Iob is called an handemayden And Augustine also himselfe in his booke Locutionum Deut acknowledgeth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not alwayes referred vnto thinges deuine For where as it is sayde in Deut. the 28. chapter Thou shalt serue thine enemyes in Greke it is sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Paule likewise when he affirmeth himselfe to be a worshipper of Iesus Christ writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherefore thou seest that this difference of wordes is not obserued among the Grecicians Howbeit they haue a worde whiche is proper vnto the worshipping of God called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but whether it be a woord vsed among good and olde authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augustine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know not Augustine in the place already alledged Deciuitate Dei maketh mencion of an other word called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But that properly belongeth vnto rites and misteries For it is sayd that Orpheus fyrst taught the Thracians misteryes Wherefore that woord was deriued of the Thracians turning Whereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued this letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But to returne to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which particle signifyeth vehememcy and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to tremble For seruauntes do excedingly tremble at the commaundementes of theyr Lordes The same ambignitye is there in thys hebrue worde Schaah which signifyeth to prostrate himselfe and to bowe downe Wherefore we reade oftentymes Hiskaim that is they worshipped and Histauh that is a bowing downe and in the plurall We prostrate our bodies both before God and before creatures number it is sayd Histauidoth that is prostracions And that honour of prostrating the body and bowing the knees is not done before God onely but also before kinges and Aungels For it is a simbole or token whereby we represent our submission and lowlynes The elders vsed other signes also in worshipping Wherefore Chrisostome in an homely which he hath when he expoundeth Chrisostome Simboles or tokens of the elders in worshippyng Augustine what we signifye whilest we prostrate our selues before God these wordes of Iohn the true worshippers shall worship in spirite and in truth sayth When thou shewest thy handes openest thy harte liftest vp thy face vnto heauen and openest thyne eyes what other thing els doost thou then shew the whole man vnto God Augustine De ciuitate Dei in the place now alleaged sayth that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a religious and humble submission which I vnderstand so to be obserued that when we prostrate our selues before God we signify that we wholy submit our selues vnto him and that as touching al things without any exception But if we fal down before an Emperor or king we signifye that we submitts our selues vnto him as it pertaineth to his gouernment but yet not wholy because we wil euermore haue god and his word excepted And in these outward signes which are to be geuen vnto Princes a Christian must obserue the maners of the countrye makyng a difference in his mynde betweene ether subiection and let hym chiefelye beware that herein he How bowinge or prostrating is to be geuen vnto men This honor is not to be geuen neyther vnto images neither vnto the bodies of the dead do nothyng conterfeately farther let him not geue these signes but vnto them whome he by the precept of God is commaunded to reuerence that is vnto all those which are put in any high authoritye whether the same be spirituall or temporall But let him not in any case prostrate himselfe before Images forasmuch as that is expressedly prohibited Yea he must not also shew any such honor of bowing the knees or inuocation vnto the sainctes that are dead For there is no word of God concerning that thyng neyther can we when we do thys leane vnto fayth neyther know we whether they heare vs or vnderstand what thinges are done among vs. And we must take bede that when we honour Princes and fall downe before them we desire not any thing of them through flattery which lieth not in their power to geue vs as is to aske eternall life spirituall giftes conseruacion of life and such like But of a king let vs desire the helpe belonging to a king of learned and wise men to communicate theyr doctryne of rich mē to deale somwhat of their goods These ar the circumstances which we must vse And to speke briefely this worshipping of god which is to serue in spirite is reduced vnto fower principal points which are adoracion To what principall poynt the worshipping and adoracion of god must be reduced trust inuocation and geuinge of thankes Adoracion is an humble and religious submission whereby we vtterly submitte our selues vnto God and that in al thinges Trust is wherby we rest in him considering the power wisedome and high goodnes wherewith he is adorned For whiche thinges we cleane vnto him neither do we thinke that he will forsake or frustrate vs. Inuocation is whereby we flye vnto God in al perils and aduersytyes as which know that he is euery where at hande and that accordinge to his promises he both can and will succor vs with his defence Geuing of thankes is wherebye we referre all good thinges vnto him as vnto the firste author These fower things are due vnto God onely neyther can they as we haue defined them be By what meanes the deuill hath darckened this worshipping of god ascribed to other creatures The Deuil hath with much deceat diligently traueled to obscure this kynd of worshipping when he perswaded the worlde that men might in deede principally worship one chief God and in the meane time adioyne vnto him a number of lesser Gods Whereby came to passe that that was deuided which God would haue most of all vnited and ioyned together so the Ethnikes were deceaued Farther in our times such certayne distributions and proper offices are so distributed vnto those which are numbred among the saintes that very oftentimes inuocation is made vnto them This moreouer God is worshipped with reuetence of the childe to the father is to be considered that that which Paule sayth To serue in spirite comprehendeth a fatherly reuerence that is of the children towarde the father and not a seruile feare wherewith the Ethnikes being perswaded hated the iudgement of God and would haue no God to be at al. Wherfore they haue alwayes applied theyr cogitations vnto fayned religions and they performed certayne outward woorkes whereby they thought themselues ful of all pietie and yet in the meane time they absteyned not frō witked actes But godly mē forasmuch as they serue him in spirit are careful that they faine not vnto thēselues a God after theyr owne fansy but do embrace him euen as it hath pleased him to declare himselfe in the woorde of the scriptures And when they see that
of the law when as otherwise we our selues can not perticularly render a reason of these ceremonies The Apostles haue only generally made them playn vnto vs. And though there haue benne some amongst vs as Origen and a greate many other like which haue attēpted to frame for euery perticular ceremony a proper alegory yet haue they in a manner but lost theyr labour For theyr inuentions could We must not geue our selues to much to Allegories Error of the scholemen bring no profite at all vnto vs. For they most plainely want the woord of God Nether is it to be meruayled at that they so muche delighted in such inuentiōs For euen as euery where our owne deuises woonderfully please vs so in this matter the curiosity of man excedingly delighted it selfe Now those things which we haue spoken most playnly declare how farre the schole men haue missed of the marke which haue betwen the old sacrementes and the new put this difference that the old sacramentes only signified grace and Christ but ours largly and aboundantly exhibite both For the elders say they were holpen by the woorke of the worker For when any man came with fayth and a godly Of the worke working◠and the worke wrought motion of the hart and of the minde vnto those holy seruices he had therby merite But the woorke wrought as they call it nothing profited them as touching saluation But in our sacraments they say it is farre otherwise that not only fayth and the spirituall motion of the minde which they call the woorke of the worker helpeth vs but also euen the outward sacramente it selfe and the institution of God which they call the worke wrought conferreth vnto vs both remission of sinnes and also saluation But I will demaund of these men what that is which the outward worke and the visible sacrament exhibiteth vnto vs that we do not attayne vnto by fayth if they aunswere that it is Christ as for hym we comprehende by fayth If remission of sinnes that also we obtayne by fayth if reconciliation wherby we returne into fauor which God this also we can not obtayne without fayth if last of all the encrease of grace and of the spirite neither vndoubtedly doo we by anye other meanes obtayne this but by fayth what is there then remaning that this worke wrought bringeth This word is altogether strange nether is it once mēcioned of in the holy scriptures Worke wrought a woorde neuer heard of Nether would I at this time haue vsed it but that I haue to contēd agaynst the aduersaries But paraduenture they will say Forasmuch as besides fayth is also added the outward woorke is there nothinge to be attributed vnto it yes vndoubtedly I attribute much vnto it when it procedeth of fayth For I know that such a worke pleaseth God and that he vseth to recompence many thinges vnto such workes But what maketh that to this present purpose Did not the elders vnto theyr fayth adioyne also those workes wherby they exercised and receaued the sacraments of theyr law Wherfore as touching this part wee see that they had in theyrs as many things which pleased God as we haue in ours vnles paraduenture they wil contend that the exercising and receauing of our sacramentes is ether a better or nobler woorke then was the exercising and receauing of the sacramentes of the elders which thing I will not graunte vnto The receauing of our sacraments is not more excellent or better then the receauinge of the sacraments of the elders Whither the sacramentes conferre grace and remitt◠sinnes thē especially seing y◠the perfectin of the worke is to be cōsidered by faith and charity from whēce it procedeth wherfore if Abraham and Dauid had more faith when they receaued theyr sacramentes then any weake Christian when he is baptised or communicateth who will not iudge but that theyr worke is more notable and more excelēt then the other mans worke And moreouer as for that kinde of speach which these men so often vse namely that sacraments remitte sinnes ar conferre grace we do not easly admite vnles paraduenture in that sēse wherin Paule affirmeth that the Gospell is the power of God to saluatiō as vnto Timothe the reading of the holy scriptures is sayd to make saffe which vndoubtedly is nothing ells but that the might and power of God wherby he remitteth sinnes geueth grace and at the end saueth vseth these instruments and meanes to our saluation And euen as to bring vs to saluatiō he vseth the word of the Gospell and the preaching of the holy scriptures so also adioyneth he ther vnto the sacraments For by ether of them is preached vnto vs the liberall promisse of God which if we take hold of by fayth we shall obtayne both saluatiō and also remission of sinnes This is the true sense vnto which also are the fathers to be applied when they say that grace is the power of the sacramentes Which is all one as if they had sayd vnderstanding and sense is the power of speach and of wordes And how vnaptly the Scholemen speake of theyr stay or Of the stay or let of the scholemen let herby it is manifest for that they say that he putteth not a staye or let which although he haue not the acte ether of louing or of beleuing yet obiecteth nothing that is contrary or opposite vnto grace namely the acte of infidelity or of hatred Thē in such case say they the sacraments of the Gospel conferre grace But this is nothing ells then to attribute vnto creatures the cause of our saluation and to binde our selues to much to signes and elements of this world Thys ought to bee certayne and most assured that no more is to be attributed vnto the sacramentes as touching saluation then vnto the worde of God Wherfore We oughte to attribute no more vnto the sacraments then vnto the woord of God How our sacraments are better then the sacramentes of the elders Sometimes is receaued the sacraments onely sometimes the thinge onelye Grace is not bounde vnto the sacramentes as we put corne into sackes if sometimes we heare as Augustine also saith our sacramentes are better then the sacramentes of the elders this ought so to be vnderstanded that it be refer red vnto perspicuitie For we graunt that our sacraments both speake and preach more plainly of Christ then did the sacraments of the elders Wherfore seing we are more clearely and plainly instructed faith is the more fuller and bringeth vnto vs more grace and spirite And we gladly admit that which the same Augustine saith That sometymes it commeth to passe that the sacrament is receyued wythout the thing For so the wicked and infidels vsinge the sacramentes receiue onelye the outwarde signes and are vtterly voyde of saluation and of grace Sometimes also it contrariwise happeneth that the godly being excluded by any necessitie frō the vse of the sacramentes yet are in no wise defrauded
chapter sayth that by it the image of God is alienated from the life of man by reason of the blindnes of the harte whiche blindnes he sayth is sinne neither is it very agreable with the nature of man Blindnes of the hart is sinne The same Augustine in his 1. booke of the merites and remission of sinnes the 30. chapter where he bringeth these wordes of Dauid Remember not the sinnes of my youth and my ignorances maketh mencion of most thicke darkenes of ignorance which is in the hartes of infantes being yet in their mothers wombe who know not why from whence and when they were thrust in there For the Blindnes and ignorance are not agreable with the nature of man infant lyeth in the mothers belly vnlearned vndocible not able to vnderstand the commaundement being ignorant where he is what he is of whome he was created and of whome he was begotten All which thinges were far from the nature of man as it was first created and are rather vices of nature For Adam was not so created but he was both able to vnderstand the commaundement of God and could also geue names vnto his wife and to all other liuing creatures But in infantes we must wayte a long tyme that they may by little and little as it were disgest this dissines Farther that this ignorance is to be counted sinne Reticius the most auncient byshop of Auston is a witnes as Augustine testifieth of him in his first booke agaynst Iulianus For when he speaketh of baptisme thus he writeth That it is the principall indulgence in the Reticius bishop of Auston in Fraunce Church wherein we put away all the waight of the olde crime and we blot out the olde wicked actes of our ignorance and put of the olde man with his naturall wicked actes By these wordes we sée that wicked actes are naturall in vs and that the sinnes of ignorance are blotted out in baptisme Wherefore forasmuch as infants are baptised it is manifest by the authority of this father that they haue sinnes and that their olde ignorance is blotted out in baptisme Now concerning the The wil is also corrupt will let vs see whether it also be corrupt or no. The Apostle beareth manifest witnes of it that the sence and wisedome of the fleshe is enmity agaynst God And vnder this sentēce he comprehēdeth all the affectiōs of men which are not yet regenerate But I meruayle at the impudency of Pigghius who because he would by some meanes vnwrap himselfe sayth that this place is to be vnderstand of the sence of the letter which he contendeth is agaynst God nether can it be subdued vnto him For both the wordes that go before and the wordes that follow are manifestly agaynst hym For Paul straight way addeth the difference betweene men which are in the fleshe and them which are in the spirite Wherfore it playnely appeareth that he entreateth not of the diuersity of the sence of the scripture but of the variety of men The wordes that go next before that sentence are that which was impossible vnto the lawe in as much as it was weake by reason of the fleshe God sending his sonne in the similitude of sinfull fleshe by sinne condemned sinne in the fleshe that the righteousnes of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs. These wordes also testify that Paul speaketh of vs and not of the spirite or letter of the scriptures For in vs is that weakenes whereby the lawe was weakened that it coulde not bringe vs to saluation and by Christ the righteousnes of the lawe beginneth to be fulfilled in vs. Neither ought we to harken vnto The scripture by flesh vnderstandeth not the grosser part of the mind them which both in this place and also in many other will that by fleshe we should vnderstand only the grosser part of the mynde For Paul when to the Galathians he rehearseth the workes of the flesh doth not only number amongst them adulteryes fornications wantonnes and other such lyke but also idolatry whiche no man can deny but that it pertayneth vnto the mynde and not vnto the fleshe And Christ when he sayth That whiche is borne of fleshe is fleshe and that whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite exhorteth vs to regeneration whiche vndoubtedly pertayneth not only to the substance of the bodye or grosser partes of the mynde but also chiefely vnto the will and mynde And when he sayde vnto Peter Blessed art thou Simon Bariona for flesh and bloud hath not reueled these thynges vnto thee he signified that he had not lerned those thinges of naturall knowledge but of the spirite of God For vnder the name of flesh he comprehendeth those things which pertaine vnto the mynde and reasō Neither yet do we say as Pigghius fondly cauilleth that in the chiefest part of the minde is nothing but flesh For we know though Pigghius had not told vs Why the soule is called flesh in the scriptures that the soule is a spirite which yet before regeneration is in the scriptures called flesh bicause when as it ought to make the flesh that is his grosser partes spirituall and to bring it to the obedience of a minde instructed by the worde of God it rather declineth vnto the pleasures therof and so is made carnall But they obiecte vnto vs that which is written to the Galathians The flesh lusteth against the spirite and the spirite agaynste the fleshe as though this could not be possible if we leue nothing vncorrupted in the mindes of men But vnto this obiection we thus easely aunswer First that Paul speaketh those wordes of the beleuers which are alredy regenerate which thing those wordes which followe do sufficiently declare That ye should do not those thinges which ye would by which wordes he declareth y◠they had obteined a right will of the spirite of Christ which yet they were not able to performe by reason of the daily conflictes of the minde and their great infirmitie Wherfore the Apostle in that place ment nothing els then that whatsoeuer is in vs which is not perfectly regenerate altogether rebelleth against the spirite of God Farther also we deny not but that sometimes there is some such battaile in In the mindes of those that are not regenerate there are yet lawes of nature and some illustration of the spirit of God men which are not yet regenerate not bicause their minde is not carnall prone to vices but because in it remaine still grauen the lawes of nature and bicause in it is some illustration of the spirite of God although it be not such an illustration which can either iustifie or worke an healthful alteracion Farther that reason is corrupted in vs Pauls wordes sufficiently declare wherein he admonisheth vs to put on the new man which he saith ought continually to be renewed in vs. Now forasmuch as he will haue a man to be so vtterly chaunged and a man consisteth not onely
are assured of iustification and deliuery from sinnes And as it is the part of a man to be gouerned by the mynde and humane reason and the part of a philosopher to be ordred by the preceptes of doctrine and discipline of wysedome and the part of a souldier to frame all hys doinges by the arte of warrefare so is it the part of a Christian to be moued by the spirite and sence of Christ And although euery man hath hys proper vocation and ought to follow such offices and duties as are méete and conuenient for hym yet as many of vs as are of Christ ought to measure our selues by this A propriety common to aâ—l Christians propriety and certayne rule continually to haue a regard how much we haue profited in the obedience of the spirite Forasmuch as the spirite of Christ dwelleth in you For he which hath not the spirite of God the same is none of his That which he before spake he now proueth by a stronge reason that they are not in the fleshe hereby he gathereth because the spirite of Christ dwelleth in them whereas he saith Forasmuch as the spirite of God dwelleth in you he maketh no doubt sayth Chrisostome that the spirite of God dwelled in them for this word forasmuch as in this place is all one as if he had sayde because so that the Greeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a particle causall Ambrose thinketh that Paul in this place speaketh somewhat staggeringly for that the Romanes séemed somwhat to haue erred and to attribute more vnto the lawe then was méete Here are two thynges to be diligenly The spirite of God and the spirite of Christ is all one By the spirite is not here vnderstand any part of our soule A metaphor of dwelling An argument taken of coÌ„traries The flesh the spirite are not so repugnante the one against the other but that they may be both together in one and the selfe same man marked first that the spirite of God and the spirite of Christ is one and the selfe same spirite whereby appeareth that Christ is God Secondly that Paul by the spirite vnderstoode not the excellenter parte of our mynde as many dreame he doth For he sayth that that spirite whereof he speaketh is the spirite of God and of Christ which spirite he saith dwelleth in the faythfull Romanes and in those which are of Christ The metaphore of dwelling is hereof taken for that they which dwell in a house do not only possesse it but also do commaunde in it and at their pleasure gouern all thinges So the spirite filleth the harts of the saints beareth rule in them And the Apostle seemeth to take his argument of contraries Therefore ye are not in the fleshe neither walke ye according to it because the spirite of God dwelleth in you Not that these two thinges are so repugnant one against the other that they can not be both together in one and the selfe same man but these being compared together are as contrary qualities which when they are in the vttermost degrée the one can not suffer the other For it is not possible that with a most feruent colde shoulde any heate be mingled But if the cold be somewhat remisse then may some of the contrary quality succéede Wherfore forasmuch as in this life we haue not the spirite in the highest degrée thereof it commeth that there remayneth in vs somewhat I wyll not say much of the flesh and of corruption though the spirit in the meane time haue the vpper haÌ„d For otherwise we should be in the flesh neither should the spirite as Paul saith dwell in vs. For by this metaphore as we haue sayde is signified that the spirite possesseth our myndes and beareth dominion in them But if the nobler partes of the mynde be geuen vnto the fleshe the spirite departeth awaye The sp 〈…〉 suffereth not thâ— ruâ—â— of the flesh for it canne not abyde the dominion of the fleshe Wherefore Dauyd when he had fallen into gréeuous sinnes was for that tyme destitute of the motion of the spirite of God and therfore he cryeth Restore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation and establish me with thy principall spirite â–ª Although in very dede he neuer fell away from election or predestination And when the Apostle saith He whiche hath By the spirite we are coupled with Christ not the spirite of Christ the same is none of his He therfore by the spirite iudgeth our coniunction with Christ bicause by it we are coupled with hym and by it we are regenerate Wherfore Christ in Iohn sayth Vnlesse a man be borne agayne of water and the spirite c. Wherby is signified yâ— that by which we are chiefly regenerate is the holy ghost but yâ— water doth in yâ— sacrament of baptisme represent the same as an outward signe Water washeth watreth maketh fertile and hath in it many Effectes of the spirite other qualities by which the nature of the spirite is declared which spirit wheÌ„ it is come vnto our mynde the disposition propriety towardnes sence and motions of Christ are grafted into vs so that he which hath obteyned it may say with Paul I lyue but not I nowe but Christ liueth in me And they which haue the spirite of Christ are said to be his not after the common maner wherby all creatures are called the children of God For Christ saith in the Gospel All things are deliuered We belong vnto Christ after a certayne peculier manner vnto me of my father But they are made his peculiar possession forasmuch as now they are both called and also are in dede his members and are grafted into him ar most perfectly knit vnto him receiuing nourishmeÌ„t of him Here we sée how folishly some answer which wheÌ„ they are reproued admonished of their duty say yâ— they are not spirituall for they coÌ„sider not yâ— by this answer they deny theÌ„ selues They whiche are truely Christians muâ—â— needes be spirituall The words of the scripture are not to be prohibited to the lay men Christians ought not to doubt whetheâ— they haue the spirite of Christ The spirite departeth from vs for two causes to be Christians for if they be of Christ they both haue his spirit and also must of necessity be spiritual They also are of an euil iudgemeÌ„t which take away yâ— bokes of the holy scriptures out of the handes of the lay men bicause they thinke yâ— they haue not the spirit For when they so say they say they are no christiaÌ„s For if they be christians they haue not only the spirit of Christ but also the wordes of the holy scripture which are the assured sayings of the spirite and are most conuenient for them Lastly who séeth not that they excedingly are deceiued which commauÌ„d vs continually to doubt whither we haue the spirite of God or no. For vndoubtedly if we oughte not to doubte whither we be Christians we
