perswaded that all the synnes of the faithfull are remitted not because thei doe not deserue death but because by the mercie of God there is no condemnation to them that are in Christe Iesus so that their synnes are blotted out by pardon and shall not bee imputed vnto them neither dooeth this place argue equalitie of synnes as thei dreamed though it make all synnes worthy of condemnation or as thei tearme it Mortall For in deede thei them selues saie that the synnes of Ezechias Dauid the Niniuites Peter and those that were conuerted at Peters sermon were all mortall and yet some of them lesse then others but wee see those synnes not to haue been taken awaie by mans power or pollicie but by the grace of God who called them to repentaunce For Ezechias beyng afraied of the message of death that he receiued praied weepyng but looked into the mercies of God and trusted Dauid confessed his greate sinne in numbryng the people but he saied Lorde take awaie the iniquitie of thy seruaunt He did acknowledge the synne of adulterie and manslaughter at the reprehension of Nathan and caste hym self doune before the Lorde but in sure hope and stedfast faithe The Niniuites troubled with the fearfull threatenynges of destruction put on Sackeclothe sprinkled their heades with ashes and praied hopyng that the lorde would haue mercie and turne his sharpe wrath from them Yea Peter hym self wept bitterly but ceased not to hope And those whiche were striken at the sermon of Peter onely trusted in the goodnesse of God and therefore saied to the Apostles men and brethren what shall we doe Now let vs come to the laste parte of this conclusion whiche is the regeneration of the spirite wherein there are twoo daungerouse opinions to bee taken heede of the one of those sailyng abrode in the sea of all vngodlinesse with the shippe of their owne filthie desiers without safe-conducte of Gods worde promise vnto themselues all maner of licentiousnesse because the mercy of God is freely giuen and his righteousnesse bountifully bestowed vpon his elect The other is of them who mounting aloft with the waxed winges of their owne inuention aboue the comon vse and custome of the life of gods Children chalenge to themselues phantasticall Spirites of sinceritie But as both these are most horrible so they which doe either of them wrest the Scripture are most vngodly and damnable vnlesse they repent For the Apostle in the sixt Chapiter of this Epistle seing the vngodly to chalenge vnto themselues that liberty saieth that it is proper onely to those whiche put one the righteousnesse of Christe and that they are regenerate in spirite and haue a pledge of this regeneration in their baptisme But for other whiche cleaue not to Christe he promiseth the rigour of the Lawe whiche ouerwhelmyng them with his cursse dooeth easely destroye them Now as for those whiche would mount alofte in their fained sinceritie because thei studie all that in them lieth to make God a lyer we are thus to perswade our selues that to walke after the fleshe is not to seeke to putte of all the senses of the fleshe and to flie vp into the middle heauen or altogether to separate our selues from the companie of the wicked for that is impossible for man and therefore S. Paule willyng vs not to haue any companie with euill doers straite waie expoundeth hym self saiyng I meane not that you should not at all companie with them for then you should goe out of the worlde And as I thinke this is the true sense of this Scripture to walke in the Spirite is to be conuersant in beatyng doune fleshely lustes and to giue tokens of our hatered of sinne And therefore not yeldyng to the former opinions to saie thus vnto our consciences I haue often fallen and synned greeuously but the Lorde hath receiued me to grace he hath graffed me into the cōmunion of Christ he hath brought me into the fellowship of the Churche by Baptisme Therefore as long as I go on forward in faithe although synne seeke to deale violently with me yet shall I bee free from all giltinesse and damnation because I beyng in the fleshe walke not after the fleshe yea I abhorre all the lustes and concupiscence of the fleshe To the confirmation of the Grace before concluded might be proued by good reasons as if a man will alledge workes we maie thus reply If Saluation or iustification be by workes then either by perfect workes or vnperfect but not by vnperfect workes for euery vnperfect worke is sinne and therefore if it be by woorkes it must needes be by perfect workes whiche no man is able to worke but only the sonne of God and therefore our workes be accompted vyle and of none effect I might reasō against the blindnes of the enemies of Gods truthe but it needeth not because it is here set doune that only the Spirite of God giueth all thinges setteth free and maketh bonde giueth healthe and scourgeth with sicknesse For by these woordes the lawe of the Spirite of lyfe is vnderstood the bountifulnesse and power of Gods Spirite the power whiche bringes vs to a castyng awaie of the relikes of the olde Adam and putting on of the righteousnesse of the newe man Christe the bountifulnesse whiche as it graunteth pardon and abolisheth the law of sinne in vs setting vs free from the giltinesse of death So it graunteth vnto vs the holinesse of Christe whiche once imputed doeth perfectly and absolutly