whiche sinnes were sayd to be purged but baptised them into repentaunce to the forgeuenes of sinnes adioyning therunto doctrine wherein he made mention of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Gost Which thing vndoubtedly the high Priestes and Scribes and Phariseys coulde in no case abyde that he reiecting the ceremonies which were receaued shoulde put in their place a new maner of purging Wherefore they sent a Messenger vnto him to aske of him whither he were the Messias or Elias or the Prophet as it were confessing that vnder the Messias it should come to passe that the ceremonies of the law should be abolished the the same was not lawfull for other mē to doo And if a man demaūd why God gaue ceremonies which should afterwarde be abolished Chrisostome hath thereof a very apt similitude If a man haue a wyfe very prone to lafciuiousnes he shutteth her vp in certayne places in chambers I say and parlers so that shee cannot wander abroade at her pleasure He appointeth vnto her moreouer Eunuches wayting maydes and handmaides most diligentlye to haue an eye vnto her So delte God with the Iewes He tooke them vnto him at the beginnyng as a spouse as it is said in the Prophet I haue wedded thee with mercy and with loue And by this natiō his wil was at cōueniēt tyme to enstruct the whole world Which thing he did by the Apostls when Christ was now departed frō the earth But that people was very weake and feble and aboue measure prone to adulteries of idolatry Wherfore God seperated them from other nations and would haue them to dwell in the land of Chanaan aparte by themselues and to be kept in on euery side with ceremonies and rites as it were by scholemaisters vntill this spouse was so strengthened and confirmed that her fayth was no more had in suspicion Which thing when husbandes perceiue in their wyues they suffer them to go at their pleasure whither they will and to be conuersant with menne neither do they any more set any kepers to watche them So God when he had nowe by Christ geuen vnto the church the holy ghost he remoued away from it the custodye of ceremonies and sent forth his faithfull to preach throughout the whole world The selfe same father proueth in an other place that the ceremonies and rites of the Iewes were not instituted of God of a principall entente and purpose For God woulde haue a people which should worship him in spirite and in truth But the Israelites which had bene conuersant in Egipt and had contaminated themselues with idolatry woulde needes in any wise haue both sacrifices and ceremonies so that if these sacrifices and rites had not bene permitted vnto them they would haue bene redy to turne to idolatry Wherefore God so A similitude delt with them as the maner of a wise phisition is to do who lighting vpon one sicke of a burnyng agew whiche by reason of his wonderfull great heate requireth in any wyse to haue some colde water geuen him and if he haue none geuen him he is redy to hang himselfe or by some other meanes to destroy himselfe in this case the phisition beyng by necessity cōpelled commaundeth to be brought a viole full of water which he himself hath prepared and geueth the sicke man leaue to drinke but yet with suche a charge that he drinke out of nothing els but out of that viall So God graunted vnto the Hebrewes sacrifices and ceremonies but yet so that they should not exercise them otherwise then he himselfe had commaunded them And that this is true he hereby proueth For that God gaue not ceremonies vntill alter they had made the golden caife God prescribed not ceremonies but when he had made open his wrath against the Israelites who hurling in theyr braselets earinges and ringes caused a calfe to be made for them which they worshipped And seyng it is so Paul saith rightly when he sayth that the law is not by faith abolished although those ceremonies be taken away Which sentence Christ also confirmeth when he saith that he came not to take away the law but to fulfill it The sence of which wordes may easely be gathered out of those thinges which we haue before spoken The reasons which afterward follow are brought to confirme this proposition now alledged namely That man is iustified by faith and that without the workes of the law Hetherto when as at the beginning Here is repeated the methode or order which the Apostle hath hether to kept the Apostles had set forth that by the Gospell and the faith of Christ commeth saluation and righteousnes he vsed this reason that whersoeuer the Gospel and faith want there is most great vnrighteousnes and vncleannes of life but on the contrary side where these haue place there is both righteousnes and true holines Therfore by them saith he come saluation and iustification The Minor or second proposition was proued chiefly as touching the first parte For first the Gentles liued most filthely although they knew God by the nature of things Farther the Iewes were not in their conuersation one whit better then the Gentles And this done he declareth wherehence the true righteousnes should be sought for t namely of faith without workes Which thing before he would proue he thought it good to confute an obiection namely that by faith he ouerthroweth not the law but rather by faith confirmeth it This selfe same thing is obiected vnto vs in our dayes that by faith which with the Apostle we affirme to iustifie we ouerthrowe all honest and holy workes Of this thing do they cry out which defend the worke wrought in the sacramentes which boast of workes of supererogation whiche defend purgatory inuocation of saintes and obtrude vowes and sole life What shall we answer to these things Paul sayth y◠he by faith abrogateth not the law but rather confirmed it In which wordes he geueth a reuerence to the ceremonies instituted of God which for their tyme were of necessity obeyed especially for the they were founded vpon the word of God But we can not so say as touching those things which we are accused to haue ouerthrowen Bicause they are abuses and mere superstitions In this disputacion the condition of Paul and ours is diuerse which are vtterly repugnaunt vnto the worde of God Wherfore we confesse that these thinges we ouerthrow by the fayth of Christ and doctrine of the Gospell Now haue we heard the purpose and state of the question which shall be entreated of which we ought continually to haue before our eyes so that vnto it must we referre whatsoeuer is sayd in this whole discourse And this shal be with fruite to heare those thinges which the Apostle writeth The fourth Chapter VVHat shal we say then that Abraham our Father hath found concerning the flesh For if Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce but not with God
the vncircumcision For we say that fayth was imputed vnto Abraham vnto righteousnes How was it then imputed when he was Circumcised or vncircumcised not when he was circumcised but wheÌ„ he was vncircumcised Afterward he receiued the signe of circumcision the seale of the righteousnes of fayth which he had when he was vncircumcised that he should be the father of all them that beleue not beyng circumcised that righteousnes mighte be imputed vnto them also And the father of circumcision not vnto them onely which are of the circumcision but to them also that walke in the steppes of the fayth of our father Abraham which he had when he was vncircumcised Came this blessednes then vpon the Circumcision or vpon the vncircumcision The Latine interpretation hath this worde Manet that is abideth added to this sentence which is not in the Greke bookes Neither doth yâ— verbe which the Latines haue much agrée with the phrase which is by the accusatiue case and by the Greke preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rather as Theophilactus admonisheth we must vnderstand this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth lighteth it or beloÌ„geth it or some such lyke thinge Neither do I disalow the coniecture of Erasmus who thinketh that insteade of this verbe Manet was first written Manat whiche signifieth to come or to spread abrode And thus muche as touching the woordes But this is the meanyng A man might thinke that although Dauid made no mention of workes when he set forth the blessednes of those whose sinnes are forgeuen yet because he himselfe was both circumcised also vsed sacrifices he thoughte that this forgeuenes of sinnes is obteined by these things although he expressed them not And for that cause Paul taketh againe the example of Abraham which he at the first vsed And so returneth Why Paul returneth againe to Abraham to the ground and beginning of circumcision and considereth the very time wherin Abraham receiued it and proueth that long time before he was circumcised he was both iustified and also pronounced the father of many nations that is of all them which beleue Wherof it followeth that we without ceremonies and other workes shall by faith be counted iust and be admitted into the people of God and placed among the meÌ„bers of Christ This argument may thus be made more The forme of the Argument The order of the causes and the effectes in the iustificaâ—ion of Abraham Of what greate waight is the diligent marking of the scriptures Circumcision was had in greate estimation euident That which yet was not coulde not bring righteousnes vnto Abraham But when Abraham was pronounced iustified circumcision was not yet Wherefore it could not iustifie Abraham Let vs in this maner set the order betwene the causes and the effectes First God did set forth vnto Abraham his promises Secondly followed faith And thirdly iustification Lastly came obedience which caused him to circumcise himselfe and to do many other excellent good workes We may not peruert this order that by obedience and circumcision whiche are the last effects we should bring forth iustification which went before Againe in thys place yâ— Apostle teacheth vs with how great study and diligence the Scriptures are to be red and the times and moments in stories are throughly to be considered He entreateth of circumcision bicause all that controuersie sprang first by reason of ceremonies and bicause also they had circumcision in no lesse estimation theÌ„ we now haue baptisme For they counted it for a noble worke and an excellent worship pyng of God Wherfore we may inferre or conclude that if we be not iustified with that kind of workes wherin consisted the worshipping of God vndoubtedly much lesse shall we be iustified by other workes For these are counted more excellent more acceptable vnto God then are other workes For we say that faith was imputed vnto Abraham vnto righteousnes These wordes serue wonderfully to depresse the pride and hautines of the Iewes which continually cried that righteousnes could by no meanes stand without circumcision But Paul contrariwise affirmeth that it was in Abraham before he was circumcised For Abraham was as yet vncircumcised when he was pronounced iustified Wherfore it is no meruaile if many mo of the vncircumcised then of the Iewes were saued after the comming of Christ Here it semeth that there are set before our eyes two fathers the one of the vncircumcised the other of circumcision And if we more depely consider the matter we shall see that the father of the vncircumcised is set in the first place For Abraham was not yet circumcised when he was of God counted iust What theÌ„ is there remayning for the Iewes that they should so aduance themselues aboue the GeÌ„tles Nothing vndoubtedly but the signe And eueÌ„ as Abraham is not the father of the vncircumcised for yâ— cause only bicause they haue vncircumcision but bicause of faith so also is he not the father of the circumcised bicause they are circumcised but bicause they beleue By these things it is manifest Circumcision and vncircumcisioÌ„ are conditions comming by chaunce that both circumcisioÌ„ also vncircumcision are conditions coÌ„ming by chance and of theÌ„selues helpe nothing to the obteinment of iustification Very aptly doth the Apostle bring in these two men Dauid and Abraham Of which the one that is Dauid being now circumcised bare testimony of iustification And Abraham being not yet circumcised obteined neuertheles iustification Wherfore it sufficiently appeareth that Circumcision is not a meane necessarily required to obtain righteousnes And he receaued the signe of circumcision He receaued I say circumcision which was a signe The seale of the righteousnes of fayth This is a preuention for they which heard these thinges mought thus haue thought with themselues If Abraham were iustified before circumcision then was circumcisioÌ„ superfluous vnto this obiection Paule answereth saying that circumcision was not vayne or vnprofitable for it was the seale of the righteousnes of fayth In this sentence Paule Circumcision was not a thing geuen in vain hath two woordes namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a signe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a seale which woordes althoughe they be of very nighe affinitie the one to the other yet ar they not both of one the selfe same significatioÌ„ For this woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sign is more general then his word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yâ— is a seale An image is a signe but it can not be a seale But we vse to put seales vnto such things as we wyll haue with greate fidelity kept and remayne vnuiolated And therefore are letters sealed letters patentes of princes are confirmed with seales yâ— no man should doubt of the authority or truth of theÌ„ So God deliuereth vnto vs sacramentes Sacramentes are not onely signes but sealinges What circumcision signifyed what it sealed as seales of his promises Wherfore circumcision signified two
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
doctrine How predestination is obscure and how not obscure When we will do any thing we must not haue an eye to predestination but to the scripture These things writeth he vpon that place where it is writen that the Samaritanes would not receiue Christ He citeth also Gregorius Nazianzenus Who sayth that God geueth that the faithfull both beleue the blessed Trinitye and also confesse it But whereas it was obiected that this doctrine is very obscure neither can be vnderstand but rather bringeth men to be vncertaine of the will of God he aunswereth that indeede it is an obscurenes vnsearcheable if a man should go about to seke out reasons of the iudgements of God why other men being reiected this man or that man is elected But if so much be taughte of predestination as the holy scriptures do set forth vnto vs those thinges are not so obscure but that they may be perspicuous inough vnto our faith Neither counsell we that when a man dothe any thing he should deliberate with himselfe of predestination but rather that he should referre himselfe vnto the will of God expressed in the scriptures and euery one also ought to haue a trust that he is not excluded from predestination Neither is this any let to preaching that the nomber of the elect as it is in very déede is certaine The determinaâ—â— number of the elect hindreth not preaching vnmoueable For by preaching we go not about to transferre men out of the noÌ„ber of the reprobate into the noÌ„ber of the elect but that they which pertaine to the elect might by the ministery of the worde be brought vnto their appoynted ende Which selfe same ministery as vnto the one it is profitable so vnto the other it bringeth destruction and taketh away from them all manner of excuse But whether predestination and election vnto saluation may be sayde to pertaine vnto all men that God will haue all men to be saued we will afterwarde in his due place speake of Howbeit in the meane time Augustine willeth vs not to kepe in silence the truth touching predestination for that thereon hangeth daunger least by the euill vnderstanding thereof should be confirmed corrupt doctrine neither are those which are of capacity to be defrauded for theyr sakes which are not able to attaine vnto it And forasmuch as out of this doctrine may be had many consolations it is Many consolations by this doctrine of predestination Predestina is to be preached vnto al men but not after one sâ—rt Augustine bringeth an argument of the likâ— What thinges are to be takeÌ„ hede of in preaching predestination A similitude With what dexteritie predestination is to be entreated of indifferently to be set forth both to the learned and to the vnlearned although not alwayes after one and the selfe same manner For for some milke is mete and for other some strong meate And this selfe same thing may so aptly be entreated of that it may satisfy both the learned and the vnlearned Which thing Augustine did very well accomplishe who not onely most sharpely disputed of this matter against the Pelagians but also in his Homelies and familiar sermons plainly and gently entreated of the selfe same thing vnto the people What saith he is more deepe then the sentence of Iohn In the beginning was the woorde or then this And the woord was made flesh In which sentences many may fall and perniciously erre and yet notwithstanding we must not cease to set it forth both to the learned and to the vnlearned but yet vsing therein diuerse manner of speakinge We ought not so to preach predestination to the people of God to say whether thou dost this or dost it not thou canst not alter the determination of God and if thou be of the elected whatsoeuer thou dost cannot remoue the from saluation For this might easely hurt weake vnlearned men It is the poynt of an vnskilfull or rather of a malicious phisition so foolishly and vnaptly to apply a medicine which is otherwise good that it maye be hurtfull vnto health But to setforth this doctrine profitably and with fruit the endes and vtilities which we haue before spoken of ought to be regarded And let all our speach be directed to this that they which are of Christ ought not to put coÌ„fidence in theyr owne strengths but in God and that they ought to acknowledge his giftes and to glory in God and not in themselues and to féele the grace mercy exhibited vnto them that they are fréely iustified by Christ Let theÌ„ vnderstaÌ„d also yâ— they are predestinate to be made like vnto the image of the Son of God into the adoption of childreÌ„ to walke in good workes Lastly yâ— they haue a testimony of the certayntie of Gods good will towardes them Farther euery thing hath his eares or handels by which a man may most aptly hold it which if it should be taken by any other way or by any other partes eyther it would slippe out of the handes or ells hurt hym that taketh it This haue we gathered out of these bookes of Augustine which we before cited in which he answereth to the obiections of Hilarius and Prosperus Now resteth two doubtes to be disolâ—ed First that they say that we appoynte a certayne fatall necessary secondly that they thinke that men by this meanes are brought to desperation As touching the first if by fate or desteny they vnderstand a certayne force proceding from Whether by this doctrine be confirmed a fatall necessity We must absteine from the name of desteny although the thing being well vnderstand be not euill the starres and inuincible connextion of causes by which God himselfe also in brought into order we and that not without iust cause do vtterly reiect the name of fate But if by that name they vnderstand the order of causes which is gouerned by the wil of God then can not that thing seme to be against piety although in my iudgment I thinke it best that we should vtterly abstayne froÌ„ that name lest the vnlerneder sort should thinke that we approue the faynings of the Ethnikes Of this matter hath Augustine excellently well written in hys 5. booke De ciuitate dei the 8. chapter Neyther by this predestination are the natures of thinges changed as touching necessity and happe or chance as we haue before declared where we entreated of prouideÌ„ce Yea rather by the effect By predestination we are made free The consideration of predestination confirmeth our hope of predestination that is by grace we are made frée from sinne and made seruauntes vnto righteousnes which seruitude is holy and in the lord worthy to be embrased And so farre is it of that by predestination our hope should be broken or diminished that euen by it it is most strongly confirmed For Paul in the 8. chapiter of this Epistle when he had sayd Hope confoundeth not had added That vnto them that loue God all