that impossibiltie somtimes is al one with difficulty or hardnes For I am not ignoraunt what Gregorius Nazianzenus in his 4. booke of his theology hath writteÌ„ as touching this matter vnto whome whither I may in all things assent I mind not at this present to debate And when as Pigghius can not deny but that Ihon sayth that God made blind the Iewes he sayth that although vnbeleuers haue in themselues the cause why they are made blind yet not with standing the scripture so speaketh as if God should make them blind Doth the scripture so speake and doth it that without reasoÌ„ would it so speake as though God herein doth nothing I suppose not But it shall not be amisse to examine an notable similitude which he bringeth A man sayth he that is pore blinde or that hath sore eyes if he looke vpon the Sunne shall thereby be blind Shall we Similitudes which Pighius bringeth say that the beames of the Sunne haue made him blind when as he had in hym selfe the ground and beginning of that disease How wil he him selfe auoyde the sharpnes of this his similitude I graunt that yâ— beginning of disease was in the eyes but the disease was not so greate that he which was pore blinde could se nothing at all for although he were dull sighted yet was he not blind In that he is now etterly made blind who will not say but that the Sunne according to hys nature and maner of working is the cause therof The dew also or raine saith he is not yâ— cause that ground vntilled bringeth forth thornes who would euer so say and that the raine causeth fertlenes in bringing forth thornes who will denye that hath but one ounce of witte But he hath neuer his fill of similitudes but at the last he addeth suche a one as Pelagius neuer durste vse Imagine saith he that a soule were shut vp in a chamber together with two counsellers with the spirite I say and the flesh and without on the one side let Christ stande hauing with him a companye of all vertues and spirituall giftes on the other side let stand the Deuill with his whole route of wicked sinnes both these waite with out to see which of them the soule will let in within the spirite geueth counsell to receaue Christ and the flesh to receaue the deuil the soule being as it were in the middest inclineth fréely to whether parte it will if it receaue Christ the deuill is vtterly driuen away but if it entertaine the deuill Christ departeth away Pelagius for his opinion could say no more He putteth the soule in the middest whiche yet The soule of him that is not regenerete can not be sayd to be in the middest betwene the spirite and the flesh without Christ is a bondslaue of the flesh That the will ought to be chaunged by the inspiration Christ he speaketh not so much as one word That we must haue geuen vs a fleshy hart and our stony hart taken away he vtterly kéepeth in sileÌ„ce onely peruasions are set before vs. So saide Pelagius that men are moued by the lawes and scriptures but he also neuer spake one woorde of the chaunginge of the hart And Pigghius fearing least in this fayned declaration we shoulde not vnderstand him addeth that frée will is a weake eye in whose power yet it lieth to be healed What sounde diuine woulde euer speake this that it lieth in the power of the will or of humane strengthes that a man shoulde be saued He laboureth yet more plainely to declare his sentence We are sayth he the good odor of Christe vnto some indéede vnto life and to other some vnto death A good odor saith he killeth no man but it is not so for a man may iustlye say that serpentes are killed with good odors and with the swéete smell of spices So also incredulitie may be Without blame and without cause ar not all one stirred vp by sound doctrine and preaching of the word of God But not through the default of the doctrine or preaching I say But yet may we not say yâ— it is not the cause thereof as it is not by the default therof God also without any his fault maketh blind yet notwithstanding maketh he blinde as the scripture testifieth But now let vs leaue this Sophister in whose sayinges there is much more absurdity then difficulty in aunswering But as touchinge the matter whiche we were in hand with it was as I before sayde a gréeuous offence to sée that Christ being the true Messias and shewed in the scriptures was receaued of so few of the Iewes yea rather he was hated in a manner of them all who yet were verye studious in the scriptures And in our dayes this self offence troubleth many for that wheras it séemeth yâ— vnto Christ were promised all nations yet notwithstanding there is so great plenty of Epicures so great filthines of Turkes and so great a wicked heape of Papistes which vtterly resist the Gospell But againste this kinde of offence the holy Ghoste hath before armed vs. First Moses saide that the Iewes should be irritated against a nation that is not an nation Esay sayth Though the nomber of the children of Israell be as the sand of the sea onely a remnanie shal be saued Vnles the Lorde had lefâ—e vnto vs seede we had bene like vnto Sodoma and Gomorrha Christe the stone of offence and stomblinge blocke is set to the risinge and fall of manye Lord who hath beleued our report Many are called but fewe are elected And there are infinite other such like testimonies whereby the holy scripture confirmeth vs not to be moued with this small nomber They which receaued not Christ when Chochalus and Theudas came followed after those false Christes and counterseated They whiche receaue not Chr 〈…〉 receaue fâ—lse Christes Messiasses and they which renounce Christ follow Mahumeth shall we therfore say that Chochalus Theudas Mahumet is Christ we shoulde be farre besides our selues if we should so say when as Christ himself foretold that this thing should come to passe Me saith he ye receaue not but if an other come in my name him ye will receaue Yea rather this ought to be vnto vs a manifest proofe that Iesus of Nazareth is the true Messias when as we see that in him this oracle together with other oracles is fulfilled namely to be receaued of few He indede prayed vnto the father but not for the world but for them whome the father had geueÌ„ vnto him otherwise the whole worlde is set on mischiefe There is yet an other doubt which stayeth vs for that the wordes of Esay seme to pertain vnto his time onely and not vnto Christes and the Apostles time and vnto our time I graunte that that blinding was in the time of the prophet which yet should continue euen vnto the ende of the world The Prophet when the Lorde had commaunded hym the thinges which we haue now
to be harkened vnto We ought to receaue and reuerence those Counsels only which haue framed theyr doctrine to the rule of the holy scriptures Demosthenes in an oration against Androtion sayth that decrees of the senate ought not to be made but according to the prescript of those thinges which are alredy determined in the lawes So in ecclesiastical counsells ought not new decrées to be made as touching doctrine but of those things only which are either had expressedly in yâ— word of God or ells may assuredly and euidently be gathered out of it First we will begin with the Counsell of Aphricke in which in the 80. chapiter a curse is pronounced Concilium AphricanuÌ„ agaynst the Pelagians who sayd that the grace of iustification is therfore geuen that by grace we may the easelyer fullfill that which we are commaunded to doo as though also with out grace although with more difficulty we might by our frée will fullfill the commaundementes of God when as yet the Lord speaking of the fruites of the commaundementes sayde not Without me ye can hardlye doo anye thing but with out me ye can vtterly doo nothing By these wordes are reproued the Papistes of our time which are not ashamed to say that a man before iustification can do yâ— workes which are commauÌ„ded in the law and which do please God and prepare a man to regeneration For what thing ells is this then with the Pelagians to say that a man may indede also before iustification performe the law although not so fully and easely as after he is iustified And that is nothing which they say namely that they put a certayne grace preuenting whereby men not yet regenerate may doo those workes which they call preparatory For in thus saying they differ in name only from the Pelagians For they also taught no les then these men doo that there goeth before a certayne grace of the law and of the knowledge of the will of God and of illumination wherby a man vnderstandeth what he ought to doo But as for the rest they attributed it vnto frée will which thing these men also do And that the Pelagians were of that opinion the counsel Mileuitanum declareth wherin it is thus written in the 4. chap. We curse all them which say that the grace of God through Iesus Christ our Lord helpeth vs onely for that Concilium Mileuitanum by it is reueled and opened vnto vs the vnderstanding of the commaundements of God that we may know what we ought to desire what to auoyd and that by it is not geuen vs also to loue to be able to do that which we know ought to be done For forasmuch as the Apostle sayth knowledge puffeth vp but loue edifieth it is very wicked to beleue that we should haue that grace of Christ which puffeth vp and not that grace which edifieth especially seyng it is written in the 4. chapter of the 1. epistle of Iohn Loue is of God In the second counsel also of Arausicanum the 4 chap. it is thus writen That Concilium Arausicanum they resist the holy ghost which say that the Lord wayteth for our will when as SalomoÌ„ sayth The will is prepared of the Lord and also when as Paul saith vnto the Philippians It is God that worketh in vs both to will and to performe according to his good will And in the 5. chapter are reproued those which affirmed that of the grace of Christ is geuen an increase of faith not the beginning For the beginning also of faith commeth of the inspiration of the holy gost which correcteth our infidelitie bringing it from infidelitie to faith and from vngodlines to godlines And the proofe hereof is brought out of sundry places of the scriptures For Paul sayth vnto the Philippians I trust that he which hath begonne the good worke in you shall accomplish it euen to the day of the Lord. And againe in the same epistle Vnto you it is geueÌ„ not onely to beleue in hym but also to suffer for him And vnto the Ephes By grace ye are made safe through fayth and that not of your selues For it is the gift of God Moreouer they are there subiect vnto the curse which would say That the mercy and grace of God is geuen vnto the willing vnto the beleuers vnto them that are desirous vnto them that go about it vnto them that labour vnto them that watche vnto them that study vnto them that aske vnto them that séeke vnto them yâ— knocke but confessed not that by the infusion and inspiration of the holy ghost and by the gift of God is geuen vnto vs to haue a will to beleue to endeuour our selues and to labour They cite these testimonies out of the scriptures What hast thou â—that thou hast not receaued And if thou hast receiued why boastest thou as though thou hast not receaued And the Apostle writeth of himselfe By the grace of God I am that I am In the 7. chap. are condemned those which thinke that by the strengths we can thinke or attaine vnto any thinge that serueth to saluation or that we can without the illumination of the spirite geue credite vnto the worde of GOD preached This may be confirmed by the scriptures For Paul saith that we cannot thinke any thing of our selues as of our selues but our sufficiency is of God Christ also saith Without me ye can do nothing Also blessed art thou Simon Bariona for flesh and bloud hath not reueled this vnto thee They also are cursed which graunt that frée will is in dede in some maner weakened and hurt but yet not so but that men by it may be conuerted vnto saluation The scriptures are apertly repugnant vnto that sentence For the Lord saith No man commeth vnto me vnles my father shall draw hym Paul also vnto the Corinthians No man can say the Lord Iesus but in the spirite of God This is an excellent sentence God loueth vs beyng such as we shall be by his gift and not such as we are by our owne merite And in the 13. chapter it is thus written Free will beyng lost in the first man cannot be repayred and because it is lost it cannot be restored but by him by whome it was geuen at the beginning Wherfore the truth it selfe sayth If the sonne shall make you fre then are ye truly free Farther in the 17. chapter is decréed that the strength of the Ethnikes commeth of worldly lust which wordes declare that their vertues as we haue before shewed out of Augustine and other Fathers were not true vertues chiefly forasmuch as they sprang out of an euill ground But humane lust comprehendeth whatsoeuer is possible to be found in men not regenerate It followeth in the selfe same chap. that the loue of God maketh the force and strength of Christians which loue is poured into our hartes not by frée wil but by the holy gost which is geuen vs wheras no merites go
thinketh is much more plainly confirmed by Iohn For he saith that many rulers of the priestes beleued in Christ whiche yet durst not openly professe hym But they which abhorre from the confession of the name of Christ ar farre from saluation For Christ himselfe sayth he that is ashamed of me before men of hym will I be ashamed before my father These arguments although at the first sight they séeme to haue some shew yet if a man more narrowly examine them he shall sée that The iudgement of Epictetus touching hys own bokes A similitude that very wel agréeth with them whiche Epictetus pronounceth of his bookes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yâ— is these are but sights or ghosts of the dreames of hell Wherefore we must diligently ponder these reasons and not iudge of them by the first sight And euen as in coynes of mony we vse not so much to haue a regard vnto the inscriptions or Images as to the goodnes and waight of the matter so also in arguments ought we to weigh and regard not so much the shew and coulour of them as the thing it selfe and the strength of them We first deny that fayth can be seperated from iustification And whereas Pigghius sayth that that is not repugnaunt vnto the nature and definition of fayth we in no wise admit it For agaynst that sentence are all the holy scriptures and the true sense of the definition of fayth and also the fathers For as touching the scriptures Iohn saith he that beleueth that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God is borne of God And he which is borne of God sinneth not For so long as faith beareth sway in our hart we commit not those sinnes which destroy the conscience and alienate vs from God How theÌ„ sayth Pigghius that it is not agaynst the nature of fayth to be seperated from iustification and from good workes especially seing Iohn sayth he which sinneth knoweth not God This thing also saw the fathers For Ciprian de Simplicitate Prelatorum where he complayneth of the infelicity of his tyme for that charity feare good workes and such like things were waxen very cold thus writeth No man thinketh vpon the feare of things to come no man considereth the day of the Lord and the wrath of God and that vpon the vnbeleuers shall come punishments and that euerlasting tormeÌ„ts are appointed for the vnfaythfull Of which things our conscience would be aferd if it beleued because it beleueth not therfore is it vtterly without feare but if it beleued then also would it beware and if it did beware then also shoulde it eschape These words declare that with true fayth is ioyned the feare of God and the eschewing of eternal punishments and auoyding of sinnes Now let Piggbius go say that true faith can be seperated from holy motions of the mind and from good workes This self same thing together doth Ierome with Ciprian affirme agaynst the Luciferians And if sayth he I beleued truely I would clense that hart wherewith God is sene I would with my hands knock my brest I would with teares water my chekes I would in my body haue a horror I would in mouth waxe pale I would lye at the feete of my Lord and would washe them wyth weeping and wipe them with my heares I would vndoubtedly cleue fast vnto the stocke of the crosse neither would I let go my hold thereof before I had obtayned mercy Hereby also it is manifest that with true faith The definition of faith declareth that it can not be separated from iustificatioÌ„ A similitude are ioyned good workes and repentaunce But as touching the definition and nature of fayth it may easely be proued that it can not be seperated from iustification and from good workes that is from his effects For fayth is no common but a firme and vehement assent and that proceding from the holy ghost And if in case a poore miser being condemned to â—y should receaue a promise only at the hand of a maÌ„ that he should be deliuered and should geue credit vnto those words straight way his mynde would wholy be chaunged to mirth and would begin to loue him that promised hym such things and would pleasure him in what thing so euer lay in his power How much more is to be attributed vnto the true faith which is geuen vnto the word of God and is inspired by the spirit of God Wherfore if that human fayth do draw with it wonderfull motions of the mynd how can we say that the true and Christian fayth is naked without good works and destitute alone Wherefore we now playnly sée both by the holy scriptures and by the Fathers and by the definition and nature of fayth that it can not be seperated from righteousnes and from holy workes Now let vs come vnto Paul He sayth If I haue all fayth c. But how knoweth Pighius that Paul there speaketh of that generall fayth which cleaueth vnto the promises of God and iustifieth and not rather of a perticular fath wherby are wrought miracles and which is a fre or gracious gift of the holy ghost This faith is not applied vnto all thinges which are found in the holy scriptures but only is a certayne vehement confidence wherby we certaynly beleue that God will doo this miracle or that miracle Of this sayth Chrisostome interpreteth Paul in thys The fayth of doctrine the faith of miracles â–ª place And to the end of this distinction either part should haue a distinct name the one calleth the fayth of doctrine the other the fayth of signes And vnto this latter fayth Chrisostome applieth those wordes If ye haue of fayth as a grayne of mustard seede and shall say vnto this mountayne Get thee hence and hurle thy selfe into the sea it shal be done Neyther vndoubtedly can it be denied but that there is such a kind of fayth For Paul in the 12. chapter of the first epistle vnto the Corrinthians wheÌ„ he reherseth vp the frée gifts which the holy ghost distributeth vnto euery man as it pleaseth him thus writeth Vnto one is by the spirite geuen the word of wisedome and to an other the word of knowledge by the same spirite and vnto an other is geueÌ„ faith by the same spirit and vnto an other the gifts of healing by the same spirit Here we sée that amongst the frée gifts of the holy ghost is reckoned fayth and that in the third place bicause Paul spake not there of the generall fayth wherby we are iustified And if we diligently peyse thinges we shall sée that Paul kepeth the selfe same order in the 13. chapter of the first to the Corrinthians For as here in the first place he putteth the woord of wisedome so there he putteth prophesieng and as here in the second place he putteth knowledge so there also in the selfe same place he putteth knowledge and as here so also there he putteth faith in the third
