Christ words I say and dedes Vnder this word vvords are comprehended publique preachings priuate communications disputations and Epistles which when he was absent he wrote to sundry Churches and to his scholers And these things proceded both from Christ and from the power of the holy Ghost And workes containe signes and wonders But what differeÌ„ce there is betwene those two it is not easy to expresse Origen thinketh that those thinges only are called signes which
fayne For the lawe of God hath a farre other ende then that it should be absolutely performed of vs or that we should by the obseruation of it obtayne righteousnes Wherefore lust is of two sortes the one is a manifest consent of Lust of two sortes the minde which pertayneth to euery one of the commaundementes of God For anger and hatred pertayne vnto this commaundemente thou shalte not kill Lust and filthy desire pertayne vnto this commaundement thou shalt not committe adultery the other is a generall lust which is a pronesse against the will of God and is with all the motions thereof expressed in the last precept thou shalt not lust but there is yet remayning a doubt for Moses setteth not foorth that precept so simply and playnely as doth Paul but sayth he Thou shalt not lust after thy Paul conciliated with Moses neighbours house hys field hys seruaunt hys mayde hys oxe or hys wyfe The cause of this diuersity is for that wheÌ„ as Moses should geue the lawe to men being rude he would more openly and more plainely describe lust by the obiectes whereunto it is caried that they mought the easilier vnderstande it But Paul which sawe that he had to do with them that knew the law thought it inough precisely to say thou shalt not lust supposing yâ— it should néede no farther declaration Yea nether did Moses reâ—oâ—ed not all thinges w 〈…〉 unto our lust is caâ—ed Moses recken vp all things whereunto we are by lust led He thought it sufficient to recken a certaine fewe thinges which straight way were perceaued of euery man as grosse and manifest And so we sée that God in like maner vsed the figure Synecdoche in a maner in all the rest of the commaundementes Which thing Christ in Mathew hath plainly tought vs when against the traditions of the God in the commaundementes vsed the figure synecdoche Scribes and of the Phariseyes he defended the true meaning of the law For he tought that in that commaundement thou shalt not kill is not only prohibited the hand but also contumely hatred and wrath And that in this commaundemeÌ„t Thou shalte not commit adultery is not only forbidden the vncleane action but also the lustfull looking and all maner of inflamatioÌ„ of the minde towards a woman not being thy wife After the same maner we could easily declare that in all the rest of the commaundemeÌ„ts is vsed the figure Synecdoche Farther in euery one In all the commaundementes are commended the vertues coÌ„trary vnto that vice whiche is prohibited The ten commaundementes like the ten predicamentes of Aristotle of the commaundementes are commended the vertues which are contrary to that vice which is there prohibited For when we are forbidden to beare false witnes against our neighbour therewithall also we are commaunded to defend the truth and ernestly to succour the good fame of our neighboure when we are forbiddeÌ„ to steale we are also coÌ„mauÌ„ded to be liberal towards our neighbours to communicate such things as we haue to them yâ— want And to declare yâ— which oftentimes commeth into my minde the ten commaundementes of the lawe seme in my iudgement in all partes as touching honesty filthynes vertue and vice to extend as farre as the ten predicamentes of Aristotle For as there can nothing be found in the nature of thinges which pertayneth not to those predicamentes so is there no vertue no vice nothing honest nothing filthy which can not be referred to some of the ten commaundementes And as all the generall wordes and perticular kindes of the other predicamentes are resolued into the predicamente of substance so may all outward sinnes be resolued into lust And as the predicament of substance hath matter and forme as the first and chiefe ground so the whole consent of our minde to sinne is resolued into the prauity of our nature Wherefore although in the lawe are set forth thinges knowen and grosse yet in them God requireth that which is commaunded in the first and last commaundement namely that we should haue the motions both of the body and of the The commaundemeÌ„t against iâ—st is not well deuided into two minde honest and clene and that we should abhorre from all those thinges which God hath forbiddeÌ„ vs. Farther this to be noted that Paul bringeth this as one only precept Thou shalt not lust Wherefore I meruail at certayne amongst whom also is Augustine which of one commaundement do make two as though in the one is prohibited adultery when it is sayd thou shalt not lust after the wife of thy neighbour and in the other is forbidden that we couet not an other mans land house oxe seruaunt and maide But if the preceptes shoulde increase in number according to the number of the thinges that we