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
vnpunished punished adultery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is englished wickednes signifieth that endeuor whereby we labor to do hurt vnto an other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is couetousnes is deriued of these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth hauing to much and those men are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which seeke by all meanes possible in all manner of commodities to haue more then other men and with the hurte and losse of theyr neighbour vsurpe more then is meete whether it be as touching riches or as touching pleasures or honors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is englished maliciousnes if it be generally taken signifieth vice and is contrary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to vertue Sometimes it signifieth sluggishnes from whence commeth this prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to speake negligently And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth that vice whereby we are strayghte way wery of well doing It signifieth also trouble and affliction wherunto we bring our neighbors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is full of enuy murther and debate Again he sheweth that they wer not in a meane sort infected with euils but wer ouerwhelmed with thē Very wel ioyneth he enuy murther together For first the murther of Cayne sprange of a certayne enuy Agayne contencions or debate follow straight way after the committing of murthers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is deceate by it are signified guiles for whome they cannot kill and oppresse by violence those they encounter with guiles and disceate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is euill conditioned Here are reproued those that are bytter sharpe and hard to be pleased And such ar they which can almost be contented with no mans condicions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is whisperers These are they whiche priuely cary tales to and froo of whatsoeuer they ether heare or see and chiefely they seeke by all meanes possible to breake and dissolue frendshippes betweene party and party 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is backbyters who herein differ from whisperers for that backebyters detract openly but whisperers do it secretly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is suche as bate God as of whom they delight neuer either to heare to thinke or to speake And Iulius Pollux in his dictionary sayth that it is an Epitheton of the vngodly and that also it is a tragicall word For it signifieth those whiche saye vnto God depart from vs we will not haue the knowlege of thy wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are cōtumelious persons which ouerburdē theyr neighbours with reproches infamies and filthy iniuries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is proude these men in al places that they come shew themselues disdainful proud and high mynded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is boasters he meaneth such Thrasos and glorious fellowes which attribute vnto themselues those thinges that were neuer ether seene or written or pictured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is inuenters of euill These men are so wicked that a man can set before them no good sound or fyrme thing but they will gather some euell thereof Or els it signifyeth those which not being content with the formes and kindes of vices which are alredy in vse do inuent new kindes of wickednes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is disobediente vnto their parentes By parentes he vnderstandeth not only father and mother but also magistrates scholemasters and pastors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without vnderstanding They are such which do thinges without iudgement or reason order all thinges foolishly furiously 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is couenaunt breakers These men will abide by no conditions couenauntes nor leagues They are vnfaythfull and breakers of all couenauntes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without naturall affection which are moued with no affection toward those which are ioyned vnto them by any kind of kinred They neyther care for parentes nor children nor bretherne nor countrey nor friendes and at the length for no man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this signifieth those whiche will neuer be reconciled or pacefied when they are once moued or haue taken any quarell in hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vnmercifull So last of all he maketh mencion of those which are so cruell that they are touched with no kinde of mercy But these fower vices last spoken of Chrisostome doth after this maner order that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we haue turned couenaunt breakers he vnderstandeth those which can agree with no man no not with those whose nature is like vnto theyr owne An horse acquainteth himselfe with an horse and an Oxe with an Oxe but these will agree with no man By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche we haue turned without naturall affection he vnderstandeth those which are not touched with their next most friendes By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is englished to be those that can neuer be appeased he vnderstandeth those that breake all maner of leagues and felloshippes By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is in the Englishe vnmercifull he vnderstandeth those which shew mercy or compassion to no man These vices are therefore so diligently rehearsed that by them as by certayne Notes or markes of vngodlines notes impiety mought the better be knowen And they are for this cause also set forth vnto vs partly that we should behold y◠miserable estate of those which lyue without Christ and hys Gospell and partly that we shoulde haue before our eyes the enemyes agaynst which we must fyght Who when they knew y◠righteousnes of God that they which commit such thinges are worthy of death yet not only do the same but also haue pleasure in them that do them By amplification he still depresseth them when he sayth that both they themselues are wicked and also they excedingly delight in those that are wicked when yet notwithstanding they knew the righteousnes of God For both knowing willingly they commit sinne How the lawes of God were knowen vnto men he teacheth not for that it is well knowen vnto all mē that the same The law of nature is the law of God It is knowen by the light of nature that ▪ sinnes ought to be punished with death Draco punished all sinnes with death commeth by the light of nature And this righteousnes which men by nature attayne vnto he calleth the righteousnes of God so that we must remember that the law of nature is also the law of God They were not ignorant that they which do these and such like thinges are worthy of death because the light of nature sheweth whiche thing also Paule teacheth that the reward of sinne is death Draco the lawgeuer punished all maner of sinnes with death And when he was admonished that all sinnes were not alyke he aunswered that he knew that to be true but he had no punishement more greuous nor crueller then death and therefore he could adde no greuouser punishementes vnto the haynouser
when we are demaunded whether the workes of the law iustify we aunswere if a man vnderstand thē as they are vnperfect and mayned they haue no strength to iustify But if a Workes iustify not because they procede of iustification man vnderstand the workes of the law as they are whole and perfect so are they not strange from iustification because they haue faith ioyned with them whereunto they cleaue as vnto the roote Yet will we not graunt that good workes being taken euen after this maner do iustify for that they proceede of iustification do of necessity require iustification to go before them and therefore Why Paule calleth those workes the workes of the lawe which are mained and vnperfect are they not strange from it because they depend of it Thou wilt say peraduenture why doth Paule by the workes of the law vnderstand those mayned and vnperfecte workes Because he taketh them as the aduersaries did which had a respect only vnto them and were strangers both from Christ and also from fayth in him And that Paule did not thinke those to be in very deede the workes of the lawe it manifestly appeareth by that which is before written He is not a Iew which is only a Iew outward neyther is that circumcision which is in the flesh only Where a man may manifestly see that he taketh away the nature of the Iewish religion and of circumcision from the obseruation which is only outward And vndoubtedly the Images of good thinges if they haue only a shewe be in themselues vayne and ought to be counted among thinges A similitude worthy of disprayse As the art of Sophistry forasmuch as it hath a shewe of knowledge and wanteth it in very deede is condemned Hipocrisy also is to be detested which although it set forth a shew of holynes yet is it most farre of from it Wherefore if a man should agaynst the proper and true workes of the lawe vse those testimonies which Paule now alleageth and which to the like purpose he writeth in an other place vndoubtedly he should abuse them As if Another similitude a man should impute vnto true nobility those reproches which are iustly imputed vnto them which hauing had excellent noble pregenitors haue degenerated from them into most filthy vices Or if a man shoulde reproue eloquence after the selfe same maner that we are wont iustly to reproue those which only with fine and eloquent wordes do poynt out foolishe matter when as they are vtterly ignorant of the sound truth But as touching this matter let thys suffice at this present Now is this to be expounded why he addeth this particle Before God Vndoubtedly therefore that by the contrary we myght know that certayne may sometymes be iustified before men by the workes of the law Because forasmuch as the sight of man can not perce into the inward partes of the hart men do geue sentence by the workes But God as Augustine Before men we may be iustified by workes of the law writeth in his booke De spiritu litera beholdeth the hart and sometymes beholdeth them which outwardly kepe the lawe and inwardly desire rather to do otherwise were not eyther that punishementes hang ouer theyr heds or that they thinke that they should thereby lose their estimation when as in very dede they want both fayth and charity Neyther is this to be passed ouer that by the What is to be vnderstand by the name of flesh name of fleshe is vnderstand the whole man Which phrase of speach is much vsed in the scriptures The word was made fleshe All fleshe had corrupted his way All fleshe shall see the saluation of God And a greate many other such lyke And therefore is man so called that he might be continually admonished of his miserable and weake estate and that he should vnderstand that vnles the spirite of God should resist it he should vtterly be caried away with the appetite of the fleshe To iustify as we haue before said is taken three maner of wayes Sometymes To iustify taken three maner of wayes it is to obtayne a righteousnes which sticketh and abideth in our minds But such righteousnes Paule meaneth not in this place Otherwise we deny not but that of true workes of the law by continuall exercise of them are ingenerated good and holy habites or qualities To be iustified also is to be pronounced or to be counted iust Which thinges also may be gotten by workes For so one is sayd to iustifye an other when he beholdeth his good dedes God also in the last iudgement shall geue sentence according to workes and shall pronounce good men iust by those thinges which they vprightly haue done Thirdly to iustifye is as much to say as to forgeue sinnes to absolue a man and to impute vnto him the righteousnes of Christ which thing works by their deserte can not obtayne And in this sense are those thinges to be taken which the Apostle here writeth It followeth For by the lawe is the knowledge of sinne This is the reason why we are not iustified by the workes of the lawe Because the office of the lawe is farre other then to iustifie There are some which thinke that these wordes are spoken by preuention as though the Iewes should obiect and say If the law iustifye not why then was it geuen Haue we in vayne receaued it We haue not Although the lawe iustifie not yet was it not geuen in vayne The propriety to declar sinnes is cōmon to all lawes in vayne receaued it sayth Paule the office thereof is to shew sinnes If a man demaund of what lawe these thinges are spoken we aunswere that Paule doth priuately entreate of the law of Moses but the propriety which he bringeth is common to all lawes to the law of nature the lawe of Moses to ciuill lawes which we vse in our publike wealthes As touching the law of Moses and ours there is no doubt to be put As concerning the lawe of nature the booke of Genesis doth most manifestly teach that by it was sinne knowen Which thing Ambrose vpon this place alleadgeth out of the history of Ioseph And Paule also wyll afterward declare the same when he sayth For euen vnto the law sinne was in the world but it was not so counted namely because the law of nature was dayly more and more obfuscated Wherefore it was necessary that by the law of Moses and other lawes it should be agayne illustrated And that syn was before Moses time he thereby declareth because death raigned all that time ouer all mankind And in this place in the Greke is red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in latine a man may call Agnitio that is an acknowledging which is when a thinge being alreadye knowne is againe called to knowledge But after what sorte the lawe is sayd to woorke the acknowledginge of sinnes he hath before taughte whē as by many testemonies of the
aduersities they suspect that they are hated of God Here ought they to call to remembrance what ones they were before they came vnto Christ what God did for their sakes whē they were yet enemyes which for their saluation woulde haue his sonne crucified And that they haue to their head Iesus Christ in heauen whose members and partes they are And let it be demanunded of them whether Christ can hate himselfe and destroy hys owne members Wherfore they ought to thinke that their afflictions conduce to eternall saluation and are profitably inflicted of their louing father Wherefore euē as by one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death and so death went ouer all men for that all men haue sinned For euen vnto the law was sinne in the worlde But sinne is not imputed whilest there is no law But death raigneth from Adam to Moses ouer thē also that sinned not after the like maner of the transgression of Adam which was the figure of that which was to come But yet the gift is not so as is the offence VVherefore euen as by one man c. Some thinke that Paul therefore writeth these thinges for that after he had by most firme reasons proued that we are not iustified by our owne workes or merites but only by faith in Christ and by grace now he mindeth more largely to set forth the principall pointes of which all these argumentes which he hath hetherto brought depend namely sinne the lawe and grace And therefore maketh this treatise aparte wherby to declare the strength and force of the former argumentes Which whether it be so or no let other men iudge In myne opinion vndoubtedly these thinges may very well be knitte together with the thinges that haue bene alredy spoken The Methode of Paules treatise For a man mought thinke that the passion of Christ and his death was profitable vnto Christ himselfe only and not also vnto vs for that it mought be thought that the righteousnes of one man can not redound vnto an other But Paul will declare that euen as the fall of the first man was spred abroade ouer all men so the righteousnes of Christ hath redounded vpon all the beleuers and that his benefite is of no lesse force then was the sinne of Adam And by thys meanes he declareth the way whereby by the death crosse of Christ we may be iustified and obtayne saluation nether is this a small helpe to confirme our hope when we perceaue that if we cleue vnto Christ we shall through hym be no les endewed with the chiefest good thing then we haue bene by Adam infected with the extreamest euill thing Many thinges are in this place not without greate consideration set forth touching sinne For the knowledge thereof worketh this in vs to cause vs not to be ingrate for the benefite which we haue receaued The knowlege of sinne how it is profitable For he which séeth out of what and howe great euils he hath bene deliuered séeth also how great is the liberality and goodnes of the deliuerer and of him that hath set him at liberty The knowledge of sinnes setteth forth also the worthynes of the iustification receaued by Christ Wherefore Paul enquireth What thinges are reasoned of touching sinne from whence sinne had his beginning what it brought how it was knowen and last of all by what meanes it was driuen away Wherefore he declareth that sinne entred in by Adam that it brought death that it was knowen by the lawe that it was driuen away and ouercome by the death of Christ and fayth in hym Euen as by one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death Here semeth to be vsed the figure * Anantapodoton is a figure in writing where some little clause is left out ether in the beginning middle or ende Anantapodotō so that on the other side there should haue bene added So by one Iesus Christ entred in righteousnes and by righteousnes lyfe And Origene affirmeth that Paul would not adde thys for feare of making men slouthfull and sluggishe as though they hauing now obteined righteousnes and eternall lyfe should thinke that they now nede no farther to consider vpon eternall lyfe And for that cause he sayth that the Apostle in an other place added this selfe same sentence in the Future tempse and not in the preterperfect tempse as when he writeth vnto the Corinthians Euen as in Adam all men die so in Christ all men shall be quickened But this reason is of no great force For the holy scripture is not wont to be moued with so light daungers to kepe in silence the benefites of God yea rather it euery where setteth them forth al whole and in ample maner as they are and doth not gelde them nor shorten them of as Origene thinketh But as for slouthfulnes and sluggishnes they are by infinite other places of the scipture sufficiently shaken of For there are in the holy Scriptures exhortations by promises and threatninges wherby to stir vs vp to holines of life and to the endeuour to do good workes And Origene also himselfe confesseth that that which the Apostle here omitteth he afterward faithfully addeth whē he thus writeth Wherfore euen as by the sinne of one man euill was spread abrode ouer all men to condemnation so by the righteousnes of one man was good sprede abrode ouer all men to iustification of lyfe And a little before For if by the offence of one man many haue died much more the grace of God and the gift by grace whiche came thorough one man Iesus Christe hath abounded vnto many Erasmus thinketh that this discommoditie may by an other way be holpen so that the parte aunswering be set after this coniunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is and. And the lyke kinde of speakyng he bryngeth out of Mathew in the Lordes prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In these words semeth to be wanting this coniunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is So. So that the sence is Euen as in heauen so also in earth And after this selfe same maner he thinketh is to be made perfect this sentence of the Apostle Wherfore euen as by one mā sinne entred into y◠world so also by sinne entred in death But I rather thinke that here is vsed y◠Figure Anantapodoton For I sée that Paul is after a sorte rapte by the force of the spirite to expresse y◠great destruction brought in by sinne Which being done he most manifestly as Origene confesseth in the second interpretation putteth that whiche wanted in the other But the better to vnderstand these wordes of the Apostle we haue thrée thinges by him set forth which are diligently to be peised first what the Apostle meaneth by sinne Secondly what that one man is by whom sinne entred This word sinne how ample it is into the world Thirdly by what meanes sinne is spred abrode As touching y◠first the Apostle amply
of the giltines and of the offence and also grace What is to be attributed vnto baptisme and the holy ghost and our graftyng into Christ and also our right to eternall lyfe And yet doth it not therof follow that by it is abolished the corruption of nature or continuall nourishment of sinne Wherfore Paul rightly fayth That we are by hope saued But it is much to be meruailed at how yâ— Pelagians can deny that there is originall sin in infantes seyng they see that they daily dye For Sinne and death are knit together the scripture manifestly teacheth that the stipend of sinne is death and the stinge of death is sinne Wherfore from whomsoeuer we seclude sinne from him also must we nedes seclude death For by the testimony of the scripture these are compared In Christâ— onely was death with our sinne together as the cause and the effect But here we ought to except Christ onely who although he knew not sinne yet died he for our fakes But death had not dominion ouer him for he of his owne accord suffred it for our sakes But to say that there are some without sinne although all men dye were to ioyne Testimonies that proue that infantes want not sinne together thinges repugnant and contrary one to an other But besides thys place there are a great many other places also which proue that infantes are not without sinne for Dauid sayth Beholde in iniquities was I conceaued and in sinne hath my mother conceaued me And Paul to the Ephesians calleth vs the children of wrath by nature And in Genesis it is written the hart of man is euen from his infancy prone to euill There are also to coÌ„firme this sentence a great many other places besides which we will alleadge wheÌ„ we entreate of originall sin apart by it selfe Now seing I haue declared what the Apostle meaneth by sinne by which one maÌ„ it entred into the world there remaineth to coÌ„sider by what means it was spred abroade This is a matter obscure very hard therefore I do not The manner of the propagatioÌ„ of originall sinne is obscure thinke to stand long about it But forasmuch as the word of God most plainely techeth that such a sin there is that it desceÌ„deth into our posterity although we vnderstand not the maner way how it is powred into theÌ„ yet we ought to geue place vnto the truth not to be to much careful or to trouble our selues more theÌ„ nedes touching the way and maner which is hard to be knoweÌ„ and may with out daunger be vnknowen Howbeit I thinke it not amisse to declare those waies and meanes which I haue obserued amoÌ„gst yâ— ecclesticall writers whose opinions touching this matter are fower in number The first is of those which thought that we receaue of our parents the souls together with the bodies that euen as God by humane sede createth the body so also of the same createth he the soule This sentence doth Augustine make mencion of in his tenth booke vpon Genesis ad literam and in many other places nether hath he at any time that I can remember of disalowed the same yea rather he saith that by this senteÌ„ce may be dissolued this knotte touching originall sinne Tertullian and many others Tertullian leaneth to traduction What is brought out of the scriptures for the traduction of the soule of the old writers fauored this sentence Whose argumentes when I diligently peyse I iudge in dede probable but yet not of necessitie For the whiche they bring out of the 46. chapter of Genesis of the 66. soules which came out of the thigh of Iacob may nor vnaptly be expounded by the figure Synecdoche so that by the soule which is the principallest part of the man is vnderstand the body which is without all controuersie procreated of the seede of the parents We may also by the soule vnderstand the grosser partes of the soule as the vegetatiue part and the sensitiue part which no man doubteth but that they are procreated of the sede And that the holy scriptures sometimes vse this word soule in that sence Christe testifieth in the Gosple where he sayth He which loseth his soule for my sake shall finde it An other of theyr reasons as Augustine writeth in his 10. booke vpon Genesis is this In the creation of the woman it is not written that God breathed into her a liuing soule whereby they gather that she had of Adam not only her body but also her soule But this reason Augustine iudgeth Whether God breathed a soule into Euâ— to be weake For a man mought reply vpon it and say that it had bene once alredy said that God breathed a soule into Adam and therefore there was no nede to repete the same agayne For if God had brought in a new manner of procreation of soules the scripture would not haue passed it ouer in silence But seing the scripture maketh no mencion at all of any new maner we ought to vse that which it had before expressed especially seing that we se that Adam sayd of hys wife This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my fleshe but added not and soule of my soule which vndoubtedly had bene more sweter and had more serued to expresse the 〈…〉 tion of 〈…〉 But Augustine confesseth that the doubt is not thereby diss 〈…〉 For if 〈◊〉 affâ—rmâ— that soules are euery day created and so created that in the bodies theâ—â— goeth before no 〈◊〉 alis ratio as he Whither God ceassed from all woorkes the seuenth day speaketh that is no substance of sede then God shall not seme to haue perfectly seased froÌ„ all workes the seuenth day when as he still euery day createth soules of nothing But vnto this argument may 〈…〉 aduenture be answered that in the body traduced of the parentes it is sufficient if there be found such qualities and conditioÌ„s whereby it is able to receaue a reasonable soule and that this is that seminalis ratio before spoken of But whatsoeuer is to be sayd of these arguments and theyr answeres once Augustine wholy enclineth this way that at the least he thinketh that the soule of Christ came not from the blessed virgine The soule of Christ semeth not to be traduced from the blessed virgin by propagation of which iudgement he sayth that others as well as he were and that they auouched that it moughte be proued by the epistle vnto the Hebrues For there it is sayd that the priesthode of Christ excelled the priesthede of Aaron for that Christ was a priest according to the order of Melchifedech And the priesthode of Melchisedech was more excellenter then the priesthode of Aaron for that Leuy gaue tenthes vnto Melchisedech for he was in the loynes of Abraham who payd tithes vnto Melchisedech But Christ also should haue bene no lesse in the loynes of Abraham then was Leui if he had had both his bodye and
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
And he thinketh A similitude that Paul as a wise Phisition hauing the disease set before him abideth not in those thinges which be circumstances about it or do follow it but cunneth to the principall ground and first cause therof Therefore do all men die bicause all men haue sinned Neither ought we to thinke that here is ment that all men do sinne by some certaine action for that can haue no place in children But it is all one as if he had said Now they are bondslaues vnto sinne and are counted guilty therof And when we read these thinges we ought alwayes with the eye of our minde to consider wherunto they tend namely that we should receiue consolation and be made assured of our saluation knowing that the death of Christ hath preuayled against all these thinges By those things also which are written vnto the Hebrues may be declared how we haue sinned in the fall of Adam For there we read that Leui paid tenthes in the loynes of Abraham After the selfe same maner also may here be vnderstand that we were polluted in the loynes and in the masse of Adā The Scholies which are ascribed vnto Ierome interpretate that sinne is committed by the imitation of Adam which is commonly called actuall sinne And they say moreouer that this sinne of Adam went not ouer Abraham Isaac and Jacob which liued a holy life But bicause they sée that this is against them y◠Paul saith That all haue sinned this vniuersalitie say they is to be vnderstand with an exception Which thing they also affirme of other such kinde of sentences as Euery man is a lier Also There is none which doth good no not one when as yet there were in the world many true and holy men when those thinges were written But whosoeuer was the writer of that boke his authority ought not to cause vs to departe frō y◠truth For that which Paul spake vniuersally that all haue sinned hereby is proued Paul with our exception affirmeth that all haue sinned Here is not spoken of sinne spred abrode by imitation for that all men without exception dye For experience teacheth that to be vniuersally most true Wherfore here is to be set no exceptiō Neither ought those such like kinde of speaches which they bring to moue vs for that those sentences also are true if we speake of men not regenerate they are true also euen in the regenerate if we will speake according to their corrupt and vitiate nature Farther that here is not ment only imitation it is manifest by the Antithesis for Christe hath not only set forth vnto vs his righteousnes to imitate but also by the power of the holy ghost spredeth it abrode poureth it into the hartes of the beleuers Origene semeth to expound this place very warely For he at y◠beginning setteth forth certain things which euen Erasmus confesseth to signifie Originall sinne For he affirmeth that in Adam we were all corrupted as it were in a common ground and that we were all in his loynes as in the Epistle vnto the Hebrues Leui is sayd to haue bene in the loynes of Abraham Then addeth he certayne thinges which pertayne vnto the sinnes of perticular men which are called personall and exhorteth vs to cary about with vs the image of the celestiall man These thinges are so taken of Erasmus as though they were an interpretacion of that which went before when as in very deede they wholy confirme our sentence wherein we say Paul here taketh the name of sin in most ample sort Difinition of actuall sinne An vniuersall difinition of sinne that Paule in this place taketh sinne most amply so that it comprehendeth both the roote and all the fruites thereof But I meruayle how these men go aboute to plucke away originall vice from the nature of sinne For sinne according to the common definition they say is whatsoeuer is spoken done or thought agaynst the lawe of God and this can haue no place in children But they consider not that in this definition is not all sinne vniuersally contayned And therfore we before signified that sinne is otherwise to be defined so that that is sayd to be sinne which any maner of way is agaynst the law and will of God These men go farther and say if this were the definition of originall sinne namely the withdrawing of grace or pronesse to sinne these thinges ought rather to be counted paynes of sinnes then simles But they should haue remembred that God doth not alwayes punishe sinnes by outward scourges and aduersities God sometimes punisheth sins by sinnes but sometymes also by other sinnes Wherefore although the corruption of nature and that lust and pronesse to sinne grafted in vs all may after a sort be called paynes of sinnes yet do we affirme that they are also in very dede sinnes But they say that these thinges remayne in vs after baptisme and therefore can not be sinnes vnles we will say that sinnes are not remitted through baptisme and fayth in Christ But to this we answered before that the guiltynes The guiltines is forgeuen through fayth but the corrupt substance abideth Agaynst Erasmus indede is forgeuen vnto the beleuers howbeit the corrupt substance remaineth which if Christ were not a helper vnto vs should of his owne nature condemne vs. For seing it turneth vs away from the rule of the law of God it ought to be taken to be in very dede sinne Nether is it true which Erasmus sayth that the discourse of Paul will not suffer these thinges to be expounded of originall sinne for the thing it selfe teacheth otherwise For the entent of the Apostle is to shew from what euils the death of Christ hath deliuered vs. But that can he not do vnles he take sinne so largely that it also comprehend originall sinne But whereas Paul addeth that euen vnto the law sinne was in the world it maketh nothing agaynst this sentence For we say with Erasmus that sinne is in this place taken in the selfe same sense that it was in the sentences going before by reason of this coniunction causall For. Howbeit it is playne that those thinges which are spoken pertayne as well to originall sinne as to actuall sinnes For Nothing is counted to be sinne but in consideration of the lawe nether of both these kindes if the law were away is ether imputed or acknowledged although otherwise they both are sinnes in very dede and also wrappe vs in death wherfore let vs not suffer this place to be wrested out of our hands as well for that it is a good sure defence for vs as also for that it very well agréeth with Pauls purpose and notably setteth forth the benefite of Christ For euen vnto the law was sinne in the world But sinne is not imputed when there is no lawe Now declareth he that which was set forth in the third place Wherdof commeth knowledge of sinne namely wherehence commeth
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
corrupted it Thirdly this also maketh agaynst the Pelagians namely that euen the very infantes do dye For as Paule sayth vnto the Romanes in the 6. chapter The reward of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And in the 15. chapter of the first epistle to the Corrinthyans The weapon saith he of death is sinne Lastly the baptisme which is geuen to little ones can not blot The sinne of imitatiō can not be blotted out of young children out of them the sinne of imitation Wherefore of necessity we ought to affirme that there is some other kinde of sinne in them except we will haue them to be baptised in vayne There is also an other opinion which the Master of the Sentences reciteth in the 2. dist the 30. which was of such which thought that originall sinne is only a guiltines or blame for an offence or obligation whereunto we are bound by reason of the sinne of Adam So these men do not acknowledge that there is truly and in very dede any fault or sinne in those which are borne but only a certayne guiltines and obligation that they should dye and be condemned for the sinne of Adam This opinion semeth Pigghius in a maner to haue reniued Pigghius maketh originall sin rather an obligation then a fault He maketh death to come of the principles of nature For he denieth that originall sinne is in very dede sinne because it is nether transgression of the law nor yet voluntary Wherefore he affirmeth it to be nothing els then the sinne of Adam for which we that are his posterity are made guilty of damnation and death and are become exiles from the kingdome of heauē But as for death and affictions of this life and lustes of the flesh and other such like affections he saith that they come of the principles of nature so that he is so farre of from saying that all these thinges are sinnes that he doth affirme them to be the workes of God For he sayth that God is the author of nature and that these thinges follow the humors temperature of y◠body and that thing which we sée happeneth in brute beastes happeneth also in men as touching the fleshe and grosser powers of the mynde as to desire those thinges which are preseruatiue pleasant and profitable whether they be agréeable to reason or agaynst it and to auoyde thinges contrary Wherefore He maketh originall sinne to be only the trsāgressiō of Adam He beleueth that this sinne is punished without sensible payne he maketh original sinne to be only the trāsgressiō of Adam Vnto which one trāsgression he will haue all vs to be borne obnoxious not for any sinne or fault or corruptiō which we haue in our selues And he saith moreouer that those which dye being obnoxious only to this sinne of Adam shall not be afflicted in an other life with sensible payne For he imagineth although he dare not openly affirme it that they shall ether in this world or els in some other very delicious place be happy through a certayne naturall blessednes wherein they shall lyue praysing God and geuing thankes although they be banished from the kingdome of heauen of whiche discommodity neuertheles as he dreameth they shal nothing complaine or be sad therefore For this were to striue against the will of God which a man can not doo without sinne But forasmuch as whilest they liued here they had no wicked will it is not to be thought that they Note two reasons of Pigghius He will haue sinne to be taken but after one onely maner shall haue such a wicked will in the lyfe to come And that they shall not suffer any sensible paine he thinketh he proueth very well and that by two reasons First because they haue committed no euill neither haue they cōtaminated themselues with any frowardnes Secondly bicause in this life is required no repentance or contritiō for originall sinne And of this fained deuise this pretence hath he bicause sinne ought not to be taken but after the true and proper maner that is that it be a thing spoken done or lusted against the law of GOD and that it be voluntary and not obtruded to any against their will but suche whiche may be eschued But forasmuch as these thinges haue not place in little infantes there can therfore be no sinne in them Howbeit he saith that he denieth not but that there is original sinne for he saith that it is the sinne of Adam for which all we are condemned must die But therfore I said y◠he sought pretēses bicause in very dede I sée that he Pigghius thinketh thus wherby to defend free will was moued to speake these thinges for an other cause For he attributing so much vnto frée will and hauing of that matter written so many things against vs and considering also that the same could not consist if he should apertly graunt Originall sinne as it is set forth of all the godly hath for that cause founde out this new deuised sentence which yet as I haue said is not vtterly so new for it is both touched and also reiected by the maister of the sentences But to colour his fond deuise A similitude of Pigghius more beautifully he bringeth a similitude of a noble and liberal prince which doth not onely set at liberty some one of his seruantes but also geueth vnto him great authority and enricheth him with possessions which also shall come vnto his posteritie and the Prince geueth him in charge this thyng onely that he faithfully obserue some certaine commaundementes which if he transgresse then he to be assured that all his riches and possessions shall be taken from him and himselfe to returne to his olde bondage This seruant being vnwise and vngrate violateth y◠commaundements of his prince and by that meanes is not onely himselfe made a seruant as he was before but also bringeth forth children to bondage But those children haue nothing wherof to complain of the seuerity of the prince but rather to geue thankes bicause he delt so liberally with their father But for their father they may be excedingly sory bicause he lost those ornamentes both from himselfe and also from his posteritie Yea what if this also be added that the liberalitie of y◠prince was so great that he also allured the posteritie of the vngrate seruaunt to those selfe same benefites and also to farre greater and so allured them that of his owne accorde he sent his sonne to prouoke them So saith he is it with vs. Adam was so created of GOD that he shoulde be pertaker of that supernaturall felicitie Who yet when he contemned the commaundementes of GOD was spoiled of all those supernaturall giftes and left to the olde estate of his nature And in that estate also are we procreated and so bicause of his sinne we are condemned and do die and are made exiles from the
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
