Germanie the Electors of the Empire vse somtimes to doe But to returne to Paul those two offices of powers which he mentioneth are the principallest and most necessary and such that they compreheÌ„d in maner all other offices of power Solon was wont to say that the coÌ„mon wealth consisteth in two things in rewarde and in punishment And Antistenes the Philosopher was accustomed to say that those Cities tended to destruction and present ruine where was no difference betwene good and euill His meaning was that good Citezens ought to be adorned with rewardes and wicked men scourged with punishment Vvilt thou be about feare of the power He vseth a kinde of reasoning where in is a preuention ioyned with the confutation of that thing which mought easely come into a mannes minde These powers although they bring many things profitable To be astâ—id of the powers is irkesome yet oftentimes they are terrible and they driue into men a terror feare which is a thing very irkesome Wherfore Paul sayth behaue thy selfe wel thou shalt be without feare For know thou for a certaintie that either thou shalt receiue praise of the power or if the same power be ouermuche violent and cruell God will geue vnto thée so muche strength and constancie that thou shalt be able with a valiaunt and stout courage to suffer all manner of extremities For if he gaue this thing vnto Socrates Anaxarchus and Seneca which were Ethnikes and to infinite martyrs of Christ then doubt not but that he will geue vnto thée the selfe same thing wherefore be not afeard of the power if thou behaue thy selfe vprightly and blamelesly Thou shalt haue praise of it It is no small praise to be acquited in iudgment It was counted a praise vnto Cato that whereas he was so oftentimes accused he It is no small prayse to be absolued in iudgement was alwayes absolued and acquited It is also a great praise if a man liue so holily and innocently that in iudgement nothing can be layde against him As when Fimbria had accused Sceuole and was demaunded what fault he could lay against him which was counted a man so vertuous and innocent he answered for that when he strake him his weapon ran not through out his whole body For he is the minister of God He is as it were his vicare on the earth And as Monarches or Emperors doe not in waighty matters leaue destitute theyr lieuetenaunts and deputyes so God forsaketh not his ministers and those whome hâ— hath appointed to be rulers but when the state of things are by these earthly powers God leueth not the magistrate destitute of his proâ—ection Tokens of the gouernment of god as touching powers brought into extreme daunger he sometimes by his owne power and myght endeth all things and worketh wonders For we haue oftentimes séene in very great authoritie certaine wicked gouernoures or rather pestilences of common wealthes which haue bene punished by a wonderfull meanes and way when as otherwise they were in great estimation with their Princes We haue also ofteÌ„times great offenders which wheÌ„ as otherwise they mought most easly haue fled away haue bene so daseled and ouerwhelmed with darknesse that they could not flye I would to God princes would take the rules of their administration out of these offices here described of Paul They should not then so be led by theyr lustes neither should they commit those things which God by Samuel describeth in the law of a kind and which he foretolde tyrannes should doe The Prince is appoynted to be in stéede of GOD betwene GOD and men and shall vndoubtedlye one day render an accompte to GOD of hys doinges It is his dewty to be carefull for those that are his subiects and vnder him and to Good princes maâ—e vertues â—asy procure for them whatsoeuer is profitable and commodyous Verye well wrote Chrisostome when he sayth that good princes make vertues easy when that they both vrge them by example and impel men vnto them by feare and punishmeÌ„ts A man shal sée many that doo as it were abhorre vertuous life which yet wheÌ„ they are by the force of the lawes and by feare compelled to acquaint themselues with it are by litle and litle so taken with the woorthines therof that afterward they diligeÌ„tly practise it And this was the reason why Augustine wheras before he was An example oâ— Augustine of this iudgement that the magestrate ought not to punish heretickes afterward changed his mind For the other Bishops alledged for examples many Churches which for feare of the Emperors and of the lawes fell away from the sect of the donatistes had now by long continuance so acquainted theÌ„selues with the catholike truth that they would be no meanes depart from it For when those reasons had bene very often inculcated into them which before they could not heare at the last they appeared vnto them as they were indede most true Chrisostome also The magistrate hâ—â—peth the ministers of the church admonisheth that publique powers doo helpe the ministers of the Church For we sayth he teach the people piety chastitye and modesty we dehorte them from murthers false witnesses adulteries and thefts But the magestrate draweth them to accompt for these thinges by theyr iudgementes wherefore it semeth sayth he that he conspireth with vs and woorketh together with our function Origen also is of the same mind entreating of a place in the 15. chapiter of the Actes The Apostles decréed that the Gentiles should obstayne from flesh offred to idolls from fornication from bloud and from that which was strangled And they sayd they would lay no other burtheÌ„ vpon them And at the last they thus conclude If ye absteyne from these thinges ye shall doo well Fare ye well If sayth Origen they would not charge them with mo precepts doo they therefore leue vnto them murthers theftes periuries lustes and adulteries free Not so sayth he But there was no nede to decree any thing touching these thâ—ngs For these are iudged by the magestrate and are prohibited by ciuill lawes For he beareth not the sword for nought Therefore he sayth that the magestrate is to be feared of the wicked for that before him are borne swoordes and The sword which is borne before the Prince what it signifieth scourges axes Which are tokens and iustruments of punishmentes wherwith are punished those which offend agaynst the lawes The sword declareth yâ— they as the lawiers vse to speake haue a mere impery Vlpian sayth yâ— that is a mere impery which hath the power of the sword to punish wicked offenders For he is the minister of God an auenger to wrath As he is the minister of God to thy good and commodity if thou doo well so is he the minister of God to wrath that is to vengence if thou behauest thy selfe ill Neither ought he to whoÌ„ The magistrate iâ— a keper both of the first table
made his oration to Agrippa the king when he sayd that the lord had said vnto him For to this end haue I appeared to thee to appoint thee a minister What was the ministery of Paul and a witnes both of those things which thou hast sene and of those thinges in which I will appeare vnto thee deliuering thee from the people and nations to whome I now send thee that thou mayst open theyr eyes that they may be conuerted from darkenes to light and frō the power of Sathan to God that they may receaue forgeuenes of sinnes and inheritance amongest them which are sanctified by fayth in me And with how great diligence Paul executed this office it is manifest when as towards the end of this epistle he writeth that from Ierusalem to Illiricum he had filled all the places rounde about with the Gospell which thing he with so feruent a minde performed that in the 20. chapiter of the Actes he in effect spake these wordes to the Ephesians I haue by the space of three yeares preached the Lord and that night and day How Paul behoued himselfe in the ministery with many teares and haue opened vnto you all the counsel of God I haue not coueted any mans gold or siluer amongst you these handes haue ministred to my necessities and to thē that were with me These wordes haue a wonderful emphasis He sayth that he had preached vnto them not one day or twayn but whole 3. yeres not by turnes times but night day not with a cold affection but with many teares not guile fully or disceitfully for he opened vnto thē all the coūsel of God not in a quiet peace able state when as the Hebrues sought sundry and manifold ways to destroy him neither had he a regard to his owne thinges when as he desired nothing that pertayned to any man neyther finally tooke he small paynes in this office when as In what sort all men ought to imitate Paul with his owne handes he gott thinges necessary both for himselfe and his These thinges can not we without shame heare which so leue destitute our wiues children famely frendes kinsfolkes and cosins and finally all those with whome we are conuersant that we neuer at any time preach either Christ or his doctrine vnto thē vnto whō yet we ought most feruently to preach For we are no lesse Apostles to these then Paul was appointed for that Gentiles And whē as he sayth that he had opened vnto thē all the counsels of God it is to be wondred at how that many will so with tooth and nayle hold fast things as necessary to saluation which we know of what Bishoppes of Rome and of what counsels of what decrees of men they were brought in and are not prescribed vnto vs of Paul nor of any part of the holy scripture Paul for the better executing of his office contēned wonderful great dangers and where he saw the gate open thither he slacked not to go although he had many aduersaries which sought to withstand him He was made all thinges to all men to the Iewes a Iew and to those that were without the law as one that wanted the law Yea and to the Ethnikes whē as they had no skill in the prophets Why Paul some times in his sermōs vsed verses of Poets Paul came to Ierusalem to conferre hys gospel with the apostles What fruit is to be loked for of counsels That Paule at the beginning persecuted the church wāted not fruite Paul was not of the meane sort Paul was most studious in the law Of those thinges which are sayd to be done of a good entēt From whence the epistle to the Galathians was written Why Paul spake more gently touching the obseruyng of the law to the Romanes thē to the Galathians Pauls secretary was named Tertius From whence these letters were geuen Argumēts whereby the Iewes thought that the Gentles were to be excluded from the Gospell neither had any knowledge in the scriptures he cited verses out of theyr Poets as out of Aratus Menander and Epinemides And the same Paul was not aferd to go vnto Ierusalem to conferre the Gospell with the chiefe Apostles not as though he had small confidence in his doctrine which he had receaued from the Lord out of heauen for he had an assured persuasion and as the Greaciās say such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he pronounced him to be Anathema or accursed which preached any other Gospel neither as touching this thing spared he the angels Neither is it any meruail for such a certaintie fayth requireth Wherefore we learne that Counsells are not to this end to be called as though our fayth ought to depend of theyr determinations but that there we should make manifest that those thinges which we beleue exactly agree with the holy scriptures and playnly to proue the same to our aduersaries Neither is there any more fruite or commodity therehence to be looked for The louing mercy also of God prouided that that also turned to good to the Church that Paul had at the beginning so vebemently persecuted it For they which afterward saw him sodenly cōuerted vnto Christ could not beleue that this could haue happened with out the mighty power of God For as a man doth not vpon the sodayn◠become most vile so also is not a man of a wicked man straight way made most holy vnles the Spirite of God worke the same Paul was none of the commō and meane sort he was not an obstinate Iewe which wanted learning and knowledge but he was most studious in the law neither had he bent his study to it only but also applied himselfe to the traditions of the fathers And thereof it came that he persecuted the Church of Christ For if he had geuen himselfe to the law of God only without adding vnto it the leuen of humane traditions he should the easelier haue acknowledged Christ But whosoeuer haue addicted themselues to humane traditions they must nedes be persecuters of the Church of Christ They say that Paul did these thinges of a good pretence and not of an euill purpose but of an holy entent as they vse to speake For my part as I confesse that this somewhat diminisheth the greauousnes of the sinne both before God and before man for I do not make all sinnes a like so also affirme I that the case is thereby the more dangerous For they which sinne vnder the shew of holines and vnder a godly pretence and not of an euill purpose do with the more difficulty returne agayne into the right way for that they are farre of to vnderstand that they sinne Wherfore in that case there nedeth the wonderfull great mercy and helpe of God But this is all that I mind at this time to write touching Paul Now in what order his epistles were written Chrysostome as I thinke hath sufficiently shewed From whome herein only I dissagree that I thinke
