the light and of the day for we are not the children of the night nor of darkenes wherefore let vs not slepe as others doo but let vs be sober and let vs watche For they whiche sleepe slepe in the night and they which are dronken are dronken in the night And in the last chapiter to the Ephesians Ye were sayth he in times past darkenes but now ye are light in the Lord. Wherefore walke as children of light and haue not to do with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenes but rather reproue them For the thinges which they do secretly it is filthy euen once to name Howbeit these thinges are not to be counted as Thinges froÌ„ whencâ— are takeÌ„ing â—aphâ—rs ar not alwaâ—â— by reasâ—noi the trope or figure either to be allowed or to be condemned Difference betwene a natural motion and a violent Some are feruent at the beginning and afterward are weary A distinctioÌ„ of three tymes Our state may be called both light and darkenes It is now twylight faultes to be ascribed to night or to darkenes For God created night and darknes to our vse and commoditie namely that by them we should haue some rest and in termision from labours For now our saluation is nerer then when we beleued The further we goo on the nigher we come to the end Wherfore euery man ought diligently to apply himselfe to liue vprightly For they which runne for a wager the nigher they drawe to the marke the more ernestly they runne therunto And naturall motion herein differeth from violent for that thinges impelled naturally are more swister towards the end but those thinges which are driuen by violence the further they go one the softlyer and weakelier are they caried Wherfore that we may not seeme to obey God agaynst our willes the further we go on in liuyng here so much the feruentlier and holier let vs liue And Paul therfore peraduenture admonished vs hereof as Chrisostome noteth for that many are wont at the beginning of theyr conuersion most feruently to follow after righteousnes But afterward they slacke theyr zeale and become wery The night is past â–ª and the day is at hand Here are to be noted thrée differences of times Of which the first pertayneth to the most chiefe felicity which we wayte for in the blessed resurrection where the day shal shine most brightly The other pertayneth to that darke night and ignorance which is before our regeneration and conuersion vnto Christ The thirde is this shorte time wherein we being iustified doo liue thorough fayth Wherefore if this present time be compared with the night which went before it may seme to be day But if the same be compared with that time which we wayt for in the end it hath stil some shew of night and of darkenes so that it may not vnaptly be called twilight For we haue some light out of the propheticall woord that is out of the holy scriptures which as Peter sayth shine vnto vs in the darke And in the meane time whilest thorough faith we are instructed in thinges diuine we se them not manifestly nor face to face But only thorough a glasse and in a ridle as Paul sayth to the Corinthians And hereby I suppose it is very manifest what that meaneth that that saluation that is the full and bright day of felicity is now nier vnto vs then when we first beleued For then we began first to be mooued towardes the end but now we haue gon a great way in our iorney and euery day draweth nier nier the day of our death wherin we shal be caried from hence into heauen and euery day is nier and nier that comming of Christ wherin he shall both iudge the world and also shall perfectly renew vs according to our hope Wherfore yâ— which Paul sayth Then when we beleued is to be referred to the time of our conuersion VVherefore let vs cast away the weapons of darkenes and let vs put on the Why viâ—â—s are called the works of darknes arm or of light Works of darknes he calleth vices partly because they come of the ignorance of the heauenly truth â–ª and partly also because the doers of them seke after darknes For he which doth euill hateth the light Adulterers whoremongers theues murderers and such other like for the most part worke all their feates in the night And we haue before declared that Paul to the Thessalonians and to the Ephesians mencioneth the like things touching darkenes Wherefore Christ Good workes aâ— rightly called weapons most aptly sayd to them which were sent to take him This is your howre and the power of darknes Good workes he calleth the weapons of light for that they spring of the true knowledge of God and do shine before men to the glory of his name And they are not without cause called weapons For with them we must fight agaynst the deuill and the flesh and with them must we defend our liberty So that we walke honestly aâ— in the day In Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He perswadeth vs to that which he entreateth of by an argument taken of that which is comely and honest which kind of argument is of great fore with noble and sincere mynds For men degenerate and sauage are commonly moued rather with things profitable and filthy Not in glotony and dronkenneâ— Paul here putteth thrée vices and those very common wherewith carnall men and men estraunged from Christ are euerye where contaminated and vnder those thrée he comprehendeth all other What glotony is vices wherewith mankinde is customably infected By glotonye he meaneth feastes and banquâ—tes but not all kinde of feastes but as Ambrosâ— sayth prâ—digall feasts which are made either at the common chardge of euery one of guests or which are made by courses betwene good fellowes companions wherin men passe the borders of all shame For euery one of the guests thinketh that to be his feast and therefore he dareth both speake and do whatsoeuer he thinketh good But he which is bidden to an other mans table is commonly bridled with some modesty and shamefastnes not to presume to speake any thing that is vncomely And peraduenture Iob feared least the feasts of his children werâ—such manner of feastes and therefore he daily sacrificed vnto God for them And what is went to happen at such riotous feastes the head of Ihon Baptist declareth which was geuen to that wanton and dissolute mayden And how great the outrageousnes of men was and especially of the elders amongst the Ethnikes it may hereby be knowne for that when they had well dronke they were wont hauing garlandes on their heads and minstrels with them to goe in banketting from place to place and as wanton and yong folke to speake and to doe what they listed So that oftentimes they fell to vncleane actes and to contentions as Paule here declareth Which thing the Poetes haue conningly paynted vnto vs in the feastes of
that none can by good conscience denye tribute vnto Princes if it be required Nether ought Pope Bonifacius in any wise to haue taken vpon him to make that vnreasonable and outragious decrée It is already concluded of Paul that all owe subiection and obedience to publike powers Neither ought the godly sayth Chrysostome to take it in ill part to be subiect to magestrates although they themselues are the children of God and appoynted to the kingdome of heauen For theyr glory is not in the state of this life They wayt vntill Christ appeare in whome as yet is hidden theyr life But in yâ— meane time they ought not to count it a thing greuous if they rise vppe if they vncouer the head if they geue the vpper hande if they obey Magestrates Here is nothing vnméete or vncomely Yea rather what so euer is done of them accordynge to the prescript of the worde of God is full of all comelinesse and worthinesse Owe nothing to any man but this to loue one an other Paul will haue vs so perfectly and fully to render to euery man that which we owe vnto him that we should cease to be any more in debt Howbeit there is one certain thing which Charity is alwaâ—s tâ—e for that the cause of that det always remaineth can neuer be fully payd namely the debt of loue and charity For although thou both hast and dost loue thy neighbour yet notwistanding art thou still bound to loue him For there alwayes remayneth a cause why thou oughtest to loue him namely God whose image he is He made him he gaue him to thée to be thy neighbour he hath commaunded that thou shouldest loue him as thy selfe For he that loueth an other hath fulfilled the law Some referre this to that part of the law only which is here spoken of True it is that the discourse of thys treatise is of that part of the law which pertayneth to our neighbour So that the sence should be he which loueth an other hath fullfilled yâ— who le law as touching Our neyghbour is not rightly loued vnâ—es God be loued in him We haue God in our neighboure after a sort visible We must not hereby affirm that we can pâ—eforme the law the secoÌ„d table But I se no let but that we may simply vnderstaÌ„d yâ— who le law For we can not loue our neighbour well vnles we loue God in him For these are so knit together as the cause and the effect and therefore they can not be seperated the one from the other For the loue of our neighbour is a testimony of that loue wherwith we loue God If we loue not God being in a neighbour after a sort visible and present how do we boast that we loue him in himselfe whiche is not séene of vs but is of some thought to be very farre of from vs I would not that our aduersaries should here triumph as though Paul should say that we performe and fullfill the law Paul indede affirmeth that the law is fullfilled of him which loueth his neighbour but yet of such a