children are holy Wherefore it is not probable that they haue contracted originall A place of the first Epistle to the Corrinthians sinne for holines agreeth not with sinne Some expounde that sentence thus namely that the children of Christians are holy as touching a ciuill consideration namely for that they are to be counted for legitimates and not for bastardes But that is not sufficiente For by that meanes the matrimonye of Christians shoulde in nothinge excell the matrimonye of Infydelles for theyr chyldren also borne in lawefull matrymonye are legitimate and are The children also of infidels begotten in lawfull matrimony are legitimate A godlye education ma◠also happen vnto bastards Adeodatus the sonne of Augustine Some holines redoundeth from the parents into childrē by the power of the couenāt of God What is the promes that we leane vnto when we deliuer our infants to be baptised made heyres Other expound holynes for a godly education For if the godly yoke fellow should depart from the vngodly paraduenture the children should be left with the vngodly and so be led away from Christ but if they dwell together the godly parent will euer instill some piety into the children But this exposition also semeth not to make much to the purpose of Paul for a godly education may happen also vnto thē which are born in adultery or fornication Which thing we see came to passe in Adeodatus the son of Augustine Wherefore the Apostle semeth rather to signifie that some holynes redoundeth from godly parentes into their children which yet dependeth not of the fleshe but of the promise geuen in the couenant For God promised Abraham that he would not only be his God but also the God of his sede Wherefore God in the prophetes calleth the infantes of the Iewes his and complayneth that his sonnes and daughters were sacrificed vnto Moloch And we in the hope of this promise do offer our infantes vnto the Church to be baptised because they pertaine vnto God and vnto Christ that the promise which we haue now spoken of might be confirmed with some outward seale But thou wilt say thou mayst be deceaued for that paraduenture thy sonne doth not pertaine to the number of the elect Hereunto I answere that the like difficulty is there in those that be of full age for it may be that a man professeth faith with a fayned hart or may be led only by humane perswasion or may haue but a faith for a time so that in very dede he pertayneth not vnto the elect But these thinges the minister regardeth not but only considereth the confession which he that is to be baptised professeth and will say that the election of God is hidden vnto him therefore is he not carefull thereof he can appoynt nothing of perticular thinges but only considereth the generall promesse from which although many are excluded A place to the Rom. yet longeth it not to him to define who they are So Paul speaketh of the Iewes If the roote be holy the branches also shal be holy if the first fruites be holy the conspersion or masse also shal be holy By which wordes he declareth that the loue of God was bent vnto the Iewes because of the promise and for their fathers sake and for that cause saluation was due vnto them Although therefore this promise The promes of God is indeterminate and true be indefinite and many are excluded from it yet neuertheles it remayneth vnshakē and firme For alwayes some of them are conuerted vnto Christ and shal be conuerted euen vnto the ende of the world Which thing is manifest in Isaake vnto whose seede although God promised he woulde be mercifull yet An example of Isaak that promise tooke place only in Iacob not in Esau And yet was that no cause why Esau should not be circumcised So we graunt that the children of Christians which pertayne vnto the election of God are holy but yet they are spotted with originall sinne because by nature they are the children of wrath as others are And if God do put away the guiltines and impute it not vnto them to the ende they may be saued that commeth vnto them of the grace of God of his mere mercy not of the purenes of their nature Seing therefore they Infants elect when they are borne are both holy the children of wrath in diuers respectes are borne of a corrupt masse and also they pertaine vnto the number of the elect we affirme ether both that they are holy and that also by nature they are the children of wrath Wherefore it plainely appeareth how this argumente may be dissolued But they adde moreouer that in infantes is found nothing spoken done or thought against the lawe of God and therefore they haue no sinne at all How fowly they are herein deceaued plainely appeareth by those thinges whiche we haue alredy sayd For this is as much as if they should thus reason say They haue no actuall sin Ergo they haue no sin For to reason frō the species to the A false argument generall word by a negatiō is an ill kinde of reasoning But they are deceaued for that they follow not the vniuersall nature or definition of sinne whiche we haue so before described that it cōprehendeth all things that are by any meanes repugnant vnto the lawe of God They obiect also that it is not wel sayd that originall sinne is spred abrode by the sede and fleshe because they haue an insensible and brutishe nature and therefore can not receaue sinne But we haue alredy taught that sinne is not in them but by inchoation as in the roote But then the nature of sinne is finished when the soule is now ioyned to it We haue declared also what is to be aunswered vnto the Pelagians when they contend that these thinges which Paul speaketh in this place ought to be Against the Pelagians vnderstand as touching imitation For first that can not stand with all the sayinges of the Apostle For he sayth that all men haue sinned and that by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners and which is more firme he hath proued that therefore sinne was in the world before the lawe because death raigned from Adam euen vnto Moses There are also other reasons which Augustine vseth against the Pelagians which are not nedefull now to be repeted Farther they adde that humane afflictions and death it selfe are naturall for they haue in vs principles of nature from whence they do flowe But hereunto we answere that these principles were not so framed when the nature of man was first instituted but they were afterward vitiated and corrupted as we now see they are The philosophers resolue the effectes which they see into these principles which are now extant but Christians do rather resolue them into the word of God Seing therefore that the scripture teacheth that death entred through sin and that man as
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
Christ which thing Paul also teacheth saying The end of the law is Christ to saluation The law doth not by it selfe bring men to Christe and to saluatiō The Ethnikes opinion concerning the end of the law What is the law which yet he speaketh not vniuersally But to euery one that beleueth For the law doth not of it selfe bring a man to thys end The Ethnikes sayd that the end of the law is knowledge which it engēdreth of thinges that are to be done Wherfore Christippus as he is cyted in the digestes fayth that the law is the knowledg of thinges diuine and humane But thys end and thys definition extend to largelye For all wisdome and all good artes doo geue some knowledg of diuine and humane thinges Now resteth diligently to se what is the matter and efficient cause of the law And briefely to speake of these thinges I say that the Law is a commaundement of God wherein both hys will and also disposition or nature is expressed When I say a commaundement I note the generall woorde For there are commaūdemēts of people Senators kings of Emperors But whē I say of God I adde the difference which noteth the efficient cause But in that I The law expresseth vnto vs the disposition nature of God say that in the law is expressed the will of God that is so manifest that it nedeth not to be expounded But this may peraduēture seme more obscure in that I said that in the law the disposition of God is taught vs and we are stirred vp to the knowledge of his nature we wil therfore by examples make it more playn Whē God commaundeth vs to loue him he therebye teacheth that he is of nature amiable For those things cannot iustly be beloued which are not worthy to be beloued And vnles he bare great good will toward vs he would not set forth vnto vs the chiefe good which we should loue Wherfore he for this cause exhorteth vs therunto bicause he desireth to haue vs pertakers of himselfe We sée therfore that he is such towardes vs as he desireth vs to be also And when he prohibiteth vs to kill First therin he declareth his will farther he sheweth himselfe to be such a God which abhorreth from violence and from iniuries had rather do good vnto men then hurt them After the same maner these two thinges may also be declared in the other preceptes and out of this definition may those thinges also be gathered which we haue before spoken concerning the forme and ende of the law bicause of necessity such doctrine ought to be both spirituall and also to engender a wonderfull excellent knowledge and we are taught that God by it hath geuen no small Benefites of the lawe benefite vnto men for it causeth vs both to know our selues and also to vnderstand the proprieties of God Plato in his bookes of lawes of a publike wealth and Platoes definition in Minoe seemeth thus to define the lawe namely that it is an vprighte manner of gouerning which by conuenient meanes directeth vnto the best ende in setting forth paynes vnto the transgressors and rewardes vnto the obedient This definition may be most aptly applied vnto the law of God yea there can be no such law Lawgeuers made God the author of theyr lawes vnles it be of God It is no meruaile therefore if the olde lawgeuers when they would haue their lawes commended fayned some God to be the author of them For Minos ascribed his lawes to Iupiter Licurgus his to Apollo Solon and Draco theirs to Minerua and Numa Pompilius referred his vnto Aegiria But we are assured and that by the holy scriptures that our law was geuen of God by Moses The Manichies do wickedly condemne the law There is no good or euill whych is not by the law of God either commaunded or forbiddē The law requireth not onely deades but also the wil The law bringeth vs to the knowledge of God and of our selues in mount Syna And these thinges beyng thus sene concerning the nature and definition of y◠law we mayeasly vnderstand how fowly the Manichies erred which blasphemed it and cursed it as euil For seyng that the law commaundeth nothing but things worthy to be commaunded and prohibiteth nothing but thinges mete to be prohibited how can it iustly be accused For there can be no iust or honest duety found which is not commended in the law of God nor nothyng filthy or vnhonest which in it is not forbidden neither are wicked actes onely prohibited in y◠law but also wicked lustes are there condemned Wherfore it sheweth that not onely outward workes are to be corrected but also the mynd and will And forasmuch as a great part of felicitie consisteth in the knowledge of God and Philosophers do so much extoll the knowledge of our selues and the law of GOD as we haue taught performeth either it can not but with great wickednes be reproued as euill and hurtful Howbeit this place wherein it is sayd That the law entred in that sinne should abound may seme to make somwhat with the Manichies as doth that also vnto the Galathians That the law was put for transgressions and that also in the 7. chap. of this epistle That sinne through the commaundement killeth and that likewise which is sayd in the second epist ▪ to the Corint That the law is the ministery of death All these thinges may seme to confirme the error of the Manichies But The things which are ioyned vnto the law of themselues and the thinges that come by chaunce must be seperated A similitude we must diligently put a differēce betwene those things which of themselues pertaine vnto the law and those things which follow it by reason of an other thing per accidens that is by chaunce For as we haue before taught sinne death damnation and other such like do spring of the law by reason of the corruption of our nature But if a man compare not the law with our nature but consider it by it selfe or if he referre it to a sound vncorrupt nature then can he affirme nothing els of it then that which Paul sayth Namelye that it is spirituall holye good and instituted vnto lyfe and it is said rather to shewe synne then to worke synne Wherefore if men deformed lying hidde in the darke shoulde saye vnto a man whiche by chaunce bryngeth a lyghte vnto them gette the hence least by this thy light thou make vs deformed vndoubtedly we could not gather by their wordes that the power and nature of light is such that it doth make men deformed but this we might rather gather that those things which of themselues are deformed are by the light vttered and shewed what they be And so is it of the lawe for it after a maner bringeth light and openeth to our knowledge the sinnes which before lay hidden But a man will say if the law be good and holy why
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
knowe our selues neither doo we abhorre so much as it behoueth vs from our naturall corruption and from the sins which do spring therof Yea rather there are very many which vnder the pretēce of the prayse of nature and of the workes of God do highly commend many things which by very good right ought to be condemned especially when they are sinnes The meaning therfore of this place is that now by the grace of Christ and profession of baptisme the old man is crucified and that it ought continually so to be kept vnder that the body that is the multitude of sins which spring out of it should be abolished And although in this lyfe we can not obteine to be vtterly frée from fallyng An excellēt comparisō sometimes yet ought all our endeuor to tende to this ende that euen as Christe gaue not himselfe partly but wholy vnto the crosse for our sakes so also ought we to die not onely to one or two kindes of sinnes but vtterly to all kindes of sinnes And this crucifieng if we haue a respect vnto the first communion which we haue with the death and resurrection of Christ commeth first of the holy ghost and frée mercy of God But when we are once through faith regenerate and are translated from Adam vnto Christ it behoueth vs to put to our labour endeuour and diligence And therefore Paule vnto the Galathians writeth that they whiche are of Christe haue crucified theyr fleshe wyth the lustes therof And that worthely For sithen they are y◠members of Christ it is mete that they be conformable vnto their The Deuil is crucefied with the flesh hed And Ambrose noteth that we together wyth the fleshe do crucifie the Deuill because he by the meanes of it is of efficacy in vs. That henceforth we should not be seruants vnto sinne He stil more plainly declareth what this meaneth the body of sinne to be abolished And this is the meanyng that we should not obey our naturall lust thorough committing of diuers wicked vices And by the worde of bondage or seruitude he sheweth that he layeth before vs not thinges vnprofitable but things that aboue all other are to be desired namely that we might be set at liberty Neither spake he that to this end The end is that we should not be seruants vnto sinne that sinne should by no maner of waye remayne in vs for that is vnpossible so long as we liue in this world But therfore he so admonisheth vs that we shoulde not be seruantes vnto sinne For he that is dead is iustified from sinne Wherfore if we be dead with Christ we beleue that we shal also liue with him Knowing that Christ beyng raysed from the dead dieth no more Death hath no more dominion ouer hym For as touchyng that he died he died concernyng sinne once and as touchyng that he lyueth he liueth vnto God Lykewyse consider ye also that ye are dead as touching sinne but are aliue vnto God through Iesus Christ our lord For he that is dead is iustified from sinne The reason why we should not be seruantes vnto lust is this namely because we are by death deliuered from it For to be iustified from sinne is as much as to be deliuered from it so that henceforth it hath no more power ouer vs. And Paul seemeth here to speake not of the death of nature but of mortification wherof I haue so oftentimes spoken And iustification may be here taken properly for that mortificatiō may be the effect therof For we cannot attain vnto it vnles we be first iustified Although some not vnaptly vnderstand this place of the vsual and natural death For they that are dead do cease of from the wicked workes in which they before liued And we vse to say of a thefe 〈◊〉 is now hanged that he will steale no more and the prouerbe is a deade man 〈…〉 teth not Wherefore if we followe this sence then shall it be a metaphore that euen as they whiche are naturallye deade do forsake and finishe the sinnes which whilest they liued they committed so we forasmuch as we are dead vnto Christ and haue professed that we will dye vnto sinne oughte vtterlye to A place of Iohn cease from synne These woordes of Paul are no otherwyse to bee vnderstande then are these wordes of Iohn He whiche is borne of GOD synneth not That is in that euerye one lyueth and woorketh oute of the principle and grounde of the heauenlye natiuitye And this principle or grounde is the holye Ghoste The principles of the heauenly regeneratiō and the worde of GOD. So he is saide to be loosed from sinne and not to doe any thing by the impulsion thereof which is dead vnto sinne and is crucified together with Christ in that he is dead and fastened vnto the crosse And euen so teacheth Peter in his first epistle the 4. chapter Forasmuch as Christ hath suffred for vs in the fleshe be ye armed with the selfe same cogitation For he which is deade ceaseth to sinne neyther liueth he in the desires of men but in the will of the Lord God Wherefore if we be dead with Christ we beleue that we shall also liue with him To the ende we should not be afrayd at the name of death which he hath before so often made mencion of he presently addeth a consolation declaring that vnto this death which he hath spoken of is annexed the life of Christ so that After regeneration we leade the life of God if we dye together with Christ we shall also liue together with him And this life is not only that which we looke for in the world to come but also it is euen that life which we now leade which in very dede is one and the selfe same with the life to come but that this is only a life begonne and vnperfect but the other is perfect and absolute For we which beleue in Christ and are iustified do also euen now presently leade the life of God For we are driuen and moued not of our selues but of the spirit of God But what maner of life this life of Christ is which is in the meane tyme communicated vnto vs whilest we liue in this world the Apostle straight way declareth Knowing that Christ being raysed from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him As the life of Christ is neuer extinguished by any death so the life of the children of God and brethren of Christ oughte not to be quenched by sinnes But why Christ dyeth no more this is the cause for Why Christe dieth no more that he hath ouercome death and taken away sinne by whose meanes only death was vpholden and bare dominion For vnto the Corrinthyans it is written The sting of death is sinne and in this epistle death raigned by sinne Wherefore they which are pertakers of the death of Christ neither ought nor can any longer be subiect ether vnto sinne
nature of euill Whatsoeuer euill and infelicity there is in vs the same is wholy deryued from synne Farther he commaundeth vs to deryue our actions from the groundes and principles taught of God The philosophers affirme That actiō is most perfect which springeth of the most◠noblest vertue that action to be most perfect which springeth of the most noblest vertue Wherefore forasmuch as we doo confesse that al our strengths and faculties are moued and impelled by God that is by the most chiefe goodnes of necessity it followeth that the workes which springe thereof are of most perfection For God is farre much more perfect then all humane vertue Wherefore if whatsoeuer we doo we do it by his impulsion thē shal we attain vnto a good end vnto most high felicity Paul speaketh of sinne by the figure * Prosopopaeia and exhorteth Proposopeia that is by fayninge of personages vs not to suffer it to raigne in vs. Which selfe forme of speaking he before when he sayd that death raigned from Adam euen vnto Moses By the mortall body sayth Ambrose is vnderstand the whole mā euen as sometimes the whole man is signified by the soule For confirmatiō whereof he citeth these words of Ezechiell The soule which sinneth it shall dye And he affirmeth that that is to be vnderstand of ether part of man Chrisostome thinketh that therfore the body is called mortall to teach vs y◠this battayle which the Apostle exhorteth vs vnto against sin shall not dure any long time but a shorte time Which battayle he supposeth is therefore commended bycause that sithen Adam although he had abody not subiect vnto death yet refrained not from sinne It shoulde be much more laudable and excellēter for vs if we in this mortal body should eschew sins But I thinke y◠this particle In your mortall body signifieth nothing els then if it should haue bene sayd after the maner of the Hebrues Through your mortall body Forasmuch as that naturall cōcupiscence or lust which the Apostle would not haue to raigne in vs is through the body deriued from Adam into vs receaueth in vs nourishements and entisements For by generation and sede as we haue before at large proued originall sinne is traduced And he addeth this word mortall to encrease a contempte and to lay before our eyes that such a frowardnes is condemned vnto the punishement of death whereby to feare vs away the more from the obedience thereof For it were very wicked to preferre a thing condemned vnto death before the word of God and his spirite He straight way declareth what this meaneth namely sinne to raigne in vs. Which is nothing ells then to be obedient vnto sinne Wherefore he addeth That ye should therunto obey by the lustes of it He saith in the plural number Lustes bicause out of the corruption of nature which he a little before called sinne in the singular nomber doo continually spring forth an infinite nomber of lustes Paul admonisheth vs that we should not obey them He can not prohibite but that lust whilst we liue here will exercise some cirāny ouer vs euē although it be against our willes Wherfore this thing only he requireth that we should not of our owne accord and willingly obey it For thys is to permitte vnto him the kingdome Members in this place signifye not onely the parts of the bodye but also the parts of the minde Why members are called weapons Nether apply your members as weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne He still more plainly declareth what it is to obey sinne And that is to geue our mēbers as weapons vnto it By members he vnderstandeth not only the parts of the body but also all the faculties or powers of the soule All these forbiddeth he to be applied of vs vnto sinne He could haue vsed an other word namely that we should not geue our members organes and instrumentes to lustes But by the name of weapons he would the more aggrauate the thing For that signifieth the they which apply theyr members vnto sinne do fight make war against God do with all the strengths both of their body of their soule withstād his will law Out of this place is gathered the differēce betwene mortall sins veniall The difference betwene veniall mortal sinnes sinnes For when we withstand and resiste the lustes those troublesome motions and entisementes bursting forth of our naturall corruption forasmuch as they are repugnaunt vnto the lawe of God are vndoubtedly sinnes but yet bycause they are displeasaunte vnto vs and we resiste them and doo leaue some place vnto fayth and vnto the spirite of God therfore they ar forgeuē vs neither are they imputed vnto death but contrariwise when we obey thē and do repell the mocion of the spirit of God and worke against our conscience or at the leaste waye with a conscience corrupted so that those thinges which are euil we count good or iudge good things euil thē vndoubtedly we sinne deadly for therby we make sinne to raigne in vs. Paul whilest he vrgeth these things semeth to admonish vs that we should not receiue grace in vayne or without fruite as he also admonished the Corinthians in his latter epistle Hereby we gather that the mēbers and powers of them that are regenerate ought to be so prompt and redy vnto the obeysaunce of God as are the powers and members of the vngodly prone redy to commit sinne And we are plainly taught that we ought to fight And in the Epistle vnto the Ephesians we are commaunded to fight not only agaynst flesh and bloud but also against naughtines and wycked celestiall spirites For they are mighty and of efficacy against vs thorough the body flesh and bloud For euen as weapons may serue both to a good and also to an euill vse for sometyme a théefe occupieth them against his countrey and sometimes a good citizen vseth thē Weapons may serue both to a good and also to an euill vse to defend his countrey so the members of our body powers of our mynde may fight on righteousnes side and also against sinne We sée moreouer what differēce there is betwene a kingdome and a tyrannous gouernment We obey tyrannes against our willes but vnto kings we obey willingly for by their good and iust lawes the publike wealth is established Wherfore there are two things which folow in a iust and lawfull kingdome For first all men of their own voluntary wil accord obey the king vnles peraduēture there be some wicked or seditious persons Moreouer they are redy to fight for his sake But it is farre otherwise where tyranny raigneth for none will gladly and willingly obey tyrants neither wyll they fight in their quarels Wherfore Paul although he cannot prohibite in vs the Two proprieties o◠a iust kingedome tiranny of sinne but that of it we suffer many things against our willes yet he for biddeth that it should
as we are able and to the end we should not be faint harted he comforteth vs in promising vs an easy victory bicause we are not vnder the law but vnder grace What then shal we sinne bicause we are not vnder the law but vnder grace God forbidde Knowe ye not that to whomesoeuer ye geue your selues as seruantes to obey hys seruaÌ„ts ye are to whome ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnes But God be thanked that ye were the seruants of sinne but ye haue obeyed from the harte vnto the forme of the doctrine wherunto ye were deliuered But beyng made free from synne ye are made the seruauntes of righteousnes What shall we therfore sinne bicause we are not vnder the law but vnder grace Now coÌ„meth he vnto the second reason wherby he entendeth to proue yâ— we ought not to abide in sinnes none otherwise theÌ„ he came at yâ— beginning of this chap. vnto his first reasoÌ„ For euen as before he depressed yâ— law coÌ„mended grace wherupon the aduersaries toke occasioÌ„ of speking slaundrous words saying shal we abide in sinne that grace may abound So coÌ„cludeth he yâ— reason now brought forth by these wordes For ye are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace At whiche wordes the false prophetes cried out saying that many were offended and accused the doctrine of Paul And therefore he oftentymes obiecteth vnto himselfe such Antipophora is â— figure interrogations For his doctrine for that cause was euery where euill spoken of Wherefore here is vsed the figure * Antipophora If it be so as thou sayst that we are deliuered from the lawe then may we sinne and that without punishement But they which make this obiection are wonderfully deceaued For the deliuery from the lawe is not geuen to liue licenciously but rather for a more perfecter absolutenes Wherefore Paul addeth God forbid signifiing that he excedingly abhorred from such kinde of doctrine And this absurdity mought haue followed if Paul had affirmed only that we are deliuered from the lawe and had added nothing els But in that he addeth But ye are vnder grace he sheweth Grace is a more excelleÌ„ter scholemaster then the law that they are so deliuered from the lawe to the ende they should lyue vnder a more excellenter schoolemaster for by grace and the holy ghost we are not only so illustrated that we sée what thinges we ought to do but also we are excedingly stirred vp and pricked forward to execute the selfe same thinges Wherefore the Apostle doth not so leaue the godly without the lawe that he woulde haue them let loose the bridle vnto wicked lustes but he setteth forth grace which through the benefite of the Gospell succeded the lawe And forasmuch as men are much better gouerned by grace and by the holy ghost then they are by the lawe it easely appeareth how weake the argument of these men is For in their disputation they take as it was said at the beginning that for the cause whiche is not the cause But so farre is it of that that which Paul sayth is the cause of sinne that of it rather the contrary followeth For they which are vnder grace and are gouerned They which are gouerned by the conduite of grace sinâ—â— not by the conduite thereof sinne not yea rather forasmuch as Christ 〈…〉 gh grace liueth in them they can not sinne so farre forth as by hym they are â—tirreâ— vp to any kynd of worke For Paul saith vnto the Galathyans I liue but not I now but Christ liueth in me But they sinne which liue vnder thâ— Lawe which 〈…〉 seth and condemneth them as Paul writeth vnto Timo. The law is not geuen vnto a righteous man but vnto the vngodly and vnto sinners to 〈…〉 holy and 〈…〉 the prophane to murtherers of fathers and mothers to manslears to whoremongers and to abusers of nature and if there be any other thing that is contrary to wholsome doctrine By thys place we sée that they which are infected with these wicked vices are vnder the dominion of the lawe namely by it to be accused and punished But the Gospell suffreth vs not to remayne in sinne for it doth not only preach the remission of sinnes but also vnto theÌ„ that beleue it bringeth the spirite of God whereby they are wonderfully inflamed and stirred vp to holy workes Neither is this reason of any force We are not compelled by threatninges and punishements of the law to withhold our selues from sinne therefore we are by none other meanes impelled By what reasons the regenerate are bound to liue holilye They which liue vndergrace oughte to obey God A similitude of seruauntes to lyue innocently For we are bound of dewty piety and fayth to lyue honestly and holilye which things vndoubtedly are of greater force and doo more vehemently stirre vs vp then any bond of the Lawe This is the effect of the reason aleadged They which liue vnder grace ought to obey God but to make the thyng more playne we will expresse it by a similitude of seruants for they ought in all things to be obedient vnto their masters and to be comformable vnto theyr willes thus therefore he reasoneth It is mete that seruaunts obey their Lords But ye are now made the seruauntes of righteousnes wherefore vnto it oughte ye to do seruice and not vnto sinne Farther to strike vs more sharpely he addeth to this reason a double spurre to pricke vs forward firste he sayth that they came into this seruitude not against their willes or by compulsion but willyngly and of theyr owne accorde secondlye as muche as lyeth in hym he layth before theyr eyes the haynousnes of synne and geueth thankes vnto God who deliuered them from it and made them the seruauntes of righteousnes If a man demaunde at what tyme we addicte our selues to be seruauntes vnto righteousnes Chrisostome answereth that we then do it when we are baptised So by the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme he declareth both this reason and also the other wherby he proued that we are dead vnto sinne This similitude of seruauÌ„tes and Lords is confirmed by that right or law whereby seruauntes are bound vnto theyr Lordes which law whither it be the law of god or the law of man maketh theÌ„ bound to obey theyr Lords and this thinge may be knowen by the finall cause if we consider the property of the name Augustine in this 19. booke De ciuitate Dei the 15. chap writeth that Serui that is seruaunts were so called of the Latine meÌ„ Why Serui that is seruants are so called Seruio in lattine signifyeth to saue or to keepe Seruitude sprange of sinne We are born slaues vnto Sathan bycause being taken in warre they were saued of theyr enemies For they which were taken were not alwayes slayne by them that ouercame them but sometimes were reserued one liue for this purpose that they should be seruauntes vnto them that tooke them And
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
had chance to haue died in yâ— meane tyme therfore I thinke with Chrisostome that the Apostle speaketh not of yâ— Gospell but of yâ— law of Moses Wherunto also I am so much the rather moued for the Paul afterward expressedly maketh mencion of the commaundement of not lustyng which without all doubt is contained in the decaloge or tenne commaundementes But in these wordes The law beareth dominion ouer a man so long as he lyueth there is some ambiguitie whether this word liueth ought to be referred vnto the maÌ„ or vnto yâ— law Which thing I thinke yâ— apostle did of purpose A profitable aÌ„biguitye of speach wheÌ„ it may in euery sence be true For at th 〈…〉 st he con 〈…〉 th that not only we are dead vnto the law but also yâ— the law it selfe is dead a 〈…〉 〈…〉 olished And therfore to whether part so euer that word liueth be referred i◠〈…〉 éeâ—h very well with his purpose Chrisostome thynketh yâ— this reason is concluded of an argument taken à minori that is of the lesse For if the death of the husband deliuer the wyfe from the yoke of matrimony then shall there happen much greater liberty if the wyfe her selfe also die Wheras there were two wayes of liberty yet Paul it should seme persecuteth onely one of them For he addeth VVherfore my brethern ye also are dead vnto the Lavv by the body of Christ But he inferreth not wherrefore the Law is dead The Apostle did that for the infirmity of the Iewes howbeit in the meane time he sayth that which is al one as if he had sayd the Law is dead But it is necessarye to consider what Paul What to be vnder the law is What it is to be dead vnto the law meaneth by to be vnder the Law And that is nothing ells but to be obnoxious vnto sinne For the Law thorough sinne coÌ„demneth vs as guilty but to be dead vnto the lawe is nothing ells but to haue that extinguished in vs by which the law accuseth and condemneth vs. And that is the olde man the flesh naturall lust and corruption of nature When these thinges be once deade in vs and that Christ liueth and raigneth in vs we can by no meanes be coÌ„demned of the law But forasmuche as so long as we liue here sinne can not be plucked vp by the rootes out of our flesh therfore it is most likely that the Apostle had a respect vnto that which we hope shall one day come to passe althoughe he so write as though we had alredy obteyned it howbeit in the meane time he setteth before The scope of our 〈◊〉 How much euery men is free from the law our eyes a marke whereunto we ought to leuell in all our actions namely perpetually to represse this lust grafted in vs. Wherefore euery one ought so farforth to iudge himself deliuered froÌ„ the law how farforth he caÌ„ mortefy his lusts and alwayes more and more contend to go forward that at the length he may attayne to that end whervnto we are predestinate namely to be made like vnto the image of the sonne of God being made pertakers of his death and of his resurrection And wheras there is set forth a double death namely of the law and of vs Paul expressedly prosecuteth our death only whereof also followeth the death of the law For the law prouoketh not compelleth not accuseth not nor condemneth them that are dead nether can by any meanes be troublesome or odious vnto them And they which are dead and ioined together with Christ do in no case wayte to be iustified by it partly for that the law can not performe that and partly for that they haue alredy by the grace of Christe obteyned true righteousnes And we are sayd to be mortified by the body of Christe ether for that being now made the members of the Lord we followe our hed that as he was crucefied and died as touching this mortall and corruptible life so we also must dye vnto sinne or ells for that the body of Christ was an oblation and sacrifice wherby God being now pacefied and merciful geueth vnto vs hys spirite The deliueÌ„ry from the law is to be preached vnto those onely that are dead vnto sinne The commaundements oâ— the law pretaine not vnto the dead The law was notable to do the office of a husbande by whome the power of sinne is weakened And sithen Paul preacheth not this liberty but vnto them that are dead vnto sin thereby we vnderstand that there is no danger least men should by reasoÌ„ of this liberty geue themselues to vices For they that are dead caÌ„ not be stirred vp to sinne Farther we should be vnder the law if we should liue vnto sinne and vnto the flesh But being dead we are not holden vnder it vnles we will say that the commaundementes of the Law pertayn also vnto the dead Forasmuch as Paul in this place vseth a metaphore taken of matrimony we ought to marke that it is the office of the husband to gouern his wife But when as the lawe had long time possessed the rome of the husband nether could execute his office namely to gouern men and to call theÌ„ backe from sinne for so is it afterward written That it was vnpossible vnto the law in as much as it was weakened thorough the flesh therefore the Apostle when he teacheth that we are deliuered from the lawe as from an infirme and weake master teacheth also that we are led vnto the spirite as vnto a better mightier master who alone hath that force to change a man â–ª and that that whiche letted the law from doing of this came not thorough t 〈…〉 〈…〉 efault of 〈◊〉 law but thoroughe our defaulte Here is to be noted howe gr 〈…〉 confor 〈…〉 ye there In matrimony there is a great conformation betwenâ— the man and the wife ought to be betwene the man and the wife in matrimony rightlye instituted For the proprieties of the husbaÌ„d ought to be coÌ„municated wâ—th the wife Wherfore euen as Christ died so also ought we to dye vnto sinne And as Christ rose againe to an incorruptible and immortall life so also ought we to rise agayne The end of our new coÌ„iunction with Christ The law made not men fruitefull to beginne workes of eternall life Wherefore Paul when he had made mencioÌ„ of death added That ye should be vnto an other namely vnto him vvhich rose agayne from the dead He setteth forth an example also of the resurrectioÌ„ of Christ in which wordes as sayth Chrisostome he ment to stirre vs vp to the desire of a new matrimonye by reason of that excellent estate of Christe vnto whome we shall be ioined And the end of this new coniunction is expressedly put in those wordes which follow That vve should bring forth fruite vnto God In the first matrimony we were baren for the law of good workes can not make men fruitfull But men
being filled with the spirite of Christ streight way aboundaÌ„tly bring forth fruit And this is it whiche God promised by Esay shoulde come to passe in hys 53. chapter If he shall geue his life for sinne he shall se his sede for a long time And the lord sayth in Iohn when I shall be lifted vp from the earth I will draw all thinges vnto my selfe This is it which Paul sayth to bringe forth fruite vnto God And this at the length is brought to passe when not only we our selues doo good works but also we bringe others vnto Christ These two ends are not seperated a sonder For nether caÌ„ we winne others vnto Christ if we consider the matter as it most commonly hapeneth vnles an example of an vpright life be correspondent vnto our sound doctrine Nether is it rashely done that the Apostle chaungeth the person For before he vsed the second person when he thus wrote ye are mortefied vnto the law by the body of Christ that ye should be vnto an other And straight way he addeth That we should bring forth fruite vnto God When rather according to nature of the consequente he should haue sayd that ye should fructifie vnto God There is none so holy but he hath nede of these fruites But he changed the person to declare that this is a generall sentence least any maÌ„ should thinke himselfe to be so holy that he now hath no nede of these fruites For that cause the Apostle putteth himselfe also among theÌ„ Chrisostome exellently well noteth that it happeneth not in these thinges as it commonly happeneth in ciuill matters For there the husband being dead the widow if she wil may absteine from the second matrimony But we when sinne is dead thorough the holy ghost must of necessity be brought vnto Christ as vnto a new bridgrome When we are dead vnto sinne we cannot be without a new husband For we are not now in our own power For he hath redemed vs with a price as Paul sayth vnto the Corrinthians and for that cause we are not our own Wherefore we ought to glorifye and to beare Christ in our bodies And in the latter to the Corr One died for all that they which liue should now not liue vnto theÌ„selues but vnto him which died which rose agayn Wherfore seing we ar now maried vnto Christ we ought to imitate vertuous wifes which whatsoeuer they do haue not a regard what may please theÌ„selues but what may be acceptable The office of an honest wife Against workes preparatory vnto theyr husbands Agayne by these words is ouerthroweÌ„ that middle estate wherein some are dreminglye imagined to be Whiche are nether deade vnto sinne nor borne agayne in Christ and yet worke certayne good workes which are acceptable vnto God and prepare them vnto iustification Paul here manifestly teacheth that they which are not grafted into Christ are bound vnto the law and doo liue vnder sinne and bringe forth fruites vnto death only so that whatsoeuer they doo the same is wholy vnto them deadly But they which are maried vnto Christ they I say bring forth fruite vnto God For God by them as by his members and instrumentes sheweth forth his fruites and good works For when vve vvere in the flesh the affects of sinnes vvhich vvere by the Law had force in our members to bring forth fruite vnto death In these wordes is The diffeâ—â—nce â—◠〈…〉 wene the old matrimonâ— and the new What is to be obserued oâ— preachers set forth the Antithesis betwene thys newe matrimony and that olde And the sence is Now we ought to bring forth fruite vnto God For hitherto we haue brought forth fruite vnto death Our olde estate also is here described namely that we were in the flesh He doth not say wheÌ„ we were in the law For he would eschew offence not necessary which thing teachers and preachers ought also to imitate yâ— nether they kepe in sileÌ„ce the things yâ— are necessary to be hard nor also by speaking out of ceason alienate the myndes of the hearers When we were sayth Paul in the fleshe the affectes of sinnes which were by the law c. In these wordes he semeth so to speake of sinnes and of wicked affectes as though before the lawe they were not in vs. But that we shoulde not erre from the meaning of Paul we ought to know that we all haue from our birth a corruption and lust naturally grafted and planted in vs which continually stirreth vp in vs wicked motions and rages and sundry kindes of vices And these motions and violences Paul calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For there is a difference betwene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are called moderate and laudable affections But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are more vehementer affectes which are caried with a greater force These strong affections are sayd of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by an inward force mightely to worke And therefore there is sayd to be in the sede and likewise in the minde of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a certayne power which although it be hidden yet is it of most great efficacy Now these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or vehement affectes are sayd to be by the lawe not that they were not before but partlye because by the lawe they are made open and partlye for that when as the lawe withstandeth them as a let in their waye they are made much more vehement And therefore Augustine in his questions vnto Simplicianus Vehementâ— affects why they are sayd to be by the law the first question Sinne sayth he is increased by the lawe fyrst because by it it is knowen secondly because by it it is the more prouoked For we contend to that that we are forbidden And he addeth that sinne by the lawe is made more greeuous for the lawe being once put we are made transgressors When he sayth that these vehement motions are of efficacy in our members by members he vnderstandeth all the powers and faculty both of the soule and of the body Neither yet ought we to thinke Paul accuseth not the nat 〈…〉 coÌ„stitution of the body that Paul accuseth the naturall constitution of the body and of the members Only he condemneth the wicked affectes which range abroade through these partes Chrisostome applieth this repreheÌ„sioÌ„ to the thoughts But this vice is spred abroad through out all the powers both of the soule and of the body The Marcionites Valentinians and Manichies which condemned the lawe as proceding from an euill God tooke occasion out of this sentence of Paul and certaine other like places Vnto whome Augustine maketh answere in his 4. Sermon De verbis Apostoli For he sayth That they beguile Christians not such as are simple but such are negligent For it is no hard matter sayth he euen of these selfe same thynges which the Apostle hath
