sacrifice 451 Almes are a blessing 452 Almes geuing what is to be sene vnto there in 453 Altares ought not to be vsed in this time 335 Allegoryes what they are 83. 327. 345 Amen what it signifieth 245 Anathema what it is 237. 238 239. 240. 241 Angels may not be prayed vnto 231 Angels some are good and some are euil 235 Angels are subiect to vanitie 213 Angels gouerne diuers regions 359 Anselme his saying vpon free will 28 Antithesis 74 Antiquitie of papisticall churches 244 Apostles and Bishops are not of like authoritie 3 Arguments of the deuinity of Christ 5 Arme of God what it is 325 Arrogancy is a pestileÌ„ce vnto brotherly loue 424 Artes of speaking are not to be condempned 232 Augustine vpon free will 26 Augustine vpon predestination 26 Augustine against Iulianus 27 Auntient fathers how they shold be read 76 Auriculer confession is wicked 382 B BAal what it signifieth 334. 337 Baptisme what it is 52. 86. 143. 145. 146. 147. 148 Beasts were worshipped 25 Beleuing what it is 38 Blasphemy what it is 46 47 Blessednes what it is 75 Blindenes of the heart is sinne 125 Blindenes of the minde 345 Boniface a proud and arrogant Pope 432 Brethren to praise them is profitable for vs. 446 C Câ—uses why Christ offred him selfe vnto death 210 Cerimonyes what they are 69. 70. 71. 152 Circumcision what it is 47. 48. 85. 86. 87. Charitie distinguisheth true faith from false 225 Chaunge of things in the ende of the world 216. 217 Children of wrath who they are 278 Christ excelleth philosophers 10 Christ to dwell in vs how it is to be vnderstand 199 Christ â–ª howe we receiue him and are ioyned vnto him 200 Christ is still the minister of oure saluation 230. 231 Christ is the ende of the law 90 Christ is the heyre of al the world 88 Christ why he is called Lord. 6 Christ had a true body 4 Christ is the head of the promises of God 18 Christe had not his soule from the virgine Mary 110 Christes church shal neuer pearish 235 Christes diuinitie 246 Christes fleshe eaten in the sacrament is not the cause of our resurrection 201. 202 Christs death why it was acceptable to his father 107 Christians what things ought to moue theÌ„ to loue one an other 454 Chrisostome is expounded 16 Chrisostome and Ambrose fail in memory 17 Churches ought to be shut when there is no congregation 31 Church what it is 236. 237. Commaundements of God expounded 46 Concupiscence is not lawful 32. 33. 150 Constantine the great 16 Contention what it is 40 Cornelius iustified 181 Creatures why they are said to mourne 214 215. 216 Creatures are signes that set forth God 21 Crosses are aduersities 209 D DEath is not naturall vnto man 112 Death hath no right wher sin is not 121 Deathe is improprely called a rewarde 157 Degrees to saluation 356 Deuell is a prince of this worlde 337 Differences betwene wryting and painting 30 Difference betwene Dulia and Latria 162 Difference betwene the law and the gospell 61 Dignity of almes 451 Dscord in the church of Rome 415 Disobedience what it is 113 Distinctions 346 Diuorcement vsed among the Iewes 160 Dumme Bishops 13 E EFfects of honour and of contempt 219 Egiptians Idolaters 25 Election what it is 229. 335 Election is the cause of saluation 246. 247. 248. 249. 250. 251. 252. Election of grace what it is 253 Election and reiection depend on the will of God 257 Election and reprobation how they differ 258. 274. 275 Enemy what he is 196 Epistle to the Romains when it was written 451 Epicures error 20 Error of the Maniches 197. 173 Error of the Pelagians 197 Eternal life is called a reward 157 Ethnickes vpbrayd the gospell 14 Ethnickes excel in sharpnes of iudgemeÌ„t 36 Execrations 345 F FAith chiefly glorifyeth God 23 Faith and the gospell may not be taken from Philosophy 19 Faith deâ—ined 20. 40 Faith may not be seperated froÌ„ the gospel 19 Faith is oures and also Gods 18 Faith what it is to liue by it 18. we are iustifyed by it 19 Faith compared with philosophy 98 Faith only iustifieth 63. 64. 75. 87 Faith hath a double signification 16 Faith what it is wherof is a large discourse from the. 62. leafe vnto the. 98. Faith hope are distinguished 220. 22â— 222. Faith is called obedyence 325. and is also called law ibidem Faith excelleth feare 355 Faith must goe before the receiuing of the Sacraments 362 Fire that shall consume the world in the last day 217 Figures are necessary in scriptures 198 Feare is defined 207. 208 Felicitie and blessednes what it is 15. 150 Freewil what it is 26. 171. 172 176. 177. 178. 254. 255. 361. Frendship is a necessary thing 343 Frustrate what the nature of that worde is 23 Fruit of almes 451 Fruit of preaching wherof it cometh 452 G GEneration what is the nature thereof 271 Gentiles conuerted to Christ are Israelites 282 Giftes of the holy ghost 223 Glory and glorifying of God what it is 23. 63. 211. 212 Glotony what it is 434 God is the searcher of our heartes and why it is so sayd 224 God of Sabaoth what it signifieth 283 Gods glory consisteth in all things 24 God suffereth long 37 God forbid what it signifyeth 53 God nedeth no aduocates 24 God tempteth not to euill 28 God willeth that is good 256. 257 God doth things contrary to his lawes 25â— God of coÌ„trary things worketh like effects 232 God is called a Lyon a Bear and a fire 274 God tempted the fathers 169 God seeth all men 55 God ought not to be expressed by images 30 God how he deceiueth 268 God hath not commaunded things vnpossible 194 God worketh in men 151 God worketh not by chaunce 278 God is faithful in his promises 106 God why he is called the God of hope 446 God is wise 456 God confirmeth his by the gospell 456 God is witnessed to be God by any thing in the world how vile so euer the same be 22 Gods reuengement for Idolatry 25 Gods gifts vnto men 13 Gods knowledge is attributed to the vngodly 22 Gods knowledge is speâ—ially knowne in two things 22 God is iudged of men 51 God in dede loueth and in dede hateth 252 God is not the author of sinne 28 God forsaketh the Ethnickes 19 Gods word is the foundation of faith 326 Good workes are not to be reiected 18. 90. 158. 159. Gospell per accidens is the instrumente of death 192 Gospell what it is 3 43. 61. 62 Gospell is no new doctrine 456 Gospel who are they that are ashamed there of 14 Gospel is preferred to al men indiffereÌ„tly 16 Gospel is not new and when it began 4 Gospel is more common then Philosophy 13 Grace what it is 115. 116. 117. 140. 141 Grace is not common vnto all men 335. 336 Grace and life cleaue together 139 Grace is not bound to the Sacraments 83 Grafting in of the GeÌ„tils â–ª truth had
vnderstand the mynd of mā compacte of them both being renued by the holy Ghost But the letter signifyeth whatsoeuer is outwardlye set before vs be it neuer so spirituall when it cleaueth not to our minde or vrgeth not Wherefore the circumcision of the flesh is the signe of the circumcision of The circūcision of the flesh is the signe of the circumcisiō of the harte The circūcision of the hart in the bookes of the law Both God woorketh in vs good things and we also woorke The spirite and the letter are discerned by the affect of the mind the harte and of the mind Therfore great care was to be had that it should not be vayn or superfluous This phrase touching the circumcision of the hart Paul borowed out of the olde Testamente In the. 10. chap of Deut commaundement was geuen that they should circumcise the foreskins of theyr hartes and in the selfe same booke the. 30. chapter Moses promiseth that God will one day circumcise the foreskin of theyr hartes to declare that either is true namely that God woorketh in vs the things that are good and that we also worke the selfe same forasmuch as God vseth our ministery to bring forth good woorkes Wherfore so longe as our minde resisteth the woorde of God whiche is set foorth vnto vs althoughe outwardlye it make a shewe of somewhat yet is it occupied in the letter But when it is made prone vnto the commaundementes of God then is it gouerned by the spirite Wherefore as touching the thinge whiche is set foorth and red there is no difference betwene the spirite and the letter but as touching the affect of the minde Which thinge Paule hath declared in his latter Epistle to the Corinthians the 3. cap whē he saith Ye are the Epistle of Christ wrought by our ministery and written not wyth inke but with the spirite of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in tables of flesh Where he manifestlye teacheth that this is the ministery of the spirite whē in the tables of our hart are imprinted those things which God commaundeth and will haue to be of vs beleued and done Neyther let vs meruaile that Paule sayth that such an Epistle was written by him whē as it is the worke of God for he meaneth that he wrote it onely as an instrumēt ioyned with the woorking of God Wherefore they are to be counted ministers of the spirite which do not onely expounde the woordes of God but also do imprinte Who are ministers of the spirite thē into the hartes of the hearers Which thing such as do not althoughe they speake good and healthfull thinges yet are they but ministers of the letter neither of theyr woorke followeth any thinge els then the death of the hearers For they which vnderstand the will of the Lord and do it not shal be punished with many stripes And therefore Paule sayde that the letter killeth but the spirite quickeneth Wherefore it is the duety of pastors and of them that teache to pray vnto God For what thing pastors ought to pray What is the true circumcision moste ernestly to make them ministers not of the letter but of the spirite Paule also vnto the Philippians declared what is the true circumcision when he sayth We are the circumcision which serue God in the spirite we glory in Christ and haue not confidence in flesh By these thre notes he expressed the spirituall circumcision And vnto the Colossians after he had said that we are circumcised in Christ but yet with a circumcision not made by handes he declareth by very many circumstances what that circumcision is namely that we haue put of the body of the sins of the fleshe that through Baptism we are buried together with Christ that we haue forgeuenes of synnes that the hand writing is put out which was agaynst vs by reason of ordinances and the principalityes powers which were agaynst vs are by Christ vanquished ouercome In which place this is not to be passed ouer that baptisme is called the true circumcision so that it be in the spirite and the hart and not in the letter and the Baptisme when it is in the spirite is the true circumcisiō fleshe Wherefore these sentences a Iewe inward and outward the circumcision in the flesh and in the hart are to be taken in respect as they are opposite one to the other that is a part and disseuered one from the other For ioyne them together and then the sentence of Paule pertayneth not vnto them For it is not to be doubted but that there were very many Iewes in the olde tyme which were Iewes both outward and inward and were circumcised not only in the fleshe but also in the harte These thinges may be taken three maner of wayes so that there is one circumcision of the fleshe an other of the spirite and the thyrd ioyned together of them both For it is not to be thought that the olde Testament Many liued vnder the law which therewithall liued also vnder th◠Gospell An 〈…〉 or of the Maniches was so seperated from the Gospell that they which liued in it could not also therewithall haue the Gospell These two thinges are indeede seperated the one from the other but yet in such sorte that they may be ioyned together in one and the selfe same man Manicheus so reiected the olde Testament as though it were vtterly vnprofytable vnto vs. And vsed this kynde of reason Forasmuch as that inheritance of the land of Chanaan pertayneth not vnto me I do reiect also both the Testament and the writinge whereby the bequest was made Yea also though it should bring vnto me the possession of that land yet Christ hath so exalted vs to better thinges that I regard not these thinges These wordes obiected Faustus and they are red in the 4. booke of that worke whiche Augustine wrote against him In which place he thus answereth him Those thinges which are written The olde Testaraent pertayneth vnto vs also in the olde Testament are types of our thinges Forasmuch as Paule in his latter Epistle to the Corrinthians sayth These thinges happened vnto them in a figure but they are written for our correction vpon whome are come the endes of the world And vnto the Romanes we reade whatsoeuer thinges are written are written for our erudition and learning And in the oracles of the olde Testament is promise made of Christ Wherfore he being raysed from the dead and disputing with his two disciples of himselfe cited testimonyes out of Moses and out of the whole scripture And the same Christ sayd that the good father of the houshold brought forth of his treasure both new thinges and olde Wherefore the olde Testament is not so contrary vnto the new as the Manichies fayned it was And therefore Paule when he semeth to speake any thinge Paule whē he semeth to diminish any thing frō the law condēneth not the olde
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
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
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.
this place also are ouerthrowen workes preparatory For Paul sayth When ye were seruantes of sinne That is not yet regenerate but were still strangers from Christ ye were free vnto righteousnes that is ye were wholy disagreeed from it And if such men haue no fellowship with righteousnes how can they worke good workes which should of congruity merite grace What fruite had ye then in those thinges whereof ye are now ashamed For the ende of those thinges is death But now being freed from sinnes and made seruauntes vnto God ye haue your fruite in holines and the ende euerlastyng lyfe For the stipende of sinne is death but the grace of God is eternall lyfe through Iesus Christ our Lord. What fruit had ye then in those thinges wherof ye are now ashamed He confirmeth his exhortation from the place of honesty and dishonesty Ye ought to An argumente from honesty and filthines abstaine saith he from your old workes for they were vile and filthy vnto you so that if they should now be called to remembraunce ye should be compelled to be ashamed of them Shame is an affection which springeth by reason of some filthines and it may be either a feare or els a griefe for if a man be afraid lest of yâ— What shame is which he doth or which he taketh in hand should happen any dishonesty vnto him he is made ashamed as we sée happeneth in yong men which when they they are ether demaunded or bidden to do any thing they blush because they are afraid lest they should not aunswer aptlye or should not very well be able to do that thyng which they are bidden to do But if an old man or a young man be put in remembraunce of any thing which semeth not to be well done they blush bicause of the sorrow of the dishonesty wherinto they sée themselues to haue incurred And why Why the Ethnikes 〈…〉 to be 〈…〉 of th 〈…〉 â—ast the Romanes ought to be ashamed of those thinges which they had committed before they came vnto Christ there may be two reasons namely the vnpurenes of lyfe or 〈…〉 vnpurenes of religion which they professed that is either filthines or fool 〈…〉 And their former lyfe Paul describeth in his first epistle vnto yâ— Cor. Be not ye 〈…〉 ed saith he neyther fornicators nor worshippers of images nor adulterers nor e 〈…〉 te persons nor abusers of nature nor theues nor couetous personnes nor drunkar◠〈…〉 sed speakers nor raueners shall receaue the inheritaunce of the kingdome of God And thâ—se thyâ—ges were ye sayth he but ye are washed but ye are sanctified And as touching 〈…〉 vncleanes of religion the Ethnike writers aboundantly testifie And Am 〈…〉 vpon this place maketh mencion of the sacred seruices of Cybeles yâ— goddeâ— of Phrygia also of other such like most filthy sacred seruices And Chrisostome saith that this commeth through a singuler benefite of God that meÌ„ are ashamed of the wicked actes which they haue before committed For they were nothyng ashamed of them so long as they were conuersant in them As dronkards and mad folkes are nothyng ashamed so long as they wallow in that offence This place also teacheth Holy men aâ— alweyes gâ—ued and ashamed for the sinnes whâ—ch theâ— haue commâ—tted In our dâ—ou 〈…〉 country grief that be taken away There is in very dâ—ede 〈◊〉 fruite of sin vs that although sinnes before committed are forgeuen yet the shame and griefe for them can not be taken away yea rather godly men can not remember them without detestacion But yâ— shall not be so in our heauenly countrye There in dede the elect shall detest sinnes but the greatnes of the felicity shall swallow vp al féeling of shame griefe For as we rede in yâ— Apocalips God shal wipe away all teares from their eies He séemeth in mockage to call it Fruite especially of those thinges whereof they should be ashamed For in such thinges there is no fruite but rather losse For the ende of them is death WheÌ„ he had demaunded of them what fruit they had there could nothyng els be aunswered but that they had none And he addeth a reason bicause death is the ende of them So Paul because he would yâ— more vehemently moue theÌ„ addeth waight to his speach and to losse he ioyneth shame Some by this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnderstand tribute or tole as though it should haueben sayd Vnto sinne is recompenced nothing els but death But if we will rather Vnto sinne to recompeÌ„sed nothing but death Tâ—o significations of thâ—â— worde end haue that worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie an end the same as the Philosophers also affirme may be taken two maner of wayes First for the last ende or terme and so death may be called the end of lyfe Secondly it may be taken for that for whose cause any thing is takeÌ„ in hand which thyng forasmuch as of necessity it ought to be good cannot agrée with death For there is no man yâ— sinneth with this purpose yâ— therfore he would dye Wherfore in the first signification death is called the ende of sinnes bicause in it is the ende of sinnes But now beyng freed from sinne and made the seruantes of God ye haue your fruite in holines and the ende eternall lyfe In these wordes he finisheth the Antithesis or contrariety and against sinne he setteth God against shame holines Paul speaketh in the passiue signification and against death eternall lyfe Againe also in this place he vseth verbes of the passiue signification sayeng Ye are freed from sinne and made seruauntes vnto God But before he sayd when ye were seruauÌ„tes of sin ye were free vnto righteousnes In these verbes there is no nede of the passiue significatioÌ„ For we are of our selues apte inough to sinne but so are we not to be deliuered from sinnes and to serue God But in that Paul in this reddition or coÌ„parison writeth not that we are made seruants vnto righteousnes but vnto God it is a matter of no greate waight For God is only the cause of our righteousnes Ye haue fruite sayth he namely holynes God the cause of all our righteousnes and the end eternall life Here Chrisostome noteth that by this it appeareth that we possesse not all thinges by hope only but that in very dede there is much geueÌ„ vnto vs And forasmuch as we haue alreadye sayth he attayned vnto iustification our hope is excedingly confirmed for the obteynement of that thinge which is yet behind For the reward of sinne is death but the Grace of God is eternall life thorough Christ Iesus our Lord. In these wordes he closeth vs his exhortation and proueth that the end of filthy workes is death For it sayth he is the reward of sin Which thinge forasmuch as it is well knowen of it selfe he would not stand aboute to proue For rede euery where in yâ— holy scriptures that God
sayth That our light affliction which is in vs but for a tyme causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall wright of glory In these words is declared By what meanes eternall life far passeth all our afflictions wherfore eternall life passeth al the trauailes of this life namely bycause of the waight diuturnity and greatenes For whatsoeuer thinges we suffer here are called of Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is momentary or during but for a time He addeth also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which wordes is shewed theyr lightnes But contrariwise vnto glory is attributed both eternity and also a wonderfull greate waight which excedeth all measure VVhich shall be reuealed tovvards vs. He saith yâ— this glory shal be reuealed Euen now we haue the frâ—icion of a great part of our glory although hidden Glory signifieth here our whole felicity that we should not thinke that presently we are quite voyde of it for we alredy possesse a greate part thereof although it be not as yet perfect nor manifest vnto the world So Paul speaketh to the Colossians Ye are dead with Christ and your life is hidden with Christe in God But when Christe your life shal appeare then also shall ye appeare together with hym in glorye And this is to be noted yâ— Paul in thys only word glory compreheÌ„deth our whole felicity which we wayt for And there in he followeth the iudgement of men which ar wont to esteme glory as the chiefe good thing Wherof also the philisophers thus affirm yâ— as yâ— shadow followeth yâ— body so doth glory follow true perfect vertue Wherefore glory compreheÌ„deth Glory followeth vertue Glory comprehendeth two things Why blessednes is nor reuealed in this life Similitudes Difference betwene the seruaÌ„ts of Christ the seruaÌ„ts of the world two things which ar excedingly to be desired first that a man be adorned with vertues secondly yâ— he get the good fame of the people But why the blessednes which we wayte for is not reueled in this life Chrisostome thinketh this to be the cause for that it farre passeth the state of thys life And Paul therefore the longer tarieth in the amplification thereof thereby the more to stirre vppe the Romanes to the suffring of afflictions For a souldier is excedingly strengthned to suffer perilles if he hope the victory shall be fruitefull and profitable And a marchaunt is not broken with any labours of sailing or traueling if he hope he shall thereby haue greate gayne Farther we ought to consider that the lot of the citesines of this world is farre diuers from yâ— lot of holy men which serue Christ For they with the greatnes of theyr labors go beyond those good things which they contend to attayne but we though we behaue our selues stoutelye and valiantly as Paul sayth yet are not our workes to be compared with that end which we set before vs. The examples of the Romanes will easely teach vs to vnderstand thys difference Brutus for the preseruation of the liberty of hys countrey did not sticke to slay hys owne children In which thing hereunto also Examples of the Ethnikes had he regard to attayne the prayse of a good citezen For thus writeth the Poete Virgill of hym Vicit amor patriae laudumque immensa cupido that is He was ouercome with the loue of his countrey and vnmesurable desire of prayse Those were the endes of the Ethnikes which were vndoubtedly very small and The endes that the Ethnikes set before them were small and slender Humaâ—ne prayse vnconstant not true sâ—lender For the liberty which they had a regard vnto was not such as is ours whereby we are deliuered from sinne from Sathan from death and from the wrath of God They sought humane prayse a thing doubties vnconstant and of small force But our end is to approue our selues vnto God whose iudgment can not be deceaued Torquatus also slew his owne sonne for that in fightinge agaynst the enemy he had violated the Law of warre Then we also to kepe the Law of God ought not to doubt wheÌ„ nede shall require to suffer all maner of most greauous tormentes For the Lawes of God are not to be compared with the Lawes of warre Camillus being banished out of his countrey valiantly afterward restored it being oppressed of yâ— Galles for that he thought he could not liue with more glory in any other place But a Christian counteth it not so wonderfull a fact which being hurt of any in the Church laying aside desire to auenge seketh by his endeuour to helpe his brother of whom he was hurt and to adorne the Church for out of it no man can liue holily nor attayne vnto eternall felicity Q â–ª Mutius Sceuola of hys owne accord thrust hys right hand into the fire for that it missed when it should haue smitten Porsena What meruayle is it then if a man to obteyne the kyngdome of heauen wyll offer vnto the fire not onely one of his hands but also his whole body to be burnt Curtius being armed at all poyntes and mounted vpon a horse threw himselfe of his owne accord into a gulfe of the earth that the citye of Rome might be deliuered from the pestilence For so had the oracle geuen answere that the wrath of the Godds would cease if that that which the Romanes estemed best were throwen into that gulfe We haue an oracle farre more certayne that they are not to be feared which kill the body but can not kill the soule The Decians vowed themselues to the death that theyr legions of souldiers might be preserued and get the victory Our Martirs also when they doo shed theyr bloud rather then they will be plucked away from the religion of Christ can not boast that they take in hand an enterprise not hard of before M. Puluillus when he should coÌ„secrate a temple vnto Iupiter and in the meane time worde was brought hym by enuious persons of the death of hys sonne was not one white abashed in mynde neyther ceased he of from that which he had begonne but commaunded that hys sonne beyng deade shoulde be caryed out and buryed What mynde then ought a Christian to haue when as he heareth the Lorde saye Suffer the dead to bury theyr dead Regulus when as he had sworne that he woulde returne vnto Carthage althoughe he knewe he shoulde be put to moste greauous tormentes yet woulde he not committe so foule a fact as to violate hys fayth Wherefore we also seing in Baptisme we haue publikely geuen our faith vnto Christ although for yâ— keping of it we should suffer all maner of euils yet ought we not to violate it Some will boast they haue contemned riches and haue for Christes sake taken vppon them a voluntary pouerly but these men thus boasting should call to mind Cincinnatus who after he had behaued himself honourably and done notable actes in his Dictatorship of his owne accord returned againe to till and
