first violateth the law of God And he wil take vengeaÌ„ce of our enemies for that we are vnto him most deare Therefore he sayth he which toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye And God is neyther forgetfull nor also neglecteth his office Wherefore seing vnto him belongeth vengeaunce and we are vnto hym deare when we are iniuried he is first offended and he neglecteth not that which pertayneth to him we ought without doubt to leue the vengeannce vnto him Sayth the Lord. This is not had in the Hebrew Howbeit it is aded of Paul to the end these admonitions should sticke the deaâ—lier in our mindes If thyne enemy hunger fede him O notable kind of vengeance may humayne reason say But much rather will it so say if it thinke that in the name of meate and drinke are comprehended all maner of dewties which are necessary for the maintenance of the life Wherefore the lawyers when in a testament or will is bequethed vnto a man meate and drinke thereby vnderstand that vnto him are bequethed clothing lodging bedding phisike and such other like thinges And the lord when he sayth that God maketh his sunne to arise vpon the good and vpon the euill and rayneth vpon the iust and vpon the vniust by these two words Sunne and rayne comprehendeth all the gifts of God whatsoeuer we se in thys life common to the good and to the euill And in so doing thou shalt heape coles of fire on his hed This some thus vnderstand thou shalt adde spurres vnto him wherby he shal be stirred vp to loue thée agayne Some thus Thy benefits shall be vnto him as coles of fire whereby he shal be made ashamed his conscieÌ„ce shal be troubled and he shal be kindled with confusion as though this shal be the vengeance of the godly and by this ignominiof theyr enemies they shal satiate theyr anger This latter interpretatioÌ„ is not so semely for a Christian man For none that is godly at any time reioyseth in the hurt of his enemies I grant indede that the benefites which we bestow vpon our enemies may woorke these thinges in them Howbeit we ought in no wise to set forth these thinges as endes of our dewty but in such sort as we declared in the first exposition so farforth as they serue to his amendement to whome we doo good The selfe same thing is to be iudged of that which Origen sayth that these coles signifie hell fire This indede may come thorough theyr default that our benefits should encrease theyr dampnation and punishementes But that ought not to bee the cause of our purpose or entent For we ought to seke nothinge ells but their saluation Be not ouercome of euill but ouercome euill with good Forasmuch as betwene contraries there is a continuall battaile therefore Paul aptly maketh mencion of good euil which are coÌ„traries It is doubtles an excellent kind of victory A notable kind of victory A daungerous fall by well doing to ouercome the force of hatreds as contrariwise it is a pernitious fall to be throwen downe with the outrageousnes of anger In this battayle it is necessary that either the wickednes of our enemies be ouercome by our goodnes or that our goodnes geue place to the fury of our enemies And that by such pollecies is ouercome the maliciousnes of ill men may be proued euen by theyr owne testimony as Chrisostome writeth For if they should be asked the question they will confesse that they are then ouercome of vs when with a valiant mind we contemne theyr iniuries and hurtes For there they chafe they fret they fume as though by our patience were broken and vtterly deiected all theyr strengths But they wonderfully reioyse when they se vs so mooued that we wil nedes auenge the iniuries which we haue receaued In humane conflictes those are said to ouercome The diuers maner of fightyng of carnall and of spirituall men which ouerthrow others and those are counted ouercome which being van quished and euill handled haue the woorse Which is not to be meruayled at wheÌ„ as those thinges are the inuentions of the deuill But the holy ghost here setteth forth vnto vs a farre other kind of battayle wherein they are ouercome whiche whilest they seke to aueÌ„ge theÌ„selues playnly declare that they are ouercome and they go away conquerers which so lenefie and temperate theyr anger that they shew benefites vnto them which haue done vnto them iniury Vpon this stage ought Christians to exercise themselues wherin they haue as lookers on and supporters The stage of christiaÌ„s the Angells And the author or maister of the game is the most iust God These woordes to ouercome and to be ouercome Good and euill are of great efficacy with which vnles our mindes be moued it is a great argument that there is but a very sclender spirite and bastardly fayth in vs. But what shall we