knowe our selues neither doo we abhorre so much as it behoueth vs from our naturall corruption and from the sins which do spring therof Yea rather there are very many which vnder the pretēce of the prayse of nature and of the workes of God do highly commend many things which by very good right ought to be condemned especially when they are sinnes The meaning therfore of this place is that now by the grace of Christ and profession of baptisme the old man is crucified and that it ought continually so to be kept vnder that the body that is the multitude of sins which spring out of it should be abolished And although in this lyfe we can not obteine to be vtterly frée from fallyng An excellēt comparisō sometimes yet ought all our endeuor to tende to this ende that euen as Christe gaue not himselfe partly but wholy vnto the crosse for our sakes so also ought we to die not onely to one or two kindes of sinnes but vtterly to all kindes of sinnes And this crucifieng if we haue a respect vnto the first communion which we haue with the death and resurrection of Christ commeth first of the holy ghost and frée mercy of God But when we are once through faith regenerate and are translated from Adam vnto Christ it behoueth vs to put to our labour endeuour and diligence And therefore Paule vnto the Galathians writeth that they whiche are of Christe haue crucified theyr fleshe wyth the lustes therof And that worthely For sithen they are y◠members of Christ it is mete that they be conformable vnto their The Deuil is crucefied with the flesh hed And Ambrose noteth that we together wyth the fleshe do crucifie the Deuill because he by the meanes of it is of efficacy in vs. That henceforth we should not be seruants vnto sinne He stil more plainly declareth what this meaneth the body of sinne to be abolished And this is the meanyng that we should not obey our naturall lust thorough committing of diuers wicked vices And by the worde of bondage or seruitude he sheweth that he layeth before vs not thinges vnprofitable but things that aboue all other are to be desired namely that we might be set at liberty Neither spake he that to this end The end is that we should not be seruants vnto sinne that sinne should by no maner of waye remayne in vs for that is vnpossible so long as we liue in this world But therfore he so admonisheth vs that we shoulde not be seruantes vnto sinne For he that is dead is iustified from sinne Wherfore if we be dead with Christ we beleue that we shal also liue with him Knowing that Christ beyng raysed from the dead dieth no more Death hath no more dominion ouer hym For as touchyng that he died he died concernyng sinne once and as touchyng that he lyueth he liueth vnto God Lykewyse consider ye also that ye are dead as touching sinne but are aliue vnto God through Iesus Christ our lord For he that is dead is iustified from sinne The reason why we should not be seruantes vnto lust is this namely because we are by death deliuered from it For to be iustified from sinne is as much as to be deliuered from it so that henceforth it hath no more power ouer vs. And Paul seemeth here to speake not of the death of nature but of mortification wherof I haue so oftentimes spoken And iustification may be here taken properly for that mortificatiō may be the effect therof For we cannot attain vnto it vnles we be first iustified Although some not vnaptly vnderstand this place of the vsual and natural death For they that are dead do cease of from the wicked workes in which they before liued And we vse to say of a thefe 〈◊〉 is now hanged that he will steale no more and the prouerbe is a deade man 〈…〉 teth not Wherefore if we followe this sence then shall it be a metaphore that euen as they whiche are naturallye deade do forsake and finishe the sinnes which whilest they liued they committed so we forasmuch as we are dead vnto Christ and haue professed that we will dye vnto sinne oughte vtterlye to A place of Iohn cease from synne These woordes of Paul are no otherwyse to bee vnderstande then are these wordes of Iohn He whiche is borne of GOD synneth not That is in that euerye one lyueth and woorketh oute of the principle and grounde of the heauenlye natiuitye And this principle or grounde is the holye Ghoste The principles of the heauenly regeneratiō and the worde of GOD. So he is saide to be loosed from sinne and not to doe any thing by the impulsion thereof which is dead vnto sinne and is crucified together with Christ in that he is dead and fastened vnto the crosse And euen so teacheth Peter in his first epistle the 4. chapter Forasmuch as Christ hath suffred for vs in the fleshe be ye armed with the selfe same cogitation For he which is deade ceaseth to sinne neyther liueth he in the desires of men but in the will of the Lord God Wherefore if we be dead with Christ we beleue that we shall also liue with him To the ende we should not be afrayd at the name of death which he hath before so often made mencion of he presently addeth a consolation declaring that vnto this death which he hath spoken of is annexed the life of Christ so that After regeneration we leade the life of God if we dye together with Christ we shall also liue together with him And this life is not only that which we looke for in the world to come but also it is euen that life which we now leade which in very dede is one and the selfe same with the life to come but that this is only a life begonne and vnperfect but the other is perfect and absolute For we which beleue in Christ and are iustified do also euen now presently leade the life of God For we are driuen and moued not of our selues but of the spirit of God But what maner of life this life of Christ is which is in the meane tyme communicated vnto vs whilest we liue in this world the Apostle straight way declareth Knowing that Christ being raysed from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him As the life of Christ is neuer extinguished by any death so the life of the children of God and brethren of Christ oughte not to be quenched by sinnes But why Christ dyeth no more this is the cause for Why Christe dieth no more that he hath ouercome death and taken away sinne by whose meanes only death was vpholden and bare dominion For vnto the Corrinthyans it is written The sting of death is sinne and in this epistle death raigned by sinne Wherefore they which are pertakers of the death of Christ neither ought nor can any longer be subiect ether vnto sinne
or vnto death But it is after one maner in vs and after an other maner in Christ For his death as Augustine saith in his booke de Trinitate The death of Christ was simple but ours is double was simple and but of one sort but ours is double or of two sortes For in him only the body dyed for his soule was neuer without the eternall and true life forasmuch as sinne had neuer place in him But in vs both body and soule were deade by reason of sinne Wherefore euen as Christ dyeth not agayne as touching the body so also ought not we by sin to dye ether in body or in soule Otherwise yâ— onely one death of Christ should not as he saith bring remedy vnto our double death Neither wanteth this an emphasis that the Apostle in this place doubleth one Christ was not compelled to dye and the selfe same sentence when he sayth He dieth no more also death hath no more dominion ouer him For he would haue vs fully to vnderstand that death is cleane remoued away from Christ Neither yet ought we by these wordes to inferre that death sometimes so bare dominion ouer Christ that he was compelled to dye For he sayth that no man coulde take away his life from him but that he himselfe had power both to lay away his life and also to take it agayne Christ fréely and willingly became subiect vnto death wherefore we also forasmuch as we are his members and misticall body ought fréely and of our owne accord to dye together with Christ and that in such sort that we will no more dye that is we will no more be subiect vnto the guiltines death and damnatioÌ„ oâ— our sinnes It also sufficient for vs that we die once vnto sinne For as touching that he died he died vnto sinne once and aâ—â—ouching that he liueth he liueth vnto God That Christ died vnto sinne 〈◊〉 once only is declared by that which is written vnto the Hebrues that he by one only oblation made perfect all thinges so that he referreth this Once and vnity vnto the fulnes and perfection of the thing done It was sufficieÌ„t that Christ died but once Wherefore it ought also to be sufficient vnto vs that we dye but once vnto sinne neither ought we so to deale that we shoulde alwayes haue new causes to dye agayne We and Christ dye not after one and the selfe sâ—me manner It is not possible that Christ should dayly be sacrificed The sacrificing priestes do not by their Masses apply the death of Christ vnto others Baptisme ought not to be repeated But this is to be noted that Christ and we are diuersly sayde to dye vnto sinne For Christ had no sinne in hym whereunto he shoulde dye For he died for the sinne which was in vs. But we ought to dye vnto that sinne which we still cary aboute in our selues Farther out of this place are inferred two thinges first if Christ died but once and that that was sufficient then is there no nede that he shoulde agayne be dayly sacrificed in Masses For his one only death was sufficient for the satisfaction of all sinnes For the sacrificing priestes can not performe that thing which they vse so much to boast of namely to applye the death of Christ at their pleasure vnto this man or to that man For euery man by his owne fayth taketh hold of it and applieth it vnto himselfe Moreouer out of this place is inferred that baptisme ought not to be ministred vnto one man any more then once only forasmuch as in it we dye together with Christ And sithen he dyed but once only we therefore ought in no case to repete it any oftener Which thing the epistle vnto the Hebrues manifestly teacheth for there it is written that that is nothing els then again to crucifie the sonne of God and to make him a gazing stock The sealing of the promise of God which we receaue in baptisme neuer loseth his force and strength For whilest we call to memory that we are baptised so that fayth be present by the remembrance of that sealing we are both confirmed touching the promise and also are admonished touching the leading of the lyfe of Christ But we before haue alleaged many mo reasons why baptisme ought not to be repeted In that Christ is sayd to liue vnto God it signifieth not only that he liueth blessedly but also that he cleaueth vnseperably vnto God Which thing we also ought to do if we will be true Christians And therefore he concludeth the whole reason in these wordes So also consider ye that ye are dead as touching sin but are on liue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. These words signifie as much as if he should haue sayde That which was done in Christ ought also to be done in vs. Wherefore seing he died only once and now liueth perpetually vnto God we ought to haue a care that the selfe same thing should be performed in vs. Hereby appeareth how vniustly the doctrine of Paul was accused as though he shoulde Paul teacheth that we ought to liue vnto God not to abide in sinne teach that we should abide in sinne that grace might abound And that we should commit euill that good might thereof ensue For he teacheth clene contraryly that euen as Christ euer liueth vnto God so ought we also euer to liue in Christ thorough innocency of life Which selfe doctrine the Lord taught in Iohn saying As the liuing father hath sent me and I liue for the father euen so he that eateth me shall liue for me Iudge and consider sayth he that ye are dead vnto sinne but liue vnto God For as sayth Chrisostome this thing is not done by nature neither can it be shewed by the outward sence but is perceaued by fayth only Therefore consider saith he and dayly pouder this in your mynde Through Christ Iesus our Lord. This is added that we shoulde knowe that all these thinges are receaued onely by his benefite and not by humane strengths or naturall reason Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortall bodye that ye should thereunto obey by the lustes of it Neither geue ye your meÌ„bers as instrumentes of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne but geue ouer your selues vnto God as they that of dead are on liue And geue ouer your members as instrumentes of righteousnes vnto God For sinne shall not haue power ouer you Because ye are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace Let not sinne raigne therefore in your mortall body His reason now finished he addeth an exhortation which is indede short but yet of great waight What felicity is For it stirreth vs vp vnto that thing wherein consisteth the chiefe felicity which herein is contained yâ— we should be most far remoued froÌ„ all euils and continually being well occupied leade a most vertuous lyfe Wherefore Paules meanynge is that wée shoulde caste awaye synne Whiche is to remoue from vs the
pertakers of the resurrection namely when by mortification we are Howe we are pertakers of the resurrection The spirite of God will do the selfe same thinge in vs that it hath done in Christ made like vnto his death The reason of Paul leueth vnto this foundation that the spirite of God will worke the selfe same effecte in vs that it did in Christ For of one the selfe same cause are to be looked for yâ— selfe same effectes And God forasmuch as he is euery where like vnto himselfe by the selfe same meanes bringeth forth the selfe same workes Wherefore the consequence followeth well And seing when Christ was raysed from the dead ther was rendred vnto him a pure eternall and diuine life such a life also shall one day be rendred vnto vs which life we wayte for in the blessed resurrection when our bodyes shal be raysed vp being perfectly renued and now also we beginne the same when as by new motions Our resurrection is now begon of the spirite we are stirred vp to good workes Wherefore by these wordes are we admonished to mortefie the affectes of the flesh as Paul in an other place saide They which are of Christ haue crucified their fleshe with all the lustes thereof And vnto the Colossians Mortefie saith he your members which are vpon the earth and thys is the body to be deade Neither is it to be meruailed at that by the name of the body is vnderstand sine for sinne is named of that part whereby it had entrance into vs. For the soule saith Ambrose is not traduced from the parentes but only the body Now to dye vnto the body or vnto sinne is nothing els then to do nothing at the commaundement of lustes This is all one with that which we had What to dy vnto the body or vnto sinne signifieth before in the 6. chapter That we are now in baptisme dead with Christ and are buried together wyth hym And the Apostle commonly when he writeth of mortification and newnes of life taketh argumentes of the resurrection of the Lord by which Christ layd away mortality and did put on eternall life Which selfe thing shall also come to passe in our resurrection For in it shall we lay a side all oldenes of error and of corruption Which although before that tyme we shall not perfectly haue yet nowe also in this life we beginne to possesse in some sorte alreadye Wherefore Paul saith in the 2. epistle to the Corrinthyans Euen as our olde man is dayly destroyed so on the other side is our new man dayly renewed And vnto the Collossians If ye haue risen together whith Christ seeke the thynges that are aboue And vnto the Phillippians Paul saith That he alwayes endeuoreth himselfe to the thinges that are before neglecting and setting aside those thynges which are behynde that he mought by any meanes attayne vnto the resurrection of the Lord beyng already made pertaker of hys suffrynges And thus much as touching the first interpretacioÌ„ which Chrisostome followeth which if we more narrowly consider we shall sée that it containeth that which we a litle before spake namely that it is the proper duty of Christians not to liue according to the fleshe but according to the spirite For what other thinge is this but to mortify the body of sinne and to rise againe vnto a new life with Christ as though eueÌ„ now beginneth to shine forth in vs the resurrectioÌ„ which we hope shall in the last time be made perfect The second interpretation which Augustine foloweth is to vnderstand the body properly that is for this our outward substaunce And this body he saith is through sinne dead for that vppon it by reason of sinne was sentence long since geuen And he teacheth that by Christ By Christ we haue recouered a better nature then we lâ—st hy by Adam we haue recouered a better nature then we lost by Adam For he had a body not obnoxious vnto the necessity of death howbeit mortall for if he sinned he shoulde die But we by the resurrection of Christ shall receiue a body so frée from the necessitie of dying that it can not any more dye So according to this interpretatioÌ„ Paul declareth that we besides the benefite of the death of Christ haue an other benefit also of the spirite of Christ so that we are now by him pertakers of immortality Wherfore as touching the resurrection of the bodies eche interpretation is agreable But about this particle The body is dead they agrée not for Augustine taketh the body properly but Chrisostome by it vnderstandeth the vice and corruption of nature Wherfore according to this second interpretation Paul semeth to aunswer vnto a priuy obiection For against those thinges which haue hitherto bene spoken mought some man make this obiection This spirit whome thou so highly commendest as though it deliuereth vs from sinne and froÌ„ death doth yet stil leue vs in death and obnoxious vnto many aduersities diseases and calamities Paul aunswereth that this is true only as touching the body by reason of sinne which is still left in it For there hence come those euils Howbeit he willeth vs to be of good cheare for that spirite of God which is in vs hath now taken away condemnatioÌ„ that sinne which is remainyng in vs should not be imputed vnto vs vnto eternal death and will also bring to passe that euen as Christ which was dead was by him raised vp againe from the dead so also our bodies which are yet mortall shall be repayred vnto true immortalitie This sence is easy and plain and very wel agreing with those things which haue bene spoken therfore I allow it although in yâ— other exposition I know there is no absurditie or discoÌ„moditie Here are two things to be noted first that yâ— lust which is remayning in vs is of Paul called sinne and such a sinne also that after it followeth death Which cannot be denied The luste which remayneth in vs is sinne after which followeth death Why God sendeth aduersities vpon his elect in infants that are baptised and yet die for if in them sinne were vtterly taken away death could haue no place Although in the elect which are nowe reconciled vnto God death and such other afflictions are not inflicted as paines but rather as a crosse sanctified of God and that by a fatherly chastisement we should vnderstaÌ„d how highly God is displeased with sinne and should be more and more called back vnto repentaunce and that death mought be in vs a way wherby should be extinguished whatsoeuer sinne is remainyng in vs. Wherfore although by reason of sinne death be said to haue place in vs for vnles it were death could by no meanes be yet followeth it not that it is inflicted vpon the godly and elect as a payne And God retayneth not anger againste those whoÌ„â— he receiueth into fauour An example of Dauid It lieth not in the sacrifisinge priestes