well to agree with that whiche is written in the Gospell Now I will not call you seruauntes but frendes Paul also semeth Iohn 15. Rom. 8. to be against it whiche sayde Ye haue not receaued agayne the spirite of seruitude in feare but the spirite of children whereby we cry Abba Father And contrarily we can not deny but that we are the seruauntes of God Christ hath payd the price for vs wherefore beyng redemed of hym we are hys seruauntes God hath created vs and it is the rule of the workes of euery artificer to serue There are two maner of seruitudes hym that made them Wherefore there must be had a distinction namely of the inward man and of the outward of the spirite and of the flesh As touchyng the outward man and workes of the body we are called seruauntes bycause we execute offices in seruing God and our neighbours as much as lieth in vs. Further In what part we are seruaūtes as concerning aduersities and the crosse which we dayly suffer we are punished of God no otherwise then seruauntes are striken and beaten not in ded◠alwayes for punishement sake as they are but for the most part to try our faith and that the fleshe and the lustes therof should be repressed and that repentaunce of our faultes and sinnes whiche cōtinually breake forth should be stirred vp Also the forme and humble behauiour whiche the faythfull vse hath a shew of a certayne seruitude After whiche maner Christ also to the Philippiās is sayd to haue taken vpon him the shape of a seruaunt But our spirite because In what part we are free it is not moued with the hope of reward chiefly or with the feare of punishmentes but frely and of hys owne accord executeth the commaundementes of God therefore we are sayd to haue the spirite of children Also bycause we are kyndled with loue and not compelled of necessitie we are frendes neither are we dishonored with a seruile condition Paul hath manifestly said when I was free from all men I was made the seruaunt of all men and in that maner to serue God is a thing of no smal weight For in the last chapter of the booke of Iosuah wee reade that that Captayne preached vnto the people of Israel Ye are Iosu 24. Augustine not able to serue God Of which place Augustine entreatyng in his questions whiche he made vpon that booke sayth If we will serue God accordyng to hys dignitie and maiesty and as the law requireth it is impossible for vs. Wherefore that people should haue aunswered the Prophet we will go about and endeuour our selues to performe that and when we fayle we will desire pardon and by prayers we will obteyne strength dayly to behaue our selues better But they with great stoutnes and much pride aūswered we will serue our God and will do all those thynges whiche thou hast spoken What could be more arrogantly spoken then this Yet experiēce taught that the Prophet spake the truth And for as much as it is a thing so hard vnto our fleshe hereof it commeth that commonly we finde that men are sayd so to serue God as Nabucadnezar in the 45. chap. of Ieremy is called the seruant of the Lord namely bycause he fulfilled How the wicked serue God hys will in ouerthrowyng of Ierusalem although he ment farre otherwise So many in dede do the will of God but not with that minde to serue hym but the godly onely haue a regard to that wherefore they may truly be called the seruauntes of God And Dauid to amplifie that sayde Because I am thy seruaunte Psal 116. and the sonne of thy handmayden For hee whiche is borne of a handmayden is not onely a sernaunt but also is borne a seruaunt for the child foloweth the condition of the mother But to serue is sometymes all on with that whiche otherwise To serue is religiously to worship ▪ we say to worshyp seruitude is a worshyppyng or Religion whiche is geuen vnto God The Hebrues call it Abad and Aboda neither displeaseth it me so to vnderstand Paul as if he had said I was once a persecutor but now I am a worshipper of Iesus Christ And in this phrase of speache is to be sene the Hebrue phrase wherby Abraham Moyses Dauid and Iob and many other are commēded for that chiefly bycause they were the seruauntes of God But that in other tongues is not counted an honor or praise but the Hebrues do after such maner commēd the most excellēt men Wherfore in Esay the 49. chap. it is sayd vnto the people of Israell that it is not a thyng of small wayght to be the seruaunt of the Lord. And vndoubtedly to acknowledge the true God and to worshyp him is the head and chief poynt of wisedome In that that he sayth he is the seruaunt of Iesus Christ that is of our saluation of our kyng and Priest it foloweth that they to whom he writeth should gladly and willyngly receaue heare hym He claymeth also vnto hym selfe an other title namely that he was called to be an Apostle For there are manye kyndes of seruices for some are Prophetes some Apostles some Euangelistes c. He declareth now presently by what kynde of seruice he pertained vnto Christ namely bycause he was his Apostle whiche degree is the chiefest in the Churche and he doth not arrogantly clayme the same vnto hym selfe as thoughe he hym selfe vsurped it For he affirmeth that he was called wherby he sheweth the great power and strength of the word of God by which God most mightely bryngeth to passe what soeuer pleaseth hym Neither to call is any thyng els as touchyng God then to bring to How God is sayd to call any thing passe or els to appoint any thyng Wherfore by creation it is sayd that he called those thynges whiche were not as if they had bene And the Prophetes write that he sometymes called pestilence famine and the sword that is he brought to passe that they should bee and raunge abroade among men They amonge vs are sayd to be of excedyng great power whiche bryng to passe great thyngs onely by their commaundement Therfore we attribute the same thyng vnto God bycause by hys worde and callyng he maketh to consiste what thynges so euer he will Apostles in the Greke are called sent yea and Christ also in the Epistle to the Hebrues is called an Apostle that is sent of the father and this his Christ hath communicated his Apostleship vnto his disciples dignitie he hath cōmunicated vnto his Disciples for he sayd As my father hath sent me so send I you And in that Paul sayth that he was called he sheweth that he was called when he thought nothing of it but was occupyed otherwise for he was persecutyng the Churche and was taken in the very crime it selfe and as the Grecians say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in the very acte By which place
vnto the promises But now they which after this maner attribute more theÌ„ is mete vnto the sacrameÌ„ts may be called sacramentaries bicause they put to much affiaÌ„ce in theÌ„ The other thing which we said is repugaant vnto the nature of the sacraments is when we count them to be nothing but bare naked signes For by that meanes they shuld nothing differ from Tragicall and Comicall significations and from colours and garments Nether are they only signes of our actions but also of the promise and of the will of God and are sealinges therof And the holy ghost doth no les vse these signes to stirre vp our hartes then he vseth the woords of God which are in the holy scriptures And hereby also we may se that they likewise are agaynst the sacraments which will haue them to be sacrifices For the nature of a sacrifice is to be offred of vs vnto God but the nature of a sacrament is to be offred of God vnto vs. I confesse indeed that in the celebracion of the supper of the Lord are contayned thankesgeuing almes prayers and other such like things which may haue the consideration of a sacrifice But we deny that the very sacrament The sacrificing priestes offer not Christ vnto God the father The instrument wherby the thing of the sacramente is receaued is fayth of the Eucharist may properly be called a sacrifice And much les is that to bee borne with all which the sacrificing priests make theyr boast of that they offer vp vnto God the body of Christ Our lord hath offered vp himselfe nether hath he nede of any other to offer him vp Now that we haue well considered all these thinges we nede not manye woordes to expresse the instrument whereby the thing of the sacrament is receaued For Paul hath most manifestly declared it when he sayd that CircumcisioÌ„ is the seale of the righteousnes of fayth For it is faith wherby yâ— righteousnes which is signified in yâ— sacrament is receaued of vs for nether can our sense or reason therunto attayne And Augustine expouÌ„ding these woordes of Iohn Now ye are cleane bycause of my word sayth that in that the sacraments doo make vs cleane they haue it of the word of God For if thou take away sayth he from the element the word there will nothing remayne but water only The woord commeth vnto the element and it is made a sacrament For how commeth it sayth he that the water toucheth the body washeth the hart He answereth that the same commeth to passe thorough the force and power of the word not bycause it is spoken but bycause it is beleued By these thinges it is manifest that fayth is it whereby we receaue clensing and sanctification which thing also is written in the Actes of By the power of the word we aâ—e wâ—â—hed not because it is spoken but because it is beleued the Apostles By fayth purifiing theyr harts And Paul to the Ephesians sayth that Christ loued the Church and clensed it with the lauacre of water But there is added In the woord that is by the word which as Augustine sayth is vnderstand to be done bycause it is beleued and not bycause it is spoken For by the pronunciation of the woords are neither changed the natures of the signes nor the benefites of God geuen for so it mought seme an enchantment Fayth I say is the instrument wherby we receaue the woordes of God and let them downe into The benefites of God are not geuâ—n by the pronounciatioÌ„ of the woordes The sacrameÌ„ts must be administred as Christ hath instituted them our mindes But now touching the maner of administring the sacrameÌ„ts there ought none other maner to be brought in then that which Christ himselfe the author of the sacramentes hath commended vnto vs. For if the Iewes durst not deale otherwise in the ceremonies of the old law theÌ„ was prescribed theÌ„ of God much more ought we to obserue those ceremonies which christ hath prescribed vnto vs after the selfe same maner that he hath prescribed them Farther forasmuch as those signes came from the wil of God and of theyr own nature signifie nothing what is more reasonable then to referre all thinges vnto his wil which hath geuen them But his will can by no other wayes be knowen but by the holy scriptures And vndoubtedly no maÌ„ will presume to alter the letters patents of kings graunts much more ought the same thing to be takeÌ„ hede of in the sacramentes of God And the minister by whome these thinges ought to be exercised and distributed althoughe it be conuenient that he be godly and of an honest lyfe for such a one is to be maintayned and when he behaueth himselfe The wickednes of the minister corrupteth not the sacramentes A similitude otherwise and is knowen so to be he ought no longer to be suffred yet though he be wicked so long as he kepeth still that funcioÌ„ he can not vitiate the sacraments so that he doo those thinges which Christ hath commaunded to be done Augustine hath a very trime similitude of a pipe of stone through which water is brought into a garden For although the pipe be made nothing the more fertile by meanes of the running through of the water yet is the garden by it watred and made fruitfull The dignity of the sacramentes dependeth not of the minister but of the institution of God which thing the donatistes not vnderstanding raysed vp much tumults agaynst the Church That is true which is commonly sayd of liuing creatures that by a dried vp member the spirite of life can haue no passage into the other member For if the arme be dead and withered Solucion of the argument obiected vp the life and spirite can not come vnto the hand But in the Church there is no suche greate coniunction betwene menne For the power of the sacraments is to vs as the light of the Sonne which light although it bee dispersed through vile and filthy places yet is it not therfore contaminated or infected But the times of the sacramentes may be deuided into two partes For some were before the comming of Christ and some after And these differ the one froÌ„ the other by outward notes and signes Nether was that done rashly or without Of sacraments some were before the comming of Christe and some after The sacraments of the elders our sacramentes are aptly distinguished vp signes Two errors to be eschewed in the sacramentes A similitude An other similâ—â—ude How the signes of the elders are taken away and how they abide What are the thinges of the sacrament By the second comming of Christ shall our signes be taken a way Our sacrameÌ„ts more excellenter then the sacramentes of the elders The nature of the thinges signified is one and the same We and the Iewes in the old time haue one the same stocke and one and the same roote The diuersity of tyme distinguisheth them
