though they coulde finde no remedye wherby to auoyde reprobation or ells doe put so much confidence therin to liue losely and at pleasure saying that it maketh no matter for that seing they are predestinate they can not be condemned what doe they els but most wickedly abuse a good thing Euery thing ought to be taken by that part wherby it may be holden For a sworde is not drawē by the edge or by the blade but by the Euery thing must be taken by that part wherby it may be holden hafte neyther is a vessell taken by the middest of the bellye but by the handle or eare So predestination ought to be referred to the commodities now declared and not to those thinges which may engender destruction These notes and these titles hath Paule affixed vnto hys name that we shoulde not thinke hym to be a wandryng man which rashlye sowed contentions concernyng religion and that we shoulde vnderstand that there is a great difference betwene Apostles and other common ministers although there be some which dare teach that we must no lesse beleue the Byshop of Rome then Paule the Apostle I graūt in deede that eyther of them do both thunder and lighten but yet after a farre diuers and sundrye manner The Pope thundreth and lightneth with bulles belles gunnes and weapons of warre but Paule hath by the worde of God The Pope and Paule do diuersly thunder and lightē by admonitions rebukinges wholesome doctrine by miracles thundred and lightned in the Church But let vs see by what reason these men defend theyr opinion They say the byshops succeded the Apostles wherefore both haue one and the selfe same authoritie and to both ought we to obey a lyke But we aunswere them thus It is true that the Apostles departyng out of thys world left Byshops to be gouernours ouer Churches but we vtterly deny that Apostles Byshops are not of lyke authoritie Byshops succeding the Apostles are endued with the selfe same or lyke authoritie and that thyng we proue after thys sorte Fyrst because we see that the Apostles were to thys end chosen to constitute the religion and dignitie of the Gospell and to publishe vnto the beleuers the thynges which they had heard of The difference betwene the Apostles Byshops Christ But byshops are to this ende instituted to defend those thynges which are conteyned in the Gospell and in the holy Scriptures which they must so take in hand to defend that they adde no newe thynges vnto them nor fayne any new traditions at theyr owne will and pleasure Farther the holy fathers which were Byshops when they gaue them selues to wryting do confesse that they are onely intreaters or interpreters of the holy Scriptures and will not that those thinges which they write should be had in so great authoritie as we attribute vnto the Canonicall Scriptures yea rather they forbidde that any credite should be geuen vnto them if they speake any thyng agaynst the holy Scriptures Thyrdly to the Apostolicall doctrine were adioyned many miracles wherby theyr authoritie is confyrmed which thyng we see is not done in these traditions of the elders Farther we are sure that the Apostles wrote by the inspiration of the holy ghost which thing vndoubtedly we dare not affirme of our Byshops Wherefore we conclude that the Apostles could not erre in those thynges which they wrote But we see that the Byshoppes very often tymes made vngodly decrees as touchyng rules of religiō as it appeareth in the Counsell of Ariminum and also in the seconde Synode of Ephesus and also in many other yea and they also erred very much in their actes At Chalcedon and Chrysostome deposed Constantinople were Synodes gathered together in which Chrysostome was condempned and deposed which thyng also was done in the name of those Byshoppes which were of a ryght and perfect fayth And there myght be alleaged many examples of the lyke sorte Paule also writing vnto Timothe prayeth hym to saue that which is geuen hym to keepe declaryng that he ought neither to adde nor to diminishe any thyng of the doctrine of the Gospell receaued that is to keepe iustly the thyng committed vnto hym Let thys also be added that the Apostles be so vnto the Bishops and Ordinarye pastours as in the olde time were the Prophetes vnto the high priestes and priestes For they myght write bookes and adioyne them vnto the Canonicall Scripture For Samuell added hys bookes vnto the Scripture Esaie Ieremie and the other Prophets added theyr Monuments vnto the Scripture which thyng the Scribes Priestes and high Priestes could not doe The Apostles called the Gentiles and abrogated the ceremonies of the lawe which thing was aboue the power of the high priestes and priestes The Apostle doth therefore set forth hym selfe by these titles that Why Paul ascribed vnto hym selfe these titles when we read hym or heare hym we should thinke that we heare not the wordes of a man but oracles from heauen Here is also put in the prayse of the Gospell which must bee read by a parenthesis and the same extendeth euen vnto thys place where he sayth To all which are at Rome c. The Gospell to speake brieflye is the preachyng The grosse definitiō of the Gospell takē of the matter of Christ offred vnto vs to saluation accordyng to the promises made in the olde tyme. Thys commendation is taken of the matter which is entreated of in the Gospell because euery science and facultie hath hys dignitie of the thyng that it intreateth of Afterward is geuen an other definition and that is An other definitiō of the Gospell takē of the efficient cause taken of the strength of working namely that the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation that is the instrument wherby Christ would haue vs saued Definitions takē of these causes ought to be ioyned together to the end to haue the more full knowledge of the Gospell In that it is sayd VVhich he had before promysed c. It is a preuenting whereby hee declineth the enuious name of newnes For the Gospell was counted a new doctrine For they which heard Paule thus reasoned with them selues The olde Patriarches and the Prophets had saluation and a Church and yet they wanted your Gospell therefore thys doctrine is not necessary yea rather more then needeth Here Paule confesseth that the elders were saued but The doctrine of the Gospell is not newe not without the Gospell For in as much as God had before promised it by the fayth of thys promise they were all made safe But now it appeareth new doctrine vnto you because ye haue ouerwhelmed thys promise with humane traditions and haue made it obscure with your owne inuentions Thys selfe same argumēt may we at this day make against our aduersaries which cry out that we bryng in new doctrine Vndoubtedly we go about no new thyng but they haue vtterly brought in straunge and new
conclusions Paule preached those thinges which we now read and had oftentimes incultated that grace is ther aboundant where sinne hath abounded and taught that the law therfore entred in that sinne shoulde be increased Of these thinges the vngodly sayd it followeth that men should sinne freely because to the attaynemente of grace and the promises of God we haue neede of synnes All menne All men are greeued when they heare that they are euill spoken of and especially ministers doubtles are sory when they heare theyr name or fame to be euell spoken of For they vnderstande that the prayse of a good name and of a good fame is an excellente good gifte of God But aboue other the pastors and ministers of the word of God are most greeuously troubled with this kind of discommodity Because they rightwell perceaue that theyr infamye and especially as touchinge doctrine redoundeth not onely against the truth of God but also bringeth no small hurt vnto the people committed vnto theyr charge Therfore the Apostles did euermore put away suche slaunders from themselues And that the fathers also did the like theyr writinges do testefye But Paule in thys place doth not playnely absolue that which he obiected vnto himselfe but afterward in the 6. chapter the matter shal be more at large discussed Onely at this presente he depelleth from his doctrine false slaunders And those things the vngodly are therfore wont to obiect because when they are accused they are alwayes ready to lay vpon God the cause and blame of theyr sinnes not in deede manifestly but by circumstances Some whē they are accused say that they are driuen by the starres to commit those things which they do But who made the stars God Why then God is accused So came it to passe in our fyrste parente when God reproued hym The woman sayde he whiche thou gauest me she hath deceaued me The wicked de lay vnto God the cause of theyr sins And by these woordes he wrested the cause of his sinne vnto God After the selfe same manner do these men deale whome Paule now speaketh of We sinne say they but the doctrine of the Apostle hath declared vnto vs that our sinnes are no let vnto the glory of God but rather pertayne vnto the settinge foorth of his truth fayth and constancy of promises And what other thinge els is this then to accuse the word of God As touching the first obiection Paule sayth Is God vnrighteous vvhich bringeth in anger As though he shoulde haue sayd that which ye fayne vnto your selues that synnes are vniustlye punished if by their occasion the goodnes of God be set foorth is absurde For then God should iudge vniustlye But no good vpryght reason can once imagine that he which is iudge of all men should be vniust Therfore he addeth I speake as a man That is these thinges I spake not that I thinke so in very déede but I speake those thinges which men both oftentymes thinke and do also not very seldome obiect vnto vs. But as touching the wordes it shal be good to note that whereas it is sayde If our vnrighteousnes commende the righteousnes of God by the righteousnes of God is vnderstanded his goodnes and mercy For that word which is in the Hebrue Tsedek our men haue turned iustice or righteousnes when as in very deede it signifieth mercy He also vseth thys word the truth of God which signifieth nothing els then his fayth or fidelity For before he sayde Shall our vnbeliefe make the fayth of God without effect Fayth in that place and truth in this place is nothing els then a constancy in promises and couenantes And when we reade I speake as a man we are taught what maner of thinges those are which we thinke vpon so long as we are not regenerate but are strangers from God Origen in this place followeth an other reading For he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this particle he ioyneth with those things which went before so that thereof this sentence he gathereth Is God vniust which bringeth in anger agaynst man God forbid But the common reading is both playne and also serueth well to the purpose The maner which the Apostle vseth in aunswering when he sayth God forbid teacheth vs how redy God forbid what it signifieth with the Apostle we ought to be to repell from our thoughtes and cogitations whatsoeuer absurd thing reasō inferreth out of the scriptures against God We ought straight way to answere These thinges are after the maner of men and therefore are they not to be harkened vnto It oftentymes happeneth that our sense thinketh that God is cruell and forgetfull of his an accepter of persons and such lyke But then must we call to memory that the doinges of God are not to be measured The doings of God are not to be measured by the law of man according to the law of man for he is aboue all lawes neyther ought to be iudged of any other This thinges haue the flatterers attributed vnto the bishop of Rome bearing him in hand that he hath the fulnes of power whereby he can dispence both with the lawes of man and also with the lawes of God so that he himselfe can be iudged of no man Which fulnes of power one Baldus a lawyer not the worst of his time writeth to be the fulnes of time as which inuerteth and turneth vpside downe all rightes and lawes These thinges are agréeable vnto God only Wherefore it is blasphemy to attribute them vnto any man Only touching thinges of God it is wickednes to search out the causes and reasons but whatsoeuer Philosophers or any other kinde of men do set forth vnto vs it must be exactly examined by the word of God And as we are blamed and as some affirme that we say why do we not euill thinges that good may ensue whose damnation is iust Now withstandeth he the other obiection wherein the aduersaryes sayde that we shoulde sinne that thereof myght follow some excellent good thing namely the iustification of God and commendation of his mercy Whereunto with one words he answereth this when he sayth that the damnation of these men is iust For by that meanes he confesseth that that so greuous an error is farre strange frō his doctrine when as he cōdemneth it together with thē although some expound it in the passiue signification as though the condemnation whereby they are condemned were for that they had so euill an opinion of the Gospell Their obiections are answered when they are brought to these absurdities which coulde Sinnes are not the true cause that God should be made iuste Against good ententes not be concluded of these thinges which are spoken of Paule but of the false surmising of these men whereby they thought that sinnes were the true cause that God should be made iust For the Apostle also sayth together with them that euil things are not to be committed that good should come
neither make those thinges doubtfull which are hoped for In which wordes he sheweth that two principall thinges are to be auoyded The one is that we be not with to much curiositie Two principal things to be taken hede of stirred vp to seeke out the proofe of thinges which we ought to beleue which proofe so long as we lyue here cannot be had the other is that though they be obscure we shoulde not yet doubte of the truth of them And the same writer entreating of the confessiō of fayth thus writeth It is manifest a falling away Basilius sayth that they erre from the faith which adde any thing to the scriptures from the fayth and a poynt of pride either to refuse anye of those thinges which are written or to bring in anye thing that is not written forasmuche as our Lorde Iesus Christ sayd My sheepe heare my voyce and before that he sayde but a straunger they will not follow but wyll flee from him because they haue not knowen his voyce The Apostle also hath by an humaine example straightly forbidden either to adde or to diminishe any thing in the holy scriptures when he sayth And yet no man disanulleth the Testament of a man when it is confirmed neither addeth any thing thereunto In which place a man may perceiue how warely this man affirmeth that as touching fayth nothing ought either to be added or diminished in the holy scriptures Which maketh chiefely against those which obtrude inuencions and traditions of men as necessary to be beleued Farther the same writer plainlye setteth forth the certaintie of fayth when he declareth the propertie thereof in Moralibus the. 80. Summe and 22. chapiter Where he writeth What is the propertie of fayth He aunswereth An vnseperable certaintie of the truth of the wordes of God which is not attayned to by any kinde of reasoning nor any naturall necessitye neyther being framed to pietie can euer be shaken And he addeth That it is the duty of one that beleueth to be in such a certaintie affected according to the power of the woord Basilius sayth that whatsoeuer is with out fayth and the holy scriptures is sinne spoken and not to presume either to dissanull or to adde any thing For if whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne as sayth the Apostle and fayth commeth of hearing and hearing by the word of God then whatsoeuer is not of fayth being not contayned in the scripture inspired by the spirite of God the same is sinne This Father confirmeth together with vs the certaintie of fayth and sheweth wherehence it dependeth when he calleth it inseuerable for that when we beleue we doo not examine by our own reasons what is possible or what is not possible to be done And he semeth to allude to those wordes which Paul speaketh of the fayth of Abraham that he doubted not through incredulitie where he vsed this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherfore certaintie is contrarie to doubting which commeth of the examination of humane reason Moreouer that which in an other sentence he had spoken he agayne playnly repeateth namely that those things which are out of the scriptures are not to be beleued And this place of Paul Whatsoeuer is not of fayth is Note how Basilius vnderstandeth whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne Fayth differeth from opinion and suspicion sinne he vseth in his natiue and proper sense as we also vse it which thing our aduersaries can not abide Faith differeth from opiniō for opinion although it make vs leane vnto one part yet it doth that both wyth reason and also not without feare of the truth of the other partie And suspicion doth engender yet a weaker assent then opinion doth for that it both wanteth reason and also leaueth men doubtfull of the truth of the other part It is true in deede that science engendreth a firme assent but that is brought to passe by adding of demonstrations Seing now we sée playnly both what fayth is and also howe it differeth from opinion science and suspicion let vs sée howe manye wayes fayth is taken For there is one kinde of fayth which is mightie perfect and of efficacie whereby we are iustified there is an other which is voyde without fruite during but for a time vayne which bringeth not iustification Which thing is manifest by the parable of the Gospell where the séede the woorde of God I say is written to fall sometymes vpon good ground and sometimes vpon stony ground vpon thornes and by the high way side where it is lost and Fayth which iustefieth is not in all men equal bringeth forth no fruite Agayne that fayth which is good and profitable is not in all men a lyke for according to the greater or lesser infirmitie of the fleshe it hath degrées Wherfore Paul saith Euen as God hath deuided vnto euery man the measure of fayth And in the selfe same parable the seede falling on the good ground bringeth not forth fruite alyke in all partes For in some place it bringeth forth thirty fold in other some place lx folde and in other some an hundreth folde In sūme the entent of Paule in this place is to make the righteousnes of God whereof he entreateth in this place proper vnto fayth to the ende he myght vtterly take it away as well from our merites as from our workes But I meruayle that forasmuch as this is his scope how the Greke Scholies affirme that we are not so iustified that vnto the obtaynment of righteousnes The Greke Scholies and Chrysostome are noted we bring nothing our selues Fayth say they is brought of vs for that to beleue it behooueth vs to haue a valiant mynde And this selfe thinge signifieth Chrisostome These thinges must be vnderstanded warely neyther can they be admitted in that sense as though fayth proceded from vs when as vnto the Ephesians it is playnly declared that it is the gift of God neyther if it were of our selues could all boasting be excluded For we should bring much if out of our selues should come the power to beleue And this place playnely teacheth that it is not so to be vnderstanded for the Apostle addeth Being iustified freely But it should not be fréely if fayth as it is our worke should bring righteousnes I graunt indede that our vnderstanding and will do assent vnto the promises of God But that it doth or maye do the same it muste of necessity come of God Vnto all and vpon all that beleue There are three thinges now put in this proposition which the Apostle entendeth playnly to declare The first is this That the righteousnes of God is made manifest the second that it is without the law the third that it is by fayth As touching the first he sayth that thys righteousnes of God is declared vnto all and vpon all Which is not so to be Righteousnes is not in all men but only in the elect and in the beleuers ▪ vnderstanded
the vncircumcision For we say that fayth was imputed vnto Abraham vnto righteousnes How was it then imputed when he was Circumcised or vncircumcised not when he was circumcised but wheÌ„ he was vncircumcised Afterward he receiued the signe of circumcision the seale of the righteousnes of fayth which he had when he was vncircumcised that he should be the father of all them that beleue not beyng circumcised that righteousnes mighte be imputed vnto them also And the father of circumcision not vnto them onely which are of the circumcision but to them also that walke in the steppes of the fayth of our father Abraham which he had when he was vncircumcised Came this blessednes then vpon the Circumcision or vpon the vncircumcision The Latine interpretation hath this worde Manet that is abideth added to this sentence which is not in the Greke bookes Neither doth yâ— verbe which the Latines haue much agrée with the phrase which is by the accusatiue case and by the Greke preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rather as Theophilactus admonisheth we must vnderstand this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth lighteth it or beloÌ„geth it or some such lyke thinge Neither do I disalow the coniecture of Erasmus who thinketh that insteade of this verbe Manet was first written Manat whiche signifieth to come or to spread abrode And thus muche as touching the woordes But this is the meanyng A man might thinke that although Dauid made no mention of workes when he set forth the blessednes of those whose sinnes are forgeuen yet because he himselfe was both circumcised also vsed sacrifices he thoughte that this forgeuenes of sinnes is obteined by these things although he expressed them not And for that cause Paul taketh againe the example of Abraham which he at the first vsed And so returneth Why Paul returneth againe to Abraham to the ground and beginning of circumcision and considereth the very time wherin Abraham receiued it and proueth that long time before he was circumcised he was both iustified and also pronounced the father of many nations that is of all them which beleue Wherof it followeth that we without ceremonies and other workes shall by faith be counted iust and be admitted into the people of God and placed among the meÌ„bers of Christ This argument may thus be made more The forme of the Argument The order of the causes and the effectes in the iustificaâ—ion of Abraham Of what greate waight is the diligent marking of the scriptures Circumcision was had in greate estimation euident That which yet was not coulde not bring righteousnes vnto Abraham But when Abraham was pronounced iustified circumcision was not yet Wherefore it could not iustifie Abraham Let vs in this maner set the order betwene the causes and the effectes First God did set forth vnto Abraham his promises Secondly followed faith And thirdly iustification Lastly came obedience which caused him to circumcise himselfe and to do many other excellent good workes We may not peruert this order that by obedience and circumcision whiche are the last effects we should bring forth iustification which went before Againe in thys place yâ— Apostle teacheth vs with how great study and diligence the Scriptures are to be red and the times and moments in stories are throughly to be considered He entreateth of circumcision bicause all that controuersie sprang first by reason of ceremonies and bicause also they had circumcision in no lesse estimation theÌ„ we now haue baptisme For they counted it for a noble worke and an excellent worship pyng of God Wherfore we may inferre or conclude that if we be not iustified with that kind of workes wherin consisted the worshipping of God vndoubtedly much lesse shall we be iustified by other workes For these are counted more excellent more acceptable vnto God then are other workes For we say that faith was imputed vnto Abraham vnto righteousnes These wordes serue wonderfully to depresse the pride and hautines of the Iewes which continually cried that righteousnes could by no meanes stand without circumcision But Paul contrariwise affirmeth that it was in Abraham before he was circumcised For Abraham was as yet vncircumcised when he was pronounced iustified Wherfore it is no meruaile if many mo of the vncircumcised then of the Iewes were saued after the comming of Christ Here it semeth that there are set before our eyes two fathers the one of the vncircumcised the other of circumcision And if we more depely consider the matter we shall see that the father of the vncircumcised is set in the first place For Abraham was not yet circumcised when he was of God counted iust What theÌ„ is there remayning for the Iewes that they should so aduance themselues aboue the GeÌ„tles Nothing vndoubtedly but the signe And eueÌ„ as Abraham is not the father of the vncircumcised for yâ— cause only bicause they haue vncircumcision but bicause of faith so also is he not the father of the circumcised bicause they are circumcised but bicause they beleue By these things it is manifest Circumcision and vncircumcisioÌ„ are conditions comming by chaunce that both circumcisioÌ„ also vncircumcision are conditions coÌ„ming by chance and of theÌ„selues helpe nothing to the obteinment of iustification Very aptly doth the Apostle bring in these two men Dauid and Abraham Of which the one that is Dauid being now circumcised bare testimony of iustification And Abraham being not yet circumcised obteined neuertheles iustification Wherfore it sufficiently appeareth that Circumcision is not a meane necessarily required to obtain righteousnes And he receaued the signe of circumcision He receaued I say circumcision which was a signe The seale of the righteousnes of fayth This is a preuention for they which heard these thinges mought thus haue thought with themselues If Abraham were iustified before circumcision then was circumcisioÌ„ superfluous vnto this obiection Paule answereth saying that circumcision was not vayne or vnprofitable for it was the seale of the righteousnes of fayth In this sentence Paule Circumcision was not a thing geuen in vain hath two woordes namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a signe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a seale which woordes althoughe they be of very nighe affinitie the one to the other yet ar they not both of one the selfe same significatioÌ„ For this woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a sign is more general then his word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yâ— is a seale An image is a signe but it can not be a seale But we vse to put seales vnto such things as we wyll haue with greate fidelity kept and remayne vnuiolated And therefore are letters sealed letters patentes of princes are confirmed with seales yâ— no man should doubt of the authority or truth of theÌ„ So God deliuereth vnto vs sacramentes Sacramentes are not onely signes but sealinges What circumcision signifyed what it sealed as seales of his promises Wherfore circumcision signified two
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
his vnderstanding that God is omnipotent But whereas Iames sayth that the deuill beleueth and trembleth to beleue is there put to know But the fayth which is here described partayneth vnto men only and to none but to those that are godly The Apostle repeteth The fayth which is here entreated of pertaineth vnto godly men onely that this fayth was imputed vnto Abraham vnto righteousnes He did indede before beleue and was iustified but the scripture sheweth now how it was expressed when his fayth shined forth more excellently and more notably For as touching this promise both the disposition of his body and the age of his wife were wonderfully agaynst it which thing is not so manifestly declared in the promises that were before geuen Now it is not written for him only that it was imputed to him for righteousnes but also for vs to whome it shal be imputed for righteousnes which beleue in him that raysed vp Iesus our Lord from the deade Who was deliuered for our sinnes and is risen agayne for our iustification Now it is not written for him only Here Paul applieth the example of Abraham vnto vs. For sayth he euen as fayth profited him vnto iustification so also shall it be imputed vnto vs vnto righteousnes This maner ought we to obserue when we come to the reading of the holy scriptures that when we haue diligently peysed any place we turne the eyes of our mynde to our selues and diligently examine how those thinges which we reade pertayne vnto vs. This thing also is to be obserued that the Apostle when he discusseth this place of controuersy touching The proues of Paule takeÌ„ out of the scriptures iustification for the iudgement of the whole disputation sendeth the beleuers no where els but vnto the scriptures for he sendeth them not to the fathers to sée what their iudgement is For that we haue the scriptures in which are all thinges playnly contayned which are necessary to saluation for Paul sayth to Timothe All scripture inspired by God is profitable to teach to reproue to enstruct and to correct that the man of God may be perfect and absolute and be enstructed to all good A place of Paule to Timothy declared workes Here are reckened fower principall pointes which comprehend the whole summe of Christian relgion For it entreateth ether of doctrines or of maners And as touching doctrines we must take hede that we confirme thinges that are good and true and confute thinges corrupt and false And of these thinges the Apostle sayth that the scriptures are profitable to teach and to reproue And as touching maners such as are good are to be perswaded by admonitioÌ„s or such as are euell are to be reprehended And hereunto pertayneth yâ— which the Apostle sayth To correct and to enstruct And these things are so contayned in the holy scriptures that by them a man may be made perfect Which could in no case be counted true if there were any thing wanting in them Wherefore our negligence is much to be accused which doth in such sort contemne to search the holy scriptures The laytie and simpler sort complayne of their pastors for seing they lye snorting a Remedy again 〈…〉 th negligence of Pastors slepe it is not to be meruayled at if others slepe There can be no better remedy agaynst this so great negligence of the pastors then that the lay men continually occupye themselues in the scriptures and when they are in doubt of any thing to bring it to their pastors and to aske of them their iudgement and to vrge them By that meanes it shall come to passe that will they or nill they they shal be compelled to be diligent in study For they should vndoubtedly at the length be ashamed when they should sée themselues not able to make answere But the lay men say they haue no leasure to study the holy scriptures when yet to the greate losse of tyme they haue leasure inough for pastimes and vnprofitable trifles Chrisostome continually in his holy sermons pricked forward all his hearers to the reading of the holy scriptures both by many other reasons and finally by this excellent A similitude similitude They which haue found out sayth he mynes of gold or siluer spare no paynes digge the grounde go vnder the earth and sustayne the pestilent exalationes of the earth that they maye come to small crommes of golde or of siluer And we hauing the scriptures a treasure most aboundant and most easy to attayne vnto neglect to excercise our selues or to take any paynes therin We must not in these daies wayte for the pastors to inuite vs to read the scriptures They had a great deale rather that they were vtterly forbidden the people that they might be kept of such men as were called Triumuiri as the bookes of the Sibils were that the people mought come and aske counsell of them and they to geue them answers as it were out of an oracle By which meanes their idlenes and ease should be very well prouided The subtelty of the Popish prieâ—â—es for But now when they sée that that cannot be they say that the sence of the scriptures is to be sought for out of the fathers forasmuch as it is an infinit worke to read them ouer all they may in the meane time at their pleasure confirme their abuses For they shall alwayes fynd some amongst them which may seme to fauor their fonde deuises and dreames Neither are these men ashamed to make the oracles of God subiect to the opinions of men But they say that they doo this onely there where the places are in controuersie neither can be expounded by the scripture it selfe Touching which matter it shall not be amisse to heare what Ierome saith He vpon the xxiij chapter of Mathew entreating of this sentence of the Lord The scripture ought not to be made subiect vnto the iudgement of meÌ„ Of Zachary slainâ— betwen◠〈…〉 e temple and the alter That Zachary the sonne of Barachias was slayn betwene the temple and the altar saith that some thought that this Zachary was the father of Iohn Baptist which was slayne in that place because he was a priest and that for no other cause but for that he had preached Christ. I sought oftentimes to know which of the fathers exposition thys was And at the length I found that it was Basilius exposition For he vseth it in his sermon of the Natiuity of our Lord and saith That it was a tradition by long succession euen vnto his tyme confirmed that Zachary beyng priest dyd register the mother of Christ after she had brought forth a chylde amongest the virgins and when he was accused of the Iewes for the fame and rendred a reason of his so doyng and preached besides also many thynges of Christ the Iewes not beyng able any longer to beare wyth him killed him Touching this history Jerom in this maner pronounceth That for as much
But what shall we say of our estatâ— â–ª Are we more abiect then the Iewes Or may we being compared with them Whether the Gentils be more abiect then the Iewes seme to be with out nobility For Paul thus writeth CoÌ„sider your calling brethern Not many noble men not many wise men are called I answere that there is no cause why we should therefore be sory for our estate For although if we consider the stock it self â–ª froÌ„ wheÌ„ce we were cut of which we caÌ„ not deny but to haue bene a wild oliue trée we be obscure and without nobility yet after that we are once Vnto them that are grafted into Christ is communicated all the nobilitie of Christ grafted into Christ all his nobility is most truly communicated vnto vs. For we are now not only his members but also flesh of his flesh and bone of hys bones so that all his fathers are now made our fathers which things although they haue not happened vnto vs by naturall generation yet vnto a godly man it ought to be sufficient that they were afterward geuen vnto vs. But our aduersaries with this kind of nobility extoll the antiquity of theyr Churches For they say that they haue a long succession of bishoppes and therefore they could The antiquity of the churches of the papists not fall away from the true piety and worshipping of God As though in the. 11. chapiter of Zacharie is not redde a prophesey agaynste a foolishe pastor And doubtles if that good and godly successors should euer follow good and godly Bishoppes they mought then paradueÌ„ture seme to speake somewhat but seing that that order was so oftentimes interrupted that as the Ecclesiasticall histories mencion somtimes after sound and Catholike Bishoppes succeded ArriaÌ„s it is manifest that they vainly falsly boast of these things Verely the Iewes had from Aaron vnto Christ the course of priestes without any interruption at any time And yet Christ vehemeÌ„tly reproued theyr traditions and the idolatry by them brought in Al the prophetes which were continually raysed vp to correct reproue the vices which were growen in vre what elders of theyrs could they cite whome they by an ordenary course had succeded And if this reason should be of force neither Christ nor the Apostles could haue departed from the Scribes and Pharises and Priestes of the Iewes whose succession had bene continuall and without interruption Wherefore euen as these argumentes nothing then furthered the cause of these priestes so can they not in these our dayes defend the errors of the Papistes Christ was a priest according to the order of Melchisedech yet had he not before his time a coÌ„tinuall order of priestes of that kinde The Apostles first planted the Churches and fell away from the Many wolues succeded the Apostles in the church high priestes of the Iewes And Paul in the. 20. of the Actes saith That euen of the Christians should come wolues which should inuade the Church When therefore such wolues succeded the rome of the Bishoppes and pastors â–ª and contaminated and corrupted the pure doctrine were they to be obeyed or no Tertullian Ireneus and The fathers feme to attribute somewhat vnto continuall succesâ—ion Succession is somewhat of 〈◊〉 so long as they kepe still theyr old piety The Successoâ—s of the Apostles are to be harkened vnto so long as they teach vprightlye We in no case take away the successioâ— of byshops Augustine seme sometimes to attribute somewhat vnto this successioÌ„ For they cite it to confirme the antiquity of the holy scriptures agaynst those which vtterly denied them and they teach yâ— by long succession they haue bene alwayes preserued in the Church And the succession of Bishoppes is somewhat of force so long as they kepe still their old piety vertue and religion â–ª But if they depart from that those things are in vayne obiected So long time are they to be harkned vnto as they deliuer sound doctrine For Christ admonisheth that euen the Scribes and Pharises are to be harkned vnto so long as they sitte in the chaire of Moses but yet not when they obtrude plantes which the heauenly father hath not planted Neither ought any of vs to be accused as though we went aboute to interrupt the successioÌ„s of Bishoppes We wish to haue them continued but yet in such sort that thinges corrupted be amended and that the Bishoppes theÌ„ selues once at the length would geue theÌ„selues to execute the office of Bishops that is that by godly doctrine and by vpright life they would edefy the Chuch Those excellent giftes of the Iewes which the Apostle hath hitherto reckened make yâ— question of theyr reiection of the calling of the Gentiles more difficile For how were they excluded which had receaued so many and so greate benefites And how were the Gentiles brought in which were vtterly strangers froÌ„ the common welth of Israell aliaâ—es from God voyde of his glory without Lawes couenant worshipping and promises Which also as touching the flesh pertayned neither to the Fathers nor to Christ But Chrisostome noteth yâ— Paul The thinges that Paul here rekoneth are onely the giftes of God and not the vertues of the Hebrues Both the natures of Christ here auouched only reckoneth vp the giftes of God so that the Iewes had nothing that they should therfore waxe proude when as they got not those giftes by theyr owne industry Paul sayth not yâ— they stode to the couenantes that they obserued the Lawes or worshipped God purely onely he setteth for testimonyes of the good will of God towards them Of vvhom is Christ as touching the flesh who is God ouer al blessed for euer Here he addeth an excellent commendation of Christ wherein he expressedlye confesseth the two natures in him ioyned together in one and the self same person so that of both natures is made Christ His humane nature is declared by these woordes Of the Ievves as touching the fleshe for by the flesh in the Hebrew phrase is vnderstanded the whole maÌ„ His diuine nature is most manifestly described in these woords VVho is God ouer all blessed for euer Which nature also is not obscurely signified in that which is added As touching the fleshe For that particle should not haue bene put vnles he had had something more then the fleshe This sentence the Arrians Mahumetists and whosoeuer they be that hold that Christ is only a pure man impugne in which rablement also are The Rabbines Mahumetistes and ArriaÌ„s are confuted the Rabbines of the Hebrewes For euen as by a corrupt interpretacion they had corrupted the law as touching maners and life which is manifest by that that Christ interpretated the Law and reproued theyr fond deuises so also had they depraued the sincere sayth of the Messias to come so that they thought he should be only a pure and simple man For when Christ demauÌ„ded of theÌ„ what they thoght of yâ— Messias they made answere