a thing of small waight For euery Christian ought to be fully perswaded touching this that he worship not bread and wyne in steade of God that he thinke not that the body of Christ is diffused through infinite places and that he plucke it not downe from heauen Although Paul in this place by controuersies of disputaâ—ion do rather vnderstand brawlings and contencions of words which are on either side poured out for victory sake and by which yâ— minds are kindled to wrath and are alienated and plucked away one from an other Which thing happened in this foresaid question For either part iudged that hys reasons or arguments serued to his purpose In suÌ„me here is entreated onely of brawling and contencious disputacions and not of gentle and quiet disputacions whereby men may be instructed to piety Moreouer this is to be noted that they which put a difference betwene meates are called of Paul weake when as yet at They whiche put a difference betweene meates are to be counted weake this day such men will be counted most strong But they obiect that Paul here speaketh onely of meates of the law and not of fastinges and of the choyse of meates which is now called into doubt But these men consider not that the Iewes had a great deale more iuster excuse which could not persuade themselues that those ceremonies should be abolished which God himself had deliuered vnto them by Moses then they at this day can haue For those men supersticiously to omitte to speake more sharply with so great a zeale follow the traditions of men only Howbeit I meane not here to defend those glottons which vnder the preteÌ„ce of the liberty of the Gospell geue themselues only to eating and drinking One beleueth that he may eate of all thinges but an other which is weake eateth herbes That man Paul sayth beleueth which thinketh that all things are frée vnto him and those he calleth weake which to the end they would not light vpon flesh prohibited or dressed otherwise then the law commaunded did eate nothing but herbes for that in them could be no danger of violating of the law whervnto Why the children of the Iewes abstained from the meates of the kings table also those young men in Daniell semed to haue had a respect wheÌ„ they would not defile themselues with the meates that came from the kinges table For they desired to haue rootes and herbes geuen them to fede vpon And without doubt it is necessary that euery one haue an assured fayth of that thing which he doth that it be not repugnant to the lawes of God He which eateth let him not despise him that eateth not and he which eateth noâ— let him not iudge him that eateth Paul goeth betwene either parties as a mediator and taketh away their brawlinges and hedgeth in either part by certayne bondes and limites according to his authoritie He permitteth euery man at his pleasure to eate what meates so euer he will so that he behaue himself in such sort that he despise not his weake brother He brideleth also the weake and permitteth them for a tyme not to eate against their conscience but yet in such sort that they should not condemne others which are better theÌ„ themselues As knowledge There is danger both in knowledge and in vnskilfulnes By what names the supersticious are reproued without charity puffeth vp and so puffeth vp that we contemne others in comparison of our selues so vnskilfulnes on the other side maketh vs prone and redy to iudge and condemne others Chrisostome noteth that those supersticious weake ones are in these wordes couertly in dede but yet sharply reproued For first saith he they are called weak and that in faith which doubtles is a most greuous fault Secondly Paul coÌ„maundeth them to be receaued as though of themselues they are not able to arise vp or to stand but haue nede of instructions and of doctrine and consolations Lastly he saith that they are by more strong disputations which they are not able to conceiue easely offended and for that cause are prone rashly to iudge For they condemned others which were more frée as though they violated the law of God and were geuen to glotony and to the belly more then was meete These faultes the papistes at this day vpbraide to many of our men but by what right and how truly let God iudge For God hath receaued him Paul bringeth notable reasons wherby he feareth Ab adiunctis away the weake from daungerous iudgements The first is taken of things annexed together for that he whome thou iudgest is not any common or vulgare man For God hath receiued him neither hath he suffered him to lie in sinnes to worship idols and to be ignoraunt of true religion and pietie Yea rather he hath brought him to this estate that he is now a member of Christ and a pertaker of the nature of God Wherfore seing that God hath adorned him with so great honour how darest thou presume to iudge him Who art thou which iudgest an other mans seruaunt He standeth or falleth to his owne lord yea he shal be established For God is able to make him to stand This man estemeth one day aboue an other and an other counteth euery day a like Let euery man be fully satisfied in his mind He that obserueth the day obserueth it to the Lord. He that eateth eateth to the Lord and geueth God thankes And he that eateth not eateth not to the Lord and geueth God thankes For none of vs liueth to himselfe neyther doth any dye to himselfe For whether we liue we liue to the Lord or whether we dye we dye to the Lord. Whether therefore we liue or dye we are the Lordes For Christ therfore dyed and rose agayne and reuiued that he might be Lord both of the quicke and of the dead VVho art thou which iudgest an other mans seruant Here he reprehendeth theyr fact by a similitude taken of things ciuil humane Men vse not to clayme vnto them selues any right ouer an other mans seruant And knowest not thou that those whome thou in such sort despisest are the seruants of the lord Vndoubtedly he which is taken into the famely of any great prince is not commonly iudged of any but of his lord I would to God these things were alwayes had in remembrance and obserued of backebiters to consider that those whose good name they seke to deface are not only men but also are now receaued of God into hyâ—tuition The faithful both are called and also are the â—eÌ„ of God and are by Christ made his children Paul in the epistle to Timothe calleth the beleuer the man of God in which wordes he signifieth yâ— he is not now a bare man But are all iudgements by these wordes prohibited Not vndoubtedly to those which haue either in the publike wealth or in the Church any publique power For in very dede these men iudge not but rather God
this is a great aduauncement vnto piety therfore Paul setteth it forth to the end to commend those weake ones to the better sort Howbeit lest in this matter he shold attribute more vnto them theÌ„ to the freer sort as though he shold think that the stronger in vsing liberty had not a consideration of the law of God he pronounceth the sentence which he setteth forth coÌ„mon to ech part They sayth he which obserue dayes obserue theÌ„ to the Lord they which obserue theÌ„ not obserue theÌ„ not vnto the Lord. And they which eat eat to the Lord they which eat not eate not to the Lord. And those datiue cases which Paul here vseth to obserue to the lord to eate to the lord to liue to the lord to dye to the lord signifie nothing ells but that we ought in all our actions in all our life and euen in death to depend of the lord And geueth thanks to God Hereby we may iudge yâ— eyther of those what soeuer they did had a regard vnto God for that either part gaue thanks vnto him Of what great force geuing of thanks is Wherefore geuing of thankes is of no small force For it is as it were a certaine healthfull sawse and maketh that which otherwise of it selfe should haue bene hurtefull commodious and healthfull vnto vs. Therefore Paul to Timothe writeth Euery creature is good and nothing is to be cast away which is receaued with thanks geuing For none of vs liueth to him selfe neither doth any die to himselfe For whether we liue we liue to the Lord or whither we die we die to the Lord. This may thus be applied to be a reason wherby the stronger sort are feared away from contemning the weaker namely for yâ— they both liue dye vnto the lord It may also be a general cause why they are sayd both to obserue not to obserue dais vnto yâ— lord either to eate or not to eate to the lord for that vniuersally they liue vnto the Lord and dye vnto the Lord. By these woordes we are aptly and manifestly The scope of our lyfe and of all â–ª our actions instructed touching the scope of our life and of all our actioÌ„s I would to God this might neuer slippe out of our mind but mought with most depe rootes be fixed in our hartes Life and death I thinke in this place are to be vnderstanded as touching the body For I se not very wel what consideration they haue which referre these thinges to the life of fayth and to the death of sinne For there is none which sinneth to the Lord. For that can not pertayne to the honor of God Vnles paraduenture they meane that this is all one with that which was before spoken He standeth to his Lord or falleth But the first exposition semeth in my iudgement more playne and agréeth with those thinges which Paul writeth to the Phillippians And Christ shal be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death VVhither therefore we liue or die vve are the Lordes This in sum ought to be of greate force with them for that not only our life and death depende of the lord but also for that we all both as touching life and as touching death are hys proper possession And if this be so who can contemn his neighbour escape vnpunished This is in a maner all one with that which Paul before sayd Why iudgest thou an other mans seruaunt That fault was reproued in the weake ones and this is now layd to the charge of the stronger sort that they reiect and contemne not euery kind of men but these which are the Lords Paul sayth to the Corinthians Ye are not your owne men For ye are bought with a price Glorifie God now in your body and in your spirite which belong to God Agayne ye are bought with a price be not ye made the seruaunts of men For Christ therfore died rose agayne and reuiued that he might be Lord both of the quicke and of the dead Here he ascribeth a cause why we ar by good right the Lordes For he hath redemed vs by his death by his resurrection hath deserued Whether Christ if he had not dyed for vs shold haue had vs to his proper possession life for vs. Wherfore he is Lord both of our life and of our death But here paraduenture thou wilt demaund whither if Christ had not died we should haue bene his proper possession or no As touching his diuine nature eueÌ„ without his death and resurrection he is our lord For we are created of him whatsoeuer we haue we haue it thorough him But bycause he is in very dede maÌ„ he hath by his death and resurrection iustly and worthely gotten vnto him selfe this dominion which yet the father could haue geueÌ„ vnto him freely but to set forth his glory he would rather geue it to his merites Wherefore Paul to the Phil. sayth for which cause God hath geuen vnto him a name which is aboue euery name namely for that he had humbled himselfe to death euen to the death of the crose OrigeÌ„ very largely entreteth of this doubt Howbeit I thinke that this solution which I haue here brought is more playne more true But there ariseth also an other doubt For Paul semeth to speake agaynst that sentence of the Lord in 22. chapiter of Mathew He is not the God of the dead but of the liuing For if he be not the God of yâ— dead how is he here sayd to be Lord of the dead But if the matter be more narrowly examined there is not herein contrariety For there the Lord would hereby proue the resurrection of the dead for that God could not be truly the God of AbrahaÌ„ of Isaac and of Iacob vnles he would haue them to be saued and that wholy both as touching soule and body For it is the propriety of GOD to saue thâ—se whose GOD he is And the Scripture in Exodus pronounceth that GOD is the GOD of those patriarches Wherefore they liue and shall more fully liue in the blessed resurrection Hereby it is manifest that Christ spake of those which were thought to be vtterly dead both in soule and in body But God can not be their God For he can not suffer such a death to preuaile against his But here Paul sayth that Christ is Lord of of the dead which are dead in body only but liue in spirite and when tyme commeth shall rise agayne Wherefore we sée that betwene these places there is vndoubtedly no contrarity But because we are by the way lighted vpon those words of the Lord there are as I thinke in them two thinges to be obserued First that although of them is properly concluded the resurrection of the godly whose God God confesseth himselfe to be yet followeth it that of the selfe same words may be concluded the resurrection of the wicked For if God of his goodnes do so
sepulchre 55. a The poison of Aspes is vnder theyr lippes 55. b The folish mā hath said in his heart there is no God 22. a The Lorde hathe heard the desire of the poore 381. a Loke vpon my labor and my vtility and forgeue me al my sinnes 382. a Blessed are they whose synnes are couered 75. a And in his heart there is no guile 75. b Blessed are the immaculat which walk in the law of the Lord. 75. Hoping in his mercy 102. a. b Beholde I was conceiued in iniquitie 130. b The heauens declare the glory of God 327. b Let their table be turned into a snare 342. b Returne O my soule again into thy rest 386. a Deliuer me in thy righteousnes 385 The mercy of the Lord is from generation to generation on them that feare him 397. b I as a grene Oliue tree in the house of the Lorde haue put my trust in my God 353. b Prouerbes I Do loue them that loue me 297 I also wil laugh in your destruction It pertaineth to a man to prepare the heart but thanswer of y◠tonge is of the Lord. 381 Wisedome GOd reioyseth not in the destruction of the wicked 307. Ecclesiasticus THe fornace tryeth the vessels of the potter and so doth temptation the iust men 273. All mercye shall make place to euery one according to the merite of his worke 159. b God hath mercy vpon al men and winketh at the sinnes of al men because of repentance 307 Esay ANd if he geue his soul for sin he shal se his sede a far of 118 Why hast thou made vs to erre 27 Iudg thou house of Israel betwene me and my vineyard 47 And euery day my name is euil spoken of 46. b Thou arte oure father but we are clay 276. a Make grose the heart of this peple that they vnderstād not 270 Beholde I say in Syon a stone of triall 284. b All the day long I stretched abroade my hāds to a people that beleued not 307. a He hath borne our infirmities 323. a Behold I go to a nation which called not vpō my name 330 Howe long Lord euen to destruction 338. a In hearing heare ye and vnderstand not 338. a My seruaunt shall iustifye many and shall beare their iniquities 392. b Vnto wdome shall I loke but vnto the pore contrite c. 399. a Heauen is my seat and earth is my footestole 399. a Jeremy BE ye conuerted vnto me sayth the Lord and I wil be conuerted 388. a 381. b If I shall speake of a nation or kingdome c. 273. b They haue forsaken me the foūtain of the water of life 23. a The way of man is not in his owne power 177. a Thoughe a mother can forget hir childe yet will I not forget thee 307. a Not according to the couenaūt which I made with your fathers 362. b If a nation shall repent him of his wickednes I wil repent me of that which I spake against him 309. b Ezechiell THe sonne shall not bear the iniquity of the father 131 As truely as I liue sayth the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he be conuerted and liue 300. a Walke in my wayes and make you a new heart 381. b If the wicked men shall repent him of al his sinnes c. 402. a If a prophet be seduced I haue seduced him 27. a Noe Daniel and Iob shal deliuer their owne soules only 42. a Daniell REdeme thy sinnes with almes 382. a Osea TAke a wife to thee of fornication c. 290. b Ye are not my people that ther shal be called the children of the liuing God 290. b Thou shalt call me my man and not my husband 334. b Joel EVery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued 68. a. 321. b Amos OVer .iii. euils and ouer .iiii. I wil not conuert him 133 a Nahum VVHat doe ye think against the Lord he wil make an ende neither shall tribulation arise the secōd time 37. a. 118. 131 Abacucke THe iust manne shall liue by faith 17. b Zacharie BE ye conuerted vnto me I wil be cōuerted to you Malachie IAcob haue I loued but Esau haue I huted Mathew IVdge not and ye shall not be iudged 36. b When ye haue done all theese things say we are vnprofitable seruaunts 39. a An euil tree can not bring forth good fruit 185. a He which seketh finedeth and vnto him whych knocketh shall be opened 284. b Aske and ye shall receiue seeke and ye shall finde 383. b Many sinnes are forgiuen her because she hath loued much 383. b Lord haue we not in thy name prophesied c. 394. a Saue me otherwise I pearish 11. b I am the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Iacob 68. a Vnto the bloud of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias 96. a Blessed art thou Simon Bariona for fleshe and bloud hath not reueled this vnto thee 126. Come ye blessed of my father receiue the kingdome 192. b Heauen and earth shal passe away but my words shal not passe away 218. a What so euer ye wold mē shold do vnto you do ye the same to them 240. a No man knoweth the father but the sonne and he to whō he wil reuele him 303. b He hath borne our infirmities 323. a Vnto him that hath it shall be geuen but he which hath not euen that which he hath shal be taken away 339. b Why speakest thou in parables to them ibidem Forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse against vs. 382. a How often would I haue gathered thy children as the hen hir chickens 306. b What so euer ye shal aske beleuing it shal be geuen you 383 Come vnto me all ye that laboure 398. b Marke HE which beleueth and is baptised shal be saued 68. a Goe ye and preache the gospel 383. b Luke THat you may eat and drinke vpon my table c. 88. b For he hath loked vpō the humility of his handmaidē 298 Geue almes all things shall be cleane vnto you 383. b Lead vs not into temptatiō 27 When you haue done all these things say we are vnprofitable seruaunts 39. a Many sinnes are forgiuen her because she hath loued much 339. b Goe out into the hie ways and stretes and compell them to enter 361. a Blessed is that seruaunt which when his Lord cometh shall finde him thus doing 348. b Ihon. NOwe I will not call you seruaunts but frends 1 The true worshyppers shall worship in spirit truth 8. a He which amōgst you is without sinne let him cast the first stone at hir 36. a Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents 133. a He which is borne of God sinneth not 149. a If any man loue me he wyll kepe my commaundements 397. a If ye had God to your father doubtles you shold loue me 397. a True worshippers worship in spirite and truth 8. a He which beleueth
speake peculiarly of Christ we haue in Genesis that the sede of the woman Peculiar testemonies of Christ of faith that iustesieth should treade vnder foote the head of the serpent And to Abraham it was sayd In thy seed shall all nations be blessed And of the same Abraham it is written He beleued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes Moreouer Paul citeth Say not in thine hart who shall ascend vp into heauen or who shall descend downe into hell The woorde is nighe at hand in thy mouth and in thy harte Paul also addeth And this is the woord of fayth which we preach If thou beleue with thy hart and confesse with thy mouth Again The Scepter shal not be taken away from the tribe of Iuda neyther a captayne out of his loynes tyll he be come whiche shal be sent and he shal be the expectation of the Gentles Ieremy writeth of Christ He shal be called God our righteousnes And in the same prophet we reade that God appoynted to geue a new Testament not according to that which he made with the Fathers but in describing his law in their harts bowells Abacuk saith The iust shall liue by fayth Esai saith I am found of them that sought me not Also God hath layed vpon hym all our iniquityes Dauid also Blessed are they whose iniquityes are forgeuen and whose sins are couered Blessed is the man vnto whome the Lord hath not imputed sinne An other kind of testimonyes also is had out of the dedes of the old fathers whiche were certayne forshewinges that Christe An ether kind oâ— testemonies are the actes of the Fathers should come to redeme mankinde For as he is sayd to lyue in vs for that we are his membres so also both was he and liued he in the old fathers Wherfore they were no les his members then are we But how the head suffereth and is recreated in his members it is most apertly declared in Paul wheÌ„ it was sayd Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And in the last iudgemeÌ„t Christ will pronouÌ„ce that whatsoeuer hath bene geueÌ„ vnto the least of his was geuen vnto him wherfore so often as we reade that the elders were ouercome brought into captiuity oppressed with calamityes we must vnderstand that Christ in them suffred these self same things And agayne wheÌ„ we heare that they got the victorye were restored and A shadowe of the death and resurrection of Christ delyuered let vs thinke that Christ also was in like sort affected in them And in the one we haue a shew of his death begon and in the other a shadow and beginning of hys resurrection And that this thing is so we are tought by that whiche Christ sayd that he should be in the hart of the earth thre dayes and thre nights lyke as was Ionas the prophet He likened himselfe also vnto the brasen serpente which Moses set vp vpon which whosoeuer looked they obteyned health be inge otherwise in daunger to dye of the venemous stinginge And in Oseas the prophet we reade Out of Egipt haue I called my sonne Which oracle the Hebrews contend to wreste vnto Pharao which was destroyed and vnto the people of Israell deliuered from his tyrannie Which thing if we should in the meane time graunt theÌ„ yet would I aske of them of whence that nation had the preeminence to be called by the name of the Children of God That vndoubtedly coulde not be proued The â—lders were not the childreÌ„ of God but by Christ to come by any other meanes then by Christ which is the Sonne of God being the first begotten amongest many brethren By whom others also as manye as are nombred to be the children of God haue aspired to suche a deuine adoption Wherefore the Apostle sayth that Christ was the first fruites and pronounceth that he hath the principalitie ouer all thinges Wherfore not without cause hath our Euangelist cited this place of the Prophet touching the Lord forsomuch as he also was by the admonishment of the Angell called backe out of Egipt Lastly the The thirde kinde of â—estemonies are sacrifices sacrifices oblations and ceremonies of the Elders bare witnes of this kinde of righteousnes For in those beastes which were slayne the death of Christ was manifested vnto the fayth of the Elders For euen as the thing sacrificed which otherwise had nothing offeÌ„ded was slaine for the sin of an other which escaped frée so was thereby shewed that Christ should be flayne for vs which were guiltie of death that by the pacefieng of the heauenly Father we might escape the punishments which we had deserued Neither let any man say that the sacraments of The sacraments of the elders how they had saluation ioyned with them and how they had not What was Paules meaning to yâ— Hebrues touching the rites of the Iewes the Elders had not saluation ioyned with them For that thing will we also graunt as touching the outward woorke which commonly is called the woorke wrought But the fayth which in those rites embraced Christ brought saluation vnto the Elders euen as at this day also the outward exercises of the sacraments or commaundementes doo nothing profite but onelye fayth bringeth saluation which seeth that vnder the infoldinges of sensible signes are set forth vnto vs heauenly giftes And if at any time the Apostle vnto the Hebrews or in anye other place seeme to affirme otherwyse wee must thyncke that hee hath to doo agaynste the Iewes which seperated Christe and hys fayth both from the lawe and also from ceremonies Which two things being seperated he firmely and strongely concludeth that they haue not saluacion by such rites and sacrifices The righteousnes of God by the fayth of Iesus Christ Now is it meete to tell what fayth is Fayth therefore is an assente and that a firme assente to the What is fayth wordes of God obteyned not by reason or by naturall demoÌ„stration but by the authority of the speaker and by the power of the holy Ghost And this definicion disagreeth not from that which Paule putteth in the .xi. to the Hebrues Hereby we may see about what thinges faith is occupied namely aboute the woordes of God And it is manifest what is the chiefest principle ground vnto whiche all thinges pertayning to God are referred and that is The Lord hath sayd But the authority of the speaker cannot be of force with vs so much as it ought vnlesse the perswasion of the holy Ghost be therunto adioyned In Greeke it is called Whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we ar not accustomed to beleue but that which we are fully perswaded of Basilius as touching fayth when he expoundeth this place of the Psalme I haue beleued and therefore haue I spoken writeth Do not contend to see those thinges which are layd vp a farre of
