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
with them which thing that it can not be ascribed vnto workes Paul sufficiently declareth when he saith that the afflictions of thys lyfe are not woorthye the glorye to come whiche shal be reueled in vs But howe the preceptes of the lawe are fulfilled in vs by the communion which we haue with Christ which died for vs thus may be declared bicause vnto them which beleue in him is geuen the holy ghost whereby their strengthes are renued that they may be able to performe the obedience of the lawe not in deede a perfect and absolute obedience for that is not had so long as we liue here Wherefore the accomplishement of the lawe herein consisteth that the sinnes which we haue committed be forgeuen vs by Christ and the righteousnes which he hath performed be imputed vnto vs for that he is our head and we on the other side his members Lastly this is to be looked for that when we shall come vnto the long desired ende of chiefe felicity there How Christ is called the ende of the law shall then be nothing in vs which shall be repugnant vnto the lawe of God After this maner Christ is called the ende of the lawe as one that hath not broken it but fulfilled it not only in that by his doctrine he deliuered it from the corrupt interpretacions of the Scribes and Phariseis but also because he hath in such maner as we haue now declared accoÌ„plished both it in himselfe in vs. Wherefore as many as are without Christ and are not pertakers of his death and haue not forgeuenes of their sinnes and are voyde of the righteousnes of Christ and haue no desire to fulfill the lawe all these I says shall not attayne that felicity wherein they shall haue nothing which is repugnant vnto the law of God Wherfore the iustification of the lawe can in them by no meanes be fulfilled But who they be in whome the righteousnes of the lawe shall beginne to be accomplished for that it hath alredy by the cause thereof bene declared namely for that the faithfull are pertakers of the death and spirite of Christ now also the same declareth he by the fruite Which walke not according to the fleshe but according to the spirit The regenerate walke according to the spirite This is a notable marke and condition whiche followeth them They walke accordinge to the spirite in whome the spirite gouerneth raigneth and beareth dominion And contrarywyse they walke accordynge to the fleshe in whome the fleshe beareth dominion These thynges striue one againste the other But in this fighte the godlye onelye are excercised by striuinge For they which are straungers from Christ do without any resistance or fighting follow the flesh Faith which iustifieth doth after a sort put of our flesh but they that are spirituall do geue chefe place vnto the spirite And hereby we sée that this is the nature of that fayth which iustifieth to make a man in that plight that his fleshe being after a sort put of he liueth according vnto the spirite But those which liue not so the apostle proueth nether to be deliuered from sin nor to be pertakers of the death of Christ neither also to be obseruers of the lawes of God For he sayth For they vvhich are according to the flesh do minde those thinges vvhich are of the flesh but they vvhich are according to the spirite doo sauour those things vvhich are of the spirite They which liue according to the affection of the flesh doo follow thinges hurtefull and therefore they fall into death and practise enmities agaynst God Whereby followeth that they are nether pertakers of the spirite of Christ nor yet of his death But if a man shoulde saye that by the sence of the flesh men desire meate drinke apparell matrimony other things which pertayne vnto this life and these thinges are not damnable nor hurtful I would answeare that these thinges in dede of theyr own nature are not euil but the meanes whereby the vngodly desire them is both hurtfull and damnable Why naturall appetites are sinnes vnto the vngodly For they seke them for theyr owne sakes and direct them not vnto the glory of God neyther are they stirred vp vnto these desires by fayth or by the worde of God or by the spirite Wherefore vnto them they are sinnes And forasmuch as all men before they are iustifyed are indued by the affection of the flesh it followeth that whatsoeuer they doo is sinne and highly displeaseth God Wherefore by those deedes they can nether be iustified nor prepare themselues vnto What the affection of the flesh is iustification The woordes of the Apostle teach that two kindes of affections are contrary and opposite â–ª whiche that we may the better vnderstand let thys be for certayne â–ª that the affection of the flesh is nothing ells then the vse of humane strengths setting a part the grace and spirite of Christ And the nature of man is to be taken not as it was first created of God but as it is now vitiate The affection of the spirite and corrupt But the affection of the spirite is the impulsion of the inspiration of God and vse of the grace of Christ Nowe let vs se what those thynges are wherevnto the affectioÌ„ of the flesh carie vs. They must of necessity be good things For we desire nothing but that which is good and that good is ether honest profitable Three kindes of good things The affection of the fleshe is deceaued two maner of â—â—yes or pleasaunt In these thinges the affection of the flesh is two maner of wayes deceaued For sometimes it is caâ—led vnto these thinges which seme honest and are not and which seme profitable and pleasant but in very dede are vn profitable irksome An other error is when it desireth those thinges which in very dede should behonest profitable pleasant if they were desired with right reason as it was instituted of God such as are these good workes which commonly are called ciuill or morall Euermore the affection of the flesh erreth in one of these two wayes Wherfore all yâ— works therof seing they faâ—le froÌ„ right reason are sinnes Wherefore hereby is concluded that a Christian life herein A ChristiaÌ„ life wherin it consisteth consisteth to haue a care vnto those thinges which are of the spirite and to forsake those thinges which belong vnto the flesh that both we may seke for perfect good thinges and also yâ— we fayle not in the maner of desiring them But what are the effectes both of the flesh and also of the spirite Paul hath in manye places taught and especially in his epistle vnto yâ— GalathiaÌ„s wher he thus writeth The workes of the flesh are adulteries fornications vnclenes wantones idolatry witchcrafts enmities stryfes emulations brawlings contencions eâ—uies murthers dronkenes bancketting and such other like of which the Apostle saith They which do these things shall not possesse
the one the other For so of rayne are engendred cloudes and agayne of cloudes is brought forth rayne And as the philosophers say of good actioÌ„s spring vertues and contrariwise of vertues spring good actions Chrisostome as we before admonished testefieth that the honor which we geue vnto brethern hath not only loue to the roote thereof but also engendreth the selfe same loue in those whom we honor Now hope to expresse the nature thereof is a certayne faculty or power breathed into vs of God whereby with a constant and patient mind not thorough our owne strengthes but thorough Iesus Christ we wayt for the saluation now begone in vs which by fayth we haue receaued vntill at the length it be accomplished They which hope are mery and reioyce for that they are assured that they Hope maketh glad maketh sory shall one day obteyne the things which they hope for Howbeit in the meane time they are somewhat sory and it greueth them for that they haue not as yet obteyned those thinges Moreouer they which hope for thinges hard and difficile which Hope is of things hard but not of things impossible yet are not impossible For vnles we thought that we may by the grace and spirite of Christ obteyne eternall life we would neuer hope for it Paul before in the 8. chapiter obserued eueÌ„ this selfe same order For he taught that of hope springeth patieÌ„ce For the hope sayth he which is sene is no hope For who hopeth for that which he seeth And a litle afterward If we hope for that which we se not we wayte for it thorough patience Doubtles the mind is not a litle stirred vp to suffer all thinges where great rewardes are set forth And therefore in the selfe same chapiter Paul sayth The suffringes of this time are not worthy the glory to come which shal be reueled in vs. But here it may be doubted why Paul vnto hope attributeth ioye especially seing that ioye is an affect comming of a preseÌ„t good thing but hope is of a thing to come I answere that those good thinges which are hoped for are in dede absent but such is the force of hope that that which is absent it after a sort maketh present Hope maketh things absent present Faith also maketh thinges absent present Of the Eucharist Therefore Paul in the 8. chapiter very aptly wrote that by hope we are made safe and vnto the Ephesians That God thorough Christ hath brought to passe that we now sitte together with him in heauen at the right hand of God And according to this forme of doctrine we vse to say that they which beleue truly hope doo make the body and bloud of Christ euen present although otherwise in very dede they be in heauen and they wholy in mind and in spirite haue the fruition of them so often as they rightly and godly come together to the supper of the Lord. But how great a good thing it is to haue in tribulations a patient mind hereby may be gathered for that it is a common saying That it is a great euil not to be able to suffer euill as if a man should say that aduersities and tribulations which commonly It is a gret euill not to be able to suffer euil A most profitable chaine are called euill are not in very déede euill but only for that they can not be borne or suffred Continwing in prayers Chrisostome gathereth together in good order those thinges which may mitigate the painefulnes of those offices which haue now ben mencioned Which chayne or order he thinketh Paul hath diligently prosecuted The first remedy is loue and that such a loue which coÌ„meth of a brotherly affect For there is nothing hard to him that loueth Secondly is required the feruentnes of the spirite of God thirdly the hope of that which is most excellent fourthly ayd helpe obtayned at Gods hand by affectuall prayers Wherefore Paul here admonisheth vs of prayers that we should continew in them But wheras he here saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is continwing to the Tessalonians he sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vncessantly For we ought to pray vnto God without ceassing and intermissioÌ„ so much as humane imbecillitie will suffer And euery man so often as any thing happeneth which eyther troubleth the mind or stirreth vp a feare or desire ought to turne his mind to God which can either deliuer him or accomplish the thinges which he desireth And this is done in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye Yea those prayers are chiefely commended which are as burning firebrandes cast vp into heauen by a sodayne conuersion to God and doo not thorough multitude of woordes waxe cold And Christ in Luke the 19. chapiter admonisheth vs to pray alwayes and not to be weary In Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are sometimes those which are slouthfull and sluggish And that we should not become such nor be discouraged in prayeng Christ hath set forth vnto vs the parable of the widow and of the vniust iudge to declare vnto vs that God will without doubt heare those thinges which we incessantly aske of him And at the end of the parable he addeth The Lord will take vengeaunce of theÌ„ quickely But how doth he it quikely when oftentimes God quickly auengeth his There is no tarying in God but in our thinking he differeth it so long He is sayd to doo a thing quickely which doth that that is to be done so soone as occasion offreth it selfe Wherfore the tarieng is not in God but in our thinking But if we should be admitted into the inward parts and secrets of the counsell of God we should se that we are very rashe and hedlong in making our peticions Wherefore that is to be cast away from vs that we be not letted from enduring and perseuering in prayers Communicating to the nessâ—ties of the Sayntes geuing your selues to hospitality He chiefely maketh mencion of the sayntes for that they aboue all others haue most nede as those whome the world hateth And he rightly addeth Straungers The saintes haue most nede aboue all others Why the flesh abhorreth the poore for at that time the sayntes being turned out of all theyr goods liued ofteÌ„times as wanderers abrode and exiles Wherefore Paul exhorteth the Romanes to entertayne such men with a louing mind and with liberall hospitalitie The flesh is not redy to doo good to this kind of men For when it séeth them in misery it iudgeth that they can by no means be recompensed agayne at theyr hands and therfore whatsoeuer is bestowed vpon them it thinketh to be lost And they which follow this affect count nothing more blessed then to receaue Wherefore they willingly geue nothing but where they thinke there shall returne vnto them agayne either as much or rather more God oftentimes in the law commendeth Of the poore and of straungers
thinges which in the time of the fathers before Christ came were good and we beleue that they were instituted by the selfe same God which is the father of our lord Iesus Christ But to make the discourse of the first part more Abrief content of the whole Epistle playne and vniuersally the vtility of the whole epistle we will briefely touch the summe thereof that it being in that maner layd before our eyes the whole epistle may haue the more light In the first chapiter is set forth vnto vs how that neyther naturall knowledge The first chapiter nor ciuill offices could by any meanes iustifie men for that it is euidently shewed that men endewed with them liued drowned in most horrible sinnes whiche thing shoulde not haue happened if by these thinges they had bene iustyfied In the second chapiter the Iewes are made equall with the Gentiles whose The second chapiter life accused as most corrupt for that they preached that a man should not steale and yet stole that a man should not commit adultery and yet committed adultery that a man should not committe sacriledge and yet committed it thēselues By which it is manifest that the law which they had receaued brought them not to iustification In the third chapiter lest he might seme to deface the law he confesseth that that The third chapiter it was an excellent gift of God but yet not of that kind that it could iustifye He attributeth vnto it other offices namely to bring forth the knowledge of sinne And so he reduceth both the Iewes and the Gentiles to one Christ as to the fountayne and author of all righteousnes And yet notwithstanding he doth not by thys meanes he sayth violate or ouerthrowe the law but most of all establishe it In the fourth chapiter he proueth the selfe same thing which he had before The fourth chapiter put forth by the example of Abraham who before workes and before he had receaued circumcision was for this cause pronounced iust for that he beleued the promise of God This doubtles was imputed to him to righteousnes And to confirm that same he bringeth a testimony of Dauid who saith Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whome the Lord hath not imputed sinne Which chapiter if be diligently peysed we shall find that in it the Apostle in a maner tē times vseth this word of Imputacion Wherfore it ought not to seme so strange if we also vse it when we affirme that concupiscence lest in vs after baptisme is sinne although it be not imputed vnto sinne and although we are not able to get vnto our selues that righteousnes which is the true righteousnes before God yet if we beleue in him the righteousnes of Christ is imputed vnto vs. In the fift chapiter after that this righteousnes of Christ is apprehended by The fifth chapiter fayth many thinges are declared touching it that is that it is firme and embraseth Christ who died for the weake for enemies wicked men and sinners And in it is set forth a comparison of Christ with Adam For euen as by him all our kind was vitiated and corrupted so by Christ are all the elect renewed yea rather Christ is sayd to ouer passe Adam For he by one sinne infected al men but infinite sins were not able to resist Christ but that he performed that redemption which his will was to performe Yea he so vsed this euill that he gaue the plentifuller grace where the greater plenty of sinnes raigned In the sixt chapiter he ouerthroweth the importunate obiection of diuers The sixth chapiter which hereof inferred that we should sinne freely and liue loosely if as the Apostle had sayd greater grace should there be rendred where were found more sinnes The Apostle answereth that theyr collection was not good forasmuche as we are dead vnto sinne and grafted into Christ we ought vndoubtedly to liue vnto him and not to iniquity In the seuenth chapiter he declareth the maner how we are exempted from The seuēth chapiter the law And that is that forasmuch as in vs whilest we liue here is not a full perfect regeneration and corrupt affections do continually resist the lawes of God by the grace of Christ is brought to passe that we are deliuered from sin although it perpetually inhabite in our members and in our flesh Whereof he concludeth in the eight chapiter that there is no condemnation The eight chapiter to those whih are in Christ Iesus neyther walke they according to the flesh For they haue the spirite of Christ whereby they both liue and also are made pertakers of the resurrection to come they mortifye the deedes of the flesh and in themselues they haue witnes of the selfe same spirite that they are the children of God and by the selfe same spirite they are confirmed in aduersities to suffer them with a constāt and valiant mind and they haue this spirite making intercession for them which draweth them to expresse the similitude of the image of the sonne of God and at the last bringeth to passe that they can neyther be accused nor condemned before God In the ninth chapiter he answereth vnto the Iewes which contēded that these The ninth chapiter promises were bestowed vpon theyr nation only and were not powred vpon the Gentiles Vnto whome he sayth that touching this matter all thinges are done by the election of God whereby he hath mercy on whome he will and whome he will he hardneth And he compareth God to a potter who of one and the selfe same clay maketh some vessells to honour and some to contumely In the tenth chapiter he entreateth of the effectes of thys election namely that The tenth chapiter some embrace fayth and other some reiect it And he also declareth that Christ is the end of the law and that the law requireth this that we should beleue in Christ And hereby he proueth that the Iewes attayned not to righteousnes for that they went about to obtayne it by their owne merites and by their owne workes but the Gentles attayned vnto it for that they claue vnto fayth And all those thinges he confirmeth by the oracles of God that the Iewes I say were made blynde and that the Gentiles were receaued In the eleuēth chapiter he mitigateth that hard reprobation of the Iewes which The eleuenth chapiter he had set forth and declareth that not all vtterly were reiected but putteth them in good hope that for asmuch as their roote is holy many also of that nation shal be holy howbeit they are in the meane tyme excluded as touching vs which were wilde Oliue trees that we might be grafted into the good Oliue tree And after that this is accomplished they shall agayne be receaued And so he knitteth vp this discourse that God hath shut vp all vnder sinne and he is compelled at the lengh to cry out O the
