required here that the faithfull are not disstinguished by temporall or externall notes so it mattereth not whether they be Gentiles or Iewes 23 For there is no difference All haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God 24 And are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption is in Christ Iesus 25 Whom God hath set foorth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnes by the forgiuenes of the sinnes that are passed through the patience of God 26 To shewe at this time his righteousnesse that he might be iust and a iustifier of him whiche is of the faith of Iesus 23 For there is no difference Hee inioyneth vnto all without exception the necessitye of seeking righteousnesse in Christe as if he shoulde saye there is no other way to obteyne righteousnesse by neither are some iustified this way and other some that way But all together by faith because all are sinners and therefore they haue not whereon to glorie with God And he taketh it for a thing graunted that when menne are come vnto the tribunall of God whosoeuer is guiltye of sinne in his owne conscience hee lyeth confounded and so ouerthrowen vnder his owne ignominie that no sinner can abyde the face of God as we see in the example of Adam Agayne he fighteth with an argument taken from the contrarye where wee must marke what followeth Because all menne are sinners Paule inferreth that they want or are depriued of the prayse of righteousnesse All glory of righteousnes taken from men because they are sinners Therefore according to his doctrine there is no righteousnesse but that is perfect and absolute For if there were any halfe righteousnesse then shoulde not he is a sinner be altogether spoyled of all glorye Whereby that fable of righteousnesse in parte as they call it is sufficiently refelled For if it were true that wee are partly iustified by woorkes and partly by the grace of God This argument of Paule shoulde be of no force Where sinne is there is no righteousnes vntil Christ haue taken away the curse Gal. 3.10 namely that all are therfore depriued of the glory of God because they are sinners It is therefore out of all controuersie there is no righteousnesse there where sinne is till Christ haue put away the curse And that is it is sayde to the Galathians As many as are vnder the lawe are subiect to the curse but we are deliuered from this by the benefite of Christ By the glorie of God he vnderstandeth that glory which hath place before God Ioh. 12.43 as it is said with Iohn they haue loued more the glory of men then the glorye of God And so he calleth vs from the delight of humane iudgement vnto the celestiall iudgement seate And are iustified freely The Participle after the manner of the Grecians is put in steede of the verbe The meaning is because there remayneth nothing els vnto men in themselues but that they beeyng smitten thorow by the iuste iudgement of God shoulde perishe therefore they are iustified freelye by his mercie For Christ helpeth this misery and doeth communicate himselfe to the faithfull that in him onely they maye finde all thinges whiche are wanting vnto them As it falleth out there is no place in all the Scripture more notable to set foorth the power of this righteousnesse The efficient materiall formall and finall cause of our iustification For it sheweth the mercy of God to be the efficient cause Christ with his blood to be the matter or materiall cause Faith conceyued by the woorde to be the formall or instrumentall cause Lastly the glory both of the iustice goodnes of God to be the final cause Concerning the efficient cause hee sayeth wee are iustified freely and that verely by his grace Therefore by this he sheweth howe all is of God and nothing of our selues It might haue beene sufficient to haue opposed grace vnto merites but least wee shoulde imagine an halfe righteousnesse hauing added a repetition hee doeth more clearelye shewe foorth his mynde and hath ascribed the true effect of righteousnesse to the onelye mercy of God which righteousnesse the Sophisters rent in peeces and mayme least they should be constrayned to confesse their owne pouerty By the redemption The matter of our righteousnesse or iustification is that Christe by his obedyence hath satisfied the iudgement of the Father and by taking our person vppon him hath deliuered vs from the tyrannye of death wherewith we were holden captiue For by the satisfaction of that sacrifice which he offered our guiltines is taken away Wherby also the imagination of those is notably refelled Righteousnes is not a quality in vs. which will haue righteousnesse to be a quality in vs. For if we be therfore reputed righteous before God because we are bought or redeemed by a price then surely wee borowe that else where which is not in our selues And straight wayes Paule declareth of what power this redemption is and whereunto it serueth namely that we might be reconciled to God For he calleth Christ the propitiation or rather which liketh vs better that we might allude vnto the olde