iudge of How we ought to be haue our selues towardes the excommunicate and towardes heretikes men excluded from the Church whome they call excommunicate persons And what also of them which preach and teach doctrine contrary to the truth With the one we are commaunded not to eate meate and to the other not to say so much as God spede Touching these men if necessity vrge we ought to geue vnto them neate and other thinges necessary not for acquaintance familiarity or our delectacion sake but euen only that we cease not from the office of charity But if there be no such necessity we ought neither to talke with them nor to eate with them But if the necessity of the soule or of the body so require all these thinges which Paul here writeth we ought to obserue towards them The thirtenth Chapiter LEt euery soule be subiect to the higher powers for ther is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordayned of God Whosoeuer therfore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of God and they that resist shall receiue vnto them selues iudgement For Princes are not to be feared for good workes but for euil wilt thou then be without feare of the power doe well so shalt thou haue prayse of the same For he is the minister of God for thy wealth but if thou doe euil feare for he beareth not the sword for naught For he is the minister of God an auenger vnto wrath Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers If as we haue before proued they are to be reproued which repay euill for euill and if also the office of Christians be to render vnto men that haue offended them the dueties of charitie then doubtles are they excéedingly to be accused which in stead of benefites repay euil which geue not due honor nor shew due obedience to such men as deserue wel at theyr hands such as are magestrates And for as muche as the Apostle entendeth diligently and at large to entreat of this matter that we may the better vnderstand
siluer but that he left only a paterne of perfection vnto them which so order their life as he did who forsaking all that he had folowed Christ that he might the redylier serue him But these men should remember that not only examples but also commauÌ„demeÌ„ts Commaundement is geuen to the ministers of the church not to haue the sword nor dominion make on our side For Christ sayth The kings of the nations beare dominion ouer them but so shall not ye And these words are to be vnderstanded singularly and perticularly of the Apostles and of ministers and not of all men vniuersally For cityes and kingdomes can not be gouerned without a Magestrate Peter also coÌ„maundeth the gouernors of the Church not to exercise dominion ouer the flocke But let vs sée by what reasons these men pretende the vsurpation of the sworde Cityes and prouinces say they are by this meanes the better gouerned Héere I néede not much to trouble my selfe to make answere Let vs loke vpon the Cities which are vnder Bishops how much holyer and purer they are then others Verily By what light arguments the Popes and â—ishops defend their sword for as much as they can not by themselues gouerne and order things they substitute deputyes and iudges and those whome they call Officials But they geue themselues to deceites and to wicked practises and to most filthy gaines no les then other most vile iudges which are placed in the ciuill Magistrateship An other reason is for that say they in this yron and most corrupt age men are not led by the zeale of piety nor by the spirite as they were in times past in the primitiue Church it is expedient that they be kept vnder by force and by the sword Amit it were so But Princes can by their sword kepe vnder the wicked and especially at this time when as Princes are Christians and professe one and the selfe same fayth with vs but whome I beseche you haue they by theyr sword made the better Vndoubtedly the state of Christianity was neuer in worse case then it hathe bene since the time that Bishops leauing the charge of the shéepe and flocke of None are â—p the sword of the Pope made better but worse These two functions do let the one the other Christ began to vsurpe the sword Further who séeth not that these two functions doe so hinder the one the other that he which exerciseth the one can not execute the other For it is an hard matter to finde one fo prompt and ready that caÌ„ rightly and orderly administer but euen one of those functions But touching this matter we haue spoken sufficiently Now resteth more diligently to consider vppon the woords There is no power but of God According to the rules of Logike it is all one as if Paul should haue sayd euery power is of God Wherefore séeing that Paul in such sort reasoneth some