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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	sin_n	sin_v	transgression_n	4,837	5	10.4181	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17649	The comentaries of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the first Epistle of Sainct Ihon, and vpon the Epistle of Iude wherein accordyng to the truthe of the woordes of the holie Ghost, he most excellently openeth and cleareth the poinct of true iustification with God, and sanctification by the Spirit of Christ, by the effects that he bryngeth forthe in the regeneration. Translated into Englishe by W.H.; Commentaire sur l'épistre canonique de S. Jean. English	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564. Exposition sur l'épistre de S. Jude. aut; W. H.	1580 (1580)	STC 4404; ESTC S107184	123,116	300

a familiar kinde of beholding which the wicked cannot beare but be sore amazed yea ouer and besides that they shall horribly feare and flye from the sight of God his glorie shal blind their eyes euen so that they shall be amazed with confusion For we sée howe Adam knowing his owne euill fled from the presence of God Gen. 3.6 And God doth pronounce that generally vpon all men by Moses No man shall sée me and liue Exod. 33.20 Because it cannot otherwise be but that the maiestie of God as a consuming fire doo consume vs as stubble such is the weaknes of our flesh And as the Image of God is renewed in vs we haue eyes prepared to the séeing of God And now indéede God beginneth to restore his image in vs but in how small a measure Therefore except we be disburdened of all the corruption of our flesh we cannot sée God face to face Which also is expressed in this note Such as he is Neyther dooth hée nowe take from vs all sight of God in this life but so as Paul saith 1. Cor. 13.12 Now we sée as in a glasse by a darke speaking And this kinde of séeing with an eye beholdinge hée discerneth else where In summe God setteth foorth himselfe now to be séene of vs not such as he is but such as our small capacitie can comprehende him So is fulfilled that which is set downe in Moses that we sée him onely as it were on the backpart Exo. 33.23 Because in his face there is an ouer-passing brightnesse It is further to bée noted that this reason which the apostle bringeth is taken from the effect and not from the cause For he dooeth not teach that wée shall bée lyke him therefore because wée shall inioye the sight of him but he prooueth that we shall therefore bée pertakers of the diuine glorie because except our nature were indued with a spirituall heauenly and an happie immortalitie it could neuer come so néere vnto God And yet there shal not be such a perfection of glory in vs that our sight shal comprehend God wholy For there shall be euen then betwéene him and vs a great distance of proportion But when the Apostle saith we shall sée him as he is he noteth out a new vnspeakable kind of séeing wherof we are now ignorant For so long as we walke by faith Paule teacheth that we are straungers from him 2. Cor. 5.6 And so often as he yéelded himselfe to be séene of the fathers he was not séene in his being but vnder certaine markes There then shall the maiestie of God which now is secret be séene at the last in it selfe when the vaile of this mortall and corruptible nature shall be taken away I passe by other subtill reasonings For we sée how Augustine dooth vexe himselfe in them and yet we sée he doth not ridde himselfe thereof both in his Epistels to Paulina and Fortunatus and also in his booke of the Citie of God 22. in other places Yet that which he saith there is worth noting That in this inquisition the meane of séeing is more excellent then of speaking and that there must be héede taken least while by contending we séeke how God can be séene we léese the peace and holinesse without which no man shall sée him 3 Euery one which hath this hope Now he concludeth that therefore the indeauor of holinesse ought not to waxe colde in vs because our felicitie dooth not yet appeare for that hope sufficeth Further we knowe that those things are hoped for which are hid The meaning therefore is Howsoeuer we haue not Christ yet present before our eyes if yet we trust in him that it cannot be but this hope will stir vs vp and pricke vs forward to follow after holinesse because being right it guideth vs to Christ whom we knowe to be the perfect example of holinesse 4 Whosoeuer doth commit sinne doth also commit iniquitie and sinne is iniquitie 5 Further ye knowe that hee was made manifest that he might