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
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
ought to be vnderstand both of Paul and of all the godly And yet followeth it not of necessity that we should say yâ— Paul by reason of natural lust fell into al kindes of sins For here is not entreated of the outward actions but of the affectes of the mind and the first motions Nether is here coÌ„sidered what is done but what may be done by our naturall prones vnto euill For vvithout the lavv sinne vvas dead Then men are sayd to be without the Law when ether by reasoÌ„ of age they can not attayne to the vnderstanding therof or ells wheÌ„ now being come to full age they ether nothing at al peise it or very sclenderly He sayth that sinne was dead bycause as it is written to the How sinne was deade CorrinthiaÌ„s The force of sinne is the Law And eueÌ„ as that body is said to be dead which vtterly wanteth all maner of strengths so sinne also was said to be dead for that wheÌ„ the Law was not it was not of efficacy waÌ„ted his power That which is dead moueth not it selfe So sin wheÌ„ it was not impelled by any law nothing at all moued vs but was sluggish after a sort dead so yâ— it was ether litle or in a maner nothing at al felt But as sone as yâ— Lawe came it receaued strengths Chrisostome interpretateth That sinne was dead for that it was not knowen Vnto which opinion Augustine leneth when he fayth that it was hidden But al these things tend to one end For the Law stirreth not vp sin but by knowledge Ambrose sayth that sinne was dead bycause men before the Law thought they mought sinne freely without punishment But this sentence we haue before confuted For we haue shewed that men also by the Law of nature felt that God was angry against sinne and greuously punished it Vnles paradueneure Ambrose ment this yâ— that thing was theÌ„ more obscurely knowne then it was afterward when the Law was geuen But he sayth moreouer that by sinne may be vnderstand the deuill For he toke an occasion by the Law to worke in vs all maner of lust The law sheweth sin and sheweth not the deuill and he is sayd of Paul to haue bene dead before the Law for that he not so carefully tempted men as being sure of them as of his owne possession But as sone as the Law was geueÌ„ he ceassed of from that quietnes But this interpretation is farre from the skope of the Apostle For he entreateth of sinne which is shewed by the Lawe And the Law sheweth vices and wicked actes and not the deuill Which thing is proued by that which streight way followeth For I knew not lust except the Lavv had sayd Thou shalt not lust But it is wonderfull how Ambrose entreating of this argument should say that the deuill when the Law was geuen lost his dominion ouer men For by the Law and sinne meÌ„ were made more obnoxions vnto the deuill This benefite we owâ— vnto Christ and not vnto the Law Howbeit the Greke Scholies I knowe not by what meanes bend vnto this sentence touchyng the Deuill For they say that it is possible that as our sauiour is sayd to be the way the truth and righteousnes So the deuill may be called sinne a lye and death The commentaries which are ascribed vnto Ierome fauouring this senteÌ„ce bring a similitude of an enuious maÌ„ which is commonly so much the more moued against him whom he enuieth how much the greatrâ— the benefite is which he séeth is bestowed vpoÌ„ him So the deuil when he saw the singuler gift of the law of God geuen by God vnto man began so much the more to rage against him and by the commaundement of God tooke an occasion of raging But whatsoeuer these fathers say it is very plaine by the wordes of Paul that he in this place speaketh of that sinne which is by the lawe brought to light such as is lust But they when they heard that sinne tooke an occasion by the law and seduced and killed thought that these things ought to be referred vnto some certaine person which might be distinct from vs which are seduced and killed But they saw not yâ— Paul by the figure Profopopoeia speaketh eueÌ„ Paul vseth the figure Prosopopeâ—â— The commentaries ascribed vn to Ierome make wyth the Pelagians of our sinne and lust And they followed Origene as their author But most of all do those commentaries erre which beare the name of Ierome For they in thys place vtterly make with the Pelagians touching originall sinne For thus in theÌ„ is it written If when the law was not sinne was dead they are out of their wits whiche auouch that sinne by traduction commeth from Adam vnto vs. Therfore here he sayth sinne was dead for that it liueth not in infantes which are without the law that is it is in them committed without punishment For when the infante speaketh ill vnto the parentes it semeth to be sinne but yet sinne not liuing but dead Although the child sinne yet sinne is dead in hym for he is not subiect vnto the law Thus much in that place But touching the sinnes of infantes and especially of them that are not regenerate Augustine was of a farre other opinion and especially in his bookes of confessions Neither do the Catholikes doubt but yâ— Original sinne is traduced from Adam into his posteritie and that by it are condemned those infantes which are How sinne in infantes is sayd to â—e dead straungers from Christ Howbeit sinne may be said to be dead in them for that it is not knowen of them and for that they féele not themselues moued therwith But when the commaundement came sinne reuiued but I was dead and the commaundement which was ordeyned vnto lyfe was found to be vnto me vnto death When sinne was dead he saith that he liued for yâ— he was not troubled neither was his conscience made afeard Yet did he not liue in dede but as Augustine saith he semed vnto himselfe to liue As when a man thinketh that A similitude his enemy now ceaseth and is quiet he beginneth to be secure So Paul saith that when he was without the law he semed vnto himselfe to liue but when the commaundement came things began a new course Sinne saith he reuiued and I was dead So vndoubtedly scandeth the case When sinne is dead then do we seme vnto our selues to liue But wheÌ„ it once reuiueth we straight way are dead For we féele in our selues the wrath of God and condemnation And when the elect are so dead Christ rayseth them vp agayne and killeth sinne in them For he pardoneth whatsoeuer is done amisse and breaketh and diminisheth whatsoeuer of the corrupt lust is remayning Wherfore the death of sinne is two maner of wayes the one is not a very death but a counterfait death for that yâ— law is absent For sinne The death of sinne two maner of wayes All are not
after one the same manner killed of sinne Why sinne is said to reuiue without the law is neither knowen nor any thing moueth vs. But the other deth of sinne is the true death when as it is slayne of Christ and crucified together with him But this is to be noted that wheras sinne reuiueth and killeth meÌ„ some are killed to saluation as are those which flye vnto Christ and are by him reuiued but others are killed to destruction as Iudas Cain and such other lyke which when they knew their sinne dispaired of saluatioÌ„ Sinne is sayd to haue reuiued bicause it was in vs before and as sayth Augustine and other interpreters bicause it had from the beginning sone after the fall of Adam liued in the nature of man but by little and little all the féelyng therof was cleane blotted out But bicause these meÌ„ seme by the law to vnderstand the commaundement geuen vnto the first parents in Paradise which as I before declared is strange from the purpose of Paul therfore we must simply say that sinne reuiued for that it now began to poure forth his strengths which before it did not when it semed to be dead And the commaundement which was ordeyned to lyfe c. He sayth yâ— Howe the commaundement is sayd to be instituted vnto life the commaundement was instituted to lyfe not that it gaue lyfe but for that it teacheth those thinges which serue vnto lyfe and seuerely requireth them and vnles they be done threatneth destruction He sayth not that the commaundement is death but only turned to death for otherwise the scope of the law is to shew and aduance lyfe as much as lieth in it But that it cannot performe it it commeth through our default For sinne toke an occasion by the commaundement and deceiued me by it slew me He repeteth that which he before sayd that sinne tooke an occasion by the commaundement to encrease in vs transgressions This repeticion as the The repeticion declareth the necessitye of the doctrinâ— Gréeke Scholies note declareth that this doctrine is very necessary For so great was the authority of the law amongst the Iewes that they could not be persuaded that they were through Christ deliuered from it But in this repeticion Paul addeth certayne thyngs which before he spake not of For before he wrote that sinne takyng an occasion by the commaundement wrought in him all maner of lust Now he declareth also how it wrought it namely by deceauyng Farther also he addeth what followed after al this lust beyng thus wrought By it sayth he it slew me In summe he sheweth thrée things which sinne being stirred vp by yâ— law worketh in vs. First it deceaueth Secondly in them that are deceaued it engendreth The effects of sinne irritated by the lawe What is the deceate of sinne manifold kindes of sinnes which is to worke all manner of lust last of all it slayeth But what this deceauyng is all men are not of one opinion Some which by sinne will haue to be vnderstand the deuill referre these things to hys temptyng wherby they say that he deceaueth vs takyng an occasion by the law But séeyng this exposition is not as we haue sayd to be allowed therfore we must of necessity séeke for an other Augustine thinketh that here is vnderstand a double deceauyng for first by the prohibition of the law is stirred vp our lust so that sinnes forbidden vs are more pleasant vnto vs we take greater delight in them Farther if there be any thyng done of vs rightly the same we wholy attribute vnto our own strengths and thynke that we haue fully satisfied the law Others say that our corrupt and vitiate nature herein deceaueth vs for that it fayneth it selfe gladly to admitte and wyth great reioycing to allow the law For we wyll all seme to be We will alâ— seme to be louers of vertue louers of the vertue And hereof it commeth that so many so soone as they heare the Gospell preached wyth great reioycing receiue it but when a life correspondeÌ„t to the Gospell is required at their handes straight way they step backe froÌ„ it So sinne grafted in vs although it fayn it self to fauour the law of God yet it continually draweth vs from it so far is it of that it truly consenteth vnto it Although all these things be true worthy of noting yet vnto me this semeth a more playner What is the true deceate of sin exposition to say that sinne therfore deceaueth vs for that it persuadeth vs that those things which are against the law are profitable and for that it turneth away our thought from the punishments which the law threatneth vnto vs and biddeth vs to trust that those punishments may either be auoyded or els shall not be so greuous as they are there set forth And so in all sinnes which we committe is mingled some ignoraunce which is poured into vs by the deceate of our naturall lust VVheâ—fore the Lavv is holy the commaundement is holy iust good The conclusion of thys part Paul followeth Dauid Here haue we the conclusion of this part The Lawe is acqnited from all that suspicion whereby it was sayd to be the cause of sin For it sayth he is holy The Apostle semeth to haue taken these properties of the Law out of the 19. Psalm where the Law in the Hebrew is sayd to be Torah Iehouab Temimah meschiuah nephesch that is perfect vpright and pure And when he had pronounced that the Law is holy he addeth touching the commaundement that it also is holy iust and good He so sayth as I thinke for no other cause but for yâ— he would commend the Law and whatsoeuer is coÌ„tayned in it Chrisostome vpoÌ„ this place proueth that the Apostle speaketh these thinges of no other Law but of the law of Moses which thing seing we also before proued there is no nede here to rehearse again his reasons And although the Law by very good right be setforth with these prayses yet ought we not therefore to thinke that we are by it iustified For Paul most manifestly sayth that it was ordeyned to life but it turned vnto vs to death Was that then which is good made death vnto me God forbid but sinne that it might aypeare sinne wrought death in me by that which is good that sinne might be out of measure sinnefull by the commaundement For we know that the Law is spirituall but I am carnall being sold vnder sinne VVas that then vvhich is good made death vnto me God forbid but sin that it might appeare sinne vvrought death in me by that vvhich is good Hither to he hath cleared himselfe of the sclaunder which was raysed vp agaynst hym by his aduersaries as though he should teach that the Lawe is the cause of sinne Now he dischargeth himselfe of an other crime wherof he was publiquely accused as though he should say that the Law is the cause
of death For forasmuch as death and sinne are so ioyned together that the one is alwayes engendred of the other therefore Paul when he had confuted the first obiection touching sin goeth to the other obiection concerning death For before he denied that the law was of it selfe the cause of sinne now he also denieth it to be the cause of death And euen as before he defended the Law by translation when as he sayd that As the law by it selfe is not the the cause of sinne so also is it not the cause of death the lust naturally grafted in vs is the true and proper cause of sinne So now also he vseth the selfe same translation and ascribeth death not vnto the Law but vnto the vice grafted into vs by nature If a man demaund what commodity hereof followeth that our lust beinge irritated by the Lawe committeth more haynouser wicked facts and bringeth death he answereth that we are thereby brought opēly to the knowledge of the malice of our naturall prauitye which prauity herein chiefely consisteth that it perniciously abuseth the most excellent Law of God so that y◠which was ordeyned to good doth now bring vnto vs destructiō And yet must we not sticke stay in this knowledge of our misery For the more we know that we are in perdition with so muche the greater endeuor We must not stay in the knowledge of our misery The scope of the whole scripture Why the law is not the cause of death ought we to flye vnto Christ at whose hands alone we must looke for saluation and who is the only remedy of our so greate misery And this is the skope of the whole scripture For euery where in it is ether declared our prauity or ells set forth the mercy of God thorough Christ The reason whereby Paul proueth that the Lawe is not the cause of death is this That whiche is spirituall and ordeyned vnto life can not bring death But the Law of God is spirituall and or deyned to life wherefore it can not properlye be the cause of death The Maior or first propositiō hath two parts the first is that the Law can not bring death for that it was ordeined vnto life This sentēce is proued by the nature of things contrarye For death and life forasmuche as they are thinges contrarye can not at one time be found in one and the selfe same subiect For it is not possible that of one and the same Law should in the selfe same men together at one and the same time be engendred both life and death The second part is that the law is spirituall and therefore can not bring death And that is hereby proued for that the nature of the spirite is to quicken and not to destroy VVas that then which vvas good made death vnto me Thys he therefore What is the nature of the spirite obiecteth vnto himself for y◠before he semed to speak things repugnant namely y◠the commaundemente was ordeyned vnto life but yet turned to him to death These thinges seme at the first sight not well to agree It semeth that he should rather thus haue sayd What then Is the Law which bringeth life made vnto me death But Paul to set forth the obiection more vehemently comprehendeth the Law vnder this word Good or this pronowne which is referred to y◠which was before spoken namely ordeyned to life For before he had affirmed both namely that the Law is both good and also ordeyned to life Wherefore he now not without cause obiecteth vnto himselfe Was that then which was good made vn to me death God forbid But Sinne here vnderstād vvas made vnto me death For so is the sentence to be made perfect Now he declareth what vtility the Lawe which was geuen broughte For he sayth that sinne abused it and by it slewe vs that sayth he it mought be knowen and appeare that sinne by that which was good wrought vnto me death God would haue vs to vnderstand that our corruption is greate that by the Law that is by a thing most good it bringeth death Paul speaketh not here chiefely of the death of the body althoughe it also What death Paul here meaneth doo follow but rather of that death whereinto we incurre when we ernestlye fele our sinne by the knowledge of the Law For hereby we see that we are obnoxious vnto the wrath of God adiudged to hell fire Which thinge when we A taste of ēternall condemnation A similitude with efficacy seriously consider we fele in our selues some tast of eternall condēnation By which meanes it commeth to passe that although in body we liue yer we are sayde to be slaine of sinne by the Lawe And as they which are kept in prison after that they know that sentence of death is geuē vpon thē although they are permitted to liue two or three dayes to take their leue of theyr frends yet are they filled with incredible heauines and horror and euery houre haue a tast of theyr death so that al that time they may seme rather to dye then to liue An other similitude And euē as they which are sure to be very shortly rewarded with a greate and looked for reward although in the meane time they take greate paynes yet do they nothing weighe that trouble for that euen in theyr labors they seme to thē selues to haue after a sort the fruition of theyr hoped for reward and to haue it in a maner in theyr hands So they which by the Lawe see fele that they are now condemned to eternall death take no pleasure at all in the delights of thys life For euen now they fele in themselues that those paynes are begon But many maruell that Paul should say that this came to passe in himselfe and especially when as he writeth vnto the Galathians that he had profited in the religion of the Iewes aboue all the men in his time And vnto the Phillippians That he had How Paul was decraned and slaine of sin bene conuersant in the righteousnes of the Law without blame And vnto Timothe That he had from his elders serued God with a pure conscience But Augustine in hys first booke agaynst the two epistles of the Pelagians in the 8. and 9. chapiters diligently dissolueth this doubt He mought sayth he be honestly conuersant in outward workes so that before men he mought without blame performe the righteousnes of the Lawe But before God and as touchinge the affectes of the minde he wa◠not free frō sinne For it mought be that he thorough feare of men or through feare of punishmentes which God threatneth vnto transgressors was moued to liue vprightly but as touching Paul acknowledged himself◠obnoxious vnto the lust grafted into him by nature lustes and inward motions agaynst which men would not that God had made any Law he also was obnoxious vnto vice sinne Nether was h◠by faith and charity as he
ought to haue bene stirred vp to the workes whiche he did And that he erred he hymselfe testifieth of himself in many places Vnto the Eph. the. 2. cha he sayth And you that wer dead in sins wherin in times past the walked according to the course of this world after the prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirite that now worketh in the children of distrust Among whome we also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our fleshe in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of affections and we were by nature the children of wrath as well as others But GOD which is rich in mercye thorough hys greate loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickened vs together with Christ And vnto Titus For we also were once fooles disobedient straying out of the way seruing the desires and pleasures in maliciousnes and enuy one of vs hating an other Such a one was Paul before he was conuerted vnto Christ although he mought not vnworthely make great boast of his outward righteousnes And that thou shouldest not say that he was changed and deliuered frō these sinnes when he began earnestly to apply himselfe vnto the doctrine of the lawe wherein he so much profited that he coulde now be neither accused nor slayne of it he hymselfe in the selfe same epistle to Titus auoutcheth that he was Paul affirmeth that he was iustified by Christ only by Christ only iustified and by the benefite of the holy ghost acquited Wherefore before he was come to Christe the knowledge of the lawe coulde do nothing but kill him For thus he sayth but when the bountifulnes and loue of God our Sauiour towardes man appeared not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of regeneration and of the renuing of the holy ghost which he shed on vs most aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour that being iustified by his grace we might be made heyres according to the hope of eternall life But vnto that which he writeth vnto Timothe that he had from his elders serued God with a pure conscience answere may thus be made That although he had not in him his conscience accusing him yet this acquited him not from sinne For there are many and haue bene many Scribes and Pharises which being instructed with an ill conscience had an ill iudgement of the law of God They which are not well instructed in the lawe ar not sometimes reproued of their conscience whome yet Christ manifestly reproueth Wherefore when as afterward came a more sounder knowledge of the lawe by it by reason of sinne now known were they slayne Farther we must see what it is that Paul goeth about in that place to perswade vnto Timothe he sayth that he geueth thankes vnto God that without ceassing he maketh mencion of him in his prayers and desireth to see him And that he should not think that he spake this after any common maner as though he did it only to flatter him but spake not from the hart he sayth that he had neuer bene accustomed to lye And although his conscience could not reproue hym of lying yet were there a greater many other thinges which the lawe being truely knowen mought reproue in him And that he had not the perfect knowledge of the lawe hereby it is manifest for that he persecuted Christ in hys Paul before his cōuersion knew not the law perfectly church who is the ende of the lawe In which thing he did nothing agaynst his conscience for it was then in no other sort enstructed And therfore he sayth be did it through ignorance and infidelity Neither hath the law of God that power to kill through sinne but when it is perfectly known And these thinges are spoken of Paul when he was yet of the Iewishe religion And how these thinges pertayned vnto him after he knew Christ and how they pertayne to vs shall afterward be declared Howbeit in the meane time these things ought to moue vs to detest the naturall sinne grafted in vs. That sinne might be out of measure sinfull by the commaundement Here the Apostle declareth that he entreateth not only of the knowledge of sinne which is perceaued by the lawe but also of the comming of that wickednes which is wrought by taking an occasion of the law For by y◠figure Hyperbole Why the Apostle vseth the figure Prosopopeia he saith that sinne is made sinfull aboue measure And vnto sinne by a figure he fayneth a person which sinneth deceaueth and slayeth Which he therefore did for that he considered that we are slow and blockishe and vnderstand not the pernicious blot of our originall sinne But because the lattin translatiō hath aboue measure sinfull Ambrose demaundeth whether paraduenture there be any measure of sinne granted by the lawe And he answereth that there is none for the lawe condemneth all sinnes vniuersally although he confesse that there is The law cōdemneth all sinnes a certayne measure as touching the seuerity of God aboue which measure God differreth not his punishements and vengeance As it may be sayd of the Chananites There is with God a certaine measure of sinnes aboue which they are not suffered to escape vnpunished Sodoma Gomorrha and other nations whome God suffered a longe while to escape vnpunished But afterward when they exceded that measure whiche God coulde no longer suffer to excede he vtterly ertinguished and destroyed them Although some say that sinne aboue measure encreased after the law was geuen if it be compared with that tyme wherein the lawe was not For then mought haue bene pretended some ignorance but that ignorance so soone as the lawe was geuen and published was taken away But I would rather expound this by the figure Hyperbole that is vnmeasurably For when lust waxeth of force we fall into all kindes of sinnes But the kindes of sinnes can not be expressed For euen as archers but one only way hit the marke but yet infinite wayes mysse it A similitude so vertue consisting in the middest as a marke we may infinite wayes erre from it but there is but one only way to attaine vnto it That which is in the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may thus be turned in Lattin Peccatum peccator that is sinne a sinner But because that soundeth not so well it may be turned sinne out of measure vicious Aristotle in his 3. of Ethikes sayth that of extreames the one is more vitious and the other lesse The lawe is spirituall but I am carnall being sold vnder sinne Here is rendred a reason why it is not to be imputed vnto the lawe that of the knowledge thereof followeth death For saith he the lawe is spirituall but the propriety of the spirite is to geue life And this thing experience well teacheth vs. For we sée that bodyes do so long liue how long there is in
obnoxious to many troubles They added moreouer that therefore he sayth he is sold vnder sinne for that he was subiect vnto that death which had through the sinne of Adam crepte into the worlde For to be solde vnder sinne after them is to be subiecte vnto death and vnto other iniuries and troubles of this life which haue by the meanes of sinne crept into the world And by this meanes in Gods name they thought that they had excellently well interpretated Paul although they make no mencion at all of the vice of nature of the corruption of mans dispocition and of the prauity of all the partes both of the soule and of the body traduced through Adam into all his posterity But Paul far Against the Pelagians otherwise therefore saith that he was sold vnder sinne for that he did those things which he would not but those thinges which most of all he would he did not and for that when as to will was preseÌ„t with him yet he found no ability to performe that which is good and for that he fel into that infelicity which he lamented so that he felt a lawe in his members which sharpely fought agaynst the vnderstanding of the minde These sentences and causes being diligently considered it is very manifest that Paul bewayled not the death of the body or the afflictions of this life but his owne corruption which he had as wel as other men drawen from Adam Forasmuch as there are certain things which Ambrose noteth in this place which are not to be contemned it shall not be amisse here to write his iudgement First he acknowledgeth that these thinges are to be vnderstand of the lawe of Moses Farther that the lawe is therefore called spirituall for that it calleth vs backe from sinne and prohibiteth vs to geue vnto creatures that worshipping which is due vnto God only Moreouer he testefieth that we are fast bound with a double bond first by reason of Originall sinne which we haue drawen from Adam secondly by reason of infinite other sinnes which we our selues haue added He confesseth also that we are so bounde vnto sinne that we can not vse our owne power By which wordes we may gather that our frée will is not a little hindred Ambrose confesseth that free will is not a little hindâ—red The deuill mingleth himselfe with our thoughtes Farther he sayth that by reason of all these thinges it commeth to passe that the deuill mingleth himselfe with all our thoughts which he could not do but through sinne Wherefore seing that we can not discerne our owne thoughtes from those which are of the deuill offred vnto our mindes it is necessary that we oftentimes looke vpon the lawe of God Here we ought to note that Ambrose affirmeth that the deuill mingleth himselfe with our thoughtes which the Scholemen will not absolutely graunt For that which I do I know not For what I woulde that do I not but what I would not that do I. If theÌ„ I do that which I would not I consent to the lawe that it is good For that which I do I know not He now by reason he proueth yâ— he is sold vnder sinne for that he doth not those thinges which he would himselfe but is rather He which of necessitye followeth the will of an other man is a seruant bought for mony violently drawn to those things which he would not But he yâ— of necessity followeth the will of an other man and doth not his owne will vndoubtedly is in no better estate then a seruant bought for money And this is to be vnder tiranny to be led vnto those thinges which thou thy selfe in minde and in will allowest not And when he sayth that he doth not those thinges which he woulde he meaneth that will which is now by the benefite of Christ made comformable vnto the law of God which nether willeth nor not willeth any thing but so farre forth as it séeth it ether allowed or dissalowed of the lawe of God Wherefore the Apostle rightly of this concludeth that the lawe of God is good because the minde of men regenerate being now after a sort amended so iudgeth of it And wheÌ„ as he saith that he doth not those thinges which he would and imputeth not that let vnto the lawe it remaineth that that is to be ascribed vnto our lust and naturall vice which of his owne nature is euill For besides these three there is no other thing whereunto that can be imputed And he sayth that he doth not the thinges which he would for that he is not led by his iudgemente as he is regenerate but is resisting and against his will drawen backeward of lust Into this infelicity incurre we through sinne so that we ceasse to be Lords of our owne motions and workes But we were not so at the first framed This place declareth how broken and diminished our frée will is left vnto vs. For we fréely and of our owne accorde do Free will broken and diminished those thinges which in our owne iudgement we allow not Neither are we the seruauntes of sinne only touching the inferior partes of the mynde as some hold but all whole whatsoeuer we are touching nature For if there be any thing in vs which resisteth that commeth of the spirite of Christ Neither are we for any other cause sayd not to will or not to do that which we do but for that being instructed by yâ— spirite of God we determin appoint with our selues yâ— that is not to be done which we do Holy men are sometimes angrye more then they would be and speake sometymes many thinges which they would afterward were vnspoken An example Dauid in his anger sware that he would kill Naball the Carmelite with all his whole famelye But beinge admonished by the woordes of Abigail he reuoked his dangerous othe Our hart sayth Ambrose as it is cited of Augustine is not in our owne power We sometymes appoynt with our selues that we will with an attentiue hart pray vnto God but for that many thinges offer themselues vnto our thoughtes we straight way filthyly wander from our talke with God That which I do I know not That which he afterward sayth he hateth and would not he now sayth that he knoweth not But forasmuch as knowledge is of two sortes the one simple which iudgeth or determineth nothing of the thing Knowledge of two sorts knowen the other which ether alloweth or dissaloweth it Paul speaketh of this latter knowledge so that the sense is that which I do I know not that is I allow not with the full asseÌ„t of my minde Althoughe as Chrisostome admonisheth out of these wordes may be picked an other sense So great a perturbation commeth of the affects that what we do we consider not For the deceit of yâ— entisemeÌ„ts of yâ— lust is subtle great Subtle men hauing ben long time practisers of craftines although The entisements of the lust
will any thing vprightly For when he had sayd Wyth feare and tremblyng worke your saluation lest any man should thynke that he can performe thys by his owne strengthes straight way he addeth For it is God which worketh in you both to wyll and to performe And that no man should thinke that he may through his holines deserue this he addeth accordyng to hys good wyll To will is present with me Some thynke that by the nature of this worde Adiacere which is englished to be present is signified the weakenes of our wyll But I do not thynke that Paul had hereunto a regard For that euill also of lust which is mighty of force in vs is a little afterward sayd to be preseÌ„t with vs by the same word It is true in déede that these men say that the vpright purpose in vs beyng neuer so much regenerate is yet weake Which thyng although it can not sufficiently be proued by thys worde Adiacet yet is it proued by that which followeth But to do good I finde no ability For that must nedes be a weake wyll which can not burst forth into acte For this verbe Adiacere signifieth to be We are in the middest and are pricked forward both of the spirite and of the lust A sentence of the Pelagians on euery side at hande to be readye and to pricke forwarde We are in the myddest and eche part is at hand On the one side we are vrged wyth the pricke of the spirite to wyll good thinges on the other side euill is at hand wherby the good wyll is letted Augustine in hys booke de natura gratia agaynst the PelagiaÌ„s confuteth theyr error by thys place For they sayd as it is there had in the 50. and 51. chapiters If to sinne be in vs there must nedes be in our nature a possibility not to sinne And if it be in vs to sée or to hear there must néedes be in our nature a possibilitie of not seyng or not hearyng And this possibility they will haue to be so fixed vnto nature that it can not be separated from it Thys sayth Augustine mought haue after a sort some lykelihoode of truth if our nature were perfect as it was instituted of God But forasmuch as it is now maymed and weake in vs we can not be said In our corrupt nature we haue not the power not to sinne to haue naturally any possibility not to sinne For he which is whole in hys legs and feete as in hym it lyeth to walke vpryghte so in hym is a possibilitye not to halte But if thou suppose one that is now lame in hys nature is no possibility of walking vpryght Farther Augustine reproueth this sentence although it be vnderstand of nature being perfect For neyther was the possibility not to sinne geuen vnto vs at the beginnyng The power not to sinne was seperable from maÌ„ inseparable from nature For although it were in the first man yet was it separable both from hym and from hys posterity through hys fall euen as both we therof haue in very déede experience and Paul also here bewayleth the losse therof For he sayth That to wyll in dede was present wyth hym but how to do good he found no ability Where then is that possibility not to sinne Why doth not the Apostle vse it Verely of it was entreated in thys place But Paul right well saith yâ— he found no ability how to do good Augustine de nuptiis concupiscentia in his 1. boke Good is not perfectly done vnles wicked â—â—sues â—e absent the 29. and 30. chap. excellently well declareth thys place That which is good saith he is not performed vnlesse wycked desires be absent which thyng is not had in this lyfe neyther is thys fulfilled which is written Thou shalt not lust And yet is not thys precept vnprofitably set forth vnto vs to be beleued For by it we vnderstand that we ought to seeke a medicine when as we see that we are daungerously sicke of thys disease It is coÌ„maunded also that we mought know wherunto we ought in thys mortall lyfe by profiting to endeuour our selues and wherunto we shall attayne in that most blessed immortalitye For vnles it should one day be performed it shoulde not haue benâ— commaunded at all Wherfore godly men as they performe not that which is good forasmuch as they wante not euill desires so also performe they not that which is euill for that although they oftentymes We should not be commaunded not to iuste vnles it might at the â—easte way be performed in an other life fall yet the good and holy desires cease not in them wherby they resist sinne are called agayne into the ryght way For I do not the good thing which I would but the euil which I would not that do I. Now if I do that which I would not it is no more I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in me I finde then a lawe vnto me when I woulde do good for that euill is present with me For I delight in the lawe of God concerning the inner man But I fele an other lawe in my members rebelling agaynst the lawe of my mynde and leading me captiue vnto the lawe of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death I thanke God thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Then I my selfe in my mynde serue the lawe of God but in my fleshe the lawe of sinne For I do not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that do I. He before spake the selfe same sentence nowe only he addeth these two wordes good and euill which before he added not although the lattin interpreter hath added them of his owne hed Now if I do that which I woulde not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me Here endeth he the reason whereby he proued that he was sold vnder sinne for that he did not his owne will but the will of it And here in dede he mought haue made an end Howbeit it semed good vnto the holy ghost to vrge the thing more vehemently And therefore Paul tarieth the longer in this matter and more plainly openeth what he had had experience of in this strife He speaketh with great affection so that he contayneth not himselfe from cryint out wherby to bewaile yâ— misery of our conditioÌ„ And he sheweth the there is but one only There is but one way to liberty that is by Christ way of liberty and the same is through Christ Wherfore for it he geueth thanks This is the skope of the Apostle in this whole disputation to leade vs from the lawe by which we coulde not be set at liberty vnto Christ and by that meanes to proue that which he at the beginning entended namely that we can not by the lawe be iustified The thinges which are so