Christ for no other cause so long tyme differred his comming in the flesh but to kepe downe mans proude Pecoks tayle For if he had come straight way at the beginning vnto vs men would easely haue sayd that Why the sonne of god diffeâ—red his comming so long they had not then so great neede of hym that without him they could not be saued wherefore he would that mankinde should so long tyme be oppressed with the seruitude of sinnes and burthen of the lawe vntill they should vnderstand that they had vtterly nede of a redemer But why God so much laboreth to destroy our glory the holy scriptures aboundantly inough declare namely that Why God will haue our glory to be repressed his glory might the more brightly sinne forth Wherefore it is manifest that whatsoeuer glory we claime vnto our selues all that do we robbe from the glory of God Neyther nedeth it any greate exposition what Paule meaneth by the lawe of workes For by that word he vnderstandeth as well the lawe of nature as the lawe of Moses and also mans lawe For that all these lawes do engender glory if a man can vaunt that he can fulfill them VVe conclude therefore that man is iustefied by faith without the vvoorkes of the lavve Those thinges which he before sayd he confirmeth with a briefe conclusion which by a reason thereunto annexed he will afterward proue And where as he sayth Arbitramur that is we think in Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth not to thinke or to suppose but in this place it is to conclude to inferre and certaynly to demonstrate namily of those thinges which before were spoken In which signification it is taken in the 6. chapter when the Apostle sayth So thynke ye also that ye are dead vnto sinne but are alyue to God in Iesus Christ our Lord. Where this word thinke ye is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that which is thereby signified is to haue for certayne And as touching this thyng Ambrose is of our mind and he vnderstandeth these words man is iustified without works of the Gentiles But Chrisostome contrary wyse thinketh that by this word man is ment nature to make the seÌ„tence of the Apostle more ample and large whose iudgement I mislike not for it agreeth as well with the Iewes as with the Gentiles not to attayne vnto sound righteousnes by workes but by fayth Further seing the Apostle so expressedly sayth that man is iustified without the workes of the lawe hâ—reof is inferred that which we before also tought namely that it is fayth only which iustifieth which thing not only Origine vpon this place but also Chrisostome acknowledgeth who fayth that fayth only Faith only iustifieth as OrigeÌ„ and ChrisostoÌ„e vpon thys place confesse is required to obtayne this righteousnes But I heare our aduersaries say that wheÌ„ we reade in the fathers That fayth only iustifieth that word only is to be vnderstanded principally for that it hath in iustification the chiefest partes And they bringe a place or two where this word only so signifieth But vndoubtedly if a maÌ„ weigh Pauls words well they wil not agree with this interpretatioÌ„ For he putteth righteousnes without the works of the law which is not true if works do so follow fayth that with it they bring forth iustification in the elect of God An obiectioÌ„ of the aduersaries Simple men sometimes herein gaue place vnto the papists but when they vnderstood theyr guile they returned againe into the rightway Dangers may be anoyded by an vprighte interpretation The aduersaries cry out that if we teach meÌ„ after this sorte we then open a window vnto sluggishnes and flouthfulnes Vnto which their coloured preteÌ„ces some of our men haue sometimes simply and without guile consented who when they saw that true faith whiche iustifieth hath alwayes ioyned with it good works absteyned in their sermons from that worde Onely But afterward when they vnderstoode the fraude of the aduersaries whiche obtruded this deuise to the ende they might at the length teach the people according to their owne fayned inuentions that men are not onely by faith but also by workes iustified they returned vnto their olde forme of speaking that the people should not be any more deceiued And seyng Paule most warely alwayes eschued flaunders and offences of the hearers so much as he might by the truth of the scriptures and we sée that he most manifestly teacheth those things wherof most plainely followeth That fayth onely iustifieth we ought not to be afeard of such daungers which may easily be auoyded if we aptly adde an vpright interpretation of that which we speake They agayne obiect vnto vs that workes of the law in this place signifie ceremonies Vnto whoÌ„ we aunswer as we haue before already said that the question in dede began about ceremonies but Paule dissolueth it vniuersally and answereth in suche sorte that he concludeth of all kinde of workes Wherfore the reason which he bringeth in in the first place That God is the God not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles hath a respecte vnto ceremonies For the Ethnikes had not receiued the ceremonies of It is proued that here is entreated also of morall workes the Iewes But afterward when he addeth that by faith the lawe is not abolished but rather established he declareth that his exposition is chiefly to be vnderstanded touchyng morall workes which faith abolisheth not but rather confirmeth Which thing we cannot affirme of ceremonies whiche we sée are by Christ and his fayth taken away Farther in that he before sayd that all men haue sinned and were destitute of the glory of God and by that meanes euery mouth is stopped and the whole world made guilty vnto God it sufficiently declareth of what law he speaketh And so doth that also where he sayth that the law sheweth sinne and that also which he citeth out of Dauid No liuing creature shall be iustified in thy sight and many other thynges which afterward in their places we shall sée do sufficiently shew that the wordes of the Apostle comprehend also morall preceptes Wherfore workes are excluded Woorkes ar excluded from the cause of iustification but not froÌ„ the effect therof but they are excluded as from the cause of iustification but not as from the effect And Christe to declare this to be true in Luke sayde When ye haue done all these thinges say ye we are vnprofitable seruantes vnto whom neither is this in deede due to haue thankes geuen vnto vs. But if by workes we should attayne vnto iustification then should we not be vnprofitable in doyng well and vnto vs should be farre greater things due then geuing of thankes God is he the God of the Iewes onely and not of the Gentles also Yes euen of the Gentles also He proueth now his proposition namely that men are iustified without the workes of the law For if righteousnes should depende of them
as it hath not autority out of the holy scripturei it is by the self same easines cōtēned wherby it is proued We sée therfore by the testimony of Ierome that the interpretations of doubtfull places are not admitted vnles they be brought out of the scriptures and by them confirmed And if we will ouercome the difficulty of the Scriptures we must be familiarly conuersant in them day and night And let vs remember this which the Apostle now here mencioneth that they were not written for their sakes onely of whom is there entreated but also for our sakes But in that this worde Onely is added declareth that they were written for their sakes also For Gods pleasure is that we should thinke wel of his elect which self thing also turneth to our cōmoditie for whē we thinke well of thē we are stirred vp to imitate them This is moreouer here hence gathered that so often as we shall establish any doctrine or declare any commaundement of God it shal then be An argument taken of examples is very apt We are made equal with Abraham as tooching iustification aptly done when we bring proues of them by examples For in harde and doubtfull places proues taken of examples bring great perspicuitie For in them both the minde and the sences are ioyned together Farther there is no small comforte conteined in this place when we sée that we are made equall with the Patriarche Abraham as touching iustification For although he were adorned with a greate many giftes which we want yet that we should by faith be adopted to be the children of God it is no lesse geuen vnto vs then vnto him And although our fayth be the instrument whereby we receiue righteousnes and the promise offred vnto vs of God For vnto them that are of full age by that instrument onely is righteousnes geuen yet Christ hath so much estemed it that he hathe spoken of it no otherwise Christ speaketh of faith as the cause of iustification A firme argument for the certainety of saluation then if it were properly the cause of iustification For he sayth Thy faith hath made thee safe And seynge it is saide that faith shall be imputed vnto vs vnto righteousnes as it was in tymes past imputed vnto Abraham we haue a moste firme argument of the certeintie of saluation For as Abraham behaued himselfe towardes the promise of God as touching that he should haue issue so must we behaue our selues towardes the promise of the remission of sinnes But he was certaine neither doubted he wherfore we also ought to be certaine of the saluation promised vnto vs and by no meanes to doubt therof This reason let vs hold fast and not suffer it to slip from vs. But seyng Abraham had many singuler things neither ought we to imitate him in all thinges how doth Paul with any strength gather that this pointe of fayth should haue place that as it came vnto him so also shal it come vnto vs For if we should take armour and beyng priuate men make warre shall it happen vnto vs as it did to Abraham And to lye with our handmaidens shall it be excused in vs as the fellowship which Abraham had with Agar is excused in hym And shall it be lawfull for euery man to sacrifice his own sonne because he was redy to offer vp his This doubt may thus be answered that there Argumētes taken of examples how they be of force Two maner of callinges generall and singuler How callinges are to be discerned A fruiteful consideration of singular callings In singuler callings also of the Saintes at many thinges to be imitated is one callyng which is vniuersall and an other singuler and when we reade the actes of the saints we must take hede that we rashly confound them not For those things which pertaine vnto the general calling we must imitate but those things which pertain to the singuler calling are rather to be reuerēced thē imitated And if thou aske by what meanes these things are to be discerned the difference is not hard For whatsoeuer thinges thou séest that they did accordyng to the prescript of the commaundementes of God those thinges haue relation vnto the general state of the faithful But where any thing is committed that thou séest agréeth not with the law of God the same wholy is in them priuate and singuler Which yet is not red wtout fruite For there we sée how God sometimes by a wonderful maner gouerneth his as one not addicted to one maner of sauing those whom he hath elected Farther always in this kinde of actions if thou come to the roofe and ground thou shalt finde many things which thou mayst imitate Abraham was willyng to sacrifice his sonne Although the same be not lawfull for thée to do yet do thou that which is lawfull for thee Abraham preferred the commaundement of God before the lyfe of his onely sonne so also oughtest thou to preferre the will of God before all naturall consanguinitie Farther he hid al this whole matter from his wife for that he saw she should haue bene a let wherby he should not haue bene able to execute the commaundementes of God so muste we also do that we remoue awaye all lettes from good purposes Finally although he knew that he had in Isaac receiued the promise of an infinite posteritie and saw that his vntimely death was repugnant vnto the promises of God yet ceased he not of from that which he had begonne but permitted the successe of the promise vnto the prouidence of God so also let not vs by humaine reasonings resist the commaundements of God All these thinges beyng thus well weighed shall easely call vs from our infirmitie to shew our selues obedient vnto God VVhich beleue in him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead vvho was deliuered for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification Here is set forth a The sum of the Gospell briefe and redy summe of the Gospell for in the death of Christe are vnderstād al the misteries of Christ which went before it as his Natiuity preaching labors inteaching accusatiōs cōdēnatiō crosse burial And his resurrectiō frō the dead setteth forth vnto vs al these things which followed it as his restitution to life that eternal last glory chief felicity finally al those things which pertain therunto The Apostle very aptly in this place maketh mencion of our lord Iesus Christ for that he is the mediator and arbiter betwen God and mē And seing he hath hitherto spoken of fayth which is the instrumēt wherby we are iustified it serueth very well to the purpose that he should also make mencion of Christe for he is the obiect of our fayth as by whome God would communicate vnto vs his righteousnes Nether could we haue bene otherwise certified of the will of God except Christ himself had enstructed vs therof For Iohn sayth No man hath sene God at any
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
forasmuch as it maketh not ashamed but remouing all doubt attaineth to God which is our chiefe felicitye is fastened to him as of the laste linke of the chayne the highest and chiefest This selfe same propriety of Not confounding beloÌ„geth to fayth also For none that beleueth in hym shall be confounded And that not without cause For what can be of more nere affinity vnto fayth then hope The Lattine interpreter Hope and faith haue one and the selfe same propriety not to make ashamed A figuratiue speach turneth it Non confundit that is confoundeth not Howbeit it mought be more properly turned Non pudefacit that is maketh not ashamed And it is a figuratiue kind of spech For Pauls mind was to signifie that the godly can not be frustrated of their hope for they whiche are frustrated namely when thinges fall out farre otherwyse then they hoped for commonly are ashamed Wherefore Paul by shame vnderstandeth frustration because shame alwayes followeth it But the Lattine interpreter had a regarde to that perturbation of the mynde whiche followeth shame For to confounde is nothinge els but to perturbe or to trouble Now if this sentence be true as in deede it is moste true namelye that this hope confoundeth Hope dependeth not of our works Hope is most assured not it followeth that it dependeth not of our woorkes For otherwise it shoulde oftentymes fayle But that it is true and certayne Paul declareth not by one word only but by thrée and those of great efficacy For first he vseth this word knowing which betokeneth an assured knowledge of a thing He maketh mencion also of reioycing which can not haue place with godly and wise men but of those good thinges which they assuredly and firmely possesse At the last he addeth that hope confoundeth not And it is not without cause that he oftentymes induceth perswasions of this certainty for that thereheÌ„se chiefly is consolation to be sought for in afflictions When Christ hong vpon the crosse the wicked rayled agaynst him saying he hoped in God let him saue him if he will haue him Let him come downe from the crosse c. The selfe same thinges Remedy agaynst rayling speaches Hope depeÌ„deth not of merites are layd agaynst vs not only by outward enemyes but also by our fleshe and outward senses and humane wisedome How can we resist these but by thys doctrine of the Apostle hope confoundeth not the hope which we haue put in the Lord maketh not ashamed The Sophisters by this place contend to proue that hope springeth of merites because Paul sayth it springeth of putieÌ„ceâ—as though we should thinke that hope is geuen vnto vs by the merite of pacience But in the meane tyme they marke not that those thinges which Paul here by a certayne order disposeth ar not so compared the one to the other as causes and effectes For who will say that afflictions are the cause of pacience and if it be not so why should they more affirme that pacience is the cause of hope The scripture most playnly teacheth that he which putteth confidence in man or in any creature is accursed for a man of whose promise we depend assure our selues may ether dye or alter hys mynd or also be letted that he can not fayth fully perform that which he promised And to put confidence either by cause of merites or by reasoÌ„ of works is to put hope in man Wherfore such hope worthely maketh ashamed but yâ— hope which is fixed vpon God is certaine neyther caÌ„ be deceaued The Sophisters go about craftely to auoyd this senteÌ„ce by two places of Paul the one to the Romanes the other to Timothe The place to Timothe is thus I know whome I haue beleued and I am assured But the other to the Romanes is thus I am assured that nether death nor life nor angels c. By these places they thinke is ouerthrowne our sentence for that they thinke that these wordes are to be vnderstand not vniuersally of all beleuers but only of Paul and such other like which had a peculiar reuelation that they shoulde obtayne saluation But these their enterprises are in dayne For here is now entreated Here is in treated of the nature of hope generally of the nature and proprlety of hope whereby is manifestly proued that al they which are endewed with it are sure of their saluation so that they must nedes confesse that they which doubt of their saluation ether haue not yâ— hope which longeth to a Christian or els if they haue that hope they must nedes be assured He which doubteth of saluation hath not the hope that longeth to a Christian of their saluation But if a man shall say what if I shall be vnworthy and therefore God will not bestowe vpon me the chiefe reward I answere that this is a wrastling of the conscience and is to be ouercome by an assured hope For the obtaynning whereof we must clene fast vnto the word of God Such as is this God is faythfull which will not suffer you to be tempted aboue your power but will together with the temptacion make away out such like places of the holy scripture wherein God promiseth that he will geue perseuerance to hys vnto the ende And to speake briefely the hope of the godly leneth only vnto the goodnes power and mercy of the only God This thing Basilius vnderstood right wel in his exposition vpon the 32. Psalme when he interpreteth these words hoping in his mercy He sayth he which putteth not confidence in his owne proper deedes nether hopeth to be iustified by workes hath his hope of saluation onlye in the mercy of God For when he shall consider these thinges with himselfe Beholde God and his rewarde c. But the schole men haue tought farre otherwise For the Maister of the sentences in the thirde booke thus defineth hope Hope is an assured expectacion of the blessednes to come comming of the grace of God and of merites going before Which definition how absurd it is especially as touching the latter part it is very manifest in those which are newly from most hainous filthy sinnes conuerted vnto Christ For they vndoubtedly can haue no good merites for that before they wanted charitie from which all our workes procede yet They which are conuâ—rted vnto Christ want not hope although they want works and merites They which are most wicked ought not to caste away all hope there can be nothing more certaine then yâ— they which are conuerted vnto Christ cannot be without hope Yea Augustine vpon the Psalm From the depthe haue I called vnto the Lorde exhorteth them that fall and those which liue in the depth of euils not to cast away hope and that by the example of the thiefe and of many others It may now be demaunded of them by what merites hope is confirmed in these meÌ„ They customably answere that merites do not alwayes go before hope but alwayes
