vnder the law And that is it which condemneth and killeth For it vnder the payne of damnation commaundeth that we should beleue in Christ. Wherefore they which beleue not by the condemnation of the law do perishe But the propriety of the Gospell is only to make safe It mought also be somewhat more plainly aunswered The Gospell as it onely outwardly maketh a souÌ„d â–ª differreth little from the law that the Gospell so long as it doth but outwardly only make a sound neither is the holy ghost inwardly in the hartes of the hearers to moue and bowe them to beleue so long I say the Gospell hath the nature of the killyng letter neyther differeth it any thyng from the Lawe as touchyng efficacye vnto saluation For althoughe it conteyne other thynges then the Lawe dothe yet it canne neyther geue Grace nor remission of synnes vnto the hearers But after that the holy ghost hath once moued yâ— harâ—s of the hearers to beleue then at the length the Gospell obtayneth his power to make safe Wherefore the lawe of sinne â–ª and of death from which we are deliuered is it whereof before it was sayd that it leadeth vs captiâ—â—s and rebelleth against the lawe of the minde In this fight saith Chrisostome the holy ghost is present with vs and helpeth and deliuereth vs that we runne not into dammation He crâ—wneth vs saith he and furnishing vs on euery side with stayes and â—elpes bringeth vs into the battayle Which I thus vnderstand that we are counted crowned through the forgeuenes of our sinnes and holpen with succors when we are so holpen with free and gracious giftes and with the strength of the spirite and instrumente of heauenly giftes that we suffer not this lawe of naturall corruption to raigne in vs. And let this suffice as touching that euill from which we are by the spirite of Christ deliuered Now let vs declare what is the nature of this deliuery This deliuery may indede be compared with that deliuery whereby the children Our deliuery is compared with that deliuery whereby the Israelites escaped out of Egipt of Israell were deliuered out of Egipt But they were not 〈…〉 at liberty but yâ— they were with greeuous perils greate teÌ„ptacions excercised in the desert and when they were come to the land of Canaan they had alwayes remnants of the Amoritres Chittits Heuites and Cetites with whome they had continuall strife We also are so deliuered from death and sinne that yet there still remayneth no small portion of these euils But yet as Paul saith they can not hurt vs. For although it be sinne yet is it not imputed But by death our body shall so be losed and the soule shall so be seperated from it that by meanes of the holy resurrection it shall neuertheles returne againe vnto life And for that cause Paul said not simply that we are deliuered from sinne and from death but from the lawe and power of them Augustine also in his first booke and 32. chapter De Nuptijs concupisceÌ„ntia saith that this deliuery consisteth of the forgeuenes of sinnes which thing also we see happeneth in ciuill affaires For if a man being A similitude cast into prison knowing himselfe to be guilty doth waite for nothing but for yâ— sentence of death and yet through the liberallity and mercy of the king he is not only deliuered from punishment but also the king geueth vnto him greate landes and aboundance of riches and honors if we should consider in him the principall ground and cause of his deliuery we shall finde that it consisteth in the forgeuenes of his crime and offence For what had it profited him so to be enriched if he should straight way haue bene put to death So although by the benefite of the spirite we haue our strengthes renewed and the power or faculty to beginne an obedience forasmuch as by all these thinges the lawe of God can not be satisfied we could neuer be iustified vnles we had first remission of our sinnes For we should still be vnder condemnation and should be vnder the power of sinne and of death And when Paul vseth this word law he speaketh metaphorically For by the lawe he vnderstandeth force and efficacy And he attributeth it vnto sundry This word law is here taken Metaphoricallye thinges vnto sinne vnto death and vnto the spirite and if there be any other thing which hath the authority of ruling and gouerning the same may be called the lawe of him whome it gouerneth and ruleth But as we haue already sufficiently tought when we heare of this word lawe no man ought to thinke that here is spoken of the lawe of Moses And thus much as touching the maner of this deliuery But in this place therecommeth to my remembrance a sentence of Chrisostome in his homely de sancto adorando spiritu wherein he admonisheth that this is an apt place to proue the deuinity of the holy ghost For if the holy ghost be the author of our liberty then it behoueth him to be most frée And that A place to proue the diuinitye of the holy Ghost he is the author of our liberty not only this place declareth but also that place wherein it is written Where the spirite of the Lord is there is liberty But Arrius Eunomius and other such like pestiferous men would haue the holy ghost to be a seruaunt For they in the holy Trinity put a greate difference of persones for the sonne they sayde was a creature and for that cause farre inferior vnto the father but the holye Ghoste they affirmed to bée the minister and seruaunte of the sonne But if he bée a seruaunte howe then can hée bée vnto others the author of libertye He hath indéede other argumentes out of the holy scriptures whereby he confuteth the Arryans but it sufficeth me to haue rehearsed thys one argumente onely because it serueth somewhat for this place Now let vs se who they be that are partakers of this deliuery For Paul doth not superfluously entreate thereof For when he had taught that this libertye commeth of the spirite of Christe althoughe it be the true and principall cause yet bycause it is oftentimes hid nether can it be seene of other men therefore Paul turneth himselfe vnto the effects as vnto thinges more euident For there are many oftentimes which boast of the spirite and of faith which yet are most farre from them and remayne vnder damnation This selfe same maner shall Christ obserue in the last iudgement He shall first say Come ye blessed of my Father receaue ye the kingdome prepared for you froÌ„ the beginning of the world By these wordes is expressed the chiefe and principall cause of our saluatioÌ„ namely yâ— we are elected of God predestinate But bycause this cause is hiddeÌ„ from the eyes The proue by the effectes declareth who are the elect of God of men to the end they might seme true heyres of the
a beginning and an endeuour of obedience and forgeuenes of defectes which they committe the righteousnes also of Christ whereby the law is fulfilled is now made their righteousnes and is of God imputed vnto them For the strengthes of the head do passe into the members Lastly by hope we are made safe and the accomplishment of the lawe which wanteth in their workes so long as they liue here they shal attaine perfectly by all meanes ful wheÌ„ they shal be ioyned together with Christ in an other life â–ª And therefore woulde God prouide a remedy for the weakenes of the lawe which springeth of our weaknes Let vs sée therefore what God hath done He hath sent his sonne in the similitude of the fleshe of sinne and by sin hath condemned sinne in the fleshe By these woordes is manifeste the number and distinction of the diuine persons in the holy Trinity For if the sonne be sent of the father then must one of necessity be distinct from the other which is The distinction of persons in the Trinity contrary to the heresye of Photinus Sabellias the Patripassianites and other suche pestiferous men which taught that the sonne and the holy ghost are distincted both from the father and also betwéene themselues onely as touchinge the names But what order Paul hath put in the persons we may easely sée Firste he saith that the holy ghost is he which deliuereth secondlye that that spirite is geuen by Christ lastly that the sonne is sent of the father And so he resolueth the last effect of our saluation into the first cause In the similitude of the flesh of sinne Augustine admonisheth that these This word similitude taketh not away the veritie of the flesh things are to be red ioyntly together so that this word similitude is not referred vnto the fleshe but vnto sinne For the humane nature which Christ tooke vpon him had the shew or forme of sinne but yet in very dede it could not be polluted with sinne Paul also vnto the Phillippians writeth that Christ was in the similitude of men not that he was not a man in very dede but that bycause he so abased himselfe that he nothing departed from the common custome of men nether confounded he the nature of man with the nature of the word of God but left it so perfect that euen the forme and similitude of other men might be shewed in Christ And therefore the Apostle vseth this word similitude that we might vnderstand yâ— the Lord was not a pure man only as other men were althoughe he semed such a one For in him was the diuine nature hiddeÌ„ Wherefore there is no cause why the Marcionites or other such like heretikes shoulde by these places deny that Christ had true flesh For he tooke vpon him the nature of man as the Greke Schiolies haue noted with the affections thereof not vndoubtedly with those affections which spring of malice but with those which spring of nature instituted of God In summe to haue taken the flesh of sinne is nothing els then that Christ was so made man that he was subiect vnto heate cold hunger thirst contumelies and death for these are the effects of sinne And therefore the the flesh of Christ mought well be called the flesh of sinne Augustine in his 14. booke agaynst Faustus hath to doo agaynst an heretike which refused Moses as though he were conâ—umelious against Christ when he wrote Cursed be euery one that hangeth one a tree Vnto whome Augustine answereth If by this meanes thou condemnest Moses thou shalt also reiect Paul For he vnto the Galathians writeth that Christ was made accursed for vs. And the same Paul in his latter epistle to the Corrinthians sayth that he which knew not sinne was for our sakes made sinne Then he citeth this place whereof we now intreate that God sent his sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne and by sinne condemned sinne He bringeth also a reason Why the flesh of Christ is called sinne why the flesh of Christ is called sinne namely bycause it was mortall and tasted of death which of necessity followeth sinne And he affirmeth this to be a figuratiue kinde of speach wherein by that which goeth before is expressed that which followeth But besides this interpretation of Augustine I remember an other also which the same Augustine treatinge vpon this place followeth which also he semeth to haue lerned of Origene And that interpretation is taken out of Leuiticus where when as there are diuerse kinds of sacrifices instituted mencion is made of an oblation for sinne which selfe same oblation is euerye The oblacion for sinne is called sin SacrameÌ„ts haue the names of the thinges signified where called sinne But vnto that word is oftentimes added a preposition and in the Hebrue it is written Lechatteoth and Leaschrah that is for sinne and for trespas so that hereby we may se that the sacramentes as we haue often sayd haue the names of those thinges which they signifie And other tonges also both the Lattine and the Greke seme to haue imitated this forme of speaking For the Lattines cal that piaculum or piacularem hostiam whiche is offred to turne away the wrath of God The same thing the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of makingâ— cleane and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is it which Paul sometimes calleth sinne and accursed This therefore is the meaning that Christe condemned sinne whiche was in our flesh by sinne that is by that oblation which was for sinne that is by his flesh which is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is after the Hebrue maner of speakinge the sacrifice for sinne But to condemne signifieth in this place to take away and to discharge those thinges which vse to follow them that are condemned And that we may the easelier vnderstand how Christ by his death How Christ by death hath condemned sinne condemned sinne we ought by fayth to be assured that he hath obteyned for vs the holyghost whereby our sinnes are forgeuen whereby also lust which is the roote of all sinnes is repressed in vs. But there are others which interpretate this place otherwise as though Christ condemned sinne in his flesh that is he would haue himselfe to be punished and offred vp for sinne namely for our sin Which interpretation doth not so much differ from the first But that interpretacion which Chrisostome and Ambrose haue is farre more straunge for they thynke that sinne it selfe was condemned of Christe for sinne that is for that cause namely bycause it had done vniustly and sinned greuously For sinne of his owne right semed to rage against meÌ„ which were eueÌ„ from yâ— beginning obnoâ—ius vnto it but in yâ— it was so bold to lay haÌ„ds vpon Christ being most innocent it deserued coÌ„deÌ„natioÌ„ But Ambrose semeth to signifie that sin is here takeÌ„ for the deuill who in yâ— he killed Christ tempted him more theÌ„
intercessioÌ„ Wherfore his prayers caÌ„not be reiected The Apostle in few words comprehendeth many argueÌ„mts the Christ died that he rose agayne that he sitteth at the right hand of God and that he maketh intercessioÌ„ for vs al which things are of woÌ„derful force to ouerthrow the enterprises Many argumentes whereby is proued that we can neither be accused nor condemned of our accusers Ambrose saith That no maÌ„â—an or dare reuoke that foreknowledge or iudgemeÌ„t of God For who can dissalow those things which God alloweth The iudgement seate of God is the highest he which is there defended or acquited can no where be condemned vnles we will fayne that there is some other greater theÌ„ God This alludeth to those thinges which are writteÌ„ in Esay the 50. chapiter For there Christ speaketh of himselfe Who shall accuse me he is at hand whiche shall iustifie Christe was accused of the Scribes and Pharisies to be a seditious persoÌ„ and a blasphemer But he is at hand sayth he which shall iustifye He was also of the elders of the Israelites accused of to much seuerity how that he had repudiated the Sinagoge and deliuered his people vnto theyr enemies Howbeit he made answere that he had one which should iustifye him namely God And in yâ— place is added The things that are spoken of Christ are sometimes transferred vnto his elect We cannot be accused nor condemned in as much as we are the members of Christ Hereby it is manifest that to iustifie is a word of pleading in iudgemente which is contrary to accusation condemnanation What is to sit at the right hande of God A metaphor It signifieth a singuler honor a singuler dignity Who shall condemne me God is mine helper These thinges although they be properly spokeÌ„ of Christ yet are they also transferred vnto his elect For hys righteousnes is our righteousnes Otherwise as touching our selues we can neither be accused nor condemned For we are the members of Christ we haue the fruition of hys innocency It is God vvhich iustifieth Thys righteousnes as we haue oftentimes sayd consisteth in the forgeuenes and remission of sinnes By thys meanes are we acquited at the iudgement seate of God In thys place are confuted theyr sclanders which commonly crye that we falsly say that this word of Iustification is taken by translation of the iudgement seate and signifieth absolution or acquitting For what will they answere vnto Paul who with most manifeste wordes affirmeth the selfe same thing that we doo For he setteth iustification agaynst accusation and condemnation which vndoubtedly properly pertayne vnto the iudgement seate The Hebrues say Hiâ—sqdich and agayne to condemne Harschia which wordes are deriued of iustice and of impiety All these thinges which Paul here bringeth tend to this end to make vs fully assured of the singular good will of God towards vs. That which he speaketh of the death and resurrection of Christ is most manifest but what to sit at the right of God signifieth is not altogether so playne It is a metaphoricall kind of speach taken of kinges and princes which place on theyr right hande those whome they haue in greate honour and estimation In the 110. Psalme it is written Sit on my righte hand vntill I make thyne enemies the fotestole of thy fete