take away our sinnes and in him there is no sinne 6 Whosoeuer abideth in him sinneth not whosoeuer sinneth hath not seene him 4 THe Apostle hath before alreadie showed how vnkinde we are towardes God if we lightly estéeme the honour of our adoption whereby he preuenteth vs of his owne good will do not at the least render vnto him loue againe He hath together put in betwéene that admonition that our affection must not be made lesse because the happie estate promised is deferred And now because men vse to flatter themselues in euils more then is méete he correcteth this wicked cockering pronouncing that they are wicked and breakers of the lawe whosoeuer doo sin For it is verie credible that there were then such as by these flatterings did extenuate their sinnes and make them séeme lesse then they were It is no maruell if we sinne because we are men but there is great oddes betwéene sinne and the breaking of the law The Apostle driueth from them this vayne excuse when he defineth sinne to be the transgression of the lawe For his purpose is to set before them the hatred and horrour of sinne The name it selfe of sin séemeth to some to be but a light thing but iniquitie or trāsgression of the lawe cannot so easely be forgiuen But the Apostle dooth not make sins equall when he condemneth all sinners of iniquitie but he laboureth simplye to teach that sinne ariseth of the contempt of God that by sinning the righteousnesse of the law is broken Wherefore this doctrine of Iohn hath none agréement with that doating Paradox of the Stoikes Furthermore to sinne in this place doth not signifie to offend in some work nor is the name of sin taken for euerye offence but he calleth the sin when men runne headlong into euil with the whole affection of the hart And he doth not meane the others sin except they which are addicted to sin Neither are the faithfull who are still intangled with the affections of the flesh taken for wicked albeit they are not cleane and pure from sin but because sin doth not raigne in thē Iohn saith that they sinne not as I wil anone expresse more at large The summe of this sentence is That their wicked life who giue thēselues leaue to sinne is abhominable to god and cannot be indured of him séeing it is contrarie to his law Hence it doth not folow nor can it be gathered that the faithfull are wicked because they desire to be subiect to God they mislike with themselues because of their sins that for euery offence And againe as much as in them lieth they frame their liues to the obedience of the law But where the desire or vsual course of sinning is with deliberatiō there is the trāsgressiō of the law 5 Furder you know that he hath appeared He showeth by another argument how much sinne and faith doo differ For it is Christes office to take away sinne

cōmit whoredome ●o steale to kill because there can be no sin ●her the spirit of God raigneth But the Apostle meaneth far another thing For the Apostle ●enieth that the faithful can sin because God ●ath written his lawe in their heartes as it ●s in the Prophet Iere. 31.31 By this are knowne In few words he con●ludeth that they do in vaine challenge to them●elues a name amōgst the childrē of God which ●o not approue thēselues to be such by a godly 〈◊〉 holy life forasmuch as by this marke they ●iffer from the children of the Diuell Further he doth not so meane that they 〈◊〉 made manifest that they may be openly knowen to all the world but this onely he meaneth that the fruit and effect of the diuine adoption doth alwaies shew forth in the lyfe Hee that doeth not righteousnesse is not 〈◊〉 God nor he that loueth not his brother 11 Because this is the preaching which you haue heard from the beginning that we lo●● one another 12 Not of Caine which was of that wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore slew●● he him Because his owne workes were euill and his brothers good 13 Meruaile not my brethren if the worl● hate you HE that doth not righteousnes To do righteousnesse and to commit sinne are héere set one against another Therfore to do righteousnesse is nothing else then from the heart to feare God and to walke in his preceptes as farre as mans frailtie will beare For albeit that righteousnes if it be takē precisely is no other thing then the full obseruing of the lawe from which the faithfull are alwayes farre of yet because God doth not lay theyr ●●fences faultes to their charge this percel ●f obedience which they performe vnto God ●s called righteousnesse And Iohn sheweth plainly that they are not of God whosoeuer ●ine not