finish the sanctification begon in vs. This which is heare called the law of the Spirite of life is that Spirite whiche is promised to bee poured on the seede of man because man without the moister of this spirit is as a drie and barren lande Whiche Spirite also is promised to bee powred vpon all fleshe and is called the cleane water whiche shall so reforme and regenerate the electe that thei shal be cleane from all filthinesse this is that spirite whiche was sent vpon the Apostles and Churche of God. Now that this freedome is confirmed to bee doen by the woorkyng of the Spirite and not by woorkes let vs see from what slauerie it hath freed vs truely not as some thinke who because of this freedome saie that we are not bound to kepe the Lawe of God sett doune in the tenne Commaundementes No my brethren that is a perilous doctrine wherefore I praie you beware of it for to be free from the lawe of Synne and Death is not to liue as wee liste or to shake of the Commaundementes together with the Ceremoniall lawe but it is thus to bee taken that we by the grace of Gods Spirit are so confirmed that the Lawe of concupiscence is ouercome by vs that we be deliuered from vnder the yoke of our affections so that wee hauyng rule ouer our owne will doe seeke now nothyng in all our dooynges but to set forthe the glorie of God
to repaire the decaied Image of our former perfection and to referre all our worldly practizes or actions whatsoeuer to bee ruled and squared by the written worde This did Paule feele and therefore he doeth triumphe ouer synne ouer concupiscence and affections of the old man whatsoeuer But I tolde you that this confirmation was more clearly sette forthe in the thirde verse with a doubt there propounded and an aunswere followyng in the same The doubt riseth thus it was said before that the lawe of the Spirite abandoneth synne and ouercommyng setteth vs free from Death Here it is saied that the Lawe is weake or as the Greeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth impossible to redeeme or to free from synne so that it remaineth that the lawe is onely a shewer of our faultes and a condemner of our synnes And least any should thinke that he condemned the Lawe he setteth doune the cause of the inhabilitie or weakenesse namely the corruption of our fleshe as though he should saie the doctrine of the Lawe is able to iustifie because it containeth a moste exact and perfecte rule of iustice but because no fleshe cā come vnto that iustice the whole force and strength of the Lawe is perished and taken awaie but because wee see that our corruption maketh the Lawe of God vnprofitable vnto vs and that though it shewe the waie of life yet it is not able to keepe backe vs from runnyng headlong into destruction Let vs come to the aunsweryng of this doubt by the argumente as I tolde you er aduersis that is of contraries whiche cannot agree for the mercies preached in the Gospell are opposed or set against the seueritie of the Lawe and the righteousnesse by the newe man in takyng our fleshe to the corruption of the fleshe of the olde Adam whiche had spoiled all mankinde of the benefite of eternall life if it had not pleased God to haue sent this present and onely remedie Now that Christ was perfect man wee reade that he was the seede of Abraham and afterwardes of the seede of Iacob So that then the curssed opinion of the Manaches maie not be receiued whiche would haue hym to be a phantasticall bodie neither as Marcion faineth a heauenly bodie for neither in a heauenly bodie or bare shewe of a manne is the blessyng promised but in the seede of Abraham to come out of the loynes of Dauid whiche Paule affirmeth that he was made of the seede of Dauid after the fleshe And in an other place that he sprange of the Iewes yea and the Lorde hym self called hym self not onely by the name of a man but also by this name the soonne of Man like vnto man in all thynges except synne onely whiche he wanted not because he was borne of a woman without the knowledge of a man as some vainly and childishly thinke but because he was sanctified by the Spirite that his birthe might bee pure euen as it should haue been before the fall of Adam and in al the scripture these wordes Puritie of Christe doe note vnto vs the true Nature of man in hym that he died onely for our synnes it is manifest but especially in that of Esaie surely he hath borne our synnes and caried our infirmities c. And in the laste verse in the same Chapiter he was accompted emong the transgressours and he bare the synnes of many and that is moste euident that Christ whiche knew no synne is become synne for vs that we might be partakers of his righteousnesse And that we maie more assure our selues Paule setteth doune that this was dooen in our fleshe whiche when wee see wee maie acknowledge our nature to be partaker of his victorie And that the fruites before set doune pertaine onely to the godly I reason this out of the fourth verse None haue the forsaied frutes but suche as fulfill the whole law or suche as being ingrafted in Christ are made perfecte by him But they that chalenge the fauore of God to their owne wantonnesse or thinke euill of the doctrine of Saluation by faithe doe neither fulfill the lawe for by it they are condemned Neither are they ingrafted but cut of from Christe And that lest the rigoure of the lawe