Salomon minding highly to honour his mother Bersaba commaunded a throne to be put for her on his right hand The sonnes of Zebed also required of Christ that the one moughte sitte on hys right hand and the other on hys lefte Of this most singular honor geuen vnto hym of the father Christ hymselfe thus sayth All thinges are deliuered vnto me of my father and vnto me is geuen all power in heauen and in earth And Iohn the Euangelist sayth Iesus knowing that all thinges were deliuered vnto hym And Paul to the Ephesians sayth He is put aboue all principality power vertue domination and aboue euery name that is named ether in this world or in the world to come And vnto the Phillippians He hath geuen vnto him a name which is aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euery knee should bow both of thinges celestiall terrestial and infernall And vnto the CollossiaÌ„s Which is the beginning the first born amongst the dead that he might haue dominion ouer all For that it hath pleased the father that in him should The body of Christ is not so farre powred abroade as is the diuinâ— nature dwell all fulnes And although the right hand of God signifieth as we haue sayde a singular honor and a most highe dignity yet must we not thinke that the body of Christ is powred so farre abroade as is his deuinity and the right haÌ„d of the father For hys body as the condition of humane nature requireth is coÌ„teyned in a certayne and definite place which is heauen as Peter testefieth in the Actes of the Apostles as the article of hys ascencion certefieth vs and as Augustine many other fathers haue taught vs. He is sayd to make intercession for vs that we might be the more encoraged For they which are in greate fauor with any man theyr prayers are not easely reiected of him Wherefore Paul maketh mencion in what greate dignitye Christe is with the father In thys place Ambrose thus writeth He maketh vs certayne â–ª and sure both of the father and of the Sonne For before he sayde That God iustifieth vs nowe hee sayth of the Sonne All the persons of the Trinitye take our partes that he maketh intercession for vs and a little before â—e wrote of the holye Ghoste that he with vnspeakeable groninges prayeth for vs. The Greke Scholies adde that Christ when he was vpon the earth oftentimes prayed for the safety of men For he sayd vnto Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faynt And as Iohn sayth He prayed vnto the father not only for them that beleued but also for all those which should beleue that he would sanctifie them And beinge nayled vpon the crosse he commended vnto his father euen those which had reuiled him and put hym to death And here also we hear that he by no meanes hath cast away that eare which he had in â—imes past to preserue vs. For now although he raigne in heauen yet he maketh intercession vnto the father for vs. He thought it not inough Christ is still the minister oÌ„â— our saluation in prayeng for vs. The Arrians went about hereby to proue that â—the son is lesse then the father Hereby is manifest the distinction of the persons The father is the fountaine of all the diuine persons and giftes To pray is not here taken properlye to dye for vs but that also he would by hys ministery aduaunce our saluation The Arrians wrested this place to thys purpose to proue that the sonne is lesse theÌ„ the father for yâ— he maketh intercessioÌ„ vnto him for to pray to make supplicatioÌ„ pertaineth to inferiors
not vnto equals Ambrose maketh answere vnto theÌ„ sayth that the Apostle maketh him equall with the father For he sayth that he sitteth at the right haÌ„d of the father Wherefore by these words caÌ„ not be gathered that he is les theÌ„ the father But here are offred vnto vs two things to be noted first yâ— the persons in the blessed trinity are distinct for if the sonne pray vnto the father it must nedes be that yâ— person of the father and his person are not one the same for no man prayeth vnto himselfe Farther this is to be noted that the father is the fountaine and first beginning of all thinges and euen of the diuine persons Therefore the sonne from him deriueth into vs whatsoeuer heauenly giftes and graces we haue Chrisostome disagréeth not from this sentence For he sayth That Paul before had made the sonne of God equall wyth the father when he sayd that â—e sitteth at hys ryght hand But in that he is sayd to pray that is not to be taken properly as though he maketh supplication vnto the father but the scripture saith he so speaketh to shew the good wyll of the sonne towardes vs. Otherwyse he hath all thyngs in hys hand and as the father geueth lyfe so also doth the sonne geue lyfe and as the father rayseth vp the deade so doth also the sonne rayse vp the dead Wherefore he nedeth no prayers towardes hym And sâ—yng he could by hymselfe quicken the dead redeme the damned and iustifie the wicked which workes are most excellent and most great why can he not also by hymselfe wythout prayers bryng to passe those thynges which are remayning Moreouer he citeth out of the latter to the Cor. the 5. chapter We are ambassadors for God is said to beseâ—th vs. Christ as though God did besech you through vs we pray you in Christes stede to be reconciled vnto God Behold saith he God is here sayd to besech men when as yet we ought not once to thinke that he is inferior vnto them But sauing the authority of these fathers I would iudge that the Arrians may be answered an other way For I would say that the sonne prayeth vnto God not in that he is God but in that The sonne prayeth vnto the father not in respect as â—e is God but as he is man he is man and a creature But the place alledged out of the epistle vnto the Cor. is not of so great force For Paul expressedly putteth this note of similitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as though neither ment he any thing els then that the Apostles with great affection procured and as it were beseched men to returne vnto God Of which wordes can not be gathered that God maketh supplication vnto men The Apostles in the new testament delt towardes men with a great deale more lenity then did the lawe or the Prophetes in the old testament where all thinges in The Apostles in preaching deaâ—â— with more leâ—itieth in the law and the Prophets manner are stuffed with threateninges and punishementes And that those wordes of Paul are to be referred vnto the humanity of Christ those things which were before spoken sufficientlye declare Paul had before written that Christ died rose agayne and was caried vp into heauen to the right hand of God All which thinges agrée not with the diuine nature of Christ Wherefore it is méete and conuenient that that particle also which followeth ought to be referred vnto yâ— humane nature of Christ as touching which Christ himself confesseth himselfe to be lesse theÌ„ yâ— father For he saith The Father is greater then I am And so long as he was vpon the earth because he was a manne he obeyed the magistrates and his parentes for as Luke declareth he was subiect vnto them And in Esay he confesseth that he was anointed of the holy ghost â—o geue vs to vnderstand that his humane nature was not onely lesse then the father but also lesse then the holy ghost Farther it can not be denied but that he is our bishoppe and priest But the Two ministeries of Christ as he is our high priest office of a bishoppe is both to offer sacrifice and to pray for the people Christ hath offred himselfe vpon the crosse and when he had finished that ministery there remayned an other ministery which he should continually exercise namely to make intercession for vs vnles we will paraduenture affirme that he is no more the bishoppe of the Church But God himselfe hath promised to the contrary saying Thou art a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech And continually by the priesthode of Christ our sinnes are forgeuen vs and we are reconciled vnto God We haue an highe prieste as it is written vnto the Hebrues whiche hath entred into the most holy place not made wyth handes but hath pearsed into heaueÌ„ it selfe And which caÌ„ suffer together with our infirmities being teÌ„pted in all thinges like vnto vs. Wherefore we ought wyth confidence to come vnto the throne of grace for there is offred for vs a most acceptable sacrifice By the resurrection of Christ are ouercome death and hell In the kingdome of Christ which he most mightely exerciseth at the right hand of the father are gouerned all thinges and the prayers which he continually poureth out for vs are vnto the father most gratefull and most acceptable We reade before that the holy ghost maketh intercession for vs which selfe thing is here affirmed of the sonne If these two intercessions be compared together we shall finde that the intercession of the sonne is the cause of the The intercession of the sonne is the cause of the intercession of the holy Ghost intercession of the holy ghost For he promised to goe vnto the father and to sende vnto vs the holy ghoste He stirreth vp our mindes to pray feruentlye with sighinges and gronings Christ maketh intercession vnto the father because he is alwayes at hand with him Therefore the father is perpetually put in minde of the sacrifice by him once offred and he smelleth the same as a swéete smell and thereby is made mercifull vnto vs. And therefore Christ is called our mediator and aduocate Christ our 〈◊〉 aduocate The prayers of Christ are both gratefull and also â—â—ste And his prayers are not onely acceptable vnto God but also haue ioyned with them satisfaction Wherefore seing they are both gratefull vnto God and also iust they can not haue any repulse We in déede so longe as we lyue here do mutually pray one for an other and that by the prescript of the word of God Howbeit betwéene our prayers and the prayers of Christ there is greate difference For his haue as we haue sayde satisfaction ioyned wyth them but so haue not oures For there is none of vs whiche can make satisfaction vnto God either for hymselfe or for an other man But that the Saintes departed
God no man knoweth but only the spirite of God And if we vnderstand How we may vnderstand some secretes of God any thing of them that commeth as it is there sayd for that God hath reueled vnto vs his spirite And we haue the mind of Christ which we haue drawē chiefely out of the holy scriptures spiritually vnderstanded as it is mete Augustine entreateth of this place towardes the end of his booke de gratia libero arbi trio and sayth That Paul before sayd That God hath shut vp all vnder infidelity that he might haue mercy of all And shewed also that so long as the Iewes beleued the Gētiles were vnbeleuers but when the Iewes were made blind the Gentiles came vnto the true fayth and from the serching out of these secretes mē are iustly forbidden for that they are not able to perse into them yea oftentimes they haue thereby hurt and they fall into absurd Reason ought not to persuade vs to do euill thinges that good may ensue By these sayinges is nothing taken away frō the certainty of fayth opinions For when mē heare that God hath shut vp all vnder beliefe that he might haue mercy of all streight way they adde therefore are euill thinges to be committed that good thinges may ensew when as rather they ought to say We haue done euill thinges and the lord hath thereout thorough his mercy brought forth good thinges let vs therfore doo good thinges that better may ensew No man hath bene Gods counseller for he is the chiefe wisedome Howbeit by these sayinges is nothing taken away from the certainty of fayth for that it commeth not vnto vs by humane strength or by our owne vnderstanding but by the breathing of the spirite of God And whosoeuer do rightly and diligently weighe those thinges they shall neuer be able any maner of way to complayne of God as though he should deale with them vniustly when as he as it is manifest is in debt to no man Neyther can this be true that predestination is of workes foresene when as it is sayd that no man hath Predestination is not of workes foresene geuen vnto him first that he should be recompensed For what ells is this God to predestinate according to woorkes foresene then to render vnto them his appointing to eternal life Merites also are herby most manifestly excluded which can not properly consist vnles we affirme that we geue somthing that is our Merites at excluded owne which thing this sentence which we now entreate of suffreth not Wherfore let no man cry out that he hath done many thinges and therfore many and greate thinges are dew vnto him when as no man hath any thing that is hys owne And although it be written that God will render to euery man according to his Our good workes are the workes of God workes yet is that so to be vnderstanded that if they be good workes they are for no other cause called any mans workes but for that they are wrought in hym namely by the power of the spirite of God whereby they are in very dede the workes of God And Augustine most truly sayth that God crowneth in vs his gifts For as touching vs we deserue nothing but death Finally let vs hereout gather that forasmuch as no man can by hys owne wisedome or strengths attayne vnto thinges diuine the best remedy is that we all suffer our selues to be led by the spirite and word of God For of him and thorough him and for him are all thinges to him be glory for euer Amen That we can in no wise be Gods counsellers hereby it is euident for that all thinges depend of him as it manifestly appeareth in the creation of all thinges and also in regeneration whereby we are iustified where all whole is attributed vnto him and finally we are no otherwise in his handes then the vessell is in the hand of the potter Wherefore we may conclude that he hath ful right to do with vs whatsoeuer he wil and it is our part not to be to much inquisitiue but to geue the glory vnto him and to direct all our doinges vnto him Frō which thing both idolatrers and also they which attribute iustification vnto theyr workes are most farre distant Origen noteth as also he before When it is said that no man can be Gods counseller the sonne nor y◠holy ghost are not excluded for the whole blessed Trinitie knoweth all thinges Origens exposition vpon this epistle suspected The things which are created consist not of the nature of God How God created all thinges by the sonne Instrumentes are not to be made equal vnto hym that worketh with them Why God created all thinges for himselfe did that this sentence None can be Gods counseller ought to be vnderstanded of thinges created and not of the sonne or of the holy ghost And to proue that the holy ghost knoweth the father he bringeth this sentence No man knoweth the thinges which are of God but the spirite of God Wherefore he admonisheth that from this proposition is to be exempted the blessed trinity which thing I therefore mencion for that it is thought that he was of this opinion that the sonne knoweth not the father and that the holy ghost knoweth not the sonne Wherfore this commentary of Origen vpon the epistle to the Romanes is not without iust cause suspected The Apostle when he sayth Of him meaneth not that the thinges which are created doo consist of the nature of God as of a certayne mater but they are of God as of the efficient beginning neyther neded there any matter in theyr creation for they were made of nothing And all thinges are therefore thorough him for that God neded not an helper for he is endewed with a full power of his own he is sufficiēt of himselfe And he created all things by the sonne not as by an instrumente but as an artificer by wisedome excerciseth his arte For instrumentes haue not any such force that they are to be counted equall to the artificer But the sonne is in all poyntes equall vnto the father And all thinges were created of God for him for that he hath nothing more perfecter then himselfe and therefore for him selfe he created all thinges for he is the end of all thinges Augustine in his booke de Natura boni agaynst the Maniches in the 27. and 28. chapiters at large intreateth how these thinges are to be vnderstanded neither varieth be from the exposition now brought I omit to speake of them which referre these thinges vnto the father the sonne and the holye ghoste for as it is not of anye greate wayght so semeth it to be to muche constrayned Amen is a word of confirmation For the maner of the Apostle is so often as he hath made an end of entreating of those thinges which pertayne vnto the glory of God to burst forth into this affirmation which thing we also ought to