Wherfore we must say that when he prayed and gaue almes he was not vtterly a stranger from Christ although he were not yet so fully instructed of Christ as mought be sufficient vnto Christian religion But we which ar now by the grace and benefite of God brought vnto this knowledge ought to geue thankes vnto God for his great loue and to lead our life in all innocencie and puritie And this is to do that which the time requireth lest that be vpbraided vnto our ingratitude which Christ reproued in the Pharisies Namely that they obserued the face of heauen but yet knew not the tyme of their visitation So Paul interpreteth that place of Esay Behold now the acceptable tyme behold now the day of saluation And that which Paul here writeth the selfe same in a maner repeteth he in the viij chapiter where he thus speaketh If God be on our side who shall be against vs Seyng he hath not spared hys owne sonne but hath deliuered hym for vs all howe hathe he not together with him geuen vs all thinges Who shall accuse the elect of God It is God which iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ whiche died yea and which rose agayne and sitteth at the right hand of the father and maketh intercession for vs. These thinges serue wonderfully to the confirmation of our hope as in due place we shall declare And God setteth forth his loue towardes vs. It is rightly said that GOD Nothyng more deare then children did then set forth his loue towardes vs when he deliuered his sonne vnto the death of the crosse for our sakes For there is nothing to mē more dere or that they more esteme then their children and therfore we rede that wicked mothers when they would testifie vnto their adulterous louers their most feruent loue and faythe of their perpetuall vse and company slue their owne children for that they saw they had no other more assured argument wherby to testifie their good will towardes them So God when for our sakes he deliuered his sonne vnto the death and that vnto a most shamefull death gaue vnto vs a most sure token of his exceding great loue towards vs. That he created the world for our sakes was in dede a great sign of his good will towardes vs although in it rather shyned forth his power and deuine might and wisedome For it is the part of liberall and frée harted Lordes to geue and to bestow many things vpon their subiects Howbeit Lordes wil neuer go so farre that they will endaunger themselues for their seruantes sake Wherefore when God gaue his sonne vnto the death for our sakes therin as Paul sayth Why God hath shewed so great loue towardes vs. he most of all did set forth his loue towards vs. Which thing he therefore did to stir vs vp to loue him againe God had commaunded vs in his law that we should loue him with all our hart with all our soule and with all our strengthes and that we might the willinglier performe this he would first declare his good will towardes vs that it might appere that he loued cared for vs more then for himself For he would dye euen for our sakes which death yet we so contemne that we will suffer nothyng for it nor restraine our selues from any commodities of the body or delightes of the flesh His will was that all men should be in good case and one aloue in the meane tyme to suffer but we desire to be in good case our selues alone although all other in the meane time perish But it is not possible that there should be in vs so great a contēpt both of our owne saluatiō also of the saluatiō of other men but that either we beleue not so great a benefite of God or els we do not earnestly inough weigh if There was neuer wower that with so great a desire and seruent loue maried his spouse as Christ hath maried vnto himselfe his churche Neither hath any man at any tyme maried a wife so vnlike and vnworthy for The church an vnlike spouse for Christ hym to ioyne with all as Christ hath done the Church For in what estate she was before Christ met with her Ezecbiell describeth in 6. chapter where he sayth that she lay vpon the nether was her nauell string cut of nether was she washed with water nor poudred with salt and there was no eye whiche hadde compassion on her Paul also both here and likewise in many other places at large declareth in what estate we were before we came vnto Christ Vnto the Ephesians he doth not only say that we were by nature the children of wrath but also he addeth ye were once darknes but now ye are light in the Lord. Vnto Titus he saith We were as fooles not obediente but wādring out of the way geuing our selues to sundry lustes liuing in malice and enuy hatefull and seking to displease one an other In the first to the Corrinthyans when he had reckened a beaderoll of most haynous sinnes he sayth these thinges vndoubtedly were ye sometimes but ye are washed but ye are sanctified Wherefore we haue the sonne of God geuē vnto vs as a pledge of the loue of God He placed not in his stede an Angell or an Archangell although he mought so haue done He vouchsafed to come himselfe and to suffer a most bitter death vpon the crosse It behoued that for our redemption there What was required in the price of our redemtion Why the death of Christ was so acceptable vnto the father should be some such good thing offred vnto God which mought ether equally or els more please God then all the sinnes of the worlde had displeased hym This thing hath Christ offred for vs. And if a man demaunde why the death of Christ was so acceptable vnto God there can no other reason be geuen but his vnmeasurable charity and loue God coulde indede haue ben contented with any other thing But his will was rather to haue this thing not by the affliction and punishementes of Christ to feede his eyes or mynde for that had bene the poynt of a cruell father nether for that he foresaw the great loue and modesty in his sonne although these thinges were in Christ most singular and of very great force with the father but as indede I iudge for y◠he saw that by this only meanes his loue towardes vs mought be most perfectly declared and also to set forth an example of a most holy life for men to follow For if thou demaunde Whether i◠were of necessity that Christ should dye whether it were of necessity that the sonne of God should in such sorte dye I answere that here is to be put no necessity of compulsion for there is nothing in God that is by violēce nether also was there any necessity of nature For although there are in the deuine nature many thinges of necessity as is that it be
corruption and prauity of whole nature dependeth I haue now declared so much as I thought should be sufficient for this present purpose how the Apostle taketh this word sinne by whome he sayth it hath sprede ouer all mankinde and what the ecclesiasticall writers haue left in writing touching the maner how it passeth from one to an other Now is this thing only to be added that by the world is to be vnderstand all mankinde For I like not to playe the Philosopher as doth By the world is vnderstand all mankinde Origene by the world to vnderstand only those men which liue according to the affections of the fleshe For so should we séeme to exclude from the meaning of the Apostle originall sin which thing the very nature of the woords will not suffer And by sinne death and so death hath gone ouer all men Here he declareth what sinne hath brought which was the fourth part of our deuision Sinne brought death but what maner of death he meaneth can not better be vnderstaÌ„d then by the contrary therof namely by life And this life is of two sortes the one Life of two sortes is wherby we are moued to spirituall deuine and celestiall good things and this taketh place so long as we are ioyned together with God for vnlesse we be led by the spirit of God we can not frame our selues to those thinges which passe our nature The other life is wherby we are moued to follow those good things which Sinne toke away â—ther life serue to preserue nature to defend the state of the body And both these kindes of liues hath death which is inflicted for sin takeÌ„ away For death is nothing els but priuation of lyfe For so soone as euer man sinned he was turned away froÌ„ God so left destitute of his grace and fauor yâ— he could not afterward aspire againe vnto eternall felicity This corporall life also may be said to be taken away by sinne for straight way so soone as sinne was committed the force of death and his souldiors Our first parentes died euen straightway so sone as they had sinned did set vpon man Such as are hunger thirst diseases wasting away of moystures and heate a daily quenching of the lyfe For all those thinges lead men vnto death â–ª And Chrisostome vpon Genesis at large entreatyng of this matter sayth That the first parentes so soone as euer they had sinned streight way died For the Lord streight way gaue sentence of death vpoÌ„ theÌ„ And eueÌ„ as they which are coÌ„deÌ„ned vnto death although they are kept for a tyme on lyue in prison yet are they counted for dead so our first A similitude parentes although thorough the goodnes of God they liued longer yet they were in verye dede straight way dead after that God began accordyng to his sentence to punish them Ambrose saith that they were sodenlye oppressed with death for that they had afterward no day or houre or moment wherin they were not obnoxious vnto death Neither We haue not one houre wherin we are not subiecte vnto death is there any man in the worlde which can assuredly promise himselfe that he shall liue one houre Wherfore by these thinges it is manifest that both kindes of death were brought in by sinne Wherefore we must beware that we assent not vnto them which vse to say that death is vnto a man naturall and as a certayne rest whereby the motion of the life is interrupted Such opinions are to be left vnto the Ethnikes For all the godly affirme that in death is a féeling of the wrath of God Death is not natural vnto a man In death is a feeling of the wrath of God and therefore of his owne nature it driueth into men a certaine paine and horror Which thing both Christ himselfe when he prayed in the garden and many other holy men haue declared And if there chaunce to be any vnto whom it is pleasaunt and delectable to dye and to be rid of their life that they haue from els where and not from the nature of death And Paul to the Corinthians sayth That death is the sting of sinne For death otherwise could be able to do nothing against vs but that by sinne it destroyeth vs. Wherfore they which affirme that originall sinne is only a certaine weakenes which can not condemne a man do neither vnderstande the nature of sinne nor this sentence of the Apostle which we are now in hande with Farther if of sinne commeth death all sinnes are of their owne nature to be All sinnes are of theyr own nature to be called deadly called deadly For in that God imputeth not some sinnes vnto vs that commeth not of the lightnes of the sinnes but of his mercy For there can be no sinne so light which bringeth not destruction vnles the mercy of God helpe And yet doo we not say with the Stoikes that all sinnes are alike For we know that Paul describeth vnto vs certaine sinnes which are so greuous that they exclude men froÌ„ the kingdome Sinnes are not a like of heauen For that all men haue sinned This mought haue seemed very sharpe and harde that for the sinne only of the first man all men should dye But Paul sheweth that this is iustly done bicause all men haue sinned About this particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth in quo that is in which and is englished For that is no small controuersie how it ought to be takeÌ„ Some will haue it to be referred vnto sin But the Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which weÌ„t before it semeth to be against that For it is the Feminine gender Howbeit it may be that Paul had a respect vnto yâ— other worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the newter geÌ„der which word he afterward ofteÌ„times vseth although it be counted a fault in speache to referre the relatiue to things coÌ„ming after Others thinke that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought to be referred vnto Adam But against these men is the signification of this preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which when it is ioyned with a datiue case as Erasmus sayth is not amongst any good authors founde to signifie all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in Wherfore it semeth that the Latine interpreter was deceiued which turned this sence thus In whome all men haue sinned Howbeit the A similitude Gréeke scholies vnder the person of Phocius vary not from the Latine interpretation For they expounde thys sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in whiche Adam by by which Adam But touching this matter I wil not much coÌ„tend For I thinke that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a particle causall so that the sence is Therefore hathe death gone ouer all men because all men haue sinned For Chrisostome sayth That when Adam fell all other men also which did not eate of the fruite were touched
as we are able and to the end we should not be faint harted he comforteth vs in promising vs an easy victory bicause we are not vnder the law but vnder grace What then shal we sinne bicause we are not vnder the law but vnder grace God forbidde Knowe ye not that to whomesoeuer ye geue your selues as seruantes to obey hys seruaÌ„ts ye are to whome ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnes But God be thanked that ye were the seruants of sinne but ye haue obeyed from the harte vnto the forme of the doctrine wherunto ye were deliuered But beyng made free from synne ye are made the seruauntes of righteousnes What shall we therfore sinne bicause we are not vnder the law but vnder grace Now coÌ„meth he vnto the second reason wherby he entendeth to proue yâ— we ought not to abide in sinnes none otherwise theÌ„ he came at yâ— beginning of this chap. vnto his first reasoÌ„ For euen as before he depressed yâ— law coÌ„mended grace wherupon the aduersaries toke occasioÌ„ of speking slaundrous words saying shal we abide in sinne that grace may abound So coÌ„cludeth he yâ— reason now brought forth by these wordes For ye are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace At whiche wordes the false prophetes cried out saying that many were offended and accused the doctrine of Paul And therefore he oftentymes obiecteth vnto himselfe such Antipophora is â— figure interrogations For his doctrine for that cause was euery where euill spoken of Wherefore here is vsed the figure * Antipophora If it be so as thou sayst that we are deliuered from the lawe then may we sinne and that without punishement But they which make this obiection are wonderfully deceaued For the deliuery from the lawe is not geuen to liue licenciously but rather for a more perfecter absolutenes Wherefore Paul addeth God forbid signifiing that he excedingly abhorred from such kinde of doctrine And this absurdity mought haue followed if Paul had affirmed only that we are deliuered from the lawe and had added nothing els But in that he addeth But ye are vnder grace he sheweth Grace is a more excelleÌ„ter scholemaster then the law that they are so deliuered from the lawe to the ende they should lyue vnder a more excellenter schoolemaster for by grace and the holy ghost we are not only so illustrated that we sée what thinges we ought to do but also we are excedingly stirred vp and pricked forward to execute the selfe same thinges Wherefore the Apostle doth not so leaue the godly without the lawe that he woulde haue them let loose the bridle vnto wicked lustes but he setteth forth grace which through the benefite of the Gospell succeded the lawe And forasmuch as men are much better gouerned by grace and by the holy ghost then they are by the lawe it easely appeareth how weake the argument of these men is For in their disputation they take as it was said at the beginning that for the cause whiche is not the cause But so farre is it of that that which Paul sayth is the cause of sinne that of it rather the contrary followeth For they which are vnder grace and are gouerned They which are gouerned by the conduite of grace sinâ—â— not by the conduite thereof sinne not yea rather forasmuch as Christ 〈…〉 gh grace liueth in them they can not sinne so farre forth as by hym they are â—tirreâ— vp to any kynd of worke For Paul saith vnto the Galathyans I liue but not I now but Christ liueth in me But they sinne which liue vnder thâ— Lawe which 〈…〉 seth and condemneth them as Paul writeth vnto Timo. The law is not geuen vnto a righteous man but vnto the vngodly and vnto sinners to 〈…〉 holy and 〈…〉 the prophane to murtherers of fathers and mothers to manslears to whoremongers and to abusers of nature and if there be any other thing that is contrary to wholsome doctrine By thys place we sée that they which are infected with these wicked vices are vnder the dominion of the lawe namely by it to be accused and punished But the Gospell suffreth vs not to remayne in sinne for it doth not only preach the remission of sinnes but also vnto theÌ„ that beleue it bringeth the spirite of God whereby they are wonderfully inflamed and stirred vp to holy workes Neither is this reason of any force We are not compelled by threatninges and punishements of the law to withhold our selues from sinne therefore we are by none other meanes impelled By what reasons the regenerate are bound to liue holilye They which liue vndergrace oughte to obey God A similitude of seruauntes to lyue innocently For we are bound of dewty piety and fayth to lyue honestly and holilye which things vndoubtedly are of greater force and doo more vehemently stirre vs vp then any bond of the Lawe This is the effect of the reason aleadged They which liue vnder grace ought to obey God but to make the thyng more playne we will expresse it by a similitude of seruants for they ought in all things to be obedient vnto their masters and to be comformable vnto theyr willes thus therefore he reasoneth It is mete that seruaunts obey their Lords But ye are now made the seruauntes of righteousnes wherefore vnto it oughte ye to do seruice and not vnto sinne Farther to strike vs more sharpely he addeth to this reason a double spurre to pricke vs forward firste he sayth that they came into this seruitude not against their willes or by compulsion but willyngly and of theyr owne accorde secondlye as muche as lyeth in hym he layth before theyr eyes the haynousnes of synne and geueth thankes vnto God who deliuered them from it and made them the seruauntes of righteousnes If a man demaunde at what tyme we addicte our selues to be seruauntes vnto righteousnes Chrisostome answereth that we then do it when we are baptised So by the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme he declareth both this reason and also the other wherby he proued that we are dead vnto sinne This similitude of seruauÌ„tes and Lords is confirmed by that right or law whereby seruauntes are bound vnto theyr Lordes which law whither it be the law of god or the law of man maketh theÌ„ bound to obey theyr Lords and this thinge may be knowen by the finall cause if we consider the property of the name Augustine in this 19. booke De ciuitate Dei the 15. chap writeth that Serui that is seruaunts were so called of the Latine meÌ„ Why Serui that is seruants are so called Seruio in lattine signifyeth to saue or to keepe Seruitude sprange of sinne We are born slaues vnto Sathan bycause being taken in warre they were saued of theyr enemies For they which were taken were not alwayes slayne by them that ouercame them but sometimes were reserued one liue for this purpose that they should be seruauntes vnto them that tooke them And