thinges he hath of God So Paul to the Corrinthians when he had sayd that he had laboured more then all others added But not I but the grace of God whiche is in me The axe is not sayde to make the arke but the carpenter which vseth the axe so we also are the instruments of God both to wil to worke but it is God which worketh those things in We are the instrumeÌ„ts of God vs. Here they obiect then are not we lordes of our owne actions if it be God which worketh our workes in vs. These men vnderstand not that God the creator with so great wisedome worketh in all thinges that he moueth them not but in such maner as they ought to be moued Wherefore seing our will is so made of God that it caÌ„ not be compelled God driueth it not by force to do any thing vnwillingly The wil of man cannot be coÌ„pelled but of himselfe geueth vnto it to worke fréely and of his owne accord And therfore are we lordes of our owne actions in as much as we do nothing by compulsion Wherefore the Apostle hath now excluded both our endeuors and also our workes but yet not to that entent we should liue idely But because here is entreated of predestination and of the eternal election of God therefore these things We must not by reasoÌ„ of the doctrine of predestination geue our selues to liue â—â—elly are not to be farther dilated then the place it selfe will suffer After that we are once regenerate and that we haue the spirite of God all occasions of sluggishnes and slouthfulnes is vtterly taken away In the interpretacion of Ambrose this is to be noted that first he confesseth that that which is asked oughte not to be in the will of the asker but in the choyse of the geuer Which sentence if it might be taken playnly maketh very much on our side but he spake it in a farre other sence For straight way he addeth For whether it be mete to be geuen or no it ought to be weighed by the iudgement of the geuer Dauid and Saul required pardon but God iustly iudged which of them asked with a good mynde and which with an euill and his iustice may be declared in the euent For wheÌ„ eche of theÌ„ fell into great narrow straights touching their kingdome Dauid declared hys worthynes which beyng driuen out of his house by hys sonne with a patient mynde bare that chance neither suffred he Semey to be killed when he cursed hym But Saul beyng broken with aduersities dispayred of the Lord and sought helpe at the handes of a witche and wicked spirite These thinges declare that the iudgement of God was not deceaued So he thus vnderstandeth these wordes It is not of hym that willeth nor of him that runneth that it is not inough to will vnles the iudgement of God confirme that will to be good But this interpretacion is manifestly repugnant with that particle But of God that hath mercy For that which Paul referreth vnto the mercy of God this man referreth to iudgement Chrisostome although he thinketh that this clause It is not of hym that willeth nor of hym that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy to be an antithesis pronounced vnder the person of the aduersary yet because as I suppose he séeth that that agréeth not he so laboureth to interpretate this place otherwise that although they are counted to be the wordes of the Apostle yet therof he sayth followeth no absurdity for the Apostle ment to teache nothing els but that all is not of him that willeth nor of hym that runneth for we haue nede also of the grace of God and therefore we must not put any confidence in our workes and vertues But we haue alredy before sufficiently tought that this is an interpretacion not according to the place For they which retayne vnto themselues any thing and remitte not all whole to God although that seme to be but a litle and a modicum yet is it repugnant to the holy scriptures For they most playnly teach that as touching this matter there lieth nothing in our power And when Paul sayth that boasting is excluded not by the lawe of workes forasmuch as euen this modicum which these men seke to retayne can be nothing els but a worke they say in wordes onely and to no purpose that there is nothing whereof we can glory for in very dede they leue matter to glory of Of these things Chrisostome afterward speaketh when he interpretateth these wordes And if God minding to declare his wrath c. Wherefore it appeareth that both he and also others tooke occasion of their interpretacion of Origen For the scripture saith vnto Pharao For this same purpose haue I raysed thee vp to declare in thee my power and that my name mought be shewed forth throughout all the earth Wherfore he hath mercy on whome he will and whome he will he hardeneth Augustine to Simplicianus thus knitteth together these wordes with that which hath bene already spoken It behoued the Apostle to proue that it is not of man that willeth but of God that hath mercy Therefore he bringeth scripture which testifieth this thyng of Pharao namely that he was to thys ende stirred vp of God that he moughte in him shewe forth his power This conclusion is diuers from the former conclusion Farther he noteth that the conclusion here is diuers from the conclusion going before For he here saith not it is not of him that willeth nor of him that contemneth but of God reiecting as he before sayde It is not of hym that willeth nor of hym that runneth but of God that hath mercy Of this diuersity this I sée to be It coÌ„meth of him that doth ill to be condemned but not of him that doth wel to be saued Why God reiecteth not in consideration of workes foresene Here men are more offended the reason for that euill workes deserue calamity and destruction but good works deserue not felicity Wherefore it may come of the euill man to be condemned but it can not come of hym that worketh well to be saued And yet ought we not therefore to thynke that God is by euyll workes foresene led that he will not haue mercye on any man for that dependeth onelye of hys mere wyll For as touchyng some those whom he hath decréed to electe are no lesse corrupt in hys syght then those whome he reiecteth But thys is worthy the noting that there is greater controuersie touching this part theÌ„ there was about yâ— part which weÌ„t before For it is les displeasaÌ„t vnto meÌ„ iâ— they be said to be predestinated and elected then if they be sayd to be hated and reiected of the mere will of God wtout all consideration of merites when as yet the consideration in ech is a like Of Pharao it is written in the 9 â–ª chapiter of Exodus To this ende haue I raysed thee vp to shew forth in
free then y◠other purpose of shewing mercy These thinges being now thus declared we will assigne reasons why we deny that good workes foresene are the causes of predestination The first is because the scriptures no where soteach But of so weighty a matter we ought to affirme nothing without the holy scriptures Howbeit I know that certain haue gone aboute to gather this sentence out of the first epistle to Timothe where it is thus written In a greate house are vessells of gold siluer and wood And if a man shall clense him selfe from these he shal be an honorable vessell of God and mete for euery good worke Hereby they conclude that certayne are therefore destinied to be vessels of honour bycause they haue clensed them selues from the filthines of sinne and frō corrupt doctrine And bicause they are here sayd to haue power to performe this they say that it lieth in euery man to be predestinate of God vnto felicity But these men make no good collection For the sentence of Paul in that place is thus to be taken He had sayd before The foundation standeth firme The Lord knoweth who are his As if he should haue sayd mē may sometims be deceaued for they oftentimes iudge those to be goodly which are most farre from godlines In which wordes he reproued Himeneus and Philetus For a litle before he had spoken of theyr peruerse doctrine For they taught that the resurrection was done alredy wherefore Paul would not that men should be iudged as they appeare to be at the first sight For God hath in this world as it were in a greate house vessells some of golde some of siluer some of woode and some of claye And he knoweth beste whiche of these are honorable and whiche are made vnto contumely But we which know not nor vnderstād the secret of his will can iudge of them but only by the effectes that whosoeuer is cleane from corrupt doctrine and liueth godly the same is a vessell vnto honour Neither doth this place proue that men can clense themselues or make themselues vessels of honor For as Paul hath tought vs in this epistle it is God onely which bringeth this to passe For he as it were a potter hath power of one and the selfe same masse or lompe to make one vessel to honor and an other to contumely Wherefore this place enterpretateth the other And therefore we ought not to gather more of those wordes of Paul then that such clensing is a token whereby we iudge of the worthines or of the vnworthines of the vessels in the Church It is God which knoweth truly what maner of one euery man is and his foundation standeth firme for it can not be deceaued But we can not iudge of others but only by certayne tokens and effects And this is it which Christ admonisheth By their fruites ye shall know them Neither do they rightly vnderstand Man cānot by himselfe make himselfe a vessel of honour Free wil is not proued by propositions hypotheticall the Apostle which by these words If a man keepe himselfe cleane form these thinges teach that it lieth in our will to make our selues vessels of honour For the strengthes of our frée will are not proued by propositions hipotheticall or hauing conditions that we should thus inferre the holy scriptures teach that if ye shall do this or that or if ye shall beleue ye shall haue saluation Wherefore we can of selues beleue or liue holily Suche conclusions are weake for God in another place teacheth that he will make vs able to walke in his wayes Preceptes therefore and exhortations and conditions are to that end added that we should vnderstand what is required at our handes and what maner ones they shal be which pertaine vnto God and shall obtaine eternall life Wherefore we ought not out of these places to gather what our owne strengthes are able to do But it is easy to declare why men that are purged of God are notwithstanding said to purge themselues For God worketh not in men as stockes and stones for stones are moued without sense and will But God when he regenerateth men so cleanseth God maketh the godly clene they are said to make themselues cleane and reneweth thē that they themselues both vnderstand those things which they do and also aboue all things desire and will the same after they haue once receaued a fleshy hart for their stony hart Wherefore after they are once regenerate they are made workers together with God and of their owne accord they bend themselues vnto holynes and vnto purenes of life God by Moses commaunded the Israelites to sanctify themselues And yet in an other place he manifestly testifieth that it is he which sanctifieth the people And Paul vnto the Corrinthians sayth that Christ was made vnto vs wisdome righteousnes redemption and sanctification God also commaundeth vs to beleue and yet the scriptures in an other place testify that faith is the gift of God By all these things therefore it is very manifest how little this place maketh for our aduersaries which way soeuer they turne thēselues Besides al this the scriptures do not only teach y◠predestination is not of works foresene but also plainly teach y◠contrary For Paul as The scripture teacheth that predestination is not of workes foresene we sée in this epistle pronoūceth of those twines before they were borne or had done eyther any good or any euill it was sayd The elder shall serue the yonger also Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated that it should not be of workes but of him that calleth Wherefore he denieth that either the loue or hatred of God commeth of works But they are worthy to be laughed at which after this sort cauill that Paul in déede excludeth works already done but not those which are to be done For they sée not that Paul in this place goeth about to remoue all maner of difference from those two brethern that we might fully vnderstand that they were A cauillatiō ouerthrown vtterly like as touching their persons For when he declared that they were borne of one and the selfe same father and of one and the selfe same mother y◠they were brought forth also both at one burthen his meaning tended to no other end but vnto this by their equality to shew that the election of God is frée so that it laye in him to elect the one and to reiect the other But if there had ben only this differēce left as touching workes foresene then should Paul in vayne haue put so great an equality Wherefore Paul sayth vniuersally not of workes in which words he comprehendeth as well works to be done as works already done And that we mought the more surely vnderstand this he addeth But of him that calleth Wherfore Paul sendeth vs vnto God and not vnto works And if a man diligently consider Vnto what principall pointes the predestination of God
boweng but to that parte only which God hath foreknoweÌ„ Wherfore the necessity falleth vpon the connexion and coniunction of the predestination of God with our workes â–ª which thing they ment by the composed sence and by the necessity of the consequence For our workes if they be considered a parte and if we only haue a respect vnto theyr niest ground or beginning that is vnto the will are not of necessitye Here also is confessed necessity of certainty or of infalliblenes for that God can neyther be changed nor be deceaued Neyther do we playnly graunt that predestination bringeth necessity of coaction for coaction The will can not bee gouerned and violence is agaynst the nature of the will For if it should vnwillingly do any thing it should not now be called will but rather nill if a man may so terme it which were to destroy will I knowe that the Scholmen striue amongest themselues whether God foreknoweth those thinges which he foreknoweth necessarily or contingently But in this contencion I will not entermedle my selfe for that there is no such matter set forth in the scriptures It is Proues of necessity by supposition sufficient vnto me to discharge God from all maner of change and alteration for the contingence and newnes is in the thinges but God alwayes and perpetually abideth one and the selfe same But that there is such a necessity namely of the consequence or of the composed sence or of infallibility found in the holy scriptures we wil alledge certayne places which euidently proue the same lest any should thinke it to be but a fayned inuencion Christ sayd It must nedeâ— be that he should be deliuered vnto the Iewes to be mocked This necessity can be of no other thing inferred but of the definite counsell of God â–ª which thing Peter teacheth in his sermon in the actes of the Apostles Christ also sayd that it must nedes be that the scriptures should be fulfilled In Iohn it is written The scripture can not be broken that is It is not possible but that it must needes be fulfilled Vnto yâ— Hebrues It is impossible that they which once being illuminated c. In which place is entreated of sinne agaynst the holy ghost that it is impossible that they which are guilty of it should escape for that God hath vtterly decred perpetually to forsake those which haue so sinned Christ also sayd of the temptacions of the latter times That the elect also if it were possible should be deceaued Agayne Heauen and earth shall passe away but my wordes shall not passe away In which wordes is signified that all those thinges which God hath spoken eyther in the Scriptures or in his eternall determination can not be by anye meanes made frustrate He answered also vnto his parentes Did ye not know that it behoueth me to worke those thinges which pertayne to my father Vnto Timothe Paul writteth The foundation standeth firme God knoweth who are his And in Iohn Whome the father hath geuen vnto me no man can take out of my hand Lastly All things whatsoeuer he would be made both in heauen and in earth Wherfore of all these thinges is gathered how euidently this necessity of certainty and infalliblenes is set forthe in the holy scriptures nether is it as some thinke a deuise of man And these thinges which we haue spoken of foreknowledge pertaine also Thesâ— thinges pertain also to prouidence to prouidence for although in this vniuersality of things many things are said to be done by chance yet notwithstanding bycause that there is nothing be it neuer so small but it is subiect vnto the prouidence of God therefore also hath it necessity which we call necessity of certainty and others call necessitye of consequence And if thou wilt aske that forasmuch as thinges may be called partly necessary and partly also contingent or free as we haue declared whither Whether our actions are to be called neceâ—sarye or contingent of these conditions most agree vnto them I answere that that most agreeth vnto them which is natural and inward Wherefore forasmuch as the necessity whereof we nowe entreate commeth outwardly and is onely by supposition therefore thinges ought in no wise to be estemed according to it but according to those principles or groundes which are vnderstanded of vs and so our workes which procede of the will shall be sayd to be free and those thinges which are so produced in nature that also theyr contrary may come to passe are be counted contingeÌ„t Howbeit that necessity of certaynty or of consequeÌ„ce which we put is neuer to be denied nether must we plucke away our workes eyther from nature or froÌ„ foreknowledge or from the prouidence of God And as touching the will of God we must thinke that it in very dede gouerneth and moderateth all thinges which thing is of all men commonly graunted For although meÌ„ perceaue and fele that they by the will decree and elect those things which they are minded to do yet if they be men godly they will alwayes saye This or that will I do if God wil permitte But if they be men that are yet without the religion of Christ as were the Ethnikes yet notwithstanding they alwayes make mencion of Fate or destiny of the three sisters called Parcae or of lot which thing is oftentimes red in the Poets Who if as we haue before sayd by the word Fate or such like wordes they vndestode the connexion of causes ouer which God himselfe is the ruler and moderateth and gouerneth it then is there no hurte in that opinion although by reason of the abuse of the word it be better vtterly to abstayne froÌ„ it There are some also which dreame of a certayne fatall mighty and strong necessity afflicted vnto the starres and vnto naturall causes Which God himselfe can not change which opinion is erronius impious and also strange from the wise men of old time who expressedly declare that by Fate they vnderstoode the will and gouernment of God The verses of Cleanthes the Stoike which he wrote touching thys matter Seneca in his 18. booke of Epistles hath turned into Latine Whose sentence in Englishe is thus Leade me o soueraigne Sire and Lord that rulest the heauens hye Verses of Cleanthes touching desteny Where pleaseth thee for I obey to follow spedely Lo prest I am without delay Though loth thou makest me Yet groning forward shall I go And euill while I be What being good I might haue done to do I shal be fayne The willing persons fates doo leade vnwilling they constrayne Although in these verses be auoutched fate or destinie yet is the gouernement thereof put in the hand of God for he calleth vpon the moste high father and desireth to be led of him Whose will notwithstanding he affirmeth to be both certain and infallible The selfe same thing séemeth Homer in his Odisea to haue ment in these verses which are thus in English Such is
wyth the admiration of that art that they litle geue hede to the matter and wisedome which is set forth vnder the ornaments of Rethoricke Moreouer thys is to be added that Paul was the Apostle of hym that was crucified and preached Christ crucified vnto whom were not meat the ornaments and goodly shewes of words least the power of the crosse should be abolished For thys was to be taken hede of that it should not be ascribed to humane wisedome that men were drawen vnto Christ Neyther wil I casely graunt that Paul had no care at all in the placing of hys words and sentences when as hys words are euery where sharpe neyther can there lightly be found more vehement wordes so that Ierome who sometymes accuseth the negligent speach of the Apostle confesseth that when he readeth hym he heareth not wordes but thunders and Paul had without Ierome Why he vseth Hebrue phrases doubt vsed thys way greater diligence if he had knowen that the same should more haue conduced to saluation And whereas it was obiected that the Apostle so spake Greke that a man might casely know that he was an Hebrew it is not to be wondred at for as much as the Church at that tyme consisted both of the Hebrewes and of the Ethnikes which church for that it dayly vsed the scriptures turned into the Greke tonge it had learned so to speake of thynges diuine that it did not much disagree from the Hebrew maner and phrases of speach wherefore Paul is not to be reproued for vsing towards the Church of Christ such a kynd of speach which was both Greke and also sauored somewhat of the naturall tonge wherein the oracles of God were set forth The Apostle say they findeth fault wyth hys vnskilfulnes of speach he semeth indeed to do so but if a man more diligently weigh the thyng Whether Paul foun◠fault wyth his vnskilfulnes he shall see that Paul when he sayd Although vnskifull in speach yet not vnskilfull in knowledge spake thus by way of graunting not that he acknowledgeth great faults in the speach breathed into hym by the holy ghost but he defendeth hymselfe from false Apostles which sayd that hys epistles were of great wayght and strong but hys phrase of speach when he was present was but weake Amitte sayth he that I am but of small force as touching my phrase of speach wyll they also take away frō me the knowledge of things doubtles although he semed to those which were strangers frō Christ to speake foolishnes yet notwithstāding they which belonged to Christ indged those things which he spake to be most high wisedome as they were in very deede And when we affirme that the writings of Paul want not eloquence which yet he sought not after but it folowed hym in speaking yet meane Good arres are not to be contemned of those which prepare themselues to the ministery we in no wyse to feare away men from y◠study of good artes Yea rather we geue thē counsell that they most diligently apply thēselues vnto them that afterward whē they come to teach Christ earnestly they may help them euen when they thinke not of them For thys is not to be suffred in a preacher of the Gospel that when he writeth or speaketh he should addict hys mynde to the preceptes of these artes but if he be instructed wyth them it shall be free for the holyghost to vse them when he shall thynke good This only ought to be the worke of the preacher to set forth Christ and hys word And if he be well learned the force of good artes wyll follow hym whether he wyll or no. But if preachers shall eyther in wryting or speaking labour for finesse ornaments of Rhetoricke they shall waxe colde as touchyng matter For the mynde of man is not able at one tyme with a singular sharpenes to applye it selfe to two thinges Therefore we sometymes see preachers well learned in arts deale very coldly contrary wyse such as are not so well learned handle theyr matters wyth greater vehemency But if that measure be kept which I haue set forth an vntruth though it be garnished and fensed wyth good artes shall take no place and the truth though it be vnarmed and weake and without any ornament shal be made manifest These artes are placed in the midst therefore we may make them to do Christ seruice and to loose them from the bondage of the deuill so that as Origen sayd The heathen woman haue her nailes payred her heare cutte and her garment chaunged By all those thynges we gather that the phrase of speach of Paul is not of that nature that it ought to feare vs away from the reading of these epistles But let vs on the other side consider what pricketh vs forward wyth singular diligence to read thys epistle to the Romaynes In it is set forth the controuersy of iustification a matter of great wayght and such as not only at that tyme very much Why this epistle is most diligently to be red vexed the Church of Christ but also in our tyme vexeth it and doubtles it is of that sort that there is nothyng more mete whereby to impell men vnto Christ And besides that the thinges which are here written are dedicated to the people of Rome whose empire extended farre euen throughout the whole world wherfore it much made to the saluation of the whole world what kind of religion they should receaue For the nations vnder them commonly wyth great endeuor imitated In teaching the Romanes he instructed the whole worlds the orders rules maners and religion of their Princes Wherefore when he taught the Romanes he in a maner instructed the whole world of which thyng the deuill was not ignorant For he left no stone vnturned to infect that citie with corrupt doctrine To the accomplishing of this he instigated false Apostles and wicked preachers which with the preposterous ceremonies of Moses obscured the glory of Christ Neyther is it of small force to the setting forth of the worthines of thys epistle that Paul himselfe both was and was borne a citizen of Rome Wherefore he was bound and that by no small bond of loue to fauor these men best next to the Hebrews Paul loued the Romanes best next to the Hebrues In what thyng al mē agre and in what they disagree How the excellenter sort of men thought they should attayne to blessednes What was the opinion of the common people The people of the Hebrues as a meane betwene both Paul ouerthroweth all those thinges Now let vs come nerer to the matter It is certayne that all men desire the extreame and chiefe good thing but they are deceaued for that they somtimes place it in the riches plesures and good things of this world But agaynst these mē there nedeth no long disputacion for they are sufficiently confuted euen of y◠philosophers and of them that are but meanely learned
witnes bloude water and the spirite 79. b Herein is charity perfect in vs that in the day of iudgment we haue confidence 383. a Iude. ANd Enoch the seuenthe frō Adam prophesied of such saying beholde the Lorde commeth c. 403. a Apocalips CHrist shal raigne a thousand yeares with his saints 88 Behold I stand at the dore and knock And if any man open vnto me I will enter in and sup with him 384. a Take vengaunce vpon the earth for our bloud 345. b Vntill he put his enemies vnder his feete 360. b Holde faste that thou hast least an other receiue thy crowne 347. b ⧠Common places Of Iustification 367 Of Predestination 285 ⧠The first Chapter PAule the seruaunt of Iesus Christ called to the office of an Apostle put aparte to preach the Gospell of God which he before had promised by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures of hys son which was begotten of the seede of Dauid as touching the fleshe and declared to bee the sonne of God with power according to the spirite of sanctification in that Iesus Christ our Lord rose agayne frō the dead by whō we haue receaued grace and the office of an Apostle to be obedyent to fayth amonge all nations in hys name of the number of whome ye also are the called of Iesus Christ To all you which are at Rome the beloued of God called Sainctes grace and peace to you from God the father and from the Lord Iesus Christ As touchynge the saluation fyrste we muste note who it is that wryteth Three things to be considered in this salutation it secondlye to whome it is written lastly what maner of good thinges hee which saluteth wisheth vnto them It is Paule which saluteth the Romanes are they whom he saluteth and the good things which he wisheth thē are grace and peace indeede the chiefest thinges which of men can bee attayned vnto Rhethoriciās precepts concernyng Prohemes are here obserued Rhetoricians vse in theyr Prohemes to gette vnto them selues authoritie diligent hearing and beneuolence which thinge the holy Ghoste here fullye performeth For whilest that Paule doth adorne him selfe with these titles he winneth vnto him selfe authoritie and he also when he maketh mencion what are the thynges that hee will entreate of maketh the mindes of the readers attentiue And in wyshing vnto them such excellent good thinges and opening hys great loue towardes them he obteyneth theyr good will For by that meanes are they drawen to loue agayne such a man which so well wisheth vnto them Why he is so lōg in his salutation If any man thinke that thys salutation is more full of wordes then nedeth they must remember that Paul was greuously accused of false Apostles that he had fallen from the lawe and agreed not with the other Disciples of the Lorde and that hee was not to be counted for an Apostle which had not bene conuersant with the Lorde in the fleshe as the other Apostles were To all these false accusations it was necessary to aunswere euen in hys Proheme that he might haue the better eare geuen vnto hym As touching hys name I will nothing speake for I know that the elders dyd not rashlye geue names But because the holy Scripture testifieth not for what cause he was eyther called Saule in the Iewishe religion or Paule after hys conuersion I will omitte coniectures neither will Paule claimeth vnto himself thre titles The propriety of a seruaunt I stand about thys thing In hys superscription hee setteth forth three titles wherby he beautifieth hys name the fyrst is The seruaunt of Iesus Christ and that name is common vnto all the faythfull And the propertie of a seruant is thys not to bee hys owne man but to doe the busines of hys maister Wherfore if we be the seruauntes of Christ thys is required of vs that what soeuer we liue breath and thinke be directed vnto Christ And in these wordes are false Apostles reproued which sought their owne thinges to satisfie the bellye and to increase their gaine and they wanne not men to Christ but rather to Moyses or to them selues For as much as to be the seruauntes of Christ is as we haue sayde a thing cōmon vnto vs all let vs diligently consider the Metaphore wherby we are so called namely because we ought so to obey God as seruauntes do their maisters But we are farre of frō performing it For seruaūtes do spēd the Note wherein the most part of men differeth from the seruice of God least parte of the daye about theyr own busines and all the rest of the tyme they are occupyed about their maisters affayres But we do farre otherwise We are a very short space or an houre of our time occupied about things pertaining to God but al the rest of the time that is graūted vs we spēd about thinges humaine and earthly A seruaunt hath nothyng of hys owne nor proper vnto hym selfe but we doo priuatly possesse many thynges whiche we will neither bestowe for Gods sake nor for Christes sake Seruauntes when they are beaten and strikē do humbly desire pardō and forgeuenes of their masters but we in aduersities resiste God murmure agaynst hym and blaspheme hys name Seruauntes do receaue onely meate and drinke and apparell and therewith are content but we neuer come to any ende or measure of heapyng vp of wealth and riches Seruaunts when they heare the threatnynges of their maisters do tremble frō top to toe but we are nothyng moued with the threatnynges of the Prophetes Apostles and holy Scriptures Seruauntes wil neither haue talke nor familiarity nor yet shewe any signes of amitye vnto their maisters enemyes but we are continually in fellowshyp with the deuill the fleshe and the world Wherfore We ought to serue God more then seruauntes ought to serue their maisters we are farre from that seruice whiche we owe vnto God whom yet we ought much more both to obey and to serue then our seruauntes ought to obey and serue vs. For God besides that hē both fedeth and nourisheth vs hath also brought vs forth hath geuē vs euē our being Farther what soeuer seruaunts do towardes vs all that is to our commoditie and nothyng helpeth them but we contrarywise when we serue God do bryng no profite or commoditie vnto him For thoughe we lyue iustly he is therby made neuer a whit the better or more blessed thē he was before Also we geue litle or nothyng vnto our seruaūts but God hath for vs geuen forth his onely sonne and together with hym hath geuen vs all thinges We promise vnto our seruantes a very small rewarde but God hath promised vnto vs the same felicity whiche Christ him selfe hath the fruition of Whereby appeareth how much more we are bounde to serue hym then are our seruauntes bounde vnto vs. But in that we haue sayd that this vocation is common to all to be the seruauntes of Christ it semeth not very
thynges of which there is no mention at all made in the holy Scriptures yea we know that very many thinges which they defend were receaued long after the Apostles tyme out of the decrees or Synodes of Byshops And if there be any whose originall is not certainly knowen yet doe not the holy Scriptures make any mention of them But here the Apostle doth for thys cause commend hys Gospel because it was before promised by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures All these thynges haue a wonderfull When the promise of the Gospell begâ—n emphasis For that which was so long tyme before promised of God can not be but excellent and wonderfull And thys promise beganne froÌ„ that which Adam inspyred with the holy ghost spake Thys is nowe bone of my bones and fleshe of my fleshe which the Apostle to the Ephesians taketh to be spoken of Christ Gen. 2. and of the Church and from that also which was sayd vnto Eue Thy seede shall Gen. 3. breake hys head in peeces Afterward it was extended with continuall oracles by the Patriarckes holy Prophets euen vnto the end Prophets are here taken for excellent men namely interpreters of the worde of God and by thys worde are signified all the writers of the Canonicall Scripture of what degree soeuer they were of And that which is added in the holy Scriptures pertayneth to this end to shew that they are not vayne oracles which he citeth for as much as they are extant in the holy Scriptures For they are sealed with publicke writings and ratified and firme by an instrument And in speakyng of these thynges he commendeth hym self which was the minister of so great a Gospell And by the selfe same meanes he calleth them backe both from ceremonyes and also from Philosophie vnto which thynges they were wonderfully bent It followeth VVhich was made of the seede of Dauid The incarnation of the Sonne Howe the sonne of God was made of God is here touched and in consideration of the person he is sayd to haue bene made although thys agreeth not with hym but as touching hys humanitie But it is sayd of the seede of Dauid because vnto Dauid was made a notable promise so that Messias was commonly called the sonne of Dauid as we read in the Gospell that the Scribes the Phariseis testified vnto whom Christ obiecteth How doth Dauid call hym hys Lorde By thys place are the wicked Math. 22. heretickes ouerthrowen which affirme that Christ had a body not of the nature and substaunce of the Virgin but brought from heauen They faine vnto them Christ had a true body and flesh of the Virgin Mary selues this argument Because our fleshe is subiecte vnto damnation the curse therfore it is not very likely say they that the sonne of God would take it vpon hym Which argument may easily be confuted For curse and damnation are accidences wherefore God was able easilye remoue them and yet keepe whole the nature and substaunce of man Wherefore he could no lesse geue vnto Christ a holy and cleane body of the Virgin then he could out of the vyle clay bring forth a noble and most cleane body vnto Adam And in that we heare that the sonne of God so abased hym selfe to take vpon hym humane fleshe it ought to be vnto vs no small spurre that nothing be offered vnto vs so hard which for Christes sake we will not suffer Many demaunde why Christ the sonne of God Why Christ tokâ— vpon hym humane fleshe tooke vpon hym humane fleshe And although many reasons might be brought yet will I bryng that which Ambrose hath rendred vpon this place namely that punishment myght be taken in that fleshe which sinned euen as men that are malefactours are there accustomed to suffer punishmentes where they haue coÌ„mitted Ambrose great wicked crimes VVhich was declared to be the Sonne of God Here I can not tell howe the Latine translation had Qui praedestinatus est that is which was predestinate By meanes whereof the interpreters had much adoe to declare it aptlye They myght in deede saye that Christ was to thys end predestinate to be the Mediatour and redemer of mankinde But the thynges which followe agree not therwith for the cause of thys predestination could not be eyther the resurrection from the dead or effusion of the holy ghost Therefore we must read it as the Greke bookes haue it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth as Chrysostome interpreteth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is shewed declared and iudged The Apostle first entreateth of the veritie of the humane nature which is hereby shewed because he was made borne of the seede of Dauid Now he setteth forth the deuine nature For he sayth that Christ was by sure argumentes published declared and shewed to bee the sonne of God And although here is no mention of predestination yet is not the Latine translatioÌ„ new For Origene maketh Origene eiteth the Latine translatioÌ„ mention of it who yet followeth it not For he interpreteth it as it is in the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But how he shoulde cite the Latine translation there are sondrye opinions Some attribute thys to hys diligent and painfull studye which had a care to search out all translations Neyther is it to be thought that he was ignoraunt of the Latine tongue for as much as he was called to Rome by Mammaea the mother of Alexander the Emperour Some thinke that these thynges were not written by the author but put in by the interpreter And there are some which thinke that that booke is none of Origenes among whom is Erasmus Hierome expounding the first chap. to the Ephesians playnlye sheweth Hierome that we shoulde here reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neyther addeth he the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And vndoubtedly thys worde is vsed when Magistrates elected are published and declared Therefore thys is the sense Christ which was man in very dede The signification of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The resurrections is the only signe of the deuine nature of Christ and of the seede of Dauid was declared appoynted and published to be the sonne of God by the reasons following In power according to the spirite of sanctification resurrection of the dead Thys kinde of speache being very darcke hath sondrye expositions Some thus expounde it as though it were one onely argument to proue the diuinitie of Christ namely hys resurrection which they say was done by power and by the holy ghost And to proue thys argument to be of great force they alleage that Christ gaue no other signe but the signe of Ionas the Prophete that also which hee sayd Lose thys Temple and on the thyrd daye I will rayse it vppe agayne Iohn 2. And it seemeth that some of the Apostles dyd therfore dispayre of the diuine nature because they saw the resurrection to be differred as Cleophas sayd vnto
vnderstand that forasmuch as they do often fall we should not atttribute so much credite vnto their writinges but that we may examine them by the rule of the scriptures But as touching this place of Abacuk we must vnderstand that this prophet in the first chapter of his boke with ouer much boldnes prouoked God to reason of thinges which are done in this world so that in a maner he reproued him as though he had little prouidence ouer them For he complayneth that iust men are miserably oppressed of the vngodly and that wicked men haue wonderfull and happy successes in all thinges But after many complayntes at the length in the 2. chapter he commeth to hymselfe and sayth I will stand vpon my watch that is I will pronounce nothing rashely concerning thys matter But will wayte to see what God speaketh in me Thys do the Sainctes sometymes to put forth in theyr writyng humayne tentacions and affections and diligently to expresse those thynges wherewith we are sometymes tossed For they were menne and The Prophets do sometymes expresse the cogitations wherewith they are tossed were oftentymes subiect vnto these troublesome cogitations At the length the Lord aunswereth hym and in soÌ„me thus he sayth That men ought not streightway to geue senteÌ„ce of hys iudgemeÌ„ts but to wait farther By which words humane rashnes is reproued whyche wil streight way geue sentence as sone as it seeth that God hath done any thyng when yet notwithstandyng we are admonished not to iudge of Comedies vntyl we haue sene the last Acte If we could wayt longer we should see that the iudgemeÌ„ts of God haue good successe that al those thyngs which he doth are most wysely ordred In the meane tyme whylest the ende is in comming we must patiently wayte And it behoueth that in waiting we vphold our selues by faith by which fayth the iust shal lyue and the vngodly forasmuch as he is destitute of it wanteth all righteousnes and vprighmes The wordes of the Prophet as they are in the Hebrew are these Lohinah cegpeluh iesohah nibbaschoh boh vetsaddim beemunatho ijmiah The latine translation hath it thus He that beleeueth not hys soule shall not be vprighte in hymselfe The seuenty thus turne it If he wythdrawe hymselfe my soule shall not delyghte in hym But as touchyng the propriety of the Hebrewe Thys woord Apelah is deryued of Aophel which signifyeth defense Whereof is afterward deryued a derbe which signifyeth to defend himself Hereof is gathered a double exposition The first is that by defence we vnderstand those which defend theyr mynde and harden theyr hart not to beleue These haue neyther vpryghtnes nor righteousnes Or agayne it signifyeth those whiche beynge puffed vp with pryde thinke themselues to haue abundante strength and power and as though they neded not the helpe and ayde of God beleue not Wherfore theyr soule also waÌ„teth vprightenes righteousnes This exposition of the proud and hygh mynd is gathered out of Rabbi Dauid Chimhi And this defeÌ„ce in either of these two interpretations is taken metaphorically But if we take that worde properly Rabbi Moses teacheth that they whiche are not of an vpright mynde and doo want fayth flye vnto defences and there they defend them selues and thinks that they are very safe But he which is iust and endewed with a sincere fayth and of a modeste and lowly mynde the same man shall lyue by fayth neither will he depend either vpon armor or vpon mans power or vpon fenced castles And it had ben sufficient for the Prophet to haue rehearsed this first part of the oracle For when he had affirmed that a man wantyng fayth hath not righteousnes and vprightnes it foloweth of contraryes that a faythfull man by fayth obteyneth both righteousnes and lyfe But bycause we should not labour or stagger in gatheryng of it the Prophet hym selfe concludeth But the iust man shall lyue by fayth Neither is this to be left vnspoken of that Paul in this place hath omitted the pronowne possessiue For in the Hebrue it is written He shall lyue by hys fayth And the Seuenty haue By my fayth And Symmachus manifestly agreeth with the Hebrue veritie for he writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by hys owne fayth But the variety of these translations commeth of a certayne similitude which these two letters Vau and Iod haue one with the other For they differ but in length and shortnes Some reade Emunatho and other some Emunathi But eyther reading agreeth with the truth For fayth may as well be Fayth is ours and also Gods The Apostle vseth oftentymes this testimony of Abacuck Paule abuseth not this testimony called our fayth as the fayth of God It hath indeede his ofspring of God but it sticketh in our myndes otherwise we could not vse it to receaue the Gospell I thought it good the larglier thus to entreate of the testemony of thys Prophete for that the Apostle vseth it oftentymes namely to the Hebrues the 10. chapter and to the Galathyans and also in this place Wherfore it is very necessary and profitable to vnderstand these wordes a right But in this place we haue to aunswere vnto a cauillation wherewyth the vngodly vse to accuse the Apostle as though he peruersly abused the testemonyes of the olde scripture And they accuse him especially in thys place for that Paule dareth drawe this Prophet which promiseth the returne from the captiuity of Babylon to thys purpose as though his sentence should pertayne vnto iustification and absolution from sinnes Vnto them we aunswere that in all the promises of the olde VnderstaÌ„â—e also by promises yea of temporall things to be of Christ lawe were namely for the most part expressed temporall good thinges which yet were the wrappers and foundacions and heade of this promise chiefely whereof we now intreat of the deliuery I say through Christ To the vnwrapping of which promise out of these olde promises this reason is of no smale force to search out how God would graunt vnto the fathers those temporall good thinges which at that tyme he promised whether being wel pleased and mercifull or being yet angry and displeased with them Vndoubtedly we can not say that he would geue these thinges being angry and displeased For they would not in such maner haue accepted them For those things which are geuen to that purpose do at the length dryue to damnation and destruction But if he promised that he would geue these thinges because he was pacefyed and reconciled towardes them then let vs search out by what thynges he was pacefyed towards them Which thyng without doubt could not be brought to Christ is the heade foundatioÌ„ of the promises of God in the olde Testament The finall cause of Gods benefites towards the people of God was Christe passe but by Iesus Christ only who is the only mediator of mankind wherefore whatsoeuer thing was promised though it were neuer so much abiect and of
