controuersye touching the ceremonies of the law Some haue by reason of these thinges takē occasion to withdraw men from studieng of this epistle and haue said that from the .xii. chapiter to the end it is worthy to be red for that there is set forth an excellent institucion touching maners But vnto that chapiter forasmuche as say they there is nothing entreted of but only striues and contencions concerning the ceremonies of the law it serueth litle to our vse to know them for that they of conduce not to our times wherein are vtterly remoued away the ceremonies of the Iewes But these men are farre deceaned themselues and seke also to deceaue others For the whole epistle doubtles is a golden epistle and most worthy to be red It contayneth places touching naturall knowledge and ciuill offices touching the law of Moses and touching the Gospell it expliraceth iustification and original sinne it setteth forth grace it entreateth of election predestination the execution of the Iewes and of the restoring of them agayne From the twelfth chapites it contayneth what kind of sacrifice we ought to offer and entreateth touching the magestrate and touching bearing with the weake and remouing away offence And who seeth not that these are great matters and most The question being moued touching ceremonies is reduced to the generalitie profitable to be knowen But whereas they obiect vnto vs that as touching the first part is entreated of ceremonies I graunt indede that by the meanes of them the question began first which Paul seking to dissolue reduced it to the genus or generall word And to declare that we can not be iustified by the ceremonies of the law he proueth generally that iustification can not come of any our workes And so when he had taken away the genus the species or parts could by no meanes consist For it followeth We are iustified by no workes therefore neyther by ceremoniall workes nor by morall workes nor by iudiciall workes And that the reasons of Paul extend so farre I will proue by these arguments Argumēts to proue that here are entreated of works generally and not of ceremonyall workes only following First he teacheth that we are iustified by sayth and by the mercy of God that the promise might be firme But that promise is not firme if it depend eyther of the execution of ceremonies or of the obseruation of the ten commaundements for that we are as touching ech part a like weake Moreouer he sayth that we are iustified freely which word Freely is of no effect vnles we exclude morall workes For he which worketh vnto him reward is rendred according to debt and not according to grace Afterward he entreateth of the obseruation of that law by which we haue the knowledge of sinne which thing belongeth rather to morall precepts then to ceremonies This is the law whirh worketh anger neyther doubt we but that God is more prouoked to anger if we transgresse the ten commaundements then if we offend in certayne rites and ceremonies And more ouer Paul putteth our iustification to consist of the grace and mercy of God to the end our boasting should be excluded But if thou remoue away ceremonies only and say that we are iustified by morall works boasting is not taken away for we may at the least boast of them Farther it is certayne that the ceremonies of Moses pertayned to the first table where the worshipping of God is commaunded Neyther were the elders any lesse bound to these ceremonies then we are at this daye bounde to receaue baptisme and the Eucharist And if Paul proue that we are not iustified by those thinges which pertayn to that first cable much more then is it proued that we can not attayne vnto righteousnes by the workes of the latter table Paul when he had declared that we are now by the benefit of Christ free from the law obiecteth vnto himselfe Let vs sinne more freely and abide in sinne that grace may the more abound If the question had bene moued touching ceremonies only he mought haue answered ye are not deliuered but only from ceremonies ye are still bound to the morall law But he maketh no such answere but sayth that we ought to sinne no more for that we are now dead vnto sin and grafted into Christ and buried together with him And the same Paul when he wrote that by the fauor of Christ we are deliuered and absolued from those thinges which in our flesh resist the law of God expressedly declared of what law he entreated For he made mencion of that commaundement Thou shalt not lust Lastly in the epistle to the Galathians where he entreateth of the selfe same matter be pronounceth him accursed which abideth not in all the thinges which are written in the booke of the law When he saith all doubtles he excludeth not morall workes Wherefore this disputacion of the Apostle is not superfluous Yea rather vnles he had taken it in hand the liberty of the Church had bene put in great danger which the deuill sought to bring vnder the law as though Christ of himselfe were not sufficient to iustifye men And the reasons which are perticularly brought in touching ceremonies are A sure reason wherby is proued y◠no man is iustified by the ceremonies of mē not superfluous For by the selfe same reasons we may proue that mens tradicions and the rites which men haue appoynted vnto vs are not such worshippinges of God as can not be changed nor omitted if they shall seme not to conduce to saluation For these thinges much les pertayne to the obteyning of righteousnes then do the ceremonies instituted by God himselfe Wherefore if these auayle not to righteousnes then can not those of necessity be required vnto it Thou wilt demaund paraduenture whether bicause of these reasons of the Apostle we ought to thinke our selues losed from all maner of law Not so vndoubtedly Whether we be free from the law neyther doth this follow of his sayinges vnles thou vnderstand that we are free and loosed from the law in respect that we can not be iustified by it Otherwise we ought to obey it and to the vttermost of our power to labour to execute it but yet not with this purpose to seke thereby to be iustifyed And as touching the ceremonies of the old law two extreme errors are to be takē hede of the one is of the Ebionites and others which Iewishly sought to ioyne of necessity Two errors to be taken hed ▪ of ▪ as touching the olde law the ceremonies of Moses to Christ Contrariwise the other extreme error is of the Marcionites which affirmed that the old law was not geuen of a good God but of an euil gouerner the maker of this world We saile in that middest betwene these extremities and affirme that now after Christ the ceremonies of the law are not still to be kept when as theyr time is now expired Howbeit we commend them as
And before in this epistle by the law is said to come the knowledge of sinne Wherfore a man may not without iust cause meruaile what moued Paul to write so like things so oftentymes of the lawe But we oughte to consider that it is moste What was Paules entente when he wrote of the law lykely that in the primitiue church when Christ beganne euery where to be receued the deuill craftely inuented an other new deuise to extol the law by all manner of meanes that it mought be had in estimation not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentles that in the mean time Christian religion mought be weakened and cleane taken away And he blinded the eyes of men that none should haue an eye vpon Christ which was the end of the law And lest any man should by often reading of the law attaine to any commoditie he found the meanes that mē gaue themselues to brawling about wordes and old wiues questions Wherefore Paul was brought to this point that either he must reiect the lawe of God or els haue wincked at the lettes of the Gospell Wherfore by great aduise he teacheth thrée thinges For first considering the law of God by it self and in his owns nature he with worthy praises extolleth it and therewithall sheweth what euils by it come vnto vs thorough our owne default Secondly he teacheth that Christ is the ende of the law last of al he cutteth of brawlings contencions disputations and vnprofitable questions and which make nothyng to the purpose These self same things in a maner happen also in our tymes Our aduersaries cry out Good workes good workes as though we were agaynst them Farther they wyll not that the people As the false Apostles pretended the defence of the law so do our aduersaries now pretend the defence of good works What we must teache concerning good woorkes What they are that are the instrumentes of the deuell should vnderstād the mercy grace of God benefite of Christ Lastly they continually braule contend to hinder the iust reformation of the church so continually prolong the tyme to the ende nothyng shoulde be put in execution But let vs learne of Paul how we may warely and wisely resist them Let vs leaue vnto good workes their dignitie but yet not in such sorte to attribute more vnto them then either the truth and holy scriptures will suffer or els is agreable with our weake nature Farther let vs as plainly as we can out of the holy scriptures declare the grace of God and benefite of Christ Lastly let vs abstayne from superfluous and contentious questions By these wayes and meanes may we well withstand the deuill Neither doth the diuell these things by himselfe but alwayes findeth instrumentes apte for his wicked purpose whome Paule calleth deceitfull workers which transforme themselues into aungels of light and euery where sowe discordes and offences bewitching mē that are in the ryght course and leadyng men from Christ to estimation of themselues He calleth them moreouer thynges cut of dogges enemies of the crosse of Christ whose God is the belly and end destruction which wyll be teachers of the law and yet in the meane tyme know not what they affirme and speake whiche by a fayned modesty and affliction of the flesh and worshippyng of angels and religion of themselues deuised take away from men the reward of saluation which after they haue fallen away from the loue which procedeth from a pure hart a good conscience and an vnfeined faith turne themselues to vayne speaches and range and creepe abrode like a canker which although in wordes they say they know God yet in dedes they deny hym With these coulours doth the Apostle paint forth false ministers against whome he had muche to do Vnto whome they are not vnlike which in our dayes withstand the restoryng of religion Hitherto he hath vsed reasons ab absurdo that is driuing to an absurditie If the inheritaunce should consist of the law then should faith be vayne and the promise of none effect and to affirme either of them were very absurd His argument he hereby proued for that the law worketh anger and is alwayes ioyned with some transgression Now he proueth by a direct reason that the inheritaunce consisteth of faith namely that it might be of grace to the ende the promise should be firme As if he should haue sayd it behoueth that the nature of Gods promises be kept For such is the nature thereof that it be certayne and come fréely But it can not be certayne and come fréely vnlesse we be made heyres by fayth and not by the lawe Therfore is the inheritaunce geuen by fayth that it might come by grace and that the promise might be firme to all the sede not to that onely which is of the law but also to that which is of the fayth of Abraham who is the father of vs all as it is written I haue made thee a father of many nations accordyng to the example of God whome he beleued who restoreth to lyfe the dead and calleth those thinges which are not as though they were Whiche aboue hope beleued vnder hope that he should be the father of many nations accordyng to that which was spoken vnto hym So shall thy seede be And he not weake in fayth considered not his owne body which was now dead beyng almost an hundreth yeare olde neyther the deadnes of Saraes wombe Neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeliefe but was strengthned in faythe gaue glory to God beyng full assured that he which had promised was also able to do it And therefore it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnes Therfore is the inheritaunce geuen by faith By this place we sée that to To haue a thing by fayth is to haue it freely attaine to any thing by faith is with Paul nothing els but to haue it fréely Wherfore it ought not to seme meruailous that we haue oftētimes inculcated that to be iustified by fayth is to be vnderstande of the obiect of fayth that is of the mercy and promise that we may be iustified fréely Chrisostome sayth if the promise should come of the law we should not nede that saluation which we obteyne by fayth and grace But In Abrahā a double posterity now where as the Apostle saith that the promise oughte to be firme vnto all the sede of Abraham that ought to be vnderstanded both of the Iewes and also of the Gentles as though in Abraham were a double posteritie And this is chiefly to be noted which here is alleaged of the certaintie of the promise For that may not either be wauerynge or doubtfull For that whyche we apprehende by fayth Besides the holy scriptures there is nothing that can wyth a true fayth be beleued He declareth that whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne oughte to be certayne Whiche is onely the worde of GOD whereunto onelye faith ought to leane
of the age of the fulnes of Christ that we alwayes wauer not like children Farther this place teacheth that we are not only predestinate vnto eternall life but also vnto good workes in thys life namely that we should be like vnto Christ For Paul playnly writeth to the Ephesians that we are created in Christ in good workes which God hath prepared that we should walke Wordes of the vngodly abusing predestination We are not onely predestinate to blessednes but also to an holy life Predestination to good woorkes pertaineth not to all which shal be saued in them Wherfore they are fowly deceaued out of theyr wittes which are not ashamed to vtter these blasphemous wordes If I be predestinate I shal be saued howsoeuer I liue for these miserable men se not that we are predestinate not only vnto eternall felicity but also to behaue our selues purely and holily in thys life For predestination pertayneth both to the end and also to those things by which we come vnto the end Which thing yet I would not haue so to be vnderstand as though without these meanes no man is predestinate vnto eternall life For the infantes of the godly which dye in that age and are saued are doubtles predestinate vnto eternall life when as yet notwithstanding by reasō of age they coulde not attayne to good workes But this we ought to hold that the giftes of God are not geuen by chaunce but vpon good sure cōsideration Wherefore sithen good workes are certaine giftes of the goodnes of God they happen not without predestination Wherefore predestination pertayneth as well to the good thinges of thys life as also to eternall life This sayth Paul is done of God to the honor of Christ That he might be the first borne amongst many brethern So good is the almighty and most louing God that hauing a sonne and such a sonne in whome was well pleased yet he would adopt vnto him selfe many other sonnes out of The goodnes of God in adopting vs. our kind amongest whome Christ should be the first borne Alwayes the prerogatiue of the first borne was great both before the Law as it is manifest in the Patriarches and also afterward vnder the law The first borne had two parts of the inheritaunce and succeded the father in the administration of the famely The prerogatiue of the first borne God aboue all thinges loueth order wherefore forasmuch as his will was that the famelyes of men shoulde be gouerned orderlye he appoynted a father to be as it were a Lawfull Lord of all thinges pertayning to the household Who if peraduenture he should dye or fall sicke or thorough age be weake his wil was that the gouerment of the famely shoulde come vnto the eldeste sonne Nether ought that to moue vs that Aristotle in his Ethikes teacheth that brethern exercise amongest them selues a politicall gouernment and that amongest them is a certayne forme of a cōmon welth For he vnderstādeth these things whilest the father yet liueth and gouerneth his famely himselfe For so long brethern are amongest themselues all of like power Or peraduenture the Grecians attributed not so much vnto theyr first borne as did the Hebrues which at thys day also we see is not done in many places howbeit it is sufficiēt in one word to note that the first borne ought to be preferred before the rest of the brethern not to exercise tiranny agaynst thē but to gouern to admonish to helpe to sustayn and to succor them All which thinges Christ hath so performed for his brethern Christ hath performed towardes vs the part of a first begotten brother Christ according to his diuine nature is the onelye begotten that for theyr sakes he suffred death and therefore as Paul sayth vnto the Colossians He is the chiefe amongest all his brethern But in that he is sayd to be our first begotten brother that commeth by the dispensation of the nature which he tooke vpon him for otherwise as touchinge hys diuine nature he is the onelye begotten We are therefore called hys brethern bycause we are coapted by grace And thys byrthryght of Christe shall then at the length be notable and honorable when we beinge wholye renued shall be made pertakers of hys glorye Wherefore it is our duetye both to geue thankes vnto God and also excedingly to reioyce with our selues that we haue gotten such and so great a brother and as touching that which is remayning to deliuer our selues wholy vnto him to be ordred and instructed And sithen we know that he is set forth vnto vs as an image whereunto we ought to conforme our selues we ought alwayes to haue him before our eyes as the rule and example of our life VVhome he predestinateth those also hath he called whome he called those also hath he iustified whome he iustified those also hath he glorified In this In this chayne is nuer a link of woorkes or merites The principles of the church chaine is neuer a linke of workes or of merites For here we sée that all thinges are done freely and of the mere mercy of God For who hath geuen vnto hym first and it shal be rendred vnto him agayne All thinges are of hym by hym and in hym as Paul saith Here are we taught what are the principles of the Church the grounds of the people of God The Church is a fellowship not gathered together by humane reason but assembled by the foreknowledge predestination calling of God So they haue a respect not to any successiōs of nature or prerogations or conditions of places for they are distributed only by the iudgement and good will of God After calling straight way followeth iustification Betwene which forasmuch as nothing can be set but only faith therefore by it we are worthely sayd to be iustified not that it is the cause of our iustification but for that it is an instrument whereby we apprehend the calling exhibited Causes of iustification vnto vs by the promises But the proper causes of iustification are these which Paul here assigneth namely foreknowledge predestination and vocation And herein consisteth our iustification to haue our sinnes forgeuen vs and to be reconciled vnto God But good works holy life the renuing of strengths Holy life good workes pertain to glorification and the giftes of the holy ghost do afterward follow and pertaine to glorification whereunto also pertayne those thinges which we waite for to be geuen vs in an other life Augustine noteth not all those which by any way are called but only those which are called according to the purpose of God and according to predestination wyth a calling I say mighty and strong whereby they are vtterly changed Otherwise many are called but few are chosen Hath glorified He speaketh in the time past both for that a great part of that glory is alredy geuen vs and also for that we by hope holde that which is remayning which before God is
sheweth mercy to geue vs to vnderstand that all whole is to be attributed vnto his grace Indede sayth he our will goeth before many giftes of God for that when we are iustified dayly is encreased grace Our wil goeth not before all the giftes of God We pray for the obstinate for that we know that their conuersion â—â—eth in the handes of God and sondry giftes of God are geuen vnto vs yet doth it not go before all the giftes forasmuche as that the will should be good it dependeth of God And thereof it commeth that we pray vnto God for those meÌ„ which are yet obstinate wicked which doubtles should be in vayne done vnles we knew that it lieth in the bands of God to chaÌ„ge their peruerse will The same August to Simplicianus in this 1. boke 2. questioÌ„ expouÌ„ding thys place saith The Apostle spake not thys that by the helpe of God we come to that whiche we will but to that purpose whereto in an other place he sayth It is God which worketh in vs both to wyll and performe accordinge to hys good wyll where he playnlye declareth that euen the good will also is by the workinge of God made in vs. For if he had spoken this in that sence it mought be sayd It is not of God that hath mercy but of man that willeth and runneth Wherefore hereunto had Paul a respect to teach that we can in no case will but by the mighty calling of God â–ª forasmuch as that calling is the worker of our good will And although God do call many yet is he sayd to haue mercy on those whome he with efficacy calleth Wherfore out of the woordes of the Apostle and accordinge to the right interpretacion of Augustine we gather that all whole is to be ascribed vnto God whatsoeuer is done of vs vprightly Chrisostome here wonderfully troubleth himselfe and although he graunt that the wordes going before are the woordes of Paul yet here he contendeth that there is an Antithesis or contrary position Which thing how farre it is from the sence of Paul the very order of the wordes declare For that whiche is now here inferred is not put by way of interrogation But this particle Wherefore plainelye declareth that this is concluded of that oracle whiche was cited out of the booke of Exodus Farther we shall a little afterwarde sée that the Apostle of those thinges whiche he had spoken beginneth to commoÌ„ with the aduersary touching the matters which he had put forth For thus he afterward sayth Thou wilt saye then vnto me why doe we stâ—ll complaine For who can resist his wyll This is obiected against those thinges which he had before alleadged For this is the thinge Wherefore the aduersary coÌ„playneth namelye for that it is neither of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that hath mercy But they whiche sée that it is not possible but that these wordes are spoken vnder the person of Paul saye that he solueth not Here is dissolued the question the question put forth but onely maketh a kinde of reasoning and rebuketh men But we say that these reasoninges and rebukinges are euen the verye solution of the question For if he be reproued whatsoeuer he be that séeketh for anye other cause of the election of God besides his mercy and will then doubtles it manifestly foloweth that there can be no other cause geuen of his electioÌ„ especially seing that Some say that iâ— vs is somewhat but yet a very little the holy scriptures acknowledge none other besides this Others to lenefie these words of the Apostle It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth coÌ„tend that that is not to be taken plainly but by way of comparison for forasmuch as that which is ours and is brought of vs is but little and as they vse to speake modiculum if it be coÌ„pared with the most plentifull grace of God therefore by very good right it may be said to be nothing when yet in very déede it is somewhat And by this figure they séeke to elude this sentence of the Apostle But we againe demaund whither they haue that little modicum as they terme it of themselues or of God That it is of God they cannot deny For Paul sayth to the Corrinthians What hast thou that thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receaued why boastest thou as though thou haddest not receaued But they say that they after a sorte receaued This modicum they say they haue receiued of God in their creation it of God for man euen from his creatioÌ„ had this at his frée pleasure to vse his will so yâ— when grace is offred he may receaue it if he will when the doore of the hart is knocked at he may let in the Lord if he will and when he is inuited to beleue he may geue his assent if he will This is that prety modicum little whiche they affirme was put in vs euen straight way from our creation This thing they say God hath left frée vnto vs as though wheÌ„ he had created man and left him vnto his owne power he would goe banquet with the Ethiopians as Homere fableth God departeth not froÌ„ the thinges which he hath created but perpetually ruleth gouerneth them This fond opinion that we haue a certain modicum in vs touching these things is confuted But the case is farre otherwise for God perpetuallye gouerneth and moueth the thinges which he hath created neyther at any time committeth he them to theyr owne choyce But let vs somewhat more strongly go to woorke with them That selfe same modicum whereby they say that they assent let in and receiue let them declare what manner of thinge it is Verely forasmuche as men are endued wyth reason they can shew nothing but that it is a worke ether of the vnderstanding or of the will And as touching the vnderstanding Paul sayth that the naturall man vnderstandeth not the thinges whiche are of the spirite of God yea neither doubtles can he forasmuch as vnto him they are foolishnes Wherfore we can thinke nothing touching those things of our selues as of our selues wherfore yâ— modicum is as touching the vnderstanding taken from them neither is it left in the power of man But if thou wilt say that it lieth in thy will to assent and to stay Paul is against thée For vnto the Phillippians he sayth It is God whiche woorketh in vs both to will and to performe And Ezechiell the Prophet sayth That it is God which taketh away our stony hart and geueth vs a fleshy hart And Christ our sauiour sayth without me ye can do nothing Wherefore that modicum whether it consiste in the vnderstandinge or in If this modicum be graunâ—ed our bosting is not excluded the will is by these reasons proued to be none of oures For if we shoulde graunte that that is of vs which these men so often
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
is reduced all those things which follow in this chap. he shall sée that the Apostle draweth those thinges which he teacheth of predestination to these principall pointes namely vnto power For he saith Hath not the potter power Vnto purpose or good pleasure for vnto the Ephesians he vseth both words Vnto will for he saith He hath mercy on whome he will and whome he will he hardeneth Vnto mercy or loue for he saith It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that hath mercy Also Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated Seing Paul what cause soeuer he eyther here or in any other place geueth of predestination reduceth them to these fower principall pointes can we doubt of his meaning or shall we take vpon vs to geue sentence otherwise But as touching works he speaketh not so much as one worde wheresoeuer he entreateth of this matter but onely to exclude them Farther consider this that there is nothing more against the scope and meaning of Paul then to put workes foreséene to be the causes of predestination IustificatioÌ„ should come by workes if election should depende of workes forsene For by that meanes woorkes shoulde be the causes of iustification But that doctrine the Apostle hath in this Epistle by all manner of meanes oppugned And I hereby proue this reason to be firme because the Apostle maketh predestination to be the cause of vocation and vocation the cause of iustification Wherefore if workes be causes of predestination they shall also be causes of iustification For this is a firme rule among the Logicians whatsoeuer is the cause of any cause is also the cause of the effect Farther no man can deny but that good workes procéede of predestination For we are sayd to be predestinate that we shoulde be holye and blameles And God by predestination hath prepared good woorkes in whiche we should walke And Paul himselfe confesseth that he obteined mercy to be faithful Good workes are the effectes of predestination Against the good vse of of free wil. Wherfore if workes be the effectes of predestination howe can we then say that they are the causes thereof and chiefly those kinde of causes which are called efficient causes For that vse of frée will is nothing worth which they so often boast of as though we haue it of our selues and not of the mercye of God For Paul sayth that it is God which worketh in vs both to will and to performe And God in Ezechiell sayth I will take away from them theyr stony hart and wil geue vnto them a fleshy hart We can not saith Paul thinke any thing of our selues as of our selues And if we had in our selues that good vse which they speake of what shoulde let but that we mighte glory thereof Vndoubtedly the Lord sayth No man commeth vnto me vnles my father draw him And Ierome against the Pelagians excelleÌ„tly wel writeth that those which are sayd to be drawen are by that woord signified to haue bene before withstanding He which is drawen was before vnwillyng resisting and vnwilling but afterward God so worketh that he chaungeth them This selfe same thing also doth the nature of grace proue For Paul sayth That the remnantes might be saued according to the election of grace yâ— is according to gracious or frée electioÌ„ For so is the genetiue case after yâ— Hebrue phrase to be resolued Farther in the definition of predestinatioÌ„ in yâ— first place we haue put this word purpose which seing it signifieth nothing els as we haue declared out of the Epistle vnto the Ephe. but the good pleasure of God thereby it euidentlye appeareth that from no other where must we séeke the cause of predestinatioÌ„ More Workes caÌ„not be the causes of our calling ouer workes can not be the causes of our vocation and much les of our predestination for predestination goeth before vocation And that woorkes are not the causes of vocation is declared by the Epistle vnto Timothy God hath called vs sayth Paul with his holy calling not by our works but according to his purpose and the grace which we haue in Christ before the times of the world Hereby it most manifestly appeareth that works are not the causes of our calling Yea neither also are works the causes of our saluation whiche yet were farre more likely for by good woorkes If we should be predestinate by workes thâ— exclamatioÌ„ of Paul were to no purpose God bringeth vs to felicity But Paul to Titus sayth that God hath saued vs not by the workes of righteousnes but according to his mercy Farther what néeded Paul after this disputation to cry out O the depth of the riches of the wisedom knowledge of God how vnsearcheable are his iudgementes and how vnaccessable are his waies For if he would haue followed these mens opinion he might with one poore word haue dispatched the whole matter and haue sayd that some are predestinate and other some reiected because of the works which God foresaw should be in both of them Those men Augustine in mockage called sharpe witted men which so trimly and so easly saw those things which Paul could not sée But say they the Apostle in thys place assoileth not the questioÌ„ But it is absurd so to say especially seing yâ— he broght it in of purpose the solucioÌ„ therof serued very much vnto yâ— which he had in hand And how in Gods name can he seme not to haue assoyled the question when he The question is assoyled when it is reduced to the highest cause reduced that euen vnto the highest cause namely vnto the will of God And therewithall sheweth that we ought not to go any farther when God had appointed limities at the fote of the mounte Sina if any man had gone beyond those limites he was by the law punished Wherefore let these men beware with what boldnes they presume to go further then Paul would they should But they say that the Apostle here rebuketh the impudent Be it so But yet is this rebuking a most true solution of the question For Paul by this reprehension prohibiteth vs not to enquire any thing beyond the mercy and will of God If these men meane such a solution which may satisfye humane reason I will How the questioÌ„ may be said to be assâ—yled not to be assoyled easely graunt that the question is not in such sorte assoyled But if they seke yâ— solution which fayth ought to embrace and to reste therein they are blind if they se not the solution But let vs se what moued these men to say that workes foresene are the causes of predestination Vndoubtedly that was nothing ells but to satisfy humane iudgement which thing yet they haue not attayned vnto For they haue The aduersaries satisfie not humane reason nothing to answere touching an infante which being grafted into Christ dieth in his infancy For if they will haue him to
worthely condeÌ„ned And this may strongly be sayd to repell those which paraduenture presume to lay the cause of theyr damnation not vpon theyr owne sinne but vpon God Wherefore originall sinne goeth before the birth of all men so that thou haue Originall sinne goeth before euery mans damnation a respect vnto euery perticular man it also goeth before the damnation of all the wicked although it could not be before the eternal purpose of God but only as touching foreknowledge These thinges being as we haue declared them as they are in no case absurd so also may they well be perceaued if we depart not from the sence of the scriptures which sence how much in this place Pighius ouerpasseth by meanes of his owne fond inuencion I will in few words touch He maketh many degrees or actes in the minde of God which he setteth in order A fond imagination of Pighius betwixt them selues not in dede by distinction of time but by distinction of nature and therefore such actes he calleth signes and yet had he not that out of the holy scriptures but borowed it out of Scotus In the first signe sayth he God appoynted to bring forth all men to eternall saluation which they might haue fruition of together with him and that without any difference and ouer them he would haue Christ to be the hed whome he thinketh also should haue come in the flesh although the first man had not sinned In the second signe he sayth that God foresaw the fall of man by reason whereof it was not now possible that men should come vnto saluation that is vnto the end which God had purposed in him selfe when he decreed in the beginning to create man Howbeit that the matter mought go forward he sayth that God did put in the thirde signe remedies in Christ namely of grace and of the spirit and such like wherby mought be holpen those which would receaue them and those forsakeÌ„ which should refuse them Lastly in the fourth signe for that he foresaw that manye would embrace these aydes and would vse them well and actiuely he therefore predestinated them to saluation but others whome he saw would reiect these benefites of God he adiudged to vtter destruction this he speaketh touchinge them that be of ful age But forasmuch as by this fond imagination he could not satisfy as touching infantes which perish before they caÌ„ haue the vse of free wil he patcheth thereunto an other fable namely that they after the iudgmeÌ„t shal be in this world happy with a certayne naturall blessednes wherein they shall continually prayse God and geue thankes vnto him for that theyr estate so tollerable So this man fayneth a doctrine which he can not proue by any one word of the scripture For how attributeth he vnto God that he in the first God appointeth not those thinges which shall haue no successe Christ had not come vnlesse sinne had ben coÌ„mitted signe decreed those things which should not haue successe Namely that al meÌ„ should enioy felicity Is it the poynt of a wise man I will not say of God to decree or will those thinges which shall take no effect Let him also bring forth some oracles of God to declare vnto vs that the sonne of God should haue taken vpon him humane flesh although man had not sinned But he is not able in any place to shew any such thing when as the holy scriptures euery where testify vnto vs that he was geueÌ„ for our redemption and for the remission of sinnes which thing also mought haue taught him if he had considered that originall sinne went before all the effectes of predestinatioÌ„ only creation excepted when as Christ was to this end predestinated and geuen vnto vs that we might haue a remedy of our falles of all which falles originall sinne is the hed and principall And he had not taken vpon him humane flesh if there had bene no sinne committed He without the scriptures also imagineth that it lieth in Infants perish vnlesse they be renued by the mediator the power of our free will to receaue the remedies being generallye set forth when as this is the most absolute gifte of God And that whiche he last of all bringeth namely of the naturall felicity of children is not only auouched besides the scripture but also is playnly agaynst it which teacheth that all perish in Adam vnles they be renued by the mediator But to perish or to dy how repugnant it is with felicity al men easely vnderstand And besides that he hath not on his side one of all yâ— fathers whiche durst imagine any such fond deuises Neyther can I be perswaded that Pelagius him selfe if he were a liue agayne would more diligently colour his opinion then this man hath paynted it and set it forth That which we haue hitherto proued touching predestinatioÌ„ namely that iâ— dependeth not of workes foresene the selfe same thing also affirme we of reprobation for neither it also dependeth of sinnes foresene so that by reprobatioÌ„ yâ— vnderstand not extreme damnatioÌ„ but that most depe eternal purpose of God of not hauing mercy For Paul writeth alike of Esau and Iacob Before they had done any good or euill it was sayd The elder shall serue the younger Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated that it should not be of workes but of him that calleth And Pighius laboureth in vayne to haue this sentence of Paul vnderstanded of one of them only that is of Iacob when as the Apostle ioyned them both together vnder one and the selfe same conditioÌ„ Which thing he more manifestly afterward If sin were the cause of reprobatioÌ„ no man should be elected What are the effectes of predestination Christ is the first effect of predestination declareth saying He hath mercy on whome be will and whome he will he hardeneth Further if sinne were the true cause of reprobation theÌ„ should none be elected WheÌ„ as God foreknoweth that all men are contaminated with it Which selfe thing Augustine proueth vnto Simplicianus But now we will entreate of the third article to see what are the effectes of predestination and of reprobacion And we will be the briefer for that those thinges which shal be spoken haue much light by those thinges whiche haue alredy bene spoken The first effect therefore of predestination is Christ him selfe for the elect can haue none of the giftes of God vnles by our sauiour it be geuen vnto them Then also let there be put those effectes which Paul describeth in the 8. chapiter when he sayth Whome he foreknew those also hath â—e predestinated whoÌ„ he hath predestinated those also hath he called and whome he hath called those hath he iustified and whome he hath iustified those hath he glorified Whereby it is euident that vocation also and iustification and glorification are the effectes of predestination whereunto also may be added conformity of the image of the sonne of God when
put out the handwriting that was against vs. In the The 47. 2. to Timothy the i. chapter Who hath called vs with an holy callinge not accordinge to our workes but according to his purpose and grace which is geuen vs through Christ Iesus Here he speaketh of a calling ful of efficacy by which men are iustified and not of the common calling as touching the preaching of the word of God which is set forth vnto all men And forasmuch as this consisteth not as Paul saith of merites or woorkes neither can iustification also come of them Vnto Titus it is written The 48. The goodnes and loue of God our Sauiour towardes vs hath appeared not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercy hath he saued vs. Also vnto the Hebrues is but one onely sacrifice and one oblation namely the death The 49. of Christ by which sinnes are wiped away and satisfaction made for men Wherfore iustification is not to be loked for of workes and it ought to suffice vs that the good workes which we do after iustification are sacrifices of thankesgeuing and let vs not make them sacrifices propiciatory by which meanes we should do great iniury vnto Christe But settinge a side the Epistles of Paul let vs séeke testimonies also out of other places of the holy scriptures Christe in the vii of Mathew saith Euery good tree bringeth forth good fruites but a noughty tree bringeth foorth euell The 50. fruites And to the end the nature of those which are not regenerate mighte be the better declared he addeth A good tree cannot bring forth euill frutes nether can an euill tree bring forth good fruits Wherfore seing Christ saith y◠that canot so be how dare these men affirme that it may be for they say that by workes men may be iustified Christ vseth the selfe same reason in the 12. chapiter of Mathew Ether The 51. make the tree good and his fruite good or make the tree euil and his fruite euill for by the fruite is the tree knowen O ye generation of vipers how can ye speake good thinges whē as ye your selues are euill for of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh A good man out of the good treasure of the harte bringeth forth good thinges and an euill man out of an euill treasure bringeth forth euill thinges These wordes of Christ do declare that men which are not yet regenerate are euill trees which neither do bring forth good fruite nor can do ▪ and they testify that the wicked cā not speake good thinges and much les can they worke good thinges and that out of an euill treasure of the harte are euer euill thinges to be looked for And seing the matter is so consider I pray you whither they which are alienated frō Christ ought to be called euill or no Vndoubtedly vnles they be euil none of vs y◠cleaneth vnto Christ can be called good Also in Luke the 17. chapiter But which of you hauing a The 52. seruaunt that goeth to plough or fedeth your cattell that will streight way say vnto hym when he commeth from the field Go and fitte downe and sayth not rather vnto him prepare that I may suppe gyrd vp thy selfe and serue me till I haue eaten and dronken and afterward eate thou and drinke thou doth he thanke his seruaunt bycause he hath done those thinges which he hath commaunded him I trow not So likewise ye when ye haue done all those thinges that are commaunded you say We are vnprofitable seruauntes we haue done that which we ought to haue done These words spake Christ vnto his disciples vnto his Apostles I say and which were now cōuerted to saluation who if they worke vnprofitable works what shall we thē iudge of those which haue not yet receaued the fayth of Christ But the Sophisters haue made the world such fooles that they say that workes before iustification do after a sorte merite it and those workes which follow they say are most profitable wherefore they would now haue men after a sort to make accompt with God and with beades to nomber how many prayers they haue said For what other thing ment they by thē then y◠they would by a certayne nomber recite so many Pater nosters or so many Aue Marias thinking by y◠recital to haue God most assuredly boūd The 53. vnto thē In y◠15. of Iohn Christ is compared vnto a vine tree we to the branches therof wherfore he sayth Euen as the branche can not bring forth fruit of it self vnles it abide in the vine no more also cā ye vnles ye abide in me I am the vine ye are the branches he which abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruite And whosoeuer shal not abide in me they are cast out of the dores euē as the braunches or cuttings of frō the vine they shal gather thē and cast thē into the fire Now that we haue recited these wordes of the lord how agreeth it that men being straungers from Christ not yet regenerate can worke good works by which they may be iustified when as they are called dry braunches which shal be cast into the fire and it is sayd that they only can bring forth fruite which cleane vnto Christ as braunches cleane to the vine And that we should the better vnderstand the will The 54. of Christ there is added Without me ye can do nothing Which sentence some go aboute to darken saying that nothing can be done without Christ in respect that he is God forasmuch as he is the first cause of all thinges as though the Lord disputed then of the generall conseruation of naturall thinges and of that power whereby God bringeth forth all thinges vniuersally Christ came not into the world to teach this philosophye he vndoubtedly entreated of the fruite of saluation and of eternall life and spake of those whiche should cleane vnto hys doctrine or ells should be strangers from it Moreouer the sonne of God commaunded The 55. that the faythfull should in theyr prayers saye Forgeue vs our trespasses Signifieng thereby y◠the faythfull also haue nede of forgeuenes in those things which they do for our workes are vnperfect neyther are they able to satisfye Wherefore if our workes which we doo after our regeneration nede expiation by the merite of Christ And for as much as we pray for the same how can they be propitiatory Much more les then can we thinke of those workes which are done before regeneration that they should be acceptable and pleasāt vnto God Moreouer no man can iustly say that he is out of the nomber of such when as God hath commaunded all men to pray in that maner and his will is not that any man should make a lye in his prayer Yea and Iohn also writeth If we shall The 56. say that we haue no sinne we deceaue