witnes bloude water and the spirite 79. b Herein is charity perfect in vs that in the day of iudgment we haue confidence 383. a Iude. ANd Enoch the seuenthe frō Adam prophesied of such saying beholde the Lorde commeth c. 403. a Apocalips CHrist shal raigne a thousand yeares with his saints 88 Behold I stand at the dore and knock And if any man open vnto me I will enter in and sup with him 384. a Take vengaunce vpon the earth for our bloud 345. b Vntill he put his enemies vnder his feete 360. b Holde faste that thou hast least an other receiue thy crowne 347. b ⧠Common places Of Iustification 367 Of Predestination 285 ⧠The first Chapter PAule the seruaunt of Iesus Christ called to the office of an Apostle put aparte to preach the Gospell of God which he before had promised by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures of hys son which was begotten of the seede of Dauid as touching the fleshe and declared to bee the sonne of God with power according to the spirite of sanctification in that Iesus Christ our Lord rose agayne frō the dead by whō we haue receaued grace and the office of an Apostle to be obedyent to fayth amonge all nations in hys name of the number of whome ye also are the called of Iesus Christ To all you which are at Rome the beloued of God called Sainctes grace and peace to you from God the father and from the Lord Iesus Christ As touchynge the saluation fyrste we muste note who it is that wryteth Three things to be considered in this salutation it secondlye to whome it is written lastly what maner of good thinges hee which saluteth wisheth vnto them It is Paule which saluteth the Romanes are they whom he saluteth and the good things which he wisheth thē are grace and peace indeede the chiefest thinges which of men can bee attayned vnto Rhethoriciās precepts concernyng Prohemes are here obserued Rhetoricians vse in theyr Prohemes to gette vnto them selues authoritie diligent hearing and beneuolence which thinge the holy Ghoste here fullye performeth For whilest that Paule doth adorne him selfe with these titles he winneth vnto him selfe authoritie and he also when he maketh mencion what are the thynges that hee will entreate of maketh the mindes of the readers attentiue And in wyshing vnto them such excellent good thinges and opening hys great loue towardes them he obteyneth theyr good will For by that meanes are they drawen to loue agayne such a man which so well wisheth vnto them Why he is so lōg in his salutation If any man thinke that thys salutation is more full of wordes then nedeth they must remember that Paul was greuously accused of false Apostles that he had fallen from the lawe and agreed not with the other Disciples of the Lorde and that hee was not to be counted for an Apostle which had not bene conuersant with the Lorde in the fleshe as the other Apostles were To all these false accusations it was necessary to aunswere euen in hys Proheme that he might haue the better eare geuen vnto hym As touching hys name I will nothing speake for I know that the elders dyd not rashlye geue names But because the holy Scripture testifieth not for what cause he was eyther called Saule in the Iewishe religion or Paule after hys conuersion I will omitte coniectures neither will Paule claimeth vnto himself thre titles The propriety of a seruaunt I stand about thys thing In hys superscription hee setteth forth three titles wherby he beautifieth hys name the fyrst is The seruaunt of Iesus Christ and that name is common vnto all the faythfull And the propertie of a seruant is thys not to bee hys owne man but to doe the busines of hys maister Wherfore if we be the seruauntes of Christ thys is required of vs that what soeuer we liue breath and thinke be directed vnto Christ And in these wordes are false Apostles reproued which sought their owne thinges to satisfie the bellye and to increase their gaine and they wanne not men to Christ but rather to Moyses or to them selues For as much as to be the seruauntes of Christ is as we haue sayde a thing cōmon vnto vs all let vs diligently consider the Metaphore wherby we are so called namely because we ought so to obey God as seruauntes do their maisters But we are farre of frō performing it For seruaūtes do spēd the Note wherein the most part of men differeth from the seruice of God least parte of the daye about theyr own busines and all the rest of the tyme they are occupyed about their maisters affayres But we do farre otherwise We are a very short space or an houre of our time occupied about things pertaining to God but al the rest of the time that is graūted vs we spēd about thinges humaine and earthly A seruaunt hath nothyng of hys owne nor proper vnto hym selfe but we doo priuatly possesse many thynges whiche we will neither bestowe for Gods sake nor for Christes sake Seruauntes when they are beaten and strikē do humbly desire pardō and forgeuenes of their masters but we in aduersities resiste God murmure agaynst hym and blaspheme hys name Seruauntes do receaue onely meate and drinke and apparell and therewith are content but we neuer come to any ende or measure of heapyng vp of wealth and riches Seruaunts when they heare the threatnynges of their maisters do tremble frō top to toe but we are nothyng moued with the threatnynges of the Prophetes Apostles and holy Scriptures Seruauntes wil neither haue talke nor familiarity nor yet shewe any signes of amitye vnto their maisters enemyes but we are continually in fellowshyp with the deuill the fleshe and the world Wherfore We ought to serue God more then seruauntes ought to serue their maisters we are farre from that seruice whiche we owe vnto God whom yet we ought much more both to obey and to serue then our seruauntes ought to obey and serue vs. For God besides that hē both fedeth and nourisheth vs hath also brought vs forth hath geuē vs euē our being Farther what soeuer seruaunts do towardes vs all that is to our commoditie and nothyng helpeth them but we contrarywise when we serue God do bryng no profite or commoditie vnto him For thoughe we lyue iustly he is therby made neuer a whit the better or more blessed thē he was before Also we geue litle or nothyng vnto our seruaūts but God hath for vs geuen forth his onely sonne and together with hym hath geuen vs all thinges We promise vnto our seruantes a very small rewarde but God hath promised vnto vs the same felicity whiche Christ him selfe hath the fruition of Whereby appeareth how much more we are bounde to serue hym then are our seruauntes bounde vnto vs. But in that we haue sayd that this vocation is common to all to be the seruauntes of Christ it semeth not very
thynges of which there is no mention at all made in the holy Scriptures yea we know that very many thinges which they defend were receaued long after the Apostles tyme out of the decrees or Synodes of Byshops And if there be any whose originall is not certainly knowen yet doe not the holy Scriptures make any mention of them But here the Apostle doth for thys cause commend hys Gospel because it was before promised by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures All these thynges haue a wonderfull When the promise of the Gospell begâ—n emphasis For that which was so long tyme before promised of God can not be but excellent and wonderfull And thys promise beganne froÌ„ that which Adam inspyred with the holy ghost spake Thys is nowe bone of my bones and fleshe of my fleshe which the Apostle to the Ephesians taketh to be spoken of Christ Gen. 2. and of the Church and from that also which was sayd vnto Eue Thy seede shall Gen. 3. breake hys head in peeces Afterward it was extended with continuall oracles by the Patriarckes holy Prophets euen vnto the end Prophets are here taken for excellent men namely interpreters of the worde of God and by thys worde are signified all the writers of the Canonicall Scripture of what degree soeuer they were of And that which is added in the holy Scriptures pertayneth to this end to shew that they are not vayne oracles which he citeth for as much as they are extant in the holy Scriptures For they are sealed with publicke writings and ratified and firme by an instrument And in speakyng of these thynges he commendeth hym self which was the minister of so great a Gospell And by the selfe same meanes he calleth them backe both from ceremonyes and also from Philosophie vnto which thynges they were wonderfully bent It followeth VVhich was made of the seede of Dauid The incarnation of the Sonne Howe the sonne of God was made of God is here touched and in consideration of the person he is sayd to haue bene made although thys agreeth not with hym but as touching hys humanitie But it is sayd of the seede of Dauid because vnto Dauid was made a notable promise so that Messias was commonly called the sonne of Dauid as we read in the Gospell that the Scribes the Phariseis testified vnto whom Christ obiecteth How doth Dauid call hym hys Lorde By thys place are the wicked Math. 22. heretickes ouerthrowen which affirme that Christ had a body not of the nature and substaunce of the Virgin but brought from heauen They faine vnto them Christ had a true body and flesh of the Virgin Mary selues this argument Because our fleshe is subiecte vnto damnation the curse therfore it is not very likely say they that the sonne of God would take it vpon hym Which argument may easily be confuted For curse and damnation are accidences wherefore God was able easilye remoue them and yet keepe whole the nature and substaunce of man Wherefore he could no lesse geue vnto Christ a holy and cleane body of the Virgin then he could out of the vyle clay bring forth a noble and most cleane body vnto Adam And in that we heare that the sonne of God so abased hym selfe to take vpon hym humane fleshe it ought to be vnto vs no small spurre that nothing be offered vnto vs so hard which for Christes sake we will not suffer Many demaunde why Christ the sonne of God Why Christ tokâ— vpon hym humane fleshe tooke vpon hym humane fleshe And although many reasons might be brought yet will I bryng that which Ambrose hath rendred vpon this place namely that punishment myght be taken in that fleshe which sinned euen as men that are malefactours are there accustomed to suffer punishmentes where they haue coÌ„mitted Ambrose great wicked crimes VVhich was declared to be the Sonne of God Here I can not tell howe the Latine translation had Qui praedestinatus est that is which was predestinate By meanes whereof the interpreters had much adoe to declare it aptlye They myght in deede saye that Christ was to thys end predestinate to be the Mediatour and redemer of mankinde But the thynges which followe agree not therwith for the cause of thys predestination could not be eyther the resurrection from the dead or effusion of the holy ghost Therefore we must read it as the Greke bookes haue it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth as Chrysostome interpreteth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is shewed declared and iudged The Apostle first entreateth of the veritie of the humane nature which is hereby shewed because he was made borne of the seede of Dauid Now he setteth forth the deuine nature For he sayth that Christ was by sure argumentes published declared and shewed to bee the sonne of God And although here is no mention of predestination yet is not the Latine translatioÌ„ new For Origene maketh Origene eiteth the Latine translatioÌ„ mention of it who yet followeth it not For he interpreteth it as it is in the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But how he shoulde cite the Latine translation there are sondrye opinions Some attribute thys to hys diligent and painfull studye which had a care to search out all translations Neyther is it to be thought that he was ignoraunt of the Latine tongue for as much as he was called to Rome by Mammaea the mother of Alexander the Emperour Some thinke that these thynges were not written by the author but put in by the interpreter And there are some which thinke that that booke is none of Origenes among whom is Erasmus Hierome expounding the first chap. to the Ephesians playnlye sheweth Hierome that we shoulde here reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neyther addeth he the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And vndoubtedly thys worde is vsed when Magistrates elected are published and declared Therefore thys is the sense Christ which was man in very dede The signification of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The resurrections is the only signe of the deuine nature of Christ and of the seede of Dauid was declared appoynted and published to be the sonne of God by the reasons following In power according to the spirite of sanctification resurrection of the dead Thys kinde of speache being very darcke hath sondrye expositions Some thus expounde it as though it were one onely argument to proue the diuinitie of Christ namely hys resurrection which they say was done by power and by the holy ghost And to proue thys argument to be of great force they alleage that Christ gaue no other signe but the signe of Ionas the Prophete that also which hee sayd Lose thys Temple and on the thyrd daye I will rayse it vppe agayne Iohn 2. And it seemeth that some of the Apostles dyd therfore dispayre of the diuine nature because they saw the resurrection to be differred as Cleophas sayd vnto
the law is two maner of wayes cōfirmed by fayth First because by it we obtaine the holy ghost whereby are ministred vnto vs strengthes to obey the lawe But a man may paraduenture doubt how this can be that by fayth we haue the holy ghost when as of necessity he alwayes goeth before fayth For fayth The holy ghost goeth before fayth in vs. Betwene causes and effects are certayne circuites The holy ghost both goeth before and also followeth fayth The Law maketh vs vncertaineof the good will of God The Law with out fayth is weake and can not consiste is both his gift and also commeth from him to vs. But we answere that betwene the causes and the effectes seme to be certayne circuites as it is manifest by cloudes and showers From cloudes discend raynes out of waters which are in the inferior places are taken vp vapors by the heate of the heauēs which are thickened into cloudes out of which againe discend showers vpon the earth But in this circute we must alwayes haue a recourse to the first according to the order of nature which is whē there is supposed an humor of which cloudes may encrease So also must we do here We will graūt that fayth by the benefite of the holy ghost springeth in vs. By which fayth is increased the aboundance of the selfe same spirite whose encrease the former fayth hath preuented and of a greater fayth is still made a greater encrease of the spirite But yet notwithstanding we constantly affirme that there is but one thing chiefely from whence all these good things flow namely the holy ghost Secondly saith Augustine the lawe is by the helpe of fayth otherwise confirmed Because by fayth we pray and calling vpon God with prayers we do not only obtayne remission of sinnes but also so greate a portion of the spirite and of grace that we haue strengthes to obey the lawe Vndoubtedly the lawe if it be taken by it selfe maketh vs both vncertayne of the good will of God and after a sort bringeth desperation vnles fayth come and helpe which both maketh vs assured that God is pacefied and mercifull towards vs and also by grace obtayneth the renuing of strengthes And the Apostles phrase whereby he sayth that by fayth he establisheth the lawe is to be noted For thereby he signifieth that the lawe if it be left vnto it selfe and without fayth is weake so that it can not consiste And therefore vnles it be vpholden by fayth it shall easely fall And The woonderful sharpnes of wit in Paule The Law and sayth helpe one an other this is the poynte of a singular artificer not only to depel from him that which is obiected but also to declare that the selfe same maketh most of all for hys purpose The lawe and fayth helpe one an other and as the common saying is geue handeseche to other For the lawe doth as a scholemaster bring men vnto the fayth of Christ and on the other side fayth bringeth this to passe that it maketh them after a sort able to accomplishe the lawe For strayght waye so soone as a man beleueth in Christ he obtayneth iustification and is liberally endued with aboundance of the spirite and with grace The entent and purpose of the lawe was that a man should both be made good and also be saued But this thing it was not able to performe Then succeded fayth and did helpe it for through it is a man renued so that he is able to obey God and his commaundementes Chrisostome sayth that Paule here proueth three thinges First that a man may be iustified without the lawe Secondly that the lawe can not iustify Thirdly that fayth and the lawe are not repugnant one to the other Ambrose teacheth that therefore by fayth is the lawe established because that those thinges which by the lawe are commaunded to be done are by fayth declared to be done And we haue alredy before heard that this righteousnes which Paule here commendeth hath testemony both of the lawe and of the Prophetes And if any man obiect that therefore the lawe is made voyde by fayth because by it ceremonies are abolished he answereth that this thing therefore so happeneth because the lawe it selfe would haue it so and foretold that it should so come to passe In Daniell we reade that after the comming of Christ and after that he was slayne the dayly sacrifice should be taken away and the The Law Would and fortold that ceremonis should be made voide Testimonis witnessing that the ceremonis of the Hebrues should cease holy anoynting and such like kinde of ceremonies Wherefore Christ did not without cause saye The lawe and the Prophetes endured vnto Iohn baptistes tyme. Ieremy also most manifestly sayd that an other leage should be made farre diuers from that which was made in the olde tyme. The epistle vnto the Hebrues thereby concludeth that that which was the olde leage and was so called should one day be abolished Zachary the Prophet in his 2 chapter sayth that the city of Ierusalem should be inhabited without walles Which signified that the Church of the beleuers should so be spred abroade and dispersed through out the whole world that it should not be enclosed in by any borders or limites Which selfe same thing Esay semeth to testefy when he sayth That mount Sion and the house of the Lord should be on the toppe of the hilles so that the Gentiles should come vnto it out of al places And Malachy the Prophet pronounced that the name of God should be called vpon frō the rising of the sunne to the going downe of the same so that vnto God should euery where be offred Minchah which many haue transferred vnto y◠Eucharist as though it were a sacrifice when as yet the prophet thereby vnderstādeth prayers and the offring vp euen of our selues as Tertullian testefieth in his booke agaynst the Iewes and also Ierome when he interpreteth that place Wherefore when the Prophets seme to affirme that ceremonyes should be transferred vnto the Ethnikes they are so to be vnderstād as though by the signes they ment the thinges themselues The Ethnikes being conuerted vnto Christ receaued that which was represented by the ceremonies of the elders But they reiected the How the Ethnikes receued the ceremonis of the Hebrues outward signes and thys was by fayth to confirme the lawe And forasmuch as the Prophetes foretold that ceremonyes should be abolished the same is to be taken as if it had bene spoken of the lawe for that the Prophetes were interpreters of the lawe And that Christ when he should come should chaunge the ceremonies euen the Iewes them selues doubted not whych thing is manifest by Iohn Baptist shewed that ceremonis should bee abrogated the historie of Iohn Baptist which we reade in the Gospell For when he would purge menne conuerted vnto God he sente them not vnto sacrifices and vnto the ceremonies of Moses by
vnto hys parents vnto his elders vnto others how greuously they sinned in neglectyng hys circumcision and might profite the whole Churche being a manifest token of the wrath of God against the contemners of the sacramentes Farther it is Before circumcision were some signes of the sacramentes Whether the sword wherewith they circumcised were made of stone Circumcion spread abroade to outward nations not hard to beleue that godly men which liued before Circumcision was instituted had other certayne notes wherby theyr righteousnes which was had by fayth was sealed For we read that they both offred fyrst fruites and also sacrificed But by what signe they signifyed theyr fyrst regeneration the holy scriptures mencioÌ„ not And the Hebrues in Circumcising their children vsed a knife made of stone which thing yet God commaunded not But they were moued so to do by the example of Zippora the wife of Moses whiche vsed suche a knife in circumcising of her sonne when he was in danger to haue bene slayne of the angell And although this sacrament was diligeÌ„tly obserued and kept amongst the Iewes yet it spred abrode also to forren nations For if we may geue credite to Ambrose in his 2. booke of Abraham the patriarch the Egiptians Arabians and Phenicians were circumcised And he thinketh that they for this cause did it for that they thoughte that by suche firste fruytes of their bloude are driuen The deuill as much as lieth in him vitiateth the sacraments of God A foolish manner of the Iewes in circumcâ—sing of their children The Egiptians circumcise their children in the 14. yeare awaye diuels to the ende that they shoulde not hurte hym which is circumcised So the deuill hath alwayes gone aboute to vitiate the sacramentes of God For it was supersticion to ascribe the power of saluation or of the deliuery from Sathan vnto the nature of bloud shed forth And at this day the Iewes seme not to be farre from this kinde of foolishenes For whilest they circumcise the infante there standeth one by with a little vessell full eyther of earth or of duste where into they thruste the foreskinne beyng cut of as though the Deuil seemed by that meanes to haue his meat For the Lord said vnto the serpent euen straight way at the beginnyng Vppon thy breast shalt thou creepe and earth shalte thou eate They séeme to thinke that the deuill hauing thus gotten his meate departeth from the child and wyll not afterward trouble him any more Amongst the Ethnickes also as the same Ambrose affirmeth was circumcision corruptly obserued after an other maner for the Egiptians circumcised not in the eight daye as God had commaunded but in the. 14. yeare for that Ismael at that age receiued circumcision Which maner also it is most likely the Arabians followed For at this day the Turkes also are circumcised at that age Although the Egiptians as the same Ambrose affirmeth were wont also to circumcise theyr women The Egiptians circuÌ„cise women kynde and that in the. 14. yeare as they did their males And of this thinge they gaue this reasoÌ„ that they would by this signe signifie that lust is to be restrained which in eyther kinde at that age beginneth chiefly to be kyndled But God commaunded that onely the male kindes should be circumcised and yet were not the women of the Hebrewes therefore counted either straungers froÌ„ the Church The womeÌ„ of the Hebrewes though they were not circumcised perished not An obiection against circumcisi â–ª or from the couenaÌ„t For they are alwaies numbred together with the men they that were vnmaried with their Father and the maryed with their husbandes There haue bene some which haue by deceitfull arguments spoken yll of circumcision and after a sorte reproued the God of the olde Testament For first they sayd that the foreskinne that was cut of is eyther according to the nature of the of the body or els it is against the nature thereof If it be according to nature why would God haue it cut of If it be agaynst nature why doth God suffer it to be brought forth Ambrose in his 77. epistle to Constantius answereth That that foreskinne is according to the nature of our body but it is not absurd that those thinges which are agreable with our body or our flesh be cut of if the spirite may thereby be holpen Which thing we see done in fastings and other mortifications of the fleshe and in bearing the crosse which God hath layd vpon all the faithfull In whych we are compelled to suffer many thinges which are against the fleshe Farther they said that God feared away the other nations from the law of Moses when An other obiection he layd vpon them this yoke of Circumcision Which if it had bene away many straungers and outward nations would haue come vnto the religion of the Hebrewes But after the selfe same maner also they mought cauell against Christ him selfe for that he seemed to feare away the world from his religion partly by reason of the seuerity of his doctrine and partly by reason of the persecutions and martirdome which in the first time the most part of the faithfull were lyke to suffer But they which truely pertaine vnto the number of the elect doo in no wyse leape backe because of the difficultie of the calling But they which go backwarde were not of vs and therefore they are fallen away They maruayle also why God would in so tender age haue such a ceremonie excercised which mought oftentimes bring weake litle bodies into danger As touching age saith Ambrose Euery age meete for the sacrament Few children died by occasion of circumcision as euery age is subiect vnto sinne so also is it mete for the sacrament And that Infants are subiect vnto sinne theyr diseases weepings paines and deathes aboundantly declare And if peraduenture they were brought in daunger of their lyfe yet was there no cause why they should complaine for as much as they ought the same all whole vnto God And yet as they write very few haue by that occasion died And that payne and daunger brought some vtilitie For euen as valiant soldiours when they remeÌ„ber that they haue before suffered many thinges for that they would not flee away are the more animated to stand by it least they should dishonor those skarres and woundes which they before suffered rather then they would forsake theyr place and standing So would God that Why God would haue the children afflicted with such a wound and with paine the hebrues being now of full age and at mans state should defend the profession of theyr law euen agaynst all dangers when they called to remembraunce that for religions sake they had bene wounded euer from theyr infamy But now he sayth CircumcisioÌ„ is worthely refused of Christians for that forasmuch as Christ hath shed his bloud the price of our redemption there is now no neede that euery particular man should priuatelye shed
