selfe He hath payed I saye the price of our redemption Fayth truly instifieth for them onely whiche do beleue in him Then the price of our redemption is receyued by fayth in Iesu Christe And therfore fayth may well and worthely be sayed to iustifie The firste cause efficient of our sustice God and his mercie is the first chiefe cause efficieÌ„t of our iustice Christ is the secoÌ„de cause efficient therof The seconde cause efficient which cause the Logitians do cal the â—lowing cause The cause instrumentall of oute iustification The faith of Christ is the cause instrumentall or instrument wherby we do obteyne iustice The fulfyllynge of the lawe is the cause materiall or matter The cause materiall of oure iustification which done we are iustified These causes are so knitte together that they caÌ„not be a suÌ„dre that one lenynge and dependyng on the others healpe Wherefore it is not a misse sayed that we are iustified by the mercie of God by the perfourming of the lawe thâ—rowe Christe and by fayth For Christ doth iustifie no man wyth out fayth nor fayth iustifieth with out Christe By fayeth onely in Christe whiche gaue hym selfe to be the price of redemption for all men that do beleue in him we are reputed iust before god And thei whiche are reputed by fayth iust by the mercie of God thorow the merites of Christ and noâ—â—f their owne thei are reputed and made iust Where thei which by Christ his merites are reputed iust thei are iustified by the perfourming of the lawe whiche is in Christ It is sayed therefore properly and in the owne kinde that we are iustified by the mercie of God by the perfourming of the lawe and by fayth For al these do go together in the perfourminge of the lawe â—r doth the wil of him which buil deth an house A goodly simi litude the workemaÌ„shyp of the carpinter stone and timbre with the tooles therto belonging go together in the said building WheÌ„ the scripture doeth affirme to vs that Christe is our iustice alwaye it doth vnderstande thys that is to saye whiche Christe hath fulfylled the law for vs. For the perfect obseruatioÌ„ of the lawe is the cause materiall the cause wtout the which not as the Logitians vse to speake bicause that wythout this no man can be couÌ„ted iust before God Good workes or els the workes of the lawe are not the cause Yong chyldreÌ„ and the thefe on the crosse be iustified with out workes but not wyth out the obsersuation of the lawe wythout the which a maÌ„ caÌ„ not be iustified For with out these the infantes and yonge children are iustified the thefe whiche hanged on the crosse was instified But yet they were not iustified wtout the perfecte 〈◊〉 uation and fulfyllyng of the law whiche is the price of our redemptioÌ„ which fulfylling is in Christ When that the scripture doeth testifie that we are iustified by fayth it doeth vnderstande thys cause vnder those wordes that God doth impute the merites of Christe of his owne mercie freely to them whiche do beleue that Christe freely doth communicate his merites to all them wiche do beleue in him Moyses sayth Do that whiche the lawe commaundeth the and thou shalte lyue Christ preacheth knowledge and confesse thy synne and beleue in me whiche haue satisfied the law for the haue fulfylled the lawe and thou shalte lyue In me shal thy life be In the law thou shalt haue no lyfe bicause thou art not 〈◊〉 to perfourme the requestes of the lawe and so to purchase the â—ife which is promised for the keeâ—ing of the lawe The Lorde hath takeÌ„ the office of the lawe on 〈◊〉 selfe The law coulde not perfourme to the that thing wherefore it was gyuen therfore I haue remoued it furth of his place and am come my selfe into that roume that by fayth in me you maye receyue blessynge and lyfe whiche were sette before you in the lawe For I am made the ende or the fulfyllyng of the lawe to iustification Roma â— to all them which do beleue as to the Roma x. that is to saye I haue done as muche as the lawe can desire that they whiche do beleue may haue those thinges in me which the law doth require to the iustificatioÌ„ of maÌ„ There is yet one thynge more in thys poynt to be obserued and marked that where as we haue sayed that Christe hath take 〈…〉 to hymselfe the ende of the lawe The lawe is not abrogated altogether but in the cause onely of our iustification wherfore the lawe yet doth serue as touchyng that it should haue iustified vs and giuen to vs lyfe