therfore he geueth vs charity and other most noble vertues He addeth Called Sainctes by which worde he admonisheth them of their state past If they be called to holynes for as much as there caÌ„ be no motioÌ„ but where limites are apointed therfore they mought well conclude that they were called from vncleanes and Why the Romanes were called holy vnpurenes to holynes Neither say thou All they which were at Rome ought not to be called holy for that there were many there whiche were not absolute and not yet perfecte for these thynges let not For Paule first had a regarde vnto the better sort and in theyr name and prayse beautified the whole church For certayne preregatiues of singular members do redounde vnto the other members Further the Apostle had a consideracion wherevnto they were called namely to be made holy He sawe that they were called to the communion Augustine of Sainctes whereof they also tooke theyr name And Augustine in his 6. booke against Iulianus admonisheth vs not to thinke that this woord holynes signifieth This word holynes signifieth not perfection perfection And he citeth a place of Paul in the first epistle to the Cor. where he sayeth The Temple of God is holy which Temple ye be And no man is ignorant but that the Corinthians were infected with many vices And if we wil serche out the strenght of the significacion of the worde Sancti that is Sainctes or holy as the same Augustine teacheth in his booke de Symbolo fide it cometh of this Whence this word holynes is deriued worde Sanctio that is to constitute For that is called holy whiche is constant and firme and appoynted to abyde but nothing more letteth vs to abyde for euer then doth sinne for it is sayd that the reward of sinne is death Therfore it cometh to passe that holynes consisteth chiefely in the forgeuenes remission of sinnes FroÌ„ which seÌ„tence that disagreeth not which Paul hath in the first to the Cor. when he sayeth after he had rehearsed a cathaloge of enormious sinnes And these thinges were yee sometymes but nowe yee are washed yee are sanctified But the forgeuenes of sinnes is had by the holy ghost If that we shal call any thynge holy by reason of preparatioÌ„ they mought truly be called holy which haue beleued in Christ because that by the grace and spirite of Christe they are prepared to glory and highe purenes of lyfe to come Ambrose semeth Ambrose to searche out who are they which are called the beloued of God and called Sainctes And he aunswereth that these are they which thinke well of Christ If thou wilt agayne demaund what those are he aunswereth That those thinke What those be that thinke well of Christ well of Christ which thinke that we ought to put our confidence in hym only and that in hym is perfect saluation And of it may be concluded as of contraries that they thynke not well of Christ which trust in theyr owne strengthes or workes which thinge such as doo are not to be nombred amonge the called Sainctes and beloued of God as Ambrose now speaketh of them The called he nameth Sainctes because men of theyr owne nature are not able to attayne Holynes is not the cause of calling vnto holynes vnles they be led by the celestiall might of the holy Ghost And this is not to be left vnspokeÌ„ of that men are not therfore called of god because they are holy but that they are therefore holy because they are called Paul doth not rashely vse this kind of speach because the Iewes for that they had theyr original The Iewes claymed holynes vnto themselues only froÌ„ the holy Patriarches Prophetes boasted that all holynes consisted in theyr stocke only as thoughe other nacions were so wicked that it shoulde be counted an vnlawfull thing to communicate with them this proprietye of holynes But now yt is manifest that through the grace of Christ it is brought to passe that as well the Gentiles as the Iewes haue obtained the prerogatiue of holynes in an equall balance so that they haue the fayth of Christ Here we see also that Paule in placing of these two wordes obserued a iust order For fyrst he setteth to the beloued of God before called Saintes because that holynes A tâ—imâ— placing of wordes breaketh forth of no other thing then of that charity and loue wherewith God loueth vs. And he might haue set forth the Romanes with other most ample titles namely that they had the dominion ouer the whole world ruled ouer all But passing ouer these things he speaketh only of yâ— things that are of more value chiefly because it was not expedieÌ„t to flatter yâ— Gentiles more then yâ— Iewes and especially because there was risen no smale discord betwene both nacions Wherefore he ouerskippeth those titles which were proper vnto the Romanes he toucheth the coÌ„mon prayses of all such as beleue that they which were of the Gentiles and they which were of the circumcisioÌ„ might in that church be the better vnited together betweene them selues But we may not therfore be afrayd It is lawfull to call Princes by their titles both to salute and also to call Princes by their proper titles For in so doing we both admonishe our selues what we owe vnto theÌ„ and also we put theÌ„ in minde of theyr duety For Paule also when in the actes of the Apostles he made an oration to Agryppa was not afraid to call him by the title of a king Hetherto we haue expounded the second parte of the salutation that is what they were whom Paule saluteth Now let vs see what good thinges he wisheth vnto them Grace saith he to you and peace c. By the name of peace he vnderstandeth What peace signifieth with the Hebreues after the maner of the Hebrues the increase of all good thinges For as the Ethnikes say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is grace salutem that is health so the Hebrues say Schalom that is peace And in the olde testament this salutatioÌ„ is ofteÌ„ vsed Yea and Christ also comming vnto the Apostles sayd Peace be with you And he commaunded Luke 24. the Apostles that into what house soeuer they entred they should say Peace be vnto this house To this salutacion commoÌ„ly vsed among the Hebrues Math. 10. Paule addeth this word grace which word is not often found in the olde testament Grace is ioyned with peace added vnto salutations But Paule herein nothing offendeth For it aunswereth vnto his vocation for he was a preacher of grace and in the meane tyme admonisheth them to whom he writeth that peace is not to be looked for that is the heape of all good thinges from our owne strengthe and merites but from the grace of God He sheweth the roote and putteth it fyrst from whence other good thinges are powred vppon vs that we may haue the childe together
vnto them to consider the faults of other men Moreouer they reioyce not neyther delighte themselues in the condemnation of theyr neighbours especiallye that condemnation whiche is done rashely For they know that theyr brother forasmuch as he is of God eyther stādeth to his Lord or falleth But we intreate now of priuate menne and not of Magistrates or Pastors whose parte is by office to be inquisitiue touching the life and manners of those which be committed to theyr charge Wherefore all men as well subiectes as magistrates ought to iudge sinnes which are layde before them by admonishing and punishinge euery manne accordinge to hys office leaste vices shoulde spreade to farre abroade But thys thinge aboue others is diligentlye to be taken heede of as Paule nowe teacheth that wee winke not at those thynges whyche we our selues wickedlye committe For as he sayth In that we iudge an other we condemne our selues The selfe same sentence whereby we punishe other men striketh also our selues And seing we can not escape our owne iudgement how shal we escape the iudgement of God which is according to truth For then shall not that thinge happen whiche we see now doth that in one and the selfe same kinde of crime one is condemned and an other escapeth Euen as our deedes are so shall they be iudged Now men spare themselues and are seuere agaynst others But so shall it not be in the iudgement of God It resteth therefore that we execute the selfe same seuerity vpon our selues which we vse in iudging of other men Which thing how little the aduersaries of religion do performe hereby it is manifest in that they Papistes in what things they condemne vs and flatter thēselues euery where crye out agaynst the mariages of priestes because they seeme vnto them vnpure but in the meane tyme while they ouerpasse themselues being ouerwhelmed with all kynde of filthy lustes They make exclamation that vowes are not performed and they consider not what they haue promised vnto God in Baptisme They complayne that fastes which men haue commaunded are not kept and they neuer make an ende of their bankettinges and delicious feastinges They make lamentacion that the sacramentes are vnworthely neglected of our men when as they themselues with their lyes of transubstāciation haue hitherto sold them mangled them and filthyly deformed them The summe of Paules doctrine is that we iudging others shoulde discend into ourselues for that it is most certayne that the iudgement of God shal be according to truth Therefore we must to our power endeuour our selues to make our life and maners acceptable before so great a iudge But this sentence to sinne and to consent vnto sinners which before he obiected to the vngodly semeth to be repugnant vnto that which he afterward The selfe same mē are both seuete agaynst others ▪ and towardes their owne they are most fauorable speaketh namely that they punished others but spared themselues For how do they consent vnto others which do euill if by their iudgemente they condemne them but the apostle speaketh not generally And the selfe same disease of selfe loue stirreth them vp both to spare themselues and also to supporte and mayntayne them which are by any aliance knit vnto thē whē as they are infected with the same vices that they themselues are but strangers and such as they beare no affectiō vnto by their iudgemēt they most seuerely cōdemne if at any tyme they commit any fault Which thing is most playne in the history of Dauid For when Nathan the prophet had accused before him the cruell act of An example of Dauid the riche man the kinge burst forth strayght way into these wordes he is the sonne of death which hath committed this acte Vnto whome the prophet declared that he himselfe was the man which had committed this so haynous an act He was seuere against an other mā and had yet neuertheles so lōg time wincked at himselfe hauing committed the like fault Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnes patience and lenity not knowing that the goodnes of God leadeth thee to repentance But thou after thyne hardnes and hart that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath agaynst the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God who will render vnto euery man according to his workes Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnes patience and lenity In amplifiing How the scripture vseth thys word riches and setting forth the wonderfull and excellent proprieties of God the scripture very oftentymes vseth this word riches notwithstanding that the goodnes of God is not limited or bound in with any endes but much excedeth copia cornu as Latine men vse to speake that is all kinde of plentifulnes Neither is goodnes in this place all one with vprightnes iustice and temperance but is a redines and an endeuour to helpe our neighbour For thys Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued of profite and commoditye This bountifulnes of God Christ partly touched when he sayd that God our Father maketh his sunne to arise vpon the good and the euill and the rayne to rayne vpō the iust and the vniust Paule also partly here expresseth it when he sayth that God with long suffering beareth with the wickednes of men For in this place Paule ouerthroweth an other foundacion whereunto the vngodly lening perswaded themselues The ground of the vngodly whereby they promise vnto themselues to escape vnpunished that they should escape vnpunished for that God differreth to inflict hys punishementes This commeth not hereof sayth he because God neglecteth these thinges or that he will haue them to go vnpunished but with lenity and pacience he suffreth for a tyme otherwise whē he seeth hys tyme he will seuerely auenge them And this word long suffering is of great efficacy to moue our myndes as though it were paynfull vnto God to suffer our iniquityes For we are not sayd to beare and tolerate but only such thinges which of their own nature are both odious and troublesome Which kindes of speach we haue first in Esay the Prophete when he sayd vnto the vngodly king Achab Is it a small matter vnto you of the house of Dauid that ye are greuous vnto men but ye must be greuous also vnto God And the same Prophet bringeth in God speaking of the sacrifices and obseruations of the vngodly that he could no longer suffer thē but that it was a payne for hym to suffer them For they being voyde of fayth and piety gaue themselues whole vnto ceremonies And Dauid in his Psalme writeth that God complayneth that by the space of 40. yeares the generation of Israell was greuous vnto him in the wildernes because they alwayes erred in their hart And the patience of God which should haue wrought in them repentaunce through their owne default profited them not a whit Which he now vpbraydeth saying Knowest thou not that these thinges leade thee to
worde Open an emphasis Because sepulchres being shut receaue not those things which are brought in but being open they refuse nothing To vse their tongues to disceate is amōg the Hebrues Ieholl kō which word is deriued of this verbe Halak which is to part to destribute And that vice is here described whereby a man speaketh not as the thing is in dede but frameth his speach to get fauor and for his commodities sake For with one man they talke farre otherwise then they did with an other man A man may call them double tonged folkes Iames reproueth them for that out of one and the selfe same mouth they bring forth both sweete and bitter thinges The poyson of aspes is vnder their lippes This is written in the 140 Psal These mens wordes he compareth with the most present poyson of serpents Whose mouth is ful of cursing bitternes This word bitternes is in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This may be applied vnto those which by reason of anger are so impotēt y◠they are not able to speke a word but they must curse banne fare like mad men Their wordes are as sharpe as speares and they seme to speake swordes Their feete are svvift to shed bloud This is writtē in Esay the 59. chap. After cruel wordes folow murthers And these wordes seme chiefly to be spoken because of the death of the Prophets who were miserably slayne of the vngodly Contrition and calamity are in their vvayes Some by contrition and calamity vnderstand sinnes But it semeth rather to be a phrase wherby by their wayes may be vnderstanded whatsoeuer they go about take in hand and attempt And that is nothing els but the affliction and oppression of other men The vvay of peace haue they not knovven For they take nothing in hand to do which may serue for the commodity and health of their neighbours The feare of the Lord is not before their eyes This is read in the 36. Psal In these woordes is touched the summe and head of all euils which is not to feare God Paule mought haue brought other most euident testemonyes also The hed of all euels agaynst the Iewes As are those which are written in the fyrst chapiter of Esay where the prophet calleth them a wicked seede noughty children their Princes Princes of Sodom and their people the people of Gomorrha And there are infinite sentences whiche serue for this purpose But the Apostle thoughte these sentences onely sufficiente Whereby we learne what is the state and condition of a man which liueth without Christ First he wanteth God yea rather the wrath of God abideth vpon him farther he is a bondslaue of Sathan and an instrument framed to all maner of wicked workes But we know that whatsoeuer things the law speaketh it speaketh vnto those which are vnder y◠lawe That euery mouth might be stopped and the whole world might be made guilty before God But vve knovv c. The Apostle writeth this to the ende the Hebrues should not cauell that these scriptures pertayned not vnto them Neither could the Iewes deny but that they were vnder the law when as vnto them chiefly was it geuen and they in the couenaunt promised that they would do all thinges which God had commaunded Farther in their circumsicion they declared a profession to obserue the law Yea and we also are after a sorte vnder the law For the morall precepts forasmuch as they are knowen by the light We are after a sorte vnder the law The law vnde◠which we liue how farre it extendeth it selfe of nature do continually hold their strength In ceremonyes also something is alwayes to be considered as chiefe which a man may call the kernell sappe sinnow that cōtinually abideth only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they cal circumstāces are oftētimes altered Also the iudiciall lawes cōtain things honest lust which are also obserued of vs although y◠maner of punishemēts certaine other singular things ar with liberty chaunged And how far y◠law vnder which we are subiect extendeth it self the epistle vnto the Phil. declareth wherin it is writen That vvhich remaineth brethern vvhatsoeuer thinges are true vvhatsoeuer profitable vvhatsoeuer of good name if there be any vertue and if there be any praise vpon these things thinke ye the things We must not of preceptes make counsels Workes of supererogation are excluded vvhich ye haue learned receiued hard and sene in me these things I say do ye Hereby is it manifest how they are deceiued which of preceptes make counsels by that meanes do sinne more greuouosly in that they put works as they call them of supererogation Therfore those things which are here spoken do touch vs also if we fall away from Christ These notes of vniuersality are diligently to be weighed which Paule vseth when he saith Euery mouth and the whole world For they are of no small force to attayne to the right definiciō of iustificatiō He would not without a cause y◠our mouth should The scriptures necesary for all men be stopped forasmuch as we are all to much prone to excuses there is none which thinketh not to much of himselfe Sithē the Apostle hath proued his matter by testimonies of the scriptures they are much to be reproued which wil haue the holy scriptures banished out of the hands of the faithfull Hereby easely appeareth the vtility of thē when as they both pertaine vnto all mē and also set before our eyes our sinnes Chrisostome in his homely of Lazarus the riche man exhorteth all mē in general to reade thē and those men by name which are geuē to the lawe which occupie merchaundise kepe families And he affirmeth that it is impossible that they should attayne to saluatiō vnles they occupy thēselues day night in readyng of the holy scriptures Yea he addeth also that they haue greater nede of readyng the holy scriptures then haue holier men for that they are continually in greater daunger This worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is guilty the same Chrisostome expoundeth of him which of himselfe hath nothing to bring for his owne defēce but hath neede of an other They are guilty before God which haue nothyng whereof to glory And the cōfession of our sinnes doth chiefly make vs such The Apostle hath hitherto to this place laboured much in accusing of sinnes to the ende he might impell driue mē vnto Christ Whom we also to our power ought to imitate when we haue to Pastors oght aboue all thinges to reproue sinnes A similitude do with our neighbours There are some which wil not heare of their pastors and preachers but only treatises of things deuine and debatemēts of subtle questions But they are farre deceiued For first it is expedient that they haue a thorow consideration vnto theyr owne sinnes As a Phisition vseth in a rottē sore first to cut of the corrupt flesh before
forasmuch as so great a price is payd for our saluation we By the vse of the sacramēts we are put in minde of the benefit receaued The wayght of sinne is to be waighed by the price of our redemption ought not to suffer so great a benefite lightly to slippe out of our memory For the auoyding whereof we are holpen not only by doctrine and the scriptures but also by sacramentes For euen as among the elders the often sacrifices shadowed Christ to come so now the often vse of the misteries bringeth to memory his death and bloud shed for vs. And by this price of redemption may we perceaue the greeuousnes of sinne forasmuch as the waight thereof was so great that it kindled agaynst vs the iust wrath of God and such a wrath as was not rashely conceaued which wrath being an appetite or desire of vengeance by a most iust consideration required a most excellent sacrifice vpon which might be transferred all our sinnes And forasmuch as the same wrath is by no other thing asswaged but by the bloud and death of Christ they are to be coūted most greeuous blasphemers which dare attribute the same either to our workes or to outward rites VVhome God hath set forth a propitiator In that Christ is sayd to be set forth vnto vs by God thereby is shewed that the doctrine of the Gospell is God two maner of wayes setteth forth Christ vnto vs to be beleued The merite of the death of Christ dependeth of the predestination of God no new thing nor inuented by men But in what sort Christ is set forth vnto vs is declared by two principall pointes First because God by reuelation setteth forth vnto vs thinges to be beleued vnto the knowledge whereof by the light of nature we could neuer attayne Secondly in that he causeth vs to haue a pleasure in thinges shewed vnto vs and to geue our assent vnto them and moueth and stirreth vp our mynd inspiring vs with fayth This may also be referred vnto the good pleasure and blessed predestination of God wherehence dependeth the merite of the death of Christ Otherwise God mought by any other thing haue redemed vs and deliuered vs from sinnes Wherefore we must count that by his determination and purpose only haue we receaued that he would vouchsafe to accept the death of Iesus Christ his sonne and by it reconcile vnto him the sayntes Of this purpose and good pleasure is mencion made vnto the Ephes in the first chapiter Where it is thus writtē According to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himselfe euen vnto the dispensation of the fulnes of tymes that he might set vp all thinges perfectly by Christ both the thinges which are in heauen and the thinges which are in earth in whome euen we also are by lot called being predestinate according to his purpose which worketh al things according to the counsell of his wil that we which before hoped in Christ should be to the prayse of his glory in whom also we hope forasmuch as we haue hard the word of truth euē the Gospell of your saluation c. And in an other place oftentymes and in this selfe same epistle is mencion made of the purpose of God Although this reason of the will and A probable reason of the counsel of God counsell of God is not to be contēned yet as I thinke this reason may be assigned that by him it was mete the world should be restored to his olde estate by whome all thinges were created This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here put may signifye these three thinges a propitiator propitiation and propitiatory I rather allow the latter signification because Paule semeth to allude vnto the How Christ is our propitiatory oracle of the olde Testament and couering of the arke which is there called the propitiatory or mercy seate For vpon the arke of the couenaunt there was layd a board or table for the oracle of the arke at whose endes stoode two Cherubins but the midle place was empty out of which were answeres geuen vnto them that asked and God was made fauorable vnto the people and was sayd to dwel there It is playne and manifest and not to be doubted but that all these things may aptly be referred vnto Christ as in whom dwelleth the whole fulnes of the godhed corporally as Paule sayth vnto the Collossians and therehence are most certayne oracles geuen of the will of God as touching our saluation And that by hym God is pacefied and reconciled vnto vs there is no doubt we may also interprete it a propiciator as though that word were put in the maskuline gender that euen as we call Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sauior so we may call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a pacefier Neyther paraduenture is this farre from the true and proper sence if we vnderstand Christ to be our pacification For Iohn in his epistle the 2. chapiter calleth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is our pacification where he thus writeth My little children these thynges I write vnto you that ye sinne not But and if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the propitiatiō for our sinnes and not for our sinnes only but also for the sinnes of the whole world But as I haue sayd the first exposition pleaseth me best and that for this cause chiefely because a little afterward is sayd By his bloud For the maner of the high priest of the Hebrues was once euery yeare to sprinkle the propitiatory or mercy seat with bloud when he entred into the place which was called Sancta sanctorū that is the holy of holyes Nether is it without a cause that the Apostle here straightway addeth By faith forasmuch as our aduersaries also do graunt y◠by Christ commeth rightousnes vnto vs but they will not once declare by what meanes we apply the same vnto vs How Christ is sayd of the Papistes to be our redemer and make it ours which thing Paule now plainly expresseth They seme alwaies to tende this way that Christ therfore hath redemed vs because he is to be counted the chiefe and hed of our merites as though as their common phrase of speache is Christ deserued for vs onely the first grace and afterward leaueth vs wholye to our selues But this is to muche niggardly and maliciously to vse the benefite of God Wherefore seing now we vnderstand hym we wil continually oppose vnto the iustice of God the death of Christ as a full satisfaction of our sinnes To declare his righteousnes Hitherto we haue spoken of the efficient cause of iustification which is God and his mercy But those whiche are iustified pertaine to the materiall cause are men of all sortes being guilty of sinnes and destitute The order of iustification of the grace of God The instrumentes also haue bene declared The one