is it so displeasant and had in hatred Because it calleth Why the law is had in hatred men backe from those thinges which of their owne nature they are prone vnto for it gréeueth them to haue those thinges forbidden them And when we looke vpon the lawe we sée those thinges which we ought to do and by reason of the pride which is naturally plāted and grafted in vs we will not be restrained by any rules Farther thereby we sée how our actiōs are writhed from that vprightnes which is set forth in the lawe and whiche is more grieous we feele our selues to be so weake that we can not correct them and call thē backe to the prescribed rule howbeit in the meane while we behold the paines and anger of God whereinto by reason of sinnes we incurre All these thinges do so We are not angry with our selues as it is meete but wyth the law and wyth God How the law of God may please vs. Christ being ioyned with the law maketh it swete offend our minde that we are angry not indeede with our selues and with our sinnes as it were mete we shoulde but with the lawe geuen of God when as otherwise it is most perfect and most holy Howbeit this discommodity may be remedied and we may bring to passe that those thinges which before were displeasant vnto vs may afterward be pleasant vnto vs. And that shall we do if we ioyne the lawe together with Christ For euen as the waters of Marath were most bitter vnto the people of Israell in the desert and yet the selfe same by casting in the wood which God had commaunded were made swete So although the law by it selfe be bitter yet if Christ be ioyned with it whom God hath set forth vnto vs as an only sauior and also as the iust and due ende thereof we shall then feele it to be sweete Which thing to haue happened vnto Dauid the 119 Psalme manifestly declareth wherein are wonderfully set forth the prayses of the lawe of God For there it is called pleasaunt delectable sweete Prayses of the law in the Psalmes How the law of God is written in our hartes aboue hony and the hony combe And this is it which is promised vs in the prophete that God would write the lawe in our hartes which is nothing els but that he will geue vnto vs the spirite of Christ whereby we may be inclyned to those thinges which the lawe hath commaunded to be done that at the least way the commaundementes of God should be pleasant to our minde Which thing also the Apostle teacheth when he saith In minde I serue the lawe of God This they that are regenerate do fele who although they can not performe a perfect obedience vnto the commaundementes of God yet they loue them and excedingly desire them and embrace them as the chiefe good and do dilligently desire of God to come to the perfection of them as nigh as is possible By these thinges it plainly appeareth how the vtility and righteousnes of the lawe is to be defended against the Manechies But on the other side the Pelagians are no les to be auoyded which ascribe vnto the lawe more then is mete for they affirme it to The Pelagians attribute vnto the law more then is which they thinke to be sufficient vnto saluation Pelagius sometymes confessed the grace of God in woorde and not in dede By grace Pelagius vnderstoods nature and the law The schole men come very nye vnto the error of the Pelagians be sufficient vnto saluation For they say that if men once vnderstand what is to be done they may easely by the power of nature performe the same Wherfore Pelagius for feare least he should haue bene condemned of the Bishoppes of Palestine as one which vtterly denied the grace of God cōfessed the same grace in word for he affirmed that to our saluation the grace of God is necessary But by grace he vnderstoode nothing els but nature it selfe geuen vs freely of God because God hath made vs reasonable and endued vs with free will Farther he saide that the lawe or doctrine of the lawe was grace because of our selues we are ignorant what thinges are to be done or to be beleued vnles God reuele them vnto vs. Wherefore Augustine writeth in his books of the grace of Christ against Celestius that they with mouth affirme that the possibility of nature it holpen by grace But he addeth that if their meaninges were examined and narrowly waighed then shall we see that by grace doctrine and the lawe they vnderstand nothing els but that a man hauing receaued only the knowledge of the lawe hath of himselfe strength inough to do the thinges that are commaunded Vnto which error the schoole deuines approch very nye when they teach that a man euen by the power of nature can obserue the preceptes of God as touching the substance of the worke although not according to y◠intēt of the cōmaunder By which words this they signifie that we can perform the very works although not in such sort as God hath commaunded they should be done namely of charity the spirite Which latter part I thinke they added that they might seme in some point to disagree from the Palagians But Augustine so abhorred from such sentences that not euen vnto the regenerate so long as they liue in this flesh he graunteth a perfect Euen the regenerate are not able perfectly to obserue the law The Pelagians make the death of Christe vaine obseruation of the commaundementes of God whiche thing manifestly appeareth by his Retractations And that his iudgement therein is most true Paule declareth in the 7. chap. of this epistle Vndoubtedly if the thing were so as Pelagius hath taughte the comming of Christ and sacrifice of the crosse had bene nothing nedefull For these thinges were therefore geuen bycause by our owne strengths we could not attayne vnto the righteousnes of workes That thing Paul most manifestly testefieth saying That which was impossible vnto the law for asmuch as it was weakened by the flesh c These wordes apertly declare that mā by reason of the infirmity of the flesh could not fullfil the law Farther he saith The wisdome of the flesh is enmity towards God for it is not subiect vnto the law of God nether certainely can it be For although the law hath power to teach and to illustrate the minde yet it doth not therefore minister strength or change the will Wherefore Ambrose in his booke de fuga seculi The law sayth he cā stop the mouth of all men but yet it can not conuert the minde And afterward The law indede sheweth the fault but it taketh not a way the malice Wherefore vnto it must be adioyned grace which forasmuch as the Pelagians contemned they wandred from saluation were iustly condemned of the Church But as touching the office of y◠law these few thinges are to be obserued
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
ought to haue bene stirred vp to the workes whiche he did And that he erred he hymselfe testifieth of himself in many places Vnto the Eph. the. 2. cha he sayth And you that wer dead in sins wherin in times past the walked according to the course of this world after the prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirite that now worketh in the children of distrust Among whome we also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our fleshe in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of affections and we were by nature the children of wrath as well as others But GOD which is rich in mercye thorough hys greate loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickened vs together with Christ And vnto Titus For we also were once fooles disobedient straying out of the way seruing the desires and pleasures in maliciousnes and enuy one of vs hating an other Such a one was Paul before he was conuerted vnto Christ although he mought not vnworthely make great boast of his outward righteousnes And that thou shouldest not say that he was changed and deliuered frō these sinnes when he began earnestly to apply himselfe vnto the doctrine of the lawe wherein he so much profited that he coulde now be neither accused nor slayne of it he hymselfe in the selfe same epistle to Titus auoutcheth that he was Paul affirmeth that he was iustified by Christ only by Christ only iustified and by the benefite of the holy ghost acquited Wherefore before he was come to Christe the knowledge of the lawe coulde do nothing but kill him For thus he sayth but when the bountifulnes and loue of God our Sauiour towardes man appeared not by the workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of regeneration and of the renuing of the holy ghost which he shed on vs most aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour that being iustified by his grace we might be made heyres according to the hope of eternall life But vnto that which he writeth vnto Timothe that he had from his elders serued God with a pure conscience answere may thus be made That although he had not in him his conscience accusing him yet this acquited him not from sinne For there are many and haue bene many Scribes and Pharises which being instructed with an ill conscience had an ill iudgement of the law of God They which are not well instructed in the lawe ar not sometimes reproued of their conscience whome yet Christ manifestly reproueth Wherefore when as afterward came a more sounder knowledge of the lawe by it by reason of sinne now known were they slayne Farther we must see what it is that Paul goeth about in that place to perswade vnto Timothe he sayth that he geueth thankes vnto God that without ceassing he maketh mencion of him in his prayers and desireth to see him And that he should not think that he spake this after any common maner as though he did it only to flatter him but spake not from the hart he sayth that he had neuer bene accustomed to lye And although his conscience could not reproue hym of lying yet were there a greater many other thinges which the lawe being truely knowen mought reproue in him And that he had not the perfect knowledge of the lawe hereby it is manifest for that he persecuted Christ in hys Paul before his cōuersion knew not the law perfectly church who is the ende of the lawe In which thing he did nothing agaynst his conscience for it was then in no other sort enstructed And therfore he sayth be did it through ignorance and infidelity Neither hath the law of God that power to kill through sinne but when it is perfectly known And these thinges are spoken of Paul when he was yet of the Iewishe religion And how these thinges pertayned vnto him after he knew Christ and how they pertayne to vs shall afterward be declared Howbeit in the meane time these things ought to moue vs to detest the naturall sinne grafted in vs. That sinne might be out of measure sinfull by the commaundement Here the Apostle declareth that he entreateth not only of the knowledge of sinne which is perceaued by the lawe but also of the comming of that wickednes which is wrought by taking an occasion of the law For by y◠figure Hyperbole Why the Apostle vseth the figure Prosopopeia he saith that sinne is made sinfull aboue measure And vnto sinne by a figure he fayneth a person which sinneth deceaueth and slayeth Which he therefore did for that he considered that we are slow and blockishe and vnderstand not the pernicious blot of our originall sinne But because the lattin translatiō hath aboue measure sinfull Ambrose demaundeth whether paraduenture there be any measure of sinne granted by the lawe And he answereth that there is none for the lawe condemneth all sinnes vniuersally although he confesse that there is The law cōdemneth all sinnes a certayne measure as touching the seuerity of God aboue which measure God differreth not his punishements and vengeance As it may be sayd of the Chananites There is with God a certaine measure of sinnes aboue which they are not suffered to escape vnpunished Sodoma Gomorrha and other nations whome God suffered a longe while to escape vnpunished But afterward when they exceded that measure whiche God coulde no longer suffer to excede he vtterly ertinguished and destroyed them Although some say that sinne aboue measure encreased after the law was geuen if it be compared with that tyme wherein the lawe was not For then mought haue bene pretended some ignorance but that ignorance so soone as the lawe was geuen and published was taken away But I would rather expound this by the figure Hyperbole that is vnmeasurably For when lust waxeth of force we fall into all kindes of sinnes But the kindes of sinnes can not be expressed For euen as archers but one only way hit the marke but yet infinite wayes mysse it A similitude so vertue consisting in the middest as a marke we may infinite wayes erre from it but there is but one only way to attaine vnto it That which is in the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may thus be turned in Lattin Peccatum peccator that is sinne a sinner But because that soundeth not so well it may be turned sinne out of measure vicious Aristotle in his 3. of Ethikes sayth that of extreames the one is more vitious and the other lesse The lawe is spirituall but I am carnall being sold vnder sinne Here is rendred a reason why it is not to be imputed vnto the lawe that of the knowledge thereof followeth death For saith he the lawe is spirituall but the propriety of the spirite is to geue life And this thing experience well teacheth vs. For we sée that bodyes do so long liue how long there is in
affirme that by regeneration is takeÌ„ away the guiltines of sinnes For although these vices remayne both as the scripture testefieth and also as experience teacheth yet their bond and guiltines is taken away Wherfore Augustine oftentymes saith that lust in dede remayneth but the guiltines therof is by Christ takeÌ„ away And he addeth that somtimes it coÌ„meth to pas that the act and worke of sinne passeth away as we see it is in theft and in adultery but the guiltines notwithstandyng abideth and sometymes it commeth to passe that the guiltines is takeÌ„ away but the fault remayneth Which is plaine to be sene touching this lust wherof we speake It remayneth in dede but yet we cannot by it be as guilty condemned to eternall death If thou demaund why it is called sinne when as the guiltines is taken away I aunswer bicause in that it is not imputed vnto vs it hath not that of his owne nature for as touching his owne nature as we haue before taught it deserueth death and damnation but this commeth by an other meanes namely of the mercy of God through Christ But euery thing ought to be considered by it selfe and of his own nature Wherfore seyng the proper nature of sinne Euery thinge ought to be considered by his owne nature is to striue against the law of God and this thing we sée to come to passe in this lust and in these first motions therfore they ought to be called sinnes Neither by this our sentence do we fall into that folishnes which the Pelagians vpbrayded vnto Augustine and to other of the catholikes as though they should say that by regeneration The PelagiaÌ„â— bâ—â—ided vnto catholikes folishnes is not blotted out sinne but only rased For when heares are shauen there remaine still vnder the skinne the rootes of the heares by which they grow vp againe For although we affirme that in men regenerate remaine still lust A similitude corrupt motions yet do we not deny but that God is perfectly reconciled vnto vs. Wherfore although of their owne nature they are sinnes yet by the mercy of God they are so blotted out that they now vtterly cease to be imputed wherfore if we As touchinge imputation sinnes are vtterly taken is regeneration haue a respect vnto imputation there remayneth nothing of them Last of al they obiect vnto vs that we do iniury vnto Augustine when we say that he affirmeth these to be sinnes when as he interpreteth himself that they are called sinnes improperly For as a scripture or writing is called a hand for that it is done with the hand so that these called sinnes for that they come from original sinne and as cold Why Augustine calleth these motioÌ„s sinnes is called slouthfull for that it maketh vs slouthfull so are these called sinnes for yâ— they stirre vs vp to sinnes but yet properly they are not sinnes So say they Augustine by this meanes doth not only interpretate himselfe why he calleth these sinnes but also hath geuen vnto vs a way how we ought to vnderstand Paul wheÌ„ he calleth these sinnes Hereunto we aunswer first that if either Augustine or any other of the fathers do deny that these are sinnes that is to be vnderstand by When the fathers say that these motioÌ„s ar not sinnes they vnderstand that they are not actual sinnes way of comparison if they be compared with actuall sinnes but not that the nature of sinne can wholy be taken away from them Which thing Augustine in another place most plainly declareth For against Iulianus in his 6. booke 8. chap. For it is not sayth he no iniquity when in one man eyther the superiour partes are after a vile maner seruantes vnto the inferiour partes or the inferiour partes after a vile maner resist the superiour partes although they be not suffred to get the maistry Seyng that he calleth this sinne iniquitie he plainly declareth that vnto it is agreable the nature of sinne which we before described And in his 5. booke agaynst the same Iulianus He expressedly calleth these motioÌ„s sinnes and affirmeth thâ— to be iniquities the third chapiter he thus writeth The luste of the fleshe agaynst which the good spirite lusteth is sinne for that in it is a disobedience agaynst the gouernment of the mind and it is a punishement of sinne for that it is rendred vnto the merites of the disobedient person and it is a cause of sinne thorough the falling away of hym that sinneth Here we sée that lust is of Augustine thrée maner of wayes called sinne Neither Note these wordes of Augustine can it be sayd that he writeth these thinges of a man not regenerate For he expressedly saith Against which the good spirite lusteth For in the wicked is not the spirite of God which striueth against lustes Wherfore we haue out of Augustine thrée places one which we before cited out of his 5. booke de libero Arbitrio and Lust remayning in vs is truly and properly sinne two against Iulianus wherin he expressedly confesseth that lust is sinne and bringeth a reason why he so thinketh Neither oughte our aduersaries as touchynge the interpretacion of Paul to runne vnto a figure to say that this is not properly to be called sinne For both out of Paul and out of other places of the scripture is brought good reason why lust is truly and properly called sinne And it is to be woÌ„dred at that these men otherwise are euery where so prone to figures when as in this one proposition This is my body they so much abhorre from al kind of figures when as yet notwithstanding a figure is there most conuenient And if thou desire other testimonies of the fathers wherby to proue that lust is sinne we haue before cited Ierome vpon Mathew And there are in Augustine against Iulianus found cited a great many other sentences of the auncient fathers All which make wholy on our side But now let vs come to the exposition of the 8. chapter The eight Chapter FOrasmuch as nowe there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the spirite For the lawe of the spirite of lyfe which is in Christ Iesus hath made me fre froÌ„ the law of sinne and of death For as much as in this chapiter are entreated many notable things it shall The Method of this chapt not be amisse to deuide the summe of them into the partes thereof Firste Paul remoueth away condemnation which he sayth is taken away by the Lawe of the spirite of life which spirite we haue obteyned by the benefite of the death of Christ And this liberty promiseth he not indifferentlye vnto all men but only vnto those whiche are in Christe and walke not accordinge vnto the fleshe but according to the spirite For they which seperate them selues from Christ can not be pertakers of his benefite TheÌ„ he addeth that we by this spirit are
