corruption and prauity of whole nature dependeth I haue now declared so much as I thought should be sufficient for this present purpose how the Apostle taketh this word sinne by whome he sayth it hath sprede ouer all mankinde and what the ecclesiasticall writers haue left in writing touching the maner how it passeth from one to an other Now is this thing only to be added that by the world is to be vnderstand all mankinde For I like not to playe the Philosopher as doth By the world is vnderstand all mankinde Origene by the world to vnderstand only those men which liue according to the affections of the fleshe For so should we séeme to exclude from the meaning of the Apostle originall sin which thing the very nature of the woords will not suffer And by sinne death and so death hath gone ouer all men Here he declareth what sinne hath brought which was the fourth part of our deuision Sinne brought death but what maner of death he meaneth can not better be vnderstaÌ„d then by the contrary therof namely by life And this life is of two sortes the one Life of two sortes is wherby we are moued to spirituall deuine and celestiall good things and this taketh place so long as we are ioyned together with God for vnlesse we be led by the spirit of God we can not frame our selues to those thinges which passe our nature The other life is wherby we are moued to follow those good things which Sinne toke away â—ther life serue to preserue nature to defend the state of the body And both these kindes of liues hath death which is inflicted for sin takeÌ„ away For death is nothing els but priuation of lyfe For so soone as euer man sinned he was turned away froÌ„ God so left destitute of his grace and fauor yâ— he could not afterward aspire againe vnto eternall felicity This corporall life also may be said to be taken away by sinne for straight way so soone as sinne was committed the force of death and his souldiors Our first parentes died euen straightway so sone as they had sinned did set vpon man Such as are hunger thirst diseases wasting away of moystures and heate a daily quenching of the lyfe For all those thinges lead men vnto death â–ª And Chrisostome vpon Genesis at large entreatyng of this matter sayth That the first parentes so soone as euer they had sinned streight way died For the Lord streight way gaue sentence of death vpoÌ„ theÌ„ And eueÌ„ as they which are coÌ„deÌ„ned vnto death although they are kept for a tyme on lyue in prison yet are they counted for dead so our first A similitude parentes although thorough the goodnes of God they liued longer yet they were in verye dede straight way dead after that God began accordyng to his sentence to punish them Ambrose saith that they were sodenlye oppressed with death for that they had afterward no day or houre or moment wherin they were not obnoxious vnto death Neither We haue not one houre wherin we are not subiecte vnto death is there any man in the worlde which can assuredly promise himselfe that he shall liue one houre Wherfore by these thinges it is manifest that both kindes of death were brought in by sinne Wherefore we must beware that we assent not vnto them which vse to say that death is vnto a man naturall and as a certayne rest whereby the motion of the life is interrupted Such opinions are to be left vnto the Ethnikes For all the godly affirme that in death is a féeling of the wrath of God Death is not natural vnto a man In death is a feeling of the wrath of God and therefore of his owne nature it driueth into men a certaine paine and horror Which thing both Christ himselfe when he prayed in the garden and many other holy men haue declared And if there chaunce to be any vnto whom it is pleasaunt and delectable to dye and to be rid of their life that they haue from els where and not from the nature of death And Paul to the Corinthians sayth That death is the sting of sinne For death otherwise could be able to do nothing against vs but that by sinne it destroyeth vs. Wherfore they which affirme that originall sinne is only a certaine weakenes which can not condemne a man do neither vnderstande the nature of sinne nor this sentence of the Apostle which we are now in hande with Farther if of sinne commeth death all sinnes are of their owne nature to be All sinnes are of theyr own nature to be called deadly called deadly For in that God imputeth not some sinnes vnto vs that commeth not of the lightnes of the sinnes but of his mercy For there can be no sinne so light which bringeth not destruction vnles the mercy of God helpe And yet doo we not say with the Stoikes that all sinnes are alike For we know that Paul describeth vnto vs certaine sinnes which are so greuous that they exclude men froÌ„ the kingdome Sinnes are not a like of heauen For that all men haue sinned This mought haue seemed very sharpe and harde that for the sinne only of the first man all men should dye But Paul sheweth that this is iustly done bicause all men haue sinned About this particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth in quo that is in which and is englished For that is no small controuersie how it ought to be takeÌ„ Some will haue it to be referred vnto sin But the Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which weÌ„t before it semeth to be against that For it is the Feminine gender Howbeit it may be that Paul had a respect vnto yâ— other worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the newter geÌ„der which word he afterward ofteÌ„times vseth although it be counted a fault in speache to referre the relatiue to things coÌ„ming after Others thinke that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought to be referred vnto Adam But against these men is the signification of this preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which when it is ioyned with a datiue case as Erasmus sayth is not amongst any good authors founde to signifie all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in Wherfore it semeth that the Latine interpreter was deceiued which turned this sence thus In whome all men haue sinned Howbeit the A similitude Gréeke scholies vnder the person of Phocius vary not from the Latine interpretation For they expounde thys sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in whiche Adam by by which Adam But touching this matter I wil not much coÌ„tend For I thinke that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a particle causall so that the sence is Therefore hathe death gone ouer all men because all men haue sinned For Chrisostome sayth That when Adam fell all other men also which did not eate of the fruite were touched
writtē in the selfe same chapter to refell the blasphemies of these mē Which sentence of that holy man confirmeth that which we haue oftentimts sayd namely that the holy scriptures touching these thinges which pertayne to saluation is The holy scripture is sufficient touchinge those thinges whiche are necessary to saluation Vnles we had bene in the flesh the law had not hindered vs What is to be in the flesh sufficient and may be of the faithfull vnderstand so that they be not sluggishe and slouthfull and neglect the reading of the holy scripture Hereafter when we come vnto it we shall declare in what maner and with what moderation and wisedome the Apostle defendeth the lawe And as touching this sentence we ought to note that Paul therefore sayth that the wicked affectes of sinnes by the lawe were of efficacy in our members because we were in the fleshe Vpon this is the blame to be layd and not vpon the lawe For vnles we had bene in the fleshe the lawe had nothing hindred vs. And to be in the fleshe is nothing els but to be stirred vp by our owne strengthes and to be moued and impelled of our vitiate and corrupt nature for whatsoeuer is in vs besides the spirite and grace is called fleshe Wherfore in that in vs are encreased sinnes and lustes that commeth hereof for that we are in the fleshe Men vse as much as lieth in them to eschew a pestilent and hurtfull ayre So we also if we will be saued must abhorre and flye this contagiousnes of the fleshe and flye vp into heauen vnto Christ And we can not depart from the fleshe but by death And for that cause Paul exhorteth vs that by the body The flesh a slippery place of Christ we should dye vnto sinne For the fleshe is a slippery place Wherefore so long as we abide in it we must néedes oftentymes slide Wherefore we must cleue fast vnto Christ which may so gouerne and vphold vs that in this slippernes of the fleshe we fall not into eternall destruction But now ye are deliuered from the lawe being dead vnto it wherein ye were holden c. Now he returneth vnto that estate wherein we are now placed by Christ Now sayth he are we deliuered from the lawe he sayth not from the fleshe or from sinne for these two thinges he counteth for one and the same Being dead vnto it wherein we were holden He sayth not that either sinne is dead or that the lawe is dead He sayth only that we are dead By that wherein we were holden he vnderstandeth the lawe and not sinne For in the Greke is redde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the neuter gender But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is sinne is the feminin gender Howbeit it appeareth that there were sundry readinges amongst the Grecians For whereas we haue now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is being dead some redde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of death so that the sence should be But now ye are deliuered from the lawe of death that is from the lawe that bringeth death Others rede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the genetiue case as thought Paul would say that we are now deliuered from the lawe that is dead Although that reading which we first followed and interpretated is both more common and also more receaued And the Apostle in such sort sayth that we are deade vnto the lawe as before he sayd that we are mortefied by the body of Christ And as Chrisostome sayth we are therefore sayd to be deliuered How we were holdē vnder the law The law is abrogated not by it selfe but by an other thing from the law for that that bond is now broken whereby the lawe held vs obnoxious And that bonde was sinne And we were holden in the law not as obseruers thereof but as men condemned and guilty Now are we which are made pertakers of the death of Christ deliuered from it By these things we vnderstand that the lawe is sayd to be dead and to be abrogated not through it selfe but by reason of an other thing For therefore it ceaseth now to accuse to prouoke to compell to condemne and to be gréeuousome because sinne is dead Wherefore the ende thereof was not to iustifie vs for that thing could it not performe in as much as it was weakened through the fleshe The ceremonies also of the lawe were taken away by reason of an other thing namely because Christ is now come And ciuile commundementes are now abrogated because the common wealth of the Israelites is destroyed And therefore Paul escheweth plainly to say that the lawe is dead for that this thinge is not agréeable with it according to his owne nature But he alwayes runneth vnto our fleshe and vnto sinne and fréely pronounceth that they are dead For by reason of their death the lawe it selfe also ceaseth and dieth But this is to be marked that we in the meane while so long as we liue So long as we liue here we are not perfectly dead here are not perfectly dead And therefore the lawe so long is not vnprofitable For we are not endued with so plentifull a spirite that we do all thinges by the impulsion thereof Wherefore there are many thinges in vs which the lawe may accuse and reproue Wherefore holy men so long as they liue here cease not to looke vpon the lawe that flieng the comdemnation thereof they may be more and more conuerted vnto Christ For although we be by fayth grafted into Christ Our coniunction with Christ may euerye day be made greater and greater yet may that coniunction euery day encrease For the life of the godly is sayd to be a perpetuall mortification and repentance Neither is this any let vnto our regeneration that we say that much of the olde Adam is still remayning in vs. And therefore when we consider the lawe and sée what is still to be mortefied in vs we are more and more driuen vnto Christ And this is it which Paul writeth vnto the Galathyans that he by the lawe is dead vnto the lawe Wherefore euery Christian ought thus to count with himselfe that so long as he séeth any thing in What are the tokens of sinne yet liuing his conscience worthy to be reproued or any prouokemente to sinne or any hatred or lothsomnes against the lawe of God or that he is drawen against his will to do good so long I say sinne is not in him dead and there is much remayning in him which may be reproued of the lawe That we should serue in newnes of spirite and not in the oldnes of the letter If thou demaunde whome we must serue answere is to be made we must serue God to worship him as it is mete The Apostle in this place vseth this The difference betwene Du 〈…〉 and Latria is not perpetuall Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to serue Wherby it is manifest that that
with them which thing that it can not be ascribed vnto workes Paul sufficiently declareth when he saith that the afflictions of thys lyfe are not woorthye the glorye to come whiche shal be reueled in vs But howe the preceptes of the lawe are fulfilled in vs by the communion which we haue with Christ which died for vs thus may be declared bicause vnto them which beleue in him is geuen the holy ghost whereby their strengthes are renued that they may be able to performe the obedience of the lawe not in deede a perfect and absolute obedience for that is not had so long as we liue here Wherefore the accomplishement of the lawe herein consisteth that the sinnes which we haue committed be forgeuen vs by Christ and the righteousnes which he hath performed be imputed vnto vs for that he is our head and we on the other side his members Lastly this is to be looked for that when we shall come vnto the long desired ende of chiefe felicity there How Christ is called the ende of the law shall then be nothing in vs which shall be repugnant vnto the lawe of God After this maner Christ is called the ende of the lawe as one that hath not broken it but fulfilled it not only in that by his doctrine he deliuered it from the corrupt interpretacions of the Scribes and Phariseis but also because he hath in such maner as we haue now declared accoÌ„plished both it in himselfe in vs. Wherefore as many as are without Christ and are not pertakers of his death and haue not forgeuenes of their sinnes and are voyde of the righteousnes of Christ and haue no desire to fulfill the lawe all these I says shall not attayne that felicity wherein they shall haue nothing which is repugnant vnto the law of God Wherfore the iustification of the lawe can in them by no meanes be fulfilled But who they be in whome the righteousnes of the lawe shall beginne to be accomplished for that it hath alredy by the cause thereof bene declared namely for that the faithfull are pertakers of the death and spirite of Christ now also the same declareth he by the fruite Which walke not according to the fleshe but according to the spirit The regenerate walke according to the spirite This is a notable marke and condition whiche followeth them They walke accordinge to the spirite in whome the spirite gouerneth raigneth and beareth dominion And contrarywyse they walke accordynge to the fleshe in whome the fleshe beareth dominion These thynges striue one againste the other But in this fighte the godlye onelye are excercised by striuinge For they which are straungers from Christ do without any resistance or fighting follow the flesh Faith which iustifieth doth after a sort put of our flesh but they that are spirituall do geue chefe place vnto the spirite And hereby we sée that this is the nature of that fayth which iustifieth to make a man in that plight that his fleshe being after a sort put of he liueth according vnto the spirite But those which liue not so the apostle proueth nether to be deliuered from sin nor to be pertakers of the death of Christ neither also to be obseruers of the lawes of God For he sayth For they vvhich are according to the flesh do minde those thinges vvhich are of the flesh but they vvhich are according to the spirite doo sauour those things vvhich are of the spirite They which liue according to the affection of the flesh doo follow thinges hurtefull and therefore they fall into death and practise enmities agaynst God Whereby followeth that they are nether pertakers of the spirite of Christ nor yet of his death But if a man shoulde saye that by the sence of the flesh men desire meate drinke apparell matrimony other things which pertayne vnto this life and these thinges are not damnable nor hurtful I would answeare that these thinges in dede of theyr own nature are not euil but the meanes whereby the vngodly desire them is both hurtfull and damnable Why naturall appetites are sinnes vnto the vngodly For they seke them for theyr owne sakes and direct them not vnto the glory of God neyther are they stirred vp vnto these desires by fayth or by the worde of God or by the spirite Wherefore vnto them they are sinnes And forasmuch as all men before they are iustifyed are indued by the affection of the flesh it followeth that whatsoeuer they doo is sinne and highly displeaseth God Wherefore by those deedes they can nether be iustified nor prepare themselues vnto What the affection of the flesh is iustification The woordes of the Apostle teach that two kindes of affections are contrary and opposite â–ª whiche that we may the better vnderstand let thys be for certayne â–ª that the affection of the flesh is nothing ells then the vse of humane strengths setting a part the grace and spirite of Christ And the nature of man is to be taken not as it was first created of God but as it is now vitiate The affection of the spirite and corrupt But the affection of the spirite is the impulsion of the inspiration of God and vse of the grace of Christ Nowe let vs se what those thynges are wherevnto the affectioÌ„ of the flesh carie vs. They must of necessity be good things For we desire nothing but that which is good and that good is ether honest profitable Three kindes of good things The affection of the fleshe is deceaued two maner of â—â—yes or pleasaunt In these thinges the affection of the flesh is two maner of wayes deceaued For sometimes it is caâ—led vnto these thinges which seme honest and are not and which seme profitable and pleasant but in very dede are vn profitable irksome An other error is when it desireth those thinges which in very dede should behonest profitable pleasant if they were desired with right reason as it was instituted of God such as are these good workes which commonly are called ciuill or morall Euermore the affection of the flesh erreth in one of these two wayes Wherfore all yâ— works therof seing they faâ—le froÌ„ right reason are sinnes Wherefore hereby is concluded that a Christian life herein A ChristiaÌ„ life wherin it consisteth consisteth to haue a care vnto those thinges which are of the spirite and to forsake those thinges which belong vnto the flesh that both we may seke for perfect good thinges and also yâ— we fayle not in the maner of desiring them But what are the effectes both of the flesh and also of the spirite Paul hath in manye places taught and especially in his epistle vnto yâ— GalathiaÌ„s wher he thus writeth The workes of the flesh are adulteries fornications vnclenes wantones idolatry witchcrafts enmities stryfes emulations brawlings contencions eâ—uies murthers dronkenes bancketting and such other like of which the Apostle saith They which do these things shall not possesse
the straunger vpoÌ„ the way We had well hoped that he should haue ryseÌ„ againe the third day Luke 24. An other opinion is which thinketh that it is one onely argument taken of the sendyng of the holy ghost For none but onely God can geue the holy ghost The sending also of the holy ghost is no small token of the deuine nature of Christ for by it we are made companions of the diuine nature and partakers of the minde of God And thus they frame the wordes that Christ was declared to be the sonne of God in power that is to say to be therby mighty because he sent vpon hys the spirite of sanctification and that from the resurrection of the dead that is after he was raysed vp from the helles For although before also he had geuen the spirit vnto such as beleued yet because it was not done so largely and so aboundaÌ„tly therefore as Iohn also testifieth the spirit was not yet geueÌ„ And Iohn 7. so this argument is taken of the effusion of the holy ghost which effusion although as touching miracles it be not at this day extant yet it so indureth that without it the Church can not consist For regeneration hath no place without the holy ghost I leue to speake of this that some take the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead as touching those which were raysed vp at the death resurrectioÌ„ of Christ wheÌ„ the graues were opened because this agréeth not well with those thinges which afterward shal be spoken But me thinketh that here are touched three principall argumentes wherby Christ is proued to be the sonne of God One is of the Three arguments of the deuinity of Christ miracles and that is signified by this particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in power For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Paule signifieth the working of miracles An other argument is of the resurrection whereby he was raysed from the dead and liueth for euer and wherby we also shall ryse agayne with hym The third argument is of the sending of the holy ghost and these thrée thinges were done according to the order and course of tyme. For Christ whilest he liued wrought very many miracles after his death he was raysed agayne from the dead and after his resurrection sent the holy ghost By whom we haue receaued grace and Apostleship He had before sayd Paule called by Christ vnto the Apostleship what grace is What is the difference betweene the loue of God and the loue of meÌ„ that he was called but he added not by whom Here he expressedly sayth he receaued this of Christ Grace signifieth in the holy scripture cheifely that beâ—enolence fauor wherwith God loueth vs. Wherefore we are wont to call those gracious which are loued of many are also acceptable vnto many But this is the difference they whom we call gracious haue some thing in them whereby they allure men to loue them whether the same be beauty or vertue or any such like thing For men are not moued to loue a man who hath not in him some thing that is worthy to be loued But we can not so say of God because he before all thinges loueth vs and wheÌ„ he hath loued he geueth vnto vs his gyftes whereby he maketh vs both acceptable and worthy of loue And if we should affirme otherwise God should not be counted the author of all thinges For by that meanes we should put some thing to be in vs before we were loued of him which should allure him to loue vs and so of a creature we should make a creator The definition of grace in affirming that we haue something which depeÌ„deth not of God Wherefore grace signifieth the liberall fauour and good will of God which he fréely beareth vnto vs for Christes sake And this may be taken eyther generally so that it is afterward contracted by adding thys namely the office of an Apostle or els it signifieth in this place a gift and faculty fréely geueÌ„ vnto Paule which faculty is straytway expressed when he addeth And Apostleship to the obedience of fayth He addeth the ende whereunto The ende of the Apostleship the faculty of the Apostleship pertayneth namely to obey fayth And this may be done two maner of wayes either in receauing faith for it forasmuch as it is a firme assent which is geuen vnto the wordes of god may be called obedience as Paule wrote vnto the Corrinthyans that he had spirituall armors Obedience of sayth wherewith he would make captiue all vnderstaÌ„ding vnto the obedience of god Or els it may be vnderstand of a good life and holynes of maners which follow fayth whyles we expresse the might of our fayth by honest actions For his name We execute not the office of an Apostle for our owne gayne or glory but for the name that is for the glory and prayse of Christ Iesu in al nacions And in that he addeth in all nacions he sheweth that the office of the Apostles was not contract to certayne limites but that they should throughout the whole world preach the word committed vnto them and found Churches and bringe disciples vnto Christ In which ye also are the called of Iesus Christ Although ye be Lordes ouer all yet neuertheles ye are in the number of other nacions He calleth them the called of Christ because without calling they had not come vnto him Neyther Called is not here a participle but a now â—e vsed he the participle which hath the signification of tyme and that to the ende he would wish them constancye and stability in the purpose which they had taken in hand as though they had not a temporall calling but a firme constant And in that he so often vseth the name of calling he sufficiently declareth what maner of thing our conuersation is when we embrace Christ It is vndoubtedly voluntary and not compelled nor violent We are perswaded when we are with efficacy called by the inward word of God Here is the ende of the pareÌ„thesis which began at these words which he had before promised by his prophetes Now commeth the second part of the salutation of the epistle wherein are expressed the men whom he saluteth when he sayth Whome he seluteth The Church of Rome consisted of many nacions To all which are at Rome the beloued of God Sainctes by calling He saluteth all the Romaines because at Rome the church consisted not only of towne borne men but also of an innumerable company of straungers which were partlye Iewes and partly Grecians Therfore Paul maketh the salutacion common vnto theÌ„ all so the they beleue in Christ To the beloued of God he sayth which worde ought to admonish that beleuers to loue one an other for how can I not loue him whome I beleue is loued of God He rightly calleth them the beloued of God not those which loue God because it is he which loueth vs first And
therefore Paule excludeth the law because it poureth not in grace neither is the cause of iustification although this righteousnes whereof he speaketh hath his testimony of it Wherefore in his first booke and 8. chapt De gratia Christi contra Coelestium Pelagium he sheweth that this sentence is thus to be pronounced namely The righteousnes of A sondry distinction in this sentence God without the law and then to adde seuerally by it selfe is nowe made manifeste So that this particle without the law is referred vnto righteousnes and not vnto these woordes made manifest But this doth not verye well agree with the woordes of Paule although that which he sayth be most true But this is woorthy of notinge that Augustine in the same place sayth that this aduerbe of time now is not so to be taken as thoughe the olde fathers in the lawe of nature and This aduerbe of time Now howe Augustine vnderstandeth it An erroure of the Pelagians in the law of Moses had not saluation by Christ and obteyned not this righteousnes without the law The Pelagians vndoubtedly were of this opinioÌ„ that many had saluation before Moses time by the lawe of nature whiche shined moste brightly in theyr hartes which being afterward obscured the law of Moses succéeded like vnto the Moone because it brought light but not altogether absolute Last of all came Christ whose light shineth as bright as the sunne And so they affirmed that the old fathers wer saued without Christ and without his grace because Christ was not as yet come But they were muche deceaued for that The elders were iustefied not without Christ but by hym they thought that the fayth of a thinge to come serueth not to saluation when as yet we at this day beleue the resurrection of the dead the last iudgement and life eternall which are thinges to come and by this fayth are we holpen So the elders by theyr fayth in Christ to come receaued as much benefite as touching iustification as we now do which are born after his comming For the merites of the crosse of Christ and of his bloude are not thinges duringe but for a time Wherefore Christ sayd of Abraham that he desyred to see his day and saw it and reioysed Farther Paule sayth As in Adam all men dye so in Christ all men are made on lyue And he most plainely writeth vnto Timothe that Christ is the onelye mediator betwene God and men Therefore then also before his comminge into the sleshe he gaue righteousnes without the law vnto men whiche beleued in him And thys woord now which the Apostle here hath is to be referred vnto the manifestatioÌ„ For indeede this righteousnes was before but it lay hiddeÌ„ and very few had it In the olde time righteousnes was by fayth but now it is declared more amply and aâ—ertly Fayth is the instrument wher with righteousnes is comprehended But now is it publikely and openly knowne vnto the whole world And this is it that at the death of Christ the vaile of the Temple did rente and was made open so that those things which before were hidden were now made manifest The Apostle hauing in this place put foorth a question most largely to be entreced of vseth therein great perspicuity And that whiche he purposeth is deuided into two partes For in the one he denieth that by the lawe commeth our righteousnes And in the other he affirmeth that it is geuen vs by the fayth of Iesus Christ Wherefore his meaning is that fayth is the instrument whereby thys righteousnes is appreheÌ„ded And he excludeth the law from which sentence the world excedingly abhorreth for that the world knoweth of none other righteousnes but of that which commeth by good woorkes But men ought to consider The world is offended bycause the Law is excluded froÌ„ iustificatioÌ„ The principles and groundes of good woorkes in men are corrupt Christ is vulgarly thought to be the mosâ— excellent lawgeuer from whence those good woorkes do procéede which they would so fayne haue to iustify They will say from reason and the will But if these twayne be vitiated and corrupted by whom shall they be corrected They haue nothing to say but by God But before he wil correct it it is necessary that he be merciful and pacefied towards vs. But he is not pacefied but by the death bloud of Christe Of which things when we through fayth take hold we are truely said as Paule affyrmeth to be iustified by fayth without the law Commonlye it is thought yâ— that Christ is a lawgeuer which hath by his appointed and decreed thinges of most excellency and most profitable And how excellent the things are which he hath commaunded they gather out of the 5. 6. and 7. chapters of Mathew where is red that not onely murther is prohibited but also wrath and anger against our neighbour And commaundement is there geueÌ„ that he which hath any offence agaynst an other should leue his gift at the altar and go and reconcile himselfe vnto his brother He commaundeth also that we should in the way be at agreemeÌ„t wyth our aduersary Neither forbiddeth he periury onely but also any othe And although in the law be permitted An eye for an eye A tooth for a tooth yet Christ commaundeth that we should not resist euell Also in the law adultery is prohibited but Christ hath also forbidden the lustfull lookinge vpon a womaÌ„ And he restrayned those which would for euery slight cause put away theyr wynes Of these thinges they inferre that Christe in his lawes hath commaunded things more perfect theÌ„ the law of Moses commaunded And that his lawes were more commodious then the lawes of Moses hereby they proue because he abrogated ceremonies which were very hard to be obserued neither could they easely be obserued of all nations We graunt indeede that by the comminge of Christ ceremonies were taken away because the signification of them is nowe fulfilled But that Christe gaue new lawes we vtterly deny He indéede did interprete the law of Moses and reproued the error of the Scribes and of the Pharisies which thought that none but the grosser kind of sinnes were repugnante vnto the law he teacheth yâ— the commaundemeÌ„ts of God ar far otherwise to be vnderstaÌ„ded theÌ„ they ether vnderstood theÌ„ theÌ„selues or expouÌ„ded theÌ„ vnto others Wherfore he left the law as he found it and executed that which belongeth vnto hys office which was to be made an oblation and sacrifice for sinnes and to geue What was the office of Christ remission of sinnes and righteousnes by imputatioÌ„ and the holy ghost and grace Wherfore Iohn Baptist declaring the office of Christ when he shewed hym with hys fynger sayed Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world These things make against the Anabaptistes whiche make the Gospel to be nothing but good workes and a most absolute conuersation These men know not
time The sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him For neither the prophets in the old time nether we ourselues could by any other meanes then by Christ haue knowen that this is the will of God that by him he is made mercifull and fauorable vnto vs. Farther there is no mā ignorāt but that there was nede of a sacrifice and price to purge vs from our sinnes Wherfore seing both the death of Christ and the sheding of his bloud hath performed these thinges vndoubtedly they ought not to be kept in silence But here ariseth a doubt by what meanes the Apostle may seme to seioine and to put a sonder these things one from the other namely the forgeuenes of sinnes and iustificatiō and one the other side the faith of the death from the fayth of the resurrection when as it semeth that by the fayth of ech part of his death I say and of his Resurrection is geuen not only remission of sins but also iustification Augustine against Faustus in his 16. boke semeth to geue his interpretacion That our fayth is chiefly directed vnto the resurrection of Christ That Fayth is directed chiefly vnto the resurrection of the Lord. he died euen the Ethnikes also confesse but that he rose againe they vtterly deny And therfore forasmuch as fayth is sayd to be that whereby we are iustified Paul would make menciō of that thing wheron it chiefly cōsisteth And to cōfirme his sentēce he citeth a place out of the 10. chapter to the Romanes If with the mouth thou confesse the lord Iesus Christ and with thy hart beleuest that he was raysed from the dead thou shalt be saued By which wordes it appeareth that saluation and iustificatiō are attributed vnto the fayth of the resurrection of Christ But these things are not so to be taken as Our fayth is directed also vnto the death of the Lord. though our fayth should not also be directed vnto y◠death of y◠Lord. It is true in dede that the Ethnikes confesse that Christ was slayn but they do not beleue that this was done for the sinnes of men but for some offence he had committed or ells wrongfully but we beleue that he was crucified for the saluatiō and redemptiō of mankind wherfore our fayth is exercised as wel in y◠death of Christ In the fayth of the resurrectiō is comprehended the faith of the death Besides the payinge of the price ▪ it was nedefull that the redempcion should be applied vnto vs. as in his Resurrection And that which he bringeth out of the 10. Chapter vnto the Romanies maketh nothing agaynst our sentence For who vnderstandeth not that in the fayth of the Resurrection of Christ is also included that fayth which we haue of his death and crosse wherfore there are yet behynd two other very likely interpretations of which the first is that in very dede by the death of Christ was payd the price of our redemption But that it might be applied vnto vs there nedeth the holy ghost to moue vs to beleue and Christ to geue vnto vs this holy ghost rose againe from death sent abrode his Apostles to preach into all partes of the world now also before the father executeth the office of an intercessor and high priest therefore is he sayd to haue risen agayne to helpe vs that we might obteyne iustification Chrisostome semeth to lene vnto this sentence The second exposition is that the fayth of the death and of the resurrection bringeth iustification but Paule seioyned them aptly to declare the analogy and proportiō betwene them Vnto the death of Christ answereth very wel the forgeuenes of sinnes for by reason of them death was dewe vnto vs. And as Christ as touching this corruptible life died so also ought we when we are iustified to dye vnto sinne Agayne bycause iustification semeth herein to be declared in that we beginne a new life therfore is it referred vnto the resurrection of Christ for that he then semed to haue begonne a celestiall and happy life Paul vsed in a maner the selfe same form of words in this same epistle when he saith wyth the harte we beleeue vnto ryghteousnesse and wyth the mouth is confession made to saluation For the faith of the harte both worketh righteousnes and also bringeth saluation but bycause saluation and instauration are chiefly declared in action therfore he ascribed it to confession But whither of these expositions is the truer nether will I contend nor also now declare Of those things which haue now bene spoken we gather a most swete consolation for therby we doo not only know the waight of sinne but also we vnderstand that God bare a singular good loue towards vs as one which gaue his only begotten son and y◠vnto the death to deliuer vs from sinnes Farther seing Christ is sayd to haue risen from the dead for our iustification we easely se that we are by him called backe to a new life vnto which yet we cā not aspire except we be of him elected The fift Chapter VVHerefore being iustified by fayth we haue peace towardes God through our Lorde Iesus Christ By whome also we haue accesse through fayth vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God Nether do we this only but also we reioyce in afflictions knowing that affliction bringeth forth patience and patience experience and experience hope And hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroade into our hartes by the holy ghost which is geuen vnto vs. Wherefore being iustified by faith we haue peace towardes God Here the Apostle beginneth by way of rehersall to conclude that whiche he had before The effectes of fayth and of iustification proued and together therewithall set forth the effectes of faith and of iustification For that vndoubtedly is an absolute or perfect doctrine which sheweth not only the nature of thinges but also declareth the effectes Now then the chiefest effect of iustification is to deliuer vs from the terrors of death and of eternall damnation And this is it which Paul calleth To haue peace towardes God Farther he sheweth that of this peace springeth a certayne reioysing not only for the felicity which we shall obtayne but also euen for afflictions that therefore we are sure of the good will and loue of God towardes vs because we see Christ died for our saluatiō but much more are we confirmed as touching the same by reasō of his life which he now liueth with the father Moreouer he compareth Christ with Adam and sheweth that he hath brought farre greater benefites vnto mankinde then did Adam bring losses Seing we are now iustified by fayth sayth he we haue peace towardes God Sinne had seperated vs from him and God to auenge sinne draue man out of Paradise by meanes wherof we are become miserable and full of calamitye And agayne seing our owne conscience accuseth vs