one which in such sort loueth as the law coÌ„maundeth But this is no man able to performe For this thou shalt not committe adultery thou shalt not kill The proofe is hereof taken for that all those preceptes are summarily comprehended in that which is sayd Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And this commaundement as Chrisostome here noteth is sayd of Christ to be like that great commaundemeÌ„t Thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy strengths For seing that we ought to loue our neighbours as our selues there waÌ„teth litle but that we ought to loue him as we loue God For we omitte nothing Why the commaundement of hanoring the parents is ouer hipped which may serue to our owne commodity or saluation He made no mencion of the loue towards our pareÌ„ts eyther bycause that precept as the Hebrews thinke pertayneth to the first table or ells for that he would not reckon vp all all the coÌ„maundements For therfore he added And if there be any other commaundement Or ells for that he had alredy before sufficiently spoken of the obedience due to magestrates in which order are parentes also to be placed Loue woorketh not euill to his neighbour This is easely gathered of that which haue bene spoken For in these commaundemeÌ„ts are prohibited all things whatsoeuer may offeÌ„ded our brother Wherfore Paul aptly added that such is the force of loue that it suffreth not any man to hurt his neighbour And that considering the season that it is nowe time that we should arise from slepe for now is our saluation nerer then when we beleued The night is past and the day is at hand let vs therefore cast away the woorkes of darkenes and let vs put on the armour of light So that we may walke honestly as in the day not in glottonie and dronckenes neyther in chambring and waÌ„tonnes nor in strife and enuieng But put ye on the Lorde Iesus Christe and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lustes of it And that considering the season that it is now time that we shold arise from slepe After that Paul had now geuen many rules touching the dewties of loue and of an holy life lest paradueÌ„ture they should slippe out of our minds he thought it good to vrge them by an argument taken of time The summe is at this present all these thinges are diligently and with an earnest endeuor to be sene vnto for that oportunity serueth excedingly thereunto For so signifieth the Greke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Paul vseth All this whole talke is metaphoricall â–ª For he maketh mencion of slepe of night of day of arising from slepe and of darkenes Waking Aristotle calleth a liberty of yâ— sences to execute theyr functioÌ„s contrariwise slepe is a bond of the sences Which commeth by the euaporation of the noorishements to the hed The meaning is this That before the fayth of Christ was reaceaued What waking is What â—â—â—pe is that is before regeneration men were conuersant in great darkenes of ignoraÌ„ce and therefore as it had bene men on sleepe they were hindred from all good works which mought be gratefull and acceptable to God But now after fayth and the grace of regeneration the bright knowledge of God hath shined forth as it were the day and therfore the strengths both of the soule and of the body are new after a sort losed and made frée to performe the woorkes of righteousnes Wherefore it is not mete that men should at this time be idle and senceles And therefore euery one ought to be awaked vp to execute the will of God seing that he séeth that he walketh in the light and in the day Paul vsed this selfe same forme of speach in yâ— first epistle to the Thes in the last chap. All ye sayth he are the children of
⧠Most learned and fruitfull Commentaries of D. Peter Martir Vermilius Florentine Professor of Diuinitie in the Schole of Tigure vpon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Romanes wherin are diligently most profitably entreated all such matters and chiefe common places of religion touched in the same Epistle ¶ With a table of all the common places and expositions vpon diuers places of the scriptures and also an Index to finde all the principall matters conteyned in the same Lately traÌ„slated out of Latine into Englishe by H. B. ¶ IMPRINTED AT LONdon by Iohn Daye ¶ Cum Gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per decennium ⧠These bookes are to be solde at the shop vnder the gate DIEV ET MON DRIOâ— ARISE FOR IT IS DAY TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND VVORTHY SIR ANTHONY COOKE KNIGHT PETER MARTIR VERMILIVS OF FLORENCE PROFESSER OF DIVINITIE IN THE SCHOLE OF TIGVRE VVISHETH HEALTH WHen I oftentimes consider with my selfe right honourable Sir whome for godlines and learning I reuerence all those things