therfore he geueth vs charity and other most noble vertues He addeth Called Sainctes by which worde he admonisheth them of their state past If they be called to holynes for as much as there caÌ„ be no motioÌ„ but where limites are apointed therfore they mought well conclude that they were called from vncleanes and Why the Romanes were called holy vnpurenes to holynes Neither say thou All they which were at Rome ought not to be called holy for that there were many there whiche were not absolute and not yet perfecte for these thynges let not For Paule first had a regarde vnto the better sort and in theyr name and prayse beautified the whole church For certayne preregatiues of singular members do redounde vnto the other members Further the Apostle had a consideracion wherevnto they were called namely to be made holy He sawe that they were called to the communion Augustine of Sainctes whereof they also tooke theyr name And Augustine in his 6. booke against Iulianus admonisheth vs not to thinke that this woord holynes signifieth This word holynes signifieth not perfection perfection And he citeth a place of Paul in the first epistle to the Cor. where he sayeth The Temple of God is holy which Temple ye be And no man is ignorant but that the Corinthians were infected with many vices And if we wil serche out the strenght of the significacion of the worde Sancti that is Sainctes or holy as the same Augustine teacheth in his booke de Symbolo fide it cometh of this Whence this word holynes is deriued worde Sanctio that is to constitute For that is called holy whiche is constant and firme and appoynted to abyde but nothing more letteth vs to abyde for euer then doth sinne for it is sayd that the reward of sinne is death Therfore it cometh to passe that holynes consisteth chiefely in the forgeuenes remission of sinnes FroÌ„ which seÌ„tence that disagreeth not which Paul hath in the first to the Cor. when he sayeth after he had rehearsed a cathaloge of enormious sinnes And these thinges were yee sometymes but nowe yee are washed yee are sanctified But the forgeuenes of sinnes is had by the holy ghost If that we shal call any thynge holy by reason of preparatioÌ„ they mought truly be called holy which haue beleued in Christ because that by the grace and spirite of Christe they are prepared to glory and highe purenes of lyfe to come Ambrose semeth Ambrose to searche out who are they which are called the beloued of God and called Sainctes And he aunswereth that these are they which thinke well of Christ If thou wilt agayne demaund what those are he aunswereth That those thinke What those be that thinke well of Christ well of Christ which thinke that we ought to put our confidence in hym only and that in hym is perfect saluation And of it may be concluded as of contraries that they thynke not well of Christ which trust in theyr owne strengthes or workes which thinge such as doo are not to be nombred amonge the called Sainctes and beloued of God as Ambrose now speaketh of them The called he nameth Sainctes because men of theyr owne nature are not able to attayne Holynes is not the cause of calling vnto holynes vnles they be led by the celestiall might of the holy Ghost And this is not to be left vnspokeÌ„ of that men are not therfore called of god because they are holy but that they are therefore holy because they are called Paul doth not rashely vse this kind of speach because the Iewes for that they had theyr original The Iewes claymed holynes vnto themselues only froÌ„ the holy Patriarches Prophetes boasted that all holynes consisted in theyr stocke only as thoughe other nacions were so wicked that it shoulde be counted an vnlawfull thing to communicate with them this proprietye of holynes But now yt is manifest that through the grace of Christ it is brought to passe that as well the Gentiles as the Iewes haue obtained the prerogatiue of holynes in an equall balance so that they haue the fayth of Christ Here we see also that Paule in placing of these two wordes obserued a iust order For fyrst he setteth to the beloued of God before called Saintes because that holynes A tâ—imâ— placing of wordes breaketh forth of no other thing then of that charity and loue wherewith God loueth vs. And he might haue set forth the Romanes with other most ample titles namely that they had the dominion ouer the whole world ruled ouer all But passing ouer these things he speaketh only of yâ— things that are of more value chiefly because it was not expedieÌ„t to flatter yâ— Gentiles more then yâ— Iewes and especially because there was risen no smale discord betwene both nacions Wherefore he ouerskippeth those titles which were proper vnto the Romanes he toucheth the coÌ„mon prayses of all such as beleue that they which were of the Gentiles and they which were of the circumcisioÌ„ might in that church be the better vnited together betweene them selues But we may not therfore be afrayd It is lawfull to call Princes by their titles both to salute and also to call Princes by their proper titles For in so doing we both admonishe our selues what we owe vnto theÌ„ and also we put theÌ„ in minde of theyr duety For Paule also when in the actes of the Apostles he made an oration to Agryppa was not afraid to call him by the title of a king Hetherto we haue expounded the second parte of the salutation that is what they were whom Paule saluteth Now let vs see what good thinges he wisheth vnto them Grace saith he to you and peace c. By the name of peace he vnderstandeth What peace signifieth with the Hebreues after the maner of the Hebrues the increase of all good thinges For as the Ethnikes say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is grace salutem that is health so the Hebrues say Schalom that is peace And in the olde testament this salutatioÌ„ is ofteÌ„ vsed Yea and Christ also comming vnto the Apostles sayd Peace be with you And he commaunded Luke 24. the Apostles that into what house soeuer they entred they should say Peace be vnto this house To this salutacion commoÌ„ly vsed among the Hebrues Math. 10. Paule addeth this word grace which word is not often found in the olde testament Grace is ioyned with peace added vnto salutations But Paule herein nothing offendeth For it aunswereth vnto his vocation for he was a preacher of grace and in the meane tyme admonisheth them to whom he writeth that peace is not to be looked for that is the heape of all good thinges from our owne strengthe and merites but from the grace of God He sheweth the roote and putteth it fyrst from whence other good thinges are powred vppon vs that we may haue the childe together
Here is declared that the Gospell is The Gosple is setforth to all men indifferently How the Iewes are preferred before the Gentils set forth vnto all in generall neyther doth the preaching thereof exempt any kinde of men The Grecians he taketh here generally and vnder that worde comprehendeth all nacions besides the Iewes And in that he sayth First he signifieth order but not greater aboundance of fruite as though the Iewes should haue more commodity or vtility by the Gospell then the Ethnikes Of which thyng Chrisostome hath a trimme similitude when they of full age which were conuerted vnto Christ were baptised at the tyme of Easter or Whitsontyde they could not be baptised all together yet they which were fyrst washed did not more put on Christ neyther receaued they more grace then they which wer last Wherfore there is here signified an Analogy or proportion of order An analogy of order as touchyng tyme betwene the Iewes and the Grekes The calling of the Iewes was first Paule preched first vnto the Iewes before he preched vnto yâ— Gentila The definicion geuen is proued by the effecte The effect of the Gosple is that we shoulde be iustefied The end of the Exordium and of the entent of hys treatise The propositioÌ„ which shal be proued euen to the 12. chap. A soft transition the Iewes are put in the first place For Christ was the Apostle of the Iewes and minister of Circumcision For he sayd that he was not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israell And when he fyrst sent hys Apostles he commaunded them the they should not go vnto the Gentils nor enter into the cityes of the Samarytans But in hys last ambassadge when he was redy to ascend vp into heauen he commaunded that they should be witnesses vnto hym in Ierusalem in all Iewry and Samarya and then he added euen vnto the vttermost borders of the earth Yea and Paule also obserued this order For first when he entred into any cities he preached in the Synagoges And together with Sylas and Barnabas he sayde vnto the Iewes vnto you oughte Christ first to be preached whome because ye haue refufed beholde we turne vnto the Gentiles The Iewes oughte to haue beene the fyrste whiche shoulde be called because they had the prophesyes and Prophetes and tables in a manner sealed wyth the promise of Christ Wherefore fayth was fyrst required of them He proueth thys defynicion now set not indeede by things before or by the cause for that is vnpossible but by the effect and as they say by the latter when he sayth For the righteousnes of God is reuealed in it from fayth to fayth That is the effect of the Gospell and of fayth is that we should be iustified Now the Apostle endeth hys Exordium and commeth to the entreatyng of hys disputacion and thys is the principall proposition which in sum containeth that which he goeth about to proue through eleuen chapters that is that a man is iustified by fayth Wherefore this proposition serueth for two thinges for first it is broughte in as a reason of the difinicion set And agayne as the principall proposition of the whole disputacion And so the Apostle by a soft pleasant and couert transition leadeth the attentyue hearer from the exordium vnto the confirmacions and confutacions which follow When we heare the righteousnes of God named in this place let vs not thinke that he entendeth here to speake of the seuerity of Gods iugdements for that seuerity is not called of the Hebrues Nedech but rather Tischpat that is iudgement and Tsedtreth which our men turne righteousnes signifyeth goodnes clemency and mercy whereby God declareth hymselfe good vnto vs. And because he doth this chiefely in geuing vs righteousnes therefore I thinke How this word righteousnes is to be vnderstand that that word was so commonly turned and that word in this place if a man marke it wel aunswereth vnto saluation which he sayd before commeth vnto vs by the gospell And the Prophetes many tymes craue the righteousnes of god which can not easely be taken euery where of the seuerity of hys iudgement For there is none that is wyse woulde haue god to deale wyth hym according to that Ye rather the saynctes crye Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt And god declareth thys his righteousnes or goodnes towardes vs by The meanes whereby God declareth hys goodnes to wards vs. three thinges chiefely First he receaueth vs into fauour forgeueth vs our sins imputeth not vnto death those sins which we commit but contrarily imputeth rather vnto vs the obedience and holynes of Christ Secondly he kindleth in our myndes an endeuor to lyue vprightly reneweth our will illustrateth our reason and maketh vs all whole prone to lyue vertuously when as before we abhorred from that which is iust and honest Thyrdly he geueth vs pure and chast maners good actions and a sincere lyfe All these thinges doth that righteousnes comprehend which is reueled in the Gospell But the first of these thrée is the head and chiefe because it comprehendeth the other and it is sayd to be the righteousnes of God because it commeth from him to vs. For we attayne not vnto it by humane strengthes Wherefore Chrisostome here calleth it righteousnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is from aboue because it is geuen vnto vs as he speaketh without our sweate and labours Howbeit he addeth one thyng whiche must be warely red namely that we ought to bring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is from home and from our selues fayth whereby to receaue thys righteousnes In which sentence if he vnderstande that fayth hath hys ofspring of our owne strengthes and nature we ought not to geue eare vnto hym forasmuch as the holy scriptures apertly testifye that it is the gift of God and commeth not of vs which thinge is expressedly read in the epistle to the Ephesians But I thinke not that this father was so farre out of the way wherefore I interprete hym after this The interpretation of ChrysostoÌ„e â—â—nefied maner when he saw that this imputacion of god is after a sort set without vs hys mynde was to declare that if we will apply the same vnto vs it behoueth that we haue fayth in vs whereby we may drawe it vnto vs. But he contendeth not by that sayinge that fayth springeth of our selues as of the first roote Is reuealed in it Some haue vnderstanded that these giftes of the goodnes of god which we haue rehearsed are reuealed in the gospell because they are reade and contayned in it which thyng I deny not but I thinke that there ought to be added after the Hebrew maner that In it is all one with Paule as if he had sayd by it So that the sense is in that the participation of thys righteousnes and goodnes of god is exhibited or geuen vnto vs the same commeth by the gospell so that we receaue
should continually instructe hys scholer and yet he in the meane tyme should be in hand wyth other matters and haue hys mynde runnyng vpon other thyngs could not suffer so great negligence so dealeth God wyth vs. For he continually setteth before our eyes an open booke of the thynges created he alwayes illustrateth and calleth vs but we euermore turne away our mynde from his doctrine and are in hand with other matters Therfore wyll God cast vs away as naughty scholexs neither wyll he suffer so great iniury vnreuenged For God hath shewed it vnto them Hereby is gathered that all truth is of God For it springeth not of our selues But how it is of God there are two opinions How all truth is of God Some say the it is therfore of God because God hath created those things by which we may vnderstande these truthes But others say whome I best allowe that God hath grafted in our myndes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is anticipations and fore instructions by which we are driuen to conceaue excelent and wonderfull thinges of the nature of God And these knowledges of God naturally grafted in vs are by the obseruation of thinges that are created daily more and more confirmed and polished Some folishly and also no lesse vngodly say that they haue learned these truthes of Aristotle or of Plato so that they geue no thankes Schole masters are the instruments of God A similitude at all vnto God for them These men in dede were Organes and instrumentes but yet not authors And these mens sayinges are as if an Israelite should say that he knew the truthes of the law not by God but by Moyses whē yet he was but onely the mediator and messenger of God and which declared these things vnto the people God beyng the author of them And it is to be noted that wher as God of his nature is so separated from all matter that he cannot be perceiued by our sences he is therfore wont to declare himself by signes and certaine wordes subiect vnto our sences And these signes whiche doe at the beginnyng Creatures are signes which set forth God set forth God vnto vs are creatures whiche when naturall Philosophers diligently weighed as touching the proprieties and wonderful qualities of nature they were brought vnto the knowledge of God For they knewe the order of causes and the coniunction of them wyth theyr effectes and when as they easely perceaued that there could be nothyng founde infinite they concluded at the length that theyr reasonyng must nedes come to some one first thing that was before al other and so concluded they that there is a God These thinges both Plato Aristotle and Galene haue most learnedly taught But lest we should neglect the holy Scriptures they also haue shewed vnto vs The holy scriptures do send vs to learne of creatures this selfe same way to learne by Christ sendeth vs to the birdes of heauen and lillies of the field and to the grasse therby to know the singuler prouidence of God in the preseruation of those thinges which he hath brought forth And Salomon setteth before vs the Ante to imitate for his prudēcy wherby in the Sommer he prepareth for himselfe those things which shall bee nedefull for hym in the Winter Esay sayth that the Asse knewe the manger of hys Lorde and the Oxe hys maister but Israell knewe not his Lorde Hereby appeareth that we may be taught many thinges by creatures Dauid wrote a Psalme wherein is declared this selfe same thing The heauens set forth the glory of God But amongst other bookes of the holy scripture which most excellently set forth this thyng is The booke of Iob disputeth many thyngs of God by creatures the dialogue of the booke of Iob. For the interlocutors whiche he bringeth in were Ethnikes and therfore the matter is there handled onely by naturall reasons There are reasoned many thinges of the reuolutions of heauen of stars of the earth sea lyghtes wyndes raynes thunders lyghtnyngs snow yse also of beastes as of Lyons Goates Hartes Horses and Behemoth which manye thinke to be an Elephant and lastly of Leuiathan the most huge beast of the sea All these thinges are there in such maner entreated of that they set forthe vnto vs the eternall power and diuinitie of God But amongst other thynges which The nature of man most of all resembleth the deuinity of God do chiefely set forth God vnto vs is euen our owne nature for we are made after the image and lykenes of hym Wherfore we most of all resemble him and chiefely as touchynge the soule Wherein shyneth the prouidence of thynges to come also iustice wisedome and manye other most noble habites or qualities and also the knowledge of vprightnes honestye noughtines and filthines And forasmuch as man and hys soule is not sprong of himselfe but dependeth of God then followeth it that we ought not in any case to deny these selfe same thynges vnto God but ought to attribute them vnto hym as to the principall and chiefe author so that hereby we may gather that God hath his prouidence ouer those thinges whiche are done and that he is that iudge of our actions vnto whome as honest thyngs are pleasaunt so are filthye thinges displeasaunt I knowe that Cicero in hys booke De Natura Deorum laboureth to ouerthrowe thys reason whereby we affirme that those thyngs which in vs are most noble ought to bee ascribed vnto god But let hym alone howe so euer he reasoneth vnto vs it sufficeth that we are by the holy Scriptures confirmed in thys matter In the 94. Psalme it is written He which planted the eare shall he not heare He which made the eye shall hee not see Wherby we are taught that those things which are perfecte and absolute in vs ought not to bee taken away from the nature The perfections which are in vs cannot be taken away from God of God Moreouer we sée that our consciences do naturally abhorre from wicked actes which we haue committed and contrariwyse doe reioyce and are glad in good déedes Which thyng forasmuche as it is naturally grafted in vs teacheth vs that the iudgement of God remayneth whose condemnation our mindes aboue all thynges are afrayde of so that sometymes they séeme to bée tossed with suryes and contrariwyse they reioyce when they hope that from that iudgement seate they shall carye away cōmendation and rewardes I could rehearse a great many other such lyke thynges but they may easilye be gathered both out of the holy Scriptures and also out of the bookes of Philosophers Wherefore I will cease to adde any moe and counte it sufficient to haue sayd There is nothinge so vile in the world which beateth not a testimony of god that there is nothyng in the worlde so abiecte and vile which beareth not witnes of God All thynges sayd the Poete are full of Jupiter For what so euer is in the world
testament How we shall iudge rightly of the sacramentes So much let euery man esteme himselfe how much he seeth himselfe to be in the sight of God ill of the law that doth he not but in respecte as it is taken by it selfe a parte from Christ VVhose prayse is not of men but of God Paule reiecteth not the prayse which commeth of men but so farforth as it is seperated from the praise which commeth of God In summe although the sacramentes were not only professions of faith but also outward seales of the promises and of the giftes of God yet was not perfect righteousnes to be put in their outward simboles Hereby we gather that no man ought to boast of his outward thinges So much let euery man esteme of himselfe how much he seeth himselfe to be in the sight of God who marketh not only the thinges whiche are seene but is also the searcher of the hartes Hereby we learne also that both the wordes of God and the sacramentes if they be receaued only as thinges outward do pertayne vnto the letter which quickneth not but killeth And by these thinges hath the Apostle made the Gentiles equall with the Iewes For that they also mought no les then the Iewes be Iewes inwardly and haue circumcision in the hart which God chiefely regardeth The third Chapter WHat is then the preferment of the Iewe or what is the profite of circumcision Much euery maner of way For first because vnto them were committed the wordes of God For what though some did not beleue shall their vnbeliefe make the fayth of God without effect God forbid Let God be true and euery man a lyar as it is written That thou mightest be iustefied in thy words and ouercome when thou art iudged The Apostle continueth still in that which he entended namely to accuse the Iewes And now entreateth he of the fourth thing which we tooke in hand to make declaration of that is that their noughty liuing was no let but that the giftes which were geuen vnto them were both excellent and also to be had in great estimation He had before much deiected theÌ„ for their corrupt life But A distinction because it could not be denyed but that God excedingly loued their nation when as we reade in the Psalme He hath not done thus vnto euery nation he semeth to put a distinction wherein if we haue a respect vnto God he graunteth that he was very louing vnto them when as he gaue vnto them these thinges which he gaue not vnto other nacions but if we consider them by themselues then those excellent giftes nothing profited them vnles peraduenture to theyr farther iudgement and condemnation and that through theyr owne default and not through any faulte of the giftes And wheÌ„ he setteth forth the dignity of The dignity of the Hebrues herein consisted in that God committed vnto them both his words and sacrameÌ„ts the Hebrues he declareth that it chiefely consisteth in this for that vnto them were committed the wordes of God Which wordes although they compreheÌ„ded in them many thinges yet aboue all thinges they offred vnto them the promise of Christ and of saluation Which thinges the Iewes neglecting wholy endeuored theÌ„selues to the setting forth and extolling of circumcision and outward rites Euen as do our men also now in our dayes who when the sacramentes are set before them and especially the supper of the Lord haue a regard only vnto the outward simbols and signes which are but the seales of the promises and giftes of God but the things themselues they consider not and much les haue they them in estimation Much euâ—ry maner of way This is not to be referred vnto this worde Multum per omnem modum not multam profite which went next before For then he shoulde haue sayd multam in the feminine gender Therefore it is to be referred vnto that which he put fyrst when he sayd VVhat preferment hath the Iew aboue the Gentile He attributeth both vnto the Iewishe religion and also vnto the sacramentes thereof so much dignity as he myght do by the word of God And this hath a great emphasis or force that he answereth Much euery maner of vvay For vvhat though some did not beleue shall their vnbeliefe make the faith of God vvithout effect God forbid These thinges he putteth by the figure Antipophora as though there were Gentiles which went about to deface this dignity of the Iewes for that they beleued not the wordes of God committed vnto them But against them Paule writeth that their noughtines was no hindrance at all vnto the truth of God For forasmuch as he is truth it selfe whiche gaue them his word and promised them that he would be their God and that they should be hys people their sinnes could nothing let but that that whiche was promised should take successe because among that people there were alwayes some good men which both beleued the promises of God and also lyued vncorruptly Wherefore in them although not in all was performed that which was promised And so far is it of that their noughtines of life was any derogation vnto the truth of the wordes of God that by it rather it was illustrated and appeared more bright Which thing he proueth by a sentence of Dauid as it shal afterward appeare And as touching the words where as the Apostle saith First he hath not a respect vnto order as though he ment to rehearse a greate many other benefytes of God geuen vnto the Iewes But it is in a maner an entrance or beginning of that which he entendeth to speake Or els it signifyeth The words of God are a most riche treasure the chiefest or principallest of those things which were geuen Vndoubtedly the wordes of God were as a most rich treasure which was long tyme hidden and layd vp among the Hebrues only and not communicated vnto the Gentiles vntill the Apostles tyme. For this was the function committed vnto them namely to sow abrode this treasure among the Gentiles It is certayne that Ptolomeus Philadelphus was desirous to haue the lawes of the Hebrues conuerted by the 70. interpreters into the Greke tonge But yet for all that knew not he that those thinges which were therein contayned pertayned vnto the Gentiles also The Apostles only began to make manifest vnto the whole world that the promises of Christ eternall saluatioÌ„ were common also vnto the GeÌ„tiles And marke in this place that those prerogatiues only are mencioned of which were geuen freely and depended not of any vertue of the receauers And this particle God forbid which he most oftentymes vseth is euery where ioyned vnto those thinges in a maner of which it is not lawfull for vs once to thinke forasmuch as whosoeuer is a professor of godly religion ought to abhorre them Let God be true and euery man a lyer Man is many wayes a lyar partly Man many wayes a lyar because by