might preuaile any more against them to condemnation For the whole substance or extremitie of the lawe is in Christe fulfilled that we might bee found iust before god For if once sanctification be imputed vnto vs with iustification then is the whole forme of the law made perfect This parte is playnlier set doune in the next fower verses First of argumentes that disagree in the matter as to walke after the fleshe and after the Spirite to seeke for carnall and Spirituall thinges Neither is the Apostle heare to bee vnderstood as before for he maketh not a flatt opposition but hee comforteth euen the beginners in religion For vnto whome he seemed to haue denyed the feloshippe of Christe because they walke not absolutly after the spirite and weare giltie to themselues of many infirmities for this is to liue after the spirite to giue ouer our selues to the gouernance of the Spirite and againe to liue after the flesh is too imagin too themselues an Epicurisme and to giue open tokens that they are excluded from the Children of God and haue giuen themselues ouer to hunt after their hartes desire and to féede their owne affections And therefore Maister Caluine hath trāslated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is sapere cogitare that hee might more manefestly declare their earnest zeale in seking carnall thinges which shewe them to be without all hope of regeneracion Now this parte is sett out by certaine effectes of bothe as the following of the fleshe is death enemitie with God and disobedience but the following of the spirite is life and peace And that to followe the wil of the fleshe is death the olde law declareth whiche willeth euery man too take heed of the lustes which bring transgressions of the law which causeth death It is enmitie with God because it causeth him to enter daiely into iudgement and to scourge vs for the breache of his statutes It causeth disobedience because it is vnwilling to bee bridled or kepte vnder but alwaies rebelleth and seeketh meanes whereby to displease god In this wisedome of the fleshe walked Cain Saule Ahab and all other the wicked whiche either wilfully broke the flat commaundement or otherwise most shamefully transgressed In the eight verse I toulde you was contayned a conclusion of the effectes whiche sheweth that the reason of the Apostle gathered together is this Those that giue themselues vp to followe the fleshe and to worke vncleannes with greedinesse cannot please god Those that liue after the fleshe are suche therefore they cannot please God. Seing then that this conclusion gathereth so well the reason of the first disagreyng argument whiche was to walke after the
the other parte of this doctrine which is predestination And in the other Chapters he onely handleth their manners Thus you see the scope of the Apostle Now lette vs consider the Scripture whiche is reade thus c. After that the holy man of God Paule had satisfied the doutefull and wauering myndes and ouerthrowen the subtill and crafty reasons of those who most impudently ascribed the causes and meanes of their saluation to workes he addeth this 8. Chapiter wherein wee are to knowe that there are conteyned twoo principall thinges First a conclusion of those thinges whiche he set doune in the former Chapiters Secondely a comforte and consolation for all those who imbrace this Doctrine and cast from them those relikes of errour The conclusion whiche I spoke of contayning in it an affirmation of the whole disputation from the viverse of the first Chapter vnto this 8 Chapter is confirmed this sentence without good woorkes is onely graunted saluation too the electe The confirmation is in the seconde verse of this Chapter wherein the thirde verse is expounded a doubt as it weare of the weaknesse and inabilitie of the Spirite whiche is aunswered in the same verse by an argument ex aduersis that is contraries whiche affirming are perpetually opposite That these thinges are onely graunted to those whiche are regenerat is set forth in the fourth verse ex dissentaneis whose first parte sette doune in the 5. verse is plainly declared of the effect following in the twoo next verses hauyng their owne conclusion in the 8. verse The seconde parte of the afore saied argument is in the 9. verse Where are bothe the propositions of this syllogisme Who so is in the spirite hath the spirite You are in the spirite ergo The latter proposition or as it is termed the Minor or assumption is confirmed by the effecte of the graftyng into Christe in the 10. verse and effectes of the spirite in the 11. verse The conclusiō of the firste parte is in the 12. verse and set forthe by two disagreing argumentes in the 13. verse the latter being proued in the 14. verse by an enthimeme or imperfect syllogisme whose proposition is confirmed by the effectes and testimones of the spirite in the 15. and 16. verses Whiche parte thus orderly set doune the Apostle directed still by the same spirite entreth into the disposition and artificiall setting doune of the comforte whiche the Children of God receiue by that faythe in whose assurance he hath so laboured Which comfort he taketh not of the vaine delites whiche carnall men wishe or hope for in this life But first of that company whiche we haue with Christe in the ende of the 17. verse Secondely a comparatis in the 18. verse thirdly of an