figure the propitiatory And what els signifieth that but that we are iuste so farre foorth as Christe reconcileth the father to vs But now it behoueth to consider the words Whom God foreappoynted c. Because the Greeke worde Protithenai sometime signifieth to determine or appoynt afore sometime to bring foorth into light if the first signification be taken Paule referreth it vnto the free mercy of God that Christ was foreordayned a mediatour whiche should reconcile the father to vs by the sacrifice of his death And this is an excellent commendation of grace that God did willingly of him selfe seeke out a meane whereby he might take away our curse And certaynly this place seemeth to agree with that of Iohn God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne Howbeit if we imbrace the other sence the same reason shall stād that God in his tyme made him manifest whom he had decreed with himselfe to be the mediatour In the worde propitiatory I think there is an allusion as I said vnto the old propiciatory For he teacheth how that is exhibited in Christ indeede which was figured there Yet because the other opinion cannot be disproued if any had rather vnderstand it more simply I will leaue it to their election The meaning of Paule in this place may surely be gathered out of his wordes Without Christ God is alway angry with vs. namely that God without Christ is alway angry with vs and that we are reconciled by him whiles by his righteousnesse we are accepted For God doth not detest in vs his owne workemanship but our vncleannesse which hath extinguished the light of his image which vncleannes when the washing or rinsing of Christ hath done away he loueth and imbraceth vs as his owne pure workmanship
vndoubtedly he saith that glorying is excluded because wee can bring nothing of our owne which is worthy to be approued or commended of God If merite be the matter of glorying whether you terme it de congruo which is apt fitte or conuenient That is called merite de congruo when a man of his own good motioÌ„ proceeding naturally from him meriteth the firste grace which they call grace preuenting Merite de condigno when man being holpen by the firste grace doth make himselfe worthy of eternall life or whether you call it de condigno that is worthie whereby man recoÌ„cileth God vnto himself here thou seest they are both ouerthrowen For here he speaketh of no diminishing or moderating but Paule verily leaueth no droppe of merite Moreouer if the glorying of workes be so taken away by faith the faith cannot purely be preached but in giuing all vnto the mercie of God man must needes bee spoyled of all prayse it followeth then that wee are not holpen by any woorkes to the obteyning of righteousnesse Of woorkes How doth the Apostle here deny our merits to be excluded by the lawe seeyng before he proued our damnation out of the lawe For if the lawe make vs subiecte to death what glorie shall wee gette out of it Or rather doeth it not couer vs beeyng depriued of all glorye with shame or reproche But then hee shewed howe our sinne is layd open by the detection of the Lawe because wee are all fallen from the obseruation of it And heere hee meaneth if righteousnesse were in the lawe of woorkes our glorying were not excluded but because it is of fayth onely therefore we cannâ— chalenge nothinge to our selues for fayth receyueth all from God it bringeth nothing but a humble confession of neede or want And the Antithesis or contrarietye of fayth and woorkes is to bee noted wherein without addition woorkes are put vniuersally Therefore he neyther intreateth of ceremonies onelye nor yet of the externall shew of woorkes but comprehendeth all the merites of woorkes which can be imagined The name Lawe is giuen vnto fayth improperly but yet this darkeneth not the sence of the Apostle For his meaning is that when wee are once come vnto the rule of faith then all the glorie of woorkes is ouerthrowen as if hee shoulde saye the righteousnesse of woorkes veryly is commended in the lawe but faith hath a lawe of his owne which leaueth no righteousnesse in workes whatsoeuer they be 28 We haue determined therefore Now he gathereth the principall proposition as though it were now out of all controuersie adding also an explication For iustification by faith is made very cleere whiles woorkes are excluded by name Therefore our aduersaries at this day labour nothing more then that faith might be intangled with the merite of workes They confesse a man is iustified by faith but not by sole faith Yea in verie deede they place the power of iustification in charity howsoeuer in wordes they giue it vnto fayth But Paule in this place doeth make iustification so free that he maketh it euident howe in no sort it can stand with any merite of workes I haue shewed before why he nameth the workes of the lawe and also I haue declared those to be ridiculous whiche restrayne it vnto ceremonies Their imagination also is childish which take the works of the lawe for externall or literal workes which are done without