incline our hartes that we may walke in hys wayes and wyth Paul to the Thessalonians The Lord direct your hartes in patience and in the wayting for of Christ. And Solomon in his prouerbes sayth The hart of the kinge is in the hand of God and to what end he wyll he enclineth it These testemonyes sufficiently declare that it is the worke of God and not our worke to be conuerted vnto hym and to liue vprightly Here some obiect vnto vs the commaundementes which are set forth vnto vs in the holy scriptures for they séeme to signifie that it lieth in our selues to performe the thinges which are commaunded For Esay sayth If ye will and wyll harken vnto me ye shall eate the good thynges of the earth And the Lord oftentimes commaundeth vs to conuert our selues vnto him Be ye conuerted sayth he vnto me I wyll not the death of a sinner I had rather he should be conuerted and lyue And when he had published abroade the lawe he sayd that the had set before them life and death blessing and cursing And infinite such other like testemonies mought be brought But here we ought to consider that these thinges in Commaundements in deede are geuen but we are not taught that is lieth in humane strengthes to performe them By the law of God we must measure our infirmity and not our strengthes dede are commaunded vnto men but we are no where tought that a man is able to performe them by his owne proper strengthes Neither is it mete that by the preceptes of the lawe of God we should gather the power of our strengthes as though we of our owne accord are able to performe so much as the lawe of God commaundeth Yea rather hereby is to be measured our infirmity that when we sée that the excellency and dignity of the commaundementes of God infinitly passeth our strenthes we should remember that the law hath a certayne other end then to be performed of vs. That ende Paul declareth to be sondry and diuers By the lawe sayth he commeth the knowledge of sinne which lawe he sayth was therfore geuen that the number of transgressions mought be increased For by this meanes the lawe is made a scholemaster to leade men vnto Christ that when they sée themselues oppressed with the waight of the commaundementes and with the greatnes of sinnes they should vnderstand that their saluation lieth only in the mercy of God in the redemption of Christ For when we perceaue our owne imbecillity and vnworthynes straight way we beginne to pray vnto God that he would both forgeue our sinnes through Christ and also minister vnto vs the helpe of his spirite that we may endeuor our selues vnto his will Geue what thou commaundest sayth Augustine and commaund what thou wylt Farther an other end of the law is that we should sée whereunto we must apply our selues It is possible also that if by the grace of God there be geuen an obedience begon men may frame thēselues vnto y◠law Lastly though in this life be not geuen vnto vs to be able exactly to satisfye the lawe yet in an other life when we haue caste of all this corruption we shall fully obtayne it And yet ought not God therefore to be accused of iniustice for it commeth not throughe his fault that his commaundements can not be obserued Neither can any of vs be excused for y◠we willingly Why God is not to be accused of iniustice desirously violate y◠law geuē vnto vs. The law was geuē as a thing most agréeable vnto our nature as it was first instituted For y◠image of God could not otherwise more liuely plainly be expressed And although by reason of sin we are not able to accōplish the law yet this at y◠least way we sée what maner ones we ought to be And that sentence which is commonly obiected that nothing is to be counted for sinne which dependeth not of election ought to be vnderstand as Augustine interpreteth it of that kind of sinne which is not a punishement of sinne For otherwise originall sinne is neither voluntary nor receaued by election But thou wilt say Seing the matter goeth so we shall séeme of necessity to sticke fast in sinne Which thing doubles I will not deny Although such is this necessity that it hath not compulsion ioyned with it God is of necessity good neither can he by any meanes sinne and yet is he not violently compelled to be good which thyng The necessity of sinning is without compulsion Augustine in his 22. booke De ciuitate dei and 30. chapter excellently well declareth Shall we sayth he for that God hymselfe can not sinne therefore deny that he hath free will Ambrose in his 2. booke and third chapiter de Fide to Gratian the emperor testefieth that God is free when as sayth he one and the selfe same spirite worketh all thinges diuiding vnto all as pleaseth him according to the choyse of hys free will and not for the dewty of necessity In these sentences of these fathers free wil is so taken that it is contrary vnto violence and compulsion not that it is equally prone to ether part Wherefore Ierome in his homely of the prodigall sonne which he wrote vnto damasus for that he tooke free will in an other sence therefore wrote otherwise For it is God only sayth he on whome sinne falleth not nether can fall But others forasmuch as they haue free will may be bowed to ether part Vnto blessed spirites also and angells forasmuch as theyr felicity is nowe confirmed this belongeth that they can not sinne Wherefore Augustine in his 22. booke de Ciuitate Dei the. 30. chapiter Euen as sayth he the first immortalitye whiche Adam thorough sin lost was that he mought not die so the first free wil was that he mought not sin but the last free wil shall be that he can not sin And yet notwithstanding there is graunted a certayne kinde of libertye not whereby they can be bowed to ether part but whereby although that which they do is of necessity yet are they not compelled or violentlye driuen For euen as there are certayne true thinges so manifest that the minde can not but assent vnto them so the presence of God A similitude Why the blessed can not sinne now reuealed and made manifest is so greate a good thing that the saintes can not fall away from it So also although we of necessity sinne before we be regenerate in Christe yet are not therefore the powers of the will violated for whatsoeuer we do we do it both willingly and also being induced by some certayne hope And yet are we not therefore to be counted nothinge to differ from brute beastes For they although they be moued by some certayne iudgmēt yet They that are not regenerate differ from brute beastes is it not by a free iudgement But in men although not yet regenerate there is still as we
it should not desperation would easely succede For euen as the lawe ought alwayes to be ioyned with the Gospell so also ought feare to be euer ioyned with faith We do not so embrace the Gospel but that we alwayes thinke vpon the obedience of the commaundementes of God And when we see how often and how greeuously we fall we call our selues backe agayne to repentance And contrariwise the lawe is not to be receaued without the Gospell for if it should we could neither obey it without Christ nor also obtayne pardon for the offences which we haue committed against Paul calleth vs back from that feare which wanteth faith The propriety of the giftes of the holy ghost How many the giftes of the holy ghost are it Wherefore Paul calleth vs not backe vtterly from all feare of God but from that feare only which wanteth faith and which flieth from God as from an enemy and from a cruell tyranne But that feare which hath faith to moderate it can not be reproued For it is the gift of the holy ghost as we rede in the xi chapter of Esay And the property of the giftes of the holy ghost is that by them we remitte all our vertues and affectes to the moderation of faith and make them to serue God truly and sincerely And these giftes are commonly counted to be seuen And if a man demaunde how they proue that straight way they cite the 11. chapter of Esay But if we examine that place by the Hebrew verity we shall finde there only sixe giftes namely the spirite of wisdom of vnderstanding of counsell of fortitude of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord. But these men were deceaued by the lattine translation which followed not the Hebrew verity but the 70. interpreters For they betweene the spirite of knowledge and of feare haue put the spirite of piety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is pertaining to the obedience of God Whereby it seemeth that they ment to interpretate what y◠feare of God should be which should light vpon the Messias of whome is in that place mencion made For that feare was neither seruile What manner of feare was in Christ nor filial but only an obedience piety and reuerence towardes God his father Neither haue the 70. only once so interpreted the feare of God For in the booke of Iob where we rede Fearinge God they haue turned it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Obeying God Howbeit vndoubtedly we ought not to contract into so narrow a number the giftes of the holy ghost to thinke them to be only sixe or seuen The nomber of the giftes of the holy Ghost◠is great For besides all those which are reckoned in that chapter the same Esay in an other place reckoneth the spirite of iudgement and of zeale and Zachary maketh mencion of the spirit of righteousnes and Paul here of the spirite of sanctification and Iohn of the spirite of truth Paul againe in an other place of the spirite of adoption and to the Ephesians of the spirite of promise and a greate many other like giftes And this so being let vs now see how both in this life and in the other life feare may haue place The Saintes when they are in heauen What manner of feare can be in those which are deade for that they shal then haue perfect charity properly to speake of feare as it is a motion stirred vp by reason of some greeuous euil that hangeth ouer vs shall haue no feare This doth Augustine confesse vpon the 5. Psalme vpon these wordes I will worship towardes thyne holy temple in thy feare But in them can only be that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y◠is obedience reuerence worshipping piety towards God as the 70. haue expounded the spirite of the feare of the Lord. And so such a gift mought be found in Christ who otherwise coulde neither feare sinne nor hell fyre nor fatherly chastismentes of God And if a man would say that How Christ feared death he feared death that ought to be vnderstand of naturall feare of which we entreate not at this present And in this maner is Ambrose to be taken when in his booke of the holy ghost he affirmeth that the giftes of the holy ghost are in the Angels Out of which wordes the Scholemen gather that in them is the feare of God For doubtles seing they are in blessed state that can no otherwise be vnderstand but after that maner that I haue now spoken of But touching The saints so long as they liue here can not want the filiall feare the godly in this life we must thus be perswaded to thinke that they can not want the filial feare so that that feare be as I haue before tought in such sort vnderstand that they do not only flye from offending of God and are aferd of falles against his will but also are moued with the feare of hell fire and of the wrath of God and of punishmentes vnto which feare yet a quiet faith and confidence Threatninges in the law are not vaine but profite the saintes also in the mercy of God are as a present comfort For we ought not to thinke that the threatninges in the holy scriptures are vayne for they are profitable also vnto the godly especially when they haue not as yet obtayned perfect charity and absolute regeneration Christ saith vnto the Apostles I wyll shewe you whome ye shall feare namely him which when he hath killed the body can also send the soule into hell fire And Paul to the Corrinthyans bringeth forth examples of the Hebrewes in the olde tyme whereby he declareth that they for abusing the sacramentes of God were destroyed in the desert by which examples he ment to admonishe the Corrinthyans to beware of the like vengeance Many saith he are weake and many slepe And if we would iudge our selues we should not vndoubtedly be iudged But now forasmuch as we are iudged we are corrected of the Lord that we should not be condemned with this world And vnto the Phillippians With feare and with trembling worke your saluation And vnto the Romanes Be not ouer wise but feare Hereby we see that godly men liue not vpō the earth without the feare of God And here feare hath a respect vnto many kindes of euils For the godly are afeard of sinne of often fallinges of the wrath of God of fatherly chastismentes of scourges which God inflicteth also vpō his whē they sinne and finally of hell fire which they sée they haue deserued vnles God by his mercy and Christ by his sacrifice which he offred vpon the Crosse should helpe and succour vs. But what meaneth it that Iohn saith Perfect charity casteth out feare ▪ A place of Iohn declared I know there are some which interpretate those wordes in this sence That they which loue God truly are not afeard for piety sake to put themselues in al maner of dangers neither do
Christ we haue the inheritaunce of the Father common with Christ and we be so wholy grafted into him and altogether knitte with hym that by hys spirite we liue But then shall we come vnto thys inheritaunce when it shall be sayd vnto vs Come ye blessed of my father receaue the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world And we ar the fellow heires of Christ bycause as Iohn sayth when he shall appeare we shall be like vnto hym And Paul sayth to the Colloss Ye are dead ▪ your life is hidden with Christ in God But when Christ What inheritance is your life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare together with him in glory Inheritaūce as it is defined of the Lawiers is a succession into the whole right of the dead person Can this seme a small matter to any man to be made pertaker of the whole right of God Doubtles Peter sayth we are made pertakers of the nature of God Here Ambrose noteth that it is not in thys matter as we se it commeth to passe commonly in the world For the testator must first dye before the successor can come vnto the inheritaunce But God dieth not Yea rather we which are appointed hys heyres do first die before that possession can be deliuered vnto vs. Christ also first died before he came vnto the glory which was appoynted for hym Farther as touching ciuill Lawes the heyre is counted one and the selfe same person with him that maketh him heyre So we are by Christ so streightly knitte together with God that we are nowe one with him as Christe prayed That they may be one as thou and I are one For all thinges are ours and we are Christes and Christ is Gods This inheritaunce obteyne we freely by the spirite of Christ Wherefore the bishoppes of Rome and theyr champions the Cardinalls and false Bishoppes doo wickedlye whiche haue enclosede thys inheritaunce of This inheritaunce we obteyne freely remission of sinnes and of comminge vnto the kingdome of God vnder theyr counterfete kayes so that they can at theyr pleasure sell it and ether thruste downe to hell or send vp to heauen whome they will Here agayne we haue somewhat to saye of Chrisostome For he as before he wrote that the Iewes beynge vnder the Lawe were excluded from the adoptyon of the sonnes of God so here denieth that they were the heyres of God And he citeth to confirme this sentence that place of Mathew He shall destroy to nought the wicked Many shall come from the East and from the West and shall rest with Abraham Isaac and Iacob but the children of the kingdome shall be cast forth a dores Againe The kingdome of God shall be taken from you By these places thinketh he it is manifest that this inheritaunce pertained not vnto the Iewes But we herein also can not assent vnto him For God said vnto Abraham I am thy most ample reward And in y◠The fathers also in the old testamente were heires parable or rather the history of the Gospell the poore man Lazarus was sene in the bosome of Abraham Which what other thing was it but that he had obteined the inheritaunce of God and of Christe Paul to the Galathians sayth An heyre so longe as he is a childe nothinge differeth from a seruaunt when as yet he is Lord of all but is vnder tutours and gouernours euen vnto the tyme appointed of his father Which wordes plainly declare that the elders although by reason of the law and of ceremonies they liued after a certain seruile manner yet were in dede heyres although they were but children And that estate endured vntill the commyng of of Christ But that which Chrisostome bringeth out of Mathew is not spoken of y◠Many false Christians also which shall not possesse the kingdome of God good and godly Iewes but of the wicked and noughty husbandmen which slew the heyre Wherfore by such sentences we ought not to condemne all the Iewes in the olde tyme or to exclude them from the inheritaunce of God yea rather we ought to thinke that the vngodly Christians shal not be delt with one whit better then they were delt with For there are amongst vs many hypocrites and vngodly persons which as Paul sayth shall not possesse the kingdome of God And at this day if a man should looke for the church of Smyrna and y◠church of Philadelphus and many other churches which were in tymes past of great fame in Asia and in Siria he shall finde them either vtterly ouerthrowen or els miserably intreated vnder the tyranny of the Turke and no lesse afflicted then the Iewes are at this day which liue captiues vnder the Christians or vnder the Turkes If so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified wyth hym Euen as before he taught that we are made certaine of our adoption by inuocation or prayer wherin the holy ghost beareth witnes together with our spirite y◠we are y◠sons of God so here he sheweth a testimonye whereby we may be made more certain of attainyng vnto this ▪ inheritance which he hath spoken of Ye shal Crosses aduersities are tokens that we shal obteyne the inheritance without all doubt saith he obtein it For ye shall raign with Christ forasmuch as ye haue already attained to suffer with him Wherfore tribulations crosses are tokens and arguments wherby we may gather that we shall be the heyres of God Paul sayth vnto the Philippians That vnto them it is geuen for Christes sake not only to beleue in him but also to suffer for hym This first gift which we se we haue now obteined maketh vs certaine of the latter y◠we shall at the length not be defranded of it For no small or light power of God is declared in thē which valiantlye for paciently piety sake suffer aduersities persecutions I know there are some The condition or estate b◠which we must passe vnto the eternall inheritance which interpretate these wordes otherwise that Paul should seme to ascribe a certaine condition or estate by which we shall passe vnto the eternall inheritaunce namely if we haue first suffred many thinges And doubtles the Gréeke particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is turned if so be may be drawen to either sentence This is certaine that Paul here maketh a certaine digression although it be soft and hidden to comforte these men for the afflictions which they suffred But yet departeth he not frō that purpose which he had in hande but with one and the selfe same labour both prosecuteth that which he began and also comforteth thē And it is all one as if he should haue said ye shall in dede be heyres but yet vpon this conditiō that ye must first suffer many thinges Christ requireth nothing at your hands which he him selfe hath not first performed he leadeth you no other way then that whereby he We shall haue the