contayned Only the signes are changed Wherfore If circumcision was geuen vnto infantes baptisme cā not be denied them hereby we may conclude that euen as in times past Circumcision was geuen vnto infants so also Baptisme can not now he denied vnto them For if they haue the thing what reason is it why they should not haue also the signe And that we should not doubt whether Circumcision and Baptisme are a like and haue one and the self same nature Paul most manifestly declareth it vnto the Colossians in which place he calleth Baptisme the circumcisiō of Christ And they which affirme that the infantes of the Hebrues oughte to haue bene circumcised but ours should not be baptised do make God more fauorable vnto the Iewes then vnto Christians Some demaund that seing we are ignorant whether infantes God is not more fauorable vnto the Iewes then vnto Christians Seing we are vncertayne of the thing why is the sealing added haue the thing of the sacrament or no why we geue them the signe and seale y◠which is vncertaine vnto vs Vnto whom we answere that this questiō is not moued agaynst vs but agaynst the word of God For he expressedly commaunded and willed that children shoulde be circumcised Father let them aunswere vs why they admitte them that be of full age vnto Baptisme and vnto the Communion when as they are not sure howe theyr harte is affected For they whiche are baptised or doo communicate maye dissemble and deceaue the Churche They aunswere that it is inoughe that they make theyr profession If they lye what is that to vs say they let them looke to that So say we of infantes that it sufficeth vs that they are offred vnto the Church ether of the parents or of them in whose power they are And if with the action of the sacrament be ioyned election and predestination that which we doo is ratefied but if not then is it voyde For our saluation dependeth of the election and mercy of God But as touching election for as much as it is hidden from What tokens of the election of God we follow in geuing of the sacraments When infantes are baptised the Church is enstructed vs we iudge nothing We follow only those signes and tokens of it which wee may attayne vnto as are these that the children being infantes are offred vnto the Church to be baptised and that when they come to age they by words confesse that they beleue in Christ which tokens although they be not so certayne that they can not fayle yet vnto vs they are sufficient for the ministration of the sacraments Nether as I thinke is this to be omitted that when infants are baptised although they haue not the vnderstāding of the signification to moue thē yet notwithstanding doth it moue and instruct the Church which is present but the infantes obtayne the benefits at Gods hand who secretly worketh in them by the holy ghost But the signification of the sacrament they shall whē by age they may afterward perceaue and vnderstand Nether let vs much be moued with the difference of the signes of Circumcision I say and of Baptisme for in the sacraments this part is of least wayght for they may be changed as experience hath now thought And without them God can geue the more excellēt part For nether is his power and mercy bound vnto the sacraments Wherfore The mercy and grace of God is not bound vnto the sacramentes The thinge is more to be considered then the signes when we vse the sacraments we ought to applye our minde rather vnto the more excellenter and better part Wherfore the Lord in Ieremy the 4. chapter after this maner reproueth the Iewes Circumcise the foreskinnes of your hart lest my fury be kindled and there be no man to quenche it But they which contemning fayth and the thing signified cleaue wholy vnto the signes seme to deale euen altogether as they doo which in kings letters patents with great diligēce kepe the seales but the letters themselues and the giftes they ether rent or care not for Now are there two thinges remayning to be discussed The one is why circumcision Why circumcision was marked in the member of generation was commaunded to be marked in the member of generation the second why it was commaunded to be done the eight day Out of Augustine in diuers places we gather that therefore God woulde haue it so to put vs in mynde that originall sinne is by generation traduced from the parentes into vs and that euen as the foreskin being cut of in the parent doth notwithstanding returne agayne in the childe which is begotten so originall sinne being remitted vnto y◠parēts buddeth vp agayn in y◠children which are brought forth We are thereby also admonished whiche thing we haue before oftentymes mencioned that the league of God pertayneth not only vnto vs but also vnto our children whom we beget Fynally by that signe was chiefely signified that Christ shoulde spring of the seede of Abraham Nether ought we here to follow our owne sence or humane reason to thinke that to be a thing ridiculous or of small force which God himselfe hath instituted For otherwise the crosse of Christ and the Gospel are an offence vnto the Iewes foolishnes vnto the Gentiles Neyther ought we to iudge of thinges deuine according to that which is shewed outwardly Otherwise Iulianus and Celsus made a laughing matter that the apple was forbidde our first parentes And Naaman the Sirian thought Things deuine are not to be iudged by the outward apperance it a thing ridiculous that he should be seuen tymes washed in the riuer of Iordane Nether doubt I but that there were some which derided Moses when he did cast the wood into the bitter waters to heale their bitternes In our dayes also very many meruayle how it commeth to passe that the stealth of one halpeny bringeth eternall destruction But these men ought to remember that these thinges are not to be considered by their owne force but vnto them must be added also the wayght of the word of God which vndoubtedly is of so great wayght that it waygheth heauier then the whole world Neyther is there any thing so vile and abiect but that when the word of God is added thereunto it is made notable and excellent Indeede kinges and princes of this world haue a The word of God is of most great waight The seales of God consist not of thinges of goodly shew care to haue goodly and honorable seales But as touching the promises and gifts which are by them sealed they oftentymes deceaue men But God when he vseth euen the most abiect signes neuer deceaueth any man Now will I speake a word or two of the consideratiō of y◠eight day The Hebrues affirme that such is the dignity of the seuenth day that of it all thinges obtaine I know not what force and strength Wherefore they thinke that
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
church can not releâ—se the afflictions of the godly these punishementes which God inflicteth vpon vs whilest we liue here are not in the power of the Church that it can at pleasure and as it listeth it selfe alter or lenifye or mitigate them as our aduersaryes haue fayned of the paynes of purgatory Which their fayned deuise they can not confirme by any reason taken out of the holy scriptures We must diligently also weigh the wordes of the Apostle For as when he fayth That we stand in grace by fayth he declareth that the property of fayth is to erect and to confirme our mindes Which property vndoubtedly it hath not but by that it cleaueth vnto the woord of God For so by it are broken the rages and tempests that rushe agaynst vs so are we established not to wauer with euery wynde of doctrine nor to change our opinion for euery chance of fortune The philosophers when they woulde amply set foorth the constancye of a iust man compared it with a fower square stone which howsoeuer it falleth falleth right But A comparison of fayth with philosophy fayth much more truely accoÌ„plisheth this theÌ„ doth philosophy Chrisostome addeth That the good thinges of this world whatsoeuer they be are nether firme nor constant For they are oftentymes assayled with many dangers and not seldome ouercome And although whilest we liue here we lose them not yet when we dye will we or nill we we must nedes forsake them But these spirituall things whereof we now intreate are both firme and shall after death be made more ample But the same Chrisostome vpon this place is of vs warely to be red For he sayth that Paul in making mencion of those thinges which we receaue of Christ rehearseth many thinges But when he commeth to those thinges which we haue of our selues he setteth forth only one thing namely fayth â–ª which sayth he we our selues bring of our owne But we must surely sticke fast to thys ground that fayth also is the gift of God and is deriued from him into vs. Out of this place also may be gathered a most firme argument that we are iustified by fayth only Which shall be made playne by the effect after this maner That by An argument wherby is proued that we are iustified by faith one lye which we are iustified ought to make vs quiet before God This thing can not workes bring to passe but fayth only Ergo we are iustified by fayth and not by workes The maior is very playne that we are not iustified vnles we haue such a quiet mynde that we abhorre not nor flye from the fight of God And that our workes are not able to performe this theyr vncleanes and vnpurenes declareth Wherefore Dauid hath not without cause written Enter not into iudgement with thy seruauntes Lord. We reioyce in the hope and glory of God Here is declared the nature of this peace and tranquilitie of the minde namely that it maketh vs most assured and sure of perpetuall felicity for we reioyce not but for that which we now possesse And that we euen now also possesse eternall lyfe Christ manifestly declareth We posses eternall life euen now also when he saith He that beleueth in me hath eternall lyfe But bicause it is not yet ful neither as yet appeareth therfore Paul addeth In the hope of the glory of God This glorye whiche we hope for is a coniunction with God that he maye wholye dwell and worke in vs which thing when we shall haue attayned we shall be adorned with the last and highest point of felicitye neither shall there be left any place vnto misery But when he sayth In the hope of the glory of God He séemeth to speake that by preuention For that as touching those which beleue the common opinion of men is excedingly deceiued For the Ethenikes commonly deride Christians for that they count themselues to be happye when yet in the meane tyme they want not wicked affections and are vexed with tribulations and aduersities They thinke yâ— we should weigh our felicity by those things which we haue Our felicity is not to be weighed by those thinges which are in vs. of our owne But we are of a farre other opinion for we so far forth counte our selues happy as we are so counted of God and that he imputeth vnto vs righteousnes not that we are not in the meane tyme renewed both in minde and in bodye although we are yet vnperfect And euen this selfe same righteousnes whiche we haue now obteyned and the renouation which is in vs we in no case thynke to be of that force that by it we can attayne vnto the rewardes of eternall lyfe Thys peace and felicitie and reioycing of which the Apostle now intreateth is yâ— which confirmed the Martirs when in Christes quarell they did shed both their lyfe and What is this peace which is had by faith bloud This is that hundreth folde which is rendered also in this lyfe is of more value then all the riches and pleasures of this world Wherefore when the Ethnikes deriding vs do boast of their riches and pleasures and power we ought not to be moued For we easely perceaue that they with al these their goods are miserable and wretched but on the other side we féele our selues happy when we haue possession of this one good thyng although we want all those thinges whiche they so highly estéeme And here is to be marked the order that the Apostle vseth in rehersing the effectes of iustification First he setteth forth peace wherby is declared The methode or order of the effectes of iustification that the battaile that sin had stirred vp against vs is now at an end For sin beyng by the death of Christ blotted out and the righteousnes of christ beingimputed vnto vs of God through faith of enemies we are made frendes whereby is made opeÌ„ vnto vs an entrance vnto his manifold grace and to the obteinement of innumerable benefites For so long as yâ— warre endured we were a great way of froÌ„ God and strangers from the promises but now that the peace is made by the mediator we are brought nearer there is geuen vs frée accesse vnto God which accesse yâ— Apostle worthely putteth in the second place as which could not haue come vnto vs vnles we had first obteyned peace Farther thirdly followeth reioycing in the hope of the glory of God For who will not now hope that he shal be adorned with the glory of God Whome will not so assured an expectation of so great a thyng of the glory I say of God make ioyfull and glad And of how great force and power this reioycing in the hope of the glory of God is that which followeth declareth And not that onely but also we reioyce in afflictions Of so greate force is this reioycing that those thinges which men especially wicked men count for a dishonor and from which they abhorre