of the elders promised a saulour but ours geue saluation But by these wordes Augustine mente onely to put a distinction betwene the maner wherby the sacraments of the elders signified Christ in one sort and ours in an other sort For they so represented Christ as which should one day come ours do so represent him as now already come For how could Augustine thinke that the sacramentes of the elders did by no meanes geue a sauior when as he most manifestly testifieth that the fathers in the Manna had the selfe same Christ which we now haue in the Eucharist And in his booke de nuptijs concupiscentia ad Valerium and other places he oftentimes confesseth that the Elders were by circumcision deliuered from originall sinne Bede also vpon Luke affirmeth the selfe same thing and saith that circumcision differed nothing from baptisme as touching remission of sinnes but onely that it opened not the gates of the kingdome of heauen For to the performance of that the death of Christ was looked for Touching this thing surely I will not much contend so that this be graunted y◠those fathers being dead in what place so euer they were were in the presence sight of God in happy state For they had without al doubt the fruicion of God neither is it to be thought that they could bée forsaken of hym in whom they beleued But that they were caried vp into heauen before Christ ascended vp I know the fathers do deny neither do I therein any thing contende against them But let vs returne vnto that that these fathers of their owne accords graunt namely that Circumcision toke away originall sinne How then can they An error of the master of the sentences say that Christ by circumcision was not geuen at all For what remission of sins could there be without Christ The maister of the sentences very absurdly thinketh that circumcision had the power of remitting of sinnes but not of conferring of grace as though forsooth remission of sinnes can be had without grace He fayneth also that the sacraments of the Gospell had their force of the death of Christ and The death of Christ was of efficacy euen before it was payde forasmuch as this death is now accomplished therefore are they of more efficacy more mightier then the sacraments of the elders as in whose time the price of the death of Christ was not yet paid But this their sentence wherby they appoint the force and merite of the passion of Christ to be but for a time cannot be but absurd For of what more force to saue is the death of Christe now that is already past then it was in the old time when it was looked for to come Vndoubtedly on eche side is required faith whereby assuredly we do no lesse comprehende thinges to come then we do things past But if we will say that GOD hathe a respect vnto the sacrifice of hys sonne offered vppon the crosse vndoubtedly this was from all eternitie and before the foundations of the worlde were layd ratified and most fully accepted of him Of Christ also it is written in the Apocalips That the lambe was slayne from the beginnyng of the worlde And where as they say that circumcisiō had the power to take away originall sin frō whence I pray you had it such so greate power but from the death of Christ Doubtles our baptisme so agreeth with circumcision that Augustine agaynst the letters of Petilianus in hys 2. booke and 72. chapter and in other places proueth that the sacramēt of baptisme ought not to repeted because circumcision in the olde tyme was not repeted if a man had receaued it of the Samaritanes and were afterward conuerted How the sacraments of the elders were weake and beggarly elements of the worlde Why there were more sacraments in the law then in the Gospell vnto the sincere religion of the Ierosolomites But amongst other thinges this semeth not a litle to haue moued our aduersaryes for that it is written vnto the Galathyans of the ceremonies of the elders that they were weake and beggerly elementes of the world But these wordes of Paule are to be vnderstand of those olde sacramentes whiche are now abrogated by Christ Or if this aunswere like not then vnderstand Paule so to speake of the sacramentes of the elders as he saw the Iewes at that tyme vsed them namely without Christ or hys promise But the first answere is both truer and playner for that place And if a mā demaund how it commeth to passe that the sacramentes of the elders were more in number then ours this question may easely be answered Namely that the church was then beginning neyther did they know so many thinges of Christ as are made open vnto vs after that he How they erre which speake softly to themselues the woordes of consecration is now come into the world and hath finished the sacrifice so long looked for Wherefore it was requisite that God shoulde at that tyme by many ceremonyes and images shadow one and the selfe same thynge but there is no neede now of such paynfull instruction For as we haue before sayd the signes of the sacramentes were therefore geuen to confirme the promises of God not as though those promises are not of themselues firm inough but that our minds being otherwise hard to beleue and wauering should by sēsible signes be strenthened Chrisostome in hys 60. homely vnto the people of Antioch If sayth he our nature had bene vtterly spirituall and without body spirituall thinges shoulde haue bene deliuered vs without corporall signes Hereby it is manifest how absurdely they order the matter which set forth the visible signes of the sacramentes to be sene of all men but the promise which should be confirmed by those signes and ought to cleaue vnto our mynds they both pronounce in a strange tonge and secretly mumble vp that it should not be heard of others But that the sacramentes Explicatiō of certaine of the sacramentes of the elders of the lawe which were so many in number were seales of the promises of God may by induction be easely known The tabernacle and Arke of the Lord sealed the promise that God would dwell in that people that he would be in the middest of them The conseccation of the priest and the ornamentes of the garmentes shadowed Christ the only priest and the same perpetuall and eternall as the author of the epistle to the Hebrues proueth And of this selfe same promise Dauid most playnly maketh mencion when vnder the person of Christ he sayth Thou art a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech The sacrifices also signified the oblation of Christ vpon the crosse But here some man will paraduenture say Ergo the sacrifices were sacramentes How then do we say that there is great difference betwene the nature of a sacrament and the nature of a sacrifice So indeede we sayd before and now agayne
lord and his tonge so tyed that he could not declare it which punishment was verye conueniente for that offence For they which beleue not doo nether speake nor confesse Abraham considered with himselfe although I am now by nature past children gettinge and am become barren yet the and might of God is not subiect vnto the impediments of creatures For God can beyond the accustomed maner and course of nature bring to passe whatsoeuer he wil wherfore although I cā not by mine owne strengths beget a child yet God can adorne his promise with a miracle wherby he may ouercome the order of nature The Rabines of the Hebrues say that Abram begetteth not but Abraham begetteth Bycause saye they in that name is put the aspiratiō He which is a letter pertaining to the name Tetragrāma tō As if it should haue ben said the power of God being aded he which could not beget now begetteth children Augustine in his questions vpon Genesis thinketh that this place of the Apostle is not simply to be vnderstanded For we rede that after the death of Sara Abraham had many children by his wife Chetura which he afterward maried And he addeth that the opinion of naturall philosophers is that men of greate age can not beget children of old women but yet they may of young maydens Wherfore he thinketh that we must in this place vnderstād that the body of Abraham was dead as touching Sara his wife which was now fower score and ten yeares old But this exposition hath not such firme cause to compel vs to thinke it to be true For in that Abraham begat children of Chetura Sara being now dead that mought come by this meanes that God had now besides the order of nature restored vnto him strength to beget childrē Nether maketh that any thing to the purpose which Origen affirmeth who vpon this place writeth that the body of Abraham is vnderstand to be dead bycause he now liued chastly with his wife nether had any more fellowship with her But he cōmēdeth him for that when he had receaued the commaundement of God that he should haue issue by his wife he agayne went in vnto her These thinges as it appereth he deuised of his owne hed for they can not be gathered out of the history Now the Apostle is in hand with this to commend the fayth of Abraham for that he constantly gaue assent vnto the promise of God although both his owne nature and his wiues nature were vtterly agaynst it But whither Abraham any thing doubted when God promised vnto him a child the scripture semeth to leaue in suspēce For in the 12. Whether Abraham doubted whē he had a child promised him chapter of Genesis it is written that he laughed and sayd shall a child be borne to one of an hundreth yeares of age And shall Sara bring forth a child being 90. yeares of age I would to God Ismaell mought liue in thy sight These words haue a shew both of ioy and of admiration being ioyned notwithstanding with some doubting And this scripture therfore maketh mencion of these things that the fayth of Abraham which is so highly commended should in no wise be thought to haue bene without doubtings which are accustomed to spring of the flesh and humane fence but bycause the fayth of the Patriarch ouercame these doubtings therefore is it praysed Nether doo we read there that Abraham was accused of God Both of thē laughed Abraham Sara of incredulity as Sara was which also laughed And if a mā waigh the outward laughter they were both a like But God which is the sercher of the hartes vnderstood right well the fayth of ether of them Holy men although they beleued the promises of God yet sometimes through humane weakenes they somewhat doubted and therof it oftentimes came to passe that they required signes and miracles to confirme theyr weaknes which thing we reade of Gedeon and Ezechias The saints to confirme theyr fayth sometimes required miracles A remedy against weake fayth Whither the blessed virgin doubted the king But in this place is shewed a remedy agaynst such temptacions namely to call backe our thoughtes from humane lettes and to fixe our eyes only vpon the power of God Of this thinge the Angell admonished the blessed Virgine saying No word is impossible with God Although it appeare not by the wordes of the virgine that she doubted but only asked how that shoulde come to passe For she doubted not but that as the Angell had tolde her she shoulde conceaue and that straightway but because she saw that she was not as yet coupled in matrimony although she were betrouthed she demaūded how that should come to passe whether she shoulde wayte till she were ioyned in matrimony or whether it should by any other meanes come to passe Wherefore the Angell in his answere comprehendeth two principall pointes The one is wherby he remoueth away doubting if paraduenture there stacke any in the minde of the Virgine for he sayth No word is impossible with God The second is of the maner of conceauing The holy ghost sayth he shall come vpon thee and the power of the most highest shall shadow thee But whereas some fayne that she asked this because she had vowed her virginitye vnto God it nedeth no long confutation The blessed virgine made no vow especially seing we are by the history it selfe tought that she was betrothed to a mā nether was there at that tyme any such custome to vow virginity vnto God But to return to our purpose our part is to resist the doubts which striue agaynste fayth by the consideration of the power of God for there can no doubt arise as touching the will of God For of his owne accord he promiseth whatsoeuer he setteth forth to be beleued nether doubtles woulde he do it if he would not geue it Wherefore it followeth that they whith are tempted The prayers of the church begin at the omnipotency of God with such doubting are in doubt of hys power Hereof I thinke it commeth to passe that the prayers of the Church do so oftentymes beginne with the omnipotency of God to the ende the hartes of them that pray shoulde be confirmed and that they should not with doubting require any thinge in their publique prayers Of those thinges it is manifest how gréeuous a sinne it is to doubt of the promises of God For that is nothing els but to make God eyther a lyar or els A greuous sinne to doubt of the promises of God The deuell hath not fayth weake And they which are of that mynde can nether call vpon God nor aske or looke for any thing at his hands But now forasmuch as this is the nature of faith which the Apostle now describeth it manifestly appeareth that the deuill hath not fayth For he can haue no confidence that he is accepted of God and besides that he knoweth right well by the naturall sharpenes of
Righteousnes to raigne what it signifieth Life a companion of righteousnes man hath life and righteousnes and so hath them that they raigne in him wherfore although his nature be vncleane and his affections corrupted and he some times falleth yet notwithstanding standeth he agaynst all these thinges and is brought to saluation Moreouer by this place we are tought that life followeth righteousnes as before we learned that death followeth sinne And thereof it coÌ„meth that the scriptures very oftentimes ioyne life with faith for by faith we take hold of righteousnes And this order of the scripture Paul confirmeth wheÌ„ he so often reherseth this sentence of Abacuck the Prophet The iust man liueth by fayth Christ also sayth He that beleueth in the sonne of God hath eternall life And this is eternall life to acknowledge thee to be the true God Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent The Apostle hath now in a maner in these wordes finished the comparison which he set forth betweene Adam and Christ In which place this is not to be passed ouer to put you in minde of a certaine reason which the Greke Scholies vse to proue that Christ was of more might to helpe men then Adam was to destroy men Bycause death say they taking his begininng at Adam had as a fellow worker with it the sinne of vs all to preuaile against vs all for otherwise it could not haue preuayled if men had kept themselues pure from all vncleanes But the grace of Christ hath come vnto vs all euen without our helpe of working And they say that this thing is made playne by the grace of the Resurrection which shall extend his effect not only vpon the faithfull which may indâ—dâ— seme to haue brought fayth but also vpon the vnbeleuers namely vpon Iewes and Grecians which had no fayth But that is of greater force which requireth no helpe at our handes then that which nedeth vs to worke therewithall to make it of efficacy These thinges are set forth vnder the name of Oecomenius but they are in any wise to be auoyded For it is false that yâ— sinne of AdaÌ„ should The sinne of Adam hurteth euen without our working together with it not hurte maÌ„kinde vnles men had wrought together by reason of theyr sinnes For an infant when he is borne by what meanes can he helpe that original sinne which cleaueth vnto him But if he dy in yâ— sinne he incurreth daÌ„natioÌ„ and perisheth euerlastingly Farther whereas they say that yâ— grace of Christ pertayneth vnto meÌ„ although they worke not together with it this may after a sort haue place in yâ— coÌ„uersioÌ„ of a sinner For a sinner calleth not vnto himselfe yâ— grace of god but rather by his impiety resisteth it But wheÌ„ grace is once come he is not moued of it agaynst his wil. For of an vnwilling persoÌ„ he is made willing But the Greke Scholies wrest not this sentence this way but apply it to the last resurrectioÌ„ wherein yâ— vngodly shall without any their merite or working together be raysed vp from the dead But this if it be rightly waighed of vs pertayneth vnto the most gréeuous punishment of them and not to a benefite or grace For seing Christ sayd truly of Iudas It had ben good for him that he had neuer ben borne It should be good for the wicked that they neuer rise agayne we also of them may say most truely that it should be good for them that they neuer rise agayne from the dead Wherefore let vs leaue this reason and follow that which Paul bringeth as a reason most firme and most true Wherefore euen as by the offence of one man euill came on all men to condemnation So by the righteousnes of one good was spred abroade on all men to the iustification of life For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous Here he bringeth a conclusion of those thinges which he before spake Nether doth he only coÌ„clude and repete the thinges which he had before spokeÌ„ but also expressedly declareth what that one sinne is which was brought in by one man and one the other side what that righteousnes is by which Christ hath made vs iust And hereunto tend all these thinges to make vs to vnderstaÌ„d that we are iustified not by workes but by faith and by that meanes are we made more certaine and assured of our saluation And in this seÌ„tence there is a want which must be supplied For thus he speaketh EueÌ„ as by the offence of one man on all men to condemnatioÌ„ here is to be vnderstaÌ„d euill or hurt was spred abroade And when he addeth So by the righteousnes of one on all men to the iustification of life here also is to be vnderstand Good was spread abroade or saluation Here againe we haue these coÌ„traries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is offence righteousnes Of which the one pertaineth vnto Adam and the other vnto Christ Nether waÌ„teth this an emphasis that he sayth Iustification of life For it is as much as if he had sayde The vitall or liuely iustification For the Hebrues vse oftentimes to pronounce nownes adiectiues by the genitiue case of the substantiue This thing also is to be noted in this sentence that Paul expressedlye sayth that sinne hathreddunded vpon all men vnto condemnation Wherebye it is manifest that when he before sayd That thorough the sinne of one man many haue died by this word many he vnderstoode All men Which word also he did expressedly put in the beginninge of this comparison Whiche I therefore speake because Ambrose and Origene seme to affirme that death and sin haue not raigned ouer all those that haue come of Adam for that many of them acknowledged God and were deliuered from the tiranny of sinne But this is to confound the benefite of Christ with the hurt of Adam For in that some were deliuered from death that could not haue happened vnto theÌ„ but by the death of Christ which they beleued should come which benefite although they obtayned yet doth it not thereof follow that they before they were deliuered by Christ had not as touching their nature and themselues perished in Adam But these fathers séeme therefore to haue inclined this way for that they weighed the matter according to the number of men For when they saw that all men are not saued by Christ least he should séeme inferior vnto Adam they denyed that in Adam all had perished Therfore they held that on ech side are some to be exempted that both Christ may haue his number apart by himselfe and also Adam his by himselfe And it is possible that this also moued them that Paul hath before and also in this place sayd not All but many But this maner of exposition is vtterly agaynst Paules sentence for he euen as he putteth death common vnto all men that are borne of