in vaine cauill that they should doe no reuerence to inferior maiestrates as to suche as haue the charge of cityes or are appoynted gouernors of prouinces For they think it sufficient if they be subiect to the higher powers as to Emperors and to Kings But Paul comprehendeth all maner of power For a proposition exclusiue as they vse to speake is of the same force that an vniuersall proposition is transposed or conuerted As for example Only man runneth Ergo euery thing that runneth is a man So here Only if God is power It is lawfull to appeale from the inferior magistrate to the superiour Ergo all power is of God And if all power be of God then without doubt ought we to honor and reuerence it But if we sée that we are too cruelly oppressed of the inferior magestrate we are not by this doctrine letted but that we may vse the benefite of appealation For as that is by good equitie permitted by the law of man so is it by no parte of the holy scripture abrogated Yea Paul himself vsed it when he saw opportunitie Wherfore it is lawful by way of appeale to flye from the inferior magestrate to the fidelitie and mercy of the superior But they which resist them resist the ordinance of God What is more vniust They whiche resist the power fight with God The ciuill power is resisted two maner of wayes or more vnworthy then to go about to fight with God How peruerse a thing that is euen the Ethnike poets also saw For they fain that Iupiter toke most greuous vengeaunce vpon the rashnesse of those Giants which went about to assault heauen And the ciuil power is resisted two maner of wayes either by open violence which thing we sée seditious and rebellious men vse to doe or els by craft and subtlety as when a Prince is through wicked pollicies and deceites circumuented that he can not execute his office For by these meanes oftentimes the Prince being ignorant the course of iustice is hindred Wherefore this saying of Dioclesian is much vsed A good wary and wise prince is oftentimes sold For whilest he is alone in his chamber his seruauntes come and declare all things vnto him deceitfully So he vnawares doth things as vpright and iust which in very déede are most vniust He remoueth away good men from the gouernement of the publique wealth and aduaunceth those which ought to be most far of banished Therfore a certaine wryter called the Senate of Rome not Patres conscripti but circumscripti Howbeit I speake not this that I thinke that it is not lawful for godly men by all maner of vpright meanes to auoyde the daunger of falling into the handes of tyraunts Which yet they ought not to doe after that they be once cast into prisone For this were to violate publique lawes and to geue an example to murtherers and théeues to doe the like And they that resist shall receiue vnto them selues iudgement Men are not in this case hurt but the estimation and dignitie of God is contemned For God answered to Samuel They haue not cast thee away but me that I should not raign ouer them By iudgement we chiefly vnderstand that iudgemeÌ„t which concerneth eternal destruction For afterward it foloweth that we ought to be subiect not only for anger sake but also for conscience sake We may also by iudgement vnderstande iudgement in this life For Salomon sayth the anger of a king is like the roaring of a Lion he which prouoketh it sinneth against his owne soule Greuous punishments are appoynted for seditious persons and for rebels In the olde law it was death if a Greuous punishmeÌ„ts appoynted to seditious and rebellious persoÌ„s man had resisted the higher power Chore with all his was consumed with fire Dathan and Abirom were swallowed vp of the earth for that they seditiously resisted Moses and Aaron We know what end Absolon came vnto when he had expelled his father out of his kingdome What séemed more goodly to the whole world then that notable
nature of euill Whatsoeuer euill and infelicity there is in vs the same is wholy deryued from synne Farther he commaundeth vs to deryue our actions from the groundes and principles taught of God The philosophers affirme That actiō is most perfect which springeth of the most◠noblest vertue that action to be most perfect which springeth of the most noblest vertue Wherefore forasmuch as we doo confesse that al our strengths and faculties are moued and impelled by God that is by the most chiefe goodnes of necessity it followeth that the workes which springe thereof are of most perfection For God is farre much more perfect then all humane vertue Wherefore if whatsoeuer we doo we do it by his impulsion thē shal we attain vnto a good end vnto most high felicity Paul speaketh of sinne by the figure * Prosopopaeia and exhorteth Proposopeia that