the other parte of this doctrine which is predestination And in the other Chapters he onely handleth their manners Thus you see the scope of the Apostle Now lette vs consider the Scripture whiche is reade thus c. After that the holy man of God Paule had satisfied the doutefull and wauering myndes and ouerthrowen the subtill and crafty reasons of those who most impudently ascribed the causes and meanes of their saluation to workes he addeth this 8. Chapiter wherein wee are to knowe that there are conteyned twoo principall thinges First a conclusion of those thinges whiche he set doune in the former Chapiters Secondely a comforte and consolation for all those who imbrace this Doctrine and cast from them those relikes of errour The conclusion whiche I spoke of contayning in it an affirmation of the whole disputation from the viverse of the first Chapter vnto this 8 Chapter is confirmed this sentence without good woorkes is onely graunted saluation too the electe The confirmation is in the seconde verse of this Chapter wherein the thirde verse is expounded a doubt as it weare of the weaknesse and inabilitie of the Spirite whiche is aunswered in the same verse by an argument ex aduersis that is contraries whiche affirming are perpetually opposite That these thinges are onely graunted to those whiche are regenerat is set forth in the fourth verse ex dissentaneis whose first parte sette doune in the 5. verse is plainly declared of the effect following in the twoo next verses hauyng their owne conclusion in the 8. verse The seconde parte of the afore saied argument is in the 9. verse Where are bothe the propositions of this syllogisme Who so is in the spirite hath the spirite You are in the spirite ergo The latter proposition or as it is termed the Minor or assumption is confirmed by the effecte of the graftyng into Christe in the 10. verse and effectes of the spirite in the 11. verse The conclusiō of the firste parte is in the 12. verse and set forthe by two disagreing argumentes in the 13. verse the latter being proued in the 14. verse by an enthimeme or imperfect syllogisme whose proposition is confirmed by the effectes and testimones of the spirite in the 15. and 16. verses Whiche parte thus orderly set doune the Apostle directed still by the same spirite entreth into the disposition and artificiall setting doune of the comforte whiche the Children of God receiue by that faythe in whose assurance he hath so laboured Which comfort he taketh not of the vaine delites whiche carnall men wishe or hope for in this life But first of that company whiche we haue with Christe in the ende of the 17. verse Secondely a comparatis in the 18. verse thirdly of an argument a Maiori in the 19. verse All thinges doe looke for this comforte muche more wee whiche God hath blessed with reason and called to the perticipation of his mercies in Christ Iesus And this lookyng for is contayned more largely in the 20.21.22 and 23. verses Fourthly of the matter of hope 24. and 25. verses the spirite helping and prayer 26. and 27. Fiftly of the ende of our afflictions 28 God working the same whiche hath predestinated vs as 29. and 30. verses Sixtly of an argument a Maiori 31.32 to the whiche he anexeth a most excellent conclusion and affirmation of the whole parte beginning at the 33. verse vnto the ende Thus you see deare britheren what order I am to obserue in the treatise of this Scripture whiche that I maie dooe too the glory of God c. I tolde you that the firste parte was a conclusion whiche the blessed Apostle Paule added to that notable disputation whiche he before had handled to the beating doune and erecting againe bothe of Iewe and Gentile and to the repairyng in them whom God of his mercye hath called that the Image of perfection from whiche we fell with our forfathers whose tokēs we beare I meane original sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this woorde beyng without that accente whiche the Grecians call accentum graue is a note of copulation and proueth this to bee ioyned to some disputation goyng before and addyng these woordes followyng he giueth them in steade of a Buckler to defende vs in that daie of battaile when the Deuill shal bee readie to giue the onset and to ouercome vs if wee arme not our selues with this armour either to preuente his malice or valiantly to resist his force And here the wisedome of God by his seruaunt Paule ioyneth three especiall thinges to be marked Firste the imperfections often incident euen to the faithfull Secondlie the greate fauour of god Thirdly the regeneration of the Spirite Whiche if wee perfectly consider then it shal be impossible for Hell it self to preuaile against vs the imperfections are sett doune in walkyng after the fleshe whiche worde fleshe maie bee taken either for the outwarde man the whole man that is bodie and soule or for the present tyme If therefore any of the children of God doe externallie offende God as when the Childe of God boweth hym self in time of persecution to an Idoll or with desire