ernest peny and a triall of the saluation to come And therefore in those which are in Christ he hath engrauen and emprinted his spirite Nether nede we sayth Ambrose forasmuch as we are so deare vnto God to be aferd that we should of him be deceaued And Paul hath not without a cause made mencion of the holy ghost For he it is which beareth witnes vnto our spirite that we are the sonnes of God and by him we chiefely acknowledge the thinges that are geuē vs of God For as it is written in the first to the Corrinthians we haue not receaued the spirite of this world but the spirit which is God to know the thinges which are geuen vs of God But because we can not by certayne demonstracions or by experience of the sence teach vnto the infidels this loue of God whereof the holy ghost maketh vs assured therefore it is A similitude sayd to be powred into our hartes For we are in this life like strangers which although at home they come of a noble parentage and are rich yet so long as they are abiding amōgst strange nations they are not had in estimation But yet they knowing their owne nobility reioyce in their hart and passe not vpon the vayne opinions that other men haue of them So we hauing the loue of God shed abroade into our hartes when we are as fooles miserable men derided of the wicked are nothing at all moued with their iudgement being fully contented with our state and condition Augustine somewhat otherwise expoundeth this place For he thought that by loue is to be vnderstand that loue wherwith we loue God which exposition in my iudgement can haue no place For we haue not therefore our hope vnshaken because we loue God but because we are loued of God Farther the scope of Paul is to confirme our hope by the benefit of the death of Christ which maketh vs assured not of our loue towards God but contrariwise of Gods loue towardes vs. Wherefore he concludeth his argument with these wordes And God hath set forth his loue to wardes vs. c. Although we also gladly acknowledge with Augustine that the hope of godly men is somewhat confirmed for that they now feele by the holy ghost that they are inflamed with the loue of God when they vnderstand that for their sake the sonne of God was of hym deliuered vnto the death And that our loue is deriued of that loue of God wherewith he embraseth vs it is playne and manifest Our loue springeth of the loue of God but as touching the sence of the Apostle the former exposition is more naturall For Christ when we were yet weake according to the consideration of the time died for the vngodly For a man will scarce dye for a righteous man For for a good man it may be that one dare dye But God setteth forth his loue towardes vs seing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. Much more then being now iustified by his blood we shal be saued frō wrath thorough him For if whē we wer enemies we wer recōciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shal be saued by his life And not only this but we also reioyce in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whome we haue now receaued the attonement For Christ when we were yet weake c. Now he expresseth the reasō wherby we may knowe that God loueth vs namely for that he gaue his sonne for vs whē we were yet weake sinners vngodly enemies Wherfore we manifestly gather that y◠hope cā not confound vs wherby we haue full confidence y◠seing we are now regenerate and reconciled vnto God we shal at the length obteine eternall felicity For if he vouchased to geue so much for enemies and sinners sakes vndoubtedly he wil geue much more vnto his frindes and childrē Wherfore The Methode of Paules reason Paul first setteth forth the benefite bestowed vpon mākind the sonne of God I say which was geuē vnto the death Secondly he maketh a comparisō wherby is excedingly confirmed the hope of the faythfull Last of all he sheweth that we doo not only hope but also excedingly reioyce of this loue of God towards vs. As touching the first part he doth not coldly or sclēderly declare how much good God hath bestowed vpon vs when he gaue his sonne for our saluatiō but with greate amplificatiō he setteth forth the matter namely that his sonne was not geuen for all men but for those which were vtterly vnworthy of all mercy For before we wer by the benefite of God made pertakers of this redemption we could by no helpe or force of our owne helpe our selues And therfore Christ is sayd to be geuen for weake ones which wholy neded all maner of helpe And those selfe same being wicked and vngodly refused the helpe offred vnto them And when they were sinners these euells dayly encreased more and more For both the infirmity was encreased and the remedy grew the more in hatred by reason of theyr impiety which more and more encresed This also helped therevnto for that men were now declared to be open enemies And it was a greate matter to vndoo and make voide those thinges which were once decreed This is the meaning of these wordes vveake vngodly sinners and enemies For a righteous man and for a good man Seing that all men are loth to dye thereby is manifest how greate was the loue of Christ towards vs which would dye for such as once were we as hath now bene declared For the righteous Some hereby haue vnderstand a iust cause For they whiche haue deserued death canne skarslye bee perswaded too take theyr death patient For the Good That is they more willingly dye for that which is profitable and plesant as the parentes for theyr children the husbands for their wiues merchants for theyr merchandise Origen bringeth an example of the Martirs which suffer death for Christs sake who is in very dede good Others make mēcion of the Decians Curtians Codrians and the bretherne called Phileni which of theyr owne accorde gaue theyr liues for theyr countrey For all these semed to haue bene moued to geue themselues to the death both for that which is iust for that which is profitable For it was a thing iust that they should be so kind vnto theyr countrey in the defence thereof to be willinge to shedde theyr liues Farther also by theyr death they semed to preserue those who were vnto them most deare Vndoubtedly for my part I thinke with Chrisostome that by these woords Iust and Good are simply to be vnderstand good men and iust men although Ierome to Algasia in his 7. question taketh Iust and good substātiuely for a thing iust and good But why Paul sayd Scarce for a iust man and addeth peraduenture for a good man I thinke this to be the cause for that they which seemed sometimes to
dye for others which thing yet very rarely happened the thyng They which seme to dye for others dye for their owne sake being well considered may be sayd to haue died for their owne sake and not for any other mans sake Either for y◠they would winne glory or els for that they saw that all thinges went against them and not being able to abide that they chose rather to die But how farre the Decians and Curtians and suche other like were distant from the pure loue of Christ may be declared by many argumēts The death of the Curtians and of the Decians far inferior to the death of Christ For first they were not of that dignity that they should be compared with Christ wherfore their life which they gaue was not of like valew Farther woulde they or nilde they they should at one time or other haue died and peraduenture euen the selfe same tyme when the host was like to haue bene vanquished of the enemies But when death hangeth ouer mens heds it commonly maketh them the more fierce and bold as we read of Solon for he when he had raysed vp the citizens against the Tyranne Pisistratus beyng demaunded what thyng made him so bold alone aboue others to take vpon him such an enterprise answered his olde age For when he saw that he should within a while afterwarde dye he easely perswaded himself willingly to dye for his country sake but Christ not beyng obnoxious to death and yet for our sakes geuing himself vnto the death declared himselfe a much greater loue towards vs then they did towards their country Farther they died for their coūtry which was swete vnto thē for their wiues for their children for their lawes but Christ would be slain for weake persōs for sinners for enemies Before thē was set glory for whē they in such sort died they were an admiratiō to all mē wer publikely highly cōmended praised but Christ died a most vile death so y◠also he was reckened amongest thieues when as otherwise he was of all men the most innocentest Last of all they when they died had no consideration of God but Christ whatsoeuer he did did it of an obedience toward the eternall God his father Wherefore whether we looke vpon our selues or vpon Christ which suffred we can fynde no cause of his death but the meare loue of God towardes vs for we were so miserable and paste grace that we coulde by no merite of ours allure God to loue vs. Further Christ was so perfect and so heaped vp with all maner of felicity that he had no nede of that death thereby to attayne the more commodity What a pure loue is And that is counted a singular and pure loue which nether followeth his owne commodities nor is after a sort violently drawen of the worthynes of the thing it selfe And herein vndoubtedly Christ hath excellently well resembled his father and declared himselfe to be the sonne of God For he rayneth vpon the iust the vniust graunteth life doth good to men that are contumelious agaynst How much Christ excelled the Philosophers him and as Iohn sayth loued vs first Some of the Ethnike philosophers thought that they had done a very great acte when they were not moued with iniuries and for that cause they were counted like vnto God but Christ farre excelled thē For he was not only not agaynst wicked ones his enemies but also loued them and so loued them that he gaue his life for them Wherefore forasmuch as God is constant nether will easely chaunge hys will and seing that he hath geuen vnto vs so much vndoubtedly he will afterward geue greater thinges and seing that he hath once begonne to be beneficiall vnto vs he will not ceasse of vntill he haue adorned vs with all maner of benefites He hath God is hetherto foūr faythfull in his promises bene found faithfull in many promises he promised to take vpon him humane fleshe he tooke it to preach the Gospell he preached it To dye for our saluation he died To rise agayne from the dead he rose agayne To ascende vp into heauen he ascended vp To geue the holy ghost he gaue it To cal the Gentles he hath called them What is now behynde but the last resurrection and euerlasting glory to be rēdred vnto the faythfull Vndoubtedly if he haue faythfully performed all other thinges he will not in this one thing which is remaining breake hys fayth There were two thinges to be done saith Chrisostome which semed very hard namely that sinners should be iustified and that the Lord should dye for thē And forasmuch as both these things are now done the thinges which are remayning shall vndoubtedly be performed And Ambrose saith that the thinges which are remaining to be done are now made very easy And where as Paul sayth According to the time It may be referred vnto the death of Christ which happened not at euery tyme but at a tyme certayne opportune and appointed of God For if all thinges haue their appoynted tyme much more is the same to be affirmed of the death of Christ Wherfore Paul saith y◠he was geuen whē now was come the fulnes of time And Christ many times said either that his houre was now come or that it was not yet come That particle also may be added to that which is sayd that we were weake namely as the consideration of the tyme required For when we were strangers from Christ we lyued a weake life which yet is not so to be taken as though the consideration of the tyme coulde excuse that infirmitye For tyme vndoubtedly brought not that infirmity vnto vs for men were rather made weake by their owne transgression Although Ambrose vnderstand those wordes According to the tyme of the three dayes wherein Christ lay deade in the sepulchre But it skilleth not much which of these three interpretations a man followe But chiefely by these wordes of the Apostle we ought to consider what estate they are in which are not yet regenerate nor made partakers of the death of Christ For Paul pronounceth them to be weake sinners enemies and wicked men Where then ran What is the estate of those that are not regenerate Against workes preparatory these workes of preparation haue place for which our aduersaries make so muche ado But these men dreame I know not of what middle state wherein men lyue not altogether godly nor vtterly vngodly Amongest which kinde of men they recken Cornelius the Centurion whose almes were gratefull and acceptable and his prayers heard of the Lord when as yet he beleued not in Christ But as touchyng him if as these mē say he were not yet a pertaker of the death of Christ nor by any means regenerate vndoubtedly by the testimony of Paul he was both an enemy of God and an vngodly person and therfore neither he himself nor his works could be acceptable vnto God
something which is of his owne nature sinne which yet is not imputed of God as we sayd commeth to passe in the beleuers as touching the corruption of nature and pronesse vnto sinnes These thinges are of them selues sinnes although for Christes sake they are not imputed as the Apostle in this The imputation of sinnes of two sortes ether as touching God or as touching men The tyme of the lawe is not excluded from sinne place sayth that before the Law there were many sinnes which yet were not so imputed or counted of men Although herein is some difference for there the imputation is by the mercy of God remoued way but here it is remoued away thorough the ignorance of man Farther although it be said Euen vnto the law yet is not thereby the time of the law acquitted free from sinne For the Law is not of that strength to abolish sinnes And this was of no smal force to abate the hautines and pride of the Iewes For they counted themselues more holye all thē other nations for that they had receaued a law from God The like kinde of speach is vsed of the Ethnikes when they write that euen vnto the tenth yere did the Greacians fight agaynst Troy for in so saying they doubtles excluded not the tenth yeare So when Paul sayth Sinne was in the world Euen vnto the law he excludeth not that time which was vnder the law And this wōderfully Only grace ouercommeth sinne setteth forth the grace of Christ which alone was able to vāquishe and to driue away sinne when as sinne was of so greate force to destroye and had so farre and so long ranged abrode that it could not be restrayned no not by the Law Paul when he sayth That death raigned vseth the figure Prosopopaeia nether ought we therfore to thinke y◠by this word Kingdome is ment any healthfull gouermēt Howbeit Why the power of of death is called a kingdome therefore he calleth the power of death a kingdome to show that the power thereof was exceding great wherunto all thinges gaue place that it was of a wonderfull mighty force which had brought all tlhinges vnder his subiectiō The selfe same forme of speaking he vseth agayne in this epistle saying Let not sinne raigne in your mortall body as if he should haue sayd Although ye cannot prohibit sinne to be in you yet permite not vnto it the kingdome and chiefe dominion it all your endeuors and counselles should geue place and be obedient vnto that And he therefore added that death raygned from Adam euen to Moses to declare that there was sinne in the world For death and sinne follow one the other Agaynst them that deny originall sinne in children inseperably and Sinne and death inferre and bring in one the other Hereby are confuted those which contend that infantes are without sinne and say that for that cause they dye for that by reason of the sinne of Adam they are vnder the condition of mortality being otherwise themselues innocent and cleane from sinne For if this were true the Apostle should then in this place conclude nothing For it mought easely be answered that althoughe men died before the law yet sinne at that time had not his being Wherfore let vs say with Paul Sinne and death are so ioyned together that they cannot be parted a sonder Ambrose suspected the Greke bookes that these two things are so ioyned together that they cā not be parted asonder Ouer them also that sinned not after the like maner of the transgression of Adam These wordes were in some copies set forth affirmatiuely by taking away this word not And of this reading doth Origen make mencion and so farre is Ambrose of from dissalowing it that he thinkethn one but it to be natiue And he hath a large discourse of the variety of the Greke bookes and semeth for that cause to haue them in suspicion as corrupted in many places after that the contencions of the heretikes grew strōg But in the expositiō of that reading which he followeth he semeth to speake but slenderly to the matter for he will haue death to haue rayned ouer those onely which in sinning were like vnto Adam and this he saith happened in idolatry For he affirmeth that the sinne wherein Adam fell was in a maner of this sorte that he beleued himselfe to be God and preferred Sathā before God more esteming his coūsell then the cōmaūdemēt of God But as for others which keping still their faith in the only Creator did notwithstāding sometimes fall he thinketh not that they fell after y◠like maner that Adam fell and therefore he writeth that they died the death of the bodye Ambrose held that some had in hell a free custody but not eternall death were kept in hell in a free custody euē to the cōming of Christ but in those which had imitated the sinne of Adam ternal death wholy raigned These things as euery mā may easely se are both farre fetched also do much weakē the argumēt of the Apostle wherefore if this text should be red affirmatiuely peraduēture we mought picke therout this sentēce to vnderstād y◠death raigned ouer al mē which sinned after the like māner of the transgressiō of Adam for that he hauing sinned it was all one as if all men had bene present and sinned together with him But let vs leaue this readinge and follow the common readinge and especially seinge Chrisostome Theophilactus and the Greeke Scholies pronounce these woordes negatiuely And so this is the sence that those menne which were before the lawe although they sinned not after that manner that Adam fell who besides the lawe of nature had also a certain commaundement prescribed him yet they also were obnoxious vnto death But Augustine applieth these wordes vnto infantes which die and haue sinne although they sinne not after the selfe same manner that Adam sinned And so Not to sinne after the like manner of the transgression of Adam is nothing els but not to haue sinne actuall and personall as they call it But I woulde thinke that in these woordes may be comprehended both infantes and others that are of age both those before the law and those after the law and those vnder grace Rude and blockish 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 sinne not after the same manner that Adam did as many as are so rude and blockishe that they are vtterlye ignorante of the commaundementes of God of whiche kinde of men it is not incredible but that there maye some be founde in the worlde And in this case vndoubtedlye all men dye although they know not the commaundement prescribed them of God as Adam did Which was the figure of that which was to come By y◠which was to come we may vnderstand all that which afterward happened in all men which procéeded from Adam which were aswel as he obnoxious vnto the curse and vnto death So the first father was a figure and
carnall generation Paul in the 6. chap to the Rom. sayth That therefore we must not abide in sinne bicause we are now dead vnto it And that thing he proueth by Baptisme For whatsoeuer we be sayth he that are baptised in Christ Iesu we are baptised in his death to this end that we should dye vnto sinne and that our old man should be crucified and the body of sinne abolished And for as much as children are baptised euen thereby we haue a testemony that there is sinne in them For otherwise the nature of Baptisme as it is there described of Paul should not consist The same reason hath he also in his epistle to the Colossians where he sayth that we are Circumcised with circumcision not made with handes in making cleane the sinfull body of the flesh beinge buried together with Christ in Baptisme He compareth Baptisme with CircumcisioÌ„ saith that they which are baptised are made cleane froÌ„ the body of sinne Nether is it to be doubted but yâ— they which are baptised are baptised into the remission of sinnes And assuredly the circumcision which in the old law was geuen vnto Children was correspondent vnto our Baptisme And as touching circuÌ„cision it is written The soule whose flesh of the foreskinne is not circumcised the eight day let it dye the death Wherefore seing children haue nede of the sacrament of regeneration it followeth of necessitye that they are borne subiect vnto sinne Paul to the Ephesians sayth That we are by nature the children of wrath But our nature could not be odious vnto God vnles it were contaminated with sinne And in the same place Paul doth with most greuous wordes describe the sharpnes of this wrath how that we walke after the prince of this world who is of efficacy in our harts bycause of stubbernes and for that cause we do the will of the flesh and of our mynde Augustine also citeth a place out of the first epistle to the Corrinthi that Christ died for all men Wherefore it followeth that all men were dead and had nede of his death But it is a wicked thing to exclude childreÌ„ out of the nomber of them for whome Christ dyed If thou demaund what maner ones they were for whome Christ died the Apostle hath sufficiently declared that in this epistle when he sayd that they were weake enemies of god vngodly and sinners Amongest whome also we ought to reken young children if we will say that Christ died for them Farther it semeth that Originall sinne is most manifestly taught by the 7. chap. of this epistle For there it is thus written The law is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sinne And it is added The good thing which I would I doo not but the euill which I would not that I doo Neither doo I worke that but sinne which dwelleth in me He maketh mencion also of the law of members wherewith he complayneth that he was drawen captiue and agaynst his will And in the 8. chap. he sayth that the wisdome of the fleshe is enmity against God neither is it subiect vnto the law of God yea neither can it be The death also which young children dye doth sufficientlye testefye that there sticketh sinne in them except we will say that God punisheth them without desert Farther this selfe place which we are now in hand with conteyneth a most manifest testemony of Originall sin For thus it is written that by one man sinne entred into the world that all meÌ„ haue sinned none excepted and that the sinne of one man is spred abrode amongst all men and that for the disobedience of one man many are made sinners Farther they which are grafted in Christ are toward the latter end of this epistle called wild oliue trees by which metaphore is signified that man had degenerated from yâ— good institution of nature And if so be that we haue departed from our nature vndoubtedly we are spotted with originall sinne And before Paul so accused all mankind that he sayd There is none iust there is none that vnderstandeth or seketh after God All haue declined and ther with all are become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one c. All which thinges sufficiently declare the corruptioÌ„ of mans nature By these testimonies of scriptures it is manifest inough as I thinke that there is Originall sinne Now in order I should confute the argumentes of the aduersaries But first I thought it good to declare the definition of originall sinne For it being diligently marked and knowen many thinges shall by the way be vnderstanded which serue much to confute their reasons First we will recite the opinions of other men then will we declare what we thinke thereof The Pelagians The Pelagians say that the sâ—n of Adam was spred abroade only by imitation Adam brought not forth the first example of sinning but the deuill affirmed that the sinne of Adam hath not spred abroade into his posterity but only by imitation Augustine striued vehemently agaynst these men and proueth by many argumentes that originall sinne is not only the imitation of the sinne of Adam For if Paul would haue sayd that the first sinne was after that maner spred abroade he would not haue sayde that it came froÌ„ Adam but rather from the deuill For he was the first that gaue a forme and example to sinne Wherefore Christ in Iohn sayth that the Iewes which boasted that they came of their father Abraham were rather the children of the deuill because they did his workes For the deuill was a manqueller euen froÌ„ the beginning and they sought to kill hym which had not euill deserued at their handes And to this Augustine citeth that which is written in the 2. chapter of the booke of wisedome that through enuy of the deuill death entred into the world and that they do imitate him which are on his side Vnto which sentence neuertheles I do not much attribute partly because that booke is not Canonicall and partly because in the Greke text there is some ambiguity For this verbe do imitate is not there written but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is haue experience of that death Howbeit the reason is firme that of the deuill came the fyrst example of sinning Farther this opinion is hereby coÌ„futed because Paul maketh an Antithesis betwene Christ and Adam But the righteousnes of Christ is not only set forth vnto be to be imitated but The righousâ—es of Christ is not only set forth to be imitated also that they which beleue in hym should be changed in mynde corrected in spirite and amended in all their strengthes Wherefore it is agayne required on the other side by the nature of the Antithesis that besides the euill example which Adam gaue vnto his posterity he hath also corrupted their nature and as Augustine writeth in his booke of the merites and remission of sinnes tabe quadam tabificauerit that is hath with a certayne corruption
kingdome of heauen suffring many discommodities which are deriued from the groundes of our nature Wherefore we may coÌ„plaine of our first parent but not of God For he was most liberal towards him especially seyng he called vs againe vnto himselfe which is the chiefe felicitie by hys onely sonne and would haue hym to suffer death for our saluation But against this opinion maketh that chiefly which we haue already twise before Death hâ—th no right where no sinne is rehersed namely that infantes do die For death hath no right where as is no sinne vnles we will say that God punisheth the innocent And this reason is confirmed by that argument of Paul wherby he proued that sinne was before the law Because death saith he raigned from Adam euen to Moses But by Pigghius opinion this might be counted a very weke reason For a maÌ„ might say although they died yet therby it followeth not that they had sinne For death happened vnto The Apostle confesseth that sin dwelleth in himselfe We haue not the principles of natuâ—e perfect but vitiated The consideration of man and of brute bests is not alike them thorough Adam for whose sinne they became mortall Farther doth not Paul confesse that there is sinne in nature when he affirmeth that sinne dwelleth in himself and confesseth that the law of the members draweth him captiue and such other like And that is nothing which Pigghius obiecteth namely that those thinges come of the principles of nature for these principles are not of nature being perfect but of nature corrupte and vitiated Neither ought he in this thyng to bring a similitude from brute beastes For man is created to be farre excellenter then brute beastes to beare rule ouer theÌ„ Man had in dede in himselfe principles to desire things pleasaÌ„t profitable but not against reason the worde of God For to haue those affections outragious and violent belongeth not to men but to brute beasts Farther our soule being immortal geuen by the inspiratioÌ„ of God required a body méete for it namely such which mighte be preserued for euer that the soule should not any time be compelled to be without it Wherfore we ought not to flye The bodye ought to be agreable vnto the soule It is blasphemy to make God the author of wicked affections vnto the principles of nature for it was not framed such as now we haue it Now if Pigghius do fayne that God created in vs these lustes and wicked affections theÌ„ is he blasphemous and contumelious againste him whiche faultes he vnworthely goeth about to lay to our charge For forasmuche as God is good and moste wise and moste iuste and hath also created man vnto the highest felicity he woulde not haue geuen him those thinges whereby he should be withdrawen from that felicitie which should entise him to do against his commaundementes whiche of theyr owne accord are filthy and should lead vs captiues into the law of sinne of death For these thinges if they ought to be mortified and crucified as vndoubtedly they ought we must néedes graunt that they are vices and hatefull vnto God Neither E 〈…〉 l affections forasmuch as they ought to be mortified at sins is that of so great force that he fayth that they are not properly sinnes vnles euen as colde is called slouthfull because it maketh menne slouthfull so these thinges because they allure men to sinne may therefore after a sort be called sinnes Or euen as the scripture calleth that a hand which is made with the hand or speach is called the tonge because it is pronounced by the ministery of the tounge so these thinges may be called sinnes because they proceede from sinne These similitudes do nothinge helpe Pigghius cause for althoughe Augustine vsed sometimes so to speake yet he would haue it to be vnderstand of those defaultes and vices which are in maÌ„ after Baptisme In which thing how farre we agrée with him we haue els where declared and peraduenture afterward will farther declare But Augustine plainely affirmeth that before baptisme they are sinnes Yea the holy Ghoste also in Paul calleth theÌ„ sinnes and the nature of sinne agreeth wyth The nature of sinne is extended to al things that are against the law of God â–ª Wherein iniquity coÌ„â—sisteth them For so we haue defined sinne that it pertayneth to all those things whatsoeuer they be that are againste the lawe of God For as Iohn sayth sinne is iniquitie And who seeth not that it is a thing vniuste that the fleshe should haue the spirite subiect vnto it and that our soule should not be obediente vnto the woorde of God Wherefore forasmuch as all these thinges do stirre vs vp to transgresse and to rebell against the woord of God they are both vniust also ought to be called sinnes Farther the wordes of Dauid are most plainely against Pigghius when he sayth Beholde I was conceaued in iniquityes and in sinnes hath my mother conceaued me If wicked lust and these vices were the woorkes of nature vndoubtedly that holy maÌ„ woulde not haue complained of them And what other thinge mente the Apostle Paul when he wrote vnto the Ephesians That we are by nature the childreÌ„ of wrath but that there is sinne in euery one of vs Howbeit Pigghius doth by a peruerse interpretacion go about to wrest this testimonye from vs. For he saith that to be by nature the children of wrath is nothinge els but to be the children of wrath by a certayne course of birth because we are so borne into the worlde And he bringeth this similitude that some are called bondmen by nature which is nothing els then that they were borne in that state to be bond But we neither can nor oughte to be contente with this fained deuise for the anger of God is not prouoked but iustly For it is not such that it can be incensed either rashely or by chaunce Wherefore The anger of God is not prouoked but iustly there must nedes be some wicked thinge in our nature to the auengement wherof the anger of God is stirred vp And that similitude of his serueth not to hys purpose for they which are sayd to be borne bondmen by nature haue also by nature some thing in them which is apt for bondage For if we geue credite vnto Aristotle Seruantes by nature haue something in theÌ„ that is apte for seruitude writing in his politiques bondmen by nature are they which excell in strength of body but are dull and slow in reason and thereof it commeth that they are more meete to serue then to beare rule ouer others or to liue at liberty The Apostle also sufficiently declareth why he calleth vs by nature the children of wrath namely because by nature we séeme prone and readye to stirre vp the anger of God and walke according to the prince of this world and because the Deuell is of efficacy in our hartes by reason of
the merites of the parentes For they can not by procreation of the body poure grace into the children forasmuch as it is a thing altogether spirituall nether hath it any naturall fellowship with the fleshe Wherefore forasmuch as goodnes holynes are the mere and pure giftes of God God doth in dede promise that he will doo good vnto the posterity of godly men euen to a thousand generations But that is not to be vnderstand as though there were put any merit in the parentes God was of his mercy moued to make this promise and not by the merites of men And to declare his libertye herein he suffereth it sometimes to happen otherwise and by that meanes teacheth that holy parentes are not so holy but that they haue still much wickednes and corruption in them which they may se to be naturally grafted in theyr children Whereby we may manifestly se the corruption of our nature which also followeth the sayntes euen to the death And for the more establishing also of thys sentence some bring out of the Psalme a curse of the Churche agaynst the children of the vngodlye That they shoulde be orphanes that no man shoulde haue compassion on them that they shoulde begge theyr liuinge If the children of the vngodly be innocents then is this no iust prayer Wherfore it semeth by these words of necessity to follow that they are partakers of the wyckednes of their parentes And bicause they are infantes it can by no other meanes be done but by propagation I know there are some which will haue these wordes of Dauid to be prophesies of thinges to come wherin the holy ghost hath foretold that these misfortunes shall come vnto them But graunt that they be prophesies Yet can it not be denied but that there is in them both the forme the affect of a prayer But a prayer Whether the latter mē be more miserable then the first ought to be iust for otherwise it should be no prayer But where as they say that that is most absurd which followeth of this doctrine namely that the last men also should be more miserable then all others bicause they should beare the synnes both of Adam also of all their elders it may be answered two maner of wayes For first not all thinges which seme absurd vnto vs are also absurd before God The things that are absurde vnto vs are not absurd before God For not to depart from this selfe same matter Christ threatneth the Iewes that all the murther of the godly from Abell euen to Zacharias the sonne of Barachias should come vpon them And who séeth not that the estate of the children of Israel which were led away into captiuity was much more miserable then very many generations of their elders which had defiled themselues with the selfe same sins Farther we aunswer that that should in dede be absurd if the sinnes of the elders should continually passe into the children But seyng we haue declared that that is not alwayes so but that the prouidence of God hath appointed an end and measure To the reasons of the scholemen Affections of the mind◠are communicated frō the parents vnto the children vnto this euil and hath therfore determinately pronounced onely of the third and fourth generation there is no cause why it should seme absurd vnto any man But the reasons of the scholemen wherwith they withstand this propagation are very weake First they alledge that the qualities of the minde are not communicated from the parentes vnto the children which thing euen experience teacheth to be false For we sée oftentymes that of angry persons are borne angry children and of sad parentes sad children Neither doth this similitude serue thē to any purpose when they say that of a Grammarian is not borne a Grammarian nor of a Musician a Musician For these are artes which are gotten by precepts and exercise not affections which are naturally grafted in men And yet by experiēce we sée that it somtymes commeth to passe y◠in what arte the father chiefly excelleth he hath children very prone vnto the same whither if be husbandry or the arte of war fare or els some liberall science Farther we in this place principally speake of those affections which are the groundes and beginninges of actions In the other Sinne defileth both soule and body argument they say that sinne in the parentes doth vitiate only the soule which is not true For as we haue before taught their body is also defiled And therfore it is no meruaile if fathers do communicate such a body vnto their children Wherfore as touching this matter I gladly agrée with Augustine that it is probable and agreable with the scriptures and this sentence Martin Bucer a man no lesse lerned then holy hath allowed that priuate sinnes are deriued from the parents vnto the children But we must note that that commeth by chaunce and is not of necessitie For God sometimes stayeth the sinnes of the parentes and of his goodnes suffreth not the nature of men vtterly to be destroyed But when he will either represse this traductiō of sins or els suffer it to take place he himself only knoweth Howbeit vnto vs it is sufficient to consider these two things First the sinne is poured from the parentes into the children Secondly that the same is by the benefite of God sometimes prohibited which yet can by no meanes be spoken of Originall sin For we al are borne infected with it Now let vs returne vnto the words of the Apostle which we haue so long tyme intermitted Moreouer the lawe entred in by the way that sinne shoulde abounde But where sinne abounded there grace abounded muche more That euen as sinne hath raigned in death so might grace also raigne by righteousnes vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ Moreouer the law entred in by the way that sinne should abounde But The Methode of Paule where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more We muste call to memory that the Apostle began to reherse the effectes of iustification namely that by it we haue peace with God and that we do reioyce not onely bicause of the hope of that glorye but also we reioyce in tribulations bicause we are assured of oure saluation For the confirmation of whiche hope he hathe declared that GOD hathe geuen his sonne vnto the deathe and that when we were yet sinners enemies vngodly And that it should not be obscure by what meanes the righteousnes of Christ could saue vs he sheweth by a comparison that euen as by the sinne of Adam all men haue perished so by Christ all men haue reuiued And in this comparison he teacheth that the effect of sinne is death And that men are deliuered from it only by Christ Now bycause a man might aske whether the law hath any thing profited to the attayntment of that saluation he answereth by preuention that it rather augmented the disease so farre was it of