law did all things How thē doth Pighius say that fayth is only the foundaciō therfore is very farre from the perfection of iustification Or to what purpose is that that after fayth he putteth so many degrées and meanes by which we come vnto iustification For Chrisostome speaketh farre otherwise y◠a man is iustified straight way so soone as euer he beleueth Farther he attributeth vnto fayth euen this also that it maketh men iust when as the law was not able to performe that although it by many wayes endeuored it selfe therunto Moreouer when he expoundeth these wordes They being ignoraunt of the righteousnes of God and going about to establish theyr owne righteousnes are not subiect vnto the righteousnes of God This righteousnes of God sayth he he calleth the righteousnes of fayth which is wholy geuen by grace from aboue and not for our labours And vpon these wordes Behold I put in Siō a stone of offence Thou seest thē sayth he that faith hath with it cōfidence and security Here he manifestly appointeth a perticular fayth and a certainty touching the remission of sinnes which thing our aduersaries so much resist Farther when he expoundeth that saying in the 11. chapter And if they abide not in theyr incredulity they also shall agayn be grafted in If fayth sayth he could graft thee when thou wast a wild oliue tree into a good oliue tree it can also restore them into theyr owne good oliue tree Here also the power to be grafted into Christ by iustification and the power to restore them which are cut of is attributed vnto fayth I could now passe ouer to Ierome if there were not somwhat which calleth me backe agayn vnto Chrisostome For the selfe same man writeth that fayth only is not sufficient vnto saluation And such sentences are oftentimes read in the Fathers which our aduersaries continually wrest agaynst vs. Although to speake the trouth such an obiection is no such a maner of weapō that it nedeth so greatly to be feared For it may easely be answered in one word For he sayth not that faith is not sufficient vnto iustification but only vnto saluation For fayth is of it self sufficient vnto iustificatiō But after we are once iustified it is not inough to the obteynement of saluation to say I beleue We must put to also an holy life good workes for by them as it were by certaine degrées God bringeth vs to felicitie And after this maner we may interprete all the sentences of the Fathers which seme to tend this way And if in case theyr wordes as sometimes it happeneth will not beare such an exposition then as it is most We must appeale vnto the scriptures right we will appeale from them writing negligently vnto the selfe same fathers writing in an other place more soundly and more catholikely as did wooman in times past which appealed from Phillip being dronke vnto the selfe same Phillip being sober Ierome vpon the epistle vnto the Galathians vpon these wordes And we knowyng that man is not iustified by the workes of the law but by the fayth of Iesus Christ sayth That all the old fathers were iustified by the selfe same fayth in Christ by which All the fathers were saued by fayth in Christ we are now at this day iustified And this sentence he confirmeth by induction of many examples first he reckoneth vp Abrham for of him he sayth Christ thus spake He saw my day he saw it and reioysed after him he maketh mencion of Moses for of him he sayth it is thus written in the epistle vnto the Hebrewes that he counted the reproches of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egipt and that he refusing to be in the court of Pharao did chuse rather to embrase the crosse of Christ And he addeth that Iohn Euangelist in his 12. chapiter most manifestly teacheth that all those thinges whicg Esay hath put in writing touching the glory of God when he saw the Lord sitting vpon an high throne lifted vp are to be vnderstand of the sonne of God He adddeth moreouer out of the epistle of Iudas that the Lord Iesus Christ deliuered the people of Israell out of Egipt and after that smote the vnbeleuers In which place I very much meruaile that Ierome a man otherwise excellēt in the Greke toung turned it thus the Lord Jesus Christ when as in our text is had only this word Lord vnles we will suppose that his exemplar was differing from that which we now vse Which I speake not as thoughe I doubted whither those thinges whiche at that time happened were done by Christ the sonne of God or no. For Iohn sayth No man hath sene God at any time but the sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath Whatsoeuer hath ben vttred vnto men touching thinges diuine hath bene vttered by the sonne of God Faith is not seperated frō charity declared him Wherfore whatsoeuer is vttered vnto men touching things diuine is vttered by the sonne of God who hath most truly geuē him selfe vnto mankind a faithfull interpreter of God his father And Paul in his first epistle vnto the Cor. the 10. chap. saith They dranke of the spirituall rocke following thē And that rocke was Christe Also Let vs not tempt sayth he Christ as certayne of them tempted him The same Ierome vpon the epistle vnto the Galathians where he reckeneth vp the fruites of the spirite when he cōmeth vnto faith thus writeth If charity be absent fayth also departeth away together with it These woordes manifestly declare that his iudgement was that true fayth cannot be deuided from charitie which thing we also teach and defend But Pighius with his hisseth at it and crieth out against it but let him gruntle as much as he will it sufficeth vs that this doctrine agréeth both with the scriptures and with the fathers Ambrose expounding these wordes out of the Epistle vnto the Romanes For it is one God which iustifieth circumcision by fayth Because sayth he there is but one God he hath iustified all men after one and the selfe same maner forasmuch as nothing causeth merite and dignitie but fayth And afterward vpon these wordes Therefore by fayth according to grace that the promise might be firme vnto all the seede The promise saith he cannot be firme vnto all the seede that is vnto all manner of men of what nation so euer they be except it be by faithe For the beginning of the promise is of fayth and not of the law for they which are vnder the law are guiltie but the promise cannot be geuen vnto them that are guiltie and therefore they ought first to be purified by faith that they may be made worthy to be called the sonnes of God and that the promise may be firme And towardes the beginning of the. 5. chapter vpon these wordes Being iustified by fayth we haue peace towardes God Fayth saith he and not the law causeth vs
other with mutual benefites For of our owne accord we loue both our children and brethen although they haue not bound vs vnto theÌ„ by any theyr benefit to vs ward And forasmuch as these things ought to be obserued in christiaÌ„ loue therfore Paul calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although it come not of nature but of the spirite of God and of grace And how much the consideration of brotherhoode is of force to stirre vp loue betwene The loue of brethren is of great efficacy Christian men we are taught by the example of Moses For he the next day after that he had slayne the Egiptian when he went to visite the Hebrues and saw a certayne Hebrew doing iniury to an other Hebrew as S. Stephan reciteth the history sayd vnto them Ye are bretherne why doo ye in this sorte iniury one an other The force of this affect Ioseph also declareth For he when he ment vpon the sodayne to reconcile himselfe to his brethren who had solde to be a bondman sayde vnto them I am your brother Ioseph And so soone as he had spoken that he could not restrayne him selfe from teares So great is the force of this affect with the godly Neither is the mutuall loue betwéene Christians without iust cause called a brotherly loue For Christ called his disciples brethreÌ„ and yâ— at that time chiefly when after his resurrection he was now endued with immortality Aristotle in his 9. booke of Ethiks wheÌ„ he entreteth of frendship Amongst brethreÌ„ saith he one and the self same thing is distributed amongst many and therefore for as much as they communicate among themselues in one and the selfe same thing they by good right loue the one the other By that one and the selfe same thing wherin brethren communicate he vnderstandeth the substaunce of the father and of the mother whereof eche haue their part The like consideration also is there betwene the faithful For as Peter sayth they are made partakers of the nature of God wherfore they ought to loue one an other as brethren which thing if they neglect to doe they are worthely called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without naturall affections Which vice as a sinne most greuous Paul in the first chapiter of this Epistle attributed to those which fell away from the true worshipping of God and were therefore deliuered of him into a reprobate minde In geuing honor â–ª go one before an other This is the proper effect of brotherly The â—ffects of honour of contempt loue that whome we loue those we labour by all meanes to honoure and in so doing we allure those whome we honour to loue vs again as contrariwise when we contemn our brethren we breake in sonder the senewes of loue and prouoke our brethren to hatred and enmities towardes vs. For what thing els is anger but a desire of vengeance sprong by reason of contempt Honor is here taken not only for a certaine outward reuerence wherby we reuerence the dignitye of our What honour signifieth neighbour but also for an outwarde helpe succor and aide wherby we help those which stand in néede So Paul admonisheth Timothe to honoure widowes And Christ reproued the Phariseis for that they contemned the precept of God which commaunded that parents should be honored when they gaue counsell to yâ— children to offer vp those things in the temple which ought rather to haue ben bestowed towards the relief of their parents And of how great force the neglecting of this kinde of helpe towardes our brethren is to stirre vp hatred and enmities we The neglecting of our brethren stirreth vp contentioÌ„s may gather out of the Actes of the Apostles For straight way in the primitiue Churche there arose a grudge for that the widowes of the Gréekes were contemned in the daily ministery Hereunto Christ exhorted his when he willed that they should not prease for the first roomes in the sinagoges and that being bidden to feasts they should sit downe in the lowest rowme This worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in this text may haue a double sense by reason of the diuers significatioÌ„ of the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For sometimes it is taken for existimo or reputo that is to estéeme or make accompt of And so the sence shall be let euery man thinke that others are more worthy of honour then him selfe As to the Philippians in the. 2. Chapiter it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in humblenesse of minde euery man esteeming others better then him selfe And sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth nothing els but to be a captaine and to goe before And so the sense is let euery one of you preuent the other with honour and suffer not himself to be preuented Not slouthfull to doe seruice For as much as these things which he hath now reckened vp ought not slenderly to be put in vre therfore Paul sayth therein we must doe our diligence And the slouthfulnes which he commaundeth to be put away is that slownes in executyng of offices whereby men declare that they doe those things which they do grudgingly From which fault they are cleare which doe it with such cherefulnes and willingnes that sometimes they contemne euen their own commodities In suÌ„me Paul requireth that we loue not only in words but also in very dede and with an effectual endeuor and that we be not professors of this Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is all in words but nothing in dedes which thing was reproued in diuers wise men amongst the Ethnikes Feruent in spirite Those things which he hath now made mention of for that they bring with them troubles lothsomnes laboures and costes therefore commonly seme irksome vnto the fleshe Wherfore Paul requireth that we suffer not our selues to be seduced by the flesh but rather that we be feruent in spirite Men neither hot nor colde highly displease God I would to God sayth he thou wert either hot or colde but for that thou art luke warme and neither hot nor colde I will begin to spew thee out of my mouth This word spirit may here signifie two things either the power and instincte of God or els our soule And it is doubtfull whether sense Spirit somtymes signiâ—eth our soule we ought here to sollow And that spirite sometimes signifieth our soule it may be gathered by many places of the scriptures For it is written blessed are the pore in spirite Againe he bowed downe his head and yelded vp the spirite â–ª Againe that the spirite may be saued in the day of the Lord. Again that it may be holy both in body and in spirite Againe the body without the spirite is dead Againe Christ went to the spirites whiche were in prison Howbeit I graunt that this word spirite hath either signification And I here thinke that it hath either signification namely bothe our soule and also the power of the spirite of God
he is God must be worshipped as he hath declared in the word of the scripture set forth vnto vs in the holy scriptures as a Lord and father they worship him obey him and study to aduaunce his honour as muche as they are able And agayne when they see hym declared as a iudge they set his iudgement seate before theyr eyes in all theyr actions lest they shoulde transgresse in any thinge and incurre the anger of theyr mighty iudge But they doe not so feare hym that they hate hym or that they woulde flye from hym yea and thoughe there were graunted them a place to flye vnto they woulde chose rather to embrace him punishing and chasteninge them And amonge these thinges whiche oughte to haue the principall place as touchinge this spirituall worshipping God is worshipped by obedience is obedience wherof we rede that it is better then sacrifices Neyther had God a regard in a manner to any other thinge in the whole lawe and rites of ceremonies than to haue men truly subiect and obedient vnto him But we forasmuche as we haue contracted a corrupte and viciate nature by the sinne of Adam are in nothyng more diligent and exquisite then to obtrude our own inneÌ„cions and fayned rytes for the worshipping of God and greater seueritye is vsed agaynst the transgressors of the Commaundements of men then there is agaynst those which publikely violate the Commaundementes of God A man shall euery where see blasphemers whoremongers adulterers and periured persons laughed at by the magistrates so farre are they of from punishynge them But agaynste hym whiche will vse the sacramentes of the Euchariste in both kinds they rage euen vnto the fyre And to be brief men are condemned to death for neglecting of humayne traditions but for violatinge of the lawe of God they are not so muche as once accused Wherefore God did not without a cause in Deut. commaund Moyses Onely the thynges whyche I haue commaunded shalte thou keepe neyther shalte thou adde nor diminyshe any thynge And we haue A remedye agaynst humane traditions no prâ—seÌ„ter remedy against this pestilence then dayly to be occupied in the holy scriptures and to gather out of them by what meanes God would declare him selfe vnto vs and to picke out such wayes whereby he hath chieflye commaunded vs to worship him in thus doyng we may wtout any great difficulty serue god in spirite And contrary to this spiritual worshiping is to serue god in flesh To serue God in flesh that is onely wyth fayned rytes and outward ceremonies laying away faith and inward piety This Antithesis or contrarye posicion Paul touched when he sayd vnto the Galathians Yee which began in the spirite beware ye end not in the flesh Those Galathians were rightly instructed but by the deceates of false Apostles they declined vnto the Iewishe ceremonies and outward rites which thyng was to fynish in the flesh that whych was with holynes and vpright 〈◊〉 begonne Vnto the Philippians also he sayth We are the circumcision whiche serue God in sprite hauing confidence in God and not in the flesh Then he manifestlye declareth What it is to trust in the flesh what it is to trust in the flesh saying Although I if any other may put confidence in flesh as whych am of the kindred of Israel of the tribe of Beniamin an Hebrew borne of the Hebrewes and of the secte of the Pharisies by feruentnes persecâ—tinge the church of Christe and as touchinge iustifications of the lawe I was conuersante without blame c. Thou seest nowe that carnall woorshippynge consisteth of all these thynges But spirituall worshippyng consisteth altogether of fayth and charity Paule addeth In the gospell of his sonne By which wordes he declareth that thys spirituall Nowe God is serued in the Gospell of hys son worshipping if it be expressed in outward workes consisteth principally in this the we should preach Christ that we should allure vnto him as much as lyeth in vs as many of our neyghbours as we can He hath alreadye declared what God he called to witnes now he goeth to the thyng which he woulde haue signifyed vnto the Romanes And that is that he contynually made mencion of them in his prayers Neyther can it hereby be gathered that Paule did alwayes so praye that he neglected other duetyes He preached he iorneyed be laboured with hys handes and fynallye he executed all such thinges as pertayned vnto hys office Wherefore we must not expound those thynges which are here spoken accordyng to the word but according to the sense and we must vnderstand them no otherwise theÌ„ that as often as the Apostle prayed he made mencion of them And the prayers of the Saincts are deuided into two kyndes Two kindes of prayer For there are certayn which are appoynted as wheÌ„ they are had in a publique congregation at appoynted and prescribed dayes the Lordes day I say and if there be any other oppoynted by the Church for publike prayers Farther it is the duety of a Christian man to haue euery day also appoynted haures wherin to pray vnto God and that three times in a day or fyue tymes or seuen times as hys busines wyll suffer him There is an other kynd of those prayers which are called vncertayne for we vse them so often as any present daunger vrgeth vs. But Paule sayth now that he alwayes maketh mencion of these men in his prayers and in some bookes is added this aduerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth euery where althoughe some exemplars haue put it out There were heretikes which were called Messaliani and of them Tripartita Historia maketh mention An heresye of the Messalianits or Euchites They attributed all things vnto prayers and that so much that they vtterly derogated both the word of God and also the sacraments affirming that al these things do nothing profyte but what commodity soeuer we haue the same coÌ„meth by prayers and they could not abyde to labour wyth theyr handes or to do any other thing If a man had vrged them to worke they would haue said that that nothing profyted for as much as we oughte to do nothinge but pray when as yet the Apostle expressedly admonisheth that he whiche laboureth not ought not also to eate He also wryteth that a man must not neglecte to haue a care ouer his owne especially his houshold which fault if any man commit he should be counted euen as an infidell But omitting this superstition we ought The children or God ought to pray often to attribute much vnto prayers forasmuohe as this is the nature of the children of God to geue themseltes oftentimes to prayers for that is to acknowledge the prouidence of God For whilest we beleue that a man can obtayne nothyng whych is not geuen him of God we are oftentimes prouoked to emplore hys ayde for such necessities as happen And whilest we pray we doo no lesse submitte
instrument is as touching God and the same is Christ whome the goodnes of God hath vsed for a sacrifice the other instrument as touching vs is faith whereby we take hold of the mercy of God and of his promises Now speaketh he of the ende The end of iustification God would to no other end in such sort iustifie vs but to declare his righteousnes which commeth not to passe but by communicating it with others For theÌ„ doth a man declare his riches when he enricheth others then declareth a man his knowledge when he enstructeth others then also sheweth he his strength when he streÌ„gthned others as Ambrose also saith That the righteousnes of God is made manifest in iustifieng of vs because he rendreth according to his promises which he hath made But there is no smal emphasis in this that vnto righteousnes he addeth this word His Iustification by faith hath tâ—o commodities to declare that there is vtterly no righteousnes of ours Chrisostom vpon this place saith Be not afearde for this righteousnes consisteth not of workes but of fayth and he addeth that in it are two excellent commodities First for that it is easy secondly because God by it declareth his owne proper righteousnes By the remission of the sinnes that are passed I knowe not what moued A strang reding and interpretation of Ambrose Ambrose not to read remission but purpose And in his interpretation he saith because God purposed to deliuer not onely those which dwell in heauen but also those which were in hell Whch thinges seme not to serue for this place Erasmus supposeth yâ— he red not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth remissioÌ„ but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth purpose this reading also doth Augustine follow in his boke de spiritu litera the xiij cha But it is best we rede as the coÌ„moÌ„ readyng hath it For so is expressed vnto vs in what thyng chieflye consisteth iustification namely in the remission of sinnes Whiche thyng Dauid setteth forth expressedly when he saith Blessed are they whose iniquities In what thing chiefly consisteth iustificatioÌ„ are forgeuen It commeth in deede by the benefite of the holy ghost that besides the forgeuenes of sinnes followeth an instauration or renewing of the whole maÌ„ But in the first principall pointe consisteth the summe of iustification namelye the forgeuenes of sinnes This particle which is added Of the sinnes passed accordyng to the opinion of some is put to take away licentiousnes of sinnyng that men should not thinke that after they haue obteined righteousnes at Gods hand they should then liue losely But it is to be thought rather that the Apostle would hereby shew the infirmity of the lawe and of philosophy of humayne strengthes as thinges which were not able to put away sinne Sinne vndoubtedly continueth and abideth vntill righteousnes be by faith communicated vnto vs. And that it did still abide we shall afterwarde heare of Paule when a little after he sayth that sinne raigned from Adam euen vnto Moses and that he therby proueth for that death did spread abrode into all meÌ„ And yet caÌ„not by this place be proued that men after iustification can not fall which falles through After iustification we still fall An error of the Nouatians fayth must be forgeuen by iustification agayne obteined Wherfore the NouatiaÌ„s did hereof vnaptly gather that after baptisme forgeuenes of sinnes should not be geuen vnto them that fell Althoughe they beyng compelled by the force of arguments confessed that God in dede can geue remission of wicked actes after baptisme but to vs in the church it is not lawfull to exercise or to promise any suche forgeuenes But they very ill weighed what was said to Peter that he should forgeue his penitent brother not onely seuen tymes but also seuenty tymes seuen tymes Paules meanyng in this place is to declare the state of man before he attayneth vnto iustification namely that he is altogether in sinne Iustification embraceth What maner ones we be when the righteousnes of God first findeth vs. Against woorkes preparatorâ— Christ is perpetually one and the selfe same mediator vs when we are in that state that we bring nothyng vnto God from our owne selues but onely sins to be forgeueÌ„ Which vndoubtedly wheÌ„ they are forgeuen it followeth of necessity that they went before Wherfore by this place are rather coÌ„futed workes as they call theÌ„ of preparatioÌ„ theÌ„ that it maketh any thyng on Nouatus side And without doubt theyr opinion is vtterly to be reiected which thinke that the first iustification in dede commeth vnto vs fréely and the we should be by baptisme regenerated are not required good workes to go before But if we chaunce afterward say they to sin then is it necessary that we make satisfaction As though Christ were not the self same mediator at one tyme the he is at an other time Iohn most manifestly coÌ„futeth those meÌ„ saying Little children these thinges I write vnto you that ye sinne not but if we sinne we haue an aduocate wyth the father Iesus Christ whom he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is our propitiation By which wordes we gather the after baptisme also if we chance to fal Christ is our iustification and not our workes Neither is it conuenient to thinke that the estate of them whiche by greuous falles haue turned away from Christ is better then theyrs which are not as yet coÌ„uerted vnto him so that though before they could not iustifie themselues they are afterward able to do it Wherfore we must nedes thinke that by repentaunce is againe obtained the selfe maner of iustificatioÌ„ the was before in baptism or to speake more vprightly wheÌ„ we were first regenerate by faith Wherfore I The same maner of iustification after baptisme which was before can not inough wonder what came in their heds of Cullen those moste great defenders of abuses in that their booke called Antididagma where they gooe about to put a difference betwene that repentaunce which we preach vnto infidels and yâ— repentaunce which is to be done of ChristiaÌ„s that haue falleÌ„ into greuous crimes They graunt the as touching infidels we should by the law of Moses vpbraide vnto theÌ„ those wicked factes which they haue committed and then set forth Christ vnto them as a remedy and medicine of so great euils But they affirme that vnto those which being Christians haue contaminated themselues with sinnes are to be inculcated the giftes and benefites from whiche they haue fallen and to be set forth vnto them the exercises of the spirite by which they may be agayne holpen And for this their sentence they cite certaine places of the Scripture First that which is written in the Apoc. Remember from whence thou hast falleÌ„ and do the first workes Otherwise I come vnto thee And vnto the Galathians Paule saith O ye foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey
forgeueth vs our sinnes geueth the holy ghost an vpright life and eternall felicity By this definition is séene not onely what we call grace but also by whom we haue it and which are the principall effects thereof Now must we sée after what maner God By what meanes God worketh in vs his good thinges Why the outward ministery is needefull in the church worketh in vs so excellent good thinges First he offreth the promises of these thinges then by his inspiration he openeth the harte that they may be receaued which if he did not those good things should neuer take place in vs for the hart of man is stubborne and repugnant to spirituall things and therefore in the Church the minstery is alwayes néedefull For the duety of the pastors is to set forth the promises of God vnto the people and not to vrge them in wordes onely but also to seale thē with sacraments which are certaine visible wordes And in especially it belōgeth vnto them to remoue away two impediments which do most of al draw men away from the promises of God For on the one side men think that The ministers ought in teachyng to haue regard to two thinges they can not attaine vnto the promises of God bicause they are vnworthy of thē Here must the faithfull minister diligently resist and teach that these thinges are fréely geuen of God not by workes or any dignity of such as receiue thē On the other part some vse to doubt whether they by the electiō of God are excluded frō these promises As touching this point they must teach y◠the faithful ought generally to receiue the promises of God as they are deliuered vs by the holy ghost in the holy scriptures neither ought they to be carefull concerning the secret will of God For without doubt God would haue reueled and shewed who they be that be elect or who be reprobate if he had known that it should haue bene profitable to saluatiō Wherfore seing the scriptures exclude no man perticulerly from the promises euery man ought so to receue thē as if they peculiarly pertained vnto himself And vndoubtedly together with faith shall be geuen vnto them that beleue through y◠persuasion of the holy ghost that they shall not doubt but that they do in very déede belong vnto the elect After this maner the ministery of the church serueth God and worketh together with him towards our saluation not that the goodnes and power of God can not without it both offer his promises vnto vs and also inclyne our mindes to receiue them For neither is the grace of God of necessity bound either to the ministery or to the sacraments or to y◠outward worde But we speake The grate of God is not bound to outward thinges now of the accustomed maner wherby God bringeth men to saluation But whē we haue once receiued the promises of God we which before were dead vnto sinne begin streight way to reuiue and so being restored vnto lyfe in some part we obey the law of God not in dede with a perfect obedience but with an obedience begon Farther against our enemies the flesh and Sathan we haue the present helpe of God and a wonderful consolation in afflictions and the powers and faculties both of the soule and also of the body are renued And to speake briefly the grace of God God doth not onely offer the promises but also boweth the hart to embrase them What manner of grace the Pelagians graunted which we haue described is the spring of all good thinges But yet we haue affirmed one thing which is not yet confirmed by the scriptures namely y◠God doth not onely offer the promises which we haue now spoken of of his mere grace and beneuolence but also with his spirit boweth the harte to receiue them The first part the Pelagians also admitted namely that there is required the grace of doctrine and illustration But the other part they thought consisted in frée will ether to receiue or to refuse the promises offred But the scripture teacheth farre otherwise For Ezechiell in the 11. chap. sayth That God woulde geue vnto hys faythfull a new hart a new spirite would take away frō thē their stony harte and geue them a fleshy hart These wordes most manifestly teach that there must be a chaunge The meaninge of the fathers made in our hartes Wherfore when we reade either in Augustine or in other fathers that grace commeth first whom our will followeth as an handmayden we may not so vnderstand it as though our will followeth of his owne strengthes beyng It is not sufficient that the will be stirred vp vnlesse it be moued also only stirred vp and admonished by grace for vnles it were changed it would neuer follow This therfore is required first that the will be chaunged and then that it obey We must warely also geue eare vnto Chrisostome who in his sermon of the inuention of the crosse saith That neither the grace of God can doe any thyng without our wyll nor our wyll without grace For vniuersally it is not true that grace can doo nothyng without our will vnles thou vnderstande will to be that about which grace worketh But that grace should tary for the consent of the will it is not true For grace changeth y◠wil before it can geue any consent Dauid therfore Grace ought not to tary for our consent prayeth Create in me a cleane hart O God ▪ Salomon also Incline O Lord the harte of thys people to execute thy commaundementes And agayne Dauid Incline myne harte to thy testimonies The Pelagians taughte that the beginnyng of good workes is of oure selues namelye of frée wyll And that grace dothe helpe them The opinion of the Pelagians easlier and more readely to accomplishe them But the latter Diuines or Sophisters least they shoulde seeme vtterlye to agrée with Pelagius haue thus defined The opiniō of the Scholemē grace that grace in déede commeth first but it is in vs either to receaue it or to refuse it but this is as vntrue as that sentence of Pelagius for from hence haue we power to receaue this grace If this were true then saluation should be of our selues But Paul sayth what hast thou which thou hast not receaued But if thou hast receaued it why boastest thou as though thou haddest not receaued it And against these men Augustine citeth these wordes of Paul which we shall afterward reade It is not of hym that wylleth nor of hym that runneth but of God that hath compassion If these mens opinion saith he were not true the Apostle mought in like maner haue sayde It is not of God that hath compassion but of hym that wylleth and runneth For as these men teach this matter semeth to be deuided so that one part is geuen vnto God and the other part is leaft vnto our selues And by that meanes the grace of God is not sufficient
vnles we also put to our endeuor and do wyll and also runne But the Apostle affirmeth farre otherwyse saying that it is neither of hym that wylleth nor of hym that runneth but of God that hath compassion And in an other place of hymselfe he sayth I haue laboured more then all but yet not I but the grace of God which is in me By which wordes he taketh away all from hymselfe and ascribeth it wholy vnto the grace of God And Augustine addeth we pray for our enemyes which are yet euill and will not be obedient vnto God and do reiect his promises which thynge seing we do what els do we desire but that God should change theyr wylles which vnles it were in the hand of God to do it should be in vayne to desire it of hym Paul also in an other place sayth Not that we are apt to thynke any thinge of our selues as of our selues And if that we can not so much as thynke much les vndoubtedly can we wyll for the The will being changed of God is not idle wyll followeth knowledge and thought Neither speake I these thinges as though the will being changed of God ought to lye styll idle and to do nothing For it being renued ought to worke together with grace that as Bernard also sayth of frée wil that which was begon of the one may be performed of both For then we are not only The regenerate do worke together with God pure men or naked men but are made the childreÌ„ of God and haue ioyned with vs the mouing of the holy ghost And Paul to Tymothe sayth that the man of God being instructed in the holy scriptures is now mete and apt to all good thinges But they are accustomed to say and commonly do teach that the grace of God is laide forth vnto all men And therefore if it be not receaued it commeth through our owne default for euery man say they may obtayne it if he will This doubt we will Whether the grace of God be laid foorth vnto all men briefely dissolue We may in déede graunt that the grace of God is in this sort setforth to all men because the generall promises of God are offred and preached indifferently vnto all men Neither do the preachers which publishe them abroade any thinge regard the secret will of God or thinke thus Peraduenture this man is not predestinate or my labour shall nothing profite him They thinke vpon no such matter but do set forth the word of God vnto all men vniuersally After this When a maÌ„ receaueth grace he doth it not by the power of his owne will maner grace or the calling of God may be saide to be coÌ„mon vnto all meÌ„ Howbeit when anye man receaueth the promises offred he doth it not by his owne power or will For it is nedefull that his hart be opened which thing Luke in the Actes maketh mencion of the woman that solde silke For all men are not called with efficacy and according to purpose But these meÌ„ seme to faine vnto theÌ„selues a grace as though it were a certaine garment hanging in the ayre which any man that will may put on But these are the inueÌ„tioÌ„s of mans wisedome The holy scriptures Grace working and workyng together speake farre otherwise They vse also thus to deuide grace that they make one a working grace the other a grace working together FroÌ„ which distinctioÌ„ Augustine abhorred not For it semeth to be deriued of these wordes of the Apostle It is God which worketh in vs both to will and to performe Therfore yâ— working grace is that which at the beginning healeth and chaÌ„geth the wil and afterward causeth that the will being changed and healed may worke vprightly And first indede it is called a working grace and then a grace working together And thys is One and the selâ—e same grace is working and workinge together one and the selfe same grace and not two graces But the distinction is taken of his effectes For first the will when it is healed concurreth with Grace passiuely For by it it is sayd to be changed and we are sayd to be regenerate But afterward it behaueth it selfe both actiuely passiuely For being moued of God it also willeth and choseth And in this sence is that true which is written vnto the Hebrues Be not wanting from the grace of God For we beinge Regenerate ought not to sit idle but to liue and worke according to Grace which followeth But they excedingly erre which thinke that the will by it selfe can will good The wil of it selfe cannot will good thinges thinges and that by grace and the spirite is nothing ells brought to passe then to cause it with efficacy to will and that it may obteyne those thinges which it willeth which thing as we haue now shewed is repugnant vnto the holy scriptures They demaund farther whither we may merite any thing by that first grace Our aduersaries in dede say that we may but we deny it and doo vtterly reiect all consideration of merite Which thinge with what iust reasons we doo After the first giftes we descrue not the latter we shall in an other place haue more opportunity to declare We graunt that God of his liberality and mercy is wont after many benefites alredy geuen to geue others but yet not that any of the first giftes of God can merite the other later giftes And so are these places in the Gospel to be vnderstand To him that hath shal be geuen thys also well good seruant bycause thou hast bene faythfull in Grace preuenting and grace after following few things I will set the ouer many thinges Moreouer they deuide grace into grace preuenting and grace after following Which deuision Augustine semeth to proue by the wordes of Dauid in the 59. Psalme His mercy shall preuent me and his mercy shall follow after me But this distinction is so to be receaued that it be It is one and the selfe same grace but the variety is in the effectes The order of the effects of grace vnderstand of one and the selfe same grace and the variety to consiste in the effectes For there are many and sundry giftes wherewith the mercy of God adorneth vs. For first the will is healed and it being healed it beginneth to will well afterward the thinges that it hath willed well it beginneth to execute after that it perseuereth in doing well at the last it is crowned Grace therefore preuenteth our will in healinge of it the same also followeth in causinge those thinges to please vs which are vpright It preuenteth in causing vs to will it followeth after in driuing vs to performe those thinges which we would It preuenteth in mouinge vs to good woorkes it followeth after in geuing perseuerance It preuenteth perseueraÌ„ce in geuing of it it followeth after in crowning A similitude of it And euen as that is one and the selfe
sinne And it is not hard to sée how fowly they are deceaued which do of Pauls wordes gather these so greate absurdities For in their reasons they take that A false argument of those which gather absurd things out of Paules sayinges which is not the cause for the cause and so fall into a manifest false argument For not to put confidence in the workes of the law or to teach that by the lawe sinne abounded is not a sufficient cause why the lawe of God should either be reiected or els counted vnprofitable And to teach that workes iustifye not is not a cause why we should ceasse of from doing works And to say that more grace abounded when sinne abounded is not to say that our sinnes are the causes of the grace of God For that is agaynst nature that that which is in very déede euill shoulde That which is in very deede euell of it selfe bringeth not foorth good things bring forth good And seing sinnes do alienate vs from God how should they purchase vnto vs grace The disease maketh not the Phisition notable but by occasion It is the art which coÌ„mendeth him and not the disease So sinnes of their own nature do not illustrate the grace of God but his goodnes and mercy wherby he forgeueth sinnes If we wil conclude rightly and without a fals argument let vs thus reason forasmuch as we can not fulfill the law and therfore it can not iustifie vs let vs not cleaue vnto it only Wherfore let vs annexe Christ and his grace How we ought in this place to conclude which if we do we shall receiue much fruit therby Againe seing that workes can not be the cause of iustification let vs not attribute so much vnto wicked men to such as are not yet regenerate to say that they by their own merites can get vnto themselues grace But being regenerate let vs aply our selues to good works as to the fruites of righteousnes And althoughe sinnes are not the causes of the grace of God yet let vs acknowledge that there neded a mighty and an aboundaÌ„t grace to take those sinnes away when as they had so infinitely increased There Paralogismus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is committed also in these arguments a false reason of equiuocation For when Paul sayth where sinne hath abounded there more abounded grace he saith not whersoeuer sinnes haue increased there streight way grace hath more abounded For there are found many most wicked men ouer whelmed with infinite synnes in whom shineth no grace of God at all But this Paul sayth where sinnes haue increased by the law and are now in very dede known and inwardly felte in the mynd there men being made afeard of their misery are after a sort prepared and driuen vnto Christ to implore his ayde â–ª And therby it commeth to passe that grace aboundeth in them which are so touched by the law There is an other fallace or An other fallace as touching the diuersity of time deceipt in this reasoning which coÌ„meth of yâ— diuersitie of tymes For we graunt that God through Christ geueth aboundant grace wherby the sinnes which went before regeneration are blotted out Yet therof ought not to be gathered that sins are againe to be heaped vp to the end grace also should be augmented Wherfore it plainly appeareth that in these false accusations is more then one kynde of false argument Neither was Paul onely accused of this crime that he opened a wyndow to sin but also al those whosoeuer they were that taught Christ ernestly For those false witnesses in yâ— Actes testefied against StepheÌ„ yâ— he ceassed not to speake An example concerninge Stephan We are not onely iustified by faith but we receaue the spirite of Christ wherby we are restored to newnes of life many things against God against yâ— law But Paul to acquite the doctrine of the Gospel froÌ„ such false accusatioÌ„s saith that we are not only iustified by faith but also haue the spirit of Christ whereby we are both stirred vp to a new life and sinne also is weakened in vs. Wherfore wheÌ„ we reade the holy scriptures we ought to ponder them with greate diligence and attentiuenes before by way of reasoning we gather any thing out of them For he which neglecteth the principles or first groundes is easely led into dangerous errors So greate difference is there betwéene those things which Paul concludeth of the things before spoken and those thinges which the vnlerned do gather of them that they are manifestly contrary one to the other They by this doctrine do gather that we must sinne to the ende grace may abound But Paul of the selfe same doctrine gathereth that we must not sinne that grace should abound Which thing he proueth in this chapter principally The aduersaries gathered that we must sinne and Paule that we oughtâ— not to sinne The Apostle proueth bâ—â—wo reasons that we muste sinne no more Why he vseth interrogations They which are dead vnto sinne ought not to liue in it Similitudes by two reasons the first is because we are now deade vnto sinne and are come vnto Christ And this reasoÌ„ he at large handleth in the first part of this chap. The other reason is that we ought to obey him vnto whose seruice we haue addicted our selues Wherefore seing by our conuersion vnto Christ we are made the seruantes of righteousnes we must now serue it and not sinne And this reason contayneth that which remayneth of this chapter Neither is it in vayne that Paul putteth forth his sentence by interrogations For by them he partly expresseth the affection of his indignation how that he toke it very greuously that the doctrine of the Gospell should be diffamed with so absurd suspicions Farther by his interrogations he declareth the security of his conscience For he sheweth that he thought nothing lesse then that which was obiected against him The first reason is this They which are dead vnto sin ought not to perseuer therin But Christians are dead vnto sinne Wherfore they ought not to perseuer in it These things are euidently proued by the contrariety of death and life because no man can at one and the selfe same tyme be both deade and also on lyue For euen as he is a foole which would desire health in such sorte that he would together with it be sick also or which would abyde still in the fire that he might be deliuered from burning so also is he a foole which being deade vnto sinne thinketh that he may neuertheles liue vnto it The selfe same thing teacheth Christ when he sayth that no man can serue two masters And in naturall knowledge it is a common sentence that the generation of one thing is the corruption of an other Wherefore if we be borne agayne to Christ then is it necessary that we should dye vnto sinne Although What it is to dye vnto sinne whilest we liue here this death is