the spirite of Christ But rather the Epitheton is as much of value as if he had called them meritorious How S. Iames saith a man is not iustified by faith onely because he hath regard vnto the roward promised in the law Whereas Iames sayeth a man is not iustified by faith onely but by works it is nothing coÌ„trary to the former sentence The reconciliation depeÌ„deth chiefly vpon the state of that argument of the which Iames intreateth in that place For in that place the question is not howe menne get vnto them righteousnesse before God but how they approue themselues to be iust For hee refuteth Hypocrites who glorie vainely in the title of faith It is therefore a grosse fallacie not to obserue how the word iustifie or iustifying is otherwise taken with Iames then with Paule as they intreate of diuers things And also the word faith most certainly appeareth to be equiuocal id est of ambiguous and doubtfull signification This twofolde ambiguity or doubtfulnesse ought is haue byn noted It may be gathered out of the text that Iames would nothing els then that a man is not made or approued iust by a dead faith excepte hee confirme his righteousnesse by woorkes Of which matter see our institutions 29 Is God the God of the Iewes only and not of the Gentiles also Yea euen of the Gentiles also 30 Seing there is but one God who shall iustifie the circumcision by faith and the vncircumcision by faith 29 Is God the God of the c. The second proposition sheweth how that righteousnesse doth no more appertayne vnto the Iewes then vnto the Gentiles And it was very necessary that should be vrged to the end place might be made for the kingdom of Christ through the whole world He doeth not therefore aske simply or precisely whither God bee the maker of the Gentiles which was knowen to be out of all controuersie but whether he would shew himselfe a Sauiour to them also or no. For after he hath matched all mankynde together and hath brought them all vnder the same condition if there be any difference amongst them it is of God and not of themselues The righteousnes of God in Christ is not tyed to one nation which haue all things like or equall amongst them So that if it be true God woulde haue all the people of the earth to be partakers of his mercy theÌ„ saluation and righteousnes which is necessary to saluation is extended vnto all Wherefore â—nder the name of God heere is an insinuation of that mutuall relation which often commeth to our sight in Scripture Iere. 30.22 I wil be your God you shal be my people For that God for a time did choose vnto himself a peculiar people that taketh not away the beginning of nature namely that all meÌ„ were made according to the image of God brought vp in this world vnto the hope of blessed eternity 30 Who iustifieth When hee saith some are iustified by faith other some of faith he seemeth to be delighted with the variety of speech in declaring the same matter that he might by the way gyrde the folly of the Iewes who imagine a difference betweene them and the Gentiles In the cause of iustification there is no difference between the Iewes and Gentiles when as in the cause of iustification there is no difference at al. For if men be made partakers of this grace by faith onely and there is one faith in them both it is childishnesse to make a variance or diuersitie where there is so great
and horrible confusion doeth thrust it selfe in all abroade yet the saluation of manie abydeth shut vp vnder the seale of GOD. But least any vnder this pretence should cocker their slouthfulnes as many doe seeke lurking places for their vices from the secrete preseruatiō of God we must marke agayne Who are saue◠that they are said to be saued who abide soūd vndefiled in the faith of God And also the circumstance of iudgemēt is to bee noted namely that those are they abyde safe who haue not so muche as by outwarde dissimulation prostrated their bodies to the woorshippe of Idols For he doeth not only giue vnto them the puritie of mynde but also that they haue kepte their bodies vndefiled from all vncleannesse of superstition 5 Euen so then at this present time He applyeth the example vnto his time and to the end he might make al things like he calleth them a remnant namely in comparison of that greate number whose eyes were set vpon vngodlinesse Although together alluding vnto that testimonie of Esay he alleadged before he sheweth that yet in a miserable and confused desolation the faith of God shined because there remayned some remnant And that he might confirme that more surely he doeth precisely cāll those remnauntes who being left by the grace of God doe testifie that the election of God is immoueable as the Lorde saide to Elias when the whole people was fallen to Idolatrie that he had reserued those seuen thousand Whereby is gathered that through his benefite they were preserued frō perishing Neither doth he simply preach grace but now also he calleth vs vnto election that we might learne reuerently to depend vppon the secrete counsell of God One