no reputacion yet was it taken to be geuen for Christes sake And therefore in all the promises of the olde Testament the myndes of the godly ranne vnto this foundation and ground Then let vs consider the finall cause Wherefore would God haue the publike wealth of the Iewes preserued to the ende but only that Christ should be born therehence Why prouided he that the stock of Dauid should contynue safe euen to the ende but onely that the sonne of God should of it take humane fleshe Why brought he agayne hys people from captiuity but only that the Messias should at length be borne at the tyme promised in the place appointed and of a stocke assigned This vndoubtedly was the cause of all those promises vpon this cause did all the fathers bend their minds as many as vnderstood a right Wherfore Paule wresteth not the testemonyes of the prophetes neyther doth he rashely abuse them And let this be vnto vs a sure and faythfull rule for the perfect vnderstanding of the promises of the olde What it is to lyue by fayth testament whereas he sayth that the iust man shall lyue by fayth he meaneth that he shal be able to moue hymselfe to all good thynges as to beleue to hope to contynue in hope and to loue of charity vnto which thynges by the power and strength of our owne nature we canne by no meanes attayne And that by faith we obtaine eternall life it very well agreeth with those thinges which The knowledge whiche commeth by fayth and the eternall lyfe which shal be in heauen are one and the selfe same thyng as touching the matter Wherein the righteousnes which is receaued by fayth consisteth We are not firste iuste and then afterward lyue by fayth Differences betwen the righteousnes of the Gospel and of the lawe Christ spake This is the life eternall that they should acknowledge thee to be the only true God and him whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ These thinges shall we playnly and openly knowe in heauen our countrey and that with a cleare and manifest sight But now haue we these selfe same thinges with a very obscure knowledge that is through fayth This is not an other lyfe from that But then shall that be made perfecte which we haue now but only begon And the righteousnes which by this fayth maketh it selfe open consisteth herein especially that from the tyme we are reconciled vnto God we leade our life in such sorte that both we render vnto hym his due worshipe and also vnto our neighbour our bounden due offices or dueties And whereas the Prophete writeth that the iust man lyueth by fayth his wordes must not so be taken as though he should affirme that we are fyrst iust and that then afterward we liue by fayth But this thyng he teacheth that by fayth do come vnto vs two commodityes both that we should be iust and also that we should obtayne life we see here also set forth vnto vs the difference betweene the righteousnes of the law and of the Gospell The righteousnes of the law is a perfecte obedience of the commaundementes of God But the righteousnes of the Gospell is an imputacion thereof The righteousnes of gospell God geueth vnto vs but the righteousnes of the law we geue vnto God The righteousnes of the law leaneth vnto workes For it is written The man which doth these thinges shall liue in them and cursed be he whiche abideth not in all the thinges whiche are written in the booke of the lawe also If thou wilte enter into lyfe keepe the Commaundementes Also doo thys and thou shalte lyue But here it is sayd The iuste manne shall lyue by fayth Wherfore looke what difference there is betwene to do and to beleue so much seeme these places to be repugnaunt one to the other But these thinges A conciliation of places repugnant shall easely be made to agree by making a distinction of righteousnes For forasmuch as the righteousnes of the Gospell is one and the righteousnes of the lawe is an other some testimonyes speake of the one righteousnes and some teach of the other Now by that which hath bene spoken the Apostle setteth forth three good By fayth we obtayne saluation righteousnes and life thinges and those most principall which by fayth we obtayne namely saluation righteousnes and life For thē Gospell is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleueth agayne the righteousnes of God is reuealed by it from fayth also the iust man shall liue by fayth If there be anye that requyre more then these good thinges then is he ouer curious Further euen in the very first entrance into the cause we see how strongly he affirmeth by these three sentences now rehersed that by fayth these good thinges happen vnto vs. Here also maye be noted in what estimation Paul hath the holy scripture for vnto it he ascribeth the chiefest authority to proue the question takē in hand namely that the righteousnes of god is reuealed by fayth And if both the Apostle and also the Prophet do so manifestlye pronounce that we are iustified by fayth then is it not meete that our aduersaryes should so crye out agaynst vs for that we affirme the very selfe same Wherefore if they be herewith offended then let them grudge agaynst the scriptures agaynst Paule and agaynst What remedy we must vse when it is sayd that we reiect good woorkes the Prophet and not agaynste vs. And agaynst them which crye out that we spoyle good workes of theyr dignity and honour there is no presenter remedy then to lyue vprightly and holyly that thereby we may aboundantly haue testemonyes of good workes and say to our aduersaries if any confydence were to be put in good workes then should we in no case geue place vnto you forasmuch as in them we farre excell you And all that whiche we say and teach of iustification which commeth through fayth tendeth only to this that the truth should by the word of God be defended This was Paules meaning when he sayde vnto the Phillippians If any man may put confidence in the fleshe I also may much more and by many thinges he declareth how much in this kinde of glory he excelled others But he afterward addeth that all these things he counted as dongue and losse that he might wyn Christ and that he mought be found in him not hauing his own righteousnes namely which is of works but that which is by the fayth of Iesus Christ This excellent example of the Apostle ought we to imitate that although we attribute not iustification vnto workes yet ought we plentifully to abound in them aboue other men For if we leade an vnpure lyfe and on the other syde boaste of iustification through fayth then shall we be laughed to scorne of our aduersaryes as though we for that cause professed this doctrine to lyue without punishement 〈…〉 ly and without all order For
so long as it is preserued so long hath it the power of God hidden vnder it which if by searching out and naturall knowledge it bee vncouered then will it resemble God vnto vs. To this sentence of the Apostle other places of the Scripture appeare to be repugnaunt in which from the wicked is taken away the knowledge of God We read in the Psalmes The foolishe man sayd in hys hart there is no God And agayne it is written In earth there is none that vnderstandeth or that seeketh after God And not to rehearse many places in Esaie the first chap. it is written But Israell hath not knowen me But thys contrarietie is after thys sorte conciliated The vngodly doe in déede confesse as Paule sayth being conuinced by creatures that there is a God but afterward they so How the knowledge of god is attributed vnto the vngodlye and how it is taken away from them define of hys nature and proprietie that therby a man may well conclude that there is no God For Epicurus sayd that there were Gods in déede but he tooke from thē al maner of doing care prouidēce so that he ascribed a felicity vtterly idle Also for that they say that there is a God but yet such a one as hath not prouidence ouer humane thynges neither punisheth nor heareth such as call vpon hym and such other like therby is concluded that they were of thys opinion that they thought there was a God but onely in name And therfore the Scripture denyeth that they knewe God For the true God is not such as they fayned hym to bee and as touching them selues and their life as to be holpen or to haue the fruition of Gods ayde it was all one as if there had bene no God at all forasmuch as they fledde not vnto hym to call vpon hym neither dyd they at hys Some haue gone aboute to perswade themselues that there is no god The knowledge of god two maner of wayes handes looke for either helpe or ayde And besides that there haue bene some so vngodly that they haue gone about to perswade thē selues that there is no God in déede and although they were not able to bring thys to passe their owne minde resisting it and their conscience striuing agaynst it yet doth the Scripture pronounce of them according to their endeuours and after this sorte sayth that they knewe not God Lastly this is to be knowen that the knowledge of God is in two sortes one is of efficacie wherby we are chaunged so that we labour to expresse in workes those thinges which we knowe and this knowledge of God the holy Scriptures ascribe onely vnto the godly but the other is a colde knowledge wherby we are made nothing the better for we shewe not forth in déedes that we knowe those thinges which in very déede we knowe And of thys kinde of knowledge Paule afterward speaketh when he sayth And as they regarded not to knowe God c. Christ also shall say vnto many which boasted of hys giftes and knowledge I knowe you not But so to knowe God forasmuch as it nothyng profiteth the holy Scripture oftentimes so reiecteth that it vouchsafeth not to call it by the name of the knowledge of God and saith that the vngodlye forasmuch as there were such know not God So that they are without excuse Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were they thākful but waxed ful of vanities in their imaginations and their foolishe hart was blinded And when they counted them selues wise they became fooles turned the glorye of the immortall God vnto an image made not only after the similitude of a mortall man but also of byrdes and foure footed beastes and of creeping beastes So that they are inexcusable In the Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God reuealeth not himself that we should be inexcusable but that foloweth through eur default If by our strengths we cannot performe the law thē are we vnexcusable Here is entreated of the excuse which is of ignorance The Ethnikes sayde not for an excuse the want of strength If the Ethnikes had pretended ignorance at had bene an easy mat to haue brought them to Christ The excuse also of weaknes is not to be admitted God reuealed not those naturall knowledges to thys end but the same happened through our defaulte Howbeit that which Paule sayth in thys place séemeth to be repugnaunte vnto those thynges which are often spoken where mencion is made of workes grace For if it be true that by our own strēgthes and frée will we can not performe the lawe of God which we knowe howe can these men be sayd to be inexcusable For if that which we say be true they might easilie be excused that they in déede by the light of nature knew this law but yet they wanted strength wherby to performe so much as they knewe And therefore they séeme not to be inexcusable But here Paule entreateth of that excuse onely which might be alleaged of ignoraunce For that which is now sayd as touching infirmitie the Ethnickes layde not for an excuse for they attributed all thinges to frée will Therefore they would not haue sayd that they wanted strength to performe it onely this remained to excuse thē selues by ignoraunce Which Apologie or refuge seing Paule hath cutte of from them there resteth onely that euen by their owne iudgement they should bée sayd to be without excuse If they had sayd that they were weake although they knewe what they ought to doe that was it which Paule traueileth to bring them vnto namely that therefore the knowledge of the lawe of nature could not make them better because the lawe although they knewe it yet coulde it not alter them nor geue strength vnto them to liue vprightly wherefore it was necessarye for them to flye vnto Christ But because he knew that the Gentiles fledde not to that excuse therefore he repelleth that which he saw might easilie haue bene obiected which thyng was ignoraunce Although the other excuse also of the infirmitie of strengthes was not worthye to bee admitted For the same debilitie happeneth through our owne default that is through sinne Further they were without excuse because that litle which was in their power namely as touching outward actions they performed not according to their knowledge For we are not so destitute of strength by reason of sinne but that in outward workes we are able to performe many thinges in whiche they declared them selues to be moste wicked Wherefore it followeth that they were vtterly without excuse Neither could they alleage thys for a cause namely that those thynges wherin they sinned were done agaynst their will Wherfore seing wittingly and willingly they dyd euill they had no excuse at all Neyther is it to be thought that God graunted vnto them this excellent knowledge to the end they should be without excuse For that happened through their owne
worde Open an emphasis Because sepulchres being shut receaue not those things which are brought in but being open they refuse nothing To vse their tongues to disceate is amōg the Hebrues Ieholl kō which word is deriued of this verbe Halak which is to part to destribute And that vice is here described whereby a man speaketh not as the thing is in dede but frameth his speach to get fauor and for his commodities sake For with one man they talke farre otherwise then they did with an other man A man may call them double tonged folkes Iames reproueth them for that out of one and the selfe same mouth they bring forth both sweete and bitter thinges The poyson of aspes is vnder their lippes This is written in the 140 Psal These mens wordes he compareth with the most present poyson of serpents Whose mouth is ful of cursing bitternes This word bitternes is in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This may be applied vnto those which by reason of anger are so impotēt y◠they are not able to speke a word but they must curse banne fare like mad men Their wordes are as sharpe as speares and they seme to speake swordes Their feete are svvift to shed bloud This is writtē in Esay the 59. chap. After cruel wordes folow murthers And these wordes seme chiefly to be spoken because of the death of the Prophets who were miserably slayne of the vngodly Contrition and calamity are in their vvayes Some by contrition and calamity vnderstand sinnes But it semeth rather to be a phrase wherby by their wayes may be vnderstanded whatsoeuer they go about take in hand and attempt And that is nothing els but the affliction and oppression of other men The vvay of peace haue they not knovven For they take nothing in hand to do which may serue for the commodity and health of their neighbours The feare of the Lord is not before their eyes This is read in the 36. Psal In these woordes is touched the summe and head of all euils which is not to feare God Paule mought haue brought other most euident testemonyes also The hed of all euels agaynst the Iewes As are those which are written in the fyrst chapiter of Esay where the prophet calleth them a wicked seede noughty children their Princes Princes of Sodom and their people the people of Gomorrha And there are infinite sentences whiche serue for this purpose But the Apostle thoughte these sentences onely sufficiente Whereby we learne what is the state and condition of a man which liueth without Christ First he wanteth God yea rather the wrath of God abideth vpon him farther he is a bondslaue of Sathan and an instrument framed to all maner of wicked workes But we know that whatsoeuer things the law speaketh it speaketh vnto those which are vnder y◠lawe That euery mouth might be stopped and the whole world might be made guilty before God But vve knovv c. The Apostle writeth this to the ende the Hebrues should not cauell that these scriptures pertayned not vnto them Neither could the Iewes deny but that they were vnder the law when as vnto them chiefly was it geuen and they in the couenaunt promised that they would do all thinges which God had commaunded Farther in their circumsicion they declared a profession to obserue the law Yea and we also are after a sorte vnder the law For the morall precepts forasmuch as they are knowen by the light We are after a sorte vnder the law The law vnde◠which we liue how farre it extendeth it selfe of nature do continually hold their strength In ceremonyes also something is alwayes to be considered as chiefe which a man may call the kernell sappe sinnow that cōtinually abideth only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they cal circumstāces are oftētimes altered Also the iudiciall lawes cōtain things honest lust which are also obserued of vs although y◠maner of punishemēts certaine other singular things ar with liberty chaunged And how far y◠law vnder which we are subiect extendeth it self the epistle vnto the Phil. declareth wherin it is writen That vvhich remaineth brethern vvhatsoeuer thinges are true vvhatsoeuer profitable vvhatsoeuer of good name if there be any vertue and if there be any praise vpon these things thinke ye the things We must not of preceptes make counsels Workes of supererogation are excluded vvhich ye haue learned receiued hard and sene in me these things I say do ye Hereby is it manifest how they are deceiued which of preceptes make counsels by that meanes do sinne more greuouosly in that they put works as they call them of supererogation Therfore those things which are here spoken do touch vs also if we fall away from Christ These notes of vniuersality are diligently to be weighed which Paule vseth when he saith Euery mouth and the whole world For they are of no small force to attayne to the right definiciō of iustificatiō He would not without a cause y◠our mouth should The scriptures necesary for all men be stopped forasmuch as we are all to much prone to excuses there is none which thinketh not to much of himselfe Sithē the Apostle hath proued his matter by testimonies of the scriptures they are much to be reproued which wil haue the holy scriptures banished out of the hands of the faithfull Hereby easely appeareth the vtility of thē when as they both pertaine vnto all mē and also set before our eyes our sinnes Chrisostome in his homely of Lazarus the riche man exhorteth all mē in general to reade thē and those men by name which are geuē to the lawe which occupie merchaundise kepe families And he affirmeth that it is impossible that they should attayne to saluatiō vnles they occupy thēselues day night in readyng of the holy scriptures Yea he addeth also that they haue greater nede of readyng the holy scriptures then haue holier men for that they are continually in greater daunger This worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is guilty the same Chrisostome expoundeth of him which of himselfe hath nothing to bring for his owne defēce but hath neede of an other They are guilty before God which haue nothyng whereof to glory And the cōfession of our sinnes doth chiefly make vs such The Apostle hath hitherto to this place laboured much in accusing of sinnes to the ende he might impell driue mē vnto Christ Whom we also to our power ought to imitate when we haue to Pastors oght aboue all thinges to reproue sinnes A similitude do with our neighbours There are some which wil not heare of their pastors and preachers but only treatises of things deuine and debatemēts of subtle questions But they are farre deceiued For first it is expedient that they haue a thorow consideration vnto theyr owne sinnes As a Phisition vseth in a rottē sore first to cut of the corrupt flesh before
oppressed Otherwise it shall bee all one to bee occupied in them as to marke what Liui Aristotle Salust Plutarche and other writers haue left in writing But now without the law is the righteousnes of God made manifest beyng confirmed by the testimony of the law and of the prophetes Here is expressedly put forth the question wherof he will afterward entreat And thereof he putteth two partes Of which the one is that the righteousnes of God is without the law made manifest The other is that it is obtained by the faith of Iesus Christ And Paule affirmeth that this righteousnes of God hath the testimonye both of the law and of the prophets This is it which he proposed at the beginning that by the Gospell is reueled the righteousnes of God from saith to faith And in that he writeth that this manifestation is done without the law he vnderstādeth without helpe of the law being obserued but onely by the hearing of faith Which The righteousnes of God threefold selfe thing he affirmed vnto the Galathians when he said Haue ye receiued the holy ghost by the workes of the law or by the hearing of faith The righteousnes of God as I haue in an other place declared is thréefold The first is wherby we are through Christ receiued into fauour and our sinnes are forgeuen vs and the righteousnes of Christ is imputed vnto vs. And the second kind of righteousnes followeth this namely that thorough helpe of the holy ghost our minde is reformed and we all whole are inwardly renewed by grace Thirdly follow holy and godly workes for they which are once come thus far are most zelous and desirous of working well Now then Paule entreateth of the first righteousnes whiche he saith is declared in vs without the law And he calleth it the righteousnes of God because it is gotten thorough his power and goodnes and not thorough our owne workes And if a man do more narowly consider it it is the mercy of God which he bestoweth vpon vs thorough Christ And I haue in an other place admonished that that which the Hebrues call Tsedech and our men haue turned righteousnes signifieth rather goodnes and mercy And therefore to this day the Iewes call almes by that name And Ambrose vpon this place is of the selfe same mynd For he sayth Therefore is Ambrose Why the mercy of God is called righteousnes that called the righteousnes of God which semeth to be the mercy of God because it hath his originall beginning of Gods promise and when that promise is performed it is called the righteousnes of God For therfore is it the righteousnes of God because that is rendered which was promised Also whē he receiueth those which fly vnto him it is called rightousnes For one not to receiue him that flieth vnto him it is iniquity Thus much Ambrose But we must not harken vnto them which in this place do interprete these wordes Without the law for without the ceremonies of the lawe For we haue before shewed that althoughe the question was moued by reason of them yet hath Paule entreated of the lawe generally so that it comprehendeth all the partes of the law They seme not much to ouershoote themselues which by the righteousnes Christ the righteousnes of God of God vnderstande Christ for whatsoeuer pertayneth to iustification that same commeth from him vnto vs when we beleue in hym Betwene the righteousnes of God and ours Paule plainly putteth a difference when he saith in this self same The manifestation of the righteousnes of God happened chiefly in the tyme of the Apostles The order and maner of the preaching of the Apostles Epistle Being ignorant of the righteousnes of God and seeking to establishe theyr owne they are not subiecte vnto the righteousnes of God But that we may the better vnderstand what this manifestation of the rightousnes of God is which then happened chieflye when Paule wrote these thinges it must thus be vnderstanded that we must haue a regarde what manner of preaching the Apostles vsed As farre as we can gather out of the sermons of the Apostles as they are set forth in the Actes of the Apostles First they preached repentaunce setting before mens eyes their sinnes and condemnation wherin men were wrapped then they gathered together the proprieties and conditions of Christ which should heale these euils and that out of the holy scriptures Thirdly they applied the same proprieties and conditions vnto Iesus of Nazareth to allure men vnto his fayth And suche as hearyng these things beleued the same obteyned of God remission of their sinnes Inwardly they were made new and outwardly they liued moste holily resembling the image of God to which mankynde was made With perseuerance they called vppon God communicating together in prayers breakyng of bread all holye workes They stedfastly did put their trust in God as they which were vtterly destitute of all other helpe They nothing regarded worldly riches laying the price of their things and money at the féete of the Apostles They stoutely bare a good testimonye vnto Why the righteousnes of God is said to be made manifest without the law Christ reioycing that they suffred greuous thinges for hys names sake Lastly in this quarell they cherefully shed theyr bloud bestowed theyr life And the world seyng those thinges could not but be moued and acknowledge that a new kynde of righteousnes appeared on the earth And because amongest them were Ethenikes which had no knowledge at all of the law therfore the Apostle sayth Without the law Also many of the Hebrewes were called who although they knew the law yet they nothyng at all regarded it And it was all one as if they had not had the law There came some also which liued very vprightly and were moste zelous in the study of the law as Nathaniell whome Christ pronounced to be a true Israelite in whom there was no guile And these were iustified without the law for that obseruation of the law which they performed was not the cause why they were iustified The lawe in déede may be a helpe vnto iustification because it admonisheth vs and accuseth vs by whiche meanes we are dryuen vnto Christe But for as muche as it hathe not the strengthe to forgeue synnes to geue the The law helpeth vnto iustification but it is not the cause thereof A conciliation holye Ghoste to suggest faythe into the hartes of the hearers therefore Paule saythe righte well That we are iustified wythout the lawe Augustine in hys booke de spiritu litera saith that the Apostle seemeth to speake thynges repugnaunt For he affyrmeth that the righteousnes of God whereof he nowe speaketh had his testimonye of the lawe and the Prophetes and yet be saythe that it was made manifeste without the lawe But he aunswereth that there is here in verye deede no contradiction if a man rightly distinct those thinges which are here spoken For
An error of the Anabaptistes the chief and principall benefite of Christ neyther make they any difference betwene the law and the Gospell The law in deede commaundeth but the Gospell ministreth strengths to accomplishe those thinges whiche are commaunded The law accused the The Gospel absolueth The law maketh a sound outwardly The DiffereÌ„ces betwene the Law and the Gospel Gospell is grauen in the bowells The law worketh anger The Gospell maketh God pacifyed and reconciled vnto vs The lawe by making afeard deiecteth the mind The Gospell by comforting erecteth it The law is the ministery of death The gospel of life The law is a schoolemaster The gospel is a perfect instruction The whole lawe consisteth in this that we should woork The Gospel herein chiefly consisteth that we should beleue The law bringeth a curse vnto theÌ„ whichlyue vnder it The Gospel bringeth blessing The law bringeth bondage The Gospell spirituall liberty The lawe is the letter The Gospell is the spirite The lawe hath promises but with this condition if ye shall doo all those thinges The promises of the Gospell are free and therefore firme There mought be rehersed also other differences whereby these two differ very much a sunder But at thys tyme we thinke these to be sufficient Whiche thinges yet are not iudged true by humaine reason Neither is it any maruayle for as Plato sayd in his second booke De legibus What soeuer we behold a farre of we know it not thoroughly For there cometh betwene our sight and it a dissines and by farre distaÌ„ce of place darknes shadoweth The cause why many iudge so ill of the Law and of the Gospell our sights But when we come and behold them more nighly theÌ„ we iudge of euery thing a right These things spake he bycause voluptuous and corrupt men could not be perswaded that a good and innocent life is pleasauntest For they iudge of it farre otherwise for that they are very much distant from it But if they would drawe nere vnto it and make a triall therof they should then iudge vprightly So do we at this present pronounce of these men For asmuch as they a far of looke vpon the holy scriptures neither do with any diligent heade taking consider the Gospel and the lawe thereof it commeth to passe that they iudge so ill of them The Apostle addeth of this righteousnes which he speaketh of that it hath the testimony of the law and of the Prophets Which he therfore addeth because that doctrine whiche he set forth mought haue semed new and strange But in the Gospell newnes is Newnes must be remoued away from the Gospel in any wise to be auoyded Therfore he euery where testifieth of the Gospell that it is of antiquity and instituted by God before all worlds And in the beginnyng of this Epistle he wrote that God promised it by hys Prophets in the holy Scriptures At this day also there is a strife betwene vs and the aduersaryes about doctrine whilest they contend that we bring in new things but they abyde stil by the old doctrine But now by the Apostle we learne how this controuersy may be ended What doctrine is called new what olde The doctrine of the Papistes is new forasmuche as it hath no testemonye out of the holy scriptures That doctrine vndoubtedly is old and auncient which hath hys testimony by the lawe and the prophets that is by the holy scriptures And that is to be iudged new wherof there is no mention made in them They haue set vp the Masse wherin one alone doth communicate for others whiche are standers by This hath no testimony thoroughe al the scriptures We affirme that the supper of the Lord ought to be common vnto all the faythfull which thing is most playnely declared by the institution therof as it is set forth in the Gospels and in Paul They geue vnto the lay men the sacrament of the Eucharist mayned which is not only not in the scriptures but also is playnly agaynst the scriptures They defend the inuocations of the dead for the confirmacion wherof they haue nothing out of the holy scriptures They compel the Clergie froÌ„ matrimony they defend purgatory they maintayne Images they vse a strange tongue in their holy seruices they obtrude the choyse of meats garments shauings vnctions and a thousand such like trumperyes as things necessary vnto the worshippinge of God and that vtterly without any testimony of the scriptures Let them learne of Paul who endeuouring to teache righteousnes to come by Christ sayeth that it hath testimony of the law and of the prophets and not that he made it of his owne head But the doctrines of these men do aduaunce impietye For they obtrude the fayned inueÌ„tions of men as necessary worshippinges of God And forasmuch as they haue no testimony out of the scriptures it must follow of necessity that they are new But the reason Why newnes is to be taken hede of in religion why newnes ought to be auoyded in religion is because the Lord commaunded in Deutronomy that from his commaundements and rytes they should nether take away any thing nor adde therunto Euen Plato also in his lawes and Pub. welth forbiddeth that there should be any innouation in thinges pertayning vnto religion In deed mens laws may sometymes be changed for that the form of the Pub. Humane lawes may be chaunged welth is sometymes altered Neyther do those lawes which serue for a kingdome serue for that gouernemente which is executed by the noble men or a Pub. welth that is ruled by the people Farther the lawgeuers forasmuch as they are men can not se all things And there happen daily many cases for which they are fayne both to correct and to change laws And eueÌ„ as in artes throughe continuance of tyme somewhat is found wherby they are made more perfect so lawes also in successe of tyme are oftentymes amended and brought into a better forme But none of al these rases taketh place in the lawes of God For as touching the Church it chaungeth The politicall gouernment of the church chaungeth not his forme not his forme it is alwaies one and the self same Pub. welth and there is nothing hidden from the vnderstanding of God which is the author of those lawes He forsâ—â—th all thinges neyther is his knowledg increased by successe of tyme. Wherfore it is not mete that men should attempt to alter any thing in his lawes But now let vs se what testimonyes there are of this righteousnes in the lawe and the Prophets which Paul asserteth And although Christ sayd generally that Moses wrote of him and Luke declareth that Christ beyng apparelled like a stranger and talking by the way with the twoo Disciples began at Moses and then tought them by the prophets and psalmes yet is there no certayne place brought forth wherin is expressedly made mention of the Messias And yet neuertheles if we will
things of greate wayght are added signes commonly vsed As when princes are consecrated whē matrimonies are contracted when bargainings gifts or other such like couenaunts of great waight are made For we desire to haue them to the vttermost witnessed and to be knowne not only by reason but also by the sences But there can be no other efficient cause of the sacramentes geuen but either God or our Lord Iesus Christ who also is verily God and of them ought we to haue an euident testimony out of the holy scriptures Which thing is most plainly declared by the definition which we haue now set forth For thus we defined them namelye that sacramentes are signes not indede naturall but appointed that by the will of God And this his will can not be made known vnto vs but onely out of the holy scriptures And therfore it is no hard matter to know how many they are in number in the new Testament We sée y◠How many the sacramentes of the new testament are New found out sacramentes excluded Christ instituted Baptisme and the Eucharist but the other sacramentes which the schole deuines set forth can not by the worde of GOD be proued to be sacraments We speake not this as though we deny that matrimony is to be had in reuerence or that the ordinations of ministers is to be retained still or that penance is to be doue although we reiect auriculer confession and other the abuses thereof deny it to be a sacrament otherwise euen we also do highly esteme these things but not as sacraments Neither dislike we with that confirmation whereby children when they come to age should be compelled to confesse their faith in y◠church and by outwarde profession to approue that whiche was done in Baptisme when they vnderstoode nothing but yet in such sort that of such an action we frame not a sacramēt But as touching extreme vnctiō it is manifest y◠it nothing pertayneth vnto vs especially seing it had no lōger any force then whilest the gifts of healings were extant in the Church And forasmuch as those giftes are now long since taken away it were absurde to kepe still the vayne signe thereof Neither also dyd Why besides baptisme and the Eucharist the rest are not properly sacramentes Basilius putteth vnction amongst traditions neither saith he that it is had out of the scriptures Christ commaund that this vnction should perpetually be vsed in the church But those other things which we before spake of although they may still be wyth profite retained yet are they not properly sacramentes eyther bicause they haue not outward signes or els bicause they wantmanifest words of promises which should by a visible signe be sealed or els bicause there is no commaundemēt of God extant wherby we are bound to obserue these thinges Basilius in his booke de spiritu sancto where he reckneth vp the traditions of the church maketh mencion of the signe of the crosse wherwith we ought to defend our selues and that adorations vppon the Sonday and from the resurrection vnto the feast of Penticost ought to be done standing vpright Amongst others also he reckeneth holy vnction Hereby we sée y◠this father held not that this vnction is had out of the holy scriptures which thyng our aduersaries rashly do Farther by his wordes we gather of how great waighte it is when as it is put amongst the number of those thinges which haue now long since growen out of vre Now let vs sée what be the effectes of the sacraments The Effectes of the sacramentes maister of the sentences in the 4. booke in the first dist putteth thre effectes of the sacramentes For he would that as men for pleasure sake haue made themselues subiect vnto thinges sensible and inferiour vnto themselues so now they should for piety sake do the same that of a certaine modesty or as they speake humilitie they should suffer themselues to be made subiect vnto these visible signes of the sacraments By the sacraments we are not made subiect vnto creatures In the sacramentes we are instructed touching thinges diuine But herein he far erreth For by the sacraments we are not made subiect vnto creatures neither ought we to worship them Onely the mind is there erected vnto God that man may be restored vnto his olde dignitie For he is set to be aboue all things which are sene and not to be subiect vnto them The second effect he putteth to be erudition that by the outwarde signes we should be instructed of things heauenly Which thing we also vndoubtedly affirme Lastly he sayth that therfore thei were iustituted that we should not be idle but be profitably exercised in true ceremonies rasting away supersticions But this vnles it be declared is not very plaine For we are sufficiently occupied in beleuing praying readyng of the word of God and doing good to our neighbours But outward ceremonies although they be instituted of God yet without faith they nothing profit Wherfore the exercising of them doth not of it selfe please God Howbeit if faith be presēt supersticions can take no place for that it hath alwayes a regard vnto the worde of God Wherfore after this maner they may be called exercises of faith and of pietie and be counted acceptable vnto GOD. But we will after a better sorte set forth these effectes of the sacraments First we say that they instruct vs which thing is alredye said Secondly that they kindle in vs fayth a desire of the promises of God Thirdly that they knit vs together in a streighter bond of charity for that we are By the sacramentes the holy ghost kindleth in vs fayth Other effectes What thinges are repugnante vnto the sacramentes Vnto the sacraments are sometimes attributed those thinges which long vnto the thinge signified Who be sacramentaries They are not bare signes A sacramēt is not of his owne nature a sacrifice all initiated with one and the selfe same mysteries And to these may two other effects also be added For by the sacraments we are both seperated from other sects also are admonished to lead an holy life But touching grace whither it be conferred by the sacraments or no we shall afterward sée These things being thus ordered there are two thinges which are contrary and repugnaunt vnto the nature of the sacraments The first is if we attribute to much vnto them For by y◠meanes is easely brought in idolatry when as that which belongeth vnto God onely is ascribed vnto a creature And if at any time the sacraments are sayd either to saue or to remit sinnes or any such like thing the same ought to be vnderstand of the thing signified and not of the signes For these thinges onely procéede of the promise and liberality of God whiche is sealed vnto vs by visible signes And oftentimes it happeneth that both the scriptures and the fathers seme to attribute vnto the signes those things which only belong
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