yet the other endes and effectes of the lawe Christe hath not takeÌ„ froÌ„ the lawe but hath lefte them styll to the lawe that is to say to shewe our synne to vs and to be a scholemaister whereby we may come to Christe Those thynges whiche in both the testamentes are written of the abrogatyng takyng awaye of the power authoritie from the lawe it is ment of the principall and of the fyrste cause for the which the lawe was made For the lawe is takeÌ„ away by Christe in that he hath fulfilled and perfourmed it as concernyng our iustification and obteynyng of lyfe But as touchynge the declaration of synne the teachynge and instructynge of vs to Christ the gouernaunce of our outwarde lyfe it doth remayne abyde styll in his full strength These are those whiche are aduersaries to the lawe Wherefore the Antinomians are deceyued out of measure whiche holde a folyshe opinion that the teaching monicions of the lawe oughte not to be had in the churches For the reason of man of his owne propre nature can not see how wicked we be nor yet caÌ„ perceiue and vnderstande the wrath of God agaynst synne Wherfore the readyng of the lawe is not to be refused but to be kepte styll in our churches that in the law as it were in a glasse we may behold our wicked and peruerse nature oure vnryghtuousnes and that therein we maye learne what for to do what thynges to flie and voied froÌ„ while we be in this life For the lawe of God is a laÌ„te 〈◊〉 to oure feete The lawe of God is alanterne to oure lyuyng whiche teacheth vs howe for to go By the takynge awaye of the lawe we are not set at libertie to liue vnhonestly and wickedlie after the desire of the fleshe Nor it is abrogated and taken awaye from them whiche do not beleue in Christe The lawe is in his whole streÌ„gth to theÌ„ which do not beleue For the beleuers and none other do receiue and put vpon them Christe by fayeth by the whiche fayeth in Christ they do apprehende and receyue the fulfillyng and perfourmaunce of the lawe in whoÌ„ also they do receyue the holie goste by whom they are renued and sanctified The spirite of god
that the beste Iudges haue ben alwaye the poorest and of smallest substaunce The olde auncient Romaines what time they were rulers alone hauynge no rulers or heades ouer them beinge honest and ciuile wyse men knowing neither God nor his promise toke it for a certeyne argument of great extortion of great briberie and robberie when they did perceiue a senator or an other Iudge to growe fatte in ryches to haue and possesse great landes and rentes on coÌ„trary wyse that senator whiche was moste poore him they had in moste honour in moste reputation hym woulde they bringe after his death with all solemnitie accompanied with them al the honourable and worshypful personnes of the Citie to his graue in token of his ryghtuousnes and iuste seruice to the coÌ„mune wealth they woulde sette his image of stone or brasse wyth his name on a pillar in the commune places of the Citie where all resorte should be they woulde bestowe his chyldreÌ„ to mariages and other promotions on the coÌ„mune purse and charges of the citie that they shoulde not neede neither to pill nor poll nor to do vniustly for to leaue their wife chyldren ryche in great prosperitie and abundauÌ„ce of al thynges Thys good iudge dyd thynke no felicitie to be compared to that for to be remeÌ„bred after his death to haue his image sette vp to be a memoriall to his successoures of his equitie and good conscience of his indiffereÌ„t dealing betwene all parties that he was no pollar of the commune wealth that he dyd chuse rather to dye poore with ministration of ryghte iustice then to leaue to his posteritie greate riches wrongfully gotten and gathered together wyth the dammage and hurte of innumerable In fewe wordesly kewyse as the Lorde is a most rightuous iugde ouer the quicke and deade iudgynge all thynge ryghtuously so must they be here in earth whose roume and place they do occupie for a time otherwise they are not worthie to be called iudges but robbers theues For the name of a Iudge is an holy godly and a heauenly name the iuste ministration of whose office is the preseruation of commune wealthes and otherwyse the vtterly decay and turnyng the name of a commune wealth to a commune destruction and vndoing of the bodie where of they haue the gouernaunce In the ende of the worke as well as in the begynnynge that the workmongars