sayth That our light affliction which is in vs but for a tyme causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall wright of glory In these words is declared By what meanes eternall life far passeth all our afflictions wherfore eternall life passeth al the trauailes of this life namely bycause of the waight diuturnity and greatenes For whatsoeuer thinges we suffer here are called of Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is momentary or during but for a time He addeth also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which wordes is shewed theyr lightnes But contrariwise vnto glory is attributed both eternity and also a wonderfull greate waight which excedeth all measure VVhich shall be reuealed tovvards vs. He saith yâ— this glory shal be reuealed Euen now we haue the frâ—icion of a great part of our glory although hidden Glory signifieth here our whole felicity that we should not thinke that presently we are quite voyde of it for we alredy possesse a greate part thereof although it be not as yet perfect nor manifest vnto the world So Paul speaketh to the Colossians Ye are dead with Christ and your life is hidden with Christe in God But when Christe your life shal appeare then also shall ye appeare together with hym in glorye And this is to be noted yâ— Paul in thys only word glory compreheÌ„deth our whole felicity which we wayt for And there in he followeth the iudgement of men which ar wont to esteme glory as the chiefe good thing Wherof also the philisophers thus affirm yâ— as yâ— shadow followeth yâ— body so doth glory follow true perfect vertue Wherefore glory compreheÌ„deth Glory followeth vertue Glory comprehendeth two things Why blessednes is nor reuealed in this life Similitudes Difference betwene the seruaÌ„ts of Christ the seruaÌ„ts of the world two things which ar excedingly to be desired first that a man be adorned with vertues secondly yâ— he get the good fame of the people But why the blessednes which we wayte for is not reueled in this life Chrisostome thinketh this to be the cause for that it farre passeth the state of thys life And Paul therefore the longer tarieth in the amplification thereof thereby the more to stirre vppe the Romanes to the suffring of afflictions For a souldier is excedingly strengthned to suffer perilles if he hope the victory shall be fruitefull and profitable And a marchaunt is not broken with any labours of sailing or traueling if he hope he shall thereby haue greate gayne Farther we ought to consider that the lot of the citesines of this world is farre diuers from yâ— lot of holy men which serue Christ For they with the greatnes of theyr labors go beyond those good things which they contend to attayne but we though we behaue our selues stoutelye and valiantly as Paul sayth yet are not our workes to be compared with that end which we set before vs. The examples of the Romanes will easely teach vs to vnderstand thys difference Brutus for the preseruation of the liberty of hys countrey did not sticke to slay hys owne children In which thing hereunto also Examples of the Ethnikes had he regard to attayne the prayse of a good citezen For thus writeth the Poete Virgill of hym Vicit amor patriae laudumque immensa cupido that is He was ouercome with the loue of his countrey and vnmesurable desire of prayse Those were the endes of the Ethnikes which were vndoubtedly very small and The endes that the Ethnikes set before them were small and slender Humaâ—ne prayse vnconstant not true sâ—lender For the liberty which they had a regard vnto was not such as is ours whereby we are deliuered from sinne from Sathan from death and from the wrath of God They sought humane prayse a thing doubties vnconstant and of small force But our end is to approue our selues vnto God whose iudgment can not be deceaued Torquatus also slew his owne sonne for that in fightinge agaynst the enemy he had violated the Law of warre Then we also to kepe the Law of God ought not to doubt wheÌ„ nede shall require to suffer all maner of most greauous tormentes For the Lawes of God are not to be compared with the Lawes of warre Camillus being banished out of his countrey valiantly afterward restored it being oppressed of yâ— Galles for that he thought he could not liue with more glory in any other place But a Christian counteth it not so wonderfull a fact which being hurt of any in the Church laying aside desire to auenge seketh by his endeuour to helpe his brother of whom he was hurt and to adorne the Church for out of it no man can liue holily nor attayne vnto eternall felicity Q â–ª Mutius Sceuola of hys owne accord thrust hys right hand into the fire for that it missed when it should haue smitten Porsena What meruayle is it then if a man to obteyne the kyngdome of heauen wyll offer vnto the fire not onely one of his hands but also his whole body to be burnt Curtius being armed at all poyntes and mounted vpon a horse threw himselfe of his owne accord into a gulfe of the earth that the citye of Rome might be deliuered from the pestilence For so had the oracle geuen answere that the wrath of the Godds would cease if that that which the Romanes estemed best were throwen into that gulfe We haue an oracle farre more certayne that they are not to be feared which kill the body but can not kill the soule The Decians vowed themselues to the death that theyr legions of souldiers might be preserued and get the victory Our Martirs also when they doo shed theyr bloud rather then they will be plucked away from the religion of Christ can not boast that they take in hand an enterprise not hard of before M. Puluillus when he should coÌ„secrate a temple vnto Iupiter and in the meane time worde was brought hym by enuious persons of the death of hys sonne was not one white abashed in mynde neyther ceased he of from that which he had begonne but commaunded that hys sonne beyng deade shoulde be caryed out and buryed What mynde then ought a Christian to haue when as he heareth the Lorde saye Suffer the dead to bury theyr dead Regulus when as he had sworne that he woulde returne vnto Carthage althoughe he knewe he shoulde be put to moste greauous tormentes yet woulde he not committe so foule a fact as to violate hys fayth Wherefore we also seing in Baptisme we haue publikely geuen our faith vnto Christ although for yâ— keping of it we should suffer all maner of euils yet ought we not to violate it Some will boast they haue contemned riches and haue for Christes sake taken vppon them a voluntary pouerly but these men thus boasting should call to mind Cincinnatus who after he had behaued himself honourably and done notable actes in his Dictatorship of his owne accord returned againe to till and
thinges he hath of God So Paul to the Corrinthians when he had sayd that he had laboured more then all others added But not I but the grace of God whiche is in me The axe is not sayde to make the arke but the carpenter which vseth the axe so we also are the instruments of God both to wil to worke but it is God which worketh those things in We are the instrumeÌ„ts of God vs. Here they obiect then are not we lordes of our owne actions if it be God which worketh our workes in vs. These men vnderstand not that God the creator with so great wisedome worketh in all thinges that he moueth them not but in such maner as they ought to be moued Wherefore seing our will is so made of God that it caÌ„ not be compelled God driueth it not by force to do any thing vnwillingly The wil of man cannot be coÌ„pelled but of himselfe geueth vnto it to worke fréely and of his owne accord And therfore are we lordes of our owne actions in as much as we do nothing by compulsion Wherefore the Apostle hath now excluded both our endeuors and also our workes but yet not to that entent we should liue idely But because here is entreated of predestination and of the eternal election of God therefore these things We must not by reasoÌ„ of the doctrine of predestination geue our selues to liue â—â—elly are not to be farther dilated then the place it selfe will suffer After that we are once regenerate and that we haue the spirite of God all occasions of sluggishnes and slouthfulnes is vtterly taken away In the interpretacion of Ambrose this is to be noted that first he confesseth that that which is asked oughte not to be in the will of the asker but in the choyse of the geuer Which sentence if it might be taken playnly maketh very much on our side but he spake it in a farre other sence For straight way he addeth For whether it be mete to be geuen or no it ought to be weighed by the iudgement of the geuer Dauid and Saul required pardon but God iustly iudged which of them asked with a good mynde and which with an euill and his iustice may be declared in the euent For wheÌ„ eche of theÌ„ fell into great narrow straights touching their kingdome Dauid declared hys worthynes which beyng driuen out of his house by hys sonne with a patient mynde bare that chance neither suffred he Semey to be killed when he cursed hym But Saul beyng broken with aduersities dispayred of the Lord and sought helpe at the handes of a witche and wicked spirite These thinges declare that the iudgement of God was not deceaued So he thus vnderstandeth these wordes It is not of hym that willeth nor of him that runneth that it is not inough to will vnles the iudgement of God confirme that will to be good But this interpretacion is manifestly repugnant with that particle But of God that hath mercy For that which Paul referreth vnto the mercy of God this man referreth to iudgement Chrisostome although he thinketh that this clause It is not of hym that willeth nor of hym that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy to be an antithesis pronounced vnder the person of the aduersary yet because as I suppose he séeth that that agréeth not he so laboureth to interpretate this place otherwise that although they are counted to be the wordes of the Apostle yet therof he sayth followeth no absurdity for the Apostle ment to teache nothing els but that all is not of him that willeth nor of hym that runneth for we haue nede also of the grace of God and therefore we must not put any confidence in our workes and vertues But we haue alredy before sufficiently tought that this is an interpretacion not according to the place For they which retayne vnto themselues any thing and remitte not all whole to God although that seme to be but a litle and a modicum yet is it repugnant to the holy scriptures For they most playnly teach that as touching this matter there lieth nothing in our power And when Paul sayth that boasting is excluded not by the lawe of workes forasmuch as euen this modicum which these men seke to retayne can be nothing els but a worke they say in wordes onely and to no purpose that there is nothing whereof we can glory for in very dede they leue matter to glory of Of these things Chrisostome afterward speaketh when he interpretateth these wordes And if God minding to declare his wrath c. Wherefore it appeareth that both he and also others tooke occasion of their interpretacion of Origen For the scripture saith vnto Pharao For this same purpose haue I raysed thee vp to declare in thee my power and that my name mought be shewed forth throughout all the earth Wherfore he hath mercy on whome he will and whome he will he hardeneth Augustine to Simplicianus thus knitteth together these wordes with that which hath bene already spoken It behoued the Apostle to proue that it is not of man that willeth but of God that hath mercy Therefore he bringeth scripture which testifieth this thyng of Pharao namely that he was to thys ende stirred vp of God that he moughte in him shewe forth his power This conclusion is diuers from the former conclusion Farther he noteth that the conclusion here is diuers from the conclusion going before For he here saith not it is not of him that willeth nor of him that contemneth but of God reiecting as he before sayde It is not of hym that willeth nor of hym that runneth but of God that hath mercy Of this diuersity this I sée to be It coÌ„meth of him that doth ill to be condemned but not of him that doth wel to be saued Why God reiecteth not in consideration of workes foresene Here men are more offended the reason for that euill workes deserue calamity and destruction but good works deserue not felicity Wherefore it may come of the euill man to be condemned but it can not come of hym that worketh well to be saued And yet ought we not therefore to thynke that God is by euyll workes foresene led that he will not haue mercye on any man for that dependeth onelye of hys mere wyll For as touchyng some those whom he hath decréed to electe are no lesse corrupt in hys syght then those whome he reiecteth But thys is worthy the noting that there is greater controuersie touching this part theÌ„ there was about yâ— part which weÌ„t before For it is les displeasaÌ„t vnto meÌ„ iâ— they be said to be predestinated and elected then if they be sayd to be hated and reiected of the mere will of God wtout all consideration of merites when as yet the consideration in ech is a like Of Pharao it is written in the 9 â–ª chapiter of Exodus To this ende haue I raysed thee vp to shew forth in
draue his Apostles out of their borders And in that the Prophet saith that the Lord had left remnantes thereby we vnderstand that our preseruation dependeth of him and not of our selues He electeth vs he prouideth that we The preseruatioÌ„ of the godly dependeth wholy of God What the God of Sabaoth signifieth fall not he stirreth vs vp to liue holily he gouerneth vs he geueth vnto vs perseuerance Wherefore seing that those are his giftes let vs count to haue receaued theÌ„ at his hands But why God is called the Lord of Sabaoth sondry reasons are geuen Some say that by hostes ouer whome God is the chiefe are vnderstanded the starres which being worshipped of the Ethnikes for Gods by this title it is verye plaine how farre the God which the Iewes worshipped surmounted them For by that worde is declared that he is the moderator and gouerner of all the celestiall orbes and ornamentes Some thinke that God was so called by reason of the hostes of the Israelites in the midst of which hostes was caried the Arke of the couenant as often as they should pitche going thorow the desert Others againe will haue All creatures are the hostes of God this word to pertaine vnto yâ— angels who are yâ— hostes of God But as I iudge he was so called because al creatures are as it wer his hosts For they are instrumeÌ„ts of his power wil do no les obey him then souldiers do theyr captaine yea also wicked men and the Deuils vnawares and vnwitting do seruice vnto his counsell And although those thinges which Esay the Prophet prophesied of the fewnes of those which should be saued happened in the time of king Ezechias at what time the city of Ierusalem was deliuered from the siege of Sennacherib and also in the restitution of the captiuity of Babilon from whence very few returned yet came they more truly to passe in the time of Christ when by Titus and Vespasian Ierusalem with the whole common wealth of the Iewes was vtterly ouerthrown Chrisostome weighing this which is written that it is God which left séede confesseth that these few were not of themselues preserued but of God which I suppose he vnderstandeth as he hath oftentimes declared in comparison of that whiche we bring For that if it be compared vnto that which is geuen vs of God he saith is very small and to be counted for nothing But we say with Ieremy It commeth of the mercy of the Lord that we are not consumed What shal we say then That the Gentiles which followed not righteousnes haue attayned vnto righteousnes euen the righteousnes which is of fayth But Israell which followed the law of righteousnes attayned not to the law of righteousnes Wherefore bycause they sought it not by fayth but as it were by the workes of the law for they haue stombled at the stumbling stone As it is writen Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and a rocke to make men fall and euery one that beleueth in hym shal not be ashamed What shal we say then That the Gentils which followed not righteousnes haue attained vnto righteousnes euen the rightousnes which is of faith But Israell which followed the law of righteousnes attained not to the lawe of righteousnes The Apostle in the beginning of this chapter beganne to entreat of the groundes of our saluation that is of election and of reprobation After that he declared the endes namely that the elect are predestinated to saluation and do attaine vnto it but the reprobate are left in damnation and are reiected of God Nowe he entreateth of the meanes whereby the elect are brought to saluation and the reprobate to destruction and those meanes he sayth are faythe and vnbeliefe Vnto the electe is geuen fayth whereby they apprehende righteousnes that is saluation the other are left voyde of faith and therefore obtayne not righteousnes to saluation Those thinges which the Apostle in the beginning of the chapiter entreated of had place in vs without any our assent namely before the foundacions of the world were layde But faith and incredulity whereof is now entreated are brought forth in vs but yet not after one and the same maner For fayth is not of our selues but is breathed into vs of Incredulity bursteth forth out of original sin We feele faith and in credulity in our selues God for it is the gift of God But incredulity of it selfe bursteth forth out of originall sinne These two thinges may easely be perceaued of vs for euery one hath experience in himselfe whether he doth beleue or not beleue But those two first namely election and reprobation forasmuch as they pertayne vnto the hidden will of God we can not attayne vnto the knowledge of them either by sence or by reason Touching them we are certified only by the spirite and by the scriptures And by the methode of the Apostle we plainely see how vtterly they peruert this order which wil haue predestination and reprobation to depend of our workes They should haue considered that Paul at this present maketh mencion of these thinges as the effectes of these groundes although they depend not of them after one and the selfe same maner as it is euident by these thinges which we haue oftentimes before spoken For he will haue these to be meanes whereby some are brought to saluation and other some to condemnation â–ª Those thinges also which the Apostle now teacheth conduce to the solution of the other question For of that that iustificatioÌ„ commeth only by faith semed to follow two absurdityes First that the promises of God are made Two doubtes which ariâ—â— against iufication by faith voyde for that the Israelites vnto whome those promises semed to be made were strangers from saluation The Apostle hereunto answereth that the promises are firme for they are by election contracted â–ª and as for election he sayth is frée and not onely extendeth vnto the Iewes and vnto Gentiles but also comprehendeth many mo of the Ethnikes theÌ„ of the Iewes The other doubt was for that amongst the Iewes were many goodly and shining workes which semed to pertayne vnto righteousnes â–ª And that mought seme absurde if they should be dissalowed of God which yet must needes be sayd if iustification should consist of fayth This doubt the Apostle dissolueth and sayth that it is no meruayle if this kynde of workes be reiected of God forasmuch as it waÌ„teth fayth without which can not consist the righteousnes which we haue before Goodly workes why they are sometymes reiected of God How great the might of predestination is God And although this matter be much more entreated of in the next chapter yet here he beginneth to make an entrance vnto it And forasmuch as the Apostle sayth that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnes attained vnto righteousnes but the Iewes attained not vnto the lawe of righteousnes which they followed thereby may be vnderstand how mighty the
willeth But that God should will sinnes is to be counted for most absurd and for a blasphemous doctrine They say moreouer that God can not iustly punish â–ª if we committe those thinges which he him selfe both willeth and worketh But this must we of necessity say if we affirme that not only our ends but also our meanes to the endes depend of the purpose of God To satisfye this doubt first let them remember that it can not be denied but that God after a sort willeth or as other some say permitteth sin But forasmuch as that is done without any coaction of our minde therefore no man when he sinneth can be excused For he willingly and of his owne accord committeth those sinnes for which he ought to be condemned and hath the true cause of theÌ„ in himselfe and therfore hath no nede to seke it in God Farther this is no good comparison which these men make betwene good workes and sinnes For God â—o worketh in vs good workes that he ministreth vnto vs his grace and spirit whereby these workes are wrought for those are the groundes of good workes which groundes doubtles we haue not of our selues But sinnes he so gouerneth and after a sorte How God is said after a sort to wil sinne willeth that yet notwithstanding the groundes of them that is the fleshe and our corrupt and vitiate nature are not in God but in vs. Wherefore there is no nede that they should be powred into vs by some outward motion And God is sayd after a sorte to will sinnes eyther for that when he can he prohibiteth them not or for that by his wisedome he directeth then to certayne endes or for that he suffreth them not to burst forth but when and how and to what vses he him selfe will or finally for that by them he will punish other sinnes But these adde that God by no meanes willeth sinne For so it is written in Ezechiell As truly as I liue sayth the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he be conuerted and liue But we answere that the Prophet in that place entreateth not of the mighty and hidden will of God and of his will of efficacy For God by that will worketh all thinges which he will both in heaueÌ„ and in earth But he entreateth of that will which they call the will of the signe For no man can by those signes and tokens which are expressed in the law gather that God The first aunswer willeth his death or condemnation For the lord commaunded hys lawe to be published vnto all men he hath vnto all men set forth those things which should be profitable and healthfull lastly he vpon all men indifferently powreth greate benefites Wherefore by this will which we call the will of the signe he willeth not the death of a sinner yea rather he prouoketh them to repentance But as touching the other will which they call the will of his good pleasure if by it he would that no man should perish then doubtles no man could perish and there is no will so peruerse as sayth Augustine which God if he wil caÌ„ not make good Wherefore according to this will he hath done all things whatsoeuer he would This is a redy and playne interpretation which if our aduersaries admit not but will nedes contend that the wordes of the Prophet are to be vnderstanded Another aunswer of the mighty will of God and of his wil of good pleasure theÌ„ will we answer yâ— yâ— sentence pertaineth not vniuersally vnto all sinners but only to those which repeÌ„t And those are yâ— electe predestinated vnto whome God as according to his purpose he geueth faith and vocation so also geueth he repentaunce Wherefore which sense so euer they followe they shall neuer by those woordes conclude that God vtterly by no meanes willeth the death of sinners or willeth sinne But they obiect certaine wordes out of the first chapter of the booke of wisedome where it is written God reioyseth not in the destruction of the liuing But if say they he by anye manner of meanes willeth sinne or the punishment thereof he can not be said not to reioyce therein For he reioyseth doubtles in that which he will haue to be done First I aunswere that that booke is not in the Canon and therfore the authority thereof maye be refused But amitte that that booke were canonicall yet do those wordes make nothing against vs. For he whatsoeuer he was that was the author God doth not against his will punishe wicked actes of that booke ment nothing els but to remoue from God that prauitye of nature whereby wicked men take pleasure in euil things And yet was not his meaning that God punisheth wicked factes against his wil. For otherwise whatsoeuer that author vnder the name of Salomon was he should be against the true Salomon For he in his Prouerbes vnder the person of wisedome thus writeth of the vngodly and of the vnbeleuers I also will laugh in your destruction In which wordes is declared that God with a laughing that is with a chiereful minde administreth iustice As touching the wordes of Ecclesiasticus which are writen in the. 15. chapter That no man ought to say of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he hath deceaued me How it is to be vnderstanded that God deceiueth no maÌ„ in which place the lattine translation hath Me implanauit Vnles we will haue that place to be manifestly repugnant with many other places of the scripture in which God is sayd to haue deceaued the people by false prophets and to haue commaunded that Achab the king should be deceaued and to haue made blind the hart of the people that they shoulde not sée we must néedes after this manner expounde those wordes That no man ought to lay the fault in God as though he woulde excuse himselfe Achab though he was deceaued yet he moste iustly deserued to be They whiche are deceiued are iustly deceiued deceaued for that he contemned the true oracles of God and delighted himselfe in false Prophets The infidelity also and impiety of the people of Israell caused the vengeance of God and execution to come vpon them so that when they were deceaued they could by no meanes be excused Our aduersaries also séeme somewhat to be offeÌ„ded for that we affirme that men haue in themselues the cause of sinnes that is a corrupte and viciate nature For in the first chapter of the booke of wisedome the generations of the world are sayde to be good and not to haue in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a medicine of destruction This is true indéede so that it be vnderstanded of the first constitution of thinges and chieflye of the creation of Our nature as it was instituted of God wanted corruption man which was created of God in a good estate But afterward thorow his fall he spilt both himselfe and his posterity