righteously because whosoeuer God ●alleth he doth renue thē by his spirit Therefore the newnesse of life is a perpetuall witnesse of Gods frée election And which loueth not his brother He applyeth a generall doctrine to his purpose For hetherto he hath exhorted the faithfull to brotherly loue Now by the same he sheweth the summe of true righteousnesse wherefore this part is added in stéed of an exposition But I haue sayd before after what sort whole righteousnesse is comprehended vnder brotherlye loue The loue of God indéede hath the first place but because of that dependeth brotherly loue amongst men oftētimes by a Sinadoch that is contained vnder this this again vnder that Therefore as euerie one is giuen to humanitie and well doing so he saith that he is iust and so accounted because loue is the fulfilling of the law He cōfirmeth this sentence when hée sayeth that the faithfull haue ben so taught frō the beginning for by these words he sheweth that this definition which he giueth ought not to séeme straunge vnto them 12 Not as Caine. Another confirmati●● is taken of the contrarie because hatred rai●●neth in the reprobate and children of the d●uell and holdeth as it were the chiefetie 〈◊〉 their life of which thing he setteth dow●● Caine as an example In the meane time 〈◊〉 maketh to their comfort as he concludeth at 〈◊〉 last Meruaile not if the world hate you This exposition is to be diligently noted for in the manner of life men are alwaies deceiued because they place holinesse in figured workes while they tormēt themselues with trifles they thinke they are twice acceptable to God Euen as Monkes doe proudly tearme theyr kinde of life the state of perfection And in Poperie there is not thought anie other worship of God then that filth of superstitions But the Apostle doth especially shew that we are approued of God if we loue o●e●●●other Againe that the diuell raigneth where hatred grudge enuie and displeasures dooeth raign Yet it is together to be kept in memorie that I touched of late that brotherly loue because it ariseth of the loue of GOD as the effect of the cause is not separated from it but rather is commended of Iohn for this cause for that it is an approouing of our holynesse before GOD. When he sayeth that Caine was by this cause enforced to the slaying of his Brother because his owne works were euill Hée meaneth that which I haue noted alreadie that where wickednesse beareth the swaie hatred possesseth all the partes of life Hée maketh mention of the iust works of Abel that we may learne to beare it paciently if the world prouoked with no iniury doe hate vs without cause 14 Wee knowe that wee are translated from death to life because we loue the bretheren He that loueth not his brother abideth in death 15 Euerie one that hateth his brother is a manslayer you know that no manslayer hath eternall life abiding in him 16 By this haue wee knowen loue because hee layde downe his lyfe for vs and we ought to lay downe our liues for the bretheren 17 If anie man haue this worldes good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion frō him how dwelleth the loue of God in him 18 My little children let vs not loue in word and tongue but in deede and truth 14 HE commendeth loue vnto vs by an excellent speach because it is a testimonie of our being deliuered from death to lyfe Wherevpon it followeth that if wée loue our bretheren we are happie and if wée hate them we are miserable Ther is no man that dooth not desire to escape and to be delyuered from death therefore they must néede be more then blinde who by fostering of hatred doo willingly pamper their own death Further when the apostle saith that by loue it is knowen that we haue passed into life he meaneth not that man is his own deliuerer as if by louing the bretheren hée deliuered himselfe from death obtained life for himselfe For he dooth not dispute héere of the cause of saluation but séeing loue is the principall fruite of the spirite it is also a certaine note of regeneration Therfore the Apostle reasoneth from the signe and not from the cause For because no man doth truely loue the brethren except he which is regenerate by the spirit Hence it is rightly gathered that the spirite of God which is lyfe dooth dwell in them that loue the bretheren But one should therevpon preposterously inferre that lyfe is attained vnto by loue séeing loue by order is the later This Argument should haue more coulour if loue make vs more assured of our life that then the assurance of saluation doth consist in act But the answere therof is also easie For albeit that faith is confirmed by al the graces of god as by helps yet it ceaseth not to haue his foundation in the onely frée mercie of God For example when we inioy the light we are sure that the Sunne shineth if the Sunne giue his beams into the place wherin we are we haue a certaine more cléere sight