those I saye which do claimesaluatioÌ„ by their owne workes and ryghtuousnes shall not in thys place at the handes of the Psalmist takeâ—nie maner of occasioÌ„ to maynteyne their presumption and glorie of worhes agaynste the honour and glorie of God bicause that the prophete pronounceth them happie and blessed whiche haue not offended in anie of those vices by hym rehearsed as who shoulde say that by those deedes and workes they should obteyne their iustification and saluation therefore thys authour maister Iohn â—pinus declareth that it was not the mynde of the Prophet to deâ—lare in thys Psalme wherby we â—re iustified but what maner of men they be whiche are iustified what maner of people they be which are of his militant church â—ere in earth and shal be hereafter of the churche triumphant Whiche thynge no man can perâ—eyue but by the outwarde workes whiche do sprynge furth of fayth whiche workes they do see outwardly whereby they do perreyue that they be the membres of Christe of the whole bodie of the holy and electe church which the selfe same Christ hath bought not wyth syluer and golde but wyth sheddinge of his bloud not in hypocrisie wyth a counterfeyted and a straunge bodie from all humayne nature but wyth thâ— same bodie whiche was naturally borne into thys worlde of his mother To the whiche Lorde I commende the gentle reader both bodie and soule that his heauenlie grace maye be alwaye present with the may be all together thy teacher and chiefe guyde that thou maist growe to be perfecte in al godlines and puritie of life to his glorie who be praised and honoured for euer and euer Amen ¶ An exposition on the .xv. Psalme of Dauid made by maister Iohn Epinus Doctor and preacher of the church of Hamborowe ¶ The title ¶ The Psalme of Dauid THys Inscription or title doth shewe that Dauid is the authour of thys psalme whiche psalme is wrytten in that kynde of wrytynge that doeth teache a man thys or that thynge as here by the fruites of a true fayth he declareth whiche be those men that are godly in deede which are the people of God and the holy churche Also who shall obteyne the heauenly heritage and felicitie of eternall lyfe It doeth not shewe playnely howe or by whiche waye we are counted the churche of God and howe we shall obteyne and get euerlastyng health but what maner of meÌ„ they be which of ryght ought to be called the people of God and haue of free gifte euerlasting life ¶ Whe effecte and entent of thys Psalme THis psalme declareth that neither hypocrites nor the wicked sorte are the people of God bicause that both these do lacke fayth And that neither of them shal come to the heauenly kyngdome prepared from the begynnyng for the electe bicause the electe sort beinge by the merite of Christe redemed regenerated or newe borne agayne also sealed with the seale of the holy spirite do caste of the olde man wyth all his deedes bicause they do not folowe the fleshe The feythful do caste of the olde man nor fulfyll the desires thereof He that is borne of God synneth not He whiche by fayth is counted iuste with God by the fayth in Christ in the feare of the Lorde doeth lyue and alwaye after the commaundementes of God doth rule and gouerne his affections maners and conditions The disposition and ordre of thys Psalme THys Psalme conteyneth two thynges that is to saye A demaunde an answer It is here demauÌ„ded who be of the churche and who shall be saued To that demaunde an answere is made from the spirite of God Who be the people of God That they are taken to be the people of God and none elles and that they shall be saued and none els whiche do rule and ordre their minde and lyfe after the commauÌ„dementes of the Lorde In thys psalme all the preceptes and commaundementes are not rehearsed but vnder those which be rehearsed named al the reste are comprehended And it doeth perteine to al the preceptes which are coÌ„teyned in the seconde table bicause it teacheth that oure lyfe and maners wyth all our affections ought to be framed after the commaundementes of the Lorde ¶ Of Iustification THe greatest moste harde question of the Iustification of maÌ„ in this Psalme is rather touched then made playne and open Mannes reason doth deuise diuers causes of iustification The dsuerse opinion of me conternyng iustification Some men do imagen that we are iustified by the dedes of our vertues some by the keepyng of the lawe some