that it is good nowe he after a sort goeth vp one steppe higher which pertayneth only vnto the Godly For theyr will towardes the lawe is not a colde will but pleasant feruent and The will of the godly towardes the law is not cold The vngodly are not kindled with a true loue to that whiche to good The saints tooke great pleasure of the law of God vehement With great endeuor they contende that they may indéede performe that which in minde they desire But the vngodly although by a naturall light which is not vtterly extinguished in them they haue some knowledge of iustice and vertue yet are they not kindled with a true loue of things good Wherefore yâ— Apostle writeth not these things vnto theÌ„ but vnto the godly which euery moment striue against yâ— lust which is grafted in theÌ„ by nature But how great a plesure yâ— good meÌ„ take of yâ— law of God many places of yâ— scripture testefie Dauid in his 1â—9 psalme sayth Blessed are they which walk in the Law of the Lord and which seke the testemonies thereof And in his 1. psalme Blessed are they which meditate in his Law day and night And in an other place The Law of God sayth he is more precious then gold and precious stones and more swete then hony and the hony combe And other infinite such like testemonies But there is very much difference betwene the godlâ— and men straungers from Christ For the wise men amongst the Ethnikes did Difference betwene the Ethnikes and godly men put the greatest part of theyr felicity herein that they might alwayes remember the notable actes by them done But they greatly reioysed not of the knowledge of the true and perfect righteousnes bycause they perfectlye knew it not But the sayntes contrarywise alwayes cast theyr eyes vpon the Law of God and when in it they se before theyr eies drawen out the portrature of a iust man and the perfect image of God whereunto we are created they can not but wonderfully reioyce But afterward wheÌ„ they turne aside theyr eyes to their works they are excedingly sory for that they se them so much to fayle of the example set before them So paynters when they se an image excellently set forth they A similitude take therein great pleasure But when as hauing enterprised to make such an other they se that they can not attayne to that liuelines and excellency they begin to be sory and to be angry There is noted also in Pecockes the selfe same An other similitude kinde of affection for when they haue erected vp theyr fethers they delighting in the pleasant variety of the colours seme much to reioyce But agayne when they behold theyr deformed and blacke fete streight way theyr courage is deiected and they let downe theyr fethers So the godly delight in the Lawe of God and are inflamed with great loue to his commaundementes but contrariwise they lament and are sory for the filthines which they find to be in al their works Concerning the inward man Sithen Paul calleth the regenerate part of man by this name it can not be doubted but that he speaketh of the whole man For man consisteth not only of the body and of flesh but also of the soule and of that part whiche they commonlye call rationall And this whole man is called both inward outward He is called the Inward man in that he is moued by The whole man is called both inward and outward in diuerse respectes the spirite which worketh in our inwarde partes and of stony hartes maketh fleshy hartes But he is called outward in that he is taken with the delights of this world with riches honors goodly shewes and such like thinges For all these are outward thinges So the Apostle hath now proued the first part which he put forth namely That he would doo good and that he delighted in the law of God concerning the inward man Now he goeth to the other part to declare that he is agaynst his will drawen to other thinges I fele an other Lavv in my members resisting the Lavv of my mind and leding me captiue into the Lavv of sinne vvhtch is in my members This Law which he describeth is the force of sinne and of our naturall corruption He calleth it the Law of members for that before he called this whole euil the body of sinne but a body hath members Farther members in this place signifieth as I haue before admonished all the powers of the minde and all the partes of the body now contaminate with sinne The Apostles minde was to declare that this disease drawen from our birth stayeth not only in some one part of vs but persâ—th thorough out the whole man and thoroughout-all his partes Here we haue sondry Sondrye names of lawes What the law being aâ— large taken signifieth names of Lawes for hece is mencioned The Lawe of God The Lawe of the minde The Law of sinne The Law of the members And this hereof commeth for that the Law is largely taken for all that whiche gouerneth moderateth our actions And bycause our actions procede not all from one greuÌ„d thereof it commeth that there are diuers names of Lawes Although the Law of the mind and the Law of God is one and the same It is called the Law of God bicause by it is expressed the will of God And it is called the Law of the mind for that it raigneth chiefely inwardly and is most knowen in the minde The Law of sinne also and the Law of the members is one and the same It is called the Law of sinne bycause such lust is of it selfe sinne and of it selfe bringeth forth other sinnes and it is called the Lawe of the members for that it vseth all our Why sinne to adorned with the name of law partes strenths and faculties for instrumeÌ„ts Chrisostome warely admonisheth that sinne is not for any his owne dignity adorned with the name of Lawe for that commeth thorough our default for that we obey sinne as a Lawe For so Christ called Mammon Lord and Paul called the bely God Rebeâ—ling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a greate conflict betwene these two Lawes for the Law which is in my members laboureth to lede me away captiue and to make me a bondsclaue vnto the Law of sinne But if the Law of sin and the Law of the memvers be one and the same how is the one sayd to lede away a man captiue vnto the other This is not without greate consideration Lust grafted in vs impelleth vs to actual sinnes sayd For so long as lust grafted in vs which is sinne resisteth the Law of God by which Law the knowledge of the minde is enstructed it impelleth vs to many kindes of sinnes Those are commonly called actuall sinnes whereunto our lust and corrupt oâ—sposition incline vs. But this maketh vs subiect vnto the law of sinne that is vnto death for death as
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
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
vnder the law And that is it which condemneth and killeth For it vnder the payne of damnation commaundeth that we should beleue in Christ. Wherefore they which beleue not by the condemnation of the law do perishe But the propriety of the Gospell is only to make safe It mought also be somewhat more plainly aunswered The Gospell as it onely outwardly maketh a souÌ„d â–ª differreth little from the law that the Gospell so long as it doth but outwardly only make a sound neither is the holy ghost inwardly in the hartes of the hearers to moue and bowe them to beleue so long I say the Gospell hath the nature of the killyng letter neyther differeth it any thyng from the Lawe as touchyng efficacye vnto saluation For althoughe it conteyne other thynges then the Lawe dothe yet it canne neyther geue Grace nor remission of synnes vnto the hearers But after that the holy ghost hath once moued yâ— harâ—s of the hearers to beleue then at the length the Gospell obtayneth his power to make safe Wherefore the lawe of sinne â–ª and of death from which we are deliuered is it whereof before it was sayd that it leadeth vs captiâ—â—s and rebelleth against the lawe of the minde In this fight saith Chrisostome the holy ghost is present with vs and helpeth and deliuereth vs that we runne not into dammation He crâ—wneth vs saith he and furnishing vs on euery side with stayes and â—elpes bringeth vs into the battayle Which I thus vnderstand that we are counted crowned through the forgeuenes of our sinnes and holpen with succors when we are so holpen with free and gracious giftes and with the strength of the spirite and instrumente of heauenly giftes that we suffer not this lawe of naturall corruption to raigne in vs. And let this suffice as touching that euill from which we are by the spirite of Christ deliuered Now let vs declare what is the nature of this deliuery This deliuery may indede be compared with that deliuery whereby the children Our deliuery is compared with that deliuery whereby the Israelites escaped out of Egipt of Israell were deliuered out of Egipt But they were not 〈…〉 at liberty but yâ— they were with greeuous perils greate teÌ„ptacions excercised in the desert and when they were come to the land of Canaan they had alwayes remnants of the Amoritres Chittits Heuites and Cetites with whome they had continuall strife We also are so deliuered from death and sinne that yet there still remayneth no small portion of these euils But yet as Paul saith they can not hurt vs. For although it be sinne yet is it not imputed But by death our body shall so be losed and the soule shall so be seperated from it that by meanes of the holy resurrection it shall neuertheles returne againe vnto life And for that cause Paul said not simply that we are deliuered from sinne and from death but from the lawe and power of them Augustine also in his first booke and 32. chapter De Nuptijs concupisceÌ„ntia saith that this deliuery consisteth of the forgeuenes of sinnes which thing also we see happeneth in ciuill affaires For if a man being A similitude cast into prison knowing himselfe to be guilty doth waite for nothing but for yâ— sentence of death and yet through the liberallity and mercy of the king he is not only deliuered from punishment but also the king geueth vnto him greate landes and aboundance of riches and honors if we should consider in him the principall ground and cause of his deliuery we shall finde that it consisteth in the forgeuenes of his crime and offence For what had it profited him so to be enriched if he should straight way haue bene put to death So although by the benefite of the spirite we haue our strengthes renewed and the power or faculty to beginne an obedience forasmuch as by all these thinges the lawe of God can not be satisfied we could neuer be iustified vnles we had first remission of our sinnes For we should still be vnder condemnation and should be vnder the power of sinne and of death And when Paul vseth this word law he speaketh metaphorically For by the lawe he vnderstandeth force and efficacy And he attributeth it vnto sundry This word law is here taken Metaphoricallye thinges vnto sinne vnto death and vnto the spirite and if there be any other thing which hath the authority of ruling and gouerning the same may be called the lawe of him whome it gouerneth and ruleth But as we haue already sufficiently tought when we heare of this word lawe no man ought to thinke that here is spoken of the lawe of Moses And thus much as touching the maner of this deliuery But in this place therecommeth to my remembrance a sentence of Chrisostome in his homely de sancto adorando spiritu wherein he admonisheth that this is an apt place to proue the deuinity of the holy ghost For if the holy ghost be the author of our liberty then it behoueth him to be most frée And that A place to proue the diuinitye of the holy Ghost he is the author of our liberty not only this place declareth but also that place wherein it is written Where the spirite of the Lord is there is liberty But Arrius Eunomius and other such like pestiferous men would haue the holy ghost to be a seruaunt For they in the holy Trinity put a greate difference of persones for the sonne they sayde was a creature and for that cause farre inferior vnto the father but the holye Ghoste they affirmed to bée the minister and seruaunte of the sonne But if he bée a seruaunte howe then can hée bée vnto others the author of libertye He hath indéede other argumentes out of the holy scriptures whereby he confuteth the Arryans but it sufficeth me to haue rehearsed thys one argumente onely because it serueth somewhat for this place Now let vs se who they be that are partakers of this deliuery For Paul doth not superfluously entreate thereof For when he had taught that this libertye commeth of the spirite of Christe althoughe it be the true and principall cause yet bycause it is oftentimes hid nether can it be seene of other men therefore Paul turneth himselfe vnto the effects as vnto thinges more euident For there are many oftentimes which boast of the spirite and of faith which yet are most farre from them and remayne vnder damnation This selfe same maner shall Christ obserue in the last iudgement He shall first say Come ye blessed of my Father receaue ye the kingdome prepared for you froÌ„ the beginning of the world By these wordes is expressed the chiefe and principall cause of our saluatioÌ„ namely yâ— we are elected of God predestinate But bycause this cause is hiddeÌ„ from the eyes The proue by the effectes declareth who are the elect of God of men to the end they might seme true heyres of the
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
eate the signes of this sacrament which signes are called by the name of the things signified And when we heare the fathers speake of the true flesh and body and bloud of Christ which we eate in the Eucharist if we looke vpon theyr natural and proper sence we shall se that they had to do agaynst those heretickes which denyed that Christ verely tooke humane flesh and affirmed that he semed to be a man onelye by a phantasye and certayne outward appearance And if it were so then as those Fathers very well sayd our sacramentes should be in vaine For the bodye and bloude of Christ should be falsely signified vnto vs if they had neuer beinge in Christe Wherefore throughe our spirite whereby our minde eateth when we communicate our body also is renued to be an apte instrument of the holyghost wherby vnto it by the promise of God is due eternall life And euen as the vine tree being planted into the earth when his time coÌ„meth waxeth grene and buddeth forth so our dead karkases being buried in the ground shal at the hour appoynted A similitude by Christ be raysed vp to glory And if in case the absolute whole and necessary cause of our resurrection should as these men would haue it be that eatinge It is proued that the reall eating of the fleshe of Christ is not the cause of the resurrectioÌ„ of the flesh of Christ which they fayne is in the Eucharist really and corporally receaued of vs what should then become of the Fathers of the old Testament which could not eate it after that maner when as Christ had not yet put on humane nature But peraduenture they wil say that they speake not of them but of vs only For we can not rise agayne vnles we eate the flesh of the Lord for Christ instituted thys sacrament for vs and not for then But doo not these men perceaue that in this theyr so saying they now alter the cause of the resurrectioÌ„ But by what authority or by whose permission or commaundement they doo yâ— let theÌ„ consider For yâ— which is vnto one people the cause of resurrection how What shall become of our infaÌ„ts should not the same be so also vnto an other But to graunt them this what in Gods name will they say touchinge infantes which dye in theyr infancy before they receaue the sacrament of the Eucharist Seing they confesse that they shall be raysed vp to glory euen hereby at the least way they may vnderstand that the corporall eating of the flesh of Christ is not so necessary vnto the resurrection but the spirituall eating is altogether necessary as without whiche no man can arise agayne to saluation For Christ expressedly saith Vnles ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall not haue life in you Shall also quicken your mortall bodies This he therefore speaketh for that through the spirite that dwelleth in vs we are now made yâ— members of Christ But it is not a thing semely that the hed should liue and the members be dead He sayth mortall bodies bycause so long as we liue here we cary about death together with vs but then shall God change the nature of our bodies But so often as we heare yâ— our bodies are called mortall let vs call to mind sinne for by it are we made obnoxious vnto death Chrisostome hath very warely admonished vs that we should not by reason of these wordes of Paul imagine that the Here is not spoken of euery resurrectioÌ„ from the dead but onely of the wicked for yâ— they want the spirite of Christ shall not be raysed vp froÌ„ the dead For here is not entreated of euery resurrection but onely of the healthfull and blessed resurrection For the life of the damned shall be euerlasting misery wherfore it is rather to be called death then lyfe For theyr worme shall not dye and healthfull resurrectioÌ„ theyr fyre shall not be quenched Therefore brethern we are debters not to the flesh to liue after the flesh For if ye liue after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye mortefye the deedes of the flesh by the Spirite ye shall liue For as many as are led by the Spirite of God are the sonnes of God For ye haue not receaued the spirite of bondage to feare agayne But ye haue receaued the spirite of adoption whereby we cry Abba father VVe are debters not vnto the flesh to liue according to the flesh Here he setteth forth a most swete exhortation to moue vs to liue according to the spirite and not according to the flesh And to declare that we are vtterly bound so to Wherof our boâ—d to liue vprightly springeth doo he taketh a reasoÌ„ from that which is iust and honest Seing we are debters it behoueth that we faythfully pay our debts And this debt springeth of those benefites which God hath bestowed vpon vs which we haue before made mencion of namely for that Christ hath dyed for vs for yâ— he hath geuen vnto vs his spirite whereby we are deliuered from condemnation from the Law of sinne and of death and whereby the righteousnes of the Law is fullfilled in vs and we are made pertakers both of the death of Christ and of the blessed resurrectioÌ„ Herefore it is that we are bound not to liue any more according to the flesh To haue made this sentence perfect Paul should haue added but according to the spirite But he suppressed thys part of the Antithesis for that it is by the other part sufficiently vnderstand For these are of the nature of those kindes of opposites or contraries that the one geuing place the other streight way succedeth Here Chrisostome noteth that God freelye and of his owne accord geueth vnto vs all those good thynges which he bestoweth vpon vs but we contrarywyse whatsoeuer we doo vnto God we do the same of dewty For we are bouÌ„d to doo it And if yâ— case be so as is in very dede where are theÌ„ become works of supererogatioÌ„ For let yâ— aduersaries Against workes of supererogation We owe much vnto the nature or substance of the flesh Here is not spoken of the substaÌ„ce of the flesh but of the corruption of nature The necessity of good woorkes answere me whether those workes be according to yâ— flesh or according to yâ— spirite If according to the flesh then are they sins but if according to yâ— spirite we owe theÌ„ of duety Neither doth Paul here mean that we owe nothing vnto the fleshe for we ought vndoubtedly to féede it and to cloth it and that not only as touching our selues but also as touching our neighbours if they haue nede But here is not entreated of the substance of the fleshe but only of the corruption whereby we are drawen vnto sinne For vnto it we in such sort owe nothing but mortification as Paul will straight way declare And when he saith that we are not
faith and of hope the holy ghost is present with vs when the godly grone and crye and that they are in daunger that nature should ouercome hope and faith he is redy at hand and refresheth their mindes and bringeth so much consolation as the waight of the affliction was as Paul in his first chapter of the latter epistle vnto the Corrinthians saith Euen as the afflictions of Christ abound in vs so also through Christ aboundeth our consolation By these our infirmities which the holy ghost helpeth Paul vnderstandeth the weakenes of our naturall strengthes which of themselues are not equall vnto the grieues and aduersities wherewith the faithfull are continually What the helpe of the spirite is vexed But the helpe of the spirite is nothinge els but a certayne inwarde and hidden strength whereby our mindes are confirmed not to geue ouer in temptacions Augustine in his 19. booke De Ciuitate Dei the 4. chapter excellently The end of good â—ueâ— after the Christans declareth how Christian hope is caried vnto those good thinges which can not be séene For if thou demaund saith he of a man endued wyth fayth what ende he appoynteth of hys good or euyll deedes he wyll answere eternall lyfe and eternall death These things can not be sene neither be vnderstand of humaine reason and therfore the wise men of the Ethnikes being puffed vp with pride would not put their hope in them Wherefore some held that the endes of good thinges are the The endes which the Ethnikes appoynted good thinges of the minde some the good thinges of the body some vertue some pleasure some both ioyned together But God derided them and saw how vaine their thoughtes were For they chose rather to counte those thinges for the chiefe good thinges which are enterlaced with many miseries and calamityes then to receaue those sincere found and most firme thinges which are by the word of God set forth For who can exactly declare vnto how miserable and horrible calamities The â—â—els whereunto we are in this life obnoxious can not be tolde our body is obnoxious It is sicke it is wounded it is dissolued it is made crooked it is torne it is maymed men oftentimes become blind oftentimes deaffe and as touching the minde men are oftentimes madde and in a phrensy neither attaine they to the truth without mixture of many errors which are euen most diligent searchers out thereof How could the Ethnikes boast of vertues as the The morall verâ—ues are witnesses of our calamities chiefe good thinges when as they are vnto vs witnesses of our calamities To what thing serueth temperance which is therefore geuen that dronkennes glotony lustes and filthy and corrupt motions of the minde should be bridled For these thinges declare that it hath no place but in mindes still obnoxious vnto such corruption which corruption how much the more it is inward so much the more miserable maketh it vs and as a domesticall enemy rangeth abroade in the entrailes of our hartes These affectes saith Augustine are vices for as Paul sayth they hynder vs from doyng those thynges which we would Farther what is the office of prudence but to prouide that we should not through error be deceaued in chusing of good thinges and auoyding of euill thinges Vndoubtedly if we were not wrapped with errors and darkenes this remedy should not haue neded but forasmuch as we nede it it declareth that men are not yet in happy estate but are wrapped with great and gréeuous errors vnles prudence some way helpe Iustice also whereby is rendred vnto euery man that which is his is for no other cause necessary but to restraine thefts extorcions and violences Neither can it so thoroughly exercise his office amongst men but that good and godly men oftentimes suffer many thinges filthyly and vniustly Now what shall we say of fortitude It armeth men patiently to suffer sorrowes dangers torments and finally death it selfe if nede require Amongst these so great euils those wise appointed the chief goodnes which euils yet they sayd mought somtymes be in such sort encreased Some thought that a man mought kill himselfe by reason of the too great burthen of calamities that a man mought therefore kill himselfe O blessed lyfe crieth Augustine which to come to an ende seketh the helpe of death For if it be blessed why do they breake it in sonder and flye it But if it be miserable why do they put in it the chiefe goodnes So were they derided of God for that they contemned hope which is neither sene nor by humane reason vnderstand And because when they heard it preached out of the word of God they derided it therefore God by his heaueÌ„ly doctrine condemned them as fooles and men worthy to be made a laughing stocke The reason of Paul to returne to it againe is this hope is of thinges absent and of those things which are not sene but by hope we are made safe Wherefore our saluation is not yet sene nor by humane reason vnderstanded yea rather vnto vs are offred The things which are offred in this life seeme to bâ— contrary vnto our saluation The precept touchinge hope is not a thing indifferent all thinges contrary vnto our saluation and plainely repugnant vnto it For we are infected with corrupt affectes we are assaulted with temptacions we are exercised with sorrowes and vexations so that if we should leane vnto natural reason we should be much rather counted vnhappy then blessed And yet notwithstanding if we will geue credite vnto the commaundementes of God we must valiaÌ„tly hope in the middest of these euils For it is not frée for a man to hope or not to hope for the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of hope bindeth all men vniuersally For euen as we are commaunded to worshippe God as true and constant in his promises so also are we commaunded to hope in him For Dauid sayth Sacrifice the sacrifice of righteousnes and hope in the Lord. And Ose saith Hope in God at all tymes And Peter Hope in that grace which is offred And let no man make an excuse that hys ill lyfe Sinnes ought not to be a let vnto hope past and sinnes committed let hym that he can not hope for the precept of God hath not thys conditioÌ„ annexed vnto it And although it had yet should it be taken as a condition pertaynynge vnto the law whiche byndeth not vs that are vnder the Gospell we must rather haue a respect vnto the promise of the Gospell which sheweth that we shall haue felicity geuen vs for Christes sake and that fréely For the Apostle when he had said The stipend of sinne is death straight way added But grace is eternall life Such a promise doth faith appreheÌ„d so deliuereth it ouer vnto hope to waite for it Wherfore hope ought not to adde any coÌ„ditioÌ„s vnto it wheÌ„ as it receiued none of faith whatsoeuer yâ— master of yâ— senteÌ„ces writeth touching The master
of the Sentences confuted this matter For I know yâ— he in his 3. booke teacheth yâ— our hope leneth not only vnto yâ— mercy of God but also vnto our merites And therefore saith he to hope without merites is no hope but a presumption Thys sentence is not to be receaued For it addeth vnto hope a condition when as fayth without any condition apprehendeth that which is to be hoped for out of the word of God Farther when a these or any other wicked man is sodenly conuerted vnto God hath he not hope Vndoubtedly he hath for if he dispaired of saluation he would not fly vnto Christ And how can any man say that such a hope leneth to any merites when as he hath alwayes before liued wickedly But as we haue before sayd these men thinke they haue here a trimme place of refuge if they answere that thys hope of a man namely conuerted vnto Christ dependeth of merites not in dede past but to come newely that he hopeth he shal obteyne the rewardes of felicity when he hath done workes which he trusteth to doo But here they committe a double fault first bycause if he which is conuerted vnto Christ doo hope that by merites he shall haue eternal life he hath no true hope for he resisteth the true fayth For it apprehendeth the chiefe felicity offred frely Secondly vnawares they auouch that yâ— which hath not as yet his being is the cause of yâ— vertue which in acte and very dede they confesse to be in the minde of the repentaÌ„t And if they meane that he hopeth for felicitie when he hath liued well but yet in such sort that he hath no confidence that he caÌ„ by committing of sinne attaine Workes ar not the cause of hope vnto it then speake they no other thing then we do But so are not workes the cause of hope but light betwene it and the laste end as certayne meanes and first beginnings of felicity that men forasmuch as they hope that eternall blessednes shal be geuen vnto them freelye shoulde also hope that God if they liue wyll freely also geue vnto them good workes For the holy scripture teacheth â—arre otherwise then do these men For Dauid when he sayd If thou Lord shalt loke streightly vnto iniquities who shall be able to abide it And when he saw that the sinnes wherewith our workes are contaminated auocate vs from hope added The cause of our hope My soul hath hoped in his word And by the word he vnderstandeth the promise of which promise he rendreth a cause Bycause with the Lorde is mercye and with hym is plentifull redemption These are the true and proper causes of our hope The promise of God and his aboundant mercy The same Dauid in an other place sayth Why art thou sad o my soule and why dost thou trouble me Hope in God for I will still confesse vnto hym Here some obiect that we ar not iustified by fayth only for Paul sayth that we are saued by hope But these men ought to haue considered that the Apostle in this place entreateth not of Iustification For touching We are saued by hope but we are not iustified by it it he before wrote that by fayth the spirite we are deliuered from the lawe of sinne and of death and adopted into sonnes and heyres and made the fellow heyres of Christ But here he speaketh of the perfect redemption which is still to be wayted for This we also confesse to be holdeÌ„ by hope when yet notwithstanding we haue alredy by fayth obteyned iustification and remission of sinnes Farther I haue oftentimes admonished that when the scripture semeth to attribute iustification ether vnto hope or vnto charity or vnto our woorkes those places are so to be vnderstanded that iustification is there taught not by the causes but by the effectes And we ought to vnderstand that whatsoeuer is The consideration of iustification is sometymes declared by the causes and sometimes by the effectes attributed vnto works the same is wholy done by reason of fayth which is annexed vnto them Wherefore as in a wall we haue a consideration vnto the fouÌ„dation and in the fruites of trées to the roote so whatsoeuer semeth at the first sight to be ascribed vnto works is to be assigned vnto faith as vnto the mother of all good workes Which thinge Augustine hath in many places excellentlye taught Others to proue that hope depeÌ„deth of our workes cite that which Paul before sayd Tribulation worketh patience patience worketh experience and experience hope Here say they it is playne that of patience springeth hope I heare in dede the wordes of Paul but I doo not by them acknowledge that patience is the cause of hope For first it is playne inough to him that will consider it that Paul in thys connexion compareth not causes with effectes For who will say that tribulation is the cause of patience For it bringeth many to desperation and to horrible blasphemies But those thinges which Paul knitteth together in this chayne are instruments by which the holy ghost vseth to stir vp in vs these vertues But graunt that there be some consideratioÌ„ of cause betwene these things yet should it not thereof follow that patience is the cause of hope but contrariwise Patience springeth of hope that hope is the cause of patience For no man with a quiet mind patiently suffereth any thing vnles by that patience he hope to attayne vnto some thing Vndoubtedly Martirs are by hope confirmed in theyr tormentes patiently to beare them And the marchant if he had not a hope to gayn would kepe himselfe at home nether would he wander about the world And the shipmaster vnles he hoped that he could ariue at the porte would not lose out into the depe nether striue agaynst the windes and waues I confesse in dede that here is somewhat encreased by patience For when we se that vnto vs is geuen of Christ for hys Hope is somewhat encreased by patience sake with a quiet minde to suffer many thinges we more and more haue confidence that those thinges also which are remayning and which we wayte for shall one day be geuen vs. But to beleue that hope wholy dependeth of patience I can not be perswaded For as we haue before sayd by hope rather we come vnto patience And in very dede the holy ghost is the author and cause of these vertues And he goeth orderly to worke of one to produce an other Agaynst this certainty which we sayd dependeth of yâ— promise of God Pighius vseth trifling reasons that the promises are generall nether is in them mencion made either of me or of thee and therefore there is still remayning a doubt when we must discend to the application of these promises Thys man semeth to me to make the promises of God to hange in the ayre when as he will haue them to be so Euery faithfull man knoweth that the promises ar properly
which diuision he A distinctiō of righteousnes maketh mencion also in an other place For in the thirde chapter he speaketh of the one parte when he saith The righteousnes of God is reuealed by fayth And in the same place of Abraham he writeth And if he were iustified by woorkes he hath wherof to glory but not before God And vnto the Phillippians in the thirde chapter when he saith That I may be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnes which is of the law but the righteousnes of God And the Apostle when he would declare the ignoraunce wherewith the Iewes were enfected the more to lay the haynousnes thereof before theyr eyes saith that they had erred in y◠thing which is the chiefest in mās life namely in that righteousnes which hath saluation and felicity ioyned with it they had no vpright iudgement of the ends of good and euill nor also of the The Iews erred touchyng the chiefe good thyng What our righteousnes is fountaine of all piety And of this thing were the Iewes ignorant who aboue all other nations séemed to haue a care of religion Wherefore he deuideth righteousnes into two partes whiche thing they could not do and by our righteousnesse he meaneth that righteousnes which is gottē by works And that righteousnes may be considered two wayes either as it goeth before regeneration or as it followeth it of which partes onely the first maketh to the purpose For this place can not be vnderstanded of woorkes whiche follow regeneration for Paul dealeth againste Our righteousnes is of two sortes The good workes of the faithful are both imperfect and also do follow iustification What is the righteousnes of God Definition of sinne What is to be absolued from sinne Absolution taketh not away the defect Definition of absolutiō those which reiected Christ And y◠righteousnes which was allowed of the Iewes before faith for that it was no rightousnes coulde not stande before God For that can not be cōstituted or stablished which is nothing But that righteousnes which followeth faith may indéede after a sorte be established for that it pleaseth God howbeit it is such that by it we cannot be iustified both bicause it is vnperfect and also for that it followeth iustification Now resteth to sée what is the righteousnes of God And it may thus be defined that it is an absolution from sinnes by fayth through Christ And that we may the better vnderstand the nature of this absolution we muste on the other side weigh the nature of sinne for this being knowne we shall the eassier know what it is to be absolued from it Sinne is a defect or falling away from the law and will of God which ought to be the rule both of vs of all our doings and to this defecte is necessarilye annexed an obligation to eternall death and damnation Wherefore when by the mercy of God this obligation and guiltines is taken away a man is absolued from sinnes For the defect is not takē away for there abideth in vs an infirmity and therfore our actions alwaies want of that perfection whiche they oughte to haue And it is not possible but that the thinges which we haue already committed haue theyr defect or want Wherefore God when he forgeueth sinne taketh away the obligatiō wherby we were bound vnder the curse Now by these thinges it is manifest what absolution is namely an action of God whereby he so deliuereth and acquiteth vs not indéede from the discommodities of this life but from sinnes that is from guiltines and obligation vnto eternall death But that we should not thinke that so greate a benefite commeth thorough our desert therfore there is added thorow Christ. For him as an instrument doth God vse to this deliuery of ours And that we shoulde not be ignorant how the sacrifice and redemption of Christ is applied vnto euery one of vs it is added by faith This definition is a great helpe to the right vnderstanding of iustification The righteousnesse wherby we are iustified is without vs. The righteousnes of God cannot properly be called ours The righteousnesse which followeth regeneration may be called both oures the rightousnes of God We are not iustified by faith as it is a worke This righteousnes Paul saith is the righteousnes of God And if thou demaund whether it may be called ours I aunswere that properlye it cannot be called ours forasmuch as it is without vs. For it is an action of the will of God the respecte whereof although it be directed vnto vs yet is it not in vs. And if at anye time it be called ours that is by a figuratiue speach namely ether because that we haue the fruicion thereof or for that we by faith whiche is in vs embrace it But the righteousnes whiche followeth regeneration may be called both ours and the righteousnes of God Of God because it is done by his spirite and grace which he geueth vnto vs in regeneration for by it we are impelled to leade a godly and holy life and to attaine to true vertues It is also called ours because our strengths being renued we woorke together to the attaining vnto it and it is done in vs and resteth in our hartes But if thou say that forasmuche as the righteousnes of God is applied vnto vs by faith we séeme to woorke together to the obteining therof We aunswere that faith indéede is a worke wherby in the minde we geue assent vnto the wordes of God but we are not vy the merite and worthines of this work absolued from sinne for that commeth of the clemency of God and force of his promise which by faith we embrace Wherfore when the scripture sayth that we are iustified by faith as soone as we heare the name of fayth we must straighte waye haue a consideration vnto the obiect or correlatiue thereof namely vnto the mercy of God and promise thorow Christ By these thinges let vs gather that this righteousnes of God is most farre distant from the righteousnes which is knowne by nature for neither reason nor Philosophy knoweth anye other righteousnesse but that which hath his abiding in the minde Not that they were ignorante of absolution The righteousnes of God is not knowen by nature or of the pacifieng of God for that thing did theyr sacrifices testifie whiche doubtles tended to other ende but they called not that pacifienge of God our righteousnes neither euer vnderstoode they the true pacefieng of God nor in whom it consisted But why the righteousnes of works is called ours Chrisostome saith that the cause thereof is for that it dependeth of our workes neither wayteth it for the helpe of God but the other righteousnes is called the righteousnes of God for that it vtterly dependeth of grace and commeth without our labour He moreouer noteth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which signifieth to establish and that Paul by that word mēt to declare the vnstablenes