First that it is not vtterly vnprofitable no not euen without regeneration for it may serue to some ciuile discipline The office of the law For if mē do the outward workes of the law in such sort as they may although vnto them which doo them they are sinnes yet by thē may be obserued a ciuile order For where there is no obseruation of these thinges all thinges are confoūded iniuries are committed filthy lust rāgeth abrode the wrath of God is kindled so that he suffreth not publike welthes being in such maner corrupt verye long to continew There is also an other worke of the lawe which is inwarde which pertayneth vnto the conscience that it should perpetually accuse vrge scourge and condemne it And by this meanes God as we haue sayd bringeth a man at the length to iustification Which iustification being obteyned nether then doth the law lye idle but is like a glasse wherein the regenerate do behold After regeneration the law is not idle what fruites they ought to bring forth how much they ought dayly to profite what they haue to geue thankes for and how muche they want of the iust instauration to y◠end to obtaine it they may the more ernestly call vpon God The law also putteth before theyr eyes y◠marke wherevnto they ought to leuel in al theyr actions Vnto which although they can not attayne in this life yet they must doo theyr diligence not to depart far from it By these thinges it manifestly appeareth how much the law helpeth in outward workes what it worketh in the conscience and how much it helpeth them that are regenerate Now resteth this to marke that this sentence of the Apostle pertayneth not only to ceremonies Vnder this sentēce are comprehended not onely ceremonies but also the morall precept but also to the morall preceptes For sinne is by them most chiefely increased and it is of more greater wayght to stray from them then from outward ceremonies But now let vs returne vnto the Apostle That euen as sinne hath raigned in death so might grace also raigne by righteousnes vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ Here he sheweth a reason why grace in the elect after the increases of sinne abounded namely that by it we should obteyne righteousnes and so at the length come to eternall life For euen as sinne brought death so grace also and righteousnes which must be ioyned together haue brought eternall life The argument is taken of contraries An argument taken of contraries For seing that sinne which is opposite vnto righteousnes brought death it is meete that of grace and righteousnesse shoulde followe life Neyther is it in vayne that righteousnesse is ioyned wyth grace For thereby we are taughts that our righteousnesse consisteth not of woorkes but of grace The wonderfull order also of thynges is here to be noted In the firste place is put the A very godly gradation law then the increase of sinne and then the aboundance of grace afterward righteousnes last of all eternall life and all these things by Iesus Christ As touching the wordes sinne is sayd to haue raigned in death bycause sinne could not be taken away by the law and death was for his cause inflicted as a punishmēt In the 1. to y◠Corrinth Paul hath in a maner the selfe same sentence saying that the dart of death is sinne For nether could death otherwise wound mankind but by sinne Ether of them are sayd to raigne both grace and sinne when we are moued and stirred vp by them for in Publike welthes kinges raigne and gouerne How grace and sinne a◠sayd to raigne as it pleaseth them In godlye men righteousnes raigneth for they after they haue receaued remission of sinnes study to geue theyr members weapons vnto righteousnes and holines as before they had permitted them to sinne And this is called the kingdome of Christ which is therefore ascribed vnto grace by Why this kingdome is called the kingdome of Christ The rootes of death and life A similitude Grace and life cleaue together of necessity cause it consisteth freely and without workes In this place as Chrisostome noteth are set forth vnto vs the rootes of death and life The fountaine of life is grace and righteousnes the foūtayne of death is sinne And he addeth that death is like a souldier whiche is aypointed armed of sin as of his king wherfore take away the king then death being vnarmed can not destroy mē for euer Farther he admonisheth that forasmuch as haue alredy obteyned grace we should not doubt of the obteynement of life For these things cleaue of necessity the one to the other But why the Apostle bringeth this similitude we may easely shew Bicause grace was of more force to make new agayne then sinne was of force to kill And in that it is added by Iesus Christ we must call to rememberance the Analogy or proposition set at the beginning betwene Adam and Christe For euen as from Adam came sinne and death so from one Iesus Christ came grace and life This place admonisheth vs somwhat to speake of grace Nounes which as the Logicians say are put abstractly are vsually declared by their cōcrets whose significations Of Grace Abstractes are knowne by theyr concretes What is to be gracious are more present vnto the sence Wherefore let vs first sée what this worde Gratiosus that is gratious signifieth with the Latines And he amongest men is called Gratiosus whome all men fauour and whome the common people do loue So in the holy scriptures men are called gratious which haue found grace with God For so the scripture vseth to speake of those whom God fauoureth and We are one way gracibefore God and an other way before men whom he loueth But yet as touching this there is great differēce betwene God men For men fauour none but them in whome they finde those things whereby they may be allured and drawen to loue them It behoueth therfore that he which will be beloued of men haue in himselfe the causes of loue and beneuolence But God contrariwise found in men nothing worthy to be beloued wherby he mought be led to loue them For he hath loued vs first and out of that loue he bestoweth vpon vs whatsoeuer we haue that is acceptable vnto him Wherfore the name of The grace of God is taken too o◠manner of wayes grace is in holy scriptures taken two manner of wayes first and principally it signifieth the beneuolence of God towardes men and the frée fauour which he heareth towards the elect Secondly bicause God endueth his elect with excellēt gifts Grace sometymes signifieth also those giftes which are fréely bestowed vppon vs by God This two fold signification of grace beyng well noted declareth with how great diuersitie our aduersaries and we affirme one and the selfe same sentence for either of vs say that a man is iustified by grace But in this is
only begon and not finished vntill the body and fleshe are vtterly dissolued To dye vnto sinne after Pauls meaning is not to obey sinne And by sinne he vnderstandeth naturall lust and corruption of nature which we haue contracted of the fall of our first parentes The meaning therfore of Paul is that Christians should nothing be moued at this sinne so grafted in vs by nature if at any time it stirre vp and enflame them to do euil The dead are moued by no perswasions Although we be dead vnto sinne yet we fighte againste it but should be as it were dead vnto it and not suffer themselues either by pleasures to be deceiued or by any terrors to be turned away from pietie For they which are dead are moued by no persuasions Let them which professe Christ and in the meane time die not vnto lustes but rather with all their endeuor follow them marke in this place how well they aunswer vnto their name duty Farther although the godly die vnto sinne yet they neuer cease to make warre against it for they are not so dead vnto sinne that they feele not the mansions therof Yea rather they are very much greued that they are vrged of it and thei weaken the violence therof with all the endeuour of the spirit as much as they are able The other proposition wherin we said that they whiche belong vnto Christ are dead vnto sinne is proued by the communion which thorough faith The communion which we haue with Christ is noted in baptisme we haue with Christ which cōmunion for y◠it is inuisible is outwardly known by the sacrament of baptisme wherin as Paul saith is signified both that we are dead vnto sinne and also that we are raised vp vnto the life of Christ This is the repentance which is set forth in this sacrament that we shoulde departe from sinne and by all meanes detest it with a sure faith of the remission of sins through Christ and with a full purpose of amendment of life Whiche repentance although in baptisme it be sealed both by wordes and also by signes yet is it all our life time neuertheles necessary For y◠phisition vseth not so to heale A similitude the sicke person that he afterward should abuse his health through his intemperancie cast himself into a more greuous disease Wherfore we must imitate wise and temperat men which being restored from a perilous disease vse afterward diligently to take hede of those things which might hurt their health Chrisostome So do they in these dayes at the end of Lent in his Homilies vnto the people of Antioche accuseth many which apointed out vnto themselues ten or xx dayes or a whole month all which time they would fast and as they vse to speake do penaunce but afterward as though they had accomplished all manner of dewties of pietie they fell to their former vices as if they had neuer shaked them of but onelye for a tyme had layde them a syde Thys kynde of men Paule in thys place accuseth in that they professyng themselues to be deade vnto synne wyll yet lyue agayne vnto it and he confirmeth hys sentence by Baptisme For the The natur◠of the sacraments was in the olde time very wel known vnto al mē What is the cause that the nature of the sacraments is at this day vnknowne of the commō people The sacramēts ought to be ministred in the common tounge and that publikely How in baptisme we are signified to die vnto sinne Sacramentes in these firste and purer times of the Churche were commonlye knowen vnto all men whiche at this day whiche is muche to be lamented are vnknowen vnto the greatest part of Christians But this misery hath the vse of a strange tounge brought in which Antichrist hath added to all sacred righte and ceremonies whereby is come to passe that forasmuch as the people vnderstand nothing they are amased only at certayne outwarde gestures and ceremonies and vnto them doo affixe all theyr confidence and saluation And for the most part also hereof sprang this mischiefe that infantes are oftētimes baptised ether at home or ells in the temple where none in a maner are present where is had no declaration at all of so greate a sacrament Wherefore that this most lamentable discommodity may be amended the Sacramētes ought to be ministred in the mother tounge perspicuously and the time to baptise ought to be appoynted when the congregation is most frequent to the end there may be many witnesses of so greate a thing and that they may with common prayers commende vnto God the childe whiche is to be baptised and also that they may be edefied by that holy action being admonished of a new brother adopted to be the sonne of God But in what maner we are in Baptisme sayd to dye vnto sinne Chrisostome teacheth vpon the first epistle to the Corrinthians the 15. chap. when he expoundeth these wordes of Paul what doo they which are baptised for the dead For he sayth that they which are baptised doo beleue and confesse that Iesus Christ is dead and raised vp from the dead and professe also that they will dye together with him and be raysed vp together with him and the minister by his outward acion signifieth the same when he dippeth thē into the water and taketh them out again That therefore which death was vnto Christe on the crosse and his rising vp agayne The Apostles chaunged not the forme of baptisme as touching the words In this woorde Christe are comprehended the thre persons from the sepulchere the same is Baptisme vnto vs. But in y◠it is written All we that are baptised in Christ Iesus we can not thereby gather that the Apostles changed the forme of words prescribed of Christ which thing some suspecte both by this place and by the Actes of the Apostles amonge whome is Ambrose who to excuse the acte sayth that in Christ as touching the name are comprehēded the three persōs For forasmuch as this word Christ signifieth anointed we must nedes by it signifie both him which is annoynted and also him which annoynteth that is the father and the sonne also the oyntmēt that is the holy ghost Wherefore he saith that to baptise in Christ Iesus it as much as to baptise in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost But forasmuch as this sentence leaneth not vnto firme testemonies of the scriptures therefore in my iudgement it is not so muche What it is to be baptised in Christ to be regarded But we say that to be baptised in Christ is nothing ells then according to his commaundement and institution to be initiated And by thys forme of speaking is signified that we doo passe into Christ to the end we may be most straightly ioyned together with him in fayth hope and charity For euen A similitude as souldiers doo sweare to the name and obedience
of theyr captayne and are so bound vnto him that afterward it is not lawfull for them to be conuersant in the campes of theyr enemies which thing if they doo should be death vnto them so we in baptisme are bound vnto Christe and do sweare that we will neuer afterward fall away vnto the deuill And forasmuch as that honour is dew vnto Christ to be sayd to be baptised in him we ought not be offended when we reade in the epistle to the Corrinth that the fathers wer baptised in Moses Why the fathers were baptised in Moses It is not lawfull to baptise in the name of any man For this is the sence of that place that y◠Israelites passed ouer the sea trusting to those promises which were set forthe of God by Moses Nether ought we thereby to conclude that it is lawfull to baptise in the name of any man as of a mediator and author of our saluation Paul therefore when hee reproued the Corrinth bycause they filthily addicted themselues vnto men so that some of them sayd I hold of Paul others of Cephas others of Apollo said was Paul crucified for you or were ye baptised in the name of Paul which thing he therfore wrote bicause he saw that the Corrinthians transferred the honour of Christ vnto ministers Are baptised into hys death As hee hath nowe made mencion of hys Two principall things which Christ hath done for our sakes death so a little afterwarde hee wyll make mencion of hys resurrection For these are the two principall thynges whyche Chryste hath wroughte for our sakes And vndoubtedlye because in Baptisme we receiue the fruyte of the death of Christ forasmuch as by that sacrifice God is pacefied towardes vs we are iustly saide to be baptised into his death and chiefely because through the death of Christ our sinnes ceasse now to be imputed vnto vs but before God we are counted for dead And the lust which remaineth in vs because by the benefite of Christ it is broken and diminished therefore also we are said to be baptised into the death of Christ And for that Paul would agrauate the death wherby we die vnto sinne and would shewe that it is not a thing slight but waighty he addeth VVe are buried therefore together with Christ by baptisme Now in our dayes also they which are baptised to the ende they may by profession expresse the same thing do by expresse wordes answere that they renounce the deuill An argument wherby to proued that infantes are borne with sinne Sacraments haue the names of the things by them signified The mutacion of the Eucharisticall bread is compared with that mutacion of our selues which is made in baptisme and his pompes Out of this place Augustine gathereth two thinges whereof the one is in the 6. booke against Iulianus the 1. chap wher he proueth the infantes are borne in original sinne For saith he it is a generall sentence of the Apostle that as many as are baptised are baptised into the death of the Lord that is to dye to sinne and as it shall straight way be shewed that the body of sinne should he abolished which sayings can not be true vnies we graunt that infants are borne in sin The other thing is in his epistle to Bonefacius where he sheweth that the Sacramentes obtayne the names of the thinges which by them are signified For Paul sayd not that our sepulture is signified in baptisme but simply sayde that we are buried with Christ into death And after this maner he saith that the Eucharist is called the body and bloud of Christ Thirdly let vs note that the fathers when they will confirme y◠change which is done in the Eucharist for example sake bring the change of our selues which is made in baptisme which change also the Apostle semeth to declare to be very greate For he vseth there the names of life and death Betweene which two thinges of necessity there must néedes be a verye greate chaunge Wherefore seing that the nature and substance of those which are baptised is not changed it is nothing needefull that in the bread and wine should be pure transubstanciatiō The Apostle in a maner speaketh after the same sort of baptisme in the 2. chapter to the Collossians saying In whome ye are also circumcised with circumcision which is done without handes forasmuch as ye haue put of the sinfull body of the fleshe thorough the circumcision of Christ being buried together with hym through baptisme in whome together with hym ye are also risen agayne through fayth that is wrought by the operation of God which raysed hym from the deade And when ye were deade in sinnes and vncircumcision of your fleshe he quickened you together with hym These wordes in all points are agreeable with those things that we are now in hand with whiche still he more plainely expoundeth for he addeth That euen as Iesus Christ was raysed vp from the dead by the glory of the father The power of God was declared in the resurrection of Christ Paule doth oftentymes vse this word newnes so we also should walke in newnes of life The glory of the father in this place signifieth the power of God which was then chiefely declared when Christ rose agayne from the deade and in vs it is manifestly shewed when we casting away sinnes do liue vncorruptly And Paul by this worde newnes doth oftentimes signifie the blameles life of Christians For he saith that we ought to put on the new man And he saith that before God circumcision or vncircumcision is nothing but only a new creature And he admonisheth that as touching the inward man we should be dayly more and more renewed But by A new life hath his degrees this word walking he teacheth that that purenes of life that is to say this newnes hath certayne degrees and we must haue a care continually to profite more and more For if we be grafted into him by the similitude of his death euē so shal we also be pertakers of hys resurrection knowing this that our olde mā is crucified with him also that the body of sinne should be abolished that henceforth we should not be seruants vnto sinne For if we be grafted into him by the similitude of his death euen so shall vve That which was done in Christe by nature ought to be resembled of vs by an analogy be of his resurrection Chrisostome noteth that y◠similitude of death in this place admonisheth vs that that which was done in Christ by nature is in vs done by an analogy proportion For it is not nedefull that we through baptisme shoulde dye by naturall death but that in our maners and life we shoulde resemble the similitude of the death of Christ In the booke of Ecclesiasticus it is written Thou hast set downe at a great table marke what thinges are sit before thee because thou also must performe the like Wherfore when we with the
perfectly to know themselues and to be displeased with thēselues and to abhorre whatsoeuer they perceaue A profitable manner of thinking vpon the death of Christ to be done in them without Christ And by that meanes it cōmeth to passe that the faythfull thinke vpō the death of Christ with most great vtility which thing if it be not done slenderly but with a vehement fayth we shall fele the anger and vengeance of God most aboundantly powred out agaynst sinnes whē as for the taking of them away he would haue his only begotten sonne who otherwise was euen innocencye it selfe so miserably handled that he might in him only punishe all our sinnes These thinges if with fayth we reuolue in our mind we shal begin so to abhorre from sinnes that the self same power of God which caused Christ for our sakes to suffer death the crosse and most horrible payne shall drawe vs also to dye vnto sinne together with Christ which thing being brought to passe as Paule here teacheth VVe shall also be pertakers of his resurrection for these two are knit and ioyned together Wherefore to the Colossians he writeth If ye haue risen together with Christe seeke the thinges whiche With the spirituall life is ioyned the life of the resurrection are aboue and straighte waye he addeth Mortefye your members whiche are vpon the earth ▪ also Ye are deade with Christe and your life is hidden with him Wherefore when Christe your life shall appeare then also shall ye appeare together wyth hym in glorye And in this epistle If by the spirit ye shall mortefye the deades of the flesh ye shall liue And there are other places very many wherin life is alwaies ioyned together with this death Yea looke how much more we profite in a new life so much the farther procede we in mortificatiō Which thing is very well declared in the epistle vnto the Phillippians For thus Paul writeth That I may be found in him not hauing mine own righteousnes which is of the law but that righteousnes which is of Christ thorough fayth which is of God that I may know hym and the power of his resurrection and the communion of his afflictions whiles I am made cōformable vnto his death if by any meanes I may attayne vnto the resurrectiō of the dead not that I haue alredy attained to it or am alredy perfect But I labor if in case I may cōprehend so far forth as I am comprehended of Christ Iesus Brethern I coūt not my selfe as yet to haue attained vnto it wherefore forgetting the thinges which are behind and endeuoring my selfe to those things which are before according to the prefixed mark I follow hard to the reward of the high calling of God By these testemonies is manifestly proued that the death of Christ and his resurrection and mortification and newnes of life ought to be ioyned together This thing is also to be added If we be grafted into y◠death They which are grafted into Christ do dy vnto the Law and resurrection of Christ we shall not only attayne vnto forgeuenes of sinnes and to a purer life but also we shall dye vnto the law For nether shall we be accused or condemned of it nor compelled to the ceremonies thereof For to the Colossians it is written Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from ordinances why as though ye liued in the world are ye burdned with tradicions as Touch not tast not handle not And a litle before in the same chap. when ye were dead in sins and in the vncircūcisiō of your flesh he hath quickned you together with him forgeuing you al your sins puttyng out the handwriting of ordinances that was against you whiche was contrary vnto you Lastly we are made without feare and patient in aduersities knowyng that if we be dead together with Christ we shall raigne together with hym But forasmuch as this argument of Paul which he is now in hand with is deriued of the nature of Baptisme to the end we may vnderstand what maner of thyng the nature therof is and as it were knowyng the ground might gather out these profitable admonitions and oftentimes reuolue them in our mynd it shal be profitable to set forth a certaine ample definition which may well nie comprehend all An ampl◠and large definition of Baptism things that are written therof in the holy scriptures Baptisme therfore is a signe of regeneration into Christ into his death I say and his resurrection which succeded in the place of Circumcision which consisteth of the lauacre of water in the worde wherin in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost remission of sinnes and effusion of the holy ghost is offred and by a visible sacrament we are grafted into Christ and into the church and the right vnto the kingdom of heauen is sealed vnto vs and we on the other side professe that we will dye vnto sinne and hereafter lyue in Christ That the members or partes of this definition may the better be vnderstād we will briefly declare them First it is called a signe which word is common vnto Baptisme and to all sacraments which is proued by All sacraments are called signes that that Paul before in this selfe same epistle taught that Abraham after that he was iustified receiued Circumcision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a seale of the righteousnes already obteyned But what thyng Baptisme sealeth is sufficiently expressed whē as it is called the signe of regeneration For Christ very manifestly taught Nicodemus in the 3. chap. of Iohn that they which will be saued ought to be born again And that baptisme is the the signe of this regeneration Paul teacheth vnto Titus saying Accordyng to his mercy he hath saued vs through the lauacre of regeneration An explication of Regeneration And forasmuch as regeneration is a certaine mutacion or chaunge that we may the better vnderstand what that mutacion or chaunge is First must be declared the end wherunto this mutaciō tendeth And therfore in the definition we added Into Christ bicause the fayth studies and life of such men as are regenerat tend to no other end then that they may wholy passe into Christ And seing that al things whiche Christ did for our saluation are comprehended in his death resurrection Therfore in this definition we added that we must be be baptised into his death and resurrection Whiche thing Paul also teacheth in this selfe same place For thus he writeth Knowe ye not that all we that are baptised into Christ are baptised into his death And straightwaye he maketh mencion of the resurrection And Why Baptisme ought not to be repeted that Baptisme succeded in the place of Circumcision the epistle to the Colossians teacheth which place we haue before cited Wherfore seyng that Circumcisiō was ministred vnto one man only once and forasmuch as euery man hath but one only natiuity therof it
declare that he neyther beleued nor is iustified nor hath receaued remission of sinnes Farthermore although they beleue yet when these promises are agayne offred and that by the institution of the Lord and they thorough fayth and the impulsion of the holy ghost doo with efficacy take hold of them the benefites of God can not but be augmented in them But why the holy ghost is powred into the hartes of them that are regenerate thys is the reason Bycause they must be made new agayne and theyr stony hart as the prophete sayth must be turned into a fleshy hart whiâ—â— is not possible to be done by humane reason And that we are by the visible saâ—â—ament grafted into Christ into the Church is first declared by this place which we are now in hand with For Paul sayth that they which are baptised are grafted into Christ And in the first to the Corrinthians the 12. chap. he sayth that by one spirite we are all baptised into one body And that this body is the Church he plainly teacheth in the selfe same chap. We added in the definition By a visible sacrament bicause in very dede we are grafted both into Christ and into the Church as touching Why this visible grafting is geuen the minde and spirite so soone as euer we are iustified But bycause that is vnknowen vnto men it is afterward knowen when we are initiated by the outward sacrament also the right vnto eternall life is sealed vnto vs by baptisme It is in dede geuen vs so soone as euer we are iustified and it pertayneth vnto The righte vnto eternall life is sealed by baptisme A similitude Not all that are not baptised pearish vs by right not of merite but of the liberall gift of God and by baptisme it is sealed As the giftes of kinges so soone as euer they are graunted vnto vs doo without doubt pertayne vnto vs but afterward are added seales that the will of the king may if it be nedefull be testefied vnto others Nether is this part of the definition right vnto eternall life so to be vnderstand as though they ought to be excluded from the kingdome of heauen which are not baptised For if they beleue and there be no let in them that are not baptised we ought not to doubt of theyr saluation For Christ sayth He which beleueth in me hath eternall life And in an other place althoughe he saye that he which beleueth and is baptised shall be saued yet he streight way addeth He which beleueth not shall be coÌ„deÌ„ned By which worde he signifieth that baptisme is not so of necessity but that a faythfull maÌ„ may with out it be saued so that there be annexed no coÌ„tempt nor disobedience The scholemen also confesse that besides the baptisme of water the godly are sometimes baptised with Martirdom and with the inspiratioÌ„ of the holy ghost so much as sufficeth vnto saluation Christ also called his death baptisme when Christ called his death baptisme The effusion of the holy Ghost was baptisme Baptisme hath repentaunce ioyned with it he sayd that he should be baptised with an other baptisme and foretold that the Apostles shoulde be baptised with the holye ghost soone after hys ascension into heauen Lastly we agayne in baptisme professe death as touching sinne and a new life which profession sheweth nothing ells then that vnto this sacrament is adioyned repeÌ„tance which thing both Iohn and also Christ tought when they spake of Baptisme And the fathers when they passed ouer the sea escaped into liberty but Pharao with his host was drowned in the waters whereby was signified that by baptisme we ought so to be renewed that there we should forsake our sinnes and be lifted out of the waters with a new purpose to an holy life All these thinges oughte we when we are baptised by testemonyes of the scriptures often to consider and of them all continually to admonish our selues For although this sacrament be but once onely geueÌ„ yet ought it neuer in our We oughte moste often to call to memorye baptisme whole life time to be forgotten For euen as it behoued the Iewes euermore to remember that they were circumcised so also ought we continually to call to memorye our baptisme And this is not to be passed ouer that the Anabaptistes labor by this chap. to confirme theyr error which thinke that baptisme ought Of baptising of Children against the Anabaptistes not to be geuen vnto infantes bycause they are not able by fayth to receaue the promises offred vnto them or to professe mortification and a new life But how weake this argument is partly reason it selfe sheweth partly the scriptures teach For this is not the propriety of signes that they should then onely profite when they are present Otherwise we ought continually to be baptised They Signs are profitable yea euen when they are not present are in dede deliuered but only once but being ofteÌ„times called to memory they alwayes profite For the vtilitye of them is not a thinge that dureth but for a tyme although infantes can not take holde of the promises offred vnto them yet afterwarde when they come to riper age they shall take holde of them But forasmuche as they are able to receaue the couenaunt and the thinges promised pertayne vnto them why shoulde we take awaye from them the signes of those thinges These men forsooth woulde seeme to be wiser then God for GOD knewe vndoubtedlye as well as they that Circumcision conteyned a promise of Christe and a profession of mortifycation and of a newe lyfe For by the prophets he continually vrgeth the Circumcision of the hart which was signified by that Sacrament and yet he commaunded that infantes should be initiated vnto him by CircumcisioÌ„ Why theÌ„ do these meÌ„ obiect vnto vs yâ— thing Circumcision geuen vnto infantes which God himselfe would not haue kept from infants They vse also to vrge the commaundement of the Lord wherin he commaunded the Apostles that they should teache and baptise And they thinke that infantes ought therfore not to be baptised bicause they can not receiue the preaching and doctrine of the Gospel Nether The maner whiche is to be kept in increasing the church The beleuers were baptised with theyr whole famâ—ly Our infantes are not of worser condition or estate then were the children of the Hebrues Circumcision sealed not onely temporall promises A proofe of the resurrection consider they that Christ by that commaundement taught the manner how religion should be spred abroade the church instructed For it was not for the Apostles to beginne their office and function with the Sacraments First it behoued them to preach the Gospell afterward to baptise them that beleued And so yâ— Apostles baptised not only theÌ„ that beleued but also their whole families As we rede also that Abraham when he beleued circumcised not only himselfe but also all his And we know vndoubtedly by the
or vnto death But it is after one maner in vs and after an other maner in Christ For his death as Augustine saith in his booke de Trinitate The death of Christ was simple but ours is double was simple and but of one sort but ours is double or of two sortes For in him only the body dyed for his soule was neuer without the eternall and true life forasmuch as sinne had neuer place in him But in vs both body and soule were deade by reason of sinne Wherefore euen as Christ dyeth not agayne as touching the body so also ought not we by sin to dye ether in body or in soule Otherwise yâ— onely one death of Christ should not as he saith bring remedy vnto our double death Neither wanteth this an emphasis that the Apostle in this place doubleth one Christ was not compelled to dye and the selfe same sentence when he sayth He dieth no more also death hath no more dominion ouer him For he would haue vs fully to vnderstand that death is cleane remoued away from Christ Neither yet ought we by these wordes to inferre that death sometimes so bare dominion ouer Christ that he was compelled to dye For he sayth that no man coulde take away his life from him but that he himselfe had power both to lay away his life and also to take it agayne Christ fréely and willingly became subiect vnto death wherefore we also forasmuch as we are his members and misticall body ought fréely and of our owne accord to dye together with Christ and that in such sort that we will no more dye that is we will no more be subiect vnto the guiltines death and damnatioÌ„ oâ— our sinnes It also sufficient for vs that we die once vnto sinne For as touching that he died he died vnto sinne once and aâ—â—ouching that he liueth he liueth vnto God That Christ died vnto sinne 〈◊〉 once only is declared by that which is written vnto the Hebrues that he by one only oblation made perfect all thinges so that he referreth this Once and vnity vnto the fulnes and perfection of the thing done It was sufficieÌ„t that Christ died but once Wherefore it ought also to be sufficient vnto vs that we dye but once vnto sinne neither ought we so to deale that we shoulde alwayes haue new causes to dye agayne We and Christ dye not after one and the selfe sâ—me manner It is not possible that Christ should dayly be sacrificed The sacrificing priestes do not by their Masses apply the death of Christ vnto others Baptisme ought not to be repeated But this is to be noted that Christ and we are diuersly sayde to dye vnto sinne For Christ had no sinne in hym whereunto he shoulde dye For he died for the sinne which was in vs. But we ought to dye vnto that sinne which we still cary aboute in our selues Farther out of this place are inferred two thinges first if Christ died but once and that that was sufficient then is there no nede that he shoulde agayne be dayly sacrificed in Masses For his one only death was sufficient for the satisfaction of all sinnes For the sacrificing priestes can not performe that thing which they vse so much to boast of namely to applye the death of Christ at their pleasure vnto this man or to that man For euery man by his owne fayth taketh hold of it and applieth it vnto himselfe Moreouer out of this place is inferred that baptisme ought not to be ministred vnto one man any more then once only forasmuch as in it we dye together with Christ And sithen he dyed but once only we therefore ought in no case to repete it any oftener Which thing the epistle vnto the Hebrues manifestly teacheth for there it is written that that is nothing els then again to crucifie the sonne of God and to make him a gazing stock The sealing of the promise of God which we receaue in baptisme neuer loseth his force and strength For whilest we call to memory that we are baptised so that fayth be present by the remembrance of that sealing we are both confirmed touching the promise and also are admonished touching the leading of the lyfe of Christ But we before haue alleaged many mo reasons why baptisme ought not to be repeted In that Christ is sayd to liue vnto God it signifieth not only that he liueth blessedly but also that he cleaueth vnseperably vnto God Which thing we also ought to do if we will be true Christians And therefore he concludeth the whole reason in these wordes So also consider ye that ye are dead as touching sin but are on liue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. These words signifie as much as if he should haue sayde That which was done in Christ ought also to be done in vs. Wherefore seing he died only once and now liueth perpetually vnto God we ought to haue a care that the selfe same thing should be performed in vs. Hereby appeareth how vniustly the doctrine of Paul was accused as though he shoulde Paul teacheth that we ought to liue vnto God not to abide in sinne teach that we should abide in sinne that grace might abound And that we should commit euill that good might thereof ensue For he teacheth clene contraryly that euen as Christ euer liueth vnto God so ought we also euer to liue in Christ thorough innocency of life Which selfe doctrine the Lord taught in Iohn saying As the liuing father hath sent me and I liue for the father euen so he that eateth me shall liue for me Iudge and consider sayth he that ye are dead vnto sinne but liue vnto God For as sayth Chrisostome this thing is not done by nature neither can it be shewed by the outward sence but is perceaued by fayth only Therefore consider saith he and dayly pouder this in your mynde Through Christ Iesus our Lord. This is added that we shoulde knowe that all these thinges are receaued onely by his benefite and not by humane strengths or naturall reason Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortall bodye that ye should thereunto obey by the lustes of it Neither geue ye your meÌ„bers as instrumentes of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but geue ouer your selues vnto God as they that of dead are on liue And geue ouer your members as instrumentes of righteousnes vnto God For sinne shall not haue power ouer you Because ye are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace Let not sinne raigne therefore in your mortall body His reason now finished he addeth an exhortation which is indede short but yet of great waight What felicity is For it stirreth vs vp vnto that thing wherein consisteth the chiefe felicity which herein is contained yâ— we should be most far remoued froÌ„ all euils and continually being well occupied leade a most vertuous lyfe Wherefore Paules meanynge is that wée shoulde caste awaye synne Whiche is to remoue from vs the
seruitude had his first beginning of sinne for it is not lawfull to make warre but against those which haue sinned With these wordes of Augustine agreeth Florentinus the Lawyer as it is red in the InstitutioÌ„s and this etimologye right well agreeth with this place which we are now in hand with The deuill assaulting by battayle our first parentes ouercame theÌ„ and tooke them and by that transgressioÌ„ hath made all our nature captiue and hath still in subiection and to be his seruauntes as many as thorough Christ are not set at liberty For so sayth Paule in his latter epistle to Timoth That they may come to amendement out of the snare of the deuill which are takeÌ„ of him at his will But Christ came and hath fought with that strong armed man the gouernor of the world and prince of darkenes and hauing gotten the victory hath redemed vs all Nether vndoubtedly did he it for any other cause but that we should be obedient to his will and vnto righteousnes Wherefore these wordes of Paul signifie as muche as if he shoulde haue sayd Christ hath not therefore deliuered vs from sinne and addicted vnto himselfe to the 〈…〉 e that henceforth we should bee seruauntes vnto sinne but onely Christ hath redeemed vs not vnto sinne but vnto righteousnesse Two contrarye Lordes set before vs. that we should be obedient vnto righteousnes Nowe let vs diligently weighe the wor 〈…〉 Knovve ye 〈…〉 t that to vvhomesoeuer ye geue your selues as seruauntes to obey his ser 〈…〉 s ye are to vvhome ye obey vvhether it be of sinne vnto death or obedience vnto righteousnes Here let vs first note that the Apostle setteth before vs two Lordes the 〈◊〉 is sinne the other is that obedience which we render vnto God By which diuision forasmuch as the partes thereof be contrary it appeareth that I nothing erred from the sentence of the Apostle when before I defined sinne in generall to be whatsoeuer is repugnant vnto the law of God The definition of sinne before alleaged is confirmed For forasmuch as sinne is a priuation it can not be known but by his opposite or contrary forme or quality which it remoueth away and what the forme is Paul here expresseth by the name of Obedience Wherfore that is sinne ought so to be called which is repugnant vnto such an obedience By which it is most manifest that that corruption which is still remaining in vs and the motions which are by it stirred vp are sinnes forasmuch as they are apertly repugnaÌ„t vnto obedience which is opposite and contrary vnto sinne Moreouer this diuision This particion comprehendeth all men of the Apostle if it be sufficient comprehendeth all men so that euery man is of necessitie either the seruant of sinne or els of righteousnes The seruauntes of righteousnes are these which are now deliuered to be obedient vnto the forme of the doctrine of the gospel Wherfore in this place are ouerthrown those workes An argumeÌ„t against workes preparatory which they call preparatorye for they can not be placed in any members of this deuision For if thou wilt say that they pertaine vnto them which are seruantes of righteousnes they are now alredy regenerate and do beleue the Gospel wherfore those workes can not now be preparations but fruites of the Gospell But if thou wilt stand in contencion and say that they pertain vnto them which are seruantes of sinne they haue no fruite of their workes but only death wherfore their workes turne vnto them vnto destruction so farre is it of that they can be preparations vnto grace We say in dede that God oftentimes vseth our sinnes and by them appointeth as it were certain degrées by which we may come vnto Christ But this thing our workes haue not of themselues neither in respect that they are done of vs for in that respect spring forth damnable and odious fruites as it The two Lords do destribute contrary rewardes were out of a corrupt trée Vnto these two Lordes are appointed two maner of rewardes namely vnto sinne is appointed death and vnto obedience righteousnes But it semeth that Paul ought otherwise to haue disposed these things and especially as touching the second member for righteousnes is opposite or contrary vnto sinne Wherfore euen as vnto sinne answereth death as a rewarde so vnto righteousnes also ought eternall life to haue aunswered as a reward But this ought we assuredly to thinke that Paul erred not but by this disposition would teach vs wherein the righteousnes of woorkes consisteth namely in this that we shoulde be obedient vnto GOD for there is nothynge either holye or iust There is nothing holy or iust but that which God hath commaunded The beginnâ—ng of eternall life is to liue iustlye They whiche liue iustly are not miserable although they are greuously vexed but that which he hathe commaunded for the inuentions of men pertayne not to righteousnes but rather vnto lust Wherefore the Apostle to the end he would the more manifestly instruct vs of this thing hath set the definition in place of the thing defined And it is not to be meruailed that he putteth righteousnes in the place of reward for the beginning of blessednes and of eternal lyfe is to liue iustly and hereof it coÌ„meth yâ— in the holy scriptures eternall life is a coÌ„tinuall coÌ„panion of righteousnes And Chrisostome vpon this place sayth that by righteousnes ought to be vnderstand whatsoeuer followeth righteousnes And yet oughte no man therefore to perswade himselfe that they which liue iustly are miserable although sometymes they are greuously vexed with aduersityes For with Paul righteteousnes and innocency of life do signifie the self same thing that eternall felicity signifieth Death also which is ascribed vnto sinne as a reward is not only the dissolution of the outward body but therewithall comprehendeth also eternall infelicity wherewith both body and soule shal be punished And â—y this worde Synne which thing also I haue before admonished Paul vnder 〈…〉 the luste which remayneth in the beleuers and also the corruption of nature 〈◊〉 therefore They which are sory for sins are chiefly sorye for the roote of theÌ„ An example of Dauid the godly when they are sory for any faulte that they haue committed do chiefely complayne of this corrupt nature and of the rotten roote thereof Dauid when he lamented the murther and adultery which he had com 〈…〉 ed ranne chiefely vnto this as vnto the fountayne of all euils sayinge Beâ—old in iniquities was I conceaued and in sinnes hath my mother conceaued me And when we pray vnto God to deliuer vs from sinnes for this thinge we chiefelye praye that by his spirite he would breake and weaken this domesticall and familiar enemy Thys thing the Apostle ment when he cryed out Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Paul after he had thus deuided seruitude that of necessity we must be seruauntes