lust may be found the nature of In naturall lust there is the nature of sinne sinne For it is vniust that the body should not obey the minde in honest thinges that lustes should be against the mind and beare dominiō ouer it and that reason should be against God and abhorre from his cōmaundements These things seinge they are vniuste whether they happen vnto vs with our wils or of necessitye vndoubtedly they are sinnes But this man which obiecteth these thinges doth he not sée that he must also of necessity graunt that the posterity of Adam is guilty of his sinne and that not willinge and against their mind which thinge is most of all against the word of God For it is written in the Prophet The Sonne shall not beare After Pigghius opinion the Son beareth the iniquitie of his father not his owne the iniquity of the father also The soule which sinneth it shall dye Which sayinge vndoubtedly were false if we beleue Pigghius forasmuche as children do dye and are guilty of eternall damnation although they haue not sinned Vnto which absurdity we are not compelled which do put in euery man that is born sinne and a cause why he shoulde die and be condemned Pigghius also thinketh it contumelious and blasphemous against God for that he suffreth sinne to be planted in them that are borne when as they can do no otherwise but to be borne in suche sorte affected as we sée all other menne that are borne to be affected But let Paul answere to this obiection who in this Epistle saith O man what art thou which answerest vnto God Hath not the potter power ouer his clay to make of one and the selfe same lompe one vessel for honor and an other for contumely Let Esay also aunswere who saith that it is not mete that an erthē pot should dispute with other erthē pots of the worke of his maker God is not such a one to be brought into order by our reasō which should come to passe if we should measure his iustice by the rule of our iudgemēt And forasmuch as there passeth no day wherin happeneth not somwhat in the gouernmēt of worldly things which we find fault with accuse fatisfieth not our wisdome whē then shall we confesse God to be iust For who can assigne a cause why so much grace is not geuē vnto him whiche pearisheth for euer as is to an other which is saued I know that these men are accustomed to say that God doth therein no vniustice because he by no law is bound to destribute one the self same and equal grace vnto al men But vndoubtedly humane prudence will not there stay For it wil complaine and saye that although he be not bound by the prescripte of mans law yet by the law of his goodnes he ought to be one and the selfe same vnto al men Farther what humane wisedome can sée what that iustice of God is that some are taken away being yet infants and children that theyr hartes should not be peruerted with malice and so to attain to saluation wheras other are kept safe till they come to ripe age wherin to deserue vnto themselues distruction when as otherwise they mought haue bene We oughte to haue in reuerence the secretes of God and not to correct them A saying of Cato they had bene taken away in theyr infancy Here we ought to haue in reuerence to worship the secretes of the iudgement of God and not to desire to correct them or to amende them accordynge to the prescripte of our lawes Cato beinge an Ethnike when he tooke Pompeius parte because he iudged it iuster then Cesars at the last the victory declining and Pompey being discomfited put to flight looked vp to heauen and cried out that in thinges deuine there is greate obscurenes For he thought it a thing vnworthy that the prouidēce of God should suffer Cesar to haue the vpper hād And I my selfe whē I consider these things am much delighted whith Augustines answere which he vseth agaynst the Pelagians Two argumentes of the Pelagians when he was in hand with this selfe same cause which we are now in hand with For the Pelagians obiected vnto him two argumentes somewhat subtle and hard One was how it can be that God which of his goodnes forgeueth vs our owne sinnes will impute vnto any other mens sinnes An other was if Adam by originall sinne condemneth men vnwares and agaynst their will why doth not Christ also to the ende he might in no part be inferior vnto Adam saue the vnbeleuers To these thinges Augustine answereth what if I were so An excellēt sentence of Augustine dull that I could not straight way confute these reasons shoulde I therefore geue euer a whit the the les credit vnto the holy scripture Yea rather it is much more conuenient for me to acknowledge myne owne rudenes then to ascribe vntruth vnto the holy scriptures But afterward he dissolueth both the arguments For to the first he answereth God imputeth not to vs an other mans sinne but our owne Christ to saue his wayteth not for their will The iustice of God hath no nede of our defence that God is the chiefe good thing nether doth he as these men alleadge in originall sinne impute vnto vs an other mans sinne but our owne iniquity which sticketh vnto our nature euen from the very beginning To the other he saith that Christ saueth also those that are vnwilling for he wayteth not for them to will but of his owne accord commeth vnto sinners both vnwilling and resisting And he also bringeth many infants to felicity which as yet beleue not neither by reason of age can haue fayth whereby to beleue Therefore do I alleage these thinges to shewe that it is lawfull for me if I will to vse the same answere which this father vsed first and to say vnto Pigghius Let vs suffer God to defend himselfe he nedeth none of our defence that he should not be counted vniust or cruell Let vs beleue the scriptures which crye euery where that we are borne corrupt and vitiate Which thing also both death and an infinite heape of miseryes do manifestly declare vnto vs which thinges vndoubtedly God would not lay vpon the childrē of Adam vnles there were in them some sinne deseruing punishement But they which discend not into themselues neither behold their owne nature how redy it is to all wickednes those I say know not what this concupisence meaneth Howbeit many Euen the Ethnikes wondred at the corruption of our nature of the Ethnike Philosophers saw it For they do meruayle how in so excellent a nature there can be so greate wickednes selfe loue and desire of pleasures And they so acknowledge these euils that they iudged it very nedefull that children should haue correction and discipline and to corect this naturall malice they gaue counsell to sustaine labours and excercises and
First that it is not vtterly vnprofitable no not euen without regeneration for it may serue to some ciuile discipline The office of the law For if mē do the outward workes of the law in such sort as they may although vnto them which doo them they are sinnes yet by thē may be obserued a ciuile order For where there is no obseruation of these thinges all thinges are confoūded iniuries are committed filthy lust rāgeth abrode the wrath of God is kindled so that he suffreth not publike welthes being in such maner corrupt verye long to continew There is also an other worke of the lawe which is inwarde which pertayneth vnto the conscience that it should perpetually accuse vrge scourge and condemne it And by this meanes God as we haue sayd bringeth a man at the length to iustification Which iustification being obteyned nether then doth the law lye idle but is like a glasse wherein the regenerate do behold After regeneration the law is not idle what fruites they ought to bring forth how much they ought dayly to profite what they haue to geue thankes for and how muche they want of the iust instauration to y◠end to obtaine it they may the more ernestly call vpon God The law also putteth before theyr eyes y◠marke wherevnto they ought to leuel in al theyr actions Vnto which although they can not attayne in this life yet they must doo theyr diligence not to depart far from it By these thinges it manifestly appeareth how much the law helpeth in outward workes what it worketh in the conscience and how much it helpeth them that are regenerate Now resteth this to marke that this sentence of the Apostle pertayneth not only to ceremonies Vnder this sentēce are comprehended not onely ceremonies but also the morall precept but also to the morall preceptes For sinne is by them most chiefely increased and it is of more greater wayght to stray from them then from outward ceremonies But now let vs returne vnto the Apostle That euen as sinne hath raigned in death so might grace also raigne by righteousnes vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ Here he sheweth a reason why grace in the elect after the increases of sinne abounded namely that by it we should obteyne righteousnes and so at the length come to eternall life For euen as sinne brought death so grace also and righteousnes which must be ioyned together haue brought eternall life The argument is taken of contraries An argument taken of contraries For seing that sinne which is opposite vnto righteousnes brought death it is meete that of grace and righteousnesse shoulde followe life Neyther is it in vayne that righteousnesse is ioyned wyth grace For thereby we are taughts that our righteousnesse consisteth not of woorkes but of grace The wonderfull order also of thynges is here to be noted In the firste place is put the A very godly gradation law then the increase of sinne and then the aboundance of grace afterward righteousnes last of all eternall life and all these things by Iesus Christ As touching the wordes sinne is sayd to haue raigned in death bycause sinne could not be taken away by the law and death was for his cause inflicted as a punishmēt In the 1. to y◠Corrinth Paul hath in a maner the selfe same sentence saying that the dart of death is sinne For nether could death otherwise wound mankind but by sinne Ether of them are sayd to raigne both grace and sinne when we are moued and stirred vp by them for in Publike welthes kinges raigne and gouerne How grace and sinne a◠sayd to raigne as it pleaseth them In godlye men righteousnes raigneth for they after they haue receaued remission of sinnes study to geue theyr members weapons vnto righteousnes and holines as before they had permitted them to sinne And this is called the kingdome of Christ which is therefore ascribed vnto grace by Why this kingdome is called the kingdome of Christ The rootes of death and life A similitude Grace and life cleaue together of necessity cause it consisteth freely and without workes In this place as Chrisostome noteth are set forth vnto vs the rootes of death and life The fountaine of life is grace and righteousnes the foūtayne of death is sinne And he addeth that death is like a souldier whiche is aypointed armed of sin as of his king wherfore take away the king then death being vnarmed can not destroy mē for euer Farther he admonisheth that forasmuch as haue alredy obteyned grace we should not doubt of the obteynement of life For these things cleaue of necessity the one to the other But why the Apostle bringeth this similitude we may easely shew Bicause grace was of more force to make new agayne then sinne was of force to kill And in that it is added by Iesus Christ we must call to rememberance the Analogy or proposition set at the beginning betwene Adam and Christe For euen as from Adam came sinne and death so from one Iesus Christ came grace and life This place admonisheth vs somwhat to speake of grace Nounes which as the Logicians say are put abstractly are vsually declared by their cōcrets whose significations Of Grace Abstractes are knowne by theyr concretes What is to be gracious are more present vnto the sence Wherefore let vs first sée what this worde Gratiosus that is gratious signifieth with the Latines And he amongest men is called Gratiosus whome all men fauour and whome the common people do loue So in the holy scriptures men are called gratious which haue found grace with God For so the scripture vseth to speake of those whom God fauoureth and We are one way gracibefore God and an other way before men whom he loueth But yet as touching this there is great differēce betwene God men For men fauour none but them in whome they finde those things whereby they may be allured and drawen to loue them It behoueth therfore that he which will be beloued of men haue in himselfe the causes of loue and beneuolence But God contrariwise found in men nothing worthy to be beloued wherby he mought be led to loue them For he hath loued vs first and out of that loue he bestoweth vpon vs whatsoeuer we haue that is acceptable vnto him Wherfore the name of The grace of God is taken too o◠manner of wayes grace is in holy scriptures taken two manner of wayes first and principally it signifieth the beneuolence of God towardes men and the frée fauour which he heareth towards the elect Secondly bicause God endueth his elect with excellēt gifts Grace sometymes signifieth also those giftes which are fréely bestowed vppon vs by God This two fold signification of grace beyng well noted declareth with how great diuersitie our aduersaries and we affirme one and the selfe same sentence for either of vs say that a man is iustified by grace But in this is
calleth sinne by which word he vnderstandeth the corruption of nature y◠remnants of original sin The law is as a scholemaster therfore it only teacheth instructeth But of it selfe it bringeth not forth these euils This place of Paul excellently setteth before our eyes what maner ones we are by the transgressiō of our first parentes When we are called vnto God we flye away from him when we are inuited to vprightnes and eternall life we runne away hedlonge vnto sinne and death So that thing which ought to be vnto vs a remedy increaseth aggrauateth the disease Desperate disseases as a canker and the leprosy are of so great Disseases past hope stubburnes that by laying remedies vnto them they ware worse and worse wherfore the phisitions geue them ouer Euen such is our lust Who will abide such an horse which how much the more he is pricked forward with spurres so much the more goeth backward Vndoubtedly that sonne is of a very wicked nature which as soone as he heareth the commaundemēt of his louing father straigthway with all his endeuor laboureth to the contrary But we are fallen so farre that certaine thinges therefore seme sweete for that they are forbidden vs. Therefore Salomon sayth waters stollen are the sweeter Augustine wisely waighyng wyth Certaine things seme sweete euen therfore for that they ar forbidden hymselfe thys prauity in his booke of confessions accuseth hymselfe for that when he was yet a childe he wyth others stole away other mennes peares not for that he was hungry or for that he would eate them himselfe or geue them vnto others for they were sower and he had much better at home but only to do ill and to committe those thinges which were forbidden him Paules whole The scope of Paul scope is this to transfer the fault which was layd vpon the Law vnto our prauity For the Law ought not to be accused that it was an occasion of sinnes For there is nothing so good but that it may be an occasion of greate euelles Our sauior saith of himself If I had not come spoken vnto thē they had had no sin And in the 10. chapiter to the Hebrues How much more greauouser punishment semeth he worthy of which hath troden vnder foote the sonne of God And Paul straight way in the beginning of this epistle reproueth the wise men of the Gentles for that when they knew God by the wonderfull order and beawty of thinges created they yet glorified him not as God Whereby it came to passe that the knowledge of God which they had gathered by nature was vnto them an occasion of A similitude greater damnation If a phisition should forbid vnto one sicke of an agew cold drinke and he should therefore begin more feruently to thirst that is not to be attributed vnto the phisition And euen as in this case the corrupt affection of the sicke party is the ground of this euill so the corruption of our nature is the true and proper cause of sinne Wherfore we must continually pray vnto God that it would please him to renew in vs our will Farther we must put awaye Infidelitie confirmeth strengthneth lust infidelity which excedingly strēgthneth the lust that is grafted in vs. For if we verily beleued that those thinges which are prohibited of God will certainlye bring vnto vs destruction we would not vndoubtedly commit them For when before our eies is set present death of the body we all flye from it But when we beleue that that which is set before vs is not present death or that we thinke we shall escape it by some meanes we contemne the admonition so if we beleued God when he threatneth death vnto sinners we woulde vndoubtedlye obey his commaundements But forasmuche as there still cleaueth vnto vs that poyson of infidelity which the deuill breathed into Adam when he perswaded him that The condition of our lustes that thinge should not come to passe whiche God had threatned our luste thus subtelly reasoneth with vs that those punishments which God hath threatned in the law shall not be inflicted vpō the transgressors so roughly as they are there set forth and that it is possible that we may by some meanes escape them More ouer by this place we see that they are in miserable and vnhappy case which ar straungers from Christ For al thinges though they seeme neuer so good turne All thinges turne to euill to them that are straungers frō Christ to them vnto euill which thing Paul durst affirme of the law that is of the word of God how then can it be doubted of other things And that which Paul sayth by the law is wrought in vs all maner of lust some so interpretate as though before y◠Law there was no lust in vs. But these mē ought to cōsider that Paul wrote that sinne by the law wrought in vs all maner of lust And if sinne wrought it then must it nedes be that it was in vs before And when as such sinne is called lust it is not simply sayd that it wroughte luste but there is added this woorde All which signifieth whole perfect and absolute lust Wherefore Augustine expounding this place sayth lust was before the law but not full and absolute Nether disagreth Chrisostome from this exposition Ambrose also sayth when the Apostle sayth All maner of lust he thereby signifieth all maner of sinnes Wherefore it is very manifest that Paul ment nothing ells but that out of our contaminate and corrupt nature when it was prouoked by the Law sprang all maner of sinnes or as they vse to say actuall sinnes Nether wanteth this an Emphasis in me For if these thinges happened in Paul who as he himselfe writeth vnto the Galathi had profited in the religion of the Iewes aboue all the men in his time and as he sayth vnto the Phillippians Had walked without blame in the righteousnes of the law and as he writeth in the first to Timothe Had from his elders serued God in a pure consience What is to be thoughte of vs whiche are neyther studious of the Lawe nor Whither the Apostle here tooke vpon him the person of an other man yet doo in any part performe the thinges which we doo know I know there are some with think that the Apostle here toke vpon him the person of an other mā so that these thinges are not pertayning vnto him but vnto men not yet regenerate or still wallowing in sinnes And Augustine semeth sometimes to haue bene of that minde But in his 2. booke of Retractations the. 1. chap. he sayth that he was moued vpon most iust consideration to reuoke that For it is very playne by those things which follow that Paul entreateth of such a man as in mind serueth the Law of God and delighteth himselfe therein which hateth euill and is drawen agaynst his will vnto the Law of sinne Wherefore he concludeth that these wordes