what also he meaneth by the Body of sinne which he affirmeth ought to be abolished When he speaketh of the Olde man he alludeth vnto Adam and vnderstandeth the corrupt nature which we all haue contracted of him Neither signifieth Not onely the body and grosser partes of the minde pertaine vnto the old man he thereby as some thinke the body only and grosser partes of the minde but comprehendeth therewithall vnderstanding reason and will For of all these partes consisteth man and this maliciousnes and oldenes so cleaueth vnto vs as the Greke Scholies note yâ— the Apostle calleth it by the name of man And men yâ— are without Christ are so much addicted vnto their lustes pleasures and errors that without theÌ„ they count not themselues to be men Farther by this Antithesis or coÌ„parison vnto the new man we may vnderstand what the olde man is In the epistle to the Ephesians we are commaunded to put on the newe man which is creatâ—d according vnto God in all righteousnes and holynes of truth And coÌ„trarâ—wise To put of the old maÌ„ which is corrupted according to the lusts of error Wherefore Ambrose expounding this place saith That the Apostle therefore calleth the deedes past the olde man Because euen as the newe man is so called by reason of fayth and a pure life so is he called the old man bycause of his infidelity and euill dedes The body of sinne also signifieth nothing els then the deprauation and corruptioÌ„ What the body of sinne is of our whole nature For the Apostle would not that by this word we should vnderstand the composition of our body And naturall lust although it be but one thinge yet bycause vnto it are associated and annexed all maner of sinnes which as occasioÌ„s are offred doo burst forth therfore it is expressed by the name of the bodye And Paul vnto the Colossians after thys selfe same maner calleth sondry sinnes our members Mortifie sayth he your members which are vpon the earth namely fornication vncleanes euill lust auarice and other whiche there followe Our members are the instrumeÌ„ts of sinnes if God prohibite them not And vndoubtedly vnles the spirit of Christ doo prohibite our members they are altogether organes and instrumeÌ„ts of sinnes Chrisostome vpon this place faith That the Apostle calleth not this our body only so but also all our maliciousnes for so calleth he all our maliceousnes the old man The Greke Scholies vnderstand by the body of sinne our condemned nature Although if we would referre that sentence vnto this our outward body it may seme that Paul so spake for that all wicked lust and all corruption of nature is drawen from nature by the body Thys is Humane corruption is drawen by the body The corruption of nature hath sundry names also to be marked that the Apostle setteth our corrupt nature as contrary vnto the spirite but yet by sondry names sometimes by the name of flesh sometimes by the name of the body of sinne sometimes by the name of the old man and sometimes of the outward man and sometimes by the name of naturall man all which things signifie whatsoeuer is in man besides Christ and regeneratioÌ„ and also whatsoeuer withdraweth vs from the law of God CoÌ„trariwise by the name of the spirite he vnderstandeth all those thinges which are done in vs by the inspiration instinction and motion of the holy ghost wherfore Ambrose by the body of sinne vnderstandeth also the soule that is the whole man As contrariwise the soule also in the holy scriptures signifieth sometimes the body and The soule The fleshe the whole man This word flesh also sometimes comprehendeth all the partes of a man that is not yet regenerate For Christ when he reasoned with Nicodemus of regeneratioÌ„ whatsoeuer saith he is born of the flesh is flesh by which words he sheweth that the flesh ought to be regenerated into the spirite And forasmuch as regeneration pertayneth not only vnto the body nor only vnto the grosser Reason and will are coÌ„prehended in the name of fleshe partes of the minde but chiefely vnto vnderstanding reason and will it sufficiently appeareareth that these thinges also are vnderstand by the name of flesh And Ambrose sayth that the flesh is sometimes called the soule which followeth the vices of the body Christ also answered vnto Peter when he had made yâ— notable confession Flesh and blood hath not reueled these thinges vnto thee Whereby fleshe and blood he vnderstandeth whatsoeuer humane reason can by nature come to the knowledge of Wherefore to retayne still the body of sinne and the old maÌ„ is nothing els then to liue according to that estate wherein we are borne And Naturall knowledges grafted in vs are of themselues good but in vs they may be sins The affections of them that are not regenerate are sinnes though they be honest if a man demaund whither these naturall knowledges grafted in vs touching God and outward dedes are to be counted good or no I answer yâ— of theÌ„selues they are good but as they are in vs not yet regenerate but vitiate corrupt vndoubtedly they are sinnes bycause they fayle and stray from the coÌ„stitution of theyr nature For they ought to be of such force that they should impell and driue all our strengths and faculties to obey him But they are so weake that they can not moue vs to an vprighte life and to the true worshipping of God which selfe thing we iudge also of the naturall affections towards our parents frendes countrey and other such like For although these thinges of their owne nature are good and honest yet in vs that are not yet grafted into Christ they are sinnes For we referre them not according as we ought vnto the glory of only true God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ nether doo we them of faith without which whatsoeuer is done is sin And Paul sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is knowing this and a litle afterward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wordeâ—â—each that those thinges which are here sayd ought to be most assured and certayne vnto vs and perfectly knowen of vs so that euery godly man should fele this in hymselfe This kinde of speach hath an Antithesis vnto that which was sayd at the beginninge Know ye not that as many as are baptised â—nto Christ Iesus are baptised into his death as though he should haue said Of this thingye ought not to be ignoraÌ„t And if ye once perfectly know this principle theÌ„ those thinges which thereof follow caÌ„ not but be knoweÌ„ of you Let it not seme straÌ„g that Paul doth Why Paul vseth so many tropes figures by so many so suÌ„dry figure hiperboles I say metaphors exaggerat aggrauateth is matter namely That we are dead vnto sin are buried with Christ and the old man is crucified that the body of sinne should be abolished and suche other like For we neuer sufficiently
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
difference which Augustin assigneth betwene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not alwaies obserued For yâ— Scriptures vse either word indifferently to signifie yâ— worshippyng of God Vnto the spirite is attributed newnes For the spirite by regeneration reneweth vs both in body and in soule and moreouer in the beleuers it sheweth forth new and Why newnes is attributed vnto the spirite What is to be vnderstand by the name of letter vnaccustomed workes The antithesis also is to the oldnes of our old estate which yâ— Apostle expresseth by the name of letter in which word he comprehendeth whatsoeuer doctrine may be outwardly set forth vnto vs. For whatsoeuer is such procedeth from the strengths of nature And it is called old bicause it commeth not froÌ„ a hart regenerate and a will chaunged In this also is a certaine kind of obedieÌ„ce but yet not such an obedience as God requireth And therfore it is called yâ— oldnes of the letter for that it is a certaine slender imitation of that doctrine which is set foorth vnto vs. Woorkes of this kinde come not of the impression of the lawe in the harts of men For God in Ezechiell promiseth to geue vnto his people a fleshy hart Those thinges also may after a sort pertaine to outward discipline But they neither please God and moreouer to them that do them they are sinnes and therfore Paul sayth that they pertaine to oldnes Certaine of the fathers imagine many thinges touching the spirite and the letter but by the letter they vnderstaÌ„d The difference receaued touching the spirite and the letter is refelled an historicall sence by the spirit they thinke are signified allegories But the Apostle ment farre otherwyse But of this matter we haue spoken somwhat vpon the second chap. of this epistle vpon these wordes of Paul the circumcision of the hart is which consisteth of the spirite and not of the letter Neither ment Paul any thing els in the latter to the CorrinthiaÌ„s when he sayth That the law killeth but the spirit quickeneth For he calleth the law grauen in stones the ministery of death sayth that he is not appointed the minister of the letter but of the spirite Chrisostome thinketh that this sentence that we should serue in newnes of spirite is therfore added of the Apostle that we hearing mention made of liberty should not liue losely through licentiousnes of the flesh but should vnderstand that we are bound to a certaine other kynd of seruitude and that is to serue God Although as we before To obey God is not a seruitude Not all the fathers of the olde testamente liued in sinne admonished it can not properly be called seruitude for in it we follow not an other mans will but our owne Neither are these wordes of Paul so to be taken as though all the fathers of the old Testament liued in sinne and in the oldnes of the letter They pertaine vnto them only which either in this tyme want Christ or in the old tyme liued without him such as were many of the Israelites which waited for Christ according to the flesh as though Messias should be onely a pure man which should come and bring nothyng vnto the Iewes but a carnall kingdome pompe riches glory and a large dominion But the godly fathers as Abraham Iacob Dauid Esay and many others of that race wanted not the benefite of Christ but beyng endewed with the spirite of God had the fruicion of the liberty of the Gospell so much as the nature of the tyme then suffred They in dede obserued the ceremonies of their times such other like precepts but this they dyd of their owne accord not being compelled neither bare they any hatred against the law of God And although at this day after yâ— Christ hath appeared yâ— spirit of God be more largely poured abrode and the mysteries of our saluation are more plainlier manifested then they were in times past yet dare I not affirme that those holy patriarches had lesse of the spirite of Christ then haue many cold Christians in our tyme. And I wonder at Chrisostome beyng so great a man yâ— when he wrote vpon this place he would say That the elders had a body heauy and sluggish and vnapt vnto vertues but our bodies after the commyng of Christ are made lighter reddier The interpretacion of the law deliuered of Christ pertained also vnto the elders Somwhat was graunted in the law whiche is denied vnto vs. and cherefuller and for that cause the preceptes of the Gospell are more hard higher then were the commaundementes of the law For vnto them it was sufficient not to kill but vnto vs it is not lawfull so much as to be angry Vnto theÌ„ iâ—â—as sufficient not to coÌ„mit adultery but vnto vs is also prohibited the lustful loking vpoÌ„ an other maÌ„s wife And such other things of yâ— same sort I graunt in dede yâ— certaine things wer permitted in yâ— old law which were reuoked by Christ For it is not lawful for christians as it was for yâ— Iewes for euery light cause to geue a boke of diuorcemet But those thinges which Christ admonished of lust of anger pertained no lesse vnto yâ— Iewes in the old time theÌ„ they do to vs in this time And wheras Christ saith It was said to theÌ„ in olde tyme that is not to be referred vnto the sentence of the law but vnto yâ— wicked Christ retected the corrupte interpretations of the scribes and of the Phariseis An error of many of the fathers Sondry affectes stirred vp by the law interpretations of the Scribes and Phariseys For otherwise when as in the ten commaundements it is sayd Thou shalt not lust all maner of wicked lust both of the flesh and of vengeaunce and of other mens goods is vtterly forbidden But not only Chrisostom but also many other of the fathers erred in this matter But to returne to our purpose we ought to know that certaine men are by the lawe stirred vp only to certaine outward ceremonies and certaine cold workes which pertaine only a certaine discipline but those selfe same can in no wyse attaine to the iust and perfect obseruance of the will of God but there are others which wheÌ„ they very diligently consider the law and behold the horror of sin and the vncleanes and weakenes of their strengths at the last vtterly dispaire and begin to hate and abhorre God and to blaspheme him and his law and to fall hedlong into all mischiefe and wickednes vntill they drowne themselues in eternall destruction But vnto godly men the consideration of the lawe is profitable and healthfull for when as in it as in a glasse they consider their owne infirmity they are compelled to get them vnto Christ as vnto an hauen of whome they may both obteyne forgeuenes of sinnes and also day by day greater instauration of strengthes What shall we say then is the law sinne God forbidde But
pertakers not only of the death of the Lord but of his resurrectioÌ„ also for forasmuch as Christ was by it raysed vp from the dead as many as are endewed with the same spirite shall likewise be raysed vp from the dead For that cause he exhorteth vs by the spirite to mortefye the deades of the flesh that we may be made pertakers of euerlasting life Thirdly he amplifieth and adorneth this state and condition which by the spirite of Christ we haue obteyned namely that now we are by adoption made the children of God that we are moued by this spirit and made strong against aduersities to suffer all afflictions Which prayses serue not a little to quicken our desire that we should desire to be dayly more aboundantly enriched with this spirite Fourthly he confuteth those which obiected that state to seme miserable and vnhappy in which the faythfull of Christ liue For they are continually excercised with aduersities so that euen they also which haue the first fruites of the spirite are compelled to mourne And he writeth that by this meanes these thinges come to passe for that as yet we haue not obteyned an absolute regeneration nor perfect saluatioÌ„ for we haue it now but only in hope which when time shall serue that is in the end of the worlde shall be made perfect Fiftly he teacheth that notwithstaÌ„ding those euills which doo enclose vs in on euerye side yet our saluation is neuertheles sure for the prouidence â–ª of God whereby we are predestinâ—te to eternall felicity can nether be chaunged nor yet in any poynte fayle And by this prouidence sayth he it commeth to passe that vnto vs which loue God all thinges turne to good and nothing can hurt vs forasmuch as God hath geuen vnto vs his sonne and together with hym all thinges wherefore seing the father iustifieth vs and the sonne maketh intercession for vs there is nothing which can make vs afrayd Lastly he sayth that yâ— loue of God towards vs is so greate that by no creature it can be plucked from vs. Hereby it is manifest of how greate force the spirite of adoption is wherewith we are sealed so long as we wayte for the perfection of our felicity And these thinges serue wonderfully to proue that our iustification consisteth not of workes but of fayth and of the meare and free mercy of God This is the summe of al that which is coÌ„tained in the doctrine of this chap. As touching the first part the Apostle alledgeth that condemnation is now takeÌ„ away which he proueth bycause we are endewed with the spirite of Christe But this deliuery he promiseth vnto those only which are in Christ Wherfore seing it is manifest what his proposition or entent is now let vs se howe these thinges hange together with those which are alredy spoken Toward the end of the former chap Paul cried out twise first when he sayd Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death And by the figure Aposiopesis he expressed not the deliuerer but here he sayth that that deliuerer is the Lawe The law of the spirit and life deliuereth of the spirite and of life Farther in that place with greate affection he sayd I geue thankes vnto God through Iesus Christe our lorde nether declared he wherfore he gaue thankes But nowe he playnly expresseth the cause For he sayth that now there remayneth no condemnation and that we are deliuered from the Thankes are to be geuen for that there remayneth in vs no coÌ„mendation Law of sinne and of death This is it for which he gaue thaÌ„ks Lastly he added how that in minde he serued the law of God but in flesh the law of sinne Now he more playnly expresseth what that is namely to be in Christ and not to walke according to the flesh but according to the spirite Hereby it manifestly appeareth how aptly these thinges are knit together with those which are alredy spoken The Apostle seemeth thus to speake Althoughe sinne and the corruption of nature where wyth the godlye are vexed be as it is alredye sayde styll remayninge in them yet is there no daunger that it shoulde brynge condemnation vnto men regenerate for they are holpen by the spirite of Christe wherewith they are now endewed And euen as before he aboundantly entreated of the violence and tiranny of sinne which it vseth against vs being vnwittinge What thinges auayle to know our selues and vnwilling thereunto so now on the other side he teacheth what the spirite of Christ worketh in the Saintes Wherefore seing not only the holy scriptures but also the Ethnike writers do expressedly commaund that euery man shoulde knowe himselfe peraduenture there is scarse any other place out of whiche the A godly maÌ„ consisteth of two principles same may better be gathered then out of these two chapiters For a godly man consisteth of his owne corrupt and vitiate nature and also of the spirit of Christ because we haue before learned what yâ— corruptioÌ„ of nature that is sinne woorketh in vs and now is declared what benefites of Christ we obtayne by his spirite by this may euery man as touching ether part know himselfe Vndoubtedly wonderfull great is the wisdome of the Apostle who when he wrote of the force of sin expressed it chiefely in his owne person to geue vs to vnderstand that there is no Why Paul chaungeth the persons in these two descriptioÌ„s man so holy which so long eas he liueth here is cleane ridde from sinne But afterward when he entreateth of the helpe of the spirite of Christ he bringeth in the person of other men least any man should thinke with himselfe that not all manner of Christians enioye this excellente helpe of God but onelye certaine principall and excellent men such as were the Apostles After these things which we haue before heard out of the seuenth chapter a man mought haue sayd forasmuch as we are so led away captiue of sinne and that by force and against our willes what hope can there be of our saluation Much saith Paul Forasmuch as now there is no condeÌ„nation to theÌ„ which are in Christ For by the spirite of Christ we are deliuered from the lawe of sinne and of death This reason is taken of the cause efficient whereby is not only proued that which was proposed but also euen the very carnell and inward pithe of our iustification is touched For although men being now iustified are so restored vnto the giftes of God that they begin to liue holily and do accomplishe some certayne obedience begonne of the lawe yet because in the iudgement of God they can not stay vpon them forasmuch as they are vnperfect and are not without fault of necessity it followeth that our iustification should herein consist Wherein consisteth iustificatioÌ„ â–ª namely to haue our sinnes forgeuen vs that is to be deliuered from the guiltines of them And this is it which
they shall not bring to passe so great is the loue of God towardes vs. But we can not suspect any such matter of good angels for they as much as lieth in them cal home againe to God those that go astray and wonderfully reioyce of the repentance of sinners although they also somtimes are sent forth to punish Howbeit Chrisostome declareth that this place may by the figure Hyperbole or by supposition be vnderstand also of good angels For although good angels do not so in déede yet if they should their endeuor should be voyde For after the same maner Paul writeth vnto the Galathyans If an angell from heauen teach you any other Gospell then thys which ye haue learned be he accursed vnto you And vnto the Corrinthyans If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mountaines and haue not charity I am nothyng Those wordes are not so to be taken as though true faith can in deede be without charity but if it were possible so to be yet it should nothing profite Nor principalities Paraduenture he vnderstandeth the higher spirites who haue no other charge committed vnto them but ouer prouinces empires and kingdomes This ment Daniell when he wrote of the Prince of the Grecians and of the Persians and brought in Michaell the Prince of the people of God Nor powers Power called in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul taketh for that power which is geuen of God to worke miracles whereby are restrayned the vngodly whereunto is opposite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the gift of healing For euen as by that power Power and the gift of healing are opposite wicked men were chastised so by this they that were vexed were healed By this power Peter slew Ananias and Saphira Paul made blinde Elimas the sorcerer and deliuered vnto Sathan many which had gréeuously sinned But here by angels he meaneth those which are sent of God to punishe the wicked as were those which destroyed Sodoma and Gomorha And such was that Angell which went betwéene Angels haue sometimes inflicted punishmentes the host of the Egiptians and the people of God and which drowned Pharao with all his in the sea and whome Dauid saw standing on the threshold destroying the people of God and which destroyed with fire the host of Senacharib Although God sometimes do the selfe same thinges by euill angels For so Dauid writeth in the Psalme that God inflicted plages vpon the Egiptians by euill angels Wherefore Paul in this place nameth the orders of the angels by their ministeries and offices And that the selfe same titles are assigned both vnto good angels The titles of orders are assigned as well to euell Angels as to good The ministeries of Angels shall not be perpetual and vnto euill it is manifest by y◠epistle vnto the Ephesians in two places For thus it is there writtē Against the principalities and powers that are gouerners of the world And in the 2. chapter he saith That we once liued according to the course of this world and after the prince that hath power in the ayre And these ministeries of Angels shall not be perpetuall For Paul writeth in the first vnto the Corrinthyans That all principality and power shal be blotted out when Christ shall deliuer vp the kingdome vnto God and vnto the father but yet not that the very natures and substances of angels shal be abolished but for that these offices shall serue to no more vse after we shall be once transferred vnto eternall felicity And this is worthy We haue but few thinges in the holy scriptures touching Angels of notinge that in the holy scriptures are very fewe thinges mencioned of angels For exactly and subtelye to enquire touching them serueth rather to pertayne to our curiosity then to our saluation But those thinges which serue to edification are most diligently set forth in the scriptures Which thing I would to God the Shoolemen had obserued For then had they left many intricate and vnprofitable thinges which at this day are in vayne and with great offence disputed of It is profitable for vs to vnderstand that there are some angels appointed to our ministeries for therby we vnderstand the goodnes of God towards vs. On the other side it is profitable for vs to vnderstand that there are some euill spirites of whom we are continually assaulted both that we may beware of them and also that we may implore the helpe of God againste them And these thinges vndoubtedly forasmuch as they are profitable to be knowen the holy scripture hath not kept in silence Ambrose expounding this place sheweth that we are in vayne assaulted of euill spirites For he saith that Simeon the forcerer being lifted vp into the ayre flew all about that this was openly séene and yet did the truth of God geue place to these deceates Nor thinges present nor thinges to come These wordes may be vnderstand of this world and of the world to come or of good thinges and euill which are offred vnto vs presently or of those thinges which are promised shall happen vnto vs well or ill as it happened in the temptacion of the first parents For then the fruit forbidden offred it selfe beutifull to sée vnto and swete to tast of There was promised a likenes to God and a new wisedome as though then they were blynd and had their eyes shut The lattin interpreter addeth Fortitude which word yet is not found in the Greke bookes Wherefore I thinke it best to omitte it and especially seing it hath not his Antithesis which we see is diligently added vnto the other wordes Nor heigth nor depth Heigth signifieth whatsoeuer new and vnaccustomed thing happeneth from heauen depth signifieth whatsoeuer bursteth forth out of y◠lower parts regions of y◠erth And heigth may be takē otherwise for y◠heigh goodly shew of humaine reasons which are cōmonly takē out of philosophy For Paul in the latter to the Cor. saith The weapons of our warrefare are not carnall but mighty through God to the ouerthrowyng of all munitiōs wherby we ouerthrow coūsels and euery heigth that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God And after this sētence by depth we may vnderstand humblenes of minde and hurting of the body after the precepts and doctrines of men which in wordes haue a shew of wisdom as it is written vnto the Col. in the 2 chapter Nor any creature can seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. This part Paul addeth as Ambrose thinketh to declare y◠we can not be plucked away frō God by any other creature which is brought forth of new As though before he had reckoned vp those creatures which are extant and thē afterward addeth that neither any other creature if it could be brought forth shall haue so much strēgth to breake that loue of God wherwith he loueth vs. And he citeth Iannes and Mambres which when before Pharao they resisted