things But we speake so of sacramentes as Paule now speaketh of circumcision Now because we haue sufficiently spokē of the word we will adde the definition of a sacrament Definition of a sacrament What a signe is and this definition is most receaued A sacrament is a visible forme or a visible signe of an inuisible grace And that is called a signe which besides the forme which it offreth vnto the senses bringeth some other thing into our knowledge And a signe as Augustine writeth and the master of the sentences affirmeth is deuided into a naturall signe and a signe geuen Smoke is a naturall signe of fyre and cloudes a naturall signe Distinction of a signe Thinges signified haue theyr distinction by diuersities of times of fyre and cloudes a naturall signe of rayne But a signe geuen and appoynted of the will is diuers as letters wordes gestures beckes and many such like And these signes may pertayne to diuers and sondry senses But the things that are signified are eyther thinges past thinges present or thinges to come The tables of the lawe the Manna the rodde of Aaron which were kept signified thinges past For God would haue these thinges to remayne as certayne monumentes of thinges past Other signes betoke thinges to come as the raynebow in the cloudes which was geuen in the tyme of Nohe the flese of Gedeon and the shadow of the Sunne which in the tyme of Ezechias the king went backward Sometimes are signified thinges present as in the garments of the priestes in the apparell of the Leuites in the ornamētes of magistrates and in the miracles of Christ For all these signified the present power of God Our sacramentes are visible signes not indede of theyr owne nature but geuen vnto vs by the will of God and they pertayne to many senses For the wordes which are set forth in the sacramentes are receaued with the eares but the notes and outward simboles are perceaued eyther by sight or féeling or smelling or tasting and they demonstrate both thinges present thinges past and thynges to come for the death of Christ is represented in them which is now past and the promise and gift of God which in the mynde and by fayth is presently embraced and the purenes of lyfe and mortification and duties of charity which are afterward to be performed of vs. By those thinges it is manifest what maner of signes we put to be sacramentes But it may séeme to be sufficiēt to take that definition which Paule here vseth namely to say that Definition of a Sacramentout of this place of Poule What is the chiefest◠promise which is sealed in a sacrament sacramentes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is sealinges of the righteousnes of fayth For they seale the promises by which so that fayth be adioyned vnto them we are iustifyed If a man demaund what it is that God promiseth vnto vs to aunswere briefely it is that he will be our God which thing where it taketh place saueth vs maketh vs blessed happy This is the promise which is by diuers outward simbols sealed in the sacramentes Which thing we haue in the boke of Genesis the 17. chapter where circumcision is geuen whereby was confirmed the couenant made betwene God and Abraham The summe of that promise was as we haue sayd that God would be his God and the God of hys séede Which selfe same thing Ieremy also testefieth of the new couenant of the Gospell where he sayth that the lawes shoulde not only be written in the bowelles and hartes of the beleuers but also that God would be vnto them theyr God and they agayne on the other side shoulde be vnto hym his people That also we well allowe Sacramentes consist of two thinges We must haue a consideration vnto the analogy of the signe vnto the thing signified We must also kepe a diuersity betwene the signe and the thinge signified which is commonly sayd that the sacramentes consist of two thinges namely of outward signes which the scholemen count for the matter and of the thing signified Which is chiefely expressed by the words adioyned vnto the simbols out of which we may gather the forme Which is not so to be vnderstand as though those thinges which are signified are bound to the outward signes or lye hidden vnder them otherwise as many as should receaue the outward clementes should together therewithall receaue the thinges signified And it is necessary that betwene the signe and the thing signified there be kept some analogy that is proportion and conueniency For if signes had no similitude with those thinges that are signified then shoulde they not be signes of them And yet notwythstandyng wyth thys conformity is styll to be kept a diuersity betweene that which is signified and those thinges whiche signifye Whiche thinge Augustine moste manifestly teacheth agaynste Maximinus the Arrian in hys 3 boke where he sayth that Sacramēts are one thing signify an other thing Wherby oftentymes it commeth to passe that these things which are attributed vnto the Oftētimes are thinges spoken of signes which are not agreable with theyr nature A place out of the epistle of Iohn signes agree in no case with the nature of them but onelye are to bee referred vnto the thinges by them signified And he citeth a place out of the epistle of Iohn where thys thing is manifestly shewed For he saith y◠there are thrée things which bear witnes bloud water and the spirite and these thrée saith he are one This can by no meanes be true if we haue a consideration to the nature of bloud water and the spirite For these things are not one as they vse to speake in essence or in kinde But this verily agréeth with the father the sonne and the holy ghost which are the thing signified And that thing which Augustine here writeth may we easely perceaue in the sacramēts which we now entreate of in which the properties of the signes and of the thing of the sacrament are put one for an other Now that I haue sufficiently spoken of the name and definition and also of the matter and forme of the sacraments there resteth to speake of the finall and efficient cause of them The end of the sacramentes The ende for which the sacraments were instituted is that our mynde being admonished by the senses might be stirred vp and by faith take holde of the promises of God and so be inflamed with a desire to attaine vnto them For we sée y◠signes tend to no other ende but to transferre and to imprint those things which we our selues haue in our mindes into the minde of an other man that therby he may be made the more certaine of our meaning and will And this is not cōmonly done but in matters of great weight For if they be but light matters we are not accustomed to confirme them with signes But in things of great importance they are To
time The sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him For neither the prophets in the old time nether we ourselues could by any other meanes then by Christ haue knowen that this is the will of God that by him he is made mercifull and fauorable vnto vs. Farther there is no mā ignorāt but that there was nede of a sacrifice and price to purge vs from our sinnes Wherfore seing both the death of Christ and the sheding of his bloud hath performed these thinges vndoubtedly they ought not to be kept in silence But here ariseth a doubt by what meanes the Apostle may seme to seioine and to put a sonder these things one from the other namely the forgeuenes of sinnes and iustificatiō and one the other side the faith of the death from the fayth of the resurrection when as it semeth that by the fayth of ech part of his death I say and of his Resurrection is geuen not only remission of sins but also iustification Augustine against Faustus in his 16. boke semeth to geue his interpretacion That our fayth is chiefly directed vnto the resurrection of Christ That Fayth is directed chiefly vnto the resurrection of the Lord. he died euen the Ethnikes also confesse but that he rose againe they vtterly deny And therfore forasmuch as fayth is sayd to be that whereby we are iustified Paul would make menciō of that thing wheron it chiefly cōsisteth And to cōfirme his sentēce he citeth a place out of the 10. chapter to the Romanes If with the mouth thou confesse the lord Iesus Christ and with thy hart beleuest that he was raysed from the dead thou shalt be saued By which wordes it appeareth that saluation and iustificatiō are attributed vnto the fayth of the resurrection of Christ But these things are not so to be taken as Our fayth is directed also vnto the death of the Lord. though our fayth should not also be directed vnto y◠death of y◠Lord. It is true in dede that the Ethnikes confesse that Christ was slayn but they do not beleue that this was done for the sinnes of men but for some offence he had committed or ells wrongfully but we beleue that he was crucified for the saluatiō and redemptiō of mankind wherfore our fayth is exercised as wel in y◠death of Christ In the fayth of the resurrectiō is comprehended the faith of the death Besides the payinge of the price ▪ it was nedefull that the redempcion should be applied vnto vs. as in his Resurrection And that which he bringeth out of the 10. Chapter vnto the Romanies maketh nothing agaynst our sentence For who vnderstandeth not that in the fayth of the Resurrection of Christ is also included that fayth which we haue of his death and crosse wherfore there are yet behynd two other very likely interpretations of which the first is that in very dede by the death of Christ was payd the price of our redemption But that it might be applied vnto vs there nedeth the holy ghost to moue vs to beleue and Christ to geue vnto vs this holy ghost rose againe from death sent abrode his Apostles to preach into all partes of the world now also before the father executeth the office of an intercessor and high priest therefore is he sayd to haue risen agayne to helpe vs that we might obteyne iustification Chrisostome semeth to lene vnto this sentence The second exposition is that the fayth of the death and of the resurrection bringeth iustification but Paule seioyned them aptly to declare the analogy and proportiō betwene them Vnto the death of Christ answereth very wel the forgeuenes of sinnes for by reason of them death was dewe vnto vs. And as Christ as touching this corruptible life died so also ought we when we are iustified to dye vnto sinne Agayne bycause iustification semeth herein to be declared in that we beginne a new life therfore is it referred vnto the resurrection of Christ for that he then semed to haue begonne a celestiall and happy life Paul vsed in a maner the selfe same form of words in this same epistle when he saith wyth the harte we beleeue vnto ryghteousnesse and wyth the mouth is confession made to saluation For the faith of the harte both worketh righteousnes and also bringeth saluation but bycause saluation and instauration are chiefly declared in action therfore he ascribed it to confession But whither of these expositions is the truer nether will I contend nor also now declare Of those things which haue now bene spoken we gather a most swete consolation for therby we doo not only know the waight of sinne but also we vnderstand that God bare a singular good loue towards vs as one which gaue his only begotten son and y◠vnto the death to deliuer vs from sinnes Farther seing Christ is sayd to haue risen from the dead for our iustification we easely se that we are by him called backe to a new life vnto which yet we cā not aspire except we be of him elected The fift Chapter VVHerefore being iustified by fayth we haue peace towardes God through our Lorde Iesus Christ By whome also we haue accesse through fayth vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God Nether do we this only but also we reioyce in afflictions knowing that affliction bringeth forth patience and patience experience and experience hope And hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroade into our hartes by the holy ghost which is geuen vnto vs. Wherefore being iustified by faith we haue peace towardes God Here the Apostle beginneth by way of rehersall to conclude that whiche he had before The effectes of fayth and of iustification proued and together therewithall set forth the effectes of faith and of iustification For that vndoubtedly is an absolute or perfect doctrine which sheweth not only the nature of thinges but also declareth the effectes Now then the chiefest effect of iustification is to deliuer vs from the terrors of death and of eternall damnation And this is it which Paul calleth To haue peace towardes God Farther he sheweth that of this peace springeth a certayne reioysing not only for the felicity which we shall obtayne but also euen for afflictions that therefore we are sure of the good will and loue of God towardes vs because we see Christ died for our saluatiō but much more are we confirmed as touching the same by reasō of his life which he now liueth with the father Moreouer he compareth Christ with Adam and sheweth that he hath brought farre greater benefites vnto mankinde then did Adam bring losses Seing we are now iustified by fayth sayth he we haue peace towardes God Sinne had seperated vs from him and God to auenge sinne draue man out of Paradise by meanes wherof we are become miserable and full of calamitye And agayne seing our owne conscience accuseth vs
sort hope But we deny that it is such a hope as is ours which we haue in this life Bicause as we haue before declared out of the woordes of the Apostle our hope hath ioyned with it as companions sighing and sorrowe which thinges vndoubtedly in the eternall felicity which the blessed haue fruition of in heauen can haue no place Farther our hope cleaueth fast vnto fayth which engendereth an vnperfect and an obscure knowledge For as Paul sayth vnto the Corrint We se now by a glasse in a ridle we know but by a part But the saints in heauē know most perfectly most clearly Moreouer forasmuch as fayth hath chiefely a respect vnto the last chiefe good thing there ought not to be ascribed vnto the blessed which now hold possesse that good thing such a hope as is ours For the true proper hope cā haue Hope is in life as an anker no place in eternall felicity It is only so longe as we liue here geuen vnto vs as an anker for so the epistle which is written vnto the Hebrues calleth it For so long as we are tossed with the waues and tempests of this world vnles our minde be confirmed and stablished by the anker of hope our shippe will easely dashe agaynst the sandes and rockes Chrisostome calleth it a golden chayne let downe from heauen which chayne if we take holde of we shal be drawen vp Hope is in a chaine into heauen Wherefore we must diligently prouide that this hope be dayly more and more confirmed in vs which thinge shal then chiefely come to passe if as Paul straight way declareth we diligently wayght the singular benefites of God Which benefites forasmuch as they are most playnly contayned in the Hope is confirmed by the consideration of Gods benefites holy scriptues by reading of them our hope shal be very much cōfirmed Which thing Paul most clearely taught in this epistle when he sayd Whatsoeuer thinges are written are written for our learning that through patience and consolation of the scriptures we should haue hope Which selfe same thing Dauid also sayth They hope in thee which haue knowen thy name Wherefore seing the nature and nam◠of God is no where better vnderstand then in the holy scriptures it followeth that by thē we ought to confirm our hope which thing if we diligently obserue our mynde shall not be discouraged when God as oftentymes his maner is permitteth our doinges to come euen to shame which thing we sée happened in God semeth sometimes to forsake his Christ our sauior For he was so vtterly forsaken of God that he was put vpon the crosse and died a most ignominious death betwéene two thieues Dauid also was brought to that poynt that not only being expelled out of the kingdome of Israell he was fayne to wander in desert places but also was in a maner fast holden and closed in the handes of Saule The selfe same thing we sée very oftentymes to haue happened in other of the Saints that they were iudged in a maner to haue bene deceaued and to haue fallen from their hope But the spirite of Christ geueth strength that men are able in the middest of their calamityes to reioyce and to say These thinges shoulde haue no power in vs if it were not geuen thē frō aboue Which sētence Christ layd agaynst Pilate when he boasted of his power The 42. Psalme also hath excellently wel tought vs how we ought to comfort our selues and with a good hope to erect our mynde For thus it is written Why art thou deiected oh my soule Why art thou Why God spoyleth his of outward helpes so discouraged Hope in God for I will yet make my confession vnto him My health is in his countenance Nether doth God for any other cause commonly depriue his of outward helpes and aydes of this world but to gather together their dispersed hope not to suffer it to leane vnto too many aydes And these sondry and manifolde aydes he changeth for one principall ayde and the same most firme to the ende we should wholy depend of him By this difference of a firme hope Christians much differ from Epicures and Ethnikes For if there come any great calamity vnto them straight way they exclame and cry out If there The Ethnikes howe they are destitute of hope be a God that hath a care ouer these thinges If there be a God that séeth these thinges So they call not vpon God but being in dispayre vtterly discourage themselues But contrariwise godly men most constantly crye vnto God nether doubt they but that their prayers reach vp euen vnto heauē and that God hath a care both ouer them and all theirs But because humane wisedome continually wrastleth and faineth that it doubteth not indede of the power of God but only doubteth of hys will therefore let vs sée how of this thinge Paul hath made vs certayne Because the loue of God is shed abroade into our hartes by the holy ghost which is geuen vnto vs. These wordes signify all one as if he had sayd hereby thou mayst gather that thy hope shall not be made frustrate for that God loueth thee Which loue the holy ghost hereby perswadeth thée of for that the only sonne of God was for thy sake deliuered vnto the death Wherefore now oughest thou not any more to be in doubt of the will of God It is geuen vnto the fréely and that as it is afterward sayd when thou wast an enemy weake wicked and a sinner All which things declare that God loued thee not meanely but most aboundantly Nether hath he only geuen thee these thinges but also hath geuen thee the holy ghost that thou mightest throughly féele them And this is done in regeneration for there whilest by fayth thou takest holde that Christ died for thee thou art borne agayne and made partaker of the nature of God For euen as the spirite of man maketh a man so the spirit of God By the holy Ghost we are adopted by adoption maketh vs the children of God whiche spirite if it were geuen vs as sayth Chrisostome euen now from the beginning before we lauboured vndoubtedly many more thinges shall be geuen vnto vs seing that we go aboute continually to frame our selues to the will of God Now we take holde of the roote and fountayne of all good thinges From this spirite commeth that glorious resurrection as we are taught by this epistle For he which raysed vp Christ Of the holy Ghost is the resurrection from the dead sayth Paul shall rayse vp also your mortall bodies because of his spirite which dwelleth in you Nether is this life which we liue in Christ coūted to come from any els where then from the holy ghost For the wisedome of the flesh saith Paul is enmity agaynst God But the wisedome of the spirite is life and peace God would that we should in this life haue a pledge and
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
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
forme of all his posteritye Howbeit we maye more simply and more aptly referre this vnto Christ For in that comparison Paul Adam a figure of Christ wonderfully much delighted Chrisostome also leaneth thys way and sayth that the Apostle with great conninge and manifold and sondry wayes handleth these woordes Of one and one to make vs to vnderstande that those thinges are to be compared together which haue come vnto vs by one Adam and by one Christ And this is very worthy An analogy betwene Adam and Christ An excelleÌ„t coâ—parison of Chrisostome A strong argumente against the Iewes of nothing in Chrisostome that he sayth Euen as Adam was the cause of death vnto al men although they did not eate of the tree so Christ was made vnto his a conciliator of righteousnes although they themselues had wrought no righteousnes In which place he moste manifestly declareth that we are not iustified by our woorkes He sayth moreouer That by this discourse of the Apostle we are throughlye fensed againste the Iewes if they chaunce to deride vs for that we beleue that by one Christe was redeemed the whole world For we wyll obiect agayne vnto them that they also confesse that by one Adam was all thinges corrupted which semeth to be a great deale more absurde if we looke vpon humane reason then to say that by one Christ all men haue bene holpen In this place the Apostle beginneth to entreate of that whiche was the fourth parte of this diuision namely by whome sinne was excluded And this he declareth was brought to passe by Christ whome he maketh like vnto Adam This similitude is The similitude betwene AdaÌ„ and Christe is to be taken generally to be taken generally that euen as all men depend of Adam so all also in theyr order depende of Christe and as the one merited for all his so also did the other But perticulerly and speciallye there is greate difference For Adam broughte in sinne death and damnation but Christe broughte in righteousnes life and grace There is difference also in yâ— propagation For Adam by the generation of the flesh powreth his euels into men but Christ by fayth And therefore Paul when he had sayd that Adam was a tipe of that whiche was to come as it were by way of correction added But yet the gifte is not so as is the sinne Wherefore betweene Adam Betwene Christ and Adam is not a true similitude but an analogy or proportion and Christe is to be put rather a certaine analogye and proportion then a true similitude But to make those thinges which follow more playne we will deuide in to thrée partes al this whole comparison which consisteth of similitudes of contraries and of thinges compared together Firste the Apostle plainelye teacheth that the sinne of Adam is not so as is the gifte for the gifte many wayes excelleth and passeth the sinne Secondly he expresseth wherin consisteth this victory namely in this that whereas Adam had by one sinne corrupted all mankinde Christe hath not onely abolished that one sinne but also a greate many other sinnes whiche we haue since committed Last of all he declareth what that aboundaÌ„ce of good things is which Christ hath brought vnto his elect As touching the firste this we muste know that Christ is so compared with Adam that he is alwayes made the superiour Neither is this to be passed ouer that Paul expresseth sinne by two names Christ is so compared with AdaÌ„ that he is alwayes made the superior They which sinne do first â—â—re and afterward fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By which names this we learne that they which sinne doo first erre and afterward fall For these two are thorowly knitte together Wherefore the coÌ„mon saying is he that followeth a blind man must néedes fall This also let vs obserue that Paul in this comparison continually in a maner vseth these woordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is gift to declare that our saluation commeth not vnto vs of any of our owne dignity or of works but onely of the meere mercy of God The wordes are thus For if thorow the offence of one many be dead muche more the grace of God and the gifte by Grace whiche is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vnto many For if through the offence of one When he sayth that thorow the sinne of one man many haue died he taketh not away or altereth that whiche he before wrote namely that death had gone ouer all For this worde Many oughte in thys place to be of asmuch force as if he had sayd All euen by the testimony of Origene also Wherfore that abideth firme which was before auouched That all men haue sinned that all are therefore subiecte vnto death By Grace he vnderstandeth the fauour of God whereby sinnes are forgeuen This woord Gift peraduenture What grace is with the scholemen signifieth the holy Ghost and other good thinges which men by the holy Ghost obteyne But the schoole men say that Grace is a quality powred into our hartes by God whereby we lead an holy godly life and by this grace saye they is a man iustified But that kind of iustification shoulde pertaine vnto the law For it shoulde consist of those thinges which are in vs. Wherefore the true iustification whereof is now intreated commeth from Christe of whome thorough fayth and the grace or fauour of God we take holde not that we deny the other kinde of grace For we put both kinds namely both the instauration of the beleuers to liue vprightly and also the imputation of righteousnes by Christ whereunto whole and perfect iustification cleaueth that that might be true which we reade in Iohn that we haue receaued grace for grace and by that grace wherby Christ was of valew before the father we are receaued into his grace The nature of yâ— Antithesis required yâ— euen as he had sayd that thorow the offence of one maÌ„ many haue died so he should on the other side haue sayd that through the righteousnes of one the fauor of God hath abounded vpon many But he would rather put Grace and gifte for that these two thinges are the fountaines and rootes of righteousnes and of euery good thinge whiche we by righteousnes obteyne And he therefore saith that it abounded whiche in the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to geue vs to vnderstand that there We haue more grace then is sufficient to extinguishe sinne was more grace bestowed vpon men then should be sufficient to extinguish sinne For for that we haue obteyned forgeuenes of sinnes wee are also borne againe and we rise againe wyth Christe and are sanctified and adopted into the children of God and are made the bretherne of Christe and fellow heyres wyth hym are grafted into his members are