which happened all that whole time that I dwelt in England it driueth into me a great and manifolde griefe And in especiall it is a grief vnto me that so great an hope of the gospell of Iesus Christe and of pure doctrine in that Realme geuen by the most mighty and most mercifull God and confirmed by the great laboure industry and study of godly men hath now in a maner vtterly pearished It is a griefe vnto me to thinke that that most noble wit most sacred brest and incredible piety of that famous king Edwarde the .vj. of that name your most deare pupill is so sodainely taken from vs. It is a griefe vnto me that so many English men being of great fame renoum as well for theyr piety as for theyr knowledge and nobility are by voluntary exile for religion sake dispersed throughout externe and straunge countreys and they which at home were counted moste noble and heroicall doe now wander abrode as men obscure abiect and in a manner vnknowne to all men But it is well in that this happeneth not vnto them for any wicked actes by them committed or for filthy life but only for the name and doctrine of oure Lord Iesus Christ It is also a griefe vnto me that so great a multitude of godly brethren are as doubtles it is to often from euerye where signified vnto vs moste cruelly for theyr holy profession put to the sworde fire and tormentes whome for as much as they are our brethren and haue to theyr head together with vs one and the selfe same Christ and are members of one and the selfe same body and finally are euen oure owne bowels when we heare to be entreated with so great cruelty and tyraÌ„ny it is not possible but that we also should in minde be shaken with horror and set on fire euen as they are in body tormented and murthered These and a greate many moe things being vnto me a great griefe so that I am nowe in a maner hardened to any newe griefe yet cease I not to haue an eye hither and thither to see if I might by any meanes gette some healthfull and profitable remedy bothe for my selfe and for such like as I am but now I haue long time had experience of that it is in vaine to hope for mannes helpe or for ayd at the worlds hand And therefore I persuade both my selfe also others to withdraw their mindes from the aides of the flesh and to implore the heauenly and diuine helpe which doubtles I see is offred vnto vs two wayes One is that we with prayers turning our selues vnto Christ shold say How long Lord shall the wickednes and fury of Idolatry of supersticions and of the ignorance of the scriptures range abroade on the earth How long Lord shall thy holy Gospell be troden vnder foote We in dede haue sinned we haue ben rebellious against thee and haue not harkened vnto thy wordes for which cause we are iustly and for our euill deserte thus daily put â—o confusion and shame But thou O Lord our God are most iust in all thy workes But on the other side Lord for as much as it belongeth to thy clemency and constancy to haue mercye to spare and most faithfully to kepe thy couenauntes and promises how long Lord how long wilt thou be angry vnto the end Remember not our iniquities of olde Wherefore we beseeche thee that for as much as in these laste times thou hast by pouring abrode thy plenteous light and that being most mighty vouchsafed to make manifest vnto men which lay in darknes yea more then palpable darknes the secretes of thy truth thou woldest once at the length turne away thy wrath and fury from our ingrate mindes and from the most greuous sinnes whereby we haue laid forth thy most holy name and the pure doctrine which we professe to euil speakings and to blasphemies And deliuer thy congregation from the contumelies and oppressions of the wicked which doubtles light not only vpon vs but also vppon the maiesty of thy name Although thou of thyne owne nature be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vntouchable and not able to be hurt Illuminate O most louing Christ thy face vpon the Church redeamed with thy bloud which is now in a manner vtterly lefte desolate Thy name only and not any other mannes name we call vpon not vndoubtedly trusting to any our own righteousnes but to thy goodnes only and mercy that thou woldest either appoynt an end or measure of those euils and lenify the vexation wherwith we together with our brethren are afflicted or that thou wouldest at the least vouchsafe to geue vnto the hearts of thine such faith and constancy that they fall not away from the profession of true piety yea rather that they may so nobly and valiantly behaue them selues that by their exile emprisonment pouertye ignominy sworde fire and how cruell so euer kinde of death it be the liuely knowledge of thy gospell may more and more shine forth and be made more manifest to the whole