doth he the same nowe in his earnest prayer for them And certenly as in euery one the grace of God is more apparaunt so peculiarly ought we to embrace and reuerence them and be carefull for their saluation And what doth he wish vnto them That they maye knowe God more fullye whereby hee sheweth that somewhat is as yet wanting vnto them that hee may make a waye for him to enstructe them and win them to heare him teache the truth more amply for they that thinke they haue obtayned whatsoeuer is worth the knowing doe despise and disdaine whatsoeuer else is broughte them He taketh therefore this perswasion away from the Colossians lest it should be to them a let that they should not willingly goe forward and suffer to be perfected and amended that which was begon in them But what knowledge doth he wishe vnto them forsooth the knowlege Of the will of GOD. wherewith hee ouerthroweth all the inuentions of men and all those speculations that are contrary to the worde of GOD. for the will of GOD is not to bee soughte else where than in his Worde He ioyneth in all Wisedome whereby he declareth that that will of God whereof he made mention is the onely rule of being rightly wise For whatsoeuer he is that simplye desireth to knowe those thinges whiche it hath pleased God to reueale he it is that knoweth what it is rightlye to be wise and if wee desire further that shall be nothing else but to bee vnwise as not content with the meane By the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I haue translated Prudence I meane iudging or discerning whiche springeth from the vnderstanding Paule calleth both of them spiritual because we atchieue them no otherwise but by the direction of the Spirite For the naturall man perceiueth not those thinges that are of God 1. Cor. 2.14 As long as men are led by the sence of their flesh they haue in deede their own wisdome but such wisedome as is mere vanitie howsoeuer else they flatter themselues in it We see what manner of diuinitie there is in the Papacie what the bookes of Philosophers contayne what wisedome it is that prophane or Godlesse men haue in price But lette vs haue in mynde that that wisedome alone which Paule commendeth and setteth out is limitted in the will of God 10 That you walke worthily in God First he teacheth what the end of spirituall vnderstanding is and to what purpose wee must profite in the schoole of God namely that we liue worthy of God that is that it may appeare in our life that we haue not in vayne bene taught of God Whosoeuer they bee that leuell not their studies to this marke it may be that they labour and take great paynes but they doe nothing but wander by by wayes and lose their labour Moreouer he admonisheth that this principallye is to be done of vs if we will walk worthy of God that we direct the whole course of our life after the will of God renouncing our owne sence and witte and bidding all the affections of our owne flesh farewell Which also agayne hee confirmeth when he addeth these wordes into all obedience or as commonly they say thorow pleasing Therfore if it be demanded what life it is that is worthy of GOD this diffinition of Paul must alwaies be holden namely that that is it which leauing the rules ordinances of men finally leauing the wit disposition of the whole flesh is ordred after the obedience of God alone Frō hence ensue good works which fruits God requireth of vs Encreasing in the knowledge of God He doth again repeat that they are not so far come on but that they haue neede of new encreasements with which admonition he prepareth them as it were leadeth them by the hand to the desire of going forward whereby they may shewe themselues readie to heare and apt to be taught And that which is here spoken vnto the Colossiās let al the faithful take it as spoken vnto them and hereof let them collect this common exhortation We must alwayes encrease in the doctrine of Godlynesse euen till our dying day 11 Strengthned with all strength As afore he wished vnto them both sound vnderstanding the right vse thereof so nowe also he wisheth vnto them a hart and constancie By this means he admonisheth thē of their weakenesse imbicilitie for that he denieth they can be strong but by the helpe of the Lord. neither doth he that only but to the end he may the more amplifie see out this grace he addeth these wordes According to his glorious power as if he should say so far off is it that any man by means of his own power can stand but that the power of God must wonderously shew forth it self by helpiyg our infirmitie Lastly he teacheth in what thing the strength of the faithfull ought to shew forth it self namely in al patience long suffering For both cōtinually are they excercised vnder the crosse in this world a thousand temptations do daily thrust in thēselues to oppresse them they see none of those things which God hath promised They must therfore arme themselues with wonderful patience that that saying in Esa 30.15 may be fulfilled Your strength