is by fayninge of personages vs not to suffer it to raigne in vs. Which selfe forme of speaking he before when he sayd that death raigned from Adam euen vnto Moses By the mortall body sayth Ambrose is vnderstand the whole mā euen as sometimes the whole man is signified by the soule For confirmatiō whereof he citeth these words of Ezechiell The soule which sinneth it shall dye And he affirmeth that that is to be vnderstand of ether part of man Chrisostome thinketh that therfore the body is called mortall to teach vs y◠this battayle which the Apostle exhorteth vs vnto against sin shall not dure any long time but a shorte time Which battayle he supposeth is therefore commended bycause that sithen Adam although he had abody not subiect vnto death yet refrained not from sinne It shoulde be much more laudable and excellēter for vs if we in this mortal body should eschew sins But I thinke y◠this particle In your mortall body signifieth nothing els then if it should haue bene sayd after the maner of the Hebrues Through your mortall body Forasmuch as that naturall cōcupiscence or lust which the Apostle would not haue to raigne in vs is through the body deriued from Adam into vs receaueth in vs nourishements and entisements For by generation and sede as we haue before at large proued originall sinne is traduced And he addeth this word mortall to encrease a contempte and to lay before our eyes that such a frowardnes is condemned vnto the punishement of death whereby to feare vs away the more from the obedience thereof For it were very wicked to preferre a thing condemned vnto death before the word of God and his spirite He straight way declareth what this meaneth namely sinne to raigne in vs. Which is nothing ells then to be obedient vnto sinne Wherefore he addeth That ye should therunto obey by the lustes of it He saith in the plural number Lustes bicause out of the corruption of nature which he a little before called sinne in the singular nomber doo continually spring forth an infinite nomber of lustes Paul admonisheth vs that we should not obey them He can not prohibite but that lust whilst we liue here will exercise some cirāny ouer vs euē although it be against our willes Wherfore this thing only he requireth that we should not of our owne accord and willingly obey it For thys is to permitte vnto him the kingdome Members in this place signifye not onely the parts of the bodye but also the parts of the minde Why members are called weapons Nether apply your members as weapons of vnrighteousnes vnto sinne He still more plainly declareth what it is to obey sinne And that is to geue our mēbers as weapons vnto it By members he vnderstandeth not only the parts of the body but also all the faculties or powers of the soule All these forbiddeth he to be applied of vs vnto sinne He could haue vsed an other word namely that we should not geue our members organes and instrumentes to lustes But by the name of weapons he would the more aggrauate the thing For that signifieth the they which apply theyr members vnto sinne do fight make war against God do with all the strengths both of their body of their soule withstād his will law Out of this place is gathered the differēce betwene mortall sins veniall The difference betwene veniall mortal sinnes sinnes For when we withstand and resiste the lustes those troublesome motions and entisementes bursting forth of our naturall corruption forasmuch as they are repugnaunt vnto the lawe of God are vndoubtedly sinnes but yet bycause they are displeasaunte vnto vs and we resiste them and doo leaue some place vnto fayth and vnto the spirite of God therfore they ar forgeuē vs neither are they imputed vnto death but contrariwise when we obey thē and do repell the mocion of the spirit of God and worke against our conscience or at the leaste waye with a conscience corrupted so that those thinges which are euil we count good or iudge good things euil thē vndoubtedly we sinne deadly for therby we make sinne to raigne in vs. Paul whilest he vrgeth these things semeth to admonish vs that we should not receiue grace in vayne or without fruite as he also admonished the Corinthians in his latter epistle Hereby we gather that the mēbers and powers of them that are regenerate ought to be so prompt and redy vnto the obeysaunce of God as are the powers and members of the vngodly prone redy to commit sinne And we are plainly taught that we ought to fight And in the Epistle vnto the Ephesians we are commaunded to fight not only agaynst flesh and bloud but also against naughtines and wycked celestiall spirites For they are mighty and of efficacy against vs thorough the body flesh and bloud For euen as weapons may serue both to a good and