Paul here writeth He hath deliuered me from the right of sinne and of death That is from the guiltines or bond whereby we were bound vnto sinne and vnto eternall death And when this bond is taken away there then remaineth nothing why we should feare condemnation But forasmuch as that is said to happē through the spirite of Christ it manifestly appeareth that men are not iustefied by workes For workes follow the spirite and are saide to be the fruites thereof And this deliuery pertayneth only vnto them which are in Christ that we may vnderstand that all they are excluded which boast of faith and of the Gospell yet in the meane tyme do wallow in most grosse sinnes and are straungers from Christ and whereas they committe many thinges against their conscience yet are they not touched with any repentaunce This which is added which walke not according to the fleshe but according to the spirit expoundeth y◠which was before saide To be in Christ And that we may the better vnderstād that it is all one we must repeate that whiche the Apostle a litle before wrote Let not sinne raigne in your mortall body that this although ye be stirred vp by these lustes yet ye ought not to permitte vnto thē the dominion of your minde And that which the Apostle in this place declareth bringeth with it a great consolation They which are shut vp fast in prison and do know themselues to be A similitude guilty do looke for nothing els but sentence of death now if to them pardon and forgeuenes should be offred they not looking for it they can not but excedingly be glade and reioyce So we when we see that damnation is dewe vnto vs for our sinnes can not but excedingly reioyce at these tidinges when we heare out of the holy scriptures that all thinges are freely forgeuen vs for Christes sake Wherefore if we desire to haue the fruition of this so great a benefite it is necessary that we beleue the pardon which is offred vnto vs. For thys liberalitye of God wyll nothynge profite vs without faythe Althoughe by that whiche we haue nowe spoken I doubte not but that men maye vnderstande what the meaninge of Paul is yet are there sower thynges Foure thinges put forth to be examined whiche shall not be vnprofytable more dilygentlye to examyne Fyrste what that is wherby we are deliuered Secondly from what kind of euill we are deliuered Thirdly what maner of thing this deliuery is Lastly vnto whome it pertaineth As touching the first the Apostle saith that condemnation is taken away by the law of the spirit of lyfe wherby we vnderstand the holy ghost which gouerneth our mindes and ruleth them by his inward motions With which exposition agréeth Chrisostome For euen as saith he the law of sinne is sinne so the lawe of the spirite is the spirite But in that this worde of lyfe is added some do thus vnderstand it as though that worde should be ioyned with the worde law so that the law should be called the law of the spirite and the law of life But the nature of y◠Greke tong semeth to vrge that that worde should be an epitheton or proprietie of the spirite For thus it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is of the spirit of lyfe Here the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coupleth this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of lyfe with the spirit and not with the law Wherfore the sence is that we are deliuered by the spirite the author of life and not by euery spirite which is cold and wanteth lyfe Ambrose by the law of y◠spirite vnderstoode faith which law he putteth as a meane betwene y◠two other lawes betwene the law of Moses I say and the law of the flesh Faith driueth not nor forceth vnto vices as before Paul taught that the law of the members and of the flesh doth Neither is faith as the law of Moses which only admonisheth what ought to be done but geueth not strengths to do it neither forgeueth whē any thing is committed against it For faith both teacheth what is to be don and also bringeth strengths to do the same and when any fault is committed it obteyneth pardon for the same Hereby we sée what is to be vnderstand by the law of the spirite of life namely the holy ghost or els fayth For either is true for in very deede y◠author of our deliuery is y◠spirit of Christ And y◠instrument which he vseth The efficicient cause and 〈◊〉 of our saluation to saue vs by is faith For it is the first gift wherwith God adorneth and decketh men that are to be iustified by it to embrace the promises set forth vnto thē Now to vnderstand the second part namely fro what we are deliuered We are deliuered from the law of sinne and death By these wordes is not signified the law of Moses although by faith in Christ we ar deliuered from it also ▪ But the Apostle entreateth not therof at this present neither is the law of Moses called in y◠The law of Moses is no◠called the law of sinne holy scriptures the law of sinne For although thorough it sinne be encreased yet doth it not commaund sinne neither was sinne the author of it yea rather the law of Moses is called spiritual partly because the holy ghost was the author of it who gaue it in Mount Sina and partly because all those things which it commaundeth are spirituall neither are they agreable vnto lust nor vnto our flesh It may It is called the law of death but yet per accidens that is by chaunce in dede after a sort be called the law of death for in the latter epistle to the Corrinthians it is called the ministery of death but these thinges are not to be applyed vnto it but thorough our default For otherwise of it selfe it setteth forth those things which should be profitable vnto lyfe But it lighteth vpon the peruersenes of our nature and therof it commeth that death followeth it Which reason if we should follow the Gospell also might be called the instrument of death For Paul The Gopell is per accidens the instrument of death in his latter epistle to the Cor. thus writeth Vnto some we are the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe but vnto other some the sauor of death vnto death Wherfore there is great cōsideration to be had with what maner of sauor we sauor the Gospell For it is not to be meruailed at that of one and the selfe same thing do follow contrary effectes For we sée daily that one and the self same sonne both drieth vp clay and also melteth waxe But seing it is so a man may meruaile why the Gospell is not in the holy scriptures called the ministery of death as the law of Moses is Ambrose answereth Because the Gospell of hys owne nature condemneth not but those which beleue not it leaueth
kingdome of heauen he streight way declareth that thing by the effectes I was hungry sayth he and ye fed me I was thursty and ye gaue me drinke I was in prison and ye visited me c So Paul in this place expresseth the true cause of our deliuery namely the spirite of Christ Now to know who they are that be partakers therof he setteth forth yâ— effectes of this deliuery sayingâ— Vnto those vvhich are in Christ Iesus vvhich walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirite That which is added namely to walke according to the spirite and not according to the fleshe bycause it is afterward repeated shall in that place be expounded Let vs se therefore what it is to be in Christe First commeth that which is common vnto all men For the sonne of God bycause What is the coniunction which we haue with Christ he tooke vpon him the nature of man is ioyned and made one with al meÌ„ For sithen they haue fellowship with flesh and bloud as witnesseth the epistle vnto the Hebrues he also was made pertaker of flesh and bloud But this coniunction is generall and weake and onely if I may so call it according to the matter For the nature of men is farre diuers from that nature which Christe tooke vpon him For the nature of man in Christ is both immortall and also exempted from sinne and adorned with all purenes but our nature is vnpure corruptible and miserablye contaminated with sinne But if it be endewed with the spirite of Christ it is so repayred that it differeth not much from the nature of Christ Yea so greate is that affinity that Paul in his epistle to the EphesiaÌ„s sayth That we are flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones Which forme of speaking An Ebrue phrase our bone and our flesh semeth to be taken out of the writinges of yâ— old TestameÌ„t For there bretherne and kinsefolkes doo thus speake of themselues one to an other He is my bone and my flesh For they seme to acknowledge vnto them one common matter by reason of one and the selfe same séede of the father and one the selfe same wombe of the mother Whereunto this also is a helpe for that children doo draw of theyr parentes not only a carnall and corpulent substance but also witte affections and disposition This selfe same thing commeth to passe in vs when we are endewed with the spirite of Christ For besides our nature which we haue commoÌ„ with him we haue also his mind as Paul admonisheth in the first to the Cor. and the selfe same sence as he requireth vnto the Phillippians saying Let the selfe same sence be in you which was also in Christ Iesus Thys our coniunction with Christ Paul expressed in this selfe same epistle by graftinge wherein are verye well perceaued or sene those two things which we haue now made mencion of For the grafte whiche is grafted and the stocke whereinto it is grafted are A similitude made one thing nether only are yâ— matters which were diuerse ioyned together but also they are nourished together with one and the selfe same iuyce spirite and life This selfe same thing the Apostle testefieth is done in vs when he sayth that we are grafted into Christ The same thing also Christ teacheth in the Gospel of Iohn wheÌ„ he calleth himself yâ— vine vs yâ— braunches for yâ— braunches haue yâ— selfe same life common with the vine trée they burgen forth by yâ— same spirite and bring forth one and the selfe same fruite Paul also in his epistle to the Ephesians Our coniunction with Christ is compared with matrimony â–ª compareth our coniunction with Christ with matrimony For he saith that it is a greate sacrament betwene Christ and the Churche For euen as in matrimony not only bodyes are made common but also affections and wills are ioyned together so commeth it to passe by a sure and firme grouÌ„d betwene Christe and the Churche Wherefore the Apostle pronounceth them frée from sinne which abyde in Christe and be in hym after that maner which we haue now expressed to the end they should liue his life and haue one and the self same sence with him and bring forth fruites of workes not disagreing froÌ„ his frutes and they whiche are suche can not feare condemnation or iudgement For the Lorde Iesus is saluation it selfe as hys name suffycyentlye declareth Wherfore they which are in him are in no daunger to be condemned Hereunto Who are in Christ we adde that they also are in Christ which in all their things depend of hym and which whatsoeuer they take in hand or do are moued by his spirite For to depeÌ„d of him is nothing els then in all thinges that we go about to haue a regard vnto him and to séeke onely his glory but they which are moued by his spirit â–ª do not follow the affections and instigations of lustes Hereby it is manifest how faithfull and godly men are in Christ and that by all kindes of causes â—â—or we haue one the selfe same matter also the selfe same first groundes of forme for we are endued with the self same notes proprieties and conditions which he had The efficient It is proued that we are in Christ by all kindes of causes cause wherby we are moued to worke is the same spirit wherwith he was moued Lastly the ende is all one namely the the glory of God should be aduanced But that which was vnpossible vnto the law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sendyng his own sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne and by sinne condemned sinne in the flesh That the righteousnes of the Lawe might be fulfilled in vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit For they which are accordyng to the fleshe sauour the thinges that are of the flesh but they that are accordyng to the spirite sauour the thinges that are of the spirite For the wisedome of the fleshe is death but the wisedome of the spirite is lyfe and peace Because the wisedome of the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subiect vnto the lawe of God neyther in deede can be So then they that are in the fleshe cannot please God But that which was impossible vnto the law in as much as it was weakened by the flesh God sending his sonne Here is brought a reason wherby is shewed that this spirite of God is geuen vnto vs for a deliuerer to the ende we might be made the more certaine therof For when we heare that of necessity we must haue the spirite of Christ streight way we thinke with our selues that by reason of our vncleane affections and corrupt maners we are vnworthy of the receauing of it This doubt Paul taketh away saith that yâ— benefite commeth vnto vs by the death of Christ For this was the ende for which Christ would dye namely
it was lawful for him to do wherfore he thinketh he lost his power which before he had â—uer men But this interpretation although it conteine nothing that is vngodly yet in no wyse agréeth with the meaning of the Apostle For Paul geueth a reason how we are deliuered by Christ from the lustes and motions of which he complaineth towards the ende of the vij chapter And forasmuch as the death of Christ is put for the cause of this deliuery that exposition which we brought of the sacrifice for sin both is agreable with reason and also is proued by other testimonies of the Scriptures For Esay in his 53. chapter writynge of Christ sayth If he shall put his soule Ameth schaim asham nephesch sinne that is to say for sinne Paul also as we haue before cited him saith That he which knew no sinne was for vs made sinne And in the first epistle to the Corrinthians Christ our paschall is offered vp And in the epistle vnto the Hebreues Christ is set forth to be that sacrifice for sinne whiche was sene to be offered without the hostes Iohn also sayth Beholde the lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinnes of the worlde in which wordes he calleth him a lambe for yâ— What the killinge of sacrifices signified in the old time he should be a sacrifice for sinne And that slaughter of sacrifices shadowed nothing els vnto the elders but damnation and death For there they which offred them acknowledged that the sinnes for which they ought to haue bene punished should be transferred and layd vpon the Messias that euen as the sacrifice was killed so should Christ in tyme to come dye for the sinne of the people Which thing peraduenture they declared by an outward simbole or signe namely by laying on of Why the Gentils sometimes sacrificed men their handes And many thinke that this signification of the offring vp of the Messias for sinne was of so great force that for the figuracion therof men were among certaine nations offred vp For that which they had heard of the holy patriarches should one day come to passe the same they sought to expresse by a sacrifice most nyest as they thought vnto the truth Which yet forasmuch as it wanted yâ— word of God and was by them only inuented was nothing els then an vngodly cruelty Of this thing Origene against Celsus maketh mencion Neither can it be but Why the killinges of sacrifices aâ— at this day â— out of vse wonderful that at this day throughout the whole world there are no immolatioÌ„s of sacrifices which seme by the prouidence of god therfore to haue vanished away bicause that noble and so long looked for sacrifice of the deth of Christ which was by all those sacrifices after a sorte shadowed is now performed For God hath geuen one only oblacion wherby as we haue said sinne is condemned By which so great liberality of God towardes vs both feare and also faith ought to be stirred vp in vs. For if God to the ende he would abolishe sinne spared not his owne proper sonne what shall become of vs if we despise so great a sacrifice and tread vnder foote the bloud of the sonne of God On the other side who will not put his confidence in God whom he séeth for our sinnes to haue geuen his sonne vnto the deth Wherfore we ought with a most strong faith to embrace this sacrifice Neyther ought we here to regard the sacrificing priestes which boast that they can by their The sacrifyce of Christ is not applied vnto vs by Masses masses and superstitions and vngodly whisperinges apply this sacrifice vnto vs. In dede the holy scriptures teache that one ought to pray for an other But that yâ— communicating of one man is sufficient for an other or that it applieth the death of Christ vnto an other that thing the holy ghost neuer taught And sithen the sacramentes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is seales of promises they can profite them onely if we speake of theÌ„ which are of full age which embrace theÌ„ by fayth Wherfore eueÌ„ as it is not coÌ„uenient yâ— one should be baptised for an other so doth it nothing profite if one man receiue the Eucharist or supper of the Lord for an other For this were all one as if a man should take seales by which promises are confirmed and transferre theÌ„ vnto a blanke paper which hath neither promise nor any thing written in it we may in déede when we communicate geue thankes vnto God for that he hath holpen our neighbours and brethren and we may pray for them that they may be confirmed But to eate the sacrifice or Eucharist or to offer vp Christ for other men it is vtterly a fained inuention And although we shoulde graunte theÌ„ thys yet should they not haue yâ— which they so much séeke for For thys is not peculiar vnto priestes but is coÌ„moÌ„ vnto al theÌ„ which celebrate yâ— supper of yâ— lord Away therfore with these fained lies let euery maÌ„ labor by his own proper faith to take hold for himselfe of this benefite of Christ to apply it vnto himself Augustine in his exposition begon vpon the epistle vnto the Romanes saith that euery one of vs applieth vnto himselfe the sacrifice of the death of Christ For he saith Touching the sacrifice of which the Apostle then spake that is of the burnt offring of the Lordes passion that euery man offreth for hys owne sinnes then when he is dedicated vnto the passion of Christ through faith and when by baptisme be is noted by the name of faithfull Christians Now let vs speake of the third thing namely to sée what is the fruite of the death of Christ That the righteousnes of God might be fulfilled in vs which walke not according to the fleshe but according to the spirite That which we haue turned Righteousnes and others Iustification in Greke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word signifieth that honesty and vprightnes which is commaunded in the lawe which although it be so called yet are we not therby iustified for the fulfilling thereof can be in no man but only in him which is iustified It is true in dede that We shal be iudged according to our works we shall not be iustified by them we shal be iudged accordinge vnto those woorkes for God wyll render vnto euerye manne accordynge to hys woorkes For accordinge to the condition of the workes the forme of the sentence shal be pronouÌ„ced Yet are not good works the causes of that felicity which we looke for For if they were causes then shoulde they either be equall with the reward or els they should be greater then it For this is the nature of causes ether to excell the affectes or at the least wayes to be The dignity of causes either excelleth or els is equall with the effecâ—es How the preceptes of the law are fulfilled in vs by Christ equall
should at any time say that he loueth God aboue all thinges when we haue diligently considered the matter we shall playnly finde that vnder that dissembled loue lieth hidden in his hart a most greate hatred of God And where as the Apostle sayth that the affecte of the flesh is not subiecte vnto the Law of God he hath not a respect vnto works moral or ciuill but only as I haue sayd to our corrupt and vitiate nature And herein chiefely is the first table to be considered The first table contayneth the force and vigour of the latter table which requireth a perfect fayth loue worshipping and feare of God in which things coÌ„sisteth the force vigour and as it were the soule of the obedieÌ„ce of the rest of the commaundementes Of those thinges which haue hitherto ben spoken the Apostle inferreth this conclusion that they which are in the flesh caÌ„not please God and therfore they are nether deliuered nor recoÌ„ciled vnto God They whiche are in the flesh are euill trees If the meÌ„ them selues can not please God theyr workes can not be acceptable vnto God We must desire a more aboundaunt spirite that we may the more please God So that this is a certaine token whereby we may know by the effect and aposteriori as they call it who they are that are deliuered from sinne and made pertakers of the benefite of the death of Christ And if they which are in the fleshe can not please God then it followeth that they are euill trées which bringe not forth good fruite Where are then merites of congruity and of works as they call them preparatory For if the men themselues can not please God vndoubtedly theyr workes can not be acceptable vnto God Wherefore miserable is the estate of the wicked which in no wise can please God But it is our partes continually to pray for a more aboundant spirite of Christ that we may more and more please him But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirite bycause the spirite of God dwelleth in you But if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his And if Christ be in you the body is dead bicause of sinne but the Spirite is life bycause of righteousnes And if the Spirite of hym that raysed vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raysed vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodyes bycause that his spirite dwelleth in you Ye are not in the fleshe That which he before spake generally he now perticularly applieth vnto the Romanes and after his accustomed maner discendeth from a generall theme to a perticular Here is agayne in this place a sentence which can not but figuratiuely be interpreted for if we should vnderstaÌ„d Chrisostom saith that figures are necessary in the scriptures Of these wordes of the Lord this is myâ— body simply that we are not in the flesh the truth would shew the contrary Wherefore Chrisostome vpon this place sayth that it is a thing very daungerous alwayes to vnderstand the scriptures according to the proper significations of the words I meruaile therefore what our aduersaries meane so much to iangle and to make such an adoo when we say that these wordes of the Lord This is my body are spoken figuratiuely and that we vnderstaÌ„d them not as though the body of Christ were carnally really and substantially in the bread But that which is shewed forth we teach to be the sacrament of the body of Christ whereby is signifyed that hys body was fastened vnto the Crosse and his bloud shed for vs. And this vndoubtedly is done with greate vtility if we both beleue those things which are set forth and also receaue the sacrameÌ„t with such a faith as behoueth But they say that Christ did not so speake I graunt he did not But if it be sufficient so to answere why doo they not here also say that Paul spake simply and appertly Ye are not in the flesh for other interpretations hath he added none If they say that that may be gathered by those thinges which he before spake so also will we say that this may be gathered as well by the nature of the sacraments whose nature is to signify the thinges whereof they are signes and also by yâ— which is there written namely that these thinges ought to be done in remembraunce of the Lord and that they should shew forth his death and also by many other thinges which are written in the 6. chap of Iohn Farther Chrisostome vpon this place sayth That Paul wheÌ„ he thus writeth doth in no wise deny the nature of the fleshe but exalteth it to a more higher dignity namely that it should rather obey the impulsion of the spirite then lust So we say that when the fathers seme to deny that the nature of the bread abideth in the encharist they deny not the nature of the bread but declare yâ— it is exalted to a higher dignity namely to be a sacrameÌ„t Against transubstaÌ„tiation How folish they are which by these words speake against matrimony of ministers of the body of Christ and now to serue to a spiritual purpose and vse But they yet dote a greâ—t deale more which thinke that this place maketh agaynst the matrimony of ministers of the Church For if it were so he should conclude vniuersally that all Christians ought to liue without wyues For there is no Christian after that he hath beleued in Christ is any more in the fleshe We haue in dede a body fleshe and members meate drinke and matrimonies all which thinges séeme to pertayne vnto yâ— flesh but we haue theÌ„ in God to vse theÌ„ according to the spirite not according to the flesh Neither doth Paul in this place meane any other thing theÌ„ did yâ— Lord in yâ— Gospell wheÌ„ he sayd vnto hys disciples Ye are not of thys world Wherfore Ambrose saith that we haue such a nature framed vnto vs as we felâ— it to be he addeth moreouer That the wise men of the world are in the flesh because they resist fayth and wyll beleue those thynges only which are agreeable to reason This place againe teacheth vs that Ambrose by the name of fleshe vnderstoode reason Ambrose by the name of flesh vnderstandeth reason also What it is to be in the flesh and the higher partes of the soule We say therefore that to be in the fleshe according to the Apostles meaning signifieth nothing els then in all our actions to be ruled and gouerned by the sence and affecte of nature not yet regenerate in Christ Now by this it appeareth that it is proper vnto a Christian to follow those thinges which are of the spirite and to auoyde those thynges which are of the fleshe And this propriety of a Christian lyfe partly moueth vs not to forsake it and is partly a note by which we may be made more certayne of our iustification By what note or maâ—ke we