our faith that we maye be assured that in our owne cause we shal neuer take the repulse In the meane time the Apostle dooth exhort vs that one of vs be mutuallye carefull for the safetie of another And again he willeth that the falls of our bretheren be vnto vs prouocations to pray And in truth this hardnesse were passing great to be touched with no sense of compassion when wée sée the soules which are redéemed with the bloud of Christ perish And he sheweth that there is a remedie at hand whereby bretheren may helpe their bretheren He shall giue life he saith to him that is readie to perish that shall pray for him Albeit the word He shall giue may be referred to God as if it had bene sayde God shall graunt the life of our bretheren to our prayers But the sense shall be one still that so farre foorth the prayers of the faithfull are auaileable that they maye deliuer a brother from death If thou doost vnderstande it of man that he dooth giue life vnto his brother the speach will be hyperbolicall yet it will containe no vnseemly thing For that which is giuen vnto vs by the free grace of god yea that which for our sake is graunted vnto others we are sayd to giue vnto others So great a profite ought not to mooue vs a lyttle to pray that our bretherens sins may be forgiuen them And when the Apostle cōmendeth vnto vs Sumpathian a compassion he dooth withall admonish how much we are to take héede of crueltie in condemning our bretheren and too much sharpnesse in despairing of their safetie A sinne not vnto death Least immediately we cast away all hope of their safetye which sinne he sheweth that God dooth not so seuerely punish their faults that therfore he dooth vtterly cast them off Wherevppon it dooth follow that we must take them for bretheren séeing the Lord dooth receiue them in the accompt of children But he denieth that they are sinnes vnto death not onelye wherein the Saints doo daily offend but also if at any time it come to passe that they grieuously prouoke the wrath of God For so long as there remayneth place to forgiuenesse death dooth not yet wholly raigne And yet the Apostle dooth not héere distinguish betwixte veniall and deadly sin as afterwards was commonly done For that distinction which preuayled in the Papacie is most vnsauorie The Sorbonnists acknowledge almost no sinne to be deadly except wherein there appeareth such grose vncleannesse that it may be felt with hands So amongst veniall sinnes they accompt the most horrible filthinesse which lurketh in the minde Finally all the fruites of originall sin so that they breake not out into externall acte they thinke to be done away with a light sprinkling of holy water And what maruell when they doo not accompt the blasphemous doubtings of the grace of God and whatsoeuer lusts and concupiscences to be sinne so that the consent be not withall If the minde of man be shaken with vnbeléefe if impatience doo prouoke him that he murmure agaynst God how much soeuer monstrous lusts doo mooue him all this is lighter with the papists then that he be ouertaken in sinne at the least after baptisme Therefore it is no maruel if of greuous offences they can make venial sins for they weigh thē with their own not with the ballance of god But among the faithful this principle must be vndoubted that whatsoeuer is cōtrary to the law of god is sin that deadly by his own nature For where the trāsgressiō of the law is ther is sin death Then what shall be the sense of the apostles words He denieth those sinnes to be deadly which albeit they are worthie of death Yet God dooth not so seuerely punish them Therefore he dooth not weigh the sinnes in themselues but he iudgeth of them according to the fatherly kindnesse of God which pardoneth the guiltinesse where yet there was offence Finally he dooth not giue thē ouer to death that God hath restored to life by raising them againe albeit they letted not why they should not haue ben shut out from life There is a sinne vnto death I haue sayd alreadie that sinne is called so whereto there is lefte no hope of forgiuenes But it is demaunded what manner of sinne that is For it must néedes be very gréeuous which God so seuerely punisheth It may be gathered by the course of the text that the fall was not in part as they