proposition therefore is that but a few are saued in comparison of the great number of them take vnto themselues the name of the people of God Another that those are saued whom he hath chosen without respect of merite For election of grace after the Hebrue manner is put for free election 6 If by grace now then not of workes This is an amplification taken from the comparing of contraries for suche is the case betweene the grace of God and the merite of workes that he which mainteyneth the one ouerthroweth the other Againe if no consideration of workes can be admitted in election which doth not obscure the free goodnes of God which he would haue so greatly commended vnto vs therein let those phrensie persons which make the dignitie which God foresaw in vs the cause of election see what they will answeare vnto Paule For whither you shall giue place vnto workes to come or past this sentence of Paule will alway crye out against you whiche sayth that grace leaueth no place for woorkes Paule doth not here dispute onely of our reconciliation with God neither of the meanes or next causes of our saluation but he ascendeth higher namely why God before the world was made some being reiected did onely choose other some And he denieth that God was brought hereunto by any other cause then his meere pleasure Looke howe much is giuen vnto workes in iustification so much is taken from grace For if any place be giuen vnto workes so much he proueth to bee taken from grace Whereby it followeth that the foreknowledge of workes is wickedly mixed with election For if God haue chosen some reiected other some as he foreknew them to be worthy or vnworthy of saluation now the merite or wages of works being put downe the sole grace of God shall not raigne but shall onely be in halfe parte cause of election For as Paule reasoned before in the iustification of Abraham where wage is payde there grace is not freely giuen so nowe he taketh an argument from the same fountaine if works come in to be a cause when God adopteth a certayne number of men vnto saluation then wage is due and therefore it is not a free benefite And although he speake here of election yet because it is a general reason which Paule vseth heere it ought to bee extended vnto the whole cause of our saluation that we might knowe it is so often sayde there is no merite of workes as our saluation is attributed to the grace of God or rather that we might beleeue the righteousnes of works is so often brought to nothing as grace is named 7 What then Israel hath not obtayned that he sought but the election hath obtained it the rest haue beene blynded 8 As it is written God hath geuen them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they shoulde not heare vnto this day 9 And Dauid saith let their table be made a snare and a net and a stumbling blocke euen for a recompence vnto them 10 Let their eyes be darkened that they see not and bow downe their backe alway 7 What then Because he was occupied here in a harde question he maketh a demand as though he doubted Yet by this kind of doubting he goeth about to make the answere which followeth more certaine for he insinuateth that no other cā be giuen And that is namely that Israel in seeking saluation laboured in vaine because he wēt about it by a preposterous study Although he make here no mention of the cause yet seeing he had expressed it before assuredly he woulde also haue it vnderstood in this place For his wordes are as much as if he said now it ought not to seeme straunge that Israel in striuing vnto righteousnesse hath profited nothing And thence is that brought to passe whiche he addeth straightwaies of election For if Israel hath obteined nothing by merite what haue others obteyned whose cause or condition was no better Whence commeth so great difference amongst equals Here who doth not see it is election only which maketh the difference And the signification of this word is doubtful For it seemeth vnto some to be taken collectiuely for the elect Election put for the elect themselues that the partes of the contrarietie may agree among themselues whose sentence I dislike not so that also they graunt vnto me that there is somewhat more in this worde then if he had saide the elect namely that he might inferre howe there was none other cause of obteyning then election as if he said not they who labour trusting to their merits but they whose saluation dependeth vppon the free election of God for he doth precisely compare that remnant whiche was saued by the grace of God with all Israel or the whole bodie of the people Whereby it followeth that the cause of saluation resteth not in men but in the meere good pleasure of God The rest haue beene blinded As the elect onely are deliuered from perishing by the grace of God so who so are not elected must needes remaine in blindnes For this is the meaning of Paul that touching the reprobate the beginning of ruine and condemnation is hence that they are forsaken of God The testimonies