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
oughte not to be in doubt whither the spirite of Christ do dwell in vs or no. Ambrose vpon this place noteth that the spirite of God departeth from vs for two maner of causes eyther bicause of the vnderstanding of the flesh or els bicause of the actes therof That is either for false doctrine or els for corrupt maners But if Christ be in you the body in dede is dead because of sinne Hitherto pertaineth the first part of this chapter wherin hath bene declared that although in the saintes there still remayneth sinne yet therof followeth not condemnation for it is taken away by the law of the spirit But froÌ„ whence this spirit is deriued into vs hath ben set forth namely froÌ„ the death which the son of God suffered for vs. Farther it hath 〈◊〉 declared what they are vnto whome so great a benefite is come namely 〈◊〉 which walke according to the spirite and not according to the flesh Now he entreth into the second part wherin he teacheth that we by the same spirite haue obteined participation both of the death and of the resurrection of the Lord. And he exhorteth vs according as our duety is to mortify the dedes of the flesh and to addict our selues wholy vnto the spirit by whom we haue obteyned so great benefites And to knit together those things which are to be spoken with those which are already spoken the Apostle saith But if Christ be in you In that he thus saith that Christ is in vs he sheweth that it counteth it al one for the spirite of God or of Christ to dwell in vs and Christ himselfe to be in vs not that he meaneth that the holy ghost and Christ that is the sonne of God are one the selfe same hypostasis or person But as Chrisostome hath taught this is the nature of the thrée persons that wheresoeuer the one is there also the other are together present Wherfore forasmuch as the holy ghost is in vs it followeth of necessity that the sonne of God which is Christ together with the father is in vs. Which thing Paul hath expressedly pronounced vnto the Ephesians when he sayd That Christ Not where soeuer Christ is accordinge to his diuine nature he is there also according to his humane nature by fayth dwelleth in our hartes And yet it followeth not that whersoeuer Christ is according to his diuine nature he is there also accordyng to his humaine nature For his humaine nature whether we haue a regard vnto the soule or vnto the body is finite neither can so be poured abroade infinitely that it shoulde possesse and fill all things as doth his diuine nature Wherfore we graunt that the sonne and the father are wheresoeuer the holy ghost is and whersoeuer we confesse the son of God to be there also will we coÌ„fesse Christ to be but yet not alwaies according to his humane nature For yâ— is not possible Paul saith in his â— epistle vnto the Cor. that the elders dranke of the spiritual rock which followed theÌ„ that rocke was Christ Of the rocke which was Christ By which wordes are â—â— things to be vnderstaÌ„d first yâ— Christ was signified in that rocke secondly yâ— he was in very dede present with the people when they dranke as the holy history declareth For it telleth yâ— God promised that he would be preset with his people at the rocke Oreb And the same God was yâ— sonne which could not then be present according to flesh and humane nature when as he had not yet put it on And yet is he of Paul called Christe And in the selfe same epistle the fathers are sayd to haue tempted Christ in the desert which can not be vnderstand according to the humane nature for as much as it was not then extaÌ„t The fathers â—â— the wildernes tempted Christ How it is to be vnderstande Christ to dwel in vs. So when Christ is sayd to dwell in vs by fayth or the spirite it doth not thereof follow that ether his body or his soule dwelleth in our hartes really as I may call it and substancially It is inough that Christ be sayd to be in vs by hys deuine presence and that he is by his spirite grace and giftes present with vs. Nether is this as some make exclamation to go aboute to seperate the diuine nature from the humane For we holde that the natures in Christ are ioyned together and insâ—perable And yet that coniunction maketh not that the humane nature extendeth it selfe so farre aâ— doth the diuine nature Which thing Augustine hath most manifestly testefied vnto Dardanus Although I knowe there are some which go aboute by certayne wordes of his out his 96. treatise vpoÌ„ Iohn to cauill that he ment that Christ also according to hys humane nature is still with vs although he be not sene For Augustine wheÌ„ he interpreteth these words A place of Augustine expounded of the Lord I go to prepare you a place sayth that those places and maÌ„sions are nothing ells then we our selues which beleue which are as certayne dwelling places vnto which the father and the sonne come and abide in But we must by the holy ghost be prepared to be made mete dwelling places WheÌ„ he thus expouÌ„deth these wordes he demauÌ„deth Why then sayth Christ that he goeth away if we must be prepared For he ought rather to be present For if he depart away we shall not â—e prepared Afterward when he solueth the question he thus writeth If I doo well vnderstande the thou departest neyther from whence thou camest nether from the place whither thou goest Thou departest in hiding thy selfe thâ—u commest in manifesting thy selfe But vnles thou abide in gouerning vs and we go froward 〈…〉 ning well how shall a place be prepared for vs Behold say they by these wordes it is most manifeste that Christe hath not departed from vs but is present although he lye hiddeÌ„ But these men consider not that these thinges are spokeÌ„ of the diuine nature For that is it which is said to haue come from heauen and out of the bosome of the Father He came indede not that he departed thence from whence he came but bycause he appeared vnto vs vnder humane nature Agayne he is sayd to haue gone from hence when he ascended according to hys humane nature not that he hath vtterly departed froÌ„ vs but for that the humane nature in which he appeared vnto vs being taken vp vnto heauen the presence of his diuine nature lieth hidden with vs nether can it be sene of vs. And that this is the meaning of Augustine may be proued by two argumentes First bycause he entreateth of our preparation which belongeth vnto Christ according to his diuine nature for it worketh and insinuateth it selfe in our hartes and mindes Farther that place which he citeth out of the epistle vnto the Corrinthians whereas he proueth that we are the dwelling places of God teacheth the selfe same
thing Paul sayth that we are the temple of God and the temple of the holy ghost and that God himselfe dwelleth in vs which vndoubtedly can not be referred vnto the humane nature of Christ but only vnto the deuine But the better to vnderstaÌ„d Augustines iudgement as touching Augustine â—eclareth how Christ is with vs and how he is absente from vs. this matter let vs heare what he sayth in his 50. treatise vpon the selfe same Gosple of Iohn where he expoundeth these words The poore ye shall haue alwayes with you but me ye shall not haue alwayes For he spake saith he of the preseÌ„ce of his bodye For according to his maiesty according to his prouideÌ„ce according to his vnspeakeable inuisible grace is fullfilled that which he spake Behold I am with you eueÌ„ vnto the end of the world But according to the nature which the world tooke according to that that he was borne of the virgen according to that that he was apprehended of the Iewes that he was fastened vnto the woode that he was taken down from the crosse that he was wrapped in linnen that he was layde in the sepulcher that he was made manifeste in the resurrection ye shall not haue me alwayes with you Wherefore Bycause according to the presence of his body he was 40. dayes conuersaunt with his disciples and when he had brought them forth they seing him and not following him he ascended vp into heauen He is not here for he is there and sitteth at the right hand of the Father And he is here for he hath not departed hence touching the presence of his maiesty According to the presence of hys maiesty we haue Christ alwayes according to the presence of the flesh it was rightly â—ayd vnto the disciples Me ye shall not haue alwayes For the Church had him a few dayes according to the preseÌ„ce of the flesh now it holdeth him by fayth and seeth him not with the eyes There ar also very many other places in which Augustine most manifestly declareth that he was of this selfe same iudgmeÌ„t Wherefore yâ— this which Paul now sayth If Christ be in you is not to be vnderstaÌ„d of his humane nature or body those things plainly declare which haue bene spokeÌ„ of the spirit How we receaue Christ and are ioyned vnto him in the Euchariste By this place of Paul we are plainly tought how we receaue Christ in the eucharist in what maner we are in it ioyned with him For we haue hard yâ— by yâ— deatâ— of Christ we haue obtayned his spirite But in the supper of the Lord is celebrated the commemoration of the death of Christ and of his body done vpoÌ„ the crosse and of his bloud shed for vs and this not only in wordes but also in the simbols of the bread and wyne which represent the body and bloud of Christ Wherefore if by faith we embrace those thinges which we are put in mynde of we then obtayne the spirite of Christ and Christ himselfe is in vs as Paul in this place testifieth But there is no néede to require the body and fleshe of Christ according to hys naturall and real presence which yet we haue sufficently spiritually present when we apprehend them by fayth Chrisostome out of this place gathereth very many and gréeuous discommodities which men that are destitute of the spirite The discommodities which hapâ—eÌ„ vnto theÌ„ which are â—estitute of the spirite of Christ of Christ fall into for they are holden in death and in sinne they excercise enmities agaynst God they can not obserue his lawe and though they séeme to be of Christ yet are they not For Paul will declare that they are not pertakers of the death and of the resurrection of the Lord. For he saith And if Christ be in you the body in dede is deade because of sinne but the spirite is life because of righteousnes The Apostle in this place as we haue before taught declareth that by the benefite of the spirite we are endued with the coÌ„munion of the death and of the resurrection of Christ And althoughe all interpreters consent that in the latter part of this sentence is entreated of the true resurrection of the bodyes yet touching the first parte all men are not of one mynde For some thus vnderstand that the body is dead as if it should haue bene sayd that the lust and prauity which cleaue vnto vs are by the benefite of the spirite mortified and become as it were dead So that after these interpreters this word Body signifieth the naturall lyfe of men not as it was instituted of God but as it is now corrupted through sinne Thys life say they ought to be deade because it is sinne But the spirite is life because of righteousnes By the spirite he here vndoubtedly vnderstandeth the spirite of God and not any part of our mynde as it is manifest both by those thinges which shal be spoken and by those thinges which haue already bene spoken Here Paul changeth the Antithesis For he saith not the spirite liueth as he had before sayde of the body that it is deade but he The antithesis is chaunged The sâ—irite of God doth not onely lyue but also communicateth life vnto others sayth The spirite is lyfe Which thing is most agréeable vnto the spirite of God For that spirite doth not only liue it selfe but also communicateth life vnto others and continually breatheth into the beleuers a new and holy life Farther forasmuch as Paul ment in this place highly to commend the dignity of the spirite this abstract nowne vita that is lyfe serued better for his purpose then the verbe viuit that is lyueth Because of righteousnes In Greke it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it fitteth very well For righteousnes is both an antithesis vnto sinne and also is the life of God For so long as a man worketh iustly and liueth holily he leadeth the life of God Although the Latten interpreter hath Propter iustificationeÌ„ that is by reason of iustification as if he had red in the Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which reading Chrisostome followed and bringeth this reason thereof for that we haue an experience of life by reason of iustification for by it sinne being taken away succeded life For these two are so repugnant one to the other that when the one geueth place the other must nedes succede The same father addeth That the body is theÌ„ at the last dead when we are no more affected with the motions thereof theÌ„ we are moued by our karkases being now buried and hid vnder grounde And thys he saith is the communion with the death of Christ because Christ dyed to dissolue the body of sinne And if his spirite which raysed vp Christ from the dead dwell in you he that raysed vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies because of his spirite that dwelleth in you This declareth howe we are
pertakers of the resurrection namely when by mortification we are Howe we are pertakers of the resurrection The spirite of God will do the selfe same thinge in vs that it hath done in Christ made like vnto his death The reason of Paul leueth vnto this foundation that the spirite of God will worke the selfe same effecte in vs that it did in Christ For of one the selfe same cause are to be looked for yâ— selfe same effectes And God forasmuch as he is euery where like vnto himselfe by the selfe same meanes bringeth forth the selfe same workes Wherefore the consequence followeth well And seing when Christ was raysed from the dead ther was rendred vnto him a pure eternall and diuine life such a life also shall one day be rendred vnto vs which life we wayte for in the blessed resurrection when our bodyes shal be raysed vp being perfectly renued and now also we beginne the same when as by new motions Our resurrection is now begon of the spirite we are stirred vp to good workes Wherefore by these wordes are we admonished to mortefie the affectes of the flesh as Paul in an other place saide They which are of Christ haue crucified their fleshe with all the lustes thereof And vnto the Colossians Mortefie saith he your members which are vpon the earth and thys is the body to be deade Neither is it to be meruailed at that by the name of the body is vnderstand sine for sinne is named of that part whereby it had entrance into vs. For the soule saith Ambrose is not traduced from the parentes but only the body Now to dye vnto the body or vnto sinne is nothing els then to do nothing at the commaundement of lustes This is all one with that which we had What to dy vnto the body or vnto sinne signifieth before in the 6. chapter That we are now in baptisme dead with Christ and are buried together wyth hym And the Apostle commonly when he writeth of mortification and newnes of life taketh argumentes of the resurrection of the Lord by which Christ layd away mortality and did put on eternall life Which selfe thing shall also come to passe in our resurrection For in it shall we lay a side all oldenes of error and of corruption Which although before that tyme we shall not perfectly haue yet nowe also in this life we beginne to possesse in some sorte alreadye Wherefore Paul saith in the 2. epistle to the Corrinthyans Euen as our olde man is dayly destroyed so on the other side is our new man dayly renewed And vnto the Collossians If ye haue risen together whith Christ seeke the thynges that are aboue And vnto the Phillippians Paul saith That he alwayes endeuoreth himselfe to the thinges that are before neglecting and setting aside those thynges which are behynde that he mought by any meanes attayne vnto the resurrection of the Lord beyng already made pertaker of hys suffrynges And thus much as touching the first interpretacioÌ„ which Chrisostome followeth which if we more narrowly consider we shall sée that it containeth that which we a litle before spake namely that it is the proper duty of Christians not to liue according to the fleshe but according to the spirite For what other thinge is this but to mortify the body of sinne and to rise againe vnto a new life with Christ as though eueÌ„ now beginneth to shine forth in vs the resurrectioÌ„ which we hope shall in the last time be made perfect The second interpretation which Augustine foloweth is to vnderstand the body properly that is for this our outward substaunce And this body he saith is through sinne dead for that vppon it by reason of sinne was sentence long since geuen And he teacheth that by Christ By Christ we haue recouered a better nature then we lâ—st hy by Adam we haue recouered a better nature then we lost by Adam For he had a body not obnoxious vnto the necessity of death howbeit mortall for if he sinned he shoulde die But we by the resurrection of Christ shall receiue a body so frée from the necessitie of dying that it can not any more dye So according to this interpretatioÌ„ Paul declareth that we besides the benefite of the death of Christ haue an other benefit also of the spirite of Christ so that we are now by him pertakers of immortality Wherfore as touching the resurrection of the bodies eche interpretation is agreable But about this particle The body is dead they agrée not for Augustine taketh the body properly but Chrisostome by it vnderstandeth the vice and corruption of nature Wherfore according to this second interpretation Paul semeth to aunswer vnto a priuy obiection For against those thinges which haue hitherto bene spoken mought some man make this obiection This spirit whome thou so highly commendest as though it deliuereth vs from sinne and froÌ„ death doth yet stil leue vs in death and obnoxious vnto many aduersities diseases and calamities Paul aunswereth that this is true only as touching the body by reason of sinne which is still left in it For there hence come those euils Howbeit he willeth vs to be of good cheare for that spirite of God which is in vs hath now taken away condemnatioÌ„ that sinne which is remainyng in vs should not be imputed vnto vs vnto eternal death and will also bring to passe that euen as Christ which was dead was by him raised vp againe from the dead so also our bodies which are yet mortall shall be repayred vnto true immortalitie This sence is easy and plain and very wel agreing with those things which haue bene spoken therfore I allow it although in yâ— other exposition I know there is no absurditie or discoÌ„moditie Here are two things to be noted first that yâ— lust which is remayning in vs is of Paul called sinne and such a sinne also that after it followeth death Which cannot be denied The luste which remayneth in vs is sinne after which followeth death Why God sendeth aduersities vpon his elect in infants that are baptised and yet die for if in them sinne were vtterly taken away death could haue no place Although in the elect which are nowe reconciled vnto God death and such other afflictions are not inflicted as paines but rather as a crosse sanctified of God and that by a fatherly chastisement we should vnderstaÌ„d how highly God is displeased with sinne and should be more and more called back vnto repentaunce and that death mought be in vs a way wherby should be extinguished whatsoeuer sinne is remainyng in vs. Wherfore although by reason of sinne death be said to haue place in vs for vnles it were death could by no meanes be yet followeth it not that it is inflicted vpon the godly and elect as a payne And God retayneth not anger againste those whoÌ„â— he receiueth into fauour An example of Dauid It lieth not in the sacrifisinge priestes