by the workes of ceremonies other workes of mans traditions But the holy scripture teacheth that there is but one cause of oure iustice that is to saye the fulfyllyng of the lawe of God teachyng that men are iustified before God by the perfecte obedience to the lawe of God and that they are coÌ„demned for the contrarie that is for theyr disobedience Who that kopeth the lawe by the lawe is iustified and who breaketh the law by the lawe is condempned For lykewyse as God hath ordeyned the payne of death for synne so hath he also giuen for the perfourming of the lawe of God the rewarde of lyfe euerlauyng Christe in Mathew the nintene chapter to the yongmanne demaundynge of Christe what he should do that he might haue euerlastyng lyfe answered If thou wilt enter into life keepe the comaundementes declaryng that the fulfilling keepyng thorowly of the commauÌ„demeÌ„tes is the price of eternall lyfe by the whiche fulfyllynge euerlastynge felicitie is gotten and obteyned S Paul also witnesseth that by the fulfyllyng of the lawe meÌ„ are iustified saying that the workers of the lawe and not the hearers are iustified before the Lorde But for as much as that man is giltie of the breakyng of the whole lawe Al meÌ„ are breakers and traÌ„sgressouâ—â— of the law theâ— fore no man is iustified by the lawe whiche hath offended in any parte thereof and as Iames sayeth all men are curfed whiche do not abide stil in all those thinges which are writteÌ„ in the lawe that all men shoulde keepe them it is certeyne and manifest that by the obedience of the lawe no man can be iustified before God bicause that no man doth fully keepe the lawe as he ought to do bicause there is no maÌ„ but either by thought or deede hath traÌ„gressed the lawe of God The faulte whie that no man is iustified by the keepyng of the lawe is of maÌ„ hym selfe and not of God For the promise whiche was declared to the lawe The promise of the lawe is conditional is vnder a coÌ„dition beinge spoken to them whiche do fulfyll the lawe And therfore the promise is not giuen and perfour med excepte the whole lawe be kepte and perfourmed So that by thys reason the lawe worketh death vnto vs and becommeth the cause of death whiche was gyuen to be the wynhyng purchasyng of lyfe For as muche theÌ„ as no man can fulfyll the lawe that it is plaine that by the fulfillyng therof the iustice of God caÌ„ not be gotten Christe hym selfe whiche neuer committed offence beinge of his owne nature innocent Christ fulfylleth the lawe for vs all and becometh our iustification for our sake made hym selfe subiect vnto the lawe and fulfilled the lawe to the vttermost for vs makyng his perfect obedience and fulfillyng of the lawe which he had no neede of to be ours whiche was made a free gifte beinge no thanke to the lawe that we are iustified Then by the fulfyllyng whiche Christe fulfylled of the law the world is redemed the same Christe in that he perfourmed the lawe in all poyntes is become the price of our redemption and that thyngâ— whiche was to vs and to the law impossible the Lorde did supplie for vs in his onely begotten sonne and by hym he fulfylled the iustification of the lawe in vs. Româ— viii As to the Roma viii transposynge and takyng awaye from our selues and from the lawe the benifitte and gifte of our redemption and putting it onely on Christe He alone none other is made our iustice redemption lyfe health Wherefore is Christe made our redemption and iustice vicause he hath fulfilled the lawe of God for vs that nowe wythout hym maÌ„ hath no hope of redemption of iustice of eternall felicitie and of health in whom is all the price of mans saluation by the whiche price both God and the lawe is satiffied pleased He that hath not him he lacketh the price of his redeÌ„ption he lacketh iustice life he that byâ—aith taketh holde on him that maÌ„ also in him doth receyue the cause of our reconciliation iustification that is to saye the fulfyllynge of the lawe For lykewyse as by oure disobedience we are destitute of all hope of health euen so by the obedience and fulfillyng of the lawe of God we are deliuered from the losse thereof The whiche obedience when that no man coulde perfourme Iesu Christ was made obedient for vs vnto the death of the crosse he perfourmed that obedience for vs that by the obedience of one man we myghte be reconciled to God we myght be iustified that lykewise as by the disobedience of one man