argument a Maiori in the 19. verse All thinges doe looke for this comforte muche more wee whiche God hath blessed with reason and called to the perticipation of his mercies in Christ Iesus And this lookyng for is contayned more largely in the 20.21.22 and 23. verses Fourthly of the matter of hope 24. and 25. verses the spirite helping and prayer 26. and 27. Fiftly of the ende of our afflictions 28 God working the same whiche hath predestinated vs as 29. and 30. verses Sixtly of an argument a Maiori 31.32 to the whiche he anexeth a most excellent conclusion and affirmation of the whole parte beginning at the 33. verse vnto the ende Thus you see deare britheren what order I am to obserue in the treatise of this Scripture whiche that I maie dooe too the glory of God c. I tolde you that the firste parte was a conclusion whiche the blessed Apostle Paule added to that notable disputation whiche he before had handled to the beating doune and erecting againe bothe of Iewe and Gentile and to the repairyng in them whom God of his mercye hath called that the Image of perfection from whiche we fell with our forfathers whose tokēs we beare I meane original sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this woorde beyng without that accente whiche the Grecians call accentum graue is a note of copulation and proueth this to bee ioyned to some disputation goyng before and addyng these woordes followyng he giueth them in steade of a Buckler to defende vs in that daie of battaile when the Deuill shal bee readie to giue the onset and to ouercome vs if wee arme not our selues with this armour either to preuente his malice or valiantly to resist his force And here the wisedome of God by his seruaunt Paule ioyneth three especiall thinges to be marked Firste the imperfections often incident euen to the faithfull Secondlie the greate fauour of god Thirdly the regeneration of the Spirite Whiche if wee perfectly consider then it shal be impossible for Hell it self to preuaile against vs the imperfections are sett doune in walkyng after the fleshe whiche worde fleshe maie bee taken either for the outwarde man the whole man that is bodie and soule or for the present tyme If therefore any of the children of God doe externallie offende God as when the Childe of God boweth hym self in time of persecution to an Idoll or with desire of minde and consent of bodie fall into any synne as when God giueth vp his children to worke accordyng to their owne hartes and so fall into some greeuous synne as adulterie swearyng liyng suche like lastly whē those whom God hath called liue accordyng to the course of the worlde either fashion them selues therevnto in their behauiour Religion or apparell and thus disagree from the written woorde then I saie thei walke after the fleshe and yet thei so sinne that for Christ his sake these sinns shal not be laied vnto their charges And therefore thei flye vnto that mercie offered and acknowledge the same The seconde thyng that I noted to bee Gods fauour towardes vs whiche pardoneth and forgiueth vs so that although synne assault vs and oftentymes subdue vs yet wee acknowledge our selues to bee free from the power of Death and the cursse Thus fell Dauid in committyng adulterie with bloud thus fell Moses at the waters of strife in smityng the rocke Thus Peter Mary Magdalen and others whose falles were not to death but to their farther confirmation And although the blodie Papistes trustyng in the defence of a foolishe distinction of synnes Veniall and Mortall and willyng in their grossenesse to play and ieste with God saie that mortall sinnes must paie a greate raunsome but veniall synnes to bee pourged with more easie remedies as with mumbling vp and often repetition of the Lordes prayer with sprincklyng of holie water or the absolution of the Masse would take awaie this place because it is saie thei a paradox of the Stoickes makyng equalitie of synnes yet lette vs beloued thus thinke that if this were not true that euery one should dye for euer because the rewarde of synne is death because the same soule that synneth shall dye Yea let vs be
fleshe marke also how the Apostle propoundeth and proueth the second For where in the ninth verse he setteth doune the Propositions I toulde you before whiche weare They whiche are in Christe haue the Spirite You are in hym The conclusion is in the twelfth verse the coniunction of the Trinitie is suche that no reasonable man can denie the one to bee so anexed to the other that wheare mercy is shewed in the one there grace aboundeth by the other The assumption he proueth by the effects of our graftinge into Christe by whome although he acknowledgeth all thinges to come Yet in this principally he comforteth them that beside the benefite thei receiue and enioye in this life euen then when their fleshe lieth in the Grounde For so I expounde Corpus for the one parte of the body onely their Spirite shall liue in peace and the Bodie whiche as yet is not purified from corruption shall receiue life by the grace giuen by him in whome they are ingrafted An other proofe of the assumption is in the 11. verse and it is of the effectes and working of the holy Ghoste as if a man would saie truly it is an hard thing to fleshe and bloud to thinke a bodie burned eaten with the foules of the Ayer or consumed with the same to meete againe and to bee