⧠Most learned and fruitfull Commentaries of D. Peter Martir Vermilius Florentine Professor of Diuinitie in the Schole of Tigure vpon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Romanes wherin are diligently most profitably entreated all such matters and chiefe common places of religion touched in the same Epistle ¶ With a table of all the common places and expositions vpon diuers places of the scriptures and also an Index to finde all the principall matters conteyned in the same Lately traÌ„slated out of Latine into Englishe by H. B. ¶ IMPRINTED AT LONdon by Iohn Daye ¶ Cum Gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per decennium ⧠These bookes are to be solde at the shop vnder the gate DIEV ET MON DRIOâ— ARISE FOR IT IS DAY TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND VVORTHY SIR ANTHONY COOKE KNIGHT PETER MARTIR VERMILIVS OF FLORENCE PROFESSER OF DIVINITIE IN THE SCHOLE OF TIGVRE VVISHETH HEALTH WHen I oftentimes consider with my selfe right honourable Sir whome for godlines and learning I reuerence all those things which happened all that whole time that I dwelt in England it driueth into me a great and manifolde griefe And in especiall it is a grief vnto me that so great an hope of the gospell of Iesus Christe and of pure doctrine in that Realme geuen by the most mighty and most mercifull God and confirmed by the great laboure industry and study of godly men hath now in a maner vtterly pearished It is a griefe vnto me to thinke that that most noble wit most sacred brest and incredible piety of that famous king Edwarde the .vj. of that name your most deare pupill is so sodainely taken from vs. It is a griefe vnto me that so many English men being of great fame renoum as well for theyr piety as for theyr knowledge and nobility are by voluntary exile for religion sake dispersed throughout externe and straunge countreys and they which at home were counted moste noble and heroicall doe now wander abrode as men obscure abiect and in a manner vnknowne to all men But it is well in that this happeneth not vnto them for any wicked actes by them committed or for filthy life but only for the name and doctrine of oure Lord Iesus Christ It is also a griefe vnto me that so great a multitude of godly brethren are as doubtles it is to often from euerye where signified vnto vs moste cruelly for theyr holy profession put to the sworde fire and tormentes whome for as much as they are our brethren and haue to theyr head together with vs one and the selfe same Christ and are members of one and the selfe same body and finally are euen oure owne bowels when we heare to be entreated with so great cruelty and tyraÌ„ny it is not possible but that we also should in minde be shaken with horror and set on fire euen as they are in body tormented and murthered These and a greate many moe things being vnto me a great griefe so that I am nowe in a maner hardened to any newe griefe yet cease I not to haue an eye hither and thither to see if I might by any meanes gette some healthfull and profitable remedy bothe for my selfe and for such like as I am but now I haue long time had experience of that it is in vaine to hope for mannes helpe or for ayd at the worlds hand And therefore I persuade both my selfe also others to withdraw their mindes from the aides of the flesh and to implore the heauenly and diuine helpe which doubtles I see is offred vnto vs two wayes One is that we with prayers turning our selues vnto Christ shold say How long Lord shall the wickednes and fury of Idolatry of supersticions and of the ignorance of the scriptures range abroade on the earth How long Lord shall thy holy Gospell be troden vnder foote We in dede haue sinned we haue ben rebellious against thee and haue not harkened vnto thy wordes for which cause we are iustly and for our euill deserte thus daily put â—o confusion and shame But thou O Lord our God are most iust in all thy workes But on the other side Lord for as much as it belongeth to thy clemency and constancy to haue mercye to spare and most faithfully to kepe thy couenauntes and promises how long Lord how long wilt thou be angry vnto the end Remember not our iniquities of olde Wherefore we beseeche thee that for as much as in these laste times thou hast by pouring abrode thy plenteous light and that being most mighty vouchsafed to make manifest vnto men which lay in darknes yea more then palpable darknes the secretes of thy truth thou woldest once at the length turne away thy wrath and fury from our ingrate mindes and from the most greuous sinnes whereby we haue laid forth thy most holy name and the pure doctrine which we professe to euil speakings and to blasphemies And deliuer thy congregation from the contumelies and oppressions of the wicked which doubtles light not only vpon vs but also vppon the maiesty of thy name Although thou of thyne owne nature be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vntouchable and not able to be hurt Illuminate O most louing Christ thy face vpon the Church redeamed with thy bloud which is now in a manner vtterly lefte desolate Thy name only and not any other mannes name we call vpon not vndoubtedly trusting to any our own righteousnes but to thy goodnes only and mercy that thou woldest either appoynt an end or measure of those euils and lenify the vexation wherwith we together with our brethren are afflicted or that thou wouldest at the least vouchsafe to geue vnto the hearts of thine such faith and constancy that they fall not away from the profession of true piety yea rather that they may so nobly and valiantly behaue them selues that by their exile emprisonment pouertye ignominy sworde fire and how cruell so euer kinde of death it be the liuely knowledge of thy gospell may more and more shine forth and be made more manifest to the whole world This kinde of ayde and remeady right honorable sir is the first which I see is to be sought for at Gods hands against our euils and which the holy Fathers prophets Apostles and blessed coÌ„fessors of the Christian faith with great fruit vsed in their afflictions Wherfore seing that God heard them praying after this maner or muche like therevnto let vs in no wise distrust but that he will also heare vs when as we haue coÌ„mon with them one and the selfe same cause and one and the selfe same God Vndoubtedly if he heard them he will not despise our prayers but forasmuch as he is alwayes like vnto himselfe if he most louingly and with incredible facilitie receaued theyr prayers he will also fil vs making supplicatioÌ„ vnto him not with a small but with a most ample consolation The second helpe which is also brought vs from God and is euery where
the law is two maner of wayes cōfirmed by fayth First because by it we obtaine the holy ghost whereby are ministred vnto vs strengthes to obey the lawe But a man may paraduenture doubt how this can be that by fayth we haue the holy ghost when as of necessity he alwayes goeth before fayth For fayth The holy ghost goeth before fayth in vs. Betwene causes and effects are certayne circuites The holy ghost both goeth before and also followeth fayth The Law maketh vs vncertaineof the good will of God The Law with out fayth is weake and can not consiste is both his gift and also commeth from him to vs. But we answere that betwene the causes and the effectes seme to be certayne circuites as it is manifest by cloudes and showers From cloudes discend raynes out of waters which are in the inferior places are taken vp vapors by the heate of the heauēs which are thickened into cloudes out of which againe discend showers vpon the earth But in this circute we must alwayes haue a recourse to the first according to the order of nature which is whē there is supposed an humor of which cloudes may encrease So also must we do here We will graūt that fayth by the benefite of the holy ghost springeth in vs. By which fayth is increased the aboundance of the selfe same spirite whose encrease the former fayth hath preuented and of a greater fayth is still made a greater encrease of the spirite But yet notwithstanding we constantly affirme that there is but one thing chiefely from whence all these good things flow namely the holy ghost Secondly saith Augustine the lawe is by the helpe of fayth otherwise confirmed Because by fayth we pray and calling vpon God with prayers we do not only obtayne remission of sinnes but also so greate a portion of the spirite and of grace that we haue strengthes to obey the lawe Vndoubtedly the lawe if it be taken by it selfe maketh vs both vncertayne of the good will of God and after a sort bringeth desperation vnles fayth come and helpe which both maketh vs assured that God is pacefied and mercifull towards vs and also by grace obtayneth the renuing of strengthes And the Apostles phrase whereby he sayth that by fayth he establisheth the lawe is to be noted For thereby he signifieth that the lawe if it be left vnto it selfe and without fayth is weake so that it can not consiste And therefore vnles it be vpholden by fayth it shall easely fall And The woonderful sharpnes of wit in Paule The Law and sayth helpe one an other this is the poynte of a singular artificer not only to depel from him that which is obiected but also to declare that the selfe same maketh most of all for hys purpose The lawe and fayth helpe one an other and as the common saying is geue handeseche to other For the lawe doth as a scholemaster bring men vnto the fayth of Christ and on the other side fayth bringeth this to passe that it maketh them after a sort able to accomplishe the lawe For strayght waye so soone as a man beleueth in Christ he obtayneth iustification and is liberally endued with aboundance of the spirite and with grace The entent and purpose of the lawe was that a man should both be made good and also be saued But this thing it was not able to performe Then succeded fayth and did helpe it for through it is a man renued so that he is able to obey God and his commaundementes Chrisostome sayth that Paule here proueth three thinges First that a man may be iustified without the lawe Secondly that the lawe can not iustify Thirdly that fayth and the lawe are not repugnant one to the other Ambrose teacheth that therefore by fayth is the lawe established because that those thinges which by the lawe are commaunded to be done are by fayth declared to be done And we haue alredy before heard that this righteousnes which Paule here commendeth hath testemony both of the lawe and of the Prophetes And if any man obiect that therefore the lawe is made voyde by fayth because by it ceremonies are abolished he answereth that this thing therefore so happeneth because the lawe it selfe would haue it so and foretold that it should so come to passe In Daniell we reade that after the comming of Christ and after that he was slayne the dayly sacrifice should be taken away and the The Law Would and fortold that ceremonis should be made voide Testimonis witnessing that the ceremonis of the Hebrues should cease holy anoynting and such like kinde of ceremonies Wherefore Christ did not without cause saye The lawe and the Prophetes endured vnto Iohn baptistes tyme. Ieremy also most manifestly sayd that an other leage should be made farre diuers from that which was made in the olde tyme. The epistle vnto the Hebrues thereby concludeth that that which was the olde leage and was so called should one day be abolished Zachary the Prophet in his 2 chapter sayth that the city of Ierusalem should be inhabited without walles Which signified that the Church of the beleuers should so be spred abroade and dispersed through out the whole world that it should not be enclosed in by any borders or limites Which selfe same thing Esay semeth to testefy when he sayth That mount Sion and the house of the Lord should be on the toppe of the hilles so that the Gentiles should come vnto it out of al places And Malachy the Prophet pronounced that the name of God should be called vpon frō the rising of the sunne to the going downe of the same so that vnto God should euery where be offred Minchah which many haue transferred vnto y◠Eucharist as though it were a sacrifice when as yet the prophet thereby vnderstādeth prayers and the offring vp euen of our selues as Tertullian testefieth in his booke agaynst the Iewes and also Ierome when he interpreteth that place Wherefore when the Prophets seme to affirme that ceremonyes should be transferred vnto the Ethnikes they are so to be vnderstād as though by the signes they ment the thinges themselues The Ethnikes being conuerted vnto Christ receaued that which was represented by the ceremonies of the elders But they reiected the How the Ethnikes receued the ceremonis of the Hebrues outward signes and thys was by fayth to confirme the lawe And forasmuch as the Prophetes foretold that ceremonyes should be abolished the same is to be taken as if it had bene spoken of the lawe for that the Prophetes were interpreters of the lawe And that Christ when he should come should chaunge the ceremonies euen the Iewes them selues doubted not whych thing is manifest by Iohn Baptist shewed that ceremonis should bee abrogated the historie of Iohn Baptist which we reade in the Gospell For when he would purge menne conuerted vnto God he sente them not vnto sacrifices and vnto the ceremonies of Moses by
vs vp to aske those thynges Neither doth the holy ghost that is the diuine person abase it selfe as though it were lesser then the father and prayeth but only it causeth vs to pray So God is sayd to tempt the Hebrues that he myght know that is to make other themselues or others to know Touching this matter Augustine in his sermon against Maximinus the Arrian at large entreateth It was sayde vnto Abraham now I know that thou fearest the Lord which is nothyng els but I haue shewed I haue made open and haue declared that thou fearest the Lord. And Paul to the Galathyans But now forasmuch as ye know God and he addeth a correctioÌ„ or rather are knowen of God that is tought and illustrated so that he may know All these places declare that those things which are done of godly men by the heauenly inspiration are attributed vnto God and vnto the holy ghost But there are two most manifest places the one to the Galathyans the other to the Romanes which if they be compared together make that most manifest which we affirm For vnto the Romanes Paul writeth we haue not receaued the spirite of bondage agayne vnto feare but the spirite of the adoption of children whereby we cry Abba father These wordes playnly declare that we are they which crye And vnto the Galathyans God sent The spirite â—rieth because it maketh vs to crye Against the Arâ—ians forth the spirit of hys sonne into our hartes crying Abba father Here the spirite is said to cry not vndoubtedly for any other caâ—â—e but for that it maâ—eth vs to crye Neither did the Arrians truly affirme that Paul saith that the holy ghost maketh intercession to the sonne For thereof went they about wickedly to inferre that as they held that the sonne is lesse then the father so is the holy ghost lesse then the sonne These are the dreames of heretiques The son prayeth maketh intercession for vs because he is lesse then the father as touchinge his humanity The spirite maketh intercession because it maketh vs to pray and to cry And vnto the Galathyans it is expressedly said that this crying Abba father is of the holy ghost Wherefore the Arrians of their owne hed and not of the wordes of Paul fained vnto themselues that the holy ghost calleth vpon the sonne not that the holy ghost stirreth vs not vp to call vpon Christ the sonne of God But this thing only Augustine teacheth that they by the wordes of the Apostle had no cause why they should so greatly bâ—ast yâ— they had proued that which they entended namely that the sonne is lesse then the father and the holy ghost lesse then the sonne Origene so interpretateth these wordes as though the holy ghost is to vs in our prayers after a sort a Schoolemaster A Scholemaster formeth himselfe to the capacity of his children and nameth the letter first vnto them that they maye imitate him in the pronunciation of the sounde of the letters which thing otherwise they could not do of themselues so the holy ghost instilleth into vs as into children what we ought to aske Out of all these interpretacions two thinges we may gather First that here are confuted the Pelagians which tought that we are of our owne strengthes able to fulfill the lawe of God For if we can not so much as know what thinges are profitable for vs how can we performe them And when we heare that the holy ghost maketh intercession for vs we reiect the Arrians which went about by these words to proue that the holy ghost is a creature and lesse then the son For it is alwayes of necessity that he which prayeth is lesse then he to whom he commeth to pray The sonne indeede is sayd to be lesse then the father because of his humanity â—ut the holy ghost neuer tooke vpon him any creature in one and the selfe same hypostasis to be made one person with it wherefore he is therefore sayde to The holy Ghost neuer tooke vpon him any creature in one and the selfe same hypostasis The sighes of the godly in afflictioÌ„â— are hearde pray because he maketh vs to pray Vnto all these thinges may be added one thing more It commeth to passe sometimes that godly men when they are greeuously afflicted do only sighe neither to their knowledge do they praye vnto God And yet the holy ghost inwardly both stirreth vp moderateth these sighes in these men although they â—e not ware nor know what is done which sighes the father as moued and stirred vp by the holy ghost harkeneth vnto and vnderstandeth and granteth the requestes of the spirite And therefore is the spirite said to serch the harts because it considereth that which they themselues when they grone and sighe coÌ„sider not For we are somtimes so oppressed with the greatnes of temptacioÌ„s weaknes of yâ— flesh that we can not pray but the spirite priuelye stirreth vp and kindleth these groninges And these are his prayers This thinge we feale not bycause we our selues are not they which praye for we are only stirred vp by the spirite of God For although the flesh be oppressed with tribulations yet the spirit is inwardly strong â–ª Ieremy Dauid Examples of the Saintes and Iob were sometimes occupied in lamentacions and complayntes so that they after a sort complayned of the iudgementes of God as though they were ether not iust or els to much seuere and yet notwithstanding was not the spirite extinguished in them And therfore God imputed not vnto them the sighâ—nges of the flesh but heard the entent of the spirite They are called vnspeakeable Why they are called vnspeakeable sighes sighes for that we speake not expressedlye what the spirite asketh But as touching this sence yâ— words must thus to be put in order we are ignorant what we should pray which yet we ought not to be ignorauÌ„t of We pray indede but what we aske we know not but God sercheth the hartes He nedeth no inquisition Why God is sayd to searche hartes Howbeit he is sayd to serch for that that which meÌ„ desire perfectly and exactly to know they diligently serch for it so God bycause he beholdeth our most hidden thoughtes is sayd to serch the hartes otherwise he before we beginne to aske knoweth what we haue neede of Also we know that all thinges worke together to the beste to them that loue God euen vnto them that are called of purpose For those whome he knewe before hee also hath predestinate to bee made like to the image of hys sonne that he might be the first born amongest many brethern Moreouer whom he hath predestinated them also hath hee called and whome he hath called them also hath he iustifyed and whome he hath iustifyed them also hath he glorifyed Also we know that all thinges c. Forasmuch as the Apostle had begonne to speake of the patient suffring of aduersities he thought he woulde more at