⧠Most learned and fruitfull Commentaries of D. Peter Martir Vermilius Florentine Professor of Diuinitie in the Schole of Tigure vpon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Romanes wherin are diligently most profitably entreated all such matters and chiefe common places of religion touched in the same Epistle ¶ With a table of all the common places and expositions vpon diuers places of the scriptures and also an Index to finde all the principall matters conteyned in the same Lately traÌ„slated out of Latine into Englishe by H. B. ¶ IMPRINTED AT LONdon by Iohn Daye ¶ Cum Gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per decennium ⧠These bookes are to be solde at the shop vnder the gate DIEV ET MON DRIOâ— ARISE FOR IT IS DAY TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND VVORTHY SIR ANTHONY COOKE KNIGHT PETER MARTIR VERMILIVS OF FLORENCE PROFESSER OF DIVINITIE IN THE SCHOLE OF TIGVRE VVISHETH HEALTH WHen I oftentimes consider with my selfe right honourable Sir whome for godlines and learning I reuerence all those things which happened all that whole time that I dwelt in England it driueth into me a great and manifolde griefe And in especiall it is a grief vnto me that so great an hope of the gospell of Iesus Christe and of pure doctrine in that Realme geuen by the most mighty and most mercifull God and confirmed by the great laboure industry and study of godly men hath now in a maner vtterly pearished It is a griefe vnto me to thinke that that most noble wit most sacred brest and incredible piety of that famous king Edwarde the .vj. of that name your most deare pupill is so sodainely taken from vs. It is a griefe vnto me that so many English men being of great fame renoum as well for theyr piety as for theyr knowledge and nobility are by voluntary exile for religion sake dispersed throughout externe and straunge countreys and they which at home were counted moste noble and heroicall doe now wander abrode as men obscure abiect and in a manner vnknowne to all men But it is well in that this happeneth not vnto them for any wicked actes by them committed or for filthy life but only for the name and doctrine of oure Lord Iesus Christ It is also a griefe vnto me that so great a multitude of godly brethren are as doubtles it is to often from euerye where signified vnto vs moste cruelly for theyr holy profession put to the sworde fire and tormentes whome for as much as they are our brethren and haue to theyr head together with vs one and the selfe same Christ and are members of one and the selfe same body and finally are euen oure owne bowels when we heare to be entreated with so great cruelty and tyraÌ„ny it is not possible but that we also should in minde be shaken with horror and set on fire euen as they are in body tormented and murthered These and a greate many moe things being vnto me a great griefe so that I am nowe in a maner hardened to any newe griefe yet cease I not to haue an eye hither and thither to see if I might by any meanes gette some healthfull and profitable remedy bothe for my selfe and for such like as I am but now I haue long time had experience of that it is in vaine to hope for mannes helpe or for ayd at the worlds hand And therefore I persuade both my selfe also others to withdraw their mindes from the aides of the flesh and to implore the heauenly and diuine helpe which doubtles I see is offred vnto vs two wayes One is that we with prayers turning our selues vnto Christ shold say How long Lord shall the wickednes and fury of Idolatry of supersticions and of the ignorance of the scriptures range abroade on the earth How long Lord shall thy holy Gospell be troden vnder foote We in dede haue sinned we haue ben rebellious against thee and haue not harkened vnto thy wordes for which cause we are iustly and for our euill deserte thus daily put â—o confusion and shame But thou O Lord our God are most iust in all thy workes But on the other side Lord for as much as it belongeth to thy clemency and constancy to haue mercye to spare and most faithfully to kepe thy couenauntes and promises how long Lord how long wilt thou be angry vnto the end Remember not our iniquities of olde Wherefore we beseeche thee that for as much as in these laste times thou hast by pouring abrode thy plenteous light and that being most mighty vouchsafed to make manifest vnto men which lay in darknes yea more then palpable darknes the secretes of thy truth thou woldest once at the length turne away thy wrath and fury from our ingrate mindes and from the most greuous sinnes whereby we haue laid forth thy most holy name and the pure doctrine which we professe to euil speakings and to blasphemies And deliuer thy congregation from the contumelies and oppressions of the wicked which doubtles light not only vpon vs but also vppon the maiesty of thy name Although thou of thyne owne nature be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vntouchable and not able to be hurt Illuminate O most louing Christ thy face vpon the Church redeamed with thy bloud which is now in a manner vtterly lefte desolate Thy name only and not any other mannes name we call vpon not vndoubtedly trusting to any our own righteousnes but to thy goodnes only and mercy that thou woldest either appoynt an end or measure of those euils and lenify the vexation wherwith we together with our brethren are afflicted or that thou wouldest at the least vouchsafe to geue vnto the hearts of thine such faith and constancy that they fall not away from the profession of true piety yea rather that they may so nobly and valiantly behaue them selues that by their exile emprisonment pouertye ignominy sworde fire and how cruell so euer kinde of death it be the liuely knowledge of thy gospell may more and more shine forth and be made more manifest to the whole world This kinde of ayde and remeady right honorable sir is the first which I see is to be sought for at Gods hands against our euils and which the holy Fathers prophets Apostles and blessed coÌ„fessors of the Christian faith with great fruit vsed in their afflictions Wherfore seing that God heard them praying after this maner or muche like therevnto let vs in no wise distrust but that he will also heare vs when as we haue coÌ„mon with them one and the selfe same cause and one and the selfe same God Vndoubtedly if he heard them he will not despise our prayers but forasmuch as he is alwayes like vnto himselfe if he most louingly and with incredible facilitie receaued theyr prayers he will also fil vs making supplicatioÌ„ vnto him not with a small but with a most ample consolation The second helpe which is also brought vs from God and is euery where
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
they whiche defend workes of preparation may see that Paul had none such vnles a man will say that to persecute the Church was a good worke They are wont to obiect that God had a regard to hys zeale purpose and hys good entent and therfore had mercy vpō hym For it is written vnto Tim that he obteyned mercy 1. Tim. 1. Paule acknowledgeth that merites were not the cause of his calling A place to Timothe expounded bycause he did it ignorantly and of infidelitie But Paul acknowledgeth no merite to be the cause of his callyng when he sayth vnto the Galathiās When it pleased hym whiche is in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And to Timothe and I haue obteyned mercy that God should in me first show hys long sufferyng that I should be an example of those whiche should beleue So he vtterly ascribeth his callyng vnto the mercy of God and not to his merites But where they alledge bycause I did it ignorauntly and of infidelitie that is therfore sayd to declare that there neded mercy where so perillously reigned ignoraunce and infidelity not that infidelity and ignoraunce whiche are sinnes should deserue pardon And by thys prerogatiue that he is an Apostle by callyng he stoppeth the mouth of hys aduersaries which sayd he was not an Apostle bycause he was not cōuersāt with Christ he aunswereth them that notwithstādyng yet was he called of hym And agaynst those whiche sayd that he had fallen from the Iewishe Religion he excuseth hym selfe bycause he obeyed God whiche called hym But althoughe it here appeare not by whom he was called yet vnto the Galathians it is expressed For there it is written not of men neither by men For that whiche the Grecians call Apostles the Hebrues call Scheluthtls Ierome interpreteth that Hierome maketh three maner of sendinges some are sent of God and not by men as Moses Esay and Paul other are sent of God but yet by men as Elizeus by Elias Dauid by Samuel and as there were also many other other are sent by men onely not by God as they which are set ouer Churches not by iust election but by affection of the fleshe or by fauour or giftes And these can not be deposed for as much as they haue the ordinary maner of institution although they can not be counted chosen of God lastly there be other whiche thrust in them selues neither are they sent of God nor yet of men as at this day do many Anabaptistes whiche beyng moued onely of their owne will breake into the ministery This was the office of Paul of the other Apostles to execute this functiō in Christes stede which thing in Paul god dyd illustrate by many miracles to the end there should be no doubt therof for as much as it was not knowen vnto men for they had not sene him conuersant with Christ There is also added an other title whereby Paul adorneth hys What was the putting a part of Paule name namely that he was put apart for the Gospels sake to declare that hys vocation whiche hee hath now made mencion of had hys begynnyng euen of the predestinacion and election of God And in the Epistle whiche hee writeth to the Galathians he manifestly openeth the nature of such a puttyng a part when he sayth that hee was segregated from hys mothers wombe that is elected not rashlye but with great wisedome and obseruation Hereby we learne that that is false which some men thinke namely that some men are borne good and other some euill Vndoubtedly we are all borne the children of wrath neyther is We are all borne in sinne there any inequalitie as touchyng byrth but it is the predestination and election of God wherby we are vnited and grafted into the members of Christ although some of the fathers sometymes sayd that therefore some are predestinate of God or separated from other because he foresawe that they would vprightly vse both grace and also frée will howbeit they speake not that out of the wordes of God Neyther did Paule at any tyme vse thys reason yea rather he sayd of Iacob and Esau before they were borne or before they had done any good or euill c. Which reason had sclenderlye commended the grace of election which then chieflye hee entended to doe if it should be vnderstand accordyng to these mens interpretation For a man myght haue sayd although these being little ones had as yet done nothing in acte and in very deede yet as touching the prouidence and sight of God vnto whom all thynges are present they had done both good and euill accordyng vnto the which they were eyther predestinate or reprobate And by thys obiection the argument of Paule should haue bene very much weakened Farther to rēder this cause of the electiō of God it was not so hard a thing the the Apostle should haue needed to stoppe the mouth of man complayning of the iustice of God Which thyng yet hee doth when hee sayth But who art thou O man which aunswerest vnto God Hath not the potter power ouer the claye of one ond the selfe same lumpe to make one vessell to honour and an other to contumely And he cryeth out Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are hys iudgementes how inuestigable are hys wayes which thyng vndoubtedly neded not to haue bene spoken if the question might so easily haue bene dissolued Adde thys also which he saith in an other place It is not of him which willeth nor of hym which runneth but of God which hath compassion And agayne he hath mercy vpon whom he wil and hardeneth whō he wil. Wherby is manifest that we are chosen to saluation not by our workes foreseene but of meare goodnes But the knowledge of election and predestination hath a double vtilitie fyrst that we shoulde not dispayre in aduersitie but The knowledge of predistination is profitable rather remembryng that we were deare vnto God before the foundations of the worlde were layde and that he hath not onely elected vs but also called vs and iustified vs we shoulde not doubt but that he hath a care ouer vs so that he euen now also will not forsake vs. It is of force also to represse our pryde that we shoulde not bee puffed vp for our workes or holynes of our life knowing that we haue these thynges onely of the election of God And hereby also it manifestly appeareth that God chooseth vs not for our good workes which hee foreseeth for as much as they are comprehended in predestination For whom God hath predestinated to saluation vnto those same also hath he appointed to geue both grace and meanes whereby they should come vnto saluation These are the two principall vtilities which the knowledge of predestination bryngeth vnto the electe Wherefore they which haue such cogitations of it that Who abuse the knowledge of predestination they are driuen to desperation as
with the mother Yet let vs not perswade our selues that whilest we Perfect peace is not had whilest we lyue here lyue here we can haue absolute and perfect peace how beit it shal be encreased dayly and Paule wisheth that they might now haue it begon and when tyme shal come to haue it at full And yet neuertheles we obtaine it presetly by Christ if we haue God pacifyed towardes vs. For afterward it is written Now therfore Rom. 5. being iustified by fayth we haue peace towardes God out of whiche floweth tranquilltty of conscience and somuch of the spirite and deuine comfort that what soeuer happeneth we take it in good parte Wherefore in the middest of tribulations tormentes this fyrme peace was not taken away frō holy men For they gaue thankes vnto God and they iudged that all thinges in these their Peace which passeth all sence afflictions were done for the best And this is that peace which passeth all sense and humane reason When he sayth From God the father from our lord Iesus Christ He sheweth the fountaine and beginning from whence these good thinges should be hoped for For they An argument of desiring and hoping for the thinges which we pray for come not of our owne strengthe and workes but of the mercy of God And hereby we are encoraged to desire and to hope for these good thinges which Paule wisheth for For seing that God of whome these thinges are desired is both good and also our father he will without all doubt geue vs them And Christ for asmuch as he is our mediator and redemer will not vndoubtedly deny vs them He is called Lorde which name is very agreeable vnto him For Why Christ is called lord all thinges are geuen him of the father and he hath paid the price for our saluation therfore he is iustly called Lord which name we may suppose that he hereby obtayned because the Hebrues neuer pronounce the holy name Tetragrammaton whiche is Iehouah but pronounce it by other wordes that is by Elohim or Adonay which signify might and dominion Whereby it semeth it came to passe that the 70. interpreters whē they red this name Tetragrammaton turned it by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Lord as it appeareth in many places of the which we will bring one The Lord sayd vnto my Lord. Where in the fyrst place is written Iehouah which they turned Lord. Wherefore when Christ is called Lord it is as much as if he had bene called God Although Tertullian agaynst Praxea sayth that Christ is called Lord when he is ioyned with Tertullian the father For then the father is called God If the sonne being ioyned wyth him should also be called God the Ethnikes might thinke we put more Gods then one Wherfore to withstād their supersticiō we make this word Lord an Epitheton of the sonne But if we name Iesus Christ by himselfe and alone he is playnely called God as it appeareth in many places of the scriptures And he vseth a certayne similitude as a beame of the sunne when we make mencion A similitude of it by it selfe we cal it the sun and we say that the sun entreth in at our windowes But when it happneth that the sunne is also to be named together with the beame we do not call the beame by the name of the sun but we say it is the beame of the sun But the fyrst reason is more fyrme and by that that Paule declareth The equality of the father and of the sonne The salutacions of Paul are not vayne The office of saluting is to be retayned among Christians that peace is to be looked for of vs as wel frō the son as from the father is shewed the equality of eyther of them betweene themselues And the salutation which Paule euery where putteth before his epistles is of no small force For if the blessinges of the fathers were of much force that is the blessinges of Nohe Isaac Iacob Moses and of other vndoubtedly the prayers of Paule also are not to be counted vnprofitable And for as much as we sée that both nature and the holy ghost abhorred not from this kinde of office to salute one an other the same maner and vsage is still to be retayned But we must onely take hede that we salute not any man dissemblingly and thinking an other thing in the hart do it onely in outward voyce or writinge Otherwise saluting is an instrument not a little apte to admonish vs of loue towardes our neighbours and that our neighboure may vnderstande what loue we beare vnto him And thus much touchinge the salutation Now let vs come to the Exordium that is the beginning wherein Paule very much laboreth to winne vnto him the Romanes and chiefely for that that he exceedinglye reioyceth that they are come to Christ First verely I geue thankes vnto God through Iesus Christ for you al because your faith is published through out al the world For God is my witnesse whom I worship wyth my spirite in the Gospell of his sonne that without ceasing I make mencion of you alwayes in my prayers beseechynge that at one tyme or other a prosperous iorney might happen vnto me by the wyll of God that I may come vnto you For I am desyrous to see you that I might bestow among you some spirituall gift to strengthen you withall that is that I might haue consolation together with you through the mutuall fayth whiche both ye and I haue And I woulde not that ye should be ignorant brethren how that I haue oftentimes purposed to come vnto you but haue bene let hetherto to haue some frute among you as I haue among other of the nacions For I am debter both to the Greekes and also to the Barbarous vnto the learned and also vnto the vn learned so that as muche as in me is I am redy to preach the Gospell to you of Rome also All writtinges in the beginning are wont to tend to this ende to get the The ende whereunto the beginning of hys talke tendeth good will of the hearers as much as is possible which thinge Paule here doth and first in that he sheweth them how he geueth thankes vnto God for them He declareth the cause thereof namely for that their fayth was now published throughout the whole world And he affirmeth that he cōtinually maketh prayers for them that they might goe forward as they had begonne Farther he sheweth that he is exceding desirous to see them present And thereof he sheweth causes namely both to comfort them and also to confirme both himselfe and them And he addeth this also that he desireth to do these things euen of duety For by reason of his Apostleship which he executed he acknowledged himselfe debytour vnto all nacions And he thereunto addeth that for that cause he is not ashamed of the Gospell And so concludeth he his Exordium Here
The patience of god portendeth not vnto the vngodly that they shall escape vnpunished men that although after a sort they were punished yet vnles they repented they should in the day of iudgement be more greuously punished And his meaning is that the patience of God whereby he suffereth them doth not portende that they should escape vnpunished but geueth them occasion to begin truly to repent God is set forth to be both mercifull and good but yet in such sort that his long sufferyng and patience haue endes limites And by reason of this differryng of punishmentes which happeneth in thys lyfe the Apostle is compelled to make mētion of the last iudgement Otherwyse forasmuch as in this lyfe many are passed ouer vnpunished others are most seuerely delt with all God might be thought to deale vniustly Wherfore he vrgeth them wyth the feare of the last iudgement and affirmeth that the differryng of vengeaunce bryngeth more greuous punishmentes Which thyng Valerius Maximus an Ethenike writer speaketh of that God by the greuousnes of the punishment recompenceth the long delaying therof Wherby it is playne that Paule disputing against the Ethenikes which knew The knowledge of the iudgement to come is naturally grafted in men not the holy scriptures reproued them by those thynges which might be known by the lyght of nature Wherfore there is a certayne naturall knowledge grafted in the hartes of men touchyng the iudgement of GOD to come after thys lyfe which thyng the fables also of the Poetes declare whiche haue placed Minoes Radamanthus and Eacus as iudges in hel Wherfore they shall be more greuously punished which haue bene the longer borne withall because the contempt of God addeth no small waight vnto theyr sinnes which contempt semeth to haue crept into them whilest they so long tyme despised his lenitie and patience A hard hart But thou after thyne hardnes and hart that can not repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath in the day of wrath An hard hart is that which is not softened Wherof rebellion against God springeth by the benefites of God nor broken by hys threateninges nor feare of punishmentes And this rebellion agaynst God we draw vnto vs partely by originall sinne and partly by custome of sinnyng so that now we are in a manner without any kynde of felyng To beleue vprightly forasmuch as it is a vertue hath two extremities On the one side there is so great facility that some wyll beleue euery thing whether it be an inuention of mā or superstitiō or the word of God which In beleuing the meane is to be kept and two extremities are to be taken hede of vndoubtedly is a vyce On the other side there is so great difficulty to beleue that they will not admit no not euen that which is playne by the worde of God vnles theyr owne reason be satisfied therein Betwene these two daungerous extremities there is a certayne meane that we should heasely beleue those thinges which are to be beleued whē they are godly offred vnto vs vsing therin a diligēt trial of the holy scriptures For all thinges are to be examined by that rule Paule vseth this Greke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to lay aside or to lay vp in store For we commonly vse to lay vp in our treasures those thinges whiche we will not vse presently but will afterward vse them at some other conuenient tyme. And this very well fitteth with these vngodly ones For then they felte not the anger of God which yet afterward they shall feele and that so muche the more aboundantly as riches are more plentifull whiche are continually euery day heaped vp together He prudently warely sayth that these men heaped vp vnto themselues wrath that they should not impute these punishmentes vnto the cruelty of God By this kinde of speach he teacheth that it was they themselues which brought this mischiefe vpon themselues And this woord of heapinge vp treasure is oftentimes vsed in the holye scriptures In Deut the 32. chap God sayth touchinge the transgressions of the Israelites that they were sealed vp in This Metaphore of heaping vp treasure is oftentymes vsed in the holy scriptures What the day of wrath is hys treasures Ieremy also in the 50. chap threateneth that God wyll poure out the treasure of his wrath and indignation And that which is added In the day of wrath And y◠happeneth somtimes in this life when God semeth that he will not suffer any longer and sheweth foorth some tokens of his seuerity which thing we see happened in the captiuitie of Babilon in the euersion of Sodome and destruction of the Egiptians And the Prophets euery where describe the most bitter punishments of God by this title that they be layd vp in store against the day of wrath And wrath is here taken for vengeaunce by that kinde of figure wherby that which followeth is expressed by that which goeth before But it fitteth beste to referre those thinges whiche are here described vnto the last day of iudgement which he expresseth by three notes Firste by wrath secondly by reuelation and lastly by iustice Vengeaunce he ascribeth vnto God Three notes of the laste iudgement least it should be thought a thing of smal waight He addeth also reuelation because here thinges are hidden but there all thinges shal be made manifeste He putteth thereunto also this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is iustice least as Chrisostome noteth some should perswade themselues that the iudgemente of God shoulde proceede from an angry minde Vndoubtedly there shal be shewed a most grieuous vengeaunce but yet such a one as shal haue ioined with it iustice Wherfore we ought to haue that iudgemēt cōtinually before our eies neither at any time to take vpon vs any dueties or actions but that our mind be euer turned vnto it And this is to walke before God whiche thinge as Abraham was commaunded to do so is the same most oftentimes required at our handes And to walke before God is nothing els then to thinke that he doth moste intentiuelye behold whatsoeuer thinges we do But alas it is wonderfull to see howe this To walke before the Lord. thinkinge vpon the iudgemente to come is taken awaye from the sighte of the vngodlye VVho shall render vnto euery man according to his woorkes When he sayth that vnto euery manne shal be rendred it plainelye signifieth that none shall escape this iudgemente In the iudgementes of men it oftentimes happeneth that one is punished and an other is not so muche as accused He addeth According to their workes to geue vs to vnderstād that there shal be no acception of persons There shal be consideration had of the causes onelye and not of God hath a consideration vnto the cause and not vnto men Moses vnderstoode that the mercy of God is tempered wyth iustice men Of what state or condicion so euer they be they shal be iudged
accordinge to theyr woorkes and deedes In deede the mercy of God is now large but yet in such sort that the seueritie of iustice is not wantinge Moses although he had heard manye proprieties of God whiche serued to expresse his goodnes and clemency that is that he is mercifull gentle slow vnto anger riche in mercy and truth whiche reserueth goodnes or mercye for a thousande generacions yet at the end added that God wil not pronounce the wicked man an innocent that he visiteth the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generacion But because they whiche attribute ouermuche vnto woorkes and trust that by them to obteyne eternall life are wont very often to alledge thys place I haue thought it good briefely to declare what is to be thoughte concerning Of works workes But we shal afterward more at large set foorth and declare this thing when we shall haue occasion to entreat of iustification And those things whiche shall now be briefely spoken we will afterward more largely discourse by partes seuerally First this is to be knowen that we deny not that whych is Betwene our good workes eternall felicitye there is no iust proportion There are no good woorkes without fayth Those thinges which are promised vnto works we obteyne by fayth The causes of our saluation Why God attributeth honor vnto woorkes The words of the last iudgement are diligently examined here written that vnto euery man shal be rendred accordinge to hys woorkes But there is not so muche good in good woorkes as eternall felicitie is good Yea ther is betwene these a greater difference then betwene heauē and earth Moreouer there are no woorkes to be counted good which lene not vnto faith and haue not it for the roote from whence they should spring foorth Therfore that which seemeth to be promised vnto workes the same in very deede we obtaine by fayth which is garnished with those workes And because fayth taketh hold of the mercy of God and promises in Christ therfore throughe mercy and Christ whiche are the obiectes of faith shall we be made blessed These are the true and chiefest causes of eternall life the clemency I say of God election predestinacion and the merites of Christe But God in the holye scriptures oftentimes addeth woorkes thereby to stirre vs vp beinge otherwise sluggishe and slouthfull to lyue vprightly And he adorneth woorkes with this kinde of honor that he promiseth vnto them excellent rewardes Whiche thing if we will more narrowly consider let vs wyth diligence weigh what the most high iudge shal in the last iudgemente saye For he will make examination of good workes will say that he was fed with meate and drinke and visited c. But after thys commendation of woorkes when he iudgeth vnto the sayntes the kingdome and eternall life he expresseth the principallest cause that maketh vs happy blessed For he sayth Come ye blessed of my Father and possesse the kingdome whiche was prepared for you before the beginning of the worlde These he pronounceth to be the causes of our blessednes namely that we are deare vnto God and haue geuen vnto vs the blessinge of predestination and election And therfore sayth he that the kyngdome was prepared for vs from the beginninge of the worlde Woorkes in deede are to be had but not as causes Therefore Christ admonished Works are not the causes of our felicity A place of Luke How we are called vnprofitable seruāts vs saying When ye haue done all these thinges say we are vnprofitable seruants we haue done but those thinges which we ought to do Neither passe wee any thynge vpon theyr caueling which say that therfore we are vnprofitable seruantes because out good woorkes do bringe no commoditie vnto God Forasmuche as God needeth none of our good workes But say they it ought not to be denied but that we are by good workes profitable vnto our selues We graunt indede that it is profitable vnto vs that we liue well But that vtility is not to be attributed vnto our workes that they should be causes of our blessednes to come For we haue nothing in vs whereby we can make God obstricte and bounde vnto vs. For whatsoeuer we do the same do we wholy owe vnto God and a We cannot by workes binde God vnto vs. great deale more then we are able to performe Wherefore as Christ admonisheth The Lord geueth not thankes vnto his seruant when he hath done his duety And if the seruaunt by well doing cannot binde his Lord to geue him thankes how shall he binde him to render vnto him great rewardes Therefore the name of The name of merits ought to be abolished merite if we will speake properlye oughte vtterlye to be banished out of our mouthes I know that the Fathers sometimes vsed that word but yet not properly But that woord is not found at al in the holy scriptures For the nature of merite is that there be a iust proportion and equall consideration betweene The nature of merite that which is geuen and that which is taken But betwene the good thinges which we looke for and those thinges which we eyther suffer or do there is no proportion or agreemente For Paule sayth That the passions of thys time are not woorthy the glory to come whiche shal be reueled in vs. Farther merite hath ioyned vnto it debt whych thynge Paule testifyeth when he sayth That vnto hym whych woorketh rewarde is rendred accordinge to debte and is not imputed accordyng to grace Which selfe same Paul yet writeth expressedly that the grace of God is eternall life Lastlye vnto the nature of merite there is required that that whiche is geuen pertayne vnto the geuer and be not due vnto hym whyche receaueth it But woorkes are not of our selues for they are called the giftes of God whiche he woorketh in vs. Wherefore Augustine very wisely sayth That God doth crowne his giftes in vs. Now if our woorkes be due vnto him whiche thinge we cannot deny then vndoubtedly the nature of merite is vtterly taken awaye Eternall life is sometimes in the holy scriptures called a reward But then is it not that How eternall lyfe is sometymes called a reward How blessednes followeth good woorkes reward which Paule writeth to be geuen according to debte but is all one as if it shoulde be called a recompensation Gods will and pleasure was that there shoulde be this connexion that after good woorkes shoulde follow blessednes but yet not as the effecte followeth the cause but as a thinge ioyned with them by the appointmente of God Therefore we may not truste vnto woorkes for they are feeble and weake and do alwayes wauer and stagger Wherfore the promises of God depende not of them neither haue they in themselues as they come from vs that they can moue God to make vs blessed We say therefore that God iudgeth according to woorkes because accordinge as they are eyther
oppressed Otherwise it shall bee all one to bee occupied in them as to marke what Liui Aristotle Salust Plutarche and other writers haue left in writing But now without the law is the righteousnes of God made manifest beyng confirmed by the testimony of the law and of the prophetes Here is expressedly put forth the question wherof he will afterward entreat And thereof he putteth two partes Of which the one is that the righteousnes of God is without the law made manifest The other is that it is obtained by the faith of Iesus Christ And Paule affirmeth that this righteousnes of God hath the testimonye both of the law and of the prophets This is it which he proposed at the beginning that by the Gospell is reueled the righteousnes of God from saith to faith And in that he writeth that this manifestation is done without the law he vnderstādeth without helpe of the law being obserued but onely by the hearing of faith Which The righteousnes of God threefold selfe thing he affirmed vnto the Galathians when he said Haue ye receiued the holy ghost by the workes of the law or by the hearing of faith The righteousnes of God as I haue in an other place declared is thréefold The first is wherby we are through Christ receiued into fauour and our sinnes are forgeuen vs and the righteousnes of Christ is imputed vnto vs. And the second kind of righteousnes followeth this namely that thorough helpe of the holy ghost our minde is reformed and we all whole are inwardly renewed by grace Thirdly follow holy and godly workes for they which are once come thus far are most zelous and desirous of working well Now then Paule entreateth of the first righteousnes whiche he saith is declared in vs without the law And he calleth it the righteousnes of God because it is gotten thorough his power and goodnes and not thorough our owne workes And if a man do more narowly consider it it is the mercy of God which he bestoweth vpon vs thorough Christ And I haue in an other place admonished that that which the Hebrues call Tsedech and our men haue turned righteousnes signifieth rather goodnes and mercy And therefore to this day the Iewes call almes by that name And Ambrose vpon this place is of the selfe same mynd For he sayth Therefore is Ambrose Why the mercy of God is called righteousnes that called the righteousnes of God which semeth to be the mercy of God because it hath his originall beginning of Gods promise and when that promise is performed it is called the righteousnes of God For therfore is it the righteousnes of God because that is rendered which was promised Also whē he receiueth those which fly vnto him it is called rightousnes For one not to receiue him that flieth vnto him it is iniquity Thus much Ambrose But we must not harken vnto them which in this place do interprete these wordes Without the law for without the ceremonies of the lawe For we haue before shewed that althoughe the question was moued by reason of them yet hath Paule entreated of the lawe generally so that it comprehendeth all the partes of the law They seme not much to ouershoote themselues which by the righteousnes Christ the righteousnes of God of God vnderstande Christ for whatsoeuer pertayneth to iustification that same commeth from him vnto vs when we beleue in hym Betwene the righteousnes of God and ours Paule plainly putteth a difference when he saith in this self same The manifestation of the righteousnes of God happened chiefly in the tyme of the Apostles The order and maner of the preaching of the Apostles Epistle Being ignorant of the righteousnes of God and seeking to establishe theyr owne they are not subiecte vnto the righteousnes of God But that we may the better vnderstand what this manifestation of the rightousnes of God is which then happened chieflye when Paule wrote these thinges it must thus be vnderstanded that we must haue a regarde what manner of preaching the Apostles vsed As farre as we can gather out of the sermons of the Apostles as they are set forth in the Actes of the Apostles First they preached repentaunce setting before mens eyes their sinnes and condemnation wherin men were wrapped then they gathered together the proprieties and conditions of Christ which should heale these euils and that out of the holy scriptures Thirdly they applied the same proprieties and conditions vnto Iesus of Nazareth to allure men vnto his fayth And suche as hearyng these things beleued the same obteyned of God remission of their sinnes Inwardly they were made new and outwardly they liued moste holily resembling the image of God to which mankynde was made With perseuerance they called vppon God communicating together in prayers breakyng of bread all holye workes They stedfastly did put their trust in God as they which were vtterly destitute of all other helpe They nothing regarded worldly riches laying the price of their things and money at the féete of the Apostles They stoutely bare a good testimonye vnto Why the righteousnes of God is said to be made manifest without the law Christ reioycing that they suffred greuous thinges for hys names sake Lastly in this quarell they cherefully shed theyr bloud bestowed theyr life And the world seyng those thinges could not but be moued and acknowledge that a new kynde of righteousnes appeared on the earth And because amongest them were Ethenikes which had no knowledge at all of the law therfore the Apostle sayth Without the law Also many of the Hebrewes were called who although they knew the law yet they nothyng at all regarded it And it was all one as if they had not had the law There came some also which liued very vprightly and were moste zelous in the study of the law as Nathaniell whome Christ pronounced to be a true Israelite in whom there was no guile And these were iustified without the law for that obseruation of the law which they performed was not the cause why they were iustified The lawe in déede may be a helpe vnto iustification because it admonisheth vs and accuseth vs by whiche meanes we are dryuen vnto Christe But for as muche as it hathe not the strengthe to forgeue synnes to geue the The law helpeth vnto iustification but it is not the cause thereof A conciliation holye Ghoste to suggest faythe into the hartes of the hearers therefore Paule saythe righte well That we are iustified wythout the lawe Augustine in hys booke de spiritu litera saith that the Apostle seemeth to speake thynges repugnaunt For he affyrmeth that the righteousnes of God whereof he nowe speaketh had his testimonye of the lawe and the Prophetes and yet be saythe that it was made manifeste without the lawe But he aunswereth that there is here in verye deede no contradiction if a man rightly distinct those thinges which are here spoken For
one of vs perticularly For he wayteth long that we should repent vs. Which thing if we do not we heape vnto our selues wrath in the day of wrath of the reuelation of the iust iudgement of God And by this pacience of God we knowe that that is true whiche Ezechiel sayth that God will not the death of a sinner but rather that he should be coÌ„uerted and liue Neither here ought We must iudge by the will of God reueled and not by hys secret will we to haue a respect vnto the secret will of God whiche vnto vs is vnknowne obscure For we oughte to iudge of it as by the holye scriptures and by daylye experieÌ„ce it is setforth vnto vs and may be known For he suffreth long and by scriptures sermons scourges and finally by all manner of meanes and wayes calleth backe sinners vnto him At this present time Chrisostome interpreteth this of the coÌ„ming of Christ in the flesh For that then was he most chiefly geuen the pacience of God was declared to be so muche the greater for that then all manner of vices were rife and when men séemed to haue deserued to be moste gréeuouslye punished euen then did the mercye of God most chieflye shine vpon them And it seemeth that When sins semed most worthy to be punished then most of all shined forth the mercy of God The fâ—lnes of time Paule euery where wonderfully extolleth this time wherein God so singularly declared his beneuolence toward men that he gaue his onely begotten sonne for our saluation And that time wherein God came vnto vs he calleth the fulnes of times That he might be iuste and a iustifier of him vvhiche is of the fayth of Iesus Christ Here is touched the reason why God appoynted after thys manner to forgeue sinnes namelye that his righteousnes moughte the more appeare we vse to say that in a manne there is a notable qualitye when as out of the same fountayne others are pertakers thereof But there is an Emphasis or strength in this forme of speaking That he might be iust Wherby we vnderstaÌ„d that he is of himselfe iust neither ought we to presume to chalenge the same to our selues And he addeth Of the fayth of Iesus Christ because by that meanes the righteousnes of God doth better appeare then if we shoulde clayme it vnto our selues by workes Where is then thy glorying It is excluded By what law By the lawe of workes No but by the lawe of fayth Therefore we conclude that a man is iustified by fayth without the workes of the law God is he the God of the Iewes only and not of the GeÌ„tiles also Yes euen of the Gentiles also For it is one God who shall iustifie circumcision by faith vncircumcision through fayth Do we then make the lawof none effect God forbid yea rather we establishe the law VVherefore thy glorying is excluded By what lawe By the lawe of workes No but by the lawe of fayth After that he had declared his proposition now Epiphonema as it were by a conclusion he geueth a definitiue sentence of that which he put forth at the beginning of the chapiter when he sayd what is then the preferment of the Iewe or what is the profite of circumcision In this place he maketh answere that as touching iustification the Iewes had nothing aboue others whereof they might glory for that by those thinges which haue bene now spoken their glorying is excluded In the Greke booke is not reade this woord thy And Ambrose thinketh that these thinges are spoken against the Iewes For against theÌ„ peculiarly conteÌ„ded he now So farre is it of that the law of works excludeth glorying that rather it ministreth matter to glory of And by this woorde lawe the Apostle vnderstandeth doctrine for it hath the power to moderate and The Law of woorkes ministreth matter of boasting What this woord law signifieth gouerne our strengthes and willes to the executing of any thing as touching knowledge doctrine or instruction And in other places he applieth this worde lawe to diuers thinges as The lawe of the spirite The law of the fleshe the lawe of the members the lawe of the minde and such other like The lawe of workes is that which decreeth that righteousnes oughte to be gotten by workes But the lawe of fayth teacheth that it is to be hoped for of the mercy of God And Chrisostome sayth that the lawe of fayth is that by grace we are saued and he thinketh that the Apostle vseth the name of the lawe to the ende he would the lesse offend the Iewes which much delighted in that worde For by that meanes he semed to attribute some honour vnto the lawe which had not ill deserued of What glorieng is The contrariety betwene the law of faith and the law of workes Where merites are there is glorieng men Glorying according to the definition thereof is a boasting of some good thing And how repugnaÌ„t these two lawes are one to the other we ar manifestly tought in the Gospel where the Pharisey speaketh thus to God I geue thankes vnto thee that I am not as other men I fast twise in the weake c. Here he maketh mencion of workes only ouerhipping the grace of God as much as lay in him But the other namely the Publicane prayd with fayth God be mercifull vnto me a sinner In which words he maketh no mencion at all of works And seeing that God will haue all glorying excluded it is manifest how they erre which defend merites For where they haue place there wanteth not glorying They which glory thinke that both saluation and righteousnes and eternall life are dew vnto them But he which leneth vnto the lawe of fayth ought not in any Debte may be taken two maner of wayes wyse to perswade himselfe of any such thing Although we mought make such a distinction that debt may sometymes be taken as it is referred vnto our labours and so it hath a respect vnto reward as the Apostle will playnly afterward declare when he sayth that vnto hym which worketh are ward is imputed not according to grace but according to debt and debt may be taken an other way as it hath a respect vnto a promise when a thing is dew vnto a man not that he hath deserued it but because by our promise we haue bound our selues to geue it vnto hym Of which thing we haue an example in those giftes which are confirmed by contractes and hand writinges And agaynst this kinde of debt the lawe of fayth is not But of it springeth no glorying but our aduersaryes doo not vndoubtedly exclude glorying when they say that vnto the repentaunte is graunted remission of sinnes so that she repentaunce be mete and as they call it sufficient In this their saying they of purpose resiste the will of God which vtterly tendeth to this that all glorying should be excluded from vs. Yea Chrisostome affirmeth that
harlot and the Israelite not only repressed the plague inflicted by God but also got this thereby that euen the selfe same thinges with like number of wordes were written of hym which Paule here citeth of Abraham out of the booke of Genesis And it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnes Which wordes seing they are spoken of him by reason of his worke it might seme that iustification is not After iustification the saintes do workes which God counteth for iust Paule entreateth of the first righteousnes and the psalme of that righteousnes which followeth iustification Good workes also are sayd to be imputed for righteousnes so proper vnto fayth that Paule should firmely auouch that righteousnes commeth vnto vs by it only But we answere that we deny not but that after fayth and iustification are of good men wrought excellent workes which are of God counted for iust especially when they haue their ofspring out of fayth Wherfore Augustine vpon the 31. Psalme when he commendeth Abrahams fact in that he would haue sacrificed his only sonne sayth that he commendeth the building but in the meane tyme he considereth the foundation which was fayth he sayth that he alloweth the fruite but in the meane tyme he hath a regard to the roote But Paule now entreateth not of those thinges which follow righteousnes but of the very roote and hed what that is for which we are counted iust Wherefore the Psalme speaketh of the worke and Paul of the fyrst righteousnes Nether ought we to maruayle that good workes are sayde to be imputed for righteousnes forasmuch as it is necessary it should be so For they haue not in thēselues so much perfection that they can in all pointes satisfye the lawe of God Wherefore it is nedefull that God for his mercy sake receaue them as acceptable in imputing that part of goodnes and of righteousnes which wanteth in them They also are not to be harkened vnto which interprete this sentence so that they vnderstand that Paul speaketh of fayth here as it is a worke so that Fayth is not here taken as it is a worke Two manner wayes of imputing the sence should be that God imputed vnto righteousnes that acte of Abraham whereby he beleued as though he would count that for iuste That is not intreated of at this present to dispute of a iust worke But that is sought from whence we are iustified And to make the matter more playne to be imputed vnto righteousnes is taken two maner of wayes Sometymes it signifieth some acte to be ratified and to be allowed and to speake briefely to be accepted for iust and after this maner we graunte that that acte of Phinees and the good workes of holy men are imputed of God vnto righteousnes An other way it signifieth that by which we our selues are counted in the number of the iust and that Paul attributeth only vnto fayth as though he should haue said Abraham beleued that he was acceptable vnto God and that he was counted with him for iust and lastly that he should attayne to blessednes and as he beleued so he receaued For it came to passe vnto hym according to his fayth Wherefore by it he receaued that which was offred vnto him of God as it is written in the beginning of the 15. chapter For God had sayde vnto hym I am thy protector and thy exceding great reward But that which is sayd of Phinees and of the workes of goodmen pertayneth vnto the dutyes whiche follow them that are iustified But forasmuch as many promises are made vnto workes and God in this place calleth himselfe a reward and eternall life is oftentimes If eternall life be sayd to be rendred vnto workes why is not also sayd of righteousnes Good woorkes may go before eternal life but not before iustification Eternall life is called a reward by a similitude and not properly in the holy scriptures called a reward as though it were rendred vnto workes why may we not by workes likewise obtayne righteousnes seying that it is as great a matter to glorifye as to iustify But two thinges are here to be considered first that good workes may go before glorification but not before iustification Because after that we are iustified we may do such thinges as are acceptable vnto God But before we are iustified we are able to do nothinge that is truely good and which can please God Moreouer we graunt not that eternall life is had by workes as though it were by them merited But when it is called a reward it is in this respect because it is rendred after the worke done euen as that which we deserue by any ciuile actions is not wont to be rendred till the worke be full done And in such sort eternall life may indede haue some similitude of a reward but yet properly and as touching the nature of a reward it is most farre of and that for thrée causes First because those thinges which are geuen and which are receaued are not alyke but that is required to the nature of merite Secondly because the workes which we offer are not our owne For God geueth them vnto vs and woorketh in vs both to will and to performe Wherefore if there were any merite it should not be attributed vnto vs but vnto God as to the author of all good workes Lastly when a reward or merite is properly taken it behoueth the that which is geuen of vs be not bound of duety vnto him vnto whom it is geuē But we although we shoulde not obtayne felicitye yet ought we to doo all our thinges vnto the glory of God Wherefore eternall lyfe can not be called a reward but by a certaine similitude But many say that these sentences of Paul are to be vnderstand by a figure as though it were the figure Synecdoche that faith is therefore said to iustifie because it in iustifieng obteineth the chiefest place and so they will Sinecdoche which y◠aduersaries vse not that good works which are ioyned with faith should vtterly be excluded from y◠power of iustifieng They are in dede content that we should commend faith but yet in such sort commend it that we shoulde say that it iustifieth together with other good workes which workes they say Paul vnderstādeth in it by the figure Synecdoche And by this meanes they thinke may be conciliated very many places in the scriptures For vndoubtedly in the xx chap. of Genesis God for a worke promised many thinges vnto Abraham Bicause saith he thou hast done this thing thy seede shall be increased it shall obteyne the gates of his enemies and in thy sede shall all nations be blessed and other such like And Iames semeth to expound this Synecdoche when he affirmeth that Abraham was iustified by workes Vnto these men we aunswer that the wordes of Paul will in no case suffer any suche trope or figure whose wordes are so playne and perspicuous that they neither can be violated nor yet