he sayth that they were once aleants from God strangers for the testaments and a litle before children of wrath Neither is it a small dignity to be noÌ„bred What are the duâ—ties of them that are made the people of God amongst the people of God for it herein consisteth that we beleue in God and haue our fayth sealed with the sacraments and that we publiquely professe that which we beleue and publiquely and priuatly inuocate and worship our God and so lyue as his woord prescribeth vs and as his spirite suggesteth vs. The latine interpreter hath Et non misericordiam consecutam misericordiam consecutam that is And here which had not obtayned mercy to haue obtained mercy But in Greke it is read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Beloued and not beloued Although Ierome expounding this place sayth that in some bookes it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not hauing obtained mercy and he alloweth this reading better then the other as more agreable vnto the meaning of the Prophet And peraduenture it happened that some writer considering this diuersity of readings thought he would kepe stil ech reading in the Latin translation When as Paul vsed only one And how great a dignity it is whereunto the Prophet and Paul say that the elect are exalted to be made the people of God Iohn declareth in the beginning of his Gospell He gaue saith he vnto them power to be made the sonnes of God namely vnto them which are borne of God and haue receaued Christ Peter also in his epistle had a respect vnto this oracle of Osea For he sayth yâ— we of such which were not his people are made his people and haue now obtained mercy which were cleane voyde of mercy But Origen obiecteth that the Iewes peraduenture in this place will say that these things pertaine vnto them only for in the holy scriptures it can not easely be shewed that the Ethnikes were called not his people and that they should one day be made the people of God Vnto this obiection he thus maketh answere God speaketh not vnto rockeâ— or stones but vnto the hartes and consciences of men Therefore they which worke wickedly and liue noughtely wyll they or nill they heare of their conscience and spirite that they are strangers from God and haue departed from hym as contrariwise when they beginne to amend themselues and to liue holily they heare in their hart that they are the people of God and that they are come to hym and do pertayne vnto hym But if The scriptures plainly testifie the callyng the GeÌ„tles the Iewes would obiect these thinges vnto vs we ought not therefore to go froÌ„ this ankerhold as though the vocation of the Gentiles were not plainly inough testified by the scriptures for they in many places aboundantly teach both namely yâ— the Gentiles of their owne nature are strangers froÌ„ God also that by the grace of Christ they should succeede in the place of the Iewes of which matter we will speake more at large afterward It is true indéede which Origen sayth that those testimonies of the scriptures little profit vs vnles the spirite speake inwardly within our mynde and testify that we are the sonnes of God Chrisostome agréeth with this interpretacion which we haue cited and sayth that the Iewes for that by reason of their sinnes they were reiected were made not the people of God and so became equall with the Gentiles But he sayth it maketh no matter that the Iewes were newly reiected when as the Gentiles neuer at any time were the people of God for the Iewes at the length fell into the selfe same estate All these thinges are excedingly wel to be liked although when That place of Ose why it can not be vnderstanded of the Iewes I diligently weigh that place of Ose I see that he speaketh onely of the kingdome of the ten tribes yea he excepteth the kingdome of Iuda by name Wherfore seing that the prophet prophesieth that that people of the ten tribes shoulde be brought to that poynt that it should be not the people of God and forasmuch as he agayne addeth that the selfe same people should agayne be called the people of God it is manifest that these thinges can not altogether be vnderstanded of the Israelites For those ten tribes were neuer restored froÌ„ that captiuity of the Assiriaâ—s For they which in the tyme of Nehemias and Esdras returned pertayned vnto the tribes of Iuda of Beniamin and partly also to the tribe of Leuâ— which dwelt scatredly in yâ— lots of these tribes Wherfore it semeth yâ— Paul toke the Prophet in this seÌ„ce that he vnderstoode yâ— not only the Iewes should be conuerted vnto Christ but also the GeÌ„tiles Although it may be that they which are blind amongst the Iewes shal in the last time be called home to yâ— Church of Christ as we shal straight way heare in the 11. chapter Now followeth forasmuche as the conuersion of the Gentiles is now proued by a testimony of Ose to declare that which was the second part of the Apostles discourse namely that the nomber of the Iewes which should be saued should be small And thys he proueth by an other Prophet Esay also crieth concerning Israell Though the nomber of the children of Israell were as the sand of the sea yet shall but a remnaunt be saued For he wil consummate and make short his woord in righteousnes for the lord wil make short his woord in the earth And as Esay sayd before Except the lord of Sabaoth had left vs a sede we had bene made as Sodom had bene like to Gomorrha Esay also crieth concerning Israell Though the nomber of the children of Israell vvere as the sand of the sea yet shall but a remnant be saued He sayth yâ— Why Esay is said to cry Esay crieth for that he speaketh playnly and distinctly and when he bringeth him in thus crieng he moueth the Iewes to attentiuenes more diligently to harken vnto theyr crier but in the meane time he semeth to haue had a respect vnto that which is written in Esay the 46. chapter Cry out cease not as a trompet lift vp thy voyce The summe of this oracle is Although by carnall propagatioÌ„ the people of the Iewes hath encreased into such a multitude that it may now be compared with the sand of the sea yet shall few of them be deliuered And this is vnderstanded partly of the time of Ezechias wherin the whole kingdome of Iuda also Ierusalem only excepted was inuaded and partly of the time of the captiuity of Babilon wherein many died before power was geuen them to returne Many of them also would not returne when they might for that they now dwelt freely amongst the Babilonians neither would they returne into Iewry to labours and pouerty and forsake the goodes which they had gotten There wer few of the Iewes conuerted vnto Christ but those
draue his Apostles out of their borders And in that the Prophet saith that the Lord had left remnantes thereby we vnderstand that our preseruation dependeth of him and not of our selues He electeth vs he prouideth that we The preseruatioÌ„ of the godly dependeth wholy of God What the God of Sabaoth signifieth fall not he stirreth vs vp to liue holily he gouerneth vs he geueth vnto vs perseuerance Wherefore seing that those are his giftes let vs count to haue receaued theÌ„ at his hands But why God is called the Lord of Sabaoth sondry reasons are geuen Some say that by hostes ouer whome God is the chiefe are vnderstanded the starres which being worshipped of the Ethnikes for Gods by this title it is verye plaine how farre the God which the Iewes worshipped surmounted them For by that worde is declared that he is the moderator and gouerner of all the celestiall orbes and ornamentes Some thinke that God was so called by reason of the hostes of the Israelites in the midst of which hostes was caried the Arke of the couenant as often as they should pitche going thorow the desert Others againe will haue All creatures are the hostes of God this word to pertaine vnto yâ— angels who are yâ— hostes of God But as I iudge he was so called because al creatures are as it wer his hosts For they are instrumeÌ„ts of his power wil do no les obey him then souldiers do theyr captaine yea also wicked men and the Deuils vnawares and vnwitting do seruice vnto his counsell And although those thinges which Esay the Prophet prophesied of the fewnes of those which should be saued happened in the time of king Ezechias at what time the city of Ierusalem was deliuered from the siege of Sennacherib and also in the restitution of the captiuity of Babilon from whence very few returned yet came they more truly to passe in the time of Christ when by Titus and Vespasian Ierusalem with the whole common wealth of the Iewes was vtterly ouerthrown Chrisostome weighing this which is written that it is God which left séede confesseth that these few were not of themselues preserued but of God which I suppose he vnderstandeth as he hath oftentimes declared in comparison of that whiche we bring For that if it be compared vnto that which is geuen vs of God he saith is very small and to be counted for nothing But we say with Ieremy It commeth of the mercy of the Lord that we are not consumed What shal we say then That the Gentiles which followed not righteousnes haue attayned vnto righteousnes euen the righteousnes which is of fayth But Israell which followed the law of righteousnes attayned not to the law of righteousnes Wherefore bycause they sought it not by fayth but as it were by the workes of the law for they haue stombled at the stumbling stone As it is writen Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and a rocke to make men fall and euery one that beleueth in hym shal not be ashamed What shal we say then That the Gentils which followed not righteousnes haue attained vnto righteousnes euen the rightousnes which is of faith But Israell which followed the law of righteousnes attained not to the lawe of righteousnes The Apostle in the beginning of this chapter beganne to entreat of the groundes of our saluation that is of election and of reprobation After that he declared the endes namely that the elect are predestinated to saluation and do attaine vnto it but the reprobate are left in damnation and are reiected of God Nowe he entreateth of the meanes whereby the elect are brought to saluation and the reprobate to destruction and those meanes he sayth are faythe and vnbeliefe Vnto the electe is geuen fayth whereby they apprehende righteousnes that is saluation the other are left voyde of faith and therefore obtayne not righteousnes to saluation Those thinges which the Apostle in the beginning of the chapiter entreated of had place in vs without any our assent namely before the foundacions of the world were layde But faith and incredulity whereof is now entreated are brought forth in vs but yet not after one and the same maner For fayth is not of our selues but is breathed into vs of Incredulity bursteth forth out of original sin We feele faith and in credulity in our selues God for it is the gift of God But incredulity of it selfe bursteth forth out of originall sinne These two thinges may easely be perceaued of vs for euery one hath experience in himselfe whether he doth beleue or not beleue But those two first namely election and reprobation forasmuch as they pertayne vnto the hidden will of God we can not attayne vnto the knowledge of them either by sence or by reason Touching them we are certified only by the spirite and by the scriptures And by the methode of the Apostle we plainely see how vtterly they peruert this order which wil haue predestination and reprobation to depend of our workes They should haue considered that Paul at this present maketh mencion of these thinges as the effectes of these groundes although they depend not of them after one and the selfe same maner as it is euident by these thinges which we haue oftentimes before spoken For he will haue these to be meanes whereby some are brought to saluation and other some to condemnation â–ª Those thinges also which the Apostle now teacheth conduce to the solution of the other question For of that that iustificatioÌ„ commeth only by faith semed to follow two absurdityes First that the promises of God are made Two doubtes which ariâ—â— against iufication by faith voyde for that the Israelites vnto whome those promises semed to be made were strangers from saluation The Apostle hereunto answereth that the promises are firme for they are by election contracted â–ª and as for election he sayth is frée and not onely extendeth vnto the Iewes and vnto Gentiles but also comprehendeth many mo of the Ethnikes theÌ„ of the Iewes The other doubt was for that amongst the Iewes were many goodly and shining workes which semed to pertayne vnto righteousnes â–ª And that mought seme absurde if they should be dissalowed of God which yet must needes be sayd if iustification should consist of fayth This doubt the Apostle dissolueth and sayth that it is no meruayle if this kynde of workes be reiected of God forasmuch as it waÌ„teth fayth without which can not consist the righteousnes which we haue before Goodly workes why they are sometymes reiected of God How great the might of predestination is God And although this matter be much more entreated of in the next chapter yet here he beginneth to make an entrance vnto it And forasmuch as the Apostle sayth that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnes attained vnto righteousnes but the Iewes attained not vnto the lawe of righteousnes which they followed thereby may be vnderstand how mighty the
and Paul here chiefely reproueth the Iewes We may also hereby learne how farre we are of from the perfection of God He suffreth long tyme beareth with men God is more patieÌ„t then men that will not beleue in him but all men are high mynded and can not abide that either their wordes or writinges should be contemned Then faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Here again is repeted the commeÌ„dation of the ministery that by it faith is diuulged amongst CommendacioÌ„ of the ministery men Faith is by hearing this sentence must be rightly and soundly taken that is when God will worke therewithall and put to his ayde Some haue thought that by hearing is here to be vnderstanded the inward word for that in it is the full and perfect cause of faith Which thing as I deny not so also I sée that Paul speaketh not of the inward hearing that is of the motion that is done by the holy Here is entreated of the outward worde The worde of God abideth firme though it be not beleued ghost but of the outward preaching to the office whereof the Apostles were sent And although faith can not after the ordinary and accustomed maner be without the word of God yea and that without the outward word yet the word of God abideth still although faith be not geuen vnto it for knowledge hath relacion as they vse to speake to the thing knowen but that which may be knowen is not on the other side referred to knowledge when as there are many thinges which may be knowen are not knowen After which selfe maner very many thinges are to be beleued which yet are not beleued Wherfore faith forasmuch as it is an asseÌ„t WhereheÌ„ce faith taketh his differences geuen vnto the word of God although it take not his differences of the subiect or of his forme yet taketh it them not either of the efficent cause or of the obiect for it is occupied aboute those things which haue bene reuealed by God neither commeth it by the light of nature but by the illustracion of the holy ghost But as touching the subiect it is placed in the minde as wisdome prudence and other sciences are and the nature thereof is a quality as other knowledges also are qualities Furthermore if hearing whereof springeth faith be by the word of God it is manifest that the foundacion of faith is the word of God only Wherefore the ministers of the Church and preachers ought hereby to learne what is to be preached Onely the worde of God is the foundacion of faith Humane traditions are not the worde of God namely the word of God only and not humane traditions although now they are so bold to call them the word of God which yet they are not by any meanes able to proue when as they are vncertaine and repugnant the one to the oâ—her and are oftentimes abolished or renued which in no wise agrée with the word of God Basilius in his sermon de confessione fidei saith that it is a falling away from faith and a great pride either not to admitte the thinges which are written in the holy scriptures or to adde any thing vnto them Which sentence he confirmeth by the testimony of Paul to the Galathians where he saith The testament although but of a man when it is once ratefied no man maketh voyde or addeth any thing thereunto which thing ought much more to be taken hede of in the testament of God set forth in the holy scriptures But here a riseth a doubt For if onely the woorde of Whether we must beleue miracles God is to be beleued why sayd Christ that if they woulde not beleue him they shoulde yet at the least beleue his workes For it séemeth by thys sentence that we shoulde also beleue miracles But we aunswere that miracles are as testimonies by which men are the easelier brought to beleue so that they are thinges by meanes whereof men beleue not that fayth is directed vnto them as vnto his obiect although as touching the miracles of Christ and of the Apostles we must beleue that they were done by God and not by Belzebub or by the deuill as the Pharise is sclanderously reported and this is conteyned in the worde of God for it geueth testimony that these miracles should be wrought and that they were wrought in theyr due time namely in the preaching of souÌ„d The Sacramentes are beleued doctrine The Sacramentes also are beleued but they are nothing ells but the visible words of God wherunto also is adioyned yâ— word of God which is heard as Augustine fayth The worde commeth vnto the element and it is made a sacrament Howbeit there is discretion and iudgmente to be had when we beleue the word of God that we picke not thereout any wicked or corrupt sentence there is also requisite good triall and examination to discerne miracles and in the sacrameÌ„ts Whether we must beleue with iudgementâ— or without iudgement â–ª is to be considered that they be orderly ministred that is as they were instituted of God And by sound iudgement we must remoue away and set aside the inuencions of men that we beleue not them as we would beleue the wordes of God And when Basilius or other of the fathers doo say that we must beleue with out examination or iudgemeÌ„t which semeth to be taken out of that which Paul sayth in this epistle that Abraham beleued neyther iudged he that word in greke Distinction of iudgement is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To answer to this doubt this is to be vnderstanded that iudgement is of two sortes â–ª The one is when we take counsell of the sences and humane reason and this is vtterly to be remoued from fayth for it alwayes resisteth the word of God The other is the iudgment of the spirite which is of necessity to be had And this is it which Paul sayd Proue all thinges and that which is good hold fast And vnto the Corrinthians Spiritual thinges are compared with spirituall thinges and by this iudgment it is necessary to conferre one place in the holy scriptures which is more obscure with an other whiche is more manifest The authority of the Church hath not dominion ouer faith as some wickedly thinke The office of it is to preach to admonishe to reproue to testifie The autority of the church hath not dominioÌ„ ouer fayth to lay the holy scriptures before mens eyes neyther requireth it to be beleued but so farre forth as it speaketh the wordes of God Paul before he here made mencion of the worde by which fayth is brought forth made mencion of them that preach the Gospell that is of the ministers which are sent of God in whoÌ„ he described the ministery of the Church namely that it consisteth in preaching of the Gospell Moreouer if fayth as it is here written come by hearing that is as it is added by
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
fallen we rede in the Apocalipse Hold faste that which thou hast least an other man receaue thy crowne This is therefore spoken that we should not glory in sinne for that the nature of it is not to helpe vs forward God vseth the wickednes of the vngodly to good things neyther lieth it in our power to make the euente thereof happy for wheÌ„soeuer that happeneth it commeth thorough Gods helpe and not thorough the desert of them that sinne For God oftentimes vseth the wickednes of the vngodly to bring thinges to passe farre otherwise then they thought for as we manifestly se came to passe in vs. For that the Iewes reiected the Gospell and would not admitte it and by that meanes contemned the preaching of the Apostles the Apostles turned to the Gentiles God could vndoubtedly together with the saluation of the Iewes haue called the Gentiles also vnto Christ but he would not yea rather he would follow this order in bringing the geÌ„tils Betwene the fal oftâ—e Iewes and sâ—luation of the GeÌ„tles is not a necessary connexion to saluation Wherefore in this connexion of the blindnes and reiection of the Iewes with the â–ª saluation of the Gentiles there is not any absolute necessity but only by supposition namely that God by his eternal counsell had so apointed and this thing is not only now at this present declared but also ells where in many places In the Actes Paul and Barnabas sayd vnto the Iewes Vnto you ought the kingdome of God first to be preached but bycause ye reiect it behold we nowe turne vnto the Gentiles Christ himselfe also in the Gospell vnder the parable of the vineyard taught the same when he testified that the vineyard shold be traÌ„sferred and let out vnto other husbandmen which should render fruite and that doubtles in such sort yâ— the wicked should wickedly perish Christ also sayd vnto the womaÌ„ of Sidon I am not sent but vnto the lost shepe of the house of Israel neyther it it mete to take the childrens bread and to geue vnto dogges In an other parable also of the wedding for that they which were bidden refused to come they which semed vtterly vnworthy lieng in the streates and by the high way sides were compelled to enter in and they which despised theyr calling were worthely punished Paul moreouer as we shall afterward se sayth that Christ was the minister of circumcision And euery where where is entreated of the rendring of the saluation Betwenâ— the Iewes and thâ— GeÌ„â—tles is only a respâ—ct of order and felicity which we looke for he sayth Vnto the Iew first and vnto the Grecian After this maner the fall of the Iewes is called the saluation of the Gentiles the riches of the worlde and reconciliation with God and the Iewes are sayd therefore to be cut of that the Gentiles might be grafted in theyr place But to what end the calling of the Gentiles tendeth Paul declareth when he sayth To this end to prouoke theÌ„ to emulation How the Hebrues were by the calling of the Gentiles incensed with zeale and emulatioÌ„ it is not hard to know For they saw that the spirite grace knowledge of the scriptures miracles and in a maner all spirituall giftes wherwith they before florished and were adorned were now transferred vnto the Gentiles which giftes although of themselues they are greate and excellent and mought as touching theyr nature be common vnto all men yet notwithstanding they semed most of all proper vnto the Iewes Wherfore they could not but be excedingly sory yâ— they which were the childreÌ„ of the kingdome the peculiar people and inheritaunce of God had fallen away from so greate giftes and yâ— the Ethnikes should be put in theyr place to possesse these thinges which before were idolaters vncleane ignoraunt of thinges diuine fooles and contaminated with all kind of vices and that the same should be brought to passe not by the iudgement of men which is oftentimes peruerse weake but by the iudgement of the immortal God who as he straieth not froÌ„ iustice so also most constantly appoynteth he his decrees God would in thys maner haue the Iewes grieued for that the Gentiles were receaued and would also that our saluation should nippe them at the hart for yâ— these things were of no small force to impel vnto Christ the elect of that nation He before made mention of thys irritacion when he cited the testimonye of Moses And as touching the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifyeth nothing ells but to prouoke and stirre vp to emulation Wherfore the Lattine interpreter turned it ill saying vt illos aemulentur that is that they namely the Iewes shoulde emulate or prouoke theÌ„ For vnto God is all whole referred and the sence is that whiche we before gaue namely to prouoke them to emulation Which hath effect in those which pertain vnto election For the reprobate which are of that natioÌ„ are hereby rather disturbed prouoked to enuy and in great desperation pearish and are in a manner broughte to that point that they neither also beleue Moses But whereas Paul saith that this emulation in some turneth to good that is both now partly true towardes the end of the world shal be fully performed Yea this should now also haue better successe if as we haue the veritye of doctrine so also we had vprightnes of life By What is a â—et to the aduancement of the kingdom of god this meanes without doubt when the euidence of the doctrine and efficacye of the woordes of God shoulde be set foorth vnto infidels as well Turkes as Iewes and Papistes the kingdome of Christ should much be aduauÌ„ced but our doings séeme such that we rather turne away the hartes of the vnbeleuers froÌ„ God Chrisostome could not but wonder at the excellent prudency of the Apostle which minding to entreate of the blindenes and reiection of the Iewes vsed the oracles of the Prophets to the ende the lesse to irritate their minds against him in so teaching But on the other side when he comforteth them and extolleth their conuersioÌ„ to come he speaketh in his owne person to the ende they might vnderstande that he loued them and hated them not Although in déede the Iewes fell gréeuouslye yet doth not Paul here entreate of the gréeuousnes of the fal and destruction of the Iewes to deny that they fell gréeuously but by the euente he comforteth them and sayth that that nation shall after the saluation of the Ethnikes be raysed vp and erected The oracles now alleadged séemed at the firste to make the fall of the Iewes irrecouerable but Paul here by his wisedome helpeth the matter and geueth a milde exposition For God is good and suffreth not his promises to be vniuersally voyde But as touching the wordes this is to be noted that Paul putteth no small difference betwéene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For in the firste place by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