shal be in hope silence To ioine this peece With ioye vnto this sentence is better than otherwise For although the cōtrary reading is more often vsed with the Latines yet the greeke copies agree rather vnto the reading which I vse certainly pacience is not retained but by ioy nor yet shall be stand with a strōg courage who hath not a ioyfull liking of his own estate 12 Giuing thankes to God the Father who hath made vs meete to the pertaking of the inheritance of the Saints in light 13 Which hath taken vs away out of the power of darkenesse and hath set vs ouer into the kingdome of his beloued Sonne 14 In whome we haue redemption by his blood the forgiuenesse of sinnes 15 Who is the Image of the inuisible God the first begotten of all craatures 16 Because in him are created all thinges as well whiche are in heauen as vpon the earth visible inuisible whether they be thrones or dominations or principalities or powers 17 All things are created by him and into him and he is before all things and all thinges haue their being in him 12 Geuing thankes He returneth agayn vnto gratulation that by this occasion he may recken vp the benefites wherewith they are endowed by Christ and so he entreth into a ful discription of Christ For this was an only remedy for the Colossians against all the deceits of the false Apostles wherewith they assayed them fully to vnderstand what Christ was For whereof commeth it that we are caried about with so many kinde of doctrines but because we doe not throughlye knowe the power of Christ For Christ alone causeth all other thinges sodaynlye to vanishe Therefore there is nothing that
Creator it is to weake yea rather he is confuted of Paule whose words are the man is the Image glory of God 1. Cor. 11.17 Lest therfore we should hold any thing but that which is firme we must note that the word Image is not meant of the essence but hath relation vnto vs. For therefore is Christ the Image of God because he causeth God after a sort to be seene vnto vs although thereof also is gathered the coessence consubstanciallitie For Christ should not truly and in deede represent God except he were the essentiall Word of God seing that in this place he treateth not of those thinges which by coÌ„municating or participating accord also to the creatures but he treateth of the perfect wisedome goodnesse righteousnesse and powers of God which to represent no creature were of sufficiencie Ther shal be than in this word a forcible weapon for vs against the Arrians but yet we muste beginne at the relation which I haue spoken of viz we must not stand in the only essence The sum is that God in himselfe that is to say in his naked maiestie is inuisible that not only vnto bodily eyes but euen to the minds of men also but that he is reuealed vnto vs in Christe alone so that wee maye beholde him as it were in a glasse For he doeth shew forth vnto vs in Christ his righteousnesse goodnesse wisedome strength and power to be shorte himselfe wholy totally we must take heede then that we seeke it not else where for whatsoeuer it is that shall without â—hrist vaunt it self by the name of God it shal be an idoll The first begotten of al creatures The reasoÌ„ why he is thus called followeth by by Because in him all things are created as in the third verse following he is tearmed the first begotten of the dead because we all rise agayne by him Than he is not therefore only the firste begotten because he went before all creatures in time but because he was begotten of the Father for this that by him they should be made and he should be as it were the substance or fouÌ„dation of all The Arrians delt foolishlye who reasoned out of that that he was therefore a creature For it is not here touched what he is in himselfe but what hee worketh or bringeth to passe in other 16 Visible and inuisible The former deuision of heauenlye and earthly thinges comprehended both these kindes But because he meant to auouche this principally of Angels he nowe maketh mention of inuisible thinges That not onely the heauenly creatures which are manifest vnto the eyes but also such as are spirites are made by the Sonne of God And whereas followeth straightwaye Whether Thrones c. it is as muche as if he shoulde saye By what name soeuer they be called By thrones some vnderstande Aungels but I think that rather the heauenly palace of the maiestie of GOD is thereby meant which we must not dreame to be such an one as our mynd or vnderstanding may comprehende but suche an one as is meete for God himselfe We see the sunne moone the whole ornameÌ„t of the heauen but the glory of the kingdome of God is hidden from our sence and vnderstanding because it is spirituall and higher than the Heauens To bee shorte lette vs vnderstande by Thrones that Seate of blessed immortalitie which is exempte from all change and alteration By the other names out of doubte hee meaneth the Angels He calleth them Powers Principallities Dominations or Lordships not because they excersise any