the vncircumcision For we say that fayth was imputed vnto Abraham vnto righteousnes How was it then imputed when he was Circumcised or vncircumcised not when he was circumcised but wheÌ„ he was vncircumcised Afterward he receiued the signe of circumcision the seale of the righteousnes of fayth which he had when he was vncircumcised that he should be the father of all them that beleue not beyng circumcised that righteousnes mighte be imputed vnto them also And the father of circumcision not vnto them onely which are of the circumcision but to them also that walke in the steppes of the fayth of our father Abraham which he had when he was vncircumcised Came this blessednes then vpon the Circumcision or vpon the vncircumcision The Latine interpretation hath this worde Manet that is abideth added to this sentence which is not in the Greke bookes Neither doth yâ— verbe which the Latines haue much agrée with the phrase which is by the accusatiue case and by the Greke preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rather as Theophilactus admonisheth we must vnderstand this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth lighteth it or beloÌ„geth it or some such lyke thinge Neither do I disalow the coniecture of Erasmus who thinketh that insteade of this verbe Manet was first written Manat whiche signifieth to come or to spread abrode And thus muche as touching the woordes But this is the meanyng A man might thinke that although Dauid made no mention of workes when he set forth the blessednes of those whose sinnes are forgeuen yet because he himselfe was both circumcised also vsed sacrifices he thoughte that this forgeuenes of sinnes is obteined by these things although he expressed them not And for that cause Paul taketh againe the example of Abraham which he at the first vsed And so returneth Why Paul returneth againe to Abraham to the ground and beginning of circumcision and considereth the very time wherin Abraham receiued it and proueth that long time before he was circumcised he was both iustified and also pronounced the father of many nations that is of all them which beleue Wherof it followeth that we without ceremonies and other workes shall by faith be counted iust and be admitted into the people of God and placed among the meÌ„bers of Christ This argument may thus be made more The forme of the Argument The order of the causes and the effectes in the iustificaâ—ion of Abraham Of what greate waight is the diligent marking of the scriptures Circumcision was had in greate estimation euident That which yet was not coulde not bring righteousnes vnto Abraham But when Abraham was pronounced iustified circumcision was not yet Wherefore it could not iustifie Abraham Let vs in this maner set the order betwene the causes and the effectes First God did set forth vnto Abraham his promises Secondly followed faith And thirdly iustification Lastly came obedience which caused him to circumcise himselfe and to do many other excellent good workes We may not peruert this order that by obedience and circumcision whiche are the last effects we should bring forth iustification which went before Againe in thys place yâ— Apostle teacheth vs with how great study and diligence the Scriptures are to be red and the times and moments in stories are throughly to be considered He entreateth of circumcision bicause all that controuersie sprang first by reason of ceremonies and bicause also they had circumcision in no lesse estimation theÌ„ we now haue baptisme For they counted it for a noble worke and an excellent worship pyng of God Wherfore we may inferre or conclude that if we be not iustified with that kind of workes wherin consisted the worshipping of God vndoubtedly much lesse shall we be iustified by other workes For these are counted more excellent more acceptable vnto God then are other workes For we say that faith was imputed vnto Abraham vnto righteousnes These wordes serue wonderfully to depresse the pride and hautines of the Iewes which continually cried that righteousnes could by no meanes stand without circumcision But Paul contrariwise affirmeth that it was in Abraham before he was circumcised For Abraham was as yet vncircumcised when he was pronounced iustified Wherfore it is no meruaile if many mo of the vncircumcised then of the Iewes were saued after the comming of Christ Here it semeth that there are set before our eyes two fathers the one of the vncircumcised the other of circumcision And if we more depely consider the matter we shall see that the father of the vncircumcised is set in the first place For Abraham was not yet circumcised when he was of God counted iust What theÌ„ is there remayning for the Iewes that they should so aduance themselues aboue the GeÌ„tles Nothing vndoubtedly but the signe And eueÌ„ as Abraham is not the father of the vncircumcised for yâ— cause only bicause they haue vncircumcision but bicause of faith so also is he not the father of the circumcised bicause they are circumcised but bicause they beleue By these things it is manifest Circumcision and vncircumcisioÌ„ are conditions comming by chaunce that both circumcisioÌ„ also vncircumcision are conditions coÌ„ming by chance and of theÌ„selues helpe nothing to the obteinment of iustification Very aptly doth the Apostle bring in these two men Dauid and Abraham Of which the one that is Dauid being now circumcised bare testimony of iustification And Abraham being not yet circumcised obteined neuertheles iustification Wherfore it sufficiently appeareth that Circumcision is not a meane necessarily required to obtain righteousnes And he receaued the signe of circumcision He receaued I say circumcision which was a signe The seale of the righteousnes of fayth This is a preuention for they which heard these thinges mought thus haue thought with themselues If Abraham were iustified before circumcision then was circumcisioÌ„ superfluous vnto this obiection Paule answereth saying that circumcision was not vayne or vnprofitable for it was the seale of the righteousnes of fayth In this sentence Paule Circumcision was not a thing geuen in vain hath two woordes namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a signe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a seale which woordes althoughe they be of very nighe affinitie the one to the other yet ar they not both of one the selfe same significatioÌ„ For this woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sign is more general then his word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yâ— is a seale An image is a signe but it can not be a seale But we vse to put seales vnto such things as we wyll haue with greate fidelity kept and remayne vnuiolated And therefore are letters sealed letters patentes of princes are confirmed with seales yâ— no man should doubt of the authority or truth of theÌ„ So God deliuereth vnto vs sacramentes Sacramentes are not onely signes but sealinges What circumcision signifyed what it sealed as seales of his promises Wherfore circumcision signified two
his vnderstanding that God is omnipotent But whereas Iames sayth that the deuill beleueth and trembleth to beleue is there put to know But the fayth which is here described partayneth vnto men only and to none but to those that are godly The Apostle repeteth The fayth which is here entreated of pertaineth vnto godly men onely that this fayth was imputed vnto Abraham vnto righteousnes He did indede before beleue and was iustified but the scripture sheweth now how it was expressed when his fayth shined forth more excellently and more notably For as touching this promise both the disposition of his body and the age of his wife were wonderfully agaynst it which thing is not so manifestly declared in the promises that were before geuen Now it is not written for him only that it was imputed to him for righteousnes but also for vs to whome it shal be imputed for righteousnes which beleue in him that raysed vp Iesus our Lord from the deade Who was deliuered for our sinnes and is risen agayne for our iustification Now it is not written for him only Here Paul applieth the example of Abraham vnto vs. For sayth he euen as fayth profited him vnto iustification so also shall it be imputed vnto vs vnto righteousnes This maner ought we to obserue when we come to the reading of the holy scriptures that when we haue diligently peysed any place we turne the eyes of our mynde to our selues and diligently examine how those thinges which we reade pertayne vnto vs. This thing also is to be obserued that the Apostle when he discusseth this place of controuersy touching The proues of Paule takeÌ„ out of the scriptures iustification for the iudgement of the whole disputation sendeth the beleuers no where els but vnto the scriptures for he sendeth them not to the fathers to sée what their iudgement is For that we haue the scriptures in which are all thinges playnly contayned which are necessary to saluation for Paul sayth to Timothe All scripture inspired by God is profitable to teach to reproue to enstruct and to correct that the man of God may be perfect and absolute and be enstructed to all good A place of Paule to Timothy declared workes Here are reckened fower principall pointes which comprehend the whole summe of Christian relgion For it entreateth ether of doctrines or of maners And as touching doctrines we must take hede that we confirme thinges that are good and true and confute thinges corrupt and false And of these thinges the Apostle sayth that the scriptures are profitable to teach and to reproue And as touching maners such as are good are to be perswaded by admonitioÌ„s or such as are euell are to be reprehended And hereunto pertayneth yâ— which the Apostle sayth To correct and to enstruct And these things are so contayned in the holy scriptures that by them a man may be made perfect Which could in no case be counted true if there were any thing wanting in them Wherefore our negligence is much to be accused which doth in such sort contemne to search the holy scriptures The laytie and simpler sort complayne of their pastors for seing they lye snorting a Remedy again 〈…〉 th negligence of Pastors slepe it is not to be meruayled at if others slepe There can be no better remedy agaynst this so great negligence of the pastors then that the lay men continually occupye themselues in the scriptures and when they are in doubt of any thing to bring it to their pastors and to aske of them their iudgement and to vrge them By that meanes it shall come to passe that will they or nill they they shal be compelled to be diligent in study For they should vndoubtedly at the length be ashamed when they should sée themselues not able to make answere But the lay men say they haue no leasure to study the holy scriptures when yet to the greate losse of tyme they haue leasure inough for pastimes and vnprofitable trifles Chrisostome continually in his holy sermons pricked forward all his hearers to the reading of the holy scriptures both by many other reasons and finally by this excellent A similitude similitude They which haue found out sayth he mynes of gold or siluer spare no paynes digge the grounde go vnder the earth and sustayne the pestilent exalationes of the earth that they maye come to small crommes of golde or of siluer And we hauing the scriptures a treasure most aboundant and most easy to attayne vnto neglect to excercise our selues or to take any paynes therin We must not in these daies wayte for the pastors to inuite vs to read the scriptures They had a great deale rather that they were vtterly forbidden the people that they might be kept of such men as were called Triumuiri as the bookes of the Sibils were that the people mought come and aske counsell of them and they to geue them answers as it were out of an oracle By which meanes their idlenes and ease should be very well prouided The subtelty of the Popish prieâ—â—es for But now when they sée that that cannot be they say that the sence of the scriptures is to be sought for out of the fathers forasmuch as it is an infinit worke to read them ouer all they may in the meane time at their pleasure confirme their abuses For they shall alwayes fynd some amongst them which may seme to fauor their fonde deuises and dreames Neither are these men ashamed to make the oracles of God subiect to the opinions of men But they say that they doo this onely there where the places are in controuersie neither can be expounded by the scripture it selfe Touching which matter it shall not be amisse to heare what Ierome saith He vpon the xxiij chapter of Mathew entreating of this sentence of the Lord The scripture ought not to be made subiect vnto the iudgement of meÌ„ Of Zachary slainâ— betwen◠〈…〉 e temple and the alter That Zachary the sonne of Barachias was slayn betwene the temple and the altar saith that some thought that this Zachary was the father of Iohn Baptist which was slayne in that place because he was a priest and that for no other cause but for that he had preached Christ. I sought oftentimes to know which of the fathers exposition thys was And at the length I found that it was Basilius exposition For he vseth it in his sermon of the Natiuity of our Lord and saith That it was a tradition by long succession euen vnto his tyme confirmed that Zachary beyng priest dyd register the mother of Christ after she had brought forth a chylde amongest the virgins and when he was accused of the Iewes for the fame and rendred a reason of his so doyng and preached besides also many thynges of Christ the Iewes not beyng able any longer to beare wyth him killed him Touching this history Jerom in this maner pronounceth That for as much
oftener expressed hope confidence but in the new testameÌ„t fayth both to fayth and to trust For euen as it is sayd The iust man liueth by fayth Also He which beleueth in him shall not be confounded And in the new Testament He which beleueth in the sonne hath eternall lyfe Agayne We thinke that a man is iustified by fayth So also is it written in the Psalme Blessed are all they which put their trust in him And in Esay the 26. chapiter He shall keepe peace because they hoped in him And in the new Testament Hope confoundeth not To Titus also the 3. chap. That we may be heyres according to the hope of eternall lyfe Althoughe in the old Testament we finde the promises are oftener made vnto hope then to fayth yet in the new Testament it is contrariwyse whereof this may be the reason because in the old tyme the Hebrues erred not in the beliefe that there was but one God yea they professed the worshippinge of hym onely but this was not well amongst them that they had not a liuely fayth which draweth with it a trust but onely by education had conceaued eyther a certayne opinion or els a certayne knowledge and therfore vnto this the Scripture exhorteth them to beleue truly and with efficacy which is expressed by the affecte vnder the name of trust But in the new Testament they erred in the meaning both the GeÌ„tiles which were worshippers of Idoles and of many goddes and also the Iewes as touching the conditions of Messias for they looked that he should come in glorious pompe like a kinge and magnifical in worldly gouernement wherfore faith was oftentymes beaten into them whereby they myght obteyne the promises of God For it was very necessary that they should rightly be instructed of the chief point of the thing that they should beleue And of this Hebrue verbe A man is deriued this nowne Emunah Faith signâ—fieth firmenes which signifieth fayth And it sometymes signifieth certaynty and constauncy of wordes and promises Wherfore God is in the holy scriptures oftentymes called faythfull and his workes are called faythful because they are firme and constantly coÌ„tinue And we read before in this Epistle What if some of them haue not beleued hath their incredulity made vayne the fayth of God Yea and this latten word Fides that is fayth if we may beleue Cicero is deriued of Fio because that thing is done in dede which was spoken And sometymes it signifieth the assent of our mynd whereby we receaue words which are set forth vnto vs as it is sayd of Abraham How fayth is taken in this disputation He beleued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes And forasmuch as is this disputation nowe we take fayth after this maner it shall not be from the purpose to define what fayth is wherefore fayth is a firme and an assured assent of the mynd vnto the words of God which assent is inspired by the holy ghost The definitioÌ„ of fayth vnto the saluation of the beleuers And therfore it consisteth in the mynd and is occupied about the words of God from whence we haue the matter thereof Of the forme also we neede not to doubt because it is defined to be an assent The efficient cause is here to be the inspiration of the holy ghost And the ende is declared in the last place when as we say that this assent is inspired of the holy ghost The definition of faith which is written in the 11. to the Hebrues is declared What hypostasis signifieth to the saluation of the beleuers Not much vnlike vnto this definition are those thinges which are written concerning fayth vnto the Hebrues the 11 chapiter namely that fayth is a substance of thinges to be hoped for and an argument of thinges that appeare not Where that which the Latine interpretor hath turned substantia â–ª that is substance in Greke is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word Budeus most lernedly turneth in his commentaries boldnes strength or valiantnes of mynd And it is deriued of this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to susteyne to receaue not to geue place to one that rusheth vpon a man Hereof a souldier is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is trusty and turneth not his backe vnto his enemies but goeth agaynst them and resisteth them And vndoubtedly in beleuing we haue neede of this strength and patience by reason of the greate fyght of which there we haue In beleuyng we haue nede of strength experience For we must resist the fleshe reason must be ouercome whiche very much striueth agaynst fayth we must also resist the condemnation of our owne conscience synne and the anger of God and there are many thinges besydes by which a faythfull assent is both letted and resisted Very well are compared together betweene them selues these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a substance and those thinges that are hoped for For God promiseth resurrection but yet vnto the dead he promiseth eternal lyfe but yet to them that are rotten He calleth men blessed but yet those which aboundantly thyrst and hunger and are on euery side oppressed He pronounceth men to be iustified but yet such as ar couered with sinnes and filthines Wherefore seing these thinges seeme to be so farre of from vs it is needfull that we haue boldenes strength and the assuraunce of a most firme assent which may make these thinges to abide and to consiste vnto vs as thinges most assured With such a shield of defence ought we to be armed whereby we may quenche all the fyrie dartes of the deuill when they are cast agaynst vs that we may also ouercome euen the world For as Iohn testifieth This is the victorye which ouercommeth the world euen our fayth Further we must note that this word Argumentum that is argument which in Greke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned of some demonstratio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a declaration because by fayth are shewed and declared those thinges which appeare not but me thinketh Augustine althoughe peraduenture not so Latine like yet very faithfully turned it conuictio that is an ouercoming For by fayth our mynd is ouercome to graunt that those thinges are true whiche God eyther speaketh or promiseth But Hostiensis in his booke De summa Trinitate fide Catholica laboureth by two reasons to shewe that fayth is not by these wordes of the apostle defined because that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or substance agreeth also with hope Wherfore forasmuch as it is not proper to fayth it can not be applied to the definition therof Further because fayth hath not a regard onely to thinges to come and those thinges which are hoped for but also is referred vnto things past For we beleue that GOD created heauen and earth that Christ was borne of a Virgin that he suffred for vs and was raysed from the dead but all these
regarde to his body being past getting of children nor to the wombe of Sara being past childbearing and that he staggered not by reason of distrust but was by faith confirmed most certainely persuaded that God was able to performe what so euer he had promised This example teacheth vs that we ought not to haue a regarde vnto those things which either may or seeme to hinder our iustification but our faith ought vtterly to be fixed in the words and promises of God but contrariwise these men will call vs backe to our owne indispositions as they cal them and will haue vs therefore alwayes to be in doubt of our iustification In dede we ought not to dissemble whatsoeuer imperfection or fault is in vs and that for this cause that it may be daily amended and corrected Yet ought we not therefore to be in doubt and wauering touching our iustification and the grace of God Now haue we to proue the second proposition namely that a man is iustified by faith Which thing we entend first to proue by testimonies of the holy A confirmation that we are iustified by faith scriptures Paule in the first chapter of this Epistle thus defineth the Gosple that it is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleueth In these wordes is touched the efficient cause of our iustification namely the power of God and the ende which is our saluation and also the instrument wherby it is receiued namely faith for he addeth vnto euery one that beleueth And this he confirmeth by a testimony of Abacucke the Prophet In which sentence he so much delighted that he vsed it both to the Galathians and also to the Hebrues in the self same sense He addeth moreouer that the wrathe of God was reueled from heauen by reason of the knowledge of the Philosophers which withheld the truthe of God in vnrighteousnesse and which when they knew God glorified him not as God but fell to the worshipping of Idols But contrariwise in the gospell is reuealed the righteousnesse of God namely that righteousnesse whereby men are iustified from faith to faith which phrase of speache we haue in his due place sufficiently expounded in the third chapter Now is the righteousnesse of God saith he made manifest without the law the righteousnesse I say of God by the faith of Iesus Christ in all and vpon all them which beleue in him And a little afterward wherefore being iustified frely by his grace by the redemption which is in Christ Iesus whome God hath set forth a propitiator by faith in his bloud Here also is not onlye shewed the grace by which God fréely iustifieth vs but also Christ his deathe is set forthe that it may manifestly appeare that he is the reconciliator and the mediator Wherunto also is added faith wherby we receiue the fruit of his redemption to the shewing forth also of his righteousnesse in this time that he might be iust and iustifying him which is of the faith of Iesus Christ. If men coulde by theyr workes get vnto themselues righteousnesse the righteousnesse of God shoulde not then be so declared But seeing we sée that it is communicated vnto vs by faith without any preparation of workes it must needes seeme vnto vs very great And amongst other things which God requireth of men this is the chiefest that they should not any thing glory of themselues But if iustification should consist of workes men might boast of their owne endeuor and industry But seeing we are freely iustified by faith there is no place left for boasting Wherfore Paule saith Thy boasting is excluded by what law by the law of works No but by the law of faith Wherfore he concludeth after this manner We iudge that man is iustified by faith without works And that we should not think that that proposition is particular he declareth that it is vniuersall â–ª God saith he is he the God of the Iewes only is he not the God of the gentiles also Yea of the Gentiles also For it is one God which iustifieth vncircumcision through faith and circumcision by faith Wherefore euen as there is but one God ouer all men so iustifieth he all men by one and the selfe same way And in the fourth chapter he saith but vnto him which worketh not but beleueth in him which iustifieth the wicked faith is imputed vnto him vnto righteousnesse By this sentence are bothe workes excluded and also faith is set forth by which is imputed righteousnesse vnto men And straight way he addeth of Abraham that he is the father of all them that beleue by vncircumcision that it might also be imputed vnto them and that he is the father of circumcision not only vnto them which are of circumcision but also vnto them which walke in the steps of faith which was in the vncircumcision of Abraham our father Afterward by the nature of the promesse he sheweth that iustification is by faith For he saith by the lawe was not the promesse made vnto Abraham and vnto his seede to be the heire of the worlde but by the righteousnesse of faith for if those which are of the law should be heires then shold faith be abolished and the promesse made voide In these words are two excellent things to be noted The first is that the promesse is free â–ª neither is it ioyned with the condition of workes and therfore seing faith is as a correlatiue referred vnto the promesse it must needes follow that it is such as the promesse is and therefore it hath a respecte vnto the promesse by it selfe and not to the conditions of our vntowardnesse or indisposition as the good holy Fathers of Trent â—eache The second is that if the inheritance and righteousnesse should depend of that condition of works then had there bene no néede of the promesie For meÌ„ might haue sayd why is that fréely promised vnto vs which we can claime vnto our selues by our owne endeuor and labor Or why is it so necessary that we shold beleue when as by our owne workes we can attaine vnto righteousnesse Afterward Paule addeth the finall cause why iustification commeth by fayth By grace sayth he that the promesse might be firme for if by our owne works and preparations we should be iustified the promesse should alwayes be vnstedfast neither could we appoint any certaintie of it Afterwarde he putteth the example of Abraham who as it is before said contrary to hope beleued in hope neither had he a regarde vnto those things which as touching his owne part mought haue bene a let vnto the promesse of God namely his own body being nâ—w as it were dead and an hundreth yeare olde and the age of Sara his wife These things sufficiently declare what maner of faith that was by which vnto Abraham was imputed righteousnesse so that thereby we also may vnderstande the power and nature of faithe which iustifieth Paule also addeth that by suche a faith is muche aduaunced the
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
not in the sonne hath euerlasting life 19 a Now you are cleane because of my word 80. b That we haue obtained grace for grace 145. a The pore ye shal haue alwaies with you 200. a Beholde I am with you to the end of the world eodem The bread which I will geue is my flesh 201. b To as many as receiued him he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God 205 That that might be fulfilled which was spoken 325. b I geue you a newe commaundement 283. a Who so euer the father hath geuen me no man can take away 308. b The world cā not hate you 341 All things were made by it 360 This is eternall life that they acknowledge thee the onely true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ 392. a This is the work of God that ye beleue in him whome he hath sent 406 a Howe can ye beleue when ye seke glory at mens hāds 394 Receiue ye the holy ghost c. 361 Are there not .xij. houres in the day 420. b Actes YE men of Athens I shewe vnto you that God whom ye ignorantly worship 181 Beholde God hathe geuen to thee all that sail with thee 41 That the scriptures should be fulfilled 308. a Repent and be baptized euery one of you 364. b By faith purifying their hearts 392. a 1. Corinthians IF I haue all fayth so that I can remoue mountains 393 The temple of God is holy 5 They did all eat the same spirituall meat 81. b They were all baptised in the cloud and in the sea eodem They dranke of the spirituall rocke following them 81. b Your children are holy 133. b The dart of sinne is death 139 The rocke was Christ 199. b I chasten my body and bryng it into bondage 309. b To them that are called bothe Iewes and gentiles Christ the sonne c. 297. b That the beleuers stād by faith 355. a He that standeth let him take take hede that he fal not 〈…〉 d. Diuiding to euery one particularly as pleaseth him 〈…〉 a 2. Corinthians EVen whom the God of this world hath blineded 28. b Ye are the Epistle of Christe wrote by our ministery and written not with ink c. 49. b I know none as touching the fleshe 241. b Not in tables of stone but in fleshy tables 43. b What great care it hath wrought in you yea what clearing of your selues 166. a Therefore we after this know none according to the flesh 241 The God of this worlde hath blinded the heartes of the vnbeleuers 28. b Thou standest by faith 390. b Galathians HOw are ye againe turned to the weake and beggerly elements of the world 82. b He which is circūcised is debter to obserue the whole law 86. a The lawe was put because of transgressors 90. a As it pleased him which seperated me c. 2. b Although it be but a testament of a man yet when it is confirmed no man reiecteth it or addeth any thing to it 62. Curssed is he that abideth not in all the things that are written in the boke of the law 89 I would to God they whych trouble you were cut of 345. a Considering thy self least thou also be tempted 356. b The scripture hath shut vp all things vnder sinne 365. b The ende of the law is Christ 385. b The lawe is our scholemaister vnto Christ 391. a By the law no man is iustified before God 410. a Ephesians BY grace ye are made safe throughe faith and not of our selues 391. a We also were by nature the children of wrath c 102. b Who hath predestinated vs according to purpose 225. a Not of workes leaste any man should glory 376. b By whome we haue accesse by fayth 269. a Phillippians CHriste was in the similitude of men 194. b Taking vpon him the shape of a seruaunt 1. b We are the circumcision 49. b Yea I think al things but losse for the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ 158. b With fear and trembling work your saluation 384. a Colossians WE are circūcised in Christ by the washing away the synnes of the flesh 81. b In whome ye are circumcysed with circumcision not made with hands 85. a Mortify your members which are vpon the earth 411. b Thessalonians THis is the wil of God your sanctification 269. a 1. Timothe I Obtayned mercy for that I did it ignorantly and of infidelitie 2. b Saue that which is geuen thee to kepe 3. b Vnto the iust man the lawe is not geuen 59. b God wil haue all men to be saued 269. a Adam was not deceiued 100. a Which is the sauior of all men 306. b They that minister well gette vnto them selues a good degree 350. a The elders are worthy double honor 428. b 2. Timothe I Haue from my progenitors worshipped God with a pure conscience 8. a All scripture inspired by God is profitable to teache and to reproue c. 96. b I know whome I haue beleued and I am assured 101. a In my first defence no mā was on my side all men forsooke me God graūt it be not imputed c. 103. a I haue fought a good battaile I haue finished my course c 158. b He which shall purge him selfe shall be a vessel to honor 255. Of whome is Himeneus and Alexander which haue made shipwracke as concernynge faith 404. b Titus THey cōfesse that they know God but in dedees they deny him 396. b Hebrues IN that he sayth now he hath abolished that whiche was before But that which is abolished and waxen olde is euen at hand to vanishe away 82. a Be not wanting to the grace of God 141. a With such sacrifices is god won as by merite 159. b The saints by fayth haue ouercome kingdomes 391. b It is impossible for those which haue once bene illuminated 266 Faith is a substance of thinges to be hoped for 368. b S. Iames. MAn is iustified by works and not of faith only 69. a God tempteth not vnto euil 28 Patiēce hath a perfect work 100 Let no man when he is tempted say that he is tempted of God 269. a Abraham was he not iustifyed by his workes 74. b He that cometh to God ought to beleue c. 399. b 1. Peter CHaritie couereth the multitude of sinnes In the power of God are ye kept to saluation by faith 291 When once the long suffring of God abode in the dayes of Noe. 401. 1 Be ye subiecte for the Lordes sake 427. a S. Ihons epistle HE which is borne of God sinneth not 149. a Perfect loue driueth forth fear 280. b. 383. a God gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God 382. b He that loueth not abydeth in death 397. a Euery one which beleueth that Iesus Christ is born of god 391. b This is the victory that ouercometh the world our fayth eodem We haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ 65. a Ther are .iii. things which bear
Abraham was iustified But he obtayned righteousnes by fayth without workes wherefore we also ought to be iustified by faith without workes The minor or second proposition is thus proued For if Abraham shoulde haue bene iustified by woorkes he had glory or merite whiche is all one before God But that is not possible that any man should haue glory before Abraham obteyned righteousnes not by works but by imputacion God Wherefore neyther is that possible from whence it is deduced And that Abraham was not iustified by workes the seripture declareth vnto vs. For it sayth that Abraham obtayned righteousnes by imputacion For it sayth Abraham beleued God and it was counted vnto hym for righteousnes This is the summe of Paules reason After Chrisostomes mynde this is worthy to be noted If any man not hauing good works should be iustified that assuredly might seme Wherby the dignity of sayth doth chiefly appeare The foundation of the example is that all men are iustified after one and the selfe same manner to be a great thinge But this is a thing farre greater the he which was most rich in good workes coulde not for all that be iustified by them Vndoubtedly hereby most manifestly appeareth the worthynes of fayth VVhat shall we say that our father Abraham found Forasmuch as he bringeth an argument from an example to this ground leaneth he that it behoueth all men to be iustified after the same maner that Abraham was iustified For it is the selfe same God which iustifieth and there is one and the selfe same nature of them which are iustified and the righteousnes which both then was geuen and also is now geuē is one and the selfe same it is the selfe same Christ by whome both they and we obtayne righteousnes Wherefore it followeth that all men are iustified after one and the selfe same maner God in dede The outwarde instrumentes which God vseth to iustify by may be diuers may vse to it sundry instrumentes as well the scriptures of the olde testament as of the new and the simboles or signes also aswell of the newe sacramentes as of the olde when as the thinge whiche is geuen is vtterlye one and the selfe same Further it is necessary that the thinges which followe haue a similitude with the types and signes which went before And that the fathers were formes and shadowes of our times no man doubteth Here let vs call to remembrance with what mynde thinke we toke the scribes and pharisyes these woordes of Paul vnto whome it appeared that he tooke away the power of iustifieng from these excellent workes of Abraham I doubt not but that they were therewith all thoroughly offended and paraduenture they resisted Paul as though they would put away such iniury from so great a prophet and defend his excellent good workes We haue at this day an experiēce of their furious rage in them which so soone as euer they heare vs speake any thing othewise then the fathers haue written are set a fire and counte vs not worthy to be harkened vnto But Paul nothing passed vpon the euill reportes of the Scribes in his tyme. For they may be answered by an easy and manifest distinction namely that there is one righteousnes ciuile outward and attayned vnto by workes and is a quality cleaning in our myndes but there is an other righteousnes which is imputed vnto vs of God Our father sayth he peraduenture alluding vnto the name For Abraham is called the father of many nacions And although in the booke of Genesis where these things are written he was not as then called Abraham but Abram yet when the Apostle wrote this he thought mete to call him by that name by which he was commonly called When he sayth our he includeth himselfe that he mighte not be thought as an vnnaturall sonne to haue cast of his father To finde in this place signifieth to obtayne by what meanes soeuer it be whether it be by gift or by any other meanes According vnto the fleshe may be adioyned eyther vnto this word father wherby to geue vs to vnderstand that he was the progenitor of the Iewes as touching theyr naturall originalli and by that meanes he semeth to reproue the Iewes for that they boasted of the nobility of the fleshe only and endeuored not to imitate the piety and religion of Abraham Wherefore in the Gospell Christ sayd that they were not the children of Abraham but the children of the deuill For if they had hene of Abraham they would haue done his workes But they contrarily wholy applied themselues vnto lying and murthering which are most certaynly the workes of the deuill And after this maner he is called father accordinge to the fleshe whereby is gathered as some say that only their bodies and not theyr soules were traduced from him Or according to the opinion of other men these words according to the fleshe fleshe are to be ioyned vnto the verbe found so that the sence is By the flesh that is by the workes of the flesh such as are ceremonies circumcision This interpretation Ambrose followeth who peculiarly vnderstādeth circumcisiō Neither am I much against it so that we vnderstād that although this questiō the argumēts that are put forth be touching What are the principall things that Abraham found Righteousnes to be imputed to be iustified by woorks are opposite one agaynst the other Freely and not freely are repugnaunt ceremonies yet by that spirite of God is brought to passe that those things should be generally entreated of as we shall in his due place declare And the thinges which Abraham found were chiefly that he was called iust and the Father of all beleuers For this is to be the father of many peoples and lastlye this also that he was the heyre of the wōrld But here is chiefly entreated of the obteyning of that righteousnes which is sayd happened not vnto hym but by fayth For righteousnes to be imputed and to be iustified by works are cleane contrary the one vnto the other which is hereby manifest for that to be iustified by imputation is to haue righteousnes fréely And to be iustified by woorkes is not to haue righteousnes fréely But to haue righteousnes fréely and not to haue it fréely are manifestly repugnaunt one agaynst the other And in that he sayth If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to boast but not before God It is as much as if he had sayd that he shoulde not haue righteousnes before God and that all other righteousnes is of no value For it is God at whose becke we ought either to stand or to fall Wherefore we nothing passe vpon the righteousnes which is had of men especially as touching this present purpose And it were fond to acknowledge any other righteousnes for the true perfect righteousnes then that which God himselfe and the holye scripture calleth righteousnes Wherefore no man can now doubt but that the Apostle