also to an euill vse for sometyme a théefe occupieth them against his countrey and sometimes a good citizen vseth thē Weapons may serue both to a good and also to an euill vse to defend his countrey so the members of our body powers of our mynde may fight on righteousnes side and also against sinne We sée moreouer what differēce there is betwene a kingdome and a tyrannous gouernment We obey tyrannes against our willes but vnto kings we obey willingly for by their good and iust lawes the publike wealth is established Wherfore there are two things which folow in a iust and lawfull kingdome For first all men of their own voluntary wil accord obey the king vnles peraduēture there be some wicked or seditious persons Moreouer they are redy to fight for his sake But it is farre otherwise where tyranny raigneth for none will gladly and willingly obey tyrants neither wyll they fight in their quarels Wherfore Paul although he cannot prohibite in vs the Two proprieties o◠a iust kingedome tiranny of sinne but that of it we suffer many things against our willes yet he for biddeth that it should
A similitude Dâ—fâ—rence betwene Paul and the Philosophers we sée what they do yet oftentimes they so beguile our eies the we perceaue not what they do Aristotle sayth that in euery sinne is mingled some kinde of ignoraÌ„ce Although betwéene yâ— philosophers the seÌ„se of Paul there is some differeÌ„ce For they thinke this power to be grafted in the nature of the minde reason and will alwayes to desire and to approue that which is good but the confusion beginneth only in the grosser partes of the soule But the apostle affirmeth that al the partes of man both the inferior and the superior doo by reason of originall sinne resist the spirite of God But seing that both from himselfe and from the Law he remoueth away the cause of sinne it is manifest that it hath hys place only in lust grafted in vs. And seing he sayth that he himself doth not the things which he would and which are euil much les vndoubtedly doth the Law them For he by the Law vnderstoode that these things are not to be done Wherfore herehence haue we a commondation of the Lawe and he doth not here as heretikes faine which frowardly peruerte the sayings of Paul blame the Law For that vvhich I vvould I doo not but that vvhich I hate that doo I. Some thinke that this is to be referred only vnto the first motions But seing the scripture manifestly sayth that the iust also fall and that we all in many thinges offend I se no cause why we should into so narrow a streight contract this saying These thinges are not to be draweÌ„ onely to the first motioÌ„s of the Apostle For I doubt not but that euen holy men also haue not only some times euill lusts but also sometimes doo certayne thinges which ought not to be done But they are streight way sorye and they accuse themselues and as much as lieth in them correct the sinne And yet I would not that any maÌ„ should hereby thinke that I affirme that the iudgement of the spirite and the purpose of the will renewed abideth sound wheÌ„ the godly fall into most heynous wicked The iudgement of the spirite abideth not sound in faultes that are very haynous factes as when Dauid committed adultery and murther For these sinnes are of that kind whereof the Apostle sayth They which doo suche thinges shall haue no portion in the kingdome of God Wherfore Augustine made an excellent distinctioÌ„ namely that a crime is one thing and sinne an other thing Wherefore seinge in this kinde of crime the right of regeneration is after a sort lost it is not to be tought that Paul thereof speaketh in this place Now then it is no more I that doo it but the sinne that dwelleth in me For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me but I finde no ability to performe that which is good It is not I that doo it He affirmeth that he doth it not for that he all whole doth it not For in respect that he is regenerate he abhorreth from that whiche he doth The lust and vice whiche is by nature grafted and planted in vs is it which wresteth from vs many things But they which are wise fly vnto Christ that he may make that seruitude which they serue more milde which thinge he not only doth but also mercifully forgeueth the thinges that are committed amisse Wherfore for these causes Paul denieth that he doth that thing which he doth And vndoubtedlye it is to be ascribed vnto the singular gift of God that we will not and that those thinges displease vs which we doo and contrariwise that we wil and wishe those thinges which we doo not For thys propertye is not in all men For it is in them only which are now grafted into Christ and regenerate in him In dede Iudas Cain and Esau were displeased