euen so are oftentimes found many such ministers which by reason of the greate burthen of theyr vocation and bycause of the maliciousnes and incredulity of the people desire to forsake theyr ministeries hauing the selfe same infirmity where with this our Prophet semeth to haue bene after a sorte ouercome when he desired to dye But let ministers this know that they must abide in theyr vocation Ministers ought not to forsake their vocation so long as the strengths of the body will suffer them and that they be not thrust out by force For the men and people committed to theyr charge ought neuer to be forsaken so long as they can abide to heare the word of God And if they be all together contemners of the word of the lord and will not suffer it to be preached then as Christ commaunded his Apostles let them shake of agaynst them the dust of theyr feete and depart But so long as there are any amongest them which will suffer the pastor to preach and to entreate of the word of God he ought not to geue ouer his ministery Wherefore I know not whither Melitius did well or no of whome Theodoritus maketh meÌ„cion in his 2. booke and 31. chap. An history of Melitius that he foresooke the bishopricke of a certayne Church in Armenia being offended with the ouer greate dissobedience of his flocke But the same man afterward being chosen bishoppe of Antioche was for defending the catholike fayth agaynst the Arrians thrust into exile In which fact God paradueÌ„ture declared that he was not well pleased that he had departed from his first vocation By the example of this Prophete we may know how many troubles ministers haue to passe through in gouerning the Church and â—hose no small or common Ministers haue a greâ— many troubles to passe thorow troubles but such as in comparison of the which death is rather to be chosen With how greate a griefe and zeale doo we thinke Christ sayd O vnbeleuing nation how long shall I suffer you VVhich haue not bowed the knees to Baall â–ª â–ª In Hebrue is added and haue not kissed him Although the nature of idolatry be placed in the mind yet by these signes it sheweth forth it selfe outwardly The wicked bowed theyr knees to idols and kissed them And here are manifestly reproued yâ— Nicodemites of our Against the Nicodemites time For the Lord sayth that those whome he had reserued vnto him selfe dyd not these thinges how then should they thinke it to be lawfull for them in time of persecution Baall is deriued of this Hebrew word Baall signifieth to beare dominion and to be an husbande For they chose these made Gods to be theyr What Baal signifieth how that word agreeth with idols Lordes patrones as our men had their peculiar saintes to be their defenders whome they worshipped Nether is the name of an husband vnapt for idolatry for in stede of the true God which is the only husband of the Churche they broughte in other Gods as husbandes Wherefore the Prophetes called idolatry by the name of fornication whoredome and adultery which yet the vngodly as I suppose sought to adorne with the title of matrimonye God was angry with this heynous wicked crime that not without iuste cause for they went about to parte and to deuide amongest many Gods that worshippinge which was dew vnto one God only and that which they gaue vnto theyr owne imaginations was taken away from the true God And there could nothing haue bene deuised more contrary to the first and greatest commaundement wherein we are commaunded to loue God with all our hart with all our soule and with all our strengths And so much God detested this worshipping of Baall that in Osea the prophet in the 2. chapiter he sayd Thou shalt cal me Ishi that is my man and not Baalâ— that is my husband For although God were the husband of the Church yet would he not so be called of it lest he should by any maner of meanes to communicate in name with idoles Wherefore I haue oftentimes meruayled how the Christians in the old time when the Churche first began suffred the names of the dayes as Dies Solis which we call Sonday Dies Lune called Monday Dies Martis called tewsday Dies Mercurij called wedensday Dies Iouis called thursday Dies veneris called friday and Dies Saturni called saterday to take place would also by the selfe same names name the planets Verely forasmuch as these names were at that time the names of idoles it had bene better to haue abolished them and it was more dangerous at that tyme theÌ„ it is now For there are now none left which worshippe such idoles as they 〈◊〉 still did although I se that in the Church many vsed to say prima secunda â—ercia quarta feria that is as it were the first second third or fourth day of the weake as the Iewes vse to say the first second or third day of the sabaoth And in like sorte may it seme wonderfull touching the monthes as Ianuary Marche and suche like in stede of whiche the godlye named them accordinge to the order of nombers Helias maketh intercession against Israell It may seme that the disposition of Prophetes ought rather to be enclined to mercy Samuell being offended with the Israelites sayd far be it from me that I should cease to pray for you How theÌ„ doth Helias now make intercession against Israell Some say that this was only How Helias prayed against Israell a complaint made in familiar talke before God but Paul saith manifestly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is against Israell And his vision touching the wynd earthquake and fire declareth that he being moued with a great zeale desired that God woulde auenge the wickednes of the Israelites Wherefore Paul rightly interpreted his It is lawfull for the faintes to pray against the wicked prayers that they were made against Israell But this ought not to be counted a fault in the Prophetes in the godly when as they inueigh not against the men but against vices and sinnes them would they haue destroyed them woulde they haue punished and forasmuch as those sinnes can not be seperated from meÌ„ therefore their prayers describe them in such sort as they are namely with men Moreouer oftentimes it is to be sene that they frame themselues vnto the will of God which by the impulsion of the spirite they know and do to the vttermost of their power allowe and therefore as they know any to be punished they seme in their prayers to pray that way euen agaynst them And the things which they séeme oftentimes in their prayers to speake they to this end only speake them to foretell vnto them of their time things which they knew should afterward come to passe Lord saith he they haue transgressed thy couenannt and haue slayne thy Prophetes so great an enemy was Iezabell vnto
order appoynted by God in nature For God for the conseruation good order God will haue an order to be kept in outwarde thinges How Roboam is said not to haue prepared his harte of thinges will that this by a certayne connexion should follow of the other But I meruayle what these men meane when out of the bookes of the Chronicles they say that Roboam the sonne of Salomon did euil in that he prepared not his hart to enquire of the Lorde They mought easely haue sene that this serueth nothing to thys present purpose vnles they be if I may so terme them table doctors which haue more skill in the tables then in the bookes For as often as they finde in the table of the holy bookes thys woorde to prepare or preparation that strayght way whatsoeuer it be they snatche and thinke that it maketh for theyr purpose and pertayneth vnto theyr preparatory woorkes But the holy history when it declared that the kinge behaued hymselfe wickedlye addeth by exposition as it oftentimes doth that he had not an vpright hart redie to séeke the Lord. Neither doth this any thing helpe theyr cause which is written in the 16. chapter of the prouerbes Why it is said yâ— it pertaineth to man to prepare the harte It pertaineth to a man to prepare the hart but the aunswere of the tonge is of the Lord. For we ought by those woordes to vnderstande nothinge els then that men indéede are wonte to purpose wyth themseues manye thinges but the euent and successe is not in their power but dependeth of GOD. Men oftentimes appoynte wyth them selues what they will saye in the senate house in the iudgement place before the kinge vnto the souldiours and vnto the people But what shal come to passe lieth in the pleasure of God They indéede prepare the hart but God ordereth the aunswere of the tounge according to his prouidence Such an other waighty reason they cite out of the 10. Psalme The Lord hath heard the desire of the poore thy eare hath heard the preparation of their hart But in this place these The preparation of the hart of the poore good masters make two flat errors For first they vnderstand not that which they speake secondly they cite not the place accordinge to the truth of the Hebrue For the sence is That God despiseth not the prayers of the poore but according to hys great goodnes accomplisheth for them those thinges which they had determined in their mind to desire of him And this is the preparation of the harte For there is none that is godly desireth any thing of God but first he deliberateth in his harte that the same thing is to be desired Otherwise he should come rashly vnto God should pray foolishly But these men wheresoeuer they finde in the holy scriptures this word to prepare straight way snatch it vp euen against the nature thereof to establish workes preparatorye But nowe let vs sée what the sentence is after the Hebrue veritie Taauah anauim shamata iehouah tachin libbam tacshib osnecha That is Thou hast heard the desire of the poore Lord thou hast prepared or shalt prepare their hart thy eare shall heare Here we sée that Dauid affirmeth that God heareth God prepareth the hart of the saintes the desires of the saintes whome he calleth poore And he addeth a cause namely because God prepareth their hart to require those thinges whiche may serue to their saluation and please God But by whome God woorketh such a preparation in the hartes of the faithfull Paul teacheth in this Epistle when he thus writeth God prepareth our hartes by his holy spirits What we should aske as it behoueth vs we know not But the spirite prayeth for vs with vnspeakeable sighes But it is God which searcheth the hartes he seeth what the spirite will aske for the saintes We sée therefore both by Dauid and also by Paul that God heareth those prayers of them that pray vnto him which are by the impulsioÌ„ of his spirite stirred vp We learne also of the Ethnike Philosophers and that in mo places then one that those are worthy of reproofe which without consideration and rashly require any thing of God But they which professe Christ euen as they beleue that he is the author of their prayers so also do they close them vp in thys sentence Thy will be done But say they Ezechiell saith in his 18. chapter Walke in A concilition of places of Ieremy and Ezechiell my wayes and make ye a new hart Ieremy also saith Be ye conuerted vnto me saith the Lord. Wherefore a man say they may of himselfe prepare himselfe to the obteyning of righteousnes But these men should remember that it is no vprighte dealing to cite some places of the scriptures and to ouerhippe leaue vnspoken other some Let them goe therfore and sée what Ezechiell writeth in the. 30. chapt I saith the Lorde will bring to passe that ye shall walke in my wayes Agayne I will geue vnto you a fleshy hart and will take away from you your stony hart Ieremy also in the 31. chap. Conuert me O Lord and I shal be conuerted Wherfore Augustine very wel sayd Geue what thou commaundest and commaund what thou wilt They abuse also an other place out of the Prophet Ionas to confirme their error For in him it is writteÌ„ that Of the fact of the Niniuites God regarded the woorkes of the Niniuites Beholde say they the affliction of the Niniuites wherby they afflicted themselues with fastings and cried vnto the lord prepared theyr mindes and made them apte to obteine pardon As though it behoued not the Niniuites first to beleue the woorde of God before they coulde eyther pray healthfully or els repent Séeing therefore they beleued before they did any workes they were iustified by faith and not by works which folowed afterward And God is sayd to haue regarded their works because they pleased him Neither did we euer deny that the workes of men being now iustified are acceptable vnto A profitable rule for the right vnderstanding of sentences of the fathers touching iustificatioÌ„ God So often as we finde in the scriptures such places which séeme to attribute righteousnes vnto our workes we muste according to the doctrine of Augustine haue a consideration out of what foundation those workes procéede And when we perceaue that they springe out of faith we oughte to ascribe vnto that roote that which afterwarde is added as touching righteousnes And how fowlye these men â—rre in their reasoning hereby we may perceaue for that they take vpon them to transferre those thinges which are proper vnto one kinde of men vnto an other Which thing eueÌ„ humane lawes wil not suffer For as it is had in the Code As touching testaments or last willes If rusticall and vnlearned men which dwell out of cities A similitude and haue not store of wise and learned
commeth of a manly and strong faith And therfore I thinke Iames sayd that patience hath a perfect worke vnles peraduenture a man will thus vnderstande it that perfection is not in any work vnles we perseuer in the same For when we leaue of we bring not the worke to his ende and so without patience it is left vnperfect And besides all this our enemies are by this meanes chiefly feared away from continuing to persecute vs For when they sée yâ— we are not moued by their iniuries they thinke that they lose their labour And therfore they take not so great pleasure of the reproches wherwith they reproched vs. But if they perceiue that we are out of quiet and take it in ill parte they will thinke that theyr iniuryes haue taken good successe and will afterward be more bolde in theyr wicked endeuors By this we may sée why the Lord sayd blessed are ye when they reuile you and persecute you and speake all maner of euill and make lies against you for my sake Reioyse and be glad for your rewarde is great in heauen This commaundement of Christ the Apostles executed For they returned from the presence of the Counsell reioysing that they were counted worthy to be reuiled for his name sake And Paule in the first to the Corinthians sayth we are euill spoken of and we blesse In Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paule alwayes wished not weâ— to his enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How be it this counsell Paul alwayes obserued not For to the Galathians he sayth I would to God they were cut of which trouble you And Dauid saythe let theyr table be made a snare before them let theyr eyes be made dimme that they may not see and bow downe theyr backe all wayes And other bookes of the Prophets are euery where ful of cursses and imprecations wherewith they cursse the enemies of the people of God Here doubtles as I iudge is it to be sayd that we ought so to deale as Paule now admonisheth so long as we haue a respecte to our owne iniuryes Whether it be lawful at any tyme to curse ouâ— enemies and that we walke the ordinary way and common course whereby we are of loue bound to wishe well to our neighbours But if God open vnto vs his hiddeÌ„ will and declare what shall without doubt come to passe of our enemyes and of those which persecute vs then if we sincerely and truely loue him we ought vndoubtedly to stay our selues in his will and counsell Howbeit this caution is added first to be fully assured whether those things which God hath opened vnto vs pertaine only to a threat or wholy to declare his determinate and assured wil. For where we suspecte that God threatneth only to bring vs to repentaunce we ought not to cease of from prayers euen for the wicked So did Moses when he made supplication to God for his people So did Abraham for the Sodomites so did Samuel for Saul and so did Ieremy for the people But when they are assured that it is the fixed and certaine will of God they doe not only pray against yâ— wicked in prophesying as Augustine thinketh against Faustus in his 16. booke and. 22. chapiter where he thus writeth But cursses when they are spoken by the way of prophesie come not of the euill desire of him that curseth but of the foreknowing spirite of him that denounceth them But also it is done with a minde now consenting vnto God and wishing the self same things that he wisheth Dauid when as otherwise he was so gentle and fauorable towards Semei Absolon Saul and other enemies yet sometime so cursseth and banneth the wicked that it driueth an horror into the readers Christ also first be wailed the infelicitie of the City of Ierusalem for that it knew not the time of his visitation and sayth how often would I haue gathered together thy children as a henne doth her chickens vnder her wings and thou wouldest not Howbeit euen the same Christ when he knew the assured and vnmoueable will of God did burst forth into these words I geue thanks vnto thee O father of heauen and of earth for that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent men and hast reueled them to infants Euen so Lord for that it hath so pleased in thy sight Moreouer men of God when they come to this poynt haue not a respecte to theyr owne cause neither doe regarde theyr owne iniuryes but consider that by the wicked workes of the vngodly the Church of God is hurt the spirituall procedings therof are letted the course of the Gospell is hindred And they moste ardently desire that the name of God might be sanctified his kingdome most amply spred abrode And hereof it commeth that wheÌ„ the godly pray against wicked men they persecute not theyr own enemyes but the enemies of God whom they desire might be most purely worshipped Dauid sawe that he was called of God to the kingdome and vnderstode that the enterprises of the wicked wer not so much repugnant to his honor as to the will of God Wherfore worthely in his prayers he wisheth rather that they should pearish and that most vily then that any iotte of the most iust will of God should be hindred Wherefore bothe in this place and in suche other like we are prohibited not only to cursse but also to speake euill when we are ouercome with the contumelies iniuryes of the wicked by which it is not méete that we shold suffer our mindes to be broken to be led away from the rule of charity Herein doubtles consisteth the noblenes of stomake of Christians their incredible valiantnes of courage not only not to cursse them that persecute them but also to speake well of them and to pray vnto God for them How be it I can not inough wonder that Aquinas should say that by these words of Wherin consisteth the noblenes of â—omacke of the Christians â—n erâ—our of Aquinas Paule Christians are not compelled by the force of the commaundement to shew singularly an affect of loue to theyr enemies or as they vse to speake to shewe signes of beneuolence vnto them except it be in case of necessity For it is inough if they exclude them not from the generall bond of loue wherewith we ought to loue our neighbours Neither sayth he is it necessary that we peculiarly pray for them But this is sufficient if we exclude them not from the common prayers which we make for all men And if any man sayth he besides the case of necessity doo shew vnto his enemy tokens of a singular loue or doo singularly make intercession for him that man followeth the counsell of Christ but obeyeth not the commaundement But Christ and Paul when they spake of these thinges taught not this distinction This doctrine doubtles cutteth in â–ª sonder the strings of Christian religion it abateth the vehemency of the spirite
peraduenture séeme straunge vnto some as sayth Origen that the Apostle when as in the spirite of God he know that he should come to Rome wold yet notwithstanding implore those mennes prayers This in my iudgement no man shoulde call in question But we should rather learne that holy men althoughe they certainly know that God will geue vnto them whatsoeuer is expedient yet they also knowe that he will oftentimes geue it them throughe the prayers of his The We pray for those thinges which we know shal be geuen vnto vs. Lord also knew that the father would deliuer vnto him all things yet notwithstanding he continually prayed vnto him and so prayed that he sayde Father into thine hands I commend my spirite And as he knewe that his spirite should without all doubt be receiued of God so doubted he not but that the same was to be obtayned by his prayers Moreouer by those wordes we gather that the force of prayers consisteth not of our workes and merites For Paul so greate an Apostle desireth Prayers consist not of the worthines of them that pray to be holpen by theyr prayers who were far inferior vnto him although Ambrose sayth that many little ones if they be gathered together into one make great ones This saying I mislike not for Christ sayd where so euer shall be two or three gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Againe touching what thing so euer two or three shall agree together it shal be done vnto them as they desire And how much the prayers of the Church profited it is plainly declared in Peter For he was deliuered by the Angel when as continual prayer was made for him And seing now that publique prayers are so profitable they ought without all doubte most often How we ought to praâ— for other to be celebrated Wherfore godly men so often as they are either sicke or are in any great daunger ought to require the publike prayers of the Churche and afterwarde when they haue obtained theyr request they ought also to require yâ— church publikely to geue thanks to God for theyr sakes That ye helpe me in my busines In Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This doubtles is more then to helpe a man in his busines For that word signifieth properly a man to take vpon him one and the selfe same labor one and the selfe same trauail one and the self same striuing and conflicte with him for whome he prayeth And by this phrase of speache Paul doubtles instructeth vs with what affecte we ought to pray for others that is to transfer vpon our selues as much as is possible the miseries afflictions and sorowes of him for whome we pray That he vvould deliuer me from the vnbeleuers in Iury. The first thing that he desireth them to pray for him is that he might be deliuered from the vnbeleuing Iewes whome he knewe deadly hated him For they although they wished that all the Christians might vtterly be destroyed yet they hated Paule aboue all others for that no man more vehemently then he vrged that the ceremonyes oâ— Why Paâ—â— was aboâ—â—â— all the other Apostles odious to the Iewes Moses should be taken away And in this iorney as it is set forthe in the â–ª 2â— and â–ª 21. chapiters of the Actes Agabus and other Prophets foretolde vnto him greuous chaunces which should happen vnto him at Ierusalem wherefore both by that history and by this prayer it is manifest that the minde of Paul was troubled with no small