eate the signes of this sacrament which signes are called by the name of the things signified And when we heare the fathers speake of the true flesh and body and bloud of Christ which we eate in the Eucharist if we looke vpon theyr natural and proper sence we shall se that they had to do agaynst those heretickes which denyed that Christ verely tooke humane flesh and affirmed that he semed to be a man onelye by a phantasye and certayne outward appearance And if it were so then as those Fathers very well sayd our sacramentes should be in vaine For the bodye and bloude of Christ should be falsely signified vnto vs if they had neuer beinge in Christe Wherefore throughe our spirite whereby our minde eateth when we communicate our body also is renued to be an apte instrument of the holyghost wherby vnto it by the promise of God is due eternall life And euen as the vine tree being planted into the earth when his time coÌ„meth waxeth grene and buddeth forth so our dead karkases being buried in the ground shal at the hour appoynted A similitude by Christ be raysed vp to glory And if in case the absolute whole and necessary cause of our resurrection should as these men would haue it be that eatinge It is proued that the reall eating of the fleshe of Christ is not the cause of the resurrectioÌ„ of the flesh of Christ which they fayne is in the Eucharist really and corporally receaued of vs what should then become of the Fathers of the old Testament which could not eate it after that maner when as Christ had not yet put on humane nature But peraduenture they wil say that they speake not of them but of vs only For we can not rise agayne vnles we eate the flesh of the Lord for Christ instituted thys sacrament for vs and not for then But doo not these men perceaue that in this theyr so saying they now alter the cause of the resurrectioÌ„ But by what authority or by whose permission or commaundement they doo yâ— let theÌ„ consider For yâ— which is vnto one people the cause of resurrection how What shall become of our infaÌ„ts should not the same be so also vnto an other But to graunt them this what in Gods name will they say touchinge infantes which dye in theyr infancy before they receaue the sacrament of the Eucharist Seing they confesse that they shall be raysed vp to glory euen hereby at the least way they may vnderstand that the corporall eating of the flesh of Christ is not so necessary vnto the resurrection but the spirituall eating is altogether necessary as without whiche no man can arise agayne to saluation For Christ expressedly saith Vnles ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall not haue life in you Shall also quicken your mortall bodies This he therefore speaketh for that through the spirite that dwelleth in vs we are now made yâ— members of Christ But it is not a thing semely that the hed should liue and the members be dead He sayth mortall bodies bycause so long as we liue here we cary about death together with vs but then shall God change the nature of our bodies But so often as we heare yâ— our bodies are called mortall let vs call to mind sinne for by it are we made obnoxious vnto death Chrisostome hath very warely admonished vs that we should not by reason of these wordes of Paul imagine that the Here is not spoken of euery resurrectioÌ„ from the dead but onely of the wicked for yâ— they want the spirite of Christ shall not be raysed vp froÌ„ the dead For here is not entreated of euery resurrection but onely of the healthfull and blessed resurrection For the life of the damned shall be euerlasting misery wherfore it is rather to be called death then lyfe For theyr worme shall not dye and healthfull resurrectioÌ„ theyr fyre shall not be quenched Therefore brethern we are debters not to the flesh to liue after the flesh For if ye liue after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye mortefye the deedes of the flesh by the Spirite ye shall liue For as many as are led by the Spirite of God are the sonnes of God For ye haue not receaued the spirite of bondage to feare agayne But ye haue receaued the spirite of adoption whereby we cry Abba father VVe are debters not vnto the flesh to liue according to the flesh Here he setteth forth a most swete exhortation to moue vs to liue according to the spirite and not according to the flesh And to declare that we are vtterly bound so to Wherof our boâ—d to liue vprightly springeth doo he taketh a reasoÌ„ from that which is iust and honest Seing we are debters it behoueth that we faythfully pay our debts And this debt springeth of those benefites which God hath bestowed vpon vs which we haue before made mencion of namely for that Christ hath dyed for vs for yâ— he hath geuen vnto vs his spirite whereby we are deliuered from condemnation from the Law of sinne and of death and whereby the righteousnes of the Law is fullfilled in vs and we are made pertakers both of the death of Christ and of the blessed resurrectioÌ„ Herefore it is that we are bound not to liue any more according to the flesh To haue made this sentence perfect Paul should haue added but according to the spirite But he suppressed thys part of the Antithesis for that it is by the other part sufficiently vnderstand For these are of the nature of those kindes of opposites or contraries that the one geuing place the other streight way succedeth Here Chrisostome noteth that God freelye and of his owne accord geueth vnto vs all those good thynges which he bestoweth vpon vs but we contrarywyse whatsoeuer we doo vnto God we do the same of dewty For we are bouÌ„d to doo it And if yâ— case be so as is in very dede where are theÌ„ become works of supererogatioÌ„ For let yâ— aduersaries Against workes of supererogation We owe much vnto the nature or substance of the flesh Here is not spoken of the substaÌ„ce of the flesh but of the corruption of nature The necessity of good woorkes answere me whether those workes be according to yâ— flesh or according to yâ— spirite If according to the flesh then are they sins but if according to yâ— spirite we owe theÌ„ of duety Neither doth Paul here mean that we owe nothing vnto the fleshe for we ought vndoubtedly to féede it and to cloth it and that not only as touching our selues but also as touching our neighbours if they haue nede But here is not entreated of the substance of the fleshe but only of the corruption whereby we are drawen vnto sinne For vnto it we in such sort owe nothing but mortification as Paul will straight way declare And when he saith that we are not
meÌ„ imagine of this thing ought we to be most certain that holy men cannot only sinne but also sometimes moste greauouslye fall which we se to haue happened in yâ— history of Dauid Peter But this is nothing preiudiciall vnto the election of God For such falles of the predestinate cannot The falles of the predestinate are not perpetuall be perpetuall for they are restored and by repentance renewed And although God at that time according to theyr desert doo take away from them the effectes of hys spirite of spiritual vertues yet forasmuch as he is constant and immutable he ceasseth not to loue them although they so long as they lye wrapped in sinnes haue neither any fealing of this hidden good will nor any confideÌ„ce there in And as touching the meaning of Paul they must haue sayd that he denieth not but that the elect may sometimes both fall and decline from loue but that he would only shew that such is the loue of God towardes his that it ought to perswade them neuer to suffer themselues to be pulled away from his loue Chrisostome noteth that Paul here reckeneth not thinges light and of small force For he left vntouched couetousnes of money ambition of honors desire of aâ—engement and pleasures forbidden which thinges are wont oftentimes to draw euen constant men backeward but he reckeneth vp thinges horrible and most greauous and which are accustomed easely to ouercome nature For in these wordes he comprehendeth those thinges which commonly happen in a life most hard and most bitter as emprisomentes burninges bondes tearing in sonder and such other like thinges And he vseth an interrogation thereby to signify a constant certaynty And the wordes which he vseth are not placed by chance or at all a ventures but with exceding greate conning of the holy ghost The first word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is afflictioÌ„ deriued of this verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth A conning placing of wordes to breake or vehemently to presse For first thinges being well ordred are accustomed to be brused or broken and afterward he encreaseth the euill and addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is anguishe where thinges are brought to so narrow a streight that a man cannot tell what counsell to take or which way to turne himselfe Then commeth outward persecution which spoyleth a man of his frendes Afterward follow hunger and nakednes for men when they are compelled to flye out of theyr countrey haue then greate want of thinges necessary And then he addeth perill so that they come also into danger of theyr life And that nothing should want at the last he addeth the sword All those thinges sayth the Apostle haue not that force that they are able to perswade the elect that they are not loued of God These discomodities of the godly Paul setteth forth in his first epistle to the Corrinthians the forth chapiter For thus he writeth I thinke that God hath set forth vs the last Apostles â–ª as men appoynted to death For we are made a gasing stocke vnto the world and to the Angelles and to men We are foles for Christes sake but ye are wise through Christ we are weak and ye strong we are despised and ye are honorable Vnto this houre we both hunger and thurst and are naked and are buâ—â—eted and haue no certayned welling places and labour working with our handes we are reuiled and yet we blesse we are persecuted and suffer we are euill spoken of and we pray And in yâ— latter to the Corrinthians In prisons aboue measure in labours more aboundantly c And vnto Timothe They which will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution And many such other like sentences are euery where to be found in yâ— holy scriptures Augustine de Doctrina Christiana Erasmus in his annotacions declare yâ— this place which we are in hande with excelleth in waight of matter and ornamentes of Rhetorike namely in Gradation in Antitheses in contraries and in RepeticioÌ„s The Apostle vrgeth also with interrogatioÌ„s and speaketh nothing in this place that is base and meane For all thinges are greate and high whither a man consider the thinges themselues or the persons He speaketh of life death height deapth God Christ the right hand of the father Angells principalities powers And last of all addeth In all these thinges we are more then conquerers Thys oration of Paul they thinke to be so notable and excellent that they suppose that nether Cicero nor Demostenes could euer haue spokeÌ„ more eloquently not in dede that the holy ghost hath nede of these ornamentes but for that he sometimes disdayneth not to abase himselfe vnto these things when they may serue to our commodity Which I therefore thought good to admonish you of that yonge men might vnderstand that these artes of speach pertayne vnto the The artes of speaking are not to be contemned of yongmen gifts of God and that they ought to seke to get them in time that the holy ghost may afterward vse them when it shall serue for the commodity of the Church As it is written For thy sake are vve deliuered to the death al the day long vve are counted as shepe for the slaughter Bycause reason and our flesh are hardly perswaded that we are loued of God wheÌ„ we are excercised with afflictions therfore Paul brought a proofe out of the scriptures to confirme this paradoxe For here haue we nede of fayth which cleaueth vnto the word of God This testimony is taken out of the 44. Psalme wherein are those men set forth complayning of theyr tribulations of whome we can not doubt but that they were most dere vnto God We are say they counted as shepe for the slaughter that is vnto whome nothing is more certaine then to be slayne For there are certayn shepe which are kept and fed for theyr wooll sake or for store sake and those haue life spared them for a time Some are appoynted for the kitchen and they are euery day as occasion serueth draweÌ„ vnto death And therefore the saynts in the same Psalme complaine that they are like vnto yâ— shepe appoynted to be eaten They complaine that they are otherwise dealt with then the fathers in the olde tyme were dealt with vnto whoÌ„ God semed to be are great fauor wheÌ„ as he enriched theÌ„ fought for theÌ„ gaue vnto theÌ„ the victorie with excellent names and titles made them famous honorable We say they are otherwise delt with For we are deliuered vnto the enemyes as shepe to be slayne as vnto whom they may do what pleaseth them It is true in déede that God would sometymes declare his loue towardes the saintes and confirme the verity of his doctirne when he adorned God vseth to his glory the aduersi 〈…〉 s and prosperities of his elect them with such goods and riches that euen the idolatrers also mought vnderstande that that God whome the patriarches worshipped was both
touching Ismaell and Esau whether they be faued or whether they be condemned And the like some do touching Salomon Origen and others such like But I omitte these thinges and thinke of Esau and Ismaell so much onely as the holy scripture hath set forth vnto vs. And I think that there are What is to be thought of Esau no places extant by which we may define any thing touching their saluation The scripture thus speaketh of Esau that he so vehemently hated his brother that he sought to kill him that he sold his birth right that he prouoked h 〈…〉 â—arentes to anger when he had take strange women for wiues that he was a violent man and despised the land of Chanaan promised vnto the fathers and in the epistle to the Hebrues it is written that he although he poured out many teares yet found he no place of repentance Of Ismaell also we reade that he was reiected not only What is to be thought of their stocke by the will of Sara but also by the will of God But touching both their posterities I deny not but that some of them mought be saued no les then some of the stocke of Iacob might become runnagates and obstinate For it is sufficient to the election and reiection of God that some part of ech stocke be either elected or reiected And touching this sentence I haue Ambrose on my side who affirmeth that the most holy man Iob was of the famely of Esau Which saying yet how much it is to be regarded I know not This thing only I dare affirme yâ— as many as were saued that came of Israell those were saued by the grace of God and had a promise of their saluation and on the other side as many as were saued of the stocke of Esau those also were saued by the mere grace of God but there was no peculiar promise touching their saluation But as many as were of that stocke condemed Indefinite promises at not to be vnderstanded of euery one perticulerly they were condemned for their sinnes And the sentence of the reiection of the posterity of Esau is indefinite neither is to be vnderstanded of euery one perticularly But it may séeme more then wonderfull that God in his election worketh not only contrary to our iudgement but also contrary to his own lawes For not only after the mauer of men the first borne are preferred before the rest of the brethern but also by the prescript of the lawe of God they were holy and obtayned a dooble portion of the inheritance But God therefore so doth that we should God doth thinges contrary to his lawes vnderstand that we are saued only by grace and not through any priuiledges or conditions of this life and moreouer to geue vs to vnderstand that he is vtterly free from all lawes For his will is euen iustice it selfe and the rule of all thinges that are vpright and iust But because men can not attayne to the knowledge of of this hidden election therefore we ought to frame our selues to the lawes of of God which are published abroade and set forth to all men For Isaack circumcised his sonne Esau as God had commaunded him neither was he greatly carefull whether he were elected of God or reiected for he was then vtterly ignorant of the counsaile of God But the mother for that she had hard the oracle gaue faith vnto it as it became her and had a care that the blessing mought be distributed according to the will of God And so by her industry it came to passe that Iacob preuented his brother of the blessing Touching which will when the father also was by the spirite of God made more certayne he would by no meanes make voide that which had now passed betwene him and Iacob Paul mought now seme to haue thoroughly defended the truth of the promises of God when as after the example of Ismaell and Isaack which were borne of diuers parentes and at diuers tymes he with so great diligence bringeth in also an other coople of bretheren Iacob and Esau in whome all thinges in a maner were equall For they were borne both of one and the selfe same parentes and in one and the selfe same day and as Augustine saith in his epistle to Sixtus both conceaued at one and the selfe same time least any man mought cauell that the father was better when he begat the one then he was when he begat the other And the mother which bare them both was one and the selfe same woman And although she myght in that space of time whilest she was with child alter her maners and disposition yet that could not in such sort profit the one to be a let vnto the other Although by the Greke it appeareth not that they were both conceaued at one and the selfe same tyme. Howbeit this is red That Rebecka had fellowship by one euen by our father Isaack But Augustine followed the latine translation Farther it is not vnlikely to be true yâ— they which were borne in one and the selfe same tyme were also begotten atone the selfe same tyme especially seing that the Apostle in this place endeuoreth The industry of yâ— holye ghost in Paul in this coople of twynes vtterly to take away all maner of differences In Paul also is to be considered the industry of the holy ghost who when he had affirmed out of the holy scriptures that of these two brethern the one was elected the other reiected bringeth no other reason or cause of the counsell of God but that election should abide according to purpose But because he saw that this would in no case satisfy humane reason therefore he confirmed his sentence by an oracle of Malach. who straight way at the the beginning of his first chapiter thus writeth The Lord hath loued you And ye haue sayd wherein hath the Lord loued vs And the Prophet maketh answere Iacob and Esau were they not brethern But I haue loued Iacob and haue hated Esau Wherefore with Malachy to loue is all one wyth that which Paul hath That the Election of God shoulde abide according to purpose Neither is this to be passed ouer that the Apostle in thus ioyning together these Paul most diligently red the scriptures two testimonies declareth that he had not negligently red the scriptures Wherfore we also must endeuor our selues to do the like when as we shall see places of the scriptures alleadged either of the Apostles or of other writers Paul when he red the Prophet Malachy and saw that God proueth his loue towardes the Iewes by that that he had loued Iacob and hated Esau when yet notwithstanding they were brethern and twines straight way turned himselfe to the history of Genesis and there considered many thinges which mought conduce to adorne and amplifye this matter namelye that they were borne bothe at one and the same time and of one and the selfe same parentes and that the