harlot and the Israelite not only repressed the plague inflicted by God but also got this thereby that euen the selfe same thinges with like number of wordes were written of hym which Paule here citeth of Abraham out of the booke of Genesis And it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnes Which wordes seing they are spoken of him by reason of his worke it might seme that iustification is not After iustification the saintes do workes which God counteth for iust Paule entreateth of the first righteousnes and the psalme of that righteousnes which followeth iustification Good workes also are sayd to be imputed for righteousnes so proper vnto fayth that Paule should firmely auouch that righteousnes commeth vnto vs by it only But we answere that we deny not but that after fayth and iustification are of good men wrought excellent workes which are of God counted for iust especially when they haue their ofspring out of fayth Wherfore Augustine vpon the 31. Psalme when he commendeth Abrahams fact in that he would haue sacrificed his only sonne sayth that he commendeth the building but in the meane tyme he considereth the foundation which was fayth he sayth that he alloweth the fruite but in the meane tyme he hath a regard to the roote But Paule now entreateth not of those thinges which follow righteousnes but of the very roote and hed what that is for which we are counted iust Wherefore the Psalme speaketh of the worke and Paul of the fyrst righteousnes Nether ought we to maruayle that good workes are sayde to be imputed for righteousnes forasmuch as it is necessary it should be so For they haue not in thēselues so much perfection that they can in all pointes satisfye the lawe of God Wherefore it is nedefull that God for his mercy sake receaue them as acceptable in imputing that part of goodnes and of righteousnes which wanteth in them They also are not to be harkened vnto which interprete this sentence so that they vnderstand that Paul speaketh of fayth here as it is a worke so that Fayth is not here taken as it is a worke Two manner wayes of imputing the sence should be that God imputed vnto righteousnes that acte of Abraham whereby he beleued as though he would count that for iuste That is not intreated of at this present to dispute of a iust worke But that is sought from whence we are iustified And to make the matter more playne to be imputed vnto righteousnes is taken two maner of wayes Sometymes it signifieth some acte to be ratified and to be allowed and to speake briefely to be accepted for iust and after this maner we graunte that that acte of Phinees and the good workes of holy men are imputed of God vnto righteousnes An other way it signifieth that by which we our selues are counted in the number of the iust and that Paul attributeth only vnto fayth as though he should haue said Abraham beleued that he was acceptable vnto God and that he was counted with him for iust and lastly that he should attayne to blessednes and as he beleued so he receaued For it came to passe vnto hym according to his fayth Wherefore by it he receaued that which was offred vnto him of God as it is written in the beginning of the 15. chapter For God had sayde vnto hym I am thy protector and thy exceding great reward But that which is sayd of Phinees and of the workes of goodmen pertayneth vnto the dutyes whiche follow them that are iustified But forasmuch as many promises are made vnto workes and God in this place calleth himselfe a reward and eternall life is oftentimes If eternall life be sayd to be rendred vnto workes why is not also sayd of righteousnes Good woorkes may go before eternal life but not before iustification Eternall life is called a reward by a similitude and not properly in the holy scriptures called a reward as though it were rendred vnto workes why may we not by workes likewise obtayne righteousnes seying that it is as great a matter to glorifye as to iustify But two thinges are here to be considered first that good workes may go before glorification but not before iustification Because after that we are iustified we may do such thinges as are acceptable vnto God But before we are iustified we are able to do nothinge that is truely good and which can please God Moreouer we graunt not that eternall life is had by workes as though it were by them merited But when it is called a reward it is in this respect because it is rendred after the worke done euen as that which we deserue by any ciuile actions is not wont to be rendred till the worke be full done And in such sort eternall life may indede haue some similitude of a reward but yet properly and as touching the nature of a reward it is most farre of and that for thrée causes First because those thinges which are geuen and which are receaued are not alyke but that is required to the nature of merite Secondly because the workes which we offer are not our owne For God geueth them vnto vs and woorketh in vs both to will and to performe Wherefore if there were any merite it should not be attributed vnto vs but vnto God as to the author of all good workes Lastly when a reward or merite is properly taken it behoueth the that which is geuen of vs be not bound of duety vnto him vnto whom it is geuē But we although we shoulde not obtayne felicitye yet ought we to doo all our thinges vnto the glory of God Wherefore eternall lyfe can not be called a reward but by a certaine similitude But many say that these sentences of Paul are to be vnderstand by a figure as though it were the figure Synecdoche that faith is therefore said to iustifie because it in iustifieng obteineth the chiefest place and so they will Sinecdoche which y◠aduersaries vse not that good works which are ioyned with faith should vtterly be excluded from y◠power of iustifieng They are in dede content that we should commend faith but yet in such sort commend it that we shoulde say that it iustifieth together with other good workes which workes they say Paul vnderstādeth in it by the figure Synecdoche And by this meanes they thinke may be conciliated very many places in the scriptures For vndoubtedly in the xx chap. of Genesis God for a worke promised many thinges vnto Abraham Bicause saith he thou hast done this thing thy seede shall be increased it shall obteyne the gates of his enemies and in thy sede shall all nations be blessed and other such like And Iames semeth to expound this Synecdoche when he affirmeth that Abraham was iustified by workes Vnto these men we aunswer that the wordes of Paul will in no case suffer any suche trope or figure whose wordes are so playne and perspicuous that they neither can be violated nor yet
ouerthrowen For he saith not onely that we are iustified by faith but also he excludeth workes For he saith without workes and that it mighte the playnlier and Here is no Synecdoche vsed easeliar be vnderstand he addeth freely and other wordes which apertly are repugnant with tropicall kindes of speach And vndoubtedly this is to be considered that the man or if I may so speake the person it self be first both iust and also acceptable vnto God and then afterward shal good workes follow But those things which are written in the xx chap. of Genesis are nothing at all repugnaunt vnto this sentence A place of Genesis For there it can not be shewed that Abraham for that worke was counted iust before God For that had he before obteined But he receiued promises of hys posteritie that God would also geue them many and excellent thinges And we deny not but that God very oftentimes promiseth vnto good workes diuers rewards as well spirituall as temporall both as touching the elect themselues as also touching their posteritie Neither was Iames meaning that Abraham was iustified A place of Iames. by workes after that maner that Paul here speaketh of iustification For he speaketh of that iustification which may be known of men and according to which we are pronounced iustified For this spirituall iustification wherof we now intreat we can not know in other men but by those thinges which are done by them outwardly And in summe whatsoeuer places of the scripture do attribute righteousnes vnto workes they speake of that righteousnes which followeth iustification But to him that worketh the reward is not imputed according to grace but accordynge to debte But to him that woorketh not but beleueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnes Euen as Dauid declareth the blessednes of a man vnto whome God imputeth righteousnes without workes Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose syns are couered blessed is the maÌ„ vnto whom the Lord imputeth not sin But to hym which worketh c. He goeth about now to shew that Abraham could not be iustified by workes forasmuch as now it is manifest by the holye scriptures that he had righteousnes by imputation For these thinges are so contrary that both of them cannot consist at one time And in that Paul saith To hym that worketh to him that worketh not we ought not so to vnderstand it as though they which beleue worke not For he speaketh of that working onely wherby we deserue or desire to deserue righteousnes And in this place this is worthy of noting which among the deuine scholemen is now common to say that Paul calleth A saing of the Scholemen merite debt Wherfore seyng Paul here excludeth debt from iustification he also of necessity taketh away merite if we will speake properly and truely of it But now I do so speake of it not as it is referred vnto the promises of God but as it is compared with our workes In summe Pauls meaning is that imputation and debt are vtterly repugnant the one to the other By this place we may very manifestly Imputacion and debt are contraries perceiue that this is the foundation of the Apostle But it shal appeare more plainly afterward where it is said And if of grace then not of workes and contrariwise if of workes then not of grace In this place are thrée antitheses or contrary positions One is of hym which woorketh and of hym whyche woorketh not the seconde of debte and of grace Thre Antitheses The thirde of rewarde and of imputation Whyche antitheses we oughte by no meanes to lette slippe And by thys place it manifestlye appeareth that the question put forth concerning ceremonies is entreated of generally For here the Apostle without any contraction entreateth of him whiche worketh and of hym which worketh not of grace and of debt of reward and of imputation of righteousnes Which extend much farther then to ceremonies For they comprehend all the good workes that may be done But beleueth in him which iustifieth the vngodly By the vngodly he vnderstandeth This reason of Paul is vniuersall Vngodlines the hâ—d of all wicked actes a sinner which is a straunger from God for impietie is the head of all wickednes And where as God is said to iustifie the vngodly it is not so to be vnderstand so long as he abideth vngodly or as thoughe God should accepte wicked actes for good or shoulde pronounce them iuste For that he forbad in the law also pronounced yâ— he wil neuer at any tyme so do But he is sayd to iustify yâ— vngodly bicause he forgeueth him his sinnes and of an vngodly person maketh him godlye Hitherto we haue heard that Abraham was iustified by faith And moreouer that What it is to iustifâ— the vngodlye his righteousnes consisted in imputacion Now followeth Euen as Dauid declareth the righteousnesse of a man vnto whome GOD imputeth righteousnesse wythout workes By these wordes also it is manifest that by woorkes are generallye vnderstande all good actes and not This also is a generall reason onelye ceremonies Whiche thynge the Antithesis dothe well declare For when he had sayd that we haue blessednes without works he opposeth and setteth vnto them as contrary sinnes and iniquities whiche in iustification are forgeuen But iniquities and sinnes haue not place onely in ceremonies And that in this place hee allegeth Dauid it serueth very much to his purpose For Dauid was endued with many good workes eueÌ„ as was Abraham And yet he thought he could not be iustified by them but onely for that that hys sinnes were forgeueÌ„ hym And by this testimony of the Scripture it appeareth that iustification and Why he vseth the testimony of Dauid Iustification and blessednes are taken for one and the selfe same thing Iustification is felicity begon Basilius affirmeth that the thinges which are done before iustificatioÌ„ are sinnes blessednes are one and the self same thyng Otherwise the conclusion should not be strong And vndoubtedly iustification if a man rightly consider it is nothyng els then a felicitie begon And Dauid testifieth that this blessednes or iustification doth not onely herein consiste that sinnes should not be imputed but also to expresse that thyng more playnly he sayth it consisteth herein that sinnes should be forgeuen And hee whiche is in hym selfe assured that iustification is the remission of sinnes the same man I say shall easely vnderstand that we bryng not good works vnto God that by the workyng and merite of them he should iustify vs but rather that we bryng sinnes vnto hym to be pardoned Basilius expressedly sheweth that the workes whiche we do whilest we are strauÌ„gers from God can not please hym He of purpose demaundeth that question in his second booke De Baptismo the seuenth question and bryngeth this sentence of the Prophet A sinner whiche sacrificeth vnto me a calfe is like vnto hym
And before in this epistle by the law is said to come the knowledge of sinne Wherfore a man may not without iust cause meruaile what moued Paul to write so like things so oftentymes of the lawe But we oughte to consider that it is moste What was Paules entente when he wrote of the law lykely that in the primitiue church when Christ beganne euery where to be receued the deuill craftely inuented an other new deuise to extol the law by all manner of meanes that it mought be had in estimation not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentles that in the mean time Christian religion mought be weakened and cleane taken away And he blinded the eyes of men that none should haue an eye vpon Christ which was the end of the law And lest any man should by often reading of the law attaine to any commoditie he found the meanes that mē gaue themselues to brawling about wordes and old wiues questions Wherefore Paul was brought to this point that either he must reiect the lawe of God or els haue wincked at the lettes of the Gospell Wherfore by great aduise he teacheth thrée thinges For first considering the law of God by it self and in his owns nature he with worthy praises extolleth it and therewithall sheweth what euils by it come vnto vs thorough our owne default Secondly he teacheth that Christ is the ende of the law last of al he cutteth of brawlings contencions disputations and vnprofitable questions and which make nothyng to the purpose These self same things in a maner happen also in our tymes Our aduersaries cry out Good workes good workes as though we were agaynst them Farther they wyll not that the people As the false Apostles pretended the defence of the law so do our aduersaries now pretend the defence of good works What we must teache concerning good woorkes What they are that are the instrumentes of the deuell should vnderstād the mercy grace of God benefite of Christ Lastly they continually braule contend to hinder the iust reformation of the church so continually prolong the tyme to the ende nothyng shoulde be put in execution But let vs learne of Paul how we may warely and wisely resist them Let vs leaue vnto good workes their dignitie but yet not in such sorte to attribute more vnto them then either the truth and holy scriptures will suffer or els is agreable with our weake nature Farther let vs as plainly as we can out of the holy scriptures declare the grace of God and benefite of Christ Lastly let vs abstayne from superfluous and contentious questions By these wayes and meanes may we well withstand the deuill Neither doth the diuell these things by himselfe but alwayes findeth instrumentes apte for his wicked purpose whome Paule calleth deceitfull workers which transforme themselues into aungels of light and euery where sowe discordes and offences bewitching mē that are in the ryght course and leadyng men from Christ to estimation of themselues He calleth them moreouer thynges cut of dogges enemies of the crosse of Christ whose God is the belly and end destruction which wyll be teachers of the law and yet in the meane tyme know not what they affirme and speake whiche by a fayned modesty and affliction of the flesh and worshippyng of angels and religion of themselues deuised take away from men the reward of saluation which after they haue fallen away from the loue which procedeth from a pure hart a good conscience and an vnfeined faith turne themselues to vayne speaches and range and creepe abrode like a canker which although in wordes they say they know God yet in dedes they deny hym With these coulours doth the Apostle paint forth false ministers against whome he had muche to do Vnto whome they are not vnlike which in our dayes withstand the restoryng of religion Hitherto he hath vsed reasons ab absurdo that is driuing to an absurditie If the inheritaunce should consist of the law then should faith be vayne and the promise of none effect and to affirme either of them were very absurd His argument he hereby proued for that the law worketh anger and is alwayes ioyned with some transgression Now he proueth by a direct reason that the inheritaunce consisteth of faith namely that it might be of grace to the ende the promise should be firme As if he should haue sayd it behoueth that the nature of Gods promises be kept For such is the nature thereof that it be certayne and come fréely But it can not be certayne and come fréely vnlesse we be made heyres by fayth and not by the lawe Therfore is the inheritaunce geuen by fayth that it might come by grace and that the promise might be firme to all the sede not to that onely which is of the law but also to that which is of the fayth of Abraham who is the father of vs all as it is written I haue made thee a father of many nations accordyng to the example of God whome he beleued who restoreth to lyfe the dead and calleth those thinges which are not as though they were Whiche aboue hope beleued vnder hope that he should be the father of many nations accordyng to that which was spoken vnto hym So shall thy seede be And he not weake in fayth considered not his owne body which was now dead beyng almost an hundreth yeare olde neyther the deadnes of Saraes wombe Neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeliefe but was strengthned in faythe gaue glory to God beyng full assured that he which had promised was also able to do it And therefore it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnes Therfore is the inheritaunce geuen by faith By this place we sée that to To haue a thing by fayth is to haue it freely attaine to any thing by faith is with Paul nothing els but to haue it fréely Wherfore it ought not to seme meruailous that we haue oftētimes inculcated that to be iustified by fayth is to be vnderstande of the obiect of fayth that is of the mercy and promise that we may be iustified fréely Chrisostome sayth if the promise should come of the law we should not nede that saluation which we obteyne by fayth and grace But In Abrahā a double posterity now where as the Apostle saith that the promise oughte to be firme vnto all the sede of Abraham that ought to be vnderstanded both of the Iewes and also of the Gentles as though in Abraham were a double posteritie And this is chiefly to be noted which here is alleaged of the certaintie of the promise For that may not either be wauerynge or doubtfull For that whyche we apprehende by fayth Besides the holy scriptures there is nothing that can wyth a true fayth be beleued He declareth that whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne oughte to be certayne Whiche is onely the worde of GOD whereunto onelye faith ought to leane
to licentiousnes and liberty of the fleshe But in such sort ought we to frame our selues that we should alwayes dispayre as touching our selues but contrariwise put all our confidence in God only Lastly this is to be knowen that it is not possible that so long as we lyue here we shoulde be so assured in fayth that there should neuer aryse any doubt Neyther are these thinges repugnant one to the other but that we may both beleue and also be assured and yet in the meane time be moued with some doubtfulnes For these thinges procede of diuers principles As for example reason iudgeth that the orbe of the Sunne is bigger then the whole earth but yet in the meane tyme the sence both doubteth touching that matter and also testifieth otherwise Certainety and doubting come of diuers grounds Iohn also sayth he which is borne of God sinneth not Howbeit contrariwise he sayth If we say we haue no sinne we lye for we do not alwayes worke by that grounde whereby we are regenerate and therefore we oftentymes fall sinne So also must we think of certainty doubting that they procede not out of one the self same principles or grounds For doubting procedeth frō our flesh frō humane weaknes humane wisdome But certainty cōmeth of the faith which we haue towards god But because we do not alwayes worke by faith therof it commeth that we oftentimes doubt But at the last the strength of fayth getteth the vpper hand and driueth away the cloude of doubting Now let vs sée Certainety getteth the vpper hand how Paule declareth vnto vs the certaynty of the promise by the second principall poynt namely by the propriety and nature of fayth This thing he doth in discoursing the example of Abraham of whome he thus writeth Which is the father of vs all As it is written I haue made thee a father of many nations Abraham is a father of many nations that is of all those which beleue in what place of the world so euer they be And he is called the father of the beleuers both bycause he was an example of faith vnto the beleuers and also taught and preached the same This is that communion of Saintes The communion of sayntes which we professe in the Simbole or Creede According to the example of God In Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Chrisostome interpreteth by this aduerbe of similitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as though Abraham Abraham like vnto God were like vnto God And this likenes the same Chrisostome declareth two maner of waies First for that as God is not the father of one nation and not also of an other So also Abraham is not in such sorte the father of some beleuers that he is not also the father of other beleuers Secondly for that as God is not our father by kinred of the flesh but by a spirituall maner So Abraham is not in such sort the father of all the beleuers that he hath begotten them according to the fleshe but as we haue sayd by a spirituall kinred That Greke word may signifie Before so that he was the father of all the beleuers before God namely because it can not be vnderstand by humane sense and reason that Abraham is the father of all the beleuers but this is vnderstand onely before God that is by the power of the spirite This word also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie Before in such sort as in the booke of Genesis the woman is sayd to be made a helper vnto the man the she should be Benegdo that is before him as if a man should say a thing apte and hauing proportion and iust analogy vnto the man and which shoulde euer be at hande which maner of helpe coulde not be found for Adam amongest the other liuing creatures And if a man demaund seing that we differ from God by an infinite distance of perfection What analogy or proportion can we haue towards him How w◠may by fayth be cōpared wyth God I aunswere that that commeth to passe by the helpe of faith For by it we receiue the giftes and promises which God hath decreed to fulfill in vs when yet our strength and power can by no meanes be made equall with God Suche a lyke thing haue the Philosophers of God the first cause of all thinges vnto whom A similitude they say by a certaine proportion and analogy answereth that which they cal the first matter for that in power it is apt to receaue all maner of formes whych God would bring forth So we by faith are made apt to receaue the promises of God and so we are set before him or ouer against him Howe be it euerye man must diligently take heede that he haue so muche faith as is sufficient least hee The wrestling of Iacob with God should be ouercome of the promises of God This is that wrestling of Iacob with God For he would not be ouercome of him but wrastled against him and receaued the blessing Whom he beleued Ambrose readeth Thou hast beleued as though it were an Apostrophe which is a turning of his speche to the Ethnike But the reading which is vulgarly receaued is the playner And calleth those thinges which are not as though they were This apeared in the creation of the world For when God did onely commaund that any Why God is sayd to call creatures thing should be straight way it was By which kinde of speeche is shewed the easines of creation of thinges for in it there is no more griefe to God then it is to vs when we call anye manne Here is declared also that by the sonne whiche is the word of the father were and are all thinges made We also when we are regenerate are sayd to be called Which aboue hope beleued vnder hope This kinde of speach seemeth at the first sight absurde For how is it possible that a man shoulde aboue hope haue notwithstanding hope Chrisostome very well expoundeth this Aboue the hope saith he of man and vnder the hope of God And it is all one as if a man shoulde haue sayd he hoped euen in thinges desperate or elles when there was no hope at all yet hoped he But in that word is vsed the figure Metonymia For by hope in this place we vnderstande those thinges whiche are hoped for The meanyng is Contrary to those thinges whiche moughte by man haue bene hoped for he wayted for those thynges whyche were set foorth by God to be hoped for In this example of Abraham which the Apostle hath taken in hande to entreat of is verye The nature and property of fayth aptly described the nature and property of faith For faith is the gift of God wherby we firmely assent vnto his promises striuyng agaynst the flesh and humayne wisedome That it is the gift of God Paul to the Ephesians by expresse wordes testifieth when he sayth that by fayth we
as it hath not autority out of the holy scripturei it is by the self same easines cōtēned wherby it is proued We sée therfore by the testimony of Ierome that the interpretations of doubtfull places are not admitted vnles they be brought out of the scriptures and by them confirmed And if we will ouercome the difficulty of the Scriptures we must be familiarly conuersant in them day and night And let vs remember this which the Apostle now here mencioneth that they were not written for their sakes onely of whom is there entreated but also for our sakes But in that this worde Onely is added declareth that they were written for their sakes also For Gods pleasure is that we should thinke wel of his elect which self thing also turneth to our cōmoditie for whē we thinke well of thē we are stirred vp to imitate them This is moreouer here hence gathered that so often as we shall establish any doctrine or declare any commaundement of God it shal then be An argument taken of examples is very apt We are made equal with Abraham as tooching iustification aptly done when we bring proues of them by examples For in harde and doubtfull places proues taken of examples bring great perspicuitie For in them both the minde and the sences are ioyned together Farther there is no small comforte conteined in this place when we sée that we are made equall with the Patriarche Abraham as touching iustification For although he were adorned with a greate many giftes which we want yet that we should by faith be adopted to be the children of God it is no lesse geuen vnto vs then vnto him And although our fayth be the instrument whereby we receiue righteousnes and the promise offred vnto vs of God For vnto them that are of full age by that instrument onely is righteousnes geuen yet Christ hath so much estemed it that he hathe spoken of it no otherwise Christ speaketh of faith as the cause of iustification A firme argument for the certainety of saluation then if it were properly the cause of iustification For he sayth Thy faith hath made thee safe And seynge it is saide that faith shall be imputed vnto vs vnto righteousnes as it was in tymes past imputed vnto Abraham we haue a moste firme argument of the certeintie of saluation For as Abraham behaued himselfe towardes the promise of God as touching that he should haue issue so must we behaue our selues towardes the promise of the remission of sinnes But he was certaine neither doubted he wherfore we also ought to be certaine of the saluation promised vnto vs and by no meanes to doubt therof This reason let vs hold fast and not suffer it to slip from vs. But seyng Abraham had many singuler things neither ought we to imitate him in all thinges how doth Paul with any strength gather that this pointe of fayth should haue place that as it came vnto him so also shal it come vnto vs For if we should take armour and beyng priuate men make warre shall it happen vnto vs as it did to Abraham And to lye with our handmaidens shall it be excused in vs as the fellowship which Abraham had with Agar is excused in hym And shall it be lawfull for euery man to sacrifice his own sonne because he was redy to offer vp his This doubt may thus be answered that there Argumētes taken of examples how they be of force Two maner of callinges generall and singuler How callinges are to be discerned A fruiteful consideration of singular callings In singuler callings also of the Saintes at many thinges to be imitated is one callyng which is vniuersall and an other singuler and when we reade the actes of the saints we must take hede that we rashly confound them not For those things which pertaine vnto the general calling we must imitate but those things which pertain to the singuler calling are rather to be reuerēced thē imitated And if thou aske by what meanes these things are to be discerned the difference is not hard For whatsoeuer thinges thou séest that they did accordyng to the prescript of the commaundementes of God those thinges haue relation vnto the general state of the faithful But where any thing is committed that thou séest agréeth not with the law of God the same wholy is in them priuate and singuler Which yet is not red wtout fruite For there we sée how God sometimes by a wonderful maner gouerneth his as one not addicted to one maner of sauing those whom he hath elected Farther always in this kinde of actions if thou come to the roofe and ground thou shalt finde many things which thou mayst imitate Abraham was willyng to sacrifice his sonne Although the same be not lawfull for thée to do yet do thou that which is lawfull for thee Abraham preferred the commaundement of God before the lyfe of his onely sonne so also oughtest thou to preferre the will of God before all naturall consanguinitie Farther he hid al this whole matter from his wife for that he saw she should haue bene a let wherby he should not haue bene able to execute the commaundementes of God so muste we also do that we remoue awaye all lettes from good purposes Finally although he knew that he had in Isaac receiued the promise of an infinite posteritie and saw that his vntimely death was repugnant vnto the promises of God yet ceased he not of from that which he had begonne but permitted the successe of the promise vnto the prouidence of God so also let not vs by humaine reasonings resist the commaundements of God All these thinges beyng thus well weighed shall easely call vs from our infirmitie to shew our selues obedient vnto God VVhich beleue in him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead vvho was deliuered for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification Here is set forth a The sum of the Gospell briefe and redy summe of the Gospell for in the death of Christe are vnderstād al the misteries of Christ which went before it as his Natiuity preaching labors inteaching accusatiōs cōdēnatiō crosse burial And his resurrectiō frō the dead setteth forth vnto vs al these things which followed it as his restitution to life that eternal last glory chief felicity finally al those things which pertain therunto The Apostle very aptly in this place maketh mencion of our lord Iesus Christ for that he is the mediator and arbiter betwen God and mē And seing he hath hitherto spoken of fayth which is the instrumēt wherby we are iustified it serueth very well to the purpose that he should also make mencion of Christe for he is the obiect of our fayth as by whome God would communicate vnto vs his righteousnes Nether could we haue bene otherwise certified of the will of God except Christ himself had enstructed vs therof For Iohn sayth No man hath sene God at any
Whereof springeth the certainty of hope touching the constaÌ„cy of God which no vnworthines of ours caÌ„ make frustrate and if we looke vpon this vnworthines withdrawing vs from this confidence we ought agaynst hope to beleue in hope and though it neuer so much cry out agaynst vs we ought to haue full confideÌ„ce that we shal by Christ be made safe setting before vs our father Abraham whose steps we ought by fayth to cleaue vnto he as touchinge the promise that he should haue issue had no consideratioÌ„ vnto his age or to his wife which was past childbearing but had a respect only vnto him which made the promise had a consideratioÌ„ vnto his might and therfore he most firmely setled with himselfe that that should come to passe which God had promised So although that we be vnworthy and that our filthynes sinnes are a let vnto vs yet let vs haue no distrust but that we shal by Christ be made safe vnles we will be infected with infidelity from which AbrahaÌ„ so much abhorred for he doubted not through vnbeliefe sayth the Apostle Wherfore this vncertaynty of our aduersaries is vtterly taken away from the minds of the godly For for this cause as the Apostle testifieth would God haue vs to be iustified by fayth not by works that the promise should abide certaine and What is to geue glory vnto God The vngodly ought to haue hope vnshaken And this is in deede to geue the glory vnto God whiche thinge Abraham did For he notwithstanding those wonderfull great impediments hoped that that vndoubtedly should come to passe which God had promised Iob also so little estemed these letts that he sayd Although he kill me yet will I hope in him By which words he declareth that it is the part of the godly althoughe they be seuerely afflicted of God appeare to be hated of him yet not to cast away hope Wherfore him let vs imitate if our fallinges and vnworthynes themselues against vs yet let vs not distrust Let vs in the meane time detest our bices and as much as lieth in vs amend them but yet through them let vs by no meanes be deiected from the hope of saluation For if when the promises of God are of fred we should looke vpon our owne worthines we should be stirred vp to desperation There should be no peace if we stood in doubt of saluation rather then to any hope For there is no man whose minde is not ladeÌ„ with many and greuous sinnes Farther Paul teacheth vs that peace towards God is had by Christe and by the fayth which is towardes him which peace vndoubtedly should ether be none at all or ells very troublesome if we should continually doubt of his good will towards vs. Do we not alwayes in our praiers call him father But no sonne which followeth naturall affection doubteth of his fathers good will towards him How then do we call him father whome we suspect to be our enemy There mought be brought a great mani other such The fathers taught the certainety of saluation like reasoÌ„s for the certainty of hope But now I will in few words declare that the fathers also in theyr writings taught the selfe same certainty Chrisostome vpon this place thus writeth do not saith he though thou be neuer so vnworthy discorage thy selfe seing thou hast so great a defeÌ„ce refuge namely the loue or fauor of the iudge And a little afterward he saith For that cause the Apostle himselfe when he saith hope confouÌ„deth not ascribeth all the things which we haue receaued not vnto our good dedes but vnto the loue of God Ambrose also saith That forasmuch as it is impossible that they which are deare vnto him should be deceaued he would make vs assured of the promise because it is God which hath promised hath promised to those whome he counteth for deare Augustine in his sermoÌ„ which he made vpoÌ„ yâ— moÌ„day in yâ— RogatioÌ„ weke Why sayth he doth your hand tremble when you knocke why is your conscieÌ„ce halfe on slepe when you beg I am the dore of life I abhorre not him that knocketh though he be vncleane And vpoÌ„ the 41. Psalme he sayth Put not hope in thy selfe but in thy God For if thou puttest hope in thy selfe thou shalt fill thy soule full of trouble for that it hath not yet found how it may be secure or assured of the. By these words he declareth that security which we haue coÌ„meth not of our selues but of God And vpoÌ„ the 27. psalm when he expoundeth these words of Paul out of the secoÌ„d chapter to yâ— EphesiaÌ„s we also were by nature the childreÌ„ of wrath as are others Why doth he say we were Bycause sayth he by hope nowe we are not for in deede we are so still But we speake that which is better namely that which we are in hope bycause we are certaine of our hope For our hope is not vncertaine so that we should doubt of it And Chrisostome vpon the. 5. chapter vnto the Romanes sayth that we ought no les to be fully perswaded of those things which we shall receaue theÌ„ we ar of those things which we haue alredy receaued Cyprian also in his sermon of the pestilence when he sawe the godly fearefull to dye many wayes confirmeth them to be sure of theyr saluation and amoÌ„gst all other things saith that they are afeard and abhorre death which are without hope or fayth And Bernardus wonderfully reioyseth of the 〈…〉 of Christ of his wounds and crosse In that rocke he sayth he standeth and shall not fall for no violence done against him He maketh mencion also of many excellent things touching this firm and coÌ„stant certainty Wherfore those things which we haue auouched of the constancy and security of hope agree not only with the holy scriptures and with most sure reasons but also with the sentences of the fathers Now it shal be good to define hope that yâ— certainty therof may the more plainly be known Wherfore hope is a faculty or power breathed into vs Definition of hope by the holy ghost wherby we with an assured and patient minde wayte for that the saluation begonne by Christ and receaued of vs by fayth should one day be perfited in vs not for our merites but through the mercy of god First it is said to be instilled of the holighost bicause that springeth not of nature or of our coÌ„tinual actioÌ„s It is indede after faith although not in time yet in nature which thing we may perceaue by epistle vnto the Hebrues Where it is written that Hope is after faith that faith is the fouÌ„datioÌ„ of things to be hoped for For forasmuch as the things which we hope for ar not euideÌ„t manifest but ar a gret way far of froÌ„ vs they ought to cleaue fast vnto faith wherby as by a certain brase or sure post they may be staied vp And yâ—
whose God he is a saluation which endureth but for a tyme for this thing haue brute beasts at his hand and the wicked also Moreouer Christ the most true interpreter of the law teacheth the selfe same thing For a young man demaunding of him what shall I doo to possesse eternall lyfe He made aunswere Keepe the commaundementes if thou wilt enter into lyfe This place moste plainly proueth that the talke was of eternall lyfe Neither is it anye meruaile that the Lawe is the woorde of God whose propriety is to bring lyfe with it so that it be receaued Although the Law The law the Gospell are diuersly receiued The worde of God bringeth lyfe and the Gospell are not receaued after one and the selfe same maner For the Lawe is receaued by doing and moste exactly performyng that whiche is commaunded But the Gospell is receaued by a lyuely and effectuall assent of fayth And that the propriety of the woorde of GOD is to bryng life it is manifest by the creation of thinges wherin God called those thinges whiche were not and streight way they had being And Christ also many tymes said y◠his wordes are life which thing the Apostels also ment when they sayd Thou hast the wordes of life c. And Paul most manifestly before in this selfe same Epistle in y◠7. chap. writeth of the Lawe that it is spirituall And of the commaundement of God he affirmeth that it is iust holy and good and ordayned vnto lyfe Moses also in the 30. chapiter of Deut. writeth of the selfe same lawe that he had set before the people lyfe and death manifestly declaring that if the Lawe were receaued and fulfilled The promises of the law art by supposition The promises of the law were vnto the trāsgressors of the law turned 〈…〉 o a cu 〈…〉 e. The promises of the law freely follow the good work◠of thē that are iustified it would bring with it lyfe and that eternall lyfe But for that wee are debarred of this commoditye our mercifull God hath prouided an other woorde namely the word of fayth which if by assenting vnto it it be receaued hath with it lyfe By this place it is euident that the promises of the Lawe are giuen by supposition or condition of workes going before So that if these workes be not performed the promises are made voyde yea rather in stede of them succeedeth a curse which thing was declared in Deutero when vpon Mount Garizim and Hebal were recited the blessinges and cursinges But in the Gospell if vnto promises be annexed workes they are not to be taken either as desertes or as causes of those promises but we must thus thinke that those giftes of God which are promised follow after workes although those workes be not perfect and absolute as they are commaunded in the Law But the righteousnes which is of faith speaketh on this wyse Saye not in thine hart who shall ascend into heauen that is to bring Christ from aboue c. As the fyrst righteousnes is sayd to consist in doing so this all whole standeth in beleuing For if thou haue the word nere thee that is if thou beleue in thine hart thou shalt obtaine saluation The Apostle séemeth by the figure Prosopopaeia to bryng in the ryghteousnes of fayth thus speakyng as though it should say Say not in thine hart c. Although we may reade it other wyse namely that Paule putteth forth this sentence absolutely But the righteousnes which is of faith And straight way he addeth this he sayth as though Moses should speake of it But which way so euer we reade it it is no great matter But this is certain that he declareth the nature of faith What is that fayth which engēdreth righteousnes by the propertie thereof that we should not thinke that euery kinde of faith bringeth righteousnes but onelye an assured and constant fayth For this is the nature of fayth to exclude all ambiguitie and doubtes For if we should with feare and suspition geue our assent that assent should be but an opinion and not faith Seing therefore that there are two principall thinges set forth vnto vs to be beleued namely that Christ perpetually obtaineth of the father grace and reconciliation for vs and that by hys death he hath ouercome eternall death Of these two humaine reason doubteth and therefore it is brought in of Paul as though Incredulity of mans hart it should say And who shall ascend vp into heauen to see that God is pacified towards vs through Christ Or who shall go downe into the deepe to see that eternall death is by hym broken and extinguished After this sorte is the vnbeleuing mynde woont to wauer which thing Paule by the figure Mimesis expresseth These cogitacions ought fayth to driue away and onely to looke vpon the goodnes and power An example of Abraham of God Which thing our Apostle before did notably teache that Abraham did for when he had sayd that Abraham beleued it was imputed vnto him to righteousnes he declared how his fayth resisted such reasoninges He considered no◠saith he his body now in a maner dead nor the wombe of Sara now past child bearing The property of faith is to mortifye the assaults of reason but gaue glory to God most fully knowing that he was able to performe the things which he had promised And so in hope he beleued against hope Wherfore the propertye of fayth is to mortifie these assaultes of reason Say not in thine hart The Apostle therfore wrote this for that althoughe these cogitaciōs of reason be not expressed by the mouth or by the wordes yet they We can not let but that euil motiōs of the mind will aryse Paul was accused as an enemy to Moses wander abrode in the harte Neyther doubtles can we let but that such cogitations will assault our minde howbeit we are taught to resist them For he which geueth place to these thinges both denieth Christ and also despayreth of saluation Paul not without iust cause cited Moses For he was accused as though he were an enemy to Moses and preached that men should fall away from him Wherefore his meaning is to declare that he is not agaynst Moses but rather teacheth the selfe same thinges that he taught wherefore we may say that he turneth y◠argument of the aduersaries agaynst themselues They sayd We will not receaue the righteousnes of fayth for that we beleue Moses Yea rather sayth Paul forasmuch as ye beleue Moses ye ought to follow thys The ministery of Moses and the ministery of the Gospell in what sort they differ righteousnes But if Moses preach the righteousnes of fayth how is his ministery distinguished from the ministery of Christ and of the Gospell Iohn sayth The law was geuen by Moses but grace by Iesus Christ And if he preached the righteousnes of fayth he also brought grace Vnto this question we answere That Moses
