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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17649	The comentaries of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the first Epistle of Sainct Ihon, and vpon the Epistle of Iude wherein accordyng to the truthe of the woordes of the holie Ghost, he most excellently openeth and cleareth the poinct of true iustification with God, and sanctification by the Spirit of Christ, by the effects that he bryngeth forthe in the regeneration. Translated into Englishe by W.H.; Commentaire sur l'épistre canonique de S. Jean. English	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564. Exposition sur l'épistre de S. Jude. aut; W. H.	1580 (1580)	STC 4404; ESTC S107184	123,116	300

cōmit whoredome ●o steale to kill because there can be no sin ●her the spirit of God raigneth But the Apostle meaneth far another thing For the Apostle ●enieth that the faithful can sin because God ●ath written his lawe in their heartes as it ●s in the Prophet Iere. 31.31 By this are knowne In few words he con●ludeth that they do in vaine challenge to them●elues a name amōgst the childrē of God which ●o not approue thēselues to be such by a godly 〈◊〉 holy life forasmuch as by this marke they ●iffer from the children of the Diuell Further he doth not so meane that they 〈◊〉 made manifest that they may be openly knowen to all the world but this onely he meaneth that the fruit and effect of the diuine adoption doth alwaies shew forth in the lyfe Hee that doeth not righteousnesse is not 〈◊〉 God nor he that loueth not his brother 11 Because this is the preaching which you haue heard from the beginning that we lo●● one another 12 Not of Caine which was of that wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore slew●● he him Because his owne workes were euill and his brothers good 13 Meruaile not my brethren if the worl● hate you HE that doth not righteousnes To do righteousnesse and to commit sinne are héere set one against another Therfore to do righteousnesse is nothing else then from the heart to feare God and to walke in his preceptes as farre as mans frailtie will beare For albeit that righteousnes if it be takē precisely is no other thing then the full obseruing of the lawe from which the faithfull are alwayes farre of yet because God doth not lay theyr ●●fences faultes to their charge this percel ●f obedience which they performe vnto God ●s called righteousnesse And Iohn sheweth plainly that they are not of God whosoeuer ●ine not righteously because whosoeuer God ●alleth he doth renue thē by his spirit Therefore the newnesse of life is a perpetuall witnesse of Gods frée election And which loueth not his brother He applyeth a generall doctrine to his purpose For hetherto he hath exhorted the faithfull to brotherly loue Now by the same he sheweth the summe of true righteousnesse wherefore this part is added in stéed of an exposition But I haue sayd before after what sort whole righteousnesse is comprehended vnder brotherlye loue The loue of God indéede hath the first place but because of that dependeth brotherly loue amongst men oftētimes by a Sinadoch that is contained vnder this this again vnder that Therefore as euerie one is giuen to humanitie and well doing so he saith that he is iust and so accounted because loue is the fulfilling of the law He cōfirmeth this sentence when hée sayeth that the faithfull haue ben so taught frō the beginning for by these words he sheweth that this definition which he giueth ought not to séeme straunge vnto them 12 Not as Caine. Another confirmati●● is taken of the contrarie because hatred rai●●neth in the reprobate and children of the d●uell and holdeth as it were the chiefetie 〈◊〉 their life of which thing he setteth dow●● Caine as an example In the meane time 〈◊〉 maketh to their comfort as he concludeth at 〈◊〉 last Meruaile not if the world hate you This exposition is to be diligently noted for in the manner of life men are alwaies deceiued because they place holinesse in figured workes while they tormēt themselues with trifles they thinke they are twice acceptable to God Euen as Monkes doe proudly tearme theyr kinde of life the state of perfection And in Poperie there is not thought anie other worship of God then that filth of superstitions But the Apostle doth especially shew that we are approued of God if we loue o●e●●●other Againe that the diuell raigneth where hatred grudge enuie and displeasures dooeth raign Yet it is together to be kept in memorie that I touched of late that brotherly loue because it ariseth of the loue of GOD as the effect of the cause is not separated from it but rather is commended of Iohn for this cause for that it is an approouing of our holynesse before GOD. When he sayeth that Caine was by this cause enforced to the slaying of his Brother because his owne works were euill Hée meaneth that which I haue noted alreadie that where wickednesse beareth the swaie hatred possesseth all the partes of life Hée maketh mention of the iust works of Abel that we may learne to beare it paciently if the world prouoked with no iniury doe hate vs without cause 14 Wee knowe that wee are translated from death to life because we loue the bretheren He that loueth not his brother abideth in death 15 Euerie one that hateth his brother is a manslayer you know that no manslayer hath eternall life abiding in him 16 By this haue wee knowen loue because hee layde downe his lyfe for vs and we ought to