lust after we should of one commaundement make in a maner infinite commaundementes For it is possible that we may couet our neighbours honors dignityes vessels money garmentes and infinite other such like thinges But there are others which to kepe the ful number of ten in the commaundements haue left this commaundement Thou shalt not lust vndeuided and haue deuided the first precept into two parts so that in the first part they put this thou shalt haue none other Goddes and in the second thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image c. But I thinke that either Whych is the first precepte of these partes pertayne to one and the same precept And I suppose the first commaundement to be that which is set before the rest in stede of a proheme I am the Lord thy God which hath brought thee out of the land of Egipt For in those wordes are we commaunded to count him for the true God And that we should not thinke that he is to be worshipped together with other Goddes straight way is added the second precept wherein we are prohibited to worship strange Gods In the fyrst commaundement is offred vnto vs the Gospell and grauen thinges and images And if a man will more narrowlye consider the thing he shall sée that together with as it is his first commaundement is offred vnto vs the Gospell For God in it promiseth that he will be our God And in that which is mencioned of the deliuery out of Egipt is contayned a promise touching Christ But to returne from whence we are digressed we ought certaynly to hold that in this precept Thou shalt not lust are prohibited our corrupt inclination and euill motions of the minde which we should not acknowledge to be sinnes vnles the lawe had shewed them vnto vs. Aristotle Pigghius and such other like for that they were ignorante of the lawe of God contende that these are not preceptes But sinne tooke an occasion by the commaundement and wrought in me all maner of lust Hetherto Paul hath declared that the lawe only sheweth sinne Now he toucheth the true cause of all transgressions Which cause he plainly
calleth sinne by which word he vnderstandeth the corruption of nature y◠remnants of original sin The law is as a scholemaster therfore it only teacheth instructeth But of it selfe it bringeth not forth these euils This place of Paul excellently setteth before our eyes what maner ones we are by the transgressiō of our first parentes When we are called vnto God we flye away from him when we are inuited to vprightnes and eternall life we runne away hedlonge vnto sinne and death So that thing which ought to be vnto vs a remedy increaseth aggrauateth the disease Desperate disseases as a canker and the leprosy are of so great Disseases past hope stubburnes that by laying remedies vnto them they ware worse and worse wherfore the phisitions geue them ouer Euen such is our lust Who will abide such an horse which how much the more he is pricked forward with spurres so much the more goeth backward Vndoubtedly that sonne is of a very wicked nature which as soone as he heareth the commaundemēt of his louing father straigthway with all his endeuor laboureth to the contrary But we are fallen so farre that certaine thinges therefore seme sweete for that they are forbidden vs. Therefore Salomon sayth waters stollen are the sweeter Augustine wisely waighyng wyth Certaine things seme sweete euen therfore for that they ar forbidden hymselfe thys prauity in his booke of confessions accuseth hymselfe for that when he was yet a childe he wyth others stole away other mennes peares not for that he was hungry or for that he would eate them himselfe or geue them vnto others for they were sower and he had much better at home but only to do ill and to committe those thinges which were forbidden him Paules whole The scope of Paul scope is this to transfer the fault which was layd vpon the Law vnto our prauity For the Law ought not to be accused that it was an occasion of sinnes For there is nothing so good but that it may be an occasion of greate euelles Our sauior saith of himself If I had not come spoken vnto thē they had had no sin And in the 10. chapiter to the Hebrues How much more greauouser punishment semeth he worthy of which hath troden vnder foote the sonne of God And Paul straight way in the beginning of this epistle reproueth the wise men of the Gentles for that when they knew God by the wonderfull order and beawty of thinges created they yet glorified him not as God Whereby it came to passe that the knowledge of God which they had gathered by nature was vnto them an occasion of A similitude greater damnation If a phisition should forbid vnto one sicke of an agew cold drinke and he should therefore begin more feruently to thirst that is not to be attributed vnto the phisition And euen as in this case the corrupt affection of the sicke party is the ground of this euill so the corruption of our nature is the true and proper cause of sinne Wherfore we must continually pray vnto God that it would please him to renew in vs our will Farther we must put awaye Infidelitie confirmeth strengthneth lust infidelity which excedingly strēgthneth