to fall into pouerty or into the death of the body â—uen the Ethnike vnderstoode the truth of this matter Pallas in Sophocles shew 〈…〉 h how that Aliax being in a greate rage agaynst Vlisses was so farre besides him selfe that he slew oxen shepe and such like cattayle in stede of the â—recians and also in stede of AgameÌ„non Menelaus and of Vlisses and in this sorte sayth he 〈…〉 s he smitten of God bycause of his blasphemy But the holy scripture where 〈…〉 e cleaue teach this thing also in other places most manifestly He deliuered them vp sayth Paul into a reprobate sence he hath mercy on whome he wil and whome â—e will he hardneth It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that 〈…〉 h mercy Esau was bated Ismaell was not counted for the sede Pharao was hardned The â—â—tter maketh vessels some to honor and some to contumely Yea Rabby Kimby saw this and sayth that of the sonnes of Hely the priesâ— it is sayd that they harkned noâ— vnto theyr father for that God would slay theÌ„ And king Roboam harkned not vnto yâ— people for that God was agaynst him as he had foretold by Ahiam the Silomite Moreouer although these thinges should be spoken by the future tempse of the indicatiue mode yet for all that is not the minde quieted for if in seing they shal â—e and shall not vnderstand and if in hearing they shall heare and not know it may be enquired what is the efficient cause of this excecation Men eschew to â—ay that God is the cause for that they haue theyr eyes drowned in the fleshe and are aferd leste they shoulde make God a sinner For they can not seduce make blind or impell others vnto sinne vnles they themselues should sin they thinke yâ— we should so imagine of god if we should so make answer But an argument taken a simili the is of the like in these matters is daÌ„gerous wheÌ„ we traÌ„sferre vnto God things pertaining vnto vs. The deuil which is the father of Sophisters after that sort reasoneth a simili wheÌ„ he transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light and a simili seketh to deceaue vs to the end we should worship him Aben Esra affirmeth that the Prophet had not the power to make blinde The Prophet could not make blinde but the word of God the burning cole that was taken out of the alter had this power and doubtles that this should come to passe by the power of the word the Prophet before saw For when the Seraphines cried the thresholdes and poffes of the temple were moued to declare that the wordes of God pronounced by his Angels by the Prophetes I say and the Apostles should so irritate and moue the Iewes vnto impiety and hatred of God that at the last by his iust iudgement they should be caried away out of their owne land into captiuity and be despersed abroade Moreouer yâ— house was filled with smoke wherewith God punisheth vs not by sins vâ—les sinne haue bene before committed the Iewes were made blind Wherefore let this be a sure and a constant doctrine that God punisheth not men by sinne vnles before by them hath bene committed some sinne deseruing the same and contrariwise that no man is saued but through his rich and plentifull mercy which also shineth forth euen when men are in such sort iustly punished For when it is sayd that hearing they heare not thereby is declared that the power of hearing is not taken away from them but rather that the word of GOD is aboundantly offred vnto them There were also miracles shewed vnto theÌ„ which they mought haue sene and in their hart was grafted some light and iudgement of conscience which thinges who will euer deny but that they are singular giftes of God But thou wilt say they profited them not I graunt that also but yet are not these things therefore to be depriued of their dignity and of their dew prayse If a wound were to the death and yet notwithstanding vnto it be laid good playsters and oyntmeÌ„ts which nothing preuaile should therefore those playsters and oyntments be depriued of their valew and strength Who euer doubted but that the gracious gifts which serued to worke miracles are the giftes of God and those most excellent although sometimes they nothing profited them that had them And we may yet more plainly in them sée the plentifulnes of the goodnes of God if we consider wel the Hebrew phrase For as often as a verbe is put before and thereunto is added A certayne Hebrue phrase declared an infinitiue moode the same verbe which we turne by yâ— Gerunde thereby is signified an often and vehement action Wherefore in hearing to heare is oftentimes to heare and that not after a common sort In séeing to sée is both oftentimes to sée and also to behold excellent and wonderfull thinges What other thing els was this then as it is sayd of Tantalus to dye for thirst being vp to the chine in water â–ª and to starue for hunger hauing all kinds of delicate meates before him So did God punish the Iewes that in so great an aboundance of spirituall giftes they are smitten with an extreme blindnes and madnes They werâ— â–ª wicked and therefore they were iustly smitten of God with these plages when as dayly they were made an earth more ful of stones ouergrowen with thornes a way ouertroden to much worne so yâ— the séede of God fell amongst theÌ„ without fruit They which sinne against yâ— holy ghost are punished with his horrible blindnes Neither is this sentence now alleadged any thing hindred by that which was obiected that some will say let vs commit sinnes seing that God semeth to commaund them for whosoeuer pretendeth this let him looke vpon the lawe of God set forth vnto all men and there let him diligently serch whether that he can find that God hath commaunded any thing that is sinne Wherefore our part is to obey the law of God and not to haue a regard vnto his hidden will God say they would haue all men to be saued I deny not this For in the promises I heare of none that are by name excluded they are generally both set forth and preached God in his lawe commaundeth not sinnes vnto all men Wherefore as farre as appeareth by them he would haue all men to be saued Which sentence may also be expounded as we haue before many times interpreted it And that which is written in Ezechiell I will not the death of a sinner is both true and maketh nothing against vs. For if thou speake of a sinner that abideth in his sinne and alloweth his wickednes his death he willeth for by his lawes he commaundeth him to be punished and he condemneth him to hell fire and vtter destruction But if thou speake of a sinner which is sory for his sinnes which repenteth and which detesteth his sinnes his death
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
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
our old man is crucified with Christ that the body of sinne should be abolished In which place is vsed The body of sinne the Hebrew phrase For it is sayd The body of sinne in stede of the body obnoxious to sinne But he more manifestly by the name of body vnderstandeth the whole man when he thus writeth Let not sinne raigne in your mortall body For he ment yâ— sinne ought to be prohibited not only from the body but also from the mind and from the whole man And the same thing he ment when he wrote in the seuenth chapiter Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death For he desired not so greately to be deliuered from the nature of the body For in an other place he sayth We desire not to be spoyled of that we haue but to be adorned a new Wherfore he desired that he might at the length be deliuered from corrupt affects and motions both of the soule and of the body Hereto also tendeth that which is written in the first to the Corinthians I chastice my body and doo bring it into bondage For there is chiefely entreated of the mortification of affects and not only of the outward tormenting of the body If we so vnderstand the matter the sacrifice shal be ful and perfect For by this meanes as we haue receaued all whole of God As we receiue all whole of god to haue our being â–ª so agaâ—ne let vs render al whole vnto him An error of Plato so in the other side we shall render all whole vnto God Which thing as it semeth they of Platoes sect rightly vnderstoode not For they as farre as may be gathered out of â—imeus were of this opinion that the minde onely and reason are immediatly geuen of God For they held that the substance of the body is drawen of the elementes but the temperature which they call the complexion they sayd is draweÌ„ of the celestiall spheares and the affectes and grosser partes of the soule is drawen of Deuils And therfore they taught that the mind and reason ought to be rendred vnto God But we know that the whole maÌ„ is formed of God and therfore ought he all whole to be rendred vnto him And if we be now grafted into Christ haue geuen our selues all whole into the possession of God we ought perpetually to offer vp our selues all whole vnto him This selfe thing Paul before touched in the sixt chapter when he thus wrote Geue not your members as weapons of iniquitie vnto sinne but geue your selues vnto God as they that are on liue from the dead and geue your members as weapons of righteousnes vnto God Which thing vnles we do we incurre A man to withdraw himselfe froÌ„ God is sacriledge into the most greuous crime of sacriledge For when we withdraw our selues froÌ„ God we take away from him a thing most excellent that thing I say which of all sacrifices is vnto him most acceptable A liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God If Christ would for our sakes be made an oblatioÌ„ it ought not to seme greuous to any of vs if we on the other side be made oblations be sacrificed vnto God For hereto are we predestinated He is not a good christian which refuseth to take vpon him the condition of his head to be made like vnto the image of the Sonne of God And euen as he is not a good citezin which cannot be content with the common condition of other citezens so or rather much les is he to be counted for a good Christian which refuseth to take vpon him the condition of his head or first borne brother As touching the name of a sacrifice or oblatioÌ„ in latten called hostia or victima we ought to know that either of these woordes is deriued of the victory gotten of enemies For those verses of Ouid are commonly knowne of all men Wherof these words hostia and victima ar deriued Victima quae dextra cecidit victrice vocatur Hostibus a domitis hostia nomen habet That is Victima of hym that ouercommeth takth his name And Hostia of enmies ouercome doth take the same Wherfore seyng that by Christ is now gotten the victory whereby he hath set vs being now redéemed by his bloud at libertie we ought by good right to offer vp our selues as sacrifices vnto him to yâ— end to geue thanks vnto him for so great a benefite And that we should not erre in this sacrifices Paul here diligentlye describeth the proprieties of a Christian sacrifice For so it was in the olde lawe expressedlye commaunded what faultes shoulde be taken héede of in chusinge of Sacrifices And doubtles godlye men had at that tyme a greate care not to offend that way And in Malachy the Prophet God gréeuously complayneth of the couetous and vngodly which wheÌ„ as they had in their heards and flockes whole faâ— and strong cattaile would notwithstanding sacrifice weake leane and disseased cattayle wherfore the Apostle willeth vs that it be a liuely sacrifice For dead sacrifices please not God And in the old lawe if a man had touched a dead carkayse he was made vncleane wherfore we ought to take hede that our bodies be not subiect vnto sinnes For they which are so as sayth Ambrose are vtterlye addicted vnto death Those are called liuing things which are moued of theÌ„ selues namely of a beginning within them and are not driuen of any outwarde force which they called violent force by which motion wood stones and yron are moued hither and hither Wherfore we ought to be the sacrifices of GOD not by force but from the hart and willingly A consideration also is to be had to that wherby we are stirred vp to worke And we must in any wise beware that that ground be not euill suche as is theyrs whiche are moued only by the lustes of the fleshe or by humane reason or by the impulsion of the deuill to doo those thinges which they do Those bodys which are in very déede liuing before God are moued by the spirite of God and therefore they can not lye weltring in idlenes Then vndoubtedly do Christians liue when they alwayes diligentlye do those things which may both please God and aduaunce eyther our saluation or the saluation of others For they which liue idly are not worthy to be sacrificed vnto God For idlenes séemeth to be a certayne participation of death Therfore Seneca when he passed thorough a village longing to one called Vatia a man full of idlenes Idlenes is an image of death and geuen to pleasures Here sayde he lyeth Vacia signifying therby that such may séeme not only to be dead but also to be buried Wherfore let the sacrifice be liuing and chearefully moue it self to those things which please God And where hense this life hath his beginning Paul teacheth to the Galathians In that sayth he I liue in the fleshe I liue in
obiecte vnto vs the Gospell younge menne whyche are studious of the Gospel yea euen theyr own senses and humane reason cryeth agaynst them saying are ye not ashamed of thys new doctrine Are ye so blynde that ye see not that by thys meanes good workes are condemned the worshipping of God perisheth the minstery of the church is troden vnder foote the dignity of priesthode is abiected ecclesiasticall riches are vtterly spoyled what patrones or supporters of learned men shall ye haue hereafter Did your elders which went before you both in thys Mecoenate◠vniuersity and in others being both doctors notable men follow these steps Vnto these men also ought we to aunswere we are not ashamed of the Gospell howsoeuer you speake ill of it If so be they wil say we haue the Gospell yours A collatio◠of the doctrine of the Papistes of the Gospell is a new doctrine Let vs answere them agayne In such sort is that the Gospel which ye haue as that is the Gospell to set forth fayned worshippinges of god casting away and dispising the sincere worshipping described vnto vs of God as it is to worshippe stockes and images as is to obtrude vowes whereby such men are drawen away from matrimony which aboue others haue most neede therof as is to go on pilgrimages vnto Images to worshippe the bones of Saynctes to inuocate the dead and an infinite number of such other like Wherefore ye ought to be ashamed of your doctrine and not we of the Gospell of Christ Let it be diligētly examined what we by the same gospel iudge of the What maner of doctrine ours is honour of god We attribute all thinges vnto hym only we wil in all thinges depend of hym only Farther see what our iudgement is concerning the worshippyng of hym We desire to retayne the same pure and holy as it is delyuered vs in the holy scriptures What do we thinke of good works we vrge them continually and requyre to haue them done of vs so perfectly that we thinke alwayes that something remayneth not perfectly done of vs vnto whiche we should leuel and whereunto we ought to direct all our endeuors What iudge we as concerning the holy ministery we trauayle to haue it to be in great estimation as by which God worketh our saluacion What of Sacraments That they should be kept pure and vndefyled and be reduced vnto that vse whereunto Christ instituted them What iudge we of magistrates that they should be obeyed and that we should be subiecte vnto them in all thinges so that they commaund nothing agaynst the word of God What of poore and miserable men that we should helpe and relieue them What of publike peace and tranquillity That it be kept yea euen with the los of our goods What of sciences and good learning That they should be mayntained and aduaunced Why do ye obiect auncientnes vnto vs There is nothing that we more desire then to haue thynges brought to their olde estate Ye haue brought in new thinges we require againe the estate of the primitiue Church and desire to haue againe the institucions of the Apostles Wherefore there is no cause why we should be ashamed of the gospel of which such as complain do rather lament the losse of theyr commodities then that they can accuse our doctrine And if anye Troubles and discommodities are not to be ascribe◠vnto the Gospel troubles or discommodities happen they are not to be ascribed vnto the doctrine but vnto those which vnder the pretence of Christ and of the gospell doo seeke those thinges which are their owne and not the thinges which are Iesus Christes But now let vs see Paules reason why he is not ashamed of the gospell of Christ Because it is the power of God to saluacion to euery on that beleueth It is the power that is the organe and instrument wherby God sheweth forth hys power to saluation For together with the woord of God and the gospell are instilled grace and the holy ghost and especially remission of sinnes by whiche we are renewed and made safe And yet this knittinge together of mans saluation wyth the gospell is not naturall that is of necessitye so that the gospell The Gospell is not a naturall instrument but at the pleasure of God This diffinicion hath the cause efficient end and instrument of receauinge the Gospel A similitube of the Sacraments The sum of the whol controuersy concerning iustificatiō Why in iustification mencion is made chiefly of the power of god The difference betwene the righteousnes of the law and of the Gospel This phrase of speach to take holde by fayth is not strange nor rare in in the holye scriptures beyng geuen and set forth saluation should streight way follow of necessitye For it is needefull that God doo also inwardly moue the harts of the hearers as in the Actes of the Apostles we reade it was doone vnto the woman that sold silke Wherfore the gospel is to be counted an instrument arbitrary which God vseth according to hys will Many thynke that thys definition is taken of the cause efficient For in it is expressed the power of God whiche maketh vs safe Then is added the fynall cause namely that thys power of God is to saluation neyther is that lest vnspoken of whereby we are made able to take hold of so greate a benefyte and the same is fayth For it is added to euery beleuer For they which come to heare the Gospell and wante fayth receaue nothyng but wordes and the Gospell to them is no Gospell Euen as in the Sacraments they which are without fayth do in deede receaue the simboles or signes but they haue not the fruyte and thing of the sacraments Here is now touched the chief poynt of all the controuersy For in that it is sayd that saluacion cometh of the Gospell vnto euery one that beleueth is sufficientlye declared that we are iustifyed by fayth and not by works nor by our owne strength nor by philosophy nor by ceremonies of the law Neither did he without cause make mencion of the power of God For that before we can be saued our enemyes ought to be vanquished that is the deuill death hell and in especiall sinne Hereby playnly appeareth also the difference betweene the righteousnes of the lawe and the righteousnes of the gospell The righteousnes of the lawe is to do and to worke He that shall do these thinges shall liue in them sayd Moyses as it is alleaged to the Galathyans and shall in this Epistle be afterward intreated of in hys place But contrarywyse the ryghteousnes and saluation of the Gospell is by fayth vnto all thē that beleue For it is fayth which taketh hold of the mercye and promes of God although there haue bene some which durst affirme that this kind of speach to take hold by fayth is straung that is not vsed in the holy scriptures But they are excedingly deceaued It is
which in the first state of nature liued godly Therfore the simboles The godly had holy rites also before the law or outwad signes of rites are in dede by reason of the diuersity of tymes oftentymes chaunged but the thinges remayne the selfe same Moreouer by the wordes of Paule is gathered that Circumcision profitâ—th so that the law be obserued For it is very profitable to obteyne regeneration to haue the signe of the couenaunt and a perpetuall admonition of the mortification of the flesh and an obsignation or seale of the promise of God and of the heauenly gifte bestowed vpon vs. If thou be a transgressor of the law Here he vnderstandeth none but those which of purpose transgresse and not those which fal of infirmitie and are draweÌ„ either vnawares or vnwillingly and do sighe and grone saying together wyth Paule who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Thy circumcision is made vncircumcision To be made vncircumcision in this place is to be counted vncircumcision as it shall afterward be declared wheÌ„ he sayth Shall not his circumcision be counted vncircumcision And to kepe the law is to be taken in the same sence that we before declared Ambrose vppon this place sayth He then kepeth the law which beleueth in Christ. But if he beleue not he is a transgressor of the law Which wordes although they serue not much to the expositioÌ„ of this place yet are they very profitable Bicause therby we perceiue that he which beleueth in Christ kepeth the lawe for that by fayth is geuen vnto vs the power and facultie of the spirite wherby to obey the law And if there want any thing to the obseruation therof as in very dede there alway wanteth the same is He that beleueth not is according to the sentence of Ambrose a transgressor of the law The Iewes gloried in circumcision holpen by the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ Moreouer in that he affirmeth that he which beleueth not in Christ is a transgressor of the law he manifestly sheweth that the workes of them which beleue not in Christ are sinnes and transgressions of the law The Iewes bosted excedyng much of circumcision as though it had bene geuen them for their merites and as though it had ben an assured testimony of a iust and holye lyfe whiche thyng is declared to be vntrue Chrisostome vpoÌ„ this place vseth a very trim order both as touching the law also as touchyng circumcision There is sayth he an outward law there is also a law in the hart and in the middle place are set good workes which procede from the law of the hart are agreable with the outward law Likewise there is circumcision in the flesh circumcision in the harte In the middest is placed a iust and holy life For it proceedeth from the circumcision of the harte and agreeth with the circumcision of the flesh Paule putteth A double comparison of circumcision a double comparison of circumcision The first is whereby it is contrarye vnto vncircumcision yâ— is vnto the condicioÌ„ of the Ethnickes And of this he speaketh now presently and sheweth that it was nothinge preiudiciall vnto men as touchign saluation The other is whereby circumcision is compared with faith and thereof shall afterward be entreated when the Apostle sheweth that AbrahaÌ„ first beleued and therefore obteyned righteousnes and afterwarde that righteousnes was sealed with circumcision Wherfore the circumcision of the flrsh is of lesse dignity then fayth and commeth after it Therefore if vncircumcision do kepe the iustifications of the law shal not his vncircumcision be counted for circumcision In ciuile iudgementes when any is to be condemned which is in any dignity or Magistrateship he is The ciuile manner in condemning of noble men first depriued of his dignity or office and then afterward condemned So the Apostle first depriueth the Iewes of the true Iewishnes and of the true circumcision and then afterward condemneth them because they liued filthely This similitude in a manner vseth Chrisostome Wherunto we may moreouer adde that like as in a publike wealth they which shal be preferred to honour if they be of a base and obscure stocke are fyrste adorned with some noble Magistrateship or publike dignity so Paule minding to bring to honour the Gentles which seemed abiecte attributeth vnto them the true circumcision and true religion of the Iewes when he sayth that theyr vncircumcision is counted for circumcision which they haue in theyr hart And in these wordes circumcision I say and vncircuÌ„cisioÌ„ is vsed the figure called Metonymia which is a traÌ„spositioÌ„ of names The figure called Metonymia vsed in circumcision vncircumcision For by those signes is signifyed the state and condicion of the Iewes and Gentils The iustifications of the lavv In Greeke is red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which many take to be ceremonies called of the Hebrues Chocoth But I do not easly se how the Ethnikes kept the ceremonies of the law vnles we wil say that the Hebrues in theyr captiuities taught the Gentils the ceremonies of Moses which is not casy to be beleued especially forasmuch as they were not to be obserued but in the land of promise PeradueÌ„ture they meane the these iustifications do signify those rites which the Ethnikes counted in the law of nature godlye and good For we speake not of idolatrous rites but of those whiche some obserued by the tradicions The holy Ethnikes had certain good and godly rites in the law of nature of theyr Fathers which hoped in the Mediator to come For by suche ceremonies they both professed God also accused theÌ„selues as sinners after which folowed the practise of vpright liuyng And we deny not but ther were many such meÌ„ Yet can we not therfore affirme that either Socrates or Phocion or Aristides were of the number of these men when as we haue nothyng that is certayne of theyr pietie and fayth but rather by historyes they appeare Idolatrers Neuerthelesse the Scriptures commend Iob vnto whom no doubt there were many like But by our iudgement as we haue sayd they can not be declared or defined But the Apostle speaketh not of those rites of the lawe of nature when as by the lawe he here vnderstandeth the lawe of Moses For he hath to do against the Iewes And that the Ethnickes obserued not the rites of Moses hereby it is By the iustifications of the lawe he vnderstandeth the morall partes of the lawe manifest because they were vncircumcised are called vncircumcision Wherfore it is more truely sayd that the iustifications of the law signifie here the morall part of the lawe of which the Gentiles by the light of nature were not ignoraunt The scope of the Apostle is to shewe that righteousnes is not of necessitie ioyned with the rites and ceremonies of the lawe and that it was no let vnto the Gentiles touching saluation that they wer not circumcised so that they had
the selfe same wordes that they are here when he saith We are by nature Iewes and not sinners of the Gentiles Because we know that man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe but by the fayth of Iesus Christ. Also we haue beleued in Christ Iesus that we mighte be iustified by the fayth of Christ and not by the workes of the lawe For no fleshe shall be iustified by the workes of the lawe And vndoubtedly Paule reproued not Peter but onely touchyng ceremonies And in the same place in yâ— third chapiter he writeth Haue ye receiued the spirite by the workes of the law or by preaching of fayth Are ye so foolish that hauing begonne in the spirite ye should now make an ende in the fleshe where by the workes of the law seing he expoundeth them by the flesh he manifestly vnderstandeth the ceremonies of Moses But although therehence sprang the controuersie yet was it most commodiously done for Paule to reuoke it to the genus or generall worde of workes of the law Forasmuch as the tyme should come that ceremonies being banished many would in successe of tyme attribute iustificatioÌ„ to moral workes which is most manifestly confuted by this so pithy a reason of Paule And this is to be noted that this is an argument that may be turned For euen as we may inferre that no workes of the law do iustifie therfore neither do ceremonies iustifie so contrariwise may we conclude if ceremonies iustifie not therfore neither any other part of the law forasmuch as they were the principall part of the lawe If ceremonies iustefy not neither doth the morall part instefy For they are the offices of the first and greatest commaundement I am sayth the Lord thy God Wherfore it is mete that I be worshipped of thée bothe in spirite and in outward confession not only by voyce but also by rites apointed by me Neither did those ceremonies any lesse bynde the olde fathers then do Baptisme and the Eucharist in these dayes binde vs. Wherfore euen as they most greuously sinned when they were not content with the worshipping prescribed them by God but sought new ceremonies and rites inuented by men for that was to go aboute to adde vnto the wisedome of God and that the worshippyng instituted by God was the chiefe wisdome we rede in Deut. the iiij chapter so our men do most greuously sinne when besides Baptisme and the Eucharist and those thinges which we haue deliuered vs by Christ they appoint other thyngs which meÌ„ haue inuented as worshippings of God and as necessary vnto saluation As are the masse the inuocation of saintes and such other like And that by the workes of the lawe are vnderstanded also morall workes Paule teacheth by that which followeth For by the law is the knowledge of sinne For although other partes also of the law do after a sort declare sinne yet is that chiefly the office of the morall part What groundes or principles the proper workes of the law haue A distinctioÌ„ of the workes of the law A conciliation of places repugnant Which thing is expressedly declared in the vij chap. where he writeth For I should not haue knowen what lust had bene if the law had not sayd Thou shalte not lust And this is furthermore to be noted that the workes of the law as I before said when they are taken properly haue ioyned with them fayth and charity and therfore are they not without iustification For wheresoeuer is true faith there iustificatioÌ„ followeth But the Apostle by workes of the law vnderstandeth as they were done of them beyng vnprofitable and proceding also of hipocrisie Otherwise the law in dede is spirituall wherfore the workes therof must nedes be good if they be considered as they are whole and perfect And by this meanes may we conciliate those places which as touching this thing seme in the holy scriptures to be repugnant Moses said that he did set before the Iewes life when he spake of the lawe And in the 119. psalme Dauid prayeth oftentimes that God would quicken him with If the fathers at any tyme attribute righteousnes vnto good works that is to be vnderstand by reason of faith which they haue as a roote his commaundements and with his law And in this selfe same epistle the law is called both good and spirituall and the commaundement holy and good But on the contrary side Paule calleth it the ministery of death in the next chapter he saith that it worketh anger and againe that it sheweth sinne and therfore condemneth and accuseth So must we vnderstand the fathers also when they ascribe so excellent thinges vnto workes For they take them ioyned with faith grace and the holy ghost And so they ascribe vnto them eternall life and other suche like things which are vnderstanded to be geuen vnto them by reason of faith and the spirite And to declare the same this is a very apt similitude We say that man is reasonable vnto whome yet we ascribe reason not because of the body but because of the soule which is included in the body So when iustification semeth to be ascribed vnto workes we must vnderstaÌ„d yâ— that is done by reason of faith wherunto workes By faith alone we are iustefied which yet is neuer alone which are in very dede good do chiefly lene But we when we wil speake of iustification ought to bring forth our sentence prospicuously expressedly Wherefore we say yâ— iustification coÌ„meth by faith only which faith yet we confesse is neuer alone For if it be a true faith it ought alwais to haue good workes ioyned with it But the holy fathers spake hyperbollically of workes to the ende to stirre vp The fathers spake hyperboilically of workes Fayth as it is a worke iustifieth not men more and more to vse them But they are so to be vnderstanded as I haue sayd vnles we will leaue them without Christ But some obiect that fayth also it selfe is a worke of the lawe Therefore we answere that as it is our worke comming out of our will and vnderstanding it iustifieth not Because it is feble and weake For none beleueth so much as he ought neyther so strongly cleaueth vnto God as he should do But when fayth is sayd to iustifye it is taken for his obiect namely Christ and the promises of God Neyther is fayth that The power of iustifâ—ing is to be r 〈…〉 erred to his obiect A similitude thing which iustifyeth but the instrument whereby iustification is receaued Neyther must we thinke that by the worthynes thereof it is of it selfe sufficient to iustifie a man A most euident similitude may be brought as touching a begger which with his weake hand or peraduenture with his hand enfected with leprosy receaueth almes And that benefite is not weighed according to the weakenes or disease of the hand which receaueth it but according to the quantity of the monye which is geuen Wherefore
An error of the Anabaptistes the chief and principall benefite of Christ neyther make they any difference betwene the law and the Gospell The law in deede commaundeth but the Gospell ministreth strengths to accomplishe those thinges whiche are commaunded The law accused the The Gospel absolueth The law maketh a sound outwardly The DiffereÌ„ces betwene the Law and the Gospel Gospell is grauen in the bowells The law worketh anger The Gospell maketh God pacifyed and reconciled vnto vs The lawe by making afeard deiecteth the mind The Gospell by comforting erecteth it The law is the ministery of death The gospel of life The law is a schoolemaster The gospel is a perfect instruction The whole lawe consisteth in this that we should woork The Gospel herein chiefly consisteth that we should beleue The law bringeth a curse vnto theÌ„ whichlyue vnder it The Gospel bringeth blessing The law bringeth bondage The Gospell spirituall liberty The lawe is the letter The Gospell is the spirite The lawe hath promises but with this condition if ye shall doo all those thinges The promises of the Gospell are free and therefore firme There mought be rehersed also other differences whereby these two differ very much a sunder But at thys tyme we thinke these to be sufficient Whiche thinges yet are not iudged true by humaine reason Neither is it any maruayle for as Plato sayd in his second booke De legibus What soeuer we behold a farre of we know it not thoroughly For there cometh betwene our sight and it a dissines and by farre distaÌ„ce of place darknes shadoweth The cause why many iudge so ill of the Law and of the Gospell our sights But when we come and behold them more nighly theÌ„ we iudge of euery thing a right These things spake he bycause voluptuous and corrupt men could not be perswaded that a good and innocent life is pleasauntest For they iudge of it farre otherwise for that they are very much distant from it But if they would drawe nere vnto it and make a triall therof they should then iudge vprightly So do we at this present pronounce of these men For asmuch as they a far of looke vpon the holy scriptures neither do with any diligent heade taking consider the Gospel and the lawe thereof it commeth to passe that they iudge so ill of them The Apostle addeth of this righteousnes which he speaketh of that it hath the testimony of the law and of the Prophets Which he therfore addeth because that doctrine whiche he set forth mought haue semed new and strange But in the Gospell newnes is Newnes must be remoued away from the Gospel in any wise to be auoyded Therfore he euery where testifieth of the Gospell that it is of antiquity and instituted by God before all worlds And in the beginnyng of this Epistle he wrote that God promised it by hys Prophets in the holy Scriptures At this day also there is a strife betwene vs and the aduersaryes about doctrine whilest they contend that we bring in new things but they abyde stil by the old doctrine But now by the Apostle we learne how this controuersy may be ended What doctrine is called new what olde The doctrine of the Papistes is new forasmuche as it hath no testemonye out of the holy scriptures That doctrine vndoubtedly is old and auncient which hath hys testimony by the lawe and the prophets that is by the holy scriptures And that is to be iudged new wherof there is no mention made in them They haue set vp the Masse wherin one alone doth communicate for others whiche are standers by This hath no testimony thoroughe al the scriptures We affirme that the supper of the Lord ought to be common vnto all the faythfull which thing is most playnely declared by the institution therof as it is set forth in the Gospels and in Paul They geue vnto the lay men the sacrament of the Eucharist mayned which is not only not in the scriptures but also is playnly agaynst the scriptures They defend the inuocations of the dead for the confirmacion wherof they haue nothing out of the holy scriptures They compel the Clergie froÌ„ matrimony they defend purgatory they maintayne Images they vse a strange tongue in their holy seruices they obtrude the choyse of meats garments shauings vnctions and a thousand such like trumperyes as things necessary vnto the worshippinge of God and that vtterly without any testimony of the scriptures Let them learne of Paul who endeuouring to teache righteousnes to come by Christ sayeth that it hath testimony of the law and of the prophets and not that he made it of his owne head But the doctrines of these men do aduaunce impietye For they obtrude the fayned inueÌ„tions of men as necessary worshippinges of God And forasmuch as they haue no testimony out of the scriptures it must follow of necessity that they are new But the reason Why newnes is to be taken hede of in religion why newnes ought to be auoyded in religion is because the Lord commaunded in Deutronomy that from his commaundements and rytes they should nether take away any thing nor adde therunto Euen Plato also in his lawes and Pub. welth forbiddeth that there should be any innouation in thinges pertayning vnto religion In deed mens laws may sometymes be changed for that the form of the Pub. Humane lawes may be chaunged welth is sometymes altered Neyther do those lawes which serue for a kingdome serue for that gouernemente which is executed by the noble men or a Pub. welth that is ruled by the people Farther the lawgeuers forasmuch as they are men can not se all things And there happen daily many cases for which they are fayne both to correct and to change laws And eueÌ„ as in artes throughe continuance of tyme somewhat is found wherby they are made more perfect so lawes also in successe of tyme are oftentymes amended and brought into a better forme But none of al these rases taketh place in the lawes of God For as touching the Church it chaungeth The politicall gouernment of the church chaungeth not his forme not his forme it is alwaies one and the self same Pub. welth and there is nothing hidden from the vnderstanding of God which is the author of those lawes He forsâ—â—th all thinges neyther is his knowledg increased by successe of tyme. Wherfore it is not mete that men should attempt to alter any thing in his lawes But now let vs se what testimonyes there are of this righteousnes in the lawe and the Prophets which Paul asserteth And although Christ sayd generally that Moses wrote of him and Luke declareth that Christ beyng apparelled like a stranger and talking by the way with the twoo Disciples began at Moses and then tought them by the prophets and psalmes yet is there no certayne place brought forth wherin is expressedly made mention of the Messias And yet neuertheles if we will
moughte haue proued his argument by that which we haue a litle before made mencion of that none of vs is able to kepe the law But he omitteth that at this present And to conclude the more euidently he addeth that the lawe worketh anger As if he shoulde haue sayde So farre is it of that the lawe bringeth the inheritance that it rather maketh vs guilty and subiect vnto the wrath of God And if thou demaund why the law doth in such sort bring vnto vs anger we may answere because we are not able to kepe it For by anger Paule vnderstandeth nothing els but the vengeance of God and that by the figure Metonymia For men when they are angry are accustomed to auenge whiche thinge God also doth although he be not moued with humane affections This selfe same thinge hath Paule to the Galathyans in other words expressed saying Cursed be he that abideth not in all the thinges that are written in the boke of the law And a curse in the holy scriptures signifieth nothing els but calamity affliction and misery I meruayle that Origen vnderstandeth this saying of Paule of the lawe of the members for that vndoubtedly is to farre wide from the purpose For the Iewes gloried not of the concupiscence which was in them by nature which is called of Paul the lawe of the members but they boasted of the lawe of God which was geuen them of God by Moses Wherefore that the Apostle mought with some fruite deale agaynst them it behoued him to write of that lawe whereof they boasted Howbeit by Origenes wordes our aduersaryes may see what he thought of naturall concupisence Vndoubtedly seing he sayth it worketh anger it followeth that he iudged that the first motions which are deriued out of it are of necessity sinnes and transgressions I know there haue bene some which haue taken anger in this place not for the anger of God but for our owne anger For forasmuch as we are by nature prone vnto vices and the lawe when it commeth forbiddeth them we beginne to hate God the author of the lawe and so it worketh in vs anger But the first exposition is bothe plainer and also better agréeth with the sentence followyng For where no law is there is no transgression By these wordes it is manifest that the Apostlement to signifis this that the wrath of GOD is kindled against transgressions But how transgression is brought in by the law the nature How the law and transgression follow one the other of relatiues teacheth which is such that the one of them beyng taken away the other also is taken away On the one side is put the law on the other side is set eyther the obseruation or transgression therof And forasmuch as the obseruation of the law can not be perfect there remayneth onely transgressiō which Paul in this place inferreth But those thinges which are here spoken are to be vnderstande of the law written and whiche was geuen by Moses For otherwise there is none which wanteth a law at the least vndoubtedly the law of nature Wherfore there can none be found without sinne no not an infant of a day olde when as vnto him the image of God is in stede of a law vnto which image for that he answereth not The law of children is the image of God as Augustine declareth in his booke of confessions vndoubtedly he can not be with out sinne As touching the letter the Greke worde worde is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with aspiration so it is turned in Latine cuius that is of whome But the vulger interpreter séemeth to haue red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therfore turned it vbi that is where But as touching the sence there is no difference whether it be this or that Howbeit let vs not thinke that these thinges are to be ascribed vnto the lawe as it is taken by it selfe alone The law of his owne nature worketh not these things A similitude but as it lighteth vppon our mynde being corrupt and vitiate We haue of thys thing an example although grosse in gonne pouder wherwith is mingled either salt nitre or salt peter which is by nature very cold And thereof it commeth that when the fire is receiued in the brimstone against which striueth the coldnes of the salt nitre or of the salt peter it conceiueth so great a violence that the pellet beyng driuen out with an incredible force shaketh and ouerthroweth whatsoeuer is in the way So the heate of our lust when it findeth the law repugnaunt agaynst it is with a greater violēce strēgthned so that it enforceth men to most haynous wycked actes For as the common saying is We endeuour our selues to that whiche is forbidden vs and we haue alwayes a desire to thinges denied vs. Howbeit to the godly and to the elect this force of the law is not vnprofitable For it leadeth them euen as a scholemaister vnto Christ And for that cause Christ is iustly and worthely called the ende of the law not for that the law is by him abrogated but bicause it directeth men vnto him Finally Christ hath performed and accomplished y◠law Christ the end of the law not onely in himselfe but also in them that beleue in hym for he hath geuen them strengthes to obey it Neyther is it any maruell that the law bryngeth men vnto Christ especially seyng he himself was the author therof For by the Sonne it was Christ the author of the law reuealed vnto Moses And for this ende he gaue it by it to drawe men vnto hym Here are we admonished of the peruersenes of our nature whiche is so greate that although we be taughte the wyll of GOD by the lawe yet we neuer cease to striue agaynste it Some goe aboute by this place to inferre that they do ill whiche set for the lawes especiallye seyng they serue verye muche to increase Whether it be lawfull to make lawes transgressions But if their argument were of any strengthe then shoulde they inferre that GOD also oughte not to haue made any lawe Wherefore we say that those lawes whiche are made are either iust or vniust If they be vniust then are they not to be counted for lawes For who will call the violent affectes of tyrantes lawes But if they be iust then are they interpretations of the lawes of God And by them we vnderstande the will of God that by that meanes we Good lawes are interpretacions of the lawes of God Names attributed vnto the law may be broughte to Christe that by him we may obteine strengthes to do them This selfe same sentence also is had in the epistle to the Galathians That the lawe was put because of transgressions namely to shew forth thē to accuse them to condemne them So in the latter epistle to the Corinthians the law is called the ministery of deathe and in the first to the Cor. it is called the power efficacy of sinne