declared how by the spirite and grace of Christ the power to lyue vprightly is ministred vnto the regenerate But now he speaketh onely of certayne outwarde honest and vpright actions whiche as touchyng ciuill righteousnes might by nature be performed of me Neither sayth hee that the Ethnikes fully performed the lawe so that they kept it all whole or that bycause of it they were iustified but onely hee vnderstandeth that they performed some certaine pointes thereof Whereof hee inferreth that they by the light of nature could discerne betwene honesty and dishonesty betwene right and Some Ethenikes in ciuil righteousnes far excell very many Christians wrong Yea if we looke vpon the lyfe and maners of Cato Atticus Socrates and Aristides we shall sée that in iustice ciuill comelynes they farre excelled a great many Christians yea and also Iewes Therfore they can not excuse them selues that they had not a law Ambrose vpon this place for asmuch as by this sentence to do those thinges whiche are of the law he vnderstandeth the full and absolute accomplishement of the law and séeth not how it is possible that any man should performe it whiche beleueth not in Christe for asmuch as Christe is the ende of the lawe affirmeth that Paul here speaketh of such Gentiles as were now conuerted vnto the Gospell and beleued in Christ This kynd of men without the helpe of the law of Moses did those thynges which are contayned in the law Augustine in this booke De Spiritu litera ad Marcellinum is of the same opinioÌ„ that by the Gentiles are vnderstaÌ„ded the ChristiaÌ„s whiche were conuerted froÌ„ yâ— The difference betwene the olde Testament and the new Ethnikes for yâ— he herein putteth the difference betwene the old Testament and the new namely that in the old Testament the law was described in outwarde tables but in the new Testament it should be written in the hartes and bowels of men accordyng to the Prophesie of Ieremy in hys 31. chap. Wherfore seyng Paul here sayth that the Gentles whiche by nature fulfilled the law shewed the worke of the law writen in their hartes it could not sayth he but pertayne vnto the new Testament And bycause he saw that this was agaynst hym where it is sayd by nature he sayth that by that worde is excluded the law of Moses but not the grace and spirite of Christ by which nature is not ouerthrowen but restored to hys old estate wherfore hys mynde is that the Gentles fulfill the lawe by nature beyng reformed by the spirite and grace But nowe let vs sée how those thinges which Augustine Ambrose alleage agrée with the senteÌ„ce of the Apostle Vndoubtedly that whiche moued Ambrose to this exposition is very weake for Many Ethenikes before the comming of Christ obteyned saluation by faith in him asmuch as there mought haue bene many before the commyng of Christ whiche beleued in hym and were iustified and obserued the thynges contayned in the law so much as the infirmitie of man will suffer Iob was an Ethnike who yet was not ignoraunt of Christ and also at the preachyng of Daniell the kyng of Babilon and as it is easie to bée beleued together with hym many of the Chaldeans were conuerted vnto God as it is written in Ionas the Niniuites returned into the right way And seyng all these attayned vnto saluation vndoubtedly they looked for the Mediator to come and by that meanes endeuored to performe those thynges whiche pertayned vnto the law Neither hath the reason of Augustine The holy patriarkes prophets had the law written in their â—arts because they pertained vnto the gospell much force For although it be a promise of the new Testament that by the benefite of the holy Ghost the lawes of God should bee written in the hartes of men yet is not that so to be vnderstand as though before the comming of Christ the same happened vnto none For the good fathers and holy Prophetes whiche were both endued with the fayth of Christ and had also geuen vnto them the holy Ghost had the law grauen not onely in stones but also in theyr bowels And although they liued before the sonne of God tooke fleshe vpoÌ„ him yet for asmuch as they beleued in him they pertayned vnto the Gospell Whiche is not therfore called a new Testament bycause the thyng is new but onely bycause it was published The Gospell is not called the new TestameÌ„t because the thing is new abroad in the latter tymes and was then publickely receaued Wherfore although before the preachyng of the Apostles it was not publikely professed among the Gentles yet florished it among many of the Ethnikes in whose harts the law of God was sealed so that although they wanted the doctrine of Moses yet were they so much rightly instructed that they could frame theyr actions vnto the preceptes of God And yet the same Augustine in the booke before cited the 7. chap. bryngeth the selfe same exposition whiche we before brought namely yâ— these thinges may be vnderstanded of certeine excellent actions of the Ethnikes whiche were notwithstandyng vngodly Their excelleÌ„t workes although as touchinge them they were sinnes yet of their owne nature or kynde for asmuch as they agréed with those thynges whiche God commaunded in the law could not The workes of the Ethnikes although theiwere goodly to the outward shew yet were they sinnes be condemned by the iudgement of maÌ„ But that they were wicked before God therfore it is not to be doubted bycause they were not referred to the right end Augustine noteth the same and addeth that therfore the worke of the law is sayd to be written in the hartes of the infidels bycause the lineamentes of the first estate still abode Hereof we gather that the writing of the lawe of God in the hartes of men is after two sortes one is which serueth only to knowledge and iudgement the other is which besides that addeth both a readines and also strength to doe that which is iudged to bée iuste and honest And the Image of The law may be writea in the hartes of men not vp the holy gost geuen vnto the faithful but by the naturall knowledge grafted into meÌ„ God vnto which man is created is not as touching this by hys fall vtterly blotted out but obfuscated and for that cause hath néede to be renued by hym So naturall knowledges are not fully quenched in our mindes but much of them do still remaine which thyng Paule now toucheth Wherefore the difference betwene the olde Testament and the newe abydeth whole although Paule so speaketh of the vngodly Ethnickes that they had the worke of the lawe written in their hartes Neither is it sayd that because of these thinges which they did or knewe they attayned vnto the true righteousnes Yea rather when Paule had shewed that they wanted it he styreth them vp vnto Christ Chrysostome in déede vppon thys place writeth that
he haue transgressed his commaundement And if he had beleued him when he threatened death vnto him he would not haue bene so vnaduised to comitte that which was the cause of death And he also if he had loued his neighbour as he was bounde to do woulde not by his transgression haue throwen all his whole posterity into death And if he would haue delt iustly he would in no case haue taken away an other mans fruite which pertayned vnto him These thinges hath Tertullian excellently well noted of the law geuen in paradise vnto the first man and woman And he also affirmeth that after this law succeded that lawe which is called the lawe of nature I will not speake that Noe The law of nature The law geuen vnto Noe. receaued some preceptes which were common vnto all mankind And if God would afterward by Moses more plainly expresse the lawes which he had before geuen there is no cause why the Iewes should contemne the Gētles as though they were left without the lawe For it is most manifest that whē Christ came he did set forth a most perfect explication of the doctrine which was then set abrode amongest all men of all lawes whereby playnly appeareth how fowly The rashnes of the Iewes the Hebrues are deceaued which are so rauished with the loue of theyr owne stocke that they will rather haue God to want of his glory that he should not be the God of all mē nor his prouidēce reach vnto all mē then they will confesse that they alone are not the people whom God hath a care ouer loueth In this Why God is sayd to be the God of some place let vs note that the Apostle bringeth a reasō why God is chiefly called the God of some namely because he iustifieth them For straightway he addeth VVho shall iustify circumcision of fayth and vncircumcision by fayth What is vnderstand by circumcision and vncircumcision we haue elswhere declared they at to be vnderstand by the figure Metonomia so that by the signe Metonomia we must vnderstand those thinges which are by it signified These prepositions of and by in this place signifie one and the selfe same thing They serue to amplifie the matter as in an other place Paule sayd of God All thinges were made of hym and by hym The difference of these prepositions bred sometymes a greeuous contencion betwene the Grekes and the Lattines The Lattines sayd that the holy ghost proceded not only of the father but also of the son On the cōtrary A contenciō of the Grekes the lattines toching the holy ghost the Grekes affirmed that he proceded of the father but by the sonne not of the sonne But after they had long tyme contended they saw that their contencion was only about wordes By these thinges which haue now bene spoken we euidently see that as touching iustification the Gentles are made equall with the Iewes which is a very great comfort vnto vs. Neyther ought we to be any thyng moued that Paule here vseth a verbe of the future tense when he faith Shall iustifye For although in the olde time very many both of the Iewes and of the Gentiles were so iustified yet because that rarely happened and amongst fewe it was counted as not done if we haue a respect vnto the generall benefite which happened after the comming of Christ Neyther is the emphasis or strength of this sentence following to be passed ouer For it is one God vvho shall iustifye c. For thereby is signified that euen as there is but one God so also to iustifye men he will vse but one waye namely By fayth Those thinges which are here spoken ought much to moue vs not to contemne our neighbours For whē we shall cōsider with out selues One God vseth one way to iustefy al men A reason why we◠ought to loue our neighbors An error sprong of the wordes of Paule Woorkes that goe before iustification are excluded not those that follow Why Peter sayd that in Paul are certaine hard thing s. Iames semeth tobe agaynst Paule Conciliation A place of Augustine declared that our God is their God also we cā not but embrace them with a great loue honor beneuolence Neither ought we to flatter our selues touching singular benefites which we haue receaued forasmuch as the holy scriptures do admonishe vs that many are fyrst which shal be last and contrary many last which thalbe fyrst And Augustine in hys booke of 83. questions in hys 66. question admonisheth that this sentence of Paule which is now proued namely that man is iustified without workes of the lawe was peruersly vnderstand of many which thought that men when they beleued and were iustified had no more any nede to liue holily iustly not weighing that Paule here speaketh of works that go before iustificatiō not of those which follow it This indede is true that there go no works before which are the causes why we should be iustified But after we haue once obteined righteousnes it is necessary that good works follow And hereof he saith it came that Peter said that in the epistles of Paul are certaine harde thinges which men would peruerte accordyng to their owne lust Iames also semeth to haue bene led so farre that in a maner he wrote thinges contrary vnto Paule namely That a man is iustified by workes who also required the we should declare our faith by workes Wherunto also Iohn Iudas in their epistles seme to tend But all these things are wel inough neither ar they any thyng repugnant one to the other For Paul speaketh of workes that are done before iustificatiō but Iames speaketh of those workes which ought to follow it These things haue I brought out of the place of Augustine before cited and out of hys booke of faith and workes the 14. chap. Who yet in the 66. question which we haue nowe alleaged hath a certain sentence which must be warely and aptly vnderstanded otherwise it should not be true For he sayth That it is impossible that we shoulde by workes goyng before obteyne iustification but afterward sayth he it is necessarye that they follow so that we remayne in life And if a man beginne to beleue in the last houre of his lyfe whē he shall streight way die he hath nether good works going before nor good workes followyng after but there followeth him onely a righteousnes of fayth and by it he is saued Augustine semeth by those wordes to affirme that it is possible that true fayth which iustifieth may be had without works which in very dede is false For when a manne at the extremitie of death beleeueth it is not possible but that he loueth God and his neighbour and calleth vpon him and is sory for those thinges which he hath before wickedly committed Wherfore these kindes of good workes which at the least haue place in the mynde follow his faith But I
whiche sinnes were sayd to be purged but baptised them into repentaunce to the forgeuenes of sinnes adioyning therunto doctrine wherein he made mention of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Gost Which thing vndoubtedly the high Priestes and Scribes and Phariseys coulde in no case abyde that he reiecting the ceremonies which were receaued shoulde put in their place a new maner of purging Wherefore they sent a Messenger vnto him to aske of him whither he were the Messias or Elias or the Prophet as it were confessing that vnder the Messias it should come to passe that the ceremonies of the law should be abolished the the same was not lawfull for other mē to doo And if a man demaūd why God gaue ceremonies which should afterwarde be abolished Chrisostome hath thereof a very apt similitude If a man haue a wyfe very prone to lafciuiousnes he shutteth her vp in certayne places in chambers I say and parlers so that shee cannot wander abroade at her pleasure He appointeth vnto her moreouer Eunuches wayting maydes and handmaides most diligentlye to haue an eye vnto her So delte God with the Iewes He tooke them vnto him at the beginnyng as a spouse as it is said in the Prophet I haue wedded thee with mercy and with loue And by this natiō his wil was at cōueniēt tyme to enstruct the whole world Which thing he did by the Apostls when Christ was now departed frō the earth But that people was very weake and feble and aboue measure prone to adulteries of idolatry Wherfore God seperated them from other nations and would haue them to dwell in the land of Chanaan aparte by themselues and to be kept in on euery side with ceremonies and rites as it were by scholemaisters vntill this spouse was so strengthened and confirmed that her fayth was no more had in suspicion Which thing when husbandes perceiue in their wyues they suffer them to go at their pleasure whither they will and to be conuersant with menne neither do they any more set any kepers to watche them So God when he had nowe by Christ geuen vnto the church the holy ghost he remoued away from it the custodye of ceremonies and sent forth his faithfull to preach throughout the whole world The selfe same father proueth in an other place that the ceremonies and rites of the Iewes were not instituted of God of a principall entente and purpose For God woulde haue a people which should worship him in spirite and in truth But the Israelites which had bene conuersant in Egipt and had contaminated themselues with idolatry woulde needes in any wise haue both sacrifices and ceremonies so that if these sacrifices and rites had not bene permitted vnto them they would haue bene redy to turne to idolatry Wherefore God so A similitude delt with them as the maner of a wise phisition is to do who lighting vpon one sicke of a burnyng agew whiche by reason of his wonderfull great heate requireth in any wyse to haue some colde water geuen him and if he haue none geuen him he is redy to hang himselfe or by some other meanes to destroy himselfe in this case the phisition beyng by necessity cōpelled commaundeth to be brought a viole full of water which he himself hath prepared and geueth the sicke man leaue to drinke but yet with suche a charge that he drinke out of nothing els but out of that viall So God graunted vnto the Hebrewes sacrifices and ceremonies but yet so that they should not exercise them otherwise