perplexity Which perplexity yet God so restrained within certaine limites that it nothing letted him from the worke of the Lord For the Apostolical history most plainely testifieth that he most constantly answered vnto the Prophets and brethren which dissuaded him from this iorney I count not my soule and life so precious sayd he that I will delay to runne my course and to fulfil my ministery which the Lord Iesus Christ hath deliuered vnto me And I am redy sayd he not only to be bound but also to dye for our Lord Jesus Christes sake Wherefore Paule was not afeard to die but he therefore desired to be deliuered that he might minister vnto the saintes and that he might come to Rome and so goe into Spaine For it had bene muche better for Paul to haue died then so to haue bene vexed with perpetuall contumelies and to liue as one layd forth to all iniuries This he himselfe signifieth to the Phillippians saying To dye is to me a gaine How be it to abide in the fleshe is profitable for your sakes and I hope that I shall abide Paule after this manner maketh request to the Romaines not in dede for his owne commoditye but for theirs And doubtles if they had a desire to sée Paul it was theyr parts withal maner of prayers earnestly to contend that according to his desire he might be deliuered from the vnbeleuing Iewes And that this my ministery vvhich I haue to doe at Ierusalem may be acceptable to the saintes The other parte of his request is that the saintes might gently The sâ—ate of the godly is miserable as touching this world accept his trauaile and paines The condition and state of the godly is doubtles miserable as touching this world They take most grieuous paines for the saluation of others not only to prouide for theyr soules but also for theyr bodyes And yet oftentimes they doubt whether they shall be well accepted of them whome they séeke to profit Neither dothe Paul without cause suspect that this might happen also as touching them which fauoured Christ For in those first times there was in the Churche of Ierusalem a certaine great zeale to obserue the law From which when they hearde that Paule was fallen away they bare but small good Some of the Iewes that were Christians bare no great good effection towardes â–ª Paul wil towards him Wherfore Paul feared least his duety towards them shold haue bene reiected and least he should haue bene frustrated of that consent agrement which he saw was nedeful for him to the preaching of the gospell Wherefore the preachers of our time ought to comforte themselues if they sée that theyr paynes which they take in teaching are not accepted of the people Neyther ought they which faythfully handle the distribution of almes to be grieued if they can not please all men Christ himselfe the more paynes he tooke for our sakes so much the more incurred he the displeasure of the Iewes Wherfore it ought not to seme vnto vs any great iniury if we be coÌ„pelled to suffer yâ— which we se he hath suffred What is to be sâ—ne vnto in geuyng of almes Hereby also let vs vnderstand that we ought not only to helpe the poore but also we must haue a care that our oblations may be acceptable and pleasant vnto theÌ„ which thing they litle consider which when they geue any thing geue it with
he is God must be worshipped as he hath declared in the word of the scripture set forth vnto vs in the holy scriptures as a Lord and father they worship him obey him and study to aduaunce his honour as muche as they are able And agayne when they see hym declared as a iudge they set his iudgement seate before theyr eyes in all theyr actions lest they shoulde transgresse in any thinge and incurre the anger of theyr mighty iudge But they doe not so feare hym that they hate hym or that they woulde flye from hym yea and thoughe there were graunted them a place to flye vnto they woulde chose rather to embrace him punishing and chasteninge them And amonge these thinges whiche oughte to haue the principall place as touchinge this spirituall worshipping God is worshipped by obedience is obedience wherof we rede that it is better then sacrifices Neyther had God a regard in a manner to any other thinge in the whole lawe and rites of ceremonies than to haue men truly subiect and obedient vnto him But we forasmuche as we haue contracted a corrupte and viciate nature by the sinne of Adam are in nothyng more diligent and exquisite then to obtrude our own inneÌ„cions and fayned rytes for the worshipping of God and greater seueritye is vsed agaynst the transgressors of the Commaundements of men then there is agaynst those which publikely violate the Commaundementes of God A man shall euery where see blasphemers whoremongers adulterers and periured persons laughed at by the magistrates so farre are they of from punishynge them But agaynste hym whiche will vse the sacramentes of the Euchariste in both kinds they rage euen vnto the fyre And to be brief men are condemned to death for neglecting of humayne traditions but for violatinge of the lawe of God they are not so muche as once accused Wherefore God did not without a cause in Deut. commaund Moyses Onely the thynges whyche I haue commaunded shalte thou keepe neyther shalte thou adde nor diminyshe any thynge And we haue A remedye agaynst humane traditions no prâ—seÌ„ter remedy against this pestilence then dayly to be occupied in the holy scriptures and to gather out of them by what meanes God would declare him selfe vnto vs and to picke out such wayes whereby he hath chieflye commaunded vs to worship him in thus doyng we may wtout any great difficulty serue god in spirite And contrary to this spiritual worshiping is to serue god in flesh To serue God in flesh that is onely wyth fayned rytes and outward ceremonies laying away faith and inward piety This Antithesis or contrarye posicion Paul touched when he sayd vnto the Galathians Yee which began in the spirite beware ye end not in the flesh Those Galathians were rightly instructed but by the deceates of false Apostles they declined vnto the Iewishe ceremonies and outward rites which thyng was to fynish in the flesh that whych was with holynes and vpright 〈◊〉 begonne Vnto the Philippians also he sayth We are the circumcision whiche serue God in sprite hauing confidence in God and not in the flesh Then he manifestlye declareth What it is to trust in the flesh what it is to trust in the flesh saying Although I if any other may put confidence in flesh as whych am of the kindred of Israel of the tribe of Beniamin an Hebrew borne of the Hebrewes and of the secte of the Pharisies by feruentnes persecâ—tinge the church of Christe and as touchinge iustifications of the lawe I was conuersante without blame c. Thou seest nowe that carnall woorshippynge consisteth of all these thynges But spirituall worshippyng consisteth altogether of fayth and charity Paule addeth In the gospell of his sonne By which wordes he declareth that thys spirituall Nowe God is serued in the Gospell of hys son worshipping if it be expressed in outward workes consisteth principally in this the we should preach Christ that we should allure vnto him as much as lyeth in vs as many of our neyghbours as we can He hath alreadye declared what God he called to witnes now he goeth to the thyng which he woulde haue signifyed vnto the Romanes And that is that he contynually made mencion of them in his prayers Neyther can it hereby be gathered that Paule did alwayes so praye that he neglected other duetyes He preached he iorneyed be laboured with hys handes and fynallye he executed all such thinges as pertayned vnto hys office Wherefore we must not expound those thynges which are here spoken accordyng to the word but according to the sense and we must vnderstand them no otherwise theÌ„ that as often as the Apostle prayed he made mencion of them And the prayers of the Saincts are deuided into two kyndes Two kindes of prayer For there are certayn which are appoynted as wheÌ„ they are had in a publique congregation at appoynted and prescribed dayes the Lordes day I say and if there be any other oppoynted by the Church for publike prayers Farther it is the duety of a Christian man to haue euery day also appoynted haures wherin to pray vnto God and that three times in a day or fyue tymes or seuen times as hys busines wyll suffer him There is an other kynd of those prayers which are called vncertayne for we vse them so often as any present daunger vrgeth vs. But Paule sayth now that he alwayes maketh mencion of these men in his prayers and in some bookes is added this aduerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth euery where althoughe some exemplars haue put it out There were heretikes which were called Messaliani and of them Tripartita Historia maketh mention An heresye of the Messalianits or Euchites They attributed all things vnto prayers and that so much that they vtterly derogated both the word of God and also the sacraments affirming that al these things do nothing profyte but what commodity soeuer we haue the same coÌ„meth by prayers and they could not abyde to labour wyth theyr handes or to do any other thing If a man had vrged them to worke they would haue said that that nothing profyted for as much as we oughte to do nothinge but pray when as yet the Apostle expressedly admonisheth that he whiche laboureth not ought not also to eate He also wryteth that a man must not neglecte to haue a care ouer his owne especially his houshold which fault if any man commit he should be counted euen as an infidell But omitting this superstition we ought The children or God ought to pray often to attribute much vnto prayers forasmuohe as this is the nature of the children of God to geue themseltes oftentimes to prayers for that is to acknowledge the prouidence of God For whilest we beleue that a man can obtayne nothyng whych is not geuen him of God we are oftentimes prouoked to emplore hys ayde for such necessities as happen And whilest we pray we doo no lesse submitte
our selues vnto God then is the clay subiecte vnto the potter for this thing we chiefly desire that whatsoeuer we require we maye haue the same through his wyll And forasmuch as when we pray the mind is led away from cares and worldly prouisions and is wholye caryed vp vnto God there ought nothing to be more pleasaunte vnto vs then to occupye our selues wyth thys kinde of study And it is much to be lamented that the manner of praying is so worne out of vre at this day amonge Christians that it is a thynge very rarely vsed and especially in so great a light of the Gospell and scriptures wherfore it is no meruaile though all things waxe so cold Vndoubtedlye heate A Similitude there encreaseth where the light cannot easely go through but is beaten backe againe and as they say reflected backwarde Wherefore this lower part of the ayre which compasseth the earth is most hot because the beames of the sonne which strike vpon the earth forasmuch as they cannot pearse it being so thick are reflected in a manner doubled whereby is stirred vp heat In like manner ought it to be in our harts when the light of gods woorde shyneth vpon them For when we haue receaued it we oughte to reflect it vnto God in makynge prayers vnto hym to performe those thinges in vs which he hath commaunded and which he hath vouchsafed to reuele vnto vs. For when we reade the scriptures God speaketh vnto vs. But when we pray we speake vnto God A profitable dialoge betwene God and vs. And we ought to vse this dialogue very often that when we heare in the holy scriptures that God eyther reuealeth himselfe or commaundeth any thinges we agayne may desire of hym that those thynges be not spoken in vayne vnto vs but maye be executed wyth profyte and fruite Paul teacheth vs here so to order our prayers that we pray not onely for our selues but also for our neighbours Farther when he prayeth that he myght haue a prosperous iorney vnto the Romanes he signifyeth that our workes should beginne with prayers if we wyll haue them to haue good successe But some are feared away from calling vpon God because they say he heareth them not Howbeit they ought hereby Though God seme not to heaâ—e yet we must not leaue of from prayer to be strengthned for that they heare that Paul was oftentymes letted from goyng vnto Rome and yet contynued he still in the same desire and vsed to repeate the selfe same prayers Yea and in the latter epistle to the Corrinthyans he writeth that he desired as good as three tymes to be delyuered from the pricke of the flesh vnto whom yet at the last aunswere was made that it suffised that he had the fruicion of the grace of God Wherefore eyther God heareth vs at the length or if he geueth not vs that which we desire yet geueth he somewhat in steede thereof which is farre better and more profitable vnto our saluation And God oftentymes differreth our requestes to the ende that as Why the Lord differreth our requestes Augustine sayth in a certayne homely we should learne to desire great thinges with much feruentnes Others are called away from prayers because they thus determine with themselues although I desire not these thinges yet God wyll do that which shall seeme good vnto hym neyther shall hys wyll be altered Why God will haue vs to aske that which otherwise he is redy to geue by my prayers But these men vnderstand not that God before he graunteth any good thinge vnto hys elect is wont excedingly to kindle their mynde wyth a desire to obtayne those thynges Farther when he will do any thynge he stirreth vp those that are hys to desire the same whereby he myght for honours sake attribute that vnto theyr prayers which otherwise he would haue done Thys is an other cause also for that benefytes are then the more acceptable when they are required and desired Farther when we pray our mynds A similitude are the more ioyned wyth God Yea these vowes and holy defires seeme to be nothyng els then ladders and degrées whereby we ascend vp vnto God But let vs returne vnto Paule and sée for what he now prayed That I may haue sayth he a prosperous iorney to come vnto you by the vvill of God He desired to come vnto the Romanes wherefore hys prayer was that impedimentes myght be remoued whiche were partly obiected by Sathan and partly had theyr begynnyng of sondry necessityes of Churches which impedimentes as they dayly hapened a fresh so they with held Paule that he could not go whether he would A prosperous iorney he calleth not only as touchyng commoditye of the lyfe but also a fruitfull iorney that hys laubour What maner of prosperous iorney Paule desired might not be spent in vayne He remembred also that he was by the oracle of God prohibyted some tymes to speake or to go whether he had appoynted As we may sée in the Actes the. 16. chapter where he was forbiddeÌ„ to speake in Asia and when he would haue gone into Mysia and Bythynia he was letted and by night admonishrd in a dreame to get him vnto Macedonia For there stoode before him a man of Macedonia which sayd Come and succour vs. This thyng therefore he desired as touchyng the Romanes namely that he might not haue any such impediment And though we heare that he desired a prosperous iorney yet we must not perswade our selues that he referred these thynges to his owne commodity or to gayne The prosperous iorneys which God graunted What prosperous iorneyes God gaue vnto Paule him to Macedonia serued to the increase of the Gospell For otherwise he was both beaten there and also cast into prison And when at the last he shoulde go vnto Rome God which heard hys prayers brought to passe that he was compelled to appeale vnto Cesar And when he was in a shippe wracke he bad hym to be of good chere for that he should be a witnes of Christ at Rome also as he had bene at Ierusalem whereby appeareth what prosperity or successe is to be What prosperity Christians ought to looke for looked for in the workes of the elect Vndoubtedly that kynde of prospe 〈…〉 cy is to be looked for not wherein the fleshe may rest but whereby may come aboundant fruite of the Gospell And whereas the Apostle sayth by the will of God it is not so to be vnderstaÌ„d as though he thought that any thing could be done be sides the will of God but he desireth such a will which should fauor and prosper hys enterprise that his labour myght not be in vayne And he addeth For I desire to see you Thys myght sufficiently haue bene vnderstand by hys prayers And yet is it not superfluously added For he woulde not haue them thinke that hys prayers were slyght and common prayers but such as procéeded from a perfect and
iust desire For we must not coldely desire those thynges whiche we implore of God in our prayers This was Paules care towardes Paule had a care ouer the Churches of God the churches Eyther he went thether hymselfe when néede required or when he could not goo he wrote or sent some that were very deare and nigh vnto hym Hys charity did alwayes burst forth into acts which myght profite hys neighbours He sawe that the saluation of the Romanes was now at hand therefore he would aduaūce it also by his labour And in that he prayeth in his prayers for a prosperous iorney it is nothyng els but to desire to be sent euen as Esay offred hymselfe saying Behold Lord I am redy send me And the same Paule sayd He which desireth a bishoppricke desireth a good worke Furthermore it Holy men desire to be coupled ioyned together is a perpetuall affection of good men to desire to be ioyned together forasmuch as they haue hym to be their God which is euery where in the holy scriptures called the God of vnity peace Moreouer their meetinges together are not without profyte For alwayes there is some increase of the spirite and grace of God and it séemeth that God geueth strength vnto the members of Christ then chiefly when they are ioyned together Which sentence some abuse when they cry that we must geue credite vnto Synodes and counsels as though god can not permitte so holy fathers which haue assembled together to be deceaued The assembly of Byshops vnto Synods why it is not vnprofitable That holy assembly say they of holy men coulde not be had without fruite but they as Paul sayth ought to haue bene such as had serued God in spirite had geuen them selues to aduaunce the gospell of God had powred out prayers wyth most feruent fayth and attempted nothyng of the flesh or of humane affection but suffred all thynges to be done by the will of God But that they performed not these thynges the euent sufficiently declareth For they haue brought in many supersticions and sometymes haue most seuerly decreed things that are apertly against the word of God I wyl not deny but that those which assemble rightly and orderly namely after that maner that I haue now expressed may bring forth farre greater fruites then when they deale seperatly and apart Of thys thyng Chrisostome bringeth a very apt similitude Burning A similitude firebrandes sayth he when they are seperated a sonder do conceaue and retayne within them some heate and light but yet not very much But if they be put all into one place eyther into a chimney or into a fornace they wyll stirre vp both a very greate and also a most feruent flambe In lyke maner must we thinke of holy men being eyther assembled together or seperated a sunder To bestovv among you some spiritual gifte He declareth why he so much desired to come vnto them namely to make them partakers of the giftes of God The Apostle was a vessell filled with deuyne gyfts Wherfore whether soeuer he went he bestowed and destributed them vnto the beleuers But forasmuche as God is both the author and geuer of all spirituall giftes why doth Paule here seme to chalenge or clayme them vnto hymselfe Forsoth bycause he was The work◠of God and of the ministers of the Church is ioyned together a minister of the Church and God hath so much honored the ministerye that he also cōmunicateth euen his own proper worke vnto the ministers For as touchyng theyr functions they are not seperated from God whych is the authour of them but rather are so to be ioyned with him as though one the selfe same woorke proceeded from them both And after thys manner are ministers sayd to forgeue or to retayne sinnes to beget men vnto Christe and to saue them But if thou looke vpon God and the minister a parte eche by hym selfe then heare what Paule sayth I haue planted Apollo hath watred but God hath geuen the increase Also who is hee whyche planteth And who is he whyche watreth And in an other place he sayth that the holye Ghost distributeth his giftes By the ministers of the church the faythful are more strayghtly bound together vnto euery man as it pleaseth him and according to his will But as we haue sayd the ministers must not be seperated from God who by this dignity which he geueth vnto them prouideth chiefely for thys that the faythfull should more streyghtly be bound together in the church For euen as a citye is counted one because men helpe one an other when as some are able to geue counsell other excell in strength and other in handycrafts and industrye so would God haue it to be in the church namely that some should teach and other som be taught some helpe theyr brethren through prayers some dispense the sacraments and other some receaue them to the ende that by these mutuall offices Christians shoulde bee so bounde together that the spirite and grace of God shoulde spreade from one member to an other by ioyntes and cloysures together as it is wrytten vnto the Collossians and vnto the Ephesians All these woords are here set as much conducinge to wynne the hartes of the Romaykes that they should looke for hym chearefullye and wyth greate loue receaue hym when he should come as though therewythall they should receaue some excellente gyfte of the spiryte accordynge to hys promise These thynges serne also to stirre vp theyr mindes to reade hys Epystle For vndoubtedlye he wrote it for no other cause but that that whych by presence of hys body he coulde not performe he myght yet at the least expresse by hys Epistle Whych self thynge is a cause also why we ought in lyke manner wyth exquisite diligence to reade and heare Horrible blasphemies of certaine in our tyme. that whych is here written Neyther must we harken vnto those blasphemers whiche beyng enemies vnto pietie and vnto the true doctrine of iustification and predestination are not ashamed to crye out and say I would to God Paul had neuer writtē this epistle Which saying though they go about to mitigate affirming that they spake it because of these daungerous tymes yet bring they not any sufficient excuse For what is this els but to reprehende the counsels Assemblies together of Christians ought not to be vnprofitable of God and of the holy ghost Further let vs marke that it is not conuenient that assemblyes together of Christians should be vnprofytable and idle as prophake assemblyes are but they ought to haue in them some spirituall commodity And thys Greake word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contayneth in it a vehement signifycation For thereby the Apostle declareth that he will geue nothyng vnto them but that which he had first receaued of God For he sayth he wyll make them pertakers of those giftes which he himselfe had now obtained And in such sort we ought