our faith concerning free righteousnesse for it is a sealing of the righteousnesse of faith that to vs also whiche doe beleeue righteousnesse might bee imputed And so verie artificially Paule returneth those thinges vpon the aduersaries which might bee obiected of them For if the trueth and vertue of circumcision bee founde in vncircumcision there is no cause why the Iewes shoulde so greately aduaunce them selues aboue the Gentiles But seeing a doubt might arise whether wee also after the example of Abraham are not to confirme the same righteousnesse by the seale of circumcision Obiection why did the Apostle omitte it Answere Namely because hee thought the question to haue beene sufficiently answered by his woordes For seeing this sentence is admitted that circumcision serueth onely to seale the grace of GOD it followeth that at this day it were superfluous for vs who haue another Sacramente ordayned of the Lorde in place thereof Because therefore where baptisme is there is no vse nowe of circumcision hee woulde not to no purpose dispute of that whereof was no question at all to witte why the righteousnesse of faith shoulde not be sealed in the Gentiles by circumcision if they shoulde bee like vnto Abraham To beleeue by vncircumcision Is that the Gentiles beeing content with their estate are not to interpose the seale of circumcision And so this preposition dia by is put in steade of en in 12 Not to them which are c. This woorde are or bee in this place is taken for to bee reckoned or counted For hee checketh the carnall sonnes of Abraham who hauing nothinge but externall circumcision did boldelye glorye in it As for the other which is the principall they neglected it namely that they shoulde imitate the fayth of Abraham by whiche onely he obteyned health The circumcised Iewes were not otherwise iustified then as they beleeued the promise of grace Hereby may appeare how seriously he discerneth faith from the Sacrament not onely least anye should content him selfe with this without the other meaning with the Sacrament without fayth as though it were sufficient to iustification but also that the same fayth onely might fulfill all partes For whiles hee confesseth the Iewes whiche are circumcised to be iustified he doth precisely except so that they after the example of Abraham abyde in fayth onely For what shoulde be the meaning of faith in vncircumcision but that hee might shewe faith onely without any helpe elsewhere to be sufficient It is therefore to bee taken heede of least any man by deuiding or parting in halfes mixte together two causes of iustification By the same argument the schoole diuinitie is conuicted touching the difference of the Sacraments of the old and new testament for frō those they take away the power of iustifiyng to these they giue it But if Paule reason orderly whiles he proueth that circumcision iustifieth not because Abraham was iustified by faith the same reason is also of strength with vs that we may denie men to be iustified by baptisme seeing they are iustified by the same faith by the whiche Abraham was iustified 13 For the promise that hee should bee the heire of the world was not giuen to Abraham and his seede by the law but by the righteousnesse of faith 13 For the promise c. Nowe hee doeth more clearely repeate that antithesin or contrarietie of the lawe and faith with he touched before with also is diligently to bee noted because if faith borrow nothing of the Lawe that it might iustifie thence we vnderstande it hath rsepect vnto nothing but the mercie of God Furthermore the imagination of those which would haue this to bee spoken of ceremonies is easely refuted because if workes brought any thing vnto iustification then hee shoulde rather haue sayde not by the written lawe but by the lawe of nature But Paule doth not oppose spiritual holinesse of life against ceremonies but faith and his righteousnesse The summe therefore is the inheritaunce was promised to Abraham not because he had deserued it by keeping the law but because by fayth he had obteined righteousnesse And surely as Paule straightwayes declareth then doe the consciences of men inioye perfect peace when they feele that to be freely giuen them which is not due vnto thē by right Saluation in Christ apperteyneth no lesse vnto the Gentiles then vnto the Iewes Hereuppon also it followeth that the benefite is no lesse common to the Gentiles then to the Iewes the cause of which benefit doth equally appertayne vnto both For if mens saluation be founded vpon the onely goodnesse of God they restrayne and hynder the course thereof as much as in them lyeth who exclude the Gentiles from it That hee might bee the heyre of the worlde Seeyng eternall saluation is nowe in hand the Apostle seemeth out of season to carry the readers vnto the world But generally vnder this worde he comprehendeth the instauration or restoring which was looked for in Christ What is meant by the worde world Indeede restitution of life was the principall yet it behooued that the decayed state of the whole worlde shoulde be repayred Therfore