then he himselfe had commaunded them And that this is true he hereby proueth For that God gaue not ceremonies vntill alter they had made the golden caife God prescribed not ceremonies but when he had made open his wrath against the Israelites who hurling in theyr braselets earinges and ringes caused a calfe to be made for them which they worshipped And seyng it is so Paul saith rightly when he sayth that the law is not by faith abolished although those ceremonies be taken away Which sentence Christ also confirmeth when he saith that he came not to take away the law but to fulfill it The sence of which wordes may easely be gathered out of those thinges which we haue before spoken The reasons which afterward follow are brought to confirme this proposition now alledged namely That man is iustified by faith and that without the workes of the law Hetherto when as at the beginning Here is repeated the methode or order which the Apostle hath hether to kept the Apostles had set forth that by the Gospell and the faith of Christ commeth saluation and righteousnes he vsed this reason that whersoeuer the Gospel and faith want there is most great vnrighteousnes and vncleannes of life but on the contrary side where these haue place there is both righteousnes and true holines Therfore by them saith he come saluation and iustification The Minor or second proposition was proued chiefly as touching the first parte For first the Gentles liued most filthely although they knew God by the nature of things Farther the Iewes were not in their conuersation one whit better then the Gentles And this done he declareth wherehence the true righteousnes should be sought for t namely of faith without workes Which thing before he would proue he thought it good to confute an obiection namely that by faith he ouerthroweth not the law but rather by faith confirmeth it This selfe same thing is obiected vnto vs in our dayes that by faith which with the Apostle we affirme to iustifie we ouerthrowe all honest and holy workes Of this thing do they cry out which defend the worke wrought in the sacramentes which boast of workes of supererogation whiche defend purgatory inuocation of saintes and obtrude vowes and sole life What shall we answer to these things Paul sayth y◠he by faith abrogateth not the law but rather confirmed it In which wordes he geueth a reuerence to the ceremonies instituted of God which for their tyme were of necessity obeyed especially for the they were founded vpon the word of God But we can not so say as touching those things which we are accused to haue ouerthrowen Bicause they are abuses and mere superstitions In this disputacion the condition of Paul and ours is diuerse which are vtterly repugnaunt vnto the worde of God Wherfore we confesse that these thinges we ouerthrow by the fayth of Christ and doctrine of the Gospell Now haue we heard the purpose and state of the question which shall be entreated of which we ought continually to haue before our eyes so that vnto it must we referre whatsoeuer is sayd in this whole discourse And this shal be with fruite to heare those thinges which the Apostle writeth The fourth Chapter VVHat shal we say then that Abraham our Father hath found concerning the flesh For if Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce but not with God
time The sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him For neither the prophets in the old time nether we ourselues could by any other meanes then by Christ haue knowen that this is the will of God that by him he is made mercifull and fauorable vnto vs. Farther there is no mā ignorāt but that there was nede of a sacrifice and price to purge vs from our sinnes Wherfore seing both the death of Christ and the sheding of his bloud hath performed these thinges vndoubtedly they ought not to be kept in silence But here ariseth a doubt by what meanes the Apostle may seme to seioine and to put a sonder these things one from the other namely the forgeuenes of sinnes and iustificatiō and one the other side the faith of the death from the fayth of the resurrection when as it semeth that by the fayth of ech part of his death I say and of his Resurrection is geuen not only remission of sins but also iustification Augustine against Faustus in his 16. boke semeth to geue his interpretacion That our fayth is chiefly directed vnto the resurrection of Christ That Fayth is directed chiefly vnto the resurrection of the Lord. he died euen the Ethnikes also confesse but that he rose againe they vtterly deny And therfore forasmuch as fayth is sayd to be that whereby we are iustified Paul would make menciō of that thing wheron it chiefly cōsisteth And to cōfirme his sentēce he citeth a place out of the 10. chapter to the Romanes If with the mouth thou confesse the lord Iesus Christ and with thy hart beleuest that he was raysed from the dead thou shalt be saued By which wordes it appeareth that saluation and iustificatiō are attributed vnto the fayth of the resurrection of Christ But these things are not so to be taken as Our fayth is directed also vnto the death of the Lord. though our fayth should not also be directed vnto y◠death of y◠Lord. It is true in dede that the Ethnikes confesse that Christ was slayn but they do not beleue that this was done for the sinnes of men but for some offence he had committed or ells wrongfully but we beleue that he was crucified for the saluatiō and redemptiō of mankind wherfore our fayth is exercised as wel in y◠death of Christ In the fayth of the resurrectiō is comprehended the faith of the death Besides the payinge of the price ▪ it was nedefull that the redempcion should be applied vnto vs. as in his Resurrection And that which he bringeth out of the 10. Chapter vnto the Romanies maketh nothing agaynst our sentence For who vnderstandeth not that in the fayth of the Resurrection of Christ is also included that fayth which we haue of his death and crosse wherfore there are yet behynd two other very likely interpretations of which the first is that in very dede by the death of Christ was payd the price of our redemption But that it might be applied vnto vs there nedeth the holy ghost to moue vs to beleue and Christ to geue vnto vs this holy ghost rose againe from death sent abrode his Apostles to preach into all partes of the world now also before the father executeth the office of an intercessor and high priest therefore is he sayd to haue risen agayne to helpe vs that we might obteyne iustification Chrisostome semeth to lene vnto this sentence The second exposition is that the fayth of the death and of the resurrection bringeth iustification but Paule seioyned them aptly to declare the analogy and proportiō betwene them Vnto the death of Christ answereth very wel the forgeuenes of sinnes for by reason of them death was dewe vnto vs. And as Christ as touching this corruptible life died so also ought we when we are iustified to dye vnto sinne Agayne bycause iustification semeth herein to be declared in that we beginne a new life therfore is it referred vnto the resurrection of Christ for that he then semed to haue begonne a celestiall and happy life Paul vsed in a maner the selfe same form of words in this same epistle when he saith wyth the harte we beleeue vnto ryghteousnesse and wyth the mouth is confession made to saluation For the faith of the harte both worketh righteousnes and also bringeth saluation but bycause saluation and instauration are chiefly declared in action therfore he ascribed it to confession But whither of these expositions is the truer nether will I contend nor also now declare Of those things which haue now bene spoken we gather a most swete consolation for therby we doo not only know the waight of sinne but also we vnderstand that God bare a singular good loue towards vs as one which gaue his only begotten son and y◠vnto the death to deliuer vs from sinnes Farther seing Christ is sayd to haue risen from the dead for our iustification we easely se that we are by him called backe to a new life vnto which yet we cā not aspire except we be of him elected The fift Chapter VVHerefore being iustified by fayth we haue peace towardes God through our Lorde Iesus Christ By whome also we haue accesse through fayth vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God Nether do we this only but also we reioyce in afflictions knowing that affliction bringeth forth patience and patience experience and experience hope And hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroade into our hartes by the holy ghost which is geuen vnto vs. Wherefore being iustified by faith we haue peace towardes God Here the Apostle beginneth by way of rehersall to conclude that whiche he had before The effectes of fayth and of iustification proued and together therewithall set forth the effectes of faith and of iustification For that vndoubtedly is an absolute or perfect doctrine which sheweth not only the nature of thinges but also declareth the effectes Now then the chiefest effect of iustification is to deliuer vs from the terrors of death and of eternall damnation And this is it which Paul calleth To haue peace towardes God Farther he sheweth that of this peace springeth a certayne reioysing not only for the felicity which we shall obtayne but also euen for afflictions that therefore we are sure of the good will and loue of God towardes vs because we see Christ died for our saluatiō but much more are we confirmed as touching the same by reasō of his life which he now liueth with the father Moreouer he compareth Christ with Adam and sheweth that he hath brought farre greater benefites vnto mankinde then did Adam bring losses Seing we are now iustified by fayth sayth he we haue peace towardes God Sinne had seperated vs from him and God to auenge sinne draue man out of Paradise by meanes wherof we are become miserable and full of calamitye And agayne seing our owne conscience accuseth vs
only begon and not finished vntill the body and fleshe are vtterly dissolued To dye vnto sinne after Pauls meaning is not to obey sinne And by sinne he vnderstandeth naturall lust and corruption of nature which we haue contracted of the fall of our first parentes The meaning therfore of Paul is that Christians should nothing be moued at this sinne so grafted in vs by nature if at any time it stirre vp and enflame them to do euil The dead are moued by no perswasions Although we be dead vnto sinne yet we fighte againste it but should be as it were dead vnto it and not suffer themselues either by pleasures to be deceiued or by any terrors to be turned away from pietie For they which are dead are moued by no persuasions Let them which professe Christ and in the meane time die not vnto lustes but rather with all their endeuor follow them marke in this place how well they aunswer vnto their name duty Farther although the godly die vnto sinne yet they neuer cease to make warre against it for they are not so dead vnto sinne that they feele not the mansions therof Yea rather they are very much greued that they are vrged of it and thei weaken the violence therof with all the endeuour of the spirit as much as they are able The other proposition wherin we said that they whiche belong vnto Christ are dead vnto sinne is proued by the communion which thorough faith The communion which we haue with Christ is noted in baptisme we haue with Christ which cōmunion for y◠it is inuisible is outwardly known by the sacrament of baptisme wherin as Paul saith is signified both that we are dead vnto sinne and also that we are raised vp vnto the life of Christ This is the repentance which is set forth in this sacrament that we shoulde departe from sinne and by all meanes detest it with a sure faith of the remission of sins through Christ and with a full purpose of amendment of life Whiche repentance although in baptisme it be sealed both by wordes and also by signes yet is it all our life time neuertheles necessary For y◠phisition vseth not so to heale A similitude the sicke person that he afterward should abuse his health through his intemperancie cast himself into a more greuous disease Wherfore we must imitate wise and temperat men which being restored from a perilous disease vse afterward diligently to take hede of those things which might hurt their health Chrisostome So do they in these dayes at the end of Lent in his Homilies vnto the people of Antioche accuseth many which apointed out vnto themselues ten or xx dayes or a whole month all which time they would fast and as they vse to speake do penaunce but afterward as though they had accomplished all manner of dewties of pietie they fell to their former vices as if they had neuer shaked them of but onelye for a tyme had layde them a syde Thys kynde of men Paule in thys place accuseth in that they professyng themselues to be deade vnto synne wyll yet lyue agayne vnto it and he confirmeth hys sentence by Baptisme For the The natur◠of the sacraments was in the olde time very wel known vnto al mē What is the cause that the nature of the sacraments is at this day vnknowne of the commō people The sacramēts ought to be ministred in the common tounge and that publikely How in baptisme we are signified to die vnto sinne Sacramentes in these firste and purer times of the Churche were commonlye knowen vnto all men whiche at this day whiche is muche to be lamented are vnknowen vnto the greatest part of Christians But this misery hath the vse of a strange tounge brought in which Antichrist hath added to all sacred righte and ceremonies whereby is come to passe that forasmuch as the people vnderstand nothing they are amased only at certayne outwarde gestures and ceremonies and vnto them doo affixe all theyr confidence and saluation And for the most part also hereof sprang this mischiefe that infantes are oftētimes baptised ether at home or ells in the temple where none in a maner are present where is had no declaration at all of so greate a sacrament Wherefore that this most lamentable discommodity may be amended the Sacramētes ought to be ministred in the mother tounge perspicuously and the time to baptise ought to be appoynted when the congregation is most frequent to the end there may be many witnesses of so greate a thing and that they may with common prayers commende vnto God the childe whiche is to be baptised and also that they may be edefied by that holy action being admonished of a new brother adopted to be the sonne of God But in what maner we are in Baptisme sayd to dye vnto sinne Chrisostome teacheth vpon the first epistle to the Corrinthians the 15. chap. when he expoundeth these wordes of Paul what doo they which are baptised for the dead For he sayth that they which are baptised doo beleue and confesse that Iesus Christ is dead and raised vp from the dead and professe also that they will dye together with him and be raysed vp together with him and the minister by his outward acion signifieth the same when he dippeth thē into the water and taketh them out again That therefore which death was vnto Christe on the crosse and his rising vp agayne The Apostles chaunged not the forme of baptisme as touching the words In this woorde Christe are comprehended the thre persons from the sepulchere the same is Baptisme vnto vs. But in y◠it is written All we that are baptised in Christ Iesus we can not thereby gather that the Apostles changed the forme of words prescribed of Christ which thing some suspecte both by this place and by the Actes of the Apostles amonge whome is Ambrose who to excuse the acte sayth that in Christ as touching the name are comprehēded the three persōs For forasmuch as this word Christ signifieth anointed we must nedes by it signifie both him which is annoynted and also him which annoynteth that is the father and the sonne also the oyntmēt that is the holy ghost Wherefore he saith that to baptise in Christ Iesus it as much as to baptise in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost But forasmuch as this sentence leaneth not vnto firme testemonies of the scriptures therefore in my iudgement it is not so muche What it is to be baptised in Christ to be regarded But we say that to be baptised in Christ is nothing ells then according to his commaundement and institution to be initiated And by thys forme of speaking is signified that we doo passe into Christ to the end we may be most straightly ioyned together with him in fayth hope and charity For euen A similitude as souldiers doo sweare to the name and obedience