ioyned together parte to parte and then the whole to the soule yet if suche an one whosoeuer looke too the power of the Spirite and acknowledge Iesus Christe to haue risen by the same Spirite and then acknowledge him selfe to be a member of Christes bodie he shall easely discerne this and se that the power of the Spirite is not diminished but that it is the same whiche it was from the beginning and too whome euery creature shall giue in accompte and before whome euen the Sea shall bringe all the bodies it hath swallowed the Beastes and foules all that they haue deuoured and eaten and the Sonne shall restore those Bodies it hath consumed But as this power is not denyed to Christe although it be here by wordes giuen to the Father but is made common with them bothe so is this action of the holie Ghost not all togeather to be referred to the last rising whiche shal be doune in the twinkling of an eye but euen to the daiely helpes that this spirite ministereth to vs whereby he prepareth vs to bee fitte members of his Soonne Christe and to bee made meete heires of his kyngdome by the bloud of his sonne Now then the conclusion is in the 12. verse whiche sheweth that wee renounce the fleshe when we suffer Gods Spirite to rule our actions and wholie depende vppon his prouidence and if wee doe so then we are in Christ that is we liue accordyng to his will and walke in his cōmaundementes as it is saied to the Ephesians if wee liue in the Spirite then wee walke in the Spirite And although we see that this conclusion thus gathered doeth shewe a truthe yet the Apostle proueth it by certaine disagreyng argumentes whiche I will touche in a woorde or twoo because the effect of them was sett doune before The first therefore containeth a sharpe threatenyng againste the wicked and a comfort to the godlie this threatenyng he placeth here to bee as a pricke in their bodies to stirre them vp to call for grace and not to put their trust in them selues or to thinke that thei may be saued without the righteousnesse therof for if thei dooe so thei shall surely dye And why truely because thei transgresse the Commaundement and no maruell For if a mortall Prince appoint a Lawe to bee kepte and decree that the breache thereof shal be punished with Death if he apprehende any transgressor he shall dye without mercie And shall a man deale so with his brother and shall not the Lorde deale more seuerely with his owne handie woorke if it rebell and saie why hast thou doen thus and thus to me The cōfort he promiseth to all those whiche giue their indeuour to woorke the will of God and to deny the will of the flesh although thei cannot doe it as thei should The seconde proofe of his conclusion is that thei are the soonnes of God if soonnes Then fellowe heires and alwaie so directed by the Spirite whiche thynges he proueth in the 15. verse by the effectes of the spirite and in the 16. by the testimonies of the same spirite the effectes are the suretie of truste in whiche all the faithfull beleeue and the takyng awaie of feare and waueryng acknowledgyng our selues not to come to mounte Sinai where all thyng were terrible and the people as striken with death fell doune and cried that the Lorde should not speake vnto them where Moises hymself was afraid but we are come to Sion to the heauenly Hierusalem where wee haue the Mediatour of the newe Testamente And where the Spirite of God assuryng vs of his clemencie causeth our spirite to cal vppon hym and to take hym as our heauenly Father whiche we durst not to doe without suche assuraunce and this is that Spirite whose vniuersall actions sustain all Creatures whose particular actions giue all other blessinges whiche are vnto vs seales and pledges of euerlastyng life and heauenly inheritaunce ¶ The seconde part THus I haue spoken of the first parte of of this Chapiter which was a conclusion and as God hath giuen me knowledge and vtterance I haue in sinceritie of the worde shewed the true meanyng and order of the Apostle whiche I meane to doe God willyng in this laste parte whiche is a consolation drawen of sixe argumentes inferryng a godlie and comfortable conclusion of this firste parte of the doctrine of this Epistle The first argumente is drawen of the fellowshippe wee haue with Christe 17. verse we are the sonnes of God as he is and beyng sonnes we are made free partakers of our Fathers treasures and are appointed to haue our inheritaunce with hym with the condition followyng that we walke not accordyng to our owne appetite but prepare our selues to bear his crosse whiche if we doe not then is there no hope for vs. And here wee haue a double comforte that euen in the beginnyng of this Crosse and in the sufferyng of afflictions we haue Christe to be an equall sufferer with vs Secondly that as wee now suffer with him so shall we liue with hym euerlastyngly Neither is this doctrine to be kepte close because that some hereby would affirme the abilitie of workes for we knowe that woorkes doe not sette doune any cause of saluation but the meanes and waies by whiche we are appointed to come thereunto The seconde argumente is a comparatis that is as the learned knowe twoo simple argumentes compared together to the settyng forthe of the one 18. verse He compareth thinges present with thinges to come and setteth doune the vanitie of thynges present in respect of