with their sin but yet not therefore for that they allowed the Lawe of God but for that they now began to fele their own discommodity and calamity and destruction For How sins displeasetheÌ„ that are desperate Difference betweene the godly the vngodlye they were not touched with any loue of the Law and wil of God So much difference is there betwene a godly man and an vngodly The godly maÌ„ although he fall yet he doth not from the hart violate the lawe of God For he hath euer thys in hym that continually he resisteth and repugneth sinne But the vngodly man neuer doth good from the hart or escheweth euill as the law commaundeth For he alwayes hath a regard vnto gayne commodity fame and such other like thinges and not vnto the will of God These declare that Paul speaketh Paul in this place speaketh of himself and of the regenerate those thinges which are contayned in this chapiter of himselfe and of the sayntes which are now in Christ regenerate For he sayth that in mind he serued the Lawe of God and to will was present with hym but to performe that which is good he found no ability And when he had cried out vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body subiect vnto death He added a geuinge of thankes for that he knew that by Christ he shoulde attayne to it Thys can not they â—â— which are strangers from Christ and vngodly and voyd of yâ— holy ghost Testimonies where by is proued that holy men haue sinne They which deny thys are thereunto by thys reason chiefely moued for that they perswade themselues that sinne can haue no place in holy men when yet the scripture teacheth farre otherwise For Paul vnto the Galathians speaking of the godly writeth in a maner the selfe same thinges that he doth now in this place walke ye sayth he inspirite and performe not the desires of the flesh He sayth not haue ye not the desires of the fleshe but performe them not And the fleshe sayth he lusteth agaynst the spirite and the spirite agaynst the flesh so that whatsoeuer thinges ye would ye doo not This is it which he here sayth I doo not that which I would Dauid sayth Who vnderstandeth his sinnes Cleuse me from my hidden sinnes Enter not into iudgment with thy seruaunt for in thy sight shall no liuing creature be iustified And Esay sayth that our righteousneses are like a clothe stayned with the naturall dissease of a woman And the Lord commaundeth vs to pray Forgeue vs our trespasses If we say we haue no sinne sayth Iohn we deceaue our selues and the truth is not in vs Iames saith we all offende in many thinges The Fathers also affirme that Paul Augustine proueth that Paul speaketh of himself and of the regenerate Ambrose of the same iudgement in thys place speaketh of himselfe And amongste other Augustine agaynst the two epistles of the Pelagians the 10. chapiter And the reasons that moue him thereunto are those for that the Apostle sayth It
they be moued with lesse desire to sinne and if they take lesse pleasure in their sinnes yet take they so much in them that they cannot be plucked away from them If with any zeale they heare the woorde of God yet when they haue heard it they haue it in derision when as they hope that those things which are in it promised shall happen vnto thâ—m leading their lyfe in such sort Wherfore we sée that all these thinges stray from the marke and appoynted end And seing that al these motions are of small efficacy and leaue men vnder the wrath of God there can nothing that is sound be hoped for at their handes But let vs heare what Esay in his 58. chapter pronounceth of this kinde of workes They seeke me sayth he dayly and wyll know my wayes as a nation that wrought righteousnes and had not forsaken the statutes of theyr God They aske me of the ordinaunces of iustice and they wyll draw nere vnto God Wherfore do we fast say they and thou seest it not we haue afflicted our soules and thou regardest it not Behold in the day wherein ye fast ye seeke that which ye desire and ye all seeke and require your debtes Beholde ye fast to stryfe to debate to smyte wyth the fist Is this the fast that I haue choseÌ„ These wordes of the Prophet most plainly declare that it is sinne before God to enquire after his wayes to fast for a man to afflict himself when as such workes are done without the true worshippyng of God and without piety It cannot be denied but that these are in déede goodly workes and plausible howbeit God the iust iudge reiecteth them Augustine in his bookes of confessions in himself setteth God reiecteth works though they be neuer so goodly to the shew forth vnto vs a plaine example touching this matter For he describeth the motions which he suffred in his minde before he was conuerted vnto Christ For thus