imitate to approue the glory of God so often as occasion serueth with all our harte to wishe it and with a willing and glade assent to affirme and ratify it Of Iustification BVt now to make an end of the long disputation which we haue had it shall not be amisse more fully to entreate of Iustification which is the The questiō put forth scope and end of all that which Paul hath hitherto spoken of And in this sort let the question be put forth Whether men be iustified by workes or by fayth But first of all it shall be good to pease and discusse the woordes of the question proposed and let vs beginne with this woord Iustification The signification of this worde to iustifie This verbe Tsada with the Hebrues in the first coniugation signifieth to be iust But if it be transferred vnto the third coniugation it signifieth to transferre righteousnes into an other and to make iust for this is the nature of the forme of those verbes which they call Hiphil Euen as Amad signifieth to stand so Heamid signifieth to appoint that is to make an other thing to stand Wherfore Hitsadik in the Hebrue signifieth to iustifie that is to make one iust which thinge God is said two maner of wayes to iustifie when it is done of God is done of him two maner of wayes For sometymes he doth in very deede bring forth righteousnes in men First when with his holy spirite he frameth them agayne wholy reneweth them in restoring the strengths of their mindes and deliuering the powers of man from a great part of his naturall corruption and this is the first righteousnes which sticketh and cleaueth to our mindes by the benefite of God thorough Christ Then when he hath so restored and made them new agayne he geueth good and holy workes by the vse and frequency of which workes is engendred in our minds a quality or as they call it an habite whereby we are made prone to lyue honestly and holyly And we deny not but this kind of righteousnes is in the harts of the regenerate But sometimes God iustifieth in absoluing vs from sinnes and ascribing and imputing vnto vs righteousnes And then this woord Hitsadik is a woord taken of the lawe whiche pertayneth to iudgements as also this word Hirsehig ▪ which signifieth to declare one to be wicked and hurtfull And to iustifie is by iudgement words testimony and affirmation to count one for iust And forasmuch as there are two significations of this word to iustifie namely eyther in deede or in accompt and estimation And God is the author of either of them whether of these two shal we followe We now in treate of the latter forme of iustification in the disputation proposed Forsothe the latter and that for because the renouation inspired by the spirite of God and our righteousnes as touching the habite gotten by good workes are whilest we lyue here so vnperfect and mayned that if iudgement should be geuen by them we were neuer able to stand before the iudgement seate of God Besides that Paul disputing of this matter after he had brought forth the authority of Dauid and a testimony of the history of Abraham in Genesis vseth this word of imputing and by the proper signification thereof he reasoneth touching this present cause or question And this I suppose to be sufficient as touching the declaration of the first word namely of Iustification Now let vs entreate of fayth A man with the Hebrues in the first coniugation signifieth to be firme which self same verbe in the third coniugation which as I What this worde faith signifieth haue sayd is called Hiphil signifieth to geue constancy and assurednes to any promise or thing Wherefore the Latines say Fidem homini aut verbis tribuere which is in Englishe to geue fayth vnto a man or vnto words and it signifieth as much as if a man should say to beleue Wherefore this Hebrue verbe Heemin signifieth none other thing then to suppose or thinke a thing to be firme constant and sure And as touching God he which beleueth not him maketh him a lyar For Iohn sayth in his first Epistle the 5. chapiter He which beleueth not God maketh him a lyar Which thing how greauous a sinne it is let euery man consider with himself Contrariwise he which beleueth God adorneth him with glory and honour For in this Epistle to the Romanes it is written of Abraham that he staggered not thorough doubting in hauing consideration to his own body being now almost dead or to the wombe of Sara being past child bearing but gaue the glory vnto God being strong in fayth and fully persuaded that he was able to performe whatsoeuer he would Wherefore there semeth to be a certayne Analogye or proportion betwene this verbe to beleue and to iustifie as we in this place take it for as to iustifie An analogy or proportiō betwene to beleue and to iustify A double certainty of faith is by iudgement and estimation to ascribe righteousnes to a man and not to make him to be in very deede iust so to beleue is not in very deede to make the words and promises of any man sure and firme but to thinke and setle with our selfes that so they are But this acte of beleuing whereof we now intreate hath two maner of firmenes and certaynety First of the things namely of the words and promises of God which abide much more firmely then heauen and earth Secondly as touching the persuasion which forasmuch as it is wrought by the power of God is also most firme and most certayne and of an assured persuasion that is that it is neuer naked but alwayes draweth with it many and sundry motions An assured persuasiō is not naked ▪ it draweth with it also other motions of the mynde of the mind For experience and dayly vse teacheth that in things ciuile a man being well and fully persuaded of pleasaunt promises is filled with confidence reioyseth sheweth a mery contenaunce is glad and pleasaunt and cleaueth vnto hym that made the promise so that he doth by all meanes allowe him But contrariwise when he beleueth not the persuasion he laugheth at it neglecteth and contemneth it or waxeth cold and bendeth the browe wherefore it can neuer be that he which beleueth in very deede can want such affections whiche are accustomed to followe a full and stronge persuasion And therfore those that are the pure professors of the Gospell do iustly affirme that to beleue hath a very greate coniunction with action or withe the motion of confidence hope and such like affections But most of all with a sincere and firme affiance which it alwayes draweth with it Whereby it commeth to passe that in the holy Scriptures promises are made Vnto true faith is ioyned an assured confidence Promises are in the scriptures geuen both vnto saith also to cōfidence Why in the olde Testamēt is
he writeth vnto the Gentiles Wherefore those workes which he excludeth from iustification can not be vnderstand of ceremonies for the Gentiles obserued not them But what will they say of the epistle vnto Timothe where in the second chapiter we are simply absolutely sayd to be called not for our works but according to purpose and grace Also vnto Titus He hath saued vs saith he not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to hys mercy All these thinges are so playne and manifest that they nede no interpretacion For there is no man so dull but that as sone as he once heareth these thinges easely perceaueth that they can not without greate iniury be wrested vnto the ceremonies and rites of Moses But I would fayne know of these men why they take a way the power of instifieng from the workes of ceremonies and do so easely attribute it vnto morall workes Is it not a good and laudable maner to worshipe God which certayne appoynted rites which he himselfe hath commaunded Were not the rites and sacred seruites which were at that time prescribed vnto the people of the Iewes commaunded in the ten commaundementes Vndoubtedly where the Sabaoth is commaunded to be obserued there are all these thinâ—s conteyned And eueÌ„ these selfe same Sophisters doo they not at this day attribute the forgeuenes of sinnes and collation of grace vnto theyr sacramentes as in the old testament they were attributed vnto circumcision What man of constancy is this one while to say that the rites of Moses haue no power to iustify and an other while to graunt that the same were sacramentes of the old fathers and that in circumcision originall The inconstancy 〈…〉 e Sâ—pl if â—s sinne was forgeuen vnto infantes But this affirme not we yea we rather vtterly deny that any sacraments conferre grace They doo indede offer grace but SacrameÌ„ts conferre not grace yet by signification For in sacramentes and wordes and visible signes is lette forth vnto vs the promise of God made thorough Christ which promise if we take hold of by fayth we both obteyne a greater grace then that was which before we had and with the seale of the sacramentes we seale the gifte of God which by faith we embrased But I can not inough meruayle at these men which both affirme An other cauillation and also deny one and the selfe same thing They graunte but not with any great warines as theyr accustomed maner is that they vtterly take not away from the sacraments of the elders and chiefely from circumcision the strength of iustifying but onely since the time that the Gospell was published abrode of which time only say they the contencion of Paul sprange that the rites of Moses should no more be retayned But here also according to theyr accustomed maner they are both deceiue theÌ„selues also they deceiue others For when yâ— Apostle teacheth yâ— AbrahaÌ„ was not iustified by circumcisioÌ„ but receaued it afterward being now iustified by fayth vndoubtedly he taketh away the power of iustefying from that ceremony euen also in the time of Abraham wherein it was first instituted Dauid also wheÌ„ he affirmeth that blessednes herein consisteth that sinnes should not be imputed which thing as we now reason is nothinge ells then to be iustified speaketh he of his owne time or of any other time Abacuck also when he sayth that the iust maÌ„ liueth by his fayth and excludeth workes from iustifieng as Paul manifestly expoundeth him spake he only of his owne time thinke you Vndoubtedly he spake both of our time and also of his owne time Lastly when Paul expressedly writeth vnto the Galathians in the third chapiter As many as are of the law are vnder the curse and goeth on in prouyng that sentence wherehence I beseche you seeketh he a testemony Vndoubtedly out of the law Cursed sayth he be he which abideth not in all the thinges that are written in booke of the law Seing therefore the Law so speaketh and that as Paul sayth it wrappeth in a curse all those which traÌ„sgresse An other cauillation the commaundementes thereof then followeth it of necessity that by those works which pertayne vnto it no man can be iustified But these men go to an other shifte for they say that all those which are to be iustefied are not of one and the selfe same condition For such which come to christianity are eyther of yâ— Hebreues They put a differeÌ„ce betwene those which are first conuerted vnto Christ and those which hauing sallâ—n are restored or ells of the Gentiles certayne also after they haue once receaued Christ do fall into greauous wicked crimes and haue nede againe of instauration Nowe say they the state and consideration of both these partes is not a like For they whiche haue once professed the name of a Christian when they are fallen can not recouer righteousnes but by good workes as by almes geuing teares fasting confessions and such other which preparations and merites are not required of those which from infidelity are first conuerted vnto Christ But I would first heare of these good wise men out of what place of the holy scriptures they found this theyr distinction And seing the maner of iustification is vtterly one and the selfe same and portayneth as well to the one as to the other why ought the one to come vnto it one way the other an other way Farther why do they attribute this vnto those that are fallen in Christianity by theyr workes to merite vnto themselues iustification but vnto those which come from infidelity they attribute not the same Are they whiche haue not kept fayth when they were in the Church better then the They whiche fall froÌ„ christiaÌ„ religion are of worser estate then infidels Ethnikes I thinke not vndoubtedly for they which haue once tasted of the swete word of God and do afterward fall from it are in worse estate theÌ„ the other And the seruaunt which knoweth the will of his master and doth it not is greeuoslier punished Also He which hath not a care ouer his and especially ouer his house hold the same man hath denied the fayth is worse then an infidele But they say they deny not but yâ— they which are conuerted froÌ„ infidelity may do some good workes yea and yâ— they may if they do theÌ„ after some sort deserue iustification at the lest way of congruity but that these works are alike required as well of those as of the other they deny But forasmuch as al their works as I haue ells where taught are sins how caÌ„ they do good works before God Moreouer how are not good works required of theÌ„ before they come vnto Christ are baptised WheÌ„ as none which are regenerate by Christ caÌ„ beleue truly vnles he earnestly repent him of his former wicked life For he abouÌ„daÌ„tly bewaileth the sins of his former life confesseth yâ— he hath greauously erred
before that grace And in the 25. chapter We ought to preach and to beleue that by the sinne of the first man free will is so decayed and diminished that no man afterwarde can either loue God as he ought to do or beleue in God or for Gods sake to worke that which is good vnles the grace and mercy of God preuent him Wherfore iust Abell Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob and all the saintes in the olde tyme are in the Epistle vnto the Hebrues sayd by faith to haue done those thinges which are in the holy scriptures mencioned to haue ben done by theÌ„ which faith we haue before taught to come of God And Paul writeth of himself I haue obtained mercy that I might be faithful But he saith not I haue obteyned mercy because I was before faithfull but contrariwise And in the self same chapter This also we plainly confesse and beleue that in euery good worke it is not we our selues that do first begin and afterward are holpen wyth the mercye of God but that he first inspireth in vs both fayth and the loue of hym and that without any of our merites goyng before Wherefore we must without all doubt beleue that both Zacheus and the thiefe and also Cornelius attayned not to beleue by nature but by the gift of the goodnes of God These thinges haue I alleaged out of the Synode of Arausicanum peraduenture more largely then may seme to be conuenient for this place but for this cause haue I the willinglier done it for that I saw that al those things which are there affirmed are confirmed by the holy scriptures and do excedingly muche serue for our purpose Such Councels vndoubtedly gentle Reader are to be harkened vnto which leane vnto the worde of God For whatsoeuer commoditie or discommoditie the church hath the same ought wholy to be ascribed vnto the obseruation or contempte of the worde of God For in the olde and auncient councels how were Arius Eunomius Nestorius Eutiches and other pestiferous heretikes onercome but by the worde of God For without doubt they could neuer by any other engines be ouercome and vanquished And contrariwise when began yâ— church to geue place vnto abuses supersticions but when the word of God was conteÌ„ned And now in our times vnles the word of God had bene sought for and called agayne in a maner out of exile how could we euer haue bene deliuered from the tiranny of the Pope Let these few thinges be a warning vnto vs not rashly to beleue euery councell but let vs receiue those councels only which haue soundly Tridentinum consilium coÌ„firmed the decrées of their doctrine by the scriptures But to make that which I say more manifest I will speake somewhat of the Councell of Trent that by the contrary the truth may yâ— better be vnderstand In that Councel the 5. SessioÌ„ from the 5. chap. vnto the 11. chap. is entreated of iustification There these good holy Fathers namely the hirelinges of the Pope do thus decrée That the beginning of iustification is of grace But what grace they there vnderstaÌ„d they straight way make plaine For thus they say It calleth and it stirreth vp they which are to be iustified are so holpeÌ„ by it that beyng called and stirred vp they geue assent vnto this grace and worke therwith and are made apt to regeneration but this assent and workyng together they affirme as the wordes declare to be done by frée will What more could Pelagius say if he were now on lyue For neither did he also deny grace if thou take it for an admonitioÌ„ calling and stirring vp He also attributed this vnto What is the worke of grace in â—â—stificatioÌ„ frée will that it had power to assent and to obey the commaundements of God But the grace which the holy scriptures set forth vnto vs renueth our vnderstaÌ„ding and will and in stead of a stony hart geueth vs a fleshy hart For it doth not only counsel our reason but also fully persuadeth it and boweth and changeth the will Our men of Trent graunt in dede that God toucheth the hart of man by yâ— illumination of the holy ghost but lest a man himself should do nothing they adde yâ— he receiueth the inspiration as he which may also refuse it Wherfore they fully coÌ„clude yâ— it pertaineth to man to receaue although they confesse that he can not do that vnles he be called and stirred vp by grace But how can the hart of man vnles it be renued by the spirite and grace of God receaue those thinges agaynst which by reason of his nature being yet corrupt and vitiate it resisteth Assuredly though it be neuer so much stirred vp taught and moued yet vnles it be vtterly chaunged it wil continually withst and and resist Wherfore Augustine It is not in our power that those thinges which are set forth vnto vs should please vs. ad Simplicianum writeth very well That it is not in our power that those thynges which are set forth vnto vs should be acceptable and pleasant vnto vs. But we chuse not that thing which is neither acceptable nor pleasant though we haue neuer so many admonishers to stirre vs vp As if there should be offered vnto a sicke man good healthfull meates and very pleasantly dressed yet because they are neither pleasant nor acceptable vnto him he refuseth them though there stand many by and say vnto him that those meates are wholesome and very well dressed The selfe same thing vndoubtedly happeneth vnto a minde not yet regenerate but that as touching the receiuing of the grace of God there can be done no violence vnto the minde but the sicke person may be compelled to take meates that are vnto him vnpleasaunt Wherfore so long as our will and vnderstanding is not changed by the spirite of God it will not admit any healthfull admonitions And euen as a sicke person before he be restored to health neither abideth nor gladly receiueth meates when they are offered him so also the minde of man vnlesse it be chaunged from infidelitie to faith from impietie to godlines as saith the Synode of Arausicanum it neither obeyeth nor geueth place vnto grace which calleth and stirreth it vp which thing yet the good Fathers A place of Zachary declared of Trent affirme But lest they should seme to speake without scriptures they bring forth two testimonies The one out of the first chap. of Zacharie Bee ye conuerted vnto me and I will be conuerted vnto you This say they hath a respecte vnto the man who is commaunded that euen in iustification he shoulde doo somewhat But Ieremy sayth Conuert vs Lord and we shall be conuerted by which word is declared that vnto this conuersion is also required the helpe of God And by this meanes they deuide the whole matter betwene God and man But Augustine many other of the Fathers ascribe the whole acte of our iustification vnto God onely But as touching
put But Pighius sayth farther that God requireth these woorkes that he may◠fréelye impute vnto vs iustification Whosoeuer is but euen slenderlye exercised in the holye Scriptures shall easelye sée that thys man is euen directlye repugnaunt vnto Paul For he in the Epistle to the Romaines sayth Vnto hym whych worketh not a reward is imputed accordyng to grace But Pighius sayth vnto him which worketh God imputeth righteousnes fréely But to impute fréely and not to impute fréely euery childe may sée that they are contradictories But mark gentle Reader this reason of two members These workes which he speaketh of either profite vnto iustification or else profite not If they profite not why calleth he them preparations For amongst causes are reckened also causes preparatory But if he will say that they profite are in very déede causes preparatories with what mouthe can he affirme that he plucketh away nothing from the honoure of Christ but appoynteth him to be the whole and absolute cause of our iustificatiō But peraduenture this two membred argument a man will turne vpon vs touching those works which follow iustification For he wil say either they are profitable to obtaine saluation or they are not profitable If they be not profitable Wherunto good works profite after iustificatiō why are they required and why are their promises setforth vnto thē But if they be why doe we not allowe merite to be in them I answer that suche workes are profitable vnto men regenerate for that they liuing vprightly and orderly are renewed and made more perfect But that is nothing else but a certaine inchoation and as it were a participation of eternall life Farther it hath séemed good vnto God by suche meanes or rather by suche spaces to bring men vnto eternal felicitie But we can not cal these workes merites For Paul expressedly teacheth that the stipend of sinne is death but eternall life is grace But that which is giuen fréely vtterly excludeth merite And in the meane time we ought to remember that That which is geuē frely excludeth merite there is a great difference as we haue oftentimes taught betwene their works which are as yet straungers from Christ and from God and their workes which are now by grace grafted into Christ and made his members Afterward also he goeth about to confute that which we say that a man is iustified by that faith which hath a respecte vnto the promises of Christ and of the remission of sinnes as though we holde that faith is the proper correlatiue of such promises For he saith that faith hath equally a respect vnto all the thinges which are set forth in the holy scriptures Yea saith he he doth vnto God a thing no les acceptable which beleueth that he created the world or beleueth the thre persons of the diuinitie or the resurrection to come then he which beleueth that Christe was giuen to be our mediator and that by him is to be obtained the remission of sinnes For that faith is of no lesse worthinesse then the other And if we be iustified by faith he contendeth that that faith no lesse pertaineth to the other articles then to the remission of sinnes by Christ And this he thinketh may be proued by that which Paul wryteth in the. 4. chapiter vnto the Romaines And not for him only were these things written but also for vs vnto whome it shal be imputed so that we beleue in him which hath raised vp Christ from the dead Beholde saith he that faith is imputed vnto vs vnto righteousnesse whereby we beleue that God raised vp Christ from the dead and not that faith whereby we beleue that sinnes are forgiuen vs by Christ First here we confesse that our faith assēteth vnto all the things which are contained in the holy scriptures But forasmuche as amongste them there is but onely one principall and excellent truthe vnto which all the other truthes are directed namely that Christ the sonne of God suffred for vs that by him we might receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes what meruail is it if our faith haue a respect vnto this one thing chiefly For this our assumpt Paul proueth For he saith that Christ is the end of the law Wherfore séeing he is the end of al the scriptures he is also the summe and principall obiecte of our faith although otherwise Christ is the principal obiect of our faith by our faith we also embrase all other thinges which are contained in the holy scriptures And whereas he addeth that the faith which is of the other articles is no lesse acceptable vnto God then this faith which concerneth Christ and the remission of sinnes we may first say that that is not true if a man rightly way the dignitie of the action of faith For the dignitie of faith as also the dignitie of other suche like kindes of powers is measured by the obiects For as those obiects differ one from an other in excellency and dignitie so the assētings of faith ought according The dignity of faith is mesured by the obiect to the same to be counted inferior or of more excellency Séeing therefore God would in suche sort haue his sonne to die and that men should be by him reconciled that for this he hath instituted all the other things to be beleued which are set forth in the holy scriptures we can not put any doubt but that this pleased him much more then the other For that the other are directed vnto this as vnto their end And this is a common rule amongst the Logicians Euery thyng is such a thyng by reason of an other wherfore that other thyng shall much more be such Wherfore this actiō of faith wherby we assēt vnto this most noble truth ought to excell al other actiōs of faith whatsoeuer they be And so it is not by a thing like acceptable vnto God whither a man beleue this or that If we should vse this answere I know Pighius were neuer able to confute it but we say moreouer that he in vain contendeth about the greater or lesse dignitie of faith as touching this or that article For we are not iustified by the dignitie of faith For it is in euery mā weak◠and féeble But we therefore say that we are iustified by faith bicause by it as by We are not iustified by the dignity of fayth an instrument vnto this ende giuen vnto vs and by God appointed we apply Christ vnto vs and take holde of the forgiuenesse of sinnes Wherefore the worthinesse or vnworthinesse therof is to no purpose considered But that which he bringeth out of the. 4. Chapiter of the Romaines he bringeth cut of and maimed For if a man read the ful and perfect sentence he shal easely sée that plaine mention is there made of the death of Christ and of the remission of sinnes which by it we haue obtained For Paul saith that vnto vs it shall be imputed as it was vnto Abraham if
chapiter of Genesis where is described that excellent worke of Abraham that he refused not to slay his only sonne and to offer him vnto God And therefore God said vnto him from heauen Because thou hast done this thing I haue sworne by my selfe that in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seede that it shal be as the starres of heauen and as the sand of the sea it shall possesse the gates of his enemies and in thee shall all nations be blessed Behold here sayth he are promises geuen for workes sake and thereunto is added a most faithful oth but there is no mencion at al made of faith Wherefore saith he God hath more regard vnto workes then vnto fayth This speaketh he with a stout stomake but according to y◠Prouerbe The mountaynes would be brought to bed and out cōmeth a poore sely mouse Wherfore if a mā would demaund what I thinke as touching this thing I would answer that it is a notable and most excellēt history out of which yet can not be gathered that which this man exclaimeth First here is no mencion made of iustification What serueth it then to that matter whereof we now entreate So often as any thing is called in controuersy we must runne to such certayne and assured places in which is entreated of the selfe same thing and not vnto those places in which it may be answered that they entreat of an other matter Of this nature is that place whiche Paul citeth as touching this thing Abraham beleued in God and it was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes But as touching this history I willingly graunt that Abraham by that worke obteyned a certayne more ample benefite then he before had by fayth not indede either in substance or number or quantity of the promises but in a sound and firme certaynty For although he doubted not but that whatsoeuer thinges he beleued God would faithfully render vnto him yet afterward when he had done those excellent dedes he was more fully perswaded of the verity of his fayth and constancy of the promise and strength of the righteousnes imputed vnto him I deny not but that by that excellent worke Abraham obtayned these thinges What is there here that Pighius should boast of What new thing is here promised What couenant not heard of before or new oth is here set forth Nothing is here rehersed which was not before made mencion of For the couenant which is here made was before ordayned partly when Circumcision was apointed and partly in that sacrifice wherin was commaunded that y◠beasts shoulde be deuided partly on the right hand and partly on the left as though they which should swere and make the couenaunt should passe thorough the middest For that maner was also vsed amongst the men of Athenes as Demostenes declareth in his oration agaynst Aristocrates Farther we can not deny but that Abraham A maner amongst thē of Athens ▪ was iustified before For euen before it was sayd Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes And seing the matter is so although afterward were added some promise yet will that make nothing agaynst vs. For we deny not but that those workes which follow iustification are both good and also do please God and are recompensed of him although fréely yet with great ample giftes Now resteth only to declare an other way how to vnderstand this clause Because thou hast done these things c. And this pertayneth vnto the certaynty whereof we before made mencion which as we haue sayd is from the effectes and as they vse to speake a posteriori that is from the latter And that thou shouldest not thinke that this is of myne owne inuention go read Augustine in his questions vpō Genesis For he diligētly peiseth these words Now I know that thou fearest God was God saith he ignorant of this before Had he any néede of this triall when as he is the searcher of the raynes and of the heart Nothing les saith he For here this word I know is nothing else but I haue made thée to know or I haue made plaine and manifest Wherefore here is not rendred a reason of the promises by the cause but after the selfe same maner vndoubtedly by which it was said of the sinfull woman Many sinnes are forgiuen hir bicause she hathe loued much Of which place we haue so largely before entreated that now there is no néede at all of any repeticion Pighius hath framed an other obiection out of the. 18. chapiter of Ezechiel If the wicked man saith the Prophete vnder the person of God shall repent him of all his iniquities and shall doe all my commaundements I wil no more remember all his iniquities Here saith Pighius we sée that iustification which is the forgiuenesse of sinnes is not promised vnto faith but vnto perfect repentaunce and vnto the obseruation of the law of God And here his bristles so arise as though we must nedes now giue place But this argument if it be more narowly considered is bothe vayne and trifling For we easely graunt that if a man perfectly repent him of all his iniquities and doe all the commaundements of God he shall haue iustification by workes None of vs euer denied this But here is the payne this is the trauayle to finde such a one as being not yet iustified hath performed this And where I pray thée Pigghius is that thine interpretation wherein thou before saydst that God requireth not that we should performe all the commaundements but that he of his mercy remitteth many thinges For here thou hast brought a most manifest testimony agaynst thy selfe But to returne to the matter Forasmuch as mā neither performeth nor also cā performe those things which are set forth both of the Prophet of the law what resteth there then but that he should come humbly vnto Christ and hauing through fayth fréely receaued iustification of him should by grace and the spirite now giuen vnto him do perfect repentaunce so muche as this life will suffer and beginne by an obedience to obey the law of God Entreting of this argument there came to my remembrance the olde Philosopher Antisthenes For when a certaine glorious yong man which was one of his scholers boasted that he had a ship laden with excellent marchaundises and when it were arriued he would giue vnto him an excellent gifte and this song was euermore in his mouth so that he was irksome to the hearer Antisthenes brought him forth into the market place and in a certaine shop bought a few elles of cloth and hauing them in his hand when Antisthenes not hauing paid the money began to go his way the Marchaunt called him backe againe Hoo good fellow saith he before thou depart pay me my money Then Antisthenes shewing him the yonge man This man said he shal pay thée so soone as his ship is arriued So will I answers vnto
without any merite much more are we without any merite either of cōgurity or of worthines receaued into It is not in our power to be touched with that sight wherby the will may be moued vnto faith adoption And vnto Simplicianus in the first booke and 2. question who sayth he can lyue vpryghtly and worke iustly except he be iustified by fayth Who can beleue except he be touched by some calling that is by some testification of thyngs who hath in hys power to haue hys mynde touched wyth such a sight whereby the wyll may be moued vnto fayth And in his 61. sermon vpon Iohn All sinnes sayth he are comprehended vnder the name of infidelity And he addeth That fayth can not be wythout hope and charity Which thing also he most playnly teacheth vpon the 31. Psalme The same father in his 1. booke and 19. chapiter against the 2. epistles of the Pelagians at large entreateth after what maner we are drawen of God and amongst other thinges sayth that the Pelagians would to much triumph ouer the Christians if they had not the worde of drawing in the holy scriptures But forasmuch as that word is expressed euen in the Gospell they haue now vtterly no place whereunto to flye There are infinite other places in Augustine which confirme thys sentence whiche nowe for briefenes sake I thinke good to ouerpasse Cyrillus agaynst Iulianus in his 1. booke and 14. page sayth The fayth of Abraham and ours is vtterly one and the same And the same author vpon Iohn in the 3. booke and 31. chapiter expounding this sentence This is the worke of God that ye beleue in hym whom he hath sent For fayth sayth he bryngeth saluation and grace iustifieth but the commaundements of the lawe rather condemneth Wherefore fayth in Christ is the worke of god In these words we ought to note that faith is it wherby is brought saluation and that we are iustified by grace And he declareth these things more plainly vpon John in his 9. booke and 32. chapiter vpon these words The fathers were iustified by the fayth of those promises which we beleue And whether I go ye know and ye know the way For we are iustified by fayth and are made pertakers of the diuine nature by the participation of the holy ghost Leo in his 13. Sermon of the Passion of the Lord The fathers sayth he beleued together wyth vs that the bloud of the sonne of God should be shed Wherefore there is nothyng dearely beloued straunge in Christian religion from the old significations nor at any tyme from the iust men that haue gone before vs but that saluation is in the Lord Iesus Christ which was hoped for This and many other like testimonies confute those chiefe which dare say that Abraham was indéede iustified but not by in Christ but by faith touching earthly promises But the same author may séeme to make agaynst vs in that that we say that true fayth is not found without charity For in his Sermon de Collect eleem he thus writeth of Sathā He knowing that God is denied not onely in wordes but also in deedes hath taken away charity from many from whome he could not take away fayth and possessing the field of theyr hart with the rootes of couetousnes he hath spoiled of the fruit of good works those whom he hath not depriued of the confession of their lippes These wordes if they be déepely considered make nothing at all agaynst vs. For we speake of a true sound and liuely fayth But Leo vnderstandeth onely a certaine outward profession of faith For when he would render a reason whereby it might appeare that fayth was not taken from them he setteth forth onely an outward confession of the lippes which we also graunt may consist without charity is oftentimes boasted of of many men which yet are most wicked And after this maner I suppose are to be expounded such like testimonies if any happen in the fathers Gregory Byshop of Rome in his 19. homely vppon Ezechiell We come not sayth he to fayth by workes but by fayth we attayne vnto vertues For Cornelius the Centurian came not vnto fayth by workes but by fayth came vnto workes For it is sayd Thy prayers and almes But how prayed he if he beleued not But that he now knew not that the mediator was incarnate by workes he came vnto a more fuller knowledge Hereby I would haue our aduersaries to know y◠fayth necessarily goeth be fore al good workes For they contend y◠morall works which are done of Ethniks and of men not yet beleuing in Christ are good Which thing is in this place of Gregory confuted The same author in his 2. booke and 25. chapiter de moralibus speaking of the same thing thus writeth Vnles fayth be first gotten in our harts all other thynges whatsoeuer they be can not in deede be good although they seeme good Bede vpon the 2. chapiter of Iames He onely beleueth truely which by working excerciseth that which he beleueth For fayth and charity can not be seperated a sender And this shall suffice as touching the Fathers But what these counsels Aphricanum Mileuitanum and Arausicanum teach concerning iustification fayth grace and workes we haue before at large declared in the first article This onely wil I now adde that our aduersaries when they say that God offreth his grace vnto all men and geueth his giftes vnto men that desire them and take hold of them and forgeueth sinnes to them that do that which they ought to do forasmuch as in the meane tyme they omit the breathing of the holy ghost and the power of God which draweth vs and the inward perswasion of the mynde and all those things which are most chiefly required in this matter are most manifestly against those coūsels which we haue now cited Howbeit I can not leaue vnspoken y◠in the counsell of Mence which was celebrated vnder Carolus Magnus in the 1. chapiter is cited Gregory who thus writeth He beleueth truely which by working excerciseth that which he beleueth Forasmuch therefore as we haue now hetherto spoken as touching this article namely that men are iustified by fayth in Christ and haue confirmed the same by scriptures haue ouerthrowen the obiections of our aduersaries and alleadged testimonyes of the Fathers to confirme our sentence let vs nowe come vnto the third article Wherefore we say that iustification consisteth of fayth only Which sentence The third article We are iustified by faith onely all those places of scriptures proue which teach that we are iustified fréely and those which affirme that iustification commeth without workes and those also which put an antithesis or contrariety betwene grace and workes All these places I say most truely conclude that we are iustified by fayth onely Although this word Onely be not red in the holy scriptures But that is not so much to be weighed for the signification of that word is of necessity