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
hope cōtaineth expectatiō or wayting for y◠epistle to the Romanes Hope containeth expectacion or waiting for Hope hath a respecte vnto thinges of great difficulty A similitude expressedly declareth in the 8. chapter when he sayth The hope which is sene is not hope For how doth a man hope for that which he seeth But if we hope for that which we see not we do by pacience wayte for it Nether is this to be ouerhipped y◠that good thing vnto which hope hath a respect is hard and difficile For naturally in liuing creatures the affection of hope consisteth in the grosser part of the mynde which they call the angry part whereby the liuing creature is moued to labour to gette that good thing which is set before it although there séeme to be some lettes agaynst it For by such an affection it is stirred vp to ouercome whatsoeuer let commeth in the way The woolfe being hungry meteth with a bull and by the lust that he hath he coueteth that pray But when he seeth the great difficulty that hāgeth ouer him for that he must haue a sore battaile and conflict he is of the angry power of the mynde by hope stirred vp and is not aferd to put himselfe into danger and to fight And so at the length hauing put away all lettes he obtayneth his pray So hath God in the nobler part of our mynde placed hope whereby is brought to passe that when the chiefe felicity Hope is placed in the nobler part of the minde In hope heauines is ioyned together with ioy which is a thing both difficult and farre of from vs is set before vs we should not be feared away but by fayth haue boldnes and accesse vnto God as Paul sayth in the 2. chapter to the Ephesians And forasmuch as this felicity is a great space distant from the godly it can not be otherwyse but that in hoping they haue some griefe and that they in themselues sorrow that their present condition or state should be so farre remoued from felicity But on the other side when they are certayne and assured that they shall attayne vnto that end they can not but be affected with an incredible ioye And so this faculty of hope is mingled with the affectes of ioy and sorrow And the Apostle hath signified vnto vs some part of the sorrow thereof in that place to the Romanes which we haue alredy cited when he sayth Euery creature groneth and trauayleth in payne together with vs euen vnto this present And not only the creature but we also which haue the first fruites of the spirite euen we do sigh in our selues wayting for the adoption euen the redemption of our body And that ioy is ioyned with the self same hope he declareth in the 12. chapter of the selfe same epistle saying reioysing in hope And although fortitude and long suffring séeme to bring vnto our myndes expectation or wayting for yet those vertues haue not this expectation but at hopes Other vertues haue expectation of hope hand which we haue now described Nether is it to be meruayled at that one vertue should receaue any thing of an other vertue for they whiche are any thing acquaynted with the Ethikes know that liberality temperance and such other vertues haue much helpe at the handes of prudence for by the ayde thereof they haue a mediocrity appoynted them to follow This is the difference that chiefely distinguisheth hope from fayth namely that by fayth we admitte and embrace the promises offred vnto vs of God but by the helpe of hope we patiently waite that those promises should at the length be performed vnto vs. Nether was hope for any other cause geuē of God but that we should Why hope was geuen ▪ not cease of from following after that good thing which we perceaue can not be obtained by our owne déedes for nether are they by any meanes to be compared with it For the Apostle sayth The suffringes of this tyme are not worthy the glory to come which shal be reuealed in vs. For that they which are endued with hope are assured in themselues that that which they want in the strengthes of nature and in workes shal be supplied by the mercy of God and obedience of Christ And if a man demand whether a pure life and holy workes can any thing auayle vnto the certaynty of hope we will easely graunt it may so that we seclude Workes ar no small helpe to the certainty of hope the bying and selling of merites For our workes of themselues haue nothing at all whereby they can produce hope Howbeit the perswasion of faith may by them conceaue an argument to confirme hope and to reason in thys sort God hath now of hys meare liberality geuen me grace to do this or that good worke to put away this or that vice out of my mynde Wherefore he will yet geue greater thinges nether will he deny me the thinges which are remayning vnto saluation If the Sophisters had sayd thus they mought haue bene borne withall for it is not strange from the reason of the Apostle For as we shall a little afterward see he would haue vs by those thinges which God hath alredy graūted vnto vs to be certaynly perswaded of his perpetuall loue towardes vs. But these men haue both written and tought that hope it selfe dependeth of merites and so dependeth that to hope without them they say is presumption and rashenes But it semeth that somwhat may be obiected out of the holy scriptures which may make agaynst this sentence of Paul wherein he sayth that hope confoundeth not For to Timothe it is written In my first defence Whether Paule wer euer frustrate of his hope no man was on my side all men forsooke me God grant it be not imputed vnto thē but the Lord was on my side and I was deliuered out of the mouth of the lion and the Lord shall deliuer me from euery euill worke Here Paul hoped that he should escape the persecution of Nero but he was deceaued for vnder him he was slayne And agayne to y◠Phillippians whē he had sayd that he was greatly in doubt on both those sides for that on the one side he desired to be losed and to be with Christ and on the otherside he saw that it was necessary for him to abide in the fleshe for their sakes he addeth this And this I am sure of that I shall abide and with you all continue for your furtherance and ioy of your fayth Here also agayne it appeareth that the Apostle hoped that he should be deliuered from that captiuity which yet followed not Wherefore it may séeme that that hope confounded him To aunswere vnto these thinges we will repeate that which we before sayde namely that hope receaueth hys certaynty of fayth and fayth hath hys certaynty of the worde of God Wherefore it followeth that eyther of them is as certayne as are the promyses which are
excellent estate or condition but also as it is written vnto the Hebrues Do tread vnder foote the sonne of God and do pollute his blood which was shed for them By this place also we are taught to loue our enemies not after the common maner as when men say yâ— they wishe wel vnto theyr enemy it is inough they thinke if they hate him not but yet in the meane time they will take no paynes ether to bring him to amendment or to saluation And which is more haynous they are not onely not beneficyall towardes theyr enemies but also through theyr sluggishnes they suffer theyr weake bretherne to perish they winke at theyr sinnes nether vse they any admonitions or reprehensions that they might be amended There are besides infinite other instructions which The loue of God most plentifully teacheth vs many thinges the loue of God teacheth vs. For we haue no booke stuffed with more plentifull doctrine then the death of Christ whiche if we diligentlye examine we shall be tought in a maner al dueties necessary vnto saluation Lastlye is to be noted that these thinges which Paul in this place meÌ„cioneth are had although indede more briefly yet fully inoughe in the 6. chapter of the Gospell of Iohn So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonnes that euery one that beleueth in him should not perish Here also we heare that through the loue of God the sonne was deliuered for vs. And whereas Paule sayth enemies vveake vngodly sinners the same hath the Euangelist signified by this one word vvorld And whereas Paul sayth That thorough him vve are iustified recoÌ„ciled and shal be saued from vvrath that hath the Euangelist expressed in these wordes That he vvhich beleueth in him should not perishe And not only this but vve also reioyce in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by vvhome vve haue novv obtayned the reconciliation This was the third part which the Apostle vsed in making mencion of the benefite of Christ after that he had both layd him forth before vs and also by amplification as it was mete commended him vnto vs. Wherefore Paul sayth that so great is the gift of God that thereof we excedingly reioyce We are not only sayth he certayne that we shall be saued but also we reioyce not in our selues but in God not through our workes but through Iesus Christ by whome we haue obtayned reconciliation When he sayth that we reioyce of this benefite of God he priuely reproueth those which counted it a thinge full of shame to professe Christian religion or to wayte for saluation at the handes of a man crucified and put to a most shamefull death Herein sayth Paul is nothing vile or whereof we should be ashamed yea rather all thinges are most honorable and full of great dignity For here we can looke vpon nothing which testefieth not Reioysinge is opposed to filthines shame vnto vs the singular loue of God towards vs. This sentence of Paul agréeth very well with these words of Ieremy in the 9. chapter Let not the wise man reioyce in his wisedome nor the mighty man in his might nor the rich man in his riches but he which reioyseth let him reioyce in this that he knoweth and vnderstandeth me which What our reioysing is worke mercy righteousnes and iudgement and loue these thinges in the earth The prophet meaneth the selfe same thing that Paul doth namely that no man should reioyce ether for the good thinges of the mynde or of the body or of fortune but only let him reioyce of this that he knoweth the Lord. And the vnmeasurable loue of God can by no other thing be better or clearlyer vnderstand then by the death of Christ This is our fayth this is the chiefest knowledge that we can haue of the goodnes of God Hereby we vnderstand that God hath wrought By the death of Christ is God chiefly knowne mercy when he would by this meanes redeme vs to haue wrought iudgemeÌ„t and righteousnes wheÌ„ as he would not suffer our sinnes to escape vnpunished but hath so seuerely auenged them in Christ But because our fayth ought not to be idle but to repay agayne the selfe same thinges that we haue receaued of Christ therefore the Prophet addeth that God both loueth and requireth the selfe same thinges in the earth that is in vs. VVe reioyce sayth Paul and also the prophete in the knowledge fayth of so great a gift bestowed vpoÌ„ vs by God But they reioyce not which coldly weigh these thinges but they which feale them inwardly in the mynde and so feele them that they are ernestly affected This is to reioyce in the Lord and not in our owne workes Wherefore that which Paul before sayd that the elect reioyce in tribulations herehence dependeth for we Why we reioyce in afflictions do not reioyce of the afflictions as they are of themselues but for that we feele by them that God loueth vs. Last of all our glory herein consisteth that we haue gotten God himselfe to loue vs and to be our father then which felicitye could nothing haue happened vnto vs more to be desired Nether is this to be passed ouer that Ambrose hath noted vpon this place that we ought not only to geue thankes vnto God for the saluation and security which we haue receaued but also that we reioyce in God through Iesus Christ By which words Ambrose avoucheth the security of saluation we gather that he asserteth the security of saluation as well as we to the ende our reioysing mought be concerning such thinges as we haue now assuredly in our hands Farther also hereby it most euidently appeareth that those words of the Apostle which he before spake That the loue of God is shed abroade into our hartes are to be vnderstand of that loue wherewith God loueth vs. For of that loue this sure token we haue in that God hath geuen his son vnto vs. Farther the Apostle entending to make vs certayne of our saluation and to confirme vs in our hope coulde take no argument at all of our loue towardes God for our loue is alwayes mayned and vnperfect And therefore if a mans hope were doubtfull and vncertayne and should by this meanes be confirmed and willed to be of good cheare for that he beareth a loue towardes God he mought answere straight way that he for that cause most of all doubteth for that he seeth his loue to be weake and colde and that he loueth not God so much as he ought to do and by that occasion he can not attayne to so greate a rewarde Wherefore Paul hath appoynted an other way and confirmeth our hope by the gift of God And he thought it not sufficient simply thus to say but excellently amplifieth it by the contraries and opposites Out of this fountayne are to be Wherâ—heÌ„ce are to be sought consolations in afflictions sought consolations for the afflicted when by reason of
forme of all his posteritye Howbeit we maye more simply and more aptly referre this vnto Christ For in that comparison Paul Adam a figure of Christ wonderfully much delighted Chrisostome also leaneth thys way and sayth that the Apostle with great conninge and manifold and sondry wayes handleth these woordes Of one and one to make vs to vnderstande that those thinges are to be compared together which haue come vnto vs by one Adam and by one Christ And this is very worthy An analogy betwene Adam and Christ An excelleÌ„t coâ—parison of Chrisostome A strong argumente against the Iewes of nothing in Chrisostome that he sayth Euen as Adam was the cause of death vnto al men although they did not eate of the tree so Christ was made vnto his a conciliator of righteousnes although they themselues had wrought no righteousnes In which place he moste manifestly declareth that we are not iustified by our woorkes He sayth moreouer That by this discourse of the Apostle we are throughlye fensed againste the Iewes if they chaunce to deride vs for that we beleue that by one Christe was redeemed the whole world For we wyll obiect agayne vnto them that they also confesse that by one Adam was all thinges corrupted which semeth to be a great deale more absurde if we looke vpon humane reason then to say that by one Christ all men haue bene holpen In this place the Apostle beginneth to entreate of that whiche was the fourth parte of this diuision namely by whome sinne was excluded And this he declareth was brought to passe by Christ whome he maketh like vnto Adam This similitude is The similitude betwene AdaÌ„ and Christe is to be taken generally to be taken generally that euen as all men depend of Adam so all also in theyr order depende of Christe and as the one merited for all his so also did the other But perticulerly and speciallye there is greate difference For Adam broughte in sinne death and damnation but Christe broughte in righteousnes life and grace There is difference also in yâ— propagation For Adam by the generation of the flesh powreth his euels into men but Christ by fayth And therefore Paul when he had sayd that Adam was a tipe of that whiche was to come as it were by way of correction added But yet the gifte is not so as is the sinne Wherefore betweene Adam Betwene Christ and Adam is not a true similitude but an analogy or proportion and Christe is to be put rather a certaine analogye and proportion then a true similitude But to make those thinges which follow more playne we will deuide in to thrée partes al this whole comparison which consisteth of similitudes of contraries and of thinges compared together Firste the Apostle plainelye teacheth that the sinne of Adam is not so as is the gifte for the gifte many wayes excelleth and passeth the sinne Secondly he expresseth wherin consisteth this victory namely in this that whereas Adam had by one sinne corrupted all mankinde Christe hath not onely abolished that one sinne but also a greate many other sinnes whiche we haue since committed Last of all he declareth what that aboundaÌ„ce of good things is which Christ hath brought vnto his elect As touching the firste this we muste know that Christ is so compared with Adam that he is alwayes made the superiour Neither is this to be passed ouer that Paul expresseth sinne by two names Christ is so compared with AdaÌ„ that he is alwayes made the superior They which sinne do first â—â—re and afterward fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By which names this we learne that they which sinne doo first erre and afterward fall For these two are thorowly knitte together Wherefore the coÌ„mon saying is he that followeth a blind man must néedes fall This also let vs obserue that Paul in this comparison continually in a maner vseth these woordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is gift to declare that our saluation commeth not vnto vs of any of our owne dignity or of works but onely of the meere mercy of God The wordes are thus For if thorow the offence of one many be dead muche more the grace of God and the gifte by Grace whiche is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vnto many For if through the offence of one When he sayth that thorow the sinne of one man many haue died he taketh not away or altereth that whiche he before wrote namely that death had gone ouer all For this worde Many oughte in thys place to be of asmuch force as if he had sayd All euen by the testimony of Origene also Wherfore that abideth firme which was before auouched That all men haue sinned that all are therefore subiecte vnto death By Grace he vnderstandeth the fauour of God whereby sinnes are forgeuen This woord Gift peraduenture What grace is with the scholemen signifieth the holy Ghost and other good thinges which men by the holy Ghost obteyne But the schoole men say that Grace is a quality powred into our hartes by God whereby we lead an holy godly life and by this grace saye they is a man iustified But that kind of iustification shoulde pertaine vnto the law For it shoulde consist of those thinges which are in vs. Wherefore the true iustification whereof is now intreated commeth from Christe of whome thorough fayth and the grace or fauour of God we take holde not that we deny the other kinde of grace For we put both kinds namely both the instauration of the beleuers to liue vprightly and also the imputation of righteousnes by Christ whereunto whole and perfect iustification cleaueth that that might be true which we reade in Iohn that we haue receaued grace for grace and by that grace wherby Christ was of valew before the father we are receaued into his grace The nature of yâ— Antithesis required yâ— euen as he had sayd that thorow the offence of one maÌ„ many haue died so he should on the other side haue sayd that through the righteousnes of one the fauor of God hath abounded vpon many But he would rather put Grace and gifte for that these two thinges are the fountaines and rootes of righteousnes and of euery good thinge whiche we by righteousnes obteyne And he therefore saith that it abounded whiche in the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to geue vs to vnderstand that there We haue more grace then is sufficient to extinguishe sinne was more grace bestowed vpon men then should be sufficient to extinguish sinne For for that we haue obteyned forgeuenes of sinnes wee are also borne againe and we rise againe wyth Christe and are sanctified and adopted into the children of God and are made the bretherne of Christe and fellow heyres wyth hym are grafted into his members are
incredulitie and also because we do the will of the fleshe and of our minde These are the thinges which make vs by nature the children of wrath And how can it be denied that there is sinne in our nature when as Christ will haue vs to be regenerated For vnles we were broughte foorth wicked what should we nede to be made new again Farther in the 8. chap of the booke of Genesis it is manifestly said That the imagination of mans harte is euell euen from hys verye childehoode And how dare Pigghius say that that is the woorke of God and a good That which the holy Ghost calleth euell is not the worke of God thynge whyche the holy Ghoste expressedly calleth euell But least he shoulde seme to say nothing he fayneth that God spake that of mercy as thoughe he would by that meanes excuse men and testefye that he would no more destroy the earth with water bycause men were so brought forth and theyr cogitations tended to euill and that euen from theyr very childhode But in taking this for an excuse he is much deceaued For the better and more natiue sence of thys A declaration of a place of Genesis place is thought to be this that God would make a couenant with Noah that he would neuer destroy the world agayne with water although otherwise men were such that they deserued it and the imagination of theyr hartes is euill euen from theyr childhode These wordes excuse not mans nature from sinne but rather note it to be vicious and corrupt which yet God of his mercy would spare Lastly we learne of Paul that by the disobedience of one man many are made sinners which declareth that in those which are borne of Adam there is sinne by reason of which they ought to be caled sinners But Pigghius thinketh to auoyde this bycause they are sometimes called sinners by reason of the guiltines although the acte of the sinne be past and be no more extant Although it He that is called a sinner either hath sinne actually in him or els he hath before committed sin Pigghius maketh a middle estate betwene the damned the blessed be so yet he can neuer shew out of the scriptures that any is caled a sinner but ether he hath sinne in himselfe or ells vndoubtedlye he hath before committed sin vnles he will say that God maketh men guilty without any sin committed of them Farther Pigghius considereth not that by this his fayned inuencion is brought in a middle sentence touching the state of them which dye only in the guiltines of dAam when as the scriptures doo manifestly teach vs that in the last iudgement there shal be no meane But men shal be ether committed to eternall fire or ells haue the fruition of eternall felicity And it is rashenes to procede farther in those thinges then is reueled in the holy scriptures Wherefore they deale more moderately and worke more wisely which leaue all this matter to the deuine prouidence But it is a sporte to se what solemne reasons they are which moue Pigghius They shall not be punished sayth he with any sensible payne bycause they haue not contaminated themselues with any wicked will in this life What is this to the purpose For it is sufficient that they haue a wicked nature for they were prone to sinne although by reason of age they could in acte not sinne The young wolfe is killed of euery man who yet might excuse To condemnation it is mough to haue a corrupt nature if a man be without Christ it self for that it hath not yet killed any shepe or done any harme vnto the flock Yet is it iust that it should be killed bycause it hath the nature of a wolfe and would doo these thinges if it were permitted to liue To this Pigghius addeth an other argumēt for y◠for original sin grief or contritiō is not required But how can he proue this For all holy men haue greuously mourned for that they were oppressed with this vice Dauid the selfe same time when he was most The saints do greuesly sigh and morne for that they a◠oppressed with this sinne Examples repentant did burst forth into these wordes Behold I was conceaued in iniquities Paul so bewailed this vice that he cried out O vnhappye man that I am who shall deliuer me frō this body subiect vnto death whē Pigghius saith y◠these shal be cōtent with theyr estate he bringeth none other reason then that if they should striue against the will of God and be sory for the sentence denounced vpon them they should sinne which thing we ought not to deme of them forasmuch as in thys life they committed no sinne But here ought to be demaunded of Pigghius whether infantes haue an vpright will in this life This must he of necessity deny forasmuche as by reason of age they coulde not haue it Which if it be so how dare he ascribe it vnto them in the life to come It is much more probable that they shall there haue an euell will wherof there was here in them a beginning thē that they shall haue there a good will of whiche there was here in them no sparcke at all But that similitude which he bringeth of the liberal prince which did not only make his seruant free but also exalted him to great honours is not of his owne inuention For Egidius of Rome a schole deuine hath the same who yet together with vs acknowledgeth the vice of nature the wickednes that is Egidius a schole deuine planted in vs from the beginning Howbeit this thing we ought to examine and try out lest like as costly hangings couer the faultes of a wal so this argument by his shew and outward payneture doo hide some error dangerously deceaue vs. He setteth forth vnto vs Adam as a bondeman who from the beginning was made free by God and enriched with most excellent giftes and so enriched that they should come also to his posterity if he had obeyed the commaundement of God and the law but if he neglected to doo that he himselfe with all his posterity should returne to his old estate of seruitude In this lieth hid the error of Pigghius for he faineth vnto himselfe a man which from the beginning had a nature Man had not at the beginning a corrupt and vicious nature subiect to corruptions and bound to the seruitude of vnreasonable affections which thing is not true For God made man perfect not that he should be like a brute beast He had in dede lusts to thinges pleasant and preseruatiue but yet not such as should allure him agaynst the worde of God and right reason And he had a body geuen him which mought haue endured for euer Wherefore when he sinned he fell not into his olde estate but broughte vnto himselfe a new infelicity This shall suffice at this present as touching that second opinion The thirde opinion is
calleth grace eternall life But the propriety of grace is to he reÌ„dred freely Paul also sayth vnto hym which worketh not the reward is not imputed according to debt but accordyng to grace And saith moreouer that grace if it be of workes is not grace Also that the renantes shall through the electioÌ„ of grace be saued Agayne vnto the Ephesians Grace hath made vs safe throughe fayth and that not of our selues Agayne Not of workes least peraduenture any man shoulde glory This doubt Augustine sayth can not otherwise be dissolued vnles we grâ—unt A that an vpright and holy life is grace For so ether sentence may take place For eternall life is rendred vnto workes But because workes are freely geuen vs of God therâ—fâ—re also is eternall lyfe called gracee And in his booke De correctione Gratia the 13. chapter he sayth that Iames writeth that iudgemente shal be wythout mercy vnto hym which sheweth not mercy By which wordes saith he appeareth that they which lyue well shall in the last iudgement be iudged wyth mercy and they which haue 〈◊〉 wickedly shal be iudged wythout mercy And if that in iudgement we haue nede of mercy theÌ„ is it not now done for merites And in the same sence he alleageth the mother of the Machabees who as it is written in the 2. booke and 7. chapter thus speak 〈…〉 vnto her son That in that mercy I may receaue the wyth thy brethâ—rn In which place she calleth the day of iudgement mercy And vndoubtedly when we shall come before the iudgement seate of God who shall boast that he hath a chast hart Or who shall boast that he is cleane from sinne Wherefore there also mercy is nedefull whereby he may be made blessed vnto whome the Lord hath not imputed sinne The same father in hys 105. epistle to Sistus When the Apostle had sayd The stipend of sinne is death who Paul mightâ— haue 〈◊〉 righteousnes would not iudge that he should most aptly and consequently haue added but the stipend of righteousnes is eternall lyfe And it is true Because euen as vnto the merite of sinne is death rendred as a stipend so also vnto the merite of righteousnes is eternall lyfe rendred as a stipend But the blessed Apostle most vigylantly warryng agaynst pride when hee â—ad sayde that the stipend of sinne is death least humane ryghteousnes should extoll it sâ—lfe sayd not contrariwyse that the stipend of ryghteousnes is eternall lyfe but the grace of God sayth he is eternall lyfe But it is not sufficient to thynke that thesâ— things are spo 〈…〉 for humility moderation sake For the matter is so in very dede For our workâ— receaue not eternall life for a iust and deserued stipend And therefore he sayth that humane righteousnes is pride and which in name only is called righteousnes But that ought Eternall 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 vnto 〈…〉 ousneâ— but vnto 〈…〉 it is gracâ— If righteousnes were of our selues 〈…〉 should haue eternall life as a 〈…〉 When God shall reward 〈…〉 be 〈…〉 it selfe to be a true righteousnes vnto which eternall life is due which righteousnes if it be not of thy felfe then is it from aboue discending from the father of lightes Wherefore O man if thou shalt receaue eternall life it is â—n dede the stipend of righteousnes but vnto thee it is grace vnto whome also euen righteousnes is grace For it should be rendred vnto thee as a debt if the righteousnes vnto whome it is due were of thy selfe By all these thinges is gathered that with Augustine eternall life is therefore called grace because the workes which go before it are geuen fréely Farther he confesseth that in the last iudgement when God shall reward them we shall haue nede of mercy and compassion And that also we haue alwayes néede of mercy that our sinnes should not be imputed vnto vs. Lastly that eternall life although it may be the stipend of righteousnes being taken by it selfe yet vnto vs it is grace partly because it is not of our selues and partly also because it is vnperfite Hilâ—â—ius also writeth vpon the 50. Psalme My hope is in the mercy of God for euer and euer world without ende For the workes of ryghteousnes are not sufficient vnto the merite of perfect blessednes Vnto vs it is gâ—ace because good workes are not of our selues and because they are vnperfect That good workes are geuen by grace both we and our aduersaries graunt but with a difference vnles in thys wyll of ryghteousnes the mercy of God impute not the faultes of humane changynges and motions Also Ierome vpon Esay the 46. chapter If we should consider our owne merites we shoulde dispayre Our aduersaries and we contende not whether by the grace of God good workes are geuen vnto the regenerate Although neither herein also do we vtterly agrée with them For they thinke that it lieth in our power to receaue good workes when they are offred But we say that it is néedefull that our will bée changed by the grace and spirit of God otherwise as touching in this point also we abhorre from the giftes of God But of this matter we haue before sufficiently spoken when we entreated of grace Wherfore I will now stand no longer about it But there is an other thing about which there is at this day a more waighty controuersye They which defend merites do thinke that the good workes which are geuen of God vnto men are sufficient They whiche defend merites do say that good workes are sufficient to attaine vnto eternall lifâ— which thinge we deny vnto eternall life Which thinge we do vtterly deny And this maketh very much on our side which a litell before we alleged out of August That in the last iudgemeÌ„t we shall nede the mercy of God not only because good works were geuen of hym freely but also because when the iust iudge shall sit in hys throne no man can boast that he hath a chast hart or that he is cleane from sinne Wherefore it is nedefull that sinnes as sayth Dauid be not imputed vnto hym which shall come vnto felicity Wherefore seyng we haue nede of mercy it is manifest that our good workes are not sufficient The same Augustine writeth in an other place that the perfection of the sayntes herein consisteth to acknowledge how much they want still of perfection And that sentence of Paul I haue fought a good battayle I haue finished my course I haue kepte fayth he so expoundeth that he thinketh that the Apostle sayth not that he is vtterly Augustine saith not that Paul was without sinne but affirmeth the contrary Note what Augustine thinketh of this place vnto the PhillipiaÌ„s wythout sinne but that he leaning vnto fayth and vnto hope did wholy appoynte wyth hymselfe that it shoulde come to passe in the laste houre of hys death whiche was euen then at hand that whatsoeuer sinne or wickednes had crept into hym the same should
by the mercy of God through Christ be wholy forgeuen hym euen as he had forgeuen vnto others theyr offences And it is so farre of that Augustine thought that Paul was vtterly without sinne that he interpreteth this place vnto the Phillippians Yea also I thynke all thynges to be but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Iesus Christ my Lord for whome I haue counted all thynges loosse and iudge them to be dongue of workes done after he came to Christianity For when as before hauing made mencion of workes done when he was yet of the Iewishe religion he sayd But the thynges that were vantage the same I counted losse for Christes sake those wordes which are afterward added he addeth by the way of correction shewing that not only workes of Iewishe religion but also all other were to bee counted for losses and thinges vncleane For he considered that in all thinges is some fault and defect or want And that sinnes are mingled with our good works Sinne is mingled with our good works the scriptures most manifestly teach when they say that no man can be iustified in the sight of God And the saintes do make intercession against that exact examination of righteousnes Enter not say they into iudgement wyth thy seruaunt O Lord. And Ihon sayth If any man say he hath no sinne he deceaueth hymselfe and the truth is not in hym And Salomon sayth in the bookes of kinges That there is not a man on earth so iuste that he sinneth not Which wordes Augustine diligeÌ„tly weighing applieth them vnto the form of the present time least any man should referre that sentence of Salomon vnto those thinges which we haue committed before regeneratioÌ„ We ought all to pray that our trespasses may be forgeueÌ„ vs as which in this life may rather thirst after righteousnes then yâ— we caÌ„ attaine vnto a perfect absolute righteousnes For that precept of yâ— lord wherein we are coÌ„manÌ„ded to loue God with all our hart with all our soule and with all our strengths shall then at the laste be perâ—ormed when we shall come to that place where we shall so God face to face as he is as Augustine writeth in his booke de Spiritu Litera towardes y end In which place also he demaundeth why this commaundement was geuen if it can not be performed in this life He answereth that therefore God commaunded it that we should know what by fayth we ought to desire whereunto our hope shoulde be leueled and what we ought continuallye to go aboute in all our actions And he thinketh him to haue much profited in this life which can at the length se how farre he is of from that which is perfect The same Augustine in his seconde booke De peccatoruÌ„ meritis remissione chap. 16. 17. 18. writing many thinges as touching this matter sayth that in the scriptures men are sometimes called Why the saintes are called perfect notwithstanding they obserue not the commaundementes God requireth at meÌ„â— hands that they should be without sinne Why God gaue a laws which he knew could not be obserued No man is afflicted which is without sin perfect not bicause they are vtterly without sinne but bycause in innocency of life they haue much profited and bycause that to obteine perfection they coÌ„tinually bend theyr studye and endeuour bycause also God forgeueth them theyr faultes and that whiche they waÌ„t of righteousnes he imputeth vnto theÌ„ of the fulnes of the righteousnes of Christ Nether denieth he but that God requireth of men that they shoulde vtterly be without sinne For there could be no sinne vnles there were a law which wheÌ„ we sinne we transgresse Farther he demaundeth why God gaue that Lawe which he right well saw could by no meanes be performed And he aunswereth that he did it for this cause that he mought worthely condemn those which contemned it thorough coÌ„tempt transgressed mought here theyr prayers which applied theÌ„selues vnto it and more and more helpe them dayly to accomplishe the same And to this purpose he bringeth that sentence which is written namely that God correcteth and chastiseth those whome he loueth but yet not with fury or auengment but with a fatherly correction But there is none chastised or afflicted which is without sinne For this thing only suffred our Sauiour namely wtout any fault committed of him selfe to susteyne most bitter paynes Wherfore seing all men whom God loueth are corrected with aduersities it followeth of necessity that they all are subiecte vnto sinne Which thing Paul vnto the Galathians most assuredly affirmeth of the saintes For he sayth that in them the flesh so repugneth against the spirite that they can not doo those thinges which they would And in the next chapter he writeth that he himselfe did the euill which he hated By all these things may easely be gathered that a man though he be neuer so holy yet so long as he here They which are loued of god are not without sin We haue euer in vs some what which nedeth forgeuenes Vnles we were miserable before God he should not vse mercy towardes vs. What mercy is How the regenerate are not vile before God Note a certaine distinction liueth hath alwayes some what in him that hath nede to be forgeuen of GOD. Which thing Augustine also testefieth towardes the end of his booke De Spiritu Litera And hereby is most euidently gathered that our good workes are not sufficient vnto eternall life But our aduersaries crake and boast that the regenerate are not vile in the sight of God But we say that we before God are not with out miserye For vnles we were so God could not vse mercye toward vs which mercy yet Augustine writeth that we haue altogether nede of if we desire to be crowned For mercy is an effectioÌ„ wherewith we are moued towards them that are in misery wherefore if eternall life be geuen vnto vs of mercye then must we nedes be vtterly miserable before God But if they vnderstand that the regenerate are not vile in the sighte of God bycause God beawtifieth them with many giftes and ornamentes we graunt to that Yet those gyftes whatsoeuer or how great soeuer they be ought not to seme of so great force to be sufficient vnto eternall life And that commeth not thorough yâ— defaults of the giftes but thorough our default which in all thinges obey them not For we still cary aboute in our fleshe much of old Adam and of naturall corruption Farther our aduersaries put a difference betwene the good workes of men regenerate for they say yâ— those are partly of our selues and partly of God Those say they as they are of vs can merite nothing but as they are oâ— God they doo merite and are causes of eternall life And by this distinction they thinke that yâ— matter is made playne But we graunte not so much vnto them For if we diligently and thoroughly consider
ought to haue bene stirred vp to the workes whiche he did And that he erred he hymselfe testifieth of himself in many places Vnto the Eph. the. 2. cha he sayth And you that wer dead in sins wherin in times past the walked according to the course of this world after the prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirite that now worketh in the children of distrust Among whome we also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our fleshe in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of affections and we were by nature the children of wrath as well as others But GOD which is rich in mercye thorough hys greate loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickened vs together with Christ And vnto Titus For we also were once fooles disobedient straying out of the way seruing the desires and pleasures in maliciousnes and enuy one of vs hating an other Such a one was Paul before he was conuerted vnto Christ although he mought not vnworthely make great boast of his outward righteousnes And that thou shouldest not say that he was changed and deliuered frō these sinnes when he began earnestly to apply himselfe vnto the doctrine of the lawe wherein he so much profited that he coulde now be neither accused nor slayne of it he hymselfe in the selfe same epistle to Titus auoutcheth that he was Paul affirmeth that he was iustified by Christ only by Christ only iustified and by the benefite of the holy ghost acquited Wherefore before he was come to Christe the knowledge of the lawe coulde do nothing but kill him For thus he sayth but when the bountifulnes and loue of God our Sauiour towardes man appeared not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of regeneration and of the renuing of the holy ghost which he shed on vs most aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour that being iustified by his grace we might be made heyres according to the hope of eternall life But vnto that which he writeth vnto Timothe that he had from his elders serued God with a pure conscience answere may thus be made That although he had not in him his conscience accusing him yet this acquited him not from sinne For there are many and haue bene many Scribes and Pharises which being instructed with an ill conscience had an ill iudgement of the law of God They which are not well instructed in the lawe ar not sometimes reproued of their conscience whome yet Christ manifestly reproueth Wherefore when as afterward came a more sounder knowledge of the lawe by it by reason of sinne now known were they slayne Farther we must see what it is that Paul goeth about in that place to perswade vnto Timothe he sayth that he geueth thankes vnto God that without ceassing he maketh mencion of him in his prayers and desireth to see him And that he should not think that he spake this after any common maner as though he did it only to flatter him but spake not from the hart he sayth that he had neuer bene accustomed to lye And although his conscience could not reproue hym of lying yet were there a greater many other thinges which the lawe being truely knowen mought reproue in him And that he had not the perfect knowledge of the lawe hereby it is manifest for that he persecuted Christ in hys Paul before his cōuersion knew not the law perfectly church who is the ende of the lawe In which thing he did nothing agaynst his conscience for it was then in no other sort enstructed And therfore he sayth be did it through ignorance and infidelity Neither hath the law of God that power to kill through sinne but when it is perfectly known And these thinges are spoken of Paul when he was yet of the Iewishe religion And how these thinges pertayned vnto him after he knew Christ and how they pertayne to vs shall afterward be declared Howbeit in the meane time these things ought to moue vs to detest the naturall sinne grafted in vs. That sinne might be out of measure sinfull by the commaundement Here the Apostle declareth that he entreateth not only of the knowledge of sinne which is perceaued by the lawe but also of the comming of that wickednes which is wrought by taking an occasion of the law For by y◠figure Hyperbole Why the Apostle vseth the figure Prosopopeia he saith that sinne is made sinfull aboue measure And vnto sinne by a figure he fayneth a person which sinneth deceaueth and slayeth Which he therefore did for that he considered that we are slow and blockishe and vnderstand not the pernicious blot of our originall sinne But because the lattin translatiō hath aboue measure sinfull Ambrose demaundeth whether paraduenture there be any measure of sinne granted by the lawe And he answereth that there is none for the lawe condemneth all sinnes vniuersally although he confesse that there is The law cōdemneth all sinnes a certayne measure as touching the seuerity of God aboue which measure God differreth not his punishements and vengeance As it may be sayd of the Chananites There is with God a certaine measure of sinnes aboue which they are not suffered to escape vnpunished Sodoma Gomorrha and other nations whome God suffered a longe while to escape vnpunished But afterward when they exceded that measure whiche God coulde no longer suffer to excede he vtterly ertinguished and destroyed them Although some say that sinne aboue measure encreased after the law was geuen if it be compared with that tyme wherein the lawe was not For then mought haue bene pretended some ignorance but that ignorance so soone as the lawe was geuen and published was taken away But I would rather expound this by the figure Hyperbole that is vnmeasurably For when lust waxeth of force we fall into all kindes of sinnes But the kindes of sinnes can not be expressed For euen as archers but one only way hit the marke but yet infinite wayes mysse it A similitude so vertue consisting in the middest as a marke we may infinite wayes erre from it but there is but one only way to attaine vnto it That which is in the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may thus be turned in Lattin Peccatum peccator that is sinne a sinner But because that soundeth not so well it may be turned sinne out of measure vicious Aristotle in his 3. of Ethikes sayth that of extreames the one is more vitious and the other lesse The lawe is spirituall but I am carnall being sold vnder sinne Here is rendred a reason why it is not to be imputed vnto the lawe that of the knowledge thereof followeth death For saith he the lawe is spirituall but the propriety of the spirite is to geue life And this thing experience well teacheth vs. For we sée that bodyes do so long liue how long there is in