of minde and consent of bodie fall into any synne as when God giueth vp his children to worke accordyng to their owne hartes and so fall into some greeuous synne as adulterie swearyng liyng suche like lastly whē those whom God hath called liue accordyng to the course of the worlde either fashion them selues therevnto in their behauiour Religion or apparell and thus disagree from the written woorde then I saie thei walke after the fleshe and yet thei so sinne that for Christ his sake these sinns shal not be laied vnto their charges And therefore thei flye vnto that mercie offered and acknowledge the same The seconde thyng that I noted to bee Gods fauour towardes vs whiche pardoneth and forgiueth vs so that although synne assault vs and oftentymes subdue vs yet wee acknowledge our selues to bee free from the power of Death and the cursse Thus fell Dauid in committyng adulterie with bloud thus fell Moses at the waters of strife in smityng the rocke Thus Peter Mary Magdalen and others whose falles were not to death but to their farther confirmation And although the blodie Papistes trustyng in the defence of a foolishe distinction of synnes Veniall and Mortall and willyng in their grossenesse to play and ieste with God saie that mortall sinnes must paie a greate raunsome but veniall synnes to bee pourged with more easie remedies as with mumbling vp and often repetition of the Lordes prayer with sprincklyng of holie water or the absolution of the Masse would take awaie this place because it is saie thei a paradox of the Stoickes makyng equalitie of synnes yet lette vs beloued thus thinke that if this were not true that euery one should dye for euer because the rewarde of synne is death because the same soule that synneth shall dye Yea let vs be
fleshe marke also how the Apostle propoundeth and proueth the second For where in the ninth verse he setteth doune the Propositions I toulde you before whiche weare They whiche are in Christe haue the Spirite You are in hym The conclusion is in the twelfth verse the coniunction of the Trinitie is suche that no reasonable man can denie the one to bee so anexed to the other that wheare mercy is shewed in the one there grace aboundeth by the other The assumption he proueth by the effects of our graftinge into Christe by whome although he acknowledgeth all thinges to come Yet in this principally he comforteth them that beside the benefite thei receiue and enioye in this life euen then when their fleshe lieth in the Grounde For so I expounde Corpus for the one parte of the body onely their Spirite shall liue in peace and the Bodie whiche as yet is not purified from corruption shall receiue life by the grace giuen by him in whome they are ingrafted An other proofe of the assumption is in the 11. verse and it is of the effectes and working of the holy Ghoste as if a man would saie truly it is an hard thing to fleshe and bloud to thinke a bodie burned eaten with the foules of the Ayer or consumed with the same to meete againe and to bee ioyned together parte to parte and then the whole to the soule yet if suche an one whosoeuer looke too the power of the Spirite and acknowledge Iesus Christe to haue risen by the same Spirite and then acknowledge him selfe to be a member of Christes bodie he shall easely discerne this and se that the power of the Spirite is not diminished but that it is the same whiche it was from the beginning and too whome euery creature shall giue in accompte and before whome euen the Sea shall bringe all the bodies it hath swallowed the Beastes and foules all that they haue deuoured and eaten and the Sonne shall restore those Bodies it hath consumed But as this power is not denyed to Christe although it be here by wordes giuen to the Father but is made common with them bothe so is this action of the holie Ghost not all togeather to be referred to the last rising whiche shal be doune in the twinkling of an eye but euen to the daiely helpes that this spirite ministereth to vs whereby he prepareth vs to bee fitte members of his Soonne Christe and to bee made meete heires of his kyngdome by the bloud of his sonne Now then the conclusion is in the 12. verse whiche sheweth that wee renounce the fleshe when we suffer Gods Spirite to rule our actions and wholie depende vppon his prouidence and if wee doe so then we are in Christ that is we liue accordyng to his will and walke in his cōmaundementes as it is saied to the Ephesians if wee liue in the Spirite then wee walke in the Spirite And although we see that this conclusion thus gathered doeth shewe a truthe yet the Apostle proueth it by certaine disagreyng argumentes whiche I will touche in a woorde or twoo because the effect of them was sett doune before The first therefore containeth a sharpe threatenyng againste the wicked and a comfort to the godlie this threatenyng he placeth here to bee as a pricke in their bodies to stirre them vp to call for grace and not to put their trust in them selues or to thinke that thei may be saued without the righteousnesse