let vs first marke that it is the duety of a Christian mind to geue thanks vnto God What thing is most contrary vnto enuy as well for the good thinges of other men as for his owne which thinge is cleane contrary vnto enuy whose nature when it is of great force is to be sory for an other mans welfare or when it is not of great force but somewhat remisse yet at the least it little regardeth or reioyceth in the prosperity of others He sayth that he geueth thankes vnto his God It is not to be doubted but that God of his owne nature is common to all and yet the Sainctes do make The saints call God theyr God him proper vnto themselues not to this entent to exclude their fellowes and partners but they are prouoked thereunto by a certayne priuate feeling of the goodnes of God which stirreth them vp to vse this kind of speach Besides this they perceyue that certayne thinges are singularly graunted vnto them which vnto other are not geuen In which consideration we reade that God named himselfe the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob when as yet he was the God of all men Paule geueth thankes for the fayth of the Romanes for which thing contrarily other men were angry and offended Wherefore we see that in the Christians and in the vngodly there is a farre sundry mynde Through Iesus Christ He geueth thankes throughe him because by the Thankes are to be geuen through Christ selse same all good thinges are deryued vnto vs. And it is meete that by thys selfe same mean they return vnto the author again For we with our infirmity and weakenes wherewith we are infected do pollute the good and frce giftes of God when they are bestowed vpon vs. Wherefore if they should be referred vnto God as we haue them in vs they should easely waxe vile but thorough Christ they are purged and being through him offred vnto God they are made a sweete sauour Paule is in a maner in all his epistles stirred vp to geue thankes vnto God for theyr giftes vnto whom he writteth because he desired nothing more then that the name of God shoulde be sanctified and hys kingdome enlarged which thinge when he saw to haue successe straight way he brake forth into geuing of thankes Your fayth sayth he is published throughout the whole world As though he should haue sayd I do not in vayne geue thankes vnto God neyther do I alone perceaue the benefite of God towardes you but the whole world doth now vnderstand how deare you are vnto God Wherefore it must nedes be that the fayth of the Romanes was feruent and liuely and which wrought by charity otherwise it coulde not so easily be published throughout the whole world Neyther was this a smale worke of God that the Gospell was spred The Gospell was wonderfully spread abroade in the tyme of Paule The exceeding great idolatry of the Romanes abroad so quickly that in Paules tyme as he here testefieth vnto the Romanes and also vnto the Collossians it was amply sowed throughout the whole world But by this word VVhole we must vnderstand the principal and chiefe partes of the world and without doubt it was wonderful meruellous how the Romanes being ouerwhelmed with supersticions for when they had ouercome the world they called vnto themselues deuelishe Gods out of all partes of the world at the length should repent and geue their mindes to the true religion Further in that Paule sayth he geueth thankes prayeth for them he admonisheth them what they should do namely that they also should geue thankes and The childrē of God do fynd in euery creature occasion of geuinge thankes pray for him Let vs in this place behold that it is the nature of the children of God to fynd in euery creature occasion to geue thankes vnto God for this is their endeuour continually to seeke God but he is euery where Wherefore forasmuch as they perceaue him to be euery where they geue him thankes for all thinges for that there is nothing so discommodious but that some way it turneth them to good On the contrary part we may sée that the vngodly and The vngodly do neuer truly geue thanks vnto God the children of the deuill are neuer at rest neyther haue they any thing so commodious or quiet which troubleth them not And whilest they alwayes fixe their eyes vpon molestious and greuous thinges they neuer from their hart geue thankes vnto God yea they alwayes both blaspheme him are vnquiet He commendeth vnto them the fayth which they had receaued to the ende they should not lightly regard or esteme it And the alteracions of the Church of Rome are much to be lamented which being here so highly praysed for the religion The church of Rome hath degee generated The church hath not alwayes the selfe same abiding places which it receaued hath afterward so degenerated that it is now made the seate of Antichrist whereby we are admonished that the Church abideth not alwayes in one and the selfe same state and place It dayly chaungeth his abiding places and wandreth from nation to nacion There were not long agoe in the East most noble Churches namely at Hierusalem Antioche Alexandria and Constantinople where at this day reigneth the filthines of Mahumet and those Christians which liue there are addicted vnto infinite supersticions and do by litle and litle degenerate into a straunge religion Wherefore the sentence of our sauior is most true wherein he pronounced that the last should be first and the first last Neither is thys to be lefte vnspoken of that the Apostle myndyng to commend the Romanes which had receaued the Religiō of Christ calleth the same Religion is called fayth Religiō fayth to the end we should vnderstād that therof depēdeth our holines Thou shalt find that same kinde of prayse ascribed vnto y◠Thessalonians in the former A praise geuen vnto the Thessalonians Epistle the. 1. Chap where Paul writeth that they were a paterne an exāple to all them whiche beleued both in Macedonia and also in Achaia so that their fayth was now euery where published But of the Romanes the admiration is y◠greater as Chrisostome testifieth for as much as they had most large Chrisostome What things might feare away the Romanes from beleuyng dominions abounded in riches and ouerflowed on euery side with pleasures all which thinges make men to shrinke from sound religion Farther it was meruellous that they gaue credite vnto the Iewes men otherwise hated of all nacions being also fisher men and vnlearned and as touching the world men most abiect especially whē they had heard preached vnto thē a man that was crucified conuersante in Iewrye whome they had neuer seene and were taughte to hope that all good thinges shoulde come vnto thē from him which had bene so cruelly put to death neither was there any felicity promised thē
which in the first state of nature liued godly Therfore the simboles The godly had holy rites also before the law or outwad signes of rites are in dede by reason of the diuersity of tymes oftentymes chaunged but the thinges remayne the selfe same Moreouer by the wordes of Paule is gathered that Circumcision profitâ—th so that the law be obserued For it is very profitable to obteyne regeneration to haue the signe of the couenaunt and a perpetuall admonition of the mortification of the flesh and an obsignation or seale of the promise of God and of the heauenly gifte bestowed vpon vs. If thou be a transgressor of the law Here he vnderstandeth none but those which of purpose transgresse and not those which fal of infirmitie and are draweÌ„ either vnawares or vnwillingly and do sighe and grone saying together wyth Paule who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Thy circumcision is made vncircumcision To be made vncircumcision in this place is to be counted vncircumcision as it shall afterward be declared wheÌ„ he sayth Shall not his circumcision be counted vncircumcision And to kepe the law is to be taken in the same sence that we before declared Ambrose vppon this place sayth He then kepeth the law which beleueth in Christ. But if he beleue not he is a transgressor of the law Which wordes although they serue not much to the expositioÌ„ of this place yet are they very profitable Bicause therby we perceiue that he which beleueth in Christ kepeth the lawe for that by fayth is geuen vnto vs the power and facultie of the spirite wherby to obey the law And if there want any thing to the obseruation therof as in very dede there alway wanteth the same is He that beleueth not is according to the sentence of Ambrose a transgressor of the law The Iewes gloried in circumcision holpen by the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ Moreouer in that he affirmeth that he which beleueth not in Christ is a transgressor of the law he manifestly sheweth that the workes of them which beleue not in Christ are sinnes and transgressions of the law The Iewes bosted excedyng much of circumcision as though it had bene geuen them for their merites and as though it had ben an assured testimony of a iust and holye lyfe whiche thyng is declared to be vntrue Chrisostome vpoÌ„ this place vseth a very trim order both as touching the law also as touchyng circumcision There is sayth he an outward law there is also a law in the hart and in the middle place are set good workes which procede from the law of the hart are agreable with the outward law Likewise there is circumcision in the flesh circumcision in the harte In the middest is placed a iust and holy life For it proceedeth from the circumcision of the harte and agreeth with the circumcision of the flesh Paule putteth A double comparison of circumcision a double comparison of circumcision The first is whereby it is contrarye vnto vncircumcision yâ— is vnto the condicioÌ„ of the Ethnickes And of this he speaketh now presently and sheweth that it was nothinge preiudiciall vnto men as touchign saluation The other is whereby circumcision is compared with faith and thereof shall afterward be entreated when the Apostle sheweth that AbrahaÌ„ first beleued and therefore obteyned righteousnes and afterwarde that righteousnes was sealed with circumcision Wherfore the circumcision of the flrsh is of lesse dignity then fayth and commeth after it Therefore if vncircumcision do kepe the iustifications of the law shal not his vncircumcision be counted for circumcision In ciuile iudgementes when any is to be condemned which is in any dignity or Magistrateship he is The ciuile manner in condemning of noble men first depriued of his dignity or office and then afterward condemned So the Apostle first depriueth the Iewes of the true Iewishnes and of the true circumcision and then afterward condemneth them because they liued filthely This similitude in a manner vseth Chrisostome Wherunto we may moreouer adde that like as in a publike wealth they which shal be preferred to honour if they be of a base and obscure stocke are fyrste adorned with some noble Magistrateship or publike dignity so Paule minding to bring to honour the Gentles which seemed abiecte attributeth vnto them the true circumcision and true religion of the Iewes when he sayth that theyr vncircumcision is counted for circumcision which they haue in theyr hart And in these wordes circumcision I say and vncircuÌ„cisioÌ„ is vsed the figure called Metonymia which is a traÌ„spositioÌ„ of names The figure called Metonymia vsed in circumcision vncircumcision For by those signes is signifyed the state and condicion of the Iewes and Gentils The iustifications of the lavv In Greeke is red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which many take to be ceremonies called of the Hebrues Chocoth But I do not easly se how the Ethnikes kept the ceremonies of the law vnles we wil say that the Hebrues in theyr captiuities taught the Gentils the ceremonies of Moses which is not casy to be beleued especially forasmuch as they were not to be obserued but in the land of promise PeradueÌ„ture they meane the these iustifications do signify those rites which the Ethnikes counted in the law of nature godlye and good For we speake not of idolatrous rites but of those whiche some obserued by the tradicions The holy Ethnikes had certain good and godly rites in the law of nature of theyr Fathers which hoped in the Mediator to come For by suche ceremonies they both professed God also accused theÌ„selues as sinners after which folowed the practise of vpright liuyng And we deny not but ther were many such meÌ„ Yet can we not therfore affirme that either Socrates or Phocion or Aristides were of the number of these men when as we haue nothyng that is certayne of theyr pietie and fayth but rather by historyes they appeare Idolatrers Neuerthelesse the Scriptures commend Iob vnto whom no doubt there were many like But by our iudgement as we haue sayd they can not be declared or defined But the Apostle speaketh not of those rites of the lawe of nature when as by the lawe he here vnderstandeth the lawe of Moses For he hath to do against the Iewes And that the Ethnickes obserued not the rites of Moses hereby it is By the iustifications of the lawe he vnderstandeth the morall partes of the lawe manifest because they were vncircumcised are called vncircumcision Wherfore it is more truely sayd that the iustifications of the law signifie here the morall part of the lawe of which the Gentiles by the light of nature were not ignoraunt The scope of the Apostle is to shewe that righteousnes is not of necessitie ioyned with the rites and ceremonies of the lawe and that it was no let vnto the Gentiles touching saluation that they wer not circumcised so that they had
pietie And contrarywise that the Iewes being destitute of fayth and holy lyfe are not holpen by circumcision to bee therby preferred before the Gentiles And where as we haue in our reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is shall be counted or imputed Chrysostome readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is shall be turned Neither doth hée onely read it so but also interpreteth it so so that he sayth that the Apostle sayd not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he sayth plainly that Paule here so speaketh as before when he sayd Thy circumcision is made vncircuÌ„cision He would sayth he speake that which is of more waight and greater to the end to speake with more efficacie Thys diuersitie of readyng Erasmus weighed not neyther will we contende therefore for that the sense eyther way remayneth sounde And vncircumcision which is by nature if it kepe the lawe shall iudge thee which by the letter and circumcision art a transgressour of the lawe To iudge is taken iij. maner of wayes To iudge may be taken thrée maner of wayes eyther that the Ethnickes shall pronounce sentence agaynst the Iewes as Paule sayd to the Corinthians Knowe ye not that we shall iudge the Aungells also or by comparison as the Lorde sayd of the Sodomites and of the Niniuites and of the Quéene of Saba that they should iudge the Israelites or to iudge is to reproue to accuse and to beare witnes agaynst a man For euen as before were alleaged the cogitations which shall accuse one an other for the good shall accuse the euill for that they corrupted the man and agayne the euill shall accuse the good because they helped not so the holy and iuste Ethnickes shall accuse the wicked Iewes for that they being adorned with so many giftes and spirituall graces serued not God He calleth it vncircumcision by nature because we are naturally so borne And they whiche are Vncircumcision by nature Ethnickes purpose not in their minde to circumcise them selues Or to speake more rightly as I thinke vncircumcision by nature is an Ethnicke man which is led onely by the light of nature By the letter hee vnderstandeth what soeuer is What the letter signifiâ—th outward and is not grafted in the hart to moue hym to doe well Augustine in hys 3. booke and 5. chap. De Doctrina Christiana writeth that they sticke in the letter which take the signes for the thynges and that which is figuratiuelye spoken in the holye Scriptures they take it so as if it were spoken properly and so lowe créepe they on the grounde that when they heare the name of the Sabboth they remember nothyng but the seuenth day which was obserued of the Iewes Also when they heare of a Sacrifice they thinke vpon nothyng but vpon the sacrifices which were killed And though there be some seruitude tollerable yet he calleth that a miserable seruitude when we take the signes for the It is a seruitude most miserable to count the signes for the things An errour concernyng the Eucharist thinges Wherin there is great offence committed in these dayes in the Sacracrament of the Eucharist For how many shall a man finde which beholdyng the outward signes of thys Sacrament calleth to memorye the death and passion of Christ wherof it is most certayne that they are signes or which thincketh with him selfe that the body and bloud of Christ is a spirituall meate of the soule through faith euen as bread and wine are nourishmentes of the body Or which weigheth with hym self the coniunction of the members of Christ betwene themselues and with the head These thinges are not regarded and they cleane only to the sight of the signes And men thinke it is inough if they haue looked vpon bowed their knée and worshipped Thys is to embrace the letter and not to geue eare vnto the sayd Augustine who in the place which we haue now cited and a litle afterward most apertly affyrmeth that to eate the body of Christ to To eate the body of Christe and to drinke his blo ud are figuratiue speaches drinke hys bloud are figuratiue kinds of speaches So are the Iewes accused because they cleauing only to the letter circumcisioÌ„ wer traÌ„sgressours of the law For he is not a Iewe which is one outward neyther is that circumcision which is outward in the fleshe But he is a Iewe which is one within and the circumcision is of the hart in the spirite not in the letter whose prayse is not of men but of God For he is not a Iewe which is one outward Here he more apertly sheweth what is the true Iewishnes what the true circumcisioÌ„ And he vseth iiij antithesis or contrary positions Outward inward the fleshe the hart the spirite the letter the prayse of men and the prayse of God But thys is to be marked that where as he sayth That he is not a Iew which is a Iewe outwardly neyther is that circumcision whyche is in the fleshe these thynges oughte to be vnderstanded by exclusion as they call it so that this woorde onely or alone be added For that circumcision whyche is onelye in the fleshe is not circumsion And he whiche is a Iewe onelye outwardlye is not a Iewe. But Paule seemeth to deny that simply which should be denied but partly because to exaggâ—rate That sometimes is simply denied which is denied onely partly What the Fathers ment when they sayd that the Eucharist is not bread Against the Anabaptistes or amplify his matter he speaketh Hyperbolically Such as is that saying wheÌ„ he sayth that he was not sent to baptise Neyther ought we any otherwise to vnderstand the Fathers when they say that the Eucharist is not bread They speake hiperbolically and vnderstand that it is not breade onely or alone or coÌ„mon breade because vnto the bread is added the woorde of God whereby it receaueth the nature of a sacrament And this is a stronge reason againste the Anabaptistes which haue euer in theyr mouth that saying of Paule vnto the Corrinthians Circumcision and vncircumcision are nothing but the obseruation of the coÌ„maundements of God So they saye that Baptisme and the Eucharist and the Ecclesiasticall ministery are nothing but pretend onely the obseruing of the coÌ„maundementes of God But we aunswere them as we haue now sayde of Paule that other thinges are nothyng if they be alone without fayth and piety and a holy life But what it is to consist of the spirite and not of the letter is thus declared that by the spirite we vnderstand the renuing of the minde whereby it willingly What is ment by the spirite and the letter embraceth and desyreth that whiche is contained in the outward commaundement of the law For the spirite sometimes is taken for the excellenter part of the minde and sometimes for the power and faculty whereby God chaungeth and regenerateth a man But we here by the spirite
oppressed Otherwise it shall bee all one to bee occupied in them as to marke what Liui Aristotle Salust Plutarche and other writers haue left in writing But now without the law is the righteousnes of God made manifest beyng confirmed by the testimony of the law and of the prophetes Here is expressedly put forth the question wherof he will afterward entreat And thereof he putteth two partes Of which the one is that the righteousnes of God is without the law made manifest The other is that it is obtained by the faith of Iesus Christ And Paule affirmeth that this righteousnes of God hath the testimonye both of the law and of the prophets This is it which he proposed at the beginning that by the Gospell is reueled the righteousnes of God from saith to faith And in that he writeth that this manifestation is done without the law he vnderstādeth without helpe of the law being obserued but onely by the hearing of faith Which The righteousnes of God threefold selfe thing he affirmed vnto the Galathians when he said Haue ye receiued the holy ghost by the workes of the law or by the hearing of faith The righteousnes of God as I haue in an other place declared is thréefold The first is wherby we are through Christ receiued into fauour and our sinnes are forgeuen vs and the righteousnes of Christ is imputed vnto vs. And the second kind of righteousnes followeth this namely that thorough helpe of the holy ghost our minde is reformed and we all whole are inwardly renewed by grace Thirdly follow holy and godly workes for they which are once come thus far are most zelous and desirous of working well Now then Paule entreateth of the first righteousnes whiche he saith is declared in vs without the law And he calleth it the righteousnes of God because it is gotten thorough his power and goodnes and not thorough our owne workes And if a man do more narowly consider it it is the mercy of God which he bestoweth vpon vs thorough Christ And I haue in an other place admonished that that which the Hebrues call Tsedech and our men haue turned righteousnes signifieth rather goodnes and mercy And therefore to this day the Iewes call almes by that name And Ambrose vpon this place is of the selfe same mynd For he sayth Therefore is Ambrose Why the mercy of God is called righteousnes that called the righteousnes of God which semeth to be the mercy of God because it hath his originall beginning of Gods promise and when that promise is performed it is called the righteousnes of God For therfore is it the righteousnes of God because that is rendered which was promised Also whē he receiueth those which fly vnto him it is called rightousnes For one not to receiue him that flieth vnto him it is iniquity Thus much Ambrose But we must not harken vnto them which in this place do interprete these wordes Without the law for without the ceremonies of the lawe For we haue before shewed that althoughe the question was moued by reason of them yet hath Paule entreated of the lawe generally so that it comprehendeth all the partes of the law They seme not much to ouershoote themselues which by the righteousnes Christ the righteousnes of God of God vnderstande Christ for whatsoeuer pertayneth to iustification that same commeth from him vnto vs when we beleue in hym Betwene the righteousnes of God and ours Paule plainly putteth a difference when he saith in this self same The manifestation of the righteousnes of God happened chiefly in the tyme of the Apostles The order and maner of the preaching of the Apostles Epistle Being ignorant of the righteousnes of God and seeking to establishe theyr owne they are not subiecte vnto the righteousnes of God But that we may the better vnderstand what this manifestation of the rightousnes of God is which then happened chieflye when Paule wrote these thinges it must thus be vnderstanded that we must haue a regarde what manner of preaching the Apostles vsed As farre as we can gather out of the sermons of the Apostles as they are set forth in the Actes of the Apostles First they preached repentaunce setting before mens eyes their sinnes and condemnation wherin men were wrapped then they gathered together the proprieties and conditions of Christ which should heale these euils and that out of the holy scriptures Thirdly they applied the same proprieties and conditions vnto Iesus of Nazareth to allure men vnto his fayth And suche as hearyng these things beleued the same obteyned of God remission of their sinnes Inwardly they were made new and outwardly they liued moste holily resembling the image of God to which mankynde was made With perseuerance they called vppon God communicating together in prayers breakyng of bread all holye workes They stedfastly did put their trust in God as they which were vtterly destitute of all other helpe They nothing regarded worldly riches laying the price of their things and money at the féete of the Apostles They stoutely bare a good testimonye vnto Why the righteousnes of God is said to be made manifest without the law Christ reioycing that they suffred greuous thinges for hys names sake Lastly in this quarell they cherefully shed theyr bloud bestowed theyr life And the world seyng those thinges could not but be moued and acknowledge that a new kynde of righteousnes appeared on the earth And because amongest them were Ethenikes which had no knowledge at all of the law therfore the Apostle sayth Without the law Also many of the Hebrewes were called who although they knew the law yet they nothyng at all regarded it And it was all one as if they had not had the law There came some also which liued very vprightly and were moste zelous in the study of the law as Nathaniell whome Christ pronounced to be a true Israelite in whom there was no guile And these were iustified without the law for that obseruation of the law which they performed was not the cause why they were iustified The lawe in déede may be a helpe vnto iustification because it admonisheth vs and accuseth vs by whiche meanes we are dryuen vnto Christe But for as muche as it hathe not the strengthe to forgeue synnes to geue the The law helpeth vnto iustification but it is not the cause thereof A conciliation holye Ghoste to suggest faythe into the hartes of the hearers therefore Paule saythe righte well That we are iustified wythout the lawe Augustine in hys booke de spiritu litera saith that the Apostle seemeth to speake thynges repugnaunt For he affyrmeth that the righteousnes of God whereof he nowe speaketh had his testimonye of the lawe and the Prophetes and yet be saythe that it was made manifeste without the lawe But he aunswereth that there is here in verye deede no contradiction if a man rightly distinct those thinges which are here spoken For
speake peculiarly of Christ we haue in Genesis that the sede of the woman Peculiar testemonies of Christ of faith that iustesieth should treade vnder foote the head of the serpent And to Abraham it was sayd In thy seed shall all nations be blessed And of the same Abraham it is written He beleued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes Moreouer Paul citeth Say not in thine hart who shall ascend vp into heauen or who shall descend downe into hell The woorde is nighe at hand in thy mouth and in thy harte Paul also addeth And this is the woord of fayth which we preach If thou beleue with thy hart and confesse with thy mouth Again The Scepter shal not be taken away from the tribe of Iuda neyther a captayne out of his loynes tyll he be come whiche shal be sent and he shal be the expectation of the Gentles Ieremy writeth of Christ He shal be called God our righteousnes And in the same prophet we reade that God appoynted to geue a new Testament not according to that which he made with the Fathers but in describing his law in their harts bowells Abacuk saith The iust shall liue by fayth Esai saith I am found of them that sought me not Also God hath layed vpon hym all our iniquityes Dauid also Blessed are they whose iniquityes are forgeuen and whose sins are couered Blessed is the man vnto whome the Lord hath not imputed sinne An other kind of testimonyes also is had out of the dedes of the old fathers whiche were certayne forshewinges that Christe An ether kind oâ— testemonies are the actes of the Fathers should come to redeme mankinde For as he is sayd to lyue in vs for that we are his membres so also both was he and liued he in the old fathers Wherfore they were no les his members then are we But how the head suffereth and is recreated in his members it is most apertly declared in Paul wheÌ„ it was sayd Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And in the last iudgemeÌ„t Christ will pronouÌ„ce that whatsoeuer hath bene geueÌ„ vnto the least of his was geuen vnto him wherfore so often as we reade that the elders were ouercome brought into captiuity oppressed with calamityes we must vnderstand that Christ in them suffred these self same things And agayne wheÌ„ we heare that they got the victorye were restored and A shadowe of the death and resurrection of Christ delyuered let vs thinke that Christ also was in like sort affected in them And in the one we haue a shew of his death begon and in the other a shadow and beginning of hys resurrection And that this thing is so we are tought by that whiche Christ sayd that he should be in the hart of the earth thre dayes and thre nights lyke as was Ionas the prophet He likened himselfe also vnto the brasen serpente which Moses set vp vpon which whosoeuer looked they obteyned health be inge otherwise in daunger to dye of the venemous stinginge And in Oseas the prophet we reade Out of Egipt haue I called my sonne Which oracle the Hebrews contend to wreste vnto Pharao which was destroyed and vnto the people of Israell deliuered from his tyrannie Which thing if we should in the meane time graunt theÌ„ yet would I aske of them of whence that nation had the preeminence to be called by the name of the Children of God That vndoubtedly coulde not be proued The â—lders were not the childreÌ„ of God but by Christ to come by any other meanes then by Christ which is the Sonne of God being the first begotten amongest many brethren By whom others also as manye as are nombred to be the children of God haue aspired to suche a deuine adoption Wherefore the Apostle sayth that Christ was the first fruites and pronounceth that he hath the principalitie ouer all thinges Wherfore not without cause hath our Euangelist cited this place of the Prophet touching the Lord forsomuch as he also was by the admonishment of the Angell called backe out of Egipt Lastly the The thirde kinde of â—estemonies are sacrifices sacrifices oblations and ceremonies of the Elders bare witnes of this kinde of righteousnes For in those beastes which were slayne the death of Christ was manifested vnto the fayth of the Elders For euen as the thing sacrificed which otherwise had nothing offeÌ„ded was slaine for the sin of an other which escaped frée so was thereby shewed that Christ should be flayne for vs which were guiltie of death that by the pacefieng of the heauenly Father we might escape the punishments which we had deserued Neither let any man say that the sacraments of The sacraments of the elders how they had saluation ioyned with them and how they had not What was Paules meaning to yâ— Hebrues touching the rites of the Iewes the Elders had not saluation ioyned with them For that thing will we also graunt as touching the outward woorke which commonly is called the woorke wrought But the fayth which in those rites embraced Christ brought saluation vnto the Elders euen as at this day also the outward exercises of the sacraments or commaundementes doo nothing profite but onelye fayth bringeth saluation which seeth that vnder the infoldinges of sensible signes are set forth vnto vs heauenly giftes And if at any time the Apostle vnto the Hebrews or in anye other place seeme to affirme otherwyse wee must thyncke that hee hath to doo agaynste the Iewes which seperated Christe and hys fayth both from the lawe and also from ceremonies Which two things being seperated he firmely and strongely concludeth that they haue not saluacion by such rites and sacrifices The righteousnes of God by the fayth of Iesus Christ Now is it meete to tell what fayth is Fayth therefore is an assente and that a firme assente to the What is fayth wordes of God obteyned not by reason or by naturall demoÌ„stration but by the authority of the speaker and by the power of the holy Ghost And this definicion disagreeth not from that which Paule putteth in the .xi. to the Hebrues Hereby we may see about what thinges faith is occupied namely aboute the woordes of God And it is manifest what is the chiefest principle ground vnto whiche all thinges pertayning to God are referred and that is The Lord hath sayd But the authority of the speaker cannot be of force with vs so much as it ought vnlesse the perswasion of the holy Ghost be therunto adioyned In Greeke it is called Whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we ar not accustomed to beleue but that which we are fully perswaded of Basilius as touching fayth when he expoundeth this place of the Psalme I haue beleued and therefore haue I spoken writeth Do not contend to see those thinges which are layd vp a farre of
For what sayth the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to hym for ryghteousnes VVhat shall we say then The summe of those things which are contayned in this 4. Chapter is deuided into these partes The first is that we must be iustifyed after the selfe same manner that Abraham was iustifyed The seconde that our iustifycation commeth by the imputacion of God The third that it cōsisteth The sum of the things that shall be spoken of in this chapter in the remisson of sinnes In the fourth is set foorth the time wherein Abraham was iustifyed and so is declared that he attayned vnto righteousnes before he had put in vre any woorke of the law namely the worke of circumcision Farther he plainely sheweth that righteousnes is therfore had by fayth that the promise of God mighte be firme and sure Moreouer there is set foorth the example of Abraham and that with an amplification declarynge howe that he considered not hys owne infyrmitye neyther those thinges whyche by nature had bene able to hynder that which God had promised him Lastly is shewed y◠these things were not written for his sake only but also for vs which by faith do follow the steps of the self same father Abrahā Chrisostome bringeth in these things which are here spokē after this maner That it might seme peraduenture to It is an honorable thing to be iustified by fayth The Apostle doth very well in vsing an example some not to be very mete glorious that we should by fayth be iustified witohut works But saith he the matter is far otherwise Because partly we may se how excellent a thing this is for Paul calleth that thing righteousnes which we attayne vnto by faith here declareth that God by this means sheweth forth declareth his goodnes righteousnes and partly bycause Abraham so great a Patriarche was after this maner iustified It is not with out a cause that Paule placeth an example before his other arguments For the thinge that is here chefely sought for is that the truth which is layd before vs might be made manifest and playne And this is the proper vse of examples The dignity of Abraham most manifestly to lay a thing before our eyes And although there were greate plenty of examples yet Paul did choose this example of Abraham because he was both a man of God and also one endued with most excellente vertues because the Hebrues continuallye boasted of him as whome they acknowledge and craked to be the father and prince of theyr kindred And of suche force was his authority amōgst them that the place of the blessed was called the bosome of Of how great a value iustification is Abraham Which name Christ would not haue vsed in his Gospell vnlesse it had bene receaued amongst the commō people Neither ought we to meruayle that the Apostle so diligently and exactly bendeth himselfe to dispute of this iustification For it is not a slight thing nor a matter of small weight but the principall ground of our felicitie wherin if a mā be throughly instructed I dare be bold to say that he shall easely put away all abuses And bycause our aduersaries in it as in the first entry do fowly stumble and erre therefore in other partes of religion also are they most filthily deceaued But in this example this is chiefly to be marked that for as much as in it is entreated of Circumsion and Abraham is sayd to haue bene iustified before he receaued it some suppose that hereby they haue a firme argument that Paul excludeth not all woorkes from iustification but onely ceremonies of the law Vnto whom we answere that Paul therefore in especial reasoned touching these ceremonies for that for them the controuersie happened But yet in the discourse of hys reasoning he mingleth many thinges which cause that the question must of necessitie be taken generally which thing we shall in his place note Wherefore we graunt that the argumentes chiefly tende to that end but yet are they so handled that together he concludeth vniuersally of all workes Farther it is to be noted that in the tyme of Abraham and of the old law for as much as these ceremonies were founded vpon the word of God men were bound no lesse to obey them then the other commaundementes And yet the Apostle affirmeth that by that obedience men were not iustified Wherefore we conclude that those selfe same men could not be iustified by the obseruing of the other cōmaundemētes In this place is deiected the dignitie of good works but not vniuersally Wherfore those thinges which are here spoken ought not to be drawen vnto a loosenes of life and to licentiousnes to sinne but rather are to bee applied vnto the scope and meaning of Paul Paul onely entendeth this thing to shewe that in good workes is not set the cause of our iustification Other praises and commendacions he aboundantly geueth vnto them For it is not to bee thought that by hys doctrine he would bring into contempt the most excellent vertues Paule contemneth not the vertues and good works of Abraham The temptacions and victories of Abraham of a man of such estimation For as the Iewes make mention Abraham was very often tempted and yet neuertheles he continually ouercame God called him out of his land and kinred to lyue as a straunger in the land of Chanaan But there he could not lyue by reason of the famine wherefore hee was constrayned to go downe into Egipt where he was tempted the third tyme when Pharao tooke away hys wyfe from him The fourth temptacion hee suffered when he was compelled to depart from Loth for the auoyding of contencions Finally he was tempted when he made warre agaynst so many kinges and agaynst so victorious an host when as he him selfe had with him but a very few The sixt temptacion was when he being now a very old man was commaunded to receiue Circumcision The seuenth when king Abimelech in Gerara agayne tooke away hys wyfe from him The eight when Agar which had conceaued by him was constrained to flee from Sara who afflicted her greuouslye The ninth when he was compelled to send away his sonne Ismael being nowe of good age together with hys mother The tenth when God required of him to sacrifice vnto him hys onely bogotten sonne Isaack With these other such most excellent workes was Abraham adorned which thinges Paule contemneth not but only sheweth that these were not such that they could be opposed and set agaynst the wrath and iudgement of God so that for theyr sakes he should haue God fauorable and mercifull For in this place is not entreated of the righteousnes which is obtayned by workes which is in vs a quality cleaning vnto vs but only of that righteousnes whereby we are iustified before God The reason of the Apostle may thus be knit together We are iustified after The argument of Paule the same maner that