we fell into the wrath disdaine of God into vnrightuousnes and perdition so by the obedience of one maÌ„ Iesu Christ we are deliuered from the wâ—ath of God from vnrightuousnes and perdition The cause of our iustification by the goodnes of the lorde is translated and put away from vs and layed on an other person whiche is Christe bicause that he hath fulfylled for vs and in oure behalfe the demauÌ„des requestes of the lawe whose obedience and fulfyllyng hath restored gyuen agayne to vs iustice and lyfe These senteÌ„ces and sayinges To be iustified by the fulfyllyng of the lawe and to be iustified by the merites of Christe freely is alone thing that men are iustified by fulfyllynge of the lawe Aud that men by the mertie of God thorow Christ by the fayth in Christe wythout theyr owne merites freely are iustified to manie mennes iudgementes do appeare and seme socoÌ„ trarie that the one can not be like the other nor yet can stande both together But truile they do differ nothâ—nge at all for they do expresse and sette forth excellently the matter of Iustification shewyng the welles causes of oure iustification They do declare by whose wyll and coÌ„maundement yea and by what price we are redemed and reconciled agayne to God also who hath payed thys price by what meanes we maye be partakers therof The cause price of oure redemption The cause price of our redemptioÌ„ is the fulfyllyng of the lawe for therein is set of God the remission of synne iustice and life euerlasting Thâ—â— thinges are conteyned in the fulfyllinge of the lawâ— This chiefe and finall cause of the lawe Christe hath traÌ„sposed vnto hym selfe and he is made that thynge which the obseruation of the law shoulde haue ben Therefore both these sayinges are true that we be iustified by the lawe and that we be iustified by the mercie of god thoroâ—â— Christ freelie But where as it speaketh of the perfourmaunce of the law it is ment of that which is in our Lorde Iesu Christe not of our owne vnperfect and vnsufficient perfourmyng and keeping of the lawe Christe onely fulfylled the lawe and in fulfyllynge of it he payed the price of our redemption takyng the iustification from the lawe vpon his owne
is the steaâ—er vp of all godlines in â—s For the spirite of Christe doth exitate and steare vp newe motions of the mynde and more pure affections makinge vs desirous to embrace godlynes and vertue What be the motions and affections of the godlie and what maner a thinge is the studie and desire to do well and to lyue godly and what maner of obedience they oughte to gyue to the teaching of the lawe whiche are reserued and saued by Christ A briefe declâ— ration of Psalme This Psalme doeth declare teacheth also what maner of men they be both within and wythout which shall inhabite the holy mount of the Lorde It doth not learne vs that we do deserue with good workes eternall lyfe nor that wyth our workes we do satisfie for our sinne and offences Remission of our sinne out iustification lyfe euerlastynge are the giftes of God For the remission or forgyuenes of synne and lyfe euerlastyng are the giftes of God not obteined and wonne by workes bicause that no man shal be proude therof nor glorie there at in him selfe The prophete also doeth shewe that they which aâ—â— godlie and faithful men in deede are the churche of God Who is the church of god and that thei and none other shal inhaâ—ite the euerlasting kingdom of God What maner of meÌ„ thei be which are godlie in deede he doth shewe by the workes of fayeth sayinge that those shall be the citisins of heauen whiche do entre in wyth out spotte and worke ryghtuousnes The workes of tayth declâ—â—â— who â—e â—odâ—y Thys Psalme and these senteÌ„ces of Paule whiche folowe are al one They whiche do lyue after the flesh shaldie Also there is no condempnation for them whiche are in Christe Iesu But what kynde of men those be which are in Christe he also declareth sayinge whiche do not walke after the flesh So the Lorde him selfe sayth that the kyngdome of God shal be taken away froÌ„ theÌ„ which do not repent Howe those textes are to be vnderstand takeÌ„ whiche do seme to make for the iustification of workes and shall be gyuen to them whiche do brynge furth worthie fruites of repentaunce These sayinges also of Christe do make for this purpose saying Euerie tree whiche bryngeth not furth good fruites shall be cutte doune and throwen into the fire Also