the lust that is grafted in vs. For if we verily beleued that those thinges which are prohibited of God will certainlye bring vnto vs destruction we would not vndoubtedly commit them For when before our eies is set present death of the body we all flye from it But when we beleue that that which is set before vs is not present death or that we thinke we shall escape it by some meanes we contemne the admonition so if we beleued God when he threatneth death vnto sinners we woulde vndoubtedlye obey his commaundements But forasmuche as there still cleaueth vnto vs that poyson of infidelity which the deuill breathed into Adam when he perswaded him that The condition of our lustes that thinge should not come to passe whiche God had threatned our luste thus subtelly reasoneth with vs that those punishments which God hath threatned in the law shall not be inflicted vpō the transgressors so roughly as they are there set forth and that it is possible that we may by some meanes escape them More ouer by this place we see that they are in miserable and vnhappy case which ar straungers from Christ For al thinges though they seeme neuer so good turne All thinges turne to euill to them that are straungers frō Christ to them vnto euill which thing Paul durst affirme of the law that is of the word of God how then can it be doubted of other things And that which Paul sayth by the law is wrought in vs all maner of lust some so interpretate as though before y◠Law there was no lust in vs. But these mē ought to cōsider that Paul wrote that sinne by the law wrought in vs all maner of lust And if sinne wrought it then must it nedes be that it was in vs before And when as such sinne is called lust it is not simply sayd that it wroughte luste but there is added this woorde All which signifieth whole perfect and absolute lust Wherefore Augustine expounding this place sayth lust was before the law but not full and absolute Nether disagreth Chrisostome from this exposition Ambrose also sayth when the Apostle sayth All maner of lust he thereby signifieth all maner of sinnes Wherefore it is very manifest that Paul ment nothing ells but that out of our contaminate and corrupt nature when it was prouoked by the Law sprang all maner of sinnes or as they vse to say actuall sinnes Nether wanteth this an Emphasis in me For if these thinges happened in Paul who as he himselfe writeth vnto the Galathi had profited in the religion of the Iewes aboue all the men in his time and as he sayth vnto the Phillippians Had walked without blame in the righteousnes of the law and as he writeth in the first to Timothe Had from his elders serued God in a pure consience What is to be thoughte of vs whiche are neyther studious of the Lawe nor Whither the Apostle here tooke vpon him the person of an other man yet doo in any part performe the thinges which we doo know I know there are some with think that the Apostle here toke vpon him the person of an other mā so that these thinges are not pertayning vnto him but vnto men not yet regenerate or still wallowing in sinnes And Augustine semeth sometimes to haue bene of that minde But in his 2. booke of Retractations the. 1. chap. he sayth that he was moued vpon most iust consideration to reuoke that For it is very playne by those things which follow that Paul entreateth of such a man as in mind serueth the Law of God and delighteth himselfe therein which hateth euill and is drawen agaynst his will vnto the Law of sinne Wherefore he concludeth that these wordes
〈◊〉 Paul vnderstandeth to fall irrecouerably but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to fall thorow negligence which happeneth vnto them that liue carelesly and loosely Neither is this a meane honor which the holy Gost by Paul ascribeth vnto the natiō of the Iewes when vnto theyr fall he adioyneth the calling of the Gentils and vnto theyr laste conuersion the resurrection from the dead Origen vpon this place noteth that the fall of the nation of the Iewes was not as the fall of the Deuill for that their fall is recouerable But Satan cannot be conuerted no not at the ende of the worlde Which sentēce is both worthy of admiration and is also most manifestly repugnante vnto his opinion whiche he hath both in his booke Peri arch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also in Origens interpretatiō vpon this epistle suspected many other places Wherfore this his interpretacion vpon this Epistle to the Romanes is not without iust consideration suspected of the learned as though it wer none of his vnles we wil say that at diuers times he was diuersly minded or that his bokes were as some thinke corrupted by heretikes ▪ which thing in my iudgemente is not so credible for that it is scarse possible to corrupte all the examplers But this mighte be that he whiche turned this exposition into Lattine salued it somewhat in some places But touchinge this matter howsoeuer it be it shall suffice to be admonished thereof In the meane time let vs consider that God in his iudgements is alwayes one therfore y◠which we haue now hearde let vs neuer How we may vse the sinnes of other men