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
one that it be three and that it begatte a sonne and suche other yet were it a wickednes to thinke that anye externe effecte commeth from him by naturall necessitye when as whatsoeuer he doth he doth it freelye and of his owne accorde and it is free vnto him not to do what he will not Nether do we here put any necessity by supposition of the ende For the saluation of mā mought haue bene wrought by many other wayes and meanes so that hys will had bene so But it was of necessity y◠Christ should dye by supposition of the deuine prouidence and counsell for that God had decreed it should be so And this he did chiefely to declare his infinite loue Much more thē being now iustified by his blood vve shal be saued from wrath through him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled vve shal be saued by his life Here is brought a comparison of diuers estates both of Christ and of vs we were before weake vngodly sinners enemies But now our cōdition or estate is changed for we are nowe made frendes we are now iustified and reconciled vnto God Christ by his death wrought much for vs but now he liueth and that an eternal life wherein he raigneth with y◠father It was a greater matter It is a greater matter to iustifye then to bringe to blessednes them that are iustified to restore vs to life to iustifie vs and to reconcile vs vnto God then it is to bring vs being now iustified vnto felicity and the foresayd thinges hath he brought to passe by his death wherefore that which remaineth he shal much more easiely accomplishe being now placed in life and in his kingdome for that whiche remayneth is lesse and Christ to bring this to passe for vs is after a sort mightier then himself Now resteth to declare how men not yet reconciled are called the enemies of God Of this may two reasons be geuen the one is touched in the How before iustification we are called the enemies of God epistle vnto the Hebrues where it is said That it is vnpossible without faith to please God And forasmuche as men that are straungers from Christe wante fayth and seinge that they beleue not the oracles of God they beare witnesse that God is a lier and therefore they can not please him An other reason is for that they are still oppressed with vices and by meanes of theyr naturall luste they all the wayes they canne resiste the will and lawes of God Wherefore they are woorthelye called enemyes But Paule affirmeth that by the death of Christe we are iustified whiche is first vnderstande before God by imputatiō Secondly also bycause dayly is augmented in vs a new righteousnes How we are iustified by the deth of Christ which in liuing holily we get by the instauratiō of our strength which we haue now receaued of the holy ghost Although we must cleane fast only to the first iustification for in it is the stay of our saluation For the other righteousnes for asmuche as it is vnperfect is not able to stande before the iudgement seate of God When the Apostle sayth That vve shal be saued from vvrath By wrath he vnderstandeth not a disturbance What wrath is in God or perturbation of the minde For these thinges can haue no place in God But as Augustine hath wel interpreted in his bokes of the Trinity wrath in God signifieth a iust vengeance And God is sayd to be angry when he sheweth forth the effectes of an angry man which are to punishe and to auenge So he is sayd to repent himselfe that he had made man bycause like a man that repenteth himselfe he would ouerthrow his worke And the reconciliatiō wher of the Apostle here speaketh is referred to this kinde of wrath and signifieth that the vengeāce is now at an end Contrariwise it is sayd in the Gospel of Iohn That the wrath of God abideth vpon him which beleueth not in the sonne of God wherfore we seing we are now recōciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne ought Vpon thē that are iustified is no thing sent of God but with a fatherly mind to be fully perswaded in our selues that for asmuche as the wrath of God is ended and taken away nothing can by him be sent vpon vs but of a frendly and fatherly minde Otherwise afflictions and aduersities mought of theyr own nature driue a feare into vs and perswade vs that God is angry with vs. Which thing forasmuche as by the death of Christ is the reconciliation made can by no meanes come to passe And this reconciliation pertayneth not only to those faythfull which then liued when Christ died vpon the crosse but also to all as The reconciliation made by Christ hath a respecte to all times wel those which from Adams time went before those seasons as also to those which shall be euen vnto the end of the world And so great was the goodnes of God in this sacrifice that whereas therein were committed of men many horrible actes for they both condemned an innocent man and also most spitefully crucified the Lord of glory yet the deuine clemency was nothing at all offended The wickednes of them that crucified Christ diminished not the dignity of that price with this so great iniquity and ingratitude but that it counted as most acceptable the obedience of Christe and his infinite loue and vnmesurable patience accepted it for the redemption of mankinde Now resteth to se what this so great loue of God requireth agayne at our handes for there are many thinges which it requireth For first euen as Christ applied all his will and endeuor to redeme vs so is it our part on the other side vtterly and all whole to addict our selues vnto him And as he setting a side all thinges had a care only of our saluatiō so also ought we to plucke away our minde from all things not any more to seke our owne thinges but only the thinges that longe vnto What thys so great loue of God requireth againe at our hand Christ They may be an example vnto vs which haue returned into fauour agayne with theyr enemies for they lest they shoulde seme to haue done anye thing counterfeately or faynedly leue no dewty vndone whereby to win their new reconciled frendes and of this thing they haue a greate care not to be thought to retaine still any remnāts of enmity or hatred closed vp in the mind as we rede Cicero Crassus Pompeius and many others did Farther also we must take hede that seing by the mercy of God through the death of Christ we are place we doo not through wicked and filthy actes throwe our selues downe hedlong from thence For they which after they haue once ben reconciled cease not to contaminate themselues with vices do not only fall downe hedlonge frō theyr most
lyeth a sléepe in them as Augustine sayth in his 2. booke of the merites and remission of sinnes following yâ— which is spoken of Paul sayth I liued sometimes without a law not yâ— there was at any time no law prescribed vnto Paul but bycause in his childhode by reasoÌ„ of age he felt it not Wherefore sinne sayth Paul was dead which Augustine interpreteth was on slepe But when the commaundement came yâ— is when I began to know yâ— law sinne reuiued He had sin in him before but forasmuch as it was not felt it semed dead Now appeareth how those thinges which we haue spoken agree with the holye scriptures Yet still Pigghius vrgeth that these thinges nothing An obiection of Pigghius pertaine vnto infantes for they oughte not to haue a law prescribed vnto them which can not be auoyded But in so saying he vnderstandeth not the meaning of the holy scriptures for they sufficiently declare that those things which A law may be geuen eueÌ„â—or those thinges which can not be performed are commaunded in the law can not perfectly be performed of vs when as yet they are most seuerely commauÌ„ded Paul saith in this epistle That which was imposible vnto the law forasmuch as it was weakened through the flesh God sending his sonne c. By these words it most manifestly appeareth that we caÌ„not performe the law â—s it is commaunded For if we could we should be iustified by works nether had Christ neded to haue suffred death for vs. There ar also other offices Vtilities of the law of the Law for which it is written For it is profitable to direct the actions of the godly but it is most profitable to declare sin For by the law sayth Paul coÌ„eth the knowledg of sin Again I was ignoraÌ„t of lust vnles the law had sayd Thou shalt not lust Farther by the law sinne is also increased doth more lead vs greuouslier oppresse vs. For the law 〈…〉 ed in that sin should abound to the Corrint The power of sin is the law And al these things teÌ„d to this end yâ— maÌ„ should as it were by a Scholmaster be brought vnto Christ and implore his ayd and desire to haue streÌ„gth geuen him whereby at the least in some part and with an obedience now begon to performe those thinges which are commaunded and that those things wherin he fayleth might not be imputed vnto him but might be made whole by the righteousnes of Christ Augustine in his first boke against Iulianus reproueth the The pelagians boasted that God commaundeth not those things which can not be done Augustine reherseth the sinnes of infantes Pelagians for that they thoughte that they had taught some great point of doctrine when they taughte that God commaundeth not those thinges whiche can not be doone and he declareth those to be the endes of the lawe whiche we haue now expressed Yea and Augustine also in his bookes of confessions maketh mencion of those sinnes which euen suckinge infantes doo committe Agaynst which no maÌ„ caÌ„ say they could resist And they should not be sins vnles they wer referred to some law which is by them violated Nether doth yâ— any thing helpe Pigghius or put away their sinnes for that they vnderstand them not For that which is filthy although it seme not so to vs yet of his owne nature is it filthy Thinges filthy although they seme not filthy yet ar they neuerthelesse of their owne nature fylthy The opinioÌ„ of Augustine and Anselmus differ not in very deede The definition of Original sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yâ— is That which is filthy is filthy whither it seme so or no. This opinion of Anselmus concerning the lacke and want of originall iustice doth in very dede nothing differre from the sentence of Augustine wherein he calleth originall sinne luste but that whiche in Anselmus is spoken somewhat more expressedlye is more obscurely wrapped in the word concupiscence But bycause this want of originall iustice may so be taken as though we vnderstoode onely the priuation of the giftes of God with out any vice of nature therefore it shall be good to set forth a more full definition of originall sinne Originall sinne therefore is the corruption of the whole nature of man traduced by generation from the fall of our first parent into his posterity which corruption were it not for the benefite of Christ adiudgeth al men borne therin in a maner to infinite euills and to eternall damnation In this definition are contained al kinds of causes We haue for the matter or subiect all the partes strengthes of man The forme is the deprauation of them al The efficieÌ„t cause is the will of Adam which sinned The instrument is the propagation of traduction which is done thorough the flesh The end and effect is eternall damnation together with all the discomoditis of thys life And hereof sprange sondrye Sondry names of this sinne names of this sinne so that sometimes it is called a defect or want sometimes peruersenes sometimes vice sometymes a disease sometymes contagiousnes sometymes malice and Augustine calleth it an affected quality and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a disorder And that the whole maÌ„ is corrupt hereby appeareth because he was to this ende created to cleaue vnto God as to the chiefe good But now he vnderstandeth The corruption of the partes of man is declared not things pertayning vnto God nor with patience waiteth for the promises which are set forth in yâ— sciptures but with grief he harkeneth vnto yâ— preceptes of God and the paynes rewardes he vtterly coÌ„temneth The affections rebelling agaynst sound reason do wantonly deride the word of God The body neglecteth to obey the soule All these thinges although they be experimeÌ„ts of naturall corruption yet are they also confirmed by testimonies of the holy scriptures Of the corruption of vnderstanding Paul sayth The carnall man vnderstandeth not those thinges which are of the spirite of God yea he can not because they are foolishenes vnto him In which wordes let vs marke by the way agaynst A proofe of the impossibility of the law Pigghius that the lawe was geuen of such thinges which of vs can not be performed For the lawe doth chiefely commaund vs to haue knowledge in things pertayning to God which thinges yet Paul apertly affirmeth that the carnall man can not vnderstand And to our purpose we sée that Paul affirmeth that this blindnes or ignorance is grafted in man and that of nature for we can not imagine that it commeth by reason of tyme or age For the elder in yeares a man is so much the more and more is he instructed concerning God Wherefore in that he is carnall and vnapt to vnderstand thinges pertayning to God it commeth of his corrupt nature And this corruption is of so great waight that Augustine in his 3. booke agaynst Iulianus the 12.
the olde testament semed a reuenger and cruell because he punished men with most greuous punishementes Which thing Ierome sayth is to be ascribed vnto goodnes and not to cruelty For God saith he did for no other cause punishe men so greuously in Sodom in the floude and at other tymes but that they should not perish for euer For he punished thē once that they should not afterward be punished agayne But the same Ierome peraduenture because he sawe these reasons not very strong obiecteth vnto himselfe By these wordes it may seeme that adulterers if they be taken are in good case for so it should come to passe that they being punished with death should escape eternall punishementes of hell Wherefore he aunswereth that the iudge of this world can not preuent the sentēce of God nether is it to be thought that by a light punishement those sinnes are put away which deserue a greuous and longer In Ieroms time adulterers were punished with death punishement In these wordes of Ierome are two thinges to be noted the one is that at that tyme adultery was punished with death and the other that that interpretacion semed not to satisfie him wherefore he alledgeth an other exposition of the Iewes that God by those wordes would signifie that the Assirians should not be able after they had led away the ten tribes to obtayne also the kingdome of Iudah as they had attempted to do vnder Ezechyas God saith he will not suffer a double vexatiō to arise It is sufficient to him to haue destroyed ten tribes he will haue the kingdome of Iuda preserued This exposition although it haue in it nothing contrary to piety yet it semeth not to declare the minde of the prophet For he prophesied the threatning of God agaynst Niniue and that it shoulde be ouerthrowen And mindinge to exagerate the vengeance at hand he sayth that the vehemēce of the destruction which the Chaldeyans shoulde bring shoulde be so greate that God should not nede to afflict them againe for he would punishe them sufficiently in the first vengeance For the kingdome of the Assirians was vtterly ouerthrowen of the Chaldeyans And it is a common saying amongst vs that when a man is beaten euen to the death he was so striken with one blowe that he neded not the second stroke This is the Prophetes scope and the proper sense of this place But as touching the matter we deny not but that afflictions in godly men do tende to this end that they should not be condemned with this world as Paul saith For they are fatherly chastisementes whereby God calleth them backe to repentance But out of that we ought not to draw a generall rule to God puninisheth many of the vngodlye both here and also will punish them in the world to come ascribe vnto God a measure that when he hath begon to punishe the vngodly in this life he can not also punishe them in an other life if they dye without faith and repentance If they returne vnto God they shall suffer nothing in an other life and yet not because they haue in this life with theyr punishementes made satisfaction vnto God but because Christ hath throughly payd the price of redemption for them Wherefore euen as vnto the godly are certayne good thinges geuen in this life which are vnto them an ernest peny and beginning of the life to come which shal be accomplished in an other world so in the vngodly eternall punishementes are begon with the preambles of the afflictions Punishmentes of this life are to the vngodly preambles of the punishmentes to come A place of Ezechiel of this life Which thing also Christ semeth to signify when he sayth Feare him which can both kill the body and also cast the soule into hell fire By these thinges I thinke it manifestly inough appeareth that the oracle of the Prophete which we haue playnely interpreted pertayneth nothinge to the matter whiche we entreate of An other of their arguments is taken out of the Prophet Ezechiell The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father To this we may briefly aunswere as we a little before sayd namely that the children beare not the iniquity of their fathers but their own proper iniquity which cleaueth vnto euery man frō his natiuity But bicause that place is of diuers diuersly expounded we will briefly declare our iudgement therin This was a prouerb much vsed among the Iewes Our fathers haue eaten sower grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge And not only Ezechiell maketh mencion of this saying but also Ieremy in his 31. chap. The meanyng of y◠sentence is this Our fathers haue sinned and we are punished for thē And as the Rabines say they which were of the kingdome of the ten tribes semed to referre these things to Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat which first made the golden calues But they which were of the kingdom of Iuda referred the same vnto Manasses for whose impiety they thought that that captiuity honge ouer their heds which the Prophets denounced This prouerbe God reproued sayd that it should not be so henceforth Myne are the soules sayth he the sonne shall not beare the iniquitye of the father but euery man shall dye in hys owne sinne Many will haue these wordes to be vnderstand concerning ciuill punishment bicause God in the 24. chapter of Deut. commaunded that neither the parents should be killed for the children nor the children for the parents Which thing also Amasias king of Iuda obserued as it is written in the 14. chap. of the 2. booke of kinges For he slew them that murthered his father but spared their children accordyng to the commaundement of y◠law Howbeit the Israelites did not alwayes obserue this For we read in the booke of Iosua the 7. chap. that not only Acham was put to death for the accursed thyng Iosua did against the common law when he punished the children with the father which he had stolen but also together with him both his sonnes and daughters also his cattell But this was done by a singuler commaundemēt of God Neither is it preiudiciall vnto the law vniuersally geuen Howbeit this exposition concerning the ciuill law agréeth not with the wordes of the Prophet For the Iewes complained not of the punishment which was inflicted on them by the iudge or by the Prince but of those calamities whiche God himselfe had layde vppon themnamely of the destructiō of their goods of the ouerthrowing of the kingdom of Iudah and of the captiuity of Babilon In these thinges they spake euill of the iudgemēts of God and murmured that his way was not right Wherfore others haue interpreted that place to be spoken of eternall punishments of the withdrawyng of grace and the holy ghost which things they say happē vnto euery man for their owne sinnes and not for the sinnes of other mē Howbeit in the meane time they affirme that both the children do
The law deliuereth not but rather increaseth the disease that it could deliuer men from it And by the way he heateth downe the pride of the Iewes for that they importunatly hosted of the Law as though it onlye could make a man blessed And it is certayne that by the name of Lawe he vnderstandeth not the Law of nature but that law which was geuen by Moses amongest other endes whereof this was one that by it sinne shoulde be augmented that it beyng aboue measure augmented grace also might excedingly much more abound Howbeit this is to be noted that these increases of sinne happened not through the default of the law but of men For if the law had lighted The increases of sinne happened not through the defaulte of the law but of men A similitude vpon sound natures and a nature confirmed sound actions should thereof haue sprong But forasmuch as our mindes are full of diseases and our nature weake it followeth of necessity as Paul sayth that when the lawe commeth sinne is increased For euen as horses with shadowes and thinges that they are not accustomed vnto are so made afeard that oftentimes they run backeward and throw themselues hedlong into diches and riuers so we when we light vpō the commaundements of God do leape backe and do rather throw our selues in to the dungeon of our lustes then that we will obey the law Chrisostome thinketh that this particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is that in this place is not a coniunction causall but noteth onely the euente of the thing which we also graunt if it be referred vnto the nature of the law For forasmuch as it of his owne nature is good it cannot be said that of it self it augmenteth sinne But if we haue a consideratiō vnto the counsell of God wherfore he gaue the law I see not why that particle may not be taken causally For it is not to be doubted but that God therefore gaue the law to the ende sinne should be augmented And lest it should seme absurd We must not stay in the nerest endes to ascribe that vnto the prouidence of God we say that God hath manye endes all which are ordinate and therfore we ought not to stay in one or two of them but to go on farther For euen the prouidence of God directeth such endes to other endes which follow Wherfore we cannot thus gather God hath geuē the law ergo sinne simply and of hys owne nature pleaseth him but we must streight way adde which Paul also doth sinne beyng incresed grace hath more abounded and man hath obteined righteousnes and eternall lyfe So may we rightly conclude that the law was therfore geuen that man might at the last be The law was geuen that man through grace should be saued A similitude saued thorough grace Which thing may be declared by an other example when it is said that by the prouidence of God it is ordeyned that murther should be punished with death we cannot therby gather that God is cruell as one which delighteth in death bicause he will haue death reuenged with death But we must procede farther and say that it was therfore ordeined that a māqueller should be put to death to the ende the seuerity of the iustice of God might appeare and that mē being so admonished might restraine themselues from so wicked a crime Paul saith in the singuler number Sinne alluding to the corruption of our nature which the law beyng once put so increaseth that it breaketh forthe into innumerable euil workes By which kynd of speach that is manifest which we haue before said namely that the law is repugnant vnto naturall lust But by that which Paul sayth that the Law entred in by the way Chrisostom The law was not made to continue for euer gathereth that it ought not to be perpetuall but ought so long to continue vntill sinne being increased grace should abound And this in dede is after a maner true for as touching the ten commaundementes in men regenerate in Christ and adorned with grace in respect that they are such they haue no power to accuse and condemne and as touching ceremonies that part of the law is now vtterly abrogated yea and the politicall iudgementes are not now in theyr olde force But Ambrose weigheth these wordes entred in by the way more diligentlye and thinketh that thereby is signified that the law was so receiued as thoughe men supposed that by it they shoulde be saued for thus they thoughte that if they once knew what thinges were to be done they would easely accomplishe them But the thing happened farre otherwise And Ambrose addeth If the lawe did Why the law was of necessity according to Ambrose therefore enter in by the way that sinne should abound a man may iudge that it was not geuen that sinne should not abound howbeit on the other side it was necessary because the lawe of nature was after a sort extinct and quenched in men For it was so febled saith he that mē could not performe their duty That therefore the law of nature might receaue some strēgth be maintained the law of God came which hath not only confirmed it but also with a most manifest expositiō illustrated it But now we ought to apply our endeuor vnto the law geuen vs and diligently to entreate of it to meditate vpon it day and night We haue the like kind of speach in the epistle vnto the Galathyans The lawe was geuen because of transgression Now let vs see by what meanes sinne Howe sinne is augmented by the law Our lust is stirred vp by the precepts of God is augmented by the lawe First we must know that this is the nature of our lust that it can not be kepte vnder by the commaundements of God yea rather it is stirred vp by them Whereof came this accustomed sayinge Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata whiche signifieth we labour alwayes for that which is forbidden vs and euer desire thinges denied vs. And euen as riuers being otherwise quiet and caulme inough yet when they runne against a rocke or heape of stones do swell and rage and as it were gathering together their force more vehemently driue and cary away all lettes So our lustes whē they are prohibited by the lawes and decrees of God are more vnbridledly and insolently stirred vp and do as it were by a certaine fury cary vs headlong into transgressions And so by reason of his contrary lust may be saide to be encreased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the bridle of the lawe is put vpon it Wherefore Cicero in his oration for Roscius Amerinus saith that Solon in his lawes ordained nothing touching murtherers of parentes because forasmuch as that wicked crime had neuer before happened he feared leaste if he shoulde haue made a lawe thereof he should rather haue stirred vp men thereunto then repressed them there fro An other way also the
is it so displeasant and had in hatred Because it calleth Why the law is had in hatred men backe from those thinges which of their owne nature they are prone vnto for it gréeueth them to haue those thinges forbidden them And when we looke vpon the lawe we sée those thinges which we ought to do and by reason of the pride which is naturally plāted and grafted in vs we will not be restrained by any rules Farther thereby we sée how our actiōs are writhed from that vprightnes which is set forth in the lawe and whiche is more grieous we feele our selues to be so weake that we can not correct them and call thē backe to the prescribed rule howbeit in the meane while we behold the paines and anger of God whereinto by reason of sinnes we incurre All these thinges do so We are not angry with our selues as it is meete but wyth the law and wyth God How the law of God may please vs. Christ being ioyned with the law maketh it swete offend our minde that we are angry not indeede with our selues and with our sinnes as it were mete we shoulde but with the lawe geuen of God when as otherwise it is most perfect and most holy Howbeit this discommodity may be remedied and we may bring to passe that those thinges which before were displeasant vnto vs may afterward be pleasant vnto vs. And that shall we do if we ioyne the lawe together with Christ For euen as the waters of Marath were most bitter vnto the people of Israell in the desert and yet the selfe same by casting in the wood which God had commaunded were made swete So although the law by it selfe be bitter yet if Christ be ioyned with it whom God hath set forth vnto vs as an only sauior and also as the iust and due ende thereof we shall then feele it to be sweete Which thing to haue happened vnto Dauid the 119 Psalme manifestly declareth wherein are wonderfully set forth the prayses of the lawe of God For there it is called pleasaunt delectable sweete Prayses of the law in the Psalmes How the law of God is written in our hartes aboue hony and the hony combe And this is it which is promised vs in the prophete that God would write the lawe in our hartes which is nothing els but that he will geue vnto vs the spirite of Christ whereby we may be inclyned to those thinges which the lawe hath commaunded to be done that at the least way the commaundementes of God should be pleasant to our minde Which thing also the Apostle teacheth when he saith In minde I serue the lawe of God This they that are regenerate do fele who although they can not performe a perfect obedience vnto the commaundementes of God yet they loue them and excedingly desire them and embrace them as the chiefe good and do dilligently desire of God to come to the perfection of them as nigh as is possible By these thinges it plainly appeareth how the vtility and righteousnes of the lawe is to be defended against the Manechies But on the other side the Pelagians are no les to be auoyded which ascribe vnto the lawe more then is mete for they affirme it to The Pelagians attribute vnto the law more then is which they thinke to be sufficient vnto saluation Pelagius sometymes confessed the grace of God in woorde and not in dede By grace Pelagius vnderstoods nature and the law The schole men come very nye vnto the error of the Pelagians be sufficient vnto saluation For they say that if men once vnderstand what is to be done they may easely by the power of nature performe the same Wherfore Pelagius for feare least he should haue bene condemned of the Bishoppes of Palestine as one which vtterly denied the grace of God cōfessed the same grace in word for he affirmed that to our saluation the grace of God is necessary But by grace he vnderstoode nothing els but nature it selfe geuen vs freely of God because God hath made vs reasonable and endued vs with free will Farther he saide that the lawe or doctrine of the lawe was grace because of our selues we are ignorant what thinges are to be done or to be beleued vnles God reuele them vnto vs. Wherefore Augustine writeth in his books of the grace of Christ against Celestius that they with mouth affirme that the possibility of nature it holpen by grace But he addeth that if their meaninges were examined and narrowly waighed then shall we see that by grace doctrine and the lawe they vnderstand nothing els but that a man hauing receaued only the knowledge of the lawe hath of himselfe strength inough to do the thinges that are commaunded Vnto which error the schoole deuines approch very nye when they teach that a man euen by the power of nature can obserue the preceptes of God as touching the substance of the worke although not according to y◠intēt of the cōmaunder By which words this they signifie that we can perform the very works although not in such sort as God hath commaunded they should be done namely of charity the spirite Which latter part I thinke they added that they might seme in some point to disagree from the Palagians But Augustine so abhorred from such sentences that not euen vnto the regenerate so long as they liue in this flesh he graunteth a perfect Euen the regenerate are not able perfectly to obserue the law The Pelagians make the death of Christe vaine obseruation of the commaundementes of God whiche thing manifestly appeareth by his Retractations And that his iudgement therein is most true Paule declareth in the 7. chap. of this epistle Vndoubtedly if the thing were so as Pelagius hath taughte the comming of Christ and sacrifice of the crosse had bene nothing nedefull For these thinges were therefore geuen bycause by our owne strengths we could not attayne vnto the righteousnes of workes That thing Paul most manifestly testefieth saying That which was impossible vnto the law for asmuch as it was weakened by the flesh c These wordes apertly declare that mā by reason of the infirmity of the flesh could not fullfil the law Farther he saith The wisdome of the flesh is enmity towards God for it is not subiect vnto the law of God nether certainely can it be For although the law hath power to teach and to illustrate the minde yet it doth not therefore minister strength or change the will Wherefore Ambrose in his booke de fuga seculi The law sayth he cā stop the mouth of all men but yet it can not conuert the minde And afterward The law indede sheweth the fault but it taketh not a way the malice Wherefore vnto it must be adioyned grace which forasmuch as the Pelagians contemned they wandred from saluation were iustly condemned of the Church But as touching the office of y◠law these few thinges are to be obserued
eyes of fayth behold the crosse and death of Christ we oughte to remember that we must sometymes suffer the like And how we should performe that Paul teacheth by a most manifest similitude We are sayth he grafted into Christ In plantes when the graft is set into An elegant Metaphore the stocke it doth no more take sappe and life of it selfe but of the stocke wherinto it is grafted so we being in regeneration grafted into Christ ought to liue by his spirite and with him both to die and also to rise againe that euen as Christ could not be holden of the sorrowes of death so also can not the tiranny of sinne any longer hold vs in bandes Righteousnes and purenes of lyfe shall daily be renewed in vs which thing is brought to passe when we depart from sinne for as long as we liue in sinne we lead not a new life but the olde life There is no entraunce open The entrance to life is made open by death Paules doctrine out of the wordes of Christ Without Christ no fruite is brought forth vnto the lyfe of the resurrection but by death By this metaphore Paul would expresse our great coniunction with Christ which metaphore also he learned of Christ For Christ sayth that he is the Vyne wherein we as braunches are contayned and they only bring forth fruite which abide in the vyne For they which are seperated from the vine do wither away being apt only for the fyre Wherfore we may conclude both by the sayinges of Paul and also by the sentence of Christ that they which liue without Christ can not bring forth good fruite For whatsoeuer good fruit is in vs the same commeth wholy from Christ as from the liuely roote And that which Paul speaketh in this place touching the grafting into Christ very much illustrateth the things which were spoken in the former chapt concernyng the comparison of Adam with Christ For it was said that Christ is of no The comparison of Adam with Christ is confirmed We must passe from the kinred of Adam in to the famely of Christ les force to saue his then was Adam to condemne them which haue discended froÌ„ him through the flesh And forasmuch as all mankinde is procreated of hym none can attayne to saluation thorough Christ vnles he passe from the kinred of Adam into the family of Christ And this passage Paul aptly compareth with yâ— grafting of trées For euen as a grafte is plucked away from his naturall plant and grafted into an other straunge plant and therout draweth both lyfe and sappe So ought we to be remoued from the vitiate and corrupt nature which we haue drawen of Adam and to be grafted into Christ as into the most holy stocke But this spirituall The spirituall grafting differeth from the natural grafting differeth not a little from naturall grafting For husbandmen are accustomed to breake of the slip which they will graft from a good and excellent trée and to fasten it into an other which is barren and wilde that the grafte may liue in it but yet retaine the nature and proprieties of the old trée from whence it was cut of But we far otherwise being cut of from the wilde oliue trée and vnfruitful plant that is from the corrupt nature of Adam are grafted into Christ that from him we should not only take lyfe and spirite but also leauing our olde affections should put on his nature and proprieties For when we are said to die vnto sinne it is not to be vnderstand that all affections cease to be in vs. Those affections only ought to passe away and to perish which sprang of the old corruption For it is necessary The affections and senses of Christ do spring in those which are grafted in hym Men endued with wicked affections are worse then brute beastes if we will aunswer to our regeneration that the affection and felinges of Christ do daily more and more bud forth in vs. Neither is this any ill counsel wheÌ„ we are commaunded to put of the affections of the olde Adam For forasmuch as we are created like vnto the image of God they make vs to degenerate into brute beastes yea also they make vs farre worse in all pointes then brute beastes For the brute beast hath some measure ioyned to his lustes but our affections range abrode to farre beyond measure By them health is hurte the mynde corrupted and there is left nothing in man yâ— is in his due place and order By them not only our owne saluation is contemned and hurt but also the saluation of our neighboures and the vse of all creatures confounded and the fulfilling of the law of God violated The Philosophers also vnderstoode that our affections are so corrupt that vnles there be remedy had they would turne all things to our destruction But they could not geue a iust remedy They wanted Christ into whome as Paul saith beyng Why Paul in this place vseth this word death cut of from the coruption of nature they should haue bene grafted And Paul vseth this word death to shew yâ— these wicked affections ought not only to be after a sorte broâ—en by morall vertues as the philosophers affirmed but vtterly to be cut of euen as the old life is finished by death It is also rightly called death bicause eueÌ„ as we die not without paine griefe so also we are not grafted in Christ without most greuous griefe of the fleshe And therefore Paule sometymes in the selfe This word crosse expresseth the mortification of a Christian Morall vertues are not sufficient same thynge vseth the name of the Crosse For to the Galathians he sayth that they which are of Christ haue crucefied their flesh with the vices and lustes thereof And speaking of himself he sayth To me the world is crucified I vnto the world Morall vertues and outward discipline are not as it is before sayd sufficient vnto this mortification which things yet want not theyr vtilityes as touching a Publike welth and a ciuile life But they bring not meÌ„ to this point that Paul hath now a respect vnto Much les can hipocritical Monckry bring that to passe Neyther monasticall hypocrisye yea rather it is most of all repugnant vnto true mortificatioÌ„ For we se many oftentimes which excedingly afflict themselues with fasting and outward exercises which yet in the meane time are full of most corrupt affections All humane endeuors are of no force vnto this mortification For nature will not agree Nature will not agree to deny it self to deny and kill it selfe Wherefore the anger and hatred against sin must be inflamed in our hartes by yâ— inspiration of God yâ— we may be certainely perswaded that God will take vengeance vpon wicked actes If by the benefite of the holy ghost the hartes of men be striken with this sword and this arrow being so full of force then at the length they will beginne
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