them spirite and in nature whatsoeuer Why the law is sayd to be spirituall is moued of it selfe and hath in it by any meanes life it hath it by the benefite of the spirite Wherefore if the lawe should of it selfe bring death doubtles it should do it against the nature of the spirite And the lawe is called spirituall for two causes First because it was not deuised of mans vnderstanding as ciuil laws are but was written by the ministery of Moses in mount Sina God himselfe by his spirite being the inditer thereof Wherefore comming of the spirite being the author thereof it is call spirituall It is called also spirituall for that not being content with outward actions it perseth euen to the will and to the minde and to the inward motions senses and spirites of a man and commaundeth vs to obey it with all the soule and with all the spirite Wherefore they are fowly deceaued An error in distinguishinge the law from the Gospel which so distinguishe the olde lawe from the new that they thinke that the olde lawe only restrayneth the hand but the new pertayneth also to the affectes of the minde For they are not to be counted to satisfy the olde lawe which obserue only an outward righteousnes And if they do not that which the lawe commaundeth that which they do doubtles pleaseth not God yet rather it is to be counted sinne The lawe of God forasmuch as it dealeth not with vs after a ciuill maner is not The law of God dealeth not with vs after a ciuill manner content only with an outward honesty of maners Wherefore nether Socrates nor Aristides by their righteousnes satisfied the lawe though they be neuer so much commended of writers And when the Pharisey had geuen thankes vnto God for that he was not as other men but fasted twise in the weke and did many other thinges which mought please men Christ pronounced that he went not to his house iustified But without al doubt he should haue obtayned righteousnes if by those his workes which he made mencion of he had satisfied the meaning of the lawe This excellency and perfection of the commaundementes of God carnall men vnderstand not so that the Israelites when Moses came downe from the mountayne could not looke vpon the brightnes of the countenance of Moses neither could they abide it And we also so long as we vse this vayle of humane reason The law of God is not vnderstand by the force of humane reason shall not be able to behold the spirituall light of the lawe Origene thinketh that the lawe is therefore called spirituall for that it is not to be expounded according to the letter as commoÌ„ly it is sayd but by allegoricall senses But seing Paul here entreateth of the ten commaundementes as that precept which is of him rited Thou shalt not lust plainly declareth this interpretation ought vtterly to bee counted from the purpose For in this part of the law we may not deale with allegories Neither doth Paul therfore say that he is carnal for that he vnderstood not In the Decaloge allegories haue no place allegories but for that he felt in himself affections striuing against the law of God Now then forasmuch as the law is spirituall in that manner that we haue now declared it followeth of necessitie that it of his owne nature bringeth not death but rather lyfe For so Moses in Deut. the 30. chap. sayth that he had set forth vnto The law of it selfe bringeth life the Israelites life and death good and euill blessing and cursing For the perfect obseruation of the law draweth with it blessing life and good and yâ— violating therof bringeth cursing euil and death And the law commaundeth not transgression It lieth not in our will and choise in as much as we are corrupt to chose life but obseruation But yet it lieth not in our choyce or will of our own accorde to chuse good life and blessing For the commaundemeÌ„ts of the law are displeasaÌ„t vnto vs vntill the spirite of Christ come And Christ sayth If thou wylte enter into lyfe kepe the commaundements And Dauid in the 19. Psalme saith That the law restoreth the mynde Which testimonies if they be rightly vnderstanded teach this selfe same thing But if a man demaund whether these proprieties of the law at any time attaine to their effect We aunswer that they do but yet euen then wheÌ„ The law sheweth forth his effects in the regenerate the law is written not only in tables but also in our hartes and bowels For theÌ„ although the law be imperfectly expressed in our workes yet are not the promises therof made frustrate which in the elect of God are performed not thorough merites but thorough grace and mercy After yâ— the Apostle had in such sort coÌ„mended the law he rendreth a reason why of it he drew not life but death Bicause saith he I am carnall sold vnder sinne Here the crime of slaying the increase of sinne is transferred from the law to the corruption of our nature And there is nothing more gratefull vnto God then for vs to accuse our selues with due prayses to set forth his worde It was not possible to deuise a more apte commendation of the law For Paul doth not only set forth the singuler dignitye therof but also speaketh that which he saith is well knowen and vnderstande of all the godly We know sayth he that the law is spirituall And to make this the more playne he setteth against it our vncleannes I sayth he am carnal and sold vnder sinne The law is the maistresse of vertue and enemy of all vices I abhorre vertue and folow vices euen against my will When he sayth that he is carnall he meaneth that he was infected with Why Paul saith that he is carnal originall sinne and corruption For that euill is deriued from Adam by the flesh whiche yet containeth not it selfe in the fleshe but possesseth the whole man and all his strengthes And the better to declare what this worde carnall signifieth he Why we are said to be solde vnder sinne addeth sold vnder sinne For euen as bondmen are oftentimes drawen and impelled of their masters to that which they would not so are we by originall sinne drawen to many things which we allow not Neither are we only vnder the bonds of Originall sinne but also through our owne will we adde therunto a great hepe of sinnes Wherfore we are bouÌ„d with many kindes of snares By this metaphore Paul notably setteth forth our captiuity The Iewes were oppressed with greuous seruitude when they were captiues in Egipt neither were they any gentler delt with in Babilon but most cruelly of all were they handled vnder Antiochus But there can no seruitude be compared with this wherof Paul now speaketh for in No captiuiâ—ye can be compared with seruitude of sin those seruitudes was only an outward enemy and the
implore some tast of the mercy of God and of the righteousnes which is bestowed vpon them And this is the very naturall meaninge of such godly prayers Nether must we thinke that yâ— publicane prayed any otherwise He did not in that sense calâ— himselfe a sinner for that he was minded to abide still in sinnes for he was not so minded that he would still retaine his old purpose to sinne but he was truly and from the hart coÌ„uerted vnto God But our aduersaries faine that they whiche still perseuer in theyr sinnes nether haue in minde to change theyr life do yet notwithstanding some good which pleaseth God But we are taught by the holy scriptures that he which beleueth in God hath eternal life and therefore is iustified but other things are nether good nor yet please God Wherefore seinge that the publicane prayed and with fayth prayed it is moste certayne that he had eternall life nether wanted he iustification But to make What thinges are required to workes which are acceptable vnto God al these things the more planly to be vnderstaÌ„d it shal not be froÌ„ yâ— purpose to declare what things are required vnto a good worke to make it acceptable vnto God First he which doth a good dede must nedes be moued by yâ— spirit of God for otherwise in vs that is in our flesh dwelleth nothing that is good and they which are led by the spirite of God are doubtles the sonnes of God Secondlye it behoueth that fayth be present whereby we may certaynly vnderstand that that worke which we take in hand is of those kindes of things which God willeth and by his law commaundeth to be done For whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sin Nether ought we so to handle the matter that our hart should accuse vs in that thing which we doo Thirdly whatsoeuer we doo must wholy be directed vnto the glory of God that hereunto we chiefly and aboue all things haue a regard that the prayse and glory of God be illustrated by our workes Whither ye eate or whither ye drinke or what soeuer other thing ells ye do doo all things to the glory of God saith Paul Fourthly forasmuch as by reason of the infirmity which is grafted in vs there alwayes wanteth somewhat in our workes yea euen in those which seme to be most vprightly done it is necessary that the grace and mercy of God thorough Christe be wyth vs whereby that defect or want maye be compensed Wherefore Dauid sayth Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen Blessed is the man vnto whoÌ„ the Lord imputeth not his sin And Paul sayth There is now coÌ„demnatioÌ„ to those which are in Christ Iesus Again That which was impossible vnto the Law in asmuch as it was made weake thorough the flesh God sending his sonne c. These testimonies playnly declare that both our workes want of perfection and of theyr dew end and that also it commeth thorough Christ and the mercy of God that that blame mingled with our workes is not imputed vnto vs. Lastly thys also is required that no man glory of that which he vprightly doth but in God only and that he acknowlege that that which he doth he hath of his goodnes and WhereheÌ„ce the definition of a good worke is gathered The vngodlye are farre distant from the conditioÌ„ of good workes not of hys owne strengths For who hath seperated thee sayth Paule to the Cor. What hast thou that thou hast not receaued But if thou haste receaued it why boastest thou as though than haddest not receaued it When all these thinges whiche I haue reckoned are obteyned then the workes without all doubt shall be good and acceptable vnto God The diligent reder may here out of these câ—ditions of a good worke gather the definition thereof Contrariwise if we consider the nature of a man not yet regenerate we shal easely perceaue that those conditions which we haue sayd to be necessary vnto a good work can not be found in theÌ„ For he is vtterly voyde of the spirite of God and of fayth and is so infected with selfe loue so yâ— whatsoeuer he doth he referreth it not vnto God but vnto hys owne commodity Farther forasmuch as he is a stranger from Christ it must nedes be that he is left vnder the Law Wherfore whatsoeuer defect or fault is in his workes which must nedes be much the same can not by any meanes be compensed Finally if he haue done peraduenture any notable or goodly worke he glorieth not in God but in himselfe for he is ignoraunt both of Christe and of the grace of God By these two descriptions of a good worke and acceptable vnto God and of a man that liueth without Christ I thinke it is now manifest that those workes can not be good and acceptable vnto God which procede from an infidel But our aduersaries contend to wrest from vs two most strong places which we vse for the confirmation of this matter The first is that we say that A Metaphore of the good â—â—ell tree an euil trée can not bring forth good fruite The second is That whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne Of whiche sentences we will in this place somewhat speake That metaphore of the euill trée which can not bring forth good fruite Christ vsed not only in the. 7. chapiter of Mathevv but also in the selfe same Mathevv the 12. chapiter And thereof he inferred Ye generation of vipers howe can ye speake good things when as ye are euill But before I make open this cauillation I thinke it good to declare how Augustine agaynst Iulianus the Pelagian in his 4. booke and 3. chapiter contended for this selfe same place He setteth forth a godly worke of a man being an infidle namely to cloth a naked man and demaundeth whether this worke may be called sinne Verely vnles this worke be Without fayth to cloth a naked man is sinne of that kinde that pleaseth God I se not what other workes infidells can doo which can be acceptable vnto him And Augustine contendeth and playnly proueth that it is sinne And that lest he should seeme to speake this without reason he sayth that it is therefore sinne for that he which doth that so godly a worke glorieth of hys worke for he doth not by fayth acknowledge ether God or Christ nor thinketh that he hath receaued the same at his handes Farther he sayth that to auoyd the nature of sinne it is not inoughe that a good thinge be done but also that it be well and vprightlye done Shall we then say that an infidell hath done a good worke and wrought vprightly If we graunt not this then must we confesse that he sinned but if we graunt it then must we confesse the fruit to be good notwithstanding an infidell without Christ is an euill tre So shall we graunt that an euill tree can bring forth good fruite which thing yet Christe expressedly denieth Now
sinnes And therefore for them for that they are sinnes they are not vniustly subiect vnto death Wherefore seing it is by most firme reasons proued that the wicked lusts which remayne in vs after baptisme are sinnes now remayneth to se to what kind or part of sinnes they belong Sinne may thus be Luste grafted in vs. the first mâ—tioÌ„s to what kind of sinne they belong Distinction of sinne deuided that there is some kind of sinne which may be forgeueÌ„ and other some whiche can not That transgression agaynst the Lawe of God which is neuer forgeuen is sinne against the holy ghost But if the sinne may be forgeuen that maye be two manner of wayes For eyther it is so forgeuen that we muste of necessity vtterly depart from it which we se to come to passe in fore and greauous sinnes which Paul sayth seperate vs from the kingdome of God and are commonly called deadly sinnes Or ells they are so forgeueÌ„ that we depart not from them partly by reason of the ignorance that is grafted in vs and partly by reason of the infirmity wherwith we are infected And these are called smal and veniall sinnes without whiche no man can here lede hys life Paul as we haue before declared hath betwene these sinnes put a notable difference when he exhorted vs not to suffer sinne to raigne in vs. And of this third kinde of sins the same Apostle complayned when he sayd Vnhappy man that I am who shall de liuer me from the body of this death And of these sinnes doo we meane when we teach that the workes of men thoughe they be neuer so holye are not without deadly sinne for that we doo nothing without this kinde of defects And those defects are called deadly for that of theyr owne nature they deserue death For Luste the first motions are of theyr owne nature dead lye the stipend of sinne is death Farther also for that so long as we cary aboute with vs these spottes of corruption we can not haue the fruition of eternall life For so longe are we excluded from it vntill by death wee haue putte of all corruption Moreouer it is written Cursed be euerye one whiche abideth not in all the thinges which are written in the wordes of this Law And he whiche complayneth with Paul that he doth not the good whiche he would performeth not all the things which the Law requireth nether is vtterly free from the curse although the same thorough the mercy of God be not imputed vnto him vnto eternal destruction And we doo so speake of the good works of the sayntes not that we ether Thorow the mercye of God they are not imputed to daÌ„nation deny good workes or that we thinke not that the good workes which are done of the regenerate are pleasing vnto God but to make vs to acknowledge our vncleanes and vnpurenes to the vnderstanding whereof we are blockishe and more then blinde Wherefore putting apart sinne agaynst the holy ghost other sins are deuided into three degrees First is yâ— lust which is grafted in vs secondly out of it spring continually the first motions and impulsions vnto sundry kinde of wicked actes Thirdly commeth the conseÌ„t of the will and brusteth forth into act Paul did before set forth these thre degrees wheÌ„ he sayd Let not sin raigne in your mortall body that we should obey the lusts thereof The sinne whereunto we ought not to permitte the rule or dominion is lust grafted in vs and prauity of nature The first motions are the lusts which it bringeth forth and we are admonished not to obey them Then addeth he thereunto obedience which consummateth and maketh the sinne perfect which is commonly called actuall sinne It is not to be doubted but that the prauity of nature pertayneth to originall sinne Agayne that sinne whereunto commeth the consent or the will they call actuall But there is a doubt touchinge those first motions by meanes of Prauity of nature pertaineth to Originall sinne Sin where it raigneth is called actuall which yet thorough Christ we are not obnoxious vnto a new giltines and bond of the iudgement of GOD whither they be to be referred vnto originall sinne or to actuall sinne Vndoubtedlye they are betwene both and of eche part take somewhat For so farre forth as we by them worke couet or desire anye thynge they haue some consideration of actuall sinne And Paul vseth these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which without al doubt signify some action On the other side for that we against our will suffer this kinde of motion therefore therein they communicate with originall sinne For that sinne is not taken by election and of our owne accord Ierome vpon the 7. chapter of Mathew maketh a distinction betwéene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith signifieth the first motioÌ„s after that the consent of the will is now come vnto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when they first moue and stirre vp at the beginning And he addeth that although they be in faults yet are they not counted for great faultes and yet is the passion to be counted for a sinne Here is to be noted that Ierome confesseth that the first motions haue the blame of sinne although they be not counted for crimes that is although by the benefite of Christ they are not imputed vnto the death or els although in mans iudgement they be not counted for a crime And sinne is againe deuided into that which is only sinne and also into that which is both sinne and also the paine of An other distinction of sinne sinne Of which distinction Augustine maketh mencion vpon the 5â— Psalme For he sayth that the first fallyng away from God is sinne only but those sinnes which follow All sinnes eâ—cept the first sinne are both sinne and also punishments of sinne are both sinnes and also punishementes of sinnes vntill they draw vs vnto hell fire Wherefore whatsoeuer euils are committed betwéene the first falling away hel fire the same are both sinnes and also punishementes taken for other sinnes Which thing Paul to the Romanes hath very well declared For first he saith that the Ethnikes in déede knew God but they glorified him not as God And therefore he addeth that they were deliuered vp into wicked desires being full of all malice couetousnes c. And at the last he maketh mencion of the condemnacion to hell fire saying but thou accordyng to thyne hardnes and vnrepentant harte heapest vp vnto thy selfe wrath in the day of wrath and of the reuelatioÌ„ of the iust iudgment of God wherein he shall render vnto euery man accordyng to hys workes But there are many which thinke not that these sinnes are punishementes of sinnes for that men do of them take no small pleasure But they vnles they were blind mought easely vnderstand by the Apostle that they are punishementes and such in dede
pertakers not only of the death of the Lord but of his resurrectioÌ„ also for forasmuch as Christ was by it raysed vp from the dead as many as are endewed with the same spirite shall likewise be raysed vp from the dead For that cause he exhorteth vs by the spirite to mortefye the deades of the flesh that we may be made pertakers of euerlasting life Thirdly he amplifieth and adorneth this state and condition which by the spirite of Christ we haue obteyned namely that now we are by adoption made the children of God that we are moued by this spirit and made strong against aduersities to suffer all afflictions Which prayses serue not a little to quicken our desire that we should desire to be dayly more aboundantly enriched with this spirite Fourthly he confuteth those which obiected that state to seme miserable and vnhappy in which the faythfull of Christ liue For they are continually excercised with aduersities so that euen they also which haue the first fruites of the spirite are compelled to mourne And he writeth that by this meanes these thinges come to passe for that as yet we haue not obteyned an absolute regeneration nor perfect saluatioÌ„ for we haue it now but only in hope which when time shall serue that is in the end of the worlde shall be made perfect Fiftly he teacheth that notwithstaÌ„ding those euills which doo enclose vs in on euerye side yet our saluation is neuertheles sure for the prouidence â–ª of God whereby we are predestinâ—te to eternall felicity can nether be chaunged nor yet in any poynte fayle And by this prouidence sayth he it commeth to passe that vnto vs which loue God all thinges turne to good and nothing can hurt vs forasmuch as God hath geuen vnto vs his sonne and together with hym all thinges wherefore seing the father iustifieth vs and the sonne maketh intercession for vs there is nothing which can make vs afrayd Lastly he sayth that yâ— loue of God towards vs is so greate that by no creature it can be plucked from vs. Hereby it is manifest of how greate force the spirite of adoption is wherewith we are sealed so long as we wayte for the perfection of our felicity And these thinges serue wonderfully to proue that our iustification consisteth not of workes but of fayth and of the meare and free mercy of God This is the summe of al that which is coÌ„tained in the doctrine of this chap. As touching the first part the Apostle alledgeth that condemnation is now takeÌ„ away which he proueth bycause we are endewed with the spirite of Christe But this deliuery he promiseth vnto those only which are in Christ Wherfore seing it is manifest what his proposition or entent is now let vs se howe these thinges hange together with those which are alredy spoken Toward the end of the former chap Paul cried out twise first when he sayd Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death And by the figure Aposiopesis he expressed not the deliuerer but here he sayth that that deliuerer is the Lawe The law of the spirit and life deliuereth of the spirite and of life Farther in that place with greate affection he sayd I geue thankes vnto God through Iesus Christe our lorde nether declared he wherfore he gaue thankes But nowe he playnly expresseth the cause For he sayth that now there remayneth no condemnation and that we are deliuered from the Thankes are to be geuen for that there remayneth in vs no coÌ„mendation Law of sinne and of death This is it for which he gaue thaÌ„ks Lastly he added how that in minde he serued the law of God but in flesh the law of sinne Now he more playnly expresseth what that is namely to be in Christ and not to walke according to the flesh but according to the spirite Hereby it manifestly appeareth how aptly these thinges are knit together with those which are alredy spoken The Apostle seemeth thus to speake Althoughe sinne and the corruption of nature where wyth the godlye are vexed be as it is alredye sayde styll remayninge in them yet is there no daunger that it shoulde brynge condemnation vnto men regenerate for they are holpen by the spirite of Christe wherewith they are now endewed And euen as before he aboundantly entreated of the violence and tiranny of sinne which it vseth against vs being vnwittinge What thinges auayle to know our selues and vnwilling thereunto so now on the other side he teacheth what the spirite of Christ worketh in the Saintes Wherefore seing not only the holy scriptures but also the Ethnike writers do expressedly commaund that euery man shoulde knowe himselfe peraduenture there is scarse any other place out of whiche the A godly maÌ„ consisteth of two principles same may better be gathered then out of these two chapiters For a godly man consisteth of his owne corrupt and vitiate nature and also of the spirit of Christ because we haue before learned what yâ— corruptioÌ„ of nature that is sinne woorketh in vs and now is declared what benefites of Christ we obtayne by his spirite by this may euery man as touching ether part know himselfe Vndoubtedly wonderfull great is the wisdome of the Apostle who when he wrote of the force of sin expressed it chiefely in his owne person to geue vs to vnderstand that there is no Why Paul chaungeth the persons in these two descriptioÌ„s man so holy which so long eas he liueth here is cleane ridde from sinne But afterward when he entreateth of the helpe of the spirite of Christ he bringeth in the person of other men least any man should thinke with himselfe that not all manner of Christians enioye this excellente helpe of God but onelye certaine principall and excellent men such as were the Apostles After these things which we haue before heard out of the seuenth chapter a man mought haue sayd forasmuch as we are so led away captiue of sinne and that by force and against our willes what hope can there be of our saluation Much saith Paul Forasmuch as now there is no condeÌ„nation to theÌ„ which are in Christ For by the spirite of Christ we are deliuered from the lawe of sinne and of death This reason is taken of the cause efficient whereby is not only proued that which was proposed but also euen the very carnell and inward pithe of our iustification is touched For although men being now iustified are so restored vnto the giftes of God that they begin to liue holily and do accomplishe some certayne obedience begonne of the lawe yet because in the iudgement of God they can not stay vpon them forasmuch as they are vnperfect and are not without fault of necessity it followeth that our iustification should herein consist Wherein consisteth iustificatioÌ„ â–ª namely to haue our sinnes forgeuen vs that is to be deliuered from the guiltines of them And this is it which
These things we now hold by hope â—nto which hope are not repugnaunt gronings and sighinges yea rather they very Two thinges included in hope much agrée with it For hope includeth two thinges namely the absence of the thing which is desired and the assured wayting for the same Wherfore for that the good thing which we desire is differred is not present we are vexed in mind Sorrow ioy follow hope neither can we be but greued But forasmuch as this waityng for that God will performe his promises is sure and certaine we reioyce and are glad And therfore the scriptures euery where set forth the reioycinges and ioyes of the saintes The absence of the thing waited for Paul declareth by the nature of hope For he saith that the hope which is sene is not hope Which words are to be expounded by the figure Metonymia For hope is put for the thing hoped for And Pauls meaning is Hope is put for the thinge hoped for nothing els but yâ— hope is not touching those things which are sene Those thinges he saith are sene which are present which we may both haue fruicion of and also delight our selues in That which is sene saith he is not hope For that hope is of that thing which is not sene Neither bringeth he any other reason then the coÌ„mon sence of all men For how can a man saith he hope for that which he hath Afterward he declareth the waiting for which we said is contained in hope But if we hope for that we see not we do with patience waite for it By these wordes Paul declareth yâ— vnto hope pertaineth that we with a valiaunt and quiet minde waite for the promises of God although they be absent and long differred And therfore is required hope lest we should fal into dispayre by reason the The good thing which we hope for is hard and difficult Hope is not touching that thinge which is vnpossible good thing which we hope for is difficult and hard Hope erecteth the minde that it should not geue place either to aduersities or to differring of the thing hoped for It behoueth also that yâ— thing which we hope for be not so hard or difficill to thinke that we can by no meanes obteyne it otherwise we should cease from hoping For there is no wise man will labour for things impossible Wherfore when we behold that eternall felicitie is promised vnto vs these two thinges straight way come in to our minde that it is a thing infinitely distant from our strengths and yet may be obteined of such as beleue But the power of attaining vnto it dependeth neyther of our merites nor of our workes but only of the mercy of God and merite of Christ Here heÌ„ce is the certainty of our hope to be sought for which could be none The certainty of hope should be nothing at all iâ— felicitie should depend of merites at all if eternall felicity should be attained vnto by our merites or workes By this certaine and assured expectation our mindes are in aduersities and temptations confirmed For vnto souldiours is set forth the victory which being a goodly thinge and very muche delightinge their mindes causeth them to haue a regard vnto two thinges First that it is a thing hard and to be attayned vnto by great labours and daungers Secondly that it is not only possible for them to attaine vnto it but also that they are certaine therof and so being full of good hope they couragiously fight and obtayne yâ— victory Out of these proprieties which Paul in this place attributeth vnto hope we may gather the definitioÌ„ therof Hope therfore Definition of hope is a faculty or power breathed into vs by the holy ghost wherby we with a valiant and patient minde wayte for that the saluation which is now begun in vs and is receiued by faith may one day be made perfect in vs. And that hope is geuen by the holy ghost hereby it plainly appeareth for that it can not be gotten by any humane reason For we wayt for those good things which farre passe our nature That it engendreth in vs a patient waiting for Paul declareth in these words But if we hope for that we see not we do with patience waite for it That we haue eueÌ„ now receiued some part of yâ— saluation which we hope for hath bene before declared For Paul saith that we ar now adopted to be the sonnes of God are made his heires and the fellow heires of Christ And the epistle vnto the Hebrues teacheth that now are begonne in vs those good thinges which by faith we waite for for theyr faith is described to be the substaunce of thynges that are hoped Hope and charity follow faith for For hope hath no other foundacion to leane vnto but faith wherof it springeth For such is the nature of these thrée principall vertues faith hope and charity that the one euer followeth the other For first by faith we know the eternall good thing which is promised of God Vnto this promise faith geueth a firme assent and therof in our mindes springeth hope For for that we beleue that God is true and will performe that which he hath promised we patiently waite vntil the promise be rendred although we know that in the meane tyme we must suffer The order of the production of the three vertues These vertues haue theyr being togâ—ther at one and the selfe same time One of these vertues produceth not an other as the cause but the holy ghost is the author of them things most hard long enduring But for that we sée yâ— at the length shall be rendred vnto vs so great good things we are kindled with a great desire of them which thing pertaineth vnto charity this is the order of the production of these vertues in this sort the one goeth before the other although in very dede they haue their being all at one time and together But we ought not to thinke that fayth is the efficient cause of hope or that of those two springeth charity For the spirit of Christ is the only author of all these vertues he stirreth them vp in our mindes in such sort as we haue now declared But how the propriety of hope is not to make ashamed and how it hath certaintye inseperably ioyned with it we haue before taught in the 5. chapiter when we expounded this place Hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is powred abroade into our hartes Now let vs sée why Paul vnto hope addeth the helpe of the holy ghost In my iudgement he doth it therefore for that faith and hope embrace that good thing which is as yet farre absent neither can be attayned by the senses nor comprehended by reason But euils and calamities and corrupt affectes wherewith we are vexed are alwayes present and light vnder some one sence Wherefore that their rage should not ouerwhelme the power of
of the Sentences confuted this matter For I know yâ— he in his 3. booke teacheth yâ— our hope leneth not only vnto yâ— mercy of God but also vnto our merites And therefore saith he to hope without merites is no hope but a presumption Thys sentence is not to be receaued For it addeth vnto hope a condition when as fayth without any condition apprehendeth that which is to be hoped for out of the word of God Farther when a these or any other wicked man is sodenly conuerted vnto God hath he not hope Vndoubtedly he hath for if he dispaired of saluation he would not fly vnto Christ And how can any man say that such a hope leneth to any merites when as he hath alwayes before liued wickedly But as we haue before sayd these men thinke they haue here a trimme place of refuge if they answere that thys hope of a man namely conuerted vnto Christ dependeth of merites not in dede past but to come newely that he hopeth he shal obteyne the rewardes of felicity when he hath done workes which he trusteth to doo But here they committe a double fault first bycause if he which is conuerted vnto Christ doo hope that by merites he shall haue eternal life he hath no true hope for he resisteth the true fayth For it apprehendeth the chiefe felicity offred frely Secondly vnawares they auouch that yâ— which hath not as yet his being is the cause of yâ— vertue which in acte and very dede they confesse to be in the minde of the repentaÌ„t And if they meane that he hopeth for felicitie when he hath liued well but yet in such sort that he hath no confidence that he caÌ„ by committing of sinne attaine Workes ar not the cause of hope vnto it then speake they no other thing then we do But so are not workes the cause of hope but light betwene it and the laste end as certayne meanes and first beginnings of felicity that men forasmuch as they hope that eternall blessednes shal be geuen vnto them freelye shoulde also hope that God if they liue wyll freely also geue vnto them good workes For the holy scripture teacheth â—arre otherwise then do these men For Dauid when he sayd If thou Lord shalt loke streightly vnto iniquities who shall be able to abide it And when he saw that the sinnes wherewith our workes are contaminated auocate vs from hope added The cause of our hope My soul hath hoped in his word And by the word he vnderstandeth the promise of which promise he rendreth a cause Bycause with the Lorde is mercye and with hym is plentifull redemption These are the true and proper causes of our hope The promise of God and his aboundant mercy The same Dauid in an other place sayth Why art thou sad o my soule and why dost thou trouble me Hope in God for I will still confesse vnto hym Here some obiect that we ar not iustified by fayth only for Paul sayth that we are saued by hope But these men ought to haue considered that the Apostle in this place entreateth not of Iustification For touching We are saued by hope but we are not iustified by it it he before wrote that by fayth the spirite we are deliuered from the lawe of sinne and of death and adopted into sonnes and heyres and made the fellow heyres of Christ But here he speaketh of the perfect redemption which is still to be wayted for This we also confesse to be holdeÌ„ by hope when yet notwithstanding we haue alredy by fayth obteyned iustification and remission of sinnes Farther I haue oftentimes admonished that when the scripture semeth to attribute iustification ether vnto hope or vnto charity or vnto our woorkes those places are so to be vnderstanded that iustification is there taught not by the causes but by the effectes And we ought to vnderstand that whatsoeuer is The consideration of iustification is sometymes declared by the causes and sometimes by the effectes attributed vnto works the same is wholy done by reason of fayth which is annexed vnto them Wherefore as in a wall we haue a consideration vnto the fouÌ„dation and in the fruites of trées to the roote so whatsoeuer semeth at the first sight to be ascribed vnto works is to be assigned vnto faith as vnto the mother of all good workes Which thinge Augustine hath in many places excellentlye taught Others to proue that hope depeÌ„deth of our workes cite that which Paul before sayd Tribulation worketh patience patience worketh experience and experience hope Here say they it is playne that of patience springeth hope I heare in dede the wordes of Paul but I doo not by them acknowledge that patience is the cause of hope For first it is playne inough to him that will consider it that Paul in thys connexion compareth not causes with effectes For who will say that tribulation is the cause of patience For it bringeth many to desperation and to horrible blasphemies But those thinges which Paul knitteth together in this chayne are instruments by which the holy ghost vseth to stir vp in vs these vertues But graunt that there be some consideratioÌ„ of cause betwene these things yet should it not thereof follow that patience is the cause of hope but contrariwise Patience springeth of hope that hope is the cause of patience For no man with a quiet mind patiently suffereth any thing vnles by that patience he hope to attayne vnto some thing Vndoubtedly Martirs are by hope confirmed in theyr tormentes patiently to beare them And the marchant if he had not a hope to gayn would kepe himselfe at home nether would he wander about the world And the shipmaster vnles he hoped that he could ariue at the porte would not lose out into the depe nether striue agaynst the windes and waues I confesse in dede that here is somewhat encreased by patience For when we se that vnto vs is geuen of Christ for hys Hope is somewhat encreased by patience sake with a quiet minde to suffer many thinges we more and more haue confidence that those thinges also which are remayning and which we wayte for shall one day be geuen vs. But to beleue that hope wholy dependeth of patience I can not be perswaded For as we haue before sayd by hope rather we come vnto patience And in very dede the holy ghost is the author and cause of these vertues And he goeth orderly to worke of one to produce an other Agaynst this certainty which we sayd dependeth of yâ— promise of God Pighius vseth trifling reasons that the promises are generall nether is in them mencion made either of me or of thee and therefore there is still remayning a doubt when we must discend to the application of these promises Thys man semeth to me to make the promises of God to hange in the ayre when as he will haue them to be so Euery faithfull man knoweth that the promises ar properly
priuately applied vnto himselfe generall that no man can priuately be assured of himselfe Doubtles he which calleth vpō God and calleth hym his God applieth that generall God seuerally vnto himselfe Nathan sayd vnto Dauid The Lord hath taken away thy sinne which thinge is likewise sayd vnto euery one that asketh The Gosple is to that end preched to euery creature that euery one should singularly embrace y◠promise and haue remission of sinnes The Minister sayth I baptise thee in the name of the father and of the sunne and of the holy ghost and that is to be vnderstand into the remission of sinnes And euery one priuately to hymselfe receaueth the Eucharist And these thinges are certayne seales and sealinges of the promises of God but they should seale nothing vnles the promises should now be applied perticularly vnto this man or to that man But let vs consider the scriptures Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes and he receaued circumcision the seale of the righteousnes of fayth Did Circumcisiō seale the generall promise No vndoubtedlye but rather the singular promise and whiche was now applyed vnto Abraham Wherefore let these men ceasse thus to bleare mens eyes and let them confesse that hope hath that certaintye of saluation whiche it hath receaued of fayth by reason of the firmenesse of the promises And that thou mayste vnderstand that hope is repugnaunt vnto doubt count Hope is repugnant vnto doubting To what end hope was geuen vnto men with thy selfe to what end it was geuen of God vnto men Vndoubtedlye to no other ende but that they shoulde haue wherewith to striue againste doubting For when we doubt of our saluation we haue no other weapons wherby to ouercome that doubtinge but hope onelye whiche springeth of a liuelye fayth Wherefore seeing it alwayes striueth agaynste doubtinge there is no cause that anye man should ascribe vnto it doubting as a perpetuall companion Let vs looke vpō and consider the other commaundements of God so shall that which we auouch be yet more playne God hath commaunded vs to worship him only and bicause he Why God gaue the cōmaundementes saw vs of our own accord earnestly bent vnto idolatry and vnto supersticiō therfore woulde he haue vs with the word of his law fight against this euill He hath commaunded also that we should not steale nor kill nor commit adulteries for y◠he saw that we by reason of our corrupt nature are prone to these euils So also Why God hath commaunded vs to hope God hath commaunded vs to hope for that he saw our vnbeleuyng hart to be infected with continual doubting And as in beleuing we ought not to haue a regard vnto those things which seme to be against the promises of God which thing Abraham excellently well performed when he considered not his body past children gettyng nor his wife being olde and barren but gaue the glory vnto God so in hoping we ought not to haue a regard vnto our workes for they by reason of theyr deformednes and filthines would rather feare vs away from hoping We ought In hopinge we ought not to haue a respect◠vnto our workes The security of the fleshe and the security of faith differ to fixe our eyes in the only promise and mercy of God Neither also when we vrge this certainty of hope do we open a window vnto lose lyfe as many falsly lay to our charge For the security of the flesh farre differeth from the commendable certainty of faith and of hope For neyther doth it as our aduersaries thinke expell the feare of God out of the mindes of the godly We haue before at large taught that the certainty of saluation and the holy feare of God very well agrée together in the hartes of the faithfull Likewise also the spirite helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought But the spirite it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed Besides that stay of hope wherwith our patience is vpholden Paul sayth that there is an other helpe also of the holy ghost geuen vnto vs. This is y◠which Christ when he should depart out of the world promised to his Apostles I wyll not leaue you orphanes but wyll send you an other comforter If the power of the holy ghost be compared with the weakenes of our strengthes it wil The holy ghost is mightier then our in firmity Against the Pelagians farre passe our infirmity Therfore Paul vseth this comparison that therby might be increased in vs cherefulnes and confidence Here the Pelagians are put to a great foyle For so farre is it of that by the strengthes of our nature we can helpe our selues that without the helpe of the holy ghost we can not of our selues so much as know what thinges shal be profitable vnto vs and what things hurtful But in what maner we know not what to aske and how the spirite maketh request for vs with vnspeakable ▪ sighes bicause it is very obscure to vnderstand first How we know not what we ought to aske I thinke it good to declare the expositions of the fathers and secondly to declare what in them is the best Chrisostome forasmuch as at that time were greuous persecutions against the Christians thinketh that they with prayers feruently desired of God that they might at the lēgth be deliuered from so great euils and this thing not cōming to passe they conceiued a great sorrow in their minde And therfore Paul after this manner comforteth them for that we our selues know not what to pray or what to aske Wherfore God who knoweth all this right well oftētimes geueth not vnto vs those things which we aske but those things which he himselfe knoweth shall be most profitable for vs. And that he should not séeme to deiect their mindes vnto whom he writeth as though he iudged them rude and vnapt vnto things spiritual he numbreth himselfe also together with those which are troubled with this ignoraunce neither did he that falsly or only for consolation sake For he himselfe in dede oftentimes prayed that he might go to Rome and yet Paul was not alwaies heard in his prayers God heard him not He prayed also that the pricke of the flesh mought be taken frō him that is that his tribulations might be slaked as Chrisostome in this place interpretateth it And he receiued an answer of the Lord that his grace ought to be sufficient vnto him Moses prayed that he might enter into the promised land Examples of other saintes which prayed were not heard The maner of the primitiue church Ieremy prayed for the health of the people Abraham prayed for pardon for the Sodomites Samuel prayed that Saul mought be forgeuen The two Apostles prayed that the one of them mought sit on the right hand of Christ and the other on the left in the kingdome of God But these men could not obteine their
who do not only deceiue others but also chiefly thēselues That is the true faith which Paul describeth to the Galath which worketh through loue For alwaies of true fayth springeth charity For it is not possible the the true and chiefe good thing being certainly known should not be beloued and earnestly desired He that séeth not the connexion and order of these vertues séeth nothyng for so straightly are they knit together that euen as of true faith of necessity followeth charity so againe on the other side he which wanteth faith must of necessity abhorre God and hate him so far is it of that he can loue him But this is not to be passed ouer the euen the most holiest men so long as they liue here haue a very slender loue towardes God For oftentimes they be drawen backeward by lustes of the flesh and that is the cause why iustification can not be ascribed vnto it For if we should leane vnto our loue forasmuch as it is very weak we should continually stagger But God will haue his promise to be firme and sure But thou wilt obiect that our faith also is weake I graunt it is so and therfore we leane not vnto faith as it is a worke but we haue an eye vnto the mercy of God his promise which by faith we embrace and so our iustification hangeth not of the worke of faith but of his obiect Howbeit in this infirmity of our loue towardes God thys thing haue the godly which the vngodly haue not that as soone as they haue fallen they straightway run vnto God They are sory they repent by y◠meanes prefer Christ only before all thinges so that for his sake they offer themselues to suffer all maner of thinges But the vngodly alwayes sticke in the mire they returne not earnestly vnto God but become euery day worse worse When Paul writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is we know he meaneth not a slight or slēder knowledge but a firme certaine and sound knowledge For none that is a Christian ought to be in doubt of the last ende of his state The state of the godly is to the better but the state of the vngodly is to destruction We after a sort are as players in a commedie where in although the beginning middle part be troublesome yet it is with a ioyfull pleasaunt ende concluded But the vngodly are as players in a Tragedy which although at the beginning it seme godly and gorgious yet hath it an horrible and lamentable ende This diuersity noted Abraham in the Gospell for vnto the A testimony of Abraham riche man burning in the flames of fire he sayd Remember that thou in thy lyfe tyme receyuedst good thynges but Lazarus euill Wherefore it is no meruayle if thinges do now go otherwise Which are called accordyng to purpose These wordes declare who they be which loue God And he bringeth a reason why vnto them all things turne vnto good for that it is mete and conuenient that all things do seruice vnto the counsell predestination and election of God that whomsoeuer he hath decréed to saue All thinges ought to be seruisable vnto the counsell of predestination him must all creatures whatsoeuer they be of necessity helpe He vseth this word purpose which at other times also in this matter he oftē vseth For in the next chapter he saith That the election mought abyde according to the purpose of God And vnto the Ephe. the 1. chap. Which hath predestinated vs accordyng to purpose and grace by the force wherof he worketh all thynges accordyng to the councell of hys wyll And in the latter to Tim. the first chap. Which hath called vs wyth hys holy calling not according to our works but according to purpose and grace And by these words he semeth to note Two manner of callinges Here is vnderstand a mighty and constant calling a certain distinction of callings For the one is outward which is by the holy scriptures sermons the other inward wherby the mind is moued by y◠instinct of God which in wardcalling also is not of one sort For there is one during but for a time an other of efficacy and abiding The Apostle whē he saith accordyng to purpose defineth callyng and contracteth it to that strong and constant impulsion Chrisostome in this place thinketh that this worde purpose is not to be referred vnto God but vnto the will and counsell of them which are called that the Apostle should not séeme to attribute so much vnto the election of God The Iewes saith he and Ethnikes whē they An error of Chrisostom hard these things made a stirre and demaunded what should let but that they also might be saued Chrisostome séemeth as often as he entreated of the election or predestination of God to haue bene somewhat afeard lest some occasion should be geuen vnto Whereof Chrisostom was afeard men to liue idly and wickedly or to lay the faulte of their wicked actes vpō God although he sometimes goeth plainly inough to worke ascribeth all our good thinges whatsoeuer they be vnto the grace of God And this place he thus goeth about to extenuate as though God in dede calleth and electeth men but yet those only which either already haue or hereafter shall haue a purpose and will to obey but herein he excedingly erreth in that he denieth that this is the purpose of God For the wordes which follow plainly teach that this is wholy to be referred vnto Purpose in this place ought to be referred vnto God predestination For it followeth Whome he foreknew those also hath he predestinated And in the next chapiter it is written According to election that the purpose of God should abide By which wordes we sée y◠predestination dependeth not of our wil but of the purpose Predestination depēdeth not of our wil but of the purpose of God of God Which selfe thing is declared vnto the Ephe. where it is written That we are predestinate accordynge to purpose by the force whereof God woorketh all things accordyng to his counsell and wyll In which place it cannot be denied but that he vnderstādeth the purpose of God and much lesse can that be denied in the first chap. vnto Tim. where it is thus written God hath called vs wyth hys holy calling not by our workes but by his purpose and by grace Which selfe thing Paul teacheth in the first chap. vnto the Ephe. For he sayth That we are predestinate into the adoption of the sonnes of God accordyng to his good pleasure And Christ saith I geue thankes vnto thee O holy father for that thou hast hidden these thynges from the wyse and hast reueled them to infantes because it hath so pleased thee And Paul vseth this word purpose to declare a certaintie for that the thinges which God by his prouidence hath decréed are stable and firme But his minde is to proue that men ought not to