Righteousnes to raigne what it signifieth Life a companion of righteousnes man hath life and righteousnes and so hath them that they raigne in him wherfore although his nature be vncleane and his affections corrupted and he some times falleth yet notwithstanding standeth he agaynst all these thinges and is brought to saluation Moreouer by this place we are tought that life followeth righteousnes as before we learned that death followeth sinne And thereof it coÌ„meth that the scriptures very oftentimes ioyne life with faith for by faith we take hold of righteousnes And this order of the scripture Paul confirmeth wheÌ„ he so often reherseth this sentence of Abacuck the Prophet The iust man liueth by fayth Christ also sayth He that beleueth in the sonne of God hath eternall life And this is eternall life to acknowledge thee to be the true God Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent The Apostle hath now in a maner in these wordes finished the comparison which he set forth betweene Adam and Christ In which place this is not to be passed ouer to put you in minde of a certaine reason which the Greke Scholies vse to proue that Christ was of more might to helpe men then Adam was to destroy men Bycause death say they taking his begininng at Adam had as a fellow worker with it the sinne of vs all to preuaile against vs all for otherwise it could not haue preuayled if men had kept themselues pure from all vncleanes But the grace of Christ hath come vnto vs all euen without our helpe of working And they say that this thing is made playne by the grace of the Resurrection which shall extend his effect not only vpon the faithfull which may indâ—dâ— seme to haue brought fayth but also vpon the vnbeleuers namely vpon Iewes and Grecians which had no fayth But that is of greater force which requireth no helpe at our handes then that which nedeth vs to worke therewithall to make it of efficacy These thinges are set forth vnder the name of Oecomenius but they are in any wise to be auoyded For it is false that yâ— sinne of AdaÌ„ should The sinne of Adam hurteth euen without our working together with it not hurte maÌ„kinde vnles men had wrought together by reason of theyr sinnes For an infant when he is borne by what meanes can he helpe that original sinne which cleaueth vnto him But if he dy in yâ— sinne he incurreth daÌ„natioÌ„ and perisheth euerlastingly Farther whereas they say that yâ— grace of Christ pertayneth vnto meÌ„ although they worke not together with it this may after a sort haue place in yâ— coÌ„uersioÌ„ of a sinner For a sinner calleth not vnto himselfe yâ— grace of god but rather by his impiety resisteth it But wheÌ„ grace is once come he is not moued of it agaynst his wil. For of an vnwilling persoÌ„ he is made willing But the Greke Scholies wrest not this sentence this way but apply it to the last resurrectioÌ„ wherein yâ— vngodly shall without any their merite or working together be raysed vp from the dead But this if it be rightly waighed of vs pertayneth vnto the most gréeuous punishment of them and not to a benefite or grace For seing Christ sayd truly of Iudas It had ben good for him that he had neuer ben borne It should be good for the wicked that they neuer rise agayne we also of them may say most truely that it should be good for them that they neuer rise agayne from the dead Wherefore let vs leaue this reason and follow that which Paul bringeth as a reason most firme and most true Wherefore euen as by the offence of one man euill came on all men to condemnation So by the righteousnes of one good was spred abroade on all men to the iustification of life For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous Here he bringeth a conclusion of those thinges which he before spake Nether doth he only coÌ„clude and repete the thinges which he had before spokeÌ„ but also expressedly declareth what that one sinne is which was brought in by one man and one the other side what that righteousnes is by which Christ hath made vs iust And hereunto tend all these thinges to make vs to vnderstaÌ„d that we are iustified not by workes but by faith and by that meanes are we made more certaine and assured of our saluation And in this seÌ„tence there is a want which must be supplied For thus he speaketh EueÌ„ as by the offence of one man on all men to condemnatioÌ„ here is to be vnderstaÌ„d euill or hurt was spred abroade And when he addeth So by the righteousnes of one on all men to the iustification of life here also is to be vnderstand Good was spread abroade or saluation Here againe we haue these coÌ„traries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is offence righteousnes Of which the one pertaineth vnto Adam and the other vnto Christ Nether waÌ„teth this an emphasis that he sayth Iustification of life For it is as much as if he had sayde The vitall or liuely iustification For the Hebrues vse oftentimes to pronounce nownes adiectiues by the genitiue case of the substantiue This thing also is to be noted in this sentence that Paul expressedlye sayth that sinne hathreddunded vpon all men vnto condemnation Wherebye it is manifest that when he before sayd That thorough the sinne of one man many haue died by this word many he vnderstoode All men Which word also he did expressedly put in the beginninge of this comparison Whiche I therefore speake because Ambrose and Origene seme to affirme that death and sin haue not raigned ouer all those that haue come of Adam for that many of them acknowledged God and were deliuered from the tiranny of sinne But this is to confound the benefite of Christ with the hurt of Adam For in that some were deliuered from death that could not haue happened vnto theÌ„ but by the death of Christ which they beleued should come which benefite although they obtayned yet doth it not thereof follow that they before they were deliuered by Christ had not as touching their nature and themselues perished in Adam But these fathers séeme therefore to haue inclined this way for that they weighed the matter according to the number of men For when they saw that all men are not saued by Christ least he should séeme inferior vnto Adam they denyed that in Adam all had perished Therfore they held that on ech side are some to be exempted that both Christ may haue his number apart by himselfe and also Adam his by himselfe And it is possible that this also moued them that Paul hath before and also in this place sayd not All but many But this maner of exposition is vtterly agaynst Paules sentence for he euen as he putteth death common vnto all men that are borne of
Adam so also maketh he sinne common vnto them Nether doth Paul to proue the might or power of Christ lene vnto the number of those men which shal be saued but to the weight of the effect For he sayth that it is a greater matter to blot out infinite sinnes then it is to bring in one sinne Oftentymes also he expressedly vseth that particle of vniuersality And as touching that which moued them we answere with Augustine that the meaning of the Apostle is that all that are borne of Adam do perishe and contrariwise that all that are regenerate by Christ are saued And euē as no man is brought forth as touching the fleshe but by Adam so is no man borne agayne but by Christ If after this maner these wordes of vniuersality be applied the analogy How this analogy may be made plaine betwene Christ and Adam shal be clere and playne Euen as by the disobedience of one man Here the Apostle expressedly declareth what that one sin was which he said entred into the world by one man and by meanes whereof death went ouer all men and this sayth he was the The disobedience of Adam is communicated vnto all his posterity ▪ The obedience of Christ is communicated vnto the elect A comparison betwene the obedience of Adam the obedience of Christ disobedience of the first man which he signifieth to haue bene communicated vnto all in whē he sayth that by it many are made sinners And contrariwyse he teacheth what that good thing was which through one Iesus Christ recouered health vnto men And this he sayth was the obedience of Christ Of which writing vnto the Phillippians he sayth that Christ humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the father to the death euen to the death of the crosse How obedient also he was vnto the eternall father those thinges likewise declare which he spake when he finished vp his prayers in the garden being now at the very poynt to be taken of the Iewes saying Not my will be done but thine But Adam did far otherwise for he would not geue credite vnto the words of God nether cōtēted he himselfe with his prouidence as his duty was for he desired to know good and euill as though he ment to prescribe those thinges vnto himselfe and to follow those thinges which he knew to be ether good or euill But he ought to haue done farre otherwise to haue counted those thinges only for good or euill which God by his word had prescribed vnto him Of which thing Christ hath left vnto vs an example to looke vpon when as he wholy submitted hymselfe vnto the will and prouidence of God For when he should suffer death and that a most greeuous and most cruell and most shamefull death he had fixed before his hys eyes only the worde of God which pronounced that that death should be gratefull and acceptable vnto God and also healthfull vnto mankynde Obedience is as we now speake of a faculty or power whereby godly What obedience is men doo wyth a wylling mynde execute the commaundements of God although as touching the cōsideratiō of this world they iudge that the same will not be profitable vnto thē nether do they throughly vnderstād the reason of thē But contrariwise disobedience is a vice which causeth vs not to execute the commaundementes of God either because they are troublesome or els because we can not attaine vnto the reason of them And that which is in this place said What disobedience is That by the obediēce of one man many are made iust very wel agréeth with y◠which is had vnto the Ephe. That we are acceptable vnto God in the beloued And y◠beloued is Christ After the selfe same maner Esay saith in his 53. chapiter when he prophecieth of Christ And if he geue his soule for sinne he shall see his seede a farre of that is his posteritie for a long tyme. Which wordes teach euen the self same thing that the Apostle here saith that through the obedience of Christ whereby he hath The faithfull are called the posteritie of Christ for our sakes suffred death is spred abrode the multitude of the faithful which are called Christes séede and posteritie long to continue And the Prophete addeth My righteous seruaunt shall instifie many for he shall beare their iniquitie Wherfore this obedience of Christ hath merited vnto him to be made the captayne of the elect of God vnto eternall life As on the contrary side Adam by reason of his disobedience leadeth to destruction all those that are borne of him according to the flesh Here let vs note that forasmuch as the Apostle saith that by the disobedience of one Originall sinne proper vnto euery man man many are made sinners by these wordes is gathered an argument agaynste those which thinke that originall sinne is not proper vnto euery man but that it was but one onely sinne and that the same was in Adam wherby we are obnoxious and bound vnto death and damnation For seyng it is said that they are made sinners it must nedes be that they themselues either haue sinne or els at the lest wayes had sinne For no man is called a sinner for an other mans fault Although Chrisostome vpon this place interpretateth these wordes more hardly thē can wel and aptly be vnderstanded For thus he writeth But that by his disobedience an other man should be made a sinner what consequence can it haue For there canne be no paynes due vnto him as one which is not guiltye vnles he become a sinner of himselfe What meaneth it then that he sayth in this place many are made sinners I thinke it signifieth that they are obnoxious to punishment and condemned to death In this sentēce this I lyke not that he interpreteth this worde sinners for obnoxious to punishment and condemned to death as though he should by the way signifie that they haue in themselues nothing that is vile or vncleane which can either offend God or be called sinne And a litle afterward We will not thinke it muche saith he to declare that of this death and condemnation we haue not onely not receiued any losse if we liue soberly and chastly but also we haue therby gotten much gayne That also is harde to say that we haue gotten no hurt of originall death and condemnation For lust It is an excellent gift to liue chastly and holily in this mortall body and the great corruption of nature hath thorow the transgression of Adam brokē into all mankinde I graunt in dede that which he addeth namely that it is an excellent gift in this mortall body to liue holily and chastly and farther also that by the discommodities of our mortalitie we haue occasions of martirdome and of other vertues But this I consider that these thinges are the benefites of the goodnes of God Of which benefites although Adam thorow his fall sometymes gaue occasion yet it doth
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
incredulitie and also because we do the will of the fleshe and of our minde These are the thinges which make vs by nature the children of wrath And how can it be denied that there is sinne in our nature when as Christ will haue vs to be regenerated For vnles we were broughte foorth wicked what should we nede to be made new again Farther in the 8. chap of the booke of Genesis it is manifestly said That the imagination of mans harte is euell euen from hys verye childehoode And how dare Pigghius say that that is the woorke of God and a good That which the holy Ghost calleth euell is not the worke of God thynge whyche the holy Ghoste expressedly calleth euell But least he shoulde seme to say nothing he fayneth that God spake that of mercy as thoughe he would by that meanes excuse men and testefye that he would no more destroy the earth with water bycause men were so brought forth and theyr cogitations tended to euill and that euen from theyr very childhode But in taking this for an excuse he is much deceaued For the better and more natiue sence of thys A declaration of a place of Genesis place is thought to be this that God would make a couenant with Noah that he would neuer destroy the world agayne with water although otherwise men were such that they deserued it and the imagination of theyr hartes is euill euen from theyr childhode These wordes excuse not mans nature from sinne but rather note it to be vicious and corrupt which yet God of his mercy would spare Lastly we learne of Paul that by the disobedience of one man many are made sinners which declareth that in those which are borne of Adam there is sinne by reason of which they ought to be caled sinners But Pigghius thinketh to auoyde this bycause they are sometimes called sinners by reason of the guiltines although the acte of the sinne be past and be no more extant Although it He that is called a sinner either hath sinne actually in him or els he hath before committed sin Pigghius maketh a middle estate betwene the damned the blessed be so yet he can neuer shew out of the scriptures that any is caled a sinner but ether he hath sinne in himselfe or ells vndoubtedlye he hath before committed sin vnles he will say that God maketh men guilty without any sin committed of them Farther Pigghius considereth not that by this his fayned inuencion is brought in a middle sentence touching the state of them which dye only in the guiltines of dAam when as the scriptures doo manifestly teach vs that in the last iudgement there shal be no meane But men shal be ether committed to eternall fire or ells haue the fruition of eternall felicity And it is rashenes to procede farther in those thinges then is reueled in the holy scriptures Wherefore they deale more moderately and worke more wisely which leaue all this matter to the deuine prouidence But it is a sporte to se what solemne reasons they are which moue Pigghius They shall not be punished sayth he with any sensible payne bycause they haue not contaminated themselues with any wicked will in this life What is this to the purpose For it is sufficient that they haue a wicked nature for they were prone to sinne although by reason of age they could in acte not sinne The young wolfe is killed of euery man who yet might excuse To condemnation it is mough to haue a corrupt nature if a man be without Christ it self for that it hath not yet killed any shepe or done any harme vnto the flock Yet is it iust that it should be killed bycause it hath the nature of a wolfe and would doo these thinges if it were permitted to liue To this Pigghius addeth an other argumēt for y◠for original sin grief or contritiō is not required But how can he proue this For all holy men haue greuously mourned for that they were oppressed with this vice Dauid the selfe same time when he was most The saints do greuesly sigh and morne for that they a◠oppressed with this sinne Examples repentant did burst forth into these wordes Behold I was conceaued in iniquities Paul so bewailed this vice that he cried out O vnhappye man that I am who shall deliuer me frō this body subiect vnto death whē Pigghius saith y◠these shal be cōtent with theyr estate he bringeth none other reason then that if they should striue against the will of God and be sory for the sentence denounced vpon them they should sinne which thing we ought not to deme of them forasmuch as in thys life they committed no sinne But here ought to be demaunded of Pigghius whether infantes haue an vpright will in this life This must he of necessity deny forasmuche as by reason of age they coulde not haue it Which if it be so how dare he ascribe it vnto them in the life to come It is much more probable that they shall there haue an euell will wherof there was here in them a beginning thē that they shall haue there a good will of whiche there was here in them no sparcke at all But that similitude which he bringeth of the liberal prince which did not only make his seruant free but also exalted him to great honours is not of his owne inuention For Egidius of Rome a schole deuine hath the same who yet together with vs acknowledgeth the vice of nature the wickednes that is Egidius a schole deuine planted in vs from the beginning Howbeit this thing we ought to examine and try out lest like as costly hangings couer the faultes of a wal so this argument by his shew and outward payneture doo hide some error dangerously deceaue vs. He setteth forth vnto vs Adam as a bondeman who from the beginning was made free by God and enriched with most excellent giftes and so enriched that they should come also to his posterity if he had obeyed the commaundement of God and the law but if he neglected to doo that he himselfe with all his posterity should returne to his old estate of seruitude In this lieth hid the error of Pigghius for he faineth vnto himselfe a man which from the beginning had a nature Man had not at the beginning a corrupt and vicious nature subiect to corruptions and bound to the seruitude of vnreasonable affections which thing is not true For God made man perfect not that he should be like a brute beast He had in dede lusts to thinges pleasant and preseruatiue but yet not such as should allure him agaynst the worde of God and right reason And he had a body geuen him which mought haue endured for euer Wherefore when he sinned he fell not into his olde estate but broughte vnto himselfe a new infelicity This shall suffice at this present as touching that second opinion The thirde opinion is
we are so prouoked to sinne that none can flatter hymselfe of hys owne innocencye For who can boaste that he hath a chaste harte For as Iohn sayth If we saye we haue no sinne wee deceyue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Agayne Cyprianus in hys Epistle to Fidus teacheth that infants oughte to be baptised that they peâ—rishe not for euer Augustine also citeth the Bishop Reticius whose wordes we haue before rehearsed He citeth also Olympius a bishoppe of Spayne who saith That the sinne of the first man was so dispersed in the budde that sinne is borne together wyth man He also citeth Hilarius who writeth thus of the fleshe of Christ Therfore seyng he was sent in the similitude of sinnefull fleshe so had he also sin But because all flesh is of sinne namely of the sinne deryued froÌ„ the first parent Adam he was sent in the similitude of sinnefull flesh so that there was not in hym sinne but the similitude of sinnefull flesh The same father in an other place expounding the xviij Psalme vrgeth this sentence of Dauid Behold in iniquities was I conceiued and in sinnes hath my mother conceaued me Also in his Homilie vppon the booke of Iob he saith That the body is a matter of malice whiche can not be sayd to haue bene so from the first constitution And Ambrose vpon Luke saith that the body is a stinking puddle and an harbor of sinnes but by the benefite of Christ it is chaunged into the temple of God and made a holy place of vertues The same father against the Nouatians saith that our byrth is in sinne and in his apologie of Dauid he saith that before we are borne we are blotted wyth contagiousnes and before we haue the vse of lyght we receaue originall iniustice are conceaued in iniquity And of the Lord he saith It was mete that he which should not haue in his body the sinne of falling should fele no naturall contagiousnes of generation Wherefore worthely did Dauid be wayle in him selfe the corruptions of nature forth at that filthines begaÌ„ in maÌ„ first before life The same Ambrose of the Arke of Noah Whome then hath he now pronounced a iust man but hym which is free from these bondes whome doth the bondes of common nature not hold Also vpon the Gospel of Luke he sayth That the infants which are baptised are by the washinges of the healthfull ministery reformed from maliciousnes Ierome vpon Ionas the prophete sayth that litle infantes are subiect vnto the sinne of Adam And yâ— it should not be thought that he speaketh it only of guiltines vpon the 18. and 41. chap of Ezechiell he vrgethe that not euen a child which is but a day old is without sinne He vrgeth this also Who can make that cleane which is conceaued of vncleane sede Gregorius Nazianzenus saith The image of God shall pourge the spot of bodely inundacion afterward Haue in reuerence the natiuity whereby thou art deliuered froÌ„ the boÌ„des of thyne earthly natiuity And intreating of baptisme by thys sayth he the spotes of the first natiuity are purged by which we are conceaued in iniquities and our mothers hath in sinnes begotten vs. Augustine defeÌ„deth Basilius Magnus For the Pelagians Augustine defendeth Basile would haue him to seme to be one theyr side For he writeth against the Manichies that euill is not a substance but a conuersation which coÌ„meth only of the will which saying he vnderstode of those which haue gotten the infection of conuersation by their owne will which conuersation he sayth may easely be seperated from the will of them that be sicke For if it could not be seperated from it euil should be a substantiall part thereof All these thinges Augustine affirmeth to be vprightly spoken For the Manechies affirmed that euil is a certaine substance In opinion of the Manechies Euell may be seperated from vs thorougâ— the mercy of God The perfect seperation from euell is hoped for in the life to come and that that euill was the beginning of all thinges in the world But Basilius one the contrary side sayth that that euill is in a good thing and that it happened to be euill thorough the will of the man and woman which sinned But in that he sayth that it may easely be seperated from the will he ascribeth it not to our streÌ„gths but to the mercy of God And wheras he sayth that there shal be left no tokens therof that also doo we hope for but not in this life but in the life to come But that he acknowledged originall sinne his sermon concerning fast sufficiently testifieth For thus he sayth If Eue had fasted from the tree we should not now haue neded this fast For they that are whole haue no nede of a phisitioÌ„ but they that are sicke We haue bene sicke thorough that sinne let vs be healed by repentance But repentance without fasting is vaine By these wordes Basilius affirmeth that by reason of the sin of Adam we are not whole Moreouer he citeth the 12. Bishoppes of the East which condeÌ„ned Pelagius Vnto which ought Origen also to be added who wheÌ„ he interpreceth yâ— senteÌ„ce of Paul which we haue rehearsed namely Death hath gone ouer all men saith that Abel Enoch MathusaleÌ„ and Noah sinned But as for other fathers he sayth he will not recken bycause they haue euery one sinned For there is not one cleane from filthynes although he haue liued but one day only But he speaketh more manifestly vpon the 6. chap. of this epistle wheÌ„ he sayth that Baptisme ought to be geuen vnto infantes by the Apostolicall tradition bycause the Apostles knew that there were in all men naturall corruptions of sinne which ought to be washed away by water and the spirite And Chrisostome vpon Genesis entreating this question why men are now afrayd of beastes and are hurte of them when as they were created to be lordes ouer them thys thinge he sayth happeneth by reason of sinne and by cause saith he we haue fallen from confidence and honour And therby Augustine proueth that the nature of infantes is fallen bycause beastes doo not spare them The same Chrisostome expounding yâ— place which we are now in haÌ„d with sayth That that sinne whiche came thorough the disobedience of Adam hath coÌ„taminated all He hath also many other places which serue for the confirmation of thys sentence And yet the Pelagians were not ashamed and especially Iulianus to cite The Pelagians went about to draw Chrisostome vnto them thys father for a witnes as thoughe he made with them bycause in his sermon of those that are baptised rehearsing many giftes of Baptisme namely that they which are Baptised doo not onely receaue remission of sinnes but also are made childreÌ„ and heires of God brethern of Christ and his fellow heires members and temples of God and instrumentes of the holy ghost addeth at the last Seest thou howe manye are the giftes of Baptisme And
striue and to wrastle agaynst that at the last they might cary away the victories and triumphes But thou wilt say God mought by some other meanes haue saued maÌ„kind that it should not be abolished if he had ereated an other man pure and perfect that Adam being dead without issue all that other mans posterity should be procreated without corruption There is no doubt but that God could haue done this if he had would But this had not bene to erect one that had falen to saue that which was spilled and to redeme him which had vtterly perished God would shew forme of his goodnes that notwithstanding the corruption of nature he might saue from destruction as many as he had chosen For he would not vtterlye breake the brused reede nor quench the smoking flaxe For he would bring forth Christ as it were an other Adam which mought in such sort saue his as the other had destroyed them These and such like thinges led Gregorius to crye out O happy fault which deserued to haue such a redemer Which wordes I would not gladly pronouÌ„ce forasmuch as I se nothing in yâ— matter which is not miserable to be lamented For in yâ— so great saluatioÌ„ folowed yâ— same is to be ascribed to the goodnes of God and not to the sinne of Adam For of it is deriued not so greate a good thing but only by accidens that is by chanse These thinges although they can not satisfie the obiections whiche we haue put so much as humane The contraction of originall sin condeÌ„neth not the elect The order of nature requireth that a soule should be ioyned to such a body lest the body should be left without life If we cocker our owne reasoÌ„ there wil be no end of expostulating with God The goodnes of procreation ought to be considered by the effect which is of it selfe reason woulde require yet by them we haue somewhat after a sorte to answere them The coniunction of the soule with the corrupt body maketh nothing to the destruction of the elect For in Christ as well the body as the soule is renued And as by the body the soule is infected so by fayth in Christ which is in the mynde the soule together with the body is repayred The order of nature requireth that an innocent soule whiche hath done nether good nor euyll shoulde be ioyned with a corrupte body except the body shoulde be left without a soule and the worlde depriued of the kinde of man And if we go aboute to expostulate with God there shal be no measure or ende For an infinite number of soules would complayne for that they were created and were not predestinate to be saued which yet neuer deserued it Many would complaine for that they were borne of vngodlye vnbeleuinge and barbarous parentes and died in their tender ago whereby they coulde come to no knowledge of God And a man might inuent a thousand such kinde of complayntes As touching procreation we say that it is laudable forasmuch as it consisteth of lawfull matrimony In it is to be considered the man whiche is begotten that is as they call it the effect proper and naturall But man is a good creature of God and sinne or corruption is added per accidens that is by chanse And this euill hath a remedy which thinge happeneth not in the leprosy and other vncurable diseases We graunt also that man is created to the ende to attayne to eternall felicity And whereas it is sayde that he is by the sinne of the body called backe from this ende we on the contrary say that he is by the selfe same stirred vp to Christ Lastly we grauÌ„t that it may seme a thing vnworthy yâ— the innocent soule should haue his place in hell for yâ— there there is no redemption The elect are by thys euell stirred vp vnto Christ Reasons to proue that this sinne is spread abroade by seede and generation We depend of Adam by generation to be hoped for But being put in a body though it be neuer so corrupt yet it may attayne both redemption and also saluation Now let vs bringe reasons firmely and surely to proue that originall sinne is spred abrode into men by séede and generation And we will therefore declare it by the holy scriptures because many are agaynst it and thinke it to be a thinge altogether fayned First Paul sayth that sinne by one man entred into the world Wherefore let vs consider how men depend of Adam thereby to be pertakers of his sinne And there can no other way be found then sede and generation Farthermore forasmuch as the Apostle to the Ephesians sayth that we are by nature the children of wrath and nature as the naturall philosophers affirme is the beginning of mocion we must nedes haue recourse vnto sede and generation for they are the ground of our motioÌ„ and beginning But Dauid more expressedly declareth this thing when he sayth Behold I was conceaued in iniquyties and in sinnes hath my mother coÌ„ceaued me By which wordes he apertly teacheth that this sinne is traduced by generatioÌ„ But that is farre more manifest whiche Iob saith who can make that cleane which is borne of vncleane seede By this place the infected seede of our elders is reproued as vncleane how much soeuer Pigghius cryeth out against it But now let vs on the contrary side diligently consider by what meanes this sinne may be taken away Euen as it was brought in by one man so also is it How thys sin may be taken away remoued away by one man And euen as the sinne is powred in from Adam by seede and generation so agayne on the other side there are some thinges in that multitude which pertayneth vnto Christ which may haue the consideration of seede and those are election or predestination grace the holy ghost the worde of God and baptisme These two last instrumentes God vseth for the regenerating of his But if a man aske whether the outward word or visible signe The inward word is required of necessitye â—n them that be of full age The outward word is an ordinary instrument wherby they that are of full age are called Baptism is not to be contemned Baptisme is threefold Of the infantes of Christians which dye without baptisme Some children of the Saintes pertaine not to predestination The reliques of this sinne which remaine after regeneratioÌ„ are not unputed vnto death of baptisme be altogether necessary we answere that indede the inward word whereby men are moued vnto Christ and are reformed is vtterly required if we speake of them that be of perfect age but in children neither the inward word hath place nor the outward word is an ordinary instrument But doubtles the outward worde is an ordinary instrument whereby God calleth those that be of full age vnto saluation although in some he doth by an extraordinary way vse only the inward word For so he called Abraham out of his countrye and