regimente which is their owne or else he indewed with force and strength whiche properly belongeth to themselues but because they are ministers or seruauntes to execute Gods power and Domination And it is often vsed that as far as God doth extende put forth his force strength in his creatures so farre forth also doeth hee sette ouer his names vnto them And so hee alone is Lorde and Father but they also are Fathers and lordes whom he vouchsaueth this honoure And thereof it commeth that both Angels and Iudges are called Gods Wherefore in this place also are Aungels set forth with great titles which declare not of what force they are by themselues or apart from God but what God doth by them and what functions and charge hee hath committed to them Whiche thinges must so be taken that nothing bee abated of the glorye of the only GOD. for hee doeth not so communicate and impart his force and strength vnto the Aungels that hee should diminishe himselfe hee doeth not so worke by them that he resigneth or setteth ouer his power vnto them hee will not haue his glory so shine in them that it may be blemished or darkened in himselfe Paule dothe purposedly so honourably extoll the dignitie of the Aungels least any body shoulde thinke that that were a let whereby Christ himselfe should be exalted aboue them Therefore as by way of concession or graunting he vsurpeth these names as if he should say al their excellencie derogateth taketh awaye nothing from Christ although they bee set out with notable titles They that subtillie after a Philosophicall maner doe descant in these wordes to the ende they may pick out of them orders of Aungels maye haue the fruition and vse of their liking but certainlye they straye farre from the mynd of Paule 17 All things are created by him and into him By foure reasons he maketh the Aungels subiecte to Christ 1 That they should not darken his glorye because they were created by him Secondlye because their creation ought to be referred vnto him as vnto a legitimate ende Thirdly that hee was alwayes before they were created Fourthly for that hee sustayneth them with his strength and preserueth them in their estate Although he affirmeth this not of them alone but of the whole world also So doth he place the sonne of God in the highest seate of honour that he may beare rule ouer both Aungels and men and may bring vnder or into frame all the Creatures in heauen and in earth 18 And he is the seede of the body of the Churche hee is the beginning the firste begotten from the dead that he maye bee in all thinges holding the principalitie 19 Because it pleased the Father that al fulnesse should dwell in him 20 And by him to reconcile all thinges vnto himselfe by pacifiing the row the blood of his Crosse thorow him as well those thinges that are vppon the earth as those thinges which are in heauen 18 The hedde of the bodye After that hee hath generallye discoursed touchinge the excellencie of Christe and of his high principallitie ouer al creatures he returneth agayn vnto those things which peculiarly belong to the Church In the word Hed some do consider many things And truly a litle after he wil vse the fame Metaphor I meane Hedde in this sence or meaning that as head in the body of man is in steede of
in those traditions whereof he speaketh for that they giue no honour vnto the bodie for enlarging the fleshe that is to say according to the measure of necessitie For fullfilling in this place signifieth a mediocritie or meane vsage which restraineth it self to the bare vse of nature and so it is vsed as the contrary to pleasure and all superfluous dellicacie for nature is content with a few things Therefore to denye that which nature requireth to sustayne the necessitie of life is no lesse contrary to pietie than voyde of humanitie ¶ The thirde Chapter 1 Therefore if you haue risē with Christ seeke those things that are aboue where Christ is sitting on the righte hand of God 2 Thinke vpon those thinges that are aboue not which are vpon the earth 3 For you be dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God 4 But when Christ your life shall appeare then also shall ye appeare with him in glory HE setteth against those vayne excercises which the false Apostles did vrge as though perfection were placed in thē true excercise wherewith it becommeth true Christians to be occupied whiche doth not a little make for the cause For while wee perceaue what God woulde haue vs doe wee doe easilye afterward sette nought by the inuentions of men Whilest it appeareth that that which God setteth out for vs is farre more high and noble than that which men beate into our heades wee leaue men and our mindes grow more and more readie and willing to follow God Paule in this place exhorteth the Colossians to the consideration and practise of a heauenlye life But what doe his aduersaries they would detayne them in childish rudimentes This doctrine then causeth ceremonies to bee more little sette by Whereof it appeareth that