any worke we shall of 〈…〉 ty graunte that it commeth of the grace of God and that we muste noâ— lea 〈…〉 our selues any prayse thereof though it be neuer so smal But bycause God 〈…〉 th â—s to worke Why our workes are alwayes vnperfect who so long as we liue here are not fullye cleansed thereof it commeth that our workes are alwayes vnperfect Moreouer it they were thâ— causes and merites of eternall life we might with security put confidence in them But that the holy scriptures playnely forbid For Paule in thys epistle sayth I iudge that the suffringes of thys time are not worthy the glory to come which shall be reuealed in vs. In thys place Paul considereth good worke in that they are of God For We haue it not of our selues to suffer for Christe we haue not of our selues to suffer aduersities for Christes sake For it is God which worketh in vs that suffring And yet though it be neuer so greate Paul sayth that it is not be compared vnto the glory to come But these men appoynt in a merite as they vse to speake de Condigno that is of worthines Thirdly the aduersaries contend that good workes are the cause of eternall lyfe Workes ar not the causes of eternall lyfe sine qua non Good workes are a beginning of Eternall life Howe good workes are said to be meanes by which God lendeth hys vnto eternall life This word merite vsed among the fathers It is the safest way to abstaine froÌ„ this worde merite This word merite is not vsed in the holy scriptures A place vnto the Hebrues A place of Ecclesiastes sine qua non that is without which it cannot be obteyned Which sentence how ridiculous it is young infantes whom we know are saued without workes can testifie For although they by reason of age can do nothing that is good yet do they obteine eternall lyfe Therfore this cause is not of so great waight that without it no man can be saued And in those that are of full age to speake properlye good workes can not haue the nature of a cause For in them those are nothing els but a beginning of eternall lyfe Wherfore seyng they are a certaine part of eternall life they cannot be counted causes therof Nether ment I any other thing els wheÌ„ before I said that good workes are meanes and as it were certaine steps by which God leadeth his vnto eternal lyfe I graunt in dede yâ— among the fathers is oftentimes found yâ— name of merite which word I would to God they had more seldom with greter consideration vsed For that word hath engendred most vile errors Although the fathers themselues in many places mitigate and leuiste that worde by expositions to the end we should vnderstand that they ment not the iust and proper nature of merite For they alwayes admonish that eternall life is geuen fréelye and that the saintes are crowned by the mercye and compassion of God and that we oughte not to truste vnto merites bicause they canne not consiste before the iudgemente seate of God and other suche like Whiche sentences if our aduersaries would earnestly weigh and ponder they would not so malepertly and stubbernly defend those merites which they call ex Condigno But as I haue said it is yâ— safest way vtterly to abstain froÌ„ this word especially seing it is neuer once vsed through out the whole Scriptures But they vse to obiect a place out of the 13. chap. of the epistle vnto the Hebrewes Talibus hostis promeretur deus which after the Latine is thus englished with such sacrifices is God wonne as by merite But in the Greke in the place of this word promeretur that is is wonne or merited is written this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth is delighted or accepteth theÌ„ They obiect also a place out of the 16. chap. of Ecclesiasticus Omnis misericordia faciet locum vnicuique secundum meritum operum fuorú whiche accordyng to the Latine is thus englished All mercy shall make place vnto euery one accordyng to the merite of his workes But first that booke is not in the Canon Of that that Augustine said howe Paul might haue sayde eternall life is the stipend of righteousnes ArgumeÌ„ts ought to be taken of that which is written in the holye scriptures and not of that which mought haue bene written Paul could not write otherwise then he wrote farther the place is not wel cited For in Greke it is thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is all mercy shall make place euery one shal finde according to his dedes In which wordes is nâ— meÌ„tioÌ„ at all made of merite Now let vs examine that which before we said Augustine writeth namely that the Apostle mought truely haue sayd eternall lyfe is the stipeÌ„d of righteousnes but he would not Here first I say that argumentes ought to be taken of that which we are faught in the holy scriptures and not of that which mought otherwise be written in the scriptures Wherfore it is a weake argumeÌ„t for a maÌ„ to say yâ— apostle mought haue said eternal life is yâ— stipend of righteousnes wherfore righteousnes deserueth eternal life Bicause yâ— argumeÌ„t ought to be takeÌ„ of yâ— words of Paul For if it were lawful to reason after this maner theÌ„ sound arguments which leane vnto the worde of GOD should be weakened For there mought be alwayes obiected althoughe the Scripture so haue it yet it moughte haue ben spoken otherwise And by that meanes we should haue nothing certain And although I haue declared what Augustine ment by these wordes yet I can not therfore be easily persuaded to thinke that the Apostle could haue writteÌ„ otherwise then he wrote For if the other kinde of speach should haue geuen occasion of hautines and pride then could it not edeffe it behoued him also to follow the sayinges of the holy ghost And although that sentence mought peraduenture be spoken of righteousnes taken by it selfe yet can it by no meanes be spoken of vs of our righteousnes Wherfore seing that sentence could neither edifie nor make any thing to the purpose I sée not how Paul could so haue writen Howbeit in this matter I will not contend more then is mete with Augustine The seuenth Chapter KNow ye not brethern for I speake to them that know the lawe that the law hath dominion ouer a man so long as he liueth For the woman which is in subiectioÌ„ vnto a man is bound by the law to the man while he liueth but if the man be dead she is deliuered from the law of the man So then if while the man liueth she take an other man she shall be called an adultresse but if the man be dead she is free from the law so that she is not an adulteresse though she take an other man Wherfore ye my bretherne are dead also to the law by the body of Christ that ye should be
that it is good nowe he after a sort goeth vp one steppe higher which pertayneth only vnto the Godly For theyr will towardes the lawe is not a colde will but pleasant feruent and The will of the godly towardes the law is not cold The vngodly are not kindled with a true loue to that whiche to good The saints tooke great pleasure of the law of God vehement With great endeuor they contende that they may indéede performe that which in minde they desire But the vngodly although by a naturall light which is not vtterly extinguished in them they haue some knowledge of iustice and vertue yet are they not kindled with a true loue of things good Wherefore yâ— Apostle writeth not these things vnto theÌ„ but vnto the godly which euery moment striue against yâ— lust which is grafted in theÌ„ by nature But how great a plesure yâ— good meÌ„ take of yâ— law of God many places of yâ— scripture testefie Dauid in his 1â—9 psalme sayth Blessed are they which walk in the Law of the Lord and which seke the testemonies thereof And in his 1. psalme Blessed are they which meditate in his Law day and night And in an other place The Law of God sayth he is more precious then gold and precious stones and more swete then hony and the hony combe And other infinite such like testemonies But there is very much difference betwene the godlâ— and men straungers from Christ For the wise men amongst the Ethnikes did Difference betwene the Ethnikes and godly men put the greatest part of theyr felicity herein that they might alwayes remember the notable actes by them done But they greatly reioysed not of the knowledge of the true and perfect righteousnes bycause they perfectlye knew it not But the sayntes contrarywise alwayes cast theyr eyes vpon the Law of God and when in it they se before theyr eies drawen out the portrature of a iust man and the perfect image of God whereunto we are created they can not but wonderfully reioyce But afterward wheÌ„ they turne aside theyr eyes to their works they are excedingly sory for that they se them so much to fayle of the example set before them So paynters when they se an image excellently set forth they A similitude take therein great pleasure But when as hauing enterprised to make such an other they se that they can not attayne to that liuelines and excellency they begin to be sory and to be angry There is noted also in Pecockes the selfe same An other similitude kinde of affection for when they haue erected vp theyr fethers they delighting in the pleasant variety of the colours seme much to reioyce But agayne when they behold theyr deformed and blacke fete streight way theyr courage is deiected and they let downe theyr fethers So the godly delight in the Lawe of God and are inflamed with great loue to his commaundementes but contrariwise they lament and are sory for the filthines which they find to be in al their works Concerning the inward man Sithen Paul calleth the regenerate part of man by this name it can not be doubted but that he speaketh of the whole man For man consisteth not only of the body and of flesh but also of the soule and of that part whiche they commonlye call rationall And this whole man is called both inward outward He is called the Inward man in that he is moued by The whole man is called both inward and outward in diuerse respectes the spirite which worketh in our inwarde partes and of stony hartes maketh fleshy hartes But he is called outward in that he is taken with the delights of this world with riches honors goodly shewes and such like thinges For all these are outward thinges So the Apostle hath now proued the first part which he put forth namely That he would doo good and that he delighted in the law of God concerning the inward man Now he goeth to the other part to declare that he is agaynst his will drawen to other thinges I fele an other Lavv in my members resisting the Lavv of my mind and leding me captiue into the Lavv of sinne vvhtch is in my members This Law which he describeth is the force of sinne and of our naturall corruption He calleth it the Law of members for that before he called this whole euil the body of sinne but a body hath members Farther members in this place signifieth as I haue before admonished all the powers of the minde and all the partes of the body now contaminate with sinne The Apostles minde was to declare that this disease drawen from our birth stayeth not only in some one part of vs but persâ—th thorough out the whole man and thoroughout-all his partes Here we haue sondry Sondrye names of lawes What the law being aâ— large taken signifieth names of Lawes for hece is mencioned The Lawe of God The Lawe of the minde The Law of sinne The Law of the members And this hereof commeth for that the Law is largely taken for all that whiche gouerneth moderateth our actions And bycause our actions procede not all from one greuÌ„d thereof it commeth that there are diuers names of Lawes Although the Law of the mind and the Law of God is one and the same It is called the Law of God bicause by it is expressed the will of God And it is called the Law of the mind for that it raigneth chiefely inwardly and is most knowen in the minde The Law of sinne also and the Law of the members is one and the same It is called the Law of sinne bycause such lust is of it selfe sinne and of it selfe bringeth forth other sinnes and it is called the Lawe of the members for that it vseth all our Why sinne to adorned with the name of law partes strenths and faculties for instrumeÌ„ts Chrisostome warely admonisheth that sinne is not for any his owne dignity adorned with the name of Lawe for that commeth thorough our default for that we obey sinne as a Lawe For so Christ called Mammon Lord and Paul called the bely God Rebeâ—ling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a greate conflict betwene these two Lawes for the Law which is in my members laboureth to lede me away captiue and to make me a bondsclaue vnto the Law of sinne But if the Law of sin and the Law of the memvers be one and the same how is the one sayd to lede away a man captiue vnto the other This is not without greate consideration Lust grafted in vs impelleth vs to actual sinnes sayd For so long as lust grafted in vs which is sinne resisteth the Law of God by which Law the knowledge of the minde is enstructed it impelleth vs to many kindes of sinnes Those are commonly called actuall sinnes whereunto our lust and corrupt oâ—sposition incline vs. But this maketh vs subiect vnto the law of sinne that is vnto death for death as
Paul here writeth He hath deliuered me from the right of sinne and of death That is from the guiltines or bond whereby we were bound vnto sinne and vnto eternall death And when this bond is taken away there then remaineth nothing why we should feare condemnation But forasmuch as that is said to happē through the spirite of Christ it manifestly appeareth that men are not iustefied by workes For workes follow the spirite and are saide to be the fruites thereof And this deliuery pertayneth only vnto them which are in Christ that we may vnderstand that all they are excluded which boast of faith and of the Gospell yet in the meane tyme do wallow in most grosse sinnes and are straungers from Christ and whereas they committe many thinges against their conscience yet are they not touched with any repentaunce This which is added which walke not according to the fleshe but according to the spirit expoundeth y◠which was before saide To be in Christ And that we may the better vnderstād that it is all one we must repeate that whiche the Apostle a litle before wrote Let not sinne raigne in your mortall body that this although ye be stirred vp by these lustes yet ye ought not to permitte vnto thē the dominion of your minde And that which the Apostle in this place declareth bringeth with it a great consolation They which are shut vp fast in prison and do know themselues to be A similitude guilty do looke for nothing els but sentence of death now if to them pardon and forgeuenes should be offred they not looking for it they can not but excedingly be glade and reioyce So we when we see that damnation is dewe vnto vs for our sinnes can not but excedingly reioyce at these tidinges when we heare out of the holy scriptures that all thinges are freely forgeuen vs for Christes sake Wherefore if we desire to haue the fruition of this so great a benefite it is necessary that we beleue the pardon which is offred vnto vs. For thys liberalitye of God wyll nothynge profite vs without faythe Althoughe by that whiche we haue nowe spoken I doubte not but that men maye vnderstande what the meaninge of Paul is yet are there sower thynges Foure thinges put forth to be examined whiche shall not be vnprofytable more dilygentlye to examyne Fyrste what that is wherby we are deliuered Secondly from what kind of euill we are deliuered Thirdly what maner of thing this deliuery is Lastly vnto whome it pertaineth As touching the first the Apostle saith that condemnation is taken away by the law of the spirit of lyfe wherby we vnderstand the holy ghost which gouerneth our mindes and ruleth them by his inward motions With which exposition agréeth Chrisostome For euen as saith he the law of sinne is sinne so the lawe of the spirite is the spirite But in that this worde of lyfe is added some do thus vnderstand it as though that worde should be ioyned with the worde law so that the law should be called the law of the spirite and the law of life But the nature of y◠Greke tong semeth to vrge that that worde should be an epitheton or proprietie of the spirite For thus it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is of the spirit of lyfe Here the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coupleth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of lyfe with the spirit and not with the law Wherfore the sence is that we are deliuered by the spirite the author of life and not by euery spirite which is cold and wanteth lyfe Ambrose by the law of y◠spirite vnderstoode faith which law he putteth as a meane betwene y◠two other lawes betwene the law of Moses I say and the law of the flesh Faith driueth not nor forceth vnto vices as before Paul taught that the law of the members and of the flesh doth Neither is faith as the law of Moses which only admonisheth what ought to be done but geueth not strengths to do it neither forgeueth whē any thing is committed against it For faith both teacheth what is to be don and also bringeth strengths to do the same and when any fault is committed it obteyneth pardon for the same Hereby we sée what is to be vnderstand by the law of the spirite of life namely the holy ghost or els fayth For either is true for in very deede y◠author of our deliuery is y◠spirit of Christ And y◠instrument which he vseth The efficicient cause and 〈◊〉 of our saluation to saue vs by is faith For it is the first gift wherwith God adorneth and decketh men that are to be iustified by it to embrace the promises set forth vnto thē Now to vnderstand the second part namely fro what we are deliuered We are deliuered from the law of sinne and death By these wordes is not signified the law of Moses although by faith in Christ we ar deliuered from it also ▪ But the Apostle entreateth not therof at this present neither is the law of Moses called in y◠The law of Moses is no◠called the law of sinne holy scriptures the law of sinne For although thorough it sinne be encreased yet doth it not commaund sinne neither was sinne the author of it yea rather the law of Moses is called spiritual partly because the holy ghost was the author of it who gaue it in Mount Sina and partly because all those things which it commaundeth are spirituall neither are they agreable vnto lust nor vnto our flesh It may It is called the law of death but yet per accidens that is by chaunce in dede after a sort be called the law of death for in the latter epistle to the Corrinthians it is called the ministery of death but these thinges are not to be applyed vnto it but thorough our default For otherwise of it selfe it setteth forth those things which should be profitable vnto lyfe But it lighteth vpon the peruersenes of our nature and therof it commeth that death followeth it Which reason if we should follow the Gospell also might be called the instrument of death For Paul The Gopell is per accidens the instrument of death in his latter epistle to the Cor. thus writeth Vnto some we are the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe but vnto other some the sauor of death vnto death Wherfore there is great cōsideration to be had with what maner of sauor we sauor the Gospell For it is not to be meruailed at that of one and the selfe same thing do follow contrary effectes For we sée daily that one and the self same sonne both drieth vp clay and also melteth waxe But seing it is so a man may meruaile why the Gospell is not in the holy scriptures called the ministery of death as the law of Moses is Ambrose answereth Because the Gospell of hys owne nature condemneth not but those which beleue not it leaueth
then to predestinate in nature For God no lesse séeth those things also which are not then if they wer now extant Therfore Chrisostome very wel saith That men in things present take councell but vnto God those thinges towardes vs were long since approued and despised It semeth y◠foreknowledge is here no amplier nor largelier thē takē predestination For Paul in descending from the generall word to the speciall should not haue sayd Whome he foreknew those also hath he predestinate neither whom he predestinated those also hath he called neither whome he called those also hath he iustified For by this meanes some may be foreknown which ar not predestinate and some predestinate which are not called and some also called which are not iustified and last of all some iustified which shall not be glorified which thing yet is not so For the Apostles intent is to persuade that al things shall turne vnto vs to Here to cal extendeth no farther then to iustifie and to glorify A fayned deuise of the Schole men good and that we shall without all doubt be glorified This he proueth by y◠that we are called But if to be called should extend farther then to be glorified his argument should conclude nothing And if we may of calling rightly inferre iustification and glorification we may also of foreknowledge inferre predestination Wherfore by this place can not be proued that fond deuise of the scholemen which say y◠only the damned and reprobate are foreknowen For say they forasmuch as they are not predestinate neither haue any title proper vnto them they must nedes be left vnder the common name of foreknowledge and God only foreknoweth their euill workes and damnation and doth not predestinate them vnto those thynges but of this matter we wil more at large speake in an other place But as Origene in this place hath noted the Scripture in no place maketh mencion y◠wicked men are foreknown of God Wherfore sithen the scripture so speaketh not foreknowledge in this place is not taken more largely then predestination let vs leaue vnto them their fond deuise especially seing Peter in his first chap. of his first epistle This word foreknown agreeth with Christ and therfore it pertayneth not onely to the reprobate A similitude saith of Christ that he was foreknowen Hereby it is manifest that that word forasmuch as it is attributed vnto Christ pertaineth not only vnto the reprobate For Christ is the hed of all the elect Now the Apostle semeth to speake after the maner of men For they first chuse vnto themselues those things which please them and then do they appoint them to some certaine and assured endes and beyng so determined they prepare and adorne them and make them méete vnto the end apointed As if a man light vpon faire goodly stones first he chuseth them out appointeth them for some buildyng when he hath so done he causeth them to bée polished and hewed of some workeman and to be brought to some beautifull forme But how the holy scriptures vse these words predestination and foreknowledge How the scripture vseth these wordes it is not hard to gathe◠out of other places In the Acts of the Apostles the 7 chap it is written Him when ye had receaued by the handes of the wicked ye crucified and slew being deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God Here the scripture ioyneth together determinate counsell and foreknowledge And in the 4. chap. Herode and Pilate gathered thēselues together to do whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had predestinate before to be done Here also predestination is ioyned together with the counsell of God And Peter in hys first epistle and first chapiter Vnto the dispersed thorough Pontus Galatia Asia and Bithinia being elect according to foreknowledge Here also foreknowledge is ioyned with electiō And in the same chapiter it is written that of Christe whiche I before alledged namelye That we are redemed with the most precious bloud of Christ as of a lambe immaculate which was foreknowen before the foundacions of the world were layd Nether is this to be omitted that foreknowledge and foredetermination pertayneth not only vnto men but also vnto things and vnto works Paul in his first to the Corinthians Foreknowledge and foredetermination comprehēde not onely men but also thinges workes Predestination consisteth not in time but frō eternity The end of predestination is that we should be vnto like Christ By what meanes we are made firmable vnto Christ We speake sayth he wisedome amongest the perfect which wisedome God hath predestinated to our glory And vnto the Ephesians We are created in Christ to good works which God hath prepared that we should walke in them And such good workes hath God prepared by hys foreknowledge and predestination But there can be no time assigned of hys predestination for it as we haue sayd was before the foūdaciōs of the world were layd and before all eternity of time But to what end we are predestinate the Apostle expresseth in these wordes To be made conformable to the image of his sonne To be conformable vnto hys image is to be like vnto it Wherefore sithen Christ is the perfect image of the father when we are made conformable vnto him we approch vnto the similitude of God But in what thing consisteth this conformity vnto Christ I thinke is thus to be vnderstand Christ is now in glorye and sitteth at the right hand of the father and is happy blessed and immortal vnto the selfe same felicity are we also predestinate Farther God hath so ordeyned that that thinge is now in this life after a sort begonne in vs whiche shall afterward in an other life be accomplished Wherefore we are also made conformable vnto Christ by good works holy maners innocēcy of life Farther euē as he whilest he liued in thys world was alwayes conuersant in the crosse and in tribulations so also must we for his sake suffer crosses and tormentes And as these things wrought in Christ to felicity and glory so also shall they worke in vs. For so Paul writeth of him vnto the Phillippians For which cause also God hath exalted him geuē vnto him a name which is aboue al names that in the name of Iesus euery knee should bowe And of vs Paul sayth in thys place Vnto them that loue God that is to them that are predestinate and called according to purpose all thinges turne to good Of thys conformity vnto Christ by purenes of life it is spokē in an other place Be not ye made like vnto this world but be renewed in newnes of your minde And to the end we should be made like vnto Christ he would by incarnation be made like vnto vs. Wherefore we must endeuour our selues as Paul sayth to the Ephesians That in vnitye of fayth and in knowledge of the truth of God we maye meete him into a perfect man and into the measure
the Prophets and of the Psalmes the Hebrew prophetes and also in the Psames that the latter â–ª part of the periode should repete that which was spoken in the first Which thing he doth here most playnly and with much efficacy For first he touched the diuinity of Christ when The diuinitie of Christ thre times proued by this place he sayd as touching the fleshe for that particle should not haue bene necessary if there had bene in Christ nothyng els but his humane nature And he addeth Who is ouer all Which thing belongeth to God only Wherefore that which was in those clauses spoken somewhat obscurelye in the other part of the Periode he speaketh more expressedly For he sayth Who is ouer all God blessed for euer Amen Neither is the reason of Ambrose lightly to be considered that we ought not in this place to séeke any other thing or any other persoÌ„ wheÌ„ as here is purposedly entreaty made only of yâ— Son Erasmus excuseth this his deuise that he nothinge hindreth the diuine nature which we affirme to be in Christ especially seing the same may be aboundantly proued by other places of the scriptures We answere that we also know ryght well that the diuine nature in Christ is by many other places of the scriptures sufficiently testified but yet we thinke that this is also together with the rest to be retained for so we sée all the fathers haue done Neither is it mete that we should without cause decaye the armory of the Church which we ought rather dayly to fill and to renew But peraduenture he will say They trust but a litle to other places which so earnestly contende for this one Verely we do not a litle put confidence in other places but seing that this place is very firme and cleare we wyll not loose it The commentaryes of Orygen testify that these thynges are spoken of Christ as though Paul in these wordes woulde refell those which at that tyme durst not openly call Christ God which is meruayle to heare Origen affirme when as he otherwise did not rightly thynke of the sonne of God But Erasmus thinketh that that part in those coÌ„meÌ„taries to the Romanes is none of his For he sayth that Ruffinus or whosoeuer he were that turned Origen amended certayne things of purpose that the readers should not be to much offended And Ierome agaynst Ruffinus testifieth that Origen in hys other bookes neuer wrote well of these thinges touching which he had erred in hys bookes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which if it be true then forasmuch as in those bookes he had a most wicked iudgement of the sonne of God it may easely be proued that those thinges could not be written of him in his commentaries to the Romanes But howsoeuer it be touching Origen for his commentaries to the Romanes are not extant in the Greke wherby we might any thing iudge of them thys is certayne that Ciprian a most auncient writer in his 2. booke agaynst the Iewes the 5. chapiter vseth this testimony to proue the diuinity of Christ Although when he citeth the wordes of Paul he leueth out this word God Which same thing Hilary did vpon the 122. Psalme But that may seme to come thorough the negligence of the writers as Erasmus himselfe confesseth Neither is this to be omitted that that particle Ouer all maye be adioyned vnto that particle which followeth Blessed so that the sence is God which is to be praysed aboue all But not as though the word of God hath fallen away For not all they which are of Israell are Israelits nether are they all children which are the sede of Abraham but in Isaake shall thy seede be called That is Not they which are the children of the flesh are the children of God but they which are the children of the promise are counted for the seede For thys is a word of promise In thys same time will I come and Sara shall haue a sonne And not onlye thys but also Rebecka when she had conceyued by one euen by our father Isaake For the children being not yet borne and when they had done neither good nor euill that yâ— purpose of God might remaine according to election not by workes but by him that calleth It was sayd vnto her The elder shall serue the younger As it is written Iacob haue I loued â–ª and Esau haue I hated But not as though the worde of God hath fallen away Those thynges which Paul had spoken in the commendation of the Iewes semed as Chrisostome sayth to haue aggrauated the question For the Iewes were offended for that they being adopted into the people of God and hauing the Law geuen vn-them and endewed with promises should be reiected and in theyr places should be put the Gentiles which had bene alwayes aleants from God without adoption without the Law and without any promise at all of Christ And thys offence had now so much increased amongest theÌ„ that they sayd that that Christ whome Paul preached was not the true Messias promised of God Paul considering these things with him selfe ernestly lameÌ„ted that the Iewes were reiected But lest any man should thinke that he so lamented as though he thought that the promises of God were made voyde therfore he now both defeÌ„deth himselfe and the promises I doo not sayth he therefore speake these thinges or am therefore so ernestly sorry for that I thinke that the worde of God is fallen away for I know that his promises are constant and firme although these men perish I bewaâ—â—e indede theyr case but yet not so that I thinke that the league and couenant The cause of the griefe of Paul with God made with the children of Abraham is violated For although the Iewes being blinded refuse the Gosple yet the promises of God abide constant But that which moueth me thus to bewayle my nation is this for that when as I know that vnto that nation were made the promises and do se that so many of them do perish now I perceaue that that saluatioÌ„ promised pertayneth only to a few for which thing doubtles I am excedingly sorry For not all they vvhich are of Israell are Israelites neither are they all children vvhich are the sede of AbrahaÌ„ but in Isaake shall thy sede be called That these thinges may the playnlier be vnderstanded this we ought to know that the Apostle toke this as a thing most manifestly knowen by the holy scriptures that the promise touching Christ and euerlasting saluatioÌ„ was made vnto yâ— Iewes vnto the Iewes I say that is vnto the posterity of Abraham which should be The cause of saluation commeth not of carnall procreation borne of his flesh but yet that naturall procreation from Abraham was not the cause of saluation and of receauing Christ For if that had bene the cause then coulde none issuyng from him haue bene frustrated of the promise of God But that some were frustrated the Apostle declareth in Ismaell
faineth two children to be borne of vngodly parentes and strangers from Christ both of them are cast forthe and set to daunger of death And the one of them in deede dieth but the other being of somewhat more stronger nature is by a Christian by chance comming by preserued and brought to the Church and baptised and is with other of the faythfull made a partaker of Christ Verely touching the saluation of the one childe we haue nothing that we can certainly affirme but of the other if the childe dye we can skarsely put any doubt And if the matter be so we affirme that one of them was elected and the other reiected Wherevnto then had the election of God a regarde Thou canst not say vnto workes foresene when as those thinges which shall neuer come to passe can not be foresene For the prouidence of God prouideth those thinges which shall come to passe and not those thinges which shall not be yea rather he forseeth that those thinges shall not come to passe Wherefore we see that that deuise touching workes foreseene can not in all cases satisfy humane reason Wherefore we must rather beleue Paul who leadeth vs to the highest cause namely to the wyll of God whereunto doubtles we do iniury if we thinke that there is any cause aboue it What shoulde we flye vnto the workes of men when as All men are by nature of one and the selfe same disposition and prones to euill This opinion makâ—th Paul very blockish duâ—â—itted â–ª we all are of one the selfe same nature of one the selfe same propriety and of one and the same disposition For that lompe of Adam wherehence we are deriued is vitiated and corrupted whereunto if peraduenture there be added any thing that is good the same it hath of the mere and only goodnes of God Farther they which so teach seeme to make Paul very blockishe and dull witted which could not see that which these men so easely vnderstand For he of the election of God bryngeth no other cause but the purpose and wyll of God And at the last also he crieth out O the depth of the riches c. But these sharpâ— witted men doo euen easely rid themselues of this greated difficulty euen I say by one pore word Augustine being yet a priest and newly baptised expounding this place although he saw that God could not haue a respect vnto our workes to come as causes of predestination wherby he embraseth vs yet he thought fayth foresene to be the cause of his loue towardes vs. And of this his sentence as touching ether part he bringeth this reason It is certayne that good workes are deriued into vs from the holy ghost for thorough him God worketh all in all and the same God geueth vnto vs the holy ghost Wherefore â–ª good workes sayth he forasmuch as they procede from God caÌ„ not any thing moue to his electioÌ„ or predestinatioÌ„ But he thought that God had a respect vnto our fayth and electeth them whome he foreséeth should beleue for that he thought that fayth is of our selues For although we rede sayth he that God worketh all in all yet we rede not that God beleueth all in all Wherfore Augustine erred whilest he was yet a priesâ— he thought it is of our selues to beleue but to work wel he thought to come of God These thinges wrote he being yet rude following as it should appeare to me the doctrine of his father Ambrose For he vpon this selfe same place teacheth the selfe same thing namely that God electeth them whome he knoweth shall afterward beleue But Augustine when his iudgement was now thorough Augustine reuoked his error age excercise more ripe and of deeper consideratioÌ„ reuoked this sentence as it is euident by his first boke of Retractations the. 33. chapiter in which place he thus writeth of him selfe These things had I not writteÌ„ if that I had vnderstode that Faith is no lesse the gift of God then good workes fayth is no les the gift of God then good workes And that fayth is geuen of God he gathereth by that which is written to the Ephesians in the 6. chapiter Charitye and fayth from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christ And in the same epistle the 2. chapiter By grace ye are made safe thorough faith that not of your selues For it is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should boast And vnto Timothe I obteyned sayth he mercy that I might be faithfull but he saith not for that I was faith full To this purpose mought be brought a greate many other sentences but for this present I thought these should suffice And as touching the wordes of Paul Purpose electioÌ„ why they are attributed vnto God no man ought to wonder that the Apostle when he speaketh of these things at tributeth vnto God purpose and election For the holy scriptures euery where frame themselues to our infirmity and speake vnto men after the maner of men By those wordes we vnderstand the constancy and immutability of the will of God For euen as men are wont as touching thinges whiche they haue rashly appoynted afterward when they haue better considered the matter to alter them but those thinges which they haue decréed with good consideration and deliberation they will haue to be firme and to continew so also thinke they of God For that cause Paul calleth his will purpose and electioÌ„ An oracle was geuen to Rebecka That the elder of these two brethern should serue the yonger for she had asked counsell of God what the brethern striuinge together in her wombe signified By this oracle we se that it is God which putteth a difference God putteth a difference betwene those yâ— are borne betwene those which are borne when as otherwise by nature they are equall And promises made to this or that stocke and to this or that posterity signifie nothing else but yâ— of that stocke or posterity shall some be elected but who they be it lieth not in vs to iudge We ought rather to haue a respect vnto the effects and whom we se to be called to beleue to geue themselues to good works those Forasmuch as prebestination is a thing hâ—dden vnto what thinges we ought to haue a respect A similitude to count for elect and alwayes in this matter to haue a regard vnto the commaundementes and vnto the promises that is vnto the outward word of God But concerning the hidden counsell of God as touching euery perticular man we haue nothing reueled vnto vs. But Chrisostome semeth to be against this First â—e sayth That there arose greate offence touching the reiection of the Iewes and the election of the Gentiles especially seing that the Gentiles had alwayes bene vncleane but the Iewes had moste playne promises For it is all one sayth he as if the sonne of a king vnto whome the kingdome semeth to be by
touching Ismaell and Esau whether they be faued or whether they be condemned And the like some do touching Salomon Origen and others such like But I omitte these thinges and thinke of Esau and Ismaell so much onely as the holy scripture hath set forth vnto vs. And I think that there are What is to be thought of Esau no places extant by which we may define any thing touching their saluation The scripture thus speaketh of Esau that he so vehemently hated his brother that he sought to kill him that he sold his birth right that he prouoked h 〈…〉 â—arentes to anger when he had take strange women for wiues that he was a violent man and despised the land of Chanaan promised vnto the fathers and in the epistle to the Hebrues it is written that he although he poured out many teares yet found he no place of repentance Of Ismaell also we reade that he was reiected not only What is to be thought of their stocke by the will of Sara but also by the will of God But touching both their posterities I deny not but that some of them mought be saued no les then some of the stocke of Iacob might become runnagates and obstinate For it is sufficient to the election and reiection of God that some part of ech stocke be either elected or reiected And touching this sentence I haue Ambrose on my side who affirmeth that the most holy man Iob was of the famely of Esau Which saying yet how much it is to be regarded I know not This thing only I dare affirme yâ— as many as were saued that came of Israell those were saued by the grace of God and had a promise of their saluation and on the other side as many as were saued of the stocke of Esau those also were saued by the mere grace of God but there was no peculiar promise touching their saluation But as many as were of that stocke condemed Indefinite promises at not to be vnderstanded of euery one perticulerly they were condemned for their sinnes And the sentence of the reiection of the posterity of Esau is indefinite neither is to be vnderstanded of euery one perticularly But it may séeme more then wonderfull that God in his election worketh not only contrary to our iudgement but also contrary to his own lawes For not only after the mauer of men the first borne are preferred before the rest of the brethern but also by the prescript of the lawe of God they were holy and obtayned a dooble portion of the inheritance But God therefore so doth that we should God doth thinges contrary to his lawes vnderstand that we are saued only by grace and not through any priuiledges or conditions of this life and moreouer to geue vs to vnderstand that he is vtterly free from all lawes For his will is euen iustice it selfe and the rule of all thinges that are vpright and iust But because men can not attayne to the knowledge of of this hidden election therefore we ought to frame our selues to the lawes of of God which are published abroade and set forth to all men For Isaack circumcised his sonne Esau as God had commaunded him neither was he greatly carefull whether he were elected of God or reiected for he was then vtterly ignorant of the counsaile of God But the mother for that she had hard the oracle gaue faith vnto it as it became her and had a care that the blessing mought be distributed according to the will of God And so by her industry it came to passe that Iacob preuented his brother of the blessing Touching which will when the father also was by the spirite of God made more certayne he would by no meanes make voide that which had now passed betwene him and Iacob Paul mought now seme to haue thoroughly defended the truth of the promises of God when as after the example of Ismaell and Isaack which were borne of diuers parentes and at diuers tymes he with so great diligence bringeth in also an other coople of bretheren Iacob and Esau in whome all thinges in a maner were equall For they were borne both of one and the selfe same parentes and in one and the selfe same day and as Augustine saith in his epistle to Sixtus both conceaued at one and the selfe same time least any man mought cauell that the father was better when he begat the one then he was when he begat the other And the mother which bare them both was one and the selfe same woman And although she myght in that space of time whilest she was with child alter her maners and disposition yet that could not in such sort profit the one to be a let vnto the other Although by the Greke it appeareth not that they were both conceaued at one and the selfe same tyme. Howbeit this is red That Rebecka had fellowship by one euen by our father Isaack But Augustine followed the latine translation Farther it is not vnlikely to be true yâ— they which were borne in one and the selfe same tyme were also begotten atone the selfe same tyme especially seing that the Apostle in this place endeuoreth The industry of yâ— holye ghost in Paul in this coople of twynes vtterly to take away all maner of differences In Paul also is to be considered the industry of the holy ghost who when he had affirmed out of the holy scriptures that of these two brethern the one was elected the other reiected bringeth no other reason or cause of the counsell of God but that election should abide according to purpose But because he saw that this would in no case satisfy humane reason therefore he confirmed his sentence by an oracle of Malach. who straight way at the the beginning of his first chapiter thus writeth The Lord hath loued you And ye haue sayd wherein hath the Lord loued vs And the Prophet maketh answere Iacob and Esau were they not brethern But I haue loued Iacob and haue hated Esau Wherefore with Malachy to loue is all one wyth that which Paul hath That the Election of God shoulde abide according to purpose Neither is this to be passed ouer that the Apostle in thus ioyning together these Paul most diligently red the scriptures two testimonies declareth that he had not negligently red the scriptures Wherfore we also must endeuor our selues to do the like when as we shall see places of the scriptures alleadged either of the Apostles or of other writers Paul when he red the Prophet Malachy and saw that God proueth his loue towardes the Iewes by that that he had loued Iacob and hated Esau when yet notwithstanding they were brethern and twines straight way turned himselfe to the history of Genesis and there considered many thinges which mought conduce to adorne and amplifye this matter namelye that they were borne bothe at one and the same time and of one and the selfe same parentes and that the