faineth two children to be borne of vngodly parentes and strangers from Christ both of them are cast forthe and set to daunger of death And the one of them in deede dieth but the other being of somewhat more stronger nature is by a Christian by chance comming by preserued and brought to the Church and baptised and is with other of the faythfull made a partaker of Christ Verely touching the saluation of the one childe we haue nothing that we can certainly affirme but of the other if the childe dye we can skarsely put any doubt And if the matter be so we affirme that one of them was elected and the other reiected Wherevnto then had the election of God a regarde Thou canst not say vnto workes foresene when as those thinges which shall neuer come to passe can not be foresene For the prouidence of God prouideth those thinges which shall come to passe and not those thinges which shall not be yea rather he forseeth that those thinges shall not come to passe Wherefore we see that that deuise touching workes foreseene can not in all cases satisfy humane reason Wherefore we must rather beleue Paul who leadeth vs to the highest cause namely to the wyll of God whereunto doubtles we do iniury if we thinke that there is any cause aboue it What shoulde we flye vnto the workes of men when as All men are by nature of one and the selfe same disposition and prones to euill This opinion makâ—th Paul very blockish duâ—â—itted â–ª we all are of one the selfe same nature of one the selfe same propriety and of one and the same disposition For that lompe of Adam wherehence we are deriued is vitiated and corrupted whereunto if peraduenture there be added any thing that is good the same it hath of the mere and only goodnes of God Farther they which so teach seeme to make Paul very blockishe and dull witted which could not see that which these men so easely vnderstand For he of the election of God bryngeth no other cause but the purpose and wyll of God And at the last also he crieth out O the depth of the riches c. But these sharpâ— witted men doo euen easely rid themselues of this greated difficulty euen I say by one pore word Augustine being yet a priest and newly baptised expounding this place although he saw that God could not haue a respect vnto our workes to come as causes of predestination wherby he embraseth vs yet he thought fayth foresene to be the cause of his loue towardes vs. And of this his sentence as touching ether part he bringeth this reason It is certayne that good workes are deriued into vs from the holy ghost for thorough him God worketh all in all and the same God geueth vnto vs the holy ghost Wherefore â–ª good workes sayth he forasmuch as they procede from God caÌ„ not any thing moue to his electioÌ„ or predestinatioÌ„ But he thought that God had a respect vnto our fayth and electeth them whome he foreséeth should beleue for that he thought that fayth is of our selues For although we rede sayth he that God worketh all in all yet we rede not that God beleueth all in all Wherfore Augustine erred whilest he was yet a priesâ— he thought it is of our selues to beleue but to work wel he thought to come of God These thinges wrote he being yet rude following as it should appeare to me the doctrine of his father Ambrose For he vpon this selfe same place teacheth the selfe same thing namely that God electeth them whome he knoweth shall afterward beleue But Augustine when his iudgement was now thorough Augustine reuoked his error age excercise more ripe and of deeper consideratioÌ„ reuoked this sentence as it is euident by his first boke of Retractations the. 33. chapiter in which place he thus writeth of him selfe These things had I not writteÌ„ if that I had vnderstode that Faith is no lesse the gift of God then good workes fayth is no les the gift of God then good workes And that fayth is geuen of God he gathereth by that which is written to the Ephesians in the 6. chapiter Charitye and fayth from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christ And in the same epistle the 2. chapiter By grace ye are made safe thorough faith that not of your selues For it is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should boast And vnto Timothe I obteyned sayth he mercy that I might be faithfull but he saith not for that I was faith full To this purpose mought be brought a greate many other sentences but for this present I thought these should suffice And as touching the wordes of Paul Purpose electioÌ„ why they are attributed vnto God no man ought to wonder that the Apostle when he speaketh of these things at tributeth vnto God purpose and election For the holy scriptures euery where frame themselues to our infirmity and speake vnto men after the maner of men By those wordes we vnderstand the constancy and immutability of the will of God For euen as men are wont as touching thinges whiche they haue rashly appoynted afterward when they haue better considered the matter to alter them but those thinges which they haue decréed with good consideration and deliberation they will haue to be firme and to continew so also thinke they of God For that cause Paul calleth his will purpose and electioÌ„ An oracle was geuen to Rebecka That the elder of these two brethern should serue the yonger for she had asked counsell of God what the brethern striuinge together in her wombe signified By this oracle we se that it is God which putteth a difference God putteth a difference betwene those yâ— are borne betwene those which are borne when as otherwise by nature they are equall And promises made to this or that stocke and to this or that posterity signifie nothing else but yâ— of that stocke or posterity shall some be elected but who they be it lieth not in vs to iudge We ought rather to haue a respect vnto the effects and whom we se to be called to beleue to geue themselues to good works those Forasmuch as prebestination is a thing hâ—dden vnto what thinges we ought to haue a respect A similitude to count for elect and alwayes in this matter to haue a regard vnto the commaundementes and vnto the promises that is vnto the outward word of God But concerning the hidden counsell of God as touching euery perticular man we haue nothing reueled vnto vs. But Chrisostome semeth to be against this First â—e sayth That there arose greate offence touching the reiection of the Iewes and the election of the Gentiles especially seing that the Gentiles had alwayes bene vncleane but the Iewes had moste playne promises For it is all one sayth he as if the sonne of a king vnto whome the kingdome semeth to be by
if they should be receaued he saith Grace can no more be grace And thus much touching Chrisostome Now let vs sée what Ieromes minde is touching this matter He in his 10. question to Hedibia The opinioÌ„ of Ierome beginneth doubtles in my iudgement not very souÌ„dly For he saith that this is a most obscure place when as otherwise in the wordes of the Apostle as touching the question there is no ambiguity at all But he and other such like make the thing obscure whilest they labour to eschew more theÌ„ is nedeful the offence of humane We must not pretend any obscurenes in this chapter reason For Paul if a man haue a regard to the grammaticall sence if in any other place then moste of all in this place obserued both in his interrogation and answere and prospiâ—uous placing of his wordes whatsoeuer mought seme requisite And should be not a litle contumelius against the holy ghost if he would of purpose haue so obscured the doctrine concerning the principall ground of our saluation so that we should not be able to vnderstand it For in this place is entreated Here is entreated of the chiefe promise of our saluatioÌ„ of a matter which is of all other of most waight namely to what thing we ought to attribute our saluation and election whether to our workes foresens or to the frée mercy of God Ierome vsing this for his preface turneth himselfe afterward to reproue Origen howbeit he leueth his name vnexpressed For Origen labouring to iustify God as touching the loue of Iacob and hatred of Esau which as yet had done neither good nor euil sayth yâ— that came to passe by reason of those Plato Pithagoras things which their soules had done before they came into their bodies For of those merites it coÌ„meth yâ— meÌ„ in this life are of diuers estates These things Ierome worthely reproueth For they pertain not to Christian piety but to the doctrine of Plato and of Pithagoras For they fayned sondry courses departures returnes of the soules Why do we not rather saith Ierome confesse our own ignorance This sentence as I commend so also se I that it is not alwayes kept of him which spake it For if he would haue bene content with a godly ignorance he had not fained imagined those questions and suppositioÌ„s of Paul which in very déede are none at all But he would not that the Apostle should seme to haue tought these thinges contrary to common sence For when Paul had said Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated and afterward had added What is there iniquity wyth God and had made answere Ieromes discourse vpon this place God forbid proued by testemonies of the scriptures that God tempereth and moderateth his election according to his wil mercy and power Ierome sought to bow and to wrest those thinges which Paul had most simply spoken as if they were importunatly obiected vnto Paul by way of interrogation as though when Paul had answered God forbid the importunate caueler should go on and say If God sayd vnto Moses I wyll haue mercy on whome I wyll haue mercy and wyll shew compassion on whome I wyll shew compassion then shall it not now be neither of hym that wylleth nor of hym that runneth but of God that hath mercy And if he to thys ende raysed vp Pharao to declare in him hys power what could he then do wythall And if we be as clay in the hand of the potter why do we yet complayne Who can resist hys wyll Shall there be nothing remayning of free wyll Let Paul make answere to these impudent obiections what art thou o man which thus reasonest wyth God Euen by thyne owne malepertnes thou mayst sufficiently vnderstand that thou art not as clay in the hand of the potter For the clay complayneth not of hys maker but thou I wyll not say greuously complaynest but also powrest out blasphemy agaynst the creator and callest hym vniust and euen in thys thou declarest that thou hast free wyll when as thou speakest what thou list yea euen agaynst God himselfe And if God woulde by his greate patience long suffer Pharao and declare his mercy towardes others he is not therefore to be accused of thee the faulte is rather to be layde vppon the sinnes of men For euen as by one and the selfe same heate of the sunne clay is made hard and waxe made soft so by one and the selfe same goodnes of God some are made more obstinate and other some returne to health And therefore were the Gentles admitted into saluation for that they receaued the fayth of Christ and the Iewes were for saken and reiected for that they resisted that fayth Wherefore not the men themselues but theyr wylles are elected Wherfore by these thinges it is euident that Ierome also was of that mynde that the election of God dependeth of the wyll and workes of men And toward the An interpretation of an author not named end of this tenth question he sayth that he had red in a certaine author whose name yet he kepeth in silence that the Apostle doth not only not dissolue the question but also maketh it more intricate by testimonies of the scriptures and reproueth the curious inquisitor after this maner O man what art thou forsoth clay in the hand of the potter Wherefore kepe downe this thy malepertnes with eternall silence and be mindfull of the infirmity which is in man As touching This question caÌ„ not so be dissolued to satisfie humane reason Ierome vpon Malachy yâ— dissolution of the question if Ierome meane of that wherin humane wisdome may be satisfied we also do graunt that the question is not dissolued but if he speake of that kind of solution which ought to be sufficient vnto Christian piety and which may be had in this life there is nothing wanting to this dissolution Of the selfe same matter Ierome vpon Malachy expounding the place which we are now in hand with writeth after this maner The loue and hatred of God is either of foreknowledge or of workes For those God loueth whome he seeth to be haters of sinne and those he hateth whome he seeth wyll build vp those thynges which he wyll haue to be ouerthrowen Finally he saith that God is sayde to loue or to hate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â–ª that is after the maner of men euen as he is sayde to be angry to be sory to reioyce and therefore is he sayd to hate the wicked that we shoulde eschew those thinges whiche we know he hateth I know also that the Rabines of the Hebrues and especially Chimhi when they expound this place of Malachy do runne vnto workes But although in properties phrases of wordes I iudge those men worthy som what to be estemed yet as touching the sence of scripture and doctrine I do not geue much credit vnto them For they are vtterly blinded neither will they
time when he was called Verely he thought vpon nothing ells but how to murther the christiaÌ„s and vtterly to destroy and to ouerthrow Christian religion and yet notwithstanding he was streight way conuerted vnto God and the truth was so set forth vnto him that streight way he embrased it vtterly and wholy changed his minde Wherefore there is no cause why any man should accuse God of iniquity for when he forgeueth and pardoneth he geueth frely of that which is his owne but Why God is not to be accused of iniquity when he punisheth and putteth to paines he by most good right requireth that which is his owne These thinges writeth August as we haue sayd in his boke of questions to Simplicianus the second question But in his epistle to Sixtus which is the 105. in nomber he sayth that God findeth not men mete to be elected but maketh them God in Iocob loued only his mercy He hated Esau for that he would not haue mercy on him Paul wanted not sharpenes of wit Neither loued he any thing ells in Iacob saith he but his owne free mercy And Esau he hated for that he woulde not haue mercye on him Whiche thinges these men sayth he speaking of the Pâ—lagians seking to auoyd say that God had a regard to the workes foresene as though forsoth Paul wanted so greate sharpenes of witte that he would not se that which these witty men saw For theÌ„ doubtles was the time for Paul so to answer wheÌ„ he had obiected vnto him selfe What shall we then say Is there iniquity with God God forbidde He mought streight way euen with one worde after these men haue solued the question yea rather he had had no question at all to solue We must consider what Paul there went aboute what he did and what was his entent His entent was to inculcate the grace of God but they which haue this scope before theyr eyes can not imagine any suche things And in his Enchiridion to Laurentius the 98. chapiter he writeth that if this had bene the entent of Paul he would in no case haue sayd Not of workes yea he would rather haue sayd Of workes foresene he loued Iacob by his free mercy and hated Esau by his iust iudgment Wherefore they which are planted in an holy calling let them acknowledge that vnto them is geueÌ„ grace not dew vnto them and in others that eternally perish let them consider what was dew vnto them Now that I haue thus briefely recited the sentences of the fathers I thinke it good to declare my iudgement What is to loue What is to hate as touching this whole matter First I vnderstand that To loue is nothing els but to will well to a man And to hate is nothing els but to wish ill to a man or not to wyll well vnto him Wherefore God is sayd to loue them vnto whom he willeth eternall saluation that is the chiefe felicitie and those he hateth vnto whom he wylleth it not Nowe this so being the controuersie is whether God wylleth felicitie to the elect by workes foresene or no and how he willeth it not to the reprobate First we wyll speake of loue Nowe loue can not be of workes foresene for Paul sayth Not of workes but of him that calleth And seing The electioÌ„ or predestination of God cannoâ— be of works foreseene that God findeth not good workes in men but of his mercy deriueth them into them how can they be the causes of his loue And in the 11. chapiter of this epistle Paul sayth That the remnantes shall be saued according to the election of grace And if of grace then not of workes And in this place the same Apostle referreth the effects also of the promises of God only to the will and power mercy of God Therfore ought we to presume to go no farther And in the 1. chapiter to the EphesiaÌ„s he sayth That we are predestinated into the adoption of children according to the good We should be iustified by workes foresâ—ne â–ª iâ— we should by them be elected pleasure of the will of God And if we should graunt that men attayne to saluation by workes forsene we could not auoyde but that men should be sayd to be iustified by workes For then of our workes should follow the foreknowledge of God of foreknowledge predestination and of predestination calling and of calling last of all iustification we should consent also with the Pelagians that iustification and merites take theyr beginning of our selues and that God afterward addeth grace mercy and variety of gifts Neither ought we to thinke that the worke of God which is eternall hath his beginning of any thing temporall The eternal worke of God hath not his beginning of a thing temporall The hatred of God is not of workes foresene After the selfe same maner we say that the hatred of God dependeth not of workes foreknown For Paul a like pronouÌ„ced of ech brother Not of workes but of him that calleth And if we should graunt that the hatred of God springeth of ill workes foresene it mought be on the contrary part inferred as sayth Augustine that the loue of God also springeth of good workes forsene And moreouer this reason can not take place in all those that are elected or reiected For many amongest the Iewes and Turkes perish euen in theyr in fancy and are condemned and therefore are nombred amongest those whome God hateth in whome yet he could foresee no euil workes forasmuch as they should neuer haue any yea rather he foreknew that they should worke nothing Neither auayleth that any thing which some say that God saw what they would haue A cauillatioÌ„ confuted done if they should haue liued For by this meanes should not the iustice of God as touching humane reason be defended for the defence whereof yet these men take so great paynes For streight way should come into yâ— mind why these men were reiected for those workes which they neuer did nor euer should haue done But they should haue done them thou wilt say if they had liued Graunt it were so But a conditionall proposition affirmeth nothing And that God followeth not this consideratioÌ„ in his loue or hatred Christ plainly declareth wheÌ„ he saith Wo vnto the Corozaim wo vnto the Bethsaida for if in Tyre and Sidon had bene done the thinges which haue bene done in thee they bad long since repented in sackcloth and ashes Again Wo vnto the Capernaum which art exalted vp to heauen for thou shalt be cast downe euen into hell For if in Sodome had bene done the thinges which haue bene done in thee those cities had yet bene remayning These wordes playnely declare that God hath not a respect vnto that what a man shall do For he gaue miracles vnto God gaue miracles to them that vsed theÌ„ ill but gaue none to theÌ„ that would haue vsed them well them that vsed them ill and gaue not
power of God Wherfore some are so agaynst all talke of predestination that straight way as soone as any mencion is made of it they are gone But this they can not do without great iniury vnto the holy ghost as though he would teach any thing which should either be vnprofitable or hurtful But we ought to geue eare vnto Paul They do â—â— which abhorre from the talke of of predestination â–ª who with much profite reasoneth of it And that we may do this without danger we ought to beware of fonde imaginations neither ought we to adde any thyng to that which the holy scripture hath deliuered vnto vs. If we kepe our selues within these bondes we shal runne into no danger at al. Paul did generally put forth that the hatred and loue of God depende only of his will and not of the workes of men Which sentence he now proueth as touching eche part and that by a double testimony of the scripture But before he bringeth forth those testimonyes he obiecteth vnto himselfe that which vnto humane wisedome mought seme vniust What sayth he shall we say Is there iniquity with God if he do thus as pleaseth hym He maketh answere and curseth such a suspicion saying God forbid But the cause why humane reason is so offended if WhereheÌ„ce springeth the offence of humane reason both predestination and reprobation should depend of the mere will of God commeth of this because that men thinke that thereby iustice distributiue which requireth that vnto like be rendred thinges like should thereby be empaired And forasmuch as all men are in the stocke of Adam of like condition they thinke it not iust that one should be predestinated to eternall saluation and an other reiected to eternall destruction Origen to defend this iustice in God tought that the soules of men haue before they come to this life workes ether good or euill for which they are predestinated eyther to destruction or to felicity Pelagius thought that the iustice of God is to be defended by workes foresene A peruerse carefulnes of men which opinion not only he but also many others of the fathers embraced Neither can I inough meruayle that men were so carefull for the iustice of God when as it can come into no daunger at all For the will of God is the first rule of iustice But these selfe same men haue a remisse and negligent care ouer their own iustice which is not only endangered but also ofteÌ„times violated and broken Paul to answere to this error of mans imagination proueth yâ— the election of God is not as these men imagine deriued of iustice distributiue for that God is by no law bound to geue vnto any man those thynges â–ª which he hath decréed to geue but God of his mere mercy liberality taketh some and adorneth them In the parable which the Lord put forth Vnto euery one of the workemen was geuen a peny for their dayes worke vnto those in dede which had labored all the whole day it was geuen of couenant but vnto others which had bene but an houre in the worke it was geuen of mercy And when those yâ— came first were displeased the good man of the house answered Is it not lawfull for me to do with myne owne what I wyll Verely it was lawfull and especially seing the same pertayned to mere mercy But as touching iustice distributiue DistributioÌ„ comming of iustice is one thing â–ª geuing comming of mercy is an other thyng ElectioÌ„ pertaineth not to iustice but vnto mercy Take vp saith he that which is thine and go thy wayes Wherefore he did put a distinction betwene that distribution which is done of iustice and that geuyng which procedeth of mercy So Paul in thys place teacheth that the election of God pertayneth not as these men imagine vnto iustice but vnto mercy And thys he confirmeth by an oracle of the scripture saying For he sayth to Moses I will haue mercy on whome I will haue mercy will shew compassion on whome I will haue compassion By these words God teacheth that there is no other cause of his mercy which he sheweth towardes some but euen his very mercy Wherfore I somewhat meruaile how Pigghius a manne otherwise as he him selfe thinketh ful of wit amongst his principall reasons wherebye he contendeth that God predestinateth by woorkes foreséene putteth this also for one as though if it were not so the iustice of God wherby he distributeth his giftes could by no meanes consist For how séeth he not that the Apostle obiecteth vnto himself the selfe same thinge and dissolueth the same by no other reason but for that God herein dealeth not with vs by law or by duety but by mercy For this doth the oracle which is here cited most plainely declare But it is woorthy to be laughed at to ascribe vnto Paul that which he by all meanes auoyded to speake To go aboute God is not to be broght into an order to deale with God by law is to séeke to bring God to an order whiche thing as no man can do so is it not mete that any endued with reason should attempt to do it And Paul when he saith What shall we say then Is there iniquity with God by these woordes declareth that he knewe right well what commonlye commeth into the mindes of men when they heare this matter reasoned of This also is to be noted that although Paul could haue excused his doctrine that these absurde thinges followed not of that which he had toughte yet was he moued with a feruente desire of piety to repell this blasphemy and to aunswere God forbid â–ª As though he woulde haue said it is no vpright dealing to thinke any such thinge of God And he addeth a reason for that that can not be vniuste whiche God testifieth of himselfe and acknowledgeth to be his â–ª Now God himselfe sayd vnto Moses I will haue mercy on whome I will haue mercy and will shew compassion on whom I will shew compassion In this sentence are two thinges to be noted first that those good thinges which God The cause of yâ— gifts of God which he geueth vs is not to be sought for without his goodnes hath decreed vnto vs depend onely of his mercy secondly that the cause of them is not to be sought for without the beneuolence of God For he saith vnto Moses that he will shew mercy to whom he will shew mercy Now if God do prescribe these limits vnto our knowledge they ought to be counted to much presumptious which will séeke to go further I before noted that Origen and Ierome to Hedibia thought that these woordes vnto this place O man what art thou which aunswerest vnto God are put vnder the person of the aduersary which is farre straunge from the due order of the text For Paul did put his owne aunswere when he answered his aduersaries God forbid Wherefore it is méete that those thinges which
God should haue sayd that he would permitte him to se at the least his backe partes that not for his merites but only of his mercy But whither of these wayes so euer a man take those wordes so that he referre all thinges to the mercy of God then right well followeth of them that which the Apostle seketh Namely that it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that hath mercy But to speake my iudgement herein first this is to be noted that the Apostle followed the translatioÌ„ of the Seuenty For they thus haue that which is here written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in Hebrue it is written Iechannathy atta Scherachan Ierechamthyatha Schereracham â–ª the first worde is Chanan which signifieth to loue or to beare fauour The other word signifieth to haue mercy but chiefely such a mercy as mothers shew vnto theyr children For this word hath an affinity with Rechem which signifieth a wombe or belly wherin mothers beare theyr children Moreouer when he had sayd that he would make that all his good should go before Moses he added that as he went he would proclaime his name Iehoua which thing as it is had in the next chapter he performed And when he had proclaymed Iehoua he added diuers of his names wherby are expressed the properties of the nature of God The summe of those names he here after a sorte comprehendeth when he sayth I wil haue mercye on whome I will haue mercy Neither is there any difference betwene the interpretation of the SeueÌ„ty and the Hebrue verity but that they in the second part of eche member put the verbe in the present tempse wheÌ„ as in the Hebrue one tempse is in eche place put But the sence which we bring agreeth very well with Paul For if the proprieties of God which he vseth toward vs be comprehended in his mercy thereby also is very aptly proued that our election also dependeth of no other thing which thing is vnto vs most profitable For if our saluation lay in our owne handes we should continually hinder How the wil of God touching predestination is reueled vnto vs. Against those which hold thaâ— the mercy of God is equally offred vnto â— men it But how we may iudge of this diuine wil wherby we are elected of God Christe tought vs when he reueled vnto vs the decrees of his father sayinge This is the will of the father that he which seeth the sonne and beleueth in him should haue eternall life This sentence of God whiche Paul citeth out of the booke of Exodus maketh agaynst those which hold that the mercy of God is equallye offred vnto all men For God sayth that he will not haue mercy vpon all men but on those onely on whome he will haue mercye by whiche woordes he declareth that he bestoweth his mercy vpon some certayne men and not vpon all Of this oracle the Apostle inferreth Wherefore it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Whereby we vnderstand that all whole is to be attributed vnto God which doctrine humane wisedome can not abide For streight way it thus reasoneth with it selfe Then do we nothing we are nothing but stockes and stones But we teach no such doctrine we affirme in dede that we worke but yet not vnles we be impelled by the spirite of God as Paul teacheth in his epistle in the 8. chapiter They which are led by the spirit of God those sayth he are the children of God And therefore the prophet Ezechiell sayth I will make that ye shall walke in my wayes But the maner how we do any thing being impelled and moued by God we may very wel vnderstand if we compare the 8. chapiter of this epistle with the 4. chapiter to the Galathians For in the 8. chapiter Paul thus writeth â–ª Ye haue not receaued the spirite of bondage agayne vnto feare but ye haue receaued the spirite of the adoption of children by whome we crye Abba father And to the Galathians he sayth For that ye are children God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hartes cryeng Abba father Seing then that vnto the Galathians he teacheth that the holy ghost prayeth in vs and vnto the Romanes he sayth that we our selues pray we ought thereby to vnderstand that we our selues indede pray but yet being driuen and impelled by the spirite of We are not stockes nor stones God For we are not stockes nor stones For they are not impelled but by violence but we are not against our willes compelled of the spirite of God but are perswaded and whatsoeuer we do we do it willingly Stockes and stones wheÌ„ they are moued neither vnderstand they nor haue they any will but we when we are impelled of God do both vnderstand and will and also geue assent Although that we haue euen these thinges also of the spirite of God Moreouer we confesse that many ciuill and naturall wordes wheÌ„ they passe not our streÌ„gths are subiect vnto our choyce and will althoughe we beleue and preache that How we worke being impelled of God A differeÌ„ce betwene thinges ciuile and betwene those thinges which pertaine to eternall saluation those thinges also God ruleth and gouerneth as semeth besâ— to his most wise prouidence But touching those thinges which are acceptable vnto God and which pertayne to our saluation we can not be moued vnles we be impelled by the spirite of God Augustine in his Encheridion to Laurentius the 32. chapiter writeth many things which serue to the declaration of this conclusion of Paul For he sayth that these thinges make very much agaynst them which hold that the beginning of our saluatioÌ„ commeth of our selues Which thing vâ—rely they teach which will haue predestination to procede of good workes foresene For if it were so theÌ„ contrary to the sentence of Paul it should be of him that willeth and of hym that runneth Augustine in dede confesseth that no man can beleue hope or loue vnles he will but euen this selfe same wil to beleue to hope and to loue he saith commeth not but from God For that is vayne which some say that the will of man is not by it selfe sufficient and therefore nedeth yâ— mercy of God as though a good worke ought to come and to procede both from our will and also from grace For if it were so Paul mought haue sayd that it is not of God that hath Good works are not to be deiâ—ded to make one part oures an other Gods part mercy but of man that willeth and runneth For according to this sentence nether doubtles should the grace of God be sufficient vnles vnto it the will of maÌ„ should ioyne it selfe Which thing forasmuch as no Christian either ought or caÌ„ reseruing piety speake it resteth that Paul therefore said That it is neither of him that willeth nor of him that ruÌ„neth but of God that
inculcate then shoulde not boastinge be excluded for euery righteous man mought say of himselfe I haue obtained grace because wheÌ„ it was offred I receiued it I haue beleued God making promise vnto me for that I gaue mine assent I haue obteined Christ because wheÌ„ he came I receaued him But Paul crieth out that our boasting is excluded not in déede by the law of workes but by the lawe of fayth and of grace Neither can the aduersaries That modicum is some kinde of of worke Workes at vniuersally excluded froÌ„ the cause of iustificatioÌ„ The sentence of Paul is to be takeÌ„ simply and not by way of comparison deny but that that modicum which they labour so ernestly to establish is some kinde of worke But Paul so excluded not woorkes from iustification that he lefte vnto them the second place vnto faith but he vtterly and vniuersally excluded theÌ„ as touchyng the power to iustifie For he sayd not onely that we are iustified frely but added without workes Wherefore whereas they say that the senteÌ„ce of Paul is not to be vnderstanded simply but by way of comparison it is vntrue and vain But the scriptures saye they in other places speake so For it is written in the Psalm Vnles the Lord buyld the house they labour in vayne which buyld it And Paul to the Corrinthians sayth Neither he which plaÌ„teth is any thing nor he which watreth but God which geueth the encrease It is certaine say they that these thinges are to be expounded by way of comparison For in very déede both he which buildeth and which planteth and whiche watreth doth somewhat But that whatsoeuer it be forasmuch as it is but little if it be compared vnto the worke of God therefore it is sayd to be nothing and they are sayd to labour in vaine As touching the firste place we say that Dauid speaketh of ciuill works touching which we graunt that men in them take greate paynes and woorke somewhat Howbeit they labour in What is to be thought of ciuill enterprises vaine vnles God vouchsafe to fauor theyr enterprises Let Cesar AlexaÌ„der or Cato take what paynes they will either in the kingdome or in the Publike wealth and yet shall all thinges come to no purpose vnles God geue the successe In the other place Paul entreateth of the holye ministerye of the churche Neyther will I graunte this vnto the aduersaries that the Ecclesiasticall ministerye is eyther a thing small or suche as maye be called nothing For it is a thinge honorable and The holy ministery is both a thing great also nothing with most weighty wordes commended of the holy scriptures Wherefore as touching the office it is not nothing but touchinge the geuinge of spirituall life it is as Paul sayth vtterlye nothing For of it selfe it can not geue that spirituall life neyther perfect nor vnperfect The minister of the church in déede setteth forth the worde of God and the sacramentes but cannot reach to the coÌ„municating of that heauenly life Wherefore Paul spake truly and properly neither néeded he that figure A figure vsed in one place is not alwayes vsed in an other place of comparison whiche these men imagine Moreouer graunte that the scripture in other places vseth these kindes of speaches shoulde it straight way follow that therefore this sentence is so to be taken especially séeing it hath bene by most firme argumentes proued that it is in verye déede neither of him that willeth nor of hym that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy And therefore our election or predestination consisteth not of our works but fréely and of the mercy of God But still notwithstanding they are ouercome by reasons they cauill and say that they deny not but that we are elected of God fréelye but yet that causeth not but that some respecte may be had to woorkes foreséene For so they saye that we say with Paul That eternall life is grace when yet notwithstandyng we confesse that God rendreth vnto euery man accordyng to hys woorkes And if God can haue a respecte vnto woorkes when yet he geueth eternall lyfe fréely what shoulde let hym that he can not fréelye predestinate a man although he haue a respect also vnto workes foresene Hereunto we answer that eternall life is indede geuen Good workes oftentimes go before eternal life but can not preuent predestination Predestination is the efficient cause of good works and not eternall lyfe Predestination and reprobation are oftentimes with ouâ— works freely which yet followeth good workes not as merites but as necessary degrees by which they which are of full age come vnto it And this order the scripture it selfe putteth But that any our workes go before predestination the scriptures in no place haue tought vs yea rather contrariwyse Paul sayth to yâ— Ephesians Hereunto are we predestinated that we shoulde be holye and immaculate And vnto Timothe he sayth that he had obteyned mercy that he moughte be faithfull Why then seke these men to preuent order and especially seyng that theyr own similytude serueth not For eternall life followeth good workes and is not the efficient cause of them but predestination is the cause of good works Farther thys respect to good workes in predestination can not as we haue sayde take place in all men For many are predestinated vnto eternall lyfe and many are appoynted to eternall destruction which neuer should haue any workes at all as it is manifest in infantes Wherfore this is firme and vnmoueable that as touching election and infusion of the spirite there is nothing at all in vs whereby God shoulde be moued to bestowe these thinges vpon vs. For in predestination vocation and iustification there goeth before in vs nothing that is good but good works go before glorificatioÌ„ The reasoÌ„ therof is for that we straight way dye not so sone as we are iustified wherefore it behoueth that that space Why good workes in them that are of age â—o before eternall life of tyme which is betwene haue workes whereby may be declared our fayth and righteousnes which we haue by yâ— electioÌ„ of God obtayned By will Paul vnderstandeth the endeuor of the mynde and by course or running all holy workes vniuersally which metaphore is much vsed in the holy scriptures For Paul in an other place writeth of himselfe I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course And vnto the Corrinthyans So ranne ye that ye maye winne the price And vnto the Galathyans Ye runne well who letted you Out of thys sentence two thynges we ought to gather first that our saluation or election is not of hym that wylleth nor of hym that runneth that is not of our merites but of the mercy of God onely as God sayth in the 9 chapter of Deutronomy Say not for my righteousnes hath the Lorde brought me into thys lande Secondly that it is not of the willer to will nor of the runner to runne but these
God is not tempted with euilles that is he hath not a minde corrupted with prauitie and euill affectes But the deuill and wicked men entise not anye God tempteth not any man by reason of corruption wherwith he is infected when as he is vtterly with out any such corruption man vnto euill but in that they themselues are first corrupte Wherfore Iames dischargeth God from this kinde of tempting which thing we also doo For we affirme not that by vniustice and a corrupt mind he hardeneth any man to sinne They cite also Paul thus writing vnto the Thessalonians This is the wil of God your sanctification But both this place and such other like ought to be vnderstanded of the will of God reueled in the scriptures in the law not of the hiddeÌ„ mighty will of God which will doubtles being one is not in him manifold but he doth not so set forth all things but that he yet retayneth somewhat vnto himselfe secret to be reueled in due tyme. They obiect also that which Paul writeth vnto Timothe God will haue all men to be saued But that place is to be vnderstanded touching all states of men and not of all men perticularly And that sence agréeth right well with the wordes of Paul For Paul in that place had commaunded prayers to be made for magistrates But because the magistrates abhorred from religion and persecuted the doctrine of Christ least any man should therefore thinke that that state is so farre of from saluation that whosoeuer are in it can not be receaued in to grace he added that God will haue all men to be saued yea euen kinges and magistrates But if a man will expound that place of all perticular men then must he vnderstand it of the will reueled which others call the will of the signe For the reuealed will setteth forth the promises of God generally and excepteth no man But if thou wilt contract those words to the will of efficacy onely then must they be vnderstanded of the vniuersality of the elect Neither is that strange from the phrase of the holy scriptures For so we rede That all shall see the saluation of God Agayne All shal be tought of God And hereunto had Augustine a respecte when he thus expounded such places All as many as are saued are saued by the will of God He hath mercy on whome he will and whome he will he hardeneth Eyther of these effectes proceedeth of the will of God But whether God willeth Whether God wil rather haue mercy then hardeÌ„ this more then that I can not simply make answere For on the one side this is certaine that vnto God it is a thing most proper to haue mercy and his nature is of such a goodnes that it communicateth it selfe to a great many And on the other side we see that the greatest part is forsaken For Christ saith Many are called but few are elected Wherfore we must leue the defining of this matter only to the hidden iudgement of God The question before put forth should now sufficientlye be satisfied if mans reason could so be content For wheÌ„ it had obiected vnto Paul who affirmed that the loue and hatred of God consisteth not of workes but onely of him that calleth that that mought séeme to be vniust and against equitie the Apostle made aunswere that God is not bounden or holden by any law or duety of iustice For here is not entreated of iustice but of mercy To which purpose he cited that sentence I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy And so he concluded that it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth And that it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth he declared by the example of Pharao For of him God said To this end haue I raysed thee vp Last of all for a farther confirmatioÌ„ he added that God hath mercy on whoÌ„ he will and whom he will he hardeneth These thinges I say mought séeme to be sufficient But Paul saw that mans hart yet swelleth And therfore he stil obiecteth vnto himselfe Thou wilt say then vnto me why doth he yet complaine For who can resiste his will This word complaine is in Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore they are somewhat wide which thinke that it signifieth to search out or to require If that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be taken impersonally the sence then is what complainte is this which I heare euery where and of euery man that some are iust and other some vniust Séeing that God hath mercy on whome he will and whome he will he hardeneth As if he should haue sayd men ought not to complaine thereof wheÌ„ as it wholy lieth in the hands of God But it is much better that that verbe be vnderstanded personally and haue for his nominatiue case this word God For Paul â—traight way answereth That it is not mans part to reason with his maker And yet the Apostle himselfe hath rendred a reason why God made some vessels to honor and some to contumely namely to declare his goodnes and his power Séeing then that here is entreated of God the aduersary obiected And why doth God complaine For who resisteth his will And that God complaineth of men for theyr ill God oftentimes complaineth of men life the scriptures euery where testifie Christe in the Gospell with teares complaineth that the Iewes knew not their visitacion And how often saith he would I haue gathered together thy children as a hen gathereth together her chickens vnder her winges and thou wouldest not And in the first chapter of Esay God thus speaketh I haue brought vp and exalted children and they haue despised me And it were an infinite matter to gather together all such places In these few wordes yâ— Apostle declareth what those thinges are wherewith humane reason is most of all troubled And those are first for that God will haue men to be hardened and made blinde secondly for that his will is so mighty that it can not be ouercome For by these What thinges most of all trouble humane reason What is necessitie Necessitie of three kindes Not euery necessitie is of coÌ„pulsion thinges it séeth that it is constrayned to necessity from which it most of all abhorreth Those things Paul in this place toucheth and first saith Who resisteth his will In which wordes he declareth that God will that which is done in vs. And where he saith who resisteth he declareth the force and power of the will of God Necessity is commonly thus defined namely to be that which cannot be otherwise But necessitye is not simple or of one kinde For there is a certaine necessitie of compulsion which cannot haue place in the will of man For it is not possible that the will should will any thing vnwilling There is an other necessitie comming of a certain inwarde proprietie of nature and suche a necessitie to sinne we affirme to be in
dissease whereof he was sicke was by nature deadly Wherefore the prophet in those threates pronounced Gods will of the signe that is so much as could be knowen by the force of nature But the changing came of the will of God which is of efficacy which they call the consequent Niniue also for the greauous sinnes thereof was worthy to be destroied Wherefore Ionas shewed vnto them the antecedent will of God which they call the will of the signe Wherefore when God calleth Pharao or any other reprobate by that vocation or outward promise we vnderstand the antecedent will or the will of the signe but that other hidden will which they call the wil of efficacy or the consequent we vnderstand not Wherefore God can not deny himselfe neither doth he in these willes striue agaynst him selfe But by his doctrine and promises being in differently and generally set forth he stirreth vp the mindes of the ministers of the Church chearefully to preach the word and that vnto all men which thing doubtles they would not doo if he had made them assured of his hidden wil. For if they knew that they had to deale with men reprobate they would vtterly be discouraged and geue ouer And on the other side when as we se that no fruite succedeth of our doctrine and preaching herein we comfort our selues for that we were before admonished of this that there are many which by the purpose of God are made blinde Augustine in his booke de Spiritu litera the 34. chapter in which place he entreateth touching this matter sayth That if he were asked the question touching euery perticular man why God will haue some to heare the Gospel but not to receaue it and other some both to haue it and to embrace it he hath nothing to answer but only these two things O the depth of the riches c. And also Is there iniquity with God God forbid And if there be any sayth he that are not content with these answeres let them enquire of men better lerned then I am but in the meane time let them beware of presumptuous persons Presumptuous persons he calleth those which flye eyther vnto workes foresene or vnto such like fonde imaginations For these thinges forasmuch as they are not taught in the holy scriptures may well be called humane presumptions Ambrose vpon this place sayth that the will of God can not be resisted for that he is of all the most mightiest And forasmuch as he is the father of all therfore vnto no man he willeth ill but will haue those things preserued which he hath made Wherefore it is by no meanes agreable vnto him to be vniust In these wordes Ambroses meaning is to shewe that this power of the will of God is tempered with such a iustice that it hath a respect vnto the worthines and merites of men Of which minde also is Origene For he sayth that the will of God is in dede most mighty but yet the selfe same will is most vpright Wherefore he writeth that it is in our will to be eyther good or euill And on whiche side so euer we incline we can not resist the will of God but that it will eyther reward vs or punishe vs as iustice shall require For it lieth not in our handes vnto what maner of paynes or vnto what maner of rewardes we should be destinâ—ed or appoynted Wheras Origen sayth that it lieth in our handes eyther to be good or to be euill it is not true For our saluatioÌ„ The nature of generatioÌ„ consisteth wholy in regeneration which dependeth altogether of the grace and spirite of Christ For this is the nature of generation that he which is begotteÌ„ nothing at all worketh to the begetting of him selfe yea neyther doubtles caÌ„ he But he which sayth that it lieth in vs to be good doth without doubt eyther vtterly take away the benefite of Christ or elles wonderfully diminishe it But we say and teach that the will of God is vpright although we deny that it dependeth eyther of creatures or of merites This obiection VVhy doth he complayne and vvho resisteth his vvill The Apostle bringeth agaynst the conclusion before inferred he hath mercy on vvhome he vvill and hardneth vvhome he vvill and chiefly as touching the latter part of the conclusion For it may seme very absurd that God should according to his will harden any man Yea oftentimes in the Fathers and euen in Augustine also who yet in this matter is on our side we reade that induration commeth by the iust iudgmeÌ„t of God as if they should say that God hardneth those only which by theyr wicked actes deserue the same Wherefore induration semeth not to depend of the will of God as Paul in this place teacheth for he simply pronouÌ„ceth Whome he will he hardeneth But to the vnderstanding here of we must cal to memory the things which we before sad concurre to induration For first there is What thinges are to be considered in induration grafted in vs a vice or corruption wherby doubtles we are aleantes from God And induration is nothing els if we geue credite vnto Augustine in his 4. chapter de Predestinatione Gratia then to resist the commaundementes of God Then followeth it that we are left of God in this euil Wherfore the same Augustine To harden is not to make soft sayth in the selfe same place that God hardneth whom he will not make soft maketh blind whome he will not illuminate repelleth whome he will not call And as touching this the seÌ„ce of the Apostle is He hath mercye on vvhome he vvill and vvhome he vvill he hardeneth that is he hath not mercy And in this worke of God to haue mercy or not to haue mercy we do nothing at all For he freelye God freely distributeth his mercy vnto whom he will It is not in our power not to be moued impelled distributeth his mercy vnto whome he wil. And wheÌ„ we are thus without mercy left in our naturall corruption vnto vs is added the perpetuall motion and impelling of God which suffreth no creature to be idle Although neyther euen this to be moued and impelled is left in our power Thirdly forasmuch as occasions are offred and cogitations sent into the minde eyther of God him selfe or at his commaundement and will by Angells or the deuill by meanes whereof that induration the more vttereth it selfe and is made greater here we may consider the iustice of God For Achab being a most wicked man deserued to be An example of Achab. deceaued of the deuill by the ministery of false prophetes And Pharao for that he was cruell agaynst strangers and infants deserued so to be stirred vp and to vtter his induration Wherefore when God is said to harden thereby we ought to vnderstand that he will not haue mercy But wicked men being forsaken of him forasmuch as being stirred vp by his perpetuall motion they can not be quiet
