such a sort that Gods glory was shed from them into Gods people as from a most plentifull storehouse For so doth that worde of God by taking fleshe vpon him not onely shrewd vs from the curse of the law but also sheeld vs defend vs from it and giueth vs most certeine assurance of Gods louing kyndnes if we put our trust in his blud For he is succeeded as our souerein king and euerlasting preest in sted of Moyses and Aaron But shew me wherfore God did cast so great good will to mankind P. Doubtlesse euen for this cause that hee had determined to shew his ryghtuousnesse more bryght than the daylight to mortall men in tyme too come both in forgyuing all mens offences which almightie God hath of his owne incredible mercifulnesse eyther discountenanced or borne wyth vnto this day and also in pardoning wyping away of their sinnes which are still yet alyue or shall heereafter draw this common breth that therby it may appeare openly to all men that God is ryghtuous not onelye bycause hee himselfe is indewed with rightuousnes but also bycause he sheadeth oute his ryghtuousnesse into the minds of them that put and settle their whole trust in his Christ R. I beleeue it to be verely so Therefore it behoueth that so great a benefite to be borne alwaies in remembrance of those too whome Gods goodnesse hath graunted to inioy Christ as their prophet to teache them the wyll of the heauenly father as their high preest which hath with his owne bloud sealed vp the couenant made betweene the father and vs and as their moost mighty King to sit in our mynds and to gouerne vs by his spirit P. You see then what are the causes of mans saluation Now therefore if a man shoulde aske a Iew whether he thought that there were any thing left him wherein he eyther could or should glorie what myght he answere Nay rather if it please you answere you for him and vtter what you thinke R. Nothing so God help me I se nothing why he should be loftyminded or boast himself or his prerogatiue For all cause of boasting is shut out P. Againe if I shoulde aske him whether the Israelites haue any such vauntage by the law it selfe the rule of good deedes that they shoulde thinke themselues better than all other nations or whether the glittering woorkes of the Iewes can haue so great force as iustly to set them in such a iollitie I pray you what would he say to it R. I beleeue he woulde be more dum than a fishe as the prouerbe sayth For how can any doinges of men eyther he or seeme to be so muche worthie before God P. Therefore it is meete that all mankinde should be ridde of all selfe weening pryde stubbornesse and boasting by the doctrine of fayth and be driuen of necssitie to yeeld the whole glory of all things vnto God alone R. Doubtlesse I thinke that to be out of all controuersie P. Therefore it is too be beleeued than the whiche nothinge can be sayde or deuised more holie or true that menne are counted and made ryghtuous and adopted of the heauenly father into the number of his children by fayth without the woorks of the law or without desertes that spring of mens deeds R. If the way to ryghtuousnesse too saluation and to euerlasting lyfe be opened vnto men by fayth and not by the law there is no cause why the Iewes should repyne at the Gentyles or enuy them P. None at all For which of them is so blockishe or ignorant of things belonging to God as to imagin in his mind that God is the God of the Iewes onely and not of all other nations also Out of doubt god is the god of al people and nations and will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowing of him 1. Ti. 2.4 R. Then doth it follow that there is no odds betweene circumcision and vncircūcision as in respect of saluation P. Surely they be both in one cace or both alyke bycause that for asmuch as God is but one and the onely creator of all men alyke he doth also kepe one selfe same maner of sauyng mankynde For he iustifieth the circumcised by fayth and accepteth the vncircumcised for rightuous by fayth taketh them for his owne R. But heere is a doubt greeueth me that you seeme to pull downe vtterly the law and the dignitie thereof by the doctrine of fayth P. It is nothing so For we be so far of from purposing to ouerthrow the law by fayth that we indeuer to strengthen vphold and stablish it most of all thereby which thing I will shew moost euidently in conuenient place For seeing that Christ is the ende the performing and the vtmost poynt of the law and that the law is as a certeine scholing and trayning of men vnto Christ as the which yeeldeth not wherewith to fulfill Gods commaundements but only sheweth the necessitie of fulfilling them I beseech you how greatly is the law beautified and aduanced