therof for if thei dooe so thei shall surely dye And why truely because thei transgresse the Commaundement and no maruell For if a mortall Prince appoint a Lawe to bee kepte and decree that the breache thereof shal be punished with Death if he apprehende any transgressor he shall dye without mercie And shall a man deale so with his brother and shall not the Lorde deale more seuerely with his owne handie woorke if it rebell and saie why hast thou doen thus and thus to me The cōfort he promiseth to all those whiche giue their indeuour to woorke the will of God and to deny the will of the flesh although thei cannot doe it as thei should The seconde proofe of his conclusion is that thei are the soonnes of God if soonnes Then fellowe heires and alwaie so directed by the Spirite whiche thynges he proueth in the 15. verse by the effectes of the spirite and in the 16. by the testimonies of the same spirite the effectes are the suretie of truste in whiche all the faithfull beleeue and the takyng awaie of feare and waueryng acknowledgyng our selues not to come to mounte Sinai where all thyng were terrible and the people as striken with death fell doune and cried that the Lorde should not speake vnto them where Moises hymself was afraid but we are come to Sion to the heauenly Hierusalem where wee haue the Mediatour of the newe Testamente And where the Spirite of God assuryng vs of his clemencie causeth our spirite to cal vppon hym and to take hym as our heauenly Father whiche we durst not to doe without suche assuraunce and this is that Spirite whose vniuersall actions sustain all Creatures whose particular actions giue all other blessinges whiche are vnto vs seales and pledges of euerlastyng life and heauenly inheritaunce ¶ The seconde part THus I haue spoken of the first parte of of this Chapiter which was a conclusion and as God hath giuen me knowledge and vtterance I haue in sinceritie of the worde shewed the true meanyng and order of the Apostle whiche I meane to doe God willyng in this laste parte whiche is a consolation drawen of sixe argumentes inferryng a godlie and comfortable conclusion of this firste parte of the doctrine of this Epistle The first argumente is drawen of the fellowshippe wee haue with Christe 17. verse we are the sonnes of God as he is and beyng sonnes we are made free partakers of our Fathers treasures and are appointed to haue our inheritaunce with hym with the condition followyng that we walke not accordyng to our owne appetite but prepare our selues to bear his crosse whiche if we doe not then is there no hope for vs. And here wee haue a double comforte that euen in the beginnyng of this Crosse and in the sufferyng of afflictions we haue Christe to be an equall sufferer with vs Secondly that as wee now suffer with him so shall we liue with hym euerlastyngly Neither is this doctrine to be kepte close because that some hereby would affirme the abilitie of workes for we knowe that woorkes doe not sette doune any cause of saluation but the meanes and waies by whiche we are appointed to come thereunto The seconde argumente is a comparatis that is as the learned knowe twoo simple argumentes compared together to the settyng forthe of the one 18. verse He compareth thinges present with thinges to come and setteth doune the vanitie of thynges present in respect of
¶ An exposition of the whole eight Chapiter to the Romaines expounded by Ihon Hedlambe Preacher and Minister to the Congregation at Braughin and student of Diuinitie in Peter house at Cambridge before Maister Doctour Squire and the whole Ministerie assembled at the laste Synode holden at Ware in Lent laste past 1579. Wherein is perfectly proued our iustification to bee by faithe onely to the beatyng doune and ouerthrowyng of all erronious and false opinions to the contrarie Seen and allowed ¶ Imprinted at London by Robert VValley 1579. To the right woorshipfull maister Thomas Meade one of the Queenes Maisties Iustices of her common Plees at Westminster Ihon Hedlambe wisheth long life with the increase of godlinesse and felicitie THat the good and godlie order of that man of God the right worship full our godlie Archdeacon maister Doctor Squier maie be knowē vnto your worshipp for whō I with the reste of my brethren and fellowe Ministers of the Churche of God are to giue GOD moste hartie thankes for that it pleased GOD to sende suche a faithfull distributer of his woorde to raigne ouer vs Who bothe with godly zeale setteth forthe the truthe and also with greate mildnesse encourageth vs to goe foreward in the same It was his good pleasurs to appointe me though moste vnworthie at his laste Sinode at Ware to open as GOD would blesse me and directe me at that tyme vnto my fellowe Ministers those notes which according to my small capacitie I had collected vpon the viij Chapiter to the Romaines after whiche my rude discourse beeyng ended he did so comfort me to go foreward as was greatly to my ioye and cōsolation in the Lorde wherefore as dutie bindeth me praiyng the Lorde long to