if they should be receaued he saith Grace can no more be grace And thus much touching Chrisostome Now let vs sée what Ieromes minde is touching this matter He in his 10. question to Hedibia The opinioÌ„ of Ierome beginneth doubtles in my iudgement not very souÌ„dly For he saith that this is a most obscure place when as otherwise in the wordes of the Apostle as touching the question there is no ambiguity at all But he and other such like make the thing obscure whilest they labour to eschew more theÌ„ is nedeful the offence of humane We must not pretend any obscurenes in this chapter reason For Paul if a man haue a regard to the grammaticall sence if in any other place then moste of all in this place obserued both in his interrogation and answere and prospiâ—uous placing of his wordes whatsoeuer mought seme requisite And should be not a litle contumelius against the holy ghost if he would of purpose haue so obscured the doctrine concerning the principall ground of our saluation so that we should not be able to vnderstand it For in this place is entreated Here is entreated of the chiefe promise of our saluatioÌ„ of a matter which is of all other of most waight namely to what thing we ought to attribute our saluation and election whether to our workes foresens or to the frée mercy of God Ierome vsing this for his preface turneth himselfe afterward to reproue Origen howbeit he leueth his name vnexpressed For Origen labouring to iustify God as touching the loue of Iacob and hatred of Esau which as yet had done neither good nor euil sayth yâ— that came to passe by reason of those Plato Pithagoras things which their soules had done before they came into their bodies For of those merites it coÌ„meth yâ— meÌ„ in this life are of diuers estates These things Ierome worthely reproueth For they pertain not to Christian piety but to the doctrine of Plato and of Pithagoras For they fayned sondry courses departures returnes of the soules Why do we not rather saith Ierome confesse our own ignorance This sentence as I commend so also se I that it is not alwayes kept of him which spake it For if he would haue bene content with a godly ignorance he had not fained imagined those questions and suppositioÌ„s of Paul which in very déede are none at all But he would not that the Apostle should seme to haue tought these thinges contrary to common sence For when Paul had said Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated and afterward had added What is there iniquity wyth God and had made answere Ieromes discourse vpon this place God forbid proued by testemonies of the scriptures that God tempereth and moderateth his election according to his wil mercy and power Ierome sought to bow and to wrest those thinges which Paul had most simply spoken as if they were importunatly obiected vnto Paul by way of interrogation as though when Paul had answered God forbid the importunate caueler should go on and say If God sayd vnto Moses I wyll haue mercy on whome I wyll haue mercy and wyll shew compassion on whome I wyll shew compassion then shall it not now be neither of hym that wylleth nor of hym that runneth but of God that hath mercy And if he to thys ende raysed vp Pharao to declare in him hys power what could he then do wythall And if we be as clay in the hand of the potter why do we yet complayne Who can resist hys wyll Shall there be nothing remayning of free wyll Let Paul make answere to these impudent obiections what art thou o man which thus reasonest wyth God Euen by thyne owne malepertnes thou mayst sufficiently vnderstand that thou art not as clay in the hand of the potter For the clay complayneth not of hys maker but thou I wyll not say greuously complaynest but also powrest out blasphemy agaynst the creator and callest hym vniust and euen in thys thou declarest that thou hast free wyll when as thou speakest what thou list yea euen agaynst God himselfe And if God woulde by his greate patience long suffer Pharao and declare his mercy towardes others he is not therefore to be accused of thee the faulte is rather to be layde vppon the sinnes of men For euen as by one and the selfe same heate of the sunne clay is made hard and waxe made soft so by one and the selfe same goodnes of God some are made more obstinate and other some returne to health And therefore were the Gentles admitted into saluation for that they receaued the fayth of Christ and the Iewes were for saken and reiected for that they resisted that fayth Wherefore not the men themselues but theyr wylles are elected Wherfore by these thinges it is euident that Ierome also was of that mynde that the election of God dependeth of the wyll and workes of men And toward the An interpretation of an author not named end of this tenth question he sayth that he had red in a certaine author whose name yet he kepeth in silence that the Apostle doth not only not dissolue the question but also maketh it more intricate by testimonies of the scriptures and reproueth the curious inquisitor after this maner O man what art thou forsoth clay in the hand of the potter Wherefore kepe downe this thy malepertnes with eternall silence and be mindfull of the infirmity which is in man As touching This question caÌ„ not so be dissolued to satisfie humane reason Ierome vpon Malachy yâ— dissolution of the question if Ierome meane of that wherin humane wisdome may be satisfied we also do graunt that the question is not dissolued but if he speake of that kind of solution which ought to be sufficient vnto Christian piety and which may be had in this life there is nothing wanting to this dissolution Of the selfe same matter Ierome vpon Malachy expounding the place which we are now in hand with writeth after this maner The loue and hatred of God is either of foreknowledge or of workes For those God loueth whome he seeth to be haters of sinne and those he hateth whome he seeth wyll build vp those thynges which he wyll haue to be ouerthrowen Finally he saith that God is sayde to loue or to hate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â–ª that is after the maner of men euen as he is sayde to be angry to be sory to reioyce and therefore is he sayd to hate the wicked that we shoulde eschew those thinges whiche we know he hateth I know also that the Rabines of the Hebrues and especially Chimhi when they expound this place of Malachy do runne vnto workes But although in properties phrases of wordes I iudge those men worthy som what to be estemed yet as touching the sence of scripture and doctrine I do not geue much credit vnto them For they are vtterly blinded neither will they
geueth occasions wherby are stirred vp the mindes of the wicked He sendeth also inwardly vehement thoughts which although of a good minde they may be drawen to good yet of a corrupte minde they are corrupted and drawen to euill neyther is it hidden from God who sendeth those thoughts either by him selfe or by the Angells or by the deuill that it shall so come to passe God mought paraduenture rayse vp a vehement cogitation in A note touching the raysing vp of Pharao Pharao touching the defending of his kingdome which cogitation if his minde had bene good mought haue bene turned to good but bycause his mynde was euil neither was it changed of God therfore that cogitation stirred him vp vniustly to rage agaynst the Hebrewes Wherfore he being afeard lest they should to much encrease and in strengths and nomber passe the Egiptians first commaunded the infantes of the Hebrewes cruelly to be slayne after that beinge aferd lest his dominion which he vsurped ouer the Hebrewes should be taken away froÌ„ him and lest they should be by Moses set at liberty he apertly resisted the word of God And the more and more the commaundementes of God were set before him the more was bent that cogitation for the keping still of hys dominioÌ„ and so he was after a sort by Antiperistasin that is by contrary circumstances hardned So is it vnderstaÌ„ded that Pharao was raised vp to persist God That my name might be declared thoroughout the vvhole earth When he sayth the whole earth he comprehendeth together with the Iewes strange nations Of the Iewes it is sayd in the 14 chapiter of Exodus The children of Israell had sene the greate hand which the Lord hath exercised agaynst the Egiptians Moreouer that victory was celebrated of Moses and Maria with a notable song As touching strange nations it is written in the booke of Iosua the second chapiter that Rahab the harlot being an ethnike sayd vnto the espies of the Hebrues We haue harde here of the mightye actes and plagues whiche haue bene done in Egypt of your God and we haue bene wonderfully afrayd Ambrose writeth in thys place that the name of Pharao was not a proper name but rather a surname of all The name of Pharao the kinges of Egipt for at that tyme they were all called Pharaos as afterward they were called Ptolomei when the Macedonians were the chiefe Lordes ouer all as the Romane Emperors were called Cesares or Augusti And in very déede this is certayne that that Pharao which was king of Egipt when Ioseph went downe thether was not this Pharao of whome we now entreate whose hatred and cruelty towardes the Hebrewes is described in Exodus But wherehence that worde was deriued at the beginning thus we may by coniecture gather This Hebrew word Pharaa amongst other thinges signifieth to auenge and especially in the coniugation Hiphil Wherefore I thinke that the wise men of the Egiptians in those auncient tymes ment by that surname to signify what maner a thing the function and power of a king is namely that the Prince is the minister of God who as Paul saith to the Romanes beareth the sword and is an auenger against those which do euill Wherefore the king of Egipt so often as he hard that his name mought call to memory that the auenging of sinnes and of wicked factes pertayned vnto his office and the subiectes being terrefied by that name mought be kepte in dew obedience if yet it may be admitted out of the Hebrew tong to deriue the etimology of an Egiptian word And when the Apostle addeth For the scripture sayth He semeth to admonishe vs that these thinges ought not to be kept secret in Churches For seing that God would haue these Against those which will not haue any thing tought touching predestination thinges so diligently put in writing he would also doubtles haue them tought in Churches which maketh very much against those which thinke that nothing ought to be tought touching predestination Augustine was of this minde that predestination ought to be preached but yet in such sort that the myndes of the hearers should not be alienated from piety And verely if we speake of it so much as is written in the holy scriptures men shall thereby be stirred vp to haue a moderate opinion of themselues and a noble opinion of God and perpetually to geue him thankes for the singular benefite of his election and in others which are reiected and perishe to vnderstand what they had deserued if God would haue delt with them according to his iustice Neither had Paul to any thing els a regard when he vsed this example of Pharao but to teach that God hath the same right ouer all men which he here testifieth that he had ouer Pharao And hereby ought we to gather that although predestination and reprobation do compell no man Predestination and reprobation are certain although they compel none yet can no man decline from the endes which God hath appoynted For touching Pharao it is manifest that he could not be plucked away from his stiffe and hardened opinion neither by plages nor by wonders We may hereby also sée that it is not of him that willeth For so long as men are hardened and do abhorre from piety vnles they be changed by God doubtles they of themselues and by their owne strengthes are neuer able to rise agayne The Hebrew word which is here put is Aamad heiech commeth of the verbe Amad and signifieth to stand but in the coniugation Hiphil it signifieth to make to stand or to erect or to appoynt although many intepretate it to saue as though whereas others fell and died Pharao was preserued and abode And this interpretacion the Chaldey paraphrast foloweth and likewise the seuenty interpreters For thus they haue translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But that which we follow serueth better to the purpose of Paul namely that God to this purpose made Pharao to stand against hymselfe But which way so euer it be taken it must be referred vnto the predestination God doth all thing by his appointed counsel and doth nothing rashly and purpose of God For God doth nothing rashly or by chance but doth all thinges by his certayne and appointed counsell And euen as it is written that he hathe predestinated some certaine singular men before they were borne for so Esay saith in his 49. chapiter The Lord hath called me from the wombe and from the bealy of my mother hath he bene myndfull of my name And the lord in Iere. the first chapiter saith Before I formed thee in the wombe I knew thee and before thou camest out of her bealy I sanctified thee And Paul to the Galath which hath put me As God hath froÌ„ the bâ—ginnyng predestinated some so also hath he reiected some a part from my mothers wombe So also must we thinke of the wicked namely that God appointeth them also vnto their end
Gentiles And forasmuch as they which are called are both by the Prophet and also by the Apostle said not to be the people of God and to be strangers froÌ„ They which are called were before strangers from God Strangers from God can haue no good workes Against merite of congruitie A place of Ose mercy it playnly appeareth what our life and what our workes were before we were called to God Wherefore they are worthely to be reproued which affirme that men euen before iustification are after a sort iust and do by theyr workes deserue of congruity as they vse to speake to be iustified But as touching the prophecy of the Prophet that it may the better be vnderstanded I will as briefely as I can comprehende the whole summe thereof God would haue the Israelites admonished by Osea both of the greate wickednes of theyr idolatrye which they committed and also of the punishmentes whiche GOD would sende vppon them and to the ende they might the more thoroughly be persed he would not vse vnto them a simple kinde of speach but a wayghtye and figuratiue kinde of speach For God commaunded the Prophet to take to wife an harlot and to beget of her children of whoredome By that facte would God teach that he had ioyned vnto himselfe as a wife that nation of the Iewes when yet notwithstanding she was euen from the beginning an harlot For both the parentes of Abraham were idolatrers in Chaldea and also the elders of the Israelits had with most filthy supersticion serued in Egipt and yet did the Lord â—ouchsafe to take them and to count them for his Farther out of that sinagoge also were borne children geuen to fornication who beyond all measure worshipped idols Wherefore God decréed to auenge so great iniury which they had recompensed him with for so many and so great benefits And therfore God commaunded the first sonne of Osea to be named Izrehel which word signifieth the séede of God but with a farre other etimology or deriuation then that whereby yâ— Iewes so greatly boasted that they were the séede of God For God in that place by the name of that sonne would signify that the Iewes should like sede sowen be dispersed and sowed abrode throughout the whole world For he had appointed to ouerthrow the kingdome of the ten tribes ouer whome Iehu was king And to the end God would the more declare the greatnes of his wrath he commaunded the daughter which was afterward borne to be named Lorachamah for that she had not obtayned mercy And the sonne that was last borne he willed to be called Loam that is not my people These names were signes that that people should be Names wâ—r signes of the euent to come reiected that so that they should no more be the people of God neither should they haue the fruition of the benefit of his mercy by which punishement the Iewes were vtterly made equall with the Gentils Wherefore when as the Prophet afterward promiseth that they shal be called the people of God and shal be partakers of his mercy there is nothing to let but that also yâ— selfe same benefit mought be bestowed also vpon the Gentiles for they also at that tyme were not the people of God Neither left the Prophet vnspoken of whence this reconciliation should come namely hereof for that all they which should be called home agayne should take vpon them one name namely Christ Iesus the Messias and Sauior And this instauration began then to take place when the people were brought home againe from captiuity in which thing is to be considered not only the ciuill benefite of the bodies but much more that they were brought againe to restore the Church and to renew the worshipping of God wherby true piety might be nourished and encrease all which things are herein most of all performed in that many are dayly called vnto Christ Paul in this place ioyneth together two testimonies the one out of the first chapter of Osea the other out of the second and that A place of Ose which is put first is taken out of the second chapiter The words in Hebrew are thus Verachamahthi eth lorachamah veamarti loimmah Iemaa atha that is I will haue mercy on her which obteyned not mercy and I will say to it which was not my people thou art my people The other testimony out of the first chap. where it is thus writen Vehaiah bimcom aschar iaamarlahem lohimmi athem vehamar laheni Bene el chai that is And it shal be in the place where it was sayd vnto them ye are not my people there they shal be called the sonnes of the liuing God When as God calleth the people of Israell not his people he declareth what might be vpbrayded vnto them when they waxed insolent against the Gentles which were called vnto Christ for they said that they were strangers from God for the selfe same thing mought be replied against them For God himself by the Prophet so How these things may be applied to the Gentles pronounâ—eth of them Of this oracle the Apostle concludeth that it ought not to séeme a thing new or vnsemely that the Gentiles should pertaine to election and should be made pertakers of the mercy and vocation of God For that which séemed to be a let that it should so come to passe was as the Prophet testifieth common to the Iewes and to the Gentles And if a man diligently weigh the sence of these two places he shall sée â–ª which thing oftentimes happeneth in the Prophets that God setteth before their eyes the sinne wherewith the Israelites were infected namely idolatry after that he declareth the punishment which he would inflict vpon them but least they should begin to dispayre he addeth one only remedy namely our Sauior and Messias so long before waited for And this being thus declared and ordred straight way followeth that which the Apostle here teacheth that forasmuch as both the Iewes and the Gentles are in perdition and destruction out of ech people should rise vp the Church which is the body of the members of Christ For ech of them were like a farre of from saluation But it may séeme wonderfull how the Apostle calleth them not beloued which by conuersion are The scripture speaketh two maner of wayes of the predestinate draweÌ„ vnto Christ For if before they were called they pertayned vnto electioÌ„ how could they be called not beloued But this we ought to know yâ— although the scripture speake sometymes accordyng to the determination of predestination and calleth them the sonnes of God which are not yet conuerted to God for so Iohn writeth that the sonnes which were dispersed might be gathered together in whiche place the Gentiles not yet regenerate are called the sonnes of God yet oftentymes it speaketh contrariwise of men according to their present estate as here we se the Apostle doth and as he doth to the Ephesians the second chapter where
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
vnto Simplicianus in his first booke and 2. question sayth That vocation is of two sortes one is common whereby men are called but not by one and the selfe same maner whereby they are apt to be moued and conuerted others are called as they are apt to be moued neyther sayth he must we thinke that God could not so haue called Esau as he mought be moued and as he mought be made apt for all men are not after one and the selfe same manner moued and allured vnto God Verely forasmuch as he is omnipotent he mought by his impulsion take away y◠hardnes which is grafted in vs. But say they if he would he mought and yet wil not God alwayes do that which he can Let it be so we say euen the selfe same that God ouerhippeth some and will not haue mercy on them and therefore geueth not vnto all men so much as mought be sufficient vnto theyr saluation And in those whome he ouerhippeth he attayneth to that end which he willeth as it is written of Pharao To this purpose haue I raysed the vp to declare in the my power that my name mought be published abrod thorough out the whole earth Christ knew very well as he he him selfe testified that Tire and Sidon and Sodoma should haue bene moued to repentāce if he had shewed vnto them the miracles and doctrine which he shewed vnto the Iewes wherfore Tyre and Sydon wāted that which sufficed The aduersaries are compelled to say that no man is elected of God forasmuch as he gaue not those thinges vnto thē they wanted that which sufficed vnto saluation The lord also sayd vnto the Apostles I haue chosen you but ye haue not chosen me But by the opinion of the aduersaries putting that vniuersall grace no man should be chosen of God forasmuch as he should be after one and the selfe same sort vnto all men yea rather we should chose God in receauing his grace when it is offred and we should be potters of the election of God and should not be formed of him I haue planted saith Paul Apollo hath watred but God hath geuen the encrease that is life and spirite But if those thinges should be put common vnto all men he should rather haue sayd ye haue receaued vnto your selues the spirite life grace The selfe same Apostle sayd that God had begonne in the Corrinthians a good worke and also would performe the same agaynst the day of the lord Which wordes playnly declare that all whole is to be ascribed vnto God namely to beginne and to performe And vnto the Ephesians He worketh all thinges according to the counsell of his will not sayth he according to the counsell of an other mans will Which thing doubtles he should haue sayd if euery mā had in his power to receaue saluation or not to receaue it Agayne vnto the Galathians When it semed good vnto him which seperated me from my mothers wombe c. If it were as these men affirme Paul should haue said whē it semed good vnto me For as touching God they affirme that grace is alwayes redy and layd forth vnto all men Wherfore by theyr sentence conuersion should then come when it should please vs. And these argumentes although many more might be brought I thinke at this present sufficient Only now resteth to ouerthrow those reasons which seme to make against vs. To the arguments of the aduersaries Outward calling is common to the predestinate and to the reprobate But before we enter into that matter this we say that we in no wise deny but that God by outward calling namely by his prophets Apostles preachers and scriptures calleth all men For this man is no more excluded from the promises or threatninges then that man but these thinges are a like set forth vnto all men although all men are not predestinated to attayne vnto the fruite of them This is diligently to be noted if we will redely answere to those thinges which are obiected And when they lay agaynst vs which thing they very often do that the promises are common and are vniuersally set forth neither ought to be contracted vnto these men or vnto those men and that God dalieth not in them but dealeth in good earnest First as touching vniuersallity I will bring other propositions no les vniuersall All flesh shall se the saluation of God All shall be taught of God Al shal know me from the least to the greatest I wil poure of my spirit vpon all fleshe Shall we say that these thinges are true as touching all men no doubtles vnles Origens fable should be renewed that all men shall at the last be saued They will answer that these propositions ought to be contracted vnto the beleuers vnto them that are willing and vnto them that receaue the grace of God And we also say that they are to be contracted but we referre our contraction more higher and ascend vnto the election of God and vnto reprobation and whether resolution I besech you is the perfecter whether contraction is of more equity And yet do we not say that God dalieth in these vniuersall promises For forasmuch as the predestinate and the reprobate led theyr life together neyther are they knowen one from an other it is mete ▪ that preaching should be had vnto all men together and that for the reprobate the elect should not be defrauded which by the preaching of the word of God receaue profit And by this vniuersal preaching God bringeth to effect that end which he him selfe willeth For the godly whē they se that the reprobate are left in their owne sence and beleue not thereby vnderstand that grace is not nature and in them consider what should also haue happened vnto them selues without the mercy of God whose gift conuersion is and lieth not in the strength of man And the vngodly are made vnexcusable when as they haue not so much as performed those outward workes which they mought haue done as it is declared to the Romanes in the first and second chapters First the aduersaries imagine that they are setters forth of the mercy of God for that they put it common vnto al Whether sentence ascribeth more to the mercy of God men But if we consider the matter more thorowly we attribute much more vnto mercy thē they do For we affirme y◠al whole dependeth of it which thing is of thē in the meane time denied whilest they wil haue it to lye in our power to receaue the grace of God And if we say that mercy is not a like vnto al men destributed we can not therefore be reproued forasmuch as the scriptures manifestly testify the same But these men when they say that it lieth in our wil to receiue grace although they extenuate the same yet is it in very dede proued to be much for what should it profit to haue grace vniuersally set forth vnto al men vnles a man would by his
liuing creatures are said to haue bene saued in the Arke with Noe for that only some of euery kinde were gathered together in it Or we may vnderstand it thus that God will haue all men to be saued for that as many as are saued are saued by his will As if a man should say of one that teacheth Rhetorike in a city that he teacheth all men By which kind of speach is not signified that all the citizens are learners of Rhetorike but that as many as learne are tought of him And this â–ª also is like If a man pointing to the gate of a house should say that all men enter in this way we must not thereby vnderstand that all men enter into that house but that as many as do enter do enter in by yâ— gate only Farther there are some which interpretate these wordes of the Apostle of the will of the signe or of the antecedent will that all men are inuited for that preaching is indifferently set forth vnto all men neither is there any in a maner which inwardly féeleth not some pricke whereby he is continually stirred vp to liue well So that if we haue a consideration vnto this will of God we will easely grant that he will haue all men to be saued But they will not haue it to be vnderstanded of the hidden and effectuall will which they call the consequent will and after this maner may those kindes of speach be vnderstanded God illuminateth euery man which commeth into this world Come vnto me all ye which labour and are laden For all men are prouoked by the oracles of God and all men are inwardly moued by some pricke All these interpretacions are doubtles very likely and also apt And yet is there an other besides thâ—se both Two societies of meÌ„ wherof eche haue their vniuersality redy and playne The holy scriptures set forth two societies of men the one of the godly and the other of the vngodly and do of eche society pronounce vniuersall propositions which ought of the wary reader to be contracted ech to their kinde The Prophetes say and Christ citeth the same All men shal be taught of God And all men shall know me from the least to the greatest Agayne When I shal be lifted vp from the earth I will draw all thinges vnto my selfe These vniuersall propositions vnles they be vnderstanded of the godly which are elected are not true As are these also I will poure of my spirite vpon all fleshe And all flesh shall come in my sight and shall worship in Ierusalem Agayne All fleshe shall see the saluation of God Againe also God lifteth vp all them that fall Now who séeth not that these things are to be vnderstanded only of the Saints Contrariwise to the fellowship of the vngodly pertaine these sentences No man receaueth his testimony and yet many beleued Ye shal be hated of all men Agayne All men seeke the thinges that are their owne Agayne also All men haue declined and are all together made vnprofitable there is none which doth good no not one When yet notwithstanding holy men and they that are now regenerate are acceptable vnto God and do endeuor themselues to exhibite vnto him some obedience of the law But these vniuersall sayings ought not to be extended beyond their society This distinction had Augustine a regard vnto in his booke de Ciuitate Dei where he declareth and proueth that there Two cities haue euer ben two cities namely one the city of God and an other the city of the deuill Wherfore in these generall propositions we muste alwayes haue a consideration vnto what order or fellowship of men they pertayne Whiche thing if we in this present place do then shall we apply vnto the Saints and vnto the elect this sentence which we are now in hand with namely that God will haue all men to be saued and by that meanes all maner of doubt is taken away Otherwise that God with efficacy willeth not the saluation of all men very many infantes declare which perish without Christ and many also which are borne fooles and deafe and had neuer in their life time the right and iust vse of reason And it Sondry obiections against the aduersaries oftentymes happeneth that some haue liued long time indifferent honestly and faithfully and yet in the meane time do at the last fall and being taken out of the world do eternally perish And contrariwise others which haue perpetually led their life wickedly being at the end of their life endued with sodaine faith and repentance are saued WheÌ„ yet notwithstanding those first mought haue ben takeÌ„ away that maliciousnes mought not haue chaunged their mindes Who will in these examples say that God with efficacy a like willeth the saluation of all meÌ„ They obiect also a sentence of Christ How often would I haue gathered together thy children as a hen gathereth together her chickens and thou wouldest not But here also is ment of the antecedent will of the signe whereby God by his Prophetes Whether Christ wer â—etted that he could not gather together his preachers Apostles and scriptures continually inuited the Iewes to flye vnto him by repentance which thing yet they refused to do But yet God by his will of efficacy which they call the consequent will perpetually drew vnto him those that were his neither was there euer any age wherein he gathered not together as many of the Hebrewes as he had predestinated Therefore Augustine sayde Those which I would I haue gathered together though thou wouldest not They thinke also yâ— this maketh on theyr side which is writteÌ„ in the beginning How the Gentles ar said to be in excusable in his epistle coÌ„cerning the GeÌ„tils namely yâ— they were inexcusable which they say could not haue bene saide vnles vnto euery maÌ„ were geueÌ„ so much grace helpe as might suffice vnto saluatioÌ„ But this is to be known yâ— the Apostle in yâ— place entreated only of knowledge namely that the Gentils could not excuse theyr sinnes for that they had not a law geuen vnto them of God as had the Iewes neither for yâ— God had not in such sort opened himself vnto them as he had opened himself vnto the people of the Iewes Ye knew God saith he by his creatures by the lighte of nature ye wanted not the knowledge of right of wronge Therefore ye are inexcusable Wherfore we must not thinke that this sentence extendeth farther theÌ„ wherfore Paul spake it And if also thou weigh the matter better thou shalt se that the Ethnikes and vngodly men against whome the Apostle writeth thought not that they wanted strengthes to performe those thinges which they knew to be vpright forasmuch as they ascribed all thinges vnto frée wil. Wherefore the Apostle very well concludeth against them As if he should haue saide do ye thinke that ye haue strength inough so that ye iudge that ye haue no néede of
Gospell and we must chiefely beware that we geue not them occasion to suspect that we are by hatred enuy desire of vengeance or by some wicked lust moued to We must not flatter them that sinne speake those things which we seme to speake somwhat vehemētly Furthermore on the other side we must beware of the other extremity y◠we flatter not thē y◠sinne making a marchādise of y◠word of God either to win mēs fauour or for lucre sake or for pleasure sake For doubtles the truth as touching doctrine ought neuer to be kept in silēce neither are they which sinne to be spared although troubles should therof arise or that we should therfore suffer greuous things Christ knew right An example of Christ well that by teaching the truth and by reprouing of vices he should at the length be crucified and be also forsaken of his disciples and yet did he not therefore ceasse either from necessary doctrine or from profitable reprehensions Of that that the The autoritie of the Iews was great in the Church Apostle so diligently seketh to auoide the offending of the Iewes we gather that the authority of that nation was great in the primitiue Church for they before other nations beleued the Gospell and the iudgement of them was had in great estimation For the Iewes were studious in the scriptures and most diligent obseruers of the worshipping of God wherefore the offence of them could not be in curred without excéeding great hurt to the Gospell He calleth them bretherne the more to conciliate them vnto him For these are no small degrées of beneuolence to wish well vnto a man to pray for him and to call him by a gentle and louing name Howbeit there is a difference betweene A differēce worthy to be noted the reasō which he vseth in the ninth chapter and betwene that which he vseth in this chapter to proue his loue towardes the Iewes For there he saide that he so feruently loued them that for the redéeminge of theyr destruction he desired to be made accursed but here he writeth that he powreth out prayers for theyr saluatiō Of this difference this is the reason In the. 9. chapter he entreated of election or predestination which is not chaunged by prayers and therfore it had bene in vain there to haue made mencion of them But in this place is entreated of the righteousnes of fayth which faith forasmuch as it is the the gift of God there is no doubt but that by faithfull prayers it may be obteyned for our neighbours He bringeth moreouer an other argumente of his loue towardes the Iewes whereby he excuseth theyr incredulity as much as the nature of the thing suffreth but yet he so excuseth it that thereunto he addeth a most gréeuous accusation I beare them record saith he that they haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge And yet must we not thinke that all the Iewes had this zeale for in that nation there were a greate many which were manifest wicked filthy liuers But when Paul thus wrote he had a consideration to the sounder sort and vnder this common name ment them onely And to be briefe he vseth the figure Synecdoche whereby an indefinite proposition is by reason of some partes y◠it containeth taken for true This selfe same excuse Peter in the Actes vsed when he said For I know that ye did it thorow ignorance c. Paul nowe attributeth vnto them zele but he reproueth their ignorance as an haynous sinne For séeing that they were by the law and by the scriptures dayly tought they ought not to haue bene ignorant of those thinges Theyr ignoraunce he hereby proueth for What was the ignorance of the Iewes y◠they knew not the difference betwene the righteousnes of God and their owne righteousnes neither saw they that by establishing their owne they fell away frō the true and perfect righteousnes That they had a zeale he therfore saith for that What zeale signifieth they sought to worship God and that diligently but they knew not the manner of true worshipping wherefore their zeale was a blinde zeale And to declare what zeale is we wil first consider the etimology thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is zeale is a Gréeke word deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this word signifieth to loue but yet vehementlye to loue so that after loue followeth admiration after admiration imitation and thē after that a grief if he may not enioy the thing which he loueth or if others be admitted to enioy the same This is the proper signification of the word Wherfore Definition of zeale we may thus define it Zeale is an affection whiche consisteth in that parte of the minde which lusteth or desireth after which by reason of the vehemēcy followeth grief both because of the fellowship of others and also for the wante of the thinge which is desired But the nature of it is not of one sort For there is a good zeale an euill zeale Of the good zeale Paul spake when he saide I am zelous for you with the A good zel◠an euill zeale of God for I haue betrouthed you that ye should geue your selues a chast virgen vnto one man Christ Also in the first to the Corrinthians Be zealous of the better gracious giftes God himselfe also is affected towards vs with a most perfect zeale as the scripture oftentimes teacheth although affectes are not properly attributed vnto him But of the euill zeale is not at this presente entreated But of it Paul to the Galathians thus writeth that the false Apostles loued them with a zeale that they might glory in theyr flesh and leade them away from Christ into the bondage of the law And in many other places is mencion made of it But the cause whereof The cause of a good euill zele either a good or euill zeale springeth may be thys The manner is a lyke in thys affection as it is in other affections Wherfore euen as boldnes lust and anger are so long time good or euill how long they kéepe themselues within certaine bondes prescribed vnto them by prudence or passe those bondes so also commeth it to passe in zeale But this we ought to know that accordinge to morall doctrine prudence commeth by naturall vse or discipline but in very déede as it is here considered it can not be gathered but out of the holy scriptures by the breathing of the holy gost Wherefore zeale is then good when it is thorow faith brideled by a iust and godly knowledge and it is then euill whē it is not by such knowledge restrayned as a ship when y◠maister or gouerner is present is preserued but he being absent goeth A similitude to wracke Wherfore Paul spake most warely for when he condēneth their zeale he taketh away from them knowledge and by one word that which mought haue bene an excellent vertue he