by fayth when by the doctrine of faith we shew the way to performe the lawe by the spirit of Christ R. Syr Cha. 4.1 you haue spoken ynough of the law more truely in myne opynion than men will well lyke of But we will say more of this heereafter You knowe of how greate authoritie Abraham was alwayes among the Israelites for his good workes sakes And yet notwithstanding all that dignitie shall seeme to fall to the ground if he obteined no rightuousnesse and innocencie by his owne procurement Or else poynt you me oute some fruite of those good workes wherwith he was adorned P. I graunt that Abraham had gotten no small glorie and commendacion of ryghtuousnesse to himselfe by hys good Godly and well ordered doinges if he had become ryghtuous by his woorkes But yet then shoulde this prayse haue rested eyther in him selfe or haue taken place alonely amonge men but not at all before God R. I pray you shew by what meanes that came to passe P. Truely the holie scriptures shew it inough and more than inough Ge. 15.9 Gal. 3.6 Ja. 2.23 For thus is it written Abraham beleeued God and that true fayth of hys vvas reckened to hym for ryghtuousnesse R. I acknowledge the recorde of the old testament and imbrace it with both my handes But whereto tendeth it P. You shal heare Consider the state and circumstance of that tyme. For as yet the lawe was not whiche was afterwarde gyuen by Moyses in somuche that what soeuer Abraham dyd at that tyme he ought not to father it vppon the law written Therfore he could not glorie of the performyng of the lawe And for that cause God by that saying of hys affirmeth that Abraham was iustified at his hand by fayth R. Thinke you the whole matter to be dispatched with this one argument P. No But you shall vnderstande the whole cace the better if we compare the wages wyth the gyfte For
water without true fayth and without any keeping of Gods law than the Israelites trusted to Circumcision But hereof we will speake more an oâ—er time Now go you through shew â—hether you thinke circumcision to be 〈◊〉 value at all or no. P. Surely I thinke of little or rather â— f none at all vnlesse the bonde be perâ— ormed vvhereof Circumcision is the â— ale For vvho seeth not that if a heaâ—â— en man keepe gods lavve and trust in â— od vvith all his hart so as he looketh â— ot for saluation elsewhere than at his â— ande he shal be in as good case as the â— ircumcised Iew although he bee still â— ncircumcised and haue not his foreâ— kin pared off at al And not only that â— ut also that he shall euen by true and vnreprouable iudgement condeÌ„ne the very Iewes that are circuÌ„cised Bicause that these trusting to the signe of circumcision do despise the keping of the law wherein the force of circumcision coÌ„sisteth wheras the other being without the signe dothnâ— i his deedes fulfill and shew forth the thing signified R. Then shewe wherein the true vse and fruite both of the name of Israelite and of circumcision consisteth P. He is not vndoutedly he is not â— Iew that is coÌ„monly taken for a Iew poynted at openly with the finger neither is that the true circumcisioÌ„ whicâ— nippeth of the visible part of the body But he he I saye is a true Iew which beareth a ryght Iewish mind in deede that is to say which feareth God and keepeth his law Also that is the excellent circumcision wherthrough not the fleshe is cut off by the ceremony of the law but the sinfulnesse of mans harte is cut off by the spirit And the prayse of this inwarde circumcision is not to be sought for at the hands of men that is of most corrupt iudges but at the haÌ„d of God himselfe R. As I may well agree to your sayinges Paule Chap. 3.1 yet me thinkes that the Israelites do not without cause glory in the greate nomber of priuiledges giuen them of God Therfore you shall doo a good turne if ye shewe in what prerogatiue they excell other men and consequently declare the worthinesse and profit of circumcision P. I will doo it with a good will so you graunt mee first that you wyll not â—udge of the whole matter before you â—aue throughly and aduisedly weyed â—t For I graunt and acknowledge that â— he priuiledges of the people of Israell â— re notable but yet so as they take not â— ccasion to wex proude of them For â— f they seeme in better cace than other â— en in that respect they must not therâ— ore beare themselues in hand that they â— aue purchased Gods fauour election â— nd good wyll by their owne desertes weldoings ceremonies and sacrifices Nay rather in that cace they are to bee made fellowlyke with the Gentyles that is to wit in the iustification and euerlasting saluation bycause that both of them doo fynde themselues to haue their coÌ„scieÌ„ces gylty