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
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
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
of theyr captayne and are so bound vnto him that afterward it is not lawfull for them to be conuersant in the campes of theyr enemies which thing if they doo should be death vnto them so we in baptisme are bound vnto Christe and do sweare that we will neuer afterward fall away vnto the deuill And forasmuch as that honour is dew vnto Christ to be sayd to be baptised in him we ought not be offended when we reade in the epistle to the Corrinth that the fathers wer baptised in Moses Why the fathers were baptised in Moses It is not lawfull to baptise in the name of any man For this is the sence of that place that y◠Israelites passed ouer the sea trusting to those promises which were set forthe of God by Moses Nether ought we thereby to conclude that it is lawfull to baptise in the name of any man as of a mediator and author of our saluation Paul therefore when hee reproued the Corrinth bycause they filthily addicted themselues vnto men so that some of them sayd I hold of Paul others of Cephas others of Apollo said was Paul crucified for you or were ye baptised in the name of Paul which thing he therfore wrote bicause he saw that the Corrinthians transferred the honour of Christ vnto ministers Are baptised into hys death As hee hath nowe made mencion of hys Two principall things which Christ hath done for our sakes death so a little afterwarde hee wyll make mencion of hys resurrection For these are the two principall thynges whyche Chryste hath wroughte for our sakes And vndoubtedlye because in Baptisme we receiue the fruyte of the death of Christ forasmuch as by that sacrifice God is pacefied towardes vs we are iustly saide to be baptised into his death and chiefely because through the death of Christ our sinnes ceasse now to be imputed vnto vs but before God we are counted for dead And the lust which remaineth in vs because by the benefite of Christ it is broken and diminished therefore also we are said to be baptised into the death of Christ And for that Paul would agrauate the death wherby we die vnto sinne and would shewe that it is not a thing slight but waighty he addeth VVe are buried therefore together with Christ by baptisme Now in our dayes also they which are baptised to the ende they may by profession expresse the same thing do by expresse wordes answere that they renounce the deuill An argument wherby to proued that infantes are borne with sinne Sacraments haue the names of the things by them signified The mutacion of the Eucharisticall bread is compared with that mutacion of our selues which is made in baptisme and his pompes Out of this place Augustine gathereth two thinges whereof the one is in the 6. booke against Iulianus the 1. chap wher he proueth the infantes are borne in original sinne For saith he it is a generall sentence of the Apostle that as many as are baptised are baptised into the death of the Lord that is to dye to sinne and as it shall straight way be shewed that the body of sinne should he abolished which sayings can not be true vnies we graunt that infants are borne in sin The other thing is in his epistle to Bonefacius where he sheweth that the Sacramentes obtayne the names of the thinges which by them are signified For Paul sayd not that our sepulture is signified in baptisme but simply sayde that we are buried with Christ into death And after this maner he saith that the Eucharist is called the body and bloud of Christ Thirdly let vs note that the fathers when they will confirme y◠change which is done in the Eucharist for example sake bring the change of our selues which is made in baptisme which change also the Apostle semeth to declare to be very greate For he vseth there the names of life and death Betweene which two thinges of necessity there must néedes be a verye greate chaunge Wherefore seing that the nature and substance of those which are baptised is not changed it is nothing needefull that in the bread and wine should be pure transubstanciatiō The Apostle in a maner speaketh after the same sort of baptisme in the 2. chapter to the Collossians saying In whome ye are also circumcised with circumcision which is done without handes forasmuch as ye haue put of the sinfull body of the fleshe thorough the circumcision of Christ being buried together with hym through baptisme in whome together with hym ye are also risen agayne through fayth that is wrought by the operation of God which raysed hym from the deade And when ye were deade in sinnes and vncircumcision of your fleshe he quickened you together with hym These wordes in all points are agreeable with those things that we are now in hand with whiche still he more plainely expoundeth for he addeth That euen as Iesus Christ was raysed vp from the dead by the glory of the father The power of God was declared in the resurrection of Christ Paule doth oftentymes vse this word newnes so we also should walke in newnes of life The glory of the father in this place signifieth the power of God which was then chiefely declared when Christ rose agayne from the deade and in vs it is manifestly shewed when we casting away sinnes do liue vncorruptly And Paul by this worde newnes doth oftentimes signifie the blameles life of Christians For he saith that we ought to put on the new man And he saith that before God circumcision or vncircumcision is nothing but only a new creature And he admonisheth that as touching the inward man we should be dayly more and more renewed But by A new life hath his degrees this word walking he teacheth that that purenes of life that is to say this newnes hath certayne degrees and we must haue a care continually to profite more and more For if we be grafted into him by the similitude of his death euē so shal we also be pertakers of hys resurrection knowing this that our olde mā is crucified with him also that the body of sinne should be abolished that henceforth we should not be seruants vnto sinne For if we be grafted into him by the similitude of his death euen so shall vve That which was done in Christe by nature ought to be resembled of vs by an analogy be of his resurrection Chrisostome noteth that y◠similitude of death in this place admonisheth vs that that which was done in Christ by nature is in vs done by an analogy proportion For it is not nedefull that we through baptisme shoulde dye by naturall death but that in our maners and life we shoulde resemble the similitude of the death of Christ In the booke of Ecclesiasticus it is written Thou hast set downe at a great table marke what thinges are sit before thee because thou also must performe the like Wherfore when we with the
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
or vnto death But it is after one maner in vs and after an other maner in Christ For his death as Augustine saith in his booke de Trinitate The death of Christ was simple but ours is double was simple and but of one sort but ours is double or of two sortes For in him only the body dyed for his soule was neuer without the eternall and true life forasmuch as sinne had neuer place in him But in vs both body and soule were deade by reason of sinne Wherefore euen as Christ dyeth not agayne as touching the body so also ought not we by sin to dye ether in body or in soule Otherwise yâ— onely one death of Christ should not as he saith bring remedy vnto our double death Neither wanteth this an emphasis that the Apostle in this place doubleth one Christ was not compelled to dye and the selfe same sentence when he sayth He dieth no more also death hath no more dominion ouer him For he would haue vs fully to vnderstand that death is cleane remoued away from Christ Neither yet ought we by these wordes to inferre that death sometimes so bare dominion ouer Christ that he was compelled to dye For he sayth that no man coulde take away his life from him but that he himselfe had power both to lay away his life and also to take it agayne Christ fréely and willingly became subiect vnto death wherefore we also forasmuch as we are his members and misticall body ought fréely and of our owne accord to dye together with Christ and that in such sort that we will no more dye that is we will no more be subiect vnto the guiltines death and damnatioÌ„ oâ— our sinnes It also sufficient for vs that we die once vnto sinne For as touching that he died he died vnto sinne once and aâ—â—ouching that he liueth he liueth vnto God That Christ died vnto sinne 〈◊〉 once only is declared by that which is written vnto the Hebrues that he by one only oblation made perfect all thinges so that he referreth this Once and vnity vnto the fulnes and perfection of the thing done It was sufficieÌ„t that Christ died but once Wherefore it ought also to be sufficient vnto vs that we dye but once vnto sinne neither ought we so to deale that we shoulde alwayes haue new causes to dye agayne We and Christ dye not after one and the selfe sâ—me manner It is not possible that Christ should dayly be sacrificed The sacrificing priestes do not by their Masses apply the death of Christ vnto others Baptisme ought not to be repeated But this is to be noted that Christ and we are diuersly sayde to dye vnto sinne For Christ had no sinne in hym whereunto he shoulde dye For he died for the sinne which was in vs. But we ought to dye vnto that sinne which we still cary aboute in our selues Farther out of this place are inferred two thinges first if Christ died but once and that that was sufficient then is there no nede that he shoulde agayne be dayly sacrificed in Masses For his one only death was sufficient for the satisfaction of all sinnes For the sacrificing priestes can not performe that thing which they vse so much to boast of namely to applye the death of Christ at their pleasure vnto this man or to that man For euery man by his owne fayth taketh hold of it and applieth it vnto himselfe Moreouer out of this place is inferred that baptisme ought not to be ministred vnto one man any more then once only forasmuch as in it we dye together with Christ And sithen he dyed but once only we therefore ought in no case to repete it any oftener Which thing the epistle vnto the Hebrues manifestly teacheth for there it is written that that is nothing els then again to crucifie the sonne of God and to make him a gazing stock The sealing of the promise of God which we receaue in baptisme neuer loseth his force and strength For whilest we call to memory that we are baptised so that fayth be present by the remembrance of that sealing we are both confirmed touching the promise and also are admonished touching the leading of the lyfe of Christ But we before haue alleaged many mo reasons why baptisme ought not to be repeted In that Christ is sayd to liue vnto God it signifieth not only that he liueth blessedly but also that he cleaueth vnseperably vnto God Which thing we also ought to do if we will be true Christians And therefore he concludeth the whole reason in these wordes So also consider ye that ye are dead as touching sin but are on liue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. These words signifie as much as if he should haue sayde That which was done in Christ ought also to be done in vs. Wherefore seing he died only once and now liueth perpetually vnto God we ought to haue a care that the selfe same thing should be performed in vs. Hereby appeareth how vniustly the doctrine of Paul was accused as though he shoulde Paul teacheth that we ought to liue vnto God not to abide in sinne teach that we should abide in sinne that grace might abound And that we should commit euill that good might thereof ensue For he teacheth clene contraryly that euen as Christ euer liueth vnto God so ought we also euer to liue in Christ thorough innocency of life Which selfe doctrine the Lord taught in Iohn saying As the liuing father hath sent me and I liue for the father euen so he that eateth me shall liue for me Iudge and consider sayth he that ye are dead vnto sinne but liue vnto God For as sayth Chrisostome this thing is not done by nature neither can it be shewed by the outward sence but is perceaued by fayth only Therefore consider saith he and dayly pouder this in your mynde Through Christ Iesus our Lord. This is added that we shoulde knowe that all these thinges are receaued onely by his benefite and not by humane strengths or naturall reason Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortall bodye that ye should thereunto obey by the lustes of it Neither geue ye your meÌ„bers as instrumentes of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but geue ouer your selues vnto God as they that of dead are on liue And geue ouer your members as instrumentes of righteousnes vnto God For sinne shall not haue power ouer you Because ye are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace Let not sinne raigne therefore in your mortall body His reason now finished he addeth an exhortation which is indede short but yet of great waight What felicity is For it stirreth vs vp vnto that thing wherein consisteth the chiefe felicity which herein is contained yâ— we should be most far remoued froÌ„ all euils and continually being well occupied leade a most vertuous lyfe Wherefore Paules meanynge is that wée shoulde caste awaye synne Whiche is to remoue from vs the
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
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
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
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
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
it was lawful for him to do wherfore he thinketh he lost his power which before he had â—uer men But this interpretation although it conteine nothing that is vngodly yet in no wyse agréeth with the meaning of the Apostle For Paul geueth a reason how we are deliuered by Christ from the lustes and motions of which he complaineth towards the ende of the vij chapter And forasmuch as the death of Christ is put for the cause of this deliuery that exposition which we brought of the sacrifice for sin both is agreable with reason and also is proued by other testimonies of the Scriptures For Esay in his 53. chapter writynge of Christ sayth If he shall put his soule Ameth schaim asham nephesch sinne that is to say for sinne Paul also as we haue before cited him saith That he which knew no sinne was for vs made sinne And in the first epistle to the Corrinthians Christ our paschall is offered vp And in the epistle vnto the Hebreues Christ is set forth to be that sacrifice for sinne whiche was sene to be offered without the hostes Iohn also sayth Beholde the lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinnes of the worlde in which wordes he calleth him a lambe for yâ— What the killinge of sacrifices signified in the old time he should be a sacrifice for sinne And that slaughter of sacrifices shadowed nothing els vnto the elders but damnation and death For there they which offred them acknowledged that the sinnes for which they ought to haue bene punished should be transferred and layd vpon the Messias that euen as the sacrifice was killed so should Christ in tyme to come dye for the sinne of the people Which thing peraduenture they declared by an outward simbole or signe namely by laying on of Why the Gentils sometimes sacrificed men their handes And many thinke that this signification of the offring vp of the Messias for sinne was of so great force that for the figuracion therof men were among certaine nations offred vp For that which they had heard of the holy patriarches should one day come to passe the same they sought to expresse by a sacrifice most nyest as they thought vnto the truth Which yet forasmuch as it wanted yâ— word of God and was by them only inuented was nothing els then an vngodly cruelty Of this thing Origene against Celsus maketh mencion Neither can it be but Why the killinges of sacrifices aâ— at this day â— out of vse wonderful that at this day throughout the whole world there are no immolatioÌ„s of sacrifices which seme by the prouidence of god therfore to haue vanished away bicause that noble and so long looked for sacrifice of the deth of Christ which was by all those sacrifices after a sorte shadowed is now performed For God hath geuen one only oblacion wherby as we haue said sinne is condemned By which so great liberality of God towardes vs both feare and also faith ought to be stirred vp in vs. For if God to the ende he would abolishe sinne spared not his owne proper sonne what shall become of vs if we despise so great a sacrifice and tread vnder foote the bloud of the sonne of God On the other side who will not put his confidence in God whom he séeth for our sinnes to haue geuen his sonne vnto the deth Wherfore we ought with a most strong faith to embrace this sacrifice Neyther ought we here to regard the sacrificing priestes which boast that they can by their The sacrifyce of Christ is not applied vnto vs by Masses masses and superstitions and vngodly whisperinges apply this sacrifice vnto vs. In dede the holy scriptures teache that one ought to pray for an other But that yâ— communicating of one man is sufficient for an other or that it applieth the death of Christ vnto an other that thing the holy ghost neuer taught And sithen the sacramentes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is seales of promises they can profite them onely if we speake of theÌ„ which are of full age which embrace theÌ„ by fayth Wherfore eueÌ„ as it is not coÌ„uenient yâ— one should be baptised for an other so doth it nothing profite if one man receiue the Eucharist or supper of the Lord for an other For this were all one as if a man should take seales by which promises are confirmed and transferre theÌ„ vnto a blanke paper which hath neither promise nor any thing written in it we may in déede when we communicate geue thankes vnto God for that he hath holpen our neighbours and brethren and we may pray for them that they may be confirmed But to eate the sacrifice or Eucharist or to offer vp Christ for other men it is vtterly a fained inuention And although we shoulde graunte theÌ„ thys yet should they not haue yâ— which they so much séeke for For thys is not peculiar vnto priestes but is coÌ„moÌ„ vnto al theÌ„ which celebrate yâ— supper of yâ— lord Away therfore with these fained lies let euery maÌ„ labor by his own proper faith to take hold for himselfe of this benefite of Christ to apply it vnto himself Augustine in his exposition begon vpon the epistle vnto the Romanes saith that euery one of vs applieth vnto himselfe the sacrifice of the death of Christ For he saith Touching the sacrifice of which the Apostle then spake that is of the burnt offring of the Lordes passion that euery man offreth for hys owne sinnes then when he is dedicated vnto the passion of Christ through faith and when by baptisme be is noted by the name of faithfull Christians Now let vs speake of the third thing namely to sée what is the fruite of the death of Christ That the righteousnes of God might be fulfilled in vs which walke not according to the fleshe but according to the spirite That which we haue turned Righteousnes and others Iustification in Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word signifieth that honesty and vprightnes which is commaunded in the lawe which although it be so called yet are we not therby iustified for the fulfilling thereof can be in no man but only in him which is iustified It is true in dede that We shal be iudged according to our works we shall not be iustified by them we shal be iudged accordinge vnto those woorkes for God wyll render vnto euerye manne accordynge to hys woorkes For accordinge to the condition of the workes the forme of the sentence shal be pronouÌ„ced Yet are not good works the causes of that felicity which we looke for For if they were causes then shoulde they either be equall with the reward or els they should be greater then it For this is the nature of causes ether to excell the affectes or at the least wayes to be The dignity of causes either excelleth or els is equall with the effecâ—es How the preceptes of the law are fulfilled in vs by Christ equall
debters dnto the fleshe he playnly declareth how necessary good workes are And he stoppeth their mouthes which spake ill of his doctrine as which opened a window vnto vices For he threateneth death and that eternall death vnto theÌ„ which liue according to the fleshe They which draw the wordes of the Apostle vnto the liberty of the fleshe vnderstand not that he teacheth that men iustified are absolued from the condemnation of the lawe and not from the obedience therof For that obedience lasteth in the Saintes for euer For if ye liue after the flesh ye shall dye but if by the spirite ye mortefie the deedes of the fleshe ye shall liue He here by an other reason proueth A reason from that which is profitable vnprofitable yâ— we ought to liue holily which reason is taken froÌ„ that which is profitable and vnprofitable Two thinges he setteth forth namely life and death neither entreateth he here of temporall thinges but of eternall It is true in déede that it is not comely that we should follow as captaines of our life the prauity and corruption of nature which is signified by the name of fleshe neither do the debts which we owe vnto God by reason of his benefites bestowed vpon vs suffer vs so to do But yet fewe are moued with this comlynes and the nature of man is by reason of sinne to much blockish to heauenly thinges Wherefore it must haue the stronger spurres to pricke it forwarde And therefore Paul added this reason of lyfe and death If by the spirite ye mortefy the deedes of the fleshe ye shall liue Hereof two thinges we gather First that there are still déedes of the fleshe in the godly And who doubteth but that they are sinnes especially seing they ought to be mortefied The second is that these déedes are mortefied by the spirite for mans inuentions will nothing helpe thereunto For whatsoeuer is done by vertues described of the philosophers is sinne which can not through Christ be forgeuen them Wherefore the true and perfect cause of mortification is to be sought for at the handes of the spirite And to mortefy is nothing els but for a man to be violent against himselfe and to withstand and resist wicked lustes Here agayne also the Apostle séemeth to touch the difference betwéene deadly sinne and veniall What is to mortâ—fy sinne not that all sinnes are not of their owne nature deadly but for that through the death and spirite of Christ they are forgeuen therefore they are called veniall Those are called deadly sinnes which are not mortified in vs when we geue our selues to lustes and liue without repentance and sinne against our conscience neither resiâ—â— lustes but follow on our trade of liuing wickedly neither in the meane tyme regard we the spirit or death of Christ These are those sinnes which Paul writeth They which do such thinges shall not obtayne the kingdome of God and for which as it is written vnto the Ephesians The wrath of God commeth vpon the children of distrust For as many as are led by the spirite of God are the sonnes of God By two reasons it hath bene proued that men godly regenerate ought not to liue after the fleshe either bicause they are now debters so to do or els bicause the same shall turne them to great commodity namely for that they shall liue for euer Here is added the third reason for that they are now adopted into the children of God In which place we are taught two things at once the one is that they ought We must liue vprightly for that we are adopted into children Three maner of wayes it is shewed that we are the sonnes of God fréely and of their owne accord to worke as which are endued with the spirit not of bondmen but of children the other is that they which so leade their life shall liue for euer namely for that they are the sonnes of God For he is eternall immortall And that they are the children of God he proueth thrée manner of wayes First for that they are led by the spirite of God Secondly for that they call vpon him by the name of father lastly for that the spirite so testifieth vnto theÌ„ Wherfore the reason may thus be knit together As many as are the sonnes of God liue not after the flesh for they are led by the spirite of God and they call God their father and they haue the holy ghost in their hartes a witnes of the adoption whiche they haue obteined Such ones are all we which beleue in Christ wherefore we ought not to liue after the flesh When they are said to be the sonnes of God which The beginning of our adoption is thâ— spirit of God are led by the spirite of God therby is signified that the beginning of our adoptioÌ„ coÌ„meth only through the sprite of God by which the faithfull are so drawen that they are sayd of Paul to be led that is without violence and any coaction bowed They which want the spirite are holden with ignorance and are tossed by the impulsion of lustes But the spirite of God so leadeth that it both teacheth what is to be done and also ministreth a will minde and strengthes to performe the same It is not inough to know what we ought to do vnles we haue also strengthes geuen vs to do it and strengthes should be in vaine geuen vs if there should want knowledge These two thinges bringeth the spirite of God with it and by that Two thinges the spirite of God bringeth with it meanes leadeth the elect with pleasure After we are once sealed with this spirite we haue obteyned the earnest peny of eternall life and the adoption of the sonnes of God And forasmuch as we are not compelled to do any thing against our wils we enioy most excellent fréedome For we are stirred vp vnto those thinges which we excedingly desire For ye haue not receiued the spirite of bondage vnto feare But ye haue What is the spirite of feare and what of adoption receiued the spirite of adoption wherby we cry Abba father The apostle by a certaine distinction expresseth what that spirite is wherby the sonnes of God are led For he maketh one the spirite of feare an other the spirite of adoption which is no otherwise to be vnderstand but that one and the selfe same spirite of God bringeth forth two effectes which are by a certaine order knit together For first by the law and by threatninges it maketh afeard those men that are to be iustified and breaketh and vexeth them with scourges and stripes of the conscience that vtterly dispairing of themselues they may flye vnto Christ vnto whom wheÌ„ they are come and that they embrace him by faith they are not onely iustified but also are fréely of their owne accorde stirred vp to iust vpright and holy workes Wherfore Paul admonisheth yâ— Romanes that they are now come vnto this latter