is due throughe the worthines of the good worke but because it followeth good workes by a disposition and order instituted of God And after good workes followeth the reward of felicity and after euill the rewarde of eternall death althoughe hell fire be in verye déede due to the desertes of sinnes Grace saith he is not grace For that it is turned into a recompense due to workes And worke should not be worke if that which is geuen and rendred vnto works should be counted to be geuen by grace for it is the nature of worke to claime the ende of duetye and not fréelye Some cauell that we are not saued and iustified by the workes which we our selues haue done but if they be the workes of God which are done in vs by them we are iustified herebye entendinge that by the receiuing of the sacramentes is conferred grace as the terme it but they are farre deceaued For no man in receiuinge the sacramentes receaueth any grace but that which he receiued by faith When as we receaue the sacramentes as sealinges The sacramentes do not thorow the worke wrought coÌ„ferre grace Wherunto the receauing of the sacraments â—s an helpe of grace and of the giftes already obteyned neither is any thing gotten by them by vertue and strength of the worke wrought as they vse to speake For he which receaueth the sacramentes commeth either worthely or vnworthely if vnworthely he thereby getteth nothing but hurt and losse if worthely then bringeth he a liuely faith wherby he receaueth grace represented by the wordes of God and the sacramentes The woorke it selfe is an helpe whereby faith being somewhat weake is thorough the holy ghost stirred vp and forasmuch as there is celebrated the memory of the Lord and his name is called vpon therfore many good things are obtained and by those obsignations and seales the mindes of the beleuers are confirmed but that the worke it selfe conferreth grace we can in no wise graunt They say also that workes which follow iustification forasmuche as they are not An other â—â—â—llatioâ— ours but come of grace do merite many thinges But althoughe that the grace of God do helpe vs in doing good workes and the thinges which we do are therefore acceptable vnto God and that he will reward those workes yet notwithstanding therein is neither duety nor merite as we haue tought but onely an order and a certaine consequence by the institution and goodnes of God And in summe according to Pauls doctrine where mencion is of grace there muste woorkes néedes be banished as touching that they should be causes eyther of saluation or of iustification And although the proposition which is now proued do pertaine as well vnto the Gentils as vnto the Iewes yet notwithstanding therein are chiefly reproued the Iewes who peraduenture would easely haue graunted that the Gentils grafted into Christ were saued by grace when as before they had liued wickedly and in ydolatry But they which were Israelites and were as they boasted obseruers of the lawe craked that saluation came vnto them throughe the merite of workes Which opinion as it was erronious and iniurious vnto Christ so is it euery where confuted by the Apostle What then Israell hath not obtained that he sought but election hath obteined it and the rest haue bene made blinde According as it is written God hath geuen vnto them the spirite of pricking that when they see they shoulde not see and when they heare they should not heare vnto this day And Dauid saith let theyr table be made a snare and a net and a stomblinge blocke euen for a recompense vnto them Let theyr eyes be darkened that they see not and bow downe theyr backe alwayes What then Israel hath not obteyned that he sought but the election hath obteyned it He concludeth his argument thus that not all the Iewes are The Iues sought not rightly saued but those onely whome God foreknew the elect I meane If they sought how found they not because they sought not rightely They sought a Messias which in glory and pompe should raigne ouer the whole world which should enriche them and subdue all nations vnto their Empire They sought their owne aduauntages namely to be féede with bread at Christs hand They sought to worshippe Messias and God otherwise then was prescribed in the holy scriptures They sought Christ to kill him as it is written in Iohn the 7. chapiter Yet a litle while I am with you and I go vnto my Father ye shall seeke me and shall not finde me Wherfore seing that they sought not rightly it is no meruaile if they found not Wherfore Christ also when he sayth Seke ye shall finde aske and ye shal receaue knocke and it shal be opened vnto you we must adde thereunto this aduerbe rightly namely that we aske rightly that we seke rightly that we knock rightly otherwise we shall do all in vayne The Iewes sought saluation preposterously when as they sought to get it by workes That they sought saluatioÌ„ it is not to be doubted when as Paul attributeth vnto them zele although he take away from them vpright iudgement and true knowledge They applied them selues to sacrifices and ceremonies for no other cause but by them to be saued But forasmuch as that was not to seke a right they attayned not to their purpose Chrisostome truly saith that they therfore were frustrated for that they stroue agaynst them selues For in seeking of saluation they repelled it being offred vnto them frealy by Christ but to seke a thing â–ª and to reiect it when it is offred is manifestly for a maÌ„ to resist that which he purposeth Election sayth he hath obteined it Here he toucheth the true cause yea The chiefest cause of saluation and the chiefest and the assured cause of saluation otherwise they which are saued had by nature nothing of more excellency or woorthines then those which perish Election according to the Hebrue phrase signifieth the elect as circumcision doth What election is after the Hebrew phrase the circumcised And Israel is called the sanctification of God for that it was sanctified by him They are also called Gods possession for that he possesseth them And this kind of speache not a litle furthereth the purpose of Paul for he ment to drawe vs agayne to the consideration of the very cause that we might with the more attentiuenes consider of it But the rest are made blind Here he deuideth Israell into two partes into â—srael is deuided into two partes the elect I say and into the reprobate And affirmeth that the promises are accomplished in the elect which were indefinitly set forth vnto all men Wherefore this proposition is to be proued that the rest which are not comprehended vnder election are by God made blind the cause of which blinding if a man enquire some aunsweres wickednes or sinne But thereby is not the question dissolued What is the efficient cause of excecation
can not certainly iudge neither is the knowledge The Gentles before they are called are without thereof necessary to saluation Let vs consider also that when Paul sayth that the fulnes of the Gentles shall enter in he thereby noteth that before the preaching of the Gospell the Gentles were without for as much as they should afterwarde enter in Neither spake Christ any otherwise wheÌ„ he sayth that they which were in the high wayes and streates should be compelled to enter in Ambrose expounding these wordes saith That then shal be wyped away from the eyes of the Iewes their blindnes that they may beleue In which wordes he declareth that so long as this execation abideth they can not beleue And he addeth That God prohibiting from their hartes the spirit of pricking which worketh in them blindnes may render vnto theÌ„ Ambroseâ— minde touching free will the fre choyce of the will In this sentence he manifestly declareth what he thought of frée will namely as touching those thinges which pertayne vnto iustification and vnto regeneration Whatsoeuer he writeth of it in other places here he most truly affirmeth that straungers from Christ want liberty of will which then is restored vnto them when they are illuminated As it is written Out of Sion shall the deliuerer come and shall turne away the vngodlines from Iacob This profe which he bringeth out of the sayinges of the Prophets hath in the conclusion necessity only by supposition and not absolutely The strength of the argument herein consisteth for that deliuery was by couenant promised vnto Israell But with yâ— Gentles there was neuer before Christs tyme any leage or couenant publiquely made There was in déede a Before the gospell was preached there was no league made with the GeÌ„tles promise of their calling For it was sayd vnto AbrahaÌ„ In thy sede shal all Gentles be blessed but in very déede there was no couenaunt publiquely made with the Gentiles Neither can this deliuery be vnderstanded as touching any perticular persons when as it is promised vnto Sion and vnto Iacob by which names not any singular persons are signified but the whole people This testimony as touching the greater part thereof is taken out of the 59. chap. of Esay and part of Ieremy and especially out of the 31. chapiter towardes the end Origen Ambrose affirme that it is taken out of Esay And Ambrose peculiarly seemeth to saye that the conuersion of certayne of the Iewes perticularly which happened dayly was a certaine experiment of the will of God as touching the restitution of that nacion Howbeit that which Esay speaketh in the 59. chapiter is not in all pointes as touching the wordes in such sort as the Apostle now alleadgeth them For he after this maner followeth the 70. interpreters who not as touching the sence but only as touching the wordes In Hebrew it is Vba lesion goel vleschabe pescha beiaacob vehum iehouah that is There shall come a redemer saith the Lord vnto Sion and vnto those in Iacob which shal repent them from their iniquities And then is added And this is my couenaunt with them sayth the Lord my spirite thâ—t is vpon thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy sede nor out of the mouth of the sede of thy sede Whereas in the Hebrew it is sayd Vnto Sion shall come the redemer the Seuenty as Ierome writeth haue turned it out of Sion whome Paul also followed And it wel known that Christ was borne of the Iewes who are ment by the name of Sion and the word of the Lord and preaching of the Gospell therehence had his beginning although the Greke edition which we vse hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for Sions sake whereby it is manifest that this which we haue either is not the translation of the 70. or els it is in many places corrupted And Ierome addeth that this word Noal according to the nature of the Hebrew signifieth to be nighe so that is The Greke translation which we vse is ether not the traÌ„slatioÌ„ of the 70. or els it is corrupted Faith whiche iustifieth hath repentaunce annexed with it all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth nigh namely vnto whome the inheritance of the kinsman that is dead commeth Wherefore the sence of the Hebrew words is that vnto Sion shall come a nigh deliuerer Moreouer that which is written both of the 70. and of Paul And he shall turne away the vngodlynes from Iacob is in the Hebrew Lishbe which they paraduenture tooke as though it were written Leschob peschaa but this maketh no disagréeing as touching the sence For they which are deliuered by faith from their sinnes haue alwayes repentaunce annexed and ioyned with their faith not as a condition which should be the cause of remission for this should be a condition of the law and vnprofitable when as no man is able to performe it but an euangelicall condition as which followeth the forgeuenes of sins or iustification at least by nature is acceptable vnto God for whatsoeuer waÌ„teth therof by reasoÌ„ of our infirmity is holpeÌ„ by the merits of Christ And this is my testament with theÌ„ That which followeth in Esay touching the spirite and word of God excellently setteth forth vnto vs the couenaunt or leage of Fod For first are the wordes of the promise which also shall alwayes remaine amongest the faythfull which yet should be vnprofitable vnles therto were added the spirite whereby the hartes of the hearers are moued to beleue VVhen I shall take away theyr sinnes This part is not read in Esay wherfore it may be taken as a compendious interpretation of those thinges which the Prophet before spake of the couenaunt for where the spirite is the wordes of God are spoken when we embrace them by fayth streight way foloweth forgeuenes of sinnes and for that the prophet expressed not the effect Paul thought he would manifestly set it forth Otherwise it is gathered out of the 31. chap. of Ieremy where when mencion had bene made of the new couenant the first being abrogated it is sayd I will be mercifull vnto theyr iniquity and I will no more remember theyr sinne And that whiche Esaye speaketh of Sion and of Iacob and Ieremye also of the house of Iudah and of Ierusalem can not be taken of Paul allegoricallye as thoughe in these woordes is signifyed the number of the faythfull These wordes are to be vnderstanded properly of the Israelites An argument wherby is proued that the Messias is God Only God forgeueth sinnes of what people so euer it be For as we sayde Paules meaninge is peculiarly to commende the Iewes and to put away the discord which was sprong in the Church betwene the Ethnikes and the Iewes And in yâ— it is sayd that the Iewes should by the Messias be deliuered from theyr sinnes it is a sure
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
speaketh he any thing of the ceremonies of Moses Wherefore forasmuch as those thinges which he there rehearseth are repugnaunt vnto the ten commaundementes and to the morall lawe we can not but thinke that of it also he vnderstandeth those thinges which he writeth And in the second chapiter he reproueth the Iewes for the like kinde of sinnes For he saith Thou which teachest an other dost thou not teach thy self Thou whiche teachest that a man shoulde not steale dost thou steale that a man shoulde not commit adultery doost thou commit adultery and thou which detestest idols dost thou robbe God of his honour Who séeth not that these thinges are contayned in the lawe of the ten commaundementes And in the third chapiter he yet more manifestly entreateth of the same when he writeth There is none iust there is none that vnderstandeth or requireth after God all haue declined and are together made vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one These thinges we sée are of the same kinde pertayne vnto maners If the apostle would haue spoken only of ceremoniall lawes he woulde neuer haue made mencion of these thinges And this is also more euidently gathered that when he had sayd no fleshe is iustified by the works of the lawe he addeth For by the lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne Wherefore that lawe iustifieth not by which we know sinne According to which meaning he said also in the 4. chapiter The lawe worketh anger so farre is it of that it should iustify but it is very manifest vnto al men that sinnes are knowen and the wrath of God prouoked against transgressors more by the ten commaundementes then by the precepts of ceremonies I will not speake also of that generall sentence wherein it is sayd in the 4. chapiter That vnto him which worketh a reward is not imputed according vnto grace but according to debt◠And also that God would haue the inheritaunce to consist of grace that the promise should abide firme and not be changed that our gloriyng might be excluded which glorying commeth no les of good workes morall then of ceremonies It is written also in the 5. chapiter that the lawe entred in that sinne should abound and where sinne hath abounded there also hath grace more abounded These thinges also can not be drawen vnto ceremonies only Moreouer in the 6. chapiter when it was obiected vnto him that by so depressing workes and the lawe he did séeme to open a gate vnto loose life and vnto slouthfulnes and vnto sinnes as now dayly they obiect vnto vs he aunswered That we ought not to abide in sinne forasmuch as we are now dead vnto it By baptisme saith he we are buried with Christ that euen as he dyed and rose agayne so also should we walke in newnes of life And he admonisheth vs that euen as Christ dyed once and dyeth no more so also should we thinke our selues dead vnto sinne but liuing vnto God And he addeth that we must haue a diligent care that sinne raigne not in our mortall body and that we geue not our members the weapon◠of iniquity vnto sinne but geue ouer our selues vnto God as men of dead folke◠now lyuing and our members the weapons of righteousnes to sanctification These thinges which we haue rehearsed and the rest whiche followe euen in a manner to the ende of the chapiter séeme they to pertayne vnto the ceremonies of Moses or rather vnto a iust sincere and morall life The thing is so playne that there nedeth no question therein yet those thinges which are written in the 7. chapiter are yet much more manifest The affection saith he which are in the members were by the lawe made stronge and of efficacy to bring forth fruit vnto death But what other thing are these affections then 〈…〉 es filthy desires anger hatred and enuy which affections are rehearsed to◠the Galathians in that Cataloge where the workes of the fleshe are seperated from the workes of the spirite And there is no doubt but that all these thinges pertayne vnto the ten commaundementes Which thing the better to vnderstand Paul addeth What shall we say then Is the lawe sinne God forbid but I had not knowen sinne but by the law For I knew not what lust ment vnles the law had said thou shalt not lust Also the lawe in deede is holy the commaundemente is holy and iust and good Agayne The lawe in deede is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sinne For that which I do I allow not For the good which I would I do not but the euill which I would not that I do◠wherefore it is not I now which worketh it but sinne which dwelleth in me For there dwelleth no good in me that is in my flesh I haue a delight in the lawe of God as touching the inwarde man but I feele an other lawe in my member resisting the lawe of the mynde Oh vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the law of sinne and of death Wherefore in mynde I serue the lawe of God but in fleshe the lawe of sinne Whosoeuer shall diligently weigh all these testimonies shall easely sée that the Apostle wholy speaketh of the ten commaundementes whereof also he plainly maketh mencion in those foresayd words But these words which afterward follow in the 8. chapiter That which was impossible vnto the lawe in as much as it was weake by meanes of the fleshe God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of the fleshe of sinne by sinne condemned sinne in the fleshe these wordes I say can not be expounded of the lawe of ceremonies and much les that which followeth in the same chapter We are debt ours not vnto the fleshe that we shoulde liue according vnto the fleshe for if ye liue according to the fleshe ye shall dye But if by the spirite ye shall mortifye the deedes of the fleshe ye shall liue Neither can this be referred vnto ceremonies euē as neither can that also which is written vnto the Galathithians The lawe was put because of transgressions for where there is no lawe there is also no transgression And it is certayne that neither boasting can be excluded neither can the promise be firme if our iustification should depend of the obseruation of the ten commaundementes and of the morall preceptes howsoeuer thou take away the rites and ceremonies of Moses But much more firme is this place out of the 11. chapiter of this epistle vnto the Romanes And if it be of workes then is it not of grace if of grace then not of workes This Antithesis is vniuersall neither can it by any meanes be contracted vnto ceremonies I will not speake of that also which Paul writeth vnto the Phillippians how that he besides those precepts of Moses was conuersant without blame also as touching the righteousnes which is of the law For y◠which he writeth vnto the Ephe. the second chapter Not of workes least any man should boast
bicause of vnbeliefe they were broken of but thou standest by faith Here is geuen the reason of the fall and destruction of men and on the other side of saluation and constancie namely vnbeliefe faith And of the Iewes which should one day be restored he addeth And if they abide not stil in their vnbeliefe they shal be againe grafted in for God is of might to graft thē in Héere we sée that by departing from vnbelief which consisteth in beleuing Hereby is proued that the restoring of thē that fall cōmeth by faith men that haue fallen are restored This maketh very muche against the error of those which although they after a sort confesse that the first iustification is giuen fréely without any workes going before yet vnto men that haue fallen they graunt not restitution vnto iustification but by satisfactions and many workes preparatory These things haue I gathered out of the Epistle vnto the Romanes now will we in order prosecute the other Epistles In the first Epistle to the Corinthians the first Chapter it is thus written bicause the world in the wisedome of God knew not God by wisedome it pleased God by the folishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleue Bicause the wise men of this world saith the Apostle by their naturall searching out could not take hold of the wisedome of God whereby they might be saued God of his goodnesse hath instituted a contrary way namely the preaching of the Gospell which vnto the flesh séemeth foolishnesse that by it saluation should be geuen vnto men but yet not to all sortes of men but to those only that beléeue Wherfore in the .ij. to the Corinthians the. 1. chapter it is thus written by faith ye stand by which wordes we vnderstand that the foundation wherby we are confirmed and established in the way of saluation is faith Farther Paule to the Galathians the .ij. Chapter where he reproueth Peter for his dissimulation wherby he séemed to lead the Gentiles to obserue the Ceremonies of the Iewes thus speaketh If thou being a Iewe liuest after the maner of the Gentiles and not as doe the Iewes why compellest thou the Gentiles to liue as doe the Iewes For we which are Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles knowe that a man is not iustified by the workes of the law and we beleue in Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ not by the workes of the law because by the workes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified Héere we sée that the Apostles therefore folowed Christ y◠they might be iustified by faith which they could not obtaine by works And afterward the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God which is all one as if he should haue said As yet in déede sinne sticketh in my fleshe and in it I cary death about but yet notwithstanding I haue life not through mine owne merite but by the faith of the sonne of God In the .iij. chap. he thus wryteth I would know this of you receiued ye the spirite by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith And straight way he addeth he which ministreth vnto you the spirit in you worketh miracles doth he the same by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith By these words we sée that it is faith and not works wherby we take holde of the gifts of God and he addeth ye know that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham and that vndoubtedly for no other cause but because in beleuing they imitate him Wherfore sayth he the scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles by faith shewed before hande glad tidings vnto Abraham saying in thee shall all nations be blessed This blessyng spred not abrode vnto them bicause they had their beginning of the flesh of Abraham but bicause they followed the steppes of his faith Otherwise of Abraham as touching the fleshe came not as farre as we can read any other nations then the Ismaelites Edomites and Israelites Then foloweth the conclusion Therefore they which are of faith shal be blessed with faithfull Abraham But to be blessed in the Hebrew phrase is nothing else then to receiue the gifts of God amōgst which iustification is the principallest Wherefore it followeth That vnto the Gentiles through Christ might come the promise made vnto Abraham that we might receyue the promise of the holy Ghost through faith We sée therefore that the promise of the holy ghost is not taken hold of by workes as many faine it is which thing euen reason sufficiently declareth For seing the Lord as it shall a litle afterward be declared had by promise geuen this blessing vnto Abraham we must se what is referred vnto the promise as a correlatiue Which as we haue sayd cā be nothing ells but fayth for fayth setteth forth vnto it selfe the promises of God as an obiect Paul furthermore addeth that the scripture concludeth all thinges vnder sinne that the promise by the fayth of Iesus Christ should be geuen to them that beleue Thys is the cause why y◠holy scriptures so diligently shew vnto men how they be guilty of sinnes namely that they should be the more stirred vp to embrase y◠promises of God at the least way by fayth when as they haue not good workes by which they may take hold of them And this vnderstand we by that which is afterward written The law is our schoolemaister vnto Christ that we should be iustified by fayth These wordes signifie nothing els but that y◠law therfore sheweth sinnes setteth forth vnto mē their infirmity and stirreth vp theyr lustes wherby sinnes are more and more encreased that they being thus admonished should returne vnto Christ and might from him thorough fayth receaue righteousnes Which thing they vndoubtedly did of whome it is sayd Ye are all the children of God by the fayth of Iesus Christ For what is it to be the sons of God but to haue now obteyned adoption which we obteine only by regeneration or iustification And in the 4. chapiter Brethern sayth he we are after Isaake children of the promise But to be children of the promise is nothing ells but to beleue those thinges which God promiseth wherby we are made his children according as he hath promised we should be For so was Isaake borne vnto Abraham not by the strength of nature but by the benefit of the promise of God In the 5. chapter he writeth We in the spirite looke for the hope of righteousnes by fayth In this place are two thinges touched the sprite of God whereby we are new facioned and renewed vnto saluation and fayth wherby we apprehēd righteousnes Wherfore in this matter of our iustificatiō although there be in our minds many ther workes of the holy ghost yet none of them except fayth helpe to iustification Therfore the Apostle concludeth Circumcision is