threatneth Death is improperly called a rewarde Eternall life is not called a rewarde death vnto sinners Agayn he by the figure Catachresis calleth it a stipend For no man committeth sinne with this intent that for a reward he would obteyne death Here Paul inuerteth the Antithesis or contrary position for he sayth not that eternall life is the reward of righteousnes but rather attributeth it vnto Grace which thing he therefore doth to assigne and appointe the whole nature of merite in Christ only And therfore he addeth thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. that no man shoulde imagine any other mediators â—thâ—â— deade saintes or ells theyr owne workes Farther Paul semeth of purpose 〈…〉 a 〈…〉 stipeÌ„d to set Grace or a gifte and by that meanes he excedinglye stirreth vs vp to the study of eternall life sithen it is a thing so excellent that vnles it be geuen by God it can not be gotten by any of our workes He taketh this greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the stipeÌ„d or wages of a souldier and he continueth still in his metaphore of a king and of a Lord which he a little before vsed For they vse to geue stipendes vnto theyr The maner of the elders towardes souldiers seruauÌ„ts And the Greke word sauoreth much of the maner of the elders where by they were wont to geue vnto theyr souldiers vittayles to eate when they were one warfare And at Rome it was the maner a long time that the souldiers with theyr owne meate but afterward were vittayles geuen them of the common treasory And it well appeareth by the etimology of the word that it was first instituted only for yâ— releauing of necessity and to signify some honour Vnto laborers is geuâ—n a rewarde Vnto warriours is geuen a stipende not as though they semed stipendes of such worthines for which men should put theyr life in danger Wherefore as to laborers was geuen a reward so vnto warriors was geuen a stipend But now let vs especially consider in what sort grace and workes are as touching eternall life And as much as may be gathered ether out of the holy scriptures or out of those thinges which Augustine hath left in writing as touching this matter we will playnly declare so that it shall be made manifest how much our aduersaries dissagree from vs in thys poynt As touching the first if by Grace we vnderstand the fauour and mercy of God then is it the only cause thoroughe Iesus Christe why we obteyne eternall life For our workes can by no meanes be the causes of our felicity Howbeit they are certayne meanes by which God bringeth vs vnto felicity As the way is not the cause of the end thereof nor the runninge place the cause of the gole or The difference betwenâ— the cause and meanes marke and yet by them men are led both vnto the end of the way and vnto the marke So God by good workes bringeth vs to eternall life when as yet the only cause thereof is the election of God as Paul most manifestly teacheth in thys epistle Whome he hath predestinate sayth he those also hath he called whome he Againste merite hath called those also hath he iustefied whoÌ„ he hath iustefied those also will he glorifie Thys declareth that all these thinges do so come from the Grace of God that they consequently follow the one the other and God which geueth the one will also liberally and freely geue the other Wherefore the whole consideratioÌ„ and nature of merite ought vtterly to be taken away For that which properly meriteth The nature of merite any thing must of necessity haue in it a free geuing vp nether ought it by any other meanes to be due Wherefore forasmuche as we owe of dewty vnto God all thinges that we haue vndoubtedly whatsoeuer we do it can merite nothing Farther those things by which we will merite any thing ought to be our owne But good workes are not our own but are of God Besides this also all imperfection and vncleanes must of necessity be remoued awaye otherwise our workes are contaminated nether can they be leueled to the rule which is prescribed by God wherefore we ought rather to craue pardon then once to thinke vpon price or reward Farther betwene merite and reward there ought to be some proportion But there can be no proportion betwene our workes and eternall felicity Wherefore they can not properly be called merites Moreouer God will that there should be taken froÌ„ vs all matter of glorying which thing were not possible if by our workes we should deserue eternall life And forasmuch as Paul in this place describeth eternall life by yâ— name of grace vndoubtedly it can not be of workes Let this suffice as touching the first Now will I briefely declare what Augustine hath written as touching this place In his Enchiridion to Laurentius the 107. chapter A stipend sayth he is payd in warfare as a debt and not geuen as a gift therefore Paul sayth the stipend of sinne is death to declare that death is rendred vnto sinne not wythout desert but as due But grace vnles it be free it When eternall 〈…〉 is gâ—â—en after 〈…〉 a it iâ— grace for grace is not grace Wherefore as touching the good workes of man forasmuch as they are the giftes of God in that vnto them eternall life is rendred grace is recompensed for grace The same Augustâ—â—e in his booke De gratia Libero arbitrio the ix chapter In the Gospell of Iohn sayth he it is written that we all haue receaued of hys fulnes and grace for grace euery man as God hath deuided vnto him the measure of fayth For euery man hath receaued a proper gift from God one thus and an other thus Wherefore when eternall life is rendred grace is rendred for grace But so is it not of death because it is rendred as due vnto the warfare of the deuill Wherefore whereas the Apostle mought haue sayd and that rightly the stipend of righteousnes is eternall life he would rather say But the grace of God is eternall life that therby we myght vnderstand that The Apostle 〈◊〉 hâ—â—e sayâ— and that iust 〈…〉 that eter 〈…〉 〈…〉 God bringeth vs vnto eternall life not for our owne merites but for hys mercy Wherefore it is written in the 103. Psalme Which crowneth thee in mercy and compassions Because it is he which worketh in vs both to wyll and also to performe The Apostle had sayde before worke your saluation wyth feare and trembling Afterward least we should attribute thys thyng vnto our selues he sayth that God worketh these thy 〈◊〉 vs and that not for our merites but according to his good pleasure And in the same booke the 8. chapter he sayth that there is no small ambiguity how eternall life is â—â—ndred vnto good workes For the scripture sayth that euery man shall haue according to his works And yet on the other side Paul
calleth grace eternall life But the propriety of grace is to he reÌ„dred freely Paul also sayth vnto hym which worketh not the reward is not imputed according to debt but accordyng to grace And saith moreouer that grace if it be of workes is not grace Also that the renantes shall through the electioÌ„ of grace be saued Agayne vnto the Ephesians Grace hath made vs safe throughe fayth and that not of our selues Agayne Not of workes least peraduenture any man shoulde glory This doubt Augustine sayth can not otherwise be dissolued vnles we grâ—unt A that an vpright and holy life is grace For so ether sentence may take place For eternall life is rendred vnto workes But because workes are freely geuen vs of God therâ—fâ—re also is eternall lyfe called gracee And in his booke De correctione Gratia the 13. chapter he sayth that Iames writeth that iudgemente shal be wythout mercy vnto hym which sheweth not mercy By which wordes saith he appeareth that they which lyue well shall in the last iudgement be iudged wyth mercy and they which haue 〈◊〉 wickedly shal be iudged wythout mercy And if that in iudgement we haue nede of mercy theÌ„ is it not now done for merites And in the same sence he alleageth the mother of the Machabees who as it is written in the 2. booke and 7. chapter thus speak 〈…〉 vnto her son That in that mercy I may receaue the wyth thy brethâ—rn In which place she calleth the day of iudgement mercy And vndoubtedly when we shall come before the iudgement seate of God who shall boast that he hath a chast hart Or who shall boast that he is cleane from sinne Wherefore there also mercy is nedefull whereby he may be made blessed vnto whome the Lord hath not imputed sinne The same father in hys 105. epistle to Sistus When the Apostle had sayd The stipend of sinne is death who Paul mightâ— haue 〈◊〉 righteousnes would not iudge that he should most aptly and consequently haue added but the stipend of righteousnes is eternall lyfe And it is true Because euen as vnto the merite of sinne is death rendred as a stipend so also vnto the merite of righteousnes is eternall lyfe rendred as a stipend But the blessed Apostle most vigylantly warryng agaynst pride when hee â—ad sayde that the stipend of sinne is death least humane ryghteousnes should extoll it sâ—lfe sayd not contrariwyse that the stipend of ryghteousnes is eternall lyfe but the grace of God sayth he is eternall lyfe But it is not sufficient to thynke that thesâ— things are spo 〈…〉 for humility moderation sake For the matter is so in very dede For our workâ— receaue not eternall life for a iust and deserued stipend And therefore he sayth that humane righteousnes is pride and which in name only is called righteousnes But that ought Eternall 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 vnto 〈…〉 ousneâ— but vnto 〈…〉 it is gracâ— If righteousnes were of our selues 〈…〉 should haue eternall life as a 〈…〉 When God shall reward 〈…〉 be 〈…〉 it selfe to be a true righteousnes vnto which eternall life is due which righteousnes if it be not of thy felfe then is it from aboue discending from the father of lightes Wherefore O man if thou shalt receaue eternall life it is â—n dede the stipend of righteousnes but vnto thee it is grace vnto whome also euen righteousnes is grace For it should be rendred vnto thee as a debt if the righteousnes vnto whome it is due were of thy selfe By all these thinges is gathered that with Augustine eternall life is therefore called grace because the workes which go before it are geuen fréely Farther he confesseth that in the last iudgement when God shall reward them we shall haue nede of mercy and compassion And that also we haue alwayes néede of mercy that our sinnes should not be imputed vnto vs. Lastly that eternall life although it may be the stipend of righteousnes being taken by it selfe yet vnto vs it is grace partly because it is not of our selues and partly also because it is vnperfite Hilâ—â—ius also writeth vpon the 50. Psalme My hope is in the mercy of God for euer and euer world without ende For the workes of ryghteousnes are not sufficient vnto the merite of perfect blessednes Vnto vs it is gâ—ace because good workes are not of our selues and because they are vnperfect That good workes are geuen by grace both we and our aduersaries graunt but with a difference vnles in thys wyll of ryghteousnes the mercy of God impute not the faultes of humane changynges and motions Also Ierome vpon Esay the 46. chapter If we should consider our owne merites we shoulde dispayre Our aduersaries and we contende not whether by the grace of God good workes are geuen vnto the regenerate Although neither herein also do we vtterly agrée with them For they thinke that it lieth in our power to receaue good workes when they are offred But we say that it is néedefull that our will bée changed by the grace and spirit of God otherwise as touching in this point also we abhorre from the giftes of God But of this matter we haue before sufficiently spoken when we entreated of grace Wherfore I will now stand no longer about it But there is an other thing about which there is at this day a more waighty controuersye They which defend merites do thinke that the good workes which are geuen of God vnto men are sufficient They whiche defend merites do say that good workes are sufficient to attaine vnto eternall lifâ— which thinge we deny vnto eternall life Which thinge we do vtterly deny And this maketh very much on our side which a litell before we alleged out of August That in the last iudgemeÌ„t we shall nede the mercy of God not only because good works were geuen of hym freely but also because when the iust iudge shall sit in hys throne no man can boast that he hath a chast hart or that he is cleane from sinne Wherefore it is nedefull that sinnes as sayth Dauid be not imputed vnto hym which shall come vnto felicity Wherefore seyng we haue nede of mercy it is manifest that our good workes are not sufficient The same Augustine writeth in an other place that the perfection of the sayntes herein consisteth to acknowledge how much they want still of perfection And that sentence of Paul I haue fought a good battayle I haue finished my course I haue kepte fayth he so expoundeth that he thinketh that the Apostle sayth not that he is vtterly Augustine saith not that Paul was without sinne but affirmeth the contrary Note what Augustine thinketh of this place vnto the PhillipiaÌ„s wythout sinne but that he leaning vnto fayth and vnto hope did wholy appoynte wyth hymselfe that it shoulde come to passe in the laste houre of hys death whiche was euen then at hand that whatsoeuer sinne or wickednes had crept into hym the same should
vnto an other namely to him which rose agayne from the dead that we should bryng forthe fruite vnto God For when we were in the fleshe the affectes of sinnes which were by the law had force in our members to bryng forth fruite vnto death But now ye are deliuered from the law beyng dead vnto it where in ye were holden that we should serue in newnes of spirite and not in the oldnes of the letter In this chapter the Apostle answereth vnto the other obiection of the aduersaries Methode of this chapter namely that he semed to deiect the lawe more then was mete And he declareth that he for this purpose did it that they which had once taken vpon them the name of Christ should no more séeke to be vnder the lawe when as by the benefit of Christ they are deliuered from it And here he at large prosecuteth that which in the chapter before he had but briefely touched when he sayd Ye are not vnder the law but vnder grace Wherfore first he setteth forth our liberty wherby we are deliuered from the seruitude of the law Secondly that he should not seme to haue abrogated it for that it commaundeth things vile or vniust he declareth that it is not sinne but only sheweth and vttereth sinne Thirdly after he had declared that by the prohibitions of the law sinne is both encreased and more vehemently killeth he defendeth the law it self not to be that cause of our death and that it cannot by any meanes be counted guilty therof And after that he had taught that all destruction and the whole cause of euils is deriued of the corruption prauity which is by nature in vs at the last he addeth that it exerciseth a very sore and violent tiranny in men euen being regenerate and wyth great affect crieth out wysheth that he might be out of hand deliuered from that violence Now at the beginnyng he doth not absolutely write that we are deliuered from the seruitude of the law but he addeth that as a reason to open vnto vs the way meane wherby we come vnto such a liberty namely the death of Christ After that he declareth the ende wherfore we are brought from the law vnto Christ which is that euen as before we brought forth fruit vnto death so now we should bring forth fruit vnto God And bicause the Iewes which were now come vnto Christ mought heue bane offended wyth thys sentence of the deliuery from the law therfore by a louyng and gentle name he calleth them brethern and attributeth vnto them the knowledge Why he calleth the brethern of the law lest he should seme to be moued either of hatreâ— or of contempt toward them to abrogate the law wherin they so much gloried Know ye not brethren for I speake to them that know the lawe that the law hath dominion ouer a man so long as he liueth The proofe of that that he said that we are deliuered from the law is taken of no other thing but for that we are dead For they which are dead are not bound vnto the law And yâ— we are dead We are sayd to be deliuered from the law for that we ar dead It seemed filthy to the Iewes a thing vile to fall away from the law of God We depart â—ot from the law against the will therof he declareth by the body of Christ in which he saith we are mortefied vnto the law And this argument the Apostle therfore so diligently handleth for that vnto the Iewes of whom in those first tymes the greatest part of the church consisted it sented a thing vile and filthy sodenly to fall away from the law which they had receiued both of their elders and also at the handes of God Wherfore the Apostle now sayth that that ought not to be layd vnto vs for a fault seing that we are exempted from the law neither depart we from it against the will therof For it also sendeth vs away from it self vnto Christ But of what law Paul here speketh all men are not of one minde Ambrose thinketh that those things which are here spoken pertaine to the commaundement of the Gospell and not vnto the law of Moses For in it is permitted diuorcement neither is separation alwayes waited for till the death of the husband or wife But sauing the authoritie of Ambrose a man shall not easely finde in the scriptures that the Gospel is plainly called a law Farther it is very plaine that Paul reasoneth these thinges against yâ— Iewes who thought the obseruation of the law necessary also in the Gospell Wherfore it was nedefull to confute them not only by the Gospell but also by the authoritie of the law In which law although diuorcement were permitted yet the Apostle now speaketh not therof For he followeth the ordinary way vsed in matrimony rightly instituted wherin separation happeneth not but only by death But that matrimony should thorough diuorcement be losed happeneth not as Chrisostome vpon this place noteth but thorough some default For therfore oftentimes in the olde In the matrimony of vertuous and honeste yoke fellowes diuorcemente had not place law were wiues put away of their husbandes for that they were infected wyth some great haynous sinne or if they were vertuous and honest for that their husbandes were to much froward and malicious towardes them But Paul would not ascribe any such things vnto the law And forasmuch as he had a certayne and necessary cause of separation as which came by the meanes of death therfore he thought it not good to make mentioÌ„ of yâ— other cause which neither hapned alwais nor was at any tyme vsed of the vertuous and honest Wherfore by this place we cannot define what and how much Paul permitteth as lawfull vnto Christians in the case of diuorcement For here he bringeth only a similitude taken of matrimony By this place can not be gathered whether diuorsement be lawfull for Christians or no. Matrimony is two wayes loosed We in thys comparison occupie the rome of the wife Wiues in the old law repudiated not their husbandes But it is not of necessitie that similitudes should vniuersally in al points be correspondent which thing Erasmus also in this place noteth And Paul therefore made no mention of that separatioÌ„ which happeneth by repudiation for that we depart not from the law by repudiation but by mortification Wherfore he thought it good to set forth that cause of separatioÌ„ which made best to his purpose For forasmuch as there are two causes of separation namely death and diuorcement Paul toucheth that only wherby we are deliuered from the law And that is death Farther forasmuch as in this similitude we occupie the roome of the wyfe and the wife in the olde law although she mought be put away by diuorcement yet could not she repudiate her husband only it was lawful for her being put away to depart from her husband vnles her husband
difference which Augustin assigneth betwene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not alwaies obserued For yâ— Scriptures vse either word indifferently to signifie yâ— worshippyng of God Vnto the spirite is attributed newnes For the spirite by regeneration reneweth vs both in body and in soule and moreouer in the beleuers it sheweth forth new and Why newnes is attributed vnto the spirite What is to be vnderstand by the name of letter vnaccustomed workes The antithesis also is to the oldnes of our old estate which yâ— Apostle expresseth by the name of letter in which word he comprehendeth whatsoeuer doctrine may be outwardly set forth vnto vs. For whatsoeuer is such procedeth from the strengths of nature And it is called old bicause it commeth not froÌ„ a hart regenerate and a will chaunged In this also is a certaine kind of obedieÌ„ce but yet not such an obedience as God requireth And therfore it is called yâ— oldnes of the letter for that it is a certaine slender imitation of that doctrine which is set foorth vnto vs. Woorkes of this kinde come not of the impression of the lawe in the harts of men For God in Ezechiell promiseth to geue vnto his people a fleshy hart Those thinges also may after a sort pertaine to outward discipline But they neither please God and moreouer to them that do them they are sinnes and therfore Paul sayth that they pertaine to oldnes Certaine of the fathers imagine many thinges touching the spirite and the letter but by the letter they vnderstaÌ„d The difference receaued touching the spirite and the letter is refelled an historicall sence by the spirit they thinke are signified allegories But the Apostle ment farre otherwyse But of this matter we haue spoken somwhat vpon the second chap. of this epistle vpon these wordes of Paul the circumcision of the hart is which consisteth of the spirite and not of the letter Neither ment Paul any thing els in the latter to the CorrinthiaÌ„s when he sayth That the law killeth but the spirit quickeneth For he calleth the law grauen in stones the ministery of death sayth that he is not appointed the minister of the letter but of the spirite Chrisostome thinketh that this sentence that we should serue in newnes of spirite is therfore added of the Apostle that we hearing mention made of liberty should not liue losely through licentiousnes of the flesh but should vnderstand that we are bound to a certaine other kynd of seruitude and that is to serue God Although as we before To obey God is not a seruitude Not all the fathers of the olde testamente liued in sinne admonished it can not properly be called seruitude for in it we follow not an other mans will but our owne Neither are these wordes of Paul so to be taken as though all the fathers of the old Testament liued in sinne and in the oldnes of the letter They pertaine vnto them only which either in this tyme want Christ or in the old tyme liued without him such as were many of the Israelites which waited for Christ according to the flesh as though Messias should be onely a pure man which should come and bring nothyng vnto the Iewes but a carnall kingdome pompe riches glory and a large dominion But the godly fathers as Abraham Iacob Dauid Esay and many others of that race wanted not the benefite of Christ but beyng endewed with the spirite of God had the fruicion of the liberty of the Gospell so much as the nature of the tyme then suffred They in dede obserued the ceremonies of their times such other like precepts but this they dyd of their owne accord not being compelled neither bare they any hatred against the law of God And although at this day after yâ— Christ hath appeared yâ— spirit of God be more largely poured abrode and the mysteries of our saluation are more plainlier manifested then they were in times past yet dare I not affirme that those holy patriarches had lesse of the spirite of Christ then haue many cold Christians in our tyme. And I wonder at Chrisostome beyng so great a man yâ— when he wrote vpon this place he would say That the elders had a body heauy and sluggish and vnapt vnto vertues but our bodies after the commyng of Christ are made lighter reddier The interpretacion of the law deliuered of Christ pertained also vnto the elders Somwhat was graunted in the law whiche is denied vnto vs. and cherefuller and for that cause the preceptes of the Gospell are more hard higher then were the commaundementes of the law For vnto them it was sufficient not to kill but vnto vs it is not lawfull so much as to be angry Vnto theÌ„ iâ—â—as sufficient not to coÌ„mit adultery but vnto vs is also prohibited the lustful loking vpoÌ„ an other maÌ„s wife And such other things of yâ— same sort I graunt in dede yâ— certaine things wer permitted in yâ— old law which were reuoked by Christ For it is not lawful for christians as it was for yâ— Iewes for euery light cause to geue a boke of diuorcemet But those thinges which Christ admonished of lust of anger pertained no lesse vnto yâ— Iewes in the old time theÌ„ they do to vs in this time And wheras Christ saith It was said to theÌ„ in olde tyme that is not to be referred vnto the sentence of the law but vnto yâ— wicked Christ retected the corrupte interpretations of the scribes and of the Phariseis An error of many of the fathers Sondry affectes stirred vp by the law interpretations of the Scribes and Phariseys For otherwise when as in the ten commaundements it is sayd Thou shalt not lust all maner of wicked lust both of the flesh and of vengeaunce and of other mens goods is vtterly forbidden But not only Chrisostom but also many other of the fathers erred in this matter But to returne to our purpose we ought to know that certaine men are by the lawe stirred vp only to certaine outward ceremonies and certaine cold workes which pertaine only a certaine discipline but those selfe same can in no wyse attaine to the iust and perfect obseruance of the will of God but there are others which wheÌ„ they very diligently consider the law and behold the horror of sin and the vncleanes and weakenes of their strengths at the last vtterly dispaire and begin to hate and abhorre God and to blaspheme him and his law and to fall hedlong into all mischiefe and wickednes vntill they drowne themselues in eternall destruction But vnto godly men the consideration of the lawe is profitable and healthfull for when as in it as in a glasse they consider their owne infirmity they are compelled to get them vnto Christ as vnto an hauen of whome they may both obteyne forgeuenes of sinnes and also day by day greater instauration of strengthes What shall we say then is the law sinne God forbidde But
I knew not sinne but by the law for I had not knowen lust except the law had saide Thou shalt not lust But sin toke an occasion by the commaundement and wrought in me all manner of lust For without the law sinne was dead For I once was aliue wythout the law but when the commaundement came sinne reuiued but I was dead and the same commaundement which was ordeyned vnto lyfe was found to be vnto me vnto death For sinne tooke an occasion by the commaundement and deceaued me and thereby slew me Wherefore the lawe is holy and the commaundement is holy and iust and good What shall we then say Is the law sinne God forbid Here Paul beginneth after a sort to defend the law For before he sayd that we are deliuered from it And he mought haue semed not very godly to haue estemed of the law especially when he sayd That the affectes of sinnes which are by the law were of efficacy in our members that we should bryng forth fruite vnto death For these and such other lyke things which semed to be contumeliously spoken agaynst the law he was cōmonly ill thought of of the apostles Wherfore by preuention he obiecteth vnto himself that which he knew was by them layd to his charge Is the law sayth he sinne By the figure Metonymia he putteth sinne for the cause of sinne or for that doctrine whiche persuadeth to sinne He speaketh it by way of interrogation as though he would put forth a question to be debated And to cleare himselfe of all manner of suspicion and to declare how farre he was from this impietie straight way without The law is not properly the efficient cause of sinne In our selues is the true cause of sinne any taryeng he aunswereth God forbid But to make that which followeth y◠eastlier and plainlier to be vnderstand this is to be noted that Paul attributeth not vnto the law the workyng of sinne For sinne commeth of it only per accidēs that is by chaunce For the true and proper cause of sinne is in our selues For y◠lust which is grafted infixed in vs when the law of God setteth it self against it waxeth more 〈…〉 ce and is more vehemently kindled not that the law bringeth occasions to this infection For it only sheweth things which are euill setting forth what things are to be done what to be eschued But when the corruption of nature perceyueth that those thyngs which are set forth of the law are agaynst it it gathereth together his strengths and strengthneth it selfe to resist as much as lyeth in it and therfore it poureth out greater forces As we sée in the sommer whē A similitude cold cloudes hange ouer vs then in these lower regions are much greater heates And when as of the sonne al things are inflamed and made whote yet by Antiperistasin welles and places vnder the earth are more cold For such is the nature of The nature of thinges contrary things contrary that to repell the presence of their contrary they more vehemētly bend themselues and gather greater strengthes But I knevv not sinne but by the Lavv For I had not knovven lust except the Lavv had sayd Thou shalt not lust By these wordes the Apostle teacheth that How the law encreaseth sinne the Law encreaseth not sinne but so farre forth as it setteth before our eyes the knowledge thereof And he speaketh of himselfe to geue vs to vnderstand that he speaketh or declareth nothing but that which he had learned by feling and experience And by y◠same example he secretly exhorteth vs wholy to discēd down into our selues if we will together with him know the groūde of our saluation If thou demaund it what time Paul sayth that he knew not sinne and was ignorant At what time Paul◠knew not sinne of lust many thinke y◠he meaneth this of his childhode in which time by reason of age he could not vnderstand the commaundementes of the law This answere although I meane not to disproue yet do I not thinke it to be sufficiēt For after that we are come to discretion nether age nor naturall knowledge can of themselues shew sinne vnles we most attentiuely consider the Law of God For if it be but lightly and sclonderly looked vpon it engēdreth not a true knowledge of sinnes Wherefore we may say that sinne is not knowen of men both when they are letted by age and when being come to age they neglect the Law of God and also when they doo not attētiuely enough ether heare or rede it This place manifestly teacheth that Paul entreateth not only of ceremonies Both age and sinne let vs from the knowledge of the law Here is proued that Paul entreateth also of morall preceptes The law of nature also shewed sin The law of nature was in a manner cleane blotted out The presumption of hipocrites went about to depraue many thinges in the law of God An euident difference betwene the letter the spirite but also comprehendeth the ten commaundementes For out of thē he bringeth a confirmatiō of his sentence when he citeth this precept Thou shalt not lust And euen this Law whereof he speaketh is it from which he pronounceth that we are deliuered Which thing were not possible if as our aduersaries affirm we should be iustified by the workes thereof But thou wilt say did not the Law of nature shew sinne why then doth Paul say that he knew not sinne but by the law geuen of God by Moses Indede the law of nature shewed sinne but yet so long as it was soūd and whole But it being in a maner clene blotted out partly by the fall of the first parentes and partly by many other corruptions which it had now by long vse and continuance contracted could not performe his office so much as should be sufficient vnto the saluation of men Wherfore God gaue a law which should restore all thinges which our prauity had corrupted in the Law of nature And yet could not the presumption of men be so repressed but it went aboute in the Law also geuen of God to depraue many things For the Scribes and Pharisies with theyr interpretaciōs had corrupted the natiue and proper sence of the Law Wherefore Christ was compelled to bring it to perfection from theyr deprauation and to shew that it is farre otherwise to be vnderstand then they in the olde time had interpretated it And hereby we vnderstand that there is no small difference betwene the Law and the Spirite The Law may be blotted and corrupted by euill interpretations Farther also although it be perfect yet hath it not suche strengths that it can ether extinguishe sinne or alienate the minde from sinne But the spirite can not be vitiated nor corrupted and it breaketh sinne and chāgeth the minde But we ought to know that the Law geuen by Moses could not so much be corrupted as the Law of nature For although it were by interpretations
we haue before hard followeth sinne as the fruite and stipend thereof And although that Law be placed in the members yet ought no man therefore to surmise y◠the nature of the body or of the flesh is euill Sinne passeth in dede through the fleshe but thereof it followeth The constitution of the fleshe is not euill not that the constitucion of the flesh is euill and condemned If a man shoulde mingle poyson in a cuppe of gold that drinke should indede be venemous and euill howbeit the gold notwithstanding should be gold and rētayne still his dignity An argumēt against the Maniches In this place Chrisostome reasoneth agaynst the Maniches For they sayd that both the Law of God our flesh are euill for that other of them proceded from a certayne euill God Here sayth Chrisostome If the flesh be euill as ye say then must ye nedes confesse that the Law is good as that which resisteth the flesh Wherefore which way so euerye turne your selfes sayth he ye are confuted which thing commeth not to passe in doctrines of the Church For it houldeth that both the Law of God and also the nature of our flesh are good but sinne only is euill O vvretch that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Whē he felt himselfe in a maner oppressed in the conflict of these two Lawes he crieth out and confesseth himselfe to be miserable which he would not haue bone That whiche maketh miserable is sin vnles he had felt himselfe oppressed with some great greuous euill But there can nothing be more greuous then misery and death These two Paul ioyneth together and complayneth that he is agaynst hys will drawen vnto them By the body of death he vnderstandeth our vitiate and corrupt nature the whole man I say as it is brought forth of the parentes From thys body he desireth to be deliuered Vnto the Phillippians he sayth That death if it should happen vnto him should be vnto him greate gayne not that he desired to put of his life but for that he wished to put one a better life And this exposition is more agreable with the wordes of the Apostle then that which Ambrose hath that by the body of sin This exclamation pertaineth to a godly man An example of true repentance He wisheth not for death but deliuerye from sinne are to be vnderstand all maner of sinnes And thys exclamatiō commeth nether from an vngodly man nor from one liuing in security but from one conuerted vnto Christ and striuing agaynst sinne and detesting it which he feleth to be stil strong in him Here is set forth vnto vs an example of true repentance which y◠life of a Christian ought neuer to wāt Paul in this place wisheth not for death but to be deliuered from prauity and corruption And he vseth an interrogatiō to signifie that he can not be deliuered ether by the Law or by a good consciēce or by the shewe of good workes but deliuerye is to be hoped for at Christes handes onely I geue thankes vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. He vseth also an other exclamatiō for that he felt that thing to be by faith grace graunted vnto him which by any other meanes he could not attaine vnto These affectes are Contrarye affectes of the godly succeedinge the one the other contrary and succeding the one the other in the mindes of the Saintes that first they are excedingly sorye for their misery and after that they excedingly reioyce for the redemption which they haue obteyned through Christ And so vehement are these motions that Paul by the figure Aposiopesis leaueth the sentence cut of and vnperfect For that is left vnspoken which should finish vp the sentence For neither doth Paul aunswer to the first interrogation neither also doth he here expresse wherfore he geueth thankes And if a man rightly weigh these two affectes A due order of these affectes he shall finde that they are in most due order placed the one to the other For in the first exclamation being oppressed of sinne he imploreth aide But in the second when as he felt that he was now heard holpen and deliuered he geueth thankes and that through Iesus Christ our Lord not through Mary or through Iohn Baptist or through his owne workes or through any such like kinde of thing but thorow him only which is alone and the only mediatour betwene God and man There is but one onely redemer and mediator Paul confesseth himselfe to be deuided Wherefore I my selfe in minde serue the law of God but in my fleshe the law of sinne Paul in these wordes cōcludeth that which he from the beginning entended namely that he was deuided and that in as much as he was regenerate in Christ he willed and desired good thinges but in as much as he was still carnall he was obnoxious vnto sinne He sayth that he is a bond seruaunt which is to be vnder Tirans and sayth not that he fréely assenteth thereunto But straight way in the next chapter he will declare how it was no hurt vnto hym through Christ that in flesh he serued the lawe of sinne for that there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus But here we must beware of the pestilences of the libertines and furies of our tymes which by these words of the Apostle go about to excuse their most haynous wicked factes For they say that they in fleshe In this place we must be ware of the Libertines only committe fornication and dronkennes and lyue vncleanely but in mynde and in spirite are pure and do serue the lawe of God Of which matter Augustine excellently well entreateth in his 45. Sermō De tempore The lyfe of man saith he is a warfare but one day it shall come to passe that we shall attayne vnto a triumph Wherefore the holy scripture vseth the termes both of fighting of triumphing Here is set forth the description of the battaile when as mention is made of the lawe that rebelleth and leadeth away captiue and he which is against his will led away captiue imploreth ayde The ioy of the triumph is set forth vnto vs in the epistle vnto y◠Corrinthyans where it is sayd death is swallowed vp in victory death where is thy victory death where is thy sting These doubtles are the words of them that deride their enemyes and which when they haue gotten the victory triumph Wherfore there is no cause why they should ascribe vnto themselues these words which fight not which resist not which striue not but fall now hedlōg into all maner These are the wordes of them that striue and not of them that 〈…〉 dly in sins In this battaile we haue alwaies some hurt of sinnes boasting y◠they haue in the meane tyme a cleane harte Vnto this battayle cōmeth also lust laboureth to wrest somewhat from thée But it is thy part not