lay downe our liues for the bretheren 17 If anie man haue this worldes good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion frō him how dwelleth the loue of God in him 18 My little children let vs not loue in word and tongue but in deede and truth 14 HE commendeth loue vnto vs by an excellent speach because it is a testimonie of our being deliuered from death to lyfe Wherevpon it followeth that if wée loue our bretheren we are happie and if wée hate them we are miserable Ther is no man that dooth not desire to escape and to be delyuered from death therefore they must néede be more then blinde who by fostering of hatred doo willingly pamper their own death Further when the apostle saith that by loue it is knowen that we haue passed into life he meaneth not that man is his own deliuerer as if by louing the bretheren hée deliuered himselfe from death obtained life for himselfe For he dooth not dispute héere of the cause of saluation but séeing loue is the principall fruite of the spirite it is also a certaine note of regeneration Therfore the Apostle reasoneth from the signe and not from the cause For because no man doth truely loue the brethren except he which is regenerate by the spirit Hence it is rightly gathered that the spirite of God which is lyfe dooth dwell in them that loue the bretheren But one should therevpon preposterously inferre that lyfe is attained vnto by loue séeing loue by order is the later This Argument should haue more coulour if loue make vs more assured of our life that then the assurance of saluation doth consist in act But the answere therof is also easie For albeit that faith is confirmed by al the graces of god as by helps yet it ceaseth not to haue his foundation in the onely frée mercie of God For example when we inioy the light we are sure that the Sunne shineth if the Sunne giue his beams into the place wherin we are we haue a certaine more cléere sight

so greate a desire to affection without cause Séeing that our safetie doeth consist in the Gospell the certaintie thereof is a thing more then necessarie And how vntowarde wée are to beléeue euerye one of vs by his owne experyence doeth knowe too well I call to beléeue not lightly to imagine or in only assenting to alow that which is spoken but to imbrace it with a certaine vndoubted perswasion so that we dare subscribe as to a knowen truth By this occasion the Apostle doth multiply so many things héere in confirmation of the gospell 1 That which was from the beginning Because it is a broken and confused speach that the sence maye bée giuen more plaine so the words are to be resolued We declare vnto you the word of life which from the beginning hath by all meanes bene truly testified vnto vs how life was made manifest in it Or if you had rather otherwise Whatsoeuer we shew you of the word of life it was from the beginning and it was openly shewed to vs because life is made manifest in it But this member That which was from the beginning is vndoubtedly referred to the diuinitie of Christ for God was not manifested in the flesh from the beginning but hée who alwayes was life and the eternal word of God in the fulnesse of time became man Againe those things that follow of the beholding and féeling with handes doe more béelong to the humane nature But because two natures make one persō that one is Christ who came out from the father that he might take vppon him our flesh the Apostle doth worthely shewe foorth in common together that he hath ben alwayes inuisible and afterwards séene Wherby is refelled the rotten cauill of Seruetus that there is one nature and being of the deitie with the flesh and moreouer that the word is transformed into flesh because that liuing word was séene in the flesh Let vs remember therefore that this doctrine of the Gospell is auouched that he who in the flesh did truly proue himselfe to be the sonne of God was acknowledged for the sonne of God was alwaies the inuisible word of God And yet he doeth not héere assigne the beginning of the world but ascendeth higher Of the word of life The Genitiue case is taken in the place of an Epithite for quickening because as he teacheth in the first chapter of the Gospell In it was life albeit this title doth belong to the Sonne of God by a double right both because he hath plentifully poured life vpon all creatures and because he now repaireth life in vs which was put out and perished by Adams sinne Yea moreouer the name it selfe of the word may be expounded two manner of waies either of Christ or of the doctrine of the Gospel for by that also health is brought vnto vs. But because the substaunce thereof is Christ and it doth not contayne anye other thing then that hée at length was manifested vnto men who alwaies was with the Father the first Exposition séemeth to me more simple and more naturall Further that the wisedome which dooth remayne in God is called the word is euidently séene by the Gospell That which wee haue heard That which wee haue seene This hearing was not of anye spread reporte whereto small creditte vseth to bée giuen but Iohn meaneth that of those things which hée taught hée was first effectually taught of his master so that hée set foorth nothing rashly And in truth no man shall bée a profitable Teacher in the Church who hath not first himselfe bene a Disciple of the Sonne of GOD and rightlye instructed in his Schoole séeing that his authoritie alone ought to bée of most force Whereas hée sayeth that hée Did