he writeth in his 8. booke and 11. chapter I liued in my bond vntill the whole was broken in sonder wherwyth although beyng very little I was holden yet I was holden Thou in my eyes O Lord dydst by thy seuere mercy double the scourges of feare of shame I sayd wyth my selfe inwardly Behold now let it be done Now in a maner I knew it and dyd it not And wythin a very little I euen nowe touched it and held it and touched it not neyther helde it And the worse they beyng in custome preuayled more in me then the better thyng vnaccustomed And that very moment of tyme wherin I would become a new man the nearer it approched the greater horror it draue into me I was holdeÌ„ back by trifles of trifles by vanities of vanities by myne old wanton louers whiche priuely whispered doost thou now forsake vs And shall we neuer any more after this tyme be wyth thee And from this tyme forward wylt thou neuer vse this or that And I began now to harken vnto them a great deale lesse then halfe These things mencioneth Augustine accuseth the meane works that he did before his conuersion as sinnes Whatsoeer wanteth his perfection is sinne A similitude Of the Publicane he and accuseth them before God as sinnes whiche yet are so highly commended of these men These were in dede meanes wherby God brought Augustine vnto saluation howbeit they were still in him sinnes For he obeyed them not but corrupted them with many abuses so that he could not be with efficacy chaunged by them But whatsoeuer wanteth his due perfection is sinne But these Sophisters are like serpents called Hydra for one argument being as a hed cut of there ariseth to them an other They obiect vnto vs the Publicane which thus prayed in the temple God be mercifull vnto me a sinner And he is said to haue returned to his house iustified Wherfore say they he was a sinner wheÌ„ he prayed For we read that he was afterward iustified But his prayer pleased God Wherfore we may say they do workes acceptable vnto God euen before we be regenerate But these meÌ„ should haue remembred that this Publicane prayed which as we haue declared of Cornelius he could not haue done without faith For how shall they call vpon hym in whoÌ„ they haue not beleued Wherfore he was iustified eueÌ„ then when he prayed Nether maist thou so vnderstaÌ„d these words as though he should be then first iustified When the publicane prayed he was iustified wheÌ„ he had finished his prayers For although it be said to be afterward done yet doth it not therof follow that it was by no meanes done before He obteyned a more perfecter iustification a more ampler spirit a more nerer féelyng of the mercy of God He calleth himselfe a sinner and that not vnworthely partely for that If he were iustified why then calleth he himselfe a sinner he still felt in himselfe that which he misliked For alwayes how iust so euer we be yet are we commaunded to pray Forgeue vs our trespasses And partly for that in minde he called to minde how greuous sinnes he had committed before he was iustified And holy men ought in their prayers chiefly to weigh and to consider how great the burthen of their sinne is For when with their prayers they come vnto God they are moued with a true repentaunce to say with Dauid My bones are consumed away in my crying out continually day and night is thy hand made heauy vpon me my iuyce is dryed vp as the moystnes of the earth is dryed vp in the sommer Euils without number haue compassed me about Myne iniquities haue closed me in on euery side that I could not see they are encreased more then the heares of my hed My hart hath forsakeÌ„ me I acknowledge my wicked actes my sinne is alwayes before me Against thee against thee haue I sinned don euil before thee And to that end holy men should afterward the better beware of sinnes God stirreth vp in theÌ„ a most sharp feling of his wrath the they may acknowlege what they had deserued vnles God had holpeÌ„ them by his sonne He openeth also theyr eyes that they may se what his fatherlye chaistisemente is towardes them and that the same maye be the better felt he oftentimes differreth from them the tast and fealing of his mercy Therefore they crye Make me to heare thy ioye and gladnes that my bones being humbled may reioyce hide thy face from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquities A cleane harte create in me o God and renew a right spirite in my bowells cast me not away from thy face and take not away thine holy spirite from me Wherefore they also that are They that are iustified do still pray for theyr sinnes iustefied doo pray that that infirmity which is still remayning be not imputed vnto them They call to minde the thinges wherin they haue before greauously sinned and they