seme doubtfull whether it ought to be referred vnto Moses whome he had before cited or vnto the righteousnes of faith which is brought in as if it should speake But thys is no matter of wayght and there are some greke exēplers wherin is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y◠is But what saith the scriptures Nether is this to be passed ouer y◠in the Hebrue is had not only nigh or next but there is also added this aduerbe Meod which signifieth very whereby is noted a very nigh inward néerenes The Seuenty intepreters haue in their translation not onely in the hart and in the mouth but haue added in the handes But that is not had in the Hebrue and Paul hath left it out Augustine in his questions vppō Deut. who readeth after the translation of the Seuenty diligently noteth that But if it be added it nothing hindreth yea rather it helpeth the interpretacion of the Apostle whereby is declared that in that place is entreated of the commaundement of God as it is grafted in the hart as it is confirmed by the mouth and as it is expressed in worke But all these thinges are to be referred vnto Christe and How great the strēgth of fayth is vnto faith for that is it which causeth our mind and harte to be opened and made able to receiue those thinges which are vtterly repugnant vnto reason iudgemēt and sence and so is that made nigh vnto vs which is by nature most farre of from vs. And that the scripture by name mencioneth the hart it wanteth not a mistery for although faith pertaine vnto the assent of the minde yet notwithstandinge hath it most nighly ioyned with it the affect of the will which is by the hart described for that if vnto our vnderstanding or minde be offred those thinges which are most manifest and plaine it is so ouercome that it straight way geueth assent nether The minde when it assēteth vnto thinges very manifest waiteth not for the consent of the will How the vnderstanding will are vnto faith waiteth it for the commaundement or consent of the will as it is euident in the first principles of all sciences and in mathematicall demonstrations But whē thinges doubtfull are set foorth and that the reasons on either side are obscure and many thinges are agaynst the proposition set foorth the minde and vnderstanding geue not assent but by the commaundement and consent of the will which in that case peiseth and examineth the ambiguity Wherfore when faith is engendred in vs the holy ghost therein vseth two workes The one is so to illustrate the minde that it may be made certaine of the thing set before it although it be not very euident The other is that the will be so strengthned that by the affect therof it may ouercome whatsoeuer sence or reason do set foorth which is repugnante vnto the word of God geuen vnto vs. For in the worke of faith vnto our will is ioyned the holy Ghost for the assente whiche by beleuing we geue vnto the oracles of God is firme and of efficacy for the spirite chaungeth the will and maketh it of hys owne accorde vtterly to will those thinges which it before refused Wherfore God whē he geueth vnto vs faith gouerneth ech power of the soule as is agreable vnto their nature And forasmuch as this pertaineth to the wil not to iudge any thing of it self but to follow the iudgemente of vnderstanding the minde is by the spirite of God made assured of the thinges which are to be beleued and vnto it therewithall it is made plaine that we must wholy be obedient vnto God Therof it commeth that the wil resisteth not but represseth all thinges which otherwise shoulde be a let to this assent required at our hands He calleth the Gospel y◠word of faith for none other cause but for that by faith it is apprehended whereby a figuratiue kinde of speach the obiect is illustrated and described by the vertue which apprehendeth it This is the worde of faith which we preach This is not spoken that we should beleue that the Gospell is not ioyned with the law for how then could repētance be preached But therfore it is written for that the chiefest parte of the ministery of the Apostles is occupied about the righteousnes of faith And when it is said This is the word of fayth which we preach by a certaine Emphasis is declared that the doctrine of the Gospell is in no wise repugnant vnto the lawe of Moses yea rather it excellently well agréeth with it It is not onely sayd that the woorde is nigh in the hart but also in the mouth Which thing Paul weying moste aptly applied it to his purpose for this he saith belōgeth to confessiō which euer straight way foloweth a true effectuall faith Some of the Iewes vnderstood this place as though Moses should say now the word is in your mouth y◠is ye haue it in sight before you for this woorde Pi disagréeth not from this signification for it is sayde Keephi lephi which signifieth hard by and nighe Others also haue not vnaptlye by in the mouthe vnderstanded expressing or rehersing for the lawe being geuen and written the Iewes mought repeat and recite with themselues the woordes thereof And the Leuites daylye repeated it in the Tabernacle or in the temple of God and in this wise it was said to be had in the mouth But this is to be considered that it was for no other cause had in handes and sighte or recited either of the Leuites or of any of the people but to bring men vnto Christe and to stirre them Why the law was oftentimes repeted vp to faith in him and to prouoke the godly to confesse to praise and to allowe that which the Lord had spoken If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the lord Iesus and shalt beleue in thine harte that God hath raised him vp from the deade thou shalt be saued For with the hart mā beleueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made vnto saluation For the scripture saith whosoeuer beleueth in hym shall not be made ashamed For there is no difference betwene the Iew and the Grecian For there is one lorde ouer all who is riche vnto all them that call vpon him For whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the lord shal be saued If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleue in thine hart that God hath raysed him vp from the deade Althoughe Paul séemeth not here to obserue a right order for first we beleue before we make confession The fayth of an other mā is knowen onely by confession In the resurrectiō is accomplished our saluation yet because that we cannot iudge concerning our brother whether he beleue vnles we heare him first confesse for this cause the Apostle putteth the effect before the cause And amongst other thinges which are to be beleued he
doth not without good consideration setfoorth vnto vs the resurrection of Christ for that doubtles in the resurrection is accomplished our saluatioÌ„ For that which is now begonne in vs we shall haue absolute and perfect when we shall be pertakers of that life which Christ in his resurrection hath gotten not onely for himselfe but also for vs. Farther if Christ had not risen again from the dead he should not now be with the father obteining by his intercession grace spirite life for vs. And as Augustine teacheth the faith whereby we beleue that Christ arose againe from the dead is proper vnto christians for that he died the Iewes also and the Ethnikes The fayth of the resurrection of Christ is proper vnto christiaÌ„s The article of the resurrection is a knitting together of al the rest of the articles and all infidels beleue but that he arose againe onelye the members of Christ are persuaded thereof Lastly the resurrection of the lord is after a sorte a knitting together and a bond whereby the articles going before and the articles following concerning the faith of our saluation are very well knit together For if Christ rose againe it followeth that he died for our sinnes and that his sacrifice was acceptable vnto God neither could these thinges haue bene done vnles he had for the redemption of mankinde taken vpon hym flesh and had in very dede become man Moreouer if he rose againe he hath eternall life he is ascended vp vnto the father neither is he in vaine with him in heauen yea there he is as he hath promised at hand to helpe vs and prepareth a place for vs. For with the hart man beleueth to righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made to saluation With a certayne exclamation and that doubtles very profitable he concludeth the entreaty of the place which hee alledged out of Moses wherein he attributeth righteousnes vnto fayth onely and ioyneth coÌ„fession thereunto because a man should not thinke that hee speaketh of a weake dead fayth but of such a fayth as bryngeth forth confession And although there are a great many good woorkes which followe fayth yet Paule mencioneth that which is the chiefest and may easeliest be gathered out of the woordes of Moses before alledged for he as we haue heard vnto the hart ioyned the mouth And Christ sayth Of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh How be it this is to be noted and that noâ— negligently that Paule in this place attributeth iustification vnto fayth but some saluation he attributeth vnto confession And by saluation he here vnderstaÌ„deth not the chiefest saluation that is our reconciliation wyth God or absolution from sinnes as he before dyd when he sayd If thou beleue that God raysed him from the dead thou shalt be saued And afterward Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued But by saluation he vnderstandeth a farther perfection which is geuen vnto them whych are now iustified for dayly the powers of their mynde and the instrumentes or members of theyr body are made perfect by doyng good woorkes And wythout doubt when wee confesse the Lord by this laudable and holy worke we get much profit So ment Paule vnto the Philippians when he sayd Woorke your saluation with feare and with trembling And if thou contend that in this place by saluatioÌ„ is vnderstanded iustification that we wyl not sticke to graunt so it be vnderstanded onely as touchyng the effect and a posteriori as they vse to speake that is by that which followeth namely yâ— a maÌ„ may hereby iudge that such a one is iustified â–ª This place also maketh very much against certaine Libertines whych renew againe the errour Against Libertines of the Carpocraâ—ians and say that we must not confesse the â—eâ—â—ye of fayth before the iudgement seates of persecuters From whych errour the Nicodemites of our time are not very farre of whych say that it is mought to thinke we in the hart although outwardly true pietye be dissembled and although men gâ— to the rites and ceremonies of the Papistes We must in deede sake héede that we doo not rashly cast our selues into daungers but when God â—ath brought vs into them and that wee are examined touching the truth wee must remember that they which are ashamed of Christ before men he at the length wyll he ashamed Faith consisteth not without good works of them before the father Let our aduersaries go noâ— and obiect vnto vs that fayth can consist without good workes The Apostle when he entreateth of iustification describeth alwayes such a faith which of necessity hath confession and good woorkes ioyned with it For the scripture â—ayth Whosoeuer beleueth in him shall not be ashamed Now is it manifest why the Iewes could not complaine of theyr reâ—ection namely for that they were vnbeleuers And it is euident that righteousnes if we speake of the true righteousnes whych is before God can not be had but by fayth onely Whereof we may inferre that wheresoeuer fayth is there also is iustification and contrary The complaint of the Iewes stopped wyse where it wanteth iustification can in no wyse haue place Wherefore the Iewes haue nothing whereof to complaine For euen as the chiefest cause of our saluation namely the election or predestination of God is not contracted vnto the Iewes but is also poured abroade amongest the Gentiles as it hath bene declared in the. 9. chapter so faith which is the next cause of saluation is not shut vp amongest the Iewes onely yea rather but fewe of them beleued therefore the Iewes ought not to haue bene displeased for the conuersion of the Gentiles Hereunto the Apostle now endeuoreth him self to proue the the sentence which he had before spoken indifinitly namely with the hart man beleueth vnto righteousnes is to be vnderstanded vniuersally Lest the Iewes paraduenture should say It is true in deede that thou sayest but yet in our stocke onely and in the seede of Abraham It is not so sayeth Paule when as the Prophet Esay in hys 28. chapiter speaketh it by this word of vniuersality whosoeuer for hee sayeth who soeuer beleueth in him shall not be made ashamed To bee made ashamed in this place is nothing els but to be frustrated of the successe which was loked for For What is to be made ashamed when men are deceaued they are ashamed of vayne confidence This testimony of Esay the Prophet is in the. 28 thapiter which Paule also before vsed towards the end of the 9. chapiter But forasmuch as we haue there declared how it is written in the Hebrew and haue by the exposition of the Hebrew verity and of the translation of the 70. interpreters which Paule followed shewed the natiue and proper sense thereof wee will now ommitte to speake any more touching it For there is one Lord ouer all This sentence firmely proueth that as toothing saluation there is not to be put
Which thing if he do not vndoubtedly he beleueth not faythfully and truly This doth Augustine write of him selfe in his booke of confessions And in the actes of the Apostles the Ephesiās when they had geuen themselues ouer vnto Christ did not only confesse theyr sinnes but also burnt those bookes which before they had vsed vnto supersticion But I will declare vnto you what hath deceaued these men They read paraduenture in the Fathers that they attributed much vnto teares fastinges almes and other godly workes of the penitent But these men vnderstand In what sence the fathers haue attributed so much vnto prayers fastinges teares not what the Fathers ment in those places For they intreated of ecclesiastical satisfactions and not of our workes by which God should be pacified or the forgeuenes of sinnes deserued For the Church forasmuch as it saw not the inward fayth of thē y◠fal and there were many which not abiding the shame of excōmunication sometimes dissembled some shew of conuersion and repentaunce thereby the rather to be reconciled and receiued vnto the cōmunion of the other brethern the Church I say to the end this should not happen would haue a proofe of theyr fayth and conuersion neyther would it admitte them that fell vnto the fellowship of the faythfull before they had declared teares fastinges confessions and almes as witnesses of a true and perfect chāging And bycause these men marke not this they confound all thinges and build thereupon most detestable hipocrisye But they haue yet an other shift for they say that the workes of infidels are not sinnes although they be done without the fayth of Christ For they imagine that there Whether the workes of infidels be sinnes or no. is a certayne generall and confused fayth towardes God which fayth they which haue althoughe they beleue not in Christ yet may they worke many excellent workes which euen for that selfe same fayth sake may please God and after a sort deserue iustification They geue say they large almes they honor theyr parents they excedingly loue their countrey if they haue cōmitted any thing y◠is euil they are sory for it they liue moderately and do a greate many other such like thinges and that not rashly but bycause they beleue there is a God which delighteth in such workes Therefore they apply them selues vnto them to make themselues acceptable vnto him Farther they paynt out and colour theyr fayned lye with a trime similitude A stake say or a post being put into the earth although oftētimes A similitude it take not roote or life yet draweth it some iuyce out of the erth so bringeth forth some leaues and buddeth as if it liued in very dede So mē say they that are strāge from Christ although they liue not by the celestiall spirite yet by some inspiratiō of the spirite they worke those excellent workes which we haue described But we We please God with no faith but with that which is in Christ that are instructed by the holy scriptures doo acknowledge no other fayth whereby we can please God but only that which is in Christ Iesus For there is no other name vnder heauen geuen vnto men whereby we cā be saued but only the name of Christe our sauiour And Paul as often as he maketh mencion of fayth whiche iustifyeth alwayes declareth it to be that faythe whereby we are godlye affected towardes Christe and hys Gospell But leaste Paul shoulde seme to teach this thing peculiarly and alone I will a little more déepely repeate the whole matter Abraham beleued God and it was counted vnto him vnto righteousnes Abraham was iustified b◠faith in Christ But what beleued he Forsooth this that he shoulde haue séede geuen him namely that onely séede as Paul interpreteth it wherein all nations shoulde be blessed which is Christ Iesus This testament was confirmed of God vnto him in Christ yea the Lord himselfe when he spake of him said He saw my day and reioysed Iob also in the xix chap. I saith he do know that my redemer liueth which shall also rise in the last day ouer them that lye in the dust And after the wormes shall destroy this body I shall see the Lord in my flesh Whome I my selfe shall see and mine owne eyes shall behold and none other for me This faith expressed in those words is in no wise generall or confused For in it are plainly described the principall pointes whiche pertain vnto Christ For first he is called a redéemer wherein is published the forgeuenes of sinnes Further his comming to iudgement is set forth and also the resurrection of the deade in whiche resurrection not other bodies but euen the selfe same which they had before shal be restored vnto men There also put the humane nature of Christ which may be seene with corporall eies Further what manner A true faith draweth with it all good motions of the mynde They whiche be strāgers from Christ may haue a credulity but not a true faith The Turkes haue not a true fayth although they beleue many true things that we beleue of faith I beséech you is that faith which these men affirme infidels to haue For a true and firme persuasion and a constant and an assured assent vnto the promises of God draweth with it as I said at the beginning all good motions of the minde How then can they say that these men haue faith which lie still weltering in idolatry and in most filthy and grosse sinnes They may indéede haue some certaine credulitye either by education or by humane persuasion or by an opinion after a sorte rooted in them but to haue a true faith so long as they lead such a kind of life it is by no meanes possible vnles they will graunte that the Turkes haue also faith for they assente vnto many thinges whiche we professe and beleue But this place of Paul out of the first epistle vnto the Corrinthians If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing this place I saye they will haue to be vnderstande not onely of the true faith but they also saye that the same faith may be seperated from charitie howbeit they graunte that if it so come to passe the same fayth can profite nothing Seing therfore they after that sorte expound that place how agrée they with Paul when they say that a generall and cōfused faith which is in men that are yet straunge from Christe can bring foorth good workes which of congruity may merite iustification and please God when as Paul saith that euen the true faith also as they interprete it doth nothing profite without charitie But that similitude which they bring of a stake or post fastened into the earth vtterly ouerthroweth their opinion For although being deade it séemeth to liue yet in very déede it liueth not And a wise husbandman séeth that that budding forth is vnprofitable and