intercessioÌ„ Wherfore his prayers caÌ„not be reiected The Apostle in few words comprehendeth many argueÌ„mts the Christ died that he rose agayne that he sitteth at the right hand of God and that he maketh intercessioÌ„ for vs al which things are of woÌ„derful force to ouerthrow the enterprises Many argumentes whereby is proued that we can neither be accused nor condemned of our accusers Ambrose saith That no maÌ„â—an or dare reuoke that foreknowledge or iudgemeÌ„t of God For who can dissalow those things which God alloweth The iudgement seate of God is the highest he which is there defended or acquited can no where be condemned vnles we will fayne that there is some other greater theÌ„ God This alludeth to those thinges which are writteÌ„ in Esay the 50. chapiter For there Christ speaketh of himselfe Who shall accuse me he is at hand whiche shall iustifie Christe was accused of the Scribes and Pharisies to be a seditious persoÌ„ and a blasphemer But he is at hand sayth he which shall iustifye He was also of the elders of the Israelites accused of to much seuerity how that he had repudiated the Sinagoge and deliuered his people vnto theyr enemies Howbeit he made answere that he had one which should iustifye him namely God And in yâ— place is added The things that are spoken of Christ are sometimes transferred vnto his elect We cannot be accused nor condemned in as much as we are the members of Christ Hereby it is manifest that to iustifie is a word of pleading in iudgemente which is contrary to accusation condemnanation What is to sit at the right hande of God A metaphor It signifieth a singuler honor a singuler dignity Who shall condemne me God is mine helper These thinges although they be properly spokeÌ„ of Christ yet are they also transferred vnto his elect For hys righteousnes is our righteousnes Otherwise as touching our selues we can neither be accused nor condemned For we are the members of Christ we haue the fruition of hys innocency It is God vvhich iustifieth Thys righteousnes as we haue oftentimes sayd consisteth in the forgeuenes and remission of sinnes By thys meanes are we acquited at the iudgement seate of God In thys place are confuted theyr sclanders which commonly crye that we falsly say that this word of Iustification is taken by translation of the iudgement seate and signifieth absolution or acquitting For what will they answere vnto Paul who with most manifeste wordes affirmeth the selfe same thing that we doo For he setteth iustification agaynst accusation and condemnation which vndoubtedly properly pertayne vnto the iudgement seate The Hebrues say Hiâ—sqdich and agayne to condemne Harschia which wordes are deriued of iustice and of impiety All these thinges which Paul here bringeth tend to this end to make vs fully assured of the singular good will of God towards vs. That which he speaketh of the death and resurrection of Christ is most manifest but what to sit at the right of God signifieth is not altogether so playne It is a metaphoricall kind of speach taken of kinges and princes which place on theyr right hande those whome they haue in greate honour and estimation In the 110. Psalme it is written Sit on my righte hand vntill I make thyne enemies the fotestole of thy fete Salomon minding highly to honour his mother Bersaba commaunded a throne to be put for her on his right hand The sonnes of Zebed also required of Christ that the one moughte sitte on hys right hand and the other on hys lefte Of this most singular honor geuen vnto hym of the father Christ hymselfe thus sayth All thinges are deliuered vnto me of my father and vnto me is geuen all power in heauen and in earth And Iohn the Euangelist sayth Iesus knowing that all thinges were deliuered vnto hym And Paul to the Ephesians sayth He is put aboue all principality power vertue domination and aboue euery name that is named ether in this world or in the world to come And vnto the Phillippians He hath geuen vnto him a name which is aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euery knee should bow both of thinges celestiall terrestial and infernall And vnto the CollossiaÌ„s Which is the beginning the first born amongst the dead that he might haue dominion ouer all For that it hath pleased the father that in him should The body of Christ is not so farre powred abroade as is the diuinâ— nature dwell all fulnes And although the right hand of God signifieth as we haue sayde a singular honor and a most highe dignity yet must we not thinke that the body of Christ is powred so farre abroade as is his deuinity and the right haÌ„d of the father For hys body as the condition of humane nature requireth is coÌ„teyned in a certayne and definite place which is heauen as Peter testefieth in the Actes of the Apostles as the article of hys ascencion certefieth vs and as Augustine many other fathers haue taught vs. He is sayd to make intercession for vs that we might be the more encoraged For they which are in greate fauor with any man theyr prayers are not easely reiected of him Wherefore Paul maketh mencion in what greate dignitye Christe is with the father In thys place Ambrose thus writeth He maketh vs certayne â–ª and sure both of the father and of the Sonne For before he sayde That God iustifieth vs nowe hee sayth of the Sonne All the persons of the Trinitye take our partes that he maketh intercession for vs and a little before â—e wrote of the holye Ghoste that he with vnspeakeable groninges prayeth for vs. The Greke Scholies adde that Christ when he was vpon the earth oftentimes prayed for the safety of men For he sayd vnto Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faynt And as Iohn sayth He prayed vnto the father not only for them that beleued but also for all those which should beleue that he would sanctifie them And beinge nayled vpon the crosse he commended vnto his father euen those which had reuiled him and put hym to death And here also we hear that he by no meanes hath cast away that eare which he had in â—imes past to preserue vs. For now although he raigne in heauen yet he maketh intercession vnto the father for vs. He thought it not inough Christ is still the minister oÌ„â— our saluation in prayeng for vs. The Arrians went about hereby to proue that â—the son is lesse then the father Hereby is manifest the distinction of the persons The father is the fountaine of all the diuine persons and giftes To pray is not here taken properlye to dye for vs but that also he would by hys ministery aduaunce our saluation The Arrians wrested this place to thys purpose to proue that the sonne is lesse theÌ„ the father for yâ— he maketh intercessioÌ„ vnto him for to pray to make supplicatioÌ„ pertaineth to inferiors
the creator of the world and also the distributer of all good thinges and that all things which men commonly desire are in his pleasure which thinge when he had sufficientlye declared by aduersities also he made them so valiant that with a stoute courage and an inuincible constancy they testified the doctrine of God to be true In which thing God likewise declared that he is the distributer of all the good thinges of the minde and of heroicall vertues and that his power is so great that of thinges God of thinges contrary worketh the selfe same effectes contrary also he can bring forth the selfe same effect And that which the lattin interpreter turneth We are mortified should haue bene turned we are slayne For the Hebrew word is Hodignu although the Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifye sometymes to mortefy For in that sence Paul vsed it in this selfe same chapiter when he sayd And if by the spirit ye mortefy the deedes of the fleshe ye shall lyue But here as we sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to be slayne and to be deliuered vnto the death But that which followeth All the day long signifieth that death continually hangeth ouer them and that they are neuer sure but that they thinke to be euen by and by drawen vnto death Although Chrisostome amplifieth it an other way It is of necessity saith he that men dye at the least once but sithen they are redy in mynde euery day to dye if nede require they haue euery day the fruite of martirdome as if they should euery day be killed And their cause much relieueth and comforteth them For they are not slayne as wycked men and malefactors but only for religion and piety sake And therfore they say For thy sake And for that cause some â—â—inke that that Psalme ought not to be vnderstand of the first captiâ—ity For then the Iewes were not punished for Gods cause or for religion sake but because they were idolatrers and so wicked that God would no longer suffer them For they had now vtterly fallen away from God the booke of the lawe was now in a manner cleane blotted out the temple was shut vp the city of Ierusalem ouerflowed with the bloud of the Prophetes Wherefore this is a prophesy of the latter calamity which happened in the time of the Machabes vnder Antiochus and the Macedonians For then the Vnder Antiochus and the Mace donians the Iewes suffred many thinges for the law Iewes suffred most gréeuous tormentes for that they endeuored themselues to defend the lawes of God And therefore they say For thy sake are we slayne And in an other verse is added And yet by reason of these thinges haue not we forgotten thee or done vnfaythfully against thy couenant This is not so spoken as though men do at any time suffer more gréeuous thinges then they haue deserued For none of all the martyrs liued so purely and innocently but that he was obnoxious vnto some sinnes And those sinnes deserued not only the death of the body but also if the death of Christ had not holpen eternall paynes But these paynes and vexations God sendeth not vpon them as being angry but to set forth his truth and glory Howbeit in the meane tyme according to his promise he repayeth vnto them not God vnto them which for hâ—â— name sake are vexed rendreth in thys life an hundreth fold only eternall life but also in this life rendreth vnto them an hundreth fold For oftentimes are most aboundantly repayed those thinges whiche were for his sake lost Sometimes also in the middest of tribulations and euen in the very crosse and death he geueth vnto them so much strength and consolation that in very déede it is more then an hundreth fold if it be compared with those thinges which they haue lost And because the misteries of our faith are secret and hidden God will haue them to be testefied not only by oracles of the scriptures but also by the tormentes and slaughters of the elect And therefore Christ sayd vnto the Apostles when he sent them into the whole world to preach Ye shal be witnesses vnto me in Iewry and in Samaria and vnto the endes of the earth But it is no hard matter by wordes to testefy the truth But those testemonies are most waighty which are sealed with bloud and with death Howbeit this is to be knowen as Augustine putteth vs in minde that the paynes and punishementes and death make not Those testimonies are most waighty which are sealed with blood Not the punishmeÌ„ts but the cause maketh Martyrs Three â—thinges required to martyrdome martyrs but the cause for otherwise many suffer many gréeuous thinges which yet are not martyrs For the same Augustine to Bonefacius of the correction of the Donatists and in many other places testefieth that there were in his tyme Circumcelliones a furious kind of men which if they could fynde none that would kill them oftentimes threw themselues downe hedlong and killed themselues These men sayth he are not to be counted for Martyrs Wherfore there séeme to be thrée thynges required to cause a man to be indéede a Martyre First that the doctrine which he defendeth be true and agréeable with the holy scriptures The second is that there be adioyned integrity and innocency of life that he not onely by his death but also by hys lyfe and manners do edefie the churche The thirde is that they seeke not to dye for boastinge sake or for desire of name fame Paul saith to the Corrinthyans If I deliuer my body to The Anabaptistes Libertines are not Martyrs be burnt and haue not charity it nothyng profiteth me Wherefore no man ought to count the Anabaptists Libertines and other like kinde of pestileÌ„ces for martyrs For these men in stubbernly defending their errors vnto the death are not moued with charity neither towards God nor meÌ„ And forasmuch as they are haters Two kinds of testimonies profitable but yet not firme of al theÌ„ that be good they ar the martirs rather of SathaÌ„ of their errors theÌ„ of Christ Two kinds of testemonies we haue which very much conduce vnto the knowledge of the truth but yet are not altogether so firme that we ought streight way to geue place vnto them Miracles and the tormentes which are suffered for the defence sake of any opinioÌ„ In either of them is to be had great warines that the doctrine which is set forth be examined by the holy scriptures Paul out What thinges are to be considered in this similitude of flesh of Dauid compareth the godly with shepe appoynted vnto the slaughter In thye similitude are two thinges to be considered First that they are called shepe for that they are simple as it is mete that the flocke of Christ should beâ— secondly for that in theyr punishmentes they make no resistance following the example of Christ of whome it is written That when be
was like a sheepe led to the death yet he opened not his mouth But in all these thinges vve are conquerors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is we are notably ouercome This particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place nothing pertayneth vnto workes of supererogation For Paul ment nothing ells but that so much strength are geuen vs of God that in this battayle we a greate way ouercome all our enemies The deuills practise is this by these aduersities to wrest from vs our confidence and loue towardes God But that is by this meanes rather encreased For tribulation worketh patience patience worketh experience experience hope â–ª And hope confoundeth not But by what strengths we attayne vnto this victorye Paul streight way declareth sayeng Thorough him vvhich loued vs. Before we loued him And he hath geuen vnto vs his spirite Thorugh whome we obteine this excellente victory otherwise of our selues we are farre vnequall for so greate a battayle It is God as Chrisostome wisely noteth whome we haue to our fellow souldier in this battail We haue God to our fellow souldiour in our torments and by that meanes obteyne we so notable a victory Nether doo we only ouercome troubles whatsoeuer they be but also those which persecute vs though they seme neuer so great and mighty which thing how it happened in the Apostles Luke playnly describeth in the Actes When Peter and Iohn had wrought a miracle so manifest that it could not be denied the high priestes and Scribes being ouercome with the greatenes of the thing knew not what counsell to take What sayd they shall we do with these men As if they should haue sayd Here are playnly ouercome all our practises here our power is able to doo nothing here the more we striue the more and the manifestlier are we ouercome The same thing happened vnto Iulianus the Apostata as it is written in the Ecclesiasticall history He had begon by al maner of meanes to torment and vexe the ChristiaÌ„s but his cruelty and outrageousnes was ouercome with theyr patience Which thinge one of his rulers perceauing priuilye admonished him to cease lest he should both nothing at all profit and also make himselfe a laughing stocke to al men Thys power of God bringeth to passe that by those selfe same thinges which are agaynst the victory we to the greate admiration of all men obteyne the notabler victory For who can beleue that he which is ouercome can ouercome That one slayne burnt torne in peces can in the battayle get the victory These things nature reason and the world vnderstand not wherefore they are to be ascribed vnto God only in whose haÌ„ds forasmuch as the euentes of things are set they depend not of certayne and appoynted instrumentes but of the purpose and counsell of God whereunto those thinges which seme to resist are most of all seruisable Some seme thus to vnderstand this place as though therefore we obteyne so notable a victory for that we are by the greatnes of the benefits of God pricked forward to suffer all things be they neuer so hard And the greatnes of of the giftes of God is by this meanes chiefely knowen if it be compared How the greatnes of benifites is best known with those thinges whiche agayne on the other side we repaye He which died for vs saith Ambrose gaue his life for euill seruauntes why should we then make it so great a matter when we being vnprofitable seruauntes suffer death for a good Lorde And moreouer his death was wonderfull profitable vnto vs all when as coÌ„trariwise our death nothing at all profiteth him And so after this interpretacioÌ„ we must not read That vve by him vvhich hath loued vs are more then conquerors but for him Which reding yâ— Latine translatioÌ„ followeth But in Greke is red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whiche preposition ioyned with a genetiue case doth not or very rarely signify For. Wherfore it is more apt to say by him or thorough him as we expounded it at the beginning And so doth Basilius to Amphilochia De spiritu sancto the 8. chap. rede it In which place he at large declareth what this preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth when it is attributed vnto Christ It maketh him not sayth he lesse then the father but maketh hym to be a mediator betwene vs and the father as by whome is deriued into vs from the father whatsoeuer giftes or graces we haue and by whome â–ª hath accesse vnto the father whosoeuer commeth vnto him For the electes and sayntes are taken of Christe and being now reconciled are offred vnto God the father And in the declaratioÌ„ of these thinges he alledgeth those wordes which we are nowe in hand with and interpretaâ—eth them so as we haue sayd For I am perswaded that nether death nor life Chrisostome thinketh yâ— Paul hitherto hath entereated of that loue wherwith God loueth vs but here turneth his speach to our loue and obeysance towardes God as though he would say that the loue of God is so kindled in the hartes of the godly that no creature Why Paul most constantly loued Christ can plucke him away from God And he rendreth a reason why Paul so cleued vnto Christ that be could not be pulled away froÌ„ him Bycause sayth he he loued Christ himselfe and not those giftes which Christ geueth So long as the foundation of amâ—ty abideth so long it also constantly endureth And therefore are those amities commended What manner of amities are to be commended which are gounded not vpon a vayne and mutable consideration but vpon a firme and sure consideration wherefore forasmuch as Paul sought Christ himself which alwayes abideth the same and immutable therefore his loue towards him abode firme and constant wherfore it had ben vnto him to fal away from Christe more griefe theÌ„ hell fire and on the other side to cleue fast vnto him more pleasaÌ„ter theÌ„ any kingdoÌ„e Howbeit I thinke this to be most true yâ— Paul stil coÌ„tinueth in yâ— which he had begon namely to coÌ„meÌ„d the singuler loue of God towardes vs that we might assuredly know yâ— all things though they be neuer so much against vs shall turne vnto vs to good seing we are so entirely loued of God But whether of these interpretacioÌ„s we follow I thinke it skilleth not much for either of them is both godly and also not vnaptly fitteth with the wordes and entent of Paul Howbeit I thought it good to declare what I thinke to be moste agreable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle that is I am fullye persuaded If thou séeke a reason thereof hee geeueth a reason demonstratiue whiche is For that God hath foreknowne vs and predestinate vs. And these are causes of the loue of God towardes vs. This declareth he by the effect for that the Reasons of causes and effectes that we are loued of God most louyng father hath geueÌ„ his sonne for our sakes and together
be counted an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a certaine demonstration The ende whereunto we are made farre passeth nature so that by our owne strengthes we can not attain vnto it Wherfore we haue néede of God to prepare vs to lead vs vnto it Wherfore we haue néede of God to prepare vs to lead vs vnto it Therfore Paul sayth to the Corrinthians The eye hath not seene nor the eare hathe heard neither hath it entred into the harte of man the thinges that God hath prepared for them that loue him Wherfore séeing that of necessitie we must by God be brought vnto the ende this cannot be done by chaunce or rashly but by the counsel of God and that from eternally determined and appoynted Now seing that there is no let but that we may come to the definition of predestination I thinke it best to beginne with that that Of the definitioÌ„ of predestination Quid nominis Destinare the Logicians call Quid nominis that is what the woord signifieth The Grecians call predestination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to determine and appoynt before for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is terminus that is a band or limite Wherfore the elect are seperated a sonder froÌ„ them that are not electe The latine men cal it Praedestinatio For destinare is nothing els then firmly to determine constaÌ„tly to appoynt any thing in the mind or by some firme decrée of the mind to direct Predestination is takeÌ„ two maner of wayes any thing to some one ende But predestination which we speake of may be taken two manner of wayes eyther as touching the bringing of it to the effecte as that Paul going to Damascus was conuerted to Christ and by that meanes seperated from the vnbeleuers or in as much as it is with God from eternally before men are borne Of this Paul speaketh writing to the Galathians that he was set a part to preach the Gospell from his mothers wombe long before he was conuerted And vnto the Ephesians also he sayth that we were predestinate before the foundations of the worlde were layde And to the Romanes of the twines he sayth Before they had done eyther good or euill Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated And we at this present speake of this eternall predestination of God Wherfore the other is nothing but a declaration of this Predestination therfore may be taken both commonly properly But forasmuch as God doth all thinges by an appoynted counsell and An other distinction of predestination nothing by chaunce or fortune vndoubtedly whatsoeuer he createth or doth he appoynteth it to some ende and vse After this manner neither the wicked nor the deuill himselfe nor sinnes can be excluded from predestination for all these things doth God vse according to his will Wherefore Paul in this place calleth wycked men appoynted to vtter damnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the vessels of God vpon whome he maketh open hys wrath And Salomon in hys Prouerbes sayth that God made all thinges for himselfe and the wicked man also to the euill day And of Pharao it is said Euen to this end haue I raysed thee vp to shew forth in thee my powre Yea if predestination be thus taken then shall it be common vnto all thinges Neither shall this word signifie any thinge els then the eternall ordinance of God touching his creatures vnto some certayne vse But the holy scriptures do not much vse this word but touching the elect only although in the 4. chapter of the Actes we rede They assembled together to do whatsoeuer thy hand and counsell had predestinated to be done which wordes yet if they be referred vnto the death of Christ and vnto the redemption of mankind passe not the bandes of the election vnto saluation But if they haue a respect vnto those also which assembled together against the Lord they comprehende also the reprobate But now let vs iudge by the Scriptures as they for the moste parte vse to speake Wherefore the Schoole deuines also affirme that the elect onely and not the reprobate are predestinate That sentence will we also at this present follow not vndoubtedly because of that reason which they bring for it is a reason very weake as we shall afterward declare in his place but because I see the scriptures so speake for the most part Wherefore in this treatise vnder the name of predestination we will comprehend the saintes only And for that cause I think Here shall be entreated only of the predestination of saintes What predestination signifieth Augustine entitled his booke de predestinatione sanctorum that is of the predestination of sainctes which signifieth the decree of God whereby the Sainctes are appointed to yâ— coÌ„munion of saluation And vnto predestination by Antithesis or contrary position is set reprobation Thus farre as touching the word Now before we come to the true and proper definition we must suppose certaine thinges of which the first pertayneth to the foreknowledge of God Which as Paul testifieth is ioyned together with predestination For whome he hath foreknowne saith he those hath he predestinate And although in God all thinges are one and the selfe same yet because of our capacity and vnderstanding those thinges that are attributed vnto him are by some maner of way to be distinguished Wherfore first this is to be known yâ— the knowledge of God The knowledge of god extendeth farther then his foreknowledge Gods will goeth before his foreknowledge extendeth farther then his foreknowledge For his knowledge reacheth not onely to things present past and to come but also to those thinges which shall neuer come to passe whether the same be possible or as they vse to speake vnpossible but his foreknowledge pertayneth but vnto those thinges which shall come to passe Wherefore foreknowledge requireth a will which goeth before for there is nothing which shall come to passe eâ—cept God will haue it so For otherwise he would let it Wherefore God foreknoweth those thinges that he will haue to come to passe Farther God doth not also predestinate all those The foreknowledge of God extendeth farther theÌ„ predestination Foreknowledge pertaineth vnto the vnderstanding â–ª predestination vnto the will In what things predestination agreeth with prouidence The differeÌ„ce of predestination prouidence whom he foreknoweth for he foreknoweth also the reprobate whom he knoweth 〈◊〉 be damned But euen as the foreknowledge of God hath ioyned with it his will â— yet notwithstanding pertaineth to the knowledge and vnderstanding of God so contrariwise predestinatioÌ„ although it can not be without foreknowledge yet it properly pertaineth vnto the will Which thing Paul declareth to the Ephe when he teacheth that we are predestinate according to purpose by the power whereof God worketh all thinges according to the decree of his will By these thinges we may after a sort see how predestination is