them spirite and in nature whatsoeuer Why the law is sayd to be spirituall is moued of it selfe and hath in it by any meanes life it hath it by the benefite of the spirite Wherefore if the lawe should of it selfe bring death doubtles it should do it against the nature of the spirite And the lawe is called spirituall for two causes First because it was not deuised of mans vnderstanding as ciuil laws are but was written by the ministery of Moses in mount Sina God himselfe by his spirite being the inditer thereof Wherefore comming of the spirite being the author thereof it is call spirituall It is called also spirituall for that not being content with outward actions it perseth euen to the will and to the minde and to the inward motions senses and spirites of a man and commaundeth vs to obey it with all the soule and with all the spirite Wherefore they are fowly deceaued An error in distinguishinge the law from the Gospel which so distinguishe the olde lawe from the new that they thinke that the olde lawe only restrayneth the hand but the new pertayneth also to the affectes of the minde For they are not to be counted to satisfy the olde lawe which obserue only an outward righteousnes And if they do not that which the lawe commaundeth that which they do doubtles pleaseth not God yet rather it is to be counted sinne The lawe of God forasmuch as it dealeth not with vs after a ciuill maner is not The law of God dealeth not with vs after a ciuill manner content only with an outward honesty of maners Wherefore nether Socrates nor Aristides by their righteousnes satisfied the lawe though they be neuer so much commended of writers And when the Pharisey had geuen thankes vnto God for that he was not as other men but fasted twise in the weke and did many other thinges which mought please men Christ pronounced that he went not to his house iustified But without al doubt he should haue obtayned righteousnes if by those his workes which he made mencion of he had satisfied the meaning of the lawe This excellency and perfection of the commaundementes of God carnall men vnderstand not so that the Israelites when Moses came downe from the mountayne could not looke vpon the brightnes of the countenance of Moses neither could they abide it And we also so long as we vse this vayle of humane reason The law of God is not vnderstand by the force of humane reason shall not be able to behold the spirituall light of the lawe Origene thinketh that the lawe is therefore called spirituall for that it is not to be expounded according to the letter as commoÌ„ly it is sayd but by allegoricall senses But seing Paul here entreateth of the ten commaundementes as that precept which is of him rited Thou shalt not lust plainly declareth this interpretation ought vtterly to bee counted from the purpose For in this part of the law we may not deale with allegories Neither doth Paul therfore say that he is carnal for that he vnderstood not In the Decaloge allegories haue no place allegories but for that he felt in himself affections striuing against the law of God Now then forasmuch as the law is spirituall in that manner that we haue now declared it followeth of necessitie that it of his owne nature bringeth not death but rather lyfe For so Moses in Deut. the 30. chap. sayth that he had set forth vnto The law of it selfe bringeth life the Israelites life and death good and euill blessing and cursing For the perfect obseruation of the law draweth with it blessing life and good and yâ— violating therof bringeth cursing euil and death And the law commaundeth not transgression It lieth not in our will and choise in as much as we are corrupt to chose life but obseruation But yet it lieth not in our choyce or will of our own accorde to chuse good life and blessing For the commaundemeÌ„ts of the law are displeasaÌ„t vnto vs vntill the spirite of Christ come And Christ sayth If thou wylte enter into lyfe kepe the commaundements And Dauid in the 19. Psalme saith That the law restoreth the mynde Which testimonies if they be rightly vnderstanded teach this selfe same thing But if a man demaund whether these proprieties of the law at any time attaine to their effect We aunswer that they do but yet euen then wheÌ„ The law sheweth forth his effects in the regenerate the law is written not only in tables but also in our hartes and bowels For theÌ„ although the law be imperfectly expressed in our workes yet are not the promises therof made frustrate which in the elect of God are performed not thorough merites but thorough grace and mercy After yâ— the Apostle had in such sort coÌ„mended the law he rendreth a reason why of it he drew not life but death Bicause saith he I am carnall sold vnder sinne Here the crime of slaying the increase of sinne is transferred from the law to the corruption of our nature And there is nothing more gratefull vnto God then for vs to accuse our selues with due prayses to set forth his worde It was not possible to deuise a more apte commendation of the law For Paul doth not only set forth the singuler dignitye therof but also speaketh that which he saith is well knowen and vnderstande of all the godly We know sayth he that the law is spirituall And to make this the more playne he setteth against it our vncleannes I sayth he am carnal and sold vnder sinne The law is the maistresse of vertue and enemy of all vices I abhorre vertue and folow vices euen against my will When he sayth that he is carnall he meaneth that he was infected with Why Paul saith that he is carnal originall sinne and corruption For that euill is deriued from Adam by the flesh whiche yet containeth not it selfe in the fleshe but possesseth the whole man and all his strengthes And the better to declare what this worde carnall signifieth he Why we are said to be solde vnder sinne addeth sold vnder sinne For euen as bondmen are oftentimes drawen and impelled of their masters to that which they would not so are we by originall sinne drawen to many things which we allow not Neither are we only vnder the bonds of Originall sinne but also through our owne will we adde therunto a great hepe of sinnes Wherfore we are bouÌ„d with many kindes of snares By this metaphore Paul notably setteth forth our captiuity The Iewes were oppressed with greuous seruitude when they were captiues in Egipt neither were they any gentler delt with in Babilon but most cruelly of all were they handled vnder Antiochus But there can no seruitude be compared with this wherof Paul now speaketh for in No captiuiâ—ye can be compared with seruitude of sin those seruitudes was only an outward enemy and the
A similitude Dâ—fâ—rence betwene Paul and the Philosophers we sée what they do yet oftentimes they so beguile our eies the we perceaue not what they do Aristotle sayth that in euery sinne is mingled some kinde of ignoraÌ„ce Although betwéene yâ— philosophers the seÌ„se of Paul there is some differeÌ„ce For they thinke this power to be grafted in the nature of the minde reason and will alwayes to desire and to approue that which is good but the confusion beginneth only in the grosser partes of the soule But the apostle affirmeth that al the partes of man both the inferior and the superior doo by reason of originall sinne resist the spirite of God But seing that both from himselfe and from the Law he remoueth away the cause of sinne it is manifest that it hath hys place only in lust grafted in vs. And seing he sayth that he himself doth not the things which he would and which are euil much les vndoubtedly doth the Law them For he by the Law vnderstoode that these things are not to be done Wherfore herehence haue we a commondation of the Lawe and he doth not here as heretikes faine which frowardly peruerte the sayings of Paul blame the Law For that vvhich I vvould I doo not but that vvhich I hate that doo I. Some thinke that this is to be referred only vnto the first motions But seing the scripture manifestly sayth that the iust also fall and that we all in many thinges offend I se no cause why we should into so narrow a streight contract this saying These thinges are not to be draweÌ„ onely to the first motioÌ„s of the Apostle For I doubt not but that euen holy men also haue not only some times euill lusts but also sometimes doo certayne thinges which ought not to be done But they are streight way sorye and they accuse themselues and as much as lieth in them correct the sinne And yet I would not that any maÌ„ should hereby thinke that I affirme that the iudgement of the spirite and the purpose of the will renewed abideth sound wheÌ„ the godly fall into most heynous wicked The iudgement of the spirite abideth not sound in faultes that are very haynous factes as when Dauid committed adultery and murther For these sinnes are of that kind whereof the Apostle sayth They which doo suche thinges shall haue no portion in the kingdome of God Wherfore Augustine made an excellent distinctioÌ„ namely that a crime is one thing and sinne an other thing Wherefore seinge in this kinde of crime the right of regeneration is after a sort lost it is not to be tought that Paul thereof speaketh in this place Now then it is no more I that doo it but the sinne that dwelleth in me For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me but I finde no ability to performe that which is good It is not I that doo it He affirmeth that he doth it not for that he all whole doth it not For in respect that he is regenerate he abhorreth from that whiche he doth The lust and vice whiche is by nature grafted and planted in vs is it which wresteth from vs many things But they which are wise fly vnto Christ that he may make that seruitude which they serue more milde which thinge he not only doth but also mercifully forgeueth the thinges that are committed amisse Wherfore for these causes Paul denieth that he doth that thing which he doth And vndoubtedlye it is to be ascribed vnto the singular gift of God that we will not and that those thinges displease vs which we doo and contrariwise that we wil and wishe those thinges which we doo not For thys propertye is not in all men For it is in them only which are now grafted into Christ and regenerate in him In dede Iudas Cain and Esau were displeased with their sin but yet not therefore for that they allowed the Lawe of God but for that they now began to fele their own discommodity and calamity and destruction For How sins displeasetheÌ„ that are desperate Difference betweene the godly the vngodlye they were not touched with any loue of the Law and wil of God So much difference is there betwene a godly man and an vngodly The godly maÌ„ although he fall yet he doth not from the hart violate the lawe of God For he hath euer thys in hym that continually he resisteth and repugneth sinne But the vngodly man neuer doth good from the hart or escheweth euill as the law commaundeth For he alwayes hath a regard vnto gayne commodity fame and such other like thinges and not vnto the will of God These declare that Paul speaketh Paul in this place speaketh of himself and of the regenerate those thinges which are contayned in this chapiter of himselfe and of the sayntes which are now in Christ regenerate For he sayth that in mind he serued the Lawe of God and to will was present with hym but to performe that which is good he found no ability And when he had cried out vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body subiect vnto death He added a geuinge of thankes for that he knew that by Christ he shoulde attayne to it Thys can not they â—â— which are strangers from Christ and vngodly and voyd of yâ— holy ghost Testimonies where by is proued that holy men haue sinne They which deny thys are thereunto by thys reason chiefely moued for that they perswade themselues that sinne can haue no place in holy men when yet the scripture teacheth farre otherwise For Paul vnto the Galathians speaking of the godly writeth in a maner the selfe same thinges that he doth now in this place walke ye sayth he inspirite and performe not the desires of the flesh He sayth not haue ye not the desires of the fleshe but performe them not And the fleshe sayth he lusteth agaynst the spirite and the spirite agaynst the flesh so that whatsoeuer thinges ye would ye doo not This is it which he here sayth I doo not that which I would Dauid sayth Who vnderstandeth his sinnes Cleuse me from my hidden sinnes Enter not into iudgment with thy seruaunt for in thy sight shall no liuing creature be iustified And Esay sayth that our righteousneses are like a clothe stayned with the naturall dissease of a woman And the Lord commaundeth vs to pray Forgeue vs our trespasses If we say we haue no sinne sayth Iohn we deceaue our selues and the truth is not in vs Iames saith we all offende in many thinges The Fathers also affirme that Paul Augustine proueth that Paul speaketh of himself and of the regenerate Ambrose of the same iudgement in thys place speaketh of himselfe And amongste other Augustine agaynst the two epistles of the Pelagians the 10. chapiter And the reasons that moue him thereunto are those for that the Apostle sayth It
is no more I that do it I delight in the Law of God Vnhapyy man that I am who shall deliuer me frō the body of this death There is no condemnation to those which are in Christ Iesus Agayne We also grone which haue receaued the first fruites of the spirite Ambrose in his booke de Paradiso is of the same iudgemēt And to the same purpose is he cited of Augustine in his 6. booke agaynst Iulianus in his booke de philosophia or de Sacramento which booke is not at this day extant But sinne that dvvelleth in me This metaphore of dwelling is very much The Metaphore of dwelling vsed in y◠holy scriptures nether signifieth it vnto vs any thing els but a true mighty presēce In this sēce it is said The word was made flesh dwelt amongst vs. And in the old testament is oftentimes red that God dwelt amōgst the children of Israell And Paul to the Corrinthians sayth That we are the temple of God that the holy ghost dwelleth in vs. But here we must beware of the error of y◠Maniches which hold that man consisteth of two natures the one good and the other euill and y◠they are both mingled together but thorough Christ it is come An error of the Manichies to passe that the euill is seperated from the good and thrust out to the people of darkenes For they saw not that y◠euil was the corruptiō of nature which nature otherwise was good but they sayd that it doth by it selfe exist hath a certayne substaunce and that it is seperated from the good by thrustinge forth and by flyinge away and not that it ceasseth to be But the truth teacheth that Christe healeth sinne and the effect or want and so healeth thē y◠they haue no more any being The Apostle in thys place entreateth not of our cōmon euils but of our chiefest euils whiche pertayne to the strife betwene the spirite and the flesh and doo trouble and confound both whatsoeuer we haue inwardly or outwardlye For whē we do any thing we not only not do so much as both we our selues desire also is required of y◠law but we haue also y◠flesh by all maner of meanes raging fighting and striuing against the will of God Neither do we y◠good which What is the good which we would do do not What is the euell which we would not do and yet do All our woorkes haue nede of forgeuenes The flesh the members the mind and the inwards man how they are to be taken we would but that euill which we hate If thou demaūd what that good is which we would we can aunswer nothyng els but y◠it is y◠which the law cōmaundeth vs. For it is the onely maistres of all that which is good Hereby it is plaine that we do not that which is commaunded in the law Againe the euill which we hate is nothing els but that which by the law is prohibited Wherfore we cannot deny but that by our euill motions and wicked desires the law of God is violated Neither ought we to denye but that they are sinnes which yet our aduersaries will not graunt Moreouer hereby we gather that in all the things which we do we haue nede of forgeuenes and that our workes are not of so great waight that for them we should be made acceptable vnto God and merite the eternall kyngdome In this place are vsed the names of the flesh and of the members and on the the other side of the minde and of the inward man Which are not to be distinguished touching the partes of the body and of the mynde But on the one side is signified the whole man as he is not regenerate neither hath yet perfectly and vniuersally put of the prauity of nature On the other side also is vnderstande the whole man as he is now regenerate and hath receiued at the least some parte of spirituall regeneration They are farre deceiued which thinke that although we beleue not in Christ yet the minde and will in vs is wholy perfect in nature For they remember not what Paul writeth to the Corinthians The naturall man vnderstandeth not the thynges which are of the spirite of God For these wordes plainly declare that our vnderstanding hath in it much darkenes corruption whē as we are so vnapt to the vnderstanding of thinges spiritual And that thou shouldst not thinke that these thinges pertaine vnto them only that are not regenerate which are yet straungers from Christ Augustine declareth that they belong also vnto the beleuers both by those thinges which go before and by those also which follow For that Paul there entreateth of them that are baptised is by that proued which he before wrote Are ye baptised in the name of Paul It is proued also by that which followeth after Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that his spirite dwelleth in you And if they are pronounced to be such which are of the vnperfecter sort amongst the beleuers what is to affirmed of those which are vtterly straungers from Christ Doubtles seyng they haue receiued no part of iustification there can dwell in them no good Let them go now which bable that before regeneration Against workes preparatory may be done of vs some good workes which may please God wherby we may as they speake merite of congruity Let them also consider how wisely they are wont to say that if men do that which lieth in them God will graunt vnto them his grace For if they do that which lieth in them they shal do nothing He which doth that which lieth in hym doth but euill but that which is euill For as Paul sayth there dwelleth in them no good Wherfore seyng they are moued only by the ground of their corrupt nature doubtles they commit sinne And that the Apostle speaketh not of the nature of y◠outward flesh and of the visible body it is hereby proued for that when as in the epistle to the Corinthians he admonisheth them to eschew fornications he sayth that our bodies are the temples of the holy ghost Wherfore it should be false that in our flesh dwelleth no good if flesh should be taken in that signification Wherfore in thys place as we haue sayd flesh is taken for the whole nature infected wyth sinne Of this Paul pronounceth that he knoweth that in it dwelleth no good Neither wanteth this an emphasis that he sayth that he assuredly knoweth For he saw that others and in a maner the most part of mē felt not this And I would to God y◠we once thorough felt it For to will is present with me but I finde no abilitie to do that whiche is good Neither doubtles had he this power to wil but so farre forth as he had it of the spirite which renueth vs. This he proueth in the epistle to the Philippians We haue not of our selues to
incline our hartes that we may walke in hys wayes and wyth Paul to the Thessalonians The Lord direct your hartes in patience and in the wayting for of Christ. And Solomon in his prouerbes sayth The hart of the kinge is in the hand of God and to what end he wyll he enclineth it These testemonyes sufficiently declare that it is the worke of God and not our worke to be conuerted vnto hym and to liue vprightly Here some obiect vnto vs the commaundementes which are set forth vnto vs in the holy scriptures for they séeme to signifie that it lieth in our selues to performe the thinges which are commaunded For Esay sayth If ye will and wyll harken vnto me ye shall eate the good thynges of the earth And the Lord oftentimes commaundeth vs to conuert our selues vnto him Be ye conuerted sayth he vnto me I wyll not the death of a sinner I had rather he should be conuerted and lyue And when he had published abroade the lawe he sayd that the had set before them life and death blessing and cursing And infinite such other like testemonies mought be brought But here we ought to consider that these thinges in Commaundements in deede are geuen but we are not taught that is lieth in humane strengthes to performe them By the law of God we must measure our infirmity and not our strengthes dede are commaunded vnto men but we are no where tought that a man is able to performe them by his owne proper strengthes Neither is it mete that by the preceptes of the lawe of God we should gather the power of our strengthes as though we of our owne accord are able to performe so much as the lawe of God commaundeth Yea rather hereby is to be measured our infirmity that when we sée that the excellency and dignity of the commaundementes of God infinitly passeth our strenthes we should remember that the law hath a certayne other end then to be performed of vs. That ende Paul declareth to be sondry and diuers By the lawe sayth he commeth the knowledge of sinne which lawe he sayth was therfore geuen that the number of transgressions mought be increased For by this meanes the lawe is made a scholemaster to leade men vnto Christ that when they sée themselues oppressed with the waight of the commaundementes and with the greatnes of sinnes they should vnderstand that their saluation lieth only in the mercy of God in the redemption of Christ For when we perceaue our owne imbecillity and vnworthynes straight way we beginne to pray vnto God that he would both forgeue our sinnes through Christ and also minister vnto vs the helpe of his spirite that we may endeuor our selues vnto his will Geue what thou commaundest sayth Augustine and commaund what thou wylt Farther an other end of the law is that we should sée whereunto we must apply our selues It is possible also that if by the grace of God there be geuen an obedience begon men may frame thēselues vnto y◠law Lastly though in this life be not geuen vnto vs to be able exactly to satisfye the lawe yet in an other life when we haue caste of all this corruption we shall fully obtayne it And yet ought not God therefore to be accused of iniustice for it commeth not throughe his fault that his commaundements can not be obserued Neither can any of vs be excused for y◠we willingly Why God is not to be accused of iniustice desirously violate y◠law geuē vnto vs. The law was geuē as a thing most agréeable vnto our nature as it was first instituted For y◠image of God could not otherwise more liuely plainly be expressed And although by reason of sin we are not able to accōplish the law yet this at y◠least way we sée what maner ones we ought to be And that sentence which is commonly obiected that nothing is to be counted for sinne which dependeth not of election ought to be vnderstand as Augustine interpreteth it of that kind of sinne which is not a punishement of sinne For otherwise originall sinne is neither voluntary nor receaued by election But thou wilt say Seing the matter goeth so we shall séeme of necessity to sticke fast in sinne Which thing doubles I will not deny Although such is this necessity that it hath not compulsion ioyned with it God is of necessity good neither can he by any meanes sinne and yet is he not violently compelled to be good which thyng The necessity of sinning is without compulsion Augustine in his 22. booke De ciuitate dei and 30. chapter excellently well declareth Shall we sayth he for that God hymselfe can not sinne therefore deny that he hath free will Ambrose in his 2. booke and third chapiter de Fide to Gratian the emperor testefieth that God is free when as sayth he one and the selfe same spirite worketh all thinges diuiding vnto all as pleaseth him according to the choyse of hys free will and not for the dewty of necessity In these sentences of these fathers free wil is so taken that it is contrary vnto violence and compulsion not that it is equally prone to ether part Wherefore Ierome in his homely of the prodigall sonne which he wrote vnto damasus for that he tooke free will in an other sence therefore wrote otherwise For it is God only sayth he on whome sinne falleth not nether can fall But others forasmuch as they haue free will may be bowed to ether part Vnto blessed spirites also and angells forasmuch as theyr felicity is nowe confirmed this belongeth that they can not sinne Wherefore Augustine in his 22. booke de Ciuitate Dei the. 30. chapiter Euen as sayth he the first immortalitye whiche Adam thorough sin lost was that he mought not die so the first free wil was that he mought not sin but the last free wil shall be that he can not sin And yet notwithstanding there is graunted a certayne kinde of libertye not whereby they can be bowed to ether part but whereby although that which they do is of necessity yet are they not compelled or violentlye driuen For euen as there are certayne true thinges so manifest that the minde can not but assent vnto them so the presence of God A similitude Why the blessed can not sinne now reuealed and made manifest is so greate a good thing that the saintes can not fall away from it So also although we of necessity sinne before we be regenerate in Christe yet are not therefore the powers of the will violated for whatsoeuer we do we do it both willingly and also being induced by some certayne hope And yet are we not therefore to be counted nothinge to differ from brute beastes For they although they be moued by some certayne iudgmēt yet They that are not regenerate differ from brute beastes is it not by a free iudgement But in men although not yet regenerate there is still as we
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 Gosple Dauid Manasses and Peter repented So long saith he as thys affection shall so remayne it can not be subiect vnto the lawe of God but forasmuch as it may be changed all hope is not to be cast away In writing thus he teacheth nothing but that which is sound But this is to be noted that this chaunge consisteth not in our strengthes For it is altogether of the spirite of Christ and of grace For as longe as we be as we were before we our selues caÌ„ neuer change our selues But afterward Chrisostome addeth that peraduenture this affection of the fleshe signifieth a wicked action and that Paul ment nothyng els but that an euill worke can neuer be good And in the same sence thinketh he is to be taken this sentence of the Gospell where it is sayde That an euill tree can not brynge forth good fruytes This interpretation I can in no wise allow for that I sée that Paul here speaketh not of any action or worke but speaketh of the affect féeling and corruption of nature Neither can I be perswaded that the Romanes were so blockish that they neded to be taught that an euill action could not be good But that Christ by the euill trée vnderstoode not workes but man those thinges doo manifestly declare which are in that place by Mathew rehersed For he had warned them to beware of false prophets which come in shepes clothing but within are rauening wolues By their fruites saith he ye shall knowe them Doe men of thornes gather grapes or of briers figges Either make the tree good c. And farther that we may be chaunged which thing we deny not he goeth about to proue by the parable â—â— tares Tares saith he are made wheate and chaunged into it And therefore the goodman of the house would not haue them weeded out But we finde not in the Gospell that tares ar chaunged into wheat Only the lord would not haue the tares plucked vp lest perhaps yâ— wheat being mixed with theÌ„ bicause peradueÌ„ture yâ— rootes of yâ— wheat and of yâ— tares being intricated together should be together plucked vp But herein as we haue said coÌ„sisteth not the coÌ„trouersy For we know yâ— such affects may be changed and broken But he afterward sayth that that is done by the spirite and grace of God which thing is both most true we also haue oftentimes affirmed the same Howbeit as Chrisostome is alwaies to much prone to defend frée wil humane streÌ„gth he addeth That this lyeth in our power to receaue the spirite and grace so that euerye Chrisostom thinketh that euery one of vs can do what he will him selfe and that it lieth in our power to haue the spirite grace An other hard place of Chrisostome Motions contrary vnto the law are in the regenerate dayly made more remisse man may do what he will Which thing we vtterly deny For if a maÌ„ can of himself receiue the grace of God when it is offred vndoubtedly such a worke should bâ— both good and also could not but please God which yet should be done of a man not yet regenerate and so a trée being yet euill should bring forth good fruites which according to the sentence of the Lord is not possible For vnles our stony hart be taken from vs and in stede therof a fleshy hart be geuen vs we shall continually abide the selfe same that before we were Farther he addeth that the law of the members doth no more rebell against the law of the mynde neither doth it leade vs captiues vnto the law of sinne And that this is not so I doubt not but that euery man hathe experience in himselfe And we haue before by most manifest reasons declared yâ— those thinges which Paul writeth in the 7. chap. of this epistle doo pertaine vnto men regenerate Vnles peraduenture this be Chrisostomes meaning that these motions in the regenerate ar daily made more remisse But he vndoubtedly hereunto had not a regard as those thinges which follow do plainly declare And it séemeth that he spake generally of this our tyme which is since Christ offred himself vnto the father and suffred death Augustine hath of this place a sound interpretation One and the selfe same soule saith he may be subiecte both vnto the affecte of the fleshe and also vnto the affecte of the spirite as one and the selfe same water is bothe made warm â–ª and is also by cold congeled and made I se So that then if thou wilt say that I se is not whote thou saist truly and if thou wilt say moreouer that I se can not be whote this also is true for I se so long as it is I se can not be whote But it is possible that heat may be put to it the I se may be resolued made whote But that I se should both keepe still his own nature yet in the mean tyme be whote it is vtterly vnpossible After this maner the affect of the flesh may either be taken away or be broken and a spirituall affecte succede in his place But that a carnall affect should be made spirituall it is by no meanes possible If thou demaund whither spirituall obseruings of the commaundements of God ar vnpossible or no I aunswer that in the oldenes of the flesh they are vnpossible but if the spirite and regeneration be added they are not vtterly vnpossible although the law of God cannot in this life be performed no not eueÌ„ of the most holiest For it pertaineth to the spirite of Christ to tame the frowardnes of yâ— flesh and when we are once come to death vtterly to extinguish it Now yâ— these things are thus expounded there remaine two errors to confute wherof one is of the Maniches An error of the Manichies which therfore thought the flesh to be called enmity against God bicause it was created of an euill God which continually resisteth the true and good God But the matter is farre otherwise For here is not entreated of the hypostasis or substaÌ„ce of the flesh but of the fault or corruptioÌ„ which by reason of the fal of the first man is alwaies ioyned with it An other error is of yâ— PelagiaÌ„s which wer not ashamed An error of the Pelagians to say yâ— man by yâ— streÌ„gths of nature is able to kepe yâ— coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts of God From whome the scholemen at this day differ not much For they affirme that a man without the grace of Christ is able to kepe the Law of God as touching the substance of workes although not according to the meaning of the Law for they which are of that sort whatsoeuer they worke it caÌ„ not be done of charity And so they are not afrayd to say that a man caÌ„ loue God aboue all things though he want the grace of God Nether in the meane time marke they that the Apostle here sayth that the wisedome of the flesh is enmity agaynst God If an Ethnike
slight signe or onely of a probable signe but of a necessary signe which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath geuen saith he his sonne for vs. What things theÌ„ shall he spare for our sake which hath not spared his owne sonne Fathers wil not God hath done contrary to the accustâ—med manner of men An argument taken of an example sticke to spend all that euer they haue to redeme their children But God contrariwise to redeme vs hath deliuered his own sonne When Abraham had led forth his sonne vnto the aulter and would at the commaundement of God haue offered him vp God himselfe testified that he then at the length saw how much he estemed him If thys by the testimony of God himselfe was an argument of great loue and of sincere charity what oughte we to iudge of God whiche for our sakes hath geuen his owne sonne So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne for it This is that signe which Paul continually entreateth of and adorneth For before he said God setteth forth hys loue towardes vs in that when we were yet ennemies Christ dyed for vs. And vnto the Gal. Who hath loued me and hath deliuered hymselfe for me And vnto the Corrinthians I thynke my selfe to know nothyng but onelye Iesus Christ and hym crucified Augustine in his 2. booke and 33. chap. de nuptijs concupiscentia â–ª diligently peyseth this which Paul sayth That Christ was deliuered The originall sinne of infants is here proued for all Infantes saith he are not here exempted wherefore Christ dyed for them also Wherfore they ar obnoxious vnto originall sin also For otherwyse what should they haue neded any such sacrifice The Pelagians said that they are innocents and especially after that Christ had suffred death for them Yea rather contrariwyse saith Augustine forasmuch as Christ dyed for them that ought to be a sufficient argument that they are not innocentes How shall he not with hym geue vs all thinges also All things are geuen All thinges are geuen to worke vnto our saluation not to hurt vs. vnto vs not to hurt vs but to worke to our saluation For we haue Christ a defender of vs from euill and a Sauiour For euen as God by his crosse and death hath healed yâ— world so shall he bring to passe that whatsoeuer afflictions we suffer shall be made healthfull vnto vs. These things doubtles in mans iudgement and at the first sight séeme terrible but as waspes when their sting is taken away can only A similitude make a bussing can not sting so although aduersities sometimes assaile godly men yet they deiect theÌ„ not But forasmuch as all things yâ— we haue are geuen vnto vs through Christ vndoubtedly they conduce vnto vs for the obteynement of felicity To this purpose sayth Paul in the first to the Cor. All thynges are yours and ye are Christes and Christ is Gods And what are the principall thinges which Christ hath brought vnto vs are in the same epistle thus declared He is made vnto vs of God wysedome ryghteousnes holines and redemption And in Esay the â—0 chap. are described his miracles truth of doctrine innocency of life and most greuous paynes and these are exceding great singuler good thinges But when Paul in this place saith vniuersally that all things are geuen vnto vs we may not therby vnderstaÌ„d these thinges onely but also all other thinges whatsoeuer they be And seyng we haue Christ the Lord of all good thinges we ought not to doubt but that al things that are his are ours for he is the heire of all thinges and we are declared to be his fellow heires And as he is geuen vnto vs of the father so againe we are of the The father hath geuen vnto vs all thinges through Christ and he hath geuen vs also vnto Christ same father geuen vnto him Therfore he saith no man can take away from hym those which are geuen vnto him of the father And Dauid vnder the person of the father saith Aske of me and I wyll geue vnto thee the Gentles for thyne inheritaunce And yet is there som difference betwene those two gifts For Christ is geuen vnto vs fréely without any our merites But Christ hath gotten vs vnto himself not fréely but by his bloud and crosse Neither skilleth it much whether a man read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is shall geue or in the preter tempse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hath geuen For either is true For those thinges which we shal haue in our countrey that is in heauen we haue now by hope and before God it is all one as if we now had them in very dede Farther the greatest parte of those thinges which Christe hath gotten for vs are already bestowed vpon vs. Who shall accuse agaynst the elect of God It is God which iustifieth Who shall condemne It is Christ which died and whiche rose againe and sitteth at the right hand of the father and maketh intercession for vs. Who shall accuse against the elect of God This may be red two manner of wayes First that there be two interrogations ioyned together in this maner Who shall accuse agaynst the elect of God Shall God which iustifieth And then adde therunto this worde No as though it is not very likely that one and the selfe same which iustifieth wil also accuse And then followeth who shall condemne shal Christ which hath dyed for vs and rose agayne and sitteth at the ryght hand of God and prayeth for vs As though againe shoulde be aunswered No. For it is not credible that Christ which hath done so many and so great things for vs can be brought to condemne vs. Otherwise it may be thus red Who shall accuse and so to vnderstand No body And a reason why is geuen bicause God iustifieth Also Who shall condemne and againe vnderstand No body And so is added an other reason For that Christ hath died for vs as though it were a figure in Rhetorike called subiectio We can nether be accused nor condemned for that we are elect We haue in vs by nature many thinges whiche might iustly be accused If we should be accused our satisfaction is at hande This second interpretation is easier and playner then the first And this is to be noted that these things are not spoken of them which worke neither are referred vnto merites nor ascribed vnto our worthines For here is mencion made onely of the elect vnto them belong these things in as much as they are elected of God for yâ— they are iustified fréely For otherwise we al haue in our selues many thinges which may by very good right be both accused condemned But if any would presume to accuse vs yet is our satisfactioÌ„ at haÌ„d Wherfore the accusatioÌ„ should be in vain For Christ maketh intercessioÌ„ by his merite maketh he intercession for childreÌ„ now adopted maketh he
are elected That should not be true if calling should haue that force to chaunge the will Here we say that the calling of God is of two sortes the one is common whereby men in déede are after a sorte stirred vp but they are not bowed For that those thinges which are offred please them not but the other is a conuenient apte and mightye calling whereby the mindes are touched and trulye chaunged After this manner was Iacob called and not Esau therefore the one was beloued the other hated the one drawen the other forsaken Neither doth this any thinge further thée to say God wanteth not a meane wherby to bow the wâ—â—s of men It is repugnant to the wil to be compelled God poured not malice in to Esau but he gaue not vnto him grace wherby he might be made good What two thinges are hâ—â—e to be hâ—ld fast although humane reason cannot make theâ— to agree that the willes of men are sometimes hardened for it is not to be thoughte that God wanteth a meane whereby to bow and chaunge them if he will Wherefore if we make God omnipotent then can there be no obstinacy of men so greate but that he can ouercome it not by compulsion which is vtterly repugnante vnto the nature of will but by persuasion Neither was it néedeful that God when he hated Esau should poure into him any new malice whereby he mought be made euil for he had that aboundantly of himselfe and by the corruption of nature It was sufficient yâ— he gaue not vnto him grace whereby he mought be made good Wherfore there are two thinges which we oughte constantlye to holde faste firste that there is no iniquitie wyth God secondlye that he hath mercye on whome he wyll and whome he wyll at hys pleasure he hardeneth Whyche two thynges althoughe humane reason can not easelye make to agrée the one with the other yet Augustine to the ende the iustice of God moughte after a sorte the easilier be vnderstanded addeth a similitude of a creditoure who hath two debtoures whome if vnto one he remitte his debte and require his debte of the other no no man can iustly accuse Wherefore if humane iustice had his originall of the iustice of God it is wonderfull that men can take this vpon theÌ„ to reproue that in God which they confesse to be iust in men And Iacob and Esau were obnoxious vnto the condemnation of originall sinne Wherefore God did nothing vniustly if he pardoned the one and vouchsafed to bestow on him his fauour and grace and by his iust iudgement punished the other Debters shoulde not haue a proude and rashe iudgement of the minde of their creditor especially when he requireth of theÌ„ no more then his dew But how importunatly men séeke to hinder God that he should not at his pleasure geue the thinges that are his to whome he will Christ God cannot be letted but that he geueth his thinges as semeth good vnto hym How this is to be vnderstanded thou hast hatâ—d none of the thinges which thou haâ— made declareth in the Gospel vnder the person of the good man of the house Is it not lawfull saith he for me to do wyth myne owne what I wyll Is thyne eye euill I am good Take that which is thyne owne and go thy wayes But it is written in the booke of wisedome the 2. chapter Thou hast hated none of the thynges which thou hast made Wherefore seing Esau was made of God it semeth that he could not â—e hated of him Augustine answereth that we must make a distinction betwene nature and sinne and so he maketh answere that God loued Esau as touching nature but hated him by reason of sinne But with this answere the minde can not be quieted for euen by this selfe same reason God may seme to haue hated Iacob for he also was no les obnoxious vnto originall sinne then was Esau Vnto thys Iacob was nâ— lesse obnoxious to original sinne theÌ„ Esau God hateth the sinnes of all men but after a dâ—ueâ—s maner the sinnes of the elect he w 〈…〉 pardon but will punishe the sinnes of the reprobate How Iacob was loued Esau hated when as they both were in sinne Three things to be considered The nature oâ— man sinne â–ª and the punishment God â—â—eth sinne as it is a punishmeÌ„t obiection Augustine maketh answere that God hated the sinne of eche but yet not after one and the selfe same maner For he would haue sinne to be in Iacob extinguished by forgeuenes And for that he had clered him of that debt he is sayd to loue hym But he hated sinne in Esau and would haue it punished And so for that he left Esau obnoxious vnto sinnes which he would not forgeue he was sayd to hate him Finally he thus interpretateth this sentence Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated namely that yâ— one was deliuered from sin but the other was left in sinne But how man and sinne do either please or displease God he thus declareth First he saith we must set before our eyes nature secondly sinne and thirdly the punishemeÌ„t wherwith God chastiseth the crime First of all he saith God loueth nature neither at any time hateth he it of himselfe But sinne of his owne nature he hateth although sometimes when it is inflicted of him in respect of a punishement forasmuch as it is an instrument of the iustice of God it vtterly displeaseth him not for then by that sinne others of the elect are kept vnder that they should not in like sort committe sinne And this he declareth by an excellent similitude A Iudge saith he when a thefe is brought before him hateth not the thiefe in respect that he is a maÌ„ but the theft he condemneth Neither doubtles hateth he the punishement whereby he commaundeth hym to be banished and to be put to the workes of the mines yea rather he inflicteth it vnto him as good By which sentence of Augustine by the way we note that at that The Romane lawes made not theâ—â— death tyme the Romane lawes condemned not a theefe to be hanged but only condemned him to the mines Wherefore seing sinnes haue oftentimes the nature of a punishement as we gather by the first chapter of this epistle it is euident that God in this respect hateth them not But in what sort he willeth sinnes all Whether god willeth sinne men are not of one and the same mynde For some thinke that God onely permitteth sinne and not properly willeth it least they should seme to make God the author of sinne and for that cause vniust if he woulde punishe that in man which he himselfe would haue to be done But if a man diligently weigh this permission he shall at the length finde that it is a certaine will of God For if he permitte sinne he doth it either willingly or agaynst his wyll but against Nothing caÌ„ be done against gods will The opinioÌ„