of the potter and therfore it lay in him to do with them what he would forasmuch as this sentence mought diminish the preaching of the Prophets for straightway so soone as they should promise any good or threaten any euill the hearers mought say If we be in the handes of God as clay is in the hand of the potter what can we do or what remedy can we get against the will of God For God will vndoubtedly do that whiche he hath decréed the holy Ghost thought it good to remedy this incoÌ„uenience Wherfore he teacheth God doth not always make open his whole will that God in these threatninges and promises doth not alwayes reueale his hiddeÌ„ and vnchaungeable will whereby he hath most firmely decréed what he will do but onely his will which they call the antecedent will or the will of the signe that is of admonition for that theyr presente estate requireth that But Paul in this place and the Prophet in the beginning of the chapter entreate of that will and power of God whereby he by most good righte both maketh and maketh nâ—w all thinges as pleaseth him Farther Pighius thinketh that the solution of this question is had in the 27. chapter of Ecclesiasticus where it is thus written The fornaâ—e trieth the vessels of the potter and so doth teÌ„ptacion the iust men Hereof he gathereth A place of Ecclesiasticus that they which constantly and valiantly abide in temptacions thereby get to be vessels to honor but they which abide not but are broken are made vessels to dishonor But this man in his reasoning considereth not that if he will néedes prosecute this metaphore he shal be compelled to confesse that as well vessels to honor which serue for the table as also pottes and vrinals which we vse to vile ministeries must néedes abide the assay of the fier For euen the most vilest vessels if they be broken should now be no vessels yea neither doubtles not apte for any vile ministery Wherfore his arguing is here in vaine and he gathereth more of the Metaphore then he oughte For this was onely the meaning of the wise man that by temptacion men are tried what maner of ones they are and not that they by that triall attaine to their condition or estate but that condition which they before had then at the length they make manifest and bring to light Touchinge the place to By patieÌ„ce in teâ—ptations we are not prede 〈…〉 ated Timothe where it is written that in a great house are many kinds of vessells we haue entreated and haue declared Origens minde therein from whome this man hath borowed whatsoeuer he hath said The Prophet Esay also hath certaine woordes which serâ—e somewhat to the declaration of these woordes of Paul For in his 4â— chapter he thus writeth Wo be vnto him that striueth with his maker the potsheard with the potsheardes of the earth Doth the clay say vnto him that facioned it what dâ—st thou Thy woorke hath no handes that is thou hast so vnskilfully and rudely made thy worke as if thou haddest no handes The meaning of this place is very large for it reproueth all those which accuse the woorkes of God of what kinde so euer they be and therefore Paul aptly transferred that sentence to his purpose thereby to beate downe those which complaine of the power of God and take it in ill part that God hath mercy on whome he will and hath not mercy on whom he will not Although there are many which thinke that Paul cited not these testimonies of the Prophets but rather alluded vnto them And so thinke they that he in an other place when he writeth do ye not know that a little leuen sowreth the whole dow alluded vnto those wordes of Christ wherein he commaunded the Apostles to beware of the leuen of the Scribes and Pharifies But hereabout I will not contende for whether he alluded to the sentences of these Prophets or whether he cited them as touching the matter it is all one Neither ought it to séeme strange if Paul wheÌ„ WheÌ„ Paul vseth scripture he doth not always câ—te it he vseth the testimony of the scriptures do not expresse the same for althoughe he be wont sometimes to adde As it is written yet obserueth he not that manner alwayes For towardes the end of the. 11 chapter he simply and without any citation thus writeth Who hath knowen the minde of the Lord or who was his counseller And that clause we reade with the selfe same nomber of woordes in Esay But it is certaine that Paul in this whole discourse retaineth the meaning of eche place both Paul folowâ—th the meaning both oâ— Ieremy of Esay of Ieremy that we are as clay in the hand of the potter which maketh and maketh againe whatsoeuer he will and also of Esay that it is not lawfull for the clay to coÌ„tende with his maker or to reproue him for his woorke And to this place serueth very well that which is reade in Ecclesiasticus the. 33. chapter if that booke be reaceaued And men come out of the earth whereout Adam was created But the Lord by his manifold knowledge hath deuided them hath altered their conditions Some of theÌ„ hath he blessed and exalted and some of them hath he sanctified and appropriated vnto himselfe and some of them hath he cursed and broughte lowe and hath put them out of theyr estate as clay is in the hand of the potter to forme and order it Wherefore Paul when he thus writeth deliuereth not thinges new and vnheard of but alredy receaued and set forth in the scriptures whome if teachers would follow they should not néede to flie to the respect of merites especially séeing that the scriptures when they entreat of election or reprobation acknowledge not that doctrine Ambrose expounding these wordes first saith that the Apostle did put forth this out of Esay as his own And he confesseth that it is in the power of the maker to make what creature he will But he addeth Forasmuch as we are all of one and the selfe same Masse in substance and ar all sinners God hath mercy vpon one not without iustice dispiseth an other For in the potter is only a wil but in God is a wil with iustice for God knoweth vpon whome he ought to haue mercy Thus much Ambrose In which wordes where The wil of God is â—lwayes ioyned with iustice The consideration of iustice â—n elecâ—â—oÌ„ is not to be sought for in our workes as he saith that iustice is ioyned with the will of God when he hath mercy or reiecteth we will not deny that so that it be rightly vnderstaÌ„ded For we know that in God is vtterly no iniustice for he doth iniurie vnto no man But herein we agrée not for that these men thinke that the consideration of the iustice of God is to be sought for of the works and merites of men for we iudge
that it is to be sought for onely of the wisedome of God himselfe Wherefore we muste define nothing but so much as is reuealed vnto vs by God in the holy scriptures Those commentaries which are ascribed vnto Ierome haue noted two things first that this aunswere of Paul is after a sorte spoken by way of supposition as if he should thus say vnto the aduersary Although it were so as thou imaginest that God hath mercy vpon whome he wil and whom he will he hardeneth yet oughtest thou not doubtles to take that in such ill part that thou shouldest séeke to striue with God and as it were in iudgement to call him to a triall This interpretacion taketh as graunted that those wordes He hath mercy vpon whome he will and whom he will he hardneth are spoken vnder the person of the aduersaries But the verye course of the wordes will not suffer that for the Apostle straight way vnto those wordes addeth an obiection saying Thou wilt say then vnto me why doth he yet complain And who can resist his will Nether ought we at our pleasure to alter the order of the words Moreouer when as Paul saith that the potter hath power of one and the selfe same lompe to make one vessell to honor and an other to dishonor they thinke that this similitude is to be applied to the Israelites and to the Egiptians And therefore they affirme that those two nations séemed to come both out of one and the selfe same lompe for that they were both polluted with one and the selfe same kinde of sinne The Iews worshipped the idols of Egipt namely with idolatry For as Ezechiell testifieth the Iewes also worshipped the idols of Egipt howbeit though eche had a like sinned yet notwithstanding God honorably deliuered the Iewes but threw the Egiptians into destructioÌ„ But there The things that are spoken of the Apostle vniuersally are to be vnderstanded generally Here is entreated of that electioÌ„ which was before the foundatioÌ„s of the world were layd In election the will of God is not tyrannicall is no néede to vnderstand those thinges which are spoken of the Apostle generally of certaine perticuler kinde of men Neither in this place is entreated of afflictions or punishments sent of God wherein a man may easly finde out the consideration of merites but of that first election whiche God had before the foundacions of the world wer layd Neither is that very currant which Methodius Martyr writeth in his booke de resurrectione as it is cited in the Gréeke Scholies For he expoundeth these thinges of God who hath power in the last day to raise vp the bodies of the dead being of one the self same lompe of the elementes one part to the honor of blessednes an other part to yâ— dishonor of daÌ„natioÌ„ For that last condeÌ„natioÌ„ adiudging to glory are much distant froÌ„ electioÌ„ predestinatioÌ„ wherof Paul now entreateth Howbeit this in yâ— meane time is worthy to be noted yâ— we wheÌ„ we attribute vnto God such a power in the election of men as hath the potter in making of vessels do in no case teach that such a power and will of God is tyrannicall or strange from iustice For forasmuch as vnto no man is done iniury and this kinde of authority by most good right beloÌ„geth vnto God it must nedes be that both election and reprobation are iust although the reason of that iustice depend not of the workes either of them that are to be elected or of them God taketh away nothing from those vpon whome he hath not mercy The reprobate are oftentimes adorâ—ed with great gifts that are to be reiected And to make this thing more playne we ought to know that God when he ouerhippeth any man and hath not mercy vpon him taketh yet nothing away from hym For so the potter taketh away nothing from the honour or dignity of the clay when of it he maketh vessels to a contumelious vse Yea rather oftentimes we sée that the reprobate are adorned of God with excellent giftes although he bestowe not vpon them that mercy which bringeth saluation Wherefore seing that God taketh away nothing from them they haue no cause why they should accuse God of iniustice if they be of him ouerhipped Thus muche touching the interpretacion of the wordes of Paul Nowe it shall not bee from the purpose as I suppose to see what Chrisostome bringeth vppon this place For hee perceauing that by this similitude he was excedingly vrged and seing that of it followeth that neither election nor reiection depende of the merites of workes with great counning wente aboute to extenuate the strengthe of this similitude Similitudes saith he are not so to bee receaued that they should be of force as touching all partes for otherwise should followe God is called a Lion many absurdities For God is sometymes in the scriptures compared with a Lion out of which similitude yet this thing onely thou oughtest to gather that in God is vnmeasurable strength and inuincible fortitude which thinges by most good right ar agreable with God But if thou wilt go farther and transferre vpon God the cruelty and fiercenes of God is called a beare Lions no man will suffer that God is sayd also to be like vnto a beare which is to be referred vnto the strengthes of auenging and yet oughtest thou not therefore to attribute vnto God the deformednes of that beast and his vnreasonable wrath God is also called God is called a fire a fire for that he can consume and purge all thinges and yet must thou not therefore say that he wythout vnderstanding and sence and will consumeth all thinges But Chrisostome neded not to haue taken so great paynes in setting forth that rule of similitudes For it is of all meÌ„ confessed that similitudes are not in all partes of force neither do we transfer vnto God al thinges which are agreeable vnto the potter and vnto the clay For we do not imagine vnto God either handes or a whele to worke withal neither do we spoyle men of sence vnderstanding and wil that they should be vtterly like clay Wherfore we confesse that which Chrisostome sayth that similitudes oftentimes halte and that in weighing of them is to be added in a deepe consideration But Chrisostome thinketh that this is onely the skope of Paul to represse man that he should not repine agaynst God for so the clay resisteth not the potter And this scope in dede we also admitte but in the meane tyme we adde an other namely that God may by hys owne right haue mercy vpon whome he wil and not haue mercy on whome he wil not which liberty is also attributed vnto the potter in vsing of the clay A double error of those which in this question oppose theÌ„selues against God We must neither repine against God nor falsly accuse him of iniustice which thing if thou take away from the scope of Paul
And being taught by the holy scriptures we acknowledge it to be vtterly How the wils of men are the selfe same how they are not the selfe same corrupted and vitiated And as touching this we do not without iust cause affirme that the willes of all men are a like for all are brought forth out of one and the selfe same lompe Afterward when men come to more yeares wherein is had the vse of the will we say that endeuores and desires of all men are the selfe same not indede simply for there are diuers endeuors and sundry enterprises but all to euill in as muche as they are gouerned by the lawe of sinne For being left distitute of the grace of God they can bring forth nothing of themselues but sinnes Howbeit herein we acknowleged diuersity of wils for y◠vnto all men are not offred the self same occasiōs For euery one hath his impulsions according to the consideration either of education or of the body or of the workes or of the place or of the time By meanes whereof it commeth to passe Originall sinne bursteth forth into sundry formes of sinnes that originall sinne bursteth forth into sondry formes of vices But whereas he sayth that the vessels of the potter haue not theyr difference of the lompe whereof they are made but only of the appoyntmēt of them which vse them and that men in like sort haue theyr differences of the diuersity of elections and of wils that doubtles is not true For the vessels of the potter are not first made differēt by theyr vse but by the workemanshippe of the potter For men therefore vse them not a like bycause they are made hauing diuers formes So men before What is the first sundring of mē that they are sundred by theyr desires and willes are first sundred by the predestination or reprobation of God If a man diligently weighe the similitude which Paul bringeth to come to him agayne at the length leuing Chrisostome he shall se that there could not haue bene found a similitude more apte and more mete for the question put forth For the matter which the potter vseth is so vile How apt the similitude of the potter is and abiect that if peraduenture there be of it made any fayre or trime vessel appoynted for the table or for some other honorable vse the same is wholy to be ascribed vnto the industry and conning of the potter But when contrariwise of the clay are made pots for the kitchen the matter cannot complayne that it hath iniury done vnto it For it was of his own nature most abiect Yea rather when as it is appoynted to be made so vile vessels it can not deny but that hys so deformed nature hath receaued greate ornamentes But if a goldsmith or a lapidary should of gold or precious stones make any vessel to serue for a vile vse he mought worthely be blamed for that he had delt so vily and vnworthely with so precious a matter For so the Ethnike Poete reproued Bassus for that he by reason of to much sumpteousnes eased nature in a potte of gold Wherefore Paul considered that mā after sinne was made both as touching the body and also as touching the soule so abiect and vile that if he be by the election of God exalted to the dignity of eternall glory the same he ought wholy to assigne not to the excellency of his nature which now by reason of sinne is brought into a most miserable estate but vnto the most excellent cunning woorkeman But if any man be in the election of God ouerhipped and be made a vessell of wrath yet can not therefore the predestination of GOD be blamed as though he reiected a worthy creature vnder his desertes Wherefore not with out iust cause doo we finde this metaphore so oftentymes repeted in the holye Scriptures For being well considered it ministreth excellent doctrine For that is in my iudgement a notable place whiche is in the 56. chapiter of Esay where the A place of Esay Prophete humblye prayeth vnto GOD vnder the person of the people afflicted with the captiuity of Babilon Thou sayth he art our father but we are claye thou art the potter and we the worke of thine handes The people coulde not more aptly confesse their vilenes and vnworthines or more expresse the mercy which they implored at Gods hand then by that similitude taken of the potter and of the father For when God is called a potter thereby is signified that he both is able and knoweth how of vile men to make them glorious and when he is called a father thereby is declared that he beareth such good will towardes hys that he will also performe that thing Wherefore it is not lawful for the potte as the Apostle concludeth to contend with his maker that is to chide with The things whiche Paul hath spoken may be extended farther God for that it is not appoynted to serue a kinges table And although these thinges which Paul here writeth pertayne chiefly to election and predestinatiō yet way they extend farther to our edification so that of these wordes we may gather that it is not lawfull for vs to complayne of our estate and as it were to contend with God If the flesh suggest vnto vs that it were better for vs to be richer to be endewed with greater honour and to haue more strength of body let vs streight way suppresse it by this similitude that we are as clay in the hand of the potter Being warned or admonished by this consideration we shall not dare to complayne of our estate or to grudge aganst the vntemperatenes of the heauen or of the ayre or agaynst the administration of any other things For what thing ells is this but for the clay to go aboute to prescribe lawes vnto the potter Wherefore let man remember his estate and seing that he is euē vanity it self it is not mete that he should take vpon him to contend with God What meditation may make men very moderate Wherehēc◠consolation is to be sought for in aduersities who is most good and most mighty Dauid in the 38. Psalme sayth I was domme and I opened not my mouth bycause thou madest me Thys is a most firme reason wherunto we must in all chances of mans life perpetually cleaue namely that whatsoeuer happeneth is done by the commaundement and will of God Such a meditacion maketh men in prosperity moderate neyther suffreth it them to waxe insolent For when they remember that they are as clay in the hand of the potter streight way they vnderstand that all those thinges may euen at one instāt be turned vpside down and that that felicity may be turned into extreme misery Agayne being in aduersities vpholden by this consolation they are not discouraged And so much the rather when they vnderstand that that most cunning potter can sodenly change claye being in extreame infelicitye into a vessell of
glorye If God willing to shewe his wrath and to make hys power knowen suffreth with long patience of minde the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction that he might declare the riches of hys glory vpon the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared to glory If God vvilling to shevv his vvrath â–ª When the Apostle had before declared After the reason takeÌ„ of the efficient cause followeth that reason which is taken of the ende Of endes some are me some farre of Here is entreated of the extreme and vttermost ende by the efficieÌ„t cause that is lawful for God being as it were a potter to electe some meÌ„ and to reiecte other some and that vtterly in such sort at his pleasure that no cause can bee geuen why this man is elected and that man reiected now in this place he thought to proue the same by the end And that end is that the goodnes and power of god might be declared howbeit his iustice remaining in the meane time sound But there is no man I suppose which is ignoraunt that there are some endes which are farther of and more distaÌ„t and other some more nere Heare is touched the vtter most end which is the declaration of the proprieties of God Vnto the Ephesians is touched an end more nigh for there we are sayd to be to this end elected to be holy and blameles which selfe thing is signified in the epistle to Timothe For thus Paul writeth of himselfe I haue obtayned mercy that I might be saythfull And beyond these nigh endes there is an other extreeme ende namely that the glory or power of God might be declared And this reason is not taken out of the secrecy of the counsell of God or out of the deepe pit of the wisedome of God but out of those thinges which easely offre them selues vnto the mindes of the godly But this reading is somwhat obscure which thing also Origen hath noted and after him Erasmus Origen saw that there was nothing which answered vnto this coniuÌ„ction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is If and that here is vsed the figure AnantopadotoÌ„ therfore he thought yâ— yâ— seÌ„ce mought be plaine and redy inough wtout that coÌ„iuÌ„ctioÌ„ but so durst not I do For I iudge it a thing wicked to alter one iot or title in the holy scriptures Erasmus thinketh yâ— We must not alter one ioâ—e or title in the scriptures that which is waÌ„ting may be had of those things which were a litle before spoken so that this should be the sence If God willing to shewe his power suffreth the vessels of wrath to make knowen theriches of his glory c And againe O man what arte thou which makest aunswere vnto God Again Hath not the potter power ouer the clay Or that which wanteth may thus be supplied Men haue not whereof to accuse God Caluine to make the sense more plaine readeth these wordes by way of interrogation What if God would shew forth c. As thoughe it were a kinde of figure called Reticentia He sayth that God would shew forth his wrath and make known his power and that by the vessels of wrath which he suffreth with much lenity The wicked are called vessels of wrath because they are prepared appointed and destinied to ven geaunce Which God suffreth This place may be two manner of wayes interpretated of which the first is that God brought forth and created those vessels and in that sense Augustine many times citeth this place The seconde is that God doth not straight way ouerthrow or destroy the wicked being now produced and created as they deserue but a long time suffreth and tollerateth theÌ„ This latter sense I iudge better then the first not indéede by reason of the signification of the worde for in very déede this woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath either of both these significations but because Paul addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with much patience Vnles peradueÌ„ture Why God so long suffreth vessels of perditioÌ„ some will say that God sheweth great lenitie when he bringeth forth those whome he knoweth shal be enemies and rebels vnto him which yet cannot so properly be sayd if the naturall signification of that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be well considered Wherefore God tellerateth such vessels a long time for that by that meanes they are made more manifest For if he should straight waye breake them the power of God could not so easely be considered nor shine forth neither could men so â—asely take example by them But when God long time tollerateth the wicked at the length by his most mighty power punisheth and destroyeth them he therby not onely declareth his power but also by one and the selfe same worke declareth how plentifull his mercy is towardes the elect For those elect when they compare themselues with them so forsaken deiected and broken thereby vnderstande how greate a benefite and how great mercy is bestowed vpon them And here haue we the end But the cause why some are appoynted to wrath and other some to mercy ought to be sought for of those thinges which haue bene already spoken namely of Vessels signifie instruments the will and power of God By vessels Paul in this place meaneth instrumentes Wherefore Augustine very well noteth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not with the GreciaÌ„s that which containeth licour for that sayth he is called by an other name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he thinketh signifieth impediments or instrumentes the like woorde also do the Hebrues vse For Iacob called Simeon and Leui Cele hammas that is vessels of deceate or guile for that they were instrumentes of these vices After the manner of which hebrue phrase Paul was called a vessell of election that is an organe A vessell of election and instrument elected of God And Paul in the second to Timothe He sayth he which shall purge himselfe from those things shall be a vessell sanctified to honor and prepared to euery good worke Such kindes of speach declare that men of themselues caÌ„ do nothing For God is sayd to vse them not onely because hemoueth them but also because he directeth and applieth them to whatsoeuer thinges he will which is In what sort God vseth men God vseth alsâ— wicked men to be vnderstanded not onely of the godly but also of the vngodly For although of themselues they haue praâ—ity and corruption yet God vseth them as an instrument of his counsell Therefore the scriptures vse to call wicked men and cruell tyrans the rodde of the Lord his axe his sword his hammer for that they are moued by his prouidence and gouernement For although they perpetually sinne and worke wickedly yet can they not deceaue nor frustrate the counsell of God For so Iudas being so sore infected with couetousnes that he woulde do any thing for An example of Iudas gain sake by the preparacion of God
much contende wyth hym For fewe are elected as the Lord sayth neither was any of vs the cause of his owne election And therefore in the scriptures the iust are called the lot of God And when I consider of this matter I call to mynde a sentence of Plutarch which he bringeth out of Plato namely that y◠life of men is like to those A similitude which play at dise For first it is required that they haue good happe or lucke in their casting thē whatsoeuer shal chāce to vse it warely So vnto vs for y◠obtainmēt of eternall life is first necessary felicity that we be in the roule and nomber of the elect and that we be called and iustified by grace and by the spirit of Christ And after that we haue obtayned these things we must with great industry care fulnes and warines excercise our selues and wisely worke together with God Origene addeth that he wondreth at in what maner God will declare his wrath when as wrath is farre straunge from him goodnes is most nigh vnto his nature For Dauid saith how great is the multitude of thy sweetnes O Lord Which thou hast hidden in them that feare thee Howbeit touching this matter he bringeth this reason for that it is expedient for vs to be vnder the feare of wrath least through our frailenes we should decline to synne and through hope of the bountefulnes of God we should be made In what sence wrath is not strange frō God loose and become negligente But if by the wrath of God we vnderstand his power whereby he ministreth iustice auengeth sinnes I do not thinke y◠that wrath is strange frō God but y◠which he citeth out of Dauid I do not so take as though he ment that God hideth all his goodnes for we féele a great part therof yea also euen whilest we liue here But I thinke that Dauid speaketh of that goodnes whiche abideth vs in an other life And after this manner as the goodnes of God is hidden so are also the last punishments of the dāned hiddē so that in this thing there is no Faith profiteth more then feare An answer of a philosopher difference at all I confesse indéede y◠in the elect is the feare of God but I deny that that feare is more profitable then faith which herein consisteth that we embrace the goodnes of God offred in the promises of God A certaine philosopher when it was laid vnto him as a fault that he was fearefull For that cause sayd he sinne I the lesse Which saying we may inuert and say the more faith and hope we haue so much the lesse we sinne Origen also thinketh that the riches of the glory of God are made known when those which are contemned of men are taken of God For so in the olde time the nation of the Iewes was abiect and vile so that it was oppressed with a most gréeuous kinde of seruitude So the Ethnikes althoughe they were ouer whelmed with idolatry and infinite other vices yet were they called vnto Christ But we ought to consider that here is not entreated onely of some vniuersall people but those thinges which are here spoken may be applied vnto euery particuler man Moreouer Paul meaneth that by the vengeaunce which is taken vpon the vessels of wrath are declared the riches of his glorye vpon the vessels of mercy Neither séemeth he at this present to entreat of that assumption or taking whiche is made by election but of the execution of predestination The Gréeke Scholies say that of God are made vessels of wrath thorough faith which he foreséeth and vertues which shall follow But we haue at large declared that none of those thinges are the causes of the mercye of God but rather the effectes thereof Ambrose in this place first weigheth what this signifieth to be vessels prepared to destruction And this he saith God doth When with lenity and long suffring he differreth The patience of God which profiteth not the wicked profiteth the elect punishmentes for by that meanes men are made the les excusable And God in this wayting is sayd to vse patience for that he foreseeth that they shall not be conuerted And it seemeth a great patience if thou wayte for that a long time which thou knowest shall not come to passe And yet doth not God this in vaine For that space whiche is geuen although it profite not the wicked yet it profiteth the elect For they by their example come to amendement Hereby it is manifest that those wordes Prepared to destructiō Ambrose referreth vnto God when as yet in very déede they may be applied vnto mē which through theyr vitiate nature corrupt inclination are of their own accorde apte inough to destruction Although as I haue before taughte the selfe same thinge may be attributed vnto God Farther Ambrose interpretateth the riches of glory to be that dignity which we shall haue in eternall felicity Which dignity although I know right well shal be a most full declaration of the mercy of God yet I do not thinke that this sentence of Paul is to be contracted vnto it For the mercy of God towardes the elect is aboundantly declared both when they are called and when they are iustified and when they lead an holy life Moreouer to prepare he thinketh is to foreknowe what manner one euery man shal be But if he plucke away this foreknowledge from the good pleasure and purpose of God frō that mercy which God in electing followeth I can by no meanes assent vnto hym For preparation signifieth the gifts which are bestowed vpon the elect Chrisostom also at large entreateth of this place by the exāple of Pharao declareth who are y◠vessels of wrath For he thinketh y◠Pharao was through his owne default called a vessell of wrath for that through his hardenes of harte and obstinacy he alwayes more and more kindled the wrathe of God againste himselfe If by the wrath of God we vnderstand the last effect thereof namely the punishment of eternall dānation that is true whiche Chrisostome saith For euerye wicked man kindleth against himselfe continually by committing of sinne But if we thus interpretate the wrath of God that God euen from the beginninge woulde not on some haue mercy and that he preseruing some he would ouerhip Pharao with many others that doubtles came not of themselues For this is done by the méere purpose and frée will of God namely not of workes but of him that calleth to the ende election might abide according to purpose Therfore was it said Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated Again He hath mercy on whō he will whō he will he hardeneth as Paul before taught Chrisostome addeth Euē as Pharao omitted nothing which might serue to his owne destruction so God left nothing vndone which mighte serue to his correction The first part I confesse namely that all thinges which Pharao did
Gentiles And forasmuch as they which are called are both by the Prophet and also by the Apostle said not to be the people of God and to be strangers froÌ„ They which are called were before strangers from God Strangers from God can haue no good workes Against merite of congruitie A place of Ose mercy it playnly appeareth what our life and what our workes were before we were called to God Wherefore they are worthely to be reproued which affirme that men euen before iustification are after a sort iust and do by theyr workes deserue of congruity as they vse to speake to be iustified But as touching the prophecy of the Prophet that it may the better be vnderstanded I will as briefely as I can comprehende the whole summe thereof God would haue the Israelites admonished by Osea both of the greate wickednes of theyr idolatrye which they committed and also of the punishmentes whiche GOD would sende vppon them and to the ende they might the more thoroughly be persed he would not vse vnto them a simple kinde of speach but a wayghtye and figuratiue kinde of speach For God commaunded the Prophet to take to wife an harlot and to beget of her children of whoredome By that facte would God teach that he had ioyned vnto himselfe as a wife that nation of the Iewes when yet notwithstanding she was euen from the beginning an harlot For both the parentes of Abraham were idolatrers in Chaldea and also the elders of the Israelits had with most filthy supersticion serued in Egipt and yet did the Lord â—ouchsafe to take them and to count them for his Farther out of that sinagoge also were borne children geuen to fornication who beyond all measure worshipped idols Wherefore God decréed to auenge so great iniury which they had recompensed him with for so many and so great benefits And therfore God commaunded the first sonne of Osea to be named Izrehel which word signifieth the séede of God but with a farre other etimology or deriuation then that whereby yâ— Iewes so greatly boasted that they were the séede of God For God in that place by the name of that sonne would signify that the Iewes should like sede sowen be dispersed and sowed abrode throughout the whole world For he had appointed to ouerthrow the kingdome of the ten tribes ouer whome Iehu was king And to the end God would the more declare the greatnes of his wrath he commaunded the daughter which was afterward borne to be named Lorachamah for that she had not obtayned mercy And the sonne that was last borne he willed to be called Loam that is not my people These names were signes that that people should be Names wâ—r signes of the euent to come reiected that so that they should no more be the people of God neither should they haue the fruition of the benefit of his mercy by which punishement the Iewes were vtterly made equall with the Gentils Wherefore when as the Prophet afterward promiseth that they shal be called the people of God and shal be partakers of his mercy there is nothing to let but that also yâ— selfe same benefit mought be bestowed also vpon the Gentiles for they also at that tyme were not the people of God Neither left the Prophet vnspoken of whence this reconciliation should come namely hereof for that all they which should be called home agayne should take vpon them one name namely Christ Iesus the Messias and Sauior And this instauration began then to take place when the people were brought home againe from captiuity in which thing is to be considered not only the ciuill benefite of the bodies but much more that they were brought againe to restore the Church and to renew the worshipping of God wherby true piety might be nourished and encrease all which things are herein most of all performed in that many are dayly called vnto Christ Paul in this place ioyneth together two testimonies the one out of the first chapter of Osea the other out of the second and that A place of Ose which is put first is taken out of the second chapiter The words in Hebrew are thus Verachamahthi eth lorachamah veamarti loimmah Iemaa atha that is I will haue mercy on her which obteyned not mercy and I will say to it which was not my people thou art my people The other testimony out of the first chap. where it is thus writen Vehaiah bimcom aschar iaamarlahem lohimmi athem vehamar laheni Bene el chai that is And it shal be in the place where it was sayd vnto them ye are not my people there they shal be called the sonnes of the liuing God When as God calleth the people of Israell not his people he declareth what might be vpbrayded vnto them when they waxed insolent against the Gentles which were called vnto Christ for they said that they were strangers from God for the selfe same thing mought be replied against them For God himself by the Prophet so How these things may be applied to the Gentles pronounâ—eth of them Of this oracle the Apostle concludeth that it ought not to séeme a thing new or vnsemely that the Gentiles should pertaine to election and should be made pertakers of the mercy and vocation of God For that which séemed to be a let that it should so come to passe was as the Prophet testifieth common to the Iewes and to the Gentles And if a man diligently weigh the sence of these two places he shall sée â–ª which thing oftentimes happeneth in the Prophets that God setteth before their eyes the sinne wherewith the Israelites were infected namely idolatry after that he declareth the punishment which he would inflict vpon them but least they should begin to dispayre he addeth one only remedy namely our Sauior and Messias so long before waited for And this being thus declared and ordred straight way followeth that which the Apostle here teacheth that forasmuch as both the Iewes and the Gentles are in perdition and destruction out of ech people should rise vp the Church which is the body of the members of Christ For ech of them were like a farre of from saluation But it may séeme wonderfull how the Apostle calleth them not beloued which by conuersion are The scripture speaketh two maner of wayes of the predestinate draweÌ„ vnto Christ For if before they were called they pertayned vnto electioÌ„ how could they be called not beloued But this we ought to know yâ— although the scripture speake sometymes accordyng to the determination of predestination and calleth them the sonnes of God which are not yet conuerted to God for so Iohn writeth that the sonnes which were dispersed might be gathered together in whiche place the Gentiles not yet regenerate are called the sonnes of God yet oftentymes it speaketh contrariwise of men according to their present estate as here we se the Apostle doth and as he doth to the Ephesians the second chapter where
predestination of God is which bringeth to their endes the predestinate although vnto them vnwares and their thinking nothing els Thereby also is declared how great the imbecillity of humane strengthts is when as the reprobate though they take neuer so great labour and paynes yet attayne not vnto righteousnes but are left in their damnation This semeth to be a * A Paradoxe is a stronge sentence not easely conceaued of the common sort Pauls sentēce semeth in dede to be a Paradoxe Paradox which Paul here in this place teacheth namely that they which sought not found and they which ernestly sought were frustrated but yet is this sentence of great force to refell that which the Iewes alwayes obiected agaynst the Ethnikes namely that the Gentiles had bene perpetually straungers from the lawe but they had alwayes bene studious therein For Paul here declareth that that was no let to the saluation of the Gentles And therefore I much meruayle that Chrisostome should say that Paul in this place hath most plainely dissolued the question namely that the Ethnikes were therefore elected of God for that they were worthye and the Iewes were reiected for that they were vnworthy and wicked This place teacheth that they which are conuerted vnto God did not before follow after righteousnes yea rather they were vtterly strangers from it and that they which applied themselues vnto workes and vnto the lawe of righteousnes were reiected And forasmuch as this as I haue sayd is a Paradoxe therefore Paul setteth it not forth simply but rather gathereth it out of the testimonies of the Prophet which he had before alleaged and sayth VVhat shall vve say then As if he should haue sayd This followeth of those thinges Wherin Christ excedingly offended the Iewes which haue bene spoken that the greatest part of the Iewes are reiected together with that their outward zeale or endeuor in the law but the Gētiles were adopted which yet regarded nothing lesse then piety But how much humane reason is here offended thereby it may be perceaued in that the Pharisyes and Sribes therefore spake il of Christ for that he admitted Publicanes sinners And when that sinfull woman came to anoynt and washe the fete of the Lord the Pharisey whose guest he was sayd If this man were a Prophet he would doubtles know who and what maner of woman this is Howbeit we ought to know that that approued and receaued sentence He which seketh findeth is not by these Of that sentence he which seketh findeth What it is to seke wel and to seeke ill The righteousnes whiche we haue by Christ is the mere gift of God Against workes of preparatiō wordes refelled for it is to be vnderstanded of those which seke rightly and orderly But that can not be done but onely of those which are alredy regenerate Of such Christ sayth He which seketh findeth and vnto him which knocketh it shall be opened But what is the difference betwene them that seke well and betwene them that seke ill here is declared For the difference consisteth in fayth and in infidelity Paul for that he was a preacher of the Gospel euery where commendeth vnto vs faith as the instrument whereby saluation is taken holde of Further this place most euidently teacheth that the righteousnes which we obtayne by Christ is the mere and pure gift of God forasmuch as it is geuen to them that seke it not and is not apprehēded of those which gredely follow after it By this reason also are ouerthrowē those which obtrude vnto vs workes of preparation For what proparatiō can there be in those which follow not after rightousnes If our workes should merite as these mē say of congruitie the true righteousnes they could not haue bene iustified who as Paul sayth sought not after righteousnes Further certayne Ethnikes attained vnto such workes as doubtles in a ciuile consideration were good For Socrates Aristides Scipio Cato and such other like exercised moste excellent vertues But of this confidence in the mercy of God which is through Christ breathed into vs by the heauēly spirite they were vtterly ignorant Wherefore they followed after that morall righteousnes and not without prayse attayned vnto it But Paul at this present Morall actions nothing conduce to the obteinement of the righteousnes of God speaketh not of that righteousnes for it in very dede is sinne and nothing conduceth vnto righteousnes Moreouer the Apostle when he sayth that the Gentiles followed not after righteousnes expresseth in word les then he would to be vnderstāded For they did not onely not folow after righteousnes but also they openly withstoode it both in liuing wickedly and also a long while and ernestly resisting the preachers of the Gospell Origen in this place noteth that the Apostle is against himselfe for in an other place he writeth that they are made the vessels of mercy which haue purged themselues from filthynes and at the beginning of this epistle he wrote that the Gentiles were therefore iustified because they had by the light of nature fulfilled the law but here he contrariwise sayth that the Gentiles attayned vnto righteousnes when as they followed not after righteousnes Now Origen in this place when he saw that he was by the very wordes of the Apostle manifestly taken in a snare seketh a subtle wyle to wynde himselfe out but such yet as is very friuolous and weake For Origene maketh a distinction betwene sectari iustitiā and insectari iustitiā he sayth that it is one thing sectari legem and an other thing insectari legem For those he sayth do sectari legem which hauing it described vnto them seke to imitate it which thing the Iewes did vnto whō was set forth the law geuen and written by Moses therfore forasmuch as they did sectari legem they attained not vnto righteousnes But insectari legem he thinketh to be by our works to expresse the law being by the light of nature grafted in our mindes And therfore the Gentiles although they folowed no◠y◠law written for that they had it not yet notwithstanding attayned vnto righteousnes for that they had performed the law of nature grafted in their mindes But this fond deuise is sufficiently Paul here maketh not mencion of the law but of righteousnes of it selfe vttered and confuted For the Apostle when he speaketh of the Gentiles maketh no mencion at all of any law but only sayth that they when as they followed not after righteousnes yet notwithstanding obtayned righteousnes wherefore the argument is sure and firme For which way so euer thou takest righteousnes whether for that righteousnes whiche commeth of the lawe of nature or for that whiche commeth of the law of Moses the Gentiles are said to haue obtained righteousnes without it Wherfore that is vaine How the Gentles did by nature those things which are of the law which Origen so often obiecteth that men therfore are made vessels of