of sin And yet for all that as I saide afore the priuiledges of this people aboue all other are right notable among which this is euen the greatest that almighty God voutsafed to coÌ„mit his word vnto theÌ„ and to giue theÌ„ most large promises vpoÌ„ assurance wherof they neuer neded to haue douted gods singular good wil towards theÌ„ R. Very well But yet I am afraide least as it is wont to fall out in mennes bargaines and couenaunts that eyther partie standeth in like and equall state vnto other so as eyther bothe of them must stand to their couenaunts or els if any of them both breake couenaunt the other is at liberty euen so also by reason of the distrust and disobedience of some of the Iewes God takinge his aduantage will neyther keepe his couenaunts nor performe his promises to them And if it shoulde come so to passe I cannot coniecture to what ende those stately couenaunts and promises will come P. But it is vnseemely to thinke that God can by any meanes alter his mind and determination or that his coÌ„stancie can bee ouercome and compelled by mens vnthankfulnesse that he shuld not performe his promises For it is to be considered Psa 15.3 that God will neuer faile the godly and good men though they seeme neuer so fewe by reason of the wicked multitude of vnbeleuers R. It is meete to thinke so of Gods maiestie as the which doth vtterly shun and abhorre the righteousnesse and vnconstancie of men wherthrough they oftentymes breake their promises P. Euen so is it Psa 15.3 accordinge as the Prophet sayeth all men are lyers and vaine but God is true yea euen the very truth it selfe As euen the princely prophet had sayd although there was no let in me and in my wickednesse but that God might haue deemed me vnworthy of his promises and haue disapointed me of them yet is his faithfulnesse righteousnesse vprightnesse and truth so great that he neither can nor wil swarue one inch aside froÌ„ his sayings determinations In somuch that not euen the extremest naughtipackes and spitefullest persones in the worlde which thinke woorst of him can reproue him of vnconstancy or lightnesse for he is most constant R. Of this your answere ryseth a nother question Seemeth it not by that reason that God increaseth his owne glory by mens sinnes for truly his constancie becommeth the cleerer and brighter when his diuine goodnsse in keeping towch with men vnworthie surmounteth mans distrust and stubbornes And if it be so I feare me it will seeme to follow that God doth wrongfully punishe those that haue done any wickednes bicause Gods praise floweth oute of the same moreouer that the wicked haue very good cause to blame God for punnishing ther offences wherby they beautified his glory P. To speake after the maner of men no dout but it may seme so to the man which is ignorant vnskilful of things belonging to God But yet is that surmise vnmeete to come in any mans head for nothing but holinesse purenesse vndefilednesse ought to come in any mans mynd concerning the maiesty of God specially for as muche as vngodly folke nother can nor will referre their owne lustes to Gods glory but only to their owne pleasure and to their owne priuate profit and praise R. I neuer perceiued the fault of this kynde of reasoning till now For Gods goodnes and faithfulnesse get not their praise by mens wicked deeds but euen of this that they breake not their course no not euen for those wicked deedes which thing I gather euen of the example which you vsed ryghte nowe Psa 51. For wheras God performeth the mercy that he had promised to Dauid that came not to passe through Dauids wicked deede but the promised mercy shyneth foorth so muche the bryghter in that so great a wickednesse was not able to disapoint it P. Yea
lavve describeth it in these vvords Leu. 18.5 Ex. 20.11 Gal. 3.12 that he which performeth the things vvhich the law cōmaundeth shall liue by them contrariwise pronouncing them accursed which contitinue not in all things that are vvritten in the booke of the lawe de 30.12 But vvhen the same Moyses treateth of the righteousnesse that springeth of faith he speketh after this maner Say not in thy harte vvho shall go vp into heauen for that is as muche as to fetche or call dovvne Christ the sonne of god out of heauen Neither say in thy minde who shall go dovvne into the deepe for that is as much as to rayse or fetche vp agayn the same Christ from the dead R. What is it then that Moyses concludeth P. The worde sayth he is neere thee in thy mouth and in thy hart de 32.41 and that is the vvord of faith vvhich we Apostles of Christ do preach R. Now I see plainly that euen the auncient fathers of the old testament had the same marke set afore them for the fayth