doth not without good consideration setfoorth vnto vs the resurrection of Christ for that doubtles in the resurrection is accomplished our saluatioÌ„ For that which is now begonne in vs we shall haue absolute and perfect when we shall be pertakers of that life which Christ in his resurrection hath gotten not onely for himselfe but also for vs. Farther if Christ had not risen again from the dead he should not now be with the father obteining by his intercession grace spirite life for vs. And as Augustine teacheth the faith whereby we beleue that Christ arose againe from the dead is proper vnto christians for that he died the Iewes also and the Ethnikes The fayth of the resurrection of Christ is proper vnto christiaÌ„s The article of the resurrection is a knitting together of al the rest of the articles and all infidels beleue but that he arose againe onelye the members of Christ are persuaded thereof Lastly the resurrection of the lord is after a sorte a knitting together and a bond whereby the articles going before and the articles following concerning the faith of our saluation are very well knit together For if Christ rose againe it followeth that he died for our sinnes and that his sacrifice was acceptable vnto God neither could these thinges haue bene done vnles he had for the redemption of mankinde taken vpon hym flesh and had in very dede become man Moreouer if he rose againe he hath eternall life he is ascended vp vnto the father neither is he in vaine with him in heauen yea there he is as he hath promised at hand to helpe vs and prepareth a place for vs. For with the hart man beleueth to righteousnes and with the mouth is confession made to saluation With a certayne exclamation and that doubtles very profitable he concludeth the entreaty of the place which hee alledged out of Moses wherein he attributeth righteousnes vnto fayth onely and ioyneth coÌ„fession thereunto because a man should not thinke that hee speaketh of a weake dead fayth but of such a fayth as bryngeth forth confession And although there are a great many good woorkes which followe fayth yet Paule mencioneth that which is the chiefest and may easeliest be gathered out of the woordes of Moses before alledged for he as we haue heard vnto the hart ioyned the mouth And Christ sayth Of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh How be it this is to be noted and that noâ— negligently that Paule in this place attributeth iustification vnto fayth but some saluation he attributeth vnto confession And by saluation he here vnderstaÌ„deth not the chiefest saluation that is our reconciliation wyth God or absolution from sinnes as he before dyd when he sayd If thou beleue that God raysed him from the dead thou shalt be saued And afterward Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued But by saluation he vnderstandeth a farther perfection which is geuen vnto them whych are now iustified for dayly the powers of their mynde and the instrumentes or members of theyr body are made perfect by doyng good woorkes And wythout doubt when wee confesse the Lord by this laudable and holy worke we get much profit So ment Paule vnto the Philippians when he sayd Woorke your saluation with feare and with trembling And if thou contend that in this place by saluatioÌ„ is vnderstanded iustification that we wyl not sticke to graunt so it be vnderstanded onely as touchyng the effect and a posteriori as they vse to speake that is by that which followeth namely yâ— a maÌ„ may hereby iudge that such a one is iustified â–ª This place also maketh very much against certaine Libertines whych renew againe the errour Against Libertines of the Carpocraâ—ians and say that we must not confesse the â—eâ—â—ye of fayth before the iudgement seates of persecuters From whych errour the Nicodemites of our time are not very farre of whych say that it is mought to thinke we in the hart although outwardly true pietye be dissembled and although men gâ— to the rites and ceremonies of the Papistes We must in deede sake héede that we doo not rashly cast our selues into daungers but when God â—ath brought vs into them and that wee are examined touching the truth wee must remember that they which are ashamed of Christ before men he at the length wyll he ashamed Faith consisteth not without good works of them before the father Let our aduersaries go noâ— and obiect vnto vs that fayth can consist without good workes The Apostle when he entreateth of iustification describeth alwayes such a faith which of necessity hath confession and good woorkes ioyned with it For the scripture â—ayth Whosoeuer beleueth in him shall not be ashamed Now is it manifest why the Iewes could not complaine of theyr reâ—ection namely for that they were vnbeleuers And it is euident that righteousnes if we speake of the true righteousnes whych is before God can not be had but by fayth onely Whereof we may inferre that wheresoeuer fayth is there also is iustification and contrary The complaint of the Iewes stopped wyse where it wanteth iustification can in no wyse haue place Wherefore the Iewes haue nothing whereof to complaine For euen as the chiefest cause of our saluation namely the election or predestination of God is not contracted vnto the Iewes but is also poured abroade amongest the Gentiles as it hath bene declared in the. 9. chapter so faith which is the next cause of saluation is not shut vp amongest the Iewes onely yea rather but fewe of them beleued therefore the Iewes ought not to haue bene displeased for the conuersion of the Gentiles Hereunto the Apostle now endeuoreth him self to proue the the sentence which he had before spoken indifinitly namely with the hart man beleueth vnto righteousnes is to be vnderstanded vniuersally Lest the Iewes paraduenture should say It is true in deede that thou sayest but yet in our stocke onely and in the seede of Abraham It is not so sayeth Paule when as the Prophet Esay in hys 28. chapiter speaketh it by this word of vniuersality whosoeuer for hee sayeth who soeuer beleueth in him shall not be made ashamed To bee made ashamed in this place is nothing els but to be frustrated of the successe which was loked for For What is to be made ashamed when men are deceaued they are ashamed of vayne confidence This testimony of Esay the Prophet is in the. 28 thapiter which Paule also before vsed towards the end of the 9. chapiter But forasmuch as we haue there declared how it is written in the Hebrew and haue by the exposition of the Hebrew verity and of the translation of the 70. interpreters which Paule followed shewed the natiue and proper sense thereof wee will now ommitte to speake any more touching it For there is one Lord ouer all This sentence firmely proueth that as toothing saluation there is not to be put
alwayes counted the Ethnikes for brute beastes and fooles Ambrose vpon this place very well noteth that God vsed this griefe and enuy for a tormenter God was the author of th 〈…〉 y as it wa◠a punishmēt whereby to auenge the sinne and idolatry of the Iewes This enuy doubtles was sinne but God was not the author thereof but as it was a punishment And it hath oftentimes bene declared that he punisheth sinnes by other sinnes and as sinnes come from him they haue the nature of good and not of ill But how he prouoked them to enuy or zeale may thus be declared First he did set outwardly before thē things wherby he knew they would be moued and prouoked After y◠peraduenture according to Augustines minde he moued theyr hartes as they had deserued vnto such an affect not that he powred in thē that affect of new but stirred it vp which paraduenture otherwise had lyen stil By what manner of means God prouoked the Iewes These thinges are to be vnderstanded of the last captiuitie But this his prouoking if the Hebrues had bene wise men mought haue bene vnto thē in stede of a monitiō or warning to returne vnto God and to embrace the Gospell which they despised Neyther was the reiection of the Iewes the whole and proper cause of our saluation but only ministred an occasion there vnto The only and perfect cause of our saluation is the mercy of God thorough Christ And although the Iewes were oftentimes afflicted with greauous captiuity yet are not these wordes of Moses to be vnderstanded but of this last captiuity for in the other captiuities God tooke not to be hys people the oppressors of the Iewes neyther adorned he them with those spirituall giftes wherewith the Iewes were before endewed yea rather deliuering the Iewes he left those nations in theyr blindnes and idolatry But now the Hebrewes are turned out of all wander abrode naked the Christians haue succeded into the adoption of God ▪ and are enriched with spirituall gifts Moreouer their other captiuities were very short but of this is neither measure nor end He calleth the Ethnikes not a nation as a people most vile which deserued not so much as the name of a nacion And in very dede there can be no societye ioyned together and firmely knitte which is framed together without God and Christe for there want the sinnues and bounds of charity and the farther a city of common wealth is from The morall workes of the Ethnikes ouerthrowen ▪ vnitye so much the weaker and febler alwayes becommeth it This place not a litle ouerthroweth the opinion which the common people haue of moral workes and of the philosophy and wisedome of the Ethnikes We wonder at the knowledge of the Grecians and at the grauity of the Romanes when we reade their histories But God calleth these mē not a nation or a folishe nation what greater The Ethnikes were in very dede fooles folishenes could there be then for a man to make an Image of wood stones or mettall and to worship it for God Or who will deny but that folishnes is priuation of true wisedome Seing therfore that the Ethnikes wanted the wisedome reueled of God which is the true wisedome they were in déede fooles Neyther entend I here to reason with Origen who sayth that it may peraduenture séeme to be contumelious agaynst the nation whō God elected through merite of their faith and deuotion when as he disdayneth to call it a nation and moste manifestly nameth it a foolishe nation And he aunswereth that these thinges are thus to be vnderstanded that the Church is not one nation as are the Egyptians Scythians Assirians Chaldeans ▪ c. For it consisteth of all nations neyther is it perticularly any one nation Further it is called foolishe for that it would not be made wise but he which will be made wise in the Lorde must first be made a foole This is wide from the sense of the Apostle for as it is manifest he speaketh not of the Church now established but speaketh of it as it was before it was receaued of Christ and made the Church and then it is sayd not to haue bene a people In what state the church was before it was taken of God as it is writen in the 2. chapter of Osea And it shall be in the place where it was sayd ye are not the people of God there ye shall all be called the sonnes of the liuing God and verely they which are not the people of God are not a people and the Ethnikes were fooles in asmuch as they wanted the true wisdome which is Christe Let vs sée what the same Paul pronounceth of the Church before it was conuerted vnto Christ In the epistle to the Ephesians he sayth Y◠were somtymes without Christ◠straungers from the publique wealth of Israell aleants from the promises without hope and without God in the world And vnto the Corinthians when he had mencioned that dronkerds euil speakers thieues idolatrers and abusers of mankind shall not enter into the kingdome of God he added and such were ye once but now ye are washed ye are sanctified But whē by the sentēce which he alleadgeth out of Moses he reproueth y◠idolatrous Hebrues which prouoked God by reasō of those idols which were no Gods it may séeme not to touche the Iewes which liued in hys tyme and in Christes tyme for at that tyme idolatrye was not in vre in Israell Vnto this obiection we aunswere that the Iewes of that tyme most manifestlye prouoked and reiected God when they reiected his sonne Christ and did put him to death vpon the crosse For so great is the coniunction betwene the Father and The Iews both in the latter tyme were ▪ also at this day are idolatrers the Sonne that they which reiect the Sonne can not kéepe still the father Moreouer as touching idolatry for asmuch as they offred vnto him sacrifices without fayth and repentāce God detested their oblations as the scriptures euery where testifie And so farre had their impietye proceaded that they more estemed their owne traditions then they did the commaundements of God But no God will so be worshipped And forasmuch as the true God is not in such sort worshipped and yet notwithstanding they worshipped somewhat it followeth that that was an idoll which they fained to be their God which delighted in these rites and worshippinges Neyther skilleth it whether such an idoll be in the minde or in stone or in wood Wherfore the Iewes agaynst whome Paul dealt are no les comprehended and reproued in this sentence of Moses then their fathers were Yea rather Hidden idolatry is oftentymes more hurtful then op◠idolatry if we shall vprightly weigh the matter the more couert this idolatrie of the Iewes was the more hurtfull it was for they counted themselues godly and iust for that they were not ensected with outward grosse idolatry
be obiected it is a thing vnsemely that God should be chaunged and that he should forget his couenaunt Wherfore the proposition is God hath not cast away all the Iewes but wil saue as many of them as he foreknew that is whome he hath predestinated This sentence consisteth of two parts First is sayd that God hath not cast awaye all the Iewes contrary to his couenaunt Secondly that not all the Iewes are comprehended in this couenaunt but only the predestinate For I my selfe am an Israelite of the seede of Abraham His firste proofe is of the election of himselfe And it may thus be reduced into a silogisme whiche is commonly called expositorius This man is not reiected This man is an Israelite wherfore not all the Israelites are reiected And by the pronoune demonstratiue he sheweth himself And that he is a Iew he first declareth generally calling himself an Israelite And that we should not thinke that he was a proselite he addeth of the séede of Abraham Afterwarde he addeth also of the Tribe of Beniamin The tribe of Beniamin was noble whereby he proueth that he was not of a base stocke For the Tribe of Beniamin was counted noble which came not of the handmaidens but of Rachell Iacobs best beloued wife Furthermore the firste king namelye Saul came of that Tribe and the temple of the Lord was built in the lot or inheritance of that Tribe This self thinge also he mencioneth to the Philippians And vnto the Corrinthians in the latâ—er Epistle he affirmeth that he was an Israelite and of the séede of Abraham The Iewish religion was not a hindrance vnto Paul And séeinge that it was no hinderaunce vnto me to be a Iewe neyther also shall it be an hynderaunce vnto you wherefore be ye of good comforte And herehence may bee gathered an argumente negatiue taken a maiori that is of the greater For it séemed that the Iewish religion oughte much more to haue bene a let vnto Paul when as towards it he had a wonderful great zeale for with great rage he persecuted the Christians and yet notwithstanding he was in suche sorte receaued that the preaching of the Gospell was committed vnto him and he was ordeined a maister of the whole world and had all the misteries of Christian religion committed to his chardge Wherefore God hath not cast away his people whome he foreknew He saith His by reason of the peculier name wherewith Israell is euery where in the scriptures adorned and because of the couenaÌ„t which God publikely made with them and which couenant all men confessed to be made betwéene them and God He which was in times past fauorable vnto the Iewes is not nowe become hatefull towardes them and that which was at other times counted to be of a speciall grace namely to be borne a Iewe is not now counted hatefull Neither are yâ— Iewes therfore odious vnto God for yâ— they are Iewes For how could it be wheÌ„ The Iews as touching their kinde are not eueÌ„ at this day odious vnto God as they were illustrated with so manye and so greate giftes so that theyrs was the adoption the glory the testaments the constitution of the lawe the woorshipping the fathers and Christe as touching the fleshe as was before in this Epistle declared Wherfore if God hath not reiected me he hath not then cast away his people whome he foreknew Here the kinred and stocke is appointed by the election of God Kinred is not inough vnles thereunto come predestination Neyther is kinred a thing of such necessity for without it also election hath place for the Gentils Kinred is not sufficieÌ„t villes therunto come predestination Predestination may be out of the seâ—e of Abraham but kinrâ—d with oâ—t predestanatioÌ„ is not sufficient were not as touching the flesh borne of Abraham neither do as manye as are borne of him pertaine vnto election yet is it no small matter to be borne of holye parents Yea rather forasmuch as vnto them is made the promise that oughte to be vnto the parentes no smale pricking forward to bring vp their children godlye and vertuously Whome he foreknew This is not to be vnderstanded of a bare and simple knowledge for they also which are damned are not vnknown vnto God But this knowledge hath ioyned with it an allowinge and they are saide to be foreknowne which are embrased of God and whome he hath put a part from the rest as his to attaine saluation Whâ—rfore Augustine in his booke de bono perseuerantiae turneth this word he foreknew by this worde he predestinated They whiche will haue election to consist of woorkes foreséene saye that they are chosen out whome God foreknew should beleue and liue godly and holyly But this opinion we haue before at large confuted wherfore let vs rather hold fast the contrary sentence and beleue that therfore we assent vnto God and liue godlye for that we are elected and not that we are elected for that we shall beleue it is necessary that our saluation depeÌ„d of God and haue not his beginning of our selues Christ said as it is written in Iohn Whome thou hast geuen vnto me haue I not lost That is if any heare me not if any pearishe they are none of them whome thou haste geuen vnto me Know ye not what the scripture sayth of Helias Howe he maketh intercession against Israell He addeth an other reason taken of an example of Helias time and that as Chrisostome noteth of necessity For the Iewes mought easely obiect what Dost thou thinke that the promise of God is fulfilled in thy selfe alone or in a few other such like as thou art when as in it is foretolde that thorow Christ our séede shall be blessed in great nomber so that it may be compared with the starres and with the sande of the sea Wherefore the Apostle woulde declare that the multitude of the Hebrues whome God by his election hath preserued vnto himself is very great although it be hidden from the vnbeleuing Iewes as Helias was ignorant that a great many were preserued of God from worshippinge What is to be obserued in examples taken out of the scriptures of Baal To bringe examples out of the scriptures for confirmation of thinges is very profitable so that men beware that the comparison be made as touching like partes whiche thing the Apostle in this place very well obserueth as we shall afterward declare Moreouer in them is to be obserued that they be not repugnante vnto the common lawes for then are the factes of the godly rather to be wondred at then to be imitated For our parte is to liue according to lawes and not according to certaine peculiar actes of the fathers Helias thought that religion had bene vtterly gone and that all the godly had bene rooted out of the land of Israell But he was deceaued when as God had reserued vnto himselfe seuen thousand So also those were deceaued which supposed
for sinne or wickednesse are eyther ignoraunce blindnes or els they bring with them and comprehend ignoraunce blindnes Wherfore as touching the efficâ—ent cause some saye that it is the deuill which sentence is true and is written of Paul in the 4. chapiter of the second to the Corrinthians The God of this worlde hath made blind the mindes of the vnbeleuers Neither let vs regard that the Fathers A place in the â— to the CorinthiaÌ„s as Hilary Chrisostome Augustine and Ambrose haue interpreted that place not of the deuill but of the true God as though this were the sense God hath made blinde the minds of the vnbeleuers of this world But this transposing of woords the order of the Greke tonge will not suffer Neyther is it an hard matter to sée wherunto they had a respect in that their violent interpretacion They had to doo agaynst the Arrians and agaynst the Maniches bothe which vsurped the The Manichies made two beginninges words of the Apostle as though they made on their syde The Arrians went about to proue that the name of God mought be attributed vnto Christe although he were a creature when as the deuil is here called God And the Maniches taught yâ— there are two beginnings of things a good and an euil God the maker of yâ— world We must not for heretikes decline from the true seÌ„ce of the scriptures and God the father of our Lord Iesus Christe aboue the worlde and they sayd that the Apostle in this place calleth the euil beginning the God of this world as though he ought to be called the author of the world But we must not because of heretikes decline from the true sense of the scriptures Neither is it to be denyed vnto the Arrians that the deuill is called God when thereunto is added this particle of this worlde For this particle declareth that he is not the true God but is of the worldlings and men of this worlde both counted and worshipped for God As Dauid also sayd the Gods of the nations but straight way as it were by way of correction he addeth Deuils And vnto the Corrinthians in the first epistle There are many Gods and many Lords namely according to the iudgement of men corrupted And of some he sayth whose God is the bealy And Helias sayd vnto the false prophetes touching Baal Crye yet louder for your God is paraduenture in his caue or he is busy talking so that he can not heare And so he calleth Baal God because he was so comted of men But when Christ is called God he is sayd to be blessed ouer Christ is not called with any terme dâ—ninâ—â—iâ—e for he is in very dede god al and world without end Which coÌ„ditions added plainly declare the nature of the true God Moreouer we are admonished to put our confidence in him to call vpon him to worship him which things without al doubt are to be attributed vnto the true God onely and to none other Neither will we so be agaynst the Maniches to deny but that the deuill hath geuen him of God a certayne dominioÌ„ or preheminence in the world when as in the Gospell he is called the Prince of this world and Paul calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the gouernour of the world How the deuil is called yâ— prince of thys world and called him also principality and power But these things he to this end hath to do seruice vnto God and therfore he can do nothing more or les then is permitted him of God He in déede exerciseth power but yet that power which he receaueth of God and therefore he is sometymes called the spirite of the Lord but yet the euill spirite for so is he described in the booke of Samuell to haue inuaded Saul Wherfore excecation or making blind is a work common both to God and Excecation coÌ„meth both from God and froÌ„ thâ— Deuill Sinne is the in â—ard cause of excecatioâ— â–ª Excecation commeth of want of graâ—â— to the deuill God maketh blind as commaunding as a iudge as the chief and principall author but the deuill as the minister and hangman of God in which worke doubtles he is redy at hand and willingly offreth himself and yet can he do nothing vnles God commaunded him Hereby now is declared that sinne is the inward cause of excecatioÌ„ yea that it hath alwayes ioyned with it ignorance and that the deuill is the instrument thereof and the true God as a iudge is the cause efficient But how excecation coÌ„meth may thus be shewed Men by reason of sinnes are thorough Gods hidden iudgement whiche is yet notwithstanding euer iust left destitute of his grace spirite fauour and light and being thus miserably destitute they must néedes still more and more stomble and more greauously fall especially then when they be deliuered vp vnto sathan to be deceaued and to be throwne downe hedlonge That which the Apostle before sayd of Ismael and Esau and Pharao he now most manifestly affirmeth of the Iewes and that as it is most likely not without their great hatred and griefe Chrisostome sayth that they were made blind thorough their euill and contentions mynd But the commentaries ascribed vnto Ierome adde thereto God whereof Chrisostome speaketh not And doubtles we can not deny but that God doth with euery one of vs what soeuer séemeth good vnto him but yet so iustly that no man can excuse his sinnes or wreast the fault vpon him It is méete without doubt that we thinke the best of God and that we speake most reuerently of him but yet not in such sort that we be against the scriptures or plucke away any thing from his mighty power Paul had absolutely pronounced that the rest of the Iewes are made blind but he left vnmencioned the efficient cause thereof but now in the oracles whiche he citeth he expresseth it saying As it is vvritten God hath geuen vnto them the spirite of pricking that when they se they should not se and wheÌ„ they heare they should not heare Here now we ought not to doubt but that also the excecation of the wicked commeth froÌ„ God and that by his iust iudgement Origen sayth that he had in no part of the scriptures red that God gaue yâ— spirite of pricking and he thinketh that it may be that Paul added that of his owne for explication sake as also at the end he of him selfe addeth euen to this day Which thing he also before did for when he had sayd Who shall ascend vp into heauen he added to fetche downe Christ And after that he had sayd â–ª Who shall go downe into hell he added that is to fetch agayne Christ from the dead But although Origenes surmise be not vnlikely to be true yet in the 51. chapiter of Esay we rede that the Israelites had geuen them of God to drinke the cuppe of fury and Hithraalah that is of madnes or of poyson And
the selfe thing is written in the 60. Psalme and also in the 19. and 29. chapiters of Esay God is sayd to haue sent the spirite of Teradmah which is of disines and the spirite of Oâ—m which is of errors Whereby it is manifest that the Apostle Paul added nothyng whiche he had not out of the scriptures added nothing which he had not out of scriptures The metaphore is taken of those which allure men to drinke and labour to make them dronke and if the drinke be tempred with medicine to bring them to madnes But herein only is the difference for that when men so doo they doo it vniustly but when God so doth he doth it most iustly That which the Hebewes say Teraalah the 70. interpreters haue turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the latines Compunctionem And that greke word may be expounded two maner of wayes First to signify griefe hatred What the woorde of God worketh in the wicked and what in the elect and vexation for when the word of God and saluation is set before them straight way they are pricked with griefe of hart they are vexed they burne in hatred and most earnestly resist as it is sayd of the Iewes When they heard Steuen theyr harts were rent a sonder and they gnashed with theyr teth But contrariwise the spirite of God whiche is geuen vnto the godly maketh appeased contented and quiet and bringeth a wonderful consolation vnto those yâ— are with it inspired The other interpretation according to Chrisostome is by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to vnderstand stedfastnes for that they were so addicted fixed and fastened vnto wicked affectes and vnto incredulity that they could therehence by no meanes be plucked away although they wanted not exhortacions vnto piety Doubtles this is a most greate infelicity when in stede of that sweete cuppe of mercy is geuen vs to drinke the cuppe of fury in stede of the cuppe of truth the cuppe of error in stede of the cuppe of brightnes and souÌ„d doctrine the cuppe of madnes and blindnes and that by God him selfe Wherefore let them take hede which ether teach or heare the holy scriptures that thorough theyr owne default that thing which is vnto others life and saluation be not made vnto them perdition â–ª God maketh not blynde by pouryng â—â— of new malice â–ª and present destruction God indede powreth not into any man any new malice but stirreth vp that which before lay hidden They had eyes to se miracles they had also eares wherwith they heard both the prophesies of the prophets and also the preachers but it nothing preuayled with them The Apostles argumente is Thus was it foretold thus hath God appoynted wherefore I bring nothing that is new We must not consider what the Iewes claymed vnto them selues but what the scriptures gaue vnto them There was no cause why they should so highly be offended with Paul when as he spake nothing but such thinges aâ— had happened in the time of Helias and Esay had foretold should come to passe as touching them also He addeth Vnto this Day For that towardes the end of the world they shal beleue So also he wrote vnto the Corinthians That there is a vaile put ouer the harte of the Iewes wheÌ„ the scripture is red which abideth also euen to this day And that which Esay speaketh indefinitly of the Iewes is to be vnderstanded as touching the greater part The Prophet there asked How long Lord and answere is made vnto him euen vnto destruction So afterward also in this epistle it is sayd Vnto the entrance of the fullnes of the Gentiles But for the better vnderstanding of that A place of Esay in the 6. chapiter place of Esay taken out of the 6. chapiter there are certayne thinges worthy to be noted First that the Prophet saw God sitting vpon an high seate and the skirtes eyther of the garments of God or of his throne filled the temple And yâ— forme wherein God shewed him selfe was like vnto a iudge By him stoode his ministers the Seraphins and he would pronounce a senteÌ„ce agaynst the Iewes and that a definite sentence which should be past remedy as Aben Ezra writeth When God hath once geuen senteÌ„ce it is not letted by repeÌ„taunce vpon that place who sayth that after God hath once geuen sentence it is not possible but that it shal be put in execution yea although repentance come in the meane time as though the sentences of Ezechiell and Ieremy entreate only of threatninges Whome shall we send sayth the Lord Rabby SolomoÌ„ saith that these be the wordes of one being somewhat in a doubt for he had sent Amos and they had derided him saying This man is a stammerer neyther can he bring forth his wordes playnly and shall we beleue that God hath sent him When Esay had offred him selfe Go thy wayes sayth the Lord as if he should haue sayd Resist not my sentence as did Moses which would haue bene blotted out of the booke of life Nor as did Ionas which refused to denounce vnto the Niniuites destruction Goe not about to praye as Ieremy did in the 7. chapiter for I haue sayd that I will not heare Tell vnto this people which was once mine but now not mine that was once wise but now more foolish then an asse and an exe which acknowledge theyr Lordes and know the way to theyr mangerâ— vnto this people I say worse then Sodoma and Gomorha which call good euil euill good and honor me with theyr lippes only In hearing heare ye Rabby Dauid Kimby sayth that that place is red in the imparatiue mode but is of some expounded by the future temps of the indicatiue mode as though it were a foretelling And some are moued not to vnderstand it by the imparatiue mode for that this semeth to be agaynst the goodnes of God to commaund sinne and the death of the soule For in an other place he sayth I will not the death of a sinner but will haue all men to be saued Wherefore say they these thinges are not to be taught for they opeÌ„ a way vnto sinnes which sinnes if God coÌ„maund theÌ„ can not displease him but There is nothing in the scriptures whiche edifieth not this is as though yâ— holy gost should speake things which serue not to edificatioÌ„ There is nothing in the scriptures which being aptly and rightly declared may not be taught and so farr is it of that by this doctrine a way is opened vnto sins that vnto them which haue but euen a cromme of piety and of wisedom hereby is set forth a doctrine to expell sinnes For if for the punishment of sinne God doo If God 〈…〉 nish sinneâ— by sinnes we ought to abstaine froÌ„ sinne in such sorte deliuer vp men to wicked affectes and to madnes to be thereby punished who will not fly from sinne When as it is a thing farre more greauous to fall into these euills then
should say that some of the braunches were broken of when as the greatest part of the Iewes had fallen away And Chrisostome cleaueth vnto his firste exposition namelye that the Apostle in words onely comforteth the Iewes and speaketh to get fauor of them whiche thinge saith he vnles it be well marked he shall séeme to speake manye thinges repugnant This interpretacion I thinke not so apte for if there be in the scriptures admitted any kinde of lye there shall doubtles be nothing remayning in them whiche shal be without suspition of a lie or of falshoode Paul in this place had a respect not onely to one age of the people of the Iewes but to the whole nation together both which was from the beginning and which should be euen vnto yâ— end of the world And who séeth not that theÌ„ at that time were saued a great part There were many most holy patriaches iudges kings priestes prophetes priuate men and women which were all deare vnto God and towardes the end of the world they shall in great heapes be conuerted vnto Christe Yea and in the Apostles time there were in one day wonne vnto the Lord fiue thousand What marueile then is it if he saye that some or certaine braunches were broken of It Paul in this treatise maketh no lie mought haue séemed a lie if all had bene cut of Further althoughe the Apostle do somewhat extenuate or rather lenifye that which was in déede verye harde to be spoken yet maketh he no lie to speake for fauour or to comfort in woordes onely contrary to the truth of the matter Wherefore he putteth the Gentils in minde what manner ones they were before and in what state the Iewes were in times paste before God And doubtles if the Gentils had considered with theÌ„selues their former estate and the publike and ciuill doctrine and manners receaued amongst them they should haue found nothing in a manner which was not obnoxions vnto the curse And if they had any thing afterward whereof to glory the same came The grafting in of the GeÌ„â—les into the wilde oliue tree is wonderful wholy not of the doctrine and manners receiued of long time amongst them but of their new grafting into Christ in the place of the Iewes which had falleÌ„ away And without doubt that grafting in of the Gentils which we now entreat of was wonderful The lord sayd of it Many shall come from the east and from the weast shall rest with Abraham Isaack and Iacob c. And Paul excellently wel expresseth the same vnto the Ephesians in the 2. chapter saying Remember that ye beinge in times past Gentiles in the flesh were called vncircuÌ„cision of theÌ„ which are called circumcision in the flesh whiche circumcision is made with handes that I say ye were at that time without Christ aleantes from the common wealth of Israell and straungers froÌ„ the couenantes of the promise and had no hope and were Atheistes or without God in the world but now ye which were once farre of are made neere through Christ by his bloud And straightway in the selfe same chapter Now therfore ye are no more straungers and foreners but citezens with the saintes and of the household of God and are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets And this is to be noted yâ— this place The olde Testament and the new is one and the self same thing as touching the substaunce maketh much to proue that the olde Testament and the new is one and the selfe same For the roote is one and the selfe same and the stocke or bodye of the trée is one and the selfe same the Iewes are cut of and we are grafted in one and the selfe faith abideth one and the selfe same mediator the selfe same sacramentes as touching the thinge although the outward signes and ceremonies are chaunged And doubtles the promises as touching the substance abide now the selfe same although at that time were mingled with them certaine shadowes of thinges as of theyr infinite populous multitude of the possession of the lande of Chanaan of the kingdome of the priesthoode of the temple or tabernacle c. Wherefore the substaunce thing and spirite are in either testament one and the same onely there is found some difference in qualities and certayne circumstances But whereas the Apostle calleth the stocke and propagation of the saintes an oliue trée it may seme that he tooke that out of the holye scriptures For in the 11. chapter of Ieremy the Lord said that he had made Iuda an oliue tree full of braunches fruitefull and fat but he there prophesieth that it shoulde be broken for their impiety whiche sentence the Apostle nowe vseth namely that the braunches are broken of And Dauid saide I as a greene oliue tree and full of braunches in the house of the Lorde haue put my truste in my God In whiche sentence is touched the cause of the fatnesse namelye for that the Saintes put their confidence in God and do truelye beleue in him I mighte also speake of that parable whiche in the booke of Iudges Ioathan the sonne of Ierobaall brought against Abimelech and against the Sichimites where he maketh mencion of the Oliue trée and and of the fatnes thereof together with the swéetnes of the fig trée and pleasantnes of the vine trée wherefore these thrée kinds of trées the vine trée the oliue trée and the figge trée are in the scriptures compared vnto the Church The Cedre trée also is somtimes added because of the beauty and heigth therof Although of the vine trée it be sayd that it was turned into a wild vine yet that is not to be vnderstanded vniuersally but only as touching the braunches which fell away Wherfore Augustine hath a very good saying that this tree is putata non amputata pruned and not cleane cut away The Apostle straight way prohibiteth the Gentles from glorieng against the Iewes He indéede forbiddeth not glorying generally for how can it be but It is not possible but that we should reioyce in the giftes of God that we should reioyce in the giftes of God but addeth against the bowes that are broken of namely that we should not reproch them To glory against theÌ„ were to glory against the roote and to go about in a manner to striue euen against Abraham who is our father For in the third to the Galathyans it is written They which are of faith are the sonnes of Abraham And likewise to the Romanes in the 4. chapiter But in Pauls metaphore the absurdity is a great deale more manifest if the braunches should arise against the roote Neither is the elegance of the meatophore of the wild oliue trée lightly to be passed ouer for euen as the wild oliue trée hath in deede the forme and shape of an oliue trée but yet as touching the ende and fruits it is not so prayse worthy so they which are straungers from Christ
although we graūt y◠vnto thē which were baptised were not enioyned such ecclesiasticall satisfactiōs yet if it be a true effectual faith how cā it not haue ioyned with it a vehement repētance and mourning and most plentifull teares Read the conuersion of saint Austin and thou shal easely see with how vehemēt gronings and strifes he before he was baptised lamēted and bewayled his lyfe before led Wherfore let vs kepe still the former exposition as simple and more true And this selfe thing let vs obserue towardes our neighbours namely to loue them constantly and without repentaunce Now therefore we see y◠the proposition of A repeticiō of three arguments Paul is confirmed by three reasōs namely by his owne prophesy by the oracles of the prophets and by the nature of the purpose and counsell of God which is not to be changed nor to be altered by repentaunce Now is behind the fourth persuasion wherein he sheweth that the consideration in vs and in them is all one and that the like euēt is to be looked for in them that was in vs and he saith For euen as ye in times past haue not beleued God yet haue now obteyned The fourth reason mercy thorough theyr vnbeliefe euen so now they haue not beleued by the mercy shewed vnto you that they also may obteyne mercy As ye were from incredulity brought vnto fayth so they which are now enfected with the selfe same incredulity shal be brought agayne to saluation And euen as ye were not forsaken of God when ye were vnbeleuers so they shall not be forsaken in theyr excecation especially seing that they are for the fathers sake elected which benefite ye had not The workes of God are of that nature that they helpe the one the other and by no meanes hinder the one the other Therefore the excecation of the Iewes although in them it be sinne yet bycause it is the worke of God had The workes of god do help the one the other a good end namely the conuersion of the Gentiles and the conuersion of the Gentiles shall helpe towards the saluation which shal be geuen vnto the Iewes for as it hath bene declared it shall prouoke them to emulation And in y◠meane time vntill this thing come to passe let vs consider with our selues the wonderfull worke of God they still in such greate aduersities and in so diuers and greauous a captiuity and dispersion cōtinew and are preserued they hold still theyr It is a singular work of God that the Iewes continue euen to this tyme. religiō as much as they may they excercise themselues in the holy scriptures although they vnderstand all thinges corruptly Doubtles no auncient Troiās Lombards Hunes or Vandales haue so held still theyr owne that they were in ciuill life and religion steyned from all other nations and could shew theyr originall and history set forth in most sure writing and being euery where dispersed forsooke not theyr ordinaunces Which thing forasmuch as it so contineweth amongest the Iewes is without doubt a singular worke of God and bringeth vnto vs no small commodity For they are witnesses of our bookes The Iewes are our witnes do cary them aboute with them as theyrs and of greate authority which thing Augustine also noted For vnles that people were still yet remayning the Ethnike Philosophers mought suspect that these thinges are of our owne inuenting which we beleue and preache of the creation of the world of Adam of Noha of Abraham of the Patriarches kinges and Prophets Wherefore they are vndoubtedly all this while perpetually preserued of God to some saluatiō to come Paul ascribeth vnto either part the sinne of incredulity to the end that both the Gentiles should not puffe themselues vp when as they heare that they were in that state once and also that the Iewes should not refuse to come vnto Christ nor be past all hope of pardon when as they se that the Gentiles which were before enfected with the selfe same sinne are brought to saluation Erasmus noteth that when it is sayd So they haue not beleued by the mercy shewed vnto you the sence may be not only that the Iewes were made blind that the Gentiles should obteyne mercy but also that euen therefore for that we are called and receaued of God into fauor they are more irritated and more and more goo Our saluation is called by the name of mercy back from God and from fayth in him which thing Chrisostome also before noted when he interpreted that place they are enemies for your sakes as though he had sayd by reason of your fayth and saluation they are made more contentious and rebellious Neither is this to be passed ouer that Paul calleth our saluation and the saluation of the Iewes to come by the name of mercy that we might know that nothing is attributed vnto merites or workes These courses alteracions of thinges are so to be taken that yet we go not on infinitely For when the Iewes shal be conuerted the Gentiles shall not agayne be made blind or reiected but there shall the stay be After that let vs looke for nothing els but the end and consummation of the world And the thinges which Paul now writeth are partly admonitions whereby the Gentiles are put downe from theyr pride and whereby the Iewes are pacefied by the cōsolation of the Apostle and partly they are foretellinges and prophesies of thinges to come And this is to be The difference betwene the foretellings of the saints and of the prophets betwene the foretellings of deuiners noted that herein the prophesies of the Prophets and of the holy scripture differ from the fortellinges of curious Mathematicians and of diuiners for that in them is a respect had to vanity only but here the end is edification namely that men should eyther be conuerted and cease of from some sinne or ells that they should profite and be confirmed in the way of God God hath shut vp all vnder vnbeliefe that he might haue mercy on all Here he speaketh of two nacions namely of the Gentiles of the Hebrewes of which eche were shut vp vnder vnbeliefe that the glory of God might be made the They whiche are called are brought frō incredulity Paul manifestly saith that God smiteth with vnbeliefe more manifest In Osea it is sayd I will call a people that is not my people my people and that is not beloued beloued The state from whence we are called is incredulitye vnder whiche none of the people of God remayne Beholde the Apostle moste manifestly affirmeth that GOD punisheth men wyth incredulitye wherewith when he hathe smitten them there can none but himselfe illuminate agayne theyr mind And although vnto humane reason it seme very hard and absurd that so greate a multitude haue perished in vnbeliefe God both suffring and willing the same yet ought we not to speake any thing agaynst him but rather