whiche killeth a dogge and whiche offreth fiue swete cakes like vnto him whiche offreth the bloud of swyne But no man doubteth but that the workes whiche we worke are in a sorte sacrifices Wherfore if sinners offer them vnto the Lord they are displeasant vnto hym He addeth also an other reason He whiche worketh sinne is the seruant of sinne because when we be seruaunts vnto sinne it suffreth vs not to do any thing that is acceptable vnto God Lastly hee maketh thys reason that Christ said No man can serue two maisters neither is it by any meanes possible that we should serue both Mammon and God Wherupon hee concludeth that it is not possible that the wycked shoulde do good woorkes Wherefore the woorkes of preparation whyche our aduersaries fayne are What sins to be couered signifieth are vtterly excluded Augustine interpretyng the 31. Psalme sayth That sinnes to be couered is nothyng els then that God will not consider them And if sayth he hee consider them not then will he not punish them Wherefore sinnes are sayd to be couered before God because God will not punishe them They ought not so to bee vnderstand to be couered as though they were ouer couered and yet neuertheles remayne lining in vs. Their bonde and guiltines whereby punishment was due vnto vs is by forgeuenes taken away And for this thing the Prophet prayed when hee sayd Turne away thy face from my sinnes When Dauid made this Psalme hee was sicke and was troubled with a grenous disease For he maketh mencion that hys bones were withered away and that he felt the hand of God heauy vpon him and that the moystnes of hys body was in a maner all dried vp and manye other such like thinges Wherefore being by the disease admonished of his sinnes and of the wrath of God he brast forth into these woordes by which hee testified those to be blessed whose sinnes God had forgeuen And he taketh blessednes for instification For iustification as we haue sayde is a blessednes begon For Sins onely are a let that we are not blessed sins are onely a let that we are not now already blessed which whē they shall vtterly be taken away they shall no more hinder blessednes But men though they be neuer so good and holy yet so long as they lyue here are not vtterlye without sinne Therefore they alwayes aspire vnto blessednes that is vnto the forgeuenes of sinnes Wherefore in that selfe same Psalme it is afterward added For So longe as we liue here we pray for iustification He which prayeth not for the forthe forgeuenes of sins prayeth ill this shall euery one that is holy pray vnto thee Which thing our Sauiour also hath taught vs. For in the prayer which he made which euen the best and most holye oughte to saye he commaunded vs to saye Forgeue vs our trespasses And they which pray for other thinges and make not mention of this let them take hede that thyng happen not vnto them which happened vnto that Pharisey whom Luke sheweth to haue praid after this maner I geue thee thankes O God that I am not as other men are c. And for that cause saith Christ he departed not home to his house iustified bicause he rehersed before God his good workes onely But contrariwise the Publicane acknowledging his misery durst scarcely lift vp his eies vnto heauen And so being vtterly deiected in mynd he said Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner And by this confession he acknowledged that he brought nothing vnto God but sinnes and therfore prayed that they might be forgeuen him He saith Christ returned home iustified Where as Dauid here as the Apostle citeth hym maketh no mencion of good workes yet some will obtrude it vnto vs out of these things which follow And in his spirite is no guile But vnto these mē August very well aunswereth In him saith he there is no guile which as he is a sinner so acknowledgeth himselfe to be and when he seeth himselfe vitiated with euill workes dissembleth What it is not to haue guile within one them not but manifestly confesseth them Therfore it is added in the selfe same psalme I haue said I will confesse mine owne iniquitie agaynst my selfe But yet againe suche whyche woulde so fayne weaken thys reasonynge of Paule obiecte vnto vs that there is vsed the figure Synecdoche so that wyth those thynges which Dauid setteth foorth wee shoulde also ioyne good woorkes to iustifye And to make their sentence of the more credite they gather other testimonies out of Dauid in which blessednes is also attributed vnto workes as Blessed are the immaculate which walke in the law of the Lorde Blessed is the man which feareth the Lorde Blessed is the man which hath not gone in the counsels of the vngodly and many other Whether blessednes be attributed vnto woorkes Here is entreated of the first blessednes and not of the last such like places in which they say that blessednes is as expressedly ascribed vnto workes as it is in that place which Paul now citeth vnto the remission of sinnes But forasmuch as these men doo recite againe the same argument in a manner which we haue a little before dissolued they shall also haue euen the selfe same answer Namely that here is not intreated of that blessednes or felicitie whiche follow the first iustification but here is disputed of the very first and principall iustification And why we can not here admit the figure Synecdoche we haue before alredy shewed bicause Paul expressedly affirmeth that this righteousnes cōmeth without workes And bicause it should not be said that he spake these things only of ceremoniall workes of the law he afterward addeth that the promise therefore consisteth of grace that it might be firme not wauer which excludeth not onely ceremonies but also morall works And a little before we reade forasmuch as iustification is geuen by imputation it cannot then be of workes And that he confirmed by a generall reason of working and of not working which vndoubtedly extend much farther then to ceremonies For we worke no lesse in morall workes then in ceremoniall workes He said moreouer that they which are iustified haue wherof to glory before God as though they had of him obteined righteousnes and not of their works Whiche reason remoueth from iustification eyther kynde of woorkes both ceremoniall and also morall Wherefore we moste manifestlye sée Ambrose saith we are iustifyed by faith onely that the figure Synecdoche canne by no meanes stande wyth the reasons of Paul Ambrose expounding these wordes oftentimes writeth that we are iustified by faith onely and he addeth without labour and any obseruation But that which he afterward addeth when he interpreteth this sentence of Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquityes are forgeuen he sayth Vnto whome iniquityes are forgeuen without labor or any worke and whose sinnes are couered no worke of repentance being required of them but only
Wherefore besides the holy Scriptures there is nothing that shoulde be beleued For it can not be constant and firme And whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne For if the conscience doo not by fayth beleue that that which we doo pleaseth God or also if it suspect that it is not acceptable before him and yet in the meane time we do the selfe same thing vndoubtedly that which we do is sinne And so doth Basilius in his Moralls the 80. sum in a maner towards the end of the boke interpretate that place which we haue alleadged Wherfore we ought not ether to add any thing vnto the word of God or to take any thynge from it as in which only are contained the promises Otherwise both our faith and our cōscience should haue no certainty whervnto to lean And this certainty Two principal points whereupon dependeth the certainty of the promises wherof we speake dependeth of two principal pointes Of which the fyrst is that it be plaine by the word of God then which can nothing be more firme or constant But some man will say God by the prophet Ionas sayd it should come to passe that the city of Niniue shoulde be destroyed and that after 40. dayes And by Esay the Prophet he shewed vnto Ezechias the king that he should dye which thinges yet came not to passe as they were fortold Yea also the lord him selfe in Ieremy the 18. chapter thus speaketh If I shall speake of any kingdome or nation to roote it out and to destroye it and they in the meane time repent them I also will repent me And on the other seede if I shall speake to plante and to build any kingdome or nation and they in the meane tyme behaue themselues wickedly I will not performe these thinges which I haue spokē But we answeare that the promise whereof Paul here Paule speaketh not of such a promise as is annexed with a condition That which consisteth freely is not conditionally speaketh dependeth not of any condition as doo a greate many promises of the law vnto which pertayne these threatnings which are now alledged yea the Apostle himselfe sufficiently expresseth of what kind of promises he speaketh whē he sayth By fayth that it should be of grace For if it consist frealy thē hangeth it not of any condition or supposition and by this means the promise can in no case be made frustrate This may the easier be vnderstand by a similitude If a phisition should by taking of any medicine promise health but yet vpon this condition that he would haue for his paynes infinite summes of money that the A similitude sicke persō should obserue a very hard diet a poore man mought easely answere that that promise of health is vayne both for that he hath not the money to pay and also for that being weake he is not able to obserue the diet which is prescribed him But contrariwyse if a man promise a medicine which he will geue freely nether requireth any worke of the sicke person but only that he woulde drinke or some other way receaue his medicine this promise is easely made firme So vndoubtedly standeth the case here the promise is offred vnto vs and that freely For only is of vs required that by fayth we receaue it And this is the first principall poynte whereupon dependeth the certaynty of the promise namely for that the promise consisteth of the word of God and is offred freely The other principall poynt is the nature of fayth For fayth is an Fayth is not an vncertayne or doubtfull assent Of the certainety of saluation We must not doubt of perseuerance The testimony of the spirite is firme assent not vncertayne or doubtfull but fixed and constant as the Apostle wyll afterward more at large declare when he discourseth the example of Abraham By these two principall poyntes it is manifest how wickedly they deale which teach mē continually to doubt of the promise of saluation For if as the holy scriptures teach vs we ought to hope and such is the nature of hope not to confound we may manifestly inferre that we ought not to doubt of our saluation There are which pretend that their doubt hereof springeth for that they are vncertayne whether they shall perseuer vnto the ende or no. But these men should consider that we ought alwayes to pray for perseuerance For as saith Ciprian whome also Augustine followeth In all the thinges which we aske in the Lordes prayer is included perseuerance And as Iames teacheth we must aske without doubting Wherefore it is manifest that we must by no meanes doubt of preseuerance and especially seing we haue in our harts the holy ghost alwayes They which beleue that their sinnes are a let vnto the promes are easely driuen into desperation They which are not sure of theyr saluation can nether haue peace nor tranquility of consciēce What thinges are to be taken heede of as touching certainty of saluation Sinne that wasteth the conscience We are neuer so assured but that there ariseth some doubt These thinges are not repugnant in a man to be certaine yet somewhat to doubt bearing an excellent testemony vnto vs thereof For as Paul sayth in this epistle It is the spirite which beareth witnes vnto our spirite that we are the sonnes of God And he which hath not the spirite of Christe is not hys And Paul writeth of himselfe that he is sure that nether life nor death nor principalities nor powers can plucke hym from the loue of God namely from that loue wherewith God loued him But that is friuoulous which some alleadge namely that Paul speaketh these thinges of himselfe only and that by a certayne peculiar and assured reuelation For when we come to that place we will declare that those thinges pertayne to all men vniuersally Other say that sinnes feare vs away from the assured confidence of our saluation But so long as we are in this life we can not be without sinnes For Iohn sayth If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Wherefore so to teach is nothing els but to driue men to desperation Finally forasmuch as Paul saith that we being iustified freely haue peace towardes God it manifestly declareth that the faythfull are certayn of theyr saluation otherwise there can be no tranquillity peace in the conscience Howbeit there are certayne thinges to be taken hede of that we be not dangerously deceaued in this certaynty For first we ought to know◠that it springeth not of any righteousnes which is in our mindes and farther that they which are most assured do not for all that want trembling and feare but are sore afrayd of falles and of offending of God Neither can that certaynty which we speake of haue ioyned with it that kinde of sinne which as Augustine speaketh wasteth away the conscience And we must chiefely beware that this certaynly be not applied
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
all the whole holy scripture there is not one seÌ„teÌ„ce which is against our doctrine yet they continually obiect vnto vs the example of Cornelius Of cornelius and his workes who being not yet as they thinke regenerate neither beleued in Christ did notwithstanding works which pleased God We indéede confesse that both the almes and prayers of Cornelius pleased God for the Angell affirmed the same but these men adde of their owne that Cornelius when he did these thinges was not yet iustified neither beleued in Christ But they consider not that the scripture in Cornelius beleued beleued before bap 〈…〉 e. If he beleued what needed â—e to be instructed of that place calleth him religious and one that feared God Wherefore Cornelius beleued and beleued in the Messias being instructed in the doctrine of the Iewes But whether Iesus of Nazareth were that Messias or no he knew not certaynly And therefore Peter was sent to instruct him more fully But here to blere our eyes they say that Paul in the 17. of the Actes attributeth vnto them of Athens some piety when yet they were idolatrers For thus he sayth ye men of Athens I shew vnto you that God whoÌ„ ye ignoraÌ„tly worship But eueÌ„ as if a maÌ„ can handsomly draw some one letter is not therefore straight way called a good writer neither he Whether Paul attributed any piety vnto the Athenians being yet idolatrers True piety cannot be ioyned with ignorance which can sing a song or two is therefore straight way to be called a good singing man for these names require consideration and art but it may happen by chance that a man may draw well or sing well once or twise and paraduenture the third time so none is to be counted in very déede and plainly godly which doth a worke or two which hath some shewe of piety And Paul called not the Athenians absolutely godly but added certayne termes which diminish godlines whom ye ignorantly sayth he worship But what piety can that be which is ioyned wyth the ignorance of the true God Moreouer a little before he had called theÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is verye supersticious By these two words he much diminished their piety But Cornelius Luke simply calleth religious and addeth that he fered God How great the dignitye of the feare of God is If he be blessed which feareth God how is he not also iustified A testimony of Cornelius iusti 〈…〉 ation which addition is of so great force that in the booke of Iob a man fearing God is turned of the 70. interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a true and religious man And Dauid saith Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. And if he be blessed which feareth the Lord how is not the same man also iustified But besides these things which after a sorte by the causes proue the iustification of Cornelius we haue an other testimony also of the effectes for that he gaue almes which were acceptable vnto God But we haue already by many reasons proued that no man can do workes acceptable vnto God but he which is iustified and regenerate Farther he distributed these almes vpon the nation of the Iewes that as of them he had bene instructed in the doctrine of pietie so on the other side he would imparte vnto them some of his temporall good thinges For it is méete as Paul sayth vnto the Galathians That he which is enstructed should communicate vnto hym which doth enstruct hym in all good thynges Moreouer that souldiour which was sent vnto Peter declared that he had a good testimony of all the Iewes All which thinges plainly declare that although we read not that he was circumcised yet he so approched vnto the doctrine of the people of God that all men commended his pietie It is written also that he prayed and that diligently And if a man diligently peyse Cornelius prayed at the hour which was appointed for the prayers of the Iewes the whole history he shall finde that he obserued the same houre which the Iewes had appointed them for their common prayers For it saith that at the ix houre he saw an Aungell standing by him which signified vnto him that his prayer was heard But we are taught by the first chapiter of Esay and by the xv chapiter of the Prouerbes and by a great many other places that wycked meÌ„ and sinners ar not heard of God Which yet is to be vnderstand so long as they will be sinners and retaine still a will to sinne Neither maketh that against this sentence which Augustine How God heareth noâ— sinners Why the prayers of wicked ministers are heard writeth against the Donatistes that the prayers of wycked priests are heard of God For the same father addeth That that commeth to passe because of the deuotioÌ„ of the people But Cornelius when he prayed was holpen by hys own fayth and not by the fayth of others that stoode by And Augustine in his epistle to Sixtus saith that God vseth in iustifiyng of a man to geue vnto hym hys spirite whereby he may praye for those thynges which are profitable vnto saluation And seing Cornelius prayed for those things it can not be doubted but that he was iustified Hereunto adde that no maÌ„ can rightly pray vnto God except he haue faith And that we are iustified by faith it is now already sufficiently testified and declared Peter also before he began to preach vnto hym said that he now saw verely that God is not an accepter of persons but he is accepted of hym of what nation so euer he bee whiche worketh ryghteousnesse Which wordes plainly declare that Cornelius was then accepted of God before Peter came vnto him And I maruell that there are some which dare auouch yâ— he had not the faith of Christ when as Christ himselfe in the viij chapiter of Iohn sayth That he knoweth not God which beleueth not in the sonne of God And in the 4. chapter he admonisheth his disciples If ye beleue in God beleue also in me And if ye beleued in Moses ye would also beleue me These thinges assure vs that Cornelius beleued verily in God and therfore also beleued in the Messias to come as he was instructed of the Iewes although he knew not that he was already come and that Iesus of Nazareth whome the Iewes had crucified was the same Messias He had Cornelius had the faiâ—h of the fathers of the old testament An example of Nathaniel that faith wherby the fathers beleued in Christ to come Wherfore seyng they were iustified by that faith why should we take vppon vs to deny the same vnto Cornelius Nathanaell which beleued in the Messias to come and thought not yâ— he was yet com is pronounced of Christ a true Israelite in whom was no guile which two things cannot be applied vnto a maÌ„ not yet iustified But Peter was therfore sent to Cornelius that he