forgeueth vs our sinnes geueth the holy ghost an vpright life and eternall felicity By this definition is séene not onely what we call grace but also by whom we haue it and which are the principall effects thereof Now must we sée after what maner God By what meanes God worketh in vs his good thinges Why the outward ministery is needefull in the church worketh in vs so excellent good thinges First he offreth the promises of these thinges then by his inspiration he openeth the harte that they may be receaued which if he did not those good things should neuer take place in vs for the hart of man is stubborne and repugnant to spirituall things and therefore in the Church the minstery is alwayes néedefull For the duety of the pastors is to set forth the promises of God vnto the people and not to vrge them in wordes onely but also to seale thē with sacraments which are certaine visible wordes And in especially it belōgeth vnto them to remoue away two impediments which do most of al draw men away from the promises of God For on the one side men think that The ministers ought in teachyng to haue regard to two thinges they can not attaine vnto the promises of God bicause they are vnworthy of thē Here must the faithfull minister diligently resist and teach that these thinges are fréely geuen of God not by workes or any dignity of such as receiue thē On the other part some vse to doubt whether they by the electiō of God are excluded frō these promises As touching this point they must teach y◠the faithful ought generally to receiue the promises of God as they are deliuered vs by the holy ghost in the holy scriptures neither ought they to be carefull concerning the secret will of God For without doubt God would haue reueled and shewed who they be that be elect or who be reprobate if he had known that it should haue bene profitable to saluatiō Wherfore seing the scriptures exclude no man perticulerly from the promises euery man ought so to receue thē as if they peculiarly pertained vnto himself And vndoubtedly together with faith shall be geuen vnto them that beleue through y◠persuasion of the holy ghost that they shall not doubt but that they do in very déede belong vnto the elect After this maner the ministery of the church serueth God and worketh together with him towards our saluation not that the goodnes and power of God can not without it both offer his promises vnto vs and also inclyne our mindes to receiue them For neither is the grace of God of necessity bound either to the ministery or to the sacraments or to y◠outward worde But we speake The grate of God is not bound to outward thinges now of the accustomed maner wherby God bringeth men to saluation But whē we haue once receiued the promises of God we which before were dead vnto sinne begin streight way to reuiue and so being restored vnto lyfe in some part we obey the law of God not in dede with a perfect obedience but with an obedience begon Farther against our enemies the flesh and Sathan we haue the present helpe of God and a wonderful consolation in afflictions and the powers and faculties both of the soule and also of the body are renued And to speake briefly the grace of God God doth not onely offer the promises but also boweth the hart to embrase them What manner of grace the Pelagians graunted which we haue described is the spring of all good thinges But yet we haue affirmed one thing which is not yet confirmed by the scriptures namely y◠God doth not onely offer the promises which we haue now spoken of of his mere grace and beneuolence but also with his spirit boweth the harte to receiue them The first part the Pelagians also admitted namely that there is required the grace of doctrine and illustration But the other part they thought consisted in frée will ether to receiue or to refuse the promises offred But the scripture teacheth farre otherwise For Ezechiell in the 11. chap. sayth That God woulde geue vnto hys faythfull a new hart a new spirite would take away frō thē their stony harte and geue them a fleshy hart These wordes most manifestly teach that there must be a chaunge The meaninge of the fathers made in our hartes Wherfore when we reade either in Augustine or in other fathers that grace commeth first whom our will followeth as an handmayden we may not so vnderstand it as though our will followeth of his owne strengthes beyng It is not sufficient that the will be stirred vp vnlesse it be moued also only stirred vp and admonished by grace for vnles it were changed it would neuer follow This therfore is required first that the will be chaunged and then that it obey We must warely also geue eare vnto Chrisostome who in his sermon of the inuention of the crosse saith That neither the grace of God can doe any thyng without our wyll nor our wyll without grace For vniuersally it is not true that grace can doo nothyng without our will vnles thou vnderstande will to be that about which grace worketh But that grace should tary for the consent of the will it is not true For grace changeth y◠wil before it can geue any consent Dauid therfore Grace ought not to tary for our consent prayeth Create in me a cleane hart O God ▪ Salomon also Incline O Lord the harte of thys people to execute thy commaundementes And agayne Dauid Incline myne harte to thy testimonies The Pelagians taughte that the beginnyng of good workes is of oure selues namelye of frée wyll And that grace dothe helpe them The opinion of the Pelagians easlier and more readely to accomplishe them But the latter Diuines or Sophisters least they shoulde seeme vtterlye to agrée with Pelagius haue thus defined The opiniō of the Scholemē grace that grace in déede commeth first but it is in vs either to receaue it or to refuse it but this is as vntrue as that sentence of Pelagius for from hence haue we power to receaue this grace If this were true then saluation should be of our selues But Paul sayth what hast thou which thou hast not receaued But if thou hast receaued it why boastest thou as though thou haddest not receaued it And against these men Augustine citeth these wordes of Paul which we shall afterward reade It is not of hym that wylleth nor of hym that runneth but of God that hath compassion If these mens opinion saith he were not true the Apostle mought in like maner haue sayde It is not of God that hath compassion but of hym that wylleth and runneth For as these men teach this matter semeth to be deuided so that one part is geuen vnto God and the other part is leaft vnto our selues And by that meanes the grace of God is not sufficient
ought to haue bene stirred vp to the workes whiche he did And that he erred he hymselfe testifieth of himself in many places Vnto the Eph. the. 2. cha he sayth And you that wer dead in sins wherin in times past the walked according to the course of this world after the prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirite that now worketh in the children of distrust Among whome we also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our fleshe in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of affections and we were by nature the children of wrath as well as others But GOD which is rich in mercye thorough hys greate loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickened vs together with Christ And vnto Titus For we also were once fooles disobedient straying out of the way seruing the desires and pleasures in maliciousnes and enuy one of vs hating an other Such a one was Paul before he was conuerted vnto Christ although he mought not vnworthely make great boast of his outward righteousnes And that thou shouldest not say that he was changed and deliuered frō these sinnes when he began earnestly to apply himselfe vnto the doctrine of the lawe wherein he so much profited that he coulde now be neither accused nor slayne of it he hymselfe in the selfe same epistle to Titus auoutcheth that he was Paul affirmeth that he was iustified by Christ only by Christ only iustified and by the benefite of the holy ghost acquited Wherefore before he was come to Christe the knowledge of the lawe coulde do nothing but kill him For thus he sayth but when the bountifulnes and loue of God our Sauiour towardes man appeared not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of regeneration and of the renuing of the holy ghost which he shed on vs most aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour that being iustified by his grace we might be made heyres according to the hope of eternall life But vnto that which he writeth vnto Timothe that he had from his elders serued God with a pure conscience answere may thus be made That although he had not in him his conscience accusing him yet this acquited him not from sinne For there are many and haue bene many Scribes and Pharises which being instructed with an ill conscience had an ill iudgement of the law of God They which are not well instructed in the lawe ar not sometimes reproued of their conscience whome yet Christ manifestly reproueth Wherefore when as afterward came a more sounder knowledge of the lawe by it by reason of sinne now known were they slayne Farther we must see what it is that Paul goeth about in that place to perswade vnto Timothe he sayth that he geueth thankes vnto God that without ceassing he maketh mencion of him in his prayers and desireth to see him And that he should not think that he spake this after any common maner as though he did it only to flatter him but spake not from the hart he sayth that he had neuer bene accustomed to lye And although his conscience could not reproue hym of lying yet were there a greater many other thinges which the lawe being truely knowen mought reproue in him And that he had not the perfect knowledge of the lawe hereby it is manifest for that he persecuted Christ in hys Paul before his cōuersion knew not the law perfectly church who is the ende of the lawe In which thing he did nothing agaynst his conscience for it was then in no other sort enstructed And therfore he sayth be did it through ignorance and infidelity Neither hath the law of God that power to kill through sinne but when it is perfectly known And these thinges are spoken of Paul when he was yet of the Iewishe religion And how these thinges pertayned vnto him after he knew Christ and how they pertayne to vs shall afterward be declared Howbeit in the meane time these things ought to moue vs to detest the naturall sinne grafted in vs. That sinne might be out of measure sinfull by the commaundement Here the Apostle declareth that he entreateth not only of the knowledge of sinne which is perceaued by the lawe but also of the comming of that wickednes which is wrought by taking an occasion of the law For by y◠figure Hyperbole Why the Apostle vseth the figure Prosopopeia he saith that sinne is made sinfull aboue measure And vnto sinne by a figure he fayneth a person which sinneth deceaueth and slayeth Which he therefore did for that he considered that we are slow and blockishe and vnderstand not the pernicious blot of our originall sinne But because the lattin translatiō hath aboue measure sinfull Ambrose demaundeth whether paraduenture there be any measure of sinne granted by the lawe And he answereth that there is none for the lawe condemneth all sinnes vniuersally although he confesse that there is The law cōdemneth all sinnes a certayne measure as touching the seuerity of God aboue which measure God differreth not his punishements and vengeance As it may be sayd of the Chananites There is with God a certaine measure of sinnes aboue which they are not suffered to escape vnpunished Sodoma Gomorrha and other nations whome God suffered a longe while to escape vnpunished But afterward when they exceded that measure whiche God coulde no longer suffer to excede he vtterly ertinguished and destroyed them Although some say that sinne aboue measure encreased after the law was geuen if it be compared with that tyme wherein the lawe was not For then mought haue bene pretended some ignorance but that ignorance so soone as the lawe was geuen and published was taken away But I would rather expound this by the figure Hyperbole that is vnmeasurably For when lust waxeth of force we fall into all kindes of sinnes But the kindes of sinnes can not be expressed For euen as archers but one only way hit the marke but yet infinite wayes mysse it A similitude so vertue consisting in the middest as a marke we may infinite wayes erre from it but there is but one only way to attaine vnto it That which is in the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may thus be turned in Lattin Peccatum peccator that is sinne a sinner But because that soundeth not so well it may be turned sinne out of measure vicious Aristotle in his 3. of Ethikes sayth that of extreames the one is more vitious and the other lesse The lawe is spirituall but I am carnall being sold vnder sinne Here is rendred a reason why it is not to be imputed vnto the lawe that of the knowledge thereof followeth death For saith he the lawe is spirituall but the propriety of the spirite is to geue life And this thing experience well teacheth vs. For we sée that bodyes do so long liue how long there is in