the Apostle calleth Christ the heyre of all the goodes of God Heb. 1.2 Because the adoption which we obtayne through his grace hath restored vnto vs the possession of that inheritaunce from the which we fell in Adam And because vnder the type of the land of Chanaan not onlye the hope of eternall life was proposed vnto Abraham but also the full and perfect blessing of God the Apostle very aptly teacheth that the dominion of the worlde was promised vnto him The godly in this present life haue a certaine taste hereof because howsoeuer they are at diuers times pynched with pouertye yet for that with a quiet conscience they participate those thinges which God hath created to their vse Pouertie letteth not but the faithfull may be called the heyres of the world and with his fauour and will inioye the earthly blessinges as pledges and earnest pennyes of eternall life pouerty is no let vnto them wherefore they shoulde not acknowledge heauen earth and the Sea to belong vnto them The wicked albeit they heape vppe the riches of the worlde they canne call nothing theirs but rather they get them by stealth because they vse them with the curse of God And it is great comforte to the godlye in their pouerty that though they liue poorely yet they steale nothing from any but they receyue theyr lawfull commons or allowaunce at the hande of their heauenlye father vntil they see the full possession of their inheritaunce when all creatures shall serue for their glorye For to this ende both earth and heauen shal be renewed that according to theyr measure they might partly serue to illustrate the kingdome of God 14 For if they whiche are of the lawe bee heyres fayth is made voyde and the promise is made of none effect 15 For the Lawe causeth wrath for where
vppon the promise of God and to hope hee thought it sufficient that the Lorde had promised howsoeuer the thing was in it selfe incredible according to that was saide I thought good to turne it so that it might be referred vnto the time of Abraham For the meaning of Paule is that Abraham when many temptations woulde haue driuen him vnto desperation leaste hee shoulde fainte conuerted his minde vnto that was promised to him Thy seede shall bee like the starres of heauen and sandes of the Sea For purposely hee alleadged this testimonie but in parte that hee might stirre them to the reading of the scripture For the Apostles euery where in citing holy scripture haue a religious care to prouoke vs to the diligēt reading thereof 19 And hee not weake in the faith considered not his owne body whiche was nowe dead beeing almost an hundreth yeere olde neither the deadnesse of Saraes wombe 20 Neither did hee doubte of the promise of God through vnbeliefe but was strengthened in the faith gaue glory to God 21 Beeing full assured that hee which had promised was also able to do it 22 Therefore was it imputed to him for righteousnesse 19 And he not weake in faith If you had rather one of the negatiues being left out you may declare it thus and he not weake in faithe considered his owne bodie but this maketh nothing for the sense Nowe he sheweth more nearely what might haue hindered What thinges might haue hindered the faith of Abraham yea what might haue vtterly turned Abraham from receiuing the promise Seede was promised to him when by nature neither he was fit for generation nor Sara for conception Whatsoeuer hee coulde see in him selfe or about himselfe it was against the effect of the promise Therefor that he might giue place vnto the truth of God as though hee had forgot himselfe hee withdraweth his mind from those thinges were in his sight Yet you are not to vnderstand it as though hee had no respecte at all to his barraine or dead body Seeing the Scripture testifieth he reasomed thus with himself shall a childe be borne to a man that is an hundreth yere olde and shall Sara which is nienetie beare a childe But because that consideretion being laide apart he resigned his whole sense ouer to the Lorde the Apostle saith he considered not And surely it was an argument of greater constancie to drawe his cogitation from that thing whiche did voluntarie offer it self to his eyes then if no such thing had come into his minde And that the body of Abraham for age was past fruite before the blessing of the Lorde It may plainely be proued both heare and also out of the seuenteene and eighteene chapters of Genesis Gee 17. 