debters dnto the fleshe he playnly declareth how necessary good workes are And he stoppeth their mouthes which spake ill of his doctrine as which opened a window vnto vices For he threateneth death and that eternall death vnto theÌ„ which liue according to the fleshe They which draw the wordes of the Apostle vnto the liberty of the fleshe vnderstand not that he teacheth that men iustified are absolued from the condemnation of the lawe and not from the obedience therof For that obedience lasteth in the Saintes for euer For if ye liue after the flesh ye shall dye but if by the spirite ye mortefie the deedes of the fleshe ye shall liue He here by an other reason proueth A reason from that which is profitable vnprofitable yâ— we ought to liue holily which reason is taken froÌ„ that which is profitable and vnprofitable Two thinges he setteth forth namely life and death neither entreateth he here of temporall thinges but of eternall It is true in déede that it is not comely that we should follow as captaines of our life the prauity and corruption of nature which is signified by the name of fleshe neither do the debts which we owe vnto God by reason of his benefites bestowed vpon vs suffer vs so to do But yet fewe are moued with this comlynes and the nature of man is by reason of sinne to much blockish to heauenly thinges Wherefore it must haue the stronger spurres to pricke it forwarde And therefore Paul added this reason of lyfe and death If by the spirite ye mortefy the deedes of the fleshe ye shall liue Hereof two thinges we gather First that there are still déedes of the fleshe in the godly And who doubteth but that they are sinnes especially seing they ought to be mortefied The second is that these déedes are mortefied by the spirite for mans inuentions will nothing helpe thereunto For whatsoeuer is done by vertues described of the philosophers is sinne which can not through Christ be forgeuen them Wherefore the true and perfect cause of mortification is to be sought for at the handes of the spirite And to mortefy is nothing els but for a man to be violent against himselfe and to withstand and resist wicked lustes Here agayne also the Apostle séemeth to touch the difference betwéene deadly sinne and veniall What is to mortâ—fy sinne not that all sinnes are not of their owne nature deadly but for that through the death and spirite of Christ they are forgeuen therefore they are called veniall Those are called deadly sinnes which are not mortified in vs when we geue our selues to lustes and liue without repentance and sinne against our conscience neither resiâ—â— lustes but follow on our trade of liuing wickedly neither in the meane tyme regard we the spirit or death of Christ These are those sinnes which Paul writeth They which do such thinges shall not obtayne the kingdome of God and for which as it is written vnto the Ephesians The wrath of God commeth vpon the children of distrust For as many as are led by the spirite of God are the sonnes of God By two reasons it hath bene proued that men godly regenerate ought not to liue after the fleshe either bicause they are now debters so to do or els bicause the same shall turne them to great commodity namely for that they shall liue for euer Here is added the third reason for that they are now adopted into the children of God In which place we are taught two things at once the one is that they ought We must liue vprightly for that we are adopted into children Three maner of wayes it is shewed that we are the sonnes of God fréely and of their owne accord to worke as which are endued with the spirit not of bondmen but of children the other is that they which so leade their life shall liue for euer namely for that they are the sonnes of God For he is eternall immortall And that they are the children of God he proueth thrée manner of wayes First for that they are led by the spirite of God Secondly for that they call vpon him by the name of father lastly for that the spirite so testifieth vnto theÌ„ Wherfore the reason may thus be knit together As many as are the sonnes of God liue not after the flesh for they are led by the spirite of God and they call God their father and they haue the holy ghost in their hartes a witnes of the adoption whiche they haue obteined Such ones are all we which beleue in Christ wherefore we ought not to liue after the flesh When they are said to be the sonnes of God which The beginning of our adoption is thâ— spirit of God are led by the spirite of God therby is signified that the beginning of our adoptioÌ„ coÌ„meth only through the sprite of God by which the faithfull are so drawen that they are sayd of Paul to be led that is without violence and any coaction bowed They which want the spirite are holden with ignorance and are tossed by the impulsion of lustes But the spirite of God so leadeth that it both teacheth what is to be done and also ministreth a will minde and strengthes to performe the same It is not inough to know what we ought to do vnles we haue also strengthes geuen vs to do it and strengthes should be in vaine geuen vs if there should want knowledge These two thinges bringeth the spirite of God with it and by that Two thinges the spirite of God bringeth with it meanes leadeth the elect with pleasure After we are once sealed with this spirite we haue obteyned the earnest peny of eternall life and the adoption of the sonnes of God And forasmuch as we are not compelled to do any thing against our wils we enioy most excellent fréedome For we are stirred vp vnto those thinges which we excedingly desire For ye haue not receiued the spirite of bondage vnto feare But ye haue What is the spirite of feare and what of adoption receiued the spirite of adoption wherby we cry Abba father The apostle by a certaine distinction expresseth what that spirite is wherby the sonnes of God are led For he maketh one the spirite of feare an other the spirite of adoption which is no otherwise to be vnderstand but that one and the selfe same spirite of God bringeth forth two effectes which are by a certaine order knit together For first by the law and by threatninges it maketh afeard those men that are to be iustified and breaketh and vexeth them with scourges and stripes of the conscience that vtterly dispairing of themselues they may flye vnto Christ vnto whom wheÌ„ they are come and that they embrace him by faith they are not onely iustified but also are fréely of their owne accorde stirred vp to iust vpright and holy workes Wherfore Paul admonisheth yâ— Romanes that they are now come vnto this latter
our sinnes we straight way despayring of saluation except we come vnto Christ perceaue that we are vtterly vndone Wherefore the selfe same spirite being our guide we come vnto Christ and by faith embrace him and the promise of the mercy of God by which meanes our sinnes are forgeuen vs and we are receaued into the adoptioÌ„ of the sonnes of God Wherefore Paules meaning was to declare vnto the Romanes that they being now past that first steppe being regenerate in Christ haue obtayned adoption and therefore it behoued them not only to liue holily but also fréely and of theyr owne accorde to worke vprightly Vnto this our interpretacion Ambrose subscribeth Two degrees of cenuersion for he sayth That the Apostle here teacheth the Romanes that they are no more vnder the lawe but do now liue vnder fayth Wherefore I thinke with hym that in these wordes is set forth two steppes of conuersion And if a man demaund touching the people in the olde tyme how they had the spirite of Christ I thinke yâ— may thus be answered by deuiding yâ— Iewes into thâ—e partes For some of them Three kindes of peopâ—e amongst the Iewes wer vtterly wicked vngodly which besides name habitatioÌ„ outward Circumcision had nothing coÌ„mon with yâ— people of God these meÌ„ I graunt were vtterly voyd of the spirit of Christ yea rather they liued vnder the spirit of SathaÌ„ On the other side there were some excellent holy men as Dauid Ezechias Iosias Elias Daniel many such other like whom we can by no meanes deny but the they had the spirite of the Gospell although as the time required they were compelled to obserue many ceremonies and rites pertayning vnto the lawe Agayne there were some others which were weake which although they can not be compared with these whome we haâ—e mencioned yet forasmuch as they being godly beleued in the Messias to come and were by that fayth iustified we ought not to thinke that they were strangers from the spirit of Christ although by reason of their imperfection the lawe chalenged greate power ouer them and they were with others as those tymes required compelled to be subiect vnto infinite ceremonies And this is the reason why the elders are said to haue liued vnder the law and vnder the spirite of bondage They had not the Sacramentes oâ— their saluation so perspicuous and cleare as ours nowe are neither had they the misteries of Christe so commoÌ„ly reueled as we now haue in the Gospell Wherfore although amongs vs are many wicked meÌ„ a great nuÌ„ber of weake ones yet are we said to be deliuered froÌ„ the law both because we are deliuered froÌ„ ceremonies for the we haue the sacrameÌ„ts misteries of saluatioÌ„ obtained through Christ made more clere more manifest theÌ„ theirs commoÌ„ly were Paul also calleth the elders little ones for the they The holy men of the elders weâ— seruants but yet profitable seruauntes liued vnder tutors and gouernours and were instructed of the law as of a scholemaister And when they are called seruaunts we ought to vnderstand the they wer profitable seruantes For such seruauntes beare great good will loue vnto their maisters and are persuaded that that which is to the honour of their maister shal also turne to their honour But lewd seruantes neuer refraine from vices nether do they any thing well vnles they be by stripes compelled These their two titles which I haue mencioned Paul ioyneth together in the epistle vnto the Galathians For thus he sayth The heyre so long as he is a little one liueth vnder tutors and gouernours and differeth nothing froÌ„ a seruant wheÌ„ as yet he is Lord of all By which words he declareth that the elect of God amongst the elders were in very dede heyres although according to the consideration of the tyme they were as little ones vnder the forme of seruauntes kept vnder the scholing of the law and elementes of this world This thinke I is to be thought of the elders Now will I returne vnto Paul He declareth that the Romanes are now iustified so that they are no more vnder the law and condemnation but are now thorow faith and the spirite adopted into childreÌ„ Wherfore it is mete that they which are come to this estate should resemble the nature of their father that the thinges which are allowed of him they also should allow and the thinges that he condemneth and escheweth they also should abhorre and detest Although this spirit of adoptioÌ„ can not so long as we liue here The spirite of adoption is not yet perfect and absolute in vs. be perfect and absolute in vs. For there is remaining in vs a perpetual strife of the flesh against the spirit This also is to be obserued that Paul here changed the Antithesis for when he had made mencion of the spirite of bondage the order of spech semed to require that he should haue said that they had receiued the spirit of liberty but in stede of liberty he did put adoption to make the thing whiche he had in hand the more notable For it is a farre greater matter to be adopted of God to be It is a greater matter to be adopted then to be set at liberty Definition of adoption Arrogation what it differeth from adoption his sonne then to be set at liberty But bicause here is mencion made of the adoption of the children of God this place semeth to require to speake somwhat of it also The Lawyers as it is had in the institutions define adoption to be a legitimate acte imitating nature found out for their solace or comfort which haue no childreÌ„ Farther they make a distinction betwene adoption and arrogation For arrogation they say is wheÌ„ he which is his own man at liberty is receiued in the steade of a son but adoptioÌ„ is when he which is receiued is vnder an other mans power Howbeit the lawes forbid that the elder should be adopted of the yonger for it semeth a thing monstrous that the sonne shoulde excéede the father in yeares And therfore Cicero oftentimes vehemeÌ„tly inueigheth against that adoption of Clodius Now God adopteth vnto himselfe his elect not for that he had not an other sonne for he had his only begotten sonne Christ in whom he was well pleased but for God adopted vs wheÌ„ as yet he had a sonne that in al the nature of man he had as yet no children For through Adam we wer all made straungers from him Wherfore God for this cause sent his naturall and legitimate sonne into the world that by him he might adopt vnto himselfe many children out of our kinde And this is not wont commonly to be in vre For they which haue one onely sonne seke not to get any other sonnes yea rather they reioyce that that their sonne shall not be compelled to parte the inheritaunce with his bretherne But so great was the loue of God and of Christ
heaueÌ„ are remoued from their natural order as we reade it came to passe when Iosua fought and when Christ died Ierome in hys interpretacioÌ„ of that place addeth that the Sunne shal receaue the reward of his labor namely greate augmentations of his lighte Zachary also testifieth that there shall then be one perpetuall daye For the light shal be so greate that there shall be no difference betwene day and night If these thinges be true then may we playnly sée in what state the glorious bodies of the sayntes shal be after the resurrection of whom Christe sayth The iust shall shine like the Sunne They shall then haue A similitude a light seueÌ„â—old greater theÌ„ the light of yâ— Sunne which we haue now fruitioÌ„ of Neither is it any meruayle saith Chrisostome if the creatures shall at that time be illustrated with so greate brightnes For kinges that day that they will haue theyr sonnes to be setled in theyr kingdome are accustomed to haue a care not only that theyr sonnes be set out with woorthye apparell and glorious shewe but also that their seruauntes maye be decked and appareled with gorgeous and sumpteous aray Wherefore when as Chryst shall then sit with glory in hys throne and the iust whiche are the sonne of God shall come vnto the kingdom and inheritaunce of theyr father God shall so worke that all creatures shall be illustrated and decked with wonderfull ornamentes and excellent glory Although Esaye sayth that it shall come to passe that the Moone and Sunne shall shine no more but the Lord him selfe shal be an euerlasting light By which words he signifieth not that those slarres shal perish but only that theyr light shal not be necessary vnto the saintes For paraduenture they shal then no more rise and goe downe as they do nowe But if thou aske of him what vse they shal haue after the iudgement he plainly confesseth that he is ignoraÌ„t for that he in this matter is destitute of scrtipures Fower thinges to be considered in this question All these thinges in a maner haue we out of the Master of the Sentences Now there are as I suppose foure thinges to be considered Firste what vse we shal haue of the creatures when we shall be adorned with that glorye Secondlye whither theyr workes shall continew afterward whither the nature and substaunce of creatures shall be preserued and in what sort it shall be Last of all whether all the partes of the world or whether some only shal be repayred and made new As touching the first such as haue ben diligent to serche out what commodity shal come vnto the saintes in the other life of the creatures renewed haue taught vs that whilest we are here we are by theÌ„ holpen two maner of wayes For first the nature of the body the life which we presently liue is by them Two manner of wayes are we holpen by creatures nourished and susteyned Secondly also the minde is holpen by these visible creatures to arise vnto the contemplation of God as Paul teacheth in the first chapter of the epistle vnto the Romanes But when we shall be once in blessed estate we shall no more haue any néede of such helpes of creatures For we shall then enioy immortality neither shall we be any more vexed with hunger or thirst or colde or any such discommodities And as touching the knowledge of God we shall sée The bodely eye perseth not to the sight of the diuine essence him face to face But say they because the bodely eye can not perse vnto the diuine essence as Augustine excelleÌ„tly well teacheth in hâ—â—â—oke de Videndo Deo therefore that the eye should not want a conuenient delectation vnto it shall then be offred a wonderfull adorning of the heauens and beauty of thinges now renued that it may haue not only wherewith to delight it selfe and to reioyce but also occasion to wonder at the power and infinite wisedome of God These thinges in déede I confesse are probable but they are not confirmed by the holy scriptures Neither is it very playne that sithen the body of Christ and infinite bodies of the iust shal to yâ— eyes of yâ— blessed appeare more bright theÌ„ yâ— Sunne what more delectation can the beholding of creatures renued bring Wherefore the plaines simplicitye of the master of the sentences liketh me very well when he confesseth his ignorance in that which he remembreth not to haue red in the scriptures I would to God in defining of other matters he would haue vsed like modesty and faith Now touching the actions of creatures whether they shal be perpetuall or no we can define nothing for certainty The Angell in the Apocalâ—pse swereth by him that liueth world without ende that there shal be no more time Whereuppon some gather that the motion of the celestiall orbes shall then ceasse for that time is the number of motion But this reason is not firme For it may If time cease motion also ceaseth be that the heauens may moue and yet by reason of the great brightnes of the body of Christ and of the bodyes of all the blessed and of the Sunne and of the Moone it can not well be obserued Wherefore motion may endure although there be no time For time is not but by obseruing and numbring of motion But they adde also an other reason that therefore heauen shall cease from hys motion for that his continuall courses conduce to the continuance of generation and corruption of thinges inferior wherefore seing there shal be no more generation or corruption there shall then be no more nede of the motion of heauen This reason in déede is probable but not of necessity For that celestiall motion although it serue not vnto generation and corruption yet may it serue vnto some other purpose which we are ignorant of Howbeit this séemeth to me most certain and which ought of all men to be graunted that those natures of The creatures shall not abide after the iudgemente vnles they shall serue to some vse thinges shall not abide in the last day vnles they shall serue to some vse For it is both against nature and against common reason to appoint any thing which is vtterly idle But what workes God will appoint vnto these thinges we willingly graunt our selues to be ignorant Now let vs sée touching the substance and nature of thinges whether it shal be preserued after the day of iudgement or no. This thing Peter in his latter epistle seemeth to deny For he saith that the heauens shall sodenly and like a showre perishe and that the elementes shal be with a greate heate molten away But Augustine in his 20. booke de Ciuitate Dei the 16. and 24. chapter saith that Peter maketh a comparison with those heauens which perished in the tyme of the floud Which can not be vnderstand but of the regions of the ayre wherein are commonly engendred raines and tempestes
Moses semed by theyr sorceries to raise vp new creatures But I thinke that this exposition Iannes and Mambres is more simple to saye that Paul in this clause would finishe the induction which he had begon For when we vse an induction and haue gathered together many perticuler thinges we adde at the last that all other things are in the same sort to finish vp the reason which otherwise should be vnperfect So Paul whē by an Antithesis he had in a maner reckoned vp all thinges added to shut vp the reason And if there be any other creature besides these yet can not it seperate vs frō the loue of God Which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. This is added that we should not think that we are for our owne sakes loued of God For of our selues we are odious vnto hym seing that we are contaminated with originall sinne which we haue contracted frō Adam and also by many other sinnes which we moreouer commit And that there was nothing which could plucke away Paul from the loue of God Chrisostome hereby coniectureth for that for Gods honor sake he refused not to be cast into hel fire And this he addeth That it is the property of a wise mā neuer to seke to depart frō his father although he be sō what sharply chastised of him For he which cleueth A similitude vnto God is couered with his loue beneuolēce is lyke a square stone which whiche way so euer it fall falleth right By this reasoning of Paul we may easely gather y◠The church shall neuer fall away from God the Church shal neuer vtterly fall away frō God neither shall there euer come any euils of so great might that they can vtterly ouerthrow it Which thing Christ in other wordes promised vnto Peter saying The gates of hell shall not preuayle agaynst it For it is as it were a certayne moste strong rocke whiche although it be striken with waues and floudes yet can not be moued out of this place For the church pertayneth to predestination and hath to hys protection the loue of God Wherfore no creature is able to preuayle against it The ninth Chapter I Speake the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience bering me witnes in the holy Ghost that I haue great heauines and continuall sorrowe in my hart For I would wish with my self to be seperate from Christ for my brethren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh which are the Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glorye and the couenantes and the geuing of the lawe and the worshippinge and the promises Of whom ar the fathers and of whō concerning the flesh Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euer Amen The beginning of this chapter is after diuers maners annexed to those thinges which haue bene before spoken For Chrisostome as we haue declared thinketh that Paules meaning is earnestly to shew how firmly he was knit vnto the loue of God namely that for Gods sake he was ready with gladnes to suffer euen to perish But others thinke that this new speache of the Apostle doth hereof arise because before he said that those whom God had chosen could by no violence be seperated from his loue Wherefore it might seme wonderfull how the nation of the Hebrues could be reiected from God which onely nation God before all other nations had chosen Wherefore say they the Apostle straight way added that not al the Iewes did pertayne vnto the election of God and that their fall was not against the decrees of God But in my iudgement the Apostle séemeth in a maner to begin a new matter to entreate of For hetherto he hath proued that iustification commeth not of humaine wisdome nor philosophie nor also of our workes nor by the obseruation of the law but onelye by the faith of Christ But there remayned two other thinges of great weyght which it behoued him to discusse to make plaine For by these two things men were exceedingly moued so that if the Apostle had not throughly answered vnto them he might seme to haue spent his labour in vayne The one of them was that the promise of saluation was made vnto the posteritie of Abraham and vnto the seede of Israell But now for as much as that kinde of men receaue not the fayth in Christ of necessitie it followeth either that the promise of God is vayne or if the Iewes be saued then may iustificatiō be without faith in Christ The second was there was neuer at any time in any nation so great righteousnes so great an endeuour of pietie so diligent an obseruation of the law as was amongest the Iewes And it were absurd if we should say that God would not embrace such kinde of righteousnes which excelled the vprightnes of all nations These are two such thinges that of them no man can doubt namelye that the promises of God are firme and that an vpright iustice is acceptable vnto God Vnto these thinges Paule answereth in these three chapiters following First he sayth that the promises were made vnto the elect of God and he addeth that the externall people of Israell were not in very dede that people vnto whom were A distinctiō of the people of Israell made the promises as pertayning to the whole number which thing he proueth by testimonies of the scriptures Wherefore though the Iewes were blinded sayth he it followeth not thereof that the promises of God are vaine Afterward he maketh a distinction of righteousnes so that one is outward which A distinctiō of righteousnes consisteth in rites and workes and an other inwarde which consisteth in spirite and in fayth The first righteousnes sayth he God nothing regardeth but the latter is it wherein onely he is delighted and which he continuallye embraceth and of that were the Iewes voyde And therefore God nothing esteemed theyr outward righteousnes These things are entreated of in the .ix. and .x. chapters But in the .xi. least the Iewes should thinke them selues vtterlye reiected Paule addeth that of that people there remained some remnaunts which in successe of time should be brought vnto Christ But as touching the .ix. chapter the Apostle keepeth this order First forasmuch as it shoulde be verye bytter vnto the The Methode of the 9. chapter Iewes to heare that the promises of God shoulde not pertayne to their stocke and that they them selues should not be counted of the nomber of the elect Paul sheweth that he could not consider these thinges with himselfe but wyth great griefe and that he was ready to redeme this calamitie euen with his owne eternall destruction by which woordes he playnlye declareth that he speaketh not these thinges agaynst his own nation of hatred towardes them Then draweth he nere to the very matter and confesseth that the promises of God are firme but they pertayne not to the carnall propagation Which thing he proueth by a most manifest example of