the gift of God But our aduersaries will say that they also teach that the grace of God goeth before good workes and that of that grace is some faith geuen vnto men But this at yâ— beginning is so weake that it can not haue the power to iustifie how Whether a weake gracâ— anâ— faith haue the power to iustâ—fy An hiâ—â—ory of Pelagius beit there may some workes be done whiche may be acceptable vnto God But let vs remember what Augustine writeth of Pelagius in his 105. Epist to Innocentius the Bishop of Rome he saith that Pelagius in the Counsell of Palestine to the end he would not bee accursed accursed all those whiche should say that they could lyue vpryghtly without grace But he by grace vnderstoode nothyng els but the giftes geuen vnto vs in our creation as free choyse reason wyll and the doctrine of the law The Byshops of Palestine beyng beguyled by thys blynd shyft absolued and released him Augustine excuseth them for that they did it plainely and simplye For when they heard Pelagius coÌ„fesse the grace of God they could vnderstand no other grace but yâ— which the holy Scriptures set forth namely that whereby we are regenerate and grafted into Christ wherfore it is plaine that they whiche faine vnto them selues any Augustine caâ—leth Catechumentes before baptisme conceaued other grace then that wherby we are iustified and grafted into Christ obtrude vnto vs an inuention of man or rather Pelagius shift or starting hole whiche the holy Scriptures acknowledge not Farther Augustine in that place whiche we now spake of affirmeth that the Catechumeni and such as beleue although they be not Baptised are yet notwithstanding conceaued But they whiche are now conceaued to be the sonnes of God can not be straungers from him or enemies vnto The grace which succeedeth is one the same buâ— it differeth in degree and quantity him Wherefore it followeth that they are now iustified although not so perfectly Which is hereby manifest for that Augustine calleth the grace which succedeth a more ful grace as that which differeth not from the first in kind and in nature but only in degrée and in quantity And seing it is of the selfe same kinde that the other is it must nedes also iustifie Which is hereby made playne for that Cornelius is said to haue done workes which pleased God neither is that of any greate force that Augustine addeth that that grace was not so great that it could be sufficient vnto Cornelius or vnto the Catechumeni for the obteyning of the kingdome An other place of Augustine declared of heauen For these wordes affirme not that after this grace or fayth of the Catechumeni is to be looked for an other fayth which may iustifie as though by that former fayth they were not iustified This thing only he would declare that the Catechumeni ought not to stay in this degrée of faith of grace but ought to receaue baptisme and to go forward vntill the saluation and regeneration now begonne shoulde be made perfect For if any man should contemne the sacrament of Baptisme he should be excluded from the kingdome of heauen For they which haue beleued ought chiefely to sée vnto that they be by the sacrament grafted into the Church They which will not do this or neglect it sufficiently declare that they haue not ernâ—stly beleued Wherefore it is not absurd tha Cornelius and the Catechumeni had that grace which iustifieth which yet if they had contemned baptisme had not bene sufficient to the obtaynment of the kingdome of heauen And The omission or baptisme is then a let vnto saluatioÌ„ when iâ— springeth of contempt that Augustine had hereunto a respect hereby it is manifest in that he addeth that we ought not only to be conceaued but also to be borne which is so to be vnderderstand so that there be no lawfull impediment to let For if a man beleue and desire baptisme and can not attayne vnto it Augustine denieth not vnto such a one saluation For he confesseth together with other of the fathers that there is a baptisme of the spirite and that the power of the holy ghost worketh in our harts without outward signes And this he teacheth vpon Leuiticus in his 84. question For he saith that Moses without the outward ordination of the priesthode and without visible signes receaued the priestly grace and that Iohn Baptist was without outward sacramentes annoynted with the holy ghost in his mothers wombe that the thiefe vpon the crosse was without any sacramentes saued onely by the grace of God Lastly when as he saith that we are by the first grace of God conceaued and by the latter borne it is very plaine that he which is conceaued he which is borne is of one and the same kinde For a liuing creature when it is conceaued is not of any other nature then of that that it is when it is brought forth into the world This is the onely difference yâ— the one is more perfect the other Grace is encreased in baptisme more vnperfect Wherefore he that is Catechumenus when he is baptised may by the grace which he receaueth in baptism séeme more perfect theÌ„ he was before when he only beleued although theÌ„ also he was iustified through faith wherby he embrased the promises of god touching Christ Now resieth for vs to examine a place of Chrisostome in his homely De spiritu Natura lege Although if I should therin speake my iudgement I thinke that that oration is not Chrisostomes For it is both repugnant vnto it selfe and also contayneth thinges not hanging together which can by no meanes be conciliated But whosoeuers it be this is certayne that it maketh more on our side then on our aduersaries side For first he sayth that men vsing mercy haue by their almes no fruite at all before they haue faith but so soone as a man is adorned with it straight way follow good and fruitfull After Chrisostomes minde we are saued by faith onely workes but before they are not had And he addeth that we are by fayth only saned when as workes without faith coulde neuer saue them which worke them And he citeth the thiefe whom he affirmeth was saued by faith only without workes And that we should not doubt of what fayth he speaketh he speaketh of that fayth whereby we are made the citizens of heauen and houshold seruantes of God But these thinges can be ascribed only to that faith which iustifieth Farther He saith also that with out faith there is nothing good The soule is deade without faith he expressedly auoucheth that without fayth there is nothing that is good and of his saying he bringeth this reason for that that soule is dead which wanteth fayth And more plainly to declare himselfe he saith that those which do excellent workes without faith are like vnto dead carkases and to the reliques of dead men which
men famous and notable in the church of great antiquity as Papias Ireneus Iustinus Martir Victorinus Lactantius Tertullian and a great many other famous ecclesiasticall writers whō I ioyne not with Cherinthus for he sowed abroade many other errors touchynge our sauiour For vnto this opinion which these fathers were of he added a double impiety First that the saintes shall so raigne together with Christ in this lyfe that they shall aboundātly haue the fruicion of all the pleasures of the body which is nothing els but again with lustes drunkennes gluttony such other filthines to contaminate nature renued by the resurrection His other errour was that in that kingdom of Christ the ceremonies of the law and sacrifices of Moses shal be put in vre againe which errors none of the fathers whom we haue now mencioned followed Neither should it be any hard matter to confute that pestilent opinion by the Scriptures But because we haue in an other place at large done y◠we wil cease at this time to speak any more therof Onely this thinge I will adde which August in his 20. booke De ciuitate Dei the 7. cha writeth If these men had sayd that Christ in that space of a thousand yeares wyll bestow vpō hys saints some celestiall good gyfts theyr sentēce should haue bene the more tollerable In which place he signifieth that he also was once of A place of the Apocalipse the same opinion howbeit afterward weighing things better he iudged that that place of the Apocalips wherehence all that suspicion semed to spring is otherwise to be expounded namely by those thousand yeares to vnderstand al y◠time which passeth from the ascencion of Christ vnto his last iudgement neither ought the nūber of a thousand yeares any thing to offend vs. For it is common in the holy scriptures By a nomber certaine is signified a nomber vncertaine by a number certaine and definite to signifie an other number vncertayne and indefinite Which thing although it may by many other places be proued yet here it shall be sufficient to note only two Christ saith vnto the Apostles he which forsaketh his house or father or mother or chyldren or wyfe or brethrē c. shall receyue an hundreth fold Where by an hundreth folde we vnderstand a certaine great and in a maner infinite recompence So God promiseth in the law That he woulde do good vnto them that serue hym vnto a thousand generations Which signifieth nothing els but vnto their posterity for a very long tyme. Wherfore Christ as Augustine thinketh raigneth with his saintes all this whole time which is signified by the number of a thousand yeres But how Sathā may be said to be in this time bound it is not so easy to declare for euen now also y◠church of Christ is by him greuously vexed But Augustine thinketh y◠he is therfore bound for y◠his strenghths are Sathan is sayd to be bound because hys strengths are broken broken Christ hath ouercome the strong armed mā so y◠he can not now in such sort rage as he would especially for y◠he cannot prohibite y◠electe predestinate vnto eternal life frō their apointed saluatiō Although as touching this also before Christ ascended vp into heauē Sathan was no lesse letted then he is now so y◠he could not disturbe the elect frō eternal lyfe But here may be answered y◠they which Why Sathan is said to be more bound now thē he was before the death of Christ were in y◠state were before Christes tyme few in number For the deuill ranged spoiled in a maner euery where throughout the whole world except it wer certain of the Israelites a few others But now since the Gospell was spred abroad thoroughout the whole world the power and strength of Sathan is much more restrayned which may sufficiently appeare by the ceasyng of the oracles and by the ouerthrow of idolatry in a manner euery where Wherfore I thinke with Augustine that thys innouation of creatures shall not serue to that vse that the saintes should vse thē liuing with Christ in any temporall kingdom in the world And as for the prophesies of the Prophets which ar euery where set foorth touching The Prophesies of the Prophets touching the kingdome of Christ ar metaphoricall The Prophets themselues declared that they spake metaphoricallye the kingdome of Christ and make mencion of certayne carnal thinges and belong to an earthly kingdome they are so to be taken that we vnderstand that by such metaphors as the honor and maiesty of our kingdoms is thought to consist is described the kingdome of Christ which he now exerciseth in the Churche and whiche in the daye of iudgemente he shall with greate power shew forth Which thing the prophets thēselues haue sufficiently signified whē they enterlaced many things which farre passe al credite and excede the course of thinges humane For there they playnly declare that they speake metaphorically But to returne to our purpose we suppose that the world as touchinge his nature and substaunce shall not vtterlye pearishe but rather as writeth Esay Peter and the booke of the Apocalipse and Paul in thys place shal be renewed And of thys renouation there are set forth two principall conditions the The conditions of the renouation of the world one is immortality and the other light The Scholemen haue noted that that light shall not be such which shall cause heate for if it should so doo all thinges should sone be dried vp and burnt And oftentimes there is found light which engendreth not heate for there are many precious stones most bright whiche Not euery light maketh warm geue no heate at all These thinges beinge thus declared let vs consider of the other partes of the world whether they also shal be preserued as plantes precious stones mettalls brute beastes and such other like thinges The Scholemen thinke that man which is the principallest part of the world being renewed other creatures also shal be restored Which saying is most true for it is gathered out of the sayinges of Paul But as touching the partes they thinke that only the heauen and the elementes the bodies of men shall remayne But the reason which they aleadge for themselues is in my iudgement very weake for they affirme that those thinges onely shall haue immortality which were A reason of the Scholemen after a sort made apt thereunto as is a celestiall body which is altogether simple nether is changed by contrary qualities The elementes also although as touching partes they are engendred and corrupted yet as touchinge the whole they alwayes abide So say they also of man who although he haue a transitory body yet he hath an immortall soule yea rather euen the body it selfe was so composed at the beginning that it had possibility not to dye Wherefore it shall not be absurd to ascribe vnto it also immortality But