nothing and vncircumcision is nothing but onely fayth which worketh thorough loue Of this only dependeth iustification of this faith I say not being dead but liuing and of force And for that cause Paul added which worketh by loue Which yet ought not so to be vnderstand as though fayth should depend of loue or hath of it as they vse to speake his forme but for that when it bursteth forth into act and will shew forth it selfe it must of necessity doo it by loue So the knowledge of a man dependeth not hereof for that he teacheth other men but therin is it most of all declared But if any perfection of these actions of louing and teaching redound vnto fayth and knowledge that commeth of an other cause and not for that that they depend of it or therof haue theyr forme as many Sophisters dreame In the Epistle to the Ephesians the 2. chapter it is thus written By Grace ye are made safe thorough fayth and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God And moreouer in the third Chapiter That according to the riches of his glory he would graunt you that ye may be strengthned with might in the inward man by the spirit that Christ may dwell in your harte by fayth He y◠hath Christ in him the same hath without all doubt righteousnes For of him Paul thus writeth vnto the Corrinthians in the first Epistle and second chapiter Who is made vnto vs wisedome ▪ righteousnes holines redemptiō Here therfore is shewed by what meanes Christ dwelleth in our harts namely by fayth Agayne Paul in the third chapiter to the Phillippians That I might be found saith he in him not hauing mine own righteousnes which is of the law but that which is of the fayth of Iesus Christ Here that righteousnes which is of workes and of the law he calleth his but that which is of fayth and which he most of all desireth he calleth the righteousnes of Iesus Christ Vnto the Hebrues also it is written in the 11. chapter The saynts by fayth haue ouercome kingdomes haue wrought righteousnes and haue obteyned the promises These wordes declare how much is to be attributed vnto fayth for by it the saints are sayd not only to haue possessed outward kingdomes but also to haue excercised the workes of righteousnes namely to haue liued holily and without blame and to haue obteyned the promises of God And Peter in his first epistle and first chapiter In the power of God sayth he are ye kept vnto saluation by fayth In these wordes are signified two principal grounds of our saluation The one is the might and power of God which is wholy necessary for vs to attayne saluation The other is fayth wherby as by an instrument is saluation applied vnto vs. Iohn in his first epistle and 5. chapiter Euery one sayth he which beleueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God But to be borne of God is nothing els then to be iustified or to be borne agayne in Christ It followeth in the same chapiter This is the victory which ouercommeth the world our fayth By which testimony is declared that the tiranny of the Deuill of sinne of death of hell is by no other thing driuē away from vs but by faith only And toward the end of the selfe same chapiter it is sayd And these things haue I writen vnto you which beleue in the name of the sonne of God that ye might know that ye haue eternall life and that ye should beleue in the name of the sonne of God Now let vs gather also out of y◠Euangelists as much as shall serue for this presēt questiō Mathew in his 8. chap. sayth That Christ excedingly wondred at the faith of y◠Centurian and confessed that he had not found such fayth in Israell And turning vnto him sayd Euen as thou hast beleued so be it vnto thee Here some replye that this history and such other like entreat not of iustificatiō but only of the outward benefits of the body geuen by God But these men ought to consider that sinnes which are in vs are the causes of the griefes and afflictions of the body For only Christ except who vtterly died an innocent all other for as much as they are obnoxious vnto sinne doe suffer no aduersitie without iust desert and although God in inflicting of calamities vpon vs hath not alwayes a regarde hereunto for oftētimes he sendeth aduersities to shewe forth his glory and to the triall of all those that are his yet none whilest he is so vexed can complaine that he is vniustly dealt with for there is none so holy but that he hath in himselfe sinnes which are worthy of suche like or else of greater punishmentes And where the cause is not taken away neither the effect is nor can be taken away Wherfore Christ forasmuch as he deliuered men from diseases of the bodies manifestly declared y◠it was he which should iustify thē from sinnes And that this is true the self same Euangelist teacheth in the. 9. chapter For when he that was sicke of the Palsey was brought vnto Christ to be healed he saith y◠Christ answered Arise my sonne thy sinnes are forgeuen thee At which saying when as the Scribes and Phariseis were offended to the ende they should vnderstand that the cause of euils being taken away euen the euils themselues also are taken away he commaunded him that was sicke of the Palsey to arise and to take vp his bed and to walke Wherfore it manifestly appeareth that Christ by the healings of the body declared that he was he which should forgeue sinnes and euen as those healings were receiued by faith euen so also by the same faith are men iustified and receiue the forgeuenesse of sinnes And in the selfe same .ix. Chapter is declared that Christe answered vnto two blinde men which were very importunate and most earnestly desired to be healed Doe ye beleue that I can doe this for you And when they had made answer that they beleued he sayd Euen as you haue beleued so be it vnto you And when our Sauior was going to the house of the ruler of the sinagoge to raise vp his daughter from death there followed him a woman which had an issue of bloud which woman was endued with so great a faith that she thought thus with her selfe that if she might but touche the hemme of his garment she should straight way be made whole Wherefore Christ answered her be of good confidēce daughter thy faith hath made thee whole But why Christ adioyneth confidence vnto faith we haue before declared in the beginning of this question whē we declared the nature of faith For we taught that that assent wherwith we take holde of the promises of God is so strong so vehement that the rest of the motions of the minde which are agreable vnto it doe of necessitie follow In Luke also is set forth the history of that sinnefull
haue not the giftes and facultyes which are méete conuenient for such an administration when as yet in yâ— meane tyme either they fly the daungers and troubles which they should incurre for the Church sake or els they prouide for their owne commodities delightes ease So did in tymes past many monkes which as their common saying was forsaking the world refused those functions wherby they mought haue holpen the Church And this is nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to be too careful or mindefull of the successe But we can not say they we haue not that strength and power and the times are troublesome I graunt that this is the property of a good honest mind thus to testifie of himself Howbeit they which thus excuse themselues when the necessitie of the Church vrgeth and the calling suffreth not any counterfait excuse it can not be chosen but that they are to be couÌ„ted to be wiser theÌ„ they ought to be And when Paul addeth As God hath deuided to euery man the measure of faith he both comforteth those if there were any suche which were grieued for that lesse was geuen vnto them then to others and he putteth downe theyr arrogancie which by reason of more ample gifts were ouer muche insolently puffed vp For the first sort for as much as they knew that God is the distributer orderer ought willingly to be content with his order appoyntment vnlesse they will be ouer wise and prescribe vnto God himselfe And the proude and arrogant ought to remember that those giftes which caused them so much to glory of themselues came not vnto them of themselues but of God Which thing Paul also in an other place to the CorinthiaÌ„s teacheth What hast thou saith he that thou hast not receaued And if thou hast receaued it why boastest thou as though thou haddest not receaued it For as we haue many members in one bodye and all membres haue not one office so we being many are one body in Christe and euery one one an others members seing that we haue giftes that are diuers according to the grace that is geuen to vs whether prophesy according to the proportion of faith or whether ministery in the ministery He that teacheth in doctrine he that exhorteth in exhortation he that distributeth let him do it with simplicitye he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercye with chearefulnes For as we haue many members in one body c. The next commaundement he proueth by a similitude namely that forasmuch as there are sondry gifts in the Church euery man ought to be content with this owne and not to inuade an other mans For so sayth he commeth it to passe in the body in which are sundrye partes and many members endewed with diuers faculties and powers And for asmuch as they execute their offices appointed vnto them so also in the Churche which is the body of Christ it is méete that euery member do in like sort behaue himselfe This similitude the Apostle very much vseth For he vseth it not onely in this place but also to the Corinthians and to the Ephesians and that more theÌ„ once Neither doubtles is it to be wondred at For how great the efficacy of this similitude is we may perceaue by that history which Titus Liuius wrote of Menenius Agrippa For when the people had fallen away from the Fathers he called them home agayn by this parable And in this comparison these things are chiefly to be considered First that in the Church are not graunted vnto all men the selfe same giftes as in the bodye are not geuen vnto all the members the selfe same strengths Secondly that we ought not to thrust our selues into an other mans office For no member of the body taketh vpon him the office of an other member Last of all what soeuer the members of the body doo they do it to the common vtilitie of all the parts of the body If all these thinges where obserued in the church it should without all doubt be in safety and men should in vayne complayne that the dissolution of the church hereof commeth for that the authoritye or rather the tiranny of the Pope is banished away as though by it only men can be kept in doing of theyr dewty But wheras Paul calleth the Church a body that disagréeth not from the common speach of meÌ„ For we vse to call the congregations and assemblis Congregations and assemblies of men are called bodies of many by the name of Bodies Thereof coÌ„meth that title in the digests de Corporibus collegiis mutilibus â–ª that is of bodies and vnprofitable colledges And Paul vnto the Corinthians calleth the congregation of the godly one loafe and one body We haue gifts sayth he that are diuers according to grace According to the grace sayth he geuen namely of God who before he sayd destributeth vnto euery man the measure of fayth By this phrase of speach we may most aptly conclude that the holy ghost is God For Paul to the Corinthians expressedly plainly wryteth that the holy Ghost deuideth those giftes vnto euery man as pleaseth him Wherfore séeing that now this distribution is ascribed vnto God it thereof most euidently followeth that the holy ghost is God These gifts in this sort disfering The holy ghost is God are degrées and limites within which it is necessary that euery man containe himself that he be not more wise then he ought to be But this doubtles is a very hard matter For it is a hard thing to put of the olde man being now in all partes so corrupted For the olde man is it which causeth euery man ambitiously to desire to excell others both in degrée honor and dignitie These giftes whereof The giftes which are herâ— spoken of â—re â—â—t the giftes of miracles here is entreated pertaine not to miracles as the gifts of tongues and those that are mencioned in other places but vnto ministeries and functions which ought at this day also to be kept in the Church VVhether prophesie according to the proportion of faith Prophesie is here taken of many for that faculty or gift whereby many in the Churche did by the spirite of God foretell things to come Neither doubtles can it be denyed but that in those first times such giftes florished in the Church For Agabus foretolde what euill should happen vnto Paul if he should goe to Ierusalem And the daughters of Phillip are said to haue bene Prophetisses Vnto Peter also was foreshewed the comming of the messengers which Cornelius the Centurion sent vnto him And the spirite of God commaunded that Paul and Barnabas should be put aparte for him And in the booke of the Apoc â–ª those things which should come to passe were shewed vnto Iohn Wherfore at that time suche giftes appeared openly in many â–ª Of what kind of prophâ—sâ— mencion â—â— here made Howbeit in this place I wil not follow that
signification For Paul here meaâ—â—th not that power wherby were wrought miracles but only describeth those offices which are at all times necessary in the Church Wherfore that Prophesie yâ— was spoken of in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the. 14. chapiter when Paul sayd he which prophesieth speaketh edification exhortation and consolation And againe ye may all one by one prophesie that all may learne and all receiue consolation the same prophesie I say I thinke is meÌ„t in this place And this is to be noted yâ— the Apostle did at the beginning set forth two offices generally which are afterward deuided into their partes as we shall sée And there are two for that man consisteth of body and soule And God for that his will is that the whole man should be saued hath instituted ministeries in the church both which pertaine to the soule and which pertayne to the body Prophesy comprehendeth the giftes which pertayne to doctrine and to exhortation And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is ministery containeth those thinges which conduce to relieue the body either from pouerty or from diseases and which restrayne it from wicked and vncomely actions Touching the first he sayth Whether prophesie according to the proportion of fayth In this place many thinke that by faith are to be vnderstanded the chief groundes and principall sentences of religion as those which are comprehended in the symboles And so the sense is that they which teach or exhort or comfort the people of God ought chiefly to beware of this that they speake nothing that is repugnaunt to the whole summe and principall groundes of the Catholike faith which things they which haue the charge of suche functions ought alwayes to haue before their eyes least peraduenture they decline from them Others by faith vnderstaÌ„d the roote of such giftes And Origen thinketh that this particle is to be repeated in all those things which are afterwarde mentioned namely that the ministery and doctrine ought to be exercised according to the measure and portion of that faith as though all those parts of this generall thing which séeme to haue in them the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shold by this particle be made complete But I thinke that this place is more simply to be vnderstanded so that faith here signifieth that knowledge whereof God maketh them partakers whome he placeth in suche functions that he which teacheth which exhorteth or which comforteth set forthe nothing vnto the people but that which God hath put into his head namely by his inspiration and reuelation that they presume not to speake those things which either they vnderstande not or which are of their owne inuention If our elders had obserued this rule we should not now haue had in the Church so many new inuentions of men nor so many abuses nor so many superstitions For when euery man toke vpoÌ„ to speake and to teach the people what so euer came in his head then began these mischiefs to encrease without measure Farther this we ought to knowe that Origen and Chrysostome of this that the Apostle saith according to the proportion of faith tooke occasion to thinke that it lieth in euery mannes power to obtaine these giftes at his owne pleasure For God say they poureth in those things according to the vessell of faith offered of vs. As though it were not before sayde that God deuideth vnto euery man the measure of faith But say they GOD deuideth it according as we our selues will Not so vndoubtedly For Paule to the Corrinthians of these frée giftes thus writeth All these thinges worketh one and the selfe same spirit deuiding to all men as he will But thou wilt say He woorketh Free giftes are not distributed of God according to the will oâ— the receauers indede as he will but he would frame his will to our disposition and therefore he geueth not but so much as we wil. He which thus speaketh considereth not the history of the primitiue Church For it is manifest that there were many amongest the Corinthians which would indede haue spoken with tounges as they saw others speake but yet they could not attayne vnto it At this day also there are many which would faine haue the gift of teaching aptly and of exhorting with fruit yet are they not therfore endewed with the gift And there are iust causes why God wil not somtimes geue those giftes For paraduenture they should turne to yâ— destruction of the receauers either for that they would become insolent or ells for that otherwise they would abuse the gift of God The scripture manifestly admonisheth vs that we are ignorant what we should pray as we ought And therefore God reiecteth not the prayers of his although oftentimes he geue not those things which they aske perticularly of hym Farther Paul vnto the Ephesians playnly Those gifts depend not of â—ur preparatioÌ„ but oâ— the will of God admonisheth that God hath put in the Church some to be Apostles some Prophets and some Euangelistes And if it be God which ordereth the disposing of these giftes theÌ„ depend they not of our preparation but of his will But some man will say if thys lie not in our choyse what neded Paul to say to the CorinthiaÌ„s Labour to attaine to the better giftes but chiefly to prophesie I answere that the Apostle there reproueth the preposterous iudgement of the Corrinthians For they most estemed the gift of toungs when as rather prophesie was much better And if any maÌ„ had ech faculty namely of speaking with tounges and of prophesieng which thing happened to many for Paul himselfe both spake with tonges and prophesied yet he admonisheth to labour rather to execute the gift of prophesie then of tonges And if a maÌ„ wil desire of God any of this kind of gifts Paul sheweth what gift most conduceth to the edifieng of the Church And yet doth he not therefore affirme that it lieth in the hand of euery man to haue what he will For he sheweth only what is rather to be desired Origen findeth fault with the Lattin translation which thus redeth â—uxta rationem fideâ— that is according to the reasoÌ„ or consideration of faith For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is proportion he thinketh signifieth a competeÌ„t measure But whether those be the woordes of Origen or rather added to by the interpreter I somewhat doubt For in my iudgement it seemeth not verye likely that Origen in his interpretations would seke for any helpe of the Lattin bookes And besides that I sée not howe iustly our translation in this thinge shoulde be reproued For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may very aptly be turned ratio Now resteth to declare why I sayd that prophesie is here set forth as a general office which afterward is deuided into doctrine into exhortation This I proue by the woordes of the Apostle which I before cited out of the 14. chapiter to the Corinthians He which prophesieth speaketh edification