speaketh not of ciuill righteousnes which we get by workes and which cleaueth in our mindes as a qualitie but onely of the righteousnes which is geuen vnto vs fréely and is imputed vnto the beleuers Wherefore Paul expressedlye added this particle Before God Whereby is manifestly gathered that the woorkes of men are not of that nature that they can be layde agaynst the wrath and seueritye of God and that they can appease him and make him mercifull vnto vs. Moreouer To haue whereof to boast before God Is to obtayne anye thynge as an excellente and noble gifte whiche we may boaste that we haue receyued of God and not to haue obtayned it of our selues or of our owne strengths For he which leaneth vnto workes commendeth hymselfe and hys owne But hee which is iustified by fayth commendeth the liberalitie of God and setteth foorth hys giftes Whereupon Chrisostome noteth that men haue much more to glorye of when they leane vnto fayth then when they féeke to glory in their works The giftes of God which fayth taketh hold of farre excell all our workes They which glory of workes doo magnifie a thing which is séene and felt but he which glorieth in fayth conceiueth a noble opinion of God so that he is perswaded that he wil performe euen those thinges which can not be done by nature neither boasteth he of those thinges which he hath done but extolleth those thinges which God hath done namely that he loueth him that he hath forgeuen him his sinnes and counteth him in the number of the iust This is in a maner the whole glorieng What is the glorieng of the godly Glorieng is righteousnes freely liberally geuen What is to beleue of the godly By this kinde of speache we sée that the Apostle by glorieng vnderstandeth righteousnes fréely geuen of God Whereby is easelye expressed what Paul ment when before he sayd All men haue sinned and want the glory of God In which place by glory he vnderstode nothing els then righteousnes freely geuē of God bycause by that chiefly shineth forth the glory of God This oracle is writtē in the 15 chap of y◠boke of Genesis Vehaamin beiehonah veiahashbo lo tfaddicka Abraham beleued in God and he imputed vnto him righteousnes To beleue in this place is assuredly to thinke that God of his mercy loueth vs which mercy by hys mere promise is set forth vnto vs and we not to suffer our selues by reason of our vnpuritye or vncleanes to be plucked awaye from this perswasion Wherefore it wholy consisteth in the embrasing of the grace and promise of God offred vnto vs. In very many places Abraham is highly cōmended and praised But he was neuer called iust but then onely when he beleued Hereby may we Onely in thys place Abraham is called iuste How diligent depe a handler of scriptures Paul was know with what great diligence Paul did both handle search and weigh the holy scriptures He declineth not to allegories nor to mens inuentions He especially weigheth two wordes which he compareth together by which the whole reason is knit together which wordes are To beleue and righteousnes to be imputed But in the historie of the booke of Genesis which we are now in hand with it is had after this maner God appeared vnto Abraham and sayd that he was his buckler or protection and his plenteous reward Which things when he heard he begā to complayne for that he had no children For the elders ▪ had an exceding greate desire to haue children and that for two causes partlye bycause they desired the increase of a people which might worship God and partly bycause they had heard that the Messias should take flesh of theyr nacion Therfore they desired by hauing Why the elders wer so desirous of posterity of children to light at the length vpō that Messias But God vouchsaued not onely to geue vnto him posteritie but commaunded him also to number the starres of heauen which thinge when he could not do God promised that the aboundance of his sede should be as greate Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes That which the Grecians haue turned in the passiue significatiō 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is was imputed in the hebrue is written actiuely he imputed namely God imputed vnto him righteousnes But in the sence there is no difference And Paul therefore followeth the seuenty interpreters bycause theyr translation was not vnknowen vnto the heathen where let vs note that that which in the hebrew is in Deum that is in God the same both Paul and the seuenty haue turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to God wherfore they obserued not that difference of Augustene of beleuing God and beleuinge in God But here ariseth a doubte how Abraham semeth to How that the fayth of Abraham was in Christ haue obtayned righteousnes by fayth For that fayth was not of Christ but onely of an infinite yssue and posteritie But vnto this may answere be made many wayes First that Abraham beleued not onely touching issue but chiefelye touching those thinges which at the beginning of the chapter were promised vnto him namely that God would be vnto him both a shield and a reward And moreouer then this he foresaw Christ in his posterity Wherefore in the Gospell it is saide of hym that he saw the day of Christ and reioyced And Paul to the Galathians referreth all thys vnto one seede whych is Christ Farther hee whyche talked wyth hym was the sonne of God For no man hath sene God at anye tyme. Therfore whatsoeuer thinges we haue either seene or knowen of hym the Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared it vnto vs. Wherfore if he beleued God he beleued in Christ We haue oftentimes Christ the roote of all promises also declared that in all promises was wrapped and infolden as the roote and foundacion that promise which was touching Christ Neyther seeme they to thinke amisse which affirme that alwayes the obiect of faith is the mercy and goodnes of God which sheweth forth it selfe in singular giftes eyther temporall or spirituall Wherefore when the elders conceaued a hope of victory of deliuery from enemyes and from other calamityes they chiefely did put their confidence in the deuine goodnes because by it God was moued mercifully and appeasedly to geue vnto them these singular giftes And he coulde not be appeased towardes them but by Christ Wherefore in that they beleued any of the promises of God they beleued in Christ Which thing also we ought to be myndfull of when we aske our dayly bread we ought to beleue y◠we shal not want such thinges as pertayne to our liuing Some thinke this to be repugnaunt vnto the argument of Paul which is written in the 106 Psalme of Phinees the sonne of Eleazar who when he had thruste thoroughe the Madianitishe Whither Phinees were iustefied by his worke
that they should beleue This his interpretation I say if we so vnderstand it as though repentance were not ioyned with the first fayth whereby we are iustified is most absurd For howe can any man being endued with a true fayth whereby he shoulde be iustified A place of Ambrose made plain want repentance so that he shoulde be nothing sory for his euill life past But if Ambrose vnderstand ether that Ecclesiasticall satisfactions are not required or els that that repentance which of necessity followeth fayth ought indede to be had but is not required as a cause of iustification then sayth he well Vndoubtedly this sentence pleased him so well that he also wrote it before as we haue mencioned and also vpon the xi chapter as we shall afterward see The fathers mustâ— be red warâ—lye he repeteth the selfe same Hereby we see how warely we must reade the fathers For they speake many thinges sometymes which if they be not well vnderstand can in no case be allowable Yea and sometymes somethinges escape them which a man can scarsely interprete soundly as that which the selfe same Ambrose writeth vpon this place Wherfore sayth he he setteth forth the blessednes of the tyme wherein Christ was borne as the Lord himselfe sayth Many iust men and prophetes desired to see the thinges which ye see and to heare the thinges which ye heare and haue not heard neyther haue they sene As though euen before the coÌ„ming of Christ also God iustified not his after the selfe same maner that he now iustifieth vs. It is manifest that this diuersity of tyme is vtterly repugnant vnto the meaning of Paul For he sayth that Abraham was iustified by sayth Yea and Dauid also whose testemony this is felt that he was after the same maner iustified And the same Ambrose before wheÌ„ he expouÌ„deth this place But to hym which worketh a reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt thus writeth It is for certayne that vnto him which is subiect vnto the lawe of workes that is vnto the lawe of Moses or vnto the lawe of nature merite is not counted vnto reward to haue glory before God For he is debter to do the lawe for necessity is layde on hym by the law so that will he or nill he he must do the lawe least he be condemned As in an other place he sayth but they which contemne do get vnto theÌ„selues damnation because presently they are guilty But to beleue or not to beleue pertaiueth to the will For a man can not be compelled to a thing which is not manifest but is thereto allured and is thereunto perswaded for it may not be by violeÌ„ce vrged vnto him But this difference betwene the workes which are commaunded by the lawe of nature and the law of Moses and betwene fayth which Ambrose here putteth is nothing at all For by the necessity of the commaundement of God we are no les bound to beleue then we are to do good workes And as to do good works is not violently vrged of men agaynst their willes no more is to beleue also And as vpon the transgression of the lawe of nature or of the lawe of Moses dependeth condemnation so also dependeth it vpon the transgression of fayth Thus we sée what maner of things sometimes we reade in the fathers I will adde also how Chrisostome interpreteth this self same place But to him which worketh a reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt Thus he writeth But this thou wilt say is a greater matter Not so vndoubtedly For vnto him that beleueth it is imputed But it should neuer be imputed vnles he himselfe also had brought somewhat with him c. Here he sayth that he which is iustified by fayth bringeth something of himselfe And that is as we before noted in his sayinges fayth And that this is not true he himselfe vpon this place declareth For he sayth that this is the principallest thing that maketh a faythfull man to be notable namely that he is by God endued with so much grace that he is able to shew forth such so great a fayth In this place he affirmeth yâ— faith coÌ„meth not of our selues but of the grace of God So yâ— before he wrote not so soundly when he sayd that we do ether geue or els bring somewhat to be iustified and make God our debter These thinges I therefore rehearse that we should not thinke that the fathers alwayes spake all thinges firmelye and constantly or that out of them we should at all tymes seke the sure exposition The Fathers do not alwaies speake like to themselues By the scriptures ought we to be setled as touching doctrine of the scriptures First we ought out of the very scriptures soundly to define of doctrines Then afterward may the fathers be reade with iudgement But that the scriptures should of necessity be subiect vnto yâ— expositions of theÌ„ it nether can nor ought to be For it were absurd to make subiect the iudgementes of God vnto the iudgementes of men And seing they also are oftentymes obscure and in their expositions diuers and manifold this were to depart froÌ„ the scriptures which are certayne to things vncertayne These things I haue spoken by the way but for our times I hope not vnprofitably Augustine in the preface of his declaration vpon the 31. Psalme writeth Many boast of woorkes and a man shall finde manye Paganes or infidels whiche therefore will not be come Christians because that they suffice theÌ„selues with their vpright life We must of necessity liue well saith he and what shall Christ require of me To liue well I lyue well alredy Wherein then shall Christ be nedefull vnto me I committe no murther nor theft nor rapine I desire not other mennes goodes I am not contaminated with any adultery For let there be founde any thynge in me that is worthy to be reproued and he whiche reproueth me let him make me a Christian This man hath glory but not with God Sée how the ignoraunce of this hidden iustification whiche is not of They which are ignorant of this iustification do abhorre froÌ„ Christian religion That is chiefly called felicity which commeth without labour workes called men backe from Christian religion Wherefore at this day also they that are ignoraunt of it and do iustifie themselues by workes are both farre from Christ and also haue no vnderstanding of the benefite that commeth by him And in this sentence of Dauid let vs this consider also that there is no mention made of good workes whiche thing also this worde blessednes geueth vs to vnderstand For when we attaine to any thing wherein we haue spent great labour we are not for that counted very happy But if we attayne vnto the selfe same thing without labour and in a maner without any our trauaile then are we couÌ„ted happy and blessed Came this blessednes then vpon the circumcision or vpon
of the law when as otherwise we our selues can not perticularly render a reason of these ceremonies The Apostles haue only generally made them playn vnto vs. And though there haue benne some amongst vs as Origen and a greate many other like which haue attēpted to frame for euery perticular ceremony a proper alegory yet haue they in a manner but lost theyr labour For theyr inuentions could We must not geue our selues to much to Allegories Error of the scholemen bring no profite at all vnto vs. For they most plainely want the woord of God Nether is it to be meruayled at that they so muche delighted in such inuentiōs For euen as euery where our owne deuises woonderfully please vs so in this matter the curiosity of man excedingly delighted it selfe Now those things which we haue spoken most playnly declare how farre the schole men haue missed of the marke which haue betwen the old sacrementes and the new put this difference that the old sacramentes only signified grace and Christ but ours largly and aboundantly exhibite both For the elders say they were holpen by the woorke of the worker For when any man came with fayth and a godly Of the worke working◠and the worke wrought motion of the hart and of the minde vnto those holy seruices he had therby merite But the woorke wrought as they call it nothing profited them as touching saluation But in our sacraments they say it is farre otherwise that not only fayth and the spirituall motion of the minde which they call the woorke of the worker helpeth vs but also euen the outward sacramente it selfe and the institution of God which they call the worke wrought conferreth vnto vs both remission of sinnes and also saluation But I will demaund of these men what that is which the outward worke and the visible sacrament exhibiteth vnto vs that we do not attayne vnto by fayth if they aunswere that it is Christ as for hym we comprehende by fayth If remission of sinnes that also we obtayne by fayth if reconciliation wherby we returne into fauor which God this also we can not obtayne without fayth if last of all the encrease of grace and of the spirite neither vndoubtedly doo we by anye other meanes obtayne this but by fayth what is there then remaning that this worke wrought bringeth This word is altogether strange nether is it once mēcioned of in the holy scriptures Worke wrought a woorde neuer heard of Nether would I at this time haue vsed it but that I haue to contēd agaynst the aduersaries But paraduenture they will say Forasmuch as besides fayth is also added the outward woorke is there nothinge to be attributed vnto it yes vndoubtedly I attribute much vnto it when it procedeth of fayth For I know that such a worke pleaseth God and that he vseth to recompence many thinges vnto such workes But what maketh that to this present purpose Did not the elders vnto theyr fayth adioyne also those workes wherby they exercised and receaued the sacraments of theyr law Wherfore as touching this part wee see that they had in theyrs as many things which pleased God as we haue in ours vnles paraduenture they wil contend that the exercising and receauing of our sacramentes is ether a better or nobler woorke then was the exercising and receauing of the sacramentes of the elders which thing I will not graunte vnto The receauing of our sacraments is not more excellent or better then the receauinge of the sacraments of the elders Whither the sacramentes conferre grace and remitt◠sinnes thē especially seing y◠the perfectin of the worke is to be cōsidered by faith and charity from whēce it procedeth wherfore if Abraham and Dauid had more faith when they receaued theyr sacramentes then any weake Christian when he is baptised or communicateth who will not iudge but that theyr worke is more notable and more excelēt then the other mans worke And moreouer as for that kinde of speach which these men so often vse namely that sacraments remitte sinnes ar conferre grace we do not easly admite vnles paraduenture in that sēse wherin Paule affirmeth that the Gospell is the power of God to saluatiō as vnto Timothe the reading of the holy scriptures is sayd to make saffe which vndoubtedly is nothing ells but that the might and power of God wherby he remitteth sinnes geueth grace and at the end saueth vseth these instruments and meanes to our saluation And euen as to bring vs to saluatiō he vseth the word of the Gospell and the preaching of the holy scriptures so also adioyneth he ther vnto the sacraments For by ether of them is preached vnto vs the liberall promisse of God which if we take hold of by fayth we shall obtayne both saluatiō and also remission of sinnes This is the true sense vnto which also are the fathers to be applied when they say that grace is the power of the sacramentes Which is all one as if they had sayd vnderstanding and sense is the power of speach and of wordes And how vnaptly the Scholemen speake of theyr stay or Of the stay or let of the scholemen let herby it is manifest for that they say that he putteth not a staye or let which although he haue not the acte ether of louing or of beleuing yet obiecteth nothing that is contrary or opposite vnto grace namely the acte of infidelity or of hatred Thē in such case say they the sacraments of the Gospel conferre grace But this is nothing ells then to attribute vnto creatures the cause of our saluation and to binde our selues to much to signes and elements of this world Thys ought to bee certayne and most assured that no more is to be attributed vnto the sacramentes as touching saluation then vnto the worde of God Wherfore We oughte to attribute no more vnto the sacraments then vnto the woord of God How our sacraments are better then the sacramentes of the elders Sometimes is receaued the sacraments onely sometimes the thinge onelye Grace is not bounde vnto the sacramentes as we put corne into sackes if sometimes we heare as Augustine also saith our sacramentes are better then the sacramentes of the elders this ought so to be vnderstanded that it be refer red vnto perspicuitie For we graunt that our sacraments both speake and preach more plainly of Christ then did the sacraments of the elders Wherfore seing we are more clearely and plainly instructed faith is the more fuller and bringeth vnto vs more grace and spirite And we gladly admit that which the same Augustine saith That sometymes it commeth to passe that the sacrament is receyued wythout the thing For so the wicked and infidels vsinge the sacramentes receiue onelye the outwarde signes and are vtterly voyde of saluation and of grace Sometimes also it contrariwise happeneth that the godly being excluded by any necessitie frō the vse of the sacramentes yet are in no wise defrauded
his own bloud And as touching the sacrament of Circumcision these thinges we thinke sufficent for this present purpose Now let vs returne againe vnto Paul For the promise that he should be the heyre of the worlde was not geuen vnto Abraham or to his seede by the law but by y◠righteousnes of fayth For if they which are of the law be heyres fayth is made voyde and the promise is made of none effect For the law worketh wrath for where no law is there is no transgression For the promise that he should be the heyre of the world was not geuen vnto Abraham or to his seede by the law He hath before proued that Abraham had not his righteousnes by Circumcision for that he had obteined it before he was circūcised Now he proueth the same á maiori that is of a greater thing By the law saith he was not the promise made wherefore neither thorough Circumcision The reason is hereby manifest for that the law extendeth farther then The law extendeth farther thē circumcision Why the promise came not by the law circumcision for the law doth not onely conteine it but also other innumerable most excellent preceptes And that the promise was not geuen thorough the law as it were vppon a condition may two manner of wayes be proued First as it is writtē vnto the Galathians The law was geuen after the promise foure hundreth yeres wherfore forasmuch as it was not as yet extant it could not be a condition of the promes then already made No man saith Paul maketh voyde the testament of a man or addeth any thyng therunto But this reson taken of the time Paul here omitteth partly bicause he had a little before vsed it when he said that circumcision was geuen after that Abraham was now alredy iustified partly also because he woulde vse an other reason more euident The law saith he if it were added vnto the promise If the lawe were added vnto the promise it should make it voyde shoulde make it voyde and abolish fayth for when the law entreth into our wicked mindes it setteth forth nothing before vs but the wrath of God And it is not possible that it should bring vnto vs the promise or the inheritance of felicity And that by the law commeth the wrath of God he hereby proueth for that wher no law is there is no transgression Ambrose sayth that the lawe was therefore geuen to make the offenders guiltie But they which are gilty are either condemned or els made vnmete to receiue the promises For the sonne which by reason of hys transgressions is disinherited receaueth not the inheritance So wee also by the law are adiudged to hell fire and to the curse rather then that by it we are made able to receaue the inheritance and to obtayne the promise Thus muche of the order of the argumentes Now let vs examine euery thing particularly By the lawe sayth he commeth not the promise For whē the inheritance of y◠world was promised vnto Abrahā there was no such cōditiō added that he should obserue y◠law This reason leadeth to an absurdity For by this meanes both the promise fayth also should be made voyd The Greke Scholies affirme The Greke Scholies affirm that we are iustified by faith onely that we are iustified by fayth only And vnder the name of Seuerianus is added a sentēce that he which sticketh in the law as though be could obtaine saluation neglecteth that saluation which is by fayth And Chrisost sayth that it mought be that some would say Although we haue fayth yet will we keepe the lawe also But this he showeth is not possible For whosoeuer sayth he obserueth the lawe as a thing geuing saluation disableth the power of fayth Wherefore seing the lawe is not annexed vnto the promise Priueleges are not to be narroly drawen but to be enlarged of God as a condition of necessity it followeth that he is presumtious and rashe which taketh vpon him to anexe it For lawyers say that priueleges and grantes of Princes are not to be contracted or narrowly skanned but rather with reasonable fauour to be enlarged To be the heyre of the world There is no where by expresse woordes had any such promise made to Abraham howbeit it is contayned in those promises which we haue in the scripture For God sayde vnto hym that his seede should be multiplied lyke the sand of the sea and the starres of heauen Wherefore herein consisted How Abraham is the heyre of the world the promise that his seede should fill the whole wolrde For they are not counted his seede which haue proceded from him only as touching the flesh but which imitate hys fayth And forasmuch as such are dispersed throughout the whole worlde by them hath Abraham the inheritance of the whole world which selfe thinge is very expressedly spoken when God made this promise vnto him And in thy seede shall all nations be blessed And although all these thinges are true Christ the heyre of the whole world yet I thinke rather that this inheritance is to be referred vnto Christ For he sayth that all thinges are deliuered vnto hym of the father And Dauid writeth that he hath for hys inheritance all the Gentiles and the endes of the earth And fayth in Christ who is in this sort the heire of the whole worlde is it which iustifieth all the promises of God as we haue els where tought are to be referred to thys promise only The prophetes haue oftentymes expressed this promise of the The prophets haue expressed the kingdome of Christ by the conditions of a worldly kingdome kingdome of Christ by the propertyes and conditions of a worldly kingdome of carnall felicity For spirituall things can not by any other meanes be vnderstanded of gros wittes Sometymes they say that it shall one day come to passe that the children of Israell being dispersed and exiles shal be of the Gentiles brought home agayne in shippes to their owne place They tell forth also that kinges and princes should be the fosterers and nurces of the Iewes And they threaten destruction to those kingdomes and nations which will not obey the Israelites But all these things are chiefely to be attributed vnto our great king Iesus Christ of whome we reade in the Gospell this is the heyre come let vs kill hym Dauid in the voyce of God the father writeth of Christ Aske of me and I will geue thee the Gentiles for thyne inheritance and the borders of the earth for thy possession And in Daniell it is written of the stone hewed out without hands that it shoulde ouerthrow the principalities of this world and whē it is growen to a great huge mountayne it should possesse all things And we forasmuch as we are the members We are pertakers of the kingdome of Christ of Christ can not be excluded from this inheritance For in this selfe same epistle Paule writeth
doubted And he vseth this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to reason with himselfe and to put doubtes In which signification the Actes of the Apostles vse the selfe same word For it is so sayde vnto Peter that he should go vnto Cornelius the Centurion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is nothing doubting Abraham had a respect vnto the will and power of God which made the promise and not to his owne infirmity or to the infirmity of his wife Set God aside and he had nothing whereby he coulde promise himselfe any such thing Wherefore as sayth the Apostle he was strengthned in fayth nether doubted he through vnbeliefe which is all one as if he had sayd On euery side els were offred vnto him in credulity and doubting Nether ought this sentence to be reproued for that that we fele no such experience in our selues For there is none in whose minde sometymes ariseth not some doubt touching those thinges which we beleue For this commeth not of fayth but of our infirmity Which thing we may easely be instructed of hy yâ— which we sée to happeÌ„ in yâ— hâ—bite or quality of any science especially of the mathematical science For therein is certaynty and that vndoubtedly very great For the conclusions there necessarily and most euidently follow of the premisses But if a man haue not perfectlie learned or absolutely attained vnto the science he shal sometimes doubt And this commeth to passe not by meanes of the science but by reason of the default of him which vseth the science So we because so long as we liue here Why sometymes arise in vs doubtes euen against our willes we are weake nether can haue a full and perfect fayth therefore oftentymes do aryse in vs doubtes yea euen agaynst our willes but it is farre otherwise of the nature of an opinion which is such that there can be no blame layde vnto vs if we somewhat enclyne vnto the other part from that which we thinks to be true And the infirmity which happeneth vnto vs concerning fayth may come two wayes For sometymes we firmely cleaue vnto those thinges which we beleue but yet are there other things behind which are to be beleued which yet we perceaue not And after this maner they which still together the Gospell obserued choyce of meates and other ceremonies are in this epistle called of Paule weake in fayth for they yet knew not that the ceremonies of the Iewes were by Christ abrogated Sometymes it commeth to passe that we sée in deede the thinges which are to be beleued but yet we are not so perfect in fayth that we can firmely and constantly cleue vnto them So Christ called the We must pray vnto God to encrease our fayth Apostles men of little fayth and especially Peter when through doubting he was almost drowned with the waues of the sea wherefore as touching eche part we must alwayes pray vnto God to encrease our fayth By this place also is to marked that the power of beleuing commeth from the holy ghost when as we geue not place to so many and so great waues of doubtes beating agaynst our mindes but at the last get the vpper hand of them which thing coulde not be done without a certayne celestiall and supernaturall strength But in this assent What thinges are diligently to be examined in the assent of faith of fayth we must diligently examine both who it is whiche speaketh and also what that is which is spoken and set forth vnto vs to be beleued For the deuill laboreth for nothing more then to make vs to beleue that God said that which he sayd not Oftentymes also those thinges which are spoken of God himselfe are by false deceauers wrested to a wrong sense and corrupted and are so obtruded to be beleued Wherefore seing as touching eche part we haue nede of reuelatioÌ„ we must pray vnto God not to suffer vs to be deceaued One of them that writeth vpon the sentences is of this opinion that if it were most We must pray vnto God not to suffer vs to be deceaued assuredly knowen that God spake any thing therein faith could haue no place For strayght way sayth he by the light of nature we should know that that ought to be true which God hath spoken vnles we will thinke him to be a lyar But this man is wonderfull far out of the way For we doubt not but that the prophetes assuredly knew that God spake in them and yet they gaue faith or beleued those thinges which they foretolde We also assuredly know that Whether it followeth that they beleue which know assuredly that God hath spoken any thing God spake those thinges which are read in the holy scriptures And yet we beleue them The Apostles know that they had receaued the holy ghost And yet for all that they wanted not fayth But that which this man sayth should then be true if by reason or sense we might euidently know that God spake these thinges which vndoubtedly can neuer come to passe For these thinges are not made knowen vnto vs but by reuelation But this man in stede of euidence did put certaynty The last part which is in the definition wherein it is sayde that this assent wrastleth with the sense and wisedome of the fleshe may manifestly be declared not only by this example of Abraham but also by a great many other examples God promised deliuery vnto the Israelites and yet in the Examples meane tyme increased their affliction they had a greater number of brickes layd vppon them they had no straw geuen them for theyr worke they were sharpely and cruelly beaten And wheÌ„ they were now departing out of Egipt the sea came agaynst them on the other side were great huge rockes and at their backes was Pharao at hand with a mighty host against whiche lettes it behoued yâ— flesh to striue And many things in like sort semed to be agaynst the promise made to Dauid to moue him not to beleue the anoynting of Samuell agaynst which it was nedeful that he should by fayth be strengthned The Apostles Fayth perpetually wrestleth with some doubting The ende of fayth Wherein the glory of God consisteth also found in Christ many tokens of infirmity which they could not haue ouercome but by fayth Wherefore we may conclude that such is the nature of our fayth that it alwayes striueth with some doubting Geuing the glory to God Here is set forth the ende whereunto fayth tendeth namely to aduance and encrease the glory of God which herein consisteth that we conceaue a worthy estimation touching God Abraham is sayde to haue bene in a maner an hundreth yeare olde For as it is written in the history of Genesis the 17. chapter he was now 99. yeares of age when this promise was made vnto him He had no like example before his tyme by consideration wherof he mought haue bene confirmed For he is the first vnto whome we
reade in the scriptures was restored strength to beget children Nether is it any meruaile that By fayth we renounce the best part of our selues by y◠worke of faith is aduāced y◠glory of God forasmuch as in it for Gods sake we deny the best part of our selues which is our mynde and reason wherby we ether assent or not assent vnto thinges set forth vnto vs. Wherefore it is manifest that there can nothing more excellent be offred of vs vnto God For this is a wonderfull testification of the power and goodnes of God for his sake to seme to quench in our selues the sense of nature But I wonder at those which so diligently commend workes and so highly extoll chastity sole life and other workes and yet are so colde in setting forth the commendation of fayth when as by it commeth the victory whereby we ouercome both our selues and also the whole world For so Iohn sayth this is the victory which ouercommeth the world euen our fayth Which thing We are not iustified by fayth as it is a worke Faith meriteth not vnto vs iustification Fayth as it is a worke excelleth all other workes Proues that fayth cannot be without good workes The vertues of the vnderstanding are not repugnant to vices I speake not as though I ment that we are iustified by fayth as it is a worke For it is defiled by sundry blottes of our infirmity And Augustine sayth that this sentence is by no meanes to be admitted that fayth meriteth vnto vs iustification For fayth is not sayth he of our selues but as Paul to the Ephesians expressedly testefieth it is the gift of God Howbeit as it is a worke it many wayes excelleth all other workes Nether can it be expressed how far wide the scholemen erre when they imagine that fayth can consist without good workes For by their sentence fayth should not attayne vnto the dignity of prudence which both as the Philosophers write and also they themselues confesse can not be had without the rest of the vertues What maner of thing then shall Theologicall fayth be if it attayne not vnto the perfection of prudence Farther forasmuch as vertue suffreth not vice to be ioyned together with it and they themselues contende that fayth is a vertue how wil they haue true fayth to be in sinners and such as are strangers frō God But they will say that they put fayth to be a vertue of the vnderstanding vnto which kind of vertues vices are not repugnant For that we sée sometimes that the most wickedst men that are haue in them excellent sciences But nether will this any thing helpe them their owne fayned imagination is a let thereunto For they imagine that those thinges which are set forth vnto our vnderstanding are obscure and nothing euident and that we geue not assent vnto them but because the wil cōmaundeth the vnderstanding to geue his assent in that thinge to geue place to the truth of God Wherefore I will demaunde of these men whether the worke of y◠wil wherby it cōmaundeth y◠vnderstāding to geue place to assēt vnto the words of God be good or euell Vndoubtedly whether they wil or no they must The vnderstandinge cannot be commaunded to beleue without charity Fayth depēdeth not of the commaundemē◠of the wyl◠be cōpelled to say it is good But without charity it is not possible that the will should bring the vnderstāding to embrace y◠things that are to be beleued Wherefore these fonde deuises of theirs are repugnaunt the one to the other But we teach no such thing that fayth should depend of the commaundement of the wil For how should it be moued to commaund things that are to be beleued to be receaued as good and worthy of credit except it had first receued it by vnderstanding In dede we confesse that those things which we beleue are obscure and not very euident vnto humane reason But they are made plaine vnto the vnderstanding by the light of the diuine reuelation and illumination of the holy The deuine reuelation maketh those thinges playne which otherwise were obscure ghost Wherfore they are by the iudgment of reason apprehended and admitted with a singular certainty which thinges being so knowen and receaued as it must nedes follow the wil delighteth it selfe in them so earnestly embraseth them that it commaundeth vnto the other faculties of the mind workes agreable vnto that truth whiche the mind hath beleued And by this meanes of faith springeth charity and after it followeth hope For the things which we beleue and ernestly loue with a valiant and patient minde we wayt for which thing pertayneth chiefely vnto hope Nether let any man thinke that this is ether against reason or extinguisheth the nature of mā for that in beleuing we sem◠to renounce humane sence as though this were in vs a madnes as Agrippa the king sayd vnto Paul when he preached the fayth of Christ Much lerning hath driuen thee to madnes The matter is not so but rather by faith is brought to passe Fayth neyther extinguisheth the nature of man nor reason The foundacions of our resurrection that our reasō maketh it selfe subiect vnto the doctrine of God and vnto the reuelation thereof rather then to inferior reasonings and perswasions which being inferiors vnto the holy scriptures man is by them rather exalted then deiected And if a man should say that men in beleuing are madde we will adde farther it is aboue all things done with reason The Apostle maketh mencion that God rayseth to life the dead and that the body of Abraham was dead and also the wombe of Sara By which wordes Chrisostome sayth are layde the foundacions of our resurrectiō which we beleue shal come For if god could do these things then can not he wante ether meanes or power whereby to restore againe to life the deade And vndoubtedlye I am perswaded that this fayth was no small helpe vnto Abraham to moue him to sacrifice his sonne as God had required at his handes For although hee had receaued the promise that he should haue posterity by Isaake yet he saw that although he were slaine yet there was What faith confirmed Abraham to obey God still remayning place for that promise For he beleued y◠God was able to rayse him vp although he were slayne and make him to liue agayne And how commendable the fayth of the patriarch was Paul declareth when he sayth that he had not a regard to his dead body or to the dead wombe of Sara but gaue the glory to God being most assuredly perswaded this that God was able to performe and bring to passe whatsoeuer he had promised Ambrose by an Antithesis or contrary position declareth the excellency of this fayth for he compareth it with the incredulity of Zachary vnto whome when the angel shewed the birth of Iohn Baptist yet he remained still in vnbeliefe and therfore he was reproued of the