〈◊〉 Paul vnderstandeth to fall irrecouerably but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to fall thorow negligence which happeneth vnto them that liue carelesly and loosely Neither is this a meane honor which the holy Gost by Paul ascribeth vnto the natiō of the Iewes when vnto theyr fall he adioyneth the calling of the Gentils and vnto theyr laste conuersion the resurrection from the dead Origen vpon this place noteth that the fall of the nation of the Iewes was not as the fall of the Deuill for that their fall is recouerable But Satan cannot be conuerted no not at the ende of the worlde Which sentēce is both worthy of admiration and is also most manifestly repugnante vnto his opinion whiche he hath both in his booke Peri arch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also in Origens interpretatiō vpon this epistle suspected many other places Wherfore this his interpretacion vpon this Epistle to the Romanes is not without iust consideration suspected of the learned as though it wer none of his vnles we wil say that at diuers times he was diuersly minded or that his bokes were as some thinke corrupted by heretikes ▪ which thing in my iudgemente is not so credible for that it is scarse possible to corrupte all the examplers But this mighte be that he whiche turned this exposition into Lattine salued it somewhat in some places But touchinge this matter howsoeuer it be it shall suffice to be admonished thereof In the meane time let vs consider that God in his iudgements is alwayes one therfore y◠which we haue now hearde let vs neuer How we may vse the sinnes of other men suffer to slippe out of memory Namely that falles and sinnes by the prouidence of God alwayes bring with them some profite and somewhat tending to the glorye of God but although not alwayes to them which haue sinned yet oftentimes to others Wherfore it is our part that when we sée the fal of our neighbor we straight way consider how we may vse that fall either to our edification or to admonishe correct or to comfort him which hath sinned or at the least way to instruct helpe others And if peraduenture none of these thinges take place yet let vs not therefore put of all hope but cleauing faste to this doctrine let vs praye vnto God that he woulde vouchsafe to geue vnto sinnes and wicked actes that are committed some desired fruite If the fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of thē the riches of the Gentils how much more shall theyr fulnes be Hereto Paul tendeth to teach that the conuersion of the Iewes shal be profitable euen as theyr blinding was he vseth an argumente taken a minori that is of the lesse For if their fal and diminishing gaue place vnto the Gentils that they also might Good is of more might then euil obteine saluation muche more shall theyr conuersion be profitable vnto the Gentils for that which is good is of his owne nature of greater might to produce forth good thinges then is that which is euill And Paul by an excellent Antithesis vnto fulnes setteth as contrary falling and diminishing And when he sayth that theyr fal and diminishing was the riches of the world he meaneth that by that meanes great plenty and a great multitude of the Gentils came vnto the Gospell and vnto He comforteth not only the Iues but also the Gentles the church These thinges serue not onely to comforte the Iewes but also to cōfirme the Gentils for they mought haue suspected that the conuersion of y◠Iewes should be vnto them noysome by an argument taken of contraries after this sort If the execation of them was a way and occasion of theyr saluation then contrariwise their conuersion shal be an occasion of theyr reiection But saith Paul it is not so for that this came to passe againste the order of nature that the fall of the Iewes should cause the calling of the Gentils But that the repentaunce and saluation of the Iewes shoulde aduaunce the fayth and pietye of the Gentils is farre more agréeable and if we shoulde weigh the matter well humane reason can not so well perceaue how the fall of the Iewes could cause the calling of the Gentils and therfore we before sayd that this is wholy to be ascribed vnto the ordinaunce What shall be the fulnes of the Iewes of God The fulnes of the Iewes shall then be when that nation shall publikelye confesse Christ for now only a few remnantes are adioyned vnto the church But at y◠time the number shal be great and they shal haue an ample church gathered of theyr own nation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul in this place taketh for wante or diminishing of this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to be vanquished and to be ouercome Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a conflict and hath a passiue signification namely when a man in fighting and striuing is ouercome Whē the Iewes withstood Christ and his doctrine and sought to driue him away cleane they were ouercome and were spoyled of al the good giftes wherwith they were before adorned This selfe same woord Paul vsed to the Corrinthians in his first epistle against them which in matters of contention drew theyr bretherne to the iudgement seates of infidels and there when they were ouercome with lust or desire and not able to bridle their affectes they suffred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is they were vanquished Origen in this maner expoundeth the fulnes of the Iewes that in this time the churche shal be enlarged amongest many natiōs which church although by getting vnto it new members it be alwaies encreased yet then shall it haue his fulnes that is his vttermoste power and perfection when the people of the Iewes shall cleaue vnto Christ And yet let no man thinke that all shall at the length so come vnto the Gospell that in that people amongst the shéepe shall not be mingled many goates and with the wheate tares and with the wise virgins foolish virgins But the sence is that euen as nowe all of them are in a manner turned away from Christe so at that time the greatest parte of them shal be turned vnto Christe Chrisostome vpon this place hath in my iudgement a very bold interpretation For he sayth that Paul in wordes only fauoreth the Iewes after a sorte to comforte them and ascribeth vnto them those commendations which in very déede are not commendations for that howsoeuer it were that the Iewes were made blinde the Gentils should neuer haue had saluation vnles they had beleued Here doubtles I durst not geue such an interpration and although I confesse that by the vsuall and naturall order sinnes can in no wise bee the causes of any thing that is good especially if we consider them that We must not charge the Scriptures wyth any kind of lyeng God hath no nede of secōd causes
Wherefore God is not without iust cause angry for that the ministery is so conterfeated And it is much to be lamented that this office is of a great many of the laity had in contempt neyther can the ministers iustly complayne hereof when as the greatest part of them haue first and before all others thorough their licentiousnes idlenes slouthfulnes and neglecting of their office brought this functioÌ„ out of estimation Wherfore we must earnestly pray vnto GOD that he would vouchafe now at the length to succour his Church in sending woorkmen which The false Apostles spake ill of Paul â–ª will labour diligently The Apostle mought haue sayd I glorifye the grace which is geuen vnto you for that ye should come vnto Christe and vnto his Gospel for thereby the Iewes were stirred vp to emulation but he would make mencion of his ministery to the end to commend it and to set it forth and that not without néede for there were many false Apostles which sayd that Paul was not the true Apostle of Christ and euery where as much as in them lay extenuated his authoritye And that Paul was an instructer and teacher of the Gentiles it is manifest by the Epistle to the Galathians where he sayth that Peter Iames and Iohn had geuen vnto hym their right hands that he should preache amongst the Gentiles as they Paul was an instructer and teacher of the Gentles Paul first preached vnto the Iues before he preached to the Ethnikes did vnto the circumcision And vnto Timothe he testifyeth that he was appointed a teacher and instructer of the Gentiles Although as he went thoroughout the world before that he preached in any city vnto the Gentiles he went first to the Sinagoge of the Iewes beginning thereto publishe abraode the Gospell according to the order appointed by God that the Iewes should first be called but yâ— charge of the Church of Ierusalem he wholy left vnto others In as much as I am the Apostle of the Gentles That which in the Greke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in as much the lattine interpreter turneth quamdiu that is so long and this also he doth in Mathew the 25. chapiter saying So long as ye haue done these thinges to one of my least when as in that place also in the Greke is reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is more aptly turned in that in as much and as For when it standeth for an aduerb of time the Apostle commonly addeth this greke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth tyme. As in the first to the Corrinthyaus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yâ— is the wife is bound vnto the law so long as her husband liueth And vnto the Galathians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is So long as the heyre is a child But Origen I know not how readeth quamdiu that is so long and doubteth whether it should at the leÌ„gth come to passe that Paul should cease to be the Apostle of the Gentiles and that Paul sawe that after this life he should be the Apostle of inuisible spirits and that vnto him should be sayd that which we reade in the Gospell Come hether good seruaunt and faythfull for that thou hast bene faythfull in fewe thinges I will set thee ouer many thynges But because he sawe as I suppose that thys is somewhat to harde to be easely beleued he addeth Shall we vnderstand thys saying to bee as that is I wyll be wyth you euen vnto the ende of the worlde not as though I wyll not afterwarde also bee wyth you so nowe also he sayth so longe as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles not as though at any time he should not be the Apostle of the Gentiles Paul sayth that he glorifieth his ministery for yâ— he laboured by all maner of meanes that the ministery of his preaching might be of efficacy and that that which he The ministery is glorified so loÌ„g as it is of efficacy in the hâ—rtes of the hearers Nothing in the world better then the church spake without might by the power of the spirite be written in the hartes of the hearers wherevnto he bent all his industry and laboured by continual prayers to obteyne that at Gods hand to the end to prouoke them of his flesh to emulation Men labour to the vttermost of theyr power to followe that whiche they iudge to bee good honest and godlye But I thinke that there is nothing in the world more goodly or better then the Church being wel and holily ordered which Church God so loueth as the husband doth his wife This gaue occasioÌ„ to Salomon to write those songes of loue which are called Cantica Canticorum And Christ omitted nothing though it were hard horrible which was eyther to be done or suffred for it At this Church doo the Angels woÌ„der of it learne many thinges pertayning to the sondry and manifold wisedome of God And men if they want not theyr right wittes embrace and reuerence it Wherfore in the first to the Corrinthians it is written And if they shoulde prophesie and behaue themselues in a decent order in the Church and there should enter in any vnlearned hearing his secretes touched and made manifest namely by preachinges they would fall downe and worshippe and will they or nill they should confesse that God is amongst theÌ„ Wherefore let theÌ„ vnto whome is committed the charge to enstruct and adorne so amiable and wonderfull a society take hede what they doo for they haue committed vnto them not only the charge of those which are preseÌ„t with them but also of others which by emulation of yâ— church being wel ordred may be brought vnto Christ He calleth the Iewes his flesh after the maner of yâ— scripture wherein The Iews are called the fleshe of Paul meÌ„ vse to speke of theyr brethern and kinsfolkes He is our mouth and our flesh And in so saying he obteyneth theyr good will to heare him That I might saue some of them He sayth not all for that he knew that this was not now possible for him to doo for at that time it behoued that yâ— greatest parte should be made blinde and be shut vp vnder incredulity Towardes the end of the world is to be looked for a generall conuersion of the Iewes Thys phrase of speach is to be noted wherein he sayth That I might saue some of them For no man doubteth but yâ— it is God which saueth as many as are saued but The ministers by a certaine propertie of speach are said to saue The holy ministery ought not to be conteÌ„ned Paul so sayth for that he knew that he was a minister of the newe Testament and of the spirite And after the same maner wrote he vnto Timothe when he exhorted him to be diligent in doctrine and in reding This doing sayth he thou shalt saue both thy selfe and them which heare thee Wherefore that which is proper vnto God is by a
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