Paul here writeth He hath deliuered me from the right of sinne and of death That is from the guiltines or bond whereby we were bound vnto sinne and vnto eternall death And when this bond is taken away there then remaineth nothing why we should feare condemnation But forasmuch as that is said to happē through the spirite of Christ it manifestly appeareth that men are not iustefied by workes For workes follow the spirite and are saide to be the fruites thereof And this deliuery pertayneth only vnto them which are in Christ that we may vnderstand that all they are excluded which boast of faith and of the Gospell yet in the meane tyme do wallow in most grosse sinnes and are straungers from Christ and whereas they committe many thinges against their conscience yet are they not touched with any repentaunce This which is added which walke not according to the fleshe but according to the spirit expoundeth y◠which was before saide To be in Christ And that we may the better vnderstād that it is all one we must repeate that whiche the Apostle a litle before wrote Let not sinne raigne in your mortall body that this although ye be stirred vp by these lustes yet ye ought not to permitte vnto thē the dominion of your minde And that which the Apostle in this place declareth bringeth with it a great consolation They which are shut vp fast in prison and do know themselues to be A similitude guilty do looke for nothing els but sentence of death now if to them pardon and forgeuenes should be offred they not looking for it they can not but excedingly be glade and reioyce So we when we see that damnation is dewe vnto vs for our sinnes can not but excedingly reioyce at these tidinges when we heare out of the holy scriptures that all thinges are freely forgeuen vs for Christes sake Wherefore if we desire to haue the fruition of this so great a benefite it is necessary that we beleue the pardon which is offred vnto vs. For thys liberalitye of God wyll nothynge profite vs without faythe Althoughe by that whiche we haue nowe spoken I doubte not but that men maye vnderstande what the meaninge of Paul is yet are there sower thynges Foure thinges put forth to be examined whiche shall not be vnprofytable more dilygentlye to examyne Fyrste what that is wherby we are deliuered Secondly from what kind of euill we are deliuered Thirdly what maner of thing this deliuery is Lastly vnto whome it pertaineth As touching the first the Apostle saith that condemnation is taken away by the law of the spirit of lyfe wherby we vnderstand the holy ghost which gouerneth our mindes and ruleth them by his inward motions With which exposition agréeth Chrisostome For euen as saith he the law of sinne is sinne so the lawe of the spirite is the spirite But in that this worde of lyfe is added some do thus vnderstand it as though that worde should be ioyned with the worde law so that the law should be called the law of the spirite and the law of life But the nature of y◠Greke tong semeth to vrge that that worde should be an epitheton or proprietie of the spirite For thus it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is of the spirit of lyfe Here the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coupleth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of lyfe with the spirit and not with the law Wherfore the sence is that we are deliuered by the spirite the author of life and not by euery spirite which is cold and wanteth lyfe Ambrose by the law of y◠spirite vnderstoode faith which law he putteth as a meane betwene y◠two other lawes betwene the law of Moses I say and the law of the flesh Faith driueth not nor forceth vnto vices as before Paul taught that the law of the members and of the flesh doth Neither is faith as the law of Moses which only admonisheth what ought to be done but geueth not strengths to do it neither forgeueth whē any thing is committed against it For faith both teacheth what is to be don and also bringeth strengths to do the same and when any fault is committed it obteyneth pardon for the same Hereby we sée what is to be vnderstand by the law of the spirite of life namely the holy ghost or els fayth For either is true for in very deede y◠author of our deliuery is y◠spirit of Christ And y◠instrument which he vseth The efficicient cause and 〈◊〉 of our saluation to saue vs by is faith For it is the first gift wherwith God adorneth and decketh men that are to be iustified by it to embrace the promises set forth vnto thē Now to vnderstand the second part namely fro what we are deliuered We are deliuered from the law of sinne and death By these wordes is not signified the law of Moses although by faith in Christ we ar deliuered from it also ▪ But the Apostle entreateth not therof at this present neither is the law of Moses called in y◠The law of Moses is no◠called the law of sinne holy scriptures the law of sinne For although thorough it sinne be encreased yet doth it not commaund sinne neither was sinne the author of it yea rather the law of Moses is called spiritual partly because the holy ghost was the author of it who gaue it in Mount Sina and partly because all those things which it commaundeth are spirituall neither are they agreable vnto lust nor vnto our flesh It may It is called the law of death but yet per accidens that is by chaunce in dede after a sort be called the law of death for in the latter epistle to the Corrinthians it is called the ministery of death but these thinges are not to be applyed vnto it but thorough our default For otherwise of it selfe it setteth forth those things which should be profitable vnto lyfe But it lighteth vpon the peruersenes of our nature and therof it commeth that death followeth it Which reason if we should follow the Gospell also might be called the instrument of death For Paul The Gopell is per accidens the instrument of death in his latter epistle to the Cor. thus writeth Vnto some we are the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe but vnto other some the sauor of death vnto death Wherfore there is great cōsideration to be had with what maner of sauor we sauor the Gospell For it is not to be meruailed at that of one and the selfe same thing do follow contrary effectes For we sée daily that one and the self same sonne both drieth vp clay and also melteth waxe But seing it is so a man may meruaile why the Gospell is not in the holy scriptures called the ministery of death as the law of Moses is Ambrose answereth Because the Gospell of hys owne nature condemneth not but those which beleue not it leaueth
it was lawful for him to do wherfore he thinketh he lost his power which before he had â—uer men But this interpretation although it conteine nothing that is vngodly yet in no wyse agréeth with the meaning of the Apostle For Paul geueth a reason how we are deliuered by Christ from the lustes and motions of which he complaineth towards the ende of the vij chapter And forasmuch as the death of Christ is put for the cause of this deliuery that exposition which we brought of the sacrifice for sin both is agreable with reason and also is proued by other testimonies of the Scriptures For Esay in his 53. chapter writynge of Christ sayth If he shall put his soule Ameth schaim asham nephesch sinne that is to say for sinne Paul also as we haue before cited him saith That he which knew no sinne was for vs made sinne And in the first epistle to the Corrinthians Christ our paschall is offered vp And in the epistle vnto the Hebreues Christ is set forth to be that sacrifice for sinne whiche was sene to be offered without the hostes Iohn also sayth Beholde the lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinnes of the worlde in which wordes he calleth him a lambe for yâ— What the killinge of sacrifices signified in the old time he should be a sacrifice for sinne And that slaughter of sacrifices shadowed nothing els vnto the elders but damnation and death For there they which offred them acknowledged that the sinnes for which they ought to haue bene punished should be transferred and layd vpon the Messias that euen as the sacrifice was killed so should Christ in tyme to come dye for the sinne of the people Which thing peraduenture they declared by an outward simbole or signe namely by laying on of Why the Gentils sometimes sacrificed men their handes And many thinke that this signification of the offring vp of the Messias for sinne was of so great force that for the figuracion therof men were among certaine nations offred vp For that which they had heard of the holy patriarches should one day come to passe the same they sought to expresse by a sacrifice most nyest as they thought vnto the truth Which yet forasmuch as it wanted yâ— word of God and was by them only inuented was nothing els then an vngodly cruelty Of this thing Origene against Celsus maketh mencion Neither can it be but Why the killinges of sacrifices aâ— at this day â— out of vse wonderful that at this day throughout the whole world there are no immolatioÌ„s of sacrifices which seme by the prouidence of god therfore to haue vanished away bicause that noble and so long looked for sacrifice of the deth of Christ which was by all those sacrifices after a sorte shadowed is now performed For God hath geuen one only oblacion wherby as we haue said sinne is condemned By which so great liberality of God towardes vs both feare and also faith ought to be stirred vp in vs. For if God to the ende he would abolishe sinne spared not his owne proper sonne what shall become of vs if we despise so great a sacrifice and tread vnder foote the bloud of the sonne of God On the other side who will not put his confidence in God whom he séeth for our sinnes to haue geuen his sonne vnto the deth Wherfore we ought with a most strong faith to embrace this sacrifice Neyther ought we here to regard the sacrificing priestes which boast that they can by their The sacrifyce of Christ is not applied vnto vs by Masses masses and superstitions and vngodly whisperinges apply this sacrifice vnto vs. In dede the holy scriptures teache that one ought to pray for an other But that yâ— communicating of one man is sufficient for an other or that it applieth the death of Christ vnto an other that thing the holy ghost neuer taught And sithen the sacramentes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is seales of promises they can profite them onely if we speake of theÌ„ which are of full age which embrace theÌ„ by fayth Wherfore eueÌ„ as it is not coÌ„uenient yâ— one should be baptised for an other so doth it nothing profite if one man receiue the Eucharist or supper of the Lord for an other For this were all one as if a man should take seales by which promises are confirmed and transferre theÌ„ vnto a blanke paper which hath neither promise nor any thing written in it we may in déede when we communicate geue thankes vnto God for that he hath holpen our neighbours and brethren and we may pray for them that they may be confirmed But to eate the sacrifice or Eucharist or to offer vp Christ for other men it is vtterly a fained inuention And although we shoulde graunte theÌ„ thys yet should they not haue yâ— which they so much séeke for For thys is not peculiar vnto priestes but is coÌ„moÌ„ vnto al theÌ„ which celebrate yâ— supper of yâ— lord Away therfore with these fained lies let euery maÌ„ labor by his own proper faith to take hold for himselfe of this benefite of Christ to apply it vnto himself Augustine in his exposition begon vpon the epistle vnto the Romanes saith that euery one of vs applieth vnto himselfe the sacrifice of the death of Christ For he saith Touching the sacrifice of which the Apostle then spake that is of the burnt offring of the Lordes passion that euery man offreth for hys owne sinnes then when he is dedicated vnto the passion of Christ through faith and when by baptisme be is noted by the name of faithfull Christians Now let vs speake of the third thing namely to sée what is the fruite of the death of Christ That the righteousnes of God might be fulfilled in vs which walke not according to the fleshe but according to the spirite That which we haue turned Righteousnes and others Iustification in Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word signifieth that honesty and vprightnes which is commaunded in the lawe which although it be so called yet are we not therby iustified for the fulfilling thereof can be in no man but only in him which is iustified It is true in dede that We shal be iudged according to our works we shall not be iustified by them we shal be iudged accordinge vnto those woorkes for God wyll render vnto euerye manne accordynge to hys woorkes For accordinge to the condition of the workes the forme of the sentence shal be pronouÌ„ced Yet are not good works the causes of that felicity which we looke for For if they were causes then shoulde they either be equall with the reward or els they should be greater then it For this is the nature of causes ether to excell the affectes or at the least wayes to be The dignity of causes either excelleth or els is equall with the effecâ—es How the preceptes of the law are fulfilled in vs by Christ equall
oughte not to be in doubt whither the spirite of Christ do dwell in vs or no. Ambrose vpon this place noteth that the spirite of God departeth from vs for two maner of causes eyther bicause of the vnderstanding of the flesh or els bicause of the actes therof That is either for false doctrine or els for corrupt maners But if Christ be in you the body in dede is dead because of sinne Hitherto pertaineth the first part of this chapter wherin hath bene declared that although in the saintes there still remayneth sinne yet therof followeth not condemnation for it is taken away by the law of the spirit But froÌ„ whence this spirit is deriued into vs hath ben set forth namely froÌ„ the death which the son of God suffered for vs. Farther it hath 〈◊〉 declared what they are vnto whome so great a benefite is come namely 〈◊〉 which walke according to the spirite and not according to the flesh Now he entreth into the second part wherin he teacheth that we by the same spirite haue obteined participation both of the death and of the resurrection of the Lord. And he exhorteth vs according as our duety is to mortify the dedes of the flesh and to addict our selues wholy vnto the spirit by whom we haue obteyned so great benefites And to knit together those things which are to be spoken with those which are already spoken the Apostle saith But if Christ be in you In that he thus saith that Christ is in vs he sheweth that it counteth it al one for the spirite of God or of Christ to dwell in vs and Christ himselfe to be in vs not that he meaneth that the holy ghost and Christ that is the sonne of God are one the selfe same hypostasis or person But as Chrisostome hath taught this is the nature of the thrée persons that wheresoeuer the one is there also the other are together present Wherfore forasmuch as the holy ghost is in vs it followeth of necessity that the sonne of God which is Christ together with the father is in vs. Which thing Paul hath expressedly pronounced vnto the Ephesians when he sayd That Christ Not where soeuer Christ is accordinge to his diuine nature he is there also according to his humane nature by fayth dwelleth in our hartes And yet it followeth not that whersoeuer Christ is according to his diuine nature he is there also accordyng to his humaine nature For his humaine nature whether we haue a regard vnto the soule or vnto the body is finite neither can so be poured abroade infinitely that it shoulde possesse and fill all things as doth his diuine nature Wherfore we graunt that the sonne and the father are wheresoeuer the holy ghost is and whersoeuer we confesse the son of God to be there also will we coÌ„fesse Christ to be but yet not alwaies according to his humane nature For yâ— is not possible Paul saith in his â— epistle vnto the Cor. that the elders dranke of the spiritual rock which followed theÌ„ that rocke was Christ Of the rocke which was Christ By which wordes are â—â— things to be vnderstaÌ„d first yâ— Christ was signified in that rocke secondly yâ— he was in very dede present with the people when they dranke as the holy history declareth For it telleth yâ— God promised that he would be preset with his people at the rocke Oreb And the same God was yâ— sonne which could not then be present according to flesh and humane nature when as he had not yet put it on And yet is he of Paul called Christe And in the selfe same epistle the fathers are sayd to haue tempted Christ in the desert which can not be vnderstand according to the humane nature for as much as it was not then extaÌ„t The fathers â—â— the wildernes tempted Christ How it is to be vnderstande Christ to dwel in vs. So when Christ is sayd to dwell in vs by fayth or the spirite it doth not thereof follow that ether his body or his soule dwelleth in our hartes really as I may call it and substancially It is inough that Christ be sayd to be in vs by hys deuine presence and that he is by his spirite grace and giftes present with vs. Nether is this as some make exclamation to go aboute to seperate the diuine nature from the humane For we holde that the natures in Christ are ioyned together and insâ—perable And yet that coniunction maketh not that the humane nature extendeth it selfe so farre aâ— doth the diuine nature Which thing Augustine hath most manifestly testefied vnto Dardanus Although I knowe there are some which go aboute by certayne wordes of his out his 96. treatise vpoÌ„ Iohn to cauill that he ment that Christ also according to hys humane nature is still with vs although he be not sene For Augustine wheÌ„ he interpreteth these words A place of Augustine expounded of the Lord I go to prepare you a place sayth that those places and maÌ„sions are nothing ells then we our selues which beleue which are as certayne dwelling places vnto which the father and the sonne come and abide in But we must by the holy ghost be prepared to be made mete dwelling places WheÌ„ he thus expouÌ„deth these wordes he demauÌ„deth Why then sayth Christ that he goeth away if we must be prepared For he ought rather to be present For if he depart away we shall not â—e prepared Afterward when he solueth the question he thus writeth If I doo well vnderstande the thou departest neyther from whence thou camest nether from the place whither thou goest Thou departest in hiding thy selfe thâ—u commest in manifesting thy selfe But vnles thou abide in gouerning vs and we go froward 〈…〉 ning well how shall a place be prepared for vs Behold say they by these wordes it is most manifeste that Christe hath not departed from vs but is present although he lye hiddeÌ„ But these men consider not that these thinges are spokeÌ„ of the diuine nature For that is it which is said to haue come from heauen and out of the bosome of the Father He came indede not that he departed thence from whence he came but bycause he appeared vnto vs vnder humane nature Agayne he is sayd to haue gone from hence when he ascended according to hys humane nature not that he hath vtterly departed froÌ„ vs but for that the humane nature in which he appeared vnto vs being taken vp vnto heauen the presence of his diuine nature lieth hidden with vs nether can it be sene of vs. And that this is the meaning of Augustine may be proued by two argumentes First bycause he entreateth of our preparation which belongeth vnto Christ according to his diuine nature for it worketh and insinuateth it selfe in our hartes and mindes Farther that place which he citeth out of the epistle vnto the Corrinthians whereas he proueth that we are the dwelling places of God teacheth the selfe same
thing Paul sayth that we are the temple of God and the temple of the holy ghost and that God himselfe dwelleth in vs which vndoubtedly can not be referred vnto the humane nature of Christ but only vnto the deuine But the better to vnderstaÌ„d Augustines iudgement as touching Augustine â—eclareth how Christ is with vs and how he is absente from vs. this matter let vs heare what he sayth in his 50. treatise vpon the selfe same Gosple of Iohn where he expoundeth these words The poore ye shall haue alwayes with you but me ye shall not haue alwayes For he spake saith he of the preseÌ„ce of his bodye For according to his maiesty according to his prouideÌ„ce according to his vnspeakeable inuisible grace is fullfilled that which he spake Behold I am with you eueÌ„ vnto the end of the world But according to the nature which the world tooke according to that that he was borne of the virgen according to that that he was apprehended of the Iewes that he was fastened vnto the woode that he was taken down from the crosse that he was wrapped in linnen that he was layde in the sepulcher that he was made manifeste in the resurrection ye shall not haue me alwayes with you Wherefore Bycause according to the presence of his body he was 40. dayes conuersaunt with his disciples and when he had brought them forth they seing him and not following him he ascended vp into heauen He is not here for he is there and sitteth at the right hand of the Father And he is here for he hath not departed hence touching the presence of his maiesty According to the presence of hys maiesty we haue Christ alwayes according to the presence of the flesh it was rightly â—ayd vnto the disciples Me ye shall not haue alwayes For the Church had him a few dayes according to the preseÌ„ce of the flesh now it holdeth him by fayth and seeth him not with the eyes There ar also very many other places in which Augustine most manifestly declareth that he was of this selfe same iudgmeÌ„t Wherefore yâ— this which Paul now sayth If Christ be in you is not to be vnderstaÌ„d of his humane nature or body those things plainly declare which haue bene spokeÌ„ of the spirit How we receaue Christ and are ioyned vnto him in the Euchariste By this place of Paul we are plainly tought how we receaue Christ in the eucharist in what maner we are in it ioyned with him For we haue hard yâ— by yâ— deatâ— of Christ we haue obtayned his spirite But in the supper of the Lord is celebrated the commemoration of the death of Christ and of his body done vpoÌ„ the crosse and of his bloud shed for vs and this not only in wordes but also in the simbols of the bread and wyne which represent the body and bloud of Christ Wherefore if by faith we embrace those thinges which we are put in mynde of we then obtayne the spirite of Christ and Christ himselfe is in vs as Paul in this place testifieth But there is no néede to require the body and fleshe of Christ according to hys naturall and real presence which yet we haue sufficently spiritually present when we apprehend them by fayth Chrisostome out of this place gathereth very many and gréeuous discommodities which men that are destitute of the spirite The discommodities which hapâ—eÌ„ vnto theÌ„ which are â—estitute of the spirite of Christ of Christ fall into for they are holden in death and in sinne they excercise enmities agaynst God they can not obserue his lawe and though they séeme to be of Christ yet are they not For Paul will declare that they are not pertakers of the death and of the resurrection of the Lord. For he saith And if Christ be in you the body in dede is deade because of sinne but the spirite is life because of righteousnes The Apostle in this place as we haue before taught declareth that by the benefite of the spirite we are endued with the coÌ„munion of the death and of the resurrection of Christ And althoughe all interpreters consent that in the latter part of this sentence is entreated of the true resurrection of the bodyes yet touching the first parte all men are not of one mynde For some thus vnderstand that the body is dead as if it should haue bene sayd that the lust and prauity which cleaue vnto vs are by the benefite of the spirite mortified and become as it were dead So that after these interpreters this word Body signifieth the naturall lyfe of men not as it was instituted of God but as it is now corrupted through sinne Thys life say they ought to be deade because it is sinne But the spirite is life because of righteousnes By the spirite he here vndoubtedly vnderstandeth the spirite of God and not any part of our mynde as it is manifest both by those thinges which shal be spoken and by those thinges which haue already bene spoken Here Paul changeth the Antithesis For he saith not the spirite liueth as he had before sayde of the body that it is deade but he The antithesis is chaunged The sâ—irite of God doth not onely lyue but also communicateth life vnto others sayth The spirite is lyfe Which thing is most agréeable vnto the spirite of God For that spirite doth not only liue it selfe but also communicateth life vnto others and continually breatheth into the beleuers a new and holy life Farther forasmuch as Paul ment in this place highly to commend the dignity of the spirite this abstract nowne vita that is lyfe serued better for his purpose then the verbe viuit that is lyueth Because of righteousnes In Greke it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it fitteth very well For righteousnes is both an antithesis vnto sinne and also is the life of God For so long as a man worketh iustly and liueth holily he leadeth the life of God Although the Latten interpreter hath Propter iustificationeÌ„ that is by reason of iustification as if he had red in the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which reading Chrisostome followed and bringeth this reason thereof for that we haue an experience of life by reason of iustification for by it sinne being taken away succeded life For these two are so repugnant one to the other that when the one geueth place the other must nedes succede The same father addeth That the body is theÌ„ at the last dead when we are no more affected with the motions thereof theÌ„ we are moued by our karkases being now buried and hid vnder grounde And thys he saith is the communion with the death of Christ because Christ dyed to dissolue the body of sinne And if his spirite which raysed vp Christ from the dead dwell in you he that raysed vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies because of his spirite that dwelleth in you This declareth howe we are
pertakers of the resurrection namely when by mortification we are Howe we are pertakers of the resurrection The spirite of God will do the selfe same thinge in vs that it hath done in Christ made like vnto his death The reason of Paul leueth vnto this foundation that the spirite of God will worke the selfe same effecte in vs that it did in Christ For of one the selfe same cause are to be looked for yâ— selfe same effectes And God forasmuch as he is euery where like vnto himselfe by the selfe same meanes bringeth forth the selfe same workes Wherefore the consequence followeth well And seing when Christ was raysed from the dead ther was rendred vnto him a pure eternall and diuine life such a life also shall one day be rendred vnto vs which life we wayte for in the blessed resurrection when our bodyes shal be raysed vp being perfectly renued and now also we beginne the same when as by new motions Our resurrection is now begon of the spirite we are stirred vp to good workes Wherefore by these wordes are we admonished to mortefie the affectes of the flesh as Paul in an other place saide They which are of Christ haue crucified their fleshe with all the lustes thereof And vnto the Colossians Mortefie saith he your members which are vpon the earth and thys is the body to be deade Neither is it to be meruailed at that by the name of the body is vnderstand sine for sinne is named of that part whereby it had entrance into vs. For the soule saith Ambrose is not traduced from the parentes but only the body Now to dye vnto the body or vnto sinne is nothing els then to do nothing at the commaundement of lustes This is all one with that which we had What to dy vnto the body or vnto sinne signifieth before in the 6. chapter That we are now in baptisme dead with Christ and are buried together wyth hym And the Apostle commonly when he writeth of mortification and newnes of life taketh argumentes of the resurrection of the Lord by which Christ layd away mortality and did put on eternall life Which selfe thing shall also come to passe in our resurrection For in it shall we lay a side all oldenes of error and of corruption Which although before that tyme we shall not perfectly haue yet nowe also in this life we beginne to possesse in some sorte alreadye Wherefore Paul saith in the 2. epistle to the Corrinthyans Euen as our olde man is dayly destroyed so on the other side is our new man dayly renewed And vnto the Collossians If ye haue risen together whith Christ seeke the thynges that are aboue And vnto the Phillippians Paul saith That he alwayes endeuoreth himselfe to the thinges that are before neglecting and setting aside those thynges which are behynde that he mought by any meanes attayne vnto the resurrection of the Lord beyng already made pertaker of hys suffrynges And thus much as touching the first interpretacioÌ„ which Chrisostome followeth which if we more narrowly consider we shall sée that it containeth that which we a litle before spake namely that it is the proper duty of Christians not to liue according to the fleshe but according to the spirite For what other thinge is this but to mortify the body of sinne and to rise againe vnto a new life with Christ as though eueÌ„ now beginneth to shine forth in vs the resurrectioÌ„ which we hope shall in the last time be made perfect The second interpretation which Augustine foloweth is to vnderstand the body properly that is for this our outward substaunce And this body he saith is through sinne dead for that vppon it by reason of sinne was sentence long since geuen And he teacheth that by Christ By Christ we haue recouered a better nature then we lâ—st hy by Adam we haue recouered a better nature then we lost by Adam For he had a body not obnoxious vnto the necessity of death howbeit mortall for if he sinned he shoulde die But we by the resurrection of Christ shall receiue a body so frée from the necessitie of dying that it can not any more dye So according to this interpretatioÌ„ Paul declareth that we besides the benefite of the death of Christ haue an other benefit also of the spirite of Christ so that we are now by him pertakers of immortality Wherfore as touching the resurrection of the bodies eche interpretation is agreable But about this particle The body is dead they agrée not for Augustine taketh the body properly but Chrisostome by it vnderstandeth the vice and corruption of nature Wherfore according to this second interpretation Paul semeth to aunswer vnto a priuy obiection For against those thinges which haue hitherto bene spoken mought some man make this obiection This spirit whome thou so highly commendest as though it deliuereth vs from sinne and froÌ„ death doth yet stil leue vs in death and obnoxious vnto many aduersities diseases and calamities Paul aunswereth that this is true only as touching the body by reason of sinne which is still left in it For there hence come those euils Howbeit he willeth vs to be of good cheare for that spirite of God which is in vs hath now taken away condemnatioÌ„ that sinne which is remainyng in vs should not be imputed vnto vs vnto eternal death and will also bring to passe that euen as Christ which was dead was by him raised vp againe from the dead so also our bodies which are yet mortall shall be repayred vnto true immortalitie This sence is easy and plain and very wel agreing with those things which haue bene spoken therfore I allow it although in yâ— other exposition I know there is no absurditie or discoÌ„moditie Here are two things to be noted first that yâ— lust which is remayning in vs is of Paul called sinne and such a sinne also that after it followeth death Which cannot be denied The luste which remayneth in vs is sinne after which followeth death Why God sendeth aduersities vpon his elect in infants that are baptised and yet die for if in them sinne were vtterly taken away death could haue no place Although in the elect which are nowe reconciled vnto God death and such other afflictions are not inflicted as paines but rather as a crosse sanctified of God and that by a fatherly chastisement we should vnderstaÌ„d how highly God is displeased with sinne and should be more and more called back vnto repentaunce and that death mought be in vs a way wherby should be extinguished whatsoeuer sinne is remainyng in vs. Wherfore although by reason of sinne death be said to haue place in vs for vnles it were death could by no meanes be yet followeth it not that it is inflicted vpon the godly and elect as a payne And God retayneth not anger againste those whoÌ„â— he receiueth into fauour An example of Dauid It lieth not in the sacrifisinge priestes
debters dnto the fleshe he playnly declareth how necessary good workes are And he stoppeth their mouthes which spake ill of his doctrine as which opened a window vnto vices For he threateneth death and that eternall death vnto theÌ„ which liue according to the fleshe They which draw the wordes of the Apostle vnto the liberty of the fleshe vnderstand not that he teacheth that men iustified are absolued from the condemnation of the lawe and not from the obedience therof For that obedience lasteth in the Saintes for euer For if ye liue after the flesh ye shall dye but if by the spirite ye mortefie the deedes of the fleshe ye shall liue He here by an other reason proueth A reason from that which is profitable vnprofitable yâ— we ought to liue holily which reason is taken froÌ„ that which is profitable and vnprofitable Two thinges he setteth forth namely life and death neither entreateth he here of temporall thinges but of eternall It is true in déede that it is not comely that we should follow as captaines of our life the prauity and corruption of nature which is signified by the name of fleshe neither do the debts which we owe vnto God by reason of his benefites bestowed vpon vs suffer vs so to do But yet fewe are moued with this comlynes and the nature of man is by reason of sinne to much blockish to heauenly thinges Wherefore it must haue the stronger spurres to pricke it forwarde And therefore Paul added this reason of lyfe and death If by the spirite ye mortefy the deedes of the fleshe ye shall liue Hereof two thinges we gather First that there are still déedes of the fleshe in the godly And who doubteth but that they are sinnes especially seing they ought to be mortefied The second is that these déedes are mortefied by the spirite for mans inuentions will nothing helpe thereunto For whatsoeuer is done by vertues described of the philosophers is sinne which can not through Christ be forgeuen them Wherefore the true and perfect cause of mortification is to be sought for at the handes of the spirite And to mortefy is nothing els but for a man to be violent against himselfe and to withstand and resist wicked lustes Here agayne also the Apostle séemeth to touch the difference betwéene deadly sinne and veniall What is to mortâ—fy sinne not that all sinnes are not of their owne nature deadly but for that through the death and spirite of Christ they are forgeuen therefore they are called veniall Those are called deadly sinnes which are not mortified in vs when we geue our selues to lustes and liue without repentance and sinne against our conscience neither resiâ—â— lustes but follow on our trade of liuing wickedly neither in the meane tyme regard we the spirit or death of Christ These are those sinnes which Paul writeth They which do such thinges shall not obtayne the kingdome of God and for which as it is written vnto the Ephesians The wrath of God commeth vpon the children of distrust For as many as are led by the spirite of God are the sonnes of God By two reasons it hath bene proued that men godly regenerate ought not to liue after the fleshe either bicause they are now debters so to do or els bicause the same shall turne them to great commodity namely for that they shall liue for euer Here is added the third reason for that they are now adopted into the children of God In which place we are taught two things at once the one is that they ought We must liue vprightly for that we are adopted into children Three maner of wayes it is shewed that we are the sonnes of God fréely and of their owne accord to worke as which are endued with the spirit not of bondmen but of children the other is that they which so leade their life shall liue for euer namely for that they are the sonnes of God For he is eternall immortall And that they are the children of God he proueth thrée manner of wayes First for that they are led by the spirite of God Secondly for that they call vpon him by the name of father lastly for that the spirite so testifieth vnto theÌ„ Wherfore the reason may thus be knit together As many as are the sonnes of God liue not after the flesh for they are led by the spirite of God and they call God their father and they haue the holy ghost in their hartes a witnes of the adoption whiche they haue obteined Such ones are all we which beleue in Christ wherefore we ought not to liue after the flesh When they are said to be the sonnes of God which The beginning of our adoption is thâ— spirit of God are led by the spirite of God therby is signified that the beginning of our adoptioÌ„ coÌ„meth only through the sprite of God by which the faithfull are so drawen that they are sayd of Paul to be led that is without violence and any coaction bowed They which want the spirite are holden with ignorance and are tossed by the impulsion of lustes But the spirite of God so leadeth that it both teacheth what is to be done and also ministreth a will minde and strengthes to performe the same It is not inough to know what we ought to do vnles we haue also strengthes geuen vs to do it and strengthes should be in vaine geuen vs if there should want knowledge These two thinges bringeth the spirite of God with it and by that Two thinges the spirite of God bringeth with it meanes leadeth the elect with pleasure After we are once sealed with this spirite we haue obteyned the earnest peny of eternall life and the adoption of the sonnes of God And forasmuch as we are not compelled to do any thing against our wils we enioy most excellent fréedome For we are stirred vp vnto those thinges which we excedingly desire For ye haue not receiued the spirite of bondage vnto feare But ye haue What is the spirite of feare and what of adoption receiued the spirite of adoption wherby we cry Abba father The apostle by a certaine distinction expresseth what that spirite is wherby the sonnes of God are led For he maketh one the spirite of feare an other the spirite of adoption which is no otherwise to be vnderstand but that one and the selfe same spirite of God bringeth forth two effectes which are by a certaine order knit together For first by the law and by threatninges it maketh afeard those men that are to be iustified and breaketh and vexeth them with scourges and stripes of the conscience that vtterly dispairing of themselues they may flye vnto Christ vnto whom wheÌ„ they are come and that they embrace him by faith they are not onely iustified but also are fréely of their owne accorde stirred vp to iust vpright and holy workes Wherfore Paul admonisheth yâ— Romanes that they are now come vnto this latter