more excellency then the effect especially in that it is such a cause wherfore if workes be the causes of predestinatiō they are also more worthy of more excellency Our works cannot be of more worthines then predestination That which is constant certaine dependeth not of that which is vncertain vnconstant then predestination Moreouer predestinatiō is sure cōstāt infallible How thē shall we appoint y◠it depēdeth of y◠works of frée will which are vncertaine vncōstant may be bowed hither thither if a mā cōsider thē perticulaly For men are a like prone vnto this or y◠kinde of sinne as occasions are offred For otherwise if we will speake generally by reason of the sinne of the firste parentes frée will before regeneration can do nothing els but sinne Wherefore according to the sentence of these men it must néedes follow that the predestination of God which is certaine dependeth of the workes of men which are not onely vncertaine but also are sinnes Neither can they say that they mean of those works which follow regeneration For those as we haue taught spring of Grace and of predestination Neither do these men consider that they to satisfye humane reason We must not so defēd ou◠liberty that we spoile God of his libertie and to auoutch I know not what liberty in men spoyle God of his due power liberty in electing which power and liberty yet the Apostle setteth forth and saith that God hath no les right ouer men then hath the potter ouer the vessels whiche he maketh But after these mens sentence God can not elect but him only whom he knoweth shal behaue himselfe wel neither can he reiect any man but whom he séeth shal be euill But this is to go about to bring God into an order and to make him subiect vnto the lawes of our reason As for Erasmus he in vaine speaketh against this reason For he sayth that it is not absurde to take away from God that power which he himselfe will not haue attributed vnto him namelye to do any thing vniustly For we say that Paul hath in vaine yea rather falsly set foorth this We must geue vnto God that liberty whiche the scripture geueth vnto him liberty of God if he neither haue it nor will that it should be attributed vnto him But how Paul hath proued this libertye in God that place whiche we haue cited most manifestly declareth They also to no purpose obiect vnto vs the iustice of God for here is entreated onely of his mercy Neither can they deny but y◠they by this their sentence do rob God of a greate deale of his loue and good will towardes men For the holy scripture when it would commend vnto vs the fatherly loue of God affirmeth that he gaue his sonne and that vnto the death and that then when we were yet sinners enemies and children of wrath But these men will haue no man to be predestinated which hath not good woorkes foreséene in the minde of God And so euerye man may say with himselfe If I be predestinated the cause thereof dependeth of my selfe But an other which féeleth truely in his harte that he is fréely elected of Loue towards God is kindled of the true feling of predestination God for Christes sake when as he of himselfe was all maner of wayes vnworthy of so greate loue will without all doubt be wonderfullye inflamed to loue God againe It is also profitable vnto vs that our saluation shoulde not depende of our works For we oftentimes wauer and in liuing vprightly are not very constant Doubtles if we should put confidence in our owne workes we should vtterly dispayre But if we beleue that our saluation abideth in God fixed and assured for Christes sake we cannot but be of good comfort Farther if predestination shoulde come vnto vs by our woorkes foreséene the beginning of our saluation should be of our selues against which sentence the scriptures euery where cry out For that were to raise vp an idoll in our selues Moreouer the iustice of God shoulde then The consideration of the election of God ▪ and of the election of man is diuers haue néede of the externe rule of our workes But Christ sayth Ye haue not elected me but I haue elected you Neither is that consideration in God which is in men when they beginne to loue a man or to picke out a frende For men are moued by some excellente giftes wherewith they sée a man adorned But God can finde nothing good in vs which first proceedeth not from him And Ciprian saith as Augustine oftentimes citeth him that we therefore can not glory for that we haue nothinge that is our owne and therefore Augustine concludeth that we oughte not to parte stakes betwene God and vs to geue one parte to him and to kéepe an other vnto Vnto God is all whole to be ascribed our selues touching the obteinement of saluation for all whole is without doubte to be ascribed vnto him The Apostle when he writeth of predestination hath alwaies this ende before him to confirme our confidence and especially in afflictiōs out of which he saith that God will deliuer vs. But if the purpose of God shoulde be referred vnto our workes as vnto causes thereof then could we by no meanes conceaue any such confidence For we oftentimes fall and the righteousnes of our If predestinatiō shold depend of workes i◠woulde make vs not to hope but to dispayre workes is so sclender that it cannot stand before the iudgement seate of God And that the Apostle for this cause chiefly made mencion of predestination we maye vnderstand by the. 8. chapter of this Epistle For when he described the effectes of iustification amongst other things he saith that we by it haue obteined the adoption of sonnes and that we are moued by the spirit of God as the sonnes of God and therfore with a valiant minde we suffer aduersities and for that cause euery creature groneth and earnestly desireth to be at the length deliuered And the spirite it self also maketh intercession for vs. And at the last addeth That vnto them that loue God all thinges worke to good And who they be y◠loue God he straightway declareth Which are called saith he according to purpose These seketh Paul to make secure that they shoulde not thinke that they are hindred when they are excercised with aduersities for that they are foreknowne predestinated called and iustified And that he had a respect vnto this security those thinges declare whiche In which wordes of Paul the aduersaries a◠deceiued follow If God be on our side who shal be against vs Who shall accuse against the elect of God First by this methode is gathered that the aduersaries much erre supposinge that by this place they may inferre that predestination commeth of workes foreséene For Paul before that gradation wrote these wordes To them that loue God all
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
of humane righteousnes For we labour not to confirm Humane rightousnes vnstable and establish but onely those thinges which are weake and are not able to consiste of themselues But they which are godly do after the example of Paul to the Philippians count theyr workes especially such which they did before iustification for losse and donge so farre is it of that they séeke to establishe them or to cleaue vnto them as vnto sound and true righteousnes In this place also is to bee noted an excellent The godly stablish not their owne righteousne◠Those thinges are not to bee mingled together which Paule putteth contrary What is not to b◠subiect vnto the righteousnesse of God They whiche are subiecte vnto the righteousnes of GOD doo most of all glorify him antithesis or contrary position For here the Apostle counteth to be iustified by workes and to be subiect vnto the righteousnes of God as opposites or contraries which can in no wise stand together So y◠I wonder at those which in our time dare mingle these two together namely that we are iustified both by grace and also by our workes If these two might stand together thē should the reprehēsion of Paul be smal yea rather none at al who affirmeth y◠they which séeke to stablish their own righteousnes can not be subiect vnto the righteousnes of God And by this word subiectiō he vnderstandeth nothing els but not to be a receiuer or pertaker therof yea he speaketh most properly For they which are iustified by faith do verely make themselues subiect vnto God counting themselues as sinners and such as haue nede of his grace And hereby is geuen vnto him glory for although they seme to glorify God which confesse the truth and which for the truths sake put either their goods or life in danger yet herein chiefly consisteth his glory whē we attribute not vnto our selues any vertue or holynes but acknowledging ourselues most miserable do attribute vnto him only whatsoeuer goodnes or saluation we obtaine The commentaries which are ascribed vnto Ierome herein very well agrée They are not subiect say they vnto the righteousnes of God that is vnto the absolution from sinnes as though they were not sinners and had no néede of Christ And Chrisostome sayth that Paul not in déede manifestly but yet not obscurely noteth the most gréeuous punishement of these mens ignoraunce namely that through their own peruerse endeuor they were left naked of all righteousnes for they could not attayne vnto their owne righteousnes by works and fell away from that righteousnes which by the faith of Iesus Christ they mought haue had And doubtles the condition or state of such men is most miserable for forasmuch as they are not iustified by faith although they may after a sort apply The most miserable condition or estate of thē which trust to theyr owne righteousnes themselues vnto outward works yet notwithstanding when they sée that they litle profit they at the length cast away all endeuor to liue godly and religiously and in this life liue filthily and at the last in an other life are most miserably tormented For the ende of the lawe is Christ vnto righteousnes to euery one that beleueth For Moses thus describeth the righteousnesse which is of the lawe That the man which doth these thinges shal liue thereby But the righteousnes whiche is of faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thyne hart who shall ascende into heauen ▪ that is to bring Christ from aboue Or who shall descende into the deepe that is to bring Christ agayne from the dead But what saith it The worde is nere thee euen in thy mouth and in thyne hart This is the worde of fayth which we preach For the end of the law is Christ vnto righteousnes to euery one that beleueth Now he confirmeth the proposition which he tooke in hand namely that Why Christ is the ende of the law they which wil be iustified by works are not pertakers of the rightousnes of God for the end of the law is Christ vnto righteousnes This is a causall proposition for Christ is called the end of the law because y◠he bringeth the perfection and absolution or fulnes thereof The propertye also of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is end is to End signifieth two things be noted for it signifieth two things namely the extreme or vttermost part or limite of a thing and after this maner death is called the end of liuing creatures not doubtles that we should liue to dye for that which is the worse can not be the cause of that which is better It moreouer signifieth the perfection and absolution or fulnes of any thing whē it is brought to the vttermost of his action or motion Now although as touching the first signification Christ by his comming set an end to the law for he tooke away the ceremonies and curse therof yet in this place Paul meaneth not that Christ is in such maner the end of the law but hath a respect vnto the other signification of this word namely vnto perfection and absolution for that Christ hath made perfect and full that which the law could not And that this may the better be vnderstanded let vs consider the end and scope of The scope and ende of lawes lawes Lawes are made to make men good and iust for for no other cause do they set forth things right and honest but that they should be put in vre But amongst other lawes this law which God made chiefly requireth at mens hands righteousnes holines but this thing it can not attayne vnto not in dede thorough hys owne default but by reason of our corruption Howbeit that which it can do The law by it selfe can not attaine vnto hys ende it doth namely vrgeth vs it accuseth vs and it condemneth vs that at the least being ouerpressed with so great waight we should thinke of one to deliuer vs and by that meanes should be conuerted vnto Christ by whome we may both be absolued from sinnes and also may thorough his spirite and grace be able as much as y◠condition of this life wil suffer to be obedient vnto his law geuen vnto vs. Which two thinges Christ most liberally geueth vnto them that beleue in him and so is called the ende that is the consumation and perfection of the lawe This Paul in plaine words noted when he before sayde That which was impossible vnto the lawe in as much as it was made weake thorough the fleshe God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of the fleshe of sinne by sinne condemned sinne that the righteousnes of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs. Hereunto also had Ambrose a respect who thus interpreteth this place that Christ is called the end of the lawe for that God by him bringeth to passe those thinges which he had promised The law is our scholemaister to Christ A scholemaster
oftentimes we are ignorant what it is that we aske and then God which knoweth what thinges are profitable for vs although perticularly he seeme not to graunt vnto our requestes yet most of all he heareth our prayers when he geueth saluation and therefore is he neuer in vaine called vpon of his faithfull These things being thus set forth and confirmed Paul setteth the Churches in quiet dâ—claring that neither the Gentiles ought to despise the Iewes nor the Iewes also ought not to enuy the Gentiles when as faith and inuocation may be common to ech people For the Prophetes also testifie that wheresoeuer shal be sounde faith and inuocation there also shal be saluation and an assured obtainment of righteousnes For as touching the lacke thereof the Iewes and the Gentiles were both equall as it is said in the 3. chapiter of this epistle For all haue sinned and haue nede of the glory of God Neither herein is there any difference betwene Iewe or Grecian Moreouer neither people hath of himselfe faith whereby to be iustified Wherefore as touching these things the lot both of the Iewes of the Gentiles is a like And therfore it was mete yâ— as the Gospel was preached vnto the Iewes so also it should be preached vnto other people the Iewes wer vnwisemen for this thing to be angry with the Apostles We are also taught forasmuch as faith may be geuen of God vnto whomsoeuer he will neither is We must despaire of no man Note his predestinatioÌ„ knoweÌ„ to despayre of no maÌ„ but by teaching admonishing preaching to endeuor our selues to draw all men vnto Christ The Lord commauÌ„ded the Apostles to go into the whole world to preach to al nations neither excepted he any Therefore Paul earnestly laboured to be made all to all yâ— he might winne all or at the least some vnto Christ None when he falleth into any sinne or in any thing disagreeth from vs is straighway to be reiected he may yet beleue and call vpon God and thereby obtaine righteousnes and saluation Neither ought we hereof to be ignorant that the wordes of the Apostle which we haue hitherto entreated of in this 10. chapiter so proue certainty of saluation that vndoubtedly they can not be denied nor auoyded First he sayd Hereby is certayntye of saluation proued Say not in thine hart who shall ascend into heauen By which wordes he suffreth vs not to doubt that Christ being in heauen pacifieth the father and maketh him meroifull towardes vs and that by his death he hath ouercome eternall destruction sinne the deuill and hell fire so that they can not preuaile against vs if we hope in him Moreouer that we should not doubt he added He which beleueth in him shall not be made ashamed Agayne Whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued This suffreth vs not to doubt of saluation whatsoeuer our aduersaries obiect vnto vs. But how shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleued and how shall they beleue in him of whome they haue not heard and howe shall they heare without a preacher And howe shall they preach except they be sent as it is written How bentifull are the feate of them which bring glad tidinges of peace and which bring glad tidinges of good thinges But how shall they call vpon him in whome they haue not beleued That thou shouldest not thinke that by the worke of inuocation thou shalt haue saluation the Apostle straight waye declareth vnto thee the roote whereby thou art made safe namely faith None inuocateth but he which beleueth wherefore the fruit of inuocation commeth vnto vs through faith Paul in this place The fruite of inuocation coÌ„meth vnto vs by faith maketh a certaine kinde of gradation wherein he knitteth the causes together with their effectes We must beginne at saluation which is put for the last effect saluation commeth of inuocation inuocation is by faith faith commeth of hearing and hearing is by preachers and they come by the sending of God Wherefore it followeth that if the Gentiles ought to haue saluation as well as the Iewes then God should send preachers vnto them also Wherefore the Apostles are not to be blamed in that they preached vnto the Gentiles seing that God sent them This kind of argument is called Sorites of heaping vp together for the causes are gathered of the effectes and of the first is inferred the â—â—st or of the last is concluded the first How shall they call vpon him in whome they haue not beleued No man imploreth the helpe of God vnles he be perswaded with himselfe that God is at hand and redy to helpe him And here againe thou hast an argumeÌ„t to confirme The certainty of saluation confirmeâ— â–ª the certainty of saluation How shall they beleue in him of whome they haue not heard We must first heare the thinges that are to be beleued for that whiche is beleued is the word of God which is receaued by hearing It is not lawfull that we should of our owne hed deuise things to be beleued of vs we muste beleue God in suche force as he hath reuealed hym selfe vnto vs. The ministers of the church are adorned with an excellent title But how shall they heare without a preacher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold with how excellent a title the ministers of the Church are adorned they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the ambassadors of God This is theyr chiefest worke to publishe abrode the wordes of God But they haue vtterly lost this dignity which are of this minde that the highest and singulariest honor is to consecrate as they vse Vnles they preach the Gospel they are not the Ambassadours of God to speake the sacrament or to transubstantiate bread and wyne They are not so described in the holye scriptures but that they shoulde preache and doo the office of ambassadors How shall they preach vnles they be sent For an ambassader can signifie nothing of the will of his prince but so much as his prince shall before shew vnto him Paul was not ignoraunt but that it is possible that God can by him selfe worke without an outward minister he knew very well that he which planteth and which watreth is nothing but it is god only which geueth the encrease God can without outward preaching bring to saluation But he here speketh of the ordinary way which God vseth in the Church For he ordeyneth the ministery and vseth the voyce and words of the preachers to kindle fayth by the holy ghost in the hartes of the hearers Wherefore we ought to geue thankes vnto God for so singular a gift But manye contemne and loth the ministers of the Church and would as I suppose be instructed by Angells are ignoraunt that Christ would by his humanity minister vnto vs saluation God delighteth in the loue and knitting together of the members in the Church that we should hang
the corne which groweth in theyr fieldes true corne Augustine confuteth them and sheweth that this is no apt similitude for the bodies of infidels forasmuch as they are made of God are true bodies their corne also for y◠it is his worke is true corne but theyr chastitie forasmuch as it procedeth out of their corrupt vitiate wil can by no meanes be counted true chastitie And he addeth that vniuersal sentence wherof we haue much spoken before Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The same Augustine vpon the 30. Psalme expounding these wordes Deliuer me in thy righteousnes who is he saith he which is saued freely Euen he in whome our Sauiour findeth not any thing worthy to be crowned but findeth much worthy to be condemned in whome he findeth not merites of good thinges but merites of punishments Hereby we sée what is the nature of humane workes before iustification The same father in his first booke 30. question to Simplicianus saith that we are commaunded to lyue vprightly and that by a reward set before vs namely that we may merite to liue blessedly for euer But who saith he can liue vprightly and worke well vnles he be iustified by faith Here we are taught that there mought be in men a merite and deseruing of happy and eternall life if they could accomplishe that which is commaunded But forasmuch as that is impossible for vs to do therefore we fall away from merite The same Augustine in his Enchiridion ad Laurentium the 121. chap. The end saith he of the commaundement i◠of charity out of a pure hart a good conscience and an vnfayned fayth The ende of euery precept is charity and is referred vnto charity And whatsoeuer is done without such charity is not done as it ought to be done Wherefore if it be not done as it ought to be done it can not be denyed but that it is sinne Chrisostome expounding these wordes of Paul The ende of the law is Christ If the Chrisostom ende of the lawe saith he be Christ it followeth that he which hath not Christ though he seeme to haue the righteousnes of the lawe yet hath he it not in very deede By these wordes we gather that he which is without Christ may indéede haue workes which may séeme good which yet in very dede can not be iust And straight way he saith Whosoeuer hath fayth the same also hath the end of the law and whosoeuer is with out fayth is farre from either of them Hereby we gather that they which haue not faith are straungers not only from Christ but also from the righteousnes of the lawe which herein consisteth to do that which is commaunded And straight way For what desireth the lawe To make a man iust but it can not For no man hath fulfilled it But because a man might obiecte although a man not regenerate can not fulfill the lawe yet if he take paynes therein and go about and trauaile he may attaine vnto righteousnes this thing also Chrisostome excludeth And a litle before when he expounded these wordes Being ignoraunt of the righteousnes of God and willing to establishe their owne righteousnes they became not subiect vnto the righteousnes of God This sayth he he calleth the righteousnes of God which is of fayth because it is altogether of the heauenly grace wherein we are iustified not by our labours but by the gift of God This selfe same thing also writeth Ambrose whē he expoundeth these words Ambrose of Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered He calleth saith he them blessed of whome God hath decreed that without labour or any obseruation they shal be iustified by fayth only And vpon those words of Paul Being iustified freely by his grace They are iustified freely sayth he because by the gift of God they are iustified by faith only they themselues working nothyng nor making any recompence The same Ambrose vpon these words of Paul Wherefore death hath raigned vpon them which haue not sinned after the similitude of the transgression of Adam He wrote this saith he because it is impossible for a man not to sinne Which thing seing he peraduēture spake of men regenerate what is to be thought of mā that are straungers from Christ Cyprian also ad Quirinum We ought saith he to boast in nothing because we Cyprian haue nothing of our owne I suppose it sufficiently now appeareth that that is true which we affirmed namely that men before iustification can not frame their workes according to the prescript of the law and therfore are they sinnes neither can they merite iustification But if our aduersaries will obiect and say that they affirme not that those works which they call preparatory do merite iustification but only are certayne preparations by which men are made more apt to attayne vnto iustification we may thus aunswere them If they merite not why fayne ye vnto them that your merite of congruity Farther why call ye them good whē as as we haue taught they neither please God nor are done according to y◠prescript of the lawe Lastly forasmuch as they want their end and not only are but also by good right are called sinnes how teach ye that men by them are prepared vnto righteousnes when as they should much rather by them be prepared vnto punishmentes Wherfore let them once at the length ceasse to adorne them wyth these goodly titles For though peraduēture God somtimes by these workes bringeth men to saluation he doth it because of his mercy towardes men which is so great that he will vse workes whiche are of themselues euill and sinnes to their good Now let vs sée if iustification be not geuen vnto works how it is then geuen fréely and it wholy dependeth of the mere grace of God For no manner of way it dependeth of merites Which thing Origen saw for he vpon this Epistle expounding these wordes of Paul Vnto him which worketh the reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt But I saith he when I desire excellency of speach whereas he sayth that vnto him that worketh is rendred a debt can scarsely perswade my selfe that there can be any worke which can of duety requyre a recompence of God forasmuch as euen thys that we can do or thinke or speake any thing we do it by hys gift and liberality What debt then shall he owe vnto vs whose grace preuenteth vs A little afterward he rendreth a reason of hys saying which reason Augustine oftentimes vsed For he bringeth that place of Paul The stipend of sinne is death But the grace of God is eternall life For here the Apostle added not But the stipend of righteousnes is eternall life which yet the nature of the Antithesis required For Pauls meaning was to declare that our wicked workes of duty deserued death and that euerlasting death but eternall life is not geuen but only by grace wherefore in