they be moued with lesse desire to sinne and if they take lesse pleasure in their sinnes yet take they so much in them that they cannot be plucked away from them If with any zeale they heare the woorde of God yet when they haue heard it they haue it in derision when as they hope that those things which are in it promised shall happen vnto thâ—m leading their lyfe in such sort Wherfore we sée that all these thinges stray from the marke and appoynted end And seing that al these motions are of small efficacy and leaue men vnder the wrath of God there can nothing that is sound be hoped for at their handes But let vs heare what Esay in his 58. chapter pronounceth of this kinde of workes They seeke me sayth he dayly and wyll know my wayes as a nation that wrought righteousnes and had not forsaken the statutes of theyr God They aske me of the ordinaunces of iustice and they wyll draw nere vnto God Wherfore do we fast say they and thou seest it not we haue afflicted our soules and thou regardest it not Behold in the day wherein ye fast ye seeke that which ye desire and ye all seeke and require your debtes Beholde ye fast to stryfe to debate to smyte wyth the fist Is this the fast that I haue choseÌ„ These wordes of the Prophet most plainly declare that it is sinne before God to enquire after his wayes to fast for a man to afflict himself when as such workes are done without the true worshippyng of God and without piety It cannot be denied but that these are in déede goodly workes and plausible howbeit God the iust iudge reiecteth them Augustine in his bookes of confessions in himself setteth God reiecteth works though they be neuer so goodly to the shew forth vnto vs a plaine example touching this matter For he describeth the motions which he suffred in his minde before he was conuerted vnto Christ For thus he writeth in his 8. booke and 11. chapter I liued in my bond vntill the whole was broken in sonder wherwyth although beyng very little I was holden yet I was holden Thou in my eyes O Lord dydst by thy seuere mercy double the scourges of feare of shame I sayd wyth my selfe inwardly Behold now let it be done Now in a maner I knew it and dyd it not And wythin a very little I euen nowe touched it and held it and touched it not neyther helde it And the worse they beyng in custome preuayled more in me then the better thyng vnaccustomed And that very moment of tyme wherin I would become a new man the nearer it approched the greater horror it draue into me I was holdeÌ„ back by trifles of trifles by vanities of vanities by myne old wanton louers whiche priuely whispered doost thou now forsake vs And shall we neuer any more after this tyme be wyth thee And from this tyme forward wylt thou neuer vse this or that And I began now to harken vnto them a great deale lesse then halfe These things mencioneth Augustine accuseth the meane works that he did before his conuersion as sinnes Whatsoeer wanteth his perfection is sinne A similitude Of the Publicane he and accuseth them before God as sinnes whiche yet are so highly commended of these men These were in dede meanes wherby God brought Augustine vnto saluation howbeit they were still in him sinnes For he obeyed them not but corrupted them with many abuses so that he could not be with efficacy chaunged by them But whatsoeuer wanteth his due perfection is sinne But these Sophisters are like serpents called Hydra for one argument being as a hed cut of there ariseth to them an other They obiect vnto vs the Publicane which thus prayed in the temple God be mercifull vnto me a sinner And he is said to haue returned to his house iustified Wherfore say they he was a sinner wheÌ„ he prayed For we read that he was afterward iustified But his prayer pleased God Wherfore we may say they do workes acceptable vnto God euen before we be regenerate But these meÌ„ should haue remembred that this Publicane prayed which as we haue declared of Cornelius he could not haue done without faith For how shall they call vpon hym in whoÌ„ they haue not beleued Wherfore he was iustified eueÌ„ then when he prayed Nether maist thou so vnderstaÌ„d these words as though he should be then first iustified When the publicane prayed he was iustified wheÌ„ he had finished his prayers For although it be said to be afterward done yet doth it not therof follow that it was by no meanes done before He obteyned a more perfecter iustification a more ampler spirit a more nerer féelyng of the mercy of God He calleth himselfe a sinner and that not vnworthely partely for that If he were iustified why then calleth he himselfe a sinner he still felt in himselfe that which he misliked For alwayes how iust so euer we be yet are we commaunded to pray Forgeue vs our trespasses And partly for that in minde he called to minde how greuous sinnes he had committed before he was iustified And holy men ought in their prayers chiefly to weigh and to consider how great the burthen of their sinne is For when with their prayers they come vnto God they are moued with a true repentaunce to say with Dauid My bones are consumed away in my crying out continually day and night is thy hand made heauy vpon me my iuyce is dryed vp as the moystnes of the earth is dryed vp in the sommer Euils without number haue compassed me about Myne iniquities haue closed me in on euery side that I could not see they are encreased more then the heares of my hed My hart hath forsakeÌ„ me I acknowledge my wicked actes my sinne is alwayes before me Against thee against thee haue I sinned don euil before thee And to that end holy men should afterward the better beware of sinnes God stirreth vp in theÌ„ a most sharp feling of his wrath the they may acknowlege what they had deserued vnles God had holpeÌ„ them by his sonne He openeth also theyr eyes that they may se what his fatherlye chaistisemente is towardes them and that the same maye be the better felt he oftentimes differreth from them the tast and fealing of his mercy Therefore they crye Make me to heare thy ioye and gladnes that my bones being humbled may reioyce hide thy face from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquities A cleane harte create in me o God and renew a right spirite in my bowells cast me not away from thy face and take not away thine holy spirite from me Wherefore they also that are They that are iustified do still pray for theyr sinnes iustefied doo pray that that infirmity which is still remayning be not imputed vnto them They call to minde the thinges wherin they haue before greauously sinned and they
priuately applied vnto himselfe generall that no man can priuately be assured of himselfe Doubtles he which calleth vpō God and calleth hym his God applieth that generall God seuerally vnto himselfe Nathan sayd vnto Dauid The Lord hath taken away thy sinne which thinge is likewise sayd vnto euery one that asketh The Gosple is to that end preched to euery creature that euery one should singularly embrace y◠promise and haue remission of sinnes The Minister sayth I baptise thee in the name of the father and of the sunne and of the holy ghost and that is to be vnderstand into the remission of sinnes And euery one priuately to hymselfe receaueth the Eucharist And these thinges are certayne seales and sealinges of the promises of God but they should seale nothing vnles the promises should now be applied perticularly vnto this man or to that man But let vs consider the scriptures Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes and he receaued circumcision the seale of the righteousnes of fayth Did Circumcisiō seale the generall promise No vndoubtedlye but rather the singular promise and whiche was now applyed vnto Abraham Wherefore let these men ceasse thus to bleare mens eyes and let them confesse that hope hath that certaintye of saluation whiche it hath receaued of fayth by reason of the firmenesse of the promises And that thou mayste vnderstand that hope is repugnaunt vnto doubt count Hope is repugnant vnto doubting To what end hope was geuen vnto men with thy selfe to what end it was geuen of God vnto men Vndoubtedlye to no other ende but that they shoulde haue wherewith to striue againste doubting For when we doubt of our saluation we haue no other weapons wherby to ouercome that doubtinge but hope onelye whiche springeth of a liuelye fayth Wherefore seeing it alwayes striueth agaynste doubtinge there is no cause that anye man should ascribe vnto it doubting as a perpetuall companion Let vs looke vpō and consider the other commaundements of God so shall that which we auouch be yet more playne God hath commaunded vs to worship him only and bicause he Why God gaue the cōmaundementes saw vs of our own accord earnestly bent vnto idolatry and vnto supersticiō therfore woulde he haue vs with the word of his law fight against this euill He hath commaunded also that we should not steale nor kill nor commit adulteries for y◠he saw that we by reason of our corrupt nature are prone to these euils So also Why God hath commaunded vs to hope God hath commaunded vs to hope for that he saw our vnbeleuyng hart to be infected with continual doubting And as in beleuing we ought not to haue a regard vnto those things which seme to be against the promises of God which thing Abraham excellently well performed when he considered not his body past children gettyng nor his wife being olde and barren but gaue the glory vnto God so in hoping we ought not to haue a regard vnto our workes for they by reason of theyr deformednes and filthines would rather feare vs away from hoping We ought In hopinge we ought not to haue a respect◠vnto our workes The security of the fleshe and the security of faith differ to fixe our eyes in the only promise and mercy of God Neither also when we vrge this certainty of hope do we open a window vnto lose lyfe as many falsly lay to our charge For the security of the flesh farre differeth from the commendable certainty of faith and of hope For neyther doth it as our aduersaries thinke expell the feare of God out of the mindes of the godly We haue before at large taught that the certainty of saluation and the holy feare of God very well agrée together in the hartes of the faithfull Likewise also the spirite helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray as we ought But the spirite it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed Besides that stay of hope wherwith our patience is vpholden Paul sayth that there is an other helpe also of the holy ghost geuen vnto vs. This is y◠which Christ when he should depart out of the world promised to his Apostles I wyll not leaue you orphanes but wyll send you an other comforter If the power of the holy ghost be compared with the weakenes of our strengthes it wil The holy ghost is mightier then our in firmity Against the Pelagians farre passe our infirmity Therfore Paul vseth this comparison that therby might be increased in vs cherefulnes and confidence Here the Pelagians are put to a great foyle For so farre is it of that by the strengthes of our nature we can helpe our selues that without the helpe of the holy ghost we can not of our selues so much as know what thinges shal be profitable vnto vs and what things hurtful But in what maner we know not what to aske and how the spirite maketh request for vs with vnspeakable ▪ sighes bicause it is very obscure to vnderstand first How we know not what we ought to aske I thinke it good to declare the expositions of the fathers and secondly to declare what in them is the best Chrisostome forasmuch as at that time were greuous persecutions against the Christians thinketh that they with prayers feruently desired of God that they might at the lēgth be deliuered from so great euils and this thing not cōming to passe they conceiued a great sorrow in their minde And therfore Paul after this manner comforteth them for that we our selues know not what to pray or what to aske Wherfore God who knoweth all this right well oftētimes geueth not vnto vs those things which we aske but those things which he himselfe knoweth shall be most profitable for vs. And that he should not séeme to deiect their mindes vnto whom he writeth as though he iudged them rude and vnapt vnto things spiritual he numbreth himselfe also together with those which are troubled with this ignoraunce neither did he that falsly or only for consolation sake For he himselfe in dede oftentimes prayed that he might go to Rome and yet Paul was not alwaies heard in his prayers God heard him not He prayed also that the pricke of the flesh mought be taken frō him that is that his tribulations might be slaked as Chrisostome in this place interpretateth it And he receiued an answer of the Lord that his grace ought to be sufficient vnto him Moses prayed that he might enter into the promised land Examples of other saintes which prayed were not heard The maner of the primitiue church Ieremy prayed for the health of the people Abraham prayed for pardon for the Sodomites Samuel prayed that Saul mought be forgeuen The two Apostles prayed that the one of them mought sit on the right hand of Christ and the other on the left in the kingdome of God But these men could not obteine their
not vnto equals Ambrose maketh answere vnto theÌ„ sayth that the Apostle maketh him equall with the father For he sayth that he sitteth at the right haÌ„d of the father Wherefore by these words caÌ„ not be gathered that he is les theÌ„ the father But here are offred vnto vs two things to be noted first yâ— the persons in the blessed trinity are distinct for if the sonne pray vnto the father it must nedes be that yâ— person of the father and his person are not one the same for no man prayeth vnto himselfe Farther this is to be noted that the father is the fountaine and first beginning of all thinges and euen of the diuine persons Therefore the sonne from him deriueth into vs whatsoeuer heauenly giftes and graces we haue Chrisostome disagréeth not from this sentence For he sayth That Paul before had made the sonne of God equall wyth the father when he sayd that â—e sitteth at hys ryght hand But in that he is sayd to pray that is not to be taken properly as though he maketh supplication vnto the father but the scripture saith he so speaketh to shew the good wyll of the sonne towardes vs. Otherwyse he hath all thyngs in hys hand and as the father geueth lyfe so also doth the sonne geue lyfe and as the father rayseth vp the deade so doth also the sonne rayse vp the dead Wherefore he nedeth no prayers towardes hym And sâ—yng he could by hymselfe quicken the dead redeme the damned and iustifie the wicked which workes are most excellent and most great why can he not also by hymselfe wythout prayers bryng to passe those thynges which are remayning Moreouer he citeth out of the latter to the Cor. the 5. chapter We are ambassadors for God is said to beseâ—th vs. Christ as though God did besech you through vs we pray you in Christes stede to be reconciled vnto God Behold saith he God is here sayd to besech men when as yet we ought not once to thinke that he is inferior vnto them But sauing the authority of these fathers I would iudge that the Arrians may be answered an other way For I would say that the sonne prayeth vnto God not in that he is God but in that The sonne prayeth vnto the father not in respect as â—e is God but as he is man he is man and a creature But the place alledged out of the epistle vnto the Cor. is not of so great force For Paul expressedly putteth this note of similitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as though neither ment he any thing els then that the Apostles with great affection procured and as it were beseched men to returne vnto God Of which wordes can not be gathered that God maketh supplication vnto men The Apostles in the new testament delt towardes men with a great deale more lenity then did the lawe or the Prophetes in the old testament where all thinges in The Apostles in preaching deaâ—â— with more leâ—itieth in the law and the Prophets manner are stuffed with threateninges and punishementes And that those wordes of Paul are to be referred vnto the humanity of Christ those things which were before spoken sufficientlye declare Paul had before written that Christ died rose agayne and was caried vp into heauen to the right hand of God All which thinges agrée not with the diuine nature of Christ Wherefore it is méete and conuenient that that particle also which followeth ought to be referred vnto yâ— humane nature of Christ as touching which Christ himself confesseth himselfe to be lesse theÌ„ yâ— father For he saith The Father is greater then I am And so long as he was vpon the earth because he was a manne he obeyed the magistrates and his parentes for as Luke declareth he was subiect vnto them And in Esay he confesseth that he was anointed of the holy ghost â—o geue vs to vnderstand that his humane nature was not onely lesse then the father but also lesse then the holy ghost Farther it can not be denied but that he is our bishoppe and priest But the Two ministeries of Christ as he is our high priest office of a bishoppe is both to offer sacrifice and to pray for the people Christ hath offred himselfe vpon the crosse and when he had finished that ministery there remayned an other ministery which he should continually exercise namely to make intercession for vs vnles we will paraduenture affirme that he is no more the bishoppe of the Church But God himselfe hath promised to the contrary saying Thou art a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech And continually by the priesthode of Christ our sinnes are forgeuen vs and we are reconciled vnto God We haue an highe prieste as it is written vnto the Hebrues whiche hath entred into the most holy place not made wyth handes but hath pearsed into heaueÌ„ it selfe And which caÌ„ suffer together with our infirmities being teÌ„pted in all thinges like vnto vs. Wherefore we ought wyth confidence to come vnto the throne of grace for there is offred for vs a most acceptable sacrifice By the resurrection of Christ are ouercome death and hell In the kingdome of Christ which he most mightely exerciseth at the right hand of the father are gouerned all thinges and the prayers which he continually poureth out for vs are vnto the father most gratefull and most acceptable We reade before that the holy ghost maketh intercession for vs which selfe thing is here affirmed of the sonne If these two intercessions be compared together we shall finde that the intercession of the sonne is the cause of the The intercession of the sonne is the cause of the intercession of the holy Ghost intercession of the holy ghost For he promised to goe vnto the father and to sende vnto vs the holy ghoste He stirreth vp our mindes to pray feruentlye with sighinges and gronings Christ maketh intercession vnto the father because he is alwayes at hand with him Therefore the father is perpetually put in minde of the sacrifice by him once offred and he smelleth the same as a swéete smell and thereby is made mercifull vnto vs. And therefore Christ is called our mediator and aduocate Christ our 〈◊〉 aduocate The prayers of Christ are both gratefull and also â—â—ste And his prayers are not onely acceptable vnto God but also haue ioyned with them satisfaction Wherefore seing they are both gratefull vnto God and also iust they can not haue any repulse We in déede so longe as we lyue here do mutually pray one for an other and that by the prescript of the word of God Howbeit betwéene our prayers and the prayers of Christ there is greate difference For his haue as we haue sayde satisfaction ioyned wyth them but so haue not oures For there is none of vs whiche can make satisfaction vnto God either for hymselfe or for an other man But that the Saintes departed