haue not the giftes and facultyes which are méete conuenient for such an administration when as yet in yâ— meane tyme either they fly the daungers and troubles which they should incurre for the Church sake or els they prouide for their owne commodities delightes ease So did in tymes past many monkes which as their common saying was forsaking the world refused those functions wherby they mought haue holpen the Church And this is nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to be too careful or mindefull of the successe But we can not say they we haue not that strength and power and the times are troublesome I graunt that this is the property of a good honest mind thus to testifie of himself Howbeit they which thus excuse themselues when the necessitie of the Church vrgeth and the calling suffreth not any counterfait excuse it can not be chosen but that they are to be couÌ„ted to be wiser theÌ„ they ought to be And when Paul addeth As God hath deuided to euery man the measure of faith he both comforteth those if there were any suche which were grieued for that lesse was geuen vnto them then to others and he putteth downe theyr arrogancie which by reason of more ample gifts were ouer muche insolently puffed vp For the first sort for as much as they knew that God is the distributer orderer ought willingly to be content with his order appoyntment vnlesse they will be ouer wise and prescribe vnto God himselfe And the proude and arrogant ought to remember that those giftes which caused them so much to glory of themselues came not vnto them of themselues but of God Which thing Paul also in an other place to the CorinthiaÌ„s teacheth What hast thou saith he that thou hast not receaued And if thou hast receaued it why boastest thou as though thou haddest not receaued it For as we haue many members in one bodye and all membres haue not one office so we being many are one body in Christe and euery one one an others members seing that we haue giftes that are diuers according to the grace that is geuen to vs whether prophesy according to the proportion of faith or whether ministery in the ministery He that teacheth in doctrine he that exhorteth in exhortation he that distributeth let him do it with simplicitye he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercye with chearefulnes For as we haue many members in one body c. The next commaundement he proueth by a similitude namely that forasmuch as there are sondry gifts in the Church euery man ought to be content with this owne and not to inuade an other mans For so sayth he commeth it to passe in the body in which are sundrye partes and many members endewed with diuers faculties and powers And for asmuch as they execute their offices appointed vnto them so also in the Churche which is the body of Christ it is méete that euery member do in like sort behaue himselfe This similitude the Apostle very much vseth For he vseth it not onely in this place but also to the Corinthians and to the Ephesians and that more theÌ„ once Neither doubtles is it to be wondred at For how great the efficacy of this similitude is we may perceaue by that history which Titus Liuius wrote of Menenius Agrippa For when the people had fallen away from the Fathers he called them home agayn by this parable And in this comparison these things are chiefly to be considered First that in the Church are not graunted vnto all men the selfe same giftes as in the bodye are not geuen vnto all the members the selfe same strengths Secondly that we ought not to thrust our selues into an other mans office For no member of the body taketh vpon him the office of an other member Last of all what soeuer the members of the body doo they do it to the common vtilitie of all the parts of the body If all these thinges where obserued in the church it should without all doubt be in safety and men should in vayne complayne that the dissolution of the church hereof commeth for that the authoritye or rather the tiranny of the Pope is banished away as though by it only men can be kept in doing of theyr dewty But wheras Paul calleth the Church a body that disagréeth not from the common speach of meÌ„ For we vse to call the congregations and assemblis Congregations and assemblies of men are called bodies of many by the name of Bodies Thereof coÌ„meth that title in the digests de Corporibus collegiis mutilibus â–ª that is of bodies and vnprofitable colledges And Paul vnto the Corinthians calleth the congregation of the godly one loafe and one body We haue gifts sayth he that are diuers according to grace According to the grace sayth he geuen namely of God who before he sayd destributeth vnto euery man the measure of fayth By this phrase of speach we may most aptly conclude that the holy ghost is God For Paul to the Corinthians expressedly plainly wryteth that the holy Ghost deuideth those giftes vnto euery man as pleaseth him Wherfore séeing that now this distribution is ascribed vnto God it thereof most euidently followeth that the holy ghost is God These gifts in this sort disfering The holy ghost is God are degrées and limites within which it is necessary that euery man containe himself that he be not more wise then he ought to be But this doubtles is a very hard matter For it is a hard thing to put of the olde man being now in all partes so corrupted For the olde man is it which causeth euery man ambitiously to desire to excell others both in degrée honor and dignitie These giftes whereof The giftes which are herâ— spoken of â—re â—â—t the giftes of miracles here is entreated pertaine not to miracles as the gifts of tongues and those that are mencioned in other places but vnto ministeries and functions which ought at this day also to be kept in the Church VVhether prophesie according to the proportion of faith Prophesie is here taken of many for that faculty or gift whereby many in the Churche did by the spirite of God foretell things to come Neither doubtles can it be denyed but that in those first times such giftes florished in the Church For Agabus foretolde what euill should happen vnto Paul if he should goe to Ierusalem And the daughters of Phillip are said to haue bene Prophetisses Vnto Peter also was foreshewed the comming of the messengers which Cornelius the Centurion sent vnto him And the spirite of God commaunded that Paul and Barnabas should be put aparte for him And in the booke of the Apoc â–ª those things which should come to passe were shewed vnto Iohn Wherfore at that time suche giftes appeared openly in many â–ª Of what kind of prophâ—sâ— mencion â—â— here made Howbeit in this place I wil not follow that
a thing of small waight For euery Christian ought to be fully perswaded touching this that he worship not bread and wyne in steade of God that he thinke not that the body of Christ is diffused through infinite places and that he plucke it not downe from heauen Although Paul in this place by controuersies of disputaâ—ion do rather vnderstand brawlings and contencions of words which are on either side poured out for victory sake and by which yâ— minds are kindled to wrath and are alienated and plucked away one from an other Which thing happened in this foresaid question For either part iudged that hys reasons or arguments serued to his purpose In suÌ„me here is entreated onely of brawling and contencious disputacions and not of gentle and quiet disputacions whereby men may be instructed to piety Moreouer this is to be noted that they which put a difference betwene meates are called of Paul weake when as yet at They whiche put a difference betweene meates are to be counted weake this day such men will be counted most strong But they obiect that Paul here speaketh onely of meates of the law and not of fastinges and of the choyse of meates which is now called into doubt But these men consider not that the Iewes had a great deale more iuster excuse which could not persuade themselues that those ceremonies should be abolished which God himself had deliuered vnto them by Moses then they at this day can haue For those men supersticiously to omitte to speake more sharply with so great a zeale follow the traditions of men only Howbeit I meane not here to defend those glottons which vnder the preteÌ„ce of the liberty of the Gospell geue themselues only to eating and drinking One beleueth that he may eate of all thinges but an other which is weake eateth herbes That man Paul sayth beleueth which thinketh that all things are frée vnto him and those he calleth weake which to the end they would not light vpon flesh prohibited or dressed otherwise then the law commaunded did eate nothing but herbes for that in them could be no danger of violating of the law whervnto Why the children of the Iewes abstained from the meates of the kings table also those young men in Daniell semed to haue had a respect wheÌ„ they would not defile themselues with the meates that came from the kinges table For they desired to haue rootes and herbes geuen them to fede vpon And without doubt it is necessary that euery one haue an assured fayth of that thing which he doth that it be not repugnant to the lawes of God He which eateth let him not despise him that eateth not and he which eateth noâ— let him not iudge him that eateth Paul goeth betwene either parties as a mediator and taketh away their brawlinges and hedgeth in either part by certayne bondes and limites according to his authoritie He permitteth euery man at his pleasure to eate what meates so euer he will so that he behaue himself in such sort that he despise not his weake brother He brideleth also the weake and permitteth them for a tyme not to eate against their conscience but yet in such sort that they should not condemne others which are better theÌ„ themselues As knowledge There is danger both in knowledge and in vnskilfulnes By what names the supersticious are reproued without charity puffeth vp and so puffeth vp that we contemne others in comparison of our selues so vnskilfulnes on the other side maketh vs prone and redy to iudge and condemne others Chrisostome noteth that those supersticious weake ones are in these wordes couertly in dede but yet sharply reproued For first saith he they are called weak and that in faith which doubtles is a most greuous fault Secondly Paul coÌ„maundeth them to be receaued as though of themselues they are not able to arise vp or to stand but haue nede of instructions and of doctrine and consolations Lastly he saith that they are by more strong disputations which they are not able to conceiue easely offended and for that cause are prone rashly to iudge For they condemned others which were more frée as though they violated the law of God and were geuen to glotony and to the belly more then was meete These faultes the papistes at this day vpbraide to many of our men but by what right and how truly let God iudge For God hath receaued him Paul bringeth notable reasons wherby he feareth Ab adiunctis away the weake from daungerous iudgements The first is taken of things annexed together for that he whome thou iudgest is not any common or vulgare man For God hath receiued him neither hath he suffered him to lie in sinnes to worship idols and to be ignoraunt of true religion and pietie Yea rather he hath brought him to this estate that he is now a member of Christ and a pertaker of the nature of God Wherfore seing that God hath adorned him with so great honour how darest thou presume to iudge him Who art thou which iudgest an other mans seruaunt He standeth or falleth to his owne lord yea he shal be established For God is able to make him to stand This man estemeth one day aboue an other and an other counteth euery day a like Let euery man be fully satisfied in his mind He that obserueth the day obserueth it to the Lord. He that eateth eateth to the Lord and geueth God thankes And he that eateth not eateth not to the Lord and geueth God thankes For none of vs liueth to himselfe neyther doth any dye to himselfe For whether we liue we liue to the Lord or whether we dye we dye to the Lord. Whether therefore we liue or dye we are the Lordes For Christ therfore dyed and rose agayne and reuiued that he might be Lord both of the quicke and of the dead VVho art thou which iudgest an other mans seruant Here he reprehendeth theyr fact by a similitude taken of things ciuil humane Men vse not to clayme vnto them selues any right ouer an other mans seruant And knowest not thou that those whome thou in such sort despisest are the seruants of the lord Vndoubtedly he which is taken into the famely of any great prince is not commonly iudged of any but of his lord I would to God these things were alwayes had in remembrance and obserued of backebiters to consider that those whose good name they seke to deface are not only men but also are now receaued of God into hyâ—tuition The faithful both are called and also are the â—eÌ„ of God and are by Christ made his children Paul in the epistle to Timothe calleth the beleuer the man of God in which wordes he signifieth yâ— he is not now a bare man But are all iudgements by these wordes prohibited Not vndoubtedly to those which haue either in the publike wealth or in the Church any publique power For in very dede these men iudge not but rather God