after the seuenth day there commeth vnto the infant newly borne so much strength that he is able easely to abyde the payne of circumcision But let vs leaue vnto them these The eyght day betokeneth the resurrection of Christ fayned toyes and let vs rather thus thinke that in the eight day was betokened the resurrection of Christ and therewith all ours which thing may easely be perceaued by Paule for he sayth that in circumcision was signified the cutting of of the sinnes of the flesh But the sinnes of the flesh can neuer be perfectly cut of from vs vntill we are come to the holy resurrection All the whole tyme of this world and the tyme of this whole life representeth a weeke of dayes But the eight day signifieth the resurrection There is moreouer an other reason The tyme of thys life is a weeke not worthy to be contemned namely that a childe being so newely borne is able to do nothing of hymselfe as touching the attaynement of righteousnes Wherfore hereby we be admonished y◠iustification cōmeth not of our workes And although it were so in the rite of Circumcisiō yet are not we in Baptisme bound to any certayn nomber of dayes For Christ hath made vs fre from this In baptisme we are not compelled to an◠certayne nomber of dayes Circumcisiō mought in the primitiue church be retayned for a time kinde of obseruation Howbeit there haue bene some which haue gone aboute in Baptisme also to compell Christians vnto the eyght day But those the Counsell held by Cypriam hath condemned In the primitiue Church Circumcision was for a tyme obserued Augustine also vpon the epistle vnto the Galathians saith that not euery circumcision after Christ was condemned but only that circumcision wherin was put hope of saluation but that circumcisiō which was receaued for this cause only to retaine peace in the Church and the more to aduaunce the preaching of the Gospel mought well be borne with all For this cause Paul suffred Timothe to be circumcised But if it be required to be done as necessary vnto saluation it is by no meanes to be permitted And therfore Paule ernestly resisted and would not suffer Titus to be circumcised as it is written in the epistle to the Galathians They say that euē now very many Churches Many churches of the christians retaine still circumcisiō in the East or in the South retayn still to this day Circumcision together with Baptisme How rightly they do it let them see vnto that Doubtles it is most likely that forasmuch as they haue retayned it so long and that so stifly they put some hope of theyr saluation in it Wherefore they should do much better if they would vtterly omitte it But it shal be good in the meane time to declare Why circumcision bound men to obserue the law how Paul to y◠Galathians sayth that he which is circumcised is debter to obserue the whole law For when Abraham receaued Circumcision the law was not yet geuen Wherefore it semeth that Circumcision had not that of his owne force and nature to binde men to obserue the law But we ought to remember that that whiche the Apostle sayth proceedeth out of an other principle namelye that Circumcision represented Christ as which should come and geue himselfe vpon the crosse and the law should so long be of force vntil Christ came Wherfore seing by Circumcision they testified that he was not as yet come it must nedes follow that they were kept still vnder the law when as the law could only by the comming of Christ be abrogated And with how greate an obseruation God would haue that sacrament to be kept hereby it is manifest for that in the booke of Genesis the 17. chapter he testefieth That the soule which is not circumcised the 8. day should be cut of from his people Ambrose in his booke of Abraham the Patriarch semeth to wonder at this so greate seuerity For God sayth he appoynted How it is sayd that the soule of the vncircumcised should be cut of cities of refuge that if any had by chance or vnwares killed a mā he mought haue a place whether to go that the frendes and kinsfolke of the party slayne should not kill hym so that he had not of set purpose and willingly but by chaunce and vnawares committed the murther Wherfore seing infants did not by their owne will refuse circumcision what reason was there they should bee cut of He answereth that therefore peraduenture God would haue the children depriued of theyr corporall life that in them the parentes might be punished for theyr impiety But he sayth that there were other which were of the opinion that this sentence pertayned not vnto the infants but vnto those in whose power they were as if it had bene sayd that they should be cut of But the very words of the scripture are agaynst this sentence wherefore he turneth himselfe to an allegoricall exposition as though that threatning should pertayn to those which circūcise not the mind which is the strongest most excellentest portion of the soule But suche allegories satisfie not this question Wherfore I thinke that two thinges are necessary to the absoluinge of this doubte The firste is that that threatning pertayned vnto him when he came to full age if he should then allow the negligence of his parents not receaue Circumcision vnto which he was by the law bound The second is that God is not to be accused of iniustice if somtimes he killed the infant being so brought vp vncircumcised For such seuerity mought be of force to admonish mē in how il part God taketh it to haue his sacramentes contemned And if paraduenture thou demaund what is to be What is to be iudged of children that perished without circumcision iudged of the soule of a child so killed hauing not as yet receaued the sacramēt I answer that we ether as touching his saluation or condemnatiō can affirm nothing on neither side For if he pertayned to the number of the elect so that he was predestinate to eternall life there is no cause but that he may be saued forasmuch as grace is not bound vnto the sacraments But if he were a vessell to that end made of God to shew forth in him his wrath and so to be condemned what can we complayne of the seuerity of God especially seing we are all borne the children of wrath and of condemnatiō Howbeit in my iudgmēt we ought to hope well of him for that forasmuch as the promise was geuen vnto the sede of Abraham and he being an infant hath not by any actuall sinne of his owne withdrawen himselfe from the promise it is most likely that he is admitted vnto the kingdome of God Neither oughte we to thincke that he was slayne of God to eternall condemnation but rather to saluation that he shoulde not by mallice change his hart and that by hys death he mought testifye
vnto hys parents vnto his elders vnto others how greuously they sinned in neglectyng hys circumcision and might profite the whole Churche being a manifest token of the wrath of God against the contemners of the sacramentes Farther it is Before circumcision were some signes of the sacramentes Whether the sword wherewith they circumcised were made of stone Circumcion spread abroade to outward nations not hard to beleue that godly men which liued before Circumcision was instituted had other certayne notes wherby theyr righteousnes which was had by fayth was sealed For we read that they both offred fyrst fruites and also sacrificed But by what signe they signifyed theyr fyrst regeneration the holy scriptures mencioÌ„ not And the Hebrues in Circumcising their children vsed a knife made of stone which thing yet God commaunded not But they were moued so to do by the example of Zippora the wife of Moses whiche vsed suche a knife in circumcising of her sonne when he was in danger to haue bene slayne of the angell And although this sacrament was diligeÌ„tly obserued and kept amongst the Iewes yet it spred abrode also to forren nations For if we may geue credite to Ambrose in his 2. booke of Abraham the patriarch the Egiptians Arabians and Phenicians were circumcised And he thinketh that they for this cause did it for that they thoughte that by suche firste fruytes of their bloude are driuen The deuill as much as lieth in him vitiateth the sacraments of God A foolish manner of the Iewes in circumcâ—sing of their children The Egiptians circumcise their children in the 14. yeare awaye diuels to the ende that they shoulde not hurte hym which is circumcised So the deuill hath alwayes gone aboute to vitiate the sacramentes of God For it was supersticion to ascribe the power of saluation or of the deliuery from Sathan vnto the nature of bloud shed forth And at this day the Iewes seme not to be farre from this kinde of foolishenes For whilest they circumcise the infante there standeth one by with a little vessell full eyther of earth or of duste where into they thruste the foreskinne beyng cut of as though the Deuil seemed by that meanes to haue his meat For the Lord said vnto the serpent euen straight way at the beginnyng Vppon thy breast shalt thou creepe and earth shalte thou eate They séeme to thinke that the deuill hauing thus gotten his meate departeth from the child and wyll not afterward trouble him any more Amongst the Ethnickes also as the same Ambrose affirmeth was circumcision corruptly obserued after an other maner for the Egiptians circumcised not in the eight daye as God had commaunded but in the. 14. yeare for that Ismael at that age receiued circumcision Which maner also it is most likely the Arabians followed For at this day the Turkes also are circumcised at that age Although the Egiptians as the same Ambrose affirmeth were wont also to circumcise theyr women The Egiptians circuÌ„cise women kynde and that in the. 14. yeare as they did their males And of this thinge they gaue this reasoÌ„ that they would by this signe signifie that lust is to be restrained which in eyther kinde at that age beginneth chiefly to be kyndled But God commaunded that onely the male kindes should be circumcised and yet were not the women of the Hebrewes therefore counted either straungers froÌ„ the Church The womeÌ„ of the Hebrewes though they were not circumcised perished not An obiection against circumcisi â–ª or from the couenaÌ„t For they are alwaies numbred together with the men they that were vnmaried with their Father and the maryed with their husbandes There haue bene some which haue by deceitfull arguments spoken yll of circumcision and after a sorte reproued the God of the olde Testament For first they sayd that the foreskinne that was cut of is eyther according to the nature of the of the body or els it is against the nature thereof If it be according to nature why would God haue it cut of If it be agaynst nature why doth God suffer it to be brought forth Ambrose in his 77. epistle to Constantius answereth That that foreskinne is according to the nature of our body but it is not absurd that those thinges which are agreable with our body or our flesh be cut of if the spirite may thereby be holpen Which thing we see done in fastings and other mortifications of the fleshe and in bearing the crosse which God hath layd vpon all the faithfull In whych we are compelled to suffer many thinges which are against the fleshe Farther they said that God feared away the other nations from the law of Moses when An other obiection he layd vpon them this yoke of Circumcision Which if it had bene away many straungers and outward nations would haue come vnto the religion of the Hebrewes But after the selfe same maner also they mought cauell against Christ him selfe for that he seemed to feare away the world from his religion partly by reason of the seuerity of his doctrine and partly by reason of the persecutions and martirdome which in the first time the most part of the faithfull were lyke to suffer But they which truely pertaine vnto the number of the elect doo in no wyse leape backe because of the difficultie of the calling But they which go backwarde were not of vs and therefore they are fallen away They maruayle also why God would in so tender age haue such a ceremonie excercised which mought oftentimes bring weake litle bodies into danger As touching age saith Ambrose Euery age meete for the sacrament Few children died by occasion of circumcision as euery age is subiect vnto sinne so also is it mete for the sacrament And that Infants are subiect vnto sinne theyr diseases weepings paines and deathes aboundantly declare And if peraduenture they were brought in daunger of their lyfe yet was there no cause why they should complaine for as much as they ought the same all whole vnto God And yet as they write very few haue by that occasion died And that payne and daunger brought some vtilitie For euen as valiant soldiours when they remeÌ„ber that they haue before suffered many thinges for that they would not flee away are the more animated to stand by it least they should dishonor those skarres and woundes which they before suffered rather then they would forsake theyr place and standing So would God that Why God would haue the children afflicted with such a wound and with paine the hebrues being now of full age and at mans state should defend the profession of theyr law euen agaynst all dangers when they called to remembraunce that for religions sake they had bene wounded euer from theyr infamy But now he sayth CircumcisioÌ„ is worthely refused of Christians for that forasmuch as Christ hath shed his bloud the price of our redemption there is now no neede that euery particular man should priuatelye shed
tonges And yet notwithstanding Paul speaketh truth that if they had tonges and I should speake with them yet that shold nothing profite me without charitie And this exposition Basilius confirmeth in an Epistle aâ— Neocaesarienses For hâ— saith that the Apostle minded in this place to commend charitie and he saith that he vseth those reasons not that al those things which he here maketh mention of can be seperated from charitie Wherfore of the former interpretation we haue Chrysostome for an author and the latter interpretation Basilius confirmeth Let Pighius goe now and of this saying of the Apostle conclude if he can that which he so much contendeth for But as touching those words of Mathew Lord haue we not in thy name prophesied and in thy name cast out Deuils c. which things Pighius denieth can be done without faith and yet they which haue done them are not iustified when as they are excluded from the kingdome of heauen we may answere with the selfe same solution which we haue now brought namely yâ— they whoÌ„ Mathew maketh meÌ„tion of had the faith of signes or a deade faith but not a true and iustifying faith moreouer I sée not how true this is that miracles can not be done without faith For God sometimes worketh miracles not for his faiths sake by whoÌ„ they are Miracles are not always done for fayth sake done but either to illustrate his glory or to beare testimony vnto true Doctrine Vndoubtedly Moses and Aaron when they strake water out of the rocke of strife wauered in faith And yet God to the ende he would stand to his promesse with a great miracle gaue water vnto the people and reproued Moses and Aaron of infidelitie And Naaman the Syrian doubted of recouering his health in the waters of Iordane yea also he would haue gone his way for that he sayd that the riuers of his countrey were muche better then Iordane And yet notwithstanding God left not his miracle vndone And when the dead body was cast into the sepulchrâ— of Elizeus by a great miracle it came to passe that at yâ— touching of the dead bones of the Prophet life was restored vnto it But there was no faith there neither in the dead corps nor in the bones of the Prophet nor in them which brought the dead man thither And yet not alwayes when faith is absent is graunted vnto theÌ„ that aske to doe miracles For in the Actes we read that when the sonnes of the high priest Skeua the exorcist would haue cast out Deuils in the name of Christe whome Paule preached the Deuill answeared Iesus I know and Paule I knowe but who are ye And straight way ran vpon them Here we sée that God woulde not geue a miracle when it was asked as it is most likely of wicked and vnbeleuyng men Howbeit contrariwise we haue in Marke the 9. chap. that a certayne man did cast out Deuils in the name of Christ who yet followed not Christ and when Iohn would haue reproued him Christ alowed him not By this Pighius myght haue séene that to the working of miracles is not alwayes required â—aith And yet if I should graunt him that faith is of necessitie required thereunto were sufficient either the faith of signes or also a dead faith Wherfore Pighius in his second confirmation proueth nothing for it hath nothing in it that is sincere Now let vs examine his thirde proue Iohn saith many of the princes beleued in him But they confessed him not for feare they should haue bene cast out of the sinagâ—ge Wherfore they were not iustified by faith This reason is but a watrish reason not so stroÌ„g as he thinketh it to be For we deny yâ— they had the true faith truly For yâ— asseÌ„t of theirs was nothing but an humane asseÌ„t For wheÌ„ they saw yâ— by Christ wer wrought woÌ„derful works that his doctrine was confirmed by most euident signs they began by a certayne humane perswasion to geue credit vnto hym The There is a certaine saith which is humane and is not in 〈…〉 led of God deuil also for yâ— he certainly knoweth of many things done by God asseÌ„teth vnto yâ— truth and beleueth it And yet it is not to be thought that he is by a true fayth induced to beleue And that these rulers had not the true and liuely fayth hereby it is manifest for that Christ sayde vnto them How can ye beleue when as ye seke for glory at mans hand By which words we vnderstand that that they which more esteme humane glory then piety can not beleue truly in God And those Princes were to be numbred amongst them for they so much did set by their estimations and the iudgement of men that rather then they would be cast out of the Sinagoge and be noted of any infamy with the people they would forsake the confession of the name of Christ Wherefore when as the Lord saith that such could not beleue and Iohn affirmeth that they did beleue it is manifest that they spake of a Two places conciliated which seme at the first sight to be repugnaunt diuers and sundry fayth vnles we will say that two contradictories may both at one and the selfe same tyme be true Wherefore Iohn spake of an humane fayth but Christ of the sincere and true fayth Which true fayth ought to be ioyned with confession as Paul declareth saying with the hart we beleue vnto righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made vnto saluation He which séeth the connexion bebetwene righteousnes and saluation must nedes also sée the coniunction which ought to be betwene fayth and profession Wherefore we say that their faith was a dead fayth But a dead fayth is not fayth no more then a dead man is a man Although A dead faith is not faith D. Smith one Smith in a certayne litle booke of his Iustification which he wrote agaynst me contendeth that a dead fayth is fayth which he proueth chiefly by this argument for that the body of a dead man although it be dead is notwithstanding a body And this good wise man wonderfully delighted in this his similitude In which yet he hath vttered a sophistical argument not vnméete for his diligeÌ„ce and wit For let vs a litle examyne this notable similitude I would haue him to answer me whether a carkase be the body of a dead man or simply the body of a maÌ„ I thinke he will not answer that it is the body of a man for the body of a man a dead carkase differ much the one from the other and that in very déede more theÌ„ two formes of one and the selfe same general word for that they are contayned vnder diuerse generall wordes being next together I graunt that the carkase of a dead man is a body in the generall word of substaunce as are stones stockes and Whether a karkase be the body of a man such other like But that
it is in very déede the body of a man I vtterly deny For death taketh away from the body of a man the proper forme which he had before but it leaueth the generall word so that it can only be called a body So true and iustifying fayth when it is lost ceasseth to be the true and proper fayth it may indéede as touching the generall word be called a certayne cold assent sprong of humane perswasion and not such as commeth of the holy ghost and which hath the selfe same strength and efficacy that it had before Wherefore if on either side be kept the selfe same proportion of the similitude this wonderfull strong buttresse shal make nothing against vs. For as we confesse that a dead body is a body so also do we graunt that a dead fayth is fayth so that by fayth we vnderstand the generall word of fayth and not that liuely and true fayth whereby we are iustified It is paralogismus aequiuocationis that is a false argument comming of diuers significations of a word He addeth moreouer that fayth can not iustify because of his owne nature it True fayth is not a dead fayth is a thing dead and receaueth life of an other thing namely of charity and of good workes These obiections are vayne and triflyng For none that is in hys right wit will graunt that true fayth is a dead thing For the iust man is sayde to liue by his faith And if out of fayth we draw life how can it then vnto any man seme dead But that it taketh life of an other thing we deny not for it hath it partly Frō whēce faith hath life of those things which it beleueth namely of Christ and of the promises of God and partly of the holy ghost by whose breathing it is inspired In this sort we will graunt that it hath life of an other thing but not in that sort that this man wyll namely that it hath it either of charity or of good workes For what man that is well in his wits will euer say that either the stocke of a trée or the branches or A similitude the fruites or the flowers geue life vnto the rootes And fayth is before either hope or charity Therefore of them it receaueth not life for in very déede fayth can not be the matter of these vertues And euen as that faculty or power which they call vegetatiue geueth life vnto the body and receaueth not life of the faculty or powere sensitiue or rational which foloweth so faith geueth life vnto the soule but How fayth is encreased by good workes taketh not that life either of charity or of good works Howbeit I graunt that that life of fayth is made so much the greater ampler as it hath mo better works and more feruenter charity bursting forth out of it and not that it is increased of many and often repeticion of actions as it is sayd of vertues which they cal moral but because God of his grace and mercy multiplieth the talent for that it was not idle and because God by his power bringeth to passe that fayth when it worketh through loue is stronger then it selfe when it is remisse in working But omitting these things let vs returne agayne to Pighius He as much as lieth in hym contendeth that a man can not be iustified by that fayth whiche is in Christ and in the remission of sinnes For that fayth sayth he whereby Abraham was iustified was not applyed vnto these thinges For God promised vnto hym onely a plentifull séede and possession of a countrey And straight way it is added that Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnes In this argument Pighius triumpheth and is violent agaynst the truth and vtterly derideth our sentence But this is nothing ells then to deride Paul himselfe For he by most expresse wordes affirmeth that we are iustified by fayth in Christ and by the remission of sinnes Neyther is there any thing ells in Pighius then a mere madnes and a wicked desire to contēd But let Paul come forth and answere for him selfe what he thought is to be vnderstand by the séede promised vnto Abraham Vndoubtedly in his epistle vnto the Galathiās the third chapiter he calleth that séede Christ Vnto Abraham sayth he were made the promises and vnto his seede He sayth not and vnto the seedes as speaking of many but as is were of one and in thy seede whiche is Christ. And this testament I say was confirmed by God towards Christ Let Pighius now yet beleue Paul that in that seede which was promised vnto Abraham was Christ comprehended and declared neither let him euer from hence forth with such malepertnes and desire of victory take vppon him to say that y◠fayth wherby Abraham was iustified was not fayth in Christe But as touching the remission of sinnes forasmuch as vnto vs is promised the blessing we ought to remember that the chiefe and principall poynt therof herein consisteth that we should be receaued of God into fauour and that our sins should be forgeuen vs. But Pighius goeth on manifestly to oppunge y◠doctrine of the apostle touching y◠iustification of Abraham For he sayth y◠before Abraham was circumcised had a testimony of the scripture that his fayth was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes he beleued God as it is manifest by the 12. chapiter of Genesis Wherfore sayth he according to this your sentēce he was then iustified neither was his righteousnes differred vntill that history which is had in the 15. chapter It is wonderfull to sée how much he attributeth vnto these his arguments as though by them were takē away from vs al possibility to answer what I besech you letted but that Abraham At what tyme Abraham was iustified mought be iustified at that first time when God spake vnto him first to go out of his countrey and from his kindred For euen in the selfe place at the beginning of the 12. chapiter are had the selfe same promises which are had in the 15. chapter For thus God promised him I will make of thee a great naciō and will blesse thee and will make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I wil also blesse those that blesse thee wil curse those that curse thee and in the shall all thee families of the earth be blessed Vndoubtedly in these words is conteyned the promise of Christ and the remission of sinnes And therfore there shal be no absurdity if we say that Abrahā by beleuing of those wordes also was iustified But bycause the scripture in that chapiter did not playnly set forth this therfore Paul with great wisdome hath cited those wordes which are had in the 15. chapter where it is expressedly written that fayth was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes which sentence was most necessary to confirme the sentence of the Apostle namely that a man is iustified by Why God