certayne communicating of proprieties of speach attributed also vnto the ministers And if God vouchsafe so honorably to speake of the holy ministery they then greuously sinne which contemptiously disdainfully despise it If the casting away of them be the reconciliation of the world He sayth the casting away of them and not the remnauntes so that it may be referred vnto the Apostles which were counted cast away as though they were the reconciliation of the world but by casting away he vnderstandeth theyr fal excecation And A proposition causall this is a proposition causall for casting away can not be reconciliation but it is so called for that the one springeth of the other as if we should say that study is wisedome or that drines is barennes and by reconciliation he vnderstandeth saluation For we haue by the benefite of Christ obteyned reconciliation with God And in summe God in the Gospell will haue no other thing to be preached vnto vs but such a reconciliation Vnto the Corrinthians in the latter epistle it is sayd God was in Christ reconciling vnto himselfe the world to the end not to impute The sūme of the Gospell is our reconciliation with God vnto it the sinnes thereof And of the Apostles he sayth God hath put in vs the word of reconciliation We besech you for Christes sake be ye reconciled vnto God VVhat shall the reaceauing be but life from the dead In the exposition of this part life from the dead the interpreters much disagre For Origen and Chrisostome here vnderstand the true and proper resurrection from the dead which shal be in the last time at the end of the world as though soone after the conuersion of the Iewes vnto Christ it should follow And some thinke that the Iewes shal be conuerted in the ouerthrowe of Antechrist as though there should be a certayne analogy or proportion that euen as by the cutting of and the fall of the Iewes the Gentiles were called so when many nations haue fallē by the seducing of Antichrist the Iewes shall then be receaued into y◠Church by whose helpe the Gentiles which haue fallen shal be holpen vp agayne But these things are doubtfull vncertayne and obscure therfore I will of them affirme nothing as touching the maner forme and reason how they shal come to passe This we must beleue as the holy scriptures testifye that it shall come to passe that Antichrist who now by his ministers worketh the mistery of iniquity shall deceaue many as also at this day manye are by him deceaued and that ye shall at the length by the power of the spirite of Christ be destroyed and that the Iewes towardes the end of the world shall come vnto Christ But whether the Gentiles that haue fallen shal be by them repaired or no the scriptures declare not Ambrose thinketh it to be an allegory wherin is shewed that the world shall receaue greate vtility of the conuersion of the Iewes and that therefore it is called life from the dead for that that shal be vnto the world greate increase thorough the fayth of Christ and the worlde shal be made on liue in men thorough the fayth of Christ Verily that the felicity of the Church shal be greate all the Prophetes in a maner write and especially Esay which as it is most likely it as yet had not but shall then haue Neyther of these opinions doo I reiect neither is it necessary vnto saluation to know assuredly whether of them is the truer howbeit this I suppose to be more probable that the Apostle speaketh of the commodity which shall come by the conuersion of the Iewes which shal be in this life and not of that commodity which we shal haue in the eternal resurrection But these thinges are of no greate force And if we receaue the allegory of Ambrose we shall seme to attribute small fruite vnto the conuersion of the Iewes yea rather not one white more then to theyr reiection for if thereof shall come only the encrease of fayth and spirituall life by the death of sinnes this selfe thing was before geuen vnto the world in theyr reiection Howbeit my mind bēdeth more to this sentēce and to that which is obiected I would say that the Apostle describeth not vnto vs a diuerse nature of the commodity and vtility but only amplifieth one and the selfe same ▪ as though it shal be a degree more and extend farther And if the first fruites be holy then is the lompe also holy and if the roote be holy the branches also shal be holy That the nation of the Iewes is not abiect and to be contemned he confirmeth by the promise of God made vnto the fathers for in the fathers it was by reason of the leage which was made with thē sanctified and as touching this the Iewes were of greater estimation thē other Here is entreated of the whole nation and not of perticuler persōs nations Howbeit in this place is not entreated of men perticularly for there were amongst the Hebrewes many wicked men which thorough theyr obstinacye incredulity and most heaynous factes wickedly perished Wherefore Iohn Baptist called them Generation of vipers And Christ said Ye are of your father the deuill Wherefore here is entreated of that nation generally which was called the people of God and came of the most holy partriarch For so is it to be considred in this place not as it had his beginning of Adam for that way it nothing Here is spoken of the Iewes not as they had their beginnyng of Adam excelleth other nations For in Adam we are all sinners we are all dead and we are all the children of wrath But in Abraham Isaake and Iacob were the Iewes seperated from other nations and especially by reason of the couenaunt which God in times past made with those fathers Which couenaunt for that it thorough the vnfaythfulnes of men which liued in this latter time semed to be obscured Paul now aptly putteth the Ethnikes in mind of the first fruites and roote of that stocke wherof consisted the greate nobility of that nation And nobility What nobilitie is What is the nobility of any natiō or people as saith Aristotle in his Rhetorikes is nothing els but the honour great fame of elders And he saith also that when we speake of any perticular famely or person or nation or people to the nobility thereof belongeth that they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is men first inhabitting the land which thing the Iewes were not for they were brought from an other countrey into the land of Chanaan but which is of much more excellēcy then this they obteined the possession of y◠lād not by y◠force of man but of God y◠by many miracles wonders This also belongeth to nobility y◠men be frée and liue vnder no man but vnder their own lawes The nobilitie of the Iewes is described The Iewes were set at
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
argument that he should be God when as it belongeth vnto him only to forgeue sinnes Men may indede remitte the punishmentes which they which haue sinned should suffer and not take vengeaunce of them but they are not able to blot out the sinne for the the giltines abideth still and he which hath sinned is obnoxious vnto the iustice of God Only God whome the sinner offendeth is able to blot out such guiltines Wherefore the Pharises when they saw that Christ toke away the disseases paynes of the body which are the effectes of sinnes and heard him say moreouer Thy sinnes are forgeuen thee cried out that the blasphemed for that he attributed vnto himselfe that which was proper vnto God But paraduenture Of the kayes some man will say doth God so forgeue sinnes that men may not remitte them Whereto then serue the kayes in the Church In this case by this The kayes of the churche are the worde and faith meanes is committed error for that the Papistes imagine farre other thinges of the kayes theÌ„ the word of God teacheth Christ hath left vnto the Church the kayes wherewith sinnes should be forgeuen which kayes are the word and fayth For in the word of God is set forth vnto men the promise of God whereby thorough fayth in Christ sinnes are forgeueÌ„ and he which beleueth not shall be condemned and his sinnes shall be imputed vnto him This is one kay which the Churche vseth whilest in it is both publiquely and priuately preached the word of God The other kay is fayth for if any heare and geue theyr asseÌ„t vnto these things which are set forth vnto theÌ„ they haue remission of sins And these two kayes the Euangelists haue excellently wel declared vnto vs. For in Iohn Christ breathed vpon the Apostles said Receiue ye the holy gost and whose sinnes ye forgeue c. And what he wrought by this brething spirit is declared in Luke where it is said that he had opened vnto theÌ„ the sence of the scriptures This kay also is set forth in Math. wheÌ„ Christ coÌ„maunded the apostles to go preach c. The other kay belongeth vnto the heares namely the they beleue He which beleueth shal Although the kayes be in the church yet do not men geue remission of sins Whether the old Testament and the new be vtterly diuers be saued Wherefore although the kayes be in the Church yet do not men geue remission of sinnes for the kayes are the instrumentes wherâ—by God offreth it But bycause Paul sayth out of the testimony of Esay that this is a Testament and we read the same in the 31. chapiter of Ieremy that the new couenaunt herein consisteth that the deliuerer should come and be mercifull vnto inquities there ariseth a doubt whether the new Testament and the old be diuers or no. Of which matter I haue before spoken somewhat but nowe I entend more at large to entreate thereof At the first sight they seme vtterly distinct so that the one is altogether diuers from the other for in Ieremy it is sayd that there should be a new Testament and not according to that which he made with the fathers And the epistle to the Hebrewes addeth When he sayth a new then is that abolished which was old but who seeth not but that when one thing abolisheth and maketh voyde an other thing it vtterly differeth from the same There is also an other argument for that as they say in the old testament was not forgeuenes of sinnes For the epistle vnto the Hebrewes in the 10. chap. sayth That the bloud of Goates and of oxen and of calues could not take away sinnes But in the new testament no man doubteth but that there is remission of sinnes wherefore no man will say but that the thinges which in so greate a matter differ are diuers But on the other side One the selfe same maner of iustification in eche One and the same mediator The promise of the forgeuenâ—s of sinnes of eternall lyfe is in eche The selfe same morall commaundements the selfe same signication of the sacrameÌ„ts The selfe same roote and tree The substance of either Testament is one the same the accidences differ In the olde Testament was iustification that is remissioÌ„ of sinnes this is to be considered that that fayth whereof iustification consisteth is in eyther Testament one and the same moreouer that the mediator is one and the same namely Christ Iesus one and the same promise of the remission of sinnes and of eternall life thorough him the selfe same commauÌ„dementes as touching morall commaundementes one and the same signification of the sacramentes one and the selfe same roote and plant from which some of the Iewes are cut of and we grafted in theyr place All which thinges playnly declare that eyther Testament as touching the substance or essence if I may so call it is one and the same thing although there must be granted some differences by reason of the accidences which are that Christ was there knoweÌ„ as which should come but with vs he is knowen as which is alredy come And also theyr simboles or figures were diuers from ours in forme but of like strength in signification as Augustine sayth Moreouer they had a certayne and assured pub welth for the preseruation whereof they had ciuill precepts deliuered vnto them which we haue not And finally vnto the promise of the remission of sinnes by the Messias were in the old time added a greate many other promises as of the encrease and preseruation of theyr posterity and of the possession of the land of Chanaan which promises we haue not And besides all this our sacramentes are more easy and fewer in nomber and also more manifest and extend much farther wheÌ„ as they are not shut vp in a corner as theirs were in Iewry but are spread abrode thoroughout the whole world Wherfore we may affirme that the new testament and the old are in very dede one as touching the substance and differ only in certayne accedences which we haue now mencioned But now resteth to answere vnto the two argumentes which were before brought Touching remission of sinnes we deny that it was not in the old Testament for if we consider the promise which there also was of force by it the elders were iustified For it was sayd of Abraham He beleued God and it was imputed vnto him to righteousnes as the Apostle hath declared And Dauid sayth Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered But if we looke vpon the sacramentes or ceremonies they did not remitte sinnes as touching the worke yea neyther haue out sacramentes strength so to doo But whereas Paul sayth vnto the Hebrewes that the bloud of goates oxen and calues could not take away sinnes We deny not this to be true but yet in the meane time neyther doth Paul deny but that The bloud of Christ and not the bloud
God no man knoweth but only the spirite of God And if we vnderstand How we may vnderstand some secretes of God any thing of them that commeth as it is there sayd for that God hath reueled vnto vs his spirite And we haue the mind of Christ which we haue drawē chiefely out of the holy scriptures spiritually vnderstanded as it is mete Augustine entreateth of this place towardes the end of his booke de gratia libero arbi trio and sayth That Paul before sayd That God hath shut vp all vnder infidelity that he might haue mercy of all And shewed also that so long as the Iewes beleued the Gētiles were vnbeleuers but when the Iewes were made blind the Gentiles came vnto the true fayth and from the serching out of these secretes mē are iustly forbidden for that they are not able to perse into them yea oftentimes they haue thereby hurt and they fall into absurd Reason ought not to persuade vs to do euill thinges that good may ensue By these sayinges is nothing taken away frō the certainty of fayth opinions For when mē heare that God hath shut vp all vnder beliefe that he might haue mercy of all streight way they adde therefore are euill thinges to be committed that good thinges may ensew when as rather they ought to say We haue done euill thinges and the lord hath thereout thorough his mercy brought forth good thinges let vs therfore doo good thinges that better may ensew No man hath bene Gods counseller for he is the chiefe wisedome Howbeit by these sayinges is nothing taken away from the certainty of fayth for that it commeth not vnto vs by humane strength or by our owne vnderstanding but by the breathing of the spirite of God And whosoeuer do rightly and diligently weighe those thinges they shall neuer be able any maner of way to complayne of God as though he should deale with them vniustly when as he as it is manifest is in debt to no man Neyther can this be true that predestination is of workes foresene when as it is sayd that no man hath Predestination is not of workes foresene geuen vnto him first that he should be recompensed For what ells is this God to predestinate according to woorkes foresene then to render vnto them his appointing to eternal life Merites also are herby most manifestly excluded which can not properly consist vnles we affirme that we geue somthing that is our Merites at excluded owne which thing this sentence which we now entreate of suffreth not Wherfore let no man cry out that he hath done many thinges and therfore many and greate thinges are dew vnto him when as no man hath any thing that is hys owne And although it be written that God will render to euery man according to his Our good workes are the workes of God workes yet is that so to be vnderstanded that if they be good workes they are for no other cause called any mans workes but for that they are wrought in hym namely by the power of the spirite of God whereby they are in very dede the workes of God And Augustine most truly sayth that God crowneth in vs his gifts For as touching vs we deserue nothing but death Finally let vs hereout gather that forasmuch as no man can by hys owne wisedome or strengths attayne vnto thinges diuine the best remedy is that we all suffer our selues to be led by the spirite and word of God For of him and thorough him and for him are all thinges to him be glory for euer Amen That we can in no wise be Gods counsellers hereby it is euident for that all thinges depend of him as it manifestly appeareth in the creation of all thinges and also in regeneration whereby we are iustified where all whole is attributed vnto him and finally we are no otherwise in his handes then the vessell is in the hand of the potter Wherefore we may conclude that he hath ful right to do with vs whatsoeuer he wil and it is our part not to be to much inquisitiue but to geue the glory vnto him and to direct all our doinges vnto him Frō which thing both idolatrers and also they which attribute iustification vnto theyr workes are most farre distant Origen noteth as also he before When it is said that no man can be Gods counseller the sonne nor y◠holy ghost are not excluded for the whole blessed Trinitie knoweth all thinges Origens exposition vpon this epistle suspected The things which are created consist not of the nature of God How God created all thinges by the sonne Instrumentes are not to be made equal vnto hym that worketh with them Why God created all thinges for himselfe did that this sentence None can be Gods counseller ought to be vnderstanded of thinges created and not of the sonne or of the holy ghost And to proue that the holy ghost knoweth the father he bringeth this sentence No man knoweth the thinges which are of God but the spirite of God Wherefore he admonisheth that from this proposition is to be exempted the blessed trinity which thing I therefore mencion for that it is thought that he was of this opinion that the sonne knoweth not the father and that the holy ghost knoweth not the sonne Wherfore this commentary of Origen vpon the epistle to the Romanes is not without iust cause suspected The Apostle when he sayth Of him meaneth not that the thinges which are created doo consist of the nature of God as of a certayne mater but they are of God as of the efficient beginning neyther neded there any matter in theyr creation for they were made of nothing And all thinges are therefore thorough him for that God neded not an helper for he is endewed with a full power of his own he is sufficiēt of himselfe And he created all things by the sonne not as by an instrumente but as an artificer by wisedome excerciseth his arte For instrumentes haue not any such force that they are to be counted equall to the artificer But the sonne is in all poyntes equall vnto the father And all thinges were created of God for him for that he hath nothing more perfecter then himselfe and therefore for him selfe he created all thinges for he is the end of all thinges Augustine in his booke de Natura boni agaynst the Maniches in the 27. and 28. chapiters at large intreateth how these thinges are to be vnderstanded neither varieth be from the exposition now brought I omit to speake of them which referre these thinges vnto the father the sonne and the holye ghoste for as it is not of anye greate wayght so semeth it to be to muche constrayned Amen is a word of confirmation For the maner of the Apostle is so often as he hath made an end of entreating of those thinges which pertayne vnto the glory of God to burst forth into this affirmation which thing we also ought to