lord and his tonge so tyed that he could not declare it which punishment was verye conueniente for that offence For they which beleue not doo nether speake nor confesse Abraham considered with himselfe although I am now by nature past children gettinge and am become barren yet the and might of God is not subiect vnto the impediments of creatures For God can beyond the accustomed maner and course of nature bring to passe whatsoeuer he wil wherfore although I cā not by mine owne strengths beget a child yet God can adorne his promise with a miracle wherby he may ouercome the order of nature The Rabines of the Hebrues say that Abram begetteth not but Abraham begetteth Bycause saye they in that name is put the aspiratiō He which is a letter pertaining to the name Tetragrāma tō As if it should haue ben said the power of God being aded he which could not beget now begetteth children Augustine in his questions vpon Genesis thinketh that this place of the Apostle is not simply to be vnderstanded For we rede that after the death of Sara Abraham had many children by his wife Chetura which he afterward maried And he addeth that the opinion of naturall philosophers is that men of greate age can not beget children of old women but yet they may of young maydens Wherfore he thinketh that we must in this place vnderstād that the body of Abraham was dead as touching Sara his wife which was now fower score and ten yeares old But this exposition hath not such firme cause to compel vs to thinke it to be true For in that Abraham begat children of Chetura Sara being now dead that mought come by this meanes that God had now besides the order of nature restored vnto him strength to beget childrē Nether maketh that any thing to the purpose which Origen affirmeth who vpon this place writeth that the body of Abraham is vnderstand to be dead bycause he now liued chastly with his wife nether had any more fellowship with her But he cōmēdeth him for that when he had receaued the commaundement of God that he should haue issue by his wife he agayne went in vnto her These thinges as it appereth he deuised of his owne hed for they can not be gathered out of the history Now the Apostle is in hand with this to commend the fayth of Abraham for that he constantly gaue assent vnto the promise of God although both his owne nature and his wiues nature were vtterly agaynst it But whither Abraham any thing doubted when God promised vnto him a child the scripture semeth to leaue in suspēce For in the 12. Whether Abraham doubted whē he had a child promised him chapter of Genesis it is written that he laughed and sayd shall a child be borne to one of an hundreth yeares of age And shall Sara bring forth a child being 90. yeares of age I would to God Ismaell mought liue in thy sight These words haue a shew both of ioy and of admiration being ioyned notwithstanding with some doubting And this scripture therfore maketh mencion of these things that the fayth of Abraham which is so highly commended should in no wise be thought to haue bene without doubtings which are accustomed to spring of the flesh and humane fence but bycause the fayth of the Patriarch ouercame these doubtings therefore is it praysed Nether doo we read there that Abraham was accused of God Both of thē laughed Abraham Sara of incredulity as Sara was which also laughed And if a mā waigh the outward laughter they were both a like But God which is the sercher of the hartes vnderstood right well the fayth of ether of them Holy men although they beleued the promises of God yet sometimes through humane weakenes they somewhat doubted and therof it oftentimes came to passe that they required signes and miracles to confirme theyr weaknes which thing we reade of Gedeon and Ezechias The saints to confirme theyr fayth sometimes required miracles A remedy against weake fayth Whither the blessed virgin doubted the king But in this place is shewed a remedy agaynst such temptacions namely to call backe our thoughtes from humane lettes and to fixe our eyes only vpon the power of God Of this thinge the Angell admonished the blessed Virgine saying No word is impossible with God Although it appeare not by the wordes of the virgine that she doubted but only asked how that shoulde come to passe For she doubted not but that as the Angell had tolde her she shoulde conceaue and that straightway but because she saw that she was not as yet coupled in matrimony although she were betrouthed she demaūded how that should come to passe whether she shoulde wayte till she were ioyned in matrimony or whether it should by any other meanes come to passe Wherefore the Angell in his answere comprehendeth two principall pointes The one is wherby he remoueth away doubting if paraduenture there stacke any in the minde of the Virgine for he sayth No word is impossible with God The second is of the maner of conceauing The holy ghost sayth he shall come vpon thee and the power of the most highest shall shadow thee But whereas some fayne that she asked this because she had vowed her virginitye vnto God it nedeth no long confutation The blessed virgine made no vow especially seing we are by the history it selfe tought that she was betrothed to a mā nether was there at that tyme any such custome to vow virginity vnto God But to return to our purpose our part is to resist the doubts which striue agaynste fayth by the consideration of the power of God for there can no doubt arise as touching the will of God For of his owne accord he promiseth whatsoeuer he setteth forth to be beleued nether doubtles woulde he do it if he would not geue it Wherefore it followeth that they whith are tempted The prayers of the church begin at the omnipotency of God with such doubting are in doubt of hys power Hereof I thinke it commeth to passe that the prayers of the Church do so oftentymes beginne with the omnipotency of God to the ende the hartes of them that pray shoulde be confirmed and that they should not with doubting require any thinge in their publique prayers Of those thinges it is manifest how gréeuous a sinne it is to doubt of the promises of God For that is nothing els but to make God eyther a lyar or els A greuous sinne to doubt of the promises of God The deuell hath not fayth weake And they which are of that mynde can nether call vpon God nor aske or looke for any thing at his hands But now forasmuch as this is the nature of faith which the Apostle now describeth it manifestly appeareth that the deuill hath not fayth For he can haue no confidence that he is accepted of God and besides that he knoweth right well by the naturall sharpenes of
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
priuately applied vnto himselfe generall that no man can priuately be assured of himselfe Doubtles he which calleth vpō God and calleth hym his God applieth that generall God seuerally vnto himselfe Nathan sayd vnto Dauid The Lord hath taken away thy sinne which thinge is likewise sayd vnto euery one that asketh The Gosple is to that end preched to euery creature that euery one should singularly embrace y◠promise and haue remission of sinnes The Minister sayth I baptise thee in the name of the father and of the sunne and of the holy ghost and that is to be vnderstand into the remission of sinnes And euery one priuately to hymselfe receaueth the Eucharist And these thinges are certayne seales and sealinges of the promises of God but they should seale nothing vnles the promises should now be applied perticularly vnto this man or to that man But let vs consider the scriptures Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes and he receaued circumcision the seale of the righteousnes of fayth Did Circumcisiō seale the generall promise No vndoubtedlye but rather the singular promise and whiche was now applyed vnto Abraham Wherefore let these men ceasse thus to bleare mens eyes and let them confesse that hope hath that certaintye of saluation whiche it hath receaued of fayth by reason of the firmenesse of the promises And that thou mayste vnderstand that hope is repugnaunt vnto doubt count Hope is repugnant vnto doubting To what end hope was geuen vnto men with thy selfe to what end it was geuen of God vnto men Vndoubtedlye to no other ende but that they shoulde haue wherewith to striue againste doubting For when we doubt of our saluation we haue no other weapons wherby to ouercome that doubtinge but hope onelye whiche springeth of a liuelye fayth Wherefore seeing it alwayes striueth agaynste doubtinge there is no cause that anye man should ascribe vnto it doubting as a perpetuall companion Let vs looke vpō and consider the other commaundements of God so shall that which we auouch be yet more playne God hath commaunded vs to worship him only and bicause he Why God gaue the cōmaundementes saw vs of our own accord earnestly bent vnto idolatry and vnto supersticiō therfore woulde he haue vs with the word of his law fight against this euill He hath commaunded also that we should not steale nor kill nor commit adulteries for y◠he saw that we by reason of our corrupt nature are prone to these euils So also Why God hath commaunded vs to hope God hath commaunded vs to hope for that he saw our vnbeleuyng hart to be infected with continual doubting And as in beleuing we ought not to haue a regard vnto those things which seme to be against the promises of God which thing Abraham excellently well performed when he considered not his body past children gettyng nor his wife being olde and barren but gaue the glory vnto God so in hoping we ought not to haue a regard vnto our workes for they by reason of theyr deformednes and filthines would rather feare vs away from hoping We ought In hopinge we ought not to haue a respect◠vnto our workes The security of the fleshe and the security of faith differ to fixe our eyes in the only promise and mercy of God Neither also when we vrge this certainty of hope do we open a window vnto lose lyfe as many falsly lay to our charge For the security of the flesh farre differeth from the commendable certainty of faith and of hope For neyther doth it as our aduersaries thinke expell the feare of God out of the mindes of the godly We haue before at large taught that the certainty of saluation and the holy feare of God very well agrée together in the hartes of the faithfull Likewise also the spirite helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought But the spirite it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed Besides that stay of hope wherwith our patience is vpholden Paul sayth that there is an other helpe also of the holy ghost geuen vnto vs. This is y◠which Christ when he should depart out of the world promised to his Apostles I wyll not leaue you orphanes but wyll send you an other comforter If the power of the holy ghost be compared with the weakenes of our strengthes it wil The holy ghost is mightier then our in firmity Against the Pelagians farre passe our infirmity Therfore Paul vseth this comparison that therby might be increased in vs cherefulnes and confidence Here the Pelagians are put to a great foyle For so farre is it of that by the strengthes of our nature we can helpe our selues that without the helpe of the holy ghost we can not of our selues so much as know what thinges shal be profitable vnto vs and what things hurtful But in what maner we know not what to aske and how the spirite maketh request for vs with vnspeakable ▪ sighes bicause it is very obscure to vnderstand first How we know not what we ought to aske I thinke it good to declare the expositions of the fathers and secondly to declare what in them is the best Chrisostome forasmuch as at that time were greuous persecutions against the Christians thinketh that they with prayers feruently desired of God that they might at the lēgth be deliuered from so great euils and this thing not cōming to passe they conceiued a great sorrow in their minde And therfore Paul after this manner comforteth them for that we our selues know not what to pray or what to aske Wherfore God who knoweth all this right well oftētimes geueth not vnto vs those things which we aske but those things which he himselfe knoweth shall be most profitable for vs. And that he should not séeme to deiect their mindes vnto whom he writeth as though he iudged them rude and vnapt vnto things spiritual he numbreth himselfe also together with those which are troubled with this ignoraunce neither did he that falsly or only for consolation sake For he himselfe in dede oftentimes prayed that he might go to Rome and yet Paul was not alwaies heard in his prayers God heard him not He prayed also that the pricke of the flesh mought be taken frō him that is that his tribulations might be slaked as Chrisostome in this place interpretateth it And he receiued an answer of the Lord that his grace ought to be sufficient vnto him Moses prayed that he might enter into the promised land Examples of other saintes which prayed were not heard The maner of the primitiue church Ieremy prayed for the health of the people Abraham prayed for pardon for the Sodomites Samuel prayed that Saul mought be forgeuen The two Apostles prayed that the one of them mought sit on the right hand of Christ and the other on the left in the kingdome of God But these men could not obteine their
Moses semed by theyr sorceries to raise vp new creatures But I thinke that this exposition Iannes and Mambres is more simple to saye that Paul in this clause would finishe the induction which he had begon For when we vse an induction and haue gathered together many perticuler thinges we adde at the last that all other things are in the same sort to finish vp the reason which otherwise should be vnperfect So Paul whē by an Antithesis he had in a maner reckoned vp all thinges added to shut vp the reason And if there be any other creature besides these yet can not it seperate vs frō the loue of God Which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. This is added that we should not think that we are for our owne sakes loued of God For of our selues we are odious vnto hym seing that we are contaminated with originall sinne which we haue contracted frō Adam and also by many other sinnes which we moreouer commit And that there was nothing which could plucke away Paul from the loue of God Chrisostome hereby coniectureth for that for Gods honor sake he refused not to be cast into hel fire And this he addeth That it is the property of a wise mā neuer to seke to depart frō his father although he be sō what sharply chastised of him For he which cleueth A similitude vnto God is couered with his loue beneuolēce is lyke a square stone which whiche way so euer it fall falleth right By this reasoning of Paul we may easely gather y◠The church shall neuer fall away from God the Church shal neuer vtterly fall away frō God neither shall there euer come any euils of so great might that they can vtterly ouerthrow it Which thing Christ in other wordes promised vnto Peter saying The gates of hell shall not preuayle agaynst it For it is as it were a certayne moste strong rocke whiche although it be striken with waues and floudes yet can not be moued out of this place For the church pertayneth to predestination and hath to hys protection the loue of God Wherfore no creature is able to preuayle against it The ninth Chapter I Speake the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience bering me witnes in the holy Ghost that I haue great heauines and continuall sorrowe in my hart For I would wish with my self to be seperate from Christ for my brethren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh which are the Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glorye and the couenantes and the geuing of the lawe and the worshippinge and the promises Of whom ar the fathers and of whō concerning the flesh Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euer Amen The beginning of this chapter is after diuers maners annexed to those thinges which haue bene before spoken For Chrisostome as we haue declared thinketh that Paules meaning is earnestly to shew how firmly he was knit vnto the loue of God namely that for Gods sake he was ready with gladnes to suffer euen to perish But others thinke that this new speache of the Apostle doth hereof arise because before he said that those whom God had chosen could by no violence be seperated from his loue Wherefore it might seme wonderfull how the nation of the Hebrues could be reiected from God which onely nation God before all other nations had chosen Wherefore say they the Apostle straight way added that not al the Iewes did pertayne vnto the election of God and that their fall was not against the decrees of God But in my iudgement the Apostle séemeth in a maner to begin a new matter to entreate of For hetherto he hath proued that iustification commeth not of humaine wisdome nor philosophie nor also of our workes nor by the obseruation of the law but onelye by the faith of Christ But there remayned two other thinges of great weyght which it behoued him to discusse to make plaine For by these two things men were exceedingly moued so that if the Apostle had not throughly answered vnto them he might seme to haue spent his labour in vayne The one of them was that the promise of saluation was made vnto the posteritie of Abraham and vnto the seede of Israell But now for as much as that kinde of men receaue not the fayth in Christ of necessitie it followeth either that the promise of God is vayne or if the Iewes be saued then may iustificatiō be without faith in Christ The second was there was neuer at any time in any nation so great righteousnes so great an endeuour of pietie so diligent an obseruation of the law as was amongest the Iewes And it were absurd if we should say that God would not embrace such kinde of righteousnes which excelled the vprightnes of all nations These are two such thinges that of them no man can doubt namelye that the promises of God are firme and that an vpright iustice is acceptable vnto God Vnto these thinges Paule answereth in these three chapiters following First he sayth that the promises were made vnto the elect of God and he addeth that the externall people of Israell were not in very dede that people vnto whom were A distinctiō of the people of Israell made the promises as pertayning to the whole number which thing he proueth by testimonies of the scriptures Wherefore though the Iewes were blinded sayth he it followeth not thereof that the promises of God are vaine Afterward he maketh a distinction of righteousnes so that one is outward which A distinctiō of righteousnes consisteth in rites and workes and an other inwarde which consisteth in spirite and in fayth The first righteousnes sayth he God nothing regardeth but the latter is it wherein onely he is delighted and which he continuallye embraceth and of that were the Iewes voyde And therefore God nothing esteemed theyr outward righteousnes These things are entreated of in the .ix. and .x. chapters But in the .xi. least the Iewes should thinke them selues vtterlye reiected Paule addeth that of that people there remained some remnaunts which in successe of time should be brought vnto Christ But as touching the .ix. chapter the Apostle keepeth this order First forasmuch as it shoulde be verye bytter vnto the The Methode of the 9. chapter Iewes to heare that the promises of God shoulde not pertayne to their stocke and that they them selues should not be counted of the nomber of the elect Paul sheweth that he could not consider these thinges with himselfe but wyth great griefe and that he was ready to redeme this calamitie euen with his owne eternall destruction by which woordes he playnlye declareth that he speaketh not these thinges agaynst his own nation of hatred towardes them Then draweth he nere to the very matter and confesseth that the promises of God are firme but they pertayne not to the carnall propagation Which thing he proueth by a most manifest example of
and Esau which although as touching carnall propagation they came of Abraham yet they fell away from the promise Wherefore the promise as we sayd was geuen vnto the carnall posterity of Abraham although that earthly generatioÌ„ was not the Works and carnall propagation ar not causes of saluation cause that the promise should â—e of efficacy and take place in all Paul remoueth away two thinges whiche he will in no wise to be the causes of the promises namely carnall propagation workes What shall theÌ„ be the cause of the promise Verely nothing else but the electioÌ„ and purpose of God To remoue away Election is the cause of saluation these two thinges Paul vseth the oracles of God and mencioneth the examples of Ismael and Esau And as touching Isaak whom God preferred before Ismael it is written in the boke of Genesis But there are two places touching Iacob the one is in Genesis and the other in the prophet Malachie There are also moreouer promises of yâ— calling of the Gentiles but therof is not at this present entreated That shall afterward be handled in his due place where it shal be declared that the Iewes being repulsed the Gentiles are substituted in theyr places and The promise was made to the stocke of Abraham indefinitely the same shal be confirmed by many testimonies of the scriptures Now is entreated only of the promise made to the stock of AbrahaÌ„ And the Apostle sayth that the promise indede was made indefinitlye but yet not to euery one that should come of that bloud Wherefore the promise must needes pertayne to the sede elected whereunto many are annexed by the propagation of the flesh in whome the promise taketh no effect It is indede offred vnto all but it is not fulfilled in all For euen as the common welth of the Israelites was by the mercy of God seioyned from other nations so yâ— by yâ— selfe same mercy of God some of the Israelites were elected to be pertakers of the promise of God which pertained not to all men vniuersally Hereby we may know that many of the Iewes by reason of that promise shoulde receaue Christ and attayne vnto saluation For the promise of God can by no meanes fayle And for that cause the Apostle before so much extolled his nation for that he saw that yâ— promise of God should yet haue place in it Neither is that any let that yâ— greater part was at yâ— time blinded for the oracles of the prophetes foretold that that thing should come to passe who declared that the indefinite promise of God is by the hidden purpose of God contracted to a few They which thinke that these thinges pertayne to the Gentiles referre the promise vnto them as though they were truely made Israelites and the sede of Abraham especially seing that Paul sayth in the. 3. chapiter to the Galathians Those which are of fayth are the sonnes of Abraham and when as also Iohn Baptist sayth in the Gosple God is able of these stones to raise vp children to Aâ—raham We indede deny not but that the Gentiles are transferred to the nobility of yâ— Hebrues but forasmuch as that coÌ„meth not vnto them by naturall propagation as it did to the Israelites they belong not to AbrahaÌ„ as touching the flesh but only by spirite and faith pertaine vnto him Wherfore we are grafted adopted and planted into that stocke All these thinges are true but Paul entreateth not of them in this place This thing only his entent is to declare that in Israell issueng from Abraham as touching the fleshe â–ª lieth still hidden some sede of the election and that some remnantes thereof shall at the last be saued But of the Gentiles he will afterward in dew place inteate In the meane time he defendeth the promises of God that they should not seme vnconstant and vnstable when as so few of the Iewes were saued by Christ For not all they which are of Israel are Israel neither all they which are of the sede of AbrahaÌ„ are children But in Isaac shal thy sede be called That is not they which are the children of the flesh are the childreÌ„ of God but they which are the children of the promise are counted for the sede Chrisostome in this place demauÌ„deth what this Israell is what thing this sede is And this he noteth that the children of the flesh are not the children of God Howbeit he denieth not but that they are the childreÌ„ of AbrahaÌ„ And he thinketh that the Apostle in this place calleth them the children of God which are borne after the selfe same maner that Isaack Isaack borne of the promise was borne But he was procreated of the promise and worde of God For the worde promise of God framed and formed him in the wombe of his mother And although the mothers wombe was vsed to procreation yet forasmuch as that was now dryed vp and barren it could not be the cause of his procreation So saith he the faythfull when they are regenerated in Baptisme are by the worde and promise of God borne againe And if thou wilt say that the water also is therunto adioyned we graunt it is so in deede yet of it Regeneration is not to be attributed vnto the water self it is a thyng cold and barren lyke the wombe of Sara Wherfore whatsoeuer is done in Baptisme commeth wholy of the holy ghost and of the promise of God It is well to be liked that Chrisostome attributeth not regeneration vnto the water but referreth it rather to the holy ghost and to the worde of God But there are two thinges which he auoucheth which may not so easely be graunted First that the scope of Paul is to contract the promises of God to the Gentles For here as we haue said first is entreated of the Iewes Secondly seing that the children of the Hebrewes were long time regenerate before Christ came and had the promise of their saluation sealed with circumcision no otherwise then we now haue by Baptisme what nede was there to contract regeneration only to baptisme Let vs rather vnderstand yâ— the promise was set forth indefinitely vnto the people of Israell which as touching yâ— flesh came of Abraham Which promise was in the children of the Hebrues sealed by circuÌ„cision wherfore that people was here before said to haue had the couenauntes and promises And Peter in the Actes of the Apostles calleth the Hebrues The chilldren of the couenauntes for that the promises of God were as we haue said set forth vnto them generally although they toke not effect in them all After this maner are to be vnderstanded many places in the Prophets where In what maner many oracles in the Prophetes concerning the people of Israel are to be vnderstanded the people of Israell is indefinitely called the people of God although in very dede many of them were aliantes from God Esay hath I haue nourished and exalted children but they
yet complayne Who can resist his will is gathered a most firme argument that Pauls minde was that both election and also reiection depend of the mere will of God For otherwise there was no occasion to obiect these thinges For if only the worthy should be elected and the vnworthy reiected what cause should there be of murmuring For then should be confirmed that kinde of iustice which humane reason most of all alloweth neither shoulde there be any place left to these offences Wherfore I do not a litle meruayle that Pigghius and other such like shold vse these things which Paul in this place obiecteth vnto himself confuteth to confirme their opinion as most sure argumentes For Pigghius saith if God should harden men Pharao should not be the cause of his sinne when as he could not resist the will of God And if God saith he should not deale according to workes foresene he should in his election be vniust and sinne agaynst iustice distributiue But these selfe same things Paul obiecteth vnto himself not to the entēt to satisfie thē thought he it nedeful to fly vnto the fond deuises of these Mortificatiō of faith men Herein doubles is most of all declared the mortification of fayth to geue all the glory vnto God and to beleue that the thinges which otherwise shoulde seme vniust are of him most iustly done By that comparison of the clay and of the potter Paul declareth that it is lawfull for God by most good right to do vnto men whatsoeuer he will and that men ought patiently and humbly to obey his will And that God can according to his right and at his pleasure either make men to honour or els leue them in contumely hereby he proueth God hath more right ouer men then the potter hath ouer the clay for that a potter hath the selfe same power ouer the vessels which he maketh Yea rather God hath much more right ouer mē thē hath the potter ouer y◠clay For man is infinitly more distant from God then is the vessell from the potter For the potter forasmuch as he is a man is taken out of the earth and the clay whether the potter will or no must nedes be clay But God if he wil can turne man into any thing yea if it please him he can also reduce him to nothing Wherefore that which is graunted vnto the potter by what right can it be denied vnto GOD And if men bee clay being compared vnto the will of God why are they not content therewith why do they so importunately murmure agaynst it And forasmuch as Paul sayth that the potter hath power to make By this cōparison is proued that God hath not a regard to workes vessels as he wil thereby he sufficiently declareth that God hath not a regard to workes For if it were so that power shoulde be no power and the potter should be able to do more then God For the potter may at his pleasure make what vessels he wil but God must follow the merites of men and our deedes shoulde be vnto him a rule of his election But we manifestly sée that the Apostle laboureth chiefely to proue that it lieth not in our power in what sort God ought to make vs. But against these things writeth Erasmus in his booke called Hyperaspistes that it is not to be merueled that y◠power is takē away frō God which he hath takē away frō himself For he would not y◠it shoulde be lawfull for him to do y◠which should be repugnāt to his iustice To this obiectiō we answer that Paul plainly saith that y◠potter hath this power which power doubtles we se is not takē away frō him Wherfore it is mete y◠the selfe same power be geuē also vnto God But wheras he saith y◠God hath takē away frō himself this power y◠is not true I grant in dede y◠God wil not haue y◠thing to be lawful vnto him which is repugnant vnto his iustice But here is nothing which is repugnāt vnto iustice Yea rather this we adde that here is not spokē of iustice but of mercy freely to be bestowed or not to be bestowed For God oweth vnto no man his first mercy therfore it foloweth y◠he may haue mercy on whō he wil not haue mercy on whō he wil not Erasmus also thinketh it absurd y◠we affirme that the respect of merites is repugnāt vnto the liberty power of God as touching electiō or reprobatiō For it were wicked saith he if a mā should be condēned with out euil deserts of sin That indede do we cōfesse but we adde that in this place is not entreated of damnation but only of reprobation as it is opposite to election or to predestination And with the Apostle we say that God Here is not entreated of damnation but of reprobation hath mercy on whome he will and hath not mercy on whome he will not And although God condemne not or deliuer not to eternall destruction but only those which haue bene contaminated with sinne yet he doth not by reason of any euill desert ouerhippe those one whome he hath decreed not to haue mercy Note the difference betwene damnation and reprobation And yet doth he not therefore deale vniustly for he oweth nothing to any man But when we say that if God should haue mercy or not haue mercy according to the merites of mē his power should be nothing at all which Paul here in this place so much commendeth Erasmus maketh answer that if he haue not a respect vnto workes his constāt and vnmoueable iustice should be nothing at all But we haue oftentimes declared that here is not entreated of iustice distributiue whereby God in predestination and reprobation is bound to render like vnto like For forasmuch as all are borne being drowned in the corruption of sinne he may as pleaseth him haue mercye on some and others agayne he may by the selfe same pleasure ouerhippe and leue them as he found them which is not to haue mercy vpon thē Erasmus also laboureth moreouer to proue y◠the power of God is after a sort contracted and made definite by his promises For when God had sworne eyther vnto Abraham or vnto Dauid vnles he would breake his fayth he was bound vtterly to performe his promises Wherefore sayth he it is not altogether so absurd if the power of God whereof is now entreated be not put vtterly fre from the respect of workes But Erasmus shold haue considered that this similitude touching the promises is not hereunto rightly applied For we neuer rede that there was any promise made to any man touching predestination Yea rather the promises alwayes follow predestination For it is the Predestination is the original of all promises originall of all promises Further Paul playnly maketh this power free from all respect of workes when he compareth it with the power of the potter For he in making of
mercy for that they haue purged themselues from filthines But what the verye meaning of that place is we haue before declared And that the Gentiles performed by nature those thinges which are of the law we thus expounded that they did many things in outward discipline which were coÌ„maunded in the law of Moses as in yâ— they eschued thefts whordomes adulteries other such like sins Wherfore Paul coÌ„cluded yâ— they waÌ„ted not the knowledge of vice vertue of right and wrong so yâ— when in many things they fell sinned they could not be excused by reason of ignoraunce There are others which vnderstand those wordes of the Gentiles now conuerted vnto Christ which being endewed with the holy ghost executed the commaundementes of God and declared both in life and in maners yâ— righteousnes consisteth not of the law of Moses of which thing yâ— Iewes continually boasted of But the first interpretacioÌ„ more agreeth with the words of the Apostle But whether soeuer interpretacion be admitted Origen hath therby no defence to proue that men attayne vnto righteousnes by the worthines True righteousnes dependeth not of the endeuor of men but of the goodnes of God The Iews did not rightly follow righteousnes of workes Yea rather the very wordes of the Apostle most plainly declare that true righteousnes dependeth not of the endeuor or worthines of men but of the goodnes and mercy of God For he sayth that the Israelites following the law of righteousnes attained not vnto righteousnes But this semeth vnto humane reason very absurd namely that those which followed not should obteyne and those which followed should be frustrated Howbeit this we ought to consider that the Israelites did not vprightly and lawfully seke it For if they had sought it according to the meaning of the law for as much as Christ is the end of the law they had doubtles beleued in him and so should haue bene iustified But by cause Paul in this place twise repeteth the righteousnes of the law some thinke yâ— those wordes are not in either place to be a like vnderstanded For in the first place by the law of rightousnes they thinke is to be vnderstanded the outward law and in the second place the true righteousnes as though Paul should saye that the Iewes applied themselues vnto the outward obseruation of the law but could not attayne vnto the true righteousnes in Christ Which interpretation I indede dislike not howebeit I thinke that these wordes may in eyther place be taken in one and the same sence so that the meaning is although that Wherfore the law of God is called the law of righteousnes the Iewes had purposed in theyr minde to kepe the law geuen them of God which law is called the law of righteousnes for that in it is contayned moste perfect righteousnes yet being voyde of fayth and of the spirite of Christ they could not kepe the law and therfore they were frustrated of theyr purpose and of that which they had determined in theyr minde so that they neyther had the true righteousnes which the Gentiles had obteyned and also were frustrated of that righteousnes which they sought for And the ground of that error was The grouÌ„d of the error of the Iewes in folowing of righteousnes Faith the soule of the commaundementes of God for that they being destitute of fayth and in the meane time supposing that they mought be iustified by workes applied themselues vnto workes only But without fayth these thinges are in vayne enterprised For fayth is the soule and life of all those thinges which are commaunded in the law Seing therfore that they fayled of the prescript of the law they had not Christ by whome their transgression of the law mought be forgeuen and by whome that which wanted mought be supplied And these workes whereof Paul speaketh the Fathers referre vnto the rites and ceremonies of the law of Moses but that as we haue declared is straÌ„ge from the very methode and doctrine which Paul vseth in thys epistle The contencion indede at the first beganne as we haue oftentimes said aboute ceremonies But Paul to proue that they can not iustify added a generall What Paul in this place vnderstandeth by workes In the obteinyng of rightousnes workes are as contrary opposed vnto fayth They which ascribe righteousnes vnto workes are not iustified proposition namely that no workes of what kinde soeuer they be in as much as they are workes haue power to iustify wherefore Paul in this place by workes vnderstandeth not only ceremonies but also all dewties of life This moreouer is worthy to be noted that Paul in this place in such sort affirmeth that righteousnes is taken hold of by fayth that vnto it he opposeth workes as contrary For when he had said that the Gentiles attayned vnto righteousnes by fayth streight way he addeth that the Iewes fell away from the law of righteousnes although they endeuored themselues thereunto namely for that they sought it not by fayth But why they sought it not by fayth he geueth a reason for that they sought it by workes Whereof it followeth that they are not iustified which abscribe righteousnes vnto workes For to put conâ—idence in them and to attribute righteousnes vnto them is an assured and euident let that thou canst not attayne vnto the true righteousnes Chrisostome noteth that these wordes of Paul which eyther pertayne vnto the Gentiles or which pertayne vnto the Iewes may be reduced to thrée wonderful principal poynts For first of the Gentiles he sayth that they attayned vnto righteousnes which Three things here out gathered against the meaning of the Iewes How the righteousnes of faith is greater then the righteousnes of workes thing the Iewes could in no case abide to heare for they would haue had none but themselues counted to pertayne to the kingdome of Christ SecoÌ„dly which is also more wonderfull he sayth that they attayned vnto righteousnes when as they gaue not themselues vnto righteousnes And which is most wonderfull of all he sayth that the righteousnes of fayth which the Gentiles tooke hold of is farre greater then the righteousnes of workes And therefore Paul before in this selfe same epistle thus wrote If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath glory but he hath not whereof to glory before God But how the righteousnes of fayth is greater and ercellenter then the righteousnes of workes is thus to be vnderstanded that although the workes of men not regenerate seme to be honest and notable and bring with them a certayne ciuill righteousnes yet notwithstanding is that righteousnes of so small valew that before God it is none at all yea rather it is counted for sinne Farther the holines and vprightnes of works which are done of men regenerate although it please God yet can it not abide to be examined tried by his exacte iudgmeÌ„t For our righteousnesses are like a cloth stayned with the naturall course of
liberty by God and by Moses receaued of God himselfe most wise and wonderful lawes Moreouer the nobility of any nation is commended by auncientnes But there are no histories that make mencion of any nation auncienter then the Iewes For the writers of the Gentles can find nothing that was written before Abrahams time This also maketh a nation noble if it haue had excellent and notable Princes which thing the Iewes wanted not for they came of Abraham Isaacke Iacob and other of the patriarches Finally this also is considered whether in a nation haue florished many excellent and notable men As touching which thing there was neuer any people that therein could compare with the Iewes they had Patriarches Prophetes Iudges and most noble kings and infinite other most notable men excelling in all kind of vertue Wherfore before in the 9. chapiter it was sayd Vnto whome pertayneth the adoption the glory the testaments the geuing of the law the worshipping the promises the fathers and Christ also as touching the fleshe Wherefore that nation without doubt is to be counted most noble and that not only as touching the nobility of this world which is doubtles a gift of God not to be contemned but also as touching spirituall nobility which dependeth of that couenaunt which God himself made with them Wherin the holines of the Iewes chiefly consisted And to make the thing more plaine this is to be noted that Augustine in his 106. epistle to Paulinus or to Bonifacius writeth that this holines consisteth rather in the communion of faith and of the sacraments then in carnall propagation Which his saying is most true For true sound holines in them that are of full age dependeth of faith which by the sacraments is both sealed and stirred when these thinges are had men geue themselues vnto God and are made vnto hym holy Whereunto if procreation of godly elders be adioyned it is not to be doubted but that God doth for the most part bestow more ample gifts vpon them according to his promise wherein he hath promised that he will do good vnto the godly euen vnto a thousand generations for he remembreth the couenaunt which he hath made betwene him and the faithfull that he is the God not only of them but also of their séede Yea and also oftentimes for the godly parents sake he geueth vnto their children so much grace that they are brought vnto faith are adorned with the sacraments and endued with giftes of the spirite Which thing although it do not alwayes happen or of necessity yet vnder the hope of such promise we baptise our infants as the Iewes in the olde time circumcised their infants But as we haue before said here is not entreated of men perticularly but of the whole kind vniuersally and here is not a respect had vnto carnall propagation but vnto the couenaunt and promise For the father when he begetteth a childe doth not together with the sede poure into him holines but rather sinne and corruption of nature according to that saying of Dauid In iniquities was I conceaued and in sinnes hath my mother conceaued me The Apostle in these hys wordes vseth two most elegant metaphors or rather allegories when he calleth The metaphors which the Apostle vseth the fathers of the Hebreues the first fruites and the roote In the law it was commaunded that of all the encreases and fruites of the earth should be geuen vnto God the first fruits yea also the first borne of liuing creatures were due vnto him And when Paul maketh mencion of the masse or lompe he alludeth to that which we reade in the 15. chapiter of the booke of Nombers that some part of the lompe of new dough was commaunded to be seperated for God before that the new bread should be tasted of for thereof were made swéete cakes which were offred vnto God Which thing he therefore caused to be done that men by that ceremony might vnderstand and of their owne accord testify y◠God is vnto them the What the first fruites signified in the law geuer and distributer of all fruites Wherefore that oblation encreased not the riches of God which are otherwise infinite but only nourished in men a greatfull memory of benefites receaued As oftentimes Emperors and great and mighty kings geue vnto some one man a city or prouince or some certaine dominion A similitude with this condition that he shall pay vnto him euery yeare some thing of small valew in the name of a tribute not that they seeke by that tribute to be enriched but that man maye perpetually vnderstande and testifye that he dependeth of that Prince and that that he hath at his handes obtained that dignity which he now enioyeth Moreouer this commodity had the common wealth by that ceremony that by such oblations the holy ministery was sustayned whose vse is so great that it ought to be maintayned yea though with great charge Moreouer in all the first fruites was signified Christ the first borne of all creatures and namely the first fruites of them that rise againe from the dead whereby all the faythfull are sanctified for by the first fruites was made holy that which was remayning and left at home to sustaine the family Yea and this maner of offring first fruites was deriued also vnto the Ethnikes for the virgens called vestae offered fruites vnto their domisticall Goddes and as Plutarch telleth in Symposiacis The custome of offring the first fruites came also vnto the Ethnikes the men in the olde time dranke not any wyne before that they had first offred safice to some God that that which they dranke might not hurt them And at Athens the 11. day of the month they offred the first fruites of wyne In all these things we may behold the steppes of that holy institution although the Ethniks had with idolatrous supersticion violated that which was well instituted At this day also although the yoke of the ceremonies of Moses be taken away yet should it be very well done of vs of our frée and liberall will to offer vnto God the first fruites by geuing them to the poore The other metaphore or allegory is taken of The first fruites are offred vnto God in the poore the rootes of trées which draw good sappe out of the earth which is dispersed thorough out the stocke and branches and causeth good nourishement and plentifull fruit And that a stocke or famely is called a roote it is so commonly vsed in the scriptures that it nedeth no exposition Esay sayth A rod shall come out of the roote of Iesse c In which words is described that Christ should be borne of the stocke of Dauid And when as by this roote are vnderstanded the fathers as Abraham Isaacke and Iacob these are not to be considered as they were men but as they were ioyned vnto Christ and thereout as out of a most fertile ground thorough faith drew the sappe of saluation