of the beleeuers alwayes to ame at which we haue namely Gods euerlasting worde very God and very man the Sauiour the Messias and the foundation of true righteousnesse and innocencie to whom whosoeuer cleaueth shal out of all doubt be saued Therefore no neede at all haue the Israelites muche lesse we to go on pilgrimage to passe ouer the sea to climbe vp into heauen and to attempt things aboue our power to become rightuous For it is sufficient to beleeue the Gospell to imbrace Christe the fathers worde and to be made one with him by the spirite of regeneration P. You hit the matter in deede For if you confesse the Lorde Iesus with your mouth and beleeue in your hart that God hath raysed him vp from death you shall be saued For the beleefe of the harte maketh righteous and the confession of the mouthe saueth Neither is this doctrine nevve or deuised by vs that beleeue in Christe but is continually repeated and set foorth by the holy prophets For to let passe others The Prophet Esay sayth Esa 18.20 whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed nor deceyued R. You say truth But the Iewes restrayne this generall distribution onely to the Israelites and are of suche opinion as to beleeue that the Gentiles are shut out from that promise P. Surely they be vtterly ouerseen◠For in this behalf there is no difference betweene Greeke and Iewe. God created them all alike and made them all able to receiue him so they haue fayth As for deseruings there are none at all neither in the one nor in the other their saluation consisteth in gods only goodnes And bicause he is the onely Lorde of all riche and welwilling to do good to all that beleeue and call vpon him hartily seeke al their help welfare of him alone therfore according to the sayings of the prophets whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be safe R. I remēber I haue read this sentēce in the sermons of the prophet Ioel. Ioel. 2.32 But there is a certen doubt which greueth my 〈◊〉 very much For if it be true as you say that god is the creator of al men and that be createth men able to receiue blessednes how hapneth it that the most part of the worlde abideth in ignorance of the truth and that a great sort euen of those that heere the truth do not beleeue it and obey it For to the intent we may speake first of the Heathen folke and Gentiles how can they call vpon him on whome they beleeue not and how can they belee◠e in him of whō they haue not herd and how shal they heare without a preacher and how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent euen of god the only author of saluation P. Surely you reason sharply For to the same purpose the prophet Esay said How beautifull and fine are the feete of such as bring glad tidings of peace Esa 52.7 and bring newes of good things R. Ye see also that not all the Iewes obeyed the Gospell Esa 53.1 For the same Esay complayneth of their vnbeleefe in these words Ioel. 12.31 Lord who hath beleued our sayings Heerevpon I conclude that the cause of damnation commeth of God who denieth to some men the degrees wherby they might come to the true worshipping of him and so consequently to saluation P. Nay rather you must gather hereof that true and liuely fayth commeth of hearing and that the true and inwarde hearing is inough by gods word and by the holy Ghost mouing mens harts and making their mindes cleane and holy by his operation R. I doubt not at all of that matter The thing that I demaund is this whether the nations to whom the preaching of the gospell came not at all are vtterly reiected of god or whether they may alledge any excuse for not hearing gods voyce I say I would fayne know whether they haue hard any thing or no that might quicken them and stirre them vp to the knowing and worshipping of the euerliuing God P. Yea out of doubt haue they For as the princely Prophet witnesseth treating of Gods schoole namely of his creatures wherein he shevveth his godhead and power to all Adams posterity Psa 19.5 Their sound sayth he vvent forth into all landes and their words into the vttermost partes of the world Rom. 1.16 Therefore looke what can be knowen of God is firste manifest in themselues that is to say in their ovvne minds For God hath manifested himselfe to them by a certeine inwarde lavv Againe concerning his inuisible things such as are his euer lasting povver and Godheade they be perceiued in the workemanship of the woorlde by considerning them in his workes And therfore they make themselues vnexcusable bycause that when they knew God they yeelded him not glory and thanks meete for God but wandered in vaine imaginations and their folishe mynde became dim And whereas they professe themselues wyse they