We are not taught by any parte of thâ—â—anonicall scripture â—hâ—t the â—â—â—â—tes departed do pray for vs. Althoughe the saintes do praye for vs. yet are not they to be inuocated do make intercession for vs we can not proue by any parte of the canonicall scripture Wherefore we ought to haue Christ only for our mediator aduocate neither are thinges vncertaine to be admitted for certaine Although I can easely graunt that the saintes in our countrey with most feruent desires wishe the saluation of the elect Yet dare I not say that they pray for them especially seyng the scripture no where teacheth any such thing And although I should confesse this yet should it not therof follow that we ought to cal vpon saintes departed For we are not certaine out of the worde of God that they can heare our prayers Wherfore they greuously offend both against religion and against Christ himself which appoint vnto themselues saintes for new mediators and aduocates wheÌ„ as there is but one onely mediator betwene God and men namely the man Christ Iesus who now as Paul saith maketh intercession for vs. The same thing doth Iohn testify saying I write vnto you that ye sinne not And if we sinne we haue an aduocate with the father euen Iesus Christ the iust Augustine against the epistle of Parmenianus in the 8. chap. in these wordes noteth that the Apostle excluded not himselfe None so holy but that he hath nede of the intercession of Christ from yâ— rest For he said not ye haue an aduocate but we haue For there is none so holy but yâ— he hath nede of Christ to be his aduocate and mediator Farther he saith not ye haue an intercessor but we haue an aduocate Iesus Christe Augustine in that place reproueth Permenianus for that he had in some places written that Bishops are mediators betwene God and the people which thing he sayth is not It is a thing intollerable that bishops should be mediators betwene God and the people We must not pray vnto Angels to be suffred of the faithfull The same Augustine in his 10. booke of confessions the 42. chapter thus writeth Whome should I haue found which mought reconcile me vnto thee Should I haue gone vnto Aungels But with what prayers With what Sacramentes And he addeth That there were many which would haue bene reconciled by Angels and were miserably deceyued for that an euill Aungell oftentymes transformeth hymselfe into an Aungell of lyght And if it be not lawfull for vs to pray vnto Aungels much les is the same lawfull for vs to doo vnto dead sayntes For here is no les perill to be deceaued then there These things writeth Augustine in that place both godly and soundly who yet in other places was not so circumspect in eschewing the errour of hys tyme. Who shall separate vs from the loue of God shall affliction shal anguishe shall persecution shall hunger â–ª shall nakednes â–ª shall danger shall the sworde As it is written For thy sake are we deliuered to the death all the day long we are counted as sheepe for the slaughter Neuertheles in all these things we are more then conquerors thorough hym that loued vs. For I am persuaded that nether death nor lyfe nor Aungels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor heigth nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to seperate vs froÌ„ the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Who shall separate vs from the loue of God After that Paul had by so many reasons confirmed the exceding great loue of God towardes vs now by way of interrogacion he crieth out that there is nothing which can interrupt that loue wherewith God loueth vs. Let aâ—cuse vs whosoeuer wil let come aduersities be they neuer so great yet all things shal work vnto vs to good For this is the property of one that loueth continually to do good vnto him whom he loueth Wherfore seing God so loueth vs what soeuer he doth or whatsoeuer he sendeth vpon vs we must beleue that it shall be helthfull vnto vs neither ought any aduersities to perswade vs but that we are continually loued of God Wherfore this is a conclusion of all those thinges which haue bene before entreated of And that which the Apostle â—aith he is most fully persuaded of I would to God we were also persuaded of the same He reckoneth vp those thinges which seme commonly to be most harde and wherby men are oftentimes broken and euen these things he auoucheth hinder not the loue of God towardes vs so far is it of that they can plucke it away from vs. The Apostle the longer abideth in this place for that our flesh humane reason can hardly be perswaded of this thing For oftentymes when we are afflicted we cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And that with a farre other manner of affect then Christ pronounced those wordes We cry Howe long Men think aduersities to be tokeÌ„â— of Gods anger Ambrose vnderstandeth these thinges of our loue wylt thou be angry O Lord With many such other like For whatsoeuer aduersity happeneth we thinke the same to be a token of Gods wrath towardes vs wheÌ„ as yet he of a singuler loue suffreth vs so to be afflicted I know that Ambrose Augustine and very many other take loue in this place for that loue wherwith we loue God as though the meaning of Paul should be Seing God hath so loued vs ought not we agayne on the other side most constantly to loue hym And thys sentence is neither vnapte nor impious Howbeit I rather preferre the other for that it séemeth to serue better to the scope of the Apostle for hee in thys place goeth about to perswade vs that we should not be in doubt of the loue of God towardes vs. And therefore he sayth that he foreknewe vs predestinated called iustified and glorified vs gaue hys sonne vnto vs together with hym all thinges and that Christ hym selfe maketh intercession vnto yâ— father for vs. All these thinges pertain vnto yâ— loue which God beareth towardes vs. And a litle afterward the Apostle addeth But in all these thinges we are conquerours through hym which hath loued vs. These words most plainely serue to my sentence wherunto also subscribeth Chrisostom I confesse in dede that of this good will of God towardes vs is stirred vp our loue towardes hym howbeit Paul semeth to entreat of that first loue and not of thys our loue But they which will haue these wordes to be vnderstand of our loue towardes God somewhat do doubt whether the elect they yâ— be in very deede iustified may at any time leese faith charity and other vertues or no. But that semeth Paul to denye for he sayth yâ— there is nothing can plucke vs away from the loue of GOD. For this sence is gathered out of the interrogation which he here putteth But whatsoeuer other
follow be alleadged of Paul the more vehemently to repell the obiection For he repelleth it after a sorte with this execration God forbid Whiche thing is plainelye declared by this particle For whereby is geuen a reason of the sentence going before And hereunto helpeth that this sentence is cited oute of the scriptures Whiche thinge Paul is not wont to attribute vnto the person of the aduersarye For he obiecteth vnto himselfe those thinges which are affirmed of humane wisedome against the sentence of the holy Ghoste but this he retayneth vnto himselfe by testimonye of the scriptures to confute these humane reasons whiche séeme to be againste it I will not speake how Origen when he sawe the absurditye of his exposition had no great affiance in it but placed an other in stéede thereof But Chrisostome and Ambrose attribute these wordes vnto Paul himselfe althoughe they somewhat straye from the righte interpretacion For Chrisostome sayth that Paul in this place maketh the matter more obscure to the ende to driue the Iewes to that pointe that touching the question for which they kept so great stirre neither they themselues should be able to make any aunswere For they demaunded why theyr nation being reiected the Gentils should be taken Paul to stop theyr mouthes And ye sayth he tell me why Ismaell being reiected Isaac was receaued Why Iacob being beloued Esau was hated But because to these thinges mought aunswere after a sorte be made that these men were euill and the other good therefore he bringeth thys place out of the. 33. chapter of Exodus where when God by reason of the idolatry which the people had committed in the calfe had commaunded manye of them to be slayne would yet notwithstandinge pardon the reste of the multitude Here is lefte no such refuge at all for the crime of them all was a like Wherfore God said vnto Moses I will haue mercy on whome I wyll haue mercy That is I alone can discerne why I will haue mercy on this man and will not haue mercy on that man This canst not thou sée Wherfore in this matter geue place to me Neither wanteth it an Emphasis that the Apostle in this place by name putteth Moses For séeing that he sawe not the cause of this thing when yet notwithstanding he was of all men that euer were the most familiarest with God verely much les could others sée it Wherfore Paul by these wordes repelleth putteth to shame the rashe The interpretation of Chrisostom confuted It is not the part of the holy ghost to make darke that questioÌ„ which is nâ—cessary vnto saluation inquisition of men for that God onely foreséeth the merites and worthines of those whome he electeth and whome he pardoneth This interpretacioÌ„ containeth thrée thinges which in my iudgemeÌ„t are not very sound First for that it sayth yâ— the Apostle maketh obscure the question when as in dede he most of all maketh it plain neither is it the part of the holy Ghost to hide the truth whiche is so necessarye to saluation Moreouer it affirmeth that God spake these words to Moses touching those men which were slaine for idolatry which thing as we shall declare agréeth not with the History Laste of all it referreth the matter to the righteousnes and foreknowledge of merites when as Paul reduceth these thinges to the mercye of God onely Ambrose will haue these thinges to be alleadged of the Apostle in thys sence as though God should say I will haue mercye on him whome I foreknowe shal be conuerted and abide by me And I will shew compassion on him on whom I will shew compassion that is I will geue mercy vnto him whome I haue foreknowne shall after his error with an vprighte harte returne vnto mee And this sayth he is to geue vnto him vnto whome ought to be geuen and not to geue vnto him vnto whome ought not to be geuen to call him whome he knoweth will heare him and not to call him whome he knoweth will not heare him And to call What to cal is with Ambrose To haue mercy is noâ— to foreknow sayth he is to pricke forward to receaue fayth In this interpretacioÌ„ also first this is to be disalowed that to haue mercy should be all one with to foreknow for these wordes are of farre diuers significations Wherefore to interpretate the one by the other is to adde of his owne head and not to geue the meaning of the Apostle And when he sayth that God geueth vnto whome is to be geuen and geueth not to whome is not to be geuen he hath a respecte vnto the iustice of God when as God himselfe as Paul testifieth referreth all thinges to his mercye Neyther is it true that God calleth those onelye whome he knoweth shall heare him for he daylye called the Iewes whome he knewe shoulde be rebellious vnlesse peraduenture he vnderstande no other callinge but that whiche is of efficacye but that callinge commeth not hereof for that men are prone to heare but yâ— it maketh them to be able to heare But Augustine wrytyng vppon thys place thoughte that GOD hathe not a respecte vnto workes to come but vnto faythe But the same sentence he himselfe afterward by most firme reasons reuoketh in his second booke of RetractatioÌ„s the 1. chapiter and in the first booke and 23. chapter Now resteth that as the wordes of Paul playnly declare the election and good will of God depend only of his mercy But that these wordes I will haue mercy one vvhome I vvill haue mercy should be vnderstand as Chrisostome would haue them of the slaughter of some of the pardoning of other some it semeth An history in Exodus rehersed not to be agreeing with the history For that slaughter is set forth in the 32. chapiter But before ye come to the other place which is in the 33. chapiter there are many thinges set For after that slaughter the Lord commaunded Moses to go vp from that place and sayd that he would not go with them for that it was a stiffenecked people And the people hearing this were excedingly sory and wept Agayne Moses prayed vnto the Lord that he would go with him and added that he would not go vnles the Lord would so promise him At the length the lord being as it were ouercome with these prayers maketh answer yâ— he would so do for that Moses had found fauor in his sight And Moses hearing this added Now then shew me thy glory Vnto whome the Lord answered I will make all my good go before thee and I will proclayme my name Iehouah before thee and I will haue mercy one whome I will haue mercy and I will shew compassion one whome I will shew This place is not to be vnderstanded of the idolatrers but of Moses compassion Wherefore I like theyr iudgement better which thought that thys place is to be vnderstanded not of the idolatrers slayn or preserued but of Moses only as if
elected Also ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you And if Christ and the Apostles haue in their sermons oftentimes made mencion hereof no man saith he ought to doubt that this doctrine is against the fruit and commodity of preaching He affirmeth also that it followeth not that although our will saluation and good workes depend of the will and appointment of God therefore we should cast away all our diligence endeuour and care For Paul when he had said that God worketh in vs both to will and to performe yet Saluation our good workes depeÌ„d of God yet ought not we â—o cast away all maner of care to lyue well cessed not to geue good admonishments And when he had written vnto the Phillippians that GOD which had begonne in them would accomplishe the worke whiche he had begonne that they might be blameles in the daye of the Lorde in whiche woordes he attributeth vnto GOD bothe the beginning and successe of good works yet in the selfe same epistle wonderfully exhorteth he them to holynes Christ also commaunded his Apostles to beleue and yet on the other side he sayth That no man can come vnto him but whome the father shall draw He also sayth He which hath eares to heare let him heare And yet God sayth in the scriptures that he would geue them an hart from aboue to vnderstaÌ„d eyes to sée eares to heare Wherfore these thinges are not repugnant one to the other namely that the appointment of good works lieth in God and that the gift of them is to be hoped for at Gods hands only and that we also must put to our care and endeuour to liue vprighly and holyly for as we haue before sayd the holy scriptures teach both Farther if for thys cause we should deny predestination seing that by the selfe same maner the foreknowledge of God is certayne and can not be deceaued shall we therefore deny that God foreknoweth all thinges As well the foreknowledge of god â—s predestination is certaine An example brought by Augustine if peraduenture there be some which may be offended with this doctrine And in his booke de bono perseuerantiae the 15. chapter he bringeth an example which happened in his time He saith that in the same monastery that he was in was a certaine man not of so vpright a life This man when he was admonished of his faulte was accustomed to say Such a one shall I be as God hath foreknown me to be And when he so spake saith Augustine he spake indede the truth but although his iudgement were true yet became he euery day worse and worse at the last also saith he he returned to his olde vomite howbeit saith he what manner of one he shall as yet in time to come be God onely knoweth Though this man abused the truth yet will not therefore any godly man deny that God foreknoweth all things And that this foreknowledge of God is no let vnto good workes Christ declared when he coÌ„maunded his disciples to pray when as yet in the meane time The thyng is not made euill by the abuse therof he plainely told them that God knewe right well what thinges they had néede of Wherefore the foreknowledge of God doth not call vs backe from the endeuor of praying for the thinges profitable and necessary which God hath decréed to geue The foreknowledge of God ought not to call vs backe from our endeuor to prayers The giftes of God are not acknowledged â–ª except the fouÌ„taine of theÌ„ be knowne What is the fountaine of the giftes of God vs he hath decréed to geue theÌ„ by this meane They also are deceaued which thinke that this doctrine is an vnprofitable doctrine yea their sight is but small and they vnderstand not the profite therof Vnto the godly it is very profitable to the ende they should not put any confidence either in themselues or in any other men but should fixe all theyr whole hope and affiaunce in God onely Which thing vndoubtedly none can truely and from the harte do but those whiche are fully persuaded both that their saluation and also theyr good workes depend not vpon themselues but of God No we cannot acknowledge the giftes of God except we vnderstande from what fountaine they spring But that fountaine is the fre purpose and mercy of God geuen vnto them whome he hath elected before the constitution of the world He which seeth not this seeth not the goodnes of God towardes him By this doctrine may men be brought not to glory in themselues but in the Lorde which thing they cannot do which ascribe vnto their own frée will that litle how much so euer it be for which thing sake they affirme that God electeth them For they haue in themselues whereof to glorye Farther the scripture willeth vs that we should mortifye our selues and behaue our selues lowly there is nothing that is more easelier bringeth this to passe then doth this doctrine The certainety also of saluation which we defend is by no other means better made manifest And in the We are coÌ„maunded to geue thaÌ„ks for our election It confirmeth the doctrine of free iustification It is no â—â—w doctrine sâ—yng it is set forth in the holy scriptures Heresies were the causes that doctrines were more diligently entreated of latter Epistle to the Thessalonians Paul willeth vs for this thing to geue thankes vnto God that we are elected of God But this can we not do vnles this thing also be wholy made plaine and knowne vnto vs. Neither without this doctrine can the grace of God be defended against the Pelagians for they toughte that the election of God commeth by our merites Frée iustification also should pearish excepte we be rightly taught of predestination Séeing therefore this doctrine being soundlye vnderstande is vnto so many thinges so profitable no man oughte to count it vnfruitfull And sithen it is set foorth in the holy scriptures it can not vndoubtedly be called a new doctrine And if the fathers before Augustines time haue not so diligeÌ„tly spoken of it it ought not to be meruailed at for the occasions wherfore doctrines were more diligently discussed and searched out wer heresies which dayly sprang vp in the Church a freshe And for that before Pelagius time no man had spoken against the grace of God there was no néede that any maÌ„ should defend it but wheÌ„ there arose vp a new error it was necessary that this doctrine should the more diligently be examined And yet did not the fathers which were before Augustines time alwayes leue this thinge vnspoken of Which thing Augustine himselfe proueth in the. 19. chapter of his booke de bono perseuerantiae Ambrose vpon Luke saith that God could if he would of vndeuout persons make deuout And againe he saith that God calleth them whome he vouchsafeth and him whome he will he maketh religious The fathers that were before Augustines time tought this
owne proper wil apply it vnto himselfe Wherfore let them cease to adorne this theyr opinion with the title of the mercy of God They bring also an other argument that forasmuch as God prouideth for al men thinges competeÌ„t vnto the life of the body it is not very likely that he wil fayle them as touching the preperation of eternal saluation which he should not do vnles vnto euery man were set forth so much of the grace of God as is sufficient But by this theyr similitude they them selues are reproued for euen as God geueth vnto euery man corporal life without any theyr assent so also must they nedes conclude of spiritual life which thing by al meanes they refuse to graunt We graunt in dede that God thorough his mercy maketh his The reprobate want not all the benefites of God Many are borne vnapt to naturall felicity Sonne to aryse vpon the good and vpon the euill and we also confesse that both the predestinate and the reprobate are pertakers of some of the benefits of God And euen as in this life the commodities of the body and of life are not a like geuen vnto al men so also predestination vnto eternall felicity is not common vnto al meÌ„ Some are borne leprous blind deafe folish most poore vtterly vnapt vnto al maner of natural felicity neither attayne they vnto it at any tyme wherefore the comparison which they bring maketh very much agaynst them selues But say they God hath created al men to his owne image and therfore hath appoynted al men vnto blessednes wherefore we ought not to say that some are predestinate and some are reprobate That men are made to the image of God we graunt that they were able to receaue blessednes but after the fal nature was vitiated and the image of God much blotted Wherefore men can not of them selues attayne vnto felicity but haue nede to be deliuered from misery But that God hath now decreed to deliuer al men from misery and thorough Christ to make them blessed the scriptures teach not Wherfore we do not without iust cause say that he hath decreed to deliuer some and to leaue other some and that iustly the causes of which iustice yet are not to be sought for of our workes when as they are knowen to God only thorough his Whether al men haue power to be made the sonnes of God hidden and vnspeakable wisedom They obiect this also out of Iohn He gaue vnto them power to be made the sonnes of God As though they could thereof inferre that euery man may be made the sonne of God if he wil. But they geue no hede to those things which folow for it is added Vnto those which haue beleued in him which are borne not of bloude nor of the will of the flesh nor of the wil of maÌ„ but of God These things if they be rightly peysed declare yâ— this dignity priueledge is geuen vnto the beleuers and vnto the regenerate for to haue power geuen to be the sonnes of God signifieth nothing els Wherfore this dignity is put as an effect of regeneration and of faith and not as the beginning thereof as these men dreame They alleadge also that Christ dyed for vs all and thereof they inferre that his benefite is commoÌ„ vnto all men Which thing we also wil easely graunt How this is to be vnderstanded Christ hath â—â—ed for all if only the worthines of the death of Christ be considered For as touching it it mought be sufficient for all the sinners of the world But although in it selfe it be sufficient yet it neither had nor hath nor shall haue effect in all men which thing the schoolemen also confesse when they affirme that Christ hath redemed all men sufficiently but not effectually for thereunto it is necessary that the death of Christ be healthfull vnto vs that we take hold of it which can not otherwise be done but by faith which faith we haue before aboundantly declared to be the gift The coÌ„parison of AdaÌ„ with Christ how it is to be vnderstanded of God and not to be geuen vnto all men This also is obiected vnto vs that the Apostle compared Adam with Christ and said vnto the Romanes that euen as in Adam we all dye so in Christ we are all quickened Wherfore by this meanes they say that the grace of Christ ought vniuersally to be layd forth vnto all men But if they will so take this comparison they shal be compelled to graunt that all shall by Christ be brought vnto felicity as by Adam all are throwen hedlong into sinne and into death But seing that the thing it selfe declareth the contrary they may easely perceaue that this similitude is not to be taken as touching all the partes thereof especially when as none fall of their owne consent into originall sinne but those men will not haue grace to be receaued but through a mans own consent Wherfore if they admit this difference how dare they affirme that the matter is on eche side a like The skope of the Apostle in this comparison is to bee considered and besides the skope nothing is to be inferred And in that comparison Paul ment nothing elles but that Christe is to those whiche are regenerated the beginning of life and of blessednes as Adam is vnto them that are deriued of him the cause of death and of sinne Nowe whatsoeuer is afterwarde besides this scope gathered touching the equalitye of multitude or of the manner the same is per accidens that is by chaunce and pertaineth not vnto the skope and substance of the similitude They obiect also the sentence vnto Timothe God will haue all men to be saued For this sentence Pigghius perpetually inculcateth How God will haue al men to be saued as though it were inuincible wheÌ„ yet Augustine oftentimes hath tought yâ— it may in such sort be expounded that it bringeth no waight at all to proue those mens fond inuention First we take it to be spoken of all estats and kinds of meÌ„ namely that God will haue some of all kinds of men to be saued which interpretacion agréeth excellently well with the purpose of the Apostle He had commaunded that prayers and supplications should be made for all men and especially for kings and those which haue publike authority that vnder them we may liue a quiet life in all piety and chastity And therefore to declare that no estate or kind of men is excluded he added that God wyll haue all men to be saued As if he shoulde haue said no man is letted by that vocation and degrée wherein he is placed so that it be not repugnant vnto the word of God but that he may come to saluation and therefore we ought to pray for all kind of men But hereof we can not inferre that God endueth euery man perticularly with grace or predestinateth euery man to saluation as in the time of the floud all