cōtinue this our churche of England with hym and many suche faithfull Ministers to God his glorie and their and our greate comfortes not beyng able to speake that he deserueth neither to vtter that in hym whiche my harte doeth conceiue I referre it to your worship others godlie and learned Wherefore now returnyng my baise stile to write vnto your worship as the diuine Philosopher Plato right worshipful did oftē tymes giue thankes to the Angell of his birthe for three thinges first that he was a man and not a beast Secondly that he was a Grecian not a barbarian thirdly that he was borne in the daies of Socrates whiche rhankfulnesse that Heathen Philosopher euen to that God he knewe not and that for worldly transitorie thinges hath pricked me forward though not forgetfull yet vnable to fulfill any part of my dueties to be hartely thankfull to the Father of mercie God of all power whom I truly knowe through Christe Iesus for that he hath created me like vnto hymself sinne onely excepted hath not onely brought me to the pleasant spryng of the hie Helicon but also hath sent me suche a Mecenas who as he is able so is he willyng to further those my studies and labours wherunto God hath called me And seyng right worshipfull that you are that fauorer of my labours in Christ Iesus for whom I am not onely to pray to God but also through his assistaunce in and by my self to shewe some effectes and tokens of my thankfull mynde and knowleging bothe with what loue you embrace the truthe of God his woorde and what fauour you beare to the Ministers of the same as also what delight you take in reading of the same and mixyng the studies therof with other your labours professed I haue here sent vnto your worshippe a breef discourse of the whole viij Chapiter to the Romaines whiche although I haue neither so well pollished drawen suche lineamētes nor added such coulers as other both could and would haue dooen if thei had been appointed to haue spoken in that place Yet as GOD at that tyme did giue me grace and vtteraunce and for the measure of that Spirite whiche he lent me I did breefly bothe in deuidyng and expounding so labour as the shortnesse of tyme wherein I had warnyng and was to speake permitted me whiche my labours if thei be accepted and approued by your worship I trust I shall God his grace assistyng me take suche like or greater paines in some other place of Scripture to the building vp of the walles of the decaied Hierusalem and to the beatyng doune of the kingdome of Sathan bothe in other and also in my self Thus desiryng the God of mercie who raised againe frō death the great Shepherd of his flocke euen Iesus Christe the righteous alwaies to preserue and prospere your worship and yours bothe to his Churche and also to this our common wealthe Thus with due remembraunce of my bounden dueties I cease to trouble your worshippe from Braughin this xxj of Maie 1579. Your worshipps moste bounden in the Lorde duryng life Ihon Hedlambe ¶ The Printer to the gentle Reader WHereas it hath pleased God gētle reader through his holie spirite to moue and directe the author hereof to set doune here for thy comfort an exposition of the whole 8. Chapiter to the Romaines These are to desire thee with humilitie and diligence to read the same and also for the better vnderstandyng thereof to reade ouer the eight Chapiter not doubtyng but that in readyng hereof thou shalte receiue comforte through Gods holie Spirite praiyng vnto hym that he will directe the hartes myndes and pennes of all readers and writers that all their actions maie bee to God his glorie and to the edifiyng of the readers and hearers whiche God graunt for his mercie sake Thus fare thou well in the lorde who euer blesse vs Amen ¶ Octauum caput ad Romanos IT is not as I suppose vnknowen vnto any of you right worshipfull welbeloued brethren and felowe ministers of Gods holie Misteries how and in what order the blessed Apostle S. Paule disputeth against that people whiche in his daies did vexe the Churche with the deuelishe and abhominable doctrine of saluation by their own workes and santification by the vanities of mans braine and yet I haue thought it good at this present breefly to open the whole methode of the same bothe because I feare there bee some here who either haue not perfectly heard or learned the same and other that haue not distinctly taught it as also that I maie by the assistance of Gods spirit and your gentle pacience more plainly set open before you the whole contents of this present scripture to the aduansement of Gods truthe to the true vnderstandyng of his worde and the health of all our soules c. This whole Epistle maie well be deuided into twoo especiall partes the first is of doctrine especially I saie especially because that in the disputation of Doctrine he handeleth other thynges by the waie The seconde of manners And in that first parte whiche is doctrine he disputeth at large of iustification by faythe in the first 8. Chapters And the 9.10.11 Chapters he bestoweth in the confirming of