Paule doth so exhort in this place that he confirmeth his former doctrine For in describing firme or sounde Godlinesse and holinesse of life hee directeth his talke to this poynt that those vayne shewes of mens traditions maye wast and weare away He doth withall preuente an Obiection wherewith the false Apostles might burthen him What then haddest thou rather that men should be idle then to giue themselfe to these excercises what kind of ones soeuer they be Whē as therfore he biddeth Christians to applye themselues to farre more excellent studies he cutteth of occasion from this malicious surmise nay rather he chargeth them with no smal spite for that with things of nought they call away and hinder the right course of the godly 1 If ye are risen Ascending followeth rising agayne if then we be the members of Christ we must ascende into heauen because that he being raysed from the dead is taken vp into heauen that he might draw vs with him And we seeke those thinges which are aboue while in our mindes we are truely pilgrimes in this worlde and are not tied to the same The worde thinke on doth more expresse a paynefulnesse in taking care and a vehemencie as if he shoulde saye Meditate this wholy apply your witte to this applye your minde to this But if wee oughte to thinke on nothing but that which is heauenly for that Christ is in heauen how much lesse shall it be meete to seeke Christ himselfe on the earth Lette vs remember than that this is a true thinking on Christe and an holye whiche forthwith rauisheth vs vp into heauen that we maye worshippe him there and that our minds may dwell with him As touching that which belongeth to the right hand of God it is not shut vp in heauen but it filleth the whole world Furthermore Paule made mētion therof in this place that he might shew that Christ embraceth vs by his power lest wee shoulde thinke the distaunce of place to bee a cause of separation or diuorce betweene vs and him and that withall his maiestie might wholy rauish vs into the reuerencing therof 2 Not which are vpon earth Hee doth not vnderstande as afterward he doth vicious desires whiche raigne in earthlye men neyther yet riches or Fieldes or houses or whatsoeuer things else belonging to this present life which we must vse as though we vsed them not but he followeth as yet his disputatiō concerning ceremonies which he maketh like vnto trifling lets which constrain vs to creepe on the ground Christ sayth he calleth vs vp vnto him but those leade you downeward For it is a conclusiō an expositiō of those maters which lately he touched concerning the dying of ceremonies by the death of Christ as if he should say Therfore are ceremonies dead to you by the death of Christ and you vnto them that beinge lifted vp into heauen with Christ ye should thinke onelye vpon heauenlye thinges Therefore let goe earthlye thinges I will not contend agaynst other who think otherwise but certaynelye mee thinkes the Apostle doeth so proceede steppe by steppe orderly that first and formost he setteth opposite traditions touching trifling matters vnto the meditation of an heauenly life and after that proceedeth further as we shall see 3 For ye be dead He cannot rise agayne with Christe who first hath not died with him Therefore hee bringeth his argument from rising agayne to dying as from the consequente to the accedent signifiing that wee must bee deade to the Worlde that we maye liue to Christe Why hath hee taughte that wee must seeke the thinges that are aboue because the life and conuersation of the godly is aboue Why doth he teache that those thinges are now to be let passe which are vpon the earth because they are dead to the world as if he shoulde saye Death goeth before that rising againe which I haue spoken of Therfore both of these must be seene in you This is worth the marking that our life is hidden least wee repyne or complayne if oure life beeing vnder the ignominie of the Crosse and buried vnder manifolde sorrowes differ nothing from death but that we must paciently expect and waight for the day of reuelatiō or appearaunce And that our waiting be not painful and greuous let vs note the parcels In God and with Christ which declare that our life is out of daunger although it appeare not For euen God is faythefull and trustye and therefore hee will not denye that whiche was layde vp with him The Latine is dopositum which also signifyeth a guage or pledge nor deceaue in that hee tooke to keepe and the societie and felloweshippe of Christe bringeth yet more securytie and assuraunce For what is more to bee desyred than for our lyfe to remayne with the verye wellspring of lyfe Wherefore there is no couse whye wee shoulde bee terryfied if while wee looke aboute on euery side we see lyfe on no side For by hope we are safe But those things which are now sene to the eyes are not hoped for Neither yet doth he teach that our life is hidden after the opinyon of the world only but also according to our own meaning or vnderstanding