going about to stablish their owne righteousnes are not subiect vnto the righteousnes of God Brethern mine hartes desire and prayer to God c. Forasmuch as in the ninth chapiter he had declared that the promises were not proper vnto the The suÌ„mâ— of this chapiter Iewes which perished and therefore their distruction was no derogation either to the certainty of Gods promises or to the doctrine of iustification by faith which he had before tought for they to whome the promises pertaine do by faith come vnto Christ now in the 10. chapter he remoueth an other doubt and ouerthroweth a strong hold wherewith the Iewes were wont proudly to defend themselues who without end boasted of ceremonies works and outward righteousnes and he declareth that they being ignorant of the true righteousnes which is called the righteousnes of God in vayne went about to establishe their owne righteousnes And for that he vnderstoode that it would be â–ª vnto them a thing very hard and sharpe to be not only spoyled of the promises but that also the righteousnes of works which they chiefly embrased should be abrogated first by a preuention he lenifieth their mindes in testifiing his good wil towardes them After that for that they were infected with ignorance he enstructeth them with a plaine and euident distinction of righteousnes And least he should seme of his owne hed to haue deuised the righteousnes of faith he confirmeth it by a testimony of Moses and of Osea the Prophet which righteousnes he saith God would haue to be brought euen vnto the Gentles which were farre and wide dispersed abroade But so that it should not be hid from the Iewes when as it was first manifested vnto that people Which thing Esay testifieth when he writeth that God all the day long holdeth abroad his handes to a nacion which perpetually resisted hym This is the summe of the doctrine of this chapiter He testifieth that he â—â—ueth the Iewes and hateth theÌ„ not And in the first part thereof to comfort the Iewes he taketh in hand to proue this proposition I beare a singular good will towards you neither am I led by hatred to write these things And this he thereby proueth for that he with a certaine perpetuall desire had then alwayes in mynde and was so carefull for their saluation that he continually by prayers desired it Vnto them that geue admonitions Necessary preparatioÌ„s of the hearers A similitude and also vnto them that preach the Gospell these are necessary preparations of mens minds For oftentimes the things that are spoken skarsly profit vnles the hearers féele or perceaue that they are beloued of him that speaketh vnto them For euen as phisitions when they mind to minister strong purgations to bring forth hurtfull humors out of the sicke body do first loose the body by certaine drinks so also their mindes with whom we deale are first to be lenified with gentle speach before we come to the bitternes of reprouing So did Paul wheÌ„ he wrote vnto other Churches and especially vnto the Corrinthians whom at the beginning he commendeth as holy and elected instructed in all wisdome and knowledge and finally adorned of God with all good gifts But afterward he vehemently and sharply accuseth euen the selfe same men of most haynous crimes that they had sects and contentions amongst themselues and that by humane wisdome they obscured the Gospell that they punished not most horrible incest that they disturbed the supper of the Lord and that they did iniuries and prosecuted matters of contencion before infidels and many such other like haynous facts he reproueth that Church of to yâ— end they should correct them Wherefore it is no meruayle if in this place he vse the selfe same maner and do say that he writeth not those things with a hatefull mynde Alwayes in his epistles after gentle and louing preuentions follow gréeuous and sharpe reprehensions which maner we ought also to follow that those things which we entend to admonishe may the more profit Rhetoricians vse this pollicy neuer to speake any thing that An example of Rhetoricians is sharpe or vnpleasant but first do mollefy it by some colour And forasmuch as the Scorpion that deadly stinging beast embraseth with her fore clawes that he may the better strike with his tayle and sticke in his venemous sting why do not we also most ernestly with loue and charity embrace our neigh bour that we maye heale hym The Apostle to proue his loue towardes the Iewes sayth that in his harte he had a vehemente desire and an incredible redines whiche he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 towards their saluation wherof sprong prayers These are aâ—sured tokens of Christian loue And this is worthy to be noted that Paul ioyneth What prayers are feruent and of efficacy these two things together for prayers are neuer liuely nor feruent vnles in the hart go before a most ferueÌ„t desire of the things which are to be prayed for Some desire of God that they mought abstaine from sinnes but because they desire it not with feruency their prayers are faint Others pray that they may not be vnworthy ministers of the Church but forasmuch as they are but lightly touched with this desire their prayers are cold And therefore it is no meruaile if they be Preachers must auoidâ— offences so rarely hard Wherfore Paul to declare that his prayers were no slender prayers said that there went before them a feruent desire Hereby moreouer we learne that they which preach the Gospel must auoyde offences geueÌ„ out of time and if offences must néedes be geuen the same ought to be lenified and made soft vnles paraduenture the saluation of the hearers be past all hope or that they are so obstinate and peruerse that they can not be moued to God but by most sharpe WheÌ„ sharp reprehensions are to be vsed reprehensions So Christ somtimes said of the Phariseis Let them alone they are blind and leders of the blind This wicked and adultrous generation seketh a signe but none shall be geuen vnto it Of Herode also Christ sayd Go and tell that foxe Iohn Baptist also said vnto the selfe same men Ye generation of vipers who hath tought you to flye from the wrath to come Our Paul also when he was striken as he stoode before the iudge sayd God strike thee thou paynted wall And vnto Elimas who was also called Barieu he sayd Thou sonne of the deuill full of all guile how long continuest thou to peruert the straight wayes of the Lord Behold the hand of the Lord is vpon thee and thou shalt be blind and shalt not see But when we come to this poynt The spirite is to be examined we must examine the spirit wherewith we are moued least paraduenture we be deceaued and vnder a godly pretence serue a wicked affect And we must take héede that our brethern be not rashly turned away from the doctrine of the
but was not altogether reiected And that this benefite was bestowed vpon the fathers the Scripture in many places mencioneth There were other nations which in déede receaued the Gospel but yet kéept it but for a while skarce aboue one age or two It is true that we haue succeded in the place of the Iewes and are made pertakers of the selfesame priuiledges with them yet notwithstanding the Iewes were before vs abode the long tyme before in possession Wherefore if they be nowe broken of we ought more to bee afeard if they for their pride were smitten with blindnes were for their incredulity cut of what is to be thought of vs wild oliue trées and barren vnfruitfull branches Thorough incredulity were they broken of sayth Ambrose not for thy sake but by reason of their owne defaulte whiche thing I meruayle he should write If this Preposition propter that is For do signifie the cause efficient I graunt that our saluation was not the cause of their cutting of They had Our saluatiō was the small cause of the reiection of the Iewes in themselues the sinne of incredulity which GOD minding to punishe in this sort by his iustice reiected them But that our calling was not the finall cause which God in their reiection had a regard vnto I can in no wise deny seing that Paul affirmeth it wherefore I thinke rather we may say that they were broken of from their fruitefull trée both for theyr owne default and for our sakes Be not high minded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is which is otherwise sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which vice is opposite vnto the pouerty of the spirite which Christ so commended that he called them which were endewed with it blessed But they are to be laughed at which by this saying of the Apostle labour to defend ignoraunce to feare away men from knowledge Noli altum sapere say they that is Be not ouer wise Whiche exposition how strang it is from the skope of the Apostle I suppose now euery man plainly séeth But to close vp the exposition of this place I thinke that betwéene the degrées whereby we come to saluation the meanes which bring vs hedlong to destruction this order is to bee put As touching them The degrees to saluation and the degrees to destruction which shal be saued first is election or predestination Thereout burst forth grace the spirite and fayth strayght way follow good workes then haue they geuen vnto them perseueraunce and at the last is rendred the crowne of felicitie But vnto destruction the first degrée is the corruption of the lompe of mākind thorough originall sinne that God would not haue mercy thereof followe many sinnes which we by liuing wickedly afterward adde after them followeth blindnes they are infected with incredulity moreouer the harte is hardened and at the last followeth eternall damnation See therfore the bountefulnes seuerity of God Towards thē whiche haue fallen into seuerity but towards thee bountefulnes if thou continue in his bountefulnes or els thou also shalt be cut of And they also if they abide not still in vnbeliefe shal be grafted in For God is able to graft them in agayne For if thou wast cut out of the oliue tree which wast wild by nature and wast grafted contrary to nature into a right oliue tree how much more shall they that are by nature be grafted into their owne oliue tree Se therfore the goodnes and seuerity of God c. This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greke the is See some turne Ecce y◠is Behold for in signification it is somtimes all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle cōtinueth stil in one the self same matter For this treatise was very necessary to put away the discord which in the primitiue sprang betwene the Gentiles the Iewes He exhorteth thē to set two things before their eyes the goodnes of God his seuerity Goodnes he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word signifieth clemency a redines of mind to do a man good to do him pleasure Seueritye he calleth in the Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is then when thinges are done with extremitie and that men are delt with euen according to the rigor of iustice The singuler bountefulnes of God towardes the Gētiles Against the Maniches and Marcionites The scripture euery where inuiteth vs to consider the seuerity an◠goodnes of God Towardes thee saith he goodnes For that was a singuler bountifulnes that when as the Gentils were contaminated with idolatry and mought iustly worthely haue bene left in their infidelity they were yet notwithstanding called adopted and adorned with so many ornamentes and giftes By these woordes are confuted the Manichies Marcionites which affirmed that there are two Gods one good gentle and mercifull the other seuere yea and cruell when yet the Apostle in this place attributeth the selfe same proprieties vnto one and the self same true God It is manifest also that they which are cut of are by the iust seuerity of God broken of and fall away so that they are without excuse Moreouer not onely Paul in this place but also the whole scripture in infinite places in a maner prouoke vs to the consideration of those two thinges And that not without iust cause for in the consideratiō of the goodnes of God we are prouoked vnto faith and vnto loue towards him also to geue him thanks for y◠benefits receiued at his hands But when we consider y◠seueritie iudgements of God it maketh vs to pity those which fall and to be fearefull of our owne estate Chrisostome expounding this sentence See the goodnes It is not saide saith he See thy merites and thy laboures for it commeth all whole of grace from aboue I woulde to GOD he had alwayes spoken after this manner and that he had abode still in that whiche he here teacheth The entent of the Apostle in the consideratiō of the seuerity of God is that we beholding other mens dangers and falles should be made more ware Which selfe thing he in an other place meaneth when he sayth in the first to the Corrinth He which standeth let him take heede that he fall not and vnto the Galathians Considering Two kinds of feare thy self least thou also be tempted Wherfore this is to be known that feare is of two sortes the one is which abateth nothinge of confidence but onely engendreth a greater diligence and bringeth more effectuall endeuors The other is which excéedingly diminisheth yea rather taketh away confidence pulleth away endeuor and bringeth sluggishnes The latter commeth of infidelity the other cōmeth of diligence and of fayth By this kind of feare are the churches moued more and more to apply themselues vnto God and to praye instantlye for their preseruation What prayer is vaine namely that the kingdome of God shoulde not be transferred from them
oliue tree against nature neither in this respect are miracles done eyther besides nature or agaynst nature But if we looke vpon the proprieties and qualities of things both miracles are not according to nature yea rather they are repugnant vnto it and men are contrary to nature called backe to true piety and grafted into a good tree Wherefore Augustine aptly said that to haue possibility to beleue is of nature but to beleue is of grace I knowe that there are some which in this place referre contrary to nature this way that the spirituall grafting in is contrary to the naturall grafting in which men according to yâ— rules of husbandry vse wheÌ„ as in naturall grafting the grafte which is grafted in bringeth forth fruite agreable to his owne sappe not to the sappe of the stock wherinto it is grafted But here the braunches of the wild oliue tree grafted into the fatte oliue tree draw their sappe whereout they bring forth good fruites not of their owne naturall plant but of that whereinto they are grafted These thinges without Braunches proper haue greater conformity to theyr owne plante then straunge plantes doubt as I haue before mencioned are true but they seme not to serue to the purpose of Paul The summe is that there is a greater conformity agreeablenes and proportion betwene braunches broken of to their owne plant then betwene straunge braunches to the selfe same plaÌ„t But because this conformity though it be neuer so nigh is not of it selfe sufficient therefore the power of of God is necessarily to be had Whiche power is sufficient to grafte in any whether they be nigh or farre of or howsoeuer they be God is able saith Iohn of these stones to rayse vp children vnto Abraham And the Lord sayth Thinges which are impossible with men are possible with God The Prophets and all yâ— scriptures in a manner when any great thinges or after a sort incredible are to be looked for at Gods hands commaunde vs to consider the power of God And thereof commeth vnto the godly most swete consolation if at any time any great aduersityes hange ouer their heddes for they doo not easely feare the power of their aduersaries which set before their eyes the power of their heauenly father And hereof it commeth that the Church when it prayeth for helpe at Gods In the beginnyng of prayers are well put these words almighty God The power of God extendeth farther theÌ„ his will How an argument a posse ad esse is in this place of force hands alwayes in a manner in the beginning of their prayers hath these two wordes Almighty God Neither is this to be passed ouer that it commeth to passe farre otherwise in vs then in God both in all other thinges in a maner and also in this thing chiefly For in vs the will extendeth a great deale farther then the power when as oftentimes we will very many thinges which yet we are not able to performe But it is cleane contrary with God for he is able to do many more thinges then he will For the Father coulde haue geuen vnto his sonne which was euen at the point to be crucified eleuen legions of Angels which should straight way haue deliuered him but he would not But if a maÌ„ say that it is not a strong argument a posse ad â—sse as the Logicians vse to speake that is from possibility to being and therefore Paul ought not to conclude that the Iewes shal be grafted in againe for that God is able to performe that thing for besides power is also required will We answere that here can no controuersy be made touching his will for that he is redy to do them good the promises the couenant which he made and the benefits which he bestowed vpon their elders playnly declare Further if he would graft in the Gentles being straungers why should we doubt but that he will one day bestow the A similitude like benefit vpon the Iewes Wherefore this we may affirme that the nation of the Iewes is at this tyme like vnto the roote of some good tree in the tyme of winter which roote if one that hath no skill looke vpon he will soone contemne plucke vp and burne it if it lye in him But a skilfull husbandman will say that it ought to be spared and will be more carefull to cherishe it for he knoweth that when the time commeth he shall haue thereof leaues flowers God hath not extinguished the Iewes but daily calleth some of theÌ„ fruites So vndoubtedly doth God deale with the Iewes he extinguisheth not that stocke but oftentimes out of it calleth some vnto him and towardes the end of the world looketh for great plenty of his elect to come thereout Not that any holynes is to be attributed vnto that stocke or generation if it be considered by it selfe for as we haue already twise admonished as touching it selfe it is condemned and obnoxious vnto the curse Which thing Paul acknowledged when he sayd We are by nature the children of wrath as others are But when these excellent things are spoken in the commendation of the nation of the Iewes vnto it is adioyned the fauor of God and his promise and couenant which yet burst not forth into acte but only as touching the elect Of which things yet there appeare Certain tokens of the nobilitie of the natioÌ„ of the Iewes some markes in others for they are studious of the law and of the word of God although they vnderstand it not rightly and as Paul sayd They haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge which things although vnto them they are sinnes yet is it a certaine light and shew of that nobility wherof we speake For I would not brethern that ye should be ignoraunt of this mistery least ye should be high mynded that partly blindnes is come vnto Israell vntil the fulnes of the Gentiles be come in And so all Israell shal be saued as it is written Out of Sion shall the deliuerer come shal burne away the vngodlines from Iacob And this is my testament with them wheÌ„ I shall take away their sins For I would not brethern that ye should be ignoraunt of this mistery The entent of the Apostle now is to proue that in the nation of the Iewes still remayneth séede of election which thing he doth many wayes First he setteth forth his prophesy which he calleth a mistery after that he bringeth testimonies of the Prophets then he declareth the nature of the vocation and giftes of God namely that they are without repentance last of all he teacheth that the order of thinges so requireth and he abideth long in this matter for that of the full knowledge thereof much depended the peace and quietnes of the Church at that tyme. And how much the peace and tranquillity of Churches is to be desired we may How much the tranquilitie of churches is to be be