mercy for that they haue purged themselues from filthines But what the verye meaning of that place is we haue before declared And that the Gentiles performed by nature those thinges which are of the law we thus expounded that they did many things in outward discipline which were coÌ„maunded in the law of Moses as in yâ— they eschued thefts whordomes adulteries other such like sins Wherfore Paul coÌ„cluded yâ— they waÌ„ted not the knowledge of vice vertue of right and wrong so yâ— when in many things they fell sinned they could not be excused by reason of ignoraunce There are others which vnderstand those wordes of the Gentiles now conuerted vnto Christ which being endewed with the holy ghost executed the commaundementes of God and declared both in life and in maners yâ— righteousnes consisteth not of the law of Moses of which thing yâ— Iewes continually boasted of But the first interpretacioÌ„ more agreeth with the words of the Apostle But whether soeuer interpretacion be admitted Origen hath therby no defence to proue that men attayne vnto righteousnes by the worthines True righteousnes dependeth not of the endeuor of men but of the goodnes of God The Iews did not rightly follow righteousnes of workes Yea rather the very wordes of the Apostle most plainly declare that true righteousnes dependeth not of the endeuor or worthines of men but of the goodnes and mercy of God For he sayth that the Israelites following the law of righteousnes attained not vnto righteousnes But this semeth vnto humane reason very absurd namely that those which followed not should obteyne and those which followed should be frustrated Howbeit this we ought to consider that the Israelites did not vprightly and lawfully seke it For if they had sought it according to the meaning of the law for as much as Christ is the end of the law they had doubtles beleued in him and so should haue bene iustified But by cause Paul in this place twise repeteth the righteousnes of the law some thinke yâ— those wordes are not in either place to be a like vnderstanded For in the first place by the law of rightousnes they thinke is to be vnderstanded the outward law and in the second place the true righteousnes as though Paul should saye that the Iewes applied themselues vnto the outward obseruation of the law but could not attayne vnto the true righteousnes in Christ Which interpretation I indede dislike not howebeit I thinke that these wordes may in eyther place be taken in one and the same sence so that the meaning is although that Wherfore the law of God is called the law of righteousnes the Iewes had purposed in theyr minde to kepe the law geuen them of God which law is called the law of righteousnes for that in it is contayned moste perfect righteousnes yet being voyde of fayth and of the spirite of Christ they could not kepe the law and therfore they were frustrated of theyr purpose and of that which they had determined in theyr minde so that they neyther had the true righteousnes which the Gentiles had obteyned and also were frustrated of that righteousnes which they sought for And the ground of that error was The grouÌ„d of the error of the Iewes in folowing of righteousnes Faith the soule of the commaundementes of God for that they being destitute of fayth and in the meane time supposing that they mought be iustified by workes applied themselues vnto workes only But without fayth these thinges are in vayne enterprised For fayth is the soule and life of all those thinges which are commaunded in the law Seing therfore that they fayled of the prescript of the law they had not Christ by whome their transgression of the law mought be forgeuen and by whome that which wanted mought be supplied And these workes whereof Paul speaketh the Fathers referre vnto the rites and ceremonies of the law of Moses but that as we haue declared is straÌ„ge from the very methode and doctrine which Paul vseth in thys epistle The contencion indede at the first beganne as we haue oftentimes said aboute ceremonies But Paul to proue that they can not iustify added a generall What Paul in this place vnderstandeth by workes In the obteinyng of rightousnes workes are as contrary opposed vnto fayth They which ascribe righteousnes vnto workes are not iustified proposition namely that no workes of what kinde soeuer they be in as much as they are workes haue power to iustify wherefore Paul in this place by workes vnderstandeth not only ceremonies but also all dewties of life This moreouer is worthy to be noted that Paul in this place in such sort affirmeth that righteousnes is taken hold of by fayth that vnto it he opposeth workes as contrary For when he had said that the Gentiles attayned vnto righteousnes by fayth streight way he addeth that the Iewes fell away from the law of righteousnes although they endeuored themselues thereunto namely for that they sought it not by fayth But why they sought it not by fayth he geueth a reason for that they sought it by workes Whereof it followeth that they are not iustified which abscribe righteousnes vnto workes For to put conâ—idence in them and to attribute righteousnes vnto them is an assured and euident let that thou canst not attayne vnto the true righteousnes Chrisostome noteth that these wordes of Paul which eyther pertayne vnto the Gentiles or which pertayne vnto the Iewes may be reduced to thrée wonderful principal poynts For first of the Gentiles he sayth that they attayned vnto righteousnes which Three things here out gathered against the meaning of the Iewes How the righteousnes of faith is greater then the righteousnes of workes thing the Iewes could in no case abide to heare for they would haue had none but themselues counted to pertayne to the kingdome of Christ SecoÌ„dly which is also more wonderfull he sayth that they attayned vnto righteousnes when as they gaue not themselues vnto righteousnes And which is most wonderfull of all he sayth that the righteousnes of fayth which the Gentiles tooke hold of is farre greater then the righteousnes of workes And therefore Paul before in this selfe same epistle thus wrote If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath glory but he hath not whereof to glory before God But how the righteousnes of fayth is greater and ercellenter then the righteousnes of workes is thus to be vnderstanded that although the workes of men not regenerate seme to be honest and notable and bring with them a certayne ciuill righteousnes yet notwithstanding is that righteousnes of so small valew that before God it is none at all yea rather it is counted for sinne Farther the holines and vprightnes of works which are done of men regenerate although it please God yet can it not abide to be examined tried by his exacte iudgmeÌ„t For our righteousnesses are like a cloth stayned with the naturall course of
elected Also ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you And if Christ and the Apostles haue in their sermons oftentimes made mencion hereof no man saith he ought to doubt that this doctrine is against the fruit and commodity of preaching He affirmeth also that it followeth not that although our will saluation and good workes depend of the will and appointment of God therefore we should cast away all our diligence endeuour and care For Paul when he had said that God worketh in vs both to will and to performe yet Saluation our good workes depeÌ„d of God yet ought not we â—o cast away all maner of care to lyue well cessed not to geue good admonishments And when he had written vnto the Phillippians that GOD which had begonne in them would accomplishe the worke whiche he had begonne that they might be blameles in the daye of the Lorde in whiche woordes he attributeth vnto GOD bothe the beginning and successe of good works yet in the selfe same epistle wonderfully exhorteth he them to holynes Christ also commaunded his Apostles to beleue and yet on the other side he sayth That no man can come vnto him but whome the father shall draw He also sayth He which hath eares to heare let him heare And yet God sayth in the scriptures that he would geue them an hart from aboue to vnderstaÌ„d eyes to sée eares to heare Wherfore these thinges are not repugnant one to the other namely that the appointment of good works lieth in God and that the gift of them is to be hoped for at Gods hands only and that we also must put to our care and endeuour to liue vprighly and holyly for as we haue before sayd the holy scriptures teach both Farther if for thys cause we should deny predestination seing that by the selfe same maner the foreknowledge of God is certayne and can not be deceaued shall we therefore deny that God foreknoweth all thinges As well the foreknowledge of god â—s predestination is certaine An example brought by Augustine if peraduenture there be some which may be offended with this doctrine And in his booke de bono perseuerantiae the 15. chapter he bringeth an example which happened in his time He saith that in the same monastery that he was in was a certaine man not of so vpright a life This man when he was admonished of his faulte was accustomed to say Such a one shall I be as God hath foreknown me to be And when he so spake saith Augustine he spake indede the truth but although his iudgement were true yet became he euery day worse and worse at the last also saith he he returned to his olde vomite howbeit saith he what manner of one he shall as yet in time to come be God onely knoweth Though this man abused the truth yet will not therefore any godly man deny that God foreknoweth all things And that this foreknowledge of God is no let vnto good workes Christ declared when he coÌ„maunded his disciples to pray when as yet in the meane time The thyng is not made euill by the abuse therof he plainely told them that God knewe right well what thinges they had néede of Wherefore the foreknowledge of God doth not call vs backe from the endeuor of praying for the thinges profitable and necessary which God hath decréed to geue The foreknowledge of God ought not to call vs backe from our endeuor to prayers The giftes of God are not acknowledged â–ª except the fouÌ„taine of theÌ„ be knowne What is the fountaine of the giftes of God vs he hath decréed to geue theÌ„ by this meane They also are deceaued which thinke that this doctrine is an vnprofitable doctrine yea their sight is but small and they vnderstand not the profite therof Vnto the godly it is very profitable to the ende they should not put any confidence either in themselues or in any other men but should fixe all theyr whole hope and affiaunce in God onely Which thing vndoubtedly none can truely and from the harte do but those whiche are fully persuaded both that their saluation and also theyr good workes depend not vpon themselues but of God No we cannot acknowledge the giftes of God except we vnderstande from what fountaine they spring But that fountaine is the fre purpose and mercy of God geuen vnto them whome he hath elected before the constitution of the world He which seeth not this seeth not the goodnes of God towardes him By this doctrine may men be brought not to glory in themselues but in the Lorde which thing they cannot do which ascribe vnto their own frée will that litle how much so euer it be for which thing sake they affirme that God electeth them For they haue in themselues whereof to glorye Farther the scripture willeth vs that we should mortifye our selues and behaue our selues lowly there is nothing that is more easelier bringeth this to passe then doth this doctrine The certainety also of saluation which we defend is by no other means better made manifest And in the We are coÌ„maunded to geue thaÌ„ks for our election It confirmeth the doctrine of free iustification It is no â—â—w doctrine sâ—yng it is set forth in the holy scriptures Heresies were the causes that doctrines were more diligently entreated of latter Epistle to the Thessalonians Paul willeth vs for this thing to geue thankes vnto God that we are elected of God But this can we not do vnles this thing also be wholy made plaine and knowne vnto vs. Neither without this doctrine can the grace of God be defended against the Pelagians for they toughte that the election of God commeth by our merites Frée iustification also should pearish excepte we be rightly taught of predestination Séeing therefore this doctrine being soundlye vnderstande is vnto so many thinges so profitable no man oughte to count it vnfruitfull And sithen it is set foorth in the holy scriptures it can not vndoubtedly be called a new doctrine And if the fathers before Augustines time haue not so diligeÌ„tly spoken of it it ought not to be meruailed at for the occasions wherfore doctrines were more diligently discussed and searched out wer heresies which dayly sprang vp in the Church a freshe And for that before Pelagius time no man had spoken against the grace of God there was no néede that any maÌ„ should defend it but wheÌ„ there arose vp a new error it was necessary that this doctrine should the more diligently be examined And yet did not the fathers which were before Augustines time alwayes leue this thinge vnspoken of Which thing Augustine himselfe proueth in the. 19. chapter of his booke de bono perseuerantiae Ambrose vpon Luke saith that God could if he would of vndeuout persons make deuout And againe he saith that God calleth them whome he vouchsafeth and him whome he will he maketh religious The fathers that were before Augustines time tought this
ioyned wyth foreknowledge and what it differeth from it Now let vs see what it hath common or diuerse with prouidence This it hath common with prouidence that either of them requireth a knowledge and is referred vnto the will and that either of them hath a consideration to thinges to come But herein they differ for that prouidence comprehendeth all creatures but predestination as we spake of it pertayneth onely to the sainctes and vnto the elect Farther prouidence directeth things to their naturall endes but predestination leadeth to those endes which are aboue nature as is this to be adopted into the sonne of God to be regenerate to be endued with grace whereby to liue vprightly and last of all to come vnto glory Wherefore we do not say that brute beastes are predestinate Brute beastes are not predestinate for they are not able to receaue this supernaturall ende Neyther are Angels now predestinate for they haue already attayned vnto their ende but predestination hath a respect vnto thinges to come Whereas we sayde Why the prouidence of God is said to be common to all thinges that prouidence pertayneth to all thynges that may thus be proued because nothyng is hydden from God otherwyse he shoulde not be most wyse And if he know all things eyther he gouerneth all those thinges or els he abiecteth the care of many of them If he abiecte the care of any thing he therefore doth it eyther because he can not or bycause he will not take vpon him the care of those thinges If he can not then is he not most mighty if he will not then is he not most good But to deny that God is most wise most mighty and most good were playnly to deny him to be God Wherefore it remaineth that Gods prouidence is ouer all thinges which thing the scriptures in infinite places most manifestly testefie For they teach that the care of God extendeth euen to the leaues of trées euen vnto the heares of the hed euen vnto sparrowes Prouidence may thus by the way be defined prouidence is Gods appoynted vnmoueable and perpetuall administration of all thinges When I say God I Dâ—finition of prouideÌ„ce The gouernment of God is not tyrannous say that he is endewed with greate authority and that he is mighty AdministratioÌ„ signifieth that his gouerment is not tiraÌ„nious but quiet gently and fatherly For tirannes violently oppresse theyr subiects and referre all thinges to to theyr owne commodity and lust But God violently presseth no man neither by this gouerment getteth any commodity vnto himselfe but only communicateth his goodnes vnto creatures And this administration extendeth vnto all thinges For there is nothing free from it neyther can without it indure It is called appoynted bycause it is ioyned with most excellent wisedome so that it Why prouidence is vn vnmoueable admitteth no confusioÌ„ It is vnmoueable bicause yâ— knowledge of this gouernor is not deceaued neyther can his power be made frustrate It is also perpetuall bycause God himselfe is present with the thinges For neyther did he when he had created thinges leue them vnto them selues yea rather he him selfe is in them and perpetually moueth theÌ„ For in him we liue we moue and haue our being And thus much of prouidence Vnto these thinges also is fate or desteny of very nigh affinity From which word if as we haue before sayd it be taken for a certaine ireuitable necessity which dependeth of yâ— power of stars the fathers haue not without iust cause absteined But if it signifie nothing ells but a certayne connextion of second causes which is not caried rashely or by chance but is gouerned by the prouidence of God and may at his wil be changed I se no cause why the thing it selfe should be of any man reiected Howbeit bicause there is danger that error might sometimes crepe in Augustine thinketh it best that we vtterly refrayne from that worde We ought also to remember that which we haue in an other place taught namely that the loue election and predestination of God are so ordered together that they follow one an other in a certaine Loue election predestination how they are ioyned together course First vnto the knowledge of God are offred all men not being in happy estate yea rather being nedy and miserable whome God of his pure and singular mercy loueth those he careth for and putteth a parte from other whome he ouerpasseth and embraseth not with his beneuolence and they by this seperation are sayd to be elected And those so elected are destinied or appoynted vnto an end Augustine in his booke de predestinatione sanctorum the 10. chapter thus defineth predestination that it is a preparation of Grace and and in the 12. chapter How Augustine defineth predestination he sayth it is foreknowledge and a preparatioÌ„ of the gifts of God by which they are certainly deliuered which are deliuered but the rest are left in the masse or lompe of perdition In an other place he called it the purpose of hauing mercy The Master of the sentences in the first booke distinction 40 defineth it to be a preparation of grace in this present time of glory in time to come These definitions I reiect not howbeit bicause they compreheÌ„d not the whole matter I will bring an other definition more full as nigh as I can I say therefore that predestination is the most wise purpose of God whereby he hath before al A full definition of predestination eternity constantly decreed to call those whome he hath loued in Christ to the adoption of his children to iustification by fayth and at the length to glorye through good workes that they may be made like vnto the image of the sonne of God and that in them should be declared the glory and mercy of the creator Thys definition as I thinke comprehendeth all thinges that pertayne vnto the nature of predestination And all the partes thereof may be proued by the holye scriptures First we take purpose for the generall word For that word is common both to predestination and vnto reprobation Paul vnto the Ephesians sayth Purpose is common to predestination vnto reprobation That we are predestinate according to the purpose of God And in this Epistle to the Romanes he sayth That the purpose might abide according to election But what thys purpose is we vnderstand by the first chapter vnto the EphesiaÌ„s For there thus it is written That God hath predestinate vs according to his good pleasure By The purpose of God is his good pleasure Purpose pertayneth vnto yâ— wil. these wordes it is manifest that that is called his good pleasure which Paul afterward called purpose And that this purpose pertayneth vnto the will those thinges whiche afterward followe doo declare By whose power sayth he God woorketh all thinges accordinge to the counsell of hys will But by thys will we ought to vnderstand that will whiche is of
efficacye whiche they call the will of the consequent by whiche is brought to passe that the predestination of GOD is not made frustrate Thys purpose we call moste wise because God doth nothing rashely or by chaunce but doth all thinges with moste The mighty will of God great wisedome Therfore the Apostle before ioyned predestinatioÌ„ together with foreknowledge saying Whome he hath foreknowne those hath he predestinate By which purpose God hath from eternally This is therfore added because predestination is no new thing neither such whiche as manye fayne goeth not before thinges or euer they are done Paul sayth in his latter Epistle to Timothy Predestination is no new thing Which hath called vs with his holy vocation not by our workes but according to his purpose and grace which we haue receaued before the times of the world in Christ Iesus Here we manifestly sée that with the predestinatioÌ„ of God is ioyned the eternity of times And vnto the Ephesians we are sayd to be electe before the foundations of the world were laide Whereby he hath constantly decreed By these woordes we are toughte The predestination of God is immutable that the predestination of God is vnmutable For Paul sayth in the latter Epistle vnto Timothy The foundatioÌ„ standeth firme The Lord knoweth who are his And before in the 8. chapter when the Apostle woulde teache that hope maketh not ashamed and that they that had an assured hope should be saued he bringeth a profe of the same by predestination saying Whome he hath foreknowne those also hath he predestinate And he addeth who shall seperate vs from the loue of God Shall tribulation Shall anguish c And Iames sayth that with God is no chaunging or varietie of courses of times And in Esay God crieth I am God and am not changed And in this Epistle the 11. chapter where is entreated of predestination Paul sayth The giftes and calling of God are without repentance But whereas God in Ieremy the. 18. chapter Somtimes the promises threatninges of God are chaunged sayth that he would change the sentence which he had threatned vnto any natioÌ„ so that they would repent the same is not to be vnderstand of predestination but of those thinges which are foretolde shall come to passe by that will of God which they call the will of the signe namely when by his Prophets he declareth vnto meÌ„ eyther what theyr sinnes haue deserued or what hangeth ouer theyr hedes by reason of naturall causes Whome he hath loued in Christ This we adde because whatsoeuer God The giftes of God come vnto vs by Christ Christ is the hed of al the predestinate geueth or decréeth to geue that geueth he and will geue throughe Christe And as we haue oftentimes alleadged Paul vnto the Ephesians saith that we are elected predestinate in Christ. For he is the Prince and heade of all the predestinate yea none is predestinate but onely to this ende to be made a member of Christ To call into the adoption of children So Paul in a maner euery where speaketh and especially in the first chapter vnto the Ephesians For there he saith that we are predestinate to the adoption of children And that vocation followeth straight way after predestination those woordes which we haue before alleadged declare Whome he hath predestinate those also hath he called To iustification by faith That vnto vocation is adioyned iustification Paul by these selfe same wordes teacheth Whome he called those also hath he iustified But that we are iustified by fayth it hath ben so manifestly declared that here we shall not néede any playner declaracion Vnto glory by good workes This thing also Paul teacheth in the selfe same place Whome he hath iustified saith he those also hath he glorified And that glory followeth good woorkes and that we are predestinate vnto those good woorks that place vnto the Ephesians which we haue already often cited manifestlye proueth For first he saith that we are predestinate that we shoulde be holye and blameles before God Afterwarde he sayth that God hath prepared good woorkes in which we should walke That they might be made like vnto the image of the sonne of God This Image indéede is begonne in vs by regeneration when we are iustified and in theÌ„ that are of full age groweth dayly to perfection by good workes is fully finished in the eternall glory But in infantes this likenes hath place when it is begonne by regeneration and is finished in that last glory Howbeit in them for want of age are not required good workes That in them might be declared the mercy and goodnes of the creator This is the laste ende of predestination shadowed vnto vs by Paul in the similitude of the potter which hath power to make one vessell to honor and an other to contumely So God hath prepared his vessels to glory that in them he mighte declare his glory By this definition we gather that God hath predestinate vnto the elect not only glory but also good works that is meanes by which he will haue his elect come vnto glory By this we may sée how fowly they are deceaued which liue wickedly and yet in the meane time boast that they are predestinate For the He that liueth wickedly caÌ„not boast oâ— predestination scriptures teach yâ— men according vnto the predestination of God are not brought vnto glory by wicked factes and noughty deedes but by vertuous life and manners Neither are they to be harkened vnto whiche crye out howsoeuer I liue the predestination of God shall haue his effect For this is vtterly to be ignorant what predestination is and impudently to goe about to abuse it Now that we haue seuerally after this maner examined this definition by Predestination is â—ot in the thinges but â—â— the minde of God his partes let vs gather thereout certayne things not vnprofitable First thys that predestination is a woorke of GOD and is to bee placed in the minde of God For although men are sayd to be predestinate yet must we not appoint predestination in them So also things are sayd to be perceaued and known when as yet in them is neither knowledge nor perceauure but onely in the man that knoweth them Wherefore euen as we can foresee either rayne or colde or fruite before they come so God predestinateth men which as yet haue no beyng For of relatines some are such that of necessity the one can not be but together with the other as a father and a sonne and some there are whereof the one may be although the other be not together with it as before and after and science and Predestination is before the predestinate â— he endes of predestination are in the predestinate Why the of feâ—tes are put in this definition that which is known by science Predestination therefore is referred vnto the latter kind of relatiues Which predestination yet forasmuch as it is as we haue
thinges worke to good as though foreknowledge and predestination whereof he afterwarde maketh mencion should depende of that sentence And to this purpose A place of Salomon they cite this sentence out of the Prouerbes of Salomon Those that loue me I loue Neither cōsider they as we haue said y◠Paul in this place entēdeth to declare who they are vnto whō it is geuen to loue God and to haue all thinges to worke vnto them to good And those he saith are they which are by the predestination of God elected And as touching Salomon we also confesse that those whiche loue God are againe loued of him But this is now in question whether the loue of God whereby he embraceth vs do spring of our loue or no. This thinge doth Iohn by expresse wordes decalre in his Epistle Not saith he for that we haue loued him He hath The loue of God springeth not of our loue but contrariwise first loued vs. The second thing that we gather of these wordes of Paul is that the predestinatiō of God if it be of this force to confirme vs touching the good wil and loue of God towardes vs can not depende of our woorkes For our woorkes are both weake and of moste sclender righteousnes Farther this is to be considered that Paul kept not in silence those causes which might be geuen for he expressedly putteth the ende namely that the mercy and iustice of God might be made manifest But when he commeth to the efficient cause he will haue vs so fully to stay our selues on the will of God that he compareth God to a potter and vs to clay In which comparison he declareth that there is nothing whiche oughte farther to be enquired of I know that the aduersaries say that that comparison is brought onely Of the comparison of God to the potter to suppresse the malepertnes of the demaunder not that the matter is on either behalfe in very déede so For God electeth men by workes foreséene But if it so be how then by this similitude shall the mouth of the murmurers be stopped For they will saye if the iustice of God requyre thys that election be of woorkes soreséene what needed Paul to saye Before they had done eyther good or euill it was sayde The elder shall serue the younger Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Agayne Not of woorkes but of hym that calleth that election mighte abide firme accordinge to purpose And why is this similitude of the potter brought when as the thinge it selfe is farre otherwyse and neyther doth God as a potter do all thynges as pleaseth hym neyther are we as clay vtterly without difference doubtles by this reason of these men the malepert demaunder is not repressed yea rather there is offred an occasion of caueling for that the similitude which is brought serueth not to the purpose There is also an other sentence of Paul vnto the Ephesians wherby is strongly confirmed this our sentence For whē he had said that we are predestinated according to the purpose of God he added God worketh according to his will not accordyng to oures By the power whereof he worketh all thinges according to the counsell of hys wyll But if it were so as these men imagine God should not worke all things according to his will but according to the will of an other For as we should order our works so should he moderate his election and that is to be led by an other mans wil and not by his own This self thing testifieth Paul to the Corrinthians saying God hath chosen the foolishe weake and vile thinges of thys world to confound the wise mighty and noble men Looke brethren saith he vpon your vocation not many wyse men not many mighty men not many noble men are called And in the selfe same epistle when he had described the former estate of the elect had reckoned vp a great many greuous sinnes at the length he added And these thinges were ye but ye are washed but ye are sanctified And vnto the Ephesians Ye were saith he once with out God without hope in the world These things proue that the vocation and predestination of God depend not of our merites But as Augustine writeth vnto Simplicianus God ouerhippeth many philosophers men of sharpewit of notable learning he hath also ouerhipped many which if a man haue a respect vnto ciuill maners were innocentes and of a good vertuous life Neither doubtles is this to be meruailed at For if God to this ende predestinateth to make manifest the riches of his mercy that is sooner accomplished if he bring to saluation The mercy of God is more declared if we be predestinated frely then if of workes those which both more resist and by reason of their desertes of life are more stranger from it then if he should elect those whom humane reason may iudge to be more mete Hereof it came that Christ gathered the flocke of his disciples out of sinners publicanes and vile men neither disdained he to call vnto hym thieues and harlots In all which men what consideration I besech you was there to be had vnto merites Paul also writeth vnto the Corrinthyans We preach Christ crucified vnto the Iewes in dede an offence and vnto the Grekes foolishenes but to them that are called both Iewes and Gentiles Christ the power of God and wisdome of God We see also in this place wherehence the Apostle seeketh the difference when he affirmeth that some thinke well of Christ preached and some ill For The difference of the beleuers of the vnbeleuers ▪ dependeth of vocation God said that he would deliuer his people not for their works but for his name sake The Iews were not of God preferred before the Gentles for their workes all this he saith commeth wholy of vocation For he sayth But vnto the called as if he should haue said They which are not called haue Christ for an offence and for foolishenes But they which are called do both follow him and also embrace him for the power and wisdome of God In the prophets also when God promiseth that he will deliuer his people he sayth not that he will do it for their workes or merites sake but I wil do it saith he for my names sake From this reason Paul departeth not For he sheweth that God by predestinatiō will make open the riches of his glory that all men might know how litle the Iewes had deserued this election of God that other nations being ouerhipped they alone should be counted for the people of God Which thing Steuen expresseth in the Actes of the Apostles when he saith That they had euer resisted God and had bene alwayes stiffe necked What good workes then did God see in them to preferre that nation aboue all other nations Ezechiell notably describeth howe GOD looked vpon the people of the Iewes at the beginning namely as vpon a maiden naked and on
euery side defiled and filthyly wrapped in bloud I passed by sayth the Lord and when I saw thee in that case I had compassion of thee Farther let vs remember what is the scope of the Apostle in this epistle For if we will iudge vprightly of controuersies we must not cast our eye of frō the scope This was the scope of the Apostle by all maner of meanes to commend the grace of Christ And to this purpose can nothing more be a let then to affirme that the predestination of God that is the head and fountaine of grace commeth of the workes of men And if it be counted a fault in orators if in their oration they paraduenture inculcate things which should much hinder the cause which they toke in hand how can we suspect that the holy ghost presisted not in that which he began but speaketh thinges strange from that which he purposed Neither doubtles can there be any other reason geuen of the members then of the hed which is Christ Iesus Seing therefore that no man can doubt but that the sonne of God tooke vpon him humane nature freely For if the question should The son of God toke vpō him frely humane nature be asked why he rather tooke vpon him man of the virgen Mary then any other man there can no reason be geuen but for that it so pleased him For as tooching wookes any other man borne of an other virgen mought haue had them no les then he which was borne of Mary For whosoeuer had had the diuinity as Christ had he should doubtles haue done the selfe same workes which Christ did Seing therfore that that humanity was taken of the son of God fréely of the pure mere mercy of God euen after the self same maner whosoeuer are the members of Christ are elected fréely and without any merites of workes Finally all those reasons which proue that iustification consisteth not of workes the same As iustification is not of workes ▪ so neither also is predestination Christ and his death is the first effect of predestination Christ as touchyng his humane nature and death ▪ is not the cause of predestination also proue that predestination dependeth not of workes Now resteth to declare whether Christ and his death may be sayd to be the cause of predestination Here we answere that Christ and his death is the first and principall effect of predestination for amongst those thinges which are of God geuen vnto the elect is Christ himselfe and the fruit of his death For whatsoeuer is geuen vnto vs is deriued vnto vs from God by this way and as it were through this pipe And forasmuch as it is certaine that the effects of predestination may so be compared together that one may be the cause of the other but vnto none of them agréeth to be the beginning of predestination therefore we deny that Christ as touching his humanity or death is the cause of our predestination although he be the beginning and cause of all good thinges which come vnto vs by the purpose of God I know that there haue bene some which haue gone about to conciliate the sentences of the fathers with this most true doctrine which we haue now by many reasons proued For they say that the fathers when they write that predestination is of workes foresene by the name of predestination do not vnderstand the worke or action of God whereby he electeth or predestinateth any man ▪ but rather the end and certaine meanes for as touching them nothing can let but that workes may be causes Sentences of many of the fathers agree not fully with this doctrine For it is without all doubt certayne that the last damnation commeth of workes as of the cause and good workes spring of fayth as of their beginning I sée in dede that the entent of these men is not to be discommended which labour to apply the sentences of the fathers vnto the truth as much as is possible But yet that which they auouch I can not affirme to be true For there are certaine sentences of the fathers so hard that they can by no meanes be drawen to this meaning For they to defend the liberty of our will will not haue all thinges to depend of the predestination of God And of purpose say that all whole is not of God It is not true that they say all whole is not of God It is not true also that God electeth because of faith foresene but somewhat also is required of vs. And they expressedly write that God electeth some for that he foresaw that they should beleue They haue also here and there many other such like sayinges so that I by no meanes can sée how their sentences can agrée with our doctrine in this point Howbeit Augustine fully agreeth with it Ierome also disagréeth not from it although oftentimes in many places he agrée with Origen and others But against the Pelagians he highly commendeth the sentence of Augustine touching this matter and excedingly alloweth his writinges against this heresy Seing therefore that Augustine oftentimes vsed thys argument against the Pelagians it must nedes be that the same very well pleased Ierome now being olde Ciprian also as we haue before sayd manifestly writeth that there is nothing which is ours Wherefore it followeth of necessity that all whole is of God But howsoeuer it be there is no nede that we should at this present much reason touching the fathers For when I interpretated the text it selfe I aboundantly spake of them as the opportunity of the place serued As in all other things which pertayne vnto faith so also in this question we must geue We must geue sentence according to the scriptures not according to the fathers sentence according to y◠scriptures and not according to the fathers And this self thing euē the fathers thēselues required at our hands Which I thinke we to our ability haue performed in alleadging of reasons Amongst the latter writers Pigghius being forced by the vehemency of the scriptures graunteth vnto vs that works are not causes of predestination for he cōfesseth that it consisteth fréely and of the mere mercy of God with a respect yet saith he vnto works which thing I suppose he sayd least he should séeme in vaine to haue with so many words contended But if predestination be frée and do depend of the mere goodnes and mercy If election be free why is there added a respect vnto works of God as the scriptures testifie why durst this man of his owne hed imagine this new respect of works For the holy scripture and especially Paul vtterly excludeth workes from this matter But Pigghius the more to bewray that his vile desire of contending bringeth certaine arguments which make vtterly nothing at all to the matter That saith he which as touching election happened in the blessed virgen the mother of God ought in others also to take place but she
vnto Simplicianus in his first booke and 2. question sayth That vocation is of two sortes one is common whereby men are called but not by one and the selfe same maner whereby they are apt to be moued and conuerted others are called as they are apt to be moued neyther sayth he must we thinke that God could not so haue called Esau as he mought be moued and as he mought be made apt for all men are not after one and the selfe same manner moued and allured vnto God Verely forasmuch as he is omnipotent he mought by his impulsion take away y◠hardnes which is grafted in vs. But say they if he would he mought and yet wil not God alwayes do that which he can Let it be so we say euen the selfe same that God ouerhippeth some and will not haue mercy on them and therefore geueth not vnto all men so much as mought be sufficient vnto theyr saluation And in those whome he ouerhippeth he attayneth to that end which he willeth as it is written of Pharao To this purpose haue I raysed the vp to declare in the my power that my name mought be published abrod thorough out the whole earth Christ knew very well as he he him selfe testified that Tire and Sidon and Sodoma should haue bene moued to repentāce if he had shewed vnto them the miracles and doctrine which he shewed vnto the Iewes wherfore Tyre and Sydon wāted that which sufficed The aduersaries are compelled to say that no man is elected of God forasmuch as he gaue not those thinges vnto thē they wanted that which sufficed vnto saluation The lord also sayd vnto the Apostles I haue chosen you but ye haue not chosen me But by the opinion of the aduersaries putting that vniuersall grace no man should be chosen of God forasmuch as he should be after one and the selfe same sort vnto all men yea rather we should chose God in receauing his grace when it is offred and we should be potters of the election of God and should not be formed of him I haue planted saith Paul Apollo hath watred but God hath geuen the encrease that is life and spirite But if those thinges should be put common vnto all men he should rather haue sayd ye haue receaued vnto your selues the spirite life grace The selfe same Apostle sayd that God had begonne in the Corrinthians a good worke and also would performe the same agaynst the day of the lord Which wordes playnly declare that all whole is to be ascribed vnto God namely to beginne and to performe And vnto the Ephesians He worketh all thinges according to the counsell of his will not sayth he according to the counsell of an other mans will Which thing doubtles he should haue sayd if euery mā had in his power to receaue saluation or not to receaue it Agayne vnto the Galathians When it semed good vnto him which seperated me from my mothers wombe c. If it were as these men affirme Paul should haue said whē it semed good vnto me For as touching God they affirme that grace is alwayes redy and layd forth vnto all men Wherfore by theyr sentence conuersion should then come when it should please vs. And these argumentes although many more might be brought I thinke at this present sufficient Only now resteth to ouerthrow those reasons which seme to make against vs. To the arguments of the aduersaries Outward calling is common to the predestinate and to the reprobate But before we enter into that matter this we say that we in no wise deny but that God by outward calling namely by his prophets Apostles preachers and scriptures calleth all men For this man is no more excluded from the promises or threatninges then that man but these thinges are a like set forth vnto all men although all men are not predestinated to attayne vnto the fruite of them This is diligently to be noted if we will redely answere to those thinges which are obiected And when they lay agaynst vs which thing they very often do that the promises are common and are vniuersally set forth neither ought to be contracted vnto these men or vnto those men and that God dalieth not in them but dealeth in good earnest First as touching vniuersallity I will bring other propositions no les vniuersall All flesh shall se the saluation of God All shall be taught of God Al shal know me from the least to the greatest I wil poure of my spirit vpon all fleshe Shall we say that these thinges are true as touching all men no doubtles vnles Origens fable should be renewed that all men shall at the last be saued They will answer that these propositions ought to be contracted vnto the beleuers vnto them that are willing and vnto them that receaue the grace of God And we also say that they are to be contracted but we referre our contraction more higher and ascend vnto the election of God and vnto reprobation and whether resolution I besech you is the perfecter whether contraction is of more equity And yet do we not say that God dalieth in these vniuersall promises For forasmuch as the predestinate and the reprobate led theyr life together neyther are they knowen one from an other it is mete ▪ that preaching should be had vnto all men together and that for the reprobate the elect should not be defrauded which by the preaching of the word of God receaue profit And by this vniuersal preaching God bringeth to effect that end which he him selfe willeth For the godly whē they se that the reprobate are left in their owne sence and beleue not thereby vnderstand that grace is not nature and in them consider what should also haue happened vnto them selues without the mercy of God whose gift conuersion is and lieth not in the strength of man And the vngodly are made vnexcusable when as they haue not so much as performed those outward workes which they mought haue done as it is declared to the Romanes in the first and second chapters First the aduersaries imagine that they are setters forth of the mercy of God for that they put it common vnto al Whether sentence ascribeth more to the mercy of God men But if we consider the matter more thorowly we attribute much more vnto mercy thē they do For we affirme y◠al whole dependeth of it which thing is of thē in the meane time denied whilest they wil haue it to lye in our power to receaue the grace of God And if we say that mercy is not a like vnto al men destributed we can not therefore be reproued forasmuch as the scriptures manifestly testify the same But these men when they say that it lieth in our wil to receiue grace although they extenuate the same yet is it in very dede proued to be much for what should it profit to haue grace vniuersally set forth vnto al men vnles a man would by his