not euerie man which sayth Lorde Lorde shall entre into the kyngdoâ—e of heauen but that doth the wyll of my father which is in heauen Also that God the father doth remitte synne to theÌ„ whiche do forgyue theyr neigh bours faultes and to them which wil not forgiue theyr neighbour that the father wyll not forgyue theyr trespasses These lessons do not teache howe we may be iustified or by what meanes but what maner of men they be whiche are iustified and made ryghtuouâ—e to whom the merite of Christe is imputed rekened freely for iustice and rightuousnes sufficient To thys ende and purpose perteineth the other testimonies of the scriptures which do semeto make our workes to be the cause of our iustification or rather the iustification it selfe ¶ The Psalme ¶ Lorde what maâ—â— shall dwell in thy tabernacle or who shal rest and abyde in thy holy hill MOyses in Exod. the xv chap. calleth the lande of the Iewes the hill of herytage the house of God and the sanctuary of the Lord. Wyth thys maner of speakyng of Moyses some meÌ„ are induced and persuaded in them selues to expouÌ„de thys place sayinge that herebye is ment the lande of the Iewes the externe and outwarde religion and publike wealth of the Israelites They do say expounde these wordes Howe the dwellynge in the tabernacle of the Lorde is vnderstand of many the tabernacle and holy hyll to be spokeÌ„ figuratlie by a figure caled sinechdoche which is when the parte is taken for the hole aâ— though by these wordes tabernacle and holy hyll all the lande of Iurie shoulde be ment where the Lorde ordeyned his religion to be obserued wyth obseruation of a ciuile lyfe They do referre thys Psalme vnto the corporall outwarde rewardes of the lawe makyng thys sense and exposition sayinge the Iewes if they do not obey he Lorde shall for theyr disobedience and wicked nes suffre many calamities aâ—d miseries they shall be taken captyue and bonde beinge caryed awaye to strauÌ„ge and barbarous natioÌ„s that all the lande where the Lorde dyd founde his religion shal be destroyed made wast wyth theyr holy temple and religion also But if they do obey and fulfyll the commaundementes of the Lorde that then they shall dwel quietly saftie in the lande of Iurie they shall haue theyr religion and coÌ„mune wealth styll no man shal hurt them Thys is saye they that is ment by the dwelling in the holy tabernacle holy hyll of the Lorde There is a lyke sayinge in the fyfth boke of Moyses called the Deutero and. iiii chap. sayinge If ye do prouoke the Lorde to anger I take heauen and earth to â—â—â—nes that you shall perishe that quickely furth of the lande whiche you shall possesse beyonde Iordayne you shal not dwelloÌ„ge therin The Lorde shall put you furth and shall disperse and scatter you abrode one from an other amonge all nations But for as much as the promises and threatenynges of God are to be taken and vnderstande for mokyndes of obedience or disobedience then one and are to be referred to al ages therefore lykewyse as the Iewes beinge rebels and disobedient to the Lorde should be cast out of the whole lande of Iurie euen so they shoulde be cast furth from the verie tabernacle and holy hyll that is to saye The tabernâ—cle and the hyare taken in two senses from the kyngdome of God whiche is spiritual and triumphant The tabernacle the holy hyll as many other thinges lyke vnâ—â— these which are spoken in diuers places of the prophetes coÌ„cerning the religion the teÌ„ple and kyngdome of Israel are to be expounded not onely of the corporal temple whiche we do se and kingdom or lande of the Iewes but also of the verie churche of God of the kyngdom of God The Lorde him selfe in Osee the fyrst chap. doeth wytnes that the wicked Iewes shall leese not onely theyr temporall possessions and promises but also theyr spirituall sayinge you shall not be my people nor I wyl not be your God Euerie nation and age doth cal and name those thynges whiche are present with theyr coÌ„mune and vsed vocables the whiche thinges beinge chauÌ„ged altered they do also chauÌ„ge the maner of callynge of them â—â—ue them other names The prophetes in theyr tyme called the church of God the tabernacle What was the churche of God called amonge the prophetes with what names they dyd vse to cal it and how it is now amonge the christians the holy hyll the holy citie the people of God they called Iacob Israel and Iuda These names bicause they