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
neither dealeth he with them rashly Of this example here alleaged the Apostle concludeth Wherefore he hath mercy on whome he will and whome he will he hardeneth Some contend that this is an obiection vnder the person of the aduersary but the order and course of the wordes if it be diligently considered will not suffer this interpretacion For straight way after these wordes the Apostle himselfe addeth an obiection when he thus writeth Thou wilt say then vnto me why do we yet complayne For who can resist his will Seing therefore that the Apostle himselfe distinctly and playnly sheweth the obiection why should we preuent and of purpose confound the order of his wordes â–ª Any man that is not willingly blind and will not sée may perceaue that this last obiection is brought agaynst those thinges which were now concluded But in these wordes being taken in that order that they ought to be this is worthy of noting that the holy scripture when it entreateth of the iudgementes of God vseth harrible and sharpe words as are these Hebrew words there touching Pharao Caschah hokib bad And in other places to make to erre to The sharpe wordes which God vseth against the reprobate seduce to blynde to make fat the hart to deliuer into a reprobate sense and into shamefull affectes and other such like by which wordes forasmuch as the holy ghosts wil is to cause men with great terror and daunting of the mynde to be aferd of the iustice and vengeance of God they which séeke by fayned interpretations to extenuate and to lenefie them as though God doth nothing touching these thinges but onely as they say suffreth and permitteth do seme of purpose to be enemies to the counsell and decrée of God Goddes will is to shewe forth how horrible and God inflicteth most greuous punishmentes not only vpon the bodies of the wicked but also vpon their minds miserable punishementes â–ª he vseth to inflict not onely vpon the bodyes but also vpon the mindes of the wicked but these men as much as lieth in them wonderfully darken these things It is true in déede that we reade in the booke of Exodus that not only God hardened and aggrauated the hart of Pharao but also that Pharao himselfe hardened his hart but this maketh very much to the explication of the matter so farre is it of that these thinges are repugnant the one to the other For ech part is true both that God hardened the hart of Pharao and also that Pharao himself hardened his hart For Pharao had as al other men also haue Both God hardened Pharao also Pharao hardened himselfe Note diligently this explication God instilleth no new malice into men a peruerse and corrupt nature wherout as out of a spring when occasion is offred burst forth all kindes of sinnes Wherefore when God maketh men destitute of his helpe and leueth them in so corrupt an estate if afterward he lay before them occasions whereby the minde is prouoked it can not be denied but that he after a sort but yet not properly is the cause of the actions that burste forth Wherefore when God is sayd to harden or to deliuer vp into lustes we do not thereby meane that he of his owne instilleth into men any new malice or sinne Some when they heare such wordes imagine that God doth that which men are wont somtimes to do when they fill empty vessels as though man hath no sin but God powreth it from without into him but the case is farre otherwise For man is borne and conceaued in iniquities who then can be without sinne This foundacion Man is borne in iniquity and sinne as firme and founded by the holy scripturs we ought by all maner of means to defend Now forasmuch as man is in this estate namely the childe of wrath and set vnder yâ— curse vnles he be by a peculiar grace and help of the spirit through Christ made whole he hath in himself aboundance of sins wickednes We haue also an other argument which euen the philosophers saw namely that God forasmuch God suffreth nothing in the world to be idle as he is a simple pure act perpetually moueth all things neither suffreth he any thing to be idle But forasmuch as he gouerneth all things most wisely he moueth not things but according to the coÌ„ditioÌ„ of the nature which euery thing hath if we speake of the common and vsuall gouernment of the world He maketh the heauens to moue circle wise for that that motion is most aptest for them and after the selfe same maner he moueth and impelleth other creatures Man is moued of God according to his nature So must we confesse that man is moued of God according to his nature namely to worke by reason and will and that in such sort that his choyce or will is not coÌ„pelled but whatsoeuer he doth he doth it willinglye and of his owne accord whether the same be good or whether it be euill Wherfore forasmuch as in mankinde some are deliuered and by grace and by the spirite red â—med from the corruption of that masse which is contaminated in Adam and forasmuch also as other some are left in sinnes and obnoxious vnto vice therfore GOD séeing that by his perpetuall mouing he moueth all thinges impelleth either of these kindes of men to worke neither suffreth he either of them to be idle Wherfore men iustified and endued with the spirite of God are moued rightly and do thinges acceptable vnto God so much as the condition of this life suffreth by their nature being amended by the power of grace and of faith But they also which are not regenerate are perpetually Aliantes from God in all their doinges sin moued and althoughe sometimes they morallye and ciuilly do some good thinges yet can they do nothinge whiche maye be acceptable vnto God yea rather whatsoeuer they do they alwayes sinne But how that sin procéedeth both of God and of them I thinke I haue sufficiently declared Wherefore it is true both that God hardened the harte of Pharao and also that he himselfe hardened his owne hart And to make this more plaine we wil declare it by this similitude which D. A similitude Luther also vsed Suppose that there were a carter hauing many horses which he continually whippeth forward neither suffreth he them to stande still they beinge driuen forward must néedes moue and as many as are whole and sound of legges and féete do go vprightly but if there be any amongst them that hath lame and diseased fete or legges they also goe when they are whipped forward but yet slowly and euill fauoredly for they halt But that halting should not be vnles they were driuen forward For when the horses stand stil the halting is not perceiued but the beginning of haltinge that is the disease or lamenes of the legges the horses haue in themselues and receaued it not at the carters hande So God
a stony hart shalt geue me a fleshy hart These men to no purpose imagine that God setteth forth a certayne common grace vnto all men so that whosoeuer will may receaue it as though it were in our power either to embrace it or to reiect it For if it were so the beginning of our saluatioÌ„ should be of our selues and so whilest we go aboute to defend the liberty of our owne will we spoyle God of his election and liberty For if he equally offer his grace vnto all men as these men imagine then shall he predestinate nor elect none for it shall rather lye in men either to reiect God or to elect hym But the scripture euery where attributeth vnto God the election of those whome he will to Our will is not the rule of the election of God be saued And Christ sayth Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you It is a poynt of great arrogancy to seke to bring God into an order that our wyll shoulde be the rule of the election of God This thing me thinketh is very vnwarely spoken of these men to affirme that they are receaued of God which will admitte his grace and they are reiected which will not admitte it Notwithstanding yet these men by such wiles and subtleties satisfye not humane reason which is the thing they chiefly go aboute For if we should graunâ— that which these men imagine namely that that litle or as they call it that moâ—icum whereby we can either admitte or reiecte grace when it is offred is in vs comming of our selues yet forasmuch as it is of all men confessed that God can by his spirite so helpe that little whatsoeuer it be that it shall not decline from vocation nor be ouercome of lustes humane reason will still enquire why he performeth not that especially seing that he may do it without any his discommodity euen onely by his becke Verely if a father should se his sonne in danger to be striken or to fall is it not his duety to helpe him and to It is the fathers part when he may â–ª to deliuer his son from daunger remedy the danger yea rather it is not onely the duty of a father so to be but also of euery good man and chiefly if it may be done without any losse or dammage But this may be without all doubt affirmed of God for nothing can hinder him when he defendeth any by his grace and spirite Neither auaileth this any thing which some say that it is not mete that men should be compelled to good thinges for we say that men desire not to be compelled but to haue their will made good and so changed that it be not ouercome of sinne And that may be obtayned without compulsion for the Saintes which are The saints which are in their couÌ„trey are not compelled to will that which is good already in theyr countrey namely in heauen of their owne frée and voluntary accord cleaue fast vnto God and that perpetually without any compulsion had at all But they obiect that if it were so then should men haue no merites at all For those merites they say consist in that modicum which they say is remayning in vs so that we vse it rightly But here also humane reason will answer What do these thinges helpe with so great a danger and destruction of infinite men Farther it very much pertaineth vnto the glory of God not to ascribe any thing vnto our merites but to referre all whole vnto him Thou seest now into how sondry and blinde mazes these men throw themselues whâ—n they seke to excuse God who hath no neede at all of any such patrone For all the godly ought to be no les assured that the wil of God is iust then they are These men acquite not God by their excuses that God is But what I besech you get these men by these their excuses Forsoth euen this in stede of one blasphemy which they pretend to auoyde which yet in very dede is no blasphemy at all â–ª they vnwares fall into many absurdities Yea at the length they are brought to that poynt that wil they or nil they they holde that some good thing commeth from men which dependeth not of God They crye out that it is absurde to saye that God is the cause of induration God to harden-taken in that sence that was before declared is not absurd But I would gladly know of them vpon which article of yâ— fayth this absurdity lighteth Doubtles vpon none if they so vnderstand the matter as we haue before declared it namely that we must not thinke that God of himselfe poureth any malice into men But if they shal say as doubtles they do say that they so teach that men should not be offended I would know of them what part in man is offended by this doctrine They wil answere I know humane reason But if they so much weigh the offending thereof why do they not disanull in a maner al the articles of the fayth For doth not it thynke that the creation of all thinges is absurde Doth not it thinke the death of Christ If we should satisfie humane reason we must disanuâ— the articles of the faith and the resurrection of the dead is absurde Paul to the Corrinthyans sayth that the naturall man vnderstandeth not those thinges which are of the spirite of God for vnto him they are foolishnes And what in Gods name shall we say that may satisfy humane reason Shall we say that God as touching perticuler thinges hath not a regard to humane affayres but that he onely vniuersally prouideth for the world Or shal we say that he permitteth men vnto themselues and condemneth no maÌ„ vnto eternall paynes For these and such like thinges as they are not disagreable from humane reason so are they most of all repugnant vnto the holye scriptures Wherefore we sée that this deuise though it séeme goodly to the shew and wittye This witty deuise nothing auayleth yet doth it nothing profite these men Now will we examine the sentences of the Prophets wherein God séemeth somtimes to be said to be the cause of deceauing and of error Shall we say that they prayed against the ouermuche lenity of God and sayd after this maner O God why dost thou so long forgeue this people why doost thou not chastise them that they be not so deceaued and erre Here doubtles I cannot inough meruayle at the so great negligence of these men in weighing the sayinges of the prophets Verely if a man diligently read the 60. chapter of Esay Where it is thus read Why hast thou made vs to erre â–ª O God and hast turned away our hart from thy feare He shal sée that this complaint is rather of the deceates and The Prophets praid not against the lenity of God beguilinges of the false Prophetes then of the lenitye of God For Esay prayed not that the people should be
more excellency then the effect especially in that it is such a cause wherfore if workes be the causes of predestinatiō they are also more worthy of more excellency Our works cannot be of more worthines then predestination That which is constant certaine dependeth not of that which is vncertain vnconstant then predestination Moreouer predestinatiō is sure cōstāt infallible How thē shall we appoint y◠it depēdeth of y◠works of frée will which are vncertaine vncōstant may be bowed hither thither if a mā cōsider thē perticulaly For men are a like prone vnto this or y◠kinde of sinne as occasions are offred For otherwise if we will speake generally by reason of the sinne of the firste parentes frée will before regeneration can do nothing els but sinne Wherefore according to the sentence of these men it must néedes follow that the predestination of God which is certaine dependeth of the workes of men which are not onely vncertaine but also are sinnes Neither can they say that they mean of those works which follow regeneration For those as we haue taught spring of Grace and of predestination Neither do these men consider that they to satisfye humane reason We must not so defēd ou◠liberty that we spoile God of his libertie and to auoutch I know not what liberty in men spoyle God of his due power liberty in electing which power and liberty yet the Apostle setteth forth and saith that God hath no les right ouer men then hath the potter ouer the vessels whiche he maketh But after these mens sentence God can not elect but him only whom he knoweth shal behaue himselfe wel neither can he reiect any man but whom he séeth shal be euill But this is to go about to bring God into an order and to make him subiect vnto the lawes of our reason As for Erasmus he in vaine speaketh against this reason For he sayth that it is not absurde to take away from God that power which he himselfe will not haue attributed vnto him namelye to do any thing vniustly For we say that Paul hath in vaine yea rather falsly set foorth this We must geue vnto God that liberty whiche the scripture geueth vnto him liberty of God if he neither haue it nor will that it should be attributed vnto him But how Paul hath proued this libertye in God that place whiche we haue cited most manifestly declareth They also to no purpose obiect vnto vs the iustice of God for here is entreated onely of his mercy Neither can they deny but y◠they by this their sentence do rob God of a greate deale of his loue and good will towardes men For the holy scripture when it would commend vnto vs the fatherly loue of God affirmeth that he gaue his sonne and that vnto the death and that then when we were yet sinners enemies and children of wrath But these men will haue no man to be predestinated which hath not good woorkes foreséene in the minde of God And so euerye man may say with himselfe If I be predestinated the cause thereof dependeth of my selfe But an other which féeleth truely in his harte that he is fréely elected of Loue towards God is kindled of the true feling of predestination God for Christes sake when as he of himselfe was all maner of wayes vnworthy of so greate loue will without all doubt be wonderfullye inflamed to loue God againe It is also profitable vnto vs that our saluation shoulde not depende of our works For we oftentimes wauer and in liuing vprightly are not very constant Doubtles if we should put confidence in our owne workes we should vtterly dispayre But if we beleue that our saluation abideth in God fixed and assured for Christes sake we cannot but be of good comfort Farther if predestination shoulde come vnto vs by our woorkes foreséene the beginning of our saluation should be of our selues against which sentence the scriptures euery where cry out For that were to raise vp an idoll in our selues Moreouer the iustice of God shoulde then The consideration of the election of God ▪ and of the election of man is diuers haue néede of the externe rule of our workes But Christ sayth Ye haue not elected me but I haue elected you Neither is that consideration in God which is in men when they beginne to loue a man or to picke out a frende For men are moued by some excellente giftes wherewith they sée a man adorned But God can finde nothing good in vs which first proceedeth not from him And Ciprian saith as Augustine oftentimes citeth him that we therefore can not glory for that we haue nothinge that is our owne and therefore Augustine concludeth that we oughte not to parte stakes betwene God and vs to geue one parte to him and to kéepe an other vnto Vnto God is all whole to be ascribed our selues touching the obteinement of saluation for all whole is without doubte to be ascribed vnto him The Apostle when he writeth of predestination hath alwaies this ende before him to confirme our confidence and especially in afflictiōs out of which he saith that God will deliuer vs. But if the purpose of God shoulde be referred vnto our workes as vnto causes thereof then could we by no meanes conceaue any such confidence For we oftentimes fall and the righteousnes of our If predestinatiō shold depend of workes i◠woulde make vs not to hope but to dispayre workes is so sclender that it cannot stand before the iudgement seate of God And that the Apostle for this cause chiefly made mencion of predestination we maye vnderstand by the. 8. chapter of this Epistle For when he described the effectes of iustification amongst other things he saith that we by it haue obteined the adoption of sonnes and that we are moued by the spirit of God as the sonnes of God and therfore with a valiant minde we suffer aduersities and for that cause euery creature groneth and earnestly desireth to be at the length deliuered And the spirite it self also maketh intercession for vs. And at the last addeth That vnto them that loue God all thinges worke to good And who they be y◠loue God he straightway declareth Which are called saith he according to purpose These seketh Paul to make secure that they shoulde not thinke that they are hindred when they are excercised with aduersities for that they are foreknowne predestinated called and iustified And that he had a respect vnto this security those thinges declare whiche In which wordes of Paul the aduersaries a◠deceiued follow If God be on our side who shal be against vs Who shall accuse against the elect of God First by this methode is gathered that the aduersaries much erre supposinge that by this place they may inferre that predestination commeth of workes foreséene For Paul before that gradation wrote these wordes To them that loue God all