by the workes of the lawe no fleshe shal be iustified And by fleshe he vnderstandeth a man not yet regenerate I know there haue ben some which by the flesh haue vnderstand the inferior parts of the mynde which are grosse and wrapped with filthy lustes But this sence Paul excludeth when he saith by the workes of the lawe that is by workes commaunded of God in the law which must néedes come of reason and not of the strength of the inferior soule Farther the scripture after the Hebrew phrase by the fleshe vnderstandeth the whole man whiche thing we haue in an other place more aboundantly expressed Afterward to the end he might the The fourth better confirme this sentence he saith that euery mouth might be stopped and that the whole world might be guilty before God Vndoubtedly if men should be iustified by works their mouthes should not be stopped neither should they be guilty before God for they should alwayes haue somewhat to say namely that they are therefore quite from sinnes because they had deserued it by workes but now whē men perceaue the contrary they dare not once open their lippes Farther he saith The fifth But now without the lawe is the righteousnes of God made manifest whiche hath the testimonye bothe of the lawe and of the Prophetes What man would appoint that thing to be the cause of our righteousnes without which righteousnes may be obtayned vndoubtedly no wise man would so doo when as suche is the nature of The sixt causes that without them the effectes can not be brought to passe To the same purpose also serueth that which followeth Where then is thy boasting It is excluded By what lawe By the lawe of workes No but by the lawe of fayth He woulde haue vs know that all iust cause of glory is excluded and taken away from vs for the whole glory of our righteousnes ought to geue place vnto God but if we should be iustified by workes then should it not be so for the glory should be ours and euery man would count himselfe to be therefore iustified because he hath The seuēth liued vertuously and iustly And how certaine and assured this was vnto the Apostle those thinges which follow do declare We thinke therefore that a man is iustified by fayth without workes of the lawe Wherefore shall we then deny that which the Apostle with so great vehemency affirmeth Vndoubtedly it is a thing most impudent so to do Wherefore let vs assent vnto him and not resist so great a testimony The eight of hys But besides these thinges let vs waighe and consider the pithe of Pauls meaning If we should be iustified by workes saith he we should not only haue matter to boast of but the occasion of glorying in God and of publishing his fauour towards vs should be taken away For without doubt it is vnto vs a thing most prayse worthy and glorious to acknowledge that the beneuolence and redy fauour of God towards vs through Christ is so great that he deliuereth vs miserable men from our sinnes and receaueth vs into fauour although we were couered ouer with neuer so great filthines and dragges of sinne If I say we should be should be iustified by workes then vndoubtedly could we not truly boast bragge or glory hereof But let vs go on and heare what the Apostle sayth in the beginning of the 4. The ninth chapiter What shall we say then that our father Abrahā found according to the flesh For if Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to boast but not before God For what sayth the scripture Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes But vnto him which worketh a reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt Wherefore to the end that so swete a consolation of the loue and beneuolence of God towards vs should not be taken away from vs let vs constantly affirme with the Apostle that we are not iustified by workes And that he might the better persuade vs hereof he vrgeth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we say signifieth to impute to ascribe vnto a man righteousnes or to count a man for a iust man and setteth it as an Antithesis or contrary vnto merite or debt so that he to whome any thing is imputed deserueth not the same neither receaueth it as a debt But he which obtaineth any thing vnto himselfe as a debt counteth not the same as imputed or ascribed vnto him neither thought Paul it sufficient to haue alleadged the scripture cōcerning Abrahā but also he citeth Dauid Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuē whose sins are couered Blessed is the mā vnto whō the Lord hath not imputed sinne By which wordes we do not only gather that the righteousnes by which we are sayd to be iustified sticketh not in our mindes but is imputeth of God that it is such an imputation which consisteth not of works The tenth but of the mere clemency of God Farther the Apostle doth by an other propriety of good workes confirme his sentence namely because workes are signes or seales of the righteousnes already obtayned wherefore he sayth of Abraham And he receaued the signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousnes of fayth which was in vncircumcision c. Wherefore forasmuch as good workes are signes and seales which beare witnes of y◠righteousnes already receaued they can not be the causes thereof Neither haue ceremonies only that property but also euen those workes Morall workes also are seales of righteousnes before obtayned The eleuenth which are called morall when they are pleasant and acceptable before God for they also are signes and tokens of our righteousnes Wherefore Peter exhorteth vs to endeuor our selues to make our vocation sure namely by liuing vprightly and by good workes Yea and the forme also of y◠promise is diligently to be weighed which God made with Abraham for vnto it is not added a condition of the law or of workes And seing God added none with what audacity shall we then presume to do it And Paul saith For not through the lawe was the promise made vnto Ahraham or to his seede that he should be the heyre of the world but through the righteousnes of fayth For if those whiche pertayne vnto the lawe be heyres then is fayth made vayne and the promise is of no force namely because the lawe worketh anger Wherefore if we fulfill not the lawe the promise will take no place and it shal be a thing vayne to beleue that promise which shall neuer be performed which vndoubtedly must néedes vtterly be so if it be geuen vpon thys condition that we should performe the lawe when as no man can perfectly accomplish the law But the Apostle procedeth farther this iudgeth of the most mercifull counsel of God The twelfth Therefore is the inheritaunce geuē by faith that it might bee according to grace to
it is in very déede the body of a man I vtterly deny For death taketh away from the body of a man the proper forme which he had before but it leaueth the generall word so that it can only be called a body So true and iustifying fayth when it is lost ceasseth to be the true and proper fayth it may indéede as touching the generall word be called a certayne cold assent sprong of humane perswasion and not such as commeth of the holy ghost and which hath the selfe same strength and efficacy that it had before Wherefore if on either side be kept the selfe same proportion of the similitude this wonderfull strong buttresse shal make nothing against vs. For as we confesse that a dead body is a body so also do we graunt that a dead fayth is fayth so that by fayth we vnderstand the generall word of fayth and not that liuely and true fayth whereby we are iustified It is paralogismus aequiuocationis that is a false argument comming of diuers significations of a word He addeth moreouer that fayth can not iustify because of his owne nature it True fayth is not a dead fayth is a thing dead and receaueth life of an other thing namely of charity and of good workes These obiections are vayne and triflyng For none that is in hys right wit will graunt that true fayth is a dead thing For the iust man is sayde to liue by his faith And if out of fayth we draw life how can it then vnto any man seme dead But that it taketh life of an other thing we deny not for it hath it partly Frō whēce faith hath life of those things which it beleueth namely of Christ and of the promises of God and partly of the holy ghost by whose breathing it is inspired In this sort we will graunt that it hath life of an other thing but not in that sort that this man wyll namely that it hath it either of charity or of good workes For what man that is well in his wits will euer say that either the stocke of a trée or the branches or A similitude the fruites or the flowers geue life vnto the rootes And fayth is before either hope or charity Therefore of them it receaueth not life for in very déede fayth can not be the matter of these vertues And euen as that faculty or power which they call vegetatiue geueth life vnto the body and receaueth not life of the faculty or powere sensitiue or rational which foloweth so faith geueth life vnto the soule but How fayth is encreased by good workes taketh not that life either of charity or of good works Howbeit I graunt that that life of fayth is made so much the greater ampler as it hath mo better works and more feruenter charity bursting forth out of it and not that it is increased of many and often repeticion of actions as it is sayd of vertues which they cal moral but because God of his grace and mercy multiplieth the talent for that it was not idle and because God by his power bringeth to passe that fayth when it worketh through loue is stronger then it selfe when it is remisse in working But omitting these things let vs returne agayne to Pighius He as much as lieth in hym contendeth that a man can not be iustified by that fayth whiche is in Christ and in the remission of sinnes For that fayth sayth he whereby Abraham was iustified was not applyed vnto these thinges For God promised vnto hym onely a plentifull séede and possession of a countrey And straight way it is added that Abraham beleued God and it was imputed vnto hym for righteousnes In this argument Pighius triumpheth and is violent agaynst the truth and vtterly derideth our sentence But this is nothing ells then to deride Paul himselfe For he by most expresse wordes affirmeth that we are iustified by fayth in Christ and by the remission of sinnes Neyther is there any thing ells in Pighius then a mere madnes and a wicked desire to contēd But let Paul come forth and answere for him selfe what he thought is to be vnderstand by the séede promised vnto Abraham Vndoubtedly in his epistle vnto the Galathiās the third chapiter he calleth that séede Christ Vnto Abraham sayth he were made the promises and vnto his seede He sayth not and vnto the seedes as speaking of many but as is were of one and in thy seede whiche is Christ. And this testament I say was confirmed by God towards Christ Let Pighius now yet beleue Paul that in that seede which was promised vnto Abraham was Christ comprehended and declared neither let him euer from hence forth with such malepertnes and desire of victory take vppon him to say that y◠fayth wherby Abraham was iustified was not fayth in Christe But as touching the remission of sinnes forasmuch as vnto vs is promised the blessing we ought to remember that the chiefe and principall poynt therof herein consisteth that we should be receaued of God into fauour and that our sins should be forgeuen vs. But Pighius goeth on manifestly to oppunge y◠doctrine of the apostle touching y◠iustification of Abraham For he sayth y◠before Abraham was circumcised had a testimony of the scripture that his fayth was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes he beleued God as it is manifest by the 12. chapiter of Genesis Wherfore sayth he according to this your sentēce he was then iustified neither was his righteousnes differred vntill that history which is had in the 15. chapter It is wonderfull to sée how much he attributeth vnto these his arguments as though by them were takē away from vs al possibility to answer what I besech you letted but that Abraham At what tyme Abraham was iustified mought be iustified at that first time when God spake vnto him first to go out of his countrey and from his kindred For euen in the selfe place at the beginning of the 12. chapiter are had the selfe same promises which are had in the 15. chapter For thus God promised him I will make of thee a great naciō and will blesse thee and will make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I wil also blesse those that blesse thee wil curse those that curse thee and in the shall all thee families of the earth be blessed Vndoubtedly in these words is conteyned the promise of Christ and the remission of sinnes And therfore there shal be no absurdity if we say that Abrahā by beleuing of those wordes also was iustified But bycause the scripture in that chapiter did not playnly set forth this therfore Paul with great wisdome hath cited those wordes which are had in the 15. chapter where it is expressedly written that fayth was imputed vnto him vnto righteousnes which sentence was most necessary to confirme the sentence of the Apostle namely that a man is iustified by Why God
we beleue that god raised vp our Lord Iesus Christ from the dead which was deliuered for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Is it not here most manifestly said that we ought to beleue that that Iesus Christ whome God raised vp was dead and rose againe that we should be iustified and haue all our sinnes forgiuen vs doubtlesse it is a thing most vncomely for a man that professeth diuinitie so willingly not to sée things that are most manifest Afterward he maketh a cauillation about the perticular fayth wherby we say that euery one that beleueth truly in Christ ought to be most assured with him selfe that his sinnes are forgeuen him He denieth that there is any such faith foūd in the holy scriptures And that therfore this is only our deuise and inuētion Here vndoubtedly I can not hold my selfe but that I must nedes say that Pighius loudely lieth For I would haue him to tell me what did Abraham beleue whē he was iustified but that vnto him should one day be rendred those promises of God For vnto whome is it most likely beleued he that they should be rendred but vnto him selfe The selfe same thing may be sayd of Moses of Dauid and of many other of whome it is most certayne that they beleued that the promises which God made vnto them should perticularly be rendred vnto them And what I besech you mēt Christ when he sayd vnto the man that was sicke of the palsey Sonne thy sins are forgeuen thee And when he sayd vnto the woman Thy fayth hath made thee safe And did not Paul vnto the Galathians thus speake of Christ Who hath loued me and deliuered vp him selfe for me What can be more manifest then these wordes Let Pighius go now make his vaūts that we were the first finders out of this proper and singular fayth and let him cry that euery Christian man ought to beleue that the promises are made only indefinitely that it is not mete that euery one of vs should apply them seuerally vnto him selfe For we ought to beleue of our selues and not of other For we may as touching others be deceaued whether they beleue or no. But touching our selues we may be assured and certayne of it Let euery mā beleue the promises of God indefinitly as touching others for we know not who is predestinate and who is reprobate but none which is faythfull ought in any wise to doubt of him selfe but to beleue that the promise is perticular as touching him selfe by that that he séeth that he truly beleueth Farther when promises are set forth in an vniuersal proposition we may most assuredly of them gather theyr singular propositions And Christ sayth in Iohn This is the will of my father that euery one that seeth the sonne and beleueth in him should haue eternall life Wherfore we thus inferre But I beleue in the sonne of God Ergo I haue now and shall haue that which he hath promised Pighius still goeth one and to the end he would proue that the fayth of euery article and not that fayth only which is referred vnto Christ for the remission of sins iustifieth vseth the example of Noe. For he sayth that he beleued only those thinges which pertayned to the safegard of his house and to the destruction of the world and by that fayth he sayth he was iustified Here sayth he is no mencion made of Christ or of the remission of sinnes But it semeth vnto me that this man hath not very diligently red that which Peter writeth in his 1. Epistle and 3. chapter For Peter sayth when once the long suffering of God abode in the dayes of Noe while the Arke wos preparing wherin few that is eight soules were saued thorough the water vnto the figure wherof Baptisme now agreeing maketh vs also safe whereby not the filth of the fleshe is put away but wherebye it commeth that a good conscience Noe was iustified by fayth in Christ well answereth vnto God That which Peter saw was signified by the Arke and by those thinges which Noe did can we thinke that the patriarch him selfe saw not This vndoubtedly were to much derogation vnto him And if he saw those things which Peter maketh mencion of He beleued not only those thinges which were then done but also those which were looked for to be accomplished by Christ And therfore it is very well written vnto the Hebrues the he was by such a faith made the heyre of righteousnes But Pighius nothing passeth vpon this who so that he may be agaynst vs is nothing at all aferd to fight euen against the Apostles themselues For he is not aferd to affirme that our first father Adam was iustified but yet not with that fayth which we speake of which concerneth the remission of sins thorough Christ For he had no promise as touching that as farre as may be gathered out of the scriptures But doubtles this man is both farre deceiued and also hath forgottē his Fathers whome he would be sene to make so much of Was not the selfe same thing Adam was iustified by faith wherby he beleued the remission of sinnes through Christ sayd vnto Adam which was by God promised vnto Eue his wife that his séede should bruse the hed of the Serpent Christ was that séede he hath so broken the hed and strengths of the deuill that now neither sinne nor death nor hel can any thing hurt his members This place all the fathers in a maner thus interpret But Pighius which yet is les to be borne withall is not afeard to say that iustification is not geuen vnto vs by the promise In which thing doubtles he is manifestly agaynst Paul For he vnto the Galathians thus writeth God gaue vnto Abraham by the promise and there is no doubt but that vnto vs it is geuen after the selfe same maner that it was vnto Abraham But this is to be knowen that Distinction of the promise this woorde promise is taken two manner of wayes eyther for the thing promised and so it is not to be doubted but that we are iustified by the promise that is by Christ and by the forgeuenes of sinnes which is promised vnto them that beleue or ells it is taken for the very words of God in which he thorough Christ promiseth vnto vs remission of sinnes And in this maner also we may be sayd to be iustified by the promise For although the cause of our iustificatiō be the mere will and mercy of God yet is not the same offred or signified vnto vs but by the wordes of the promises and by the sacramentes For these words haue we as sure testimonies of the will of God towards vs. And so fayth want not wherby we apprehend the thinges that are offred we are iustified by the promises Afterward Pighius to the end he would proue that God attributeth more vnto workes then vnto faith citeth a place out of the 22.
eschew the one and to the vttermost of our power to embrace the other For we offende in that sinne not onely in our actions and in the executing of duties but also in the study of knowledge of vnderstanding For there are many which neglecting the care of knowing things necessary vnprofitably wander in things vnfruitfull and vaine Did not the Emperor Adrian make himselfe a laughing stocke when amongst the waighty affayres of the common wealth he curiously enquired of Grammarians who was the nurse of Euandre who was the great grandfather of Priamus and other such like trifles and fond toyes And was not y◠philosopher worthely derided of his handmayden when as he attentiuely and carefully considering the starres fel into a ditch which was before his féete This oftentimes happeneth in ouer much busiyng our selues in curious thinges that whilest we go about to search out these thinges which nothing pertayne vnto vs we to our shame are ignorant of other things which are profitable necesssary The vnderstanding of mē is weake neither is it able to consider many sundry things at one and the self same tyme. And therof it cōmeth to passe that where with great earnestnes we séeke to pease any thing our attentiuenes is very much slackened touching the searching out of other things Wherefore Seneca iustly cōplayned y◠a good part of our life is lost whilest we do nothing but a greater part whilest we do euil things the greatest part of all whilest we do things strange A most graue saying of Seneca that is vnprofitable and nothing pertayning vnto vs. They also breake this commaūdemēt of the Apostle which in things profitable necessary to saluation will be wiser then they ought to be For there are some which search out thinges pertayning vnto Christian fayth with greater study then is nedefull For they wyll not be content with those thinges which are set forth in the holy scriptures but according to the rashenes of humane reason will either adde somewhat to the words of God or plucke some thing therefro Who will not say but that these men are besides themselues Wherefore we ought to obey this doctrine of the Apostle For there can nothing be deuised which is generally more profitable then it And that we may the easelier performe this Paul addeth a meane which we ought to keepe in esteming our selues As God hath deuided to euery man the measure of fayth In these wordes is vsed the figure Eclipsis which signifieth want And the want may thus be supplied Let him in such sort thinke of himselfe and let him not arrogantly take vppon him more When mencion is made of fayth it is by the figure Metonomia ▪ For in the cause we vnderstand the effect namely the gifts and spirituall powers geuen of God For no man ought more to presume of himselfe then y◠measure of y◠giftes of God suffreth him which giftes forasmuch as they are receaued by fayth therefore Paul aptly sayd that we must be wise according to the measure of fayth But what this fayth is all the interpreters are not of one minde For some thinke that in this place is vnderstanded that sound fayth whereby we are iustified For to vse the giftes of God vprightly is geuen vnto vs by regeneration which we haue obtayned by fayth But because the Apostle afterward teacheth those things which serue chiefely to the right vse of the giftes of God it is not likely that he woulde now before due place entreat of that doctrine Moreouer we sée that the quantity or measure of spirituall giftes which they call frée giftes are not according to the measure of fayth which iustifieth For we sée oftentimes those which haue a very slender fayth or rather not that fayth at all which iustifieth are yet notwithstanding endewed with a wonderfull gift both of teaching and of perswading and of doing thinges orderly And in that last day many shall say Lord haue we not prophesied in thy name c. But answere shall be made vnto them I know you not And on the other side we sometymes sée most holy mē endued with a true fayth and feruent charity which yet haue these free giftes either very slenderly or sometymes not at all Wherefore it séemeth that fayth in this place may be taken for y◠fayth wherby are wrought miracles Chrisostome also in this place discourseth how fayth ought in these words to be takē but so obscurely that it can skarsely at the length be knowen what his mynde is Origen mencioneth that certayne of the learneder sort gathered out of these wordes of Paul Let no man be wise more then is meete that a certayne measure and mediocrity is to be retayned in all vertues For if a man kéepe not measure in that iustice whereby sinnes are punished he straight way incurreth into the vice For if in that kinde he want of the meane then shall he be remisse and dissolute But if he excéede the meane then shall he be cruell and tyranous For so shall he séeme to be to gréedy of vengeance In christian liberty also he which passeth the meane is rashe and hedlong Mediocrity betwene extremes ought to be kept he which dareth not vse it is fearefull and cowardishe So in prudence he which wanteth of the meane is a foole and he which passeth the meane is crafty wyly and malicious So the serpent in paradise is said to haue ben more prudent then all liuing creatures Touching chastity also he sayth that they are wiser thē Against supersticious sole lyfe they ought to be which geue themselues to the doctrines of deuils and prohibite matrimony and forbid meates created of God This place the supersticious bond sclaues of the Pope ought well to pease For those pestilent furies contend and cry out that it is well done that no man be admitted into the fellowship of the ministers but he onely from whome is wrested the vow of sole life Moreouer in this vertue they also depart from the meane which through lustes and adulteries impudently let loose the bridle vnto the fleshe Yea saith he there are found some which touching Christ himselfe are wiser then they ought as are those which thinke that he is not the sonne of that God which made y◠world as though forsooth they could find out a more excellent father for him Neither do they commit any les sinne which thinke that he tooke not an humane body of the blessed virgen but fayne that he brought a celestiall body with hym from heauen These thinges bringeth Origen for the laudable mediocrity which is to be kept in all thinges and that according to their iudgement whome he calleth wise and learned The ecclesiastical vocation is not to be eschewed Moreouer this is not to be passed ouer that they are not so wise as they ought to be which vnder the pretence of modesty eschew a higher degrée and place in the Church for that they say that they
iudgeth by them But what shall we say of priuate men Doth not the spirituall man iudge all How farre forth it is lawfull to iudge others thinges doth not Paul say to the Corinthians Ye your selues be iudges From priuate men especially from men adorned with the spirite of God is not takeÌ„ away that power of iudging wherby is discerned good from ill truth from falshode profite from disprofite But here is not entreated of those thinges For here is spoken of that iudgement wherby we reproue and condemne others But vniuersally it is not lawfull for vs to condemne any man by our iudgement If thou consider the persone it is not lawfull so to condemne any man as one which can not be amended or corrected For alwayes so long as we liue here we must conceaue a a good hope of our neighbour vnles there come in the meane tyme some peculiar reuelacion of God as we haue before taught And as touching actes wheÌ„ they are neuter indifferent charity requireth that we interpretate theÌ„ to procede of a good mind for we ought not to accuse those thinges as sinnes which may otherwise be well doone But as touching good factes there is nothing to let but that we may in our iudgement commend them Yea rather both iustice and the law of charity commaundeth vs so to doo But those thinges which are vtterly wicked and plainly repugnant to the commaundemeÌ„ts of God are not condemned of vs but of the words of God But here the question is touching things indiffereÌ„t As concerning them Paul profitably commaundeth the weake for that they are still ouerspread with darknes to refraine from iudgements For that is nothing els but to goe about to vsurpe the office of God For he is only the searcher of hearts and he alone knoweth with what minde euery thing is done Augustine de verbis Domini in Râ—sh iudgement coÌ„mitted two maner of waâ—s monte sayth That in these two things iudgement is rash when it is vncertaine with what minde any thing is done or what maner thing that shall in time to come be which now séemeth either to be good or euill He standeth or falleth to his owne Lorde Sometimes they which iudge pretend this that they are moued with the griefe which they take by reason of his destruction whome they iudge But let no such affect trouble thée sayth Paule for he whome thou iudgest either standeth to his owne Lorde or falleth and to him redoundeth the profite and the hurt Doe not thou thinke thy selfe more iuster then him That he which auengeth not doe not thou by the vntimely iudgement séeke to destroy Yea he shal be established For God is able to make him to stand Forasmuch as it lieth not in thine handes to make thy brother either to stand or to fall thou Paul here reasoneth of the power of God to the effect First is requisâ—te that we be certaine of the wil of God before that we reasoÌ„ of his powerâ— oughtest to thinke well of him and not lightly to suspecte that he will fall For he hath a good and mighty Lorde which is able to stay him vp and to establishe him And yet dothe not Paule here as some fable reason from the power of God to the effect For that were to doe nothing and to imitate the Papists which vpon this that God can take away the nature of the bread and reserue the accidences without substances straight way conclude that he so doth in the Eucharist They ought first to be certaine of the will of God and afterward to come to the effect For Paul here maketh mention of the power of God for that he had before sufficiently spoken of his will that God had receiued him and taken him into his famely and geuen vnto him a firme faith and strength wherefore seeing that thou art assured of the will of God and canst not doubt of his power thou oughtest not lightly to distrust of his saluation whome thou iudgest After this manner also is to be vnderstanded that which he before sayd in the. 11. chapiter And if he abide not in incredulitye he shal be againe grafted in For God is able to graft him in againe Here also are we assured of the will of God and that by the scriptures For there are infinite promises made to the nation of the Iewes which can not vtterly be voyde For as Paule straight way afterward affirmeth the giftes and calling of God are without repentaunce and he affirmeth that they were beloued for theyr fathers sake Wherfore séeing that there was no controuersie of his will he aptly addeth an argumeÌ„t of his power Yet ought we not too much to assure our selues of an other mannes saluatioÌ„ although we ought not to be in doubt of our saluation For although we Although we can not be assured of the saluation of an other maÌ„ yet ought we to hope well of him can not be assured of others yet charity moueth vs to hope wel of them wherunto all those reasons which Paul here bringeth doe vrge vs. This man estemeth one day aboue an other and an other counteth euery day a like There was also an other infirmity of yâ— Iewes newly conuerted to Christ in that they thought that the dayes ought to be obserued according to the old law namely Easter Whytsontide the feast of trumpets the day of expiations the feast of tabernacles the new Mones and the Sabboths But they which were endued with a stronger faith counted al dayes a like How be it we except the Lords day for it pertaineth to the ten commaundementes that out of the whole wéeke Of the sabaoth and Lords day should one day be consecrated to the worshipping of God That day God wold in the olde law should be the Sabboth day that the benefite of the creation of the world and of the deliuery out of Egipt might the more firmly stick in memory But afterwarde that the memory of the resurrection of Christ and the renuing of our saluation obtained by him and the hope of our resurrection which we wait for should most déepely sinke into our mindes the Lords day was appoynted and that euen of the Apostles Of which thing is very manifest mention made in the holy scriptures Afterwarde by Ecclesiasticall men were brought in a great many festiuall holy dayes which as Erasmus testifieth and as theyr owne counsels Of holy dayes affirme as our times now are were better to be fewer or rather vtterly none at all But it is wonderfull howe Origen Ambrose and others drew these wordes of Paul to the abstinences from meats and from flesh which some Christians at that time obserued as though there were some which in the Apostles time did certain dayes abstaine from flesh or from some other kinde of meats But others thought that all dayes were frée vnto them And yet though we should follow this exposition can not the Papists which at this day laboure to obtrude
ceassed whose shadowes are now at the light of the truthe taken away And there withall also the ciuil commaundements are abrogated wheÌ„ as that publike wealth is now no more of necessity vpon the earth The righteousnes also of those lawes which they call Morall although it can not perfectly be fulfilled of vs yet partly through the holines of Christ which he communicateth vnto vs it is performed and accomplished and partly through the power of the holy Ghost which he distributeth to the beleuers it is with great endeuor according to that which is geuen vnto euery man expressed and that which wanteth is through the grace of Christ not imputed Finally he gaue his life for his which was the last worke of his ministery But whereas Origen noteth that the Apostle ment here to gather an argument against the Ethnikes yâ— they should not despise the Iewes although they abode still in the obseruations of the law when as Christ himself was bothe the minister of the law and obserued all these things diligently this in my iudgement semeth wide from the purpose For here rather we learne that the strength and foundation of the promises made vnto the fathers was that saluation should be attained vnto for mankinde through Christ although otherwise there were extant many other promises of the possession of the land of Canaan and of the kingdome of the worlde Which things forasmuche as Christ performed not as which What is the streÌ„gth summe of all the promises made vnto the fathers pertained not to his ministery we ought to vnderstande that they were rather things annexed then the sinewes and summe and strengthe and iuyce of the promises of God And hereunto not a little serueth that which Paule wryteth in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the. 1. chapter All the promises of God are through him yea and through him Amen And let the Gentiles praise God for his mercy Vnto the Gentiles he attributeth Mercy and truth are ioyned together mercy and to the Iewes truthe not that these two can be seperated the one from the other for there is no worke of God which hath either mercye without truth or truth without mercy but Paul ment to distinguish these things euen as they were in more force and as they were more declared in the saluation either of the Iewes or of the Gentiles Christ as touching that coÌ„uersation which he had The promâ—sâ—s of God leane onely to mercy In the graftyng in of the Gentles truth had place vpon the earth was geuen to the Iewes that the truthe of the promises shold not be made frustrate But if thou wilt descend to the very roote and foundation euen those promises leane only to the mercy of God For what thing els but euen his mere goodnes and mercy could haue moued him to promise vnto the fathers that Christ should come of theyr stocke And although the Gentiles are sayd to be grafted in by mercy yet here also truth hath place For God knew euen from eternally that the Gentiles shold be called to saluation Wherfore it was true for things false can not be knowne And therefore it was necessary that that truth should attaine to his effecte Moreouer the scriptures kept not in silence that the Gentiles should at the length be called as those Prophesies testifye which are a little afterward alleaged But the Prophesies of the holy scriptures ought without all manner of doubt to be true Wherefore the grafting in of the Gentiles pertayneth to truthe But this ought not to be ouerhipped that Paul when he entreated of the Iewes spake not only of the truth but also straight way after it made mention Whether the calling in of the Gentiles was peculiarly promised to any man of the promisses as if he should haue sayd that Christ was geuen vnto the Iewes a minister of saluation to confirme the truthe of the promises But the calling of the Gentiles was in déede foretold but as it shold séeme it was promised to none vnles peraduenture any man will contende that vnto Abraham were promised the Gentiles when it was sayd vnto him In thy sede shall all nations be blessed but as we haue already sayd this may séeme to be spoken rather in the way of foretelling then in the way of promise And if a man think this reason somwhat weak he may follow that which we before sayd that the Apostle had a regarde to that which is most frequent in the holy scriptures For in them is euery where promised that the Messias should come of the séede of the Iewes but not in so many places nor so often is mention made in them of the callynge of the Gentiles And to speake briefly these distributions of Paul are not so to be vnderstanded as though one part can by no meanes be ioyned with an other And this may plainely be proued by these two places with the harte we beleue to righteousnesse and with the mouth is confession made to saluation Againe Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification As it is written For this cause will I confesse thee amongst the gentiles and wil sing to thy name This propheste is written in the 18. Psalme wherein is affirmed yâ— the prayses of God should be celebrated amongst the Gentiles which also is shewed by these other testimonies which are here added And this can not be vnderstanded but of the redeÌ„ption purchased vnto vs through Christ The last testimony maketh mencion only of the hope and fayth of the Gentiles that the kingdoÌ„ What to confesse signifieth of Christ should be spred abrode euen amongst them also In the 18. Psalme Dauid speaketh vnder the persoÌ„ of the body of Christ that is of the Church I will confesse thee amongst the Gentitles Here to confesse signifieth nothing ells but with feruâ—t prayers â—o set forth the prayses of God And by those thinges which went a litle be fore in that Psalme is gathered that that should be verified of the victory gotten and of the ouerthrow of the enemies And agayne Reioyce ye Gentiles with his people This is written in the 32. chapiter of Deut Ye Gentiles stirre vp his people to reioysing And the cause of this common ioye is before recited namely for that God had set at liberty his froÌ„ their enemies and from those that hated them Howbeit there are some which thinkâ— rather that this testimony is taken out of the 67. Psalme where we thus rede A câ—uillation of the Hebrues Let the Gentiles be glad and reioyce bicause thou iudgest the people in equity and directest the Gentiles vpon the earth Howbeit from whence so euer this place be taken it maketh no great skill for in ech place the sence is in a maner one and the same I thinke rather that it is taken out of Deutro â–ª for that in the Psalme this particle vvith my people â–ª or my people wanteth Howbeit this we ought not to
the dead 68 â–ª 78. 201. 202. 218 Riches how it is vsed 37 Righteousnes what it is 16. 117. 236 Righteousnes is of two sortes 316 317. 318. 440. Righteousnes is of God 60. 285 Righteousnes commeth without the law 56 Rites and ceremonies of the Gentiles were not constant 243 Romaines why they were called holye 5 Rocke which was Christ 199 Rules to amend iustes 29 S SAbaoth day 436 Sacraments what they are 47. 49. 77. 79 80. 81. 82. 83. 85. 86. 145. Sacrifice what it is 411. 412 Sacrifice of the Masse compared with the sacrifice of the gospell 448 Sacrifices 195 Sacrilege what it is 46 Saluation by the gospel 15 Sanctification what it is 156 Sanctification commeth not of the nature of the parents 14â— Sathan being bound what it meaneth 218 Saintes desires are not alwayes fulfilled 450 Sedicious persons are to be abhorred 43 Seruice of God what it is 1 Seruaunts and free men differ 1 Seruaunts why they are so called 153 Sending of the Apostles what it is 2 Scripture hath not his aucthoritye of the church 93 Scripture bringeth patience and consolation 443 Scripture may not be prohibited from lay men 199 Shame what it is 156 175 Signes what they are 79 Simmachus Oration 25 Sinne of the first parents 32 Sinne comprehendeth action and defect 27 Sinne and the effectes therof is at large described from the. 54. lefâ— vnto the. 194. lefâ— Sinnes are the tormenters of God 34 Sinne is punished by sinne 33 Sinnes ventall and mortall 150 Sinne and death knit together 111 Sinne in infantes 168. 169 170 Sleping what it is 433 Scholemasters â—re the instrumeÌ„ts of god â–ª 21 Soule of man what it is 41 Soules of saintes althoughe they be blessed desire many things 213 Spirite of Christ what it is 199 Spirite of feare and spirite of adoption 203. 204. 205. 206. 207. 208. 242. Stoikes without affections 29 Straunge tongues may not be vsed in the church 207 Stretching out of the hand what it is 331 Succession what it is 244 Supper of the Lord what is the righte vse therof 24 Sworde being borne before a Prince what it signifieth 431 T TAble of the Eucharist 343 Temptation is of two kindes 28 Testament new and old 43. 44. 50. and why it is so called 363 Things are not to be made common 451 The spirite of loue 452 Through Christ we geue god glory 456 To confesse what it is signifieth 445 Transubstantiation 198 Truthe coâ—uinceth errors 20 Tribute why it is payd 431 Truthe made captiue and by whome 20 Truthe commeth all of God 21 True doctrine must be ministred though the people allow it not 22 Truthe had place in the grafting in of the gentiles 445 Two marks to know false Apostles by 455 V VEssels of wrath 277 Vncleane things what they are 29 Vngodlines what it is 75 Vocation of efficacy is an effecte of predestination 290 VV WAking what it is 433 Wedding garment what it is 434 Words and dedes are the instruments of the Apostleship 448 Word of God edefyeth 338 World what it signifieth 413 Workes â–ª what they are 39. 40. 43 Workes of the law 57. 68. 73 Works of preparation 3. 1. 173 Works reiected 148. 185 Works or superegation 56 Works iustify not 57. 68. 69. 83. 103 Works and carnal propagation are not causes of saluation 246 Works of darknes â–ª what they are 434 Wrath of God what it is 19 38. 278 Worshipping of God what is the truthe thereof 23 Z ZAchary slaine betweene the temple and the altare 96 ⧠Faultes escaped desiring thee Reader to marke them in thy booke according to the Table here following Folio Page Line Faultes Corrected 20 1 21 vnto this senses vnto his senses 30 1 48 By loues and colours by lines and coloures 32 1 15 an Image of the another image of the 33 1 5 not to vnderstand not to be vnderstand 37 2 11 said wheÌ„ word was said when word was eod 2 21 or that he wold for that he wold 40 2 38 and lying waytes and lying wonders 42 1 39 out of other men for other men 59 2 37 false falles 61 1 9 his appointed his lawes appointed 68 2 17 pertained vnto him pertained not vnto 69 1 49 the accidences if the accidences 78 2 31 that so that it is so 89 2 16 riftingly triflingly 97 2 37 he leaueth vs he loueth vs 102 1 40 them selues set themselues 105 2 55 a much greater loue that he bare a muche 108 0 1 place placed iÌ„ so firm a place 112 1 31 created with some created with sinne 123 1 47 haue bene they bene saued if they 124 1 13 are called which are called 139 1 19 as haue as we haue eod  23 proposition proportion 140 2 28 were not true were true 142 2 55 the mansions the inuasions 150 1 16 before when he before vsed when he 157 2 7 soldiers soldiers weÌ„ton â—â—arfar 159 1 6 in a merite in it a merite eod 2 25 hostis promeretur hostiis promeretur 166 1 51 with as it is his first with this first 173 1 29 and the effect and the defect 183 1 41 rites cityes 184 2 18 the worse they the worse thyng 185 1 41 now condemnation now no condemnation 189 2 10 these forasmuch as these eod  14 should moue should meane 190 1 25 so that these so are these 195 2 38 affects effects 196 2 54 can not disagree can not agree 200 1 10 world tooke word tooke 211 1 51 eternall wright eternall weight 221 1 20 wise appointed wyse men appoynted eod 2 8 newly that he namely that he 123 2 18 so that he so that ye 233 2 5 we are notably we notably 238 1 31 dissention destruction 239 1 49 desired to be slain desired not to be slain 245 1 35 they wyll they wyll not 264 2 6 to persist God to resist God 272 1 50 thought he neither thought he 278 1 46 persecution perfection 299 1 37 secrecy of the secrecy 308 2 28 afflycted therfore affyxed vnto it 310 1 37 was he driueÌ„ vnto it therfore was he driueÌ„ eod 2 42 is that it is that which 317 1 4 tended to other tended to no other 319 2 5 as the simple as by the simple 326 2 21 a very similitude a very apt similitude 341 1 35 he vnderstand of he vnderstandeth 344 1 41 Iesus the priest of Iesus the priest eod  43 inotnto not into 355 1 37 member number eod 2 51 and abode the and abode 356 1 27 fallen into seueritye fallen seuerity 359 2 13 Israelites claue first Israelites claue fast eod  16 entisements by entisements 361 1 29 who not who differ not 363 1 52 that that maner that after that maner eod  53 for the amplifiing if for the amplifying 364 2 40 stayned from al discerned from all 365 1 51 Omnis Omnes 368 2 6 to be the put to be the 369 2 6 not in thy name we not in thy name 380 2 47 was by these fasts was not by these facts 381 2 46 he formaketh what the fire maketh hot 385 2 45 after such for after such sort 386 1 1 uen freely uen it is geuen frely 387 1 49 strengths strengths of nature 393 1 46 one calleth one he calleth eod 2 24 if I all fayth if I haue all fayth 405 2 10 of righteousnes is righteousnes is of 406 1 37 but not by but not by faith 407 2 11 thou hast receyued thou hast not receiued 418 2 43 trifling effectes trifling offices 428 1 17 Iohn Iehu 429 2 2 Onely if God Only of God 430 2 19 as out feare without feare 436 1 32 he which auengeth which he aeuengeth LIFE IS DEATH AND DEATH IS LIFE AETATIS SVAE XXXX 1562 I D ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Daye dvvelling ouer Aldersgate beneath S. Martins Anno Domini 1568. the 31. day of August ⧠Cum Gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per Decennium