glory of God For when as nothing is attributed vnto our merites and workes it must néedes be that the whole glory redoundeth vnto God Therefore Paule saith of Abraham he gaue the glory vnto God knowing this most fully that what soeuer he had promised he was able also to performe And the more to expresse the certainty of faith he vsed this participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby he signifieth that Abraham with a certaine most full assent embrased the promesse of God And least any man should thinke that this was a proper and peculâ—are prerogatiue geuen vnto Abraham the Apostle addeth an vniuersall rule and saith that it was not written for him only that it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse but also for vs vnto whome it shall be imputed so that we beleue in him which raised vp Iesus Christ from the dead which was deliuered for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Farther out of the .v. chapter we haue also an other testimony wherfore seing saith he we be iustified by faith we haue peace towards God through Iesus Christ by whome we haue accesse through faith into this grace wherein we stand Here are two things to be noted the one is that we are iustified by faith and that by grace the second that vnto this grace is not an entraunce made open by preparatioÌ„s or works which dispose vs but only by faith In the. vâ—ij chapter are set forth as it were certaine steppes and degrees by which we must come to eternal saluation WhoÌ„ he hath foreknown saith he those also hath he predestinate that they shold be like fashioned vnto the image of the sonne of God that he might be the first begotteÌ„ amongst many brethreÌ„ And whoÌ„ he hath predestinate those also hath he called And whoÌ„ he hath called those hath he iustified and whoÌ„ he hath iustified those also will he glorifie Here are reckened vp .v. degrees foreknowledge predestination vocation iustification and glorification in which as touching our purpose let vs consider what commeth betwene vocation and iustification And that is nothing else but faith For for as muche as vocation is done by the promise of iustification and of saluation the same is receiued by faith geuing assent thereunto Towardes the ende of the .ix. chapter is set forthe a difference betweene the Iewes and the Gentiles and a reason is geuen why the Gentiles obtained righteousnesse and not the Iewes For thus Paule saith What shall we say then That the Gentiles which followed not righteousnesse haue taken holde of righteousnesse which is by faith But Israell which followed righteousnesse attained not vnto the lawe of righteousnesse bicause they sought it not by faith but as it were by workes What caÌ„ there be more manifest then these words for they declare that they which wil be iustified by faith doe obtaine righteousnesse but those which doe aspire vnto it by works doe labor but in vaine This self thing he proueth euen from the beginning of the .x. chapter where he describeth two kindes of righteousnesse the one which he calleth ours which consisteth of works the other which he calleth the righteousnesse of God which is taken holde of by faith And thus he writeth They being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God and going about to establishe their owne are not obedient vnto the righteousnesse of God Hereby it is manifest that they which wil establish their owne righteousnesse â–ª that is the righteousnesse of works do fall away from the righteousnesse of God Paule goeth on and more plainly openeth the nature of these two kinde of righteousnesses Moses sayth he thus wryteth of the righteousnesse which commeth of the lawe The man which dothe these things shall liue in them By these words he sheweth that the righteousnesse of the law consisteth in workes But of the righteousnesse which commeth of faithe he thus speaketh Say not thou in thine heart who shall ascend vp into heauen to fetch Christ from thence or who shall descend into the deepe to fetche vp Christ againe from the dead But what saith he The word is nigh thee euen in thy mouthe and in thine heart The same is the worde of faith which we preach which word he which beleueth in his heart and with his mouth confesseth the Lord Iesus Christ shal be saued Hereby we se that not the righteousnesse of the lawe which is had by workes but the righteousnesse of faithe is it which bringeth saluation And this is by the latter words more manifestly confirmed For in that there is added With the heart we beleue vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth is confession made vnto saluation the later clause touching confession which semeth to be an outward worke is therfore added least we shold thinke that the faith wherby we are iustified should be idle for it is not a vaine barren faith such a one as our aduersaries dreame that we obtrude It hath most pleÌ„tifull and most aboundant fruits amongst which the confession of piety obtaineth the first place and is most necessaryest Hereunto Paule addeth a testimony out of the Prophet he which beleueth in him shall not be made ashamed They are commonly ashamed which coÌ„trary to their expectation are frustrated of that which they hoped to haue obtained Wherefore the meaning is He which beleueth in Christ and by this faith waiteth for saluatioÌ„ shal not be put to shame bicause he shall not be frustrated of his hope He addeth also an other testimony taken out of the Prophet Ioel Whosoeuer doth call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued in which words the promise of saluation seemeth to be ascribed vnto inuocation But Paule profitably teacheth as I haue before oftentimes said wheÌ„ Note thaâ— the scriptures teach a resolution froÌ„ workes â–ª vnto fayth And againe from fayth to his obiect promises seeme to be adioyned vnto workes we must alwayes run from them vnto the roote and foundation namely vnto faith So Paule in this place when he had sayd Whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued straight way addeth how shall they cal vpon him in whom they haue not beleued So he resolueth the whole matter from inuocation into faith And that we shold not think that faith by his owne power hath any thing whereby it can iustifie he againe passeth from it vnto the obiect saying how shall they beleue without a preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Also faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Wherefore the vttermost point of the resolution is the worde of God and promesse touching Christ from whence as from the fountaine is deriued our saluation and iustification In the .xj. chapter is set forthe the Antithesis betweene incredulitie and faith which serueth very muche to confirme that which we now teache The braunches were broken of that I might be grafted in This was an obiection of the Gentiles against the Iewes Paule answereth thou sayest well
of wickednes if we want Christ then must we nedes abhorre God and flye from hym as from an auenger and punisher of sinne And this is that hatred of the world which Christ hath shee l Where heÌ„ce commeth the hatred of the world againste the godly What peace here signifieth to be bent agaynst him and agaynst his when he sayd If the worlde hate me it will also hate you And of the Iewes he testefieth That they hated his father But now after that we be thus iustified we haue peace towardes God for that we are perswaded that he leaueth vs and herein consisteth our whole felicitye So Dauid did not without iust cause say that they are blessed whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered And by the name of peace is here properly signified tranquility of conscience There are some which in stede of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is we haue rede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Let vs haue peace As though Paul after that he had forth the doctrine of faith should now entreate of sincerenes of life and should stirre vp the Romanes to mutuall loue and beneuolence one towards an other And Origen semeth to leaue to this sentence But Chrisostome most manifestly leaneth thereunto for he bringeth two maner of expositions The one is that seing we are iustified by fayth there remayneth that contentions be put away and that men liue in peace one towardes an other And they say that therefore Paul spake this because there were some which contended that the law should be holden as necessary vnto saluation but Paul declareth that there is no such nede seing we are iustified by fayth The second exposition is that we should excercise charity and sinne not But this sentence can not stand sauing vpright the scope of this place and wordes of the Apostle For we sée that here by a briefe rehearsall is entreated of the conclusion which is inferred of those thinges which were before spoken Farther the peace which the Apostle speaketh of is not that peace which men haue one towardes an other For he playnly sayth towards God and those thinges which follow we sée are spoken by the indicatiue moode For he sayth By whome we haue accesse vnto this grace wherein we stande But Chrisostome hath herein also erred when he demandeth whether we can be without sinne wheÌ„ as we now haue iustification he maketh answere vnto himselfe that this is an easy matter Because sayth he it was a harder thing that we which were subiecte to so greeuous sinnes shoulde be deliuered from them then that when we are iustified wee shoulde beware of them For sayth he it is a muche greater matter to obtayne those thinges whiche wee haue not then to defende those thinges whyche he haue alreadye obtayned But wee haue before declared that that so long as we lyue here can not be hoped for namely vtterly to want sinne And if any man will contend that this may be done by the power of God we will not be agaynst him For God could adorne a man with so great grace that he should liue vtterly without sin But we speake according to the senteÌ„ce of the scriptures as the thing is indede and as experience teacheth vs alwayes to happen If we say Whether any man can here liue without sinne sayth Iohn we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and the truth is not in vs. And Ierome agaynst the Pelagians derideth that power which nether is nor hath bene nor euer shall be put in execution Ambrose maketh on our side and manifestly interpreteth this place of the peace of the conscience which we haue towardes God Yea he herein compareth fayth and the law together and saith that fayth excelleth Fayth excelleth the law the law for that it maketh peace which the law could not do Although whether we write it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or whether by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is whether we reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is haue or may haue our expositioÌ„ hath place stil For the Apostle ether sayth that we now alredy haue that peace or els exhorteth vs to haue it and not any more as we were wont before to flye from God But the common receaued reading by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a great deale better He addeth That by Christ we haue accesse vnto grace wherein we stand If by Christ we haue accesse vnto God and vnto his grace then may we inferre of the contrary that without Christ we flye from God To what ende then shall we call vpon Saintes what other reconciliator haue we nede of if by Christ is geuen vnto vs accesse vnto God Because say they our complayntes are not brought vnto Emperors and kinges vnles we be brought in vnto them by Dukes Earles or Lordes But as we haue before declared out of Amhrose this is done because our Princes or men nether do they sée what is done abroade in the streates and in other mens houses Therefore towardes them we haue nede of many mediators Agaynst iâ—uocation of sayntes But God séeth all thinges there is nothing hidden from Christ Wherefore whatsoeuer is attributed vnto any other is taken away from his dignity and grace Others contend that we haue accesse vnto grace by sorrowes contritions teares satisfactions workes of truth But as touching fayth which Paul so oftentymes inculcateth they speake not a word And if a maÌ„ chance to vrge theÌ„ they answere yâ— in all things they vnderstand fayth And so in a thing most wayghty and which is the chiefe poynt of the whole matter they deale fraudulently and dalyenglye But we say with Paul that by Christ and fayth we haue accesse vnto the grace of reconciliation And as for repentance and workes of charity we say that they come as companions which alwayes follow true fayth Thou wilt demaund peraduenture what maner of peace grace that is which we haue when as God vseth gréeuously to punishe those sinnes which he hath alredy remitted and forgeuen vnto his For so we reade that he did to Dauid We answere that those tribulations which God inflicteth vpon the elect after that he hath forgeuen them The afflictâ—ons of the godly haue not the nature of punishments their sinnes if we will speake properly haue not the nature of punishments For they are rather fatherly corrections wherby the saints are the better admonished not to fall agayne into the like sinnes and the church is tought how sore God hateth sinne Wherefore in these punishmentes is not disturbed the peace of the elect nether do they sometymes fly from such scourges And this I speake of the spirite and not of the fleshe This thing only Dauid desireth that the Lord would not correct him in his furye or in his wrath He refused not to be fatherly cha 〈…〉 sed But The
church can not releâ—se the afflictions of the godly these punishementes which God inflicteth vpon vs whilest we liue here are not in the power of the Church that it can at pleasure and as it listeth it selfe alter or lenifye or mitigate them as our aduersaryes haue fayned of the paynes of purgatory Which their fayned deuise they can not confirme by any reason taken out of the holy scriptures We must diligently also weigh the wordes of the Apostle For as when he fayth That we stand in grace by fayth he declareth that the property of fayth is to erect and to confirme our mindes Which property vndoubtedly it hath not but by that it cleaueth vnto the woord of God For so by it are broken the rages and tempests that rushe agaynst vs so are we established not to wauer with euery wynde of doctrine nor to change our opinion for euery chance of fortune The philosophers when they woulde amply set foorth the constancye of a iust man compared it with a fower square stone which howsoeuer it falleth falleth right But A comparison of fayth with philosophy fayth much more truely accoÌ„plisheth this theÌ„ doth philosophy Chrisostome addeth That the good thinges of this world whatsoeuer they be are nether firme nor constant For they are oftentymes assayled with many dangers and not seldome ouercome And although whilest we liue here we lose them not yet when we dye will we or nill we we must nedes forsake them But these spirituall things whereof we now intreate are both firme and shall after death be made more ample But the same Chrisostome vpon this place is of vs warely to be red For he sayth that Paul in making mencion of those thinges which we receaue of Christ rehearseth many thinges But when he commeth to those thinges which we haue of our selues he setteth forth only one thing namely fayth â–ª which sayth he we our selues bring of our owne But we must surely sticke fast to thys ground that fayth also is the gift of God and is deriued from him into vs. Out of this place also may be gathered a most firme argument that we are iustified by fayth only Which shall be made playne by the effect after this maner That by An argument wherby is proued that we are iustified by faith one lye which we are iustified ought to make vs quiet before God This thing can not workes bring to passe but fayth only Ergo we are iustified by fayth and not by workes The maior is very playne that we are not iustified vnles we haue such a quiet mynde that we abhorre not nor flye from the fight of God And that our workes are not able to performe this theyr vncleanes and vnpurenes declareth Wherefore Dauid hath not without cause written Enter not into iudgement with thy seruauntes Lord. We reioyce in the hope and glory of God Here is declared the nature of this peace and tranquilitie of the minde namely that it maketh vs most assured and sure of perpetuall felicity for we reioyce not but for that which we now possesse And that we euen now also possesse eternall lyfe Christ manifestly declareth We posses eternall life euen now also when he saith He that beleueth in me hath eternall lyfe But bicause it is not yet ful neither as yet appeareth therfore Paul addeth In the hope of the glory of God This glorye whiche we hope for is a coniunction with God that he maye wholye dwell and worke in vs which thing when we shall haue attayned we shall be adorned with the last and highest point of felicitye neither shall there be left any place vnto misery But when he sayth In the hope of the glory of God He séemeth to speake that by preuention For that as touching those which beleue the common opinion of men is excedingly deceiued For the Ethenikes commonly deride Christians for that they count themselues to be happye when yet in the meane tyme they want not wicked affections and are vexed with tribulations and aduersities They thinke yâ— we should weigh our felicity by those things which we haue Our felicity is not to be weighed by those thinges which are in vs. of our owne But we are of a farre other opinion for we so far forth counte our selues happy as we are so counted of God and that he imputeth vnto vs righteousnes not that we are not in the meane tyme renewed both in minde and in bodye although we are yet vnperfect And euen this selfe same righteousnes whiche we haue now obteyned and the renouation which is in vs we in no case thynke to be of that force that by it we can attayne vnto the rewardes of eternall lyfe Thys peace and felicitie and reioycing of which the Apostle now intreateth is yâ— which confirmed the Martirs when in Christes quarell they did shed both their lyfe and What is this peace which is had by faith bloud This is that hundreth folde which is rendered also in this lyfe is of more value then all the riches and pleasures of this world Wherefore when the Ethnikes deriding vs do boast of their riches and pleasures and power we ought not to be moued For we easely perceaue that they with al these their goods are miserable and wretched but on the other side we féele our selues happy when we haue possession of this one good thyng although we want all those thinges whiche they so highly estéeme And here is to be marked the order that the Apostle vseth in rehersing the effectes of iustification First he setteth forth peace wherby is declared The methode or order of the effectes of iustification that the battaile that sin had stirred vp against vs is now at an end For sin beyng by the death of Christ blotted out and the righteousnes of christ beingimputed vnto vs of God through faith of enemies we are made frendes whereby is made opeÌ„ vnto vs an entrance vnto his manifold grace and to the obteinement of innumerable benefites For so long as yâ— warre endured we were a great way of froÌ„ God and strangers from the promises but now that the peace is made by the mediator we are brought nearer there is geuen vs frée accesse vnto God which accesse yâ— Apostle worthely putteth in the second place as which could not haue come vnto vs vnles we had first obteyned peace Farther thirdly followeth reioycing in the hope of the glory of God For who will not now hope that he shal be adorned with the glory of God Whome will not so assured an expectation of so great a thyng of the glory I say of God make ioyfull and glad And of how great force and power this reioycing in the hope of the glory of God is that which followeth declareth And not that onely but also we reioyce in afflictions Of so greate force is this reioycing that those thinges which men especially wicked men count for a dishonor and from which they abhorre