be ignoraÌ„t of that the subtle Iewes to auoyd these testimonies commonly say that the Hebrewes are in the holy scriptures oftentimes called Gentiles And they cite that place out of the 1. chapiter of Esay Wo to that sinfull nation a people of iniquity in which place in the Hebreu is red Hoi goichata But this maketh nothing to their purpose For in Deut it is red ye Gentiles stirre vp his people to reioysing In which woordes we manifestly se that the Gentiles are distinguished from the people of God which are sayd should be adopted of him For they shall not only celebrate songes of thankes geuing for the victory obteyned by Christ but also shal prouoke the Hebrewes to doo the same which thing we se is at this day most perfectly accomplished For at this day the Christians cease not to call backe to saluation the obstinate and stiffe necked Iewes Neither can they deny but that that which followeth pertayneth to all nations vniuersally Prayse God all ye Gentiles and prayse him all people This is taken out of the 116. Psame For here the holy ghost vnder these wordes of vniuersality comprehendeth not only the Iewes but also the Gentiles There shal be a roote of Iesse and he shall rise to raigne ouer the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust This is written in the 11. chapiter of Esay and amongest other testimonies concerning the Messias this without doubt is most notable Vndoubtedly the stocke of Dauid both in the captiuities and especially when the Iewes were oppressed of the Romanes semed so barreÌ„ and in a maner dead that there could of it be hoped for no more fruite And therefore the Prophet comforteth this dispayre with this prophesie Out of this stocke sayth he shall bud forth a twigge which shall be a signe to all the Gentiles whereunto they may by heapes flye and in whome they may put all theyr hope Paul here semeth somewhat to decline from the Hebrew veritie For that which he hath turned shall rise following the Seuenty which haue in theyr translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Hebrew He standeth But Paul semeth to haue added an explication This rod shall stand when yet the plant semed before to haue bene vtterly destroyed and the stocke was iudged of al men barren and vnfruitefull Wherefore Paul rightly sayd he shall arise namely afterward to stand more firmly And that which the Hebrews say Leâ—ias that is for a signe Paul hath with the 70. turned to raigne ouer the Gentiles For that signe shal be to this end erected to be as a septer wherwith the nations of the world should be gouerned Finally Paul with the 70. sayth In him shall the GeÌ„tiles hope When as in the Hebrew it is Alau Goum iedarâ—cho that is the Gentiles shall seke after it But this difference is not great for no man will seke after yâ— thing which he is in dispayre to find Howbeit as touching this place hereby we vnderstand that the Gentiles should come vnto Christe For here is foretold that he should Hope springeth out oâ— faith as out of his fountaine raigne ouer them namely by hys spirite and woorde And the nations shall hope in him Which is not possible to be doone wythout fayth for out of it as out of a fountayne springeth hope The God of hope fill you with al ioy and peace in beleuing that ye may abound in hope thorough the power of the holy ghost And I my selfe also am perswaded of you bretherne that ye are also full of goodnes and filled with all knowledge and are able to admonish one an other Neuertheles brethern I haue somewhat boldly after a sorte written vnto you as one that admonisheth you thorough the grace that is geuen me of God That I should be the minister of Iesus Christ amongst the Gentiles coÌ„scecrating the Gospell of God that the offring vp of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the holy ghost The God of hope fill you with all ioy and peace in beleuing that ye may abound in hope thorough the power of the holy ghost When Paul had set forth his reason wherby he exhorted both the Iewes the Gentiles to cease of froÌ„ theyr inward dissensions for yâ— God through Christ had no les receiued yâ— one theÌ„ he had the other neither had regard other to theyr kinred or merites as he which had vtterly made theÌ„ equall as touching one and the selfe same fauor and the selfe same benefites afterward he turneth him to prayers and desireth God that by the power of the holy ghost he would adorne them with most excellent giftes and celestiall Vnto exhortacions are for iust consideration added prayers vertues Neither thinke I that any man is ignorant of how great â—fficacy and how liuely an exhortacion is when praiers are adioyned vnto it For those things which we exhorte men vnto are by no small argument confirmed and proued to be iust and honest when we are not in doubt to aske them of the most high most louing God By this meanes also we declare how much we esteme and how earnestly we desire that which we pray for when as we are not aferd for it to weary eueÌ„ God himselfe with our prayers we thereby also admonish those with whome we haue to doo from whence are to be hoped for streÌ„gths to performe those things which we exhorte vnto not of the flesh nor of the power of man nor of the world but of the helpe and ayde of God only For forasmuch as we are now wounded and in a maner thrust through by original sinne there is now left no whole part by which we can eyther go aboute or thinke any thing that is sound And hereof came this healthfull custome receaued in the Church that with the recitall of the holy scriptures in which men are taught the commaundements of God should be An argument against the PelagiaÌ„s ioyned supplications and prayers By which act we are taught although with silence yet not obscurely that it lieth not in our power but in the mercy of God to execute his commaundements and will And therefore Augustine many times vsed this kind of argument agaynst the Pelagians For they falsly affirmed that mans will was frée as touching those thinges which are acceptable to God and profitable to saluation For this holy Father thought it a thing vayne and superfluous that we should with dayly prayers after a sort begge of God that thing which of our selues we are able to performe And he sayth the God of hope for that as sayth Origen he had made mencion of hope in that sentence of Esay which was the last testimony which he had alledged But I thinke that forasmuch as it is a matter of an incredible hardnes to stay vp and to establish the hart with a firme and assured confidence that we may Why God to called the god of hope without all maner of doubting be persuaded in our selues that we
A comparison of the sacrifice of the Masse with the sacrifice of the gospell that by the benefit of God there is frée course geuen to the Gospel we bewaile that such sacrifice is so rarely done Let them answere me now whither of vs hath greater cause to complayne Our cause is so much aboue theyrs theyrs so much vnder ours how much the holy scriptures euery where commend this kind of sacrifice but of that other they neuer so much as once make meÌ„cion and how much we here offer an humane sacrifice according to the prescript of God but thereby the deuilish iuggling of the Pope the soules of the simple are most cruelly killed and finally how much we by our sacrifice spred abrode the worshipping of God but there vnder the forme of piety is retayned still in the Church most horrible Idolatry That the offring vp of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by Our conuersion is like a sacrifice the holy ghost He is vtterly depriued of all fealing of piety which out of these woordes receaueth not incomparable ioy when as he heareth that God is so desirous of our saluation that he counteth the conuersion of euery one of vs as a most acceptable sacrifice I haue therefore whereof I may glory thorough Iesus Christ in those thinges which pertayne to God For I dare not speake of any thing which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient in woord and deede with the power of signes and wonders by the power of the spirite of God so that from Ierusalem and the regious round about euen to Illiricum I haue caused to abound the Gospell of Christ Yea so I enforced my selfe to preach the Gospell not wher Christ was named lest I should haue built on an other mans foundation But as it is written To whoÌ„ he was not spoken of they shall see him and they that heard not shall vnderstand hym I haue therefore whereof I may glory thorough Iesus Christ in those thinges which pertaine to God I se that some are in doubt how this part should hang together with those thinges which went before And in my iudgement they may thus be ioyned together Paul had before sayd that by reason of his Apostleshippe and vocation he was moued to instructe the Romanes also by his epistles But paraduenture they were troubled in theyr mindes with a certayne doubt which made them to thinke thus with themselues But what is the cause that thou ouer hipping other nations doost beginne with vs chiefely It is not so sayth Paul I haue now great occasion to reioyse but yet thorough Christ but yet in thoâ—e thinges which pertayne to God I haue not ouerhipped other partes of the world but amongst them also both farre and wide I haue spred the Gospel But Chrisostome after an other maner ioyneth these thinges together He had last of all sayth he pretended his Apostleshippe as the cause mouing hym to write these letters which he had sent to the Romanes And in this office he had made himselfe to be after a sort a sacrificer which with the sword of the woord of God offred vp the Gentiles Now lest any man should speake ill of this dignity and function which thing the fals Apostles did or deride him as one which boasted himselfe to be an Apostle and a priest when as he was not Tokens of the ministery of Paul able to proue that to the end he would declare that he was chosen of God sent by God he bringeth forth those signes tokens of his vocation ministery which shall streight way be spoken of He reioyseth that he hath wherof to glory but he addeth thorough Christ in those things which pertaine to God Hereby we ought to learne yâ— we oght to glory of those benefits only which we haue obteined through Christ For in those things which our own streÌ„gths are able to performe to bring to passe there sufficieÌ„t mater to glory of Moreouer let vs not puffe vp our selues for riches sake or for beawty or for honours of the world or strength of body or for other thinges which serue not to any vse to aduance the kingdome of God amongst men The instruments to amplifie the kingdome of God are the signes which Paul bringeth to proue his Apostleship And he declareth that he had them aboundantly by which were a great many nations brought to the obedience of God Chrisostome compareth and that aptly the tokens of the priestehoode of Paul with the long garments A comparison betwene priesthoode of yâ— Iues and the ministery of Paul litle bells miter and cappe wherewith the priestes in the old law were consecrated and teacheth that the ornaments of Paul or rather his weapons wherewith he ouercame the Gentiles and offred them vnto God as sacrifices were of muche more excellency as his sacrifices were much more excellent then the sacrifices of the high priestes of the Iewes But our Bishopps Cardinalls and Popes seing themselues destitute of those Apostolicall ornaments and signes of Paul thought it good to bring in agayne those ornaments of Aaron and of the Leuits that at the The papisticall â–ª high priestes haue brought in againe the ornaments of Aaron lâ—st way they might haue somewhat wherewith to bleare the eyes of the commoÌ„ people but with how great fruit or rather with how great hurt vnto the Church they haue doone this God knoweth and we haue to muche felt and had experience thereof For I dare not speake of any thing vvhich Christ hath not vvrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient Now he openeth that which he before sayd he had to glory through Iesus Christ For he sayth that he will speake nothing neither make accompt of any thing but of those things only which Christ had don by him that is that he will not glory of his owne doings but rather will suppresse them and kepe them in silence Hereby let vs learne that all the ornameÌ„ts of ministers all gifts all spirituall faculties and endowments of the minde are to this ende geuen of God to bring men to the obedience of God Wherefore let them beware which hold those gifts with themselues without fruit or bestowe them otherwise then they ought to doe But here marke diligently what are the weapons and signes which Paul teacheth to pertaine to Apostles In vvord and in dede These two are the things wherewith Paule wrought Wordes dedes are the instrumentes of the Apostleship Signes wonders through Christ words I say and dedes Vnder this word vvords are comprehended publique preachings priuate communications disputations and Epistles which when he was absent he wrote to sundry Churches and to his scholers And these things proceded both from Christ and from the power of the holy Ghost And workes containe signes and wonders But what differeÌ„ce there is betwene those two it is not easy to expresse Origen thinketh that those thinges only are called signes which