whiche sinnes were sayd to be purged but baptised them into repentaunce to the forgeuenes of sinnes adioyning therunto doctrine wherein he made mention of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Gost Which thing vndoubtedly the high Priestes and Scribes and Phariseys coulde in no case abyde that he reiecting the ceremonies which were receaued shoulde put in their place a new maner of purging Wherefore they sent a Messenger vnto him to aske of him whither he were the Messias or Elias or the Prophet as it were confessing that vnder the Messias it should come to passe that the ceremonies of the law should be abolished the the same was not lawfull for other mē to doo And if a man demaūd why God gaue ceremonies which should afterwarde be abolished Chrisostome hath thereof a very apt similitude If a man haue a wyfe very prone to lafciuiousnes he shutteth her vp in certayne places in chambers I say and parlers so that shee cannot wander abroade at her pleasure He appointeth vnto her moreouer Eunuches wayting maydes and handmaides most diligentlye to haue an eye vnto her So delte God with the Iewes He tooke them vnto him at the beginnyng as a spouse as it is said in the Prophet I haue wedded thee with mercy and with loue And by this natiō his wil was at cōueniēt tyme to enstruct the whole world Which thing he did by the Apostls when Christ was now departed frō the earth But that people was very weake and feble and aboue measure prone to adulteries of idolatry Wherfore God seperated them from other nations and would haue them to dwell in the land of Chanaan aparte by themselues and to be kept in on euery side with ceremonies and rites as it were by scholemaisters vntill this spouse was so strengthened and confirmed that her fayth was no more had in suspicion Which thing when husbandes perceiue in their wyues they suffer them to go at their pleasure whither they will and to be conuersant with menne neither do they any more set any kepers to watche them So God when he had nowe by Christ geuen vnto the church the holy ghost he remoued away from it the custodye of ceremonies and sent forth his faithfull to preach throughout the whole world The selfe same father proueth in an other place that the ceremonies and rites of the Iewes were not instituted of God of a principall entente and purpose For God woulde haue a people which should worship him in spirite and in truth But the Israelites which had bene conuersant in Egipt and had contaminated themselues with idolatry woulde needes in any wise haue both sacrifices and ceremonies so that if these sacrifices and rites had not bene permitted vnto them they would haue bene redy to turne to idolatry Wherefore God so A similitude delt with them as the maner of a wise phisition is to do who lighting vpon one sicke of a burnyng agew whiche by reason of his wonderfull great heate requireth in any wyse to haue some colde water geuen him and if he haue none geuen him he is redy to hang himselfe or by some other meanes to destroy himselfe in this case the phisition beyng by necessity cōpelled commaundeth to be brought a viole full of water which he himself hath prepared and geueth the sicke man leaue to drinke but yet with suche a charge that he drinke out of nothing els but out of that viall So God graunted vnto the Hebrewes sacrifices and ceremonies but yet so that they should not exercise them otherwise then he himselfe had commaunded them And that this is true he hereby proueth For that God gaue not ceremonies vntill alter they had made the golden caife God prescribed not ceremonies but when he had made open his wrath against the Israelites who hurling in theyr braselets earinges and ringes caused a calfe to be made for them which they worshipped And seyng it is so Paul saith rightly when he sayth that the law is not by faith abolished although those ceremonies be taken away Which sentence Christ also confirmeth when he saith that he came not to take away the law but to fulfill it The sence of which wordes may easely be gathered out of those thinges which we haue before spoken The reasons which afterward follow are brought to confirme this proposition now alledged namely That man is iustified by faith and that without the workes of the law Hetherto when as at the beginning Here is repeated the methode or order which the Apostle hath hether to kept the Apostles had set forth that by the Gospell and the faith of Christ commeth saluation and righteousnes he vsed this reason that whersoeuer the Gospel and faith want there is most great vnrighteousnes and vncleannes of life but on the contrary side where these haue place there is both righteousnes and true holines Therfore by them saith he come saluation and iustification The Minor or second proposition was proued chiefly as touching the first parte For first the Gentles liued most filthely although they knew God by the nature of things Farther the Iewes were not in their conuersation one whit better then the Gentles And this done he declareth wherehence the true righteousnes should be sought for t namely of faith without workes Which thing before he would proue he thought it good to confute an obiection namely that by faith he ouerthroweth not the law but rather by faith confirmeth it This selfe same thing is obiected vnto vs in our dayes that by faith which with the Apostle we affirme to iustifie we ouerthrowe all honest and holy workes Of this thing do they cry out which defend the worke wrought in the sacramentes which boast of workes of supererogation whiche defend purgatory inuocation of saintes and obtrude vowes and sole life What shall we answer to these things Paul sayth y◠he by faith abrogateth not the law but rather confirmed it In which wordes he geueth a reuerence to the ceremonies instituted of God which for their tyme were of necessity obeyed especially for the they were founded vpon the word of God But we can not so say as touching those things which we are accused to haue ouerthrowen Bicause they are abuses and mere superstitions In this disputacion the condition of Paul and ours is diuerse which are vtterly repugnaunt vnto the worde of God Wherfore we confesse that these thinges we ouerthrow by the fayth of Christ and doctrine of the Gospell Now haue we heard the purpose and state of the question which shall be entreated of which we ought continually to haue before our eyes so that vnto it must we referre whatsoeuer is sayd in this whole discourse And this shal be with fruite to heare those thinges which the Apostle writeth The fourth Chapter VVHat shal we say then that Abraham our Father hath found concerning the flesh For if Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce but not with God
For what sayth the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to hym for ryghteousnes VVhat shall we say then The summe of those things which are contayned in this 4. Chapter is deuided into these partes The first is that we must be iustifyed after the selfe same manner that Abraham was iustifyed The seconde that our iustifycation commeth by the imputacion of God The third that it cōsisteth The sum of the things that shall be spoken of in this chapter in the remisson of sinnes In the fourth is set foorth the time wherein Abraham was iustifyed and so is declared that he attayned vnto righteousnes before he had put in vre any woorke of the law namely the worke of circumcision Farther he plainely sheweth that righteousnes is therfore had by fayth that the promise of God mighte be firme and sure Moreouer there is set foorth the example of Abraham and that with an amplification declarynge howe that he considered not hys owne infyrmitye neyther those thinges whyche by nature had bene able to hynder that which God had promised him Lastly is shewed y◠these things were not written for his sake only but also for vs which by faith do follow the steps of the self same father Abrahā Chrisostome bringeth in these things which are here spokē after this maner That it might seme peraduenture to It is an honorable thing to be iustified by fayth The Apostle doth very well in vsing an example some not to be very mete glorious that we should by fayth be iustified witohut works But saith he the matter is far otherwise Because partly we may se how excellent a thing this is for Paul calleth that thing righteousnes which we attayne vnto by faith here declareth that God by this means sheweth forth declareth his goodnes righteousnes and partly bycause Abraham so great a Patriarche was after this maner iustified It is not with out a cause that Paule placeth an example before his other arguments For the thinge that is here chefely sought for is that the truth which is layd before vs might be made manifest and playne And this is the proper vse of examples The dignity of Abraham most manifestly to lay a thing before our eyes And although there were greate plenty of examples yet Paul did choose this example of Abraham because he was both a man of God and also one endued with most excellente vertues because the Hebrues continuallye boasted of him as whome they acknowledge and craked to be the father and prince of theyr kindred And of suche force was his authority amōgst them that the place of the blessed was called the bosome of Of how great a value iustification is Abraham Which name Christ would not haue vsed in his Gospell vnlesse it had bene receaued amongst the commō people Neither ought we to meruayle that the Apostle so diligently and exactly bendeth himselfe to dispute of this iustification For it is not a slight thing nor a matter of small weight but the principall ground of our felicitie wherin if a mā be throughly instructed I dare be bold to say that he shall easely put away all abuses And bycause our aduersaries in it as in the first entry do fowly stumble and erre therefore in other partes of religion also are they most filthily deceaued But in this example this is chiefly to be marked that for as much as in it is entreated of Circumsion and Abraham is sayd to haue bene iustified before he receaued it some suppose that hereby they haue a firme argument that Paul excludeth not all woorkes from iustification but onely ceremonies of the law Vnto whom we answere that Paul therefore in especial reasoned touching these ceremonies for that for them the controuersie happened But yet in the discourse of hys reasoning he mingleth many thinges which cause that the question must of necessitie be taken generally which thing we shall in his place note Wherefore we graunt that the argumentes chiefly tende to that end but yet are they so handled that together he concludeth vniuersally of all workes Farther it is to be noted that in the tyme of Abraham and of the old law for as much as these ceremonies were founded vpon the word of God men were bound no lesse to obey them then the other commaundementes And yet the Apostle affirmeth that by that obedience men were not iustified Wherefore we conclude that those selfe same men could not be iustified by the obseruing of the other cōmaundemētes In this place is deiected the dignitie of good works but not vniuersally Wherfore those thinges which are here spoken ought not to be drawen vnto a loosenes of life and to licentiousnes to sinne but rather are to bee applied vnto the scope and meaning of Paul Paul onely entendeth this thing to shewe that in good workes is not set the cause of our iustification Other praises and commendacions he aboundantly geueth vnto them For it is not to bee thought that by hys doctrine he would bring into contempt the most excellent vertues Paule contemneth not the vertues and good works of Abraham The temptacions and victories of Abraham of a man of such estimation For as the Iewes make mention Abraham was very often tempted and yet neuertheles he continually ouercame God called him out of his land and kinred to lyue as a straunger in the land of Chanaan But there he could not lyue by reason of the famine wherefore hee was constrayned to go downe into Egipt where he was tempted the third tyme when Pharao tooke away hys wyfe from him The fourth temptacion hee suffered when he was compelled to depart from Loth for the auoyding of contencions Finally he was tempted when he made warre agaynst so many kinges and agaynst so victorious an host when as he him selfe had with him but a very few The sixt temptacion was when he being now a very old man was commaunded to receiue Circumcision The seuenth when king Abimelech in Gerara agayne tooke away hys wyfe from him The eight when Agar which had conceaued by him was constrained to flee from Sara who afflicted her greuouslye The ninth when he was compelled to send away his sonne Ismael being nowe of good age together with hys mother The tenth when God required of him to sacrifice vnto him hys onely bogotten sonne Isaack With these other such most excellent workes was Abraham adorned which thinges Paule contemneth not but only sheweth that these were not such that they could be opposed and set agaynst the wrath and iudgement of God so that for theyr sakes he should haue God fauorable and mercifull For in this place is not entreated of the righteousnes which is obtayned by workes which is in vs a quality cleaning vnto vs but only of that righteousnes whereby we are iustified before God The reason of the Apostle may thus be knit together We are iustified after The argument of Paule the same maner that
declare that he neyther beleued nor is iustified nor hath receaued remission of sinnes Farthermore although they beleue yet when these promises are agayne offred and that by the institution of the Lord and they thorough fayth and the impulsion of the holy ghost doo with efficacy take hold of them the benefites of God can not but be augmented in them But why the holy ghost is powred into the hartes of them that are regenerate thys is the reason Bycause they must be made new agayne and theyr stony hart as the prophete sayth must be turned into a fleshy hart whiâ—â— is not possible to be done by humane reason And that we are by the visible saâ—â—ament grafted into Christ into the Church is first declared by this place which we are now in hand with For Paul sayth that they which are baptised are grafted into Christ And in the first to the Corrinthians the 12. chap. he sayth that by one spirite we are all baptised into one body And that this body is the Church he plainly teacheth in the selfe same chap. We added in the definition By a visible sacrament bicause in very dede we are grafted both into Christ and into the Church as touching Why this visible grafting is geuen the minde and spirite so soone as euer we are iustified But bycause that is vnknowen vnto men it is afterward knowen when we are initiated by the outward sacrament also the right vnto eternall life is sealed vnto vs by baptisme It is in dede geuen vs so soone as euer we are iustified and it pertayneth vnto The righte vnto eternall life is sealed by baptisme A similitude Not all that are not baptised pearish vs by right not of merite but of the liberall gift of God and by baptisme it is sealed As the giftes of kinges so soone as euer they are graunted vnto vs doo without doubt pertayne vnto vs but afterward are added seales that the will of the king may if it be nedefull be testefied vnto others Nether is this part of the definition right vnto eternall life so to be vnderstand as though they ought to be excluded from the kingdome of heauen which are not baptised For if they beleue and there be no let in them that are not baptised we ought not to doubt of theyr saluation For Christ sayth He which beleueth in me hath eternall life And in an other place althoughe he saye that he which beleueth and is baptised shall be saued yet he streight way addeth He which beleueth not shall be coÌ„deÌ„ned By which worde he signifieth that baptisme is not so of necessity but that a faythfull maÌ„ may with out it be saued so that there be annexed no coÌ„tempt nor disobedience The scholemen also confesse that besides the baptisme of water the godly are sometimes baptised with Martirdom and with the inspiratioÌ„ of the holy ghost so much as sufficeth vnto saluation Christ also called his death baptisme when Christ called his death baptisme The effusion of the holy Ghost was baptisme Baptisme hath repentaunce ioyned with it he sayd that he should be baptised with an other baptisme and foretold that the Apostles shoulde be baptised with the holye ghost soone after hys ascension into heauen Lastly we agayne in baptisme professe death as touching sinne and a new life which profession sheweth nothing ells then that vnto this sacrament is adioyned repeÌ„tance which thing both Iohn and also Christ tought when they spake of Baptisme And the fathers when they passed ouer the sea escaped into liberty but Pharao with his host was drowned in the waters whereby was signified that by baptisme we ought so to be renewed that there we should forsake our sinnes and be lifted out of the waters with a new purpose to an holy life All these thinges oughte we when we are baptised by testemonyes of the scriptures often to consider and of them all continually to admonish our selues For although this sacrament be but once onely geueÌ„ yet ought it neuer in our We oughte moste often to call to memorye baptisme whole life time to be forgotten For euen as it behoued the Iewes euermore to remember that they were circumcised so also ought we continually to call to memorye our baptisme And this is not to be passed ouer that the Anabaptistes labor by this chap. to confirme theyr error which thinke that baptisme ought Of baptising of Children against the Anabaptistes not to be geuen vnto infantes bycause they are not able by fayth to receaue the promises offred vnto them or to professe mortification and a new life But how weake this argument is partly reason it selfe sheweth partly the scriptures teach For this is not the propriety of signes that they should then onely profite when they are present Otherwise we ought continually to be baptised They Signs are profitable yea euen when they are not present are in dede deliuered but only once but being ofteÌ„times called to memory they alwayes profite For the vtilitye of them is not a thinge that dureth but for a tyme although infantes can not take holde of the promises offred vnto them yet afterwarde when they come to riper age they shall take holde of them But forasmuche as they are able to receaue the couenaunt and the thinges promised pertayne vnto them why shoulde we take awaye from them the signes of those thinges These men forsooth woulde seeme to be wiser then God for GOD knewe vndoubtedlye as well as they that Circumcision conteyned a promise of Christe and a profession of mortifycation and of a newe lyfe For by the prophets he continually vrgeth the Circumcision of the hart which was signified by that Sacrament and yet he commaunded that infantes should be initiated vnto him by CircumcisioÌ„ Why theÌ„ do these meÌ„ obiect vnto vs yâ— thing Circumcision geuen vnto infantes which God himselfe would not haue kept from infants They vse also to vrge the commaundement of the Lord wherin he commaunded the Apostles that they should teache and baptise And they thinke that infantes ought therfore not to be baptised bicause they can not receiue the preaching and doctrine of the Gospel Nether The maner whiche is to be kept in increasing the church The beleuers were baptised with theyr whole famâ—ly Our infantes are not of worser condition or estate then were the children of the Hebrues Circumcision sealed not onely temporall promises A proofe of the resurrection consider they that Christ by that commaundement taught the manner how religion should be spred abroade the church instructed For it was not for the Apostles to beginne their office and function with the Sacraments First it behoued them to preach the Gospell afterward to baptise them that beleued And so yâ— Apostles baptised not only theÌ„ that beleued but also their whole families As we rede also that Abraham when he beleued circumcised not only himselfe but also all his And we know vndoubtedly by the
holy scriptures that Baptisme succeded in the place of Circumcision Wherfore they cannot say that the baptisme of infantes is against the worde of God bicause vnles they will graunt that our infantes are in worser estate then were the infantes of the Hebrewes they must of necessity confesse that our infantes also ought to be initiated vnto God and vnto Christ They also are not to be harkened vnto which say that circumcision was only a sealyng of promises touching temporall things For Paul doth manifestly teach that it ought to be compared with baptisme And in the 17. chap. of the booke of Genesis Circumcision is instituted to confirme this promise I wyll be thy God and the God of thy seede And vndoubtedly God kepeth those whose God he is and y◠not only as touching y◠mind or as touching y◠body only but as touching y◠who le ful nature And of so great force waight is this promise y◠by it Christ proued the resurrection of the dead For forasmuch as God affirmeth himselfe to be the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob he therby firmly concludeth that they liue and that their bodies shall be restored vnto them in the resurrection And it is wonderfull how they dare affirme that the baptisme of infantes is a new institution in the church For Cyprian a most auntient writer maketh menciō of it sayth that it is Baptisme of children is no new thing in the church not of necessitie that we should tary till the eight day for the baptising of thē For the truth of the Gospel hath deliuered vs frō the obseruing of the number of daies Wherfore they may well be baptised what day soeuer the Church shall be assembled together Origene also writing vpon this epistle and vpon Leuiticus sufficiētly declareth that infants were in his tyme accustomed to be baptised And sithen these men were not long after the Apostles tyme neither make they mencion of it as a thyng inuented by them or in their tyme it sufficiently appeareth that that maner came from the Apostles They say that Higinus bishop of Rome was y◠first author therof which vndoubtedly can not be proued by his decrées We read in Higinus made a decre for Godfathers and godmothers but not for the baptisme of infants dede that he made a law for Susceptores whom they call Godfathers and Godmothers which without doubt was a profitable order For his meanyng was y◠whē infantes should by baptisme be receiued into the church they should be commēded vnto the faith of some men of whom to be instructed And for the performaunce of this the Godfathers and Godmothers do bynde their faith although now a dayes they regard nothyng lesse But it is a very weake argumēt therby to gather that Higinus was the first author that infantes should be baptised bicause he instituted Susceptores Yea rather sithen he made a decrée as touching that thyng it is probable that the baptisme of infantes was before that tyme in vse They cite more ouer Tertullian in his little booke of baptisme which is very elegantly writtē But The opiniō of Tertullian as touching this thing is not to be receaued forasmuch as that man in his latter age fell from the true fayth vnto the heresy of Montanus hys authority in this thyng can not be of so greate force for he also condemned second mariages disalowed the baptisme of infants against the receyued vse of the Church And if we should follow his opinion neither young men that lead a sole lyfe nor wydowes that are yong women ought to be baptised For he affirmed that this sacrament ought not to be administred b 〈…〉 thē only very late and that are of a very rype age But it may be sufficiently declared by the selfe same Tertullian that euen in his time the maner was that children should be It was the manner in his time that infants should be baptised baptised For he would neuer haue reproued it vnles it had then bene in vse and practise But now I will returne to the Apostle Knowing this that our olde man is crucified with him that the body of sinne should be abolished that henceforth vve should not be seruauntes vnto sinne This is the entent of the Apostle to teach that they which are of Christ ought to dye vnto sinne And he setteth forth the communion which we haue with the death and resurrection of Christ which communion he proueth by baptisme For by baptisme we are proued to be grafted into Christ to this ende that the olde man should be crucefied in vs and that we should no more be addicted vnto sinne Chrisostome vpon this place sayth that regeneration is two maner of wayes one which cōsisteth of the forgeuenes of sinnes an other which we obtaine after iustification in leading our life holily and innocently the first he confesseth to come vnto vs by the gift of God but in the other he sayth is required our diligence Hetherto this his sentence is true For vnto the first regeneration are not required any of our workes but for the performance of the other it behoueth them that are iustified to worke together with grace and with the holy ghost But I can not tell how he a little afterward forgetting himselfe sayth that we vnto that first regeneration do bring fayth of our selues Which is most repugnant vnto the truth For Paul to the Ephesians teacheth that fayth is the gifte of God and is not of How Chrisostome vnderstandeth fayth to be the gift of God our selues In expounding which place he thus vnderstandeth it That fayth is the gifte of God because we shoulde not beleue vnles God called vs and shoulde set forth vnto vs those thinges which ought to be beleued Wherefore his meaning is that it lieth in our power to assent vnto the calling and promises of God which are offred vnto vs. But that is most many manifestly repugnant against very many testimonies of the scriptures For in the Actes of the Apostles we reade of the To attayne to faith it is not sufficiēt that God doth sette forth vnto vs thinges we shoulde beleue woman that solde silkes how that God opened her harte to vnderstand those thinges which Paul preached And Ezechiell teacheth that God chaungeth the hartes of the godly and of stony hartes maketh them fleshy hartes Christ also saith that no man can come vnto him vnles he be drawen of the father And Dauid desireth of God to incline the hartes of his to keepe his testimonies We reade also in many places that God boweth and hardeneth hartes Lastly Paul in this selfe same epistle sayth that it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God which hath compassion But as touching this question we will speaks more at large afterward Now let vs see what Paul in this place vnderstandeth The Olde man by the Olde man which he sayth ought to be crucified with Christ and
being filled with the spirite of Christ streight way aboundaÌ„tly bring forth fruit And this is it whiche God promised by Esay shoulde come to passe in hys 53. chapter If he shall geue his life for sinne he shall se his sede for a long time And the lord sayth in Iohn when I shall be lifted vp from the earth I will draw all thinges vnto my selfe This is it which Paul sayth to bringe forth fruite vnto God And this at the length is brought to passe when not only we our selues doo good works but also we bringe others vnto Christ These two ends are not seperated a sonder For nether caÌ„ we winne others vnto Christ if we consider the matter as it most commonly hapeneth vnles an example of an vpright life be correspondent vnto our sound doctrine Nether is it rashely done that the Apostle chaungeth the person For before he vsed the second person when he thus wrote ye are mortefied vnto the law by the body of Christ that ye should be vnto an other And straight way he addeth That we should bring forth fruite vnto God When rather according to nature of the consequente he should haue sayd that ye should fructifie vnto God There is none so holy but he hath nede of these fruites But he changed the person to declare that this is a generall sentence least any maÌ„ should thinke himselfe to be so holy that he now hath no nede of these fruites For that cause the Apostle putteth himselfe also among theÌ„ Chrisostome exellently well noteth that it happeneth not in these thinges as it commonly happeneth in ciuill matters For there the husband being dead the widow if she wil may absteine from the second matrimony But we when sinne is dead thorough the holy ghost must of necessity be brought vnto Christ as vnto a new bridgrome When we are dead vnto sinne we cannot be without a new husband For we are not now in our own power For he hath redemed vs with a price as Paul sayth vnto the Corrinthians and for that cause we are not our own Wherefore we ought to glorifye and to beare Christ in our bodies And in the latter to the Corr One died for all that they which liue should now not liue vnto theÌ„selues but vnto him which died which rose agayn Wherfore seing we ar now maried vnto Christ we ought to imitate vertuous wifes which whatsoeuer they do haue not a regard what may please theÌ„selues but what may be acceptable The office of an honest wife Against workes preparatory vnto theyr husbands Agayne by these words is ouerthroweÌ„ that middle estate wherein some are dreminglye imagined to be Whiche are nether deade vnto sinne nor borne agayne in Christ and yet worke certayne good workes which are acceptable vnto God and prepare them vnto iustification Paul here manifestly teacheth that they which are not grafted into Christ are bound vnto the law and doo liue vnder sinne and bringe forth fruites vnto death only so that whatsoeuer they doo the same is wholy vnto them deadly But they which are maried vnto Christ they I say bring forth fruite vnto God For God by them as by his members and instrumentes sheweth forth his fruites and good works For when vve vvere in the flesh the affects of sinnes vvhich vvere by the Law had force in our members to bring forth fruite vnto death In these wordes is The diffeâ—â—nce â—◠〈…〉 wene the old matrimonâ— and the new What is to be obserued oâ— preachers set forth the Antithesis betwene thys newe matrimony and that olde And the sence is Now we ought to bring forth fruite vnto God For hitherto we haue brought forth fruite vnto death Our olde estate also is here described namely that we were in the flesh He doth not say wheÌ„ we were in the law For he would eschew offence not necessary which thing teachers and preachers ought also to imitate yâ— nether they kepe in sileÌ„ce the things yâ— are necessary to be hard nor also by speaking out of ceason alienate the myndes of the hearers When we were sayth Paul in the fleshe the affectes of sinnes which were by the law c. In these wordes he semeth so to speake of sinnes and of wicked affectes as though before the lawe they were not in vs. But that we shoulde not erre from the meaning of Paul we ought to know that we all haue from our birth a corruption and lust naturally grafted and planted in vs which continually stirreth vp in vs wicked motions and rages and sundry kindes of vices And these motions and violences Paul calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For there is a difference betwene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are called moderate and laudable affections But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are more vehementer affectes which are caried with a greater force These strong affections are sayd of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by an inward force mightely to worke And therefore there is sayd to be in the sede and likewise in the minde of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a certayne power which although it be hidden yet is it of most great efficacy Now these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or vehement affectes are sayd to be by the lawe not that they were not before but partlye because by the lawe they are made open and partlye for that when as the lawe withstandeth them as a let in their waye they are made much more vehement And therefore Augustine in his questions vnto Simplicianus Vehementâ— affects why they are sayd to be by the law the first question Sinne sayth he is increased by the lawe fyrst because by it it is knowen secondly because by it it is the more prouoked For we contend to that that we are forbidden And he addeth that sinne by the lawe is made more greeuous for the lawe being once put we are made transgressors When he sayth that these vehement motions are of efficacy in our members by members he vnderstandeth all the powers and faculty both of the soule and of the body Neither yet ought we to thinke Paul accuseth not the nat 〈…〉 coÌ„stitution of the body that Paul accuseth the naturall constitution of the body and of the members Only he condemneth the wicked affectes which range abroade through these partes Chrisostome applieth this repreheÌ„sioÌ„ to the thoughts But this vice is spred abroad through out all the powers both of the soule and of the body The Marcionites Valentinians and Manichies which condemned the lawe as proceding from an euill God tooke occasion out of this sentence of Paul and certaine other like places Vnto whome Augustine maketh answere in his 4. Sermon De verbis Apostoli For he sayth That they beguile Christians not such as are simple but such are negligent For it is no hard matter sayth he euen of these selfe same thynges which the Apostle hath
writtē in the selfe same chapter to refell the blasphemies of these mē Which sentence of that holy man confirmeth that which we haue oftentimts sayd namely that the holy scriptures touching these thinges which pertayne to saluation is The holy scripture is sufficient touchinge those thinges whiche are necessary to saluation Vnles we had bene in the flesh the law had not hindered vs What is to be in the flesh sufficient and may be of the faithfull vnderstand so that they be not sluggishe and slouthfull and neglect the reading of the holy scripture Hereafter when we come vnto it we shall declare in what maner and with what moderation and wisedome the Apostle defendeth the lawe And as touching this sentence we ought to note that Paul therefore sayth that the wicked affectes of sinnes by the lawe were of efficacy in our members because we were in the fleshe Vpon this is the blame to be layd and not vpon the lawe For vnles we had bene in the fleshe the lawe had nothing hindred vs. And to be in the fleshe is nothing els but to be stirred vp by our owne strengthes and to be moued and impelled of our vitiate and corrupt nature for whatsoeuer is in vs besides the spirite and grace is called fleshe Wherfore in that in vs are encreased sinnes and lustes that commeth hereof for that we are in the fleshe Men vse as much as lieth in them to eschew a pestilent and hurtfull ayre So we also if we will be saued must abhorre and flye this contagiousnes of the fleshe and flye vp into heauen vnto Christ And we can not depart from the fleshe but by death And for that cause Paul exhorteth vs that by the body The flesh a slippery place of Christ we should dye vnto sinne For the fleshe is a slippery place Wherefore so long as we abide in it we must néedes oftentymes slide Wherefore we must cleue fast vnto Christ which may so gouerne and vphold vs that in this slippernes of the fleshe we fall not into eternall destruction But now ye are deliuered from the lawe being dead vnto it wherein ye were holden c. Now he returneth vnto that estate wherein we are now placed by Christ Now sayth he are we deliuered from the lawe he sayth not from the fleshe or from sinne for these two thinges he counteth for one and the same Being dead vnto it wherein we were holden He sayth not that either sinne is dead or that the lawe is dead He sayth only that we are dead By that wherein we were holden he vnderstandeth the lawe and not sinne For in the Greke is redde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the neuter gender But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is sinne is the feminin gender Howbeit it appeareth that there were sundry readinges amongst the Grecians For whereas we haue now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is being dead some redde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of death so that the sence should be But now ye are deliuered from the lawe of death that is from the lawe that bringeth death Others rede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the genetiue case as thought Paul would say that we are now deliuered from the lawe that is dead Although that reading which we first followed and interpretated is both more common and also more receaued And the Apostle in such sort sayth that we are deade vnto the lawe as before he sayd that we are mortefied by the body of Christ And as Chrisostome sayth we are therefore sayd to be deliuered How we were holdē vnder the law The law is abrogated not by it selfe but by an other thing from the law for that that bond is now broken whereby the lawe held vs obnoxious And that bonde was sinne And we were holden in the law not as obseruers thereof but as men condemned and guilty Now are we which are made pertakers of the death of Christ deliuered from it By these things we vnderstand that the lawe is sayd to be dead and to be abrogated not through it selfe but by reason of an other thing For therefore it ceaseth now to accuse to prouoke to compell to condemne and to be gréeuousome because sinne is dead Wherefore the ende thereof was not to iustifie vs for that thing could it not performe in as much as it was weakened through the fleshe The ceremonies also of the lawe were taken away by reason of an other thing namely because Christ is now come And ciuile commundementes are now abrogated because the common wealth of the Israelites is destroyed And therefore Paul escheweth plainly to say that the lawe is dead for that this thinge is not agréeable with it according to his owne nature But he alwayes runneth vnto our fleshe and vnto sinne and fréely pronounceth that they are dead For by reason of their death the lawe it selfe also ceaseth and dieth But this is to be marked that we in the meane while so long as we liue So long as we liue here we are not perfectly dead here are not perfectly dead And therefore the lawe so long is not vnprofitable For we are not endued with so plentifull a spirite that we do all thinges by the impulsion thereof Wherefore there are many thinges in vs which the lawe may accuse and reproue Wherefore holy men so long as they liue here cease not to looke vpon the lawe that flieng the comdemnation thereof they may be more and more conuerted vnto Christ For although we be by fayth grafted into Christ Our coniunction with Christ may euerye day be made greater and greater yet may that coniunction euery day encrease For the life of the godly is sayd to be a perpetuall mortification and repentance Neither is this any let vnto our regeneration that we say that much of the olde Adam is still remayning in vs. And therefore when we consider the lawe and sée what is still to be mortefied in vs we are more and more driuen vnto Christ And this is it which Paul writeth vnto the Galathyans that he by the lawe is dead vnto the lawe Wherefore euery Christian ought thus to count with himselfe that so long as he séeth any thing in What are the tokens of sinne yet liuing his conscience worthy to be reproued or any prouokemente to sinne or any hatred or lothsomnes against the lawe of God or that he is drawen against his will to do good so long I say sinne is not in him dead and there is much remayning in him which may be reproued of the lawe That we should serue in newnes of spirite and not in the oldnes of the letter If thou demaunde whome we must serue answere is to be made we must serue God to worship him as it is mete The Apostle in this place vseth this The difference betwene Du 〈…〉 and Latria is not perpetuall Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to serue Wherby it is manifest that that