Which haue the first fruites of the spirite By this phrase of speach he signifieth ether aboundance or els only a certain smacke or tast before For so may those good thinges be called which we now haue fruicion of if they be compared vnto those good thinges which we waite for Wherefore from creatures Paul passeth vnto men which are endued with faith and with the spirite of Christ Those also he saith do grone and with ernest desire waite for that our adoption and the redemption of our body may at length be made perfect Wherefore it is manifest that they go foolishly to worke as Chrisostome noted which being led by entisementes of pleasures desire to abide here perpetually and thinke not vpon their departing hence without great griefe For what a great infelicity is this that we should reioyce euen of our misery Ambrose commendeth the excellently approued olde man Simeon which with greate cherefulnes prayed after this maner Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace Waiting for the adoption What meaneth thys saith Chrisostome that thou so often to and froo tossest thys adoption as though we had now alredy gotten it seyng that thou calledst vs beleuers the sonnes and heyres of God and fellow heyres of Christ But now thou semest to make vs frustrate of it for that thou writest that we although we haue the first fruites of the spirite do yet styll wayte for that adoption He answereth vnto this and saith that the Apostle in thys place is to be vnderstand of the perfect and absolute adoption For euen so that semeth he to signifie when he addeth The redemption of our body These wordes I take not in that sence as though we are now redemed in spirite but the body remayneth which shall afterwarde be renewed For there is some what still in the soule whiche hath neede of instauration For we féele that we haue in vs man â—e corrupte motions yea euen against our willes there are also still remayning sinnes not As touching the soule also we are not perfectly ren 〈…〉 Our body and flesh is in some part renued Why Paul maketh meÌ„ 〈◊〉 rather of the body thâ—â— oâ— the soule when he entreateth of the redemption which we waite or Of the chaunge of thinges in the end of the world in all pointes healed the body also that we haue now is not without some inchâ—ation or beginning of redemption for it is now made the temple of God and the holy ghost dwelleth therin Paul to the Ephesians calleth vs fleshe of his flesh and â—oâ—e of hys bones Which could not vndoubtedly â—e sayd vnles both our flesh and the body it selfe were in some parte alredy renewed But sithen we wayte that somewhat should be restored both in spirite and in body why doth Paul make mencion rather of the body then of the soule I will tell you Bycause he had a respect vnto the fountayne of euills which are traduced from Adam thorough séede from the body For herehence began our contamination nether can it euer be weded vp by the rootes vnles the body be first extinguished by death or doo put on glory by the last changing whiche is to come Hereto tendeth the course of the Apostle when he so often maketh mencion of our body which shall in the last time be redemed For vnto the Corrinthians he sayth When this corruptible shall put on vncorruption And vnto the Phillippians He shall conforme the body of our humiâ—ity to the bodye of hys glory These thinges being thus declared the place it selfe semeth to require to speake somewhat of the chaunge of thinges which shal be in the end of the worlde First I thinke it good to declare those thinges which the Master of the sentences writeth of thys matter in hys 4. booke of sentences the. 48. distinction WheÌ„ the lord shall come to iudge the Sunne and Moone shall be darkened not saâ—th he that theyr light shal be taken from them but by the presence of a more plentifuller light For Christ shal be present the moste bright Sunne therefore the slarres of heauen shal be darkened as candells are at the rising of the Sunne The vertues of the heauens shal be moued which may be vnderstand of the powers or as some speake of the influences whereby the celestiall bodies gouerne thinges inferior Which shall then forsake theyr right and accustomed order Or by those vertues we may vnderstand the Angelles which by their continuall turning about moue the orbeâ— of the heauens Peraduenture then they shâ—ll ether cease from theyr accustomed worke or els they shâ—l execute it after some newe maner After he had gathered these thingâ— out of Mathevv and Luke he addeth out of Ioell that there shall be eclipses â—f the Sunne and of the Moone The Sun sayth he shal be darkened and the Moone shal be turned into bloud before that greate and horrible day of the Lord come And out of the 65. chapter of Esay Behold â— create a new heauen and a new earth And streight waye The moone shall shine as the Sunne and the light of the Sunne shall be seuenfold that is enduring seuen dayes And out of the Apocaâ—ps There shal be a new heauen and a new earth Although there be no mencion made of the amâ—lifieng ether of the light of the Sunne or of the Moone Ierome interpretateth that place that the light of the Sunne shal be as it was in those first seuen dayes wherein the world was created For by reason of the sinne of the first parentes the light sayth he both of the Sunne of the Moone was diminished Which saying some of the Scholemen vnderstand not of the very substaunce of the light but bycause both the world and men haue receaued lesse fruites of these lights after the fall then they had before But all these thinges are obscure and vncertayne Whereunto I adde that some of the Rabbines thinke that these are figuratiue speaches For there shall be no chaunge in the starres but they say that vnto men being in heauines and bewaylinge the vnluckye state of theyr cases shall come so small fruite of the light of the Sunne and Moone that vnto them those starres may seme to be darckened and vtterly out of sight But contrariwise when they begin to be in more felicity and to liue according to theyr desire then at the last the light of the Sunne and of the Moone shall seme vnto them to be doubled and a greate deale more brighter then it semed before Which exposition as I deny not so also I confesse that at the end of the world shal be a great change of those things Wherfore I graunt either to be true both that in thys life oftentimes happen thinges so dolefull that dayes being otherwise most bright seme vnto vs moste darke and also that when all thinges shall haue an end the state of the worlde shall be troubled Yea also whilest we liue here sometymes it happeneth that those lights of
of the age of the fulnes of Christ that we alwayes wauer not like children Farther this place teacheth that we are not only predestinate vnto eternall life but also vnto good workes in thys life namely that we should be like vnto Christ For Paul playnly writeth to the Ephesians that we are created in Christ in good workes which God hath prepared that we should walke Wordes of the vngodly abusing predestination We are not onely predestinate to blessednes but also to an holy life Predestination to good woorkes pertaineth not to all which shal be saued in them Wherfore they are fowly deceaued out of theyr wittes which are not ashamed to vtter these blasphemous wordes If I be predestinate I shal be saued howsoeuer I liue for these miserable men se not that we are predestinate not only vnto eternall felicity but also to behaue our selues purely and holily in thys life For predestination pertayneth both to the end and also to those things by which we come vnto the end Which thing yet I would not haue so to be vnderstand as though without these meanes no man is predestinate vnto eternall life For the infantes of the godly which dye in that age and are saued are doubtles predestinate vnto eternall life when as yet notwithstanding by reasō of age they coulde not attayne to good workes But this we ought to hold that the giftes of God are not geuen by chaunce but vpon good sure cōsideration Wherefore sithen good workes are certaine giftes of the goodnes of God they happen not without predestination Wherefore predestination pertayneth as well to the good thinges of thys life as also to eternall life This sayth Paul is done of God to the honor of Christ That he might be the first borne amongst many brethern So good is the almighty and most louing God that hauing a sonne and such a sonne in whome was well pleased yet he would adopt vnto him selfe many other sonnes out of The goodnes of God in adopting vs. our kind amongest whome Christ should be the first borne Alwayes the prerogatiue of the first borne was great both before the Law as it is manifest in the Patriarches and also afterward vnder the law The first borne had two parts of the inheritaunce and succeded the father in the administration of the famely The prerogatiue of the first borne God aboue all thinges loueth order wherefore forasmuch as his will was that the famelyes of men shoulde be gouerned orderlye he appoynted a father to be as it were a Lawfull Lord of all thinges pertayning to the household Who if peraduenture he should dye or fall sicke or thorough age be weake his wil was that the gouerment of the famely shoulde come vnto the eldeste sonne Nether ought that to moue vs that Aristotle in his Ethikes teacheth that brethern exercise amongest them selues a politicall gouernment and that amongest them is a certayne forme of a cōmon welth For he vnderstādeth these things whilest the father yet liueth and gouerneth his famely himselfe For so long brethern are amongest themselues all of like power Or peraduenture the Grecians attributed not so much vnto theyr first borne as did the Hebrues which at thys day also we see is not done in many places howbeit it is sufficiēt in one word to note that the first borne ought to be preferred before the rest of the brethern not to exercise tiranny agaynst thē but to gouern to admonish to helpe to sustayn and to succor them All which thinges Christ hath so performed for his brethern Christ hath performed towardes vs the part of a first begotten brother Christ according to his diuine nature is the onelye begotten that for theyr sakes he suffred death and therefore as Paul sayth vnto the Colossians He is the chiefe amongest all his brethern But in that he is sayd to be our first begotten brother that commeth by the dispensation of the nature which he tooke vpon him for otherwise as touchinge hys diuine nature he is the onelye begotten We are therefore called hys brethern bycause we are coapted by grace And thys byrthryght of Christe shall then at the length be notable and honorable when we beinge wholye renued shall be made pertakers of hys glorye Wherefore it is our duetye both to geue thankes vnto God and also excedingly to reioyce with our selues that we haue gotten such and so great a brother and as touching that which is remayning to deliuer our selues wholy vnto him to be ordred and instructed And sithen we know that he is set forth vnto vs as an image whereunto we ought to conforme our selues we ought alwayes to haue him before our eyes as the rule and example of our life VVhome he predestinateth those also hath he called whome he called those also hath he iustified whome he iustified those also hath he glorified In this In this chayne is nuer a link of woorkes or merites The principles of the church chaine is neuer a linke of workes or of merites For here we sée that all thinges are done freely and of the mere mercy of God For who hath geuen vnto hym first and it shal be rendred vnto him agayne All thinges are of hym by hym and in hym as Paul saith Here are we taught what are the principles of the Church the grounds of the people of God The Church is a fellowship not gathered together by humane reason but assembled by the foreknowledge predestination calling of God So they haue a respect not to any successiōs of nature or prerogations or conditions of places for they are distributed only by the iudgement and good will of God After calling straight way followeth iustification Betwene which forasmuch as nothing can be set but only faith therefore by it we are worthely sayd to be iustified not that it is the cause of our iustification but for that it is an instrument whereby we apprehend the calling exhibited Causes of iustification vnto vs by the promises But the proper causes of iustification are these which Paul here assigneth namely foreknowledge predestination and vocation And herein consisteth our iustification to haue our sinnes forgeuen vs and to be reconciled vnto God But good works holy life the renuing of strengths Holy life good workes pertain to glorification and the giftes of the holy ghost do afterward follow and pertaine to glorification whereunto also pertayne those thinges which we waite for to be geuen vs in an other life Augustine noteth not all those which by any way are called but only those which are called according to the purpose of God and according to predestination wyth a calling I say mighty and strong whereby they are vtterly changed Otherwise many are called but few are chosen Hath glorified He speaketh in the time past both for that a great part of that glory is alredy geuen vs and also for that we by hope holde that which is remayning which before God is
willeth But that God should will sinnes is to be counted for most absurd and for a blasphemous doctrine They say moreouer that God can not iustly punish â–ª if we committe those thinges which he him selfe both willeth and worketh But this must we of necessity say if we affirme that not only our ends but also our meanes to the endes depend of the purpose of God To satisfye this doubt first let them remember that it can not be denied but that God after a sort willeth or as other some say permitteth sin But forasmuch as that is done without any coaction of our minde therefore no man when he sinneth can be excused For he willingly and of his owne accord committeth those sinnes for which he ought to be condemned and hath the true cause of theÌ„ in himselfe and therfore hath no nede to seke it in God Farther this is no good comparison which these men make betwene good workes and sinnes For God â—o worketh in vs good workes that he ministreth vnto vs his grace and spirit whereby these workes are wrought for those are the groundes of good workes which groundes doubtles we haue not of our selues But sinnes he so gouerneth and after a sorte How God is said after a sort to wil sinne willeth that yet notwithstanding the groundes of them that is the fleshe and our corrupt and vitiate nature are not in God but in vs. Wherefore there is no nede that they should be powred into vs by some outward motion And God is sayd after a sorte to will sinnes eyther for that when he can he prohibiteth them not or for that by his wisedome he directeth then to certayne endes or for that he suffreth them not to burst forth but when and how and to what vses he him selfe will or finally for that by them he will punish other sinnes But these adde that God by no meanes willeth sinne For so it is written in Ezechiell As truly as I liue sayth the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he be conuerted and liue But we answere that the Prophet in that place entreateth not of the mighty and hidden will of God and of his will of efficacy For God by that will worketh all thinges which he will both in heaueÌ„ and in earth But he entreateth of that will which they call the will of the signe For no man can by those signes and tokens which are expressed in the law gather that God The first aunswer willeth his death or condemnation For the lord commaunded hys lawe to be published vnto all men he hath vnto all men set forth those things which should be profitable and healthfull lastly he vpon all men indifferently powreth greate benefites Wherefore by this will which we call the will of the signe he willeth not the death of a sinner yea rather he prouoketh them to repentance But as touching the other will which they call the will of his good pleasure if by it he would that no man should perish then doubtles no man could perish and there is no will so peruerse as sayth Augustine which God if he wil caÌ„ not make good Wherefore according to this will he hath done all things whatsoeuer he would This is a redy and playne interpretation which if our aduersaries admit not but will nedes contend that the wordes of the Prophet are to be vnderstanded Another aunswer of the mighty will of God and of his wil of good pleasure theÌ„ will we answer yâ— yâ— sentence pertaineth not vniuersally vnto all sinners but only to those which repeÌ„t And those are yâ— electe predestinated vnto whome God as according to his purpose he geueth faith and vocation so also geueth he repentaunce Wherefore which sense so euer they followe they shall neuer by those woordes conclude that God vtterly by no meanes willeth the death of sinners or willeth sinne But they obiect certaine wordes out of the first chapter of the booke of wisedome where it is written God reioyseth not in the destruction of the liuing But if say they he by anye manner of meanes willeth sinne or the punishment thereof he can not be said not to reioyce therein For he reioyseth doubtles in that which he will haue to be done First I aunswere that that booke is not in the Canon and therfore the authority thereof maye be refused But amitte that that booke were canonicall yet do those wordes make nothing against vs. For he whatsoeuer he was that was the author God doth not against his will punishe wicked actes of that booke ment nothing els but to remoue from God that prauitye of nature whereby wicked men take pleasure in euil things And yet was not his meaning that God punisheth wicked factes against his wil. For otherwise whatsoeuer that author vnder the name of Salomon was he should be against the true Salomon For he in his Prouerbes vnder the person of wisedome thus writeth of the vngodly and of the vnbeleuers I also will laugh in your destruction In which wordes is declared that God with a laughing that is with a chiereful minde administreth iustice As touching the wordes of Ecclesiasticus which are writen in the. 15. chapter That no man ought to say of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he hath deceaued me How it is to be vnderstanded that God deceiueth no maÌ„ in which place the lattine translation hath Me implanauit Vnles we will haue that place to be manifestly repugnant with many other places of the scripture in which God is sayd to haue deceaued the people by false prophets and to haue commaunded that Achab the king should be deceaued and to haue made blind the hart of the people that they shoulde not sée we must néedes after this manner expounde those wordes That no man ought to lay the fault in God as though he woulde excuse himselfe Achab though he was deceaued yet he moste iustly deserued to be They whiche are deceiued are iustly deceiued deceaued for that he contemned the true oracles of God and delighted himselfe in false Prophets The infidelity also and impiety of the people of Israell caused the vengeance of God and execution to come vpon them so that when they were deceaued they could by no meanes be excused Our aduersaries also séeme somewhat to be offeÌ„ded for that we affirme that men haue in themselues the cause of sinnes that is a corrupte and viciate nature For in the first chapter of the booke of wisedome the generations of the world are sayde to be good and not to haue in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a medicine of destruction This is true indéede so that it be vnderstanded of the first constitution of thinges and chieflye of the creation of Our nature as it was instituted of God wanted corruption man which was created of God in a good estate But afterward thorow his fall he spilt both himselfe and his posterity
whose God he is a saluation which endureth but for a tyme for this thing haue brute beasts at his hand and the wicked also Moreouer Christ the most true interpreter of the law teacheth the selfe same thing For a young man demaunding of him what shall I doo to possesse eternall lyfe He made aunswere Keepe the commaundementes if thou wilt enter into lyfe This place moste plainly proueth that the talke was of eternall lyfe Neither is it anye meruaile that the Lawe is the woorde of God whose propriety is to bring lyfe with it so that it be receaued Although the Law The law the Gospell are diuersly receiued The worde of God bringeth lyfe and the Gospell are not receaued after one and the selfe same maner For the Lawe is receaued by doing and moste exactly performyng that whiche is commaunded But the Gospell is receaued by a lyuely and effectuall assent of fayth And that the propriety of the woorde of GOD is to bryng life it is manifest by the creation of thinges wherin God called those thinges whiche were not and streight way they had being And Christ also many tymes said y◠his wordes are life which thing the Apostels also ment when they sayd Thou hast the wordes of life c. And Paul most manifestly before in this selfe same Epistle in y◠7. chap. writeth of the Lawe that it is spirituall And of the commaundement of God he affirmeth that it is iust holy and good and ordayned vnto lyfe Moses also in the 30. chapiter of Deut. writeth of the selfe same lawe that he had set before the people lyfe and death manifestly declaring that if the Lawe were receaued and fulfilled The promises of the law art by supposition The promises of the law were vnto the trāsgressors of the law turned 〈…〉 o a cu 〈…〉 e. The promises of the law freely follow the good work◠of thē that are iustified it would bring with it lyfe and that eternall lyfe But for that wee are debarred of this commoditye our mercifull God hath prouided an other woorde namely the word of fayth which if by assenting vnto it it be receaued hath with it lyfe By this place it is euident that the promises of the Lawe are giuen by supposition or condition of workes going before So that if these workes be not performed the promises are made voyde yea rather in stede of them succeedeth a curse which thing was declared in Deutero when vpon Mount Garizim and Hebal were recited the blessinges and cursinges But in the Gospell if vnto promises be annexed workes they are not to be taken either as desertes or as causes of those promises but we must thus thinke that those giftes of God which are promised follow after workes although those workes be not perfect and absolute as they are commaunded in the Law But the righteousnes which is of faith speaketh on this wyse Saye not in thine hart who shall ascend into heauen that is to bring Christ from aboue c. As the fyrst righteousnes is sayd to consist in doing so this all whole standeth in beleuing For if thou haue the word nere thee that is if thou beleue in thine hart thou shalt obtaine saluation The Apostle séemeth by the figure Prosopopaeia to bryng in the ryghteousnes of fayth thus speakyng as though it should say Say not in thine hart c. Although we may reade it other wyse namely that Paule putteth forth this sentence absolutely But the righteousnes which is of faith And straight way he addeth this he sayth as though Moses should speake of it But which way so euer we reade it it is no great matter But this is certain that he declareth the nature of faith What is that fayth which engēdreth righteousnes by the propertie thereof that we should not thinke that euery kinde of faith bringeth righteousnes but onelye an assured and constant fayth For this is the nature of fayth to exclude all ambiguitie and doubtes For if we should with feare and suspition geue our assent that assent should be but an opinion and not faith Seing therefore that there are two principall thinges set forth vnto vs to be beleued namely that Christ perpetually obtaineth of the father grace and reconciliation for vs and that by hys death he hath ouercome eternall death Of these two humaine reason doubteth and therefore it is brought in of Paul as though Incredulity of mans hart it should say And who shall ascend vp into heauen to see that God is pacified towards vs through Christ Or who shall go downe into the deepe to see that eternall death is by hym broken and extinguished After this sorte is the vnbeleuing mynde woont to wauer which thing Paule by the figure Mimesis expresseth These cogitacions ought fayth to driue away and onely to looke vpon the goodnes and power An example of Abraham of God Which thing our Apostle before did notably teache that Abraham did for when he had sayd that Abraham beleued it was imputed vnto him to righteousnes he declared how his fayth resisted such reasoninges He considered no◠saith he his body now in a maner dead nor the wombe of Sara now past child bearing The property of faith is to mortifye the assaults of reason but gaue glory to God most fully knowing that he was able to performe the things which he had promised And so in hope he beleued against hope Wherfore the propertye of fayth is to mortifie these assaultes of reason Say not in thine hart The Apostle therfore wrote this for that althoughe these cogitaciōs of reason be not expressed by the mouth or by the wordes yet they We can not let but that euil motiōs of the mind will aryse Paul was accused as an enemy to Moses wander abrode in the harte Neyther doubtles can we let but that such cogitations will assault our minde howbeit we are taught to resist them For he which geueth place to these thinges both denieth Christ and also despayreth of saluation Paul not without iust cause cited Moses For he was accused as though he were an enemy to Moses and preached that men should fall away from him Wherefore his meaning is to declare that he is not agaynst Moses but rather teacheth the selfe same thinges that he taught wherefore we may say that he turneth y◠argument of the aduersaries agaynst themselues They sayd We will not receaue the righteousnes of fayth for that we beleue Moses Yea rather sayth Paul forasmuch as ye beleue Moses ye ought to follow thys The ministery of Moses and the ministery of the Gospell in what sort they differ righteousnes But if Moses preach the righteousnes of fayth how is his ministery distinguished from the ministery of Christ and of the Gospell Iohn sayth The law was geuen by Moses but grace by Iesus Christ And if he preached the righteousnes of fayth he also brought grace Vnto this question we answere That Moses
in this place saith when he writeth And they shall say vnto Sion Thy God raigneth Hetherto hath sinne raigned Wherfore Paul in this Epistle said Let not sin raigne in your mortall body Death also hath raigned For the same Apostle Death hath raigned from Adam euen vnto Moses The Deuill also hath raigned whom the Lord calleth the Prince of this world and Paul the gouernour of this worlde and the God of this worlde All these thinges haue hitherto miserably exercised their What maner of princes the Hebrues had tyranny ouer vs But nowe the Lorde raigneth For as touching outwarde kingdomes the Iewes indéede had many iudges and many kings few good some tollerable but a greate many moste wicked tyrannes And they whiche were good as Dauid Ezechias Iosias and suche like were yet notwithstanding weake neyther coulde they eyther defende the people from calamities or make them good Wherefore the Iewes were oftentimes oppressed of theyr enemies led away into captiuitye and being therout deliuered were in reste for a while But after Alexander the greate came the Macedonians and most grieuously afflicted Iewry After theÌ„ came Pompeius Crassus Herode and last of all Vespasianus and Titus whych vtterly ouerthrew all The church also of Christ had hys outward Princes partly wicked and partly good as touching ciuill righteousnes but yet very Then shall we bee in good estate wheÌ„ Christ raigneth in vs. Wherein coÌ„sisteth the kingdom of God weake Wherefore our estate can neuer be in good case vnlesse Christ raygne in vs. Thys as Daniel sayth in hys seconde chapter is the kingdome of heauen which is neuer corrupted in it is peace not during for a time but an euerlasting peace For in the Psalme it is sayd In his dayes shall aryse righteousnes and aboundance of peace vntill the moone be taken away And in Esay And of his peace there shall be no ende But herein consisteth hys kingdome that we be directed by the word and spirite of God After these two maners Christ raygneth in vs. The woord sheweth what is to be beleued and what is to be done The spirit impelleth and moueth vs to doo these thinges Thys is the euerlasting kyngdome of God whereunto when he wil adioyne any people or any nation he visiteth them by hys ambassadours whych are Preachers of the Gospell and them wyll hee haue to be receaued cherefully yea he sayth He which receaueth you receaueth â—e and he which despiseth you despiseth me We haue now the iudgemeÌ„t of God â—ouchyng Ministers wherewith the beleuers ought very mutch to comfort themselues although the world iudge otherwyse and count them for mad men and 〈…〉 castes and estéeme them as paringes and chips so long as there is a world thâ—y shall be so iudged of But for as much as the iudgement of the world is foo 〈…〉 and vnderstandeth not the thinges that pertayne vnto God therefore we 〈…〉 st not leane vnto it but rather embrace the most firme and most pleasant sen 〈…〉 ce of God Nahum the Prophet in hys fyrst chapter hath the lyke saying of 〈…〉 beutifull féete of such as preach the Gospell so that that whych was foretolde of Esay he also foresawe shoulde come to passe But at Rome in our dayes men At Rome they fall downe to kisse the fete of the Pope drawen by thys testimony of the Prophet doo fall downe and kisse the féete of the Pope as though he preached the Gospell going about the whole worlde preachyng peace when as rather he is a sworne enemy of the Gospell and maketh open warre agaynst the true doctrine thereof neyther at anye tyme ceaseth to disturbe peace betwene Christian Princes The Pope as a sworne enemy of the Gospell not a preacher therof But all obeye not the Gospell For Esay sayth lorde who hath beleued our hearing vnto whom is the arme of the lord reuealed Then faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God But all obey not the Gospell This séemed to bee agaynst that so great dignitye of the Apostles whych hath now bene proued both by the authoritye of God which sent them and also by theyr ambassadge that very fewe and especially Of preaching doth not always follow the faith of the hearers of the Iewes beleued which came to passe by no other meanes but for that outward preachyng is not alwayes of necessity ioyned wyth the fayth of the hearers For it is possible that for as much as the power of God is not bound vnto instruments a man may beleue wythout a Preacher and on the other syde a man may heare preaching yet not haue fayth As in thys selfe same epistle he ioyned foreknowledge together wyth predestination although manye are foreknowen of God which yet are not predestinated vnto eternall life he ioyned vocation also together wyth iustification although verye manye are called whych yet are not iustified The Apostle in thys place describeth fayth by the name of obedience and that not wythout iust cause for in it is contayned obedience twoo maner Faith is iustly called obedience of wayes For fyrst it is necessary that the minde or humaine reason do geue place vnto the reuelation of God simply consenting thereunto whych thing pertayneth to a redy obedience for otherwise there are many thinges which let and after a sort call vs an other way There is also an other obedience for they which truly beleue endeuor themselues to obey the commaundementes of God whiche thing before they neither did nor could do The Apostle vsed this selfe same phrase in the first chapter of this epistle By whome we haue receaued grace and Apostleship to be obedient vnto fayth In the Actes of the Apostles also it is declared that many of the priestes were obedient vnto faith and in this sence is faith somtimes Why faith is called a law called a law not for that it bringeth with it blessing or cursing but because that it likewise as the law doth requireth obedience howbeit diuerse For the law requireth obedience euen of them that will not and yet in the meane tyme doth it not geue strenthes to performe it but faith forasmuch as it most fully persuadeth piety stirreth vs vp to liue according to the profession thereof And for that thys doubt touching the fewnes of the beleuers chiefely moued the Iewes therefore to quiet their mindes he bringeth a testimony of Esay whose doctrine they durst not reiect whereby they mought vnderstand that God had long tyme before prouided for this skarsity of the beleuers For Esay sayth who hath beleued our hearing The Prophet before those wordes brought in God the father which commaunded that his sonne should be preached and that his reproches which he should suffer for the saluation of mankind should be tolde abroade vnto whome the company of the Prophetes aunswered who hath beleued our hearing And to whome is the arme of the Lord reuealed As if they should say we indéede haue
but God who beholdeth al things and seeth the secrets of the hart by reiecting them most manifestly declared what he iudged of their hipocrisye By these thinges we maye now perceaue in what state common wealth empires and followshippes of men are without Christ And when we shall consider this let vs remember yâ— we were once euery one such which doules in my iudgemeÌ„t is of great force both to pluck away our pride and also to restrayne our anger agaynst those whiche yet lye op 〈…〉 vnder impiety and superstitioÌ„s And let vs with as much diligence as we ca 〈…〉 eware that that thing which happened vnto the Iewes happen not vnto vs also For as God tooke away from them his kingdome so also wil he take it away from vs if we only counterfeate our selues to be Christians and doo not in very déede performe the things which the religion which we professe requireth And Esay is bold and saith Therefore is Esay saide to be bold for that he speaketh very plainly And doubtles this boldnes declared a stoute man when as by speaking the truth he put hymselfe in daunger By this phrase of speaking is Liberty of speach is necessary for the ministers of the worde of God expressed that freadome of speache which is necessary for preachers and theÌ„ that prophesie The truth got vnto them wonderfull greate hatred and deadly enimityes which thinges although vnto the fleshe they were most hard yet the men of God contemned them in respect of the truth which was coÌ„mitted to their charge when it was told Paul that he should be in daunger of death if he went vnto Ierusalem he saide I know that prisons and bondes doo abide for me but I esteme not my life more precious then my selfe And how the Iewes had persecuted all those which had truly and sincerely foretold Christ Stephen declareth in the Actes of the Apostles Whome haue they not persecuted which foretold the comming of the righteous Origen vpon this place very wel noteth that hereout we may manifestly gather that the Prophets when they prophesied had not such an astonished and troubled The prophets were of a sound and perfeâ—ynde mind as though they vnderstoode not the thinges which they foretold Euery one of them without doubt sawe that the Prophets were ill delt with which had signified the ouerthrow of the publique wealth of the Iewes and yet notwithstanding durst they also to set it forth when God commaunded them to do it This testimony which he bringeth is written in the 65. chapiter of Esay I was found of them sayth Paul that sought me not and haue bene made manifest vnto them that asked not after me He followeth the translation of â—he 70. interpreters whiche as touching the sense differeth not from the Hebrue â—erity The woordes in Hebrue are thus Nidrashti lelo schaalu nimtsethi lelo 〈…〉 schumi amarti hinneni hinneni el goi locora bischim In these wordes at 〈…〉 first sight séemeth to be some contradictioÌ„ for he sayth I was sought of theÌ„ which 〈…〉 d not after me if they asked not howe sought they But the aunswere is 〈…〉 sy eyther we may say that they afterward sought which before had not asked 〈…〉 de may say that yâ— verbe Nedaresch as Rabbi Dauid writeth in his booke of â—â—ts is to be expounded by Hidzamin deriued of the verbe Zaman which signiâ—ieth to be redy to come agaynst to go to méete to prepare and to inuite As if it 〈…〉 d haue bene sayd I offred my self and went to meete those which asked not 〈…〉 ne And Paul with the 70. interpreters turneth that verbe by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—hat is I haue bene made manifest or haue manifestly appeared And this â—â—â—o be noted that in Esay before these words I haue stretched out mine hands â—ll the day long are put I haue sayd Behold me behold me vnto a nation which called not vpon my name or ouer whom my name is not called Which wordes also manifestly declare that he speaketh of the Gentles which were not called by the name of God neither called they vpon him in their prayers which thing can not be applied to the Iewes And when he addeth I haue stretched out my handes all the day long The person is here couertly chaunged and he here beginneth to speake of the Iewes Wherefore Paul manifestly putteth the distinction saying And agaynst Israell he sayth Neither doubtles do the Rabines deny but that these thinges are to be vnderstanded of the Iewes but herein only they disagrée for that they thinke that the former wordes which are put in the beginning of the chapiter pertayne also vnto their nacion But as we haue saide this sentence will not stand well which the text when as in the people of Israell God was both sought for and asked after and there the name of God was called vpon and they were called by the name of God for euery where in the scriptures they were called the people of God And according to the sentence of Paul the other part wherein the Prophet sayth I haue stretched out myne handes all the day long vnto a people is added as a cause of the first wherin God saith that therefore he had shewed himselfe manifestly vnto the Gentles and therefore had offred himselfe vnto them although they ment nothing les for that he was now wery with the to great obstinacy and incredulity of the Iewes But in what things the Iewes were rebellious against him the Prophet declareth for he addeth that they walked in a way that was not good euen after their owne imaginations They prouoke me saith he to anger to my face sacrificing alwayes in gardens and burning incense vpon brikes which sitte in the graues and lodge in the desertes eating swynes fleshe Which say stand apart come not nere to me For I am holier then thou These words doubtles declare what things make vs to depart from In what thinges we depart from God our God namely when men follow their owne imaginations and wil not as touching religion obey that which is prescribed them of God This is to prouoke God to his face They had a delight in the pleasantnes of gardens and therefore contemning the word of God they thought that God delighted in that pleasantnes and contemning an alter made of earth or of rough and vnhewed stones as the law commaunded they built it with brickes they contrary to the commaundement of God did eate swines flesh and did sit in graues paraduenture wayting for answers from the dead or as our men do worshipping the reliques of their deade carkases or with obsequies and vigils praying for the dead that they might be deliuered out of purgatory They dwelt in the wildernes either there séeking acquaintaÌ„ce with deuils or els as our Heremites do thinking it holines to liue in a solitary life These thinges a certaine Rabbine witty as it séemeth as Munster â—n apt senâ—â—nce of a â—â—rtaine Rabbine