should say that some of the braunches were broken of when as the greatest part of the Iewes had fallen away And Chrisostome cleaueth vnto his firste exposition namelye that the Apostle in words onely comforteth the Iewes and speaketh to get fauor of them whiche thinge saith he vnles it be well marked he shall séeme to speake manye thinges repugnant This interpretacion I thinke not so apte for if there be in the scriptures admitted any kinde of lye there shall doubtles be nothing remayning in them whiche shal be without suspition of a lie or of falshoode Paul in this place had a respect not onely to one age of the people of the Iewes but to the whole nation together both which was from the beginning and which should be euen vnto yâ— end of the world And who séeth not that theÌ„ at that time were saued a great part There were many most holy patriaches iudges kings priestes prophetes priuate men and women which were all deare vnto God and towardes the end of the world they shall in great heapes be conuerted vnto Christe Yea and in the Apostles time there were in one day wonne vnto the Lord fiue thousand What marueile then is it if he saye that some or certaine braunches were broken of It Paul in this treatise maketh no lie mought haue séemed a lie if all had bene cut of Further althoughe the Apostle do somewhat extenuate or rather lenifye that which was in déede verye harde to be spoken yet maketh he no lie to speake for fauour or to comfort in woordes onely contrary to the truth of the matter Wherefore he putteth the Gentils in minde what manner ones they were before and in what state the Iewes were in times paste before God And doubtles if the Gentils had considered with theÌ„selues their former estate and the publike and ciuill doctrine and manners receaued amongst them they should haue found nothing in a manner which was not obnoxions vnto the curse And if they had any thing afterward whereof to glory the same came The grafting in of the GeÌ„â—les into the wilde oliue tree is wonderful wholy not of the doctrine and manners receiued of long time amongst them but of their new grafting into Christ in the place of the Iewes which had falleÌ„ away And without doubt that grafting in of the Gentils which we now entreat of was wonderful The lord sayd of it Many shall come from the east and from the weast shall rest with Abraham Isaack and Iacob c. And Paul excellently wel expresseth the same vnto the Ephesians in the 2. chapter saying Remember that ye beinge in times past Gentiles in the flesh were called vncircuÌ„cision of theÌ„ which are called circumcision in the flesh whiche circumcision is made with handes that I say ye were at that time without Christ aleantes from the common wealth of Israell and straungers froÌ„ the couenantes of the promise and had no hope and were Atheistes or without God in the world but now ye which were once farre of are made neere through Christ by his bloud And straightway in the selfe same chapter Now therfore ye are no more straungers and foreners but citezens with the saintes and of the household of God and are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets And this is to be noted yâ— this place The olde Testament and the new is one and the self same thing as touching the substaunce maketh much to proue that the olde Testament and the new is one and the selfe same For the roote is one and the selfe same and the stocke or bodye of the trée is one and the selfe same the Iewes are cut of and we are grafted in one and the selfe faith abideth one and the selfe same mediator the selfe same sacramentes as touching the thinge although the outward signes and ceremonies are chaunged And doubtles the promises as touching the substance abide now the selfe same although at that time were mingled with them certaine shadowes of thinges as of theyr infinite populous multitude of the possession of the lande of Chanaan of the kingdome of the priesthoode of the temple or tabernacle c. Wherefore the substaunce thing and spirite are in either testament one and the same onely there is found some difference in qualities and certayne circumstances But whereas the Apostle calleth the stocke and propagation of the saintes an oliue trée it may seme that he tooke that out of the holye scriptures For in the 11. chapter of Ieremy the Lord said that he had made Iuda an oliue tree full of braunches fruitefull and fat but he there prophesieth that it shoulde be broken for their impiety whiche sentence the Apostle nowe vseth namely that the braunches are broken of And Dauid saide I as a greene oliue tree and full of braunches in the house of the Lorde haue put my truste in my God In whiche sentence is touched the cause of the fatnesse namelye for that the Saintes put their confidence in God and do truelye beleue in him I mighte also speake of that parable whiche in the booke of Iudges Ioathan the sonne of Ierobaall brought against Abimelech and against the Sichimites where he maketh mencion of the Oliue trée and and of the fatnes thereof together with the swéetnes of the fig trée and pleasantnes of the vine trée wherefore these thrée kinds of trées the vine trée the oliue trée and the figge trée are in the scriptures compared vnto the Church The Cedre trée also is somtimes added because of the beauty and heigth therof Although of the vine trée it be sayd that it was turned into a wild vine yet that is not to be vnderstanded vniuersally but only as touching the braunches which fell away Wherfore Augustine hath a very good saying that this tree is putata non amputata pruned and not cleane cut away The Apostle straight way prohibiteth the Gentles from glorieng against the Iewes He indéede forbiddeth not glorying generally for how can it be but It is not possible but that we should reioyce in the giftes of God that we should reioyce in the giftes of God but addeth against the bowes that are broken of namely that we should not reproch them To glory against theÌ„ were to glory against the roote and to go about in a manner to striue euen against Abraham who is our father For in the third to the Galathyans it is written They which are of faith are the sonnes of Abraham And likewise to the Romanes in the 4. chapiter But in Pauls metaphore the absurdity is a great deale more manifest if the braunches should arise against the roote Neither is the elegance of the meatophore of the wild oliue trée lightly to be passed ouer for euen as the wild oliue trée hath in deede the forme and shape of an oliue trée but yet as touching the ende and fruits it is not so prayse worthy so they which are straungers from Christ
and his fruites euill But in the braunches he noteth an other diuersity That euen as in naturall bodyes there are some which longe kepe still theyr proprieties and qualities as the heauenly bodyes which shall in one and the selfe same estate abide euen vnto the end of the world and there are others which are more easely changed yea also come to corruption as herbes plantes and sensible creatures So there are some brāches which perpetually adide in that tree or doubtles very long but other some soone fall away At the length he writteth that although some thinke that Abraham and the holy fathers are the good tree and the root yet he thinketh that we ought to put Christ to be that good tree and roote as into whō we are by fayth grafted Touching these thinges out of him alledged we may allow the former part which was brought first agaynst Valentinus for they are well and profitably noted of him But that difference of the two trees is farre The whole lompe of our corrupt nature may be called a wild oliue tree I tlieth not in our power to make our selues good trees otherwise to be put And first we ought to know that the whole lompe of our nature is corrupted with originall sinne wherefore it might well be called a wild oliue tree Neyther should we haue had from any elsewhere a good tree vnles by the mercy of God Christ had bene both promised and geuē into whom the elect by beleuing are altered transplanted and grafted as into a fruitfull and fat tree But that they shoulde beleue commeth not by the power of free will for fayth is the gifte of God and not a worke of our strengths and therefore it lieth not in vs to make the tree good And if Origen thinke that Christ so sayth the error springeth of the misvnderstanding of this worde Make ye for in that place it signifieth not a working but a supposition As though he should haue sayd Thinke and be assured that that tree ought to be good which should bring forth good fruites that tree euill which should bring forth euil fruites And that this is the sence of those words that which went before declareth For the lord had sayd Forasmuch as ye are euill ye can not speake good thinges And in the 7. chapiter of Mathew it most manifestly appeareth that the tree ought first to be good before that good fruites can follow but Origen contrariwise imagineth that by the workes of free will the tree is made fruitfull And as touching the plant and roote we also affirme that the fathers with whome was made the couenaunt and who led in it an holy life are that plant and roote although we are not ignoraunt that in other places of the scripture Christ calleth himself the vine tree and vs the branches yea and in this selfe same epistle it is written that by baptisme we are grafted into Christ into the similitude of his death Neyther doth any man doubt but that Christ is the only foundation besides which no man can put any other But Paul now tendeth not that way but only hath a consideration vnto the kinred of the Hebrues and holines of the fathers which is here by gathered for that he calleth the Iewes the naturall braunches of the good oliue tree which can not otherwise be vnderstanded but for that they came of holy parentes And streight way he expressedly sayth There are enemies for your sakes but elect for the fathers sakes Neither doth this which is added any thing let Thou standest by fayth which fayth hath a respect vnto Christ as vnto the obiect thereof for we also when we affirme that the holy fathers are the plant and root doo not exclude Christ for the roote and tree are not here taken but in as much The fathers are called the roote the plant in as muche as they ar rooted inchrist as they are holy but the fathers had not of them selues naturall and inward holynes but as we haue before sayd they by fayth drew it from Christ Thou wilt say then The braunches are brokē of that I might be grafted in Thou sayest well Thorough vnbelefe they are brokē of and thou standest by fayth Be not high minded but feare For if God spared not the naturall braunches take heede that he also spare not thee Thou wilt say then The braunches are broken of that I might be grafted in Thou sayest well Thorough vnbeliefe they are broken of and thou standeste by fayth The Apostle continueth still to represse the arrogancy of the Gentiles which extolled themselues against the Iewes And he vseth a conterfeate speach vnder the person of the Gentiles so that it is a preuention The Gentiles paraduenture mought haue said we glory for that we are both better and more worthy then the Iewes which is hereby proued for that they were brokē of for our saluation sake that we should be grafted in but he is of much more worthines for whose sake a thing is done then is y◠which is done for his sake The Apostle answereth Thou sayst well that the Iewes are broken of that thou shouldest be grafted in this I deny not but thē remember thou that thy grafting in commeth not of merites or workes but of fayth which is mere and pure grace and hath a respect vnto the mercy of God only It is the practise of Sathan to make vs to glory of that thing which we haue not of our selues but is the pure and simple gift of God I will not speake how that the Iewes mought by the like kinde of reasoning say we are of more excellency then thou when as thou wert to this end called that we by thy conuersion might receaue fruit and by emulation be prouoked vnto saluation Chrisostom sayth that here are touched the true and proper causes of the destruction of the Iewes and of the grafting in of the Gentiles incredulity I say and fayth And therfore he continueth in that mind which he was of before that the Apostle comforteth the Iewes in wordes onely and with cōmendations which in very dede were no commēdations But in thus speaking he considereth not that which was before sayd that the counsell of God in the execation of the Iewes stayed not there as though he willed that blindnes in respect of it self only but had a respect vnto the calling of the Gentiles which he would should therof follow And I wonder he saw not y◠the Apostle here approueth the argument of the Gentils wherin they sayd They are broken of that we should bee grafted in He mought doubtles haue sayd this is not true frō which saying he is so farre of that he rather auoutched graunted and approued that which they alledged Wherfore it is not to be doubted but that the blinding of the Iewes was appoynted of God as a meane whereby the saluation of the Gentiles should follow Wherfore Paul calleth backe the Gentiles to the consideration of this
argument that he should be God when as it belongeth vnto him only to forgeue sinnes Men may indede remitte the punishmentes which they which haue sinned should suffer and not take vengeaunce of them but they are not able to blot out the sinne for the the giltines abideth still and he which hath sinned is obnoxious vnto the iustice of God Only God whome the sinner offendeth is able to blot out such guiltines Wherefore the Pharises when they saw that Christ toke away the disseases paynes of the body which are the effectes of sinnes and heard him say moreouer Thy sinnes are forgeuen thee cried out that the blasphemed for that he attributed vnto himselfe that which was proper vnto God But paraduenture Of the kayes some man will say doth God so forgeue sinnes that men may not remitte them Whereto then serue the kayes in the Church In this case by this The kayes of the churche are the worde and faith meanes is committed error for that the Papistes imagine farre other thinges of the kayes theÌ„ the word of God teacheth Christ hath left vnto the Church the kayes wherewith sinnes should be forgeuen which kayes are the word and fayth For in the word of God is set forth vnto men the promise of God whereby thorough fayth in Christ sinnes are forgeueÌ„ and he which beleueth not shall be condemned and his sinnes shall be imputed vnto him This is one kay which the Churche vseth whilest in it is both publiquely and priuately preached the word of God The other kay is fayth for if any heare and geue theyr asseÌ„t vnto these things which are set forth vnto theÌ„ they haue remission of sins And these two kayes the Euangelists haue excellently wel declared vnto vs. For in Iohn Christ breathed vpon the Apostles said Receiue ye the holy gost and whose sinnes ye forgeue c. And what he wrought by this brething spirit is declared in Luke where it is said that he had opened vnto theÌ„ the sence of the scriptures This kay also is set forth in Math. wheÌ„ Christ coÌ„maunded the apostles to go preach c. The other kay belongeth vnto the heares namely the they beleue He which beleueth shal Although the kayes be in the church yet do not men geue remission of sins Whether the old Testament and the new be vtterly diuers be saued Wherefore although the kayes be in the Church yet do not men geue remission of sinnes for the kayes are the instrumentes wherâ—by God offreth it But bycause Paul sayth out of the testimony of Esay that this is a Testament and we read the same in the 31. chapiter of Ieremy that the new couenaunt herein consisteth that the deliuerer should come and be mercifull vnto inquities there ariseth a doubt whether the new Testament and the old be diuers or no. Of which matter I haue before spoken somewhat but nowe I entend more at large to entreate thereof At the first sight they seme vtterly distinct so that the one is altogether diuers from the other for in Ieremy it is sayd that there should be a new Testament and not according to that which he made with the fathers And the epistle to the Hebrewes addeth When he sayth a new then is that abolished which was old but who seeth not but that when one thing abolisheth and maketh voyde an other thing it vtterly differeth from the same There is also an other argument for that as they say in the old testament was not forgeuenes of sinnes For the epistle vnto the Hebrewes in the 10. chap. sayth That the bloud of Goates and of oxen and of calues could not take away sinnes But in the new testament no man doubteth but that there is remission of sinnes wherefore no man will say but that the thinges which in so greate a matter differ are diuers But on the other side One the selfe same maner of iustification in eche One and the same mediator The promise of the forgeuenâ—s of sinnes of eternall lyfe is in eche The selfe same morall commaundements the selfe same signication of the sacrameÌ„ts The selfe same roote and tree The substance of either Testament is one the same the accidences differ In the olde Testament was iustification that is remissioÌ„ of sinnes this is to be considered that that fayth whereof iustification consisteth is in eyther Testament one and the same moreouer that the mediator is one and the same namely Christ Iesus one and the same promise of the remission of sinnes and of eternall life thorough him the selfe same commauÌ„dementes as touching morall commaundementes one and the same signification of the sacramentes one and the selfe same roote and plant from which some of the Iewes are cut of and we grafted in theyr place All which thinges playnly declare that eyther Testament as touching the substance or essence if I may so call it is one and the same thing although there must be granted some differences by reason of the accidences which are that Christ was there knoweÌ„ as which should come but with vs he is knowen as which is alredy come And also theyr simboles or figures were diuers from ours in forme but of like strength in signification as Augustine sayth Moreouer they had a certayne and assured pub welth for the preseruation whereof they had ciuill precepts deliuered vnto them which we haue not And finally vnto the promise of the remission of sinnes by the Messias were in the old time added a greate many other promises as of the encrease and preseruation of theyr posterity and of the possession of the land of Chanaan which promises we haue not And besides all this our sacramentes are more easy and fewer in nomber and also more manifest and extend much farther wheÌ„ as they are not shut vp in a corner as theirs were in Iewry but are spread abrode thoroughout the whole world Wherfore we may affirme that the new testament and the old are in very dede one as touching the substance and differ only in certayne accedences which we haue now mencioned But now resteth to answere vnto the two argumentes which were before brought Touching remission of sinnes we deny that it was not in the old Testament for if we consider the promise which there also was of force by it the elders were iustified For it was sayd of Abraham He beleued God and it was imputed vnto him to righteousnes as the Apostle hath declared And Dauid sayth Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered But if we looke vpon the sacramentes or ceremonies they did not remitte sinnes as touching the worke yea neyther haue out sacramentes strength so to doo But whereas Paul sayth vnto the Hebrewes that the bloud of goates oxen and calues could not take away sinnes We deny not this to be true but yet in the meane time neyther doth Paul deny but that The bloud of Christ and not the bloud
by the workes of the lawe no fleshe shal be iustified And by fleshe he vnderstandeth a man not yet regenerate I know there haue ben some which by the flesh haue vnderstand the inferior parts of the mynde which are grosse and wrapped with filthy lustes But this sence Paul excludeth when he saith by the workes of the lawe that is by workes commaunded of God in the law which must néedes come of reason and not of the strength of the inferior soule Farther the scripture after the Hebrew phrase by the fleshe vnderstandeth the whole man whiche thing we haue in an other place more aboundantly expressed Afterward to the end he might the The fourth better confirme this sentence he saith that euery mouth might be stopped and that the whole world might be guilty before God Vndoubtedly if men should be iustified by works their mouthes should not be stopped neither should they be guilty before God for they should alwayes haue somewhat to say namely that they are therefore quite from sinnes because they had deserued it by workes but now whē men perceaue the contrary they dare not once open their lippes Farther he saith The fifth But now without the lawe is the righteousnes of God made manifest whiche hath the testimonye bothe of the lawe and of the Prophetes What man would appoint that thing to be the cause of our righteousnes without which righteousnes may be obtayned vndoubtedly no wise man would so doo when as suche is the nature of The sixt causes that without them the effectes can not be brought to passe To the same purpose also serueth that which followeth Where then is thy boasting It is excluded By what lawe By the lawe of workes No but by the lawe of fayth He woulde haue vs know that all iust cause of glory is excluded and taken away from vs for the whole glory of our righteousnes ought to geue place vnto God but if we should be iustified by workes then should it not be so for the glory should be ours and euery man would count himselfe to be therefore iustified because he hath The seuēth liued vertuously and iustly And how certaine and assured this was vnto the Apostle those thinges which follow do declare We thinke therefore that a man is iustified by fayth without workes of the lawe Wherefore shall we then deny that which the Apostle with so great vehemency affirmeth Vndoubtedly it is a thing most impudent so to do Wherefore let vs assent vnto him and not resist so great a testimony The eight of hys But besides these thinges let vs waighe and consider the pithe of Pauls meaning If we should be iustified by workes saith he we should not only haue matter to boast of but the occasion of glorying in God and of publishing his fauour towards vs should be taken away For without doubt it is vnto vs a thing most prayse worthy and glorious to acknowledge that the beneuolence and redy fauour of God towards vs through Christ is so great that he deliuereth vs miserable men from our sinnes and receaueth vs into fauour although we were couered ouer with neuer so great filthines and dragges of sinne If I say we should be should be iustified by workes then vndoubtedly could we not truly boast bragge or glory hereof But let vs go on and heare what the Apostle sayth in the beginning of the 4. The ninth chapiter What shall we say then that our father Abrahā found according to the flesh For if Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to boast but not before God For what sayth the scripture Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes But vnto him which worketh a reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt Wherefore to the end that so swete a consolation of the loue and beneuolence of God towards vs should not be taken away from vs let vs constantly affirme with the Apostle that we are not iustified by workes And that he might the better persuade vs hereof he vrgeth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we say signifieth to impute to ascribe vnto a man righteousnes or to count a man for a iust man and setteth it as an Antithesis or contrary vnto merite or debt so that he to whome any thing is imputed deserueth not the same neither receaueth it as a debt But he which obtaineth any thing vnto himselfe as a debt counteth not the same as imputed or ascribed vnto him neither thought Paul it sufficient to haue alleadged the scripture cōcerning Abrahā but also he citeth Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuē whose sins are couered Blessed is the mā vnto whō the Lord hath not imputed sinne By which wordes we do not only gather that the righteousnes by which we are sayd to be iustified sticketh not in our mindes but is imputeth of God that it is such an imputation which consisteth not of works The tenth but of the mere clemency of God Farther the Apostle doth by an other propriety of good workes confirme his sentence namely because workes are signes or seales of the righteousnes already obtayned wherefore he sayth of Abraham And he receaued the signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousnes of fayth which was in vncircumcision c. Wherefore forasmuch as good workes are signes and seales which beare witnes of y◠righteousnes already receaued they can not be the causes thereof Neither haue ceremonies only that property but also euen those workes Morall workes also are seales of righteousnes before obtayned The eleuenth which are called morall when they are pleasant and acceptable before God for they also are signes and tokens of our righteousnes Wherefore Peter exhorteth vs to endeuor our selues to make our vocation sure namely by liuing vprightly and by good workes Yea and the forme also of y◠promise is diligently to be weighed which God made with Abraham for vnto it is not added a condition of the law or of workes And seing God added none with what audacity shall we then presume to do it And Paul saith For not through the lawe was the promise made vnto Ahraham or to his seede that he should be the heyre of the world but through the righteousnes of fayth For if those whiche pertayne vnto the lawe be heyres then is fayth made vayne and the promise is of no force namely because the lawe worketh anger Wherefore if we fulfill not the lawe the promise will take no place and it shal be a thing vayne to beleue that promise which shall neuer be performed which vndoubtedly must néedes vtterly be so if it be geuen vpon thys condition that we should performe the lawe when as no man can perfectly accomplish the law But the Apostle procedeth farther this iudgeth of the most mercifull counsel of God The twelfth Therefore is the inheritaunce geuē by faith that it might bee according to grace to
Which thing if he do not vndoubtedly he beleueth not faythfully and truly This doth Augustine write of him selfe in his booke of confessions And in the actes of the Apostles the Ephesiās when they had geuen themselues ouer vnto Christ did not only confesse theyr sinnes but also burnt those bookes which before they had vsed vnto supersticion But I will declare vnto you what hath deceaued these men They read paraduenture in the Fathers that they attributed much vnto teares fastinges almes and other godly workes of the penitent But these men vnderstand In what sence the fathers haue attributed so much vnto prayers fastinges teares not what the Fathers ment in those places For they intreated of ecclesiastical satisfactions and not of our workes by which God should be pacified or the forgeuenes of sinnes deserued For the Church forasmuch as it saw not the inward fayth of thē y◠fal and there were many which not abiding the shame of excōmunication sometimes dissembled some shew of conuersion and repentaunce thereby the rather to be reconciled and receiued vnto the cōmunion of the other brethern the Church I say to the end this should not happen would haue a proofe of theyr fayth and conuersion neyther would it admitte them that fell vnto the fellowship of the faythfull before they had declared teares fastinges confessions and almes as witnesses of a true and perfect chāging And bycause these men marke not this they confound all thinges and build thereupon most detestable hipocrisye But they haue yet an other shift for they say that the workes of infidels are not sinnes although they be done without the fayth of Christ For they imagine that there Whether the workes of infidels be sinnes or no. is a certayne generall and confused fayth towardes God which fayth they which haue althoughe they beleue not in Christ yet may they worke many excellent workes which euen for that selfe same fayth sake may please God and after a sort deserue iustification They geue say they large almes they honor theyr parents they excedingly loue their countrey if they haue cōmitted any thing y◠is euil they are sory for it they liue moderately and do a greate many other such like thinges and that not rashly but bycause they beleue there is a God which delighteth in such workes Therefore they apply them selues vnto them to make themselues acceptable vnto him Farther they paynt out and colour theyr fayned lye with a trime similitude A stake say or a post being put into the earth although oftētimes A similitude it take not roote or life yet draweth it some iuyce out of the erth so bringeth forth some leaues and buddeth as if it liued in very dede So mē say they that are strāge from Christ although they liue not by the celestiall spirite yet by some inspiratiō of the spirite they worke those excellent workes which we haue described But we We please God with no faith but with that which is in Christ that are instructed by the holy scriptures doo acknowledge no other fayth whereby we can please God but only that which is in Christ Iesus For there is no other name vnder heauen geuen vnto men whereby we cā be saued but only the name of Christe our sauiour And Paul as often as he maketh mencion of fayth whiche iustifyeth alwayes declareth it to be that faythe whereby we are godlye affected towardes Christe and hys Gospell But leaste Paul shoulde seme to teach this thing peculiarly and alone I will a little more déepely repeate the whole matter Abraham beleued God and it was counted vnto him vnto righteousnes Abraham was iustified b◠faith in Christ But what beleued he Forsooth this that he shoulde haue séede geuen him namely that onely séede as Paul interpreteth it wherein all nations shoulde be blessed which is Christ Iesus This testament was confirmed of God vnto him in Christ yea the Lord himselfe when he spake of him said He saw my day and reioysed Iob also in the xix chap. I saith he do know that my redemer liueth which shall also rise in the last day ouer them that lye in the dust And after the wormes shall destroy this body I shall see the Lord in my flesh Whome I my selfe shall see and mine owne eyes shall behold and none other for me This faith expressed in those words is in no wise generall or confused For in it are plainly described the principall pointes whiche pertain vnto Christ For first he is called a redéemer wherein is published the forgeuenes of sinnes Further his comming to iudgement is set forth and also the resurrection of the deade in whiche resurrection not other bodies but euen the selfe same which they had before shal be restored vnto men There also put the humane nature of Christ which may be seene with corporall eies Further what manner A true faith draweth with it all good motions of the mynde They whiche be strāgers from Christ may haue a credulity but not a true faith The Turkes haue not a true fayth although they beleue many true things that we beleue of faith I beséech you is that faith which these men affirme infidels to haue For a true and firme persuasion and a constant and an assured assent vnto the promises of God draweth with it as I said at the beginning all good motions of the minde How then can they say that these men haue faith which lie still weltering in idolatry and in most filthy and grosse sinnes They may indéede haue some certaine credulitye either by education or by humane persuasion or by an opinion after a sorte rooted in them but to haue a true faith so long as they lead such a kind of life it is by no meanes possible vnles they will graunte that the Turkes haue also faith for they assente vnto many thinges whiche we professe and beleue But this place of Paul out of the first epistle vnto the Corrinthians If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing this place I saye they will haue to be vnderstande not onely of the true faith but they also saye that the same faith may be seperated from charitie howbeit they graunte that if it so come to passe the same fayth can profite nothing Seing therfore they after that sorte expound that place how agrée they with Paul when they say that a generall and cōfused faith which is in men that are yet straunge from Christe can bring foorth good workes which of congruity may merite iustification and please God when as Paul saith that euen the true faith also as they interprete it doth nothing profite without charitie But that similitude which they bring of a stake or post fastened into the earth vtterly ouerthroweth their opinion For although being deade it séemeth to liue yet in very déede it liueth not And a wise husbandman séeth that that budding forth is vnprofitable and
the second part he left out the name of stipend and of righteousnes and in stéede of them put in the name of grace Neither do I greatly passe that Augustine in an other place writeth that Paul mought haue sayd the stipend of righteousnes is eternall life and yet he would not say so least he should haue geuen occasion of erring For how Augustine thought that Paul mought haue sayd it vndoubtedly I sée not vnles paraduenture by righteousnes he vnderstand the workes of men regenerate forasmuch as with those workes the merites of Christ are ioyned For so it might be true that eternall life is the stipend of such a righteousnes Farther Origen goeth on and sheweth that men are so iustified fréely How eternall lyfe may be called the 〈…〉 pend of righteousnes that good workes are not required to go before For expounding this sentence Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen The soule saith he whose sinnes are forgeuen must needes now be in good state for it is called blessed Wherefore it hath righteousnes which God imputeth vnto it although it haue not yet done any workes of righteousnes but only for that it hath beleued in him whiche iustifieth the vngodly Out of these words we gather many thinges First that God for works sake is not made debtor vnto any man Secondly that not only iustification but also eternall life is geuen fréely Lastly that righteousnes is imputed vnto the mindes of the beleuers although no good workes went before in them Basilius vpon these wordes of the 114. Psalme Be thou conuerted my soule into thy rest for the Lord hath done good vnto thee For saith he eternall rest is set forthe vnto them which in this life haue wrestled lawfully which yet is not rendered accordyng to the merite of workes but is geuen according to the grace of the most liberall God vnto them which haue hoped in him Seyng these thinges are spoken of the workes of men already iustified as touching eternall felicity then are they to be counted much more true if they be referred vnto the workes of them which are yet strangers frō Christ Wherfore euen as those merite not an eternall reward no more also can these merite iustification For both these thinges are geuen fréely Augustine in his booke De dogmatibus ecclesiasticis chap. 48. If by the law saith he commeth righteousnes then dyed Christ in vayne So also may we say if by nature come righteousnes Christ dyed in vayne This spake he against the Pelagians who affirmed that the liberty of man was so great that by nature onely it could do thynges acceptable vnto God And Augustine warely transferreth vnto nature that which Paul spake of the law and sheweth that the selfe same absurditie followeth either namely that the death of Christ is made in vayne For in very dede there is no other cause why the law bringeth not righteousnes but onely because nature is vitiate and weake Wherfore that which is spokē of the one may rightly agrée with the other The same Augustine vpon the first chapter of Iohn expoūding these wordes Grace for grace what saith he is grace He aunswereth That which is frely geuen What is grace frely geuen That which is not rendred saith he as due For if it were due vnto thee then it is a reward rendred If it were due thou wast before good And in his booke de predestinatione sanctorum the 7. chap. Let no man extoll himselfe as it is customably said Therfore deserued he to beleue because he was a good man and that before he beleued which thyng semeth to be written of Cornelius when as yet he had fayth when he did good workes These wordes are so playne that they haue no néede of declaration Chrisostome in his 2. homely vpon the first epistle Chrisostom vnto the Cor. Where grace saith he is there are not workes and where works are there is not grace Wherfore if it be grace why are ye proude by what meanes are ye puffed vp Chrisostome according to the maner of Paul so opposeth grace against workes that the one excludeth the other so far is it of that he will haue grace to be geuen for workes Ierome vpon the epistle to Philemon Grace saith he is whereby ye are saued and Ierome that by no merite or worke The same Ierome vpon the epistle vnto the Ephes expoūding these wordes By grace ye are made safe through fayth and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God Paul saith he therefore spake this least some hidden thought should crepe into vs if by our workes we be not saued vndoubtedly yet by faith we are saued so that in an other kinde it commeth of vs that we are saued All these testimonies sufficiently declare that iustification is geuē fréely neither can it be gotten by any merites or workes goyng before Now resteth to declare out of the fathers how good workes are to be estemed Vndoubtedly they follow iustification as the fruites therof which spring and burgē forth out of true faith Wherfore Origene sayth in that place which we haue before cited expounding these wordes vnto the Romanes But vnto him which worketh the reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt Wherfore saith he not out of workes commeth the roote of righteousnes but out of the roote of righteousnes encreaseth the fruite of workes Whiche selfe thing Augustine affirmeth vnto Honoratus saying Hereout spring good works for that we are iustified and not because good workes went before therfore are we iustified And in his first booke second question ad Simplicianum Yea and workes saith he if there be any that be good do follow as it is said that grace and go not before it And therfore he addeth If there be any good because euen the workes of the regenerate haue in thē much imperfection and vnles the righteousnes of Christ which is imputed vnto the beleuers were ioyned with those workes they should not in very dede be good The same father in his 26. chapter de spiritu Litera at large entreateth this place vnto the Romanes Not the herers of the law shal be iustified but the doers and by many reasons he proueth that good workes follow iustification and go not before To this also tendeth that which Basilius writeth in his second booke De spiritu sancto the 7. chap. of the wordes of the Lord that first it behoueth that the trée be good then his fruites to be good that the Phariseis were reproued which in theyr dishes cups made cleane y◠which was without Make cleane sayth he that which is within and that which is without shal be cleane otherwise ye shal be compared vnto painted sepulchers which in dede without seme beautiful but with in are vncleane and full of dead mens bones What counsels are to be harkned vnto Now let vs come vnto the Counsells which yet are not without choyce and iudgement