and his fruites euill But in the braunches he noteth an other diuersity That euen as in naturall bodyes there are some which longe kepe still theyr proprieties and qualities as the heauenly bodyes which shall in one and the selfe same estate abide euen vnto the end of the world and there are others which are more easely changed yea also come to corruption as herbes plantes and sensible creatures So there are some brāches which perpetually adide in that tree or doubtles very long but other some soone fall away At the length he writteth that although some thinke that Abraham and the holy fathers are the good tree and the root yet he thinketh that we ought to put Christ to be that good tree and roote as into whō we are by fayth grafted Touching these thinges out of him alledged we may allow the former part which was brought first agaynst Valentinus for they are well and profitably noted of him But that difference of the two trees is farre The whole lompe of our corrupt nature may be called a wild oliue tree I tlieth not in our power to make our selues good trees otherwise to be put And first we ought to know that the whole lompe of our nature is corrupted with originall sinne wherefore it might well be called a wild oliue tree Neyther should we haue had from any elsewhere a good tree vnles by the mercy of God Christ had bene both promised and geuē into whom the elect by beleuing are altered transplanted and grafted as into a fruitfull and fat tree But that they shoulde beleue commeth not by the power of free will for fayth is the gifte of God and not a worke of our strengths and therefore it lieth not in vs to make the tree good And if Origen thinke that Christ so sayth the error springeth of the misvnderstanding of this worde Make ye for in that place it signifieth not a working but a supposition As though he should haue sayd Thinke and be assured that that tree ought to be good which should bring forth good fruites that tree euill which should bring forth euil fruites And that this is the sence of those words that which went before declareth For the lord had sayd Forasmuch as ye are euill ye can not speake good thinges And in the 7. chapiter of Mathew it most manifestly appeareth that the tree ought first to be good before that good fruites can follow but Origen contrariwise imagineth that by the workes of free will the tree is made fruitfull And as touching the plant and roote we also affirme that the fathers with whome was made the couenaunt and who led in it an holy life are that plant and roote although we are not ignoraunt that in other places of the scripture Christ calleth himself the vine tree and vs the branches yea and in this selfe same epistle it is written that by baptisme we are grafted into Christ into the similitude of his death Neyther doth any man doubt but that Christ is the only foundation besides which no man can put any other But Paul now tendeth not that way but only hath a consideration vnto the kinred of the Hebrues and holines of the fathers which is here by gathered for that he calleth the Iewes the naturall braunches of the good oliue tree which can not otherwise be vnderstanded but for that they came of holy parentes And streight way he expressedly sayth There are enemies for your sakes but elect for the fathers sakes Neither doth this which is added any thing let Thou standest by fayth which fayth hath a respect vnto Christ as vnto the obiect thereof for we also when we affirme that the holy fathers are the plant and root doo not exclude Christ for the roote and tree are not here taken but in as much The fathers are called the roote the plant in as muche as they ar rooted inchrist as they are holy but the fathers had not of them selues naturall and inward holynes but as we haue before sayd they by fayth drew it from Christ Thou wilt say then The braunches are brokē of that I might be grafted in Thou sayest well Thorough vnbelefe they are brokē of and thou standest by fayth Be not high minded but feare For if God spared not the naturall braunches take heede that he also spare not thee Thou wilt say then The braunches are broken of that I might be grafted in Thou sayest well Thorough vnbeliefe they are broken of and thou standeste by fayth The Apostle continueth still to represse the arrogancy of the Gentiles which extolled themselues against the Iewes And he vseth a conterfeate speach vnder the person of the Gentiles so that it is a preuention The Gentiles paraduenture mought haue said we glory for that we are both better and more worthy then the Iewes which is hereby proued for that they were brokē of for our saluation sake that we should be grafted in but he is of much more worthines for whose sake a thing is done then is y◠which is done for his sake The Apostle answereth Thou sayst well that the Iewes are broken of that thou shouldest be grafted in this I deny not but thē remember thou that thy grafting in commeth not of merites or workes but of fayth which is mere and pure grace and hath a respect vnto the mercy of God only It is the practise of Sathan to make vs to glory of that thing which we haue not of our selues but is the pure and simple gift of God I will not speake how that the Iewes mought by the like kinde of reasoning say we are of more excellency then thou when as thou wert to this end called that we by thy conuersion might receaue fruit and by emulation be prouoked vnto saluation Chrisostom sayth that here are touched the true and proper causes of the destruction of the Iewes and of the grafting in of the Gentiles incredulity I say and fayth And therfore he continueth in that mind which he was of before that the Apostle comforteth the Iewes in wordes onely and with cōmendations which in very dede were no commēdations But in thus speaking he considereth not that which was before sayd that the counsell of God in the execation of the Iewes stayed not there as though he willed that blindnes in respect of it self only but had a respect vnto the calling of the Gentiles which he would should therof follow And I wonder he saw not y◠the Apostle here approueth the argument of the Gentils wherin they sayd They are broken of that we should bee grafted in He mought doubtles haue sayd this is not true frō which saying he is so farre of that he rather auoutched graunted and approued that which they alledged Wherfore it is not to be doubted but that the blinding of the Iewes was appoynted of God as a meane whereby the saluation of the Gentiles should follow Wherfore Paul calleth backe the Gentiles to the consideration of this
but was not altogether reiected And that this benefite was bestowed vpon the fathers the Scripture in many places mencioneth There were other nations which in déede receaued the Gospel but yet kéept it but for a while skarce aboue one age or two It is true that we haue succeded in the place of the Iewes and are made pertakers of the selfesame priuiledges with them yet notwithstanding the Iewes were before vs abode the long tyme before in possession Wherefore if they be nowe broken of we ought more to bee afeard if they for their pride were smitten with blindnes were for their incredulity cut of what is to be thought of vs wild oliue trées and barren vnfruitfull branches Thorough incredulity were they broken of sayth Ambrose not for thy sake but by reason of their owne defaulte whiche thing I meruayle he should write If this Preposition propter that is For do signifie the cause efficient I graunt that our saluation was not the cause of their cutting of They had Our saluatiō was the small cause of the reiection of the Iewes in themselues the sinne of incredulity which GOD minding to punishe in this sort by his iustice reiected them But that our calling was not the finall cause which God in their reiection had a regard vnto I can in no wise deny seing that Paul affirmeth it wherefore I thinke rather we may say that they were broken of from their fruitefull trée both for theyr owne default and for our sakes Be not high minded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is which is otherwise sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which vice is opposite vnto the pouerty of the spirite which Christ so commended that he called them which were endewed with it blessed But they are to be laughed at which by this saying of the Apostle labour to defend ignoraunce to feare away men from knowledge Noli altum sapere say they that is Be not ouer wise Whiche exposition how strang it is from the skope of the Apostle I suppose now euery man plainly séeth But to close vp the exposition of this place I thinke that betwéene the degrées whereby we come to saluation the meanes which bring vs hedlong to destruction this order is to bee put As touching them The degrees to saluation and the degrees to destruction which shal be saued first is election or predestination Thereout burst forth grace the spirite and fayth strayght way follow good workes then haue they geuen vnto them perseueraunce and at the last is rendred the crowne of felicitie But vnto destruction the first degrée is the corruption of the lompe of mākind thorough originall sinne that God would not haue mercy thereof followe many sinnes which we by liuing wickedly afterward adde after them followeth blindnes they are infected with incredulity moreouer the harte is hardened and at the last followeth eternall damnation See therfore the bountefulnes seuerity of God Towards thē whiche haue fallen into seuerity but towards thee bountefulnes if thou continue in his bountefulnes or els thou also shalt be cut of And they also if they abide not still in vnbeliefe shal be grafted in For God is able to graft them in agayne For if thou wast cut out of the oliue tree which wast wild by nature and wast grafted contrary to nature into a right oliue tree how much more shall they that are by nature be grafted into their owne oliue tree Se therfore the goodnes and seuerity of God c. This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greke the is See some turne Ecce y◠is Behold for in signification it is somtimes all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle cōtinueth stil in one the self same matter For this treatise was very necessary to put away the discord which in the primitiue sprang betwene the Gentiles the Iewes He exhorteth thē to set two things before their eyes the goodnes of God his seuerity Goodnes he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word signifieth clemency a redines of mind to do a man good to do him pleasure Seueritye he calleth in the Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is then when thinges are done with extremitie and that men are delt with euen according to the rigor of iustice The singuler bountefulnes of God towardes the Gētiles Against the Maniches and Marcionites The scripture euery where inuiteth vs to consider the seuerity an◠goodnes of God Towardes thee saith he goodnes For that was a singuler bountifulnes that when as the Gentils were contaminated with idolatry and mought iustly worthely haue bene left in their infidelity they were yet notwithstanding called adopted and adorned with so many ornamentes and giftes By these woordes are confuted the Manichies Marcionites which affirmed that there are two Gods one good gentle and mercifull the other seuere yea and cruell when yet the Apostle in this place attributeth the selfe same proprieties vnto one and the self same true God It is manifest also that they which are cut of are by the iust seuerity of God broken of and fall away so that they are without excuse Moreouer not onely Paul in this place but also the whole scripture in infinite places in a maner prouoke vs to the consideration of those two thinges And that not without iust cause for in the consideratiō of the goodnes of God we are prouoked vnto faith and vnto loue towards him also to geue him thanks for y◠benefits receiued at his hands But when we consider y◠seueritie iudgements of God it maketh vs to pity those which fall and to be fearefull of our owne estate Chrisostome expounding this sentence See the goodnes It is not saide saith he See thy merites and thy laboures for it commeth all whole of grace from aboue I woulde to GOD he had alwayes spoken after this manner and that he had abode still in that whiche he here teacheth The entent of the Apostle in the consideratiō of the seuerity of God is that we beholding other mens dangers and falles should be made more ware Which selfe thing he in an other place meaneth when he sayth in the first to the Corrinth He which standeth let him take heede that he fall not and vnto the Galathians Considering Two kinds of feare thy self least thou also be tempted Wherfore this is to be known that feare is of two sortes the one is which abateth nothinge of confidence but onely engendreth a greater diligence and bringeth more effectuall endeuors The other is which excéedingly diminisheth yea rather taketh away confidence pulleth away endeuor and bringeth sluggishnes The latter commeth of infidelity the other cōmeth of diligence and of fayth By this kind of feare are the churches moued more and more to apply themselues vnto God and to praye instantlye for their preseruation What prayer is vaine namely that the kingdome of God shoulde not be transferred from them
man should say y◠we take our argumēt only of the which happeneth thorough the slouthfulnes of men when as the disputacion is of that which may be done if mē would put to theyr good will for many are not iustified by theyr good workes when as yet they might be iustified by them if they The 〈◊〉 would hereunto we answere with the Apostle in the 8. chapiter who sayth For that which the law could not performe in as much as it was weake bycause of the fleshe that performed God by his owne sonne being sent vnder the similitude of flesh subiect vnto sinne and by sinne condemned sinne through flesh This place admonisheth vs that the iustice of God which is commaunded in the commaundementes could not be performed by the helpe of the law by reason of the vice and infirmity of the flesh and for that cause was Christ sent of the father to performe that whiche The 20. could not be accomplished of vs. The same thing also teacheth he a litle after for when he had sayd that the lust of the flesh is death he addeth moreouer That it is enmity agaynst God for it is not subiect vnto the law of God neither indede can be Wherefore whatsoeuer we do by our naturall strengths which is called flesh the same resisteth God for our corrupted nature can not be subdued vnder the law of God And forasmuch as it is so thē can we not be iustified by y◠dedes therof In the same chapiter also we read Vnto those that loue God all thinges worke to The 21. good vnto those I say which are called of purpose In which wordes the Apostle touched the beginning and chiefe poynte of all our goodnesse namely the purpose of God whiche is so the cause of our saluation that all our other goodnes dependeth thereof but it is not moued by any of our goodnesse But the very causes of mans felicity are afterward orderly and distinctly described amonge which there is no mencion at all of our good workes Those which he knew before he also predestinated and whome he hath predestinated those hath he also called And whome he hath called them also hath he iustified and whome he hath iustified them also will he glorify This chayne is lincked together with all the meanes and helpes by which God bringeth vs to saluation But seing there is no mencion made of the workes of the law and of merites it sufficiently appeareth that by them we are not iustified Farther when it is sayd Who shall accuse against the elect of God The 22. It is God which iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ which dyed yea which also is risen agayn which also sitteth at the right hand of God which also maketh intercessiō for vs If by the iudgment of God we should be iustified by workes it had bene sufficient to haue sayd the elect shal be accused in dayne forasmuch as they haue good merites and seing by theyr vertuous and holy workes they shall obtayne absolution He sayth not so But saith he it is God which iustifieth And it mought haue bene answered No man shall condemne the elect when as theyr workes ar such that they deserue both absolutiō and a reward But he maketh no such answere but sayth It is Christ which dyed c. Why then should we take vpon vs to mingle our woorkes therewithall when as the scripture willeth vs in no case so to doo Now come we to the ninth chapiter wherein is entreated of the prouidence of God which directeth and ordreth all thinges not for any other cause vndoubtedly but that we should thinke that the nature of it and of iustification is all one for either of them is geuē fréely and not of works For the Apostle writeth that of two brethern which were not yet borne and when they had done neither good nor The 23. euill to the end the election of God shoulde abide according to purpose not of workes but of the caller it was sayd The elder shall serue the yonger as it is written Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Here as we se are workes most manifestly excluded Also vnto Moses it was answered I will shew mercy to whomsoeuer I shew mercy The 24. and will haue compassion on whomesoeuer I haue compassion These wordes also declare y◠the forgeuenes of sinnes the meanes whereby men are receaued into fauor depend not of theyr workes but of y◠mere merciful beneuolēce of God And y◠same thing also do the wordes following declare It is not of him that willeth The 25. nor of him that runneth but of God that hath mercy Againe He hath mercy on whō he will and whome he will he hardeneth But if iustification might be gotten by our will or by workes then should it be both of him that willeth and of him that runneth neither should they be conuerted on whome God hath compassion but they which should chiefely haue compassion vpon themselues neither also should God harden any man when as all men might promptly easely and at their pleasure by good workes be reconciled vnto God and also be iustified But it is farre otherwise for they which put their confidence in workes do to farre erre from the true righteousnes whereof we now speake Toward the end of the 9. chapiter the Apostle sayth Israell which followed the lawe of righteousnes attayned not to the law of The 26. righteousnes And why euen because they sought it not by fayth but as it were by the workes of the lawe And if the works of the lawe were a let vnto the Iewes for the obtainment of iustification what should we then hope for thereby This selfe The 27. same thing the Apostle although in other wordes declareth in the 10. chapiter They being ignorant of the righteousnes of God and goyng about to establishe their own righteousnes are not subiect vnto the righteousnes of God These wordes signify nothing els but that they fal from the righteousnes of God which attribute to much to their owne righteousnes namely to workes And so great is the contrariety betwene grace and workes that the effect which procedeth from the one can not The 28. procéede from the other For Paul sayth There is a remnaunt left according to the election of grace If it be of grace then is it not now of workes for then grace is no more grace and if it be of workes then is it not of grace For this is the property of grace to be geuen fréely and of a mere liberality but the property of a worke is that the reward should be geuen of duty and euen by very right Lastly what shal we say The 29. when the Apostle crieth out Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God Vndoubtedly Paul by this affection declareth that it is a thing most hard to be knowen whether God deale iustly which predestinateth whome he will and
he writeth vnto the Gentiles Wherefore those workes which he excludeth from iustification can not be vnderstand of ceremonies for the Gentiles obserued not them But what will they say of the epistle vnto Timothe where in the second chapiter we are simply absolutely sayd to be called not for our works but according to purpose and grace Also vnto Titus He hath saued vs saith he not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to hys mercy All these thinges are so playne and manifest that they nede no interpretacion For there is no man so dull but that as sone as he once heareth these thinges easely perceaueth that they can not without greate iniury be wrested vnto the ceremonies and rites of Moses But I would fayne know of these men why they take a way the power of instifieng from the workes of ceremonies and do so easely attribute it vnto morall workes Is it not a good and laudable maner to worshipe God which certayne appoynted rites which he himselfe hath commaunded Were not the rites and sacred seruites which were at that time prescribed vnto the people of the Iewes commaunded in the ten commaundementes Vndoubtedly where the Sabaoth is commaunded to be obserued there are all these thinâ—s conteyned And eueÌ„ these selfe same Sophisters doo they not at this day attribute the forgeuenes of sinnes and collation of grace vnto theyr sacramentes as in the old testament they were attributed vnto circumcision What man of constancy is this one while to say that the rites of Moses haue no power to iustify and an other while to graunt that the same were sacramentes of the old fathers and that in circumcision originall The inconstancy 〈…〉 e Sâ—pl if â—s sinne was forgeuen vnto infantes But this affirme not we yea we rather vtterly deny that any sacraments conferre grace They doo indede offer grace but SacrameÌ„ts conferre not grace yet by signification For in sacramentes and wordes and visible signes is lette forth vnto vs the promise of God made thorough Christ which promise if we take hold of by fayth we both obteyne a greater grace then that was which before we had and with the seale of the sacramentes we seale the gifte of God which by faith we embrased But I can not inough meruayle at these men which both affirme An other cauillation and also deny one and the selfe same thing They graunte but not with any great warines as theyr accustomed maner is that they vtterly take not away from the sacraments of the elders and chiefely from circumcision the strength of iustifying but onely since the time that the Gospell was published abrode of which time only say they the contencion of Paul sprange that the rites of Moses should no more be retayned But here also according to theyr accustomed maner they are both deceiue theÌ„selues also they deceiue others For when yâ— Apostle teacheth yâ— AbrahaÌ„ was not iustified by circumcisioÌ„ but receaued it afterward being now iustified by fayth vndoubtedly he taketh away the power of iustefying from that ceremony euen also in the time of Abraham wherein it was first instituted Dauid also wheÌ„ he affirmeth that blessednes herein consisteth that sinnes should not be imputed which thing as we now reason is nothinge ells then to be iustified speaketh he of his owne time or of any other time Abacuck also when he sayth that the iust maÌ„ liueth by his fayth and excludeth workes from iustifieng as Paul manifestly expoundeth him spake he only of his owne time thinke you Vndoubtedly he spake both of our time and also of his owne time Lastly when Paul expressedly writeth vnto the Galathians in the third chapiter As many as are of the law are vnder the curse and goeth on in prouyng that sentence wherehence I beseche you seeketh he a testemony Vndoubtedly out of the law Cursed sayth he be he which abideth not in all the thinges that are written in booke of the law Seing therefore the Law so speaketh and that as Paul sayth it wrappeth in a curse all those which traÌ„sgresse An other cauillation the commaundementes thereof then followeth it of necessity that by those works which pertayne vnto it no man can be iustified But these men go to an other shifte for they say that all those which are to be iustefied are not of one and the selfe same condition For such which come to christianity are eyther of yâ— Hebreues They put a differeÌ„ce betwene those which are first conuerted vnto Christ and those which hauing sallâ—n are restored or ells of the Gentiles certayne also after they haue once receaued Christ do fall into greauous wicked crimes and haue nede againe of instauration Nowe say they the state and consideration of both these partes is not a like For they whiche haue once professed the name of a Christian when they are fallen can not recouer righteousnes but by good workes as by almes geuing teares fasting confessions and such other which preparations and merites are not required of those which from infidelity are first conuerted vnto Christ But I would first heare of these good wise men out of what place of the holy scriptures they found this theyr distinction And seing the maner of iustification is vtterly one and the selfe same and portayneth as well to the one as to the other why ought the one to come vnto it one way the other an other way Farther why do they attribute this vnto those that are fallen in Christianity by theyr workes to merite vnto themselues iustification but vnto those which come from infidelity they attribute not the same Are they whiche haue not kept fayth when they were in the Church better then the They whiche fall froÌ„ christiaÌ„ religion are of worser estate then infidels Ethnikes I thinke not vndoubtedly for they which haue once tasted of the swete word of God and do afterward fall from it are in worse estate theÌ„ the other And the seruaunt which knoweth the will of his master and doth it not is greeuoslier punished Also He which hath not a care ouer his and especially ouer his house hold the same man hath denied the fayth is worse then an infidele But they say they deny not but yâ— they which are conuerted froÌ„ infidelity may do some good workes yea and yâ— they may if they do theÌ„ after some sort deserue iustification at the lest way of congruity but that these works are alike required as well of those as of the other they deny But forasmuch as al their works as I haue ells where taught are sins how caÌ„ they do good works before God Moreouer how are not good works required of theÌ„ before they come vnto Christ are baptised WheÌ„ as none which are regenerate by Christ caÌ„ beleue truly vnles he earnestly repent him of his former wicked life For he abouÌ„daÌ„tly bewaileth the sins of his former life confesseth yâ— he hath greauously erred
the corne which groweth in theyr fieldes true corne Augustine confuteth them and sheweth that this is no apt similitude for the bodies of infidels forasmuch as they are made of God are true bodies their corne also for y◠it is his worke is true corne but theyr chastitie forasmuch as it procedeth out of their corrupt vitiate wil can by no meanes be counted true chastitie And he addeth that vniuersal sentence wherof we haue much spoken before Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The same Augustine vpon the 30. Psalme expounding these wordes Deliuer me in thy righteousnes who is he saith he which is saued freely Euen he in whome our Sauiour findeth not any thing worthy to be crowned but findeth much worthy to be condemned in whome he findeth not merites of good thinges but merites of punishments Hereby we sée what is the nature of humane workes before iustification The same father in his first booke 30. question to Simplicianus saith that we are commaunded to lyue vprightly and that by a reward set before vs namely that we may merite to liue blessedly for euer But who saith he can liue vprightly and worke well vnles he be iustified by faith Here we are taught that there mought be in men a merite and deseruing of happy and eternall life if they could accomplishe that which is commaunded But forasmuch as that is impossible for vs to do therefore we fall away from merite The same Augustine in his Enchiridion ad Laurentium the 121. chap. The end saith he of the commaundement i◠of charity out of a pure hart a good conscience and an vnfayned fayth The ende of euery precept is charity and is referred vnto charity And whatsoeuer is done without such charity is not done as it ought to be done Wherefore if it be not done as it ought to be done it can not be denyed but that it is sinne Chrisostome expounding these wordes of Paul The ende of the law is Christ If the Chrisostom ende of the lawe saith he be Christ it followeth that he which hath not Christ though he seeme to haue the righteousnes of the lawe yet hath he it not in very deede By these wordes we gather that he which is without Christ may indéede haue workes which may séeme good which yet in very dede can not be iust And straight way he saith Whosoeuer hath fayth the same also hath the end of the law and whosoeuer is with out fayth is farre from either of them Hereby we gather that they which haue not faith are straungers not only from Christ but also from the righteousnes of the lawe which herein consisteth to do that which is commaunded And straight way For what desireth the lawe To make a man iust but it can not For no man hath fulfilled it But because a man might obiecte although a man not regenerate can not fulfill the lawe yet if he take paynes therein and go about and trauaile he may attaine vnto righteousnes this thing also Chrisostome excludeth And a litle before when he expounded these wordes Being ignoraunt of the righteousnes of God and willing to establishe their owne righteousnes they became not subiect vnto the righteousnes of God This sayth he he calleth the righteousnes of God which is of fayth because it is altogether of the heauenly grace wherein we are iustified not by our labours but by the gift of God This selfe same thing also writeth Ambrose whē he expoundeth these words Ambrose of Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered He calleth saith he them blessed of whome God hath decreed that without labour or any obseruation they shal be iustified by fayth only And vpon those words of Paul Being iustified freely by his grace They are iustified freely sayth he because by the gift of God they are iustified by faith only they themselues working nothyng nor making any recompence The same Ambrose vpon these words of Paul Wherefore death hath raigned vpon them which haue not sinned after the similitude of the transgression of Adam He wrote this saith he because it is impossible for a man not to sinne Which thing seing he peraduēture spake of men regenerate what is to be thought of mā that are straungers from Christ Cyprian also ad Quirinum We ought saith he to boast in nothing because we Cyprian haue nothing of our owne I suppose it sufficiently now appeareth that that is true which we affirmed namely that men before iustification can not frame their workes according to the prescript of the law and therfore are they sinnes neither can they merite iustification But if our aduersaries will obiect and say that they affirme not that those works which they call preparatory do merite iustification but only are certayne preparations by which men are made more apt to attayne vnto iustification we may thus aunswere them If they merite not why fayne ye vnto them that your merite of congruity Farther why call ye them good whē as as we haue taught they neither please God nor are done according to y◠prescript of the lawe Lastly forasmuch as they want their end and not only are but also by good right are called sinnes how teach ye that men by them are prepared vnto righteousnes when as they should much rather by them be prepared vnto punishmentes Wherfore let them once at the length ceasse to adorne them wyth these goodly titles For though peraduēture God somtimes by these workes bringeth men to saluation he doth it because of his mercy towardes men which is so great that he will vse workes whiche are of themselues euill and sinnes to their good Now let vs sée if iustification be not geuen vnto works how it is then geuen fréely and it wholy dependeth of the mere grace of God For no manner of way it dependeth of merites Which thing Origen saw for he vpon this Epistle expounding these wordes of Paul Vnto him which worketh the reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt But I saith he when I desire excellency of speach whereas he sayth that vnto him that worketh is rendred a debt can scarsely perswade my selfe that there can be any worke which can of duety requyre a recompence of God forasmuch as euen thys that we can do or thinke or speake any thing we do it by hys gift and liberality What debt then shall he owe vnto vs whose grace preuenteth vs A little afterward he rendreth a reason of hys saying which reason Augustine oftentimes vsed For he bringeth that place of Paul The stipend of sinne is death But the grace of God is eternall life For here the Apostle added not But the stipend of righteousnes is eternall life which yet the nature of the Antithesis required For Pauls meaning was to declare that our wicked workes of duty deserued death and that euerlasting death but eternall life is not geuen but only by grace wherefore in
before that grace And in the 25. chapter We ought to preach and to beleue that by the sinne of the first man free will is so decayed and diminished that no man afterwarde can either loue God as he ought to do or beleue in God or for Gods sake to worke that which is good vnles the grace and mercy of God preuent him Wherfore iust Abell Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob and all the saintes in the olde tyme are in the Epistle vnto the Hebrues sayd by faith to haue done those thinges which are in the holy scriptures mencioned to haue ben done by theÌ„ which faith we haue before taught to come of God And Paul writeth of himself I haue obtained mercy that I might be faithful But he saith not I haue obteyned mercy because I was before faithfull but contrariwise And in the self same chapter This also we plainly confesse and beleue that in euery good worke it is not we our selues that do first begin and afterward are holpen wyth the mercye of God but that he first inspireth in vs both fayth and the loue of hym and that without any of our merites goyng before Wherefore we must without all doubt beleue that both Zacheus and the thiefe and also Cornelius attayned not to beleue by nature but by the gift of the goodnes of God These thinges haue I alleaged out of the Synode of Arausicanum peraduenture more largely then may seme to be conuenient for this place but for this cause haue I the willinglier done it for that I saw that al those things which are there affirmed are confirmed by the holy scriptures and do excedingly muche serue for our purpose Such Councels vndoubtedly gentle Reader are to be harkened vnto which leane vnto the worde of God For whatsoeuer commoditie or discommoditie the church hath the same ought wholy to be ascribed vnto the obseruation or contempte of the worde of God For in the olde and auncient councels how were Arius Eunomius Nestorius Eutiches and other pestiferous heretikes onercome but by the worde of God For without doubt they could neuer by any other engines be ouercome and vanquished And contrariwise when began yâ— church to geue place vnto abuses supersticions but when the word of God was conteÌ„ned And now in our times vnles the word of God had bene sought for and called agayne in a maner out of exile how could we euer haue bene deliuered from the tiranny of the Pope Let these few thinges be a warning vnto vs not rashly to beleue euery councell but let vs receiue those councels only which haue soundly Tridentinum consilium coÌ„firmed the decrées of their doctrine by the scriptures But to make that which I say more manifest I will speake somewhat of the Councell of Trent that by the contrary the truth may yâ— better be vnderstand In that Councel the 5. SessioÌ„ from the 5. chap. vnto the 11. chap. is entreated of iustification There these good holy Fathers namely the hirelinges of the Pope do thus decrée That the beginning of iustification is of grace But what grace they there vnderstaÌ„d they straight way make plaine For thus they say It calleth and it stirreth vp they which are to be iustified are so holpeÌ„ by it that beyng called and stirred vp they geue assent vnto this grace and worke therwith and are made apt to regeneration but this assent and workyng together they affirme as the wordes declare to be done by frée will What more could Pelagius say if he were now on lyue For neither did he also deny grace if thou take it for an admonitioÌ„ calling and stirring vp He also attributed this vnto What is the worke of grace in â—â—stificatioÌ„ frée will that it had power to assent and to obey the commaundements of God But the grace which the holy scriptures set forth vnto vs renueth our vnderstaÌ„ding and will and in stead of a stony hart geueth vs a fleshy hart For it doth not only counsel our reason but also fully persuadeth it and boweth and changeth the will Our men of Trent graunt in dede that God toucheth the hart of man by yâ— illumination of the holy ghost but lest a man himself should do nothing they adde yâ— he receiueth the inspiration as he which may also refuse it Wherfore they fully coÌ„clude yâ— it pertaineth to man to receaue although they confesse that he can not do that vnles he be called and stirred vp by grace But how can the hart of man vnles it be renued by the spirite and grace of God receaue those thinges agaynst which by reason of his nature being yet corrupt and vitiate it resisteth Assuredly though it be neuer so much stirred vp taught and moued yet vnles it be vtterly chaunged it wil continually withst and and resist Wherfore Augustine It is not in our power that those thinges which are set forth vnto vs should please vs. ad Simplicianum writeth very well That it is not in our power that those thynges which are set forth vnto vs should be acceptable and pleasant vnto vs. But we chuse not that thing which is neither acceptable nor pleasant though we haue neuer so many admonishers to stirre vs vp As if there should be offered vnto a sicke man good healthfull meates and very pleasantly dressed yet because they are neither pleasant nor acceptable vnto him he refuseth them though there stand many by and say vnto him that those meates are wholesome and very well dressed The selfe same thing vndoubtedly happeneth vnto a minde not yet regenerate but that as touching the receiuing of the grace of God there can be done no violence vnto the minde but the sicke person may be compelled to take meates that are vnto him vnpleasaunt Wherfore so long as our will and vnderstanding is not changed by the spirite of God it will not admit any healthfull admonitions And euen as a sicke person before he be restored to health neither abideth nor gladly receiueth meates when they are offered him so also the minde of man vnlesse it be chaunged from infidelitie to faith from impietie to godlines as saith the Synode of Arausicanum it neither obeyeth nor geueth place vnto grace which calleth and stirreth it vp which thing yet the good Fathers A place of Zachary declared of Trent affirme But lest they should seme to speake without scriptures they bring forth two testimonies The one out of the first chap. of Zacharie Bee ye conuerted vnto me and I will be conuerted vnto you This say they hath a respecte vnto the man who is commaunded that euen in iustification he shoulde doo somewhat But Ieremy sayth Conuert vs Lord and we shall be conuerted by which word is declared that vnto this conuersion is also required the helpe of God And by this meanes they deuide the whole matter betwene God and man But Augustine many other of the Fathers ascribe the whole acte of our iustification vnto God onely But as touching
it is in very déede the body of a man I vtterly deny For death taketh away from the body of a man the proper forme which he had before but it leaueth the generall word so that it can only be called a body So true and iustifying fayth when it is lost ceasseth to be the true and proper fayth it may indéede as touching the generall word be called a certayne cold assent sprong of humane perswasion and not such as commeth of the holy ghost and which hath the selfe same strength and efficacy that it had before Wherefore if on either side be kept the selfe same proportion of the similitude this wonderfull strong buttresse shal make nothing against vs. For as we confesse that a dead body is a body so also do we graunt that a dead fayth is fayth so that by fayth we vnderstand the generall word of fayth and not that liuely and true fayth whereby we are iustified It is paralogismus aequiuocationis that is a false argument comming of diuers significations of a word He addeth moreouer that fayth can not iustify because of his owne nature it True fayth is not a dead fayth is a thing dead and receaueth life of an other thing namely of charity and of good workes These obiections are vayne and triflyng For none that is in hys right wit will graunt that true fayth is a dead thing For the iust man is sayde to liue by his faith And if out of fayth we draw life how can it then vnto any man seme dead But that it taketh life of an other thing we deny not for it hath it partly Frō whēce faith hath life of those things which it beleueth namely of Christ and of the promises of God and partly of the holy ghost by whose breathing it is inspired In this sort we will graunt that it hath life of an other thing but not in that sort that this man wyll namely that it hath it either of charity or of good workes For what man that is well in his wits will euer say that either the stocke of a trée or the branches or A similitude the fruites or the flowers geue life vnto the rootes And fayth is before either hope or charity Therefore of them it receaueth not life for in very déede fayth can not be the matter of these vertues And euen as that faculty or power which they call vegetatiue geueth life vnto the body and receaueth not life of the faculty or powere sensitiue or rational which foloweth so faith geueth life vnto the soule but How fayth is encreased by good workes taketh not that life either of charity or of good works Howbeit I graunt that that life of fayth is made so much the greater ampler as it hath mo better works and more feruenter charity bursting forth out of it and not that it is increased of many and often repeticion of actions as it is sayd of vertues which they cal moral but because God of his grace and mercy multiplieth the talent for that it was not idle and because God by his power bringeth to passe that fayth when it worketh through loue is stronger then it selfe when it is remisse in working But omitting these things let vs returne agayne to Pighius He as much as lieth in hym contendeth that a man can not be iustified by that fayth whiche is in Christ and in the remission of sinnes For that fayth sayth he whereby Abraham was iustified was not applyed vnto these thinges For God promised vnto hym onely a plentifull séede and possession of a countrey And straight way it is added that Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnes In this argument Pighius triumpheth and is violent agaynst the truth and vtterly derideth our sentence But this is nothing ells then to deride Paul himselfe For he by most expresse wordes affirmeth that we are iustified by fayth in Christ and by the remission of sinnes Neyther is there any thing ells in Pighius then a mere madnes and a wicked desire to contēd But let Paul come forth and answere for him selfe what he thought is to be vnderstand by the séede promised vnto Abraham Vndoubtedly in his epistle vnto the Galathiās the third chapiter he calleth that séede Christ Vnto Abraham sayth he were made the promises and vnto his seede He sayth not and vnto the seedes as speaking of many but as is were of one and in thy seede whiche is Christ. And this testament I say was confirmed by God towards Christ Let Pighius now yet beleue Paul that in that seede which was promised vnto Abraham was Christ comprehended and declared neither let him euer from hence forth with such malepertnes and desire of victory take vppon him to say that y◠fayth wherby Abraham was iustified was not fayth in Christe But as touching the remission of sinnes forasmuch as vnto vs is promised the blessing we ought to remember that the chiefe and principall poynt therof herein consisteth that we should be receaued of God into fauour and that our sins should be forgeuen vs. But Pighius goeth on manifestly to oppunge y◠doctrine of the apostle touching y◠iustification of Abraham For he sayth y◠before Abraham was circumcised had a testimony of the scripture that his fayth was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes he beleued God as it is manifest by the 12. chapiter of Genesis Wherfore sayth he according to this your sentēce he was then iustified neither was his righteousnes differred vntill that history which is had in the 15. chapter It is wonderfull to sée how much he attributeth vnto these his arguments as though by them were takē away from vs al possibility to answer what I besech you letted but that Abraham At what tyme Abraham was iustified mought be iustified at that first time when God spake vnto him first to go out of his countrey and from his kindred For euen in the selfe place at the beginning of the 12. chapiter are had the selfe same promises which are had in the 15. chapter For thus God promised him I will make of thee a great naciō and will blesse thee and will make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I wil also blesse those that blesse thee wil curse those that curse thee and in the shall all thee families of the earth be blessed Vndoubtedly in these words is conteyned the promise of Christ and the remission of sinnes And therfore there shal be no absurdity if we say that Abrahā by beleuing of those wordes also was iustified But bycause the scripture in that chapiter did not playnly set forth this therfore Paul with great wisdome hath cited those wordes which are had in the 15. chapter where it is expressedly written that fayth was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes which sentence was most necessary to confirme the sentence of the Apostle namely that a man is iustified by Why God
ceassed whose shadowes are now at the light of the truthe taken away And there withall also the ciuil commaundements are abrogated wheÌ„ as that publike wealth is now no more of necessity vpon the earth The righteousnes also of those lawes which they call Morall although it can not perfectly be fulfilled of vs yet partly through the holines of Christ which he communicateth vnto vs it is performed and accomplished and partly through the power of the holy Ghost which he distributeth to the beleuers it is with great endeuor according to that which is geuen vnto euery man expressed and that which wanteth is through the grace of Christ not imputed Finally he gaue his life for his which was the last worke of his ministery But whereas Origen noteth that the Apostle ment here to gather an argument against the Ethnikes yâ— they should not despise the Iewes although they abode still in the obseruations of the law when as Christ himself was bothe the minister of the law and obserued all these things diligently this in my iudgement semeth wide from the purpose For here rather we learne that the strength and foundation of the promises made vnto the fathers was that saluation should be attained vnto for mankinde through Christ although otherwise there were extant many other promises of the possession of the land of Canaan and of the kingdome of the worlde Which things forasmuche as Christ performed not as which What is the streÌ„gth summe of all the promises made vnto the fathers pertained not to his ministery we ought to vnderstande that they were rather things annexed then the sinewes and summe and strengthe and iuyce of the promises of God And hereunto not a little serueth that which Paule wryteth in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the. 1. chapter All the promises of God are through him yea and through him Amen And let the Gentiles praise God for his mercy Vnto the Gentiles he attributeth Mercy and truth are ioyned together mercy and to the Iewes truthe not that these two can be seperated the one from the other for there is no worke of God which hath either mercye without truth or truth without mercy but Paul ment to distinguish these things euen as they were in more force and as they were more declared in the saluation either of the Iewes or of the Gentiles Christ as touching that coÌ„uersation which he had The promâ—sâ—s of God leane onely to mercy In the graftyng in of the Gentles truth had place vpon the earth was geuen to the Iewes that the truthe of the promises shold not be made frustrate But if thou wilt descend to the very roote and foundation euen those promises leane only to the mercy of God For what thing els but euen his mere goodnes and mercy could haue moued him to promise vnto the fathers that Christ should come of theyr stocke And although the Gentiles are sayd to be grafted in by mercy yet here also truth hath place For God knew euen from eternally that the Gentiles shold be called to saluation Wherfore it was true for things false can not be knowne And therefore it was necessary that that truth should attaine to his effecte Moreouer the scriptures kept not in silence that the Gentiles should at the length be called as those Prophesies testifye which are a little afterward alleaged But the Prophesies of the holy scriptures ought without all manner of doubt to be true Wherefore the grafting in of the Gentiles pertayneth to truthe But this ought not to be ouerhipped that Paul when he entreated of the Iewes spake not only of the truth but also straight way after it made mention Whether the calling in of the Gentiles was peculiarly promised to any man of the promisses as if he should haue sayd that Christ was geuen vnto the Iewes a minister of saluation to confirme the truthe of the promises But the calling of the Gentiles was in déede foretold but as it shold séeme it was promised to none vnles peraduenture any man will contende that vnto Abraham were promised the Gentiles when it was sayd vnto him In thy sede shall all nations be blessed but as we haue already sayd this may séeme to be spoken rather in the way of foretelling then in the way of promise And if a man think this reason somwhat weak he may follow that which we before sayd that the Apostle had a regarde to that which is most frequent in the holy scriptures For in them is euery where promised that the Messias should come of the séede of the Iewes but not in so many places nor so often is mention made in them of the callynge of the Gentiles And to speake briefly these distributions of Paul are not so to be vnderstanded as though one part can by no meanes be ioyned with an other And this may plainely be proued by these two places with the harte we beleue to righteousnesse and with the mouth is confession made to saluation Againe Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification As it is written For this cause will I confesse thee amongst the gentiles and wil sing to thy name This propheste is written in the 18. Psalme wherein is affirmed yâ— the prayses of God should be celebrated amongst the Gentiles which also is shewed by these other testimonies which are here added And this can not be vnderstanded but of the redeÌ„ption purchased vnto vs through Christ The last testimony maketh mencion only of the hope and fayth of the Gentiles that the kingdoÌ„ What to confesse signifieth of Christ should be spred abrode euen amongst them also In the 18. Psalme Dauid speaketh vnder the persoÌ„ of the body of Christ that is of the Church I will confesse thee amongst the Gentitles Here to confesse signifieth nothing ells but with feruâ—t prayers â—o set forth the prayses of God And by those thinges which went a litle be fore in that Psalme is gathered that that should be verified of the victory gotten and of the ouerthrow of the enemies And agayne Reioyce ye Gentiles with his people This is written in the 32. chapiter of Deut Ye Gentiles stirre vp his people to reioysing And the cause of this common ioye is before recited namely for that God had set at liberty his froÌ„ their enemies and from those that hated them Howbeit there are some which thinkâ— rather that this testimony is taken out of the 67. Psalme where we thus rede A câ—uillation of the Hebrues Let the Gentiles be glad and reioyce bicause thou iudgest the people in equity and directest the Gentiles vpon the earth Howbeit from whence so euer this place be taken it maketh no great skill for in ech place the sence is in a maner one and the same I thinke rather that it is taken out of Deutro â–ª for that in the Psalme this particle vvith my people â–ª or my people wanteth Howbeit this we ought not to