say nor the transgression of one precept but a generall falling away where by men doo vtterlye estraunge themselues from God For the apostle addeth afterwards that the sonnes of God doo not sinne that is that they forsake not God and giue ouer and imbondage themselues whollye vnto Sathan It is no meruaile if such a fallyng awaye be a deadly sinne For God dooth neuer so depriue his children of the grace of his spirite but that they receiue some sparke of godlynesse Therefore they must néedes be reprobates and giuen ouer vnto death who so fall awaie that they cast away the feare of God If anie aske whether the waie of saluation be shut vp against their repentaunce The answere is readie That séeing they are giuen ouer vnto a reprobate sence and destitute of the holy Ghost they can doe no other thing then runne headlong into worse and adde sinne vnto sinne Further séeing sinne or blasphemie against the Spirit doth continually drawe with it such a falling awaie there is no doubt but it is noted heere But it is asked againe by what markes we may know that the fall of man is deadly For except there were certaine knowledge of that thing the Apostle shuld except in vaine that we must not praie for that kinde of sinne Therefore it shall bée lawfull sometimes to determine whether he be past hope that hath falne or that there be yet place to recouerie I graunt indéed that that is true and it is proued without controuersie by this place But because this cōmeth but seldly to passe god commending the infinit riches of his grace commandeth vs by his example to be merciful the iudgement of eternall death is not rashly to be giuen vppon anie man rather loue dooth incline vs to hope well But if the desperate wickednesse of some men doo appeare vnto vs no otherwise then if the Lord did poynt it out with the finger there is not why we shoulde striue with the iust iudgement of God or desire to be more fauorable then he 17 Euery vnrighteousnesse This place may be expoūded diuersly for if thou resolue it into the contrarie part the sense shall not be amisse thus Albeit all vnrighteousnesse is sinne yet ther is some sin not vnto death Another sense would also likewise agrée Because sinne is all vnrighteousnesse therevppon it followeth that there is some sinne not vnto death Others take All vnrighteousnes for whole vnrighteousnesse as if the Apostle should haue said that the sinne whereof

shoulde thinke that he giueth libertie to sinne when he preacheth of the mercie of GOD and teacheth that it is set forth vnto vs all Hée therefore ioyneth together two partes of the Gospell which prepostrous men separating doe rend make lame the Gospel it selfe Further the doctrine of grace hath euer ben subiect to the slaunders of wicked men when the forgiuenesse of sinnes is set forth in Christ then they bragge that there is graunted libertye to sinne That the Apostle maye méete with these mischifes at the first hée sheweth that this is the end of his doctrine that men shuld cease to sinne For when he sayth That you should not sinne He onely meaneth this that they should abstaine from sinne as much as they are able for the imperfectiō of man And héereto tendeth that which I handled before of the societie with God that we might be made like vnto him Yet in the meane time he ceaseth not to speak of the frée forgiuenesse of sins because the albeit that the Sky should fall all things be confused together yet this parte of doctrine is neuer to be omitted but that the office of Christ must be preched plainly and to the purpose and this it becommeth vs to doo at this day And because flesh is prone vnto loosenesse men are diligently to bée put in minde that righteousnesse and saluation is therefore gotten by the death of Christ that we may be an holy people of God Yet howsoeuer it come to passe that many doo wickedly abuse the mercie of God and also manye dogs doo slaunderously speake euill of vs as if we let loose the reynes to wickednesse wée must goe forward constauntly in auouching the grace of Christ in which the glory of God doth most notably shine and the whole saluation of man consist These barkings I say of the wicked are to be despised wherewith we sée that the Apostles were assailed For this cause he straight addeth the second mēber That we haue an aduocate when we haue sinned by which words he confirmeth that which he had before Because we are farre from perfect righteousnes yea we daily increase our guiltinesse that there is together a present remedie to appease God if we flie vnto Christ And this onely is it wherin consciences