certaintie of the foreknowledge of god is constant and is not chaunged as touching foreknowledge as God foreknew that the king should be in danger of that deadly dissease so also foreknew he that his life should be prolonged fiftene yeares And as he foreknew that the sinnes of the Niniuites deserued present destruction so also foreknew he that of his mercy he would geue vnto them to repent and to be preserued By which self rule is to be expounded that place of Ieremy in the 18. chapiter wherein God sayth that he also would chaunge his sentence or repent him of the plage which he had threatened to any city nacion or kingdome if they would repent But what shall we say of Paul who writeth to the Corrinthians that he chastised his body and brought it into bondage that he might not be made a reprobate What ment he to chaunge that firme purpose of God Verely Paul ment not that he was able to inuert the order of the predestination or reprobation of God and therefore he sayde not ne reprobatus efficiar that is that I be cast out as a reprobate but ne reprobus efficiar The saints worke wel to the ende to be obedieÌ„t vnto predestination Why Paul chastised his body It is a dishonesty for a man to geue good monitioÌ„s to liue wickedly that is that I be not a reprobate For he indeuored himselfe by all industry and diligence to bee obedient vnto the predestination of GOD for they whiche are predestinated vnto eternall life labour to mortifye the fleshe And he sayde that he woulde not bee made reprobus that is he woulde not bee founde and accused to leade his life otherwise then he preached whiche kinde of vice all men disallowe detest and condemne Wherefore in that place was not entreated of the reprobation of GOD but of that kinde of crime whiche they are giltye of whosoeuer geue good monitions and in the meane time they themselues leade theyr life most wickedly Although if a man will néedes referre these thinges to the iudgement of God we might wel graunt the same as touching present iustice or iniustice but not according to firme purpose whereof we at this presente entreat Cicero a man otherwise full of wit and excellently well learned was excéedingly deceaued in this question as it is euident by his second booke de Diuinatione Cicero was deceiued which thing Augustine declareth in his fiueth booke de ciuitate Dei the 9. 10. chapters For he thoughte that it was not possible that the foreknowlege of things to come should not ouerthrow the faculty or power of mans will therefore he tooke away all manner of prediction or foretelling whiche opinion how muche repugnant it is vnto our religion all men vnderstande when as it is staide vpon the oracles of the Prophets as vpon sure foundations And we read not that God did euer any thing which was of any waight but that he first reuealed it vnto the God reueleth vnto Prophetes the greate works whiche he will do Prophets He shewed vnto Noe the destruction that should come by the floud long time before it came to passe Vnto Abraham he forshewed the burning of Sodoma And vnto him he signified the oppression and deliuery of his posterity in Egipte And vnto the selfe same Prophets in a manner he gaue charge to foretell the captiuity of Babilon and the returne from thence He also commaunded all the Prophets to foretell the comming of Christ Therfore vnto vs so constant is the autority The autoritys of the Prophet is constant of prophesies that to deny it is vtterly to ouerthrow all religion Wherefore Augustine not without iust cause said that those men which were called Geneth liaci which auoutched the fatal necessities of the starres were more tollerable theÌ„ Cicero for they gaue some place vnto God But if he be denied to foreknow things If God be denied to know thinges to come theÌ„ iâ— he de 〈…〉 d to bâ—e God Noâ—e this that iâ— spoken of Cicero to come therby also is he denied to be God Dauid saith the folish maÌ„ said in his hart There is no God Which saying of the wicked he hereby proueth for that they wheÌ„ they commit wicked facts thinke that God séeth them not and that he will neuer punish them And Cicero hath geueÌ„ vs occasion to suspect yâ— he was after a sorte enfected with this impiety for that in his booke de Natura Deorum he bringeth in Cotta and the high priest thus reasoning together that Cotta desired much that he mought haue vndoubtedly proued vnto him that there are gods Howbeit because he saw that it was a thing odious hatefull and in a maner infamous to deny that there is a God therfore towards the end of the booke he gaue sentence on Balbus side who defended that there are Gods but yet he so gaue sentence that he said vnto Velleius that the opinion of Cotta séemed vnto him more likely Verely a Godly man and one confirmed in religion woulde neuer say that that sentence is likely to be true wherein the diuinity is called into doubt But these are the cogitations or reasoninges of our reason whereof Paul aboundauntly wrote in the first chap. But afterward Cicero himself in his booke de diuinatione vnder his owne person taketh away froÌ„ God the foreknowledge of things to come and maketh answer to Quintus his brother who had in the whole course of the first booke confirmed oracles and Prophesies But why denied he foreknowledge was he driueÌ„ vnto it therfore for that he saw that he must néedes graunt an order of causes and of effectes which Why Cicero denied the forknowledge of Goâ— should be vnmoueable and constante for otherwise thinges to come coulde not be foretolde Now if suche an order shoulde be graunted he supposeth that nothing should remaine in our hande and power But as in God there is to be put a moste singular wil ioyned with a most singuler power so also vnto him is to be attributed the knowledge of all thinges yet let vs not therefore be afearde but that we do those thinges whiche we do by our owne will and choyse The Stoikes which did appointe fate or desteny séeme also to haue bene somewhat moued with Ciceroes How the Stoikes discharged the will of maÌ„ froÌ„ fate reason for they did place the motions of the will of man not to be vnder fate or the connexion of causes Not that they vtterly made frée the wil of man but only they affirmed that in it lay by the choyce thereof to meddle or not to meddle with some things which if they meddled with straight way they were wrapped into the necessity of fate By an example the thing may be made more plaine They say that it was in the power of Oedipus to haue fellowshippe with a woman or to temper An example of Oedipus himselfe therefro But if he once should haue felowship
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
oliue tree against nature neither in this respect are miracles done eyther besides nature or agaynst nature But if we looke vpon the proprieties and qualities of things both miracles are not according to nature yea rather they are repugnant vnto it and men are contrary to nature called backe to true piety and grafted into a good tree Wherefore Augustine aptly said that to haue possibility to beleue is of nature but to beleue is of grace I knowe that there are some which in this place referre contrary to nature this way that the spirituall grafting in is contrary to the naturall grafting in which men according to yâ— rules of husbandry vse wheÌ„ as in naturall grafting the grafte which is grafted in bringeth forth fruite agreable to his owne sappe not to the sappe of the stock wherinto it is grafted But here the braunches of the wild oliue tree grafted into the fatte oliue tree draw their sappe whereout they bring forth good fruites not of their owne naturall plant but of that whereinto they are grafted These thinges without Braunches proper haue greater conformity to theyr owne plante then straunge plantes doubt as I haue before mencioned are true but they seme not to serue to the purpose of Paul The summe is that there is a greater conformity agreeablenes and proportion betwene braunches broken of to their owne plant then betwene straunge braunches to the selfe same plaÌ„t But because this conformity though it be neuer so nigh is not of it selfe sufficient therefore the power of of God is necessarily to be had Whiche power is sufficient to grafte in any whether they be nigh or farre of or howsoeuer they be God is able saith Iohn of these stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham And the Lord sayth Thinges which are impossible with men are possible with God The Prophets and all yâ— scriptures in a manner when any great thinges or after a sort incredible are to be looked for at Gods hands commaunde vs to consider the power of God And thereof commeth vnto the godly most swete consolation if at any time any great aduersityes hange ouer their heddes for they doo not easely feare the power of their aduersaries which set before their eyes the power of their heauenly father And hereof it commeth that the Church when it prayeth for helpe at Gods In the beginnyng of prayers are well put these words almighty God The power of God extendeth farther theÌ„ his will How an argument a posse ad esse is in this place of force hands alwayes in a manner in the beginning of their prayers hath these two wordes Almighty God Neither is this to be passed ouer that it commeth to passe farre otherwise in vs then in God both in all other thinges in a maner and also in this thing chiefly For in vs the will extendeth a great deale farther then the power when as oftentimes we will very many thinges which yet we are not able to performe But it is cleane contrary with God for he is able to do many more thinges then he will For the Father coulde haue geuen vnto his sonne which was euen at the point to be crucified eleuen legions of Angels which should straight way haue deliuered him but he would not But if a maÌ„ say that it is not a strong argument a posse ad â—sse as the Logicians vse to speake that is from possibility to being and therefore Paul ought not to conclude that the Iewes shal be grafted in againe for that God is able to performe that thing for besides power is also required will We answere that here can no controuersy be made touching his will for that he is redy to do them good the promises the couenant which he made and the benefits which he bestowed vpon their elders playnly declare Further if he would graft in the Gentles being straungers why should we doubt but that he will one day bestow the A similitude like benefit vpon the Iewes Wherefore this we may affirme that the nation of the Iewes is at this tyme like vnto the roote of some good tree in the tyme of winter which roote if one that hath no skill looke vpon he will soone contemne plucke vp and burne it if it lye in him But a skilfull husbandman will say that it ought to be spared and will be more carefull to cherishe it for he knoweth that when the time commeth he shall haue thereof leaues flowers God hath not extinguished the Iewes but daily calleth some of theÌ„ fruites So vndoubtedly doth God deale with the Iewes he extinguisheth not that stocke but oftentimes out of it calleth some vnto him and towardes the end of the world looketh for great plenty of his elect to come thereout Not that any holynes is to be attributed vnto that stocke or generation if it be considered by it selfe for as we haue already twise admonished as touching it selfe it is condemned and obnoxious vnto the curse Which thing Paul acknowledged when he sayd We are by nature the children of wrath as others are But when these excellent things are spoken in the commendation of the nation of the Iewes vnto it is adioyned the fauor of God and his promise and couenant which yet burst not forth into acte but only as touching the elect Of which things yet there appeare Certain tokens of the nobilitie of the natioÌ„ of the Iewes some markes in others for they are studious of the law and of the word of God although they vnderstand it not rightly and as Paul sayd They haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge which things although vnto them they are sinnes yet is it a certaine light and shew of that nobility wherof we speake For I would not brethern that ye should be ignoraunt of this mistery least ye should be high mynded that partly blindnes is come vnto Israell vntil the fulnes of the Gentiles be come in And so all Israell shal be saued as it is written Out of Sion shall the deliuerer come shal burne away the vngodlines from Iacob And this is my testament with them wheÌ„ I shall take away their sins For I would not brethern that ye should be ignoraunt of this mistery The entent of the Apostle now is to proue that in the nation of the Iewes still remayneth séede of election which thing he doth many wayes First he setteth forth his prophesy which he calleth a mistery after that he bringeth testimonies of the Prophets then he declareth the nature of the vocation and giftes of God namely that they are without repentance last of all he teacheth that the order of thinges so requireth and he abideth long in this matter for that of the full knowledge thereof much depended the peace and quietnes of the Church at that tyme. And how much the peace and tranquillity of Churches is to be desired we may How much the tranquilitie of churches is to be be
of sacrifices washeth away sinnes How we are baptised into the remission of sinnes Faith must go before the receauing of the sacraments the faith of the elders wherby they had a respect vnto Christ and embrased him in the signification of those sacrifices iustified and obteyned remissiō of sinnes Doubtles the bloud of those sacrifices washeth not away the sinnes of the world but only the bloud of Christ as he sayd This cup is the new testament in my bloud which shall be shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes But whereas we are sayd to be baptised into the remission of sinnes the meaning thereof is that in that sacrament is sealed vnto vs and signified the remission of sinnes which by the bloud of Christ we haue alredy obteyned which selfe thing also is done in the Eucharist and fayth ought alwayes to go before the receauing of the sacramētes if we receaue them rightly and the order be not inuerted for as without fayth men eate and drinke in the Euchariste vnworthely so also without faith baptisme is vnworthely receaued which yet is to be vnderstāded touching them that are of full age for touching infantes how it is with them we haue els where declared Wherfore if faith go before thē is it manifest that sinnes are forgeuen which thing the sacraments which follow seale vnto vs and confirm vs of the will of God and when they are set forth vnto vs they oftētimes stirre vp faith no otherwise then doth the word of God whē it is heard So that it is not possible but that faith being newly stirred vp iustificatiō is more and more taken hold of and our strengths are more and more renued to leade a newe life And therefore whereas Chrisostome when he enterpreteth these wordes saith When I shall take as way their sinnes they are not yet circumcised they do not yet offer whilest they do other thinges pertaining to the law their sinnes are taken away we muste not doubtles so vnderstād him as though the fathers in the old time when they did these things and by them excercised their faith for that they saw Christe signified in them had not thereby fruite as we haue but he so spake for that now after that Christ hath suffred these things are vnprofitable in the old time they did not of the worke it selfe conferre grace as the Iewes dreamed In which thing also in our dayes the sophistical diuines are deceiued as touching our sacramēts But as touching the other argument A place of Ieremy wheras in the epistle vnto y◠Hebrues it is said that the olde iestamēt is abolished made voide the new taking place wheras Ieremy saith that God wold make a new couenant not according to the couenant which he made with the fathers whē he brought them out of the land of Egipt We answer that there the couenant is taken for the law as it is distinguished from the Gospell whiche is hereby manifest for that he sayth that he will write his lawes in theyr hartes and will graue them in their inward partes Which thing is not agreable with the law whiche onely sheweth sinnes condemneth and accuseth neither geueth strengthes yea rather it after a sorte commaundeth infinite thinges and layeth vpon vs such a burthen as we are not able to beare and therfore the prophet there saith that they abode not in their Testament Wherfore this word couenant or testament is not there so takē as we now here take it for as we here entreate of it it comprehendeth both the law and the Gospell And this way there is no differēce betwene the old testamēt and the new but onely as we declared And if thou wilt say that the prophet there also vnderstandeth this woord Testament in such sorte as we now speake of it we may then graunte that by the comming of Christe is made some abrogation The figure Sinechdoche is vsed when the old Testament is said to be abrogated when as those accidences condicions and qualities which were in the olde testamente are now abrogated Wherefore therein is vsed the figure Sinechdoche wherby a thing is simply or absolutely sayd to be abolished or made voyde when it is taken away onely as touching some parte thereof The Iewes are wonderfully troubled with this sentence of the Prophet and can scarce tell what to saye for whilest they seke to defend the old law and so to defend it that nothing is therof to be chaunged and reproue vs for that we haue chaunged circumcision into baptisme and the day of the Sabaoth into the Lords day and haue reiected many other thinges how can they affirme that a new couenaunte shal be made and not according to that which was made when they were brought out of Egipte Here they can scarce tell whiche way to turne themselues Howbeit leaste they shoulde A startyng hole of the Iewes séeme to geue place they say that onely the manner shal be diuers and thinke that the couenaunte as touchinge the thinge shal be one and the same but that vnder Messias it shall more firmely and more surely be established But we may more truely saye that this was done at the beginning of the churche when so greate aboundance of the holy ghost was poured into the beleuers y◠they not onely spread abroad the Gospell throughout the whole world but also no persecutions nor torments were they neuer so horrible no nor death though it were most sharp could cause them to depart from the couenante which they had nowe thorough Christe made with God And as manye as are in very déede faithfull do willinglye and of their owne accord cleaue vnto the truth and vnto holines And forasmuch as here is mencion made of the couenant this is to be knowne that it is for the most part called of the lattines Testamentum of the Gréekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of the Hebrues Bedith all which wordes very aptlye expresse it For a testamente is so called for that it is a testimony of the last will of him which disposeth his goods and for that By what words a testament is called this is done vpon sure consideration in iust order the Grecians called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a disposinge For the inheritaunce is ordered in deuiding it amongest the heires But with the Hebrues Bedith signifieth a league or couenant which here had great force for in this leage was appoynted that God should be their God and I testamēt why it i◠so called they his people And the form and strength of this couenant leage and testament herein chiefly consisteth that our sinnes should be forgeuen vs and that by Christ And when the Prophet writeth that out of Sion shall come a redeemer vnto Iacob Christ shall not come again to redeme mankind it is not so to be vnderstanded as though Christ shall come againe into the worlde to redeme them for it is sufficient
Augustine expouÌ„ding this place out of yâ— first epistle of Iohn Perfect charity casteth out feare sayth that this seruile feare is not vnprofitable for euen as a bristle being put by the shoomaker A similitude draweth the threade after it so this feare draweth with it charity As touching yâ— first I answere yâ— their grouÌ„d is false namely that God hath euer in any place coÌ„maunded such a feare which wanteth charity faith Which thing I know right wel these meÌ„ are neuer able to find But as touching Augustine we answer yâ— in yâ— A place of Iohn place of Iohn Herein is charity perfect in vs that in the day of iugdemeÌ„t we haue coÌ„fideÌ„ce for as he is eueÌ„ so are we In this world there is no feare in charity but perfect charity casteth out feare by charity is not to be vnderstaÌ„ded our loue towardes God but yâ— loue of God towardes vs. For he speaketh of perfect charity such a one as we haue not in this life And yâ— meaning of Iohn is that after yâ— we are perswaded of the perfect loue of God wherewith he embraseth vs we haue confideÌ„ce that in yâ— day of iudgemeÌ„t we shal be in safety And this perfect charity of God after we once know it casteth out feare bicause it suffreth vs not to feare Wherefore that interpretacion of Augustine touching our loue towards God maketh nothing to the purpose But suppose that Iohn spake of our loue towardes God as that place is commonly taken In that sence also may the wordes of Augustine be true but yet not vniuersally Charity doth not alwayes follow a seruile feare that charity alwayes followeth such feare for we know yâ— it otherwise happened in Cayn and Iudas but only in men which are to be iustified For God vseth this meane first to perce them with greate feare of theyr sinnes and then by it to bring them vnto fayth and charity In the meane time yet we nothing doubt How a seruile feare is called profitable but that that feare is sinne Howbeit the sayd feare may be called profitable not worthely or of his owne nature but bicause of the order instituted by God whose will is so to vse it to our saluation And this thing also we adde that that charity the more it increaseth in vs so much the more and more doth it cast forth feare not only seruile feare but also the feare which men that are iustified haue For whosoeuer is thoroughly perswaded of the loue of God towardes him can neuer feare his owne damnation For that doubting whereby we feare eternall punishments is sinne And yet that doubt somewhat alwayes sticketh in our mindes for we neuer in this life beleue so much as we ought nor so much as we should And by reason of this weakenes of charity wherewith we should loue our neighbour and also by reason of the infirmity of the perswasion whereby we ought to beleue in God so long as we are in this life we neuer cleane put of all this vicious feare This also they take and obiect agaynst vs Aske and ye shall receaue Seke and ye shall finde How this is to be vnderstand Aske and â—e shall receaue knocke and it shal be opened vnto you But they oughte to remember that prayers procede from fayth and cleane vnto it only For otherwise they can not be heard But I meruayle why they lefte this vnspoken of Whatsoeuer ye shall aske beleuing it shal be geuen you For by these wordes it appeareth that whatsoeuer is geuen vnto them yâ— aske is geuen vnto fayth Hereunto also they adde a sentence out of Luke Geue almes and all thinges are cleane vnto you Geue almes and all thinges shal be cleane vnto you But these wordes may be expounded thrée maner of wayes of which yet neuer a one serueth for theyr purpose The first way is to say yâ— that kind of speach was any Irony as if Christe should haue sayd vnto the Pharisies ye geue almes and ye thinke straight way that all things are cleane vnto you Whiche is not so for we ought first to make cleane those thinges which are within An other way is which Augustine followeth in his Encheridion to Laurentius Certayne had perswaded themselues that if they gaue almes they should be saued though they ceassed not froÌ„ sinning And theyr chiefest anker hold was these wordes of Christ Augustine answereth that those wordes of Christ are to be vnderstand of the true and approued almes of which is written in Ecclesiasticus the 30. chapiter Haue compassion of thy soule and please God Wherfore thou oughtest to beginne true almes at thine owne selfe that hauing compassion of thy selfe thou mayest be conuerted vnto God and ceasse of from sinnes and afterward haue compassion of others And the third way is this which in my iudgement more agréeth vnto the purpose Christ being at dinner with the Pharisies began to eate with vnwashed handes for which thing when they were offended Christ began to reproue theyr ignoraunce which would haue theyr dishes hands and all outward thinges made cleane and beawtiful but as touching that which they had inwardly that is in theyr mind they were nothing careful Wherfore he first exhorteth them to purifye the hart which is inwardly whiche thing is done by fayth For in the Actes it is written By fayth purifieng theyr hartes Afterward as touching outward thinges he addeth Geue almes and so all thinges shal be cleane vnto you Farther as Theodorus Beza a man of greate learning and iudgemeÌ„t hath in his adnotations very well considered Christ spake not of all maner of cleanes but of that which pertayneth vnto meate whereunto Christe applieth a double commaundement one is that they should eate nothing gotten by rapine or stealth an other is that of those thinges which are within that is which are contayned in the dishes somewhat should be taken out for the almes of the poore whereby what soeuer is left might be clensed and sanctified But of all this there is nothing which furthereth our aduersaries opinion There are others which thinke to establishe this theyr error by the ministery of the kayes by which other thinke that men are absolued from sinnes But they are farre deceaued for they vnderstand not what What be the kayes that are deliuered vnto the Church those kayes are which Christ hath commended vnto the Church The preaching of the word of God touching the remission of sinnes to be obteined by Christ is the only kay to open the kingdom of heauen And if he which heareth this word do also adioyne a true fayth and geue ful assent vnto those wordes then commeth also yâ— other kay With these two kayes is the kingdome of heauen opened and the forgeuenes of sinnes obteyned Wherefore Christ sending forth his Apostles sayd Go ye and preach the Gospell Then he addeth He which beleueth shal be saued By these few wordes he expressed the kayes which he deliuered vnto the