become the more fooles Therupō it commeth that they turne the glory of the incorruptible God into an image fashioned to the shape of a mortall man of byrds of fourefoted beasts and of wormes And therfore for a punishment of this vvickednesse God giueth them vp to the lusts of their owne hartes into vncleannesse to defile their bodies among themselues for turning Gods truth into a lye and for vvorshipping and seruing the creatures passing ouer and neglecting the creator vvho is to be praised for euer Amen Hereuppon sprang the mischeefe the damnation and the destructiō of those whom you spake of R. You haue ynoughe and more than ynough satisfied my doubte with these your woordes Now I desire to knowe whether the doctrine that you set downe concerning the reiecting of the Iewes the calling of the Gentyles were knowen to the Prophets of old tyme I meane whether the Israelites did euer knowe Gods eternall
sword of vengeance Therfore the King Prince presidēt euery other of inferior calling that beareth office as an executer of vengeance vppon such as do euill is gods minister To be short ye must neds be subiect to the higher powers not onlye for feare of punishnent but also for conscience sake for it is a christen mans duety to obey his superiours R. Then your iudgement is that the magistrat is to be obeyed not only for feare of punishment but muche more bycause that although the magistrate hath no power ouer mens consciences yet bycause he is Gods minister he cannot be resisted with a good conscience P. That is my iudgement And for that cause to shew the inwarde obedientnes of your mynd and your bounde duety you paye tribute to your magistrats Ma. 17.22 For they be Gods ministers seruing to take charge of the cōmō welth in punishing offenders and in praysing the giltlesse Therfore yeeld yee vnto euery mā that which is his due to whom ye owe tribute pay tribute to whome custome custome to whō ye owe awe pay awe and obedience to whom honor honor according as is due to al superiours R. O Paule if you wist howe many how great suits in law there are among vs about the yelding and paying of tributes and customes surely you woulde wonder For ther are a great sort which vnder pretence of christian libertie vpholde the there is no propriety of goods thereupon they snatch all that comes in their waye stirre vp strife are troublesome to the magistrates crye oute too haue all thinges in cōmon and maynetaine quarrelles and braules Againe there are another sorte which to confute these opinions behaue themselues so pinching and nigardly in all things that be it ryghte and wrong they rake other mens goods to them by sewing pleading at the law P. Both of them be euill But I vvill shevv you how it may be brought too passe that there shall be verie fewe sutes and actions among you namely if you order your lyues in such wyse as no man may iustlye demaunde aughte at your handes sauing that one thing vvhich we ovve one vnto another by a certeine euerlasting bonde throughe the law of charity Therefore ovve no man anye thing sauing that you loue one another For beleeue me the cause why these quarrells and braules ryse among you is for that charitye and brotherlye loue are become faynte and colde But I vvill gyue you this glance by the vvay Ex. 20. 4. De. 5.18 Le. 19.18 that loue is the content of the lavv For he that loueth another hath fulfilled the lavve For these commaundementes thou shalt not commit adultry Ma 22.36 thou shalt not kill thou shalte not steale thou shalt not beare fals witnes thou shalt not couet and whatsoeuer commaundement els is is comprehended breefly in this saying thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self For loue hurteth not a mans neighbour To be shorte either I am vtterly deceiued or els charity is the fulfilling of the lavv R. Good God I wote not by what euill destinye it falleth out that now since we imbraced Christes doctrine brotherly loue is lesse lyuely among vs than it was before For before when we were as good as ouerwhelmed with the darknesse of ignorance walked in the miste of superstition and false worshipping of God there seemed to be suche concorde such loue and such following of vertue that wicked lusts could not reigne so as we see they do now P. My brother the preaching of the Gospell is not to be blamed for it that you be becomme worse since the receiuing of it if at least wise ye be becōme worse as you say ye be but rather you haue to thanke Gods lyght that you do novve better discerne that former lyfe of yours For counterfet charitie deserueth not the name of charitie and colored pretence of honestie is nother praysed nor allovved of God Therfore novv that you be inlightened vvith