world This kinde of ayde and remeady right honorable sir is the first which I see is to be sought for at Gods hands against our euils and which the holy Fathers prophets Apostles and blessed coÌ„fessors of the Christian faith with great fruit vsed in their afflictions Wherfore seing that God heard them praying after this maner or muche like therevnto let vs in no wise distrust but that he will also heare vs when as we haue coÌ„mon with them one and the selfe same cause and one and the selfe same God Vndoubtedly if he heard them he will not despise our prayers but forasmuch as he is alwayes like vnto himselfe if he most louingly and with incredible facilitie receaued theyr prayers he will also fil vs making supplicatioÌ„ vnto him not with a small but with a most ample consolation The second helpe which is also brought vs from God and is euery where
and perswadest thy selfe that thou art a guide of the blynde a lyghte of them which are in darkenes An instructer of them whiche lacke discretion a teacher of the vnlerned which hast the forme of knowledge and of the truth in the law Behold thou art called a Iew. In this place there is two maner of readyngs The Latines seme to haue read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is and if But in the Greke copies it is written by Iota simple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Behold or see But whether of them thou readest it skilleth not much saue onely that to the purpose of the Apostle connexion together of his speaches that which is in the Greke semeth to be more apte The name of a Iew was no lesse set by at that tyme then the name of a Christian is at this time Vndoubtedly it was an honourable stocke But Paule saith wisely cognominaris which signified thou art so called for he wil not graūt vnto them that they were in dede Iewes Neither could he when as afterward he sayth That he is truely a Iew whiche is a Iew in secret and that that is the true Circumcision which is marked not in the flesh but in the hart And restest in the lavv This is nothing els but with a certayne vayne bostyng to delight himselfe by reasō of the law wherunto perauenture they wer moued by reason of those things which are written in Deut. the 4. chapter Namely That other nations should wonder at the publike wealth of the Israelites which◠had so noble and excellent lawes Dauid also sayd That it was not so done vnto other nations And boastest in God Because as it is written in the 17. chap. of the boke of Genesis God had made a league with Abraham and with all his posterity These thinges vndoubtedly had bene vnto them great honour and estimation if they had broght forth fruit accordingly For to come of godly elders is a gift of God not to be despised Moreouer to rest in the law so that thou wholy quietest thy selfe in it and art so content with the commaundementes of God that thou fainest not vnto thy selfe any other is a thyng worthy of prayse And lykewyse to count the true God for God may be ascribed vnto glory and that to sound glorye But they onely boasted in these thinges glorying in themselues of these vayne titles And knowest his will and allovvest the things that are excellent beyng instructed by the law To know the will of God is a great benefite of his But that commeth by the instruction of the scripture For no where els is the knowledge of the wil of God to be sought for Out of it we learn to alow most best things so the therby we are able to discerne them from things filthy vile In Greeke is red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is turned things excellent Augustine in his boke de spiritu Litera readeth Distantia that is thinges different because those things which are excellent are different from meane thynges The Latin interpreter turneth it Vtilia that is thinges profitable because peraduenture as Erasmus admonisheth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greke is to profite Farther this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to allow is here taken otherwise then it was in the first chapiter Forasmuch as here it is referred onely vnto iudgement but there it is referred to that allowyng whereby we do in very deede and actes declare that which we iudge And persuadest thy selfe that thou art a guide of the blynde a lyghte of them whiche are in darkenesse An instructer of them whiche lacke discretion a teacher of the vnlearned He saythe not that these men performed those thynges but that they went about arrogantly to clayme them vnto themselues For they both iudged and also spake most contemptuously of other nations whome in comparison of themselues they counted to bee blynde and lyuers in darkenes vndiscrete and vnlearned And also they so vsurped vnto themselues the office of teaching