this place of Zachary it may be expounded two manner of wayes First that those are the wordes of the law commaunding yet by theÌ„ cannot be proued yâ— a man can be conuerted vnles God conuert him For What are the inward motions in iustification of it Augustine thus writeth Lord geue that which thou coÌ„maundest and commaund what thou wilt An other exposition is this in iustification are two inward motions of which the one pertayneth vnto reason which as we haue said hath nede not onely to be taught but also to be persuaded and to be drawen into the sentence of the holy ghost the other motion pertaineth vnto the wil that it may be bowed to receiue al those things which the holy ghost promiseth and offreth And this is the faith by which we are iustified and wherby our sinnes are forgeueÌ„ vs. But forasmuch as these things are done secretly in the inward partes of the mind the Prophet speaketh not of them but rather spake of those things which follow For man after he is once iustified beginneth to be conuerted vnto good works Wherfore he which before liued dissolutely and wickedly now behaueth himselfe wel and orderly and being renewed with grace and the spirite worketh together with the power of God Of this conuersion the Prophet speaketh when he sayth Be ye conuerted vnto me And God promiseth to heape them vp with great benefites which is signified by this And I will be conuerted vnto you For before when he withdrew from them his benefites and afflicted them with captiuities and other miseries he seemed to be turned away from them Wherfore the Prophet spake not of the inwarde iustification but of the outward conuersion vnto good workes But Ieremy when he said Conuert vs Lord and we shall be conuerted had a respect vnto those inward motioÌ„s of the mind which we haue now described But our men of Trent when they thus say although they faine that they differ from the Pelagians yet in very deede they can neuer proue it They say that they deny not grace but in very deede they put that grace which the Pelagians would neuer haue denied But let vs see what degrees and what preparations these men appoynt â—o iustification First say they a man which is to be iustified being called stirred vp by the grace Degrees of iustification appointed by the Synode of Trent of God beginneth to beleue those things which are written in the holy scriptures then is he smitten with the feare of the sinnes which he hath committed afterwarde loking vnto the mercy of God he beginneth to haue a good hope this hope being conceiued he loueth God out of which loue springeth in him a certaine detestation of sinnes and a purpose to liue wel lastly he receiueth baptisme or the sacrament of repentaunce and herein say they consisteth iustification For all other things which went before were only preparations But these men see not that we ought farre otherwise to iudge of baptisme For the holy scriptures teache that Abraham was first iustified by faith in vncircumcision and then he receiued circumcision as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a seale of righteousnesse already receiued This selfe same consideration according to the Analogy is to be kept in baptisme For our baptisme answereth vnto the circumcision of the elders When these men put that fayth the feare of God hope charitie The degrees of Trent before brought are coÌ„futed What causes of iustication they of Trent assigne detestation of sinne and a new purpose of liuing vprightly are only certaine preparations vnto iustification they decree that a man may be perfecte before he be iustified Then they adde the causes of our iustification and beginne at the finall cause and that say they is the glory of God and our saluation The efficient cause they say is GOD himselfe of his mercye The meritorious cause as they call it they put to be Christ Iesus by his death on the crosse and the sheading of his bloud â–ª And hitherto in dede all is wel The formall cause they say is the iustice of God not that iustice whereby he himself is iust but that which he communicateth vnto vs wherby we truely bothe are counted iust and also are so in deede By which wordes they vnderstand the renewing of a man now regenerate and his new forming by grace and the holy ghost And that these things are done in a man already iustified we deny not but that iustification consisteth therein we can not graunt For Paule affirmeth Wherin iustification properly consisteth â–ª it to consist herein that our sinnes are forgiuen vs and that they are no more imputed vnto vs. And to confirme this he citeth a testimony out of Dauid Blessed are they vvhose iniquities are forgiuen and that testimony also out of Genesis Abraham beleued God and it vvas counted vnto him for righteousnesse And to the end he would expresse the thing more plainly he oftentimes in that selfe same place vseth this word Imputacion And therefore say we that in Iustificatâ—oÌ„ cannot consist in that righteousnes which cleaueth in â—â— vs. that righteousnesse and instauration wherby we are reformed of God can not consist iustification for that it through our corruption is imperfect neither can we with it staÌ„d before the iudgement seat of Christ Farther they say that this righteousnesse wherby they will haue vs to be iustified is distributed vnto euery man by the holy ghost as it pleaseth him which saying in deede may be suffred For the holy ghost is the disposer in the distribution of the giftes of God But they goe on farther and say According to the measure of the preparation but this can by no meanes be borne with all For we haue before shewed out of the fathers and chiefly out of the holy scriptures that all those things which are done before iustification are sinnes so farre is it of that they can merite and prepare vnto iustification Farther these men teache that iustification being once had men ought neuer to be thereof assured and certaine but ought to be doubtfull and carefull And when we obiect that this is to derogate yâ— truth of the promises of God and the dignitie of grace they deny that to be true For they say that they doubt not of the promises of God but when they looke vpon their owne indispositions as they call it then at the length they begin of necessitie to doubt Vndoubtedly this is not to be meruailed at for if a man haue a regarde to his owne vnworthinesse he shall not only doubt of the promises of God but also shall be most assured that he can not be iustified But the holy scriptures teache farre otherwise For they set forthe vnto vs the example of Abraham how that he contrary to hope beleued in hope and that he when now A man being iustified doubteth not of his iustification he was in a maner a hundreth yeares of age had no
glory of God For when as nothing is attributed vnto our merites and workes it must néedes be that the whole glory redoundeth vnto God Therefore Paule saith of Abraham he gaue the glory vnto God knowing this most fully that what soeuer he had promised he was able also to performe And the more to expresse the certainty of faith he vsed this participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby he signifieth that Abraham with a certaine most full assent embrased the promesse of God And least any man should thinke that this was a proper and peculâ—are prerogatiue geuen vnto Abraham the Apostle addeth an vniuersall rule and saith that it was not written for him only that it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse but also for vs vnto whome it shall be imputed so that we beleue in him which raised vp Iesus Christ from the dead which was deliuered for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Farther out of the .v. chapter we haue also an other testimony wherfore seing saith he we be iustified by faith we haue peace towards God through Iesus Christ by whome we haue accesse through faith into this grace wherein we stand Here are two things to be noted the one is that we are iustified by faith and that by grace the second that vnto this grace is not an entraunce made open by preparatioÌ„s or works which dispose vs but only by faith In the. vâ—ij chapter are set forth as it were certaine steppes and degrees by which we must come to eternal saluation WhoÌ„ he hath foreknown saith he those also hath he predestinate that they shold be like fashioned vnto the image of the sonne of God that he might be the first begotteÌ„ amongst many brethreÌ„ And whoÌ„ he hath predestinate those also hath he called And whoÌ„ he hath called those hath he iustified and whoÌ„ he hath iustified those also will he glorifie Here are reckened vp .v. degrees foreknowledge predestination vocation iustification and glorification in which as touching our purpose let vs consider what commeth betwene vocation and iustification And that is nothing else but faith For for as muche as vocation is done by the promise of iustification and of saluation the same is receiued by faith geuing assent thereunto Towardes the ende of the .ix. chapter is set forthe a difference betweene the Iewes and the Gentiles and a reason is geuen why the Gentiles obtained righteousnesse and not the Iewes For thus Paule saith What shall we say then That the Gentiles which followed not righteousnesse haue taken holde of righteousnesse which is by faith But Israell which followed righteousnesse attained not vnto the lawe of righteousnesse bicause they sought it not by faith but as it were by workes What caÌ„ there be more manifest then these words for they declare that they which wil be iustified by faith doe obtaine righteousnesse but those which doe aspire vnto it by works doe labor but in vaine This self thing he proueth euen from the beginning of the .x. chapter where he describeth two kindes of righteousnesse the one which he calleth ours which consisteth of works the other which he calleth the righteousnesse of God which is taken holde of by faith And thus he writeth They being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and going about to establishe their owne are not obedient vnto the righteousnesse of God Hereby it is manifest that they which wil establish their owne righteousnesse â–ª that is the righteousnesse of works do fall away from the righteousnesse of God Paule goeth on and more plainly openeth the nature of these two kinde of righteousnesses Moses sayth he thus wryteth of the righteousnesse which commeth of the lawe The man which dothe these things shall liue in them By these words he sheweth that the righteousnesse of the law consisteth in workes But of the righteousnesse which commeth of faithe he thus speaketh Say not thou in thine heart who shall ascend vp into heauen to fetch Christ from thence or who shall descend into the deepe to fetche vp Christ againe from the dead But what saith he The word is nigh thee euen in thy mouthe and in thine heart The same is the worde of faith which we preach which word he which beleueth in his heart and with his mouth confesseth the Lord Iesus Christ shal be saued Hereby we se that not the righteousnesse of the lawe which is had by workes but the righteousnesse of faithe is it which bringeth saluation And this is by the latter words more manifestly confirmed For in that there is added With the heart we beleue vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth is confession made vnto saluation the later clause touching confession which semeth to be an outward worke is therfore added least we shold thinke that the faith wherby we are iustified should be idle for it is not a vaine barren faith such a one as our aduersaries dreame that we obtrude It hath most pleÌ„tifull and most aboundant fruits amongst which the confession of piety obtaineth the first place and is most necessaryest Hereunto Paule addeth a testimony out of the Prophet he which beleueth in him shall not be made ashamed They are commonly ashamed which coÌ„trary to their expectation are frustrated of that which they hoped to haue obtained Wherefore the meaning is He which beleueth in Christ and by this faith waiteth for saluatioÌ„ shal not be put to shame bicause he shall not be frustrated of his hope He addeth also an other testimony taken out of the Prophet Ioel Whosoeuer doth call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued in which words the promise of saluation seemeth to be ascribed vnto inuocation But Paule profitably teacheth as I haue before oftentimes said wheÌ„ Note thaâ— the scriptures teach a resolution froÌ„ workes â–ª vnto fayth And againe from fayth to his obiect promises seeme to be adioyned vnto workes we must alwayes run from them vnto the roote and foundation namely vnto faith So Paule in this place when he had sayd Whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued straight way addeth how shall they cal vpon him in whom they haue not beleued So he resolueth the whole matter from inuocation into faith And that we shold not think that faith by his owne power hath any thing whereby it can iustifie he againe passeth from it vnto the obiect saying how shall they beleue without a preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Also faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Wherefore the vttermost point of the resolution is the worde of God and promesse touching Christ from whence as from the fountaine is deriued our saluation and iustification In the .xj. chapter is set forthe the Antithesis betweene incredulitie and faith which serueth very muche to confirme that which we now teache The braunches were broken of that I might be grafted in This was an obiection of the Gentiles against the Iewes Paule answereth thou sayest well
bicause of vnbeliefe they were broken of but thou standest by faith Here is geuen the reason of the fall and destruction of men and on the other side of saluation and constancie namely vnbeliefe faith And of the Iewes which should one day be restored he addeth And if they abide not stil in their vnbeliefe they shal be againe grafted in for God is of might to graft thē in Héere we sée that by departing from vnbelief which consisteth in beleuing Hereby is proued that the restoring of thē that fall cōmeth by faith men that haue fallen are restored This maketh very muche against the error of those which although they after a sort confesse that the first iustification is giuen fréely without any workes going before yet vnto men that haue fallen they graunt not restitution vnto iustification but by satisfactions and many workes preparatory These things haue I gathered out of the Epistle vnto the Romanes now will we in order prosecute the other Epistles In the first Epistle to the Corinthians the first Chapter it is thus written bicause the world in the wisedome of God knew not God by wisedome it pleased God by the folishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleue Bicause the wise men of this world saith the Apostle by their naturall searching out could not take hold of the wisedome of God whereby they might be saued God of his goodnesse hath instituted a contrary way namely the preaching of the Gospell which vnto the flesh séemeth foolishnesse that by it saluation should be geuen vnto men but yet not to all sortes of men but to those only that beléeue Wherfore in the .ij. to the Corinthians the. 1. chapter it is thus written by faith ye stand by which wordes we vnderstand that the foundation wherby we are confirmed and established in the way of saluation is faith Farther Paule to the Galathians the .ij. Chapter where he reproueth Peter for his dissimulation wherby he séemed to lead the Gentiles to obserue the Ceremonies of the Iewes thus speaketh If thou being a Iewe liuest after the maner of the Gentiles and not as doe the Iewes why compellest thou the Gentiles to liue as doe the Iewes For we which are Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles knowe that a man is not iustified by the workes of the law and we beleue in Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ not by the workes of the law because by the workes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified Héere we sée that the Apostles therefore folowed Christ y◠they might be iustified by faith which they could not obtaine by works And afterward the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God which is all one as if he should haue said As yet in déede sinne sticketh in my fleshe and in it I cary death about but yet notwithstanding I haue life not through mine owne merite but by the faith of the sonne of God In the .iij. chap. he thus wryteth I would know this of you receiued ye the spirite by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith And straight way he addeth he which ministreth vnto you the spirit in you worketh miracles doth he the same by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith By these words we sée that it is faith and not works wherby we take holde of the gifts of God and he addeth ye know that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham and that vndoubtedly for no other cause but because in beleuing they imitate him Wherfore sayth he the scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles by faith shewed before hande glad tidings vnto Abraham saying in thee shall all nations be blessed This blessyng spred not abrode vnto them bicause they had their beginning of the flesh of Abraham but bicause they followed the steppes of his faith Otherwise of Abraham as touching the fleshe came not as farre as we can read any other nations then the Ismaelites Edomites and Israelites Then foloweth the conclusion Therefore they which are of faith shal be blessed with faithfull Abraham But to be blessed in the Hebrew phrase is nothing else then to receiue the gifts of God amōgst which iustification is the principallest Wherefore it followeth That vnto the Gentiles through Christ might come the promise made vnto Abraham that we might receyue the promise of the holy Ghost through faith We sée therefore that the promise of the holy ghost is not taken hold of by workes as many faine it is which thing euen reason sufficiently declareth For seing the Lord as it shall a litle afterward be declared had by promise geuen this blessing vnto Abraham we must se what is referred vnto the promise as a correlatiue Which as we haue sayd cā be nothing ells but fayth for fayth setteth forth vnto it selfe the promises of God as an obiect Paul furthermore addeth that the scripture concludeth all thinges vnder sinne that the promise by the fayth of Iesus Christ should be geuen to them that beleue Thys is the cause why y◠holy scriptures so diligently shew vnto men how they be guilty of sinnes namely that they should be the more stirred vp to embrase y◠promises of God at the least way by fayth when as they haue not good workes by which they may take hold of them And this vnderstand we by that which is afterward written The law is our schoolemaister vnto Christ that we should be iustified by fayth These wordes signifie nothing els but that y◠law therfore sheweth sinnes setteth forth vnto mē their infirmity and stirreth vp theyr lustes wherby sinnes are more and more encreased that they being thus admonished should returne vnto Christ and might from him thorough fayth receaue righteousnes Which thing they vndoubtedly did of whome it is sayd Ye are all the children of God by the fayth of Iesus Christ For what is it to be the sons of God but to haue now obteyned adoption which we obteine only by regeneration or iustification And in the 4. chapiter Brethern sayth he we are after Isaake children of the promise But to be children of the promise is nothing ells but to beleue those thinges which God promiseth wherby we are made his children according as he hath promised we should be For so was Isaake borne vnto Abraham not by the strength of nature but by the benefit of the promise of God In the 5. chapter he writeth We in the spirite looke for the hope of righteousnes by fayth In this place are two thinges touched the sprite of God whereby we are new facioned and renewed vnto saluation and fayth wherby we apprehēd righteousnes Wherfore in this matter of our iustificatiō although there be in our minds many ther workes of the holy ghost yet none of them except fayth helpe to iustification Therfore the Apostle concludeth Circumcision is
woman vnto whome the Lord thus answered thy faith hath made thee safe signifiyng that he for her fayth sake had forgeuen her her sinnes And that the faith of this woman was very feruent she declared by the effectes in that she loued much in that she kissed his féete in that she washed them with her teares and wiped them with her haire In the Gospel of Iohn the .iij. chapter Christ sayd vnto Nicodemus So God loned the world that he gaue his only begotteÌ„ sonne that he which beleueth in him should not pearish but haue eternall life And in the selfe same Chapter Ihon Baptist thus speaketh of Christ He that beleueth in the sonne hath eternall life but he that beleueth not hath not life but the wrath of God abideth ouer him Out of which place we gather not only that we presently entreat of but also this that they are strangers Here is prâ—ued that they which are straungers from Christ can do no good thyng that may please God from Christ and those which beleue not can doe nothing that may please God and therfore they can not merite of congruitie as they call it and as our aduersaries affirme the grace of God And in the .vj. chapter Christ saith This is the will of him which sent me that he which seeth the sonne and beleueth in him hath eternall life And I sayth he will raise him vp in the last day And when as he had before said No man commeth vnto me vnles my father draw him Also He that hath heard of my father and hath learned commeth vnto me afterward he addeth And he which beleueth in me hath eternal life In the .xj. chapter when Christ should raise vp Lazarus he said vnto Martha He which beleueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue and he which liueth and beleueth in me shall not die for euer And in the .xvij. chapter this is eternall life that they acknowledge thee the only true God and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christ But this is to be noted that here he speaketh not of a cold knowledge but of a mighty and strong faith Wherefore if it be eternal life then shal it also be iustificatioÌ„ For as we haue before taught wheÌ„ we expounded this sentence of Abacuk the Prophet The iust maÌ„ shall lyue by fayth Iustification and life are so ioyned together that the one is oftentimes taken for the other And in very déede Iustification is nothing els then eternall life now already begonne in vs. And in the. 20. chapiter Those things saith he are written that ye should beleue that Christ is Iesus and that in beleuing ye should haue eternall life In the Actes of the Apostles the 15. chapiter it is thus written by faith purifying their hearts In which place Peter speaketh of the Gentiles that they should not be compelled vnto the works of the lawe of Moses for Christ had without them geuen vnto them the holy Ghost and had by faith made cleane their hearts from sinnes Paule also in his Oration to king Agrippa said that he was called of Christ to be sent vnto the Gentiles which should by his ministery be illuminated and by faith receiue remission of sinnes and lot amongst the saintes And these testimonies hitherto we haue gathered out of the Newe testament But if I should out of the old testament reherse all that which maketh to this purpose I should then be ouer tedious And if there be any of so obstinate a heart that those things which we haue alredy spoken can not vrge them to confesse the truthe neither should it any thing profite suche men if we should bring many testimonies Wherfore a few shall suffice and besides those testimonies which Paule hathe cited out of the. 15. Chapiter of Genesis Abraham beleued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse out of Abacucke The iuste man shall liue by his faith out of Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeueÌ„ out of Esay Euery one that beleueth in him shall not be confounded and a fewe others suche like besides these testimonies I say I will cite the. 53. chapter of Esay wherein Christ is by most expresse wordes painted forth For there he is sayd to haue taken vpon him our sorowes and to haue borne our infirmities to haue geuen his soule a sacrifice for sinne and many such other things which are so plaine that they can be applied vnto none other but only vnto Christ Iesus our sauioure And it is sayde moreouer and by the knowledge of hym shall my righteous seruaunt iustifye many and he shall beare their iniquities These words teache that Christ iustifieth many namely the elect by the science and knowledge of him which knowledge vndoubtedly is nothing else but a true faith And that he in suche sort iustifieth them that he taketh vpon himselfe and beareth their iniquities And Ieremy in the. 15. chapter wryteth O God haue not thine eyes a regarde vnto faith vndoubtedly they haue As if he should haue said Although thou séest al things and there is nothing pertaining vnto man hidden from thée yet hast thou chiefly a regarde vnto faith as vnto the roote and foundation of all good actions And as touching the oracles of the scriptures this shall suffice Now will I answere vnto such obiections which are commonly brought agaynst this second proposition And we will heginne first with Pigghius because our aduersaries count him for their Achilles or chief champion and thinke that he only by his subtil sharp wit hath persed euen into the inward misteries of the truth And this man vseth this cauillation we are not iustified by that from which this iustification may be seperated For it is not possible that the causes should be pulled away or seperated from their effects But faith is seperated from iustification for many that beleue do notwithstanding liue most filthely so farre is it of Whether iustification may be seperated from faith that they should be iustified But because he thinketh that this may be denied he bringeth a reason to proue that it is not against the nature and definition of faith but that iustification may be seperated from it And he maketh an obiection out of the 13. chapiter of the epistle to the Corrinthyans If I haue all fayth so that I can remoue mountaynes and haue not charity I am nothing By these words he concludeth that faith may be seperated from charity and therefore from all good works He citeth this also out of Mathew many shall come in that day and shall say Lorde in thy name we haue prophesied and haue cast out deuils and haue wrought signes But vnto them shall answere bee made I know you not These signes sayth Pigghius can not be done without fayth wherefore seing that they are shut forth from the kingdome of heauen which yet do these things it is cleare that they were not iustified Wherefore in them faith was seperated from righteousnes But this he
be present they are profitable vnto iustification But this is worthy to be laughed at For we haue before most playnly taught that all workes which are doone before iustification are sinnes So far is it of that they can serue any thing vnto iustification And if they should by any meanes profite vnto iustification our glorieng should then not be excluded For we might glory that we had doone those thinges by whose helpe and ayd we were iustified But of this sayth he we can not boast for that they were done by a certayne grace of God preuenting But this is chiefly to be marked that these men attribute a great part of such works vnto frée will And therfore in yâ— be halfe at the least we may glory Neither also shall yâ— be true which the Apostle sayth what hast thou that thou hast receaued And agayne why dost thou boast as though thou hadst not receaued Here some of theÌ„ answer yâ— we can not glory of this liberty of will for that we haue it not of our owne For it is God which hath endued vs with this faculty and gaue vs frée will when he created vs. But this is not sufficient The Pelagians fâ—ed vnto the common grace of creation to take away boasting First for that this were to fly vnto the coÌ„mon grace of creation which thing the Pelagians did and by that meanes should at the lest may be left vnto vs a good vse of frée will of which we might glory For although we haue the same of God by creation yet the right vse thereof is ours namely to assent vnto God when he calleth vs and to apply our selues vnto good workes which of God are set forth vnto vs. And therefore vtterly to take away all glorying it is nedeful yâ— we continually haue this in our mynde which Auguctine hath admonyshed vs of in his booke de spiritu Litera the 24. chapiter That not onely the wyll and election of well doyng is of God because by creatioÌ„ he hath geuen choyce free wyll but also because by the perswasion of thynges sene he hath made vs both to wyll and to beleue and that not onely by the outward preaching of the Gospell but also by inward perswasion For he doth not onely stirre vp the hart but also perswadeth draweth and boweth it to beleue I graunt indéede that it is the office of the will to will and to embrace that which God offreth for we do not will by vnderstanding or by memory but by will And yet for all that I doubt not but that it is God which maketh vs to wil and to follow good things Farther our aduersaries think that although workes concurre vnto iustification yet is that notwithstanding true which the holy scriptures teach namely that we iustified fréely Because say they those workes are geuen of God and are done of grace If this refuge mought helpe then had not Paul done well when he tooke away from ceremoniall works the power of iustifiyng For a Iew might say Our fathers which in the old tyme were circumcised and performed other obseruations of the law did not the same by their owne naturall strengthes but by the grace of God both helping them and stirring them vp thereunto Wherefore if other workes which were commaunded in the lawe coulde profite vnto iustification to merite it as ye speake of congruity why coulde not ceremoniall workes do â–ª the same Neither will this any thing helpe to say that Paul taketh not away from them the power iustifiyng but onely after the comming of Christ For he manifestly speaketh of Abraham which was iustified by fayth and not by circumcision and vseth a testimony of Dauid of whome it is most certayne that he liued vnder the lawe But whereas this man sayth that charity and hope can not be excluded I would gladly know of hym whether the workes of these vertues be iust or no. I know he will graunt that they are iust What will he then answere vnto Paul who vnto Titus sayth Not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done But I know these meÌ„s fond deuises They answere that such workes also are excluded if they be done by the law and by frée will without grace But what nedeth to exclude that which can A strong reason to proue that faith onely iuâ—tifieth not be For who will either loue God or hope in him without grace Farther in what maner so euer they be done they can not serue to iustification for we are iustified by grace as it playnly appeareth by the holy scriptures But betwene grace and workes is so great contrariety that Paul sayth If of grace then is it not now of workes and if of workes then is it not of grace Neither ought these men to be so much displeased for yâ— we vse this word Only For we necessarily conclude it of that which Paul sayth First that we are iustified by fayth and afterward addeth without workes How aptly we thus conclude I will declare by a similitude in the 6. chapiter of Deutronomy if we follow the truth of the Hebrew it is thus written Thou shalt feare the Lord God and hym thou shalt serue Here as thou séest wanteth this particle Only yet because there followeth Thou shalt not go after straunge Gods The seuenty interpreters haue thus turned that place Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and hym onely shalt thou worship These men of the first proposition being affirmatiue that God is to be worshipped and of the other beyng negatiue that straunge Gods are not to be worshipped concluded that God onely is to be serued Whose authority should not be of so great waight with me but that Christ himselfe hath cited that place in that sort For thus he rebuked the deuill Depart from me Sathan for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and hym only shalt thou serue Here we sée that to disproue the worshipping which is geuen vnto a creature this particle only is necessary which although it be not had in the Hebrew yet is it necessarily gathered out of it Now when as we also after this maner reason why should these men so much be offended Let them consider that the best and the most auncieÌ„st Fathers abhorred not from this word It is a thing ridiculous to sée with how colde toyes and poore shifts Smith goeth about to The fathers vsed this worde Onely resist them First he sayth that they ment nothing els but to represse men that they should not waxe insoleÌ„t But let Smith in one word according to his good wisdome aunswere me whether the Fathers spake this truely or falsely If they spake it truely then make they on our side and why doth this man so much impugne it But if falsely this good end nothing helpeth theÌ„ to represse the insolency of men For euen as euill is not to be committed that good may ensew so false doctrine is not to be affirmed to ouerthrow other
semeth by a certain preuention to answer to those which sayd they wold liue fréely and defende the faith which they had receiued Paule answereth haue thou thys fayth before God and kepe it to thy self Chrysostome thinketh that in this place is not to be vnderstanded that fayth wherby Of what faith Paul here speaketh we beleue the doctrines of fayth For Paul before sayd with the harte men beleue to righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made to saluation Wherfore it is not inough to beleue rightly before God vnles also thou profes thy faith before men But here to make profession of faith out of ceason is ioyned with a vice which thing pertaineth to oâ—tentacion But I sée not why this which Paul now entreateth of caÌ„not be a doctrine of faith For christiaÌ„ liberty is not the least of those things which Christian liberty pertayneth to the doctrine of fayth we ought to beleue which vnles it wer so the boÌ„dage of the law of Moses might easly returne agayne Neither doth Paul prohibite but that we may into our weake brethren instill the doctrine of our fayth For our moderation whereby we frame our selues to them hereto only tendeth that they mought one day at the length be brought vnto our faith and be made more strong therein Wherefore this is the meaning of Paul haue it before God and with thy selfe that is excercise not thy faith out of ceason So he prohibiteth vnto them only the vse of meates for a tyme which they beleue to be frée and not properly a true and apt declaration of their fayth And vnto a weake brother and to one that is not yet fully perswaded it shall for this tyme be sufficient if he haue fayth touching the principall poynts of religioÌ„ For it is not straight way required that he expressedly beleue all things which are to be beleued This sentence is no defence at all to those which contrary to the most manifest word of God winke at supersticious and idolatrous Masses and at the prophanations and abuses of the sacraments for that they wil not offend the litle ones but thinke it inough to haue faith in themselues and before God For here Paul speaketh only of such thinges which are meane and indifferent and not of thinges necessary or repugnant with the word of God Blessed is he which condemneth not himselfe in that thing vvhich he allovveth Least he should séeme to haue to much fauored the weake he now to defend the stronger sort declareth that the greatest felicity herein consisteth that euery A great felicity of christians one when he examineth and peyseth that which he alloweth or doth do not condemne the same but do assuredly sée that it agréeth with the word of God This is the greatest felicity of Christians that they neuer at any tyme be accused of theyr owne hart as though they had allowed or committed any thing which they iudged not to be vpright These thinges as sayth Chrisostome are not spoken of the wicked which delight altogether in whatsoeuer they themselues inuent but of the faithfull which whatsoeuer they thinke speake or do measure the same by the rule of a sound fayth and by the word of God And Chrisostome thinketh that these The conscience is not vpright vnles it be established by an vpright fayth wordes aunswere to those which were before spoken Hast thou fayth haue it with thy selfe and before God As if he should haue sayd Let not this séeme to thée a small thing herein art thou blessed for that thou hast a sound iudgement of things For this is a most ample gaine and better then the whole world For although al men accuse thée yet if thy fayth conscience accuse thée not thou art blessed and of this thine inwarde iudgement thou receiuest most great fruit But the iudgement of thy conscience can not be vpright vnles thy faith be vpright perfecte For otherwise many when they kill Christians and godly men thinke that they doe God high seruice Hereunto pertaineth that which Paul sayth in the second Epistle to yâ— Corinthians the. 1 chapiter This is our glory the testimony of our conscience And Iob in his 27. chapter For mine heart shall not reproue me so long as I liue But he which doubteth is condemned if he eate for that he eateth not of faith He which doubteth and eateth is coÌ„demned for that he is not persuaded with him self that that which he doth pleaseth God wherfore he caÌ„ not direct it to his glory when as he thinketh that it displeaseth him but euery worke what so euer it be that wanteth his ende is sinne Diiudicare which is turned to doubt here chiefly pertaineth to infidelity namely when the minde is tossed to and fro with reasoÌ„s neither is there in the minde any firme persuasion Wherfore Abraham is commended for that he without any such debatings beleued For that he eateth not of faith The cause why he is condemned commeth not of the vnclennes of the meat but for that he beleueth otherwise then he sheweth in acte This sentence is of great force to keepe vnder the strong in fayth not to compel the weake those that are not yet persuaded to eate those things which they thinke to be prohibited For vvhatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne This is a generall cause whereout is gathered most excellent doctrine namely that God regardeth not the shewe pompe and outward glory of workes but weigheth inwardly whether they procéede from a true obedience And this is done when by the word of God we beleue that suche things are bothe required of God and also doe please him Wherefore This sentence of Paul is generall The good workes of heretikes are to them made sins whatsoeuer springeth not out of this fountaine is sinne Origen thinketh also that this sentence is generall And therefore he sayth that the workes of heretikes are turned into sinnes for that theyr faith is not a true fayth but a counterfaite and false faith euen as some knowledge is called a false knowledge And he citeth this sentence Let theyr prayer be turned into sinne The fiftenth Chapiter WE that are stroÌ„g ought to beare the infirmities of the weake and not to please our selues For let euery man please his neighbour in that that is good to edification For Christe also pleased not himselfe But as it is written the rebukes of them which rebuke thee haue fallen vpon me For whatsoeuer things are written afore time are written for our learning that we through patience and conâ—olation of the scriptures might haue hope Now the god of pacience and consolation geue you that ye bee like minded one towardes an other according to Christ Iesus That ye with one mind with one mouth may praise God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christe Wherfore receiue ye one an other as Christ also receiued vs to the glory of God The Apostle still prosecuteth that which he tooke in