commeth that Baptisme also ought to be geuen onelye once Which thing is also therfore done bicause the holy ghost wil haue vs fully perswaded that after Baptisme we ought no more to returne to our old life as though an other regeneration might be permitted vnto vs. For if any man should so think he should as it is written in the epistle vnto the Hebrues treade vnder feete the bloud of the sonne of God Paul therfore vnto the Ephesians sayth One spirit one fayth one baptisme And that it consisteth of the lauacre of water and of the word we are taught out of the epistle vnto the Ephe. by these wordes Euen as Christe also loued the church and gaue himselfe for it that he myght sanctifie it beyng made cleane by the lauacre of water through the worde This is is the nature of sacraments that they consist of a signe an outward Element and the word of God Many Ecclesiasticall writers when they entreat of Baptisme do set forth the prayses and commendations Symboles of the Sacraments of the Gospell are most easy to be gotten The misteries of the Ethnikes were sumptuous The deuil sometimes imitateth the simplicity of God What is the analogy or signification of water in baptisme of water But I in thys place do rather reuerence the simplicity of Christian religion whereunto are geuen Sacraments not onely most fewe in number but also moste easye to be done For as touchyng the signes we haue nothyng but breade wyne and water whiche are thinges euerye where in vse and in all places easye to bee gotten But the misteries of Idoles were celebrated wyth greate cost and were verye sumptuous But Christ in outward thinges followed alwayes greate simplicity Although the deuill also as an imitator of God would sometimes haue water also ioyned to his holy seruices as in the misteries of Mitra and Isis And the Romanes in the playes of Apollo and Pelusius sprinkled the city ouer with water For by that meanes they thought it perfectly clensed from periuries murthers iniustice and publike crimes And such as had committed murther of set purpose sought purging holy waters But omitting these thinges this we ought to consider that the signe in sacraments ought to haue an affinity and similitude with the thing which is by it signified Wherefore séeing water washeth away the filthines of the body maketh the earth fruitefull and quencheth thirst it aptly signifieth remission of sinnes and the holy ghost whereby good workes are made plentifull and signifieth grace which refresh 〈…〉 the auguishes of the minde Neither did the prophetes in the olde Testament otherwise prophesye of the geuing of the holy Ghost in regeneration Ioell saith that God would poure cleane water vpon the sonnes and daughters of the Iewes And Esay saith All ye that thurst come vnto the waters And the elders of the Hebrues Paul saith were baptised in the red sea and in the cloude But what maner of word it is that ought to be added vnto the element of water we haue noted namely wherein in the name of the father of the sonne of the holy ghoste remission of sinnes c. Into this promise our faith is sealed and as Tertullian saith the sacrament of baptisme is the garment of this fayth These prescribed wordes are deliuered of Christ in the last chap. of Mathew Nether as we haue before saide can I be perswaded that the Apostles changed this forme of words although Ambrose in that thing thought otherwise Of whose iudgement what is to be thought we haue before sufficiently declared It sufficeth vs at this present that by the element and word of God we haue a manifest testimony of of our regeneratiō and saluation For euen as there are three thinges as Iohn saith which beare witnes of Christ the spirit bloud and water For the father which is A place of Iohn Of the thre testimonies signified by the spirite the sonne which is declared by bloud and y◠holy ghost which is noted by water do beare witnes of his deuinity And of his true humane nature the spirite is a witnes which he commēded vnto the father vpon the crosse and also the bloud and water which flowed out of his side so that we are the children of God we haue a testimony of the holy ghoste we haue the remission of sinnes by the bloude of Christ set forth in the worde of promise and in the water outwardly poured vpon the body For by these witnesses our faith is both raysed vp and also confirmed because we are regenerate and are nowe made the children of God There is offred vnto vs remission of sinnes in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost And yet ought we not to thinke that it is geuen by reason of the worke wrought as they vse to speake as though a holines or the spirite lay hidden in the water and that we are regenerated by the outward touch thereof For it is not so But by the word of God and outward signe is signified vnto vs our reconciliatiō with God made by Christ which reconciliation if we take hold on by faith we are both iustified and also sanctified Wherefore Augustine vpon Iohn saith From whence commeth this so greate a power vnto the water that it should touch the body and washe the hart but through the word which worketh it not in that it is spoken but in that it is beleued But in infantes which by reason of age can not yet beleue the holy ghost worketh in their hartes in steede of fayth The effusion also of the holy The worde clenseth not because it is spoken but because it is beleued The things which are offred vs in baptisme we haue also before baptisme ghost is promised in baptisme as it is expressedly written in the epistle to Titus Which hath saued vs through the lauacre of regeneration and of renouation of the holy ghost which he plentifully hath powred vpon vs. Neither are these two thinges in suche maner offred in baptisme vnto vs as thoughe we by no meanes had them before baptisme For it can not be denied but that they whiche are of full age if they beleue haue iustification euen before they be baptised For so Abraham beleued and was iustified and then he receaued the seale of circumcision And Cornelius the Centurion when he had heard Peter and beleued was not onlye iustifyed but also visibly receaued the holy Ghost Neither woulde we baptise infantes but that we suppose that they already pertayne vnto the Churche and vnto Christe And yet are not suche baptised in vayne For we oughte to obeye the commaundement of God whiche if any In baptism the giftes which we had before are increased The holy Ghost is powred into the hart when we are regenerate By baptism we are visibly grafted into Christ and into the Church man shoulde contemne though he boasted neuer so muche of hys fayth yet shoulde he sufficientlye
declare that he neyther beleued nor is iustified nor hath receaued remission of sinnes Farthermore although they beleue yet when these promises are agayne offred and that by the institution of the Lord and they thorough fayth and the impulsion of the holy ghost doo with efficacy take hold of them the benefites of God can not but be augmented in them But why the holy ghost is powred into the hartes of them that are regenerate thys is the reason Bycause they must be made new agayne and theyr stony hart as the prophete sayth must be turned into a fleshy hart whiâ—â— is not possible to be done by humane reason And that we are by the visible saâ—â—ament grafted into Christ into the Church is first declared by this place which we are now in hand with For Paul sayth that they which are baptised are grafted into Christ And in the first to the Corrinthians the 12. chap. he sayth that by one spirite we are all baptised into one body And that this body is the Church he plainly teacheth in the selfe same chap. We added in the definition By a visible sacrament bicause in very dede we are grafted both into Christ and into the Church as touching Why this visible grafting is geuen the minde and spirite so soone as euer we are iustified But bycause that is vnknowen vnto men it is afterward knowen when we are initiated by the outward sacrament also the right vnto eternall life is sealed vnto vs by baptisme It is in dede geuen vs so soone as euer we are iustified and it pertayneth vnto The righte vnto eternall life is sealed by baptisme A similitude Not all that are not baptised pearish vs by right not of merite but of the liberall gift of God and by baptisme it is sealed As the giftes of kinges so soone as euer they are graunted vnto vs doo without doubt pertayne vnto vs but afterward are added seales that the will of the king may if it be nedefull be testefied vnto others Nether is this part of the definition right vnto eternall life so to be vnderstand as though they ought to be excluded from the kingdome of heauen which are not baptised For if they beleue and there be no let in them that are not baptised we ought not to doubt of theyr saluation For Christ sayth He which beleueth in me hath eternall life And in an other place althoughe he saye that he which beleueth and is baptised shall be saued yet he streight way addeth He which beleueth not shall be coÌ„deÌ„ned By which worde he signifieth that baptisme is not so of necessity but that a faythfull maÌ„ may with out it be saued so that there be annexed no coÌ„tempt nor disobedience The scholemen also confesse that besides the baptisme of water the godly are sometimes baptised with Martirdom and with the inspiratioÌ„ of the holy ghost so much as sufficeth vnto saluation Christ also called his death baptisme when Christ called his death baptisme The effusion of the holy Ghost was baptisme Baptisme hath repentaunce ioyned with it he sayd that he should be baptised with an other baptisme and foretold that the Apostles shoulde be baptised with the holye ghost soone after hys ascension into heauen Lastly we agayne in baptisme professe death as touching sinne and a new life which profession sheweth nothing ells then that vnto this sacrament is adioyned repeÌ„tance which thing both Iohn and also Christ tought when they spake of Baptisme And the fathers when they passed ouer the sea escaped into liberty but Pharao with his host was drowned in the waters whereby was signified that by baptisme we ought so to be renewed that there we should forsake our sinnes and be lifted out of the waters with a new purpose to an holy life All these thinges oughte we when we are baptised by testemonyes of the scriptures often to consider and of them all continually to admonish our selues For although this sacrament be but once onely geueÌ„ yet ought it neuer in our We oughte moste often to call to memorye baptisme whole life time to be forgotten For euen as it behoued the Iewes euermore to remember that they were circumcised so also ought we continually to call to memorye our baptisme And this is not to be passed ouer that the Anabaptistes labor by this chap. to confirme theyr error which thinke that baptisme ought Of baptising of Children against the Anabaptistes not to be geuen vnto infantes bycause they are not able by fayth to receaue the promises offred vnto them or to professe mortification and a new life But how weake this argument is partly reason it selfe sheweth partly the scriptures teach For this is not the propriety of signes that they should then onely profite when they are present Otherwise we ought continually to be baptised They Signs are profitable yea euen when they are not present are in dede deliuered but only once but being ofteÌ„times called to memory they alwayes profite For the vtilitye of them is not a thinge that dureth but for a tyme although infantes can not take holde of the promises offred vnto them yet afterwarde when they come to riper age they shall take holde of them But forasmuche as they are able to receaue the couenaunt and the thinges promised pertayne vnto them why shoulde we take awaye from them the signes of those thinges These men forsooth woulde seeme to be wiser then God for GOD knewe vndoubtedlye as well as they that Circumcision conteyned a promise of Christe and a profession of mortifycation and of a newe lyfe For by the prophets he continually vrgeth the Circumcision of the hart which was signified by that Sacrament and yet he commaunded that infantes should be initiated vnto him by CircumcisioÌ„ Why theÌ„ do these meÌ„ obiect vnto vs yâ— thing Circumcision geuen vnto infantes which God himselfe would not haue kept from infants They vse also to vrge the commaundement of the Lord wherin he commaunded the Apostles that they should teache and baptise And they thinke that infantes ought therfore not to be baptised bicause they can not receiue the preaching and doctrine of the Gospel Nether The maner whiche is to be kept in increasing the church The beleuers were baptised with theyr whole famâ—ly Our infantes are not of worser condition or estate then were the children of the Hebrues Circumcision sealed not onely temporall promises A proofe of the resurrection consider they that Christ by that commaundement taught the manner how religion should be spred abroade the church instructed For it was not for the Apostles to beginne their office and function with the Sacraments First it behoued them to preach the Gospell afterward to baptise them that beleued And so yâ— Apostles baptised not only theÌ„ that beleued but also their whole families As we rede also that Abraham when he beleued circumcised not only himselfe but also all his And we know vndoubtedly by the
raigne in vs. And he by name excludeth those two thinges which we haue now rehersed that is to say that we should not obey it nor beare weapons with it against righteousnes And very warely ioyneth he vnrighteousnes with sinne For all they which sinne do worke vnrighteousnes either agaynst themselues or against their neighbours or els against God for against some one Lust after regeneratioÌ„ to called sin of these sinne euer worketh iniury This is also to be marked that Paul in thys place expressedly calleth that lust sin which remayneth in vs after regeneratioÌ„ which is not only in such maner so called as a writing is called a hand or cold is called slouthfull For a writing is called a hand bicause it is written with the haÌ„d and cold is called slouthful bicause it maketh vs slouthfull So nourishment lust which after regeneration is still in vs is both a remnaunt of Originall sin and also stirreth vs vp to sinne and therfore is called sinne But besides these two reasoÌ„s which are metaphoricall it is also of his owne nature sinne For sinne accordyng Concupiscence or lust is sinne not onely by a metaphore but also properly to the true definicion therof is that which in vs is by any meanes repugnant vnto the law of God Wherfore seing that lust which remayneth after Baptisme is repugnant vnto the law of God and stirreth vs vp against it it cannot but be sin Neither is this to be admitted which some commonly bost of namely that there is no sinne vnies it be voluntary and committed by frée election For this definition agréeth not with sinne vniuersally but only with that sinne which is called actuall For otherwyse originall sinne should not be called sinne For no man contracteth it willingly or of his own election Wherfore let vs agrée with Paul yâ— whatsoeuer wicked lust remayneth in vs after regeneration the same is sinne Yea rather if we would rightly weigh the matter within our selues actuall sinnes shall appeare to be partes of our naturall lust or to speake more vprightly euil fruites Actuall sinnes are the fruites of originall sinne comming of that euill roote The Apostle concludeth that we ought not to fight in the quarell of sinne or vnrighteousnes but rather we must apply our selues vnto God which hath both created vs and also perpetually gouerneth and renueth vs through Christ But applye your selues vnto God as they that of deade are on lyue and geue ouer your members as weapons of righteousnesse vnto God In that he sayth that we shoulde applye our selues vnto GOD he excludeth not thys whiche in an other place he sayth namely that God woorketh in vs. The Apostle speaketh here of men regenerate whiche for that they are in some parte made newe may bee fellowe woorkers of God And therefore Men regenerate are the fellow workers of God they ought continually to be admonished to obey the institutioÌ„ of the holy ghost Farther by these kindes of speaches is shewed the difference betwene those actions which God stirreth vp in meÌ„ and those actioÌ„s which he worketh in stocks and stones and also in brute beastes For in stockes and stones he so worketh that they nether fele nor desire any thing In brute beastes he so worketh that he vseth theyr sence and appetite for they haue nether will nor reason But in How God worketh in men meÌ„ and especially in them that are regenerate and are his he so worketh that he vseth the strengthes of theyr reasonable soule wherewith