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
muste not be turned into a father In euery commaundement of the law two thinges to be considered and commaunded These wordes of the Apostle teach that this is the principal office of the lawe to direct vs vnto Christ wherefore vnto the Galathians it is called a scholemaster Wherefore they are worthely to be reproued which of a scholemaster make it a father seking rightousnes at the lawes hād which ought to be looked for at Christes hand onely Let vs therefore hereby learne in euery precept of the lawe to consider two things namely our sinnes and Christ our deliuerer whome al the commaundementes shewe forth for otherwise we shal vnprofitably consider of the lawe And the Iewes for that they excluded Christ in vayne boasted of the lawe as they which had not the lawe but only a shadow thereof And when that is added Vnto righteousnes to euery one that beleueth Paul putteth vs in mynde of the calling of the Gentiles affirming that al kinde of men so that they beleue shal be pertakers of this ende of the lawe Farther let vs for a certainty know that of this proposition dependeth the summe of Christian religion For The sūme of Christian religion the Iewes in vrging the lawe of Moses and the Ethnikes in following the law of nature mought paraduenture boast of some righteousnes but that righteousnes is straight way reproued when as we heare that Christ is the ende of euery If frō actions be takē away theyr iust ende they are not vpright iust lawe And I thinke no man is ignoraunt that if from vertues and humane actions be taken away their due ende all the vprightnes of them fayleth Wherefore this place moreouer proueth y◠all the workes of infidels are sinnes for that they want their end They which are endued with the righteousnes of fayth attaine also vnto the righteousnes of the lawe For being The works of infidels are sinnes They whiche are endued wyth the righteousnes of faith attaine also vnto the righteousnes of the law but not contrariwise The righteousnes of faith and of the law in what sort they are opposite The righteousnesse of faith may be ioyned together with that righteousnes of the lawe whiche followeth iustification A similitude taken out of Logike They whiche are not regenerate cā not haue good motions of the minde Hereout is gathered a consolation of the Iues iustified they labour with all industry and diligence to obey the will of God And contrariwise they which haue not the righteousnes of faith vtterly want the righteousnes of the lawe For the thinges which they do they can not make to frame whē as they want their end But if these ▪ two rightousnesses be so ioyned together how are they by an antithesis opposite the one to the other We aunswere that the righteousnes of faith and that righteousnes which followeth iustification are not opposite as contraries for although the one be not the other yet are they both one But the antithesis is contrary betwene the righteousnes of faith and that which goeth before iustification And the endeuor to obtayne iustification by this or by that hath such a contrary oppositiō that the one can not stand with the other And Chrisostome is in this place warely to be read when he saith that the righteousnes of faith and the righteousnes of the law differ not in very dede but are one the selfe same for he is deceaued for it is not possible y◠it should be so for y◠the righteousnes of God as we haue said is the absolution from sinnes but the righteousnes of the lawe or oures consisteth of good workes done after regeneration or before regeneration But peraduēture he mēt y◠which we now teach namely that y◠righteousnes of faith is ioyned together with y◠righteousnes which followeth iustificatiō We may by a similitude not vnaptly sée in what sort this twofold righteousnes is vnto iustification namely as differentia that is difference and proprium that propre is in Logike For as differentia maketh the nature or kinde so the righteousnes of God maketh our iustification for that when we are by him absolued from sinne wee are iustified And as proprium followeth the nature already made so the righteousnes of good works followeth iustification now obteyned and receaueth his force of it and not of the lawe For although the Lawe of God doo labour to make vs iust yet by reason of the prones to euill which is grafted in vs by nature euen from our infancy it looseth his labour for that the lawe amongest other thinges requireth good and spirituall motions which they that are not yet regenerate can in no wise haue And the Apostle by this his doctrine semeth not a little to comfort the weaker sort of the Iewes They were somewhat afeard lest by comming vnto Christ imbrasing the righteousnes of fayth they should be excluded from the true righteousnes of the law but he saith be not aferd y◠by comming vnto Christ ye shall transgresse the lawe for through Christ ye shall both fulfyll it and also be made partakers of the righteousnes of God And that he might not séeme to bring in a new or fayned distinction of righteousnes he alledgeth Moses who maketh mention of either righteousnes Fyrst of the righteousnes of the law he entreateth in Leuiticus in the. 18. chap. the woordes are these Keepe my commaundements and do myne ordinaunces which if a man doo bee shall lyue in them The selfe same sentence also we reade in the .xx. chapiter They The law requireth a moste pertect obedience haue cast away my commaundements which commaundemants who so kepeth shal liue in them But we must remember that when lyfe is promised to them that doo or kéepe the commaundementes that is not to be vnderstanded of a certaine lyght and sclender obedience but of a most perfect for suche an obedience the law requireth But this obedience can no man performe And where as vnto the obseruers of the law is promised life some haue vnderstand thereby thys corporall and temporall life For the transgressers of the law of Moses were put to death What maner of life the law promiseth For it is commaunded He which curseth father or mother let him be slayne Blasphemers also adulterers and breakers of the Sabaoth daye were put to death but they which obeyed remayned on lyue And hereunto it séemeth that the epistle to the Hebrues had a respect in the. 10. chapter where we reade He whych The lyfe whiche is promised is not only tēporall but also eternal maketh frustrate the law of Moses perisheth without any mercy This sentence although it be Augustines and certayne others yet I can not easely admit for that I sée that the life which God promised was not onely temporall but also eternal For there is no doubt but that they pertaine vnto God which doo his will Neither is it conuenient that God should geue vnto them
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
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
the second part he left out the name of stipend and of righteousnes and in stéede of them put in the name of grace Neither do I greatly passe that Augustine in an other place writeth that Paul mought haue sayd the stipend of righteousnes is eternall life and yet he would not say so least he should haue geuen occasion of erring For how Augustine thought that Paul mought haue sayd it vndoubtedly I sée not vnles paraduenture by righteousnes he vnderstand the workes of men regenerate forasmuch as with those workes the merites of Christ are ioyned For so it might be true that eternall life is the stipend of such a righteousnes Farther Origen goeth on and sheweth that men are so iustified fréely How eternall lyfe may be called the 〈…〉 pend of righteousnes that good workes are not required to go before For expounding this sentence Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen The soule saith he whose sinnes are forgeuen must needes now be in good state for it is called blessed Wherefore it hath righteousnes which God imputeth vnto it although it haue not yet done any workes of righteousnes but only for that it hath beleued in him whiche iustifieth the vngodly Out of these words we gather many thinges First that God for works sake is not made debtor vnto any man Secondly that not only iustification but also eternall life is geuen fréely Lastly that righteousnes is imputed vnto the mindes of the beleuers although no good workes went before in them Basilius vpon these wordes of the 114. Psalme Be thou conuerted my soule into thy rest for the Lord hath done good vnto thee For saith he eternall rest is set forthe vnto them which in this life haue wrestled lawfully which yet is not rendered accordyng to the merite of workes but is geuen according to the grace of the most liberall God vnto them which haue hoped in him Seyng these thinges are spoken of the workes of men already iustified as touching eternall felicity then are they to be counted much more true if they be referred vnto the workes of them which are yet strangers frō Christ Wherfore euen as those merite not an eternall reward no more also can these merite iustification For both these thinges are geuen fréely Augustine in his booke De dogmatibus ecclesiasticis chap. 48. If by the law saith he commeth righteousnes then dyed Christ in vayne So also may we say if by nature come righteousnes Christ dyed in vayne This spake he against the Pelagians who affirmed that the liberty of man was so great that by nature onely it could do thynges acceptable vnto God And Augustine warely transferreth vnto nature that which Paul spake of the law and sheweth that the selfe same absurditie followeth either namely that the death of Christ is made in vayne For in very dede there is no other cause why the law bringeth not righteousnes but onely because nature is vitiate and weake Wherfore that which is spokē of the one may rightly agrée with the other The same Augustine vpon the first chapter of Iohn expoūding these wordes Grace for grace what saith he is grace He aunswereth That which is frely geuen What is grace frely geuen That which is not rendred saith he as due For if it were due vnto thee then it is a reward rendred If it were due thou wast before good And in his booke de predestinatione sanctorum the 7. chap. Let no man extoll himselfe as it is customably said Therfore deserued he to beleue because he was a good man and that before he beleued which thyng semeth to be written of Cornelius when as yet he had fayth when he did good workes These wordes are so playne that they haue no néede of declaration Chrisostome in his 2. homely vpon the first epistle Chrisostom vnto the Cor. Where grace saith he is there are not workes and where works are there is not grace Wherfore if it be grace why are ye proude by what meanes are ye puffed vp Chrisostome according to the maner of Paul so opposeth grace against workes that the one excludeth the other so far is it of that he will haue grace to be geuen for workes Ierome vpon the epistle to Philemon Grace saith he is whereby ye are saued and Ierome that by no merite or worke The same Ierome vpon the epistle vnto the Ephes expoūding these wordes By grace ye are made safe through fayth and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God Paul saith he therefore spake this least some hidden thought should crepe into vs if by our workes we be not saued vndoubtedly yet by faith we are saued so that in an other kinde it commeth of vs that we are saued All these testimonies sufficiently declare that iustification is geuē fréely neither can it be gotten by any merites or workes goyng before Now resteth to declare out of the fathers how good workes are to be estemed Vndoubtedly they follow iustification as the fruites therof which spring and burgē forth out of true faith Wherfore Origene sayth in that place which we haue before cited expounding these wordes vnto the Romanes But vnto him which worketh the reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt Wherfore saith he not out of workes commeth the roote of righteousnes but out of the roote of righteousnes encreaseth the fruite of workes Whiche selfe thing Augustine affirmeth vnto Honoratus saying Hereout spring good works for that we are iustified and not because good workes went before therfore are we iustified And in his first booke second question ad Simplicianum Yea and workes saith he if there be any that be good do follow as it is said that grace and go not before it And therfore he addeth If there be any good because euen the workes of the regenerate haue in thē much imperfection and vnles the righteousnes of Christ which is imputed vnto the beleuers were ioyned with those workes they should not in very dede be good The same father in his 26. chapter de spiritu Litera at large entreateth this place vnto the Romanes Not the herers of the law shal be iustified but the doers and by many reasons he proueth that good workes follow iustification and go not before To this also tendeth that which Basilius writeth in his second booke De spiritu sancto the 7. chap. of the wordes of the Lord that first it behoueth that the trée be good then his fruites to be good that the Phariseis were reproued which in theyr dishes cups made cleane y◠which was without Make cleane sayth he that which is within and that which is without shal be cleane otherwise ye shal be compared vnto painted sepulchers which in dede without seme beautiful but with in are vncleane and full of dead mens bones What counsels are to be harkned vnto Now let vs come vnto the Counsells which yet are not without choyce and iudgement
siluer but that he left only a paterne of perfection vnto them which so order their life as he did who forsaking all that he had folowed Christ that he might the redylier serue him But these men should remember that not only examples but also commauÌ„demeÌ„ts Commaundement is geuen to the ministers of the church not to haue the sword nor dominion make on our side For Christ sayth The kings of the nations beare dominion ouer them but so shall not ye And these words are to be vnderstanded singularly and perticularly of the Apostles and of ministers and not of all men vniuersally For cityes and kingdomes can not be gouerned without a Magestrate Peter also coÌ„maundeth the gouernors of the Church not to exercise dominion ouer the flocke But let vs sée by what reasons these men pretende the vsurpation of the sworde Cityes and prouinces say they are by this meanes the better gouerned Héere I néede not much to trouble my selfe to make answere Let vs loke vpon the Cities which are vnder Bishops how much holyer and purer they are then others Verily By what light arguments the Popes and â—ishops defend their sword for as much as they can not by themselues gouerne and order things they substitute deputyes and iudges and those whome they call Officials But they geue themselues to deceites and to wicked practises and to most filthy gaines no les then other most vile iudges which are placed in the ciuill Magistrateship An other reason is for that say they in this yron and most corrupt age men are not led by the zeale of piety nor by the spirite as they were in times past in the primitiue Church it is expedient that they be kept vnder by force and by the sword Amit it were so But Princes can by their sword kepe vnder the wicked and especially at this time when as Princes are Christians and professe one and the selfe same fayth with vs but whome I beseche you haue they by theyr sword made the better Vndoubtedly the state of Christianity was neuer in worse case then it hathe bene since the time that Bishops leauing the charge of the shéepe and flocke of None are â—p the sword of the Pope made better but worse These two functions do let the one the other Christ began to vsurpe the sword Further who séeth not that these two functions doe so hinder the one the other that he which exerciseth the one can not execute the other For it is an hard matter to finde one fo prompt and ready that caÌ„ rightly and orderly administer but euen one of those functions But touching this matter we haue spoken sufficiently Now resteth more diligently to consider vppon the woords There is no power but of God According to the rules of Logike it is all one as if Paul should haue sayd euery power is of God Wherefore séeing that Paul in such sort reasoneth some in vaine cauill that they should doe no reuerence to inferior maiestrates as to suche as haue the charge of cityes or are appoynted gouernors of prouinces For they think it sufficient if they be subiect to the higher powers as to Emperors and to Kings But Paul comprehendeth all maner of power For a proposition exclusiue as they vse to speake is of the same force that an vniuersall proposition is transposed or conuerted As for example Only man runneth Ergo euery thing that runneth is a man So here Only if God is power It is lawfull to appeale from the inferior magistrate to the superiour Ergo all power is of God And if all power be of God then without doubt ought we to honor and reuerence it But if we sée that we are too cruelly oppressed of the inferior magestrate we are not by this doctrine letted but that we may vse the benefite of appealation For as that is by good equitie permitted by the law of man so is it by no parte of the holy scripture abrogated Yea Paul himself vsed it when he saw opportunitie Wherfore it is lawful by way of appeale to flye from the inferior magestrate to the fidelitie and mercy of the superior But they which resist them resist the ordinance of God What is more vniust They whiche resist the power fight with God The ciuill power is resisted two maner of wayes or more vnworthy then to go about to fight with God How peruerse a thing that is euen the Ethnike poets also saw For they fain that Iupiter toke most greuous vengeaunce vpon the rashnesse of those Giants which went about to assault heauen And the ciuil power is resisted two maner of wayes either by open violence which thing we sée seditious and rebellious men vse to doe or els by craft and subtlety as when a Prince is through wicked pollicies and deceites circumuented that he can not execute his office For by these meanes oftentimes the Prince being ignorant the course of iustice is hindred Wherefore this saying of Dioclesian is much vsed A good wary and wise prince is oftentimes sold For whilest he is alone in his chamber his seruauntes come and declare all things vnto him deceitfully So he vnawares doth things as vpright and iust which in very déede are most vniust He remoueth away good men from the gouernement of the publique wealth and aduaunceth those which ought to be most far of banished Therfore a certaine wryter called the Senate of Rome not Patres conscripti but circumscripti Howbeit I speake not this that I thinke that it is not lawful for godly men by all maner of vpright meanes to auoyde the daunger of falling into the handes of tyraunts Which yet they ought not to doe after that they be once cast into prisone For this were to violate publique lawes and to geue an example to murtherers and théeues to doe the like And they that resist shall receiue vnto them selues iudgement Men are not in this case hurt but the estimation and dignitie of God is contemned For God answered to Samuel They haue not cast thee away but me that I should not raign ouer them By iudgement we chiefly vnderstand that iudgemeÌ„t which concerneth eternal destruction For afterward it foloweth that we ought to be subiect not only for anger sake but also for conscience sake We may also by iudgement vnderstande iudgement in this life For Salomon sayth the anger of a king is like the roaring of a Lion he which prouoketh it sinneth against his owne soule Greuous punishments are appoynted for seditious persons and for rebels In the olde law it was death if a Greuous punishmeÌ„ts appoynted to seditious and rebellious persoÌ„s man had resisted the higher power Chore with all his was consumed with fire Dathan and Abirom were swallowed vp of the earth for that they seditiously resisted Moses and Aaron We know what end Absolon came vnto when he had expelled his father out of his kingdome What séemed more goodly to the whole world then that notable
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
God mought seme to haue bene the God onely of the Hebrewes and to haue left the Gentles without hope of saluation as though he were not their God This reason leadeth to absurditie as though God were a taker of partes which thing is The idols of the Ethnikes were 〈…〉 diuerse partes or sides God fauored the Iewes but yet he for sooke not other nations An error of Aben Ezre by no meanes to be attributed vnto him as the Ethnikes ascribed vnto their idols when they fayned yâ— some toke part wyth the Troyans some with the Grecians so that they fought also one against an other and lamented when things went not with theÌ„ as they defired But with the true God is no such acceptioÌ„ of persoÌ„s It is true in dede that some singuler giftes were geuen vnto the Iewes but yet not in such sorte that other nations were forsaken Howbeit Aben Esdra durst take vpoÌ„ him to define that Gods prouidence reacheth not vnto euery singuler maÌ„ but onely as touching the Israelites vnto the other he faith he looked onely generally but had ouer the Iewes a peculiar care as touchyng euery perticuler thing by them done But Paulâ— here testifieth that God is the God as well of the Gentles as of the Iewes And forasmuch as God is as it is most certayn the chiefest good thing he communicateth himselfe vnto others after the best maner that may be whiche is most chiefly done in iustifieng them Wherfore Dauid fayd Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. But what blessednes can there be wythout the gyft of iustification And vndoubtedly God deliuereth from all euill those whose God he is Wherfore he suffreth them not either to be oppressed wyth sin perpetually or to Blessednes can not be without iustification From whence is concluded the resurrection of the dead be obnoxious vnto eternall punishmentes By this meanes Christ concludeth the resurrection of the dead for that in the scriptures is written I am the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Iacob For if he were their God then is it necessary that he at the length deliuer them from euill and from the payne of death which thyng by yâ— resurrection he will performe vnto them when he shall redeme them from death And it is manifest that that ought to be graunted vnto all men whereby all men are iustified And forasmuch as this commeth to passe by the benefite of God therby is concluded that God is the God of all those vnto whome he geueth his righteousnes from which number the Gentles can not be excluded when as in the time of the Apostles they both came vnto Christ and also most manifestly receiued the holy ghost as did other which beleued in Christ and were of the Iewes And for as much as God hath created all maner of thinges vniuersally and by his prouidence gouerneth all thinges and formed the first one man from whome is spred abrode Places by which is proued that vnto the Gentiles also pertaineth the true God all our whole kinde shall not he be thought to be the God of al men Which thing also is hereby proued for that in the holy scripture it is written That euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued And againe it is sayd They which beleue and are baptised shal be saued And vnto this tendeth that which is sayde of the prophet All flesh shall see the sauyng health of God where by fleshe we vnderstande man And this thyng also do all those oracles testifie in whiche is intreated of the callyng of the Gentles as is that which was said vnto Abraham In thy sede shall all nations be blessed And Iacob affirmed that the scepter should not be taken away froÌ„ Iuda vntill he came which should be sent and he sayth he shall be the expectatioÌ„ of the Gentles In Esay also we reade of the roote or féede of Iesse that in him the Gentles should hope And it were an infinite labour to rehearse all the places which serue to this purpose The Hebrewes boasted that the lawe was geuen for them But yet that as touchyng thys parte the Gentles were not neglected hereby is testified The Gentles were not excluded from the Law in that there moughte come vnto the publike wealthe of the Iewes and vnto theyr lawes as manye Proselites as woulde And when the Israelites were called oute of Egipte there followed them no small multitude of the Egiptians vpon whome God in the deserte bestowed the selfe same benefites and giftes that he gaue vnto the Iewes And he made a promise in his lawes that straungers also shoulde be admitted to the eatinge of the paschall Lambe so that they woulde be circumcised By all whiche thinges it is manifest that the Gentiles were not neglected of God euen as touchinge the benefite of the lawe Farther we knowe that Melohisedech who hath a singular prayse in Ethnikes praised in the scriptures the lawe was commended as iuste and the priest of the moste â—ygh God Also Iethro the father in law of Moses Iobe being Gentiles are notably coÌ„mended in the holy scriptures It is certayne also that Queene Saba is commended because she came to heare the wisedome of Salomon Nether were the Niniuites omitted who when they had repented were saued By these thinges it is manifest that before the comming of Christ amongst the GeÌ„tiles were some which had the true God and worshipped him for God Further after Christ was now come there is none but playnely seeth how it was declared that God had a care ouer the Gentiles He disdayned not the woman of Samaria nor the woman of Chanaan which were Ethnikes and Cornelius the Centurion before he had receaued baptisme was accepted of God and when he had beleeued he receaued the holy ghost in a visible forme before he was baptised Neyther came Peter vnto him without an assured oracle of God when as vnto him was shewed a vessell let downe from heaueÌ„ wherein were contayned both serpents and all kind of vncleane beastes of which it was sayd vnto hym that he should kyll eate This also last of all is coÌ„firmed by the history of the Eunuch which longed vnto Candaces Queene of the Ethyopians who was by a singular miracle instructed of Phillip baptised This thing woÌ„derfully yrked the Iewes that they sawe the Ethnikes admitted vnto grace without the lawe But they ought to haue remembred as sayth Tertullian in his booke agaynst the Iewes that whereas they so much boasted of the lawe the lawe was not first geuen vnto them For before them Adam first receaued it in paradise and in that which was geuen vnto hym was contayned whatsoeuer was afterward by Moses commaunded in the morall preceptes especially as touching the princicipall The Law was geuen vnto AdaÌ„ wherefore not the Iewes onely had the law but all men in Adam poyntes For if Adam had loued God with all hys hart how could
he haue transgressed his commaundement And if he had beleued him when he threatened death vnto him he would not haue bene so vnaduised to comitte that which was the cause of death And he also if he had loued his neighbour as he was bounde to do woulde not by his transgression haue throwen all his whole posterity into death And if he would haue delt iustly he would in no case haue taken away an other mans fruite which pertayned vnto him These thinges hath Tertullian excellently well noted of the law geuen in paradise vnto the first man and woman And he also affirmeth that after this law succeded that lawe which is called the lawe of nature I will not speake that Noe The law of nature The law geuen vnto Noe. receaued some preceptes which were common vnto all mankind And if God would afterward by Moses more plainly expresse the lawes which he had before geuen there is no cause why the Iewes should contemne the Gētles as though they were left without the lawe For it is most manifest that whē Christ came he did set forth a most perfect explication of the doctrine which was then set abrode amongest all men of all lawes whereby playnly appeareth how fowly The rashnes of the Iewes the Hebrues are deceaued which are so rauished with the loue of theyr owne stocke that they will rather haue God to want of his glory that he should not be the God of all mē nor his prouidēce reach vnto all mē then they will confesse that they alone are not the people whom God hath a care ouer loueth In this Why God is sayd to be the God of some place let vs note that the Apostle bringeth a reasō why God is chiefly called the God of some namely because he iustifieth them For straightway he addeth VVho shall iustify circumcision of fayth and vncircumcision by fayth What is vnderstand by circumcision and vncircumcision we haue elswhere declared they at to be vnderstand by the figure Metonomia so that by the signe Metonomia we must vnderstand those thinges which are by it signified These prepositions of and by in this place signifie one and the selfe same thing They serue to amplifie the matter as in an other place Paule sayd of God All thinges were made of hym and by hym The difference of these prepositions bred sometymes a greeuous contencion betwene the Grekes and the Lattines The Lattines sayd that the holy ghost proceded not only of the father but also of the son On the cōtrary A contenciō of the Grekes the lattines toching the holy ghost the Grekes affirmed that he proceded of the father but by the sonne not of the sonne But after they had long tyme contended they saw that their contencion was only about wordes By these thinges which haue now bene spoken we euidently see that as touching iustification the Gentles are made equall with the Iewes which is a very great comfort vnto vs. Neyther ought we to be any thyng moued that Paule here vseth a verbe of the future tense when he faith Shall iustifye For although in the olde time very many both of the Iewes and of the Gentiles were so iustified yet because that rarely happened and amongst fewe it was counted as not done if we haue a respect vnto the generall benefite which happened after the comming of Christ Neyther is the emphasis or strength of this sentence following to be passed ouer For it is one God vvho shall iustifye c. For thereby is signified that euen as there is but one God so also to iustifye men he will vse but one waye namely By fayth Those thinges which are here spoken ought much to moue vs not to contemne our neighbours For whē we shall cōsider with out selues One God vseth one way to iustefy al men A reason why we◠ought to loue our neighbors An error sprong of the wordes of Paule Woorkes that goe before iustification are excluded not those that follow Why Peter sayd that in Paul are certaine hard thing s. Iames semeth tobe agaynst Paule Conciliation A place of Augustine declared that our God is their God also we cā not but embrace them with a great loue honor beneuolence Neither ought we to flatter our selues touching singular benefites which we haue receaued forasmuch as the holy scriptures do admonishe vs that many are fyrst which shal be last and contrary many last which thalbe fyrst And Augustine in hys booke of 83. questions in hys 66. question admonisheth that this sentence of Paule which is now proued namely that man is iustified without workes of the lawe was peruersly vnderstand of many which thought that men when they beleued and were iustified had no more any nede to liue holily iustly not weighing that Paule here speaketh of works that go before iustificatiō not of those which follow it This indede is true that there go no works before which are the causes why we should be iustified But after we haue once obteined righteousnes it is necessary that good works follow And hereof he saith it came that Peter said that in the epistles of Paul are certaine harde thinges which men would peruerte accordyng to their owne lust Iames also semeth to haue bene led so farre that in a maner he wrote thinges contrary vnto Paule namely That a man is iustified by workes who also required the we should declare our faith by workes Wherunto also Iohn Iudas in their epistles seme to tend But all these things are wel inough neither ar they any thyng repugnant one to the other For Paul speaketh of workes that are done before iustificatiō but Iames speaketh of those workes which ought to follow it These things haue I brought out of the place of Augustine before cited and out of hys booke of faith and workes the 14. chap. Who yet in the 66. question which we haue nowe alleaged hath a certain sentence which must be warely and aptly vnderstanded otherwise it should not be true For he sayth That it is impossible that we shoulde by workes goyng before obteyne iustification but afterward sayth he it is necessarye that they follow so that we remayne in life And if a man beginne to beleue in the last houre of his lyfe whē he shall streight way die he hath nether good works going before nor good workes followyng after but there followeth him onely a righteousnes of fayth and by it he is saued Augustine semeth by those wordes to affirme that it is possible that true fayth which iustifieth may be had without works which in very dede is false For when a manne at the extremitie of death beleeueth it is not possible but that he loueth God and his neighbour and calleth vpon him and is sory for those thinges which he hath before wickedly committed Wherfore these kindes of good workes which at the least haue place in the mynde follow his faith But I
case was only touching the life and goodes of the body But here we haue an enemy in the inward partes and in the very bowels and our minde is subiect vnto sinne euen against our willes and we resisting it We were sold so soone as Adam had sinned For by one man sin entred into the world and in hym all men haue sinned We were solde gratis that is for nothyng for there was no iust cause which draue our first parentes to sinne why we are sayd to be sold gratis Farther also forasmuch as when we are borne we draw sinne with vs neither take we it vpon vs of our owne will therfore are we sayd to be sold gratis Augustine vpon the booke of Iudges the 17. questiō wondreth at this phrase of speach in the Scriptures wherby men are said to be sold gratis when as no price at al was What to be solde gratis signifieth payd for them And he saith that by this phrase is signified nothing els but that y◠Israelites were deliuered of God into the power of their enemies of whom they should be afflicted no otherwise then if they had bene bought bondmen And he sayth that this word gratis which is red in the Psalmes and in Esay is very aptly put For that God when he in such sort deliuered the Iewes into the power of straungers got therby no honour or worshipping at all as a reward or price For they were idolatrers So we are sayd to be deliuered gratis both vnto the deuill to y◠corruptiō naturally grafted in vs for y◠by thē redoundeth vnto God neither honour nor thanks For they are enemies vnto God do cōtinually beare hatred against him But as we are sold gratis so also are we redeemed gratis not but y◠We are redeemed gratis Achab sold him selfe to do euill Christ hath paid for vs both his lyfe bloud but for y◠we haue therunto geuē nothing of our own neither ar we iustified by any our merite The self same phrase of speach is red in y◠1. boke of Kings the 21. cha of Achab y◠wicked kyng He was solde to do euill in the sight of the Lord. But in the Hebrew phrase this word Hithmabo signifieth that he sold himself both for that he willingly and of his owne accorde dyd those things wherunto by the lust grafted in hym he was moued and also for that thorough his owne will he had therunto added many kindes of sinnes Augustine in hys 41. treatise vpon Iohn compareth this seruitude wherby we liue in vnder sinne with the ciuill and outward seruitude and in that comparison setteth before our eyes in how vnhappy estate they are which are in such sort solde vnder sinne and made seruantes vnto the tiranny therof A bondeman sayth he is in A comparison betwen◠the seruitude of sin and ciuile seruitude some hope to chaunge hys lord or maister if he chaunce to be ouer cruell and froward towardes hym For by one meanes or other he practiseth wyth some to buye hym of hys Lorde and counteth it a great benefite if he may leaue his cruell Lorde and obteyne a gentler But sinne so cleaneth in vs that there is no man whiche can hope for any suche change They which are seruants as touchyng ciuile seruitude are in good hope that they shall at one tyme or other find the meanes to runne away from theyr Lords But as for vs whether shall we go whersoeuer we shall be we shall draw wyth vs the tyran sin Suppose that there were one which would redeme vs. Is it not of necessity that he be free from the common Lord whose seruantes we are that is from sinne I thynke verily it is For other wyse whatsoeuer he should buye should be bounde vnto sinne vnto whome he though he were now a redemer is also a seruaunt But there can none be found free from sinne except only our Lord Iesus Christ. Wherfore vnto hym let hym go whosoeuer wyll be deliuered from sinne But a man will obiect But the Apostle sayth that we are now deliuered from sinne for thus he writeth But now we beyng deliuered from sinne are made the seruantes of righteousnes Why then doth he nowe complayne that he is sold vnder sinne Here must we call to mynd that which we haue oftentimes said that we are in déede deliuered by Christ but yet not with a full deliuery but only Our deliuery is not yet full and perfect with a deliuery begonne which then at the last shall be perfect when our last enemy death shall be destroyed and when as Paul sayth this mortall body shall haue put on immortality and this corruptible body shall be made incorruptible But in the meane tyme we possesse not a full liberty but a liberty hoped for Now then seyng that we are still carnall and sold vnder sinne it is our partes continually with faithfull prayers to cry vnto the lord not without good aduisement to approue those things which are pleasant vnto vs but rather let vs haue in suspiciō all things y◠are ours for that frō the bondslaues of sin can nothing lightly be looked for which is in very dede good And whē we are oppressed with any calamity let vs in no wise complain of God as though he afflicteth vs without any our defect For it is not possible but that of them whiche liue vnder sinne should be many It is not possible but that we must nedes commit many thynges amisse thinges amisse committed The thinges which Paul before spake in this chap. that he knew not sinne and was ignorant of lust when he wanted the lawe and as soone as it came sinne excedingly encreased in him and so increased that of it through the commaundement he was slayne and such other like thinges all these I say the Pelagians easely graunted mought be vnderstand of Paul both when he was yet an infant and also whē he was of full age so long as he endeuoured not himselfe to an vpright life But here they somewhat staggered when they saw that he sayd of himselfe and that in the present tempse The lawe is spirituall Here falleth away much from free will but I am carnall being sold vnder sinne For here they felt that somewhat but what do I say somewhat yea rather that very much falleth away from frée will They saw moreouer that he can not be iustified at his owne pleasure which is driuen to be the seruaunt of sinne and which after he is come vnto Christ is sayd yet notwithstanding to be sold vnder sinne so that he can not in all poyntes fulfill the lawe of God which is spirituall Wherefore they went about to wrest these wordes of the Apostle to an other sense For they sayd that he called himselfe carnall for that whilest he here liued he had not yet put on the spirituall fleshe which we shall haue in the resurrection but still caried it about with him which in the meanetyme was