that so fewe of the Iewes shoulde receaue Christ and his Gospell But euen as at that time many were preserued from idolatry by the goodnes of God so now also by his grace manye are deliuered from incredulity and many more shal be deliuered towardes the end of the worlde This history is written in the first booke of kinges the. 19. chapter Although the history of Helias actes begin in the. 17. chapter There Helias foretolde vnto Achab that An history of Helias because of idolatry and impiety which was dayly encreased heauen should be shut vp When he had declared this great euill to come he departed and God hid him by the brooke Cherith For Achab went about to séeke him to the end to kil him A rauen euery day by his ministery fed him whereby was declared that the seruantes of God when néede is haue all thinges to do them seruice yea euen those creatures whiche otherwise seme vtterlye vnprofitable The brooke was dried vp by reason of want of rayne God coulde haue filled it with water againe that the Prophet mought thereout haue dronke but he woulde not yea rather God sente him to Sarepta to succor a faythfull and godlye widow and her sonne who as the Hebrues thinke was Ionas After thrée yeares he was commaunded to returne to the kingdome of Israell and to geue raine But he thought that fertility could not conueniently be restored againe vnles he should first purge the land of idolatrers He therfore cōmaunded that the Prophets should be gathered together in mount Carmell where they coulde not obteine of theyr God fire from heauen for their sacrifice Which thing Helias by a wonderfull great miracle obteyned Whiche acte forasmuch as it coulde not but be allowed of all men caused him to take the Prophets and to slay them at the broke Cison and after the iust execution of this death he obtayned of God greate aboundance of raine Neither is he to be condemned as a murtherer in that he slew so many Prophets For they by reason of theyr idolatry were iustly according to the law of God guilty of death And forasmuch as the ordinary power ceassed it was lawful for the Prophet to punishe them when as God had committed vnto him an extraordinarye power Iesabell that wicked woman as soone as she heard of these thinges sware that she would the nexte day kill Helias by occasion whereof he fled and being wery in his iorney and considering with himselfe the vngodlines which at that time raigned he was wery of his life and desired of God to die And the Aungell was present with him and set by him breade baked on the coales and water and twise bad him to eate and from thence he came to mounte Horeb and lodged in a caue waytynge to talke wyth God And being demaūded what he did he answered this which Paul now citeth And streight way was stirred vp a strong mighty wind and in the wind was heard a voyce y◠the lord was not in the wind after y◠wind came a mighty earthquake after the earthquake a vehement fire but God was neyther in the earthquake nor in the fire after that followeth a soft thinne breath as it were an hissinge there was the lord who asked Helias what he did And he answered I am very Rabbi Leui A place of the booke of kinges declared zelous for God bycause the children of Israell haue foresaken the couenaunt and slayne the prophets cast downe the alters and now also they seke my life What these thinges ment I will briefely declare according to the enterpretacion of Rabby Leuy the sonne of Gerischon the wind the earthquake and the fire represented the zeale and vehement affect of Helias who would haue had God streight way to be angry to auenge and to destroy the wicked there was not the Lord for he had not decreed so to deale but would gently and by litle and litle correct punish them moderatly I say by leasure in continuance of thē therfore the Lord was in the soft and thin breath and noyce wherfore when he had heard Helias complaynt he sayd I wil doubtles punish them whē I se time not after thy pleasure but as I shall thinke good Anoynt Azaell to be king ouer Siria he when the time commeth shal be the minister of my vengeance Anoint also Iehu to be king of Samaria and he shall punish the Baalites Anoynt also Helizeus to be prophet in thy place for he also shal correct the wicked sinnes of y◠The godly thorough to much zeale expostulate with God people But whereas thou thinkest that thou alone art left it is not true for I haue reserued vnto me seuen thousand men which haue not bowed theyr knees before Baal So oftentimes commeth it to passe with the godly y◠thorough to much zeale they expostulate with God for the good successe of the wicked as though he should seme to neglect his owne cause The same thing also happeneth vnto vs in our dayes for we thinke that we alone are left when as all Itally France and Spayne are bondsclaues to supersticions and to Antichrist But it is not so indede The Church is not cut of although it be oppressed with great tiranny and in those places are many thousandes of good men which in theyr oppressions and anguishes most chastly kepe theyr fayth vnto God Seuen thousand is not here to be taken for a certayne and definite nomber but for a very greate nomber The multitude of them that shal be saued is not to be measured by the capacity of our vnderstanding and by the discretiō of mans iudgement God alwayes preserueth vnto himselfe many both in the Papacy and vnder the Turke and in Counselles whome we know not but vnto him vnto whome it belongeth they are perfectly knowen The expostulatiō of good men with God The expostulation of men with God is of two sortes may come two maner of wayes eyther that they are only sory and complayne vnto him of sinnes of impiety idolatry and such like wickednes and expresse vnto him what a griefe it is vnto them to se such thinges and this acte is godly and laudable and vsed in the prophetes and in the Psalmes Sometimes it is done as though they would accuse God of negligence as which looketh not to his owne cause and they will prescribe vnto him a way as though if they were in his rome they would handle the matter a greate deale better which without doubt is sinne and that no light sinne The thinges which happened at that time were very like vnto those things which Paul had experience of in his tyme. For all the whole kingdome of the ten tribes had gone astray and in the kingdome of Iuda there remayned very few which were desirous and zelous of true piety as in the first times of the Apostles all in a maner mought seme to haue bene strange from Christ Helias without doubt desired to dye and
winke at theyr sinnes it might there take vengeance of them Let theyr eyes be made dimme that they see not and theyr backe or loynes or raynes alwayes make crooked or make it to consume or to waste away As it is had in the Hebrew That which is now spoken of the eyes pertayneth vnto the mind and the sence is let them be spoyled of iudgement and vnderstanding that they may not vnderstand what thinges are to be wished for and what thinges are for them profitabe And by the loynes backe or raynes we must vnderstand the strengths which he prayeth might be taken away froÌ„ theÌ„ yâ— they might not be able to obteyne any good thing if paradueÌ„ture they had choyce of it Neither here let vs of this be ignoraunt that in this place is shewed Here is declared that free will is in the wicked ouerthrowen that in the wicked and in them that are forsaken of God frée wil is taken away whose roote and beginning as we haue ells where taught is vnderstanding For the will forasmuch as it is blind can not chuse that which reason offreth vnto it And if they which are reiected of God can not vnderstand thinges spirituall and in very dede good for as much as they are meÌ„ naturall then also shall they not be able to chuse them And though sometimes they be so illuminated with some sclender light that they can iudge somewhat of vprightnes yet notwithstanding theyr strengths are so made crooked and consumed that they caÌ„ not follow the better thinges which they allow but cleaue and sticke fast vnto the worse Pauls argument agaynst the Iewes is in this maner That ye are made blind and therfore receaue not Christ and his Gospell ought not to seme vnto you a thing so incredible when as both Esay foretold it and holy Dauid also hath spoken of it Neither is it to be doubted but that the thinges which are now cited touching the Iewes pertayne also vnto Christes time and also vnto ours for in this psalme it is writteÌ„ The zeale of thy house hath eaten me vp Which It is proued that this psalme pertaineth vnto Christ sentence Christ vsed when he clensed the temple of â—iers and sellers yea there was none which was more moued with this kinde of zeale then he was and for that cause chiefly was he slaine of the Iewes Moreouer in the selfe same psalme we rede They gaue me to eate gaule and in my thirst they gaue me viniger to drinke Which thinges we no where rede happened vnto Dauid But that Christ had at his death such meat to eate drinke to drinke the Euangelists most manifestly testify And in this place we may se an excellent amplification by steps or degrees First is sayd Let the good thinges namely which they now haue and possesse as the table and frendes be turned vnto them into destruction And such thinges which are to be wished and desired let them not se them and if hereafter they shal paraduenture se them yet let not them attayne vnto them Neither is only this execration red in yâ— Psalme of Dauid but also other more greauous then this Poure vpon them thy wrath Lay iniquity vpon iniquity and let them not enter into thy righteousnes Let theÌ„ Why Paul rather toke this part oâ— the psalme then any other be put out of the boke of the liuing and let them not be written with the iust But Paul picked out that part only which serued best to his purpose and chiefely as touching execation for he would not irritate the Iewes more then was nede lest paraduenture he should vtterly haue discouraged them all But forasmuch as these horrible and bitter thinges are applied vnto the wicked it followeth that the godly and faythfull may by a contrary kind of reasoning gather thereout no small consolation vnto themselues For euen as vnto them things pleasant What consolation is herehence deriued vnto the godly and prosperous are turned into misery and calamities so vnto the godly the things which of theyr owne nature are dolefull hard and miserable are made healthful pleasant and glorious as persecution honger banishmeÌ„t ignominie and euen death it selfe for Christ hath sanctified vnto vs the crosse and therefore hath pronounced them blessed which suffer persecution and those also blessed which mourne and likewise those blessed which are affected with contumelies reproches for there is not one of those euilles which in the elect of God haue not a most happy end The cruell dealing of the brethern of Ioseph aduaunced hym Thinges dolefull are to the godly turned into things ioyfull and pleasaunt in a maner to the kingdome of Egipt By the calamities and afflictions wherewith Pharao oppressed the Israelites they obteyned liberty and in the horrible and vnpleasant wildernes they had in a maner a paradise when as by the conduite of Moses yea rather of God they were brought vnto the land of Chanaan the battailes which the Amalikites Chananites and Amorhites made agaynst them were turned vnto them into victories and triumphes The death of Christ although it was ignominious vnto him in respect that he was a man brought vnto him resurrection an heauenly seate and a kingdome lasting world without end And by most cruel martirdomes both the Apostles and also many other of the faythfull are brought vnto eternall felicity so that the Apostle sayd truly vnto them that loue God all thinges worke to good Now that we haue expounded the wordes of Paul we will se what is to be gathered out of the expositions of other men Chrisostome by the table vnderstandeth as we doo the pleasures of the Iewes and maketh these thinges so playne that they nede no exposition at all for experience it selfe teacheth with what calamities both of soule and body the Iewes are tormeÌ„ted He diligently noted also the aduerbe of time which in Hebrew is Hammid that is alwayes whereby he sayth is signified the perpetuity The calamity of the Iewes perpetuall of this misery so that the Iewes can not hope that it shall haue an end It semed vnto him wonderfull that it had now in his time dured aboue 300. yeares but what would he now say wheÌ„ as now it hath lasted fiftene hundreth yeares Theyr captiuity in Babilon continewed 70. yeares Howbeit in it they were not vtterly destitute of the fauor of God for they had with them Daniell and his The captiuity of Babilon was much more tollerable then this fellowes and Esdras also Nehemias Zorobabell Iesus the priest of the sonne of Sadoch Zachary Aggeus and before all these Ezechiell and Ieremy although Ieremy went downe with the runnagate Israelites inotâ—to Babilon but into Egipt howbeit for all that he wrote vnto them And after the 70. yeares were expired they returned home agayne and possessed theyr owne auncient dominion vntil the time of the Macedonians Next after that they were for a while vexed by The Iewes were not infected
them vnto others seing that we are commaunded to loue our neighbours as our selues So Helias shut vp heauen So God brought home againe some of his elect which went astray for there are some kind of men so blockish the they can not be brought home againe but by this meanes Wherfore the Psalme saith Fill their faces with ignominy and they will seeke after thy name And therefore we may wish the crosse and affliction both vnto our selues and also vnto others for amendment and correction sake In which cause yet nothing ought to be done In this matter we must go discretely warely to worke rashly for oftentimes it happeneth that some by afflictions are not amended but rather made worse Wherfore the better way were to pray vnto God to correct them and not to wish vnto them aduersities except it be with this condition to conuert them or that the glory of God should thereof ensew And so as saith Augustine we should not pray against them but for them But this is to be knowen that amongst men there are some which are the ambassadors of God which are Why it is lawfull for prophets to curse not as priuate men but execute an extraordinary ministery And they by the spirite of prophesying doubt not of the will of God for in their prayers they talke together with God and in that talke they see and vnderstand many thinges as touching the mind and are wonderfully affected Wherefore seing that God sheweth vnto them that sinners shall be brought to amendment by some kinde of punishementes and that he hath appointed to punishe them or that some are now past all hope of saluation and shall without all doubt be punished with eternall misery seing I say that God sheweth vnto such holy men such things and they in no wise doubt but that such things are decreed of the most mighty God which forasmuch as he appointeth them must of necessity be good how can they not but allow them how can they not but wishe them when as they continually pray thy will be done Wherefore when they see those thinges they pray they make imprecations they poure out such execrations and cursings as we reade in the Prophetes and in the holy histories Whereout the godly What consolation is gathered out of the cursings of the Prophetes take consolation which thereby vnderstand in what sort wicked men shall at the length be handled and the weaker sort and they which go astray which pertaine vnto the flocke of God are by these thinges corrected and take hede vnto themselues that they deserue not the like Wherfore Gregory vpon those words of Iob wherein he cursed the day of his birth warely wrote that the execrations of the Saintes procede not of ranker that is of the affect of the flesh and hate of the world but of good consideration namely whereby they se that these things are allowed through the will of God But saith he they pray not for those thinges of a desire and an affecte vnto which his last saying I can not assent for as I haue now sayd the saints can not but allow and ernestly wishe those thinges which they se God willeth so that they be assured that God hath thus firmely decreed In this maner Paul made blinde Elimas y◠sorcerer Peter slew Ananias and Saphira so also the same Peter said vnto Simon the sorcerer thy mony and thou be destroyed together Paul deliuered vnto Satan him that had committed incest and said also I would to God they were cut of which trouble you And in the same sort also Helias commaunded fire to come downe from heauen which deuoured the captains ouer fifty with their fifty souldiers Heliseus also cursed the children which derided him they were rent in sonder of beares What difference is there whether God doo a thing by himselfe or by others whome he hath appointed out to be his ministers They which will imitate the Prophetes must take hede that they haue their spirit The sword of vengeāce and execration cōpared together Wherefore that which he doth by himselfe he can in like sorte do by the Saintes and Prophetes Farthermore if any man be moued to curse others and do pretend the imitation of the Prophetes and of the Apostles let them first well consider whether he haue their spirit or no. For euē as no man ought to vse the sword but only the magistrate so let none vse these execrations but they which are most fully assured of the will of God and which are moued by the spirit to inflict them This place is of nigh affinity yea rather all one with that place which is of vengeaunce Priuate vengeaunce is forbidden but so is not publique vengeaunce and that which is done by Princes so they which are of the common sort let them abstaine from execrations especially let them no◠wishe any crosse vnto any man as touching eternall condemnation vnles it be of condition that it may do good and let them assuredly knowe that they are bound to obey this common rule blesse and curse not agayne pray for them which persecute you And they which by the impulsion of God vse any execratiōs or imprecations let them alwayes haue before their eyes the amendment of sinne or at the least way the diminishing of the maliciousnes thereof by paynes and punishmentes that the righteous may not be hindred from the worshipping of God and also may not extend their handes vnto iniquities and finally let them seeke onely that the will of God may haue place and let them not be desirous of their owne commodities Neither ought it to seme vnto any man wonderfull that that common rule wherein is prescribed vs to blesse and not to curse and to wishe well vnto them that persecute vs admitteth any exceptions for that thing happeneth also in other commaundementes Are we not in an other place commaunded to pray for all men And vnto Timothe a reason is added for that God will haue all men to be saued And yet Iohn saith that some sin vnto the death We must not alwaies pray for our enemies and for them he saith we ought not to pray which yet we ought to vnderstand when we are fully assured that they haue sinned vnto the death Wherefore as touching that trope or figure of Augustin wherein he saith that these imprecations of the Saints were predictions or foretellinges as we vtterly reiect it not We must not pray for them that sinne vnto the death so also do we say that it is not of necessity Neither do we graunt that in the execrations of the Prophetes and of the Apostles were not ernest requests and desires for how could they not desire that which they saw God had willed and decreed vnles paraduenture by request or desire he ment the sence of the fleshe or of reason as it is led by humane counsels Last of all this is to be noted that it is not absurd that in
certayne communicating of proprieties of speach attributed also vnto the ministers And if God vouchsafe so honorably to speake of the holy ministery they then greuously sinne which contemptiously disdainfully despise it If the casting away of them be the reconciliation of the world He sayth the casting away of them and not the remnauntes so that it may be referred vnto the Apostles which were counted cast away as though they were the reconciliation of the world but by casting away he vnderstandeth theyr fal excecation And A proposition causall this is a proposition causall for casting away can not be reconciliation but it is so called for that the one springeth of the other as if we should say that study is wisedome or that drines is barennes and by reconciliation he vnderstandeth saluation For we haue by the benefite of Christ obteyned reconciliation with God And in summe God in the Gospell will haue no other thing to be preached vnto vs but such a reconciliation Vnto the Corrinthians in the latter epistle it is sayd God was in Christ reconciling vnto himselfe the world to the end not to impute The sūme of the Gospell is our reconciliation with God vnto it the sinnes thereof And of the Apostles he sayth God hath put in vs the word of reconciliation We besech you for Christes sake be ye reconciled vnto God VVhat shall the reaceauing be but life from the dead In the exposition of this part life from the dead the interpreters much disagre For Origen and Chrisostome here vnderstand the true and proper resurrection from the dead which shal be in the last time at the end of the world as though soone after the conuersion of the Iewes vnto Christ it should follow And some thinke that the Iewes shal be conuerted in the ouerthrowe of Antechrist as though there should be a certayne analogy or proportion that euen as by the cutting of and the fall of the Iewes the Gentiles were called so when many nations haue fallē by the seducing of Antichrist the Iewes shall then be receaued into y◠Church by whose helpe the Gentiles which haue fallen shal be holpen vp agayne But these things are doubtfull vncertayne and obscure therfore I will of them affirme nothing as touching the maner forme and reason how they shal come to passe This we must beleue as the holy scriptures testifye that it shall come to passe that Antichrist who now by his ministers worketh the mistery of iniquity shall deceaue many as also at this day manye are by him deceaued and that ye shall at the length by the power of the spirite of Christ be destroyed and that the Iewes towardes the end of the world shall come vnto Christ But whether the Gentiles that haue fallen shal be by them repaired or no the scriptures declare not Ambrose thinketh it to be an allegory wherin is shewed that the world shall receaue greate vtility of the conuersion of the Iewes and that therefore it is called life from the dead for that that shal be vnto the world greate increase thorough the fayth of Christ and the worlde shal be made on liue in men thorough the fayth of Christ Verily that the felicity of the Church shal be greate all the Prophetes in a maner write and especially Esay which as it is most likely it as yet had not but shall then haue Neyther of these opinions doo I reiect neither is it necessary vnto saluation to know assuredly whether of them is the truer howbeit this I suppose to be more probable that the Apostle speaketh of the commodity which shall come by the conuersion of the Iewes which shal be in this life and not of that commodity which we shal haue in the eternal resurrection But these thinges are of no greate force And if we receaue the allegory of Ambrose we shall seme to attribute small fruite vnto the conuersion of the Iewes yea rather not one white more then to theyr reiection for if thereof shall come only the encrease of fayth and spirituall life by the death of sinnes this selfe thing was before geuen vnto the world in theyr reiection Howbeit my mind bēdeth more to this sentēce and to that which is obiected I would say that the Apostle describeth not vnto vs a diuerse nature of the commodity and vtility but only amplifieth one and the selfe same ▪ as though it shal be a degree more and extend farther And if the first fruites be holy then is the lompe also holy and if the roote be holy the branches also shal be holy That the nation of the Iewes is not abiect and to be contemned he confirmeth by the promise of God made vnto the fathers for in the fathers it was by reason of the leage which was made with thē sanctified and as touching this the Iewes were of greater estimation thē other Here is entreated of the whole nation and not of perticuler persōs nations Howbeit in this place is not entreated of men perticularly for there were amongst the Hebrewes many wicked men which thorough theyr obstinacye incredulity and most heaynous factes wickedly perished Wherefore Iohn Baptist called them Generation of vipers And Christ said Ye are of your father the deuill Wherefore here is entreated of that nation generally which was called the people of God and came of the most holy partriarch For so is it to be considred in this place not as it had his beginning of Adam for that way it nothing Here is spoken of the Iewes not as they had their beginnyng of Adam excelleth other nations For in Adam we are all sinners we are all dead and we are all the children of wrath But in Abraham Isaake and Iacob were the Iewes seperated from other nations and especially by reason of the couenaunt which God in times past made with those fathers Which couenaunt for that it thorough the vnfaythfulnes of men which liued in this latter time semed to be obscured Paul now aptly putteth the Ethnikes in mind of the first fruites and roote of that stocke wherof consisted the greate nobility of that nation And nobility What nobilitie is What is the nobility of any natiō or people as saith Aristotle in his Rhetorikes is nothing els but the honour great fame of elders And he saith also that when we speake of any perticular famely or person or nation or people to the nobility thereof belongeth that they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is men first inhabitting the land which thing the Iewes were not for they were brought from an other countrey into the land of Chanaan but which is of much more excellēcy then this they obteined the possession of y◠lād not by y◠force of man but of God y◠by many miracles wonders This also belongeth to nobility y◠men be frée and liue vnder no man but vnder their own lawes The nobilitie of the Iewes is described The Iewes were set at
the end the promise should be firme as if he should haue sayd our mynde should continually wauer if the promise should depend vpon workes none could appoynt any certainty of his owne saluation for his conscience would euermore accuse him that he had not performed those workes vnto which the promise should be made to the end therefore we should not in such sort wauer God would that our iustification should consist of faith and grace that the promise might be firme The same thing also is gathered out of that which is declared of Abraham how that contrary The thirtenth to hope he beleued in hope He is sayd to beleue in hope contrary to hope which either in himselfe or in nature séeth or féeleth no maner of thing which might perswade him to hope As Abraham was an hundreth yeares of age his body was in a maner dead his wife an old woman and barren all which thinges naturally feared him away from hoping and yet preuailing against them all he hoped But we if we should haue merites or good workes by which we might obtaine righteousnes then should we not hope contrary to hope but in hope and accordyng to hope Wherefore our iustification is to be appointed no otherwise thē we read that it was in Abraham For he is the father of vs all as it was imputed vnto him so shall it also be imputed vnto vs. But now let vs come to the 5. chapter There The fourtenth agayne Paul plainly expresseth in what case men are before they be regenerate for he sayth For Christ when we were yet weake according to the consideration of the tyme dyed for vngodly ones And straight way But God setteth out his loue towardes ve in that that when we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs And he addeth For if when we were ennemies we were reconciled to God by the deathe of his sonne muche more being now reconciled shall we be saued by his life Hereby we gather that before regeneration men are weake sinners vngodly and the enemies of God Who then can ascribe vnto such men power to attayne vnto iustice when they will by bringing forth good workes Others may beleue it but the godly will neuer be so perswaded This is moreouer an other profe in that he setteth forth the cause of so greate The fiuetene an euill when he sayd Therfore euen as by one man synne entred into the world and by sinne death and so doath went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned as if he should haue sayd we were euen thē from the first beginning by the first man lost and condemned And lest thou shouldest thinke that infantes are to be excepted he sayth Yea death hath raigned from Adam euen to Moses ouer them also which haue not sinned after the similitude of the transgression of Adam The Masse or lompe of perdition comprehendeth all those that are borne from whiche corruption the holy scriptures teach that it is not possible for men to escape by their workes to claime vnto themselues iustification Afterwarde in the 6. chapter thus speaketh The sixtene our Apostle What fruite had ye then in those thinges whereof ye are now ashamed For the end of them is death But now being deliuered from sinne and made the seruantes of God ye haue your fruit to sanctification and the end euerlasting life What other thing meane these woordes then that all thinges whiche men do before they beleue in Christ deserue nothing els but ignominy and shame And there is no fruit of sanctification but that which followeth regeneration And who will say that we are The seuentene iustified of those thinges whiche are full of ignominy and shame But now let vs heare what is said in the beginning of the seuenth chapter Knowe ye not bretherne for I speake to them that know the lawe how that the lawe hath power ouer a man as long as it endureth For the woman which is in subiection to a man is bound by the law to the man as long as he liueth but if the man be deade she is loosed from the lawe of the man Wherfore if whilest the man liueth she coople herselfe with an other man she shal be counted a wedlocke breaker but if the man dead ▪ she is free from the lawe of the husband so that she is no wedlocke breaker though she coople her selfe with an other man Euen so ye also my bretherne are dead vnto the law by the body of Christ that ye should be coopled to an other namely to him which is risen againe from the deade that we shoulde bring foorth fruite vnto God Paul would by this reason declare that we before our faith in Christ were as it were to husbande 's coopled to the law and to the flesh of which copulation could come no fruites but those that are pernicious and deadly But now being deliuered by the grace of God we are coopled vnto Christ by the spirit vnto Christ I say being raysed from the dead by which copulation we shal now bring forth fruite vnto God and not any more to death and damnation And the selfe same thing he affirmeth or rather expoundeth when he addeth For when we were in the fleshe the lustes of sinnes which are by the law were of force in our members to bring forth fruite vnto death Here let vs note that so long as we were in the flesh we were subiect vnto wicked affections whiche by the lawe were of force in our members how then could we be iustified by our workes Further in the same chapter is written For that which I do I allow not For what I woulde that do I not The eightene but what I hate that do I. If now I do that which I would not then is it not I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in me For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Here as it manifestlye appéereth is entreated of the bodies of men and although in interpreting these wordes I am assured that they are to be vnderstande of those workes which are done of the godly which haue already obteined iustification yet now I leaue it fre vnto the aduersaries to take whether part they wil and if they graunt that these things ought to be vnderstand of works done before iustification then forasmuch as they are neither allowed nor good how shall they deserue righteousnes for they are called euil no man is iustified by an euil actiō But if we vnderstād works which are here described to be the works of those that are iustified then wil I make mine argument a maiori that is frō the greater If those workes which rather séeme to be acceptable vnto God iust holy are called euil by the iudgement of reason now renued are not allowed howe can we affirme thē that those works which are done of sinners are such that they are able to iustifye And lest any
put out the handwriting that was against vs. In the The 47. 2. to Timothy the i. chapter Who hath called vs with an holy callinge not accordinge to our workes but according to his purpose and grace which is geuen vs through Christ Iesus Here he speaketh of a calling ful of efficacy by which men are iustified and not of the common calling as touching the preaching of the word of God which is set forth vnto all men And forasmuch as this consisteth not as Paul saith of merites or woorkes neither can iustification also come of them Vnto Titus it is written The 48. The goodnes and loue of God our Sauiour towardes vs hath appeared not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercy hath he saued vs. Also vnto the Hebrues is but one onely sacrifice and one oblation namely the death The 49. of Christ by which sinnes are wiped away and satisfaction made for men Wherfore iustification is not to be loked for of workes and it ought to suffice vs that the good workes which we do after iustification are sacrifices of thankesgeuing and let vs not make them sacrifices propiciatory by which meanes we should do great iniury vnto Christe But settinge a side the Epistles of Paul let vs séeke testimonies also out of other places of the holy scriptures Christe in the vii of Mathew saith Euery good tree bringeth forth good fruites but a noughty tree bringeth foorth euell The 50. fruites And to the end the nature of those which are not regenerate mighte be the better declared he addeth A good tree cannot bring forth euill frutes nether can an euill tree bring forth good fruits Wherfore seing Christ saith y◠that canot so be how dare these men affirme that it may be for they say that by workes men may be iustified Christ vseth the selfe same reason in the 12. chapiter of Mathew Ether The 51. make the tree good and his fruite good or make the tree euil and his fruite euill for by the fruite is the tree knowen O ye generation of vipers how can ye speake good thinges whē as ye your selues are euill for of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh A good man out of the good treasure of the harte bringeth forth good thinges and an euill man out of an euill treasure bringeth forth euill thinges These wordes of Christ do declare that men which are not yet regenerate are euill trees which neither do bring forth good fruite nor can do ▪ and they testify that the wicked cā not speake good thinges and much les can they worke good thinges and that out of an euill treasure of the harte are euer euill thinges to be looked for And seing the matter is so consider I pray you whither they which are alienated frō Christ ought to be called euill or no Vndoubtedly vnles they be euil none of vs y◠cleaneth vnto Christ can be called good Also in Luke the 17. chapiter But which of you hauing a The 52. seruaunt that goeth to plough or fedeth your cattell that will streight way say vnto hym when he commeth from the field Go and fitte downe and sayth not rather vnto him prepare that I may suppe gyrd vp thy selfe and serue me till I haue eaten and dronken and afterward eate thou and drinke thou doth he thanke his seruaunt bycause he hath done those thinges which he hath commaunded him I trow not So likewise ye when ye haue done all those thinges that are commaunded you say We are vnprofitable seruauntes we haue done that which we ought to haue done These words spake Christ vnto his disciples vnto his Apostles I say and which were now cōuerted to saluation who if they worke vnprofitable works what shall we thē iudge of those which haue not yet receaued the fayth of Christ But the Sophisters haue made the world such fooles that they say that workes before iustification do after a sorte merite it and those workes which follow they say are most profitable wherefore they would now haue men after a sort to make accompt with God and with beades to nomber how many prayers they haue said For what other thing ment they by thē then y◠they would by a certayne nomber recite so many Pater nosters or so many Aue Marias thinking by y◠recital to haue God most assuredly boūd The 53. vnto thē In y◠15. of Iohn Christ is compared vnto a vine tree we to the branches therof wherfore he sayth Euen as the branche can not bring forth fruit of it self vnles it abide in the vine no more also cā ye vnles ye abide in me I am the vine ye are the branches he which abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruite And whosoeuer shal not abide in me they are cast out of the dores euē as the braunches or cuttings of frō the vine they shal gather thē and cast thē into the fire Now that we haue recited these wordes of the lord how agreeth it that men being straungers from Christ not yet regenerate can worke good works by which they may be iustified when as they are called dry braunches which shal be cast into the fire and it is sayd that they only can bring forth fruite which cleane vnto Christ as braunches cleane to the vine And that we should the better vnderstand the will The 54. of Christ there is added Without me ye can do nothing Which sentence some go aboute to darken saying that nothing can be done without Christ in respect that he is God forasmuch as he is the first cause of all thinges as though the Lord disputed then of the generall conseruation of naturall thinges and of that power whereby God bringeth forth all thinges vniuersally Christ came not into the world to teach this philosophye he vndoubtedly entreated of the fruite of saluation and of eternall life and spake of those whiche should cleane vnto hys doctrine or ells should be strangers from it Moreouer the sonne of God commaunded The 55. that the faythfull should in theyr prayers saye Forgeue vs our trespasses Signifieng thereby y◠the faythfull also haue nede of forgeuenes in those things which they do for our workes are vnperfect neyther are they able to satisfye Wherefore if our workes which we doo after our regeneration nede expiation by the merite of Christ And for as much as we pray for the same how can they be propitiatory Much more les then can we thinke of those workes which are done before regeneration that they should be acceptable and pleasāt vnto God Moreouer no man can iustly say that he is out of the nomber of such when as God hath commaunded all men to pray in that maner and his will is not that any man should make a lye in his prayer Yea and Iohn also writeth If we shall The 56. say that we haue no sinne we deceaue
speaketh he any thing of the ceremonies of Moses Wherefore forasmuch as those thinges which he there rehearseth are repugnaunt vnto the ten commaundementes and to the morall lawe we can not but thinke that of it also he vnderstandeth those thinges which he writeth And in the second chapiter he reproueth the Iewes for the like kinde of sinnes For he saith Thou which teachest an other dost thou not teach thy self Thou whiche teachest that a man shoulde not steale dost thou steale that a man shoulde not commit adultery doost thou commit adultery and thou which detestest idols dost thou robbe God of his honour Who séeth not that these thinges are contayned in the lawe of the ten commaundementes And in the third chapiter he yet more manifestly entreateth of the same when he writeth There is none iust there is none that vnderstandeth or requireth after God all haue declined and are together made vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one These thinges we sée are of the same kinde pertayne vnto maners If the apostle would haue spoken only of ceremoniall lawes he woulde neuer haue made mencion of these thinges And this is also more euidently gathered that when he had sayd no fleshe is iustified by the works of the lawe he addeth For by the lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne Wherefore that lawe iustifieth not by which we know sinne According to which meaning he said also in the 4. chapiter The lawe worketh anger so farre is it of that it should iustify but it is very manifest vnto al men that sinnes are knowen and the wrath of God prouoked against transgressors more by the ten commaundementes then by the precepts of ceremonies I will not speake also of that generall sentence wherein it is sayd in the 4. chapiter That vnto him which worketh a reward is not imputed according vnto grace but according to debt◠And also that God would haue the inheritaunce to consist of grace that the promise should abide firme and not be changed that our gloriyng might be excluded which glorying commeth no les of good workes morall then of ceremonies It is written also in the 5. chapiter that the lawe entred in that sinne should abound and where sinne hath abounded there also hath grace more abounded These thinges also can not be drawen vnto ceremonies only Moreouer in the 6. chapiter when it was obiected vnto him that by so depressing workes and the lawe he did séeme to open a gate vnto loose life and vnto slouthfulnes and vnto sinnes as now dayly they obiect vnto vs he aunswered That we ought not to abide in sinne forasmuch as we are now dead vnto it By baptisme saith he we are buried with Christ that euen as he dyed and rose agayne so also should we walke in newnes of life And he admonisheth vs that euen as Christ dyed once and dyeth no more so also should we thinke our selues dead vnto sinne but liuing vnto God And he addeth that we must haue a diligent care that sinne raigne not in our mortall body and that we geue not our members the weapon◠of iniquity vnto sinne but geue ouer our selues vnto God as men of dead folke◠now lyuing and our members the weapons of righteousnes to sanctification These thinges which we haue rehearsed and the rest whiche followe euen in a manner to the ende of the chapiter séeme they to pertayne vnto the ceremonies of Moses or rather vnto a iust sincere and morall life The thing is so playne that there nedeth no question therein yet those thinges which are written in the 7. chapiter are yet much more manifest The affection saith he which are in the members were by the lawe made stronge and of efficacy to bring forth fruit vnto death But what other thing are these affections then 〈…〉 es filthy desires anger hatred and enuy which affections are rehearsed to◠the Galathians in that Cataloge where the workes of the fleshe are seperated from the workes of the spirite And there is no doubt but that all these thinges pertayne vnto the ten commaundementes Which thing the better to vnderstand Paul addeth What shall we say then Is the lawe sinne God forbid but I had not knowen sinne but by the law For I knew not what lust ment vnles the law had said thou shalt not lust Also the lawe in deede is holy the commaundemente is holy and iust and good Agayne The lawe in deede is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sinne For that which I do I allow not For the good which I would I do not but the euill which I would not that I do◠wherefore it is not I now which worketh it but sinne which dwelleth in me For there dwelleth no good in me that is in my flesh I haue a delight in the lawe of God as touching the inwarde man but I feele an other lawe in my member resisting the lawe of the mynde Oh vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the law of sinne and of death Wherefore in mynde I serue the lawe of God but in fleshe the lawe of sinne Whosoeuer shall diligently weigh all these testimonies shall easely sée that the Apostle wholy speaketh of the ten commaundementes whereof also he plainly maketh mencion in those foresayd words But these words which afterward follow in the 8. chapiter That which was impossible vnto the lawe in as much as it was weake by meanes of the fleshe God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of the fleshe of sinne by sinne condemned sinne in the fleshe these wordes I say can not be expounded of the lawe of ceremonies and much les that which followeth in the same chapter We are debt ours not vnto the fleshe that we shoulde liue according vnto the fleshe for if ye liue according to the fleshe ye shall dye But if by the spirite ye shall mortifye the deedes of the fleshe ye shall liue Neither can this be referred vnto ceremonies euē as neither can that also which is written vnto the Galathithians The lawe was put because of transgressions for where there is no lawe there is also no transgression And it is certayne that neither boasting can be excluded neither can the promise be firme if our iustification should depend of the obseruation of the ten commaundementes and of the morall preceptes howsoeuer thou take away the rites and ceremonies of Moses But much more firme is this place out of the 11. chapiter of this epistle vnto the Romanes And if it be of workes then is it not of grace if of grace then not of workes This Antithesis is vniuersall neither can it by any meanes be contracted vnto ceremonies I will not speake of that also which Paul writeth vnto the Phillippians how that he besides those precepts of Moses was conuersant without blame also as touching the righteousnes which is of the law For y◠which he writeth vnto the Ephe. the second chapter Not of workes least any man should boast