the lyght of the Gospell gyue your selues to true charitie and to true honesty yea and that vvith consideration of the needefulnesse thereof in asmuch as it is novv hygh time to awake from sleepe For novv that the coeternall and coessentiall sonne of God being made man is appeared to the woorlde saluation is neerer to vs than when vve vveened all things to be in safety Also we haue proceeded further in godlinesse as novve than vve had doone at the beginning when vve first beleued the gospell The night of ignorāce is gone the day of heuēly light is come Therfore let vs put on the armour of light that being clothed with christē vertues we may walke honestly as it becōmeth folk to go a day times and let vs behaue our selues as it becōeth the godly Lu. 21. 24 Let vs not giue our selues to feasting drūkēnes let vs not welter in sloughfulnesse let vs not cocker our selues in wantōnesse let vs not gyue occasion of quarreling and brauling let vs not giue heed to spiting hart burning or enuy but let vs chefly strein all the sinewes of our wittes to the putting on of our lord Iesus Christ and let therebe such an earnest indeuer of holinesse in vs so great charity that such as se vs may say they haue sene the true members of Christe Therefore in any wise be not carefulll for the fleshe too fulfyll the lustes thereof but rather seeke for the peace and ioye of the spirite For by that meanes you shall through Gods inspiration not only obey your magistrats but also mainteine mutuall loue among your selues R. If the professers of the Gospell would frame their maners after this order their exāple wold allure very many to imbrace the heauenly truth But too speake plainely as the matter requyreth our licentious liuing scareth the minds of the ignorant from the receiuing of the Gospell Againe what shall I tell you of the contentions and controuersies that are among vs euen vnto rayling and falling out about indifferent ceremoniall things The keeping whereof can as I beleue make men neither better in them selues nor more acceptable to God As soone as this church of ours at Rome was growen together there stept vp certein men eyther discended of the Iewes or which had bin conuersant in Iewry or whiche I rather beleeue had beene trayned vp by the Doctors of Ierusalem These I say did so earnestly and vehemently vrge the Ceremonies of Moyses Lawe the choyce of meates the keeping of feasts and holydays and such other like things that they troubled and turmoyled all things with their zeale My countreymen on the other side leaning as it were of set purpose to the contrarie part esteeme all meane things at nought and which worse is do disdeine the teachers and professors of them and skorne them with vnseemely mockages P. Eyther of them bothe do offende Chap. 14 by sticking too stifly to partaking peraduenture euen agaynst their ovvne consciences But as for you
of this Citie is which is the head of the world And yet you haue bene so bold as to write this Epistle vnto vs as to folke ignorant of holy matters or as though there were no techers and shepeheards among vs by whose trauell preaching and writings Gods will might be opened vnto vs. P. Truly my brother I am fully persuaded of the thing that you tell mee namely that you bee full of desire of goodnes and of all knowledge of matters perteining to god insomuche that you are able to admonish one another and to instruct and trayne vp one another in the doctrine of Christ Therfore in writing vnto you I ment not to take vpon me as a teacher controller but I haue written somevvhat with the boldest vnto you to put you in remēbrāce according to the charge whiche god hath graunted me that I should be the minister of Iesus Christ to the gentiles in setting foorth of the gospell and in preaching it as a thing of most excellēt maiesty that the sacrifice wherby I offer vp the gentils purified by faith may be acceptable to god forasmuch as it is alreadie halovved by the breathing of his holy spirit vpon it Therefore I haue vvritten this letter not to teache you and muche lesse to rebuke you but rather to put you in remembraunce of things R. But there are diuers which terme this dede of yours a bold enterprise and impute it to the disease of a stately mind Specially your own countreymen spred abrode misreportes of you to bring your ministration in misliking among the vnskilfull For they take it sore to harte that you should as it were despise the Iewes and go to the Gentiles among whom you haue not yet greatly preuailed But what is the let of your preaching I am vtterly ignorant P. Of those mennes reportes I passe not at all but of mine ovvne office vvherevvith I am inhonored by Gods goodnesse too bee as