they are endewed And forasmuch as we are sayd to moue our selues according to these powers it ought not to seme straung if Paul write that we should geue ouer our selues vnto God for he speaketh of our nature as is mete for it to worke And yet neuerthelesse this abideth firme and vnchangeable that whatsoeuer good thing is wrought of vs the same is wholy wrought in vs by God and his spirite Farther he addeth Your selues bycause he requireth the strengths not only of the body and of the minde but also the whole and perfect man As they that of deade are on liue We ought to exhibite our selues aliue namely with the life of God whiche herein consisteth that we should be moued by the spirite of Christ and whatsoeuer we do we should doo it by his impulsioÌ„ For they liue vnto God and vnto Christ which are moued vnto the best things and which vtterly passe the nature of man Wherefore this life of God whereof The life of God in what thinges it differeth froÌ„ the corrupts life of men we now intreate differeth two maner of waies from the common life of meÌ„ first for that it floweth from an other ground or principle namely â—rom the spirite of Christ secoÌ„dly bycause it tendeth to an other end then doth theyr life which are moued by Sathan for they alwayes runne hedlong into most greuous euills and at the length fall into eternall distructioÌ„ and therefore as touching God they ought to be sayd and also to be counted dead But such were we sometimes also for which cause Paul sayth As they that of deade are on liue Although this be the playner and simpler sence to referre this sentence vnto that death whereof was before made mencion namely whereby we being coÌ„uerted vnto Christ do dye vnto sinne For they that are such can not but exhibite themselues bening vnto God which thing being brought to passe straight waye followeth that which Paul addeth That your members also may be geuen ouer as weapons of righteousnes vnto God Here is agayne signified vnto vs that when we come once to God we ought to fight in his cause And forasmuch as God is ioyned with our righteousnes it sufficiently appeareth that we haue not our righteousnes of our selues but of him For sinne shall not haue power ouer you For ye are not vnder thâ— law but vnder Grace These thinges are added as thoughe he should haue sayd Fight stoutely and with a valiaunt courage for it shall neuer come to passe that sin shal be are dominion ouer you which thing yet should happen if ye should not fight And hereby he assureth them that they shal haue the victory bycause they The grace of God is mightieâ— then ouâ— luste â–ª haue the grace of God to helpe them whose might and strength is farre greater then the power of our lust For the spirite of Christe and his grace can easelye tame and ouercome sinne ye are not sayth he vnder the law which only sheweth what is to be done and bringeth no helpe at all thereuÌ„to Chrisostome in this place admonisheth that the law sheweth only what is to be done or what is to be auoyded but nothing helpeth or aydeth them that wrastle but only setteth forth a bare exhortation of wordes But the Gosple setteth forth Christe of whome are ministred the holye ghost and strength to accomplishe good thing which through faith we haue knowen And thereby commeth to passe that men execute theyr office not beinge compelled of feare but of theyr owne accord and willingly Whiche his sayinges are not so to be vnder stande as thoughe the Fathers whiche
yet as we haue now taught we are bound vnto the Ten commaundementes as touching the obedience thereof Hereunto I answere that no man fullfilleth the Ten commaundementes though he be neuer so holye for all our workes are so vnperfect that they answere not vnto the prescript and rule thereof Howbeit bycause the precepts which are there contayned are agreeable vnto the law of nature and are grafted and printed in our mindes it commeth per accidens that is by chance that the good workes vnto which the children of God being now regenerate thoroughe the holy ghost are stirred vp are one and the selfe same with those workes which are written in the Ten commaundementes For it is mete for them whome God hath adopted to be his childreÌ„ that they apply themselues vnto good workes and to such workes as are acceptable vnto God And those workes are vtterly one and the selfe same with those which nature rightly enstructed bringeth forth of his owne accord and which the Ten commaundementes appoynted by God contayneth But so is it not of ceremonies and ciuile or iudiciall lawes for they are not so knowen of all men that they appeare vnto all meÌ„ vpright and iust if they should iudge of them by the light of nature only Paul to encourage them that fight putteth them in remembraunce to consider that they liue vnder grace and not vnder the lawe For two wayes are the mindes of men accustomed to be stirred vp vnto battayl firste by the goodnes Two thinges do chiefly encourage theÌ„ that fighte What grace in this place signifieth of the cause secondly by the certaynty of victory and rewards As touching the goodnes of our cause there is alredy spoken sufficiently for in it we exhibite our selues vnto God and for righteousnes sake we fight agaynst sin and death And now he promiseth also an assured victory for he sayth the grace of God is â—ne our side Grace as touching this place signifieth two thinges First the forgeuenes of sinnes by imputing of righteousnes thorough Christ secondlye the gifts of the holy ghost the renuing of our strengths This latter part bicause it is receaued in vs corrupt and fylthy vessels althoughe it somewhat wythdrawe vs from sinning yet it is not such that we ought to leane and trust vnto it For our workes though they be succored and holpen by these aydes yet are they not so perfect that they can stand in the iudgement of God But by the first kinde of exhortation we receaue greate consolation in our consciences For although in our fight sinne doth thrust in it selfe whither we will or no yet ought we not to be discouraged forasmuch as we assuredly knâ—w that it is not imputed vnto vs for Christes sake For sithen thorough Christe we are receaued of God into fauor our workes although otherwise they be â—nperfect yet for hys sake are acceptable vnto God But Paul encourageth his souldiers with bothe these kindes of exhortation when as he admonisheth them both that they are vnder grace and also that they haue the holy ghost a stay and an helpe vnto them so that sinne which is naturallye planted in them shall not be able to destroye Differences betwene grace and the law them But it shall be good to note certayne differences betwene the Lawe and betwene Grace which Chrisostome also noteth The law sayth he setteth forth a crowne but first requireth workes and battayles grace firste crowneth and afterwarde bringeth vnto the battayle By this difference he teacheth that the righteousnes whiche is set forthe of the Lawe is obteyned by workes For we can not be iustifyed by the Lawe vnlesse wee haue accomplished all the thinges whiche are commaunded in the lawe But that other righteousnes whiche we haue by grace thorough faith doth first crowne vs with a new generation and adoptioÌ„ to be the children of God and then we being regenerate it bringeth vs forth vnto battailes and vnto good workes Hereunto Chrisostome addeth The law reproueth sinne but loseth not from sinne grace loseth from sinne and reproueth not The lawe reprouing sinne encreaseth it grace forgeuing it suffereth vs not to be vnder sinne These things are true and very agreable with Pauls saying but that which he addeth not long afterward namely That before the commyng of Christ the body of man when he lyued vnder the law was such that it might easely be ouercome of sinne bicause the helpe of the holy ghost was not yet present neither also Baptisme nor mortification but maÌ„ for that the law shewed only what was to be done but nothing helped therunto went at raÌ„don and erred lyke an vnbrideled horse This I say if it be vnderstand vniuersally of al men is not true For who dare presume to say that Dauid Esay Ieremy Daniell and a great many moe holy fathers wanted the holy ghost or the grace of regeneration which was sealed by Circumcision as ours is by baptisme Or who will thinke that they wanted mortification wherby they brake the wicked appetites and lustes springing in them Wherfore those wordes of Chrisostom are to be vnderstand of the vngodly which had vtterly reiected Christ from them and liued only vnder the letter of the law and fayned vnto themselues a Messias which should come to bring only an earthly kingdome and procure worldly riches and pleasures vnto the people of the Iewes of which manner of men there were many among the Iewes And since the comming of Christ we haue no small number not much vnlike vnto these which onely in name are Christians But to returne A facili Hereby is proued that we ought to be assured of our saluation vnto Paul he comforteth them by reason of easines and promiseth vnto theÌ„ the victory bicause they are vnder grace In this place are reproued those which commaund vs perpetually to doubt whether we be in the fauor of God or no. For they which in such maner doubt do receyue no fruit of this consolation of Paule For thus they thinke with themselues how can we certainly know that we are vnder grace For peraduenture we are straungers from God and are by reason of our sinnes odious vnto him for how can we be assured that they are for Christ his sake forgeueÌ„ vs But by this meanes the reason of Paul is vtterly ouerthroweÌ„ Wherfore it behoâ—eth that with an assured fayth and an vndoubted hope which confoundeth not we certainly appoint that God loueth vs hath through Christ receiued vs into fauour And so shall we out of these wordes of Paul receiue wonderfull great comfort Now haue we finished yâ— first part of this chap. wherin Paul hath proued that we ought not to abide in sinne bicause we are now dead vnto it And this hath he confirmed by the sacrament of baptisme And when he had many wayes set forth this reason he at the last added an exhortation that we should not suffer sinne to raigne in vs but should earnestly resist it as much
oughte not to be in doubt whither the spirite of Christ do dwell in vs or no. Ambrose vpon this place noteth that the spirite of God departeth from vs for two maner of causes eyther bicause of the vnderstanding of the flesh or els bicause of the actes therof That is either for false doctrine or els for corrupt maners But if Christ be in you the body in dede is dead because of sinne Hitherto pertaineth the first part of this chapter wherin hath bene declared that although in the saintes there still remayneth sinne yet therof followeth not condemnation for it is taken away by the law of the spirit But froÌ„ whence this spirit is deriued into vs hath ben set forth namely froÌ„ the death which the son of God suffered for vs. Farther it hath 〈◊〉 declared what they are vnto whome so great a benefite is come namely 〈◊〉 which walke according to the spirite and not according to the flesh Now he entreth into the second part wherin he teacheth that we by the same spirite haue obteined participation both of the death and of the resurrection of the Lord. And he exhorteth vs according as our duety is to mortify the dedes of the flesh and to addict our selues wholy vnto the spirit by whom we haue obteyned so great benefites And to knit together those things which are to be spoken with those which are already spoken the Apostle saith But if Christ be in you In that he thus saith that Christ is in vs he sheweth that it counteth it al one for the spirite of God or of Christ to dwell in vs and Christ himselfe to be in vs not that he meaneth that the holy ghost and Christ that is the sonne of God are one the selfe same hypostasis or person But as Chrisostome hath taught this is the nature of the thrée persons that wheresoeuer the one is there also the other are together present Wherfore forasmuch as the holy ghost is in vs it followeth of necessity that the sonne of God which is Christ together with the father is in vs. Which thing Paul hath expressedly pronounced vnto the Ephesians when he sayd That Christ Not where soeuer Christ is accordinge to his diuine nature he is there also according to his humane nature by fayth dwelleth in our hartes And yet it followeth not that whersoeuer Christ is according to his diuine nature he is there also accordyng to his humaine nature For his humaine nature whether we haue a regard vnto the soule or vnto the body is finite neither can so be poured abroade infinitely that it shoulde possesse and fill all things as doth his diuine nature Wherfore we graunt that the sonne and the father are wheresoeuer the holy ghost is and whersoeuer we confesse the son of God to be there also will we coÌ„fesse Christ to be but yet not alwaies according to his humane nature For yâ— is not possible Paul saith in his â— epistle vnto the Cor. that the elders dranke of the spiritual rock which followed theÌ„ that rocke was Christ Of the rocke which was Christ By which wordes are â—â— things to be vnderstaÌ„d first yâ— Christ was signified in that rocke secondly yâ— he was in very dede present with the people when they dranke as the holy history declareth For it telleth yâ— God promised that he would be preset with his people at the rocke Oreb And the same God was yâ— sonne which could not then be present according to flesh and humane nature when as he had not yet put it on And yet is he of Paul called Christe And in the selfe same epistle the fathers are sayd to haue tempted Christ in the desert which can not be vnderstand according to the humane nature for as much as it was not then extaÌ„t The fathers â—â— the wildernes tempted Christ How it is to be vnderstande Christ to dwel in vs. So when Christ is sayd to dwell in vs by fayth or the spirite it doth not thereof follow that ether his body or his soule dwelleth in our hartes really as I may call it and substancially It is inough that Christ be sayd to be in vs by hys deuine presence and that he is by his spirite grace and giftes present with vs. Nether is this as some make exclamation to go aboute to seperate the diuine nature from the humane For we holde that the natures in Christ are ioyned together and insâ—perable And yet that coniunction maketh not that the humane nature extendeth it selfe so farre aâ— doth the diuine nature Which thing Augustine hath most manifestly testefied vnto Dardanus Although I knowe there are some which go aboute by certayne wordes of his out his 96. treatise vpoÌ„ Iohn to cauill that he ment that Christ also according to hys humane nature is still with vs although he be not sene For Augustine wheÌ„ he interpreteth these words A place of Augustine expounded of the Lord I go to prepare you a place sayth that those places and maÌ„sions are nothing ells then we our selues which beleue which are as certayne dwelling places vnto which the father and the sonne come and abide in But we must by the holy ghost be prepared to be made mete dwelling places WheÌ„ he thus expouÌ„deth these wordes he demauÌ„deth Why then sayth Christ that he goeth away if we must be prepared For he ought rather to be present For if he depart away we shall not â—e prepared Afterward when he solueth the question he thus writeth If I doo well vnderstande the thou departest neyther from whence thou camest nether from the place whither thou goest Thou departest in hiding thy selfe thâ—u commest in manifesting thy selfe But vnles thou abide in gouerning vs and we go froward 〈…〉 ning well how shall a place be prepared for vs Behold say they by these wordes it is most manifeste that Christe hath not departed from vs but is present although he lye hiddeÌ„ But these men consider not that these thinges are spokeÌ„ of the diuine nature For that is it which is said to haue come from heauen and out of the bosome of the Father He came indede not that he departed thence from whence he came but bycause he appeared vnto vs vnder humane nature Agayne he is sayd to haue gone from hence when he ascended according to hys humane nature not that he hath vtterly departed froÌ„ vs but for that the humane nature in which he appeared vnto vs being taken vp vnto heauen the presence of his diuine nature lieth hidden with vs nether can it be sene of vs. And that this is the meaning of Augustine may be proued by two argumentes First bycause he entreateth of our preparation which belongeth vnto Christ according to his diuine nature for it worketh and insinuateth it selfe in our hartes and mindes Farther that place which he citeth out of the epistle vnto the Corrinthians whereas he proueth that we are the dwelling places of God teacheth the selfe same