the corne which groweth in theyr fieldes true corne Augustine confuteth them and sheweth that this is no apt similitude for the bodies of infidels forasmuch as they are made of God are true bodies their corne also for y◠it is his worke is true corne but theyr chastitie forasmuch as it procedeth out of their corrupt vitiate wil can by no meanes be counted true chastitie And he addeth that vniuersal sentence wherof we haue much spoken before Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The same Augustine vpon the 30. Psalme expounding these wordes Deliuer me in thy righteousnes who is he saith he which is saued freely Euen he in whome our Sauiour findeth not any thing worthy to be crowned but findeth much worthy to be condemned in whome he findeth not merites of good thinges but merites of punishments Hereby we sée what is the nature of humane workes before iustification The same father in his first booke 30. question to Simplicianus saith that we are commaunded to lyue vprightly and that by a reward set before vs namely that we may merite to liue blessedly for euer But who saith he can liue vprightly and worke well vnles he be iustified by faith Here we are taught that there mought be in men a merite and deseruing of happy and eternall life if they could accomplishe that which is commaunded But forasmuch as that is impossible for vs to do therefore we fall away from merite The same Augustine in his Enchiridion ad Laurentium the 121. chap. The end saith he of the commaundement i◠of charity out of a pure hart a good conscience and an vnfayned fayth The ende of euery precept is charity and is referred vnto charity And whatsoeuer is done without such charity is not done as it ought to be done Wherefore if it be not done as it ought to be done it can not be denyed but that it is sinne Chrisostome expounding these wordes of Paul The ende of the law is Christ If the Chrisostom ende of the lawe saith he be Christ it followeth that he which hath not Christ though he seeme to haue the righteousnes of the lawe yet hath he it not in very deede By these wordes we gather that he which is without Christ may indéede haue workes which may séeme good which yet in very dede can not be iust And straight way he saith Whosoeuer hath fayth the same also hath the end of the law and whosoeuer is with out fayth is farre from either of them Hereby we gather that they which haue not faith are straungers not only from Christ but also from the righteousnes of the lawe which herein consisteth to do that which is commaunded And straight way For what desireth the lawe To make a man iust but it can not For no man hath fulfilled it But because a man might obiecte although a man not regenerate can not fulfill the lawe yet if he take paynes therein and go about and trauaile he may attaine vnto righteousnes this thing also Chrisostome excludeth And a litle before when he expounded these wordes Being ignoraunt of the righteousnes of God and willing to establishe their owne righteousnes they became not subiect vnto the righteousnes of God This sayth he he calleth the righteousnes of God which is of fayth because it is altogether of the heauenly grace wherein we are iustified not by our labours but by the gift of God This selfe same thing also writeth Ambrose whē he expoundeth these words Ambrose of Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered He calleth saith he them blessed of whome God hath decreed that without labour or any obseruation they shal be iustified by fayth only And vpon those words of Paul Being iustified freely by his grace They are iustified freely sayth he because by the gift of God they are iustified by faith only they themselues working nothyng nor making any recompence The same Ambrose vpon these words of Paul Wherefore death hath raigned vpon them which haue not sinned after the similitude of the transgression of Adam He wrote this saith he because it is impossible for a man not to sinne Which thing seing he peraduēture spake of men regenerate what is to be thought of mā that are straungers from Christ Cyprian also ad Quirinum We ought saith he to boast in nothing because we Cyprian haue nothing of our owne I suppose it sufficiently now appeareth that that is true which we affirmed namely that men before iustification can not frame their workes according to the prescript of the law and therfore are they sinnes neither can they merite iustification But if our aduersaries will obiect and say that they affirme not that those works which they call preparatory do merite iustification but only are certayne preparations by which men are made more apt to attayne vnto iustification we may thus aunswere them If they merite not why fayne ye vnto them that your merite of congruity Farther why call ye them good whē as as we haue taught they neither please God nor are done according to y◠prescript of the lawe Lastly forasmuch as they want their end and not only are but also by good right are called sinnes how teach ye that men by them are prepared vnto righteousnes when as they should much rather by them be prepared vnto punishmentes Wherfore let them once at the length ceasse to adorne them wyth these goodly titles For though peraduēture God somtimes by these workes bringeth men to saluation he doth it because of his mercy towardes men which is so great that he will vse workes whiche are of themselues euill and sinnes to their good Now let vs sée if iustification be not geuen vnto works how it is then geuen fréely and it wholy dependeth of the mere grace of God For no manner of way it dependeth of merites Which thing Origen saw for he vpon this Epistle expounding these wordes of Paul Vnto him which worketh the reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt But I saith he when I desire excellency of speach whereas he sayth that vnto him that worketh is rendred a debt can scarsely perswade my selfe that there can be any worke which can of duety requyre a recompence of God forasmuch as euen thys that we can do or thinke or speake any thing we do it by hys gift and liberality What debt then shall he owe vnto vs whose grace preuenteth vs A little afterward he rendreth a reason of hys saying which reason Augustine oftentimes vsed For he bringeth that place of Paul The stipend of sinne is death But the grace of God is eternall life For here the Apostle added not But the stipend of righteousnes is eternall life which yet the nature of the Antithesis required For Pauls meaning was to declare that our wicked workes of duty deserued death and that euerlasting death but eternall life is not geuen but only by grace wherefore in
wherewith the faithfull are illustrated Wherfore Paul requireth a force and efficacie wherby our minds should be inflamed And although as we haue before taught it lieth in no mannes hand to be endued of God with this or that power of the frée gifts for God distributeth them to euery manne as he will yet the regenerate for that they are not simply men but are the men of God and haue their strengthes after a sort renued by the grace and spirite of God they may by their endeuor prayers and industry stir vp The regeneraâ—e may after a sorte stirre vp in themselues the spirite in themselues the spirite whereby to be feruent or they may frame themselues vnto it when it stirreth them vp For so Paul sayth to Timothe Stirre vp the grace which is in thee by the imposition of the hands of the eldership And to the Thessalonians Take hede ye extinguish not the spirite For euen as vnto fire being once kindeled we may put wood and coles to make it to burne the more so the spirite being now geuen may by the exercise of doctrine exhortacion or ministery be stirred vp to make vs the more feruent and this to doo Paul now here exhorteth vs. In the Actes of the Apostles the 18. chapiter it is written of Apollo that he spake with a feruent spirite as which taught diligently those thinges which pertayned to the Lord. But it is added that he was learned and eloquent In that place I se two thinges ioyned together which are very necessarye for a preacher First that he diligently take hede what he speake that he poure out nothing rashly or agaynst the Two principal offices of a preacher truth the second is that those thinges which he speaketh be not spoken coldly and slenderly but be set forth effectually and feruently But in some though otherwise they are vehement inough yet there wanteth doctrine in other some in whom sometimes séemeth to be diligence inoughe yet they want feruentnes of spirite And that which I now speake of prâ—â—chers ought also to be applied to other offices wherof is now entreated Seruing the time Here some rede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is time and some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Lord. Chrysostome and Origene read Lord and rather allow that reading then to read time peraduenture therfore for that they thought it is the poynt of an inconstant and light man to be changed according to the time and for that to serue the time may seme to be rather a wary behauiour of maÌ„ then yâ— worshipping of God But coÌ„trariwise Ambrose what neded saith he to say that we must serue the Lord when as all the things which hitherto haue bene spoken thereto tend that we shold serue the Lord. But that notwithstaÌ„ding there is no cause but that we may read Lord. For they mought say that Paul in his sentence admonisheth the godly to thinke that in all those things they serue not men but God who séeth all things and to whose honor all things ought to be directed How be it Origen somewhat releÌ„teth and saith that we may serue the time whilest we consider how short it is and coÌ„tracted that although we haue wiues yet we are as if we had none and although we possesse yet as though we possessed not redéeming the dayes for that they are Occasion is to be obserâ—ed euill which interpretation I dislike not Although time in this place may more aptly signifie occasion which is earnestly and diligently to be obserued if we wil doe any good to our brethren For occasion otherwise passeth away neither can it be called backe againe when we will We know with how great subtlety and wickednes Sathan and the flesh resist the workes of God And therefore it commeth that there is no man almost which patiently taketh admonitions reprohensions And muche les in a manner if we admonish out of time and out of season Paule gaue place somewhat to the time when hée Circumcised Timothe But he could by no means be persuaded to circumcise Titus also though he were vehemently therunto vrged Christ himselfe according to the consideration of the time fled when the Iewes sought to put him to death Howbeit afterward when he saw opportunitie he returned of his owne accord Therefore his disciples sayd Euen now the Iewes sought to stone the and wilt thou now agayne go into Iewry Christ answered them Are there not 12. houres in a day In which words he signified that Occasions are counted as beckes of God we ought to serue time And for no other cause Salomon sayth that there is a time to build and a time to plant c. Such occasions are as certayne beckes of God to bring thinges well to passe which beckes we ought no les to obserue then souldiers doo the signe or watchword of theyr captayne And good seruaunts attempt nothing before that they se theyr Lord or maister to becken thereunto Erasmus thinketh that to serue the tyme is to take in good parte aduersities when they at any time happen And this sentence he thinketh is confirmed by that which followeth For Paul addeth Reioysing in hope patient in tribulation But if there be any which like better the other reding seruing the Lord we wil not be agaynst it But here is to be noted this Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is seruing For therby we vnderstaÌ„d which thing we before also admonished that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 belongeth not only What is to be taken hede of in obseruing of occasions vnto creatures excelling in dignity but also vnto God him selfe On the other side he which thinketh that Paul commaundeth vs to serue the time ought to beware that whilest he obserueth occasion he decline neither to the right hand nor to the left that is that he chaunge not his sentence For we ought to be constant in that which we rightly vnderstand although euery time will not suffer vs to burst forth straight way into act Reioysing in hope This can not they doo which settle them selues in worldly thinges for in them only put they all theyr hope and confidence and wayte for nothing ells Paul in this place vnderstandeth the hope of eternall felicitie whereby men are so confirmed in aduersities that Paul to the ThessoloniaÌ„s calleth it an How patience worketh hope and hope patience helmet Here is hope reckened as the ground of patience in tribulation At which thing some man paraduenture may meruayle For before in the 5. chapiter Paul wrote Tribulation worketh patience patience experience and experience hope There we se that hope is produced of patience But contrariwise in this place patience is sayd to spring of hope But herein is no contrarietie For this commonly commeth to passe in thinges which are nigh by nature that by an inuerse order they Thinges nigh by nature together â–ª doo by an inuerse order inferre thâ—â—ne the other What hope is mutually inferre
fauor the godly that he will not only haue their soules to be blessed but also will geue blessednes to their bodyes he will also restore vnto the wicked their bodyes that according to the law of iustice they may be tormented not only in their soules but also in their bodyes The other is that in the Prophets there are touching the resurrection of the dead certayne other more notable places which yet Christ alleaged Why Christ brought not testimonies of the resurrection ouâ— of the Prophets not for that the Saduces with whom he then reasoned admitted the law only and touching the other holy bookes either they receaued them not or els they estemed them not much For they red them as we read the Fathers But I leaue this matter and I beséech God not to suffer this singular benefite of the death of Christ to weare away for age in our mynds that the common prouerbe be not applied vnto vs. Nothing waxeth old sooner then grace But why dost thou iudge thy brother Or also why dost thou despise thy brother For we shal all be set before the iudgement seat of Christ Is it is written I liue saith the Lord and euery knee shall bow to me and euery tong shall confesse vnto God So then euery one of vs shall render accompt of himselfe to God Let vs not therefore iudge one an other any more But iudge this rather that no man put an offence to his brother or be an occasion of falling But why dost thou iudge thy brother Or also vvhy dost thou despise thy brother By the name of brethren he reproueth eche part For the right of brethren is equall and a like and in them is expressed a ciuill administration which is called The right of brethren is equall â—olitia which is a certaine equalitie of Citezens betwene themselues Wherfore no maÌ„ ought either to despise or to iudge him whom he knoweth to be his equall For he which so doth counteth him not for his equal but for his inferior VVherefore vve shall all be set before the iudgement seat of Christ By the iudgement seat vndoubtedly is vnderstanded the iudgement of Christ and that by the figure Metonomia And this benefite beside others we haue by the ciuill magestrates that by theyr axes and swordes and iudgementes seates we are put in minde of the iudgement of God The like phrase of speache Paul vsed in the .v. chapiter of the latter Epistle to the Corinthians vve must al appeare before the iudgment seat of Christ Origen expounding these words maketh a discourse I knowe not wherof for that in this place is red Before the iudgement seate of Christ and to the Corinthians is red Before the iudgement seat of God and with a long circute he disputeth of this matter But doubtles all our bookes haue in ech place Before the iudgement seate of Christ â–ª so that there appeareth no cause of ambiguity And yet if we should so rede as he imagineth nothing could be gathered out of those woordes but that Christ is God In the 7. chapiter of Daniell are set forth many excellent thinges of this throne of God wherin is described the magnificency of the iudgement to come As it is vvritteÌ„ I liue sayth the Lord. This place which is brought to proue Christes diuine power of iudging the world is written in the 45. chapter of Esay This place proueth the diuine nature of Christ As touching the very bare words Paul foloweth not the Hebrew verity but yet most diligently kepeth the sense of the Prophet For that which is here said Saith the Lord agréeth with that which is in the Hebrew The Lord hath sworne And the bowing of the knée signifieth here nothing els but a submission which is most aptly signifyed by that outward Simbole Euery tounge shal confesse vnto God In Hebrew it is Euery tonge shall swear vnto me but there is no man which knoweth not but that in an othe is an excelleÌ„t confession of God For he is called as a witnes or rather as a iudge and he is so called that he will punish the foresworne persons according to theyr deserts But as yet we sée not that all things are subiect vnto Christ But that shall be when he shall deliuer vp the kingdome to God and to the father For then shall all thinges vtterly be made subiect vnto him amongst other the last enemy namely death as Paul sayth to the Corrinthians How be it now is begon a certaine obedience and his kingdome is acknowledged of the congregation of the godly Wherefore though many vniust and wicked things be now committed yet let vs iudge nothing before the time come least we be preiudiciall to the sentence of that moste highe iudge Then all things according to our hope which nowe séeme to want equitie shall be full of equitie Of these wordes of the Apostle is most manifestly gathered the diuinitie of Christ For when he speaketh of the iudgement seate of Christ he addeth and euery tounge shall confesse vnto God Which self thing is much more manifest if we looke vpon the Hebrew veritie For before that these things are pronounced vnder the person of God this is written Am not I Lord and there is no other God besides me Wherfore seing these things pertaine to Christ as Paul testifieth it most manifestly appeareth that he is God So then euery one of vs shall render an accompt to God of himself Wherefore it is not méete that we either rashly iudge or proudly contemne others For at that iudgement seat causes shall be decided according to their desertes Let vs not therefore iudge one an other any more This is concluded by the reasons alleaged of Paule and is euery where in the holy scriptures inculcated of the holy Ghost But iudge this rather that no man put an offence to his brother â–ª or be an occasion To iudge hath two significations of falling This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to iudge hath not here all one signification with that which it had before For before it was to condemne an other by his sentence or to affirme any thing rashly of another But here to iudge signifieth to appoynt a thing with our selues Appoynt therfore with your selues sayth he and thinke that this chiefly pertaineth to your duety that no man be offended by any your example or any your doings Chrisostome by a straunge reason proueth The impeller to sinne sinneth more greuously then he which coÌ„mitteth the sinne that this thing is to be taken héede of For sayth he he which impelâ—eth an other to sinne deserueth to be muche more greuously punished then euen he which hath sinned For euen at the beginning a greater punishment and vehementer curse was inflicted vpon the serpent then vpon the woman For she transgressed but the other persuaded The woman also was more greuously punished then the man for that he had not sinned but by her counsell and persuasion And
forme of all his posteritye Howbeit we maye more simply and more aptly referre this vnto Christ For in that comparison Paul Adam a figure of Christ wonderfully much delighted Chrisostome also leaneth thys way and sayth that the Apostle with great conninge and manifold and sondry wayes handleth these woordes Of one and one to make vs to vnderstande that those thinges are to be compared together which haue come vnto vs by one Adam and by one Christ And this is very worthy An analogy betwene Adam and Christ An excelleÌ„t coâ—parison of Chrisostome A strong argumente against the Iewes of nothing in Chrisostome that he sayth Euen as Adam was the cause of death vnto al men although they did not eate of the tree so Christ was made vnto his a conciliator of righteousnes although they themselues had wrought no righteousnes In which place he moste manifestly declareth that we are not iustified by our woorkes He sayth moreouer That by this discourse of the Apostle we are throughlye fensed againste the Iewes if they chaunce to deride vs for that we beleue that by one Christe was redeemed the whole world For we wyll obiect agayne vnto them that they also confesse that by one Adam was all thinges corrupted which semeth to be a great deale more absurde if we looke vpon humane reason then to say that by one Christ all men haue bene holpen In this place the Apostle beginneth to entreate of that whiche was the fourth parte of this diuision namely by whome sinne was excluded And this he declareth was brought to passe by Christ whome he maketh like vnto Adam This similitude is The similitude betwene AdaÌ„ and Christe is to be taken generally to be taken generally that euen as all men depend of Adam so all also in theyr order depende of Christe and as the one merited for all his so also did the other But perticulerly and speciallye there is greate difference For Adam broughte in sinne death and damnation but Christe broughte in righteousnes life and grace There is difference also in yâ— propagation For Adam by the generation of the flesh powreth his euels into men but Christ by fayth And therefore Paul when he had sayd that Adam was a tipe of that whiche was to come as it were by way of correction added But yet the gifte is not so as is the sinne Wherefore betweene Adam Betwene Christ and Adam is not a true similitude but an analogy or proportion and Christe is to be put rather a certaine analogye and proportion then a true similitude But to make those thinges which follow more playne we will deuide in to thrée partes al this whole comparison which consisteth of similitudes of contraries and of thinges compared together Firste the Apostle plainelye teacheth that the sinne of Adam is not so as is the gifte for the gifte many wayes excelleth and passeth the sinne Secondly he expresseth wherin consisteth this victory namely in this that whereas Adam had by one sinne corrupted all mankinde Christe hath not onely abolished that one sinne but also a greate many other sinnes whiche we haue since committed Last of all he declareth what that aboundaÌ„ce of good things is which Christ hath brought vnto his elect As touching the firste this we muste know that Christ is so compared with Adam that he is alwayes made the superiour Neither is this to be passed ouer that Paul expresseth sinne by two names Christ is so compared with AdaÌ„ that he is alwayes made the superior They which sinne do first â—â—re and afterward fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By which names this we learne that they which sinne doo first erre and afterward fall For these two are thorowly knitte together Wherefore the coÌ„mon saying is he that followeth a blind man must néedes fall This also let vs obserue that Paul in this comparison continually in a maner vseth these woordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is gift to declare that our saluation commeth not vnto vs of any of our owne dignity or of works but onely of the meere mercy of God The wordes are thus For if thorow the offence of one many be dead muche more the grace of God and the gifte by Grace whiche is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vnto many For if through the offence of one When he sayth that thorow the sinne of one man many haue died he taketh not away or altereth that whiche he before wrote namely that death had gone ouer all For this worde Many oughte in thys place to be of asmuch force as if he had sayd All euen by the testimony of Origene also Wherfore that abideth firme which was before auouched That all men haue sinned that all are therefore subiecte vnto death By Grace he vnderstandeth the fauour of God whereby sinnes are forgeuen This woord Gift peraduenture What grace is with the scholemen signifieth the holy Ghost and other good thinges which men by the holy Ghost obteyne But the schoole men say that Grace is a quality powred into our hartes by God whereby we lead an holy godly life and by this grace saye they is a man iustified But that kind of iustification shoulde pertaine vnto the law For it shoulde consist of those thinges which are in vs. Wherefore the true iustification whereof is now intreated commeth from Christe of whome thorough fayth and the grace or fauour of God we take holde not that we deny the other kinde of grace For we put both kinds namely both the instauration of the beleuers to liue vprightly and also the imputation of righteousnes by Christ whereunto whole and perfect iustification cleaueth that that might be true which we reade in Iohn that we haue receaued grace for grace and by that grace wherby Christ was of valew before the father we are receaued into his grace The nature of yâ— Antithesis required yâ— euen as he had sayd that thorow the offence of one maÌ„ many haue died so he should on the other side haue sayd that through the righteousnes of one the fauor of God hath abounded vpon many But he would rather put Grace and gifte for that these two thinges are the fountaines and rootes of righteousnes and of euery good thinge whiche we by righteousnes obteyne And he therefore saith that it abounded whiche in the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to geue vs to vnderstand that there We haue more grace then is sufficient to extinguishe sinne was more grace bestowed vpon men then should be sufficient to extinguish sinne For for that we haue obteyned forgeuenes of sinnes wee are also borne againe and we rise againe wyth Christe and are sanctified and adopted into the children of God and are made the bretherne of Christe and fellow heyres wyth hym are grafted into his members are
affirme that by regeneration is takeÌ„ away the guiltines of sinnes For although these vices remayne both as the scripture testefieth and also as experience teacheth yet their bond and guiltines is taken away Wherfore Augustine oftentymes saith that lust in dede remayneth but the guiltines therof is by Christ takeÌ„ away And he addeth that somtimes it coÌ„meth to pas that the act and worke of sinne passeth away as we see it is in theft and in adultery but the guiltines notwithstandyng abideth and sometymes it commeth to passe that the guiltines is takeÌ„ away but the fault remayneth Which is plaine to be sene touching this lust wherof we speake It remayneth in dede but yet we cannot by it be as guilty condemned to eternall death If thou demaund why it is called sinne when as the guiltines is taken away I aunswer bicause in that it is not imputed vnto vs it hath not that of his owne nature for as touching his owne nature as we haue before taught it deserueth death and damnation but this commeth by an other meanes namely of the mercy of God through Christ But euery thing ought to be considered by it selfe and of his own nature Wherfore seyng the proper nature of sinne Euery thinge ought to be considered by his owne nature is to striue against the law of God and this thing we sée to come to passe in this lust and in these first motions therfore they ought to be called sinnes Neither by this our sentence do we fall into that folishnes which the Pelagians vpbrayded vnto Augustine and to other of the catholikes as though they should say that by regeneration The PelagiaÌ„â— bâ—â—ided vnto catholikes folishnes is not blotted out sinne but only rased For when heares are shauen there remaine still vnder the skinne the rootes of the heares by which they grow vp againe For although we affirme that in men regenerate remaine still lust A similitude corrupt motions yet do we not deny but that God is perfectly reconciled vnto vs. Wherfore although of their owne nature they are sinnes yet by the mercy of God they are so blotted out that they now vtterly cease to be imputed wherfore if we As touchinge imputation sinnes are vtterly taken is regeneration haue a respect vnto imputation there remayneth nothing of them Last of al they obiect vnto vs that we do iniury vnto Augustine when we say that he affirmeth these to be sinnes when as he interpreteth himself that they are called sinnes improperly For as a scripture or writing is called a hand for that it is done with the hand so that these called sinnes for that they come from original sinne and as cold Why Augustine calleth these motioÌ„s sinnes is called slouthfull for that it maketh vs slouthfull so are these called sinnes for yâ— they stirre vs vp to sinnes but yet properly they are not sinnes So say they Augustine by this meanes doth not only interpretate himselfe why he calleth these sinnes but also hath geuen vnto vs a way how we ought to vnderstand Paul wheÌ„ he calleth these sinnes Hereunto we aunswer first that if either Augustine or any other of the fathers do deny that these are sinnes that is to be vnderstand by When the fathers say that these motioÌ„s ar not sinnes they vnderstand that they are not actual sinnes way of comparison if they be compared with actuall sinnes but not that the nature of sinne can wholy be taken away from them Which thing Augustine in another place most plainly declareth For against Iulianus in his 6. booke 8. chap. For it is not sayth he no iniquity when in one man eyther the superiour partes are after a vile maner seruantes vnto the inferiour partes or the inferiour partes after a vile maner resist the superiour partes although they be not suffred to get the maistry Seyng that he calleth this sinne iniquitie he plainly declareth that vnto it is agreable the nature of sinne which we before described And in his 5. booke agaynst the same Iulianus He expressedly calleth these motioÌ„s sinnes and affirmeth thâ— to be iniquities the third chapiter he thus writeth The luste of the fleshe agaynst which the good spirite lusteth is sinne for that in it is a disobedience agaynst the gouernment of the mind and it is a punishement of sinne for that it is rendred vnto the merites of the disobedient person and it is a cause of sinne thorough the falling away of hym that sinneth Here we sée that lust is of Augustine thrée maner of wayes called sinne Neither Note these wordes of Augustine can it be sayd that he writeth these thinges of a man not regenerate For he expressedly saith Against which the good spirite lusteth For in the wicked is not the spirite of God which striueth against lustes Wherfore we haue out of Augustine thrée places one which we before cited out of his 5. booke de libero Arbitrio and Lust remayning in vs is truly and properly sinne two against Iulianus wherin he expressedly confesseth that lust is sinne and bringeth a reason why he so thinketh Neither oughte our aduersaries as touchynge the interpretacion of Paul to runne vnto a figure to say that this is not properly to be called sinne For both out of Paul and out of other places of the scripture is brought good reason why lust is truly and properly called sinne And it is to be woÌ„dred at that these men otherwise are euery where so prone to figures when as in this one proposition This is my body they so much abhorre from al kind of figures when as yet notwithstanding a figure is there most conuenient And if thou desire other testimonies of the fathers wherby to proue that lust is sinne we haue before cited Ierome vpon Mathew And there are in Augustine against Iulianus found cited a great many other sentences of the auncient fathers All which make wholy on our side But now let vs come to the exposition of the 8. chapter The eight Chapter FOrasmuch as nowe there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the spirite For the lawe of the spirite of lyfe which is in Christ Iesus hath made me fre froÌ„ the law of sinne and of death For as much as in this chapiter are entreated many notable things it shall The Method of this chapt not be amisse to deuide the summe of them into the partes thereof Firste Paul remoueth away condemnation which he sayth is taken away by the Lawe of the spirite of life which spirite we haue obteyned by the benefite of the death of Christ And this liberty promiseth he not indifferentlye vnto all men but only vnto those whiche are in Christe and walke not accordinge vnto the fleshe but according to the spirite For they which seperate them selues from Christ can not be pertakers of his benefite TheÌ„ he addeth that we by this spirit are
pertakers not only of the death of the Lord but of his resurrectioÌ„ also for forasmuch as Christ was by it raysed vp from the dead as many as are endewed with the same spirite shall likewise be raysed vp from the dead For that cause he exhorteth vs by the spirite to mortefye the deades of the flesh that we may be made pertakers of euerlasting life Thirdly he amplifieth and adorneth this state and condition which by the spirite of Christ we haue obteyned namely that now we are by adoption made the children of God that we are moued by this spirit and made strong against aduersities to suffer all afflictions Which prayses serue not a little to quicken our desire that we should desire to be dayly more aboundantly enriched with this spirite Fourthly he confuteth those which obiected that state to seme miserable and vnhappy in which the faythfull of Christ liue For they are continually excercised with aduersities so that euen they also which haue the first fruites of the spirite are compelled to mourne And he writeth that by this meanes these thinges come to passe for that as yet we haue not obteyned an absolute regeneration nor perfect saluatioÌ„ for we haue it now but only in hope which when time shall serue that is in the end of the worlde shall be made perfect Fiftly he teacheth that notwithstaÌ„ding those euills which doo enclose vs in on euerye side yet our saluation is neuertheles sure for the prouidence â–ª of God whereby we are predestinâ—te to eternall felicity can nether be chaunged nor yet in any poynte fayle And by this prouidence sayth he it commeth to passe that vnto vs which loue God all thinges turne to good and nothing can hurt vs forasmuch as God hath geuen vnto vs his sonne and together with hym all thinges wherefore seing the father iustifieth vs and the sonne maketh intercession for vs there is nothing which can make vs afrayd Lastly he sayth that yâ— loue of God towards vs is so greate that by no creature it can be plucked from vs. Hereby it is manifest of how greate force the spirite of adoption is wherewith we are sealed so long as we wayte for the perfection of our felicity And these thinges serue wonderfully to proue that our iustification consisteth not of workes but of fayth and of the meare and free mercy of God This is the summe of al that which is coÌ„tained in the doctrine of this chap. As touching the first part the Apostle alledgeth that condemnation is now takeÌ„ away which he proueth bycause we are endewed with the spirite of Christe But this deliuery he promiseth vnto those only which are in Christ Wherfore seing it is manifest what his proposition or entent is now let vs se howe these thinges hange together with those which are alredy spoken Toward the end of the former chap Paul cried out twise first when he sayd Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death And by the figure Aposiopesis he expressed not the deliuerer but here he sayth that that deliuerer is the Lawe The law of the spirit and life deliuereth of the spirite and of life Farther in that place with greate affection he sayd I geue thankes vnto God through Iesus Christe our lorde nether declared he wherfore he gaue thankes But nowe he playnly expresseth the cause For he sayth that now there remayneth no condemnation and that we are deliuered from the Thankes are to be geuen for that there remayneth in vs no coÌ„mendation Law of sinne and of death This is it for which he gaue thaÌ„ks Lastly he added how that in minde he serued the law of God but in flesh the law of sinne Now he more playnly expresseth what that is namely to be in Christ and not to walke according to the flesh but according to the spirite Hereby it manifestly appeareth how aptly these thinges are knit together with those which are alredy spoken The Apostle seemeth thus to speake Althoughe sinne and the corruption of nature where wyth the godlye are vexed be as it is alredye sayde styll remayninge in them yet is there no daunger that it shoulde brynge condemnation vnto men regenerate for they are holpen by the spirite of Christe wherewith they are now endewed And euen as before he aboundantly entreated of the violence and tiranny of sinne which it vseth against vs being vnwittinge What thinges auayle to know our selues and vnwilling thereunto so now on the other side he teacheth what the spirite of Christ worketh in the Saintes Wherefore seing not only the holy scriptures but also the Ethnike writers do expressedly commaund that euery man shoulde knowe himselfe peraduenture there is scarse any other place out of whiche the A godly maÌ„ consisteth of two principles same may better be gathered then out of these two chapiters For a godly man consisteth of his owne corrupt and vitiate nature and also of the spirit of Christ because we haue before learned what yâ— corruptioÌ„ of nature that is sinne woorketh in vs and now is declared what benefites of Christ we obtayne by his spirite by this may euery man as touching ether part know himselfe Vndoubtedly wonderfull great is the wisdome of the Apostle who when he wrote of the force of sin expressed it chiefely in his owne person to geue vs to vnderstand that there is no Why Paul chaungeth the persons in these two descriptioÌ„s man so holy which so long eas he liueth here is cleane ridde from sinne But afterward when he entreateth of the helpe of the spirite of Christ he bringeth in the person of other men least any man should thinke with himselfe that not all manner of Christians enioye this excellente helpe of God but onelye certaine principall and excellent men such as were the Apostles After these things which we haue before heard out of the seuenth chapter a man mought haue sayd forasmuch as we are so led away captiue of sinne and that by force and against our willes what hope can there be of our saluation Much saith Paul Forasmuch as now there is no condeÌ„nation to theÌ„ which are in Christ For by the spirite of Christ we are deliuered from the lawe of sinne and of death This reason is taken of the cause efficient whereby is not only proued that which was proposed but also euen the very carnell and inward pithe of our iustification is touched For although men being now iustified are so restored vnto the giftes of God that they begin to liue holily and do accomplishe some certayne obedience begonne of the lawe yet because in the iudgement of God they can not stay vpon them forasmuch as they are vnperfect and are not without fault of necessity it followeth that our iustification should herein consist Wherein consisteth iustificatioÌ„ â–ª namely to haue our sinnes forgeuen vs that is to be deliuered from the guiltines of them And this is it which