Which thing if he do not vndoubtedly he beleueth not faythfully and truly This doth Augustine write of him selfe in his booke of confessions And in the actes of the Apostles the Ephesiās when they had geuen themselues ouer vnto Christ did not only confesse theyr sinnes but also burnt those bookes which before they had vsed vnto supersticion But I will declare vnto you what hath deceaued these men They read paraduenture in the Fathers that they attributed much vnto teares fastinges almes and other godly workes of the penitent But these men vnderstand In what sence the fathers haue attributed so much vnto prayers fastinges teares not what the Fathers ment in those places For they intreated of ecclesiastical satisfactions and not of our workes by which God should be pacified or the forgeuenes of sinnes deserued For the Church forasmuch as it saw not the inward fayth of thē y◠fal and there were many which not abiding the shame of excōmunication sometimes dissembled some shew of conuersion and repentaunce thereby the rather to be reconciled and receiued vnto the cōmunion of the other brethern the Church I say to the end this should not happen would haue a proofe of theyr fayth and conuersion neyther would it admitte them that fell vnto the fellowship of the faythfull before they had declared teares fastinges confessions and almes as witnesses of a true and perfect chāging And bycause these men marke not this they confound all thinges and build thereupon most detestable hipocrisye But they haue yet an other shift for they say that the workes of infidels are not sinnes although they be done without the fayth of Christ For they imagine that there Whether the workes of infidels be sinnes or no. is a certayne generall and confused fayth towardes God which fayth they which haue althoughe they beleue not in Christ yet may they worke many excellent workes which euen for that selfe same fayth sake may please God and after a sort deserue iustification They geue say they large almes they honor theyr parents they excedingly loue their countrey if they haue cōmitted any thing y◠is euil they are sory for it they liue moderately and do a greate many other such like thinges and that not rashly but bycause they beleue there is a God which delighteth in such workes Therefore they apply them selues vnto them to make themselues acceptable vnto him Farther they paynt out and colour theyr fayned lye with a trime similitude A stake say or a post being put into the earth although oftētimes A similitude it take not roote or life yet draweth it some iuyce out of the erth so bringeth forth some leaues and buddeth as if it liued in very dede So mē say they that are strāge from Christ although they liue not by the celestiall spirite yet by some inspiratiō of the spirite they worke those excellent workes which we haue described But we We please God with no faith but with that which is in Christ that are instructed by the holy scriptures doo acknowledge no other fayth whereby we can please God but only that which is in Christ Iesus For there is no other name vnder heauen geuen vnto men whereby we cā be saued but only the name of Christe our sauiour And Paul as often as he maketh mencion of fayth whiche iustifyeth alwayes declareth it to be that faythe whereby we are godlye affected towardes Christe and hys Gospell But leaste Paul shoulde seme to teach this thing peculiarly and alone I will a little more déepely repeate the whole matter Abraham beleued God and it was counted vnto him vnto righteousnes Abraham was iustified b◠faith in Christ But what beleued he Forsooth this that he shoulde haue séede geuen him namely that onely séede as Paul interpreteth it wherein all nations shoulde be blessed which is Christ Iesus This testament was confirmed of God vnto him in Christ yea the Lord himselfe when he spake of him said He saw my day and reioysed Iob also in the xix chap. I saith he do know that my redemer liueth which shall also rise in the last day ouer them that lye in the dust And after the wormes shall destroy this body I shall see the Lord in my flesh Whome I my selfe shall see and mine owne eyes shall behold and none other for me This faith expressed in those words is in no wise generall or confused For in it are plainly described the principall pointes whiche pertain vnto Christ For first he is called a redéemer wherein is published the forgeuenes of sinnes Further his comming to iudgement is set forth and also the resurrection of the deade in whiche resurrection not other bodies but euen the selfe same which they had before shal be restored vnto men There also put the humane nature of Christ which may be seene with corporall eies Further what manner A true faith draweth with it all good motions of the mynde They whiche be strāgers from Christ may haue a credulity but not a true faith The Turkes haue not a true fayth although they beleue many true things that we beleue of faith I beséech you is that faith which these men affirme infidels to haue For a true and firme persuasion and a constant and an assured assent vnto the promises of God draweth with it as I said at the beginning all good motions of the minde How then can they say that these men haue faith which lie still weltering in idolatry and in most filthy and grosse sinnes They may indéede haue some certaine credulitye either by education or by humane persuasion or by an opinion after a sorte rooted in them but to haue a true faith so long as they lead such a kind of life it is by no meanes possible vnles they will graunte that the Turkes haue also faith for they assente vnto many thinges whiche we professe and beleue But this place of Paul out of the first epistle vnto the Corrinthians If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing this place I saye they will haue to be vnderstande not onely of the true faith but they also saye that the same faith may be seperated from charitie howbeit they graunte that if it so come to passe the same fayth can profite nothing Seing therfore they after that sorte expound that place how agrée they with Paul when they say that a generall and cōfused faith which is in men that are yet straunge from Christe can bring foorth good workes which of congruity may merite iustification and please God when as Paul saith that euen the true faith also as they interprete it doth nothing profite without charitie But that similitude which they bring of a stake or post fastened into the earth vtterly ouerthroweth their opinion For although being deade it séemeth to liue yet in very déede it liueth not And a wise husbandman séeth that that budding forth is vnprofitable and
gone about to haue proued what their strength could haue done their endeuor for that they were not as yet iustified should haue bene in vaine and sinne As if a master should bid his seruaunt which is lame to walke and he shold excuse himselfe and say that he were lame and could not goe without great deformitie it is not to be thought that therefore he is excused We are not of that minde that we thinke that all sinnes are alike Yea rather we teach that they which omit or neglect those outward workes which they might performe and put not to endeuor and study to do wel do much more greuously sinne then they which according to their strengthes obserue some certaine outward discipline And as Augustine sayth Cato and Scipio shal be much more tollerablier dellt with then Catiline or Caligula But I would haue y◠Pighius whome our opiniō so much misliketh to declare himselfe when he thinketh that the holy ghost is geuen vnto men He will aunswere when as now these preparations haue gone before when a man hath beleued feared hoped repented and sincerely loued What more could Pelagius haue sayde As though to beleue to loue and such other like shoulde spring of humane strengthes He alleadgeth this also and thinketh it to make for his purpose Come vnto me all ye which labour and are laden and I wil refresh you For he thinketh that labours burthens contrition confession and as they say satisfaction fastings teares such other like make to the obteynment of iustification But this place is to be vnderstand farre otherwise For Christ calleth them laboring and loden which were oppressed with the law and felt theyr owne infirmity and the burthen of sinnes and which had now long time laboured vnder humane tradicions These men being now weried and in a maner without all hope the Lord calleth vnto him For they are more apt vnto the kingdome of heauen thē are other blessed secure men which by theyr own works good dedes thought thē selues very iuste God sayth Pighius requireth workes preparatory and them he promiseth not to fayle them of his grace This was vtterly the opinion of the Pelagians against which the holy scriptures are vtterly repugnant For they teach that it is God which geueth both to will and to performe according to his good will that it is God which beginneth in vs the good worke and accomplisheth it euen vnto this day that it is God frō whome only we haue sufficiency when as otherwise we are not able to thinke any thing of our selues as of our selues Wherfore it is manifest that Pighius confoundeth the lawes of God disturbeth those things which ar wel setforth in y◠holy scriptures Farther when as we say that vnto iustification is not sufficient an historicall fayth he fayneth him selfe to meruayle what maner of historicall fayth we vnderstand For if sayth he they call all those thinges which are written in the holy scriptures an history wil they bring vnto vs an other faith wherby we may beleue those things which are not in the scriptures But we reiect not an historicall fayth as though we would faine some new obiects of fayth besides those which are The difference betwene a◠historicall faith and a straunge faith setforth in y◠holy scriptures or are out of thē firmely cōcluded But we require not a vulgar or cold assent such as they haue which are accustomed to allow those thinges which they read in y◠holy scriptures being thereto led by humane persuasiō some probable credulity as at this day y◠Iewes Turkes confesse beleue many things which we doo but an assured firme strong assent such which commeth frō the afflation of the holy ghost which changeth maketh new the hart and the mind and draweth with it good motions and holy workes In this maner we say that that fayth which is of efficacy differeth very much from an historicall assent And that we are by that fayth which we haue now described iustified we haue thrée maner of testimonies The first is of the holy ghost Which beareth witnes vnto our spirite that we are the children of God The second is of the scriptures The third is of workes But contrariwise they which hold and crie that a man is iustified by workes haue no sufficient testimony For the holy ghost testifieth it not the holy scriptures deny it only works are brought forth and those without piety and fayth such as were in times past the workes of the old Ethnikes and at this day the woorkes of many which beleue not in Christ and are strangers from God But it is woorthy to be laughed at that he hath cited also a place out of the 66. chapiter of Esay by which and if there were no more places then it only his cause is most of all ouerthrowen Vnto whome sayth God shall I looke but vnto the poore man vnto ▪ the contrite of harte and vnto him that trembleth at my woordes By these wordes Pighius thinketh are signified those workes wherby God is drawen to iustifie vs. But the matter is farre otherwise For the scope of the Prophet was to detest the suspition of the Iewes For they neglecting the inward piety of the mind trusted only to outward ceremonies Wherfore this thing God by y◠voyce of the Prophet condemned and declared how odious it was vnto him Heauen sayth he is my seate and the earth is the footestoole of my feete As if he should haue sayd I nothing passe vpon this your temple which ye so much boast of For heauen is my seate such a seat as you can not frame nor make and the earth adorned with all kind variety of plants liuing creatures herbes flowers is the footestoole of my féete Where thē shall be that house which ye wil build for me And where shall be my resting place And straight way to declare y◠it was not the tēple built with handes All these thinges sayth he hath mine hand made and all these thinges are made sayth the Lord. By which wordes we learne that God delighteth not in these thinges and in outward ornamentes and sumptuous buildinges for theyr own sakes but chiefly requireth fayth and inward piety of the minds that he may dwel in them And who they be that beleue and are in very déede godly is declared by theyr certayne and proper notes Whosoeuer is poore and séeeth him selfe to want righteousnes and whosoeuer is contrite of hart that is to say afflicted in this world whosoeuer is of a moderate and deiected spirite and not of an arrogant and proud spirite whosoeuer with great reuerence and feare receaueth the wordes of God he most iustly may be nombred amongst them These are fure tokens and as it were the proper coulours of faith and true piety Afterward the Prophet declareth how much God estemeth the workes of men that beleue not and are not as yet regenerate though these workes be neuer
powers a power of the father towardes his children there is also a power of the husbandâ— towardes the wife and a power of the master towards his seruaunts and there is also ouer common wealthes these powers Regia that is the power of a King and then Aristocratica which is where the best men gouerne and Politica that is a political gouernement and Tyrannica Oligaâ—chia Democratica And although these three kindes are excedingly corrupted and vitiated yet is God the author of them For there is in them a force might and power to gouerne men and to kepâ— them vnder which vndoubtedly could by no meanes be but of God But if thou demaund at what time such powers first began or when they were first ordained of God I answere that that light which God hath grafted in our mindes shewed vnto men euen from the beginning the maner of bearing rule and it was afterward In what place God by his word confirmed the magistrate by sondry oracles of God confirmed In the booke of Genesis God sayde to Noe and to his children that mannes bloud should be required at his hand which should shed it that is that he which killed a man should also be killed And the this ought not to be done rashly and of euery man euen reason it self teacheth Wherfore out of this place is most manifestly gathered that there ought of necessitye to be chosen out men to decide causes and to punishe the guiltye But for that we sée that in kingdomes many things are done ouerthwartly and vniustly lawes are peruerted and the commaundements of God are violated many thinke that it can not be that such powers should be of God But as Chrysostome very well admonisheth the thing it self that is the principall function must be distinguished In iudging we must distinguishe the thyng from the person from the person For it is not to be doubted but that the person for as much as he is a man may abuse a good thing but the thing it self considered apart forasmuche as it is good cannot come from any els where but from God For euen as in the nature of things he hath appoynted al things orderly For he hath set heauen ouer the elements and therehense through the ayre he infuseth sundry powers and faculties into the earth and thereof bringeth forthe diuers and manifolde fruites wherewith we are nourished and liue And in mannes body he hath set the head in the top as in a tower and vnder it hath placed the eyes the eares the nose and other members euen to the soole of the féete so in order he preserueth humane society so that there are in it certayne degrées by which it is directed in those workes wherein men communicate the one with the other For it is not possible that where all are equall should long be kept peace For therof rather spring contencions and discordes Wherefore some must néedes be aboue others to take away contencions and to bring matters of controuersy to a quietnes This thing God 〈◊〉 cannot be had where equalâ—y is hath not denied to beas cranes and fishes For these liuing creatures haue their kinges and princes by whose conduit and leading they either go forth to worke or returne from worke Wherefore seing that man is the most excellent of all liuing creatures and communicateth in many actions it was most requisite that he should be fensed of God with this ayde of principality But besides this reason which yet is most true and very necessary the holy scriptures also constantly affirme God geueth and traÌ„sferreth kingdoms the selfe same thing For they teach that God is not only the author of all publique power but also that he distributeth kingdoms principalities wheÌ„ to whoÌ„ he wil at his pleasure For somtymes he called yâ— Assirians somtimes yâ— ChaldeaÌ„s somtymes other nations which by violence ouercoÌ„ming oppressing yâ— Israelites rayned ouer them The kingdom which Dauid and Salomon had receaued all whole was by the will of God rent in sonder and ten partes thereof were geuen to Ieroboam the sonne of Mabath And yâ— this thing should come to passe the Prophet in the name of God did shew vnto Ieroboam before yâ— it came to passe God afterward remoued the famely of Aâ—hab that it should no longer raigne commaunded Elizeus to anoynt and consecrat Iohn the sonne of Nansi And in the 4. chapiter of Daniell it is thus written God obtayneth the kingdome amongst men and God by euill princes punisheth sinnes deliuereth it to whome so euer he wyll Howbeit God obserueth this order to vse wicked and vngodly Princes to punish the wicked doinges of the people And indéede we oftentimes see that sumptuousnes pompe pride and raging lustes are kept vnder by the violence of tyrans which otherwise if al things were quiet could not be cestrayned Lenity oftentimes can not remedy these euils therefore that they should not to farre range abroad stronger remedies are necessary And after that men being in this sort chastised doo returne vnto God he comforteth them and prouideth for them gentler princes and more iust gouerners For he will not suffer that thorough the cruelty of tirannes thinges humane should vtterly be ouerthrown God wyth tyranny entermingleth some iust princes and come to nought And this is the cause why God as it is manifest by histories alwayes with these monsters that is with these cruell and bloudy tirannes mingleth some godly and iust princes For he wil not haue vices so be repressed that the nature of men should vtterly perish Wherefore not only good and iust princes doo raigne by the wil of the lord but also vngodly and wicked trianns But if thou wilt say it be so why sayth Osea vnder the persoÌ„ of God They haue raigned but not by me I answere for that euill princes and such which after that by wicked meanes haue obteyned the kingdome doo by worse meanes gouerne it these I say in that they thus beastly behaue themselues haue not a respect to the will of God which is reuealed vnto vs either by the law of nature or in the holy scriptures For by that will of God theyr doinges and endeuors are most manifestly reproued And in this maner they are sayd not to raigne by God for that they apply not themselues to the written and reueled will of God Howbeit it can not be denied but that God by his hiddeÌ„ and effectuall will would haue them to raigne to that end which we haue now declared For that is not inough which some answere that God doth not these thinges but only permitteth them For the holy scriptures manifestly testefie that he called the Babilonians the Assirians and other nations to vexe and afflict the Israelites and that agaynst Salomon and other kinges he raysed vp enemies and aduersaries to kepe them vnder and to chastice them And forasmuch as these men being thus raysed vp haue no regard at all to
hande and exhorteth the stronger sorte and theÌ„ that were confirmed in doctrine to beare with the weake and that with great loue And first he bringeth an argument taken of the ende of the giftes of God For they are to that ende geuen vnto vs that with them we should helpe our brethren that our strengthe should serue to make others stronge and that our knowledge shold serue to instruct others Chrysostome sayth that here are reproued those froward and in a maner superstitious persons in that they are called weake but others are called strong which ought to beare with them And thereto he thinketh Paul had a respect in that he counteth himself in the nomber of the stronger sorte And this he doth not as sayth Origen as a boaster abrode of his owne praises but by his example to stir them vp who though in might strength he were not inferior vnto them yet he made himselfe all things to all men Neither is this word to beare lightly to be peised For in Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is An argument takeÌ„ of the deniall of our selues to beare and after a sorte to carye vpon a mannes shoulder So Paule in an other place beare ye one an others burthen and so shall ye fulfill the law of Christ wheras he addeth and not to please our selues it is a newe profe taken of the deniall of oure selues which deniall we professe For not to please our selues is nothing els as Ambrose interpreteth it but not to seke that which may be profitable and plesant to our selues but that which may be commodious to our brother For let euerye man please his neighboure in that that is good to edification Therefore he addeth in that that is good and to edification that no man shoulde thinke yâ— we ought to please our brethreÌ„ as touching filthy and hurtful affections In that he before sayd vve ought here he vseth a kinde of commaunding he declareth that euery one of vs is bound to these things neither pertaine they to gratification but to the bonde of the law and of loue For Christ pleased not himself To the ende the more vehemently to stirre vp theyr mindes he exhorteth them thereunto by an example For in wordes to professe Christ to be the master of our life and in very dede to abhorre from his instistitutions These are preceptes and not councels is both ridiculous and also ful of ignominy and shame In this sentence this word to please which in Greke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to obey to satisfy and to be seruiceable For otherwise that worde being vnderstanded in the common signification should ouerthrow the senteÌ„ce and meaning of Paul For there is none of vs which ought not to please himselfe when as he examineth his doings by a sound iudgment and is fully persuaded that they are through faith acceptable vnto God Neither did Christ at any time after this maner displease himself in those things which he did But how he framed himself to the commodities of other meÌ„ we are plainly taught by the holy scriptures He abased himselfe and toke vpon him the forme of a seruaunt when as in very déede he was Lord ouer all and being of all men the most holiest he did eate with Publicanes and sinners and being most chaste he prohibited not his feete to be washed with teares and to be wiped and anoynted of a woman noted of great infamy finally being condemned with most wicked theues he vouchsafed for our saluation to be crucified betwene them He which did and suffred so many and so great things could he seme to haue sought to haue pleased himselfe or rather to frame himselfe to our commodities Wherfore the Apostle rightly setteth this example before our eyes But as it is vvritten the rebukes of them vvhich rebuke thee haue fallen vpon me This testimony is written in the. 69. psalme And Paul vseth it in this sense as thoughe the sonne should thus talke vnto the father Not only the zeale of thy Now the coâ—tumelies of god light vpon Christ house hath eaten me vp but also what so euer contumely and rebukes are done against thée which doubtles is done through al the sinnes of al men the same wholy lighteth vpon me and that am I ready euen by the deathe of the crosse to beare and to make satisfaction for The heartes of men thoughe they were of iron and harder then euen the most hardest stones may yet notwithstanding by this example be softned to suffre any thing for the saluation of our brother Dâ—ubtles in this example is much more comprehended then Paul requireth of the Romaines â–ª For he commaundeth them not to beare the blames of the weake but only tâ— be an helpe vnto them and to heale their infirmitie For vvhatsoeuer things are vvritten afore time are vvâ—itten for our learning This he addeth in the commendation sake of the holy scriptures least he shoulde seeme not very aptly to haue alleaged that testimony of Dauid The things sayth No part of the holy scripture without fruite he which were in times past written by the instinct of God pertaine to vs that we should be instructed by them Wherfore no part of the holy scriptures is without fruit For Paul sayth whatsoeuer things are written are written to our learning in other bookes though they be excellently and exactly wrytten yet thou shalt finde in them somewhat which thou mayst reiect as that which in no case pertaineth to thée But in the holy scriptures thou shalt neuer finde any thing which serueth not to thy instruction and saluation so that thou weigh the thing rightly And I would to God that as many of vs as doe read the holy scriptures would with this purpose and minde read them and wold out of euery parte of them seke our owne edification But a man shal sée many which by reading the holy scriptures are in How the scriptures are to be read déede made the learneder but yet they become nothing at all the better For they doe not at euery clause thus question with themselues what pertain these things to thée What pertaine they to thy conuersation and what belong they to thy doings This without doubt the holy Ghost had chiefly a regarde vnto not to teach any thing in the holy scriptures which should be superfluous In this thing chiefly ought the holy bookes to excel prophane bokes that nothing can be cut away from them as ouerplus or superfluous If these properties be agreable with the olde testament then much more agrée they with the new testament For one the same Against the Libertines spirite was author of them bothe Where now therefore are the Libertines of all men the most arrogantest which brag that they are so high and celestial that they haue no néede of the holy scriptures For they thinke that the scriptures are geuen only to weake men and to little ones Verely Paul nombreth