18 So that the opinion of Augustine is in no wise to bee admitted who in a certaine place thinketh that the cause was onely in Sara Neither ought the absurditie of the obiection mooue vs which droue him vnto that resolution He thinketh it very ridiculous that Abraham at an hundreth yeeres shoulde be called barraine who sometime after had many children For thereby the Lord made his power more notable that hee which before was like a withered and drie poste when through the blessing of God he floorished he was not onely sufficient for the procreation of Isaac But as one restored vnto a florishing age he had strength afterward to beget others But some will say it is not besides the order of nature that a man sholde beget a childe at that age That I may graunt it is not a wonder yet it differeth little from a myracle Consider also with what labours molestations peregrinations extremities that good man was exercised all his life and then you must needes confesse hee was no more broken with age then he was worne and wasted with labours Lastly his body is not simply but by the way of comparison called barren or fruitlesse For it was not like that he which in the flower strength of age was vnfit for procreation shoulde then begin when he was voyd of strength Wheras he saith he was not weake in faith vnderstand it thus he did not shake or wauer as we are woont to doe in doubtfull things For there is a twofold weakenesse of faith one A twofold weakenesse of faith which by yeelding to temptations of aduersity doth make vs fall from the power of God another which ariseth verily of imperfection yet doth it not extinguishe fayth For the intellect is neuer so illuminated but there remayne many reliques of ignorance the mynd is neuer so stablished but there abydeth muche doubting The faithfull therefore haue a continuall conflicte with those vices of the flesh namely ignorance doubting in which conflict their faith is often times grieuously assaulted and put in hazard yet at the length it ouercommeth so that they may be called firme euen in infirmitie 20 Neyther did he doubt of the promise of God Although I follow not the olde interpreter and Erasmus yet my translation hath his reason For it seemeth the Apostle would say that Abraham examined not in the ballance of incredulity whether the Lord could performe that he promised To make inquisition of a thing is properly when we sift it with mistrust neither will we admit it before it be throughly examined where it appeareth credible Indeed hee demaunded howe it might come to passe Abraham asked how it might come to passe not because he doubted but because he woondered but that was an interrogation of one wondring as the Virgin Mary when she demaunded of the Angell howe that might come to passe which he shewed vnto her and such like The godly therfore whiles a message is brought vnto them of the works of God whose greatnesse exceedeth their capacity they burst foorth into admiration but from the admiration they passe straight wayes to the consideration of the power of God the wicked whiles they demaund they scoffe and ride and reiecte it as a fable As you may see in the Iewes whiles they aske Christ how he could giue his fleshe to be eaten Therefore Abraham is not reprehended for that he laughed and demaunded how a sonne shoulde be borne to a man of an hundreth and a woman of nienetie yeere olde because in his admiration he neuerthelesse gaue place to the power of the word of God On the contrarie the like laughter question is reproued in Sara because shee charged the promise of God with vanity If these thinges bee applyed to the present cause it shall appeare there was no other originall of Abrahams iustification then there is of the Gentiles That we may beleeue the promises of God wee must turne our eyes from our selues to consider the power truth of God The Iewes then are contumelious agaynst their father if they gainsaye the calling of the Gentiles as though it were absurd Let vs also remember howe all of vs are in the same predicament with
against sinne death and Satan was gotten by his resurrection Hence also came righteousnesse newnes of life and the hope of blessed immortalitie And therefore oftentimes resurrection only is set before vs for our confidence of saluation not that it shoulde lead vs away from his death but because it testifieth the effecte and fruite of his death to bee briefe his resurrection conteineth in it his death Whereof we haue said somewhat in the vi chapter And also that Paule requireth not onely an historicall fayth but hee compriseth the ende thereof in the resurrection For wee must remember wherefore Christe rose againe namely that in raysing him the counsaile or aduise of God the father was to restore vs all to life For although Christe had this power of himselfe to take his soule againe yet notwithstāding this worke for the most part in the scripture is ascribed vnto God the father 10 For with the hearte man beleeueth vnto righteousnes This place may further vs to the vnderstanding of the iustification of faith For it declareth that wee are thereby iustified that we imbrace the mercy of God offered vnto vs in the Gospell hence therefore is it that wee are iuste because wee beleeue that God is gracious vnto vs in Christe But let vs note that the seate of faith is not in the head but in the hearte and yet I will not contend about that matter in what part of the body faith resteth but because the worde hearte is almost alway taken for a serious and sincere affection What faith is I say faith is a firme effectuall confidence and not a bare knowledge onely With his mouth man maketh confession vnto saluation It may