suffer to slippe out of memory Namely that falles and sinnes by the prouidence of God alwayes bring with them some profite and somewhat tending to the glorye of God but although not alwayes to them which haue sinned yet oftentimes to others Wherfore it is our part that when we sée the fal of our neighbor we straight way consider how we may vse that fall either to our edification or to admonishe correct or to comfort him which hath sinned or at the least way to instruct helpe others And if peraduenture none of these thinges take place yet let vs not therefore put of all hope but cleauing faste to this doctrine let vs praye vnto God that he woulde vouchsafe to geue vnto sinnes and wicked actes that are committed some desired fruite If the fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of thē the riches of the Gentils how much more shall theyr fulnes be Hereto Paul tendeth to teach that the conuersion of the Iewes shal be profitable euen as theyr blinding was he vseth an argumente taken a minori that is of the lesse For if their fal and diminishing gaue place vnto the Gentils that they also might Good is of more might then euil obteine saluation muche more shall theyr conuersion be profitable vnto the Gentils for that which is good is of his owne nature of greater might to produce forth good thinges then is that which is euill And Paul by an excellent Antithesis vnto fulnes setteth as contrary falling and diminishing And when he sayth that theyr fal and diminishing was the riches of the world he meaneth that by that meanes great plenty and a great multitude of the Gentils came vnto the Gospell and vnto He comforteth not only the Iues but also the Gentles the church These thinges serue not onely to comforte the Iewes but also to cōfirme the Gentils for they mought haue suspected that the conuersion of y◠Iewes should be vnto them noysome by an argument taken of contraries after this sort If the execation of them was a way and occasion of theyr saluation then contrariwise their conuersion shal be an occasion of theyr reiection But saith Paul it is not so for that this came to passe againste the order of nature that the fall of the Iewes should cause the calling of the Gentils But that the repentaunce and saluation of the Iewes shoulde aduaunce the fayth and pietye of the Gentils is farre more agréeable and if we shoulde weigh the matter well humane reason can not so well perceaue how the fall of the Iewes could cause the calling of the Gentils and therfore we before sayd that this is wholy to be ascribed vnto the ordinaunce What shall be the fulnes of the Iewes of God The fulnes of the Iewes shall then be when that nation shall publikelye confesse Christ for now only a few remnantes are adioyned vnto the church But at y◠time the number shal be great and they shal haue an ample church gathered of theyr own nation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul in this place taketh for wante or diminishing of this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to be vanquished and to be ouercome Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a conflict and hath a passiue signification namely when a man in fighting and striuing is ouercome Whē the Iewes withstood Christ and his doctrine and sought to driue him away cleane they were ouercome and were spoyled of al the good giftes wherwith they were before adorned This selfe same woord Paul vsed to the Corrinthians in his first epistle against them which in matters of contention drew theyr bretherne to the iudgement seates of infidels and there when they were ouercome with lust or desire and not able to bridle their affectes they suffred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is they were vanquished Origen in this maner expoundeth the fulnes of the Iewes that in this time the churche shal be enlarged amongest many natiōs which church although by getting vnto it new members it be alwaies encreased yet then shall it haue his fulnes that is his vttermoste power and perfection when the people of the Iewes shall cleaue vnto Christ And yet let no man thinke that all shall at the length so come vnto the Gospell that in that people amongst the shéepe shall not be mingled many goates and with the wheate tares and with the wise virgins foolish virgins But the sence is that euen as nowe all of them are in a manner turned away from Christe so at that time the greatest parte of them shal be turned vnto Christe Chrisostome vpon this place hath in my iudgement a very bold interpretation For he sayth that Paul in wordes only fauoreth the Iewes after a sorte to comforte them and ascribeth vnto them those commendations which in very déede are not commendations for that howsoeuer it were that the Iewes were made blinde the Gentils should neuer haue had saluation vnles they had beleued Here doubtles I durst not geue such an interpration and although I confesse that by the vsuall and naturall order sinnes can in no wise bee the causes of any thing that is good especially if we consider them that We must not charge the Scriptures wyth any kind of lyeng God hath no nede of secōd causes