place and as here the gift of healinges and of miracles followeth fayth so doth there the remouing of mountaines wherfore those thinges which Paul hath spoken of a perticular fayth ought not to be wrested to the vniuersal and iustifieng fayth For that is to make a false argument A secunduÌ„ quid ad simpliciter As if a man should say this fayth may be seperated from iustification which is called fayth secundum quid ergo the true fayth and the iustifieng faith which is called fayth simpliciter that is to say absolutely may be seperated from iustification If a man should so compare two seuerall kindes that he will ascribe one and the selfe same propriety vnto either of them he shall soone be deceaued But Pigghius saw that by this easy and playne exposition all his reasoning may be ouerthrowen and therfore went he about by violence to take it from vs forgetting in the meane time that the author and patrone therof is Chrisostome And to infring it he vseth this argument Vniuersall propositioÌ„s are to be drawen vnto thâ— matter wherof is at that tyme entrâ—ated Paul manifestly sayth All fayth Wherfore we may not vnderstand it of any singular faith For the Apostle maketh an vniuersall propositioÌ„ But this man ought to remember that vniuersall propositions are to be contracted or draweÌ„ vnto that matter wherof is at that time entreated And although this might be declared by many examples yet at this present only one shall suffice vs. Paul in that selfe same epistle vnto the Corrinthians the first chapiter sayth that he geueth thankes vnto God for them for that they were enriched in all kind of speach and in all knowledge And yet it is not very likely that they were by the spirite of Christ endewed with naturall philosophy with Metaphisicall and Mathemathematicall knowledge with knowledge of the law and with other liberall sciences but only with all knowledge which perttayned vnto piety and vnto the Gospell Neyther is it likely that they by the power of the holy ghost were adorned with all kind of Rhetorical Logicall Poeticall and historicall speaches but onely with those which pertayned vnto the edification of the church with sounde doctrine and godly admonitions Wherfore propositions although they be vniuersall yet are not alwayes to be vnderstanded simply but ought sometimes to be drawen vnto the matter wherof is at that time entreated Wherfore that which Paul sayth If I haue all faith we vnderstand of all that faith which serueth vnto the working of miracles And that this contraction is of necessitie the wordes which followe do declare For Paul straight way addeth So that I can remoue mountaynes Chrisostome also saith that he in that vniuersalitie saw that this perticuler sentence is of necessity to be vnderstand For he saith that it may be doubted how Christ saith that to remoue mouÌ„taines a little faith is sufficient which in his smalnes of quantitie resembleth a grain of mustard sede wheÌ„ as Paul saith If I haue all faith so that I caÌ„ remoue mountains as though to bring that to passe is required a woÌ„derful great faith He thus dissolueth the question and saith that Christ spake of the truth nature of the thing for the gift of faith though it be neuer so small is sufficient to worke miracles be they neuer so great but Paul had a respect vnto the common opinion and iudgement of men for they when they looke vpon the greatnes and hugenes of a mountaine thinke that it cannot be remoued without a certaine incredible efficacy and greatnes of faith Neither helpeth it much Pighius cause that Erasmus makyng Erasmus opinion aunswer vnto the Sorbonicall doctors reiecteth this our interpretation For first his reason is very weake and secondly false for he saith that the purpose of the Apostle was to prayse charity by comparison But what prayse should that be saith he if it should be compared with faith which is one of the frée giftes of the holy ghost and may light as wel vpon the wicked as vpon the godly For he should but coldly prayse a man which should say that he is better theÌ„ a dogge or a beare First this is false that Paul compareth not charity with frée gifts of God For he maketh mencion of prophesâ—eng of knowledge and of the gifte of tounges and preferreth Charity before them Secondly it is weake that he sayth that if our interpretation be receaued the Apostle shoulde compare Charity onely with frée gifts For we confesse that toward the end he coÌ„pareth it with the true fayth For Paule saith there are thre things faith hope and charitie but the chiefest is charitie And he bringeth a reason why for it abideth and the other shall cease Farther it is a full comparison if as we haue sayd we begin at the frée gifts and so afterwarde come in order to the vertues Theological yea rather by that that Paule towarde the ende of the chapiter compareth charitie with true faith it is most likely that he did not so before But if we should fully graunt this vnto Pighius that that faith wherof Paul speaketh is yâ— vniuersal faith wherby men are iustified yet neither so vndoubtedly should he obtain his purpose For yâ— Apostle going about by al maner Figurâ— fictionis â–ª of meanes to set forthe charitie thought to amplifie yâ— same by a fiction or faining which is a figure of Rhetorike knowen euen vnto children And yet doth not Paul therfore bring a false proposition for he vseth a conditional proposition which we may not resolue into a categoricall proposition yet notwithstanding is the truth in the meane time kept As if I should say vnto a man if thou haddest the life or vse of the reasonable soule without the life or vse of the sensible soule thou shouldest not be affected with pertâ—rbations of minde no man coulde reproue this kinde of speache to be false And yet it is not possible that in a man the reasonable life should be seperated from the animall life Such kinde of speaches also are fouÌ„d in the holy scriptures As for example If I shall ascend vp into heauen thou art there if I shall desceÌ„d down into hell thou art present And if I take the fethers of the morning and dwell in the vttermost endes of the sea thither shall thy right hand leade me These sentences are true and yet is it not possible that a man should take vnto him the fethers of the morning After the same manner we say if a man should seperate faith from charitie he should make it vnprofitable although in very déede it can not be seperated from charitie And that Paule in that place vsed suche an Hyperbole or fiction that manifestly declareth which he a little before spake Though I should speake with the tongues of men and of Angels and haue not charitie I am made as a sounding brasse or a tingling cimball But we knowe that Angels haue neyther bodyes nor
Pighius when thou she west me one which being not yet regenerate by his owne strengths repenteth him of all his iniquities obserueth al the commaundements of God we wil say that he is iustified by his works But when will this ship ariue wherfore let him cease to boast of the words of the law For those words what so euer they be whether they pertaine vnto promises or vnto proceptes we will after this maner interprete But he saith moreouer that Christ also sayd He that dothe the will of my father shall enter into the kingdome of heauen But the Lord saide not saith he He which beleueth Yea but I say that in an other place he did and maketh no mention of any worke For this saithe he is the will of my father that he which seeth the sonne and beleueth in him haue eternall life Let not Pighius then from henceforth deny that the Lord euer spake this But that no man should thinke that the scriptures speake things contrary I answere that these two sentences are not repugnant but agrée very well together Pighius by the will of the father vnderstandeth a great heape of good workes But Christ saith this is the work of God that ye beleue And after this action of beleuing follow many other good workes Wherefore the holy scriptures are not repugnant one to the other And Pighius argument is left weake and of no efficacie But bicause Pighius séeth himselfe vrged with the word of God for that so oftentimes is red in the holy scriptures that man is iustified by faith He saith that that is to be vnderstande of a liuely and strong faith which hathe ioyned with it other vertues As thoughe forsothe we euer spake of any other faith If he speake this from the heart he beleueth the self same thing that we beleue Wherfore lay aside the contention and the controuersie being ended let vs all agrée in one But Pighius cannot abide that this agréement should take place For afterward when he expoundeth how we are iustified fréely he saith that that is nothing else but that God will fréely impute vnto vs vnto righteousnesse the works of faith hope and charitie What haue we héere to do Doubtlesse it séemeth vnto me that this man doth not with a sound iudgment read the scriptures but doth with a corrupt affection wrest them at his pleasure For where workes are Paule denyeth that there is any frée imputation for these two are repugnaÌ„t one to the other Wherfore in that Pighius goeth about to ioyne them together doeth he not séeme most manifestly to be against the Apostle Thus muche of Pighius vnto whome our Smith the eight wise man of Gréece and the first wise man of Englande adioyneth himselfe a companion as Theseus did vnto Hercules But in very déede hâ— bringeth nothing else but that which he hath drawne out of the sinks of this man and other suche like First he saith that faith is not touching remission of sinnes and therefore we fondly faine that iustification is had by it For the faith saith he wherby Christians are discerned from no Christians is in Iesus Christ Which thing also as though it made much to the purpose he goeth about to proue by yâ— holy scriptures and by a testimony of Ierome But I would haue this man to answere me if euer he learned the Hebrew tongue what is the signification of this name Iesus Vndoubtedly amongst all the Hebrewes this word Iaschag signifieth to saue wherefore Iesus may in Latine rightly be turned Seruator that is a sauior But if which thing I thinke true he be ignorant of the Hebrew tongue yet he ought at yâ— least to haue beleued the Angel which so interpreted that name Thou shalt call his name saith he Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes How then can faith be in Christ Iesus vnlesse it be also touching the remission of sinnes through Christ Afterward he is not aferd to cite that also out of the Epistle of Peter Charitie couereth a multitude of sinnes Behold saith he forgeuenes of sinnes is here ascribed not vnto fayth but vnto charitie He that will haue a mete axe to cutt those knots a soâ—der let him attentiuely consider the holy scriptures and diligently sée from whence those places which are cited in the new testament are taken out of the old This sentence of Peter is had in a maner out of the 10. chap. of the Prouerbs For there it is thus written Hatred stirreth vp rebukes For whome a man hateth he vncouereth and publisheth abroad his faultes as much as in him lieth But contrariwise Charitie hideth and couereth the sinnes of his brother For they which truly loue one an other are wont to defend one and other and to couer one an others faults so much as they se by conscience they may And this is a most true sentence of Salomon Wherfore Peter going about to exhort Christians vnto Charity wisely and aptly borowed this sentence out of Salomon But Smith not vnderstanding nor considering this thinketh that Peter thought that remission of sinnes is gotten by Charity But he is most fowly deceaued as oftentimes he is wont to be But leauing these men aside let vs this remember that if any time the Fathers seme to attribute righteousnes vnto workes the same is not to be vnderstand of that righteousnes which God fréely imputeth vnto vs thorough Christ but of yâ— inward righteousnes cleauing vnto vs which we continually get and confirme by vpright life Or if those thinges which they speake doo manifestly pertayne vnto the righteousnes imputed that is vnto the remission of sinnes we must alwayes as we haue before taught run vnto the foundacion of good workes namely vnto a liuely fayth in Christ Which rules and such like if our aduersary would consider they would neuer so impudently obstinately defend so manifest lyes Although if I should speake any thing touching Pighius forasmuch as I sée that he is nether of dul wit nor vnlearned I can not say that he in earnest and from the hart wrot touching this matter but when he had once taken the matter in hand he counted these thinges for pastime and pleasure But now to prosecute that order which I haue appoynted let vs come vnto the Fathers and sée how muche they make on our side And vndoubtedly for thys matter shall we not nede any great nomber of testimonies For euen as to vnderstand of what tast the water of the sea is it is not nedeful yâ— a man drinke vp the whole sea so to vnderstand what the Fathers thinke touching this we shall not nede to go thorough all theyr sayings Ireneus a most auncient author in his 4. booke and 30. chapter agaynst Valentine writeth somewhat touching this matter although briefly And I suppose that he for this cause wrote so briefely of it for that this truth was in those first times so confessed and certayne that it was not of any
powers a power of the father towardes his children there is also a power of the husbandâ— towardes the wife and a power of the master towards his seruaunts and there is also ouer common wealthes these powers Regia that is the power of a King and then Aristocratica which is where the best men gouerne and Politica that is a political gouernement and Tyrannica Oligaâ—chia Democratica And although these three kindes are excedingly corrupted and vitiated yet is God the author of them For there is in them a force might and power to gouerne men and to kepâ— them vnder which vndoubtedly could by no meanes be but of God But if thou demaund at what time such powers first began or when they were first ordained of God I answere that that light which God hath grafted in our mindes shewed vnto men euen from the beginning the maner of bearing rule and it was afterward In what place God by his word confirmed the magistrate by sondry oracles of God confirmed In the booke of Genesis God sayde to Noe and to his children that mannes bloud should be required at his hand which should shed it that is that he which killed a man should also be killed And the this ought not to be done rashly and of euery man euen reason it self teacheth Wherfore out of this place is most manifestly gathered that there ought of necessitye to be chosen out men to decide causes and to punishe the guiltye But for that we sée that in kingdomes many things are done ouerthwartly and vniustly lawes are peruerted and the commaundements of God are violated many thinke that it can not be that such powers should be of God But as Chrysostome very well admonisheth the thing it self that is the principall function must be distinguished In iudging we must distinguishe the thyng from the person from the person For it is not to be doubted but that the person for as much as he is a man may abuse a good thing but the thing it self considered apart forasmuche as it is good cannot come from any els where but from God For euen as in the nature of things he hath appoynted al things orderly For he hath set heauen ouer the elements and therehense through the ayre he infuseth sundry powers and faculties into the earth and thereof bringeth forthe diuers and manifolde fruites wherewith we are nourished and liue And in mannes body he hath set the head in the top as in a tower and vnder it hath placed the eyes the eares the nose and other members euen to the soole of the féete so in order he preserueth humane society so that there are in it certayne degrées by which it is directed in those workes wherein men communicate the one with the other For it is not possible that where all are equall should long be kept peace For therof rather spring contencions and discordes Wherefore some must néedes be aboue others to take away contencions and to bring matters of controuersy to a quietnes This thing God 〈◊〉 cannot be had where equalâ—y is hath not denied to beas cranes and fishes For these liuing creatures haue their kinges and princes by whose conduit and leading they either go forth to worke or returne from worke Wherefore seing that man is the most excellent of all liuing creatures and communicateth in many actions it was most requisite that he should be fensed of God with this ayde of principality But besides this reason which yet is most true and very necessary the holy scriptures also constantly affirme God geueth and traÌ„sferreth kingdoms the selfe same thing For they teach that God is not only the author of all publique power but also that he distributeth kingdoms principalities wheÌ„ to whoÌ„ he wil at his pleasure For somtymes he called yâ— Assirians somtimes yâ— ChaldeaÌ„s somtymes other nations which by violence ouercoÌ„ming oppressing yâ— Israelites rayned ouer them The kingdom which Dauid and Salomon had receaued all whole was by the will of God rent in sonder and ten partes thereof were geuen to Ieroboam the sonne of Mabath And yâ— this thing should come to passe the Prophet in the name of God did shew vnto Ieroboam before yâ— it came to passe God afterward remoued the famely of Aâ—hab that it should no longer raigne commaunded Elizeus to anoynt and consecrat Iohn the sonne of Nansi And in the 4. chapiter of Daniell it is thus written God obtayneth the kingdome amongst men and God by euill princes punisheth sinnes deliuereth it to whome so euer he wyll Howbeit God obserueth this order to vse wicked and vngodly Princes to punish the wicked doinges of the people And indéede we oftentimes see that sumptuousnes pompe pride and raging lustes are kept vnder by the violence of tyrans which otherwise if al things were quiet could not be cestrayned Lenity oftentimes can not remedy these euils therefore that they should not to farre range abroad stronger remedies are necessary And after that men being in this sort chastised doo returne vnto God he comforteth them and prouideth for them gentler princes and more iust gouerners For he will not suffer that thorough the cruelty of tirannes thinges humane should vtterly be ouerthrown God wyth tyranny entermingleth some iust princes and come to nought And this is the cause why God as it is manifest by histories alwayes with these monsters that is with these cruell and bloudy tirannes mingleth some godly and iust princes For he wil not haue vices so be repressed that the nature of men should vtterly perish Wherefore not only good and iust princes doo raigne by the wil of the lord but also vngodly and wicked trianns But if thou wilt say it be so why sayth Osea vnder the persoÌ„ of God They haue raigned but not by me I answere for that euill princes and such which after that by wicked meanes haue obteyned the kingdome doo by worse meanes gouerne it these I say in that they thus beastly behaue themselues haue not a respect to the will of God which is reuealed vnto vs either by the law of nature or in the holy scriptures For by that will of God theyr doinges and endeuors are most manifestly reproued And in this maner they are sayd not to raigne by God for that they apply not themselues to the written and reueled will of God Howbeit it can not be denied but that God by his hiddeÌ„ and effectuall will would haue them to raigne to that end which we haue now declared For that is not inough which some answere that God doth not these thinges but only permitteth them For the holy scriptures manifestly testefie that he called the Babilonians the Assirians and other nations to vexe and afflict the Israelites and that agaynst Salomon and other kinges he raysed vp enemies and aduersaries to kepe them vnder and to chastice them And forasmuch as these men being thus raysed vp haue no regard at all to