seeme marueilous why hee should now attribute a portion of our saluatiō vnto confessiō hauing so often before this testified that wee are saued by faith onely But thereby it may not bee collected that confession is the cause of our saluation onely his minde is to shew how God doth perfect our saluation namely whiles he causeth faith with hee hath put into our harts to appeare forth by cōfessiō Yea his mind was simply to note which is true faith The nature of a true faith whence this fruite proceedeth least any shoulde pretende a vayne title of faith for it for true faith ought so to kindle the hearte with the studie of Gods glory that the flame thereof may appeare foorth And surely hee that is iustified euen nowe alreadie hath obteined saluation therefore the faith of the hearte maketh no lesse vnto saluation then the confession of the mouth Thou seest hee hath so distinguished that hee referreth the cause of iustification vnto faithe and in the second place sheweth what is necessarie for the consummation of saluation For neither can any beleeue but hee must confesse with his mouth and there is a necessitie of perpetuall consequence not which may ascribe saluation vnto confession But let them see what they can answere vnto Paule who at this day proudly boast vnto vs an imaginarie faith whiche beeing contente with the secrecie of the heart leaueth out confession of mouth as a superfluous thing For it is too childishe to saye there is fire there where there is neither flame nor heate 11 For the scripture saith euery one that beleeueth in him shall not bee ashamed 12 For there is no difference betweene the Iewe and the Grecian for hee that is Lorde ouer all is rich vnto all that call on him For whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lorde shal be saued 11 For the scripture saith hauing noted the causes why God did iustly reiect the Iewes hee returneth to affirme or proue the calling of the Gentiles which is the other part of the question wherein hee is nowe conuersant Because therefore he had declared the way whereby men come vnto saluation and the same is no lesse common and open for the Gentiles then the Iewes Nowe adding first an vniuersall signe hee doeth plainely extende it to the Gentiles secondly he also calleth the Gentiles by name vnto it And hee repeateth that testimonie which he had alreadie alleadged out of Esay that his sentence might haue the more authoritie and also that it mighte appeare howe well the Prophecies spoken of Christe doe consent with the lawe 12 For there is no difference or respect c. If confidence or faith only bee required whersoeuer the same shal be founde there againe the loue of God shall shew foorth it selfe to saluation then shal be no difference or respect of kinred or nation And he addeth a most firme reason for if he who is the Creator maker of the whole world be the God of all men hee will shew himself louing to all who shall acknowledge and cal vpon him as God For seeing his mercy is infinite it cannot be chosen but that it should extend it selfe to all who craue or seeke for the same Rich is taken in this place actiuely for bountifull and beneficial Where we must note that the richnes of our father can not be diminished or decreased by his bountie and liberalite and therefore that wee haue nothing the lesse albeit he in rich others with the manifolde treasures of his grace The riches of God cannot bee decreased Therefore there is no cause why wee shoulde enuie one anothers prosperitie as if thereby wee lost or wanted any thing And albeit this reason of itselfe was strong enough yet hee confirmeth it by the testimonie of the Prophet Ioel because the vniuersall particle being expressed hee includeth all men together But the readers shal perceiue much better by the circumstance that that which Ioel vttereth doth agree with this place Ioel. 2.32 Acts. 2.24 and likewise that in the Acts Both because in that place he doth prophesie of Christe his kingdome and also hauing foretolde that the anger of God shoulde burn exceedingly in the middest of this his threatning he promiseth saluatiō to all who shal cal vpon the name of God Whereupon it followeth that the grace of God doth pearce euen to the very deapth of death so farre foorth as it be sought for thence that it is not to be denied the Gentiles 14 How then shall they cal vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue in him of whō they haue not heard and how shal they heare without a Preacher 15 But howe shall they preache except they bee sent according as it is written Howe bewtifull are the feete of them who bring tidings of peace who bring tydings of good things 16 But all haue not obeyed the gospell for Isaias saith Lorde who hath beleeued our speech 17 Therfore faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Heere I will not busie the reader ouer long in reciting and refuting other mens opinions Let euery mā vse his own iudgement and let it be lawfull for me freely to say what I thinke Therefore that you may vnderstande what is