may quiet themselues wherein resteth the righteousnesse of man and in which is established ●he hope of saluation The conditional mem●er If any man must be resolued into a cau●all for it cannot be but we sinne Finallye ●ohn sheweth that we are not onely called ●rom sinne by the Gospell because that there God doth call vs vnto himselfe and offereth ●he spirit of regeneration but also that the wretched sinners are comforted as hauing God alwaies mercifull vnto them and that ●heir sinnes wherewith they are holden doo ●ot let but that they are iust neuerthelesse ●ecause they haue a mediator who doth recō●ile them to God Further when he goeth about to shew how we become again in fauor with God he saith that Christ is our aduo●ate For in this he appeareth before the face of God that hée may shew foorth the efficacie of his sacrifice towards vs. To the ende this may be better vnderstood I will speak more plainly The intercession of Christ is the continuall applying of his death vnto our saluation Whereas therefore God dooth not impute our sinnes hence it is because he hath respecte vnto Christ our earnest Intercessour But the two titles wherewith hée afterwarde adorneth Christ doo properly belong to the circumstaunce of this place He calleth him Iust and Reconciliation It behooueth that he be indued with both that he maye beare the office and person of an Aduocate for what sinner can obtaine for vs the fauor of God For therefore we are all driuen from hauing accesse vnto him because no man is pure and voyd of sinne No man therefore is a fit high Priest but he that is innocent and seperate from sinners as also is testified Heb. 17. verse 26. Reconciliation is added because without Sacrifice none is a fitte high Priest Therfore vnder the Lawe the Priest neuer went into the Sanctuarie without bloud and Sacrifice with prayer as if a solemne seale were wont to bee added by the ordinaunce of GOD. By which token GOD woulde haue it knowen that hée which shoulde obtaine fauour for vs must bée prepared with Sacrifice For when God is offended the price of satisfaction to pacifie him is required Hence it followeth that all the Saints which haue bene and which shal be haue néede of an aduocate and that there is none sufficient to vndergoe this office but onely Christ And in truth Iohn hath ascribed to Christ these two Epethytes by name that he might shewe him to be the onely aduocate And as there commeth vnto vs therby excéeding consolation when we heare that Christ dyed not onelye once that hée might pacifie his Father towardes vs but continuallye make intercession for vs that the waye might bée open for vs vnto the father in his name that our prayers might bée hearde so is it chiefelye to bée taken héede vnto least the honour that is appropriate and due to him alone be transferred to another But we knowe in the Papistrie this office was ascribed indifferently to the Saints Nowe there bée almost thirtie yeares since this excellent Principle of our Faith was almost buryed That Christ is our Aduocate They confesse in déede at this daye that there is one of manye but not alone They that among the Papistes haue some more modestye denye not that Christ dooth excell aboue all other Aduocates whatsoeuer but neuerthelesse afterwardes they associate vnto him a great rabblement of companions But the wordes of Iohn in this place doo plainlye manifest that hée cannot in anye wise bée an Aduocate that is not a Priest Further the Priesthoode appertaineth vnto none but vnto Christ alone In the meane time we take not awaie the mutual intercession of Saints whereby among thēselues they exercise charity But this is nothing to them that are dead who are separate from the felowship of men and nothing to those defences which they counterfait to thēselues least they shuld onely cleaue to Christ For albeit that bretheren pray for their bretheren yet without exceptiō they all respect one head defender It is therefore no doubt but the Papists doe set against Christ euen so manye Idolles as they imagine Patrones vnto themselues But if is to be noted by the waie that they erre too grosely which tumble Christ at his Fathers knées that he might praie for vs. Such imaginations must be taken awaie which derogate from the diuine glorie of Christ and the simple doctrine is to be held that the fruite of his death doe remaine fresh and perpetuall for vs that by his intercession he reconcileth God vnto vs and as well doeth sanctifie our prayers by the swéete smell of his sacrifice as help them by the fauour of his supportation 2 Not for ours alone He