put out the handwriting that was against vs. In the The 47. 2. to Timothy the i. chapter Who hath called vs with an holy callinge not accordinge to our workes but according to his purpose and grace which is geuen vs through Christ Iesus Here he speaketh of a calling ful of efficacy by which men are iustified and not of the common calling as touching the preaching of the word of God which is set forth vnto all men And forasmuch as this consisteth not as Paul saith of merites or woorkes neither can iustification also come of them Vnto Titus it is written The 48. The goodnes and loue of God our Sauiour towardes vs hath appeared not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercy hath he saued vs. Also vnto the Hebrues is but one onely sacrifice and one oblation namely the death The 49. of Christ by which sinnes are wiped away and satisfaction made for men Wherfore iustification is not to be loked for of workes and it ought to suffice vs that the good workes which we do after iustification are sacrifices of thankesgeuing and let vs not make them sacrifices propiciatory by which meanes we should do great iniury vnto Christe But settinge a side the Epistles of Paul let vs séeke testimonies also out of other places of the holy scriptures Christe in the vii of Mathew saith Euery good tree bringeth forth good fruites but a noughty tree bringeth foorth euell The 50. fruites And to the end the nature of those which are not regenerate mighte be the better declared he addeth A good tree cannot bring forth euill frutes nether can an euill tree bring forth good fruits Wherfore seing Christ saith y◠that canot so be how dare these men affirme that it may be for they say that by workes men may be iustified Christ vseth the selfe same reason in the 12. chapiter of Mathew Ether The 51. make the tree good and his fruite good or make the tree euil and his fruite euill for by the fruite is the tree knowen O ye generation of vipers how can ye speake good thinges whē as ye your selues are euill for of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh A good man out of the good treasure of the harte bringeth forth good thinges and an euill man out of an euill treasure bringeth forth euill thinges These wordes of Christ do declare that men which are not yet regenerate are euill trees which neither do bring forth good fruite nor can do ▪ and they testify that the wicked cā not speake good thinges and much les can they worke good thinges and that out of an euill treasure of the harte are euer euill thinges to be looked for And seing the matter is so consider I pray you whither they which are alienated frō Christ ought to be called euill or no Vndoubtedly vnles they be euil none of vs y◠cleaneth vnto Christ can be called good Also in Luke the 17. chapiter But which of you hauing a The 52. seruaunt that goeth to plough or fedeth your cattell that will streight way say vnto hym when he commeth from the field Go and fitte downe and sayth not rather vnto him prepare that I may suppe gyrd vp thy selfe and serue me till I haue eaten and dronken and afterward eate thou and drinke thou doth he thanke his seruaunt bycause he hath done those thinges which he hath commaunded him I trow not So likewise ye when ye haue done all those thinges that are commaunded you say We are vnprofitable seruauntes we haue done that which we ought to haue done These words spake Christ vnto his disciples vnto his Apostles I say and which were now cōuerted to saluation who if they worke vnprofitable works what shall we thē iudge of those which haue not yet receaued the fayth of Christ But the Sophisters haue made the world such fooles that they say that workes before iustification do after a sorte merite it and those workes which follow they say are most profitable wherefore they would now haue men after a sort to make accompt with God and with beades to nomber how many prayers they haue said For what other thing ment they by thē then y◠they would by a certayne nomber recite so many Pater nosters or so many Aue Marias thinking by y◠recital to haue God most assuredly boūd The 53. vnto thē In y◠15. of Iohn Christ is compared vnto a vine tree we to the branches therof wherfore he sayth Euen as the branche can not bring forth fruit of it self vnles it abide in the vine no more also cā ye vnles ye abide in me I am the vine ye are the branches he which abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruite And whosoeuer shal not abide in me they are cast out of the dores euē as the braunches or cuttings of frō the vine they shal gather thē and cast thē into the fire Now that we haue recited these wordes of the lord how agreeth it that men being straungers from Christ not yet regenerate can worke good works by which they may be iustified when as they are called dry braunches which shal be cast into the fire and it is sayd that they only can bring forth fruite which cleane vnto Christ as braunches cleane to the vine And that we should the better vnderstand the will The 54. of Christ there is added Without me ye can do nothing Which sentence some go aboute to darken saying that nothing can be done without Christ in respect that he is God forasmuch as he is the first cause of all thinges as though the Lord disputed then of the generall conseruation of naturall thinges and of that power whereby God bringeth forth all thinges vniuersally Christ came not into the world to teach this philosophye he vndoubtedly entreated of the fruite of saluation and of eternall life and spake of those whiche should cleane vnto hys doctrine or ells should be strangers from it Moreouer the sonne of God commaunded The 55. that the faythfull should in theyr prayers saye Forgeue vs our trespasses Signifieng thereby y◠the faythfull also haue nede of forgeuenes in those things which they do for our workes are vnperfect neyther are they able to satisfye Wherefore if our workes which we doo after our regeneration nede expiation by the merite of Christ And for as much as we pray for the same how can they be propitiatory Much more les then can we thinke of those workes which are done before regeneration that they should be acceptable and pleasāt vnto God Moreouer no man can iustly say that he is out of the nomber of such when as God hath commaunded all men to pray in that maner and his will is not that any man should make a lye in his prayer Yea and Iohn also writeth If we shall The 56. say that we haue no sinne we deceaue
our selues and the truth is not in vs. And I suppose there is none that will iudge it a thing mete that there should be many mediators brought in when as there is but only one mediator betwene God and men namely the man Christ Iesus But if besides him and his merites our workes should also iustifie vs then should they be set betwene God and vs neyther should Christ be the only mediator Moreouer the Prophetes do euery where pray and The 57. Dauid also that God would wash clense expiate and purge theyr sinnes namely in forgeuing and remitting them but if they could haue attayned to that thing by theyr workes then neded they not to haue requested it by praier or at the lest way not with so greate feruency And in Iob the 15. chapiter it is written that neyther The 58. are the heauens cleane before God And in that 4. chapiter he pronouÌ„ceth the Angels not to be pure In what case then shall men be before they obteyne iustification The 59. Dauid also in his Psalmes crieth If thou lord looke streightly vpon iniquities Lord who shal be able to abide it Esay calleth them yâ— thirst vnto the waters commaundeth The 60. them to buy without siluer But our men forsooth will merite and be iustified both by merites and by workes and also by siluer Moreouer in the 40. chapiter The 61. the same Prophet when he heard a voyce wherin it was sayd vnto him cry out answered What shall I cry and it was sayd vnto him yâ— he should cry All flesh is grasse and Châ—sod that is piety or religion or mercy wherwith he succoreth his neighbour is as the flower of the field that is a thing vanishing away which streight way fadeth away neyther can it continew The same thing also affirmeth he in the 64. chap. where he sayth that all our righteousnes is as a cloth steyned withe the naturall diseasâ— The 62. of a woman Which sentence whether a man apply it vnto workes done after regeneration or before I passe not muche for eyther way will make on our side And in the selfe same chapiter he addeth Our God we are clay and thou art our creator we are the worke of thy handes And the same similitude of the clay and potter vseth The 63. Paul to the Romanes in the 9. chapiter wherein is notably declared that so much are we able to do so towards our saluation as can the clay towardes the potter to cause him to make him after this maner or that maner We could also recite testimonies which are written of the maliciousnes of our hart both in Genesis in Ieremy but I suppose I haue alredy brought testimonies inough for the confirmation of our proposition This thing only now wil I say that there haue bene men so rashe that they haue not only attributed some merite of iustification vnto honest workes and which are as they terme them morally good but also vnto supersticions workes which they themselues haue imagined and inuented For who Vnto holy water is remission of sins graunted more also to other thinges is ignoraÌ„t of yâ— rimes commonly set abrode of theyr holy water Aqua benedicta de leaÌ„tur tua delicta sit tibi laus vita That is by holy water let thy sinnes be blotted out and let it bee vnto thee prayse and life They ascribe also forgeuenes of sinnes vnto Monkes coules vnto candels and vnto the oyle of boughes and vnto the ashes of palme tree and vnto pilgrimages And from things which they so peruersly interpretated in the holy scriptures concerning merites they came vnto these so foolish and vngodly thinges Vndoubtedly none vnderstaÌ„d but they which haue experience thereof how hard a thing it is that a harte brused ouerthrowen and laden with the burthen of sinnes should when it is grieued and oppressed quiet It is a thing most hard to rest in the promises of God it selfe in yâ— free promises of God thorough Christ For in that case it very much laboureth that it may once at the length be with a firme fayth established If we should with the Sophisters will a man to haue a respect vnto hys workes then shoulde he neuer be in quiet but shoulde alwayes bee vexed and alwayes doubt of hys saluation and at the laste be swallowed vp wyth desperacion I would not that any man should thinke that when we reason of this matter we take in hand a vayne matter or a strife about wordes It is a thing whereby is What is the end and fruit of this disputation defended the honour of Christe And that whiche is proper vnto him onelye namelye to iustifye and to forgeue sinnes we seeke that the same shoulde in no case be attributed vnto workes or to any other thing els of ours we séeke that the promise should be firme and that afflicted consciences should receaue consolation in the wordes and promises of God Lastly we séeke that the Gospell should be distincted from the lawe and the lawe from the Gospell which thing they can not do which ascribe iustification vnto workes and confound and perniciously mingle them together And for the confirmation of this proposition although I could bring a great many more reasons and in a maner infinite yet these which I haue already brought shall suffice and I will omitte the rest for they which are not moued with these reasons neither will they be touched with any other Howbeit I thinke it not good to passe ouer with silence the trifling shifts and wily deceates by which the Sophisters vse to auoyde and obscure this doctrine which we haue now put forth First they say that the holy scriptures as often as they take away the power of iustifieng from workes do that only as touching the ceremonies of the old law and not as touching iust and vpright workes which commonly they call morall workes In which thing how much men are deceiued euen the testimonies of the scriptures and especially of Paul whome they affirme to be most of all on their side as touching that matter will most plainly declare For although this Apostle speaketh many thinges which séeme to pertayne both to the rites and also to the ceremonies of the lawe yet in his declaration he writeth a great many â—â—â— other thinges by which he declareth that he speaketh not onely of ceremonies â–ª but also euen of the other lawes of righteousnes and vertue yea rather altogether of those which pertaine to maners and euen vnto the table of the ten commaundements And in the first chapiter when he reproueth the Gentils that without the fayth of Christ they could not be iustified he setteth before their eyes their workes namely Testimonies of Paul by whiche is proued that moral workes are excluded from the power of iustifieng idolatry filthy lustes and toward the end of the chapiter he reherseth a very long cataloge of vices wherwith they were infected nether
signification For Paul here meaâ—â—th not that power wherby were wrought miracles but only describeth those offices which are at all times necessary in the Church Wherfore that Prophesie yâ— was spoken of in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the. 14. chapiter when Paul sayd he which prophesieth speaketh edification exhortation and consolation And againe ye may all one by one prophesie that all may learne and all receiue consolation the same prophesie I say I thinke is meÌ„t in this place And this is to be noted yâ— the Apostle did at the beginning set forth two offices generally which are afterward deuided into their partes as we shall sée And there are two for that man consisteth of body and soule And God for that his will is that the whole man should be saued hath instituted ministeries in the church both which pertaine to the soule and which pertayne to the body Prophesy comprehendeth the giftes which pertayne to doctrine and to exhortation And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is ministery containeth those thinges which conduce to relieue the body either from pouerty or from diseases and which restrayne it from wicked and vncomely actions Touching the first he sayth Whether prophesie according to the proportion of fayth In this place many thinke that by faith are to be vnderstanded the chief groundes and principall sentences of religion as those which are comprehended in the symboles And so the sense is that they which teach or exhort or comfort the people of God ought chiefly to beware of this that they speake nothing that is repugnaunt to the whole summe and principall groundes of the Catholike faith which things they which haue the charge of suche functions ought alwayes to haue before their eyes least peraduenture they decline from them Others by faith vnderstaÌ„d the roote of such giftes And Origen thinketh that this particle is to be repeated in all those things which are afterwarde mentioned namely that the ministery and doctrine ought to be exercised according to the measure and portion of that faith as though all those parts of this generall thing which séeme to haue in them the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shold by this particle be made complete But I thinke that this place is more simply to be vnderstanded so that faith here signifieth that knowledge whereof God maketh them partakers whome he placeth in suche functions that he which teacheth which exhorteth or which comforteth set forthe nothing vnto the people but that which God hath put into his head namely by his inspiration and reuelation that they presume not to speake those things which either they vnderstande not or which are of their owne inuention If our elders had obserued this rule we should not now haue had in the Church so many new inuentions of men nor so many abuses nor so many superstitions For when euery man toke vpoÌ„ to speake and to teach the people what so euer came in his head then began these mischiefs to encrease without measure Farther this we ought to knowe that Origen and Chrysostome of this that the Apostle saith according to the proportion of faith tooke occasion to thinke that it lieth in euery mannes power to obtaine these giftes at his owne pleasure For God say they poureth in those things according to the vessell of faith offered of vs. As though it were not before sayde that God deuideth vnto euery man the measure of faith But say they GOD deuideth it according as we our selues will Not so vndoubtedly For Paule to the Corrinthians of these frée giftes thus writeth All these thinges worketh one and the selfe same spirit deuiding to all men as he will But thou wilt say He woorketh Free giftes are not distributed of God according to the will oâ— the receauers indede as he will but he would frame his will to our disposition and therefore he geueth not but so much as we wil. He which thus speaketh considereth not the history of the primitiue Church For it is manifest that there were many amongest the Corinthians which would indede haue spoken with tounges as they saw others speake but yet they could not attayne vnto it At this day also there are many which would faine haue the gift of teaching aptly and of exhorting with fruit yet are they not therfore endewed with the gift And there are iust causes why God wil not somtimes geue those giftes For paraduenture they should turne to yâ— destruction of the receauers either for that they would become insolent or ells for that otherwise they would abuse the gift of God The scripture manifestly admonisheth vs that we are ignorant what we should pray as we ought And therefore God reiecteth not the prayers of his although oftentimes he geue not those things which they aske perticularly of hym Farther Paul vnto the Ephesians playnly Those gifts depend not of â—ur preparatioÌ„ but oâ— the will of God admonisheth that God hath put in the Church some to be Apostles some Prophets and some Euangelistes And if it be God which ordereth the disposing of these giftes theÌ„ depend they not of our preparation but of his will But some man will say if thys lie not in our choyse what neded Paul to say to the CorinthiaÌ„s Labour to attaine to the better giftes but chiefly to prophesie I answere that the Apostle there reproueth the preposterous iudgement of the Corrinthians For they most estemed the gift of toungs when as rather prophesie was much better And if any maÌ„ had ech faculty namely of speaking with tounges and of prophesieng which thing happened to many for Paul himselfe both spake with tonges and prophesied yet he admonisheth to labour rather to execute the gift of prophesie then of tonges And if a maÌ„ wil desire of God any of this kind of gifts Paul sheweth what gift most conduceth to the edifieng of the Church And yet doth he not therefore affirme that it lieth in the hand of euery man to haue what he will For he sheweth only what is rather to be desired Origen findeth fault with the Lattin translation which thus redeth â—uxta rationem fideâ— that is according to the reasoÌ„ or consideration of faith For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is proportion he thinketh signifieth a competeÌ„t measure But whether those be the woordes of Origen or rather added to by the interpreter I somewhat doubt For in my iudgement it seemeth not verye likely that Origen in his interpretations would seke for any helpe of the Lattin bookes And besides that I sée not howe iustly our translation in this thinge shoulde be reproued For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may very aptly be turned ratio Now resteth to declare why I sayd that prophesie is here set forth as a general office which afterward is deuided into doctrine into exhortation This I proue by the woordes of the Apostle which I before cited out of the 14. chapiter to the Corinthians He which prophesieth speaketh edification
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