they shonne persecutions but valiantly stand fast in all maner of dangers Which selfe thing Paul in the latter to Timothe wrote in other wordes saying We haue not receaued the spirite of fearefulnes but of might and of loue Wherefore he exhorteth Timothe not to be ashamed of the testemony of the Lord nor of him being in bondes for the Lordes sake but couragiously to indure labors for yâ— Gospell sake Although these thinges are true yet this is not it which this place of Iohn teacheth For it there maketh mencion of the iudgement of the Lord of which he willeth the Godly which loue God not to be aferd And he rendreth a reason for that feare hath vexation ioyned with it Wherefore I gladly assent vnto Augustine which saith that Iohn speaketh of perfect charity Which forasmuch as it can not be had in this life we may not looke to haue it without feare Farther we mought in this place vnderstand that feare which is seioyned from confidence and therefore driueth men to desperation For they which beleue and loue God truly vphold their feare with a liuely fayth The same spirite beareth witnes with our spirite that we are the children of God And if we be chyldren we are also heyres euen the heyres of God and fellow heyres of Christ if so be that we suffer with hym that we maye also be gloryfyed wyth hym For I count that the afflictions of thys present tyme are not worthy the glory which shall be reuealed in vs. The same spirite beareth witnes with our spirite that we are the children of God He sheweth that by those praiers wherby we call vpon God we are made more certayne of the adoption whereof he before made mencion For forasmuch as in our prayers we are stirred vp by the holy Ghost to cal God father we ought fully to be perswaded that it is so for that we know that the spirite of God can not lye Paul in the first to the Corrinthians sayth That no man can say the Lord Iesus but in the holy ghost Here he sayth that no man can in such sort pray to call It is the spirit which putteth vs in mind to call vpon God as vpon a father God his father vnles the same be geuen him of the spirit of God Hereby we see that those thinges which are set forth vnto vs to be beleued and which the lord himselfe hath taught can not be receaued of vs vnlesse the holy ghost doo firste throughly moue our hartes Chrisostome to confirme this testimony of the spirite of God sayth If ether any man or Angell or Archangell or any creature should preache vnto vs this adoption we mought peraduenture be in doubt of it But seing the holy ghost who is lord of all testefieth of the same what place can there be lest of doubting If a king A similitude or a Monarche should out of his regall seâ—te approue and commend any man what one of his subiects would presume by any meanes to speake against him or to set himselfe against his iudgement Where the Apostle sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is beareth witnes together Two testimonies of adoption he signifieth after a sort that there are two testemonies of thys adoptioÌ„ the one is our sprite and the other the spirite of God For it is no small or light signe of thys adoption that we haue a quiet conscience and that we doo beleue that we are now reconciled vnto God and doo now fele that we are refreshed and recreated with many other good gifts Although these things are not sufficient for our incredulity and infirmity For there is none of vs which hath our conscience so quiet as we ought to haue and which putteth so much confidence in God as he ought to doo Wherfore seing the testimony of our spirite is weake and infirme God would put to a confirmation of his spirite For he it is which testefieth together with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Hereby ought we to gather of how greate force are prayers as well publique as priuate as Of greate force are prayers aswell publike as priuate well with ceremonies as without ceremonies For in them is confirmed our fayth yâ— we are by Christ adopted into the children of God Howbeit let euery man beware that when he calleth God father he also truly in the hart fele that which he pronounceth in wordes that he doo it not only of custome or of hipocrisy or call God father with the tounge and in yâ— hart doo an other thing or thinke otherwise But here maye be demaunded howe that feare whereof we haue Security and feare how they may agree together before so much spoken is not repugnaunt vnto thys security and confidence of our adoption I answere that these two thinges can not agree together if they be taken in respecte of one and the selfe same thinge But forasmuche as they happen by sundry meanes and of sondry causes they are nothing repugnaunt one to the other For therefore the sayntes feare for that they se they oftentimes fall and liue contrary to the prescript of the Law of God For they vnderstand that sinnes of theyr owne nature deserue the wrath of God scourges and hell fire When they diligently consider these thinges into theÌ„ is smitteÌ„ a feare But on the other side when with fayth they looke vpon the promises and mercye of God they are deliuered from that feare and made certayne of theyr saluation There is nothing to the contrary but that diuers causes may in our mindes bring forth diuers effectes Which thing may by a very apt similitude be declared He which out of a high tower looketh downe vnto the ground if he thinke A similitude that he shall stagger and fall straighte waye will he or nill he he is wonderfully aferd and al his body shaketh for horror But agayne when he thinketh with hymselfe that he is so closed in with a wall that he can not fall he plucketh vp hys spirites and beginneth to be secure of his safety So godly men when they consider theyr sinnes they feare punishement but when by fayth they looke vpon the mercy of God they are secure of theyr saluation And if vve be childreÌ„ vve are also heires eueÌ„ the heyers of God fellow heires of Christ Here the Apostle sheweth what we get by this adoptioÌ„ namely this to be the heires of God Which vndoubtedly can not be a small matter For not al they which are yâ— childreÌ„ of any man ar streightway also his heires For only All children are not hepres the first begotten haue that preheminence as we se the maner is at this day in many realnes and in yâ— holy scriptures it is manifest that Esau and Ismaell were not heyres Wherfore we are heyres and that not of any poore man or of smal matters For we haue obteyned the inheritaune of God and we are made the fellow heyres of
vs vp to aske those thynges Neither doth the holy ghost that is the diuine person abase it selfe as though it were lesser then the father and prayeth but only it causeth vs to pray So God is sayd to tempt the Hebrues that he myght know that is to make other themselues or others to know Touching this matter Augustine in his sermon against Maximinus the Arrian at large entreateth It was sayde vnto Abraham now I know that thou fearest the Lord which is nothyng els but I haue shewed I haue made open and haue declared that thou fearest the Lord. And Paul to the Galathyans But now forasmuch as ye know God and he addeth a correctioÌ„ or rather are knowen of God that is tought and illustrated so that he may know All these places declare that those things which are done of godly men by the heauenly inspiration are attributed vnto God and vnto the holy ghost But there are two most manifest places the one to the Galathyans the other to the Romanes which if they be compared together make that most manifest which we affirm For vnto the Romanes Paul writeth we haue not receaued the spirite of bondage agayne vnto feare but the spirite of the adoption of children whereby we cry Abba father These wordes playnly declare that we are they which crye And vnto the Galathyans God sent The spirite â—rieth because it maketh vs to crye Against the Arâ—ians forth the spirit of hys sonne into our hartes crying Abba father Here the spirite is said to cry not vndoubtedly for any other caâ—â—e but for that it maâ—eth vs to crye Neither did the Arrians truly affirme that Paul saith that the holy ghost maketh intercession to the sonne For thereof went they about wickedly to inferre that as they held that the sonne is lesse then the father so is the holy ghost lesse then the sonne These are the dreames of heretiques The son prayeth maketh intercession for vs because he is lesse then the father as touchinge his humanity The spirite maketh intercession because it maketh vs to pray and to cry And vnto the Galathyans it is expressedly said that this crying Abba father is of the holy ghost Wherefore the Arrians of their owne hed and not of the wordes of Paul fained vnto themselues that the holy ghost calleth vpon the sonne not that the holy ghost stirreth vs not vp to call vpon Christ the sonne of God But this thing only Augustine teacheth that they by the wordes of the Apostle had no cause why they should so greatly bâ—ast yâ— they had proued that which they entended namely that the sonne is lesse then the father and the holy ghost lesse then the sonne Origene so interpretateth these wordes as though the holy ghost is to vs in our prayers after a sort a Schoolemaster A Scholemaster formeth himselfe to the capacity of his children and nameth the letter first vnto them that they maye imitate him in the pronunciation of the sounde of the letters which thing otherwise they could not do of themselues so the holy ghost instilleth into vs as into children what we ought to aske Out of all these interpretacions two thinges we may gather First that here are confuted the Pelagians which tought that we are of our owne strengthes able to fulfill the lawe of God For if we can not so much as know what thinges are profitable for vs how can we performe them And when we heare that the holy ghost maketh intercession for vs we reiect the Arrians which went about by these words to proue that the holy ghost is a creature and lesse then the son For it is alwayes of necessity that he which prayeth is lesse then he to whom he commeth to pray The sonne indeede is sayd to be lesse then the father because of his humanity â—ut the holy ghost neuer tooke vpon him any creature in one and the selfe same hypostasis to be made one person with it wherefore he is therefore sayde to The holy Ghost neuer tooke vpon him any creature in one and the selfe same hypostasis The sighes of the godly in afflictioÌ„â— are hearde pray because he maketh vs to pray Vnto all these thinges may be added one thing more It commeth to passe sometimes that godly men when they are greeuously afflicted do only sighe neither to their knowledge do they praye vnto God And yet the holy ghost inwardly both stirreth vp moderateth these sighes in these men although they â—e not ware nor know what is done which sighes the father as moued and stirred vp by the holy ghost harkeneth vnto and vnderstandeth and granteth the requestes of the spirite And therefore is the spirite said to serch the harts because it considereth that which they themselues when they grone and sighe coÌ„sider not For we are somtimes so oppressed with the greatnes of temptacioÌ„s weaknes of yâ— flesh that we can not pray but the spirite priuelye stirreth vp and kindleth these groninges And these are his prayers This thinge we feale not bycause we our selues are not they which praye for we are only stirred vp by the spirite of God For although the flesh be oppressed with tribulations yet the spirit is inwardly strong â–ª Ieremy Dauid Examples of the Saintes and Iob were sometimes occupied in lamentacions and complayntes so that they after a sort complayned of the iudgementes of God as though they were ether not iust or els to much seuere and yet notwithstanding was not the spirite extinguished in them And therfore God imputed not vnto them the sighâ—nges of the flesh but heard the entent of the spirite They are called vnspeakeable Why they are called vnspeakeable sighes sighes for that we speake not expressedlye what the spirite asketh But as touching this sence yâ— words must thus to be put in order we are ignorant what we should pray which yet we ought not to be ignorauÌ„t of We pray indede but what we aske we know not but God sercheth the hartes He nedeth no inquisition Why God is sayd to searche hartes Howbeit he is sayd to serch for that that which meÌ„ desire perfectly and exactly to know they diligently serch for it so God bycause he beholdeth our most hidden thoughtes is sayd to serch the hartes otherwise he before we beginne to aske knoweth what we haue neede of Also we know that all thinges worke together to the beste to them that loue God euen vnto them that are called of purpose For those whome he knewe before hee also hath predestinate to bee made like to the image of hys sonne that he might be the first born amongest many brethern Moreouer whom he hath predestinated them also hath hee called and whome he hath called them also hath he iustifyed and whome he hath iustifyed them also hath he glorifyed Also we know that all thinges c. Forasmuch as the Apostle had begonne to speake of the patient suffring of aduersities he thought he woulde more at
yâ— he should be yâ— son of Dauid nether had they any deper or higher coÌ„sideratioÌ„ touching him wherfore Christ obiected vnto theÌ„ yâ— 110. Psalme where Dauid calleth yâ— Messias his lord which could not haue bene agreeable to a pure simple man borne of his stocke as they foolishly imagined Ambrose expounding this place coÌ„teÌ„deth yâ— these words must nedes be applied vnto Christ for that there is here mention made of no other person vnto whome they may aptly be applied If they will saith he haue these thinges to be vnderstanded of Christ let them shew some other person mencioned of Paul vnto whome they maye be referred And if besides Christe they can finde none other then let them leue vnto Christ the glory which Paul attributeth vnto him Ambrose indeede confesseth that when the father and the sonne are ioyned together in The father is called God and the sonne Lord when in the scriptures they are ioyned together That rule seemeth not to be perpetuall the holy scriptures the father is called God and the sonne Lorde and this he sayth is done for this consideration for that we affirme that we worship one God only And if we should repete the name of God we mought peraduenture seme to departe somewhat from that vnity and therefore are those names so altered But I see that that rule is not in the scriptures perpetually obserued For we rede in the Psalme as it is cited to the Hebrues Therefore O God hath thy God annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnes Here for that he entreateth of the father and of the sonne he repeteth the name of God twise He saith â—dreouer that this particle Christ to be ouer all is had also in the epistle to the Phillippians For there it is written That in the name of â—esu euery knee should bow both of thinges celestiall terrestiall and infernall Out of which place no les then out of The worshipping exhibited vnto Christ is a testimonie of hys diuinitie this wherewith we are now in hand he gathereth the diuine nature in Christ For he should not be worshipped of all if he were not God For in the Apocalipse Iohn was prohibited of the Angell to worship him I am thy fellow seruant said he take hede thou do it not But Christ when as he oftentymes permitted himself to be worshipped manifestly testified that he was true God For forasmuch as he was a most sharpe defender of the sincere and pure worshipping of God he would neuer haue suffred himselfe to be worshipped in stede of God vnles he had bene in very dede God Yea saith he Paul would so vehemently affirm that Christ is God that vnto hys wordes he addeth Amen Which particle without all This word Amen maketh a strong asseueration controuersy maketh a great affirmation Chrisostome also seemeth to ascribe these thinges vnto the sonne For he saith That Paul when he had reckened vp the wonderfull greate benefites which God hath bestowed vpon the Hebrues which were so great that our sauiour tooke fleshe of that nation by this exclamation both gaue thankes and also referred the prayse to the sonne of God and that not without iust consideration especially seing that he knew that Christ was euery where of the Iewes blasphemed and reproched and that most of all when they reiected and cast of his Gospell and preaching We haue els where toughte by testimonies broughte out of the scriptures In his commentaries vpon the first epistle