others that Christ saide they went about sea and land to adioyne vnto themselues proselites whome they made not the children of God but the children of hell fyre And whiche was worst of all as Christ vpbraydeth thē they had takē away the kay of knowledge by clayming it vnto themselues when as neyther they thēselues would enter into the kingdome of heauen nor yet would they suffer others to enter therein They shewed themselues to be masters when as yet they were blynde Vnto whom the Lord sayd If the blynde leade the blynde they shall both fall into the ditch And in Esay the 42. chapter we reade who is blynde but my seruaunt Also in the 9. of Iohn If ye were blynde ye should haue no sinne But now because ye saye we see your sinne abideth Hauing the forme of knowldege Chrisostome thinketh that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a forme signifieth not here the true maner of knowing whiche hath in it nothing that is filthy but only a shew thereof Hauing the forme of knowledge and of the truth in the lawe We should vndoubtedly haue the forme of our doctrine in our selues and not in the law or in Where the forme of doctrine should be had bookes as Chrisostome here noteth For as they are not very well learned which are wise only by reading commentaries so they are not to be counted iust which put theyr righteousnes in lawes or in decrees For Iohn sayth Hereby we know that we loue God if we obserue his commaundementes Thou therefore which teachest an other teachest thou not thy selfe thou that preachest a man should not steale doost thou steale Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doost thou commit adultery thou that abhorrest Idols committest thou sacriledge Thou that gloriest in the law through breaking the law dishonorest thou God For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you as it is written Thou therefore vvhich teachest an other teachest thou not thy selfe This The figure of interrogation How Paule here speaketh of the Iewes figure of interrogation is of great efficacy in reprouing But were all the Hebrewes such No vndoubtedly but Paule here speaketh of them Christ being excluded as the Gospel is set agaynst the lawe There were some of the fathers very holy which so liued in the Iewishe religion that yet neuertheles they most perfectly beleued in Christ But they were not such as Paule here describeth They were blessed vndoubtedly not because they had receaued the law but because they were occupied in it both day night But these mē of whom is now intreated knew the law in deede but they knew it not as they ought to haue done The summe of Paules reason is this that to receaue the law iustifyeth An explication of Paules reason agaynst the Iewes not For if it should iustefye then vndoubtedly all the Iewes should be both iust and holy when as they all had receaued the
was the instrument to accomplish that actioÌ„ before appointed wherby Christ was deliuered vnto the Iewes for our saluation and therfore he mought be called a vessell of wrath prepared to destruction That preparation although it be of God in that maner whiche we haue now declared for he reiecteth euen from eternally and afterward the merites of men so requiring he maketh blinde and hardeneth yet because that men reiected of God haue in themselues corruption and vice therefore Paul simply sayth that those vessels are prepared to destruction making no mencion at al of him that prepareth them for they may also be counted no les to be prepared of theÌ„selues then of God Howbeit afterwarde when he entreated of election for that we haue in our selues no There is mention made of god in the vessels of mercy and not in the vessels of destruction Why they are called vessels of wrath and of mercy groundes of piety therefore Paul expressedly named God Which vessels God saith he hath prepared Wherfore as farre as we can gather by this kinde of speache all men are the vessels of God but they are so distinguished that some are vessels of wrath and some of mercy as God sheweth foorth and declareth his proprieties in them for otherwise of theyr owne nature they are not distinguished the one from the other For some for this cause onely excell other some for that they are elected and haue obteyned mercy when as others are ouerhipped and reiected And God would haue this diuersity of vessels to be for that he coulde not in one onely kinde declare his excellency and that commeth to passe chiefly by reason of the imbecillitie of our vnderstanding which selfe thing we sée to happen in the knowledge of God for our sakes wold haue this difference of vessels to be thinges natural We al wonder at the light of the Sonne but doubtles his brightnes should not séeme so notable if al other thinges should