see it with his eyes it is not a Pleonasmos but a greater expressing for amplification sake Yea not being contented wth a simple sight hée addeth Wee ●ooked vppon and our handes haue handeled By which wordes hée dooth testifie that hée taught nothing which hée had not throughlye approued Yet the approouing of the senses séemeth smallye to be profitable to the present cause For the vertue of Christ cannot bée comprehended with eyes or handes I aunswere that the same thing is spoken héere which is in the first Chapter of his Gospell We haue séene his glorie that is glorie worthye the onely begotten Sonne of GOD. For the Sonne of GOD was not acknowledged according to the outwarde forme of his bodie but by that whereas he shewed foorth famous experiences of his diuine power so that in him as by a liuely and expresse Image did shine the maiestie of the Father Whereas the wordes are of the plurall number and the matter doth most indifferently appertaine vnto all the Apostles I doo willyngly interprete it of them especiallye because the question is of the authoritie of the testimonye But no lesse friuolous as I lately touched and to be shamed at is the lewdnesse of Seruetus who vrgeth these wordes whereby to prooue that the worde of GOD hath bene visible and palpable Hée dooth wickedlye either destroye the two Natures which is in Christ or mingle them confusedly together He therefore doth imagine I wot not what lie so deifying the humanitie of Christ that he doeth vtterly take from him the truth of mans nature denying in the meane time that Christ is any other way the sonne of God except because he was conceiued of his mother by the power of the holye Ghost and taking from him his proper abiding in God Wherevpon it followeth that he is neither God nor man albeit he séeme to forge a cōfused Masse of both But because the minde of the Apostle is vndoubted vnto vs let vs passe by that Dogge 2 And the life was made manifest This note of ioyning together is héere put in stéede of shewing plainly As if he should haue said We do giue witnesse of the word that giueth life euen as life were made manifest Albeit the sence maye be double either that Christ was giuen who is life and the fountaine of life or that life was plainely offered to vs in Christ And this later doth necessarily follow of the first As much yet as doth belong to the signification of the words these two differ betwéene themselues as the cause and the effect Where secondly he rehearseth Wee shew eternal life I doubt not but that he speketh of the effect that is that we attaine vnto life by the benefite of Christ Wherevppon wée ●ather that Christ cannot bée preached vnto vs but the kingdome of heauen is opened vn●o vs that béeing raised from death we might ●iue the life of God Which was with the Father This is true not onely since the worlde was made ●ut also from the first eternitie For God was alwayes the fountaine of life but the power and abilitie of quickening was in his eternall wisedome which yet he did not shew forth before the creation of the worlde And ●ince God beganne to giue his

in him puryfieth himselfe euen as hee is pure 1 THE second Argument is from the dignitie and excellencie of our calling Our heauenlye Father sayth hée hath vouchsafed to dignifie vs with no small honour séeing hée hath adopted vs to bée his sonnes This so greate fauour ought to kindle in vs the studie of godlynesse that wée maye bée lyke vnto him and it canne no other way be done except he which confesseth himselfe to bée one of the sonnes of GOD doe purifie himselfe And the more vehement the exhortation is the more is set foorth vnto vs the grace of almightie God For wheras he sayth that loue is giuen vs hée sheweth that this commeth of méere liberalitie that God accepteth vs for his children For whence become we of such account but by the loue of God Furthermore his frée loue is héere manifestlye spoken of It is indéede an vnproper kinde of spéech but the Apostle had rather speake vnproperlye then not to expresse that which was of necessitie to bée knowen Briefelye hée signifieth that the more plentifull the loue of GOD is shewed vppon vs the more wée are bound vnto him as Paule to the Romanes the 12.1 beséecheth the Romanes by the mercies of God that they would offer themselues vnto him an holye Sacrifice In the meane time we are taught that as I sayde the adoption of all the godlye is frée and dependeth not vppon anie respect of workes For that which the Schoole men say that they are adopted whom god did foresée to be worthie is plainely made of none effect by these wordes For by this meanes the gift of God should not haue bene frée This chiefe point of doctrine is principally néedfull to holde For séeing that the onely cause of our saluation is adoption and that the Apostle witnesseth that the same doth issue from the méere and alone loue of God there is nothing remaineth to our owne worthinesse or the desert of works For why are we sonnes Verily because God hath begunne to loue vs fréely when we were more worthie of hatred then of loue And séeing that the spirit is the pledge of our adoptiō hence it followeth that if there be anie good thing in vs it must not be so set against the grace of God that rather it must be ascribed vnto it as receiued from it The Name whereof he speaketh cannot be a vaine title For it is God who pronounceth vs with his owne mouth to be his sonnes as he gaue a name to Abraham according to the thing it selfe