to the Corrinthians and those most certayne that Christ is God wherefore in this place to repete them agayne it is not nedeful Iohn in his 5. chapter of his first epistle expressedly pronounceth that Christ is the true God eternall life At this tyme it shal be sufficieÌ„t to haue noted that by this sentence of the Apostle which we are now in hand with are ouerthrowen confuted many heresies The Manichies tought that Christ had not a true body but that whatsoeuer séemed to be in him as touching an humane body was only a phantasie and an illusion of the eyes But Paul sayth that Christ had fleshe and that he tooke it of the nation of the Hebrues Which wordes of Paul make also against those which confesse that Christ had indéede a true body but yet say that he brought it from heauen and tooke it not of the virgin Mary For they trifle that Christ traduced his body through her no otherwise then water is deriued thorough a conduite or pipe But Paul manifestly saith that the fleshe of Christ was made not through the Hebrues but of the Hebrues Arrius also is by these wordes confuted who impudently durst affirme that Christ was only a creature and with his blasphemous mouth durst deny the sonne of God to be God In this route also is Nesterius who confesseth both natures in Christ but he seioyned the one from the other that he held that that coniunction betwene them is only by grace and that of those two natures is not made one person Wherefore he denied that the blessed virgine could be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the mother of God but should only be called the mother of man for which the diuine nature it can not stand to be borne agayne But he considered not that Paul here saith that Christ is of the Iewes as touching the fleshe We graunt indede that the things which were vniuersally spoken of Christ are sometimes to be vnderstanded of the one nature and sometymes of the other when yet notwithstanding Christ himselfe is onely one person and hypostasis So we say that the immortall God was borne crucified and died For there is a certayne communicating of the Idiomata or proprieties by the wonderful connexion A communicating of the proprieties of the two natures which Nestorius went about to seioyne and plucke in sonder Howbeit I am not ignorant that Erasmus in this place imagineth two other readinges besides this receaued reading whiche we follow One of them is that we should thus reade Of whome is Christ as touching the fleshe so that there should be put a stay and then followeth that which remaineth as an exclamacion seperated wherein Paul sayth that God which ouer all is to be praysed for euer so that God signifieth either the father or els the whole Trinity The other is to be reade after this maner Of whome is Christ as touching the fleshe which is ouer all and thereto make a poynt and then adde this as a member by it selfe God is blessed for euer These readinges I see no cause why we should admitte For seing that the common and receaued reading is prospicuous and plaine I thinke it most mete rather to follow it For these readinges put a new apostrophe or turning of speach either to God the father or to the holy Trinity when as there is no such nede Farther Paul semeth to follow the same maner that is oftentimes vsed of A maner of
oracle was geuen when they were yet in the wombe neither had yet done either any good or any euill And peysing these thinges he considered that that which the Prophet had spoken more briefely mought be of him not without great profit and edification dilated so also is it profitable for vs to do namely diligently to waigh the places of the scriptures which are sometimes cited of the Apostles The Prophetes were as we haue oftentimes said interpreters of the bokes of The Prophets interpreters of Moses Moses They preached repentance not only agrauating sinnes but also setting forth the promises of the Gospell concerning grace Which thinges Malachy in this place did excellently wel comprehend Farther Paul most thoroughly saw that of the loue of God and of that oracle which was geuen vnto the mother touching the infantes was assigned no cause thorough works or merits These thinges I say mought suffice as touching this place but that there is yet one doubt remayning to be dissolued For Erasmus in hys booke which he wrote de Libero Arbitrio for that he saw that these places which we haue now made mencion of make agaynst hym thus dissolueth them First he sayth yâ— answere was made vnto Rebecka touching thinges temporall that the elder shoulde serue the younger and God may at his free wil pleasure cause that a maÌ„ whether he will or no shall leade a pore life and be a bond maÌ„ whom yet he will not reiect from eternall saluatioÌ„ Farther he addeth that these testimonies as Paul bringeth theÌ„ are repugnaÌ„t the one to the other wheÌ„ yet in their places they are not so repugnant Here doubtles is to be required in this maÌ„ not onely prudeÌ„ce but Paul faithfully alleageth yâ— holy scriptures dalied noâ— in them also plety For it is not mete for a man to thinke that Paul wheÌ„ he layd the first foundations of Christian religioÌ„ did vnfaithfully cite the scriptures or brought those places for testimonies which serued litle to the purpose Paul dalied not in the holy scriptures to make in his writings those testimonies repugnaÌ„t which in theyr owne places are not repugnante for this were as the blasphemous cauiller and vngodly Prophirius did to abuse the simplicity of the vnlerned But if at any time we can not vnderstand how the testimonies which are cited of Paul and of other of the Apostles make to theyr purpose why doo we not rather confesse our owne infirmity of vnderstanding and negligence whereby it commeth to passe that we can not attayne to the exact contemplacion of thinges diuine But whereas he sayth that the oracle was geuen to Rebecka touching Whether the question be vnderstanded touching thinges spirituall or temporall it is all one as touching the scope of Paul thinges temporall it nothing helpeth him for yet still the reason of Paul remayneth strong For forasmuch as he concludeth that a man is made either a Lord or a bondman a rich man or a pore man by these testimonies he inuinciblye proueth that that commeth not thorough any merites or workes of men For thereto only had Paul a respect Put the case that the question were moued why by the election of God one is made a prince an other a subiect one is afflicted an other fortunate here doubtles this is the thinge that is in controuersy whether these thinges are so ordred thorough the vertues and merites of men or thorough the mere goodnes of God Paul leueth no place at al to merites yea rather he sayth that God had decreed that these thinges should come to passe before that they which should doo them were borne and had appoynted that the one should be a Lord and the other a seruaunt before that they coulde ether doo or thinke any thinge Wherefore the question is generally and vniuersally put forth and not only touching the maner of principality or seruitude Wherfore whether those be spirituall or temporall thinges the scope which the Apostle entendeth is vtterly one and the same namely that they come without any our workes or merites If a man should alledge sentences nothing pertayning to the purpose euen amongst the philosophers he should be laughed to skorne how much les then ought we to impute any such thing to Paul But to make thée to vnderstande that those testimonies are moste agreeyng to the matter proposed The oracle before cited applied to the spiritual promise I will declare that in them are contayned not only thinges temporall but also and that chiefely thinges spirituall For forasmuch as God promised that the greater people should serue the lesser the same vnles we will to farre stray out of the way we ought to thinke should therefore come to passe for that the lesser natioÌ„ should be receaued of God into fauor and should become his people For otherwise neither the lesse people could ouercome the greater nor the weaker the stronger It is God only which is the doer thereof and vpholdeth that people whome he hathe decreed to be his And where the people of God are there follow infinite spirituall benefites namely the word of God the heauenly blessing the breathing of the holy ghost remission of sinnes thorough Christ and last of all eternall life Let vs consider the historye it selfe as did Paul and we shall perceaue that in the blessing of Iacob the things which his father Isaake blesseth him withall are chiefely spirituall namely that vnto him should be subiect not only his brethern but also the Gentiles which there is no man but seeth that it was accomplished in his sede and yet not in all his sede but in it onely whiche The blessings of the fathers are to be referred to Christ and to his members was so long time and so carefully waited for which doubtles was Christ whoÌ„ at this day both the Iewes and yâ— Gentils worship Those that blesse thee saith he let them be blessed and those that curse thee let them be cursed And these thinges are agreing vnto Christ onely and vnto the elect For whosoeuer shall worship him shal be rewarded with eternall felicitie and whosoeuer is contumelious either against him or against his members shal be obnoxious vnto the eternall curse and destruction The selfe same thinges also are to be vnderstanded in the oracle of Malachy For if the posteritie of Iacob should be in good case and the posteritie of Esau in yll it is not enquired whether God promiseth thinges spirituall or temporall but whether he would geue those thinges vnto them in consideration of theyr workes and merites or no. But that I am sure thou shalt not finde in that whole prophet Which thinge Paul also dilligeÌ„tly peysed although these thinges are also to be referred vnto spiritual matters For how came it to passe that the pub wealth of the Israelites was preserued that they had a commodious land â—o dwell in and that they were restored from the captiuity of BabiloÌ„ Doubtles by no other meanes but for
men are drawen vnto the father Verely if a man consider yâ— course of the text he shal see yâ— this sence caÌ„not stand After yâ— he had made mâ—ncioÌ„ of the eating of his flesh of the drinking of his bloud yâ— Iewes were by reasoÌ„ therof offended the disciples went their way Vpon occasion wherof Christ said No man coÌ„meth vnto me vnles my father shall draw him which he ought in no case to haue said if he had ment only to reproue theÌ„ of infidelity He should not doubtles haue made mencion of yâ— father as though he drew them not if he do bestow this gift vpon all men And Augustine when he interpretateth this place saith Why he draweth this man and draweth not that man do not thou iudge if thou wilt not erre In which words he declareth that all men are not drawen of God And in the selfe same chapter it is written Euery one that my father geueth vnto me shall come vnto me Wherfore if all men were drawen they should all come vnto Christ And in the same place it is written Euery one which hath heard of my father and hath learned commeth vnto me Wherfore seing that many come not vnto Christ therby is declared that many neither haue heard nor learned And in the 10. chapiter when Christ had sayd that he is the shepherd and hath his shepe amongst other thinges he sayth Those whome the father hath geuen vnto me no man can take out of my handes But we sée that many fall away from saluation and therefore we ought to thinke that many are not geuen of the father vnto Christ But here also the aduersaries cauille that although no man can take them away yet notwithstanding men of their owne accord may depart A cauillatio away As if a man had seruaunts being himselfe a Lord of great might he mought doubtles say no man can take away these seruants froÌ„ me but they may of their A similitude owne accord depart from me But how vayne this their cauillation is the words which follow declare For Christ addeth That which the father hath geuen vnto me is greater then all By which words he declared that therefore those whome he had receaued of the father could not be taken away from him for that he is most mighty wherefore if they which are in Christ can not be taken away by others neither also are they able to withdraw themselues not that they are compelled by force but by the way of perswasioÌ„ it is of necessity that they abide Which self It is of necessity that the predestinate do abide thing the Lord also spake touching the temptacion of the latter times namely that the elect should be deceaued if it were possible In the selfe same 6. chapiter of Iohn Christ sayd That no man commeth vnto him but he vnto whome it is geuen of the father Which place hath one and the selfe seme sence with that other sentence wherin he said No man commeth vnto me vnles my father shall draw him And Iohn Baptist as it is written in the 3. chapiter of Iohn when he heard of his disciples that Christ baptised many answered that no man can receaue any thing vnles it be geuen him from heauen And in the selfe same chapiter The spirite bloweth where it will which thing although it be spoken of the winde yet notwithstanding is it applied vnto the holy ghost which regenerateth For to declare the force of the holy ghost the similitude is taken of the nature of the winde But The reueling of Christ is not commoÌ„ vnto al meÌ„ this is more manifestly set forth in Mathew when it is said No man knoweth the father but the sonne and he vnto whome he will reuele hym In which place we are tought that the reueling of Christ is not geuen vnto all men which thing Christ in the selfe same Euangelist declared when turning him vnto the father he said I geue thee thankes o king of heauen and of earth for that thou hast hidden these thinges from the wise and prudent men and hast reueled them to infantes Here also is declared that the reuealing of true doctrine is not common vnto all men But if thou wilt say that therefore it is not reuealed vnto the wyse men A cauillation for that they wyll not receaue it The woordes whiche followe doo not render thys cause but rather declare that the wyll of God hath so decreed For it followeth For so hath it pleased thee And agayne when the Apostles enquired why he spake in Parables vnto the people he aunswered Vnto you it is geuen to knowe mysteryes but vnto them it is not geuen and he sayde that he so spake vnto them that they seeing shoulde not see and hearinge shoulde not vnderstand And he cited a prophesie out of the sixte chapter of Esay wherein was commaunded that the people should be made blind and that theyr hart should be made grosse lest peradueÌ„ture they should be conuerted God should heale theÌ„ Moreouer the apostle citeth out of yâ— boke of Exodus God thus speaking I wil haue mercy on whoÌ„ I wil haue mercy and wil shew compassion on whoÌ„ I wil shew coÌ„passion Also yâ— which is written of Pharao To this ende haue I raysed thee vp that I mighte shewe in thee my power And he saith also that some vessels are made to honor and some to contumely Which wordes most euidently declare that grace is not set forth common vnto all men Peter also in the Actes of the Apostles sayd vnto Simon the sorcerer Repent if peraduenture God forgeue vnto thee this thought But they saye that in this place Peter doubted not but that grace is common vnto all men but he was vncertaine whether Simon would receiue it and earnestly repent But this subtle shifte nothing helpeth them for as the Apostle teacheth vs vnto Timothe euen repentaunce RepentaÌ„ce is the gift of God also is the gifte of God For he admonisheth a Bishop to kepe fast sound doctrine and to reproue them that resist If peraduenture God geue vnto theÌ„ to repent Whereby is concluded that it lieth not in the handes of all men to returne into the right way vnles it be geuen them of God Moreouer some sinne againste the holy ghost who are not pardoned neither in this world nor in the world to come Wherefore it is manifeste that vnto these men grace is no longer set foorth nor common And in the Actes of the Apostles God is saide to haue opened the harte of the womaÌ„ that solde silkes to geue héede to those thinges which Paul spake which is spoken as a certaine thing peculiarly geuen vnto that woman And this place maketh that plaine which is written in the Apocalips Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man open vnto me c. For we are sayd to opeÌ„ in as much as God worketh that in vs for he maketh vs to open and it is
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
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