hys instrumente in trayning the Gentiles too the Gospell and in offering them vp to God surely I haue cause too glorye not proudely among menne but humbly before god in Christe Iesu vpon whom I father all good things As touching the fruit of my preaching truly I can not find in my hart to speak of any thing which Christ hath not don by me in bringing the gentiles to obedience I say in bringing them both by words and deedes by deedes through working of signes and wonders and by words of preaching wherin gods spirite vttered his power and workfulnes in so much that I fulfilled the office of preaching Christes gospell from Ierusalem and the countreys therabouts euen vnto Illyrike R. What did the other Apostles which saw Christ did not they also preache in those Countreys P. What others iudge I haue not to iudge This I may auow with good conscience that I indeuered as I might terme it hunted in my harte that my preaching of the gospell might bee in those places not vvhere Christ had bin knovven or named before but vvhere there had neuer bene any mentiō made of him R. For what cause P. I had causes inow of this mine intent which it is not nedefull to reherse This among other I alwayes obserued that I vvould not buyld vpon another mans foundation and I had continually before mine eyes this prophesie of Esaies wherin the preaching of the gospell among the gentiles is most manifestly described Es 52.26 They sayth he that were neuer tolde of him he speaketh of the manifestation of god him selfe which is Christ shal see and they that neuer heard of him before shall vnderstande And these are the lettes that I spake of in the beginning of the epistle whereby I was held backe that I could not come vnto you though I vvished often for this iourney But now that I had no more to doe in those Coastes and was desirous to come vnto you and that surely now many yeeres ago I had so determined my iourney that I wold visite you in my vvay into Spaine For I hoped to see you in passing thys way and to be brought thither by you Howebeit with condicion that I had first somewhat slaked my desire by being conuersant with you a few daies after a sort satisfied my longing by being in companye with you For at the same tyme that I wrat this Epistle I was going to Ierusalem too minister to the Saints that professed Christes Gospell For it seemed good to the churches of Macedonia and Achaia to make some contribution of their goods for the releefe of the poore Saynts that lyued at Ierusalem 2. Cor. 9. So seemed it good to those churches and truely they owe it of duety For although almes deedes are of vncōstreyned will yet do we owe them by the law of charity For it is agreable to godlinesse that if the Gentyles be made partakers of the spirituall goods of the Israelites the Gentiles should also communicate to them their worldly and transitory goods But to come too my purpose againe when I had so done and conueyed that almes sealed to the Sayntes at Ierusalem I determined to haue come this way into Spaine And I had conceiued greate hope of Gods bounteousnesse towards me I knew for a certeintie that whensoeuer I came to you I shuld not come empty but rather with store of blessing plenty of the ornaments gyftes and fruits of the gospel For I vvarrant my selfe so much of Gods loue both tovvardes my ministrrie and tovvardes your church And therfore I prayed you for our Lord Iesus Christes sake and for the loue of the spirit to labour vvith me and to helpe me vvith your prayers vnto God firste that I might be deliuered alas for sorow frō the stubborne and wilfull sort that are in Iewrie and secondlye that the same seruice of mine the liberall present which I brought to the Saints at Ierusalem as their minister Deacon might be acceptable to thē to the intēt that whē I had accōplished this my duty I mighte afterwarde come vnto you with ioy by Gods will and be refreshed with you But see howe diuerse a falling out God hath giuen to my purpose determination R. That is no new thing Paule For so is god wōt to deale oft times with his seruāts in the meane while he will haue vs to hāg wholly vpō his appointmēt prouidēce to assure our selues that that issew of things is both acceptablest to him most for our behoofe not which liketh vs but which pleaseth his prouidēce If you had come at that time to Rome afterward gon hēce into Spayne peraduenture you woulde haue had sōe good opiniō of your own diligēce Also the flesh being desirous of glory woulde haue wished his tryumphes for that you had durst to preach Christes Gospell in a place of such maiesty We also being not yet rid of our old affectiōs would haue imputed the proceding of the gospell among vs altogither to your