Therefore the world This temptation doth vehemently assayle our faith that wée should not so be accounted for the children of God or haue anie note of such excellencie séene in vs that rather the whole world almost doth hold vs for a mocking stocke Therefore by the present condition it can hardly be gathered that God is our Father for the diuell inuenteth all wayes to darken his blessing He giueth a remedie to this offence when hée saith That it is not yet knowen What manner of men we are because the world knoweth not God therefore it is no meruaile if it contempne his children Of which thing ther was a notable paterne in Isaac Iacob For when each of them was elected of God the one Ismael scoffed and iested at Gen. 21.9 27.41 the other Esau persecuted which threatenings with swoord Therfore howsoeuer we séeme to be oppressed in the world our saluatiō remaineth neuertheles founde in good state 2 We are now the sonnes of God Now he descendeth to euery ones proper feeling For albeit the wicked doe not intice vs to cast away our hope yet our present estate is far frō the glory of the childrē of God For in respect of the body we are dust a thing of nothing death is euer before our eies we are in danger of many miseries the soule is subiect to infinit euils so that we alwaies find hel in our selues How much more néed is ther that al our sences be drawen frō the beholding of things present least the miseries wherwith we are compassed doeth driue vs out of the hope of the happinesse that yet appeareth not For this is the Apostles counsell that wée shall doe foolishlye if we measure what God hath giuen vnto vs by our present condition but that we must holde fast by an assured faith that which yet appeareth not And we know that when we shall be made manifest This condition must be chaunged into an Aduerb of time where or when Further this worde shall appeare is taken otherwise then before The Apostle sayde a lyttle before that it appereth not yet what we shal be since the fruit of our adoption is hid because our felicitie is in heauen and we are straungers farre from thence in the earth because this fraile life that is subiect to an hundreth deaths is farre vnlike to that eternall glorye which belongeth to the children of God because being shut vp after a slauishe manner in the prison of flesh we are farre distaunt from the frée dominion of heauen and earth But nowe he referreth this note to Christ When hee shall appeare For hée teacheth the same thing that Paule doeth vnto the Collos chapter 3. verse 3. where he sayth Your life is hidde with Christ but when Christ which is your lyfe shall appeare then shall yée also appeare with him in glory And indéede our fayth can no other waye remaine stedie then while it looketh vnto the comming of Christ For this is the cause why God doeth deferre the manifestation of our glory because Christ is not yet made manifest in the power of his kingdome This I say is the onely prop of our faith that we may paciently waite for the life that is promised vs. So soone as any one dooth turne aside but a lyttle from Christ it cannot be chosen but hée shall faint By the word Knowe he noteth out the certaintie of Faith that he maye discerne it from opinion Neither is héere noted a simple and vniuersal knowledge but that which euery one ought to apply to himselfe that he may know of a truth that he shall once bée made lyke vnto Christ Therefore howsoeuer the giuing forth of our glorie is deferred to the cōming of Christ yet the knowledge of it is most excellently assured Like He dooth not meane that we shall be equall but there must néedes be some difference betwéene the head and the members but we shall be like him because hée shall make our vile bodie like to his glorious bodie as Paule teacheth Phil. 3.21 For the Apostle goeth about to shew that this is the last end of our adoption that that which by order went before in Christ be at the last fulfilled in vs. Yet the reason that is added séemeth to bée weake For if the beholding of Christ shall make vs lyke vnto Christ the wicked shall haue the same glorie with vs who also shall sée him I aunswere that this is

foundation in a right faith He calleth their faithe moste holy that thei maie rest soundly vppon it and leanyng vnto the strength thereof maie neuer wauer But for as muche as the whole perfection of man doeth consist in faith it seemeth to be an vnseemely thyng that he biddeth to builde an other buildyng as though faith did onely begin a man The Apostle aunswereth this question when he addeth by and by that men are builded vpon faithe loue being ioyned withall Vnleast it may be that some man had rather take it thus that men are builded in faithe so farre as thei profite therein And truely they daily goyng forwarde in faithe doe cause that it riseth into a full buildyng By this meanes the Apostle would teach that we must growe in faithe that wee must bee earnest in praier and that wee must holde fast our callyng in loue Praiyng in the Spirite This is the waie of continuance if wee bee instructed with the power of God Therefore as often as wee speake of the constantnesse of faithe we muste flie vnto praier And because we commonly praie slaighlie he addeth in the Spirite as if he should saie that there is so greate slacknesse and so greate coldnesse of our fleshe that none can praie a right vnlesse he bee stirred vp with the Spirite of God that wee are so readie to mistruste and fearfulnesse that no man dareth