shine as bright as it For by comparing it with other starres which shine more obscurely the greatnes of the lighte thereof is the better knowen whiche yet is made muche more manifest by the darkenes of the night So the mercy and goodnes of God towardes the elect is manifestly knowen when it is considered as it is communicated by vnlike degrées but then at the length shineth it foorth most brightly wheÌ„ we referre our eyes to the condemnation of the vngodly For thereby we sée how geÌ„tle and louing God hath bene towards vs which hath not suffred vs to be perpetually in the like calamitie And God would haue this knowledge of his goodnes to be amongst vs not that thereby any felicity should redounde vnto him but that we being stirred vp by the mediation of this so great mercy of God towardes vs geuing thankes vnto him for the same mought the easlier be brought vnto him Farther this is to be noted that Augustine in his booke de nuptiis concupiscentia to Valerius by this sentence of Paul wherein he affirmeth that all men are the vessels of God whether they be of the elect or of the reprobate they do seruice vnto his wil maketh Note an argument of the Pelagians aunswere to the Pelagians For amongst other reasons whereby they denied originall sinne this reason also was one that God when he createth men as the Catholikes say obnoxious vnto this crime may séeme to create theÌ„ for the deuill For all as many as are infected with any spot of sinne are without all doubte the bondsclaues of Sathan But Augustine aunswereth them after this manner That God Augustines aunswer at the beginning made the first parentes innocents and obnoxious vnto no sinne But afterward when they had fallen his will was that other men should issue out of their stocke and would not create a new masse or lompe whereout to produce them Wherfore he createth men which according to their nature are good but the sinne wherwith they ar born he made not but found it being before in the masse or lompe and yet can it not therefore be sayd that he created men for the deuill For the wicked and reprobate although they geue themselues to prauitye and wickednes yet will they or nill they doo seruice vnto The wicked also wil they or nil do seruice vnto the wil of God The argument of the Pelagians is made against Paul the counsell of God Yea neyther can the Deuill hymselfe eschew but that he also ministreth vnto God whyche thyng Paule moste playnely declareth when he ascribeth vnto God the vessels not onely of mercye but also of wrath Wherefore let them moue this question saith Augustine not vnto vs but vnto Paul For he sayth that God as doth the potter maketh some vessels to honour and other some to contumelye Neither doth he for anye other cause call the reprobate vessels of wrathe but for that they are the instrumentes of God Wherefore seinge that God vseth at his pleasure the wickednes both of these menne and also of the deuill whose seruauntes they are he oughte not therefore to be sayde to create wicked menne rather for an other then for himselfe And euen this selfe same may be answered vnto those which vse to enquire why Why God createth meÌ„ whom he knoweth shal be damned God will create men whome he knoweth shal be damned namely for that he hath decréed to vse their malice which malice yet he himselfe made not And God is sayde to shew forth his power vpon the vessels of wrath when he plageth them and punisheth them for that then he doth not séeme to winke at sinnes For the wicked become at the length so wanton and so vnbridled that they seme after asort How God sheweth his power in punishing the wicked What moued the holy proâ—â—ets to pray vnto God to destroy the wicked The vehemency of the wordes of Paul to deride God and God might easely seme vnto the weaker sort to geue place vnto the furiousnes of the wicked if he should not punish their sinnes The Prophets hauing hereunto a respect oftentimes in the scriptures pray vnto God to destroy the wicked and not to suffer their wicked fâ—ctes to be any longer vnpunished least the weaker sort should be offeÌ„ded and the wicked should be made more insolent For holy men saw that by the declaration of the iudgements of God many sometimes repented and the weaker sort staÌ„ding in a doubt were strengthned and by that reuenging power and vengeance the name of God was made more illustrate This place of Paul is handled with wordes so notable and of such greate signification that nothing could with so great briefenes be spoken more vehemently or with more efficacy For here thou hast the power and wrath of God declared and that by his long suffring and pacience Thou hast also vessels of wrath prepared to destructioÌ„ and thou hast vessels of mercy which are prepared to glory that in them