call God Father except the same Spirite doe teache hym For frō hence commeth carefulnesse hence heate andearnestnesse hēce chearfulnesse hence hope of obtainyng hence finally come those vnspeakable gronynges of whiche Paule speaketh Rom. 8. Therefore Iude teacheth not without cause that no man can praie as he ought except the Spirite bee his guide 21 Keepe your selues in Loue. He placeth Loue as the keeper and guide of our life not that he maie set it against the grace of God but because this is the right course of our callyng if we goe forward in Loue. And because many thynges doe intice vs to backsliding that it is hard to keepe our selues sounde vnto God vnto the ende he recalleth the faithfull vnto the laste daie For the verie waityng for that daie ought to staie vs vp that wee neuer fainte Otherwaies wee muste needes quaile euerie moment And it is to bee noted that he will not haue vs to hope for eternall life but from the mercie of Christe For he shall so bee our Iudge that he holdeth the free benefite of Redemption purchased by hym as a rule to iudge by 22 And haue compassion on some He ioyneth an other exhortation how the faithfull ought to behaue them selues in correctyng their brethren that thei maie bryng them vnto the Lorde And he teacheth that thei are diuerslie to bee dealt with to wit euery manne accordyng to his disposition For towardes the gentle and suche as are willyng to be taught wee must vse gentlenesse Others are more hard therefore to be brought vnder with feare This is the puttyng of a difference whiche he spake of The Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is puttyng difference I knowe not why Erasmus should rather chuse to translate it Passiuelie seyng it is doubtfull and the Actiue signification doeth farre better agree with the text Therefore the somme is that if wee will prouide for the safetie of them that do fall We must consider the inclination of euery manne that thei whiche are gentle and tractable bee gently called backe into the waie as worthie of compassion but if any be stubberne let hym bee corrected more sharpely And because sharpenesse is almoste hurtfull he excuseth it by the necessitie because thei cannot otherwaies bee preserued whiche dooe not followe good counsailes of their owne accorde Further he vseth an excellent borowed speeche For where there is no daunger of burnyng wee doubte not with violence to pull hym whom we desire to haue safe neither in deede were it inough to beeken with their finger or gentely to reache out the hande So also their safetie is to bee prouided for whiche would not come vnto God vnleast thei were hardly drawne The old interpretation doeth farre differ whiche readyng is yet found in many Greeke copies Reprooue theim that are iudged saith the old interpreter But that former sence dooeth better agree and in my iudgemente it is true and naturall The woorde to keepe is translated vnto menne not that thei are authours of safetie but Ministers 23 Hatyng This place whiche otherwaies dooeth seeme darcke shall haue no hardnesse the borowed speeche beyng wel expounded He willeth that the faithfull doe not onely take heede of the touchyng of vices But that no infection doe fasten vpon them he teacheth that whatsoeuer is nere and alied be auoided As if we speake of in chastitie wee will saie that all prouocations to luste muste bee taken awaie That shal bee yet made more plaine if the speeche bee made full to wit that we hate not onely the fleshe but the garmēt which is defiled with the touching of it For this note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. and serueth to amplification Therefore he doeth not so muche permitt euill to bee nourished by sufferaunce that rather he bideth all preparations and all additions as thei call them to be cutte of 24 And to hym that is able to keepe He shutteth vp his Epistle with the praise of God in whiche he sheweth that our exhortations can dooe nothyng neither our endeuours except the effecte proceede frō the power of God Some copies haue Them whiche readyng if wee receiue the sence shal bee in deede it is your parte to endeuour that thei maie be safe but it pertaineth to God onely to performe the same Yet the other readyng pleaseth me better in whiche also there is an alludyng vnto the former sentence For after that he hath exhorted the faithfull to saue that whiche was lost to the ende that thei might knowe that al endeuours will be to none effecte excepte God woorke He doeth in deede witnesse that thei can not otherwise bee saued then by the power of God Albeeit in this laste parte there is an other Verbe that is to saie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche soundeth to keepe So he should haue respect to that former member where he saied Saue or Keepe your selues FINIS An Epistle of M. Ihon Caluin containyng diuers necessarie poinctes of knowledge tendyng to constancie in the truthe in the tyme of affliction written to a Freend Caluin N.S.D. To certaine controuersies of godly Bretheren THE calamitie of the Church N. doeth not a little greeue vs but because God doeth now seeme to loose the races of Sathan and the wicked that he maie exercize those that bee his we must paciently beare our estate In the meane tyme he is to be intreated that for his mercies sake he will spare the weaknesse of his tender and little flocke But who so thinketh that it goeth miserablie with the Churche so often as it is assailed with the furie or cruell